#this opera/production has gotten me through so much it's not even funny

[monotonous-minutia]

words can’t describe how much this production means to me

[valorums]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN.

respond to the prompts out of character!

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? So uh … sweats nervously … bit of a funny story here. Shi’al Valorum first came to be in February of 2020, when I was in my final year of high school and playing the violin in the orchestra pit for the theatre department’s Phantom of the Opera production. A single thought of “okay but consider this … imagine a character who is a renowned opera star like Christine Daaè but in ✨space✨” led to me developing the basic elements of Shi’al’s prequel trilogy storyline, and over the next few years, she crystallized into more than just a Christine Daaè knockoff. Somehow, I’ve (or at least, I think that I’ve) managed to flesh her out into a multi-dimensional original character. But yeah — there’s Shi’al’s very embarrassing origins as what amounts to a Phantom of the Opera alternate universe. 😭

is there anything you don’t like to write? Naturally, the minute that I sit down to respond to this question, everything that I don’t like writing just vanishes from my head. Genres wise, the first that comes to mind are fandomless modern timeline threads and modern alternate universes in general. I do not mind writing my muses into fandoms with a modern setting such as Percy Jackson or Red, White, and Royal Blue — but I hail from the historical fiction writing community, so modern settings without fandom ties are difficult for me to invest in. I go to roleplay for escape into different worlds and exploration of intriguing themes, neither of which (in my opinion) modern timelines really allow. I am also not that fond of writing angst with no purpose or resolution as well as what I call its “cousin”, hurt with no comfort. If I put my characters through hell and back, it has to be for a specific narrative purpose; I cannot just torture them mercilessly with no intent of giving a reason for that torture, even if it is as simple as enabling another muse to rescue them later on. First meeting threads are also difficult for me to write — I prefer pre-establishing dynamics in our plotting conversations and then “filling in the blanks”, so to speak, of those dynamics by writing their key developmental moments out in threads.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? Absolutely! The first thing that comes to mind is threads which involve the hurt / comfort trope — I enjoy a perfect balance of angst and fluff, and the fluff oftentimes serves as the reward for putting my characters through the pain required by the angst. Threads like these allow me to explore the full emotional depth of my muses in a way that most other broad tropes cannot allow. Alternate timelines also come to mind as a possible answer to this question; yes, Star Wars is a tragedy that ultimately nothing could prevent, but I enjoy playing in the sandbox of this universe far too much to adhere to canon all the time. I LOVE straying from Shi’al’s established narrative to explore the various storylines I’ve created for her, such as her Force Sensitive universe and the fix-it timeline that I’m still in the process of developing where she becomes Chancellor like her father before her.

how do you come up with headcanons?  It’s difficult for me to pin down my exact process, but if I had to trace the sources of my headcanons — they’re either inspired by outside sources (movies, tv, music, books, things that I learn in my university classes), conversations with mutuals, or ideas I’ve gotten from ruminating on my own general vibes and emotions.

do you write in silence or do you play music? The easy answer to this question is both, but the more complex response is that I do everything in my power to avoid writing in silence. Writing my replies in a space wherein I can listen to music or the ambiance of surrounding dialogue (such as the classroom 🤭 or the university cafeteria) is crucial to my productivity, and it also stimulates my creativity. Sometimes, though, writing in silent spaces is unavoidable if the inspiration to do so strikes at a crappy time.

do you plan your replies or wing them? For me, it honestly depends on what precisely I’m replying to in the first place. I always go into “reply mode” with at least some idea of what I want to write, but my askbox meme replies tend to be more spontaneous than actual thread replies or starters.

do you enjoy shipping? Yes yes yes YES! A thousand times YES! As I stated in my rules and as multiple PSA’S I’ve reblogged indicate, I enjoy all forms of shipping, whether it is romantic or even platonic. No matter how long we’ve been interacting for, if you detect a possible ship between our muses, TELL ME! Chances are, I probably ship it already.

what’s your alias/name?  Callie.

age?  21 years old.

birthday?  May 16th.

favorite color?  Blue, Purple, Red.

favorite song?  Aw come on; you’re really making me pick? Anything listed on my character playlists is fair game and a valid answer for this question, but if I had to select one song … I’d say that my current answer would be Sarah Cothran’s Poor Marionette simply because of the fact that the Shi’al vibes it gives me are immaculate.

last movie you watched?  I watched the 2005 Pride and Prejudice on the plane ride back home from spring break!

last show you watched?  Bridgerton Season 2 Episode 2. I’m watching the entire franchise for the first time as part of a project in my Jane Austen seminar course about Austen adaptations because apparently it’s Austen fanfiction?? Before y’all ask I’m LOVING it so far!

last song you listened to?  Don’t Blame Me — Taylor Swift.

favorite food?  Uhh … pizza? Ice cream? Idk

favorite season?  Springtime.

do you have a tumblr best friend? This is honestly kinda sad, but I’m not sure. I have multiple mutuals who I think I’m really close to; however, I’m nervous to voice those thoughts out loud just in case they don’t feel the same way about me lololoool

TAGGED BY no one. I stole it from @prcspcr LOL and I’m going to tag a BUNCH of old and new mutuals across various fandoms because I am very curious about these prompts.

TAGGING @jaigalorad, @k4ssa, @alootus, @tapalslegacy, @sorehsu, @unwaivering, @pilothearted, @shexopt, @deficd, @reiignonme, @menaceborn, @nieithryn, @misfittcd, @debelltio, @strcngered, @oflightsbeam, @stars-written, @lostwcrlds, @shadowedlights, @spokewar, @vendettavalor, @frxncaise, @ncmad, @adversitybloomed, AND YOU.

[jamespotterthefirst]

Okay I've done some thinking and now I'm going to do some annoying😂 and I've come up with several questions for Lilac and Ethan. BUT, you have to answer as them too. 🙃

What was their worst date together?

I think there might be some funny stories for this one. 🤭 But I'm not sure, so I'll leave that to you.

What are their most repeated sentences or phrases?

Who takes longer to get ready?

Who spends more time on social media?

Who is the better driver and who is the default passenger? (also, how were they like when the other first drove them somewhere? Like when Lilac first drove Ethan somewhere and vise versa? )

Who is better at fashion?

Who is the biggest flirt?

Who sings better?

Who usually wins an argument?

Who usually finishes their food faster?

Who is more likely to burn the house down when they're cooking?

Who has the shorter attention span?

who is more likely to admit that they are wrong?

Who is more likely to send an inappropriate message to another family member? (I couldn't help myself sorry😂)

Who is more likely to 'fake it till you make it' with a crush?

Who is more likely to use the other's things?

Who is more dramatic?

Who is more likely to embarrass themselves?

Who is most likely to trip while walking?

Who is more likely to buy things they don't need?

Who is most like to lock themselves out of the house/apartment?

Okay, that's all I got. (For now😂)

Sorry for making it so long.

Hi! Thank you so much for these! I love them lkjfskdlfjlk and you are seriously making me so happy. I love talking about these two!

What was their worst date together?

Lilac: *laughing while sharing a look with Ethan* It has to be that night you tried to take me to the Opera for Rigoletto. They didn't know we were coming so they donated your box that night like usually instruct them to do. Remember that night?

Ethan: *completely serious* I do. But I don't remember it as the worst date.

Lilac: No? We got all dressed up for nothing.

Ethan: Do you remember what happened after?

Lilac: We walked aimlessly until we ended up at the Common. They had Shakespeare at the Park. It was a production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Ethan: *nods* You got so excited because you said it was one of your favorites but you had never seen a production. You were just so... happy.

Lilac: *smiling tenderly at him* But your plan for the perfect date was ruined. I thought it was the worst date because you were disappointed.

Ethan: I planned to spend time with you. That's all I ever wanted and I got it. Plus more. That look on your face... It was worth everything.

What are their most repeated sentences or phrases?

Lilac: His infamous line about delaying the inevitable.

Ethan: Lilac constantly quotes long forgotten six second videos from 2015

L: Vines?

E: Precisely. Or she will quote literature quite impressively. There's no in between.

Who takes longer to get ready?

L: Me

E: Lilac.

L: But the end result is worth it, right?

E: You're worth any wait, darling. Yes.

Who spends more time on social media?

*They both point at Lilac without missing a beat*

Who is the better driver and who is the default passenger? (also, how were they like when the other first drove them somewhere? Like when Lilac first drove Ethan somewhere and vise versa? )

L: Ethan! I refuse to drive in this terrifying city again with Massholes on every inch of the road.

E: *snorts* Massholes? Very accurate. The first time Lilac drove, I prayed for the first time in years.

L: You're so dramatic.

E: She has no concept of speed limit, turn signals, or stop lights.

L: I'm from California! We don't make full stops.

Who is better at fashion?

E: My wife, thankfully.

L: I coordinate his outfits daily. He was hopeless before he met me.

E: *scoffs* I was not hopeless. I just didn't spend valuable time choosing what to wear.

L: Babe, you wore a polka dot tie with pinstripe trousers.

E: I don't see the issue.

L: *stares open-mouthed at him, almost as though she is reconsidering her life choices*

Who is the biggest flirt?

E: Lilac. She even does it without realizing it. L: It's not that bad. E: No? Miss You Can Give Me Private Lessons. L: That was a rare occasion of me breaking out of my shell. *but she can’t keep a straight face*  E: And let's not forget that half of the interns have a crush on you. It's annoying. L: More like 65% have a crush on me. The other 35% have a crush on you. E: They're setting their sights too high. L: *laughs* You become Chief and suddenly you’re unattainable? Luckily I met you when you were a nobody, world famous doctor.

Who sings better?

E: Me. L: Ouch, you could've pretended to think about it. E: I wouldn't have fooled either of us.

Who usually wins an argument?

E: Lilac. She grew up with the most argumentative siblings ever. Add to that her signature stubbornness and she sees most arguments to the end. 

L: The secret is to kiss him when things aren’t going well for me.

E: That too.  

Who usually finishes their food faster?

*They both point at Lilac without a moment’s pause*

Who is more likely to burn the house down when they're cooking?

*They continue to point at Lilac, adding extra flair for emphasis*

Who has the shorter attention span?

*They hesitate*

L: Neither of us?

E: In our line of work, we’d be in trouble with a short attention span. 

Who is more likely to admit that they are wrong?

L: Ethan. He’s gotten so much better about this through the years. I’m so proud of him.

Who is more likely to send an inappropriate message to another family member? (I couldn't help myself sorry😂)

L: Ethan accidentally sent his father a text that was meant for me. Luckily, it was innocent. He was only asking me what was for dinner.

E: Your reply when I finally sent it to you was not. 

Who is more likely to 'fake it till you make it' with a crush?

L: Ethan Jonah Ramsey. He pretended to be so suave with me during my intern year half of the time. The other half he teasingly insulted me, which is his way of flirting. 

E: Bold of you to assume I had a crush on you back then.

L: *arches a brow at him*

E: *breaks and laughs despite himself*

Who is more likely to use the other's things?

E: Lilac. She uses my shirts all the time.

L: They’re a badge of honor. I have to tell that world I’m sleeping with you somehow.

E: That’s implied given that we’re married. 

Who is more dramatic?

*Lilac points at Ethan instantly. After some hesitation, he points at himself too with the ghost of a smile*

Who is more likely to embarrass themselves?

*Their fingers remain on Ethan, both thinking of the time at the end of her intern year when he almost told Naveen all about how Ethan had slept with Lilac.* 

Who is most likely to trip while walking?

*They switch their fingers to Lilac*

L: I learned my lesson about what shoes not to wear to work.

Who is more likely to buy things they don't need?

*They continue to point at Lilac*

E: We have more soaps, socks, essential oils, and candles than anyone needs in a lifetime.

Who is most like to lock themselves out of the house/apartment?

*They point at Ethan now*

L: Only because I convinced him to switch to an electronic door lock.

E: I hate the damn thing.

[leporellian]

Tbh youve made me interested in looking into operas. Where do I start, or what ones do you recommend?

right, i've gotten this question several times so i'm going to make a nice little guide!

starter operas that are good for the beginner-

- the barber of seville by rossini is a really good starter. it's funny, it's a comedy, it isn't too long and there aren't any bits that drag on i think, AND if you like it there's an even better sequel (the marriage of figaro). and you'll recognize the music too!

- la boheme by puccini and la traviata by verdi are both two Quite Different takes on 'tuberculosis fucking sucks man' but in two different directions. la boheme is more or less 'imagine the tv show friends but if one of them caught tuberculosis midway through and Fucking Died at the end" and la traviata is "love story that goes wrong and THEN one of them Fucking Dies of tuberculosis at the end". ('love story gone wrong (SOMEONE DIED?)' is a common opera trope, you'll find). so which one you like more really depends on if you're looking for something a tad fluffier or a tad more Dramatic

- carmen by bizet was my starter opera, and it is still a very good starter opera, although i was 7 when i first saw it and you should generally not expose 7 year olds to carmen. the best way i can summarize this one up is 'ashfur mr brightside amv but an opera'. oh and also you'll recognize this one's music too because it's full of absolute bangers

- there's a lot of 'fairytale' operas that have very well-known plots. these are generally performed for younger audiences but adults still love them very much too! and they ALSO have bangers. hansel und gretel by humperdinck and the two cinderella operas (rossini's cinderella and massenet's cendrillion) are really good examples of these.

- tosca by puccini is Really Exciting and not too long. political drama! murder! corrupt cops! the horror of trying to find good reference photos for fanart in a pre-internet era! it's ALWAYS something new with these motherfuckers. if you want something that will make you go 'oh Holy Shit' this is it

- finally, ones that aren't -quite- beginner-friendly (whether that's bc they're more complex plotwise, have bad productions, or are just kind of a general mindfuck) but are really good options to get into once you get into the above stuff: the marriage of figaro by mozart, il trovatore by verdi, cav/pag (this is a double bill that gets shown around often, made up of cavalleria rusticana by mascagni and pagliacci by leoncavallo), lucia di lammermor by donizetti, rigoletto by verdi, don giovanni by mozart, and the rake's progress by stravinsky (this one is also in english if you're into that!). opera is like hot sauce- you have to build up your way into it!

- final note: you will often see people claim the magic flute is a good starter opera. it really isn't. take this from someone who is writing an entire novel based on the magic flute: it really ain't it, chiefs, and it's more interesting to me not as what it is but for all the adaptations it's inspired. but i could go into my magic flute hot takes another day

where to get opera-

so there's a few resources to see opera that are really good.

- youtube.com: there is, in fact, a lot of opera productions just Available out there on youtube! some opera companies purposely stream their own opera videos.

- operaonvideo.com: my personal favorite. this site is a massive archive of opera performances from all around the world, completely free of charge. it has nearly everything, although subtitles aren't always a given and there's a lot of Dubious Russian Streaming Site Links

- the operavision youtube channel is basically a free youtube streaming service for opera companies. the quality of the productions there is a grab bag imo but there's also a lot of good stuff there too!

- glyndenbourne is an annual opera festival. recently, because of the pandemic, they've started streaming some of their prior opera productions on their youtube channel.

- the royal opera house, garsington, and wichita grand opera also stream operas on their youtube pages from time to time, but tbh i don't keep up pace with them enough to know their own Schedules.

- the met opera also does nightly streaming via its own website- a different production each night. i have a lot of bones to pick with the met (tldr: they Aren't Great!) but given these are free you're not financially supporting them so it's fine lol

- finally: want just english translations of the librettos (opera scripts) so you can follow along if you find a production without subtitles? go over to murashev.com- the site's been a little buggy lately but it's got translated librettos of nearly every mega-popular opera.

if you have any further questions, nearly everyone i know in the opera tag on tumblr (not 'opera', mind you, 'opera tag'- no, we don't know why we do this either) are kind people who will gladly introduce newcomers to the art form! the opera community is a bit prickly at times, but the people on tumblr and twitter i've found to be the nicest overall.

finally: remember that opera isn't nearly as high and mighty as it likes to think it is- once you cut into it, it's really fun! and if it's not your thing, that's also fine!

[patricia-von-arundel]

A Grand Gesture

lysissisyl said: I got: “Byleth breaking into Edelgard’s room through their window” It’s so damn in character. 😂

“It’ll just be a drabble,” I said.

“It will be fluffy,” I said. 

…It is neither of those things. 

Rating: G

-

Really, in a way, what happened could be blamed on Dorothea and Ferdinand. They were the ones who brought up the opera, and seemed to believe that  only certain gestures were the perfect solution for - to borrow one of Dorothea’s phrases - the hopelessly lovelorn. 

It had seemed a good idea at the time, asking the two of them for advice. Who else was there, really? And finding them sitting together in the dining hall might as well have been a sign yelling Fate!, because how often had that happened? Byleth couldn’t remember them ever sitting together as students; they’d seemed barely able to stand one another. 

She sat across from them, and, after perfunctory greetings, saw no reason not to get to the point: “Do you know why Edelgard keeps locking herself in her room?”

Dorothea raised a knowing eyebrow, but Ferdinand seemed confused: “She was at the council meeting yesterday… Though now that I think about it, she did seem to have rather less to say than usual.”

“And went back to her room immediately following,” Dorothea said. “Hubert was muttering darkly about it. Not that he ever mutters any other way.”

“She painted a picture,” Byleth said - already perfectly aware of Edelgard darting from the meeting room as if goosed, and Hubert rushing to follow. “She got upset when I saw it - but that was two weeks ago. She still won’t talk to me.”

“A painting?” Ferdinand asked. 

Dorothea asked the more pertinent question: “A painting of what?”

“Me.”

Her face lit up like a candle. “I knew it!”

“Knew what?”

“I am afraid I must ask the same question,” Ferdinand said - his own expression had gone from confused to thoroughly befuddled.

Dorothea laughed - absolutely delighted. “Of course it’s of you, Professor.” She glanced sideways - not bothering to hide her smirk. “Surely you didn’t miss all of dear Edie’s infatuation, these last five years? Even the horses couldn’t be so oblivious as that.”

“Of course not! It was simply… not the first thing to come to mind.”

“Infatuation?” Byleth asked. 

For a long moment, they both simply stared. Byleth stared back - waiting. 

“Oh, dear…” Dorothea finally said. “Though I suppose you truly did miss these last five years.”

“Most of it.”

“But… you’ve noticed since? About Edie and… you?”

Byleth considered this. Certainly, there was something she was feeling about Edelgard, and it was one of the strongest feelings she had felt, and it was getting stronger still, but she continued to have trouble understanding any of her feelings, even the simple ones. This one was not simple. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was certainly not easy to figure out - it was warm, and kind of tingly in her head, and it made her feel like laughing, but it wasn’t funny…?

A very odd feeling. 

She certainly hadn’t noticed anything markedly different about Edelgard, except that she looked like and spoke even more confidently as the emperor now. Until the painting - which was why she was here in the first place. And she said as much: “Nothing except the painting.”

Dorothea stared again, then shook her head. “Hopeless. Both of you, hopeless… My dear professor, Edie is head-over-heels in love with you.”

Ferdinand spoke before Byleth could: “In love?”

Dorothea ignored him. “But she’s embarrassed. I doubt our poor little Edie has ever grappled with such tumultuous feelings. Leading a revolution is a far more straightforward matter. Especially for one of Edie’s… disposition.”

“I haven’t either,” Byleth said. Was that what to name the warm-tingly-laughing feeling? Love? She had felt love before - but even as clueless as she knew she was about feelings, she also knew there were many different kinds of love. 

Dorothea cocked an eyebrow. “So the feeling is mutual, is it?”

“I…” Thinking of Edelgard - and there was the warmth. Byleth nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

“How romantic!” Ferdinand said. “Will you tell her? And perhaps more importantly - how will you tell her? Over tea? I would be more than happy to assist in acquiring the perfect blend. Something with an infusion of rose, but sweet. Perhaps -”

“You’re thinking like a noble, Ferdie - all tradition, no grandeur. Nothing memorable.”

“I would think the symbolism would be memorable enough, Dorothea. The gift of a blend perfected solely as a gesture of love, the intimacy of a table laid out within a hidden glen, with places only for two… Are you saying such an act is not evidence of devotion, deep and abiding, and promised for all eternity?”

“I never said that. I said it was boring.”

Ferdinand pursed his lips, shook his head. “Not everything needs to be a grand stage production, Dorothea. Life is not an opera.”

“How very deep, Ferdie. You surprise me. But why not something grand and operatic?” She leaned against her elbows on the table, chin resting atop her entwined hands. “What do you think, Professor? A grand gesture, or… afternoon tea?”

“I just want Edelgard to come out of her room and talk to me again.”

“Just to be clear - are you certain it was the painting?” Dorothea asked. “Nothing else you saw? Nothing unusual happened?”

Byleth thought back to that day - to the truncated shout that had taken her to Edelgard’s room in the first place. “I called her cute.” No more details given; Edelgard would almost certainly get even more upset if suddenly everyone knew her deepest fears - even if all those included in “everyone” were her closest allies. 

Once more, Dorothea looked absolutely delighted - and this time, Ferdinand did, too. “Did you really?” Dorothea asked - and actually turned to Ferdinand long enough to share a knowing smile. 

“Yes.” Had it been the wrong thing to say, even if it was true? Edelgard had gotten flustered, but she always got flustered when she thought she was being teased. Which she wasn’t. 

“Hmm… So you called her cute, and then saw the painting?”

Byleth nodded. 

“…Poor Edie has probably never in her life fallen into a stew of emotions quite this thick.” 

Ferdinand also nodded - a contemplative expression on his face. “I must say, I am rather jealous.”

“When once again, you’ve lost to Edie?”

“Of course not! I speak only in the most general of terms.”

“Mm-hmm - but back to the matter at hand. Edie is in love, Edie is thoroughly overwhelmed by this - and perhaps lingering uncertainty about whether the feeling is truly mutual - and rather than do the sensible thing and speak to someone, as our professor here has done, she has opted to lock herself away, because no one ever told her pining princesses don’t go looking for hidden towers of their own accord.”

“Which begs the question,” Ferdinand said, “of how to rescue the princess from the tower.”

Byleth was confused - and fairly certain that if Edelgard needed rescuing, she would rescue herself - but kept silent. It felt as if some progress was finally being made. Maybe. They had at least moved on from the “in love” aspect, anyway. 

“Which brings us back to grandeur,” Dorothea said. “No one ever knocks on the door and politely asks the evil king to please return the princess. And isn’t it always you nobles doing the breaking-and-entering in the name of rescue?”

“I hardly think breaking down Edelgard’s door is a noble idea, whatever the circumstances!”

“It’s a terrible idea,” Byleth said. Edelgard’s aim wasn’t always the best, but in the confined space of the dormitory, that would not particularly matter. 

“Metaphor, my dears.” Dorothea was leaning across the table again. “Ferdie says life isn’t an opera, but what is an opera but a grand-scale depiction of everyday life? You’re familiar with the tale of Cremina and Lycaon, are you not?”

Byleth shook her head, but Ferdinand said, “Of course. Cremina was a distant - and likely mythological - relative of House Vestra, and Lycaon the purported father of Wilhelm, founder and first emperor of Adrestia. The story claims to explain the allegiance House Vestra swore to House Hresvelg.”

“Exactly,” Dorothea said. “I always wanted to play Cremina, but wasn’t considered mature enough for the role before I left the opera… but regardless - Professor, you’re sure you are not at all familiar with the tale?”

“I don’t think so.” Her father had not been much for telling stories. Especially about princesses in towers - which was a little concerning, if this was a common occurrence. But that was something to try to figure out later. The library probably had books about it. 

“The family of Cremina did not approve of her love for Lycaon,” Dorothea said. “They saw him as little more than a savage, a guard dog of Seiros. They locked Cremina away beneath the grand home in which they lived - they were already very wealthy, while Lycaon had been nobody at all until he proved himself upon the battlefield. He knew where Cremina was being held, but had no means to rescue her.

“There was war all across Fódlan, then - for centuries, if you believe the legends. Cremina’s father was slain in battle, then, one by one, six of her seven brothers. Knowing Cremina was still locked away beneath her family home, Lycaon decided to behave like the dog they claimed that he was - he began to dig. Each day, as he worked, he sang to Cremina - his songs her only nourishment, and her songs sung back the same to him, letting him dig harder and longer with no need for food or rest. When finally he reached her, they swore to love one another for all eternity. Soon after they were wed and had a son, Cremina’s youngest and final brother returned home, having recovered from the grievous injuries he had sustained in battle. As a thank you for what Lycaon had done to save Cremina, the brother pledged his and all his descendants’ devotion to the Hresvelg line, for as long as both should remain.”

“A preposterous story, by all true historical accounts,” Ferdinand said. 

“Of course it is, Ferdie. You just said it yourself - it’s a story. A grand story of the lengths to which the hopelessly lovelorn may go. Far grander than any tea party.”

“A tea party is feasible in our current situation, unless you mean to propose the professor should somehow dig her way to Edelgard’s room?”

“Nothing like that. I meant -”

They continued this pseudo-argument, but Byleth was no longer listening. She was thinking about tea, and tea parties, and what might be a grand gesture that was like digging into an underground prison to rescue someone beloved. Something like…

She looked up, interrupting Ferdinand and Dorothea’s bickering: “I have an idea.”

-

The rope was the first thing - and this part, at least, Byleth was very familiar with how to do. Knotted around her waist, snug, but not so tight it would impede movement, and a loop around the handle of the basket. More rope to tie the heavier things within, so they wouldn’t jostle - and each arranged to serve as weight or counterweight, a trick her father had taught her when they had once moved so frequently from place to place. 

She left the basket at the far edge of the dormitory, where it wouldn’t risk hitting the overhang above the ground floor rooms. She needed to get herself up, first. 

Her idea had brought a look of delight to Dorothea’s face, and a surprised excitement to Ferdinand’s. He had, as promised, kept up his end of this grand gesture before the week was out. The rest of it was up to Byleth. 

She was no hero from some ancient legend, but she’d been climbing trees to scout for her father and those who had worked for him almost as long as she’d been able to walk - or rather, for a long enough time she could not remember having to learn to do either. Now, it was as simple as using a crate to get a height boost, and then shimmying up the column to the overhang - not a completely flat surface, some of the boards warped and loosened with age, but far more stable than a narrow branch ten meters above the ground. She would just have to step carefully. Especially with the basket - even with things tied down, pinwheeling would mean a spill inside, if not without.

She pulled the basket up now, slowly, hand over hand, adjusting carefully at every lean or noticeable shift in weight. Edelgard probably had water in her room, but it had seemed like a good idea to bring some, just in case. The evening was still early; there was no hurry to get the basket up. When it was up, though, she checked the contents - all intact; no spills. Good. She untied the rope from both the handle and her waist, tossing it to the ground to pick up later. 

The correct window - she had counted three times, to make sure she knew the one, and had climbed up on the side with the shorter distance to it. She held the basket in one hand, let the other trail against the wall, steadying her as she stepped carefully from board to board. “One,” she said, touching the windowsill. “Two. Three.” She wasn’t likely to be seen - everyone was still at dinner. 

Everyone but Edelgard. 

There was the window. And there she was. 

And for a surprised moment - surprise at herself, at yet another confusing, inescapable, inexplicable reaction - Byleth froze. She stared. 

The horns were gone. The crown, too. And the cape, the armored dress. Edelgard was cross-legged on her bed, her hair down, falling over one shoulder. Her dress was simple, almost loose - a nightgown? Bare feet. She was reading a book, and apparently nothing important, because Byleth knew the way her brow furrowed when she was intently focused on a history or military treatise. Now, her face was relaxed, her lips curled ever-so-slightly into something almost resembling a smile. 

Warmth. Tingling. A happiness that made her feel like laughing. 

Love.

Byleth rapped at the window. 

Edelgard jumped - almost sending her book flying - and whipped around, all the easy enjoyment in her expression wiped away in an instant. She looked tense, now, and - of course - more than ready to protect herself. 

Her eyes found Byleth. Byleth waved. 

For a long time, Edelgard stared. Her cheeks flushed red - anger, or embarrassment?  Byleth had no idea. Finally, at a loss, she held up the basket. 

Maybe grand gestures befitting an opera had not been the way to go. Still, at least she had brought Ferdinand’s plan as well. She pointed at the basket and said, “Tea!” Even if Edelgard probably couldn’t hear her. It would be a pretty simple word to lipread. 

Now there was the furrowed brow. But Edelgard pushed up from the bed and came to open the window. 

Bylth tried her best at a smile. She felt like smiling, and just about everyone seemed to think it was the friendly thing to do. In the right circumstances, anyway - hopefully this counted. She held the basket a little higher. “Hi, Edelgard. I brought things for tea. And sandwiches, since you weren’t at dinner again.”

Edelgard’s flush deepened, and she glanced away - roughly in the direction of the dining hall. “Hubert’s been bringing me… Nevermind. Come in before someone sees you. Or you manage to break your neck.”

“I won’t get hurt.” But Byleth did as told, placing the basket on the long shelf that ran beneath the window, then climbing in after it. There was a fire going - that was good. She hadn’t been able to think of a way to keep the water in the basket warm. And besides,  if she had, the condensation on the little kettle might have made the sandwich bread soggy. That seemed like the sort of little thing Byleth was supposed to remember other people did not appreciate. 

“You might if you ever do that again,” Edelgard said. “What in the world were you thinking?”

“You wouldn’t answer your door. So I asked Dorothea and Ferdinand what to do.”

“Dorothea and -” Edelgard put a hand to her forehead, rubbing as if it ached. “Of course.”

“Do you want tea?”

“I… Yes. I suppose. Let’s… have tea.”

A good sign? Not a rescue from an underground prison, but better than being yelled at through the door. “I brought a blanket.” Opening the basket, untying the ropes holding everything in place. “Like a picnic. Dorothea said that would be romantic.”

She paused in her unpacking and looked up at the sound of Edelgard spluttering. “Romantic?” 

“Yes. Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s… no. But… I’m not…” She could see Edelgard tensing, just as she had that day two weeks ago. “This might be a bad time, actually. You should go. We can… we can have tea another day. Perhaps tomorrow. Hubert will be here soon.”

Byleth took her hands off the basket. She looked at Edelgard - at her eyes. Her cheeks were still red, her lips pursed, but her eyes… There was fear there. A naked vulnerability. 

She doesn’t understand feelings, either. Not these, anyway. Maybe for Edelgard, love wasn’t warm-tingly-laughing. Or maybe it was, but it didn’t come with curiosity - it came with terror. Byleth felt no pain from it. But Edelgard…

“I’m sorry,” Byleth said. 

“You’re…?”

“I shouldn’t have said it like that. I should have just said I miss you. And talking to you, and having tea with you. Which I do. I like seeing you, Edelgard.”

Edelgard’s eyes looked away, but she made a little noise that was almost a laugh. “I’m no good at this. Not with you. I like seeing you, as well. I… I suppose I should be the one apologizing. I certainly know… the pain of missing others. Even when they’re not truly far away. I overreacted. I was…” She shook her head. “Let’s prepare the tea. There are… more things I should have told you quite some time ago.”

It was warm, too, doing it together - not tingly, no laughter, but definitely warm. Edelgard took a careful sniff of the tea blend, making a face. “That’s… different. Ferdinand?”

“Ferdinand.”

…Very, very warm. 

Edelgard showed little interest in the food, but did cradle her teacup in her hands. Maybe they were cold - she didn’t have her gloves on. Her skin was pale, and Byleth could catch occasional glimpses of the scars running up her arms, beneath the loose sleeve of her dress. Did that mean something - that Edelgard did not try to hide them; seemed to have all but forgotten them? It felt as if it meant so much more than simple trust. 

As did what Edelgard said, looking down rather fixedly at her cup. “You saw it. The portrait.”

“Just for a second.”

Edelgard shook her head. “Nevermind that. I was the one who left it out. I wanted to explain… why. Why I painted it in the first place. I don’t think anyone would ever mistake me for a master artist.”

Dorothea had said infatuation. Dorothea had said love. And still, perhaps she was right - but there were things she likely did not know about Edelgard. Things it seemed likely almost no one knew. There might be infatuation, there might be love, but there was something more. So Byleth said nothing. She drank her tea. She waited, watching Edelgard attempt to gather her thoughts. 

Finally, Edelgard took a deep breath, and said, “I forget things.” She swallowed visibly. She was clutching the teacup tightly enough that her knuckles had gone white. “Not so much anymore, but… I’m always afraid that I will. You remember what I told you - of what happened to my siblings?”

“When they…”

“When they were killed. When…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head again. “After, I realized the gaps, in my memory. I had to be reminded of things - things that had only happened days or weeks before. I could only remember the faces of my younger brother and sister as they had been before I left - they were hardly more than babies! - not as the older children they’d become. The youngest was almost nine years old, hardly a toddler - but even now, when I try to imagine him, he’s no more than a tiny, babbling, fat-cheeked thing.” She looked, finally, at Byleth. “You know that I spent several years in the Kingdom, with my uncle?”

“Yes. Not the details, though.”

Edelgard made that almost-laugh noise again, but there was no humor in it at all. “Don’t expect the details from me. I don’t remember that, either. I knew I’d been away from home, but more than once had to be reminded of where I’d been taken, and with whom, and why.”

She took another deep breath, and let it out slowly - almost a sigh. “Like I said, it isn’t so bad now, but… when you disappeared…” She put the cup down, and, once more, her gaze with it. “I was afraid I might forget you, too. Your face. Your voice. Forget… all of it. And I couldn’t stand that. To lose someone else…” Her hands shook - she laced her fingers together, but Byleth had already seen. “I painted before I could forget. And when you came back… I realized all I had already gotten wrong. The length of your nose. The shape of your chin. I found the painting again because I needed to fix it. In case… in case…” Her voice broke, and she pressed her lips together, almost savagely. Forcing away the sorrow. Forcing away feeling. 

“Edelgard.” Byleth wanted to crawl closer, gather her up, hold her until it was better. Another strange, insistent, new desire - Edelgard might battle her own feelings into submission, but Byleth had no idea how to do that. But she couldn’t do what she wanted. Not now. Not yet. She contented herself with leaning forward, elbows on her knees. “I’m sorry.”

“As you’ve already said.” Edelgard’s voice was soft and low. 

“I’m sorry I was gone.”

A pause - then Edelgard was looking at her once more. “Just… would you be willing to promise me something? I know it’s presumptuous, and perhaps asking too much, but -”

“What?”

Those eyes - those bold, determined eyes. “I know I cannot ask you to promise to keep yourself safe - such is not the nature of war - nor can I ask you to promise to stay by my side.”

“I will, though.”

She almost smiled - not quite, but almost. “Promise me, my teacher… if you ever do choose to leave, or if you must leave… you’ll do me the courtesy of telling me, before you go? I will not try to stop you. Your life, and your path, are your own.”

My life and my path are alongside yours. But as earlier had shown, it was not yet the time for such words. So Byleth just nodded. “I promise.” She cocked her head. “Now you have to promise something, too.”

“Making demands of an emperor and commander of an army?” Edelgard raised an eyebrow, but she was finally smiling. Genuinely smiling. “That’s quite the bold move.”

“Dorothea said gestures should be grand.”

“Dorothea thinks like a minstrel. But go ahead - what would you ask?”

“Promise we can keep doing this.”

“Doing…?”

“Having tea. And talking. And you tell me what’s bothering you. Now, and until the war ends, and after the war ends. I know feelings are hard, but you can tell me about them. I’m trying to learn them.”

Again, for a long moment, Edelgard just stared at her - assessing her. Almost scrutinizing. 

Then - a single, firm nod. “Yes. I think I can make that promise. I do promise.”

It was Byleth’s turn to smile - as best she could. Inside her was warm, and tingly, and felt like laughing. 

A promise from Edelgard seemed a grand gesture indeed. 

[jimlingss]

The Colour of Our Voices [6]

Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 6.5 OR Chapter 7

➜ Words: 4.1k

➜ Genres: 98% Fluff, 2% Angst, Slice of Life, Broadway!AU

➜ Summary: He wasn’t supposed to hear. He wasn't supposed to know. But the instant Jimin came into your life and pulled the curtains back, you couldn't hide backstage anymore. You were no longer merely a phantom of the opera.

cr.

You try not to let the negative, disgusting feelings get to you.   But envy is a monster that keeps hovering over your shoulder, always peering at what you’re doing, always making petty comments in your weakest moments. You try to tune it out, but it constantly tempts you in whispers to be honest with yourself.   It’s hard to keep it at bay too when every turn you make, you see Jimin’s face. From the moment you step outside the comfort of your apartment to when you get back — he never gives you a moment to compose yourself, to heal, to overcome the green monster. He sticks to your side like gum and you can’t help the way your resentments build into hatred.   “Did you hear?” there are murmurs as you’re cleaning up a spill on the floor, knees sore and bruised blue. The director spilled his coffee and immediately pointed at you and told you to take care of the mess.   “What?”   “Jimin got a role in the Les Mis production.”   “What? Really?” she gasps. “That’s impressive. No wonder he’s not here today.”   “I knew he could do it, he’s cute. I’d let him have his way with me.”   “God, you’re never satisfied, aren’t you?” There are snickers and giggles. “But he must be really good. Didn’t he just come here too? But we should see if we can get tickets to watch.”   “Good idea. I’d love to see him on stage,” she hums. “I wonder if he’ll quit this job.”   “Probably. Working as an intern here is pretty much working as a slave for the director. It’s a shitty ass job,” she mutters and you can feel their heavy stares on your backside. “Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”   “Shame,” she sing-songs. “I was hoping he’d stick around.”   Your hand crumples into a tight fist, into the dirty cloth that’s stained your skin. Then you scrub harder until your fingernails hurt, until it’s as painful as the way your eyes sting.   //   Your appetite is gone. You can’t swallow your food despite having skipped lunch — the director had sent you on a wild goose chase to pick up a package at the post office and by the time you were done, your lunch break was long over.   You play with dinner using your fork, and Jimin doesn’t notice. He keeps talking about all about him and his accomplishments. You didn’t want to be here in the first place, but he insisted on going out for a celebratory dinner, pressured you into it even when you tried rejecting him.   And here you are.    “So I came in today for the first time, and it was so exciting. You wouldn’t believe it, Y/N. You were right when you said the Phantom production was low-budget. These sets that some other musicals have are a world’s difference.”   “I see.”   Jimin stuffs his cheeks with french fries, getting ketchup at the corner of his mouth. “I’m starting officially on Monday, so I’ll probably quit my internship. I already gave the director a call to let him know tomorrow will be my last day and he sounded pretty happy for me. He even said he’d write a recommendation letter if I ever needed one.”   You drop the fork in your bowl, retracting your hands into your lap. “Wow, that’s really great, Jimin.”   “I don’t think I’ll need a letter any time soon.” Jimin smiles and shakes his head, sipping on his soda. “I’m just so psyched to begin rehearsals. They ran me through a few things and what my costume will be and what it’ll look like before we perform in a few months. Sometimes I just can’t believe that I’m actually there. It’s just surreal to think about how I’ll be on stage. Everything at that production is so amazing, Y/N, completely different from Phantom’s production, you should’ve seen it.”   “Yeah. Wish I could’ve….”   “And now people are taking my coffee orders! Can you believe that?!”   You can’t even muster a smile. There’s a thick lump formed in your throat that hurts to talk past and you’re holding back from crying, not wanting to lose the last shreds of your pride.   Jimin doesn’t know that you never asked to hear any of this, that his innocent gloating is grating to your ears.    “I couldn’t have done it without you.” He gives a cheesy grin and then bites into his burger and puts it down after wiping his mouth free of the sauce. “Seriously, if not for you, I probably wouldn’t have made the role. I didn’t know what I was doing before you taught me the ins and outs of the industry. I bet I’d still be at home rolling around in bed.”   Your tight lipped mouth attempts to pull. “You’re welcome.”   “I’d love to make it up to you some time...s-so...uh...I-I’ve been meaning to ask something.” Jimin nervously laughs and scratches the back of his neck.   You wonder why you’re here, why you’re allowing yourself to feel this misery. You should be at home, underneath the covers of your own bed. Not out here in the cold feeling humiliated. You’ve wasted enough time on Jimin and he’s gotten what he wanted from you.   The two of you are no less than strangers.   “O-Of course, only if you want to, no pressure whatsoever, but there was this theater show coming up tomorrow, I was wondering, well I wanted to ask, um, if you wanted to j-join, I got tickets—”   You don’t hear him. Too busy in your own thoughts.   You grab your bag. “I’m not feeling very well, Jimin. I think I’m going to head home first.”   His eyes are owlish, big and rounded, blinking at you. The boy looks at your unfinished food and then back at you in alarm. “Are you okay? Do you need me to bring you to the hospital? What’s wrong?”   “No, I’m fine. I’m just—” You sigh, unable to come up with a coherent explanation. “—tired.”   Tired from the day. Tired of your life. Tired of him.   Jimin stands when you do. “We can go back together.”   “No, it’s fine,” you insist as lies roll off your tongue, “I might actually stop by a friend’s house tonight.”   “Do you want me to walk you to the subway then? I can go right now—”   “No, it’s okay. Promise.” You can’t bring yourself to smile at him, to spend one more second in his presence. You’re scared you might permanently hate Jimin. “See you.”   “Bye…” His hand lifts to wave, watching you walk away.   Once you’ve disappeared from sight, Jimin dejectedly plops back down into the seat of his booth. He peeks into his pocket and sighs as he looks at the two tickets to the show. He shouldn’t have been so nervous. He wonders what he should do with them now.   But next time. Next time for sure, he’ll ask you on a date.

You’re strung around a lot.   You realized this after your many encounters with Jimin, but everyone in your entire life has strung you around like a pet for their own amusement. Even now, the director brings you places to do his dirty work for him while making you believe that he’ll give you a reference someday, that he’ll give you a chance.    But if you’re honest with yourself, you know he’ll never do it.   He’ll never pick up his goddamn phone and call an agent for you. He’ll never give you the praise you deserve for being his ghost singer. And these facts alone are enough for you to want to grab the nearest brick available and smash it on his dumb head.   But you can’t do that as irritated and as pissed off as you are these days. You can’t go to prison and you can’t quit this shitty job. You need money from somewhere, and you won’t be succeeding in any auditions any time soon — you know that too.   You’re stuck. Trapped in your own inability to succeed. Stranded in your own routine. Even when the entire world keeps moving.   You feel like you’re in a glass case, a phone booth in the middle of the metropolis, watching the universe continue, watching how others move past you.   “Intern. Intern!”   “Huh?”   “Did you not hear me?” The director sighs and rubs his temples. “Don’t make me regret bringing you here, alright?”   Except he didn’t bring you here willingly. Taeyeon couldn’t come to the networking event — the stupid party for ‘charity’ that was actually meant for the sponsor to brag about his wealth. The invitation became open and he saw you staring at him intently, so he reluctantly told you to come with. But now the director was acting like he has bestowed onto you a huge honour.   “Go get one of the waiters to bring those finger food platters to us. They keep running out by the time they get to this side of the room.”   “Yes, sir.”   You remind yourself this job is a privilege. A privilege.   You cut through the room and crowds that make you sweaty. It feels as though everyone’s eyes are on your backside despite knowing that logically no one cares. You’re a ghost in the sea of fancy dresses and glamour.   “—And so, one day I just told him that of course we had to eat during the layover, we were in Italy for god’s sake. It’s eat-aly for a reason.”   Seokjin seems to be enjoying himself. He’s drawn in a crowd with his handsomeness and godly appearance. Even his ridiculous jokes rouse laughter. You’d probably giggle along if he ever wanted to entertain you, but at this point, you might end up bursting into tears after laughing.   “You’re so funny, Jin.”   “Am I? Hmm. Always thought I should do stand-up comedy.”   You continue making your way, catching a waiter walking past and in an attempt to grab his attention, you dive straight through a hoard of people. Apologies roll off your tongue while they grunt. But by the time you get to the other side, the waiter is gone.   Instead you see someone else — the person that you wanted to see the least in the whole entire world.   “Actually, I started in community theater.”   “Oh, really?! What did you do?”   “Well, I did a lot, but I think my favourite role was when I did Peter Pan. That was pretty fun and a really good experience.”   “I can see that.” The suited man hums. “Can’t you?”   “Yes.” The woman on the man’s arm is swooning over the younger boy. “I think that role is rather fitting.”   The brunette is dressed in a well-pressed suit that looks brand new, as if he had just got it off the rack yesterday in haste. But he looks comfortable surrounded in his new group, probably members of his production.   You watch for a second from afar, stuck at another standstill, feet rooted in the ground. Jimin gets along with people easily. He’s only shy on the surface. It’s smart to talk to so many people and to expand his horizons, to actively socialize. He’ll probably get more connections here at the event. It’s only up from here.   You’re envious that Jimin is being presented as a new Broadway actor while you’re just an intern.   Though you sigh with a smile despite your inner turmoil. For a second, one small second, you’re almost happy for him—   But the timing is poor.   As you turn away to fully disappear, he catches you out of the corner of his eye. And Jimin takes a step forward, calling your name out loud, clear and crisp in the air. You shut your eyes, hoping your ears are mistaken, but they aren’t.   He dismisses himself from his new colleagues and comes over to you with the biggest smile.   “I didn’t know you would be here, Y/N!.”   “Y-Yeah, um, I’m here as an intern.”   “Oh, I didn’t even see the director. I should go say hi.” Jimin glances up and down at you. You wonder if he’s judging your meager attire when everyone else is glamorous. But you don’t let your thoughts stray too far into self-deprecation.   You inhale a huge breath, trying your best to get along with him.   “You look like you’re having a fun time.”   “Hardly,” Jimin admits. “I just came since everyone else did and I didn’t want to be that new guy who didn’t come to social events, y’know?”   “Yeah, I get it.”   You wonder when it became so hard to talk to him.   “The food here is actually pretty good, have you had a chance to try it yet?”   “No, not yet.”   “I recommend the tiramisu and truffle fries. It’s delicious. Here we should go to the buffet table.”   “Actually, Jimin, I have to go—”   “There’s something I want to tell you,” he interjects with a softened smile. Jimin waits patiently for your response, so you nod, following him for the sake of not being awkward.   The two of you come to a quieter spot by the corner of the room where the tables are.   “What is it?”   “Earlier I was just walking around trying to make conversation with different people and I spoke to this guy and we had a pretty regular conversation, but it turns out he’s the casting director of an upcoming, original production!” Jimin’s excitedly rambling, sharing the good news with you as if you’re close friends. “It’s called When Summer Meets Winter, and there’s nothing official yet, but he said he really likes me. Do you think I’ll get a part?”   You don’t know why he’s telling you this.   “I...I don’t know, Jimin.”   “Can you believe it though? If I had another role lined up right after this one?!”   “Congratulations,” you deadpan.   “Well nothing’s decided yet.” Jimin sheepishly smiles, unaware of how he was literally pouring kilograms of salt into your wounds, gallons of gas into the fire.   “Is this what you wanted to tell me? I should really get going, Jimin. I’m on the job right now. And I can’t afford to get fired.”   “Wait.” He grabs your wrist before you can turn away from him, desperate eyes asking you to stay for a moment longer. “I...a-actually wanted to ask you something…..and I’ve been meaning to do it for a while now but I never really got the chance, well that’s not true, I had a lot of chances but I chickened out because I was a coward—”   “What?” you sigh in exasperation, annoyed beyond belief. “What is it, Jimin?”   He looks you dead in the eyes. “Will you come with me to an improv class?”   “Pardon?”   “There’s an upcoming improv class. I heard about it, and it’s free. It’s just that we had gone to so many shows before but we never got a real chance to participate, so I thought it would be really fun.”   You don’t want to. Thinking about it makes you scared. And you still haven’t healed from your most recent failure.   “I don’t think so, Jimin...I…”   “Please?” he insists, “I think it would be so much fun.”   “I’ve been pretty busy—”   “I haven’t even told you when it was yet! How would you know if you’re busy?” Jimin laughs, the sound bubbling out of his throat. “And plus, they have a lot of days available.”   There’s an extended silence.    It’s too much work to reject him, to find an excuse, to make this more awkward than it needs to be. You just want to leave, want him to let you go. So you agree. “Fine.”   He grins. “Okay. It’s this Friday at seven. I’ll see you then?”   “Sure. But—”   You’re interrupted by a yell. “Y/N! Where did you go? My god, I sent you to do one task and you got distracted like this?” The director is appalled as he comes over, shaking his head, outright humiliating you.   And Jimin smiles. “Director Kang! How are you?”   “Jimin!” The older man smiles and hugs him. “What’s my favourite intern doing here?”   “I came with my new production team.”   “Up on the high ranks now, aren’t you?” Director Kang slings his arm over Jimin’s shoulder as if the pair of them are sharing a secret. “Make sure to remember who got you there. It’s good to show gratitude.”   Jimin steals a glance at you. “I remember.”   But by then, you’ve already turned away, grabbing the nearest waiter and asking him to bring over a platter of finger foods for the director.   People might see you as a timid mat to walk all over. But you just really itch to set the whole place on fucking fire.    //   Friday comes too quickly, and once you step outside to face the consequences of your decisions, Jimin is there to greet you with a smile as if to show how perfect his life is going.   On the way there, he summarizes his week and somehow gives extensive details — from the rehearsals to the new things he learnt, to how amazing the cast is and what it’s like to work with people who are passionate about musicals. You tune him out, and fortunately you arrive soon enough.   It’s a dingy entrance way and a hall that leads to a lit studio. But as skeptical as you were, there’s quite a few people there. There are around thirteen folks who are both friendly as they are invasive. Though Jimin is comfortable with them while you linger behind him.   It quiets down when the teacher steps into the room.   “Hello everyone.” The blonde with bright eyes flashes a boxy smile. He’s dressed in a loose dress shirt, tight trousers, a sophisticated but casual outfit. And he’s charming, outspoken, drawing the attention of the crowd. “Looks like we have some new faces today, so I’ll introduce myself. My name is Kim Taehyung. I am an aspiring screenplay writer and producer, currently assisted to Director Lee if you know who he is. And today, I am your improv teacher, director, leader, whatever you want to call it.”   Kim Taehyung….   Everyone goes around the room to introduce themselves, and your fixation on Taehyung shatters when Jimin, next to you, announces himself.   “Hello! My name is Park Jimin, and I’m currently working towards my Broadway debut.”   “Oh, impressive,” Taehyung genuinely expresses, eyes twinkling with curiosity. “What production are you in?”   “Les Mis.”   “Wow.” He nods with a smile and looks off at you. You feel the entire focus of the room shift onto you and you begin sweating, uncomfortable, panicking.    “I’m Y/N…” You cringe at how awkward you are, at how quiet your volume is. Others have to murmur to each other to confirm what your name is.   But Taehyung smiles kindly. “And are you interested in improv, Y/N?”   “A little.”   He laughs, a glorious sound that’s chirpy and melodic. “Well, let’s hope it changes to a lot by the time this is over.”   Taehyung turns to the class afterwards, reassuring that it’s all for fun while explaining what the theme is for today. He also explains the rules, what to do, and how to set up a scene.   “Oh no, a man’s been shot!” someone screams, startling you to death.   “I’m the paramedic.” Someone else steps in right away. “He can only be saved by true love’s kiss.”   “Oh my god, George!” Another comes colliding onto the set up scene, next to the man laying on the ground. Someone asks if she’s his girlfriend and she responds with, “I’m his sister.”   It arouses some stiff laughter. “Well that’s awkward. We need someone to kiss him!”   “Gross, I’m not kissing him,” the supposed sister drops him back onto the ground. “He has herpes.”   “She’s right.” Jimin seizes the opportunity and comes in. “I’m his doctor and he’s contracted herpes through kissing raccoons.”   “Are you sure that it’s herpes and not rabies?”   “I’m sure.”   “They’re very different things.”   “I’m aware,” Jimin says smoothly, thinking on his toes, “But we need someone to kiss him stat.”   “Well, you’re the doctor! Can’t you go through the medical procedures and kiss him?!”   “Sorry. Can’t risk contracting diseases. It’s protocol.”   Someone on the scene asks who they’ll contact now. But it’s so bizarre. You don’t know what’s going on — you can’t keep up — it’s happening too quickly and each time you gather the courage to jump into it, the development is too fast for you to conjure more ideas of what to do or say.   But you’re the next person to step in and everyone turns to you.   You’re apprehensive, nervous. You know you’re bad, that you’ll mess up—   “You can do it,” Taehyung murmurs, having watched the scene unfold. His arms are crossed, but his grin is welcoming and warm. He encourages you with a gentle gesture.   You clear your throat and try strutting into the scene. “I-I’m nurse Joy. I was told there was a bachelor party at this venue?”   Taehyung laughs. “Creative.”   The scene unravels in absolute absurdity. You exchange a look with Jimin before your eyes stray off to Taehyung and stay there. It’s surprisingly fun. It’s not so nerve wracking when everyone’s on their toes, when there’s no real audience or anyone to scrutinize you.   Everyone’s a part of the performance.   “There’s no right or wrong,” Taehyung tells, approaching your side as another scene is unfolding. “Try to relax more into it.”   “Okay.” You take his advice and he smiles, endeared.    An hour eventually passes and class is dismissed. Everyone bids farewell and you’re gathering your belongings when Taehyung comes up to you while wearing his coat, balancing his own briefcase.    “You’re really good. It was your first time, right?”   “Y-Yeah.” You try not to show how flustered you are over his praise. “Thanks, I don’t think I’m any good.”   “Don’t say that. It all comes with practice and hard work.”   “And luck,” you add. Not everything can be achieved through perseverance — you realized that a long time ago.   “That too. But did I end up changing your mind?”   “About what?”   “Are you a little more interested in improv?”   You consider it for a moment before becoming honest with your emotions. “A little…?”   “Only a little?” Kim Taehyung gives an exaggerated huff, obviously teasing you. “Aw, jeez, I failed, didn’t I? I was hoping you’d love it by the time it was over.”   “Maybe next time I’ll love it more,” you banter back to him and he laughs.   “So I’ll see you again?”   “Maybe.” You shrug.   Taehyung smiles, the corner of his mouth tilted gingerly. He glances down at his shoes before peeking up at you past his bangs and thick lashes. “What do you do, Y/N?” he asks in a husky timbre that has your chest stuttering.   But you don’t know what to say. You’re embarrassed to tell him you’re an intern. You’ve never been proud of that title and somehow, you find yourself not wanting to tell him.   So you opt to evade it playfully. “Why do you want to know?”   He hums a low note. “Because I’d love to know your availability—”   “Y/N?” He’s interrupted by a soft voice and when the both of you turn, you find Jimin has been standing at the doorway, having watched the entire interaction. His cheeks are pink and he tensely hitches a thumb over his shoulder. “We...should get going. Wouldn’t want to miss the train…”   You look back at Taehyung. “Um, I really had a fun time today. Thanks for teaching…”   “It’s my pleasure, Y/N.”    You like the way he calls your name. The way the syllables roll off his tongue. It sounds nice. Pleasant.    When you walk out the door and glance back, you see his boxy grin and cheerful wave. You wave back to him with a kind of smile that hasn’t reached your features in a long time.   “Did...you have fun?” Jimin peeks at you as you’re on your way back.   “Yeah, surprisingly.” You smile up at the night sky before turning to Jimin. “Taehyung’s super nice, huh?”   “Yeah. He is. He’s pretty good looking too.”   “I know, right?” You giggle. “I thought I was the only one who noticed.”   The two of you keep walking, but you don’t realize when Jimin’s steps slow. You don’t come to see the dismayed expression on his face.   It’s the first time in a while that you feel this good.

[austrohungarianwriteblr]

Follower Celebration/WIP Excerpt: The Night We Met

60 followers? On my simple country blog? Amazing! Here, enjoy a snippet from the part of the tale where Our Heroes meet and it’s awkward for everyone. (which can alternately be summarized as “Marta, quit being horny on main, you’re scaring the hoes”). 

WIP Tag List (As usual, please give me a shout if you’d like to be added) :  @carumens, @galsinspace, @writingonesdreams, @booksnotbookies, @ren-c-leyn, @kiesinger, @ella-writes-words, @fields-of-ink, @halleiswriting

(Side note: If you follow my main blog you may have seen a version of this before. Please forgive me for airing a rerun).

At least partially to avoid Ludwig’s unsettlingly earnest gaze, Marta glanced over his shoulder at the small orchestra, whose members seemed thoroughly professional and focused despite not being in the Court Opera. The violinist closest to her was certainly entirely absorbed by the music; Marta’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, absentmindedly admiring his slightly-too-long dark red hair and long, elegant fingers. She didn’t know much about the Odysseum Opera Company, but they certainly seemed to be turning out nice-looking musicians… Then the violinist lifted his head, just slightly, and glanced in her direction. Good heavens. Now that was unfair. If Marta ever met God, she decided, she would have to have a very stern talk with Him about allowing mortal men to have eyes like that. Eyes that particular shade of blue-green, and of that intensity to the point where they seemed to be lit from within, belonged on pagan gods from the old Celtic folktales Marta’s English governess had told her—the sort who did interesting things like turning into foxes and kidnapping mortal girls to be their wives. Eyes like that had absolutely no business belonging to violin players in birthday-party orchestras. Was he looking at her? He had to be looking at her, or Marta thought she might scream, or do something equally ridiculous to get his attention. She eagerly leaned forward, hoping to catch his eye, her heart pounding in anticipation. “Marta? Are you all right?” Marta came back to herself with a start, suddenly aware that Ludwig was looking at her with concern in his pale blue eyes. With a twinge of embarrassment, she realized that while she had been staring at the violinist she had completely stopped moving her feet, leaving Ludwig to shift her about awkwardly. “Are you all right?” Ludwig asked again. “You’re looking a bit…feverish. Are you feeling ill?” “No, I’m really…” Marta put a hand to her cheek and realized, with surprise, that her face was quite warm. Probably bright red, too. How funny. “Do you know what, Ludwig, I think I am feeling a bit poorly. I must be tired from all the dancing. Would you excuse me for a moment? I believe I’ll sit down and have a glass of punch.” “Well, if you’re sure,” Ludwig said with a frown. “Would you like me to come with you?” “Oh, no, that’s quite all right. The dance is nearly over anyway, and I’m sure Sophie would be delighted to dance the next one with you. Don’t let me keep you.” Before Ludwig could object, Marta ducked out of his grasp and hurried to one of the benches set along the walls, dropping into a seat from which she could watch the handsome violinist to her heart’s content.

----

It was an agonizing twenty minutes before supper was announced and the orchestra was finally permitted to take a break. As groups of guests found partners to escort them to the dining room Marta hopped up from her seat, determined to find her violinist before the musicians disappeared down to the kitchens or wherever the help went during these breaks. She wasn’t entirely sure what she would say to him (a wordless scream of admiration, while representative of her feelings, was likely to be startling), but she could learn his name, at least. And congratulate him on how lovely the music had been. And stare at him some more. Thank God, it took her less than two minutes to find him. He was in the corner where the orchestra had been set up, engaged in an intense conversation with the Baron von Braumark, and was nodding valiantly as the Baron gestured wildly. Marta paused for a moment, inspecting his clothes with a connoisseur’s eye: his black suit was elegant, if threadbare, and she could not help but notice that his trousers were perhaps an inch too short for his long legs. Strangely enough, the air of shabbiness around him only made him more attractive, in a tragic way. “Ah, the lady of the hour!” Baron Ulrich boomed, seeing Marta approach them. “Mr. Király, I don’t believe you have made the acquaintance of Countess Marta von Holstadt, the very reason we are gathered here tonight. Countess, my dear, allow me to introduce Andras Király, one of the orchestra’s finest new violinists, fresh out of the Academy.” Andras turned those glowing turquoise eyes towards Marta, regarding her so intently it made her breath catch in her throat. Of course he was even more beautiful close up, Marta thought, her heart pounding. His cheekbones had to be sharp enough to cut glass, and his eyelashes were the longest Marta had ever seen on a man. Even his nose—which was on the long side, and had a bump in the middle—was utterly charming. And what a name he had. Andras Király. It sounded thoroughly heroic. He had to be Hungarian, with a name like that. “Countess,” Andras said politely, dipping into a graceful bow. He had a lovely voice, low and seductive, with a hint of a husky accent; Hungarian, just as she’d thought. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Marta managed just the slightest of curtsies—if she bent any deeper, she thought, her slightly shaking knees were certain to give out. “Likewise, Mr. Király. And you must let me congratulate you…the music tonight has been absolutely lovely.” Andras looked down at her—quite significantly down, he had to be at least eight inches taller than her—and offered her a small but sincere smile. “That’s very kind of you to say, Countess. I won’t say I entirely agree with you, but then it’s not easy to be satisfied with one’s own performance, as I am sure you’ll know if you have ever played music yourself.” “Oh, yes, you’re quite right. I spent ten years taking piano lessons and I was always terrified of being asked to play at a party because if I made even the smallest mistake I’d be furious at myself all night. I remember once at Christmas when I was eleven I forgot what came next halfway through Silent Night and I wound up just playing the same line five times in a row…” Realizing she was starting to babble, Marta quickly bit off the end of her sentence. “I beg your pardon. What I mean to say is, you and the rest of the orchestra have been excellent, and we’re awfully grateful you’re here. The orchestra is lucky to have you, I think.” “On the contrary, I think I am the lucky one. It’s quite an honor to be able to work here in Vienna…” Andras’ jaw tightened as though he was suppressing a yawn, and for the first time Marta noticed the pale violet circles under his eyes, as though it had been a few days since he’d gotten a good night’s sleep. “…Though,” he added, looking away absentmindedly, “my father might disagree with me about that…” “Would he?” Marta leaned forward eagerly, sensing a hint of intrigue. “Why is that?” Andras blinked, as if only just remembering she and Baron Ulrich were there. “Nothing important,” he said quickly. “Forgive me for keeping you, Countess, Baron, I expect they’ll need you to lead everyone in to supper. Allow me to wish you a very happy birthday, Countess.” He bowed again, this time kissing the back of her hand—merely brushing his lips against her gloved fingers, but even that was enough to make Marta feel her skin had burst into flame. With this he departed, leaving Marta to admire the lean, graceful lines of his body as he walked away. “A very pleasant young man, that,” Baron Ulrich remarked. “Far too many of these artistic types, especially the Hungarians, have no sense of how to speak to their betters.” “Mmm,” said Marta vaguely. “He works for the Odysseum Opera Company, didn’t you say, Baron?” “Quite so. Not a bad little troupe, even if their theatre is a bit run-down. I believe their next production will be Don Giovanni; your family will have to accompany us to one of the performances.” “Oh, yes,” Marta agreed ardently. “I can’t think of anything I would like more.”

[fandumbstuff]

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ranked Best to Worst.

Why watch a movie when you can experience it? And that’s what the MCU demands you do. These films are less about settling in to watch a movie. It’s about getting together your family, your friends and making an entire event of them. Marvel Studios has forever changed cinema going, and boy am I eager to get back to them. So with that, let me break down the franchise and my take on the best and worst it has to offer.

1. Iron Man 3 Directed by Shane Black

Iron Man 3 still holds up as one of the MCU’s strongest screenplays. It’s their first (and one of their only) real character study of a superhero, and the psychology behind being one. Tony Stark suffers from PTSD and struggles to understand his relationship with Iron Man. He is forced to contend with human issues and find what it is that truly makes him a hero. It’s also a movie chock full of incredible action set pieces- the Air Force One scene still holding up as one of my favourites- and wickedly funny dialogue. It continues to be my most satisfying re-watch out of the MCU.

2. Black Panther Directed by Ryan Coogler

Marvel’s best villain, best score, best production design, and best picture candidate. It’s the movie that forced Hollywood to take them seriously. Ryan Coogler showed the world that he can perform even within a studio system that had largely been criticised for being too overbearing. The world may have always known that Black Panther existed, but Coogler showed us why he matters so much. The story is the MCU’s most inspiring yet. Killmonger forces not just T'Challa, but every audience member to consider his motivations seriously. It shows humanity that heroism doesn’t come from superficial acts, but from overcoming our own flaws and learning hard lessons from our history.

3. Thor: Ragnarok Directed by Taika Waititi

In letting Taika Waititi have free reign over Ragnarok, Marvel is given their most unique film yet. The movie feels very much like Waititi’s own vision, chock full of his signature wit and charm. And its within this vision that we finally see Chris Hemsworth come into his own as Thor. Finally at ease, he’s allowed to be funny, and absurd, and play the emotional scenes without any melodrama. Waititi really makes the character dynamics in this film memorable, introducing us to the Grandmaster and Valkyrie, and fleshing out Banner and Loki. It’s a cast that charms us enough to consider staying with the MCU and seeing where they go.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Chris Evans finally comes into his own as Captain America, as Winter Soldier gives him a captivating character arc to work through. Steve Rogers is placed in a conflict that makes him question his own motivations. The morality that he stands for is in direct opposition to the authority he serves, leaving him to question what it means to be Captain America. We also see him learn from his relationships with the supporting cast- with a franchise best portrayal of Nick Fury and Black Widow and a particularly strong introduction of Falcon. The Russos create something truly remarkable by taking a character that has been criticized for being too traditional and show him learn and change significantly. But in addition to all this they direct what is easily the MCU’s best pure action movie yet, showcasing the franchise’s best car chase (Fury vs Cops) and its best fight scene (THAT knife scene).

5. Avengers: Endgame Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Stunning, momentous and joyous, Endgame is the theatrical experience that Marvel has spent over 10 years honing to perfection. Just one year after Infinity War, the MCU brings together their iconic, colossal cast for their grandest, most ambitious adventure yet. And while Endgame is chock-full of some stunning action sequences and gleeful references, it carries a genuine heart to it. These heroes struggle with PTSD from the events of Infinity War. We see them at their very lowest, and watch their desperation mount and grow to determination. This epic struggle is what has made superheroes so compelling for so many years. By breaking these characters down, the Russos show us just what makes them great. We’ve witnessed writers, directors and certainly the actors take these characters on journeys that have seemed at times thrilling, at time out of touch, but in Endgame, they’re at their very best. The moments of reprieve in the action where we simply sit with them to listen in on their banter are the best. Building to it’s inevitably emotional ending, Endgame winds up being one of the most wholly cathartic experience I have had with a film.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Directed by James Gunn

At the time of it’s release, Guardians was the franchise’s best-looking movie yet, and it still holds up. The slick space opera designs set to the now iconic soundtrack made the first Guardians an aesthetic marvel. It’s the substance that comes with this that makes the movie one of the MCU’s best. The ragtag group are misfits who find their purpose by banding together, and while the sequel may have drawn this out to nauseating lengths, the first movie made it succinctly effective. It found the right balance of humour and sentiment, endearing us to a cast of characters that seemed too obscure to be popular- and guaran-damn-teeing that Marvel can do whatever the hell it pleases moving forward.

7. Avengers: Infinity War Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

To handle ten years of storytelling and world building and bring it to such a satisfying crescendo is commendable. The Russo brothers handle each character well- each new introduction is a pleasing moment of familiarity and excitement to the fans that have stuck with this franchise. It’s a perfect match to the comic book format. And ultimately Infinity War is as good as any major comic book event. A chance to see our favourite characters interact with each other with conceivable motivations, and face a threat that is alarmingly critical. Its in this respect that Infinity War outshines its predecessors. For the first time, the Avengers face real emotional consequences if they fail. The Russo’s pull no punches to make this clear and despite a fair amount of signature MCU levity, Infinity War winds up being their darkest film yet.

8. The Avengers Directed by Joss Whedon

There’s no questioning the milestone achievement that The Avengers accomplished. As a superhero ensemble, it never once feels congested or jarring-something that most blockbusters consistently suffer from. Instead the protagonists are given clear goals, and their obstacles make real sense. Their hostility towards each other stems from their innate character flaws that they need to address to face the true antagonist in Loki. It highlights what Marvel does so well- offer us adventures that don’t tie up all their loose ends but rather leave them dangling to set up more ambitious stories.

9. Spiderman: Homecoming Directed by Jon Watts

I’ve long considered Spider-Man an uninteresting superhero, so it is highly commendable that Homecoming manages to change that. We skip the origin story and meet a Peter Parker that is inexperienced and has a lot of growing up to do. He contends with Michael Keaton’s Vulture- a villain that is simultaneously charismatic, intimidating, and relatable. Supported by what is probably the best supporting cast in any MCU film. Martin Starr, Hannibal Burress, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei flesh out Spidey’s own universe of Queens- wholly believable and charming.

10. Captain America: Civil War Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

In all respects, this should have been the second Avengers film. The Russo brothers do what Joss Whedon couldn’t. They show these characters change and clarify their motivations based on the 8 years that we’ve been watching them. They introduce new characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther in seamless fashion. They provide exciting action set pieces and compelling moments of drama. The payoff at the end truly shows us how much of a battering these heroes take- emotionally and physically. We see their vulnerability more clearly than any other MCU film, forcing us to address the question that they can’t keep doing this forever.

11. Captain Marvel Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

The biggest issue that this movie suffers from is that it seems very episodic to a larger MCU. Its hard to get around this though, with it’s release date being less than 2 months away from Endgame. It feels like there are some key world building details that had to be gotten across. Had this not been the case, perhaps they could have explored Carol’s character a bit more. She does seem interesting, and Brie Larson does an expectedly great job, but it seems like we’re only getting a taste of a much larger character study. From what we see though, it is refreshing to see a female character who simply goes out and kicks ass without ever being sexualised, even in terms of costume design. The highlight of the film though, is undoubtedly Samuel L. Jackson’s incredible portrayal of a young Nick Fury, through the most magical of magic tricks in VFX.

12. Iron Man Directed by Jon Favreau

While I do feel like the movie has lost some of it’s lustre since it’s release, there’s no denying that Jon Favreau achieved something remarkable with Iron Man. Forever considered one of Marvel’s B-characters, Favreau brings Tony Stark into a modern era and instantly relevant setting. This is obviously due in large part to his gamble of casting the debilitated Robert Downey Jr. in the lead. Downey Jr. pays off in spades, revitalising his career and sadly typecasting himself forever with a roguishly charming performance.

13. Doctor Strange Directed Scott Derrickson

Doctor Strange is proof of the amazing world-building prowess the MCU has. They introduce key elements to the universe that seem incredibly important, without ever overwhelming the story. Benedict Cumberbatch puts on his best American accent yet and capably sells Stephen Strange as one of the MCU’s more level-headed heroes. The rich mythos of Doctor Strange fits immediately into the greater MCU framework while telling it’s own compelling narrative culminating in my favourite climax to any MCU film- “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain.”

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home Directed by Jon Watts

The real standout from this film is Jake Gyllenhaal with his pitch-perfect performance as Quentin Beck/Mysterio. He threads that line of MCU humour extremely well, but also manages to come off as wholly and realistically threatening when he needs to. Far From Home had the tough task of following the monumental Endgame,  but it fulfills its purpose of truly setting the tone for the future. A lot rests on Peter Parker’s shoulders and Far From Home shows him having to deal with it responsibly, maturing and growing to fill a greater role in the MCU. 

15. Ant-Man Directed by Peyton Reed

If you ignore the fact that this movie was almost directed by Edgar Wright and how amazing that could have been, Ant-Man still delivers as a very entertaining movie and one of the franchises strongest origin stories. Scott Lang is instantly the MCU’s most relatable character- not a god, not a spy, just a thief with no powers and no resources (initially). And there is no one who could have played this character better than Paul Rudd. Bringing his signature charm and impeccable comedic timing to the franchise is a breath of fresh air and a brand-new dynamic. 

16. Captain America: The First Avenger Directed by Joe Johnston

Ultimately my biggest problem with Captain America has always been his origin story, so I have some natural issues with this film. It is also bogged down with some cliched romantic drama between Steve and Peggy which takes away from its otherwise engrossing plot. Hugo Weaving proves to be an effective Red Skull, showing us a deeply disturbing quest for power. The movie excels in its WW2 setting, laying down real consequences and motives behind Captain America’s heroism. It takes a few movies for Chris Evans to settle into the role, but this is a strong start.

17. Iron Man 2. Directed by Jon Favreau

Iron Man 2 consistently threads the line of poignant storytelling. Ivan Vanko’s vengeful motives, Tony Stark’s descent into alcoholism and the nature of war profiteering. It’s especially unfortunate then that the movie gets bogged down with a persistent need for levity. More than any other film in MCU, the humour in Iron Man 2 seems particularly cumbersome- taking away from what would surely be strong performances from Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell. As a result, we’re left with villains who don’t seem to be a threat at all- mere caricatures for Iron Man to dispatch without ever really pondering their motivations.

18. Ant-Man and the Wasp Directed by Peyton Reed

My initial reaction to this movie was pretty positive, but given time I realise it’s totally forgettable. While it does feature some integral world building to the larger MCU, there’s very little done to explore some of their characters, particularly the Pym/van Dynes. There are still a lot of great aspects, including some clever action set pieces that explore Ant-Man’s powers more. Scott’s relationship with Cassie is expanded on and Paul Rudd and Abby Ryder Fortson do a great job selling this, making it seem truly endearing without ever being corny. Also Randall Park is in it and he might be the greatest actor of his generation.

19. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Directed by James Gunn

More of the same, but not nearly as fresh is what Guardians 2 serves up. It rehashes a lot of its predecessors joke formulas, action montages and even the basic emotional tone. It’s hard for any of this to seem anything other than repetitive and I’m left wanting these characters to go on real adventures rather than wallow in their own angst. Without offering any new developments to these characters and a rather uninteresting plot, the movie is another totally dismissible filler episode in the MCU.

20. Thor Directed by Kenneth Branagh

It’s really baffling that with as big of a name as Kenneth Branagh attached to it, Thor winds up being one of the MCU’s most poorly directed films. Poorly constructed shots framed on a dutch tilt and coloured with a gaudy high contrast palette make this movie a downright eyesore. It’s especially unfortunate because it’s got some great moments of storytelling in it. While the first three quarters of the movie seem tedious, it pays off in the last 30 minutes- exposing a complex family drama that drives most of the film. While Chris Hemsworth took a few films to polish his acting chops, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins provide strong performances to really sell their characters and make us care.

21. The Incredible Hulk Directed by Louis Leterrier

This movie has easily become the sore thumb in Marvel’s formula. It seems entirely different from the rest of the movies. This is due in large part I believe to make it similar to the original TV series. None of this is a good thing. The movie has a largely meandering plotline, with no sensible character development. Bruce Banner goes back and forth between being tortured by the Hulk and accepting him. In a world populated by poor villains, Tim Roth’s Abomination might be the worst one. At no point do his motivations make sense or seem clear at all.

22. Avengers: Age of Ultron Directed by Joss Whedon

It seems like Joss Whedon decided to make a sequel to The Avengers without taking into consideration the four other movies that came out after it. Ignoring most of the character development and brushing aside key plot points, Whedon instead tries to explore their team dynamic by sewing seeds of hostility and testing them against a new villain. However, as good as James Spader is, Ultron never feels like a real threat. The real antagonist for the Avengers winds up being themselves, constantly bickering over right and wrong- and while this isn’t necessarily bad, Civil War would do a much better job of this just a year later. This makes Age of Ultron a dispensable entry in the MCU, and Whedon’s extremely poor handling of Natasha and Bruce’s relationship make it an arduous rewatch.

23. Thor: The Dark World Directed by Alan Taylor

The Dark World suffers from some bizarre shifts in tone and horribly forced humour. They reduce Jane Foster and Thor’s relationship to a cliched romantic comedy and then use it to add unnecessary comedy to the family dynamic established in the first Thor. Even the performances seem poor here- as if the actors never truly felt comfortable in their role. They posture and exaggerate to sell a script that offers them very little to work with. With a caricature of an evil villain and a generic McGuffin to chase, The Dark World is everything you could criticize the MCU of, rolled into one movie.

[fuckmemattitsdiannaross]

Bare: The Musical

It’s known that there is a lot of discourse surrounding the rock musical, so I watched it and made a list of some of the pros and cons and what I liked just to try and understand it better. It is very different from the original, but there are some element of it that are interesting and good even. So here is my official unedited 2 am review.

Pros:

- Gerard Canonico

- Alex Wyse

- Taylor trench

- Barret wilbert weed

- Dianne lee has a bigger role

- More funny jokes

- Gerard sings portrait of a girl like the fucking savage he is

- Interesting aspect with the basketball team and the spring break houseboat and how popularity is more of a reason not to be out for Jason

- Matt is The Bisexual™️

- Peter has a cute little hat

- Acting is A+

- Jason singing role of a lifetime really works with this production especially at the end of act one

- The best friend song is fun

- Peter and Jason sing a cool new song in act two that offers some good insight

- Peters thoughts before the god don’t make no trash replacement song are interesting and different-ish

- Ivy’s lil speech in promise was really good and spoke the truth

- The whole phone thing with the picture was interesting

- All of promise was pretty good tbh

- The guy who plays Jason does it SO WELL I really like his portrayal

- Jason walked into the light and that was so powerful

Cons:

- no Lucas

- Peter and Jason have only been together for a week

- Missing a lot of great songs

- NO SISTER CHANTELLE (this one is unforgivable)

- Portrait of a girl isn’t a self reflective deep song

- “Portrait of a boy”

- No birthday bitch except the one Jason’s friends did

- the absence of birthday bitch and the banter between Nadia and ivy in auditions and wonderland kinda take away from the establishment of their dynamic (even though they have this establishment in other places)

- No white boy drug rap

- The whole basketball team thing I don’t like that Jason is more “popular” and that’s more reason for Jason not wanting to be out than his religion, and while this is interesting, I just really don’t like that they are mean to Peter.

- Matt has taken Lucas’ place as The Bisexual™️

- Matt is an “emo puppy dog” and not the classy boi I know and love

- Jason’s dumb ass friends

- Jason is an even bigger dick than usual still a really big dick

- “Like what, your boyfriend” “I’m not your boyfriend”

- Ever after isn’t as emotional and it’s only sad because you feel bad for Peter

- Peter is basically the main focus of the whole thing

- Didn’t rhyme alone with itself three times

- God don’t make no trash is extremely lack luster

*side note: ivy is okay with the gay and so is Dianne and all the other play people so Really religion has not even anything to do with this really they just make jokes about it and the whole gay shame thing is about Jason’s friends

*sode note: Jason having the birthday works with what they were trying to do in this production but I just really like the other birthday bitch

*side note: most of the pros are all casting

*side note: it seems more focused on Peter and Jason’s respective storylines, and Jason’s story seems more detached from peters because they haven’t been in a relationship very long or really even at all. It’s really hard to get a lot of emotion behind Peter and Jason’s relationship because they’ve been together so sort a time and that make this more of a story about individuals

*side note: I really loved the take on the death scene and even though the og one is more realistic it was a really interesting artistic choice to make it quiet like that and it really conveyed a message instead of just plot

*side note: it’s hard to listen to the characters sing songs from the original because they just don’t fit in them. So many songs are taken out that it’s weird to even hear them in this because it’s like an entirely different thing

Overall Review:

My favorite part about it was the acting, I think the portrayal of the characters was really good on all parts, there were just some things changed about characters that I didn’t like, specifically Matt, but still I think his “emo puppy dog” persona was an interesting take on the character (I’m going to use the word interesting to describe a lot of things so be prepared). I also thought it was interesting (haha) how they chose to do the death scene and how Jason walked into the light because that had me crying real hard. This production focused a lot on the individuals, and so it was hard to focus on Peter and Jason’s relationship during all the stuff the characters go through, because I was just feeling for the individual characters, and I think that was because Peter and Jason weren’t really a couple at all and they had gotten tighter so recently it didn’t feel like the situation warranted such dramatics from that aspect. To be honest, the relationship didn’t feel like it was there to be a relationship? But to just show more about the characters. And the plot of how their relationship kind of played out was really interesting and I liked it a lot. There were actually a lot of elements about it I really liked and that I thought offered a really interesting perspective on everything that happens, and it went more in depth into Peter and Jason’s story’s than just their relationship, which was interesting. However it left out some bops, and Sister Chantelle who is the heart of the show, and those were mostly the biggest things I didn’t like about it. Overall, when I’m not comparing it to the Pop Opera and looking at it as something completely different, it’s actually really good because there was so much I liked about it, and I think that was the point, not for it to be as good as the Pop Opera, but for it to look at it in a different way, and I think it does did that effectively. It’s very different, but not bad. Official rating 8/10. I have no credentials. Goodnight.

[veilingofthesun]

I was tagged by @askyfullofcomets to do the 11 questions game. Thank you!

The Game: Answer the questions, create your own 11 questions, and tag 11 people!

The Questions

1. What was your favourite cultural experience in 2018?(like a concert, movie, piece of theatre, exibition etc…)

I’ve been going back and forth many times concerning this question. I’ve had so many great musical theatre experiences last year. But since the question was experience, I think I’ll go with Malmö Operas touring production of Godspell coming to my home town. My sister and I didn’t know much about it, but musicals doesn’t really come to our town, so of course we had to go. And I absolutely don’t regret it. The whole experience was fantastic. Just the feeling of seeing a professional musical in my hometown was really special. The fact that I could just go and see a musical on a saturday evening without having to travel anywhere was really nice.The young ensemble were all so talented and they were such a tight knit group with amazing chemistry. And their joy of performing (spelglädje, as we say in Swedish) was like something I’ve never seen before. It was also made special by the fact on the row before us sat a bunch of teenagers from the theatre program at a loal high school. And their joy and excitement of seeing a professional musical performed by young people was contagious. They were so happy and into everything. I really liked Godspell, although it was not my favourite musical that I saw last year, but it was my favourite experience.

Honorary mention goes to the two concerts I saw with my favourite trio Michael Jansson, Sara Lehmann and Oscar Pierrou Lindén. They work so well together and have amazing chemistry. They are also so warm, funny and they make their concerts really intimate and personal. Their concerts also gave me wonderful versions of Waving through a window (Dear Evan Hansen), Sleeping (Once) and She used to be mine (Waitress) among many other things..

Plus Så som i himmelen, of course. It’s an amazing musical. And experiencing an original Swedish musical is always exciting. The content we have gotten is amazing, multiple tv interviews and performances, two trailers, lots of other clips posted and of course, a cast recording. We usually don’t get that amount of content, so it’s been extra special...

2. What are you most excited for in 2019?

Malmö Opera’s production of Matilda the musical, without a doubt. I’ve been excited about it ever since they announced it over a year ago and the cast, both children and adults, seem fantastic. The casting for this production is spot on. A lot of the people I hoped for are playing the parts I was hoping they would play.. The fact that it’s produced by my favourite theatre is also a big plus:) I’m a huge Matilda fan, so this will be really special. I’m hoping that I will get to see all the three Matildas. I’ve always wanted to see a complete team of Matildas, but it has never been possible (for many reasons) when I’ve seen the West End production.

3.  Do you like your first name?

I guess so. I like it more nowadays. Emma has been a really popular name for many years here in Sweden. So there’s always been lots of Emmas around, especially at school and at activities. So I’d be Emma number three or four... It bothered me back then, but now it doesn’t bother me anymore.

4. What do you consider to be your best quality?

Hmm. Probably that I can stay very calm in a stressful situation and handle a lot of things going on at the same time.

5. What’s your favourite piece of clothing?

My yellow blanket coat that my friend bought at a second hand store in England (because she thought of me straight away when she saw it) and somehow managed to stuff into her luggage to bring it with her home. I love it so much, it’s both beautiful and comfortable. And I was so surprised and happy when I opened the package, so I associate it with great things:)

6. What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?

Hmmm, that’s a hard question... But I think I’m gonna go with Neptuni Åkrar (Fields of Neptune) It’s a nature reserve in Sweden, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Especially in the summer when the viper's bugloss blooms, it’s stunning. You can see really beautiful sunsets there too.  It’s a really special place.

Also, the castle and it’s surroundings in my hometown. It’s such a beautiful and peaceful place. I never tire of the castle and the park. Looking at it and spending time there never gets old and boring.

The Strahov library in Prague is absolutely beautiful too. (Yes, I’m a library nerd. I love looking at different libraries) I had seen pictures of it, but seeing it in real life was absolutely breathtaking. We’d been walking up to the Strahov Monastery(to look at the beautiful views of Prague) and luckily we arrived with some time to spare before they closed the library for lunch.if we hadn’t made it, the people with me would have had to wait there for an hour, lol. You’re not allowed in to the library itself, but you can see it really well from openings in the wall. I didn’t want to leave, lol.

7. How many places have you lived in? 

Just one. I love my little corner of Sweden. It’s small and it’s location is a bit off. Which is hard when you want to see musicals. But otherwise I love it, it’s old with a lot of history, by the sea and you’re always close to nature. Big cities are fun to visit, but I don’t have to live in one..

8. What was the last thing that made you really happy?

This video, because I’m sad and so excited about every little Matilda Malmö thing I can find...And it’s the first look at the three Matildas..

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Malmö Opera (@malmoopera) on Jan 21, 2019 at 4:33am PST

9. What was the last song you listened to? 

Wear it like a crown by Rebekka Karijord

10. Who is your biggest inspiration?

Margaret Atwood. My unrealistic far fetched dream job has always been an author. I love the way she writes, her use of the language is incredible. It’s so beautiful, real, poetic and flowing. It’s hard to explain it, but her writing is very powerful. I get so immersed in her writing. I also admire her for her strength, for going her own way, fighting for what she belives in and using her books to create awareness and start a debate. Plus she’s 79 and is not slowing down at all.

11. If you could travel in time for one day, would you? And to when would you travel?

This was hard... I have never really thought about time travelling. So I guess the answer is no.

My questions:

1. Favourite book?

2. Dream trip?

3. What sound do you love?

4. Do you have any special talents?

5. What was your favourite subject in school?

6. Which movies could you watch over and over and never get tired of?

7. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and who was it to?

8. What is your favourite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?

9. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

10. Do you like your handwriting?

11. Do you collect anything and why?

I’m tagging: @tearsoftenderness @thecitykeepsevolving @miyacantdecide @mrs-tap-toes @mabra44 @amaliatheartist @kugirocks @reginarosenberg @guest-speller @starlene @midnightmaravders

[bethhxrmon]

All I Ask of You Pt. 24

“Turn my head with thoughts of summertime” - “All I Ask of You” from the Phantom of the Opera

Pairing: Peter Parker x Female OC

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: The summer camp arc commences!!!!!

Warnings: Some kinda rude jokes??? Cute stuff??? Maybe swear words

A/N: We’re getting closer to the part that I’m super hyped to write about !!!!!!! Just saying

You can find the masterlist for the series in my bio!

“So… we’re seriously going on a road trip… all the way across the country?” Harper asked dryly as Tony pulled out into the traffic.

Tony nodded, “Yeah, we gotta keep Underoos and Pikachu under the radar. And if the press saw that Pep and I had four teenagers, it would be noticed.”

“But… we went to Germany on a plane,” Peter pointed out.

“You know there’s an ocean between New York and Germany, right?” Annie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Precisely. And I needed to get over there quickly. If it were up to me, I would drive everywhere,” Tony replied.

Harper sighed, “This is gonna be such a long drive. You should’ve just let me stay in Seattle and meet up later.”

“But what about orientation?” Annie asked.

“Psh… I don’t need classes or to know where my stuff is! I don’t wanna be stuck with all you guys for a four day drive. No offense,” Harper said, pulling a sketchbook out of their bag.

Ned turned around to face Harper, “But we’re the fun crowd! We can play all sorts of games and look at all the landscapes and stuff!”

Harper scoffed, “Don’t kid yourself, I’m gonna probably take a nap and if anyone wakes me up, I might commit murder- wait… I shouldn’t joke about that…”

“You don’t need to protect me. I can take death jokes. Isn’t laughing about stuff supposed to be therapeutic anyways?” Annie questioned messing around with her cardigan sleeve.

“Well, I’d keep things business as usual if I were you guys. If anyone starts asking questions, we don’t need them finding out two of you are overpowered teens and one of that one of them has a body count,” Tony said, keeping his eyes on the road.

Pepper turned around to face the others, mainly looking at Annie, “He doesn’t mean that-”

“But he does. And it’s fair, I kinda killed a dude… I mean, at least it was a bad guy and not some innocent guy,” Annie said with a shrug.

Harper frowned, “I should’ve gotten over here sooner-”

“Nope. No. We’re not doing this shit right now. It’s way too early in the day to start crying about stuff,” she responded, pulling a huge book from her backpack.

Tony nodded, “Well, whenever you do decide to talk about your life story, just don’t do it in public or near cameras.”

“Says Tony Stark of Stark Industries, but okay,” Harper retorted, looking up from their sketch.

“Hey, maybe we should talk about something else,” Peter suggested, “Like, what book are ya reading?”

Annie glanced up at Peter who was turned in his seat to look at her, “Oh, just some light reading.”

“That looks like it’s as big as a dictionary!” Peter exclaimed, staring at her book.

She shrugged, “Maybe it is… actually, that would be dry as hell to read. It’s War and Peace, actually.” “You’re kidding.”

“Nope, look at it for yourself, I started it last night,” she replied, handing him the book.

Peter blinked, “No way, you had to have started it after school.”

“No, I just don’t sleep much,” she replied with another shrug as she took back her book.

Ned looked back at Harper and Annie, “I just don’t know how you guys can do anything without getting sick.”

“Well, when you have parents who are crazy rich, you get used to trips. I mean, it’s normally an airplane, but same difference I guess,” Harper responded, swearing under their breath when they hit a bump.

The conversation stayed fairly light-hearted, and Annie paid more attention to her book. She hadn’t been able to sleep, but that was beginning to become something that was normal for her. It was either stare at her dark room and watch her cat run around or do something that was moderately productive.

In all fairness, she had been meaning to read the book for some time, but hadn’t had the time. Between being a hero and play rehearsal, Annie barely got her homework done. However, with a long drive ahead of them, she felt that getting the book read would be a breeze.

“How does she do that?” Ned asked.

Harper raised an eyebrow, “Do what?”

“Ignore everything we’re saying and keep reading that book. I tried reading it, it’s the dullest thing ever. Who cares about a bunch of Victorian Era people anyways?” he responded, shaking his head.

“I do, clearly. And it’s not Victorian Era… I doubt she was even alive at the time. So it’s actually the Regency Era, which is only if we go based off of what the English labelled their time periods. And if you really tried to read it, you would know it’s Russian anyways,” Annie interjected, still staring at her book.

Peter chuckled, “That’s actually brilliant, how do you know that?”

“My dad’s an English professor at an Ivy League school. If I didn’t know that, he’d disown me. If he didn’t do that already,” she replied with a weak laugh.

Pepper turned around, “You’re kidding right? Your dad wouldn’t actually do that, would he?”

“Heck if I know, I kinda ratted him out for rigging my audition… oh, yeah, by the way, Peter, I probably wasn’t supposed to get the lead. So there’s that,” Annie sighed, “Anyways, he probably won’t as long as my mom has anything to say about it, but who knows.”

“Well I doubt anyone would go to such drastic measures,” Pepper insisted.

Harper nodded, “Yeah, Annie’s always had a flair for the dramatics, this isn’t anything new by any means. Like when she first got her powers… oooh, she thought that she was getting cancer and that she had a funky tumor. It was actually kinda funny.”

“Was not!”

“Definitely was.”

Tony coughed, “Okay, kids, I’m not supposed to be a babysitter, but I need you to all settle down.”

Harper smirked, “Shoulda thought about that one before you went ahead and took four teens across the entire country.”

“Besides, what’re we gonna do? Wake the Amish?” Ned asked, looking at the fields as they drove through what was clearly no longer New York City.

Tony sighed, “Maybe I should’ve thought this through. Maybe I should just stop here and have all you guys walk.”

“Bet! I can be pretty damn resourceful,” Harper replied with a smirk. Ned nodded, “Yeah! And besides, Peter’s literally Spider-Man, he could figure something out!” “Hey, Peter’s not the only one with superpowers,” Annie pointed out, looking up from her book again. The banter was distracting enough for Annie to not think about everything going on. Not that she felt like there was a whole lot to think about that she could get away with. Hell, by all rights, Annie knew that she shouldn’t be alone in the first place. Not after everything that had happened, she wasn’t even sure if she trusted herself. So she tried to focus on what everyone else talked about, but every once in a while her mind would simply wander off and she couldn’t help but think of everything at once.

It wasn’t a smart idea, and Annie knew that. At least, some part of her did. However she zoned out entirely, focusing on her own thoughts for the time being. She hardly realized how long she had been thinking until she felt the minivan they were all in slow down. They were stopping at some gas station in the middle of nowhere, and the way she jolted was easy for Harper to notice.

“What got into you?” Harper asked, raising an eyebrow.

Annie shrugged, “Wasn’t expecting… well the slowing down I guess.”

“Right… well do you wanna run around the gas station with us?” they asked, pushing the seat down in front of them and got out of the minivan.

She shrugged, “Why not?”

Annie got out of the car, realizing that her legs had been seriously asleep when she got out and stood on the weathered asphalt. It almost felt like there wasn’t any ground there, and she quickly tripped over her own feet. Before she could, Peter caught her.

“You gotta be careful,” he said, not letting go of her until she was standing properly.

Without a word, Annie hugged him tightly. Her strength almost surprised Peter, but he was quick to hug her back. They stepped apart when Tony coughed a bit.

“Please tell me this isn’t a thing,” Tony said dryly.

Harper laughed, “Please, this is long overdue. Oooooh, Peter, you should’ve heard all the things Annie’s said about you! It’s actually super cute!”

“W-what’re you talking about?” Peter asked, his cheeks reddening.

They grinned, “Oh, just about how sweet you always are and how your eyes-”

Annie cut Harper off by trying to jump on them and close their mouth, “Not important! Let’s get some snacks!”

“Wait, you should know what Peter’s said about Annie! It’s sweet! Clearly we’ve got a lot to talk about,” Ned said, leading the way into the gas station

Harper nodded, “Oh, hell yeah we do! Come on!”

Peter looked at Annie, “So… what was that about my eyes?”

“Oh um… nothing, that was like… oh jeez, look at the time. We gotta blast if we’re gonna make it to Chicago tonight,” she said, slowly backing up.

He chuckled a bit, “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me, come on, we should go inside at least.”

It took Annie a moment to agree, but she eventually stepped forward. As they walked into the small convenience store, her hand had just brushed against Peter’s. She nearly pulled her hand back, but Peter laced his fingers between hers.

“Y-you know, I don’t remember exactly what I said when I was talking about your eyes and stuff, but I definitely know it was when we were doing all that rehearsing and… well, it’s just really hard to not crush on you when I was spending so much time with you. And… I don’t know where I was going with that, but yeah,” she trailed off, feeling her face heating up the more she spoke.

Peter squeezed her hand, “I get it, I mean… I liked you before, and I wasn’t even sure which… well um… part of you? I guess that’s how I’d say it. It’s like… well, I don’t really know.”

“Annie! Look over here, they’ve got cheap ukuleles over here,” Harper called out, waving Annie over. She walked over with Peter, “Oh, I should get one! I’m definitely getting one! That’s, like, the one instrument I know how to play! Well, unless you count vocals… but I had to play it for my musical last year!”

“You’re not getting that,” Pepper said.

Annie frowned, “But it’s my money, I literally have so much because, ya know, guilty parents… well, guilty parent, benefits!”

“You’re not getting it because I can get you a way better one. You shouldn’t buy some cheap, plastic instrument. I’ll find one that you’ll love when we stop for the night.” Pepper insisted.

Annie shook her head, “No, I couldn’t possibly accept that! I’m not even that good, you don’t gotta spend a bunch of money on me.”

“Well, you gotta learn to accept expensive things, Harper and I are gonna be working on your suit. That’s gonna be worth… well, let’s not go into that,” Tony added, walking up.

“Come on, these people are filthy rich, richer than my family. Come on, just take the thing that hasn’t even been given to you,” Harper said, running a hand through their ginger hair.

Annie sighed, “Okay, fine, but just know I can be perfectly capable of providing for myself.”

Once they grabbed all sorts of junk food, they piled back into the van where Annie once again tried to read her book. Her concentration on everything everyone else was saying dwindled. Though they did switch seats so Peter was in the back next to Annie instead of Harper.

Everything had gone to a calm state of things once a lot of the candy and snacks they bought had been eaten. Annie was reading about how Natasha was madly in love with her cousin, something Annie would occasionally point out to everyone else. She was resting on Peter as she read, Peter occasionally glancing at the words on the page.

After a couple of hours, Tony had to put on some classic rock music to keep from getting bored while driving for hours on end. It didn’t ruin Annie’s concentration and she actually felt herself starting to fall asleep from how tired she was. For the first time in weeks she felt like she was going to get some decent sleep. That was until she felt Peter shift his position.

“Hey, um… Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good,” Peter said, his face paling.

Tony turned back, “Shit, kid, are you sick?”

“I feel like I’m gonna…” Peter held his hands over his mouth.

Annie jolted up, not wanting to get thrown up on and she found one of the plastic bags and handed it to Peter. Though the car was slowing down, it was anyone’s bet if they were going to stop in time.

Once the car did stop, Peter bolted out, not hesitating to throw up on the side of the road.

“Um… has he ever been on a road trip before?” Harper asked, continuing their sketch.

Ned shrugged, “I mean, yeah… like bus rides… but not cross-country.”

Tony had been out with Peter, making sure that he was okay. And when Peter got back in the car, Annie positioned herself so he could lay on her instead. Either way, they both ended up falling asleep until they stopped for the night right outside of Chicago.

Taglist: @flushings-here / @gaypanda / @gryfinpuffs / @parkerpuff / @lionsfandomsandbearsohmy / @buzzinglee / @ijustdontknowsometimes / @dolphinsarecuteandstuff / @lcy-thot / @twilightparker (just ask to be added to the taglist!!!)

[susandsnell]

whaaat Hadestown sounds awesome!!! i’ll definitely check both those out but it sounds like Hadestown is like, the style of my dreams. also anything that starts as a folk opera is awesome bc i love the concept of a folk opera. follow up: i’ve seen some things about Be More Chill and somehow missed its jump to Broadway? what’s it about?

Sorry I took a day to get back to you, musical anon, but I just had to write my penultimate final first thing this morning! Hadestown is the style of everyone’s dreams, and I really hope you like it when you do check it out. It’s incredibly unique. 

As to your second query, permit me to have some obnoxious gif usage because life is short and I am now permanently on my bullshit. And, well. You just asked me, Coco, about Be More Chill.

WELCOME TO HELL. YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE NOW. 

(Festive, right?) 

So! 

Be More Chill is a very loose adaptation of a (vastly different and quite offensive) 2004 novel by the same name. It did the work of my dreams, which is combine my two favourite genres, science fiction and musical theatre, in a big way, while also stealth being a narrative about mental health, recovery, friendship, love, and sexy computers.  Also, the songs are absolute bops and the music style is contemporary but still unmistakably Broadway. It’s also openly inspired by Little Shop of Horrors (while also being very much in the vein of other wacky, culty musicals like Reefer Madness, a bit of Rocky Horror thrown in, etc), which is a major plus. 

It’s a darkly hilarious, sci-fi-horror-teen drama-romance-musical, in short. 

In long??? A little gist: 

So, our leading man, Jeremy Heere, is a (canonically Jewish! Canonically Jewish! CANONICALLY JEWISH!!!) typical high school geeky outcast who struggles with severe anxiety, self hatred, and a vast panoply of other issues. He’s badly bullied, only has one friend, Michael Mell, who is quite literally the savior of the universe, and crushes on the local theatre kid (and a literal queen), Christine Canigula. In an effort to impress her, he takes the advice of the local bully, Rich, and buys a pill from the back of a Payless shoe store called a SQUIP (short for Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor), which, if ingested and activated by Mountain Dew (just go with it I promise it’s worth it), installs a computer chip in his brain that can manifest the illusion only he can see of a personification that is an intensely attractive person (has been cast as multiple genders depending on the production!!!) who will instruct him on what the right thing to do or say is so that he can overcome his perceived social and personal failings, and improve himself, and maybe get the girl. 

Of course, this thing goes evil, and absolute epic mayhem ensues. 

Where do I even start with what I love about this musical? 

The characters are incredibly true to life; literally nobody is who they seem to be in terms of typical high school, sci fi, or even theatre tropes. which is part of the ultimate message (and I love that!!!) Jeremy’s narrative is very much a subversion of the typical entitled-nerd-boy-goes-wild-trying-to-get-the-girl, because his actions and mistakes are steeped very much in long lasting mental health struggles (he literally mentions having to go to the nurse constantly due to his anxiety attacks), as well as a heartrendingly realistic and depressing home life, and the show is very clear about this, pulling no punches. He’s flawed, he’s sweet, he’s funny, he’s tragic, he’s redemptive, he’s just…wonderful. 

Michael, who in any other show would be ‘the goofy best friend’ character and that’s it gets an incredible arc showing his brilliance, and his own inner demons, including the big showstopper Michael In The Bathroom, which is famous not only for being an incredible song, but because it goes there; it depicts the entirety of a severe panic attack in gut-wrenching detail. All set to awesome music, of course. His depth is revealed in that the otherwise cheerful, happy-go-lucky best friend character whose life seems to revolve around the protagonist’s brought to the logical conclusion of this archetype; extreme codependency and other mental health struggles. This is by no means all that he is – I’d explain why, and what an incredible, positive, heroic character he is, but I won’t dare spoil where his arc ends up going. 

Christine Canigula, our leading lady, is a badass feminist and so much more than a perky theatre kid; she’s shown to struggle much in the same ways Jeremy and Michael do, she’s politically involved and dedicated, while still being desperately uncertain about what to do with her life, her entire character is dedicated to subverting expectations (all her big numbers end with a subverted rhyme to prove this!!), she’s developed so much more than other love interest characters, and is in so many ways so much more than a love interest. She’s fiercely intelligent, but tempted to take the easy route to popularity in different ways than Jeremy, while being more inclined to being true to herself, and her autonomy drives the plot. She’s also canonically a woc who has ADHD and she’s a gun control advocate. Like??? When will your faves ever?  Her romance is believable and wonderful and driven by what she wants and her arc, while subtle, is integral to the plot. 

I could do a paragraph for each character (and if you’re on my blog, I’ll probably get around to writing meta for each of them), but the popular kids, the bullies, even the apparently useless parent character…none of them are what they seem. As for the SQUIP, I don’t dare reveal the awesomeness of that particular villain, except to say that it’s a metaphor for…a number of things, while incredibly enthralling, and The Pitiful Children, the big villain song, is honestly up there with any of your Disney villains for a truly epic sci-fi experience. It’s a completely irredeemable villain whose appeal lies in its irredeemability, especially fascinating because it’s a machine, and hence gains no sadistic pleasure from it’s evildoing; it merely seeks results, which is just chilling. 

The cast is incredibly diverse, and there is a TON of LGBT+ representation, including Michael having lesbian mothers, a completely non-stereotyped bisexual male character who ACTUALLY CALLS HIMSELF BISEXUAL OUT LOUD, and who is arguably the most tragic character in the show, but that tragedy is separate almost entirely from his orientation, and more. 

While being lighthearted sci-fi fare, it deals pretty straightforwardly with a number of heavy topics, such as mental illness, suicidal ideation, extreme loneliness, self-hatred, isolation,  trauma, abuse, sexual orientation, dysfunctional families, dysfunctional friendships, existential crises, near-death experiences, brainwashing, addiction, bullying, torture (of the sci-fi variety but still pretty damn hard to watch), and even (albeit briefly, but it still bears mention) male sexual assault, and handles all of them exceptionally well, never overdoing it on any of them (they’re interwoven and sometimes entirely subtextual to the plot) but also being honest enough about the fact that some of our darkest moments include incredibly dark comedy, all while never making light of these serious issues. That being said, consider this the trigger warning paragraph if any of that’s a limit for you! They’re so wonderfully balanced by a narrative of healing and forgiveness and loyalty and love that it makes the story all the stronger; seeing everyone facing these awful things, and being able to overcome them together. 

It’s also the type of sci-fi that I love; the kind that, like Back to the Future, Weird Science, and Stranger Things embraces a retro aesthetic, and is a smaller, singular fantastical/sci-fi element contained in a setting that is otherwise very recognizable to our world; the kind of adventures you feel like you could have between your own classes. The sci-fi effects and costumes are incredible, especially in Act 2. 

AND, and and and, It’s an underdog story within an underdog story; it opened in a regional theatre in Jersey for a limited run in 2015 and closed very quickly, and everyone assumed it would never be picked up again, but in Winter 2017, it blew up by sheer word of mouth due to a combination of the original cast album being on Spotify and the popularity of certain amateur productions since it got licenced; eventually, it got a 2017 regional theatre revival at Exit 82, and that sparked an online fandom so strong that the show got a second chance with an off-Broadway run that happened this past summer, which in turn got so successful that the show is transferring to Broadway. All the way from a seemingly failed regional limited run, with most of the original cast (who are darlings, as are the creators, incredibly empathetic people bringing this wonderful, weird, warm story to the forefront). And who doesn’t love the meta of the show itself being an underdog when the cast is entirely of underdogs?

Just. Please. Do yourself a favour and check it out. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cheer.  I heard about it only peripherally since around mid-2017 ish and then only really got into it this past May/June, and….gosh. My life’s gotten so much better since. I’ve met dear friends through the fandom, dragged other dear friends into this glorious pit, and the show, as a narrative of healing, is helping to heal me, too. 

Possibly a new all-time favourite. 

[theragamuffininitiative]

Tagged!

@dearponty tagged me in this one, thanks friend! ^_^

@notatypicaldimension, @thisbibliomaniac, @crazytwist09, @party-with-books, @enchantedblackforest, @mariposamonarch (if you wonderful peoples want to. And even if I didn’t tag you, feel free! That’s a constant rule on this blog. :) )

— what was your last…

1. drink: orange juice

2. phone call: My mom or my grandmother.

3. text message: My sister-in-law.

4. song you listened to: "He’s Not Here!” from !Hero

5. time you cried: It’s been a little while. I’ve gotten teary over a lot of beautiful things especially over Easter, and I got pretty upset over something dumb that made me want to cry in anger, but I haven’t actually cried in a bit.

— have you ever…

6. dated someone twice: Nope

7. kissed someone and regretted it: Nada

8. been cheated on: Negatory

9. lost someone special: Yes.

10. been depressed: Yup.

11. gotten drunk and thrown up: Nope-aroo.

— fave colours

12. Purple

13. Navy + assorted blues

14. Peach/Coral <<same as Ponty

— in the last year have you…

15. made new friends: Yesss. Love them. ^_^

16. fallen out of love: You have to first be in love for this one, right? XD

17. laughed until you cried: Yeahhh lol

18. found out someone was talking about you: Yes but so far not in a bad way?

19. met someone who changed you: I think everyone you meet changes you, but yeah I can think of a good few.

20. found out who your friends are: I love how this assumes we all constantly get ourselves embroiled in toxic relationships we have to discover aren’t true. Like, I am way too cautious in initiating relationships for that. It may happen, but not yet. I’ve got good friends and I love them.

21. kissed someone on your facebook friends list: Ew. No.

— general

22. how many of your facebook friends do you know irl: Most all of them, but most of them not very well.

23. do you have any pets: I MISS MY PUPPER AND MY KITTEHS. Technically I have a godchild cat...or niece cat...something like that. She’s a percentage mine. XD

24. do you want to change your name: Nah.

25. what did you do for your last birthday: I spent time with family, spread out over a couple days and tbh I kinda don’t remember a whole lot. I think I watched a movie, my fam made me dinner and there were sweet cards and gifts. ^_^

26. what time did you wake up today: 9 am. I stayed up late last night. XD

27. what were you doing at midnight last night: Watching !Hero: the Rock Opera, and also getting distracted not watching !Hero.

28. what is something you can’t wait for: This askjdlgs episode of Supergirl - alternatively, “Jeremy Jordan returning to Broadway.” Also, getting to see The Lion King in about a month. !!!

30. what are you listening to right now: Traffic outside my apartment. Birds in the courtyard. Occasionally my neighbor moving around upstairs.

31. have you ever talked to a person named tom: Yup. A couple Thomases, and I worked with a Tom previously, and work with a much nicer Tom now.

32. something that’s getting on your nerves: Supergirl’s deeply flawed existence is a constant mood, and I’m having frustrations with a relationship that I don’t know how to solve. :/

33. most visited website: Youtube and Tumblr are probably about equal.

34. hair colour: Hehe wouldn’t you like to know. <<I second Ponty. ;) ;)

35. long or short hair: Longish. Thinking about getting it cut, but idk how short.

36. do you have a crush on someone: I get friend crushes a lot. Like I fall hopelessly in love with somebody, but not in a romantic way, just in a “I want to hang out with you and do dumb fun stuff together because you seem so cool” sort of way.

37. what do you like about yourself: I always seem to answer these the same way, but whatever? I like my (semi dormant?? ha) creativity, and that I’m usually a pretty patient, forgiving person. That might sound weird, or bragging, but it’s not something that comes without practice, so I think it’s okay for me to like/be proud of that.

38. want any piercings: I’ve been saying I should get my ears pierced for like ten years now.

39. blood type: I honestly have no idea, why don’t they give you this information when you get a copy of your birth certificate, or have a check-up? Seems kinda important. XD

40. nicknames: Here? “Rags” and many variations thereof. I also have a lot of nicknames irl but a lot of them have kind of petered out of usage.

41. relationship status: Single pringleeeeee.

42. sign: Aquarius I think but it has no relevance so.

43. pronouns: she/her

44. fave tv show: Fringe or White Collar or Psych maybe.

45. tattoos: I don’t have any, but if I ever got one, it’d be Needtobreathe lyrics.

46. right or left handed: Right. Which is funny because in the artistic circles I run in, I’ve often been the odd one out. XD

47. ever had surgery: I split my head open once. That explains a lot. ;)

48. piercings: Noooone

49. sport: BASEBALL

50. vacation: NYC (literally just to see shows) or the mountains somewhere or Europe, particularly Edinburgh and London. And anywhere honestly on the East coast of this country, because it’s so rich in history.

51. trainers: Shoes, right? Or people who have trained me?? I’m confused. I buy from Payless. I like Converse but who can afford them. XD I’d rather wear something sensible but stylish anyway, and the one shoe I actually care about is Oxfords. I want me a pair of Oxfords.

— more general

52. eating: I am so hungry. I’m going to swing by a cafe and eat because I have a freebie there. But generally, I love pasta and pizza and eggs and toast for breakfast. And fruit.

53. drinking: Water, tea, orange juice, Pepsi.

54. I’m about to watch: I have a bunch of things in my Youtube “watch later” list, including some talks by Jason Robert Brown. Oh! I’m going to rewatch Doctor Strange with some of my favorite peeps tonight. ^_^

55. waiting for: “Schott Through the Heart” and Lion King again. Also, the lunch rush to pass before I go to the cafe.

56. want: Actual furniture in my bedroom. It’s beginning to bother me. I just want a little desk, a little shelf, and a little nightstand like thing. I can wait longer for a proper bed.

57. get married: Maybe someday. I’m not seeking it out right now. :)

58. career: I’ve just started my first job in a theater, and though it’s not with the production process itself, I am loving it, and hoping to move backstage sometime soon. I want to have a career in theater, probably as a writer or at least writing scripts/novels on the side.

— which is better

59. hugs or kisses: hugs

60. lips or eyes: eyes

61. shorter or taller: shorter?

62. older or younger: older?

63. nice arms or stomach: ?? what kind of a. Smile. Nice smile is 100% the most attractive thing.

64. hookup or relationships: relationships. 100%. <<amen

65. troublemaker or hesitant: In a relationship?? Hesitant, I guess, if it means they/you are being careful and serious.

— have you ever

66. kissed a stranger: Nope

67. drank hard liquor: No why would i put myself through that miserable experience lol <<<saaaaame

68. turned someone down: A couple of times.

69. sex on first date: no

70: broken someone’s heart: Doubtful.

71. had your heart broken: Nope.

72. been arrested: Ha. No.

73. cried when someone died: Yes.

74. fallen for a friend: Again, no. Although idealistically that’s a cool way to go. :)

— do you believe in

75. yourself: To a healthy extent, I think. I believe in other things more, but I definitely believe in what I ought to be doing and how I have to work to do. I’ve gained a lot of self-confidence in the past four years, kind of a totally different person now - thank heaven.

76. miracles: I see them all the time.

77. love at first sight: Ish? Appreciation/attraction/clicking immediately can happen, and that can grow into love.

78. santa claus: He exists in every way that counts.

79. angels: Yes.

— misc

80. eye colour: Wouldn’t you like to knoooooow. ;) Idk, it’s probably in another tag/ask post I’ve done on here somewhere lol.

81. best friend’s name: I don’t know that I have one exact best friend rn. There are a handful of individuals I am super close to, and people I know I can tell anything to, and people I just love to hang out with, and I always want to make them happy. <3

82. favourite movie: Newsies Live. It counts, and I know for a fact I have watched it more than any other movie so there.

83. favourite actor: Jeremy Jordan. (woooooowwwww shooockkkerrrrrr)

84. favourite cartoon: Tangled: the Series, and Trollhunters. (Those count, right?) I didn’t watch a lot of traditional cartoons growing up. Just Disney movies.

85. favourite teacher’s name: If I say anyone other than my amazing mother who homeschooled me and my siblings, I’d have to say: Clint. He taught me how to play guitar, and he was pretty fantastic as a role model too. I loved being his student, even if I was too withdrawn at the time to properly take advantage of it or show my appreciation for him.

[rndyounghowze]

An Interview with John D. Smitherman Part 2/2

By Ricky Young-Howze

Welcome back to part two of our interview with Broadway Theatre of Pitman Artistic Director John D. Smitherman. In this installment he talks about a key difference between the audiences of today and the dinner theater crowds of yesteryear and why his relationship with his team is the most important.

“Everything has become quick. Movies used to be three hours long now a movie is just under two hours long if that. And I really don't think people want to be in one place for that length of time. Because if you think about it in dinner theater it's not just an hour you're there for an hour and a half with dinner the way it's all set up and then you have a show that could be two and a half hours long when you add the intermission and so you've been in someplace for four hours. It's almost too much. I've found that people would actually prefer, like say using this theatre as an example, they would rather go to a restaurant across the street or down the street or whatever and then coming over because they have at least gotten up and changed location.”

He’s very quick to offer up examples.

“I’ll give you two things with one show. We did Camelot, our audiences were looking forward to Camelot. But our audiences also did not remember that Camelot when done as is is over three hours long. You add the intermission then suddenly it's four hours long. So that was my first quest, to cut down this classic, and I was able to so that when we were done with intermission we were done in two and a half hours.

John uses a very simple philosophy when it comes to creating a season.

“You also have to do what the people want. I'm sorry that's my thought. you can have shows, and I know that there are plenty of shows out there, that they pound a message to you and those audiences will go to those. But if you know your audience is not that type of an audience and that they just like theatre and they want to go home humming tunes and be happy or whatever then that's what you give them. This is my seventh year and when I got here we had about 4,000 subscribers and now we have 8,000 and so it's doubled in that amount of time. I think it's because of the shows. We’re giving them what they want and they tell a friend. Also the quality of the production.”

But sometimes giving an audience what they wanted is a double edged sword. Sometimes they like a song or a soundtrack more than the musical themselves. When we said that we loved John Stephan's production of Evita Smitherman was ready with yet another story.

“Now it's interesting that it happened to be Evita because Evita was one of those mixed shows for us. It didn't do as well as we thought it would. Our audiences said they wanted to see Evita but then once we presented it to them I think our audiences knew the one song (“Don't Cry For Me Argentina”) and then they see the concept of how the show actually is they were confused by some of it and and it just wasn't really their cup of tea. So we really didn't do well. It wasn't horrendous but didn't do well with Evita and that's one of the few examples I can give.”

But how does he get the info from the audience? We were imagining a call center or a survey manned by a huge team but Mr. Smitherman is just really in tune with his audience.

We don’t do surveys but I have an open door policy. I’m always very accessible so people come up to me and they’ll give me their suggestions on what should be done and what they’ve liked and that’s the main thing. I see what works.

He emphasizes heavily the role the owner, his general manager, staff, and tech team have in keeping the theater running. He doesn’t want it to seem like it was a one person job and he descended on the scene like some kind of demagogue to turn things around. The theatre was very strong when he got there and he leaned heavily on his team when he first got in.

“When I got here the general manager was my only source of input. He would say what has worked and what has not worked and I’ve worked from that.. When I can because it’s not always one hundred percent my [call] I do have the owner of the place, the general manager, and board people that we have to go through before we can actually have a finalized season and such.”

It takes a village to make a season and a lot of his stories start with the group supporting him and trusting him to take the theatre in new directions. Over the years they got in a rhythm together. During the interview his director is texting him to ask if he wants coffee while he’s out. He stops the interview when his interview walks in to make sure everything is alright with the upcoming matinee. You can tell that he has an army of staff behind him and he trusts them greatly.

“We wouldn’t do it if we were one hundred percent sure it was not going to work but there were some that we were nervous about. It’s funny one of the first years I was here I suggested Jekyll and Hyde so that we could start bringing in some of the younger audience but it would still be appealing to our older audience. I literally had to fight to get that show. I was confident that when they saw this production, because I really love Jekyll and Hyde because it was my favorite role, I knew that they would like it. But then of course as time got close to performing it, the production, I was like ‘Oh man they're not going to like it.’ So that one I was like nervous about but it ended up being one of the most successful shows in the history of this theater.”

“So it’s these things you have to take the chances on but then there’s been things I’ve been surprised. 39 Steps is basically a comedy version of all of [Alfred Hitchcock's] movies with a clear storyline played by four characters who all played multiple roles. I thought that they would all get it and find the humor. But they hated it. The audience hated it. So that was a rough one. If the people hung through to the end it was fine but there were so many of them that they were leaving in droves.”

Those are the breaks right? He takes it all in stride. Since he's done a lot of theatre he knows how to pick a show based on what he's seen work before.

“Not all shows translate to different theaters. When I was first given the information of what the age group our audiences are and this is what they’ve liked in the past and so forth there were certain things. I've done South Pacific a hundred thousand times, that to me is a no brainer, we’re going to do South Pacific. They hadn't done it yet so let's do it. And it did really well. I also know there are shows I’ve done before that will never work here. Prom Queens Unchained? It’s not going to work here.”

We couldn't believe that we had been sitting there for fifty minutes without really asking about his upcoming show. He had us entranced for the whole time. We finally got to ask him the all important question: What does the title mean?

“It's My Broadway in general because if we just did what I did in Manhattan it would just be a ten minute concert so it's spanning all of the stuff that I’ve done here and there. It's encompassing all of the leading roles that I've done both internationally, and Broadway, and here, the United States and so forth.

This isn't the first kind of show that he's done before.

“I've done “Music of the Night” that one was more of a variety of things because I love so many different types of music. Like I like Tom Jones, some of the Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mario Lanza, those type of things, but then feature the Phantom stuff because everyone loves Phantom of the Opera.

Alas the director and hopeful auditionees for The Pajama Game were waiting to use the space so we had to call it a day. But it wasn't over yet. John invited us to enjoy Aida, their show that just closed. We decided this was a good chance to explore John's city that he loves so much and eat at Stage Right, the wine bar attached to the theater. John magically appeared onstage before the show even after a busy day to greet the audience. We have no idea how he does it all. You can see him do a lot of it on June 8 when his one man show My Broadway hits the stage for one night only. This is a man most beloved by the staff and subscribers of this theatre. You had better get your tickets now on their website.

[melodynolan-blog]

Practice Challenge 1

            I look into his eyes, and I feel like I can see the world. There’s so much love in his eyes, and it feels like we’ve been through so much, even though we’ve only known each other for a short time.

           He lets out a sigh and presses forehead to mine. He closes his eyes, as though the emotions he feels are too much to bear. “I love you,” he whispers.

           I can’t help the smile that forms on my face. He lifts his hands to frame my face, then tilts my head to press his lips to mine. I bunch my hands in the material of his shirt to try to pull him ever closer to me as his hands tangle in my hair. My hands slide up to wrap around his neck, while his arms move to my waist to lift me into him.

           I can hardly process the feelings going through me. It seems crazy how close we’ve gotten in such a short amount of time. I’m not the most trusting person usually, but with him, I just feel so free. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I love the way I feel about myself when I’m with him. I love—

           “CUT!” The director yells. “That’s a wrap on Degrees of Love! Moving on to post-production!” I pull away from Trey and look into his eyes. I always used to think it would be awkward after a heavy make out scene on set, but with Trey it’s not. Maybe it’s because we’ve been dating for about 6 months, since just after we were cast for the movie. Being in a real relationship with him made being in an on-screen relationship so much easier. I mean, I’m an amazing actress, so it’s not like I couldn’t act like I love someone, but it just feels so much better when it’s real. And I suppose it does look more real on camera when the actors are in love.

           I sigh contentedly. In love. It’s taken me so long to get to this point to be able to trust someone. Growing up in the hustle and bustle of Hollywood meant that my only friends were the children of other movie stars or producers, and our whole lives were documented by paparazzi. Which also meant that most of my friendships were planned by my parents or publicity managers who thought I would “look cute with” this person or “would work well with” that person in a future movie. Essentially, none of my friendships were formed because we actually got along together, and often resulted in us resenting each other.

           Fortunately, it’s not like that with Trey. When I found out I was cast as Lily Crenshaw in Degrees of Love, I could not have been more ecstatic. I’d been in plenty of movies before, but never the lead role in such a big-budget, high quality movie. And then I found out I was starring besides Trey freaking Reynolds? Obviously, I was freaking out so much. My parents said they were proud of me, but I figured it was less of a feeling of pride as a feeling of relief that I would be making them a lot of money. After my father, Eric Nolan, finished producing one of the biggest movie series of last decade, he decided to retire and not work on any more movies, since he really didn’t have to. And my mother, Ariel, hasn’t worked since the soap opera she was on just before she met my father. The two of them together have enough money to retire and live comfortably and happily for the rest of their lives. But they don’t want to live just “happily”, they want to live royally, lavishly, extravagantly. And if they want to live that way, they can’t do that on the funds they’ve accumulated; they need my money, too.

           So when my parents discovered the amount of money I’d be making from Degrees of Love they drove the whole forty minutes from our large beach house to a penthouse apartment near the production studio to “show their support” to their only daughter. The media ate it up, but I just groaned.

           I was surprised when Trey Reynolds called me up after the casting announcement and said we should meet up. Normally I would just meet my cast members on set a few days before we started filming. Regardless, I met Trey at a coffee shop in central Angeles and we just started talking. We both had similar pasts, growing up in the spotlight, having the struggle of making a name for ourselves that was independent of our parents. It was easy to get jobs in movies by throwing out the old “Do you have any idea who my father is?” But I wanted to be cast for roles by my own merit.

           Trey and I started officially dating a week after we met at the coffee shop, and #Treyody was born. The media and the fans were obsessed with us. They found us no matter where we were in public, and always wanted our autographs and any spoilers we could give about Degrees of Love. I pretended to hate the attention out of false modesty, but honestly I was just so excited to have so many fans, even though I knew most of them were more interested in Trey. He was the more famous of the two of us, after all. But we were a unit, a team, a couple. His fans were now my fans, and it was great.

           The two of us grew closer and closer as production and filming started, and as our characters fell in love, so did we. And now that filming is over, I can’t wait to see what we’ll do together next.

           I beam at Trey as the set workers start to take down pieces of the set and put away cameras and lights. “So, I was thinking. After the after party, we can go back to your place and—”

           Trey raises a hand to cut me off. “Whoa, what? You’re not coming back to my place.”

           “Okay… so we can go to my apartment, or the beach house, maybe,” I suggest.

           Trey starts laughing, but I don’t see what’s funny. “No, I mean, we’re not doing anything together after the after party. We’re done.”

           I didn’t hear him correctly, did I? “What?”

           Trey stops laughing for a moment to search my face. Then he just cracks up again. “Wait, are you serious right now? Did you really think we were going to keep dating after this movie?” I gape at him, unsure of how to respond. He can’t be serious. Trey slaps a hand to his forehead. “As if I were actually in love with you. Oh my god, I can’t believe you would think any of that.”

           “Why the hell were you dating me so long if you didn’t even want to?” I ask, finally finding my voice.

           “Publicity, sweetheart,” He spells out for me as though I’m a toddler. “It’s good press for the stars of a movie to be dating, and it helps with all the on-screen stuff. I mean, you definitely looked like you were in love with me the whole time.”

           I feel my anger turning to despair, and I know I need to finish up with Trey before any tears actually fall. “So none of this meant anything to you?” I asked, my voice only wavering a fractional amount.

           Trey laughs again. “I’m Trey Reynolds, sweetheart. I’m the fifth highest paid actor in all of Illéa. And where do you rank on that list? Oh yeah, you’re not even in the top fifty. At least I didn’t have to sleep my way into getting a role in this movie.”

           I gasp. “Excuse me? How dare you! And you know that’s not true!” I lower my voice considerably. “You know you were my first,” I hiss at him.

           He raises his eyebrows expectantly at me.

           Surely he can’t be implying… no. “That was after I was already cast for the movie!”

           Trey shrugs. “Yeah, but it was before filming started. You still could’ve been replaced.”

           “How dare you!” I say, but my voice has lost its edge.

           “Bye, Melody Nolan. It’s been…” he smirks. “A pleasure.”

           I stand there in shock for a moment, before I blink myself out of my haze. I notice a couple crew members watching me. I feel my anger and frustration bubbling within me. “What the hell do you think you’re looking at?” I yell at them. “Don’t you have jobs to be doing?” They jump at my raised voice and turn around as if they hadn’t just been watching me. I bet they just can’t wait to get off work now, to go talk to all their family and friends and whatever paparazzi will listen and say how they “saw the end of Treyody.” Whatever, let them have their fifteen minutes in the spotlight.

           I turn and walk out of the building to get to my trailer. I manage to get all the way without any photographers spotting me, probably because security on the studio lot is actually pretty good. Once in the trailer, I shut and lock the door, then lean against it and slide to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest.

           Finally alone, I allow myself to feel. I allow the tears I’d been holding back fall from my eyes. I allow the pain of desertion and betrayal overcome me for the moment.

           How could he do this to me? Did our relationship mean absolutely nothing to him? Was he playing me the entire time? It’s not like we were together just when there were cameras around; we had what felt like a real relationship. We went out on plenty of public dates, sure, but that wasn’t all we did at all. We spent plenty of time at each other’s apartments here in the city. I took him to my family’s beach house. He met my family, though I never met his; he said they weren’t that close.

           And I gave him everything. I gave him my trust, I gave him my love, which I don’t just give freely. I lost my… Stop. I need to stop wallowing in the past. So I wasted six months of my life on that jerk, so what? I couldn’t let a stupid guy ruin me any more. I’ve wasted enough time on this already. It’s time to turn off my emotions again. I finally allow my heart turn to stone. No more feelings. No more weakness. No more pain. I wipe my hands to brush away my tears and stand up from my spot on the ground.

           I move across the trailer to a drawer I’ve kept almost completely empty throughout the entirety of shooting the movie. For the most part, I’d moved in a lot of my stuff to the trailer, since it was just easier than always toting everything back and forth between the studio and my city apartment. The apartment isn’t even that full of stuff, I only live there when I’m filming something or have a lot of awards shows in a row. Even though I like that the apartment is all mine, I usually spend most of my time at the beach mansion, even though that’s shared with my parents. They don’t spend a lot of time there, though. They’re usually travelling, when they’re not keeping up the façade of supporting me in my career.

           In the drawer are strings, which most people would have no idea what to do with. I’m not exactly sure how I got started with it, but ever since I was little, I’ve liked making anklets for myself. Personally, I think growing up so close to the beach made me interested in the styles of beach goers, and many people who spend most of their hours at the beach wear anklets for whatever reason. Regardless, I like making and wearing anklets. Sometimes the colors are chosen because they mean something to me at a time, and sometimes they’re just colors that look nice together. Whenever I’m in a movie, I can’t wear any anklets because the characters wouldn’t wear anklets, obviously, but it’s become a sort of ritual to me at the end of production of a film, I make a new anklet.

           I pick up the strings and pull my fingers through them. It calms me a bit. I pick out the red, purple, black strings to begin weaving them together. Red, to symbolize my anger at Trey, or the blood and revenge I plan to get back at him. Purple, to symbolize the power I know I still have in this town. Trey may have more fans than me now, but I still have a huge fanbase, and I plan to use that and whatever else it takes to keep climbing my way to the top. Finally, black, to symbolize the black of my soul and the void of emotions inside me.

           Weaving the strings together calms me even more, and by the time I tie off the anklet around my ankle, I no longer feel the pain brought by emotions.

           There’s a knock at the door, and I groan. I don’t want to see anyone right now. I walk over to the door and look out the peephole. It’s Diana. Of course.

           Diana Pierce. A name that invokes awe and respect in almost everything. Twin sister to the illustrious host of The Report, she can get pretty much whatever she wants in Angeles. Which makes her a pretty good manager. She’s been working for my family since my father was still in the business, and has been my manager from the time I could first talk. She’s been the one who’s helped me get all my roles in movies or tv shows or award shows. She’s the one who’s talked me through any problems I’ve ever had emotionally or mentally. She’s been more of a parent to me than my own parents, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get on my nerves.

           I open the door for her and quickly shut it again as she enters without looking up from her phone.

           “Alright, so you’ve got the Degrees of Love after-production party tonight at 10. You’ll have to make an appearance, but you and Trey can leave early from that if you like. You’ve got an interview with that news show tomorrow morning at 8, so don’t stay out too late. Any questions?” Diana finishes and looks up from her phone. She purses her lips. “Oh, honey, you’re all splotchy. Do you have allergies or something?”

           I sigh. “Yeah, allergies. It seems I’m allergic to assholes.” Diana frowns. I roll my eyes. “Trey broke up with me.”

           Diana nods and starts typing something on her phone. “Of course he did. Well, I hope you’re not planning on using that as an excuse to not go to the after party tonight. If you don’t show, it’ll only seem like you were too emotionally attached to him. You can’t give Trey the chance to work the media against you and make you seem like the needy ex-girlfriend who can’t even face him.”

           I groan. “Yeah, I know. I’ll still go to the stupid party. I’m not an idiot.”

           “Diana looks up from her phone for a moment to pat me on the shoulder. “I know you aren’t an idiot. It’s just that I’ve had so much more experience in this business than you.”

           She really hasn’t. Diana has never been anything other than a manager, so it’s not like she knows how it feels to have your face plastered all over the tabloids and gossip sites.

           “Oh!” Diana exclaims. “You need to call your mother. You know how she gets when she has to hear about breakups and things from the news instead of from you.”

           I rub my forehead. All that’s been going on today has started giving me a migraine. “I’ll call her later,” I concede.

           “No, missy. You call your mother right now.” Diana has her mean face on, which hasn’t really scared me since I was a kid, but I know she means business, so I give in.

           I pull out my phone and start calling my mom.

           “Mellie!” She exclaims when she answers.

           I roll my eyes. She knows I hate it when she calls me that. “Hi, Mom.”

           “So are you done with filming? That’s so fun. Listen, before you head over to the party tonight, you and Trey should come over for a quick dinner. And then we—”

           “Mom, stop.” I take a deep breath. “Trey and I broke up. That’s what I called to tell you.”

           “Aww, that’s too bad. I really liked that boy,” she says. It takes all I have in me not to groan. She didn’t like Trey; she liked his fame and money. She knew any merging of our families would result in a huge income increase for her. She wouldn’t care in the slightest if he was a horrible person as long as he was rich. In fact, I’m almost surprised she’s not trying to convince be to make it work with him. Even if he doesn’t love me, doesn’t mean we couldn’t have some kind of arranged marriage for the money.

           “Yeah, well, we broke up. It’s over. I just wanted you to know before it goes public.”

           “Well, you’re still welcome to come to our apartment this afternoon for a dinner before your party,” she suggests, though she doesn’t really sound like she means it. Apparently without Trey, I’m not even worth my parents’ time.

           “Actually, I think I’m going to go out to the beach house for a few hours. The, uh, dress I want to wear is there,” I tell her.

           “Oh, well, then that works out great. You know, your father and I are actually kind of busy.” Figures.

           “Okay, then I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Mom.”

           “Bye, Mellie.”

           I hang up and give Diana an annoyed look. That phone call was useless, and all her idea.

           “Alright, Diana. So when’s my next audition? A new role is honestly just what I need right now to take my mind off things,” I explain.

           Diana shakes her head, and gives me a conspiratorial smile. Oh no, what is she up to now? “Nope. No more auditions for a while.”

           I groan. “Why not?”

           Diana pulls a packet of papers out of a folder I didn’t even know she’d been carrying and set it down on a countertop.

           “What’s this?”

           “Read it,” she commands, not answering my question.

           I walk over to the counter and look at the top sheet of paper in the stack.

           The words: THE SELECTION are listed in large print on top of the paper. I take a step back from the papers as if they carry disease. “Oh, hell no. I am not entering the Selection.”

           “Yes, you are,” Diana states. “Cynthi called me the other day and was going on and on about how excited she is to host the Report during the Selection. Honestly, I was tuning out most of what she was saying. But I did catch the way she was saying how much screen time all the girls in the Selection get. They get weekly interviews, their faces all over the magazines, and time in the palace.”

           “I get all that already, minus the palace. Unless you count the beach house as a palace, which it almost is,” I point out. “I just got out of a relationship literally a half hour ago, why would I go compete for the snobby little prince?”

           Diana looks like a kid in a candy store, and I still can’t tell why. “The prince doesn’t even matter. Do you realize how much press you’d get as one of the Selected? Just make it to the Elite, and you’re golden. You don’t even have to like the guy, and he doesn’t have to like you. Just convince him to keep you until the Elite, then you can come home and I’ll have ten auditions lined up for you within the week.”

           “Okay, but what if I turn in the application and don’t get Selected? Then I’ll look like the needy girl who needs a guy so much she’ll go to the Selection for it. And then didn’t even get Selected.”

           Diana waves a hand at me, as though my words are meaningless. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered. You’ll get in.”

           I glare at her. “You’re not going to let me talk my way out of this, are you?”

           She smirks. “Nope. So get writing. It’s a long application.”

           I look down at the papers again. How bad could it be? “Fine. I’ll fill them out at the beach house, then get to the party for an hour or so. Anything else?”

           “Don’t leave the trailer without sunglasses. You look like you’ve been crying,” she says with a sneer, as though crying is as disgusting as a dirty diaper. Which, maybe it is.

           I grab my sunglasses and keys and walk out of the trailer, Diana following me out, and immediately walking off in the other direction. I start walking toward my car, which is on the other side of the studio’s main gates. Which means paparazzi have free reign out there. I take a deep breath as I walk past the last security guards.

           Immediately I’m bombarded by cameras and microphones and questions. “Melody!” “Melody, what can you tell us about Degrees of Love?” And the even more annoying: “Melody, is it true you and Trey Reynolds broke up?” “Is Treyody dead?” “Will you still be attending the movie’s premiere together?”

           I ignore all their questions and push my way to my car. I almost run over one reporter as I pull out of my spot, but he moves out of the way when he realizes I’m not stopping.

           Once I make it past the reporters and out of the parking lot, I feel a lot calmer again. Diana always stresses me out with timeframes and deadlines and everything, and her assurance that I am like her and don’t feel any emotions. I do feel emotions, I just try hard not to show it. I understand that emotions are a weakness, and I know I shouldn’t let myself feel so much all the time. I let myself feel with Trey because I thought I could trust him, but obviously that was a mistake. A mistake I won’t be making again any time soon, you can be sure of that.

           After forty minutes of driving in silence that only fueled my hatred for Trey, I pull into the long driveway of the beach house.

           I park the car and as I walk up to the front door, I can hear the high-pitched barking that I know means Teddy is waiting for me. How he always knows I’m coming, I have no idea, but I’m not sure I care. Not when I can open the door and pull him into my arms immediately. Teddy is a little yorkie, just a few months old, and he’s the only living creature I think who loves me unconditionally. I laugh as Teddy licks my cheek while I close and lock the front door behind me.

           “It’s so good to see you, Teddy,” I tell him. I walk over to one of the couches and sit down in it. I set the Selection application down on the coffee table. I look at Teddy. “What do you think, Teddy? You think I could make a good queen?”

           Teddy answers with a little huff that makes me laugh.

           “I don’t think so either. But I guess making it to the Elite isn’t so bad. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to sign up.”

           I grab a pen and write my name on the application.

[jinjojess]

TAoS&ObM: Prose Edition

In honor of Akamatsu’s birthday, I went ahead and actually wrote a thing. A quick, sloppy thing, but a thing nonetheless.

Hope you enjoy!

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 3

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

Ever since she’d been a child, Akamatsu had hated the smell of candles. She assumed it was the result of being taken to a stage production of Phantom of the Opera at too young an age, or perhaps because of the time the power went out at her grandmother’s huge home in the countryside for three whole days. Regardless, for the first time since her death, she was thankful to have lost her sense of smell.

With the sole light source extinguished, the empty room on the fourth floor had been blanketed in complete darkness, yet Akamatsu could still see perfectly. She could see Yumeno and Shinguuji standing in their respective corners, their backs to the center of the room. She could see Saihara hesitantly feeling his way along the wall back to his position. She could even see Ouma grinning in the dark as he let his foot hover over the salt that made up the edge of the magic circle before shaking his head and obediently returning to his assigned corner.

Akamatsu turned her attention to wooden dog statue resting on top of the cage Chabashira was crouching beneath. Though she’d always considered herself a dog person, something about the animal’s expression seemed unnatural--it was as if someone who had never seen a dog in their life had tried to carve the face based on a description from a child. The features weren’t as canine as they were human; something about it made the statue plummet even further into the uncanny valley than Angie’s wax replicas.

“Psst, Saihara-kun.”

“Akamatsu-san, not now. We’re about to start this ritual and I’m trying to remember these song lyrics.”

“I just want to let you know I’m going to keep an eye on things, okay?”

“I thought you were going to go help Harukawa-san in the art room?”

“Maki-chan will be fine. Besides, I can’t help much if you aren’t there, remember?”

“...True.”

“I just...I have a really bad feeling about this.”

Saihara smirked, probably assuming Akamatsu couldn’t see him.

“You seemed totally fine with a perfect replica of yourself being hung upside and stabbed with a sword.”

“Well, yeah. I mean that would’ve been funny if Angie-san hadn’t, you know, died. But this is really unnerving me.”

“Akamatsu-san, are you telling me you’re afraid of ghosts?”

“No, it’s not like Momota-kun’s thing, I’m just--”

“Did you forget that you are, in fact, a ghost?”

“Thanks for that reminder that I’m dead, Saihara-kun. That was really helpful.”

He flinched.

“Sorry. I guess this just puts me on edge too.”

“Saihara-kun,” came Shinguuji’s voice from across the room, “if you are finished whispering to yourself over there, I would like to begin.”

“S-Sorry!” Saihara called back. He turned to face the wall again, offering Akamatsu a shrug of apology.

She huffed, puffing out her cheeks for a moment before floating up to the ceiling. It felt wrong to leave, but she still wanted to be as far away from that creepy dog statue as possible.

Shinguuji began to sing, the others’ voices falling into unison. The melody reminded Akamatsu of a competition she’d participated in a few years ago that required her to create a piano arrangement of various folk songs. Reflexively, she tapped her fingers in the air in front of her, feeling out which key would correspond to which note. It was relaxing, actually.

Maybe a little too relaxing, Akamatsu realized, feeling her eyelids grow heavier as the song continued. She noticed a flicker of movement below, a warm sense of dread building in her stomach.

It was the exact same feeling she’d felt the night before, right before Angie had been killed, according to the Monokuma File.

This was bad. Someone was about to die. It would most likely be the one person in the room who was in a position least conducive to self-defense.

She had to let Saihara know. If she let him know in time, he could maybe stop it.

“Sai--!” she tried to yell, but nothing came out. It felt as though someone had wrapped a rope around her throat and was pulling it taut, trapping the words within. Her voice failed to reach her own ears, let alone Saihara’s, who was still standing in the corner mumbling his way through the song.

The dread began to crescendo, Akamatsu’s panic rising with it. No. No, no, no. She couldn’t let someone else die--they’d just lost Angie and she couldn’t save Amami or the others either and this couldn’t be happening.

Biting her lip, Akamatsu flew full speed toward the dog statue.

Just think of it like a desk in one of the classrooms. You slap things away all the time! This is just like that...

Akamatsu crashed into the statue and heard the cage beneath it rattle.

The haunting melody suddenly boomed in her ears--it was far louder than any four people in a small room could possibly be. Akamatsu felt a painful tug at her neck once again, and the off-key notes of her own execution began to meld with the ritual song.

Her head spun, and she was no longer able to make out the details of the room. Instead, bright bursts of color exploded behind her eyes. Her arms jerked around on their own, feeling as though they’d be ripped from their sockets. The agony in her neck was building, frothing spittle forming at the corners of her mouth.

No.

No. She might be dead, she might never see home again, but like hell if she was going to let another one of her friends die.

Gritting her teeth, Akamatsu blindly flailed beneath her, trying to grab at where she assumed Chabashira to be, and then everything went dark.

As if she’d blinked, Akamatsu found herself standing on the bank of a wide river, staring at the shadowed, foggy area on the other side.

Her vision was tinted red, and she realized with a start that she could smell--something heady and rotten was invading her nostrils. Her knees began to tremble--she had knees again!--and there was a weight to her body she hadn’t felt in quite some time.

Akamatsu coughed, her throat feeling like she’d swallowed an entire cup’s worth of broken glass.

“A-Akamatsu-san?”

She whipped her head to the side to see Chabashira standing next to her, a worried look on her face.

“Fuck.”

“Is...is that really you?”

“Yes,” Akamatsu said with a sigh, “it’s me.”

Tears were already pooling in the corners of Chabashira’s eyes.

“Oh.”

“Listen, Chabashira-san, I’m so sorry. I tried, but--”

Before she could finish, Chabashira seized Akamatsu in a fierce hug.

“Tenko and the others missed you so much,” she said between sobs, crushing Akamatsu’s face into her chest. “Why did you have to leave us?”

“I didn’t, really,” Akamatsu said, voice muffled by Chabashira’s bosom.

“That is true.” Chabashira released Akamatsu, not seeming to notice how she stumbled. “Tenko at least has carried your memory with her this entire time. As for the MENaces, well...”

“Either you have not realized what happened yet, or you’re taking this extremely well.”

“You’re talking about Tenko dying, right?” Chabashira offered a sad smile. “Tenko is trying not to focus on it. She took Yumeno-san’s place and therefore has ensured her survival, so Tenko has no regrets.”

No regrets.

Was that why Akamatsu had stayed behind at Saishuu while the others who had died moved on?

But that couldn’t be right. Amami and Hoshi maybe died without regret, Angie almost assuredly, but Akamatsu knew for a fact that Toujou was even more determined than she herself was to getting out.

There had to be a different reason.

“Akamatsu-san, where are we?”

“I...honestly don’t really know. I assume this is the Sanzu River?” Akamatsu gestured to the muddy water running beside them.

Chabashira frowned. “If that is the case, this is a difficult situation. Tenko is not carrying any change.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever been here myself,” Akamatsu said. “After I died, I woke up at Saishuu again, in my lab.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Saihara-kun came in looking really upset, and started rifling around looking for a CD so I started playing Clair de Lune. And then he screamed.”

“Saihara-san...heard you playing?”

“Uh huh. Apparently he was the only one who could see and hear me, though I was starting to be able to affect Maki-chan too on some level.”

At that Chabashira nodded. “The bond between girls who are close is a deep, unbreakable thing.”

“...We made it work.”

“Tenko supposes she has one regret. She wishes that she could have spent more time with Yumeno-san. To see her grow and evolve. Tenko worries about who will look over Yumeno-san in her absence.”

“It’s okay,” Akamatsu said, patting Chabashira on the shoulder. “I believe she’ll be able to pull through.”

Chabashira nodded once, staring at the ground. Akamatsu followed her gaze, examining a misshapen rock by her toe. How long had it been since she’d seen her own feet? The tip of her shoe didn’t feel attached to her; it was as if she were looking at someone else’s foot.

What is Saihara-kun going to do without me? He’s gotten much better but he still has a long way to go. And Maki-chan? I never even got to say goodbye or tell her again that--

“Oi! Ooooooooooooi!”

Akamatsu looked up, turning toward the sound of the new voice coming from the opposite bank of the river.

Both she and Chabashira gasped in unison--standing there were the four other deceased members of their group: Amami, Hoshi, Toujou, and Angie. The latter was waving eagerly while Hoshi had his hands cupped around his mouth, still calling to get their attention.

“Finally!” he said with a rueful chuckle. “I was startin’ to think you two were gonna keep ignoring us for your pity party!”

“Hi hi! Long time no see, Kaede! Short time no see, Tenko!”

“Everyone...”

Chabashira raised an arm to wave back.

“Everyone! Greetings!”

“It is good to see both of you, despite the circumstances,” Toujou said, eyeing the water separating them. “Especially since you both appear to still be on that side of the river.”

“Hey now, Toujou-san, we agreed. No more trying to swim across.” Amami crossed his arms and smiled.

Wait. On this side of the river?

“What does that mean?” Akamatsu asked.

“It means that you still stand a chance of going back,” Amami answered.

“Yeah,” Hoshi said. “We all woke up on this side, and in spite’a Toujou’s best efforts, we can’t get back across.”

“Though I assure you I will continue to try.”

“Easy there, miss.”

“Yeah yeah yeah! Like, God totes says that it’s a-okay if you two wanna try and go back!”

“You mean like how I was before?”

“Bingo, Kaede! You can go back as spooky ghost girls!”

“HaHA! Tenko knew that all of her training in Neo Aikido would pay off someday!” Chabashira lowered her voice to mutter under her breath. “It certainly seems like Tenko’s spiritual path was more effective than Angie-san’s.”

“That’s actually got very little to do with it,” Amami said. “What keeps you both tethered to the living world is guilt.”

“Guilt?”

“Yeah,” Hoshi said. “You both have people who feel responsible for your deaths. People who’d go crazy if you didn’t go back.”

“Ah, Saihara-kun.” Akamatsu nodded. That made sense. Harukawa had been upset, but thanks to her upbringing could probably have shouldered and/or bottled up the grief. She couldn’t be as sure about Saihara.

“Someone...who would go crazy if Tenko didn’t go back?”

“We unfortunately were not able to cement such bonds in the time allotted to us,” Toujou said, closing her eyes for a moment. “I confess that that is one of my regrets.”

“But anyway you two go and get outta here!” Angie waved again.

“Hang on, how exactly do we get back?”

Hoshi and Amami shrugged.

“No idea.”

“Search me.”

“I believe that is something you both must discover on your own,” Toujou said. “Akamatsu-san, you managed once before, so I have faith that you will be able to do so again.”

“Right...”

Hoshi held out a hand with a thumbs up. “Good luck, you two.”

As the dark fog on the other side of the river engulfed the four figures standing there, Akamatsu felt a tug on her arm.

“Come on, let’s go!”

“Go where, Chabashira-san?”

“Back to the world of the living! If Yumeno-san is in need, Tenko cannot sit here and do nothing.”

She was right. Once Saihara realized Akamatsu was gone, he would likely have a breakdown. He’d probably blame himself again, because that was just what he did. Plus he’d be left to deliver the news to...

Maki-chan...

“Okay, Chabashira-san,” Akamatsu said, grinning and clenching her fists, “let’s do this.”

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

Ugh, this is awful, but Obakematsu isn’t meant to be a super serious AU anyway so I guess I can be semi-okay with this.

Hope you enjoyed!