#very fantastical and not possible at all but i have wished for exactly that so many times ngl

[robinsnest2111]

it sucks so bad that so many of us have to go through tough shit on our own, even if it's just another day on this earth, tough shit is tough shit, ANYWAY what I wanted to say: wouldn't it be so great if I could turn into a little pocket sized companion and travel along with anyone who's struggling through tough shit to keep them company and comfort them throughout the day? so they're not so alone? because MAN do I wish that were possible

[neil-gaiman]

Hi Neil!

I don't want to sound like a killjoy, but I'm concerned about David Tennant's family being involved in the second season of Good Omens (or Michael Sheen's partner Anna Lundberg in a future season three). I absolutely have nothing against them, I loved Staged just like everyone else, but this is exactly the matter for me: casting them in the series would automatically make me think about Staged or something else while I'm watching GO, and it would distract me from the plot and the magic of it. It would feel somehow like a family reunion, no matter how talented they are as actors (not to mention that there would be nepotism accusations, above all against David. I hope this won't affect the popularity rating, since season three is still hypothetical). I'm not the only one who thinks this might be an issue, from what I read on blogs here on Tumblr (and on the Internet in general) but I feel like there's a sort of tension, like people are scared to say it out loud, because some fans get the wrong idea and accuse them of hating Georgia or Anna or Ty (and that's why I'm asking this anonymously, I don't want to start a fight). I hope you get what I'm saying, it only felt fair to me to let you know whatever concerns some fans might have, and maybe even give you a perspective you weren't considering? Of course you have the last word on this, and if you think this is not a big deal, I trust your judgement.

I wish you a fantastic day! (And sorry for my English, I'm not native, I tried my best!)

Yeah. So, I find that a little creepy, not very creepy, but definitely a bit.

I thought we were lucky to get Peter Davison in Good Omens 2. (He didn't audition. We offered him the part, as I've been a fan of his since 1978, and All Creatures Great and Small. He crushes it, and is heartbreaking, funny, and still somehow the moral compass of the episode he's in.) Ty Tennant auditioned, along with a number of other actors, and got the part because he did it best. (I didn't know who his family was when we cast him. I just liked the audition tape.)

If you're hunting down family connections, David's mother-in-law, Ty's grandmother, Sandra Dickinson, is in the Audible Sandman, too, as one of the Three Witches/Fates/Eumenides etc. And she was cast in it two years before David Tennant (although probably around the same time Michael Sheen was asked to be Lucifer). (I've been a fan of Sandra's since she was Trillian in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in 1981.)

Anyway, I'm sorry you're worried about Peter and Ty's performances, although I promise you have nothing to worry about, and I'm sorry that you worry that our possibly casting Georgia and Anna in a hypothetical and not-yet actually a real thing Season 3 might make people think of Staged and make them not able to enjoy Good Omens any longer. (Had I known people were this easily shaken I wouldn't have appeared in Staged either, in case my name at the front of Good Omens shattered the fragile illusion and revealed to people that the David Tennant and Michael Sheen who play Crowley and Aziraphale are actors.)

Starting in 2017 I was the recipient of mind-mangling quantities of Tumblr abuse for casting David Tennant and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale and Crowley, which was, many people made very clear to me, the worst casting in the whole entire utter history of casting, and something that Good Omens would never recover from, because for a start neither of them looked like the versions in people's heads, and I'd also miscast them badly because everyone knew that if you had to cast Sheen and Tennant, Michael had to play Crowley and David had to put on some weight and play Aziraphale. (It wasn't until May 2019 that people stopped grumbling.) So people worrying I'm going to cast Anna and Georgia in a season that hasn't even been commissioned in parts that haven't been written just makes me smile.

I hope this helps.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Sebek Zigvolt - Ceremonial Robes Vignette

"I shall speak quickly!!"

[Mirror Chamber]

Sebek: Hm... I think this should be the route my lord should take to today's ceremony.

Crowley: Ah, good timing. Zigvolt-kun!

Sebek: Headmage…? I was not aware of any meetings you may have with my liege…

Crowley: Am I not allowed to casually speak to my own students?

Crowley: Although actually, I was hoping you could help me prepare for the ceremony we are holding later. We are currently a little short-handed.

Crowley: There are two things I wish to request.

Crowley: First is escorting the guests. Second is to carry chairs and desks from Ramshackle.

Crowley: Both are simple tasks. Would you attend to these?

Sebek: Since it is a personal request from the Headmage yourself, I shall not refuse. I accept.

Sebek: Although, it is very evident that more assistance would be needed…

Crowley: Ah, no need to worry about that. I've already wrangled up three other fantastic helping hands.

Crowley: Or perhaps I should actually say it's 3 pairs of human hands, and one with paws…?

Grim: Myaaaaaaah!! I never said I was gonna help!

1. We have to. 2. Good students would do the tasks given them.

Jamil: Headmage, I would appreciate this being over with swiftly.

Sebek: Grim and [Yuu], huh. And the Vice Housewarden from Scarabia.

Sebek: Two scrawny humans and a small animal. I don't mean to be rude, but will these three be sufficient?

Jamil: If you have any complaints, you can ask someone else, then.

Crowley: Now, now. Grim-kun and [Yuu]-kun are probably the most knowledgeable when it comes to Ramshackle.

Crowley: Please have the two of them show you exactly where the chairs and desks are stored. Now then, I'll leave it to you all.

Jamil: So, that basically means [Yuu] and Grim will be getting the chairs and desks.

Sebek: It'll take all day if I leave it to just you two. I'll help as well.

Grim: The way you say that kinda pisses me off!

Sebek: I simply spoke the truth. How many chairs are you able to even carry in those little paws of yours?

Jamil: Hey, no fighting. I guess that means I'll be escorting the guests. [Yuu], look after these two.

Sebek: I cannot allow anything to keep my lord waiting for me. We should finish these tasks as quickly as possible.

Sebek: Hey, you two. Hurry and take me to Ramshackle, already.

Grim: Don't be tryin' to boss me around just 'cause you're bigger than me!

[Ramshackle Dorm – Hallway]

Sebek: So, this is the room with all the chairs and desks, I see. Then, allow me…

1. If you try to open it too forcefully… 2. We haven't started cleaning that room yet!

Grim: Yahoo, just slam that sucker open!

[SLAM!!]

Sebek: Urgh!? [cough, cough] Wh-what's with all the dust…!? It's as though it has been neglected for decades...

Grim: Myaha! Serves you right!

Sebek: Grim, you little… [cough] If you keep messing around, we'll never finish our tasks!

Grim: Hrk… Guess this guy has a point somehow…

Sebek: [sigh] …The room is one thing, but it looks like the chairs and desks aren't that dusty.

Sebek: However, it's not like they can be used as they are now. I'll bring them outside the room, so you two should wipe them down quickly.

1. Got it! 2. You good with that, Grim?

Grim: Hrrrrn～ Then, I guess I'll go and do ya the honor of grabbing a rag for ya! You better thank me!

Sebek: A good retainer knows that action speak louder than words. Hurry and bring that cleaning cloth already.

Grim: Mrraaah! You're just so annoyin'!

Sebek: Alright. I've finished carrying out all the chairs and desks. Have you finished wiping them all down?

Grim: Oh, yeah, we're done! They're all spick and span!

Sebek: Time to carry these to the Mirror Chamber, then. It may take us a few trips to carry all of these.

Sebek: Hup…

Grim: Myah!? You sure you can just carry 8 chairs like that!?

Sebek: Of course, this small amount is no problem whatsoever.

Grim: I-I can totally do that too, I just gotta use magic… Hyah! Myaah～?

Sebek: You're too shaky. It's much more efficient to carry these by hand while in a narrow corridor, instead of attempting to use magic.

Sebek: Hurry, we must away.

1. Then, I'll carry a desk. 2. Upsy-daisy…

Sebek: ! Hey, careful! I'm stacking the chairs right here, if you just haphazardly try to lift it like that…

Grim: Ah, watch out! The chairs are about ta fall!

Sebek: Urk!

[rattle, rattle]

Sebek: ...Whew, somehow I kept it from toppling over.

Sebek: [Yuu], how long to you intend on using my arms as a shield? I need you to move.

1. S-Sorry. 2. Thank you.

Sebek: I see your powerless human self is in full force. I cannot leave this to you, I'll carry the desks as well.

Sebek: It generally falls to me to carry heavy items in Diasomnia, as well.

1. They really rely on you, huh. 2. You're really strong, huh.

Sebek: Heh. Well, that's because I train every day so as I can protect my liege, Malleus-sama.

Sebek: SO IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT BOTH MY LEIGE AND LILIA-SAMA WOULD SOLICIT MY ABILITIES!!!!!!!

Sebek: Why, just the other day, I had my lord's lab coat...

Grim: Myah! Look, [Yuu], Sebek! Carryin' chairs with magic's easy-peasy!

Sebek: H-Hey, keep an eye forward! You're going to bump into the corner!!

[crash!]

Grim: Myaaaah! I'm trapped under all the chairs! …Help meeee～!

[Mirror Chamber]

Sebek: Headmage, all the chairs and desks have been brought over here to the Mirror Chamber! …Headmaster, are you here!?

Jamil: Apparently, the Headmaster is entertaining the guests before the ceremony begins. He left just as I arrived a moment ago.

Sebek: I see… Then, what should be done about these chairs and desks?

Jamil: I made sure to ask how they were to be arranged, so I'll instruct you on what to do. [sigh] …It really seems like we got the short end of the stick.

Grim: Seriously! I'm gonna be pooped before the ceremony even starts!

Sebek: Nothing will get done if all you do is sit there and complain. We should finish this task quickly.

1. Let's do our best! 2. Yeah!

Jamil: Alright, then. I'll assign you what you need to do now, so make sure you listen well.

Sebek: Hup, whew… And, this chair should be here in this row.

Grim: Hrrrrn～ I can't get 'em to line up nicely with magic!

Sebek: You should just do what [Yuu] is doing and line them up by hand. …Hm? Are those chairs over there flying in a row into position?

Jamil: Hyah… There we go.

Grim: Myaaah! That's no fair, he gets to move all the chairs with magic!

Sebek: Urk… Well, there's nothing to be done about it, we're still learning how to more acutely control magic…!

Sebek: …I must quickly learn to control my magic more precisely. I am constantly training to do so, and yet…

1. Oh, is that so. 2. You're really serious about this.

Sebek: That's right. A task of this level would be child's play to my liege, and yet, here I am, still a fledgling…!

Grim: [pant, gasp] …What, you saying this liege-guy is really that amazing or something?

Sebek: Only his retainers may address him as 'my liege'! You should address him as the Mighty Malleus Draconia-sama.

Grim: You say, actin' all high and mighty. Then you should call me the Up-and-Coming Great Mage Grim-sama!

Jamil: Hey, you two. If you have time to stand there and argue, get to work. Don't you want to finish this up quickly?

Sebek: This is not an argument!!!! I am merely enlightening an ungrateful soul on my lord's splendid self.

Sebek: In any case, he is incredible. I'm sure you all heard of his exploits in last years' inter-dorm Spelldrive tournament!

Grim: Myah…?

1. His exploits…? 2. I really don't know.

Sebek: WH-WHAT!!?

Sebek: I cannot believe that there are creatures here in Twisted Wonderland who has absolutely no knowledge of his indomitable achievements…!?

Sebek: Well then, I shall enlighten you. I had not been enrolled here yet, however I was watching the match from the stands.

Sebek: Absolutely no one could hold a candle to the prowess of Diasomnia under my liege's leadership. It was a completely one-sided game.

Sebek: He summoned grand mountains that pierced the sky near the goal, so as to keep the opponent players from coming close…

Sebek: On top of that, the skies roared with thunder, just as if he were the Thorn Fairy of the Great Seven herself!

Grim: He made mountains and thunder!? If that's true, then this guy's too amazing!

Jamil: It feels a little more exaggerated than I remember, but… Yeah, that's about right, more or less.

Sebek: Aha! You sure know your stuff, for a human!

Jamil: Don't just attach yourself to me like that all of a sudden! You should probably leave off bragging about your lord for later. We're getting tired just listening to it.

Sebek: However this is nowhere near enough to grasp just how great he is…

Jamil: We know that Malleus-senpai is so wonderful you can't help but brag, yes, yes! …Sigh.

Jamil: I will say, I am envious of your ability to respect your Housewarden so strongly.

Sebek: Hrm… Is that not so with the Scarabia Housewarden?

Jamil: I'd rather not comment on that any further, but essentially, it means there are many different types of Housewardens.

Grim: Yeah, but you two're always hangin' out, I always thought you guys were friends.

Jamil: We've been together since we were born. It's not surprising that it would seem that way to outsiders.

Sebek: SINCE YOU WERE BORN!!??

Jamil: L-Lower your voice! What are you on now!?

Sebek: I-I envy you…!

Jamil: …Really?

Sebek: I would have loved to have been serving Malleus-sama since I was born…!

Jamil: Well that's… I mean, Malleus-senpai is much older than you, so wouldn't it have been impossible for you to have looked after him anyway?

Sebek: Urgh… Why couldn't I have been born far earlier…?!

Grim: Man, this guy get's real annoying real fast when it comes to that Malleus guy.

1. Did that make you sad? 2. Cheer up.

Jamil: [sigh] …If we can finish setting up early, I'll listen to all you have to say about Malleus-senpai. So lend me a hand, already.

Sebek: R-Really!?

Grim: Myah!? He just went from sad and depressed to jumping all over the place!

Jamil: Geez… Why does it have to take this long just to set up some chairs and desks…

[Diasomnia Dorm – Lounge]

Sebek: Here, I've made tea. And don't hesitate to ask for another cup when you need it.

Grim: Wooah～ It smells good. [Yuu], give me some sugar!

Jamil: I'll say this now, but this is only until the ceremony begins. If we factor in travel back, there isn't much time to sit and dawdle!

Sebek: Fine by me. I must also escort my liege to the ceremony, as well! Therefore, I shall speak quickly!!

Grim: Sebek's really into it, huh.

Jamil: When I said we'd listen to him brag about Malleus-sama's exploits… I didn't think he would actually take it seriously…

Jamil: He's like a whole different person whenever it comes to Malleus-senpai. It's pretty troublesome when someone has nothing but pure admiration like this.

Sebek: Hm, is something the matter? Now, which tale should I begin with…

Requested by @olivebranch311.

[historicallyaccuratecheese]

I know this isn’t very in line with the usual “haha magnus archives worm lady” posts I usually make, but this is very important to me and I want to spread as much awareness as possible.

One of my favorite games of all time is Dead Cells, a fantastic indie roguelike developed by Evil Empire. Recently, it was announced that it’s upcoming 35th update would be the last one for the game. Now, let me start off by saying that on its own, this isn’t what I’m upset about. The fact that Dead Cells has gotten as much support as it has over the years is quite frankly incredible, and 35 updates, most of which have been free and very high quality, is an amazing amount of support. Rather, I am more concerned about the circumstances behind this announcement.

The announcement was…off, for a number of reasons. For one, Update 35 has been in Alpha and Beta on Steam for a while now, and it’s not exactly an update you’d expect the entire game to end on. Still quality, but not exactly a “grand finale.” Also strange was how long it’s been in alpha and beta, as it seems to have been in development hell for over six months. And finally, it’s clear that there was so much more planned for the game. For example, 2023 was said to be the biggest year for the game, and yet we only got two updates. Granted, one of those updates was very big, but not nearly big enough to really live up to the title of “biggest year so far.” By all accounts, it definitely seemed like there was some sort of internal issue that cut the planned lifespan of the game short. If so, that would be very unfortunate, but I would have been willing to accept there was probably nothing that could be done. However, recently some information about what actually happened has shown up, and….yeah I’m pissed.

For those who didn’t know, Dead Cells was originally made by a team named Motion Twin, but after the fourth update, most of the people working on the game left to form their own team, Evil Empire. Evil Empire has developed every update for the game since that split, and yet, they are rarely credited as the makers. Motion Twin is the company that promotes all of the new updates, as if they made them, and unfortunately very few people know which company actually makes the game. Recently, Motion Twin announced a new game called Windblown (proclaiming it was made by the same team as Dead Cells, when it certainly wasn’t), and based on recent interviews with Evil Empire, we learn that Motion Twin pulled the plug on Dead Cells against Evil Empire’s wishes. Evil Empire loved making the game, and planned to continue updating into 2025, expanding the gameplay and lore, yet Motion Twin decided to pull the plug, either to promote Windblown (which if so…why? You can have two games?), or simply out of spite towards Evil Empire, which seems unfortunately possible due to the fact that the devs do not seem to have the best relationship. And to add insult to insult to injury, Motion Twin straight up lied by saying that Dead Cells stopped development because they “don’t want the game to feel bloated”. ….THEY DON’T EVEN MAKE THE GAME WHAT THE HELL?!

So yeah…this is a really terrible situation. Dead Cells is a game that means a lot to me, it’s helped me through some very tough times and there are many other people who hold the game dear to their heart. So please, anything from a simple reblog to making your own posts about the matter goes a long way. Spread awareness about what’s going on. Tell people about how Evil Empire has put so much hard work, love and dedication into the game, and wishes to continue. Tell people about the lies that Motion Twin have been telling. Pressure the two teams into splitting away from each other entirely, so that Dead Cells might get a chance at continuing development. (Be respectful about it though, don’t commit any forms of serious harassment.) It would seriously mean a lot to me and many others, and I would greatly appreciate it :).

[aesthetictarlos]

Adorable prompt by @shxyerahol : Buck and Tommy date night at painting with a twist. Buck is not a great artist and has a hard time keeping up with the instructor but Tommy is phenomenal (headcanon taken by the fact that Lou is a fantastic painter IRL).

I really liked writing this one, hope you like it too ❤️

Buck should've probably seen this coming, but when Tommy invited him to a date night at painting with a twist, he eagerly agreed without stopping to think of the implication of that nor the reason why Tommy was so enthusiastic about the idea of painting together.

Truth is, he loves spending time with Tommy, no matter what they do or where they go, and he's absolutely enjoying this date, too, but he's also struggling. The instructor is nice and definitely very good at her job, but Buck's having a hard time keeping up with what she says. Or rather, he understands what she says but struggles to do what he's supposed to, because he sucks at drawing and painting, and art is not his thing at all.

He's trying, okay? He's trying to follow her instructions and use the right brush and the right colour but he's pretty sure he's making a mess, even if the instructor keeps encouraging and complimenting him.

It's date night, so they're supposed to make complementary paintings and they can't see each other's paintings until the end.

Tommy's sitting opposite from him, their respective canvas in the middle, so he can't exactly see anything but his face, but he can tell that his boyfriend is perfectly at ease. He doesn't even ask questions to the instructor, he's lost in painting and there's a little wrinkle on the bridge on his nose that tells Buck that he's deeply concentrated.

It's a sight to behold, honestly, and Buck gets a bit distracted until the instructor prompts him to go on, giving him some advice. He's supposed to be painting a half-heart shaped wave, using the colours of the bi flag, and it's not that bad but he's not sure it's going to be nice either.

"I'm done," Tommy announces five minutes later, and Buck widens his eyes in disbelief.

"What? How's that possible?" He asks, frowning as he takes in his own painting. He's barely finished with the background. "I still have to paint the wave, you're cheating."

Tommy chuckles, tilting his head. "I'm not cheating, I'm done for real. You wanna see?"

"I wish," Buck says, rolling his eyes.

"You can, if you want," the instructor chimes in. "It's not really a rule that you can't see your partner's painting before you've done with yours, just something I suggest to make things funnier," she says, inspecting Tommy's canvas. "Besides, I think that your boyfriend here might be really helpful."

Buck is very, very curious now, so he stands up, rounds the table and– oh boy, Tommy has painted is a masterpiece. He's not an expert, but he can recognize a wonderful painting when he sees one, and Tommy's definitely is.

He's used the gay flag colours to paint the wave, and he's also added a lot of details that make it look real. He's stunned and speechless, and can't help but stare in awe at the canvas and then at his boyfriend.

"Baby, it's amazing. I didn't know you were so talented," he says, surprised. "You're an artist, and a damn good one."

"Uh– Yeah, I would call myself an artist. I never mentioned that but I– I paint in my free time," Tommy admits, smiling sheepishly. "I've started doing that a few months after I came back from my tour in Iraq, and it helped a lot. I've never stopped since then, it's something I really like and apparently I'm also good at that."

"You are," Buck says, squeezing his shoulder. "And it's nice that art is one of your hobbies. I'm so bad at it, but it's calming and it definitely helps to clean your mind."

"It does. It's the reason why I started painting in the first place," Tommy replies, and then stands up and pokes him in the ribs. "So, you could use some help?"

Buck chuckles, blushing as he nods. He sits in front of his canvas again, and lets Tommy guide his hand, his body strong behind his and his breath fanning the side of his face. He's even more distracted now, but he manages to finish the painting with Tommy's help and when they put their two canvases next to one another, Buck feels warmth spreading around his ribs. The painting is far from perfect, and Tommy's definitely better than his own, but it's theirs and he thinks it's wonderful.

[hughiecampbelle]

How Cruel Is That? (Shiv Roy x Fem!Reader Oneshot)

Character/s: Shiv

Word Count: 1,258

Inspired By: Good Luck, Babe! - Chappell Roan

Requested: Not requested, but taken from the prompt list anyways :) tease + wedding ring

A/N: Alternatively titled So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings lol. Do I love Shiv? Of course. Am I here to show my appreciation for her with the help of Chappell Roan? Also of course :P Kinda on a roll with fics so don't be afraid to request!!! The angstier the better! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💜💜

Succession Masterlist / REQUESTS ARE OPEN

When you look at her, you know exactly how the night will play out. It will be poetic. It will be Shakespearean. It will be everything you could have ever wanted. Your wedding ring will find its place on the nightstand. It will wait, patiently, quietly, until you’ve decided you’ve had enough of this fantastic world and decide to return to reality. The living. It slips back on without a fight, without resentment, and you consider yourself lucky. One day, maybe soon, maybe not, you imagine your ring refusing your finger, as if it knows what you’ve done, as if it will take the a moral high ground. It will break out in hives at the very thought of you. It will whisper everything it has seen to the man you promised yourself to, and your father, and perhaps even her father. It will all come crashing down. Though, a small part of you, too small to name, dreams of that day. With nothing left, no one tied to you by vows or blood or name, you could finally choose. Not the way you did roses or hyacinths, cream or egg shell, but truly, really choose a life for yourself. One worth every sacrifice, every heartbreak, every night spent as his wife. 

Her dress will fall to the floor. She will step out of her heels. Her hair, her makeup, all of it the very essence of perfection. Impeccable. In these moments, you’re seventeen all over again. Your pulse racing, heat rising to your face, questioning if this is happening as it has happened so many years since. You’re hidden in the back of the summer house, your skin hot from the sun and sea. You try to kiss each and every one of her freckles. You’re trying not to laugh too loud on her flowery bed, the mattress soft. It leaves the two of you sinking into one another. You’re as still as possible, pressed together beneath the bushes in the garden, grass prickling into your back. Even the moonlight cannot conceal what you two have been doing. Between kisses she will smile and giggle (a sound that makes your very insides melt) and ask you if you’re alright. You sense that she, too, has been taken back. All those times you should have been caught. All those times you weren’t. When you can find your voice, you promise you’re better than that. You’ll find yourself grabbing at her, unable to touch enough of her, unable to get enough of her. You thank God for her, for this moment, never sure you will get to do this again. You must live as if this is the very last time. You must savor every moment.

Her perfume, always the same scent, has become a comfort, an aphrodisiac. Licorice, bitter, and woods, natural, and her. All of her. You never liked his cologne. It was never right. You tried to find one that smelled of her, that resembled her, but nothing could substitute. Nothing could compare. Her voice is icy, her words frozen over, and you wish every night for hypothermia. She leaves her ring on. It has become a recent accessory, a new staple, though she’s made it clear it changes nothing about your dynamic. Still, she leaves it on. You catch yourself eyeing it when it catches the light. She doesn’t have a routine as you do, an inner reasoning, a way to compartmentalize. There is no division of worlds. In her life, there is him and there is you. In yours, there is him or there is her. A decision you still have not made. You are not her forbidden fruit as she is yours. She does not separate you and him. She has always loved you. She has only recently started to love him. You hope, foolishly of course, her love for you is greater than his. You know she is much more important to you than your husband ever will be. He is an obligation, a duty, a responsibility. She is frivolity. She is passion and joy and love. True love. Not just the empty sentence you find yourself reciting back to him. This is more than a couple of silly letters taped together haphazardly, forced between your teeth so that you might later gag them up when the time is right. No, this is not that. 

For now, you’ll have to wait. For now, all you have are your memories, your hopes of the future, all your expectations of tonight. For now, you must be patient. Across the room, you keep an eye on her. You wait for the right moment. It comes. She moves, so do you. You turn away from him, trying not to look at her directly as you both make your way to the bar. She is the sun and you hope, you pray, you might fly too close. It is worth being burned. It is worth setting your life aflame. He doesn’t take notice. He never does. Instead, he closes the gap in the circle, acclimating to a conversation (a life) without his wife. You wonder if he would even miss you. Sure, the beginning would be rough. He would have to fend for himself. But he can hire help. He won’t have to lift a finger. The only catch is that he’d be going to bed alone. He’d manage. He always does. You take note that her husband doesn’t notice her lack of presence. You would, you want to cry. You would notice everything about her. You bite your tongue. Where there are eyes, there are lips. You stand beside her, asking for another drink, leaving enough space between you. She fills the gap. Her arm falls by your side. Pathetically, you reach out just a little, the tips of your fingers touching hers. She remains stoic, even bored looking, but you can feel her hand wrap itself around yours. She squeezes it. Once. Twice. Three times. You breathe a sigh of relief. Sometimes you find yourself questioning if any of it was real. Was that a stolen glance? Is she following you? Is her hand really on your thigh under the table? You wonder if it’s all in your head: a singular grand delusion, an epic between you and the idea of her. This, though, reminds you it’s real and so is she. Shiv looks at you for a second, less than, and flashes a knowing smile, before letting go and grabbing her glass. 

She leaves you gasping for air, heart racing, palms sweating. She doesn’t look back, she doesn’t check on you, but she doesn’t need to. Her smile said it all. It spoke every word, every reassurance, you needed to hear. She’s been waiting for you. She will wait for you, tonight, in a room between yours and hers. She will find you. She will undress you. And you will become young again. Naive, and blushing, and full of nervousness. You will be hers and she will be yours. It told you to go back to your husband, to be doting and affectionate, but to remember that she awaits you. She always will. It isn’t right. You know this, you’re no fool. Cheating on him with the woman you love. But nothing in this world is right or fair or just. If it was, you would have ended up with her instead. You would have been her wife, not his. But you’re not. You don’t think you ever will be. How cruel is that?

[sevi007]

@fortythealien

Oh that one was fantastic. Let me put that under read more because of spoilers AND it got long:

I mean, the "reveal" of the illusion really hit me like a slap to the face. This was both extremely beautiful as well as cruel, and it hits you all at once that this might ACTUALLY work on one, or both, of them.

Because, I very much doubt that it was Grausam who thought out the details of this particular illusion. As we learned very indepth by now, demons cannot understand human emotions. I don't see how Grausam could look into Himmel and / or Frieren and understand that this - a wedding - could be a good way to trick them.

So, imo, Grausam's ability rather reaches into the subconsciousness of the victim and draws out what the victim itself secretly wishes for, and then paints that world for them. For this, Grausam does not have to understand emotions or relationships - he lets the victims create their own illusions.

Meaning, this is something Himmel or Frieren or both wanted, deep down.

There was actually a moment where I was worried they would fall for it and maybe Heiter will have to wake them but of course I underestimated them:

Like, how. How are you HUMAN Himmel. Grausam himself stated that there is no way to tell the illusion from reality, but Himmel just goes and does it anyway. I feel like Heiter when his friend keeps going above and beyone here.

But still, look at his face before he stops Frieren. There is this hint of sadness again - we have seen that one before,for example in the flashback with the mirror lotus ring. I think it's the face he makes when he really briefly gets close to having this with Frieren - a life, love, relationship, whatever you want to call it - before he catches himself again because he knows it's not quite possible. He lets this illusion play out for just one beat longer before going back to the matter at hand.

Also, how gently he stops her nearly made me cry. No grabbing her, no holding her at arm's length, and he does not even ask if she realizes this is not real. His trust in her is implicit! He knows she knows, and will get them out somehow.

Also also, Frieren was into this too, you can't tell me otherwise. This was a trap for both of them, and it WORKED on both of them for a beat.

And to really put emphasis on how impossible it should be for Himmel to see through this all, Frieren confirms this once again:

(But in a way, maybe this shouldn't surprise us. It is a great callback to the illusion the beast "Einsam" created early on in the story, where Himmel appears in front of Frieren. Frieren recalls that before meeting Himmel, Flamme had appeared to her instead, and THAT apparation had begged for mercy / help. Himmel's apparation, though? Told her to "shoot me, Frieren". Not even an illusion OF Himmel was going to hurt Frieren, Himmel INSIDE an illusion obviously can break free.)

And when I said before that Himmel's trust in Frieren is implicit, I would like to point out that this goes both ways:

I mean, look at this stuff. Not only does Frieren not even TRY to break out of Grausam's spell (she knows she can't) but she instead trusts Himmel to fight despite it. She is entirely helpless in this situation, but instead of fighting or panicking (which, fair, is not her usual behavior) she instead asks exactly one question, and then quite literally puts her life in his hands. She gives no orders, no pointers, she just says "you can move right? Then move (like you always do)".

This trust, man. This (literally, hah) blind trust just gets me.

Also. When I say I forget that Himmel and party are terrifying, THIS is what I mean:

Himmel never woke up. He is still inside the illusion, eyes closed, and fighting a Great Demon (one and a half, since Solitär is giving half-assed support) blindly right then and there. Not only that, but he is putting Grausam on the backfoot even.

Now, of course, Grausam's illusion magic is probably what he relies on the most, so you could argue that he is not much of a fighter otherwise. But I don't think one becomes a Great Demon without some serious skills beyond one spell, especially considering that such an illusion which relies on the victim being intrigued by it probably does not work well on demons without feelings. To be acknowledged by his kin, he has to have SOME fighting skills beyond that of a normal demon. So this is still a seriously cool (and terrifying) feat right there!

(Also, even eyes closed, Himmel is protecting his friends - look how he destroys Solitär's sword as it goes for Frieren!)

See, now you made me teary-eyed again guys. Himmel even acknowledges - in front of Frieren! - that this was an "euphoric dream" for him. He wants / wanted this, with her. He never pushed for it, maybe because he knew it was not what Frieren wanted, or because of their differing lifespans, or whatever, but he wanted this so badly, it even pops up in Grausam's illusion. He should have fallen for this. That he did not is a testament to his skill, iron will, and his trust in and how well he knows Frieren.

Also, Frieren is really just imprinting this moment into her memory before going.

And:

The one thing Solitär - who is a master at manipulation with words, as Frieren has acknowledged - has to threaten Himmel is not "I will kill you", but instead "I will destroy Frieren's future". That's far more likely to get Himmel to let them go than anything else.

All in alll, after hitting you with such an outburst: I think this is the very best take of "protags get put under an illusion spell" I have ever seen. Once again, this manga does very well in subverting the classical tropes, because here, there is only a minimal moment of doubt, the protagnosits don't fall for it nor do they despair over being trapped, and they don't need a push from inside or outside the illusion to break free. They know basically from the start what is going on, and I quite like that they don't really break out before the fight can resume, but really just keep fighting while still being under the spell. It was a fantastic way of showing several things at once in a short span of time like:

* once more affirming Himmel's feeling for Frieren, and vice versa

* The utter trust they have in each other in this party but especially these two have in each other * How competent and strong Himmel and Co actually are

Easy to say, I was an emotional wreck after this because it was beautiful but also so painful to know they never really had this. Where's that Sein pic going "when will they get together already?!" because I need it.

Bonus in case you also need to cry a little:

Fifty years have changed absolutely NOTHING about their trust and love for each other. Okay Peace out.

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms.  Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as  more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

[slytherinqueenrose]

The new stylist

Tom Felton x F!reader

WC: 2.2K

Summary: Y/N is the new stylist on Harry Potter set and quickly becomes Tom’s small crush.

Warnings: It’s just lame. Additionally grammar errors (I’m not a native speaker, sorry for all mistakes!), kiss, some slight curse words, calling names, let me know if I forgot about sth. I don’t see too many imagines with Tom so even though I hardly have time to write, I decided to do so and create something for Tom himself. I know a lot people love him (me too ofc) so here it is, I hope you’ll like it.

I wrote if for my lovely friend @nobodybutapathetic . Kei helped me a lot during the past few days and I am truly thankful that the destiny sent her to me. Have a great day/night dear and a lot of luck during your exams!

Take a deep breath, inhale and exhale. Relax. Those people will like you - nope, hold on - they’ll accept you. That’ll be enough. I came from abroad only to become a stylist on Harry Potter set. The youngest stylist. I had no idea what to expect, what kind of reaction I’ll get from the cast and if my abilities will be good enough. I wanted this job and once I got an acceptance, I knew I had to do everything in my power not to fuck something up. And there I was, standing and waiting by my makeup station, mentally cursing myself. I could have applied for a basic makeup artist job in my small town so I wouldn’t be dying inside and shitting my pants but I had to prove being worth something more. Was I overreacting? Of course I was. Overthinking and being a drama queen was one of my specialities, right after being and artist.

But…

“Well, hello, who are you?” He asked with his brows furrowed. By saying ‘he’ I mean Tom. Tom Andrew Perfection Felton. He wasn’t exactly my idol but I found him very attractive since the very first time I saw him in the Philosopher’s Stone. And then, once he stood right in front of me, he looked more mature, fantastic, bombastic, out of world so just like always. He had his Slytherin uniform on and he came to have his makeup and hair done.

“Hi, I’m Y/N and I’m a new stylist. Nice to meet you, Tom.” I said, with a nervous smile on my face. His expression softened and a shy smile appeared on his lovely face. I don’t even know when he grabbed my hand I kissed my knuckles in possibly the softest way. I only know that my face has gone red. Scarlet. Or any other shade of red.

“Oh alright, so my first question is if you want me to prepare you or maybe you’ll trust other stylists more and-“

“Of course I want you to work with me. You got this job for a reason and I trust you.”

He then sat on the nearest chair and sent me the most adorable smile I’ve ever seen. I think I made a good first impression, didn’t I?

“So, tell me, Tom. Have you ever wore a full makeup on set before or maybe your previous stylist used to apply only a bit of powder or concealer under your eyes?” I asked, looking everywhere but his eyes. Yet, he was only staring at me which made me go even more crimson.

“They used to do this and that. I truly don’t know what you mean now.” He laughed.

“Fine. So before I start, I need to do a skin care first so your face will be nice and well prepared for the makeup. Do you know what kind of skin you have? Is it dry or oily maybe?”

“Uhh, normal I guess?”

“Even better. So just close your eyes and I’ll take a good care of you, alright?”

“As you wish, darling.”

Darling.

I craved to hear this word coming from his mouth but I never thought he could direct it to me. It sounded absolutely heavenly and I won’t lie telling you that I almost fucked my job up because I’ve been thinking about this name so intensely. Happily he seemed to not having a clue about what I was doing.

“I’m going to apply the thinest layer of foundation now. It feels very light on skin so it won’t make you feel uncomfortable, I promise.” I said while opening the foundation bottle. Tom only nodded, his small smile still visible. Once I started applying the product, he opened his beautiful, ocean eyes and looked at me with a soft expression. He didn’t say a word which made me hold my breath for quite some time.

“I’ll go with a concealer now and then I’ll set it with powder and makeup fixer …” I kept on rambling while he was just looking at me and analysing my face. It ended up with him falling asleep while I was finishing his face and then started working with his soft hair. Good to know that he actually trusted me so much.

Nevertheless, after finishing my work, I had to wake him up which resulted in the purest view I’ve ever experienced. Tom was a sleepy mess. Cute mess. When his eyes finally landed on me, he smiled sweetly and then he checked his look in the mirror. I knew he was truly happy about the result, so was I. After he got up from his seat, he gave me the sweetest kiss on the cheek and whispered a quiet “thank you” which had me die inside.

What a shame I couldn’t work with him anymore. Why? Well, the director decided to let me work with the interns only because I needed some practice on set and preparing the most important part of crew wasn’t exactly the best idea. To say that I was pissed off is like saying nothing. Well, hello! I’ve made Tom looking even more fabulous than he actually was! Wasn’t is enough to let me work with everyone? Well, let’s say every great work has its greater issues. Or maybe it’s just me who was simply unlucky. However, I must admit that I felt satisfied anyway because I had a chance to meet Tom and even though I could only prepare him once, it was still the hugest privilege.

***

It was mine 5th month on set and yet I had no chance to even look at Tom. His role in the Order of the Phoenix turned out to only last for five minutes of total screen time. Or even less so he rarely appeared on set. Additionally he had another movie he was playing in so his time was limited. Yet, when he came one day, with his older brother Chris, the whole crew was dying from laughter due to Chris’s hilarious sense of humour. Tom seemed so similar to him if it came to joking. I barely could hold my laughter when they started bickering.

“You know, Chis isn’t exactly a type of an artist. Acting is lame, and dance is like ‘fuck off’.” The blond laughed. “Pity. I think you’d look extremely sexy in a tutu, bro.” He said which made everyone bust out laughing and Chris only rolled his eyes, smirking.

“Have you told your friends about your ban from the dvd shop already?” Chris asked which made his brother gone pale. “Don’t look at me like that, Thomas. You were the one who wanted to-“

“Don’t you dare!”

“Easy, maggot.”

Naturally Chris haven’t continued this story while Tom was nearby but some time later he told everyone that Thomas wanted to steal a DVD with a porn video from a shop but unfortunately got caught and banned from the store. Oh Tommy, what a poor thing.

A few days later, I saw Tom sitting alone in the dining hall, during breakfast. He smiled as I entered the room and we exchanged shy “hi”. I could feel his eyes on me for the whole time while I was preparing my food (a cup of coffee which was unhealthy af especially before eating). I felt like he wanted the give me a lesson about a healthy food which would be hilarious since he was the one having fast food for breakfast. But…

“You’ll get in the tire.” Daniel said to Rupert, while entering the hall. I almost dropped my tea spoon, after hearing them. I furrowed my brows instantly. What the f-

“I want to roll you down the hill after work.” The brunette added.

“Are you crazy? I may get hurt.” The ginger boy responded, scared.

“You’ll be in a tire, chill.” Dan said, sipping on his juice.

I looked at Tom and he looked at me. Both pretty surprised. I sat on a counter while sipping my coffee and observing the two “gryffindors”.

“Alright, have you ever seen a car crash?” Dan asked and Rupert nodded.

“The car was ruined.” Grunt replied.

“And the tires?”

The look of the honest shock appeared on Rupert’s face.

“And the tires were absolutely fine.” He said with widened eyes. Then he smirked. “I’m in, I want you to roll me down the hill in a tire.”

At that moment Tom and I were exchanging amused looks while the two of our friends kept on discussing their phenomenal plan. Once they left the both of us bursted out with laughter. They were impossibly out of world.

“Do you think we should inform someone about their ridiculous plan?” Tom asked after approaching me. From the closer distance I could notice his natural dark hair slowly growing which meant one thing - next bleaching session.

“Rules are rules. You mustn’t do anything harmful. So yes, absolutely yes.” I replied, taking another sip of my coffee however suddenly Tom took my mug away. I looked at him with a questioning expression and he just narrowed his eyes.

“Seriously? What about the breakfast first?”

“This is-“

“Oh please.” He shook his head. “I have some spare chicken nuggets. Come and eat at least one, will you?”

Puppy eyes. Oh, those precious puppy eyes. As much as I wanted to say no, I couldn’t. Firstly because I wasn’t be able to refuse, secondly due to his hard yet delicate grip on my wrist. He pulled me towards his table and sat me down on one of chairs. I had no time to even say a word before he put the whole nugget in my mouth. Well, I’m not a baby? I guess.

“If you don’t want to be fed like a newborn, you have to eat healthier.”

I almost choked myself. Says who? He ate almost three whole sets of McDonald’s meals or lucky meals or happy meals- idk how it’s called honestly. I rarely visit places serving fast food. Not that I am a fit freak - absolutely not. I just prefer cooking myself.

“Considering the fact that I already ate one, just as you asked, wouldn’t you mind giving me my coffee back? I’m about to start a very tiring day with loads mermaid characterisations so I need caffeine more than I need air.” I mumbled, raising my eyebrow. Tom looked me up and down, then looked at my coffee mug and back at me.

“Three more and you’ll have it back. Promise.”

“You already broke one, that’s not fair.”

“I do it because I care, darling.” Again. I almost fainted. I know that many of you may consider this name being just normal and nothing special but believe me, I craved it. I needed it in my life. “I see you’re going scarlet every time I call you like that. Pleasure for me, darling.” He smirked and I bumped his shoulder. Don’t you dare thinking you can play with me like that.

“How’s your present stylist?” I asked, wanting to change the subject desperately.

“Oh, she’s fine. Unfortunately she’s not a fan of the skin care you introduced me to but I think she’s enough I can ask for.”

“Happily your skin didn’t fall off so I consider it a success.”

“I remembered everything you told me about the skin care, you know? I had run to the store right after hearing the sad news about your inability to work with the important cast members. I probably bought the whole shop but my face feels like a baby bum.” He laughed and I nodded, taking a small bite of the nugget that he tried to feed me with. “Perhaps you want to have a closer look?” He added and leaned closer to me, almost not leaving any space between the two of us. I could feel his breath on my lips and our eyes were just at the same level. He was looking my features up and down several times before placing a tender kiss in the corner of my lips. I felt butterflies erupting in my stomach and my cheeks burning.

“Well, it’s almost 7 and I-“

“It’s absolutely fine to like me, you know?”

Oh lord

“Not to mention, that I like you too, love.”

What?

“Are you going to look at me like that all the time? Close your lovely mouth before you start drooling.” He teased.

“Wait, what did you just say?”

“That you should close-“

“No, before.”

“Do you want me to repeat it?”

I nodded several times as he smiled, his cheeks flushed. At least I wasn’t alone if it comes to blushing.

“I think I’ll better show you.” He said with a smirk and then…

He kissed me. He kissed me straight on my lips. His arms pulled me even closer to him which resulted in sitting on his lap. At first I was stiff however after a while I wrapped my arms around his neck and I kissed him back, much to his satisfaction.

“Ha! I won 20 pounds!” Rupert cheered and the both of us broke the kiss immediately. “I knew that after months of his sighting and talking about Y/N, you’ll finally get together.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be rolled from the hill in the tire?” Tom asked, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

“Later.”

I could say much about the crew but they for sure were just idiots. Idiots which I truly loved.

[masschase]

"A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life"

Redraw of my first Casey drawing that I posted exactly a year ago! 😊

I do wish I had more energy to really show the improvement in my work because this is still very much on the quicker side but I just thought it'd be a nice thing to do today 😊

I remember having some thoughts at the time such as "no one's going to buy this girl as the Boss", "I wish I could draw digital like the cool people" and "when people find out I ship her with Matt Miller I'm going to get ripped to shreds".

Turns out, it was the best possible thing I could have done to start posting on here, and to start drawing again, on so many levels. You're all fantastic. 🫶

Little side-by-side below the cut 😊

I also drew the full outfit here

[indieyuugure]

I'm an artist too,can I give you a little suggestion?

btw,I really really love your comic,I'm attracteded by your fantastic art and excellent ability to tell a whole story.Although my suggestion possibly won't work,I hope you and ROTP have a nice day:)

In a pink environment, the characters are also covered by pink,which may made me unable to see where the character is,and the expression on their face.Because of this,the entire scene has a feeling of chaos?

What about reducing the pink concentration, or using white more to highlight the existence of characters?

This is just my thought, I have no malice. Please forgive my offense. If you could listen to my suggestion, it would be even better!

Finally, thank you again for bringing such a great comic,and I can't wait to see how this story will develop

Oh my gosh, yes! I take no offense at all! Art tips are always so greatly appreciated! I’m always trying to improve my art!

I actually read this and immediately was like “I GOTTA TRY THIS!!”

and OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH MORE!!

Reducing the pink helped give it so much depth! I actually did try the white idea, but it made everything look too shiny and slick, which is perfect for the Krang goo that’s all slimey and stuff, but for matte surfaces like the characters and floor, it wasn’t quite what I wanted. Erasing a little pink here and there, however, made it look so much better!!

I will admit, much of the shading in these panels is very rushed, so I wasn't paying as much attention to detail as I kinda wished I had been, but now that you've pointed that out, I see what you mean and am very happy with the results!! *^v^*

Also, funny you say it gives a sense of "chaos" in the scenes. I often refer to that color as “psychotic pink” because of the very chaotic, intense feeling looking at it gives you. Though I do know what you mean by it feels like there’s not enough definition between the characters and the background. It feels very messy and I haven’t really liked it much. I didn’t really know how to fix it, but this is exactly what I wanted!!

Your tip was so helpful I love the way this looks so much more now! I’m gonna use this technique from now on! Thank you so much💕

[gainesha]

BSG rewatch notes, cont'd and ended (spoilers, obviously):

it was so nice to watch the whole thing again, once again being reminded why I fell in love with these characters

the second half of Season 4 is much stronger overall as the first one, but the Tigh-Six baby plotline is awful. dumb and ludicrous. gave lots of fantastic acting moments for Hogan and Helfer, at least

Michael Nankin was the GOAT for directing Sometimes a Great Notion

I had loved the piano man story from Someone to Watch Over Me, so I was looking forward to rewatch that, but I completely forgot that the other main plot of the episode is going to be Boomer kidnapping Hera, and jfc, the locker room sequence with Helo and Boomer as Athena and Athena watching them is probably the most horrifying scene of the whole show, genuinely disturbing

I really like the finale. the flashback structure works very well for showing us how far all these characters came, and also crystallizing their story arcs, the stakes of their present-day choices. the last mission is intense and satisfying. the big showdown between Cavil and the Final Five / colonials and the Opera House reveal is a bit bumpy, but I still love the anticlimax of Cavil just saying ah fuck this shit. the ending always made emotional sense for me, and because the emotional farewell was the more important expectation for me (rather than getting a wholly satisfying mythology and precisely worked out plot machinery), and I feel good about the exodus part, too, I can more easily let go of my quibbles of explaining how the people of the fleet actually went along with throwing all their technology into the sun and going into the wild which would realistically mean quite a low life expectancy for them - like, I would not last outside modern civilization at all, but considering the rate with which we have been destroying our planet in the years since the show ended, their choice to have a clean slate is all the more wishful and heartfelt. (also a nice sentiment to forego colonizing the natives of Earth). Kara's "poof" is jarring, but I find her narrative arc complete and wonderful. I don't need to know exactly what she was after she returned from Earth-1. I even didn't mind the epilogue! like, the dancing robots would probably be AI if they remade the show today, but otherwise, the all of this has happened before... message of the show, with all its cheesy directness, still stands. except maybe it's more difficult to share HeadSix's optimistic prognosis

"You know, I know about farming" is the best line reading of the whole show

I wish we got at least one more Leoben-Kara scene after the one in Sometimes a Great Notion. that was a huge turning point in their relationship, but it should have been followed up, and I am sure it would have if not for the unavailability of Callum Keith Rennie. that is the only part of the show that feels incomplete.

I was ranking all the episodes for myself alongside the rewatch, so here's my bottom 5 and my top 10. I still need to rewatch The Plan, which in my memory is barely more than a glorified clipshow with some nice acting, so that could possibly be in the bottom five as well. and yes, that is a 7-parter in the second place, sue me.

Black Market (2x14)

The Woman King (3x14)

Hero (3x08)

Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down (1x09)

Deadlock (4x16)

10. The Passage (3x10) 9. Someone to Watch Over Me (4x17) 8. Downloaded (2x18) 7. Pegasus (2x10) 6. The Oath / Blood on the Scales (4x13-14) 5. 33 (1x01) 4. Scar (2x15) 3. Unfinished Business (3x09) - non-extended version 2. New Caprica arc: Lay Your Burdens Down 1-2., Occupation, Precipice, Exodus 1-2., Collaborators (2x19-3x05) 1. Maelstrom (3x17)

[gimmethosedaddymilkers]

Chubby Arthur x Chubby Reader Modern Headcannons pt. 2

Okok! This was an anon request so I hope you really enjoy this! I love writing for our chunky boy, Chubby Arthur fills the soul with happiness, chunky, thicc, big thighs, massive hands- 

ANYWAY

This is a continuation of part one! 

Which a link to can be found here along with the rest of my modern Arthur headcannons! 

Lets GO 

Tags!: (Let me know if you’d like to be added to a tag list!) @kieropal @mrsarthurmorgan7 @cantchoosejust1​ @beea-nie​

Warnings!: Chubby Arthur x Chubby Reader, as GN as possible maybe SLIGHT hints at a female reader, SMUT more than likely implied and or just straight up there so 18+ 

LETS GO 

(My image cause my Arthur is chunky rn <3)

Alright I am a horny bastard

so 

unfortunately for you the beginning of this is DIRECTLY just gonna be chunky reader and chunky Arthur’s favorite sex information

He, as a large man, loves to be dominate towards you, he loves the power it gives him, it’s fantastic for him to see his MASSIVE hands wrap around you, regardless as to if it’s your neck, your thighs, your stomach, which by the way

he loves your tummy

the fact that its soft and not flat is actually what he prefers.

He goes after big people rather than small people anyway.

You just happened to be the lucky one he falls for lmao.

Continuing off of what I said in part one

He’s incredibly, INCREDIBLY insecure in the bedroom, especially in the beginning

Yes, he loves to be dominant, but he’s also constantly afraid he isn’t good looking enough for you to even want to have sex with him.

Which is one of the stupidest things he could ever think EVER

after that first night, as mentioned in the first part, he is a lot more confident, but he always overestimates how much he actually needs to do to rile you up.

Like

he thinks that he has to work SO hard to get you ready to have sex with him but 

that man can breathe and you want to take his pants off

like

you love how big he is

and he thinks that it’s the main reason you wouldn’t want to be with him

but you literally love that soft stomach but beefy chest and arms

it’s so hot to you

DAD BOD

it’s amazing

and when you tell him that he doesn’t believe you so the foreplay tends to go on FOREVER, but you are totally okay with it.

He speaks to you in that low voice of his, that tone just gets to you and he KNOWS it

That is one of the few things he is confident about, he’ll watch your face go to a deep crimson while he talks to you and it makes his body wake up in ways he didn’t realize were possible. 

He also kisses all over your body, every bit of it that you don’t like.

Your tummy gets almost all of his attention all of the time.

He loves it, even if you don’t and he likes to gently trace over your stretch marks, because he thinks they’re beautiful.

He doesn’t think that stretch marks are just something that pregnant people, or people who have been pregnant get, he knows that peoples bodies change and grow, and he likes the fact that yours is so natural.

He also thinks they make your body even more artful, and when he draws (Because Modern Arthur still draws in a little journal that Hosea got him and continues to get him every year for christmas) he always makes sure to draw in your stretch marks 

he refuses to allow you to hide them

He kisses all of them

He kisses the stretch marks on your breasts too >;)

The ones on your thighs, literally, all of the stretch marks he finds, they get kissed.

He loves your thighs too, I’m pretty sure I told you that in the first part, but its important information to have

He loves them

he literally 

like

bro

he wishes he could take you to work just to play with them while he did paperwork for certain cars

Comes home, sees you on the couch?

BOOM 

Laying his head on them thiccums

He loves it when you play with his thighs too

because they are so sensitive

So like

if things are getting hot and heavy

sit on his lap

make out with him

and gently

ever so gently

run your fingertips along his thighs, palm him through his jeans, but make sure you touch his inner thighs at the same time

He will literally whine

He LOVES how it feels like

its such a tease and it is so good

Also

return the favor of kissing his stomach

he will thank you

he is just as insecure as you are

So if you kiss his tum and tell him that you like his just as much as he likes yours then he will feel so much better about things and himself. 

ALSO

While he loves to be dominate and he loves to take control of things in the bedroom, he also loves it when you take control

Chunky Arthur specifically

He loves it when you decide that you want to do everything, like

he just thinks its fantastic when you’re confident enough to do so

he also like

loves it

if you

*ahem*

edge him a little

he doesn’t like to admit it out loud, but that’s something he loves

play with his thighs until he can’t handle it any longer and he’s begging for you to do more.

;) 

He loses his mind a little in those moments

It’s been a long day at work, he’s had a bad time and just 

He wants to be with you, he’s literally always in the mood, so like, he’s gonna wanna have some time with you, ya know, but

instead of letting him do it

maybe you take it slow, and you decide that you’ll make things better for him, for sure, but you’re gonna make him beg for it

He might protest against it at first, because he’s got a clouded look on things from having a bad day, but like

just coax him into it

Tell him you’d love to tie him up so he can’t touch you while you do it.

He’ll eventually cave and he’ll love it

Just don’t give in too easily

He’ll beg very easily

I mean

he will beg almost instantly, he loves how attractive you are, and to him there is no person who could be hotter than you ever

so he will be a begging, whining, whimpering mess incredibly easily.

Just dont’ let the fun end too quickly, make him hold out a bit

By the way

I wasn’t kidding last part

Arthur literally met you in that bar and fifteen minutes into talking to you he imagined his entire future with you

owning a house with you

marrying you

like

literally

fifteen minutes into talking to you

FIFTEEN

like

He knew

and it’s just so sweet

he also talks to Dutch and Hosea about how to propose to you by the way

he has no idea how to go about it

he thinks you’re absolutely stunning and even after a year or two of dating you he still gets so nervous when it comes to complimenting you sometimes

Hosea suggests taking you out somewhere that’s special to the two of you and Arthur knows exactly where to take you. 

Theres a little overlook area not too far away from where he works, that he took you too on one of your dates

and it was the first place that you two told each other that you love one another

so he knew 

he had to take you there 

When he does you remember the place and you tell him that you’re so happy that he brought you there

That place holds a lot of memories for you and it makes you a little sentimental

You’re looking at the overpass area and when you turn to look at him he’s knelt on the ground with a ring held out towards you and a look that’s bordering between anxious and excited

You literally say yes to him before he can even ask you 

Which by the way

made him the most excited person you’ve ever seen in your entire life

the fact that you love him so much

just makes him so happy 

He loves you just as much, perhaps even more

(At least that’s what he says but we all know that you both love each other equally and just fall more and more in love with one another the longer you’re together)

Chunky Arthur also will stand up for you all the time

if the two of you are out together and someone starts to make fun of your weight

even if it’s a passing statement, like

barely even a whisper

if he hears it

he will literally start a fist fight

He has done it on multiple occasions

and gotten the cops called on him a couple of times

And lets be real

you care about him and don’t want to see him hurt, or see him in jail, but every time that he fights on your behalf it’s literally the most attractive thing ever

he’s strong

like

fuck 

he’s so strong.

His arms you cannot stop looking at them

literally

cannot

Also, after fights if his injuries aren’t so dire that you have to go to the hospital you end up taking care of him at home

which he loves how caring you are towards him which makes him even angrier at the people who make fun of you

Usually after fights like that when he just comes home with small cuts and bruises he will be incredibly sweet and gentle with you and def gives you a good night of making love to make sure that you feel loved

not to say that’s the only way he knows to make you feel loved

he does tons of little things all the time to make you feel loved

He’s one of those guys who likes to leave you little notes around the house to remind you how much he cares about you and how beautiful and smart you are

He gets you flowers all the time too

I mean

he gets them all the time

they aren’t just for special occasions

yes, you get them on anniversaries and on your birthday and for christmas and valentines day but like

he gets them for you at LEAST once a month

they’ll show up to your work on a random tuesday afternoon with a note attached and it just makes you love him more than anyone could love anyone in the whole world

He isn’t a poet, but he does often leave you little love poems

(Most of which were made with a lot of Hosea’s help)

He does literally every cute thing known to man to show you how much he loves you

He takes you out to eat to your favorite restaurants all the time too, for no specific reason other than he wants to

He likes to take you on drives too, like

he loves to do it

he loves to just see how much you smile with the windows down and the music going

He just 

does everything

you call him perfect literally all the time

even though he isn’t because he’s a human and he tries to tell you that all the time but 

he is perfect lets be honest here.

When it comes back to your wedding

He DEMANDS

that you pick whatever dress/suit/tux you want

whatever dress

and like

he thinks that no matter what you wear you’ll look amazing, you could wear a trash bag and he’d love it, but he wants you to know that you can buy the most expensive thing you want

he has no limit on that

there is a limit on the rest of the wedding, but it’s very high because 

A: He is willing to pay off whatever debt he has to for you to be happy with the wedding

and

B: Dutch, Hosea, Charles, John, literally even Bill and the rest of his family are willing to pay for a LOT of the wedding.

So 

You get to pick whatever dress and or tux and or suit you want, and Arthur wants you to feel beautiful because you are

You say he HAS to wear a tux, or a suit, and he agrees, especially if you’re gonna wear something nice

he wants to be there for you and he wants to look attractive to you.

Even though he thinks hes fat and ugly you think that he looks amazing in whatever he wears

So of course he will dress up for you, plus he wants to look nice for pictures

don’t worry 

by the way

when it comes time for the wedding he will keep his stubble he won’t shave it all off

he like its too much and thinks he looks funky if he doesn’t have at least a little facial hair

He won’t go full beard, but he will keep the stubble

Arthur absolutely LOVES 

I mean LOVES

how the wedding comes out

like

he had a blast, he was with the person he loved the most and he got to officially call you his Wife/husband

The wedding reception is so fun

He dances with you, the first dance, the first couple dance, it’s

I mean

COME ON 

The two of you dance to

All Your’n by Tyler Childers

Dutch cries

Hosea is actually the one who doesn��t and Dutch is like sobbing directly into Hosea’s shoulder

He just thinks the two of you are so cute 

With your tummies bumping each other while you slow dance

Then Hosea dances with you and it’s Arthur’s turn to sob uncontrollably in the background

He’s watching his dad and you dance around and he just marvels at how beautiful you are and he sees you crying yourself against Hoseas shoulder with a massive smile on your face

John is slapping his shoulder and calling him lovingly “Big Man!” 

Everyone parties

I mean

Everybody

Sean asks the DJ to play Cotton Eye Joe and Cupid Shuffle

Which 

Arthur fucking DOMINATES

Cotton Eye Joe, has the whole dance routine memorized

This one lmao 

Cupid shuffle you dance right next to him

Like 

It’s just so much fun

everyone is so excited

By the time its the end of the night

and everyone goes home

Arthur and you

have THE BEST

night ever

because first off

you don’t even go home for very long

you drop off your clothes get into something more comfortable

and you grab the stuff you two have packed 

and get going to your honeymoon

There is a hotel near the airport where you two have a flight the next day

that’s where you two go

and 

THAT PLACE

HAS 

A 

HOT TUB BATHTUB

IN THE HOTEL ROOM

he literally is like

“Let’s take a bath together and relax”

you 

do not

relax

He sits behind you, and he does be nice at first, washing your hair, and rubbing your back

kissing your shoulder and your neck

and then

his hand travels a little lower, and finds your thighs and roams over them with gentle movements

He knows exactly what to do, and he pushes his fingers into you the way he knows you like

By the time the end of the night comes around that man has you squatting on his dick in the bathtub, and you love every second of it

You literally forget that you’re a little heavier set, as you usually do when you’re with him

because he can literally lift you with ease, due to his own large nature

The two of you are just

like

the perfect power couple

away from one another you’re insecure

but together your confidence goes up so much that anyone in a 50 mile radius is DEAD

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 14 – AUTHOR WEEK

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Amuly

Amuly is not only a master of smut, but also of unique and interesting concepts. I'm constantly in awe of how varied their writing is. There are a ton of fantastic fics on their AO3, but I'm going to have to limit myself, otherwise I'd probably want to rec all of them, they're just that good.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

Shower Rocks

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,268 Tags: Domestic Fluff, Sam is a Good Bro, Steve vs the Future

Summary: Steve decides it's time to stock his shower up with some of Tony's bathing supplies. Even if one of those supplies is a strange, scratchy rock.

Reasons why I love it: First off, the Sam and Steve friendship in this really warms my heart. Steve is such a considerate sweetheart, Tony should hurry up and put a ring on that. This fic is sweet as hell, so go and get yourself a little treat!

Fairy Godmother

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 5,186 Tags: Peggy is Tony's Aunt, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Alzheimer's Disease

Summary: Auntie Peggy has been telling Tony stories about Captain America his whole life. Only problem is, the real thing just about measures up to the stories. Which means, of course, that Aunt Peg has to go to work, because an Aunt's work is never done.

Reasons why I love it: Peggy is so sweet with Tony. Thank god for her, honestly, considering how Howard was. And her playing matchmaker is amazing. I love the moment she sees Steve again for the first time, and it's so heart-warming to see Tony visiting her later on in life. I wish we'd gotten that in canon. This fic is wonderful, and I really hope you check it out for yourself!

Close Shave

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 4,123 Tags: Shaving, Bathroom Sex, Porn with Feelings

Summary: Steve and Tony are stuck in a hotel room waiting on an AIM arms deal. Tony makes fun of Steve's straightedge razor, Steve thinks Tony's LASER hair remover couldn't possibly do as good as a job. Steve offers to show Tony exactly how close a shave his razor has to offer. Obviously this leads to sex.

Reasons why I love it: This fic is so fucking hot! I could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife, and shaving as foreplay is something I've always loved in fanfic, so this is right up my alley. Plus, the hints of possibly something more than just sex are fantastic. I love this one so much, please go and check it out!

Gold “Member”

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 3,004 Tags: Extremis, Sexual Humor, Bottom Steve

Summary: Tony realizes one night that the golden under-armor he pulls out of his skin with Extremis can be pulled out to cover only very specific parts of his anatomy. Namely, his penis. He decides he really needs to share this with Steve.

Reasons why I love it: This fic is hilarious in concept alone, so I was surprised how much the feels actually hit me while I was reading it. Steve and Tony give off major old married couple vibes, their love for each other is palpable. Plus, the smut is really hot – Steve being a sapiosexual made me smile. I love this fic, so I hope you check it out!

Sheriff's Watch

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 2,646 Tags: Marvel 1872, Blow Jobs, Western

Summary: Steve and Tony enjoy each other company in Tony's home of technological marvels. But there's something out there, and Steve's beginning to take notice.

Reasons why I love it: I really love the descriptions of Tony's house with all of its inventions. And the smut is so fucking hot, my god. Steve discovering the wonders of sex is always fun, and this fic definitely does the trope justice. I love it so much, and I bet you will too, so please go and check it out for yourself!

[crosbyism]

Yeah one of my issues regarding who is feminized in hrpf has a lot to do with trends. Like nothing wrong with feminizing the more physically slender, smaller guys on its own, but I do definitely notice how the lion's share of feminization (and transmasc fics 🤔🤔🤔) are exclusively about skinny, hairless twinks (because of their natural unchangeable biological features which are often considered to correlate to gender expression :/). I rejoice when I find the rare content that feminizes the larger, harrier men (esp as a larger, harrier, often feminine guy) cause it's so rare, especially in comparison. That's one of my side eyes towards the fandom overall about it, that it comes down to biological differences influencing the ratios and trends rather than anything wrong with specifically writing about mitch marner or jack hughes as a pillow princess bottom or whatever. Have some imagination! The possibilities are endless!

friend we are vibing on the same wavelengths. u get it so hard. this definitely articulates it so well, especially this: “…because of their natural unchangeable biological features which are often considered to correlate to gender expression” like yeah. you’re so right, and this put the finger on exactly what bothers me about it too. i wonder if people who aren’t naturally hairy don’t realise how independent it is of enjoying feminisation or feminine expression? i mean, my irl experience even skews towards: the bigger and hairier, the likelier it is a person will enjoy a little bit of femininity. rather than the fandom trend of: less hairy = more fem.

i keep thinking about this fantastically charismatic drag performer where i live, who is a fully bearded bear out of drag. but the way she moves when she’s performing; i mean aside from just being one of the most captivating performers i’ve ever seen there is simply no question that she is performing as her onstage, you know? one of the most feminine and elegant people i’ve ever seen in my life, bearded bear stature or no. and there’s so much joy in that kind of queer expression, y’know? the lacy stocking on a thick hairy thigh. there’s so much potential for it in fic, too. i miss it in fandom sometimes, i wish there was more of it.

there’s also the very pertinent aspect of, as you put it so succinctly, this issue in transmasc fics 🤔🤔🤔 (sorry but the emojis are SO ON POINT, saw them and went: CORRECT). it’s all fun and games only feminising the twinks as cis dudes, but there’s a hella lotta yikes and straight up transphobia involved once only those guys get assigned trans. i’ve seen a lot of fetishisation in a “fem boypussy”, “treat him like a teenage girl, violent misogyny included” kinda way. gives me hives, makes me feel queasy.

of course, individually these are just singular people writing what they wanna write. once again, fandom trends are just an aggregation of individual preferences within a fandom. but it’s really noticeable how skewed the trend is in terms of who gets feminised and how they get feminised. i have never in my life seen a fic where, for example, trans leon draisaitl gets violently dubcon’d and treated like a female sex object in a misogynistic hentai porn way. mitch marner, on the other hand…….. well, there’s dozens. and it’s worth noting that.

[bernie sanders meme voice] i am once again asking for varied and creative gender play in hrpf

[tremendously-exhilarated]

Rope Live at the Lunabühne, Weißenburg Germany - Review

Yes, you read that right. It took two eight-hour train drives and several rebookings due to strikes to get from my home city to the opposite side of the country and watch my favourite play, but it was worth it, and possibly one of the few chances I'll get to ever watch it on a stage. I really wish Rope was more regularly performed, especially because I’d be willing to travel anywhere just to see it (like this great rendition if only I had known about it sooner, thank God YouTube exists though), so I was stoked when finding out about this charming little production in December.

The Lunabühne is a small, communal theater in the beautiful southern German town of Weißenburg, and is a place for amateur actors and comedians of all ages to present their talent, of which they have a lot. I thought it would be fun to share some of the experience with you guys, and since the theater was kind enough to allow pictures, I’m able to upload some of them on the blog as well.

Having read the play dozens of times in English, it was admittedly a little strange for me to hear the dialogue in my native language, but after a short while I got used to it and the translation worked quite well. Then, of course, there was the dialect. I won’t get too deep into this because I don’t know how interesting it is for non-German-speakers, but basically, Weißenburg is located in a region called Franconia, which isn’t classified as its own state but has a very distinct culture and dialect compared to the state of Bavaria, which it is a geopolitical part of. With me being from the North and speaking the classic High German dialect, hearing the characters speak a dialect I know best from numerous comedy programs I watched as a kid was quite amusing, especially because @larasangne and I literally joked about a 100% stereotypical German/Bavarian adaptation of the play like two years ago.

Also, before moving on to the actual play, I’d like to say that the actors and everyone else involved are some of the most friendly, down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. We talked for about an hour after the play had ended, and they even allowed us to take a picture on-stage with the set and insisted on also being in the picture. Amazing people, amazing actors. 

Now, I should start by saying that I actually saw the play twice, on the 8th and 9th. The main reason for this, and perhaps one of the most interesting as well as surprising aspects of the play, was the original actor of Granillo being unable to attend the premiere on the 8th. So, the director had to take over his role spontaneously on that day, and let me tell you, he did an amazing job for having literally one day of preparation.

I loved how both actors brought their own flavour to the character; the director, despite not looking exactly like the description of Granno in the play (which he jokingly mentioned before the performance), really brought over an intense skittishness and subtly became more and more disheveled over time, using all sorts of little mannerisms to express his anxiety (a lot of which was real) and also being quite funny later on when the character got drunk.

Whereas the original actor in the second showing played Granno as very withheld and tense at the beginning, occasionally intensified his performance as he got more drunk and lost self-control, but always with a constant dark cloud over him as if his spirit had been broken from the very start. Both actors had great comedic timing when it came to the 'drunk humour' and got loads of laughter from the audience. 

Rupert’s actor was fantastic as well and really captured the essence of the character. He was extravagant, sarcastic, and constantly fucking with everyone else. Whenever he got especially annoyed or his jokes went over the other characters' heads, the actor would sorta look above the heads of the audience with a raised eyebrow or sometimes even a full-on grin, like making fun of the other characters together with the audience. The way his demeanor slowly evolved from playful to suspicious to completely speechless to aggressive was so well done, and his speeches toward the end were very intense and capturing. 

Brandon's actor perfectly captured the narcissistic, passive-aggressive cockyness of his character, and his constant insulting remarks as well as intense verbal exchanges between him and Rupert were a delight to watch. Especially the final scenes were insane, switching between calm conversation to tense silence and at last, the big confrontation with lots of shouting. 

Another big highlight for me was Kenneth's actor. The best I can describe his energy is a Golden Retriever in a red tuxedo and with an 80s mullet. It was so very fitting for the character somehow and I think the actor had as much of a great time on stage as Ken had at the party. The actress of Mrs Debenham played drunk even better than both Granno actors combined, I really have no idea how the cast didn't burst out into laughter whenever she played her part. The actress of Leila absolutely rocked her 20s flapper outfit and overacted in the exact moments when it was necessary to give her character that certain mean sass from the play. I thought it was pretty hilarious how Sir Kentley was dressed, spoke, and acted exactly like a slightly grumpy, yet friendly middle-aged German from the South. And lastly, Sabot's actor used the few appearances he had to tickle a laugh out of the audience every time with subtle body language and his dialouge.

One funny thing I'd like to add is the smoking on stage. I’m not a smoker and I discourage people from starting to smoke whenever possible, but I honestly thought it was pretty cool that Rupert, Brandon, and a few of the others smoked real cigarettes on stage. It definitely added to the overall atmosphere and reminded me of the movie right away.

Overall, this was an amazing experience and I'm extremely thankful it worked out despite the stress of planning and re-planning a short trip. Not only was I able to watch my favorite play on stage, but it was also my first trip to that region of my home country and I got to explore the Medieval town and nature surrounding it for a few days. If I ever get another chance to watch Rope on a stage, I will definitely write a similar review-type post, as this was a lot of fun.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

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