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alyakthedorklord · 1 year

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Chiroptophobia: the Fear of Bats.

Bruce Wayne is Scared of Bats. This is a Canon Fact.

In a difference from canon, Batman pretends to actually BE a bat man.

(Again, “Loading and Aspect Ratio” by JUBE514 situation with fake wings. Please go read it I love it so much.)

Bruce turns himself into a physical manifestation of his personal worst nightmares, and sets out to be a street cryptid. People see him flinching from bright lights and loud noises (he hasn’t slept in three days and he really hates guns) twitching weirdly (testing his wings function/stimming) not fully understanding human social niceties (you cannot tell me this man isn't Autistic) and, duh, wings, and go ah yes this being is Inhuman.

However, people KNOW Brucie Wayne™ is petrified of bats. There was an incident at a party when one flew through a window, another at a zoo, there was this one time Manbat showed up and he practically teleported away. No one saw him for a whole month, even after Batman had captured Manbat. (He got injured in the fight.)

By extension, this means that Bruce Wayne is afraid of Batman. Just- absolutely terrified of him. No ones seen them in the same place. Ever. Bruce Wayne actually publicly refuses to even believe in the cryptid for YEARS past when he's already been proven to exist.

When the Justice League gets called in to protect Bruce and his smattering of children from some plot (batman conspicuously absent, despite Gotham being his territory) Bruce straight up tells the league that he doesn’t believe in Batman, and he feels much safer with “real heroes” rather than “a urban legend spawned from overdramatic furries and gang wars.”

The justice league is, obviously, confused.

Certified little shits Dick, Jason, and Tim, (because we’re going with JUBE514’s canon and jason doesn’t die they’re all brothers f off-)

ANYWAYS: Certified Little Shits Dick, Jason, and Tim, ready for chaos/solidifying secret identities: “Don’t worry! We believe in batman! We saw him!” :D

They then proceed to tell the justice league that Bruce HAS met Batman, but he has a phobia of bats, so when Batman saved them at a gala Bruce screamed so loud and shrill he threw off the bat-hearing and then punched batman in the face so hard he knocked him out cold, grabbed then-baby Jason and ran. (Nightwing and the second Robin had to HEROICALLY rescue a dazed Batman, Dick saw it with his own eyes!)

Bruce was so scared of the bat coming to take revenge that he jumped at every shadow for a whole month. Why, Jason, (who was younger then) had slept in Bruce's bed to keep him safe! (Dick is crooning about his cute little brother. Jason, who is hitting his growth spurt and not a little kid anymore, is infinitely embarrassed.) Right now, Brucie has settled into firmly denying Batman’s entire existence so that he can sleep soundly at night.

“Why is he so scared of bats?” The Justice League is wondering. Oh, they are so glad they asked!

“Alfred told us a story once,” Dick says, eyes wide and innocent as he prepares to lie through his fucking teeth, “that when Bruce was little, really little, he got trapped in a cave filled with bats, and his dad had to come rescue him. Apparently, Little Bruce had been crying about a massive bat, even bigger than he was, with glowing red eyes and human hands and (gasp) wait oh my goodness gracious what if that was the BATMAN :0”

“The baby batman.” Jadon adds.

“Batboy?” Tim wonders.

“Alfred, do you think Bruce met Batman when they were little?” Dick asks.

“I believe,” Alfred “the greatest enabler” Pennyworth hums, offering fresh baked scones to thier gleeful audience, “that Master Bruce referred to what he saw as ‘the bat king’ and reported seeing him outside his window several times over the years.”

“Maybe it really was him! Will you ask Batman for us?” Tim asks, already planning to hack the watchtower cameras and set up some popcorn with his brothers.

The Justice League, who have learned more about the Batman in one conversation than they have over MANY years of working together, tell the Wayne children that it will be their Genuine Pleasure to quiz batman on his interactions with BRUCIE WAYNE who has, apparently, laid batman out cold with one punch.

Alfred adds on that he personally thinks the Batman is being rather courteous to Master Bruce, as “bat king” sightings were after “difficult times” and he doesn’t come near the manor otherwise, as robin had been the one to return some family heirlooms that one time they were stolen. He calls the batman and his robins “polite young gentlemen” and then leaves.

But now the gears are turning in the justice leagues heads. Batman? Courteous? Polite? Batman is not Courteous or Polite. Not unless something else is going on.

Now. From their point of view. Batman lives in the cave systems under the richest houses in Gotham, Phantom of the Opera style, hiding his meta form (because this batman is playing cryptid really well. Maybe he was a mutant baby of some Rich Gothamites, who threw him into the caves in shame!) He’s been watching Bruce Wayne, likely as he struggled with the highly reported on demise of his parents, seeing the effects that crime had on the boy that fell into his cave all those years ago. Batman has always been so protective of children, so hateful of guns, obviously the Wayne tragedy is part of what motivates him. He loves Gotham dearly, territorial of it to the point of keeping other heroes out, and yet he breaks that rule here, for Gotham's prince, solely for Bruce’s comfort.

Bruce, another person who obviously loves the city of Gotham just as much, putting millions into charity and relief efforts. Who is clearly very protective of his children, even if he usually has no spine, to the point of attacking his greatest fear to keep then safe, and good enough to land a hit, even. (Bruce Wayne is also considerably attractive.)

Its all so clear to the Justice League: Batman is madly in love with Bruce Wayne. Has been for years. To the point of watching him sleep, on occasion. How very tragic! Batman, in love with someone he can never be with! Not only would it paint a massive target on Bruce’s back if they ever did get together- there’s no questioning what Gotham villains would do if they discovered this, (and denying himself love out of an attempt to keep others safe is EXACTLY the kind of self-sacrificing nonsense Batman would pull) But Batman can’t even truly see the man he’s in love with without Brucie running away in terror! Well, the poor guy… how sad…

This conclusion can be supported by the following evidence-

Batman’s first appearance being right after Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham. Was the bat following him to protect him in those missing years? Or maybe he decided to clean up the city now that his beloved had returned?

Batman always being seen near where Bruce is. He’s never once been at the watchtower when Bruce has a public appearance- he must be watching over him, a silent guardian in case someone gets it in their head to kidnap Gotham’s Prince.

Batman insisting that Bruce is innocent in a corporate scheme, despite evidence to the contrary. (Hes right in the end, of course, but they’ve never seen him ignore evidence so clear.)

Batman casually referencing Wayne Tech/Foundation inner workings- he keeps an eye on them, of course. (If he can’t be close to the object of his affections, the league reasons, of course he’d make sure that Bruce’s company and projects are on the right track)

Nightwing, when asked, confirms the Bruce Punching Batman story. He says “honestly I think B was impressed! Caught him off guard!” (Since when does Batman lower his guard? Only when he’d be… distracted, perhaps…)

Superman saves Bruce, who thanks him with a kiss on the cheek. Later, justice league was teasing Clark, batman huffs and leaves the room. He’s CLEARLY jealous! Superman feels just awful!

Batman inexplicably knowing social dances/high society manners- he must have learned by watching (stalking) bruce! He can navigate high profile talk if he wants to, he just doesn’t want to most of the time. but if the situation calls for it he can talk like the Richest of Pricks in a way that only comes with observation.

Batman bristling when some of the league members start making Comments on Brucie Wayne’s Physical Attributes. (Jealousy? Defensiveness? Perhaps… embarrassment at GL’s detailed explanation on what he’d do with a chance in bed with Brucie.)

Batman absolutely freezing up when confronted with any of the above evidence. (He’s trying SO HARD not to laugh/go tell his kids)

Dick/Jason being big enough to wear the Bat-wings rather than thier own and be convincing- they save Bruce, though the man passes out (from fear? Blood loss from an injury? Perhaps- he is faking) and Dick/Jason, either out of genuine concern for their dad or general “how can i stir the pot” chaos, gently strokes his hair away from his face in an act of compassion that the cameras just so happen to catch. (There’s a few tears shed in the justice league- poor batman! He can’t be with his love!)

The robins (in both identities) telling the justice league that they've seen batman watching him.

“oh yeah he does background checks on aaaaaall bruces conquests. Had a conniption when brucie found a mafia boss that one time.”

“And when he found out Bruce and Two-face had a fling!”

(The league notes that often, if a criminal gets too close to Brucie, they’re put away not long after. B is usually collecting evidence in his civilian ID. But it looks like angry Batman wanted them to get the hell away from his mans.)

The Justice League is swooning over this tragic, forbidden love story. Batman is a little creepy but hey. He apparently grew up in a cave system. Its a wonder he's as well adjusted as he is. Batman has their sympathy, he seems less unflappable/untouchable, they’re a little more understanding with him now. Superman is all too happy to be a rebound, if needed. There are magic users offering glamour spells. Green Lantern is making exposure therapy innuendos.

The robins can’t believe how lucky they got. They’re def grounded but B can’t be too mad bc his secret identity is FUKIN SET.

Alfred is rather proud of Batman's new nickname in the league being “the bat king” and keeps sending batman along with cookies. The league thinks Batman is checking up on bruce with his butler. Its a mess.

Eventually, Batman loses a bet to one of his kids. Committing to the Bit with an exasperated sigh (he’s definitely not having fun, shut up jason.)

He admits to his crush.

#cryptid batman #brucie wayne #wing fic #justice league #dc universe #dc prompt #when the league finds out they’re almost offended #b just sheugs and say they drew their own conclusions #also his robins and alfred were having fun #bruce wayne #batman #bruce wayne x batman #superbat

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cvlutos · 1 year

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“My Wingless Dove”

| Repost: 02.19.2023 | 1.2K | Mature Audiences |

Yandere!Diasomnia X GN!Reader [TWST: VAMPIRE AU]

Book.Summary: Dont walk into abandoned homes, even if the weather is bad, for there may be vampires living there that just love humans.

You’re pretty.

So pretty that it worries us to death when you come barreling into our home, fumbling through the door with heaving breaths, pounding heart, and rushing veins, so loud and so full of life. You kick the door closed desperately, blindly throwing yourself deep into the dark and what you assume—abandoned—home.

You’re far too pretty to live in such fear.

You make a home for yourself, using the old dusty library as yours, what we wish would be your forever home. Using broken floorboards as wood. Though you aren’t fully aware of our presence, that’s alright. You don’t need to worry about the peering, deep reddish-magenta glowing eyes that watch you from afar. Eyes that you swear you see as you prepare your dinner. Or as you sleep, gentle touches of flesh brush against the apple of your cheeks, or the exposed chest of your collarbone.

Don’t worry about the glaring eyes that watch you from afar as you search the forest for your food, silently protecting you. Do not worry when you see green eyes and that of a tall silhouette watching you from the far corners, only for you to blink and it’s gone. You’re pretty. They only want to admire you.

══════ ♡ ══════

The deep red eyes are first to greet you.

First to catch your attention. First to frighten you. Even if he doesn’t mean to., you’re just too cute, such a sweet, defenseless person, living amongst four beings that are far stronger, faster, hungrier. Far more than you could ever be. You’re fascinating and he lets you know of his existence. He wants you to know he’s around, devoted to you, as he is the prince.

You have dreams of a soft, monotone voice.

Hearing him whisper to you to sleep well, to have pleasant dreams. He is the one you should trust most, the one who understands you the most. Even though mortality is so from him. That’s alright, you are simply a glimpse of what he once was, and he adores you for that. You represent that part of him that was once human.

The glare from afar still scorns you.

He makes you feel unwanted, unneeded, foreign—an intruder. Well, in a way, you are. You stumble into their home, into the home of the prince, and make it your little hovel. He’s annoyed, disgusted, for you represent the side of him that will always be human. That will never change. He hates that about you, yet he can’t find it in his unbeating heart to allow any harm to come to you. Maybe he isn’t as detached from humanity as he claims.

The tall silhouette that scares you still.

He wishes you didn’t fear him. He wishes you’d simply waltz into his arms, sway gently against him and with him. He craves for you to step into the shadow to see him and acknowledge him for being safe, to see that he wouldn't harm you. He cares for you as a lover would. Even if you don’t love him yet, you will. Eventually, you will. As all things take time and you, darling, will have all the time in the world.

══════ ♡ ══════

“If I could simply stop time in this moment—without having to change not a single part of you—I truly wish I could.”

His words are merely wind to air as you sleep, blissful and unaware. You are as if the sun had been given for him to hold and cherish, a blessing, a gift. So strong, yet so destructive. So painful for he knows if he touches you, he melts. Burns. He’s alright with that.

You had in passing, talking to the ancient pictures on the walls of your soon departure. Something that Malleus can't bear to stand. You can’t go free of them. Of him. Not now. Nor ever. For he knows like a flower that only blooms once within its lifetime, would soon disappear. He refuses. You will be there for his lifetime, all his lifetimes. He wants nothing more.

“My Prince... what is it you desire?”

You.

The answer is you.

You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You.

It will always be you.

You spilled your blood today as you explored the vast forests. Bring them each nearly to their knees, salivating desperately. Like a flavor that they knew not of, yet still yearned for centuries. Surely, you’d indulge them. Silver gently lowers your form onto the massive bed, treating you so delicately, like glass.

You should feel so loved. So wanted. Even when you awaken and you thrash against Sebek’s tight embrace, cursing him—begging him to release you, pleading with him to let you go. As Lilia forces your mouth open to feed you, as you kick and scream.

You will come to understand our love.

As Silver nearly suffocated you in his chest, rocking you slowly as Malleus reads fairytale stories to you.

You’ll get over how cruel I am. As I read, you tales of freedom, or escape, of adventures, that you could never go on.

“You’ll understand why I did what I did, my little wingless dove.”

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sluttywonwoo · 9 months

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i love the idea of sending hoshi a picture of your pussy that you took earlier that day when you’re hanging out with some of the other guys and then acting like you did nothing

“babe, what the fuck?!”

soonyoung’s voice startles everyone in the room, causing them all to turn their attention towards you. you’re sitting on the opposite side of the coffee table from soonyoung— which means that the conversation between the two of you is also going to be everyone else’s business, especially since your boyfriend’s outburst piqued their interest.

“what?”

“why did you…” soonyoung trails off, only just now realizing that you have an audience. he can’t really confront you about sending him a nude in the middle of the day without essentially announcing to all of your closest friends that he’d received a picture of your pussy… but he knows you know what he’s talking about so he figures he can be vague about it and you’ll still get the gist.

“why did you do that? and why right now of all times?”

“do what?” you ask, cocking your head to the side.

soonyoung freezes. he obviously hadn’t been expecting you to play dumb which is honestly his fault because has he met you?

he points at his phone. “you… you just…”

wonwoo leans over, trying to peer over soonyoung’s shoulder at the screen to see what he was talking about.

“what is it?”

“did she send you something… private?” jihoon adds, smirking as he trades a knowing look with wonwoo.

soonyoung fumbles with phone, holding it out of their reach so that they can neither confirm nor deny their suspicions.

“my phone’s been face down on the table since we got here, hosh,” you insist and point to it.

your phone is laying face down on the table and you’d hadn’t picked it up since you first put it down… but you did send your boyfriend the picture to get a reaction out of him. with his reputation for whatever the opposite of tech-savviness is, you doubt soonyoung knows how to time texts or that the function even exists. you’ll enlighten him later, after you’ve reaped the benefits of your morally questionable stunt (who doesn’t love a little gaslighting as a treat).

you can tell soonyoung is pissed but he there’s really nothing he can do about it, not unless he wants to drag you off into another room and let everyone hear him ‘punish’ you.

quickly enough, the conversation moves on to something else and the weird exchange you had with your boyfriend is in the back of everyone’s minds.

halfway through a story seungkwan was telling about ducks, your phone buzzes on the table. you want to ignore it but you can feel soonyoung’s eyes on you from across the room. with a silent sigh, you flip the phone over to read his response.

we’ll talk about this later. u look hot as fuck though <3

#answered #anon #seventeen smut #svt smut #hoshi smut #soonyoung smut #kwon soonyoung smut #kwon hoshi smut

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seiya-starsniper · 7 months

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I don't know if you're still doing the flower language prompts, but I wanted to send about twelve and narrowed it down to two lol.

So for Dreamling: Sunflower, dwarf ("How many ways do I have to confess for you to believe me?") and/or Tarragon ("Here's all the reasons why you shouldn't like me")

🤘 five-and-dimes

@five-and-dimes my beloved, so happy to hear from you!!! <3 I did my best to combine these two because they’re SUCH GOOD PROMPTS and they also fit the @monsterfucktoberbingo theme so well. Hope you enjoy!!!

Square: Cryptid

Flower Prompt Game!

----------

When Roderick Burgess unveils his circus’s latest spectacle, Hob is one of the only spectators who doesn’t gasp or recoil in abject horror at what he reveals.

“Behold! I have captured the omen of Death himself!” Roderick declares loudly. “Many have decried his existence, but here he stands before you!” he gestures to the chained being. “Look upon his horrid form. Does he not strike fear even in the bravest of men?”

Well, he certainly struck something in Hob, but he wasn’t sure that the feeling was fear.

The creature on display was absolutely stunning, if Hob were honest, but he can understand why his appearance would seem a horror at first. The thing certainly wore the basic shape of a man, with pale white skin that seemed to glow under the harsh din of the spotlight, and messy black hair that fell down to his shoulders. But where his feet would be, there were instead large, golden talons with long obsidian nails that dug deep into the dirt below them as the creature struggled to keep his balance.

And his hands. They were barely hands at all, with only four fingers on each, and white nails so long they were practically claws. The skin too, from finger to elbow was ashen black as if burnt, but when Hob looked closer, he could see the skin there shimmered like the rest of him in the light.

The most significant part of the creature, though, was his wings. They were what Hob expected an angel’s wings to appear like, large and spanning the length of his body. Except, instead of white, these wings were pitch black, with the very tips of them colored a deep red, as if dipped in blood during war. Hob so badly wanted to see the full wingspan of the creature, certain that it would outdo even an albatross, but, understandably, Burgess had completely bound the creature’s wings in both rope and chains in a measure to keep him from escaping.

Burgess cracks his whip near the creature’s feet and he snarls at the crowd, who jeer and yell in response. Burgess cracks the whip twice more but the creature has gone silent, glaring defiantly now at all its unwanted audience.

When its eyes land on the area Hob is seated in, he swears it is his eyes the creature locks his gaze onto. And oh, even from as high up as he is, Hob can feel the ice forming in those cold blue eyes. It pierces through him like a hot knife through butter, and Hob finds himself willingly drawn in, wanting to move closer, wanting to reach out and touch this magnificent being—

The lights cut out shortly after, ending the show for the night. Hob goes to bed that night and dreams of the creature on the stage, dreams of talons and feathers, and drowning in an ice cold lake the color of the being’s eyes.

When he wakes in the morning, Hob is resolute. A creature as magnificent as that does not belong in chains. He sets fire to Burgess’s circus arena later that night, and he and the creature (Dream, he called himself) steal away into the night.

—-

“Why are you helping me?” Dream asks him one afternoon after they’ve been on the run for three days.

“Would you rather I left you to rot in Burgess’s circus?” Hob shoots back as he’s skinning the stag Dream hunted and caught them for dinner.

“You had a life in that village, did you not?” Dream says, refusing to let go of the subject and stomping his talons into the forest floor. “Why throw it away for something like me?”

Hob shrugs. “I’m a widower with a dead son,” he replies. “Not much of a life by anyone’s definition. Besides,” he adds, “You looked like you needed saving.”

“So it’s pity then?” Dream snarls, unfurling his wings to their full length. They brush against the nearby trees and the sheer strength of their muscles snap a few branches clean off. Hob realizes he had been right about Dream’s wingspan. It was wider than that of an albatross, and they were absolutely gorgeous.

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” Hob says before he can stop himself.

Dream stumbles back and retracts his wings, clearly caught off guard by the revelation.

“You don’t mean that,” Dream says, looking anywhere but at Hob. He’s got a furiously red blush that starts at his cheeks and seems to crawl all the way down to his chest. It makes him look even lovelier.

Hob smiles despite himself. “Maybe that’s why I saved you,” he chuckles. “Maybe I just wanted you all to myself.”

“Then you are an even bigger idiot than I thought,” Dream replies, before he stomps off.

—-----------

On a particularly cold night, Hob wakes to find himself covered by one of Dream’s wings.

“This means nothing,” Dream mutters, even as he presses his chest to Hob’s back.

Hob can’t help but grin like a fool. He reaches out to run a finger along the bend of the wing that’s currently serving as his blanket, and delights when he feels Dream shudder behind him.

“Your secret’s safe with me, you big softie,” Hob chuckles before he falls back asleep, feeling more content than he has in years.

—------------

They’ve been on the run for almost a year before Burgess and his men manage to catch up to them. They’re cornered at the bottom of a valley, and Hob knows if they can make it to the river and cross it, they’ll be all right. Burgess’s men are all on horses that wouldn’t dare cross the rushing waters.

They’re almost to the clearing when Dream stops suddenly and says, “Leave me.”

“What?! No, I’m not leaving you!” Hob exclaims. “Come on, we’re almost at the river—”

“Burgess’s horses will cross the river,” Dream replies. “He’s desperate to get me back, alive or dead. And you are tired.”

“I’m fine,” Hob insists.

“You’re not!” Dream argues. “You’re practically limping and you—you have done more than enough for me. If I leave you now and fly north, they’ll stop following you and come after me instead.”

“Sorry sweetheart, you’re stuck with me,” Hob replies, pulling out his sword and getting ready to fight as he hears Burgess’s men grow closer. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“Don’t be an idiot!” Dream yells. “Roderick Burgess had been hunting me long before we met, and he will continue to do so until one of us is dead. You cannot possibly want to be on the run forever.”

“And if I do?” Hob asks. “Dream—how many ways do I have to tell you I want this—want you—before you’ll believe me?”

Dream hisses, and before Hob can say anything else, he finds himself lifted high into the air as Dream takes off with the both of them, rushing at full speed towards the river. His long white claws dig into Hob’s skin and Hob holds on for dear life as he buries his face into Dream’s neck to avoid the whiplash of the wind.

When they finally land, Hob can no longer hear the neighing of the horses, or the yell of Burgess’s men. Dream practically drops him to the ground, and Hob realizes the other had used the last of his strength to get them to safety. Before he can collapse, Hob catches him, and after a quick look around, manages to find a small cave that they can use for shelter for the night.

“That was bloody brilliant, love,” Hob sighs happily once they’re inside and lying side to side. “Think I just fell in love with you all over again.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Dream mumbles. “Love me, at all. I have caused you nothing but harm, and you will always be on the run so long as you stay with me. I cannot give you any of the comforts of a human life, not money, status, or a family.”

“I know,” Hob replies gently, taking Dream's dark hands in his. “I’m not asking you to. I told you before, all I want is you. You can give me all the reasons you want about why I shouldn’t, but I’ll still choosing you.”

“Idiot,” Dream says, but his tone is fond. He then wraps a wing around Hob and scoots closer, so their bodies are flush against each other. “Though I suppose you are my idiot.”

Hob smiles and presses his lips to Dream’s. “As long as you’ll have me, I’m yours.”

#dreamling #dream x hob #hob x morpheus #monsterfucktoberbingo #the sandman fanfic #seiya writes #seiya writes dreamling

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atopcat · 4 months

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I really liked your post about Rhaenicent. What do you think of Olivia’s recent interviews in regards to Alicent’s character, she seems to be really pushing for Rhaenicent despite everything.

Just to start I want to make it clear that this isn’t an attack against Olivia Cooke, she’s a brilliant actress who is entitled to her opinions. As a fan however I don’t like her interpretation of Alicent simply because she’s made it abundantly clear she’s more invested in Rhaenicent than Alicent herself.

Olivia could’ve done a Lena Headey and unapologetically supported her character despite not being popular with the general audience, who cares if people think she’s a bitch, she’s your bitch and that’s all that matters. Instead she sought out the one part of the fanbase who supposedly like Alicent but also has a large universal following: Rhaenicent.

Here’s where it gets tricky, when it comes to ships such as Rhaewin, Jacegan, Laenyra, Daemyra, Jace/Baela, Alicole, Aemond/Alys, Helaemond etc. it’s pretty straightforward: you’re a fan of both characters, maybe one more than the other but you do genuinely like both. Rhaenicent doesn’t have this, it’s a lot more complicated mainly because it’s the only one that doesn’t exist in book canon.

The Rhaenicent fan base is split into three unequally distributed categories:

>1% who are genuine fans of both Rhaenyra and Alicent, emphasis on the genuine because although some claim to be they end up in either of the latter two. The problem with these fans is that they’ve succumbed to the trap of “benevolent misogyny”, reducing both women to being nothing more than 24/7 victims of evil men. They rob Alicent of her ambition, Rhaenyra of her agency, they think these women will abandon everything and run off on dragon back because they’re still silly teenage girls who only care about cake and clothes.

14% are Alicent stans, the majority of them don’t actually like Rhaenyra she’s simply a self insert because there is no one else you can ship her with other than Criston but Alicole is nowhere near as popular because it doesn’t include a fan favourite. In Rhaenicent’s case the fan favourite is Rhaenyra not Alicent.

85% are all Team Rhaenyra, the only version of Alicent they’re interested in is one who is nothing more than a personal cheerleader for the Black Queen. They don’t want to hear about how Rhaenyra��s actions negatively affected Alicent, only how Alicent still cares about her and will do anything for her despite everything.

Both Olivia and Emily Carey faced a lot of harassment on social media, someone even came up to Olivia in real life and called Alicent a c*nt to her face. I know when you’re in a fandom bubble it’s easy to think Alicent and Team Green are just as popular as Rhaenyra and Team Black but that’s far from the truth. So although the vast majority of Rhaenicents are first and foremost Rhaenyra stans, they’re also the ones most welcoming to the actresses who are having a hard time because of stupid trolls who can’t differentiate between a character and the actor playing them.

Then it makes sense why Olivia will jump on board the Rhaenicent train, but it comes at the expense of her character. I’ve read some of her recent interviews, she’s throwing not just Alicent under the bus but also the entirety of Team Green just to maintain the illusion that Alicent’s no.1 priority will always be Rhaenyra Targaryen.

“Alicent is scared of Criston”, he’s her right hand man, the only one who has her back, he’s loyal to a fault and President of the Alicent Fan Club. But he’s also disliked by Team Black for this very reason, he’s openly antagonistic to Rhaenyra calling her a “spoiled c*nt” so Olivia wants to distance herself from Alicent’s most ardent supporter.

“she’s watching him [Aemond] grow up into an absolute killer, which is terrifying for her”, if Criston is President of the Team Alicent club then Aemond is Vice President. You see throughout Season 1 how close she is to her second son, how she relies on him for support, how he truly loves and respects her. He said he wants Luke’s eye as a gift for his mother, from Alicent’s four children she is definitely closest to Aemond but he’s also the one who killed Nyra’s precious baby so fans don’t like him. Again, Olivia is detaching Alicent from her own children so she can appeal to Rhaenicents who mourned their sweet boy Luke.

“That’s what the whole series has been about: trying to get back to each other” this coupled with her saying she pushed for a Rhaenicent reunion at the end of S2 really emphasises just how willing she is to destroy everything about Alicent’s character in order to warp her into the sanitised version of a Rhaenicent wet dream.

Alicent doesn’t care her grandson was slaughtered right in front of her.

Alicent doesn’t care her 6 year old granddaughter was threatened with r*pe.

Alicent doesn’t care her daughter went insane.

Alicent doesn’t care Team Black almost killed her sons in battle.

Olivia’s version of Alicent doesn’t care about anything that doesn’t revolve around worshiping the ground Rhaenyra walks on. So as far as she’s concerned there is “still hope” because her ideal ending is one where Alicent abandons her family, agency and ambition just so she can be Rhaenyra’s personal cheerleader for the rest of her life. The Alicent she’s envisioning is one who will set her own children on fire just to keep Nyra warm.

#house of the dragon #hotd critical #hotd #alicent hightower #team green #pro team green #anti rhaenicent #Olivia Cooke #hotd cast #hotd meta #asoiaf meta #valyrianscrolls #anonymous

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reiverreturns · 1 year

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can’t stop thinking about the fact that phoenix, as a female character, is not once used as a emotional wayfinder for rooster or the audience. i’m not yet over how damn COMPELLING it is as a facet of her character.

so phoenix is presented from the off as someone with an obvious close connection with rooster, and through her perspective we see bits of their history - deadpanning him when she nails him with the pool cue because he didn’t tell her he was stateside (and she’s not angry or disappointed, she clearly didn’t expect him to); how she gets out of the way for rooster and hangman to face off (she’s knows what’s coming but also that it’s not her fight); the way her face lights up when rooster sits at the piano (because she knows him well enough to know what makes him happy and how he expresses it).

these moments all tell us things about phoenix and rooster’s friendship, but none of it serves to solve rooster’s problems or help him work through his emotions. phoenix never steps into that role. you could argue she gets close when rooster admits to her that mav pulled his papers, but even then phoenix doesn’t sympathise or validate rooster’s anger. she pauses, considers, and only asks “why would he do that?” - the one question rooster should be asking but doesn’t, the one his anger’s been pushing him away from for years.

and i just love that. phoenix isn’t there as a character to serve others, she isn’t a woman that exists to push forward the arc of a male protagonist. she’s there as the architect of the web that pulls all of these pilots and their shared histories together. she’s there to show how friendships can be deep and sustained and caring without being emotionally crippling. she’s there to show that knowing a person isn’t the same as understanding them. she doesn’t know rooster fully, but kneeling on the tarmac she understands him better than anyone in the world.

to illustrate my point by comparison, think about penny. to mav she’s a reminder of the past (one he’s constantly wrestling with because he can’t forgive himself for what’s happened, whether he’s earned the blame or not.) she steers him back towards what’s important and inspires his action when he has a crisis of confidence after cyclone pulls him out of the programme. the grand goodbye before mav goes on the mission in his dress whites with the cavernous black sea behind them is the cinematic equivalent of holding up a sign to the audience that says ‘you should be sad and worried! this little man’s in danger! hope you left room for catharsis after dinner.’

now i’m not saying one is better than the other (i stan penny and will hear nothing bad about her.) both characters serve purposes in the narrative that progress the plot. all i am saying is that it would have been so easy for the writers to write phoenix as that feminine emotional touchpoint for rooster and the audience. they could have inserted a scene after rooster and hangman’s fight where rooster starts to sift through his complex emotions about mav and his dad with her. they could have had a shot of her flying back looking distraught after rooster goes back for mav. what they did instead; in making her the connective glue of the group, using her to colour in their unseen past relationships and dynamics; is force rooster’s arc to come from within. and i’m telling you, the entire freaking movie is stronger for it.

so yeah. i really love phoenix. can you tell?

#i'm just so... not normal about these two right now #the more i think about their dynamic the more i want to sink my teeth into concrete #there is just so much DEPTH #(also known as minimal canon interaction time) but i interpret it as DEPTH #you can almost perfectly time these posts with when i'm writing fanfiction and thinking too much about some blorbos #anyway. back to scrolling through gifs of them and procrastinating #natasha phoenix trace #top gun maverick #tgm #bradley rooster bradshaw #long post

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sixofcrowdaydreams · 2 months

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I cannot stop thinking about the implications of the Kerch alphabet on canon. I know I’m the only person who cares, but hear me out!

1. The show itself made a mistake with its own made-up language.

2. Wylan is a foreign name or he’s a Tragedeigh child.

Explanation below:

Daddy

Right before Jesper and Wylan meet Alby Rollins, Jesper finds a child's drawing labelled “Daddy.” In Kerch the word uses 3 distinct D letters, one of which is attached to the vowel. And bizarrely at the end of the word, the letter J/Y. The English translation is literally labelled beneath it so we know exactly what it says.

But according to the two alphabet charts here, there is no Y vowel in the Kerch language. The Y is given a J sound, (as in Jan Van Eck pronounced as Yan Van Eck) which makes sense given the Dutch influence on Ketterdam.

So Alby’s drawing says, “Daddya.” Daddy in Dutch is Papa, according to my nifty translation app. Where does Daddya come from? Either Daddya is a Kaelish pronunciation given the Rollins' Kaelish heritage despite it being spelled in Kerch, or the show made a mistake.

I think the J/Y letter may have been used to keep the same number of letters to make the connection between Kerch Daddy and English Daddy the same for the audience to quickly make the connection.

However, in Kerch the word Daddy should be spelled as “Daddee” with the hard E vowel attached to the last D consonant.

(When ranting about this to my husband, he listened to this entire spiel, then asked quite confused, “Who’s calling who Daddy in this show? That sounds more like a fanfic thing rather than something from canon...” 🤣 Saints, I love that man.)

2. Now let’s talk about Wylan’s name because it fascinates me.

There is no hard I vowel in the Kerch language. It just doesn’t exist. There is a hard A, E, and O, but no hard I. The name Wylan (pronounced Why-lan) cannot be written in Kerch.

Matthias’s name cannot be spelled in Kerch either. But that’s ok because he’s not from Kerch. He’s from Fjerda, where presumably, he can spell his name in his native language. Because it would be very silly to give someone a name that is unpronounceable in their native linguistic system. Right?!?

Except Wylan is as Kerch as Kerch gets. His family is old money with strong roots to the country and culture.

So what happened?

Maybe the name Wylan comes from one of the other cultures, Fjerdian or Kaelish. We don’t know much about Marya Hendricks/Van Eck and her family/cultural roots, but we do know that book Wylan inherited her red hair. So maybe somewhere in her family tree there’s Kaelish ancestry. Or she just really liked a Kaelish or Fjerdian name enough to give it to her son.

This explanation makes the most sense, but at the same time, I can’t imagine Jan Van Eck, a man so concerned with family legacy, not choosing a Kerch name for his oh-so-important heir.

So consider this alternative explanation: Jan Van Eck just sucks as a human being and gave his son a Tragedeigh name. AKA a name that is spelled and or pronounced nonsensically enough it makes you want to pat the kid on the back and legally help them change their name to something less awful.

For the record, I think Wylan is a lovely name. But it doesn't make sense as a Kerch name given how it uses sounds/letters not in the language.

Wylan’s name could still be pronounced as Why-lan and still written as Way-lan in Kerch. Or Will-lan, or even Wee-lan. We don’t know because we didn’t get to see it in show. There’s no hard I and some vowel needs to be used!

So Wylan was that kid who spent his entire life correcting everyone on how to say his name. Because his name was spelled one way but pronounced another. It’s simultaneously hilarious and tragic. The idea that his family was so wealthy that they gave him a special, nonsensical rich person name. And because Wylan can’t read he has no way of knowing why everyone says his name wrong if they see it written first. Ghezen, he'd be exhausted correcting everyone who met him.

Absolutely headcanoning that Jan Van Eck tried yet another way to screw Wylan by giving him a ridiculous name that can't even be written in Kerch.

#wylan van eck #alby rollins #matthias helvar #jan van eck #six of crows #shadow and bone

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zgvlt · 1 year

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reflective surfaces jade leech x reader

summary: you've never been scared of him, always looking him straight in the eye. jade likes it more than he initially realizes

tags: gender neutral reader, sfw, fluff/romance, 1,105 words, not beta read

author’s note (see end notes for more): The third fic to my five senses series. fic dedicated to my jade mutuals. they all know who they are, so no need to tag them lol

[you can also read this on AO3]

Sometimes, reflective surfaces are just that—surfaces created to reflect something, created for a sole purpose, a purpose then fulfilled. It is a sad thought to be created for one use alone, discarded when no longer useful.

The most beautiful sources of reflection are those that exist for reasons other—the gemstones of jewelry and the metals of coins—but none can claim to be more beautiful than the sea.

The sea was indeed beautiful, but a word synonymous described it perfectly—beguiling. The sea was a deceiving thing—smaller than the ocean, perceived safer, even desired by the masses; land masses contained it, enclosed it, yet only partially. It would be a mistake to think the sea could be contained, even if it was cast against warm sand and shells of bright and faded colors.

When you, or any soul who forgot what it was to be wary, find yourself entranced by the light reflected against the waves, allow yourself to be welcomed, it is over. Entrapped and ensnared, the sea will become you, and you will become one with the sea.

Those waters formed an abyss, one so easy to fall into if you failed to guard yourself for even a second; perhaps it was that which Jade found most beautiful of all. The beauty of the dangerous unknown, that which excited him.

What laid beneath there? For he who had spent most of his life down below, even he does not completely know.

And yet he dives deep into the darkness, with no clear destination in sight.

“Aren’t you scared of me?” Jade had asked, some long time ago. In truth he knows how long it has been, but he doesn’t quite see the point in recalling it—he measures not by time, but by appearances and lines uttered, events clearly remembered. He’s not the type to admit to being terrifying, the act of feigning ignorance preferable, but with no audience in sight he supposed it was alright. “Trailing after me like this—could it be that there’s something you require of me?”

You ignored his second question, likely sensing that it had been rhetorical, that he knew you had no real request, no desire from him.

“Do you want me to be?”

Despite your phrasing it as a question, he knew the answer was a resounding no.

You looked at him expectantly, as though you actually wanted an answer out of him, and Jade contemplated on handing you one. He thought of what you could possibly want to hear from him, whether it be brutally honest, or sickeningly sweet, or stubborn denial. What he had done instead was look you in the eye, not to steal the truth but to speak it.

Jade has always enjoyed the sight of fish and man alike scurrying away from him, frightened by fangs and unnerved by words, but he supposes that—

“This is interesting, too.”

“Huh, this is the first time I’ve seen you smile!” you had exclaimed, some time ago. Other than your tone of excitement you had said it quite plainly, out of nowhere in some occasion or conversation he could not even properly recall. He had not even known he had been smiling, and never would have had you not had your eyes on him, had you not pointed it out.

“You’re mistaken, and frankly I’m quite upset that you failed to notice how often I smile around you,” or around everyone, Jade thought, but that part was irrelevant. “I’m always smiling, am I not?”

“Not like this… or, not like you had been,” you suddenly frowned, an action that unsettled him, if only because he had not meant to cause it. Without the intention of doing so, something he had done had upset you. “I’ve seen this smile before.”

“Is something wrong with this one?”

“No! It’s nice to look at, perhaps even handsome,” you admitted, a surprising amount of nonchalance from the reactive you, “but the other one was… I wanted to look at it more. You changed expressions too quickly.”

At the time, the answer had amused Jade, but looking back at it now, your reasoning had awed him. You wanted to look at him more. He had never taken kindly to being observed so intently, him in all of his hypocrisy, but for a reason then unknown to him, he had smiled without your command, but an indirect demand—inhumanly sharp and frighteningly fine, canines not quite chaotic but undoubtedly precise in its bite.

“Do you fear me, like this?” he asked, staring you down in anticipation. The way you stare back could have been enough an answer, your wordless yes, and yet without him doing anything you reply with nothing but honesty. He had expected nothing less from you, and nonetheless it had warmed him, the fire he had never been accustomed to in the sea.

“I would be lying if I said I yes,” you began, “but if I said yes, would you smile at me more often? Like how you are now?”

Jade had not realized he had been holding that smile until he felt the ache beginning to form in his cheeks, but at your reply the edges tugged higher, and higher, and higher until he could no longer smile without the accompaniment of a laugh.

“If my smile is your desire, then who am I to deny you of it?”

“I wonder why you’re not afraid,” Jade had said, some few days ago. At some point he had stopped asking, knowing that although there may be things about you that change with time, your perspective of him will always remain as constant as the stars above. You love him, genuinely, and if he were to question his reflection about the extent of his affection, the truth would come out that he loved you, too.

“Well… I think it’s my turn to ask you—are you not afraid?”

Of you? Never, but he knew you meant something else.

Perhaps it was never him you were scared of, but the feelings that came along with him.

“I did not know what I was getting into, being with you, but I was never afraid of what I didn’t know.”

Jade looks at you, his new dwelling place, a second abyss he has long been invited to, fallen into. He falls not by accident but by choice, an invitation accepted, and he dives into the depths of the deep, and he feels the waters embracing him, welcoming him home.

The sea reflects the light of the moon, but in his eyes, reflected is none but you.

my other jade fic end notes | masterlist of all my works | series masterlist

[1] shortest fic to date! honestly this plan was not in the works at ALL, i only started it this evening because my jade mutuals... they had cute reactions to his latest birthday card in JP, so i got inspired

[2] this is very "plot what plot" lol, but the vagueness will at least allow you more space to envision what kind of reader/prefect/OC jade gets with

#jade leech x reader #jade leech #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twst x you #nathya twst writing #disney twst

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chirpsythismorning · 1 year

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This post reminded me that Mike didn’t ask Will if he was okay at all in season 4… however:

You were rolling your eyes, you were- you were moping, you were barely talking, you basically sabotaged the whole day!

*admits subtly that he noticed based on Will’s behavior that he wasn’t okay*

I didn’t say it! / You didn’t have to.

*admits subtly that Will doesn’t need to spell stuff out (or even say anything at all) for him to understand*

At times when the audience is getting signs that Will isn't okay, Mike has been right there asking because he rightfully sensed it. Like, this has gotta be the most consistent thing about Mike's character over the course of the series, which that original post proves (though it's missing the iconic He's quiet today.! Are we forgetting anything else?!).

Despite s4 presumably stopping this trend, they're still showing us subtly that Mike is taking notice:

This shot above is unique because what it does is use framing/camerawork to hint to the audience that this is arguably Mike's perspective.

At the start of this shot, both El and Will are framed fairly equally, with Mike being the last to join the frame as the camera dollies out. This allows us to feel like we're seeing what Mike is seeing, whether we realize it or not. By framing the shot this way, they're telling us that Mike views both El AND Will as an option. El, because they have a history romantically and it's sort of an easy path for Mike to stay in for the rest of his life. Will, his best friend with whom he has very strong (romantic) feelings for, and so he ranks high up in Mike's line of focus among El, his girlfriend.

This shot above also shows us Mike staring at Will, if only for fleeting moment. But, it's there.

These tiny moments are important, because despite them existing, a vast majority of the audience didn't pick up on them, including most bylers. They're your standard blink and you'll miss it moments.

Because yeah, maybe Will does feel Mike's eyes on him, but the second Will looks to check, Mike isn't looking. Or most of the day, Mike did in fact look like he was having a jolly old time.

This is what's being presented to us blatantly, out in the open, and with Will at the center of it all..

The truth is, while we think we're getting Will's POV exclusively, most of the time, we're getting his and El's AND Mike's. It's just that they go about all of their POV's differently, but especially Mike's. His follows a formula of subtlety like 99% of the time. That small meager 1% where they let us see the truth, varies from outrageously subtle to subtle.

Here, Will is understandably confused by Mike giving him a play-by-play of his behavior throughout day. After all, from Will's perspective, aka the unreliable perspective the audience is being fed, Mike wasn't even looking at him. Again, if anything Mike seemed like he was having a good time up to this point. And so upon hearing this, Will, and arguably anyone watching this scene for the first time, was probably left thinking, 'Wait?.. What?"

I have a theory, which honestly isn't that far fetched, seeing as it works in tandem with how a lot of this season has presented POV in a multitude of ways, whether it be lighting, framing, blocking, camerawork, editing, dialogue, etc., they are definitely giving us hints.

These posts (here, here) will be helpful to understand everything that follows in terms of context, so I do recommend checking them out!

Basically this theory holds weight to me because of what is being blatantly shown to us: Mike ignoring Will/having a great day aka Will's POV vs. what is being subtly shown to us: Mike glancing at Will when Will isn't looking/telling Will that him showing signs of not being okay ruined the day aka Mike's POV.

I've also done a post on El's POV which may very well hold the truth to everything, even more so than Will and Mike's POV's , so please check that out if you want your mind blown.

Now, when I say POV, I'm being as loose as possible in my definition. We know that it's a camera, not literally the eyes of the person's perspective we're in (though that can be a technique in and of itself).

An OTS (over the shoulder) shot is the best example of how perspective tends to operate in film. And we saw how that technique in particular was used a lot in the van, monologue, and cabin scenes. Those are arguably more blatant examples in s4 of POV shots.

However, shots that are hinting at a specific POV don't start and end with OTS, nor shots using more literal POV techniques. There's other ways to hint at POV/inner feelings. It's even possible for one shot/sequence to represent multiple POV's at once. It sounds complicated, but it's really not.

Although Will's perspective is the main one we're being fed, it's not the whole truth, or it's at least missing an important detail...

It's not until we're given that crumb from Mike himself, in which he spit-fires out a list of Will's actions throughout the day, that we get any sort of context for Mike's aloof behavior. This line alone reveals to us that there is apparently a lot more to these scenes than meets the eye, when it comes to how Mike is behaving vs. how he's actually feeling.

Because if most of the audience is convinced Mike never looked at Will, just like Will is convinced, then that puts into question when exactly Mike would’ve even been looking to pick up on all of this, enough for it to ruin the day, and despite him behaving like he was happy as ever...?

And so, the answer?

Arguably, literally any time Mike was out of the frame, but especially when Mike was out of the frame while Will is in the frame, front and center (aka most of s4?), are fair game for times Mike could’ve been looking at Will. It's just that what we're being shown is not Mike actually looking and reacting each of these times. Instead, we're shown what he just literally sees, which is Will...

And that's what makes the following scenes with Angela and El extremely important, because they support this theory, heavily.

As El, Angela and her minions all skate away, we see Mike and Will stay behind in the booth. We then get a reaction shot with both of them in the frame. But the thing is, reaction shots usually require reactions.

While Will is standing up, looking visibly concerned for El, because he actually has the context for what's going on, Mike contrasts greatly in comparison.

Mike goes from looking back and forth between where Will was sitting across from him, to the direction El and Angela just rolled off to, only to look away the instant Will is fully standing and staring off in that same direction.

Mike then proceeds to give us no reaction, in what is presumably a reaction shot. It's as if Mike is not feeling any emotion at all, which is kind of a hard thing to do if you really think about it.

Especially when it comes to a character like Mike Wheeler, whose literally known for his dramatic facial expressions, meaning him not showing any emotion at all, for most of this sequence, likely required quite a bit of effort on his part...

Mike's 'reaction' is so vague that I can guarantee most of the audience wasn't even paying attention to him for this shot. And quite honestly this could apply to a lot of Mike's scenes this season, where whenever the two of them are having a heart to heart or something of that nature, the viewer's eye gravitates towards Will (also my theory for why the ga is convinced Finn is a bad actor, which is bc he is acting as a character whose also acting. Mike is leaving us in the dark about everything he is thinking and feeling, by only showing us what he literally sees, which is WILL WILL WILL).

The van scene is one good example of this, where so many fans still aren't aware of Finn's micro-expressions and what they clearly mean, all because they were too busy giving all their attention to Will's speech and his emotions (we're just like Mike fr).

And so here we have Will in the forefront showing a lot more emotion in this particular shot (he has our attention), while Mike is in the background, casually taking another sip of his milkshake.

But why is Mike busying himself with his milkshake in the first place? Why isn't he still looking at El and her friends like he just was? Or why doesn't he just look up at Will to start a conversation?

Instead, what we get is Mike distracting himself...

And it's because, just like Will's perspective of this day, Mike's context for everything up to this point is nowhere close to the truth, if anything it's even further from the truth than Will's.

Although I already linked the refresher course(s), I'm going to give a more detailed refresher, bc a lot of it was only images w/out context:

Mike thinks Angela is not only one of El's new friends in Lenora, but also the girl Will made the painting for (both of which he read about in her letter at the start of s4). Mike tests out this theory when he asks Will about the painting at the airport, only to be shot down. In Mike's eyes, this supports El's theory that the painting is likely for a girl. Still, it appears Mike hasn't totally given up on getting some answers, and so (glancing at Will) he mentions the possibility of them running into friends. This causes Will to interrupt with the comment, Friends? What friends?! To the audience, this is Will making a confused remark about the fact that El has no friends. But to Mike, Will's comment comes off as a nervous Friends? What friends?? Which friends? You mean her?? And so when El says, You know, Stacy and Angela, Will's worried response Angela? is again, a worrisome realization on Will's part that El is lying to Mike (WE the audience understand this). However, to Mike, it's Will singling out this girl's name because she is THE girl (Maybe it is for a girl! I think there is someone he likes...)! But then El is saying that they'll meet her friends another day, reassuring Mike that today is just about him and her. And Mike looks pretty smug about this reassurance, followed by kissing El's forehead dramatically as they walk out of the airport. Mike then begins to associate Will's moping for the rest of the afternoon, with him being bitter that they're not going to run into Angela like he'd probably hoped, so that he could give her the painting. Mike continues to play the part of perfect boyfriend, especially now after assuming Will is, for the very first time, pursing a girl... "I mean what did you think? Really? That we were never gonna get girlfriends.--" Oh, how the turntables.

And so now, looking back at this shot and this whole sequence, within the context of Mike thinking Angela is the girl Will made the painting for, makes Mike's behavior a whole lot easier to understand.

Also, what makes the very end of this shot, just so fucking crazy to me, is that, for a split second, we see Mike's facade start to crack. For a split second, as the camera starts to hone in on Will, with Mike slowly exiting the frame, it's at this moment that his signature annoyed scowl makes an appearance. But then poof, he's gone.

And isn't it so convenient that they're cutting us off, right before we could get to the part that would've revealed Mike's true emotions during this moment? And that it ends with us focusing on Will...?

Let’s try to understand this even more, because I feel like so much gets overlooked about these scenes at Rink-O-Mania.

Mike had spent all day trying to ignore the fact that Will was clearly not okay. What he would usually do in that situation, is just ask Will, 'Hey, you okay?'. But Mike wasn't being his true self during these moments. Argyle even prefaced Mike's behavior in this episode by calling his shirt a shitty 'knock off', just like how Mike was acting, FAKE!

If it were any other season, Mike would've asked Will if he was okay. Instead, for the first time, he's now bottling up that instinct. But why?

I think it could be a combination of things honestly, and that's probably most likely.

I think after the reunion at the airport, Mike came to the conclusion Will was showing symptoms of experiencing a crush on a girl, genuinely, for the first time. And so as this is starting to unravel, Mike's going from wanting to get to the bottom of it, only to backtrack, wanting to abort the mission entirely.

I also think a part of it could be that, Mike himself is obviously not okay. And so maybe he feels slightly unequipped to handle asking Will if he's okay, knowing deep down he's not okay himself.

I also think that, this is a TV show. And so if they're choosing to not let us see Mike's true emotions outright, specifically in relation to him picking up on Willis behavior, then there must be for a reason for that, right?

It must be because the surprise they're saving, relies on us assuming for now, just like Will, that Mike doesn't like him back. Everything taking place as of now is moving the plot forward, with a plan for this revelation to be revealed closer to the end, as opposed to now, in the beginning of the end.

Having Mike blatantly stare at Will the whole season, out in the open, would've made the revelation that Mike feels the same in s5, anti-climactic. However, having subtle evidence that Mike was staring at Will most of the season, which most viewers missed all the signs of, despite them being there, is going to make the revelation that Mike feels the same in s5, epic.

On top of everything going on, I think it's important to also acknowledge that Mike feel's indebted to El. He will never not feel like he owes her everything, and that she deserves the world. And so this whole situation isn't just about Mike's repressed feelings or insecurities or whatever. It's also about Mike trying as hard as he can to be who he thinks El deserves and therefore who she needs him to be. It's the least he can do.

Only problem is, that person is not him and it can't be him.

And so we see Mike overcompensating because he feels like El deserves these gestures and there is this expectation of what they should do because they're bf/gf (THATS BC SHES MY GF, WILL). There's the pressure of that on its own, combined with Mike grappling with Will's behavior over his crush on a girl, which just makes Mike feel even more insecure about his relationship with El.

Arguably, for a while now, Mike has probably become somewhat aware that he doesn't have as strong of romantic feelings for El as he might've thought he did at one point, or even lead her to believe. And Will presumably gifting this girl a painting... like, it's got Mike really self reflecting like, 'SHIT! I'm clearly not down that bad for El... and so, does that mean--'...

This huge insecurity for Mike, with the whole I love you thing, is just getting so big that he can't ignore it anymore, because he KNOWS what he sees as real love, ie, his feelings for Will + what he assumes to be Will's feelings for this girl, and that.. that's not what he feels for El. And so he holds himself back from taking that step in saying it, all this time, because he doesn't want to lie.

And yet, he still tries.

He tries to act interested in everything El has to say. And it's not even that he's not interested in what she has to say, it's just that this act of ignoring the fact that Will doesn't appear to be okay, while also acting like he's having the time of his life, requires a lot of focus. And even despite his performance being pretty believable, the truth behind his actions still falls through the cracks.

I saw someone post about this recently (if anyone knows who, pls comment), and it's this shot with the three of them in the booth at Rink-O-Mania, where we see El resting her hand, palm up on her lap under the table, in a way that makes it look like she's waiting for Mike to take it.

Holding hands under the table is the kind of gesture a couple does when they want to share a moment of intimacy, without making others around them uncomfortable over their PDA.

But that's the problem isn't it? Mike is overcompensating with a lot of these gestures he does with El, like bringing her flowers, putting his arm around her, kissing her forehead, holding her hand. He's not doing these things because he wants to have this kind of intimacy with El (we know that he doesn't because he literally squished his gift for her, in between them when they reunited, so that he had an excuse for them to separate), but because he wants to be who El needs him to be. He also wants to be believable in his performance that he's not shitting bricks over all of this back and forth with his best friend.

And so what even is the point, if no one can see Mike's hand holding El's under the table? If Will can't see it?

Then to top it all off, in the middle of Mike's subtextual dig about how his milkshake is 'better', suddenly Angela is rolling up to them.

And it's at this point that Mike's whole facade really starts to crumble, where he can't even fully pick up on what is happening with El and Angela, because he's too distracted by Will, followed by trying way too hard to act like Will 'longing' for Angela is not affecting him (NO BUT WHY IS MIKE LITERALLY THE 'IM FINE THIS IS FINE' SIPPING HIS COFFEE WHILE THERE ARE FLAMES SURROUNDING HIM GIF HERE???).

What I love about this shot is that it can easily be overlooked and confused with Mike genuinely not caring about Will at all. And that's what is so incredible about subtlety. Something as subtle as no emotion at all on Mike's face, a renowned facial expression enthusiast, can somehow say so much more about Mike's true feelings for Will, than an outright look.

For this whole shot, we're assuming we're in Will's perspective, which happens A LOT of the time in s4 (even in Milkvan scenes) because like I said, whenever Will is in the frame while Mike is also present, we tend to hone in on him a little more than the others (THAT'S INTENTIONAL).

Still, whenever you see Mike creeping out of the frame, we now know it's arguably fair game that Mike could be staring at Will at this very moment, while Will, and the audience, are distracted.

Which is why this happens...

We do not get any shots of Mike at this time. Until....

The second Will voices worriedly, "Oh no!" Mike is jumping out of his seat, standing next to Will, turning to face the same direction as him, like, "What?"

I'm sorry but, it's just not natural for Mike to have responded to Will instantaneously like this, within the context of what he was doing the last time we got a shot of him, especially in this case, where Will wasn't even speaking directly to Mike.

The only way it makes sense for Mike to have spawned beside Will like that, is if Mike was already looking at Will...

Him responding that quickly, meant looking at Will while he spoke, hearing what he said, and seeing where he was looking, so that Mike could jump up that fast, ready for whatever Will was reacting to.

Will is reacting to the scene of El and Angela in front of him.

Mike is reacting to Will react to the scene of El and Angela in front of him.

I want to bring up @dinitride-art's Lighting and Mike and Will and El - Full Analysis posts (specifically the ones related to Rink-O-Mania, but there are plenty of others they have in that thread, that could help everyone try to better understand a lot of s4 scenes as well). Without them, I never would've realized a lot of this.

The main points I want to touch on from their analysis', is the use of the disco ball in these scenes at Rink-O-Mania and how they often operate to tell a story, one that often has Will at the center...

Let's try to keep in mind that disco balls often act as focal points whenever they are in a space, in this case, the rink at Rink-O-Mania. Disco balls are covered in mirrors, which reflect tiny beams of light throughout a room... Are you catching my drift?...

Yes, undoubtedly, lighting plays a big part in telling the story, along with music!

@lesbianmindflayer has done a video on this, but basically the lyrics to the song You Spin Me Right Round (Right Round) are also hinting at POV and context to these scenes, like music often does in ST.

One specific example she uses of this disco ball in action (combining both lighting, framing, camera-movement and music,) is when we go from Mike's POV, with the disco ball above Will (Mike being bummed Will didn't even look at him or laugh at his sock joke) to El's POV with the disco ball above Mike (El after being called out by Will that Mike is going to be mad when he finds out she's been lying).

So, keeping all of this in mind, watching Angela drag El to the middle of the rink, directly under the disco ball, with that snarky 'stay put!" comment, only to laugh knowingly... followed by Mike finally paying attention to El properly???? And this is what it took??? A spotlight?? And not only that but Will directing Mike's focus to it like, 'Hey, dude! Maybe pay attention to your gf bc she's having problems here' (I'm sensing a pattern...).

Unfortunately, it's too little too late.

As this is all coming to a head, Mike feels horrible about being too distracted with the fact that Will wasn't okay, that he wasn't able to pick up on the fact that El wasn't okay either. And so tries his best to fix things by getting the music to stop and to go comfort El.

But then El's running away, out of the spotlight and fittingly out of Mike's focus.

While looking for El, him and Will begin bickering.

Now, Mike knows the painting must not be for Angela. He's embarrassed and he's pissed and he's upset, but he's also just even more confused. The instinct to figure out why Will was upset, is unwavering. Now that his theory has presumably been debunked, Mike slips back into this old habit.

"You were rolling your eyes, you were-- you were moping, you were barely talking, you basically sabotaged to whole day!" aka "You're clearly not okay. I thought I knew why, but I was wrong. It's been miserable".

What Mike gets by subtly calling out Will for his behavior, is the revelation that, yes Will was upset El lied to him, but he was also miserable over the fact that he felt like a third wheel all day.

More angst and miscommunication ensues.

Though all too soon, El is hitting Angela with a skate and everything is happening so fast.

In the following episode, things get even more interesting.

We start with Mike standing next to Will, away from El. We get another shot that's arguably Mike's POV (@dinitride-art did a really good analysis on this shot, please check it out for further details)... but basically it proves Mike's whole 'I've never been scared of you, EVER' part of his monologue, followed by thunder, was indeed not exactly the truth.

And what follows in the next scene is even more damning.

Because what we get for the first time this season, is a shot of Mike, front and center, looking at Will, and interestingly enough, while Will isn't looking ..

Even though they are giving this to us outright, it's still not blatant. And I say this because, again, I can guarantee you most of the audience didn't pick up on it.

This shot was arguably necessary for the context of everything that followed, with Mike saying that rude remark to El at dinner.

Because it turns out Will was right for being upset about El lying, just considering everything that's played out this evening. And on top of that, Mike's also still reeling from the fact that Will was upset because he felt like they weren't best friends anymore. This was apparently enough to be a big part of the reason Will was miserable all day, aka Mike was miserable all day because of his perceived misery of Will who himself was also moping because Mike wasn't paying attention to him. This is news to Mike, as he's been lead to believe the opposite up to this point, seeing as he's also the one whose been making most of the calls, unanswered.

TBH this scene in particular provides a really important aspect of this theory as a whole, because although it seems minor and blink and you'll miss it like all the others. Unlike the majority, it shows us something that could very well hold the truth to something we still don't quite understand. More on that at the end.

I also don't want to forget the most hilarious Mike POV evidence of all, and it's the infamous 'triple take' in the junkyard.

Some bylers noticed this pretty early on, while others probably still don't have a clue about the implications.

Allow me to explain.

Within the context of subtle Mike POV vs. unreliable Will POV, let's think about how this sequence starts with the audience looking at Will. He's hoeing (because he doesn't have a shovel). Then suddenly, after a few seconds of the camera being focused on only him, we see Will now looking up at Mike, with him stopping and staring as he does so.

Once we get a reaction shot of Mike, we see he's not shoveling, he's actually standing still with the shovel resting on the ground, staring down, almost in a daze, zoned out. But then suddenly, he's looking up at Will. And the expression he makes once his eyes reach Will, is....

Pining. It's pining, your honor.

For a split second, this is the expression of a person looking at someone with whom they assume isn't looking.

Mike goes from still and focused, to wide eyed, as he scrambles back to shoveling.

The general audience actually interpreted this scene fairly accurately, it's just that they got it wrong it terms of whose actually doing the pining.

Because arguably, if Mike could sense Will looking at him, whose to say Will couldn't sense Mike?

Whose to say it wasn't Mike who was initially staring at Will, which is why he stopped shoveling in the first place. Though at some point while he was watching Will hoeing, with the camera focusing on him, just like Mike, Mike zoned out to collect his thoughts. And so, when he looks back up, to return to staring at Will again, only to discover Will was already looking at him, he understandably went, OH SHIT MISSION ABORT.

THEY ARE USING EDITING TO SAY HEY LOOK AT WILL! SEE HOW HES GLOWING? SEE HOW HE'S IN THE CENTER OF THE FRAME? IN FOCUS? ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME? ALMOST AS IF WE CANT TAKE OUR EYES OFF OF HIM???

WAIT!?...

WHERE'S MIKE?

OH THERE HE IS!

WE ARE MIKE!!

All this time we were convinced the POV was definitively Will's, with Mike's POV missing. And so therefore, a lot of bylers at least, have made the likely claim that Will's POV cannot be reliable. But what if it is reliable, in that finding out a lot of these moments of us getting Will at the center, was also a part of Mike's POV all along... meaning it's not inherently unreliable, in that in and of itself it holds the truth...

Now, you might be thinking, why couldn't they have shown us Mike staring at Will, at least once, if this is in fact what's happening a lot of the time?

And oh honey... They did.

Isn't it almost poetic, that the moment they FINALLY decide to show us the truth, a shot, with both Will AND Mike in the frame, equally, with Mike continuing the stare at Will the second Will looks away (even if it's for just a small, albeit drawn out moment) this is what follows:

Will handing the painting over to Mike.

Everything. All of this miscommunication about a girl and the painting, essentially Mike's very own unreliable POV has been leading up to this moment.

Which brings me back to this...

WHY!?

WHY HAVE PARALLEL SHOTS OF MIKE NOT LOOKING AT EL IN THE VAN SCENE IN 4x03 VS. MIKE LOOKING AT WILL IN THE VAN SCENE IN 4x08???

WHY HAVE MIKE BE IN FOCUS AND UNBOTHERED IN HIS SHOT WITH EL, WHILE HAVING MIKE BE OUT OF FOCUS AND APPEARING.... EMOTIONLESS ALMOST (REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT PRESUMABLY EMOTIONLESS MIKE??? HMMMM) IN HIS SHOT WITH WILL?

WHY HAVE MIKE'S MOST CONSISTENT, REDEEMING TRAIT, HIS ABILITY TO SENSE WHEN WILL'S NOT OKAY, BE PRESENT EVERY SEASON, ONLY TO REMOVE IT BLATANTLY THIS SEASON, BUT LEAVE SIGNS THAT HE IS STILL INDEED PAYING ATTENTION IN THE SUBTEXT, ONLY TO HAVE IT ALL COME CRUMBLING DOWN, TO NOTHING, WITH THIS SCENE!?!?!?!?

Does this mean I'm trying to indoctrinate everyone into fully believing Mike knew Will was lying and even crying in the van scene? No, because honestly, I don't think I fully believe that myself. I also think that to say a scene is definitively this or that is naive because, for all we know the story depends on certain scenes having certain truths over certain periods of time.

Like right now, maybe they want us to believe that Mike didn't understand Will, and the story requires us to look at it that way, for now, and also going into s5?

We know that the Duffers would prefer that the average fan doesn't pick up on byler. And so arguably, there are a lot of layers of awareness happening here, regardless of this specific theory. Just in terms of all the assumed truths and the actual truths. There's what the ga assumes vs. what bylers assume, but I think there could be another hidden truth beyond that, perhaps what they knew bylers would assume based on what they said ('he just missed it, not in a bad way/while he may not fully pick up on it--' Duffer's talking about Mike in the van scene), and they were anticipating all of that, meaning despite all of our expectations, there's very likely a surprise in store for us as well.

I do want to make clear, despite me thinking this all makes a lot of sense, as a byler it's like DAMN why couldn't we get the exact moment Mike realized it and like, get to see him act on it?

I think that's the ideal situation? But even still, this theory explains a lot.

It means Mike never stopped paying attention. It also explains why he gravitated towards Will at the end of s4, after his failed love confession. It explains why he looked heartbroken after Will encouraged him to confess his love to El.

We talk about this all the time, but because there are so many tiny moments, where it seemed like Mike realized something over the seasons, we'll find posts saying this moment or that was THE moment. But what I really think it is, is the uncertainty and the hope and the denial all working against each other. Arguably, Mike has already has his realization moment plenty of times by now, in little moments. It's just that what he's been experiencing is, something along the lines of, he loves me! he loves me not. he loves me! he loves me not, and so on and so forth.

His behavior over the seasons, has been impacted by this confusing, back and forth miscommunication between him and Will.

All very remanent of the lyrics to Time After Time if you ask me...

#stranger things #byler #byler analysis #stranger things 4 #idk i think mike is scared #what if the reason that he hasn't asked will if he's okay is because he's repressing so bad lately he's not okay #and so he feels weird asking will if he's okay #when clearly he is miserable himself #which is why their roles reversed this season!!!#we went from 3 seasons of mike being the one checking on will #to the second to last season focusing on will being the one checking on mike #i can totally picture this coming to a head in the final season #with us being blindsided by will asking mike if he's okay...#like imagine the spores are getting to them #or vecna's messing with their heads #or their all just aren't getting enough sleep because of the situation #and mike has a nightmare and we think it's really happening #but then he surges forward and we realize he was sleeping #then we get will sleeping on the couch above him like #Mike? You okay?#BITCHHH!#stranger things 5 #st5 headcanon #st5 predictions #time after time gate #makes an appearance at the end

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le-trash-prince · 8 months

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I’m very appreciative of the fact that the majority of the OF fandom on here seems to view the characters with nuance and isn’t trying to label them as one thing or another, coz all these ppl are messy and human, and that’s honestly the fun of the show.

But then there are so many other ppl who want to slap labels on the characters. I swear this place is turning me into a Top apologist when I don’t even like him that much.

First of all, the idea that he’s only hanging around to sleep with Mew once is an assumption, and I don’t think it’s based on any real evidence. Even when Mew isn’t in earshot, Top says he wants something serious. We also have this interaction, where Top seems surprised and interested at the idea that something more than a one-night stand is even a possibility.

Second of all, what’s the current status of his and Mew’s relationship? Are they really boyfriends right now? Because last I remember in ep 2, they decided to reset their relationship to flirting. Top does refer to himself as Mew’s bf when he and Ray are having their hissy fit, but their relationship still comes across as really vague to me. Mew seems to have fun on their dates, but he hasn’t even said that he likes Top!

I don’t agree with Top believing Boston rather than talking things over with Mew—but is Top really in a position of mutual trust with Mew right now? Has their relationship been clarified? Someone please tell me if they’re even actually boyfriends!

Digging a little more into what is driving Top in the Boston car scene—I think he is likely feeling rejected by Mew. Rather than him having a double-standard of jealousy that Mew slept with someone in the past (whether or not that actually happened, we don’t know yet—but Top is acting based on the assumption that it did), I think he is reacting to the fact that Mew told Top that he has never done it before and gave that as a reason for taking things slow. And then Top finds out that Mew supposedly lied about that. THEN Boston tells Top that Mew is just playing games with him, seeing how long he will stick around—which he is pulling from Mew’s own words.

In this moment, it’s reasonable for Top to feel like he has been lied to and to feel like, if Mew has actually done it with someone else before, then he was just making that up as a excuse to not sleep with Top.

(Personally I think Mew is probably a little grey-a, since he says he wants to get to know someone first before sleeping with them—this might be a sign he needs an existing emotional attachment to get it up. But I doubt Top has spent much time around people who don’t connect to others through sex, so this is probably outside his understanding of how people work. The two of them speak very different physical languages.)

So, I don’t think Top is acting out of hypocrisy or bitterness that he couldn’t be the one to “take Mew’s virginity.” I think he’s acting out of a sense of hurt and rejection. Remember, this is the one time he’s tried to take a relationship seriously, and then he gets told that it was just a game to the other person.

Do I agree with his actions? No. He’s making a really big mistake. Do I think he has a very flawed view of the situation? Sure. But from his perspective, the situation is that someone has lied to him about why they don’t want to sleep with him, refused to commit to a relationship, and still has feelings for someone they were previously involved with.

It’s easy as the audience to say, of course Mew doesn’t have feelings for Ray—this conversation was obviously about Ray’s feelings for Sand. But Top only hears this much, and as far as Top can tell, Mew is flirting with Ray here more than he’s ever flirted with Top.

From that perspective, it’s not an unreasonable jump to sleep with someone who’s literally throwing themselves at you while you are feeling physically and emotionally rejected.

Again, I’m not defending Top’s actions, but I think it’s important to understand where a person is coming from. Too often we assume that other people will know what we know, that a character will know everything the audience knows, and that their decisions are based on the knowledge that we possess. This habit of approaching ppl with judgement rather than understanding is what leads to toxic cancel culture.

Top doesn’t need to be a “bad person doing something awful” or a “good person making a bad decision.” He can just be “a person making a mistake.”

#only friends #only friends the series #only friends spoilers #em post

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white-collar-cannibal · 7 months

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gl!charlie tries on some new clothes.

includes: internalized homophobia/transphobia, unreality / hallucinations also! the signs that charlie and sneeg use are not asl or bsl or an existing sign language, it's a homesign/conlang the two invented. any similarity is unintentional. both of them being hearing and using it as auxiliary to speech, it does not have the complexity of actual sign language and they do not use it as fluently.

When he turns to see himself in the mirror, he has to clap his hands over his mouth to hold back a sound somewhere between a laugh and a bark, some expression of pure stupid joy and surprise that makes you want to flap your hands in rapturous half circles. What the fuck, dude, who let him do this? Why didn’t they let him do this before? The skirt is so pretty, long and loose and flowing, black with swirling leaves and flowers in a red-pink that goes so well with the pale red of his shirt.

It fits over his self-conception - his shape of himself in his mind - so easily. It washes over him like cold, clean water, him on the bus with his ankles crossed, at a picnic all dressed up in pink gingham and petticoats, holding a big sunhat from getting blown away in the wind. He’s never imagined himself smiling so much, and it’s something he could have. Oh my god, he doesn’t even have to ask anyone, he can just decide to, he can just- he’ll just go and tell them. He’ll- why does he feel sick? Why can’t he move? Why is he stuck staring into the mirror?

He looks so nice. He feels sick, and he doesn’t know why. Is this why Niki was so relieved when they dressed her up in pantsuits and slacks? Do skirts just make people look pretty and feel bad all the time? Is he allergic or something? He looked so nice, why is he afraid to go out, to walk into (belated realization) the view of the camera? There it is. It’s that- well, this is the setup, and the punchline comes when he steps out, when the camera sees him. He can’t do it. He’s the fucking punchline. He’ll step out and the canned laugh track will play because - he trips over the thought, fully formed, like a pearl grown in his brain when he wasn’t looking - men don’t dress like that. That’s why dress-up is supposed to be funny, he realizes, because you’re not supposed to do that. Fuck. Shit. Et cetera. The worst part is, because he, man-shaped, man-analogue, can, there must be an “or else” at the end. He knows the “or else” so well. He’ll step out, feeling bright and beautiful and get laughed at, then halfway through the episode he’ll get torn apart by something, and the laugh track will keep playing, keep ringing in his ears.

No, he can’t go out, he wants to go home, he wants to never have been stupid enough to have done any of this. He wants to have never wanted anything in his life, to sit in his room with no thoughts staring at the wall until it’s his turn on set. He can hear them, the studio audience, muffled through the walls of the room but still so so so loud, and it must be loud enough that he doesn’t hear when Sneeg and Ranboo call to check on him, knock on the door- and what’s very concerning is that he doesn’t even see them open it, see Sneeg walk in, until he’s in front of him, grabbing onto his shoulder. His mouth is moving, but there’s no sound coming out, he can’t hear it over the chattering.

For a moment Charlie is all fear, because Sneeg must have brought the camera in, over his shoulder like a hawk, but Sneeg is signing to him, which he never does under the camera, so it must still be outside looking at Ranboo right now, and- oh, Sneeg’s signing, he should be paying attention to that. A C on the left shoulder. Charlie. A wide circle, chest height, flat palm, then pointing to him, with a confused expression. Where are you? He should be able to talk, but there’s so much ringing he can’t hear the words as they come out, and from Sneeg’s face they’re just mush to him. They don’t have a word for store, mall, dressing room, but Charlie knows what he means. He balls his hand into a fist, stands two fingers of the other on top like little legs, then moves them off and away from him. Out.

It should click here that if he’s not there, they can’t watch him, but someone’s always watching him. He carries around a phone with a little camera in it everywhere he goes, and so does everyone else around him. Not a click, but maybe gears grinding, some less immediate, less satisfying noise. If he’s not there anymore, there’s no camera pointed at him, there’s no studio audience, there’s no tinny laugh track. It’s in his head again, which is becoming a concerning pattern. In the real world, he takes in a couple long breaths. Knowing the noise isn’t real doesn’t make it disappear, but he knows it will eventually. He scrunches his face up, closes his eyes, and puts his hands over his face as he waits for the audience to have a lull, for the noise to stop being chattering and start being shuffling in seats and whispering, don’t they know there’s an emotional conversation about to happen? When the sound stops crushing him, he tries again. “I’m- I- I’m okay.” He says this very convincingly. “I’m good.”

He doesn’t even need to see Sneeg to know the look he must have when he responds, “You don’t look like you’re good.” Charlie draws his hands from his face to make some kind of joke or retort, but they come away wet and he realizes he must have started crying at some point, and those funny words fall away from him. “I just - I just wanted to have something without there being poison in it.”

“Fuckin’ tell me about it. What was it? Just the clothes?”

Charlie nods, “I was- They were- I thought they were going to get me for it. They always got people for it, you know?”

“Cause they were fucking massive homophobic assholes. I mean it. That shit they pulled was insane. I wish I knew that when I was in there. Most people, real people, they don’t care about anything like that. They can’t touch you anymore. They can’t fuckin’ - write you off for being a fairy, or a crossdresser, or whatever, and if anyone else gives you shit - Charlie, look at me - I will handle them. I promise.”

“Please don’t kill anyone. I don’t like talking to cops.”

“Duly noted.” Sneeg pauses for a beat, two, then follows with “Do you like the clothes?” Charlie’s brain is full of noise and churning, but his heart, the bits of it that are clean and unpoisoned, can’t stop going yes yes yes yes, so he nods. “That’s all that matters. C’mere.” Sneeg pulls him in for a hug, and Charlie tucks his head under Sneeg’s chin and lays it on his chest, a kid again, small and afraid but despite everything, surrounded by love.

A month later, Charlie will leave the apartment for the first time in a long skirt and a loose sweater, a newborn fawn with legs shaking, but taking step after certain step. At the grocery store, a young kid, maybe seven, stares at him like they’re seeing something they didn’t even know was possible. Charlie smiles back.

#genloss #generation loss #gl!charlie #i have. some thoughts on post-escape gl!charlie. i have a normal number of thoughts about him.

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pinchinschlimbah · 1 year

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Gerard’s “Are they costumes?” has been rotating in my brain for the past 24 hours and I need to yell about it.

As many have noted, while at the surface level this comment was directed towards the audience, it does feel like it echoes the larger question of the outfits Gerard has been wearing throughout this tour. Are they costumes? Are they drag? Are they just clothes?

Thinking about “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag”- anything you intentionally choose to visually present yourself in a certain way, especially in the context of knowing you’ll be on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, is on some level a performance, a playing of a character to convey a specific vibe. Even if that character is “some guy in a t shirt and jeans”, that outfit was still an intentional choice and still evokes a particular response that a different outfit would not.

Thinking about “give a man a mask and he’ll tell you the truth”- often people feel more free to express their truest selves when it can be under the guise of a “costume”, something supposedly inauthentic and performative, because it gives them the safety of plausible deniability or the freedom finding power from the character they’re playing that they couldn’t find access to as their everyday selves. This is especially true in regard to queer people, where queerness in the form of performance and entertainment is much more widely accepted/tolerated than when those people continue to be outwardly queer off stage or screen in their day to day lives.

I think both of these sentiments exist simultaneously.

Without getting into too much detail for anonymity’s sake, my full time job centers around creating custom clothing for queer and gnc people- many of which are intended for performance/entertainment purposes and are undeniably “costumes”. And yet when I do fittings, I consistently feel and hear from these people that these pieces aren’t just costumes to them, but that they’re helping them to manifest some version of themself that up until now has only existed inside their own brain. I’ve seen quite a few people cry when they first looked into the mirror in their custom outfit and saw their fantasy version of themself existing in real life for the first time. Fantasy and authenticity can go hand in hand. Just because it’s a costume doesn’t mean it isn’t also real, and just because it’s dressing up in a performative way doesn’t mean it’s purely a “costume” in the sense of pretending to be something you’re not.

Thinking of my 16 year old self, just starting to come into my queerness and gender nonconformity without yet having the words to identify what I was feeling. Going to school on a daily basis in what was basically my best attempt at Revenge-era Gerard cosplay (suit jackets, striped or red necktie, red eyeshadow, heavy black eyeliner, skeleton gloves, etc) because emulating someone who owned that performative flamboyant androgyny in such a captivating way was what made me feel most confident and safe to do so during a time where I was feeling very lost and insecure about who I was and where I fit into the world, and as a result I was able to learn more about myself than I would have otherwise.

Are they costumes? I see you. Don't worry, I see you.

#gay yelling #mcr #my chemical romance #gerard way #shouts into void

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seasurfacefullofclouds1 · 6 months

Note

Liam is filming a travel show, Zayn is a spokesperson for a drinks company. Harry is promoting God knows what all from green bikes to large yellow knitwear. Niall is the Voice judge.

To me it shows that musicians even as successful as 1D have commercial pressures to be able to sustain their brands.

It’s not therefore unimaginable that Louis has to deal with his management and label piling on stress to appease the largest portion of his fanbase. Louis push and pull when it comes to providing fan service to directioners and Larries seems to be a symptom of this. It’s clear that his team is clueless as how to introduce him to a new audience so if they have to fill in the venues it will require Louis drumming up nostalgia for the existing fanbase.

He has talked about the “boring stuff” and “numbers his management provides him with” and how it seems to affect him mentally in an oblique way. I feel he tries to negotiate out of a lot of stuff he doesn’t feel comfortable doing but has to give into other things which are easier for him to compromise on. All of this makes him come across as someone fickle whose actions don’t always reflect what he talks about. It frustrates me as a fan often but then I think about it and feel like he seems to be holding his ground on the bigger things.

It’s always going to be a power game and it’s never really going to be won by the artist.

Hi anon,

I got this ask last week, before the twitter spree and Louis’ iconic taming of Larries (10 million views in 24 hours). Holy shit, how things have changed in 24 hours eh?

Truly, Louis will never not mention One Direction. I’m resigned that we’re always going to hear 1D songs on his setlist, will always see a fresh-faced 15-year-old screaming What Makes You Beautiful or Best Song Ever at Louis’ concerts.

I was a late fan but I loved One Direction. Even now when critics make it embarrassing to love 1D (a lot of them being unsubtle Harries lol), when the men were onstage, those concerts were miraculous fissions of perfect pop music happiness. Every single person at the concerts looked so happy. It was a lot less complicated than the mess today.

Still, I wouldn’t trade solo Louis for anything.

I’m so confused by fans who want him to go back to One Direction, knowing everything they know? Louis prefers his solo music. He’s not aiming for the heady tops of the pop charts anymore. In 1D, Louis was not remotely in control of his creative life; compromises outweighed desires.

Louis has a great band now, with very reliable, discreet, professional musicians who aren’t looking to make waves from gossip. He has a crew who likes him, and he is generous to them.

Louis sees 1D as a living part of himself (and Lilo is the friendship that will never die), and no one is going to ever sway him on that.

But Larry Stylinson? For Louis, at least, Larry is dead, dead, dead.

#louis tomlinson #one direction #2 november 2023

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withasideofshakespeare · 10 months

Text

We all know I shouldn’t be allowed to make Tumblr posts after 1 AM, but here we go again… This has been in my brain for so long so now I am going to ramble about it (shoutout to the Hamlet Discord server for joining in the Thinking)

Surveillance Hamlet!!!

(Or, rather, the theme of surveillance in Hamlet and some fun and exciting ways I’d like to see it portrayed on stage assuming this mythical theater program has unlimited money)

(Warning- this thought is undercooked. This is going to get rambly…)

Surveillance is a major theme in Hamlet. Nearly everyone in the play engages in some kind of spying or scheming or is the victim thereof (or both). I love plays as a medium for the fact that each individual performance has the opportunity to completely change which themes get the most emphasis and surveillance is a theme I’d love to see take center stage with Hamlet specifically!

Hamlet is a pretty meta play. It ends with a message on the act of storytelling within the specific context of the story the audience has just watched just after it calls out the “mutes and audience” to the ultimate tragedy for their inaction during the runtime of the play. It’s also been performed and adapted plenty of times with a modern lens. Grief, depression, existential anxiety, and gay people are, apparently, universal pieces of the human experience, but if anything looms larger than ever over today’s society, it’s surveillance. Hell, I’m typing this on a device that is for sure selling my data to the government and probably also scam artists! So give me a performance where extreme surveillance heightens all the other aspects of the play, where Hamlet’s paranoia is exceedingly justified.

First, choose a good venue. Outdoor theater is almost always my favorite, but in this case, choose a massive indoor theater with a movie theater style sound system. Hang massive screens above the stage like you’d see at a big concert.

Now, these actors are going to be doing some major method acting. Put cameras above the stage at all angles. Put cameras in the wings. Put cameras on the crew. Put cameras in the audience- maybe some employee plants instructed to stream the show to the screens from their view or even to obnoxiously take photos and video throughout the show. No matter where these actors go, so long as they’re in character, there’s a camera on them. Put mics everywhere too, so even low whispers are heard from the backrow.

I want this play to start with an attempt at secrecy. The ghost appears, Hamlet begs his friends not to speak of it, but he can hear his whispers echoing right back to him and he knows it’s useless. The curiously missing line where Marcellus, Horatio, and Barnardo do finally swear upon Hamlet’s sword isn’t implied to be there as usual. It doesn’t exist. The ghost is only “satiated” by the coming of dawn, even this first, simple wish remains unfulfilled.

Hamlet spends the end of act 1 wavering between a genuine breakdown and an acted portrayal of madness. Pretending shields him from showing legitimate emotion on those screens.

To be or not to be is performed offstage, but on camera. Hamlet seems to think for a moment that he’s truly alone or perhaps it’s all part of the facade. Either way, emotion gets the best of him eventually and he realizes he can’t escape the cameras (or mortality). He comes on stage for get thee to a nunnery, frantically trying to get away from his ever-echoing voice, only to find a spotlight on him. The lines come across as cruel as they are pathetic. Ophelia is also being watched. Ophelia didn’t decide alone to speak to him. In some ways, she has far less privacy than he does, but Hamlet isn’t looking for solidarity in the watched. He wants to be alone. He wants to not be seen.

When he stabs Polonius, Ros & Guil track him down on the cameras. There’s no need to run, but he tries.

The only time Hamlet is truly outside of surveillance is on the ship to England (and then with the sailors who return him to Denmark). Maybe Claudius doesn’t want the world to know he has sent the prince to be executed, but it is clear that he too has lost any real control of this surveillance system. You saw him praying. Or was it a publicity stunt? Hamlet returns and simply tells Horatio (and by proxy, you) what happened on the ship, maybe resentfully. The only time he gets privacy, he doesn’t need it.

By the final scene, he no longer wants not to be seen. He isn’t sure you see him at all. No, you mutes and audience look right through him as if you know infinitely more than him, as if he hasn’t proven that he knows he is a sparrow that will fall. But you know the lines and he doesn’t.

He asks Horatio to tell his story. Maybe there’s something personal about being told a story rather than watching one play out. Maybe you can’t look through a storyteller.

Hamlet canonically knows he’s being watched. He uncovers Ros & Guil’s spy mission in the span of minutes, kills Polonius in the act of spying on him, and comes to mistrust the people around him because almost no one seems to be genuine with him (besides horatio). But it’s not just the characters, it’s the audience. In his darkest moments, he looks out for just a second, almost begging for help, only to discover that no one is coming to his aid. When he tries to exit, the spotlight follows him and so do the cameras. It’s inescapable. When he delivers the “mutes and audience” line, it should be as accusatory as it is pleading. You, the audience, have seen his life projected on massive screens, you’ve heard his every word and whisper, you know him, don’t you? Yes, you know him better than his closest friends. He’s spilled his soul to you because he knows you can’t be escaped, that you, rows upon rows of darkness to this actor blinded by spotlights, are always watching. Will you help? he asks, one final time. The answer is an obvious no, not because you’re heartless but because that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to see a play.

#hamlet #shakespeare #SURVEILLANCE HAMLET!!!#what does this mean? you tell me #I’ve been in one stage play ever #and what I remember most is the lights #they’re so bright that the audience becomes a mass of darkness #like that super black paint. it’s like the lights are sucking up all the light and leaving you to act in front of no one at all #I was also an audio technician for a musical #I checked our mics and the soliloquy I used was actually to be or not to be #there was something very different about hearing that raw emotion echo right back at me #anyway #maybe we’re the metaphorical government spying on our phones right now or maybe we’re death or just the general unknown #or maybe not #I came up with bits and pieces of this and never reached any conclusions on what it would actually mean if I did the play like this #the budget version is asking the audience to bring binoculars #that’s all I’ve got #can you tell I watched the Jacob Geller infinity video?

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sevenboarproductions · 1 year

Text

[IDOLiSH7] [Part 6] Chapter 3: A new way to live

6.3.1. - Locked up heart

Isumi Haruka: Haa~ I’m tired!

Utsugi Shirou: Good work today. Is something wrong, Midou-san? Holding your stomach like that.

Midou Torao: No… I just thought “I really ate a snake today, huh”. And then I started feeling kind of weird.

Inumaru Touma: Looks like with this job, the list of things you’ve eaten just constantly gets updated~

Isumi Haruka: I want to update it with the three biggest delicacies in the world or something.

Natsume Minami: Rather than waiting for a TV program for that, it would be faster to just ask Midou-san.

Inumaru Touma: Haru even leaves behind the oily part when eating kakuni*. Someone like that can’t eat foie gras.

Isumi Haruka: Really?

Midou Torao: Don’t lump foie gras together with pork belly…

Utsugi Shirou: If you’re as young as Isumi-san, aren’t things like hamburgers even better than foie gras and caviar?

Isumi Haruka: Well, yeah! I love hamburgers!

Natsume Minami: Between hamburgers, gyuudon, curry and ramen, which do you like the most?

Isumi Haruka: Curry, probably? What about you, Minami?

Natsume Minami: I love them all.

Inumaru Touma: You’ve got a big appetite, Mina.

Natsume Minami: Fufu, it’s because I am still growing. Oh, this disc is…

Utsugi Shirou: Ah, sorry. I was looking at it.

Natsume Minami: What is on that disc?

Utsugi Shirou: It’s the data of your live at RedFes.

Isumi Haruka: The one from RedFes!? You watched it! How was it?

Utsugi Shirou: I raised my voice.

Isumi Haruka: Like what?

Utsugi Shirou: Like… “Oh my god…” and “It’s so cool…”.

Inumaru Touma: Eeeh! I wanted to hear that. Don’t just watch it without saying something, you should've invited us!

Midou Torao: Aside from that? How was it? Your impression?

Utsugi Shirou: It was really amazing. You only see that kind of live once or twice in your lifetime.

Midou Torao: …Is this flattery?

Utsugi Shirou: No way. It’s my honest opinion. That’s why the cheers of the audience were that loud too, right?

Utsugi Shirou: Your tension and determination really came across through your expressions… even the amused audience fell quiet.

Utsugi Shirou: With that defiance, your desperate singing voices excited the entire venue, and they started to feel it too.

Utsugi Shirou: “Who are those guys?”, they were thinking. But those people, who were just standing there, folding their arms, became united through your performance.

Utsugi Shirou: That sort of miracle is something that doesn’t exist. It was like a movie.

Isumi Haruka: …Tell me more.

Utsugi Shirou: Haha… Isumi-san, you were really cool. Even though you’re the youngest, it felt like you were taking responsibility for the other members too.

Utsugi Shirou: Your dancing and singing were perfect. You were relaxed, yet your eyes were sharp and tense… It grabbed me by the heart.

Isumi Haruka: Out of a 100 points, how many would I get?

Utsugi Shirou: I can’t give points to the one and only.

Isumi Haruka: The one and only. That’s…?

Utsugi Shirou: I’m saying there is no replacement for you.

Isumi Haruka: ……

Utsugi Shirou: Inumaru-san, you were also cool. I usually only know the friendly Inumaru-san, but you looked surprisingly aggressive.

Inumaru Touma: Really?

Utsugi Shirou: Really, really. When you’re standing on stage, you have an overwhelming aura around you. But it doesn’t feel like you’re driving away an enemy or anything…

Utsugi Shirou: It feels more like a “Come on, let’s be friends”.

Midou Torao: I get that… He’s always given me that feeling.

Natsume Minami: Fufu… It was around the time ŹOOḼ was formed, wasn’t it? We must have lost to that aura of his.

Natsume Minami: Both us and the audience at RedFes.

Inumaru Touma: Haha… I was just trying really hard, though. I’m happy to hear it worked.

Utsugi Shirou: Natsume-san, there was no way you wouldn’t be nervous, yet it seemed like you didn’t mind the people at the venue at all…

Isumi Haruka: Ahaha! I get that!

Utsugi Shirou: It was really cool. That sort of mood is what makes ŹOOḼ seem cool and mysterious, and gives it a strong character.

Natsume Minami: Not a bad rating, is it?

Utsugi Shirou: Midou-san, you made things look like a painting just by standing there. Your dancing was cool and simply beautiful. And also…

Utsugi Shirou: You seemed kind.

Midou Torao: Kind? Me?

Utsugi Shirou: That’s right. Maybe it’s the insight as a senior…

Midou Torao: Insight? Even if I do say so myself, I didn’t have the composure for something like that.

Isumi Haruka: You didn’t.

Natsume Minami: You didn’t, huh?

Midou Torao: Shut up…

Inumaru Touma: Come on, don’t fight.

Utsugi Shirou: What I mean is that compared to the other three… That feeling of “Listen, do what I say” is surprisingly not as strong as with the others.

Utsugi Shirou: That’s why I think Midou-san is the kindest person in ŹOOḼ.

Isumi Haruka: He’s not kind! He’s the most selfish!!

Inumaru Touma: You’re being deceived by his looks!!

Natsume Minami: His appearance isn’t that kind, either, though…

Midou Torao: I’m right here, you know?

Midou Torao: But you’re misunderstanding. I’ve been rejected before, too, and people always say I’m not kind.

Inumaru Touma & Natsume Minami & Isumi Haruka: So we were right.

Utsugi Shirou: Well then, maybe it’s exactly because you know how it is that you could be calm. Aside from that, I do wonder if it’s an ingrained behavior.

Utsugi Shirou: For example, I accidentally took a picture of this scene…

Isumi Haruka: Eh? Did you take a picture of the TV screen?

Utsugi Shirou: I just thought I would look at it again later. But this scene…

Utsugi Shirou: Even though you three look like feral animals, Midou-san is calm.

Isumi Haruka: Don’t call us feral animals!

Natsume Minami: Ah, it’s true, though. I’m cute when I’m murderous.

Isumi Haruka: Cute.

Inumaru Touma: Ahaha! Such scary eyes! We look so unbehaved!

Inumaru Touma: If you look at it like that, Tora is like that, isn’t he? It’s the elegance of a rich guy…

Midou Torao: …..Mhm….

Midou Torao: It does look like we have a different level of grace…

Inumaru Touma: Uwaa, he said it himself.

Isumi Haruka: What else is there? Praise me more!

Utsugi Shirou: The cheering was so much, it seemed like it could split the sky at any moment. It was super dramatic.

Utsugi Shirou: I don’t think there could be a happier moment for any music fan than to have their emotions be moved by that sort of live performance and artists.

Utsugi Shirou: It’s like a real miracle. You went to a country you don’t know, and you came back having created a miracle.

Utsugi Shirou: It’s wonderful, but at the same time it's a little frustrating.

Natsume Minami: Why is that?

Utsugi Shirou: Because at that time, I hadn’t met all of you yet.

Utsugi Shirou: One day… I want to see that sort of live with my own eyes. That’s what I think.

Isumi Haruka: Fufun. You don’t need to say “someday”, we’ll show you at the next live!

Natsume Minami: Of course… is what I’d like to say, but that might not be that easy.

Natsume Minami: Lives are affected by a lot of conditions.

Natsume Minami: The emotions at that time, the atmosphere at the venue, our relationship…

Natsume Minami: Utsugi-san, up until that live, we were just arguing all the time.

Utsugi Shirou: Ah, so you were like that.

Natsume Minami: Yes. We were a unit that was just going to fall apart anyway, one that only exists for the moment.

Natsume Minami: But at that time, in this situation where we were away from home… we had nothing to rely on but each other. So while arguing, I was hoping.

Natsume Minami: I was hoping that our bonds could become real.

Inumaru Touma: Mina…

Utsugi Shirou: …Ah, I see… Then that live and that venue is what made you guys true members of one group, isn’t it?

Isumi Haruka: Yeah, that might be it… It could be true… Touma did always tell us this.

Isumi Haruka: That there was meaning to the four of us meeting. …And on that day, I thought so too.

Utsugi Shirou: Is that so… Then it really was so dramatic, wasn’t it? That’s nice, I wish I could’ve seen it.

Inumaru Touma: Haha… I’m glad.

Inumaru Touma: Ryou-san never told us anything like that, after all…

Midou Torao: Maybe he was meaning to tell us. I mean, he did prepare a party.

Isumi Haruka: Aah. The one where Torao got champagne poured himself.

Utsugi Shirou: That’s the worst… I’m sorry…

Midou Torao: I wasn’t mad, but it was really scary…

Inumaru Touma: He was standing on the table and stomping with his feet…

Utsugi Shirou: Your manners are bad, Ryou-kun…

Isumi Haruka: Is that a matter of manners?

Natsume Minami: …But… both Utsugi-san and Ryou-san were impressed by this live.

Natsume Minami: Though, because it was an overseas live, our fans mostly weren’t there.

Inumaru Touma: Aah… That’s true…

Inumaru Touma: One day, I want to show it to our fans. A live that’s even better than the one at RedFes.

Isumi Haruka: We’ll do it. We have to show it to Utsugi-san, too, after all!

Utsugi Shirou: Haha, thank you very much.

Utsugi Shirou: The shooting of “BLAST” is also finishing soon, isn’t it? I’m looking forward to it.

Inumaru Touma: I’m looking forward to it, too! Even when I was reading the script, I got absorbed into reading all the scenes!

Isumi Haruka: It’s just flashy action! We’re not the ones doing it.

Midou Torao: …yeah, that’s true. I’m also looking forward to Minami’s excellent performance, too. I’m sure it’ll be a hot topic.

Natsume Minami: Thank you. If there are no other topics that stand out, I’m sure that’ll be the case.

Midou Torao: Topics that stand out?

Natsume Minami: I’m already done shooting. It’s rare to be blessed with an environment with both a good director and staff.

Natsume Minami: Make sure you don’t have any regrets.

Midou Torao: Aah, that’s right. Let’s make it safely towards the end of shooting. Well then, I’ll be leaving…

Utsugi Shirou: I’ll drive you home.

Midou Torao: It’s fine. I’ll be going then.

[thud]

~ to be continued ~

6.3.2. - A king’s crown

Isumi Haruka: He went home so fast. Do you think he had a date planned?

Inumaru Touma: Mina, what was that earlier? You were putting it in complicated words.

Natsume Minami: Inumaru-san, you were busy thinking about whether you should get back together with your old bandmates, so you might not have noticed it, but…

Inumaru Touma: Don’t say it so sarcastically!

Natsume Minami: Midou-san was behaving a bit strangely during the shooting.

Isumi Haruka: Ah, I kind of thought that, too.

Utsugi Shirou: Strangely… you say?

Isumi Haruka: Yeah. Even though Tora really likes action movies, he never stayed to watch the stunt scenes.

Natsume Minami: I wouldn’t say “never” but it certainly wasn’t how a person who likes action movies would act.

Inumaru Touma: Yeah…

Inumaru Touma: Maybe he was just pretending, and he actually can’t deal with it well? Things like high places, or things that make you shudder.

Utsugi Shirou: Can’t deal with it well?

Inumaru Touma: Right, right. It’s because he tends to pretend to be tough and tries to show off.

Natsume Minami: I know he tends to show off, but it didn’t look like he was scared.

Isumi Haruka: Well, you can’t know for sure. When I have something I can’t do, I also say I can.

Utsugi Shirou: Eh, please be honest with me. I’m bad at guessing things like that.

Isumi Haruka: Yeah… Somehow, I already knew that…

Inumaru Touma: But knowing the true motives of the other person would definitely help.

Natsume Minami: Maybe it’s because he is that type of person that he got along well with Ryou-san.

Utsugi Shirou: Then that means Midou-san is bad at doing nerve-wracking scenes?

Inumaru Touma: It’s because he kind of grew up rich and sheltered.

Isumi Haruka: He was nervous at RedFes, too. Though, we were all nervous then.

Natsume Minami: Being nervous… Midou-san was probably scared during the shooting of “BLAST”, wasn’t he?

Isumi Haruka: It felt like that, right?

Natsume Minami: ….Kind of… I had the feeling like he wanted to say something.

Natsume Minami: It kind of reminded me of my past self. So I just got curious.

Inumaru Touma: Mina in the past…

Natsume Minami: It was when I still thought I had to listen to what adults said.

Natsume Minami: Thinking that the world was like that, I ended up giving up on my wishes.

Natsume Minami: He looks the same way I did during that time.

Inumaru Touma: Giving up…?

Isumi Haruka: That bossy, egotistical bastard Torao would…?

Utsugi Shirou: …I understand. I will ask Midou-san about it tomorrow.

Inumaru Touma: Aah….. if you ask him too directly, you might not get an answer.

Inumaru Touma: It’s like, he also has insincere parts, so…

Utsugi Shirou: ….. I will try to guess.

Isumi Haruka: No, no. Didn’t you say you’re bad at that?

Natsume Minami: My… even though he’s the oldest, he’s a troublesome person.

Okazaki Rintarou: Welcome back~

Momo: We’ve returned~! President, take this, it’s a souvenir.

Okazaki Rintarou: What is it~?

Momo: Crayfish.

Okazaki Rintarou: What am I going to do with crayfish?

Yuki: Use it for its healing properties*.

Okazaki Rintarou: That won’t heal me. Bring me a thousand.

Yuki: Should we do that… Momo, do you wanna deep fry the one you caught?

Momo: I won’t eat that!

Yuki: It’s the kind you can’t eat, then.

Momo: Oh, yes! It’s a pet!

Yuki: Maybe I’ll keep it. What do crayfish eat?

Okazaki Rinto: Isn’t it algae or small fish?

Yuki: Is that so. Can I call it Okarin?

Okazaki Rinto: Uhm, this fish?

Yuki: Yes. The more I look at it, the cuter it gets.

Momo: Isn’t that nice, Okarin? Having Yuki name something after you to keep it…

Okazaki Rinto: This crayfish seems to be ruining relationships… I’ll take care of it in the office after all.

Yuki: Is that so? Then, have fun with it.

Okazaki Rintarou: We don’t even need crayfish… That aside, about today’s recording. Was President Takanashi here?

Okazaki Rinto: He wasn’t.

Okazaki Rintarou: I see. Because everyone was assembled, I figured he’d show his face.

Momo: What happened with Takanashi Papa?

Okazaki Rintarou: He may have taken the position I wanted, but he is a pretty interesting person.

Okazaki Rintarou: I remember talking to him about it. “Why did you go into the entertainment industry? Why did you make a talent agency?”

Momo: Why did you?

Okazaki Rintarou: Because I like people.

Yuki: Haha. No way.

Okazaki Rintarou: It’s true. I like making people happy and surprising them. And I like the entertainers, too.

Okazaki Rintarou: If you go into this sort of field, it seems like a race, and you end up only focusing on compliance.

Okazaki Rintarou: That’s what I mean when I think back to the beginning. A business that both the buyer and the seller enjoy… that’s fun, right?

Okazaki Rinto: Haha, that’s nostalgic. Back in college, you talked about that a lot, too.

Okazaki Rintarou: That’s true…

Momo: Even the President was like that in his youth, huh.

Okazaki Rintarou: Do you want to hear about it?

Momo: No. We’re fine for now.

Yuki: Ah, Okarin. You can put the crayfish in this sweets box for now.

Okazaki Rinto: Aah! Thank you!

Okazaki Rintarou: What about you, Re:vale? Why did you become idols?

Yuki: You know that already. That was the only way I could afford to eat.

Momo: You know about my reason already, too.

Okazaki Rintarou: But that’s not all anymore, is it? If it was, it wouldn’t have continued for this long.

Re:vale: ………

Okazaki Rintarou: For you, what does being an idol mean?

Okazaki Rintarou: If you pinpoint that, wouldn’t it be the key to protect your throne as kings?

Momo: A way to protect the throne…

Yuki: How pompous…

Okazaki Rintarou: Zero’s era is over. Kujou Takamasa and TRIGGER have ended it. It was a wonderful final stage.

Okazaki Rintarou: Just right now, people’s memories of Zero are being reawakened, so things are heating up. But the topic of Zero will die down soon enough.

Okazaki Rintarou: The next ones to become legends will be Re:vale, I think. No, I believe it.

Okazaki Rintarou: Don’t misunderstand me, though. Even if you lose against someone, I won’t sigh in disappointment.

Okazaki Rintarou: I don’t want to pressure you guys. That sort of thing doesn’t matter.

Okazaki Rintarou: It’s only been a couple years since you were first called kings, but haven’t you been lacking in ambition lately?

Okazaki Rinto: President…

Okazaki Rintarou: You said so, too, Rinto. Playing the funny, kind and reliable senpai might be fun, but…

Okazaki Rintarou: Both your fans and I, we want to see it soon.

Okazaki Rintarou: A cool Re:vale who will crush their kouhai.

Momo: …..Even without being told it, I would never put Yuki… would never put Re:vale below anyone else.

Momo: Re:vale will always be at the top. I won’t hand the throne to anyone. Not IDOLiSH7, not TRIGGER, and not ŹOOḼ!

Yuki: Momo….

Okazaki Rintarou: As expected from a sports ace! You’re burning with fighting spirit.

Momo: That much is obvious. A crown fits well on Yuki’s head.

Yuki: But every flower eventually has to wilt, right?*

Momo: No! They don’t…!

Yuki: And the petals inevitably fall to the ground and decay…*

Momo: It won’t happen!! Re:vale are the eternal kings and champions! I’m getting angry, Yuki!

Yuki: Okay.

Momo: President. For me, the reason why I became an idol and the meaning of being an idol are the same.

Momo: To make Yuki stand at the top! I don’t even want to imagine falling down or losing!

Momo: We will never lose!

Okazaki Rinto: I think so, too. The two of them will never lose to anyone!

Okazaki Rintarou: Ah, seems like you’re in better shape now, aren’t you? What about you, Yuki?

Yuki: ….. Well. If Momo says so…

Yuki: Let’s defeat our kouhai.

Momo: Yeah!

Momo: Everyone~! We’re sorry~! But our time as nice senpai is over!!

Okazaki Rintarou: Where are you shouting that at?

Momo: Actually, we’re…

Re:vale: …The last boss.

~ to be continued ~

6.3.3. Connections

Nanase Riku: (coughing) …I choked on something…

Izumi Iori: Have some hot tea and a scarf. Don’t let your throat get cold.

Nanase Riku: But… I was just choking a bit! Because something got caught in my throat!

Izumi Iori: You still might be having an attack.

Nanase Riku: Ugh. If you say it like that I’ll get anxious.

Izumi Iori: You’re fine. You’ll be alright in a minute. Since it’s you, Nanase-san, you’ll be fine.

Nanase Riku: Ahaha! Ah… I really got better.

Izumi Iori: It seems like you finally trust my words as much as Kujou-san’s.

Nanase Riku: I didn’t get better when Tenn-nii told me that sort of thing, though.

Izumi Iori: Besides that, have you read the script for “Wolf Boy and Boy Detective 2”?

Nanase Riku: I haven’t read it all yet. I saw the part that seemed to have to do with today’s special program, though.

Izumi Iori: Since it’s you, Nanase-san, you probably didn’t notice it but… The culprit in episode 2 is…

Nanase Riku: Oh, I did read it that far. He’s actually the shinigami* piano tuner.

Izumi Iori: It seems like Nikaidou-san will be playing him.

Nanase Riku: Eeh, I’m happy! Yamato-san is starring in our drama!

Izumi Iori: Not telling us anything about that.. He’s mean, isn’t he? …Is what I thought, but the client in the third episode is…

Nanase Riku: The tsukumogami* with the umbrella?

Izumi Iori: It seems like he’ll be played by nii-san. It says it here, “Izumi Mitsuki”…

Nanase Riku: You’re right! In that case, the guest of the fourth episode, either the culprit or the client, is…

Izumi Iori: The client is an injured inugami* played by Yotsuba-san.

Nanase Riku: I was right…!!

Izumi Iori: Satori, the culprit of the second half of the fifth episode, is played by…

Nanase Riku: Sougo-san! Since it’s been like that up until now, the sixth one is definitely…

Izumi Iori: The culprit is an automaton. Rokuya Nagi.

Nanase Riku: That means we’re complete! I’m happy we can all star in this drama together! It looks like it’ll be lots of fun!

Izumi Iori: Because there will be a good mood at the shooting, right?

Nanase Riku: I’m looking forward to the rest of the show, too. Do you think the oni king they foreshadowed at the end of the previous part will show up?

Izumi Iori: He might appear eventually… Somewhat like a mastermind who is pulling the strings.

Nanase Riku: Who could play the role of that oni king*?

Izumi Iori: Going by this pattern, maybe Re:vale-san…?

Nanase Riku: Re:vale-san are the last boss, after all.

(knock knock)

Staff: There’s fifteen minutes before the “Wolf Boy and Boy Detective Special Program” starts. Nanase-san, Izumi-san, please be on standby!

Nanase Riku: Yeees! We’re coming right now!

Izumi Iori: We’re looking forward to working with you.

Nanase Riku: Ah, right. What do you think the “surprising news” they’ll mention at the end of this show will be about?

Izumi Iori: It has to be the sequel announcement, right?

Nanase Riku: I know about the sequel though.

Izumi Iori: Why would they want to surprise you? It’s supposed to be surprising news for the viewers.

Nanase Riku: Ah, I see! Iori, you’re smart~!

Izumi Iori: Your very existence holds too much surprising news…

Nanase Riku: I’m so happy we’re getting a sequel! It feels like our hard work really got across.

Izumi Iori: That’s true.

Nanase Riku: Iori, you had an interview with the president, right? What did you talk about?

Izumi Iori: Why are you suddenly bringing that up?

Nanase Riku: I was wondering what kind of future our producer had in mind for us.

Nanase Riku: It’s not like I want to leave it all to you, though! I just felt like asking you about it once.

Izumi Iori: ……

Izumi Iori: IDOLiSH7 strikingly won against TRIGGER and ŹOOḼ at Black or White.

Nanase Riku: Yeah.

Izumi Iori: We’re making steady progress, but there is a group we haven’t defeated yet.

Nanase Riku: …Re:vale-san?

Izumi Iori: Exactly.

Izumi Iori: We’re going to push Re:vale from the throne and take the overall win at Black or White.

Izumi Iori: Both in name and reality, IDOLiSH7 will stand at the top.

Announcer: Now it’s time for a big announcement!

Announcer: What’s this? The overwhelmingly popular drama that became successful in all of Japan, “Wolf Boy and Boy Detective”…!!

Announcer: …Is getting a sequel!!

Audience: Kyaaaaah…!

Nanase Riku: Thank you very much!

Izumi Iori: Thank you very much!

Announcer: Getting to watch the endeavors of Japan’s beloved duo again… I’m looking forward to it!

Nanase Riku: Me too! Everyone, please look forward to it, too!

Audience: Kyaaaaah…!

Announcer: Now, if you can, would you give us something like a summary or even just a small hint?

Izumi Iori: This information might be kind of pushing it, but if I tell you just a bit…

Announcer: A bit of information! Thank you very much!

Izumi Iori: Up until now, Ichirou’s past was only touched upon lightly in the first part, but in the sequel, we plan to explore it more.

Audience: Kyaaaaah…!

Announcer: You might not be able to go into so much detail already, but basically, Nanakawa’s ancestors have something to do with Ichirou’s past?

Nanase Riku: Yeah! I heard that, too…

Izumi Iori: Nanase-san, that’s enough! They’ll understand their connections and secrets soon enough.

Izumi Iori: Aside from that, Ichirou became good at acting like a dog in the last series, but in the flashbacks, he will return to being wild.

Nanase Riku: He’s howling like a wolf.

Audience: Kyaaaah…!

Announcer: Oh, I can’t wait! Isn’t that right, Nanase-san?

Nanase Riku: Yes!

Izumi Iori: Please look forward to it.

Nanase Riku: Everyone, I’m looking forward to it a lot! Ichirou, bark!

Izumi Iori: What kind of bark?

Nanase Riku: The dog-like one!

Izumi Iori: Woo~ Woof, Woof!

Audience: Kyaaaah…!

Takanashi Tsumugi: The “New Black or White”… I wonder what sort of project it is.

Takanashi Tsumugi: …The best live, huh…

Oogami Banri: Tsumugi-san.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Banri-san.

Oogami Banri: There’s a card for you from Kujou… I mean, the stage director Haw9-san.

Takanashi Tsumugi: …”Thank you for your help with the “Zero” musical. It was a performance without regrets. Take care.”…

Oogami Banri: It’s simple, but it’s a thank-you message, isn’t it?

Oogami Banri: We helped him a lot, didn’t we? With the dress rehearsal or with the soundtrack, too.

Takanashi Tsumugi: …I never thought I’d end up listening to a duet from Riku-kun and Kujou-san like that.

Oogami Banri: That’s true…

Takanashi Tsumugi: ….”Take care”….

Oogami Banri: What’s wrong?

Takanashi Tsumugi: It feels like Kujou-san is saying goodbye… I also heard that he’s been refusing to do jobs for TRIGGER, too.

Takanashi Tsumugi: The musical “Zero” was amazing. It was a spectacular stage performance. But precisely because of that…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Because he put an end to his feelings for Zero as Haw9, Kujou-san is…

Oogami Banri: …Burnt out and probably going to retire?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Yes…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Anesagi-san asked him whether he wanted to do a job together with my father.

Takanashi Tsumugi: I don’t think he would have sent such a message, if he planned to do something like that.

Oogami Banri: That’s true… Even if he retires now, he has enough savings.

Oogami Banri: He might plan to have a quiet life overseas.

Takanashi Tsumugi: It would be sad for the Japanese entertainment industry to lose a person with this much talent and experience.

Takanashi Tsumugi: If possible, I’d want him to continue to be involved directly.

Takanashi Tsumugi: There’s still a lot of things I want him to teach me, too.

Oogami Banri: You respect Kujou-san a lot, don’t you?

Takanashi Tsumugi: I’m sorry… Even though I know you have complicated feelings about him…

Oogami Banri: More than about myself, I was worried he’d do something to the people who are active in the industry right now.

Oogami Banri: Riku-kun, Tamaki-kun, TRIGGER’s Tenn-kun and even ŹOOḼ’s Isumi-kun got dragged into that person’s problems and he caused them pain.

Oogami Banri: The idea of respecting Kujou-san from the bottom of my heart feels strange. But…

Oogami Banri: The musical “Zero” was great. If he hadn’t been there, I would not have been able to see that stage performance, either.

Oogami Banri: I still feel bitter, but I’ll give him a “yes” for this one.

Takanashi Tsumugi: You’re very kind, Banri-san.

Oogami Banri: That doesn’t mean I’m nice. I just live according to my own values. Haha… It was like this when I was with Yuki, too.

Takanashi Tsumugi: With Yuki-san?

Oogami Banri: Yeah. His personality is awful, but I loved his music, so…

Oogami Banri: I gave him a “yes” for that. And then it was like that approval I gave started to pile up.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Connections between people can be like that, too, huh…

Oogami Banri: …..Tsumugi-san…. Are you done with work for today?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Yes.

Oogami Banri: Then I’ll walk you home. I have something I want to ask you for advice about.

Takanashi Tsumugi: Advice…. Okay, of course. I’ll get ready right away!

~ to be continued ~

6.3.4. Future path

Kujou Tenn: …..

(door opens)

Kujou Tenn: I’m home.

Kujou Takamasa: Welcome home. Aya went to sleep already.

Kujou Tenn: I only got home just now. The flowers in the living room are pretty.

Kujou Takamasa: Right. Apparently they’re called blue star.

Kujou Tenn: Blue star? A pretty name.

Kujou Tenn: That…

Kujou Tenn: …What’s with that luggage?

Kujou Takamasa: I’m thinking about leaving Japan.

Kujou Tenn: …..

Kujou Takamasa: There’s nothing left to do for me. With “Zero”, everything I had to do is finished.

Kujou Takamasa: I wanted to make you into an idol who surpasses Zero. I wanted to take revenge on Zero, but…

Kujou Takamasa: All of that stopped mattering when I saw that performance.

Kujou Takamasa: Thank you, Tenn.

Kujou Tenn: ….Kujou-san….

Kujou Takamasa: ……

Kujou Takamasa: You’re free, Tenn. You can change the family register back, too.

Kujou Tenn: …….

Kujou Takamasa: I’ll leave Aya here, too. She begged me to let her go with me. Eventually, she fell asleep because she was tired from crying.

Kujou Takamasa: But rather than taking her with me, it would be better for her if she was with Yotsuba Tamaki at Takanashi Productions.

Kujou Tenn: You took us in, and now you’re going to throw us away just like this?

Kujou Takamasa: You want to be free from me, don’t you?

Kujou Tenn: Nobody said that.

Kujou Takamasa: Didn’t you try to sacrifice yourself to free Aya from me?

Kujou Tenn: Didn’t you say you would turn me into a star that surpasses Zero!?

Kujou Takamasa: You already surpassed Zero.

Kujou Tenn: …..

Kujou Takamasa: The people who watched “Zero” must have noticed it already. And the people who didn’t will notice it, too.

Kujou Takamasa: Zero’s era is over. All that’s left is to forget it. And I, too, have become a person that isn’t needed anymore in the new era.

Kujou Takamasa: It’s just like Nanase Riku said, I used money to buy you.

Kujou Takamasa: I wanted someone to take revenge on Zero with. For my own desires. You can be free from that.

Kujou Takamasa: Are you not happy?

Kujou Tenn: Stop talking so selfishly. My life will never return to the way it was.

Kujou Tenn: I’m not going to try and get back the opportunities I lost. But I don’t resent you, either.

Kujou Tenn: But after dragging so many people into this, selfishly just burning out and disappearing overnight is…

Kujou Tenn: Isn’t that no different from the Zero you hate so much?

Kujou Takamasa: ……

Kujou Tenn: Please stay here, Kujou-san. Please watch over us… over the new era.

Kujou Tenn: It’s too early to retire. There’s got to be things only you can do. Even I…

Kujou Tenn: I was happy and thought that I could finally talk to you normally…

Kujou Takamasa: …..Tenn…..

Kujou Tenn: I don’t know where the future will lead me, either. I will have to find a new way to live.

Kujou Tenn: After Riku already did, please don’t stop being my fan, too.

Kujou Takamasa: ….Haha. That’s absurd. Nobody could forget someone like you. I can’t, and Nanase Riku can’t, either.

Kujou Takamasa: You move people’s hearts, we can do nothing but love you. That’s why you’re a star.

Kujou Tenn: I wonder about that… Riku doesn’t need me anymore, and you’re suddenly deciding to pack your bags.

Kujou Takamasa: Sorry… I’m really regretting that.

Kujou Takamasa: But I really don’t know what to do from here.

Kujou Tenn: …..If you’re saying you have nothing to do, then this time, it’s my turn to buy you with money.

Kujou Takamasa: ….For stage direction related work?

Kujou Tenn: For now, you can help with the housework.

Kujou Takamasa: I’m not good at that…

Kujou Tenn: I know.

Kujou Tenn: Listen to me, Kujou-san. Disregarding me for a moment, Aya lost a person she called her parent twice already.

Kujou Tenn: If even you throw her away, she will never be able to trust anyone again. Please think about that seriously.

Kujou Takamasa: …..But she says she wants to get married.

Kujou Tenn: To whom.

Kujou Takamasa: To me.

Kujou Tenn: ……

Kujou Takamasa: There’s no way I can take her along like that, right?

Kujou Tenn: …I will be talking to Aya.

Kujou Tenn: Aya was raised in a complicated family, so she might be confusing her feelings of admiration for a father with romantic love.

Kujou Tenn: But it would be unfair to just decide that for Aya… so I will properly listen to what she has to say.

Kujou Tenn: Kujou-san, as her father, please think seriously about a way to make Aya happy.

Kujou Takamasa: …I understand.

Kujou Tenn: Where is your passport?

Kujou Takamasa: Eh?

Kujou Tenn: Give me your passport. I’ll be holding on to it.

Kujou Takamasa: Are you serious?

Kujou Tenn: Should I burn it right here?

Kujou Takamasa: ….. Be careful with it so you don’t lose it.

Kujou Tenn: I’ll do my best.

Kujou Tenn: ……I’ll have to consult Yotsuba Tamaki about Aya’s future.

Kujou Tenn: Now that I think about it, Yotsuba Tamaki didn’t seem to be feeling that well during the barbecue.

Ousaka Sougo: I wonder if this sound is too heavy… Maybe I should make it a bit lighter.

(knock knock)

Nikaidou Yamato: Sou…. Sou!

Ousaka Sougo: Ah… Yes! Come in!

(door opens)

Nikaidou Yamato: Sorry, did you have your headphones on? Even though I was calling for you for a while, I didn’t get a reply. I even considered texting you on Rabicha.

Ousaka Sougo: Why would you send me a text when you’re right outside the door…. Sorry, I didn’t notice you….

Nikaidou Yamato: It was just a joke, don’t take it seriously. Were you composing?

Ousaka Sougo: Yes. I’m listening to what I did in the studio once more…

Nikaidou Yamato: It’ll be the title song of the drama, right? The last time you played a main role and also composed the title song was for “Koi no Kakera”, wasn’t it?

Ousaka Sougo: Back then, it was Sakura-san’s song. Our success was probably because both Tamaki-kun and I got drawn in by that bright song.

Nikaidou Yamato: That was the result of both of your efforts. I’m sure it’ll go well this time, too.

Ousaka Sougo: That’s true… I’m still fumbling around, but I kind of want to give more of a shape to the song.

Ousaka Sougo: Family bonds… If I could turn my connection with Tamaki-kun into a song… Like you did, Yamato-san.

Nikaidou Yamato: Like I did?

Takanashi Tsumugi: Even at night, it’s hot. I want to eat ice cream.

Oogami Banri: I want to have a cold beer.

Takanashi Tsumugi: It’s summer, after all! So, about the thing you wanted to talk to me about…

Oogami Banri: It’s about Tamaki-kun. He originally said I should forget it, so I wasn’t sure if I should be talking about it…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Tamaki-san… Now that I think of it, he seemed kind of unhappy today…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Did something happen with Tamaki-san?

Oogami Banri: He seems to be having a lot of doubts regarding his own future.

Takanashi Tsumugi: …What kind of doubts could that be…?

Oogami Banri: ……..

Oogami Banri: He asked me if taking a break from IDOLiSH7, MEZZO’’ and his idol work for the time being would be fine.

Takanashi Tsumugi: A break from his work as an idol…

Takanashi Tsumugi: Does that mean he wants to go on a hiatus…?

~ to be continued ~

----

TL notes:

3.1. 角煮 - kakuni - a braised pork dish simmered in dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake.

3.2. Crayfish shells are known to contain chitin, which has healing properties.

Yuki references the first four lines of the Tale of the Heike at Momo. We changed the metaphors so it makes sense without the context, but it should have a similar feel. Haruka-kun did all of the work for that, though, lol.

3.3. 死神 - shinigami - a kami (deity in shinto) that is associated with death

犬神 - inugami - a dog-like kami

付喪神 - tsukumogami - a kami that resulted of something (an object or an animal) becoming a 100 years old, definitions vary

悪路王 - akuroou - we put it as 'oni king'; it's a type of oni leader in Japanese folklore

Aaah~ We survived another chapter! Mod Riku here. This time, I really tortured Haruka-kun with the editing. Just kidding! We both took a bit to deal with… (gestures at the TL notes). Updates will be sporadic, by the way. That being said, please direct corrections etc. at our inbox or our DMs!

#idolish7 translations #idolish7 part 6 #idolish7 spoilers #idolish7 #idolish7 translation #[main]

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