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#and I absolutely LOVED she who played G(a)linda
munkustance · 4 months
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Not cats related but literally just got home from watching Wicked and I'm absolutely blown away! And excuse the pun but it was really (wait for it) Wicked!!!
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rayslittlekitten · 1 year
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All I Have To Give
“Crush” Masterlist
A/N: So "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" came on shuffle and it made me think of young Benny. My headcanon is Benny absolutely loves pop music, particularly boybands in the late 90s-early 2000 era. Also that he's a hopeless romantic and everything kinda fell into place with him in the "Crush" universe. Hope you enjoy this little cute piece about Benny with pop songs sprinkled in there.
Rating: G
Word Count: 559
Pairing: Benny Miller & BFF! GN!Reader (reader is F in some of the other fics, but this can be read as GN), Benny Miller x OCs (named and unnamed)
Plot: Benny’s got all the love to give and he's been trying to find someone to give it all to.
Contains: Benjamin being a hopeless romantic and some late 90s-early 2000 pop music references
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There goes your best friend nervously walking up to the waitress who's been the apple of his eye for the last two months. He thinks that her memorizing his usual order is a sign she's interested. You don't want to burst his little bubble letting him know she also memorized yours.
That lover boy is the most hopelessly romantic person you've ever met - to a fault. Once he falls in love, he gets tunnel vision and obsesses over them. You blame it on pop music. He'll never publicly admit it, but the Backstreet Boys are his favorite boyband. He never learns his lesson though. His heart has been broken so many times, you're sure it has turned into sand. You gotta admire him though. All these rejections and heartaches never deters him from looking for love again. He's just a puppy. Literally. Give him head pets and treats, and he'll eat out of the palm of your hands.
You remember in the summer after sophomore year, on the last day of school, Ben worked up the courage to ask his current crush at the time, Kristina out after being the Invisible Man all year. He even got a summer job so he knew he'd have money to take her out. She said yes, and after a few dates, you both saw her getting cozy with a different blonde - Jaime Carter, who had a resemblance to Nick Carter. He would even tell girls that he's related to him, which you both knew was bullshit.
That summer, you must have heard Britney's "From the Bottom of my Broken Heart" more times than any song ever. NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" was a close second. As much as he loved "Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely", the reminder of Nick Carter made it worse. Lover Boy was hurting and pop music was his way to soothe his heart.
Then a month later, Linda walked into the doors of his job and subsequently, into his life. As he described it to you, it was like a movie moment. It happened in slow motion while Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loves You” played in the background. When summer ended, so did his time with Linda when she went back home. She was only in town to visit family. Gone.
Once school started again, and the new girl became the new object of his affection. He worked up the courage to ask her to the Junior Winter Wonderland Bash and Christmas came early for him when she said yes. Couple of months later, he felt like his death came early when she became someone else's valentine. All or Nothing.
Then there was Tina from the music store, Becky from the movie theater, Maria from Blockbuster, Vivian at the bowling alley. Rinse, recycle and repeat. This went well into adulthood.
And today? No different. You watch Benny as he makes his way back to the booth with an extra pep in his step.
"I got her number!" Benny flashes the napkin along with his teeth.
"Good job!" You high five him and tussle his hair. "You want the rest of my fries?" you offer.
"Oooh!" His eyes light up and his ears perk up as he digs in.
20 years later and still a puppy. And every time, you hope he gets his fairytale ending.
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gascon-en-exil · 3 years
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Who Can Say if I've Been Changed For the Better?: Ferdibert Does Wicked
This concept has been a bit in building. It started from a much-loved cover by Hubert and Ferdinand’s VAs inspired by their support line and the broad observation that these two are a musicals couple who absolutely would sing their feelings in all manner of theatrical AUs. It continued through my later observation that there’s ample material to carry that idea even further, albeit with a shift outside of Crimson Flower for a better tonal match. Still, I’m not quite sure what to call this project; it’s not really a headcanon nor is it fanfic by any means. I’ve written a handful of longform character/narrative explorations before, although when it comes to FE I’ve previously been inspired to do so only for Jugdral characters. That setting is somehow both underdeveloped and deceptively dense - and I suppose in a way you could say the same of Three Houses as well, insofar as it’s been incredibly popular for fan content of all sorts.
Regardless of what this post is in terms of my fandom output, the following isn’t exactly a Wicked AU as such. Rather, it’s how I would envision a hypothetical blend of the non-CF routes of FE16 centering around the Eagles trio and set to the structure and songs of the musical as organically as possible. There are no 1:1 analogues with characters and plotlines from Wicked, because few if any would exist without a lot of tweaking; to use the VA cover example, Ferdinand might be a decent proxy for G(a)linda, but the mere presence of Edelgard substantially complicates Hubert’s claim to the Elphaba role. The similarities only unravel further from there, but I did my best.
Writing this out gave me the opportunity to play around with Edelgard’s character as a way of addressing what I and many others in my circle have long considered to be some of the major problems with her canon presentation. For Ferdibert meanwhile I got to make use of my headcanons for how their relationship would develop outside of their support line, in a way that mostly preserves Hubert’s delightful evil wickedness. Add some ruminations on how one would splice together the non-CF routes in a dramatically satisfying fashion, some snark directed at the non-character of Byleth, and a bit of background Dimidue/Lions OT5 for spice and that just about sums it up. Enjoy this…whatever this is.
Act I
“No One Mourns the Wicked”
The show opens on the citizens of Adrestia celebrating the death of their emperor and the end of her bloody war. Ferdinand rides in, resplendent on his steed, and is hailed as the new Duke Aegir as he relates to the crowd the news of Edelgard’s death at the hands of the combined army of liberators. The “Are people born wicked?” flashback sequence is replaced with a summary mostly in pantomime of Edelgard’s backstory: the Insurrection, her being taken to Faerghus and then returning, and then being experimented on by the Agarthans before agreeing to work with them. Notably Hubert is not named or referenced anywhere in this song, appearing only as a boy at Edelgard’s side at appropriate times during the flashback.
“Dear Old Shiz”
Someone in the crowd finally brings up Hubert, the emperor’s vile and murderous minister, and accuses Ferdinand of having been his friend. With Ferdinand even more flustered than Glinda since his “It depends on what you mean by friend” definitely carries sexual undertones, so begins the flashback to Part 1. There’s an equivalent intro of Garreg Mach, so one may feel free to insert any headcanons for school songs here. The following dialogue scene establishes the student body in general and the dynamic of the Eagles trio in particular: Ferdinand pompous and eager to one-up Edelgard at any opportunity, and Edelgard and Hubert cold and dismissive toward his antics and just about everyone else for that matter. Edelgard is instantly enamored of the quiet new professor, of course. Because the room assignment conflict doesn’t make a lot of sense with the monastery’s setup, instead Ferdinand is incensed that Edelgard is chosen as the Eagles’ house leader over him even though it’s been ages since a Hresvelg has attended. Neither Nessarose nor Morrible has an exact equivalent (although Seteth can act in Morrible’s role as the academy’s main authority figure), so the segue into the next song ends there.
“The Wizard and I”
Now alone together, Edelgard and Hubert have a brief dialogue outlining their villainous plans for the school year. This establishes Hubert’s hypercompetency but also how detached and professional Edelgard is around him. Then comes the song, now “My Lady and I,” which serves as Hubert’s character introduction. In tones more sinister than Elphaba ever reaches - you know he’d have fun with “When people see me they will scream” - he outlines his history with his lady, that he delights in serving her because she validates his work ethic and gives him an outlet for his ruthlessness and cruelty. Where Elphaba fantasizes about the Wizard removing her green skin, Hubert instead goes full Nice Guy, believing that once he’s given Edelgard her continental empire and crushed all her enemies she’ll be so grateful that of course she’ll put out for him.
“What Is This Feeling?”
You could rip the tone of this one directly from the Ferdibert C support and change nothing - homoerotic subtext included. I like the thought of Hubert replacing Elphaba’s deadpan one-word summation of Galinda with a mocking imitation of Ferdinand's most memetic line: "He is Ferdinand von Aegir!". The chorus can be made up of any number of other students excluding Edelgard, who’d happily agree that Hubert is ugly, creepy, and downright unpleasant.
“Something Bad”
The content of this song and surrounding scenes would have to be completely altered, but they work as a necessary reminder that the plot of Part 1 is still going on in the background of all the school drama. Seteth runs through the major events up to Chapter 9 of the game, including the bandit threat, Flayn’s kidnapping, and the experiments on the Remire villagers. The audience/accompaniment for this exposition dump ought to be Dimitri and Claude with Byleth as a silent observer (more on them later), with Edelgard brushing off the news and eventually being the one to shut down the song as Morrible does. There could be some small side character moments in here as well particularly involving the Lions and Deer since they get so little focus in this story.
“Dancing Through Life”
Speaking of which, this was an awkward sequence to place. It matches up chronologically with the ball in Chapter 9 and the main part, Fiyero’s, is a dead ringer for Sylvain and his flirty, hedonistic nihilism (“Nothing matters / but knowing nothing matters!”), but it’s hard to tie into what’s going on with the Eagles trio particularly with the Ferdibert timeframe preserved, i.e. unlike Elphaba and Galinda they don’t become closer until after the timeskip.
As such I see this song as an opportunity for little vignettes with the other students: Dimitri angry over how Dedue’s talked about and hoping they can share a dance (fitting contrast with the coldness of Edelbert), Felix prickly between Dimitri’s recent outbursts and Sylvain’s showboating, Claude hinting toward the bigger picture with Hilda flitting between her excitement over the dance and knowing more than she's letting on, Dorothea casually taking note of Edelgard’s fascination with Byleth (see just below), Bernadetta as a wallflower who doesn’t want to be disturbed (a setup for Act II), etc. Thanks to one of the Forging Bonds events in Heroes I had the thought that the "You/we deserve each other" through line that later gets attached to Nessarose can become one for Dimitri's relationships, with Felix initially throwing it out at him and Dedue and the two of them then turning "We deserve each other" into a romantic line...and then an ironic one and finally a triumphant one come Act II, by that point with Felix et al included as well.
I’m not sure that the following scene of Galinda and Elphaba bonding on the dance floor really needs an equivalent, although it could be altered to something Edeleth-related. In any case Ferdinand ought to get a dance scene of some nature, so he can try to show up Edelgard as he brags about in canon.
“Popular”
It would be a travesty to have a musical starring FE16’s cast and not give Dorothea and/or Manuela a solo. This song works quite well for the former, and it doesn’t intrude on the Ferdibert development with the aforementioned timeframe and how the lightly sapphic vibe doesn’t translate well to two guys. Dorothea has taken note of her good friend Edie’s crush on their mysteriously wooden professor, and she senses the opportunity for a makeover. Not as exaggerated as Dorothea trying to make over Hubert, naturally, but I still think this works out well. Also, Galinda’s observation on leaders, “Did they have brains or knowledge? / Don’t make me laugh! They were popular!”, is darkly comedic when said to Edelgard.
“I’m Not That Girl”
This song comes with preceding dialogue scenes for setup, so those first. Edelgard emerges fresh from her makeover (given her general hot for teacher fixation, I’m thinking she’d lean pretty hard on the naughty schoolgirl look) to Byleth silently grieving Jeralt’s death - bad timing there. She’s as callous about it as she is in canon, only now with more clumsy flirting, and while it’s impossible as always to tell if Byleth notices or cares Hubert most certainly does. The scene segues into the Eagles trio together, with Edelgard alluding to the upcoming events in the Sealed Forest and indicating that Hubert should meet up with her later for some more villainous scheming after he’s ditched Ferdinand. Ferdinand, indignant about being left out of the loop as he is in canon, grumpily points out that he was a much more splendid dancer at the ball than Edelgard, makeover or not. To his utter surprise, Hubert acknowledges that this is true before leaving. This leads into the actual song, altered from homoerotic via triangulation of desire to an outright sexual awakening for Ferdinand. He realizes that part of his jealousy toward Edelgard is that he wishes Hubert were devoted to him instead, and tells himself not to get his hopes up because he’s, well, not that girl or even a girl. We shall of course leave aside how anyone could be attracted to someone as repulsive as Hubert; that’s part of the inherent comedy of this pairing.
“One Short Day”
This was the hardest song to place in this whole project. The touristy trip to the Emerald City just doesn’t have an analogue in the story of Three Houses, especially not late in Part 1 when tension is mounting toward the upcoming reveal and war. It took me a while to realize that it works wonderfully as an Edeleth piece: Edelgard invites Byleth to Enbarr for her coronation, but that scene is left offscreen in favor of a light romp through the city that further highlights Edelgard’s crush as well as her emotional immaturity in spite of everything she’s about to do. She just wants to have a fun day out and take in the sights and eat sweets with her beloved teacher, and it’s all very “Edge of Dawn”-esque where Edelgard knows she’s about to do terrible things that will change everything forever and hopes to prolong the time until she has to take that step. Adjustments to the lyrics could even work in reference to that song to make the similarities more apparent. An awkward/funny issue here is that I envision Byleth to be totally silent throughout this musical with no sung or spoken parts, which would naturally make them having a duet impossible and make Edelgard’s fascination with them even weirder. Even their gender should be left ambiguous throughout, somehow never confirmed if it’s m!Byleth or f!Byleth. It would take a lot of reworking, but I can see the value in it.
“A Sentimental Man”
The core of the Wizard’s character is not all that different from Rhea’s. Both were thrust unexpectedly into positions of authority that required them to enact a large-scale deception to maintain their power/safety, and both are driven somewhat by parental feelings. The tone of the Wizard’s songs doesn’t align well with Rhea, but once you cut out the vaudeville and do some rewording I could see this one working as Rhea addressing her child (among other things) Byleth at the Holy Tomb just before the Flame Emperor reveal. Of course the dramatic irony hits differently; Rhea knows who and what Byleth is whereas the Wizard doesn’t learn about Elphaba until the end of the show. Nonetheless this would still establish Rhea’s character and motivations as well as set the stage for the impending betrayal.
“Defying Gravity”
Said betrayal being Byleth’s, who decides to stand by Rhea and condemn Edelgard as the Flame Emperor when she arrives with her army. This is another song in parts that would need to be broken up. Edelgard gets the bulk of it, but the middle sections between Elphaba and Glinda could work as a kind of separated duet with Edelgard and Hubert attempting to convince Byleth and Ferdinand respectively to join them. Because of Byleth’s silence only Ferdinand can reply in song; only he and Edelgard add the “my friend” bit to the end of this segment, to illustrate the unevenness of Edeleth and Ferdibert at this point in the story. Then things turn to full bombast, albeit darker than in Wicked proper. Edelgard does the belting, Hubert’s sinister laughter reverberates below her (would it be too tasteless for him to be leering up her skirt the whole time?), Ferdinand has Glinda’s mournful “I hope you’re happy!” toward Hubert, and through this and the reprise of “No One Mourns the Wicked” the major events of the timeskip are enacted in pantomime or silhouette. Byleth tumbles off a cliff, Rhea is taken captive as is Dimitri but Dedue rushes after him, and Claude makes a tactical retreat. Side note: “And if I’m flying solo, / at least I’m flying free” is classic Edelgard fixating on Byleth and forgetting that Hubert exists.
Act II
“Thank Goodness”
A surprisingly tough one here. The core of the song, pivoting around the double meaning of “I couldn’t be happier,” suits early Part 2 Ferdinand perfectly, second-guessing his choice and, outside of CF, melancholy about fighting his homeland. In terms of plot it’s an easy translation too, with the crowd announcing the terrible things the Empire has been doing to win its war - persecuting believers, abducting civilians and turning them into Demonic beasts, consorting with inhuman shadowy figures who can disguise themselves as ordinary people - and the assembly working as a way to bring together the leads of the three routes: Byleth, Dimitri (who had Dedue always at his side and thus never had a full psychotic break), Claude, and Seteth, with Ferdinand representing the Adrestian resistance. It’s only the wedding announcement that’s hard to pin down, and I toyed with a number of ideas including Dimidue making yet another public declaration of devotion to one another or Ferdinand planning to follow through with his arranged marriage to Bernadetta they have in their supports (which makes more sense in light of the following sequence). In the end though I don’t think the marriage element is strictly necessary, leaving the song as a means of catching up with the cast five years later and seeing them united against Edelgard - with Ferdinand’s private regrets the only sour note.
“Wicked Witch of the East”
More a dialogue than a song, but still important. Bernadetta is arguably the Eagle other than Hubert most comfortable supporting Edelgard, because all Edelgard has to do is put Count Varley under house arrest for Bernadetta to sing the emperor’s praises. I can also see her as the same sort of self-centered, negligent ruler that Nessarose becomes in Wicked, not because of an unrequited attraction but because of her reclusive desire to be left alone. I see this scene playing out as Hubert surprising Bernadetta at her estate, angry about rumors that she may be helping the rebels and/or engaged to Ferdinand if going with that plot point after Edelgard has done her the favor of locking up her father. He’s fully prepared to, ahem, “persuade” Bernadetta, but before he can break out the torture implements Ferdinand arrives asking for her to support the rebels’ cause.
Farcical, sure, but it gets the two of them together again after five years and underscores how strong their UST has become in their time apart, with Hubert too flabbergasted to attack a known enemy and Ferdinand expressing how happy he is to see Hubert again despite everything. Each learns that the other isn’t as happy about his chosen path as he’d hoped, in Hubert’s case because his lady has grown ever more distant from him as the war has dragged on. Bernadetta cuts through the tension by bringing things back to the song (sort of) and blurting out that she knows both sides are marshalling their forces near Gronder Field. Ferdinand is too caught up in the fraught romance angle to do more than leave with this new information, but Hubert recovers enough to condemn Bernadetta for her flagrant misrule (venting by inference his frustrations toward Edelgard in the process) and resolve to set her on fire for her treachery.
“I’m Not That Girl (Reprise)”
The Gronder rematch happened offscreen - and Bernadetta was indeed set on fire - and on the Imperial side Edelgard is left increasingly frustrated over her losses and hurt that Byleth still refuses to listen to her and continues to fight her regime. You may notice that I’ve shuffled around the middle of Act II, necessary at this point in order to better line up with FE16’s story and Hubert and Edelgard’s separate narrative climaxes while also ensuring that those climaxes don’t overlap too much. This song is only a brief reprise, but it’s a significant one; Hubert finally realizes that Edelgard will never love him. It’s also kept gender-neutral, because Byleth.
“As Long as You’re Mine”
That segues naturally into this moment. Ferdinand sneaks into Enbarr using his unexpected stealth powers (I usually talk about Dedue having them, but Ferdinand shows he’s no slouch in his Mercedes supports) and encounters Hubert. Their UST boils over in a furor of awkward, impassioned sex and also this song. I like the idea of rewording some of Fiyero's lines to incorporate Hubert's acidic snark: “Maybe you’re brainless, / maybe you’re wise.” It’s all very desperate and sensual, ending with Ferdinand taking Elphaba’s line about feeling wicked for the first time - which will have a dark reverberation two songs from now.
“Wonderful”
Again, axe the vaudeville and it’s a solid Rhea song. There’s just the small problem of Rhea being captured at this point in the plot; I thought about moving this number toward the very end at first before reconsidering. While Hubert and Ferdinand are rolling in the sheets, a distraught Edelgard confronts Rhea in prison. Rhea responds to Edelgard’s frustrations with Byleth with her backstory in song, much more somber than the Wizard but, like him, still willing to rehabilitate her estranged listener. The bits of this song about the nature of history are especially relevant to what Edelgard falsely believes about the church and what she views as her own legacy, so I could see this as an interesting character study on what Edelgard actually wanted with her war apart from dragon genocide. There’s a lot that could be done here in the dialogue surrounding those revelations.
“No Good Deed”
However the interrogation of Rhea turns out, Edelgard takes a leaf out of SS Dimitri’s book and visits Byleth alone at the monastery, only to be as harshly rebuffed as is possible to be without the rebuffer speaking. Then comes this song, which was incidentally the one where I realized that Edelgard would need a major role in FE16-does-Wicked even with the Ferdibert focus. Hubert fully embraced his evil wickedness long ago and wouldn’t think twice about being wicked or being perceived as such, but Edelgard is a different matter. Here she breaks down, admitting that her good intentions were largely selfish and that she regrets that her war has cost her any relationship she could have had with Byleth (continuing the joke at his expense, Hubert goes unmentioned when Edelgard names the people she’s lost/failed). It ends with a foreshadowing of her Hegemon form, the sign that she’s abandoned all pretense of goodness and become truly wicked.
“March of the Witch Hunters”
Another ensemble/vignette piece, checking in with the various members of Byleth’s army as they prepare to storm Enbarr. Dimitri hopes for the chance to forgive his stepsister, Claude has big plans for the continent and wants to remove the threat Edelgard poses, Seteth is desperate to find Rhea, and Byleth…is there. As in many of the songs, the self-righteousness of the crowd here rings more sincere and less hypocritical than in Wicked given Three Houses has actual villains, but it still works.
“For Good”
The song that inspired this whole thing, now with many paragraphs of context to set it up instead of only some fluff based on the Ferdibert A+ support. Ferdinand sneaks into Enbarr (again) ahead of the battle, and their second love ballad is more somber as they resign themselves to their fates. As in the VA cover, Hubert refuses to ask forgiveness for anything and Ferdinand is fine with that.
“Finale”
Wicked reduces the final battle from The Wizard of Oz to silhouettes backed by sections of “No One Mourns the Wicked,” and that’s what comes here: Ferdinand and Hubert facing each other in battle, Edelgard becoming the Hegemon before being defeated and then dying as in AM’s final cutscene, and Dimitri taking the throne with Dedue at his side and proclaiming his intention to do all he can to restore both the Kingdom and Duscur - and that his first act as king is to announce that he and Dedue have decided to open their marriage up. This is met with much manly cheering and stripping and someone (Ashe?) saying incredulously that he didn’t even know they were married. End silhouettes.
The final scene with the Wizard and Morrible becomes Claude, Seteth, and Byleth rescuing Rhea. Rhea names Byleth her successor as leader of the church and says that she will go into quiet seclusion and do what she can to correct her mistakes. This all suits Claude just fine, who tells everyone that he’s off to take care of some other business and that Byleth will make a great archbishop - and also they can have the Alliance, no big deal. As with the King of Faerghus’s gay orgies, the King of Almyra’s grand ambitions are too large for this story to do more than allude to.
Next, Ferdibert does a version of the Elphaba/Fiyero scene, with Ferdinand revealing that he had Hubert spared on the condition that he help root out any remaining Agarthans and that he remain under house arrest at the Aegir estate. Ferdinand was also required to assume governance of the Empire, because Dimitri wasn’t getting that dumped on him as well. They can be together, but the general population can’t know that Hubert survived lest Ferdinand’s reputation and basic ethics be compromised…which in a darkly funny hypocritical twist then segues to Ferdinand pontificating before the crowd at the beginning of the show, reprising “For Good” with Hubert until they’re drowned out by “No One Mourns the Wicked.” Thus the story concludes on one of my favorite things about Ferdibert: perhaps even in this non-CF continuity Ferdinand wasn’t changed for the better by falling in love with the Most Wicked Man in Fódlan, but they’ve both been changed….
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thewillowbends · 4 years
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Lucifer Fanfiction Recs
It's about time I did one of these for this fandom! This is by no means comprehensive or even everything I've read that's saved in my bookmarks. You can see more of them here if you want to see a fuller listing here. Instead, I've just randomly selected a few of my favorites that I'd like to boost for now, and I'll likely do another eventually with more.
Multi-Chapter Fics:
A Refraction of Light Author: Matchstick_Dolly Rating: M Genre: Adventure/Romance/Drama (Pick one, there are many!) Characters: Whole Cast, OCs Status: Complete Summary:The Sinnerman's legacy lives on in the LAPD as a new street drug is tied to a string of heinous murders. While Lucifer and Chloe struggle to solve the mystery plaguing Los Angeles, they discover they're stronger together than apart. In Hell, Cain climbs his way to the top. Why I Loved It: There's a lot of really good longfics in this fandom, but this one is definitely up there as one of my favorites. Elegantly structured with a complex, provocative, and excellently woven plot, it's an AU that takes off where season 3 ended and goes on a winding journey exploring Deckerstar, the meaning of miracles, and the nature of Heaven and Hell. This story is a monster - it's literally second place for highest word count on Ao3's Lucifer section - but it's worth the time it takes to watch it unfold. It's one of the few that I've seen really tackle the moral question of damnation and what the existence of Hell tells us about God in a thoughtful way. I started following this back when it was only at nineteen chapters and enjoyed it every step of there way. There's not one event or character that winds up wasted. I'd love to see it get more love.
Title: A Bloodless Cut Author: Moan Diary Rating: G Genre: Gen Characters: Chloe Decker Status: Complete Summary: She’s not the first woman to find herself alone in front of her bathroom mirror, scissors in hand, martyred hair littering the sink, suddenly face-to-face with the cold certainty that she’s made a terrible mistake. Why I Loved It: Post-S4 was ripe for a lot of Chloe character pieces, and this one stood out for me in terms of how it engaged her mistakes and flaws frankly while still giving her space to grow and excel without Lucifer.
Title: A More Gradual Descent Author: Liannabob Rating: M Genre: Gen Characters: Amenadiel, Lucifer Morningstar Status: Complete Summary: Amenadiel brings Samael back to Hell. Again. And again. And again. Why I Loved It: The relationship between the brothers has a lot of space for exploration, but few fics have done it to the extent and complexity as this one. It tracks the relationship between the two of them through history, from shortly after the fall right up to the start of the second season, and also their differing relationship to humanity as the world changes over and over with human industrial revolution. This is something I wish the show had thought about doing, even on a lesser scale, so it was satisfying to see a talented author take this on.
Title: A Divine Spark Author: umbrafix Rating: T Genre: Gen Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, Linda Martin, related cast Status: Complete Summary: There have been no new angels created in the time since Lucifer was cast down from heaven. What if God wanted something different in the deal that Lucifer made with him? AU from S1 Ep13. Why I Loved It: This was such an unexpected pleasure. I clicked on it out of curiosity and wound up devouring it in one night. This is a notable divergence post-S1 - there's no Goddess, for instance - and it definitely has some flavor of the comics to it, but what's so compelling about it is how provocatively it examines Lucifer's character, particularly in relation to Linda. Very creatively done with such a unique concept.
One-Shots:
Title: Devil Wind Author: mishasan7 Rating: M Genre: Comedy Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, Mazikeen, OCs Summary: Two cops are called to a disturbance down on the beachfront... a 911 call reported cannon fire, random screaming, and... tornadoes? It's just another day at the office for Long Beach PD at this time of year... or is it? Why I Loved It: It's funny as hell. It's the sequel to her previous fic, "Devil's Haircut," which is a spec fic about how Lucifer and Maze decided to head to Los Angeles prior to the reveal in "City of Angels." Just lots of fun and cleverly done from the perspective of two original characters who just...absolutely do not know how to deal with two infernal idiots.
Title: Perspective Author: Ithil Rating: T Genre: Drama, Character Piece Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, God Summary: The king was back, and order would be restored. Lucifer returns to rule hell, only to hear a very familiar voice offer HIM a deal. Why I Loved It: I've known this author since Underworld fandom, and I've always enjoyed the sharp, biting humor of her style. It's a great character piece and a caustic look at the troubled relationship between Lucifer and Hell and God.
Title: Let Me Down Slowly Author: Verbyna Rating: M Genre: Drama, Character Piece Characters: Chloe Decker, Daniel Espinoza Summary: A tear-out poster of Chloe in a bikini was tacked up in the break room for a whole day until Dan Espinoza tore it down. Why I Loved It: One of the few attempts I've seen tackle the tumultuous relationship between Chloe and Dan, tracking their relationship back to when it started all the way through to when it fell apart. Very sharply written character examination.
Title: The Long Reign Author: Baby Spinach Rating: G Genre: Angst Characters: Lucifer Morningstar Summary: Now returned to Hell for good, Lucifer seeks diversion among familiar faces. Why I Loved It: A very bittersweet look at Lucifer following S4. It just hits that perfect sense of melancholy in examining what a sacrifice entails while being a great character piece. The companion fic examines the story from Chloe's perspective and is, of course, worth reading, too.
Title: Loopholes Author: SpinnerDolphin Rating: T Genre: Dramedy Characters: Chloe Decker, Overworked Demons Summary: It wasn’t a perfect system, or even a very good one, but it was something, anyway. Season 4 spoilers. (Lucifer finds a way to contact Chloe. Kind of.) Why I Loved It: Told with humor and affection, it's a great post-S4 speculative piece that plays around with the concept of demon possession and how it may be utilized. It's sweet and romantic and perfectly bittersweet.
Title: Nothing Mortal Author: Erinyes_kiss Rating: E Genre: Drama, Romance Characters: Chloe Decker, Mazikeen Summary: Mazikeen finds the small joys of incarnation Why I Loved It: Gorgeously written Chlaze fic, a pairing that is sadly underutilized by the fandom. It was written during S1 and has that darker, biting tone of the story at that point. Just beautifully done all around.
Title: my piano sits against the wall Author: Cloudnine101 Rating: T Genre: Character Piece Characters: Lucifer Morningstar Summary: When Lucifer falls, all he can think is bloody finally. Why I Loved It: Excellent S1 character piece looking at Lucifer as both fallen angel to a man falling unexpectedly in love with a mortal.
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Text
highlights of starkid’s black friday part two
here we go boys
i’m gonna be real the first time i watched this i had no fucking clue what was happening for a solid two and a half minutes
shoutout to whoever choreographed this because i love it
THIS MAN’S NAME IS CHRISTOPHER KRINGLE
robert’s inflection combined with the exaggerated hand gestures is the single funniest thing i’ve ever seen
THE ELVES’ NAMES ARE JINGLE AND JANGLE I’M GONNA CRY
i would pay so much money to see this movie
“thaaaaaaaaat’s right :^)”
the love interest’s name is NOELLE bitch i’m hollering
how does lauren look so adorable in that stupid elf costume??
these lyrics are fucking gold man
joey’s literally just vibin
P A S S  C H R I S  K R I N G L E  T H E  B A L L 
santa’s gonna Reconnect With The Teens™
“becky look!!! remember when we carved that?” “yeah...it’s...a penis” “eyyy”
becky’s monologue about her ex-husband...fuck dude
“it’s funny. stanley was the one who made me go to nursing school. that’s how i knew where his femoral artery was.” HOLY SHIT
“you say you killed your family. i hope i killed mine.” D U D E 
Take Me Back absolutely made me break down dude i’m still crying
“if the universe is infinite, then it’s definite, there’s an alternate reality where we’re now a family.”
“if you’re really santa, tell me something only santa would know” GDGJHSLJHSGK
“i knew it. i knew you weren’t santa” WHEN DID THIS BECOME THE CONFLICT I NEED TO SEE THIS MOVIE
“........a red tricycle.” “santa!!!!!!!!!!” (passionate tongue kissing)
so we all agree that wilbur cross is uncle wiley, right
“in short, mr. president, we are trying to stop the birth....of a god.” what a raw line
“If We Have Faith, We Will Be Rewarded With A Cuddly Toy” -the homeless dude, who i’m pretty sure has just been vibin this whole time
god i kind of want a wiggly now
the audience losing their minds at linda being the supreme cult mother
 “please, for the love of god, just let me go.” “oh, i’ve met god. he had nothing nice to say about you.” (THROAT SLASH) 
FUCKIN RAW LINE RIGHT THERE
linda: “you willlllll adoooooore me....” my dumbass, already in love: ok
“unless i get what i- shit it’s gerald”
YES MAAM LIFT THAT LAUREN LOPEZ UP LIKE JESUS
h i p  t h r u s t
hmm i dont like new ethan
wiggly: “hello hannah. let’s be pally-wals.”  me, with a water gun full of holy water: dont try it demon
the way he says “rotten little banana” is terrifying
“i’m going to have to peel you. i’m going to split you in two. i’m going to Eat you, hannah.” WHAT the fuck
hannah’s scream when wiggly threatens her?? chilling
god someone protect this kid
uh yeah Do You Want To Play is genuinely one of the scariest songs i’ve ever heard from a starkid musical, or pretty much any musical. like, this sweet nurse who waited hours in the freezing cold to get a toy for a little girl who lost her sight is about to viciously murder an eleven-year-old in cold blood because of wiggly.
so, theory time. becky’s a nurse. i dont think that even in her altered state she would miss hannah entirely and accidentally inject it into her own leg. but hannah was wearing the hat. i think ethan was right, it protected her.
joey is scaring me but also giving me some very sexy energy that i’m not opposed to
“Only in america could wiggly take root! Hold this”
“WHEN YOU’RE MADE IN AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAA” fuck yeah!!!!!
“i’m going to cut open your belly-well, and deck the halls with your gutsy-wutsies...” JESUS CHRIST
shoutout to macnamara for literally everything, he’s doing great
can you IMAGINE being president goodman here. like you just found out you’ve killed millions of innocent people and the world is probably going to end in the next hour or so and there’s nothing left to do and all the while this demonic entity is baby-talking to you and laughing that terrifying laugh? yeah, i’d go insane too.
curt mega’s acting is top notch here, dude, he actually scared me
also what the FUCK was that last wiggly laugh
“you better not be fucking with me.....” uh hey sherman i’ll give you five (5) dollars to stop that
“there’s something that’s beautiful, being awake for my funeral” fuck
“still, i thought that angels did exist, but now i hope they plan to end it quick, ‘cause friday is black for me, only my ashes will see the sea” i gotta sit down for a while
“I’m authorizing you to use my firearm.” F U C K  Y E A H
theory: macnamara is hannah’s father (and maybe lex’s) since they can both see into/communicate with the black and white
MONSTERS AND MEN REPRISE
oh my god tim never said he wanted a wiggly oh god oh fuck
“kids don’t want that piece of shit! they’re all into fortnite, dude!” 
If I Fail You also made me cry i’m very emotional over this musical
“answer me, or I’ll open your mouth with my FUCKING KNIFE!” JESUS CHRIST LAUREN
i love that wiggly’s theme is carol of the bells
“look at you! you’re paralyzed with fear!” “no. i’m just lining up my shot.” FUCK YEAH
“you have two choices: abandon your god or burn here with him” this dialogue is so fuckin powerful dude
yeah so all of them burning alive freaked me out but what a way to end a cult
“you know, i have this kooky reclusive biology professor...” when i tell you i YELLED
“wear a watch.” AHHHHHH
what an ending.
anyway stan starkid goodnight
part one
171 notes · View notes
cherryblossomwatts · 4 years
Text
talk soon
He wakes up and squints blearily at his phone, charging on the bedside table.
3:22 AM, it reads. That means he and Garrett have been sleeping for... almost sixteen hours now.
He moves, turning onto his side to look at Garrett, soft in the moonlight. He feels weak just at the sight of him.
Not even forty-eight hours ago, he had stepped into the bathroom at Shane's while the TV blared in the next room - called Garrett in a panic, his chest tight. Garrett had picked up on the first ring and said immediately, "I just bought tickets to Spokane - 7:00am tomorrow."
"Garrett -"
"Come with me, Andrew," he'd prompted. This was the most serious Andrew had ever heard him. "I need to make sure you're safe. My mom says we can have the guest bedroom for as long as we need."
Andrew took a shaky breath and said, "I'm driving back to my place and packing, then coming to yours."
You can read more on AO3, or below the cut!
"Okay. I, uh - love you, Andrew."
"I love you, too, bud. I'll see you soon."
They'd spent the rest of that night wrapped around each other, sleeping side by side on Garrett's beat-up couch until Andrew's alarm went off at four in the morning. They hurried to the airport and got on the quietest flight Andrew'd ever been on, and crashed on the guest bed at Garrett's mom's place four hours later, almost immediately after they arrived.
Now Garrett stirs in his arms; murmurs, "Andrew," and presses closer, snug against his chest.
"Go back to sleep, Garr," he whispers.
He does; they do.
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Shane 🐷🐷 5:37pm: Hey Andrew, hope everything is going ok for u and Garrett. Stay safe, don't know what I'd do without u!!!
Reply 8:16pm: sorry about the delay, was taking a nap. me and garrett are doing good:) Reply 8:18pm: hope you and ry are staying safe too 💞
Shane 🐷🐷 8:21pm: We are :) Shane 🐷🐷 8:21pm: Btw, any chance youve asked Garrett about what u and I talked abt a few weeks ago? Shane 🐷🐷 8:25pm: Feel like now's the perfect time. Nowhere for him to run
[ Read at 8:26pm ]
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Garrett's mom comes each day and wakes them if they aren't up by noon, knocking softly on their door every time. Today, she comes bearing a tray heaped with food, the delicious aroma of waffles and bacon and eggs wafting into the bedroom. She is golden and merry and just as lovely as her son as she sets the meal down on the dresser next to the bed.
Andrew rubs his eyes, pushes himself up on his elbows, and smiles at Linda. Garrett remains asleep next to him. He looks small like this, burrowed into the covers as he is.
Andrew wants to kiss him.
"Good morning," Linda says sweetly, arranging and fussing at the silverware on the plates before her. "Sleep well, honey?"
Andrew loves how affectionate she is; how she rewards him every other sentence with endearments so incredibly reminiscent of Garrett. "Yeah, I did," he replies. "Still waiting to hear back from this one, though." He motions to Garrett, and Linda smiles at her son as if he's the only good left in the world.
Andrew likes to think he is, at times like these.
"Don't let him sleep in too late, sugar," she says. She pats Andrew's cheek, and he recalls a distant memory of Garrett saying she grew up in the south, although any trace of the accent she may have once had has since vanished.
"I won't." He grins up at her. "Thank you so much for breakfast -"
She tsks and cuts him off. "Anything for my boys," she starts, and Andrew loves that, absolutely adores it. He loves Linda as if she were his own mother, and revels in the way she treats him like a son. "Eat up, now, 'Drew. We can't have you two getting sick during this whole fiasco."
Then she's closing the door behind her, and Andrew is turning to Garrett, slipping an arm over his waist under the covers and poking softly at his side to wake him up. Garrett shifts and giggles, trying to escape Andrew's grasp, but he doesn't relent.
"'R'you tickling me, Andrew Siwicki?" he hears Garrett say, muffled because his head is beneath the blanket.
"And what if I am?" Andrew says, continuing to do so until he hears Garrett's rich, pealing laughter, clear as a bell. Garrett writhes and kicks the blanket off, and Andrew sees that as his chance to pin Garrett down on the sheets, pushing his hands up above his head and leaning over him and -
Garrett stills, and Andrew immediately stops, taking in the way Garrett gazes up at him. As if he's waiting for Andrew.
To do what? he thinks, blinking slowly, spellbound.
Then Garrett clears his throat and says, softly, "Breakfast is getting cold," and Andrew bites his lip, draws back, moves to let Garrett sit up. The taller of the two reaches over and settles the tray upon the bed between them.
"What do you wanna do today?" Garrett asks between sweet mouthfuls of syrupy sweetness. Andrew cannot help but think of Garrett's café lights, washing over them in a warm glow on summer evenings. Feeding ants out on the patio while they listen to some antiquated songs on Garrett's July playlist, because Garrett has the best taste in music and that's just a fact.
"Let's stay in bed all day," he says. He takes Garrett's hand and, without thinking, kisses his knuckles as gently as he can. "Harry Potter marathon," he continues, blushing bright red, and revels in the delight playing across Garrett's features.
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G 🌸🐊⭐💕 3:54pm: Hey Andrew!!!!!!!
Reply 4:00pm: why are you texting me while we're in the same room together???
G 🌸🐊⭐💕 4:01pm: I want to feel like I'm busy and important and have people to text during quarantine✨✨
Reply 4:03pm: you are very busy! and important! Reply 4:03pm: but you could just talk to me out loud
G 🌸🐊⭐💕 4:04pm: Not during the movie!!!
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"Go ask your mom if we can go for a drive," Andrew murmurs against Garrett's neck, and relishes the way Garrett shivers beneath him.
They are curled up on the couch in the living room, and Andrew is... well, just a little bit drunk - but Garrett's only had one, and all Andrew wants is to get out of the fucking house - Linda's house, Linda's beautiful, stunningly wonderful home, but a fucking prison nonetheless - and watch Garrett with his hands on the steering wheel, and maybe imagine Garrett gripping his hips like that in bed, and -
"It's two a.m., Andrew, she's asleep," Garrett is giggling, opening his arms as Andrew nuzzles even closer to him. His hand moves up and down Andrew's shoulder, grounding Andrew, keeping him tethered so he doesn't float away, as happy as he is right now, heart swelling in his chest. "I don't think it's the best idea. We're supposed to be staying inside, anyway."
"We can just... take her keys," Andrew says. His eyes are slowly closing all by themselves, as he lets Garrett's warmth overtake him, wash over him. "She won't notice. Or mind. You know how much she, um... she likes me." He hiccups a little, which gives way to a stream of giggles, and Garrett is laughing with him, pulling him in even closer and tucking Andrew up against him.
"Please, Garrett. I just wanna get out of the house."
"Okay, fine," he relents, and Andrew hums happily, sliding the rest of the way into Garrett's lap. "Am I gonna have to carry you out to the car?"
That sets him off again, until finally, he manages, "I can still walk, you silly," and gets up just to show Garrett how good he is at doing so. If he was sober, maybe he'd notice the look of seeming disappointment on Garrett's face as he stood up.
But he's more than a little tipsy, so he doesn't.
Garrett grunts with surprise when they enter the garage and, instead of going to the car, Andrew pulls on Garrett's sleeve and leads him through the open door. "Where are we going, Andrew?" Garrett laughs, and Andrew just shushes him, until finally, they're standing in the dark grass on the front lawn.
"Andrew, what - ?"
"Look up," Andrew breathes, and Garrett does, inhaling sharply at the vast, starry expanse glimmering over them.
Silence stretches between them for what feels like an eternity, as Andrew watches Garrett and Garrett watches the cosmos, undulating above their heads.
"I forgot what it was like," Garrett says after a while, head still turned upwards. "I haven't bothered to look for them in such a long time."
"You do live in L.A.," Andrew says sympathetically.
"Yeah..." Garrett turns to face Andrew, who still isn't looking at the stars. "Do you ever -" he says, then clears his throat. "Do you ever wish you didn't live in the city, Andrew?"
"All the time," Andrew replies - maybe a little too quickly. He can feel the effects of the alcohol beginning to lift as he takes a step closer to Garrett, sobering under the intensity of his gaze.
He wants this. He wants a life with Garrett.
Maybe after all this is over, they can readjust, reassess; find a place of their own where they can sit on their porch and look out at the stars every night. Andrew could take Garrett back home, to Illinois, and they wouldn't have to live in the city or the 'burbs - they can find a nice place out in the middle of nowhere, another tiny house for them to love each other in. They can drive to Chicago whenever Garrett wants to shoot a video, and Andrew can finally say everything he wants to say to Garrett on camera, without having to think about hiding his feelings or stifling his laughter or trying not to kiss him -
"We should think about it," he says suddenly. "Once this is over. Once things go back to normal."
Garrett just looks at him, smiling in the way he reserves only for Andrew.
He thinks that Garrett wants to kiss him. He swallows.
Then Garrett seems to remember where they are, and grins, flashing the car keys at Andrew. "We should probably go," he says, and Andrew is just the tiniest bit disappointed, but still smiles at him anyway.
"Make sure you don't put those in the fridge when we get back," he teases, laughing as Garrett shoves him gently with his shoulder, before wrapping an arm securely about Andrew's waist.
They drive for about an hour, and Garrett does most of the talking, coasting down the highway and telling Andrew about a new video idea he's had and steering with one hand. Andrew lets him, basking in the brilliance of Garrett's voice, drinking his fill of the sight of Garrett's strong biceps, his shoulders, feeling an overwhelming sense of calm until he is slowly drifting off to sleep...
The next thing he knows, he is in Garrett's arms, and it feels like how his father used to carry him inside at the ends of long road trips, and he knows nothing but peace as he lets Garrett cradle him, lets his head fall against Garrett's shoulder and feels so very small, so safe.
...and if the next day, Linda comes into their room to whack her son over the head with an empty paper towel roll and give a chuckled, half-threatening, not-really-much-heart-in-it "Garrett Sageun Watts, if you ever take my car without asking again, I'll do more than just smack you" - well, then he doesn't think Garrett will mind.
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[ VOICEMAIL from "Ryland Adams" at 12:01pm ]
"Hey, Andrew! Hope you're doing okay! Me and Shane are all holed up in our house with the animals, and we miss you a lot! Shane was just telling me yesterday about how weird it is not having you around... Anyway, I hope you're not too bored in Washington. Call me back when you have time! We'd love to hear your voice again. Maybe we can do a FaceTime mukbang or something, that'd be fun. Oh, and Shane mentioned - what? No, I'm leaving a voicemail... Well, don't let him do that! Ugh. Sorry, Andrew, Cheeto's trying to scratch up the couch or something, so I've gotta go, but - Shane mentioned there was something he wanted to talk to you about? Maybe something about his latest edit...? Anyway - talk soon! We miss you so much."
[ ... ]
[ DELETE MESSAGE? ]
[ ... ]
[ Message deleted. ]
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"Are you okay, Andrew?"
He glances at Garrett and smiles, then returns his eyes to the road. "Yeah, sweetheart, why wouldn't I be?"
"Um," Garrett says. Andrew takes pleasure in just how flustered he can make him with one word. "Um, I dunno, I just... uh, you seem kind of, um, distracted lately?"
Shit. So Garrett has picked up on the fact that Andrew can't stop anxiously obsessing over how he's going to breach the subject of Shane to him.
He reaches over, rests his hand on Garrett's thigh. "Distracted by how cute you are?"
He doesn't know what it is about the state of the world that's instilled such boldness, such courage in him - but he doesn't care to wonder, as enthralled as he is with Garrett's nervous laughter, Garrett's rosy cheeks. He turns his palm face up without looking over, smiles to himself when Garrett takes the invitation to lace their fingers together.
"Th-that's not exactly what I was talking about, Andrew, but I think -"
"That's what I was talking about, Garr. It's all I've been thinking about, recently."
Garrett flushes bright red and tries to stammer something out, but eventually settles for a contented silence and the most adorable little smile Andrew's ever seen.
Andrew eventually turns into the grocery store parking lot and pulls the car to a stop, slowly, reluctantly drawing his hand back from Garrett's grasp. "Still got that list?" he asks, and Garrett holds it up to show Andrew Linda's slanted, immaculate handwriting, refusing to meet Andrew's gaze.
"Hey," he says, reaching over to gently turn Garrett's face towards him. "Look at me?"
Garrett hesitates, but finally meets Andrew's eyes, still blushing furiously.
"You ready, Garr?"
He nods, and Andrew grins; presses a kiss to Garrett's cheek so he won't see the worry in his eyes; gets out and locks the car.
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Reply 9:05am: hey. any chance shane and ryland have been acting weird w you lately?
morgchella💎🦄 1:12pm: Oops sorry justwoke up morgchella💎🦄 1:12pm: im Very hungoevr lmaooo
Reply 1:20pm: nice 🤩
morgchella💎🦄 1:22pm: But no??? has smth happened with u guys?
Reply 1:23pm: shane keeps getting on me to talk to garrett
morgchella💎🦄 1:27pm: About what?????
Reply 1:28pm: them
morgchella💎🦄 1:28pm: ??????????????? morgchella💎🦄 1:29pm: Wtf does that mean
Reply 1:30pm: oh Reply 1:30pm: has garrett not told u...?
morgchella💎🦄 1:34pm: Im so lost andrew lmfao
Reply 1:38pm: things have been really weird between them lately. ryland wont even talk to garrett anymore and shane hasn't been inviting him over at all. garrett's definitely noticed Reply 1:39pm: i mean his song hit #3 in hiphop and shane didnt say anything to any of us. that doesn't seem odd to u??
morgchella💎🦄 1:41pm: ***yOUr song morgchella💎🦄 1:41pm: (you both worked on it ad i still havent stopped listenign to it) morgchella💎🦄 1:43pm: So whys shane trying to talk to him all of a sudden?
Reply 1:44pm: i think he wants to either cut garrett off completely or make amends. i can't tell
morgchella💎🦄 1:51pm: Do u want me to talkvto them??
Reply 1:51pm: no its fine. i'll sit garrett down and tell him shane wants to talk. i've been keeping this from him for a while
morgchella💎🦄 1:52pm: The groupchat has been pretty dead recently..... morgchella💎🦄 1:53pm: I'll talk to garr soon. I didnt even realize this was happening. morgchella💎🦄 1:55pm: I justfilmed a video last night and like printed out a bunch of pics of Squad thats gonna be pretty awkward
Reply 2:00pm: hahahahahahhahsfkljglfgkl Reply 2:00pm: u good morg?
morgchella💎🦄 2:02pm: 🤪
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He hadn't meant to disappear down an editing hole, but when he finally emerges from Linda's little home office at a quarter to midnight, he cusses himself out in his head. How could he have spent the entire day away from Garrett - and why hadn't Garrett come to visit him?
"Hey," he says, knocking on the door frame of their bedroom. Garrett is sitting up in bed, scrolling on his phone, and he looks so tired, but god, if he isn't the most beautiful thing Andrew's ever seen in his life -
"Hi, Andrew!" he says cheerfully, moving over so there's space for Andrew to sit next to him.
"I missed you," Andrew says softly, staying fixed to the doorway. "A lot."
"I missed you, too."
"What've you been up to today?" he asks. He keeps looking at Garrett, whose head has dropped down to his phone again, and tries to gather up the courage for what he's about to do.
"Mm, well, I edited for most of the day, and now I'm just" - he lifts up the phone to show Andrew - "looking at Twitter. Apparently, people are wondering why we've been so silent recently, isn't that funny, Andrew?"
"I think we needed a break," he replies, finally moving forward to sit on the bed, one leg hanging off. "It's been a long time since we've just enjoyed each other's company and not thought about anything else."
Garrett sets his phone down; looks at Andrew like he hung the moon and stars; says, "I think so, too."
It can't be helped. Andrew will just write it off as the way Garrett gazed at him like he was everything, as he leans forward, touches Garrett's cheek with the palm of his hand, and kisses him.
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Caleb 👶🎶🎶 1:17pm: Yo Andrew hope u and Garrett are enjoying ur quarantine together ;)) Caleb 👶🎶🎶 1:18pm: U better tell me when yall finally hook up Caleb 👶🎶🎶 1:20pm: Or have u already?
Reply 1:47pm: a lady doesn't kiss and tell, caleb 😘😘😘
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There's flour on Garrett's shirt - and on his nose, and in his hair, and oh, Jesus, Garrett's absolutely covered in it, coated from head to toe. Andrew feels the giggles rise in his chest, exploding from his mouth as he cackles Garrett's name, realizes just how ridiculous the situation before his eyes is - and now Garrett's laughing, too, which just makes Andrew cackle even harder until he's practically crying, and the camera's shaking in his hands, but neither of them care - and he knows they're filming, but he just can't help himself, when he finally gulps down enough air to breathe, from saying, "I'm so in love with you."
He isn't scared. He thinks it's the most perfect sentence he's ever said.
Garrett is still snickering as he sets the bag of flour down, next to the bowl that was supposed to contain cookie dough by now. "Really?" he says, and Andrew almost thinks he doesn't believe him until - "You really chose this moment to tell me that you love me, Andrew? When there's so much flour on me that I look like a ghost?"
That just sends Andrew into another fit of laughter, and he can barely even complain when Garrett takes the camera from his hands, switches it off and puts it on the counter behind him. As soon as he's turned around again, Andrew is kissing him, pulling Garrett forward by the front of his shirt and tasting the light dusting of powder on his lips and grinning like a fool.
"Well, I'll have you know, Andrew Siwicki," Garrett starts when they finally pull away, out of breath -
"Yeah?" Andrew interrupts, stealing another kiss.
"- that I'm in love with you, too."
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morgchella💎🦄 9:22pm: So shane and ry are starting to get on me about getting garrett to talk?? morgchella💎🦄 9:23pm: also i heARD U AND GARRETT ARE FINALLY TOGETHER IS IT TRUE
Reply 9:23pm: fuck Reply 9:24pm: has caleb been telling everyone?????
morgchella💎🦄 9:25pm: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG morgchella💎🦄 9:25pm: OH MY GOD ANDREW AAAAAAAHSDFJLKGSK morgchella💎🦄 9:25pm: CONGATSULATIONS I DUCKING KNEW U GUYS WOULDNT BE ABLE TOVHOLD OUT ANY LONGER
Reply 9:27pm: hahahahahahahahahahaahha omg morgan
morgchella💎🦄 9:27pm: this quarantine was actually a blessing in disguise 😌😌😌😌😌😌😌😌 morgchella💎🦄 9:27pm: A global conspiracy just to get the two of u together
Reply 9:27pm: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHSDKJD Reply 9:28pm: morgan omg
morgchella💎🦄 9:28pm: No but fr I am so happy for u guys 🥺🥺🥺
Reply 9:29pm: thank u morgan. ily and that means a lot to me Reply 9:30pm: just please don't go spreading it around hahahahaha we wanna keep it on the dl
morgchella💎🦄 9:33pm: Ok I promise i won't but only if I am invited to your wedding
Reply 9:34pm: oh jesus Reply 9:35pm: ok i still gotta buy the ring tho
morgchella💎🦄 9:40pm: SJAKLSDJGFLKJBDFLKNCVCJLKSJDLFKSGOIXCLKJFHGLFKFHOIJADSKL
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It doesn't take long for them to fuck, and for Andrew to wonder why they ever wasted so much time not having sex when it's so mind-blowingly good - when Andrew's legs are slung over Garrett's shoulders, and he's a moaning, spluttering mess underneath Garrett, and they're both still getting used to touching each other like this and still laughing from time to time, and both of them are so warm and giggly and in love.
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G 🌸🐊⭐💕 2:33am: You're asleep but I just wanted to tell you that I love you G 🌸🐊⭐💕 2:34am: And that you look really pretty sleeping in my arms G 🌸🐊⭐💕 2:34am: And that I can't wait to talk to you soon when we're both awake G 🌸🐊⭐💕 2:34am: That's all :.)
Reply 10:47am: hi. you're still asleep. i love you so ridiculously much. Reply 10:49am: i hope your day is as special as you are, garrett watts 💗💗😊😊🌻🌻
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Andrew is still glowing in the late afternoon after their morning sex. It's hard to believe the state of the world right now when he's with Garrett.
He's wearing one of Garrett's flannels - the greenish-blue one, that he stole and wore on Garrett's last birthday, and is always so discreetly happy to wear out in public - and running his hands through his boyfriend's hair, and he feels so at peace.
That is - until he glances down at Garrett's phone and realizes he's tapping through one of Shane's endless Instagram videos, staring unhappily at the screen with the volume muted.
"Garrett, baby," he says, letting the still-new word roll off his tongue, taking pride in the little smile it brings to Garrett's face. "Have you talked to him recently?"
Garrett shakes his head, and panic pools in Andrew's stomach.
"He's been bugging me a lot lately," Andrew says cautiously, tentatively. "I think he wants closure. Things have been sort of up in the air with you two. For a long time. And -"
"I'm not interested in talking to him."
"Well, it's clearly making you upset to -"
"He's made it clear who he prioritizes in his life."
Andrew exhales sharply, turns away. Stops petting Garrett's hair. The taller of the two notices.
"Is he upsetting you, Andrew?" he asks quietly.
"Not really. I mean," he concedes, "a little bit, yeah, but I'm not... I'll be okay."
"Is he making you anxious?"
Andrew stares at his lap and says nothing.
"Fine, I'll talk to him," Garrett says. "For you. Not for him. To make him stop bothering you."
"Garrett, you don't have to."
"For you, Andrew." He takes Andrew's hand and squeezes it tight.
Andrew shivers, pulls his phone out of his pocket.
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Reply 8:18pm: garrett says he'll talk. u should call him sometime today before he forgets Reply 8:19pm: and please promise me you'll leave us alone after u talk to him
Shane 🐷🐷 8:27pm: I promise. Shane 🐷🐷 8:27pm: I'll call him soon.
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All he remembers is Garrett leaving at four a.m. to take a call from Shane, and him desperately trying to stay awake and wait for him to come back to bed, but -
The next thing he knows, he's squinting as the sun peeks through the blinds and Garrett is crawling under the covers, fully clothed, burying his face in Andrew's chest.
"Jesus," Andrew slurs, still caught in the throes of sleep. His arms reach out automatically to encircle Garrett as he mumbles, "What time is it, Garr?"
"Seven thirty."
"Oh, christ -" He is about to berate Garrett for staying up so late, but then he - he -
Garrett is crying.
And Andrew has never seen him cry before.
"Garrett, honey, I'm so sorry -"
"Please," Garrett says, so quietly that Andrew just barely hears - and Garrett doesn't beg, but - "Please, Andrew, let's not talk about it. Please."
"Okay. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"Can you just..." Garrett trails off, pushes himself further into Andrew's embrace. "Can you just hold me?"
He does. He swears to himself he'll never let go; never forgive himself for letting this happen to Garrett.
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Shane 🐷🐷 7:31am: Hey, can you do me a favor and ask Garrett about J? Shane 🐷🐷 7:36am: please. It's really important.
Shane 🐷🐷 1:45pm: Earth to andrew??
Reply 3:12pm: hey. i'm sorry. garrett had a really rough night.
Shane 🐷🐷 3:13pm: I did too. can you please ask him?
Reply 3:15pm: ask him what about jeffree? Reply 3:15pm: i hope you understand that you and i are not on the best terms rn, shane. Reply 3:16pm: whatever you said made garrett really really upset
Shane 🐷🐷 3:20pm: I need you to ask him if they fucked.
[ Read 3:20pm ]
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"What the fuck, Shane? You can't just fucking text me that and expect -"
"Andrew, please. I can't even explain to you how important this is - you need to ask him -"
"No, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on." He hates that he's yelling at Shane. He hates that he called Shane in the first place. He hates that they're even speaking to each other at all. "Can you explain to me why the hell you've been so adamant about cutting Garrett out of your life for the past six months? Why you haven't so much as breathed in his direction since Ryland's fucking hotel video - why me and Morgan have been the only ones out of all of us to ever text him, or call, or ask him to hang out, and why you and Ryland won't even let him into your house anymore - your fucking best friend - you won't even let me -"
"Andrew?"
He whips around, sees Garrett standing in the doorway of their bedroom, a strange expression on his face.
"Who are you talking to?"
Andrew struggles to breathe. "It's no one, baby, don't worry," he says, the phone still held up to his ear.
"Ask him," Shane urges from the other line, and Andrew grits his teeth.
"Not until you start fucking explaining what's going on," he barks.
"Andrew," Garrett starts again.
"It's nothing, Garrett, I promise. I promise you, I'm taking care of it."
"You're talking to Shane, aren't you?"
"I - no, I'm -"
"Don't lie to me, Andrew," Garrett pleads. "What does he want?"
"I can't, Garr -"
"Ask," Shane says again.
Andrew hangs up on him, lets his phone fall onto the bed.
"What does he want, Andrew?"
Andrew's heart is going to beat out of his chest. Garrett is looking at him with the saddest expression Andrew's ever seen in his life.
"I..." he stutters. Tears are welling in his eyes. He hadn't expected this to hurt so much.
Garrett still just looks at him. Andrew wishes he would cross the room, come and hold him, but he doesn't.
"Garrett," he chokes out, finally; "Garr, did you sleep with Jeffree?"
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Mama 🧡 2:29pm: Hi Baby Boy.  Dad and I are missing you so so so so SOOO much!!!  Quarantine is lonely without you :(  But we hope you and Garr Bear are having fun!!  Please tell Linda I send her ALL my love, and that I hope she's feeding you two boys well.  Make sure you are WASHING YOUR HANDS and not going ANYWHERE unless absolutely necessary!!!!  I am serious!!!!!!  This corona virus is no joke and my heart would just shatter if you or Garr Bear got sick from it. Mama 🧡 2:34pm: And make sure you don't get sick from boredom too!!!!!  Dad is already losing his mind with online work, LOL!  But I'm sure Garrett can keep you entertained while you are stuck together.  You two are such silly, wonderful boys and I know how much you love to make each other laugh.  You are both so good for each other, in ways that I don't think you even see yet.  I know you could not stand to be separated so you must make sure you both are staying safe and healthy. Mama 🧡 2:36pm: Please give Garr Bear all my endless love, and keep him safe!!!!!  Love you so much my darling boy.  Hope we can visit and see you again once this has all blown over!  Love, Mom Siwicki 😊 😊 😊
Reply 4:58pm: hi mama. you have no idea how much i needed to hear that today. garrett and i are doing really well. i hope you and dad and 🐶 are staying very safe and enjoying your time together, too. Reply 4:59pm: i love you so much and i need to call you soon. important news regarding me and garrett that i think you'll be excited to hear. talk soon 🧡🧡
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You could cut the tension in the air between them with a knife.
Garrett stares.
Andrew trembles.
"Who - ?" Garrett starts after a long, terrible silence, and Andrew wants to scream. "Who do you think I am, Andrew?"
"Garrett, please just tell me."
"No, Andrew -"
"Please," Andrew whispers, "please, Garrett, Shane won't leave us alone until you -"
"I said no, Andrew."
"Garrett -"
"No, I mean - no, I didn't sleep with him."
Andrew blinks.
Then he collapses into tears, sitting down on the bed and burying his face in his hands, weeping like he had as a high schooler, after his first ever (albeit meaningless) relationship had ended. He hears rather than sees Garrett rush forward immediately; feels his big, strong arms around him as he sobs into Garrett's chest, letting his hands fall into his lap.
"I'm sorry," he chokes after a few minutes of devastating silence, punctuated only by the miserable sound of his own crying.
"Why are you sorry, Andrew?"
"Because this is happening to you," he mumbles against Garrett's shirt. "Because I don't - I shouldn't be crying right now, I don't have the right to be crying right now."
Garrett gently tilts Andrew's head up so he's looking at him, wiping Andrew's cheeks with the broad pad of his thumb. "It's okay to cry, Andrew," he says softly, and god, does Andrew love him.
"I shouldn't be so upset by this," he tries to interject. "I shouldn't be so jealous of Jeffree -" He breaks off, tasting the salt of his teardrops as they roll down his face, brush against his lips, and he gasps as his old insecurities come to light - and Garrett - sweet, wonderful Garrett - just holds him, because of course he's known, of course he noticed how Andrew failed to laugh when everyone else had at Jeffree's awful flirting - of course Garrett had seen the look on Andrew's face behind the camera, as he struggled to keep his hands steady and tried to block out the stomach-churning sound of Jeffree's simpering voice.
Of course he knows. Because he's Garrett, and he can read Andrew like a book, that's just a given - and they know each other better than they know their own selves.
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andrew💕.m4a
[ PLAY VOICE MEMO? ]
[ ... ]
"Hey.
"I love you.
"You're out on a walk right now. Um... and, well, I thought I'd just, um, try to get my thoughts. On everything. Out. And just kind of talk for a while, because, uh - because I miss you right now, and because you deserve to know what... why Shane needed to know about Jeffree. And. Shane just called me again. And cried a lot. Which was weird. So. I know you don't like to talk to anyone when you go on your walks, which is cute - so I'm recording this instead. Um... sorry, I'm just - moving around on the bed. Uh. There.
"Um - first of all, I just - I just really love you, Andrew. I've been in love with you for a really long time, and I'm just - god, you just make me so damn happy. I can't imagine spending my time with anyone else. I'm so - this whole... thing with us, our relationship, I guess you'd call it - it's so new and fresh, and I have to admit, I'm really scared, but I'm also just so happy and content, and I didn't... I didn't ever think, in, in a million years, that you would love me back. But I'm so grateful that you do. I really am.
"Um. I love you. And. I would never sleep with Jeffree. I hope you know that. Even if I hadn't been in love with you for almost... what is it, three years now? I would've said no to him anyway. He's not... I don't want that kind of life. I don't want to, to have a sugar daddy or whatever he was offering me. I don't want to just be a quick lay. I want... I want you, Andrew. Always been you. Always just... sorry, I - sorry for getting emotional. Um... ugh, god. You're turning me into a mess, Andrew. Uh. I just really love you. And I love what our relationship's been. And I love that - that there isn't that much change, now that we're dating, from what things were like before, and I can still talk to you, and you're still my best friend, and we can still joke around and laugh at nothing and just keep loving each other. I don't want a fuck buddy. I want a - a committed relationship, and someone I know I can spend the rest of my life with - and I know I'm rambling, and I know that this might... might scare you away, because this is so, so new to you, but - I wouldn't say it if I didn't think you felt the same way. Feel the same way.
"What you and I have is... I've been trying to recreate it for years, Andrew, and I've never, ever been able to. No matter how hard I tried - no matter how much I tried to forget - I can't replace you. You're... you're everything to me, Andrew, and I think you always will be. I hope you feel the same. Even if - even if things, yaknow, don't work out, down the line, and we de- we, um, decide we're better off as friends. I can't. I, uh - I can't imagine... oh, god, sorry, Andrew - I- I can't imagine living a life without you in it.
"God. Um. Where was I? God... So, uh - I said no to Jeffree. Is what I think I'm trying to say. He made it really clear what he wanted two years ago, and I said I wasn't interested - and when he approached me again, when he and Shane were filming the second series - that's when things started getting nasty. I - he didn't say anything to my face, he wasn't rude up-front. He's too... manipulative for that. I guess is the word. Um. Because he knew Shane would realize who he really is, if he was mean to me in front of him. So - from what Shane's told me, he sort of just started dropping subtle hints. And Shane just kind of... well, you know. You know how he is. He kind of just let himself get caught up in it. And I stopped getting invited to things. Which is fine. But... I mean, you know.
"I'm not really sure how to feel. Anymore. I miss Shane a lot, but... I don't know. He told me he wants to talk in person after all of this is over and we're back in L.A. I told him I want to, too, but I'm not sure how that talk's gonna go, really. He says he's sorry, and he's realized how badly he fucked up. And I want to forgive him. I really do. But if he keeps hanging around Jeffree, then I'm not sure I'd even want to be spending time with him anymore. He's kind of... changed. A lot.
"So... that's... off my chest. Um. I know that was a lot. I just thought you deserved to know everything. Because. I love you, and. I know how upset you were that Shane wanted to know what happened between me and Jeffree. I know it can't've been easy for you to... relive those memories. On top of everything else that's been going on lately. And I'm really sorry.
"Anyway. Enough of that negative stuff. I love you so much. I'm really excited to see you when you get back, because I'm gonna make you some hot chocolate. With cinnamon. And then we can go cuddle on the couch. Because I love you. And maybe watch movies with my mom. Because she loves us, too.
"Okay. Uhh. I love you so much. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."
[ ... ]
[ Voice memo saved to "Andrew Siwicki's iPhone". ]
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They recover.
They have a lot of sex, and Garrett stops being afraid of holding Andrew's hand in front of his mom, and Andrew breaks his radio silence to post something nonsensical on Instagram that he immediately forgets about.
They go exploring in the woods out behind Linda's house - "looking for cool bugs," Garrett grins - and it's nice enough for Garrett to wear shorts, because he's big and tall and always, always warm - Andrew doesn't understand how he can possibly be so constantly, gloriously warm - and they fuck around between the pine trees and look down the hill and feel just a little bit smaller.
Andrew makes sure he reminds Garrett at least every five minutes of how much he loves him.
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Reply 10:24pm: hey you!
G 🌸🐊⭐💕 10:29pm: Who, me??
Reply 10:29pm: yeah, you. come out of your editing hole. i made pasta Reply 10:30pm: 🐊🍝
G 🌸🐊⭐💕 10:31pm: OMG G 🌸🐊⭐💕 10:32pm: Have I ever told you how in love with you I am?????????
Reply 10:34pm: hahahahahahahaha Reply 10:34pm: ❤︎❤︎❤︎
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"What're you thinking about?"
Andrew pours the milk over his coffee and watches it swirl, spiral, fade and eddy out.
"I'm wondering what's gonna happen after all this," he says. Garrett hands him the silicone tray he's been holding for some time now, and Andrew takes three ice cubes - no, four - and plops them into his drink. "What's gonna happen to us once everything's back to normal."
"Oh," Garrett says. "I think we'll probably just go back to what we usually do."
"Yeah?"
"Mmhmm, I'll text you to hang out every other day or so, and we'll go to Coffee Bean and completely lose track of time, and then we'll end up getting lunch and spending the entire day together. Maybe film some videos, too."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, I do." Garrett stirs his own glass with a straw - the metal one he always steals from Andrew - whipping the grains of sugar around in a little whirlpool at the bottom. "Or you could just... move in with me. If you wanted to."
Andrew nearly spills iced coffee all over the kitchen floor.
"I..." he stutters, his face a dark red. "Garrett. You'd... you'd let me do that? You want to live together?"
"Well, yeah, don't you? I mean, you practically live in my house already, Andrew; it'd just be a matter of getting all your stuff over."
Andrew sets his drink down; smiles up at Garrett; tries to pretend the glossy sheen to his eyes is just a trick of the light. "I'd really like that, Garr," he says, and then Garrett is wrapping his arms around his waist, letting his chin rest atop Andrew's head, and Andrew isn't quite sure exactly what he's done to ever deserve to feel as at peace, as content, as loved as this.
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[ VOICEMAIL from "Mama 🧡" at 5:03pm ]
"Hi, baby, it's Mom. Thank you so much for calling yesterday. I love you so much and I'm so glad to hear you and Garrett are staying safe. I'm so, so proud of you for finally working up the courage to tell him how you feel; that can't've been easy. I've known for a long time that you've been struggling with how you feel about him. I know you so well, Andrew, and God bless you, but you're so easy to read. Can't believe that boy of yours didn't pick up on it sooner - but I told you so, didn't I? Your father and I have always known about you two, ever since you first told us about him... Anyway, stay safe, my love. Don't go outside unless you absolutely have to. And you put a ring on that boy soon, you hear me? I'm so endlessly proud of you. Love you to bits. Talk soon."
[ ... ]
[ DELETE MESSAGE? ]
[ ... ]
[ Message saved. ]
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chernobog13 · 4 years
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1969 was an interesting year in Japanese cinema, as the public was presented with distaff versions of two extremely popular characters: Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman, and Tange Sazen.
The first was The Crimson Bat series from Shochiku Studios.  The series stars Yoko Matsuyama as Oichi (referered to several times in the series, even by herself, as “blind Oichi” or “Oichi the blind”).  Strangely enough, she is never called Crimson Bat in any of the films, and that name only appears on the international versions of the films.  There is much speculation as to where the name came from, although Oichi does carry a red sword cane, and her costume through most of the second of the second film is a red kimono.
While based on a manga series, the films are clearly a response to the popularity the Shinato Katsu Zatoichi film series, produced by Daiei and still running strong at the time.  
Other than the obvious difference between the characters in that Oichi is female, she is also given the rather sexist weakness for always pining for love, and usually falling for one of her male adversaries.  While that might make sense in the first film before she becomes an expert swordswoman and learned to be self-reliant, it makes absolutely no sense in the later films when she’s become a bounty hunter.
Another big difference between the two: Zatoichi is always portrayed as scruffy and looks like he’s spent most of his life living on the road.  Shintaro Katsu was also kind of pudgy, and certainly - at this point in his career - could not be accused of having matinee idol looks.  Oichi, on the other hand, is just flat out gorgeous.  Her make-up and, clothing and hair always look like she’s ready for a modeling gig.  And she has the super-power of always keeping her hair perfectly coiffed, either while battling dozens of opponents or falling off cliffs (which she does a couple of times),
There were only 4 films in the series, the first 3 released in 1969 and the last in 1970.  The following year Yoko Matsuyama returned to the role in a TV series that ran for 25 episodes.  Ms. Matsuyama also went on to marry Teruo Tanashita, the artist who created the original manga introducing Oichi, the lucky guy.  In America I guess the equivalent would be William Moulton Marston or Harry G. Peter (the creators of Wonder Woman) marrying Linda Carter.
I enjoyed the movies despite the annoying flaw with Oichi’s character, but I guess the filmmakers thought it was necessary A: because she was a woman (that’s just my assumption; I don’t agree with that as a valid reason); or B) to differentiate her more from Zatoichi.
I haven’t been able to locate the TV series yet, but would love to check it out if I do.
The second distaff character making the scene in 1969 was Lady Sazen, the female version of Tange Sazen.
Tange Sazen  is a one-armed, one-eyed ronin who was introduced in 1927 as a minor character in a serial story about Ooka Tadasuke, an actual historical person who was a magistrate in Eo (Tokyo) during the Shogunate.  Tange Sazen was so popular with the readers, however, that three films were produced by three different studios featuring Sazen as the hero.  These were so successful that a new story, with Sazen as the hero, was serialized in the newspapers.
Tange Sazen went on to have a long career in both print, film, and eventually TV.  There were several film series, sometimes from competing studios released in the same years, released in Japan,  The character has been portrayed by several notable Japanese actors.  The ones most familiar to most Western fans who be Ryutaro Otomo (Orochimaru from The Magic Serpent), Kiinosuke Nakamura (Itoo Ogami in the Lone Wolf and Cub TV series), and Tetsuro Tanba (Tiger Tanaka in You Only Live Twice, and one of Japan’s most prolific actors - the man never turned down a role!).
The character is so popular because, like Zatoichi, he is considered an outsider from society due to his handicap, but is nonetheless a tireless champion of justice and the downtrodden.
Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword from Daiei Film stars Michiyo Okusu (billed as Michiyo Yasuda), who - despite the fake scar over her right eye - is almost too pretty to be taken seriously in the role.  Her character’s real name is O-kin, but people call her “Lady Sazen” because of her similarity with Tange Sazen (which, to digress, is kind of meta: in the world of this film does Tange Sazen actually exist, or is he a fictional character that O-Kin resembles?).
Like her male counterpart, O-Kin loses her arm and eye due to treachery.  She trains herself to become a master swordswoman, and is quick to butt in when she finds injustice.  The main plot of the film involves a daimyo (feudal lord) who is a rabid sword collector trying to get O-Kin’s fabled Drenched Swallow sword for himself.  It turns out the lord is also the one responsible for O-Kin’s disfigurement and the death of her family when she was younger.
Ms. Okusu/Yasuda does a wonderful job with what is traditionally a male role.  Despite her beauty, she does her best to scowl menacingly, talk gruffly, and be prickly in the best Tange Sazen fashion.  She did a great job at Sazen’s signature move, which is drawing her sword while holding the scabbard in her teeth.  She does well in the sword fighting scenes, especially with the difficulty of having to do so with her right arm tucked behind her back.
This was not the first time a female version of the character had appeared on the silver screen.  Thirty years earlier Komoka Hara gave audiences a Lady Sazen in at least one, some sources say maybe two film.  The main difference there, at least as far as I can ascertain, is Ms. Hara played Tange Sazen as a female character, instead of Ms. Okusu/Yasuda’s playing a woman who is similar to Sazen, but isn’t actually Tange Sazen.
The film’s co-star is Kojiro Hongo, who was one of Daiei’s matinee idols, and many fans may recognize him from a few of the Showa-era Gamera films.  There’s also the usual stable of supporting actors you’ll find in every Daiei film from that period, many who had appeared in all the Zatoichi films.  
Sadly, there was no follow-up to this film.  I don’t know whether it was because the film did poorly at the box office, or because the audience did not accept a female Sazen.  
Or maybe it fell victim to Daei’s impending collapse.  The advent and popularity of television was killing off the film industry in Japan at that time.  By the early 1970s the studio system as it was known in Japan had disappeared, studio and film budgets were drastically slashed, and Daiei was bankrupt and out of business.
Nevertheless, this was another film I enjoyed.  It actually shares a spot on my DVD shelves with my other Tange Sazen films, whereas all others I meticulously store in alphabetical order.
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searchingwardrobes · 4 years
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Self Promo Sunday: The Pool Monster
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For self-promo Sunday today, I thought everyone could use some tooth-rotting fluff. This is a very early story of mine, and I was blown away then (and still am) by the response to this little fic. It’s just the Jones family playing in the pool on a summer day with Killian being his usual flirty self with his words dripping with innuendo for his wife. Enjoy!
Also on Ao3
Rated G for massive amounts of fluff
Trigger warning: written pre-Hope, so the CS kids here are Liam, Charlie, and Leia
Words: just around 1k
Tagging the usuals: @snowbellewells​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @welllpthisishappening​ @kmomof4​ @xhookswenchx​ @teamhook​ @bethacaciakay​ @optomisticgirl​ @vvbooklady1256​ @ekr032-blog-blog​ @winterbaby89​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @nikkiemms​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @jennjenn615​ @lfh1226-linda​ @shireness-says​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @kday426​ @wellhellotragic​ @spartanguard​ @scientificapricot​ @stahlop​ @sherlockianwhovian​ @superchocovian​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @let-it-raines​ @profdanglaisstuff​ @carpedzem​ @ohmakemeahercules​ @tiganasummertree​ @delightfully-difficult-pirate​ @branlovestowrite​ @hollyethecurious​ @snidgetsafan​ @thislassishooked​
Emma should have known Killian would want a pool in their backyard. He was, after all, a pirate. And contrary to what Emma had heard, Killian informed her that sailors did, in fact, learn how to swim. “Bad luck to learn how to swim?” Killian had scoffed. “What kind of ridiculous logic is that?” Captain Hook, it turned out, was an excellent swimmer. And so were his children. The only thing they loved more than sailing was swimming. So, naturally, the Jones family got a pool.
All summer long, the Jones children were in the water. If they weren’t in their backyard pool, they were swimming at the beach or off the deck of the Jolly Roger. They all naturally had Killian’s complexion, which was a good thing. If they had inherited the Charming “white as snow” skin tone, they would have spent the entire summer red as lobsters. Emma couldn’t keep them out of the water. The upside was that swimming, as any parent will tell you, absolutely wore the children out. Summer was the only time they went straight down for naps and to bed without protest. Which, of course, gave Emma and Killian far more uninterrupted time for “more enjoyable activities.”
On this particular day, the entire family was in the pool. Emma was sitting on the ledge in front of the faux waterfall which the children had dubbed “Mermaid Lagoon.” Of course, their mermaid lagoon was patterned more after Jake and the Neverland Pirates than the real Neverland. Their love for the children’s show irritated their father to no end. “The only thing they got right is Mr. Smee,” Killian would grumble. But try as he might, he couldn’t get his kids to stop watching it. This was further evidenced by the three dogs that ran barking around the edge of the pool. A chocolate lab named Jake, a yellow lab named Izzy, and a miniature dachshund named Cubby who waddled more than he ran. Emma had been informed by her 4 year old daughter Leia that today Mermaid Lagoon was their castle. Emma was the queen and Leia was the princess, of course. 7 year old Liam was the knight in shining armor. Their castle was under attack from the big sea monster and his sidekick, little sea monster (aka Killian and Leia’s twin brother Charlie). Both sides were armed to the teeth with water guns and water bombs.
In the heat of the battle, Charlie seemed to lose interest. He scrambled up the ladder, and before Emma knew it, he was launching himself from the ledge above the waterfall, jumping over it into the pool.
It was the perfect distraction. Emma hated when the kids jumped from that ledge, while Killian thought it was “bloody amazing.” Just as Emma yelled, “Charlie, no!” Killian popped up out of the water and snatched Emma right off the ledge.
“The queen is mine!” Killian crowed in his absolute worst villainous snarl.
“I’m coming, your majesty!” Liam cried out, launching himself off the ledge and onto Killian’s shoulders.
“Queen!” Leia cried, tossing Emma a water bomb.
Smart girl. Emma took the water bomb and smacked Killian in the side of the head with it.
“Ow!” he cried out. “That actually hurt!”
Emma laughed and swam away as Liam shoved his father underwater. Emma was worried for a split second that Liam was actually holding Killian under, when her husband came up out of the water with incredible force, launching Liam into the air. Then she was worried about her son until he bobbed up sputtering and laughing.
The battle raged on, with several more attempted captures of the queen. Every time Emma had to pretend to fight off the “sea monster,” and pretend she didn’t enjoy being in Killian’s muscled arms. At one point, she noticed that Leia continued to pretend to “fall” off the ledge of Mermaid Lagoon, crying out that the sea monster would get her. Over Leia’s head, Emma caught Killian’s eye, then pointed at Leia. He winked in response and stealthily glided under the water.
“Oh no,” Emma cried out with horrible play-acting, “I can’t reach you, Leia!”
Suddenly, Killian popped up out of the water, snatching Leia into his arms. The little girl screamed and squealed with obvious delight.
“I have you now, princess!” He yelled, tickling her.
“I’ll save you Leia!” Liam cried, diving to her rescue.
Suddenly, all three of her children and her husband were in the midst of chaos. Water splashing, arms and legs flailing, and high-pitched squeals. Emma sat on the waterfall’s ledge laughing at the spectacle.
It didn’t seem her children would ever tire of this game. Leia was “kidnapped” several more times, and she and Emma also ran a successful rescue mission to retrieve Leia’s Ariel doll from the pool steps. So when Killian snatched Emma once again from the ledge, she sagged in his arms and rested her head against his shoulder for a moment.
“You know,” Emma said, looking into Killian’s eyes, which looked even bluer with the reflection of the pool water shining in them, “the monster’s kind of growing on me.”
“Really,” Killian said with a big grin on his face. He lowered his voice a bit for only her to hear, “So you won’t mind if I take you back to my lair and have my way with you?” Emma couldn’t believe he could still make her blush. She smiled back at him. “You know, I don’t think the monster is really evil. I think he’s just misunderstood.”
Her wet lips met his in a kiss she had intended to be chaste, but soon their tongues were entwined.
“Hey!” scolded Liam. “You’re not supposed to kiss the sea monster!”
“Actually,” Emma announced to her children, a twinkle in her eyes, “he’s not a monster at all. It’s your father – the king of the realm! He was put under a curse by an evil witch, but I just broke it with a kiss.”
“What about the little sea monster?” Leia asked.
“That’s your brother, the prince. He was under the curse too.”
“Okay!” Leia turned to her twin and gave him a quick smack on the lips.
“Yay!” cheered Charlie. “I’m a prince again!”
“Hey!” pouted Liam, lowering the two water guns he had in each hand. “I like battles way better than kisses!”
“Not me,” Killian said, gazing deeply into Emma’s eyes. “I like kisses better.” He kissed Emma again, dragging her lower lip through his teeth. “I like kisses much better.” He whispered into Emma’s ear, “And other things.”
A delicious shiver went down Emma’s spine at his words and his breath in her ear. She turned her face and kissed him passionately, ignoring the chorus of “ewwwws” from their children.
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beautifultypewriter · 4 years
Note
If it is okay. What is Peaky Blinders and what do you like most about it?
Oh, buckle your seatbelts everyone. Here we go! Peaky Blinders is a historical crime drama on Netflix (originally from the BBC, but I watch on Netflix because I’m an American) that follows the Shelby Family and their rise as a crime family in Birmingham, England directly following WW1. It has 30 episodes that span 5 seasons with season 6 in the making. None of the following images belong to me, I found them on google.
First, we have Tommy Shelby
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He’s the main main character as he is the head of the family and the one who runs the business. He’s played by Cillian Murphy and everyone loves him. I personally don’t care for him, but that’s just me. He was a tunneler in France during the war and so now he suffers from PTSD. The Shelby’s are of Romani blood and so are looked down on by the others around them because of their g*psy blood. Tommy loves horses and he’s crazy self-destructive (That last bit is a personal opinion of mine).
Then we have Arthur Shelby
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He’s the oldest of the Shelby siblings, but Tommy is the one in charge. Arthur is my precious angel. He has a really bad temper that he has difficulty controlling and he often has violent outbursts, but we see him trying to find some peace and be better all throughout the series (doesn’t always work, but anyway). He’s honestly just very emotional and lost and the life that Tommy is creating is not a healthy place for Arthur. He marries a woman named Linda, but we don’t talk about her because she’s bad for him and I don’t like her. In conclusion, I love him and would do anything to protect him.
Next is John Shelby
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The third Shelby child and this picture tells you all you need to know about John. He’s very confident and loud, but he can be sweet and soft too. He has a ton of children, but we like never see them (except for a few scenes where he holds a baby) and he’s very funny. I personally am in love with John, but I also ship him and his wife, Esme, so hard. They’re perfect. Also everyone calls him John Boy and I love it.
Next, Ada Shelby
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The only Shelby sister. Ada is amazing. She is smart and independent and she doesn’t take anyone’s bs. Her eye rolls are to die for. I love her. She’s always calling Tommy out and I live for it.
This is Finn Shelby
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He’s the youngest of the Shelby siblings. When the series starts he’s like 10 years old. He’s Baby Shelby and that’s all you need to know.
This is Polly Gray
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She’s a boss. She’s the Shelby Siblings’ aunt on their father’s side. She is of Romani blood also and she knows the gender of your baby before it’s even born. She then tells you what you should name your child. She’ll straight up kill a man and it’s great. Just look at her. I love her.
This is Michael Gray
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He’s Polly’s son and the cousin of the Shelby Siblings. Another fan favorite, but I don’t really like him. Also, side note - the actor who plays Michael is the real life younger brother of the actor who plays John.
This is Johnny Dogs
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Absolute legend. I love him so much. A friend of the Shelby family.
My girl, Esme Shelby
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The previously mentioned wife of John Shelby. Esme is the absolute best. Every time she’s on the screen is amazing. Tommy arranges her marriage with John in order to bring peace between the Lee’s (a Romani family) and the Shelby’s. I love her so much. I so badly want her to punch Tommy in the face, but it hasn’t happened.
I can’t put a picture, but Alfie Solomons.
Honestly he’s the best part of the entire series. He’s a Jewish gang leader who runs a “bakery” where he makes rum. Everything he says is amazing and I dare you not to fall in love with him. Also he loves dogs.
These are just a handful of the characters on the show. There are so many more to love like Lizzie Stark, Uncle Charlie, Curly, Isaiah Jesus, Jeremiah Jesus, and Bonnie Gold.
What I like most about the show is the characters. There are so many that I just love to death. The acting is really good, the music is fantastic. It’s had some good twists and it’s honestly just visually stunning.
Thanks for the ask!
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oh-shit-a-baby · 5 years
Text
BLACK FRIDAY THOUGHTS PART TWO
A complete compilation of my thoughts throughout the musicals second half,,, this bois going to be real long bc I have a lot of thoughts lol
Now without @drawinglinesinarbitraryplaces :(
Yep dumbledore can still sing
Omg his voice
This song is going to make me cry aaaaa
Becky: you don’t look at all the same as I remember
Me: yeah no shit dumbledore grew a beard
Jesus,,,,, theyre just going to go for it right there,,,,,, ookay
Wtaf is this movie they’re watching
HOLY SHIT HER VOICE IS /PRETTY/ HER RANGE IS HUGE!!!
Idk if this is an unpopular opinion bc no one has an opinion yet but Becky and toms song is the cutest one ever and a bop and I love it
Jesus they payed for a balcony and they’re going to fucking use it aren’t they
WELCOME TO PEIP HQ IM SO DOWN FOR THAT
OH THERE ARE MANY DIMENSIONS????? U GONNA EXPLAIN THAT MR GENERAL MACNAMARA????
The black and white isn’t that what lexs sister was on about
Wiggly is the king u wot m8
President kurt knows nothing about anything and that’s a mood
So if the next movie isn’t about ‘13 years ago’ imma freak
U WANNA SEND ME INTO THE FUCKIN TWILIGHT ZONE AND HAVE DINNER WITH THE DEVIL??????!?!!
NO!!! FUCK THAT!!!!! FUCK THAT!!!!! FUCK THAT!!!!!
^^^president kurt quotes
In short, mr president, we are trying to stop the birth
*dramatic piano*
Of a god.
*dRAMATIC PIANO*
It’s good score tho 10/10
Sherman young
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Nuff said
After today’s great battle???
Faith in the one true god!! All hail wiggly!!!
My new religion lol
LET LAKESIDE MALL BE A NEW JERUSALEM!!!!
*cue joey and Robert just screaming wiggly for like 5 mins straight*
NO THEY FOUND LEX
OH YEAH FUCKIN KILL THEM!!!
Who????????
FUCK YEAH LINDA
CULT??? NO! ITS A NEW EXCITING RELIGION THAT I STARTED!!!!
Yeah Gerald
She pronounces Cinnabon as see-nah-bohn what’s up with that lol
I NEED A WIGGLY DOLL...... IDEALLY FOUR OF THEM!!!
IVE MET GOD. HE HAD NOTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT YOU.
*cue people dying and their mics stopping working*
Holy fuck they all wanna kill Hannah now (lexs sister gets a name now apparently)
LAUREN I LOVE YOU AS A VILLAIN
I would kneel before villain Lauren any day
I will deestroy everything, and then I will deestroy everything, and then I will deestroy everything and then I will oh shit it’s Gerald.
While I don’t want you to think for yourselves I do want you to understand what I mean when I say my evil shit
I’m sorry that choreo is a yike
ETHAN DARLING COME BACK I MISS YOU <<<333333
IM CRYING NOW
He’s in the black and white now we’ll that sounds like shit
NOT ETHAN
Hannah is the unsung hero of this musical so far
*said in wiggly voice* well, webby (Hannah’s spider imaginary friend who I think is gonna be the deus ex machina of this thing) is a stupid bitch!
Rotten little banana. I’m going to peel you. I’m going to split you in two. I’m going to eat you Hannah. I’m going to eat you right now. *all said in dramatic wiggly voice*
Aaand their mics broke again
We don’t get tricked! We’re grown ups!
And Becky and Tom are immediately evil the second they see the wiggly bc of course they are
Jesus beckys the villain???????
Welcome to the musical where everyone gets a villain song AND a hero song??????
Her voice is still beautiful
*Prancing around* DO YOU WANT SOME CANDYYYYY??????
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She’s still wearing ethans hat my heart is going to go oh my god
And he just,,,,, leaves Becky to die?????
President Kurt in a space suit oh my god
And America is great again is playing in the background
MACNAMARA SAID ‘GODSPEED’ AND IS THAT A CATCHPHRASE I SENSE THERE
Yeah no president kurt can’t do foreign policy
His name is like howie or something but imma call him president kurt just like Tom was dumbledore for like the first half of this mess
Oh fuck joeys character is here and he’s gonna FUCK PREZ KURT UP
He’s eating an apple that means he’s a asshole
Holy fuck joeys character is like the ultimate capitalist
And also terrifying holy shit
NO MACNAMARA DONT GO IN THERE
Joeys character: Do you think that in the Netherlands they’d care about some toy??? Nah!!! They’re too busy with their free vacations and FREE healthcare!!
(When I refer to joeys character I mean the evil one he just doesn’t have a name yet so idk what to call him)
And joey can still sing I love him
His voice is so good and this whole villain is giving me spies are forever flashbacks
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I have absolutely no fuckin clue what’s going on rn
Holy fuck joeys voice is so beautiful and his range is killing me
I take back what I said earlier this song is the best one bc joey
Holy fuck someone just hit like a high d and I have no clue who it was bc the video quality is not the greatest
JESUS THATS TERRIFYING
THE FUCK YOU MEAN DONT BE FRIGHTENED THATS MY SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON
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LOOK AT THIS FUCKER JESUS CHRIST
Wiggly is so scary because he speaks like a child and those are scary
MACNAMARA EX MACHINA
Mac: BEGONE
Prez kurt: SORRY JOHN I FUCKED IT UP
THATS THE HOOK FROM NOT YOUR SEED ISNT IT HOLY SHIT
Joeys voice and acting is gonna kill me
Yeah made in America is the shit
MAC NO U CANT DIE U DIE IN TGWDLM
Also the black and white is a dumb as shit name for an alternate reality
Prez kurt: MERRY CHRISTMAS MOTHERFUCKER!!!!
*wiggly voice* Uh-oh mr prezzy-wez. It seems you’ve misplaced your bomby-womb.
Well shits about to go down
I’m calling it the bomb bombed the White House
Oop no they’ve only gone and lost Moscow
Well fuck here comes ww3 I guess
And prez kurt is definitely insane in the brain
ITS THE HOOK AGAIN THE ‘ALIENS INVADING MINDS’ BIT OH MY GOD I FEEL LIKE A MUSICAL GENIUS
Jesus Sherman is a weird fuck and lex is kinda clever I guess it’s a shame we haven’t seen her for most of the musical
Lex: I THREW EM IN THE FUCKIN TRASH
LEX BABY NO DONT DIE
Lex: Is this what I live for? To be choked in a toy store?
Lexs beautiful song is this musicals version of not your seed but depression
And her voice is /pretty/
MAC?????????????
WHAT??????????????
OH MY GOD HE IS AUTHORISING HER TO USE HIS FIREARM YES QUEEN
I’m sorry lex and Hannah can do what
Jeffs voice kills me him and joey need a duet and that would be the end of me
What did lex just do in so confused
MAC DID THE SALUTE IMMA CRY YALL
And we’re back with Tom
Oh fuck lex is gonna shoot tom
Hold up Tom names his son Tim
Wiggly is playing mind tricks now yikes
Lex: KIDS DONT WANT THAT PEICE OF SHIT!!!
Tom: wat
Lex: THEYRE ALL INTO FORTNITE DUDE!!!!!
So the doll can only fuck with adults not kids???
Jesus Christ this is depressing
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U wot lex
Lex: YOURE LIKE 40!!!!! YOU PROBABLY THINK YOURE LIFE IS OVER!!!!
Holy fuck this shit is deep
Wait lex still doesn’t know about Ethan oh my god
And Dylan gets another hero song holy fuck just give Robert a song already everyone else has one
At the same time though this is S a d
I’m not crying you’re crying
YES DUMBLEDORE U HIT THAT HIGH NOTE
Tom: in fact you’re real fuckin ugly
Me: yeah no shit
Lex: FUCK YEAH!!!! Should i move these boxes first?
*cue very clever scene change*
Yeah Gerald no one wants to talk to u
Oh my god Linda leave Hannah and ethans hat alone my heart is breaking for Hannah
Linda: is this some kind of a jooooke?????
They’re gonna set one of their dolls on fire ok ok ok this is fine
More villain songs ookay
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If someone could tell me what the fuck is going on in this scene I’d be very impressed
Evil yoga
YES LAUREN U QUEEN
HOLY FUCK IS THAT CHARLOTTE??????
OH MY GOD ITS JAIME IN THE CHARLOTTE COSTUME IT IS CHARLOTTE HOLY SHIT
ITS CHARLOTTE AND THE HOMELESS DUDE HOLY SHIT
The choreo is...... interesting
Cue Robert not-Corey and Lauren being the only good dancers and getting special choreo
FUCK YEAH BECKY WITH THE GUN
LINDA NO
Ookay so everyone’s on fire this is fine
Emma and Paul ex machina
SOMEBODY NUKED MOSCOW!
paul is family third wheeling
YOU KNOW, SHE HAS THIS KOOKY RECLUSIVE BIOLOGY PROFESSOR
*audience fucking looses their shit*
WHO LIVES ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
Paul is having an existential crisi because he sHOULD HAVE WORN A WATCH
Someone’s gonna fall of that staircase by the end of this performance
HOLY FUCK ITS THE HOT CHOCOLATE KID
IT IS THE HOT CHOCOLATE KID OH NY GODDDDD
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LOOK AT HIM
It’s the what if tomorrow comes bit!!!!!!!
Okay again this choreo is interesting but the vocals are all S t u n n i n g
They’re literally counting down until the end of the show imma loose my shit that’s the least subtle they’ve been during the entire show
Hang on hang on hang on hang on haaaaang on right there
Did lex just never find out that her boyfriend died we were deprived of a heart wrenching moment when she found out about Ethan
Like jeez I cried and I barely knew him she was dating the guy and just... didn’t ask about him????
ITS THE HOOK AGAIN
That’s it!!!!! Those were my thoughts the first time I watched this through!!!!!!!
Scream at me in the notes with any questions and I’ll try answer them :)
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the-nerktwins · 5 years
Text
There’s more to “Another Day” than meets the eye…or, ear…
Sometimes the most interesting thoughts are captured during discussions. I recently began a thread in a Beatles forum I’m a member of, about Paul’s song “Another Day” and the deeper meaning I personally found within it. The conversation veered into two different directions. One was the concept of the lyrical content being overlooked for a few possible reasons, not the least of them being that the protagonist was a woman. The other branch of this conversation veered towards was the musical anatomy of the song and how it serves to add texture to the story the lyrics are telling.
It’s with regret that I report that some participants completely overlooked the musical complexity of this track. To illustrate, here are a couple of key quotes from respondents in the thread I started:
“In contrast to 'Eleanor Rigby, 'Another Day' is cute and perfect instead of full of contrast and dynamics. The cozy comfort of the music itself reflects the bland predictability of the protagonists' life, as depicted in the song. I'm just not sure that's the best approach to take. I think John and George's (Martin) influence would have added some dimension.”
“Yes it's typical of McCartney to wrap a dark story in a cute song. He likes to hide things (even from himself).”
I was left wondering if me and these posters were even listening to the same song! I was also reminded of how ready people are to default to and parrot the (false and grossly oversimplified) talking points that the fandom has been spoon-fed about Paul’s songcraft since the 1970’s. Paul is hardly ever regarded as a valid artist in his own right outside of the Beatles collective, that is terribly, truly wrongheaded in every imaginable way.
I find it galling that many fans still want to hear his early, solo work with a “Lennon filter” applied to it. I’ve seen people saying things like, “This song is good, but if he’d done it with John it would’ve been GREAT!” I completely disagree. McCartney’s compositional abilities by 1967 had evolved to the point where he could “hear” in his head almost exactly what he wanted his final product to sound like. He was adept at articulating his vision to producers, engineers, and bandmates rather early on.
It also hasn’t escaped my notice that certain fans resent his abilities within the confines of the Beatles’ collective since it did contribute to some friction within the band during their late period, and then they turn around and completely ignore his competency when it comes to his solo work (and lament that he couldn’t collaborate with Lennon or George Martin on particular solo songs). It’s a paradoxical mentality and I’m not shy about denouncing it. It gives me whiplash, if I’m quite honest about it!
Since I don’t know (and didn’t ask) the participants about whether they’ve had any experience as musicians, I can make some allowance for the fact that people who’ve played music can hear things in a piece that non-musicians may not pick up on. The thing is, there exist a fair number of sources which could at least illustrate what’s going on musically in “Another Day.”
As for me, since I have a musical background, and I can HEAR what’s going on. To me there are “contrast and dynamics.” The song builds, crescendos, and comes back down again.  There's a lot going on in terms of time signature changes, and decorative elements which add texture to the story being told.  It’s brilliant! I realize that someone who has little to no musical experience could miss it.  There are musically-inclined people out there who can explain it, however, and I went looking online for just that. I conducted two simple Google searches: “Paul McCartney Another Day Musical Analysis,” and “Paul McCartney Another Day Sheet Music.”
With the second search, I found a website which allows the user to play a midi file of the song (with the lead vocals, backing vocals, and every instrument) while the user is taken through the sheet music. The parts being played highlight what’s going on in the song as it’s playing. If someone is inexperienced as a musician, it can serve as a nice, visual aid to see just how complex a composition is, and how much is going on within it. Here’s a screenshot of the site, and a link to “Another Day” for illustrative purposes.
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"Another Day" by Paul and Linda McCartney on MuseScore.com
To me this is proof-positive that "Another Day" isn't just a cutesy, fluffy song.
For some further argument in the favor of the musical merits of this song, I stumbled upon comments from fans in the Steve Hoffman music forums, in a thread called "Paul McCartney 'Another Day' Appreciation Thread"
After the bit ".... leaves the next daaaaayyyy..." there's this descending run on the guitar that is perfectly placed, but very difficult indeed to play. – Edgard Varese
yeah, another day is an absolutely killer track. to me its really the perfect song: catchy as hell, yet imaginative and really far more complex than a casual listener would ever realize. i also agree with the thoughts on the rythym guitar. great song to learn for any guitar player, not just for the rythm, but for the chords also. i believe it starts with a g to a b7 with an f# bass and really you've got me hooked from there – andyw676
Listen to the bassline...amazing. – Stateless
I've always loved this song, everything about it really. The undertone of Rigby-esque sadness was obvious to me from the get-go, and the yearning in the "sometimes she feels so sad" bit as the music shifts up and down chromatically always put a lump in my throat. Paul's very good at getting some of the more delicate emotional shadings in his songs. Great song. Thanks for the thread! -- Gardo
That song has some crazy chord changes, and lots of em. Makes it special. – Dave D
To diverge just a little bit into lyrical territory, there were some nuggets of push-back within this Steve Hoffman thread against the typical appraisal of this song, namely it being labeled as “lightweight” or “trite” by certain critics or fans.
Similarly, on "Another Day" if you read the lyrics carefully you may come away feeling not uplifted by a catchy little ditty but a mite saddened by the sometimes crushing loneliness of the modern grind. Personally I love the "At the office where the papers grow..." and "Alone in her apartment she'd dwell..." parts, some of Paul's best lyrics. Remarkable concision. – Dr J
I don't consider it quite as light as I did. It's almost a social commentary on the way women's lives were in the 70s, although not a knock at anyone specific. I admit I'm stealing a little of my wife's analysis. – kevinsinnott
I find it interesting to note that the second poster needed some assistance from a woman regarding his appraisal of the lyrical content. It’s another reminder of the depressing reality that this song is likely written off as superficial and lightweight, and not much analysis applied to it, but because the protagonist is a woman. Just as a lot of our struggles as women are ignored or ridiculed, a song written by a male who sympathizes with our plight is written off as “silly” and “fluffy” by male fans, even if the lyrics have a dark subtext.
To me, the song speaks of something dark and existential going on within the protagonist's psyche, and Paul himself is simply a narrator, imploring the audience to empathize with her as much as he does. And by empathizing with the plight of a woman, Paul unfortunately gets labeled a superficial square who creates “Muzak” and isn’t “Rock N’ Roll” enough. And that’s not right any way you slice it.  Even more ironic is that not long after "Another Day," Lennon at the behest of his wife would be singing and talking about Women's struggles for equal rights and the injustice of it all.  He glibly missed his former songwriting partner's intent in this song.  That's not unlike John at all, however, and that's certainly not the point of this essay.  It's just an observation I found interesting.
"Another Day" also speaks to me as an acknowledgement that people who are highly functional can and do suffer depression; people are coached to wear a mask of being “OK” because it’s not socially acceptable to admit you are not OK. Just keep your head down, go to work, do what you’re supposed to do, get on with it, and don’t tell anyone about your problems…
“As she posts another letter to the sound of five People gather 'round her and she finds it hard to stay alive.”
To go back to the song being marginalized as a little bit of radio-friendly, pop fluff, when to me it clearly is NOT for a moment, I want to acknowledge something. Fans were less able to access opposing literature and materials in the early 1970’s, and McCartney himself wasn’t talking much to the press (and unless you’re a brand-new fan, you know why), so I can see why people sort of accepted this viewpoint at the time.
As Erin Torkelson-Weber has pointed out in interviews and on her blog, “The Historian and the Beatles,” Paul’s relative lack of response to the talking points being pushed by John and Yoko within their post-breakup PR campaign, as well as Paul choosing not to give too much weight to the unfair critical appraisal of his work that was tainted by rock music “journalists” essentially siding with John and Yoko, really created a vacuum, allowing for the fandom’s appraisal of Paul’s work to be dominated by this narrative. Therefore, it’s natural that many, if not most fans in 1971 would buy into these sentiments.  
What I find annoying is that this tendency continues to persist within the fandom, even among younger fans! This is despite having a considerable amount of evidence available at our fingertips that can serve to point out how very wrong this narrative truly is, up to and including the damn sheet music!
With the ability we now possess to access contemporaneous source material and examine all of it objectively, and the ability to listen to virtually all of his music for free via the major, online streaming services, it demonstrates laziness when people within the fandom choose not to think for themselves regarding McCartney’s genius and artistic merit separate from the other Beatles (namely Lennon).
“Another Day” isn’t the only McCartney work I’ve seen suffer under-appreciation by fans, but it’s an excellent example to illustrate my point, since it was specifically singled out by Lennon and early 70’s rock critics and used as a device by Lennon and the prominent rock critics of the day to publicly mock McCartney and call his integrity as an artist into question.
A lot of McCartney’s solo work is written off in a similar fashion, and what a terrible shame that is. Quite frankly, I think people are depriving themselves of a lot of pleasure by simply dismissing McCartney and avoiding his music (or sticking to his “greatest hits” without delving into his catalog and giving everything a thorough listen), based on these antiquated appraisals of his work.
In conclusion, I hope this essay didn’t come across too harshly. I just hope it may inspire people to listen more carefully to Paul McCartney’s solo work and give him the credit as an artist that he duly deserves.
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stripestheboar · 6 years
Note
Ooooh my stars can you do more PTA Sans scenes?! I absolutely adore that AU!!
Sorry this took so long. Weeks of sickness is getting to me. Not to mention making up jokes can take hours.
Anyways…. PART 3 OF THE PTA SANS COLLECTION!
ENJOY
~Undertale~
Sans: *comes in* okay, what’s going on? Frisk has been late to five doctor’s appointments because the teachers won’t let them leave until i come get them.
Helen: *motions for him to sit down* I’m afraid we just can’t trust your child to leave the class anymore. He keeps writing fake notes just to get out.
Sans: *blinks and sits down* fake notes? whoa whoa, what? that doesn’t sound like them.
Helen: *nods* Yes, he’s quite the troublemaker. Not being her father, it’s clear you don’t know him as much as you thought. He makes fake doctor’s notes, clearly written by him.
Sans: well, how do you know? I always write their notes since Tori’s teaching.
Helen: Well, for one, it’s all types up lowercase. Probably so we don’t recognize her handwriting (he doesn’t seem too bright).  
Sans:… typed?
Helen: Mmhmm. Typed up on a flimsy piece of paper. All lowercase and with bad spelling and grammar. And in Comic Sans no less! *slowly coming to realization* If he really thinks the teacher and…. I are dumb enough to let… that… pass…. *blinks*
Sans:…..  
Helen:….
Sans: *sighs* y’know, it’s pretty hard being a married working mother when you’re single, unemployed, a skeleton, and most importantly a dude, but damn it, Helen…. Frisk and i donated fifty cans to the food drive. i think we deserve some respect here.
Helen: Well I’m head of the PTA, so there really is no-
Sans: how many cans did you donate, Helen?
Helen: That doesn’t really matter-
Sans: how many, Helen?
Helen:….. *looks down* Four.
Sans: really? wow. i would’ve though you would’ve had the time to donate more with how much time you spend bitching about my kid.
~Underfell~
Sans: *hands Frisk money* here’s twenty g. vending machine is around the corner. don’t go around spending it all in one fuckin’ place. now run along, ya little shithead.
Frisk: *snatches up money and runs off*
Daniel: *walking when Frisk suddenly races past him* Hey, watch where you’re going. *sighs* Little shithead.
Sans: *suddenly next to him* uh, what the fuck did you just call my kid?
Daniel: What? You call them that all the time!
Sans: yeah, it’s okay when i say it because they know i still fucking love them. when you say it, you actually fucking mean it.
Daniel: then maybe you shouldn’t speak to your child that way.
Sans: then maybe you should mind your own fucking business or else!
Daniel: Or else what? It’s your fault you don’t love your child enough!
Sans: *stops* oh… you fucker… *chuckles evilly* i’ll show you love, asshole. *disappears*
The Next Saturday 
Daniel: *helping his young son onto his bike* Alright, Cody, today’s the day you’re going to learn to ride like all of your friends. *hands him his helmet* Now, it may be scary at first, and you may fall down a few times, but remember that I will be here to help you-
Cody: *puts on helmet* It’s okay, dad! I already know how! *rides off on his bike perfectly with a smile*
Daniel: *shocked* What? How did he-? When did he-?!
Sans: *rides by on his tricycle* ha ha asshole! i taught your kid how to ride a bike! you’re never gonna get that back! *rides off into the sunset*
~Underswap~
Sans: *finishes checking off the last name* AND DONE! THAT’S EVERYONE! *grins* GOOD WORK, EVERYBODY! THIS FUNDRAISER WILL MORE THAN HELP THE BAND GET NEW EQUIPMENT! SINCE MARIA’S CHILDREN RAISED THE MOST, THEY GET TOP PRIZES. *walks over and hands Maria a bone* HERE! A TOKEN OF MY ETERNAL GRATITUDE!
Maria: *smiles and takes it, shaking off how weird it is* Aw, thanks, Sans. I really appreciate it. Cindy had fun selling to all her friends.
Sans: WELL CINDY IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB! HERE, A BONE FOR HER AS WELL. *hands her a smaller bone* TELL HER THE PRIZES WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK.
Linda: Bones? Don’t you think that’s kind of weird?
Sans: *tilts head* I’M JUST SHOWING MY GRATITUDE. DO HUMANS NOT LIKE THAT?
Linda: It’s just kinda weird with all the bones. What’s with you monsters and your obsessions with bones? Or is that just a skeleton thing?
Sans: *thinks hard* I’M ACTUALLY NOT SURE, LINDA! I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS WEIRD THAT YOU HUMANS LIKE TO GET MARRIED THREE TIMES AND PULL THEIR CHILD INTO THEIR DIVORCE BATTLES THUS DRASTICALLY AFFECTING THEIR SCHOOL WORK AND MOTIVATION TO DO THE ACTIVITIES THEY LOVE SUCH AS BAND. OR IS THAT JUST A LINDA THING?
~Swapfell~
Sans: AS HEAD BOOSTER MOM-
Gloria: *aside to her friend* As you’ve proclaimed fifty times this meeting.
Sans: - I AM THOROUGHLY SATISFIED BY THE RATE AT WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO HELP FUND ADEQUATE  EQUIPMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN. NOW THAT ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN SETTLED, LET US DISCUSS SETTING UP THE STAGE ON THURSDAY TO GET READY FOR THE SHOW. I ASSUME IT MAY TAKE US A GOOD SIX HOURS TO GET IT READY.
Gloria: Wait- what?
Sans: WE NEED TO SET THE STAGE FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE MUST MAKE IT PERFECT; OUR CHILDREN SHALL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS.
Gloria: Six hours of setting up? Look, I don’t have time for that.
Sans: IT WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOON. YOU CAN’T SPARE YOUR TIME FOR AN HOUR?
Gloria: I still can’t make it. I have a busy schedule. Can’t we use some of the money from the fundraiser to hire a few people to do that.
Sans: THAT MONEY IS FOR THE EQUIPMENT! FINE. I SHALL TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE PERFORMANCE AS WELL.
Gloria: E-excuse me?!  
Sans: IF YOUR SCHEDULE IS SO BUSY TO WHERE YOU CAN’T MAKE IT EVEN FOR AN HOUR, YOU WILL SUEELY BE TOO EXHAUSTED TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE PERFORMANCE THE NEXT MORNING. DO NOT DESPAIR. MY MUTT CAN EASILY TRANSPORT YOUR CHILD.
Gloria: You are not touching my son. Look, my schedule is packed tight and there’s nothing I can do about it.  
San: GLORIA, YOU’RE A STAY-AT-HOME MOTHER RAISING ONE CHILD. I COULD GET CANCER AND DIE OF IT IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU SPEND WATCHING “THE REAL HOUSEWIVES” IN A SINGLE DAY. IF YOU CAN’T SPARE A SINGLE HOUR, WHY ARE YOU IN THE PTA AND BOOSTER CLUB TO BEGIN WITH?
~Horrortale~
Sans: *sits down in front of the desk* so what’s the deal, Suzanne?  
Suzanne: *folds her hands* I’m afraid it’s about Aliza.  
Sans: what’d she do this time?
Suzanne: *pulls out a hand-drawn picture of King Asgore getting stabbed by a little kid* The teacher showed me this. Aliza drew it in her spare time; she’s starting to really scare the other children.
Sans: *looks at it and laughs* ha, that’s just Asgore, the former king, being slain by a human who condemned us to rot in the Underground and starve to death.
Suzanne: Why would she draw such a thing?!
Sans: the kid’s growin’ up. soon she’ll be old enough to follow the last one’s footsteps and slay the Undyne. i think it’s kinda her dream at this point. little rascal. kids, amaraite?
Suzanne: You-you actually encourage your child this to do this?!
Sans: hey hey, calm down. don’t worry, Tori and i have already sat her down and had the talk with her.
Sans: college comes first.
~Altertale~
Lillian: Oh, hey, Sans. How’s Kate doing in class?
Sans: *smiles* she’s doing very well. however, i have a few… concerns.
Lillian: *sits down* Concerns? What’s wrong? Is she misbehaving?
Sans: well… somewhat. she’s been spreading around very foul language as of late. swear words and the like. do you know where she could be hearing these words?
Lillian: Oh dear! I have no idea where she could have picked this language up. I’ll give her a grounding when she gets home. How bad is it?
Sans: she’s been saying these words every chance she gets. *turns around* Katie? can you come in, dear?
Kate: *pokes her head in and giggles* Fuck!
Lillian: Hey! Watch your fucking mouth!
Sans: *silent*…..
Lillian: What?
Sans: Lillian do you even have ears?
~Underlust~
Karen: Did I hear right? You’re signing up to be the Sexual Education teacher.
Sans: you heard right, babe. i thought that if it should be anyone, it should be someone with tons of experience and a scientific background.
Karen: That’s….. extremely problematic.
Sans: i kinda get where you’re coming from; you don’t want someone like me teaching your children. trust me, they’re in no better hands than mine.
Karen: Says the one with dozens of past sex partners and only one boyfriend.
Sans: says the one with three marriages and four children and yet somehow clearly not getting enough sex in her life.
Karen:……
Sans: and pfft. “dozens?” you underestimate me. smh, boo, smh.  
~Echotale~
Martha: My child just had a cold, is all.
G: no, he has the flu. he needs to stay home. i thought i told you to get him vaccinated.
Martha: Oh what do you know?
G: *hands her his PhD*
Martha: *tears it up*  
G: *pulls out another* i know what i’m talking about, Martha.
Martha: Wha- *tears that up as well*
G: *pulls another PhD out* i’ve won this game before, and i’ll win it again.
Martha: *snatches it up and crumples it* How do you have so many?!
G: i made sure to print, like, fifty before i got here. *pulls out two more*
Martha: *smacks them away* You’re insane!
G: *pulls out four more* you can’t fight the inevitable, Martha.
Martha: *backs away* What are you doing?!
G: *pulls out thirty more* *PhDs are all she can see* i’m gonna vaccinate the fuck out of your kids Martha, and they will live a healthy life.
~Outertale~
Anna: -and that’s why I believe every child should be given gluten-free lunches. This is what we should be spending our funds on, not a play about peace between humans and space monsters. It has good intent, yes, but these lunches are far more important!
Sans: *has been silent this whole ten minute period*
Anna: Sans? Are you even listening to me?
Sans: of course.
Anna: Your thoughts?
Sans: just missing the sounds of the cold vacuum of space. that’s all.
~Reapertale~
Elizabeth: *lying in bed, asleep* *eyes shoot open when she hears a creak*
Sans: *slowly rises from the ground and out of the darkness* greetings human mortal. my faithful messenger, Frisk, has told me of your ways. what is it you desire, human mortal?
Elizabeth: *eyes wide, shaking and sweating in fear* M-more coin f-for the schoolhouse? A-and a new writing slate?
Sans: very well. the contract has been sealed. you have five.
Elizabeth: F-five? Five what?!
Sans: no… make it four. *slowly sinks back into the darkness* *appears next to Frisk* this is probably the best thing i’ve done in centuries. alright, who’s next on the list?
~Dancetale~
Beatrice: *grabbing some brownies from the food table* *turns around and shrieks in surprise and drops her paper plate*
Sans: *breakdancing right in front of her*
Beatrice: *sternly* Sans, for the last time, I’m not changing my mind. We’re not wasting our funds on a dance club when they’ll never use it as a future skill.
Sans: *continues breakdancing*
Beatrice: Sans, you can’t keep doing this every time I refuse-
Sans: *breakdancing harder*
Beatrice: S-Sans, I-
Sans: *breakdancing intensifies*
Beatrice: S-stay away from my family-!
Sans: *just breakdancing* *only breakdancing*
~Aftertale~  
Frisk: *made a science project featuring Geno and Sans, and how their existence proved the theory of multiple timelines*
Geno: *hops off the table once the science fair ends, pulling sticky notes off of himself*
Sans: *doing the same* first place, kiddo. we’re proud of ya.
Frisk: *smiles proudly*
Helen: *approaches and crosses her arms* Well it’s quite and achievement for an idea so absurd.
Geno: *pulls the last sticky note off of him* Excuse me?
Helen: *turns her head* I just believe Frisk is too much of an… overachiever. We already know he’s saved the world. Why should he rub it in everyone’s faces when he clearly has an advantage over everyone else.
Geno:… lady, i stand here as living proof of the existence of both multiple timelines and universes. i spent countless lifetimes within the Void in endless loneliness and agony, only to be released by this special kid right here. they deserve every award they get, especially when second place was an airplane model built by you, not your kid.
Helen: *cheeks turn red* What?! These are just harmful accusations!
Geno: Helen, i’m a firm believer that people truly can change, but we saw you double dip with Maria’s salsa at the meeting. we know you’re that kind of person.
~Machinatale~
Sans: *looks through the plans* Wait… we’re getting rid of the computer lab? Why?
Sharon: *looks over* Hmm? Oh, that’s just a request for now. We need it approved by the administrators. Children need to tear their eyes away from a screen and hold something real.
Sans: How else are they going to get all the information they need? They’re too young to earn smartphones.
Sharon: The library, of course.
Sans: Okay, yeah, but kids are only allowed to check out two books at a time. Why should they spend so much time trying to find a book with the information they need when the world’s database is at their fingertips?  
Sharon: *sighs* They don’t need a screen to figure things out. They spend too much time on the internet.
Sans: They need computers to do the proper research from multiple sources, as well as print out papers. Research could be conducted within minutes, not hours.
Sharon: She can do that at the library. *scoffs* Of course you would be all over technology. You’re a robot. What makes you think you’re smarter than a loving parent?
Sans: Sharon, I have more processing power than modern day’s best calculators, and yet, somehow your bullshit still isn’t adding up.
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buddyhollyscurls · 6 years
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blossom (do all 3), blush, bright, candlelight (or whenever your last dream was), cuddly, cutie pie, daylight, euphoric, fairy, garden, glow, jiggly, kisses, prince, princess, rainbow, starlight, soft, toot, whiffle, wispy (sorry there were just so many questions i liked!!!)
MY DEAREST DIANA U ARE AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE THANK YOU SO MUCH
blossom; favorite book/movie/song?:
favorite book: the pigman series by paul zindel, because of romek by david faber, and the catcher in the rye by jd salinger 
favorite movie: life is beautiful, la strada, coco 
favorite song: ironia by mana, back to black by amy winehouse, i’ve been good to you by the miracles 
blush; what was your stuffed animal as a child?: when i was about 12? or so my brother got me and my sister a gift card for build a bear workshop lol i got a bunny i named babz she has on a purple sweat suit. i kept the box and her birth certificate but my niece messed them up and lost her jacket when she was a baby :( but i still have babz she sits on my vanity in my room i don’t think i’ll ever be able to give her up. 
bright; mermaids or fairies?: definitely faires i hope to be a fairy in my next life preferably a forest one who is able to make plants grow
candlelight; what did you dream about last night?: the last dream i REMEMBER had something to do with my trying to prevent death?? IDK BLAME GOBLIN I HAD JUST FINISHED WATCHING IT AND IT WAS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED THAT SHOW FUCKED ME UP 
cuddly; what’s your favorite time period?: the 60s have always held a huge fascination for me. like i remember i used to love February bc that was when we would talk about the civil rights movement and stuff and through that i remember being like 12 and seeing documentaries about the black panthers and woodstock. 
most precious item you own: i have a lot of those babz is one, i’m a very sentimental person i have a hello kitty box filled with pics friends have given me i have a Berenstain bears book i once put in a time capsule with my sister and brother that we had to dig up super early bc we moved ummm i still have cards and stuff friends have given me one is even from my tenth birthday, drawings my niece has made me, a shoebox full of journals i’ve filled up things like that i feel if i made them or if someone gave them to me they’re super precious. my book and movies as well.
favorite album of all time: tie between back to black or stg peppers 
talk about someone u love: i’m going to talk about my nieces and nephews rn bc i love them so much: adelie is the oldest she’s ten and my favorite person in the whole world. when she was born i took care of her a lot even stopped going to school for about a year so my sister could go and we got so close bc of that she is just so funny and silly and loving i hate that my girl has to grow up i want her to be little forever. next is my nephew Malcolm he’s so energetic and he plays a bit too rough with adelie and his brother and sister but he’s a great big brother he looks out for them and he and adelie get along super well. nicole is next she is an actual angel she is the sweetest girl in this entire planet she is so nurturing and she is super helpful and gentle. and finally my nephew diego. he’s three and the exact clone of my brother i even have this ig post of a side by side photo from when my brother was little they’re wearing red shirts and i stg they even have the same smile. my little man is so cute. when he was born it took a little while for him to warm up to us bc we don’t get the chance to see him as much as we did when adelie was born. but now its a complete 180 sometimes i’ll be walking and he’ll just run up and give me a hug and it makes my heart soar 
fairy; do you have a pet?: sadly i don’t haha i want to have a senior cat or senior dog but that’ll have to wait until i get my own place. hopefully whenever i get into something called a serious relationship we can get a puppy together and raise it together but who knows when that’ll come i don’t want a puppy until then tho
garden; how many languages do you know?: outside english i know spanish and a tiny bit of italian and portuguese just barely tho lol not enough to have a conversation but i can probably pick up a few sentences i want to learn italian portuguese french (that one is SUPER HARD THO FRENCH WTF) and maybe arabic 
glow; list the top 5 things you like about yourself
1: ppl tell me i’m funny
2. i’m really honest 
3. i’m tenacious 
4. i’m very empathetic 
5. for the most part i’m a postive person i’m one of those ppl that are just everyone’s personal cheerleader 
jiggly; what do you usually like to do on weekends?: watch movies lmaoooo this weekend alone i saw train to busan, silenced, see you tomorrow, this is not what i expected, turn left turn right, and lust caution. i don’t see movies during the week (during school anyway) so usually all week i try to be like what am i watching this weekend. it’s very rare i willingly make plans over the weekend we can hang out during the week but weekends are for movies.
kisses; what romantic cliché do you wish for most?: i am a romantic sap lol i am the cheesiest person i know but for some reason i’m not into cliches i guess like hmmm i guess for me the one i want most is to fall in love with my best friend. like i meet someone and we just click and they make me do the chris evans laugh A LOTand i’m able to open up and just talk with them and gradually one day its like oh snap. so this is the person i’m supposed to be with. tight. 
prince; how would you describe your handwriting?: atrocious. sometimes i can’t even read what i just wrote. but i hear ugly handwriting is a sign of high intelligence so theres that lmaooo. 
princess; do you play any instruments? if not, are there any you wish you could play?: uuuuhhh i don’t :((((((((( if i could i wish i could play guitar (i only know a few chords) drums, piano, bass, even the sitar ok brian and george made it look sick af 
rainbow; what was the last line of the last book you read?: “For the first time ever, I think Haddock may have a point, you know.” my mad fat diary by rae earl (if u haven’t seen the show i highly rec it it’s one of my fave ever just a side note)
starlight; what was your favourite show as a child?: hey arnold ok don’t even get me started on it i’ll talk forever how great it is even now its just timeless even adults should watch it and i’ve said this before and i’ll say it a million more times helga g pataki is probably one of the most complex, interesting, well written female character EVER on any show i owe craig bartlett my entire life. 
soft; describe your favourite spot in your house: the dining room its huge and its got big windows i love looking out windows so when i write i like sitting at the table to look out every now and then sometimes i’ll just look out that window when i wake up and be like damn its a new day. 
toot; what is something you find unique about yourself?: hmmm…. i guess how idealistic i am. and how intense i feel about things. when i was a kid i thought everyone had strong feelings about something and just LOVED things all the time but getting older i realize being passionate about things esp things like books and tv and movies is really………. odd haha. like even now i will type paragraphs about a favorite movie or something that happened in a show and my friends will be like why are u like this. the same goes with how idealistic i am like thought it was normal to have so many things u want to do and see in the world but when i talk to my friends theyre like oh i just never thought about doing that so it makes me feel odd sometimes bc i know i expecet a lot out of life hahahaha. 
whiffle; if you could have a magical power, what would it be?: either flight or invisibility 
wispy; do you like the place where you grew up? do you think you will live there when you get older?: i LOVE san diego and i LOVE california (in spite of how damn expensive it is here) but even when i was little i didn’t see myself living here as an adult with a family. i just always felt like this world is so big why live in one place your whole life. one day i want to live somewhere green and have my farm with my little animals and soccer team of kids haha. like linda and paul mccartney. 
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littleblondesoprano · 3 years
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I don't know how hard this will be but... Top 5 Musical Theatre Sopranos 🙊🎶
OH gooooshhh, it’s difficult! I haven’t listened to/watched musical theatre in...a while. It’s been a hot minute! But thank you <3 
1) Sierra Boggess 
Of course it’s gotta be Sierra. It’s always Sierra. She’s the one who inspired me to start singing, and pursue it, way back in ye olde pre-high school days. I heard her sing in the 25th Poto Anniversary and that was IT. She was, and has been, my absolute idol ever since. But, she’s also just bomb at singing literally anything (and just a super sweet person!) so here’s a video of her singing ‘Stars’ from Les Mis that I sang for an audition in high school and my voice absolutely sailed on that last note. I still remember my music teacher being like: “You did that?! Holy shit” I got a good portion of the high notes after that.  
youtube
2) Audra McDonald
Need I say more? 
youtube
3) Megan Hilty
A Queen. My favorite G(a)linda by far! (Her last note at the end always gives me chills)
youtube
4) Anna O'Byrne
Okay, I know ‘Love Never Dies’ is a....time. But Anna’s voice is so clear - she plays the perfect older, motherly Christine, imo. (and I’m still envious of that beautiful peacock dress) I do have issues with her pronunciation, but to each their own.
youtube
5) Anne Runolfsson
Her Carlotta vibes and notes are immaculate. She’s always clear as a bell and just makes it look so easy. 
youtube
Thank you!! :D
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dahoodsie · 7 years
Text
We Are Chicks, Hear Us Chirp
Is throwback. Still disagree with my beloved dead mummy in this case, but she absolutely was full of thought. Originally introduced:
03/31/00 Smokey G offers a valentine to chick wrestling fans everywhere.
As a card-carrying Player in the Being Human game, don't you love it when logical progression and magical influence converge in a place Where Things Happen?  An example of this kind of convergence can be found at chicksonwrestling.com, the most electrifying website on the WWW. It is a COMMUNITY that embodies some of the finer characteristics we, The People, have been able to muster during our evolution. It positively OOZES with CHARASMA, Teamwork and Mind-meld.   It EMBODIES a place where the sensitivities of the individual are delicately balanced against the commonly shared values. It ENCOURAGES Writers and RESPECTS Readers. Those who are building it are fluent and funny, with formidable talents. It EXUDES a generosity of Spirit and of Skill... from each, according to her ability -- to each, according to her need. It's a CHICK kind of place.
[NOTE: Readers are advised to refrain from inferring any intended disrespect directed towards the ovariologically-challenged members of the species. I like Guys. A LOT. But this is an ode to The Chicks.]
One of the website's ongoing discussions, naturally enough, is the Role of Women in the WWF. Chyna and (increasingly) Lita aside, I am not a fan of women who wrestle. My daughter, Chicks on Wrestling's D'Hood, asked me to ponder the nature of my own sexism and, since she didn't slap me, I did. Here's what it comes down to: I think men and women are DIFFERENT. I think gender-based attributes EXIST. I CELEBRATE those beliefs. Even though I also subscribe to the influences of male and female energy that are unrelated to gender, you are invited to SUE ME if my brand of Blatant Sexism offends.
More heresy: Women are LESS warlike than men. Since the framework I use to enjoy wrestling includes working out the propensity for WAR in a Safe Place, where's the pleasure in seeing something that's REALLY FAKE in my archetypal/stereotypical landscape? I just plain don't get it and I have a question for the Scholars associated with CoW, of which there are many. The People of the Mohawk Tribe, and many others, still enjoy a matriarchal society to a certain extent. As I understand it, their history includes a council of Menopausal Women who choose the Chief and have the Final Word on when to make war. But they didn't fight. What can you offer about other matriarchies? Did the Chicks actually get into the ring... go on the battlefield... in equal numbers? Curious minds want to know and maybe an answer will pop up on CoW's message board. We'll speculate. We'll swap ideas, share points of view. Sometimes the studies of human history or psychology strike me as simply sub-genres of GOSSIP, something Chicks have the muscles to engage in with breathtaking ease and artistry. We work out. It's not really a GUY thing, although some love to listen in.
Valets I get. I get the HO Train. I think they've got the GUTS that STRUTS, in addition to more obvious attributes. MANAGERS I really get. I've been told that in the 'secret' EST training, Werner Erhard taught people to think this way about gender: Men are basically Gorillas. Women are basically Gorilla Trainers. This opinion is probably prosecutable in today's environment, but, ya know, it kinda resonates for me. (That attitude has definitely contributed to my professional advancement and earning potential. I'm thinking of getting some business cards printed with 'Just Do What I Say, You Know You Want To, Incorporated'.)  But anyway... I get MANAGERS, because what I want to see is EQUAL access to POWER. I want to see women doing the BOOKING. I want to hear women ANNOUNCING, contributing to the shared public perception of the event. I want to watch women parade in with their STABLES of arena fodder in the form of BUFF MEN.
When Stephanie told Linda that there was only room for one Dominatrix in the McMahon family and then slapped her, calling her a conniving (expletive deleted by UPN), I marked HARD. A power struggle at that level makes me dizzy. These ladies aren't EMPLOYEES of the company. They OWN a big chunk of it. Power of that brand is MEANINGFUL. Ask Jodie Foster. Ask Oprah. As women become more WILLING to be POWERFUL, it is my hope that they will not limit their goals to winning the Games Men Play. I hope Equal Opportunity will change The Game's DEFINITION by reflecting the ingredients and the goals that women bring to the table as they take their seats in greater numbers in the Corporate World, the House and Senate, and the arenas of the Squared Circle.
As far as influencing the Male Bastions of Sports Entertainment, this is the right time to be a Chick and chicksonwrestling.com is the right place to be. This is the leading edge, no pun intended... the very portal to the FUTURE of professional wrestling. Think about it. This is a BUSINESS. It's got to GROW.  Where could the WWF look to pump up the size of its customer base? Mars, perhaps? Might be able to sell a few action figures but the PPV opportunities are somewhat limited. Hmmm. Well, this meeting's not gonna end until we come up with something. Hey, I've got an idea --- CHICKS! They've got money. More than EVER! Howzzabout we do some MARKET RESEARCH? Omigawd... have you seen this website? Let's read it EVERY DAY, figure out exactly what Chicks want... and then, we'll SELL it to them.
This scenario would account for a FEW of the phenomenal number of daily hits the site is averaging. And when I say 'phenomenal',  I MEAN it. Modesty prohibits me from trumpeting any numbers. That's a Chick Thing, too. Thinking about the MATH of it all brings to mind another Chick Bias. I've been conducting an informal survey, the results of which are: Upon hearing the actual number of daily hits, Guys say, "You must be making money off of the advertising." Chicks say, "You must be having fun." Variations include "You should try to get a job with the WWF." (Guys) and, "They should give you free tickets to the matches." (Chicks). See the difference? Achievement/Objective-Orientation and Ongoing-Experiential-Level-Orientation. It's not about being LIGHTWEIGHTS, it's about having different CRITERIA, different ways of feeling SATISFIED, and different definitions of WINNING.
Wrestling is for BRUTES, the cuter the brute the better, and I honor them for what they DO. Germinating a new vision of wrestling, gestating new forms of expression, nurturing the dreams of a community of fans, feeding the ambitions of Boys who Brawl, weaving a witchy magic over a cauldron heated by the very fires of PROCREATION, giving birth to new entities in the world of Sports Entertainment... well, look at the LANGUAGE. It's a cry for Chick Magic. CoW hears the cry and delivers, right to the desktop. I've got two words for ya: READ IT! FEED YOUR MIND!  IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!
(You didn't really expect a Chick to obey the word limit, didja?)
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Wicked
1. favorite character? - G(a)linda!
2. favorite person to play said favorite character? - Megan Hilty (aka the love of my life)
3. character you relate to the most? - Probably Fiyero? I, too, pretend not to care but actually care a lot. I am also in love with both Elphaba and Glinda. 
4. character you would most like to play? - Also Glinda yike
5. character you would most like to meet? - The Wizard so I can punch his stupid face.
6. most underrated character? - Nessarose
7. favorite sung line(s)? - “I’m through accepting limit’s ‘cuz someone says they’re so.”
8. favorite spoken line(s)? -  Elphaba: “ … No matter how shallow or self-absorbed you pretend to be-“ 
Fiyero: "Excuse me, there is no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow.”
9. first song you heard from the show? - Defying Gravity
10. song you play on repeat? - Dancing Through Life
11. song you skip when it comes on shuffle? - Anything the wizard sings lmaooo
12. most underrated song? - The Wizard and I
13. favorite head canon? - Elphaba is not used to physical affection at all so when she meets Galinda who is extremely physically affectionate, it takes a little while for her to get used to it but once she does, she absolutely adores it, from small shoulder touches to full-blown hugs. (And full-blown kisses.)
14. three words that describe this show? - galpals, costumes, green
15. overall rate? - 7.5/10
Send Me Musicals!
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