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chipper9906 · 3 years

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Maybe

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR LOKI SEASON 01 EPISODE 05: ‘JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY’ AND SEASON 01 EPISODE 04: ‘THE NEXUS EVENT’

Pairings: Loki/Sylvie

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 4,124

Status: One Shot - Complete

Chapter Preview:

He had meant for it to come out more as a question, an offering. A possibility for the both of them. But what it really sounded like was a… well; a sincere, hope-filled attempt to keep hold of… this. Whatever this was, he knew he wanted it. However things went, he knew-

He wanted Sylvie in his life.

His heart was racing in his chest, pounding almost as hard as it does in the midst of battle. In the unlikely event he’s a free man after all of this over, he’ll have to go and find his brother - if he’ll even talk to him, that is - and apologize for the harsh insult he used; for berating his older brother over his affection for that Earth woman.

He understood now.

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Author Note:

Oh Boy, here I go again, getting sucked into yet another ship. Basically, this is a dive into Loki's thoughts during the blanket scene in Episode 5 "Journey Into Mystery" because man, I sure do love getting into a character's head and breaking down their thought process.

P.S. No joke, I think I re-watched the blanket scene like... over 40 times I counted, roughly. Wanted to make sure I got every detail right lmao.

Oh wow, would you look at that - yet ANOTHER fic based on the blanket scene? I'm sure this hasn't been done by many different people ever since Episode 5 aired! Nah, I'm sure this is purely original stuff.

(Listen, this scene and - consequently - this fic got stuck in my head and I just had to write it down and... well here we are.

* * *

This was, as he had said, new for him.

It was… strange, to say the least. Not just because the woman who was sat next to him was, technically, on some sort of level, himself. And yet… not. Sylvie was her own person, that was for sure. And the only Loki, from who he’s met, who refuses to be called Loki. She had chosen her own name, and was currently choosing – or carving, was more accurate – her own path. A way out of the never-ending, self-sabotaging, “only use is for improving others” apparent destiny they’ve all found themselves in.

She had lived an entirely different life from him - and the use of the word ‘different’ here is strongly applied. It makes him a little uneasy when he dwells on it for too long if he’s being honest with himself. Yes, there may some similarities between them, as to be expected, but Sylvie had lived her own set of experiences different to his. Differences that had shaped her, made her see the world… universe… timeline? All of that, in a different way to him. Learning of the things she had gone through, what she’s trying to accomplish… it made his “glorious purpose” of ruling over “Mid-guard” seem like a spoiled boy's desperate attempt to feel important.

Everything with Sylvie and the TVA had shut down that ideal very quickly. Or, at least, has changed his view of his “Glorious Purpose”. The one change that he hadn’t seen coming, that Sylvie herself had told him; the very first words she had actually said to him:

“This isn’t about you.”

No, it wasn’t about him. Not just him, anyway. It was… it was all of him. Every version of himself out there, and every other variant of... Of everyone to have ever existed. Those, just like him, who are punished for stepping out of their pre-written timeline. Those that, when they try to change themselves, to be the person who those that loved him did everything in their power to guide them to be, were snatched away by the TVA and sent here to this pit of unwanted, broken things; left with nothing but unforgiving and dirty survival, only to lead to their inevitable death.

And it’s cold.

“Mobius isn’t so bad.”

Sylvie breaks the comfortable lull of silence they had found themselves in. They were, technically, supposed to be ironing out the details of this plan to enchant a creature much, much larger than them, whose only desire is to eat everything that enters the world they’re currently in. Which is why, perhaps, they had taken the moment to just… breathe. A moment of rest, side by side. Whilst it was true that his plan of killing the gargantuan cloud thing was near suicidal, it would be fair to say that Sylvie’s plan was equally as dangerous. Then again, what did he expect? Seemed that every type of Loki out there isn’t the best at creating plans…

“Or so good,” Loki counters. It seemed almost cruel to say, but… it was also true, wasn’t it? Sure, Mobius had done the things he’d done because he thought they were the right things to do – but that didn’t take away from the fact that he’d done them. How many variants, not only of him, but of so many other poor souls had been doomed to this place because of his work? Still, it wasn’t like Mobius had the full picture with everything. Mobius had been lied to just as much as he had. “I think that’s why we get along.”

A small smile pulls at Sylvie’s lips. She takes a deep breath in, staring out to the horizon where Alioth awaits prowling his territory. “He cares about you.”

That catches him off guard. He supposed that she and Mobius must have had some type of conversation in however long they’d spent driving to reach them. Apparently, the topic of conversation must have steered towards him at some point. And somehow, through that, Sylvie had deduced that Mobius… cared about him?

There’s a soft, knowing smile on Sylvie’s face as she catches sight of his reaction. It was probably the closest similarity they shared: friendships… didn’t quite seem to happen for them.

But there’s something else there in Sylvie’s expression as she looks to him. Almost a twinge of… of sadness. It sends an aching sort of pain through his chest as he sees it, coming to a sudden realization in his head. He knew that, deep down, the reason for his own loneliness was all due to himself. He knows now that there were plenty in his life that loved him, that always treated him like family even when, genetically, he wasn’t. But he had been blinded by jealousy and hatred, hatred that they had kept the secret of his true nature quiet for so long. It was because of this; this stubbornness and this selfish, false ideal that he deserves more, that he had made himself alone.

But Sylvie…? She had been well and truly alone. From such a young age, an age where his mother had barely begun teaching him the basics of magic, she had been snatched away from her life. Everything she ever knew and loved had been wiped away, the timeline dumped here just like everything else the TVA – or whoever the hell is actually in charge of the damn universe and its multiple timelines – decided was too much of a threat. Ever since then, from that very same day she had managed to escape their clutches, she had been running alone. All those years, fighting to survive, completely alone, existing in one apocalypse after the other. Even if she did try and interact with the people in those timelines, what would be the point? They were doomed to die, anyway…

Her words echo in his head for a moment, her sad smile seemingly etched into his memory. A part of him, that strangely soft side he didn’t know existed that had been growing stronger and stronger these past few days, burst with the need to do something, to remove the pain she was feeling. For just a split second, he nearly gives into it. He nearly says the words that were forcing their way to the forefront of his brain.

‘I care about you.’

But the words stay safely locked away in his head. Sylvie looks away from him, and the moment passes. He didn’t know if she had been expecting for him to say anything, and he certainly didn’t know what it is she might have thought he would say. His mind clambers for something, for anything to try and bring the moment back.

A strong gust of cool wind blows over them, sending chills across his pale skin - despite the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing. He knew that, if he really wanted to warm himself up, he could shift into his true form. Except, he didn’t see it as his true form. He has been an Asgardian as long as he can remember, and for all intents and purpose, this is who he’s meant to be. He is the son of Odin, son of Frigga, brother to Thor, an Asgardian, and he’s proud of that.

And that’s when the idea pops into his head.

“It’s cold,” Loki states the obvious to Sylvie with a shiver of his upper body, glancing over to try and catch her reaction out of the corner of his eye. For a moment, he wonders if Sylvie has the same views on their true heritage as he does, considering that, in her timeline, she was told she was adopted much earlier than he was.

She doesn’t mention anything about it, though. Instead, she simply agrees with his statement with a hum of “Mmm-Hmm,” but it’s exactly the kind of answer he’s looking for.

From the outside, it looks like an easy twirl of his fingers and a burst of lime-green light, but in reality, it’s years and years of practice, both by himself and… and with his mother. The weight of the blanket - though light - is comforting as it wraps around his shoulders; silky smooth to the touch and of a darker green than the light of his their magic.

The burst of color gets Sylvie’s attention, looking over to Loki again to see the new blanket he had materialized out of seemingly thin air - which… he did.

“I could conjure one for you, if you like?” Loki offers.

Sylvie smiles for just a split second, enough for Loki to believe that she might just say yes. But then her nose scrunches as she comes back to herself, and the belief is gone. “Tell you what, you could conjure me a new outfit,” Sylvie says off-handedly, pulling at the tight collar of her outfit. “You have no idea how uncomfortable something like this is.”

It’s a deflection. He knows that all too well, because… because it’s something he’d do. Not that he can blame her in the slightest. As he had said, just before he was pruned through the heart and sent here - this was entirely new for him. Sure, he had had his fair share of flings back home. Rare occasions when he would give in to temptations, let himself experience a slice of normality. But it was never real. He did not doubt that those that fell into his bed did not do so because they felt a connection, or saw a future. And neither did he. He was a prince, a God, and for most, saying you were able to seduce a prince was an achievement. And for him? Well, it was an easy means to an end, he supposed.

But this? This felt real. It was strange, it was something he had never experience before, and quite frankly, it scared the ever-living God’s out of him. So sure, he knew how to flirt… somewhat. But with this, with Sylvie? Everything was different, and he had no clue whatsoever what he should do.

“So…” Sylvie breaks him out of his thoughts. “Mobius, and his theory about…”

Oh. Well, he certainly hadn’t been expecting for the conversation to go there. Really, he had thought she might try and pretend to have never heard what Mobius had said.

“Right, right. About our Nexus event-,”

“Total rubbish, right?”

He’d be lying if he said that didn’t sting a little bit. “Absolutely,” ‘Liar’, a voice in his head hisses. “Of course, I mean-,”

“I don’t mean that it wasn’t a nice moment,” Sylvie hurries to say, and it lessens that sting just a little bit.

“No, it was great! It was really nice.”

“It just… sounds like another TVA lie.”

Which... Yes, when he thinks about it, could you easily have been a lie. Not that he thinks that Mobius would lie to them about this, no, but that someone else within the TVA had fed Mobius the lie. For what reason, he's not entirely sure. To throw them off the scent perhaps? Keep them from figuring out what can really cause a Nexus Event so powerful that it could conceivably take the TVA down.

Or, perhaps they just enjoyed lying. More than him even - and that's saying something.

"A hundred percent. I mean totally, yeah."

And oh, what was this? Loki tries to meet her eye, expecting her to nod her head vehemently in agreement to his statement. But... She won't look at him. She gives a somewhat strained-looking smile, more like a grimace than anything, and if he looks hard enough - by which he means projects his own feelings onto Sylvie and hopes she feels the same - he could almost imagine there was a flicker of disappointment there, too.

"I don't know how to do this," Sylvie says, an admission he didn't expect. She looks about as awkward as he feels, eyes fixated on her fingers as she plays with them.

"I don't even know what we're doing," Loki returns, and dear oh dear did he genuinely mean that. One moment he thinks he should take that step, say something, anything. And then the very next moment it becomes the wrong time, the wrong thing to say, and he's back to square one.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

"I don't have friends," Sylvie carries on, and it's another dagger through the heart. Yet another thing that was so similar, yet so, so different. He had been given so many opportunities for companionship, for friends, but he repeatedly threw them all away. But Sylvie? She wasn't even given the chance. She truly had-

"I don't have..." Sylvie trails off, a long gap where she struggles to find the right word to use. Her eyes had locked onto his, and he knew that nothing less than Alioth appearing right above their heads would get him to tear his eyes away.

"... Anyone."

"Well, there are more important things, right?" Loki desperately grasps for something to wipe away the blank, dejected look that was etched onto her features.

"Right? Yeah, like bringing down the TVA."

For once, one of his plans was going well. "Saving the universe, even."

"Well, there's no need to be dramatic - but yeah, kind of!"

Then there it was again - a particularly strong breeze pushing up to the little hill they were sat on. Sylvie gives a little shiver as it washes over them, a barely noticeable shuffle in an attempt to get warm, and Loki jumps at the opportunity.

It only takes one small adjustment, a brief push of magic, and then the blanket is growing, wrapping itself around Sylvie's shoulders in a motion so smooth, you'd think he'd done something like this hundreds of times before. Loki smiles gently to her when she notices the change, and his smile only grows more as Sylvie pulls the blanket tighter around her shoulders, shuffling closer to him by just the smallest of movements. Yet another plan he could now say was a success.

"It's not very snuggly."

Or, maybe not. "Okay," Loki manages to get out through a surprised laugh, but he does get some sort of gratification in seeing her smile at his response.

"Is it a tablecloth?"

"No, it's a blanket," Loki finds himself strangely defending his materialized choice of cloth.

There’s a pause, the quickest of glances up to him. He sees a brief flash of pink as she pokes out the tip of her tongue between her lips, wetting them as she struggles to get out her next words. “Thank you.”

Loki gets a strange feeling she doesn’t get to say that all too often. Whether that be because she chooses not to, or because she’s never had the opportunity to. When was the last time someone did something nice for her…?

“My pleasure.”

Sure, this was all new, and all types of scary. But, as he sat here, shoulder to shoulder with Sylvie, looking out to the dreary yet oddly beautiful landscape scattered with remnants from pruned timelines, he can't help but feel that this moment right here? It was… nice. Despite the TVA, despite Alioth, despite the fear of imminent death he’s had to live through nearly every moment since the Tesseract flung him into that desert in Mongolia, he had managed to find himself some semblance of peace.

And it was because of the person next to him.

“How do I know that, in the final moments, you won't betray me?”

Now, this was a conversation he had been expecting. How can he not? It seemed that nearly every single person he’s ever come across, who he hasn’t immediately tried to murder, wonders the exact same thing. The ‘inevitable’ betrayal every Loki seems incapable not to carry out.

And he couldn’t blame them, just as he can’t blame Sylvie for wondering the same thing. Really, he had thought the whole reason she had wanted this moment to talk to him was to have this very conversation. It was… it was something he had thought about himself, ever since being dragged in by the TVA. It was Mobius that had shown him his consistent deceitful nature - quite literally, by showing him film of every moment in his life where his flair for dramatics and affiliation for backstabbing was apparently used for ‘the bettering of others’.

It had become deeply ingrained into his nature. It became what he was known for, what his family knew him for. He supposed it gave him some sense of… satisfaction, perhaps? A false sense of security, that he always has the upper hand when need be. It was almost like a trial, opportunities to prove to himself that, when the time comes, he can do what it takes to claim what he, false-fully, felt he was owed. He was certain that the only path to being a rightful ruler was one filled with betrayal.

And now, after only a few days with Mobius - and an even shorter amount of days with Sylvie, his previous ambition he’s been working towards for so long suddenly wasn’t as important. Things had changed.

He had changed.

And that was part of the reason the TVA wanted him dead.

“Listen, Sylvie, I…” Loki starts, but then stops. He sighs deeply, wanting to find the best way to get this across to her. He needed her to understand. “I betrayed everyone who ever loved me. I betrayed my father, my brother… my home.”

He at least had her full attention now. No more awkward glances at one another, unable to maintain more than a few seconds of eye contact. This was important, and they both knew it. “I know what I did. And I know why I did it. And that’s not who I am anymore. Okay?”

There’s nothing on her face that he can read, nothing that says whether she believes him or not. She had been expecting him to say this, he supposed. “I won't let you down,” Loki says, and he says it like a promise - one he fully intends to keep.

“You sure?” Sylvie asks, and he nods his head straight away in response. “ ‘Cause if we make it, and the TVA is gone, there might be a timeline for you to rule.” Sylvie continues with a challenging - yet slightly teasing- narrowing of her eyes.

“Ah,” Loki says wistfully, looking out to the horizon as if dreaming of such an event. “And then I’d finally be happy.”

Except, he wouldn’t. He only has to look at his older self to know that. The only one of himself that had beaten the one event that’s supposed to define their lives. He had tricked the mad titan himself, found himself a little corner of the universe to live out his life in peace. No more people he has to challenge, no more opportunities for betrayal - by him, or to him.

And he looked… miserable.

Now, though? Right here and now, he wasn’t miserable. He certainly wasn’t relaxed, that was for sure, but far from miserable. He had ended his little exclamation with a rare smile that wasn’t a smirk - or forced- and miraculously, Sylvie returned one just as wide as his; wide enough even for him to see the little laughter lines crinkling at the corner of her eyes.

“What about you?” Loki asks. “What will you do when this is all over?”

Sylvie takes a moment to think, tucking an unruly strand of hair away from her face. “I don’t know.”

He couldn’t even begin to try and put himself in her shoes. Sylvie had spent… hundreds, perhaps even a thousand years of her life just running. Surviving. Doing whatever it takes to make sure she wasn’t wiped off the board by some mystery figure, or group, that had deemed her too dangerous to the timeline. And for what? Some kind of sick desire to have control over every single living thing in every type of Universe to ever exist?

Which… which sounded an awful lot like himself, now he thought about it. Maybe whoever was in charge of the TVA was another variant of himself…

“I don’t know either,” Loki said, and that added to the tally of growing truths he was admitting to people - perhaps the most in his life.

At some point, this all had to be over. Whether… whether it ends in his death once again, another defeat by a power-hungry being, or with their victory. No more TVA. No more pruning of variants. No more control. Sure, Sylvie had made that joke about him ruling a separate timeline, but… what would he do once this was all over, assuming her survives it? What did he want to do?

What does he want?

‘Look at your eyes! You like her!’

‘What?’

‘You like her! Does she like you?’

‘Was she pruned-’

‘No wonder you have no clue what caused the Nexus Event on Lamentis; both of you are swooning over each other!’

‘Tell me the truth-’

‘It’s the apocalypse! Two Variants of the same being, especially you, forming this sick, twisted romantic relationship - that’s pure chaos! That could break reality, it’s breaking my reality right now! What an incredible, seismic narcissist - you fell for yourself!’

‘Her name was Sylvie’.

Mobius had truly tricked him there. At least now he knew how cruel it was to be on the other side of such a bluff, he supposed. He had always prided himself on his acting abilities, his innate way of lying to others. Yet, apparently, when it came to Sylvie… he puts his full emotions on display. He had become too overcome with emotions at the mere thought of Mobius telling the truth, that Sylvie was well and truly gone, and he had snapped. He was…

Yes… That was the word.

He was heartbroken.

‘You conniving, craven, pathetic worm. I hope you know you deserve to be alone and you always will be.’

‘Do you really think you deserve to be alone?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Well then you better figure it out quick, because the Nexus Event the two of you caused, whatever that connection is, can bring this whole place down.’

Maybe, just maybe… Mobius was onto something there. Maybe Sif, even in that small, once insignificant memory buried in his mind, was wrong.

Maybe he didn’t deserve to be alone.

Maybe he didn’t have to be.

“Maybe…” The words get caught in his throat, spoken softer than he intended to. He involuntary finds himself leaning closer to Sylvie, to the warmth radiating from her, trapped within the blanket wrapped around them. “Maybe we could figure it out... together.”

He wanted Sylvie in his life.

He understood now.

He almost misses the slightest of reactions as Sylvie looks up to him - and what he knows is an earnest, vulnerable glaze in his eyes. It’s the smallest of things, almost impossible to see, but there’s a slight pull to the corner of her lips as she looks to him. Almost as if she was fighting back a smile at his proposition.

“Maybe,” She whispers back to him, just as quiet and tender as his own words. It’s not a yes, not in the way his frantically racing heart was hoping to hear, but it was a start. It was Sylvie’s own returning of a proposition, her own olive branch. The possibility he had given that she was extending right back to him.

Maybe.

Yes… Maybe they’d survive this. Maybe he and Sylvie would bring down the tyrant who oversees ‘the sacred timeline’. Maybe he’ll find Mobius again, alive and well, having turned the entirety of the TVA’s workforce against the organization they devoted their lives to, and burn it to the ground.

Maybe Sylvie will let him stay by her side.

Maybe, he’ll carve that new path in his life - with Sylvie’s intertwined with his.

Maybe he’ll find that new Glorious Purpose.

Maybe he won’t be alone.

Maybe he’ll be happy.

Maybe…

You know what? He was starting to like that word.

#sylki #pro sylki #sylki fanfic #sylki fanfiction #loki/sylvie

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revalise · 4 years

Text

Harder [M] | BONUS/PREVIEW

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x OC

Genre: Romance, mainly fluff with smut, and squint for angst

Rating: NSFW

Warnings: swearing, hair pulling, begging, fingering (mouth and vaginal)

Words: 3600+

A/N: THIS WAS FORMERLY CHAPTER 12 OF HARDER UNTIL I DECIDED TO REWRITE IT. I’M KEEPING THIS AS A PREVIEW OR A BONUS SCENE.

Again, huge thanks to Nerissa @bnha-aesthetic for beta reading this chapter!

Just getting started on the smut! I made it a little light with a little hint of what’s to come next, I guess, since it’s their first time being intimate with each other.

If you want to get tagged whenever there’s a new chapter, let me know! And if you liked this chapter, I highly encourage you to like, comment, and/or reblog. It means a lot to me!

Masterlist | 01

It all comes down to the person who stays. The moment a seemingly fragile Arya Strauss locked eyes with the Survey Corps’s uptight captain, Levi Ackerman, she felt a change in her system. And soon enough, she finds out that he is much more than what he seems. Can Arya suppress what she feels if she keeps finding himself tangled within his grasp?

Before Levi could lean over to give me another kiss, I quickly stood up from our position, running over to the lake with a smile on my face.

It’s weird, really. How three words can turn all your doubts into nothingness. What power it holds. And suddenly, all that’s left for me are my bursting feelings for him.

“You play dirty, Arya,” Levi calls out from behind me, his voice a little too far for me to make sound of.

I look over at him, extending my hand to signal him closer. “Come here, you’ll love it,” I giggled.

He stands up and dusts off his bum.Then slowly walks over to me, a smile plastered on his face so faintly that I almost missed it. The way the wrinkles on his eyes showed when a small smile appeared on his lips made me feel jittery inside.

When he nears me, I lace my hand with his. That makes it all the more real.

On normal days, you’d only ever see Levi with his usual grumpy demeanor. Hence deemed ‘uptight’ by other scouts as well as cadets. But the more I get to know him and the more time I spend with him, I realize there’s so much more to him than just that.

He’s more than just his title and he’s more than just what people perceive him to be.

He’s really just himself. He’s Levi. He’s my Levi.

“Let’s swim?” I ask with a smile as I wrap my arms around him.

Levi studies my face for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed with my question, “With what? Our uniform?”

Untangling my arms from him, I reply with a mischievous smile, “Who said so? We’re taking it off, of course.”

He looked at me like a bolt out of the blue, “You’re not saying..?”

I giggled. My hands found its way to the hem of my shirt and yanked it up from my head until I was only on my brassiere and pants.

Watching as Levi’s eyes traveled down from my face to my figure, I smirked as he gulped. For a moment, he actually looked confused like he didn’t know what to do. Deviating from his usual self where he’s so sure of everything—not an ounce of confusion ever struck his face then.

As my hands start to unbutton my pants, I tease him, “Are you going to swim like that,” I run my eyes over his figure, “or are you going to undress, mister?”

His lips parted open then a smirk formed across his face as I dropped my pants on the ground.

Before I could hear him utter anything, I entered the lake in only my underwear, inhaling the fresh scent of the water. The freezing temperature sent shivers down my spine, making me curl my toes against the ground and run my hands along both my arms to make myself feel a little warmer.

I only wanted to tease Levi, but this idea may be a bit outrageous with the cold. Even the sun has been replaced by the moon that now served to dimly light up the place. I could barely see anything.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands replace mine against my arms.

“I’ll do it for you,” Levi’s hot breath tickled my neck before I felt his lips touch my ear.

A frisson of excitement gushed throughout my system, replacing all my doubts about swimming in the cold. I felt warmer with his heat.

His hands traveled up and down my arms for a moment before he entangled me with his arms over my stomach, pulling me closer, my bare back hitting his naked chest. I put my hand over his.

“Are you warm enough?” I nod as a reply.

I turned my head to look over at him, Levi’s grey orbs matched mine, “So,” I began, “you love me, huh?” I tease with a smirk.

“Tch,” he rolls his eyes. “Don’t be too full of yourself, brat.”

I pout at his remark, “I’m still a brat to you?”

He smiles a little then kisses the tip of my nose, “Always.”

Levi laughs at me as I lightly hit his chest. I scoff at him, “You think you’re so smart with your replies, don’t you?”

An amused smirk replaces his genuine smile, “Cadet, may I remind you who you’re talking to?” He threatened, trying to make his voice sound imperative but the playfulness gave it away.

I frown at him before I turn my head and cross my arms over my chest, trying to act childish. He chuckled and silence enveloped us.

His question threw me off and my heartbeat accelerated. I suddenly remembered that he’s actually a captain. His rank is so much higher than mine. Not to mention, he’s humanity’s strongest soldier. He was our biggest bet in fighting off titans.

For me to be with someone like him seemed so impossible. But here I am now.

“Why me?” I gaze at him, bravely breaking the silence.

Levi studies my face, “Is this really necessary?”

Through the lack of words, my face might’ve given it away. He fell silent for a little while. His eyes matched the same intensity as mine, “Why not you?”

We fell silent studying each other’s faces. Levi and I, as close as we could ever be, alone in a lake with only the moon’s light faintly illuminating the whole area.

“You could have had anyone…” I whisper. I look down, avoiding his gaze.

Levi lifts my chin with one hand—the other still resting on my stomach—making me look up at him, “You’re the only one I want, you always have been…” He tilted his head a little, eyebrows furrowing before looking away, “Is that so hard to believe?”

A scheme of pink and red wash over my cheeks. To have someone like him with me is like winning a gold in my end. As for him, I couldn’t say the same. I was just a mere cadet with no outstanding abilities. What do I have to offer?

But would it be too selfish of me if I don’t want to let go of him despite his loss in me? Would it be too selfish of me if I say I want to be the only girl who gets to experience being in his arms? To feel the intensity and the heat of his touch?

I want all of him to be mine. Is that so bad?

My eyes fell to his slightly parted lips. I’m tempted to kiss him right here, right now.

We were in a rather frightening area once the moon rose, replacing the fascinating vicinity earlier.

The vibrant colors of the flowers that looked magnificent under the sun were now painted a dull gray and the green color of the trees turned into dark hues in shadows, overlooking the tall pines visible from afar. The chilling breeze of the place almost brought insecurity. But Levi’s roughly, calloused hands, probably from all the training, proved that whatever happens, we’d get through it anyway.

In that case, none of it mattered. No danger posed a threat. Only the sexual tension in between us did.

Then his hand was on the side of my face. He leans forward as he stared deep into my eyes, like he was asking for permission despite having kissed me a few times already. I smile at that, and then I rest my hand on top of his.

Slowly, his lips touch mine and I close my eyes. Maybe time slowed down when his lips met mine. For once, I could catch onto the movements of our lips. It was slow and passionate, and the flutter only intensified. I could feel my knees turning into jelly as my heart began pounding in excitement.

I was kissing him. I was kissing Levi! Our captain, who appeared to be apathetic in front of everyone.

I could only focus on the softness of his lips against mine. It didn’t take any medicine to crave for something or feel something. I only needed Levi and how addictively he invaded all my senses.

Though our kiss broke so we could catch our breaths, the gaze we had for one another didn’t. In his eyes, I could see a hint of raw emotion. Was it love? Longing? Or lust?

Before I could even expand on the thought, he pulls me in closer, draping his rough and calloused hands on my small figure. He kisses my mouth once again. I think I whispered his name.

I reciprocate his kisses and wrap my arms around his neck. At the touch of his bare skin, electricity fills me in. Heat rose from my stomach to my chest, making my heart skip another beat.

I take a peek at him as his lips dance on mine. He had his eyes closed and I took notice of his long lashes. Then Levi opens his eyes slowly, meeting my gaze while we pull away from each other.

There is a shimmer of light in his eyes from the moon. The more I stare deep into it, I begin to notice an emotion in them.

A gasp escaped from my mouth when I felt his hand squeeze my ass.

Our foreheads touch and he closes his eyes, the warmth of his breath tickling my skin.

We went silent for a moment, catching our breaths. My hands fell to the side of his waist and I entrap him within my arms, making sure he wasn’t a product of my imagination.

I still want more.

Levi lifts his head and looks at me intently, studying my face. I feel his fingers dance on my back, traveling to the hook of my brassier, playing with it.

“Can I?” His tone was husky in a whisper.

Heat rushes to my cheeks and I look at his bare chest, avoiding his gaze.

He lifts my chin with one hand, “Look at me.”

My mouth kept shut, lost for better words. From my peripheral, I see my brassier hang loosely on my chest and his fingers on my back send sensations to my spine. But before it completely went off, my hands made its way to my chest, desperately covering myself.

At first I was nervous. But when I looked at him, the feeling of uncertainty was gone. I took in the sight of his faint smile from my actions and how his hand traveled to my hair to stroke it as if to reassure me.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to,” his tone was soft. “I won’t force you, don’t worry.”

“No! It’s not that…” I took notice of the high objection in my tone, “What if you don’t like it?” I whisper, I almost didn’t hear my own voice.

He chuckles and pulls me into an embrace.

“You’re gorgeous underneath those layers,” he mutters in my ear. “I will never not like anything about you.”

He gives me a peck on my cheek, “Ever.”

I rest my head on his shoulder and chuckle at his words that made me feel better, “Did you bring me here for this?”

“What? No!” He slightly pushes me away so he can look me in the eye, but his hands remain on my shoulder.

I was only teasing him, but the look on his face tells me that he thinks I mean it.

Levi looks away for a moment and sighs, “To be honest, I just wanted a chance to watch the stars with you.”

My mouth went agape at his revelation, “What?”

He wanted what? If anything, I never thought Levi could be like this. I never thought he could actually be romantic.

His fingers find its way to the hook of my brassier again. Instead of taking it away, he tries to put it together. But by his expression and the way his eyebrows furrowed, it’s evident he doesn’t know how. This makes me chuckle.

“So you know how to take off a woman’s underwear but not how to put it back?” I tease.

Levi frowns at me but is replaced with another meaningful smirk, “Don’t worry. I’ll learn it in no time.”

My hands travel to the strap of my brassier sensually as he watches me. I could feel the straps hang loosely on my shoulders and then it was off. My breasts felt the freezing temperature of the water much stronger than my arms did.

I lightly shiver, but the warmth of Levi’s hands replaces the cold with heat. His fingers reached my bosom, tracing it. “Is it okay?”

I nod and turn my back on him to look upon the dark skies above decorated with the shining stars I didn’t notice. I feel his arms wrap around my waist and he leans in to the crook of my neck, whispering, “You didn’t notice it since we went here.”

“I think you might’ve been busy with some other,” he tucks the stray hairs on my face to my ear and breathes into it. I could feel his mischievous smile through his tone and his hands squeezed my tits when he finished with, “things.”

In retaliation, I struggle to free myself from his grip but he only laughs at me, “You’re mean,” I frown and tilt my head to look at him from behind me.

Quietly, he massaged my tits, playing with my erect nipples. I felt shy and small around him, but I was too turned on to stop him.

I bite my lip when he breathes into my neck, placing wet kisses.

“Should we head back now?” I ask quietly, my voice sounding a little hoarse.

Levi shakes his head gently, “Let’s stay like this for a while.”

We went silent for a moment, looking over the starry heavens, ignoring the cold breeze and taking in the serenity of the quiet place.

Taking a guilty peek at Levi, I found him gazing upon the vast night sky. The look on his face was more than just awestruck and astonishment, he actually looked hopeless, like he had lost everything. Perhaps the glimmer in his eyes weren’t the emotions I thought of; perhaps it was longing for something I’m unable to replace.

“Do you believe that stars twinkle?” He asked quietly while he looked above.

“Yes,” I breathe.

Levi chuckled, “Stars, actually,” he turns to me, “don’t twinkle.”

“But the star in my sky does,” I whisper. My eyes didn’t match the same humorless emotion in his.

“I want to kiss you right now,” there was another emotion in his face—something I wanted to see.

There was a perfect combination of contentment, awe, and confidence.

I trace his chest with my fingers and whisper back, “What’s stopping you?”

There wasn’t a moment of hesitation. His mouth met mine in a much aggressive manner. My fingers dig into his hair. It was soft, silky. I inhale the scent of weak jasmine from him. Frissons of excitement pierce through me. Thrilling. I stop thinking, pressing myself against him. I lead his hand to the strap of my brassier.

I open my eyes to find that his are open too. He had a look of uncertainty as his fingers traced my strap. I smile into his mouth and kiss him one more time like a signal to go ahead.

We start moving backwards. I feel one hand travel to my ass, squeezing it roughly, it hurts. I moan into his mouth. He took the opportunity to find my tongue with his.

My back hit the edges of the lake, pinning me. His hands were moving down, but not where I thought it would be. Instead, he pushes me upwards, making me sit on the edges of the lake as he stood still in the waters.

The pitch black shadows of the area made it harder for me to study his face. But through the lack of light, I see Levi’s bangs sticking in his face and his mouth parted open, gasping for air. Breathless. There was a hint of lust in the way he looked at me. For once, I was thankful for the darkness that he couldn’t see much of me, naked with only my panties.

My fingers touch his face until it goes down to his lips. I brush my thumb on it, taking my time. Then I feel his teeth gently dig into it, inviting me. Levi’s hand found its way to my waist, moving up and down, exploring my body, giving me a rush.

I have never stood naked in front of anyone. I felt nervous, but I also felt fire ignite from within me. It was a new kind of sensation that only Levi could make me feel.

I wanted more of him. And tonight, I know he did too.

Levi takes my hand in his, eyes never leaving mine. I watch as he places slow kisses from my fingers, to my arms, and then to my shoulder. The sensation ignites a heat in my stomach to my chest and I feel something in between my thighs, as I felt the urge to close my legs.

“Don’t fucking close it,” his voice was rough and threatening and he forcefully spreads my legs apart. “You will obey every word I say, understand?”

I nod and stay obedient, too speechless to utter a word. I wrap my arms around his neck as he devoured my lips one more time. My hands travel to the back of his head.

His hands explore every inch of my body, stopping at my breasts, feeling and squeezing it. I gasped at the sensation and collapsed my head onto his shoulder as I left my mouth open.

Then he almost violently grasps my chin with one hand, making me look at him and rubs his thumb over my mouth, “Suck.”

I open my mouth slowly, taking in his finger, and then I suck sensually.

Levi watches me with intensified eyes, I enjoy it. Then he added another finger once I got the hang of it. As I suck his fingers on one hand, the other explores my breast, playing with my nipple. An idea enters my mind and I smirk.

I lift my knee a little to meet the height of his clothed manhood. My knee brushes it lightly, feeling its hardness and the length almost surprises me.

Soon enough, his fingers leave my mouth and travel downwards. There was a hint of lust in his eyes as he looked at me while his fingers played with the cloth of my panties, slowly pulling it, teasing me. But he doesn’t pull it down. Instead, he leads me into the water again. The splash makes a loud sound. I feel the coldness once again.

Then I feel his hands on the back of my waist travel to my bum, squeezing it. My naked breasts pressed against his bare chest.

“Levi…” I moan as his fingers move near my barely clothed member. “Please!”

He chuckles and I watch him smirk, “Please what?” He tucks my hair behind my ear and squeezes my ass, his hand already inside my panties.

“Please…” I was lost for words.

“Use your words,” his tone was rough and demanding as he continued to tease me.

“Please put your fingers in me!”

“Not yet,” he chuckles, satisfied with my words. “Who owns you?”

A gasp escapes my mouth when I feel his fingers brushing my nipple.

“Who can only do this to you?”

But I say nothing, unable to find my words until he roughly pulls my hair. “Who?”

I groan in his grasp, “You…” I say breathless.

The softness of Levi’s lips devours me again as his fingers brush my panties. Slowly, I feel him touch my folds, sending a rush into my body. I gasp in his touch.

“So sensitive for me…” he whispers as he strokes my hair. “You’re such a mess for me…”

His eyes move from my face down to my body, observing it.

“Fuck, only I get to see this, understand?” he mutters as he devours my breast and feels the other with one hand.

A loud moan escapes my mouth when I feel his fingers part my folds and play with it. The pleasure makes me shudder and I feel something gush in between my thighs and I almost collapse beside him, losing all my energy.

Levi tightens his grip around me and chuckles, “Sorry. Did I exhaust you?”

A tired smile was all I could give him. Levi carries me out of the water and rests me on the ground. He finds our clothes and dusts it off before placing his uniform jacket around me.

“Now,” he starts, “to dry ourselves.”

Realizing we don’t have any towels to dry ourselves with, I chuckle, “We’ll use our jackets.”

I look around to find mine. When I did, I immediately put it over Levi’s damp hair, drying it. Levi looked at me with an unreadable expression, but I was too busy drying off his hair.

“Is that fine?” I ask and I put the jacket in my lap.

Levi looks at me, mouth slightly parted, and then touches his hair as if he’d just gotten back from a deep thought, “Yeah...”

Levi pulls me closer, giving me a gentle peck on my lips, “I’ll dry your hair too.”

These secret moments were enough to keep me going. There were no titans. I didn’t have to worry about being dead by the next expedition. No rules to follow. No people and country to defend. None of it mattered. Not if I had Levi.

#attack on titan #levi ackerman #levi ackerman smut #levi ackerman x oc #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman fanfiction #fanfiction #anime #shingeki no kyojin #shingeki no kyojin imagines #attack on titan imagines #attack on titan levi #aot fanfic #snk fanfiction #smut #levi ackerman imagines #levi x oc #levi ackerman fluff

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its-chelisey-stuff · 4 years

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TKEM ep 13: thoughts, feels and theories

Ah. So here we are. Only 3 episodes left and still two weeks to go. Something that I thought was tue last week, but well, life is unpredictable.

Last week's episodes were full of action, blood, twists, romance and thrill. This week's episode (and I'm still bitter about it only being one... I mean, that's not enough of Minho dosis for me or for anyone and the thing I hate most about live watching dramas is preemption ugh) was the calm before the storm, nicely setting everything into motion for the doom and the mind blowing-ness to fall upon us next.

I wanted to do little posts about some of my thoughts in my favorite scenes, but because I'm angry about only having one episode that ended on that note LIKE SERIOUSLY How do they even expect me to last a week after that TERRIBLE ending??!!! I decided I just want to rant out my theories and feelings here lmao.

So, we finally have confirmation on that assumption that it was Lee Gon (time traveling somehow) the one who saved himself in 1994. I've been suspecting that for a while except that is always nice to know for sure and the thing I never thought was that Lee Rim would caught onto that as well.

I still can't believe that PM killed (or got her killed) her counterpart from the Republic. Poor lady, we never met her, but I'm assuming she was actually nicer than PM, and most of all, an innocent person. So disappointed in PM because I thought her talent and personality could've been put into use on the good side, but *sigh* oh well. She decided to support the wrong team. And that part of her fate is sealed, because we know the bad side is just not gonna win, no matter how much harm they do. Yikes.

I mean, yes. She has a point. It’s just that our King likes to think ahead. That’s how he is. He was well aware of the doom in their relationship since their early stages.

Like I mentioned before, there was not much happening this episode, because it was obviously the basis for the big climax that's ahead of us. But I still enjoyed every minute of it, of course. And I know we didn't see, but I just can’t help but think there are some calculations and actual planning that we haven't seen on Lee Gon's part.

LOL, rude!

Again with this? Yeong, come on!

Stop it with the melo eyes. I know you care about your King. We know you love him and we love you for that but give us a break. Nobody needs a reminder when it’s all there, waiting to make us cry. Also, Woo DoHwan appreciation shots.

My favorite scene this ep and yes, I know how crazy that sounds. Like I said in an earlier post, this is just amazing. I feel the need to congratulate Lee Rim for leveling up, because the whole “you have the same face as my nephew’s deceased mother” plan was really not gonna work very well, since his hot majesty knows that woman is NOT his mother and had no interest in her. BUT using the face of TaeEul, the woman he loves, as the weapon to make him put his guard down and actually harming him in the way we have been reminded and alerted to since ep 1 (to the point of practically becoming a comic relief, a joke) is totally brilliant and horribly cruel.

I know this was PP but they were also telling us that’s where the poison was. Hehe. Also, I might be the only one who is actually entertained by Product placements. I mean, they’re hilarious. And definitely not the worst I’ve seen.

NO! Listen to me you freaking Luna! I know you’re a fictional character, but you have no idea how much I want to hit you right now! HOW DARE YOU! You’re paying for this. Btw nice parallel.

I don't know if I'm breaking the rules of theorizing by going about the spoilers I've seen and the previews with bits that have not happened yet in the drama but I'm gonna go ahead anyway. LOL I think the King is going to try fix things ala Back to the Future way (pretty sure people have thought this as well since spotting that phonecase from TaeEul's) but in doing so, and we know the dynamic from the movies, some things from the present time are gonna change, including some first meetings and interactions between characters up to the point in the story we currently are in. And maybe that's why Lee Gon will try to visit TaeEul at different points in her life so she remembers him when she's an adult and sees him again, and that would explain why in that preview from the other day, they showed their first meeting with TaeEul higging Lee Gon instead of the other way, because she knows who he is or has seen him before.

And all that sounds a lot like The time traveler's wife (the movie, bc I haven't read the book) story to me. This drama is becoming a weirdly interesting mix of those two stories. I just hope the drama ends on a more Back to the future way because otherwise it would be a very sad ending 😢 and that goes against my belief that TKEM will end up with a happily ever after. And I need to keep that hope so my sanity doesn’t suffer.

#the king eternal monarch #the king: eternal monarch #tkem #episode 13 #lee min ho #kim go eun #woo do hwan #jung eun chae #kim kyung nam #back to the future #the time traveler's wife #lmao #everyone getting their theories from King Arthur and actual research #and here I am with my theories from cheesy land #and a classic of time travel #yep #i'll see myself out

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snowstorm808 · 4 years

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More than Friends review eps 9-16

I previously posted my review of the first half of the series because I could not contain what I felt. It was quite impulsive of me but I wanted to let out everything I thought and felt for this drama. It is becoming better every time in such a way that I see the little creative ideas the writer or director is putting into each episode along with the development of the story. Familiar yet refreshing. I decided to create a new post because I saw that the first half recap was way too long if I would still add the remaining episode reviews because I just could not help it. I do understand that the length could be frustrating but I want my words to be read too, so thank you for everyone patient enough to read my words.

Episode 9 - Watching this episode made me realize a double standard I never really noticed before but I guess drama watchers would be able to relate to; the difference of pitiful and pathetic for female and male leads. I’m not yet certain if it’s deliberate but female characters locked in one sided love often seem pathetic but when it’s a male character they seem pitiful? Woo Yeon did seem pathetic in her one sided love in the earlier episodes so why does Soo get to be pitiful? It’s the same for the past dramas I’ve watched too. It’s just a food for thought. Based on last week’s preview, I really thought Joon Soo would punch Lee Soo after the drunk call but he held back so good job, Joon Soo. Honestly, I thought he wouldn’t be able to hold back because not only was he angry of the fact that Woo Yeon was getting swayed by Soo, but also because he knew how much it hurt, and hates the fact that she would still be hurt over the latter after a decade. This is why I keep wanting Joon Soo because he never thought selfishly when it came to Woo Yeon. I also love the fact that his character is being shown as someone seemingly perfect with a lot of flaws too. I love seeing his flaws and even relating to them! Being used to holding back is probably the reason why I write so much because I swear I can’t talk this much at all. I really hope he would stop holding back for his own sake. I think the most favorable Soo I have ever seen was him drunk calling his dad. I love the fact his parents went to his house to talk and console him. I also realized that Soo really closed himself up enough to have no one but his dad to drunk call. That was sad because the high school gang never really shunned him but he was the one who kept his heart closed. I half expected his folks to announce that hey would be back together because I feel that’s where those two are headed to eventually. As for Woo Yeon, I’m somehow glad she mustered up the courage to break up with Joon Soo after everything. As much as I was dreading it, I also felt that it was the right decision. She knew that it was too cruel to let him hurt quietly so I’m glad she had that decency; I could see that she was doing her best to be firm with her resolve. On her behalf, I get it why it’s difficult for her to let go of her feelings for Soo so I do not think she’s a weird one for that. I know that this is where my ship stops its sail but I’m satisfied that it’s not as I feared it would. The fight scene was reminiscent of Jealousy Incarnate, I just hope Dong Jun faked the punch because I know how athletic he has been from his Idol days which is enough for me to be scared for Seung Woo. Conveniently, it was only after this that Soo decides to take a break from pursuing Woo Yeon after ruining her chance to start anew with someone. Eventually, I know that Woo Yeon would not be able to defy the flow of her feelings towards Soo but I hope he can also grow up more because right now, I can still see him being selfish and self centered in his approach.

Episode 10 - How can one episode contain so much emotions? And it was all types of emotions at that! I mean one moment it’s awkward, cute, upsetting, lovely, funny then sad and even more! This episode was a roller coaster of emotions in my opinion. First thing’s first, the younger guy Jinju dated is a total loser and a scumbag. Good thing Sang-hyeok was there to the rescue. I feel so bad for Young-hee because every time she takes a step forward, she’s always dragged two steps back. She has a strong personality but it does not mean her situation does not wear her down too. So here comes the roller coaster because Lee Soo and On Joon Soo drinking together and ending up at Woo Yeon’s place is super cute. That includes her parents’ “interview” with the two men while they try to show off their “qualities”. I literally said “boom” when Joon Soo “let slipped” that Soo was the jerk Woo Yeon’s parents have been hunting for. That was really petty but I guess it’s his little revenge on Soo for interrupting their relationship when he used to date Woo Yeon. I am not going to lie about not loving the misunderstanding Soo had when he saw them together in the restaurant while he was with his parents. He tends to act so victimized which I really dislike then he readily blows up at Woo Yeon. But then again, it makes these characters more human then the usual kdrama characters I watched in the past. Lee Soo should really learn to express things more clearly so Woo Yeon would stop thinking that he’s simply bored or fooling around. As for Joon Soo, it’s a lost battle and I feel bad for him because he has become a masochist which is why I need to take care of him. I need Woo Yeon’s cooperation for this...

Episode 11 - Soo is finally given the chance he keeps on missing. As much as I am sad for my ship, I’m happy Woo Yeon and Soo are coming around although it isn’t the full circle yet. I do feel really bad for Joon Soo but it has always been clear how strong Woo Yeon’s feelings have been for Soo. I like how she at long last clearly stated that she will always give Soo the chance whatever he does because it has been evidently true for the past episodes. I guess that’s enough proof that feelings can’t be controlled easily. My favorite part in this episode would be her giving Soo an ultimatum because I always had a feeling he thought of her as a port always there for him. My second favorite in this episode would be Sang Hyuk and Jinju! He’s so sweet and caring which is exactly what she needs. Will they be my favorite couple? Hehe. I just want to take a bit of time to swoon over Joon Soo because he cares a lot for Woo Yeon though it isn’t returned, I appreciate him wishing her well. I can’t help but wonder if there will be another drama between Woo Yeon and Soo, because if he hurts her one more time then I would prefer her to be alone (I’ll be taking Joon Soo.)

Episode 12 - I never thought Soo and Woo Yeon together would be this mushy haha. They are making up for the lost time and I like seeing them happy and somewhat letting go of the inhibitions they had. And for the first time, I think I want to scold the writer for adding a character like Yura because seriously, those two no longer need another person to interrupt them. I suppose it’s to make up for the remining episodes? But then it could be expound on things like commitment issues for Woo Yeon and Soo, and taking the next step for their relationship. I do secretly hope for Joon Soo to make a comeback but not necessarily in a romantic light. Obviously, Soo is the one being careful now when it comes to dealing with Woo Yeon. I like seeing him nervous of losing her because it keeps him on his toes though I hope he would be more direct about it instead of acting cool so she won’t misunderstand anymore. I remember him saying he dated around too but Woo Yeon seems more like the one used to dating. I guess he never really thought of the other party when dating. I can sort of imagine his ex-girlfriends putting more effort than him.

Episode 13 - Lol, Soo should’ve been more sensitive when Woo Yeon insisted on going home by herself. I find it so cute when she defended Soo from her parents, she was so cheeky to point out her dad’s faults. After everything they have been through I hope they can do well from now on but something tells me otherwise. At least Woo Yeon finally said the magic words Soo has been so anxious to hear. It seems she was too nervous and being careful to say it though I had the initial impression that she must’ve had a stigma of some sort to those three words. I somehow feel nervous about Soo’s job offer from the airline because it might lead to a fight or even a break up. Speaking of a break up, I’m sad Hyun-jae and Young-hee had to part ways though it was one-sided. I do get the pov of his family but I can’t relate to the pressure of marriage. By the way, am I the only one who thinks Kwon Yura’s character is waste? I mean I don’t see much purpose for her character because she does not threaten the main lead’s relationship other than making Woo Yeon want to doll up herself. I must say one of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Woo Yeon went to the salon and told the staff she’s meeting with her boyfriend’s woman. I love how the customers and salon staff reacted even calling in their boss to style her. Was it a parody? I’m not sure because I have sworn to lay my hands and eyes off all dramas that deal with a husband’s mistress. Nevertheless, it was super witty and I had a lot of fun watching that scene including the one where she deliberately posed further behind Yura to make her face look smaller. Lastly, Sang-hyeok and Jinju are finally together! They look so cute together and make the perfect couple. In fact, all three couples seem to be perfect for each other because they complement each others’ personalities well.

Episode 14 - This must be the episode where everyone breaks up or gets rejected. But before that, I can’t get over the expression Woo Yeon’s mom wore when she said to pack up contraception for her trip with Soo. One minute they were having a lovely mother-daughter moment then she suddenly brings that up. As much as most people would find it awkward, I think it was so funnily straightforward. Her mom cares which suddenly reminds me of the reaction of Young-hee’s mom when she found tons of condoms in her drawer. Another reaction I really enjoyed was when Woo Yeon and Soo found out Jinju and Sang-hyeok are dating! The way she splashed water out of shock really showed how it was the farthest thing in her mind. From the time Soo’s work offer came, it already seemed ominous along with Woo Yeon’s offer so I was not surprised with the break up. Maybe it was for the better; I have been mulling over Woo Yeon’s reasoning that she might end up hating Soo if they stayed together. The loneliness was eating her up which I believe is realistic in a long distance relationship like theirs. Soo shouldn’t have readily agreed regardless if he was thinking of her or not. Considering these two pursued their careers, I think this would leave less regrets in their hearts because they were able to fulfill the dreams they had. Their feelings for each other will always be there because they are Soo and Woo Yeon. I just need to wait how they will get back to each other.

Episode 15 - While watching this episode, I couldn’t stop thinking that this is the episode I finally see Lee Soo as someone heartbroken and not self centered, also, am I the only one who thinks his hair styled up is way better than his hair down? At last, I got to see Soo’s feelings of longing for Woo Yeon instead of his attitude of forcing his feelings like earlier into the series. I think it’s his maturity plus his sincerity in wanting her back because he now knows how it is to lose her. Their break up might just seem like another ploy by the writer to extend the series but I also think it was helpful to both Woo Yeon and Soo. In the first place, they decided to be apart so their careers could flourish which made them busy and drift apart. It also brought to light the insecurities they had especially Woo Yeon who had been so used to be the only one who in love. I think her fears of having the person she loved and wanted the most surfaced which keeps her from returning to him even if he’s practically begging her back. I just hope Soo would’ve made efforts to contact Woo Yeon or get her back after that break up call just as he was when he was courting her instead of stepping back. I guess it was partly a good thing because they were able to achieve certain things for their careers during that time too. Meanwhile Young-hee’s mom’s death was inevitable but at least they got to resolve the hard feelings and she was able to convey her love for her children. I think among the deaths I’ve seen in kdramas, this is the most touching for me. I must really be getting old to be sentimental like this. I also felt envious of the leads’ friendship. This episode showcased it the most especially how they supported Young-hee through the most difficult time in her life. I also love how they quietly support the complicated relationship of Soo and Woo Yeon. They have never attempted to kill him so yup they are good people.

Episode 16 - Loose strings are tied up in a pretty bow as the friends gear up for each of their happy endings. Joon Soo decides to let go of his feelings for Woo Yeon (he’s finally free to walk towards me! Yay!) I really like their hug because it sums up the affections and friendship they had. Good thing Soo wasn’t there to tear them apart. I also like that Soo is still a bit jealous of Joon Soo because whenever I remember how arrogant he was about stealing Woo Yeon away, I still want to punch him. His mom’s pushing aka guilting Woo Yeon was indeed effective, heh. Seriously though, it seems to me that his mom did it because she did not want him to end up like his parents and perhaps it was her way of making up for their negligence and mistreatment of him. I love the fact that Soo and Woo Yeon continued to fight and make up even after getting back together, it was very much in their character. It’s also nice that Soo’s parents decided to give their relationship another shot. It makes me think that they too learned from their son. Jinju’s and Sang-hyeok’s wedding pictorial was super lovely, it was very smart of them to trick Soo into it haha. Young-hee and Hyun-jae are finally back together too! Thank goodness, they’re getting married instead of returning to dating. As much as I cringed with their cheesiness, it was very much welcome and cute to watch. All six of them had their own cringey and cheesy way of saying and doing things. I think this drama has one of the most satisfactory endings ever, now, if only On Joon Soo can find his way to me...

More than Friends has met the amount of romance and tension that I always look for yet refreshing and not too cliché. I love the little details and the way it explored different types and stages of relationships including of different age groups. I hope other viewers would also get to see how the writer tried to portray these in the drama. Watching the ending made me realize the drama’s title was probably referred to these couples because they started as friends and became more than just that. Honestly, their situation is quite idealistic but I think it’s so cute if it does happen in real life. I’m happy I watched this even if it was mainly for Kim Dong Jun. Literally before watching this, I watched Moment of Eighteen then even prior to that, I watched Meow, The Secret Boy. MoE was sad because Junwoo had to put off his dreams and relationship to help out his mom. I initially wanted to skip or wait till later to watch it but ended up being hooked to it. Hehe.

One of the things I find fascinating in this drama is the casting! Shin Ye Eun’s step mom in MTSB became her actual mom while her dad became Lee Soo’s dad this time. There lots of familiar faces which made me like the drama even more.

#more than friends #shin ye eun #ong sungwoo #kim dongjun #p.o.#ahn eunjin #baek soo min #choi chan ho

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bugabash · 4 years

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Cursed Past

Preview for Miraculous ladybug Fanfiction I am releasing today. It is a multi time verse kind of thing. Finishing off the first chapter currently

oOo

When the past is changed the only people who can help Adrien and Marinette defeat the new villain are themselves, just not from their time. The seasoned superheroes will need to teach their younger selves everything they know before the time runs out or else life as they know it will cease to exist. Love is blossoming, trust is strengthened, and the true power of their miraculouses will be revealed.

oOo

It was around 3am, the house was dark and silent, the clock ticking quietly on the kitchen wall. Marinette and Adrien were sound asleep, his wife draped over Adrien’s bare chest, snoring softly, mouth agape. Adrien slept soundly, one arm around Marinette’s bare back and the other draped over his forehead. It was a normal night, nothing exciting had happened like things used to when there were akumas about, but they still had their instincts and they were ready for anything. Adrien felt the rush go down his spine, his eyes flying open just before the bright light appeared. Marinette gasped as she woke up, Adrien grabbing the blankets and pushing her off him and hid her behind his back in one swift movement of his strong arm, covering them both with the blanket. The giant, round, white light looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember. The feeling he had earlier coming back in full force. Fuck, he needs to trust his instincts more, especially when Mari had it too!

“Adrien! Whats going on!?” Marinette cried from behind him, clinging to his shoulder, pressing against him as much as possible.

He glanced back at her, making sure she was covered, his own posture on the defence, ready to protect his wife no matter the cost. His head snapped back to the bright light in front of them, growling low in his chest, grinding his teeth together and narrowing his eyes. Their kwamis woke with a start and flew over to them, hiding behind Adrien’s broad back as well, waiting to see if they need to transform or not.

“Calm down, Kitty, no one is going to hurt your bug.” A familiar voice said, making Adrien blink and grip the blankets tighter. A figure stepped through, Adrien’s eyes widened and he felt a lump gather in his chest. Marinette gasped and dug her nails into his skin, causing him to wince.

“B-Bunnix??” She cried out, covering her eyes from the blinding light.

“You two may want to cover up, I’m not alone.” She stated simply, looking them up and down with a raised brow.

Adrien just stared at her, mouth agape, his eyes wide and his brows raised. He suddenly felt a bit self-conscious; they were both naked and Marinette was completely covered but his bare, scarred chest was in full view. He was about to pull the blankets up more when two figures stumbled in, and like that the white light disappeared, both figures panting, the taller figure holding up the smaller figure. They stumbled to the wall and Adrien blinked at the new darkness, narrowing his eyes to make out something, and that’s when he saw it. The ears. His eyes widened and he quickly reached over and turned on his lamp, returning to his position and hiding Marinette behind him even more.

They both gasped, their hearts stopping, their blood running cold, and dread filled them both. Tikki and Plagg zoomed up, their own eyes wide as they stared at the two injured teenagers before them. Standing in front of them, panting and clinging to each other were Ladybug and Chat noir, bloody and bruised, soot covering their body and faces. They looked young, maybe them at 18 years old, and when the two younger versions of themselves looked up at them both their eyes widened, gasping at the same time and freezing. Then Adrien covered up quicker than he ever had, making sure Marinette was extra covered as she hid her face in his back.

“Chat Noir? Ladybug?” Marinette asked, lifting her face from Adrien’s back peaking over his shoulder, “Bunnix… What’s going on? Why are they here? And when are they from?” She almost screeched, “What the fuck!”

“We need your help,” Bunnix finally said, looking back and forth between the younger and older versions. “Something has changed in our past, someone we defeated has come back but they have gone to the past. They,” referring to the injured heroes, “aren’t going to be able to stop them, not alone.” Marinette and Adrien glanced at each other in shock, then back at Bunnix, actively ignoring the heroes. “If you don’t help us, nothing will be the same ever again.” With that Marinette sighed and dropped her head against Adrien’s back, groaning against his skin while Adrien carried on looking dumbfoundedly at the scene infront of him. He took in a deep breath, his brain trying to keep up with all this information at once.

“Fuck.”

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chibimyumi · 5 years

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Art Report - ‘Elisabeth 2019′ TOHO ACT 1

【Click here for Act 2 】

Dear everyone!~~!

Now 3 months late since I promised, I finally bring you a VERY detailed photo report on ‘Elisabeth’ 2019!

DISCLAIMER:

I am not going to retell the story of ‘Elisabeth’; I will skip quite many scenes. For the full story, please look up a synopsis or something alike.

There is actually quite a lot I am not sure whether I remembered right. And Furukawa always changes his performance every few days, so my report does not cover all of Furutod.

Some of these drawings were made in a rush, while for others I had more time.

Cast - Matinée July 19th, 2019

Elisabeth - Manaki Reika

Der Tod - Furukawa Yuta

Lucheni - Yamazaki Ikusaburo

Franz I - Hirakata Genki

Sophie - Koujun Tatsuki

Rudolf - Miura Ryosuke

Child Rudolf - Jin Yoshiharu

The Descent

The descent has always been one of my favourite scenes. This number is just so great, a mere memory of it is enough to turn me into one giant goosebump. I was especially looking forward to this, because this would be the first time we see Furukawa Yuta as the role of his dreams; Der Tod.

Though I am no fan of the metallic wings, Furutod’s descent was SO MAJESTIC. The theme of Der Tod started, and from the ceiling a pair of boots descended.

Some ankles revealed itself, the calf... more of the calf... and there was more calf... AH finally some knees. Uw, more legs...leeegs...leeeegs... “WHERE DO HIS LEGS STOP!? Oh, there! No wait, those are his upper thighs. Ah, finally, his waist.”

I heard from someone who counted, Furukawa descends one beat earlier than Inoue Yoshio’s Der Tod does, because otherwise by the time Der Tod needs to sing, Furukawa’s face has not shown yet ( ´艸｀)

When Furutod touched ground, his Death Angels undid his wings, and he stepped onto the stage for the first time.

The way Furukawa carries himself as Der Tod is very two-dimensional, in a good way! When he descended he was like a Greek statue, but when he stepped forward, he gradually came to life. In this photo ⇊ we catch a small glimpse of Furutod’s statue-like face.

Sissi’s Entrance

Manaki’s Sissi was the cutest and most majestic thing I have seen. When she made her appearance as child Sissi, it was very believable that it really was a child standing before me. She was beaming and her eyes were full of dreams. And yet there was this edge in her. It was easy to see how this young girl would grow into a woman who would survive ordeal after ordeal.

Enter the Underworld

During a family meeting, Sissi fell from the tree which wounded her so bad she enters the Underworld. She was escorted by the Death Angels, and at first Furutod did not seem interested at all. “Another mortal who died, nothing new.” When he approached her to take her life, Sissi sought eye-contact with Der Tod, and her eyes were so full of power and life, it was like she - though confused - was daring the lord of the Underworld to end her.

“The Rondo of Love and Death”

The song ‘the Rondo of Love and Death’ began, and I was stunned by how much Furukawa managed to improve his already good singing. He always had trouble with the high notes, and sometimes he would be a bit short of breath. But by ‘Elisabeth’, Furukawa has improved his vocals so much that even the highest notes went as smooth as silk.

♪♬ “The wounds from which my pale blood flows Only you are capable of easing my pain I shall return you your life” ♪♬ - Der Tod

This is the first time when Furutod comes fully to life, and for the first time his eyes showed an emotion that was not utttttter boredom. We learn that Furutod is like a spoiled child who would take any opportunity to play. Despite literally being the personification of Death, the only thing Der Tod seems to want to kill is not the lives of others, but his own boredom. To me, Furutod is the first Der Tod that made me realise what this ‘pain’ in the script really meant to him; a lethal apathy paired with the suffering of not being able to end it.

The other Der Tods I have seen are also good; but especially in the Takarazuka version, this ‘pain’ is strongly hinted to be ‘a loveless existence’. A lethal apathy was a very refreshing take for me to see.

♪♬ “Until the day I win your love I will continue my pursuit... I will pursue your love no matter where you go”　♪♬

The song was meant to be a very romantic one, but once sung by Furutod, this pining lover’s song became that of an entitled stalker’s threat song. In the other versions of ‘Elisabeth’, Der Tod is also a stalker, of course. But the emphasis on the romance is usually laid on so thick, one would have to give the situation some extra thought before acknowledging how creepy it truly is.

Furutod however, only allows you room to either interpret it as a problematic kinky-romance, or sheer threat.

The Imperial Wedding

Franz I and Sissi get married, and Der Tod attends the Imperial wedding as well. I was a very lucky b*tch, I sat only 2 seats away from where Furutod passed us in the aisle.

... he was literally only a meter away from us, and my little dork sister Ò^Ó didn’t see him. Sigh. She was too busy looking at the stage. Which - not gonna lie - was glorious too. But Furutod thoughhhhhhh.

His long cape trailed behind him, the way he walked was so smooth it was like he was floating. We have seen a preview of Furukawa’s float-walk in Kuromyu, where he applied ballet even to walking. I thought that was already the height of Furukawa’s ballet skills; BUT I WAS WRONG! When I saw Furutod’s float-walk from up close, I realised that as Sebas, Furukawa was at least ‘TRYING’ to look human. With Furutod he did not bother.

Speaking of my sister @cutiepeimei , she also sketched the image of Floating!Furutod. He ghost.

The Game is On

After Furutod saw his ‘toy’ become someone else’s, it was like something snapped in his mind. He was very calm at first, solemnly warning Elisabeth that she will be the end of the Habsburg glory.

♪♬ “All misfortune starts here, as of today The demise of the Habsburg glory The downfall of an empire of which no one knows Let me tell you bit by bit, the source of all disaster People are blissfully oblivious of the scent of misfortune The die is cast by your grave mistake Elisabeth!” ♪♬ - Der Tod and Choir

But then after Elisabeth spoke her wedding vow, tears started streaming down Furutod’s cheeks, and suddenly, he broke into hysterical laughter.

He started with a few chuckles under his breath which bled into an uncontrolled laughter. Before we knew, this ominous laughter became a full-out hyena screech, going “iiiiyaaahahahaahahaha!”

The Japanese fandom is rather divided on their opinions on this hyena laughter. I at first didn’t like it either; I found myself pinching my nose willing myself not to laugh in the theatre. Despite it being funny at the time, it was indeed very very chilling. It wasn’t until after I watched other versions of ‘Elisabeth’ (because I just missed Furutod SO MUCH) that I realised I was REALLY missing Hyena!Tod. So I have settled with the opinion of “Hyena!Tod Hell YES!”.

“The Last Dance“

In the interview published in ‘Soen September 2019 Issue’, Furukawa shared with us that he asked costume designer Ikezawa to make this costume military based.

Though all guests attended the Imperial wedding in formal wear, Furutod chose to appear in military uniform because that was the moment he decided to declare war to Elisabeth. Quite a few years had passed between their first encounter and the wedding, and Furutod was done waiting; he was going to conquer his toy actively now.

In the song ‘the Last Dance’, Furutod made his appearance in a cool-headed manner, and he stayed so for... a few seconds. It was like he was trying very hard to remain calm, but his bottled-up impatience just could no longer be suppressed.

As Furukawa said himself before in this interview, “‘the Last Dance’, starts in gentle melody and sets the mood. But then suddenly the rock starts, and both Der Tod and the musical itself transform themselves.”

Sissi was trying to escape the room, but the Death Angels had already guarded every corner of the room. Whenever Sissi seemed to finally have found a window to escape, a minion would just spin her on her heels and push her back to the boss.

Usually, this scene is one of my least favourites in non-Takarazuka versions, because it is usually performed with too much rape-vibes. Furutod however, was not rape-y at all. In fact, he hardly ever touched more than Sissi’s hands. The scene was devoid of sexual energy - it was just war.

By the end of the song, Furutod saw how Sissi was devastated by him, and seemed to regret for a second that he used the wrong strategy. Had he not scared her, then Sissi might have been less quick to run away from him. It was very refreshing to see a version of this scene wherein Der Tod reflects on how he scared somebody unduly.

Alas, no use crying over spilt milk, Furutod shrugged it off. Before he left Sissi he bowed to her, and with a gentle smile he gestured at the pathway that the Death Angels cleared for her. Furutod reminded Sissi that whether she escapes him or not would be entirely at his mercy, just like now. “Your last dance will belong to me.” ♪♬

“I Belong to Myself”

At the crack of dawn after Sissi’s wedding night, her mother in law Sophie inspects every inch of her, and even blamed her for not having consummated the wedding with her son. Sophie dictates the rules at the Imperial court and strips Sissi of every last bit of her autonomy.

Look, ⇊ it’s Akisono Mio (Frances) on the left!

Franz hears the noise from his bride’s chamber and comes to check on her. Sissi cries out to Franz, begging him to save her from Sophiezilla. Franz - the spineless mama-boy that he is - smiles at Sissi, and has the guts to sing the following:

♪♬ “ You have to learn the duties of being Empress You need to repress yourself, that is your life from now on I am your ally, but all of Mother’s advice is for your sake” ♪♬ - Franz

Sissi will swallow none of this bs, and declares that even though her body might now be the Imperial family’s property, her soul belongs to herself alone.

I have seen a lot of whimpering Sissis who turned this power song into a damsel-in-distress-song. But Manaki Reika was full of determination and spite. It was very empowering to see. She was looking up, of course, and it makes sense because the Imperial Theatre has multiple stories of seats. But because of Manaki’s immense presence, it felt like she was declaring her autonomy to a greater existence.

Hungarian Independence

Sissi’s life was getting harder and harder. First, her husband was very busy, so the couple did not have any time to produce any children. By the second year, Sissi finally gave birth to a baby girl, but the baby was immediately taken away by Sophie. Not only did Sophie go full Disney Villain by stealing a baby, she also took the liberty of naming the child after herself.

The state was in turmoil, and Franz had trouble keeping everything together. He was willing to make a last bet on his wife’s charms, and asked Elisabeth to come with him to Hungary.

Here, Sissi saw her chance to make a move, and demanded that she would only come if Franz made his mother return baby Sophie to her. Defeated, Franz finally made his first move.

Franz was supposed to show himself in a speech wherein he declares Austrian authority over Hungary. Sissi however, showed herself in a dress in the colours of the Hungarian flag, and greeted the Hungarian people in Hungarian language and acknowledges Hungary as an independent nation. Using this political move, she managed to single-handedly win the favours of the Hungarian people who were fighting for self governance.

The Hungarian revolutionaries however, were VERY unhappy with this development. While they would have been seen as ‘heroes who fought for independence’, they would now be reduced to ‘ungrateful rebellions’.

Elemer, played by Uehara Takuya (Grell) made his move to assasinate Sissi, but was stopped by Furutod. Furutod hid Elemer’s hand that was holding a gun with his cape, and showed the revolutionaries that the Imperial guards were very close by.

Furutod gave the revolutionaries an assuring pat on the shoulders and created an opening for them to escape the guards. The revolutionaries thanked him heartily. Furutod scoffed, reminding the audience once more that Sissi’s life and death was entirely in his hands.

Just like Furukawa explained marvelously before in this interview, Furutod is “an entity that represents both life force and death; death has no meaning to human beings if there is no life, after all. Death’s power ultimately, comes from his authority over the termination of someone’s life.”

Sissi seemed to be very full of herself after she won the popularity of the Hungarian people, but Furutod would not allow her this joy. His Death Angels appear with a small coffin and presented it to her like a gift box. They opened the ‘gift’ and revealed the corpse of baby Sophie to her mother.

Sissi screeches in pain and anger, and Furutod wrapped his arms around her, again with tears streaming down his face.

♪♬ “On the eve of your wedding you danced Your eyes shining with love for me But the arms around you were the Emperor’s Do you remember? Now in my eyes too, my love for you shines But in my arms rests another Elisabeth, quickly acknowledge your love for me And realise that you will lead his Empire into ruins” ♪♬ - Der Tod

Furutod is easily the cruelest interpretation of Der Tod I have seen... and I have seen MANY. (Ack, I forgot to draw this scene... might add it later.)

Ultimatum

Sissi’s produced 3 children by now, but all were taken away by Sophie. Her only son Rudolf was but a young child, but he was being literally being whipped into discipline by Sophie. Whenever the boy would say he wanted to see his mother, Sophie would whip him, and tell him his mother is a bad influence.

Sophie did not like Elisabeth’s success in Hungary, so she had been controlling every aspect at the Austrian court.

Sissi’s had enough, and wrote an ultimatum to her husband, demanding that he needed to choose either her, or his mother. If he did not comply, then her legs door would always be closed to him.

Franz takes the letter, but did not know what to do, and left. Sissi did not seem to have a lot of faith in Franz to be able to stand up against Sophiezilla either, and almost crashes.

Then in her lowest moment, Der Tod appeared and showed her the understanding and compassion she could get nowhere else. He sings in a cooing voice:

♪♬ “Elisabeth... cry no more Rest embraced in my chest Now is the time you can finally be free in the eternal world where time never ends” ♪♬ - Der Tod

He touched her very gently, only ever guiding her with his finger tips, never pulling her. Here he respected her bodily autonomy which her husband would not.

♪♬ “Elisabeth... let us go just the two of us...” ♪♬

Sissi seemed to be falling for the temptation, and Furutod got carried away because for the first time in years, he seemed to be a bit more successful. He forgot to maintain his gentle act, and pushed Sissi down a bit too forcibly. Sissi snapped out of the dream, realising her seducer was not unlike her husband who’s been trying to force himself onto her, and pushed Der Tod away.

♪♬ “No, I will not run! It's still too soon to give up! As long as I am alive I can obtain my freedom Get out! I will never rely on you!” ♪♬ - Elisabeth

“MILK!”

‘Milk’ is such a powerful song...! Yamazaki’s powerful and slightly drunk voice is PERFECT for Lucheni... eternal sadness that 2019 is probably his last time as Lucheni...

Austria was suffering from famine, and the price of milk had sky-rocketed. Lucheni here poses as a milk merchant and sells milk to the starving people. There was barely enough milk left for one small jug however, and the people raged even further.

Lucheni then explains that all the milk is gone because it got into the bathtub of the Empress, who was using food to maintain her beauty.

♪♬ “Can the beauty of the Empress really save a nation!? Instead of looking at other countries Have some eyes for your own!” ♪♬ - Lucheni & Choir

After having successfully fueled the anger of the people, Lucheni then ships cans and cans of milk to the Imperial palace, where Sissi was having her beauty routine.

The Mirror Hall

Franz could not really keep it in his pants anymore, and finally decided to confront his mother. He gathered his courage and approached his wife, to tell her that she will have her authority as the children’s mother back, “so please, please sleep with me again.” Though this is exactly what Sissi wanted to hear, Franz started another train of spineless excuses for how he was toootally not a coward for NOT standing up against his mother, but that he merely had to abide his duty as the Emperor.

Sissi makes another power move. She showed herself in the iconic Empress Elisabeth dress, and presented herself so majestically she manages to shut her husband up. (Sorry, my art here cannot quite represent just HOW majestic she was...)

My sister’s self portrait does cover the reaction it demanded though!

When Franz wanted to get close to her, Sissi stopped Franz with but a mere hand-gesture. Though Sissi presented herself as a very elegant and perfect wife, her words carried a very strict warning that Franz should not mistake her as his property just because she’s happy he showed her basic decency.

♪♬ “I am pleased to hear your words I too wish to walk by your side, Your Majesty However, my life belongs to myself!” ♪♬ - Elisabeth

Franz was not the only one who was impressed, Furutod too had to begrudgingly admit he was one-upped by Sissi. Now that Sissi had determined to live on regardless of the hardships, Der Tod was forced to literally stay in the background, watching Elisabeth reconquering everything that was stripped away from her bit by bit.

♪♬ “Because I've permitted you another chance to live you ended up finding the purpose of life!” ♪♬ - Der Tod

The platform on which Furukawa stood rose up, and he pressed a hand onto his heart, raising his head to the sky.

Herewith, the curtains of the first Act fell (and while applauding, everybody shot up from the seats and bolted for the toilets.)

【Click here for Act 2 】

#Elisabeth #Das Musical #Furukawa Yuta #Yun #Yuntod #Furutod #Manaki Reika #Chapi #Sissi #Art Report #Review #Be prepared for ACT II #TOHO #Imperial Theatre

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hollywoodx4 · 5 years

Text

You all asked for another set of my trash human Hadestown hot takes so.....

I think maybe I should just start from the beginning and go from there, and sprinkle some details in when I think about them. And since you’ve mentioned before that detail is a good thing, I’m going to try really hard to articulate the 500 versions of “I can’t” and “She did that” and “UM” and “GIRL” Also as always, I apologize, but this is honestly a lot of Eva and Reeve heavy content. I love all of the cast, they are all so phenomenally talented and wonderful, but as usual my mind has chosen to hyper-focus on two things so this is what it is.)

(So. I’m thankful for this platform because before my notes were ALL “Um” and “Girl” and now you guys are motivating me to actually write what I’ve been thinking about non-stop all day on my one hour of sleep. So. Thank you! I went about labeling every song-and I actually end up having thoughts for every one, because I went back and listened through and wrote down what I could remember/the things I thought were relevant for the people that won’t be able to see it outside of the boot that literally everyone but me has at this point).

This is only act I. This is a loooooong hot take. This is a lot of Eva and Reeve specific commentary. This is just a lot of commentary. I think it’d be cool/beneficial/whatever to listen as you read? LOL thanks for coming to my actual, legitimate 5 page essay on Act I.

So. My overarching thought of the night (and, actually, I think I mentioned this when I was there two weeks ago too) is that Eva has been playing an incredibly soft Eurydice lately. Compared to when I was there for previews in April, or even back in August, it seems like each time I’ve gone back she just gets softer and softer, and it’s made me so incredibly happy to see her characterization grow. I do see Eurydice as someone who has been through a lot, and does have that tougher skin, and I think that Eva does a fantastic job in representing that in Any Way the Wind Blows. She keeps her voice strong and consistent, and has this look on her face that’s a cross between worry, wavering confidence, and just this tough shell of a girl who’s trying not to look like she’s given up. And this works so incredibly well when she meets Orpheus. Because I’m telling you, the flip in her demeanor happens in the most noticeably beautiful way during Wedding Song. But first, let’s talk about the fact that I’m not sure who decided that it’d be a good idea that Eva play with fire during this song, and aesthetically it’s just such a MOMENT to see Eurydice looking bored, head down on her arms on the table, eyes wide and uninterested/exhausted/hungry as she runs each of her fingers through the flame (and, at times, pauses to inspect the finger she’s just put into the fire, rub it against another finger or the table, and then begin her game again) I don’t know why this has become one of my favorite things about the staging but? I imagine this being something Eurydice just does sometimes to keep herself from thinking about how hungry she is, and it becomes a habit so that in the iteration where they both make it out of Hadestown and live happily ever after Eurydice just does this one time and makes poor Orpheus jump out of his skin worried that she’s somehow going to send herself back down by doing this. Because they still are walking on eggshells about the fact that they made it out and here she is playing with fire, LITERALLY. Okay, moving on....

So. What I like about Wedding Song live is that her speaking voice just. It’s a bit higher, softer. She still carries the teasing tone, but there’s just this incredulous lift in “is he always like this?” and a lot of laughter in “Oooh, he’s crazy.” and Reeve plays Orpheus so sweet and innocent that you can’t help but feel bad for this bumbling idiot stumbling over himself at this beautiful girl sitting there looking completely cool and collected. But. There’s a beautiful thing about the composition and balance Eva is able to maintain in that you can see that Eurydice is openly intrigued, but keeps herself guarded in a playful sort of way. Almost like she can’t keep herself guarded and wants to let her guard down. Her smile kills me over and over again during this scene. Again, Eva’s Eurydice has turned into quite the small, beautiful romantic and I just am so in love with everything that she has subtly changed and morphed, the girl is an absolute QUEEN.

Also, I can’t go any further without saying a big THANKS to Eva for making me cry the SECOND I heard her start to sing Any Way the Wind Blows and just continue that train all night long. What a fucking night.

Okay, so my favorite thing about Epic I is the sheer power that small boy Orpheus has in singing his la laas for the first time. I remember distinctly having the most goosebumps the first time I witnessed this back in April, and every single time it just. Leaves me breathless. And I think now that it’s been a few times, the goosebumps come from knowing how significant this melody will be throughout the show. But Reeve’s facial expressions as he sings them? Make you believe that la is the most important syllable in the dictionary. He closes his eyes and just feels the music and plays his guitar and he is just so phenomenally talented that WOW. Also my favorite small part of this song is that during my favorite line “with them the cycle of the seed and the sickle, etc.” he spins in circles while playing and singing and just. It’s the smallest amount of choreography that feels the most necessary, as if it’s Orpheus becoming so enraptured with the music that he has to move! And it’s in the middle of the tables that are in the “bar,” with the workers and Eurydice looking on and watching him tell this tale. It all feels so incredibly genuine-it makes you believe that Orpheus singing to the workers is something they’ve witnessed, almost something they look forward to when they come to the bar. I think it has to do with the fact that they’re all just watching him, intrigued but also settled in? As if this is routine, this is comfort, his songs are meant for them and for this little community he has. Even when he plays the first note of the Epic they’ve settled in and are sitting up watching him and listening intently. It gives his character a lot of soft power and dynamic without having to say anything, establishing him as an integral part of this life without so much as a word.

Uhhh Living it Up On Top is just my most favorite feel-good bop. Why? Because of the ensamble. Watching them dance is a blessing. It honestly feels like watching a fucking family reunion freestyle dance party every single time. You can physically see and feel how close this cast is; they make faces at each other, they laugh, and also this instrumental break included the Eva Noblezada booty drop which is EVERYTHING. And she also did a full leg extension kick this time which. Girl. Save some talent and cuteness for everyone else. I also find it extremely appropriate that during all of this kickass dancing and partying our boy Orpheus in all of his gangly, limbly qualities can be found sort of flitting around the stage, taking Persephone’s coat, then Eurydice’s, then putting things away and moving around giving out the cups to toast- like. It’s lowkey established in this scene that he’s 10/10 not the cool and effortless one in this relationship and is the cute small boy child. And I don’t know if that’s because I think that Eva’s really cool and charismatic and Reeve is a bit more shy in a crowd situation, but that’s 100% how this comes off to me/how I perceive the characterization and I’m here for it. And when the line “to the patroness of all of this, Persephone” came up Reeve was like 10 octaves higher than the cast recording, all squeaky and flustered. And then between that and his next line, he took a breath and smiled the big stupid baby Orpheus smile that makes him so charming-if you weren’t rooting for him before now you’re messed, but after the smile? And the high-toned, flustered rambling toast? Makes it impossible not to love him. (Also “to the world we dream about…” is my most favorite Hadestown quote so. I choked because every time I hear it, especially as genuine and sweet as Reeve says it as he looks out at the crowd, and then at the audience, is just. It makes you feel the reality that this show crosses with its messages and its story as a whole). And then after they drink their toast they all sputter and cough, and then the ending when they all sing “HOW ARE WE LIVING IT” it literally is so powerful and dynamic, I love this ensemble so fucking much. Their energy truly fuels the show. We are blessed.

OOOOHKAY CHILDREN BUCKLE UP FOR ME BEING DECEASED. Because All I’ve Ever Known? Um Eva, what the fuck? In a good way. In the way that the second she started singing I started crying immediately. Because I’ll say it again, she’s just become so soft and romantic that I can’t even handle it. The distinct memory I have from this song (where I literally almost hit my cousin because I went from heart-eyed staring with no breathing and my head in my hands like the stupid hopeless baby lesbian that I am to breathing everything in all at once and coughing a BIG cough of just. Literally just love.) During “You take me in your arms, and suddenly there’s sunlight all around me” Orpheus holds Eurydice with her back to him, and she opens her arms and sings about the sunlight. And I fucking SWEAR TO GOD the smile on her face. Like. Big, wide, eyes closed, you’d 100% fall in love with her the second you saw it too. I don’t know how you couldn’t. She just looks so incredibly happy and peaceful and this is the moment she completely drops her guard (although I’ll say that I believe a lot of it is dropped earlier along. But this moment is a transcendental experience) OH ALSO during the violin instrumental she literally does this like. Handstand split Over Reeve’s head that is so poetically beautiful (that entire choreography is, like. It really just makes the love feel so incredibly palpable, and the fact that this is the turning point of moments where suddenly there are NO MOMENTS where they’re not all over each other is just. It’s a moment.) And then they kiss and it’s flawless and I sob profusely at how beautifully done this entire choreography/moment/existence of two souls happens.

Way Down Hadestown also includes two of my favorite moments; Amber Gray dancing with her body at a 90 degree angle, head looking at the floor, and Orpheus and Eurydice peacing out and sitting to the side sharing a bar stool unable to keep themselves away from each other. Which. Is everything to the point where I literally told my cousin to watch them during this song. Because. His ear kisses (which. I hyperventilated about for like 3 paragraphs back in the beginning of October) are SO MUCH (so tender. So soft. The brushing back of the hair over her ears and the soft spoken words and the head on her head make me want to careen into an abyss and fall in love immediately) but I love them with all of my heart, he is so soft and gentle and it literally feels like such a moment being intruded upon that this is the way these two characters were meant to be played and I will accept nothing else. Also, Eva’s little minor chord, jazzy vocal moment during the last “way down under the GROOOOOOOUND is so beautifully done, I can’t believe she exists and just acts like it’s not a big deal that she can just. Be that good. And I also love the way that this moment is staged; Hades and Persephone are standing on the center turntable, and at those last few “way down, Hadestown, way down under the ground” after “kind of makes you wonder how it feels,” right when it kicks back into the faster tempo the turntable starts to descend. And there’s some fog, and they all stand and watch them go under the ground, and when Eurydice sings the last “way down under…she moves closer to the now hole in the ground and looks deeper, as if she’s so curious as to what is going on.

A Gathering Storm/Epic II I just like that in the OBC recording, Eurydice sounds kind of salty when she says “well, until someone brings the world back into tune, this is how it is.” But I think that it’s perceived more as a kind of matter-of-fact thing, as if watching Persephone descend has brought her back into her shell a little bit, set off some anxieties. She shrugs her shoulders and looks complacent, as if to tell him without as many words that she’s done this before, this is old news, this is going to happen. And when he says “he came for her too soon,” it’s rushed and quiet, but frantic, as if the entire weight of the situation immediately has been cast on his shoulders. And for the most part, that’s all I’ve got for him. The real superstar in this scene is the fucking imagery used to introduce the workers, and the symbolism of the workers AS THE WALL. So, when he says “With a million hands, he built a wall” the workers ascend from the center turntable in that really tight knit formation we’ve all seen pictures of and it’s just. Watching them in their uniforms come up as he’s talking about this big, brilliant wall and the workers begin to move in unison, then begin their chanting???? The lighting changes, the entire feel changes just based on the workers chanting and really having this ferociously unified choreography. And the most intense facial expressions ever. And they move from the center turntable to the outsides, and then fucking Hades and Persephone come up when the transition happens to Chant and it’s. All you need to completely transform a set is the lighting change, the workers, and the turntable. It’s the most incredible thing to witness this and feel like you’re in a completely different place.

Also, I just always feel for Eurydice in this moment. Because. She’s trying so hard to communicate with Orpheus, who’s standing at the bar stool they’d had their moment at during Way Down Hadestown writing this song, and you can see that she’s trying to be supportive but when she says “is he always like this?” it’s just. Exhaustion. And she says it so much more quiet and defeated than she does on the OBC. It’s heartbreaking. Because at the same point you’re watching Orpheus struggle to write this song, closing his eyes and tapping his feet and just trying to feel and let that feeling translate him into the rest of this song but it just won’t come, and you can see his growing frustration in his furrowed brow and his closed eyes. What I noticed is that during Eva’s little solos “Trying to trust that the song he’s working on is gonna shelter us…” / “I’m trying to believe that the song he’s working on is gonna harbor me from the wind” She hasn’t gone up on the last little phrase like she does on the OBC, which is one of the things I find to be so powerful on the OBC. And it’s still beautiful, but I’m wondering why she’s seemingly been choosing to go down instead of have that little moment of vocal power. OH ALSO. When she says “Give that back! It’s everything we have!” Her voice was BROKEN. And by that I mean she sounded so worried and devastated that. It just. Her voice was cracking as she pleaded for the fates to leave her alone and it was so immensely wonderful, but heartbreaking. Because as she struggles with the fates and their winds, and they rip her possessions from her one by one, she shrinks further into herself as she tries to buck up and continue fighting. But you can see as each thing gets taken (her backpack, her coat, etc) she grows more and more devastated and frightened. And then when they take her jacket, and she has nothing left, and she sings “SHEEEELTER US, HAAAARBOR ME!” She’s on her knees with her head in her hands, rocking back and forth and it is torturous to witness because you just want to cry for her. And Eva’s such a fucking powerhouse that you can feel the raw emotion, the fear and the devastation, and it just consumes. It’s amazing to be broken by Eva Noblezada over and over again, and that’s what she does this entire show. She is phenomenal.

Hey, Little Songbird is a song I don’t really have a lot of notes for. But the one note I do have is that Patrick Page makes everyone so in awe and also slightly frightened or incredibly woke (the amount of small whispers in the audience that compare him to a certain man of political power are to be expected, but always are significant) He also just. Skeeves me out so much in this song, and Eurydice is so broken already that it’s kind of like. She’s resigned and having trouble making sense out of anything that life has just thrown at her, and she keeps going to hold herself because she’s cold and hungry and tortured, and she just. Honestly, she makes the choice seem like one that Eurydice had to make because she looks so lost and hungry and upset and unable to hold herself up anymore that the choice doesn’t seem like a misguided one.

When the Chips are Down If I could have as much talent in my body as these girls have in their pinky finger I’d be set for life. Also, now’s a good time to mention that I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Jessie Shelton step in as a fate and it just. It was a wonderful experience, that girl is incredible. I saw her in August as Eurydice and she did a fantastic job (my only note back then had been that her chemistry with Reeve hadn’t been as strong, but I loved what she did with Eurydice-making her more badass and thick-skinned and over-it and also I genuinely don’t think that the Reeve-Eva chemistry can be matched.) But the flawless nature of these three souls singing together and just. Being the shit-eating-grin, fun to fuck you up, take no prisoners voices inside of your head? It just furthers the interpretation that they are the voices in your head amplified, because while they’re sort of doing their mockery of Eurydice/pushing her for her choice/etc. she covers her ears at one point they’re taunting her and it just. It feels to me as they’re pushing her around that they’re the personification of the battle inside of her heart as well, and she can’t escape the turmoil.

Gone, I’m Gone Me crying because I knew Wait for Me was coming so I was digging through my bag for my tissues and gently laying some on my cousin’s lap. (she hadn’t done a full listen-through of Hadestown before either, so I just. Gently prepared her for what was to come without saying a single word.

Wait for Me Okay, how detailed can I go? I don’t know how to fully capture the immense, all-encompassing, my heart is literally stopped inside of my chest but also full-on beating heavy as possible feeling. The second the first notes started the tears started pouring. I have such a fond memory of seeing this for the first time that every time afterward, I just. MY body kicks into this mode of complete and utter captivation. I’m also an empath so getting to experience a room full of people on the edge of their seats, dead silence, utter captivation and zero breath…..I will never forget this feeling. When I saw Hadestown back in April while it was still in previews, this song was given a 3 minute standing ovation….everyone was just struck and unable to handle the raw emotion. And it still rings true to this day-I was clutching my tissue with such force, watching the lights swing and the workers and their lamps through my tears. The most powerful moment is when the workers come out with their headlamps, and it gets dark-you wonder where you’re being transported to next. It’s a tethering atmosphere. And then, when they plug the lamps in and send them up? When the lamps begin swinging and their lights swing over the audience, casting this brilliant movement and shadow into the air? It holds so much mystery and hope and it gives off this incredible, indescribable power. And the power of the chorus singing along with him? It doesn’t feel like they’re the workers singing along. It feels like Orpheus’s love is so strong and so powerful that the workers are actually just his voice amplifying and exploding and CAREENING AND CREATING ALL OF THIS FUCKING POWER FROM HIS SONG AND HIS LOVE. And also, during the la la las around 1:40 on the OBC recording, when it gets soft and quiet, that’s when the lamps go up into the air, and there’s a rumbling and some fog and the set sort of opens up to reveal sections of bright lights that glow warm, and red. He’s opening the fucking stone wall with his song, people, and it’s the most brilliantly moving staging I have ever seen. Again, you don’t need one million props to captivate an audience. It’s the way the story is told and the music is composed and everything working together. I love this. I love that nothing distracts from the moment, that the las and the workers elevating his voice and the movement of the set and the lights and the fog all come together as one coherent set piece instead of parts of a working machine. It feels so natural that you believe that Orpheus is actually opening the wall with his voice. This piece of theatre is so transcendental that you forget that you’re not actually there. Props to Reeve Carney for existing because the way he performs this song is just so captivating and pure, and you can see the desperation in his eyes but you can also hear it in his voice; it’s more strained (not in a bad or unhealthy way at all, I just mean that it’s like. The culmination of his efforts from the Epic and how hard he was concentrating have elevated his power and he’s just fully unleashing it) You can physically see what I believe-that this strain, this hurt and this hope and this desperation are what lead him to opening the wall. He was able to do it because as he was singing, he was clearly just hurt and so damn determined that he just. He had this red-cheeked, hard-lipped expression while he sang and his body (which I lovingly describe as gangly and limbly) is just. In a power stance. Like. You fully believe in the power of this man during this song, he gives it everything and he is a good portion of the reason it carries its power so immensely through the audience. There’s not a dry eye in the house after. And what I love is the collective, disbelieving mumblings of “oh my god” or “wow” or “he’s incredible” that echo through the room as the applause happens (and lingers, and lingers, until Why We Build the Wall cues us to take a fucking breath) (and the subsequent chatter of people basically asking if what they just watched was real, unable to not mention it during intermission).

Why We Build the Wall This is another one of my all-time favorite Hadestown songs. It just hits so hard. And for a while in the very beginning, I wondered why they didn’t end Act I with Wait for Me. I understand now. I don’t think I fully appreciated this song during my first few listen-throughs, and possibly not even after the first time I saw it. I think that this song deserves to be there because while Wait for Me has a lot of emotional lift and power and just pure mass to it, Why We Build the Wall holds its power differently. It makes the audience kind of shift in their seats, come back to the world we are in, kind of step back from the beautiful show of powerful love and hope and dedication that is Wait for Me and remember that oh, this is what’s going on on the other side. This is the man that’s trying to take everything away from Orpheus. And Patrick Page is such a gently commanding presence during this song-he is strong, and powerful, but in a way that feels scarily easy to him; like he is so confident in his power that it translates to this easy, call-and-response conversation because he knows his workers have no choice but to answer him and to appease him. Also the workers? In this song? Are a sheer force of nature. They look to the audience as they respond to each phrase Hades sings with these set-in-stone, serious, hardened expressions that match each other, and are perfectly in-synch. That’s what terrifies me about the Workers, is that they are so in tune to each other that it truly is like watching a wall, or a well-oiled machine. They do such a beautiful job in creating this sense of unease that this song was absolutely meant to be the ending of act I; they drive you to tears and ferocious emotion with Wait for Me, but they keep you unsettled and uncomfortable and stirred by Why We Build the Wall. And that, my friends, is why this musical was nominated for and won so many Tony’s. Because of it’s ability to make you feel, to ponder and to talk and to interpret. This show is so unique, and wonderful, and full of incredible things that I am always just in awe of it every time I see it.

Carry-Over notes: I skipped around a lot of my notes from the night of the show just because I couldn’t fit the less articulate with my actual thoughts post-show. I listened to the entirety of Act I while doing this, and took notes to the best of my ability and what I could remember.

· Eva Noblezada is such a soft human being, she is a treasure to this earth and I fully support everything she’s done with Eurydice thus far; soft doesn’t mean weak, and she translates that really well to the way she chooses to carry her. She is a strong woman, but she is so fucking in love that she is also so soft and pure. But you still wouldn’t fuck her up ever

· A good chunk of my notes from that night are about how Reeve singing the la laas in Epic I is a transcending experience, and how his soft and genuine and gentle expression made me break down immediately, and it can be felt in your soul.

· I also mention about 100 times that Reeve is 10/10 the only boy who has my heart because he is so artistically passionate and just really really fucking good at what he does (and so, so soft especially in the Orphrydice moments and what I’m calling his making Orpheus canonically obsessed with kissing Eurydice’s ear/side of cheek/neck it is THE SOFTEST MOST PURE THING)

So sorry. This is the longest of ramblings. But you asked for details and honestly I’m really excited to be able to have these long ass notes to save and keep with my playbills to show in the future with my kids or the patrons of the Broadway themed café I want to open when I’m a mid 40s lesbian with a wife and maybe some adopted kids.

#hadestown #like #i mean you can read this #i know it's a LOT #but I have a lot of feelings on Hadestown and I'm actually glad you all suggested I do this #just know that I'm not writing another dissertation in November #my notes will go back to incoherent flailing

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illuminatingcomics · 6 years

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Some anon asked me what I thought of The Life of Captain Marvel, and jokes on you, I was already deep into writing this.

What the fuck was this bullshit?! And here I was sorta of optimistic reading the preview. I guess I was hypnotized by Marguerite Sauvage’s heartbreakingly beautiful artwork, about the only saving grace of this melodramatic fuckfest of an issue.

THE PLOT

It’s father’s day, and while dealing with a weirdly matched band of supervillains, Carol has Vietnam-tier flashbacks of a family vacation that sends her into a frenzy. She decides to visit her old family summer home to try and deal with this baggage. Really badly written tragedy strikes, and she decides to linger, making some weird discoveries along the way.

THE BULLSHIT

Ok, this issue was mostly bland and trite, but what was really bad, what really made me angry, was the whole heap of bullshit and retcons surrounding Carol’s family. Ever since she got promoted to Captain Marvel, writer after writer tried their hardest to give her a supporting cast, all seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had a mother and a brother just hanging in limbo that could easily be the source of any number of stories. I’ve been waiting since 2008, ten fucking years, to see Carol reunite with her family, and now I got monkey pawned I guess.

Let’s start with her dad. Let me tell you something about Joseph Danvers: he was an ASSHOLE, a dick, a stubborn fool, but you know, he was also a brave man. When Claremont’s introduces him the first time, we see him risk his own life to save the one of another man, and he stands up to crooked criminals that want to run him out of business. He was pigheaded, yes, but he was also a good person deep down, a hardworker who simply didn’t know how to deal with his daughter, and part of the charm was seeing Carol both grow out of her animosity with him and simultaneously realize she got a lot of her temper from him, all in the span of a couple of issues, because Claremont is what we call in these circles “a good writer”, and made a character that had a little bit of texture to him.

Then Brian Reed’s came along and made him an alcoholic. Ms. Marvel v2 #31. I cut Reed’s a lot of slack, but that was frankly unnecessary. Still, ok, it tied to Carol’s harder, and he’s portrayed as a self-destructing kind of alcoholic rather than actively malicious with everybody, and it was after his beloved eldest’s death, so you could understand he was completely broken...

But here comes Margaret Stohl people, and according to her, Joseph Danvers was always an unabashed abuser who screwed up his children’s childhood, and Carol can’t even bring herself to THINK about him without going in a berserker rage and suffer a cardiac arrest! Why do this? What’s the point? Not only it is clichéd as hell, overused to the point of meaninglessness, it adds nothing to Carol’s character, except more empty soap opera angst. She already has countless other sources of drama and pain in her past, is an abusive dad really necessary? And God, what the fuck is up with Marvel and dads?! They pulled the same shit with Joseph Rogers (how many joseph are there?) turning a problem with the bottle mentioned in passing into a full blown stereotypical irish knuckle fest. Can’t wait for the day Uncle Ben gets it, that’ll be fun.

I feel bad, like it’s my fault, because months ago, I complained about Stohl writing of Joe Danvers in Mighty Captain Marvel #0. There, she had significantly mellowed out the scene where he tells her she wasn’t going to college and just needed to find a husband. I said he didn’t look like the stubborn dick I remembered, but a dopey, oblivious dude... It’s like, Stohl saw my post, decided I was making a good point, and went all the way into the other direction... This alone should tell us how much care and attention goes into forging these stories these day, how clear and laid out the direction for each character is! Last year Joseph Danvers was just a moron with a pot belly, now he’s the King of Punchville, population: my kids. Maybe he’s not actually Joseph Danvers, but some skrull impostor, it would explain the absence of his awesome stache.

Then there’s Joe Jr... I didn’t believe it was possible to fuck up a character that, before this issue, had TWO balloons of spoken dialogue across six decades of history, but somehow they did. First of all: HE’S YOUNGER THAN CAROL NOT OLDER. How do you fuck that up?! He’s the third child, she’s the second! Yet Carol calls him big brother, and he’s portrayed as bigger and taller than her in flashbacks. Look, I know Ike Perlmutter pays editors in stale bread and wedgies, but come on, it took me five minutes to double check it!

Besides that: Joe Jr was a complete blank slate, you could’ve done literally ANYTHING with him, and what happens? He gets fucking FRIDGED. Slams his car and becomes a vegetable so Carol has an excuse to linger in her family home... it feels like his head trauma is just there to have a time-skip, so that Carol’s hair grows to resemble Brie Larson’s length, just in time for the fucking movie! Like, are you kidding me? How wasteful is that? I mean, with how this issue ended, it’s entirely possible they’re going to have magic alien tech or some shit to fix him up, but still, I’m not holding my breath.

Finally, there’s Marie, Carol’s mom. Yup, there she is. She’s just there. She’s always been just there. Nobody seems to know what to do with her. She was always the quiet, sweet housewife that wasn’t quite sure how to handle her husband histrionics except be patient and supporting. That character trait still lingers, but now that Joseph graduated in open abusiveness, her patient looks criminal. At least, when they made Steve’s dad abusive, it was to showcase Sarah Rogers’ strength of character, how she boldly and proudly stood up to her husband’s abuse... here, Marie Danvers just tells her daughter to pipe it down while her husband wails on her children. She’s a goddamn enabler. One change, two characters ruined.

The fact that Carol has been brain wiped not once but twice, is completely disregarded, which is absurd, because it’s the biggest and most profound source of emotional turmoil she has! When Brian Reed wrote the story revolving around it, it was heartbreaking! Carol’s loss of memory, having her show up at her family house, realizing she doesn’t know these people, that she should feel anger, and love, and rage, and sadness, but nothing comes up, because she has nothing left.

In TLofCM, this feeling of alienation is never brought up, it’s only ever barely hinted at. Her mindwipe isn’t mentioned, just tangentially referred to, and it’s treated like the reason Carol never shows up to her old home is that the memories of her dad are too painful. Great job guys, you took Carol’s very specific and interesting source of pain and replaced it with daddy’s issues. Plus, as I mentioned, IRL it’s been ten years since Carol met her family. In canon at least a couple must’ve passed, yet this separation is barely mentioned. Her mother welcomes her to their summer home with the warmth you’d expect if they met like once a week or once a month, where she should’ve gone “Where the fuck have you been?!”. Joe Jr is the only one that brings it up, and it still feels way too casual.

Now, let’s finally speak about Carol. I really hope I won’t sound like an arrogant prick, but reading earlier issues of Margaret Stohl’s run, I once tweeted “this is something I would write if I lacked any self-awareness”. Nothing is more true than in this issue, where Carol acts like a unhinged psychopath in the most worrying of ways. We see her snap and downright punch her FATHER’S TOMBSTONE into pieces. I mean, I was shocked! What the fuck?! Who does this? How is she going to explain this to her mother?! To her brother?! How much of a mental trainwreck do you have to be to go this far? Hating your dad is one thing, desecrating a cemetery is another one entirely! And at the beginning of the issue she brutalizes Moonstone, with the Avengers just idly standing by the side quipping about it... GUYS THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER, Carol is suffering another breakdown. Also no laughing matter is what happened to Carol’s brother, but the tone this book has is way too carefree and light to properly deal with it. Every single dialogue Carol has is coated with some matter of snappy comeback, or clever line. It creates an ironic distance that doesn’t allow the drama to unfold.

Look, ok, this is just the very first issue, and the ending seems to imply there was something more going on with Carol’s dad, but that just fills me with even more dread, suddenly we’re bringing in more spaceshit! We’ve been seeing Carol deal with trite spaceshit for years now, this could’ve been a down to earth, emotional, quiet miniseries focusing entirely on Carol’s family life and childhood, but no, there’s still conspiracies and mysterious glowing gadgets and space foetuses, and god knows what matter of absurdist retcon awaiting us.

Off on a great start.

#the life of captain marvel #captain marvel #carol danvers #margaret stohl #marvel comics #review #rant #ANGRISH

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ask-asuka-x-shinji · 5 years

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Right. Several days ago on my personal, I said i had a decent idea for an Eva fic and if It was gonna go anywhere i’d post a preview here. This is very much a preview version of chapter one, while I try and remember what I did with my Ao3 account’s password I’m gonna really clean it up and add a lot more dialogue and a probably another scene or two. Also this is very much not the verse I RP Shinji and Asuka in, I’m using mostly different headcanons for this. Mari Ikari the protag, her friend Hana and her yet to appear love interest Wing were all created specifically for this idea.

I’m Mari Akahime Soryu-Ikari, age 14, student at Tokyo 3 City Middle School class 2-A hobby Kendo special skill artistic composition, yes it’s a very long, rather stupid name. Mari after a friend of my late grandmother’s and Red Princess because I have my mom’s bright red hair and it was her own stupid nickname as a kid, not sure how either of us would qualify to be called princess though my understanding is mom was wild and violent as a kid and i’m pretty rough looking myself.

My mom drives me really crazy, I have the great distinction to be the daughter of former child genius and ‘great foreign beauty’ Asuka Langley Soryu, a woman with two children and no idea in the slightest how to do housework, no actually it’s probably that she has no interest in ever learning. Shortly after my brother was born my dad left the military to become a musician full time, he usually works from home but occasionally he goes on tour like he has been the last few days leaving us in her care. I think even my dad just wants to get out of this house now and again. I really don’t want German food in my lunch box, it’s bad enough being German without eating meat and root sandwich spreads. The stupid penguin doesn’t even find that crap edible. She’s not even awake yet, i’m make my own lunch!

Our current house is actually pretty nice. Well equipped kitchen, my brother and I both have our own bedrooms, I can easily make a few decent rice balls to avoid my mom’s cooking.

“Good morning, you’re up early you don’t have extra practice this morning do you?” And there she is, not dressed fully and yawning like she didn’t even sleep to begin with, she has work at the same time whether dad’s here or not. I bet she played video games all night, again. Asuka Langley Soryu-Ikari, Age 29, Professor of Theoretical Evolution Tokyo 3 College of Sciences, hobby mixed martial arts, special skill, being a pain.

“I’m making lunch, if I didn’t you’d send me to school with something weird and you know it.”

“Well how much is lunch from the school store, it can’t be more than...”

“No! We can’t be so careless with finances, i’m old enough to make my own lunch and one for Eren, you need to get dressed and shower and so forth! You should be the responsible one here mom, so don’t you anything stupid like standing here all morning arguing with me.”

“Hey! I need to make some coffee. You should try doing a job that mostly grading papers when you’re an adult, it screws over your brain.”

“Whatever. I think other things have screwed with your brain from your youth.”

“oh Clappe!” She squeezes by me to get the electric kettle while pouting like a teenage girl and muttering under her breath.

She had me very young. What’s probably way too young as you could tell from our ages. I know people like to whisper about it when they think neither of us are listening. Everyone says that she had a breakdown that ended in getting pregnant, but clearly she got better, better enough to get that ridiculous doctorate in a field that no one else understands, while dad never even went to college. But her mother had been famous scientist all the Soryu’s had been for years and years so she wanted to follow in their legacy. She’s such a pain. Although grading papers from students who can’t follow you must be a pain I can’t begin to understand what she’s supposed to be teaching.

It isn’t long before i’ve got those lunches made and get my brother out the door. Hana is already waiting for me outside. Hana Aida is probably my closet friend and has been since we were little. She’s a giant robot fangirl and knows probably more about NERV then my parents who actually worked there. Her cousin is pretty much the same and has been dad’s friend since school although he’s even more out there than she is. People used to call her a freak, but then I got in the habit of beating them senseless and they stopped, of course I got into trouble but also every time I did, my mom was actually incredibly proud of me.

“Red and Little Eren, a good morning to you on another average 90 degree day in Tokyo’s useless autumn, time to work our buts off at school and suffer for it huh?” Hana starts out with.

“My teacher said there is no Autumn in East Asia.” my brother replies confused before he frowns and turns to walk the other way to kindergarten not staying around for an explanation but still confused.

“I think he usually doesn’t understand a word of what you say Hana just don’t take it too personally.”

“I don’t.” She really didn’t did she?

“So what are your plans for tonight Red? Do you have more babysitting or can you come over? I could use your eye for detail, you are a born artist.”

I should probably avoid leaving my mother and brother alone together for too long if I can, but really he’s too young to mind her so it should be fine, it’s not like she’s dangerous just absent minded. She won’t feed Eren penguin food or leave him unattended so it should be fine to hang out after school, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before and isn’t just a constant part of life.

“I’ve got nothing pressing and it would be nice to get out of the house. What do I need to get?”

“Now now, I’ve got everything technical, that’s just who I am after all... if such a thing exists for the creation fan art, Ohana Aida has it, or is gonna barrow it from a relative.”

I think she’s just being nice to a degree. Even if our house is pretty nice now and everything, When i was younger the three of us lived in a one room apartment that my dad had as a NERV officer and when I was born apparently we are all crammed into one bedroom of Colonel Katsuragi’s old place. It’s easy to not realize exactly how bad off you are as a kid, but when you get older you realize how stupid that is. How innocent you were not to see makes you angry or at least it makes me angry. Family pride doesn’t pay any bills and I can’t say the Soryu family has anything else.

And like that, I didn’t pay attention to my classes and the day is very much over. I need to relax and I feel like hitting something or someone, I promised Hana I'd hang out, so not hitting anyone.

I guess I should explain since I didn’t earlier what Hana and I actually do, I get so fed up with my family that this narrative is suffering. Like I said my special skill is artistic composition and Hana writes some really bad manga so I’ve been helping with cover art and the like for awhile now... of course you probably have guessed that’s not entirely it.

A basic benefit of being the daughter of the two of the first actual Mech pilots to ever live is a family resemblance. The type that allows you to model both your parents to you’re mech nerd friend for her art. A decent wig and contacts later and if you didn’t know I might as well be Rei Ayanami we basically have the same face after all.

It’s never actually bothered me that Hana does this or that I’m helping. Only A handful of people actually know what it was like back then and my parents certainly aren’t talking about it to me. Dad says they met on the deck of a battleship I’ve heard only a few million times that they had some kind of rivalry over who was the better pilot. But specifics? It might as well be the stories from Hana’s comics, so helping is... a way to see Dad how he used to be.

Of course, the tsundere girl with the catch phrase ‘don’t be so stupid’, and a firm belief in the bright future that the UN represents for humanity can not be my mom, no way, I sort of like that versions, of course I helped write her and sadly enough based upon myself.

It’s late by the time, I actually feel brave enough to come come.

“I’m back, Hanna says hi and wants to borrow some clothes, should I get started on dinner or are we eating something weird yet again? next time please have said leave us dinners.” no reply, the lights are on. I finish taking my shoes off and... and both my mom and little brother are curled up on the floor of the living room fast asleep, the TV still on. She really didn’t sleep last night did she? They’ll be awake when they smell dinner.

“...Misato put some actual clothes on, don’t stand there like that for Shinji to see and don’t fix us anything weird for dinner just order a pizza like a normal person... what? are you stupid, there’s nothing traditional about instant anything...uh...” and I heard all of that, she’s sleep talking and probably has been.. of course you could guess that’s not why i’ve stopped dead, that actually might as well have been me complaining couldn’t it? best not to admit i heard anything and walk slowly away to start cooking. Right...

#evangelion #fanfic #neon genesis evangelion #ooc

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robininthelabyrinth · 7 years

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Fic: We’ll All Go Together When We Go (ao3) - chapter 4 Fandom: Flash, Legends Pairing: Barry Allen/Mick Rory, Leonard Snart & Mick Rory

Summary: Doomworld takes some time to fix. Barry and Mick use that time to find each other.

(written for @flashwaveweek 2017 for Day 6: Domestic)

——————————————————————————

"Beep! It's six forty five! Time to wake up!"

"Noooooo," Barry moans.

"Beep! Six forty six! Time to wake up!"

"Miiiiick," Barry says, burying his face in his boyfriend's arm. "Make him stop."

Mick huffs into semi-awareness. "Lenny," he says groggily. "Stop harassing my boyfriend."

That gives Barry a happy feeling in his stomach. Mick isn't always one to give a name to what they have, much less one as undignified as boyfriend.

That happy feeling makes him crack his eyes open, hoping maybe to see his boyfriend (now official!) and possibly reward his heroic gesture with a kiss.

This is a tactical error.

A fully dressed Snart stands by the bed, grinning a positively wicked smile.

They're not even in Mick's apartment, where Snart at least lives right upstairs and had a spare key. They're in Barry's apartment, which is in a totally different neighborhood, in a walk-up, and had been locked up for the night.

Not that little things like locked doors ever stopped Leonard goddamn Snart.

"Scarlet, you told me to make sure you were late," he says, grin getting even wider. "The words 'whatever it takes' were used."

"I take it back," Barry says, even though he vaguely recalls some reason he needed to be at work early this week. He does not trust that expression on the face of Leonard Snart, former world-controlling dictator, current supervillain, thief and all-around havoc on everybody's nerves. "I retract."

"Too late," Snart says, and pulls out the cold gun.

"I hate yooooooooou!"

But Barry's up and at 'em soon enough, and Snart is nice enough to give him a ride into work while Barry chomps on his breakfast (leftovers from breakfast-for-dinner they had last night - god, Mick's such a good cook), which Barry only realizes is weird when they walk into the CCPD still side-by-side.

"Bear," Joe says. "What is he doing here?"

Barry blinks, then turns to squint at Snart, whose smirk is positively cheery. "I'm not actually sure," he admits. "I think he followed me here. I'm not sure why."

"I thought you were dating the other one," Joe grumbles.

"I am," Barry says. "They're just, y'know, kind of a package deal. Hey, Snart? What're you doing here?"

"I'm taking Iris out for breakfast," Snart responds with a beaming smile. "She's meeting me here - ah, there she is!"

He sweeps away.

Joe's expression looks like a cat being strangled.

Barry munches on his last piece of French toast.

"Bear," Joe says.

"She's married to Eddie," Barry reminds him.

"Barry."

"She wouldn't cheat on him at all, and even if she did, she wouldn't be so obvious about it."

"Barry!"

"Besides, Snart doesn't do romantic relationships," Barry says. Or sex, which is what Joe really cares about, but Barry's not going to malign Snart's scary reputation by pointing it out. People are weird.

He goes to work, wondering what it is he's forgetting.

Mick comes around noon with a box of lunch that smells so good it has half the precinct eyeing them like hungry hawks, as opposed to how they usually look when Mick or Snart's around - angry, bitter, cheated.

Not that they can do anything - with their state records wiped and a federal pardon in hand for helping fight the aliens, even with their occasional acts of supervillainy, both of them are clean enough to run for mayor.

Not that that says much, in Central.

"How's your day going?" Mick asks, pulling out lunch.

"Busy," Barry admits. Ever since he's been making an effort not to super-speed through his work - one terrible evening feverishly trying to re-learn all the work he did in preparation for a trial is more than enough for him - his days have gone back to being pleasantly full.

And, hey, if he sometimes speeds through the boring stuff, no one can blame him.

"Do you remember why I asked Snart to wake me up this morning?" Barry asks, remembering. "I've totally forgotten."

"No clue," Mick says.

"Do you know why he's meeting with Iris?"

"Something about her newspaper," Mick says. "And, uh, y'know."

That 'y'know' meant Doomworld.

"I don't want to know," Barry decides.

"We still on for movies this afternoon?" Mick asks. "Cisco said he was covering for your, uh, run."

"Oh, yeah!" Barry says, brightening. "Definitely. I've been wanting to see this one for a while."

"Good," Mick says, and then he lapses quiet while Barry talks about his day so far. Mick prefers listening, generally, to talking; his words don't always come easy, as he puts it, and he's learned to pick them carefully as a result.

It's a very nice lunch. Afterwards, Barry auctions off the rest of the cupcakes Mick brought to the department - highest bidder among the science department takes a boring assignment off Barry's plate, highest among the detectives promises to pick Barry for the next interesting crime scene, and two cupcakes reserved special for Captain Singh for looking the other way, because, well, this is Central ("Triple chocolate caramel?" Singh groans. "Is he trying to make us all fat? Is that the latest supervillain scheme? You’d tell me if it was, right, Allen?") - and goes back to work.

"Planning on making out with your arsonist in public this afternoon?" Julian snipes.

Barry rolls his eyes at him.

He's just jealous that Barry's love life is infinitely more interesting that his own.

It's a good day, and Barry even manages to finish up all his open projects before heading out to meet Mick at the movies. He's only a little late, like twenty minutes, but they're still doing previews, so it's practically like he wasn't late at all.

Also, Mick got him three extra-large buckets of popcorn.

Best boyfriend ever.

They do end up making out in the back row, but only through the boring bits. Barry feels qualified to discuss it tomorrow. Loudly, and with specific references to scenes. Take that, Julian.

And then he gets home and his apartment's empty.

"What," Barry says.

"Who took all your stuff?" Mick asks, alarmed. "Should I -"

"Wait," Barry says.

"Wait?"

"I asked Snart to wake me up early so that I wouldn't be here when the movers arrived," Barry says. He stares at the empty apartment. "I didn't realize they'd be so - thorough."

Though, really, he should've. Snart had said something about supervising personally.

"Movers?" Mick asks.

"Yeah," Barry says. "We're moving in together."

"We are?"

"...Snart said it was your idea?" Barry suggests, throwing Snart under the bus right off the bat.

Mick considers it for a moment, then shrugs. "Good."

Barry can't help but hide a smile. Mick had been not-so-subtly stressing about asking Barry to move in for weeks, now, to the point where he was starting noticeably more fires than normal, so Barry had taken matters into his own hands, including maligning a (entirely willing) Snart for suggesting it.

Mick really did prefer major life events to have already happened, rather than looking forward to them.

Barry fully expects to be informed of his own wedding when he gets the first RSVP card back, honestly.

Barry rather likes it. Speedsters love surprises.

Joe had expressed some concern about it - he'd never quite approved of Mick or let go of his hopes that Barry and Iris would marry to live in platonic bliss like they'd planned when they were five, but he'd mostly let it go. He had, however, commented that it was 'weird' that they were planning on letting Snart room with them.

Barry pointed out that it was a common living arrangement in most of the globe, albeit usually with unattached family, and God knows that Snart is Mick's family as much as anyone still living.

Joe had asked if he was worried that any kids they adopted would get teased about it.

Barry told Joe he was way overthinking things, given that they were nowhere near the kids discussion, much less the practical issues involved with having a kid who would have a supervillain dad and a superhero dad - honestly, having a supervillain (anti-hero?) uncle living upstairs would hardly register on the kid's weird spectrum. Besides, having Snart around meant Mick still had his support system and someone to discuss his villainous outings with. And Barry likes Snart. He's funny and hilariously sneaky.

Though speaking of which -

"What was Snart doing with Iris earlier?" he asks, trailing Mick back to the car to head over to Mick's place (also Snart's, now also Barry's). "Now that we're not surrounded by cops."

"They're thinking of opening a PR firm."

"What?"

"Hero and villain image management."

"You're joking."

"Just as a part time thing. You know Snart's still got those spymaster itches from Doomworld."

"You give a man a worldwide network of informers, he doesn't give it up easy," Barry agrees, bemused. "Really? Is there enough of a market for that?"

"They're branching out. Kara and her cousin have expressed some interest in figuring out how to separate their brands some."

"Their first clients are in another universe?"

Mick shrugs.

"Well, if it makes them happy," Barry says after a moment. "Are they coming for dinner?"

Iris has been by practically every day, often along with Eddie, often not when he's working late. They live just down the street in a building Snart may or may not own through a number of shell companies.

Barry's trying to figure out when exactly to tell Iris that the 'once in a lifetime scoop' apartment was priced that way for a reason, and that reason being Snart's inability to let go of anyone he liked, ever.

Eventually.

He’ll tell them eventually.

(He’s pretty sure Eddie already suspects.)

Man, if Snart goes evil again next Doomworld, Barry's expecting to be collared and leashed to Mick with Iris and Eddie in the next opulent luxurious room next door. Possibly locked into a Jacuzzi and not allowed to come out for hours and hours.

...that doesn't sound so bad, actually. Barry will have to suggest it.

"Yeah," Mick says. "I was thinking of making chicken."

"Which chicken, the breaded-with-aromatics or the divine-sauce-from-heaven?"

"...sauced."

"Lemon, tomato, or other?"

"Lemon," Mick says, starting to sound suspicious. "You getting bored, Red?"

"No, just making menu plans for your eventual restaurant."

"I'm not gonna own a restaurant. No matter what you and Snart say."

Barry grins and heads inside to drop off his stuff. Everything he owns fits in just right alongside Mick's, it's like he was always there.

Just right.

#flashwave #flashwaveweek2017 #mick rory #barry allen #the flash #heatwave #leonard snart #joe west #iris west #eddie thawne #my fic

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hetmusic · 8 years

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HumanHuman meets Daisy Digital

For our second “HumanHuman meets…” interview series with some of our most influential users, we’re kicking things off with self-proclaimed multi-tasker Hannah Braid, AKA Daisy Digital. She joined our music-mad community two years ago as a blogger, and since then she’s gone on to become a festival organiser, co-founder of Swell Publicity and most recently she joined the team over at Chalk Press Agency.

Meeting on the first day of The Great Escape, we braced ourselves against the blustery weather out on Brighton Pier for a good chat about finding new talent, working in the industry and what Hannah Braid would do if she was in charge of a certain UK festival.

For the readers of HumanHuman, tell me who are you and what you do?

I run Daisy Digital, I also work in PR. I guess mainly for the HumanHuman readers, I am a blog! Well, the face behind a blog.

When did you first hear about HumanHuman?

I’ve been on it for a little while as Daisy Digital. We did some cool stuff for International Women’s Day last year. I think it’s a really cool concept, predominantly for blogs, but I was talking to a manager of an artist before and he was talking about the concept of HumanHuman and how when he first heard about it, he signed up and said “oh, it’s really cool!”

Oh, who was that?

It was Toothless’ manager; he was asking about it and seeing what it’s about. I think it’s great to see bloggers, but also influential people going on it and tipping each other.

Obviously, it’s all about discovering new music, so which discovery are you most proud of to date?

I think Billie Marten, probably. I heard about her through a friend of mine and she said “you should come down and check her out.” I was worried that this 12-year-old girl was going to be really X-Factor and I would hate it, but within minutes of her playing live I just fell in love. I thought, “this is going to be massive!” It was only quite recently that we became a working relationship, so it’s really nice for Daisy Digital to have been there from the start. When it gets to the level where I feel like I can really help an artist on a personal, but also work, relationship basis, it’s really nice to be able to do that. That’s the great thing about having a blog and being in the industry is that I still really like that discovery element. Within the industry we get offered a lot of stuff and we have to turn down stuff, and there might be times when that’s because it’s not the right level for us, but Daisy Digital means having a place where I can say “well, actually I can still do something for you.” There’s been several artists that I’ve watched grow from really early on, like this guy from Australia called Jesse Davidson. I did loads of stuff with him on my blog and when it got to the point where I really wanted to help him on a professional level he had signed a massive deal and I missed out! Artists like The Staves and Michael Kiwanuka were featured on the blog in 2012 before I got into music as a job, and now they're on our roster here at Chalk Press. It’s a weird, but wonderful thing.

A lot of people do take that route though, through blogs and onto PR.

Yeah! What people don’t really realise is that sometimes we’re doing this on our own, and lots of bloggers are doing it as a part-time hobby. Whether it becomes a full-time job or not, to have that creative outlet, where you can talk about those things that aren’t necessarily in your job, but relate in some way. It’s also really important to be listening to new stuff all the time, not just your own music. Having gone from architecture to music is a rather strange, although as I was saying quite wonderful, path to take. It’s only through the blogs that I’ve been able to do that.

You started the blog when you were at university?

Yeah, it was when I was in my final weeks of doing an architecture degree, which was probably the worst and best decision of my life. I had loads going through my head and I was trying to focus on my studies, having no sleep and living off caffeine for a long time. When you’re doing a degree like architecture, you need that sanity in something else. At the time I was listening to Lianne La Havas, Daughter, Lucy Rose, The Staves - when they were tiny. I went to see The Staves supporting Michael Kiwanuka in 2011/2012, and I ended up staying at the end and chatting to them, and I thought “actually, this is bloody cool!” It was this thing that never happens when you’re doing architecture. Everyone was like “you’re crazy!” and “what the hell are you doing?!” Then it became something that I couldn’t not do. When I finished my degree, I had a three month break where I did some behind-the-scenes work at festivals and kept Daisy Digital going. Having that outlet of a blog to be able to show my interest in music got me where I am. I have no musical ability at all!

So much of this industry is run on passion, especially when we’re talking about the love of discovering new music. Why do you think people are drawn to that?

When you have that connection with an artist, like I had with Billie Marten, it’s a rare thing, but it’s really amazing. You get to watch someone from really early on. They might not be completely pitch perfect or they might be really nervous on stage, but when you connect with them, you think “this is incredible, I can’t not do something to help this person!” If you really believe in them, I guess it’s something you can’t help but do! From a musician’s point of view, you have to remember the people who found you first and gave you that step up. On that level, lots of bloggers also go into A&R. It’s a really important cycle, to find new music and be part of the journey.

“It’s a really important cycle, to find new music and be part of the journey.”— Hannah Braid

A lot of that journey happens online now, like the HumanHuman community. Why do you think the discovery of new talent is happening more and more in the digital world, rather than coming to somewhere like a festival as an on-the-ground scout?

It’s so easy now. Lots of artists release their music online, which has it’s downfalls, but it’s also an amazing thing. For example, I was listening to an interview with Dua Lipa yesterday and she was saying that although she’s from Kosovo, she had an amazing upbringing where she was able to do music in London. However, if you’re from places like outside of the UK or US, those artists might not necessarily reach people like me or you if they do nothing online. There’s this whole online community that reaches thousands and thousands of fans. There’s plenty of downfalls, but you can’t argue with it. There is still an element of if I saw something here at The Great Escape that had no presence online I’m not going to say that I wouldn’t work with them. A happy medium is always good.

We spoke earlier about how you started your blog, Daisy Digital, and I saw that the Guardian described it as “a musical feast for lovers of all things indie and folk-related”. That was awesome, but is folk and indie still your primary interest?

Yeah, I think so… I’ll never shy too far away from the folk-indie scene, but I’m not going to bracket myself in and only work with folk and indie. I do listen to a lot of pop lately.

Anything in particular?

Well, you know, Taylor Swift is always amazing. [laughs] I think it’s really important to listen to a variety of music. I would never say that I’ll only get submitted folk and indie, I might not blog about anything else, but at least I like to be aware. Like I previously mentioned, Dua Lipa is bloody awesome!

Going back to your original genre, what has been your favourite folk/indie track of the year?

Oh, that’s a good one! For starters, the one I’ve probably listened to the most is Laura Marling’s “Ghosts”, but that was from her first record. I’ve always been a fan of hers, but I only saw her live late last year and I re-discovered her back catalogue. Going back to the point about the digital world - if twenty years ago you didn’t own a record, would you be able to go back and listen to an old album? It’s so easy now to re-discover works that you might have passed. This year though… what have I been listening to? The Staves have a new track called “Outlaw”, which I think is awesome. Hold on I’ll find something good for you [scrolls through phone] “New Ways” by Daughter!

Oh, I love that album!

Yeah, me too! I watched them before I was in music, I was a massive fan and I saw Eleanor support Ben Howard on her own - super early! The amazing thing is that I’ve been able to watch them from a very privileged view over the past couple of years. I’ve been at shows and I feel like I have better insight into them as a band. I remember I saw them at Bestival in 2012 and thought it was the coolest thing ever that I was backstage at a gig. It was really early on for them and they played at a tent between Lucy Rose and Lianne La Havas on the bill. I’ll never forget when the band came off backstage and did this jumping high-five thing! [laughs] It takes you by surprise when you realise that they’re just human people!

You spoke about attending festivals there, but now you’re planning one. Tell me about your work for CoppaFeel! and Festifeel.

That ultimately came from Daisy Digital. I went to Festifeel, which is this amazing project by the breast cancer charity CoppaFeel! and Fearne Cotton, as a fan. I’d interviewed Rae Morris back in 2012 and Festifeel was one of her first London shows, so I had to go see her! I did a preview piece for the festival and in turn they got in touch and said, “this is amazing, we’ve never had anyone music-related cover this festival.” It was never seen as a place to go see the hottest new acts in music, so now that I’m involved it’s a happy medium of trying to give emerging artists a platform. Last year, for example, we had Billie Marten open the festival and Everything Everything headline, that’s bridging between the more Radio 1 mainstream acts and someone who’s just signed a record deal. This year we’re still in the early stages of putting a line-up together, but I’m really keen to have a female-heavy line-up, whether that be all female acts or at least female-fronted bands, like Pumarosa or someone like that. It’s a really fun thing to do and I love it!

Obviously, the CoppaFeel! Campaign is geared towards women and you’re saying that you’d like the festival to be more female-orientated. What are your thoughts about the current situation of women in the music industry? It’s been a year and a half since we last spoke about it.

I think it’s getting better, slowly but surely. The great thing about having a blog is that anybody can do it, whether you’re female or male or whatever! You can start one tomorrow. The other aspect is when you’re actually working within the industry at a higher level, for example in PR, you become more conscious that it’s not equal. I think it’s really important that it’s become a focal point in the last two years at least. There’s a lot more industry chat about how we need to change things, and in time it will change. Festival bills are still something we really need to work on. As I mentioned in our last chat, I spoke about Reading and Leeds festivals not having any female headliners, and the amount of backlash that they got from last year, and this year they’ve done it again! I’m in a privileged position to be able to put on a festival and I tweeted about it not that long ago and I was quoted in Music Week saying that if Festifeel had the budget to pay people, which we don’t because we’re a charity festival, but if we could I would book an amazing all-female line-up. I’m fairly confident that it would sell out just as quick. The really sad thing is that people outside of the music industry don’t think about it, but if I was in charge of booking Reading and Leeds I would make sure it was at least 50/50. It’s beggar’s belief to me that it happened again.

“The great thing about having a blog is that anybody can do it, whether you’re female or male or whatever!”— Hannah Braid

Oh, I agree. I mean I didn’t have high expectations for Reading and Leeds, they weren’t exactly going to turn around with a fifty perfect female line-up, but they should have had at least one female headliner!

They couldn’t think of one female artists to fit that line-up! You look at someone like Florence + the Machine, Laura Marling, Chvrches and that’s just in the UK alone. They are definitely worthy of still selling a hell of a lot of tickets. There’s still a long way to go, but the fact we’re all talking about it is great - all for that!

Absolutely! We’re moving more towards the online world, so how much do you think festivals still influence the music industry?

I guess festivals and the online world in the same respect give artists the ability to reach thousands of fans that they might not necessarily do on their own. I still think it’s an amazing thing to be able to stumble out of your tent and come across someone playing at ten in the morning. I hope that for as long as I live these festivals will still be going, even when I’m super old! [laughs] My parents still go to festivals, and they’re not on SoundCloud or Spotify, so I think that’s quite a nice translation. As we move on in time, hopefully festivals will still be there, although I’m sure the next generation will find music in a whole new way. I hope that festivals will still offer a platform for emerging artists, because some bands have a huge online following, but they can’t sell tickets on their own. The live aspect is still hugely important for artists. Fingers crossed that in twenty years I’ll still be rocking out!

Yes! Alright, last question for you, who is your recommended must-see act at The Great Escape?

Actually, there’s a girl called Julia Jacklin.

I discovered her on HumanHuman!

Yeah, I tried to discover her but you beat me to it! I think she’s really amazing and doing amazing things.

https://humanhuman.com/articles/interview-daisy-digital

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warriors-starfall · 7 years

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Lore Preview

[A short story set about 37 moons prior to the RP’s start]

Under the cloudy moonless night sky, Crabfur made brisk pace along the muddy lake shore. The horizon ahead melted into a silhouette of trees who's gnarled branches seemed to reach into the dark sky without end. Under her paws, Crabfur felt the mud of the lake shore make way for the brittle leaves of a shedding leaffall forest. Crabfur felt her pace faltering as she made her way through the undergrowth, taking each step with care as not to twist her paw. It wouldn't bode well for RiverClan's medicine cat to have to hobble back home due from an injury of her own making.

From the dark, a sharp voice cut through the cold air and Crabfur felt her heart jump. "Is that you Crabfur? Me an' Fernwhisker are up ahead."

"Hello," Crabfur meowed in reply as she approached the toms, ear flicking in greeting. "Stormsong's still not here?"

Brindlecloud huffed. “Course she’s not!” To his side, Fernwhisker lashed his tail once and pointedly glanced back towards ThunderClan’s territory. The oak forest was dark and unmoving, completely silent save for the ever present hum of cricket-song.

“Might as well get moving then, the moonpool isn’t getting any closer,” Crabfur meowed after a few heartbeats of silence.

Brindlecloud , perhaps taking her words a little too zealously, turned and bounded away quickly. Fernwhisker darted after the WindClan tom, and Crabfur snorted and swiped a paw over her ear before setting off after the two toms. The forest that bordered ThunderClan and WindClan’s territory soon gave way to rolling hills, and Crabfur pushed forward quickly, looking to close the distance that had grown between her and fellow medicine cats.

Upon catching up with them, the two toms slowed to a trot. “Did we go too fast?” Fernwhisker meowed, his voice barely above a whisker.

“N-no, I’m alright,” Crabfur coughed. Her mouth hung slightly agape, and she resisted the urge to start panting. She was older than her companions, her muzzle fur growing thinner and grayer by the moon, but she wasn’t an invalid.

A veil of comfortable silence fell over the three cats as they walked until Brindlecloud saw fit to break it. “Aye, Fernwhisker,” Brindecloud started, pausing in a way the talkative brown tabby usually never did, “I reckon WindClan will drawing out of our agreement with ShadowClan by the end of the next full moon.”

“What agreement?” Crabfur interjected before she could catch herself. The business of WindClan and ShadowClan had nothing to do with her, but Brindlecloud’s reserved tone had hooked her interest like a minnow caught on a cat’s claw.

Before Fernwhisker had a chance to respond Brindlecloud launched into explanation, seemingly not bothered by Crabfur’s nosiness. “Ah, a few moons back, after we ‘ad our big flood, old Foxmoon reckoned we ‘ad too much land an’ not enough cats to rebuild. So he reached out to Duskmoon, who I reckon knew her own ShadowClam ‘ad too many mouths to feed and not enough territory to feed ‘em all. So…” Brindlecloud trailed off, shooting a curious glance back at Fernwhisker, who walked a few paces behind herself and Brindlecloud.

“So…” Fernwhisker began, voice quiet and careful. “Foxmoon and Duskmoon came to an agreement- that three times a moon a WindClan patrol would hunt for the cats of ShadowClan, and three times a moon a patrol of ShadowClan cats would come help WindClan rebuild and fortify their camp.”

Crabfur blinked. This alliance between WindClan and ShadowClan had been going on for moons, and both she, Flintmoon, and the whole of RiverClan had been none the wiser. At least it seemed to be coming to an end. “But WindClan is drawing out of the agreement?” Crabfur questioned, trying to keep a neutral voice. An alliance between clans never boded well for those not included.

“Aye,” Brindlecloud began as he weaved through a patch of thorns. “Sandmoon, our new leader, reckons WindClan ought to become independent once more, an’ since the camps just ‘bout done,’ lots o’ cats are inclined to agree with ‘em, so…” Brindlecloud’s voice petered out, perhaps not wanting to say aloud what his words implied. That WindClan had decided to cut off ShadowClan from a much needed source of food, because their own issues had been resolved. Crabfur could only wonder how ShadowClan would attempt to compensate for the sudden lack of food source in the coming moons. Hopefully not anywhere near their border with RiverClan.

The group fell back into a quiet pace once more, but this time Crabfur could not consider it a comfortable silence. At least the moonpool was not far off now. Crabfur could see the dip in the hills ahead that signaled that the last leg of their journey would soon be upon them. From somewhere far off, the hoot of an owl softly rung through the hills.

Without warning, Fernwhisker came to a sudden halt, and Crabfur only narrowly avoided crashing into him. Brindlecloud, who had been ahead of the group, paused and circled back when he realized he had lost his companions. Fernwhisker stood completely still with his head tilted towards the air. The fur on the tortoiseshell tom’s flank bristled slightly, and his tail raised in caution.

Crabfur shifted on her paws. ‘What wrong?” She meowed, sniffing the air alongside Fernwhisker. Nothing smelled amiss.

“Ye alright, Fernwhisker?” Brindlecloud asked as he looked back and forth between Fernwhisker and the path to the moonpool.

After a few moments, Fernwhisker tail fell and his fur flattened. “It’s nothing, I just thought I had smelled… No, I suppose it’s nothing.” The ShadowClan medicine cat said, voice lowering to a mutter. Fernwhisker set off once more without another word, and Crabfur could do nothing but follow alongside Brindlecloud. She sniffed the air once more for good measure, but could sense no trace of whatever scent had spooked Fernwhisker. He had always been a little peculiar, but this was the first time Crabfur could remember ShadowClan’s usually stoic medicine cat making any sort of scene.

Trotting down the rolling hill that lead to the moonpool, Crabfur felt her unease dissipate as she trod an ever familiar path. The moonpool was just ahead now, concealed by an outcropping of trees and rocks. Behind it the hills grew taller and more sheer, dark streams criss-crossing their sides like tabby stripes on the flank of a cat. Yet the stream that had supposedly once poured into the moonpool had been dry for generations- rendering the moonpool little more than a barren gathering of stone and grass.

Next to her, Brindlecloud yawned dramatically. “Almos’ there, thank The Dark Fo-” A sharp yowl pierced through the dark in front of them. On instinct, Crabfur darted forward to the source of the yowl, Brindlecloud on her tail. As a medicine cat she had long grown used to responding to the distressed yowls of her own clan mates. And clan mate or not, if Fernwhisker was hurt, she would do her best to help him.

Yet as Crabfur bounded down the rocky slope that concealed the moonpool, she spotted Fernwhisker perched atop a large flat rock; the tom was bristling, but ultimately unharmed. The ShadowClan medicine cat paid Crabfur no mind as she padded up besides his, his gaze transfixed on the moonpool below. Following his gaze, Crabfur peered down into the dark bottom of the moonpool, her blood running cold.

Below them the body of a cat floated half submerged in a pool of stagnant rain water and mud that had gathered in the moonpool’s belly.

“Th-that’s Stormsong!” Brindlecloud meowed loudly, launching himself down the rocky slope towards the pool. The brown WindClan tom reached into the tom once he had gotten close enough, and Crabfur watched him haul Stormsong out of the water by her scruff. Bounding down to join him, Crabfur let Brindlecloud lay the ThunderClan medicine cat out on the rocky shore. The gray furred ThunderClan medicine cat lay as un-moving as the stagnant pool they had pulled her from.

Crabfur leaned forward to sniff the Stormsong. “She’s dead, but hasn’t been for very long.” Crabfur concluded. Stormsong’s body- the dry half- was still fairly warm, and the scent of death had yet to sink into Stormsong’s fur.

Still on his rock above, Fernwhisker spoke quietly. “She must have hit her head and drowned- I smelled the blood earlier, and on that rock above… there’s a stain.” Crabfur followed Fernwhisker’s gaze once more to a rounded rock across the moonpool. A dark dash of blood streaked across the rock; perhaps not enough blood to render a cat dead, but enough to knock them unconscious, especially if they’d been unfortunate enough to hit their head. Below the rounded rock the smaller pebbles leading to the water had been displaced as if a cat had fallen- or been dragged- through them.

“Aye,” Brindlecloud meowed grimly, ‘I saw plenty o’ drowned cats when our camp flooded. Medicine cat or kit, the water is a dangerous thing.”

“We should carry her back to ThunderClan,” Fernwhisker murmured, leaping down to join them. “Let’s not leave her here for the crows. Crabfur stepped back, watching Fernwhisker pull Stormsong up by the scruff and hoist her atop Brindlecloud’s back. Once he was finished with her scruff, Fernwhisker leaned up beside Brindlecloud to help support Stormsong’s weight.

“You should stay, Crabfur,” Brindlecloud meowed, startling Crabfur out of her thoughts. “At least one o’ us needs to stay an’ meet with The Dark Forest. They wouldn’t appreciate bein’ stood up I reckon.”

Crabfur nodded mutely, still staring at the pool below. “I’ll take care of it. You just go. Oh, and, uh, safe travels,” Crabfur mumbled in segments, not bothering to turn her head while she spoke. The toms set off without saying goodbye or wishing her well not that Crabfur minded. The older she got the less and less time she had for hollow platitudes and courtesies. It mattered little Crabfur whether her fellow medicine cats were miffed by her or not, so long as they could still perform their no-moon duties in peace.

Crawling closer to the stagnant water in the moonpool, Crabfur reached a paw in tentatively. It was incredibly shallow, but an unconscious cat could very well still have drowned. But something sat wrong with Crabfur. She had been the RiverClan medicine cat for many a moon, and she had seen too large a share of drowned cats throughout her seasons. The way Stormsong’s face had been contorted into a snarl, how her claws had been unsheathed, and her fur only half wet and muddy. The rocks around them were immaculate save for the single dash of blood. No cat fell so gracefully into a pool of mud that she didn’t splash herself and the area around her. And in all her moons, Crabfur had yet to encounter a cat who had drowned who drowned with nothing less than a neutral expression on their face. Many moons ago her mentor had explained to her that a drowning cat did not splash, but bobbed in the water without the energy to fight back.

Crabfur rose to her full height again, sitting on her haunches quietly. Slowly she tilted her head to face the cloudy moonless sky above. Yet overhead, the stars shone bright without a cloud in sight.

#Warrior Cats #warrior cats rp #lore stuff #prolly some typos because i hand wrote this during a lecture then copied it over whoops

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broadwaybydesign · 7 years

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Totale Finsternis: Costuming “Tanz der Vampire,” Part I

EDITOR’S NOTE: I pride myself on accuracy, so when there’s an error, I’ll do my best to correct it. As such, please see my updated post here!

Welcome back, everyone! As promised, we’re going to be diverging quite a bit from the shows and costumes I’ve looked at in the past in order to try something completely different. There are a lot of costumes here, so I’m going to structure this a little differently and try to look at a whole production in each of the two posts, rather than splitting them up by character. There’s a simple reason for this: the costumes are so detailed and so original, that they either need to be taken as a collective, or else each costume needs a full post...and I don’t think I could manage that!

But what I can manage is to look at the overall Vienna production and give my thoughts on this über-eclectic production with its classic camp, gothic horror, and rock musical elements. I’m really glad to have been turned onto this musical, because as those who follow the main blog know, one of my other hobbies is a vampire-themed RPG. I admit that I had never seen the original Roman Polanski movie upon which the musical is based, but the musical is apparently a pretty good take--and for good reason, since Polanski himself created and directed the original production.

I linked the plot summary Sunday in the preview post, so I’m going to just jump in to some of the amazing costumes that were conceived by Kentaur, a Hungarian costumer who has worked on a number of European productions (many the equivalent of off-Broadway, but quite a few mainstage), as well as the ever-fascinating Sue Blane. Let’s take a look!

Where to even begin with designs like these! To start with, I absolutely love that the 19th century inspirations are on full display: we’ve got hoop skirts, we’ve got riding cloaks, we’ve got morning coats, we’ve got (in the background) large and decorative hats, and on the main character (Graf von Krolok as played by Thomas Borchert) at stage left there is what appears to be a hybrid of leather and brocade on a waistcoat. In fact, let’s take a little closer look at our main character in another scene:

This entire costume is spectacular, and shows the characteristic mixing of styles that makes a Sue Blane production so utterly fascinating to analyze. The waistcoat definitely has a combination of fabric and leather, giving the Graf a hard-edged appearance that even the pale makeup and prosthetic fangs wouldn’t have accomplished on their own. The pants/trousers are leather-esque (I doubt they’re entirely leather; as I’ve mentioned before, stage costumes need to be able to breathe a little bit because of the heat of the stage lights) and give off a very masculine feel. The riding cloak (more commonly a cape, but as I recall, a cape generally doesn’t have as much luxury put into it) is simple in a way, but the rich crimson satin folds and bunches to create a mixture of light and shadow that is absolutely necessary in a dark production like Tanz der Vampire.

I also love that the color of the cape’s interior is so dark a red; remember that this is a production about vampires first and foremost. The crimson puts one in mind of the blood the creatures are compelled to drink in order to stay alive, and that’s a good choice in costumery; playing on what people expect to see is not always a bad thing, especially when you want your production to have an element of pastiche, that is to say, an element of mix-and-match that you do not necessarily find with traditional theatre. The color also provides a fantastic contrast to the rest of Graf von Krolock’s costume, which is done in shades of black (and black does have shades...try matching a set of black socks for proof!), deep purples, and a few hints of very deep blue on the waistcoat.

The waistcoat itself is quite different, and I like it. Rather than a simple, straightforward cloth cut, Ms Blane has added a bit of beadwork that you might not otherwise expect in a male costume. As I’ve mentioned several times, however, that’s...really not unusual for her. Everything about this costume is designed to have a bit of a wow factor; it may not be the most visually appealing costume, but it will be the most visually stunning costume on stage. In that sense, it puts me in mind of Ms Blane’s master production work on The Rocky Horror Picture Show: the idea here is to go for over-the-top camp rather than going for a specific style, as one of Ms Blane’s costume sketches shows:

It would be wrong, however, to say there is no overall theming and that the costumes of the Vienna production are simply a pastiche of vampire tropes. The costumes for the vampires fit that mold, but I think there is a good reason for this: in dealing with a dark subject and trying to make it a bit humorous (this is a Roman Polanski production, after all), it is important to inject that humor into the costumes as well. None of the vampires look ridiculous, as the first still shows, but they are visually different. It’s an effort to make the macabre into the mundane, and it’s done spectacularly well--all the while maintaining the Graf’s look as intimidating and frightening.

The work on the costumes for the human characters is no less impressive and visually appealing. Take, for example, the red dress worn by the female lead, Sarah (Marjan Shaki). It’s a hoop skirt that flows and bends and is in a shade of crimson that is rather similar to the cape worn by her captor, the Graf. It’s not an exact match, however, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s intentional; by making the dress a bit lighter, there’s a slight sense of innocence granted to the character that isn’t present in the vampire holding onto her. There’s a closeup from another perspective, this time of the dress resting on a chair, that lets us look a bit more in-depth (adapted from a still from the production company):

While the stage lighting here gives us a more rust-color, the image from earlier does show that it’s a bright, vibrant red. The dress overall is in satin, which is quite appropriate for the era in which the musical is set, and it has a flowing effect as a result. The bodice/bust is decorated with quite a bit of beadwork, though not much in the way of jewelled adornment; that doesn’t surprise me, because I associate a Sue Blane production with focusing more on beading than jewels (in part because she started out with low-budget productions, and designers tend to remember those lessons their entire career). There’s also a bit of fringing available, which I think is Ms Blane’s way of giving a subtle nod to the stage productions of the era Tanz is set in. Early theatre’s easiest way of making a gown look fancy was to add fringing to the external portions of the dress, and in this case we see a bit of it on the hoop skirt/bell of the dress, as well as earlier on Ms Shaki’s arms where the dress is supported. I’ll have more on the Red Dress when I do the Paris review because it’s an even more spectacular example, but I thought it important to give some attention to the Vienna original as well!

There’s one more group scene I want to take a look at from the Vienna production. This one showcases quite a few of the human characters and it’s interesting to look at for a couple reasons. One, there doesn’t appear to be quite as much pastiche as there is in the costumes for the vampires that started out this review, and two, Ms Blane has done something to the costumes here to give them a very muted appearance:

For those who are familiar with classic 19th century-set musicals like Les Misérables, many of these may look a little bit familiar. The common tropes of underclass clothing are present here, but through her use of color and design, Ms Blane is making quite clear just how ordinary these people are. There is little to no adornment on any of the costumes, and they are presented as they come: there are wrinkles in the barmaid’s apron, the jackets on the men appear to be dusky and dusty at the same time, and everything is just so much more simple than the costumes for the vampires or the Sarah character. That’s by design; when you want to draw a stark contrast, you need to do that through your use of color and fabric choice. Notice I didn’t say any of these costumes look cheap because they absolutely do not. Rather, they look simple by comparison, and that’s a positive. These aren’t designed to be the more memorable pieces, and indeed that helps us to remember the pieces on Sarah and the vampires. The one exception here is the Alfred character (played by Lukas Perman) in the red coat; it’s still a relatively simple, muted design, but it does stand out and ties in to the red theme we saw earlier with Sarah’s dress and the Graf’s cape.

Also, I really dig the strands of garlic that are being worn by about half the ensemble members in this shot. It’s a nice hat-tip to the classic trope of vampires being unable to stand the smell of garlic, and while it may be a part of the book of the musical, for Ms Blane to somehow make them appear even more silly than the idea of garlic as vampire-bane itself is really an accomplishment.

Tanz der Vampire is a campy, raucous musical that has a costume designer and set of costumes to match. I like that the vampiric costumes are a pastiche of different designs, while for the most part the mortal designs are quite a bit more subdued. In some ways, it makes me long for the Austrian production reviewed here to do a national tour in the United States; the English translation of Tanz spectacularly flopped on Broadway, but that had more to do with the timing (it debuted scant months after 9/11 when the theatre was already seeing reduced sales) and the controversy surrounding the casting and design (read a bit on Michael Crawford’s role if you want more detail).

But I think that the musical as costumed by Sue Blane could do quite well here if ever given the chance. I know any number of people in the theatre community who got their start doing Rocky Horror midnight showings and paying homage to Ms Blane’s costume designs in the movie and original stage show. There is real potential for this to become a cult classic in the States if it were put on by the right people and used the right costumes--preferably an updated version designed by Ms Blane herself.

That about wraps up my Vienna review. Later on this week, I’ll take a look at another of the successful productions of Tanz, this time the Paris production entitled Le Bal des Vampires. It got mixed reviews from the foreign press, but Paris Match certainly enjoyed it and heaped praise on the costume design, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be an interesting review!

Stay tuned!

#tanz der vampire #vienna #musicals #theatre #vampires #costumery

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movieiwatchedtonight · 7 years

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Monthly Movie Recap: May 2017

Monthly Movie Recap: May 2017 It was one of those months that it was nearly over before I realized that I hadn't seen any movies yet! I did see Guardians of the Galaxy on opening night with Amy, but then I didn't see another movie till my group of friends and I saw Everything, Everything for my birthday. Then with my parents the next night I saw Baywatch. So only three this month but between both my brother and I's birthdays,finals, graduation, and starting my new job that's not too bad. Guardians was by far my favorite, then Baywatch, and least was Everything, Everything. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2:

Now I remembered little to none of the first movie, I think I only saw it full out once but I didn’t really need to to understand what was going on here. Side story; but the only time I’ve seen the first movie was in Disneyland back in 2014 before it was officially released in this really cool 4D theater. Also let’s keep in mind that I’m a casual comic book movie fan so I’m not really basing my opinions on anything other than my enjoyment.

I was able to see it twice. I went to a preview screening that my local theater does (and brought my best friend Amy as well) on the Thursday before it came out and then again on Sunday in a old small town theater in Jacksonville. (Completely unrelated but one theater showed the Thor trailer and one did not)

The first time I really was just paying attention to the story and just enjoying it (which I did) and the second time I actually took notes. Here’s some of the general notes about the movie that I wrote down from my second viewing:

- There’s a new intro where it shows movie characters rather than flipping through comic book pages. Not sure which one I like better, though I don’t mind the new one

- I love the opening scene. Am I biased because I’m from Missouri and I love the 80s? Maybe

- Also James Gunn is from Missouri; St.Louis more specifically so I love it. Fun fact Sean Gunn went to SLUH for high school

- An odd thing to love but I love all the colors, especially at the end (more on this later)

- Is Awesome Mixtape Vol.2 actually awesome? Yes. I personally prefers over Vol. 1

- Hey the dad from Sky High is here too

- Baby Groot needs a car seat

- Some lines were predictable but that’s every movie. One I really didn’t care for was when Ego tells Peter he’s just like everyone else and Peter says “what’s so wrong with that?”

- Also thought that sometimes jokes weren’t needed, a moment can just be a moment

- “Spacesuits for emergencies, or for fun”

- Ego’s planet was so pretty ( why does it remind me of the emerald city?) but was there really a need for a museum type show about why and how he formed the planet

- Kicking and messing with Baby Groot? Not okay

- Baby Groot dancing to basically the whole song Mr.Blue Sky while everyone else is fighting a giant space monster? Very okay (and so adorable!)

- Okay but like we kind of knew Ego was the bad guy the whole time, right?

- “You’re like Mary Poppins!” “Is he cool?” “Yeah he’s cool” “I’m Mary Poppins!!”

- Didn’t mind that they used The Chain twice because I love that song but we could have fit Fox on The Run in there somewhere

- I agree, Baby Groot is too adorable to kill

- I don’t know what Cheers is either Gamora, but if I did I’m sure it would have been a cool reference

- “I thought Yondu was your father.” Turns out he was

- Why do I love Sean Gunn’s character so much? I’m not even really sure I know who he is or what his purpose was besides getting the ship ready but I loved him. Especially when he asks Nebula what she’s going to do with her cut of the money (units?) and she tells him about wanting to kill her sister and buy a bunch of weapons and he’s just like “I meant like a pretty necklace, or a hat, something the girls would aw at”

- “They killed all my friends"😭

- Yondu’s arrow is so cool, Hawkeye should get himself one of those.

- Baby Groot getting crushed by rocks (?) and has no idea what else to do so he just starts crying, that broke my heart

- Cute little space family

- Screw Ego for putting the tumor in Meredith’s brain. I hate him

- Ok but Peter building Pac-Man was so cool

- “I’m going to make some weird shit!”

- I wish I knew what was so important about the batteries that the gold girl kept trying to kill them for stealing them

- The gold people’s little remote controls spaceships had arcade sounds and I loved it

- So many credit scenes that were about the movie (the Peter and Groot scene was my favorite)

- Also when Rocket, Baby Groot, Yondu and Kraglin were jumping through all the worlds (the part where Stan Lee has him cameo) I thought it would have been cool to like flash Asgard, just an idea

- I’m a sucker for friends choosing to become a family

- So did Peter lose his immortality and God qualities when they killed Ego? Or not?

- The scene where Ego and Peter are playing catch is emotionally manipulative

- I’m also a sucker for power group shots and there’s a good amount of them, enough to make me happy

- Baby Groot trying to get the fin but he keeps coming back with different things was so cute. Brings back a desk; “we told you it was this big!”

- My favorite arrow scene was when it hit the lights out and then killed all those people and all you could see was the trail of red glow

Now back to what I said earlier about colors. I have a personal theory, that at least for me, bright colors matter. I mean I often find myself re watching movies like The Avengers or Captain America: Civil War (which isn’t overly colorful but is bright) but not movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier or like Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice because they’re just dark. Like literally have a dark color palette. I don’t know if that makes any sense but this movie was full of colors and it was beautiful.

This may be a movie series where I prefer the second one over the first. They’re both good but I really like Vol. 2. I love the music in it so much, defiantly more than the first movie.This is definitely worth seeing in theaters and not waiting till it comes out later. Also wish I would have seen it in 3D because there’s a couple scenes that I bet look amazing in 3D! Especially the funeral scene, I bet that’s awesome in 3D! With all the colors and pretty lights.

Watch again: YES I will for sure see it again in theaters, hopefully 3D, and this will be a movie I preorder the DVD

Watch the sequel?: it’s a marvel movie, so of course, I’ll watch Vol. 3 as well as anything else remotely related to this movie

Baywatch: I thought this movie was alright. I definitely laughed and thought some parts were funny and I wouldn't go out of my way to not recommend it to someone. It's not going to be a summer favorite or anything but who doesn't love Zac Effron? I think my favorite part was definitely the High School Musical reference and just the whole name thing was funny to me and my parents. I didn't not enjoy this movie, it had me laughing a decent amount but I know it's not going to be like a classic comedy for me or anything like that. It’s a typical good summer comedy. I'll probably watch it again and most likely will get it on DVD but I don't think I'll go see it in theaters again.

Watch again: Yeah, I would watch this movie again but I don’t think I ever seek after it or get a craving to watch it again.

Watch the sequel?: Yeah, again I think I would. I enjoyed the first one enough to watch the second one, should one be made. Everything, Everything: I was not a fan of this movie. I mean it's one of those movies you go into knowing it's going to be far fetched and ridiculous but I just couldn't get on board with this movie. I went with about six friends to see it, Amy and I sat next to each other and just ripped the movie apart. I mean we made fun of everything, she described us as the old guys from the muppets (Statler and Waldorf). The movie wasn't as bad as we made it out to be, but I still didn't really like it. I knew it would be out there but like it was so out there. Now I never read the book, I do own it, and it's in my personal library, but I haven't had the chance to read it yet so I can't say how accurate it was to the book. I did like something's about it, I like the little twist where Maddy discovers that she was never really sick, and I liked the actor who played Olly (Nick Robinson) I thought he was pretty good. I also really loved the scene where he taped all the pictures of the ocean on her window and said something along the lines of “Every ocean deserves to be seen by you” that was really cute and I do really love that moment from the movie. I did also like how the movie made me think differently, like how we as people put so must trust into the people we love because we love them, we just believe everything they say is the truth because so far they haven’t proven us otherwise. That’s kind of scary, like to think that we just trust the people we love so easily, and we really could have no idea what's actually true and what isn’t. So in summary, I didn’t love the movie, but I liked how it got me thinking deeper.

Watch again?: Not on my own, no. The only way I see myself watching this movie again is if I’m with a group of people who want to.

Overall: May was a bus month and I didn’t see as many movies as I would have liked to, but with it now being summer vacation, I should be able to catch up for what I missed in May in June. I love that I got to see Guardians on opening night, that was really cool and a great way to start the summer movie season.

Next Month: June is a jam packed month for movies. So excited for Wonder Woman!! Also I feel like I might be alone in this, but I’m actually really excited for Baby Driver as well! As for kids movies, I’m actually going to Disney World the week Cars 3 is released so I plan on seeing it down in Orlando and Despicable Me is one of Amy’s favorite movies so we’ll go see the third on for sure. I will 100% be skipping out on 47 Meters Down, no thank you. Book of Henry has my interest because I’m slightly confused by it. Basically June is the hot spot for summer movies and with my theater having 5$ Tuesdays and 5$ student Thursdays, I hope to see as many as I can

#2017 #monthly movie recap #may 2017

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ltdedngallery-blog · 6 years

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THE BIG INTERVIEW … DAN BALDWIN

(Originally published Nov 2014)

BRITISH ARTIST DAN BALDWIN RECENTLY RETURNED FROM HIS STUNNING SOLO SHOW ‘END OF INNOCENCE’ IN NEW YORK CITY…AFTER 101 DIFFERENT INTERVIEWS ABOUT THE SHOW & THE NEW WORK, WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE…

LTD/EDN… Hey Dan, you are so often described, perhaps incorrectly, as an urban artist. It doesn’t get anymore urban than NYC, so how the hell was New York? Could you ever live there?

DAN…We had that very conversation out there, could we live here? We thought Yes and No .

If we had a massive loft in the Meatpacking District… Yes!

Although the TV Shows, disclaimers and adverts… that was driving us to a No! One commercial actually announced ‘If your erection lasts for more than four hours, seek medical advice’ and they invent words like ‘ruggedise’ and ‘dramadies’!

So as long as that loft apartment has no TV, you’ll be fine! Did you get to see any more of the City on this trip, or was it just work, work work? Any favourite spots?

Some good friends flew in from Brighton, and we visited all the usual places… Central Park, Liberty Island, Trump Tower, Dakota Building, Times Square, The MoMA, Soho, Cast Iron District, Ground Zero.

The Meatpacking District was the area we liked the most – round by Chelsea market and the historic High Line. I took photos I’m going to use in my new paintings which I’ve never done before – really interesting architecture, great buildings etc.

As for that Urban Artist tag, I guess I’m not easily labelled.

My paintings can be figurative, abstract, landscape, or non-perspective and they move forwards fast – I make sculpture and paint pots, I didn’t grow up in an inner city – but I’m not from the countryside either. My work may have urban appeal, and that may link back to my passion towards skateboarding and it’s art and music. I grew up in a very exciting time with music, that has inspired me.

When I started in 1990 (or 1996 if you exclude college) there was no Urban tags, until 2006, I guess art movements or chapters need to be boxed into a category.

Like they did with Pop Art – many of the Pop artists weren’t, like Ed Rusche, who was a young exciting painter making eye catching art at the same time as Rauschenberg – who actually wasn’t POP either, but was dating Jasper Johns, who was quite POP. I guess we all just love to categorise.

Brit’s taking and breaking the US has been a UK obsession in music and art for generations. With your management team PMM at your side are you part of a new British invasion?

Hopefully – who knows – what I loved was the response to my art from such a diverse mix of people – and selling art direct to people walking in from Texas, Canada, Australia, Germany and NYC, that doesn’t happen in my experience as much in London.

Can you tell us a little more about how it works with you and PMM Art Projects?

PMM will oversee all aspects of putting a show on for me – Pat, Roger, Richard will agree dates that work best, Roger will scout out venues across the city, Pat will then agree, then employ PR to maximise on Press, Roger will spread the word ‘like a scud missile’, Richard will deal in sales and clients, the hanging of the show, and email enquiries, Chippy will deal in decal, graphic design , show preview, lists, poster and sign, Marta will help deal in all admin, and take care of logistics; like cars, flights, hotel, crates, shipping etc - Pat had 700 posters distributed across NYC, and arranged a dinner for special clients and collectors the night before the opening. We all do our bit, I focus on making the art, then photographing it all, packing ready for crates and shippers, and I am there to hang it with Richard and a specialist hanger.

Pat and Roger also oversee any specific projects I may be asked to do, other than a show, like the deal with my recent Paolo Nutini project – If I’m approached by a company for example, I will run it past PMM.

It’s like I have a backbone of support and it all will come together on a show.

Do you pay attention to the American art scene? Feel different to London/UK? Any current artists out there you like? We heard that Shepard Fairey is a collector…

Not really – I rarely get time for other UK shows. I am aware of a lot of artists and try to keep my eyes open, but I’m 6 days a week absorbed in my own work so it’s not so easy.

I went to MoMA NYC just to see if there was a Basquiat, but sadly it was in storage. I was thrilled to see my favourite Rauschenberg again ‘Canyon’, I hadn’t seen that since I was about 19. It’s a mixed media collage on canvas with a eagle stuck to the bottom on wood, with paint and cardboard and as a young artist it made me realise you can do anything in art. I also still get a buzz from seeing Warhol like the huge black red Disaster piece/car crash .

I remember going out to a show in London after my LA show and it was so pretentious compared to LA, which is very much dress down laid back in its vibe. NYC was cool, good people.

Shep isn’t a collector of mine as such, but he has a lot of art – he came to my LA show and requested to meet me, which was great as I saw him there and was like Fuck, its OBEY ! . . Weirdly I had bought myself an Obey print when I first went full time in 2006.

We had a good chat about music mainly and my art and the next day he invited us to his downtown Hollywood studio, which was amazing – he was incredibly generous and gave me 12 prints, and two books, so I pasted some onto a canvas and made a Baldwin on top of some Obeys and one was a Martha Cooper, so it’s a one off Baldwin on some Shepard Fairey Martha cooper prints! I then sent it back to him. (pictured above left).

That meeting was a highlight of our LA trip and years later I had no idea it would link up to PMM via Logan Hicks.

You have a number of other celebrity collectors. If you could collect something from a celebrity what would it be?

I think something from the classic car collection of Jay Leno would be a nice one … I don’t know.

I do want a 50s American car, a 58 Plymouth Fury, after my top 3 favourite movie Christine, or some original Westwood punk gear.

I collected badges as a kid… Now i collect stuff for my art – something from Elvis’s Gracelands, perhaps or a bit of James Dean’s wardrobe, or his conga drums. One of Andy Warhol’s striped t-shirts would be cool or a Basquiat scrap of paper or something from his studio – similarly something from Bacon’s studio. A drum kit from Adam Ant was on my childhood wish list… They gave one away on ”Jim’ll Fix it’.

We covet inanimate objects – is it nostalgia? or sentimentalism? There, I invented a word! Or maybe not. I have a cabinet full of objects we collect. Old children’s dice, a dead Bee, a cats whisker, it’s memory and object – I like nostalgia.

Your Cyclone piece was recently used by Paolo Nutini on his album sleeve artwork – if you could design any album for any band through history what would it be?

Album art used to be so important, I never forget the power Frankie Goes to Hollywood had with their first album, and the symbolism they used, the heart, the bullet, the crucifix, the sperm. It made a big impact on me, as did Adam Ant, but that was more his look and that great logo.

So did Santa bring you anything exciting this year? What was on your list to Santa? Did any goodies cross over with your son’s list?

We escaped the misery of Dads Army, Quality Street, the Two Ronnies repeat from 1978 and you know, all the rest of it and celebrated Rome.

Is finding out that Santa doesn’t exist the real ‘End of Innocence’?

He doesn’t?

Ha, so enough of Christmas, it’s a New Year…What’s up next?

Thursday (Jan 8th 2015) sees the opening of a new print show alongside Peter Blake at the GX Gallery (www.gxgallery.com/exhibition/fame-promise) I have made 5 new works on paper for it.

I also have a lot of loose ends since NYC, some commissions to do, two charity events coming up, and making new art. I am itching to continue my SUBVERT series and make more bronzes.

There will be a lot going on over the next 12 months, we are also planning to move and relocate the studio. Plus I’m already planning my new show! In my head anyway!

Lastly, talking of your head, one question about the Show…. We noticed a splendid hat, move over Pharrell…Where did you get that hat, where did you get that hat?

Ha, I’m not brave enough for ‘Child of the Jago’, yet, but you know, all in time .. but in NYC it was essential.

I like the look of some of these www.nickfouquet.com

In the 90’s, or earlier, when England was full of casuals and mullets, if I said then imagine if all the young casuals started to dress like it was the 1940’s – braces, hats, cloth caps, brogue boots, beards you would have laughed – but now it’s true!

Everything comes round in circles. Look at Duchamp, putting an urinal in a gallery in 1917, how ahead of his time was he? Anyway you know the old saying ‘if you want to get ahead, get a hat ‘…1934 that slogan was created.

Thank you Dan for your time, we look forward to new work in 2016.

#art #artists on tumblr #danbaldwin #new york #maddox gallery

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