#bliss 2.0; the little cast that could

[redladydeath]

So, when do you think Lucy Aiston and Scarlet Gabriel will show back up?

[six-costume-refs]

Costume Updates: 2023 West End Cast Change

A few notes before I start: - Kayleigh McKnight (Seymour) is currently injured. Gabriella Stylianou (alt A/S) is temporarily performing in her place, including in the preview footage. - As a general rule of thumb, Six has slowly been standardizing the costumes for both US and UK. Most of that has been changes to the UK system/style to make them more in line with the US changes initially made for Broadway (a few changes have made their way to the US from the UK though). There's been a steady rollout of updates over the period post-lockdowns, but with this cast change most of the major holdouts have been changed at once. I'll get to that in a moment. - Obviously it's very early in the run and we haven't seen all the costumes yet, particularly for alts. I'll continue to update as we do.

Costumes (credits below) - Nikki Bentley's Aragon costume has had a few construction changes to be more in line with the US costumes. No major design differences, though. Not sure on maker yet. - Thảo Therése Nguyễn has the darker green which has been standardized for the last few UK casts. Not sure on maker yet. - Gabriella was previously with Norwegian Cruise Lines as part of Bliss 2.0, but as expected she did get a new costume. Her corset is in the US style/design rather than the UK style (info here, here). I'm not sure who made it and very much wondering if the corset only could be a US-make, but don't have enough information yet to know if that could be the case. I'm also waiting to see what Kayleigh's looks like. - Reca Oakley (Cleves) is another former NCL queen, but as expected she also did get a new costume. It was made by Paul Aspinall. - Inez Budd's Howard skirt has been changed to the US-style construction. This has smaller panels (rather than the old NCL/UK style; post here). However, unlike the US skirts, the vertical stud lines still go all the way to the bottom hem. Per usual, it was made by Ella Dancewear. - Janiq Charles is a standard Parr style, made by Ashleigh Cherry Costumes per usual. - Otherwise, the costumes seem to be in line with all recent UK standardization. - The alts' costumes should match the changes made for these principals.

Wigs/HMU - Nikki Bentley has an auburn tone with a side part and doesn't seem to have bleached/ombre highlights. Curled bob, a little longer than some we've seen in the past. It's a full wig. - Thảo has dark roots with a silvery-toned bleached wig. It's a long wig rather than some of the recent bobs. It's a full wig. - Gabriella has a side part and darker, honey blonde tone. It's pretty mid-range for Seymour wigs but is shorter than some of the recent UK. It's a full wig. - Janiq Charles has the curls pulled over to the side. It's a full wig. - Otherwise, the principal wigs are pretty standard. - No pictures of Naomi Alade in costume yet, but I am expecting her to have braids for all or most of her roles. - We've also seen quite a bit of the makeup so far, which I'll make a post about in the coming days.

Boots @lightleckrereins already made posts about a lot of this (here, here) but for easy access: - The cast seems to be standardized to a shorter heel than prior casts, like the shorter heel Chlöe Hart and Natalie Pilkington both got later in the 22-23 UK Tour run. - They've introduced the double height boots that the US productions have had for a few years now (explanation of the difference here). However, they're still sticking to the regular UK-style boot body with crystals rather than switching to the US-style lattice and studs. Right now it looks like Nikki Bentley (Aragon) and Janiq Charles (Parr) have the double height, while Reca Oakley (Cleves) has the regular Cleves thigh highs and everyone else seems to have regular single height. Of course, that post includes Gabriella Stylianou rather than Kayleigh McKnight so no good look at Kayleigh or other alts yet. - All the boots seem to have interchangeable straps. We first saw these with the US and then UK alts - it allows them to have one pair of boots with a monochrome silver heel and then just trade out their straps depending on which costume they're wearing. This is the first time we've seen that for principals; Sofia talked more about why this change might be happening in the post I linked at the start of this section.

Alt costumes - We've seen a silver alt costume in progress that should be for Meg Dixon-Brasil. (Made by Paul Aspinall per usual) - We've also seen part of a pink alt costume. It could feasibly be either Natalie Pilkington's or it could be one for Hannah Lowther. Judging from Hannah's makeup, she does seem to have their standard makeup pieces for pink alt. - Naomi Alade has orange palette and glitter, so she presumably has the orange alt costume. - We still don't know what costume Natalie Pilkington will have. She has her old principal Seymour/Parr and pink alt system from the 2022-23 UK Tour, and during the 2021-22 UK Tour she had a black alt costume that was a mishmash of old and new pieces. I'm expecting that she'll wear a black alt costume (either entirely or mostly new), but it's possible that she reuses her old pink alt instead (it has been a while since she's worn black alt and most of it was already old). I talked in more depth about some of those possibilities here.

-------------------------- First row for each queen: junka_0.0 Second row for each queen: elliexboleyn (Nikki and Reca), cassie.zhao_ (Thảo), mattstacel (Gabriella, Janiq), Georgia.ccooper (Inez), Boots: crystalledbyjane

[lightleckrereins]

Update on the six cruise costumes

This weekend @sixcostumerefs got confirmation from one of the broadway costume makers that the Bliss 3.0 costumes were made in Florida following the broadway style. After some digging, we found out that Norwegian Creative Studios, has an in-house costume workshop where costumes for NCL are made. This means the broadway costume team sends a package with photos, patterns and building instructions to NCS where costumes are made following these guidelines.

Between photos and comments that have been made Elisabeth and I have a tentative list on which cruise costumes were made there: Breakaway 1.0 principal costumes, Bliss 2.0 all costumes, Breakaway 2.0 all costumes (there are many Breakaway 1.0 and Bliss 2.0 costumes being worn by this cast), Bliss 3.0 all costumes.

This could explain why recent cruise casts have principal costumes for the alternates. If NCS is following Broadway guidelines, they will only have instructions for principal costumes. And on top of everything it is practical. If you round up numbers in the cruises principal costumes are worn for 104 shows tops and alt costumes for ten at best. This is a very short period of time especially if we consider costumes have been worn for a few hundred shows before being replaced. Making a costume for such a short use before putting it into storage seems like a waste of money.

In general stage productions will try and fit new cast members with preexisting costumes that are still in good condition instead of making new ones every time. It makes sense that NCL starts doing this as they will have costumes with very little use as cast changes keep coming. Some pieces might even be made in standard sizes (mostly skirts) to mix with different tops, so single costume pieces can be reused instead of full costumes. Underlayers and other form fitting items might still be custom made for every queen.

Why does this affect the alts? When a new cast comes in unless there is an alt with the exact same covers and similar measurements as a previous one new costume pieces will need to be made every time and some costume pieces will only be used one or two times. Instead, if they have a bigger pool of principal costumes in different sizes the chances of having one that fits is bigger. And in turn when their run ends the alternate costumes can be passed onto someone else no matter if they are principals or alternates. Making it easier to continue giving life to the costumes.

Again, this doesn’t mean there will be no new costumes. It means things will probably be reused for future casts. If nothing fits a new queen, she will probably get a new costume made to her measurements.

[sixcostumerefs]

Updated Cruise Availability

Hello! I’ve been making posts every couple months with the possible availability of former cruise queens based on their current or upcoming announced shows (as always, disclaimer that I only know what is public and they have posted about). The official casting for Breakaway 2.0 changes up some things, so here’s the updated possibility chart. Keep in mind that the production opening soonest is Bliss 3.0 (which should start rehearsals 20 Sep), but that we will also have Getaway presumably sometime next spring around the time of the Bliss/Breakaway cast changes as well as the potential for them to join UK productions. To be clear, though, this will definitely change by then! Several of the currently unavailable queens who aren’t included on the chart at all (like Rebecca Wickes) will be done with the shows they’re currently a part of by then and could feasibly join those spring productions as far as we know.

Note: While Bryony is currently a standby, she’s currently a little bit of a toss up. We don’t know when her contract ends and with Liv leaving and her working for Six either way it definitely seems like there’s a chance of them switching her to a different role (WE alt is a popular theory but I also wouldn’t write off a cruise return). I chose to mark her as available. 

EDIT: fixed Kara-Ami’s covers

[ponett]

i was finally able to see the bad star war that everyone said was bad. as it turns out, it was bad. here’s a read more post with my thoughts on it so that i don’t spam my twitter with spoiler tweets

for a baseline: i like the original trilogy, but i don’t think any of those movies are perfect. i think the prequels had some good ideas but i were mostly terrible. i love the clone wars (both versions) and rebels. while i admit that tfa was extremely similar to a new hope, i thought it was executed great and had a wonderful new cast that showed a ton of promise. i liked rogue one, although i found its first act really sloppy. and i have some quibbles about tlj, but it had an incredibly strong vision and actual themes, and i’d consider it my favorite in the series

i’m exactly the kind of person who was always going to hate the rise of skywalker, because it’s basically a bad fanfic written by someone who didn’t like tlj and wanted to “fix” the story. like that bizarre story treatment jenny nicholson read for this movie. the bad one. it was like that

it wasn’t all bad i guess. here are the small things i liked:

some of the new environments were cool. there was cool imagery and practical effects work

i appreciated that the moon of endor where the death star wreckage was wasn’t just the one with the ewoks, and thought the vibe there was cool

zorii bliss’s armor was really cool

the image of the fleet of star destroyers all lined up was striking

i liked that the ghost showed up for the final battle

i liked that ahsoka was one of the jedi voices rey heard, even though that kind of implies that ahsoka is, uh... dead?

while extremely fucking trite and dumb, i’ll admit the closing scene on tatooine got me. yeah, rey has no real connection to this place and it’s just a nostalgic throwback, but i’m a sucker for full circle endings like that

uh. that’s about it

this movie kicks off in the middle of an action scene and just kind of keeps jumping to new setpieces nonstop until it’s over. new characters and locations get introduced and then moved past in the blink of an eye. there’s no time to let any of it sink in. it feels like abrams crammed two movies worth of shit into this one to make up for the the fact that some people didn’t like tlj, and as a result none of it resonates. i just felt so empty throughout most of the film. events were happening on screen and none of it mattered

thoughts about individual elements:

LEIA

putting the scenes with the recycled footage of carrie fisher at the beginning of the film completely took me out of it. it was so obvious that she wasn’t really responding to what was being said, and the conversations had just been built around the limited leia lines they could use

the dialogue scenes with leia felt like a space ghost interview

C-3PO

was in this movie a lot for some reason? i guess abrams wanted to make up for how little c-3po there was in the last two movies. they tried to have that emotional moment where his memory is wiped, but then they just turned his memory loss into a big joke?? and then he got most of his memories back anyway

in general, the movie is afraid to let the audience be uncomfortable for long. 3po’s memory loss. the supposed deaths of chewbacca and babu frik, that sort of thing. you’re not allowed to be sad. after tlj so effectively built tension throughout the film and really pushed the heroes to the brink, this is a disappointment

LANDO

is here because he needed to show up, and because it’s a throwback to have him pilot the falcon again. he’s just kind of there with little to do and no arc

FINN, POE, AND ROSE

before the movie came out, i had low expectations. all i really wanted was to get one last fun adventure with the new characters. when i started to hear about the spoilers, my expectations sank even lower. but maybe i would still get this

nah! rose gets like two minutes of screentime because redditors hated her, and finn and poe are barely even characters. they don’t have arcs in this film, they’re just sidekicks on rey’s journey

finn really hurts. prior to tfa’s release, finn was framed as the new star. this was, of course, a bait and switch, as rey was really the new jedi. (finn apparently IS force sensitive according to this one, but hey! we can only have one big jedi hero, so like leia before him, i guess we’ve gotta wait for some EU novel to give finn a lightsaber)

but finn was still a central character in the last two films, and he had so much potential. he was a stormtrooper who defected! that’s something new! that’s interesting! it complicates the black and white morality of the series. but no. that’s been all but abandoned at this point

many have complained about how tfa establishes that basically all the stormtroopers are people who were kidnapped as children and brainwashed by the first order... but then they still have no qualms about gleefully killing them. in the first two movies i was like “yeah, it sucks that they have to kill those guys, but if it’s to prevent genocide, it’s understandable. that’s just war. maybe they’ll touch on it in the last movie.” so in this one, they kept reminding the audience that the stormtroopers were enslaved as children. jannah is even introduced as another stormtrooper who defected like finn. but then... it goes nowhere. finn doesn’t get any first order troops to defect. they don’t care about the other stormtroopers. how many hundreds of thousands of enslaved soldiers did they kill when they blew up those star destroyers

it was nice to see finn and poe take the charge as leaders in the end, but it also feels like they didn’t take the lessons from tlj to heart. the whole point of that story was that one-in-a-million shot heroic suicide missions aren’t worth it, and that they’re more useful to the resistance alive than they are as martyrs. but then in the climax of this film they take like 30 ships to go fight a fleet of a hundred fucking star destroyers

on the subject of that final battle: i thought that the ending of tlj was so powerful. the resistance was decimated, but they still had hope, because they knew there were others out there who could help. people like rey, or the broom boy, who came from nothing but had good hearts. in this one, though, they say that apparently nobody responded to the leia’s call for help in the entire year since the last film. everyone only shows up during the climax after lando’s like “no, but for real guys, we need help”

and i did think that that sequence was cool. and i did like seeing the ghost among the ships. it was fun. the message that fascists like the first order rule by making people feel isolated, and that they’re defeated by realizing that good people are never alone? that was good. i thought that was a strong message. but it’s such a minor footnote on a movie that’s so bad in so many other ways

oh and they made the latino dude a drug dealer. okay. thanks for that

KYLO REN

i hate that they redeemed kylo and i hate the way they did it

yes, him being coerced to turn to the dark side by snoke (who was apparently just a puppet controlled by palpatine all along (UGH)) as a kid was tragic. but that doesn’t excuse his actions. kylo was given infinite second chances throughout the trilogy, and every time he responded with violence. he killed so many people himself, and willingly took part in a fascist regime that killed billions. yes, his story is sad, but he’s not some poor little boy, he’s thirty fucking years old and he vents his trauma by slaughtering innocent people

literally the entire main trio of the original trilogy died because of this asshole. han tried to talk to him in the first movie, and got stabbed and dropped into a pit. luke died astral projecting to face him in tlj. and now leia just kind of arbitrarily died to flip the switch in his brain from bad to good from across the galaxy. it’s literally as simple as that. he doesn’t have a personal journey here. he just stops being evil because his mom made him through the force

like, again. all those enslaved stormtrooper grunts who had been brainwashed since they were kids? gunned down. but giving kylo endless second chances is the most important thing in the world

and then they end the movie by having this creepy abusive stalker genocidal asshole sadboy kiss rey, retroactively framing their dynamic as a romantic one. just, gross as hell. even in this one, for most of the film, all he does is threaten rey and boss her around

i dunno. i thought the first order were interesting as antagonists. yeah, they were just the empire 2.0. but i thought it was appropriate! the idea was that just because palpatine was dead and gone didn’t mean that fascism was gone. there were still hateful people who wanted to rule the galaxy via genocide. like how we still have nazis in the 21st century. except, oops! palpatine was actually alive and pulling the strings the entire time, so now that theme’s out the window. we just have to kill him again FOR REAL this time and now the galaxy will actually be safe

people wondered where the first order would go after snoke died in tlj. but it was so obvious to me? kylo was in charge. kylo was always the most interesting bad guy. just let him call the shots and be the final adversary. but no. that wasn’t good enough. we had to bring back palpatine as the jrpg final boss to have an epic conclusion

REY

oh, poor rey. youtube critics got mad that a girl could be a strong jedi without being related to some other powerful force user from the old movies, so now she’s stuck being a palpatine forever

i will admit, the protagonist of the new movies being related to palpatine but still being a good person in spite of her heritage... that could have been something. but it’s so clearly not what they had in mind from the start, and it spits in the face of the last movie’s themes. it turns out greatness CAN’T come from anywhere. it has to come from one of these select few Special Bloodlines

oh! and this ALSO reframes rey’s parents abandoning her and selling her into slavery as an act of kindness, because they had to hide her from her spooky evil grandpa. so THAT’S fun. (edit: OH! and luke and leia knew about rey the whole time!!! and didn’t go out and look for her!!!!)

it’s just. it’s so bad what they did to rey. i don’t know if i even have much to elaborate on there, everyone’s already said how stupid it is

---

overall, i still wouldn’t say it’s the WORST star wars movie. it’s more watchable than the phantom menace, that’s for damn sure. the actors put in effort. the sets and practical effects are nice. it’s just so... empty

tros possibly feels the closest to how i imagined the new trilogy would be when it was first announced, but in a bad way. a movie built entirely on established ideas of What Star Wars Is with nothing new to bring to the table. it’s like a bad eu novel. just recycled imagery, cameos from characters we already know, palpatine coming back from the dead, that sort of thing. it’s a movie made by committee to appease reddit. it’s nothing

now i gotta use that free trial of disney plus to watch the mandalorian and wash the taste out of my mouth i guess

[bunnymcbunnister]

SPN Season 15 Spoiler Sheet, update 10/3

Lots and lots of updates abound. I took out some old general stuff because this monster is huge (but it will only get shorter, sniff sniff) Spoilery goodness under the cut. 

DISCLAIMER: This is gathered info from various sources. This is not confirmed information. Stuff in this WILL be wrong. Don’t take this too seriously. This is for fun. Also, if you use this info for another publication, please let me know as a courtesy. Don’t be a dick. It's all out there, but it hurts to see my same phrasing on other publications after all the work I’ve done to consolidate it…  

General Info (oldest to newest). This is a blend of pre-COVID and post COVID, so some might change. 

In an interview, Kripe indicated that the series ending would have “peace” for Sam and Dean

Misha will be in 15 out of 20 episodes this season (he’s missed 3 so far and I suspect will miss 14. Unclear about 16, 19, and 20). 

Dean and Amara’s connection will be explored

JaxCon/Vegas Con spoilers: 

Misha said the ending was “happier than he expected” but also had some sadness. He later used “sad and redemptive”

Misha mentioned that Claire will be mentioned on the show, but as of yet not appear. 

Dean says the line “stop killing my people” (to god?)

Jensen said he doesn’t see how the story could continue past this season, but Jared said its more of “a see you later”

Al Cal posted a pic of a “thrown away” call sheet that seem to indicate Micheal, Lucifer, and a character named “Betty” interacting in the bunker. Unclear as to the validity, could be from 19 based on casting 

Charlie (original flavor) will return

Filming resumed on Aug 18th. Per Canadian policy, they must quarantine for two weeks. Those quarantining seemed to include:

Fairly Clear: Jared, Jensen, Jake Abel (Micheal), Rob Benedict (Chuck/God) Mark Pelligrino (Lucifer), Al Cal (didn't need to quarantine, but he is definitely on set), Jim Beaver (Bobby)

Unclear/Rumored: Misha (he is being deliberately cagey), Osric Chau (Kevin- but likely for another project, he was a week ahead of everyone else)

Reasons Unlikely: Sam Smith (chemo treatment), Kim Rhodes (working at a camp during quarantine), Ruth Connell (posted from Malibu the entire time)

No idea: Shoshannah Stern 

Jensen said sp 19 is more of a season finale, while 20 is a series finale. Repeated in interviews/livestreams. 

Megan Fitz. complimented both Dabb’s and Glynn’s writing on twitter. Not sure if it is in reference to rewrites or the special retrospective that is planned. 

Jensen indicated that the ending did change per COVID protocols. Later interviews (Variety) confirmed this, but it seemed to indicate the changes were in regards to how many people filmed at once (crowd scenes, recurring characters returning)

Misha is being very, very cagey about where he was. Some live streams seem to indicate he is not at home, but he has yet to confirm- his presence in 19/20 is hard to track. In an interview with Metaverse, he was in bed in a hotel looking space and you could see mountains in the background. He was not on set for the first week of filming, so he could be a week behind. 

Misha has thrown around the words “final”  and “what he <Misha> would have wanted” per Cas’ ending. “Sad/Proud” and “poignant” were also used. His latest line is “sad but satisfying”

The final episodes will premier October 8th. The finale will air Nov 19th in conjunction with an hour long special. 

Dabb confirmed to TV line the episode 19/20 explanation Jensen’s mentioned- For the most part, we wrap up a big chunk of our mythology in Episode 19,Episode 20 is more character-based and is more concerned with Sam, Dean and this family they’ve built around them than it is with figuring out the Case of the Week.

When talking about the lightheartedness of returning on ep 14, Dabb said deeply depressing and upsetting episodes are coming (USAToday). He also said we would see “new sides” of Jack, Cas, and Billie. A revisit of Chuck and Amara’s “sibling issues” as well is on tap. Jared said sacrifices are coming. 

From TV Line-  re the battle with Chuck. Allies will return, buit was repeated several times in the article that is comes down to Sam and Dean. Jack will struggle with getting his soul back but will be helped by Cas.

It was confirmed there will be no appearances by mamma and papa Winchester, possible due to COVID. (TVLine)

A trailer was released on 8/27. Scenes included:

A moving speech from Sam to Dean

(Possibly from 18) A teary conversation between Dean and Cas

Injured Dean being helped by Cas in the bunker

Jack breaking some cuffs/bring thrown into a wall/saying he has to kill god

Dean and his grenade launcher and a purple nightgown 

Sam in a sweater vest getting a gun from under a pillow

A glimpse of a body with “Lust” written above it/a matronly woman (I think the villain from 14) saying “Boys”

Ghose Dean? Little Sam cutting off a hand

Some intermixed scenes from past episodes

https://youtu.be/d5AzUa5zABI

A second trailer was released on 8/31. Scenes included:

A monologue from Billie about god coming to destroy the planet plus her banging on a bunker door (with her hand all gooey) and striking someone with her scythe

Jack continuing his speech about killing god but expanding that he has a ritual to do

Lots of red danger lights in the bunker/ 3 people getting tossed around in the bunker/Chuck in the bunker

Chuck saying he doesn't believe Sam and Dean can kill him

Young Sam and not ghost Young dean

Dean angrily driving the Impala then saying “its time”

Cas drawing his blade in front of an old truck to protect someone in a suit (Jack? I can't tell)

More Dean tears

A surprise appearance from Bobby

Some of the same scenes as before

https://youtu.be/mBTwCWkOFKw

A third trailer was released on 9/24. It was a rehash of the other two, but a new new scenes included: 

A handcuffed Jack asking Dean if his plan will work, Dean cheekily replying, and swing a machete at the cuffs

More of Dean and his nightgown

Sam saying “it's our one shot”

A pair of werewolves/vampires?

https://youtu.be/7oVO9BdADnQ

A Shaving People, Punting Things trailer was released on 10/2. Scenes included:

Dean in a bar with a blond woman

Sam by the mountain lake with facial wounds

Sam in a birthday crown

Several scenes with Sam and Dean in a barn

Team Free Will 2.0 in  a bunker corridor, Jack looking injured (?)

Cas digging near a stop sign

Sam, Dean, and Jack walking down a street/later in a church/in the Impala

Sad Dean in the dungeon/Sad Sam drinking and knocking over a book

Sad Jack and Cas leaning on the Impala

Scattered shot of Sad Sam and Dean (drinking in the bunker, learning against the Impala)

Sam/Donna hug

Sad Jack on a bed

Dean entering a motel room

Amara looking blissful

Dean giving Sam an encouraging face pat

Billie choking Cas

Sam and Dean shooting/swinging machetes/knives

Glowing eye lady in the bunker

Sam and Dean getting thrown around the bunker

Sam in Death’s library, hurting

Billie swinging a scythe

A bunker door getting blown up

Many behind the scenes shots, including one of Felicia Day (Charlie)

https://youtu.be/yex3jbuf8Mo

Episode 15x14

Title: Last Holiday

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME – Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) discover a wood nymph (guest star Meagan Fey) living in the bunker who is determined to protect her family, at any cost. Eduardo Sanchez directed the episode written by Jeremy Adams (#1514). Original airdate 3/30/2020.

Written by: Jeremy Adams

Director: Eduardo Sanchez

Filming Dates:1/15- 1/24

Airdate: unknown- October 8th

Photos: https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/supernatural-returns-season-15-episode-14-last-holiday/

Promo: kind of lumped in with the other promos

Sneak Peak: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CF0HK1blaFU/?igshid=o2ffwvgud56j

Sneak Peak 2: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/10/07/final-supernatural-episodes-lead-climactic-amazing-showdown/3632212001/

Castiel ? eh… I don't think so Jack ? yes

Guest stars:  Meagen Fay (fae lady)

Other Spoilers/info:

Misha mentioned being at an airport the first day of filming, maybe he’ll miss this one

The director shared a BTS shot with AlCal’s chair in the background. He also posted on that looked like the statues in hell. Lots of filming at the bunker. A few impala shots were shared as well. 

In an EW article, “a mysterious woman gives Sam and Dean every holiday they ever missed”

Episode 15x15

Title: Gimme Shelter

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: MATT COHEN DIRECTS – Castiel (Misha Collins) and Jack (Alexander Calvert) work a case involving members of a local church. Meanwhile, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go off in search of Amara (guest star Emily Swallow). Matt Cohen directed the episode written by Davy Perez (#1515). Original airdate 10/15/2020.

Written by: Davy Perez

Director: Matt Cohen

Filming Dates: 1/27-2/5

Airdate: unknown. October 15th

Photos: http://www.ksitetv.com/supernatural/supernatural-gimme-shelter-preview-images-released/205510/

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ?yes  Jack ? Yes

Guest stars: Emily Sparrow? 

Other Spoilers/info:

There was some filming done at the crossroads with only Misha. 

Alex and Misha filmed together

It seems as if J2 didn’t film at all the first week, Misha filmed six or seven days, is this is a Cas centric ep?

Episode 15x16

Title: Drag Me Away (From You)

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: FLASHBACK TO A YOUNG SAM AND DEAN – Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are asked to investigate the murder of a childhood friend, calling them back to a motel from their past and perplexing the brothers with a case they thought was solved a long time ago. Amyn Kaderali directed the episode written by Meghan Fitzmartin (#1516). Original airdate 10/22/2020.

Written by: Megan Fitzmartin

Director: Amyn Kaderali

Filming Dates: 2/6-2/17

Airdate: October 22nd

Photos: 

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? I think so… briefly? Jack ? not sure either. 

Guest stars: IMDB credits Lisa Berry (Billie/Death)  as well as Young Sam, Young Dean and both grown and young Caitlyn

Other Spoilers/info:

Alex got a cast of his face around the filming of this- so this ep or the one after

Looks like we get Dean in a robe!

They filmed at Rooster’s Sunrise Hotel for 3 days/nights

This is the flashback ep

From TVLine- “It worked not only as a case right now, but also as something that informed the journey Sam and Dean have taken, where they started as kids, how they kind of came together and then how that has [led up] to the point that they are, emotionally, when the episode airs. So it ended up being a really good reflection of our guys now, telling a story about our guys then, which, to me, are always the best versions of those types of flashback stories.”

Episode 15x17

Title: Unity

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:  ONE WAY OR ANOTHER – Dean (Jensen Ackles) hits the road with Jack (Alexander Calvert) who needs to complete a final ritual in the quest to beat Chuck (guest star Rob Benedict). A difference of opinion leaves Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Castiel (Misha Collins) behind looking for answers to questions of their own. Catriona McKenzie directed the episode written by Meredith Glynn (#1517). Original airdate 10/29/2020.

Written by: Meredith Gylnn

Director: Catrion McKenzie

Filming Dates: 2/19-2/28

Airdate: Oct 29th?

Photos: 

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? yes Jack ? yes

Guest stars: Rob Benedict and Emily Sparrow. IMDB credits Robert Wisdom (Uriel)

Other Spoilers/info:

Chuck and Amara trailers were seen on set when filming in a garden

Jensen was in NOLA Friday, possible Monday

“Uriel” was around for filming (Post COVID update: Misha seemed to indicate that this was because the actor was nearby filming? Not sure if this is to cover up the spoiler or the truth)

Alex and Jensen filmed in the imala

Episode 15x18

Title: Despair (it was The Truth at some point I think)

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: 

Written by: BOBO

Director: Speight

Filming Dates: 3/2--3/11

Airdate: Nov 5th?

Photos: 

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? yes Jack ? yes

Guest stars: IMDB credits Billie

Other Spoilers/info:

Misha and Alex filmed near the impala. J2 showed up later that night. This was the source of the “last time they all filmed on set” photo)

An really emotional scene was filmed with Misha and Jensen. Jared was definitely not there, but Alex was on the flight they took with Rich, so its possible he was too. This was revealed at a con in which the four of them were on a plane that had an in-flight problem.

Filming watchers saw a bro hug

Tape Ball posted a shot of field that looks like where dean came back from hell

Misha indicated this was his “favorite episode” in a recent interview

Episode 15x19

Title: Inherit the Earth

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: 

Written by: bucklelimg

Director: John Showalter

Filming Dates:: 3/12-3/23/cancelled for COVID and then 8/18-8/27

Airdate: Nov 12th

Photos: 

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? unknown Jack ? yes

Guest stars: Jake Abel (Micheal), Mark Pelligrino (Lucifer) 

Other Spoilers/info:

Production shut down as a precaution for coronavirus on 3/13, two days into filming. It is scheduled to start again on Aug 18th. 

Jensen indicated there might be some re-writes for this ep to account for COVID protocols.

When they started filming, they indicated they were on day two. So maybe they could only use some of the scenes they shot? Then they added an extra day all called it day 9. COVID protocols makes things take longer 

AlCal was definitely on set. 

Jake Abel is definitely on set, and he posted an instagram story with his trailer and Lucifer’s (Mark Pelligrino)

Some filming was done at a gas station called Showalter’s (name of the director) with Jared, Jensen, and Alex

Jake “Spoiler King” Abel filmed a video showing chairs for Jared, Jensen, and Alex as well as Rob Benedict (Chuck/God). They were filming near a lake with a mountain view (that looked similar to where Cas died in season 13)

Rob Benedict posted it was his last day in Vancouver, indicating we won't see Chuck past this episode? Or very very briefly in 20? Jake Abel posted a similar message, also baiting fans about Misha’s whereabouts 

Scene “28” took several days and seemed to go across both 19 and 20? So they might have done some combo filming?

 Episode 15x20

Title: Carry On

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: 

Written by: Dabb

Director: Bob Singer

Filming Dates: 8/28- 9/10  

Airdate: November 19th

Photos: 

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? maaaaybe? Jack ? maaaaybe?

Guest stars: Jim Beaver

Other Spoilers/info:

Jensen indicated filming would take two weeks, longer than usual (looks like a 9 day shoot, with a day off for Labor Day)

According to Superwiki, 9/3 was the last day on the bunker set, the final days are on location. 

Scene “28” took several days and seemed to go across both 19 and 20? So they might have done some combo filming?

Filming locations seemed to include a barn (pic with a stunt guy showed wooden walls and straw) and a lake (not the mountain lake from 19), and a forest. Filming signs spotted at Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. 

Jim Beaver confirmed his appearance on Twitter

There was a pic of J2 with baby on a bridge. Baby had her original plates. They seem to be wearing the same clothes they were in the pilot. There may be grey (??) In their hair, but that could be lighting

Misha posted some creation videos, saying he had been on an impromptu camping trip. He was back in his house. They were posted on the last day of filming and he had pretty decent scruff. He also mentioned that it was the last day of filming and he wasn't up there. 

The show officially wrapped at 6:25 on 9/10

Jared said “the last time Sam and Dean see each other is the last time Jared and Jensen film together” but seem to imply that was not the final scene? It was a confusing answer to a question about filming the final scene.

IMDB credits a vampire?

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Choo-Choo (baon, 12 days of Cheer)

Note:  For the 12 Days of Cheer!

Day #1: Ugly Sweaters | Day #2 Family | Day #3 Ice Skating | Day #4 Santa

Day #5 Decorations | Day #6 Cocoa

Day #7: Toys

Summary:  Living with Stretch is a learning experience in how to deal with at least a little disorder. 

Tags: Spicyhoney, Domestic, Humor

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

Edge was accustomed to a certain amount of unexpected changes when he came home. Before Stretch, his house had been one of order, the placement of something as simple as a stack of coasters seriously considered. He’d learned to bend, somewhat, giving in to a little disorder and if he didn’t exactly love it, he did love Stretch and he was worth learning the lesson.

On any given day, Stretch might have an idea start percolating and brewing, and eventually he’d end up pouring himself out a cupful of trouble. Like the time he’d calculated that the living room would have better acoustics if he moved the furniture in the room, without factoring in that people needed to be able to get around it and through doorways without climbing over. The best sound quality in the world couldn’t make up for having to squeeze behind a loveseat and hurdle an end table to get to the kitchen door.

When it came to holiday decorations, Edge handled most of them. Stretch helped, of course, but Edge had a careful plan for everything, from a grid for the tree to allow the lights to reach maximum exposure to a careful alignment of garlands around the house to keep the ratio perfect. Stretch was permitted a certain amount of ridiculous ornaments and frankly, a touch too much mistletoe, but that at least had outside benefits. The same could not be said of the ‘tootin’ tooshie’ ornament of a reindeer’s ass lovingly hung from their tree.

His entire life before coming here, Edge had never decorated for Gyftmas and it was an admittedly greedy indulgence of his to do it now. So to have his plans changed while he was at work did not always settle well, especially not when it came like this.

“What are you doing?” Edge asked tightly. His temper was firmly controlled but there would be no mistaking that he was not pleased.

Then again, Stretch could play at blissful unaware with an astonishing amount of success. His grin was delighted, his eye lights bright as he stepped back and gave a dramatic wave around the living room. “check it out!”

The train set was a recent acquisition. The display at the store had charmed Edge with its tiny details, exquisitely painted and the meticulous work involved appealed to him greatly; cars and motorcycles were a familiar interest, but trains were new, and the small engine with its bright red trim looked very fine running around the track at the base of their tree. Which was exactly where it had been that morning when Edge went to work and was very much not now.

When Edge only looked at him and made no effort to ‘check it out’, Stretch’s grin faltered, only to rally into firmly back to the category of glee, “all right, i know what you’re going to say—"

“I highly doubt that.”

“—but listen first! okay, so, it only circled the tree, yeah?”

“As it was meant to.”

“boring, right? now it circles the whole room!” It certainly did. The train track which used to be a sedate circle beneath their tree now rose from beneath, following their walls in a winding path that laddered up nearly to the ceiling and then back down, circling the entire room before returning to its terminal.

Stretch was very nearly glowing with his excitement, “and now it takes pictures! so here we’ll be on gyftmas morning and all those candid shots that get missed? your little choo choo can snap a bunch of shots and upload them right to the cloud for you.”

That was enough to give his interest a reluctant tweak. He liked getting plenty of photos of their family get-togethers, and the promise of more candid shots was tempting.

Edge sighed. “Show me.”

Stretch beamed and darted over to crouch by the small engine. It didn’t look any different, whatever modifications Stretch made must have been very carefully done. As it always had before, it started chugging easily, following the new rise of the track.

“see, look?” Stretch scrambled over to him to show his phone and true to his word, pictures were appearing of the two of them, each from a slightly different angle as the train continued to climb. It was only after the train crested the highest part of the hill and started back down that disaster struck. Perhaps it had never been intended to go at that angle or perhaps whatever camera Stretch installed added too much weight. Whatever the cause, the little engine went faster and faster, pulling its small cars and caboose precariously behind it. Its wheels starting to screech even as it sped out of control, careening into a sharp curve and finally leaping the track.

It crashed to the floor in a shattering of broken plastic and metal, the mangled caboose rolling across the carpet and coming to a rest by their feet. The two of them stood together frozen, staring at the remains of the train scattered across the floor.

“oh,” Stretch said blankly. “um. i… guess i didn’t take inertia into account, i should’ve—oh, shit!"

He broke off as the small engine suddenly burst into miniature flames, moving to snatch it up with his bare hands, hissing out, “ouch, ouch, ouch!!” as he carried it to the door and hastily cast the smoldering, twisted wreckage into the snow.

Edge hadn’t moved. He stood blinking slowly, taking in his newly scorched carpet and the leftover scraps of his train, bits of red plastic and the occasional wheel or two.

Behind him, Stretch let out an uneasy laugh, “okay, um, but this was only model 1.0! the next generation will be a lot better.”

“Considering the low bar is bursts into flames, I should hope so.”

He finally turned towards his husband and Stretch looked so woebegone and guilty he couldn’t help a reluctant chuckle. It was only a toy and one that could be replaced, things would never be as important to him as Stretch. Edge sighed deeply as he pulled Stretch into his arms, tugging him in close. He came meekly, allowing Edge to carefully inspect his hands for any burns.

“Next time, ask first,” Edge said sternly. Stretch nodded, wincing as Edge pressed lightly on one darkened spot on his finger. With care, Edge lifted his hand to his mouth and pressed a very soft kiss to that small burn. “Also, you should consider asking Santa for a fire extinguisher.”

“he’s probably already planning to bring me a six-pack,” Stretch muttered. “i’m so sorry, babe, this was supposed to be a surprise.”

Edge switched his kisses to his mouth instead, soft and sweet, murmuring with no little amusement, “At least that was a success. I was very surprised.”

That only made Stretch pull away with a scowl, his chin lifting stubbornly as his eye lights took on a certain familiar gleam. “no, a nice surprise. i can fix this, you wait, it’ll be ready for gyftmas.”

He wriggled free and Edge let him, after stealing a last quick kiss. He knew better than to interfere with inspiration. Hastily, Stretch gathered up the broken scraps, snatching up the hem of his shirt and using it as a pouch to carry it all. In no time he had every scrap that was left and down to the basement he went, his untied shoes heavy on the stairs as he clomped down to his lab.

Edge only shook his head and let him go, though he did wonder if perhaps that gift from ‘Santa’ might need to come early.

In the meantime, it seemed as if the furniture might need to be rearranged after all, with one of the armchairs set right on top of that scorch mark. It might not do much for the acoustics, but in this case, it was certainly a necessary change.

Living with Stretch, he was certainly learning to be flexible in unexpected ways.

Still, Edge found he was looking forward to seeing train design 2.0, especially if Stretch worked out the whole ‘bursting into flames’ problem. After all, he only had two armchairs he could move.

-finis-

[sweetestrequiems]

Alright I got tagged by at least FIVE people, so... I’ll do EVERY set of questions, and the person who asked them is getting tagged so y’all have references as to who I’m referring to. (By the way, this is a SUPER LONG post.)

Let's get this goin’. Questions are all under the picture of Kelsey Colbert, and nicely divided by pictures of Kelsey Colbert:

@six-fragile-dreams​:

1) How are you today? -Pretty chill. Pro’ly caught a cold, but I can get through it.

2) Favourite animals, colours and artist? -Owls -Monochrome Schemes/Galaxy Schemes/Pastel Pink/Charcoal Black -Kelsey Colbert, ‘nuff said.

3) What's your favourite conspiracy theory? -Aliens and call me lame for it but I will only believe either side with scientific evidence presented to me.

4) Do you like chocolate? -Yes, yes I do.

5) Coffee or Tea? -Coffee, all day, every day. 

6) Favourite scent and flavour? -I love vanilla scented things. Also, cherry blossoms. -Coffee flavored things are nice, but really... anything overtly sweet like candied pecans is nice too.

7) What's your favourite genre? -Of literature? Poetry. -Of music? “Classical” (Baroque/Classical/Romantic) and Jazz

8) Biggest inspirations? -I’ll leave this one blank because... it is such a long list...

9) Favourite perfume or body spray? (or any other thing like that) -Japanese Cherry Blossom and Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath & Body Works. Call me basic.

10) List your 5 favourite artists! -Kelsey Colbert -Taylor Swift -Lauren Daigle -Ariana Grande -Adele

@frogs-in-clogs​:

What instruments can you/ do you wish you could play? -I answered a whole ask about this. Click here for that.

Do you like audiobooks? -Nope. I prefer having the actual book in my hand.

Favourite board game? -I’m more of a card game gal. Magic the Gathering, Cardfight! Vanguard, FutureCard Buddyfight, or die by my blade.

Have you ever broken a bone? -Yep! I broke it playing softball. Broke the middle finger on my left hand. 

Would you rather live in a city or a village? -A mix of both is the best thing for me. A not so populated city, but urbanized enough for me to be happy. But if I HAD to pick, probably a city.

Biggest inspiration? -Once again, list so long it'll take up twenty minutes of your time.

Do you listen to music when revising? -As in... writing stuff? Yeah, I do. I have a whole playlist dedicated to it.

Guilty pleasure music? - *sweats in salsa music*

How would you describe your accent? (Sidenote, how do you imagine my accent? I'm intrigued) -I... don’t know how to describe what a Puerto Rican sounds like?

Do you believe in aliens? -Scroll up, I ain’t answering again.

@boombiotch​:

1. Favorite musical, if you listen to any? -Of all time? Cats. I LOVE Andrew Lloyd Webber scores.

2. Favorite ice cream flavor? -Butter Pecan

3. Favorite OC, if you have one? -The high school student who wants to sometimes slap her best friends with her binder, 17 year old Meghan Isabella Pereira.

4. If you could learn any language, what would you choose? -Irish. 

5. Moon or the sun? -I like warmth, so the sun. But, I am a sucker for the moon too.

6. Do you have a favorite flower? -Hibiscus! 

7. Are you a morning person? -Nope.

8. Do you like to write? - *sweats in Ao3 and this account*

9. Do you believe in ghosts? -Yes.

10. Ayy what do you think of me? *awkward fingerguns* -You’re honestly a total sweetheart, and I am very glad you’re in my life!

@bchcadcd​:

1.) What’s your favorite memory? -A tie between my high school graduation in 2017, and being told I’d be playing Helga in PUFFS the Play.

2.) Do you get attached to people easily? -Yes, yes, yes. 

3.) Favorite mythological deity? -The Mórrígan, Demeter, Persephone, and Shiva.

4.) Favorite superhero? -Comics: Spider-Man (Tom Holland’s Peter Parker), Supergirl (Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers) -Anime: Mt. Lady / Rabbit Hero, Mirko / The R Rated Hero, Midnight

5.) Do clouds have feelings? -I believe so.

6.) Favorite childhood book series? -Warriors

7.) What’s your love language? -The little things. Noticing how someone’s eyes light up when they’re happy, or the little scratchiness of their voice when they talk. Call me hopeless, but I value those little things.

8.) Do you put any stock into personality indicators? (MBTI types/Hogwarts houses/Zodiac signs/etc.) -Not too much, but it’s nice to know it. (If anyone is curious ‘bout me: INFJ-T / Hufflepuff / Virgo Sun - Pisces Moon - Gemini Rising )

9.) Favorite genre of show? -If we mean live theatre? Opera. Nothing against musicals, but opera draws more emotion. 

10.) Favorite cast member from six? -Studio: Aimie Atkinson -Broadway: Samantha Pauly (Hon. Mention: Andrea Macasaet) -1st UK Tour/West End: Natalie Paris (Hon. Mention: Maiya Quansah-Breed) -West End: Courtney Bowman (Hon. Mention: Jarnéia Richard-Noel) -2nd UK Tour: Jodie Steele -Bliss 1.0: Alicia Corrales-Connor -Bliss 2.0: Megan Leung -Breakaway: Amy Bridges -Australia/New Zealand: Kala Gare (Hon. Mention: Courtney Monsma)

@one-time-i-jumped-off-a-cliff​:

1.  What’s your phone background? -Aimie Atkinson lockscreen, Millie O’Connel home screen.

2. Do you have any siblings? -Two older brothers. I’m the youngest of three.

3. Go-to party trick? -Don’t have one. I don’t go out much.

4. Voice type? -Mezzosoprano, with emphasis on Alto voicing. (If you speak of music, that is.)

5. Are/were you one of the popular kids in middle school? -Nope. I was the loner. The one everyone was scared would snap and actually do atrocious things. Little did people realize though, I’m actually a sweetheart. They’re all trying to be my friends now, I just keep denying ‘em.

6. If I gave you a puppy right now, what would you name it? -Shadow. 

7. How many languages can you communicate in some way in? -Three, four if you count Morse Code. (Spanish/English/Japanese)

8. Do you play any sports? -Used to play Tennis, used to play Softball. -Also did Marching Band. (Fight me on the definition, I dare you.)

9. Opinion on Dear Evan Hansen? -Brings a good light on mental health issues, but it needed a better approach to it as well.

10. What was your first fandom on tumblr? -In technicality... In the Heights. I didn’t really see myself involved with fandoms until much more recently.

My questions to you! Feel free to say I tagged you!

Summer or Winter?

The beach, or the mountains? 

There’s a red button in front of you. You press it, and you receive a million dollars. But, someone random in the world dies. Do you press it?

Favorite fashion trend/style?

Favorite all-time lyric from a song? 

Favorite sound from nature?

Who’s your favorite YouTuber, who are they, and what do they do?

What’s your Hogwarts house? 

What’s your favorite work by William Shakespeare? (Sonnets and all included, not just limited to stage plays.)

If you got thrown into a fantasy world, what kind of powers would you like to have?

[lyrithim]

[Nurseydex] Liminal

Summary: Will looked like a wet dog almost, with his head hanging, his neck bent slightly from a teenager’s slouch he never really outgrew. (Takes place after Chapter 4.08: “Haus 2.0.” Dex apologizes.)

Word Count: 1,627

[read on AO3] because let’s be honest fandom is going to mass-exodus out of this hellsite soon for real

Two days—two days of blissful silence, with no five a.m. alarms and no Nursey-pick-up-your-shit-that-I-can’t-even-find and no Nursey-please-stop-humming-Drake-in-your-sleep (like he could even control that)—it was two days of Derek Nurse having his own room in the Haus, rightfully his, Bitty’s Solomon’s-dib-flip be damned. And Derek had been living the hell out of the place in those two days: stretching his legs across the room, playing his music on full blast, getting his rhythm back in general—maybe writing a couple pieces of angry poetry, you know, as a change of style. Two days of peace.

Then at midnight of the third day Derek heard the hallway floorboards creak and knew the way you just did sometimes: what was coming, and who.

Two soft knocks—at the second, the door opened gently inward, letting in a slice of the hallway light. Will was on the other side. He looked like a wet dog almost, with his head hanging, his neck bent slightly from a teenager’s slouch he had not outgrown in three years. It was more pronounced now, made him look all the more gangly and awkward for it.

“Nurse?” he asked. “You awake?”

“Yes,” Derek said.

“Are you sleeping soon?”

“Why? Did you want something?”

“Just want to talk. It’d be quick.”

Derek sat up, draped a blanket over his bare shoulders because it was cold, and fuck Will for never letting the temperature go up above fifty-eight. Rubbing his eyes, he said, “Turn the light on. And stop standing at the doorway like a serial killer please.”

Will followed his words. He sat by his side of the desk—what used to be his side of the desk—and faced Derek, head up. There was that stubborn set to Will’s jaw, like he was about to start a fight again, and Derek was so not in the mood it wasn’t even funny. He eyed his pillow, ready to flop over and sleep through the whole thing if necessary.

But Will said, “Chowder came to talk to me after morning drills.”

Derek was surprised. “He broke his vow of silence?”

Chowder had declared a vow of silence after Derek and Will had that huge fight soon after Derek’s sports injury / not sports injury a few weeks before. You guys are roommates now, sort this out between yourselves, Chowder had said when they turned to him for arbitration. He had continued that the vow of silence for weeks—until, it seemed, that morning.

“He told me to get my head out my ass,” Will said. “And be an adult about all of this.”

“Then let me guess,” Derek said. “Your way of being an adult about this is to come up here, blame me for you leaving this room, and then have an argument with me all over again.”

To Derek’s surprise, Will snorted out a laugh.

“I guess you two know me too well,” he said. “No. Chowder was ahead of you on this one. He made me stay behind and practice slap shots with him—wouldn’t let me leave until I got a goal in or came up with an answer he liked.”

Derek let out a low whistle. “How long were you guys there?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Will said. “Point is: no. I thought things through. And I think—I think I owe you an apology.”

Derek stared, stunned. “Huh,” was all he could say. “Really.”

It came out sounding almost sarcastic—which Derek didn’t mean—but before he could correct himself, Will was saying, “Like, look. I’ll never consider what you had a sports injury—and if it is, it’s the dumbest sports injury to ever exist, and definitely not something you can use to flirt with—but I thought through the other things. The clothes weren’t that bad—my last roommate was worse—the music I could hear but you do that during roadies and I was fine—and the pie—”

And here Will trailed off, struggling, at his limits about what he could forgive.

But Derek was gracious, and he said, “The pie thing was my fault, really.”

Will sighed. “No, you meant well—probably—but either way I overreacted.”

“You did.”

“I did,” Will said, but more clipped, and Derek decided not to push it.

“But why?” Derek said. “You know, if you really mean what you said but you still went on to blame me for shit like that, it’s not exactly helpful.”

“That was the part Chowder was beating me into submission to figure out—sort of,” he said, and moved hastily on: “There were some other things but— Anyway. I figured out in the end.”

“And?”

“And I think it’s what you said, last semester, about how I would be out by September—”

“Dude,” Derek groaned.

“I know, I know. But I think, I thought, that—I think part of me always was wondering whether or not you were doing stuff to annoy me on purpose—”

“No, dude, Dex— You know I was joking. Come on.”

“I did. I do. I should’ve known better,” Will said. “Trusted you more. Been less suspicious. We argue all the time and shit but we’ve been—you know, friends—for a while too now. So I’m sorry.”

Derek considered him, looked at the dip of his chin, picked at the guilelessness in his eyes. Finally he was satisfied and let himself savor the apology. And savoring, of course, turned almost immediately to preparing to lord over. Will saw this change and gave him a glare. Derek raised his eyebrows innocently.

“I am sorry too,” Derek said after a bit, a little hesitantly, “for invading your fortress of solitude and all that. Swear to god I didn’t go in since.”

“What?” Will asked. “Oh that, yeah, no, that was kind of just the last straw, but by itself—I almost forgot about it, to be honest.”

“Oh,” Derek said, feeling a lightness in his heart. He slipped from the warmth of his blanket and climbed down the bed. “So we’re good now.”

“Yeah.”

“Good—chill. When are you moving back then?” Derek asked. He was preparing to move a few of his Whitman books—which he might or might not have thrown in front of Will’s side of the closet from spite—out of the way.

“Hm?”

He sounded distracted, and Derek straightened. “I asked when you’re moving back here.”

“Oh,” Will said, standing. “No. I mean, to be honest I think it’s probably still best if I stayed there for a bit.”

“Really? There? ‘In the darkness’? Dex—”

“Yeah,” he said, looking away. “I mean, I installed lightbulbs and everything. And it’s a good space. I got some planks from a shop class and made a sturdier bedframe and everything. And it works out for both of us this way. It’s not that I don’t want to live with you right now—”

“—but you don’t want to live with me right now,” Derek said, sighing. “No—don’t sweat it. I get it.” And he did. Even Ransom and Holster, after all, had the space of the attic to split between themselves.

Will’s shoulders slumped. “Thanks. We can come up with a roommate agreement at some point. Also I think taking some time off would be good—we spend way too much time on ice anyway. And between classes too, now that we share that one core.”

“We’re not Ransom and Holster,” Derek agreed.

“But I’ll probably move back—after Thanksgiving? When it gets really fucking cold.”

Derek grinned. “You’ll migrate back up here like a Canada goose.”

“If you want to call it that,” Will said, smiling.

When Will moved to leave, Derek remembered something. “Wait, hold up,” he said, “since when did I flirt with anyone with my sports—my injury?”

Will turned red, as red as the stripes on his flannel, as red Derek had ever seen him. “I—I mean, there was that once with Chowder, right?”

“With—” Derek almost burst out laughing. “Are you talking about when he signed my cast? Will, you can’t be serious.”

“I just—I just throw out words sometimes, okay? I didn’t mean flirting as in— Just drop it.”

“God, I can’t. You thought I was flirting—with my sports injury—with our best friend Chowder—”

“Drop it,” Will called from the hallway.

“I’ll see you at team breakfast tomorrow!” Derek said. “At least, if you don’t mind me flirting with basically-Caitlyn’s-fiancé Christopher Franklin Chow—”

Will popped a middle finger into the room, then closed the door.

Derek was still chortling to himself when he climbed back up to his bunk. Of course, he thought, his head hitting the pillow, only someone as emotionally repressed as Will could consider chatting about an injury with your best friend flirting—

Sleep was coming, quickly and lightly. But then in the liminal space between wakefulness and slumber, a memory came: he was in the sterile bed of the ice rink clinic after the last game—high as a reindeer on painkillers, probably. Will was there, looking down—but he already knew this, Will would complain about babysitting a high Derek for days afterwards. Will had then, in his memory, such a look of concern on his face—it was there, behind the look of incredulous annoyance—and Derek did just score a goal for Samwell, and perhaps he was high on that too— Then he remembered that Will never gave him a proper celly before he went and hurt himself, heroically, in the sports arena, and couldn’t Will, Derek was asking now, at least give him a kiss—?

The human consciousness could come up with the weirdest shit, Derek thought, squirming to flip himself to the other side, at which point he promptly fell asleep.

 .

[thorne93]

Inexplicable Fate (Epilogue)

Prompt: What is life like for two of the most powerful beings in the universe? Jack and you find out...

Word Count:1743

Warnings: Language, fighting, angst?

Notes: Sorry this took so long to get to y’all. I pretty much knew where I wanted their story to pick up after at the final chapter, and with a high demand for an epilogue, I couldn’t resist. Beta’d by @carryonmyswansong - many thanks, darling. 

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Dean Winchester: @akshi8278 @mogaruke

Sam Winchester: @mogaruke @lenawiinchester

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One thing was for sure, life was never dull, especially as a member of the Nephilim.

The showdown between you and Apocalypse-Michael did take place, but not quite as you’d planned. You were sure it would be hard to kill your alternate universe father, for a myriad of reasons. Your irrational attachment to him, your power maybe not being as strong as you think it is, your weakness for Jack.

But despite all of the things that could’ve gone wrong...it went incredibly right.

Apocalypse-Michael was no match for you, let alone you, Jack, Lucifer, and Castiel. It was practically a warm up. Two Nephilim, one Archangel, and one Seraph? He didn’t stand a chance.

None of the guys were happy that you’d made a rather easy deal with Lucifer. You tried to stress that giving him the world would be the only deal he would take over Jack. Lucifer was a selfish bastard at heart, so he would pick the thing that gave him the most power.

That was the only hard part of working with Lucifer -- his constant need to use the time to be near Jack. Jack was revolted by Lucifer, but he knew he had to swallow it down, if you all wanted to win against Michael. Lucifer had helped, surprisingly. He did try to talk to Jack. Even tried to bond with him. Every time he did, though, Jack shot him down. It made for an uneasy time for you two.

Jack blamed you for letting Lucifer near him. Even though you’d made a very clear deal with Lucifer that he wouldn’t be allowed back after the fight, it didn’t matter. Just being near him, filled Jack with an unparalleled blood lust. One that, ironically, only you could calm.

In the end, it was down to you and Michael. Everyone else’s powers had waned, and their bodies were badly hurt, except you. You seemed to be able to take the brunt of anything he had to offer. Finally, when he nearly had you pinned with his staff, and you were struggling against him, Lucifer called your attention and threw you the Archangel blade that he’d swiped from Arthur Ketch.

Before Michael could respond, you stabbed him - repeatedly. Once in the neck, once in the chest, and once in the head, for good measure. The gesture was surprisingly easy, but then again, he had broken through to Earth and threatened to lay waste to everything you loved….so maybe it wasn’t so hard.

So despite what everyone else wanted, and pleaded with, you let Lucifer go - that was the deal. Lucifer might also be a handy ally in the future, and if you kept his deal, maybe it would put you in his favor. You weren’t the type to lie or betray, that was Lucifer’s doing, and you wouldn’t be made into one simply because the guys didn’t agree with it.

Lucifer did worm his way into ruling Heaven, before eventual action was taken by others to dethrone him. The guys begged you, fought with you, to take down Lucifer, but you refused, saying a deal was a deal. They were at their wits end with you, and you didn’t blame them. It killed you to know he was up in Heaven, doing God knows what. But a deal was a deal.

But you finally realized the deal you made was between you and Lucifer, not Jack and Lucifer. That gave the rest of them the green light to go after him. Jack, with much pleasure, nearly killed Lucifer before they threw him back in the cage.

Once your beloved father-in-law was out of your lives, it settled for a little bit.

A few years passed with little excitement. Ever since your powers reached their full ability, you stopped aging. With Lucifer locked up, and Heaven and Hell starting to function as they once did - with no supreme leader, you and Jack thought it would be nice to make your love official. You both knew you would never want anyone else. They couldn’t possibly know you completely or understand you, and they would never have this cosmic bond you did.

A wedding.

A wedding on the most beautiful spring day anyone ever saw on a beach in Hawaii. Dean wanted you to have it at the bunker, for safety, but you didn’t want your one and only wedding to be in a dark, underground base for hunting monsters.

The idea of getting married on the beach in Florida where you’d spent some time together had crossed both of your minds, but that trip was tinged with turmoil and darkness. You’d thought about the lake nearby, but both you and Jack loved a real ocean, so you opted for a place neither of you had been.

Castiel was your officiant, of course. He was beyond honored when the two of you had asked. Despite your better judgement, you had your family at the wedding, finally meeting Jack. You had to. Crazy angels and demons or not, you could protect them. It was a tedious task of trying to explain to them where you’d gone, and why you’d sort of gone missing, but they were happy you were happy. You wore your dream dress, Cas actually shopping with you since you didn’t have any girl friends to do it with. Dean and Sam were, of course, the best men at the wedding. They even wore tuxedos at your begging and pleading.

Tropical flowers and vibrant colors were splashed all over your venue. The breeze was light and warm, the sun giving a heated glow to everything. Every detail that you cared about came together for you, the main one being that Jack was there. He donned a dark gray suit, fit for royalty, and he’d never looked more handsome.

The honeymoon was spent on the island, the two of you took two weeks alone to be together and it was utter bliss. The two of you spent every moment together, awake and otherwise. Continuing to learn and fall in love with every part of each other. It was Heaven on Earth.

That was, until two years after the marriage…

You and Jack, and the rest of Team Free Will 2.0 had discussed children ad nauseum. After all, the birth of your children would replenish Heaven.

Castiel had mentioned it would be a good idea to have angels to combat the ever growing number of demons, but ultimately, it was up to you two. Dean and Sam said it was your life, your children, but they didn’t think any good would come from revitalizing Heaven.

You and Jack...Well Jack eventually said he was fine either way. He never expected to be a father, and if he got to be one, it would be a privilege. If he didn’t, he said he would feel no loss.

So it ultimately came down to you. At first, you thought it would be best just to forgo the whole idea. Just use protection, and never worry about it….But the more you thought about it, the more you realized you didn’t want that. You wanted children, you always had. You wanted a family, a real life with Jack. No one, not the angels, not the guys, not demons, not Lucifer or Michael, or even God was going to dictate what the hell you were going to do with your life and your body.

Jack supported you and said he would be happy to have children with you. You didn’t want to purposely try for them, such as watching your ovulation or anything extreme like that, but the two of you stopped using protection and you let it happen organically.

So when it finally happened, you were overjoyed, over the moon, ecstatic, as was Jack. Even the guys had to admit they were a little excited to have a baby around.

Until the angels made it clear that they wanted your baby as soon as it was born. They threatened you out in public. They stalked you on hunting trips. They did everything they could to scare you, to tell you they would be coming for your newborn to make sure it grew up in Heaven, a rightful angel.

At first, you were determined to fight them, to keep your child with you at all costs. But you and Jack discussed other possibilities, a loophole, a way to satisfy all of you and the angels. Finally, you came up with a decent solution: raise the child as a good person, and when they’re 18, take them to Heaven to serve as an angel should they choose to do so.

You’d ran this idea by the angels but they wanted your baby as soon as it was born, claiming to want to raise it full angel in Heaven. If it was raised as a human, it was no good, to them it was tainted. To you, Jack, Castiel, Dean, and Sam though, it would give the baby humanity, compassion, emotions, with the power of an angel. Much like Cas. He had become incredibly human, yet he was still a good angel.

Only two days after the long labor with your baby girl, Anette, you heard something loud on the outside of the bunker. It was the angels, and the demons, both trying to break in to either kidnap your child or kill it, depending on which side they were on.

Jack and you stood in the nursery with your baby, you holding it and looking at it lovingly.

Sam came into the doorway. “They’re here,” he informed, glancing at both of you before sprinting away to hold off what he could.

You didn’t respond for a moment, only putting her back in her baby bed, kissing her forehead. You held Jack’s hand as you cast yet another strong protection spell over the room. Finally, you strode out into the hallway with Jack.

Jack walked beside you. “You know they will try to take her,” he said. “They don't want to wait eighteen years.”

You gave him a sideways smile as you stood in the war room, your eyes scanning from Dean, Sam, Cas, and finally your husband, all armed, all ready.

“Let them try. Let’s see how far they get,” you challenged as you settled into your battle stance, just before the final blow took off the door and angels and demons swarmed into the bunker.

[glenngaylord]

A PAUSE FOR SOME PURE POP CULTURE BLISS

ABBA: BON VOYAGE

Sometimes, a bit of pop culture can have an overwhelming effect on me.  A memorable shot in a film, such as the beautiful moment when Harley Quinn escapes captivity in The Suicide Squad, exiting in slow motion surrounded by animated flowers and birds, will stay etched in my memory. Same goes for a perfect meal, a well-earned reality competition victory, an astounding architectural feat, such as The Vessel in NYC, and a perfect pop song. I consider “Toxic” by Britney Spears to be at the top in that category.

In fact, my musical tastes have always leaned towards bouncy pop. Give me a beat and a great melody and I’m a fan for life. I’ve been a lifelong fan of ABBA, the Swedish quartet, specifically for their distinctively European chord progressions, twisty melodies, snappy bass, oddly dark lyrics, and those otherworldly, precise harmonies by Agnetha and Anni-Frid. I remember by sister Wendy introducing them to me, blasting “S.O.S” on our family stereo as she’d pace across the room. As she strode back and forth, taking in the music, it felt like a sacred act. You could feel her soaking it up and sense she was thinking about what she was hearing. I’m so grateful I learned to appreciate music from my sister, something I don’t think she knew until now.

A year later, now a diehard fan, I would go to the record store at our nearby mall, anxiously asking the cashier when ABBA’s new record, Arrival, would get released. They never really knew, seeing how the internet didn’t exist, so I’d go once a week for months on end until it finally appeared. I’d repeat the same steps the following year for ABBA: The Album. I opted out of seeing them live when they toured the USA, thinking, I’ll catch them next time. There was no next time, and I regret the chance to see these Pop Masters in person to this day.

Consider my joy, that 39 years after their last recorded music, they’ve not only announced a groundbreaking live tour of sorts, but a new album, Voyage. Two new songs saw their release a few days ago, and I cannot stop crying. Yes, they’ve aged and you can hear it in their voices, and they haven’t tried one bit to modernize their sound, which wisely plays into the beautiful nostalgia of it all. They’ve trapped themselves in time to give us old and new simultaneously, much like the motion-captured, de-aged avatars (rightfully called ABBA-tars) which will appear as holograms performing with a 10-piece band at their live shows.

Claiming nobody wants to see them onstage at their current age, the band has offered up a gust of wistful nostalgia, and have found the perfect moment to do so. With COVID, the Taliban, Texas, the prison colony known as North Korea, systemic racism, the rise of fascism with its war with truth, the plight of Sudanese refugees, on and on, we could all use a little joy and most importantly, harmony.

The two new songs, “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down” may feel like pastiches of their older hits, but they achieve pop perfection on their own. The first, a ballad in the vein of “Thank You For The Music” and “I Have A Dream” may seem a bit schmaltzy, but repeat listenings have revealed its quiet power. The lyrics, which seem purposefully open to interpretation, achieve a wonderful intimacy when they sing, “Do I have it in me?”, sounding, like Tracy Chapman famously wrote, “like a whisper”. The production builds and builds, including those wonderful “Fernando”-esque drums, reaching an epic crescendo. It’s a perfect little pop gem, corny as it may feel upon first listen.

The second song opens with another ballad feel, which made me droop for a second. I wanted a bop, not another testament to all things dire. After a few bars, however, “Dancing Queen 2.0” began with a bouncy beat, sax, cascading piano, and moments which gave me “Take A Chance On Me” and that “Super Trouper” bass line. I erupted in tears, happy that they were B-A-C-K, thrilled that they sound so good and pure, elated by those interconnected vocals, and so grateful to feel like that kid again, sneaking up on my sister as she walked across the room. I thought of all the years that have passed, yet in an instant I was taken back to those blissful days of soul-stirring music.

BIG BROTHER HISTORY

Yes, I’m a Big Brother nerd. There, I said it. This guilty pleasure summer reality series has always felt cheap and way less fun than watching paint dry.  Still, I love its over-the-top dopiness and it features some of the more complex strategies of any game out there, as long as they don’t fill the cast with influencers and non-gamers. This season, they’ve managed to put a lot of smart people into the house, and more significantly, 50% of them were people of color. Their main series has never had a Black winner, with the complaint being that Black contestants end up feeling like outsiders with few options to set up alliances with people who look like them.

Not so this season as the 6 Black contestants instantly set up “The Cookout” with the purpose of assuring a Black winner. With only a few weeks left in the game, they have done just that.  Now down to 8 people, it feels like a foregone conclusion we will see such a historic win. Moreover, with such players as Tiffany and Xavier, we see master gaming occuring. Tiffany, while no possessing the sharpest social skills, has figured out this game in a way that has put her among the ranks of some of the show’s greatest players. Even though many of the alliance members dislike each other, they all have a higher purpose and will hopefully give hope and example to anyone who enjoys seeing the underdogs finally win.

[latestnews2018-blog]

'The Bachelorette' Still Thinks Love Is Beyond Politics

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/the-bachelorette-still-thinks-love-is-beyond-politics/

'The Bachelorette' Still Thinks Love Is Beyond Politics

Garrett Yrigoyen is sorry.

The “Bachelorette” winner and now-fiancé to Becca Kufrin didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings when he liked a number of bigoted memes on Instagram before filming of the show began ― memes that targeted feminists, transgender people, undocumented immigrants and the Parkland school shooting survivors. He’s sorry and Becca knows he’s sorry and they want the rest of us ― the 6.7 million people who tuned into the season 14 finale of “The Bachelorette” on Monday night ― to accept that he’s sorry as well.

After HuffPost reported on Garrett’s questionable social media history in May, there was a round of criticism of the show’s social media screening policy, the substance of the Instagram posts and Garrett himself. Within days, he put out an apology saying, “I never realized the power behind a mindless double tap on Instagram and how it bears so much weight on people’s lives. I did not mean harm by any of it.”

And yet that apology, while welcome, did little to convince concerned viewers that Garrett had educated himself on anything other than dealing with public outrage. Perhaps, if he made it to the end, more would be said?

On Monday night, we got the answer to that question. Garrett won Becca’s heart and, subsequently, a chance to make amends with viewers during the “After the Final Rose” segment. Instead of adding much of anything to what he had already said, Garrett doubled down, again offering the bare minimum of an apology without acknowledging the larger context of his likes, grappling specifically with any of the views he expressed or being transparent about where he stands on those issues today.

“I didn’t realize the effect behind a double tap or a like on Instagram, so I put out an apology,” he reiterated. “I didn’t mean to offend anybody. I apologize for that still. … And I’m just trying to grow as a person, be a better person on a daily basis. … Because I feel like, when I was liking things, it was going against what she stands for, and it made it really hard on us as a couple.” But, he said, “we got through together and we’re growing, we’re progressing and we’re moving forward.”

Like a pro athlete who’s returned to top form after the rape investigation has been dropped, Garrett was framed as a comeback kid: His relationship with Becca is stronger than ever thanks to the “challenge” or “hurdle” of coping with the consequences of his bigotry.

Becca said as much, quite explicitly. “It definitely brought us stronger,” she told host Chris Harrison, referring to the Instagram “scandal.” “It’s a challenge that we had to overcome and it’s been a hurdle but we’ve pushed through and we’ve talked about it.”

We’ve seen this show throw its winning couple into the wood chipper of public opinion before (Juan Pablo Galavis and Nikki Ferrell, anyone?), so the gentle unity of the “After the Final Rose” messaging was unmistakable. Whether it was Harrison, Becca, Becca’s sister Emily or Garrett himself, everyone was ready to move on from this debacle, forgive the miscreant winner his transgressions and relax into the life-affirming joy of their bliss.

Paul Hebert via Getty Images

Becca and Garrett kiss during the final rose ceremony in the Maldives.

In its attempt to shift closer to the fantasy of a world where politics does not intrude on love ― or where, if it does, it is merely an impediment for two individuals to get over ― “The Bachelorette” backed viewers into a corner. Either we could choose to accept Garrett’s rehearsed, half-assed apology and just be happy for Becca, whom we had grown to adore, or we could be the overly sensitive shrews who couldn’t just “get over” political disagreements and had to pooh-pooh the happiness of two individuals who are madly in love.

Neither option felt good. Nor did it feel like a fair choice.

The show created a scenario in which we were left debating whether or not Garrett is “good.” It reframed a debate about the real-world impact of an extremist political ideology ― one that feeds into trans women being murdered and immigrant children being held in fenced cages ― into some minor personal differences. The specifics of his offenses were erased in favor of vague, sanitized generalities (“a double tap on Instagram,” he said, but a double tap on what posts he did not explain). He and Becca assured us that he is a good person. He didn’t try to throw any refugee children over a wall right before our eyes. Case closed!

By the show’s logic, Garrett loves his new fiancée and is nice so his disturbing social media history should be seen as just a weird outlier, a past blip that doesn’t indicate his true character. We should forgive him, at least if we truly believe in love. “The Bachelorette” has ― they even gave him and Becca a nice minivan.

One could feel a palpable exhale of relief as the show steered away from Garrett’s Instagram likes to discussion of the couple’s plans (moving to LA! getting corgis!). Now the show was back on terra firma. The “Bachelor” franchise has always studiously avoided politics ― and anything that could smack thereof.

The show’s ongoing narrative has political resonances, of course, from the whiteness of the casting to the heteronormative vision of love and marriage. The most political thing about the show, however, might be its refusal to acknowledge politics. Nothing could more clearly indicate political and social privilege than the ability of so many contestants and viewers to pretend that political realities can be neatly separated from love and dating, or that they can be excised from one’s life for a few months of filming. But it’s not that simple. Some political beliefs can suggest personal callousness toward vulnerable people, even as they more broadly fuel policy choices and a cultural climate that puts others at risk of marginalization and even violence.

By pretending that deep ideological and experiential chasms in America don’t exist, the show has long courted a rather homogenous, if still politically divided, viewership: mostly white, generally well-off and educated, mostly women, both Republicans and Democrats. Despite the show’s deeply traditional archetypes, left-wing women gravitated to it ― we even started a podcast, “Here to Make Friends,” dedicated to recapping the show with feminist flair.

“The Bachelor” was the pop culture equivalent of Thanksgiving at a white family’s table, pre-Trump. We knew some of our faves from the show were voting for anti-abortion candidates at the polls, but we could ignore it for the sake of enjoying our mashed potatoes and Neil Lane diamonds. Now, much like many a post-Trump Thanksgiving table, Bachelor Nation is riven by its previously submerged political divides.

The demographic that populates and watches the show ― college-educated white women ― has been politicized to a striking degree by Donald Trump’s presidency. While exit polls showed that 52 percent of white women voters picked Trump in the 2016 election, research shows that it is now college-educated white women over 30 who are leading many of the local organizing efforts against Trump in so-called “Trump country.” A recent Washington Post generic-ballot poll showed college-educated white women breaking hard for Democratic candidates ― by a 47-point margin.

Thanksgiving tables have become battlegrounds because of this awakening, and so have dating sites and marriages. Many liberal women have begun to ask whether their relationships with Trump-voting men can and should survive, or whether they should even consider dating men who support wildly different ideological agendas. Trump staffers have reported being unable to find a date in D.C. In America, politics aren’t just relevant to finding love these days; they’re practically central to it.

The “Bachelor” franchise’s key demographic ― of which we, the two authors of this post, are solidly a part ― has awoken politically after long enjoying the privilege of not having to be awake. That means the way these women, we women, consume pop culture and configure our romantic fantasies will inevitably change too. “The Bachelorette,” which sits squarely at the intersection of those two things, has not evolved as quickly as its viewers have.

To avoid alienating any segment of its audience, “The Bachelorette” demurred when faced with a substantive issue. It gave its viewers the bare minimum and then passed the buck. We’re left to decide what to do with a show that once felt escapist, perhaps even when it shouldn’t have, in a political moment that no one can or should be able to escape without a reckoning.

For more on the “Bachelorette” finale, listen to “Here to Make Friends”:  

Do people love “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” or do they love to hate these shows? It’s unclear. But at “Here to Make Friends,” we both love and love to hate them — and we love to snarkily dissect each episode in vivid detail. Podcast edited by Nick Offenberg.

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[six-costume-refs]

I’m so sorry for the super long question BUT do you think all of the weird cruise costume things that happened when NCL started making costumes in-house such as:

- the wrong size of black vinyl and extra spiky crown on Jade/Abbi’s Aragon

- pink sleeves for Ellie Howard

- the completely new Boleyn design for Lucy/Liv/Abbi

- the unique panel proportions on the new Howard skirts

- etc.

were from the direction of Gabriella Slade to be made that way at the time, or do you think it could’ve been the NCL costume shop going rogue with some things?

If the NCL costume shop was getting most of their patterns and build instructions from the Broadway costumers, they should look a bit more uniform and if they were getting the direction and approval from Gabriella Slade for these changes, it doesn’t really make sense in the timeline. I could be wrong but I believe that most, if not all, of the updated costume designs for Broadway/WE were finalized by the time the new cruise costumes were being made so it doesn’t make sense for Gabby to try out new things like when she tested out new alt variations previously.

Hey! Okay a couple thoughts and a couple different answers. I'll get into the specific questions you're asking in a second, but for starters this is a post by @lightleckrereins from a few months ago that addresses some of your questions. - Abbi Hodgson and Jade Marvin's current costume actually have two different vinyl sizes on their main cutout panel! A lot of the productions use different vinyl sizes and materials in general - Australia, for instance, uses the one with tiny squares. NCS, despite being US-based, does not always use the same materials in general as Broadway. Materials presumably just depends on the suppliers and materials they have available, and some of them are custom so those will depend on the budgets of the different productions. It’s not necessarily an intentional design decision, and it’s definitely not out of the ordinary or NCS going rogue. - The crowns worn by Abbi and Jade are probably just a design disparity. A lot of the crowns in different productions, and sometimes even within the same production for the same role, are a bit different. - Ellie Sharpe was originally meant to join the show in 2020 in either the original Breakaway 2.0 or Getaway 3.0 cast. Her costumes would have been in progress by the time of Covid lockdown and that's further supported by the fact that they follow the 2020 construction style (and do not include some of the recent changes made with 2021 costumes). My guess is that the pink sleeves are something they were testing out in 2020 costumes (and that the principal for the production she was originally in would have had them too). - Sofia goes into the Boleyn costume a lot in that post I linked above so definitely read that, but within the context of your ask it basically boils down to it seems like it was one of several Boleyn test designs that were scrapped by the time Broadway actually opened and then stuck around for practicality reasons with Breakaway. - The disparity in Howard proportions are weird, but I definitely don't think it's a new intentional instruction from Gabriella Slade. For starters it's not showing up in other productions like it would be from Gabriela, it's showing up in both Bliss and Breakaway so it's not a test, and every costume shop is going to fit things a little bit differently due to their own preferences. It also honestly might just be because it minimizes cutouts. Sofia addresses pattern and build instructions in her post. However, with the exception of Boleyn they're already pretty uniform as is, and we know that was a Bliss 2.0-specific decision that carried over to Breakaway 2.0. Everything else so far can either be chalked up to clearly intentional design changes either by Gabriella Slade or an associate (like the pink sleeves), or normal disparities just brought in by different suppliers/costume shops (like the vinyl and Howard skirts). The timeline actually matches from everything we know - NCS' timeline is different than the other productions, and the original 2020 Broadway schedule was different than usual as well. Broadway was introducing a lot of major design changes and we know they went through many design iterations, and likely construction styles as well. Gabriella Slade talked about getting midway or very close to done with several costumes that were then totally scrapped. Based on what we know about the timelines of both productions, all the construction disparities between Bliss 2.0 and Broadway, and the construction on the Bliss 3.0 costumes (which are the costumes confirmed to be made in 2021) being much closer to Broadway, the timeline of the NCS costumes totally match up with the early stages of the 2020 Broadway development.

[six-costume-refs]

It’s interesting to see that now the cruise cast can post photos / videos of them in costume when we used to have to wait a while for the costumes to be “approved.” Do you think this has to do with the costumes now being made be a different team?

Hey! I do think the different studio could have some impact, but there are also some other potential reasons. - Bliss 1.0 costumes were made by the same UK studios and costume makers that were making the UK costumes at the time. They did not have a photo ban. - Breakaway 2.0 is a little bit less clear. It seems like some or all of the costumes were made by the usual UK makers, but then finished up during rehearsals (studs added) by Norwegian Creative Studios. They did not have a photo ban. - Bliss 2.0 costumes were made by Norwegian Creative Studios. There was a photo ban. It was still in place a year after, in early March 2021, and to my knowledge it's still in effect. However, several members of the cast and production team did post photos regardless. - Breakaway 2.0 costumes were made by Norwegian Creative Studios. A photo ban was initially in effect. About midway through the run several of the cast members got new costumes, also made by Norwegian Creative Studios. After those new costumes were received, the photo ban seems to have been lifted. The cast members who received new costumes have not posted photos of their old ones, so I’m guessing a photo ban still exists on those. Their costumes are pretty complicated, so if you're curious I have a longer post about it here. - Bliss 3.0 costumes were made by Norwegian Creative Studios. Some of these photos weren't posted for a bit so they may have had to be approved, but that's just as likely due to Wi-Fi issues. Either way, there certainly wasn't a complete posting ban. - Breakaway 3.0 and Bliss 4.0 costumes were made primarily by John Kristiansen but some pieces seem to have been made by Norwegian Creative Studios. John Kristiansen is the same studio that makes the Broadway and Aragon Tour costumes. Like with Bliss 3.0 some signing off may have needed to happen, but there wasn’t a total ban.

There does seem to be a pattern there in terms of who made which costumes and which had a ban, but I think even if that’s the case there are probably still a few other factors: - UK, Broadway/US Tour, and AUNZ costumes are worked on by a team of costume supervisors and designers as well as associates and assistants (exact titles depend on the production). Collectively they oversee the costumes’ production, design, quality, and consistency, and make sure that the costumes continue to live up to Gabriella Slade’s designs and expectations even as she moves on to other projects. One reason that they may have moved NCL costumes’ production to John Kristiansen in NYC is so that Lisa Zinni and Amanda Jenks, the US-based team, could better oversee the construction of the costumes (That’s one of many possible reasons; it’s a little outside the scope of this post, but I can get into it in the future if there’s interest in that). Having them there to oversee the costumes’ production could definitely help solve any concerns that may have existed for the casts with costume bans. - The Bliss 2.0 costumes were made in a weird transitionary period. The costumes were going through extensive changes to both design and construction in anticipation of the Broadway debut. When you’re in a major period of refinement and change, there’s always going to be some things you like and some you scrap. Bliss 2.0 was one of the primary places where they were doing that experimentation; several of the elements they used for Bliss (like Lucy Aiston’s Boleyn) were then scrapped for Broadway. Oddly, some of those elements that Bliss used but were scrapped for Broadway were also used for Breakaway 2.0 (like Abbi Hodgson’s Boleyn costume, which was made for Bliss 2.0 and used the same design as Lucy’s, or Liv Alexander’s costume which also had the same cutout design as Lucy/Abbi’s). Since they’ve really been striving for standardization, they may have just wanted to minimize the amount of attention that those unique design/construction elements got.

[six-costume-refs]

What are the differences between Jade’s old and new Aragon costumes?

Hey! We don't have great photos of her old costume so some details will be missing, but here's an overview!

Photos: Top left is during tech for Breakaway 2.0 and shows her original costume; top right was posted 5 Dec 2021 but may have been earlier and shows her original costume; bottom two were taken on unknown dates and show her new costume. All photos posted by jademarvin. Most of the pieces, including her main costume, that she wore at the start of the Breakaway 2.0 run are from her time with the Bliss 2.0 production. She then got a new one in roughly mid-January. Accessories: - Her boots were changed at some point in November or early December. I go into more detail about what was changed and when here. - She's had several wig changes, which I talk about here. - Like the rest of the cast, she got numeral earrings in the Broadway style in roughly mid January. - Her necklace was changed in roughly mid January. She used have a shorter, chunkier necklace, while her new one has thinner chains that droop lower down. Main costume: - A change worthy of note on her original costume (from Bliss 2.0) is that additional studs were added to it during the run. - Between her original and new costume, there's a design change in the cutouts on the top. There are usually two sizes: a small (1x1) and large (2x2) in alternating rows. On Jade's original costume, the 1x1 didn't continue all the way up until the top but continued all the way down to the bottom, while the larger ones (2x2) continued all the way up to the top but not to the bottom. On her new costume, both sizes are consistent all the way through throughout the panel. (This is a specific design change also reflected in some of the other Aragon costumes) - Her sleeves are much taller and both constructed and fit very differently. - The black panels on her bodice are wider on her new costume, making the side sequin and mesh panels much thinner (this is just a difference in where the draper put the seams rather than a specific design or construction change like the cutouts are). - The skirt is much longer and rounder, and by extension the bottom hem is wider. This could be an intentional design change, or it could just be that the draper fit her new skirt significantly differently. - The skirt is constructed a bit differently, following some of the construction changes first seen in other productions. It's hard to know what all has changed exactly, but it looks like the boning pattern changed and there are definitely structure stitches in her new one that did not exist in her old one (once again following early 2020 vs present construction changes in different productions). - Per the 2021/22 changes to separate the peplum from the skirt (issue is gone into in more depth here), the peplum is a little bit more raised then the skirt. - The peplum seems to be attached to the top rather than to the skirt, although I can’t confirm this for sure. This is a recent change implemented by NCS, probably to help with the same issue as the peplum and skirt separation. - There's also just generally a lot of little changes to the way the costume is fitted, where the seams fall, what the proportions of one panel relative to another are, etc. These really change some of the look of the costume even if they're relatively little details. This is very standard with different Six costumes; they're draped and fitted by different people at different costume shops who are all going to have slightly different preferences in how parts of the costume work together to create the full look.

[six-costume-refs]

Six Boot Materials and Crystal Colors

First of all, I won’t be covering all of the many boot designs for each queen in this post. You can find a great post doing so here.This will just be an overview of the materials used for any cosplayers out there who are interested in that aspect.

There have been changes in the ways that the boots have been made and their designs, and the team that designs them and adds the crystals varies from production to production. I’m going to be specifically covering the boots currently worn by the current West End and 2nd/3rd UK Tour casts (2019-present).

The boots are custom-made by LaDuca. These are expensive and made specifically for the stage. I would generally recommend looking for a cheaper alternative since La Duca doesn’t carry anything resembling the custom boots currently and to get it just for the brand name is fairly expensive with very little pay-off in terms of accuracy. 

Part of the customization process is using straps/heels made with suede rather than leather - this helps the crystals stay on and may be something to look out for when searching for your own boots.

@/crstalledbyjane on Instagram is the one who adds all of the crystals for the UK productions. She buys them from bluestreakcrystals.com / bluestreakcrystals.co.uk. However, Swarovski crystals are sold in a variety of locations and you don’t need to buy from them specifically (I’ve personally always used Dreamtime Creations). 

The availability of Swarovski for mass consumption is being really rapidly pulled back, so they will be fairly hard to get starting around Sep/Oct 2021. I would recommend buying crystals ASAP if you’re planning to make a Six cosplay, and I’ll also make a post about Preciosa look-alikes once that gets a bit closer.

If you’re open to spending money on custom crystalling, @/crystalledbyjane has made them for cosplayers in the past.

I also do want to caution cosplayers that it’s unlikely you have the exact same fabric as the show uses. While I am listing the colors per queen, I would recommend that you focus more on finding a crystal color that matches your costume with the right undertones than one that is stage-accurate. 

The crystals are all flat-backed Swarovski ss20 (equivalent to 5mm). They are non-hotfix and attached using a very strong glue (unsure what Six uses, but I would recommend E6000 or similar). 

Crystal colors used:

Here’s a link to the supplier’s site with photos of the crystal colors used.

Aragon: Dorado, Aurum, Light Colorado Topaz (Jarneia Richard Noel’s flat boots, West End;* Lauren Drew 2nd UK tour;* Lauren Drew, 3rd UK Tour)

Boleyn: Peridot, Fern Green, Light Chrome (Maddison Bulleyment, UK Tour*) 

Seymour:  Light Chrome, Graphite, and Crystal (Lauren Byrne, 2nd UK Tour;* Carly Dyer, 2nd UK Tour*)

Cleves: Siam and Light Chrome (Lexi McIntosh, West End, flat*)

Howard: Crystal AB, Hyacinth Shimmer, Fuschia (Sophie Isaacs, West End;* Vicki Manser, West End; Courtney Monsma, 2020 Aus Tour; Vicki Manser, 3rd UK Tour) Crystal AB, Fuschia, not sure on the medium pink but could have potentially been hyacinth shimmer as well? (Jodie Steele, 2nd UK Tour; Georgia Carr, Breakaway 1.0) Hyacinth Shimmer, Fuschia, not sure on the light color (Rebecca Wickes, Bliss 2.0) (unsure on 1st NA Tour and Bliss 1.0)

Parr:  Majestic Blue and Black Diamond Shimmer (Danielle Steers, West End;* Athena Collins, 2nd UK Tour)

Teal alt: Light Chrome, Black Diamond Shimmer, Blue Zircon Shimmer (Jennifer Caldwell, 2nd/3rd UK Tour*; Cherelle Jay, West End)

Pink alt:  I’ve only gotten one decent photo of these but I’m very tentatively going with Crystal AB, Light Chrome, and either Light Rose or Rose AB. 

Orange alt: I’ve never worked with the orange tones so I’m having a harder time telling on these. I’m also thinking that Harriet and Hana might have different tones. The white is light chrome. I think Hana’s bright orange is electric orange and then the lighter tangerine but I’m not positive. Harriet’s and/or Hana’s other options seem to be some combo of fire opal and/or tangerine and/or possibly a red/pink for Harriet’s darkest color?

Black alt: Light Chrome, Graphite, and Crystal* (Cassandra Lee, 2nd/3rd UK Tour) Light Chrome, Graphite, and Jet Black (Collette Guitart, West End; Natalie Pilkington, 3rd UK Tour; this one is much more tentative. I will also note that Natalie and Collette have different patterns but the same colors)

Broadway alts: Light chrome and crystal? (Courtney Mack) Graphite and light chrome? (Mallory Maedke) Graphite and light chrome? (Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert)

*Confirmed by crystalledbyjane; anything without this marking is my knowledge based on previous work with Swarovski for my own costume work.