#LEMME LOOK . THRU. AND TAG

[scottapez]

not to be rude but can oyu tag your suggestive posts there’s something evil about the ones you reblog

.!?!?!??!??!?!?!???!!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?!?!?

[ipoddymouth]

AN EPIDEMIC!!!

I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT THIS IS IN RESPONSE TOO BUT I AGREE BESTIE

[fldx]

there's just something so funny about turning up to a conference of mostly 40+ year olds who have almost definitely never listened to charli xcx on purpose and realising that all the lanyards are lime green w black text a la the brat album artwork

[princesstarfire1234]

Random ideas for a hypothetical Scavengers (mini) series

So I made a google doc a few nights ago and filled it with random ass ideas for how a cartoony likely-episodic Scavengers series could go... It was around the same time I wanted to get to animating a Scavs-related thing but no promises there or to this ever becoming more than rambles

Anyways... heres an unorganized collection of my silly thoughts:

POST-WAR!! War’s over, Autobot-Decepticon alliance is great and dandy for everyone except of course the folks who got left behind and forgotten by respective High Commands and have had to make their own dealings in space to get thru life and shit; focusing on the daily struggles of your average low of the low genericons/bots, the Scavengers

Optimus and Megatron are definitely married (trust); we go the IDW MTMTE route but instead of Megs off on a quest with Roddy and gang, he’s with Optimus and they both publicly surrender/call truce or whatever on-video and agree to help repair cybertron instead of squabbling, sending a message to all cybertronians taking refuge amongst the stars blah blah blah its time to go home (pilot should open with this i think, set the worldview up straight from the beginning)

It could either be set in the slums of like some populated city or smthn, like maybe Dead End of Kaon or smthn OR… now consider… Set NOT on Cybertron, literally anywhere BUT Cybertron; the Scavs wander space, at least every few episodes or so would be set in a different planet or smthn, having them do their usual shenanigans and (failing) their supply/scavenging runs, as well as the occasional star station too for like a pit stop i guess; there’d be atleast one episode where they go to earth probably

Main characters (scavs duh, but lemme write some shit down here rq):

Krok - the dutiful, ever-patient (one can of engex away from losing it) leader of the Scavengers; he’s the one that usually has the single functioning brain cell

Crankcase - the skillful pilot of the crew’s beloved Decepticon-hijacked Autobot vessel, always in a sour mood, think TFA Ratchet but up the old man crankiness to 500; really good at fixing things (mechanic)

Spinister - a little stupid… all the stupid actually… but he’s got things rattling in there too, don’t worry! The Scavengers’ medic; would probably be Cybertron’s greatest surgeon if it weren’t for everything else

Fulcrum - Defunct?? Rejected?? Something-class Decepticon, a bit of a coward, found in a dumpster by Misfire; he’s a technician too! Score!

Misfire - ideas are about as good as his aim (which is not at all); the really really talkative and social one; rejected Rainmaker/Seeker (bro didnt pass Decepticon Academy, rip)

Additional members that get added to the crew later on!

Grimlock - resident Dinobot and the only Autobot on the crew (for now or smthn idk), thinking of either having them find him during the pilot episode or a bit later on?; i think Krok would definitely have a thing where he’s super wary of him until a big character development episode thing happens like in MTMTE #46

Nickel - hmmm idk yet.. Maybe a former high ranking decepticon officer whose position has been stripped from her the more fucked up and bad the faction ended up becoming because she was very vocal about its problems til the current day? (I just don’t think her being connected to the DJD would work here womp womp)

Flywheels (unsure) - some mech that tagged along with them during one random shenanigans episode

MP3 / or some other new human character (unsure) - they have an episode where they go to Earth and befriend silly human… may or may not keep them, maybe they could be an honorary Scavenger but only appears sometimes or stays on Earth but keeps in touch with the Scavs (look I just think having a human on the crew would be kinda silly and funky for the dynamic)

Meanies to the crew (weekly bad guy):

Novastorm - leader of the Rainmakers; has beef with Misfire

Skullcruncher- Krok hates his guts; he’s the TFA Sentinel to Krok’s TFA Prime, probably served together on like whatever the equivalent of a Warworld ship would be in this

Raiders??? Space pirates??? Idk but I’d def make em be related to Spinister’s past or smthn (this was inspired by some fanfic I read a bit ago, I think Fool’s Paradise on AO3)

Needlenose? (Spin trusted him, betrayed copter boy :((( or smthn)

Scorponok - probably the biggest threat of the show (ofc not in universe), but he’d be like IDW Scorponok in that one Scavs issue, all kinda silly and dramatic but def a threat, he kinda reminds me of Dino/BW Megatron a bit

DJD (absolutely unsure, maybe a passing mention or not at all) - would probably have to sillify them a bit (a lot, idk how the hell Cyberverse managed it with Tarn)...

There's more in the doc but they're not fully formed ideas yet... My countless hours scrolling the Scavengers tags on tumblr have also given me ideas for certain kinds of episodes that could happen but again, nothing concretely written down yet

If I have the energy or remember this, I'm def gonna be updating it with some more ideas cuz whether this becomes real or not, its fun!! Maybe I could write it as a fic one day or if someones wants to idk

Okay bai bai for now, I gotta eep 👋

[ashsostrange]

"averagegirlie" is just "xxoxobree", formerly known as "breeandhermunches" on a burner. newsflash, your "fav" miles writer isn't who you think she is!

ik a lot of us must be VERY confused so let me help you out. @/averagegirlie and @/xxoxobree are the same mfkn person! why did bree make this account? i assume that it's so she could fend for herself and keep the "unbothered" act up on her main page. that's why she deletes all her reblogs after arguing w someone then comes over to this account to start bsing. not to mention she can say extremely problematic things with no repercussions, because she doesn't have a following on that page + it's not tied to her.. at least it wasn't before! bree's a very messy liar. i peeped the truth so lemme share it w y'all.

bree if you're seeing this, go take a couple shots before you read. you should've kept it cute but you didn't, so let's get nasty mf.

i have receipts! let's start right here cz i find this the funniest:

nobody but her spells "internet" like that... this is one of the many examples of the two accounts talking alike, even though bree said she wouldn't refer to "yao" as a friend when the whole rashad thing was going down. yesterday, i reminded yao of that. she said "i like bree, so what" but she deleted that and changed it to "when are y'all gonna catch on to the fact that we talk?" mhm.. bree's a lil confused, but next!

y'all see "yao's" tag? telling alexa to play some bs... then y'all see bree?? NEXT!

go look on miss average's page. she only comes online to defend and ride the hell out of bree's dick. remember ts w amani? why are you going so hard for someone who says they dk you like that LMFAO. not to mention, when the rashad shit was happening, bree said "this my girl and she never been wrong" but then she turns around and says "i wouldn't say we're friends" WHICH ONE IS IT MISS MUNCH??! 😭🤣🤣 next!

why we praising tf out of bree's oc? ts was ai bro. we got a self supafan. next...

look at this smart anon, putting tg the pieces and shit. "ash and dalia fight your battles every time" is literally.. a lie. what battles are we referring to? talia's never in drama as much as you're implying. and ima ride for my friends anyway, tf? but my entire blog will never be centered around ONE human being. it ain't that serious ever. "yao" and bree need hobbies cz writing obv ain't doing it for her. next.

bree has also said she's messy lol. she likes drama. hm!

look at how she came on her white horse when bree was battling the great war w anons over miles morales smut (which i don't fw, js to be clear.) who summoned her? BREE LMFAIOFHDGFKJAS... NEXT!!!

here's miss xxoxo munches being ableist, much like her alter ego. bro went silent and blocked lia after this. now let's get into miss average again.

look at this bs. ion even gotta say much.. this girl is black & not chinese!! y'all should know why this is weird. here's the "evidence" she gave me btw:

here's me proving her wrong! she tried! next.

y'all see the way they're tagging their posts w their usernames? mhm.. ik you do.

HMMM....

these are both bree. i don't mean to bring up maye again, but i have to for context. what happened wasn't js "drama"... the things she said to dalia were racist + that post she was lyin' about lia in. she also liked the post.. dead giveaway you silly bitch! 🥱 nd she was also instigating in honey's inbox. i know her typing style and her emoji colors lol. it's common sense atp. it's not hard to tell when an anon is bree. and from what i'm seeing not even maye is fw her.. LMFAISAIDHSAY GIRL YOU'RE DONE! 😭 feel free to go thru their accs, you'll see ts too. she's funny asf for this, i'll give her that and that only. i've never laughed so much in under 24 hours. 💓

in conclusion, bree is messy, bored, insecure, ableist & miserable! she thought nobody would ever find out but here we are today. she fronts not gaf but then switches to this acc to let off some serious steam... as miss freeman once said: "Alexa, play yikes!"

but bless bree 💗 maybe if you change now, you'll still be able to collect your tokens like dalia says.

[cowboybrunch]

writing share tag!!

ooo i actually have writing to share today!! thanks for the tags @lychhiker-writes (here) @fortunatetragedy (here) and @sabewebb (here)!! <3

slowly but surely making my way thru chapter 8 of Dust to Dust:

Missy watched her brother enter with the Vasseret woman on his arm. He looked every bit his station, dressed entirely in white with a golden crown on his neatly combed hair. The jewels inlaid were infused with bone shavings from the first king of their line, the man that led an army against the tyrant that ruled before. It was said to bring wisdom and inner peace to any that wore it. Missy’s own crown was a simpler affair with no bone fragments, as she did not require wisdom or peace. “You look like a princess.” She turned towards the voice. Robbie stood with one hand in his pocket, the other fiddling with a button on his sharp green coat. Her mother provided the requested clothing after all. “I am a princess,” Missy said. “What, really?” She rolled her eyes and turned back towards the center of the room, watching the crowd part around their future sovereign, the flower of their flock, their golden boy. Robbie settled next to her and said, “He looks happy.”

tag!! lemme see what you're working on!! @knightinbatteredarmor @mrbexwrites @illarian-rambling @tildeathiwillwrite @glassonthewall

@mysticstarlightduck @writingrosesonneptune @leahnardo-da-veggie @saturnine-saturneight @friendlesscat + open!! :-)

[jaimemes]

What could really even justify you doxxing everyone anyways? You seem to have some reason tell yourself it's fine, but... what even is that?

ho boy. okay last night i was going fuckin Thru It but im slightly more mentally stable this morning. i tend to get worse the later in the day it gets. tbh i should start tagging my mentally ill ramblings cuz yall ask these kinda questions a lot (which honestly doesnt really. help my delusions. but yadda yadda audience retention and engagement)

first of all, lemme get this out of the way: im not trying to justify what i do. i know its shitty. i know im shitty. im not gonna pretend im the Good Guy here, im just not quite the Bad Guy either. not everything is black and white.

its not an excuse, its an explanation.

anyways. back to the question. ill put this under the cut because this might get pretty unreality-heavy very quickly. and also i realized halfway thru that this was getting kinda long

look at it from my perspective— be incredibly mentally ill with me for a moment here. you believe yourself to be a part of a narrative. you dont know what kind. you dont know the genre, you dont know the story, you dont know what role you play or the role that your friends play. but you know that you are all part of the narrative in some way.

you know how stories tend to go: the plot is often driven by factors outside of your control— be it by someone else’s hand (ex: the villain burns your village down, there’s a killer at Camp Crystal Lake, two people get in an argument, etc) or by the whims of the universe (ex: a tornado rips through your town, you get diagnosed with a terminal illness, you find a golden ticket in your chocolate bar, etc) but nevertheless the story always starts because of a impending or unexpected change.

keywords impending or unexpected.

the characters dont expect it because they dont have all the information. they arent omniscient or genre-aware. they dont know whats happening with the other characters, they dont know the complexities of one another and how they are a product of their circumstances. they arent looking for literary devices in their own narrative because they dont know they’re in a narrative in the first place.

but you do. you’re a self-aware character. you believe youre in a narrative. and because you’re aware that you’re in a narrative, you are placed in a unique position: you can try to predict the narrative. its like watching a TV show. the characters only have one perspective, but the audience has everyone’s perspective— the complete narrative.

but of course, as part of the narrative, you arent the audience, are you?

but if you watch everyone around you, if you gather as much background information as possible, you can become as close to being a part of the audience as a character can be. you can have all the information necessary to make those predictions. and maybe, just maybe, you can predict the direction the narrative is headed before it happens. you cant be caught off guard if you know everything you need to predict the twists.

(hell, i think im in the midst of finding a twist right now. but i need more time to figure out all the pieces before i make any predictions. plus, a good narrator never outright reveals the twist to the audience before it happens. im the one with the stakes here, not you. but i digress, ive gotten off-topic.)

but there’s a glaring issue in your plan: because you’re a part of the narrative, you can’t exactly change it, can you? sure, you can TRY to stop it, but if you try, is that really you stopping the narrative? or did you just play right into its hands? did you change the story or was the story always written that way? you wouldn’t know: you’re a part of the story, aren’t you?

but the audience isn’t.

and this is where you can stop being mentally ill with me and step out of my shoes again (chances are my shoes are too small for ur feet anyways lmao)

this is where you— yes, you reading this— come in. because you are the audience here. you are MY audience. you’re completely removed of the narrative i believe myself to be trapped in. you’re on the outside looking in.

i believe myself to be in the unique position of being a character that can interact with their audience. and while i may not be able to change the story from the inside, maybe, if i interact with the audience, we can influence it from the outside. i just need to retain the audience enough to generate engagement with the story.

and what better way to generate audience retention than by giving them the information they need to predict the story in a way i as a character probably never could?

dear viewers, do you know what that’s called?

that’s called being a narrator.

but like i said before, a good narrator never outright reveals the twist to the audience before it happens, do they?

and an interesting narrator is an unreliable one.

…

anyways! wow that did not help my mental health. this is gonna be a hell of a day. so much for being mentally stable this morning lmao

but yeah. look. theres a reason i used language like “you believe” and “i believe” and “i may”. im aware that i suffer from delusions and paranoia. im aware that i am horrifically mentally ill. im aware that this all sounds completely inane. im not trying to say that this is the definitive truth of the universe. this is just my belief.

you may not be a part of a narrative. you dont even have to believe IM a part of a narrative.

but i believe myself to be.

[orlamccools]

vent post under the cut- if youve got advice id love to hear it

so. ive been talking to this guy for a long ass while, you can scroll thru the last tag on this post to see what its all about, but long story short is this: i asked him out two saturdays agoto my friends going away party (which was held this past friday). hes met this friend once before, and we planned to meet at her place and then maybe go out to the bars after

entire week he is super into it, texts me more often than normal, creates a spotify blend for the two of us (w that feature that lets you combine your tastes into a single playlist) like im getting VIBES. and he asks abt our plans!!!! we make a solid schedule!!!

night of the party he texts me at 8:45 checking in to see if its all happening and i say yeah. i get home from work, change, then get to my friends house and text him that im here. he doesnt respond for an hour and finally says something abt how he has to charge his phone before coming out. im like ok man whatever i just want to hang so do what you gotta do. another half hour passes and then he hits me with the "hey idk if im gonna make it out". im disappointed by this, so i respond with like a "damn that kinda sucks :/" message. at this point i expect him to stop messaging me, but then he texts me quite literally for the rest of the night. like he literally doesnt stop until i text him that im walking home.

saturday i see him in person for a short period when he does the close out but another driver fucking also comes to sweep the store and just. will not stop talking to the dude in question. he like tries to get away twice but between customers and this other guy we dont talk like at all. after the other driver leaves and the store is closed he comes back in to use the bathroom and like stands by the door for a moment so i like look over but all he does is smile and wave then leave.

SATURDAY NIGHT. he texts me at like 8 responding to a text i had sent the previous night asking if im going out again tonight. i said yeah (bc a separate friend had a party) and he was like bet lemme know where youre at i might stop by and see you. i send him the address of the restaurant and proceed to hang w my friends until midnight. hes again texting me all night abt getting ready to head out but when we finally leave he hits me with the "finally leaving now where should i meet you". at this point i am exhausted, as ive just finished my first week of classes, had drunk heavily over the past 48 hours, and had worked a 13 hr workday that day. i text him and say im like too tired im going home and hes like damn :////

yesterday night. i do an eras movie night w my friends and i send a picture of the opening sequence to the ppl i have snapchat streaks with. he snaps me the rest of the night and is like "ohhhh you should have invited me" and stuff like that and its like. i didnt invite you for a multitude of reasons but like you ditched plans once this weekend and kept pushing back the other time i tried to invite you out, so why do you think i would ask you a third time???????

and now im just confused bc like. he seemed sooooooooo into it all week and then as soon as it was time for things to happen he just didnt show and kept stringing me along. im also lowkey pissed bc i wanted to hang with him and i was SO anxious abt asking him out (like i literally threw up twice friday morning bc i was so anxious abt how the day was gonna go). im just frustrated and like i had thought he had gotten the vibe that i was into him romantically bc it sure as shit seemed like he was reciprocating, and now im not even sure what to do anymore.

[gettinshiggywithit]

!Dating Tenya Iida HCs!

Scenario:-what would dating tenya iida be like?

Pairing:-Iida x gn!Reader

Genre:- fluff

Type:-headcanons

A/N:- for @tooloudarts I hope u like it bestie!

{look for the moot mayham masterlist in the fanfics masteistlink for the rest of the requests!}

Dating tenya is kinda different

Not in a bad way ofc

Hes just kinda awkward at first!

You two had been besties for your 1st and 2nd years and you could definitely say you’d grown close as close could be

Seeing tenya without you and vice versa was always a little odd.

And everyone could tell that you had a thing for eachother!

So in your 3rd year,you bit the bullet,thanks to courage bestowed upon you by denki sero and mina, and asked him out on a date.

And later that day he asked you to be his s/o!

He was sweating bullets lemme tell ya! And although ppl woulda thought yall went from 0-100 REAL Fast,you knew that goin thru the talkin phase would be kinda stupid,especially when you already knew everything abt eachother!

Datee nights are always perfect.thoughtful and well executed

This man is basically the kunikida of MHA he has a plan for almost anything and mann will he execute it to a T!

Iida isnt really big on pda but if he knows you are ,he tries his best to be okay with it.if you initiate it hes mostly okay but he wouldn’t really do anything other than a little hand squeeze on his own.

The iida family aren’t particularly judgy or concerned about your family back ground(they know that if someone managed to make tenya fall in love,really in love,they were the right choice) but they were however adamant on the fact that he treat you right

Tensei himself gave tenya a good talking to the day they had you over for dinner,and even though you were having a nice chat with his mum,you caught a few words of tenseis lecture.

When it comes to gifts they arent really big or flashy. Flowers he saw out in the school garden or just little things that remind you of him are his little gifts to you

Tiny trinkets that mean a lot!

And if anyone ever even triesss to mess with you,this man will defeat them WITH THE POWER OF LOGIC AND FACTS HE WILL REASON UNTIL HE HAS DEFENDED YOUR HONOUR!

And honestly it gets you kinda flustered to see him so worked up,you had the situation under control but he really wanted to help you,so you just watched from the sidelines as his hand kept cutting through the air as he made his point,and I think we all know he wan that argument 😎

Dating tenya iida is a unique experience and honestly he makes your life just a little bit sweeter just by being HIM.

please dont repost my work here as your own on any platform all rights belong to me except that of the characters used,their right belong to their respective owners.but these stories? mine.

feedback,likes,reblogs and comments are so very appreciated tbh :’)i hope you enjoyed and ill catch ya next time!

Comments & Reblogs w/ tags >>>>>>>>>>>likes please

Taglist open for anyone interested!

[jack-kellys]

welcome to: rizz's extensive uksies notes, which will discuss differences in characterization, sure, but also more important things like staging, scenic and dance changes, and directorial choices (i do talk about the principal characters at the bottom so i'll forgive you for skipping down there if you wanna). i haven't looked at anyone else's posts since i didn't want them to influence my thoughts, but i'll be whipping out the third-of-the-way-through stage management degree for this shit so buckle up. spoilers/major reveals will be in this post, and this post (among all the others relating to major reveals/moments in this version) will be tagged with #newsies spoilers!!!

lets get into it, starting with the reason this show was able to be as much of an experience as it was: the space.

i think it's very important context to this version of newsies that the troubadour theater, previously, had been housing an immersive peaky blinders (popular tv show) experience. this review gives a pretty good idea of what immersive theater is, and it is... a big feat. it's more of an experience than theater, and that same goal was at the heart of the way newsies is done, too, which worked so well. both are historical fictions and are based on real things that happened, which makes it kind of easier to involve an audience imo and lets them believe what's going on.

the stage is a sort of round thrust-style in the shape of what i'm guessing is a flash/flashbulb in reference to obviously the pics we have of the strike and how "big photos attract readers" (aka the audience in this case :)). as yall know from the photos its got the same tower/skeletal setup as bway...to an extent. for bway, that's tbh all they have, but by losing the proscenium stage and moving into a space with so much more free reign, there didn't have to be one big scenic element, and it didn't have to be the only thing to steal the show. like the "big moment" for bway is when the three towers track forward in once and for all, and there's like....at least three different moments just like that in uksies and they don't even need the towers for any of them! because they didn't rely on one thing, they did so many things, and they did them everywhere. to the walls, to the aisles, to the landings, to the air, this show made sure it used every definition of the word 'space' to its fullest. initially it sounds distracting, but making sure they're all around us and making sure that ensemble characters are able to be on their own without the principals near them really humanizes the ensemble as a group of real kids who fr went on strike. i'll come back to humanizing stuff in a bit, but since we've been talking about the theater space, lemme talk abt these scenic elements because damn...

there was a slide jack used a couple times through a hatch door to escape the delanceys thru (with a little >:) wave) and escape the strikebreakers

there were mini trap doors in the stage where items were stored and revealed, and they kind of looked like the grates that sidewalks have/used to have for like rain to drain into in cities <3

there was a rope jack used to swing through and kick a strikebreaker in the face!

the penthouse actually felt like a home rather than literally just a bare bway balcony lmao, like they had mini portraits sticking to a skeletal roof-like overhang that jack probably built on his own, his art was much more obvious and hung up and personalized.

the cart with all the papers on it actually got to be used in staging in really fun ways- it was both chariot and podium for jack and crutchie mainly but they like rode around in it it was cool

medda has a huge lit-up sign for her theater instead of like. an overhang or whatever it is for bway, which is the upgrade she deserves <3

the children's crusade banner wasn't a projection, it actually dropped as a huge literal banner from one of the line sets and jack stood as a shadow behind it with a fist raised >:)

the tables for king of new york weren't the longer bigger ones from bway, it was like actual restaurant-style table for two's like in 92sies!! and they were on wheels, so they had table-ography– this was also possible due to how much more depth, physically, the stage had, like they wouldn't have had room on a proscenium. davey was pushing les around on a table and the kid was just flying around it was super cute and rly well done

speaking of 92sies, remember at the end of their king of new york when the one newsie grabs the ceiling fan and spins around? yeah, uksies does that with these huge practical lights that fly down from above- newsies get to not only hang off of them and do some acrobatics, but they can spin on them, and they not only go insanely fast, but they also are able to go higher the faster they go. seriously one of the most insane displays i've seen in a staged musical of all things, like it felt like a show and not just a musical.

The abundance of scenic and spatial elements leaves a director/choreograoher (because this guy was both, and it is visceral even in the scenes that he's both and it's perfect) with so many options, and fuckin man, did this guy absolutely use all of them to the fullest. i hadn't realized how like....recycled the blocking had been through bway and also touring, because idt they're allowed to really change it. but guys. we'd been watching the same exact movements for years, and NOW THEY'RE ALL NEW!! everything they do, each location of the stage people move to is all different than we've ever seen as a fandom, which is major, because staging is a storytelling device– since if it wasn't, we wouldn't have it. where people are in a space, where people are in relation to others in a space is also huge. the other main thing again is that it isnt a proscenium stage, so it's much easier not to stage people "in a line". think back to the livesies staging for right before the world will know when jack is telling davey about "if your father had a union". picture where they are on the stage in relation to the cart w all the newsies. its in a fucking line, bro.

this show? abused depth beautifully. the stage pictures were extremely memorable, so choreographed, and set the dynamics for scenes so effortlessly. davey is way downstage when jack's trying to convince him to join the strike, so we can see his exact thought process before the final "i guess...you do, mr. president". (speaking of, ryan kopel is genuinely the first davey to actually make that line a weirdly emotional journey?? like davey takes so long to finally say it, like he's getting over the stakes and letting jack's words sit before finally, yes, agreeing.) or when jack has his pre-seize the day monologue (of which i might make an entire post for for personal reasons and i'll link it here if i do), the three scabs are center stage, arranged in this triangle with their backs to each other and their heads down so jack gets to circle them while addressing the stage at large- it just looks so intentional and frankly very pretty to watch since they're all dancers and their posture is so clean. even something to believe in's scene staging is more dynamic because the towers themselves aren't even in a line- they're angled downstage, so even when jack and kath are high up on a more skinny platform there's still depth and an upstage and downstage they can travel on!! it's so thought through. i'll also make a post about more individual moments, but a lot of people have done that so im making the more important post first lmao.

the staging ofc was very intentional, but the transitions were also...like seriously integral to the narrative. idk if you guys know this or not but transitions can make or fuckin break a moment fr and some directors fucking suck at them LMAO but wow. these? the newsies taking on katherine's platform with the same "mornin' miss" air to their movements and kath saying a small 'thank you' to them before she sits for watch what happens, versus the transition into the bottom line where newsies push pulitzer's platform on with heads and backs bowed down, pushing slower, with more effort, like it looks painful when they push on his platform. newsies lifting medda's footlights and sort of "working at the theater" with their movements mirroring dramatic vaudevillian theatre. it was all so fluid and nearly all of it was done by the newsies and none of it was really...hidden, either, and seeing them literally "work" onstage cemented them as "the working boys of the city" really specifically, and in a very special way. like yeah, the invisible workforce, of course they're doing the transitions. beautiful, a+.

among other added elements were the new orchestrations. newsies has never sounded like this before, even excluding the new music they added. there was more base, guitar, and drums, and the tinny trumpet was much more subdued which felt more...realized and less disney, which is for me always welcomed lol. honestly it made the music sound less disney as a whole. very grounded sound overall- ALSO the sound design was so fucking excellent like you walk into the theater and it's the sounds of the city in 1899 and it's so cool...but! yes! there was new music because guess fucking what: every single dance break was extended. every single one. they all of course had new choreo (finallyfinallyfinallyfinally) but also literal new parts to the dance breaks. each by like 3-5 mins. cemented this as a show more so than only a musical which i fucking adored. in a diff post i'll go through each song (though it might. be after i see it again) and talk about the extensions because just....come on director/choreographer!! yes!!

rounding out this post specifically, im gonna nail down some characters and relationships, since honestly they were very different than we've seen before, but there's merit to all of them for real, and i appreciate a shift from how we're used to interpreting them, and honestly i hope it changes our characterizations as a fandom and adds more depth/possibilities!

starting with the romantic hero of the year, jack kelly.

he is distinctly a romantic hero in this- not in the perceived lovesick/floaty way. he's a very raw version of himself, and he's almost a loose canon (until he's forced not to be via blackmail). he's staged very intimately with others when talking one-on-one, which i know is a usual jack trait, but at michael's jack's core is "come on, look at me." every moment with those he loves is personal to him, is treasured and valued. a baseline example is crutchie, of course, who he says "look at me" to in the prologue after crutchie gets discouraged with himself. they aren't staged outward toward the audience, because jack doesn't let it– he is in line with crutchie, really looking at him, and making sure crutchie's looking back. he does this with the scabs too, except he gets to move around them because of how that trio is staged (my god that scene looks and is so beautiful..fuck).

but i think this is very exemplified with davey, actually, because what i love about michael's jack is that the emotions he wears on his sleeve aren't only ones of love- it's all passion, which includes anger. jack and davey do not get along initially. the exchange of "well if he's the best then what's he want with me" is kind of charged, which is exciting- davey really is just there for his family, he doesn't need eyes on him, and he wants to shut it down....but it's shutting it down via undermining jack, which is made clear by jack's reaction that that isn't something that happens around here. "cause you got a little brother" really feels like an 'i don't need you,' in how it's said, and any back and forth they have through that scene is an interesting animosity... which changes the moment davey and les are in danger, when snyder appears and they run (they run SO MUCH in this show oh my god, they run everywhere across everything and up and down), and once they run to the theater and jack gets them out of that situation and davey is seriously like. 'who the fuck was that guy, we had to go through that bc of you, that wasn't okay', and the way jack explains who snyder was...for the first time, jack doesnt match davey's animosity and instead just explains, in lieu/as an apology, the details on who snyder is and to steer clear of him. and instead of saying "right" as davey normally does, he says "thanks for the advice", with the staging squared and head-on to jack. and it isnt sarcastic, it's just genuine, and from that moment on, davey gets the "look at me" treatment. and jack even holds the back of davey's head during i think seize the day and lets his hand slide down his shoulder to daveys chest and daveys hand is on jack's shoulder and they're staged square and not outward like the moment is just for them.

jack's emotions are more visceral than they've been, he's very hot-blooded and it just makes everything hit more. the fucking seize the day monologue. poc fans we finally won. michael took so much time with it, making sure each line was heard and intentional and the audience was doing that thing they do at more serious straight plays with the little "mmhs" when they agree with something and like. he just made sure it was taken so seriously, same with the something to believe in scene. "what is this.. about, for you?" just the way michael structures jack's word is so smart and emotional. he also has this sort of break in his speaking voice that reminded me of jerjor actually, but it obv is just the way he acts and a choice for jack, this cracking of the self when he's vulnerable with someone at the expense of himself.

lemme say that again. this jack's voice literally has an emotional crack in it when speaking vulnerably at the expense of himself, which is SO FUCKIGN SPECIFIC GOD I LOVE HIM FSKDFJSDJ FUCK. it's genius. he does it with katherine during "i ain't stupid, i know that... girls like you, don't end up with.. guys like me." oh my god the FUCKING NOISE THE AUDIENCE MADE. oh it was heartbreaking, like it was genuinely crushing. made me tear up for sure, for obvious reasons lmao. michael is the jack i've always wanted- a little vain (he admires himself in a hand mirror during carrying the banner<3), absolutely turbulent, and painfully, horribly aware of his own stakes in this all. and black LMAO I WONNNNNN HAHAH I WON!!

speaking on crutchie next because he is the narrative of this production.

the fandom has sort of strayed away from the jack+crutchie team and fallen into this jack+race team, and this production makes damn sure that doesn't happen. it is so jack and crutchie, all the way, to the end of the fucking line. he is with jack, central, through all of act one's staging and major numbers- by jack's side for carrying the banner, with him on the cart when it spins around center and moves around the stage for world will know, he leads the newsies up to the world's door to make way for jack, les, and davey to enter it, he's included in seize the day choreo moments, he cries out for jack to get away ("jackie, run! run!!" im. i am. a mess) at the end of the brawl when he knows he's in a situation he can't get out of.

he also has this hug with jack and race when he returns from the refuge that nearly made me yell out loud LMAO (me and @roideny grabbing hold of each other in the theater and all), and the three of them have a personal spot of the stage together looking over the paper when davey makes his first appearance- crutchie is just staged very intentionally near anyone with leadership, cementing him as a leader and is certainly no longer jack's kid-brother anymore. any infantilization is really worked on getting completely gone in this production, the effort is apparent likely especially bc the actor (matthew duckett!! sweetheart supreme!!) is disabled himself!

another really key thing about this crutchie is how loud he is, in every way he possible could be. his color palette is the most stark right along with jack's, he's wearing overalls which no other newsie has, his speaking voice is almost abrasive- it's not rough, per say, but it's sort of coarse and nasally (he's so new yorker and im in love w it), and very distinct. he's also taller than jack (michael my beloved is 5'9", furthering my jack is 5'9" agenda) and like... most of the other newsies tbh.

this production does not give you a choice but to notice him, does not give you a choice but to look at him, does not allow you to ignore crutchie in any way. it's visually and audibly impossible, and that is spectacularly intentional.

he is also like... sunshiney in a rough-around-the-edges way, in a this-is-all-i-have way. he's so himself, he's abrasive and almost snide in how he talks. very self-aware, but choosing actively to be brighter about it even though you can tell his situation weighs on him. crutchie is genuinely so dynamic in this show and he's amazing to watch, and he is finally, finally, truly shown as equal to the rest of the newsies, and certainly to jack.

this is so specific but the "we have the right to starve, let's just get our papers" line is so decisive of him. like i'm realizing that that line hasn't given him power before, but it does in this show- he can raise a definitive solution to the group without being jack, and i.. don't think anyone else does this, at all, when they're discussing the strike. it's just crutchie who states what he believes they should do. like. that's never been emphasized before thats so fucking cool for him idk

alright davey time woooooo

davey is the king of defensiveness in this and i genuinely fucking love that choice for him. because he is trying to find a 'way out' within the text but also metaphorically within the story before world will know. so like– this production had davey try and contradict every time someone comments on what davey says. he'll start to say "i didn't say-" "that's not what i-" "i didn't mean-" before cutting back into the script's dialogue again, which is SO fascinating. since initially, davey is trying to separate himself from the newsies, so he uses ad-libs like that to break away, but then after world will know, those same ad-libs are used inversely it felt like, like he'd say something in a way that didn't quite fit and he'd try to rephrase so that it did? very interesting to watch.

he also was very nervous to speak in his first appearance when getting his papers, like he was very nervous about speaking in front of wiesel. this davey had sort of trouble finding words in a timely manner, but what he always has are the right ones, which was a good dynamic for he and jack. he does know what to say, and what he says is intentional, he just isn't great at saying it until act two which is so. cool. even in act 2 at the rally he's still finding his footing, and then when he's at pulitzer's office with jack and spot, he's in his own. he's nearly flippant about his words, since he's found his confidence in them through jack uplifting them the whole show. it almost..... like he and jack kind of have a mentor-y relationship? jack really feels like he does show davey the ropes (despite how biting the "well my father taught us [indicating that jack shouldn't lie so easily in front of les] not to lie" is), and davey learns from jack while jack learns from davey.

speaking of les though wow is mans protective as fuck. his arms are always around this kid, he rests his chin on his head really casually and les is so easy with it too like yeah they're brothers asf. and their moments in king of new york are so precious, and they have the center table together at the start of act two.

speaking of act two! can't talk about davey without discussing wwh reprise :). the way he talks to jack in this scene is so confident that jack's "have they busted up your brains or something" feels like it's more about that- davey hasn't spoken against jack since before world will know, and jack isn't used to the dynamic davey is trying to establish. he's so persistent, and urgent, and like... in it. "won the battle, jackie think about it" like this davey wants to win. at every single turn in this show, davey wants what he believes to win. he will speak against anyone, he will try and change his words' meaning ("that's not what i mean-"), and he will persuade whoever just so that he can win. he feels so competitive and it shines in different ways and everything he says really is so argumentative. maybe he's a little quieter, his voice is shyer, but davey isn't shy, and that's made clear. also ryan kopel hugged me at the stage door and i love him and he's so fucking sweet wowowow

ok katherine and we'RE DONE i promise.

staging made absolutely sure to ground her. she was watching a lot of the scenes she wasn't in, like she appeared during world will know in one of the aisles- felt very much like those moments in 92sies when we'd just see denton around takin notes, which i loved. showed her as a very active journalist. she also like... spoke like an american newscaster?? like she had a News voice lowkey? which was a fun choice.

her scene with jack when she's asking him questions is so serious for her and i love it, it really makes sure that she cares about what she's writing and who she's writing for. jack's "we both got a lot riding on you" takes her downstage as her desk gets set up, and we get to see jack's words weigh on her which is fuckin nice as hell.. like she just felt more grounded than she's been. she still got to be bubbly, but she was more aware of the situation than like... kara lindsay's katherine. she knew the stakes for the newsies i feel like, which is why the name reveal was more intense and the STBI pre-scene was... the best i've seen. she was embarrassed at herself for lying to jack- not telling him everything, and when she defends it she knows it's weak and doesn't try to back it up.. i just appreciate it bc that scene normally feels so superficial despite its context and what they're talking about, but kath and jack really did everything they could to save that scene's writing... they reeeeally fuckin tried LMAO. this katherine was more willing to put herself in the action for sure

her back and forth with jack in jacobi's was so fun, and the defining line of their arc through the show was definitely "this is entertaining...so far." because it's fun to flirt, until it isn't, and someone you care about his ruining his name at the city-wide rally, or revealed to be the daughter of the man sending cops to beat kids into submission. whew. they're really good together.

very quickly: THIS PULITZER IS >>>>>. HE IS SO GOOD. I CANT LIE LMAOOO HE'S SO EVIL I HATE HIM!! and MEDDA WAS SO. that's jack's mom. she also really does serve independence, and i love it so much.

anyway thanks for reading this far guys LMAO i now this is so extensive and i didn't even talk about the ensemble fr... but that's for the second viewing. the direction this production underwent took major precedence, since it's so different and so much more fleshed out.

hope this gave a clear picture on the vibe of the show and the principal characters/relationships!! more to come asf!!!

[cinnaminsvga]

Hi I'm the crackhead that's been spamming your notifs liking and reblogging until almost 5am

I love you and your brain and i mean that in the most awe inspired way a human can say that to another human. At this moment tonight you are my new van gogh i love you

Also i need to know if there's anymore lonely hearts club info we're getting??

When i say i cant sleep because i have to know all the details that i dont know

HI!!! it was very amusing to see your journey through my notifications ASHKDJASKD watching someone go thru tlhc for the first time is always a pleasure :') it's always super funny when you get to the angst drop and the sudden realization that "OH SHIT THIS IS GETTING REAL DAWG" happens HAHAH

thank you so much for enjoying tlhc so much (and reblogging the masterlist like thrice with your comments lol and also ur so right mitski's my love mine all mine deserves to go on the playlist... i should really update my tlhc playlist soon)

as for tlhc details... i guess you could sift through my tlhc ask tag (#textau) and read through them but other than that idk what else there is to say!! i did find my old tlhc planning doc and i guess here is some info that might be useful to you... mostly inspiration details for when i was writing tlhc at the time :D

(ps: i was really obsessed with midsummer night's dream + dead poet's society at the time and borrowed a lot of imagery/symbolism from them when writing tlhc :')

also this planning document is fragmented and really fucking long so i just screenshotted the only section that was comprehensible... sorry if this isnt what you were looking for HASJDKAS its been so long since ive written tlhc that i hardly remember what i might have forgotten to talk about!! lemme know if you have any questions and i'll try to answer!! i love tlhc and love talking about it so... yeah thank u again for your excitement over this silly little au ilysm)

[bluntloyalist]

Hello I hope your doing well!

Do you have any wind breaker fic recs?

hey ! im chillin, hope ur doing well also :]

hmm maybe...i went on an ao3 kick a few weeks ago but since then ive been too scared to go back lol, lemme look thru my screenshots rq. in the meantime ik i have 2 or 3 saved here in the tag

[the-acid-pear]

Hm actually look away I'm gonna go insane but. Okay so someone in the notes of that seam post mentioned Lantern has bits from. Hang on lemme just pull up the tags

Okay they said this and there's something that has been On my brain for a while and it's the fact that Ralsei seems very strongly focused on not letting Susie know that this world, the dark world, is like... Made out of inanimate objects in the light world, for whatever reason? Which is weird because he doesn't have issue with Kris knowing that. Now put that, Susie not knowing how the dark worlds truly work, in contrast with Spamton and Jevil, two silly little guys who thru Someone found out Something they shouldn't and their perception of the world as completely fucked up. Hell, this even applies to Seam too if you want to make that full circle.

And like. There's 0 things to go off on with this atm, but I feel like in a few chapters future maybe... Something will start to show here. A clearer picture.

[hollowfaith]

4, 13, 30

munday asks

4. what made you choose this muse?

oh man i have a discord log of this lemme go back and see... ok so i was chatting to jade and saying i wanted to write a muse with a diff personality than what i had at the time but i hadn't watched anime in over a decade and reading an entire series just to find a muse i might RP would take too much time. so jade was like 'do u wanna join one of my OC worlds' and i was like 'omg but canz i be hansum guy in it' and she was 'yeah sure!!' so then i ended up shopping thru her OCverses to see where i'd fit

klaus looked lonely so i said i'd pick angel world and lo and behold she suggested the same thing at the same time so then we made aury from that

p.s. jade named him and i picked out his last name but the other options were like alistar & constantine LOL, anyways during the brainstorm stage we just called him X

and i also realize in 3 days (AKA 4/4/24) it will be the 1-year anniversary since this muse came into existence so...congrats to him? hahaha

13. what do you think about OCs?

i think they're cool and take a lot of work and more importantly, self-restraint to make into a realistic and cohesive character. the boundaries are what i have trouble with, i always want to change OCs that are 100% my creation so i've only been able to RP this guy + nezha because i have an unofficial Word of God to bounce "canon" off of and keep me in check with consistency.

don't make me make my own OCs that's like letting m. night shyamalan direct movies unchecked with his plot twists arite weird things happen and story falls apart *sweats*

30. what are your favorite RP tropes to play? (angst, hurt-comfort, etc…)

dang i haven't thought of this in a while...

i don't know about tropes atm but i like comedy in general with a bit of crack mixed in. i also enjoy writing angst but im always paranoid with overdoing it because then it gets too maudlin/melodramatic and doesn't click in the right spots and i want to eat my own hands when i read my stuff. i like when it's more understated and subtle so it hits you harder (like a aftershock) but it's honestly hard to do hahah~

oh writing angry muses is fun too. but then i wanna joke in the tags so my partner knows im not like, actually angry at them hahaha i appreciate you all very much mkay

[matoitech]

HELLO for the one character design ask thing: glance, motion, canvas, bling, and favorite for elle!! ALSO not exactly one of the asks but for your ocs in bands: how do they dress onstage vs day-to-day?? :0

HI YIPPEE ELLE QUESTIONS! also that band one is rly interesting.. lemme do elle first

glance: At first glance, what stands out most about your OC's appearance? What's their distinguishing feature?

good question.. maybe her thick facial stripes? she has very fluffy cheeks and i like her hair too so maybe that. she has a kind of sleepy looking face

motion: How does your OC move? How does their clothing help or hinder their range of motion? Are they flexible, coordinated, clumsy?

she tends to 'stroll' would be the best way to describe her slower gait i think, or 'stride' and move with purpose! she leads with her shoulders and has heavy footing i think. not particularly coordinated but not super clumsy, her only flexibility comes from doing stretches pre workout and her arms/fingers/wrists move easily from being a musician playing bass. i dont know if her clothes rly help or hinder her range of motion she just wears like normal person clothes. they might seem kind of constricting to blue if he tried something like a button-up (he hates buttons) but their styles dont rly match up theyre both masculine in different ways

canvas: Does your OC have any scars, piercings, tattoos, or other markings? Do they display or cover them up at all?

she probably does have scars here and there just from living life but i wouldnt specify them on a ref sheet or really add them in drawings i think, but she doesnt have tats or piercings atm. she likes the look of them she just isnt really interested in them for herself. i think if she did get tattoos she wouldnt care about displaying or covering them she's just walking around

bling: What jewelry does your OC wear? Does it have any meaning?

she doesnt usually wear jewelry she'd probably just motion to her hearing aids and say they count. she may wear rings sometimes but likely not anything else. sometimes she might borrow or wear blue's dog tags (that can signal MANY different things in their relationship or lack thereof at the time)

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

shes probably got cool work boots she likes that she wears constantly! she also wears cowboy hats sometimes so shes probably got some favorites she got in texas she keeps with her. i dont think she wears them a lot though

---

now for the other question, how my ocs in bands dress onstage vs day-to-day.. its a good question i think it rly just depends! ill go thru them tho.. its mostly blues band with a couple other ocs tossed in there, not all my musicians but not all of them perform on stage and also quite a few of them r newer characters or r going thru design changes so it might not stick if i did include them anyway

blue: it does depend on the show but typically i do think he dresses up more on stage but its mostly in like leather harnesses and spiked wristbands and stuff, maybe more of his piercings in and necklaces, tail bands and stuff. underneath maybe shirtless or in a tank top/black t (that he'll probably throw off at some point) with leather pants maybe, shoes that r comfortable to run around on stage for a few hours in. at home hes just in like a tank top and sweatpants lol. he is not dressing up at home. archetypal masc fits

elle [blues band]: she dresses slightly punkier (wristbands or jewelry maybe) or leans into her country roots more on stage than just day-to-day where she probably wears button ups or something. i could see her dressing kind of like an old southern man ngl lol

dakota [blues band]: ive been struggling w their clothing style at ALL tbh at first i thought i wanted smth more feminine for them then i leaned more masc at the moment im thinking maybe like goth-y punk-y emo androgynous SPECIFICALLY the kind of androgynous associated with that scene. on stage probably lots of black and layers, spiked collar and maybe a leash, etc. dakotas fur color palette is pretty grayscale so i think they lean into that with a lot of black outfits, maybe with splashes of electric blue like their eyes. probably that teal harness sometimes i drew them in on their th

malani [blues band]: shes goth as fuck and she loves skulls i honestly dont think her style changes that much i think she dresses up in her full goth getup to go to the grocery store. shes probably careful about her jewelry on stage tho bcuz shes the drummer and doesnt want her shit to go flying off or tangling with anything when she gets into it

kaisa [blues band]: kaisa probably leans punkier during shows than she does in her general life but not too hard, she likes green too much to commit to an all black ensemble and their music also doesnt like, require that anyway lol. she might wear camo or something on stage more than in her daily life. she likes layering her clothes but doesnt as much during shows cuzit gets WAY too hot

cain: he leans a lot more 'hardcore' in his shows than he does inhis daily life hes giving like hard fem black spikes tall boots but i have no idea what he wears in his daily life his whole thing is being a mystery. he IS fem in his daily life too but he leans into it strongly and in a VERY specific way with how he comes off to the public and how hes decided to take control of being perceived

griff: honestly probably dresses wilder in his daily life than he can at shows but i know his ass is going crazy at his shows too. he is all about the performance and his stage name should probably be icarus. maybei should change it.. it would be on the nose but i dont think it would be the way he'd view himself or name himself at all so

damn those were the only ones.. i always think i have so many musician ocs that perform but i guess i DO have an excuse to make more.. -> doesnt look at the characters that just need design changes n stuff

[backburnerdio]

OC Kiss Week – Day 2 Food

WIP: Time Borrowed Pairing: Beau & Garnet cw: Language, romance Words: 2357 Tag List: @irnalia, @waysofink, @ashen-crest, @spacetimewraithwrites,@dustylovelyrun, @idreamonpaper, @abalonetea, @jaimistoryteller, @kaiusvnoir, @writeouswriter, @reininginthefirewriting, @concealeddarkness13, @winterandwords (Used the Time Borrowed taglist, please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed from this event or the main taglist)

It had been a week since Garnet’s suspension and Beau found himself oddly excited to see him again. He didn’t know why. He kept fidgeting with the safety belt in Valetta’s hatchback, idly watching traffic as they zipped across town.

“You know, Beau, if you don’t wanna go over to Garnet’s, I don’t mind keeping you another week.” Valetta offered, lowering the music.

“I’m okay,” he nodded, turning his attention to her.

“You sure? You look kinda nervous.”

“No, I’m okay. I want to see him.”

“Yeah?” She grinned going strangely quiet before slowing them into the turning lane. “You know what he’d probably like? Some Pączki.”

Beau took a moment to identify what that was. “Donuts?”

“Ooh, yeah, no.” Valetta grimaced as they pulled into the bakery parking lot. “Cops eat donuts, Garnet eats Pączki. But between you and me, they’re the same thing. Just kinda like donuts on steroids.” She pulled them around to the drive-thru and was asked to wait to place her order. Valetta’s car was small, perfect for the way she zipped around traffic, but she was even smaller. She half pulled herself up into the window to be able to see out, drumming fingers on the door.

“Valetta?”

“Yep?” She twisted around to look at him, bottom lip pouting as she played with one of her piercings.

“How long have you known Garnet?”

“Ooy, uh, lemme think,” she sat back in her seat, staring out the windshield in thought. “Shit, I guess twelve years now. Couldn’t stand him at first. Kinda became friends out of sheerly trying to piss each other off.”

“Can I take your order?” A voice from a speaker asked, whipping her back around. It wasn’t the answer he expected. Of course, he knew Garnet was exclusively friendly. Valetta, Ryker, and Nebraska were the only ones Beau had only ever seen him kind towards. But it made him smile.

There’s a chance.

“I tell him all the time he’s too damn mean, but eventually he’ll give it up and be nice. You just gotta give it back to him. Don’t let him scare you.”

“He doesn’t scare me.”

“Tough guy now, huh?” Valetta playfully punched his shoulder, rolling them up to the window to be handed a paper sack. She bumped her wristband to their terminal before driving away. “Here, you hold these. But listen, for real, if at any point he annoys you and you need a ride or a place to stay, just let me know. I got you.”

“Thank you, Valetta.” He stopped playing with the safety belt, focusing on keeping the Pączki warm instead. It wasn't long before Valetta pulled them up to the curb of the apartments to park.

“Want me to go up with you?”

“No, no, I should be fine. I know which one it is.” He was careful not to drop the bag, getting out to get his bookbag from the back seat. “Thanks again for the ride.”

“Don’t mention it,” she leaned over, offering a fist. Beau reached in, gently bumping it with his own. “And, hey, don’t tell Garnet I bought those. He’ll be mad at me for spending money.”

“Are you not supposed to spend money?” Beau frowned.

“No, no, just Garnet thinks I shouldn’t spend money on him. Because, you know, I have a tattoo and piercing habit. Just, yeah, do me a favor and don’t mention it was me.”

“Okay,” Beau agreed, beginning to step away when he remembered something, “Oh! Lora really wants to go see that new murder mystery movie, but she’s too scared to go by herself. She says movies like that make her feel like she’s going to get killed in the parking lot. You should ask her out.” Valetta stared at him, brown cheeks catching a red tint as she gaped. “Okay, goodnight!” Beau hurried to the stairs, making it all the way up to Garnet’s floor before he saw Valetta’s car pull away from the curb.

He hoped she would take her.

The excitement he’d had in the car became something acidic without explanation. But it wasn’t fear. He wasn’t afraid of Garnet– had never been. Beau just kept thinking why Garnet wasn’t at work, that it had been over what happened with Bryant –because of Beau. When Garnet had brought him back after the scuffle and taken him to his SoulMedic appointment, Beau had hoped they really were friends.

But after being suspended, he wondered if Garnet regretted it now.

He paused outside the apartment door, cradling the Pączki, listening to the thrum of music coming from inside the apartment. What if Garnet hadn’t been serious about still having him over? What if it had been some type of sarcasm Beau didn’t get?

Well, I can’t eat these, and they can’t go to waste. He stared down at the bag and knocked on the door. After a while, when there was no answer, he figured Garnet couldn’t hear over the music and started to knock again when the gate was pulled open.

Garnet stood there in sweatpants, his usual defensive scowl easing into surprise as he scanned Beau over. “Oh, hey,” he answered, leaning out to check the hallway. Beau was momentarily distracted by the strange markings on Garnet’s skin, black segments running down his middle, designs covering one shoulder that spread to the elbow, his other arm wrapped in solid bands.

Garnet has tattoos too.

“I didn’t know you were gonna be here this early,” Garnet cut himself off as he checked his wristband, cursing lowly, “Oh, wait, I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“Should I come back later?” Beau offered.

“No, uh, no. It’s fine, I just…” He shifted his weight in the doorway, slightly pulling the door to behind him. Beau had never seen him fidget, drumming fingers on the trim as he glanced at the ground. It made it difficult for Beau not to smile.

He’s nervous too.

“Okay, I’m just gonna be honest with you, I, uh, I have no idea what I’m doing. Okay?”

“Okay.” Beau agreed.

“So, I was gonna…” he paused again, scowling before waving him in, “You know what? Fuck it. Lemme just show you.” Bumping the door open he led Beau inside, locking the door and hurrying past him. “I don’t know if you’ve ever tried reading an instruction manual, but you can’t judge me. This is a judge-free zone, and criticism isn’t allowed.” He paused at the end of the foyer, scratching at the side of his head.

Beau followed him in and stopped, thankful his gyroscopic systems acted as a safety net. Along the windowed walls that made up the back of the den, a tiered tower of shelves stood, complete with an overhead lamp. Some of the shelves weren’t attached, still on the floor spread around Garnet’s work area. But Beau didn’t miss the potted plant sitting on the top shelf.

“Okay, so, listen,” Garnet’s voice came through, having stepped into the kitchen to turn off the music. He hurried over, scrambling to explain himself. “Okay, no, don’t freak out. Nothing’s wrong with it. Okay? I’ve just never really had plants, you know? And I know, with how the rotation works, you spend more time elsewhere than you do here. That’s like, what? Five weeks gone compared to one week here. So, I was doing some research, and it’s winter, so I know it’s not getting enough sunlight, so I got a light for it.

“And then I needed something to put the light on, and it looked stupid on the coffee table –and I got to thinking, what if you end up with your own place? You’ll need something for it, right? So, I found this stand, and figured if you ever wanted, you’d have room for more plants.” Garnet stood by it, turning on the light to display. He made a little ‘ta-da’ motion before stepping aside. There was a moment his hands shuffled about awkwardly, fumbling to find he didn’t have pockets and instead hooked them on his hips.

Beau could only stare. Even from where he stood, he could see the flowering plant was already sprouting new growth since the last time he’d been there.

Garnet has been taking care of it.

“Oh, fuck,” Garnet hissed, dodging around the couch as he hurried over. “I’m sorry, Beau. It’s okay. Look, if you don’t like it, that’s fine. I can use it for like… I dunno, something. You don’t have to like it.”

“I like it,” he got himself to say, still staring.

“You’re a shit liar. Okay? I can see those lines on your face. I know you don’t like it.”

“I do like it.” He defended, reaching up to absently feel his cheek. The stress lines were back.

“Seriously, you’re not gonna hurt my feelings or anything. I didn’t even ask your opinion of it. I can take it back—”

Beau acted before he could finish, reaching for the nape of Garnet’s neck to pull him down for their lips to meet. Garnet tensed, exhaling as if he’d been punched in the gut, grabbing at Beau’s sleeve. It was approximately .29 seconds after the fact Beau realized what he’d done. He instantly wanted to collapse in on himself and disappear.

Only Garnet didn’t pull away. His other hand pressed to the side of Beau’s neck, sliding beneath the collar of his racer jacket and further to thread fingertips into his hair. The hand on his sleeve fisted the material, his turn to pull Beau closer. It caused Beau’s processes to kick into overdrive, trying to keep up with all the sensations and define what was happening.

He blinked rapidly when Garnet leaned back, hands staying in place. Beau’s HUD made him aware of the way Garnet’s pupils were dilated, mouth slightly open from his increased rate of breath.

“I like it,” Beau said without thinking, drawing Garnet’s gaze up from his mouth. “I like the plant stand. Please don’t get rid of it.” The hand in his hair loosened as Garnet leaned back, the sensors in Beau’s fingertips documenting the topography of scars, muscle, and bone as his hand slid around the side of his neck and down to Garnet’s chest when he returned to his full height.

Weight was missing from his free hand and he looked down.

“Oh no!” he stepped back, panic surging. The paper bag he’d been carrying was now on the floor, crinkled and abandoned. He quickly reached down to get it, carefully opening the crumpled top, hoping he hadn’t ruined the treats. “Are they okay? I didn’t mean to drop them. I didn’t ruin them, did I?”

“Wh-what?” Garnet blinked as if dazed before catching up to speed. He tilted closer, peering down into the bag when it was offered.

“Are they broken?” Beau scrambled for what he would do if they were. He could call for a delivery order. But what if they didn’t travel this far? Maybe he could take the tram back. But what if they were closed already?

“You got Pączki?” Garnet looked up at him, eyes wide.

“Did I ruin them? I didn’t mean to drop them.” It was a swirl of emotion that pulled heat into his chest, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. He wasn’t sure which was appropriate and chose to keep both at bay.

“They’re fine. They’re okay.” Garnet chuckled softly, patting his back, “Jeez-o, they’re not like eggs. They’re probably rougher than that at the store.” Beau nodded, passing the bag to him in fear he may end up crushing them. “You, uh, you got these for me?”

“Valetta said you liked them.” As Garnet took the bag Beau noticed the redness starting in his face.

The realization of what they’d done came crashing down.

Beau couldn’t look at him, instead, he crossed the room to the shelving. The top shelf was almost at eye level, pulling his potted plant off the shelf surprised to find one or two of the tiny forget-me-not blooms.

“You shouldn’t be spending money buying me food,” Garnet chuckled nervously.

“And you shouldn’t be spending money buying me furniture,” Beau said without thinking, turning to assess the damage when there wasn’t a response. Garnet laughed, soft and airy, idly rubbing his mouth as he looked down at the bag.

“Fair enough,” he quietly said. And paused, “So, what do you wanna do tonight? It’s supposed to rain later, but we could still go out if you wanted.”

“Can I help you finish putting this together?” Beau cradled the pot to his stomach, schooling how tightly he held it to not crack the ceramic.

“C’mon,” Garnet snickered, turning to place the Pączki on the counter of the bar. “You don’t have to pretend. Alright? Serious talk, do you actually like it?”

“I told you I did!”

“Yeah, but are you just saying that to be nice?”

“I’m saying it because I like it. I’ve never had… things like this before. Things that don’t fit into a bag.” Things that make a home. His vocals couldn’t manage that, having to mute them at the strange whine they made instead. To distract himself, he looked down at the pot, only finding the sight of the flowers and new growth nearly made him cry.

“Okay,” Garnet whispered, close enough now to touch Beau’s shoulder, neck, the side of his face. “Hey, it’s yours. You can do whatever you like with it, I just don’t want you to feel like you have to keep it.”

“I want to keep it,” Beau said defiantly. “Are you not listening or do I need to kiss you again?” It caught Garnet by surprise, bursting with a chuckle.

“I mean, I’m not against it,” he grinned shyly, glancing away. “We’re gonna have to decide on one of those things because I don’t think that’s something I can multitask.” It made Beau smile as well.

“Let’s start with putting this together.” Beau decided to place the pot on the coffee table.

“Start,” Garnet echoed with a laugh. “Okay, you got jokes. But I gotta warn you, the instructions don’t make any sense."