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cherryblossomtease · 3 years

Text

Chapter 17

18 + only

warnings and summary - Masterlist

These two...

I don't really think I need to say more

Authors Notes:This chapter is safe for everyone although I've been told it might get you emotionally... so I’ll add a hurt/comfort warning.

Two nights later, the air has grown noticeably warmer and not because of the heat from the boat but the change in climate.

The music and wine flow like water starting even before dinner so that by the time the small feast is finished, you’re feeling a good buzz and hinting at what you really want, what you’ve been craving and longing for. You can feel it in your bones, aching to be satisfied. It’s a deep sort of innate calling that can not be ignored and if you don’t give into it soon, you refuse to be held responsible for your actions…

So when Doja Cat starts singing so sweetly through the million dollar sound system that your eyes roll shut, you smack your hands down on the table and push your chair back, jumping up to give into that primal call because tonight— all you want to do is dance.

The second Zemo explained how the ships blocking technology would allow you travel undetected while still allowing for satellite use, you started abusing it to get into your Spotify and randomly put together a playlist knowing you’d need a night like this eventually. As tough as he can be about breaking rules— especially ones that involve real life consequences— Zemo is first of all; a sucker for a good dance night just as much as you are, and second; a complete pushover when it comes to the things you want. So when you pout just enough and ask real sweet, he does finally give in realizing that no amount of punishment can stop you. It’s Bucky who seems to forget about the playlist and who —surprise— refuses to get off his ass and dance, even though you try to get him to join you.

But you don’t care. You leave him and make your way into the lounge with its dim lighting, open floor and low couches letting it become your dance floor and take up the space beautifully; so much so that you don’t even notice you’re out there alone. You just keep singing “kiss me more”, grinning like a girl with 'nothing to lose' tossing your head back with a laugh, feeling the high.

Bucky sets his fork down and leans to the side in his chair watching over his shoulder. Zemo takes a swallow of wine, his eyes never leaving the sight of you framed by the lounge doorway as the sway of your hips and bounce of your ass becomes hypnotic. You toss your softest curves like sexual extensions of the music loving every beat until the last, and the song fades.

Resting your hands on the small of your back, you catch your breath with a wide grin. That was the perfect warm up. These poor boys have no idea what they’re in for…

You quickly turn and find them watching. A flush rises up your neck from the attention, growing your smile until it beams. “What?” But you know what.

Bucky shakes his head looking off, “That one on there twice?” He deadpans and tosses a piece of bread in his mouth.

You roll your eyes, laughing as you head back for the table, very much flattered by his— compliment— only to be stopped before you can sit down by the glorious voice of the one and only Whitney taking over the surround sound, declaring that she wants to ‘Dance With Somebody’.

You toss your arms in the air with a high pitched squeal making Bucky recoil like you’re a woman possessed.

“Oh come on! How can anyone resist this!” You shout at him over the distinct sounds of the 80’s and growl in frustration when he won’t budge. You huff and shove his shoulder, leaving him to go twirling back into the lounge again.

This is exactly what you’ve been craving. A night of good booze and food and solid, sweat inducing, “don’t give a shit what you look like” dancing. You’re already hopping around, feeling the delightful agony of wishing you had someone to dance with as only she can make you feel and singing at the top of your lungs, when you’re joined by, well, not the unlikely but still surprising presence of the Baron, just in time for him to perfectly mouth the lyrics along with you and Ms. Houston—

“I need a man who’ll take a chance

on a love that burns hot enough to last”

You jump back, hand over your mouth in delighted shock as you laugh louder than the music. Well aware of his hilarious charm, Zemo's smile grows as wide as yours.

Hands on your hips he yanks you forward and your thighs part to straddle his one. You let your head fall back dirty dancing style and slide your hands over his shoulders as he tickles your skin with a kiss between your breast —he’s been eying the plunging neckline of your white tank top since you came up for dinner — then lifts you back up, taking your hand and giving you a spin, your vintage Givenchy skirt flowing around your legs light as air.

You whirl into his arms, back pressed to him, your palms sliding along his thighs in those soft chinos as you wind your hips down and up feeling his hands close to near fists around your biceps. He’s got you held close as the two of you move, his cheek pressed to yours, his breath light down your neck and chest as you sing the verse alone this time with your eyes closed.

Never mind wanting to dance with somebody, you know what you want to do with him— wait, is that what this song is about?

He tosses you around and smiles at you with a look in his eyes that hints at maybe going below decks, hot as this is you still only want to dance and shake your head pulling free, rolling your eyes at him.

Zemo is too quick and grabs your arms again, pulling you into a hard kiss. He says something painfully sexy in Sokovian as you part, but you don't let on that he's almost got you and simply shrug, wink and slip away. He smiles as he waves a finger in your face like you might be in trouble for denying him but you just laugh harder thanking him for the dance.

Resigned to coming in second to the music tonight, Zemo waits besides you; both of you wondering what song will play next. You hope for something that will keep him on the floor because having Helmut back in your life like this is incredible. You glance at him, still amazed at how he transforms into this, fun, carefree man, so ready to live in this vibrant way. Master manipulator, wanted killer, singing and dancing to Whitney, sure. Why not.

You're grinning at him, swooning honestly, hopelessly swept up in what feels like a revival of the life you had as well as a celebration of what you’ve welcomed. Yes the dynamic has changed but only for the better. So, when the blaring call of very early 1940’s trumpets come blasting out of the speakers joined by a joyful dance rhythm unexpectedly, you and Zemo turn in unison to Bucky.

“What the…” You pull a face.

Bucky lifts his head looking confused for a second, followed by the widest smile you’ve ever seen. “Hey! This is the one I asked Zemo to put on there!”

You can’t help it and smile back. He can be saccharine sweet sometimes.

As the big band kicks in and the music builds you see him light up and leave his chair to join the two of you “May I cut in?” Bucky asks politely only glancing at Zemo.

“Please,” He answers and you notice how his eyes narrow ever so slightly when he looks at Bucky. There is something arresting about this and you quickly look from one man to the other as Helmut quietly goes back to enjoy the rest of his wine and the show.

“Just follow my lead doll; this song really swings.” Bucky says like he’s back at the dancehall and the crowd has parted just for the two of you.

“Oh my god. No. Bucky no.” You cringe, distracted by his— enthusiasm. Covering your face with your hands to hide the secondhand embarrassment, you watch him circle you through your fingers clearly not caring at all. When he reaches out and grabs your wrist without warning you scream, erupting with laughter as he tosses you away and into a spin.

It takes all of twenty seconds and a few fancy moves to realize that all the times you’ve teased the poor man about his terrible dance skills have been completely unfair. Your assessments have been based solely on the fact that you’ve been dragging him to clubs that bump with top ten hits. You want him to grind when really, Bucky just wants to glide.

Even in shorts and a loose button down he shines like a star out of time, so you just let the Sergeant do his thing and it’s ridiculously fun; even when you don’t know what’s going to happen next.

He pulls you close with his right hand keeping it firm on your back, while his black and gold cradles your left so gently. When the music breaks, Bucky leads you in a few turns and box steps that have you gazing at him. He just smiles and says in your ear, “Just trust me” Your eyes flutter shut at his words “Hands on my shoulders” He says and quickly takes you by the waist, lifting so that your legs go swinging up and out just like you’ve seen in old movies, letting you come down just as easy.

“Yeah?” He nods with a grin knowing you love it.

��Yes!” You laugh.

“Now this,” He says not missing the beat and hops you up swinging your legs past his waist and around his back so easily you’re standing on his other side and right back into a rocking box step before you have time to say a word. You just let it go on, and when the song comes to an end too soon for your liking, Bucky drops you into a dip so low that you cling to him, looking up into his eyes.

“Oh,” You sigh, understanding Bucky’s era a little better while feeling light headed, and not because of the dance. Why would anyone ever stopdancing this way? Now imagine if I actually knew what I was doing!

He’s grinning and cradles the back of your head, gently kissing you before lifting you back up onto your feet.

“That was incredible” You say breathless, “Really, I wish you would have shown me you know how to do that sooner!”

You swear he nearly blushes as he shrugs. “Never really had the chance.”

Zemo’s light applause gets your attention. Both of you turn in unison, your faces radiating the energy of the music though inside your heart is hurting as you glance at Bucky again. Remnants of your conversation from the bath come flying back to slice through the happy fabric of this night even though you’re trying your best not to think about it.

Zemo is smiling, albeit somewhat painfully which is not lost on you. But Bucky is distracting as he turns away to hide a confusing smile, batting those long lashes, averting those obscenely large blue eyes. Whoever gave a grown man permission to have eyes the size of a Disney princess should be drawn and quartered…

You inhale a shaking breath. It’s your warning of rising emotions that you don’t want getting in the way of your fun dance night. Damn it Barnes.

You sigh wondering if you’ve always loved him this much, or if it’s knowing that he won’t always be there that has you so taken with him tonight. Not so long ago he was just your best friend with lots of benefits. Now that just seems silly, like you were afraid to admit that you could love them both.

But here you are.

Bucky isn’t looking at you though.

You’re standing right next to him and his gaze is not swayed by you in the least.

As you slowly catch your breath from all the dancing —though you might lose it again with the way his profile glows in this lighting— for the first time since all of this began, you find yourself actually wanting him to look at you, but he’s too busy gazing at Zemo.

For a split second you feel the awful twinge of jealousy. It’s something you’ve never even considered before, but then again you’ve never felt this way; in fact you’ve been dealing with all sorts of wonderful, sometimes awful new feelings and you have to question why you torture yourself like this.But all it takes is one look at them and you know— one look at Bucky looking at Zemo and you see how he lifts his eyes with a sort of longing, some slightly sad bit of hope— it melts your heart and quiets the green eyed monster instantly. You can’t fault him, you used to look at Helmut the same way.

Speaking of, you notice the man himself take another long swallow of wine before standing. He crosses the floor looking like he really wants to say something— something important? You brace yourself for whatever it may be, but the the next song begins before he gets the chance.

Zemo stops in his tracks, recognizing it from the first note. He glances up towards the ceiling, his eyes scanning like he might locate the source of the music, then back down at Bucky. There’s a funny look on his face, almost like he’s been caught? But he doesn’t stop it from playing.

The drums, the keys, the dramatic intro… You know this song, just not this version. It’s actually one of your favorites, but really? Disco?

“Zemo. This is all you, isn’t it?” You groan with your hand on your hip, trying not to show him how utterly adorable he can be. You actually love his random taste in music but maybe some rules for the playlist next time…

He holds up a finger. “Don’t shit on disco.” He warns coming closer.

“Pretty sure I’m happy I missed this era.” Bucky mumbles. He rolls his eyes and attempts to go sit back down but Zemo is quick and grabs his arm as he passes. “No, you’re already here.” He says holding Bucky firm and they look at one another— the single fold of Helmut's dark-blue short sleeve pulls tight against the curve of his muscle showing the strong tension between them which you find inappropriately attractive— Bucky looks down like he’s surprised if not slightly offended and Zemo eases his hold tilting his head with a smile. As a reminder of the hierarchy on board he pulls Bucky ever so slightly closer.

“Disco is the music of a revolution James. Everyone was told to hate it by the people who feared it, and the culture it represented which is a shame. Some of the greatest anthems came from that time, inspired by the people who fought for us to have the freedoms we take for granted. People without our privilege. You should respect it a little more.”

Bucky leans back opening his mouth to argue but closes it just as quickly. He can’t object to that.

You just grin. Zemo going on a sociopolitical tangent always makes you swoon.

His expression does soften though, and he smooths his other hand down Bucky’s chest, letting his fingers slip under the open collar of the soldier’s loose shirt. “You see if I was not a criminal, and you were not an avenger,” He looks over at you and smiles. “And she were not an accomplice to our many sins; we could walk down certain streets displaying our relationship without much retaliation.” Bucky nods, appreciating his simple explanation even though it’s not needed. He certainly understands the point. “Also, it should be noted that while Thelma Houstons version of this song is absolutely categorized under disco, this, is an R&B classic.

Of course he knows that. You can only laugh to yourself as you’re easily reminded in the moment that you are very much in love with two men.

“And” He looks at Bucky again, all the humor gone replaced by a softness that surprises you. “I did not intend for it to play,”

The wine may have dulled your senses but not so much that you can’t pick up on the unease between them and you call for the song to skip not wanting either of them to feel uncomfortable. But Helmut shakes his head and finally lets go of Bucky’s arm only to touch his face.

“No,” He says to you without taking his eyes off of Bucky “It’s all right. I think now is the perfect time” You see Bucky almost smile at Zemo as he tells the device to start the song over but instead winces like he hates that its starting again.

“Please don’t” Bucky tries to joke and groans, pulling away. He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. He’s laughing to himself and you can hear that in spite of his attempts, whatever this is, is anything but funny. But for what its worth he doesn’t go and sit.

Helmut just stands there looking at him as the music starts again and you smile because of Bucky’s irritation, thinking you’ll see the same playfulness in Zemo, instead you find his eyes looking ever so slightly dejected. But the beat distracts you from your concern and you start moving; shoulders first, head to the side hips hitting the beat. This is not what you were expecting.

Don’t leave me this way.

I can’t survive, I can’t stay alive

Without you love

Don’t leave me this way no

You hum along, your eyes shutting at the deep, restrained sadness of the baritone voice surrounding you while they stand there looking at each other.

This won’t do.

You step behind Bucky smoothing your hand down his vibranium arm and lift his hand to lay it on Helmut’s shoulder, swaying Bucky’s hips with yours until he’s sort of moving on his own.

Still they keep looking at each other like there’s some barrier between them and it’s strange but this song is… Helmut picked it?

You smile and lay your head on Bucky’s back reaching your hand through the space between his arm and waist and grab Zemo’s shirt bringing them close, thinking for once the Baron could use a little help.

Dont leave me this way,

a broken man with empty hands,

oh baby please please,

don’t leave me this way

Your eyes flit up and around, catching a glimpse of Zemo who gazes at Bucky like he’s trying to make a memory of his face without being caught in the act and you feel the words of the song heavy in your heart, their straight forward meaning striking a nerve as the music builds and the absolute need to move your body takes hold.

You leave Bucky, bouncing off into your own world, which when you close your eyes becomes a shower of glitter and light across a dark dance floor…

Baby, my heart is full of love and desire for you.

So come on down and do what you’ve got to do

You started this fire down in my soul

Now can’t you see it’s burning out of control

Come on Satisfy the need in me

Cause only your good love can set me free

The stir of music and words flows through you like honey. Your fingers slide down your neck between the valley of your breast and over your stomach as you twist and turn and you let yourself feel the pull between the beat that wants you to be happy, and his voice insisting otherwise, and this damn song threatens to rip your heart out.

You open your eyes and turn to them wondering what you might find. Much better… Bucky has finally given in.

He could no sooner resist Helmut than you could a hard beat and a good bass line. Not to mention Zemo knows how to win a man over. Tonight he moves just as he should for this one. It’s hardly dancing as you might define it, but the Sergeant won’t show off unless he’s got trumpets and band leaders to inspire him apparently, but as you sway, you see how Helmut puts his arms around Bucky’s neck when the next verse begins and Bucky slowly moves his hands to Zemo’s back, letting his body do what comes naturally, and they look beautiful as they move together creating their own flow. No it’s hardly dancing, but it seems to be what they need right now.

Don’t you understand I’m at your command

Oh baby please don’t leave me this way

Helmut takes hold of Bucky’s shirt collar, his other hand flat on his chest as he finally lets Bucky see the way he’s been looking at him since the song began, since the night began, since this morning… always.

I can’t survive

I can’t stay alive

Without you love

Dont leave me this way,

You stop dancing because you see it too and press your fingers to your lips, inhaling deeply as you watch Bucky grab the Baron’s arms with a pent up aggression that makes you think you might forget how to breathe as it becomes clear…

Helmut hadn’t meant for Bucky to hear this song because when he chose it, his heart was breaking, but he wants him to see now. He needs to be vulnerable in front of the man he loves. But you have to wonder, why this night?

The three of you stand frozen in the center of the room while the music dances around you…

I don’t want you to go

See I love you, you can’t go

Would you stay with me, stay, stay with me please…

The desperate look in Helmut’s eyes as he searches Bucky’s face makes tears well unexpectedly in your own and you know you’re about to find out what’s happened between them that you were not a part of.

“I’m sorry.” Helmut says stepping back, letting go. He’s standing too still as the next song, thankfully a quiet one, simply asks “who’s going to drive you home” His frown is deep even though he’s clearly not angry, maybe just a little scared. “James…”

“Don’t apologize.” Bucky says, turning away with a heavy sigh like he knew this was coming. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes not sure he wants to hear it. “Please don’t. It’s fine.” The way he turns back to look Zemo in the eyes —all stoic super hero tough guy— you can tell he’s being dismissive and distant to protect himself but the cracks in his facade are showing.

“No. No it was anything but fine.” Zemo insists sounding very calm, but angry with himself as he stares right back at Bucky.

“Really. I-I shouldn’t have said anything,” Bucky says and ducks his chin, his defenses breaking. He goes quiet, sighs and speaks to the floor. “It’s just being here, with you and her; everything we’ve done together…” He glances up but finds it hard to keep eye contact “I got carried away, maybe saw something that just isn’t there”

Wait. You see tears in his eyes and step forward. Is this what you think it is?

“That’s not true.” Helmut wants to say more but he falls short and turns away, pressing his finger to his lips in thought. He looks down before glancing over at you.

You love him, you do, but you know how he can be. He pushes back when it gets real. He doesn’t mean to and you know he won’t always, but you’re afraid he has now, so you simply smile and nod hoping he will listen to your silent plea and just say what’s in his heart. It’s the least that Bucky deserves.

Head tilting very slowly, Helmut seems to come to a realization as he looks at you. He hears and sees. He knows.

Quickly looking back at Bucky, his chest rising with a deep breath, he finds the words, and you quickly take the moment to look at James Buchanan Barnes too— the man who is the other half of your heart. The soft, gentle protecter who holds you when you cry, who makes you laugh even when he’s upset just to make you feel better— if he’s all of that and more to you, what must he be to the man who met him first?

Helmut reaches out, grabbing Bucky by the shoulder, his grip inching up along his neck in an attempt to get him to look into his eyes. His other hand goes to Bucky’s face turning his head until Bucky has no choice but to look at him and Helmut smiles, looking a little relieved for it. His thumb brushes the soft shadow of Bucky’s stubble and you see so easily how deeply he cares. “I should not have walked away. That was wrong and I am sorry. Forgive me James— please.” Brown eyes gaze into blue, flitting back and forth quickly looking for any sign to go on, but he can’t wait, not now. “I never thought I’d hear you say those words to me and I was not ready.” He swallows hard, but the tears are coming anyway.

Bucky’s vibranium hand closes around Zemo’s wrist like he wants to break free but his heart won’t let him. “I thought maybe I’d said the wrong thing, or— maybe that’s not what this is?”

Fuck he sounds so hurt. You have to cover your mouth with your hand as you very quietly walk away and go to sit by the pool letting them have this alone…

“No” Helmut says, his attempt at a reassuring smile anything but as they come closer and their mouths almost meet as though they might kiss, but instead their foreheads touch and push angrily against one another. No —not one another— against the world and the many choices made by other people who sealed their fate as enemies long before they ever met. Thankfully neither of them were very good at listening to decisions made by other people.

“You were right.” Helmut says softly. “You were right and I should have said it back,” He shuts his eyes and exhales slowly feeling the weight lift from his chest. Wanting to see that perfect face when he says it, Helmut pulls back and speaks the truth as he should have this morning. “I do, James. I do love you.” He says without looking away, “Very much.”

The look of pain on the White Wolf’s face is in stark contrast to the joy in his heart. A burst of laughter, more like a release of the many emotions Helmut has put him through today escapes his lips just before their mouths meet in a hard kiss that draws a moan from him, muffled against Helmuts lips.

Bucky opens his eyes while they are still close, wanting to remember Helmut Zemo with tears on his lashes the first time he says those words.

“I’m sorry too.” Bucky says when they part. Their hands still gently competing to touch one another. He wins for now, brushing the thick lock of hair from Helmuts brow.

“For what?” Helmut asks, his rough voice so quiet.

“If I could stay…” Bucky sighs.

“I know.”

“I don’t want to leave you, either of you.”

“I know you don’t”

“I swear it.”

“I know”

“I love you Helmut.” Bucky insists grabbing at him.

“I know.”

“I thought I could make it work somehow… figure something out but. But apparently not. I guess I’m not the smart avenger.”

Helmut smiles. “Stop talking James.”

Bucky laughs even though he feels like crying and Zemo kisses him lightly, holds his face, looks into his eyes and kisses him again before hugging him.

When he moves his hand as though he expects to feel something or someone, he turns to look for you and you notice from your place far across the deck. He calls your name and you get up going to them.

You move in slowly not wanting to intrude, but he gives you a funny look and reaches for you, pulling you in the second you are close so quickly, that you practically collapse into their arms. Both he and Bucky make room until you are welcomed into the warmth showing that you were never excluded, you are as much a part of the heartache as you are the love.

A kiss from Zemo comes first; firm, thankful, he loves you, he needs you. A second from Bucky; soft, elated — you both grin— “Should have played the disco version,” Bucky says dragging his gaze from your eyes to Zemo’s “At least disco makes people happy.” He teases, smiling when you do. Bucky brushes your cheek with the back of his hand, turning his warm palm to hold your face for a second before raising his head to see if the Baron is in a lighter mood.

Zemo sighs “It— doesn’t hit the same” He says with that glorious accent chuckling a little when you cackle. Even Bucky knows it’s funny. “Besides; happy, sad, the point is to feel,” Helmut goes on as you turn to put your arms around your beloved Sokovian Baron laying your head on his chest. His kiss is lost in your hair and you pull back to see his face.

He looks at you, never embarrassed by his emotions, just impressed by his own ability to be wonderfully dramatic. “She knows how I get. With wine and good music there are no guarantees which side of me you’ll uncover,” He says stroking your arm.

“Well I like every side.” Bucky replies. You look over your shoulder at him watching his smile alternate between cute and suggestive and you can feel the electric charge between them. There is more to it than the animal attraction that was always there before, now there is the security of professed love and doors that have been opened tonight will never close again.

Zemo’s muscles tense ever so slightly, his touch changes and instead of the flat of his fingers you feel his nails. The rhythm of his stroke pauses, he holds you tight and nods for Bucky to come close and they kiss again. When they part you all do, Bucky and you standing together facing him.

“You forgive me for my reaction earlier?” Zemo asks sounding so sweet you hardly recognize his voice.

Bucky looks at him for a while and so do you. Thick dark hair, parted as always, brown eyes sparkling in the warm low light, shirt open enough to distract— his smile is so dangerous. God you’d forgive him for a long list of things.

“Yeah, of course. And, I had a feeling you’d come around, she said as much a few days ago.”

Zemo looks down at you curious.

“Well, you’re not very good at hiding it. I knew you loved me before you did.” You say scrunching your nose at him.

He laughs like he’s been ganged up on but quickly gives in with a sigh, knowing damn well this is true. Helmut shakes his head looking from one face to the other, pinching your chin, laughing softly again. “Listen to me. Both of you.” He says pulling you back into his arms, laying his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “We reach our designation at the end of the week. I won’t spend the time I have with the two of you thinking of the time that I don’t,”

You couldn’t agree more. Enough. You all know how it will end, it’s your time together that matters.

“Since I am apparently so horrible at keeping my feelings to myself.” He teases to your mutual amusement. “I won’t. I love you both, and I’ll show you as I always have. I only want one thing from you James.” He says making Bucky perk up. “Let me claim you as I haven’t yet,” He says, his hold on Bucky’s shoulder tightening slightly. It’s an ask because Zemo respects him enough not to demand it— but the moment Bucky says yes there will only be commands.

Please say yes, you bite your lip waiting.

Bucky actually does the same thing, a habit he’s picked up from you and you giggle to yourself watching how his pretty pink lip goes a shade darker when he lets it free from his teeth. He’ll give in of course, but for a moment he needs to resist, just to stay true to his stubborn nature.

When he lifts his head again he actually looks at you because he knows you’ll share this experience with him— of course you want this.

And then he looks at Zemo. The man whose name he’d once written on his list of people to kill— now the man he would protect with his own life.

Bucky reaches out and takes his hand and any worry of rejection, no matter how small fades from Helmut’s eyes as his smile spreads wide and warm, and loving. And Bucky gives a soft but very clear, yes.

End Notes: I listened to this playlist on endless repeat while writing this chapter. Not all of the songs feature in the story of course but damn did it get me in that headspace. Sometimes you just need to put on some sexy sad timeless campy glam and be dramatic for no damn reason. So if you need a little over the top joy in your life, have a listen, but don't say I didn't warn you.

#zemo #Bucky barnes #winterbaron #zemo x reader #james bucky barnes x reader #winterbaron x you #zemo fanfic #baron zemo fanfiction #baron zemo #helmut zemo #james barnes #helmut zemo/james buchanan barnes #winterbaron fic #winterbaron romance #boys in love #boy in love with you #please leave us alone when we’re dancing #Spotify

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myvividreams · 4 years

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[Maribat] Hamilton the Musical AU

When @fsketchart started screaming about a Hamilton AU in the discord server, I screamed back with a Hamilton the Musical AU and now it’s a thing. Feel free to scream back to me about it!

First of all, yes, this is Jasonette

At the start of this AU, Jason is two years older than Mari, recovering from Pit Madness, reconciling with the Batfam, attending therapy with the rest of the fam, and recently declared legally alive.

When Jason’s therapist tells him he has to find more hobbies outside of hero-ing, some genii in the batfam decided to ‘help’ by arranging the entire production of a play since, you know, Jason in this AU is very much a thespian in addition to being a literature nerd. Alfred is very proud

Said play is Hamilton the Musical. It’s a charity production funded by the Martha Wayne Foundation, and all proceeds will go towards fixing up and providing aid to the residents of Park Row (which is half of what sold Jason on the plan).

Mari, having just finished her second year of college, is brought in by Tim as MDC to design and create the stage costumes.

On her way to the theater for her first meeting with the cast and crew of the play, Mari is caught in a villain attack---a minor one, as far as Gotham is concerned---that is resolved without needing any sort of intervention from her. It’s Red Robin and Red Hood who resolve it (since Tim and Jason were nearby and on their way to the same meeting as Mari).

Mari negotiated for a workroom in the theater so that she doesn’t have to keep lugging costume parts and cloth around. One night, she stays in a little late and Jason catches her singing to the Hamilton soundtrack while working. He asks her if she’d help him practice. She agrees.

It’s dark out though, and Mari still has to head home. Jason offers to walk her home bc Gotham is dangerous. She agrees. Which is a good thing because they’re held up by some thugs. When they attack, Jason takes down most of them only to turn and find that Mari is a BAMF who took down two of them herself. He’s impressed.

One of the batkids catch them practicing and snitch on them to Alfred who tells Jason to invite Mari over for dinner.

Mari helps Jason practice for a bit and then ropes the other batkids into helping him. Dick has video evidence of Jasonette practicing which he accidentally on purpose posts online. Social media goes wild.

Who is this girl with the second Wayne son?? They’re so cute??

By the way, the Justice League isn’t a thing yet in this AU. For a future JL meets the Batfam trope! (Plus Mari)

A few weeks into rehearsals, Eliza’s actress calls in sick after an encounter with Scarecrow, and Mari is roped into playing Eliza’s part for the day. Mari’s good at it, to the cast’s surprise, and the chemistry between Mari and Jason is great. Mari ends up being cast as Eliza’s understudy.

Meanwhile, Damian is forced into being the Burr understudy after he and Titus repeatedly disrupted rehearsals and destroyed stage props they were still making. Bruce (aka Alfred) hopes it will teach him to appreciate the work the cast and crew are doing.

Damian needs a lot of help. So Mari pitches in and then ropes Jason in, and then they both rope in the rest of the batfam one by one. Soon Mari is visiting the manor regularly to help them practice.

It starts with Steph. She volunteers to play Philip for the chance to play dead and dying again.

They’re singing Stay Alive (reprise) when Bruce walks in wondering what’s happening. Is someone hurt?? Was there an attack he doesn’t know about?? He spies them in the middle of the living room with Stephon the coffee table while Mari and Jason are sobbing over her dramatically. He walks out. He’s done.

At some point, they convince Bruce to do Washington’s parts and are blown away. Washington’s lines resonate a little too well with the batfam, and it makes things awkward for a while. These emotionally constipated bois

Dick is King George. He relishes the opportunity to trash talk Bruce. Jason is annoyed he can’t join him and breaks character one time to gang up on Bruce

Imagine Dick singing da-dadada-DADAAA while swinging on the chandeliers

Tim sings/raps Jefferson’s parts. What Did I Miss and the Cabinet Battles are amazing to watch. Except Jason and Tim are uber competitive, and they make additional (historically accurate!) rap lines to keep the cabinet battles going.

Cass is still mostly non-verbal, so she helps out by handing the others props or figuring out a way to add special effects (like using a flashlight as a spotlight). She also signals if the acting of the Actual Actors in the batfam is accurate/passable or not.

...Cass is also The Bullet. It’s a very respectable role, what are you talking about!

The family therapist starts wondering why the batfam’s progress suddenly jumped. It’s because they’re working through their issues vicariously through the characters in Hamilton

Dick, Steph, and Tim post videos of the fam and Mari practicing on social media. They start trending.

They also coo over Jasonette singing It’s Quiet Uptown while walking through the manor gardens, dancing on the dining table, and basically serenading each other with broadway songs all around the house. And Gotham.

They have video evidence.

(The production crew create a blooper reel of all their cast and crew’s shenanigans which they later sell on DVDs as part of the charity. Batfam and Mari take up 80% of all the bloopers on the DVD)

After social media realizes that most of the batfam aren’t in fact part of the charity show cast, people start a petition for a show with all the Waynes acting in it.

They cut it too close to the dates of the charity show for it to be possible, but their therapist mentioned to Alfred once that having the family work on a fun (non-violent) project/activity together would be good for them.

So, Alfred convinced Bruce and mentioned it to Mari who convinced Jason who helped convince the rest of the fam, and they agree to hold a concert ala the 25th Anniversary Les Mis concert in place of the final show they had initially planned. Tickets sold out in the first hour.

Damian, seeing the petition’s success, creates his own petition---for Alfred the Cat to be part of the production. Everyone votes for it.

The director tries to talk him out of it but Damian is a stubborn brat. The director finally puts his foot down and says he’ll allow it but only for the concert with the rest of the batfam. Damian agrees.

The director approaches Mari for help in mitigating the “damage” by making the cat a costume. Just in case.

(She does, and it works for about half the song before someone notices that baby Theodosia is strangely mobile. Then the baby meows, Damian coos at it during the instrumental, and the audience slowly catches onto the fact that baby Theodosia is actually a cat.)

(Alfred the Cat goes viral.)

The charity shows go live on the weekend of Jason’s birthday. Opening night is Aug 14, then they have two shows each day on the weekend. The main actor for Burr and Eliza step down on Aug 16, Jason’s birthday, to give Mari and Dami the chance to perform---and so that Jasonette can act together.

They get a standing ovation.

Unlike the full production of the original charity shows, (Mari and) the batfam’s concert was entirely meme worthy.

It had all the wackiness of the blooper reels but cranked up to eleven

Damian’s rendition of Dear Theodosia becomes a meme. Someone was able to get a hold of a video of him singing it with and without Alfred the Cat as baby Theodosia. The difference is like night and day.

Bruce half regrets that he allowed it to be immortalized on film/DVD and sold with the bloopers.

#maribat #jasonette #maribat au #hamilton the musical au #go ahead and ask me for snippets #i have lots of feelings for this au #there's also a soulmate au version of this au which i have p l a n s for #ask me about it i'm begging you #this au needs to be shared

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sweet-curried-powder · 3 years

Text

so I joined a sk8 server recently, and @lo9lziz shared a headcanon involving the sk8 boys doing karaoke, and even though i hadn't been in said server for very long and wasn't very active, i felt like i just HAD to write this fic. i just had to. so here you go dudes

here's the ao3 link if anyone's interested in that!

The karaoke place was loud.

There were a lot of people in the lobby that night, their ages ranging around about late teens to early to mid-twenties. Some of them were squealing and shouting, others were just talking loudly. There was music playing on some sort of speaker that didn’t seem visible to the eyes of the public, some sort of loud, denpa music playing loudly.

It was all way too much, so much noise. It made Langa’s brain hurt, with the loud noises echoing through his skull. He gripped his arms tightly, his fingernails digging into his pale skin.

“Langa?”

The Canadian felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. Reki.

“Are you okay? Is it too loud?” Reki’s voice was reassuring, with a caring tone, that reminded Langa of his mother, yet was still his best friend and crush. When Langa nodded, Reki dug in his hoodie pockets, putting some earbuds in his friend’s ears. Music started playing through the buds, one of the songs that Reki would play while they were skating. It might not be relaxing to others, but it was to Langa.

“Better?” Reki asked, taking Langa’s hands in his own, smiling as Langa nodded. “Good. I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Langa mumbled a thank you in English before looking around. “I didn’t know there were places like this here in Japan.”

“Oh yeah, there’s tons of karaoke joints here,” Miya chimed in, glancing up from a sort of menu with bright neon colors on it. “This particular place is part of some karaoke lounge chain. Karaoke is a really big deal here for some reason.”

Langa nodded, looking around the lobby. There were lots of neon colors and bright lights, and the carpeting looked like it belonged in an 80s style roller rink.

“Okay kids, does anyone want any drinks before we go up to the room?” Cherry called out, adjusting his glasses slightly. “Feel free to get any drink you want, provided it doesn’t have alcohol.”

“I’m cool with whatever,” Miya mumbled, staring at a poster on the wall.

“I’ll have a cola!” Reki shouted, grinning widely.

“I’ll have what Reki’s getting.” Langa held on tightly to Reki’s hand, which felt warm and comforting.

“Ewww, get a room you two.” Miya teased, smirking as Reki shot a look at the younger boy.

“We are. The karaoke room.” Langa shifted his weight from side to side, still holding Reki’s hand.

“You’re fucking with me, aren’t you.”

“Language, Miya,” Cherry scolded, handing the boys their drinks. “C’mon. We have the room on the top floor for the next hour and a half.”

The earbuds came off once Langa was in the elevator.

The room had plenty of open space, most likely because Cherry didn’t want the gorilla (Joe) to take up a tiny ass karaoke room. There were couches and some tables, and some sort of phone that looked like a common landline on the wall, with a laminated copy of the menu from downstairs hanging on the wall. There were several microphones on the table, which was near a small yet decently sized stage in the front of the room, next to a large TV on the wall. Langa noticed some sort of tablet-like object on a table, and picked it up, staring at the screen.

“How does this…” Langa mumbled in his native language, tapping on the screen. He didn’t even know what did what, he was just pushing buttons, since everything was in Japanese, and reading it was in no way his strong suit.

“Hold on, bud. I’ll show you the ropes.” He scooted over to Langa, pointing out the buttons and translating them for the Canadian. “This button shows you what songs are most popular, and if you click here, you can filter them by language and genre. And this button shows you all the songs they have in that specific language.”

“Wow, you’re really familiar with this, Papa,” Miya noted, sipping his drink.

“Of course he does. The thirsty gorilla probably drags girls here all the time,” Cherry muttered, shaking his head as he sipped his cherry cocktail. Of course, this spiraled into a fight, which proceeded as normal, aside from the fact that Cherry was already slightly tipsy.

“Should we do something?” Reki asked. “I mean, I’m used to them fighting, but I don’t want us getting kicked out…”

“Eh, I’m pretty sure they’ll settle things after—”

“Reki. Miya.”

The sudden, unnatural tone change in Langa’s voice caused the both of them to turn their heads. Langa showed the screen to them, where bright as day, the song Sk8r Boi was highlighted.

“Oh my God, they have it on here!” Reki’s smile was so wide, you would have thought his face was going to split in half. “Miya, c’mon! We gotta sing it!”

“You think I was gonna pass it down?” Miya grabbed a microphone and bounced onto the stage. Langa queued up the song, going onto the stage next to Reki, the opening notes of the song beginning to play. Joe and Cherry stopped fighting, glancing at the small stage. Reki was doing a dorky little air guitar riff, Langa awkwardly trying to copy him while Miya bounced on his toes.

“Oh God, not this song again,” Cherry groaned, rubbing his temples. “I was hoping they didn’t have it here… fuck, are we going to be hearing this for the next hour?”

“God, I hope not.” The muscled man looked at his kids. “Don’t tell Reki I said this just now, but his singing’s kind of awful.”

“I mean, we’ve heard worse,” Cherry sighed, tilting his head back and chugging the rest of his drink. “Remember our freshman year of college? We went to a party in one of the bigger karaoke bars, I think somewhere in Tokyo, and we had a singing contest?”

“Do I? Man, that guy sounded horrible. I wanted to throw up five seconds in.”

Cherry chuckled, leaning back. “That was fun. We were fun.”

“Hey! I’m still fun!” Joe shoved Cherry playfully.

“Yeah. But we have kids now. And two out of three of them are dumber than you.”

Joe decided to let that one go for now, glancing back at the boys.

“I’M WITH THE SKATER BOY!”

“I SAID ‘SEE YOU LATER, BOY’!”

“I’LL BE BACKSTAGE AFTER THE SHOW!”

The three of them were dancing around wildly as they sang, bumping into each other and nearly falling off the stage. Langa clearly had two left feet, his dancing making it look like he was having some kind of seizure, while Reki was fairly coordinated in his movements, though it clearly looked like he was trying to match up with Langa, even somewhat.

Miya sat down on the stage after the song was over, panting softly from the intense singing and dancing. Langa took the little song selector thing, swiping through the songs, looking for something to sing.

“Let’s join the kids.” Cherry announced to Joe, standing up and stumbling slightly, tugging Joe’s giant arms, trying to pull his childhood best friend to his feet. “C’mon, you big assed gorilla.”

“You’re drunk off your ass, aren’t you Karou?” Joe stood up, trying to support Cherry as best as he could.

“I’m just tipsy. And I can be fun again,” Cherry pouted, pulling Joe to the boys. “Boys! We wanna sing.”

“...you’re drunk, mom,” Langa commented.

“A brilliant observation, snow slime,” Miya scoffed.

“C’mon, what’re we singing?” Cherry smirked, grabbing a microphone and flipping it in his hand.

“I was thinking something like—”

“NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP!” Reki shouted, loud enough to make the room shake, maybe. Langa jumped slightly, Miya returning the shit-eating grin that took up almost all of Reki’s face.

“I’ll sit this one out,” Miya giggled. “I wanna record this.” He pulled his phone out, hitting record as Langa searched up the well-known rickroll and pressed play. The familiar tune played through the speakers, and nobody looked at the TV. They knew the words by heart, thanks to a certain snow-haired teenage boy.

“WE’RE NO STRANGERS TO LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE, YOU KNOW THE RULES, AND SO DO IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

It was pure chaos on the stage. Langa was doing his weird seizure-like dancing, Joe was taking up a good portion of the stage, and Cherry and Reki were tied for the loudest voice in the room, though the latter was singing horribly, and the former had no shame, being drunk.

Miya was trying his hardest to not laugh his cat whispering ass off. This was going to be pure gold when he showed this to Cherry the next morning, especially if the calligrapher didn’t remember jack shit.

#sugar's writing #sk8 the infinity #sk8 #found family sk8 #reki kyan #langa hasegawa #miya chinen #joe #cherry blossom #matchablossom #renga #both are implied but #eh

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ravenadottir · 3 years

Note

i really love your headcanons and i hope this hasn't been asked before but what abt the types of music or even specific artists u think the boys (or girls too!) would listen to? me personally i only have a few ideas but i always see bobby listening to 90s music... and i feel like gary might listen to a lot of rock

hi anon! thank you so much ❤️

now here’s the thing. i don’t know a lot of european music. barely know british artists that aren’t dead, with the exception of arctic monkeys. so if you guys know artists that sound like the ones i’m citing, fantastic, ‘cause i don’t know them 😬 😬 😬

you know, i think about the year they were born, and relevate that about their preferences. and you know, i’m there with you. i think i mentioned a couple of times about bobby and the 90′s hip hop/r&b. so much of that happening on his music collection. i headcanon a poster of tupac on his living room, in his original apartment. girls like lil kim and eve being the women he had crushes, before he had his punk phase and fell for girls like joan jett and lita ford, and was listening to sum 41. maybe even some old 1960′s reggae too. but i don’t see it happening as much as the others. it’s more of a family thing. in his favorite punk bands i included dead kennedys, blink 182, sum 41, bad religion, and i stand by it.

definitely loads of rock for gary, for sure! no doubt in my mind that’s his style and i think he’s still in the “i don’t like anything else” phase. for him, i headcanon arctic monkeys, hard rock like ‘black stone cherry’, ‘halestorm’ and others of that type. when i think about gary i think about hard rock bands from the late 90′s and early 2000′s like blink 182, goofy green day and sum 41. i wanna include 80′s horny rock. you know the ones! every guy flipping their hair to talk about an ass, a girl, sex, or all of them combined has a special place in his playlist. not the bands’ whole discography, but those specific songs, like ‘cherry pie’.

chelsea loves ariana grande. that’s just... there’s pink, high pitch, plumes, 90′s aesthetic, ‘thank u next’. i reckon chelsea goes for pop like ed sheeran, and pop girls like ari and... who else is pop? i’m not quite sure.

lottie might dress in black and be a sorceress, but i don’t think she digs nothing too dark. when i think about her, i see dorothy’s ‘wicked ones’ song. but that’s as heavy as she goes. maybe something like ‘the pretty reckless’, but i reckon that’s her limit. nothing like ariana grande i don’t think, but maybe unexpected pop for sure. lottie looks to me like the kind of girl that listens to “this year’s hits” and is alright about it.

noah is all about the 80′s rock and honestly? when i think about noah vibing to something, ‘ain’t no sunshine’ comes to mind. bill withers really did something with those lyrics, and i know ‘toto’ has a special place in noah’s heart, but that’s the energy i feel belongs to book boy. i’m not the most versed in this field, but ‘ben e. king’, b.b king, luther allison. all that jazz vibe but with lots of heartbreak. anything that sounds like the 80′s romantic rock is also in his playlist. ooh, and ‘queen’. no one changes my mind about noah vibing to queen and even goofing around about it.

kassam. on his story, a year ago, i wrote down metal, among other things. this boys gives me the vibe of lots of heavy music influencing his own. initially i said metallica, and i stand by that, but also, i would love to see kassam casually vibing to ‘papa roach’. and i have to include other dj’s, like nina kraviz, his crush, and others like ‘the chemical brothers’ and ‘daft punk’. older more experiencied dj’s, and some experimental new ones.

carl. a freaking wild card! carl can be the type that listens to heavy death metal or go for smooth jazz all day, every day. if i’m honest, i think he goes for heavy things. it seems he puts out his stress into getting deaf while listening to music, but i could be wrong. he really is a wild card. and if i have to guess something, i would say he’s ecletic. he’s not headbanging in concerts, but he’s listening to heavy stuff while working on something complicated, awkwardly mouthing the lyrics. and when he wants to chill, calm genres are his thing, like blues.

lucas. hard rock from any decade. he has mad respect for those bands from the 80′s but can enjoy a modern version that homages the older ones. highlights include ac/dc, led zepellin, mötley crüe, scorpions, kiss. his revolting times include linkin park (no one can convince me lucas wasn’t the type) and slipknot. he’s kinda over slipknot now, but had a hard time with chester’s death.

henrik. I HATE TO BE THAT PERSON, but he does like reggae. i would like to think he keeps it traditional and not ‘hm hm chaka hm hm chaka”. so bob marley, peter tosh, bunny waiter. henrik might vibe to almost everything that is fun or tranquil. he has a genre for every mood. he’s also a headbanger, DON’T AT ME. he must be. i want him to be! pop is part of the repertoire too. but you know, artists like beyonce and bruno mars.

priya. r&b mainly. lots of 90′s r&b and rap, girls that paved the way to new female rappers and the ones who paved the way back for newsies, like nicki minaj. priya has mad respect for her. and i would like to think she likes horny rap like thee stallion. digs cardi b, that’s canon, and playful ones like doja cat too. has the biggest crush on bruno mars and definitely likes cheeky guys because of him.

ibrahim. mainly horny r&b from late 90′s and early 2000′s. like every pony, usher, thong and more! i can see ibrahim dancing to a lot of the 90′s hip hop, like run dmc. if he digs dr. dre, busta and lil’ wayne i’ll be falling for him faster than he can say ‘beaver!’.

marisol. latin music. reggaeton before it was mainstream. old ballads like luis miguel, alejandro sanz and julio iglesias. she probably grew up in a house where her mother and aunties loved those men singing romantic songs to the crowd. she started dancing at an young age, so the ballroom songs from the time: 2003. ricky martin, christina aguilera. (don’t quote me on this, but i was doing ballroom dance and there was a lot of those weird remixes involving pop singers, and those were the main ones. don’t tell anyone about it tho).

#litg gary #litg lucas #litg carl #litg bobby #litg henrik #litg kassam #litg noah #litg priya #litg marisol #litg lottie #litg #litg chelsea #litg ibrahim #litg s2 #litg season 2 #love island the game #love island the game season 2 #group asks

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alexlamia · 3 years

Note

1. Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged?

2. You talked to an ex today, correct?

3. Have you taken someones virginity?

4. Is trust a big issue for you?

5. Did you hang out with the person you like recently?

6. What are you excited for?

7. What happened tonight?

8. Do you think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted?

9. Is confidence cute?

10. What is the last beverage you had?

11. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust?

12. Do you own a pair of skinny jeans?

13. What are you gonna do Saturday night?

14. What are you going to spend money on next?

15. Are you going out with the last person you kissed?

16. Do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months?

17. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?

18. The last time you felt broken?

19. Have you had sex today?

20. Are you starting to realize anything?

21. Are you in a good mood?

22. Would you ever want to swim with sharks?

23. Are your eyes the same color as your dad’s?

24. What do you want right this second?

25. What would you say if the person you love/like kissed another girl/boy?

26. Is your current hair color your natural hair color?

27. Would you be able to date someone who doesn’t make you laugh?

28. What was the last thing that made you laugh?

29. Do you really, truly miss someone right now?

30. Does everyone deserve a second chance?

31. Honestly, do you hate the last boy you were talking to?

32. Does the person you have feelings for right now, know you do?

33. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda?

34. Listening to?

35. Do you ever write in pencil anymore?

36. Do you know where the last person you kissed is?

37. Do you believe in love at first sight?

38. Who did you last call?

39. Who was the last person you danced with?

40. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?

41. When was the last time you ate a cupcake?

42. Did you hug/kiss one of your parents today?

43. Ever embarrass yourself in front of a crush?

44. Do you tan in the nude?

45. If you could, would you take back your last kiss?

46. Did you talk to someone until you fell asleep last night?

47. Who was the last person to call you?

48. Do you sing in the shower?

49. Do you dance in the car?

50. Ever used a bow and arrow?

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy?

53. Is Christmas stressful?

54. Ever eat a pierogi?

55. Favorite type of fruit pie?

56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?

57. Do you believe in ghosts?

58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?

59. Take a vitamin daily?

60. Wear slippers?

61. Wear a bath robe?

62. What do you wear to bed?

63. First concert?

64. Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?

65. Nike or Adidas?

66. Cheetos Or Fritos?

67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?

68. Favorite Taylor Swift song?

69. Ever take dance lessons?

70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?

71. Can you curl your tongue?

72. Ever won a spelling bee?

73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

74. What is your favorite book?

75. Do you study better with or without music?

76. Regularly burn incense?

77. Ever been in love?

78. Who would you like to see in concert?

79. What was the last concert you saw?

80. Hot tea or cold tea?

81. Tea or coffee?

82. Favorite type of cookie?

83. Can you swim well?

84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?

85. Are you patient?

86. DJ or band, at a wedding?

87. Ever won a contest?

88. Ever have plastic surgery?

89. Which are better black or green olives?

90. Opinions on sex before marriage?

91. Best room for a fireplace?

92. Do you want to get married?

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

🦇 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♀️ 🧛🏻‍♀️

🐈 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈

🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Damn 😳

1. Yes.

2. Yes.

3. No.

4. Yes.

5. Yes.

6. Fall and Halloween 🎃

7. Nothing, really. Just hanging out with my cat.

8. No.

9. Yes.

10. Sweet tea 🫖

11. Three.

12. No. 👖

13. Probably stay in my room with my cat.

14. Maybe Halloween decor or art supplies 😂

15. Yes.

16. God, I hope so.

17. My partner and my best friend.

18. I feel broken every day 🤷🏻‍♀️

19. No 😒

20. No.

21. Yes.

22. No.

23. Yes. 😂

24. A lot of things.

25. Nothing. 🤷🏻‍♀️

26. Yes. I’ve never dyed my hair.

27. No.

28. A funny video that my brother send me.

29. Yes. 😞

30. Yes.

31. No.

32. Yes ❤️

33. Hell no! I love soda.

34. Not listening to anything right now, but I normally listen to country music. lol 😂

35. No. Just draw outlines in pencil. ✏️

36. Yes.

37. Yes.

38. My Dad.

39. I’ve never danced with anyone.

40. I love them, and I was leaving to go home.

41. My birthday.

42. Yes.

43. Yes.

44. No.

45. No.

46. Yes.

47. My mom.

48. Yes.

49. No.

50. Yes.

51. In high school.

52. No.

53. A little bit.

54. Yes! 😋

55. Is rhubarb a fruit? If not, then Apple.

56. A singer or an archeologist.

57. Yes. 👻

58. Yes.

59. No.

60. Yes. 🥿

61. No.

62. An old t-shirt and shorts.

63. It was either a Faith Hill concert or a George Strait Concerts.

64. Target! 🎯

65. Nike.

66. Tough decision, but Fritos.

67. Sunflower seeds!

68. Anther tough one! Probably “Love Story”.

69. No.

70. No.

71. Yes. 👅

72. No. Came close, though.

73. Yes. 🥲

74. “The Vampire Lestat” by Anne Rice.

75. Yes.

76. Yes.

77. Yes.

78. Depeche Mode. Guns N’ Roses. Slipknot. AC/DC, but I don’t think they’re doing that anymore.

79. Blake Shelton.

80. Cold tea 🫖

81. Coffee ☕️

82. Chocolate chip 🍪

83. No. 😬

84. Yes.

85. Yes.

86. Band.

87. Yes.

88. No.

89. Green. 🫒

90. Yea. Do it.

91. Every room would be cool, but if I can only pick one, it would be the living room.

92. Yes 💖 Although, I doubt anyone would want to marry me.

#asks #anon

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ivystjamess · 3 years

Audio

𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑰𝑵 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑩𝑨𝑫 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴𝑺...

WHO: @davisgools @riverwashington @kennagiardi @ivystjamess ft. @jazziejazxo, @julienschuester and the other new directions. WHERE: mckinley high auditorium WHEN: monday, 1/25. WHAT: vocal adrenaline tries to knock the new directions down a peg.

ALL WEEKEND vocal adrenaline had done near nothing but rehearse for this specific number. truth be told, the idea only popped into ivy’s head after julien schuester had ghosted her, but the drive increased tenfold after a game of spin the bottle during friday evening’s party. it had finally gotten through to her she should just stop trying to prove she wasn’t as harsh as she was coming across. ivy st.james was harsh and no longer was she afraid to lean into it. hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...so all weekend long they rehearsed their asses off. no matter how many times amber near puked or kenna cried. this number was going to scare new directions. this number was going to make a statement.

bright and early monday morning, clad in 80s work out gear and their standard blue vocal adrenaline jackets, they made their way into the mckinley auditorium. they were in no rush to draw attention to themselves, so they stretched and chatted and warmed themselves up until jaz evans could be spotted passing the auditorium, doing a double take, and running off to the choir room with a shout, “emergency! vocal adrenaline is in the auditorium and they look scary AND sexy. move it people!”

the plan was working.

it wasn’t before long the new directions began to file into the auditorium. and by the time they were, vocal adrenaline was standing strong, a steel wall of focus and talent with their arms crossed. ivy could tell that they were nervous, and they hadn’t even gotten to the performance yet. just as she noted julien uttering a “you gotta be kidding me” under his breath, davis began speaking “hello new directions.” he began, a devious smirk dancing it’s way across his face. “we heard you did mash ups last week...” davis paused, just so he could smugly look out at the lowly mckinley kids. after taking in their panic, he concluded, “we thought we would show you how it’s actually done.”

in an instant, that solid wall of bodies turned their backs to the new directions as the lights in the auditorium dimmed. notes of each song played, overlapping one another as one by one each member of vocal adrenaline shed their blue jackets to reveal the 80s work out gear beneath it. in perfect timing, river, who was at the end of the line threw hers off only to turn around and begin singing “common love isn’t for us.” as she passed each member of vocal adrenaline, they each turned around to get in formation for the elaborate choreography they had put together.

completely in sync, they began their routine with near perfect vocals and movement. vocal adrenaline was a well oiled machine, and just in case anyone had forgot, this number was sure to remind them.

river continued to sing, dancing at the front of the formation. though the reaction of the new directions as a collective wasn’t lost on her. while she might have had her reservations about the whole situation and whether or not it was a good idea she continued to belt out her parts to physical while flawlessly executing the choreography. despite her sudden reluctance to the number, she did her part with what seemed like effortless excellence.

ivy, on the other hand, was basking in the impact this number was having on her former teammates. it was exactly what she had wanted. with each move, she was sure to give 1000%. she was on a bit of a power trip, and if it wasn’t obvious already, the invigorating feeling that washed over her as she emerged from a formation to sing “but i got smarter, i got harder in the nick of time, honey, I rose up from the dead, i do it all the time” made it all the more obvious.

while as a whole this had been a page taken by ivy out of her father’s book and she wanted it to mess with the new directions as a team, she didn’t shy away from making eye contact with julien during her solo just so he knew that dangling that carrot of a phone call in front of her face resulted in, ‘yes this is my doing, yes i’m mad at you, and yes i want you to lose at regionals.’ she shamelessly stared him down until the choreography swept her away into a different formation while river sang the chorus of physical. even in another group singing supporting vocals to river, ivy put an angry fervor into everything she did.

when the physical chorus wrapped, ivy emerged center stage once again at the center of a smaller formation comprised of herself, kenna, and river to continue singing look what you made me do. it was the perfect message to her former teammates, and she hoped the intricacy of this routine vocally and physically scared them. if it didn’t, well then she hadn’t done her job well enough.

now cutting in with a “i don't wanna live another life, ‘cause this one's pretty nice” kenna swapped places with ivy to be front and center.

There were a lot of things Vocal Adrenaline was good at. Insane choreography and performances would be the first thing to come to a person’s head, but there was nothing like a good old fashion psych-out and Vocal Adrenaline knew just how to deliver such. The weekend was dreadful, so dreadful in fact that Kenna had cried multiple times, and skipped out on some McKinley party, but any and all tears and dread were gone from her mind as soon as the team was filing in the auditorium. Kenna had skipped her last period of the day to have her mom do her hair and makeup. At first, Kendra Giardi thought she was being insane but once Kenna explained that they were doing it to psych out New Directions, she was already teasing Kenna’s hair and pulling out neon eyeshadow.

Once New Directions had settled into the auditorium, music started, jackets were pulled off, and as soon as River’s voice echoed through the auditorium, Kenna’s body began following to the beat of the music in the perfectly choreographed routine. After River and Ivy’s verses, Kenna pulled herself up to the center of the stage to begin her part of the song while keeping up with the choreography. She may have looked like a baby bird waiting for its mama to come home, but in that moment, she looked scary and as Kenna finished her portion of her solo, she came to one conclusion. Vocal Adrenaline would win Regionals.

as the number reached a mash up of bridges, davis could be heard singing an oddly fitting ‘know that you’re toxic’ then joining amber in singing the iconic background ahhh’ing, also from toxic while kenna and river took the vocal part for physical, while ivy repeatedly oh’d. not once was anyone out of sync, flat, or lost as how to proceed. vocal adrenaline was undoubtedly tearing it up on stage and tainting the mckinley auditorium in the process. (though some, like davis, likely considered their presence alone a blessing.) if this didn’t psych out at least some of the new directions well...it was difficult to say what would then.

when the bridge reached it’s climax, ivy cut in with ‘i don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me, i’ll be the actress starring in your bad dreams.’ as she repeated it steadily, davis and amber continued sounding with the ahh’s from toxic and eventually river and kenna cut in with another ‘all night, i’ll riot with you’ and continued on with physical as ivy delivered the staple line from ‘look what you made me do’ in a “i’m sorry, but the old taylor can’t come to the phone right now. why? oh, ‘cause she’s dead!”

with the peak of the song reached, vocal adrenaline carried on with their respective parts and absolutely killing their routing. by the time it wrapped, they were all left a little breathless, but the team stood triumphantly, knowing they couldn’t have done a better job. when the lights came up, some members began whispering to another, others moved to grab their jackets, but ivy stood center stage staring at the stunned new directions, obviously very pleased with herself. “cat got your tongues?” ivy asked, quirking her head at their silence. it was apparent at this point she was just trying to rub everything in. “hopefully you guys like find your voices in time before this weekend.” she said with a condescending pout, “good luck at regionals, by the way.” ivy added, taking her jacket from davis who was handing it to her and gesturing they should go. “don’t choke.” ivy advised with a petty smile before being ushered off stage.

so without another word, ivy, kenna, river, and davis along with the rest of vocal adrenaline proudly walked out of the mckinley high auditorium, leaving the new directions to sit with (and hopefully shake in fear at) all that had just happened.

THE END.

#self para #starring in your bad dream #davis #river #kenna #jaz #julien

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monsterfuneral · 4 years

Text

1970 / The New Beginning

Headcanon Series: Paul’s Life Through The Decades

Warnings: Paul is actually happy, so much happiness, actually kinda sad but bc it’s so happy?, disco Paul, then we see Paul’s final form

Words: 1.1k

Author’s Note: Well that’s all folks, this is the FINAL part! This was all so much fun to write and post, I fucking love Paul and I hope you guys enjoyed this series as much as I did.

It’s very hard to say if I’ll ever do this for any of the other boys, but if it happens I hope you guys will be along for that ride too.

Questions regarding any of these headcanon posts are greatly welcomed! If you have your own headcanons or questions regarding mine, I would love to hear them!

Series Masterlist

---

- With the 70s having a bit of a rocky start for Paul he tried to not let it keep him down for long. It was a new decade which meant a fresh start (again), he was willing to finally start his life the way he wanted. So when the disco craze started he latched onto it like a cat on a tree, he went to a nearby club just on the outskirts of Santa Carla and decided to scope the place out for a few nights before he actually joined in on anything. Once he stepped foot on the dance floor though he could understand why people liked disco so much. He silently thanked Daisy for getting him out of his dancing shell, before joining the other dancing people under the sparkling disco ball.

- Throughout his life he had normally kept the company at a minimum, even when he had met Marko and Daisy it was just the three of them and sometimes Dwayne and David. So the change of venue with crowds of people dancing around him under the shimmering lights, dressed in grungy pastels and gogo boots was the push Paul needed when it came to his comfort zone. On the dancefloor is where he felt the most alive, the music would flow through his body and possess him, control him in the best way possible.

- He made human acquaintances that would join him on the floor with gleaming eyes and dazzling smiles, it was the best Paul had felt in years and he didn’t want to give it up. The happiness he felt swell in his heart the second he stepped foot into the club was unmatchable, not even a good meal could make him feel this good. He shed his denim jacket and smoothing down the pastel floral button up he had tucked into his white bell bottoms, then checking over his pink gogo boots before smiling to himself and making his way straight to the dancefloor, his second home.

- None of the boys ever really joined him, not that he minded. After Marko’s attempt he determined that it wasn’t his scene, Paul respected that. Plus it gave him more time to himself, more time to be consumed by the music without having to make sure his friends were having fun too.

- Eventually he started doing skate disco which is when he really started to feel in the zone, the music genuinely carrying him across the floor as he danced now. His hair was always flying behind him, a shoulder length mess waving in the wind created by his dancing, arms spread out like wings and a wide smile on his face before singing along to the ABBA song that played overhead. It was like he was flying without actually flying. The weed he had smoked clouding his brain in the most perfect way as he felt like he was being carried.

- He truly was a sight on the dance floor. But as the years went by in the 70s the more disco died off much to Paul’s dismay. He knew that it was going to happen eventually, just not so soon.

- His relationship with the boys had also gone perfectly smooth. With his mended friendship with David, and Marko practically glued to his side, Dwayne always being a shoulder to lean on when things got particularly hard. It was a genuine family now. All of the hardships Paul had gone through had now seemed worth it, becoming a vampire had all seemed worth it now that he was in the 70s, an era he could and would fully be himself without a care in the world.

- Even though David wouldn’t admit it he was proud of Paul, having witnessed all the ugly downs and now the beautiful ups. It warmed his heart.

- This was also the era where Paul realized he was very much not straight, but let’s be honest he probably already knew, after the not so subtle ‘friendly’ kisses he gave Marko while high in the 60s they all kinda already suspected.

- But after a night with another disco goer Matthew, it was fully cleared up that Paul was most definitely bisexual, something he knew he would have been killed for back in the 40s, hell something he would still be killed for if he was human. That didn’t get him down though, he was loud and proud and he wasn’t letting some shitty homophobe get him down, no way no how. It’s not like he didn’t already know homophobes made great meals anyway, but after learning this about himself only made the meal all the more satisfying.

- By 1977 Paul had finally switched out his bell bottoms and yellow roller skates for a much more cut-edge look. His hair had finally hit his shoulder blades and his closet had gained a much darker tone.

- Of course he kept his roller skates though, he liked taking them out every now and again just for fun. He had an entire chest of his clothes and memories from the 70s (and the 60s but he doesn’t like looking at them, those memories put a bad taste in his mouth). This was also the year he finally got his motorcycle, one of his biggest achievements in his eyes.

- His whole life had finally come together. He was so much more than just a scared little boy from Maine, he was now an energetic loudmouth with a teasing nature that always craved a little fun. He had people who loved him, who supported him, instead of forcing him to suppress who he was in order to make everyone else happy. He had a life, music, and love. Paul had finally gotten everything he could have ever asked for. He was no longer scared of the world around him, of the people, and most importantly he wasn’t scared of himself. He embraced who and what he was in every way, he loved who he was.

- In a way he wished time travel existed, a way for him to go back in time and reassure his younger self that things would get better, he would finally be happy. While it may have taken years upon years to finally achieve said happiness, it was all worth it.

- Paul would continue to be the wild child and partner in crime to Marko well into the 80s. He only grew and grew more into his personality, his happiness heightening by the day and the love for his friends getting deeper as well. He wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world.

#paul imagine #paul the lost boys #paul #the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #the lost boys imagine #the lost boys imagines #the lost boys headcanons #the lost boys headcanon #tlb 1987 #tlb headcanon #tlb #monster writes

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chappedandfadedvds · 3 years

Text

Nov 19th, Thursday 17:13

„Lucas is here!!“

„Alright sweety, I think everyone on the street has heard that now.“ His mother assured her loudly as she herself got up to follow her daughter to the door. Jens was only half listening, he was thinking. About Tuesday. About yesterday. About every day to come.

„It’s good to see you again, Lucas. How are you?“

„Really great actually, thank you, hope you too?“ There was some rustling of clothes and shuffling of feet coming from the entrance, Jens couldn’t see from where he sat in the corner or the living room.

„Bit suffering under the weather, but that’s alright.“ His mother replied, the front door fell shut.

„Understandable.“ The three, his mother, Lotte and his boyfriend, almost had made it back into the livingroom. „Oh, I actually bought cake on my way over. We can have it for dessert. Or before for tea.“

„That’s so kind. But I already like you, no need for bribes.“ His mother joked, chuckling even as she took something from Lucas that sounded like paper? Plastic? Jens didn’t look up yet, he was busy staring down on the keys and his hands.

„Well, I’ll probably do something stupid at one point, better keep stacking up some plus points.“ Both of them sounded pleased. And Lotte said something, he didn’t catch, before the chairs scratched over the floor.

„Wow, I didn’t know you played. I thought this was a recording.“

He stopped, his fingers lingering on top of the keys of the old wooden upright piano. Lucas squeezing himself next to Jens on the little black bench shouldn’t have startled him as much. He obviously had heard him come over. He still needed a second to catch up. So he pulled his hands away, to let them sink into his lap, turning his head towards Lucas.

How long hadn’t they seen each other? Merely a couple of days.

He had missed this pretty face. The world appeared a bit brighter now.

„I’m not nearly good enough, as I super rarely play, but thanks, I guess.“ Jens told him, smiling lightly at the boy, who went to rest his hand on Jens’s tigh. Close enough that their fingers touched.

„Lucas, first of all he is lying, he is really good. He is just a dumb teenage boy who thought one day that piano lessons are for loosers. And second of all, if you want to keep collecting brownie points, get him to do anything but play Schubert again. He has been playing the same piece for two hours. It has to stop.“

„Yes, Lucas, please!“

Lotte strong heartedly supported their mother’s complaints, as they both turned their heads to plead with Lucas, who was very much amused in return. Nodding strongly.

„I was playing more than one piece, and you two know it.“ Jens was lying, he had played a couple of pieces first, until Minuet in A Major let him think clearly and then he basically had looped it until now. Problem was, the piece was only three minutes long, so he could see their point.

„Then play something else for me.“ Lucas suggested so cheery that Jens obviously couldn’t refuse.

„Okay. What do you want?“

„Mhm, what can you play? Anything comes to mind, looking at my beautiful face.“

Jens’s eyes darted over to his mother and his sister sitting at the dining table, englufed in Lotte’s homework. If they had heard Lucas, they didn’t commented about it.

„Schumann?“ He said, letting his gaze fall back to Lucas’s eyes not having lost an ounce of his excitment.

„I have zero clues about classical music, dude, so play away.“

That’s what he did, raising his hands again to fall into place. Muscle memory so much stronger then he would like to admit. He didn’t had to think long about the right notes and rythym. He wasn’t sure why it had come to mind, but he hoped the boy would enjoy it enough to sit through the next couple of minutes.

Jens really hadn’t need to worry about that, as when he finished and turned his head, he found his boyfriend watching him mesmerised. He could have probably fucked the whole piece up and still managed to make Lucas happy. Jens would be lying if he wouldn’t acknowledge that he was blushing faintly.

„What is it called?“ Lucas whispered. Why he did, Jens couldn’t figure out.

„Eh, Widmung, opus 25, number 1.“ Thank god, as he was glad to have remembered it correctly. His mother or Lotte would definitely have corrected him there. And wouldn’t that have been awkward?

„Yea this doesn’t help at all, but I liked it a lot.“ Lucas grinned, now speaking louder again, never taking his eyes off Jens, as he went on. „Perhaps I’m a bit biased though. Still thank you.“

„Anytime.“ Jens smirked, feeling a little proud to have been able to impress his boyfriend.

„So what kind of music do you actually listen too, I doubt it’s just classical music all day.”

„How do you know I don’t?“ Jens replied feighing shock at Lucas’s absolute correct assumption.

„Oh, I don’t know, you just don’t look like a posh piano lover to me.“ His boyfriend’s expression was way to comfortable in his teasing.

„Aha.“ Jens felt already better, now that he was back into familiar banter with Lucas, after long days of dull sadness drowning him.

„Mhm.“ Lucas doubled down, without much words, but it made Jens to actually answer him.

„Well, I listen to a lot of r&b, you know, hiphop, rab kinda genres. Kendrik Lamar, Childish Gambino, Logic. To list some better known artists.”

„Of course you do, my youtuber skater boy.“

„Stop.“ Jens laughed as he watched the grin widen on Lucas’s face. „If I’m such a cliche, what are you listening to then, huh?“

„Ehm, a lot of indie music, acoustic versions, I’d say. I don’t think you would know them.“

„Much pretentious, aren’t we.“ Jens replied, getting nudged by Lucas, causing him almost to fall off the bench, that still was barely large enough to fit them both.

„What? Not at all.“ Lucas defended himself using the second of Jens readjusting himself on the bench, to link his arm lightly with Jens’s.

Apparently Lucas didn’t mind being seen and obviously it was just his mother and his sister, so why was Jens not more casual about it? He really should stop worrying about it.

„You tell yourself that.“ He smirked instead, yanking Lucas lightly were they were now linked by the elbow.

„And what else? Like what is something that comforts you, or is it really just r&b all day, every day?“ Lucas’s questions just kept coming.

„No, I enjoy classical music, immensly. Going to concerts and such. But something else would be nordic folk. Folk in general.“

„And you call me pretentious?” Lucas asked accusatory, leaning back from Jens in wonder, as the slight smile didn’t leave his lips, his mouth open. „The audacity.“

„Guilty. What about you then?“

„Ah lot’s of disco and funk. Some pop. 70s, 80s, you know. The good stuff.“

„Jesus.“

This was taking turns Jens hadn’t expected. Not that he would mind listening to whatever Lucas would put on. He’d probably be able to enjoy it nonetheless. But they barely had anything in common, other than maybe folk and indie, did they? This surely would be fun to figure out on long car rides.

„It’s great music. Sander and me are very much on the same page there, give or take some artists, we can’t agree on. Robbe was so close to throw us out that saturday I stayed over.“

„I can imagine.“ Jens completely was with his best friend there. Lucas and Sander passionately arguing over 70s music. No thank you. „I have to ask, how old are you, again?“

„Shut up. Third question.“ Lucas replied, shaking his head.

„More?“ Jens was pretty sure they had covered everything. He was wrong though.

„Third question. What is something you listen to, when you are one hundred percent sure, no one you know is around to see you vibing to it.“

Jens laughed. Loud and absolutely done with his boyfriend and his little interview.

„Tell me.“ Lucas pleaded, pursing his lips, as he leaned in closer. Fuck.

„I love Doja Cat. And Ashnikko“ Jens tried so hard to stay confident in his answer, because not even Robbe had seen Jens put it on. He only ever safely lipsynched parts of her songs at parties, where alcohol was involved. Or all in its entirety alone in his room.

„I have no clue who that is.“ Lucas said, clearly a bit more somber now that he couldn’t make fun of Jens, as he didn’t know the artist that well. Thank god.

„I’m sure you have heard some songs of them. But yea they are some powerful woman. I know practically every word to their songs, and if you tell anyone else I’ll kill you.“

„Well, now I need to see you sing them.“ Lucas was back in his element of making Jens’s live harder, as the smirk returned on his lips.

„Nope.“ Jens cut off any further demands, before it was too late. „Who do you secretly listen to?“

„This is embarrasing but I was and still am a One Direction fan.“ Oh yes, this was good. Jens would never let Lucas forget that he had told him this. „I also may or may not have had, and still have, a crush on Harry Styles. So sorry, but you are out, the second I get a chance.“

„Wow, thank you.“ Jens laughed, pecking a kiss on the pouting lips of Lucas. Who tried his hardest to keep himself from falling into giggling with Jens.

He had actually forgotten that the weren’t alone when his mother’s voice came from the other side of the big space inside his house. Loud enough to stare at Lucas in shock.

The boy next to him just shrugged his shoulders amused.

„How about you put some of these songs on, that you so dearly love apperently. And Lotte and me can find out who actually has some taste in music.“

__ __ __

tagged: @odi-et-amo85, @tayspots

I thought long about the type of music they would listen too. We obviously hadn’t had a season to find out, other than the song Lucas and Kes danced to in S1. I hope that you wouldn’t be too bothered by my choices here. I just always need songs to get into my character’s heads and these are the directions it went in. thank you for continuing to read my story! i love all of you!

#week 4 #wtfock #skam #vds #jens stoffels #lucas van der heijden #chapped and faded #I am dying to Lucas and Sander loosing their minds over 70s music

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leverage-ot3 · 4 years

Text

notable moments from The Beantown Bailout Job

leverage 2.01

(see link for a video on this episode that captured literally all of my reactions and will undoubtedly capture yours too)

Manager: You found that stolen Monet in Florence, saved your company a $25 million payout. That identity-theft case, you saved $15 million.

nate sees .00005 seconds of normal life and yeets the hell out

- - - - -

(The lobby is teaming with people when Nate walks in. A sign shows that Sophie is starring in The Sound of Music. He sees Parker at the ticket counter)

Parker: Picking up for one.

Ticket Agent: Last name?

Parker: Parker.

Ticket Agent: First name?

Parker: No. Just one name.

Ticket Agent: Great. I hope you enjoy it.

(Parker turns to see Nate across the room and smiles)

Hardison: Parker?

(Parker looks to her right to see Hardison. The sound of Eliot’s laughter from across the lobby draws Hardison’s attention)

Eliot (to women): All right. After the show, then. I'll see you.

(Eliot turns and sees the others. The all meet in the center of the lobby)

Nate: Eliot.

Parker: Nate.

Hardison: Parker.

Eliot: Hardison.

Eliot: So, how have you...

Nate: Good. Good. Great. You?

Eliot: Fantastic. Six months of traveling. Did a couple of big jobs.

Hardison: eah. Me, too. Great off time. Well, I bought an oxygen tank. Cool, nice.

Parker: Yeah, super. I've been really super, too.

Nate: Yeah, she didn't tell me that you guys would..

this is that dinner scene from shrek 2 right???

also, parker’s lil smile when she sees nate, hardison’s big smile when he sees parker + hardison says parker and eliot says hardison = ot3 acknowledging each other

- - - - -

Hardison: I didn't know you could sing.

Sophie: You know. Not as well as I act, but, yeah.

Hardison: Oh

- - - - -

Sophie: Uhhgh…

Hardison: Yeah, you know, I'm sure the reviews will be...

(Sophie hands Hardison her phone)

Hardison: …on the news website already.

Parker (grabs the phone): Really? Wow. "Never before has a production of 'The Sound Of Music' made me root for the Nazis. (Hardison gestures something like ‘WHY’ to Parker and she gestures something like ‘JDJSJSJ SORRY’ back)

POOR SOPHIE LMFAO

- - - - -

Sophie: No. No, no, no. Stop it. There is nothing you can say that's gonna make me feel better.

Parker: I know what could make you feel better. We should steal something.

Nate: No, no.

Sophie: Yes! We could do it together.

Eliot: I like this. Get right back up on the bike.

Parker: Bike of crime.

Nate: Didn't you earlier tell me how great your new lives were?

Parker: Yeah, well, I stole the Hope Diamond.

Nate: What?

Parker: (Everyone looks surprised. Eliot looks like he is going to say something.) And then I put it back. Yeah, 'cause I was bored. Didn't care.

Hardison: I spent three days hacking the white house e-mail. No buzz.

Nate: See?

Hardison: But we are doing some pretty hinky stuff in Pakistan. Hinky.

Sophie: Look, I'm miserable. They're miserable. (to Eliot) Okay, what have you been doing the last six months?

Eliot: I was in Pakistan. (Parker grins)

Hardison: You see what you did? You took the world's best criminals, hitter, hacker, grifter, thief, you took us, and you broke us.

Nate: No, no. I-I, what I did, I taught you how to help people. That's all.

Parker: Exactly.

Sophie: Yeah.

Eliot: This is the problem, with being the good guy. It gets under your skin.

Sophie: Look, Nate. You have to have some poor, little lost soul somewhere who needs a little extra-legal aid.

Nate: Look, we all agreed that we'd just move on.

Sophie: Yeah, but we're... We're thieves.

Nate: Not me. Look, it was great. It was fun. It was wonderful while it lasted, but I was drunk most of the time, to be honest with you. And I… A little crazy.

Eliot: Yeah, but you were good.

Parker: You were the best.

Hardison: We were the best.

Parker: Yeah.

Nate: Listen, really, I owe all of you. And I'm very proud of what we did. I-I really am. But I got my life back, and I intend to keep it that way. And I am not a thief. (stands up) It was great to see all of you. Good night. (leaves)

BIKE OF CRIME + also bruh let them have their found family, nate

- - - - -

(Nate enters the dim room and looks around. Behind him, the Thug opens the door and comes at him with a knife. Nate sees the reflection in a pot lid and turns to block the blow. Sophie comes in behind the Thug)

Sophie: Oi! Does your mother sew? (headbutts Thug) Stitch that.

(Thug runs out of the condo. Nate runs out after him, but Thug gets away. As he reenters the condo, Sophie hits him in the head with a cookie sheet and Nate falls to the floor)

Sophie: Ah! Bugger

she tried, your honor + her tough talk and then AH BUGGER

- - - - -

(the next morning, Nate wakes up on the couch to the sound of Parker eating. Parker is wearing a Nun’s habit, smiles and moves away. Sophie comes downstairs wearing Nate’s shirt)

Nate: That's my shirt.

Sophie: Yeah. I stayed the night to make sure you were okay. You what? But don't worry. I didn't look under your bed. I know that's where guys keep weird, kinky stuff.

Nate: There's nothing under my bed.

Parker (opens cupboard): This is all coffee.

Nate: Get out of there! (sees Hardison and Eliot at the table) What are you guys doing? (gets up) Come on, get out of here. Get all this stuff out of here. You're planning something. I know it. Come on. Get out of my house.

...

Hardison: Look, nobody else is gonna help that guy and his little girl. Okay, that's what we do. We help people. By the way, I compared Sophie's description of your attacker to the accident footage from the security camera.

(Hardison pushes a few buttons on the laptop and zooms in on the Thug’s face to begin a facial recognition search through various cameras in the area)

Hardison: Do you realize, on average, people are caught on security cameras 13 times a day? ATM cameras, traffic cameras. It's crazy, man, but we can track him. We can. Well, I lost him in this.

Eliot: Yeah, well, I found this empty briefcase belonging to a Matt Kerrigan at that intersection.

...

Eliot: Yeah, well, the problem is, these two cats went down to the safety deposit boxes.

Parker: Which is the only room in every bank, with absolutely no cameras.

Hardison: Which means we up, baby. (puts on a priest’s collar) They tried to kill Kerrigan for what was in the briefcase. We're gonna steal it back.

Eliot (laughs): She was dressed that way 'cause she's doing a con.

Nate: What, you thought she was dressed like a nun for no reason?

Eliot: It's Parker.

...

(Nate walks away)

Sophie (to Eliot): So, you going?

Eliot: I'm not going anywhere. The man has 700 sports channels.

Sophie: You want to see what he's got under his bed?

Eliot: N-no, I do not.

Sophie: Icky

- - - - -

(Parker opens her Bible to reveal a lock duplication kit with a depression in the plastic of the master key)

[Flashback]

(Parker takes the key from the Bank Manager’s pocket as Hardison talks, pressing the key into the form before replacing it into the Bank Manager’s pocket)

Hardison: And the children... The children thank you. They will send you a card just as soon as we buy them tiny pencils. And teach them how to spell. It's a two-step process, you see.

[Bank Vault]

Parker: Superglue and a heat-activated polymer to set it. Seven seconds, instant plastic key. (hands Hardison the Bible) Shake it.

Hardison: What?

Parker: Shake the bible.

Hardison: This is even more wrong.

(Hardison: takes the Bible and begins shaking it while Parker picks box 5076)

they’re so competent ugh

- - - - -

Hardison: I did look for you. For six months.

HE LOOKED FOR HER FOR SIX MONTHS

- - - - -

Parker: I think people are like locks. Really complicated and frustrating. But you can't force them. You have to take time and be fiddly.

Hardison: Fiddly?

Parker: You learn to be patient, and just wait until you hear the...

(the lock opens and the door swings wide)

- - - - -

(Hardison is sitting on the couch going through some paperwork and working on a laptop. Several boards have been set up with information about the case)

Nate: Now, this is not "gone." This is "more."

Hardison: Yeah, I, uh, I scanned the documents in Leary's box, but I wanted to print out a few pages.

Nate: I asked—I asked Eliot to get rid of this stuff. Now there's more stuff.

Hardison: Did you? Oh, we-we crossed, but didn't see each other. He didn't tell me.

Nate: Oh, that's how you're gonna play this?

Hardison: Oh, man. Look... (stands up and sniffs)

Nate: What?

Hardison: Is that... What is that aroma? That's that apple shampoo that's open.

Nate: You've been up in my shower, rummaging around?

Hardison: Man's in a strange bathroom, he's got a lot of time to kill... Nate, Nate, Nat-

I CANNOT

- - - - -

Nate: Grew up in the same neighborhood. The O'Hares are mobbed up. These are all mob businesses you're talking about here.

Hardison: Mob?

Nate: Where's Eliot?

Hardison: Oops.

Nate: What?

[Warehouse]

(Eliot is going through boxes when his phone rings. He answers)

Eliot: Yeah, Hardison. This is the third place I checked. It's all the same. What do you mean mob?

Thug: Hey!

(three men approach, one of them the Thug, who has his nose bandaged and is carrying a baseball bat)

Eliot: Oh, that mob. (hangs up)

hardison’s “whoops” followed by I HAVE TO WARN MY BOYFRIEND + in this episode we have eliot using a baseball bat as a weapon which is yet another piece in the continuation of eliot using things as weapons that are not supposed to be used as weapons

+ he apologizes to the guy that just had a nose job for beating him up and punching him in the nose he’s baby

- - - - -

(Nate opens the refrigerator to find it full of Hardison’s orange soda)

Nate: Seriously?

(Nate turns to see the island covered in food and dishes)

Nate: You know, guys, there is a dishwasher here.

Eliot: You're out of ice.

he literally can’t get rid of them + also I WONDER whose orange soda that is

- - - - -

parker robot dancing in the 80s jacket and looking DIRECTLY at eliot lmfao

- - - - -

Nate: What? Sophie, how do you catch mob guys?

Sophie: Ah, two glasses of Chianti and a story about my grandma in Sicily

- - - - -

Nate: Well, yeah. I mean, if you have a body in the trunk of your car, you're gonna drive under the speed limit, aren't you?

Parker: You know, when you're sober, your metaphors get creepier

- - - - -

eliot and parker sitting next to each other? cute

- - - - -

Hardison: Mr. Leary, I'm Detective Costello, with the Massachusetts State Police. This is Detective Costigan. I believe you met with our chief, Lieutenant Bonanno

more aliases to keep track of

- - - - -

Parker: We're investigating your colleague Matt Kerrigan's (air quotes) "car accident."

Leary: So you don't think it was an accident?

Hardison: Of course not. She did the finger thing. You got that. Everybody gets that.

Parker: Did I do it right?

Hardison: No. No. This guy just... (pulls picture from his pocket)

~ a few moments later ~

Parker: I did it right, didn't I?

Hardison: It was perfect.

Parker: I knew I did it right.

Hardison: It was beautiful execution. Absolutely.

Parker: Just like you taught me. I did it. (she smiles brightly)

Hardison: Yeah. Yeah, you did it. I like it. Yeah. (gives her a thumbs up)

SHES LEARNING IM SO PROUD OF HER

- - - - -

Eliot: Hey, this detonator - If I'm around the corner, is it still gonna be in range?

Hardison: Should be. I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Sometimes the things just go off.

Eliot: Whoa, whoa, wait. Hey. I thought you said this thing was safe.

Hardison: Mostly. Mostly safe. I was very specific. Sometimes the frequencies get messed up.

Eliot: What frequencies, man? Huh? I got these things in my pants.

Hardison: Like, you know, a garage-door opener, a car alarm.

(a car alarm chirps then goes off, making Eliot jump. He moves away angrily)

Parker: What are the odds that Eliot's crotch will actually explode?

Eliot: Damn it, Hardison! (stalks off)

chaotic ot3

- - - - -

Sophie (shows passport): Annie Kroy.

O’Hare (grabs passport): Name's familiar.

Sophie: My family does business in North London with Terry Adams, and a couple of other organizations. We handle the money.

Nate (getting up): Yeah, see, what they do is they clean the money.

some people think that annie kroy is sophie’s true identity. I think, if anything, it would be her duchess alias but can you IMAGINE mob child sophie??? also, hi. im jackie and I wholeheartedly believe annie kroy has killed a man.

- - - - -

(Eliot is parked outside of the bank when Leary comes out, looking at files. Eliot hits a remote and the sound of gunfire fills the street as the squibs go off. People scream and Leary dives for cover. Eliot laughs and closes his window.)

chaotic eliot

- - - - -

Leary: And for that, the government hunts them down like dogs. People like me, we took billions from the banks. Billions. And what did the government do when they finally caught us? They wrote us a giant check and begged us to make it all better.

that’s disturbing

- - - - -

(Parker uses a taser on O’Hare and Hardison pulls up a recorder)

I think that was the first time parker tasered someone and we love to see it

- - - - -

Nate: So, how did you do it?

Eliot (gets up): Detonator, (holds up remote, reaches into his shirt and pulls out ketchup wrapper) ketchup.

Nate: Ah, the classics.

Sophie: Oh (hops happily), I love a good death scene

- - - - -

parker in a nun costume smelling money and saying “ahhhh” is certainly a mood

- - - - -

Leary: I was tricked. I was tricked. It wasn't me, you understand?

Bonanno: Somebody tricked you into bringing a briefcase full of evidence of your own crimes straight to the police? Come on, Mr. Leary. Nobody's that smart. Get him out of here

THEY ARE T H A T SMART

- - - - -

Zoe: Thank you. There are wolves in the world. But sometimes they're the good guys, I guess.

I didn’t like that whole metaphor because it felt kinda cliche but whatever, they ARE the good guys

+ bruh why is hardison wearing glasses??? him and eliot will sometimes wear them and honestly I don’t know who actually needs them and for what at this point ???

- - - - -

(Nate enters the condo to find that Hardison has installed five of six large monitors on the wall and is working on the last one)

Nate: Whoa, whoa. What are you doing there?

Hardison: I'm running this cat 5 cable to the--

Nate: Oh, no, no, no, no. You don't understand. No, I don't want to have these monitors in my apartment. No.

(Parker opens the door and walks in carrying a large painting)

Parker: Coming through!

Nate: No, these must go. What? No! Parker, no! Not that paint--I don't ever want to see that painting.

Parker: (shaking the painting as she talks in a funny voice) “Hi, I'm old Nate, and I live here, too."

Nate: You can't just break in here and start hanging--

Hardison: Oh, yeah, yeah. For repairs or renovation, your landlord has full access to your dwelling. It's in the lease.

Nate: What are you doing reading my lease?

Hardison: I bought the building.

Nate: You bought the... You're my landlord?

Hardison: Yeah. (holds his hand out for a fistbump) Yeah.

(Nate looks away, then hears the sound of a chain saw. He turns to see the end of a chain saw come through the wall)

Nate: No, no! No! No!

(Part of the wall falls to reveal Eliot holding the chainsaw and grinning. Nate coughs and both Parker and Hardison put their arms around him)

CHAOTIC OT3 + THEIR TIRED DAD

#leverage #leverage 2.01 #leverage 2x01 #the beantown bailout job #leverage season 2 #season 2 #notable moments #mine

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secretradiobrooklyn · 3 years

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Get In Moses Edition | 2.13.21

Secret Radio | 2.13.21 | Hear it here.

art by Paige, liner notes mostly by Evan, *means Paige

1. Chantal Goya - “Tu m’as trop menti”

From the movie “Masculin feminin,” a DVD we borrowed from Tim. This is the film where Godard was whispering the lines into a headset of the actor, so they were learning their lines literally as they were saying them. This is the opening song. Not particularly Valentine’s Day, in that it’s about lying too much… but still there’s a dissatisfaction that is undeniably a part of French romance.

2. Human League - “(Keep Feeling) Fascination”

Such a square song! But the keys hook is so immortally beautiful, with its crucial warble. The rest of the song is sweetly and innocently ‘80s. It reminds me of being in art class in high school, fully participating in the aesthetic crimes of the era.

3. Marijata - “Break Through” - “Afro-Beat Airways”

Analog Africa is just now releasing a repress of this long sold-out collection. I’d listened to it before, but I guess that was before I knew about Marijata (thanks again, Jeffrey!) because it was a shock to discover a track by one of our very favorite Ghanaian discoveries. So far as I knew, Marijata only released one album of four songs — which is fantastic — and then eventually started backing a guy named Pat Thomas. Those records, unfortunately, are nowhere near as vital and fascinating as their own record. So finding this song was a welcome revelation! I should also say that, no surprise, the whole collection is a banger from front to back, and will definitely show up again on the show.

4. Philippe Katerine (avec Gérard Depardieu) - “Blond”

This strange guy is a kind of joker songwriter in French pop, as far as I can tell. This song is all about what one can get away with if one is blond. He’s a really fascinating character, a tiny bit like Beck maybe, in the sense that he seems to have made a successful career of taking unexpected directions. He’s also an actor, working with Claire Denis (!), Jonathan Demme and Gille Lellouche among many others. He was also in “Gainsbourg - A Heroic Life,” which is an excellent movie that we highly recommend. (We had no idea who he was when we saw it at the St. Louis Film Festival.) Also, he appears to be married to Gérard Depardieu’s daughter, which would seem to explain this particular guest star.

- The Texas Room - “Cielito Lindo”

Several years ago, a producer in St. Louis put together the amazing album known as “The Texas Room,” which brought together immigrants from all over the world who currently lived in St. Louis. That meant Bosnians, Cameroonians, Mexicans, and native-born Americans… including Andy Garces, a fellow Paige went to high school with — His mom was Paige’s voice teacher as a matter of fact — who recorded this strange and excellent version of “Cielito Lindo.” The release party for the album was one of the greatest nights we spent in that or any city, dancing our faces off to all kinds of music. At one point the Bosnians got so excited they took over the room, shouting along and hoisting up their guy in the air. Basil Kincaid did the art for the album, and I think that’s the night we finally met. We have one of his collages on our studio wall right now — right over there!

5. The Modern Lovers - “I’m Straight” *

When we got the current SK van (circa 2015) we were super excited because we could finally bring out other musicians on the road and we could also have folks from other bands that we were out with jump in the van with us for a stretch. That February we were on tour with Jamaican Queens, and our friend Andy Kahn came out with us to play guitar. Not only is Andy a rad musician and great guy to be around, but he was an excellent road DJ. Somehow I made it to 30 without getting into The Modern Lovers (I know, crazy!) Andy has great taste and had a well appointed iPod so he was the official van DJ pretty much right away. He put on this record one day and I just lost it. The thing is, after that I was like “Play ‘Roadrunner’ again!” all the time. When I hear this record I still think of that tour. Andy in the back seat DJing, Ben and Erik jumping in the van to come with to Baltimore, graduating to “truck” in the Holland Tunnel queue, so much snow, host Bentley, “Go cats?”, Aaaaaahhhhh!

6. Frances Carroll & the Coquettes - “Coquette / When I Swing My Stick / Jitterbug Stomp”

I think we learned about this band last year, when Coquettes drummer Viola Smith died at 107 years old (in Costa Mesa, not Silverlake, Paige would like you to know — her bad). The video link below is highly recommended — the whole band swings hard, and the interaction between them and Frances Carroll is well worth the watch. They were considered a curiosity at the time, being an all-female band, and man they could play. Viola Smith in particular had an insanely long career, playing from the 1920s straight through into 2019! She played with Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb, and in the original Broadway production of “Cabaret.” Her particular innovation was having two toms at shoulder height, on either side of her head, which she would roll and ricochet shots off. Very cool style, never copied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFDD_NxtKZ4

7. Pierre Sandwidi - “Boy Cuisinier”

Born Bad Records is one of the world’s coolest record labels, with a huge array of vintage discoveries as well as African albums as well as contemporary pop and noise bands. “Boy Cuisinier” is off Pierre Sandwidi’s album with them. It bears some definite relation to Francis Bebey but takes its own turns just as often. Sandwidi hails from Burkina Faso, known as the Upper Volta when he was growing up. We’re just now learning about him and his scene — I confess I didn’t even know Upper Volta was African; I thought it was Slavic — so I wouldn’t be surprised if some more Voltaic music shows up here soon.

8. Evan Sult avec Tracy Brubeck - “The Cats Won’t Stay In”

Paige’s mom Tracy called while we were in the middle of the show, and they paused to have a conversation about, you know, whatever — the snowstorms, the neighbors, the news. She was on speakerphone so that we could all talk, and eventually I just started taking notes as fast as I could. This is the result. I find it fascinating. That’s Paige singing lead on the Marty Robbins tune.

9. Kil Monnower Alimunna, Grup Hindustanbul - “Tadap Tadap”

Years ago I saw the movie “Monsoon Wedding” by the director Mira Nair. It really stuck with me, particularly the gorgeous opening credits in maroon and orange and sky blue. I was trying to tell Paige about that sequence, so just in case we could catch a glimpse of those colors, we watched the trailer. This song is the soundtrack to the trailer. It’s really an amazing track — so Indian, of course, but with definite Western points of contact, like when it goes to the major chords unexpectedly in the post-chorus, which sounds practically American. And the final outro minute or so is full of delayed, reverbed vocals in a psychedelic style, til it reaches the strange and intoxicating sound that he makes with his voice as the song fades into the distance.

- Martial Solal “New York Herald Tribune” - “A bout de souffle” soundtrack

10. Gillian Hills - “Tut Tut Tut Tut”

Gillian Hills, probably more famous for “Zou Bisou Bisou.” This track is great, listen for those syrupy slides and harmonies. I just learned that she is English, and the music video for this song is definitely shot in Angleterre. Full of famous red phone booths (now famous little free libraries.) When we were doing this week’s show I asked Evan “Is this song too obvious?” He said no, it wasn’t too obvious. If you know why I’m asking, then you know. So is it?

11. Jacques Dutronc “La Compapade”

We’ve been into Jacques Dutronc for many years now, because he’s a brilliant French songwriter and composer. But this one track has been a baffler for many years now. It shows up out of nowhere and sounds like… what? What the hell IS that? Is it African? It sounds African, but — is it? Is it just some strange lark on his part? Paige was apprehensive about playing it on the show, even though we both really enjoy it, because we couldn’t tell if it was somehow demeaning to someone. But eventually I argued that we don’t know what the hell most of the singers are saying in the songs we play, or which cultural taboos they’re transgressing, and the same is true in this case. If it is somehow offensive to anyone, I hope it’s clear that wasn’t our intention. But�� I don’t know. I don’t think it is. I think it just comes from a cultural heritage and context that is French in a way Americans cannot understand or appreciate. In any case, it’s an amazing performance and recording!

12. K. Frimpong & His Cubanos Fiestas - Me Da A Ɔnnda”

Research into African rock and styles eventually brought us to K. Frimpong and His Cubanos Fiestas, which has turned out to be a satisfying step into the Ghanaian highlife/Cuban scene. I love the keyboard hooks in this one and the way the patterns just roll on and on with each other like a river, in no hurry but pulled forward by their own currents. He was also a visual artist — his art appeared on the cover of last episode’s Nyame Bekyere album. This was also the first time I’ve encountered the character “Ɔ” in the wild. I have zero idea how it is pronounced.

13. They Might Be Giants - “Birdhouse In Your Soul”

“Not to put too fine a point on it / Say I’m the only bee on your bonnet / Make a little birdhouse in your soul.” I remember when I first realized that was a feeling I was feeling — hoping to build a birdhouse in the soul of another, to be inside one another in a little protected place. The rest of the song is a nerd-rock dream palace I love as much as any other nerd, but the chorus is where I discovered an emotion I hadn’t suspected was there when I first heard and fell for this song and this band in high school (thanks, Jeremy Peterson!).

Paige adds: This song is blowing my mind. I don’t like writing lyrics, my ratio of melodies and harmonies to lyrics way out of whack. Evan brought this song back into our lives this week when Sleepy Kitty was asked what our favorite love songs are on a real radio show. We’ve been listening to it a bunch since Thursday and damn, these lyrics are good. It’s really reminding me that you can write about ANY.THING. Blue Canary in the freakin’ outlet by the light switch. Looking at the lighthouse picture. It’s a clinic. I learned something, and I can go home.

On the original topic, I love thinking of this as a love song. If you hear a love song, it’s a love song. It’s a love song.

14. Sleepy Kitty - “Tu veux ou tu veux pas” *

I took two years of French in high school and missed out junior and senior year because of a scheduling lulu that made 3rd and 4th year French conflict with advanced painting which was the primary reason I was taking French in the first place. I’m still not over it. Years later, I’m at Electropolis (in my memory) and I hear this Brigitte Bardot song on Tim’s excellent sound system and I can understand…most?…some…of it! I fell in love with this song and with French again and started stumbling, scrabbling at it again. We started working up this cover. Thank you Suzie Gilb for helping with the pronunciation. We did a 7” of this song and it’s a rare SK track with me playing trombone on it.

15. The Velvet Underground - “I Love You” *

I don’t really have much to say about this track except that it reminds me of flying to Germany because I got the 5 Disc set with all the extras on it a few days before leaving for a high school foreign exchange program. I was so happy to have those discs to absorb on the long flight, and come to think of it, it really inflected the whole trip.

16. Secret Song - “African Scream Contest”

The genesis of our love for African rock/funk/whatever (if for a moment we don’t count the profoundly influential “Graceland”) is the immortal collection “Legends of Benin,” put out by Analog Africa. As soon as we dug further for our favorites from that collection, we found “African Scream Contest” vols 1 and 2. I was drawn to the second one because it had a killer track by our hero Antoine Dougbé, but eventually spent as much time with the first volume. Both are absolutely fantastic. Part of what I love so much about them is learning how much of an impact James Brown and his band had on African music, which is super apparent throughout these collections and especially this track. The drums and the grunts and the hard stops and the horn blasts — it’s all there.

One of the finest elements of these records is the hidden track at the end, tucked five or so minutes back from the last song. These are often some of the hottest tracks on the album, well worth the wait, and this mystery song is no exception. Unfortunately, though, that means we don’t know who made this track or what it’s called. Oh well — that only makes it cooler!

- Adrian from Brooklyn

17. The Beatles - “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”

We watched “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” recently (totally worth a watch), and we were struck all over again by how insane their lives must have been at that time. Yes fame, yes sudden fortune, yes global supremacy, yes yes yes — the thing that I can’t get over is the shrieking, and how it wasn’t just present at their shows, it was EVERYWHERE THEY WENT, AT ALL TIMES ON ALL DAYS, EVERY SECOND THEY WERE OUTSIDE. How completely unsettling that must have been, to be the center of that howl, day after day, year after year.

18. The Fall - “Sing! Harpy”

Dedicated to Adrian from Brooklyn and all those young women and men losing their minds over the Beatles so completely that all they could do was shriek, even at shows where the crowd’s sound completely obliterated the sound of the band they so desperately loved and came to hear.

(This is also some of my favorite violin playing in any rock music, right up there with “Boys Keep Swinging” and The Ex’s “State of Shock.” I would LOVE to work with a violinist in this mode.)

19. T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - “Gnon a Gnon Wa”

So intense! That constant chord strike throughout the song is a kind of high-note drone that we find ourselves drawn to. It kind of reminds me of the sound of a casino, where you walk in and all of the machines are chiming the same note, promising to just take your mind away and keep it safe until you need it again.

- Tommy Guerrero - “El Camino Negro” - “Road to Nowhere”

20. Black Dragons de Porto Novo - “Se Djro” What a slinky number! I love how spare the instrumentation is, but how much power is contained in that one guitar part. This is side A of a 7” put out on Albarika Store, the label that T.P. Orchestre called home for many albums.

21. Helen Nkume and Her Young Timers - “Time” This is (so far) the closest we’ve gotten to reggae on WBFF. I know nothing about the band or the music other than their fantastic name and sound — oh, and the fact that she is known elsewhere as Prophetess Helen Nkume. She appears to be Nigerian, or anyway her record label is. I love the guitar hook on this song, it just sneaks in and steals the show.

22. Anne Sylvestre - “Les Gens Qui Doutent”

23. Parvati Khan - “Jimmi Jimmi Jimmi Aaja Aaja Aaja Re Mere” A lucky find! Someone in one of my Facebook groups posted a video from this album, so I took note and returned later to check it out. This is from an Indian movie called “I’m a Disco Dancer” that looks like a real kooky thrill. The actors appear to have only the vaguest sense of what “disco” might be — or what a guitar might be, for that matter. It kind of looks like someone saw a single photo of a disco night and extrapolated a whole movie from it. Nonetheless, Parvati Khan is entrancing in the song and in the video, and we HAVE to see this movie, with or without subtitles. The smoldering look alone really requires investigation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUdJQSUcK_Y

24. Nancy Sit - “Love Potion #9” * One thing I’ve always known about Evan is that he doesn’t like the song “Love Potion #9.” When we stumbled across this, I thought it was awesome but I didn’t want to make Evan listen to a song he doesn’t like on Valentine’s Day! Evan says this song has little to do with “Love Potion #9” which makes me wonder, Evan, what’s the part you don’t like about “Love Potion #9”?

Evan adds: I honestly can’t remember what my issue with this song was. I swear, it was like… it was around the time of “Melt With You,” which I also found inexplicably irritating (and still do). I suspect now that there was an inept cover version that first steered me wrong… but luckily there’s a strange Chinese version to steer me right again! Oh life.

- Michel Legrand - “Solange’s Song (Instrumental)” - “The Young Ladies of Rocheforte”

25. The Velvet Underground - “I’ll Be Your Mirror” * This is the song that I said was the best love song of the western world on the real radio. I think it’s so beautiful and so adult. I don’t even know if I would have thought of this as love song a few years ago. When first got into the V.U. I thought it was a pretty song – a neat song, but I didn’t really know what it meant, what it could mean. What’s funny is when I think of this song, I have a Lou Reed version in my head – his voice, the harmonies. When I revisited the Max’s Kansas City live version (which as far as I know is the only one besides other more recent live versions and surely what I’m thinking of?) I realized that the version in my head is essentially that one but cleaned up, remastered, different EQ, and as far as I know entirely imagined.

Evan adds: (Paige has been playing this song recently around the apartment. I don’t even have to tell you how lovely it is.)

*p.s. If you want to hear the piece about musicians talking about favorite love songs on KWMU it’s here: https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2021-02-11/listen-love-songs-to-keep-you-warm-on-cold-winter-nights

Super fun getting to talk about this stuff and in such good company!

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jellicleetcetera · 4 years

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Cats 2019: A Spectacle of a Trainwreck

I saw cats 2019. And I had a lot of thoughts about it. So I thought I'd write an essay. Because that's what I do when I have a lot of feelings about something. I write about it.

So, I’m going to start this off by saying that I’m actually a huge fan of the original musical. I get the songs stuck in my head constantly. My personal favorite rendition is the 1998 direct-to-video adaptation. When I first saw the trailer, I was terrified. I saw that they were adding a speaking plot, and I immediately knew there were going to be a lot of changes. I was prepared, though, because the original musical would be very hard to sell to general audiences. Hell, Cats is hardly a musical for people that like musicals. Cats us a beast of its own kind. A lot of changes would have to be made if this were going to do well at all in the box office. So, I promised myself that I would go into it with an open mind.

My mom asked me a couple months later if I would go with her to see it. Now, as most of you die-hards would know, seeing Cats with your mother is a very dangerous gamble. Either she’ll understand what’s going on in That Scene, or she won’t. But either way, you’ll be uncomfortable the whole time. I didn’t know if they were going to include the scene or not. I was hoping so because I would love to see the reactions, but also praying that it would be cut because Jesus Christ I’m seeing it with my mother. I agreed, though, because I knew I was contractually obligated to see this damn thing and if my mom took me I wouldn’t have to spend my own money on the ticket. So, the release happens, a few days go by, and then my mom and I walk into an empty theater on the morning of Christmas Eve.

It was certainly a spectacle of a film. Everything was super vibrant and flashy. I absolutely adored the giant sets. I honestly think it’s incredible that they actually built giant sets so the actors would look effectively cat-sized. They looked a little too small, but then again, Jellicle cats are rather small. Also, my sense of cat size is warped because my own cat, Comet, is absolutely massive. But I digress.

Aside from the set design and the flashy palette, though, one thing really bothered me visually. And it will surprise no one. I really, really didn’t like the cats themselves. Design-wise, fine, they’re alright. Their faces are a little creepy but it’s not that bad. Add a little more cheek fluff and you’re good. However, there’s a specific reason I didn’t like that they did CGI fur rather than practical costumes. It cheapened the dancing.

The moment you slap something CGI onto something real, it makes the real thing look like it’s CGI. That’s just unavoidable. During the whole movie, I couldn’t really get over the fact that they looked CGI because it made the dancing look like it was computer-animated rather than real people actually dancing. Which sucks, because when you look past the gross look of their digital fur, the choreography and the dancers were incredible. (Although I do wish it was a bit more… feline. The original musical’s choreography wasn’t as complex or impressive, but it really got the message across that they’re cats, and not just human dancers with cat features.) It’s really a shame. If they had been in practical costumes, they would have looked like much better dancers. Creating practical costumes would have also added a bonus of getting to create interesting, modern reimaginings of the old 80’s fluffy wigs and legwarmers.

Now, on to the story and characters. Some changes I liked, some I was fine with, and some I didn’t like one bit. I think it would be easiest to share all of my thoughts by going down the list of musical numbers and sharing my thoughts on each one, with some digressions to talk about other related things. I don’t think I need to say this, but many spoilers lie ahead. I’m going to mostly assume that you, the reader, have at least a basic knowledge of the original plot and characters of Cats, but I’ll fill in crucial details here and there as needed. Here we go.

When the movie opens, we’re treated to a fresh new story for one of the main chorus cats, Victoria. In this film, she’s an abandoned cat dropped off at the dump in a canvas bag. I immediately knew she’d be our main character. I found the decision to make her a newcomer to be a pretty smart one. Victoria became the audience stand-in, since the movie is assuming you’re going into this having never seen Cats.

Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats was a banger. Can’t deny that. It was fun and upbeat, and the choreography was great. I loved the junkyard set, too. Plus, through the speaking plot, they gave The Naming of Cats a little more justification. Honestly, I think the entire speaking plot was just a huge justification for the songs for people that can’t connect the dots between them. But whatever. Anyways. Macavity also appears in this scene, but I’m going to get to him later.

I wish they kept Victoria’s solo dance… you know, a solo. The dance with Munkustrap was lovely, but I wish Victoria got to keep it. This is due to my own personal bias of that dance being my favorite, though.

Now, The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball brings me to a character that changed a lot. Mr. Mistoffelees. They say, in his song, that he is vague and aloof. There was nothing vague nor aloof about this Mistoffelees. They turned him into a hapless, bumbling fool. Personally, I thought he was kind of cute, but it seemed like an unneeded change. The plot would have been fine without it. I liked his pencil wand, though. I suppose they wanted to make the relationship between Victoria and Misto more sympathetic? Rather than making Misto this cool, distant character that any newcomer kitty cat would fall for, they gotta make him clumsy and dumb so Victoria doesn’t look shallow I guess? I dunno. It’s fine. I’m fine with it. Everything’s fine.

Also that song was fine.

Gumby Cat. Oh, Jennyanydots, what have they done to you? Okay, I’ll say it, I’ve never really found Rebel Wilson to be all that funny. I know, boo me, I’m the worst, I suck, moving on. She was fine in this role, and I’ll admit, some of the gags were pretty silly and fun, but watching Cat Rebel Wilson eat tiny roach people was just… not great. Also, the mice were creepy. *shudders*

Now, I’m going to go into this next song’s review with a disclaimer. The Rum Tum Tugger, in Cats 1998 specifically, is my favorite character. I love him. He’s an 80’s rockstar himbo delight with a smooth, sexy voice and he knows it. God help me. When I heard Jason Derulo would be playing the new Tugger, I found it to be a pretty obvious choice in making Tugger new and hip to the modern crowd. It’s fine, I get it. However, making him, like… Not as smooth? I don’t get why they did that. He’s supposed to be an unflinching badass personification (catification?) of swag and confidence. I didn’t like that change one bit. #NotMyTugger

Grizabella the Glamor Cat was pretty great. I loved Jennifer Hudson killed her role in this movie. 10/10 amazing job. However, this song brings me to another matter entirely. I couldn’t tell who was singing it! Pretty much none of the chorus cats were recognizable to me. I could pick out Jemima and that’s pretty much it! It took someone telling me that they changed Demeter to a russian blue for me to even have a chance of knowing which one she was. Demeter is one of my favorite cats, and we’ll be talking about her again later.

Although I wasn’t expecting it, I really liked Bustopher Jones. I thought that it was fun that they really went for it, making him shown literally digging through the garbage for all of the gourmet food he loves so much. It’s not made very clear in the original musical that this was what it was implying. I’m glad they did this, because otherwise it probably would have flown over everybody’s heads. I miss the “toodle-pip” though.

I loved Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. They chilled it down a lot, which I was fine with, though I did miss their loud cockney accents and eccentric choreography. I also miss the double cartwheel… The movie made up for it, though, with having really fun imagery. This one was definitely my favorite one from the movie. They made them more like sly, seasoned mischief-makers, rather than boisterous bastards. (I do love bastards, though…)

I loved Old Deuteronomy. Judi Dench is wonderful, and that song is always a lovely delight. Not much else to say about it.

Can we get an F in chat for The Pekes and the Pollicles? It shall be missed.

They cut down a significant amount of the ten-minute dance sequence that takes place in the middle of the show. DAMN them for shortening it. Cowards, the lot of you. However, this also means they cut out That Scene. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. To those saying this movie is incredibly horny, I BEG you to go watch Cats 1998. THAT movie is horny. It has The Scene, and also a multitude of ass shots throughout the film.

Also I was fine with them changing Victoria’s dance with Plato. (I think they replaced him with Munkustrap? I don’t quite remember.)

I loved Memory. Jennifer Hudson. *chef’s kiss* Amazing.

Beautiful Ghosts was… fine. It was a lovely song, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t… sound like the rest of the musical. It sounds more modern than the rest of the soundtrack. And they modernized the soundtrack, too, so that’s saying something. It just felt a little out of place for me. Also, I don’t like its placement. Let me explain.

Grizzabella and Gus the Theater Cat are supposed to be comparisons of each other. They’re both old and nearing their final days, wishing for days long past. However, the thing that makes them different is their relationship to the other Jellicle cats. While Grizzabella is cast out and rejected, Gus is loved by the clan and he’s a very strong candidate for being the Jellicle choice. There’s already a song between their two songs, The Moments of Happiness, but that song acts as more of a bridge between the two songs, rather than an interruption like Beautiful Ghosts feels to be.

I liked Gus the Theater Cat. Ian McKellen seemed to like his role, which I liked. He’s amazing at everything he does, too, so his performance was no surprise.

Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat was fun and upbeat and everything I hoped it would be. 10/10 would tap dance again.

I didn’t like Macavity the Mystery Cat at all. They cut Demeter out of it entirely, removing her implied history with Macavity, and in the process removing her entire relationship with Bombalurina. Instead, they made Bombalurina Macavity’s bitch. She got the song all to herself. And I’ve gotta say it. I don’t like Taylor Swift. That song felt like nails on a chalkboard. I hated every moment of it. Also, I find it hilarious that they kept the lyric, “Macavity’s a ginger cat. He’s very tall and thin.” and he is very obviously none of those things in this movie.

I didn’t like a lot of things about Macavity, too. I liked Macavity he got more of a presence than in the stage musical, but some things were kind of… lame I guess. Some of the scenes on Growltiger’s boat (I thought they would do Growltiger’s last stand but I was wrong!) were slow and boring. Even their little “action” scene. They also removed the Macavity fight scene, where he tries to kidnap Demeter. Very cringe of them. ANOTHER thing that is very cringe fail terrible was what they did to Grizzabella. They stripped her of her original backstory and just made her Macavity’s ex. FORGET that. Horrible. Hate it. Stop making everything about Macavity.

Back to Mistoffelees and his own song. Although I didn’t like that they removed Tugger’s role in Mr. Mistoffelees, I understood why. They turned him into a main character, so of course he had to sing his own song. However, they kept the lyric, “His manner is vague and aloof,” (well, “My manner is vague and aloof.”) which I find very silly of them. Yet another lyric that directly contradicts what the movie is providing. Also, I didn’t like the lack of dancing in this scene! Mistoffelees is one of my favorite dancers in the original productions. Specifically the big, impressive toe touches. Cowards.

I wish they let Jemima keep her solo. I know why they gave her solo to Victoria, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Congrats, Webber, you got to cut your ex-wife’s part out of the musical. *claps*

I liked the reprise of Memory and the subsequent journey to the Heaviside layer. I loved the chandelier balloon, too. It was all very emotionally impactful. My mom literally cried next to me during Memory’s reprise. Amazing job.

I never really liked The Ad-dressing of Cats in the musical because it feels unnecessary after such an emotional, perfect ending note with the journey to the Heaviside layer, but this version was kind of fun, I guess. Old Deuts looking directly into the camera was a little off-putting, though.

Overall, I thought this movie was fine. Will I watch it again? I don’t know, maybe. If someone put it in front of me, I would probably watch it, but I’m probably not going to go seeking it out when Cats 1998 is right there. It was fun, and it was definitely a spectacle. But was it Cats? Mmmmmm… It sure does look like Cats, but it doesn’t really feel like Cats. Do I think it’s a good movie for someone that isn’t already a fan of the musical? I don’t know, maybe? I’m seeing that most people hate it, which is a shame. If anything, I hope this movie compels people to seek out other productions of this musical. It really is a fun romp of a musical that I think people might like if they give it a try. I mean, it was Broadway’s longest running show in its time for a reason.

Do I recommend this movie? Sure. Go see it if you want. I’m not about to give this movie a score out of ten, because I find those kinds of rating arbitrary. But sure, go see Cats. Maybe it’ll lead you toward the superior version. Cats 1998.

#cats the musical #cats musical #cats 2019 #cats 1998 #jellicle cats #cats review #long post

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karmamiakat · 5 years

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Vivzie Stream # 5 Info

Not much information I could gather but here you go. Feel free to add any I may have missed.

Angel is not the pickiest eater. He loves Italian dishes and well prepared food. He loves junk food too but it isn’t the only thing he will eat.

Heaven is not a mirror image of Hell but it works similarity. We might see some of it in episode 2 but it’s still unknown.

Sir Pentious will listen to “We’re the Kids in America” and the Jimmy Neutron Soundtrack as well as Backstreet Boys and other corny pop songs. His theme might “If You Want to be a Good Girl get Yourself a Bad Boy” because of the snake charm instrumental. He loves any music that may make him seem "hip and cool”! XD

Demons can get sick but they can’t die from it. There’s certain times where it becomes extremely miserable for demons. There’s always something to make it more miserable in Hell including a very hot hot time.

Molly isn’t in Hell and Molly is indeed her real name.

Husk can fly. He doesn’t fly too often because he hates his demon form and he’s very lazy. He isn’t too thrill of being a giant cat with wings.

Speaking of which, Husk is very patient with Nifty and they do get along.

Angel can get sad and overly dramatic. He’s very emotional and possibly the most emotional one out of the cast. This reflects in his arms. When Angel needs to defend himself, his other set of arms will spring out much like his true emotions stay hidden for the most of the time until those rare moments he lets them out.

Sir Pentious hat acts on his true emotions. If you really wanna know how Sir Pentious is really feeling, just look at his hat. (Whether it is a sentient being with a will of it’s own is still debatable. Not even Viv knows.)

Alastor would be a good father figure but wouldn’t want kids. They would cramp his style. He’s a good big brother or mentor type figure.

Speaking of Sir Pent, the skateboard seen in one of the clips is just for show. He doesn’t know how to ride it. He just owns it and he’s both left handed and right handed.

Characters may get a revamp after the pilot just to simplify them out a little bit and make it easier for the team to draw them in later episodes, but they will be close to what they look like in the pilot.

Vaggie likes to wear different styles of clothing and we‘re more likely going to see her in other outfit’s the most. Charlie will too but she’s more content with her signature tuxedo and will be wearing this most of the time. Other characters are content with their usual outfit and won’t wear other outfits too much.

Alastor respects rock music but he wouldn’t listen to it. He respects that it actually uses instruments instead of being entirely electronic. The most modern music he will listen to is Electro Swing and possibly slower pop songs from the 80s (I added that last part about 80s music because I think he would like power ballets from the 80s and 90s and quite a bit of the slower songs in the 80s/90s. The kind of songs you would slow dance to.) (Just think of the last part as a head cannon thing.) Alastor would definitely like and listen to “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” and the “Brian Setzer Orchestra” since it’s all like swing music.

Alastor can shape shift into anything and can have many demon forms as well. He just doesn’t do it too often. He can shape shift into a deer but it’s not his main form anymore. He would definitely go “Hell Hound of a Deer” form just to scare the bejeebus out of Angel Dust!

One of Apple Daddy’s (I’m Christian so I was taught never to say his actual name so I call him Apple Daddy, Charlie’s dad.) hobbies is singing. He likes to sing a lot. All the characters will sing but apparently it’s one of his favorite hobbies.

Remember if I miss one please politely reply or reblog it. I will not tolerate rude replies. If I get one, you’re blocked. Hope you enjoy!

#hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbin vaggie #hazbin angel dust #hazbin charlie #vivziepop

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irenerei-n-svt · 4 years

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Seventeen ships as Sibling AU (JunHao version)

Mingyoozi version here

Another SVT ship as sibling au~!

Now is up to you to decide that you are either older than them both or younger than them both. I will recommend to be the youngest sibling but i will keep my headcanon list flexible as i can (*Mingyoozi I recommended to be middle sibling tho)

Blood related or related only by parent’s second marriage or only blood related to one of them is do able,

So not intentionally but I think linking the universe would be fun

Both of them work as idol (how lucky you are!!!)

Junhui will occasionally acts in web drama, while Minghao will occasionally make appearance in competition shows.

You are the only sibling who is not idol, Or,

You are also an idol, soloist (Making the whole world jealous of you)

Bonus if you are related to Minghao and Junhui joining the family later both of them debut. Or in reverse, related to Junhui and Minghao joins later also will be fun.

Bonus if you are not Chinese, hearing them speaks in Chinese will spark you interest of learning the language. Cues in them two teaching you phrases of Chinese.

BUT if you are Chinese too, 3 of you speaking the language will leave others with their mouth open.

Favourite spot to eat/hang out if any of the sibling gets an award or achievement would be Mingyu’s family restaurant

Close to the Mingyoozi household because of

Jihoon as songcomposer and being same age as Junhui,

Minghao and Mingyu are close in terms their artistic sense and being same age.

Mingyu cooks spicy food too which Junhui loves alot, and Junhui will occasionally suggest new menu for the restaurant.

If you are not related to Jun

When you first joined the household, you are amazed at how good he look.

You thought he is very quiet and distant because he keep looking at his phone or gaming (Gaming partner is Wonwoo, long story short, Junhui got acquainted with Wonwoo while shooting another drama!)

Shooketh af at your brother’s career if you are not an idol.

Shooketh af if you already know who he is and you basically you interrogate your parent on how did they got to date with the superstar’s parent.

Basically having a identity crisis because both of your brothers are idol

Got frightened in the morning at Jun who got back from work and is sleeping on the sofa with his eyes half open.

Made a big mistake about him being distant and hard to get familiar with. Only to find out actually he is just being shy.

Once he got acquainted with you, be prepared for the awkward jokes that make you either roll you eyes or laugh to death.

Amazed at the level of spiciness in food he can handle. Start to wonder if chilli powder and chilli flakes are just like basil to him

Bonus if you can handle similar spiciness as Junhui. He will bring you out to some restaurant he found and a weird spicy eating compeition between you two will be held

Amazed at his acting skills and singing. Felt the world need to see him shine more.

If you are into gaming or tiktok or weird filter apps, you will get close to him quicker.

Amazed at his selca skills. Cues in you shyly approaching Junhui to teach you some of his tips.

Jun talks to you about the script of his web drama and ask you be the first hand audience. So you are basically spoiled with the storyline of the drama

Junhui being loud in his room practising his upcoming solo song.

Thinks Junhui imitating others is the cutest trait he has.

You are surprised that he can cook some basic meals. Since then both of you are seen helping out each other in the kitchen.

Might caught him stroking a cat around the neighbourhood. Also him meowing.

If you are related to Jun

If you are the youngest, you get alot of piggy backs and ride on his shoulder.

You damn proud because you do feel Junhui is talented and need to shine.

Already used to all his jokes and puns that he tries to execute on variety shows because he has been trying them out on you and Minghao

Also used to jump scare because he has been doing it since you are a kid.

Either you two share the same taste bud of being capable to eat really spicy food.

OR, even though related you cannot cope with spicy food at all. Making you bond with Minghao, the other sibling on healthier food more.

Your house fridge stores at least 10 packs of sausages because your brother loves it.

You used to be the happy kid, waiting for the sausages to be grilled by Junhui

He will be the big brother that brings you to the playground, watches you playing around while he just sitting/crouching there stroking a cat.

You are so used to him singing classic 80s and 90s song when he is showering in the bathroom.

You used to record it and post it social media and that is how Junhui got scouted.

If you are an idol too, Junhui giving you acting tips for your upcoming music video

Mobile gaming with Junhui and Wonwoo.

Very much used to Junhui’s idol friends coming over. Notable mention : Wonwoo, Yanan and Samuel

You siding at his friends because of his pranks and everyone is giving you the SOS glance. Junhui would never get mad at you, but just grab your shoulder and shakes you back and forth XD

Of course you will be his partner in crime with the pranks and jokes occasionally. Making you other sibling and Junhui’s friends shake their heads but also end up joining the dork party

If you are a student, cues in your friends goes in fangirl panic state because they never believed in you until Junhui and Minghao really appear in the house. (Or you never bring your friends home because you want to avoid scandal and trouble)To give a better idea for above, maybe a childhood friend who know about your superstar brother.

If you are not related to Minghao,

Also will feel this boy is cold and distant

Mostly him reading a book on a couch

Sharing your waiting to be read book list with Minghao

Bonus if Junhui your brother actually got acquainted with Minghao before both of your parents remarried. Making Junhui be the bridge of you and Minghao to get closer.

Since Junhui sometimes goes into prankster mode, you and Minghao face palm at him alot.

Cues in Minghao giving the dead fish eye look + deep sigh because being so done.

Bonus if this happens when you and Junhui go into dork mode TOGETHER

Cues in Minghao saying :Must be tough being Junhui’s sibling. He must have done those pranks on you lot.

Also Minghao saying : But he is a good brother

Only to know Minghao is the only child and he is very happy and excited to have siblings in his life.

Again, shooketh af at your brother’s career if you are not an idol.

Again, shooketh af if you already know who he is and you basically you interrogate your parent on how did they got to date with the superstar’s parent.

Again, basically having a identity crisis because both of your brothers are idol

Seeing them both practising and discussing dance moves makes you in awe at this new sibling

If you are an idol too, cues in you being hyper and hope Minghao teaches you B-boying.

If you are already adult, you will spend time drinking wine with Minghao talking about life and armchair philosophy

At first you are intimidated by Minghao’s fashion, but you will get used to it.

Minghao coordinating your fashion of course!

If you draw as well, you might go to art store with him often. Discussing what material to use for next project. Cues in Minghao shyly comes to you asking if he could borrow some art tools or paint.

If you are related to Minghao,

The very ZEN sibling, also the im so done sibling

But Minghao will still have his dorkiness

Minghao coordinating your fashion and you be the model for Minghao’s photography hobby

Wine drinking sibling of course!

Bonus if you cannot handle alcohol even though related thus you go to Junhui with coke and juice

Bonus if you dance too, Minghao and Junhui will ask you on dance moves

Knows about his waist problem so you will advice him to reduce harsh movements

If you draw as well, you might go to art store with him often. Discussing what material to use for next project

Sitting beside him while he draws

Framing up all his artworks and hangs them all at living room

You are so used to him being savage because you know he speaks the truth.

If you are not an idol

Visiting to their workplace is always an experience

Them being protective but at the same time they are ok at you getting to know more people in your life

Always cover your face with stickers if they upload selcas of you three to Instagram

If you are an idol too :

You are invincible. I mean you get acting advice from Junhui and dance advice from Minghao. And if you are close to the Mingyoozi household, you get first hand coaching by Jihoon tho. So ya, you are invincible.

Crowned as “the person whom i am jealous the most.” by netizens.

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revisitingstoneybrook · 4 years

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#15 Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn: Chapter 14

No spoilers for who wins the pageant but the foreshadowing is so obvious you can probably figure it out. And there’s bruised egos all around in the BSC.

The pageant officially starts! The host says this is the first annual (and probably the only, since we never hear of this pageant again) Little Miss Stoneybrook pageant and it's sponsored by Dewdrop Hair Care, “hair products for today's youth!” Kristy makes a stupid joke, wondering about next week's youth. Say what you will about Abby being a Kristy clone, at least her jokes aren't as dumb as that one.

The judges are introduced: the owner of Bellair's, the head of the Stoneybrook Dancing School (thankfully not Mme Noelle or else we'd be subjected to zee french ak-zent), Mrs. Peabody (I assume from the charm school Karen goes to at one point. Continuity!) and some doctor, according to Dawn. I wonder what it feels like to be a doctor and have “judging kiddie beauty pageants” as your side hustle. The host says he'd like to “send heartfelt good wishes to each and every little miss who is backstage right now” and Kristy says “Gag me!” Actually keeping with the times and using some 80s slang, good on you, Ann Martin.

“Marching music” is blasted through the auditorium and the girls trek across the stage for the opening procession. Sadly, no opening musical number:

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You know Karen would have shoved her way to the front with some lyrics she wrote herself like she did in her class Thanksgiving play.

Claire starts killing her odds of winning right away by tacking onto the end of her introduction, “Oh hi Mommy! Hi Daddy! Hi Mallory!” before she gets moved away and misses shaking Mrs. Peabody's hand. Oops. Maybe it's a good thing they cut her off or else the pageant would have taken much longer for her to name her whole family. And I'm surprised Mallory's there and isn't staging a protest with Jessi outside, complete with a bonfire of lipstick, hair curlers, and false eyelashes.

Margo does well, no one notices because she's overshadowed by the professional-ness of Sabrina Bouvier the Younger. I'm surprised she didn't say, “I'm Sabrina Bouvier, I'm seven years old and when I grow up, I want to be a sweetie pie! *bats eyelash implants*” Dawn tries to reassure herself that grace and charm really won't help in a beauty pageant. Maybe Sabrina isn't that talented, maybe her intelligence is hovering in the same area as Claudia's.

Now it's the part we've all been waiting for...the talent. The first contestant sings the national anthem while dressed in a red, white and blue sequined leotard. Claudia and Dawn share a laugh at how crappy she sounds and Claudia makes a mental note to ask the girl where she got the leotard from and whether they carry it in teen sizes. The second contestant sings a song she wrote called “I Love My Dog” but nothing is said about her because the true talent is taking the stage as she leaves. Myriah Perkins, in a pink leotard and tutu and black tap shoes, carrying a big lollipop, brings the house down with her rendition of “On the Good Ship Lollipop,” with a dance routine I'm guessing she choreographed herself. I'm surprised she isn't blindfolded and flawlessly juggling three hoops of fire too. She's met with tons of applause, and even cheering and whistling.

How do you follow that up? With Claire Pike! She says she doesn't want to do it but goes out anyway. For a moment she just stands there, doing nothing. Dawn eggs her on from offstage and Claire sings her Popeye song, does the hornpipe (and looks bored doing it), then sings again with the hand gestures. The audience, much to Dawn's relief, loves it. Claire hams it up even more and the audience laughs and gives her lots of applause. And, in a more shocking move, Kristy gives Dawn a thumbs-up for bringing Claire the Comedienne into the fray.

Claire's followed by a mediocre pianist and a failed baton twirler. Karen's up next and she goes onstage wearing her yellow flower girl dress. Dawn wonders if she's going to sing a love song. Oh no, Dawn. Instead of belting out “You Light Up My Life” or “Endless Love,” she sings the wonderful romantic ballad “The Wheels on the Bus.” FIFTEEN VERSES OF IT. Omitted from the text are the people in the audience screaming in agony as she makes up more verses on the spot, including “The people on the bus are tired and hot.” After the judges start looking at their watches, Karen takes a hint and finishes up. Surprisingly, Kristy doesn't act confident and smug and she and Dawn just shrug at each other.

A ballerina performs, Dawn remarks she's good (hold that thought, we'll return to it later) and then Sabrina the Younger comes onstage in a long black gown and white evening gloves with her hair piled up on her head. So like this?

It sounds like she’s going for a different look, because the song she sings is “Moon River.” Dawn says she's never heard of it but you'd think since the whole BSC is obsessed with old movies and Mary Anne loves Roman Holiday, which stars Audrey Hepburn, they'd know it’s the song from Breakfast at Tiffany's!

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Needless to say, Sabrina butchers it, but she smiles a lot and the judges like her. Next, Margo takes the stage with her banana. The triplets snicker at her when she peels the banana with her feet but she ignores them and recites the poem without any mistakes and gets lots of applause. Phew. And Dawn gets another thumbs-up from Kristy. Again, what alternate universe are we in if Kristy is acting nice to Dawn?

And, just as expected, Claudia's plan of having her own pageant contestant blows up in her face when Charlotte freaks out, completely forgets the passage she's going to read, and runs offstage in tears. Charlotte's crying so hard backstage Claudia goes and gets the Johanssens to take her home and she stays at the pageant to see what happens, looking crushed. Charlotte never should have been a contestant in the first place, Claudia, you suck for humiliating her for your own personal gain!

The beauty parade is next, and it's every girl for herself. Dawn hears Margo tell Claire to break a leg, and Claire tells Margo, “I hope you fall off the stage!” Mee-yow!

Question time! Dawn tells Mary Anne she's worried and Mary Anne says she is too. I mean, she really has no reason to be, since she's coaching Myriah Perkins. Anyway, the first question a little girl gets is “What do you like best about Stoneybrook?” She says the ice cream store and everyone laughs in an “awww cute!” way.

The next girl doesn't fare well either and then we get to Myriah Perkins. She's asked what she would change about the world. Channeling John Lennon, Myriah says (and I have to quote it in its entirety): “It would be wars. I would stop them. I would say to the people who were making the wars, 'Now you stop that. You settle this problem yourselves like grown-ups. Our children want peace.' That's what I'd change.” The crowd applauds as the little peace activist exits the stage and Claire comes on.

Claire's asked what she hopes for most of all. She says, “Santa Claus. I hope he's real,” in a terrified tone. The audience laughs in the same way they did for the first girl and Dawn groans as if she's just been asked to babysit for Jenny Prezzioso. Mary Anne reassures her and says Claire probably got nervous. Karen's next and she gets the infamous “If your house was on fire, what 3 things would you rescue?” question. Kristy makes a point to say out loud that she prepared her for this.

But guess what, Kristy? You aren't the Queen of Babysitting because Karen manages to kiss the crown goodbye too. She says she'd rescue Moosie her stuffed cat (so I guess the Little House is the one burning down...nice. Save the MANSION), Tickly her blanket, and “as many toys as I could carry.” She asks if she could rescue a fourth thing and says it would either be Andrew, or her pen that writes in three colors. Lovely that she thinks of toys before she thinks of her brother. And I guess she's letting Lisa and Seth burn. I'm surprised she didn't say something like, “My parents are divorced and I live in two houses. Can I rescue six things since I'm Karen Two-Two?”

Unfortunately, Sabrina the Younger uses up the “global peace” answer before Margo can get to it. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise, since she didn't know what it is. Either way, Margo's asked what she would most wish to happen in the year 2010 and she freezes. I guess she was nervous but terrified too because 2010? This book was written in 1988. And even then, in BSC land, that's ages away! She'd be 29 by the time the BSC got to 2010! And Claudia would probably still be wearing neon green hair scrunchies and bright purple leggings at age 35. Margo obviously doesn't want to recycle the global peace answer and her mind goes blank, so she's ushered off the stage after 30 seconds of dead air.

Dawn freaks out backstage and openly admits she wanted one of her girls to win so she could show what a good babysitter she is! We're back to this shit again?! The others admit to this too and in one of the most ironic statements ever written in a BSC book, Kristy says, “Maybe we learned something, though. Even the best babysitter can't change a kid.” Now how many times can we all name before and after this where the BSC attempted to change a “problem child” or help out a kid with a problem because their horrible parents didn't know about it? So they all agree with Kristy, don't apologize for being bitches to each other and crowd around Mary Anne because they're confident Myriah has this in the bag.

The girls all line up onstage for the announcement of the winners, which is so obvious right now, even Claudia can predict it. Third place goes to Lisa Shermer, the ballerina from earlier. She wins $50 and fades into BSC obscurity. Second place is Myriah! She shrieks with delight because she just won a shopping spree at Toy City (which I would gladly take over the grand prize). Dawn even admitted she'd like it because she could buy Kid-Kit supplies. First thought ALWAYS to the BSC, just like a good cult club member. Well, Myriah's thrilled but Mary Anne screams in agony and wails, “Why isn't she the grand winner?!?!?” and we cut away from offstage before we can all drown in the deluge of Mary Anne's tears.

First prize, no surprise here, goes to Amber Dempsey Sabrina the Younger. Time for the song! “L the losers in her wake, I the income she will make...”

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She wins $100, gets a little tiara and bouquet of roses, her mom's weeping, Dawn calls the whole thing disgusting. Little does Sabrina the Younger know that's a magical tiara that will age her 6 years so by the time book #60 rolls around, she'll be 13!

#babysitters club #little miss stoneybrook...and dawn #dawn schafer #bsc #snark

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