#also I’ve been in the Les Mis fandom for literally 30 years. I am not being hyperbolic lol

[isurrendertoclones]

TW suicide and death and clone dehumanization

(This gets kinda dark!)

I was thinking about Javert, and then thinking about Dogma (as one do)

And I was thinking that there are…Certain Parallels

And that got me thinking about Fives actually trying to stop them from taking Dogma, only to find out that they weren’t taking him to kill him*—they were taking him because he tried to kill himself. And maybe Dogma asked to be reconditioned because he couldn’t live with himself

And then Fives is like C’MON, you were making such progress!!! “Dogma, you don’t want to forget about Tup and Hardcase**, do you?”

Dogma: …no…

*he’s fine he’s totally fine! 😅

**Hardcase is also fine

[arofili]

1, 3, 10, 13, 15, 18, 19, 27, 28, 30? only if u want tho

river OF COURSE i want to, thank youuuu

links are all bolded so you can find them easily and go READ ALL THE AMAZING FICS LINKED! (including mine!)

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

Not to toot my own horn so much, but...I really like all the fics I wrote this year!! I'm gonna split it into two categories :)

For longer fics: Maybe it's because that's where my head is right now, but "Roads Go On" takes the cake here! This fic is just so fun, and I see connections to it everywhere on tumblr, which is delightful.

For oneshots: Oof, this is hard, considering oneshots are the main thing I write... In the end I'm tied between two of them, and neither are Tolkien! I'm very proud of my Barricade Day 2018 fic, "A Witch's Gift" - I pretty much only write one Les Mis fic a year, even though Les Mis means a lot to me, and I think I achieved what I was going for and more with this fic. Also, I just love Musichetta!

The other one is frankly a surprise to me because I almost forgot I wrote it this year: "meant to be", a TAZ hurloane fic. That one didn't get a ton of response but I've had that concept in my head literally ever since I first listened to Petals to the Metal, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

do you know how hard this is to answer?? do you know how little I remember from january 2018?? a whole fucking year ago??

okay, this is 100% cheating, cuz I didn't go back and reread any of my other fics to find That Perfect Line, but I'm just proud of my poetry in "The Lay of Maedhros", another fic that y'all slept on. my dudes, I wrote in Tolkien's Very Own Poetic Style for this!! my favorite scene from this fic is Sauron's conversation with Maedhros.

(Oh, I am also pretty damn pleased with the philosomancy blabbering that goes on in "Gravity" between Gandalf and Fili!)

10. shortest wip of the year

Okay, this fic started out as a oneshot but I couldn't keep it down... I swear i'm working on the final chapter, ok?? I am??

It's "Wedding Blues" my qp!Domadry fic for @buffintruda's birthday that was... uh... 6 months ago.... oops. It's 9.6k, which isn't nothing! But it's shorter than the other two WIPs I've got going, which are both in the 20k range.

13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

i legit just listen to my spotify saved albums on repeat all year long with no particular soundtrack for writing... That being said, I've got a "Study Tunes" playlist on spotify that I use (on shuffle) for studying and sometimes writing! it's almost entirely instrumental with a focus on piano, and that really helps me get into The Zone while working!

15. something you learned this year

i swear i'm going to write a longer post on this later, but COMMENTING IS CREATING. this is something i've always believed, but i've been fleshing out the concept in my head and i believe it even more now.

Comments DIRECTLY influence the creation of more fic, and not only that, they are an integral part of the fic itself! Every time you or I leave a comment on a fic, you are creating fandom!

18. current number of wips

I try to keep myself to 2 long fics at a time, with oneshots here and there, but right now i'm at 3! "Roads Go On" + "Wedding Blues" i've already mentioned, but there's also my botfa fix-it "Moonlight" (that i will be turning my attention to asap, i promise!! it's only been uh... 5 months since the last update...yikes.)

19. any new fics to start next year

Honestly, I'll be astounded if I conclude "Roads Go On" and "Moonlight" this year. Especially now that I'm in college! So no, I'm not planning on it, except for oneshots (which I'm sure I will write several of).

Although if I can get around to it .... i have had a Legolas-as-Merida Brave AU floating around in my head since FOREVER... maybe I'll bust that out for Arospec Awareness Week...but probably not, oops.

27. favorite fanfic author of the year

@milesofkeeffe is the obvious answer! all your kiliel stuff is so so lovely :) but I also really enjoyed @waitineedaname's taz fics, and of course my homie @buffintruda always knocks it out of the park!

28. longest fic you read this year

it's got to be @milesofkeeffe‘s "Spring After Winter and Sun On the Leaves" coming in at 123k words! of course I've been reading that fic since it began in 2017, so for a fic that i read in its entirety in 2018... that would be this blupjeans fic, "The Last Days of the Legato Conservatory" by goldfishoflove. (warning: it gets nsfw) That one is only 10k words.... can you tell I prefer shorter fics? (Long fics intimidate me! so much time commitment!)

  30. favorite fandom to read fic from this year

probably TAZ! I mean, the past few weeks i've been drowning in Tolkien fic (esp Silm fic) but for the overall year I've got to go with TAZ, this fandom's got so many talented writers! 

ask me about my 2018 fics!

[ragsandmuffins]

Musical Theatre Themed Ask

Okay, I’m gonna answer... all of these! (Because I have a paper to write and zero motivation. And also: musicals.)

Oh, and by the way, I’m going to assume that every “Broadway” is a “Broadway/West End” because Tumblr is a free platform.

1. What was the first musical you saw?

Mary Poppins, West End, 2006 (not 100% sure about the year)

2. What musical got you really  into theatre?

Les Misérables - saw the film, started stalking the actors, you know how it goes.

3. Who was your first Broadway crush?

Aaron Tveit (he’s the main one) and Samantha Barks - like I said, stalking the Les Mis actors...

4. Name three of your current Broadway crushes.

Um... still Aaron Tveit? Plus Rob Houchen (Les Mis London) and Cleve September (In the Heights London and soon Hamilton London) - Also, I get “talent crushes” not physical attraction crushes.

5. Name four of your dream roles.

Only 4? Natalie Goodman, Enjolras, Maureen Johnson, and HERCULES MULLIGAN!!

(I can’t sing, act, or dance, nor am I a man, so...)

6. Favourite off-broadway show:

Heathers and The Last Five Years

7. Favourite cast recording.

Gotta be Hamilton, it’s just such a well-produced album. Bonus points for including nearly the entire show.

8. 2013 Tony opening number or 2016 Tony opening number?

2012? The Book of Mormon thing is just pure gold!

9. Favourite show currently on Broadway.

Broadway: I guess Hamilton - There are way too few that I actually know.

West End: Les Misérables forever!

10. A musical that closed and you’re still bitter about. Rant a bit.

In the Heights London! Though I can’t really complain, they extended their initially run several times and now they’ve cast my amazing Sonny as Laurens/Philip, so... But it was just so good!!

11. Best stage to screen adaptation?

Les Misérables. Controversial, I know, but I usually kind of hate movie musicals. With this one they did something new and different and I think it works. The Last Five Years is pretty good too, though it lost a lot in the adaptation (couldn’t be avoided).

12. Worst  stage to screen adaptation?

Rent. I’m sorry, I love the show, I love the cast, but it all feels so staged and wrong and meh. Also, they cut Goodbye Love and left in fucking Santa Fé which adds exactly nothing to the plot!!

13. Favourite #ham4ham?

Gotta be the Schuyler Georges, but there have been so many great ones...

14. A musical you would love to see produced by Deaf West?

Oh, tricky... Maybe Next to Normal? That has a lot to do with people holding things in and failing to see each others’ struggles.

15. If you could revive any musical, which one would it be and who would you cast in it?

Not exactly a revival, but bring Next to Normal to the West End already! That show’s got a sodding Pulitzer. And London’s only a 2 hour flight away from where I live, not a transatlantic one, so I might actually be able to go see it.

Oh, and give Spring Awakening another chance, West End. Maybe adapt some American Sign Language into British Sign Language and...?

Also, maybe revive Rent, Broadway? (And cast Aaron Tveit as Roger... please?)

16. If you could go to a concert at the 54 below, who’s would it be?

That list would be waaaaaayyy too long...

17. Do you watch broadway.com vlogs? Which one is your favourite?

I’ve seen a few, but I don’t really watch them on a regular basis, so no favourites...

18. Make a Broadway related confession.

I really, really hate South Pacific. It was part of our American drama syllabus, as an example of a musical. Quite apart from the fact that I think it’s a godawful, sort of racist and sexist show (it’s from the 40s, go figure), it displays LITERALLY EVERY cliché about musicals!

19. What do musicals mean to you?

Hard to say... Apart from hours and hours of ALL the emotions, some awesome internet buddies (looking at you, @frei-und-schwerelos), I’ve got generally more interested in and knowledgable about theatre, which is a great asset when you study English. Musicals have also introduced me to a wide range of music I wouldn’t normally listen to and so many talented people I wouldn’t have known about otherwise...

20. Express some love for understudies and swings!

Okay here goes: I went to see the West End production of Memphis because of Killian Donnelly and then he unexpectedly wasn’t on that night - bummer. But then Jon Robyns just knocked it out of the part (and I only ever listened to Avenue Q and Spamalot because I watched clips of him when he was in those shows).

My first Thénardier was Adam Pearce and his version of “It was me wot told you so...” is the funniest one I’ve ever heard (he kind of went “No? Sorry, fair enough.”).

The second time I saw the show Adam Bayjou was Valjean and his Bring Him Home was one of the best I’ve ever heard (effortless high notes).

Also, Charlotte Kennedy was Cosette that time (she’s principal Cosette now) and her performance was so incredibly sweet! (She also brought some brunette power into the sea of blond that were Marius and Éponine.)

And Jordan Lee Davies was Bamatabois both times and he was great!

Oh, and my Christine from Phantom was the wonderful Lisa-Anne Wood.

21. Best Disney musical:

Mary Poppins - My first ever musical, fond memories, I still wear the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious shirt my dad bought me (11 years ago... didn’t fit then, fits now).

22. Which Disney movie should be made into a musical?

Uh, I don’t know. Tangled’s funny...

23. Which musical fandom has the funniest memes?

Hamilton and Les Mis. I mean, the Les Mis/Mean Girls crossovers alone...

24. Name a character from a musical you would sort into your Hogwarts house.

Well, the test sorted me into Hufflepuff (great house), but I know that I am a Ravenclaw (and, as we know, the hat listens to you). Okay, Ravenclaw... maybe Melchior from Spring Awakening?

25. Name a Broadway star you would sort into your Hogwarts house.

Ugh, that’s even harder! Sorry, no clue.

26. Best on stage chemistry?

Hmm from what I’ve seen live, Rob Houchen and Carrie Hope Fletcher were pretty darn amazing together.

From what I haven’t seen live, Jennifer Damiano and Adam Chanler-Berat, and Justin Johnston and Michael McElroy seemed fantastic.

27. A Broadway duo you love.

I’m gonna say Jonathan Groff and Lin-Manuel Miranda, but I’m not sure I understand the question...

28. What book, tv show, movie, biography, video game, etc. should be turned into a musical?

Umm... I don’t know. Supernatural sort of is a musical... A Lord of the Rings musical in the style of A Very Potter Musical might be fun. The Fellowship of the Sing? I’ll show myself out.

29. If you could make a jukebox musical, what artist or genre would you pick?

I doubt many people know her but: Vienna Teng. For three reasons (aside from me liking her songs): 1. Her songs tell stories. 2. She often writes from the perspective of “characters.” 3. Her songs are actual poetry!

30. Favourite role played by _________________?

I don’t get it. What am I supposed to put here?

31. What musical has made you cry the most?

I don’t actually cry often at musicals (internally I do), but It’s Quiet Uptown from Hamilton got me bad the first time. And I once listened to Next to Normal when I was already feeling like shit - bad idea! (Don’t listen to There’s a World when you kind of want there to not be a world, kids...)

32. What musical has made you laugh the most?

Probably Avenue Q and Something Rotten

33. Current showtune stuck in you head:

Well, you just put Hard to Be the Bard in my head!

34. A musical that has left you thinking about life for a long time or deeply inspired you.

Les Misérables... I haven’t spent a single week without thinking about that show (or, indeed, the book) since early 2013.

Next to Normal also gave me a lot to think about.

I keep discovering new little bits of genius in Hamilton lyrics. Also, I’m writing a paper on the early US for the second time in under a year and characters from Hamilton (otherwise know as historical figures) keep popping up. Seriously, I’m writing about the Whiskey Rebellion and every time I read Hamilton’s name my brain goes PAY YOUR FUCKING TAXES!

I’ve also thought quite a bit about Heathers and The Last Five Years, because both of them have had productions where they genderbended (genderbent?) a main character, which made me think about how it changes the story and why.

35. If you could perform any ensemble number , which one would you pick?

“If you could...” Are you implying that I don’t?! Come on, any theatre geek who claims never to have done a solo rendition of One Day More is definitely lying! Oh, and I rapped myself all the way through One Shot the other day and made only one mistake - one that Lin’s made before, so I’m proud!

36. Name a musical you didn’t like at first but ended up loving.

I don’t think that’s really happened... There have been shows where I thought “What in the holy hell is this?!” and ended up loving it. I mean, what in the holy hell is Avenue Q?!

37. What are some costumes you’d love to try on?

Give me that red vest! Also, let me play Enjolras! Yes, I know I’m a woman and can only hit that low “foooorm” when I’ve got a really bad cold, but fuck all that!

I’d also really like to try on Elphaba’s Act II dress, because it’s epic!

38. Favourite dance break.

Hmmm... I don’t really have one? The one in Cool and the ballet in Somewhere where they sort of replay what’s happened are pretty amazing (both West Side Story).

39. Favourite Starkid musical:

A Very Potter Musical is the only one I know... Sorry...

40. What’s a musical more people should know about?

Well, where I live, most people have heard of Cats, Phantom, and Mamma Mia and that’s about it.

But in general, I’ve never met anyone who’s even heard of Assassins (although many people who have met me have now heard everything about Assassins - I’m that kind of person).

41. What are some lines from musicals you really like?

Okay, this is gonna take a while...

"Can you remind me of what it was like at the top of the world?” (In the Heights)

“Oh, my friends, my friends, don’t ask me what your sacrifice was for.” (Les Misérables - internal Niagara Falls!)

“Here, put some hail into the chief.” (Assassins)

“But the sky’s gonna hurt when it falls. So you’d better start building some walls.” (Heathers)

“I’m not mad that you got mad when I got mad when you said I should go drop dead!” (Tick, Tick... Boom!)

“My God, in God we trust, but we never really know what God discussed.” (Hamilton)

“What doesn’t kill me doesn’t kill me.” (Next to Normal)

And just for fun: “Honest living, honest living, honest living, honest living,...” (Rent)

42. Name a Tony performance you rewatch and rewatch.

In the Heights, Next to Normal, Hamilton, and Spring Awakening (both versions).