#Thespian Peacock

[unravellingsilencehq]

“Oh, Merlin, tell me, does THE THESPIAN get what they deserve?” They are in THE DEATH EATERS & OPEN to finding out. 

— they walk through the world as ;

name → calliope malfoy pronouns → they/them identification → non-binary year of birth → september 1959 - september 1960 face claim → emma corrin blood status → pure-blood (metamorphmagus) sexual orientation → up to applicant occupation → actor at the beasouleil theatre future information → n/a

— they are best described as ;

The strong scent of FACE PAINT as it’s expertly applied & sealed with a PUFF of POWDER in a BACKSTAGE room.They are the GLITTERING TUTU of a PIXIE wore in a BALLET & the VENETIAN MASK fit for an ELABORATE STAGE VILLAIN. They are as RECOGNISED as an OLDEN SCRIPT & as DIFFICULT to pin down as a cloud of SPARKLING CIGARETTE SMOKE.

— their story starts with ;

Calliope’s name was inspired by mythology and they are as interesting, creative and ancient as their namesake. The second child of Ignatious Malfoy and his wife Asteria Malfoy, Calliope escaped any of the weight of their family name felt by their elder sibling LACHESIS MALFOY [sibling]. Instead, Calliope preferred to exercise themselves creatively, intent on using the Malfoy name to gain access to the most lavish theatres and dance halls the Wizarding World had to offer. Calliope spent their childhood writing elaborate scripts and monologues they would perform for their family and working away on songs by the piano under the strict gaze of their music teacher. Unlike many Sacred Twenty-Eight families, Calliope had noticed that their parents encouraged their children to follow their respective passions. Whilst they overheard the Black family at parties dreaming up the fates of their children, Ignatious and Astreia knew their children would achieve greatness, the area in question being entirely up to them. 

Due to their respective passions, Calliope grew up close to Lachesis. Respective right and left brain thinkers, they could always count on Lachesis for a fresh perspective on a piece of work or an idea, whilst they could count on Calliope to flip a rigid plan upside down and look at it from a more interesting perspective. Lachesis was their first friend in the world and Calliope was loyal to them to the end, which meant a united front on putting their cousin LUCIUS MALFOY [cousin] in his place. In an ideal world Calliope may have been friends with their cousin, their shared love of peacocking might have been enough to bond them; but the look in his eye as he attempted to get one over on their sibling was enough to rub Calliope the wrong way. From the age of seven, Calliope had known they were a metamorphmagus using their abilities to shift form to play various characters in their childhood productions, they also found it came in handy for giving their cousin a fright at opportune moments they had no doubt had a lasting impression on Lucius. 

Like the majority of their family, Calliope was placed in Slytherin when arriving at Hogwarts and quickly fell into a pre-approved group of friends including ALECTO CARROW [friend], her brother AMYCUS CARROW [friend] and THROFINN ROWLE [friend]. The group was far more troublesome than Calliope liked, like their friends they had a fondness for making the right sort of people feel small, and whilst they occasionally used their powers to turn into a clown or jack-in-the-box and frighten unsuspecting classmates, Calliope preferred to use their creative and academic prowess to beat others into submission and was known for doing their best to be heard above the noise of JAMES POTTER [adversary], SIRIUS BLACK [adversary], PETER PETTIGREW [adversary] and REMUS LUPIN [adversary] they had the displeasure of sharing a year group with. Their main annoyance however came in the form of a muggle-born Gryffindor witch from their year group named MAREN ROSMERTA [adversary]. 

A friend of the marauders, Calliope met Maren through choir and immediately disliked her. It was strange to them that a muggle-born could be so talented and so beloved, but it didn’t just irritate Calliope. Younger Slytherin ELEANOR YAXLEY [best friend] shared their bitter hatred for Maren, and the two found common ground and a blossoming friendship through their deep hatred of her. Through Eleanor, Calliope found themselves associating with a new group of people, becoming close friends with Eleanor’s twin brother VICTOR YAXLEY [close friend], REGULUS BLACK [close friend] and half-blood SEVERUS SNAPE [close friend] from their own year. Calliope was surprised they would be able to befriend a half-blood, having staunch opinions on blood purity that had been handed down to them by their family, but Severus was quietly calculated much like themself and Calliope appreciated anyone who shared their dislike for those who did not belong in the spotlight, like the marauders and their irritating gang of fans. 

Upon leaving school there was only one career that Calliope and that was one on the stage. Their family name was synonymous with political ambition and meddling due to rumours floating around that their father and their uncle Abraxas had been involved in the ousting of a previous Minister for Magic. Not that Calliope would care to admit it, but they were glad of how much their cousin Lucius had done to pave the way into changing this image. Lucius had many key figures in their world in their pocket and whilst Calliope was not known for their warmth toward him, they were happy to use his name as and when to make connections in the theatrical world, eventually landing themselves in shows at The Beausoleil Theatre. Whilst not the biggest name in Wizarding London, no one can deny Calliope dedication to their craft, especially older stories and their ability to change their features to commit to a role have made them a beloved presence on the stage and a crowd favourite. But as well as being an actor, Calliope has much more going on in their world and furthering their families political careers is one of them. 

It was their father’s wish as he lay old and imbolie in his bed that Calliope and Lachesis follow Lucius in joining THE DARK LORD [leader] in his quest for power. Whilst being part of an anarchist political group was not part of Calliope’s initial plans for their future, they understood the importance of securing the Malfoy family at the top and more importantly seating Lachesis close by his side. New to the death eaters, Calliope likes to see themself as Lachesis special weapon, having shifted into multiple people to help their sibiling. DOLORES UMBRIDGE [person of interest], Calliope slipped her a potion and sat in on an important meeting to feedback to their sibling, once they even became HARRISON BAGNOLD [person of interest] just to see how much his mother might say. But now their time has come to aid The Dark Lord himself and when a letter arrived for Calliope to cause some chaos at The Spring Solstice with their sibling, they couldn’t say no. Not only a name on the stage, Calliope has plans to be known within their new group and this is the perfect way to get the Malfoy sibilings on the map and out of Lucius’ shadow. 

— they are a LEVEL 5 SORCERER & a LEVEL 8 METAMORPHMAGUS & readied for war ;

[ericbozoian]

In the turning of the leaves, in the chill that preludes the winter’s frost

October in the Year of Our Lord, 2023

In this entry, let us delve into the recent escapades of Mr. Eric Bozoian, whose October days were filled with enchantment and spectacle, the likes of which have stirred the very leaves of the New England trees to a brilliant display.

On the twenty-eighth day of this month, under a tapestry of twilight, Mr. Bozoian, accompanied by the gracious Faren, found themselves ensconced in the velveteen embrace of the Grange Theatre in Vermont. Here, they witnessed the carnivorous capers of "Little Shop of Horrors," a musical that has feasted upon the affections of theatre-goers for more than three decades. In the second row, with a view unobstructed by the heads of the populace, they were privy to the thespian alchemy that brought forth laughter and horror in equal measure.

The eve prior, Mr. Bozoian and his elegant companion attended the Murder Mystery - Midnight at the Masquerade ball in the bustling heart of downtown Nashua. Adorned in the regalia of high society, with masks that whispered of Venetian intrigue and costumes that would make a peacock envious, they danced and deduced with aplomb. Post-event, as they perambulated the streets, the townsfolk could not but lavish them with compliments, surely making the night sky twinkle with a hint of jealousy at their radiance.

October's embrace also brought with it a journey through the labyrinthine corridors of Elwood Orchards' famed corn maze. By night, they ventured, as has become their cherished tradition, pitting their wits against the maze's sinuous challenges. Triumph was theirs, as they emerged victorious, adding another year to their legend of mastery over the maize.

Mid-month, our intrepid duo partook in the revelries of King Richard's Faire. Here, amidst the revelry of acrobats and fire eaters, jesters and jousters, they feasted upon turkey legs and savored the heady brews of olde. The Faire, a patchwork of history and fantasy, offered a respite from the mundane, a place where mirth and music float freely on the autumn air.

On the fifteenth, Mr. Bozoian and Faren cast their gazes upon the hulking majesty of Battleship Cove. Aboard destroyer and battleship alike, they traversed the steel innards of these maritime behemoths, marvelling at the compactness that belied the vastness of their historical weight.

The month was not all play, for on the seventh and eighth, the couple sought the solace of nature, trekking the Webster Jackson trail. There, amidst the fiery fall foliage, they drank in the beauty of the mountains—a visual symphony of reds, golds, and oranges. And as if ordained by the spirits of the woods, Mr. Bozoian claimed victory in another volley of volleyball—a testament to his prowess and a balm to the stresses that plague the common man.

Thus, October has been a month of merriment and mystery, of victories both personal and shared. In the turning of the leaves, in the chill that preludes the winter's frost, Mr. Bozoian has found joy and jest, proving once again that life, when fully embraced, is a play in which we all have a starring role.

And so, we close this chapter of Mr. Bozoian's story, not with a finality, but with the anticipation of what November's quill shall inscribe upon the parchment of his days.

#LittleShopOfEricAndFaren #MasqueradeMysteries #CornMazeConquerors #KingRichardsFaireFolk #BattleshipCoveAdventurers #WebsterJacksonWanderers #VolleyballVictor

[polityreporters]

Terrence Howard Retires From Acting

American actor Terrence Howard has announced that he is set to retire from acting. The Empire star made this known during an interview with Entertainment tonight on the red carpet appearance for the Peacock series The Best Man: The Final Chapters at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles. Howard revealed his decision to call it quits and make room for the new generation of thespians,…

[theatre-never-theater]

Backstage views 😍🎭🖤

[theatercommandments]

You know what really sucks? Going to auditions in February. Audition dresses and heels aren’t warm and are possibly the worst things to be walk through snow and ice in.

While this issue exists in musical theater, it is much much worse in opera and classical music. As a soprano, in auditions and performances, I am simply not allowed to wear pants. Period. The only women in opera that can wear pants are mezzos...and only when they’re singing a pants role (playing a boy). Some people even say that women, especially shorter women like myself, should always wear heels in auditions and performances.

This is not even to mention non-binary folks. Concert attire is heavily gendered, and it doesn’t need to be. If you’re focusing more on what somebody is wearing than their performance, you have a problem.

Some opera and MT companies are changing, but it is a tiny minority. These rules are outdated and unnecessary. Let people wear what they want.

[homesick-martian]

Toby Schmitz should make Thespian Peacock memes. He knows what’s up I’m dying 😂😂😂

Now we need Luke. The more the merrier ❤

[echoghost1]

The Group Project From Hell

Word Count: 3396

For: @ghostgothgeek

Summary: Danny and Tucker get stuck working with someone that they really don't want to

My final contribution to Phic Phight during the time limit (and just barely at that)!

*throws confetti and then cries*

Anywho....

You can read the fic on AO3 or down below the cut as per usual!

“Alright class, I need you to break up into groups of three,” the teacher started and immediately the room broke into chaos as everyone started to gather up with their friends. Most could just share a look and nod or point to each other. Others decided they needed to push their desks together now. And a few had to cross the room because they had been separated for talking too much.

Danny and Tucker just reached out across the small aisle between them and held hands with each other without even needing to look. They would have reached for Sam too, but she didn’t have this class with them.

Once most of the class had reached their favorite people, and a couple of larger groups had finished debating over how they would break up, the teacher spoke up again.

“Is anyone not in a group?” the teacher asked as they looked around the room for any stragglers.

One lone hand made itself known.

“Ah, well let’s see,” the teacher pondered aloud as they scanned the room for the perfect place to put them.

It was then that Danny realized that his group was the only option. He slowly sunk into his seat and was torn between actually making himself and Tucker invisible or just letting this happen.

His only hope was that maybe the teacher would just not perceive them like usual.

He was not that lucky.

“Ah, perfect!” the teacher said with a single clap, “Why don’t you join Mr. Fenton and Mr. Foley.”

Knowing there was no way out of it, Danny just huffed and tried not to glare at the unwanted addition to his team.

The odd man out looked between the two with a wince and turned back towards the teacher, “Can’t I just work alone instead?”

The teacher rolled their eyes with a scoff, “The project is too large for one person. Unless of course there’s a problem?”

The way they asked sounded a lot more threatening than any of them liked, so they all just agreed to work together for fear of the consequences.

“Excellent! Now here is the rubric and let’s go over the project,” they said with a smile as if they hadn’t just vaguely threatened their students into forced cooperation.

“So,” Danny started crossing his arms with a frown as their third member slowly walked his desk over to join them, “who are we working with?”

He sighed, knowing full well what he was referring to, “Elliot.”

“You sure it isn’t, oh what was it?” Danny asked, pretending to remember the fake name the other boy had used.

“I believe it was Gregor,” Tucker supplied helpfully and with just as much annoyance in his voice that Danny felt. “From Hungry.”

Elliot threw his head back with a sigh, “I said I was sorry about that.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Danny spat and redirected his anger at the rubric instead.

The project was way too big for one person. It seemed a little daunting for three.

Tucker, the organized blessing that he was, already started to break down the project into much more manageable pieces. “Okay, I think if we can decide on a topic today, share contact info and after-school schedules, we can have an easier time lining up any group meetups and get this thing done in no time.”

Danny smiled and pulled out his notebook and flipped open to a blank page, “okay here’s my number and address and this is Tuck’s,” he finished and tore off the written section and handed it over and then slid his notebook over with his pencil, “you can just write your info there.”

Just because the guy irritated him, didn’t mean he couldn’t be civil. Besides he was willing to give him another chance, he just had to get his annoyance out of the way first.

“I don’t give my number out to just anyone,” Elliot said as he leaned back and refused to take the offering.

Danny just blinked.

Did he really just say that?

“Dude how are we going to contact you outside of class?” Tucker asked, shocked by the blatant disrespect.

Danny was doing his very best not to let the anger bleed into his eyes.

“I’ll text you if I need you,” he said as he snatched the note Danny wrote for him.

“Okay,” Danny said with as much restraint as possible as he slapped his hand on his notebook and slid it back onto his desk. “Fine.”

Tucker flipped the page of their packet and skimmed the page, “So, topics?” he said, clearly doing his best to just keep the ball rolling.

“I don’t care.” Elliot shrugged and pulled his phone out pointedly not participating.

Danny turned in his chair so he only looked at Tucker, “What are our options?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Tucker responded, also locking eyes with Danny and joining him in aggressively ignoring Elliot.

Tucker then read through the list as if it was just the two of them. He shared the page and pointed out the topics that he liked or that he thought Danny would like. Once they had marked the ones they liked the best they looked back to Elliot to see if he had any opinions at all.

“I don’t know if I really like any of those ones.”

“Which ones didn’t you like? The ones we pointed out or just the whole list?” Danny asked and if this guy said the whole list he was going to throw him out the window.

He shrugged, “I don’t know, all of them?”

This boy better get ready to be defenestrated.

Ha, see he could use that word in his everyday life! It wasn’t useless knowledge. Suck on that, Jazz!

Tucker had to forcibly push Danny back into his seat. “I know, buddy, I know.”

“We’re on the first floor. He’ll be fine.” Danny said through clenched teeth.

Tucker turned to just stare at him, stopping his calming shoulder pats due to his confusion. “I’m still not a telepath Danny.”

“Oh yeah.” sometimes he forgot that just because he was thinking it didn’t mean that anyone else was. But so often it seemed like everyone else knew what he was thinking before he even said anything.

Luckily his friends were always gentle with the reminder. They didn’t make him feel stupid or laugh at him when he did.

“I was just thinking how nice it would be to defenestrate him.”

Tucker snickered but shook his head all the same, “Dude, no. You haven’t gotten detention in like three weeks now, don’t ruin your streak.”

“Come on!”

“No! You would just get expelled or whatever.” he said, still chuckling at the idea of Danny yeeting that jerk with no hesitation, “Totally not worth it,” he reassured.

Danny huffed but relented all the same, “Fine. I won’t.” he locked eyes with Elliot, “This time.”

“Are you threatening me?” the blonde asked, finally reacting properly to his current situation.

“I don’t know? Am I?” Danny retorted back sarcastically.

“God, what did I ever do to you?”

“You lied to my best friend.”

“I said sorry. Besides she’s the only one who should be mad, and she forgave me already.”

“I know,” Danny mumbled.

And it was true. Sam had forgiven him. She said that sometimes people do silly things when they think they’re in love. Or just in high school in general.

“And I was willing to give you a second chance but you rejected my peace offering, so screw you.”

“What peace offering? You glared daggers when the teacher forced us together.”

“And then I was trying to get past that, and then you were difficult and didn’t just give your info. It’s not like we’re ever going to contact you after this project is over? Heck, I’ll probably just delete your number the second we’re done!”

Elliot rolled his eyes, “Oh my god you are so dramatic.”

“Says the guy who took that ‘world’s a stage’ line a bit too literal.”

“Well I am a thespian,” he said with too much emphasis as he pressed a hand to his chest as he peacocked.

“TMI?” Danny had no idea what thespian meant and couldn’t help but notice how it rhymed with lesbian. He was pretty sure the two words had nothing to do with each other, and even if they did it really didn’t make any sense given what they had been talking about.

Elliot’s stupid vocabulary just made Danny annoyed all over again.

“It means I’m an actor.” Elliot deadpanned. “I mean honestly you throw around the word defenestrate like you know what it means.” he laughed to himself before giving Danny a condescending smirk, “Do you even know what it means?”

Danny felt his jaw tighten so much that his dentist was probably wincing, “Defenestrate. The act of throwing someone out a window.” He stood up to his full height and loomed over Elliot as best he could while the blonde was still sitting down, “Would you like me to use it in a sentence?”

“Code green!” Tucker shouted as he shot up out of his seat and pulled Danny down so they were both squatting behind their chairs, “You need a minute?”

“Yes,” Danny said resting his chin on his knees and doing his best to relax.

Despite that his parents seemed to think that all ghost’s emotions were fake, Danny had found that the more he had gotten used to his ghost side, the stronger he reacted to things. He never used to get so angry. Or to do so, so quickly.

Of course, his parents attributed his outbursts to teen hormones. He really wanted them to be right, but just knew that they weren’t. One look at the crazed-up fruit loop pretty much blew that theory out of the water.

His fingers threaded their way into his hair as he tried to block out the bad thoughts and focus on the mantra Jazz had taught him when he finally admitted to having emotional control issues.

“I control my emotions. They don’t control me. I control my emotions. They don’t control me. I control my emotions. They don’t control me. They don’t control me. They don’t control me.”

Danny took a breath and finally relaxed. This might not be ideal, but he was getting better at calming himself down again.

He stood up and took his seat. "Sorry about that."

Elliot scoffed as he scrolled on his phone.

"I'm sorry about earlier. You're right," he sighed, "I was being dramatic. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you."

Elliot just stared at him for a bit. Blinked. Then shrugged and looked back at his phone, "Yeah, whatever freak. Let's just get this project over with."

Danny stopped listening. He was honestly surprised he got past the word. The word. Why did he have to call him the one thing that hurt the most?

Stupid heightened ghost emotions and stupid Elliot for poking at his insecurities. He took a breath and tried to focus on the conversation.

He pointed lazily at the packet on Tucker's desk, "We picked a topic already. Let's just divide up the-”

Before Elliot could finish his sentence Tucker interrupted, “Stop.” he said in such a serious tone that both boys looked over at him.

“I’m going to need you to apologize to Danny, right now.”

Elliot scoffed and opened his mouth to say something, probably rude based on his expression, but Tucker just held up his finger.

“I wasn’t done yet,” he said and Danny could almost taste the simmering anger that radiated off of Tucker like the heat waves that made mirages in the desert.

But why was he mad? Why? Did Danny do something wrong? Why did he always ruin everything he touched?

“Hey, I’m not mad at you,” Tucker reassured softly before returning his ire back on Elliot. “Now I know you don’t know us very well, so I’m willing to give you a warning. Danny is like a post-credits grinch. There are just certain things we don’t do. Now, if you would kindly apologize for your rude remark we can get back to work.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Tucker, it’s fine,” Danny muttered because he really just wanted this whole day to be over already.

Tucker sighed before turning to look at Danny directly, “Is it?”

Danny couldn’t meet his eye. Of course, it wasn’t actually fine. He just didn’t want to make it a big deal. Elliot clearly didn’t do it on purpose so it was fine. He was fine.

If he told himself he was fine enough times maybe it would be true.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Tucker refocused on their project.

Danny did his best to contribute even though he was still feeling a little down. Elliot kept being the worst and only actively worked on anything when the teacher was looking.

Tucker wrote down a few things for them all to work on for the week and suggested they meet up in the library on Wednesday after school to go over what they had done up to that point.

Elliot gave a very lazy and barely committal agreement to be there before the bell rang and they were finally able to leave.

It wasn’t until they were at Danny’s locker, did it feel like he could breathe properly.

“You sure you’re okay?” Tucker asked as he leaned against the locker next to Danny’s so when he opened the door, he’d still be in view.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Tucker was quiet and Danny didn’t need to see it to know he was making that face. The one where he knows Danny is lying and he should just come clean already.

“Why’d you have to call me a Post-Credits Grinch?!” he whined and hated every second of it. “You know I hate that movie!”

Tucker bit his lip as he tried not to laugh at Danny’s reaction, “It’s just because you’ve got a big heart? And it’s kind of like it grew three sizes recently, right?” he shrugged and added, “It was either that or reference that one vine and say you’re sensitive. But I knew you wouldn’t like that.”

“Oh well, thanks for the save, Aubrey.”

Tucker snapped into double finger guns, “Anytime, D-man!”

Danny snorted and shoved his textbook into his locker a little harder than he meant to, “Don’t,” he shook his head and couldn’t hold back his laugh, “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Not gonna happen.” Tucker playfully punched his shoulder, “Besides, it got you to laugh, didn’t it?”

Danny rolled his eyes, but he did have a point. Tucker always knew how to make him feel better. More like himself.

Less like a freak.

===============================================

It was Wednesday. School had ended about ten minutes ago.

Tucker and Danny had come in about two to three minutes later than they had intended, thanks to the Box Ghost and the unfortunate delivery man that had crossed his path.

Tucker sent Elliot a text once they got there apologizing for being a few minutes late and asking where he had set up.

There was a slight delay before Elliot texted back. First to ask how Tucker had gotten his number, to which Tucker simply said “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

Then Elliot finally admitted that he wasn’t at the library. He said he had something he needed to do first but he would be there soon.

Then it was radio silence.

Danny found a nice table in the back corner that was partially hidden behind the old reference textbooks. He liked it because it was secluded and quiet.

Tucker teased him and said he actually liked it because it was the darkest and spookiest corner.

Danny just blew a raspberry at him.

The pair got out everything they needed and took over the large wooden table. Each of them taking turns to go over their respective progress and discussing what they still needed to do.

It wasn’t until the librarian came around told them that she needed to close up for the night, did they realize that Elliot never came.

“What are the odds he hasn’t done anything yet?” Danny asked as he packed his things back into his backpack.

“Happy thoughts, Danny. Let’s just focus on our own work.”

Danny just nodded and made sure to securely zip his bag shut while also maintaining the structural integrity of it. It wouldn’t do him any good if he broke the zipper.

Sure he’d still be able to get in if he needed to, thanks to his ghost powers, but it would have been because of his ghost powers that the bag was broken. Also, it would be hard to explain why, or how, he was still using a broken bag to those who didn’t know his secret.

Which would be pretty much everyone.

“So you wanna go to my place and continue? Mom’s making lasagna tonight and it’ll probably be ready by the time we get there!” he said as he fidgeted with excitement.

He did love Mrs. Foley’s double meat lasagna. “Yeah alright, I just gotta call home first.”

“Yes!” Tucker fist pumped and sent a quick text to his mom.

===============================================

Danny didn’t mean to fall asleep at Tucker’s on a school night, he really didn’t.

On one hand, they ended up getting a lot done on their project. He got to eat so much yummy food that never once had a chance at coming back to life and trying to eat him, which is his favorite quality in food. His second favorite quality is, being not poison.

Also, Tucker’s house was always way warmer than his house ever was, and it was nice to just curl up in a pile of pillows and relax, because nothing in that house was designed specifically to kill him. It was a lovely little vacation.

The only downside was he hadn’t packed any clothes so all he had to wear was what he had come in. And wearing the same outfit two days in a row in the middle of the week, wasn’t exactly a good look.

Tucker was nice enough to offer his closet, which Danny happily accepted. Only Tucker had grown a few inches in the last year or so and was now taller than Danny. Also a little wider in the shoulders.

Good thing Danny liked to wear baggy clothes!

Of course, Dash made fun of him for his ill-fitting outfit almost immediately. It was like the guy had some sort of sixth sense that always picked up Danny no matter where he was.

When they got to their group project class, Tucker mentioned that they had gotten a lot done and if Elliot could type up what he had and send it to Tucker he could add it to the slide show they had started.

Elliot just shrugged and said he’d send it.

Tucker cleared his throat and added, “Please do so before midnight on Friday.” then he texted him his email address so he had no excuse not to.

“Yeah okay, whatever.”

===============================================

It was Saturday night. Danny was lounging on Tucker’s bed while he waited for Tucker to come back from the bathroom.

The notification ding went off on Tucker’s phone but Danny knew better than to touch the phone without Tucker’s permission. That didn’t stop him from floating over the phone a few inches and just looking at the screen while it was still lit.

Elliot had finally emailed his portion of the project.

Well wasn’t that nice of him to do so at, Danny looked at the time and saw it was past ten.

Lovely.

It was even better when Tucker got to open the email and the file he sent was just a text file.

“Why would you do that?” Tucker asked as he just stared at the icon, “In what world is that necessary?”

They were both glued to the screen and held their breath as Tucker clicked download and opened the file.

It was the most barebones weak excuse of his share that he could have possibly given.

“We aren’t sleeping this weekend, are we?” Danny asked knowing full well what the answer was.

“I should have let you throw him out of the window when I had the chance.”

[salthaven]

Make a Change P15 (an Explanation and Summary)

Part Fifteen (An Explanation and Summary)

So, as I recently posted, I don’t plan to continue this story any longer. As much as I loved writing it, I also...fell out of love, I suppose. I just don’t have the time, passion, or motivation to try forcing myself to write it anymore, and it’s unfair to you guys to have to accept a sloppy second, something thrown onto a document for the sake of a word count and an update. I want to write stuff I’m proud of, and that just wasn’t happening with this story.

That said, one reader asked for a summary, so that they could get some closure. Luckily, I have some notes that I took as I planned the story and started writing it, and I thought you’d like to see some of them. This includes three things: 1. The schedules for most of the main characters 2. The heroes I was planning on bringing in and 3. All of the ideas I had for “Who on Earth will Marinette end up with?” (This was a doozy.) Along with this, I want to talk about other pairings I had in mind. 

With that all said, let’s hop right in!

The Schedules:

I really planned out their schedules, just so I could start figuring out who the Quantic Kids would be. I had a general idea in mind: Each student at Collège des Arts would have to take their four core classes (History, Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science), a language, and then their last period would be a two hour block that focused on their artistic talent. I set it up this way so that I could integrate the Quantic Kids into Marinette’s life. (Along with this, I made it so the whole school had lunch after fourth hour, so that the morning had four hours of classes, and the afternoon had three. I note this, because some schools separate lunches based on fourth hour, so that there is an A, B, and C lunch. I...did not feel like dealing with that, and I wasn’t sure how French schools do it but I doubt it’s like that.) 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s schedule: 

1. History (right next to Félix, later on stuck between him and Adrien) The original plan never had Adrien’s arrival, it was supposed to be a moment of comic relief where Marinette and Félix were just kind of half awake and barely conscious at any given time during first hour. This is why their history teacher, Mr. Marcel, was either wide awake or dead asleep. I thought it’d be a cute moment to show off the dynamics of their exhaustion or energy, depending on the day. I didn’t show this off nearly as much as planned, however, because I shifted my focus soon after.

2. Language Arts (with Allegra). A nice, calmer class seemed perfect for Marinette, who’d probably still be waking up. Allegra is calm and classy, so it only made sense to pair the two up for the second hour.

3. Science (Claude’s here!) Loud and exciting, just like their class seems to be, it was a perfect pairing. 

4. Math (with Allegra and Claude) I wanted to show off Allegra and Claude’s...chaotic dynamic. 

5. English (with Allan) Marinette wants to be a fashion designer, and she had to take a language, so she thought “hey, fashion is pretty big in America, let’s learn English”. (It was also the only class I could think of that she and Allan would take...more on that later.)

6. Fashion Design. Pretty self-explanatory.

Allegra: 

1. German. Allegra likes opera music, and wanted to mimic the sound of some German singers accurately. 

2. Language Arts (with Marinette, as mentioned above)

3. Science (a different teacher than Marinette and Claude, though. What a pity) (Also I apparently called it ‘physics’ in my notes and I just noticed.) 

4. Math (With Marinette and Claude)

5. History

6. Choir (She’s a singer.)

Claude Mercury:

1. English (It was for the theatre, but also for Shakespeare, but more accurately….for Shakespeare’s more inappropriate humor.) (and memes)

2. History

3. Science (with Marinette) (Lots of explosions and fires were planned)

4. Math (With Allegra and Marinette) 

5. Language Arts

6. Drama. He was just a simple thespian lad who wanted to have fun and make friends, what can I say?

Allan:

1. Math

2. Science

3. Language Arts

4. History

5. English (with Marinette) He likes hip hop and rap, and wanted to learn English rap, too. He, like Claude, also loves their memes, and I planned to have a few moments where he explained some to Marinette. 

6. Dance. Mainly hip hop, although the boy can break dance a little bit

Félix Agreste: 

1. History (with Marinette) He’s tired in the morning, but good at reciting dates. Again, had a lot more planned for this.

2. Math

3. Spanish. (“Come on, guys, it’s logical. It’s one of the most spoken languages in the world.” -Félix, probably.) I also planned for Félix to already know English. I wanted a cute chapter where he tutored Marinette, only for Claude to start dramatically monologuing because ‘why do you help her but never help me? The betrayal, Fe, the betrayal!’ 

4. Language Arts

5. Science

6. Music (he’s a piano boy in my heart) (maybe also good at violin) (a classy young man) 

Adrien Agreste:

1. History (with Marinette)

2. Language Arts (with Marinette)

3. Science (with Marinette)

4. Math (with Marinette)

5. Chinese (with Marin- oh, wait, we’re done with that!) This class, along with his next, is another reason Adrien relaxed so quickly at the school. By taking Chinese at school, he was able to convince his father to stop the at-home lessons, clearing up some of his schedule.

6. Music. Same as above, playing piano at school meant he didn’t have to do it at home so much.

The Heroes:

“But salthaven, you already introduced the heroes! Envision and Viperion, remember?” Haha, as if those were the only guys I had planned?

Yeah, I had more. Four more.

I wanted the Quantic Kids to be heroes. I had three of them for sure chosen, names and Miraculi assigned to them. (Allegra was my only problem child, but I’ll explain that below.)

The first was supposed to be Allegra. I was going to make her the Fox, with the name Mélodie. I’m pretty sure that was her original hero name, back during the PV stage of this show, and I wanted to pay an homage to her inspiration. But then Félix got it, because I didn’t end up giving him the Cat (yeah, I was really salty when I started this, and I was planning to go the same route that I do in my ao3 fic, Of Patience and Pettiness, and take away the Cat from Adrien to give to Félix.), as Adrien learned from his mistakes. So Allegra waits, and Envision springs to life with Viperion.

Next would be Allan. Miraculous: Bee. Name: Mellifury, based on Mellifura (aka the Africanized Killer Bee) + Fury. He was supposed to be an unexpected storm. A dancer, he uses rhythm in a way that throws off opponents. Uses the spinning top like it's another limb, throws the game way off when first introduced. 

Then we’d have Allegra. After a while, I decided that the Rabbit would be best suited for her. Messing with timelines is a tricky business, but Allegra has a knack for details and organization that would leave her cruising through her tasks with some practice. While it’s nothing musical, it would be fun to see. Name: Cottontail. 

Finally, after an interesting fight that would cause Nathalie to lose the Peacock...Claude would step in. Bold and flashy, the thespian knows how to strut his stuff. But again, he’s a thespian, and theatre kids know when it’s time to hide in the shadows and stay unseen and unheard. With dark blues that can hide in the name and stand out in the daylight, Claude would become Le Paon, turning the tide and becoming a major help for the team. [At first, he dealt with some sickness, but after a talk with Ladybug, who in turn talked to Fu, the Miraculous was fixed and Le Paon could fight as easily as the rest.] He’d use sentimentals wisely, although he’d have a bad habit of monologuing as he created them. 

The Ships:

The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Our first question: Who the hell was Marinette going to end up with? Well, that answer changed throughout the story.

The first choice: Félix. I wanted Marinette to move on from Agreste...and fall in love with Agreste. It humored me, and I was in love with a bunch of Felinette one shots at the time. (And, again, very salty towards Adrien at the moment.) 

But then I redeemed Adrien. No problem, I thought. Marinette could choose between one of the boys...and the other would date Luka! (I mean, did you see the Instagram picture of Luka and Adrien. Luka with either Agreste would be cute, just imagine the musical moments they could have together)

But then I Akumatized Juleka, and Luka was right there...and I made Marinette fall for all three guys. So I decided “Hey, she can just date all three!” And so that’s the final choice, because I’m apparently a sucker for poly ships. 

But I mentioned other ships, didn’t I? So let’s talk about those!

First: Luka with an OC. Yep, I was going to bring in a new girl. It was actually going to be one of my friends, due to a conversation we had that went as follows:

S.H. (Salthaven): So I’m thinking that I’m going to pair up Félix and Marinette. Thoughts?

F. (Friend): Okay, but what about Luka?

S.H.:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

F.: Well then pair me up with him!

So I did. Or I was going to...but then poly ship idea happened. 

As mentioned above, I also considered Luka with either of the Agreste boys. Whoever Marinette didn’t date. Again, couldn’t happen because I went for that sweet poly route. 

Finally: Claude and Allegra. What can I say, they act like an old married couple in my mind!

And that’s everything! Once all the heroes were chosen, and romantic confessions set aside, the Miraculous Team was going to gear up and take down Hawkmoth once and for all. Fun times, the end, we all get a happy ending.

So I hope that makes up for my rather abrupt end to this story. Thank you all for the time you put in, reading my writings, and I hope you enjoy the other works I plan to create! Until next time. <3

[torishasupremacy]

going through my middle/high school notes on my phone

here are some atrocities I found:

song lyrics i wrote that i cant tell whether they’re terrible and dumb or actually kind of slap 

a billion links to h*milton fanfics that i immediately deleted (and then proceeded to throw up)

“spanish hip hop version of beauty and the best” with absolutely no context

oh god oh fuck now its a bunch of links to h*milton animatics i crave death 

and now we’ve moved on to the dear evan hansen animatics. less cringe but i still wanna punch 14 y/o me in the face

okayyyy a bunch of otp prompts. sure.

“Self-doubt is your worst enemy. Do not fall victim to the illusion of fear.” - Kayla Robinson

acne treatments because i was super insecure ab my skin. dont worry honey it gets better and by better i mean your skin still sucks but you aren’t super depressed ab it anymore

why did i write down the twitter bios for h*milton actors. why.

a list of overwatch characters back when there were only like 20

like 3 separately written lists of be more chill songs?? who are these for??

a prediction for the end of the heroes of olympus series. it didn’t happen.

a massive list of sexuality and ship hcs for characters from 6 different musicals that i apparently spent 30 minutes on

be more chill character names but in morse code?? 

“why determinate when you could just terminate? kill everyone.”

the following but in spanish: “My notebook is over here. For the first time, she is happy. Apparently the apple is red. At last, she finishes her homework. The book is good for now.”

a paragraph about why i liked be more chill that started talking about how i met one of my best friends after we realized his computer wallpaper was a scene from the show and my wallpaper was fan art of that scene, which id completely forgotten about. he ended up being a fake/toxic friend, so go figure.

“Greek mytholoPHI” horrible pun 0/10

a recipe for dijon mustard?????

“first of all, frankenstein is a stylish motherfucker” again, with absolutely ZERO context, that’s the whole note

this fucking poem: “Eyes they see. Lids they blink. Asa’s a Twink.”

a poem that is actually good and about how i was in love with my best friend but too scared to ask him out. really hits different now considering he was awful behind my back rip :)

(also we both presented as female lesbians at the time but he transitioned which is why im using he/him pronouns)

 disturbingly long and thought out sanders sides fanfiction ideas. they have all now been deleted

screenshots of this conversation:

matt: cognitive behavioral therapy explain this

kate: no bitch

matt: my mom is calling your mom RIGHT NOW

kate: UR MOOOOOMMM

matt: yeah well you smell

lola: u smell

lola: like warm beet chunks

zach: ew

matt: :(

lola: u smell like borscheeeee

me: im calling the police on everyone

kate: I like humUUSSSSS

amy: beets make me feel rustic 

matt: I cant go back to jail

mmmm now we’ve moved onto poetry AFTER he broke my heart. fun.

lmao one note titled “cast of characters” and all it says below is “...”

a really bad idea for a movie about a lesbian thespian youtuber that’s immediately followed by research on homosexuality during the holocaust

the following dreams:

“I was playing overwatch in a building in the city until half past midnight. I had to drive home and I was really bad at driving because I had to press a button to stop and I would forget to press the button until the last moment and almost crash into the car ahead of me. Then I went into the freeway above the sea and I was freaking out because it was the opposite direction from home so I did a u turn but I ended up on a ferry and I panicked and drove the car into the ocean”

“I was keeping my friend’s gecko alexander in the console of the car and mom built a picture frame terrarium to keep him in”

“I had adopted four peacock pigeon hybrids and they kept jumping in the pool. I was going to name them chad, taylor, ryan, and sharpay but dad told me to think about it and then I was debating whether to name them after the sanders sides or not”

the only decipherable part of the next note is this:

“I know him... he’s the worst kind of evil.” “What’s that?” “Little brothers”

tips for playing moira in overwatch

“12 animatronics 14 shark pool 17 accused of accusing friend of incest but actually neo betrayed will mike blanket” what does this MEAN???

a list of wacky improv characters we had on one scene: 

Nun having fun 

College dropout

Kleptomaniac teenager 

Horny teenager

Creepy uncle

I have no memory of this scene except my aro ace friend had to play the horny teenager so he kept yelling I WANT TO BONE

the entire be more chill script. like the entire thing. what the actual fuck.

my southern relatives called a storm a “frog strangler of rain” and I wrote that down

a link to the asexual manifesto

different south east asian currencies and exchange rates

quote from my classmate who was literally harold from total drama but more political: “What I’m asking is that if I had infinite helium balloons how many would I need to lift my body- not to float infinitely- but enough to plausibly kill me?”

an essay about populism

a description of a woman in my dreams. her name was millie but she made it clear her name was NOT millie bobby brown. she was bisexual and wore a shiny peacock blue leather jacket with a blue tank top and jeans. she had straight hair that was a mix of blonde and brown that was cut into a choppy bob. she and her pet tiger were living in a trailer in the woods because her boyfriend kicked her out

my natal chart (im a double aries and lunar capricorn)

a note that says “tamil nadu india” and nothing else

ive given up. if you read this far: why.

[inkribbon796]

Like a House of Cards Ch. 12: Prince Ali, Fabulous He

Summary: Roman and Janus help cause a commotion in town.

A/N: There is a lot with this opposite universe I wanted to do but I don’t have the time and it gives me an excuse to come back to it.

“Prince Ali” is from Aladdin and it was actually the first fusion I decided on when I had the idea for fusions.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

At the heart of Egoton’s city was a high rise skyscraper and towards the 7th floor was General’s lower office. He took that office when he expected meetings, and so he had a packed schedule.

A schedule that he was forced to put on hold to deal with his boyfriend.

“You irresponsible skirt chaser,” General snarled at Dames.

“We were fine,” Dames rolled his eyes and scoffed, the madman was sitting on the couch in the office.

General used Dames’s cane to pin him onto the couch, “You did that to get my attention, I am busy.”

“You’re always busy,” Dames accused. “Not my fault if I find someone warm when I get bored and lonely. You’re insufferable. You’re lucky I love you.”

Then the glass of water on General’s desk began to shake.

General growled out as he used his aura to stabilize it. “Let’s not throw fits, darling.”

“It’s not me, if I wanted to knock over your things like an overgrown house cat, I’d kick the glass off your desk,” Dames scoffed, but it brought a smile to his face.

Then the ground began to shake a little more. Music starting to be overheard faintly.

“What the devil?” Gen demanded in anger and confusion. The two immediately went to the nearest window and saw what was the cause of the shaking. In the distance there was a procession of color and lights started to make its way through the town. People were rushing to see what the commotion was.

“Ma~ke way~ for Prince Ali~!” Roman and Janus’s voices sang out, a third voice already echoing out as Roman was making their voices sound like many. “Say~ “Hey!” It’s Prince Ali~.”

General opened his windows and saw the procession coming in the distance. Dames worming his way past him.

Roman parted his way past the white curtain, his outfit a shimmering red and gold. Janus stood next to him looking more like Jafar but more gold in his outfit.

“Hey! Clear the way in the old bazaar!” Roman sang loudly, his magic making his voice reach the General easily.

“Hey you, let us through it’s a bright new star,” Janus used his magic to part the crowds so their path was not impeded and people weren’t accidentally trampled by the procession.

“Oh, come be the first on your block to meet his eye~” Janus ended the word with a serpentine hiss.

“Make way, here he comes,” Roman began sending out his magic as animal constructs started appearing behind their main float. “Ring bells! Bang the drums! You’re gonna love this guy!”

While the song was going on General was watching, Dames was — of course — enraptured by it. The vast display of magic had him guarded.

“The fuck is all that noise?” Bim shouted as he walked in, corralled on either side by Illinois and Bing who had been sent to find him.

“Where have you been?” General shouted in a fury, before turning to Bing. “Report.”

“It seems to be a purely magical construct,” Bing told General as he walked up. Illinois quickly making his. “They don’t have any weapons on them.”

“I like the pretty lights,” Dames smiled, elbows propped up on the windowsill, Illinois walked over to him, checking him over for any bruises or wounds. “Doesn’t it look pretty, Illy?”

“Yeah dad, it’s real pretty,” Illinois smiled gently at him.

“Stay braced for an attack,” General ordered, opening the door so he could step out on the balcony and face whatever attack came.

“Then come and meet his spectacular coterie~!” Roman sang, every second getting the procession closer and closer. Flowers fell from the sky.

“Prince Ali, mighty is he, Ali Ababwa,” Roman flexed his arms. “Strong as ten regular men, definitely!”

“He’s faced the galloping hordes,” Roman and Janus both summoned swords and began to clash. “A hundred bad guys with swords.”

Roman flicked his sword up and Janus let him propel his sword up into the air, the sword disappearing into dust.

“Who sent those goons to their lords?” Janus knelt, the two thespians getting into the performance and the engaged crowd. “Why Prince Ali!~”

Roman’s magic made more animals and more people appear. “He’s got seventy-five golden camels.”

Janus used his magic to conjure up a massive snake to slide him down to the front of the procession, his outfit shimmering into one covered in peacock feathers. “Purple peacocks he’s got fifty~three~!”

“When it comes to exotic type mammals,” Roman gestured to the collection of animals around them. “He’s got a zoo. I’m telling you, it’s a world class menagerie!

Janus snapped his fingers and disappeared into the crowd for a second, his form changing and her becoming a different dress. “Prince Ali, handsome as he, Ali Ababwa~!”

“That physique. How can I speak?” Janus made a little fake half-swoon, bracing her hands on her knees, “Weak at the knee.”

“Well get on out in that square,” Janus practically slid out into the street again. “Adjust your veil and prepare.”

“To gawk and grovel and stare at Prince Ali~” Janus sang out, he voice darkening as her body shifted back and his suit changed to accommodate. In the most guiltless expression he could muster, Janus smiled, “Oops.”

“He’a got ninety-five white Persian monkeys,” Roman sang out. “He’s got the monkeys!”

“Let’s see the monkeys!” Janus called up as a horde of monkeys came out of the procession and evaporated into magical dust before they could even touch anyone.

“And to view them he charges no fee!” Roman continued as the procession finally stopped in front of General’s building.

“He’s generous,” Roman and Janus both sang, their eyes glowing their respective colors for a brief instance as a third voice started to echo theirs. A voice that had only ever accompanied Janus and Remus, now starting to make themself known. “So generous.”

“He’s got slaves, he’s got servants and flunkies~” the two Sides kept going, Enigma’s echo steadily getting stronger. “Proud to work for him!”

“They bow to his whim!” Both the Sides cheered and the respective gold and red. “Love serving him. They’re just lousy with loyalty to Ali~”

“Prince~ Ali~!” Roman used his magic and strength to pick Janus up and toss him into the air. Both them started to glow. “Glamorous he~”

“Ali~ Ababwa~!” They sang as Roman caught Janus and two Sides became one: Enigma. His outfit more gold than red but flowing like Janus’s had been.

“Heard your prince here was a sight lovely to see~” Enigma pointed at Bim who was staring at him enraptured.

“And that’s good people is why,” Enigma winked, pointing to himself with his index finger, “I got all cute and dropped by.”

“With sixty elephants!” Enigma cheered as Roman and Janus’s voices acted as echoes. “Llamas galore! With bears and lions.”

“A bass band and more,” confetti burst into the air as Enigma sang. “With forty fakirs, his cooks and bakers, and birds that warble on key!”

“Make way~” Enigma smiled at General. “For Prince~ Ali~!”

The music swelled before dying down and the confetti began to settle as the crowd began to cheer. Dames was cheering and jumping up in excitement as General had to use his aura to click Bim’s jaw shut.

The procession vanished and just Enigma was standing there. Enigma just stood there and soaked up the honest praise and excitement. Then Janus directed them to look up at Gen. “Alright, we want an audience, and I’m not taking no for an answer this time.”

Gen glared at him, his bushy mustache twitching a bit in anger. “Fine, get your friends.”

Then he angrily looked at the crowd, “The rest of you can get out of my bloody sight!”

Slowly the crowd began to disperse and Enigma led his group inside the building, Dark bringing the group in with a portal, aided by General’s own portals.

[jakattax]

im interested in your thoughts, as a theatreman, about the occult significance of dramatic performance. of course, there are plays like faust which have occult themes, and plays of old folktales; but im wondering about the esoteric ceremonial aspects of theatre in general. it is a kind of ritual i think. even pantomime goes back to old mystery plays. ive always thought there was something deeply mystical about it.

Hey!

Oh for sure the theatre is rife with odd rituals and pseudo occult practises. First it goes without saying that actors and theatre types in general are super superstitious, there’s a myriad of different ways to invoke bad luck on your plays; saying ‘Macbeth’, whistling backstage, wearing peacock feathers, wearing real jewellery (there are literally hundreds of superstitious quirks thespians avoid, there’s too many to account for) and there are counter methods to dispel the bad luck you bring, mainly to leave the theatre, spin around and spit on the floor. Some directors and actors are flippant and don’t really care about these tales, but some that I’ve worked with are super strict and I’ve been told off several times for whistling.

There’s also ghosts, every theatre of repute is home to a ghost or two and tradition dictates that you never rehearse the night before opening, because that’s the night the observing ghosts are allowed to act the play they’ve been watching. I know of some theatres that leave bottles of wine and other gifts for the ghosts, usually hidden in the rafters or in secret cupboards so actors can’t find them.

Actors themselves also conduct mini rituals or good luck practises, I know an actress who kisses mirrors before she goes on, I know a guy who meditates, someone drums, I always take a little bust of Shakespeare that I keep in my dressing room as a little charm. Actors are very peculiar people and feel if they don’t complete their little rituals then they’re bound to fluff up. Acting is all about energy, and I like to dispel this energy once a play has ended, especially if your doing a drama which drains actors of emotion, it can get mentally taxing.

It definitely is a ritual, you have the lines to learn as in a spell, you don a costume as if it were ritual vestments and you perform for shapeless entities in the dark, I believe acting is very much like ritual work in these regards.

I like how you used Faust as an example because I’m directing that 2021 and boy it is going to rammed with occultism, nothings going to be fake, real magic circle for Mephistopheles, real magical objects that I own, it’s going to be a blast.

[tophthedaydreamer]

ocs infodump 2: electric boogaloo

Pastellus Coloritis: He/him. Age 19-22 through the series. Idadine Coloritis’ son. Pyromaniac theater kid. Probably listens to MCR. Trained to be a villain by his controlling mother. Has thousands of pet tarantulas, each individually named. Can control an opponent’s mind with his hypnotic gaze. Has a bum leg thanks to a past injury and uses a crutch. Gets a nice redemption arc.

Verona Needleman: She/her. Age 25-28 through the series. George Needleman’s daughter. Cunning evil scientist. Think Helga Sinclair crossed with the crazy taxidermy villain from Paddington. Hunting for Gibson to please her father and to bring her family’s company back into wealth.

Idadine Coloritis: She/her. Age unknown. Pastellus’ mother. Controlling, verbally abusive, and sinister. Dresses like a grandma. Really just using her son as a tool to rule the dimensions. 

George Needleman: He/him. Age 70-73 through the series. The former head of Needleman Industries, and the only person Gibson’s afraid of. Yes, he ran the lab Gibson was trapped in. A very disturbed and sadistic man.

Miss Peacock Blue: She/her. Age 30-33 through the series. Lucian Blue’s eccentric aunt. Gives giant bear hugs. Designs magical clothes and is a notable fashion designer in Prism. Unlike Lucian’s boring family, she was supportive of his quirkiness and dreams. The cool mom friend.

Ignatius Blue: He/him. Age 45-48 through the series. Lucian Blue’s father. Logical, proper, and emotionally inexperienced. Used to be cool and rebellious in his youth, but has since put away that side of him. Head of the Blue Family estate, and was training Lucian to be the next Head before he ran away. Despite his coldness, he really does care about his son (he just doesn’t listen very well). 

Jane Laurie: She/her. Age 61-64 through the series. She was Gibson’s caretaker at the lab and helped him escape. Kind, but very passionate about what she thinks is right and wrong. Willing to throw hands for those she loves. 

Jesse Walker: He/him. Age 62-65 through the series. He was Gibson’s other caretaker, who originally didn’t believe that George was bad but soon found the truth. Also helped Gibson escape. A jokester and generally gregarious dude.

Elliot “Ellie” Mirandez: She/her. Age 32-35 through the series. Avery’s mother. A single mom trying her best. Hispanic. The owner and manager of the local garden shop. Gibson’s boss (he works at the garden shop). She has a strange magical way with plants, her singing makes the plants grow beautifully. Used to be in a rock band in her youth before dropping out unexpectedly when she found out she was pregnant. Mei Huang and Evangeline Costa are the other garden shop employees.

Louise “Lou” Hueton: She/her. Age 22-25 through the series. Shy and soft-hearted art shop owner. Indian-American. Has a crush on Jack Thespian, the owner of the local theater. 

Jack Thespian: He/him. Age 24-27 through the series. Fidgety and nerdy owner of the theater. Big film and play/musical buff. Also has a crush on Lou.

Rosie Bridgett: She/her. Age 46-49 through the series. Scottish immigrant. Owner of the car fix-it shop. Lives with her orphaned nephew Eli.

Mary Fritz: She/her. Age 70-73 through the series. Eddie’s creator and grandmother. Getting a bit senile, but still very sharp. 

[theatre-never-theater]

What musical has been stuck in your head lately? Mine is Spring Awakening!

[theatercommandments]

For. The. Love. Of. God. Stop. Talking.

[flopgoblins]

Ocelot Emperor

We emerge from the mists of Ireland - where we’re on retreat with next to no internet - to lay this offering at the feet of one of our favorite people and wish her a very happy birthday! @brazenbells we love you, thank you for two consecutive years of helping us write our boys, and for letting us throw them at your own.

Without further ado, the crossover smash the fans (us, mostly) have been clamoring for! Thanks, Ted. 

-

King Abran's throne was as vast and glorious as his kingdom. Made of teak, varnished until the wood seemed to glow with an inner fire, inlaid with gold and etched with scenes from myth and legend and the founding of his dynasty. 

And upon it, his wrists heavy with bangles, his fingers dripping rings, his eyes dark with kohl, lounged the crown prince, golden and glorious as a lion at rest. His eyes were lion-tawny too, and his neck was straight and proud, easily bearing the weight of the shining crown that rested upon his brow. 

“See,” said Matt, angling his phone so Nico could get a better look at himself. “You look way better in all this sparkly shit than I do.”

Nico slid off the throne with a gentle chinking and untangled the gold-ish polymer crown from his hair. Beneath the gilt, it was dark brown, but for the stark white streak Makeup had sprayed there two hours ago. “Yeah, the casting choices feel a little strange. I can see why everyone on Twitter was pulling up those fanart comps to complain about it. Still not as bad as the, uh - ”

“I know,” Matt said morosely, taking the crown back and putting it on wonky. “I don’t even tan.” They’d dyed his hair again but thankfully drawn the line at trying to make him any less pasty. Manufacturing sexual tension with someone who looks like a stretched out Oompa Loompa might be beyond even Nico’s prodigious talents. 

“I’m billed above you though. That’s progress.” Nico tried to get the crown to sit right but succeeded in tilting it drunkenly to the other side. “And, hey, it’s not every day you get a big-budget fantasy epic with a queer romance.”

“They cut out the incest. And most of the sex.” Around them, the studio walls yawned tall and green; the only solid things onset were them and the throne, and the throne was mostly resin. 

“There wasn’t that much sex in the book,” said Nico, who’d picked up the novel as soon as the casting call went out and gone through making characterization notes on every page. 

Matt, who’d read the first draft as it was posted on AO3, complete with thirteen chapters of kink that hadn’t made it into the published version, sniffed and forbore from commenting. Some hauteur was probably in keeping with playing Gael anyway. More in keeping with Tigris, though, which was further evidence Ted Nord couldn’t cast to save his life. 

“I mean, I love it, it’s a really interesting role, but I’m finding it hard to get to grips with,” Nico had said, on the first day of shooting. “Spending your whole life pretending to be being vain and shallow, because it’s not safe to be anything else. Wearing a mask so long you must start to wonder whether you’ve become it. What does that do to a person?”

“Dunno,” Matt had said. “Did you see Ray Lelacheur’s Vogue cover yet? Terrible shoes.”

Now that Nico had abandoned the regal warmth that had settled on him as if it was second nature while draped over the throne, he was stirring the pages of the script again, frowning at his lines. Tigris had been the most he’d had to stretch for a character to date, he’d told Matt, though he’d earnestly added he liked the character’s ‘chewiness.’ 

Matt, who’d struggled equally hard to locate the generosity of spirit and ease of power that was Gael, continued to think that Ted was just as bad at casting to type as he was to aesthetic. 

Nico tossed his white-streaked hair back from his forehead and dragged on his black velvet cloak. “Will you run this scene again with me? I keep not getting the timbre of his ambition right.” He mouthed a few lines, twisted a green gemstone on his finger, and cast an agonized, kohl-rimmed look at Matt. “How do I channel the appropriate volume of petulance, the feeling of a man deprived what by all rights should be his?”

Matt draped himself over his rightful throne, trying to arrange his limbs with the same boneless grace Nico had achieved so easily. “Remember when we were at that falafel truck last week and it took twenty minutes for your order to come and you started cursing god?”

“Suck my dick, Rose,” said Nico reflexively, but looked thoughtful.  

“Later,” murmured Matt, and closed his eyes to wait.

-

“Spy,” snarled the prince, rounding on his cousin. Tigris stood his ground, jaw set against the taller man’s fury, lip curling with defiant derision. “You intrude here, in my father’s house, not content to be left to your life of indulgent luxury, so desperate for attention -”

Tigris’s eyes flashed, enraged despite himself. “Attention? You think that is what I crave? Heavens forbid I seek a world beyond the gilded cage my uncle keeps me in, indulging me like a spoilt puppy and giving me just as much freedom. Attention? I would give my eyeteeth for less! If one could trade condescending oversight for actual knowledge of how our kingdom is run-”

“Our kingdom,” repeated Gael. He cocked his head to the side, curiosity warring with the outrage in his noble features. “You truly think it so, do you? But our father-”

“Uncle,” said Tigris, under his breath.

“Our uncle -”

“My uncle,” said Tigris helpfully. “Your father.”

“My - okay, your -” Matt stopped. “Gawd. This doesn’t work at all.”

“See? It doesn’t work half as well without the incest.” Nico flicked a gem-encrusted finger at Matt’s nose.

Matt wrinkled it and adjusted the hang of gold chains over his collarbones. “You say this like I’m the one who made the script changes. And for the record, Cindy was as cut up about it as you are.” Cindy, script doctor extraordinaire, had also lurked the story on AO3 as it sailed up the ‘Original Fiction’ rankings, and was as distressed as he was about the loss of the throne sex scene. “It’s not my fault transgressive familial kink hasn’t crossed over from the hets yet.”

“Kink shmink, it totally shifts the dynamic.” Nico flapped his cloak emphatically. “Adopted cousins isn’t close to the same sort of layers of resentment and entitlement being a bastard half-brother would be.”

“Right,” said Matt, who’d definitely only re-read chapter 12 seven times for the entitlement, and not the way Tigris hissed ‘brother’ while bound to a bedpost. “The morality groups would lose their shit, though. Probably it was the right call.” It was impressive enough his agency had let him sign the role at all; he’d already rocked the boat enough asking if his casting was whitewashing.

“The morality groups are gonna lose their shit over the gay factor anyway,” said Nico stubbornly. “In for a penny...”

“What about the negative associations of homosexuality with sexual taboos?” 

“What about double standards?”

“Sure, it’s a double standard and it sucks, but you gotta start somewhere. It’s a story about being an outcast and fighting for scraps of dignity, fighting to be seen as human by people who want you to be less than that, and that’s gonna resonate with a lot of kids. You gotta lay the groundwork then fuck your brother.”

Nico raised an eyebrow and Matt shut up quickly; he, or rather his agency, had made a point of never letting him be drawn into these kinds of debates. “And I think compromise robs art of its power. What does the author think?” They both glanced across the set to where a woman in a peacock-print dress watched as Ted struggled to coral the child actors for the carnival scene. Her expression, behind her glasses, was unreadable. 

“Dunno.” Matt ran his hand through his hair. The dye had dried it out and he winced at the brittle, dead-grass feel of it. “Only time we spoke, we both tried to get each other’s autographs and it was really awkward. Bet she’d have some notes for you, though.”

“D’you know, Rose, that’s not a bad idea.” Once resolved, Nico was all action and he stood, script pages fluttering to the floor, velvet cloak swirling around his ankles. The jut of his jaw said that nothing short of poor falafel truck service would defeat him. 

“Ask her to show you the predicament bondage scene,” Matt told him helpfully. “There were some really important character beats in that, I thought.”

-

“You think you’re too good for me, don’t you?”

“What?” Matt looked up, taken completely off guard. He was stretched out in Nico’s window seat, deeply absorbed in a thinkpiece on why Kai Bourke would have been a better casting choice for Gael, and thoroughly agreeing with it. Seeing his boyfriend prowling towards him with a look of cold fury and a bare chest was enough to stop him mid-anonymous comment.

Nico stalked across the room towards him, the taut anger etched in every muscle creating a frayed grace that was almost violence. “That’s the worst of you, your highness. It’s not that you hate me. It’s not that you think less of me. It’s that you think nothing of me at all!”

Finally cottoning on, Matt swung his legs around and tried to remember his lines; it was hard, he truly couldn’t remember what part of the script this was. That in itself was unusual. Matt would hardly claim himself a natural thespian or even a diligent professional, but memorizing lines had been a skill drilled into him since he was eight years old and it was a tough habit to shake. Still, while Nico’s words - Tigris’s words - sounded vaguely familiar, he couldn’t for the life of him place them in Ted and Cindy’s script. 

“But I’m going to make certain you don’t forget me, brother,” whispered Nico, and that was just it, Matt realized. It wasn’t the script at all. It wasn’t even the book. It was the original.

“You read it?” he mouthed, as Nico’s hand wrapped around his wrist. 

“Shocked to learn I’m literate?” spat Nico, but favored him with the shadow of a wink. No shadow around his eyes this time, no gold woven into his hair, but he was more Tigris than he’d been on the soundstage. 

It was, simultaneously, extremely Nico. 

Matt tried, experimentally, to free his wrist and found he couldn’t. He shivered, feeling his pulse jump, knowing Nico could feel it too. “Was that an attempt to dig deeper into the artistic truth of the work, or to mine it for weird, kinky shit?” 

“Yes,” said Nico, bearing him down onto the cushions, beautiful and vengeful and careful not to knock Matt’s laptop off the seat.

-

One of the advantages of shooting a gay film with your boyfriend - one Arose had certainly never intended - was that when Nico turned, grabbed Matt by the lapels, and kissed him on the red carpet, everyone laughed and smiled and Matt knew the gossip mag headlines would be jokes about dedication to the craft and not shock sexuality scandals. His father probably wouldn’t- okay he’d definitely mind but it’d probably be a side note in a meeting about how to capitalize on the film’s success. 

And it was a success; some desperately hot sex aside, reading the story - the real story - had apparently been what Nico had needed to pull it together. All the pride and fear and desperate clawing longing of a tiger caged that had risen like a heat haze from Tigris’s story, and Nico had captured it, had reveled in it, and put it on the screen for all to see. 

Matt straightened his tie and winked to the paps - just a joke between bros, nothing queer here - and resolved to fuck Nico senseless in the restrooms after the premier. Nico laughed and stuck his tongue out. He’d left the white streak in his hair for the red carpet, as stark as the collar of his suit, and Matt had to say, it was growing on him.