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pankows-girl · 5 years ago

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Can I Be Him? - Tom Holland

Pairing: Tom Holland x reader, Harrison Osterfield x reader

Summary: Based on “Can I Be Him” by James Arthur

Word Count: 1,266

Warning: Cheating, Cussing

A/N: This has been a wip for literal years but I finally got motivation to finish it at 3 am. It’s probably terrible but oh well lol. Enjoy

For as long as Tom can remember, him and Harrison had been best friends. Nothing could break the strong bond that they had made over the years, or at least before you came into the picture and changed everything. The three of you had met at a bar, you were performing as a solo artist and the boys caught your eye. After your set they came up to you and offered to buy you a drink and you accepted. A new friendship quickly formed between the three of you and soon enough you all started to hang out together. Tom and Harrison both fell in love with you but in the end only one of them got the girl.

Tom was beyond devastated when you and Harrison had started dating. Each time he was left to be the third wheel and it hurt him to see you happy with someone that wasn’t him. However, that someone was his best friend and he was happier than Tom had ever seen him before. The way you two went together so perfectly made Tom jealous. That should be him that gets to hold you and kiss you. There were a few times that he thought about admitting his feelings to both you and Harrison but he chose to bite his tongue and stay quiet. Who was he to ruin your happiness?

It wasn’t long before your singing career took off and you were performing all over the place. You were amazing, writing your own music, following your dreams. Harrison could not have been more proud of his girl or at least that’s what Tom thought. Tonight Haz and Tom went to every one of your shows, supporting you and your love of music.

Tonight you were singing a new song, one that neither Tom nor Haz had heard. As you walked onto the stage, Tom was blown away. You looked so gorgeous. It was like a punch to the gut as Tom remembered that you weren’t his, even if he wanted you to be. Oh, how he wished he never fell for you, then he would never have to feel this way, feel this longing that he always felt when you were around. He knew even if he had the chance to turn back time, he would fall for you again and again.

You walked into the room and now my heart has been stolen

You took me back in time to when I was unbroken

Now you're all I want

And I knew it from the very first moment

'Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again

As you started to sing Tom felt his heart skip a beat. It felt like you were looking right at him, like he was the one that existed besides you. But, he knew it must have been Harrison you were staring at, who was standing right next to Tom. Though you were dating his best friend, his heart ached for you, hoping against all odds that the words you sang had even the tiniest semblance to him.

I swear that every word you sing, you wrote them for me

Like it was a private show, I know you never saw me

When the lights come on and I'm on my own

Will you be there to sing it again?

Tom knew that to you he was just another face in the crowd, only a friend, but it didn’t hurt any less. As selfish as it was, he loved you and he needed to tell you. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to do it, to risk ruining his friendship with you and Harrison. He wanted to be with you, be able to love you in the most wonderful way but how could he?

“She’s great isn’t she?” Harrison spoke to Tom, snapping him out of his thoughts of what life would be like if you were his.

“Oh yeah, mate. Y/n’s killing it up there.”

Harrison clapped Tom on the back, his eyes drifting over his shoulder to check out some girl that wasn’t you. The brunett gave him a once over and nodded her head at him

Tom clenched his jaw, unable to believe what’s about to happen. As much as he loved his best friend, he also envied him and his relationship with you. Not only that but he felt guilty for wanting his best friend's girl. But all that guilt flew out the window as soon as Harrison’s eyes wandered and he took a step towards the girl.

Tom looked at you for a moment. You were in your old world, oblivious to him calling after Harrison as he followed the brunette throughout the club after, eyes begging Tom to keep this quiet. Tom was dumbfounded as he realized the person he considered a brother was really a cheating asshole.

He felt sick to his stomach. You deserved so much better than Harrison. Tom knew he had to tell you about this but he didn’t know how. Little did he know that you already knew. You saw Harrison walk off with that girl and you did nothing. You continued to sing even though your chest hurt and tears threatened to escape your eyes.

After the show was over, Tom made his way backstage. He cleared his throat upon entrance, alerting you of his presence. You jumped, turning to look at him and noticing that Harrison was nowhere to be seen. Your eyes watered with more unshed tears and they didn’t go unnoticed by Tom.

“Where’s Haz?” your lip quivered as you spoke, already knowing the answer.

“Fuck him, seriously,” Tom scoffed angrily. He stepped forward, burying his face in your hair as he wrapped you in a hug. “He’s a twat.”

“I could treat you so much better than him,” Tom whispered into your ear, tensing as he awaited your reaction. “Just give me a chance please, darling.”

I heard there was someone but I know he don't deserve you

If you were mine I'd never let anyone hurt you, no, no

I wanna dry those tears, kiss those lips

It's all that I've been thinking about

'Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again

If you were being completely honest with yourself, you hadn’t been happy with Harrison for a while. You and Haz both knew it but never brought it up with another and sure him cheating really hurt but you also couldn’t lie and say that you weren’t relieved.

This was your shot at happiness with Tom. His words ignited a spark in you. One that caused all the hair on your arm to stand up and a smile to stretch across your lips.

“Ok, Tommy,” you mused. “Here’s your chance, don’t miss it.”

A smile lit up his face, Tom unable to believe that what he’s wanted for so long was actually happening to him. His eyes wandered down to your lips and you nodded, giving him permission to kiss you. Almost immediately his mouth connected to yours, nose rubbing against your cheek. You both pulled away for air.

“I have something to tell you, Tom,” you started nervously. Tom’s eyes shined as he looked down at you with curiosity. “That song I sang earlier was about you.”

He blushed at your confession. Heart nearly leaping out of his chest at his dream come true.

Tom pecked you in the lips. “I want you to sing it again. For me, please?”

Tag List: @toms-order @hollandjmc @totallyreadyforthis @tomholllandsquackson

Lmk if you wanna be added or taken off

#tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland imagine #tom holland one shot #tom holland fanfiction #harrison osterfield x reader #song fic #haz osterfield #tom holland fanfic #my writing

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whoisundergroundman · 4 years ago

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20 songs that made my list of 20 songs from 2020!

Playlist at the bottom of the page.

“Sold My Soul” by Cut Worms

Nobody Lives Here Anymore is one of my favorite albums of the year so there were a bunch of good songs to choose from. At this particular moment, "Sold My Soul” is the one that stands out to me. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

“Friend Machine” by Nation of Language

On an album full of catchy, 80s indebted new wave, this tune jumps out mainly because it has the best, most original keyboard riff, objectively speaking of course.

“Kiss Me” by Drew Citron

I like Beverly so I thought I might like their lead singer’s solo album. I was right. This song sounds like Blue Album era Weezer and I like that era of Weezer.

“Bad Vacation” by Liza Anne

Liza Anne writes good tunes and has personality plus. This album should have broadened her audience base. Maybe it did. I hope so.

“Try Again” by Andy Shauf

Andy Shauf sounds a bit like a singer/songwriter from the 70s. He writes clever but earnest songs that tell relatable stories. His voice has a slight affectation that for some reason doesn’t really bother me. It could be that his sincerity and obvious talent for crafting a nice tune just outweigh my distaste for such vocal fuckery. Or maybe it’s because he looks kind of like national treasure Dax Shepard.

“Selfless” by The Strokes

An actual straightforward love song from the coolest dudes since Arthur Fonzarelli. The chorus really gets me, especially when he goes all falsetto on your ass. The Strokes have no right or reason to still be writing songs this good.

“Haha” by Dehd

This young Chicago band released a great record in 2020 that really scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. I wasn’t the only one who noticed and I’m encouraged to see that a band like this can still get press in prominent publications. Alliteration baby.

“The Steps” by Haim

Haim isn’t exactly toiling in obscurity, but in another time they would have been one of the biggest bands in the world. The songwriting, arrangements and performances on their 2020 album, Women in Music Pt. III, demonstrate a level of talent and ability beyond that which most artists seem to be operating on.

“Kitchen Floor” by Jess Cornelius

Another song from an entire album of gems. It’s got that rare combination of top-notch song craft, honesty and relatability. The trifecta baby.

“Torture Me” by Phantom Planet

Having assumed Phantom Planet had broken up a long time ago, I didn’t foresee them releasing music ever again, let alone music as good as their latest album. It’s too bad they're not getting the attention they garnered back in their early days because Devastator is probably the best thing they've ever done. “Torture Me” is a stripped down slow burner with an appropriately aching melody and well placed little flourishes throughout. That’s right, aching.

“On The Floor” by Perfume Genius

I’d been waiting years for Perfume Genius to make an album that skews closer to my sensibilities when he finally did the right thing this year with Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. "On The Floor” is a fun song that seems to be about feeling doubt or anxiety, which is one of my favorite pop song dichotomies. I also really enjoy how the snare follows his vocal phrasing on the chorus when he sings “cross out his name on the page.” Good stuff.

“Alexandra” by RVG

I thought RVG would blow up after their last album but that did not happen people. I’ve never been good at predicting stuff like that, unlike people who swear they knew Tom Hanks would be huge after seeing him in Bosom Buddies. Anyway, RVG have a distinctive, assured sound and a front woman with a singular voice who writes evocative songs that she sings with conviction and feeling, which is perfectly exemplified by the song “Alexandra.”

“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd

Come on, this shit is irresistibly catchy and you know it. The hooks don’t stop and why should they?

“Never Change Enough” by Kelley Stoltz

Who doesn’t love breezy, self deprecating indie pop with Byrdsian guitar riffs and a dead pan vocal delivery. Perverts, that’s who.

“Can’t Do Much” by Waxahatchee

Maybe I should have just made a list of best albums instead because this is another song I had difficulty choosing from a standout release filled with hits. It sounds like classic country and Katie Crutchfield's full, emotive voice projects both confidence and vulnerability, which is another one of my favorite pop song dichotomies.

“Hung Up and Overdue” by Tom Petty

Wildflowers was finally released as the double album Petty originally wanted it to be and that’s great I guess. It’s a good album, but it never resonated with me the way his earlier ones did. That said, “Hung Up and Overdue” is a really pretty song and it’s a Petty tune that came out in 2020 so I really had no choice but to include it.

“Impossible Weight” by Deep Sea Diver

I downloaded the album because of this really good song and it was fine. This song is really good though.

“Daily Routine” by Disq

I bought tickets to see this band at Rough Trade but that shit was canceled like everything else. They have a real joie de vivre so I was excited to see them play their album live. This is probably my favorite song on the record but they definitely could have cut some of the fat at the end and brought us home in under four minutes.

“About Her, Again” by Son Little

Very cool Reddingesque tune from 2020. Love the spare, spacious production and Son Little’s rich, raw vocals.

“Burn” by Hinds

This song is all about the chorus and I like when songs start with the chorus, especially when the chorus is good, like the one in the song “Burn” by Hinds.

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freddielocks · 5 years ago

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Here's part 2: now we turn our attention to the rarest albums in my collection! The values are higher, of course, but twelve tracks will generally be worth more than two!

An honourable mention goes to the Who, with their album My Generation on Brunswick. Despite this technically being the most expensive on the list at a colossal £600 book and £825 maximum sale value, there is a serious gulf between unplayed pristine copies and copies of any lower calibre - it isn't a true rarity. At any rate my copy has no cover.

10) Kevin Ayers - Joy Of A Toy

Label: Harvest, cat. SHVL 763

Year: 1969, 10 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £240

Book value: £150

Paid: £40 in Plastic Wax Records

Notes: couple of scratches but overall a nice playing copy. Cover good. 1st pressing with no EMI box on the label.

Kevin Ayers was a charismatic singer with a demure voice, involved in the Canterbury Scene and the genesis of progressive rock, being a founder member of the Soft Machine. Joy Of A Toy, his first solo record, is a wonderfully anachronistic blast of poppy psychedelia, with not many standout songs but designed to be listened to all the way through. Nevertheless, swinging opener 'Song For Insane Times' and the unsettling 'children's' song 'Lady Rachel' are my highlights.

9) John And Yoko - The Wedding Album

Label: Apple, cat. SAPCOR 11

Year: 1969, 2 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £259

Book price: £600 (bear in mind a complete set has never sold)

Paid: £15, from a 'friend' needing money for a night out!

John Lennon and Yoko Ono's marriage in Gibraltar, for various reasons I can't remember, and their 'Bed Peace' protest were documented in this lavish package. Musically, the album is truly bizarre. The first side is 22 minutes of the pair's heartbeats as they shout each other's names in various ways (yeah) and the flip is a sound collage of a bunch of recordings and interviews made in Amsterdam during Bed Peace. I wanted a copy during my phase of intrigue into the Beatles' experimental solo works, and somehow I got one!

Out of the full package that originally came with the LP, I own the gatefold sleeve that held the record, the large wedding photos, the cartoon poster and the booklet of press clippings. The cardboard in there may be original too, and there's a random photo of John Lennon I was given free at a record fair once. The box is not, it was lovingly replicated from a Reader's Digest box set of show songs. Original boxes had a facsimile wedding certificate glued to the inside. I am sadly missing the 'Bagism' plastic bag, the pop up cutout of the wedding cake and the small strip of passport photos. What a package - it must have cost a lot at the time!

8) Blonde On Blonde - Contrasts

Label: Pye, cat. NSPL.18288

Year: 1969, 12 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £290

Book price: £175

Paid: £12 in Plastic Wax

Notes: I only have half the cover! Clearly someone wanted to have the pretty girl on their wall... The LP is in playable condition. It took some cleaning though.

This Welsh outfit came at the beginning of progressive rock, and the LP is surprisingly assured and complex straight from the bold opener 'Ride With Captain Max'. Hard rock, baroque stately ballads and in between are all present, with other highlights being the sitar-drenched 'Spinning Wheel' (a cover of Blood Sweat and Tears), the sneeringly humorous 'Conversationally Making The Grade' (I love the line 'America's gonna buy us, turn us into a national park') and the wistful closer 'Jeanette Isabella'.

7) Second Hand - Reality

Label: Polydor, cat. 583 045

Year: 1968, 10 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £295

Book value: £200

Paid: £50 on eBay

Notes: second press, with labels crediting Second Hand instead of their first name, The Moving Finger (also the name of the band who released the gorgeous 'Pain of My Misfortune' single which I'm still looking for). The cover is deliberately 'worn' as a pun on the band name, and the vinyl is not perfect but really nice.

Again, Second Hand were at the forefront of progressive rock, miles ahead of many more popular acts. Band leader Ken Elliott was a keyboard wizard as well as lead vocalist, and the rest of the band were also brilliant musicians, augmented by the cello and flute of Chris Williams on certain tracks. The album has a loose concept about a clown, Denis James, whose life hits difficulties and culminates in his eventual suicide in the bath. The first side contains many brilliant vignettes, with tough rockers alongside orchestrated psychedelia, culminating in the woozy and fatigued 'The World Will End Yesterday'. However, be ready to turn it over. There are four tracks on the second side, the first being a cheery entree to the Denis James character. What follows is a devastating emotional journey that grabs you by the neck, with heavy murk contrasting the swooning cello arrangements and jazzy flute. This culminates in the Bath Song, and the death of D.J. Brutal, and has to be heard to be experienced. I thought it was even more chilling as I was told Bob Gibbons, the lead guitarist, killed himself nine years later. However that's a stupid myth for hype, unfortunately it was an accidental electrocution.

6) The Graham Bond Organization - Sound Of '65

Label: Columbia, cat. 33SX 1711

Year: 1965 (obviously!), 12 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £300

Book value: £400

Paid: around £40 in Plastic Wax

Notes: looks much rougher than it plays. First press with '33SX' in the catalogue number.

Graham Bond, a former radiator salesman, was an amazing saxophone player and keyboardist (and decent singer) who cut his teeth alongside the now legendary Don Rendell. Also in the Organization, the band he formed after leaving Rendell's Quintet, was the other great saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, and two future members of supergroup Cream, bassist and singer Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. The album is classy jazzy R&B, covering many well known standards with a few originals in there. 'Baby Be Good To Me' is my standout pick, a scurrying shuffle with darting saxophone and cool organ fills driving it along.

5) The Wailers - Catch A Fire

Label: Island, cat. ILPS 9241

Year: 1973, 9 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £350

Book price: £150

Paid: £12 in Plastic Wax

Notes: the upper part of the cover, which swung off as if a 'Zippo' lighter, is missing. The LP is very scratched, but is the original pink rim 1st pressing.

Bob Marley and The Wailers made this iconic album debut in 1973, starting the ball rolling on their incredible popularity. A classic of the new reggae sound straight from the darkly grooving opener 'Concrete Jungle'. Nuff said really! Check it out, you'll enjoy it.

4) The Graham Bond Organization - There's a Bond Between Us

Label: Columbia, cat. 33SX 1750

Year: 1965, 12 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £395

Book price: £400

Paid: £35 from Plastic Wax

Notes: slightly shabbier than the other GBO LP (they were bought together). Still a solid player.

This second album sees the GBO expand their sound, and is arguably the stronger of the two. Not only does Jack Bruce's suave and strong voice get more of an outing, but the three instrumentals make it impossible to sit down listening to the album! Have a dance to the punchy opener 'Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?' and listen to the Eastern-flavoured Baker-led 'Camels and Elephants'.

3) The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire

Label: Pye, cat. NPL.18317

Year: 1969, 12 tracks

Highest on Discogs: £421

Book price: £150

Paid: £20 in Plastic Wax

Notes: much rarer mono issue. Comes with original Queen Victoria lyric insert, but cover and record are very battered. 'Victoria' will not play as there is something up with the grooves. Maybe an industrial clean is in order.

This album, the last in the series of roughly conceptual Kinks LPs, is a delightfully quirky musical take on end-of-empire Britain, taking various melodic cues from music of the time and combining them with distinctly British themes and some serious danceability. One could argue that 'Victoria' invented pub rock. 'Brainwashed' is a cool mod dancer and 'Shangrila', the second single from the album, is a complex ode to humble home life and a shrewd observation on class. The hits and commercial success was gone by now, but is now the most acclaimed part of the Kinks' oeuvre.

2) Trees - On The Shore

Label: CBS, cat. S 64168

Year: 1970, 10 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £483

Book price: £400

Paid: £12 in Plastic Wax

Notes: two large grievous scratches on the A-side - but they barely even sound, it's a great player!

Acid folk was practically invented by Trees, who had already laid down the wonderful Garden of Jane Delawney LP. The characteristic soaring vocals of Celia Humphris delightfully interplayed with fuzzy rock to create a new exciting edge on traditional folk songs and some startling original material. The short opener 'Soldiers Three' signals their intent clearly. Their arrangement of the infamous folk ballad 'Streets of Derry' lends it an excellent charging energy, but arguably the standouts are the ominous and cryptic 'Fool' and the soaring and energetic 'Murdoch', showing staggering songcraft. As if the album didn't have more than enough going for it, 'Geordie' was sampled by Gnarls Barkley on their track 'St. Elsewhere', leading to a renaissance of the band's work. Despite appearing on numerous samplers put out by the record label, Trees never became a commercial success, a fact which boggles the mind.

1) The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland

Label: Track, cat. 613008/9

Year: 1968, 16 tracks

Highest Discogs sale: £645

Book price: £300

Paid: I will never know!

Notes: second press with white text on the sleeve instead of turquoise. Yes, stupid things like that make a difference. One record contains Sides 1 and 4, the other sides 2 and 3, which isn't standard.

Arguably Hendrix's masterpiece, this album needs little introduction, mixing psychedelia, jazz, R&B and even more into a great cosmic double album. Just listen to '1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be') and you'll understand the sheer power and weight of this record. Glorious from start to finish.

Thanks again!

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arthur-of-camelot · 5 years ago

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Arthur’s team is a little more eclectic at first glance, but ultimately I think they do make sense to be who he has with him. For him I thought of pokemon that might seem tougher or more noble or impressive as kind of the basic search item, rather than by type. This led to a mix here of dragons, psychic and water types.

Dragonite: “Despite its bulky build, Dragonite is capable of flying faster than the speed of sound. It can circle the globe in sixteen hours, traveling roughly 1,556mph (2,505km/h), or about three times the speed of an average airplane. A kindhearted Pokémon with human-like intelligence, Dragonite shows signs of altruism: it is said to save humans from drowning and lead lost or foundering ships to safety.” I thought a rare pokemon like Dragonite would be such a solid choice for Arthur. I also liked that it has human intelligence and the tendency toward altruism. I think that’s something that would draw Arthur to it and vice versa. I also feel that Dragonite appeared to be one of the more noble/impressive pokemon in the OG anime and that was sort of what helped make the choice here.

Tyrantrum: "the Despot Pokémon. Using its jaw, Tyrantrum can rip through thick metal. In times past, it was considered unbeatable.” What appeals to me most about Arthur having a Tyrantrum is the fact that it had to be brought back through a fossil, in the same way Arthur was brought back via magic. I think that connection is cool, and honestly dinosaurs/dino pokemon are awesome concepts.

Lugia: “It is said that a light flutter of its wings is capable of causing winds powerful enough to tear down cliffs. If it were to flap its wings, it could hypothetically spawn storms lasting as long as 40 days. It is highly intelligent, and because of the devastating power it could accidentally inflict, it isolates itself deep underwater and tends to sleep in solitude.” An isolated pokemon that’s incredibly powerful? I think there’s something impressive about Lugia, and that it would vibe well with Arthur who tends to be a very solitary figure himself. The two would bond well and be a little happier with each other around.

Alakazam: “Alakazam is able to use all forms of psychic abilities. The overflow of its psychic powers can cause headaches to those nearby. These powers are used to move its body, as opposed to its weak muscles. It also uses its psychic powers to hold up its head, which is too heavy to be supported by its neck. Due to its continually growing brain its head becomes larger with age. It is said to have an excellent memory and can remember everything that it has experienced since hatching as an Abra, and has an IQ that exceeds 5,000. It is found in urban areas.” I don’t have a very good explanation for why Arthur should have Alakazam, except that he seems magic in a sense and his IQ is so high, and it’d be like the pokemon partner that he’d probs call Merlin.

Slowbro: I can’t even really explain why I think Slowbro is an Arthur pokemon. He just is. “Slowbro has lost the capability to feel pain due to the Shellder's poison. However, it apparently becomes inspired when the Shellder bites down on its tail.” How wild a concept is that. A pokemon that can’t feel pain anymore but gets inspired to do stuff. I just think Arthur would have a ridiculous attachment to this guy.

Poliwrath: A fighting and water type, I think he’s the tough pokemon of the crew. I feel like Arthur has Poliwrath so he can have a pokemon to work out with. That sounds super lame, but Arthur would 100 percent do that. Who needs to work out solo when you’ve got your pokemon pal with you?

#bdrpwrimolena

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if-only-angels-could-prevail · 8 years ago

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On the soon-to-be demolished stage of the Weismann Theatre, a reunion is being held to honor the Weismann's "Follies" shows past, and the beautiful chorus girls who performed there every year between the two world wars. The once resplendent theatre is now little but planks and scaffolding (”Arrival”). As the ghosts of the young showgirls slowly drift through the theatre, a majordomo enters with his entourage of waiters and waitresses. They pass through the spectral showgirls without seeing them.

Sally Durant Plummer, "blond, petite, sweet-faced" and at 49 "still remarkably like the girl she was thirty years ago", a former Weismann girl is the first guest to arrive; her ghostly youthful counterpart moves towards her. Phyllis Rogers Stone, a stylish and elegant woman, also arrives with her husband Ben, a renowned philanthropist and politician. As their younger counterparts approach them, Phyllis comments to Ben about their past. He feigns disinterest; there is an underlying tension in their relationship. As more guests arrive, Sally’s husband, Buddy, enters. He is a salesman, in his early 50s, appealing and lively, whose smiles cover inner disappointment.

Finally, Weismann enters to greet his guests. Roscoe, the old master of ceremonies, introduces the former showgirls ("The Way Old Friends Do"). Former Weismann performers at the reunion include Max and Stella Deems, who lost their radio jobs and became store owners in Miami; Solange La Fitte, a coquette, who is vibrant and flirtatious even at 66; Hattie Walker, who has outlived five younger husbands; Vincent and Vanessa, former dancers who now own an Arthur Murray franchise; Heidi Schiller, for whom Franz Lehár once wrote a waltz (or was it Oscar Straus? Facts never interest her; what matters is the song!); and Carlotta Campion, a film star who has embraced life and benefited from every experience.

As the guests reminisce, the stories of Ben, Phyllis, Buddy and Sally unfold. Phyllis and Sally were roommates while in the Follies, and Ben and Buddy were best friends at school in New York. When Sally sees Ben, her former lover, she greets him self-consciously ("Mamma Mia"). Buddy and Phyllis join their spouses and the foursome reminisces about the old days of their courtship and the theatre, their memories vividly coming to life in the apparitions of their young counterparts ("Our Last Summer"). Each of the four is shaken at the realization of how life has changed them. Elsewhere, Willy Wheeler (portly, in his sixties) cartwheels for a photographer. Emily and Theodore Whitman, ex-vaudevillians in their seventies, perform an old routine ("Me And Bobby And Bobby’s Brother"). Solange proves she is still fashionable at what she claims is 66 ("Dancing Queen"), and Hattie Walker performs her old showstopping number ("Does Your Mother Know").

Buddy warns Phyllis that Sally is still in love with Ben, and she is shaken by how the past threatens to repeat itself. Sally is awed by Ben’s apparently glamorous life, but Ben wonders if he made the right choices and considers how things might have been ("Another Town, Another Train"). Sally tells Ben how her days have been spent with Buddy, trying to convince him (and herself) ("Super Trouper"). But it is clear that Sally is still in love with Ben – even though their affair ended badly when Ben decided to marry Phyllis. She shakes loose from the memory and begins to dance with Ben, who is touched by the memory of the Sally he once cast aside.

Phyllis interrupts this tender moment and has a biting encounter with Sally. Before she has a chance to really let loose, they are both called on to participate in another performance – Stella Deems and the ex-chorines line up to perform an old number ("Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"), as they are mirrored by their younger selves. Afterward, Phyllis and Ben angrily discuss their lives and relationship, which has become numb and emotionless. Sally is bitter and has never been happy with Buddy, although he has always adored her. She accuses him of having affairs while he is on the road, and he admits he has a steady girlfriend, Margie, in another town, but always returns home. Carlotta amuses a throng of admirers with a tale of how her dramatic solo was cut from the Follies because the audience found it humorous, transforming it as she sings it into a toast to her own hard-won survival ("I Wonder (Departure)").

Ben confides to Sally that his life is empty. She yearns for him to hold her, but young Sally slips between them and the three move together ("Crazy World"). Ben, caught in the passion of memories, kisses Sally as Buddy watches from the shadows. Sally thinks this is a sign that the two will finally get married, and Ben is about to protest until Sally interrupts him with a kiss and runs off to gather her things, thinking that the two will leave together. Buddy leaves the shadows furious, and fantasizes about the girl he should have married, Margie, who loves him and makes him feel like "a somebody", but bitterly concludes he does not love her back ("Knowing Me, Knowing You"). He tells Sally that he's done, but she is lost in a fantasy world, and tells him that Ben has asked her to marry him. Buddy tells her she must be either crazy or drunk, but he's already supported Sally through rehab clinics and mental hospitals and cannot take any more. Ben drunkenly propositions Carlotta, with whom he once had a fling, but she has a young lover and coolly turns him down. Heidi Schiller, joined by her younger counterpart, performs "When All Is Said And Done", her aged voice a stark contrast to the sparkling coloratura of her younger self. Phyllis kisses a waiter and confesses to him that she had always wanted a son. She then tells Ben that their marriage can't continue the way it has been. Ben replies by saying that he wants a divorce, and Phyllis assumes the request is due to his love for Sally. Ben denies this, but still wants Phyllis out. Angry and hurt, Phyllis considers whether to grant his request ("The Winner Takes It All").

Phyllis begins wondering at her younger self, who worked so hard to become the socialite that Ben needed. Ben yells at his younger self for not appreciating all the work that Phyllis did. Both Buddys enter to confront the Bens about how they stole Sally. Sally and her younger self enter and Ben firmly tells Sally that he never loved her. All the voices begin speaking and yelling at each other. Suddenly, at the peak of madness and confusion, the couples are engulfed by their follies, which transform the rundown theatre into a fantastical "Lovelight", an extravaganza even more grand and opulent than the gaudiest Weismann confection: "the place where lovers are always young and beautiful, and everyone lives only for love". Sally, Phyllis, Ben and Buddy show their "real and emotional lives" in "a sort of group nervous breakdown."

What follows is a series of musical numbers performed by the principal characters, each exploring their biggest desires. The two younger couples sing in counterpoint of their hopes for the future ("I Have A Dream"). Buddy then appears, dressed in "plaid baggy pants, garish jacket and a shiny derby hat", and performs a high-energy vaudeville routine depicting how he is caught between his love for Sally and Margie's love for him ("As Good As New"). Sally appears next, dressed as a torch singer, singing of her passion for Ben from the past- and her obsession with him now ("SOS"). In a jazzy dance number, accompanied by a squadron of chorus boys, Phyllis reflects on the two sides of her personality, one naive and passionate and the other jaded and sophisticated and her desire to combine them ("Nina, Pretty Ballerina"). Resplendent in top hat and tails, Ben begins to offer his devil-may-care philosophy ("Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)"), but stumbles and anxiously calls to the conductor for the lyrics, as he frantically tries to keep going. Ben becomes frenzied, while the dancing ensemble continues as if nothing was wrong. Amidst a deafening discord, Ben screams at all the figures from his past and collapses as he cries out for Phyllis.

"Lovelight" has dissolved back into the reality of the crumbling and half-demolished theatre; dawn is approaching. Ben admits to Phyllis his admiration for her, and Phyllis shushes him and helps Ben regain his dignity before they leave. After exiting, Buddy escorts the emotionally devastated Sally back to their hotel with the promise to work things out later. Their ghostly younger selves appear, watching them go. The younger Ben and Buddy softly call to their "girls upstairs", and the Follies end.

108 notes · View notes

makeitwithmike · 7 years ago

Text

12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers

By Curtis Foreman

JAPADOG is a wonderful little company that operates a food truck and restaurant in my hometown of Vancouver, BC with the stated mission of “making the world happy and alive through hot dogs!”

As you can imagine, some JAPADOG fans were devastated when this post appeared on Facebook:

As commenters began mourning the closing of the much-loved stores and carts and wished the owners well in their future endeavors, JAPADOG stepped in to clarify that they were just closing for the day.

This is a cute and harmless example (though the “I just had a mini heart attack” commenter might disagree) of a case where a few seconds spent editing a post for clarity could have prevented a misunderstanding. But the stakes aren’t always so low.

From accidentally tweeting images of national tragedies to unintentionally making light of domestic violence, the world of social media abounds with cautionary tales of brands reeling as slip-ups on social explode into PR disasters.

And while there have been some truly horrendous typos on social (such as Yahoo Finance’s now-legendary inadvertent racial slur), even a less cringe-worthy typo can do lasting damage to your brand. Research by Global Lingo has found that as many as 59 percent of customers won’t do business with companies that publish content with bad grammar or spelling mistakes.

A little good old-fashioned editing can save your brand—and possibly your job.

As an editor who started working back in the days when we’d print copy decks and mark them up with actual pens, I’ve seen many things change over the years. But the value of clear, precise writing hasn’t changed at all.

Here are my best tips to help you avoid the nightmares of a media manager and make editing a quick and painless part of your publishing routine on social.

Bonus: Download our free guide that shows you how to 10X your social media performance and beat your competitors. No fluff or tired tactics—features the tools, daily routines, and advanced techniques used by three world-class industry experts.

12 editing tips for social media posts

1. Edit like a trauma surgeon

Trauma surgeons use triage as a system to prioritize patient treatment and maximize the number of survivors.

As a social media manager, you might not have time to look up whether there’s one “l” or two in “traveling” (answer: it depends), but you should really spare a few seconds to ensure you and your team aren’t promoting your competitors or depicting implied sex acts in ads for a family restaurant.

Like a trauma surgeon, learn to identify life-threatening (or in your case, career-threatening) conditions and treat them first. Maximize the number of survivors.

2. Edit like Beavis and Butthead

Before posting something, read it like a junior high school kid looking for something to snicker at. If you’re not aiming for suggestive humor, fix it before the internet gets its dirty mitts on it.

For reasons that should be obvious if you’ve ever used the internet, supermarket chain @aldiaustralia soon regretted this tweet:

Photo from Facebook via Metro

3. Handle humor with care

Social media and humor make a great couple. Everyone loves a good laugh… except when they’re trying to find out how to return a defective product you sold them. Or when they can’t figure out why an error message keeps popping up in the software they bought from you.

Before cracking a joke, be aware of the emotional state of the people you’re speaking to, and of the wider context in which you’re communicating. Anyone who works in customer service will tell you that the people in the refund line are a tough crowd.

And as a social media professional, you don’t need me to tell you that it’s never a good idea to make a joke in which the punch line relates to a person’s ethnicity, gender, or economic status.

To bring this point home, here’s a now-infamous and spectacularly inappropriate #TacoTuesday tweet by Dave & Buster’s sports bar that never should have seen the light of day:

Photo from Twitter via AdAge

4. Have someone else edit your work

If I had to guess, I’d say none of the examples I’ve included so far in this article were seen by more than one pair of eyes before they were posted.

As writers, we all have our blind spots. (I’m pathologically and inexplicably incapable of remembering with confidence that gray is spelled with an “a” and have to look it up all the time. Go figure.)

Fortunately, we work with other people. Even if you’re a solo practitioner, there’s probably someone in your life with a decent sense of style and taste who wouldn’t mind glancing over your tweets before you release them into the wild. And if you’re at an agency or brand, you’ve likely got a team member (or an entire team) who will be more than happy to point out that you really should stop using commas to join independent clauses already.

5. Rewrite anything ambiguous

As the owners of JAPADOG learned, ambiguity breeds confusion. Before posting, ask yourself if what you’ve written could be misunderstood. If it could, look for a clearer way to write it.

“Biweekly” is a good example of an ambiguous term to avoid:

Biweekly: Twice a week Biweekly: Every two weeks

Sorry about that. http://bit.ly/2iZibc4

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) August 6, 2016

When the dictionary apologizes for a definition, you know it’s time to look for another word.

6. Know the difference between good and bad compulsiveness

Yes, the rules of grammar and usage are important. No, every violation of these rules isn’t an error.

In The Elements of Editing (written in 1982, but still a good read), veteran editor Arthur Plotnik shares examples of bad compulsiveness (fussing over minor grammar and formatting rules) and good compulsiveness (obsessively rewriting a headline until it’s perfect).

Plotnik’s advice holds up today. When editing, keep your focus on making content as effective and engaging as possible, and on catching errors that actually affect readability and clarity.

Another editor whose take on this I love is Carol Saller, author of The Subversive Copy Editor and editor of the The Chicago Manual of Style Online Q&A. Her book is a worthwhile read on how editors can “resist compulsions, banish insecurities, and develop habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility.” If you’re a word nerd, follow her on Twitter at @SubvCopyEd.

“Bake for precisely 8-10 minutes.” #copyeditorbaking

— SubversiveCopyEditor (@SubvCopyEd) July 2, 2017

7. Choose your style authorities

A day in the life of a social media manager is far too short to waste debating whether to use the serial comma. (Want my opinion? Just use it.)

Decide on a few style authorities to use as a tiebreaker in these discussions (or better, to look up words and usage rules before you start arguing with anyone). If you work at an agency or in-house for a brand, your brand team may have sorted all this out for you already.

You’ll want a style and usage guide for general questions of style, plus a dictionary for spelling. Here at Hootsuite, we follow the Associated Press Stylebook for usage and style and Merriam-Webster for spelling (both have handy online versions, though you’ll pay a few bucks a month for the AP stylebook).

As your house style matures, you’ll likely diverge from at least some of the spellings and usage rules in your style authorities of choice—which is where your own style guide comes in.

8. Keep a house style guide

Every brand that publishes content should maintain a house style guide. A well-maintained style guide makes it easy for new writers on your team to get up to speed, and it ensures you’ll write content that’s consistent.

Established brands typically have more detailed and thorough style guides, especially if they’re in the publishing business. The Chicago Manual of Style is pretty much the gold standard for print, and the AP Stylebook is a popular one for journalism and general writing. I’ve long been a fan of the Mailchimp Content Style Guide, which perfectly strikes a balance between providing just enough guidance to write well without getting into overwhelming detail.

Your style guide doesn’t need to be beautifully designed or comprehensive, especially at first. Just create a document where you record style decisions as you make them, so you’ll never need to make the same decision twice. A cheat sheet of off-brand content or other words and phrases to ban is a helpful section to include.

If you’re ready to get started creating your house style guide, here’s where to start.

9. Know what works on your networks

Creating content that’s free of brand disasters, embarrassing typos, and inconsistent stylistic choices is a good baseline from which to start—but there’s not much point crafting perfectly edited content if it doesn’t inspire engagement and response from your audience.

Part of your job as an editor is to learn what resonates with your audience and do more of it. Learn how to measure the effectiveness of your content. Learn to use hashtags. Learn what works on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. Help your team create and deliver more of what works.

10. Get help from technology

An editor’s job is to help writers deliver great content. Good old-fashioned copy editing is one way you can help, but there are a growing number of software tools that can do some of the heavy lifting for you.

Check out our list of writing tools and try using some of them with your team. I’m a fan of the Hemingway App for removing unnecessary verbiage, and of Grammarly for checking grammar, spelling, and internal consistency.

While you’re checking out Grammarly, I also recommend subscribing to their blog, if just for their cheeky editor-baiting welcome email:

11. Build editing into your social workflow

If you work at an agency or in-house for a brand, you probably already use social media management software to manage multiple social networks and accounts.

An essential feature of this type of software is the ability to manage approval workflows. Hootsuite’s Team, Business, and Enterprise plans let you set up your teams and workflows to prevent innocent errors—as well as not-so-innocent rogue posts.

HMV could have benefited from workflow and approval features during their very public Twitter meltdown:

Photo from Twitter via National Post

12. Write well

If you’re going to presume to improve the content a writer has agonized over, it’s a good idea to put yourself through a little of that agony yourself.

At the very least, practicing the craft of writing yourself will make you a more sympathetic editor. It will also help you continue developing a nuanced feel for the finer points of language—something that’s indispensible in both writers and editors.

If you haven’t read The Elements of Style, get it and read it now. It’s a classic and a quick read that covers the elementary rules of usage and composition every writer should master.

And for guidance on writing for social media, you need look no further than the wealth of guidance on this blog. We’ve written a wealth of advice on how to write calls to action, clickable content, and content that converts. Want to write faster? Want resources for non-writers? Inspiration from people who will help you write better? Inspired tweets? It’s all here. Enjoy.

There’s a lot more to editing than being a grammar grouch. (By the way, if you’re still using the term “grammar Nazi,” please read this piece from @grammargirl on why it’s time to stop).

From saving your brand’s reputation to helping your team grow as writers, you play a key role as a steward and champion of great content. In the words of Arthur Plotnik, “You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you. We edit to let the fire show through the smoke.”

The post 12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

The post 12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers appeared first on Make It With Michael.

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#12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers

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bizmediaweb · 7 years ago

Text

12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers

JAPADOG is a wonderful little company that operates a food truck and restaurant in my hometown of Vancouver, BC with the stated mission of “making the world happy and alive through hot dogs!”

As you can imagine, some JAPADOG fans were devastated when this post appeared on Facebook:

A little good old-fashioned editing can save your brand—and possibly your job.

Here are my best tips to help you avoid the nightmares of a media manager and make editing a quick and painless part of your publishing routine on social.

12 editing tips for social media posts

1. Edit like a trauma surgeon

Trauma surgeons use triage as a system to prioritize patient treatment and maximize the number of survivors.

Like a trauma surgeon, learn to identify life-threatening (or in your case, career-threatening) conditions and treat them first. Maximize the number of survivors.

2. Edit like Beavis and Butthead

For reasons that should be obvious if you’ve ever used the internet, supermarket chain @aldiaustralia soon regretted this tweet:

Photo from Facebook via Metro

3. Handle humor with care

And as a social media professional, you don’t need me to tell you that it’s never a good idea to make a joke in which the punch line relates to a person’s ethnicity, gender, or economic status.

To bring this point home, here’s a now-infamous and spectacularly inappropriate #TacoTuesday tweet by Dave & Buster’s sports bar that never should have seen the light of day:

Photo from Twitter via AdAge

4. Have someone else edit your work

If I had to guess, I’d say none of the examples I’ve included so far in this article were seen by more than one pair of eyes before they were posted.

5. Rewrite anything ambiguous

As the owners of JAPADOG learned, ambiguity breeds confusion. Before posting, ask yourself if what you’ve written could be misunderstood. If it could, look for a clearer way to write it.

“Biweekly” is a good example of an ambiguous term to avoid:

Biweekly: Twice a week Biweekly: Every two weeks

Sorry about that. https://t.co/8FBUonz7yq

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) August 6, 2016

When the dictionary apologizes for a definition, you know it’s time to look for another word.

6. Know the difference between good and bad compulsiveness

Yes, the rules of grammar and usage are important. No, every violation of these rules isn’t an error.

Plotnik’s advice holds up today. When editing, keep your focus on making content as effective and engaging as possible, and on catching errors that actually affect readability and clarity.

"Bake for precisely 8-10 minutes." #copyeditorbaking

— SubversiveCopyEditor (@SubvCopyEd) July 2, 2017

7. Choose your style authorities

A day in the life of a social media manager is far too short to waste debating whether to use the serial comma. (Want my opinion? Just use it.)

As your house style matures, you’ll likely diverge from at least some of the spellings and usage rules in your style authorities of choice—which is where your own style guide comes in.

8. Keep a house style guide

If you’re ready to get started creating your house style guide, here’s where to start.

9. Know what works on your networks

10. Get help from technology

While you’re checking out Grammarly, I also recommend subscribing to their blog, if just for their cheeky editor-baiting welcome email:

11. Build editing into your social workflow

If you work at an agency or in-house for a brand, you probably already use social media management software to manage multiple social networks and accounts.

HMV could have benefited from workflow and approval features during their very public Twitter meltdown:

Photo from Twitter via National Post

12. Write well

If you’re going to presume to improve the content a writer has agonized over, it’s a good idea to put yourself through a little of that agony yourself.

If you haven’t read The Elements of Style, get it and read it now. It’s a classic and a quick read that covers the elementary rules of usage and composition every writer should master.

There’s a lot more to editing than being a grammar grouch. (By the way, if you’re still using the term “grammar Nazi,” please read this piece from @grammargirl on why it’s time to stop).

The post 12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers published first on http://ift.tt/2u73Z29

0 notes

unifiedsocialblog · 7 years ago

Text

12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers

JAPADOG is a wonderful little company that operates a food truck and restaurant in my hometown of Vancouver, BC with the stated mission of “making the world happy and alive through hot dogs!”

As you can imagine, some JAPADOG fans were devastated when this post appeared on Facebook:

A little good old-fashioned editing can save your brand—and possibly your job.

Here are my best tips to help you avoid the nightmares of a media manager and make editing a quick and painless part of your publishing routine on social.

12 editing tips for social media posts

1. Edit like a trauma surgeon

Trauma surgeons use triage as a system to prioritize patient treatment and maximize the number of survivors.

Like a trauma surgeon, learn to identify life-threatening (or in your case, career-threatening) conditions and treat them first. Maximize the number of survivors.

2. Edit like Beavis and Butthead

For reasons that should be obvious if you’ve ever used the internet, supermarket chain @aldiaustralia soon regretted this tweet:

Photo from Facebook via Metro

3. Handle humor with care

And as a social media professional, you don’t need me to tell you that it’s never a good idea to make a joke in which the punch line relates to a person’s ethnicity, gender, or economic status.

To bring this point home, here’s a now-infamous and spectacularly inappropriate #TacoTuesday tweet by Dave & Buster’s sports bar that never should have seen the light of day:

Photo from Twitter via AdAge

4. Have someone else edit your work

If I had to guess, I’d say none of the examples I’ve included so far in this article were seen by more than one pair of eyes before they were posted.

5. Rewrite anything ambiguous

As the owners of JAPADOG learned, ambiguity breeds confusion. Before posting, ask yourself if what you’ve written could be misunderstood. If it could, look for a clearer way to write it.

“Biweekly” is a good example of an ambiguous term to avoid:

Biweekly: Twice a week Biweekly: Every two weeks

Sorry about that. https://t.co/8FBUonz7yq

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) August 6, 2016

When the dictionary apologizes for a definition, you know it’s time to look for another word.

6. Know the difference between good and bad compulsiveness

Yes, the rules of grammar and usage are important. No, every violation of these rules isn’t an error.

Plotnik’s advice holds up today. When editing, keep your focus on making content as effective and engaging as possible, and on catching errors that actually affect readability and clarity.

"Bake for precisely 8-10 minutes." #copyeditorbaking

— SubversiveCopyEditor (@SubvCopyEd) July 2, 2017

7. Choose your style authorities

A day in the life of a social media manager is far too short to waste debating whether to use the serial comma. (Want my opinion? Just use it.)

As your house style matures, you’ll likely diverge from at least some of the spellings and usage rules in your style authorities of choice—which is where your own style guide comes in.

8. Keep a house style guide

If you’re ready to get started creating your house style guide, here’s where to start.

9. Know what works on your networks

10. Get help from technology

While you’re checking out Grammarly, I also recommend subscribing to their blog, if just for their cheeky editor-baiting welcome email:

11. Build editing into your social workflow

If you work at an agency or in-house for a brand, you probably already use social media management software to manage multiple social networks and accounts.

HMV could have benefited from workflow and approval features during their very public Twitter meltdown:

Photo from Twitter via National Post

12. Write well

If you’re going to presume to improve the content a writer has agonized over, it’s a good idea to put yourself through a little of that agony yourself.

If you haven’t read The Elements of Style, get it and read it now. It’s a classic and a quick read that covers the elementary rules of usage and composition every writer should master.

There’s a lot more to editing than being a grammar grouch. (By the way, if you’re still using the term “grammar Nazi,” please read this piece from @grammargirl on why it’s time to stop).

The post 12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

12 Quick Editing Tips for Social Media Managers published first on http://ift.tt/2rEvyAw

0 notes

bitchinbios-blog · 7 years ago

Text

“But if Bruce taught me anything, it’s that you have to have a game plan for everything, even for death.”

DATABASE HISTORY:

The world has a way of working in which a moment that seems entirely inconsequential can later be brought back in a much more significant setting. For Timothy Drake, this moment occurred when he was four years old and attending Haley’s Circus with his parents Jack and Janet Drake. Tim’s father asked if the circuses main attraction, the Flying Graysons, would take a photo with them and the acrobats agreed. The youngest Grayson, Dick, paid Tim special attention and promised that he would dedicated his performance to him. Afterwards Tim and his parents went to their seats and the Graysons started the show.

There was no way of anyone knowing that the high wire was going to snap, or that one day Richard Grayson would become Tim’s adopted brother. As soon as the John and Mary Grayson fell to their death, Tim’s parents rushed him out of the tent to spare their son from seeing the tragedy. They weren’t fast enough though, and Tim witnessed the Batman himself consoling the desolate Dick before he made it outside. The photo that was taken of the two families was later sent to Dick by the Drakes because they felt bad for him, and that was the last time that Tim thought about it for five years.

At the age of nine, Tim watched some footage of Batman and his partner Robin and made a huge revelation. The move Robin was doing was a quadruple somersault, and that was so rare that only a flying Grayson could do it. After a little research, Tim found that Dick Grayson had become the ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Connecting the dots that numerous adults had missed, Tim realized that Batman and Robin were none other than Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne. Choosing to keep this information to himself, Tim watched their exploits for years through Dick’s shift to Nightwing and the arrival of the second Robin, Jason Todd. When Jason abruptly died shortly after, Tim noted the change in the Batman and deduced that he actually needed a Robin for the sake of his sanity.

When Nightwing, aka an older Dick Grayson, traveled away from Gotham to work with the Teen Titans Tim decided to follow him. The two ended up solving a case in the place that they had originally met as innocent children, Haley’s Circus, and Tim made Dick realize that Bruce needed help. His former partner decided to help him as Nightwing, but Tim insisted that Bruce needed a Robin. Dick ignored Tim’s theory and went to help Bruce, only for them both to be taken by Two-Face.

At only thirteen years old, Tim went to Wayne Manor and spoke with Alfred Pennyworth who helped equip him in the Robin costume. With the proper gear, Tim was able to save both Dick and Bruce and made the plea to become the next Robin. Bruce was reluctant but relented and agreed that Tim could be Robin on a trial basis. The next several months consisted of Tim being trained by Alfred, Bruce and Dick before he was allowed to wear the costume again or go out into the field.

Before Tim was introduced as Robin however, a criminal by the name of the Obeah Man kidnapped Tim’s parents while they were on vacation in the Caribbean with plans to sacrifice them. Bruce managed to save the two and stop the Obeah Man, but not before Janet and Jack drank some water laced with poison. Janet died from the substance, and Jack was left in a coma with paralysis. Bruce began to doubt if Tim should be Robin as he now had a reason for vengeance, which had destroyed Jason, but Tim reiterated that he wanted to do what was right and not get revenge. After he saved Bruce and the reporter Vicki Vale from the Scarecrow, Bruce allowed Tim to officially become Robin and gave him his own costume.

The training didn’t stop there though. Even though Tim had what he wanted for so long, he then began to have doubts. Bruce reassured him that he had not only earned the role but had Bruce’s faith in him, because he wanted someone who not only had guts but was smart and Tim possessed both of those traits plus some. Before Batman would let Robin on the streets of Gotham he took him on a world tour overseas in order to help Tim figure out who he was in addition to improving on his fighting skills. During this time Tim crossed paths with Lady Shiva and King Snake, but when he refused to kill King Snake at Shiva’s command he proved himself to Bruce as ready and was brought back to Gotham to begin his tenure.

Tim soon proved himself to be a different Robin than Jason or Dick had been. He was more reserved than Dick had been, and since he wasn’t raised an acrobat, he had to work harder on his fighting and physical prowess. Even though Tim was a fine fighter, Bruce had a rule in place that if Tim was to ever encounter one of the rogues known for killing (ie the Joker or Two-Face), he was to not engage and call in backup. That rule was disobeyed during one of Tim’s first solo cases in Gotham, when Tim ended up getting stuck in a confrontation with the Joker himself. The Joker had killed Jason Todd and was initially confused as to why he was back and if he had actually murdered the boy, but realizing that Tim was a new Robin he vowed to kill him as well. Using his intellect and skill however, Tim was able to defeat the Joker and sent him back to Arkham where the criminal made it known that Tim was his to kill.

Shortly after this, Jack Drake awoke from his coma. Tim helped him secure a house next to Wayne Manor so he could continue being Robin, but things didn’t go smoothly. Before the coma Jack had often been preoccupied with work, but after he wanted to develop a closer relationship with his son. Jack would eventually grow resentful of how close Bruce and Tim were and would site Tim’s constant disappearances as his son trying to avoid spending time with him.

When the Cluemaster was released from jail as cured, clues still popped up around Gotham and Batman and Robin decided to handle the case. While attempting to stop Arthur Brown, Tim noticed a girl in purple fleeing the scene and followed her. Thinking that she was helping Cluemaster, Tim caught and unmasked her only to find a blonde teenager who was his own age. The girl, Stephanie Brown, went by Spoiler and was actually the daughter of Cluemaster who was trying to stop her father. Tim and Bruce allied with her to catch her father, and after that Tim made sure to work with her some more and the two became friends.

Tim’s father began seeing a therapist by the name of Dana, and the two were eventually wed. The couple had been together a while when Tim got a phone call that his father needed to speak to him immediately. There was an intruder in the Drake household and a note with a gun stating that Jack needed to protect himself. Jack told Tim over the phone that he was proud of him and whatever happened was not his fault. When Tim managed to get home he found both his father and Captain Boomerang dead, as he had used the gun at the same time the hired killer had attacked. Tim was devastated at the loss of both of his parents, and shortly after Donna had a mental breakdown and was placed in a mental hospital in Bludhaven. The hospital was later overrun with crime and Donna went missing and was presumed dead.

Bruce offered to officially adopt Tim, but Tim refused and hired an actor to pretend to be his Uncle Eddie. Bruce easily saw through it and wasn’t offended, but instead offered to help Tim make a better cover-up story. Eventually, Tim relented and let Bruce adopt him. He then continued to serve as Robin while testing the boundaries and developing a little more independence to the point where he was able to pass along the Robin mantle to Damian Wayne when he was dropped into Bruce’s life. It was surprising to find that Bruce had fathered a child with Talia al Ghul, but Tim saw it as the perfect chance to take up the alias of Red Robin and experiment a bit.

DATABASE CONNECTIONS:

BRUCE WAYNE has become like a father to Tim, even though he wasn’t an orphan and had a father. He had to beg Bruce to let him be Robin after what happened to Jason, and he’s been working hard to not let him down ever since. Bruce isn’t perfect, but Tim is determined to make him proud. He needs a Robin. Batman just works better that way, and Tim knows that he can be the Robin that he needs.

DAMIAN WAYNE took the Robin mantle from Tim when Bruce decided to work with him, but Tim got over that. He and Damian have fought a few times with their fists and tried to work together once although their dislike of each other and difference in fighting skills made that hard. Tim’s trying to like the kid though. He just makes it very, very hard to do that.

DICK GRAYSON is Tim’s big brother. This is speaking in adopted terms, of course, but that doesn’t matter to either of them. Dick is a little more lighthearted than Tim at times, but they both have their strengths as Robin. From the moment Tim took a picture with Dick before the final Flying Grayson performance, he’s been his hero. Now they’re family and Tim is glad to have him around.

JASON TODD was the Robin before Tim, but Tim never got to meet his predecessor because he was murdered by the Joker. Tim knows what happened to Jason, and it’s really sad. He didn’t want to replace him, just keep the legacy going. There’s been a new guy in town though, the Red Hood, and Tim has some creeping suspicions even though he hasn’t said anything yet.

STEPHANIE BROWN may be the daughter of a criminal, but she’s become a friend of Tim’s. Stephanie shamelessly flirts with him both in and out of costume, but so far Tim has been showing her how to be a real hero because he knows that she won’t give up the cowl. There’ll be time for flirting later once she has actual skills and not just good intentions.

DATABASE QUICKFACTS:

✖ TEAM AFFILIATION→ batfamily ✖ THREAT LEVEL → moderate ✖ HOME CITY → gotham ✖ FC NEGOTIABILITY → mild ✖ FC RECCOMENDATIONS → logan lerman, josh hutchinson

GIF HUNTS: [ X ] [ X ] [ X ]

TIMOTHY DRAKE is currently MIA.

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