#via disney music
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If I was in Twisted Wonderland I would make Jamil pay preparations (for the whole kidnapping and almost murder thing) by making him listen to every song from Earth that references "hypnosis" in ANY WAY
.....and he'd have to dance to it too. Just cuz I wanna see him dance. (The other boys would face similar fates of my design whether or not they overblotted. They just ALL DESERVE CREATIVE DIVINE PUNISHMENT minus Ortho)
#twisted wonderland#disney twst#jamil viper#cruel and unusual punishment#jamil dancing#why isn't that a tag#JAMIL DANCING SUPREMACY#overblot#overblot squad#asserting dominance#asserting dominance via bad music taste
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Pick a Pile Reading | Details About Your Future Spouse ⚖️💝
Business Carrd 🍶🧺
Paid Services 🍇⭐️
Tip Jar 🍾🎱
*Disclaimer: This is a collective reading — take what resonates and leave the rest. If this resonates with you, please show support by reposting (with credit), tipping, or booking with me! :)
*Exchanges with other intuitives/readers are available via dm’s
PILE 1 COLLECTIVE
[ old money ] [ athlete/athletic build ] [ family-oriented, especially with their mother ] [ fluffy, curly hair ] [ brown hair ] [ looks good in/often wears the color blue ] [ will enjoy making pinky promises or playing with your hands ] [ tall for their gender ] [ mediterranean or european background, possible greek or british ] [ charming ] [ talkative ] [ golden retriever ] [ PDA ] [ almost always wears sneakers/tennis shoes ] [ gets along well with your friends & feminine energies ] [ conventionally attractive ] [ notting hill movie ] [ spontaneous first meets, maybe during a trip abroad/after moving to a new place ] [ gemini, sagittarius, capricorn, leo placements ] [ is very knowledgeable about culture, wines, fine dining, etiquette, etc. ] [ woodsy scents/would love to drink alcohol by a fireplace somewhere cozy, especially scotch or something old school ]
PILE 2 COLLECTIVE
[ enjoys orchestra/classical/instrumental music ] [ creatively gifted, especially in singing or photography ] [ likes to stay organized/clean ] [ gift giving as a love language ] [ nicknames that make you feel like royalty, “princess/prince” or “god/goddess” ] [ playful teasing ] [ fire sign, scorpio, aquarius, libra, cancer placements ] [ enjoys writing & keeping a journal ] [ homebody but somebody with status/notoriety & success ] [ using you as their muse on social media/in careers ] [ dyed hair for people attracted to feminines, especially pink ] [ manic pixie dream girl complex ] [ “you’re different than the rest” ] [ opposite aesthetic as you ] [ the great gatsby movie, especially jay & daisy’s attraction ] [ an old soul ] [ cynical and reserved humor ] [ light hair for people attracted to masculines, especially dirty/honey blonde ] [ somebody that i used to know — gotye ] [ a person you share a past/past life with ] [ the letters a, e, r, t, i, l, and n ]
PILE 3 COLLECTIVE
[ spiritually gifted/self-aware ] [ 9h, 12h, 1h, 3h, 5h placements or synastry ] [ optimistic ] [ teaches you how to connect to nature ] [ sent to you by your guides/ancestors ] [ in touch with their feminine side ] [ empress in tarot energy ] [ roots for the underdog ] [ enjoys investments & humanitarian work ] [ well-spoken ] [ amicable ] [ compatible political affiliations, but they may expand your understanding of the world ] [ wears jewelry ] [ would love to get matching tattoos or wear matching clothes with you ] [ manifestation/spell work is a factor in this romance/one of their hobbies ] [ wants to build a home out of you ] [ provider ] [ sensual ] [ connected to their inner child & may like to watch disney/nostalgic movies, especially frozen ] [ a huge cuddler ] [ winter birthday for some ]
PILE 4 COLLECTIVE
[ flexible or enjoys dancing ] [ aesthetic hands ] [ a lover of the arts ] [ soft or quiet voice ] [ socially anxious ] [ remembers the small details about you ] [ impresses your family/mother upon first meet ] [ has a cat or younger sibling for some ] [ lets you paint their nails or practice makeup on them ] [ short hair, may sometimes get perms or curling techniques ] [ thin frame ] [ infp/infj/intj/intp/etc type of personality ] [ indie or soft pop music lover, especially clairo ] [ soft kisses ] [ prone to blushing or avoiding eye contact ] [ pale skin ] [ talks about you to their best friends ] [ karaoke/comedy clubs ] [ graham crackers ] [ strong perfume, especially floral/rose ] [ height difference/size kink ]
#law of assumption#pick a pile reading#astrology#pick a card reading#intuitive#divination#astro notes#astro observations#horoscope#future spouse#tarotblr#pick a pile#natal chart#leo placements#zodiac signs#birth chart#sun signs#psychic#free readings#witchblr#astroblr#love reading#pick a photo#spells#baby witch#astrology blog#subliminals#100% accurate#channeled messages#witch tips
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Hello there and welcome to the first ever Andor Appreciation Week (2023) to celebrate the first anniversary of the critically-acclaimed Disney+ Star Wars show Andor! Get ready for a week of gif sets, edits, metas, fics, and more as we all come together and celebrate this amazing show!
Beginning October 12th, the one-year anniversary of the premiere of Episode 6, “The Eye”, @andorappreciation will be hosting a week-long, fandom-wide event with themed prompts for each day. We invite anyone and everyone who loves this show to make any transformative works: metas, edits, manips, gifs, fan art, fan fic, etc.
When
Thursday, October 12 - Wednesday, October 18
Prompts
Thursday, 10/12
Favorite Characters // Character Dynamics
Friday, 10/13
Favorite Outfits // Colors
Saturday, 10/14
Favorite Arc/Episodes // Themes
Sunday, 10/15
Favorite Planets/Settings // Parallels
Monday, 10/16
Underrated Characters // Hidden Details
Tuesday, 10/17
Favorite Quotes/Monologues // Music
Wednesday, 10/18
FREE DAY!
How It Works
We have included two prompts for each day to provide optimal opportunities for fan work creators of all kinds. Pick a prompt and create to your heart’s content! When the day arrives, post your work!
Feel free to tag us @andorappreciation! We will also be tracking #andorappreciation2023
Do’s & Don’t’s
DO
Have fun, be creative and follow us for all the glorious content!
Please reblog!
Pop some peezos. The greenie green ones!
DON’T
Repost work that is not yours or work without credit
Post work without proper tagging/warnings
Post offensive material including non-con or bigotry
Any questions, concerns, or clarifications can be submitted via ask.
Sincerely,
@andorappreciation
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The Hercules to my Meg ♤
Jason Todd x reader
A/N: How's it going? This is my first piece for Jason! I hope I did him justice lmao I love Jason and the Hercules movie, so I had to write something about this!
Enjoy!
~Fi 🪻
Warnings: mentions of murder, spoilers for Hercules I guess???, disgustingly sweet
Word count: 1k
Please don't copy my work! I put a lot of effort and heart into the things I write.
❤️••••••••••••••••••⚱️••••••••••••••••••❤️
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"Are you ready, babe?" Jason's voice cut through his apartment. It was a Friday night, and you had decided against going out with his siblings. Instead, you wanted to have a cozy movie night! And because it's you and Jason, movie nights always had a theme. Today's theme was greek mythology. Maybe a little complicated for a movie night, but you two made due. The rules were simple: both of you picked a movie according to the theme and decided via rock, paper, scissors.
The winner got their movie played and the softer blanket. The choices today were Hercules and Percy Jackson: the lighting thief. You'd obviously picked out Hercules. As action-filled and enjoyable as Percy Jackson was, there was no beating the colorful and entertainingly inaccurate world that was Hercules.
"I can't believe you've never watched Hercules. It's my favorite Disney movie!" You exclaimed, plopping down next to your lover on the couch. Bowl of snacks in hand, you swung your legs over his lap and pulled the blanket around you. Jason chuckled. "Well, I'm watching it now, aren't I? I'm fulfilling my 'boyfriend of the year' duties, you know?" He joked, a grin on his face. You playfully rolled your eyes.
"First of all, you're just saying that because you lost rock, paper, scissors, again and second of all, you'll always be boyfriend of the year, no matter what." you grinned, leaning forward and pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek. Jason hummed in satisfaction. "You flatter me, baby." He responded, a teasing tone to his voice. "What can I say, I aim to please." You popped a piece of popcorn into your mouth.
Jason gently caressed your thigh under the blanket. He did that quiet often, absent mindedly tracing patterns on your skin. It grounded him, that he knew that you were right here with him. You pressed play and excitedly watched the TV. Continuing to enjoy your snack, you slightly moved your foot along with the music. It wasn't your fault that the muses belted out incredible bangers.
A smile tugged on Jason's lips. He turned his head and looked at you; eyes wide with joy, your soft lips pulled into a beautiful smile. It tugged at his heart strings, to see you so happy over such a simple thing. He admired that about you. No matter the circumstance, you always found something fun in it. Something you enjoyed. He faced the screen again and watched the movie. He wanted to know if the hype you gave it was worth it.
You laughed, giggled and occasionally ranted about some of the many inaccuracies. At some point, you'd changed your position and were now cuddled up to Jason's side, feeding him popcorn. He seemed to enjoy the movie as well, letting out those absolutely beautiful laughs of his. He was very invested too; he threatened to trash the TV if Meg didn't get her soul back. You had to hold him back with your entire body weight and then trapped him in the blanket. The TV was safe.
The credits rolled, and you set the now empty bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and slightly turned to Jason. "So.. what do you think?" You asked, curious of his answer.
"Probably one of the best movies I've ever watched, to be honest." he laughed. You grew excited. "Yes! I knew you'd like it. Who's your favorite character?" You questioned, beaming with excitment. His heart melted at your passion for this movie. You looked so cute with that sparkle in your eyes. He pondered for a moment.
"I mean, Hades was phenomenal, but... It has to be Pegasus. What about you, sweetheart?" He said with a soft look in his face."Pegasus is great. Mine's Meg, obviously! She's a badass."
Jason hummed at your statement, letting his fingers trail up and down your arm. You two sat in a comfortable silence for a while, letting the names in the credits run over the screen. "You know, you remind me a lot of Hercules." You said. Jason turned towards you. "How so?"
"A. Huge Himbo," Jason gave you an unimpressed look with a smirk tugging at his lips,"B. You're kind and soft with a tough looking exterior, just like he is. You don't just look tough, you are, but you also help people in need and you've got a big heart." You said softly, placing a hand on his chest with a smile. He returned an equally as soft smile and wrapped his large hand around the one you had positioned on his chest.
"If you think so, will you be my Meg?" He smirked. You laughed and threw your head back. You looked so pretty like this, Jason thought. "Sure, as long as it's the movie Meg and not the myth Meg because... yikes." You responded. His brows furrowed and he tilted his head in confusion.
"Why? What's so wrong with myth Meg?" He questioned. You sucked in a breath. "Well... You'd end up murdering me and our children. You pissed off a witch and she put a spell on you which made you go on a homicidal rampage against your will." You mumbled. His eyes widened and he slightly slacked against the couch. "Damn..." he breathed out. You giggled. "Yeah... but that's greek mythology for you, baby." You sighed. He turned to you with still furrowed brows. "And you like this stuff?"
"Not the murder part, obviously!"
He chuckled and pulled you into his lap, hands on your waist. "Can we be a different couple from greek mythology? A happy one, perhaps?" He questioned with a grin. "Sorry to break it to you, Honey, but there is no such thing as happy couples in greek mythology." You laughed. A frown formed on his face.
"We better just stick to Herc and Meg, huh? Movie version, of course." He chuckled. Jason smiled and pulled you closer by your waist. "Yeah... we should." You smiled, lightly brushing your nose against his. "I love you, Wonder boy." You breathed out, a teasing tone to your voice. "I love you too, Megnut." He teased right back and pulled you into a soft and passionate kiss. You pulled him closer by wrapping your arms around his neck. Pulling away, you two broke into one last fit of giggles and laughter. The movie night had concluded, and it had been a wonderful evening once again.
❤️••••••••••••••••••⚱️••••••••••••••••••❤️
#bumblebeesfromvenus#jason todd x you#jason todd fluff#jason todd x reader#jason peter todd#jason todd#jason my beloved#red hood x reader#red hood#red hood x you#hercules
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Old Web European Musical Sites
So this post started because I was looking through the waybackmachine on the Internet Archive for the old Disney Fairies site for a friend, and remembered I'd backed up some old musical related sites a couple years ago on the waybackmachine just to archive them.
Which made me remember how recently I saw someone on here, I don't remember who, asking if there were interviews either about Elisabeth das Musical or specifically with Uwe Kroger (the actor who originated the role of Der Tod/Death) in English to which someone had answered no but there are some quotes and fragments in other posts on here. Which made me remember an old website I'd found that did have interviews on and I went out to find it. After I found it, I tried to find another website I'd found that had nice old photos of Uwe on that I'd save for I'd never seen them anywhere else, but sadly can no longer find the site and I hadn't bookmarked it or archived it. But, in doing so I did find some others.
So, come along with me as I find some ye olde websites based around European Musicals and Non-English Musicals, all of which I am archiving using the waybackmachine and can be found on my archive.org account @ wennli3b3 under the 'web archives' tab on my profile.
What is old web? The aesthetics wiki describes it as "Essentially consisting of screencaps and gifs, Old Web is an aesthetic utilizing traditional web design elements combined with aspects of poetry and self-expression. This also includes GIFs, video games, and clip-art. This aesthetic expresses nostalgia for Internet culture of the early 1990s to early 2010s." Think of old GeoCities and AngelFire websites, the pre-2010s internet where it wasn't uncommon for anyone to make their own little website for anything and the internet wasn't just social media. There's just such a charm for me about these old sites and the work people put into customising and decorating their sites, often just as a fun project for themselves or a way to document things they loved. Therefore the websites we'll be looking at are from the 90s up to the late 2000s, 2010s and onwards websites don't count for this list.
What is the waybackmachine? The waybackmachine is hosted on the Internet Archive, it's a digital archive of websites that lets you visit websites as they were during the past if they've been archived there.
[Note: this post won't have clickable links because that can make Tumblr unhappy and either hide or soft-block my post, so sadly no clickable links, but I will write out the links with spaces in the hopes that won't hide the post and you will just have to type them in for yourselves, and I will link my web archive page in the replies to this post. I am also not claiming to be the first to back these sites up or discover them, some of them have already been archived in past, but doing them all under one account means you guys can have an easy list of them all in one place. Some of these sites no longer exist and are only accessible via the waybackmachine, in those cases I will save those sites to my web archive so they are all listed on one page.]
1. musicalvienna . at
Staring with a website some of you will be familiar with and while in it's current 2023 form doesn't count as old web and is easily accessible, we're going back in time with the waybackmachine to see how the site looked and what information it had about old current productions in 2000-2008. And frankly I don't know what to do with the information that at some point in 2000 there was a 'vampire museum' inside the Raimund Theatre that had what appears to be a wax figure of Steve Barton in his original Graf von Krolock costume. I. What??
2. eljen . net / kroeger
A fansite dedicated to Uwe Kroger, the actor, that was run seemingly from 1998-2002 that old photos, links to music that no longer work, but most important to me is the 'Press' page that has many articles and interviews with Uwe that have been translated into English! The site is also available in German eljen . net / kroeger / deutsch. A special shoutout to Uwe's own drawing of himself as Der Tod.
3. eljen . net / elisabeth
Run by the same person as the first site, in fact it is technically the same site however if you go to the root eljen . net there is just a blank page with a link to the /kroeger site, there's no direct link to the Elisabeth site, you can only find it through googling or having the direct URL.
4. iukc . de
The Uwe Kroger fanclub webite seems to have started around 2000 but it was taken offline sometime after October 2021 as going to the URL now leads to a 404 error page, but the site is still accessible using the waybackmachine. On a 2019 capture of the website it states this fanclub was dissolved on December 31st 2019 and was advertising the uwe-kroeger-community . com website as a new fanclub. Some of the pages are available in English and Japanese, but all of the pages are only available in German. The site includes information about the fanclub, as well as lists of Uwe's work, discography, and more.
5. gudrun-kauck . de
A site that as far as I can tell is run by someone just documenting their life and things they see, and that happens to include many musicals. Down the left side of the site there are pages for The Phantom of the Opera, Tanz der Vampire, Ludwig, Concerts, Musicals and Actors. Here there is so much information, interviews, photos, screenshots, transcriptions of scripts and lyrics, articles, and more. This site is a real treasure trove. It's been updating since at least 2004 and it's most recent update was in 2023. This site is in German.
6. jimsteinman . com
The Tanz der Vampire page on Jim Stienman's website has links to lots of articles, interviews and photos for the original 1997 Vienna production and the 2000 Stuttgart production. This site is in English.
7. carpe-jugulujm . com
Another site that is no longer active and can only be accessed via the waybackmachine, it was online by 2006 and taken offline between late 2021 and 2023. It has information on productions of Tanz der Vampire between 1997 and 2009 and is one of the few if not the only place I've found information about the 2000 Estonia production. This site is in English.
8. geocities . ws / mymusicalworlds
This website is all in Chinese, however parts of it are in English and German. It lists information on different musicals, actors, and has lyrics for songs, and photos. It also has midi files but, as with almost all of these old sites, the download links no longer work.
9. theatre-musical . com
This website started around 2002 and was closed some time in 2016, if you go to the website now all you'll get is a message saying the website has been closed, however the old pages are still accessible via the waybackmachine. There's pages for many musicals with lots of information about each show and each of these musical pages has a link to a page that lists other sites, official and fanmade, that are about this musical. There's many more sites to find via
10. elisabeth-fanclub . de
A fansite dedicated to Elisabeth das Musical, more specifically the 2001 Essen production and 2003 Vienna Revival. This site includes information and photos about these productions. It was online by 2004 and was taken offline some time after 2007 and is only now available via the waybackmachine. This site is in German.
11. sisi-net . de
While this site is more dedicated to the actual real Empress Elisabeth, it also has a page dedicated to Elisabeth das Musical which includes several articles and interviews for the 2001 Essen production. There is also some information on here about the Ludwig musical. This site is in German. It was online by 1999, in 2008 the site was empty and "'"under construction" and after 2008 seemed to have either had it's domain sold or hacked and became used for something else, and by 2019 was offline.
12. geocities . com / broadway / 8851
Another site that is dedicated to the real person Elisabeth, but also has information about multiple productions of Elisabeth das Musical. The site was started in 1996 and is no longer online as GeoCities no longer exists as a website hoster, but can be accessed using the waybackmachine. This site is in English.
13. elisabeth-musicpage . de
A German fansite for the 2001 Essen production of Elisabeth das Musical that contains information about the show, merchandise, photos, etc. The site was online by 2002, went under construction in 2005 and after 2006 went offline and only accessible via the waybackmachine. This site is in German.
14. elisabeth-das-musical . de
The old official site for the 2001 Essen production of Elisabeth das Musical. It's only accessible via the waybackamachine however all I could access is this homepage as the site seems to require flash player which no longer exists. The site was made in 2001, by 2006 it was redirecting to a different website that no longer exists, and by 2008 it was just offline.
15. sissi . nl
The official site for the 1999 Dutch production of Elisabeth das Musical. The site went up in 1999 and is no longer online and only accessible via the waybackmachine.
16. marloes . info
A site where someone cataloged every musical they saw between 1996 and 2004. Some of these listings link to their reviews of the musicals and pictures they took (the pictures of Elisabeth das Musical really interest me because they went on a night where Jesper Tyden was understudying for Der Tod (he usually played Rudolf) in teh 2001 Essen production).
17. danceofthevampries . com
The official site for the 2002 Broadway production of Tanz der Vampire. Whilst we all have... feelings about this production, the site's design is very of its time. It has information on the (re-written) plot, cast, downloads for the original English demo recordings (that no longer work), and more. In 2002 the cast page lists the Broadway cast, after the shows closure in 2003 these pages advertised the 2003 Hamburg cast, and by 2006 it now advertises the 2006 Berlin cast, and then even by 2012 that page was no longer being updated. This site is now only accessible via the waybackmachine, I don't know when exactly it went offline but I remember being able to acccess it back in 2020. This site is in English.
18. tanzdervampire . de
The official site for German-lanuage productions of Tanz der Vampire from 2000 to around 2004, mostly the 2003 Hamburg production. Some pages of the site sometimes redirect to musicalwelt . de, like the 'galarie' page that links to a page of many paintings by Mike Schöbs of the original 1997 Vienna production. The site is only accessible via the waybackmachine, sometimes I have difficultly loading the pages, and sometimes the pages on later dates redirect to stagegholding . de which no longer exists or works.
19. tanz-der-vampire . de
A fansite for the 2003 Hamburg production of Tanz der Vampire that is still online. It has info about the musical and this production. The page I found the most interesting is the info > links page. It has a list that includes screenshots of websites from around 2003 with official and fanmade sites for different actors from the musical (such as Marjan Shaki, Maike Switzer, Aris Sas, Thomas Mülner, Jens Janke, Ian Jon Bourg, Kevin Tarte and more) most if not all of these sites are on the waybackmachine (and I'm saving them to my own web archive page rather than listing them all here, Tumblr has a text limit and an image limit and we're already running close to it).
20. fuer-sarah . de
A fansite dedicated to actors who played Sarah including understudies, alternates, swings, and dancers who played Sarah/Solo Female Dancer in the dance sequences in Tanz der Vampire. This site is in German and is only available via the waybackmachine and was active between 2001-2005.
21. musicalland . de
A fansite dedicated to musical theatre with some more specific pages dedicated too Elisabeth das Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, 42nd Street and Mamma Mia. The site is still online and stopped updating in 2010. This site is in German. The link to the Elisabeth das Musical page no longer works, but can still be accessed using the waybackmachine.
22. old-hickory . demon . co . uk / jim
A fan page for composer Jim Steinman that has pages about his non-musical work as well as his musicals Tanz der Vampire and Whistle Down the Wind. The Tanz der Vampire pages include lyrics in German and English, as well as the entire original 1997 Vienna libretto translated into English, as well as the 2000 Stuttgart production's programme fully translated into English that includes information and interviews. The site is in English and only accessible via the waybackmachine.
23. romeojulietmusicals . com
A fan site for the French musical Roméo et Juliette that has pages dedicated to many different language productions with cast lists, information, lyrics and lyric translations. There are galleries on the site but the images on longer load. This site is in English and was online between 2004 to 2008. There is a 'related links' page that contains so many more links to other musical sites.
24. compat . tf1 . fr
A fan site for Roméo et Juliette for the original 2000 Paris production containing images of the cast, and video interviews and behind the scenes with links that no longer work. This site is in French.
25. mozartbudapest . hu
The official website for the 2003 Budapest production of Mozart das Musical. This website is only accessible via the waybackmachine, it contains the cast list, a bio of Mozart (the person), but sadly most of the image no longer work. I mention it here only because when i opened it I was surprised the original logo animation and music still played. This site is available in English and Hungarian.
26. notredameonline . com
During 2000-2001 this URL was for the French musical Notre Dame de Paris and you can see this via the waybackmachine. The site then went offline after 2001 and the domain was sold and since 2006 has belonged to the University of Notre Dame. I really like the design of this site, sadly most of the links open pop-ups that no longer work. The site is available in French and English.
27. notredamedeparis . it
The official site for the 2002 Italian tour of Notre Dame de Paris. It has a lot of information about the musical and this specific production. This site is in Italian and is only accessible via the waybackmachine.
28. geocities . ws / dreamcatcher182004
A fansite dedicated to a few musicals that was last updated in 2003. It has pages for Chicago, Les Mis, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera and Tanz der Vampire.
.
So yeah, that was a list. I hope that was interesting or for anyone wanting to find more information about these musicals for research, essays, or just for fun, that this post was helpful or interesting in some way. There are a lot more websites than just the ones on this list, however Tumblr has both a photo and a character limit for text posts. If you want a larger catalog you can look at my Internet Archive (archive . org) page @ WennLi3b3 and go to my 'web archives' page, this lists both pages I myself have archived and pages other's have archived and I have bookmarked. Hope someone found this interesting. I just like making lists.
#this is so niche omg but i love old web and euro musicals and hey theres some good resources on here for anyone looking for info on musicals#hi im damien im 25 and i love to make lists#european musicals#non english language musicals#tanz der vampire#elisabeth das musical#notre dame de paris#nddp#retj#romeo et juliette#roméo et juliette#mozart das musical#phantom of the opera#mytext#masterlists#poto#europeanmusicals
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KHInsider posted this video of a potential new Missing Link world 👀
Accessible via Closed Beta Quests - Battle Quest 2-4, I'll have to check it out in my game
Some discussion in the YouTube comments are trying to take cues from the music to figure out where there is, so FYI that the music playing is the same battle theme that plays during all the missions so I don't think you can take anything from that. It's just the KHML general battle theme (or the Scala battle theme and the battle theme for this world hasn't been added yet)
The palm trees tell me that this is somewhere coastal or tropical.
Personally my bets are that this is somewhere on the Destiny Islands. It could possibly be a Moana or Lilo & Stitch world (or other Disney property slipping my mind) but I feel like they would have done more to announce that instead of allowing it to be shown via the Beta?
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a while back I mentioned The Muppets Sex and Violence pilot and seeing as most people haven't seen it I wanted to bullet point out some of the insanity in it for everyone
This was the second pilot produced, with The Muppets Valentine Show being the first
The entire thing USED to be freely available on YouTube but Disney decided a pilot from 1975 that you can't watch on Disney+ anyway was losing them money so I had to cobble these notes together via memory and YouTube clips
The setup is a bit different from the actual show. There's no guest star (this idea was instead used for the aforementioned first pilot), there's very little backstage story and more focus on unconnected skits
There's no background music throughout most of it and pacing is sluggish at best, leaving periods of silence behind. about halfway through you WILL start to wonder if you're in Muppet Purgatory
Instead of Kermit the host is a guy named Nigel. I'll probably make a separate post on him later but for right now all you need to know is that he has the personality of wet cardboard and looks like he wants to lie down and take a nap 24/7 which like. same
For some reason the main three characters are Nigel, Sam the Eagle, and Floyd(???). Kermit shows up for like 30 seconds
Crazy Harry is in. the ceiling??
Animal is there but he's literally so feral he's kept locked in a dungeon that they have in the conference room (as you do)
Janice has a line and sounds absolutely nothing like herself (as Fran Brill is her performer here instead of Richard Hunt)
There's a wiseman in the backstage area and nothing about him is ever explained. they're just like "oh and that's our wiseman"
The seven deadly sins are there. that sounds like a joke but it's not
Their version of Lust is a Muppet made entirely of tongues that flirts with the female secretary then proceeds to say "love you, sweetheart" to Nigel after giving him a full-body look-over. To date this is unironically the best depiction of Lust I have ever seen
Actually a few of the sins have cool abstract designs. for example, Vanity is a literal vanity desk and Avarice is a cash register
Their proposal for an eight deadly sin is "wearing funny pants to a funeral"
at least one of the female Muppets that Kermit briefly dances with looks like This
There's a sketch just called "Aggression" that's done entirely in gibberish and about halfway through I wondered if I was having a stroke
There's also a sketch involving living pencils and puns
The Electric Mayhem perform a song and it's just straight up 90% innuendo
Statler and Waldorf have a few scenes but they're just sitting in a room instead of heckling and come across like they're Literally Dying
at one point the grandfather clock in the background stops ticking and Statler just says "either that clock is stopped or we've just died" and that's the last we see of them
The Swedish Chef segment has Chinese subtitles under it and honestly that kind of makes it funnier
also at the end of the segment the Chef takes out a blunderbuss and shoots a sandwich with it
During the credits the camera pulls back to reveal all the Muppet performs running around. Disney would NEVER
Sloth shows up fifteen minutes late with Starbucks
#muppets#the muppets#the muppet show#pilot episode#outdesign posts things#'these notes are scattershot and incoherent' congrats! now you know what watching the special is like#I don't know why I bothered typing all this other than a need to bring semi-obscure muppet trivia to the masses#greatest hits
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Delta Landscaping | Chapter 17: Cousin Joel
Series Masterlist | Chapter 17 A03 Link
323 Mulefall Crt Chapter One: Monday (by @trulybetty)
Word Count: 7k
A/N: This is probably the chapter I’ve been the most excited about. In case you missed it, the Delta Landscaping universe is expanding. @trulybetty and I have been collaborating behind the scenes for months on this companion series. More to come at the end!
Previously on As the Mule Falls: Benny featured heavily as the boys continued to get him ready for fight night. The neighbors hosted a party at Lucille’s house to welcome the Pikes and Vanessa to the neighborhood. Benny and Vanessa finally kissed, which was inadvertently live-streamed via the Pike’s Ring doorbell camera.
In this Episode: If this were an actual TV show, this would be the episode when that special guest star they’d been teasing all season finally shows up. dun dun dun Cousin Joel finally arrives. Before we get to him though, there’s some Benny and Vanessa to get through. Then we have the boys at the gym and enjoying a meal together. Thoughts on which neighbor Joel meets first?
Chapter Warnings: Cousin Joel. I’ve edged you for months with his arrival and he’s finally here. Other warnings - mention of hangovers, children, flustered Benny, the boys at the gym, swearing, and more food. Also, David. But, you should already that by now.
*Cue the theme music and roll opening credits*
Five Days to Fight Night
Marcus groaned as he heard Mariella flopping around in her crib through the baby monitor. He could already feel the pounding headache starting despite preemptively taking some Tylenol last night.
Next to him, Victoria rubbed her eyes. “I'm never drinking again,” she groaned.
With a chuckle, Marcus leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Get some rest sweetheart, I'll get the kids up. Don't worry about today. Stay home. Vandy and I can take them to the aquarium.”
“Oh shit, that was today, ughhh. I'm the worst mom ever.” She flipped on her stomach, burying her head into the pillow.
“Baby, you're not the worst. You're just a mom with a hangover. Just sit tight, I'll bring you some coffee soon.”
“Can you just pluck my eyeballs out instead, they're throbbing,” she whined.
“Hangovers are a bit different than in your 20s huh?” He smirked. “I'll be back, mi amor.”
Victoria looked up, squinting as she watched her husband throw on a pair of thin gray sweatpants. “I love you.”
He paused as he fed his arms through his faded Washington Capitals T-shirt sleeves. “I love you too. As much as I love seeing you like this,” his eyebrow twitched as his eyes dragged down her body, appreciating how little of the comforter was covering her naked form, “you should probably throw some clothes on in case you get an unexpected visitor.”
Vanessa padded down the stairs to the smell of coffee and pancakes as Disney Junior played softly on the TV. She was still on cloud nine from her kiss with Benny after he walked her home last night.
She rounded the corner to the kitchen and leaned against the wall, a soft smile across her face as she watched Marcus. He hummed a tune to himself as he cut up strawberries for Mariella, swaying to whatever imaginary beat he was playing in his head. It was in these small moments that Vanessa appreciated her brother-in-law even more; he was her standard for what a father and husband should be.
Sensing someone behind him, Marcus turned around slowly before a giant smile flashed across his face realizing who it was. “Oh hey, Vandy! You have a good walk home last night? Benny get you back here ok?” He tried to suppress his grin, eyes following Vanessa as she walked over to the coffee pot. Her cheeks flushed, remembering the way her and Benny's tongues tangled together.
“He did, it was a good…walk,” she cleared her throat. “Where's Vic?”
“Your sister is nursing what she calls ‘the world's worst hangover’ so she's still in bed,” Marcus said as he flipped a pancake. “Looks like it's just you and me taking them to the aquarium today,” he nodded toward the living room.
“Buck, you're probably not feeling too hot either, you guys got back late. You can stay, I'll take them. Besides, I'm sure having hours to yourselves with an empty house will perk Vic right on up,” she snorted as she sipped her coffee.
Marcus shifted his weight to one leg, drumming his fingers along the quartz countertop. Vanessa had a point. He did have a splitting headache and would much rather spend a lazy day in bed with his wife than surrounded by people.
“You make a compelling case…you sure you're ok taking both of them on your own?” He looked over at Vanessa who nodded with a tight smile. She was an amazing aunt and the kids adored her, but he knew she got anxious doing things alone with them in public. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off. “Hey, I know…why don't you ask Benny to go with you?”
“Bunny?! I see Bunny?” Mariella screamed from her high chair, clapping her little hands.
“Umm…we'll see Mari,” Vanessa called over before she turned to Marcus. “She has superhero hearing I swear,” she whispered.
“Only when it suits her,” Marcus winked.
“You put me in a real bind here, Buck. She's going to be so disappointed.”
“Just ask, I'm sure he'll say yes,” he avoided her gaze as he put some pancakes on a plate for her.
“I'm sure he has plenty of better things to do on a Sunday than spend it with two kids at an aquarium,” Vanessa rolled her eyes, pouring syrup over her neatly formed stack.
“Yeah but you'll be there…c'mon just try, give him a call…pleaaaase,” he pouted. “Do it for Mari.’
“That's downright cruel you know, using your daughter like that,” she narrowed her eyes with one hand on her hip.
Marcus threw his hands up in surrender, “you'll thank me later.”
Vanessa took a deep breath as she eyed her phone.
Will couldn't help but grin when Benny trudged into the kitchen, tossing his phone on the counter and running a hand through his hair. He’d been debating texting Vanessa good morning but didn’t want to seem too eager.
“How was the rest of your night?”
Benny's eyes narrowed. Will was a morning person, sure, but he was a bit too chipper. “Good…just walked Vanessa home.”
“How'd that go? Made sure she got there safe and sound?” Will winked.
Benny was thankful to have his back to his brother as he poured his coffee. He blushed remembering their kiss…and what he did once he got home.
“Speak of the devil, look who's calling,” Will picked up Benny's phone from the counter and handed it to his brother, eyeing him as he listened to one side of the conversation.
Benny shifted from one foot to the other as he talked to Vanessa. He sported a toothy grin as he rubbed the back of his neck, occasionally breaking into some nervous laughter.
“I really don't mind…when do we leave…ok I'll be there. See you soon.” He stared at his phone as he hung up.
“Sooo?”
Benny told him about how the Pikes were nursing hangovers and that the kids were supposed to go to the aquarium today. He noted that Vanessa sounded nervous to ask him to go with her, but he accepted before she could get it out.
“Wow, I know you like kids but damn, she must really be special,” Will chuckled.
Victoria managed to get herself out of bed in time to help change the kids into their marine-themed outfits and pack their bags. She sat on the couch fussing with Mariella to get her little curls into pigtails when Marcus walked by, arms flexed while carrying a folded stroller.
“Babe, I’m going to go put this in Vandy’s car and then I’ll come back to load up the bags.”
“Ok…looking good there Agent Pike,” she winked as he rolled his eyes, even though his chest puffed out at her praise. If there was one thing about Victoria, she always made sure Marcus knew how much she appreciated him in all aspects.
As Marcus closed the trunk of Vanessa’s SUV he heard heavy footsteps behind him, turning in time to see Benny walking up the driveway.
“Oh hey man,” Marcus waved.
“Hey! How’re you feeling?” Benny shook Marcus’ outstretched hand.
“Killer headache, but I’m in better shape than Vic. Thanks for going with Vandy, means a lot that she won’t have to go by herself,” Marcus smiled.
“Course, it’s going to be fun…need help loading anything else up?”
“Nah, all good. Just have to get Nico and corral Hurricane Mari, but it’ll help now that you’re here. She may listen to you. C’mon, come inside.”
Benny and Marcus walked over the threshold just as Vanessa came down the stairs. She was dressed in a simple black athletic dress and sneakers. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a Tampa Bay Rays baseball cap. Benny’s eyes trailed down her neck to her exposed collarbone, involuntarily licking his lips as he remembered kissing it mere hours ago.
Vanessa paused when she saw Benny, amazed at how made the most casual outfit look so good. He paired a tie-dyed “Miller Contracting” T-shirt with a simple pair of slate gray shorts. His hair was still damp, he clearly took a quick shower before coming over. He passed his baseball cap between his hands as he looked at her, his eyebrows doing that little puppy dog look that always made her melt.
“Bunny!” Mariella squealed, getting herself down from the couch and scurrying over to Benny who quickly picked her up and tossed her in the air to a fit of giggles.
“Hey baby girl, you excited to go see some fishies?”
Mariella babbled on as Marcus and Victoria gathered everything and Vanessa got her crossbody and keys. Nico looked on a bit shy as he packed up his tablet and headphones into his backpack
“Hey bud,” Benny bent down on one knee, Mariella clutching his side. “I'm excited to hang out with you today.”
Nico smiled and Vanessa’s heart skipped a beat. She knew she was getting ahead of herself, but she couldn't help the butterflies seeing how seamlessly Benny fit into her family.
Walking up to Benny, she quickly hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, “It’s not too late if you want to back out,” she whispered.
“Nah, you’re stuck with me,” he winked. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to go to this aquarium, just didn't wanna go by myself.”
With a wave to Marcus and Vanessa, they were off. Benny offered to drive, but Vanessa politely declined, saying she needed him on entertainment duty should Mariella grow tired of her tablet.
They seemed to hit every red light on the way to the interstate, but it gave Benny and Vanessa a chance to steal glances at each other. At one particularly long light, she looked over and noticed his hand twitch before covering it with his other hand in his lap.
“Everything ok?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Hmm? Oh yeah… it’s just…” He didn't want to admit how nervous, but excited he was. “I haven't told you yet, but you look really pretty today.” He swallowed hard.
Vanessa was thankful the light turned green, so she could face forward and try to cover the fact that she was starting to blush. “Well, thank you. You look pretty good today yourself.”
“Thanks.”
She placed her hand on the gear changer, seeing out of the corner of her eye that he was looking at her hand. Deciding to just go for it, she moved her hand to grab his, which he eagerly took. He brought their joined hands up to his lips, kissing the back of her hand, and then moved to each knuckle. They stayed like that for a while before Benny dropped her hand so he could rest his on her thigh. The contact sent an electric pulse down Vanessa's spine.
David: How's everyone feeling? Just came back from a run and everyone looks to still be sleeping.
Melissa: How are you even up right now? My head feels like it’s in a vice 😩
Ty: He got up at 6. He's unfazed
David: I feel fantastic!
David: Thoughts on inviting Tori and Ness to this group chat?
Megan: Already have nicknames for them huh? 😆 But I vote yes, they're fun!
Ty: Agreed, they're fun. Ness is so sweet, I'm trying to see if I can help her find a job.
Olivia: That's so sweet of you Ty!
Lucille: She and Benny are so sweet.
Oliva: They’re so cute!! 😍
David: Who's going to be the one to spill that we all watched them kiss?
Ty: I feel like we know *cough* Liv
Oliva: Hey!
Katie: Aw guys, we can’t say anything. They're going to be so embarrassed if they find out! I swore Will to secrecy
Ty: You hear that babe? Zip it.
David: Alexa play Our Lips Are Sealed
“Aaaand we're here! Sit tight while Bunny and I load up ok?” Vanessa looked back at her niece and nephew who nodded enthusiastically.
She popped her trunk open and got out, slipping on her crossbody before making her way around to the back of her SUV. There, she saw Benny busying himself with unloading the stroller, struggling with how to unfold it.
“Here, it’s just…this latch right here,” she pointed.
She used her sunglasses as a cover to admire how Benny’s forearms flexed as he undid the latch and opened up the stroller before going to help get Mariella out of her car seat. The toddler protested a bit when Benny tried to put her in her stroller. Vanessa couldn't help but laugh, realizing that Benny was going to get a full dose of headstrong Mariella today.
“Bunny, no…uppies! Uppies peeeease!” She pleaded, raising her hands toward him.
Vanessa was about to step in when Benny put his hand up to stop her and turned his attention to Mariella. “Baby girl, how about this. When we get inside the aquarium you get allll the uppies you want. But right now when we’re in the parking lot, can you go in the stroller for me? Please?”
The little girl twisted her face as she processed what he said before finally pointing to her stroller. Benny pulled out some Goldfish crackers from the lunchbox, placing some on the tray in front of Mariella who clapped and eagerly started shoveling them into her mouth.
“Dang, Goldfish crackers at an aquarium. Your sister is hardcore,” Benny quipped as he started walking with the stroller.
Vanessa giggled. “You’re kind of a natural at this, you have any kids I should know about?” She side-eyed him with a smirk as she and Nico walked hand-in-hand towards the entrance.
Benny brushed his hair back and put on his hat. “Nah, I don't have any kids. I do have a niece though. Well, she's technically not my niece, she's my cousin Joel’s daughter, Sarah…she made me this shirt,” he proudly showed it off. “I lived with Joel for a bit when she was a toddler. I dunno, being around Mari reminds me of those times.”
“Well, you're a natural,” Vanessa smiled, noticing how his face lit up when he talked about Sarah.
They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence, making the queue to purchase tickets. Despite her protest, Benny insisted on paying for everyone and stopping to take the commemorative photo at the entrance. As soon as they scanned their tickets, Mariella put her hands up and made a grabby motion with her tiny hands.
“You have a good memory,” Benny chuckled as he picked her up. “C'mon let’s go explore huh?”
Vanessa noticed that every time they stepped foot into a new room Benny quickly scanned the space to identify all of the exits. Although it broke her heart that being on alert was second nature to him, it did make her feel safe. Outside of Marcus, she had never felt safer with another man than Benny. It definitely helped ease her anxiety about going out with Mariella and Nico alone.
Benny was so patient with the kids. Mariella clutched at his side like a baby koala. His arms had to be hurting, but he never complained. The pair was simply adorable. Occasionally, she asked to be put down so she could walk up to a tank. It was in those moments when Benny made sure to pay extra attention to Nico, which elicited big, but shy smiles from the boy.
Mariella insisted her brother walk her to the next exhibit, the one with jellyfish she was so excited about. Vanessa looked on affectionately as the two navigated their way hand in hand. She didn't realize that Benny had moved closer to her, his hand brushing against hers before he finally reached for it. He looked up at the sign as they walked under it and snorted.
“What’s so funny?” Vanessa arched an eyebrow.
“Sorry…it's just,” he chuckled, angling his chin up so Vanessa could read the sign.
No Bone Zone
“Hell of a name for an exhibit, don't cha think?”
Vanessa groaned and rolled her eyes which made Benny clutch his stomach as he laughed.
“Sorry, sorry…I just had to, it was too funny to pass up,” he flashed the biggest smile.
“I feel like I could make a joke, but I don’t know…” Vanessa smirked.
“Make a dirty joke here? With kids around?” Benny sarcastically scoffed. “What am I going to do with you boss lady?”
Vanessa flashed a mischievous look. She got up on her tiptoes, her lips hovering around his ears, goosebumps forming on his forearms, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She quickly got back flat on her feet, winked at him, and scurried off to catch up with Mariella and Nico, leaving Benny a bit stunned…and insanely turned on.
“It kinda smells weird, you smell that?” Benny asked, sniffing the air before he turned to see Vanessa's smirk. “What?”
Vanessa turned her attention to Mariella, “Do you need your diaper changed?” Mariella nodded and then turned to Benny who suddenly looked panicked. “Don’t worry Bun, I won't subject you to the full immersive experience,” she winked. She grabbed the backpack and turned to her niece, “Ok, we'll be back, ven aquí mi amor.”
Mariella reluctantly let go of Benny’s hand. He turned to Nico who looked nervous. To his left, Benny noticed a small interactive table for kids with some activities. “Nico, wanna go over there while we wait on the girls? I think they have coloring.”
Nico’s face lit up as he walked up and saw some coloring pages. He found a spot to sit while Benny struggled to get his tall frame into one of the small chairs. Once seated, he grabbed a few colored pencils and asked which animal was Nico's favorite so he could start sketching.
Benny got a bit frustrated with himself, not liking how the fins of the shark were turning out. He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair before putting the cap on backward. He noticed Nico looking up at him.
“Tia likes your hat like that.” He said softly before quickly focusing his attention back on coloring.
Benny felt himself blushing, wondering what Vanessa may have said for Nico to know that. He cleared his throat and picked his pencil back up to continue sketching. “You know, I really like your Aun- I mean your Tia.”
Nico nodded, not looking up as he continued to color in his cartoon shark. After a few moments, he stopped and turned to face Benny. “Her last boyfriend made her cry a lot. Are you going to make her cry?”
Benny shook his head, his brows pinched as he regarded the boy, “No, no buddy. That's the last thing I wanna do.”
“Good, because I like when she smiles. And she smiles a lot around you. And she laughs too. I like that.” And with a small smile, he went back to coloring.
Benny could feel himself tearing up at the boy's candor. He didn't know a lot about Vanessa's ex, but he gathered it was a bit tumultuous at best.
“You boys having fun?” Vanessa appeared behind Benny, her eyes looked a bit misty seeing the boys bonding.
“Sure are, nice to have some guy time, right Nico?” Benny knocked the little boy lightly on his shoulder.
“You really don't have to get them anything, Bun,” Vanessa leaned over as they watched Mariella peruse the stuffed animals in the gift shop while Nico looked at the books.
“I know, but I want to. It was a fun day, we should get something to remember it.” Mariella excitedly pointed at a pink jellyfish, her big brown eyes looking up at Benny. “This one?” He pointed to the toy, laughing when she started jumping up and down. “What about you darlin’?” He looked at Vanessa.
“Me? I… you're sweet, but I don’t need anything.” She looked down, feeling her face get warm.
“C’mon, course you do. My treat.”
Vanessa grinned as she looked at the display of stuffed marine animals, trying to control herself when all she wanted to do was squeal and kick her feet.
“Here, let me drive,” Benny lightly grabbed Vanessa's wrist after they finished loading everything up. “Just relax, I've got this.”
“Ok, thank you.” Vanessa smiled. Today was fun, but also overstimulating. She was thankful for the offer and appreciative that Benny thought to do it.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, she looked over her shoulder to see both kids passed out. Benny turned on the radio, turning it down slightly as he hummed along. Vanessa rested her head against the headrest and turned her face toward Benny, admiring how his forearm on the steering wheel flexed when he turned a corner.
She reached for his right arm, fingers grazing down his forearm until she reached his hand and threaded her fingers with his. He glanced over with a quick smile and brought her hand up, again pressing his lips to it. The rest of the drive they kept in some contact, whether it was holding hands or Benny resting his hand on Vanessa's thigh.
When the exit for Torrey Hills was in sight, Benny looked over, “You can say no if you'd rather have some alone time, but the guys’re going to a baseball game tonight…I was gonna stay home and watch a movie since I should get to sleep early…if you wanna come over…no pressure.”
Vanessa placed her hand on top of the one Benny had rooted on her thigh, “I'd like that. I can make you something for dinner. My treat for putting up with us all day.”
“You don't need to do that sweetheart. It was fun, I liked hanging out with you…all of you.”
“Bun, I know you have to be hungry. Goldfish crackers and that sad turkey sandwich from the café didn't cut it…besides, I can’t have you starving on my watch. We have to keep your strength up for Friday, right?”
Benny glanced over with a smirk, “Good point. I’m kinda trying to win this fight. I’ve got some extra…motivation.”
Four Days to Fight Night
“I made it baby girl…yeah, I’ll tell them you said hi…maybe we can FaceTime with everyone later ok? Alright, have fun with your mom. Love you.”
Joel cursed under his breath as he walked out of baggage claim to the bustling, chaotic scene that was arrivals. The Florida humidity was thick and he already felt the beads of sweat forming on the back of his neck. He set his backpack on the ground and undid the buttons on his green plaid shirt, deciding to just go ahead and take it off leaving him in his white Miller Contracting T-shirt.
He spotted Will’s Jeep in the distance, waving over the crowd which Will acknowledged as he made his way over to the curb.
Will looked around Joel, brow furrowed as his cousin opened the door, “Where’s Tommy?”
“Well hello to you too,” Joel scoffed, putting his suitcase in the back before settling into the passenger seat. “It’s hot as hell here man.”
“Welcome to Florida,” Will winked, clapping Joel on the shoulder. “Good to see you J.” He put the Jeep in drive and started to make his way out of the chaos.
“Good to see you too man. Sarah says hi, she sent me with some stuff for you and the guys.”
“She’s a sweetheart…hopefully you can bring her next time. I’m sure Bean will lose his mind wanting to take her over to Disney or something,” Will chuckled.
“Yeah and maybe Tommy’ll stay out of trouble for more than five goddamn minutes and he can come too,” Joel shook his head as he took in the rows of palm trees lining the road.
“What’d he do this time?”
Joel took a deep breath in through his nose and out, “I dunno…he went to a bar, sounds like some guy was harassin’ the bartender…girl he likes. Anyway, one thing led to another and he decked the guy, knocked ‘em unconscious, so he got taken into Travis County. By the time he got around to callin’ me it was early this mornin’ and I needed to leave for the airport...at least I have a free airline ticket now,” Joel shook his head with a smirk.
“Damn…sounds like we should have had him out here to help Fish train Benny then huh?” Will looked over with a lopsided grin.
“How’s he doin’?” Joel asked.
Will glanced over, “Gotta say, I was really nervous when he first signed up for this but over the last week or so…I dunno man, he's unstoppable.”
“Good…good. Reckon Nox has something to do with that. She seems like a sweet girl.” Joel looked over quickly making eye contact briefly before the stoplight turned green.
Will paused, taking in the fact that Joel not only had an unprompted nickname for Vanessa already, but he seemed so supportive of the relationship. “She is…really sweet girl and she looks at Benny like he's the most important person in the world, which is a good thing because he does the same with her,” Will chuckled. “He's started drawing again…even singing too, heard him in the shower the other day. He thinks I don’t notice, but I'm pretty sure I saw him writing too.”
“The kid sounds happy, he deserves it…” Joel trailed off, smiling at himself.
David: 🚨 🚨 COUSIN JOEL ARRIVES TODAY 🚨 🚨
Megan: I'm surprised you aren't camped out on your lawn waiting!
Ty: Don't give him ideas. We're out scouting a couple of wedding venues for a client so we are going to be gone all day.
David: The. Worst. So we need one of you to send us the goods when daddy shows up
Megan: 💀
Melissa: Ty do you just walk around with a spray bottle for him 😆
David: You could dump my ass in the bay and it still wouldn't quench this THIRST
Megan: Well at least you're self aware
David: Katie. I need a flight number. Airline. General ETA. Anythingggg
Lucille: He'll definitely be here by dinner time, Benny asked if I could make them some food for tonight. I’m at the hair salon so I may miss his arrival.
Megan: I’m in the waiting room for Connor’s physical so we’re not around either.
Olivia: I don’t even know what time it is right now. Diana was up and down all night.
Melissa: I’m with a client today.
David: YOU ALL ARE THE WORST
David: Katie. You’re my only hope.
David: Katie??
Joel looked out the window as Will turned into the subdivision and turned down Mule Fall Court. “Looks like a nice place,” he observed.
“It is, I think you’ll like it here. It’s quiet, but the people are really fun.” Will pulled into the driveway and cut off the ignition.
Joel climbed out of the Jeep and took a look around, giving an approving nod at the landscaping in front of 319. He looked further down the street at the other houses and their manicured lawns, stopping to admire the construction of one of the homes a few doors down. It had a beautiful, large window in its front room.
Will started pointing out where everyone lived, starting with Lucille. “Great fuckin’ cook man, you’ll see tonight. She’s been taking care of us so we look after her.” He then pointed out Megan’s house, Melissa and Danny’s, Olivia and Chris’, and David and Ty’s. “And right over there is where Vanessa lives with her sister Victoria and her brother-in-law Marcus.”
“Well, ain't it damn Leave It To Beaver ‘round these parts,” Joel chuckled, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
A sudden slam of a door made them both turn their heads. Katie carefully rushed across her porch, minding some of the gaps between the planks so as to not trip in her heels and break an ankle. She had rushed home quickly before her big presentation to find an elusive USB drive. Her hands were full as she made her way down to her car, juggling her sweater, purse, and work bag.
“Oh, someone I want you to meet,” Will smiled, patting Joel on the chest as he took off in a light jog down the driveway. “Hey, Katie!” He called over.
She was even more beautiful in person than the photos Joel had seen or that random FaceTime they had a few weeks ago. Trailing behind Will, he cleared his throat, taking full advantage of the fact that he was wearing sunglasses, giving her an appreciative up and down, stopping just a beat longer to admire how her legs looked in her pencil skirt and heels.
“Hey, Will,” Katie responded a bit out of breath.
“Katie, I wanted you to meet Joel,” he patted his cousin on the back. “He’s in town for an overdue vacation and just in time for Benny’s fight this weekend!”
Joel extended his hand, his sunglasses now pushed to his forehead. “It’s great to finally meet you, Katie. I’ve heard a lot about you from Will,” he said with a friendly smirk.
“So you’re the infamous Cousin Joel we’ve been hearing so much about?”
Amused by the question, Joel’s smirk turned into a smile, “Infamous, huh? I hope Will's been keeping it a positive one,” he joked.
Will raised an eyebrow at Joel’s flirtatious tone, one that he knew very well from their younger days, but hadn’t heard in well over a decade. Joel and Katie stayed looking at each other for a beat before the sound of running feet snapped them out of it.
“J MONEEEEYYY! You made it!” Benny sprinted across the street and leapt at Joel who caught his taller cousin with ease.
Katie chuckled, seeing Benny so excited. Will mentioned how much he was looking forward to Joel’s visit, but now witnessing his reaction in real time, the energy was infectious.
“Bean. It’s good to see you.” Joel’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he hugged his younger cousin with equal enthusiasm.
Benny pulled back after a moment and grinned at Katie, his eyes sparkling excitedly, “So you got to meet the man himself!”
“Indeed,” Katie responded. She knew this sudden uptick in activity at the end of her driveway was sure to have pulled the attention of the Neighborhood Watch. The group chat would be blowing up any minute now. “But, J Money? Did I hear that right?”
Joel laughed, “It’s a nickname,” Benny swung his arm around Joel’s shoulder, “It’s a long story.”
Katie willed herself not to melt into a puddle with the way Joel smiled at her. Her phone buzzing in her hands brought her back to reality. “Sorry,” she held up her phone. She could have sworn she saw a flash of disappointment sweep across Joel’s face, but she didn’t focus on it.
“Work?” Will asked, giving her a sympathetic look.
“Yeah,” she mumbled as she read Miranda’s message and looked back to the guys. “Unfortunately. Big presentation.”
Will nodded sympathetically. This presentation had been weighing on Katie for the past week, but he knew she could handle it after all the preparation she put in. “No rest for the wicked.” he quipped with a wink.
“Yeah,” Katie rummaged through her tote for her car keys before finally finding them at the bottom of her bag.
Benny pulled Joel’s attention away, running through his training regime for the week. Will walked a couple of steps closer to Katie and placed a reassuring hand on her arm, “You got this Kat.”
“Thank you,” she said with a tight smile. Her phone buzzed again and she sighed, “Okay, I really have to go now.”
They all quickly said their goodbyes, Joel and Katie lingering on each other just a beat longer than the rest.
“J, you wanna come to the gym today? Fish says I need to take it easy, but I dunno maybe you wanna get in there, see what we've been up to, n’case you have suggestions,” Benny shadowboxed towards Joel as they made their way across the street.
“Yeah Bean, sounds good, whatever you want man,” Joel smirked, wrapping his arm around Benny’s shoulders.
Benny talked a mile a minute on the way back to the house, Will laughing occasionally at how his brother’s hands flailed as he gestured excitedly. Joel turned his head, catching Katie who watched them all with a smile. He nodded his chin towards her to say goodbye, feeling something he wasn't quite sure how to describe.
Katie took a deep breath before getting into her car and dialing her phone. “Hey, Miranda, I’m on my way back to the office… yeah I’ve got it. We need coffee, what can I get you?”
Benny connected with a combination, putting a bit too much behind his last punch, and knocking Frankie off balance.
“Ok, Ben, you're good man, let's put up the gloves and get out of here,” Will called over from the side.
Next to him, Joel chuckled, arms folded in front of him as he stood with his legs hip distance apart. After sitting for a few hours on the flight and then in the car, he didn't mind standing around and watching Benny spar. Santiago tossed a towel to Benny and Frankie while Connor brought their water bottles over.
“Whad’ya think J?” Benny asked as he tried to catch his breath. He flipped his hair back frustrated that it was getting in his eyes.
“Lookin’ good Bean, how are you feeling?”
“Good, actually…yeah, I feel good,” he smiled.
“You need to ask Vanessa to give you a haircut, hermano…you were too distracted with your hair getting in your eyes, I almost got you a few times,” Frankie’s hand ruffled through the front of Benny's hair.
Joel and Will exchanged a knowing look. “She cuts hair too?” Joel asked with an arched brow, eliciting a snort from Santiago.
“She did mine,” Connor offered, his bright eyes looking up at Joel.
Joel gave the boy a once over, his head cocked to the side with an approving look and shrug. “Talented girl, huh Bean?”
“Wonder if you’ll get some special treatment, Ben, get the full service,” Santiago snorted, ducking to avoid Frankie slapping him upside the head as he cut his eyes towards Connor.
Benny felt his face getting hot so he turned on his heels and headed toward the weights, missing the way all the guys tried to stifle their laughter.
The group trailed behind, pairing off to different stations to finish their workouts. Joel walked over to Benny, who sat on a bench checking his phone.
“Need a spot?” Joel asked softly.
Benny turned around, sporting a big smile, “Yeah, that'd be great.” He reclined onto the bench and under the bar bracing himself to do some bench presses.
“This gonna be your last fight Bean?”
“We'll…see…depends on…how it…goes,” Benny managed between reps, racking the bar and taking a deep breath.
“You seem more focused this time…this guy do somethin' to piss you off or what?” Joel chuckled softly to himself. As he brought the bar off the rack, his chest tensed, waiting for Benny to start his next set.
“Nah,” Benny chuckled. “I dunno…feels like…things are…clicking,” he let out a big exhale.
“That's good Bean, that's good,” Joel looked down with a soft smile as Benny gritted his teeth to finish the set.
After two more sets, Benny slid from under the bar, sitting up and wiping his brow with his shirt.
“You should get that haircut,” Joel smirked.
Benny looked down at his feet, feeling warm as he thought about Vanessa and her fingers in his hair like they were the night before. As he glanced up at Joel, he chuckled. “You need one too?”
“Nah, but I'll go with you…supervise.”
Benny snorted and they both started laughing. Benny hopped off the bench and gestured towards it. “C'mon old man, you gonna do a couple of sets or what?”
Joel stretched his arms up, his shirt riding up a bit before he brought his hands to his hips, “Sure, rack it up, Bean.”
“She should be here any second,” Benny rubbed his hands together looking over to Joel with a huge grin.
And almost on cue, they heard the doorbell, Frankie moving to answer the door while Will finished setting the table and Santiago poured whiskey for everyone.
“Hola Lulu,” Frankie said softly, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile before he leaned down to kiss Lucille.
“Hola mi amor,” she leaned in, patting his arm. Frankie pulled back, brows drawn together as he saw she was empty-handed. “I didn’t forget the food Francisco, it’s down there,” she nodded behind her to the little wagon at the bottom of the porch steps.
Frankie tutted, “¿por qué no llamaste? We would have helped bring this over.”
“Ay, I didn’t want to bother, figured I’d just drop it off anyway.”
“Drop it off?” Benny appeared behind Frankie, Joel trailing behind him. “What do you mean Lulu? You’re not gonna stay and have dinner with us?”
“I didn’t want to impose, mi vida. It’s ok, I have leftovers,” Lucille waved him off.
Joel cleared his throat, pushing himself past Benny so he stood shoulder to shoulder with Frankie. “Hola, señora soy Joel,” he reached out to shake her hand.
She eagerly took his hand, realizing how frail her small hand looked in his. She felt the rough calluses of his palms, the hands of a working man. He was striking, his broad frame seemed to tower over the other men, but there was a softness tucked away in his eyes as he looked down at her. “Joel. Un placer conocerte. You speak Spanish a lot better que tus primos,” she winked.
Joel chuckled, looking over his shoulder at Benny who pouted a bit. “Well, I cheated a bit. Grew up speaking Spanish because of my mom.”
“Bueno, well, I’ll leave you boys to it,” she started to turn before Joel pipped up.
“Where are you going? Stay with us. How’re we supposed to compliment the cook if she’s gone?” He winked. She got the sense this man could be quite persuasive when he wanted to be.
“Yea, Lulu, please stay,” Benny pleaded, resting his forearm on Joel’s shoulder.
“Ok, ok, fine. Here let’s get everything in before it gets cold,” she motioned towards the wagon.
She spared no expense in preparing this meal, knowing she had five grown men to feed, really six if you count how much Benny had been eating in the lead up to his fight. Arroz con pollo was always a crowd-pleaser and easy to make in bulk. She also brought some yucca, black beans and snuck in a few favorites for the guys – empanadas for Benny, maduros for Frankie, tostones for Santiago, and a flan for Will.
They sat around talking, catching up, and eating. Lucille watched on fondly as Joel shared the latest with his daughter Sarah. His face softened when he spoke of his little girl, she could tell what a proud father he was.
As the last forks hit the plates, Joel pushed his forward, leaning back in his chair, resting his hands on the back of his head, and letting out a low whistle. “Wow, Lucille, that was delicious. Couldn’t remember the last time I had a meal like that.”
Lucille blushed as the rest of the guys chimed in with their praise. “Oh stop, you mean to tell me you don’t have an old neighbor who cooks for you and your daughter and brother?”
Joel shook his head laughing, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. “Nah, best Mrs. Adler can do is cookies. They’re mighty fine cookies, mind you, but she’s not much of a cook.”
“Well, I’m glad you liked it,” she pushed back from the table, moving to get herself up to start clearing the dishes.
Joel moved, resting a hand on hers, “No ma’am, you sit on down. We’ll take care of it.” He stood up and took her plate and glass from her. Frankie, Santiago, and Will all followed suit and started promptly clearing the table.
Benny stayed back, scooting his chair closer to Lucille whose eyes lingered on the men as they walked to the kitchen, “Hey Lulu, I…um…I have a question”
“Que mi vida?” She raised her eyebrow.
“I was wondering if sometime you could show me how to make something.”
“Empanadas may be a little advanced, but we can try it,” she smiled, patting his hand.
“No, no, not that. I…um…could you show me how to make Cuban coffee sometime?”
She eyed him conspiratorially and nodded, whispering that she’d be happy to give him a lesson just as Frankie returned to the table.
“Lulu, we’ll clean everything up…return all the dishes tomorrow if that’s ok?”
“Well, with this kind of service I may be making dinner for you all every night,” she laughed.
Benny and Frankie laughed as they helped her get to her feet.
“C’mon, I’ll walk you home,” Frankie offered her his hand as he walked her over to the kitchen to say goodbye to everyone.
Lucille and Frankie exchanged small talk as they walked the short distance back to her house. Before long, the conversation naturally shifted to Jo.
“She’s actually coming on Friday, for Benny’s fight,” his hopeful eyes found Lucille’s.
She cocked her head to the side, the corners of her mouth curling up as she rubbed his arm, “Well, I’m excited to meet her. Can’t wait to see the woman who is making you look like that.”
His forehead creased, “Look like what?”
“In love.” She said matter of factly. It didn’t take extremely astute powers of observation to see the shift in Frankie’s demeanor over the last two weeks. The sadness that used to be at the surface, ever present in his eyes even when he smiled, had evaporated. There was a glow to him. He seemed more relaxed, sure of himself…happy.
Frankie chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, taking in her words. With a deep breath, his eyes met hers, “yeah, yeah maybe I am.”
Next Time on As the Mule Falls: Benny goes to a foodie event with Vanessa (get the Bingo cards back out, we'll have a cameo). The boys have a poker night. And there’s another encounter between Katie and Joel. David also continues to wait until he can get eyes on Joel.
A/N: Hi! Sooo…what do we think? Benny and Vanessa continue to be one of my favorite storylines, but Cousin Joel is right up there!
I’m still sharing some extras between chapters. Since the last chapter, I posted a little extra of Benny’s Instagram thanks to the creative help of @undercoverpena. I also had a Benny x Vanessa post, After, about how they both reacted to their first kiss. I’m planning on posting another Benny x Vanessa extra about what happened after the aquarium.
I highly recommend checking out 323 Mulefall Crt if you want some more Cousin Joel! We've been dropping little hints for months and I'm so excited to finally share it. Betty - working on this little universe with you has brought me so much joy. Thank you <3
Until next time!
Taglist: @goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @noxturnalpascal / @periodtsparadox
@ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk
@chaoticfestninja / @beboldbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain
@pimosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @mclibs23
@pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @inept-the-magnificent / @perennialdoll247
@for-a-longlongtime / @readingiskeepingmegoing / @harriedandharassed / @musings-of-a-rose / @anavatazes
@sherala007 / @midnightraain / @partyofone3413 / @inthedarkestnight / @millennial-teenybopper
@csarab615 / @darkheartgatita / @southernbe / @weho2kcmo / @itspdameronthings
#triple frontier fic#triple frontier#triple frontier fanfiction#benny miller fanfiction#joel miller fanfiction#frankie morales fanfiction
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The sound of rollin’ dice to me
Is music in the air!
‘Cause I’m a Gamblin’ Boogieman,
Although I don’t play fair!
It’s much more fun, I must confess,
When lives are on the line!
Not mine, of course,
But yours, old boy!
ow that’d be just fine…
"Oogie Boogie's Song," Ken Page
—-----------------------------------------------------------
The long, LONG delayed final image in my “OCs & Inspirations” series, at least for now. This was originally intended to be part of a bunch of pics commemorating Disney’s 100th Anniversary, but the artist was facing some difficulties, so it took much longer than expected. I don’t mind in the least, however, because this was more than worth the wait…and hey, Valentine’s Day may not be the most obvious holiday of choice to release this, but a holiday is still a holiday. And with these two, it felt right to post their pic on such an occasion.
Oh, on that note, before I go on: the image was made by @hooter-n-company, who also did my image for Nakoda and Kaa for the series a while back. I can’t honestly decide which of them I like more, between this image and that one; they’re both absolutely breathtaking. Her work always is. Thank you, Hoots. <3
ANYWAY…Reno was the first character I specifically created as a sort of “correction” to an old pred crush of mine. Nako and Billy being more “appealing” versions of their source inspirations (for me) was just sort of a welcome bonus. But with Reno, I deliberately created him with the idea of taking a character I used to have an interest in “that way,” but no longer do, and then creating someone I could “kinkify” more easily via the power of Twisted Wonderland’s universe. When I was a kid, I used to have a bit of a crush on Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” I even had some rather…VIVID dreams, involving this big bag of bugs, which I shall always remember. However, over time, my interests and ideals with such things changed, and as they did, my love for Oogie dwindled. Reno was my way of trying to do something more “me” with the character.
The name “Reno” comes from Reno, Nevada. It was suggested by my friend, @belliesandburps. Since Reno is just a big a gambler as Oogie, it seemed fitting to use the name of a city known for gambling - and in the same state as arguably the gambler paradise of the world, Las Vegas - for his name. “Rovar” comes from a Hungarian word meaning “insect,” which of course fit perfectly. Combined, the two have a similar sort of “bounce” and syllabic structur to “Oogie Boogie,” and the alliteration was amusing to me. In terms of personality, Reno, in a way, is Oogie…but with a sort of soft side. Like, his source material, he is crass, crude, loud, rowdy, mischievous, a bit sadistic, and constantly thinks with his stomach. HOWEVER, for all his jagged edges, Reno isn’t someone who does bad things just for the sheer sake of it, unlike Oogie. Reno still has the capacity to care about people, and even some of the more “evil” things he’s done were usually out of a sort of bitter desire to get back at people he felt were more fortunate, while also helping himself and those he cared about in the process. He’s not the easiest person to get along with, but he’s not a literal monster.
I decided to sort of reverse things in terms of the way Oogie’s true self is revealed in the film, for Reno. In the movie, Oogie glows green in blacklight, but his actual appearance is a much duller beige hue. And of course, when you strip away the bag, he’s a collection of creepy crawlies underneath. So, with Reno, his human form has dull colors, with a sweater that resembles Oogie’s burlap, but his true form - a sort of “demi bug” - is colored in shades of vibrant green. His Overblot form, meanwhile - which Hoots helped IMMENSELY with working out - has a sort of neon appearance, inspired by the look of Oogie’s lair, and is a collection of different elements from different arthropods.
In this case, I think the different colors help the pair stand in good contrast to each other. ;)
#kink-related#but only peripherally#vore mentioned#oc art#my oc#not my art#i'm not an artist#hoots#ocs & inspirations#disney#twisted wonderland#oc#reno#reno rovar#oogie boogie#the nightmare before christmas
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Excerpts:
It’s a personal story for Groff, who relates to Frank’s interior life and how others (don’t) respond to his struggles. For example, his showbiz peers suggest he take a vacation in response to a tearful breakdown. “No one wants to really make space for Frank’s darkness or his pain…that feels so familiar to me,” Groff says. “It feels very gay. And then there’s also something about it that feels quite American of like, just…take a little trip, and then you’ll come back, and you work, and everything will be fine. But there’s not a real investigation of sadness or despair.”
Merrily is personal by design — for actors and audience members alike. Groff quotes the musical’s producer, Sonia Friedman (and sister to Merrily’s director, Maria Friedman): “There are certain shows that are beyond theater, and this is one of them where you want the audience to follow the characters’ stories. But you want them to also reflect on their own lives as well as this, because [the show] keeps saying, how did you get to be here?”
It’s a question that Groff contemplates as he journeys backward in time each night at the Hudson Theatre. Like Frank, the 39-year-old has two decades of career and adulthood to reflect upon. He marvels how the teen reading a Sondheim biography in front of his high school science fair project went on to garner three Tony nominations (for Merrily this year, Melchior in Spring Awakening in 2007, and King George III in Hamilton in 2016), voice Kristoff and Sven in Disney’s hit Frozen films, and lead the groundbreaking HBO dramedy Looking as Patrick.
Outside the spheres of musical films and theater, Groff has broken ground as a gay actor by starring in the Netflix crime thriller Mindhunter as Holden Ford and in The Matrix Resurrections as Smith. He was also a lead in M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin last year and will appear in the new season of Doctor Who — starring Ncuti Gatwa as the first Black queer star of the long-running British sci-fi series. “He’s a supernova of talent,” Groff sings of Gatwa; an It’s a Sin fan, he also jumped at the chance to work with Russell T Davies after the showrunner personally invited him to join the season.
This enviable acting career is not what Groff envisioned when he came out publicly in 2009 in an interview with Broadway.com. “I would rather be myself and be in a relationship and not have that compromised by this career thing,” he recalls reasoning at the time — effectively choosing to be himself openly over the possibility of becoming a leading man.
“I felt like I was opting out of that [star] trajectory because of coming out,” he says. “And so everything that’s happened to me with the success of film and television has been a complete surprise to me because I thought…by coming out that that was impossible.”
Groff credits his coming out with saving him from becoming a Frank, who makes a devil’s bargain for material gain. In fact, by appearances, Groff is an anti-Frank. To wit, he arrives via bicycle to his Out photo shoot at the Duplex gay bar in the West Village. He says he even favors riding a bike to the theater each day over an offered car service. Later at Julius’ around the corner, he takes a bite (and then finishes) a burger prepared for a photo op, and then thanks the owner and chef by name. So not the stereotypical fame monster.
“Being gay has allowed me to forge my own path,” he attests. “I don’t feel at the mercy of the traditional Hollywood machine because I never really felt like I fit in there. That equation wasn’t where I lived. And so I’ve just been sort of over here following my artistic heart, which was a choice I made long, long ago. I sort of credit that for not buying into the stuff that Frank in the show kind of buys into.”
Groff calls his success in the entertainment industry “a lucky gift of timing,” noting how he came of age at a turning point for gay acceptance in America — and after the worst of the AIDS crisis in NYC. His speech following each Merrily performance helps raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and it “means so much” to him because he is mindful of “all of the gays that came from small towns to move to New York to do theater and how many of them died.” Groff was born in Lancaster, Pa., and was raised amid Amish communities before pursuing his Broadway dreams in the Big Apple.
As a working out actor, “I feel so lucky and I feel some sense of responsibility, of really breathing it in and taking it in,” he confesses. “Even 10 years ago, I don’t know if I would have been cast in this role of Frank, ’cause even in theater, it’s such a straight character.… There’s also something that feels like a shift in the times that’s allowing me to play this role right now as well.”
His casting in such a diversity of roles on stage and screen “feels a part of this wave of progress of people being not only accepting of actors being out, but of actors being able to play multiple different things and not get so pigeonholed…. I’m so grateful to be living in this time.”
Like Patrick, Groff feels like he’s ready for love, in part because Merrily sparks “reflection and embracing an ownership of the past to cross through into the future.” By chance, the same night this writer saw Merrily in April, Groff’s first boyfriend, celebrating a birthday, was also in the audience.
Groff recalls how, at 3.5 years, this relationship remains his longest to date — and one that occurred at a crucial period in his career. Groff dated him from ages 19 to 23 when they were still closeted yet lived as roommates in midtown Manhattan. His ex, who he did not name, is a dancer who helped teach him the choreography for Fame at Crunch Fitness; Groff played Nick Piazza in a regional production at North Shore Music Theatre in Massachusetts. “I was so slow at picking up choreography,” he confesses. But the fancy footwork made a lasting impact. Fame led to Groff being signed by an agent, his membership in the Actors’ Equity Association, and his Broadway debut as an understudy for the lead role in 2005’s In My Life. A year later, he was appearing in Spring Awakening.
“There was something about having him at the show last night,” says Groff, calling it a “full-circle moment.” He adds, “I’ve been single now for a couple of years and I’m feeling…ready and open for anything. If that’s continuing with that, if that’s a relationship, I’m cool with that.”
In addition to the occurrence of a rare NYC earthquake, the day of this Out interview marked another fateful event: the 63rd anniversary of Barbra Streisand making her TV debut on The Tonight Show. Groff appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to commemorate the occasion. But his Barbra standom doesn’t end there. The actor wants to one day buy a Village restaurant called & Son Steakeasy, which used to be the site of the Lion, a gay bar where Streisand first sang publicly during a singing contest (according to a plaque there, at least). His goal is “turning it back into a gay bar and calling it BARbra.” A neon “BARbra” sign even hangs in his Merrily dressing room as a reminder of this dream.
Other dreams are poised to come true as well. Merrily’s revival is one of the biggest hits on Broadway right now, boasting sold-out shows and one of the Great White Way’s highest ticket prices. It also received seven Tony nominations this year, among them nods for Groff, Radcliffe, and Mendez.
Groff has been Tony-nominated twice before, but the theater world’s highest honor has lost some of its luster from the days when, post-high school, he taught a class on the Tony Awards at a theater camp. (He’d show clips to his pupils and have them vote for Best Actress. Wicked and Avenue Q were contenders that year.)
“When I was a kid, the marker of success was like an Oscar or a Tony or like whatever the award was,” he says. “Now I understand 20 years later that that’s a fun part of the game of it all. But it’s not what makes your artistic heart sing.”
The eschewing of awards recognition is also very anti-Frank. However, Groff also recognizes the importance of a good speech, like the “beautiful and touching and inspirational” words for the LGBTQ+ community that Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda gave at the Tonys after the Pulse nightclub shooting. If he has the opportunity to give his own remarks onstage, “I’ll attempt to honor whatever is happening in that moment,” he promises.
For now, Groff feels like his character at the end of Merrily, as three starry-eyed young friends look to the skies and imagine what dreams may come. “We gotta be the luckiest people who ever lived,” he quotes.
“I feel that. I really like to be living in this time and working in this way,” he says. “It’s more than I ever could have dreamt of. And so I just wanna soak it in, take it in, and keep going.”
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Brazil and The Dream of Escape
I was delighted to find in the Xtras that the machine created to be used by Furfur to use to find out how many demons Shax could requisition for storming the bookshop was inspired by the movie Brazil. This is another nod to Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, who directed this film, and who almost directed the failed GO film in the 1990's.
I love this film. Always have. Yes, I was around when it came out in 1985. I'm that old. It's always been in my top 5 favourite films. And its totally relevant to Good Omens.
Brazil can be described as a dark dystopian story based on the novel 1984. It doesn't have a happy ending, but its funny, horrific, ludicrous, romantic and timelessly beautiful all at the same time. Its so iconic that when ever I see its influence in other productions its been unmistakable.
It stars Jonathan Pryce long before he was a James Bond villain or the head Sparrow in Game of Thrones, a comedic turn from Robert de Niro and a handful of other famous faces that you are bound to recognise, such Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm and Jim Broadbent.
Pryce, as Sam Lowry, lives in a world that is strictly controlled with paperwork that comes in multiple copies, where people are routinely arrested and tortured and a long running unexplained terrorist campaign sees bombs explode in the most random of places. Sam has dreams of a beautiful woman floating in the sky, and he is a sliver-armoured winged hero trying to rescue her. He eventually finds that she is real, and finds out her name through various means via his work and contacts. He tracks her down, but that is where it all starts to unravel as she is mixed up with an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.
Its easy to see the common themes and elements that run through the film with GO: the desire to run away and escape (that doesn't work,) a totalitarian authority controlling the masses, propaganda, piles of paperwork, an undercurrent of rebellion, torture and abuse, forbidden love between classes, a villain hidden in plain sight.
There is an art deco aesthetic to the film that also carries over to other films and shows it has influenced, and the busy work floor scene that stops on a dime to watch the tv show de jour while the boss isn't looking is one of the highlights of the film.
It was a reference of this that caught my eye in the Cohen Brothers modern fairy tale The Hudsucker Proxy, where they copied the busyness of the work floor for their mail room scenes, but also the art deco aesthetic. That's another film that is always in my top five films, and could go a round of comparisons with GO - its got time stoppage, an angel appearance and a near-godlike manipulator.
It also appears, surprisingly, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The casino at Canto Bight is Brazil inspired, in the way its introduced to us, its decor and the music. I know some people hate this film because of what they did to Luke, but I love it, the whole thing is just utterly gorgeous to look at.
And if you've watched any of Loki recently, since S2 of that show finished not long ago, you would also seen some influence from Brazil in the retro look.
I love the classic art deco style. my grandparents had an art deco house that I spent many of my childhood hours in. The style itself is a clean, unadorned look, and often is meant to give a look of movement, speed or strength. A classic example of this is the Bentley, of course, which comes from the height of the art deco era in the 1930's.
Hell is the other place we see the Brazil influence in GO, where is looks like it's constantly several decades behind the times, with overhead projectors and manual typewriters and odd looking not-quite steampunk contraptions.
Brazil is available to stream on Disney at the moment, if you'd like to take a look. I highly recommend it, its one of those influential films that once you know it, you see its long reach in the most unexpected places.
#good omens 2#good omens meta#good omens analysis#shax#furfur#terry gilliam brazil#monty python#the bentley#art deco
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Vincent Price about being Ratigan.
Via Cartoon Research:
Vincent Price: “It was the first time in 45 years I had to audition. I was furious with them. I had done more than a hundred pictures and if they didn’t know what my voice sounded like then the hell with them.
“After a while I realized I was being very silly and egotistical. They knew my voice but they weren’t sure whether I could adapt to the style of acting required by the role. So, like a kid, I tried out.
“The voice is crucial in the animated film. I guess mine evokes a certain mystery….or horror or melodrama and that’s what they wanted for this character.
If I have added anything to the history of villainy, it’s a sense of fun.
“The trouble with actors now is they mumble and grumble their arts. Everything is understated to the point of absurdity. You expect something larger-than-life, not smaller.
“The director would urge me on, telling me to make it bigger and bigger. To get that big sound out, I naturally gestured and made faces. I’d come back four months later and see more of the film and find that my gestures and expressions had crept in. The eyebrows especially.
“They told me that they based the part on my performance in Champagne for Caesar (1950). My character was took himself absolutely seriously and yet could see how ridiculous he was. He was Howard Hughes’ favorite character. He gets shot in the arm and says, ‘Oh my god, it’s real blood!’
“Rattigan is the same. For instance every once in a while one of his frightened henchmen call him a rat. He’s furious, because he thinks of himself as merely a large mouse. So he feeds the poor henchmen to his pet cat.
“Rattigan finds himself hystertically funny. He’s in the marvelous tradition of Disney villains. He’s mad, mad, mad! I do adore Rattigan.
“I did it because one should never stop. That’s the first rule. Keep going. Do everything, even cartoons. If you don’t, you stop. And stopping stinks.”
youtube
BTW, because too many people don't know it, this movie is based on the children's book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus.
"The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" is one of the best things Henry Mancini composed.
I saw this when it first opened in theaters. Disney movies had been shit for years, and this was seen as the first animated movie of their new beginning. But some adults freaked out.
It's main character, Basil (Sherlock Holmes) didn't like kids.
Characters drank alcohol, and one got falling-down drunk.
A character who wasn't the villain was murdered (they only showed it in silhouette, but even that was too much for some critics).
There was a strip-tease, and Watson loved it.
Ratigan's Mad Scene was too mad.
Some wanted the movie banned. It wasn't. It didn't do that well -- it wasn't what Disney fans were nostalgic for -- but several critics praised it. Over time, it became a classic, mostly, I believe, because of Vincent Price.
#Vincent Price#Ratigan#The Great Mouse Detective#Disney animation#Disney villain#Disney#2D animation#animation#Basil of Baker Street#Eve Titus
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Taste in books i think each of the sides on Sander Sides would have
Logan: Easiest side to tell since he says his book taste in canon lmao, mistery books guy, agatha christie, sherlock holmes, murders on rue morgue, he just really enjoys a good mistery (he’s just like me fr). He also probably reads books about scientific discoveries and psychological studies on a day to day basis (since he seems to have an answer for everything), either really likes or really hates sci fi depending on the scientifical explanations the books gives
Patton: Ok so, im gonna be honest, i don’t think Patton reads much? In fact hes probably the one who reads the least out of all sides, but he does seem to know his stuff, quoting studies in some episodes ( ‘Can lying be good?’ being the one who comes to mind ), so he probably reads a few articles about Morality and philosophy, also when i imagine Patton reading i imagine children’s books with deep messages like Dr Seuss, so personally i think Patton’s taste in books would be books like “The Tao of Pooh” which explains philosophy in a simple fun way taking inspiration from children’s media.
Roman: Roman’s my favorite side and although i would like to dump my personal taste on him i am aware that he canonically hasn’t read my favorite book and dislikes dark retellings of fairytales, leaving me to tears since those are my favorite kind of story. However i will indulge a bit and say that Roman would love Shakespearean plays ( His favorite would be Hamlet bc it inspired Lion King ) and typical fantasy books. Im also 100% sure that guy has a shelf full of Disney Movie Books like the novelization of Beauty and the beast and the villain’s origin books by Serena Valentino, also has those super pretty Disney Classics books ( lucky mfer ). And obviously he would have the original novels of multiple musicals ( Wicked, Be more chill, Dear Evan Hansen…) and some ballets/non-Disney classics as well (The nutcracker, The wizard of oz, Swan lake… ). Also Harry Potter i guess, since that’s canon 😒
Virgil: We all know what im going to say, Horror fan. Likes Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and classic horror books that inspired movies/series ( Carrie, Ring, the haunting of hill house… ), also reads a concerning amount of True crime about unsolved murder cases, and he has a special edition of the novel of The nightmare before Christmas somewhere trust me. And to self indulge a little, Dark retellings of fairytales, especially the Horror leaning ones.
Janus: I feel like Patton would read simplified philosophy books while Janus would grab shit like The gay science by Friedrich Nietzsche at the local library (never read this book, hilarious title tho), Overall i think Janus’s taste on books would consist of either philosophy and sociology books (especially the ones that annoying people read to keep gloating about how smart they are, except he actually likes them), and influential plays like Shakespeare, The Odyssey, The Iliad, Medea, Phantom of the Opera etc… His taste is the perfect combination of annoying Theater kid with pretentious philosophy kid (He is the guy they strive to be 😭)
Tw: Remus and everything that comes with him
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Remus: YES, REMUS READS, YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND ON THIS, The books he reads? Very simple, Dark romance and horror, the books are his inspirations for new creative ways to annoy the shit out of the other sides, he is slowly but surely making a list of new horrid murder and torture methods he learned via horror books, also dark romance for him is just romance since he thinks normal romance books are boring and lack taste, some other side definitely walked in on him reading once ( picture him reading on the sofa twirling his hair and bouncing his legs in a very stereotypical teen girl way ) and asked what he was reading only for him to answer something like “ ‘Taken Hostage by the Hot Mafia Boss’ :D” Also definitely read the Kam4 Sutr4.
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Bonus: Remy/Sleep has a book detailing the multiple different ways on how to brew coffee and Picani has every Kids Show Book he could find ( Gravity Falls 3rd Diary, Star vs the Forces of Evil Book of spells etc… )
ALSO WARNING: If you want to buy any of the books i talked about here be aware there is currently a boycott of Disney and any other properties that have ties to the genocide committed by Israel!! And mainly, i would recommend to grab any book i mentioned in the library since they’re one of the only public community spaces that haven’t shut down yet, support your public library to make sure it stays that way!
#sanders sides#roman sanders#patton sanders#logan sanders#virgil sanders#remus sanders#janus sanders#just a silly little post about books and Sander Sides#because i love books and sander sides#i hope none of these are ooc#i tried to keep them in character#also i didnt say it in the post or it would be way longer than i intended#but they all read Pride and Prejudice at one point#Its Roman’s favorite and Remus’s least favorite
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TCA Sets Dates For Winter Tour 2024 - Disney Attending The Event With Disney Branded Television Panel TBD.
TCA has set its Winter 2024 return for February 5 at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena with the tour ending on the 15. The live event returns following the Summer Tour cancellation due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Disney is set to attend on February 9-10 with FX Networks and ABC, surprisingly Hulu and Disney Branded Television are nowhere to be found however according to TCA participating shows, units and panelists will be released at a later time. So expect on the upcoming month to get more updates on the panelist and units attending the press tour.
As you may know previous TCA Press Tours have unveiled many announcements, this year's edition unveiled the Phineas And Ferb revival, renewals for Pupstruction, SuperKitties and Firebuds, 2022 unveiled greenlight orders for SuperFudge and Tiny Trailblazers and 2021 edition unveiled greenlight orders for Pupstruction, Mickey's Tales of Two Witches, Mickey and Minnie's Wish Upon A Christmas.
Based on this here's our SPECULATION on what MIGHT be announced:
-Cookies & Milk key art and Guest Cast List
-Key Arts for "RoboGobo", "Hey A.J!" and "Kindergarten: The Musical"
-Key Art, Synopsis,Director and Writters for Disney TVAs films "SuperFudge" & "The School For Sensitive Souls"
-Greenlight orders for Jose Zelaya, Dave Pressler and Harland Williams - Disney Junior shows
-Greenlight orders for Latoya Raveneau, Nic Smal, Lucy Heavens, Noah Z Jones, Ryan W. Quincy, Thurop Van Orman, C.H. Greenblatt - Disney Channel shows
-Information on recently revealed series "Sam Witch", "Fantasy Sports", "Neon Galaxy", Johnny Guitar Rock Star" and "La Familia Avenúñez" who got revealed via trademark sites
-Big City Greens: The Movie synopsis, key art and date.
#TCA#TCA Winter Press Tour#TCA Winter Press Tour 2024#Disney Television Animation#Disney TVA#Disney Junior Educational Resource Group#Robogobo#Primos#Disney Primos#Ariel#The Little Mermaid#Zombies The Re-Animated Series#Hey A.J#Kindergarten The Musical#Cookies And Milk#Phineas And Ferb#Big City Greens#Big City Greens The Movie#Sam Witch#Fantasy Sports#Neon Galaxy#Johnny Guitar Rock Star#La Familia Avenúñez#Nic Smal#Lucy Heavens#Noah Z Jones#Ryan Quincy#Thurop Van Orman#C.H Greenblatt#Latoya Raveneau
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Evanescence - Evanescence (Ev3) Deluxe Edition, 2011 - Digital Booklet
(hq via archive.org)
Amy would like to thank: I want to thank everyone at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, for letting us use your amazing place to create, and for making us feel like part of the family.
Special thanks to John and Martina McBride (for running such an awesome studio, and for the BBQ!) Nathan Yarborough - the best and sweetest assistant engineer anywhere, and all the interns who gave me rides home.
Also, thank you to all our friends at S.I.RNash- you’ve been such an important part of this record. From writing and pre-production to rehearsing and performing, it all happened in the big room at the end of the hall! Thank you for being so good to us.
Big love to Nick Raskulinecz, the man with the plan. Thank you for believing in me, for pushing me, for making me stronger, for cracking me up, and knowing when to say HELL YEAH!!
Thank you Paul Figueroa: Engineer extraordinaire, master chef, bowling champion!
Thank you Terry, Tim, Will and Troy for having my back, for bringing rad, inventive ideas to the table, and most of all, for making it LOUD!
Thank you so much David Campbell, Dave Eggar and all of the string players. Thank you Chris Vrenna, you rule!
Thank you Will B. Hunt for the inspiration, the good times, and the very special music we made together.
Thank you to John Nicholson, one of my new favorite people! Also thank you to Phyllis Sparks and Mike Simmons.
Thank you Dave Fortman, for your advice, support, and friendship throughout my career.
Thank you Diana Meltzer for discovering me and always supporting me!
Thank you Josh, for supporting and encouraging me to be brave and remember love, above all.
Thank you Mom, Dad, Carrie, Lori, and Robby for being my biggest fans and always supporting me, making me feel safe when life gets hard, and taking me to Disney World no matter how old I get! Love to all of my wonderful family- I am so blessed.
Gotta give a shout out to my girl, Beth! Thanks for being someone I can always count on. I can’t wait to laugh around the world with you once more!
Thank you Zach and Stacy Williams, for your friendship and your inspiration. Thank you Eddie “Muscles” Mapp (for being awesome).
Thank you everyone at Wind-up records for working so hard for us and putting out this album. Thank you Andy Lurie for all your hard work and support. Thank you Chrissy Igoe and the rest of 110 Management. Thank you Gary Haber and Patty Wicker for everything you do for me! Thank you Ken Ewing, Sheryl Rowling and Steve Baron.
A very special thank you to our fans, for listening to our music, for letting it take a place in your hearts, for sharing your lives with us, for making all of this possible.
#evanescence#amy lee#ev3 era#evanescence era#self titled#evanescence 2011#digital booklet#official booklet#text#ilovethis#old times#memories
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Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy will be published in hardcover and e-book on August 22 via Epic Ink.
Written by Emily Zemler (The Art and Making of Aladdin, Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara) with a foreword by Tim Burton, it delves into the magic of The Nightmare Before Christmas and the culture that has grown around it in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
The coffee table book features exclusive interviews with Burton, composer/Jack Skellington singing voice Danny Elfman, Sally actress Catherine O’Hara, animators, sculptors, and other artists on the film, and musicians from the Nightmare Revisited album.
After 30 years, discover the inspirations behind Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and its legacy as a certified pop-culture experience.
What is it about Jack Skellington that is so compelling? Why does the love between Sally and Jack resonate with so many? The feature-length, stop-motion movie about the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who becomes obsessed with celebrating Christmas is a fascinating musical and love story that has transcended the original film and captivated the world. From the improbable tale to the lovable characters, Tim Burton’s creation has turned into a lifestyle, branching into fashion, video games, card and board games, live-action concerts, themed celebrations at Disneyland, and even cameos in other movies.
Featuring an original foreword by Tim Burton himself, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town celebrates the film and the culture that has grown around it with exclusive and original interviews.
Delve into the magic of Halloween and Christmas in a story told through unlikely heroes that started 30 years ago. This beautifully designed coffee-table book is sure to captivate die-hard and casual fans alike.
Pre-order Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town.
#the nightmare before christmas#nightmare before christmas#tim burton#danny elfman#catherine o'hara#tim burton's the nightmare before christmas#book#gift#disney#emily zemler#disney movies#90s movies#1990s movies#jack skellington#jack and sally
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