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yonpote · 7 months ago

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mr. pote please explain shoe ig story for the ignorant (me)

not much to explain other than. dan posted an instagram story of their shoes pressed together

ok i guess ill share a LITTLE context. around late january to early february 2023 was when dan was having a mini-break from touring for philly's bday before he had to hit the road for the non-uk european shows. the thing is, there were kind of a lot of complications happening wrt tickets, especially problems surrounding the iceland show, which dan had hyped up as where he was going to end the tour, and pj even mentioned on stream that he and sophie would possibly meet dan and phil there and have essentially a double date holiday! the day before the Shoe Pic, dan had announced that the iceland show was cancelled. he posted the cancellation on his story in icelandic, here is the english translation:

Sorry for the frozen people. Couldn't bring this show to your island this trip, that's all I can say for now. It's on my bucket list to be with you one day. I'll see you then.

he then posted an ig story where he seemed to be out on a walk that was quite self-deprecating on the fact that no one takes him seriously "in life, business, or the industry." it was just a bummer day for dan. so a few twitter phannies (back when there was a Little peace) thought to make an encouraging hashtag for dan, #weloveyoudan to show some appreciation for him when he really seemed to need it! (this also spawned an in-joke hashtag my good friend @editingz0ne made, #giveamazingphilnukes, that phil tweeted about 💀)

so the next day, when dnp had both posted while at an apex legends esports competition thing, we all kinda inferred that this was a lil date, possibly as another phil bday present (still his bday week) or as a lil gift to cheer dan up, or both! and then. he posted the fuckin shoe pic.

listen. idk how to explain it. it just. felt like something so weirdly intimate? like, no idea what the context is, other than theyre sitting in the back of a cab and took a photo of their shoes pressed together. and like one is clearly phil's shoe and the other clearly dan's shoe, and i assume theyre the same shoe size (do not tell me wikifeet ppl i dont need to know) and so they just. fit perfectly together. and all this was after the harrowing previous day, and after all that dan just decided to let us in on this picture that is so silly and not really anything and yet feels so personal? its like when we hear their alien language in the texting vids, or that they get fries every saturday and call it "fry-day". like its not a bit its not playing up a dynamic for a camera its just. THEM! its just them!!!!!!!! anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk on the dan and phil shoe photo taken on february 5th, 2023 by dan howell.

#myrambles #phan #i will also reblog relevant ig stories from danandphilupdates in a bit #or you can check all the stories on indepthbants youtube channel and their 2023 playlist #this is like... its so goofy i know but this was back when we were STARVED for content #we were living off instagram stories like phil hadnt even posted a video yet that year #the shoe photo fed us for WEEKS like please appreciate the abundance of content we get from them now #and if we were starving in 2023 you cannot even imagine 2020 dude #i wasnt even around but i can just tell phannies who went thru 2020 have a haunted look in their eyes

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jerzwriter · 8 months ago

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With Warning Part 5: Captain Lahela & a Serving of Common Sense

Book: Open Heart (Book 2 Timeline) Characters: Tobias Carrick & Casey, Bryce Lahela Rating: Teen Words: 1,800 Series Summary: Found here it changes a little here - both the warnings, and in this part, who it's being delivered to. Chapter Summary: Casey's just returned from her holiday getaway with Tobias, and she's happy to have the apartment to herself... so of course Bryce shows up! An animated conversation with her friend, gives her food for thought. A/N: I'm going in a little different direction... this was supposed to be all about the friends warning Tobias to stay away from Casey - and it started that way - but now, the warnings are changing.

The timing of this story is just after parts two, three, and four of Christmas Through Your Eyes and the Epilogue of that series takes place after this fic. (The chronological list of fics in the "From Here to There" part of their journey. 😊)

With Warning Masterlist Tobias x Casey Masterlist || My Full Masterlist

The alarm on Casey’s phone blared for the ninth, or maybe it was the tenth time... but it had done the trick. After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stumbled to the bathroom with a delirious smile... she hadn’t been dreaming after all. The Christmas trip with Tobias really happened, and as she splashed cold water onto her face, she realized that for the first time since the attack, she had gone for days simply being... happy.

Her friends were already at work, and she relished being home alone. She adored her roommates, but she knew what awaited her. They would have questions. They’d want to see the photos still tucked away in her phone. And she wasn’t naïve; she knew she’d have to face them when they returned home later, but right now, she needed time to process it all herself.

Returning to her room with a piping hot cup of tea, she stared at the unpacked suitcase lying at the foot of her bed and decided reality could wait a bit longer. Hopping back in bed and looking at the photos from her trip sounded far more enjoyable.

She startled when the phone rang, and a photo of her mother appeared. Maybe it was because she wouldn’t be speaking to her face to face, or maybe because her mother hadn’t had a front-row seat to her budding friendship with Tobias, but Casey decided this might just be the test run she needed.

“Hey, Mom!” She gushed. “Yeah, got back late last night.” “Oh, it was wonderful! We ended up going to New York, too... can you believe I lived there for four years and never saw the Rockefeller Center Tree? Finally crossed that off the bucket list!” “No, neither of us were on social media. We wanted to live in the moment... but I’ll get some pictures up soon.” “I am happy, Ma... I haven’t been this happy in some time!”

Her neck twisted toward her bedroom door as she heard a noise in the hall; that’s where she found Bryce standing with a bowl of cereal already in hand. He went to walk off when he saw she was on the phone, but Casey waved him in.

“Mom, I have to go, Bryce is here. But I’ll call you later and fill you in on all the details.... Of course I'll tell Bryce you said hello, Ma. I love you, too!”

He had already settled into the beanbag chair in the corner of her room, a goofy grin on his face as he enjoyed his... well, Elijah’s Captain Crunch. “You didn’t have to hang up on my account,” he said between spoonfuls. “I would have waited.”

“No... just as well,” Casey insisted. “My mom was five minutes away from asking why we didn’t see her when we were in Philly, and I could do without answering that for now.”

“Mmhhm. So, why didn’t you see her?”

“Same reason we didn’t visit Tobias’s family – that’s not what the trip was about. It was just for fun.”

“And was it?” he asked sincerely. “Fun, that is?”

“It was, Bryce!” She answered more quickly and enthusiastically than she had planned. “I can’t believe it, but it truly put me in the holiday spirit. I didn’t see that coming!”

“I think that might have been Tobias’s plan all along,” Bryce winked. “I should thank him because I love seeing you this happy again... it’s legit, right? You know you don’t have to put on an act for me.”

“I know that,” Casey smiled, taking a seat next to her friend on the rug. “I’m not pretending... I honestly am starting to feel alive again.”

Bryce put the nearly empty cereal bowl aside and gave Casey’s hand a squeeze.

“That’s great because I’ve missed you! It was nice of T to take you on this trip.”

“It was,” she grinned, not comprehending why her cheeks became so flushed.

Bryce lifted the bowl again, gathering the tiny bit of milk that remained on his spoon. “You two have gotten really close, huh?”

“Well, it’s not like that,” Casey replied in a defensive tone. “We’re just friends.”

“OK... I didn’t insinuate you were anything more.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. But, most of the time, when I’m good friends with a guy, everyone assumes it’s something more. And it’s kind of stupid, honestly, because I’m bi... so do people assume I'm fucking anyone I’m good friends with?”

Bryce offered an understanding nod. “As someone who identifies as pan, I can say with full authority... yes. Yes, they do. But fuck them.”

“Fuck who?” Casey asked. “All my friends?”

“No!” he laughed, tossing a pillow her way. “Fuck the idiots who think that. Well, don’t fuck them... screw them. No, don’t screw them either... you... you know what I mean!”

“I do,” Casey giggled. “And you’re right, screw them! Tobias and I love spending time together. We make each other laugh; he’s really helped me these past few months.”

“All good things!” Bryce agreed.

“Exactly! But that doesn’t mean we’re more than friends. I mean, sure, we kissed a couple of times...”

Bryce’s eyes opened wide. “Wait... you what?”

“We kissed. But it’s wasn't a big deal! I mean, you know that. We’ve kissed, and we’re just friends, right?”

“I mean... it was a long time ago...”

“I know, but when we kissed... what were we?”

“Friends.”

“Right!” she snapped her fingers. “And you didn’t think any more of it, did you?”

“Uh...no... I didn’t. Did you?”

“Of course not! Because it was no big deal... Just like me and Tobias. It’s no big deal because we’re just friends.”

“Uh-huh,” Bryce nodded, noting this was her second declaration in seconds. “If you say so.”

“I do!”

“Good!" Assuming they were moving on, he changed the topic. "So, what city was best? Did DC win, or did Philly?”

“Best city, easy,” she winked. “Philly. But the best Christmas tree... that went to New York. Honestly, New York is so magical at Christmas. We even took a carriage ride through Central Park!”

“That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to do that!”

“Yeah, I made sure the horse was well cared for first...”

“Of course you did,” he chuckled. “I’d expect nothing less.”

“I'm so glad I got to share that with T. It was... perfect! It started snowing, and I swear, it felt like we were in a movie! That's when I saw the mistletoe, so... you know... the kiss.”

“So, your first kiss was on the carriage ride?”

“No, that was our second kiss. But it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Uh, huh,” Bryce muttered. “Uhm, Casey have you ever thought...”

“I mean, we only kissed once before that! Last month... outside of the bookstore in Cambridge. And that’s only because I asked him to!”

“You...asked him... to... kiss you?”

“Yes! Because it had been such a long time since I had been kissed... or anything, really... and I just wanted to know if I could feel something again, you know? But...”

“I know... I know..." Bryce injected. "It didn’t mean anything.”

“EXACTLY! I'm glad we're on the same page!"

Bryce studied Casey carefully, scratching his head.

“So. Why Tobias?”

“Huh?”

“If it was just a kiss between friends... meaning nothing... why did you ask him? You could have asked me? Elijah? Jackie... any of the roomies. But you asked... Tobias.”

“Well, he and I kissed before. You know, back when we were dating... but those were very, very different. Totally different kinds of kissing! So, it made sense.”

“But we’ve kissed before, too,” Bryce smirked. “So, why didn’t you ask me?”

Casey returned his smirk with one of her own. “Do you want me to kiss you, Bryce?”

“No,” he snickered. “I’m just trying to understand your thought process in choosing Carrick.”

“I don't know... it just felt right...”

“Two times. It felt right... two times.”

“Yes! But we agreed not to do it again because we don’t want it screwing us up. We’re just friends... it didn’t mean anything!"

“So you've mentioned,” Bryce rubbed his chin. “But, Casey?”

“Yeah?”

“What if it does?”

Casey turned to him with as much panic if she had been a deer in the wild and Bryce's car was careening toward her on a dark night. “What... what do you mean?”

“I’m just saying... would it be so awful if the kisses meant something?”

“Bryce,” she gasped, lowering her voice even though they were alone. “No... I’m... I’m not ready for anything like that. And, besides... he’s just my friend... there’s nothing more to it.”

“Yes, for the dozenth time. He's just your friend,” he smiled. “Whatever he means to you, that’s for you to figure out... if you want to figure it out at all. I’m just saying, it’s your choice... and if you decide he does mean more, that’s all right, too.”

A slight crinkle appeared on her brow when she turned to Bryce, words she hadn't intended to speak falling from her lips.

“Do you... do you like him?”

“I’m just getting to know the guy... he’s more of your friend than mine. But I have to admit, he’s impressed me. He’s been really good to you, and you appear to make each other happy. Isn’t that what they say it’s all supposed to be about?”

“I... I guess... but we are just friends.”

“And you’re my friend, Casey. So if that’s what you say, I believe you.”

“Thank you,” she smiled in relief.

“Shit!” Bryce cursed, noticing the time on the clock. “I didn't realize it had gotten so late. I've got to get going; I have a date."

"Oh," Casey grinned. "Care to share the details?"

"Nope."

"Do I know them?"

"No comment."

“Uh-huh,” Casey teased. "I have my ways of finding out, you know! Just like Elijah can find out about his Captain Crunch."

"Are you seriously blackmailing me?"

"No," she shrugged. "I mean, I'm blackmailing you, but just for fun. Your secret is safe with me."

Delighted to see his friend bantering and laughing again, he pulled her into a hug.

“It is great having you back, Case. Promise me you won't go away again.”

“I’ll try not to," she said squeezing him tighter. "I promise.”

“And Case... about Carrick.”

“Bryce!”

“I know, I know, but listen! Sometimes, you overthink things way too much. Try not to do that... just... just go where you're happy. That's what it's all supposed to be about.”

“I’ll take that into consideration.”

“That’s all I ask,” Bryce said before heading to the door. “Well, that, and don’t tell Elijah about the Captain Crunch....”

Casey crossed her heart with a grin. “It’s our little secret."

~~~~~~

Just one more "warning" left. Thanks to those who are reading!

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

#open heart fanfic #choices fanfic #open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #choices stories you play #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #bryce lahela #tobias carrick #tobias carrick & mc #tobias x casey #from here to there #with warning series

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dangerously-human · 1 year ago

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Okay, continuing with my ages-late-to-the-party catching up on tag games! This is a combo of similar posts I was tagged in (ages ago) by @saxifrage-wreath and @lllinens and also probably other friends here, I am sorry if I lost track!

Thank you guys for tagging me, truly, and thanks for your patience as the pile of backlogged responses just kept growing in my drafts folder, whoops.

Relationship status: single

Song stuck in my head: Hot Tea by half•alive

Last song I listened to: I am pretty sure it was Twenty Something by Nightly

Favorite color: blue!

3 favorite foods: mashed potatoes, peas, raspberries

Last thing I googled: Philadelphia Phillies (trying to set up my pinned score thing again on my new phone)

Dream trip: When I graduate with my master's, I plan to celebrate with another trip to Ireland, at least a week and a half if not two weeks. I mostly want to do the south of the country, since that's where I've spent the least time so far - visit the Ring of Kerry, Killarney National Park, all that. I'd love to go back to Connemara if I can swing it. And of course I'd spend some time in Sligo again, visiting family-of-family. That would leave just Wild Nephin remaining for my Irish national parks bucket list item, so maybe I'd go there, too, or maybe that needs to be its own trip.

Anything you want right now: You know, a day off work to do nothing but sleep sounds like a dream right about now. I also want to have an idea how to celebrate my 30th birthday in a way that feels momentous but also not like I'm asking too much of people, and maybe even more than that, for the social anxiety to abate enough that it's not so terrifying to ask anything of people I know love me, you know?

#personal

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franki-lew-yo · 2 years ago

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About the 'Roald Dahl edits'

Can someone please just show me an actual, undoctored picture of the changes being made to which books?

That's all I ask! I keep seeing absurd clearly liberal-mocking fake scans that no book company would ever make being presented as "evidence" of the changes. Don't do that. Show me a list of the changes.

Welp, I'm writing about this because, as I've expressed before, I love Roald Dahl as a writer but I don't like him as a person. That's the thing about some people's work- it just comes with the territory that they are at LEAST 'problematic' given the creators worldview; Dahl, Lovecraft, Tezuka, Uncle Walt, even my German-crabapple daddy Ted Geisel. I'm not gonna @ these dead ppl for DARING to not be up to my modern liberal standards no more than I am gonna paint them as REAL LIBERATORS bcuz I want them to be -! When it comes to removing books from circulation or editing out words, I understand.

Regarding the changes though...I really haven't seen anything that's too wild?? Yet.

As a brief aside, I think it'd be better for everyone if The Witches was just removed from publication. It's Dahl's most offensive book when you combine it with his real world politics. And again I say screw the accusations that this book is 'sexist' when the problem with it is that it's antisemetic and so was Dahl.

But honestly? Changing the line to be "some ladies do wear wigs and there's nothing wrong with that" works with Dahl's writing style. Same with calling Augustus Gloop 'enormous'. Same effect in place, just without the sting of just calling a child fat.

Now, if these lines are left in place while Luke's grandma's explaining in the text how "no, don't pick at people's hair even if they're wearing gloves they aren't all witches" are given the boot, I can understand some outrage. But, again, to me I think this is better proof as to why Witches should just be left alone and maybe not published anymore. The og text did provide context, the problem is that the book itself is racist by asserting that all witches are 'evil', and that the only reason to not bother women with wigs and gloves is they "may not be a witch". That's messed up, even if it weren't alluding to any real life antisemetic-isms. Asideaside-- I'd be very curious to see how the The Twits is changed if it's changed at all. Twits has this very poignant description of how, no matter how unconventional you are, you can never be 'ugly' if you are good and sweet- where no matter how "pretty" you are, if you are an ugly person inside people will see you that way. It's a really good breakdown of that phenomena even though it's still technically bodyshaming. Also, they're monkeys, not people (take that as you will) but The Twits is about an abused family of stolen monkeys and birds tricking the Twits, who are their captors, into killing themselves and then returning to the wild where they belong. --- Anyway...removing the part of BFG where the giants says humans of different country's taste different or Mr. Grasshopper's awful quip about Mexicans in James and the Giant Peach isn't any skin off my nose. Especially if they are going to read to young kids today, kids don't need to hear that kind of language. Philly Pullman can disagree with me all he wants but personally I think these books, not their author's squeaky image or politics, deserve to live on.

That being said-

I would be upset if changes were made that started insisting that characters who were fat AREN'T fat, now. Or that the white cis cast Dahl wrote were now being described as bipoc or genderfluid when they weren't. Let's not pull a JK Rowling here. Yes, it is true that for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald both a) wanted Charlie and the Buckets to be a black-British family and b) removed racist descriptions of the Oompa Loompas within his lifetime from real life pygmies to a fantasy-race. That's awfully neat of him for someone so much of turdwhich. Those kinds of changes are best for adaptations and reinventions of the stories. But it'd be indecent of the publishers to suddenly push the idea that the Buckets are black and always have been now, and/or that the Oompa Loompas can't still be racist somewhat just because they aren't depicting a real life ethnic group. To alter the original text of the books well after Dahl's death to be more 'friendly' IS the kind of censorship and historical revisionism to be wary of.

It's there that Pullman's comments of 'read another book' ring true: If you can't take that the book has some problematicisms in it, I tell you there are other children's books to read! By making the text of the books 'progressive by modern audiences' standards, that'd be erasing this very discussion and, more importantly, the concerns of BIPOC/Jewish people everywhere.

That'd be like if Disney rereleased Fantasia and had a redesigned, less offensive Sunflower in the background. That'd be disgusting, not because Sunflower shouldn't be reclaimed or redesigned, but because that's a company wanting to hide from the mistakes of the past in order to sell more stuff to you and make you trust them. I'd love me a black Charlie Bucket, but in a new version of Chocolate Factory, not an attempt to hide liberals from the fact that uncle Dahl was racist.

That's what I think should be continued, both as a way to keep his work alive and also to diss Dahl from beyond the grave: adapt his works!!!

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, BFG, and Willy Wonka are awesome. Dahl hated changes to his stories being made for film....so change his stories for film! Some things have to change and should change. While the 2020 Netflix The Witches was bad, I could get on board making Luke and the humans in the story people of color. That has the potential to turn the connotations of the original on it's head; instead of witches being a metaphor for 'secret societies' they'd be an illusion to real life organizations that tout themselves as kind and homely and traditional but are actually pure evil. How the witches specifically target children of certain demographics only for the dog to bite back and fight them with their own medicine- also keep the nice witch from the 80s film.

None of these changes would ever fix the fact that the og book is what it is, but they're an example of why adaptation, not revisionism, is so important.

Don't hide from mistakes of the past. That's why I'm as upfront with you all about my inspiration for my works being Dahl and Dr. Seuss. These people are not perfect and they're also not my own essence of creativity- but you can believe I was inspired to write because of them. Dana Terrace absolutely has Harry Potter to thank for The Owl House-it doesn't mean Owl House should pay for Harry Potter's sins. Let Owl House pay for it's own sins, thank you!

When it comes to problematic/ offensive work of the past, we should not be hiding from them. Teach kids and adults to think critically and learn that their white-made nostalgia is biased and bad sometimes. When it comes to problematic/ offensive works by still living authors, please just don't by Hogwarts Legacy.

That's all I got. Feel welcome to @ or message me if there's something my white-Gentile-ness forgot or am leaving out. I want to have an actual conversation about this cuz I think it's important. This post also kept me from falling asleep midday again.

#roald dahl #the witches roald dahl #the witches #james and the giant peach #charlie and the chocolate factory #fantastic mr fox #matilda the musical #matilda roald dahl #Roald Dahl's edits #Roald Dahl's classics #Roald Dahl revisions #revisionist history #historical revisionism

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callofxenon · 1 year ago

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So... this may be a very long post... major spoilers for my Earthspark AU lies ahead.

Home has been turned into a 3 parter, and the term Home is used in a literal sense as the basis of the first part. We have three OCs in this episode, and they're all very important: David, who is the estranged son of Jon Schloder (which this is revealed in Age of Evolution, Part 1 during the Seeker assault), which in character lore, he's also Karen Croft's nephew (this is VERY important for later on). David has a Terran sibling named Derezz, who transforms into a GHOST Helicopter (and a prior episode had Derezz "kidnapped"), who was born from the same batch as the triplets, Age of Evolution, Part 2. Derezz is close friends with Twitch, to the point they've established a link with each other like siblings (very important). The last OC is Kage Davis, which her name means "shadow" like in the shadow of others, even her friends (and David is her friend, so that says a lot). She is close friends with Thrash, who feels left out a lot like her (again, important).

The premise of the episode is the same, for part 1: Maltos and Terrans head to Philly for fun. It turns into a nightmare. Well... this is how it's structured, since it is a three parter.

Way back in the pilot episode Orientation Day, Part 1, we learn that David actually lives in Philly, and that's where his home is at. Currently at the time of Home, Part 1 he's dealing with a deadly sickness he's hiding from everyone, caused by his cybernetic arm and the constant Energon it needs to be active. Here's some horror to explain why David has a cybernetic arm: In Orientation Day, Part 2, at the end of the episode, David gets captured by Mandroid (currently he doesn't know much about GHOST and David is a GHOST cadet, hence the title of the episode), and tortured to the extreme. The very end of the episode, David manages to piss Mandroid off so much he hacks David's right arm off. We don't know what happened to him until HOUSE Rules... where Mandroid has experimented further on the poor human, now nothing more than a slave (basically brainwashed by a chip, the second iteration since the first was on Hardtop and the Insecticons). After he's freed, David's condition worsens, and he forces Ranger Malto NOT to get help, scared of the consequences. In Classified, he eventually gets a cybernetic arm from GHOST at the end of that episode (and reunites with his dad, and David keeps quiet on the Terrans' existence). There's a lot of scrap to go over, but without giving away all the story, in Security Protocols, David snaps at his aunt and father at the racetrack, believing falsely that they don't care about him, even talking vehemently about the world and in some cases, people would say he's going crazy. This goes back to the arm, and that it's slowly killing him. So he wishes to check off his bucket list as he doesn't want to leave this world with unfinished business.

This leads to David and Robby both coercing their siblings to Philly, and David showing then around the neighborhood. It's all fun, it's all safe. Now, Kage goes with Nightshade and they both meet Sam. Kage is feeling unsettled about the whole ordeal of breaking curfew, worried about David, and just wanting to do SOMETHING meaningful.

Kage is a huge fan of an OC character who, quite frankly, acts like Aileron from IDW: Echolonar. Echolonar is an Autobot femme, who apparently is shadowed by Kage. Currently still working out the details between their dynamic, but this episode Kage FINALLY gets to have a heart-to-spark with the femme. Oh, and for you Arcee lovers, Echo is sparkbonded (married) to Arcee. Yes, gay/lesbian couples, something that my friend @spd-magenta-ranger came up with. Kage's arc increases from annoying sub character with a fangirl presence to helpful character with qualities and contributes more like she wants. Oh, and don't worry for people who don't like ES Arcee: Because of her married status, SHE'S NOT A JERK.

Derezz is actually on his own, feeling left out, at least until he comes across the sewers. He's bored, and sometimes you do crazy things when you're bored. He ends up stumbling across Mandroid's operation and calls for David to help take him down.

This is where the dark shit starts happening.

@luciolefire send me your thoughts before I continue.

#transformers earthspark #tf earthspark #earthspark spoilers #earthspark au #mandroid #my ocs #friend oc #horror #family trauma #things get worse before they get better

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rndyounghowze · 8 months ago

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Review 527: My Mama And The Full-Scale Invasion

Written By: Sasha Denisova

Directed By: Yury Urnov

Simulcast By: League of Livestream Theater

@wilmatheater tinyurl.com/Mama-Invasion-Tix

While sitting in The Wilma Theater to watch this beautiful play we got friendly with a wonderful couple sitting in the seats next to us. They talked about seeing a show in-person and then watching it on demand later. We told them that we had seen both an on-demand show at the Wilma and plenty in-person yet we had never gotten to see the same show done both ways. Then we saw our friends at the League Of Livestream Theater (LOLST) were going to be running a Simulcast of this show that very weekend. We decided that now was a great time to cross that item off of our critic bucket list.

photo credit Johanna Austin

It is worth mentioning that The Wilma Theater is dedicated to offering all of the shows in their season as a VOD option after the in-person shows have closed. This is how we found their particular brand of staging and fell in love with their art. We just knew that we had to see the kind of art that uses projections, and video, sound, and movement in-person. On-Demand video is not just about accessibility it’s a way to introduce broader audiences to Philadelphia style theatre.

The League of Livestream Theater shares the same mission except expanded to theater companies across the whole country and live as it’s happening. At the beginning of every live stream executive director Jim Augustine tells the audience about how the live performance will be “beamed” directly into your home as it is happening. We’ve said this in another review but they create streams so well done that they feel like they were “digitally native”like they were always meant to be seen on a screen. Yet now that they are streaming a show that we’ve seen in-person is our opinion any different?

Even though you lose the broadness of seeing the entire stage at one time the what you gaijn in exchange is a focus on more intimate moments giving us close ups of faces, and spotlighting the performers in new ways. Through the framing of the camera we are zeroed in on the performers. When you are forced to focus on what’s happening in the moment and not looking around at every part of the stage scenes start to resonate in a different way. You might hear all this and think that corners were cut, projections were lost, or that all the wonderful set and lighting design was sacrificed to put the performers front and center. That’s not the case. This is one of those times where “different but just as good” actually makes complete sense.

Yes it is true that we couldn’t see some of the projections because of the camera angles. Yet whenever that happened the titles would come up on the screen. If you had never seen the show in-person you wouldn’t even know what you were “missing”. In effect you’re not missing anything. The folks at LOLST are artists. Yet instead of making their own art their job is understanding the show, understanding artists that made it, and transposing that onto the screen live in front of an audience from all over the map.In fact, in the final scene where we meet the real Mama her face filled the entire screen and it was like we were talking to her ourselves.

It is very fitting that we had this experience watching a show created by a Ukrainian artist that found a theatrical tribe that rose to the occasion to translate her work and bring it to an audience in Washington DC and Philly and then talk about an organization that is in the same business. You can call them artistic translators. Very few of the creative teams of the shows that will make up the LOLST season are considering how their work will look on an LCD screen or through a camera lens. When they enter the rehearsal room they are thinking in terms of the theater seats and making sure all of the lines and actions will read all the way to the back row. This is where LOLST comes in. They share the same mission with everyone, this work should be seen all over the world. The folks behind the camera are just another set of artists on the team making sure that a new contingent of audiences fall in love with The Wilma Theatre just like we did.

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