#Sally Go 'Round the Roses

[mr-paxton]

Lou Reed & The Jaynetts Sally Go 'Round The Roses

[deweydecimalchickens]

The Jaynetts: "Roses they won't hurt you, no the roses they can't hurt you"

Toby Daye: *Kubrick-stares at camera in duel-wielding, blood-soaked exhaustion*

[sonic-palooza]

Round Three - Match 1

[charliesarchivee]

SPOILERS FOR CABARET 2024 I LITERALLY AM DESCRIBING THE ENTIRE SHOW

this is my initial rundown of cabaret scene by scene I just needed to get this off my chest then I can be normal again and have normal thoughts and be a cats fan on main

Willkommen: A celebration!!! Eddie redmayne is a delight on stage and Gayle rankin walking through the mezzanine is so cool

Train: the emcee freezes in a tableau of playing with a toy train on the rotating stage which is delightful. Also, I saw the understudy for Clifford Bradshaw (he was AMAZING.) and his hat fell off of his suitcase and kept rotating around and I think at one point somebody picked it up bcos it disappeared!

So what: Bebe Neuwirth is a legend. A legend. That is all. Also Frauline Kost was HILARIOUS

telephone song: yes I know it’s not REALLY the telephone song but emcee hanging off a pillar (there were four pillars around the round stage) and reaching for Cliff as the whole cast echoes (and I mean it they had echoes on their mics) WELCOME TO BERLIN… FAMOUS NOVELIST… sent chills down my spine and to my toes like I think that gave me more chills than Alan cumming standing on top of the set with his head up and his chest out as if he was possessed

Don’t tell Mama: at one point she flopped on her back and kicked her feet up and went WAA WAA I WANT MY MAMAAA and I wept this was so funny and some lucky gal in the front row got her stage cigarette that she threw into the audience. Also when she said the convent part she was like “yea i know right” and the France part she went “haugh haugh haugh” like French laughter

cliff and Sally telephone: cliff was like “and somejwere men are laughing and somewhere childrenshoutbutthereisnojoyinmudvillemightycaseyhasstruckout” which is SO canon and was SO funny. And Sally’s face dropping as she deadpans “oh you’re American.” elicited like lots of laugjter

mein herr: SLOW AND SCARY MEIN HERR SAVE ME SLOW AND SCARY MEIN HERR PLZZZ

outside the klub: Sally just undresses right in front of him which was funny. At my performance there was a laundry hamper behind her and she threw her don’t tell mama dress out behind her and it did not land in the basket which, planned or not, made everyone laugh. Also, when Bobby kissed cliff, someone in the opposite mezz screamed “YEAAAA!!” Which like truth

Perfectly marvelous: Sally came in with this GIANT pink floral suitcase which she pulls articles of clothing out to put on cliff which was rly funny and fresh. Also- WERE HER PRAIRIE OYSTERS REAL?? Her recacrion seemed so genuine omfg.. also she buried herself under his coat for “nearly invisible perfectly marvelous girl” which was so cute and yes canon. Also I noticed she hugs his knees a lot in this show so cute

Two ladies: YES!! and they invited everybody to jump out of Sally’s big suitcase and just love!! It was so good!! During the dance break everyone was rotating around just getting it up and Herman (there’s nothing funny about Herman) was just on stage with a deadpan look and a mop, going back and forth to the beat, literally going under people’s legs, etc. one of my fav moments that I noticed cos I was just mesmerized by his mop was that someone came around jacking off to a book and then they held out their hand to Herman and he just wiped it with the mop disgustedly. SO FUNNY. Also Eddie redmaynes tights had little eyes on them so even wjen his pants r pulled down you know he’s always watching eek. Also now would be a good time to mention that the people sitting at the tables near the stage had little tea lights that would turn on during the Kit Kat limbo stuff (like two ladies and if you could see her) and they would turn off if we were in the apartment or the street or whatnot. A lovely little touch that my dad noticed! Also also when he credits the Kit Kat girls he says “rose lulu frenchie texas fritzie and My Helga!!” And he seems to really take a liking to Helga which is so canon and yes

It couldn’t please me more: she has this little headband on that I love. And also, I was gauging how many people would be shocked after If You Could See Her in this number. My hypothesis was if many people were pleasantly surprised/laughed at the pineapple reveal, then many people would have the bomb dropped on them during if you could see her. So I was paying attention! Anyway at the end he gave her the bag to put the pineapple back in and I KNEW WHAT WAS COMING but he slowly licked his two fingers, opened the bag, and slowly placed the pineapple inside very smoothly. Then they went their separate ways but on the orchestta button they turned around, smiled at each other, and she reached out her hand and he gleefully ran and took it and they exited together. SO cute. I love this staging. It is SO fresh after watching so many sam mendes recreations (not to say those are bad I love those too!)

Tomorrow belongs to me: when Eddie redmayne came out and started singing my first thought was “this can’t be right!!” I had only been accustomed to emcees sitting over a record player, or writers in the klub bursting out in song. I’ve only seen one production of cabaret have the emcee sing tbtm, and even then they had literal strings attached to them being pulled by uniformed men. So this was completely different for me! And also the arrangement of the song was beautiful if the song wasn’t an in universe Nazi song I would suggest it in choir it was really good sonically! And the mic echoes ATE. And SPOILER the cast had little plastic figures up to my thigh of little blonde boys that they placed in a perfect circle around the emcee (who was on a raised platform) and they were rotating around as the emcee looked around at everybody like “yeah look at what happens now..” and he TAKES OFF HIS RED WIG and literal GOOSEBUMPS UNDER MY SILVER TIGHTS.

Cliff and Sally apartment: they are so intimate makes me happy! Also the delivery of “a horrid little German infant with a mustache ordering us around” was superb and got audience laughter

maybe this time: literallt in her head voice because she’s UP IN HER HEAD like YES SLOW AND INTIMATE MAYBE THIS TIME SAVE ME SLOW AND INTIMATE MAYBE THIS TIME PLZ

Money: I have been predisposed to the money choreo being about prostitution, but this felt way different to me. I think in this song (bear with me) the emcee IS money. He’s dressed very bedazzled, rhinestones on his coat, sparkly long nails, but also scary, with a helmet and stark makeup, because money can be scary! Also, all of the dancers, dressed in uniform rags, were constantly following the emcee around and reaching for him, and he would often lightly brush or peck them, which makes me think thag he represents money in that song specifically! I asked my dad about it on the way home and he said that money is just another reason people have to bury their head in the sand when important shifts are happening in their world. I agreed.

married: at one point in the sneaking around scene, Herr Shultz comes out wearing a floral cardigan and runs back going “oh this isn’t mine! This isn’t mine!” And frauline kost (and the ajdience) had a laugh. Also this song was so sweet and tender. Great job everyone!

engagement party: SCORE THING: the underscoring switch from the beginning of maybe this time to if you could see her as the party comes up was CHILLING. there was no scene in between married and the engagement party, so frauline Schneider had an impressive on stage quick change into a dress! Also, Herr Schultz getting tipsy on schnapps was hilarious. I had another hypothesis too here which was If a lot of people gasp at Herr Ludwig’s reveal, then a lot of people will have a bomb dropped on them at the end of If You Could See Her. And in fact, a lot of people did gasp! I literally felt a chill just descend on everybody as the weight of this sank in.

tomorrow belongs to me (reprise): SCARY. The emcee comes up at the end on a small raised platform in his money outfit (here I think he represents power) and he has a baton and he’s conducting everybody!!! Also he conducted correctly in 3/4 I was so warmed to notice that he wasn’t just flailing about like he did that right thank you Eddie redmayne for doing it right

—

Entracte: I need to make a seperate post about the prologue and entracte performances. Oh my lord. Words cannot describe. Just chills.

kick line: YES. I love any production that adds the German counting and I loved how they transitioned into the march in this one! Like they started by (in a ripple may I add) reaching out all inviting and then dramatically pivoting around to reach all inviting to the other side and then it slowly turned into a salute and a goose step!! And then the emcee comes out the center with a CLOWN COSTUME AND A COMIC ORANGE GUN with a little swastika flag in it and then he hands it to the last person on line who marches away with it. V scary. Props.

married reprise: there is a heartbreaking moment where Herr Schultz asks “how much time do we”- and then he breaks off and cries. Oh my gosh. Also the emcee is doing very slow magic tricks in the corner like producing an orange. And producing a glass. And then he stands up and shows the audience he’s putting the glass in a napkin like he’s about to release a dove and at first I’m thinking “oh instead of a dove he’s gonna throw a brick right?” But NO. He excitedly puts the glass down.. and at the very last minute HE REARS BACK AND STAMPS ON IT (like at Jewish weddings!) AND THE STAGE GOES DARK. Theres screaminf and when the lights come back up, the entire stage is covered in little triangles of white paper like broken glass. Those remain for the rest of the show. The emcee then goes to the middle of the stage, looks Herr Schultz in the eyes, and drops the glass and towel down this seemingly bottomless pit and then Herr Schultz gets really scared and runs away and then the emcee closes it up with a wave of his hand. I think in that moment Herr Schultz was face to face with the gravity of his situation.

if you could see her: chilling because the gorilla isn’t even a gorilla in a dress. It’s practically a real animal. It walks on all fours the whole number and sits and like picks at its fur or whatever gorillas do. And the emcee is tempting it with a banana the whole time. Now i seriously prepared myself for the last line here I was ready for very hesitant applause and maybe even gasps but NO Eddie redmayne delivered it like a punchline (not his fault the Nazis are getting more and more powerful so this would be a joke) SO a couple people around me LAUGHED before realizing snd they like cleared their throats. Also they used the rotating stage in this one and when it turned on he said “oh we’re moving my little one!” Which was a nice touch but is also this song so

Cliff and Sally apartment 2: cliff gets like visibly upset when Sally wants to go back to the klub he’s like leaning on furniture which is a nice touch! Also after what would you do when he said “you’re going a lot further than the Kit Kat klub you’re going home. My home. America,” somebody in the audience went “YES!”

what would you do: LEGEND. Bebe Neuwirth was phenomenal. The platform rose her up too it was amazing. What would you do hits something in me that I didn’t know was there.

I don’t care much: everybody knows this is my favorite song to ever come out of cabaret. I LOVE this song and it’s just dear to me. When Eddie redmayne came on stage in a suit and he was NEWLY BLONDE I cried I was like no way. And when he went WOORDS SOUND FALSE he frantically tied to get the pieces of glass I was just in shambles. And then he GRABBED SALLY BY HER WRISTS and practically spat the last “I don’t care” in her face and then SUFFOCATED HER IN A HUG and I feel like in that moment he was still a reflection of a changing Berlin, beating on people like Sally. I have a whole analysis of this

Outside the klub 2: the emcee is leaning on a pole and Sally starts to walk toward him to enter tne klub and then cliff walks in and is like “DONT GO NEAR HIM SALLY!!” And I don’t think the emcee is the emcee in that moment tbh I think he’s a pimp but anyway. When cliff gets beaten by Nazis Sally is sitting deadpan on the end of the stage with her back to everything. She doesn’t even flinch. She physically turns her back on everything

cabaret: no words in any language can describe how remarkable this was. That is all. Also when the emcee introduces her he comes up and poses and nobody clapped cos this was kind of a dark moment and he was like “…thank you..thank you..” all small and shaky and I think that nearly killed me it really did

Cliff and Sally apartment 3: when herr Schultz was like “I’m leaving” someone said “NO!” Which liek truth. This scene was just heartbreaking. Cliff like raised his hand to hit her and literally broke down and I BROKE DOWN JUST WEEPING ALL OVER MY SEAT

finale: YIKES. When cliff started singing wilkommen I also wanted to scream “NO!!” As well but I did not. The emcee yelled where are your troubles now? Forgotten? Right at cliff which scared me. And he had a baton and was conducting everybody again! Also also the entire cast mirrored the first ever tomorrow belongs to me and stood in a perfect circle all dressed in brown and at the drumroll hit the lights darkened immediately on the emcee but stayed dim on the rotating circle like saying “THIS IS YOU!!” Also the bows didn’t have music and were very solemn.

ok danke merci thanks!

[broadwaydivastournament]

Movie Musical Divas Tournament: Round 4

Ethel Merman (1908-1984): Call Me Madam (1953 - Sally Adams) | There's No Business Like Show Business (1954 - Molly Donahue) | Anything Goes (1936 - Reno Sweeney)

"She's MOTHER! The most iconic MILF in Hollywood" - anonymous

Miss Piggy (Never ask a lady her age): The Muppet Movie (1979) | The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) | Emily Crachitt in The Muppet Christmas Carol | (1992) Benjamina in Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

"Maintaining the status of diva/star/fashion icon for even a few years is difficult, but Miss Piggy has been doing this with ease for decades now. Unironically, the fact that we’re all so attached to her like we would be with any other celebrity is a testament to the level of talent that goes into every single one of her performances." - anonymous

This is Round 4 of the Movie Musical Divas tournament. Additional polls in this round may be found by searching #mmround4, or by clicking the link below. Add your propaganda and support by reblogging this post.

ADDITIONAL PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

Ethel Merman:

"Originated so many classic Broadway roles and songs. I Get a Kick Out of You, Rose’s Turn, There’s No Business Like Show Business, we could go on but we’d be here all night." - anonymous

Photos and video submitted by: anonymous

Miss Piggy:

Photos submitted by: @funnygirlthatbelle | Photos and video submitted by: anonymous

[arcanemoody]

Listening to two season 5 era Nygmobblepot playlists I put together that, while very catchy and grounded in a love story I hold dear, are far from joyful. Particularly Ed's which is post-5x11, where he knows he has BIG feelings, but feels clotheslined by his actions in season 3. "That" is not something he can ask for from Oswald, so he's settling for staying in his orbit and keeping the knives out of his back.

i'm getting sentimental over you (tommy dorsey and his orchestra)

you don't know what love is (chet baker)

rehab (amy winehouse)

april fools (rufus wainwright)

don't say nothing bad about my baby (the cookies)

(what can i say) after i say i'm sorry (dinah shore)

telephone (electric light orchestra)

to love somebody (janis joplin)

am i blue (billie holiday)

last dance (donna summer)

they didn't believe me (dinah shore)

i'll call you mine (the zombies)

everything happens to me (chet baker)

i'm not okay (i promise) (robyn adele anderson)

just a gigolo (louis prima)

show me the way to go home (irving king) 

keep yourself alive (queen)

the way you say goodnight (magnetic fields)

[x]

And Oswald’s bridges the end of season 4, when he finds Ed’s dead body and goes through the standard Penguin ‘stages of grief’ in early season 5: try to stop feeling and make the world eat shit. All of which lands him squarely in the middle of the Haven crisis and, shortly after, Pena Dura: staggered by senseless death and how much Ed still doesn’t understand. 

suffragette city (david bowie)

gatsu (guts' theme) (scooby)

glory and gore (lorde)

last nite (the strokes)

new town (the vitamins)

habanera from carmen (georges bizet)

real men (joe jackson)

house without windows (roy orbison)

stay with me (lorraine ellison)

faust (paul williams)

nightclubbing (david bowie)

have mercy on the criminal (elton john)

the way i do (bishop briggs)

stop the world and let me off (patsy cline)

don't look back in anger (scott bradlee's postmodern jukebox feat. maiya sykes)

sally go round the roses (the jaynettes)

i would die 4 u (prince)

prince charming (adam ant)

[x]

Because. As much as I love a renewed accord awakening new passion... I need them both to do a melancholy conga line of raw suffering until someone forces them to talk it out at knifepoint.  

[crabmuseum]

Do you think you have the funniest crab joke in the world? Do you dream of holding a trophy above your head to a round of rapturous a-claws? 

Then don't be shellfish and enter the World's Funniest Crab Joke Competition! 

To shell-ebrate International Crab Day on 26th April, Crab Museum and Chump’s Comedy are teaming up to find the greatest crab gag in the entire world. But to do this they need the help of you, the crab loving public! 

Submissions are now open, and the shortlist will run the gauntlet of an expert panel of judges:

Panellists include: Sally Phillips, Harry Hill, Rose Matafeo, Phil Wang, No Such Thing As A Fish podcast, Mike Stirling (Director of Mischief at Beano), Ella Al-Shamahi, Lucy Cooke, and a classroom of kids at Ramsgate Arts Primary School. Plus a mystery judge to be announced soon!

The winner of the inaugural World’s Funniest Crab Joke will be crowned at an award ceremony at Crab Museum, Margate, on International Crab Day (26th April) as part of an evening of comedy, science and, naturally, crabs.

So if you think you might be sat on a clawsome pinchline, stick your funniest crustacean based jokes in our state-of-the-art Google form, above! And please, no lobster jokes, it's 2024.

So what are you waiting for?

These crab jokes aren’t going to write themselves!

Deadline for submissions is the 19th of April!

[skrooy]

Sonic Crack Ships

So lately I've been going through a Sonic phase though its mostly a Tails phase if im being honest with myself. I've been trying to watch all the Sonic media and read all the Sonic comics that I can while playing a few Sonic games here and there. So my messed up brain came up with this stupid idea. What if I put every version of every canon Sonic characters from all Sonic media into multiple rounds of the hunger games simulator until only ones left. So I did that and even though I literally did it yesterday I already forgot who won I just remember it was something stupid. I also did it with all the diffrent canon and AU versions of Tails I could find and the winner was actually Tails from Sonic Boom. But anyways im getting off track where im going with this is that today while I was doing nothing lying in bed my brain came up with an even more messed up idea. What if I put all the Sonic characters not including the humans into a random wheel picker on Google to form a bunch of crack ships. So I did it for every character on the wheel. I now have a list. And I have decided to post this list because I find it funny. And I dare people to draw a couple from this list together or make a short cute crack story about one of these ships. And if you do please send a link to me. Ill die laughing if anyone does this. Sorry if I misspelled some names. P.S. I tried to put pictures on here for each character but I couldn't figure out how. I already have a part 2 for this in the works with even more characters.

Rosy the Rascal x Dark Doom

Scourge the Hedgehog x Trip the Sungazer

Mephiles the Dark x Silver Sonic

Ray the flying Squirrel x Rouge the Bat

Espio the Chameleon x Whisper the Wolf

Sage x Metal Amy

Storm Beard x Tumble the Skunk

Tiara Boobowski x Duck Bill Platypus

Cat (from Sonic Freedom Fighters) x Sonar the Fennec Fox

Hangry x Johnny Lightfoot

Gaia (Light, Dark, or both) x Megan Acorn

Tangle the Lemur x Silver the Hedgehog

Thrash the Tasmanian Devil x Sails

Thorn Rose x Vector the Crocodile

Monkey Khan x Fang the Jerboa

Jack x Tikal the Echidna

Prim x Chip

Werehog Sonic x Blaze the Cat

Nicole the Holo Lynx x Catfish

Knuckles the Dread x Sonic the Hedgehog

Zector the Zone Cop x Metal Tails

Wave the Swallow x Morian Blackthorn

Infinite the Jackal x Mighty the Armadillo

Vermin the Cybernik x Super Mecha Sonic

Porker Lewis x Zails the Zone Cop

Geoffrey St. John x Nazo the Hedgehog

Metal Sonic 3.0 x Manic the Hedgehog

Rocket the Sloth x Eclipse the Darkling

Marine the raccoon x Metal Scourge

Sonia the Hedgehog x Red

Black Rose x Dingo

Metal Knuckles x Nine

Charmy Bee x Neo Metal Sonic

Zknuckles the Zone Cop x Knuckles

Vanilla the Rabbit x Ebony the Cat

Rusty Rose x Perci

Mecha Sonic x Jet the Hawk

Bark the Polar Bear x Emperor Metallix

Mangy x Amy Rose

Sally Acorn x Griff

Fleetway Sonic x Tails the Fox

Bean the Dynamite x Zonic the Zone cop

Nasty Hyenas (the whole group) x Sticks the Badger

Metal Sonic x Stripes the Tiger

Batten x Storm the Albatross

Fiona the Fox x Cream the Rabbit

Anti Tails x Shade the Echidna

Bunnie Rabat x Shadow the Hedgehog

Antoine x Zooey the Fox

Sonic.exe x Jules (yes I know this is Sonics dad in the comics)

Ifrit x MinaMongoose

Rocket Metal Sonic x Tekno the Canary

Avatar x Big the Cat

Zantoine the Zone Cop x Gnarly

Chaos x Rotor the Walrus

Bunny Bones x Anti Sally

Zouge the Zone Cop x Zespio the Zone Cop

Denizen 1998 x Tails Doll

Mecha Knuckles x Honey the Cat

Rebel x Sleet

Knucks x Pseudo Sonic

Solaris x Zally

Nack the Weasel x Athair

Ball Hog x Carrotia

Grand Battle Kuku 15th x Lupe the wolf

Roxy the waiter x Lien-Da

Number 16 Speedy x Alicia Acorn

King Max Acorn x Bearenger

Lawrence x Burning Blaze

Elias Acorn x Fiest the Panda

Ari x Roller

Sallybot x Queen Aleena

Da Bearz (both of them) x Fockewulf

Julie-Su x Dr. Finitevus

Ms. Possum x Catty Carlisle

[my-favourite-zhent]

New Tricks - Chapter 14

Status: Work In Progress Version: 1.01 Pairing: Rugan x AFAB!OC Rating: NC-17 (This chapter R) Genre: Adventure/Romance Summary: Misadventures of Rugan and the original Zhentarim Gate's crew before and during the year of three sailing ships. Notes: Want to say thank you to @rolansrighthorn for beta-reading for me and providing some helpful suggestions, and of course to  @fistfuloftarenths who is of Sally Menke levels of importance when it comes to editing these chapters~ The characterization would not be as consistent without her help! Table of Contents

Read below the cut or on AO3

New Tricks - Chapter Fourteen

Consciousness, if it could be called that, came to Rugan in short bursts. Every memory retained that same watery feel, the edges bleeding into each other. Rolling in and out like waves on the shore.

He felt aware of Olly at his bedside, though all he saw was the lamp light behind his eyelids. 

‘Chin up, Olly.’ He tried to say but his tongue felt heavy in his mouth.

Muffled voices, arguing amongst the lads. Bellar grumbling, Sal scolding, Olly pleading. He couldn't make out the words.

The next ebb seemed sharper, clearer. 

“You were just going to leave him here alone like this?” A woman's voice this time, familiar, though he couldn't yet place it.

“...I'll stay with him.” He tried to remember, there was a thread there that tugged at him and he felt he was so close to knowing.

A hand squeezing his own, it was soft and cool to the touch and then just as quickly it was gone. He wanted to reach out for it but the tide was going out again.

It seemed brighter now and there was a cool breeze against his cheek.

“Rugan, do you know what a lucky bastard you are?” 

He didn't feel lucky, he felt like he was being jostled about like a sack of flour. Everything smelled of ox shit.

The memories were mostly dark and silent after that, but there were other sensations. The feel of a metal spoon pressed against his lips, warm broth on his tongue, richer than any he remembered tasting before. A cool cloth pressed to his forehead, slick fingertips smoothing over his chest and throat mingling with the scent of cedarwood and peppermint oils. 

There was a bitter broth the next time, but a gentle voice bade him drink and he relented without any hesitation.

This time when he slipped under there was not that familiar inky blackness but instead a staccato of noise. Was that Brem’s laughter? Bellar?

“It's your hand Rugan.” Tamlyn was seated across from him at a round wooden table. They were a quartet, the other two players were at his sides and yet somehow obscured from his vision. He looked down at his cards, four through nine of hearts.

“Flush of hearts, lucky me.” He laid them down on the table.

“Not so lucky as me. Royal flush of blades.” She laid down her cards and the swords seemed to shine under the lamp light. 

When Rugan looked down at his cards he saw that the hearts were more articulated than before. They seemed to pulse and beat, blood dripping down them.

His eyes darted back and Tamlyn’s blades now each had blood running down from tip to hilt. He looked up and there was a hot red line across her throat from which blood began to seep.

Rugan jumped back from the table, knocking it to the ground. 

The right player turned to him, suddenly clear and illuminated, Izzy.

“You killed her with kindness.” Izzy's voice had a strange timber to it, it was polite but not kind.

“Will I kill you with kindness?” It was Olly on the left, drenched by the rain, lips purple from the cold.

He stumbled back and fell, when he rose to his feet he was in water, a river perhaps? But he could see neither shore in all the blinding fog. It came up to his knees and he was shivering from the cold, his back was slick. 

A small skiff approached and Sal stood at its prow, hand extended.

“I can take you to the other side, do it for say fifty tarenths.”

“The other side?”

“You know, the one we don't come back from.”

“I'm fine, thanks.”

“Suit yourself,” Sal had already put his pole into the water and began pushing off. “but you'll have to wait a while for the next one, watch out for the sirens.”

“Sirens?” But Sal had already disappeared into that blinding mist.

“He's exaggerating.” It was Izzy at his side, but he hadn't heard her approach.

“How did you get here Iz?”

“I came with the rain.” She pointed up.

He looked but saw nothing but blinding white, when he looked back again she was gone. In fact the entire river was gone, replaced with rolling grasslands, yet it was still too damned bright.

“We can give you a ride to the next town.” It was Zarys astride a horse.

“Cost you an arm and a leg though.” Bellar was grinning wickedly, having pulled up beside her on his own steed. In one hand he did have the bloodied arm of some poor sap, and he wiggled it for emphasis.

“Same old story.” He muttered in response.

“Rugan?”

Izzy again in that green flowing dress. She was smearing something on his forehead, charcoal? Where had she come from? The walls of the tower office felt so claustrophobic, hadn't he remembered this place as being large? 

His own hand wrapped around her wrist in an instant.

“Didn't I tell you before this place was off limits?” He asked, growing frustrated with her constant intrusions.

“Did you?”

“Why are you haunting me, Iz?” He demanded.

+++++

“Why are you haunting me, Iz?” It came out as little more than a whisper, his voice straining from disuse.

“I'm not haunting you, Zhent. You're ill.” Izzy moved from her chair to sit on the bed beside him, reaching out with her free hand to brush back the hair from his temples. She felt such relief at the sound of his voice, even hoarse as it was.

“I’m dreaming.” He murmured.

“You probably were, you’ve been asleep for a few days now.” But he was already slipping back under.

+++++

When next he woke there was sunlight streaming in past the thin white curtains. This seemed less chaotic, more grounded than the memories that came before, yet the place was so unfamiliar to him he wasn’t sure if he truly was awake. 

The room was bright and clean, the ceilings were high and the windows narrow. He tried to sit up and it felt as if his body was weighted down. He groaned, muscles straining, he was able to get himself upright but already felt exhausted from the effort.

He heard the rustling of fabric to his left and looked over the edge of the bed. There on the floor was a small woman in a bedroll.

He watched her stir and look up at him bleary eyed. Her hair was a tangled mess, dark circles hung under her eyes and it looked as if she had slept in her clothes. In short, she was gorgeous.

“Iz.” His voice little more than a hoarse whisper. 

“Hey, you're awake.” Izzy smiled at him, she looked relieved.

“Where–?” His question was cut off by a cluster of coughs that racked his body. Izzy scrambled to his side and smoothed her hand over his back until the fit subsided. She handed him a glass of water from the bedside table and he drank greedily. 

“We’re in Crimmor, the boys said you fell ill on the mountain pass.”

When he was done she took the cup and pressed her hand to his forehead, frowning slightly.

“Your fever’s returning. I’ll brew you some more tea.” She propped up the pillows behind him and helped him to lean back against them. “I’ll just be a moment.”

He wanted to ask her to stay but found he didn't have the strength for it, already his eyelids felt like lead. Rugan rested them for what seemed like only an instant but when he opened them next Izzy had already returned, pressing a hot mug to his lips.

It was bitter and he made a face when she pulled the empty mug away. “Lass, that is not a proper brew.”

He heard her tinkling laughter and smiled as he closed his eyes once more.

+++++

Over the course of the next day Rugan's condition began to improve, and with that came longer bouts of lucidity. 

While his newfound clarity boded well for his health it did not help at all with how he physically felt. 

Now he was aware of every ache the fever provided, his whole body felt sore and misused. The coughs were equally bad. They racked the whole of him when they came on and often were accompanied with the expulsion of sickly green bile. Izzy was always there with a cup of water and handkerchief, a gentle hand on his back. But her pitying looks grated on him, they reminded him of Olly in Daggerford. After the tenth or so time he found himself snapping at her. 

“Gods’ sake woman stop mothering me.”

She had flinched at this, but he had pretended not to see.

And that was another thing. What in the hells was she doing here of all places? Hadn't he worked to banish her twice already. First her memories then her damned letter. Now here she was, in the flesh, still her sweet self. Doting on him as if she had nothing better to do. When she sat next to him he would catch a whiff of her hair. She smelled like soap and hazelnuts and cherries. Rugan found himself alternating between wanting to pull her into a tight embrace or sending her back to whatever hell she came from.

“Where are the lads then? Haven't seen them yet.” He asked between mouthfuls of dinner that night.

“They went on ahead to Athkatla.”

“Happy to leave me for dead were they? Suppose it's only sensible.”

“That's not so, they were going to wait two days then pool their coin to put you up at an inn. I volunteered to look after you instead.”

“Don’t have anything better to do Iz?” He scoffed.

“Not when the ground’s frozen over, no.” She teased.

“Needn’t have bothered.”

“Would you rather some tavern wench ran off with your coin purse?”

“Surprised Bellar didn’t do that himself.”

“He took my ring as collateral so there’s that.”

He had forgotten about the ring and felt a rush of guilt. If Izzy was upset by that, it didn't show.

Izzy looked at her hands pensively. “Olly was really worried about you, you know.”

“Lad's soft heartedness is the whole reason I'm in this mess.” He didn't bother to hide his frustration.

“He meant well.”

“With all due respect, lass, his little crisis of conscience nearly got the both of us killed.”

“Just don't be too hard on him when you see him next, please.”

“I don't need you telling me how to do my job.” Rugan snapped. The way she recoiled at that stung but he held firm, there had been more than enough weakness for one run already.

His point was somewhat undercut by a series of coughs that doubled him over. When he had gotten hold of himself he noticed Izzy fidgeting, trying to restrain herself from the coddling he so detested. At least he had told her that he detested it.

‘Just as bad as Olly she is.’

In an effort to maintain some of his dignity he rose from the bed and poured himself a cup of water from a pitcher set on the nightstand. His eyes met hers over the top of his glass, as if daring her to chide him for getting out of bed. She didn’t take the bait, though she looked at him appraisingly.

“If you’re well enough to stand, then here, hold out your arms, and straighten your shoulders.”

“What for?” He looked at her curiously but obeyed.

Izzy took out a loose bit of string from her pocket and pinned it between his shoulder blades with one hand while pulling it taught to his wrist with the other. She repeated this strange gesture with his back and shoulders before scratching something down in a notebook.

“What was that about Iz?” He asked again.

“Not telling, you'll just give me a hard time about it.” She blew the loose dust off the charcoal before clapping the book shut and tucking it into her pocket.

He snorted. She had been the one fussing over every little thing, but fine he wouldn’t push the matter.

+++++

Another repercussion of his prolonged bouts of consciousness was that he had begun to take better note of his surroundings.

The walls were clean and plastered, with raised wooden side panels topped with smooth chair rails. There were also brass wall sconces and an impressive looking fireplace against the far wall. Next to the fireplace were a pair of plush looking chairs and a small tea table. It wasn’t extravagant and gaudy like the homes of patriars he had seen, but it was more that he could have ever hoped to afford in a lifetime.

The following day he made a mental note to ask Izzy about it when she next appeared and did so. She had come again with a cup of the bitter tea. Sitting down on the bed beside him she held it out.

“Here.”

He accepted it with both hands and drank it down quickly to get it over with. Still his face winced with distaste and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Iz, be honest.”

“Hmm?”

“You are a bleeding noble aren't you?”

“What?” She looked utterly baffled.

“There’s no way you can afford to stay at this inn on just digging up dead people’s trinkets.”

“Oh, gods the house.” She laughed.

House? For some reason that struck him as worse than an expensive inn.

“No this isn't mine Rugan, my friend from school is putting us up.”

“School? You didn’t make out like you’d properly attended.”

“Only for the first year, couldn’t afford to after that.” She looked away sheepishly and busied herself with the hem of her shirt.

“Ah, I'm much the same, only did a couple of years at the temple school before I was put to work. Your writings rather nice though for only the one year, can barely do more than chicken scratch m’self.”

“You got my letter.” She was smiling at him now and he tried to push down the warmth he felt at that.

“Aye, was a kindness for you to bother, my thanks.”

“I didn't learn writing from school though, my dad taught me. You’ve him to thank.”

“Suppose that saved a coin or two.”

“Well I didn't go to temple school at all. We were moving around too much, my parents and I that is. So they just taught me reading and writing and what have you on the road. I just did the one year of university well after they’d died.”

“University?! That’s a sight better than you let on Iz.”

“Oh, they don’t really teach dead languages anywhere else. Not unless you're high up in some clergy or another. Thought it might be nice to have classmates for once too. What about you? What was temple school like?”

“You don't need to humour me Iz, sophisticated lady like yourself.” He huffed.

“I'm not! I didn't have anyone my own age to play with growing up, always thought it must be nice to have peers you see every day.”

“Doubt the lil bastards I used to knock about with would've met your standards.”

“Wish my standards were as high as you seem to think.” She snapped.

They both sat stewing till a rap came at the door.

Izzy let out a sigh of frustration. “That'll be your bath.”

“Don't need a bath.” He wasn't sure he had the strength to climb into a tub.

“Oh didn't realize we'd been housing an ox in here with you, that would explain the smell.”

“Well I certainly don't need your help with it.”

She was getting to her feet now. “Did you think it was Bellar sponging your bits while you were busy being unconscious?!”

His face felt hot with embarrassment but he couldn't back down. “And just how exactly would you manage to get me in the tub, lass?”

“Unlike you, I haven't suddenly developed an aversion to accepting help when needed.” She had stomped over to the door and now threw it open.

A frightened servant stood on the other side, he couldn't have been much older than Olly.

“Gregor if you're still willing to help me with this surly bastard I would very much appreciate it.”

“Yes saer.” Came the timid response and Rugan wished that the fever had just killed him outright.

+++++

Rugan had traded stewing in the bed for stewing in the tub. He sat arms crossed, piping hot water up to his shoulders.

Like the bedroom, the bathing room was luxurious without ostentation. The floor was composed of simple stone tiles, these continued halfway up the wall and were topped with a black stone trim. The floor slightly sloped to the center where a drain was ready to accept any spills. There was a faucet fixture on the wall nearest the tub with runes on either side that allowed for the adjustment of the water temperature. Everything was practical without a hint of excess and that aggravated him all the more. At least he could make fun of the frivolity of patriars.

Izzy was sitting on a stool behind the tub, her fingers slowly working the shampoo into his scalp. This should've been nice, after all when had he last enjoyed a hot bath? This would've been nice if he hadn't felt like some aging invalid that needed a wet behind the ears pup to help him into a damned tub. He had at least been able to scrub himself clean. He could've done the hair himself too, but Izzy had asked so nicely and he did feel some small bit of remorse for how he had treated her. 

Obliquely he watched her reflection in the mirror, gauging her expression, Izzy seemed to be enjoying herself at least. She dragged her nails lightly over his undercut, eliciting a sigh of approval. He could see the corners of her mouth quirk up in a smile.

“We could take the boat down to Athkatla when you're feeling well enough,” She suggested as her fingers trailed down his neck to his shoulders. “it's much faster than a caravan. Might even be able to make that job.”

“Cost half my coin too I'll bet. Bane knows how much of my wages Zarys will cut when she finds out I've been out near a tenday.”

“Zarys?”

“My boss back in the Gate, black-hearted vixen, that one.”

“I can pay for the boat.”

“Just flush with it aren't you lass?” And despite his best efforts he couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice.

“Work’s better in the summer but since Corra lets me winter here with her I can save on room and board, that's all.”

“Don't know why you bothered slumming with us Zhents in Waterdeep if you could come home to this.”

“It's not my home.” She said, soft but firm. “And I don't recall you ever bringing me to a slum.”

“Usually save that for the fourth date.”

Instantly her hands were gone from him and she was stalking over to the other side of the tub, filling a bucket from the faucet.

When she returned she dumped it over his head without warning. Rugan shouted and spluttered as the ice cold water crashed down about his face. 

“There,” She said, glowering at him. “you’re all rinsed.”

“What the hells woman?!”

But she was already throwing open the door to speak to the servant from earlier.

“Gregor, he's ready to be taken back to his room now. If you can manage on your own.”

When the boy answered in the affirmative she stalked off on her own.

[sonicgirlsmackdown]

Sonic Girl Smackdown Round 2: Game Edition! :D

Schedule for when rounds will take place to be out soon!

Matchups under the cut c:

Left Side:

Blaze the Cat vs. Lumina

Caliburn vs. Trip (Sonic Superstars)

Zeena the Zeti vs. MAIA

Cream the Rabbit vs. Emerl (I DIDNT EVEN REALIZE THEYRE GOING UP AGAINST EACH OTHER NOOOOOO)

Vanilla the Rabbit vs. The Conductor's Wife

Sticks the Badger vs. Gabby (Sonic X-treme)

Sage Robotnik vs. Giganto

President's Secretary (sa2) vs. Civilian Mom (sa2)

Doc Ginger (Sonic Boom) vs. Sally Acorn (Sonic Spinball)

Right Side:

Rouge the Bat vs. Wave the Swallow

Shahra vs. [Rouge/Wave]

Amy Rose vs. Merlina

Princess Elise the Third vs. Lady Goat

Tikal the Echidna vs. Sir Percival

Honey the Cat vs. Marine the Raccoon

Shade the Echidna vs. Perci Bandicoot

Maria Robotnik vs. Nimue

Bunnie Rabbot (Sonic Spinball) vs. Metal Sonic

[betterwatchout]

The Christmas I Wanted

Like a lot of kids of my generation, Christmas for me was Leroy Anderson and Burl Ives. Bobby Helms was about as far out as things got at Christmastime. It was decades before I realized what I'd been missing. As rock & roll spun off from R&B, and Boomer kids started buying records in the late 50s, Christmas music got fun again. Sadly, the best of it did not get much airplay. Darlene Love's latter-day success is the tip of a Titanic-sized iceberg.

Marvin Phillips made a bunch of records as Marvin & Johnny, but "Johnny" was a rotating cast of singers. In 1958, the "Johnny" was Emory Perry on this R&B/rock n roll snow stroll.

Non-group The Jaynetts released this holiday sendup of their own hit "Sally Go 'Round The Roses" in 1964 that was as ambiguous and fun as the original.

Jaymes Fenda and the Vulcans deliver the Christmas song the Beatles forgot to make (1964).

Before they became the Valiants, the Sabers recorded one single, in 1955, the B-side of which was "Cool Cool Christmas." It was covered in 1958 by another one-off group calling themselves Bobbie & Boobie. Dunno who Boobie was, but Bobbie was almost certainly Bobby Nunn, who'd helped bring Christmas blues into the postwar boom.

I can't track down firm details for this one, but it's a killer.

Here's what could have topped the Xmas charts before and after 1960, if uptight A&R guys hadn't smashed our Christmas balls.

[folkimplosionmusic]

Tim Buckley: My Fleeting House is a DVD-Video collection of live appearances and performances by Tim Buckley. It features footage from throughout his career, starting from a 1967 performance of "Song to the Siren" on The Monkees TV show and ending with a performance from May 21, 1974 of "Dolphins" (written by fellow 1960s folk musician Fred Neil) for The Old Grey Whistle Test. Broadcasts from WITF-TV's The Show from 1970 has performances of "I Woke Up" and "Come Here Woman". The DVD also contains recorded interviews with occasional songwriting partner Larry Beckett, regular lead guitarist Lee Underwood and David Browne, author of Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley, a dual biography of Tim Buckley and his son Jeff Buckley. The release also contains a 12-page photo booklet with liner notes.

Track listing

All Songs by Tim Buckley except where indicated: ( * by Larry Beckett/Tim Buckley)

"No Man Can Find the War"* performed at Inside Pop

"Happy Time" performed at Late Night Line Up

"Morning Glory"* performed at Late Night Line Up

"Dolphins" (Fred Neil) performed at Old Grey Whistle Test

"Song to the Siren"* performed at The Monkees Show

"Who Do You Love" performed at Greenwich Village

"Happy Time" performed on Dutch TV

"Sing a Song for You" performed on Dutch TV

"Sally Go Round the Roses" (The Jaynetts) performed at Music Video Live

"Blue Melody" performed at Boboquivari

"Venice Beach (Music Boats by the Bay)" performed at Boboquivari

"I Woke Up"* performed at WITF-TV's The Show

"Come Here Woman" performed at WITF-TV's The Show

"Pleasant Street" performed in the film The Christian Licorice Store

[deadguydeathmatch]

The Dead Guy Death Match Bracket Is Here!

Round 1 will be split into 4 waves of 16 24 hour polls and each wave will be posted 24 hours after the previous. The first wave will start on Tuesday the 18th of April at 3pm BST

The matchups are listed under the readmore and will be hyperlinked to the polls when they go up.

The matchups were all randomised although I did make minor adjustments if I thought one was much too unfair.

Also tagging @tournamentdirectory as I haven't already

Wave 1:

Charles Foster Kane (Citizen Kane) Vs Gavroche Thenardier (Les Miserables)

Leif (Bug Fables) Vs Queen Serenity (Sailor Moon)

L (Death Note) Vs Jonny D'Ville (The Mechanisms)

Noah Czerny (The Raven Cycle) Vs Lee Everett (The Walking Dead)

Pat Butcher (BBC Ghosts) Vs Xerxes Break (Pandora Hearts)

Captain Orimar Vale (Skyjacks Campaign Podcast) Vs Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks)

Diallos Hoslow (Elden Ring) Vs Rachel Amber (Life Is Strange)

Andrei Grandier (Rose Of Versailles) Vs Constance Blackwood (Ride The Cyclone)

Spock (Star Trek) Vs Maria Robotnik (Sonic The Hedgehog)

Kravitz (The Adventure Zone) Vs Sal Fisher (Sally Face)

Mari (Omori) Vs Ianto Jones (Torchwood)

Nate (Leverage) Vs Max (Sam and Max)

Owen Carvour (Spies Are Forever) Vs Vylad Ro'Meave (Minecraft Diaries)

Neil Perry (Dead Poet's Society) Vs Sayaka Miki (Madoka Magica)

Flapjack (The Owl House) Vs Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Loki (Marvel) Vs Adam Faulkner Stanheight (Saw)

Wave 2:

Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) Vs Diggory Graves (Hello From The Hallowoods)

Hugo Oak (Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts) Vs Leonardo Hamato (Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie)

Chara (Undertale) Vs Magnus Chase (Magnus Chase)

River Song (Doctor Who) Vs Micheal Afton (Five Nights At Freddy's)

Catherine Earnshaw (Wurthering Heights) Vs Tara Maclay (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Laudna (Critical Role) Vs Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy)

Mia Fey (Ace Attorney) Vs Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)

Meiko 'Menma' Honma (The Flower We Saw That Day) Vs Claire Foley (Professor Layton)

Grelle Sutcliff (Black Butler) Vs Skelly (Hades)

Ethan Winters (Resident Evil) Vs Portgas D Ace (One Piece)

Polly Geist (Monster Prom) Vs Hua Cheng (Heaven's Official Blessing)

Avatar Kyoshi (Avatar The Last Airbender) Vs Galivar Kholin (Stormlight Archive)

Pink/Orchid (Animation Vs Animator/Minecraft) Vs Lewis Pepper (Mystery Skulls Animated)

Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb) Vs Stoick The Vast (How To Train Your Dragon)

Evelyn Hooper (Less is Morgue) Vs Manny Calavera (Grim Fandango)

Kokichi Oma (Danganronpa) Vs Silco (Arcane)

Wave 3:

Eurydice (Greek Mythology) Vs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead)

Jack Twist (Brokeback Mountain) Vs Charles Vane (Black Sails)

Howard Hamlin (Better Call Saul) Vs Jason Grace (Riordanverse)

Nora Hildegard (The Vampire Diaries) Vs Gerard Keay (The Magnus Archives)

Manny (Swiss Army Man) Vs Matoro (Bionicle)

Wen Ning (Mo Dao Zu Shi) Vs Kikyo (Inuyasha)

Yuri Nakamura (Angel Beats) Vs Simon Kain (Pathologic)

Deep Throat (The X Files) Vs La Signora (Genshin Impact)

Esmeralda (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame Novel) Vs Ursula Zandt/Silhouette (Watchmen Comics)

Nageki Fujishiro (Hatoful Boyfriend) Vs Tuba (Infinity Train)

Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice) Vs Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption)

Oda Sakunoske (Bungou Stray Dogs) Vs Rose Quartz (Steven Universe)

Duncan (Dragon Age) Vs Junpei Yoshino (Jujitsu Kaisen)

Quincey Morris (Dracula) Vs Connor Murphy (Dear Evan Hansen)

Deadman (DC Comics) Vs Breakdown (Transformers)

Draal The Deadly (Troll Hunters) Vs Castiel (Supernatural)

Wave 4:

Matsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer) Vs Midori (Your Turn To Die)

Kelsier (Mistborn) Vs Peter 'Parker' Yang (Malevolent Podcast)

Tadashi Hamada (Big Hero 6) Vs Noriaki Kakyoin (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Erik (The Phantom Of The Opera) Vs Matthias Helvar (Six Of Crows)

Tigerstar (Warrior Cats) Vs Boromir (The Lord Of The Rings)

Joel Miller (The Last Of Us) Vs Pedro Madrigal (Encanto)

Rufus Emeterio (They Both Die At The End) Vs King Arthur (King Arthur)

Bunny Corcoran (The Secret History) Vs Lenore (Nevermore Webtoon)

Sliver Of Straw (Rain World) Vs Bow (Inanimate Insanity)

Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place) Vs Nicholas D Wolfwood (Trigun)

Tiso (Hollow Knight) Vs Okudera (Yakuza 5)

Koki Kariya (The World Ends With You) Vs Horst Cabal (Johannes Cabal)

Mr Boddy (Clue) Vs Garret Jacob Hobbs (Hannibal)

Eddie Kaspbrak (IT) Vs Emily (Corpse Bride)

Ash Lynx (Banana Fish) Vs Ophelia (Hamlet)

Eddie Munson (Stranger Things) Vs Kili (The Hobbit)

[pigtailpoll]

PIGTAIL POLL !! :D

currently running :

lily hoshikawa vs orange blossom

ICON BRACKET

miku hatsune vs usagi tsukino

ABOUT THA ICON BRACKET : tha eight most iconic pigtail characters ( decided both by iconicness and tha amount of submissions they received ) will compete in an adjacent bracket . tha winner will then face off against tha winner of tha main pigtail bracket . this is liek what they do in sports , where certain teams get to skip matches and go straight to tha finals . this way icons can be included but its more exciting ( and fair ) than watching them decimate their opponents each round before making it to tha finals anyways

entire 128 character bracket is too large to take a screenshot of but it looks liek this , and will ( obviously ) be done in sections . bracket list below tha readmore , straight down tha left side and then straight down tha right !! :D

LEFT SIDE

1 asa mitaka ( chainsaw man )

2 izumo kamiki ( ao no exorcist )

3 ashley spinelli ( reccess )

4 creepie ( growing up creepie )

5 bloody eye ( bloody mary )

6 boo ( monsters inc )

7 choso ( jjk )

8 muffet ( undertale )

9 sakura hanazono ( kaichou wa maid-sama )

10 mikan sakura ( gakuen alice )

11 shizuku mizutani ( my little monster )

12 retoree ( show by rock )

13 chiyo mihama ( azumanga diaoh )

14 maka albarn ( soul eater )

15 black rock shooter ( brs )

16 lyra ( pkmn )

17 jill ( drill dozer )

18 penny ( inspector gadget )

19 elizabeth midford ( kuroshitsuji )

20 anne halford ( sugar apple fairy tale )

21 lilie ( princess tutu )

22 jess ( badanamu )

23 yaya yuki ( shugo chara )

24 sana futaba ( magia record : pmm )

25 sana kurata ( kodomo no omocha )

26 makima kirameki ( re : creators )

27 cherry cookie ( cookie run )

28 twintelle ( ARMS )

29 bubbles utonium ( ppg )

30 yokune ruko ( UTAU )

31 entrapta ( she-ra and the pop )

32 ling xiaoyu ( tekken )

33 garu ( pucca )

34 sarasa watanabe ( kageki shoujo )

35 mio naganohara ( nichijou )

36 joon yorigami ( touhou )

37 eleanor miller ( alvin and the chipmunks )

38 gosalyn mallard ( darkwing duck )

39 mallow ( pkmn )

40 love momozono ( fresh precure )

41 nadeshiko kagamihara ( yuru camp )

42 angelica pickles ( rugrats )

43 gretchen grundler ( reccess )

44 lotta zehybe ( charlie and lola )

45 pinky cooper ( pinky and pepper forever )

46 brat plutonium ( ppg )

47 dynamo ( ppg )

48 jinmay ( super robot money team hyperforce go )

49 xinyan ( genshin impact )

50 miyuki hoshizora ( smile precure )

51 hu tao ( genshin impact )

52 sal fisher ( sally face )

53 natsuki mamiya ( gogo sentai boukenger )

54 dee dee ( dexter's laboratory )

55 princess morbucks ( ppg )

56 trixie carter ( american dragon jake long )

57 popuko ( pop team epic )

58 biscuit krueger ( hunter x hunter )

59 celestia ludenberg ( dangan ronpa )

60 kagami hiiragi ( lucky star )

61 juliet starling ( lollipop chainsaw )

62 ruru amour ( hug itto! precure )

63 aki narukami ( misao )

64 rabi en rose ( di gi charat )

RIGHT SIDE

65 brianna dulce ( rainbow high )

66 aria blaze ( mlp : equestria girls )

67 ame-chan ( needy girl overdose )

68 aoi kanzaki ( kimetsu no yaiba )

69 sylvia christel ( no more heroes )

70 ginger breadhouse ( ever after high )

71 kohane azusawa ( project sekai )

72 bronya zaychik ( honkai impact 3rd )

73 saki tenma ( project sekai )

74 riruka dokugamine ( bleach )

75 draculara ( monster high )

76 ichigo momomiya ( tokyo mew mew )

77 ann takamaki ( persona 5 )

78 yayoi takatsuki ( THE iDOLM@STER )

79 hana makihatayama ( ojamajo doremi )

80 nina sakura ( ultra maniac )

81 rise kujikawa ( persona 4 )

82 shushang ( honkai star rail )

83 mei kusakabe ( my neighbor totoro )

84 lily hoshikawa ( zombie land saga )

85 dj cookie ( cookie run )

86 pippi longstocking ( pippi longstocking )

87 pink ( mahou shoujo magical destroyers )

88 piper pinwheeler ( robots )

89 valerie amaranth ( magical warrior diamond heart )

90 twin turbo ( uma musume : pretty derby )

91 tart ( tokyo mew mew )

92 nagisa shiota ( assassination classroom )

93 drossel von flügel ( fireball )

94 najika kazami ( kitchen princess )

95 chinatsu kuramoto ( flying witch )

96 vendetta ( making friends )

97 sorano appare ( appare-ranman! )

98 sunny madison ( rainbow high )

99 jenny wakeman ( my life as a teenage robot )

100 barbara ( genshin impact )

101 nico yazawa ( love live! )

102 ichika usami ( kirakira precure a la mode )

103 ruli ( aikatsu planet!)

104 hay lin ( w.i.t.c.h )

105 teto kasane ( UTAU )

106 marnie ( pkmn )

107 robin ( f ) ( fire emblem awakening )

108 hikaru hoshina ( star twinkle precure )

109 hilda valentine goneril ( fire emblem : three houses )

110 falulu ( pripara )

111 kagura izumi ( ressha sentai toqger )

112 nico niiyama ( kiznaiver )

113 tsunade ( naruto )

114 lucia nanami ( mermaid melody pichi pichi pitch )

115 raki kiseki ( aikatsu on parade! )

116 ranmaru kirino ( inazuma eleven go! )

117 emiru aisaki ( hug itto! precure )

118 q84 ( hello charlotte )

119 nozomi tojo ( love live! )

120 klee ( genshin impact )

121 mimi valentine ( vtube )

122 gerti giggles ( spy kids )

123 kitty cheshire ( ever after high )

124 orange blossom ( strawberry shortcake )

125 miku imamura ( denji sentai megaranger )

126 agitha ( loz : twilight princess )

127 glenda ( petite princess yucie )

128 pepper ( pinky and pepper forever )

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Round 3 Matchups!

This round has no 3 way matches, and I'm going to try to see if I can arrange round 4 so that doesn't happen there either. Matches are below the cut!

GROUP A 

Leila Vernon (The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris) vs Rosalia Rossellini (Trauma Team)

Miyabi Hanakouji (Persona 2) vs Merim Felspar (Three of Hearts Podcast)

Tragedian (pathologic) vs Rose Red (Ghost Quartet)

Nin (Paranatural) vs Itakura Akira (Talentless Nana)

Raikou Shimizu (Nabari no Ou) vs Cyber 6 (Cybersix)

Kate (Shadow’s House) vs The Guardian (Hyper Light Drifter)

GROUP B 

Tougou Mimori/Washio Sumi (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero & Washio Sumi is a Hero) vs Tirsiak (Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion)

Anima (Why Shouldn't a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?!) vs Walter Walzac (The Brave of Gold Goldran)

Pappy van Poodle (Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball) vs Isaac (Awful Hospital)

Oopsy Bear (Care Bears (2007 series)) vs Xuanli (Lanxi Zhen)

Hikaru (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) vs Red Savarin (Solatorobo)

Bennett (Hello Charlotte) vs Sheila (Witch’s Heart)

GROUP C 

Bolt (Crypt of the Necrodancer) vs Vella (Velouria Beastender Tartine) (Broken Age (video game))

Bai Lang (My Tooth Your Love) vs Aliya Elasra (Heaven’s Vault)

Sawamura Tetsuo (Yuureitou) vs Katook (The Katurran Odyssey)

The Spider Core (The Lab - Core Slingshot) vs Satyarani (Raven: The Secret Temple)

Rambler (Happy Happy Clover) vs Felix Iskandar Escellun (Last Legacy)

"good" Tom (El Goonish Shive) vs Dee Kennedy (Dayshift at Freddy’s)

GROUP D 

The Exsurgent Virus (Eclipse Phase) vs Heart (Moonlight Chicken) 

Es (Milgram) vs Ulala (Space Channel 5)

Diggory Graves (Hello from the Hallowoods) vs Brutha (Discworld) 

Kusuriuri (Mononoke) vs Tin (Triage The Series)

Silver (Oneshot) vs Gary (Faith the Unholy Trinity)

Shijima Tsukishima/Shimeji (Shimeji simulation) vs Nuch (Not Me The Series)

GROUP E 

Sarah Collins (Dark Shadows (1966-1971)) vs Zaknafein Do'Urden (The Legend of Drizzt (Forgotten Realms))

Leonie Beaumort (Aviary Attorney) vs Magda (Vapors)

Principal Shirley Oddwell (Oddport Academy) vs The Cashier (Midnight Museum)

Seaweed (Gloomverse) vs Stag Malinay (Krystar First Fragment)

No Significant Harassment (Rain World) vs Sally Swing (Betty Boop)

Shrimp (The Upturned) vs Cecilia Sylvie (Cross-dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie)

GROUP F

Gabrielle (Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove) vs Liv (Spooky Month)

Fumi-ba (Kamen Rider Ghost) vs Corona Hoshino (Swans in Space)

Granger (NeverHome game series) vs Gaap Goemon (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)

Forest Friend (Gris) vs Protagonist (Melatonin)

Turnip (Chicory: A Colorful Tale) vs Agent (Penguinronpa)

Uhh… these guys? (Rhythm Heaven Fever) vs Tiger of the Wind (Monster Rancher (1999))