#Newsies puppet

[64-jungle-planks]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2024!!

Happy Halloween to everyone who’s celebrating! This is my costume- David Guzman with Puppet Ike. Ike was originally played by Brendon Stinson and Jon Hacker, but I decided to do David Guzman’s version because according to friends and family- I look the most like him.

The puppet is hand made, his head is made of aluminum foil and his body is made of foam. I got some pointers from my uncle/cousin (he's my second cousin but I call him my uncle) Ben. I decided to not attempt a mouth for him because this is my very first puppet and from what I know Ike doesn't have any speaking lines (other than singing and a broom solo). I had fun making him!! Besides his hair. I sewed each strand in with an embroidery stitch called the Turkey Rug Stitch and now I don't have any skin on my right thumb. > p.

Anyways!! I tried to get pins from a bunch of stuff David Guzman was in- unfortunately I don't have any more photos of the bag because it's at my moms and I'm currently at my dads. I also embroidered a logo the Guzman's had on their page on the side- but unfortunately I don't have any good photos of that either.

Progress under the cut

[scrambledd3ggss]

Alright this is my third intro post (I lost the last one and the first one was out of date 😭) Anyway! Hello!! My name is Ruby, but you can call me scrambled or egg if you prefer that.

I go by she/her, I am a minor so please no nsfw stuff or anything else like that. I will block people if I have to.

currently reading: The Inheritance Games trilogy, Fahrenheit 451, and UnSouled

I am in a TON of fandoms so I’ll list as many as I can think of below the cut, but in short I like to read, draw, write occasionally. I am a huge theater nerd and to watch silly movies or tv shows. DNI if: you are a pro shipper, Zionist, homophobic, racist, transphobic, xenophobic, or sexist (basically a dick in any way, shape, or form).

Alright here’s the list:

Spy School

Charlie Thorne

Moon base alpha

Funjungle

Percy Jackson

Magnus Chase (I still need to read Kane Chronicles!!)

the land of stories

the hunger games

Hell followed with us

The spirit bares its teeth

compound fracture

AGGGTM

One of us is lying

Ride the Cyclone

Legally blonde (mainly the musical 😭)

Newsies (mainly LiveSies)

The Outsiders (all forms— movie, book, musical)

School bus graveyard

My brother’s (not-so) secret boyfriend

Jackson’s diary

Epic the musical

Greek mythology

Watcher entertainment

^mostly puppet history, but I like all their stuff

The song of Achilles

Circe

heartstopper

sherlock & co

crime junkie

Nimona

across the spiderverse

loveless

Yeah that’s most of it, I’m most likely forgetting something. If I am I’ll come back and edit it! Thanks for reading :D

[olithatwriter]

I hope this message finds you well. I apologize for reaching out to you out of the blue, but I’m writing with a heavy heart and a plea for help.

My mother, who shares her love for plants and gardening, has been fighting cancer for nearly two years. Recently, we were able to crowdfund her surgery to remove her cervix. despite the successful removal of her cervix, my mom began experiencing severe internal pains during her recovery. After several check-ups and extensive kidney tests, it was confirmed that her kidneys have been affected by the cancer in a process known as metastasis. We now find ourselves facing a new and daunting challenge.

Unfortunately, this new phase of treatment is extremely expensive, and we are struggling to manage the costs.

Compounding our difficulties, my sister was recently laid off just a few weeks into her new job, and our plant shop is not running as it should. We are in a dire situation, having exhausted many of our resources to treat my mom's cervical cancer.

Like we did with her cervical surgery, we are ready to commission some of my mom’s favorite plants to anyone who donates $10 or more towards her Treatment. I understand that this is a lot to ask from a stranger, but your kindness and generosity could make a world of difference for my family during this difficult time.

I’ve shared more details about my past mother’s past and present situation, and plants for commissioning in my pinned post. If you have a moment to spare, I would be incredibly grateful if you could read it and consider contributing.

Your support, no matter how small, would mean the world to us and would help ensure that my mom gets the life-saving treatment she needs. Thank you for considering this request, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need more information.

With heartfelt gratitude,

B

please boost if possible!

[olithatwriter]

@some-random-enby

reminder. i never don't want to talk about my favorite character. favorite character is always my first priority. if you mention favorite character in my vicinity i am likely to explode with the need to infodump.

[loving-jack-kelly]

stealing this concept from someone i can't even remember who bc i think it's so cute and fun

[foureyezz]

had a dream where newsies was all muppets and like their puppeteers werent the one voicing it was jeremy jordan over a big intercom doing voices for every newsie ever. great musical would love to make it a reality

[foxykatie425]

Jedi: Fallen Order - The Musical (Act 1)

Wait, hear me out…

Alright look, I am fully aware that trying to turn Jedi: Fallen Order into a musical is a dumb idea. I am fully aware that Star Wars in general would probably not benefit from the musical treatment. And I am fully aware that even when people hear me out, there’s not a single human on this earth that really cares or has interest in this idea. And honestly, why should they? It’s not even like I have songs to offer, because despite my music degree, I am a really lousy songwriter!

However, all that being said, I really enjoy the problem-solving challenges that come with adapting a story for a very different medium than originally intended! And when I get my stupid ideas, I want to share them and get them outta my head! So while I have a captive audience, I’m gonna share some of my main ideas for Act 1 of Jedi: Fallen Order - The Musical! If anybody actually cares to read, please like this post, leave comments, reblog or whatever so I can find my drive to finish writing out my main ideas for Act 2! (And if you are not interested in reading 4500 words of my incoherent brainstorming, go ahead and keep scrolling. I will not be offended!)

Act 1

To start the show off, I think it would be somewhat poignant if, at the end of the overture, a single light comes up on Cal and he says the line “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” before immediately transitioning into Bracca.

I imagine the introduction to the scrappers guild to be a Newsies style dance number, although perhaps not quite as happy.

The opening scenes on Bracca need to lay the foundations for the audience: who were the Jedi? What happened to them? And what is the current state of the galaxy? We have to assume, to an extent, that the audience has no background knowledge of Star Wars.

We also need to establish Cal’s current state of mind- fearful and alone. His only goal is to stay alive. He doesn’t trust anyone, but at the same time he does have friends that he cares about, such as Prauf.

Speaking of Prauf, odds are he’d be adapted into a human or humanoid character for this show. There’s nothing saying his character has to be an Abednedo, and it would be a lot of work to turn an actor into this alien character when said character is killed very early on. The actor would likely join the ensemble for the remainder of the show.

Let’s talk about Cere. Not much about her character would need to change, but without video game restraints confining us to Cal’s perspective, it becomes easier to flesh out Cere’s character arc a bit more. We can have the chance to see inside her head, and we can also have one or two scenes where she has the stage to herself.

Cere’s backstory can also be expanded on. Not only would I have her tell the story of how she tried to lure the imperials away from Trilla a bit earlier in the narrative, I would also have the scene play out onstage from Cere’s perspective so the audience actually gets to see young Trilla (and it foreshadows later when we get to see the exact same scene from Trilla’s perspective). There could also be two or three scenes throughout the first act where we get to see more flashbacks of Cere being a master. Perhaps as she gives advice to Cal, she reflects on times she had to give the exact same advice to Trilla (which could also have the added side effect of making Cal and Trilla interesting foils to each other).

Now Greez you could portray on stage a few different ways. I probably wouldn’t turn him into a humanoid character like with Prauf, because 1) he’s in the show for a lot longer, and 2) if all of your main characters are human it makes it difficult to portray the setting as “a galaxy far, far away.” For an alien species that’s meant to be so short in stature, you could potentially do him as a puppet, kind of like the way Olaf is done in Frozen the Broadway Musical, but I’d probably lean away from that because with a story as serious as this one, some strong emotions could get lost in translation. More likely, I’d try to cast an actor who is shorter in stature (most likely not quite Greez sized, but we just suspend our disbelief) and give him some prosthetic makeup and an extra set of arms that can be puppeted to mimic his real arms. (You might also be able to create his short stature by having the actor on his knees, like Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical, but again, you start to risk turning the character into a joke.)

As far as Greez’s character arc, it unfortunately comes off as a bit of an afterthought in the game (aside from the Haxion Brood level) but there is a bit that can be expanded on. He started off accepting Cere’s charter in an effort to pay off his debts, but he eventually comes to believe in her and in her quest. It’s not highlighted very much in JFO because a lot of that growth happened before Cal came into the picture. The most we get to see is his underlying dislike for Cal at the beginning grow into respect and eventually care. In a stage show, his arc would still have to be secondary to Cere’s and especially Cal’s arc, but he could definitely be played as a Han Solo-type character who took a job for money that slowly comes to mean more to him.

You can’t have a Jedi game, or a Jedi musical, without Cal’s best buddy BD-1. Now being a droid, and a very small droid at that, BD-1 would be puppeted onstage by an actor in a similar style to the characters in Avenue Q or Finding Nemo: The Musical. I tend to imagine BD-1 being played by a petite young woman (namely, a dancer) but nothing says it has to be. Since BD-1 doesn’t speak English (sorry, Basic!) it would be a silent role with BD’s beeps and trills being produced by a soundboard, probably controlled by someone in the booth rather than by the actor. However, the actor would bring life to BD-1 through their motions and facial expressions. And despite being a non-speaking and non-singing role, I do imagine BD-1 being front and center in every dance number!

The puppet for BD-1 would need to be lightweight and maneuverable. Due to the distance between the stage and the audience, it would probably need to be larger in scale than BD-1 is necessarily meant to be. It could feature some color changing lights that would likely be controlled by the actor. The entire puppet would be independently controlled by the actor rather than being attached to Cal’s back, however there could also be another version of the puppet that could be strapped to Cal’s back for scenes where BD-1’s absence wouldn’t make sense but a lack of contribution to the scene would make the presence of the actor onstage somewhat awkward (for example, some more personal scenes between Cal and Merrin).

Next character to discuss is Eno Cordova. He would likely have about the same level of involvement as he did in the game, although some bits of his instructions may be altered somewhat to make his quest a little less of a wild goose chase. (I mean let’s be real, he coulda just said “you need an Astrium to unlock the vault, there’s one on Dathomir, go get it.”) He would probably not be a singing role, but he would be portrayed by an actor on the stage, with the hologram effect being achieved by simply highlighting him with a blue spotlight.

Okay, now we get to the bulk of the story and our three main planets: Zeffo, Kashyyyk, and Dathomir. There’s a lot to talk about with these three locations, both individually and collectively, but let’s start with set design. For any show that features as many different locations as this one, you’d be best to have a unit set that doesn’t move that can function as all of those locations. I imagine this show having a large set with several different levels of platforms (it is a “platforming” video game after all) and the primary visual indication that we’ve changed locations would be different colored lights illuminating the cyclorama, the white backdrop at the back of the stage. Likely the choice of color for each planet would match the color of each planet on the holomap in the game (green for Kashyyyk, red for Dathomir, etc). There can also be props brought onto the stage that help indicate a change of setting, such as bringing out Greez’s pilot chair when we return to the Mantis.

As I hinted at before, Cordova in the game basically sends Cal out on a wild goose chase. Yes it’s meant to test him, but ultimately the only one of those three planets where Cal actually retrieves something tangible he needs to complete his quest is Dathomir. Now that works for a video game where there’s things for the player to do along the way, but for a passive audience who is watching rather than participating in the story, there needs to be a better reason for Cal to go to each planet. That’s not to say that Cordova should give him all of the answers, but perhaps there is something that Cal needs to retrieve from each tomb. Perhaps the Astrium comes in three different pieces. Yes, there are two tombs on Zeffo and none on Kashyyyk, but Cordova was here first after all. He wasn’t going to put back whatever pieces he found, but he also didn’t get all of them because he found another Astrium somewhere. Cal knows this because he found that Astrium destroyed in the vault. So he goes to Zeffo and through the Tomb of Eilram only to find that Cordova already took the piece that was there. BD plays the recording where Cordova talks about Tarfull and Kashyyyk, leading Cal to believe Cordova left the piece there and that Tarfull would know where to find it. He goes to Kashyyyk and fights alongside the Partisans, but he is unable to find the piece without Tarfull’s help, so he will have to return when the Partisans find him. Out of other leads, Cal remembers Cordova saying something about Dathomir, so he decides to search there. When he reaches the Tomb of Kujet, he finds that he needs the other two pieces of the Astrium to enter so he can retrieve the third. (Because in this context we can’t really use game mechanics like double jumping as a reason for why we can’t continue.) At the same time, Cere hears about Project Auger being restarted, and they return to Zeffo to search for the Tomb of Miktrull. Beyond this, the sequence of events would largely follow the remainder of the game.

Zeffo would probably be the hardest of the three planets to adapt to the stage because, with the exception of Cal’s confrontation with Trilla, not much really happens there. Much of your time on Zeffo in the game is spent traversing the land and solving puzzles in the tombs, all of which is less than exciting for a passive audience. Some kind of story beats would need to be added to Cal’s time on Zeffo (especially the first visit) that makes up for all the combat and platforming that doesn’t really translate to the stage. The story of JFO already has the slight inconvenience of being largely concentrated in the second half of the game, while in most musicals the first act tends to be longer. (And the game provides a perfect built-in spot for an intermission when Cal gets captured by the Brood, so I don’t really want to change that either.) There aren’t a lot of people for Cal to meet on Zeffo, so you could create a new character(s) and give them their own little subplot, but that runs the risk of creating one too many plot lines for the audience to follow as well as having little impact on the overall story. So more likely you would use that time to teach the audience about the Zeffo and have constant communication between Cal and Cere.

Believe it or not, at one point I considered cutting Kashyyyk entirely. But it’s important to show the early stages of rebellion against the Empire and have Cal get a taste of fighting back. Plus, the Partisans create an opportunity for a pretty fun dance number! However, I probably would cut out Saw Gerrera, simply because the more iconic the character is, the harder it is to translate them to the stage. (Obviously we’re gonna run into that same problem with Darth Vader, but we’ll discuss that when we get there.) Instead, I’d probably single out Mari Kosan as the leader of this group of Partisans, but mention that she is working under Saw. The great thing about Mari is that she’s so minor a character in the game that she can be a completely different character in an adaptation. You might even call her a completely new character with only her name being borrowed from a background character in the game. In this sense, we’d get to see the extremist side of the Partisans through her actions rather than Saw’s, but probably not until Cal returns to Kashyyyk in Act 2. (Also, if it proved necessary for the narrative, you could get away with killing off Mari, something you couldn’t do with Saw.)

I talked about iconic characters not translating well to the stage. Well, let’s talk about Wookiees and Stormtroopers. We certainly can’t go to Kashyyyk without seeing some Wookiees, but we’d want to keep their stage presence to a minimum. Creating their look in a live setting, while certainly possible, is not necessarily easy, and it quickly runs the risk of appearing fake to the point of being distracting, thus breaking the audience’s suspension of disbelief. Stormtroopers, on the other hand, would be a very easy, iconic look to recreate. Too easy, in fact. Despite the fact that they tend to be the butt of every Star Wars joke, the presence of Stormtroopers still needs to be felt as a threat, and that threat can be very quickly undermined if they are overused onstage. Not to mention, the moment you put Stormtroopers in a dance number, it becomes Star Wars Weekends at Disney World. So we’re gonna leave the dance numbers to the scrappers, the Partisans, and maybe the Dathomirians.

Speaking of Dathomir, we have to get there early. Obviously in the game you have the option to go there early on, but you don’t have a story reason to go there until much later. In the game, the crew returns to Zeffo right after they first visit Kashyyyk because Cere gets word of the Empire finding the other tomb. But in this case, let’s say she doesn’t hear about that until after Cal first visits Dathomir. We need to get to Dathomir early because 1) Merrin is far too important a character to be introduced in the second act, and 2) as previously mentioned, the second act is very story heavy and we need to shift some of that into the first act to make it slightly more balanced.

Finally it’s time to talk about Merrin! Her character in the first game was so underused and this adaptation offers the chance to expand on her story. (Although I need someone to hold me back a little, because she’s my favorite character but I need to be reminded that this is not her story. She cannot be a bigger character than Cal or Cere.) Introducing her earlier gives the audience more time to think of her as an antagonist, as they watch her repeatedly reject Cal’s attempts to reach out to her.

Let’s talk special effects, because Dathomir is where that really gets fun. Much of the appearance of Merrin’s magick can be achieved with the use of clever lighting and purposeful staging. Her ability to teleport can be mimicked by having her enter the stage in darkness and then using green lighting and perhaps some fog to illuminate her. Magick flames in her hands can be a combination of lighting and some classic magician props. (Disclaimer: Serious safety precautions would have to taken if we’re considering playing with actual fire though!) And the effects of her magick on her eyes and mouth can be achieved with black-light makeup that is invisible in regular lighting.

Now if there’s one person that tries to convince Cal that Merrin is a threat that can’t be reasoned with, it’s Malicos. As in the game, Cal would encounter this “wanderer” on the path to the Tomb of Kujet. He tells Cal that he was marooned on this planet when he came to study the Dathomirian culture, and that he has been hiding from the Nightsister, who he claims has repeatedly tried to kill him without hearing what he had to say (much like she tried to kill Cal upon their first encounter). Cal offers to help him escape the planet, but Malicos rejects this offer, stating that he has not yet completed his research on the planet (red flag # 1). Cal explains his mission, and Malicos explains that the ruins are surrounded by darkness and the magick of the Nightsisters. He tells Cal that Merrin will throw everything at him to keep him from entering the Tomb, and he tries to convince him that the only way to complete his quest is to kill her before she kills him (red flag # 2). But Cal, beginning to suspect he has ulterior motives, dismisses him and continues on to the Tomb. What Cal doesn’t know yet is that Malicos is also pulling the strings on Merrin’s side and actively trying to pit them against each other in the hopes of solidifying his control over whoever came out on top, as well as to keep them from uniting against him, which he knows would likely happen if his lies to Merrin about the massacre were exposed.

I debated a bit whether I should try to work in the romance between Cal and Merrin. Putting them together in Fallen Order definitely runs the risk of coming off rushed, and the way it was handled in Jedi: Survivor was perfect and probably could not be outdone. However, musicals don’t tend to get sequels (unless it’s Love Never Dies) and especially if we’re expanding on Merrin’s character, you can’t really write her and Cal together without there being sexual tension, and the audience will want to see that resolved, so I guess we’re going for it! (And besides, it’s my musical and I want to!) However, I still want Merrin to be an antagonist for most of the story, and prior to fighting Malicos I don’t want slip into the overused tropes of “he saved her life” or “they had to work together to survive.” The dynamic I’ve come up with instead bears a slight resemblance to Rey and Kylo Ren (cuz let’s be honest, Merrical is everything Reylo wishes it was!). Their first encounter is basically the same as the game, where she tells him to leave and sends the Nightbrothers after him. Take note that when I envision this scene, I have Merrin standing above Cal on one of the higher levels of the set (she had the high ground!). However, I’ve created a new scene between them in Act 1 while Cal is making his way back to the Mantis to return to Zeffo. He stumbles upon her praying to her fallen sisters for guidance, having taken off her hood and cloak. (Metaphorically, it’s almost like he catches her indecent.) Caught off guard and scared, Merrin prepares to defend herself, but Cal shows her that he has no intention of fighting her right now, and Merrin, knowing she wouldn’t win any fight she started in this moment, stands down. This scene gives an interesting visual representation of the power dynamics between the two of them, because where she stood high above him in her first scene, they now stand on the same level, which is made even more interesting if the actor playing Cal happens to be taller than her. Cal explains that he is leaving, but will return, and Merrin proclaims that she will be ready to face him when he does. He tells her about his mission and informs her that the Jedi have been wiped out, but importantly it never comes out that she believes the Jedi killed her family. They sing a counterpoint duet detailing their differing points of view, with Merrin stubbornly refusing to believe Cal’s Jedi “lies.” (This is actually the only song I’ve named: “Fool Me Once.” Fill in the rest of the saying.) By the time the scene ends, the audience should not yet be thinking that Merrin will eventually become Cal’s ally. However, the scene would definitely include noticeable sexual tension during their argument, mostly being in each other’s personal space for a hair too long and some extended eye contact.

Now that I’ve beaten that scene into the ground, let’s go back to Zeffo. Cal explores the Tomb of Miktrull and finally finds the first of the three pieces of the Astrium before encountering (hang onto your hats) the Second Sister, aka Trilla Suduri, Cere’s former Padawan! (Dun dun duuunnnn!!) Nothing super noteworthy changes in this section of the story except that Cal doesn’t encounter Trilla until after he explores the Tomb.

Remember those flashback scenes I was talking about with Cere and Trilla? This is what they’ve been leading up to. In the game, when Trilla takes her helmet off, the only reason we know who she is, is… well, she says so. However, if we see flashbacks of Trilla earlier in the show, now the audience recognizes the face under the mask. Now I know what you’re thinking: “won’t the voice give it away?” Not necessarily, if you’ve got a good enough actress. For all intents and purposes, Trilla and the Second Sister, much like Anakin and Darth Vader, are two different characters and should be treated by an actor as such. A good actress could make her tone and delivery so different between the two characters that first-time viewers wouldn’t put them together (as long as the playbill doesn’t give it away). But even if the audience does figure it out, I don’t think the fact that Trilla became an inquisitor is the biggest revelation in this scene. Because let’s be honest with ourselves, in terms of Star Wars plot twists, that one was a little predictable. But no, the bigger revelations are that Cere betrayed Trilla by giving up her location, she used the dark side in the aftermath, and perhaps most damningly, she has been keeping secrets from Cal.

Alright let’s talk stage combat. For this fight in particular, much like the game, it would get cut short and end up being more talking than fighting. But in general, stage combat tends to be more dance-like movements than martial arts. We’re not going for prequel-style lightsaber duels here. Plus, on stage, you only get one take, so you can’t exactly afford for anyone to get hurt halfway through. We’ll talk a little bit more about lightsaber effects later, but suffice to say, the stage combat, while important, comes second to the emotions surrounding the scene.

So BD-1 cuts the fight short by activating a laser gate between Cal and Trilla. Trilla reveals her past and sings about how you can never trust anyone before leaving. Now on stage alone, Cal finishes out the song by briefly lamenting why Cere didn’t tell him the truth. He hears another disturbance just offstage and prepares to defend himself before being hit by a stun grenade and knocked out by an unknown bounty hunter. Blackout.

End Act 1

So those are my notes on Act 1 of Jedi: Fallen Order - The Musical. I’ll be posting my Act 2 notes in the near future, but before I go, I want to quickly discuss the vocal ranges of each of the characters.

- Cal: Being a classic male hero, Cal would almost certainly have to be a pretty high tenor. However, he shouldn’t be like a squeaky tenor, for lack of a better phrase; his tone should be more round and even. (I’m just gonna say it- Cal probably shouldn’t have gay voice! I’m sorry, I don’t mean that in an offensive way, I just don’t have a better way of describing what I mean!)

- Cere: She would definitely be a low alto. (If we’re talking Broadway, I’m picturing Heather Headley or someone similar.) Not only would that be a good match for Debra Wilson’s voice in the game, but a lower singing voice is often used to portray age. It helps give the audience the impression that she is older and wiser than Cal.

- Greez: He’s a little tricky, but I’d probably put him somewhere in the mid-range, maybe a high-end baritone. I’m not locked into that though, I could also possibly imagine him as more of a low tenor.

- Merrin: Okay some people are gonna disagree with me here, but I would not make Merrin an alto. She can’t have the same range as Cere. That’s not to say I think she should have a super high singing voice, more like low mezzo soprano. But her voice should be powerful; I’m thinking like an Idina Menzel-style belter. (I mean, she is a witch, after all!)

- Trilla: Lemme start by saying that Trilla would not sing with her helmet on, so her first song probably wouldn’t be until the Act 1 finale. I imagine her having a very similar range to Merrin, with perhaps a slightly darker tone.

- Ninth Sister: We’ll talk about her more in Act 2, but she would definitely be a very low alto. She’s a big character, and generally the bigger the instrument, the lower the pitch. She also leans very heavy on the melodrama.

- Malicos: Now odds are he wouldn’t sing until Act 2, but he would definitely be a low baritone, if not a bass. I’ve been comparing him to Claude Frollo from Hunchback, both in terms of his character and his voice. So I would definitely imagine his voice sounding a bit aged, although the actor would also need to be able to do at least a small amount of stage combat, so he might have to be slightly younger than we might imagine the character.

- Sorc Tormo: Speaking of Hunchback, here we’ve got our Clopin Trouillefou. Eccentric and dramatic, Sorc Tormo would be the one to have that squeaky tenor voice that I didn’t want for Cal. (Now HE can have gay voice!)

- Jaro Tapal: I’ll throw him in because I haven’t decided whether or not he would sing, but if he does, he would most definitely be a bass.

One other note about casting: I am in my mind imagining the characters being played by actors who look similar to the actors in the game, with Cal, Greez, and Merrin all being white, and Cere and Trilla being people of color. However, the beautiful thing about a story like this is that there is absolutely no reason that you couldn’t colorblind cast every single one of the characters.

But I think I’ve rambled on enough for now. If anyone is actually still reading up to this point, thank you for indulging me! You are my favorite! Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments, because I have no one to discuss this topic with and it would make me really happy… 🥺🫶

Act 2 coming soon!!

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 34: Promise

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/739551758747090944/american-woman-thomas-shelby-x-american-oc?source=share

Let the games begin.

Time to put my social correlation to use. I follow Ada past the doors into the foundation building. The aroma of cigarettes and multiple perfumes hits me across the face and almost makes my eyes water. Supremely dressed noble people drink and chatter all around, all with the same bland smiles. The stemma of Shelbys and their connections. I head straight to the group of familiar Peaky Blinders.

“Glad ya made it!” Arthur greets.

“Nice getup, Verena!” 

“Thank you, Finn. You gentlemen all look dashing! Now what’s a girl gotta do to get a whiskey?”

In ten seconds flat a waiter appears with a glass. I shouldn't be drinking on the job but a little camouflage goes a long way. If I drink and mingle with ease then people will trust me. That and the dress. The beautiful dress fits me perfectly and with a little patience I’ve braided my hair into an intricate bun.

“Hello, my lovely.”

A gentle Irish voice turns me away and I’m faced with an aged priest. But instead of feeling comfort from this religious leader a sickening sensation spreads through my veins. Why does a man of God have such malice eyes?

“Father John Hughes,” he introduces himself.

I regain a soft expression but refused to offer a handshake. “Verena. Pleased to meet you.”

Thomas walks up with an equally terrifying stare. “I see you’ve already met our consultant for foreign affairs.”

Thank God! I don’t think I can handle this conversation alone- Wait. Thomas is leading me away. 

“Ms. Steenstra, you may be needed elsewhere,” he murmurs in my ear.

The hidden meaning in his words ring loud and clear. This business is not for you. He’s made another enemy.

“I understand.”

His hand on my back quickly pushes me to where Grace is standing. She herself is wearing a light cream dress with a matching mink shawl. And a gleaming sapphire around her neck.

“Sorry for the rushing,” I catch my breath. “That dress is stunning! And that rock on your neck catches every eye.”

She smiles and fingers the gem. “It was a gift from Tommy.”

“Oh, yes, Thomas. He tells me you mentioned my family,” I say nonchalantly but we both know what I mean.

“Verena, his company is everything to him. I am loyal to my husband and if your ties pose any threat then he needs to know.”

My grip on the glass tightens and I stare her straight in the eye. “Is that the only reason? My family has stayed dormant all these years and you think they’re a threat?”

She still looks at me the same way. Though she speaks with friendly terms there’s still a part of her that is reminded by my unfaltering love for Thomas. It’s not just my family. This is personal.

“You will never trust me,” I state out of the blue. It’s not a question because we both know the answer. “You will never accept me for loving this family. I am not here to impose or overstep my boundaries, Grace. I’m not attacking your love.”

This is the bullet I dodge. Love can be a powerful thing. Creator of passion, loyalty, happiness. And on the other hand distrust, bitterness, and jealousy. Yes I do work for one of the most upheld companies in Europe. But in the end my happiness comes from being their cheerful puppet.

“I do trust you,” Grace says after a moment of quiet. “That’s why I’m trusting you if something happens to me.”

My blood runs cold. “What are you implying?”

She keeps her face even and looks out at the people. “I’m a gangster’s wife. We both know that means death is always around the corner. If something happens it’ll be up to you to take care of Charles.”

Is she serious? “Thomas-”

“Is still Thomas. He’s too engrossed in his work. Promise me you’ll take care of them.”

Take care of them. And this is all on the concept of precaution. A guardian, in a way. Despite our bad past relations Grace is trusting me with her son. That’s far from keeping cross. She really does respect me.

“I promise.”

Grace hums and sips her own drink, still looking at the guests. “On another matter, congratulations on being hired as our foreign representative. Where do you plan on visiting?”

Excellent question. “If Thomas has no instructions for me then I plan to use my own connections to my advantage. I can meet with my uncle and get names for contacts in Europe, then work my way west. Back home there are many towns that would be willing to partner with us.”

“Oh really?” Thomas jumps into the conversation and takes Grace’s hand. “Do you girls only talk business?”

Grace kisses his cheek. “The usual catching up, Tommy.”

“I didn’t plan on coming but Ada insisted. Personally I think there’s too many elite people here for me to not stick out. My accent doesn’t help either.”

“Verena, would you mind giving us a moment?” Thomas asks.

“Of course. Enjoy your party, Mr. and Mrs. Shelby.”

It’s no trouble to give a couple their space, though I do appreciate him asking nicely. I depart and make my way back to where the rest of the Shelby men are. Arthur sees me and breaks into laughter.

“Oi, Verena! Tommy tells us you’ve got your own army, eh? Got some of your own mafia to back you up.”

My jaw drops. “Shush! Not here, Arthur! I have nothing of the sort! I’m not a member, I only have family who are members.”

Him and John drink up more alcohol while Michael observes with interest. He’s much more adapted than the last time I saw him. Something else that’s new is how Finn is trying to fit in with him.

“Care to dance?” He offers a hand.

I take it gracefully. “I’d love to, Finn.”

We go into a well-paced waltz, melting in with the rest of the dancers. I look over and have to keep from laughing when I see John’s jaw drop in shock.

“I didn’t know you could dance. Looks like John doesn’t either!”

Finn snickers. “Maybe you inspired it. But honestly I prefer your Charlestons to this. More fun.” He pauses and looks over his shoulder. “I think they’re about to start the toast.”

We end the dance and break off to the side, just as a man with wild eyes shoves past us.

“For Angel!”

BANG!

A gunshot rings through the noise of the party and everyone screams. Everyone but Thomas. He stares in shock as red seeps through Grace’s dress. She crumbles to the ground and the sight makes me freeze. People stampede past me to escape the violence and Arthur tackles the shooter to the ground.

“Verena! Are you alright?” Finn shouts and pulls me away.

I’m still frozen. I’ve seen death before, but not like this. Full-out murder. Bloody murder. Right in front of me. I talked with her just minutes ago… and now she’s gone.

“T-Take this!” 

With a shaking hand I hold out my shawl and Thomas snatches it. He presses the fabric against Grace’s shoulder but it doesn’t stop much.

“Get me a fucking ambulance now!” Thomas roars over the noise.

It’s too late. I no longer see life in her eyes. She has returned to God.

The last funeral I attended was Aunt Eleanor’s. That death was unexpected too, but I did not witness it first hand. This funeral, Grace’s funeral, is something that seems to tear away any hope from everyone. As her coffin is lowered into the ground and people place their roses on the grave, my mind races with the last words we spoke to each other. 

Promise me you’ll take care of them. Now? So soon? How? How could anyone have predicted this? Grace and I didn’t always see eye to eye but that is no reason to wish death upon anyone. Now who’s going to tell Charlie he’ll never see his mother again? And Thomas. Poor Thomas… He’s hardly uttered a word. Please tell me, Grace. Tell me how I can help. They don’t deserve to feel such sorrow.

It’s been one full week. A week of Ada and I staying at Arrow House helping with Charlie while Thomas mourns his young wife. The poor child keeps asking for her but is too young to understand. Today is the day everyone’s supposed to meet with him. Or at least that’s what Ads tells me when Michael and Polly arrive.

“Where is he? Out riding?” he asks.

Ada nods. “Yes. We’re not sure- Oh. He’s back.”

We go to where she’s looking out the window. A tall black steed trots up with Thomas riding him. I can’t tell how he’s feeling.

“Was he out all night?” Micheal asks.

“Every night since the funeral,” Ada says. “Comes back in the morning to see Charles and feed the horses, then goes off again.”

Polly hums as she reads the paper. “He used to sleep out when he was a kid. Curly would find him in the pasture. How’s the baby?”

Ada and I exchange looks. “He asks for his mum at night. He made a list, and wants to see you two first.”

Polly looks confused. “What about John and Arthur?”

Ada starts to answer but the sound of footsteps shuts her up. Thomas walks straight past us and shuts the door to his office. Nothing different. It’s like we don’t exist.

“I’ll go check on Charlie,” I say gently and slip away to the staircase. 

With all the laughter and happiness gone, this house stands as a dreary reminder of what could have been. No longer do I hurt from heartbreak. Instead my heart is sore from guilt. Yes I was saddened by their marriage but never did I want things to go this way. How on Earth can I possibly approach him after this?

I creep to the young Shelby’s bedroom door and peek inside. Charlie’s sitting with a nanny on the floor, playing with blocks.

“Hello, little Charlie.” I step in further. “What you got there, eh?”

He looks up with his jaw open, looking at me with those oblivious eyes only a toddler can pull off. He has no inkling of what happened.

“B-Brick!” He babbles.

“He loves building things,” the nanny comments.

That’s good to hear. With all that this life tears apart it’s good to hear that someone wants to build something for a change.

“Great job, Charlie. We’ll be downstairs if you want to see daddy, okay?”

His head perks up. “Daddy?”

“Yes, daddy’s back. I’ll tell him you want to see him, okay?”

“Okay.”

I hurry back to the hallway before my tears flow out. That boy, that sweet little boy, just lost his mother. What kind of a cruel person does that to a family? The minute I see Polly leave the office I wave her down.

“I need to see Thomas. Charlie wants him.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. He’s very specific about how he wants to meet with us.”

My chest tightens again and I subtly lean against the wall for support. “O-Okay.”

Polly’s face falls. “Verena? What’s wrong?”

I look up with sad, fearful eyes. “I don’t know what to say to him.”

Polly puts the pieces together. “She talked to you?”

I nod. “Before she was shot. She made me promise to take care of them. Thomas and Charlie. I will abide by my promise but I will not advance while he is in mourning.”

Michael walks out and sees us talking.

“Did he ever mention wanting to see me today?” I ask in a small voice.

He shakes his head. “Arthur and John are next. That’s all I know.”

Polly takes my arm and leads me back to the parlor for a cup of tea. The warm drink of watered down herbs does little to soothe this headache of morals. Do I offer simple words? A hug? Am I going to be the speechless mime he vents to and screams at?

“The Sabinis and Solomons sent their condolences with flowers,” Polly says to Ada.

That can be a large blow. They know how much Grace meant to Thomas and could move in while he’s grieving.

The door opens once more and the two Shelby brothers stomp out.

“Did he say-?”

“Nothing at all,” Arthur tells me. “Dismissed us with no instruction about further visitors. I tried to ask him.”

I take a shaky breath and wobble across to the door. Arthur gives me a comforting pat on the shoulder and I’m left to face Thomas alone. 

Knock knock.

No answer. I gently turn the knob and inch my head in. Thomas sits at his desk, staring at papers and ignoring my entrance. With a dose of courage I step fully into the room and nervously wring my hands together.

“Charlie’s asking for you.”

He doesn’t look up. “I’ll be out later.”

Nothing else. Polly was right. He is specific. But that won’t help Charlie cope with losing his mother.

“Thomas-”

“Leave,” he orders stiffly.

“I’m so sorry-”

Thomas stands up and pounds his desk. “Leave! Do you think you’re the first person to say ‘sorry?’”

My voice breaks. “I- I thought-”

“What?” he shouts. “That I’d want to fucking talk? To you?”

The pain of his words cuts deep and shines through my eyes. “That’s what you’ve always done when you need to. You’ve spoken to everyone else-”

“They’re family.”

Family. His family. And I’m not a part of it. I’m a friend whose intentions were to help him grieve. And one of my predictions came true. I’m someone else for him to scream at. 

“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes they are. Forgive me.”

Thomas watches me with wild eyes as I step backwards to the door and let myself out, shutting it with little noise. I instantly bolt away and slouch against the wall near the kitchen, my face in my hands. How, Grace? How can I take care of them? They miss you so much! Thomas misses you so much and is shutting everyone out.

@meadows5

[cowboy-caboodles]

-blog intro-

hi!! welcome to my main/art blog :))

✧.* name: jack/jackie

✧.* pronouns: he/him

✧.* current interests: newsies, cowboys, falsettos, the muppets

✧.* things I could talk forever about: davey and les jacobs, the entirety of falsettos and the meaning behind every little detail (specifically surrounding jason), why theatre is crucial to society and the process of social change, PUPPETS!! Queer cowboy history, deep dives into lyrics from my favorite songs, and chess

✧.* currently taking suggestions/art ideas!! IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING UP COMMISSIONS

✧.* actor, puppeteer, musician, director, and artist!!

✧.* EDS and POTS crutch user ‼️‼️

-I am up for being mutuals with anyone as long as you are respectful and kind!! I also am open to art trades with mutuals as well!-

-my socials are the same as my name here in case you want to see more of my art!!-

─── ⋆⋅���⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

[tannenfiles]

“ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏꜰꜰ, ʜᴏꜱᴇʀ.”

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Seymour’s Updated !! Pinned !!

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Good day! I’m Seymour, my pronouns are he/they, I also use neos, I’m pansexual and a transgender male I’m hoping to start my transition in 3 years (I’m turning 16 this year so at 19) I also have AUDHD, anxiety and ODD. I live in the United States, in the middle of the northern east coast. I’m a fan of 1980s media, music and pop culture. This blog is used extensively for posting my special interests and 80s media !! I’m hoping to make Friends with similar interests to me on here and elsewhere <3

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The Fandoms I’m in currently

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SCTV (Canadian variety show)

Rick Moranis (comedian and actor)

Newsies (Broadway musical)

Little shop of horrors (Broadway musical, Musical comedy Film)

Ghostbusters (Science-Fiction Comedy film)

The outsiders (book, film, Broadway musical)

Bob and Doug McKenzie (Canadian Satirical comedy duo)

South Park (adult animated series)

Smiling friends (adult animated series)

My blue heaven (Drama comedy film)

Team fortress two (Video game)

The muppet show, muppets tonight (Puppet Variety programs)

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Favorite characters in media

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Bob McKenzie (SCTV, strange brew)

Bill needle (SCTV)

The medic (team fortress 2)

Scott malkinson (south park)

Jimmy valmer (South park)

Guy Friday (SCTV)

Seymour krelborn (little shop of horrors)

Walter (the muppets)

Twobit Matthews (the outsiders)

Louis Tully (ghostbusters, the real ghostbusters)

Raymond stantz (Ghostbusters)

Barney coopersmith (my blue Heaven)

David Rose (schitt’s creek)

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Favorite movies [Letterboxd: louistullyirl]

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Strange brew [1983]

Ghostbusters II [1989]

Little shop of horrors [1986]

Ghostbusters [1984]

The outsiders [1983]

BASEketball [1998]

Scott Pilgrim VS The World [2010]

Ghostbusters: Afterlife [2021]

Class [1983]

Asteroid city [2023]

My blue heaven [1990]

Fantastic Mr. Fox [2009]

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Artists I listen to

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Chappell roan (favorite song: red wine supernova)

Rick Moranis (favorite song: pu-pu-pu, parve)

Weezer (favorite song: hash pipe, say it ain’t so)

Taylor Swift (favorite song: Cardigan, picture to burn)

Ween (favorite song: it’s gonna be a long night, the mollusk)

Primus (favorite song: here come the bastards)

Phantom Planet (favorite song: so I fall again, dropped)

Kate bush (favorite song: army dreamers)

Insane clown posse (favorite song: juggalo juice)

Rush (favorite song: closer to the heart)

Big reel fish (favorite song: beer)

Will wood (favorite song: 2econd 2ight 2eer)

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That’s all, thank you for your time !!

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[trenchcoatsbi]

Yippee time to do my favorite thing in thr world: Infodump /silly

-

Share your kin memories!

Honestly the amount of memories I've shared on this blog already are quite a lot lol

But I guess I'll share a small one for each of my main kintypes

Etho: I had a habit of literally curling myself around Skizz when I wanted to hug time. Like my wings and tail were fully wrapped around him. I also did this while sleeping apparently

Shadow Bonnie: the souls liked to play games in the secret backroom during the day! This lead to many silly moments :3

Sparrow: I actually didn't like water very much. Poor Spot and Racer had to force me to drink enough every day

Is there any foods from your kins that you can’t have anymore/miss? (Big Q asks for your favourite ice cream flavors)

Etho: You all do not understand how good watered down potions & campfire cooked meat tastes. Like sweet potions and good savory meat and you're chilling with your family. 100/10

Shadow Bonnie: I couldn't exactly eat, but Chi's cupcakes and Chica's pizza smelled good enough to count :3

Sparrow: I don't miss the food persay, but the experience of eating with the newsies!! Any food was the best food with those dumbasses /affectionate

... I can't really eat ice cream (milk doesn't like me :( ), but vanilla custard with warm caramel is always a first pick for me!!!

What was/is your favorite thing about Minecraft?

Etho: how fucking easy it was to build things. I think I would've screamed if I actually had to build a bunch of things from my mems ;-;

Who do you miss the most?

Etho: My husband. Phil has read through more then enough of me missing him lol. (Skizz come back where are you-). But I'd honestly have to say pretty much everybody that I was close to. I miss them for all different reasons!

Bo: Mari & Springy. Lefty and Molten are also up there! I think it's more so the memory of our deaths :/

Sparrow: Racer. The only person in any of my timelines that I had romantic feelings for and he's not beside me :(

What’s the best thing about being kin for you?

The people I've met along the way. And in my memories.

Sure, the bad memories hurt. They hurt a lot, but there's always the good ones to balance it out.

If I remember anything about the death games, I can just hold on to when I married Skizz, or hanging out with the Helsmits, or raising my kids.

If I can't get Henry's speech out of my head, I can instead think back to Mari needing to have his needles taken so he wouldn't stab Afton, or Springy getting crowned the 'King of Capitalist Checkers'

Or when I can't get Racer's cold body out of my vision, I think back to the secret kisses with him, or times in the lodging house when everybody was happy.

So I guess I can say the friends I've made, and the happy memories I would've otherwise never known about.

If you could swap your kins/kintypes, would you?

Nah. They're me, for better or worse.

I will say there's a character from a cartoon I've seen bits and pieces of that feels like she should be a kintype, but she isn't. It's kinda funny actually

What’s your favorite music? Additionally, do any songs help you get into shift?

I really like upbeat and fast paced songs :D My music tastes are a weird venn diagram of Pop, indie stuff, Rock, Musicals, & Vocoloid/simular stuff :3

Music 100% helps me shift. sometimes unintentally. some examples are:

Etho - Will I Find My Home, King of the World, Paper Rings, & Brother

Shadow Bonnie - The Kids Aren't Alright (Mari used it to pratisc guitar), Make This Puppet Proud, The Puppet Song, & the music box from fnaf 2

Sparrow - Almost anything from the Newsies soundtrack, Abandon Ship, Ribs, & Lost Boy

(hey btw, if you like vocoloid stuff check out the album Diary of Underage Observation! It's got some darker topics but the songs slap (shout out to another friend and me getting one song stuck in our heads for three days stright lol))

—Or use this ask game as an opportunity to share anything else you want!

send help I can't tell if I'm just hyperfixationing and projecting on certain characters or if they're me ;-; (my reaction to stress is apparently very simluar to depersonalization/derealization disorder which is. annoying. because I can not longer tell if my body feels wrong because gender, or kinshift, or that.)

If any of those that I'm questioning end up actually being kins, I'll do this again with them because I love excuses to infodump are my lives :3 Voidling Not!Anon

LETS GOOOO I LOVE INFODUMPS

the thing about memories is really super wholesome :)

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

still Thinking about bill and darcy and their dads and usually I’m too full of straight up Fear about posting headcanon stuff unprompted but y’know what my braces hurt like a motherfucker and I’ve had a bad day besides so I’m locking the anxiety in the basement to ramble because I deserve it

I like to think they’re both products of their environments as much as the newsies and it shows. the general consensus that their dads aren’t great is obvious, and it has a glaring affect on them and their relationship even if they don’t notice it

bill’s dad is strict. incredibly strict. everything about bill is pin neat because of it: his room, his clothes, his attitude because he won’t risk letting something fall out of place. he’s the heir to a huge business empire and he has to make a good impression, has so much expectation on his shoulders that he’s suffocating a little. it doesn’t show very often (he’s always all smiles, the picture of a good son) but darcy knows how much the pressure gets to him. it’s why he boxes: he’s not violently inclined at all, but the physical activity is better at releasing tension than talking and it’s not a team sport, so he doesn’t feel any pressure to perform well or not slip up, because he gets enough of that at home. his dad is always breathing down his neck and it makes it difficult sometimes to enjoy the newspapers the way he wants to

the nitpicking is a lot. always little comments that put a strain on whatever he’s doing. straighten his posture, fix his jacket, smile more, laugh quieter, make his father look good. it makes bill feel like a puppet a lot of the time, like he’ll never be quite good enough no matter how much he tries and how much he exhausts himself doing it. even if he loves the newspapers, the printing presses, the smell of the ink and the way he can get lost in typesetting, there’s always a shadow over his shoulder that screams at him to never mess it up or falter

on the other hand, darcy’s dad is just not there. he’s always so busy with running his own paper, engrossed with business that he has no time for his son. darcy was dumped with nannies from the get go and, when he got older and better at escaping them, his own thoughts. occasionally at dinners his dad will ask how he’s doing, make a comment with the wrong friends name or even get his age wrong, shrug off most of what he says and it leaves darcy feeling completely superficial (except for events of course, when it’s all smiles and “look at my son!”. that’s something he and bill share; feeling like they’re used for image and image alone). rationally he knows his dad loves him, but he doesn’t actually care all that much.

it’s why darcy writes. not articles, or journalism like his dad and everyone else around him would prefer, but stories. left alone to entertain himself for so long left him a storyteller through and through and as much as he loves the reality he finds in his newspapers, he can escape in fiction for days at a time as well. he’s always a little scruffy no matter how much he tries, his room a tip of notebooks and pens and ink smudges because no one looks long enough to straighten it up unless there’s a good reason too

that’s why they work so well as a pair. they keep each other sane. darcy doesn’t care if bills laugh is a little obnoxious or his top button is undone, if there’s still ink on his hands or he sprawls haphazardly on his bed instead of sitting neatly. bill never finds darcy boring or makes him feel like he isn’t wanted, loves listening to him and his stories and giving him company he desperately needs. they can talk about anything without worrying about it being wrong or getting shrugged off, or sit in each others presence for hours without saying anything at all. around each other they’re completely themselves and comfortable in that the way they can’t or don’t get to be with others

[whistlingstarlight]

Who's your favourite character from each musical you like?

Aight lads buckle up, this is a question with a pretty long answer:

Starlight Express: Tied between Pearl and Flat-Top, I honestly cannot pick between them. I love Pearl's designs, songs and storyline, and whilst it's sadly been lost over time I love Flat-Top's origins in English punk culture (and his mini character arc too!)

Newsies: Crutchie. Aside from just how fun of a character he is, I found myself in a very similar situation to him not long after getting into the show, so he means a lot to me.

Tuck Everlasting: Miles. His story is... fucking tragic, and Time is such a beautifully sad song. Both the Atlanta and Broadway versions of his story are very very compelling.

Bonnie & Clyde: Clyde (having the same name is purely coincidence skfjskd). His arc is quite a tragic one, showing how one's childhood and traumatic experiences can influence you later in life.

Matilda: Bruce. The cake scene always used to freak me out as a kid, but in hindsight I've come to realise that discomfort probably comes from my own experiences of having teachers forcing me to eat. So I feel for this poor kid. And his new arc of just being fucking Broken by Miss Trunchbull's abuse until she's dealt with is just so fucking sad.

Little Shop of Horrors: Audrey 2. The puppeteering never ceases to impress me, and I love how unapologetically evil and manipulative they are hsjdjskd

CatCF: Mike, mainly down to Michael Wartella and Teddy Hinde both being absolutely gold actors and mastering both the comedic aspect and jerkass parts of the role

The Prince Of Egypt: Rameses. Admittedly there's a bit of bias for Liam Tamne from when he was in a StEx workshop, but I love Rameses' costuming and his story arc.

Hadestown: Orpheus. Another character I love bc of the tragedy aspect, why the fuck did you turn around my guy-😭

[robertphilip]

incredibly random and idk if you’ve talked about this before but i can’t stop thinking about robert taking giselle to see a broadway show especially if they went to see smthin like cinderella 😭🤍

omg I think about what shows they would see all the time !! I have a little list, too, actually !!! (spoilers, it's not little)

Legally Blonde the Musical (they saw this show so many times, and Robert did Not enjoy it, but he likes making Giselle happy, so he suffered for her. she was devastated when it closed, but thank god mtv recorded it !!!)

The Little Mermaid

Daddy Long Legs (I watched the proshot years ago and I'll be honest I don't remember much, but I feel like Giselle would enjoy it)

The Addams Family

Elf (I've only seen the movie, and I heard this adaptation isn't exactly the same but idk for sure? either way, they would see it)

Matilda

Aladdin

Spiderman Turn Off the Dark

First Date

Kinky Boots

Newsies

Nice Work if You Can Get It

Cinderella

Anastasia (I don't think Giselle liked some of the changes, like In the Dark of the Night not being included)

Frozen (Robert wanted to die)

SpongeBob SquarePants (Robert wanted to die)

Mean Girls (and Giselle was very excited to hear it was getting a movie this year !!)

Moulin Rouge

She Loves Me

Wicked

The Lion King

Beauty and the Beast (This was her first Broadway show, and they caught it just before it closed)

Chicago (really love the idea of Robert coming home to Giselle singing the Cell Block Tango and being like 'um 😳')

Annie

Hairspray

Mamma Mia

And this list is shows they saw that I think Giselle wouldn't like/care for but Robert really enjoyed

Catch Me if You Can

Jersey Boys (Giselle did like the music in this, just not the story. I think Robert loooooves Frankie Valli)

The Producers (so,, apparently this show closed right before Giselle arrived in New York, but I'm ignoring that and we're going to pretend it ran longer because I think Robert loves Mel Brooks movies. I think he really wanted to see it when it first opened, but he had no one to go with, and Morgan was too young. So, when Giselle asked what he wanted to see, he was like "well,,,, 👉🏻👈🏻". and he really loves it !! we just have to pretend it was still open :))

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

The Book of Mormon (picturing them going into this blind and Hasa Diga Eebowai throwing her off completely. the entire show probably made her so uncomfortable 😭)

Avenue Q (I think the only thing Giselle could say about this was "well... the puppets were... cute, I suppose..." another show that just. made her so uncomfortable kjfoisdjfoidfjsd)

[we-are-inevitable]

heyo title time!!

“always tracking what happens when I lose my mind” have fun bestieeee 💥

ok i want to preface that this is not fleshed out! i don’t know how things happen! i don’t know why things happen! i don’t know and i want to keep it that way @jack-kellys

TW DEATH, VIOLENCE

but ok here we go. a fucked up dystopian thing but jack is a pawn in the game.

i’m picturing,, futuristic, the world has ended and people are starting over and trying to find normalcy but the wrong people force themselves into power. there’s a call for order and a new way of life.

theres the Bad Elites bc the world kind of ended and the wrong people were able to gain power during this big rebuilding thing and the newsies are basically a rebel group, jack as the leader, jack gets trapped and pulitzer is evil and bad things happen and then jack is basically a puppet to be controlled ! i think it’s fun

some more things:

jack is the leader. charlie is the medic. race is the getaway driver for missions. al is the weapons guy. al and race are dating; jack, race, and charlie are brothers; al looks up to jack.

the other newsies are There, i just dont care about them

davey is. whooooooo ok davey is a big thing to me. give me a minute

anyway jack is captured! hes kept for a few days. drugged, tortured, what have you. he’s implanted with a chip that fucks with his brain- when it’s activated, he hears nothing but a sharp ringing, its an out of body experience, and he can See what’s happening but he can’t actually control himself or stop it.

the first time it happens is a few days after he escapes (which is too easy- he realizes after that pulitzer *lets* him escape).

hes sitting at dinner. he’s hurting and he’s hearing ringing and albert comes to jack’s side to help him.

he slashes albert’s throat on impulse, and albert dies at his feet.

cue everything going to shit. race trying to kill jack, charlie has to step in, jack begs for someone to kill him, race tries again, eventually they lock jack in a room with windows in the compound and jack refuses to let *anyone* in.

side note bc @roideny said this and i freaked out: race sitting and watching jack lose his mind bc he knows that jack didnt kill albert- everyone knows jack is being controlled, they just dont know how or why- and race just ,, silently crying every time the chip is activated bc jack is screaming, and writhing in pain, and its what makes him remember that *jack* didn’t kill albert.

anyway moving on!

obviously davey is in this.

davey is one of pulitzers guys but hes being controlled by the same chip thing, but its Constant and Controlled instead of sporadic like jack’s. the gang capturing davey during an ambush or smth and charlie immediately knocking him the fuck out to do any sort of Finding And Removing The Chip just to prove to jack that it’s safe and he can do it

so davey is just a guy

like. an upper level guy i feel like, hes pretty important to pulitzers cause as a soldier type thing, but hes not important enough for people to go looking once he comes up missing. davey is just a frontman in an army serving people who dontgive a shit if hes dead or alive.

but tbh i think this is also ,, rlly good mind control territory bc davey hasn’t been Davey in so long. davey hasn’t even been David. davey has been Soldier, or #0347, or whatever the fuck people are calling him, but he has no name, no personality- he’s a terrified fifteen year old trapped in his own body for six years until hes suddenly a *monster* at 21 who has killed more people than he can ever count

they get the chip out of davey, so they know they can get the chip out of jack, and its just. yeah. its yeah and its so good

davey trying to live life as Himself for the first time in six years, jack trying to overtake pulitzer, things happen and plot happens yadda yadda they win and its good

pls send asks about this i love it a lot