snap as usual here i am with some random shit for your eyes. what if Daigo is terrified of horror movies and has to watch them holding Mines hand

yeah i'll take that :)

So, sliding in under the wire on this one tonight: Bad Buddy, Ep 3, Part 2/4, and this is a quick hit, a little bit of a shorter act and not as mind-blowing as the first part of this ep, although still with some good stuff

Due diligence, of course: This will likely contain spoilers for later eps, so if you haven’t finished watching the series and want to see it unspoiled, turn around now and come back when you’re finished watching.

We jump right into it, presumably post-tincan argument. Both Architecture and Engineering are in a lecture hall - clearly a gen-ed class, as they’re all there, although grouped on opposite sides of the aisle - and it’s like there’s a wall of ice between them. Class is just ending, and there is notably NO interaction, everyone is staying on their own side of the line, not even a side-eye to be seen. Architecture is ready for lunch and decides to hit up the curry restaurant again – NO curry for you, Korn, I guess, and I’m beginning to wonder if you initially start really hanging out with Wai later on in an attempt to gain access to the curry restaurant, as it appears to have been practically claimed as Arch territory (do they have a flag planted?). Pran, however, is going to stay behind and do some more work on the budget for the bus-stop build. I’m spending a little time here trying to suss out exactly why all of this is now on Pran – he’s clearly taken it on himself, because Wai wants to stay and help, but Pran gives him another job to do instead (coordinating with the Student Union for possible additional funding). Is this Pran’s control freak, micromanager nature coming out? Does he feel bad for not being there when the fight went down? Does he think he could have stopped it? Does he feel additionally guilty because he was with Pat instead of his Architecture friends when it happened? He’s said before that things don’t turn out well when he’s around Pat – does he see this as some sort of karmic punishment? I can easily see how he could take the lead, given not only that’s his natural spot in this group, but also because he’s the one with direct access to the supply chain they’re going to need, but a little bit I feel like I’m having to fanwank the why, other than the disappointing Doylist explanation that he’s our protagonist, because I haven’t come to a conclusion that feels really satisfactory, which makes the writing feel a little weak. Anyway, over on the other side of the room, Pat has finally given in to the urge to look over, and he watches Wai and Pran walk up the stairs to leave the lecture hall. SUDDENLY, he tells the Engineering secondary backup hobbits to go ahead without him and he’ll catch up. He tells them he’s “discussing work for a bit,” according to the English subs, and does he mean classwork? With the instructor? None of them question it, anyway, and they take off without him.

We cut to Pran, now alone, walking down some stairs and periodically looking back behind him in irritation, because he’s not dumb and he knows he’s being followed. He walks out of the shot, and Pat walks into the shot, coming down the stairs and turning down a hallway. This is vaguely reminiscent of the Ep 1 sequence when he was tailing Pran across campus to register for the music competition (and make sure he didn’t get beat up by the rest of Engineering), but I don’t know that it means anything, because there’s really only so many ways to shoot a stalking sequence. We do then get a move that’s maybe a deliberate callback, as Pran reaches out of an alcove, grabs Pat by the front of the shirt, swings him around and shoves him against a wall, much like Pat did when he rescued Pran from the other Engineering guys who were chasing him earlier. Pran has his angry face on   >: (   , one that doesn’t match either of his stickers. Pat acts puzzled, and Pran, who is still pretty furious at him, wants to know if he’s having fun, yet. Pat tells Pran that he deleted the video, and Pran wants to know why Pat is telling him this. Because he’s trying to be a good boy, and he wants some treats, Pran - although judging by Pran’s face, I suspect he’s with me on this, that you don’t get cookies for basic decency, you just get to not be That Asshole. Pat insists he wants to help, and Pran tells him to stay away, but come on, my dude, you can’t possibly believe it’s that easy, because of course it’s not. Pat watches Pran walk away for a minute, then basically shrugs to himself and gives in to his impulse to just continue stalking. Leading us to …

The library, where Pat sits down at Pran’s table, and Pran’s face is a picture of angry disbelief, but when he protests, Pat just shushes him while the other library patrons look at him with judgey faces, which is definitely the way to get Mr. Neurotic to quiet tf down. Pran is reduced to basically hissing under his breath at Pat, who leans back in his chair and claims he’s staying “away” now, and bro, it’s a good thing Mr. Neurotic is not willing to risk the social opprobrium of the other judgey library patrons, because “I’m not touching you I’m not touching you” is only ever a punchable offence. I feel more sorry for Pa every day, because I can see exactly what kind of sibling you must be. Pran, an only child with no experience of exactly how annoying a bratty sibling can be, rolls his eyes and attempts to ignore Pat (hahaha), which means, of course, that Pat grabs whatever Pran is working on – presumably the bus-stop budget - and tries to pull it away. His eyes go big, and we learn that Architecture still needs 40,000 baht from somewhere to cover their projected budget. Reliable exchange websites tell me this is currently a hair under $2,000 USD, so that’s a bit, particularly when the only person in this whole cluster who even seems to have a job is Wai. So now maybe you can see why Pran is in such a bad mood, bro. He’s in such a bad mood that he doesn’t even care about the judgey library patrons anymore and slams down his pencil in order to jam everything in his bag and huff away, but Pat – in one of our few cliché bl moves – grabs him by the wrist to stop him, before they subvert the cliché by having Pat promise he’ll go away and leave Pran alone. He gets a last dig in to wind Pran up some more (“Don’t miss me later”) and then shushes him again (most. annoying. sibling.), but he actually does seem to be on his way out, before he gets diverted by a flyer that’s advertising an “eco innovation” design contest. It’s got a graphic of a solar panel on it. And it’s called an “eco innovation” design contest. Remember that. I’m going to beat that horse, eventually. Anyway, a little light bulb goes on over his head, and he goes back to the table behind Pran to make a surprisingly aerodynamic paper airplane out of one of the flyers, in order to hit Pran in the head with it from behind, and then he’s even good enough to fall on his face on the table and pretend to be asleep so that Pran will pay attention to the flyer, instead of him. You’re still on thin ice, bro, but OK, you’re working your way from the center of the pond toward the bank. Pat’s super-pleased with himself as he watches Pran read the flyer, but Ohm’s face also does this momentary soft little thing that makes me think it’s not just self-gratification, but that Pat’s happy about helping Pran. Now you’ve done it, bro, because that is a slippery slope you’ve just put your foot on, and you’re eventually going to discover that all you want to do for the rest of your life is be of service (lit. and fig.) to this guy.

Cut to sometime later in the lobby of the company sponsoring the design contest, and Pran is at the front desk, signing in. He’s doing a good job of maintaining, avoiding any kind of PTSD flashback, given that they appear to have recycled the set/building of the school he was banished to back in the day. The lady at the desk takes his ID, then asks if his friend is there with him, whereupon Pat pops up over his shoulder like a fairly well-dressed gremlin, claiming that yes, he’s Pran’s friend, and here’s his ID. (He doesn’t want to be your friend, Pat, although I realize you still need to be hit with the cluebat about all that.) Pran snarks about Pat being called his friend (I told you, Pat). Pat remarks that he gave Pran the info about the contest and asks for some thanks, which Pran begrudgingly grants, before telling him he can leave. We all know THAT’S not gonna happen, and sure enough Pat tells Pran that Pran can’t do it without him, which a) will turn out to be true despite b) probably being the very last thing Pran wants to hear, given their historic rivalry. (It will prove, however, that they work best as a team.) Pat says he’s Pran’s lucky charm, Pran calls him a jinx, and I guess he is kind of a mixed bag for you, my dude. On the elevator, we get the classic crowded elevator scene, with Pat increasingly pressed up against Pran, only again we’re going to undermine it – it’s very self-aware, with Pran remarking out loud that they don’t have to squash in so much, and Pat asking if Pran really thinks he wants to (YES, I do, actually, Pat). At this point, Pat, who’s got his shoulder pressed into Pran’s chest, presses in more, as “Just Friend” starts up as our soundtrack, and Pat’s practically giggling to himself. Pran wants to be pissed off, he really does, but he can’t quite help being a little bit amused, and maybe a little bit charmed by all this, and they’re ADORABLE, enough that I’ve momentarily forgotten what jerks Pat and his friends are. And THEN. Nanon’s face goes soft, and Pran starts looking up at Pat, surreptitiously, and he’s having thoughts that are written all over Nanon’s face – dangerous, dangerous thoughts, and also thoughts that are maybe inappropriate in an elevator full of people. They manage to reach their floor, and everyone else gets out, but Pat stays there, pretending to be oblivious, leaning into Pran’s chest, pinning him, and this continues to be half adorable and half incredibly painful because this has got to be like sandpaper on Pran’s emotional wounds, because he doesn’t want to be your friend, Pat. Pran’s all, hey, we’re here, and his voice is weirdly soft, and I swear to god he’s looking at Pat’s mouth when he says it, and it’s like a knife in my left lung. You’ve missed my heart, but you were awful fk’n close, baby. Pat’s all “Oh!” like he’s just realized, but then instead of getting out of the elevator, he turns so that his back is to Pran’s chest AND CONTINUES TO PRESS PRAN AGAINST THE BACK OF THE ELEVATOR. So, much like the previous wrestling on a bed or slinging each other around while racing up the stairs, physical intimacy remains a matter of competition at this point – competition is still the only way that Pat understands to get Pran’s time and attention. Pat’s still low-key amused by himself, and he’s laughing out loud when Pran finally manages to push him away. Also, Pat takes a long, obvious look at a flyer about the design contest that’s on the elevator wall before they get out.

Inside the conference room, we learn that Pran’s interpersonal skills actually do need some work – tbf, he didn’t have a lot of time to prep, but his body language is NOT the body language of someone who’s effortlessly charming. His tells include wringing and rubbing his hands together while he talks, and he uses weak language like “super convenient” to describe his bus-stop project that he would very much like them to fund. I’m sure all this stuff is a result of deliberate choices, and it does give us the idea that Pran’s not going to be very good at bluffing his way through situations where he feels out of his depth, and it also, I think, prevents him from coming off as someone who’s going to seem fake. We get a couple of cuts to Pat, and he can obviously tell that this is not going perfectly. I suspect if Pran had the brainspace to really focus on Pat at this point, this would be mortifying for him, for his historic rival to see him as less than perfect, but I’m not sure he can focus on anything other than trying to get through this presentation. He does actually look at Pat as he’s winding up, as if to say, “was that ok?” Pat nods encouragingly, and Pran wraps up. Unfortunately, the company just approved a similar project, so Pran’s a little bit too late. How about we meet again at the end of the year? Pran’s face falls, and Pat is NOT having that. He’s watching Pran pretty closely at this point, to see how Pran counters. I can’t help wondering if Pat thought he was going to get to see brash, confident Pran at work here, and if so, what gears are turning in his mind at seeing this meek aspect of Pran that’s comes to the fore when presented with an authority figure? Pran, of course, doesn’t counter, just thanks them for their time. And Pat has a moment of puzzlement before he just goes for it. He stands up and tells the executives they have one more concept to propose, and well, now you’ve taken the second step on that slippery slope, Pat, and Pran is never going to have that hunched, self-protective look again without you feeling the need to intervene SOMEHOW. Get ready for a lifetime. And scene.

Next on PART 3: More elevator shenanigans. Pat’s noticed exactly how much Pran watches him. Pran’s buffering, trying to explain his way out of this one.

Survey #405

“today i went to therapy, told him the embarrassing issues that i’m having with my life  /  he told me that i need to change; life is not a video game, so stop playing & open up your eyes”

What was your favourite sweet as a child? Things like Baby Bottle Pops, Ring Pops, Airheads, etc. Do you like to wear socks to bed? NOOOOOOO. I don't wear socks unless I have to. What’s your favourite berry? Strawberries. If you have a job, how long is your shift? I don't. Do you like sunflowers? Well yeah. Are you counting down for anything? No. Are you watching TV? What’s on? No. Do you have make-up on? No. I haven't worn makeup since last October. Are you any good with kids? People have told me I am, but I beg to differ. What if you had a baby with the last person you kissed? We're both cisgender women, we physically couldn't. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years time? It'd be nice honestly, but I kinda doubt I will be. What is your favorite card game? Magic: The Gathering. What is the weirdest thing you’ve done in public? Ha, probably the times I've gotten down on the ground beside the road to photograph roadkill... More than once has someone stopped and asked if I was okay, haha. Favorite sleeping position? Twisted half on my side and stomach with my legs just sorta splayed out. What is your dad’s name? Ken. Have you ever been on a diet? Multiple times. Do you own any jersey shirts? No. Are you proud to be of the nationality you are? There are two moods I have on this: I'm either neutral or embarrassed. Can you remember what you last clapped for? Omg the woman who facilitates my TMS treatment was telling Mom and me about this one time a tiny snake got in the lobby and I did a lil squeal and clapped a bit because I was just excited to hear about a little snake, haha. What is the geekiest part of your music collection? *shrug* Maybe game soundtrack music. What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night? Well, not really the fridge, but w/e. I'll usually get a granola bar or something of the sort. What is the little physical habit that gives away you're insecure moment? Kneading/wringing my hands together is a dead giveaway. Do you have too many love interests? No. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year? If you want honesty... probably no amount would lmao. I rely way too heavily on the Internet for so many things. Do you talk a lot? It depends on my mood and who I'm around. Do transient, homeless, or starving people sometimes annoy you? What a fucking awful question. They don't annoy me. It can be awkward driving past them, but they're in no way annoying. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person? I definitely try to be. What is your ideal marriage location? Either a gothic-looking mansion or something of the sort or a wooded area in the fall. Do you tell your friends about your sex life? I don't have one to talk about. Would you ever admit to having done plastic surgery of any kind if confronted? Yeah? No shame. What kind of watch(es) do you wear? I don't wear watches. What do you cook the best? My family likes my scrambled cheesy eggs... basic as that is, haha. When my sisters would go to Taco Bell all the time and save the hot sauces for later use, I would use some packets in the eggs I cooked. Honestly amazing. What's one car you will never buy? "Anything that is two door, or low to the ground." <<<< This right here. On the other end of the spectrum, I also won't ever buy a car that's high up. I need a good medium so I can actually get in with ease. What's one thing you're a sore loser at? Hm, I dunno. What kind of first impression do you think you give to people? "Wow, she's awkward." What's one thing you like to do alone? Draw. When's the last time you cried? Not long ago at all because I was just so exasperated over my weight gain. Do you think you're cute? God no. Do you have problems changing clothes in front of friends? I don't change in front of anyone if I can avoid it. Did you like kissing the last person you kissed or the one before that more? The last person. I gotta say I was not a fan of kissing Girt because for whatever reason his lips were ALWAYS wetter than lips naturally should be and I just didn't dig it, man. That and every kiss with him was awkward. Whose bed other than yours did you last lay on? My mom's. What turns you off immediately? Acting sexist, to name one. Which city do you particularly enjoy visiting and for what reasons? I don't like going into cities. Do you often take pictures with the camera on your phone? No. I don't like the camera on my phone. In the past year, have you lost weight or gained weight? How much? Gained. You don't need to know. What year was the last car you rode in/drove? I have zero clue. What’s your worst/funniest experience with one of your neighbors? "Worst" and "funniest" are very different... but I can tell you the worst easily. At my childhood home, our next-door neighbors had a pair of Rottweilers in their back yard within a chain-link fence, and we had a LOT of outdoor cats at the time. (I will emphasize every time I bring it up to NOT keep cats outside.) Somehow the dogs got loose and went on a rampage trying to kill our cats; one young one was killed, while our fearless mother cat, Chance, literally fought them off to defend her new kittens. More were maybe killed, I honestly can't remember. My mom was hysterical and threatened to call animal control if it ever happened again. I was absolutely, utterly heartbroken. The last time you burned your tongue or mouth, what were you eating? Ummm I want to say it was some sort of pasta that I didn't let cool long enough. Honestly, are you shallow? Far from it, honestly. Can/could your parents tell when you were lying? Not always. Besides clothes, shoes, and accessories, what’s your favorite thing to shop for? I love window-shopping at Morph Market, haha. AAAAAAAAAALL those ball python morphs, man... *drools* Does/did your parents ever go through your computer or cell phone? When I was younger, Mom was very intent on figuring out why I was always so secretive about what I did on the computer (mostly RP-related things) that ohhhh yeah, she'd do some digging. The night she finally snapped, demanding I tell her my passwords to everything, and she ultimately found out about me being a forum RPer, was literally almost traumatic to me, I think. I know, that sounds INCREDIBLY overdramatic, but I'm not fucking joking. I was in my room SOBBING on my best friend's shoulder, who was spending the night. I was just so embarrassed, and I *still* am when I share that fact with people I know, even though I have no reason to be. Like I don't do any weird or kinky RP shit, it's just genuine, artistic writing with actual, well thought-out plots, but I still feel like people would think it dumb, childish, and just weird. What song reminds you the most of a particular day in your life? Why is that? "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. I've talked about it a few times before and really don't feel like doing it again. Do you have any close friends that were adopted? I don't think so. Who, in your opinion, is the best thriller writer? I don't know. Does your mom eat meat? Yeah. Was your dad ever on a sports team? Lots in high school, I believe. Do you prefer thick or thin crusted pizza? Thick, by a long shot. What do you have in your fruit salads? Not a fan of fruit salads. Have you ever spent more than two weeks in a wheelchair? I've only needed a wheelchair once in my life, and that was just to get inside and maneuver around the doctor's office when I tore a ligament in my foot. So no. What are your favorite word? Serendipity, tranquility, lucid, etc.; pretty, peaceful words like those. Is there a lot of drama in your life? Nope. I don't do enough or have enough people in my life for there to be. What are you listening to? An extended version of "Nightsong" from WoW. Do you hear any animals right now? No. I'm sure I'd hear birds if I didn't have my earplugs in, though. Have you ever played fetch with a dog? Yes. Have you ever pet a stingray? No. Who is the last baby you held? Emerson, my youngest niece. Do you have any scars from an animal? Yeah; I've got looooots from my cat playing too rough. Have you ever seen an Igloo? I don't believe so. Do you like Korn? They're high on my list of faves. Are you more afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes? Absolutely tornadoes. Do you like mushrooms? Ugh, NO. Have you ever been on Omegle? No. So do you have a favorite M&M? Just the regular ones. Have you ever snuck out? No. Do you currently feel like you have pretty stable career goals/a pretty stable life plan? Have you ever felt this way? I don't know, man. I know what I WANT to do, I just don't know if I'm ever going to get there. Or if what I want will be financially supportive enough, now that I'm really losing interest in photographing people. I might just have to if I want to be financially stable with photography, which would be okay, but bleh. I'd much rather just work with nature. If you could buy an android that was was convincingly human and could be tailored to be your perfect partner, would you want one? No. I don't want to build my own partner, nor do I want my romantic partner to be an android. I want life to just introduce me to a person who is uniquely themselves, who have built themselves from their own life experiences, and not just have a perfect spouse tailored to everything I like. If you do not identify as being “straight,” can you remember back to your childhood some things you did that were, in hindsight, possible indicators of your future sexuality? Yes, especially in middle school. I thought women were prettier than probably a straight kid would, and looking back, I definitely found the natural curves of the female figure to be attractive. When you consume media (movies, books, etc.) with a romantic element, what sort of romance scenarios interest you most? Hm. I know I prefer serious ones over silly; like I'm a sucker for Nicholas Sparks' style, if that says anything. If you are female, do you feel connected to other women as a class? What sort of things make you feel a strong sense of sisterhood or female empowerment? This is too big of a question for me to feel like delving into right now, haha. But I can say it more so depends on the individual than the gender when it comes to feeling connection over anything.

Review Tanz der Vampire Vienna 8th and 9th of May 2018

I’m combining the shows because I’ve got a lot to say about the first show and not so much about the second, As you might have read, the show on the 8th was the best Tanz show I’ve ever seen, so here are some of my thoughts on the spectacle that were those shows.

 First some random things:

I had a standing place for both of the shows, I basically stood on the same spot on both days and it wasn’t all too bad! If you know what the seating for the bad sight seats is like on the very right and very left of the theatre, then you know that your view will literally be 50% of the stage. I could see more with a standing place than with a bad sight seat. I’d recommend a standing ticket if you can’t afford the few tickets that are still left for some of the shows.

Remember that I was very underwhelmed with the audience of the Cologne show? Well, that was a whole other story here, everyone was super impressed and the atmosphere was great. The audience on the 8th was a little bit better than on the 9th, but there wasn’t a massive difference. The contrast between the audiences in Vienna and Cologne surprised me so much that needed to come back to that after last week’s review.

Consider this the Drew Sarich as Krolock review and not so much a Tanz review ;) My biggest dream ever when it came to musical related things was seeing Drew as Krolock, and that dream came true, so of course I am gonna talk about him a lot.

He is perfection, he’s simply perfection, every little thing that he does is exactly how you imagine the best Krolock to be. I’m sorry to Mathias Edenborn, Jan Ammann, Mark Seibert and Jan Kriz, I’ve all seen you live as Krolock, but there will never be someone as perfect to me as Drewlock.

There was a video a while ago when Drew said this “Die Rolle besteht aus gehen und hände” and he proved that the first second that you notice him when he’s walking towards the stage at Gott ist Tot. He doesn’t walk, he seems to glide, and he takes all the time to study his hands at the same time. Elegant isn’t the right word, but he has something elegant to him right from the start. I was already very much obsessed with Drew as a person and also with his Krolock, but now that I’ve seen his Krolock with my own eyes, I can say that I’m a bit in love with Drewlock.

Can we take a moment to talk about the way his cape sparkles? It’s so damn beautiful. I had obviously seen the costume before on Mark, but Drew wears it like it’s the most natural thing ever. That was also the case with the red coat in Totale Finsternis and the finale outfit, it doesn’t seem like a costume when he’s wearing it.

Vor dem Schloss:  He is so very proud of Herbert when Herbert first appears at Vor dem Schloss. He put his hand on his own heart and his facial expression was pure pride. He was equally as proud of Christoph Apfelbeck (8th) as well as Charles Kreische (9th) and that was so sweet. I have never seen a Krolock who was proud of Herbert, I’ve seen Krolocks and Herberts who had a really good bond together especially during Tanzsaal, but this told you so much about what they are like as father and son right from the start. Krolock seduced Alfred like I’ve never seen before. There is this post on tumblr that is called something like “Drew Sarich has no sense of personal space” and I can safely say that he indeed doesn’t. There was this moment when he was so close to Alfred that he stroked Alfred on his cheeks and looked him in his eyes so deeply. If I was Alfred I would not even want to save Sarah at that point. He also sniffs the sponge and looks at it with much interest. His hand movement when he scares Alfred and the professor after he’s done with his monologue and there’s this little silence is also great. He makes a claw of his hand and hisses at them like a cat. I even saw some people make a little jump in their seat because they did not see that coming. When he receives Abronsius’ card he holds it really far away to read it. I’ve seen some people on here say that he might need to get glasses, and maybe he does need glasses 😉

Totale Finsternis: The chemistry between him and Sarah during Totale Finsternis is jaw dropping. You can see that Sarah really wants it. (Props to Diana, she was good in my opinion before, but now she’s really convinced me.) The way these two end the song with Sarah having her eyes closed and her head tilted onto Krolock’s chest made me wish I could swap places with her.

His Unstillbare Gier was perfection. He really regretted about what he did when he started singing “das Korn war golden”. His “ketten” part was as good as always, and I like it when the “doch” in “doch die wahre macht die uns regiert” is extended, and he did that.

Tanzsaal: A thing I looked forward to a bit too much was his take on “Doch sie gehört nur mir!” and to my joy he did the little melody change! He only did it in the show on the 8th though, so sometimes he doesn’t do it. But if you love that little detail as much as I do, it’s definitely something to look forward to. When Alfred “attacks” him with the candle at the end of Tanzsaal, Drew did the classic move that can be seen in the Berlin bootleg which is the “aaaaaahhhh” with his hands in the air and it was the best! He did a little cough cough at the part where they should start dancing at Tanzsaal and that was a nice touch. Another part of Tanzsaal that I LOVED was when Sarah wants to protect herself with her arm, and you could see him mouth “Hör auf” to her. He didn’t do that in the second show, but I absolutely loved that because it was a moment that you have to pay a lot of attention to to catch and I didn’t expect for him to add that little something. I have heard people say that they get chills during the bite in Tanzsaal. I had never really known what people were talking about. I thought it was a cool moment and all, but the moment when Sarah betrays Alfred by biting him always has been more interesting to me. Until the show on the 8th, when everything about that Tanzsaal moment was so perfect and my jaw dropped because this is how a Tanzsaal bite is supposed to go. For a few moments I felt like I wasn’t watching an illusion that consists of a bag of red coloured liquid being dribbled on by Drew onto Diana. I was watching the scene like someone who had never seen the show before would watch it, with awe.

After Krolock has bitten Sarah he makes sure to lick his fingers. And even when the mirrors come up and Abronsius and Alfred are “discovered” he’s still busy cleaning his fangs with his fingers. He also guides Sarah like a gentleman after she’s been bitten and they’re dancing together, he still deep down wants to make sure that she’s okay. Those little details alone make me love Drewlock just a little bit more.

At Der Tanz der Vampire he appeared onto the stage and his hands made the signs of devil horns which he crossed, and that is so cool that he did that again because I really badly wanted him to do that.

At the curtain call, he did the most humble but badass walk to the front of the stage. He’s even humble when he’s just performed a really awesome show for 2.5 hours. Shall I just say again that Drew is an awesome guy?

And now some things that don’t have to do with Drew:

The black vampire shared Sarah’s blood with Herbert at Carpe Noctem and that was awesome!

I think the professor’s favourite hobby is hitting Herbert with an umbrella. He didn’t hold back on doing it with all the power that he had in him. It surprised me that it almost seemed violent.

The beginning of Vor dem Schloss remains one of the most awesome moments of the show, I was now at rang 2, which means that some of the ensemble will appear there to sing standing right next to the audience. I knew they would approach, and then to see those scared faces of unknowing people suddenly seeing a black figure standing next to them is thrilling. The way the theatre is lit at that moment adds so much to the atmosphere. I will never get tired of Vor dem Schloss, especially in the Ronacher.

Lastly I want to say props to Dawn Bullock who was in the show on the 8th. She has a knee injury going on for the last weeks and she was still as good as she was when I saw her back in February. She doesn’t have a role in which she needs to do much, but to still be on stage while it might be more sensible to give her knee some rest makes me respect her even more.

I didn’t even touch on why the show of the 8th was the best Tanz show that I’ve seen yet. Well, I was incredibly thankful to be able to see the Vienna show again. I basically cried the whole first act out of pure happiness. Having Drew as Krolock also obviously made the show very special. Everything just felt right, it was everything I could have hoped for when I returned to Vienna just to see Tanz.

I know that a few of my followers are going to Vienna in the near future to see Tanz starring Drew, to those people I want to say: If you’re not already massively excited, get massively excited. Drew is my favourite Krolock for a reason and you’ll surely be blown away. Tanz in Vienna is already a great experience no matter which cast you will see, I’ll promise you that.

The Chester Bennington memorial concert live stream was one of the most amazing/heartwrenching/joyful/sad/hopeful things I've ever seen. What an experience. I've been a linkin park fan for 17 years, since I was a little 11 year old kid just getting into music. This band shaped my music tastes and literally the person I became. They kept me going when I didn't think I could, they literally got me through high school, I would listen to their music every morning while I got ready for school so I could manage to get myself to leave the house. When Chester passed it was like having my heart ripped out and not even just for me. I grew up with this band, it literally felt like family to me and the thought of them hurting was awful. Seeing them tonight, kicking ass on stage, smiling and doing what they do best was probably the single most healing thing I could have experienced and I'm so grateful to them for that. Even still, holy fuck it hurt seeing only 5 of them on stage, and watching other people, even people from bands I love, performing in Chesters place. I'm all over the place cause I'm still processing the show but there were a couple things I wanted just highlight specifically.

The performance of numb... holy shit. Just a spotlight on the mic while the band plays the instrumental, and then the crowd takes over and sings Chesters part. Chills.

The same for in the end. The crowd singing Chesters part.

The performance of burn it down when the band played live and used recorded vocals and video of Chester from a previous show at the Hollywood bowl in 2014. It was amazing and also one of the most heartbreaking points of the show. Seeing the band on stage performing and then Chester only in video and knowing that's all we'll ever have again.

The little videos interspersed in the show of funny Chester moments and the video of the band's that couldn't aren't paying tribute to Chester. Paul McCartney, Metallica, 30 seconds to mars and others I can't think of right now

Amazing guests, literally taken right out of my teenage dreams most notably korn, system of a down, sum 41, blink 182, alanis morriset!!, steeeeve, etc. What a fucking show.

Talinda's speech. You could see how nervous she was being on stage, and how heartbroken but she powered through. The strenght of this woman is amazing #fuckdepression

Mike fucking Shinoda. Literally just Mike fucking Shinoda. What a gift to humanity. He was literally on stage the full 3 hours and kept the show together. He played guitar, bass, keyboards, rapped, and sang not only the parts of songs that he's normally sing, but he took on a lot of Chesters parts and smashed it. He sang the most gutwrenching new song he wrote 8 days after Chesters passing and it was the most beautiful thing ever and I cried all through it. He smiled and made jokes and looked like he was having a great time on stage and he really is just completely amazing.

The band as a whole, Mike, Dave, Brad, Rob, and Joe. Literally the best humans. The very best. Linkin Park is different now, and they said they didn't know what the future would hold but I'm gonna be there for whatever it is. I love this band and I respect these amazing humans for their creativity, their kindness, their humanitarian work and everything they do.

Thank you Linkin Park ❤

Crush Your Workout With Joel Freeman’s Hardcore Motivational Playlist

You might not know it by looking at his aggressive rock playlist, but CORE DE FORCE co-creator Joel Freeman was actually raised by his parents on a steady diet of Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, and the Grateful Dead.

“That type of rock was always in my head,” he says. “I got into the newer, hard rock when I went to college at Texas Tech.

“My roommate was a big rock guy also. We just kept going to all these concerts and it developed from there,” he says. “Then we moved to Olympia, Washington, right outside Seattle, so there you go; that was the grunge-rock world.”

Freeman has worn a lot of hats in the fitness world since he got his start manning the front desk of a gym at 19 years of age. He’s worked for the Department of Health in Washington State, as the marketing director at Los Angeles’ Gold’s Gym franchise, and has Elite Personal Trainer certifications from the American Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

He joined the ranks of Beachbody Super Trainers with the release of CORE DE FORCE, a mixed martial-arts program that he developed alongside his friend Jericho McMatthews. But while his career has taken him in many different directions, his love of the almighty riff has never abated.

“If I’m going to do cardio, I might listen to something a little more electronic or techno with faster BPMs that gets your heart beating more,” he says. “But rock is my main love.”

Freeman already has a pre-defense of his recommended list of hardcore workout tunes. “Some of these artists that I listen to, some people might call them screaming rock, but there’s always a melody in there somewhere,” he says. “And that’s usually what gets me.”

Below, he walks us through a sample playlist that keeps him pumped up during his workouts.

Listen to the full Spotify playlist below, and follow Beachbody On Demand on Spotify for more great playlists to pair with any kind of workout. You can also check out what Jericho McMatthews and Tony Horton listen to while they exercise!

Joel Freeman’s Hardcore Motivational Playlist

“Hearts Burst Into Fire”

Artist: Bullet For My Valentine Album: Scream Aim Fire

“I love these guys. They do these rock ballads, and it’s great because it kind of takes you back to the glam rock of the late ’70s and early ’80s; Twisted Sister and stuff like that. But they bring it up a level. Some of their songs are eight minutes long. They bring a level of grit to it.”

“Rainbow in the Dark”

Artist: Corey Taylor Album: Ronnie James Dio: This Is Your Life

“Corey Taylor, he’s the lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour. I love his stuff. He re-did Dio’s ‘Rainbow in the Dark.’ I love the original by Dio, of course, but that was a great one.”

“Stillborn” (Featuring Ozzy Osbourne)

Artist: Black Label Society Album: The Blessed Hellride

“Zakk Wylde is just a guitar god. This song is absolutely phenomenal. I follow him on Instagram, and he always posts these videos called ‘The Running of the Scales.’ He practices every morning and every night. His commitment to his art is just phenomenal, and he can just play with such precision. He used to play for Ozzy, so it’s definitely an Ozzy sound. He just kills it with that.”

“Through the Fire and Flames”

Artist: DragonForce Album: Inhuman Rampage

“They are from the U.K., and the lead singer’s vocals are out of this world. It really reminds me of some of the older bands like Twisted Sister that I never got to see, but that I would have loved to. [They make] very melodic rock ballads, and there aren’t a lot of bands that do that anymore. I’ve seen them live a few times and they just go crazy onstage. It’s so much fun to watch.”

“Adrenalize”

Artist: In This Moment Album: Blood

“They are a rock band with a female lead singer, Maria [Brink]. I’ve followed them almost from day one. Her voice is just incredible. I could listen to her sing all day, because she can hit these notes that are just ridiculous. She can scream, and you think her lungs are going to explode, but then she can hit a note perfectly right after that. And with the band behind her, they have such an unbelievable sound. I listen to them a lot.”

“I’m Alive”

Artist: Shinedown Album: Avengers Assemble (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture)

“If you told me I could only listen to one rock band for the rest of my life, it probably would be these guys. I’ve seen them at least half a dozen times. Their music is just really powerful. There’s a story in every single song, and I don’t want to say that’s rare, but it’s not as always that well done.”

“Breath”

Artist: Breaking Benjamin Album: Phobia

“These guys are very much like Shinedown in how they write. But the melody that they bring is so unique to just them. When a Breaking Benjamin song comes on, I instantly know it’s them.”

“Humans Being”

Artist: Van Halen Album: Twister: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

“‘Humans Being’ is one of my favorite Van Halen songs ever. Just the way the riffs start out and get nasty, which I absolutely love. I grew up in a small town in West Texas, and there weren’t a lot of radio stations out there. One of the only stations that came through was a classic rock station, so that was my introduction to Metallica, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Ozzy, and Blue Öyster Cult.”

“Tragedy + Time”

Artist: Rise Against Album: The Black Market

“I love these guys. They’re rock, but it’s almost more of a older punk-rock thing. It has a harder edge to it, which I like. I don’t really want something super-punky. They always have a really good melody in the chorus.”

“Switchback”

Artist: Celldweller Album: Celldweller

“This has an industrial rock sound where they bring in more of a techno sound, which is pretty cool when you mix it with guitars. It’s not very often I hear a band that can do that well, and I think Celldweller does it pretty good. If I’m on my third set and I’m just dying, then I’ll put on something superheavy like Celldweller, and that definitely gets me amped up.”

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”

Artist: Blue Öyster Cult Album: Agents of Fortune

“[This song] is so iconic! It’s not a karaoke song, but it’s equivalent to a generic karaoke song. When ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ comes on, everyone knows the song. You can attribute so much American pop culture to this song. I saw these guys live with Kansas and Styx—they were phenomenal.”

“Hater”

Artist: Korn Album: The Paradigm Shift

“Again, I followed these guys for a long time. I love their unique sound and their bass. [This song] will definitely get me going anytime. I feel like they continue to push their boundaries and find new ways to stay relevant and be original.”

“Lola Montez”

Artist: Volbeat Album: Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

“They are one of my newer [favorites]… I should say newer because they’ve been around since early 2000s. They’re a Danish metal band, and their album from 2010, Beyond Hell/Above Heaven, it was the first one that I ever heard.

“I Smell A Massacre”

Artist: Butcher Babies Album: Goliath

“This one is definitely on the extreme side. It’s two girl lead singers with their band behind them. It’s not something I would listen to in the car very much. I would listen to it if I’m on my last set and I’m dying. It’s truly extreme, heavy metal screaming rock. When I’m just wiped, and I need every ounce of energy to get through this, that’s when ‘Butcher Babies’ comes on. The heaviest of the heavy in my playlist is what I’m going to be looking for at that point.”

“The Motherload”

Artist: Mastodon Album: Once More ‘Round the Sun

“It’s interesting, they’re almost an alternative rock band in a way. They’re heavy metal, but still have a really cool, newer wave sound. It might just be that the lead singer’s voice isn’t that gritty. He almost has an Ozzy sound to him, I would say. They’re still pretty hardcore in the music, but I like the melodies.”

“Stardust”

Artist: Gemini Syndrome Album: Lux

“They’re a newer group. They didn’t really hit until late 2014, but they’re really cool.”

“Spoonman”

Artist: Soundgarden Album: Superunknown

“I love Chris Cornell. I absolutely love his new stuff. He did Soundgarden, and I loved when he was in Audioslave. Anything he does, I’m a fan of.”

“My Hero”

Artist: Foo Fighters Album: The Colour and The Shape

“You want to talk about a range of what Foo Fighters do when it comes to songs. ‘My Hero’ is on this playlist, but some of their other songs are so different. I just really respect them as artists, and I love Dave Grohl’s voice, as well.”

“Ratfinks, Suicide Tanks and Cannibal Girls”

Artist: White Zombie Album: Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

“What got me listening to White Zombie is when the Beavis and Butt-Head Do America movie came out. It’s the scene where Beavis and Butthead are tripping in the desert, and they’re hallucinating, and that song came on and I went, ‘Whoa! What is that?’ I went and found it and I’ve been a White Zombie fan ever since.”

“Emotionless”

Artist: Red Sun Rising Album: Polyester Zeal

“They’re fairly new to the rock scene. Very talented guys, really melodic, which is what gets me in there. It starts out really cool, it’s got a slow, sexy sound, and then it just goes off. Anything that is heavy metal is going to get me going. It’s what I always listen to. I listen to the classic rock station still, and I’ll listen to an EDM song if I’m doing something more cardio based, but, basically, when I set out on my own in college, it’s been rock ever since.”

from News About Health https://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/fitness/workout-playlist-joel-freeman-weights

244.

you ever played “call of duty”? did you like it? are you into those types of video games at all?   nope.

do you like to cook for people, or do you order to be cooked for? has anyone ever told you that you were a good cook? neither; no

do you have any clocks in your house that chime when the hour changes? do those types of clocks annoy you?   nope.

what is your usual hair style? do you tend to wear the same style every day, or do you switch it up a lot?   bun. because work.

have you had the same doctor pretty much your whole life, or have you went to a bunch of different ones over the years? have you ever been to the doctor thinking something was horribly wrong with you, but it turned out to be something minor?   pretty much had the same ones my whole life until i moved.

are there any stores you feel uncomfortable going into (ex: if you dress girly, do you feel uncomfortable going into hot topic)? are there any stores that you refuse, or just never go in to?   no; no

do you look in mirrors a lot, or do you try to avoid them? how many mirrors are in your house?   avoid them; 2

what do you think is the greatest invention of all time? why? are there any inventions you wish had never been made?   electricity; because light; not that i can think of.

are you proud of yourself? do you feel that you’ve accomplished (or will accomplish) the things you want in your life? what other person are you the most proud of and why?   no; no; Matthew because of how far he has come

did you ever have a terrible roommate? what did they do that bothered you so much? no

if someone has a problem with something you’ve done, do you prefer they confront you directly? why or why not? when you’re the one who needs to tell someone about a problem, what’s your method of doing so? directly; because don’t be a pussy; i tell them

do you like the color gray?   sure

is it possible to love someone if you don’t love yourself? obviously

do you believe happiness can exist without sadness? i dunno.

what hospital in your area would you most recommend for good treatment?   i don’t know the name

who is the best person you’ve ever “met” online? Kehn

who is the most versatile actor ever?   Leonardo DiCaprio

do you ever nap and wake up and forget what day it is?   no

what was your maternal grandmother’s first name? Nelly

what was the last video message you received on your phone?   a snapchat

would you kiss someone you didn’t have feelings for? no

what would your dream engagement ring look like? i like my ring that i have.

is someone hurting you mentally at the moment? nope.

do you feel like no one understands you?   yeah

have you ever attempted to drown yourself? No.

would you rather deal with all your emotions at once, or none at all?   noneeee

what’s the best sex scene in a movie you’ve ever seen?   i don’t know?

is pornography evil or are you neutral about it? i like porn fine.

do you prefer to be monogamous, or are you more a casual dater or swinger? i’m in a serious relationship....

does your pet wear a collar? yeah

what is your favorite song in “the sound of music”?   i don’t like that movie.

what would you do if your mom/dad saw a hickey on you? i wouldn’t have a hickey.

you’ve just had an argument with the guy you like, and you walk away. do you want them to leave you alone?   yeah

have you ever read any self-help books?   yeah

do you thank the bus driver? i don’t ride the bus.

have you ever had your heart broken?   yeah

when was the last time you flirted? i try to flirt with matt daily but i’m probably not very good at it.

are good-byes easy or hard for you? hard.

whatcha listening to? I’m watching TV.

what do you feel about our president? FUCK HIM

do you remember the song, blue (da ba dee) by eiffel 65? no

if you told someone how far have you have gone with the opposite sex, how would others view you? i don’t think they’d care/

do you have a secret that you’ve never told ANYONE? not that i can think of

would you care if your last ex fell in love with someone else? no

what’s something you really want right now, be honest?   to turn back time and not spill mtn dew on my laptop

were your parents married when they had you? yeah

are they married now? nope.

would you marry someone 30 years older than you if they had millions? no

how long were employed at your last job? 4 years

if you found out you were pregnant who would you tell first? Matt or my mom

what did you do when you hung out with the last person you kissed?   we went to band practice and then chatted and i went to bed lol

do you prefer online classes or real classes?   Real classes.

do you like documentaries? have you ever watched one and find it boring? yes; yes

if you had to choose, would you rather be an alcoholic or pothead?   neither.

do you hate your ex?   no

do you like kids?   yeah

are your eyes the same color as your mom’s or dad’s? dads

do you think too much or too little?   Too much.

does anyone know your facebook password? no

have you ever seen the last person you kissed without their shirt on?   Yes.

…what about their pants? Yes.

did you ever rip off a barbie doll head? probably?

how many people have you slept with (sexually not actually sleeping)?   One.

do you have any sort of ongoing health problem? yes

are you a teenager and yet want a baby?   no

would you date a guy with a prince albert?   a what?

do you think you are a hick?   no. i get called a yankee lol

have you ever told someone to their face that they were ugly? probably

have you ever swallowed a watermelon seed?   Probably.

what would be worse - going out in public with no bra or no panties? without underwear.

would you ever let your child drop out of high school?   depends

honestly, do you think that inner beauty is as important as outer beauty? yeah.

do you pronounce “aunt” like “awnt” or “ant”? ant

have you ever seen wayne’s world?   yeah

what was your favorite video game as a child? spyro

list five things you’re currently thinking about:   “i hope my laptop doesn’t die”

is the last person you kissed a virgin? nope.

have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?   yeah

what was the last video you added to your favorites on youtube? i dunno

do you have any morbid interests? no

eat breakfast or skip it? skip

favorite disney channel show? lizzie mcguire.

do you believe in jesus?   yeah

would you ever get a tattoo in a “naughty” place?   naw

are your ears gauged? yeah

is there a band you like that many others dislike? which? probably

do you play pokemon go?   Nope.

are you a bad influence?   probably.

be honest. have you had any dirty thoughts today? no

honestly, have you ever danced naked?   sure

is smoking pot a turn off?   do your thing

have you ever scared yourself?   yeah

on facebook, do you have people listed as your siblings who aren’t really your siblings?   Nope.

is it ever okay for a woman to ask out a man?   Yes.

how important is it for a significant other to be good with kids? important considering he’s a dad

when did your last relationship end? when i was like 19

did your father go to college? many times

do you plan on going to college?   i wish

ever seen a burning building in person? no

do you like gore? eh

do you own any choker/collar necklaces?   yeah

did you have a “scene” phase?   i’m always in a scene phase.

how often do you shave your legs, if at all? why do/don’t you?   whenever i feel like it; because i’m lazy

are you dressing up for halloween this year?   probably not

horror movies: the bloodier, the better. right?   no

what do you think of people that smoke pot?   it’s whatever.

do you have pests in your house? if not, have you ever?   no

do you like korn? yes

what do you think of dodgeball being banned at some high schools?   good

when you were little, did you pick up worms? do you pick worms up now?   no;no

if you have younger siblings, do they play sports? do you go watch their games?   no

what do you think your friends say about you when you aren’t around?   don’t know

can you cut your own hair? not well

do you own a guitar? yeah

do you plan on seeing a band live this year? i wish

what’s a sport you don’t mind watching? olympics

what color hair would you like your baby to have?   i don’t care.

why do you think people care so much about looks?   because society

do you enjoy dancing? yeah

were you ever obsessed with the jonas brothers? yeah lol

do you ever feel like life is going by too fast?   yeah

do you pay for your own things?   yeah

have you ever gotten in trouble on the internet?   no

honestly, have you ever had lice? when i was really little.

do you think it’s possible to be in a long relationship without having sex?   sure

where did you last bleed from and why?   -

has the last person you kissed ever seen you cry? tons of times.

what do you like most about making out? i don’t really like making out unless like we’re gonna fuck.

have you ever had a guy put his hand in your shirt? yeah

what is the last thing you stapled? 

 dunno

who was your first prom date?

   never went to prom

have you ever been slapped in the face?

   probably.

have you ever touched a snake?

 yeah

are you lonely? no

do you like condoms? no

are you good at editing pictures? 

 yeah i think so

are you any good at public speaking? 
   yeah

would you have kids with the last person you kissed? i want to

have you ever thought of making love in a dressing room? no

do you know anyone who tries to steal everyone’s boyfriend?   no

do you appreciate raunchy humor? no

have you ever looked up porn on the internet? yeah

did you ever try cutting yourself? -

do you like to tell people who you like? sure

ever been institutionalized?   yeah

ever hold a newborn animal? yeah

Alright alright alright. Bad Buddy, Ep 3, Part 4/4, in which Pat learns and grows as a person and makes it Engineering’s problem (lit. and fig.).

First, due diligence: This almost definitely contains spoilers for later eps, so if you haven’t finished watching the series and want to see it unspoiled, drive through and come back when you’re finished watching.

OPEN ON: The Engineering secondary backup hobbits gaming on their phones out at the picnic tables. Korn does NOT appear to be very good at it, especially when Pat shows up and knocks him in the head with his messenger bag, which I don’t know if we’ve seen before this. Maybe he only carries it around when he needs to hit Korn in the head. Korn dies in the game, and he’s irritated now, and Pat was already irritated, and Korn wants to know wth that was about, and Pat basically tells him that he’s lucky he’s not getting worse. So, all the hobbits are baffled at this point, and Chang asks why Pat is bullying them, and I roll my eyes at this fk’n guy so hard that I catch a glimpse of grey matter, because y’all ought to know from bullying, right? Very sad that the sword you live by has come back to smack you upside the head. Now, tbf, I’m actually kind of torn about this scene, because Pat then goes on to look and sound incredulous, asking them “Do you need to ask?” like these guys should somehow know that suddenly all the rules have changed. Pat, not everyone has been on an inner journey of self-discovery while watching Pran being adorable eating his wontons, OK? This scene is set at the same place where these guys first came up with their plot to film themselves kicking the shit out of Wai and getting video of it while Pat also vowed to break Architecture’s fingers – which now that I think about it is a particularly douchebro threat to make about people who need to do drafting work with their hands, whether drawing on paper or using computer graphics – and a little bit, I have to wonder if the setting is deliberate, a sign that they’re all still back there in that mindset. But now, Pat asks why they posted the video, which come on, man, is a little bit unfair, since you were the one who insisted you would need your manly pride salved by posting the video. You’ve changed the rules on them, so I can kind of get their confusion, but on the other hand, they do still continue to be terrible: Korn’s response is “So?” and his response to learning that Architecture is footing the bill for repairs is “So?” and they all want to know why Pat cares anyway, I mean, he’s Engineering, right, so why is he acting weird? At this point, you can see on Ohm’s face that Pat is having a little “oh” moment, realizing that he is what’s changed, not the world around him. (Hold that thought for a lot of episodes.)

Quick cut to Pat in his dorm room, probably that evening, coming in the door, wandering around, unable to settle. He finally goes to the closet, where he pulls out …. Pran’s guitar. We flashback to the scene in the music store from earlier in the ep, just in case we’ve forgotten, to emphasize that when Pat asked Pran about his guitar, that was a fishing expedition, because Pat knew better than Pran what happened to the guitar. Back in present day, Pat’s smiling at the guitar, possibly contemplating what he’s gonna do with Pran’s baby, which he’s sort of kidnapped at this point.

Cut to the cafeteria, probably the next day, where Pran and the Architecture secondary backup hobbits are sitting around, talking about how much money they still need. It’s 10K, according to Pran – presumably baht, which converts to right around $300 USD, and guys. Guys, seriously. I have $300. Hit me up and I’ll get it to you. Anyway, this is apparently money that’s needed for labor, so I guess they have materials covered. Wai wants to know if they can borrow the money from the Student Union, and this is another place that I don’t know if this is deliberate or sloppy writing, because you should know that, Wai. Pran sent you to talk to the Student Union people at the beginning of the ep – what, did you get sidetracked by … well, Korn is the most likely thing for you to get sidetracked by, because we’ve already established a pattern of you two being weird about each other. At any rate, Wai says he – he, not they - could pay the SU back in installments. Pran says that no, SU needs their funds for the senior’s prom. Louis wants to know if they can ask their friends for help, and my dude, do you have any friends who aren’t sitting at this table? Wai apparently feels the same way, because he remarks somewhat bitterly that nobody cares, and anyway, they need money to pay the engineers on the project – unspoken is the follow-through that none of their friends are engineers, because none of Engineering are their friends, although Pran’s face is doing some interesting things, here. I’m beginning to have some déjà vu – this is a little reminiscent of the “Where are we going to get $500” conversation in Dirty Dancing, and for a hot minute I imagine Baby Pran trying the same thing, going to Dissaya to say he needs $300 to help a friend, but he can’t say for what, but it’s nothing bad, he promises, and then I realize that if this situation was reversed and Engineering was on the hook, Pat would probably be able to go to Ming and walk away with this money, because Ming would be so proud that Pat and his friends were involved in some ass-kicking, based on the dinner conversation they had about the first fight, in Ep 1. UGH. ANYWAY, all the hobbits are despondent, and Pran suggests they go back out to the thrashed bus stop and see if there’s anything else left in the heap of old materials that they could sell.

Cut to the bus stop, where there is nothing left to sell – certainly nothing that’s going to get them 10K baht. We do get the chance to see a pair of red/yellow trashcans make a brief appearance, though, which may be a little Easter egg or may be a sign of a limited production budget. Wai asks how long it’s going to take the four of them to build the new bus stop, and Pran nixes the idea, saying they need to hire people. From off-camera we hear the sound of footsteps and a voice: “Are you talking about us?’ We get a slo-mo shot of Pat, Korn, Chang, Mo, and a couple of tertiary backup hobbits they picked up somewhere, coming in like some cavalry to save the day. This is a hero shot, and I think it’s supposed to be ironic? Flashback to a continuation of the previous scene at the picnic tables, when everyone else wanted to know why Pat cared and why they should care, because they are legitimately The Worst: Korn is completely baffled by Pat’s suggestion that they help Architecture rebuild. Chang asks if Pat’s really an Engineering student and wants to know why they should have any sympathy for Architecture (because it proves you’re not a complete sociopathic asshole, you jerk. I don’t know how to explain to you that you should care about other people.). And Pat does something that’s kind of interesting, here – he goes into teaching mode. He lays out the situation and then leads them to the answer that he wants them to have, but he lets them come up with it for themselves so that they’ll have more buy-in: He reminds them that the previous bus stop was (supposedly, according to the lie Pran pulled out of his ass) built by both faculties, so it was common territory, but if ONLY Architecture rebuilds, then … Korn still looks baffled at this point. Oh, honey. I guess stupid babies DO need the most love. Mo, however, sits up and exclaims that this will make it completely Arch territory. Cue dramatic music. Chang breaks in that their rights and freedumb to use the bus stop may suffer. Yes, that’s right, you’re going to be oppressed by Architecture and not allowed to catch the bus. Sure, Jan. At any rate, Pat applauds them for coming to the correct conclusion and says he has an idea of how to prevent losing stake in this territory. Cut back to present day, and Pat plants a sign in the ground, naming the area the Pavilion of “Peace” built by Engineering-Architecture students, and lol. I see your scare quotes there. I’m not sure if this is deliberately incorrect, whether this is a Doylist meta-level screw-up or something that’s supposed to be incorrect within the world of the show. At any rate, it’s probably a sign that we’re not going to be seeing actual peace quite yet. Pran’s WTF face on being presented by this group and their sign is delightful. This asshole will not stop interfering with his life or joking around about this. Pat, however, explains that if Engineering helps build the bus stop, they’ll have enough workers AND someone to supervise the project without having to hire engineers – and he’s talked to their instructors about it. Pat throws a little look Korn’s way at this point and Korn nods in support (I also want to make a little note here that Korn is NOT in an engineering jacket, but in one of his windbreakers, which interestingly enough is engineering blue on top and architecture red on the bottom).

Pat is grinning, at this point – he’s proud of himself for this, and frankly he ought to be, but he’s also, I think, happy to have found a way to help Pran out. OK, FINE. You can stay, Pat. You’re still on probation, though. He holds out his hand for Pran to shake, Pran takes a step toward him … and Wai, in contrast to Korn, is NOT down with this. Let’s be fair, here: Not only has Korn had some time to process and come to terms with this new arrangement, rather than just having it sprung on him (and remember his response when Pat DID spring it on him), he’s also not the one who’s been consistently attacked, assaulted, and harassed. If I was Wai, I wouldn’t want them involved, either, and I definitely wouldn’t trust them. Given their track record, I’d have absolutely no guarantee that they wouldn’t end up stealing the materials, selling them off for beer money, and leaving me and my friends completely and totally fucked. They’ve consistently demonstrated that they’re The Worst, and this worst-case scenario would be consistent with their standard M.O. I know I keep coming back to this, but it’s a huge topic in the fandom, that Wai needs to apologize for What He Does. I want to point out that despite his treatment up until now, nobody has apologized to him. Nobody will ever apologize to him for that treatment. Even now, this ceasefire is being presented as a favor to him, which he has to accept because he’s up against the wall – Safe points out that they don’t have any other choice. Later in this ep, Pat will ask Pran if this makes everything even. He sure as shit won’t ask Wai, despite the fact that Wai is the one who’s suffered far and away the most physical and emotional violence from Pat, Korn, and the rest of Engineering. What Pat is really worried about is if this makes things between him and Pran OK, and Pran says yes like that’s all that’s necessary. It’s maybe Pran’s first betrayal of Wai, who get zero closure here, with anyone. I think it’s a big part of the reason why Wai spends the next five and a half episodes walking around like an open wound, and a ton of reaction to the character is inexplicably going to be that he’s just awful and unpleasant and needs to die in a fire. :hands: ANYWAY. We’ll get back to the issue of apologies again, I’m sure, but for now, Pat and Pran shake hands. Pat’s still smiling. Pran is almost smiling back.

Cut to that night, back at the dorm. We see Pran come out of his room and dither around in the hallway in front of Pat’s door, turning every now and then to go back into his room, a positioning of him in relation to the camera that makes it Super Obvious that he’s still wearing The Watch. He finally goes to knock on Pat’s door, but before he can, Pat pulls it open and is right up in his face, grinning and remarking that Pran’s been lurking outside his door, which leads me to the question: How long have you been standing there looking out your peephole like a creepster in order to know that, Pat? Also, UGH, your posture is awful, Pran, I constantly want to poke you between the shoulder blades and make you stand up straighter, I can’t believe Dissaya allows you to get away with that. Anyway, Pran’s super obviously trying to be casual and is absolutely failing at it. Pat is grinning in a way that might be obnoxiously smug if not for Ohm’s ridiculous charisma. These two are absolutely ridiculous, and I love them, your honor. Pran says thanks for the bus stop agreement; Pat admits that it’s Engineering’s fault, too, and asks if they can call it even now. So, having already said some things about my reaction to that, I do also want to point out that this framing means that Pat continues to use the language of competition. He wants to know if they’ve evened the score. At any rate, Pran nods. Pat nods. Pat’s like, OK then, and turns to go back in his room. Pran’s all, hey, um, have you eaten? And Pat inexplicably says yes. WHAT? Why are you passing up the chance to spend time with Pran when HE made the offer, Pat? Even if you have eaten, how hard would it be to lie? And I’ve seen you eat, I know you can manage more food if you have to sell the lie. Why are you trying to so hard to disabuse me of the notion that Korn’s the dumbass? Pran is all, well OK. Bye, then. Pat stops him and goes back in his room, to re-emerge with Pran’s guitar, FINALLY. (I have to wonder if he kept it until now, when Pran isn’t mad at him, because he didn’t want to use the guitar as a way to get back into Pran’s good graces, he wanted it to be meaningful on its own.) Pran is all, “MY BABY!” Pat explains that the high-school music-club room got cleaned out and he tried to sell the guitar on E-Bay, but nobody wanted it, so he kept it sitting around cluttering up his closet. He does not at all mention what we’ll find out later actually happened - which is that he ran after Pran to try to give the guitar to him, but that he wasn’t fast enough - because he’s not yet ready to be exposed as the gigantic sap that he actually is. Pran says thanks again, and they both sit down in the No Man’s Land of the hallway, and Pran noodles on the guitar a little bit. They’re still grinning at each other, because when they share music like this, it means they’re In Harmony, a metaphor that the show repeatedly draws out, from the discordant musical face-off they have in the music room in Ep 1, when they’re waiting to get entry forms for the music competition and are trying desperately to telepathically project how much they hate each other; through all of the confrontation involved in Pran using “Just Friend” when they’re competing against each other before Pat finally gets there and kisses Pran on the roof; to Ep 12, when we’re supposed to believe they’re estranged but the fact that they play music together at the school reunion is a clue that all is not as it seems, and they’re actually still together. Pran mentions that it’s a shame they can’t compete in the music competition since the bus stop got trashed in the fight, and Pat is all, you haven’t heard? We’re back in the competition.

Flashback to Pat in the instructor’s office, pleading for him to reconsider. He mentions that Architecture and Engineering are re-building the bus stop together and says that participating in the same activity might help better relations, which NO, PAT. I mean, yes, a collaborative activity like re-building the bus stop might indeed do that, but a competitive activity is only going to lead to more conflict. You have got to learn to speak an intimate language other than competition. On a micro-level, you’re going to discover that you and Pran function better as a team than competing, and you need to learn this on a macro-level, in the way you and your friends deal with everyone else. We get to see exactly why you are this way, though, because the next thing you say to the instructor is to talk about how much your dad is pressuring you to “bring him the trophy” (emphasis mine). Instructor is all, fine, fine, but if anything happens again, everything is off, no, really, I mean it this time, no, really. Cut back to Pat and Pran, with Pat continuing to act as if he has no clue how this has all happened. He tells Pran to practice hard, so there’s no excuse if he loses to Engineering. Pran leans forward, playfully confrontational, and remarks that Pat seems so happy to compete with him. Pat leans forward and remarks that Pran does too, and also has he mentioned, he just like to see Pran’s face … And speaking of Pran’s FACE, when he hears this, Nanon pulls out all the microexpression stops, and there’s this entire face journey going on, including this hope that’s just painful to look at, and I swear he’s looking at Pat’s mouth, he looks like this is the moment he’s lived for his entire life ... and then Pat finishes his sentence, “when you LOSE,” and cackles as he chucks Pran under the chin and ruffles his hair, and istg, it’s like the light momentarily goes out of Pran’s eyes. Pat, you need to get there faster before I put a shiv in you. He gets up and goes back in his room, but Pran keeps sitting there for a minute, coming to terms with this ridiculous repressed asshole he’s in love with. He looks at The Watch, and then up at Pat’s door, and he’s kind of rueful, because apparently this is his life now, but when he does get up and goes into his own room – with his newly returned guitar – we see the door re-open a moment later, and he sticks out his hand to flip his frowny face door sign upside down to make it a smiley face. And scene.

NEXT TIME: Tension between Architecture and Engineering, Pran sends everyone to their separate corners, and Pat’s very into Gay Chicken.