#but i want an actual duet next season dammit!

[barblaz-arts]

I am OBSESSED with this animatic. The lyrics fit them so well and the uh whatchumacallit? Storyboard? It's so in character and so cuteeee

Like it's probably enough to tide me over until we get an actual chaggie duet

[theimpossiblescheme]

If you're still doing the ask thing Can I get Rumpleteazer and Munkustrap? 🥺

Of course you can! <3  Let’s start with Rumpleteazer...

Why I like them: She’s the most cheerful little hellraiser who’s always so much fun to watch, and she’s so bubbly and surprisingly affectionate to the cats she cares about.  Rumpleteazer is the feline embodiment of sunshine and chaos, and I adore her for it.

Why I don’t: Yet again, I cannot imagine why you wouldn’t like her--I can only assume that you also hate happiness.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): As much as I love hers and Mungojerrie’s song, watching her during Skimbleshanks’ song is always completely adorable.  She just loves Train Dad so much, even if she sometimes gives him a headache.

Favorite season/movie: It’s always a toss-up for me between Jo Gibb, Shonica Gooden, and Anna Carina Buchegger as my favorite Rumpleteazers, so I gotta go to bat for the ‘98 movie, the 2016 Broadway revival, and the 2015 Tecklenburg production (I haven’t seen any of the Vienna production, but I hope to soon!).

Favorite line: “AND! Ruuum-pleteazer!”  She always sounds so indignant, and it’s hilarious.

Favorite outfit: Another toss-up for me, this time between her Broadway Revival look and her Mexico Tour look!

OTP: Victeazermile is an underrated OT3, and it is a ship I will absolutely go down with because Teazer has two paws, dammit.

Brotp: Besides Mungojerrie (whom I headcanon as being her twin brother), I love the idea of Tugger being like a big brother to her who enables all of her mischief.  They give Munkustrap all of the headaches together, and it is glorious.

Headcanon: She has two scars on her face from Macavity that are hidden by her stripes--one across her cheek and the other running up her chin almost to her lower lip.

Unpopular opinion: Regardless of productions that have her do the fangirl scream, I don’t think Teazer has a crush on Tugger so much as she wants to be just like him.

A wish: Let Teazer Kiss Girls 2KAlways

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I just hope she and Jerrie never get left out--like I said before, the show just wouldn’t be the same without them.

5 words to best describe them: Irreverent, bouncy, mischeivous, affectionate, daring

My nickname for them: Teazer!

And now for Munkustrap...

Why I like them: MY GOOD GOOD PROTECTOR BOY.  There’s that one post saying that if Munkustrap’s actor doesn’t make you feel safe and cared for, he’s doing it wrong, and that’s absolutely true.  I love his dedication to his family, how sincerely he cares for every member of it, and how even as annoyed and frustrated as he can get he still takes that duty of care very seriously.  Plus, I am historically a sucker for the Team Dad character type.

Why I don’t: There are some actors who can come across as overly cold and confrontational (Robert D. Marx comes to mind), and I’m not a fan of that characterization at all.  Munkustrap’s the one who brings the audience into the cats’ world, and if it doesn’t feel like he even likes his job, there’s a huge emotional disconnect.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): The Macavity fight and the Old Deuteronomy duet with Tugger... I have Feelings (TM) about both.

Favorite season/movie: The ‘98 movie, the 2002 closing London matinee, and the 2015 Tecklenburg production--Michael Gruber, Jack Rebaldi, and Armin Kahl are my all-time favorite Munkustraps.

Favorite line: “At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy/When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall...”  Especially when the actor hits the note on “sun” in his head voice--it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Favorite outfit: Jack Rebaldi is the face of Munkustrap for me--just pick any of his costumes over the years, and you have it.

OTP: Demestrap will always have my heart--they both deserve to be happy. <3

Brotp: Alonzo is his best friend and greatest support, and Munkustrap can’t imagine his life, let alone his duties as Protector, without him.  I need more of their dynamic in productions.

Headcanon: He speaks with that Mid-Atlantic “not quite American or English” accent because that’s the accent his mother had, and you can gauge his mood on whether he sounds more American or English at the moment.

Unpopular opinion: I think he has a healthier work-life balance than fandom jokes about his sleeping schedule and stress levels would have you believe.

A wish: ...You know, Lis, you’ve actually converted me to Team Let Someone Other Than Munkustrap Be The Next Leader.  Not that I don’t internally weep at the end of the Tecklenburg production, but I like the idea of him abdicating so he doesn’t have to become this distant venerated figure even more.  Maybe a production could have a moment of him giving someone like Jemima or Mistoffelees his blessing to take his place.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: No more harsh and combative Munkustrap actors who try to fight Tugger during their duet--nothing breaks my heart more.

5 words to best describe them: Compassionate, responsible, anxious, courageous, eager-to-please

My nickname for them: I call him Munk, but I headcanon that Tugger calls him Straps and is the only cat who can get away with it. XD

[euelioi]

you’re the person in the apartment next door who VERY LOUDLY blasts holiday music starting in NOVEMBER and i hate christmas au: roman/virgil B) this is my first time at the ice rink and ive fallen on my butt at least 34 times so far but you keep skating around me like a fuckin pro au: pluiransky B)

send me a winter/christmas prompt!

wow omg who sent me these ?? with such specific ships,, wowza thank u, Anonymous,,

Prinxiety: you’re the person in the apartment dorm next door who VERY LOUDLY blasts holiday music starting in NOVEMBER and i hate christmas au (i fuckin love college AUs) (also snuck in some low-key Logicality whoops)

So this ended up being a lot longer than anticipated– for the full context/fic, head over to AO3 here. And here’s a ~600-word snippet/prompt fill:

Virgil scowls, hovering in the doorway. “We actually just came over here to ask you guys to turn the Christmas music off, thanks, since you ignored me hitting the wall.”

Roman, thankfully, reaches over and turns down the stereo, albeit rolling his eyes as he does so. “What’s wrong with Christmas music, My Chemical Romance reject?”

“It’s November!” Virgil and Logan say simultaneously.

“You can never get festive too early!” Patton beams.

“The only ‘festive’ music for November should be the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack,” Virgil scowls deeper, throwing air-quotes around the word “festive.” MCR Reject? MCR Reject?! Whatever. Whatever!

Roman, however, snaps his fingers and sits up, grabbing the phone attached to the AUX cord. “Perfect! How did I not think of that?!”

“P-perfect?” Virgil blinks, taken aback at how well-received that comment was, especially considering the fact that he had been insulted (that was an insult, right?) just seconds before. Then he quickly schools his shocked expression back into a scowl. “Well, just– keep it down. I don’t wanna hear your Christmas music until it’s fucking December. Or, preferably, at all, thanks.”

He turns to Logan, only to be surprised again: Patton is gathering up his backpack, that sunshine smile still in place. “We’re gonna go to the library to study!”

“But who’ll sing Jack and Sally’s duets with me?” Roman whines, pouting.

Oh shit. Oh shit, he’s being cute. Virgil tries to bring back the thoughts of murder, but they just aren’t there.

Patton shrugs. “Sorry, kiddo!”

Logan coughs almost discreetly. “I’m sure Virgil knows all the words?”

“I am not sticking around to sing–!” Virgil immediately argues, stepping back into the hallway. “I only came over to get the Christmas music down. I’m done, I’m out, thanks, bye!”

***

Virgil does not think about the fact that he now knows that Roman’s bed is right on the other side of the wall from his. When he shuts the door of his room behind him, he can still faintly hear the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack through the wall. He plans on just putting his headphones on and doing his homework and ignoring it and definitely not think about how pretty his next-door-neighbor is. Dammit, why did Logan make him go over there?

That’s the plan, at least. And then Roman starts singing along, and Virgil can hear him, and there are gaps in the places where other characters are supposed to sing. It becomes quickly obvious that Roman is used to having other people singing with him.

Ugh, fine! Virgil thinks angrily, giving up on doing anything. He hops down from his bunk, snatches the DVD from where it sits next to his XBox, and trudges back into the hall, rapidly knocking on the door beside his. He tries really, really hard not to panic at his own impulsivity.

Roman opens the door. “It wasn’t even that loud–!” he starts to argue.

“That’s not what I–”

“–and if it’s about the singing, well, you can’t just not sing to Danny Elfman’s masterpieces, you know? And–”

“Roman!” Virgil snaps, holding up the DVD in his hands. “Do you–” His confidence deflates a little as soon as he has the other guy’s full attention; Virgil finds himself unable to make eye contact, shifting on his feet nervously. “Do you, um. Just. Want to watch it? The theater room is probably empty, so–”

Pluiransky: this is my first time at the ice rink and ive fallen on my butt at least 34 times so far but you keep skating around me like a fuckin pro au

“C’mon, Zech,” TJ teases, hands behind his back as he loops around his boyfriend. “You can do this!”

“Teddy,” Zech whines, clinging to the wall. “I have literally fallen on my ass 34 times in the past hour. I feel like I’m dying.”

TJ holds out his hands, steady on his skates. “I won’t let you fall. I promise.”

Zech looks at him warily, then heaves a deep sigh and shakily lets go of the wall, latching onto TJ’s hands instead. “Okay…. okay.”

They slowly– agonizingly slowly– move several feet forward, TJ having no problem skating backwards. He thinks it’s kind of funny, that they both grew up in Chicago but have such vastly different experiences. TJ has been ice skating since he was a kid; Zech, on the other hand, had played hockey for a couple seasons in grade school and then promptly forgot how to stand on skates. To be fair, hockey skates and ice skating skates are different, but still.

TJ just thinks everything about his boyfriend is adorable.

“What’re you grinning at?” Zech grumbles, unable to keep a hint of a smile off his face.

“You,” TJ answers, letting go of Zech’s hands.

“Babe!” Zech gasps out, wobbling forward a few more feet before crashing down onto the rink again. “You’re so fuckin’ rude.”

“What is that, 35 now?”

But TJ circles back and helps Zech to his feet, this time skating right next to him, fingers laced together.

[wendyhermansongeller]

Trisha Yearwood: Still cookin' in her 'Southern Kitchen'

Trisha Yearwood’s husband, Garth Brooks, affectionately refers to her as “The Queen.” The title is more than simply endearing, however, when considering the singer/TV star’s reign over a royally packed schedule — not only is she in the midst of a world tour with Brooks, she’s also entering the 10th season of her popular Food Network series Trisha’s Southern Kitchen. Her endeavors juggling a music career, tv show, and high-profile marriage gracefully — and with a fair amount of humor — have paid off, earning her an Emmy as well as legions of fans who love her for her ability to make it all seem down-to-earth.

Yahoo had the opportunity to chat with Yearwood and discover that the easygoing, family-oriented, and fun-loving personality she displays on television translates exactly to real life. The 10th season of Trisha’s Southern Kitchen premieres Saturday, August 19 at 10:30am ET/PT on Food Network.

YAHOO MUSIC: When you started out doing your show, did you have an idea it would run this long — all the way into 10 seasons?

TRISHA YEARWOOD: We set out to do six episodes for Season One, and I didn’t even know if we would have fun. I actually asked my agent, “I know it’s probably never been asked, but could we have something in there where if [the network] loves it and we don’t have fun, can I get out of it?” (laughs) Because I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it.

I resisted doing it for a long time because I wasn’t sure If it would be fun, and and I ended up having the best time. And they were happy with the show and it did well, so I’m just enjoying it as long as it lasts. We do two seasons a year, so it’s been five years, and I’m surprised that it’s still going strong and continuing to grow.

I appreciate Food Network because in the midst of this — about two years in — this world tour with my husband happened. It’s pretty intense. I thought “I don’t know how I can do the show and this.” So they don’t get as many new shows from me as they’d probably like, but they’ve been very kind about taking the new shows when they can get them.

We spoke with Garth last fall about your world tour, and he enthused that as long as he was able to tour with you, it wasn’t “work” at all, just a lot of fun. However, you’re juggling the TV work as well! Do you agree with his assessment? 

It is fun for me…I think you’re tired and there’s a part of you that wants to say “y’know, man.” But I’m sure if that if you had a real job you’d really be tired. The kind of tired we are, you bounce back from. And it is fun. But, in the midst of this tour, I joke with my husband that we come home and he sits by the pool with the other husbands and I go to work. (Laughs) Great! But there is also downtime. The tour we’re gone usually on the weekends, sometimes it’s a Thursday through Sunday, but then we’re home during the week. So it’s really a nice mix.

One thing I will say, I have learned a lot these 10 seasons. I’m working with a production company called BS TV, they also do The Kitchen and they came to the table a few seasons ago and had some ideas about how we could really make our production work to our advantage a little more efficiently. So just the way we shoot, the order in which we shoot, has really tightened up our day. I used to go in at 7 in the morning and I’d get home at 8 or 9 and I’d be so exhausted and have to get up at 6 again the next morning. [Now] our days are sometimes over by 4:30! So it’s really doable and I think a lot of that has to do with who’s making the schedule and how they figure out how to get it all shot.

It still sounds like a lot. How do you manage to find any time for yourself? 

This month right now, we’re actually off, we usually take a month a year on this tour to give everybody a break. So this is when I go to the dentist, get my yearly mammogram, I do all the things I don’t have time to do during the year. I’m checking off the boxes this month.

But in the beginning, when we started this tour … I’ve done 200 days a year, I’ve been on the road nonstop in my life, but I’ve never been on a tour that lasted three and a half years (laughs). When it started, I really had anxiety about it – I love to sing, I love to perform, but I didn’t know how this is going to work and how we’re actually going to have a life too; how we’re going to see our families, all of those things. But you get into the rhythm and you realize, it’s all doable. And I will say that it took me a little bit to get into the rhythm of it but once I did I have enjoyed every second.

And now, this portion of the tour will be done in December. We’re not going to retire—and I’m going to do my own thing, do my own music and my own stuff—but this particular tour in this form will be done. It has been really intense, but it’s been so much fun. We work with about 50 people in our band and crew that are family to us — most of these guys and gals we’ve known for 25 years. So we really do enjoy each other’s company. And we enjoy being out there because he and I aren’t leaving a spouse at home. We wouldn’t have done it if we couldn’t have done it together; it’s just not possible.

What is your favorite way to recharge when you are home?

When we get home after a Thursday through Sunday run, I’m gonna be in my pajamas all day Monday — I won’t lie (laughs). That’s what I need to do. I might read a book and drink a pot of coffee all day. Garth will sleep in, but then he’ll get on the tractor somewhere, just to move some dirt around or knock a tree down. That makes him happy.

Is it strange for you to have such a prominent role now as a lifestyle/TV star when your primary career identification has been a musician for so long? 

I think at first I actually had a problem with it. At first I was like, I don’t want people to forget that I do music. And at first I felt I needed to defend that I wasn’t done doing “the other,” because people ask “So are you not going to make music anymore?” And I’m like “I’m actually making an album right now! I’m on tour right now! I’m doing that, dammit!” (laughs). But now I feel I am really proud of it, because it has been an incredible surprise career for me, that I didn’t know was going to happen. So I’m embracing it. And we play music on the show when it makes sense — most of the people who watch the show know the music, but there are some who don’t, so I think it’s kind of fun when they go “Oh my gosh, she sings too?”

Can you pinpoint some of your favorite moments on the show?

There’s a lot. I have to remind myself a lot that we’re doing a cooking show, because we do such silly things. But we have so much fun! I’m not a chef — I’m a home cook, like my mom. I think most people cook like I do, so we like to show the mistakes, and show how to fix these mistakes. Like if you drop an eggshell into the bowl, you don’t cut and make it look perfect, you show the mistake.

My favorite moments have usually been with my sister, she’s my “person,” she is the kinder and gentler version of me. She’s not as outgoing and loud as I am, but she has really evolved in this show. Like I’ll call her and say “We’re going to dress up like Steel Magnolias and you’re going to have really big hair,” and she’s like, “OK.” This season, we dress up in gear and go paint balling. It’s hilarious. My favorite moments are those that are just fun. My production team knows now that I will pretty much try anything.

Anything you put your foot down on, though?

They thought roller derby would be really funny, but I can’t even roller skate so that’s not going to happen. I have ice skated with the Nashville Predators — that was really fun!

The show is nominated for an Emmy — and you’ve already won an Emmy for it (in 2013).

That was one of those things that wasn’t on the [bucket] list, y’know — you want to win a Grammy, you want to win Female Vocalist of the Year, but you don’t think about an Emmy. So it’s kind of the only thing I have on my husband. Which, I’m sure, he’ll figure out a way to win an Emmy soon. So I’ll have to figure out a way to get past him on that!

Speaking again of your husband, your duet medley on the 50th Anniversary of the Country Music Awards last November — people are still talking about how amazing that was! 

That was my favorite CMAs ever, they really honored the past, which was awesome. There were artists there who just don’t go to the CMAs anymore, you know? I loved it, and I loved being part of being able to pay tribute to those great duets. It’s something that we’ve carried over [on our tour] — we’ll do a little piece of those songs, which is just so much fun, just to get to sing that stuff.