#Andy Tao

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[kyuala]

eu quando sou uma gostosa

[demon64]

So... with Marvel, particularly X-23, on the mind a bit lately and wanting to get back into my SMT V: Vengeance playthrough, I kinda got to thinking of what would her role be in an SMT/Marvel Crossover AU. Taking some inspiration from the time she was Captain Universe, maybe she could be a Nahobino? Or maybe she could be someone like Tao or Yoko? Or maybe the Tao-like or Yoko-like role could go to a different character?

I do know if I write something for an SMT/Marvel Crossover AU, I would like to do something with Thor, both versions, where it's something like Eric Masterson is SMT Thor's Knowledge. Or maybe have it be Kevin Masterson, Eric Masterson's son? I also just had the idea while typing this of maybe writing something with Andi Benton, maybe making the Mania Symbiote like Aogami while Andi is the human who bonded. Maybe I will go with that instead, maybe so that I can try writing something with Andi meeting Nico Minoru and Laura and them going on a journey similar to what the Nahobino and company do in SMTV. Or maybe I could go with a combination of these ideas? Have Andi and Laura in roles similar to Tao and Yoko while whoever I make Thor's Knowledge is the protagonist?

Another idea is having Franklin Richards as the protagonist, with Rachel Summers as the one with a kinda similar role to Tao or Yoko. This idea popped in my head when mulling over the many possibilities for an SMT/Marvel Crossover. Franklin has cosmic power in the comics, the ability to create a miniature universe, while Rachel is one of the hosts of the Phoenix Force. Obviously, for this crossover idea, I will depower Franklin a bit, and I will probably try thinking of a mythological being for him to be the Knowledge of.

[women-4life]

MAJOR CRIMES

TikTok - _fan_of_people_

Insta - _fan_of_people

Twitter - Fan_Of_People_

[andy-is-not-funny]

The most unrealistic thing about Heartstopper is that I’m suppose to believe that two teenagers have the money to buy two (2) GIGANTIC bags of popcorn, two (2) nachos plate and two (2) soft drinks smh

[grassbreads]

God, I've been sitting here for a while trying to write a coherent post about how and why I love Tai Sui so much, and for once in my life I'm really truly just stumped. It's so much to try and convey.

It starts out as just an interesting and prettily written little story, with Xi Ping as a very fun and engaging protagonist, and as you finish book one and get into book two the sheer multiplicity of Things Going On at any given time gets incredibly exciting.

But then, god, book 3. I'm in the middle of book 3's third arc right now, and I cannot tell you how many times this book has just absolutely floored me with how beautiful this story is. The direction it goes and the themes it takes on and the way it executes them. It's all just, god.

Besties please read Tai Sui. It's so worth it and I need someone else to scream about it with.

[shadowland]

Dennis Hopper's collection of owned and gifted books (a few are listed under the cut)

Islands in the Stream (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970)

Magic (Delacorte Press, 1976)

Sneaky People (Simon and Schuster, 1975)

Strange Peaches (Harper's Magazine Press, 1972)

I Didn't Know I Would Live So Long (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973)

Baby Breakdown (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1970)

37 (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970)

Presences: A Text for Marisol (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970)

Little Prayers for Little Lips, The Book of Tao, The Bhagavadgita or The Song Divine, and Gems and Their Occult Power.

Lolita (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1955)

The Dramas of Kansas (John F. Higgins, 1915)

Joy of Cooking (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1974) 

The Neurotic: His Inner and Outer Worlds (First edition, Citadel Press, 1954)

Out of My Mind: An Autobiography (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997)

The Savage Mind (University of Chicago Press, 1966)

Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors (J.B. Lippincott Company, 1974)

The Documents of 20th Century Art: Dialogues with Marcel Duchamp (Viking Press, 1971)

The Portable Dorothy Parker, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, I Ching, and How to Make Love to a Man.

John Steinbeck's East of Eden (Bantam, 1962)

James Dean: The Mutant King (Straight Arrow Books, 1974) by David Dalton

The Moviegoer (The Noonday Press, 1971)

 Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness (City Light Books, 1974)

Narcotics Nature's Dangerous Gifts (A Delta Book, 1973)

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Dover Publications, 1967)

Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines (Oxford University Press, 1969)

Junky (Penguin Books, 1977) by William S. Burroughs

Weed: Adventures of a Dope Smuggler (Harper & Row, 1974)

Alcoholics Anonymous (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 1976)

Skrebneski Portraits - A Matter of Record, Sketchbooks of Paolo Soleri, and High Tide.

Raw Notes (The Press of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 2005)

Le Corbusier (Heidi Weber, 1965)

Henry Moore in America (Praeger Publishers, 1973)

Claes Oldenburg (MIT Press, 2012)

Notebooks 1959 1971 (MIT Press, 1972)

A Day in the Country (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1985)

Album Celine (Gallimard, 1977)

A Selection of Fifity Works From the Collection of Robert C. Scull (Sotheby Parke Bernet, Inc. 1973)

Collage A Complete Guide for Artists (Watsun-Guptill Publications, 1970)

The Fifties Aspects of Painting in New York (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980)

A Bottle of Notes and Some Voyages (Rizzoli International Publications, 1988)

All Color Book of Art Nouveau (Octopus Books, 1974)

A Colorslide Tour of The Louvre Paris (Panorama, 1960)

Dear Dead Days (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1959)

Woman (Aidan Ellis Publishing Limited, 1972)

The Arts and Man ( UNESCO, 1969)

Murals From the Han to the Tang (Foreign Languages Press, 1974)

A (Grove Press Inc., 1968)

Andy Warhol's Index Book (Random House, 1967)

Voices (A Big Table Book, 1969)

Another Country (A Dell Book, circa 1960s)

On The Road (Signet, circa 1980s) 

[abrieenthusiast]

okay there are a lot of things that im excited for in season 3 of heartstopper for both film brain reasons and fandom reasons so lets just get to it:

in a recent interview with jenny and joe, joe mentioned how he and georgina (who plays jane) got to improvise their argument scenes and i quote: "if you can’t hear us speaking, we’re just saying the most horrible and rude things to each other that could never be in Heartstopper" so that means in my mind that a lot of scene such as the this winter argument are going to be either under the same general umbrella OR a completely different interpretation of the argument in the book which im psyched for

just the casting of so. many. family members. for episode 5

if theyre gonna do the split perspectives like the journal entries in episode 4! i can def get how that could be difficult but with the talk from alice about how special 4 is, i think it might be cool to see an unseen format for this particular section of the story

how they handle elle being at a different school after finally getting into a relationship with tao

WHATS THE VIBE GONNA BE AT NICKS BIRTHDAY cuz we know what happens after so are we gonna see that tension leading up or not? especially since we have other characters in the mix now

how will they tie the jack maddox minicomic to the seasons plot? i think its happening in episode 7 or 6 by my guess but either way we will SEE!

back to the topic of the journal entries, since the timeline goes "episode 4 nicks pov/charlies, episdoe 5 no main pov, episode 6 charlies pov w therapy and all that", will they shift around events or move where the voiceover happens specifically?

not even a question I AM SO HYPED FOR THE CHANGE IN CAMERA DIRECTION THANKS TO ANDY NEWBURY ill make another post about this but in a phrase i mean his choice of focusing on the performances through simplistic shots

just andy newburys direction in general! i think it was a good call to bring in someone with more knowledge on directing more serious stuff such as season 3, and you can tell the tone shift is done really well!

how theyll handle issac and james' relationship now that the ship has sailed! will they stay friends, will it be awkward?

new! animation! things! i say this bc last season they got more confident by doing new animation tactics that werent straight from the comics, so im interested in what theyll try out this time

just seeing nick and charlie as a fully realized couple, theyve gotten past the being out in public now, so although they are still changing as characters, the relationship doesnt feel as "new" anymore (that is ofc before they start boinking"

where are the f bombs going to be? like which ones are they choosing bc they cant have too many so they have to pick and choose wisely

tao becoming a film bro because that is very personal for me specifically

im sure ill add more but this is what we've got so far FJLKDSLD

[cantsomeoneelsedoit]

Ch 61: Interest

Shen's desperate to bring down Feng even if he has to sacrifice himself to do it. Since Feng only responds to strength (and certainly not logic!) there's only one way to keep him in check!

And what's up with that bag at Shen's feet? Are those senzu beans? Shen is going to need a powerup if he's gonna defeat Feng!

Feng doesn't have a scratch on him after Andy's attack! He's gonna be trouble for our team of fighters. They'll either have to collaborate to chip away at him and wear him down or take him out in one catastrophic attack, because fighting him in a traditional sense is going to be a mistake.

Before I get too far into the chapter, I want to look at what I *believe* are *some* of the influences for the character of Feng. I certainly don't know Tozuka's mind, and I'm not trying to say that these are 100% intentional, but these are some other characters who remind me of Feng in interesting ways.

1. Tao Pai Pai

Tao Pai Pai (Mercenary Tao) debuted in Dragon Ball chapter 85 as a notorious assassin hired by the Red Ribbon Army to take out Goku. He's ruthless, greedy, arrogant, selfish, uses his braid as a weapon, and even kills someone with his tongue. He's also 291 years old, despite his middle-aged appearance. I don't think there's ever an explanation for how he lived so long. He's just a sage that way, I guess.

There's an anime filler scene where Tao Pai Pai even gets a black cloud like Feng's, though it doesn't last very long.

Tao Pai Pai was visually based on the villain from the Jackie Chan kung-fu movie Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. Take off the mustache, and you'd have someone who looks a bit like Feng (though Feng smiles a lot more than this guy).

But in the end, Tao Pai Pai proves to be a coward and doesn't have anywhere close to the grit, determination, and near-invincibility of Feng. He fights dirty, pretends to surrender, and generally acts like an arrogant dingus. Our Feng would run circles around this scrub. Still, there are parallels between them that I'll point out during his scenes.

2. Feng from The Iceman Cometh

The Iceman Cometh is a 1989 Hong Kong film that's kind of an isekai of its day. It has a villain named Feng who uses a time-travel device. The hero and the villain travel through time to 1989 Kowloon, where the bulk of the film takes place. Spoiler: Kowloon is Feng's last name in UU.

Though both the Feng in the movie and our Feng are excellent fighters, hate-sink villains and snarkers, the "Iceman" Feng is a much, MUCH, more evil character than the UU Feng, and that's saying a lot. You can see how bad he is because of his evil mustache.

3. Feng Wei from Tekken

I haven't played a fighting game in...decades, but I hear that Feng Wei is a hot-tempered Blood Knight who's obsessed with becoming the greatest fighter in the world. He fights in a different style than Feng's Bajiquan, though. As much as Tozuka loves referencing fighting games, I wouldn't be surprised if Feng Wei was an influence.

Honorable mentions:

Akuma/Gouki from Street Fighter, who's obsessed with fighting Ryu at his peak

Younger Toguro from YYH, who would go to great lengths to preserve his strength and youth

Anyway, the character of Feng is heavily based in the Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who's always looking for a Worthy Opponent, and if he can't find one, he'll create one. He's neglected almost every other aspect of life in pursuit of power and satisfaction, and it seems he'll never be satisfied until he's killed by someone he deems worthy.

Shen and Feng are two different sides to the same coin-- a life dedicated to martial arts can take a dark or light path depending on the motivations of the user, which is a common theme in works about martial arts.

OK, with all that out of the way, let's continue the chapter!

Yeah, you can't just introduce a character like Feng and then not have Andy fight him! Slow down, Fuuko! We've gotta see Feng slug it out with Andy!

Well, that's certainly a strategy!

Feng's staff can transform into nunchucks to adapt to different kinds of fighting situations, just like a good martial artist. It's a versatile weapon that's well-suited to a quick-thinking fighter like Feng.

Being adaptable and able to shift styles and weapons is a major theme in a lot of Bruce Lee flicks, so it's no surprise to see Feng strike Lee's famous taunting pose on the next page.

Andy accepts the invitation so quickly that he steps out of his panel! He attacks with supercharged punches while Fuuko holds on for dear life! But Feng is still just standing there barely moving...

Despite the frenzy of his attack, Andy's thinking strategically about how to bring Feng down. He's not interested in prolonging the battle the way Feng is.

Feng fights with his hands behind his back the way Tao Pai Pai does.

His foot stomp is so powerful that it cracks the UMA's body, like the Earthquake Foot in Kengan Ashura or this scene from Kung Fu Hustle:

Andy is incapacitated by it, too! Shen is way too powerful!

Pretty rich for Feng to be calling someone else arrogant!

Ouch! Poor Andy! Using his wrist and elbow, Feng dislocates both of Andy's shoulders at once.

Feng's figured out Andy's rules before Andy had a chance to test Feng. Andy's strategy was to "keep dying" until he discovered the rules, but if Feng is only going to incapacitate him, then Andy won't be fighting at his full strength.

But but but it could cause osteoarthritis? Or ligament damage? And that could be deadly because... bone spurs? IDK, I'm grasping at straws here. I don't WANT Andy's power to have a loophole! But I suppose if someone has to discover a loophole, it should be Feng. I wonder if Juiz knows about this detail...

Andy attacks again, but Feng blocks with his forearm. Why can't Andy damage him???

Feng attacks with a double-palm strike:

Oh damn, Feng isn't depending on an ability! Everything we've seen has just been his natural fighting power! He looks genuinely surprised that Andy's still standing. Perhaps Andy is a worthy opponent?

Finally, we learn the name of Feng's style! By the way, if you're wondering about the Japanese names of Feng's moves, the UU English translator David Evelyn explained them here!

I would also like to mention Andy's sad shoulders. Utterly heartbreaking. I don't think we've ever seen him slouch like that before! He really looks incapacitated that way, and from Fuuko's expression, it's concerning her, too!

This page, though! I love this simple layout and how much it shows about the battle. Feng's lost his smile, but Andy's grinning now!

Andy's disinterest in being the strongest is curious. If he DID have that ambition, I'd imagine we'd see a lot more conflict between him and Victor. To Feng though, anyone who lacks that ambition is a coward.

Feng punches clean through Andy, likely attempting to take out Fuuko since he knows Andy can heal from something that catastrophic.

Feng taunts Andy for caring about something more than just his own strength and threatens to kill Fuuko in order to make Andy power up. Jeeze, this guy really has only one strategy to motivate people...

WHAT IF I KILL YOUR LOVED ONES?!? THEN WILL YOU BE STRONG?! THEN WILL I BE STRONGER THAN STRONG YOU?!

Best zombie.

"While I've got you here, let me tell you something..."

Feng, of course, has ignored the advantages of working in a team and fighting altruistically.

Shen's been missing for a minute! He comes back in style to stab Feng through Andy, much to Andy's surprise. Feng is delighted to see that Shen's emotion-powered attack was so strong! He's willing to do anything to fuel their rage. Can the Union work together to beat him without losing their cool?

Masterpost

[stuff-diary]

Heartstopper (Season 3)

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Heartstopper (Season 3, 2024, UK)

Director: Andy Newbery

Creator & Writer: Alice Oseman (based on her own graphic novel)

Mini-review:

And that's another great season. As I said on my review for the previous one, Hearstopper feels like nothing short of a queer miracle. I can't think of many other shows that can have me burst out crying over the simplest scenes and conversations. This season delves deeper into some of the show's darker themes and topics, but Alice Oseman handles everything with the beautiful sensitivity and gentleness she's become known for. In particular, her portrayal of mental illness and eating disorders remains one of the best and most enriching I've ever seen, just like it was when she wrote this part of the comic. And really, I love that the show gives her a chance to flesh out the entire cast. In fact, this season's true stars were Elle and Tao for me (but the rest had fantastic storylines as well). I really can't wait to see how Alice wraps this story up, both in comic and TV form.

[ruvviks]

hiii bones i desperately need to know more about the time seb and cassidy got chased by the NCPD and then hit by a car in front of the hospital i'm sorry i ended up getting obsessed with a small detail

HIII RENA THANK YOU SO MUCH it's honestly one of my favorite encounters of them all 😭 for context, there's a total of 28 encounters between january 2077 and december 2077; this encounter is the 13th encounter and it happens in the end of june 2077 (which, if you're interested, lines up with the in-game events in my canon with vincent and would happen around the same time of the parade; so while all of that serious business is going on you got these two clowns getting hit by a car SBHGFDJGDFJGD)

basically what happens is that for once, cassidy is not out to kill seb; he's having a moment in a bar and seb happens to show up at the exact same place, then believes that cassidy did in fact show up there to kill him (which usually is indeed the case) and this prompts a fight between the two which ends up escalating rather quickly into a full-blown bar fight. fun!

that is until the ncpd shows up and starts to arrest people left and right but naturally so, since this is night city, the cops end up getting dragged into the bar fight as well. at some point seb and cassidy manage to stumble out of the bar (well. one of them gets flung through the window and the other stumbles out of the bar) and one of the few still standing cops in the midst of the chaos and panic ends up arresting them?? sort of??? but also needs to call for reinforcements and he ends up just. handcuffing them together. oops

and then they need to run the fuck away from the cops because cassidy is wanted dead or alive by maxtac and kang tao and lowkey militech as well and seb is wanted very much dead by arasaka so if either of them were to get captured by the ncpd they'd be in a bit of a pickle. a big one

so! cue to a chase scene through night city (i feel like it's important to mention once more that seb is 1.99m tall with silvery gray hair that stands out in a crowd and cassidy is 2.01m tall with peach pink hair that. you guessed it. stands out in a crowd) in which they're mostly trying to outrun several ncpd vehicles but also around every corner they try to kill each other. while still being handcuffed together. on more than one occasion they would also end up falling into each other's arms and touching hands and all the other gay shit you'd expect from me and andy in our writing but that's not important right now

the chase ends pretty abruptly when they've managed to outrun the ncpd but they're still trying to fuck each other up which results in them running into traffic and then getting hit by a fucking car right at the entrance of the hospital =D obviously the driver is very worried and checks them in at the hospital so they can get looked at. they're still handcuffed together. no one questions it it's night city. they're now stuck in a waiting room for about 45 minutes with crying children, arguing couples, staring elderly people, etc etc, WHILE handcuffed to their arch nemesis. and they can't even kill each other about it

as funny as this whole idea is, the scene ends with them outside the hospital and amanda (seb's best friend and another member of the cobras, his gang) unlocks the handcuffs for them. and cassidy makes eye contact with seb very briefly. and then starts walking backwards and quickly turns around and leaves. and that's where it ends

because despite the fact that yes he does really need to kill this man, at that point it's become much more than just that contract that he signed with his mysterious client. with both seb and cassidy the other is fascinating to them and it's kind of become a game; they're each other's equal in combat which has RARELY happened before, it's kind of like enrichment?? obviously it's also infuriating and they're both going insane but at the same time it would by then have become something that they both rely on. creating intricate rituals to be close to another man etc etc

it's kind of like. violence as a love language honestly. like knowing what the future holds for them and all this is just. slowly but surely transforming into something entirely else than just two guys trying to kill each other because they both know that it's never gonna happen. they know the other isn't gonna kill them and they know they'll never be able to kill the other so really what does that all mean then? what's left? they could easily stop but that would mean they won't ever see each other again because well they're enemies. they can't suddenly become friends. they're both just kind of. waiting i guess?? to see where it goes. because maybe one day things will be different... not that they would ever admit to anyone let alone themselves that they would like for things to be different but like. it's about the subconscious yearning of it all. do you see the vision

anyway this got very long but i could've gone on for longer because. as you could probably guess. andy and i wrote out shit like this for every single encounter SBHGJMKFDGBFDJGKDF and then!!!! we have entire LISTS of jobs and targets for the later eras (this here is what we call killing era on account of the. well. there's a significant lack of killing but it's about the attempts i guess) with again. so much detail. THERE'S JUST SO MUCH WE HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY

[jiannguo]

Background "Moon Represents my heart" recently cover by Xiao Zhan

This song is legendary, any Chinese/Chinese diaspora person can hum the tune. "The Moon Represents My Heart" (Yuèliang Dàibiǎo Wǒ de Xīn) is a song originally recorded by Taiwanese singer Chen Fen-lan in 1973.

The song was eventually made famous throughout world by Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng in 1977.

"The Moon Represents My Heart" has been performed frequently around the world since its release by famous singers and musicians such as Hayley Westenra, Nana Mouskouri, Katherine Jenkins, Shila Amzah, Faye Wong, David Tao, Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung, Jon Bon Jovi, Siti Nurhaliza, David Archuleta, English vocal group Libera and Grammy Award winning American musician Kenny G.

Further information on Wikipedia page:

As usual, a PSA, do not spread disinformation 🥰

Do read the section "Cultural and societal impact" on the wiki page as to why the voice of Teresa Teng with this song was so important. I'm so proud of Xiao Xhan.

[blossom--of--snow]

Merry Christmas @lolcat76! Have some sickeningly happy Shandy <3

St. Joseph’s newly renovated reception hall was full at 7:30 on Sharon Raydor’s wedding night. Sharon and her bridesmaids had spent the previous night stringing twinkle lights, drinking wine coolers, and creating the reception playlist to replace the DJ who had the audacity to cancel the week before the wedding. By the time the vows were sealed with a kiss, bunches of baby’s breath peeked out of the vases on every table, lights sparkled in rows across the room, and place cards assigned everyone to their proper place.

Andy Flynn and Sharon Raydor deserved nothing less than to celebrate their nuptials in style.

As tradition demanded, husband and wife graced the dance floor first. The cream colored pleated skirt of Sharon’s reception dress fluttered against her knees every time she took a step, and Andy’s eyes devoured the skin peeking beneath the lacy top. “Any regrets so far?” Sharon teased, inching one side of her v-neck to cover more of her tasteful cleavage. She giggled when Andy tugged her off balance only to catch her in time for the first step.

“None.” Andy’s breath warmed the skin behind Sharon’s ear, validating her decision to pin her hair up.

After nuzzling Andy’s neck, Sharon eased back far enough to show him how happy she was. An hour and half and counting, and she couldn’t stop smiling. Just when she thought she could give her cheeks a rest, he would kiss her hand, or feed her cake, or pick “Unchained Melody” for their first dance and let her lead.

“We did it,” Sharon said, draping her arm farther around his neck. Tearing her eyes away from Andy’s giddy smile, Sharon scanned the room full of family. “And everyone’s here.”

Andy spun her a few times, because he knew she loved to see her skirt twirl, but pulled her back before too long. “Yeah, we know how to throw a party, huh?”

Sharon scoffed. “I’ve only had one drink and not quite all of one dance. The party’s just getting started.”

Glancing at the bridal party’s long table, Andy rolled his eyes. “Tell that to Provenza. Three glasses of champagne, and he’s practically under the table.”

“Ah-ah,” Sharon said, fingers covering Andy’s lips. “No grumbling today, remember? This is our day to be blissfully and disgustingly happy.”

Andy kissed her fingertips. “You make me this happy every day,” he murmured.

Oh, this man. Sharon stopped smiling for long enough to hum and kiss him, in front of everyone, because she could. They could make out for the rest of the night, right here on the dance floor, and no one could say a word. Today gave them license to show their entire little world how much they looked forward to spending the rest of their lives together.

“You’re so hot when you multitask,” Andy breathed against her lips when he realized Sharon hadn’t missed a step. 

Sharon laughed wickedly as Andy lowered her into a deep dip, prompting claps and whistles from their guests. “Then you’ll love my plans for this evening.”

Growling, Andy pulled Sharon upright, their noses inches apart. Sharon’s smile softened his intent, and they only exchanged an Eskimo kiss. Sharon smoothed her hands up Andy’s lapels and around his neck, coaxing him closer as the dance ended[R1] . Their guests’ applause broke them apart, and as planned, their children swept them up next. Ricky and Nicole each grabbed a parent, leaving Rusty and Emily to open the dance floor for the rest of the party. Before long, most of the bridal party was dedicated to embarrassing themselves by dancing to songs that only the older half knew.

By the next dance, husband and wife were reunited on the dance floor. Looking around at a room packed with friends and family, Sharon was relieved to see her happiness reflected on so many faces. Even Sanchez bore a grin, but since he chose Chief Johnson as his dance partner, he couldn’t hide his amusement. Cathy Tao kept far away from her husband, whose dance moves were frightening even before alcohol. Andrea, whose inhibitions were too strong to be conquered by pesky emotions, enjoyed herself on the sidelines with Fritz and a hefty slice of cake. Amy and Wes huddled in a corner with Elliott, trying to avoid dance partners. Andy’s grandchildren—Sharon’s step grandchildren—chased each other around the reception hall.

“Hey.” Andy squeezed Sharon’s waist. “You okay?”

Sharon’s smile could have lit all of Los Angeles. “I’m perfect. Everything is perfect. I’ve never been so happy.” She shook her head incredulously. “How did we get so lucky?”

“Hey, we worked hard for this,” Andy said, only half teasing. “Everything we’ve endured, everything we’ve given up, everything we’ve suffered—and we ended up here.”

Here, swaying in the arms of the love of her life, surrounded by everyone they love. Leaning forward, Sharon rested her forehead against her husband’s. “I’d do it all again, to be here with you.”

In the midst of a crowded dance floor, Andy Flynn kissed his wife breathless.

[kaydeefalls]

65 for Carthaginians, 66 for fic of your choice, 67, and 69 (always be fishing for recs)

Here we go!

65. If you wrote a sequel to [Carthaginians], what would happen in it?

LYKON MY BELOVED. Not the obvious answer, which I guess would be the followup of Yusuf and Nicolò searching for the lost Carthaginian children, but I honestly don't know how much of a story I have to tell there. However, the later ramifications of this particular canon divergence are fascinating to me, and having essentially swapped origin eras for Joe&Nicky vs. Lykon, I would love to dive into his alternate origin story. I spent way too long trying to pinpoint where in the early medieval period Lykon could have become immortal instead (for a single throwaway line in the one flashforward to present day scene), and it would be fun to explore that further. Or how the events of the movie play out differently with Lykon still part of the team - would he be the one to lose his immortality instead of Andy, since canonically he IS the first to die (and at only around 1000 years old, which is right around movie era in this AU)?

66. What’s a fun fact about [insert fic]?

I guess I'll go with what dreams may come (TOG fusion!AU with Inception), since that's the most recent fic I've posted. IDK how we define "fun fact" here, so here's something that pleased me when it finally came together. The fic alternates between past and present day scenes, and every single one of Nicky's dreams we see in a flashback shows up again in the nightmare Quynh traps him in. I did not plan that going in. I did not have the faintest idea how the final showdown was going to play out until just before I wrote it, and then had the absolute delight of patchworking all the prior dreams together into some kind of Frankenstein's monster of a dream. I'd struggled with writing most of that fic, but that section came together SO easily in the end. Love it when I subconsciously lay my own breadcrumbs trail.

67. If a fic was titled [insert made up title], what would this story be about/how would you write it?

...I'm not sure how to answer this one without the made up title of choice! But titles rarely come first for me. When I'm very, very lucky, they come relatively early on in the writing process, and not in a desperate scramble at the last possible minute. Though I do sometimes have titles sitting in the back of my head for years, waiting for the right fandom/fic to show up for them. Always satisfying when one of those finds a home. (I do currently have one of those on the backburner - a line from my wife's favorite poem - but the WIP in question hasn't coalesced properly yet.)

69. What are your favorite fics at the moment?

Okay, so I'm currently doing a deep dive into Heartstopper fandom, which uh I'm not sure anyone else here would care about, and I'm kinda casting the net pretty wide at the moment in that sort of new(ish) fandom haze, where I'm not as picky as I normally would be, but also everything I've read is kind of starting to blur together? I wish I thought to bookmark fics more - I use author subscriptions instead of bookmarks for my own personal reference, but that's uh less helpful in a new fandom where I don't actually remember any author's username out of context. The most recent fics I've bookmarked (in ANY fandom) are:

like in the dramas by shoutowo (Heartstopper) - canon divergence where Charlie and Tao start fake dating after Charlie gets outed, and the ensuing complications once he meets Nick; it's just super charming and a fun subversion of the fake dating trope, and Charlie's repeated attempts to fake-break-up with Tao amuse me greatly.

That Was the River, This Is the Sea by @what-alchemy (TOG) - modern AU for Joe/Nicky, I fucking love the way this fic depicts them both, and how REAL they feel. I can't speak from a cis gay male experience, being a queer woman, but the depiction of Joe and Nicky's desire for each other in this fic is the closest I've ever read to the way my many queer male friends talk about sex and relationships, it just rings so unbelievably true to me. And also it's just lovely.

...apparently I've only bookmarked two new fics in 2024? Ugh. I really need to use bookmarks more often. But genuinely I'm just in a weird Heartstopper reading haze at the moment and I don't know what to rec because I'd have to track them back down again first, and my brain is not capable of that at 1am, whoops. 🤦‍♀️

[grassbreads]

Holy shit, I cannot remember the last time something in a book has filled me with as much simultaneous intense excitement and dread as clicking to book two of Silent Reading and seeing that the chapters are named after Humbert Humbert.

Because like, on one hand, that was the moment when it hit me what the literary references in part 1 were doing and how the rest of the novel would be structured, and. damn. I fucking love allusions, and Priest has absolutely outdone herself with this referential criminal structure. (Assuming I’ve interpreted her intentions here right, lmao). That realization was the moment I went from decently enjoying to absolutely loving this book.

But on the other hand, given that the upcoming chapters are named after Humbert Humbert… I am filled with horror and dread.

[evietempura]

Blog #1: "Sana ako si Heather": Pagsusuri sa Heathers: the Musical ❤️💛💚💙

Marami sa mga midya ang gumagamit sa pangalan na “Heather”. Isa sa mga halimbawa nito ang kanta ni Conan Gray na “Heather”, na tungkol sa isang babae na perpekto sa mata ng lalaki na mahal ng kumakanta. Ngunit may isang pelikula, na ginawang musikal, na tungkol rin sa hindi isa, hindi dalawa, kundi tatlong Heathers. Pero, hindi gaanong perpekto ang nangyari sa kanila nung pumasok ang isang babae at lalaki na bagong lipat sa paaralan nila. Ano kaya ang nangyari? Alamin natin kung bakit ganito ang nangyari.

Ang “Heathers: The Musical” na idinerekta ni Andy Fickman at isinulat ni Kevin Murphy at Laurence O'Keefe (Heathers: The Musical (TV Movie 2022) ⭐ 7.6 | Comedy, Musical, 2022) isa itong adaptasyon ng pelikulang “Heathers” at sumusunod sa kwento ni Veronica Sawyer, isang senior year na estudyante sa Westerberg High, isang paaralan na nahahati ng matinding pamantayan ng lipunan. Ang tatlong Heathers—Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, at Heather McNamara—sila ang pinakasikat ng mga estudyanteng na may kapangyarihan at kontrol sa antas ng lipunan (Heathers the Musical (Musical) Plot & Characters, n.d.). Nang tinulungan ni Veronica si Heather Chandler sa isang sitwasyon, naging bahagi siya ng grupo at agad na tumaas ang kanyang katayuan sa paaralan. Sa kanta na "Beautiful," ipinapakita kung paano nagbabago ang kanyang buhay mula sa pagiging isang ordinaryong estudyante hanggang sa pagiging isa sa mga pinakakilalang tao sa paaralan.

Habang masaya si Veronica sa kanyang bagong katayuan, dumating sa paaralan si Jason Dean, o JD, isang transferee na may kakaibang pananaw sa lipunan. Hindi tulad ng iba, hindi sumusunod si JD sa mga panuntunan ng paaralan at pinapakita ang kanyang paghihimagsik sa sistema. Unang nakita ang kanyang pagsuway nang labanan niya ang dalawang jocks, na nagustuhan ni Veronica dahil sa kanyang tapang na hamunin ang elitistang pamantayan ng paaralan.

Mula sa kantang "Fight for Me":

"Hey, mister no-name kid So who might you be? And could you fight for me? And hey, could you face the crowd? Could you be seen with me and still act proud? Hey, could you hold my hand? And could you carry me through no man's land? It's fine, if you don't agree But I would fight for you If you would fight for me"

Lyrics (Spotify, n.d.)

Naging romantikong kasangkot ni Veronica si JD, at magkasama nilang hinarap ang mga Heathers at ang sistemang naghahari sa Westerberg High. Ngunit habang tumatagal, naging mas marahas ang mga pamamaraan ni JD. Nag-umpisa ito sa hindi sinasadyang pagpatay kay Heather Chandler sa pamamagitan ng lason, isang insidente na hindi inaasahan ni Veronica.

Sinundan ito ng sunod-sunod na patayan, kung saan ipinakilala ni JD ang kanyang mas madilim na plano—isang radikal na hakbang laban sa mga namamayaning sistema sa paaralan.

Habang lumalala ang sitwasyon, napagtanto ni Veronica ang tunay na panganib ng pagsama kay JD at ang kanyang anarkistang pananaw. Sa kabila ng kanyang damdamin para kay JD, nakitang dapat na itong tapusin upang maiwasan ang mas malaking sakuna. Nauwi ang kwento sa plano ni JD na bombahin ang paaralan upang tuluyan nang mawasak ang hierarchy nito at tanggalin ang lahat ng pamantayan sa lipunan. Tinangka ni Veronica na pigilan ang plano, at sa huling sandali, si JD mismo ang namatay sa pagsabog ng bomba.

Nagtapos ang kwento sa muling pagbuo ng mga relasyon, partikular na ang pagkakasundo ni Martha, isang dating binu-bully, at ni Veronica. Ito ay sumisimbolo sa pagtatapos ng diskriminasyon at pagbasag sa social hierarchy ng paaralan, ipinapakita ang posibilidad ng bagong simula at pagkakapantay-pantay sa Westerberg High.

Nagpapakita ang "Heathers: The Musical" ng mga isyung panlipunan na may kinalaman sa peer pressure, elitismo, at mga pananaw sa rebelyong anarkista. Ipinapakita nito ang umiiral na herarkiya sa kanilang paaralan, katulad ng kung paano ito umiiral sa lipunan, kung saan inilalayo ang mga sikat na estudyante sa mga itinuturing na outcasts. Ang tatlong Heathers, kasama ang mga macho na mga lalake o jocks, kumakatawan sila sa mga sikat o mga elitista sa lipunan. Sila ang may kapangyarihang baguhin ang sistema sa Westerberg High, katulad ng kung paano kayang baguhin ng mga elitista ang pag-uugali ng tao sa pamamagitan ng kanilang impluwensya sa lipunan. Samantala, ang mga tulad ni Martha Dunnstock ang kumakatawan sa mga outcasts, mga taong ginagawang mga alipin ng sistema, na lalong nagpapalala ng kanilang pag-uugali sa lipunan. Kadalasang iniiwasan ang mga outcasts dahil sa kanilang pagiging kakaiba at pagkakaiba sa lipunan. Sa kasamaang-palad, hindi sila umaabot sa mataas na pamantayan ng lipunan pagdating sa kung sino ang matagumpay at may impluwensya, at sino ang wala kundi biktima ng diskriminasyon batay sa antas. Kaugnay ito sa mga elitista na pinapatahimik ang mga taong nagsasalita tungkol sa kontrobersyal na mga paksa, ngunit agad itong harangan dahil sa di umano’y pagiging insensitibo. Ang diskriminasyon laban sa mga taong naiiba at itinuturing na mababa ay kitang-kita sa musikal na ito.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang mga tulad ni JD ay matindi ang damdaming labanan ang mga pagkiling sa Westerberg High. Kinakatawan niya ang mga taong nagpoprotesta para makiisa sa mga outcasts. Bagama’t mali ang kanyang mga pamamaraan, buong-loob siyang lumalaban para kay Veronica, upang baguhin ang masamang sistema at gawing pantay-pantay ang pakikitungo ng mga tao sa isa���t isa sa loob ng paaralan. Ipinapakita nito ang mga outcasts na sumusuong laban sa sistema at tinatanggihan ang mga imposibleng pamantayang panlipunan na tanging iilan lang ang maaaring makamit. Sa pagkamatay ni JD, nabuo ang pagkakaisa nina Veronica at Martha sa kwento.

Bukod sa mga kantang “Beautiful” at “Fight for Me”, mayroon mga kanta na umiiral sa tema nito. Katulad lamang sa “Candy Store” na nagpapaliwanag sa pagpili kung sino ang pinaka-maimpluwensyang. Pinapili si Veronica kung saan siya upang makasama ang mga mas may impluwensya, at hindi sa mga outcasts.

[HEATHERS]

Woah! Woah! Woah!

Honey, whatchu waitin’ for? Welcome to my candy store

Time for you to prove

You’re not a loser anymore, then step into my candy store

[H. CHANDLER & H. MCNAMARA]

Guys fall

[H. DUKE]

At your feet, pay the check

[H. MCNAMARA]

Help you cheat

[HEATHERS]

All you have to do

[H. CHANDLER]

Say goodbye to Shamu

[HEATHERS]

That freak’s not your friend, I can tell in the end

[HEATHERS]

If she had your shot

She would leave you to rot!

Lyrics (Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alice Lee, & Elle McLemore – Candy Store, n.d.)

Maipapakita ang isyung panlipunan sa Heathers gaya sa nangyari sa mga politiko dito sa Pilipinas. Kahit demokrasya ang gobyerno, ang impluwensya sa mayayaman ang mas malakas, kaya hindi ito para sa taong-bayan. Ito ay maaaring ipaliwanag sa pamamagitan ng "Iron Law of Oligarchy". Ipinapaliwanag ng batas na palaging may maliit na bilang ng mga tao sa grupo na talagang gumagawa ng mga desisyon, kahit mayroong awtoridad na gumagawa sa lahat (California State University Northridge, n.d.). Sa musikal na Heathers, nauugnay ito dahil ang kanilang lipunan ay kontrolado ng ilang mga elitista, na nakakakuha ng higit na impluwensya hanggang sa katapusan ng kuwento.

Sa konklusyon, pinapag-usapan ang Heathers: the Musical na tungkol sa diskriminasyon sa mga tao sa lipunan, at mayroon silang mga antas nito. Pero, dapat nating isaisip na ang mga antas ay hindi mahalaga upang magpatuloy sa lipunan. Sa halip, dapat magkaroon ng pagkakaisa sa sistemang ito, at walang sinumang pamantayan ang dapat susundin sa lipunan, dahil ang lahat ay natatangi gaya mo. Sa mga salita ni Veronica, "We can change again", kaya huwag natin tingnan ang ating mga pagkakaiba, at tratuhin ang bawat isa bilang ka-pantay.

Mga Sanggunian:

California State University Northridge. (n.d.). Michels’s Iron Law of Oligarchy [Digital]. https://www.csun.edu/~hbsoc126/soc1/chapter%207%20supplement.pdf Heathers The Musical (Musical) Plot & Characters. (n.d.). StageAgent. https://stageagent.com/shows/musical/6658/heathers-the-musical Heathers: The Musical (TV Movie 2022) ⭐ 7.6 | Comedy, musical. (2022, September 16). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21435716/ Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alice Lee, & Elle McLemore – Candy Store. (n.d.). Genius. https://genius.com/Jessica-keenan-wynn-alice-lee-and-elle-mclemore-candy-store-lyrics Quarantine bootlegs. (2020, July 11). heathers but make it in HD [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNU3LCtnH3c Silva, J. (2023, September 28). Heathers: The Musical: A Look into its Plot, Cast and Influence. The Alley Theater. https://thealleytheater.org/heathers-the-musical/ Spotify. (n.d.). https://open.spotify.com/track/0ChcE4uENOGTEthE5dGaXX?si=252399c62d5b4b62

Mga Dividers mula kay: @kgymz at @cafekitsune