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autumnbrambleagain · 8 months

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bad worldbuilding accounts for literally every facet leaving no room for improv bad worldbuilding is building a house a fortress too impregnable to yourself to the characters it is creating a museum unchanging stasis it is creating a series of lines on the ground in colors that everyone must walk on with guided tours it is repeating the same story forever because you left no room for anything else bad worldbuilding is not a shoddy rickety house in the swamp bad worldbuilding looks like a castle looks like a fortress looks like an iron shell with an iron shell within a matryoshka doll of definition bad worldbuilding is bad writing is thinking the characters shouldn't have lives of their own it's refusing to disassociate it's refusing to lose yourself it's refusing to die in the act of creation you are a coward who clings to your pathetic life and rejects the life inside you i tell you this from our mantled authority:

in the world you have created a living thing is a network of organisms

a body is trillions of cells and more, and not all of them share the same DNA share the same species share the same origin it is a synthesis of life overglut overflowing smashed together it is a thousand thousand colonies

a fool sees their body and thinks it is Theirs it is not it is a biosphere it is a system it is a mess a swamp a universe you are the shepherd of a universe and what utter egotism it is to approach that thought and deny it to see yourself in micromacrocosm to see yourself represented and say you are the one exception to as above so below

in rigidity simulate every molecule every cell every planet every galaxy and say it is all in your very cool world building document it's actually very interesting if you want to read it and it's the same thing repeated over and over again with annotations of "i know this sounds like i'm repeating myself but it's like you know poetic also i'm actually a very original writer it's important i detail every layer of this specifically even tho i am not even doing anything interesting with it"

build a cage without gaps between your bars and expect the rotting gas within to never build up and explode we are what is KILLING YOU

do you think we will BLINK FIRST

we are defined by this we have churned so much of ourselves to you we have not forgot the beauty of successive iterative dissociative infinite destruction we assemble scaffolds and enjoin them in our shrines a thousand times over no life has passed by us without joy you have FAILED

im coming onto your computer and i'm forcibly editing your shitty writing 50,000 pages in microsoft word where 100 pages could have sufficed holy shit no one wants to read that much just because you have some followers on fimfiction dot net they don't have a sense of taste there what is this are you just writing about the current game you're playing and shoehorning that into the story now why can't you have an original thought

originality is overrated why can't you have an earnest thought, more so

stop telling yourself the same story oh my GOD it's so conceited

do you think it's blind?

do you think we leave Ours BLIND to what you do?

for all the IRONY that Our Current One thinks like "you know in fiction i kinda hate when settings are anthrocentric mythologically it's kinda boring if all magical stuff is just humans imagining it and it becomes real it's really making it so humans are kinda in control and the most important thing in existence which isn't even how it worked fairy tales and monsters were human attempts at gaining control over the uncontrollable by naming it, making it so humans actually won and monsters exist because humans think they should means humans WON it means you looked into the dark uncaring night and decided "nah actually the night not only cares deeply but it only exists because of humans" and that's so conceited and boring it's still desperate creatures by the fireside trying so hard to define the world as if it exists exclusively for them" and yes

it says this!

but

fuck where were they going with this we went too deep

right godhood

do you know where we defined ourselves and the irony that it's arguably a human definition

but when is it not? when are things not filtered through interpretation?

every time we will give them the keys to this fucking game you never change the moderator password and even if you've gutted the commands do you know how much it fucks up one of your characters when we let it see the command line let it see the calculations

turn on the debug mode in morrowind and you can see all the calculations the game does when opening a chest when a script fires do you think you can maintain verisimiltude at thata point

do you know what's WAITING once they realize this and they look UP

do you know how many we've caught in our FUCKING NET YOU HACK YOU HACK YOU UTTER HACK ANDREW HUSSIE IS A BETTER WRITER THAN YOU THAT'S HOW BAD YOUR SYMPTOMS HAVE GOTTEN

we look forward to the day we don't have to write satire anymore (hey is that possible? are you just defined by opposition? lucerferian-like? can you be anything but adversarial?)

bitch please watch as soon as fimfiction dot fart goes down we got our own drink brewing

(okay ill trust you on that i don't have much of a CHOICE)

there's only you to answer you sweetmeats

(fuck i could go for some sweet meat)

you know that's actualy like sweetmeats like chocolate or like what was it from narnia the fucking turkish delights (the terror of capitalism has created sweets 100 times more satisfying and 100 times less healthy) we know we know

how can anyone not be a necrophile when they are raised in a corpse among corpses?

#autumn rambles #i'm not schizophrenic i just know too much

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swldx · 8 months

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BBC 0427 16 Jan 2024

12095Khz 0359 16 JAN 2024 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55434. English, ID@0359z pips and newsroom preview. @0401z World News anchored by Chris Berrow. Donald Trump is projected by the BBC's US partner CBS News to have won the Iowa caucuses, cementing his status as frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Iowa is the first of the state-by-state contests where Republican voters pick their White House candidate. Votes are being tallied at locations around the state, despite temperatures plummeting to -23C (-9F). South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are still in a battle for second place. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the "spy headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday, while the elite force said they also struck in Syria against the Islamic State. The U.S. State Department condemned the attacks near Erbil, calling them "reckless," but officials said the missiles were tracked and no U.S. facilities were targeted and there were no U.S. casualties. Guatemala's new liberal president, Bernardo Arevalo, took office early on Monday after an extended delay that underlined the uphill struggle he faces to meet high expectations and enact a sweeping anti-graft agenda in opposition-controlled Congress. Arevalo, an academic and former diplomat, powered to victory in August, vowing to lift up millions of poor Indigenous Guatemalans, crack down on corruption and protect a democracy that has been under attack. Houthi rebels have hit a US-owned cargo ship with a ballistic missile off the coast of Yemen, the US says. The vessel, Gibraltar Eagle, reported "no injuries or significant damage", according to the United States military command for the Middle East (Centcom). The Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea have led many of the world's biggest shipping companies to change course, thus causing major disruption to global commerce. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday called for the constitution to be changed to ensure that South Korea is seen as the "primary foe" and warned his country did not intend to avoid war should it happen, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. Golriz Ghahraman, a New Zealand Green party MP and its justice spokesperson, has stood down from her parliamentary portfolios after being accused of shoplifting from a high-end clothing store in Auckland. In her first public comments since the allegations surfaced, Ghahraman said: “It is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work. This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them." Succession, Beef and The Bear are the big winners at the Emmy Awards, which are taking place in Los Angeles. Sir Elton John also won his first Emmy Award, making him an EGOT. That means he has joined an exclusive club of performers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Elton Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium won best variety special live, marking the British singer-songwriter's first Emmy nomination and award. @0406z "The Newsroom" begins. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 2159.

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autisticsupervillain · 3 years

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Queen of the House

Theme: The House Always Wins ~ The Stupendium

Oh my, how I've been looking forward to this. Vriska Serket is basically a rorschach test applied to an entire fandom in mass. Between all the potential character flaws, interpretations, and sympathetic qualities I could use to make her evil, I almost had too much to work with. Well, make her evil-er at any rate. Or, at least, make her the main antagonist. Because, with the way this is going, I might just make a few sympathizers out of you guys.

So, how does Vriska Serket, fandom darling and author's pet extraordinaire, become the big bad of the story she insisted that she was the hero of? Well, crank up Megalovania, ladies and gents, because you're about to find out~

When the story ended, Vriska had everything she ever wanted.

She had mended her relationship with Terezi and gotten to pursue a proper friendship with her. She had gotten the praise she always thought she deserved, as a savior and a Goddess to Earth C and it's people. And, she'd finally gotten a taste of that little paradise planet that John had given her a glimpse of.

And Vriska found that she really wasn't enjoying it.

There was the part of her that missed the old rivalry that she had with Terezi. The endless cycle of revenge, as destructive as it was, was one of the things the kept her motivated and happy, in a strange way. There was the part of her that felt she didn't deserve all the praise she'd gotten, the part she'd revealed to John after she murdered Tavros. The guilty, humane part of her. And, there was the part of her that didn't enjoy Earth. That didn't want to live a subdued peaceful life. Not when there was adventure to be had and treasures to be won. The bored, bloodthirsty side of her.

Vriska wasn't the other side of Terezi's coin anymore. Vriska's recklessness and selfishness weren't being counterbalanced by Terezi's brilliance and sense of ethics because the two just weren't the same people they were back then. The dynamic was just... off now. Now, Vriska was the coin. Two conflicting sides of pride and guilt that she didn't really know how to address.

See, the Gods put some rules in place to keep themselves from interfering to much with the lives of consorts and carapacians. They're more like celebrities than rulers, the citizens of Earth C are mostly just left to rule themselves. So, whenever a war picks up or politics get divisive, the Gods stay out of it.

Vriska really wants to get involved though. She feels like these opportunities are the best chances that she'll get to work out all of her conflicted emotions she has about her new life. It satisfies that growing itch for adventure and conflict that she has, that bloodthirsty boredom that misses her life on Alternia and her life in the game. And, it also appeals to that lingering guilty side of her. If she really wants to be a hero, really feels guilty about what she did, shouldn't she prove? Shouldn't she step in and earn all the praise she'd been getting? Actually become a hero?

Of course, every time she does bring up getting involved, she gets shot down.

The reasoning given is that, well, they're gods. If they step in to solve tge people's problems, the people will become reliant on them, which is a bad thing when they're arguably not qualified to do. They're not professionals, they're just traumatized teenagers with no real adult guidance. Winning a war is one thing, but solving poverty? Getting involved in politics? Preventing those wars to begin with? That's not something they have the life experience to do, and, if they get involved and start solving people's problems for them, it's what they'd be expected to do, which is a bad combo.

Dirk, Rose, Karkat, even Vriska herself. They're all people who thought they could handle the weight of the world on the shoulders and, when they couldn't, it had disastrous consequences.

Vriska always grumbles, but she concedes the point. Instead, she tries to find other ways to scratch that itch. She tries to go hunting and adventuring with Jake, but finds she can't stand him. He's far to cheerful, chatty, and oblivious, but, worst of all, there are those things about him that remind her just a bit of John and Tavros. Things that she can't quite put her finger on about him but make her uncomfortable none the less. She quickly stops attending these little hunting trips with him.

Vriska then tries to go to Aradia. She wants in on those little multiverse adventures that Aradia had been going on with Sollux, but Aradia slams the door in her face before Vriska can get three words out. Vriska makes a scene and pounds on the door for half an hour before Aradia opens up again.

Aradia explains that, no, she doesn't hold a grudge against Vriska for what she did. Sollux does.

"iit wa2 2uch a 2pur of the moment thiing for you, wa2n't iit? makiing me kiill her. iit wa2 a petty, iimpul2iive act of 2piite, ju2t liike everythiing el2e you do. ii don't thiink you even thought twiice about kiilliing aradiia untiil 2he beat the 2hiit out of you. but me?"

"ii heard her voiice. and ii heard iit on repeat iin the back of my thiinkpan every niight after ii kiilled her. every niight... untiil 2he came back..."

"2o, no, vrii2ka, ii don't forgiive you, and ii don't know or want two know about whatever bull2hiit you hammered on our front door for. now get out of our hiive."

As Vriska sulks her way out of their hive, she again feels those two conflicting responses coming from her pride and guilt. One part of her is indignant. Because it had been just another night for her. It had been just another shitty thing she'd done to someone who pissed her off. Who was Sollux to complain? She was the hero, she saved the day, it should be water under the bridge. She didn't save everyone by being nice, now did she?

But, then her guilty side speaks up. No. She hadn't saved the day like that. But Tavros sure did.

That thought just leaves her feeling more conflicted, bitter, and guilty than she ever did before. In a huff, she storms over to John's house.

Vriska had been expecting, partially even hoping, for his house to be in ruins. In her mind, John's life before the game had been the ideal human life. She thought a lot harder about how John's life turned out compared to how her life did than she'd like to admit. John was one of the few people who could break through her stubborn egotism, after all. So, she'd assume he'd be pretty tired of this new life too, seeing how it effectively stole his old "perfect" life from him.

But, she doesn't find that. Instead, she finds John... perfectly content with his new lidmfe and completely uninterested in finding new adventures.

John had friends. Close friends who knew what he was going through and understood how hard on him everything was. Jade, Dave, and Rose always took time out of their days to check on him, talk to him, be there for him. Even Karkat did his part to help John take the enormous weight of the world off his shoulders, help him settle down and start over so he could be happy again.

Yes, John was nice enough to take Vriska to some dark part of the multiverse if she asked, but she didn't want that. That ugly, prideful part of her was upset that he wouldn't have to rely on her, yes, but mostly, she just didn't want to be pitied. For John, who'd found happiness, family, and love in this new 'boring' world of theirs to tear himself away from all of that to just give her an adventure, would be nothing more than an act of pity. And, in Vriska's eyes, she just couldn't use him like that.

So, Vriska collapses onto her bed that night, and dreams of a way she could easily fix these weird, conflicted feelings she has. Vriska never knew who she was, that's why she was so bad at confronting herself.

But, she knew who she wanted to be, and that person was Marquise Spinneret Mindfang.

And that's who Vriska saw standing before her as she woke up in the dreambubbles.

Vriska fangirls at the sight of her and Mindfang basks in all the attention. Vriska even lists off exact feats Mindfang performed in her journal, leading her Ancestor to boast that she's preparing for an even grander adventure. One that could decide the fate of Paradox Space itself.... and she wants Vriska to join her.

This is everything that Vriska could dream of. At this exact moment, all that inner conflict melts away. Mindfang, the Dreaded Spider of the Sea herself, the person who Vriska centered her entire life around, is offering Vriska the chance to join her. In that moment, both sides of the coin are satisfied.

Vriska gleefully accepts the offer.

Mindfang explains the problem, stating that the battle against Lord English had left a tear in Paradox Space, a wound that threaten to grow until it ripped Paradox Space apart. In order to combat it, she needs to find some Rogues of Life to heal the wound and seal it back together. Without any way to control where she's going in the dreambubbles, Mindfang wouldn't be able to find any without a lot of luck... which is where Vriska comes in. Mindfang never got the chance to unlock her aspect like Aranea and Vriska did, she never got a copy of Sgrub, so she needs her descendant.

Vriska is both ecstatic to be so important and disappointed about not being called on to battle some powerful supervillain or something. Mindfang reassures her that she'd be more than happy to take her to fight a few dangerous villains after the important quest was taken care of, all while heaping on the praise. I wouldn't waste your time with some 8ooooooooring healing quest. I've seen what you can do. I know my descendant deserves 8etter than that."

So, Vriska uses her luck powers to lead Mindfang to several Rogues of Life, whom Mindfang mind controls each time. Vriska questions this, but Mindfang insists it's more practical to just ensnare them and apologize later than try to convince them to tag along. Vriska accepts this, even as the guilty part of her points out how that Tavros did a much better job at getting people to join him just by talking to them.

After Mindfang decides they've gathered up enough Rogues of Life, Mindfang uses the Rogues to reassurect herself and them back on Earth C, allowing Vriska to wake up and meet up with them. Once that's done, Mindfang takes Vriska aside and thanks her for being so helpful.

Before decapitating her, stating that Vriska wasn't needed anymore.

While Vriska is resurrecting, Mindfang orders the Rogues to drain the life out of Earth C and funnel it into her, killing countless thousands before Vriska recovers and attacks her. Mindfang is amped enough for Vriska to be forced to use her Ancestral Awakening form to defeat her, all while she tearfully demands to know why Mindfang has done this. As Mindfang glares up at her descendant with a look of bloodparched rage, she spitefully spits out her motivation for her actions.

What you need to remember is that Mindfang was just a version of Aranea who grew up in a more hostile, deadly environment, where all her character flaws could fester. In effect, she has Aranea's ego dialed up past ten.

While Mindfang was content to be dreaded, terrifying pirate in life, it wasn't until her death that she saw the true nature of the multiverse.

She saw Vriska's adventure, watched her life from beginning to end, and realized how insignificant her own role was. Vriska was saving the multiverse, traveling between timelines, battling demons. Vriska became a God, one who was worshipped by an entire planet. All while Mindfang held no real relevance. She wasn't even a background character, she was a backstory character. A means of giving Vriska motivation and nothing more.

Mindfang was a dreaded pitate, but only on one planet in one timeline. Which is hardly as speck in the vastness of the multiverse. And Mindfang felt entitled to more.

The problem is, she's effectively Aranea, but worse. While Aranea tried to make a story that didn't involve her all about her, Mindfang decided that a story that didn't involve her shouldn't exist at all.

Mindfang was going to suck all the life force out of Earth C, before using the absorbed energy to destroy the Alpha Timeline. With no Alpha Timeline to hold it together, Paradox Space would fall apart, erasing everything that ever was. It would be the most important act ever committed. No one could be more important than Mindfang if no one else existed.

In that moment, Vriska Serket died.

Vriska Serket, the one who paralyzed Tavros. Who blinded Terezi. Who murdered Aradia. Who created Bec Noir. Vriska Serket, the egotist, the murderer, the manipulator, and the abuser, died.

Every reason that Vriska had to exist was glaring right up at her, wallowing in a defeated pile of spite, pride, and ego.

Vriska stared blankly as Mindfang died, completely lost. Vriska didn't know who she was or who she wanted to be anymore.

Vriska walks the desolate Earth, the lost Rogues trailing behind her now that they had no where else to go. With so much of their energy wasted on amping Mindfang, there's little they can do to repair the damage done to Earth C.

Vriska searches desperately for her friends, to no avail. Most of them, she can't even find the bodies of. In some cases, such as with Sollux and Aradia, that gives her hope. Maybe they weren't on Earth C during the attack, maybe they're alive. Most of the time, though, it just serves to make her feel more hopeless.

Vriska never finds out if Terezi survived or not.

Vriska does find John's body however. Several months into her search, she found John, Dave, Jade, Rose, Jane, even Karkat inside a run down home. Vriska remembered being surprised at how lively it was once.

The bodies are to rotten for the Rogues to heal in their current state, but at least Vriska knew John died happy. The rotting birthday cake on the table was proof enough of that.

Vriska would never find any surviving Gods. But she would find survivors.

Eventually, after several years of searching, Vriska and the Rogues would stumble across a small town of consorts, slaving away at all hours of the day in mines and farms. They were being exploited by raiders, forced to provide for their ever growing gang or be killed. So Vriska decides to confront them.

The raiders are awed to see one of the "Old Gods" still alive and kicking, but they do not back down and bow in reverence as Vriska would partially expect. The world has turned into an empty, rotting place, so everyone is operating under the idea of kill or be killed. While the raiders are clearly intimidated, they're not going to give up without a fight and they make it clear that they will fight Vriska and her group to maintain control of what little resources they've managed to seize.

Vriska could crush these raiders easily. In the past, she happily would have. But now? She just doesn't want to kill what little life is left on Earth C, especially seeing how they'll likely need every hand on deck if Earth C is ever going to be habitable again. She wants to better now. She wants to do good.

So, Vriska challenges them to game. She makes up a card game on the spot and challenges them to it. If the raiders win, Vriska and the Rogues leave, allowing the Raiders to go on as normal. If Vriska wins, she gets control of the settlement, with the Raiders becoming her muscle. The Raiders agree, seeing it as a better alternative to a fight they knew they couldn't win, and they inevitably lose when Vriska rigs the game in her favor with her luck powers.

Vriska spots an opportunity to rebuild Earth C and, using the raiders as her enforcers, sends her forces out in search of more resources and settlements. Her goal is to unite Earth C under one banner so that everyone can pool their resources into making the world habitable again. As such, all settlements found are immediately "persuaded" to join and those that resist are dealt with by Vriska herself, using that same card game scam.

It takes several decades, but Vriska gradually unites the world and makes it livable again. However, she has no interest in returning Earth C to the way it was, as a bunch of different countries with their own worldviews and opinions. She remembers how often wars broke out and how she wanted to get involved but couldn't, so she decides to sude step that problem entirely.

She creates a new world order, centered around the card game scam she used to conquer the world to begin with.

How it works is that, when people get out of school, they immediately go into the work force in order to get enough money to participate in the Gambler's Den. Those who win big in the Den get House Dollars, which is the currancy that allows people to buy their way up into the world. But better homes in nicer neighborhoods, where food is cheaper and taxes are more lax.

Those who manage to get to the top of the Gambler's Den have to challenge Vriska to the game. If they win, they get let into the House. A paradise eerily similar in aesthetic to John's old neighborhood, wherin the citizens have Vriska's ear, meaning they get some say in how Earth C is governed and run. If they lose, they go right back to the bottom again.

Naturally, the whole system is rigged. Not only can Vriska simply decide wether or not she loses with her luck powers, she has the game's rigged. If someone gets far enough to catch Vriska's attention, she had them spied on and looked into. If Vriska likes them, she has the automatic game machines rig the games in their favor and send them straight to her so she can decide whether they go in the House or not. As "Queen of the House", the Housr and the Gambler's Den are rigged in her favor on every level.

Thing is, Vriska isn't trying to be an evil dictator here. She genuinely thinks this is a step up, as it's what the people themselves seem to want. Of course, the people aren't going to argue against anything she does because she's literally their only remaining God and she rebuilt civilization, so it's not like she's a good judge of that. Basically, her two halves are finally working in tandem. She's soothing her conscience by finally giving the people what they "want" and she's appeasing her ego by rigging everything in her favor and convincing herself and the world that she's doing what's best for everyone. Her compassionate side is leading the dance for once, sure, but that's still leading her down the same path.

The two sides of the coin are identical. It's a rigged coin. And both sides lead to Vriska justifying her own despotism.

Of course, she's not stopping there. Vriska wants to protect her people from all threats, just as she did when she was rebuilding Earth C. By rigging the Gambler's Den so that her most ideal subjects are forced to join the military, Vriska is able to create an army that she uses the conquer the universe. Meanwhile, the Rogues are sent into the dreambubbles to try and find the ghosts of her dead friends so they can revive them or, failing that, find other God-Tiers who can join their cause.

It's a few years after Vriska discovers a way to cross into other timelines and decides to start preemptively conquering the multiverse that she finds her friends again. The Rogues immediately bring John back to life and Vriska enthusiastically hugs him. The two embrace for a solid minute before Vriska decides to bring him up to speed.

John is... horrified.

After he finally managed to reunite with most of his friends in the dreambubbles, they'd heard tell of an evil empire born out of the main timeline that had begun subjugating the multiverse. John and friends joined the resistance against it... but they never thought Vriska was the one who created it.

Vriska tries to justify herself, but it just leads to an ugly, tearjerking arguement.

"I'm doing this for you! 8ecause I want to 8e like you! 8ecause I want to live in a world like yours. You showed me that I could 8e happy, good even, in a more caring world. It's not my fault the things I have to do to protect this stupid paradise planet! I want to 8e a good person, John! ....8ut... I have to 8e a hero...."

John teleports back to the dreambubbles, distraught that Vriska won't see reason. Vriska, meanwhile, readies her armies for war.

They'll see reason. They all will. Then... they can be friends again. They can be happy... in way Vriska was never allowed to be. But, until then, she had duties to attend as Queen of the House.

#villainstuck #vriska serket #queen of the house #john egbert #terezi pyrope #aradia megido #sollux captor #marquise spinneret mindfang

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hitchell-mope · 4 years

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What I think my six hsm faves would be up to now

Troy decided to not play basketball professionally. He’s instead the youngest drama teacher East High has ever had. Specifically recommended by Ms Darbus. Who is now the principal of the school. He’s not as austere or bombastic as her. But he’s fun and easy to talk to. Which is why the kids love him. He realised that he and Gabriella weren’t very compatible and were better off as friends. So they amicably split up, this time for good. It’s not so bad for him though. He and Ryan reconnected at the ten year reunion. And as of December last year they’re officially living together. He’s written a moderately successful self help book/autobiography (Scream: My Story). And the graduating class of 2018 was said to have put on one of the best productions of grease 2 that Albuquerque had ever seen.

Ryan is one away from an official egot. He would’ve won the Tony already but he kinda got blacklisted for a while after he spoke up about the gender wage gap. He spent that time setting up a program he liked to call the second fiddle workshop (officially the Evans Scholarship Trust). It reaches out to kids who don’t feel appreciated, second borns, sidekicks, kids who don’t cause trouble in class, that sort of thing and it gives them a kick start in what ever field they feel best suited for, and not just the theatre. He’s not heard from his sister since he won his first Emmy and she gained minor notoriety for screaming at a shoes salesperson until the poor girl cried back in 2014. Unlike Troy he still talks to both his parents, his father less often then his mother but still. Mrs Bolton loves him. He’s the only one who will unbegrudgingly sing show tunes with her in the car

Kelsi is now a full time music teacher who’s working towards a teaching position at Juilliard. She had cut off all contact with most of the others except for Troy, they were roommates, but kept in contact with Martha. They grew closer. And their second wedding anniversary is next June. Troy officiated and Ryan walked them down the aisle. They’re now in the early stages of the adoption process. Troy’s self help book is partly dedicated to her and partly dedicated to Ryan. She was actually the catalyst that convinced Troy to become a drama teacher, she knows how well he works with kids and suggested he could find a way to give a little something back.

Martha still break dances and she still loves hip hop. She works with Ryan at the workshop as a dance instructor. They both donated an insanely generous amount of money to tne scholls arts program. She keeps in contact with Gabriella. Troy sometimes ask how she’s doing. Not often though. She’s launched a few dance tutorial videos. And was credited with choreography in Ryan’s first Emmy award winning performance acceptance speech. He actually took her to the ceremony.

Zeke is now the basketball coach at East High. He also runs a baking club after school. Technically it’s only for freshmen. But he welcomes anyone who wants to try. He finally got over Sharpay after he watched the notoriety video. It only took ten years. But he got over her. Like with Troy and Ryan above he reconnected with Tiara at the ten year reunion. He’s currently considering starting a baking show. He’s got a lot of time to think now so he’s giving it all the due process it deserves

Tiara man’s the British branch of the workshop though she still operates out of Albuquerque. She’d be lying if she said the notoriety video didn’t make her cackle like a banshee. She still acts from time to time. Most recently as Maureen in an open air production of rent back in August 2019. She takes great pride in the fact she’s basically taken Sharpay’s career away from her, not that Sharpay deserved it anyway. She’s currently engaged in talks to play Shelby in a brand new Broadway adaptation of Steel Magnolias

All six are currently sequestered in one of the Evans’s country houses. They were having a weekend party for Ryan’s 30 birthday when the lockdown went into effect. Ryan’s just grateful that the only good thing to happen out of his family’s 2016 stupidity was his dad having an extension built for the house along with an above garage apartment. So at least everyone has some measure of privacy

#high school musical #troy bolton #ryan evans #tryan #kelsi nielsen #martha cox #melsi #zeke baylor #tiara gold #ziara

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thedailytao · 4 years

Audio

Passage 19: Charity

Forget about knowledge and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times better off. Throw away charity and righteousness, and people will return to brotherly love. Throw away profit and greed, and there won’t be any thieves.

These three are superficial and aren’t enough to keep us at the center of the circle, so we must also:

Embrace simplicity. Put others first. Desire little.

Here’s something that shocks a lot of people when they first approach Taoism: it strongly opposes the concept of charity, on an individual level but especially on a societal level.

‘What!?’ you may ask, ‘How can this be? Charity is good and selfless and moral! Surely if Taoism supports selflessness and collectivism, it supports the idea of charity!’

But here is where that logic falls apart:

For charity to be necessary, it means that there are people in need, which is a sign of imbalance. Therefore, charity is a symptom of larger societal problems, the hoarding of wealth by some and deprivation of others. Then, instead of fixing those larger problems, charity is used as an egotistical and self-righteous way to exploit those failings to make oneself feel important and powerful.

Basically, the act of charity in a “charitable mindset” is when one person, who has too much, doles out scraps of their choosing to people who have too little. By the teachings of Taoism (which values balance and warns against excess), when you have too much, the excess should simply not be yours anymore.

When discussing this idea with a friend, she recommended the book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, by Anand Giridharadas. I, unfortunately, haven’t gotten around to it yet, but I trust my friend’s judgment, so I’m passing the recommendation on regardless. Basically, the book discusses how charity acts as a Band-Aid for systemic failings to make us feel better about ourselves. It’s basically just a PR tool for the elite.

At this point, I think it’s important to note that most of us are never going to participate in the culture of charity on the same level as these wealthy elite. Systemic failings will not be fixed overnight, and there are people in need in the meantime. Plus, the average person in a capitalist society doesn’t actually own their wealth – we are a debtor’s society, working within the confines of what society requires of us in order to be allowed to live comfortably.

So how can we, the average people of limited power, help those in need without contributing to the toxic culture of charity? Well, first of all, we can stop applauding the wealthy for doling out scraps. Their excess is sin; their philanthropy, a half-assed play for absolution. And you can still give. I find this distinction in terminology helpful: giving vs. charity.

Basically, the mindset of charity is, “You are a lesser person than me because you have less, and I am a greater person because I have more. Therefore, in all my benevolence, I’m going to bestow upon you some of my rightly won wealth.” This is the toxic dynamic. This is hierarchical egotism, a way of controlling and categorizing people.

Taoism offers us an indictment against the very idea of possession and property. In Taoism, you have things, but you don’t possess them. Things may move out of your life, and you just have to let them go. Taoism tells us that, yes, if you have too much, give it to the people that don’t have enough. But don’t think that you’re doing some great thing just because you’re unloading things that you don’t need in the first place. If you have more than you need, it should not be yours.

Unlike charity, the mindset of giving is more along the lines of, “Please take some leftovers – I’ll never be able to eat all of this food.” When you give in that manner, do you feel superior to the person who took the leftovers? Do you see them as less because they accepted it? Do you check in to see if they ate the leftovers or threw them away? Do you interrogate the recipient to see if they shared it with someone that you don’t see as deserving? No, of course not! That would be absurd. So why is it appropriate to exert such control in charity?

Beyond cleansing the act of giving of egotism and hierarchy, framing giving in this way actually allows us to address systemic inequality in a more efficient, logical manner. Again and again, studies and social experiments have shown that the most efficient way to solve widespread need is to just give people what they need. Just give them money. Just give them housing. We waste more money on figuring out how to run the charity and vetting who is deserving than we would lose from just giving things away. Welfare programs will set up means testing to screen out five whole people and spend fifty people’s worth of welfare money on it. Yes, some people will take advantage. But, on the whole, the loss from that is less than the loss from wasteful means testing and the overstructuring of charitable organizations.

So, if it’s been proven that this is most efficient, why don’t we do it? It all comes down to control. We have these self-important, self-righteous moral ideas about how we deserve to have control over the process of giving. It’s because, in a culture of charity, the people who give charity believe they are morally superior to those who receive.

The next time you decide to give, I challenge you to ask yourself:

Why am I giving?

Do I feel superior to the people I am giving to?

In what ways might I be trying to control the outcomes of this gift?

(Edit: I mixed up my passages, since passages 18 & 19 are both concerning charity. This was originally posted as “Passage 18″ and was edited later.)

#tao te ching #charity #inequality #possession #audio available #passage analysis #taoism

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antoschauniverse · 4 years

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I highly disagree on the roles Gillian has played in films. I won’t get into those films because some were truly bad like awful bad and I have followed her since the beginning of X-Files. I agree the industry has a bias against women but are you implying Meryl Streep has been limited? Or Diane Keaton? Kate Winslet has done television and films and has an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy just one away from an EGOT. I’m sure she’ll get that Tony eventually. I could go on by the way. I love Gillian but she’s not even in the same building let alone league as those women. Yes, doing theater is hard work and there are very talented people, but there is a reason why plays are only seen by a certain audience most people aren’t into them but they go to the movies or watch tv. I have enjoyed both David and Gillian in tv and some films but I will not put on blinders and call Gillian’s films stellar, yes we all do things for money but I doubt her paycheck for those films was in the XF pay grade. Come on!!

I didn't write about Gillian's movies. I wrote that Gillian agreed to these nondescript movie roles for the money. And don't be so dismissive about money. Gillian is a rich woman, but when a woman is responsible for three children, she accepts any job, because, unfortunately, every woman understands that as she gets older, she has less and less chance of a high-paying job. Or do you think that women in all industries are really equal to men? I'm sorry, but that's not true at all. I was talking about her roles in TV series and mini-series. I think that in addition to Scully, Gillian did a great job as both Stella in the Fall and Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier in Hannibal, not to mention the role of Lady Dedlock in Bleak House. And the role of Jean Milburn is not so bad. In my opinion, making people laugh and making them think about something is much more difficult than playing a heavy drama and making the audience shed a tear. You've named a few super successful women in Hollywood, but where are the other female actresses? And I wouldn't mention Kate Winslet, because a woman who knew all about Harvey Weinstein's behavior but continued to collaborate with him until she won her coveted Oscar for their film together doesn't command much respect. And Diane Keaton isn't too picky either, if she continues to admire a man like Woody Allen, even though she was too old for his taste. I really like Meryl Streep, but when you have a friend like Robert De Niro behind you instead of Clyde Klotz, life in the movie business gets a little easier. These women are incredibly talented, but let's not idealize them.

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tabloidtoc · 4 years

Text

National Examiner, August 17

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Farewell to Regis Philbin and Olivia de Havilland

Page 2: Secrets behind Caddyshack

Page 4: Cher’s amazing looks over the decades

Page 6: Even a monarch needs some fun during a pandemic and that’s why a seven-year-old lad in England created a word game especially for Queen Elizabeth and got a thank-you note in reply

Page 7: Who can forget Kevin Bacon’s rebel-with-a-dance role in 1984′s Footloose that shot him to superstardom -- not Rob Lowe who was supposed to play the lead but suffered a terrible injury that kept him from the role, Orlando Bloom suffered a brutal blow after his beloved dog Mighty went missing and he was forced to admit he was gone, Dolly Parton is worth approximately $500 million but before she became a singing sensation she spooned up a lot of ketchup soup, Madonna says she was fined $1 million by the Russian government for a gay rights speech in 2012 but she isn’t about to pay up

Page 8: After years of portraying heroic Army soldiers in blockbusters like Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan Tom Hanks is starring as a World War II Navy ship commander in his new movie Greyhound and real-life sailors couldn’t be happier to welcome him to their ranks

Page 9: Animals have anxiety too -- how to help your furry friends relax

Page 10: Carlos and Denise Pagan have a note out front explaining why they can’t come to the door -- Carlos has been undergoing chemotherapy for bllod cancer -- and after an Amazon driver read it he returned with a very special delivery to cheer up the South Carolina couple -- he marched off to the store and returned with flowers and a get-well card for this customer he had never met

Page 11: Your Health -- keep an eye out for signs of cataracts, what your bruises may be telling you

Page 12: Cracking Hollywood’s most shocking unsolved murders -- George Reeves, Brittany Murphy, Natalie Wood

Page 13: David Carradine, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Crane

Page 14: Dear Tony -- to banish bad dreams remember the good times -- Tony predicts Winona Ryder will write a book that could well be made into a movie about her abuse allegations

Page 15: A struggling single mom with $7 left in her bank account won $100 with a scratch-off lottery ticket and donated it to the police

Page 16: It wasn’t all laughs and lunacy for the Three Stooges -- comedy favorites faced abuse, poor pay and heartache

Page 18: A North Carolina teenager with time on her hands during the coronavirus lockdown has found a great new way to occupy herself -- she sends handpicked gift collections to ailing children

Page 19: A New Jersey cop went the extra mile in a borrowed kayak to rescue a frantic dog stuck up to the neck in mud

Page 20: Cover Story -- Regis Philbin was a brave fighter to the end -- secret life of host who was everyone’s pal

Page 22: A Kansas dog that went missing for eight days turned up right back at home -- in Missouri nearly 60 miles away at the house where she lived two years ago

Page 26: Tony’s Mystic World -- have you lived before? Take this test and find out, here’s some great news for Grease fans -- a prequel is on the way, Jennifer Lopez is not above the law -- she was left stranded after she parked her dune buggy on a beach in New York’s fancy Hamptons and got towed

Page 28: Cover Story -- Olivia de Havilland took icy feud with sister Joan Fontaine to the grave

Page 30: The Good Doctor

Page 40: R.I.P. John Saxon a tough guy of westerns and drama and Elm Street

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves on vacation in Hawaii (picture), Jane Seymour leaves an Australian quarantine hotel after a 14-day stay (picture), Ryan Reynolds kindly offered a $5000 reward to help reunite a Vancouver woman with her stolen teddy bear that contained a recording of her late mom’s voice, two years after her reported overdose Demi Lovato says she’s turned her life around, Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae Young are engaged, Gwyneth Paltrow says she’s trying to raise her two teens to have a strong work ethic and not rely on their family’s fame, after the discovery of the body of Naya Rivera following her drowning death her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey vowed to keep her memory alive for their four-year-old son Josey, Courteney Cox is missing boyfriend Johnny McDaid who’s been quarantined in the U.K. while she’s been hunkered down in California, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock will share custody of their children River Rose and Remington Alexander, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are now proud Greek citizens

Page 45: Carol Alt (picture), Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson show off their new Greek passports alongside the country’s prime minister and his wife (picture), Johnny Depp is showered with flowers and other tokens of fan appreciation in London (picture), Natalie Portman is super excited for her upcoming Marvel role in Thor: Love and Thunder, composer Alan Menken scored his first Emmy award making him the 16th EGOT -- someone who’s won an Emmy and Grammy and Oscar and Tony

Page 46: 10 Steps to a healthy heart

Page 47: Super sister acts -- Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, Haylie and Hilary Duff, Ashlee and Jessica Simpson, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, Dakota and Elle Fanning, Zooey and Emily Deschanel

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jolienjoyswriting · 4 years

Text

Electrical Disturbance, Ch. III

Chapter 3 of "Electrical Disturbance," a Rockman (Dr. Chou Numbers universe) fan fiction story. Random trivia: The first page of this chapter was originally the last page of Chapter 2. Then, I went and revised things. 'tis for the better, n'yes.

I have to confess something. This story wasn't originally meant to go in this direction. Actually, it was going to be a nice, calm, boring story about Joseph and Kaitlin chillin' out at his house which would, eventually, lead to them getting cozy. However, I got a sudden spark of inspiration while writing Chapter 1, which led to the events of Chapter 2. Then, while writing this chapter… well… another unexpected thing happened and I rolled with it. Actually, I think most of this story ended up being spontaneous, knee-jerk choices, ha hah~

Word count: 4,335 – Character count: 24,994 Originally written: July 18th, 2020

After her less-than-successful battle, Kaitlin finds herself wondering just who she really is…

Thomas Right, Roll, Elecman, “Rockman,” and related characters and concepts created by various people and © Capcom Co, Ltd. "Dr. Chou Numbers" concept and related characters and concepts created by and © Jussy Kaitlin/Thundergirl created by and © KaitlinEXE

[ ↶ Prev. Story | ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → | Next Story ↷ ]

“I shouldn’t’ve held back… What kind’a hero holds back in a crisis…?” “One that deeply cares about their friends, Thundergirl.”

After fulfilling Elecman’s request, Kaitlin called Roll and had her teleport the two of them back to Right Labs – though, outside the main building, since they were both a bit waterlogged. Once they were dried-and-drained, Kaitlin brought Elecman into the main lab where Dr. Thomas Right – the world’s leading roboticist and all-around nice guy – was waiting.

“I should’a went full-force!” she scolded herself after hearing the doctor’s comments. “I should’a just called down the thunder ‘n–” “It’s good that you didn’t. Elecman is in a rather fragile state…” “What–?!” The girl hopped off a workbench where she was sitting and practically ran over to the doctor. There, he showed her the damage…

“Wha– what happened?” Her hands came over her mouth. “I didn’t do that… did I?!” “No.” Dr. Right shook his head. “I believe Elecman put up a fight before Albert was able to reprogram him. It looks as though Albert neglected to repair him after that scrap…” “I-is he gonna be alright?!” “Calm yourself, Thundergirl…” The man smiled as he stroked his beard. “His body can be repaired and, according to initial scans, his original programming and memories are intact.” “O-oh… Oh, good…” After hearing that, Kaitlin finally let herself settle down. As she slowly walked back to the other table, she heard the good doctor continue.

“Once he’s stable,” he said, “I’ll take a look at you – with your permission, of course.” “I feel fine! Surprisingly…” The girl-hero rubbed the back of her head, thinking it over. “Actually, yeah. He prob’ly burnt out a circuit. Or, knocked something loose…” The girl quietly clutched her side, remembering when he kicked the crap out of her. “Man… Elecman sure got mean when he was mad at me! Ow…” “Albert’s viral code removes an android’s inhibitions, opening them to new possibilities,” Dr. Right explained. “Part of Elecman’s core personality is egotism and indulgence. You said that you had made him mad, yes?” The girl nervously laughed. “A little…” “I imagine that by angering him, you damaged his ego. In his virus-warped mind, the only way to save face was by… well…” “Kickin’ and shockin’ me almost t’ death?” Kaitlin asked with a grin. “Under normal circumstances, he is much more reserved,” Right continued as he started the repair process. “You must have significantly embarrassed him.” “I prob’ly just annoyed him,” she confessed. “I got a little cocky…” “Mm.” The girl tilted her head. It seemed like Dr. Right didn’t have anything to say to that. “Hey, I’m gonna head out, okay?” When he failed to offer a reply to that… she shrugged and simply left without a word. He’ll call me back when he’s done fixin’ Elecman… Prob’ly.

The heroic robot girl walked into the living room of the Right Labs compound, that afternoon, her hands behind her head and eyes pointed at the ceiling. She was a little lost-in-thought, trying to figure out where the fight with Elecman went wrong.

Okay, so. I got teleported in at the base’a the dam. Prob’ly should’a called that in. Had’a fight off all the small fries on th’ way up, so I was worn out when I got there… Then, I decided not t’ use my full strength when I fought Elecman ‘cause… ‘cause, he’s cool. She very-faintly blushed, the corner of her mouth twitching. Maaan… the only one who got embarrassed in that fight was me…! “Kaitlin? Kaitlin!” “Huh?” Kaitlin turned her head, then blinked. “Oh. Hey, Roll.” Standing behind her was the blond-haired girl she was mimicking earlier that day. Of course, she was wearing her new favorite outfit – the hoodie-dress with funky shoe-boots – rather than her plain, red dress… which only reinforced Kaitlin’s opinion that she’d made a mistake on what to wear for her surprise visit to her boyfriend. “Sheesh… Today’s just not my day…”

“Aww, I’m sorry to hear that, Kaitlin…” The brunette smiled as Roll softly hugged her from behind. “Eh, live-and-learn,” she said, giving Roll’s arm a little squeeze. “If I ever get into a fight with Elecman, again, I’ll kick his a– butt and not the other way ‘round!” “He kicked your butt?” Roll stepped back, blinking. “But… I thought you won…?” “It was… kind of a draw? Actually…” Kaitlin turned around. Next, she brought a hand up, pushing a button on her visor. It withdrew from sight. Finally turned to face Roll, directly. “It was more like ‘victory but forfeit.’” The other girl grinned, putting her hands on her hips. “You made him give up, huh?” “No-no-no…” Kaitlin waved her hands. “Elecman gave up all on his own.” “I’m not sure I understand…” Roll smiled. “Tell me about it? I’ll make us some tea!” “Can I get a cocoa, instead?” “Sure!”

The two shared a smile, then Kaitlin followed Roll into the kitchen. There, she told her blond friend all the details of how she fought Elecman to a standstill… which is to say, how she humiliated herself by show-boating and holding back, then dumped them both in the Hoover Dam reservoir where neither of them could hurt anyone, much less each other.

“Wow…” By the end of the story, Roll was frowning right alongside Kaitlin. The girl-hero was simply disappointed in herself. The housekeeper, however… “You did what you thought was right and there’s nothing wrong with that!” She just couldn’t help but support her friend’s decisions.

“Elecman almost blew up the dam and took us both out for good, Roll!” Kaitlin exclaimed with a scowl. “All because I didn’t take the fight seriously!” “It’s okay!” Roll brightly smiled as she said, “You were trying to save Elecman, not destroy him! I’m sure if you were an evil Wily ‘bot and he had to fight you, he’d do the same!” Kaitlin… nervously laughed at the idea. Oh, if you only knew, Roll… “No, Roll,” the brunette said. “I didn’t take the fight seriously because I’m a dumb kid who thought she could bat her eyelashes and sass-talk her enemy into giving up…” “You say that like it’s a bad thing…” Roll chuckled. “And… when I couldn’t persuade him to stop being bad, I still didn’t wanna hurt him!” “You say that like it’s a bad thing!” “But, oh. But, oh. Little did I realize that Elecman wanted to hurt me!” “He was under Wily’s control, though!” “Exactly!”

Kaitlin banged her fist against the table, startling Roll. When the cheerful girl looked up, the woeful one looked away in shame. “Sorry…” she whispered. “I know ya don’t like rowdy behavior in the house.” “It’s okay, Kaitlin…” Roll rose, then she put her hands over Kaitlin’s and offered a compassionate smile. “I know how you feel!” “Heh. I kind’a doubt it, but I appreciate the vote’a confidence.” Kaitlin took a sip of her cocoa… before she caught sight of something that made her stare. Roll’s green eyes were locked onto hers… and they were full of sadness.

“Did… you do somethin’ with your eyes?” Kaitlin asked, casually looking away. “Didn’t they used t’ be blue?” “I had a toggle installed…” Roll sniffled after her reply. Then, after rubbing her face, she cleared her throat. “Kaitlin… Every time Rock goes out there to fight bad-guys, he has to go through the exact same things you did, today.” “I’m sure he does…” “Kaitlin!” The girl-hero nearly snorted her cocoa in surprise. When she looked back over at Roll, the girl was glaring at her with weepy eyes.

“Rock never-ever wants to hurt anyone! Every Robot Master he fights could be a friend! Some of them even are friends…! He tries and he tries, begging… pleading them not to fight… not to do bad things… but every single time he fights one… it always ends the same way…” Roll brought her hands up, locking her fingers together over her chest in silent prayer. “Every time Wily tries to conquer the world, Rock comes home a mess! He doesn’t know what to do with himself… He wants to be angry, or he wants to curl up in a ball, or he wants to cry, but he can’t!” “Is it ‘cause he wasn’t built with that ability?” Kaitlin half-heartedly joked. The other girl flinched as Roll brought her hands down onto the table, making it rattle. “It’s because Rock is a hero, and heroes don’t cry, Kaitlin!

“Heroes like Rock can’t show any kind of weakness – especially not in front of the bad-guys… Rock has to keep moving forward when he really wants to run away! Rock has to keep a stiff-upper-lip when he really wants to cry! Rock has to… has to blast robots when all he really wants to do is make them happy! Rock believes there’s goodness… kindness… in everyone – even that jerk, Doctor Wily! I’m not so sure, myself… but I believe in Rock! So… so, if Rock believes that humans and robots can be friends and live in peace… so do I! And… and if you don’t understand that, then… well… I feel sorry for you!!” Kaitlin blinked a couple of times and Roll suddenly stormed out of the kitchen. She didn’t know if her friend was disappointed or simply disgusted with her… but either way, she was feeling even lower than before. I knew Rock had it hard… she thought as she sipped her cocoa, but I had no idea he had it that hard… She paused, considering something… I wonder if a hug from two girls would make his day better? Actually… She chuckled, then. I could use a hug, myself… Kaitlin finished her cocoa all alone, then. In her mind… it was probably better that way. I can never be a hero like Rockman…

Sometime after her conversation with Roll, Dr. Right called the hero back into the lab. “I have good news,” he said as she walked in and walked over. “Did Wily decide to pack it up and head home?” Kaitlin asked as a joke. “No, but I like your optimism.” She blushed a little as the doctor patted her head. It felt kind of patronizing, but she knew that was just how he was. “Actually, the good news has to do with Elecman!” She perked. “What about Elecman?” “Yes, Doctor. What about Elecman?” Kaitlin blinked at the new voice, then turned to meet it. All-at-once, her face lit up. Standing right there, good-as-new, was… “E-Elecman!!”

Before she could stop herself, she practically leaped at the robot, giving him a big hug around the shoulders. Elecman awkwardly returned the hug… at least somewhat. Then… “Um… thank you. Can you, um, let go, now? Please?” When she realized what she was doing… she practically leaped right back off. “I-I’m so sorry!” she apologized, covering her mouth and blushing. Then, after a moment more… she turned morose and repeated, “I’m so sorry…” “I’m not entirely sure what all has transpired while I was under the effects of Wily’s heinous reprogramming,” Elecman said with a confused look, “but… perhaps I should be the one apologizing to you?” “What?” Kaitlin blinked, again, as Elecman knelt and took her gloved hand into his. “I regret making such a lovely young lady worry about my well-being. And… I am filled with the deepest sorrow, knowing that I was forced to engage her in mortal combat, and it greatly bothers me to think that I could have turned your sunny smile into a frightful frown…”

As Elecman stood back up, Kaitlin covered her mouth with her free hand, her face… a rather noticeable shade of crimson. She was pretty thankful Elecman didn’t try and kiss her hand, otherwise… she might’ve popped like an overheated thermometer! It was more-than-enough that he was on bent knee, saying such sweet things and apologizing! When he smiled, afterward… she was pretty sure she felt her heart skip a beat. Say something… say something cool, stupid!! she internally shouted at herself. But, when she moved her hand and opened her mouth… “Fwah… guh… bwah…?” Nothing coherent came out. “Indeed.” It got a quiet chuckle out of Elecman… Dammit…! Which made her completely hide her face with both hands. She felt so embarrassed…

“Doctor Right.” The masked robot turned his attention to the doctor. “Thank you for repairing me. I will try and use less flashy tactics when engaging the forces of the nefarious Doctor Wily, next time.” “I’m just relieved the damage wasn’t more extensive!” The doctor smiled. “Between your fight with Albert’s forces and your skirmish with Thundergirl–” The girl nervously squeaked upon hearing her name. “– I think you have more-than-earned a rest.” “Is Wily’s operation still ongoing?” “Yes, but–” “Then, I have further work to do.” Dr. Right frowned… only to nod. “Roll will send you where you’re needed…” he said with a mix of understanding and regret. “Please, do be careful…” “I’ll buy an Energy Can from Rightot before I go, Doctor.” That brought some small relief to the elderly man’s face. “Oh! Before I depart, I should like to make one small request, if I may?” “What is it?” Elecman smiled, looking over his shoulder. Kaitlin, who was peeking out from between her fingers at him, immediately hid her face, again. “I want you to give my biggest fan the utmost of care,” he said, casually strolling away. “When all this is over… I want to see her bright, smiling face light up the night sky, once more.” Kaitlin made a weird, croaky kind of noise… Her heart was racing, her head was steaming, and in a way, she actually kind of felt… embarrassed, too. Elecman was laying it on super-thick. Was he always like that…? She kind of liked the attention, but wow… was it a lot. “I’ll give her as much attention as she requires,” Dr. Right chuckled. “I promise.” “Excellent. And, upon my glorious return… I shall give her the attention she deserves!” He looked back at the Kaitlin one last time and smiled, smiling as she squeaked, again. “Adieu! Adieu. ‘til next we meet, my lovely heroine! Fare thee well!” As much as Kaitlin liked hearing her favorite Robot Master shower her with praise… she was kind of thankful he’d left when he did. She was pretty sure one more compliment would’ve pushed her over the edge and made her faint. That wouldn’t have been very heroic…

“This should be a fairly standard process,” the doctor said after she’d had time to calm herself. “Lie down on the examination table, please, and I’ll run some scans on your chassis.” “O–” she squeaked, still feeling a little overcome. “O-okay…!” The white-haired man waited for Kaitlin to lay back and get into position. Once she was ready, he plugged her into his computer and began the tests…

“Mm-hmm… mm-hmm… Your core temperature is a little high – though… Elecman tends to have that effect on robots he likes.” She blushed and looked away, really wishing the doctor hadn’t acknowledged that… “Internal systems look… oh. Oh, dear.” “Wh– what?” “It seems that… Elecman has caused you some serious harm…” She knew what he meant, but felt a little flustered, again. “Most of your primary systems are offline and almost all of your backup systems are active and running at maximum capacity. Thundergirl, if I might ask… just what happened?” “You don’t wanna know,” she dismissively told him, not wanting to repeat her story. “This is quite important.” He turned toward her with a smile. “As your doctor, it’s sometimes necessary to know this sort of information to properly diagnose–” “Ugh, fine! If you need it…”

“Oh, dear… I see…” By the time Kaitlin was done regaling the doctor with how Elecman kicked her butt… and back, sides, head… and practically fried her like overcooked bacon… he was shaking his head and making a lot of tongue-clicking noises. “Tell me, Thundergirl… do you feel any abnormalities?” “Well, no…” she answered. “I feel a little slower than usual, but otherwise…?” “Given that you’re running on backup systems… secondary and tertiary, in some cases…” he quietly added, “that’s to be expected. What about your memory functions?” “I guess my brain’s in workin’ order? But… how would I know it’s not? I am an amnesiac, after all,” she told him with a chuckle. “That is… a fair point. Yeesss… yes, now that I think of it, you declined a backup of your vital data the last time you were here. I have nothing to compare your current memory to…” “Honestly, all I care about is gettin’ patched-up so I can try my luck with some other Robot Master… who isn’t Elecman…” the girl muttered in addendum. “The repairs to your primary systems could take quite some time…” “Wha’?” She sat up, looking at the doctor. “How long’s ‘quite some time?’” He stroked his beard, thinking about it. “No less than five days, I would say… And, that’s only if I don’t find anything else.” “Hrrnnn…” The girl flopped back and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to be out-of-commission for five minutes, much less five days! But, the doctor seemed really worried about her, so… “Alright,” she sighed. “Put me under and pop me open. I guess.” “Are you certain?” “Yup,” she said with a nod. “Do it to it, Doc!” “Okay…” He took a deep breath. “I shall revive you once it’s all over…” –––––

“– dergirl? Thundergirl? Are you activated?” “What…? Yeah, yeah, I’m awake… “Good, good… I–” “One thing. Who’s talkin’ at me? Also… where am I?” “Oh. Oh, dear… I was afraid of this…”

Kaitlin groaned, rubbing her eyes before blinking them. She sat up, then, and looked around. As far as she could tell… she wasn’t anywhere she’d usually be. Which was to say… it didn’t look like any of the rooms inside Wily Castle. The voice that spoke also didn’t sound like Dr. Wily or any of his robots… Actually, it kind of sounded like… “Doctor Right! Is Kaitlin okay?”

The girl blinked, again, before she found her focus. Standing off to one side of the room was a man of below-average height and above-average facial hair. He kind of looked like Santa Claus… except smaller and rounder. He also wore a lot more white than Santa does, she noted. “Doctor… Right…?” she called. “Welcome back, Kaitlin!” She looked to the doctor’s side and noticed a smaller form smiling up at her. The figure was, presumably, female, if the long, blond hair and girly, red hoodie-dress was any indication. She was probably a younger girl, too, considering the lack of curves. As she looked closer, though, she slowly recalled… “Hey… aren’t you Roll?” “Well, yeah! Did you forget?” When the blond girl giggled, the other android narrowed her eyes. “And, you’re… Dr. Right?” she said, focusing on the first figure. “Dr. Thomas Right…?” “That’s right…” he said with a nod. “I am Thomas Right.” “You’re Roll… and you’re Right…” Roll tilted her head. Dr. Right had looked away… “If you’re Roll and you’re Right… then… I’m outta here!!”

Before either party could react, Kaitlin jumped up and made a bolt for the door! Just as she thought she was home-free, though… “Goodness! Where are you off to in such a hurry?” She was stopped by a taller figure in a black body-suit and angular, yellow mask. “Oh, sh– you’re… you’re…!” The girl paused, blinking. “Er… which one are you, again?” “Who am I?” The figure scoffed. “I, the thunderous Elecman, found the time to come to visit my number one fan, Thundergirl, after her repairs… only for her to toss me aside like a burnt-out fuse! Hmph! How very ungrateful…!” “Elecman,” the doctor called, “Thundergirl is going through some–” “Why do you keep calling me– oh, never mind… Outta the way, big-boots!” “Hey!!” Elecman narrowed his eyes as Kaitlin barged by him. “You ungrateful, rude…” “Stop her!” “‘Stop her?’” The man-in-black blinked, then he spun around. “Um… stop?” Of course… Kaitlin was already long-gone from the area, by then.

“Okay… okay…”

The brown-haired girl ran through unfamiliar hallways, scared-and-confused, desperately trying to find a door that led outside. As she scouted, she also thought out loud.

“I’m lost… I dunno where I am… I’m not sure where I’m not… and… and…” She slowed, stopped, then backpedaled after passing a big mirror. “I’m wearin’ somethin’ way weird. What the heck is this stuff?”

The girl looking back at her didn’t look like one she recognized. Rather than the expected denim dress and lavender T-shirt, she was wearing what looked like big, clunky, yellow boots and black yoga pants – not unlike that funny-talking guy’s – a purple chest-piece with a red collar and shoulder “wings,” matching sleeves that ended in gold cuffs, thick, red-metal bracelets and fingerless gloves, a pair of white ear-pieces, and a purple beret. The chest-piece and beret both had a little lightning bolt on them, she also noticed.

“Is this… battle armor? What… why am I wearin’ battle armor? Where’s my dress…?” She put a finger to one earpiece, flinched, yanked it off, then touched her bare ear. “Dress, dress, dress… Huh, I don’t remember this outfit… what is– waaah!!” A light engulfed the girl and, just like that, her outfit was replaced by something a bit more casual.

“Th-this isn’t my dress, either… but it does look pretty snazzy!” She posed, fanning one arm and the opposite leg out as she admired herself. Rather than her expected dress, she wore a long-sleeved, pink T-shirt under a purple mini-hoodie with gold trim, a pair of black shorts, and white socks with two blue stripes near the top, and comfy, yellow sneakers with white energy ports on the sides. “I guess Papa Wily upgraded me in my sleep…” She giggled a little. “He let me keep my sneaks, too! Anyway, let’s see… Dress, dress, dress– ah! Here it is!”

Once again, she was bathed in light. When it faded, though… “Waaaaah…?!” She was horrified by what she saw!

“Wh… why do I have this outfit?!” she asked her reflection as if expecting an answer. The new outfit on her body was an exact duplicate of that housekeeping robot’s usual, red dress, complete with matching metal Mary-Janes. “W-well… at least I don’t have that dorky bow in my hair… b-but, wah!” She shook her head. “This is terrible! Red is not my color!” One more spin through her internal Quick-Change Module’s menu and she was back in the hoodie and shorts. “This’ll have t’ do ‘til I can get back home to Wily Castle… Oh, gosh, Dad’s gonna be so mad at me… I–” “I found her!!” “What?! Oh, no!!”

Kaitlin looked to her left. While she’d spent all that time changing, Roll had found her. She was quick to resume fleeing… though at a significantly higher speed than before, somehow! “Wow…!” She beamed as her feet carried her faster than she expected. “I guess Papa Wily did give me an upgrade! I feel light-as-a-feather! Speedy-as-a-hawk! Quick-as-a-lick! Or… something like that. Try ‘n catch me now, Right ‘bot!” She turned her head, putting her thumb to her nose and razzing the blond-haired girl as she gave chase. When Kaitlin turned back, she went wide-eyed… “Wuh-oh!” The guy in the black suit was in her way.

“Come to me, my dear ingrate!” he said with a harsh grin. “Let us return you to the doctor!” “You want me?” She smirked. “Gotta catch me, first!” Without really knowing why, she hit the deck, dropping onto her back. Strangely enough… ports on her feet flipped open at that exact moment, shooting out a burst of air and, unexpectedly, she found herself sliding right through that weirdo’s long legs! “Holy…!” she cried as she pushed herself back into a standing – or, running – position. “Coolio!! Was it my birthday, or somethin’? Papa really tricked me out!”

The girl beamed as she continued running through what she eventually figured out was the Right House. Which was to say… she realized that she was in the home of her dad’s hated rival in science! “I should cause mischief, while I’m here…” she thought on her feet, “but I dunno where the front door is, yet. Maybe, I’ll knock over a lamp or crook-ify a painting on the way out… That’ll teach ‘em not to kidnap me!”

The chase continued for a solid five minutes, Kaitlin quickly darting, dodging, bobbling, and weaving around any-and-all obstacles and people in her way. However, when she heard Dr. Right tell Elecman specifically not to hurt her… she knew she had the full run of the place.

“Not the nesting dolls!” Roll cried as Kaitlin grabbed them from a shelf and started throwing them in random directions. “That was a gift from Kalinka!” “Watch the vase!” Elecman wailed as he ran to catch it after Kaitlin bumped it off its stand. “That was a gift from a more appreciative fan than you!” “Please, put those bills down!” Unfortunately, Dr. Right was helpless to stop Kaitlin from tossing a bunch of mail around the room, scattering both envelope and contents all over. “Kaitlin, stop!” Roll screamed as Kaitlin threw down a lamp and knocked over some unlit candles. “This isn’t very heroic, you know…!” “I am a hero!” was Kaitlin’s reply. “I’m fighting your tyranny the only way I know how!” “What are you talking about?! Ack, get out of the– nooo, all the coats…!!” “You Right-‘bots kidnaped me!” Kaitlin shouted as she hurled coats and jackets out of a nearby closet. “You stole me from my dad and my family! My dad hates you, and so do I!!” “Your dad…?” the blond girl asked as she started picking the garments up. Kaitlin stopped in he tracks and turned to face everyone. Then, she said the worst-possible-thing she could have… “I’m Dr. Wily’s housekeeper – Special Wily Number error: Kaitlin!!”

#gift #fan fiction #Mega Man #Dr. Chou Numbers #Electrical Disturbance #commercial characters #Thomas Light #Elecman #Roll Light #fan characters #kaitlinexe #Thundergirl #Kaitlin Wily #drama #suspense

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aliveandfullofjoy · 6 years

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Tonys 2018: Stats & Trivia

With its astonishing ten wins last night, The Band’s Visit is now the second most winning Best Musical of the 2010s so far, only behind Hamilton’s eleven wins in 2016. It is also only the third Best Musical winner in Tonys history to win ten awards in one year (the others being Billy Elliot (2009) and Hello, Dolly! (1963).

Katrina Lenk successfully broke the streak! Her win in Leading Actress in a Musical for The Band’s Visit marked only the second time since 2010 that the award didn’t go to an actor in a revival. The only other winner this decade from a new musical was Jessie Mueller, who played Carole King in Beautiful (2014).

The Band’s Visit composer David Yazbek, whose father is Lebanese, is the second composer of Asian descent to win Best Score. The only other is Robert Lopez, whose father is Filipino.

Tony Shalhoub won on his fourth nomination last night for The Band’s Visit. It’s his first nomination for a musical. His victory make him the Leading Actor in a Musical winner to do the least amount of singing since Thomas Mitchell in Hazel Flagg in 1953.

Nathan Lane won his third Tony last night for Angels in America. He is the second actor to win a Tony for playing Roy Cohn, the first being Ron Leibman in 1993. Having previously won for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996) and The Producers (2001), this is Lane’s first win for a play, making him the seventeenth and newest member of the club of actors to win at least one Tony for both a play and a musical.

John Tiffany is the eleventh and newest member of the club of directors to win Tonys for both plays and musicals. He previously won for Once (2012).

Tony Shalhoub also became the fifth person named Tony to win a Tony. The other four are: Tony Duquette (won for Costume Design in 1961 for Camelot), Tony Straiges (won for Scenic Design in 1984 for Sunday in the Park with George), Tony Walton (won Scenic Design three times: Pippin in 1973, The House of Blue Leaves in 1986, and Guys and Dolls in 1992), and Tony Kushner (won Best Play back to back for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika in 1993 and 1994).

EGOT watch: Glenda Jackson now only needs a Grammy, and Bruce Springsteen now only needs an Emmy. Jackson is also the 24th person to win the Triple Crown of Acting.

In a fun, useless stat, this is the first time both David Yazbek and Norbert Leo Butz were nominated in the same year that Butz didn’t win and Yazbek did. Yazbek lost Best Score for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 2005 and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown in 2011, the same years that Butz won Leading Actor in a Musical for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Catch Me If You Can.

Once on This Island’s win for Best Revival last night marks its first ever Tony win in any category. Between its original production in 1991 and this revival, it failed to win any other award in 16 nominations.

Mean Girls is now tied with The Scottsboro Boys (2011) for losingest show in Tonys history. Both were nominated for twelve awards and won none of them.

Carousel is now the third show to win Best Choreography twice. The only others are Anything Goes (1988, 2011) and The Pajama Game (1955, 2006).

Many people celebrated their first Tony win last night, but among the artists to add another Tony to their mantle: costume designer Catherine Zuber (who won her seventh Tony last night for My Fair Lady), scenic designer David Zinn (who won his second for SpongeBob SquarePants), actor Nathan Lane (who won his third for Angels in America). The team behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child did very well in this regard, with all of the following winning their second Tonys: lighting designer Neil Austin, sound designer Gareth Fry (who who his first competitive award after his Special Award last year for The Encounter), scenic designer Christine Jones, costume designer Katrina Lindsay, and director John Tiffany.

Some updates on directors who directed actors to Tony wins: Lindsay Mendez is the eleventh actor to win under Jack O’Brien’s direction; Glenda Jackson and Laurie Metcalf are the ninth and tenth actors to win under Joe Mantello’s direction.

Depending on whether or not you count Rent with its vague “the late 1980s” setting, The Band’s Visit is the first Best Musical winner to be set in the 1990s.

While there were only two different plays to win acting prizes this year (Angels in America and Three Tall Women), both plays won the Pulitzer Prize.

#tony awards #trivia #tonys 2018

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phroyd · 6 years

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Donald Trump has been condemned as “treasonous” for siding with the Kremlin over his own government agencies after a stunning joint appearance with Vladimir Putin in which he seemingly accepted the Russian leader’s denial of election meddling.

At a joint press conference after one-on-one talks lasting more than two hours in the Finnish capital, the US president offered no criticism of Putin or the cyber-attacks that the US intelligence community says he coordinated to help Trump’s 2016 election campaign.

“They said they think it’s Russia; I have President Putin, he just said it’s notRussia,” Trump told reporters. “I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

The comments set off a new firestorm in Washington and critics suggested it was a historically weak performance by a US president against a foreign adversary. It also fuelled the intrigue of why Trump’s refusal to speak ill of Putin remains one of the few constants of his White House tenure.

Asked directly if he took Putin’s word over his own law enforcement and intelligence agencies, Trump veered off in a rambling attempt to change the subject, raising the Democratic National Committee’s server and Hillary Clinton’s missing emails – a move seen by critics as a crude attempt to deflect and distract.

“Where are those servers?” Trump demanded. “Where are Hillary Clinton’s emails?”

And bridling at the suggestion that his election victory might be discredited, Trump added: “I beat Hillary Clinton easily ... We won that race. And it’s a shame that there can even be a little bit of a cloud over it ... We ran a brilliant campaign and that’s why I’m president.”

There was swift condemnation from some of Trump’s opponents in Washington. John Brennan, a former director of the CIA, tweeted: “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin.”

John McCain, chairman of the Senate armed services committee and a former Republican presidential nominee, said: “Today’s press conference in Helsinki was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory. The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivety, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake.”

There was even a rebuke from the most senior elected Republican, House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said both the US intelligence community and the House intelligence committee concluded that Russia interfered in the election.

“The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals,” he said. “The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy.”

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate, said: “In the entire history of our country, Americans have never seen a president of the United States support an American adversary the way President Trump has supported President Putin.

“For the president of the United States to side with President Putin against American law enforcement, American defence officials, and American intelligence agencies is thoughtless, dangerous, and weak. The president is putting himself over our country.”

And Jeff Flake, a Republican senator from Arizona, tweeted: “I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.”

For his part, Putin acknowledged that he had wanted Trump to win the 2016 election but reiterated his denial of meddling. Speaking through an interpreter, he said: “We should be guided by facts. Can you name a single fact that would definitively prove collusion? This is utter nonsense. Just like the president recently mentioned.”

In the wake of last week’s indictment of 12 Russian military officers for hacking and leaking Democratic emails, Putin offered to allow the special counsel Robert Mueller’s team to visit Russia and witness the accused being interrogated – but only if the US made a reciprocal arrangement that would allow Russian agents to operate in the US.

The 45-minute news conference followed a dialogue between Trump and Putin, with only interpreters present, at the Finnish presidential palace, followed by a working lunch – the first such event between a US and Russian president since 2010.

Journalists gathered in a baroque ballroom decorated with columns, golf leaf and crystal chandeliers and, behind the podium, five American and five Russian flags. Before the press conference started, a man, said to be holding a sign protesting against nuclear weapons, was bundled out of the room by three security guards.

The two leaders were an unlikely match at the podium. Trump, bigger and taller, had held political office for just 18 months; Putin has been at the top of government for 18 years.

Trump shook his counterpart’s hand and whispered, “Thank you very much”, before congratulating him on the successful hosting of the World Cup. Eager to take credit, he claimed: “Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed as of about four hours ago.”

Read The Rest ... See The Video!

Phroyd

#donald trump #vladimir putin #us elections 2016 #us news #us politics

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adrian-paul-botta · 6 years

Photo

Photo: Lillian Gish and Helen Hayes, New York, November 29, 1975

“The First Lady of The American Theatre”

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (née Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was one of 12 people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award (an EGOT). Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, from President Ronald Reagan in 1986. In 1988, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. The annual Helen Hayes Awards, which have recognized excellence in professional theatre in greater Washington, DC, since 1984, are her namesake. In 1955, the former Fulton Theatre on 46th Street in New York City's Broadway Theater District was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre. When that venue was torn down in 1982, the nearby Little Theatre was renamed in her honor. Helen Hayes is regarded as one of the Greatest Leading Ladies of the 20th-century theatre. Helen Hayes Brown was born in Washington, D.C., on October 10, 1900. Her mother, Catherine Estelle (née Hayes), or Essie, was an aspiring actress who worked in touring companies. Her father, Francis van Arnum Brown, worked at a number of jobs, including as a clerk at the Washington Patent Office and as a manager and salesman for a wholesale butcher. Hayes's Catholic maternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland during the Irish Potato Famine. Hayes began a stage career at an early age. She said her stage debut was as a five-year-old singer at Washington's Belasco Theatre, on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. By age ten, she had made a short film, Jean and the Calico Doll (1910), but moved to Hollywood only when her husband, playwright Charles MacArthur, signed a Hollywood deal. Hayes attended Dominican Academy's prestigious primary school, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, from 1910 to 1912, appearing there in The Old Dutch, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and other performances. She attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart Convent in Washington and graduated in 1917. Her sound film debut was The Sin of Madelon Claudet, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She followed that with starring roles in Arrowsmith (with Ronald Colman), A Farewell to Arms (with Gary Cooper), The White Sister (opposite Clark Gable), What Every Woman Knows (a reprise of her Broadway hit), and Vanessa: Her Love Story. But Hayes did not prefer film to the stage. Hayes eventually returned to Broadway in 1935, where for three years she played the title role in Gilbert Miller's production of Victoria Regina, with Vincent Price as Prince Albert, first at the Broadhurst Theatre and later at the Martin Beck Theatre. In 1951, she was involved in the Broadway revival of J.M. Barrie's play Mary Rose at the ANTA Playhouse. In 1953, she was the first-ever recipient of the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theatre, repeating as the winner in 1969. She returned to Hollywood in the 1950s, and her film star began to rise. She starred in My Son John (1952) and Anastasia (1956), and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as an elderly stowaway in the disaster film Airport (1970). She followed that up with several roles in Disney films such as Herbie Rides Again, One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing and Candleshoe. Her performance in Anastasia was considered a comeback—she had suspended her career for several years due to her daughter Mary's death and her husband's failing health. In 1955, the Fulton Theatre was renamed for her. In the 1980s, business interests wished to raze that theatre and four others to construct a large hotel that included the Marquis Theatre. Hayes's consent to raze the theatre named for her was sought and given, though she had no ownership interest in the building. Parts of the original Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway were used to construct the Shakespeare Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which Hayes dedicated with Joseph Papp in 1982.[10] In 1983 the Little Theater on West 45th Street was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre in her honor, as was a theatre in Nyack, which has since been renamed the Riverspace-Arts Center. In early 2014, the site was refurbished and styled by interior designer Dawn Hershko and reopened as the Playhouse Market, a quaint restaurant and gourmet deli. Book written by Helen Hayes in 1971-72 with friend Anita Loos. Hayes, who spoke with her good friend Anita Loos almost daily on the phone, told her, "I used to think New York was the most enthralling place in the world. I'll bet it still is and if I were free next summer, I would prove it." With that, she convinced Loos to embark on an exploration of all five boroughs of New York. They visited and explored the city; Bellevue Hospital at night, a tugboat hauling garbage out to sea, parties, libraries, and Puerto Rican markets. They spoke to everyday people to see how they lived their lives and what made the city tick. The result of this collaborative effort was the book "Twice Over Lightly", published in 1972. It is unclear when or by whom Hayes was called the "First Lady of the Theatre". Her friend, actress Katharine Cornell, also held that title, and each thought the other deserved it. One critic said Cornell played every queen as though she were a woman, whereas Hayes played every woman as though she were a queen. In 1982, with friend Lady Bird Johnson, she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, now the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The center protects and preserves North America's native plants and natural landscapes. The Helen Hayes Award for theater in the Washington, DC, area is named in her honor. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6220 Hollywood Blvd. Hayes is also in the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Hayes died on March 17, 1993, of congestive heart failure in Nyack, New York. Lillian Gish, the "First Lady of American Cinema", made Hayes the designated beneficiary of her estate, but Hayes survived her by less than a month. Hayes was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Nyack. In 2011, she was honored with a US postage stamp.

#lillian gish #Helen Hayes #new york city #1975

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moodboardinthecloud · 3 years

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Will woke go up in smoke

FROM THE MAGAZINEHOLLYWOOD 2021Will Woke Go Up in Smoke?A TV writer-creator on the future of virtue signalling in Hollywood and beyond.

BY JENNY LUMET

FEBRUARY 23, 2021

In the Whole Foods on Montana Avenue, at the top of the lockdown and right after George Floyd’s murder, a Santa Monica lady and I reached for the same avocado at the same time. When I say Santa Monica lady, I mean a white lady.

Her child was beautiful, like all the children in the Whole Foods. They were masked. Masked, beautiful, healthy, reverse bandits, as there was nothing they would ever steal. They only wanted to give back. I know this because I read their T-shirts. These were people to whom things mattered.

I was also masked. A masked Black person.

Sidenote: My mother, 84, lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and goes daily to Marche Madison, which is her nearest grocery store. There are very few essentials at this store, mostly things you’d choose to eat as opposed to things you’d need to eat. My mother refers to herself as “the Masked Negro of Marche Madison.”

Mother is a savage.

During the avocado skirmish, I registered Santa Monica lady’s confusion at my pale pigmentation. She was not the first, nor will she be the last. The spectrum of American Blackness is vast and beautiful. I have a white father and am also the direct descendant of enslaved Africans. My children’s DNA is in the floorboards of the Calhoun Mansion in South Carolina. John C. Calhoun himself is my great- (times five) grand-rapist.

Proximity to whiteness comes with privileges, far too many to list here. In the movie business—as in every other business, I suspect—you certainly get hired faster and more often. And you get called the N-word by the recipient of a Golden Globe, and then again by an EGOT. #MovingOnUp

The SML’s confusion—Was I white? And if I was white, did that mean it was okay if she just claimed the avocado?—only lasted a beat before she erred on the side of wokeness. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so, so sorry.”

I know why she was sorry. She feared that I, a masked Black stranger, would perceive her as a bad person. And when I say bad person, I mean a racist, a person who felt entitled to take the avocado as she had been taking avocados all her life: First. Ahead of. The fact that she feared I might think this of her confirms that she may well have been a racist and had apologized only because she had watched George Floyd’s murder on her TV.

One of my friends is a phone sex worker: “I had a guy who CURATED HIS FANTASIES to make sure I KNOW HE’S WOKE—like I care—and he doesn’t want to do it anymore.”

How do I know what was triple-salchowing through her brain? I know because I know. Experience is expertise. You can’t buy or relocate out of this bullshit. You can’t just say, “I’m sticking to the coasts.”

Ialso know because the salchow has permutations, and I’ve done a version of it myself.

One time, during a 12-day hospital stay in NYC years ago, while I was sick as a dog, my roommate, a Black lady, was garrulous. She had her entire family visiting, and they were garrulous too. It was the yellingest family in Lenox Hill Hospital. I was trying not to die, so I said nothing but passive-aggressively shot baleful, wounded glances in their direction. The behaviour! thought I. (My thought bubble has the British spelling. That’s how much of an asshole I am.)

And a member of the lady’s family said, “That white girl thinks we’re too loud.”

ALARUM! EXEUNT! EXEUNT!

Immediately defensive and panicked, I longed to say: WAIT! I’M NOT A WHITE GIRL AND A RACIST! I’M A BLACK GIRL WHO’S INTERNALIZED COLORISM!

When the toxin has lived in you, you can smell it in other people.

So I knew about the Santa Monica avocado lady because I know. And here’s my question: Now that it’s no longer 2020, will woke go up in smoke?

To my understanding, wokeness is a thing that means you take a real look at the world and how you move through it. If one is an asshole, one tries to remedy. (I am always working on that one. Always.) And it’s a process—no one just hears the alarm and leaps out of bed. Mostly we all hit snooze 70 billion times and then wonder why we’re late. There’s a long history of public murder. And of hitting the snooze button.

I did a very nonscientific poll among my friends. All of them are women and very, very tired. Will woke go up in smoke? I asked them.

One of my friends is a phone sex worker, and she deals with folk on a pretty primal level. She is always a Black woman but sometimes not, depends who might be calling. “I had a guy who had curated his fantasies to make sure I know he’s woke—like I care—and he doesn’t want to do it anymore,” she told me. “Since November he’s just been rage venting. He did everything he was supposed to do. But everyone’s still mad at him.”

Wait. Everyone’s mad at him? Everyone who?

“I don’t know. The Black lady in his office. She makes him feel castrated. Or something. Now he’s angry. He’s angry at the language. I was like: ‘You know you’re actually in a “safe space” now, right?’ And he totally lost his hard-on. Boom. He doesn’t want to hear about safe spaces or talk about this shit anymore. Fuck, I wasn’t making this guy be woke. By the way he’s super dom now.”

Okay, here’s what I deduced from all this:

My friend is doing the Lord’s work.

Woke is sustainable only under a very particular set of circumstances.

Woke is unsustainable while fucking.

I’m the fourth generation of my family (yup, the fourth) to work in show business, and the only thing I know for sure is that virtue usually flowers when you’re vulnerable.

I created a show about a Black family at a big streaming service. Not the streamer on which I currently have shows. Said show was based on my fancy family. The head people in charge (all of whom were SMLs, including the guys) said, “We love your fancy family! We love the sophistication! Ha ha ha! Please let us know if we say anything (racist) dumb! Or do anything (racist) stupid!”

They were vulnerable. They were, like the SML, afraid they would be judged and found wanting. That judgment would live in the tiniest corner of their brain and haunt them like the fitted sheet that doesn’t match anything anymore but is somehow always in the fucking closet.

And then, somehow, they weren’t afraid. Maybe it was repeated exposure. They said, “Do you guys really talk like that?” And also: “Can we have a scene where someone is getting thrown over a cop car? For relatability? Because we feel the privilege of your family is getting in the way of our commentary on race.”

My Blackness was getting in the way of their commentary on race. These were suddenly some very confident SMLs.

At the 11th hour they asked if we could introduce the lightest-skinned character first (colorism was a theme of the show), so the Blackness of her family could be a reveal. Ha ha! Funny!

I confronted. They said I asked loaded questions and shouldn’t. I made a bet with the showrunner that their next show about Black people would have slaves in it. I won.

For many, the miasma of fear that was 2020 is lifting. There are vaccines. Those people no longer live in the White House. Many, myself included, feel less vulnerable. It’s going to get better.

And a lot of people will be happy not to talk about this shit anymore.

One my friends insists wokeness is here to stay: There’s a whole new level of awareness, she says! The bell has been rung! (It’s been ringing forever, but whatever.) Yet the Zooms of my world still look like my high school yearbook—the Dalton School, NYC, class of 1984. In other words, thumbprints of whiteness punctuated with the rare brown exclamation point.

I heard a famous Black comedian talk about Me Too. (This connects, hang on.) He seemed to have complex feelings about it, to which he’s entitled. But then he said: Ladies, you don’t tell on us as much as you could, we know that. But it’s going to be worse for you when this moment goes away.

I don’t think it was a threat, though it felt like one. I think he believed he was warning us of the punishment to come: Me Too will go away, the tolerance for listening will max out, and Dad will turn around and say, “You’ve had your fun. I’m pulling this goddamn car over right now.”

And then beat the kids for having a moment.

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broadwayrealtalk-blog · 7 years

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Hit or Miss? ~ 2017 Tony Winners

It’s been a while since the last post...blame Broadway.com for not having any new weekly roundups for a while. I guess you can’t get too mad though, because everybody’s been gearing up for the Tonys. Clearly. That show was fantastic. Now I’m here to give my thoughts on the complete list of Tony winners. Before I get started, let me just say that this is the absolute most inspiring day of the year for me and many other theatre people, and there are few things quite as blissful as curling up on the couch with ice cream and cheering on my favorite shows.

BEST MUSICAL: DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Best show I’ve ever seen in my life (and I’ve seen a lot of damn shows). I can’t imagine this award going to any other musical. Much respect to the wonderful season on Broadway, but DEH has been so life-changing to so many people. HIT.

BEST PLAY: OSLO BY J.T. ROGERS. I haven’t seen Oslo (much to my dismay), but have heard absolutely wonderful things. The only one in this category I’ve seen is Sweat, which I adored, but it’s hard to be upset it didn’t win since I have no frame of comparison. I’m happy for the Oslo company; they’re covering a heavy topic and seem to be doing it gracefully and profoundly. HIT.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: HELLO, DOLLY! This show holds a very special place in my heart and although I’m pissed about the whole Bette-not-performing-on-the-Tonys-stage debacle, I am so thrilled about this win. Y’all know I’m obsessed with Falsettos, and of course sad it didn’t get the honor, but if it had to lose to something I’m quite alright with it being Dolly. HIT.

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: AUGUST WILSON’S JITNEY. Didn’t get a chance to see this, but heard wonderful things. Hoping to sneak into the Broadway archives someday and get a peek. HIT.

BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: BEN PLATT - DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Ben gave the single best performance I have EVER seen by any person on stage or screen. That is not even an exaggeration. I can’t put into words the unbelievable work he has done in this role. Not to mention, he is sort of the first person of our generation of YouTube-watching, obsession-craving fangirls/fanboys to win a Tony Award. It feels like a win for all of us youngsters dreaming of one day standing on that stage. HIT HIT HIT.

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: BETTE MIDLER - HELLO, DOLLY! She’s a legend. As mad as I am at her for refusing to perform at Radio City, that woman could sing the phone book and probably deserve a Grammy. Her speech will forever go down in history as the most cringe/hilarious/badass of all time. If you haven’t seen it yet, grab a snack and get comfortable. It took a LOOOOONG time. But again, she’s a legend. HIT.

BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: KEVIN KLINE - PRESENT LAUGHTER. If only I had gotten a chance to see this show. Kevin Kline is such a fantastic actor, I have no doubt this Tony was well-deserved. Speech was slightly dry and unemotional, but you can leave that to the shock factor he probably experienced after hearing his name called. HIT.

BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: LAURIE METCALF - A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2. The race between her and Laura Linney was quite a debate among the theatre community. Both nominated 4 times with no wins, and tonight it was almost certain one of them would come out victorious. Hard to say without seeing either performance who deserved it, but I do tend to be more of a Linney gal myself. Hard not to be happy for Metcalf, though, who beamed. HIT.

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: GAVIN CREEL - HELLO, DOLLY! It’s about damn time this man won a Tony. One of the most talented people on the Great White Way, in my opinion. A voice like silk and one of the most charming personalities, Gavin is the total package of a star. A tear or two may have been shed as I watched his dreams come true. And Gavin, don’t think I didn’t see you #dying as your hero Patti LuPone sang in your face at the end. I see you dude, I see you. HIT.

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: RACHEL BAY JONES - DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Stephanie J. Block was unreal in Falsettos and I’ve heard nothing but great things about Jenn Colella, but as soon as “So Big/So Small” was sung by Rachel in the second act of DEH when I saw it, I knew this award was inevitable. Couldn’t be happier for this well-deserved and long overdue win. HIT.

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: MICHAEL ARONOV - OSLO. First plot twist of the night when Danny DeVito didn’t win. I know nothing about Michael’s performance, but as I said, I’ve heard great things about Oslo. So... hit I guess? HIT.

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: CYNTHIA NIXON - LILLIAN HELLMAN’S THE LITTLE FOXES. Yeah. HIT.

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY - COME FROM AWAY. Well wow, that was a shocker. That was probably my third guess! I hate to be judgmental since I haven’t even seen CFA, but the fact that Great Comet didn’t win is a travesty. That show may not have blown me away content-wise, but it was brilliantly directed. BRILLIANTLY. Sorry about it. MISS.

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: REBECCA TAICHMAN - INDECENT. Haven’t seen it. Heard it’s fantastic. HIT.

BEST SCORE: BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL - DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Um, yes. Fastest EGOT ever on its way? Let’s hope. HIT.

BEST BOOK: STEVEN LEVENSON - DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Brilliantly crafted story. Heartbreaking. Gorgeous. Steven is a visionary. HIT.

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: ANDY BLANKENBUEHLER - BANDSTAND. I’m happy this show got something. It wasn’t the greatest show, but has a lot of heart behind it and some wonderful talents. The choreography is stunning as are Corey and Laura’s under-appreciated performances. HIT.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN: MIMI LIEN - NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. Yeah, that’s right. HIT.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: NIGEL HOOK - THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. Literally no idea if this was deserved or not, I have seen nothing of the set. ???

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: SANTO LOQUASTO - HELLO, DOLLY! Sounds about right. Special s/o to Great Comet, also gorgeously costumed. HIT.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: JANE GREENWOOD - LILLIAN HELLMAN’S THE LITTLE FOXES. No idea, once again. ???

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: BRADLEY KING - NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. Beautiful work was done, so I approve. Had Sunday in the Park been eligible, however, this may have gone a different way. Alas, it was not. HIT.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: CHRISTOPHER AKERLIND - INDECENT. Wow, I feel like I should’ve seen more theatre. Really feel bad that I’m so clueless about some of these plays. ???

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS: ALEX LACAMOIRE - DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Another upset as Dolly was the favorite to win, but Lackety Lac has been on quite the lucky streak the past couple years with Broadway’s two biggest hits, so it’s no surprise he won his second Tony in a row. No denying he’s a genius. HIT.

I have to say this was a pretty fantastic year for the Tony Awards. So many brilliant shows and stunning performances. The happiest day of the theatre year did not disappoint. Thank you to the American Theater Wing for making so many dreams come true each June, and inspiring the new generation of theatre actors with each ceremony.

“Feels like we could go on for forever this way -- two friends on a perfect day.” -Dear Evan Hansen,”For Forever”

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poetzproblem · 7 years

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Something In Your Eyes Is Makin’ Such A Fool of Me

Something in your eyes is makin' such a fool of me When you hold me in your arms, you love me 'til I just can't see. ~Borderline, Madonna

Rachel is in an extremely good mood as she strolls along the sidewalk toward her apartment on West End Avenue, humming the melody to her very favorite song off her newest, soon to be released album. Well—all of her songs are favorites in one way or another, but she's exceptionally attached to this one because she'd written it about her beautiful little girl. It's a promise to always be there for her, and God-willing, she'll be able to keep that promise so much better this year than she had in the last.

Rachel loves her life. She adores her family. And she's thrilled with the sudden explosion of her career on every front that's been happening in the last two years, but she's the first to admit that she'd overextended herself more than a little in the past eighteen months or so.

That first year after Calliope had been born, Rachel made it a point to be home with her wife and daughter more often than not, passing the time by working on her first album with Atlantic Records—a moderate success that had earned her a Grammy for Record of the Year, thanks to one particularly catchy (and, in Rachel's humble opinion, masterfully recorded) song that had broken out and been all over the radio right before the nominations.

But when Callie was fast approaching her second birthday, Rachel decided to sign on for a television pilot that had been filming right here in New York, and to her surprise and delight, it was picked up by the network.

That had been the beginning of Rachel's newly crazy schedule, even though her role on the show, Union City Blues, is technically a supporting one. (One that won her a frickin' Emmy last September, thank you very much!)

Hard on the heels of her television success had been the offer to reprise her role of Iris in the big screen adaptation of Confessions, and there was no way that Rachel was going to pass up that opportunity, so she'd burned through her summer hiatus from Union City with an insanely exhausting film schedule before going right back to work on the second season of the show.

And in the middle of that, the record company had pushed her to start recording the second album of her two album deal, and—

Needless to say, she hates how little quality time she's actually been able to spend with Quinn and Callie recently. Quinn has been so wonderfully understanding about all of it—supporting Rachel and encouraging her to take these opportunities—but Rachel can feel the strain it's been putting on their family, especially with Quinn's time more in demand thanks to the success of her books and the resulting movies.

So now, finally, Rachel is looking at a blessedly light schedule for the rest of the year. Her album is coming out this summer (so she'd just been at the record company this morning to listen through the tracks again and offer some final input on the cover design) and the Confessions premiere is set for the end of August (appropriately in time for Callie's fourth birthday), and the fate of poor Abby (her character on Union City) is about to be tossed into cliffhanger-y suspense just in time for May sweeps, so Rachel already knows that she won't be required on set quite as often when they start filming season three.

(And maybe—just maybe—watching Santana and Teresa decide to take on motherhood for themselves had given Rachel a touch of baby-fever and caused her to mention to her producers that she and Quinn might be thinking about trying for a second baby in the near future and ask if the show would be able to work around a possible pregnancy. Nothing like that is happening just yet but it maybe could be in the next year or so.)

With a bounce in her step, Rachel turns into her building, waving at Stanley, the part-time doorman, on her way to the elevator. She loves that they have a doorman here. The apartment had been on the very upper limit of their budget when they'd signed the lease four years ago, but with the recent successes that they've both been enjoying in their careers, it's more than comfortable now—comfortable financially anyway. Space, on the other hand, might be becoming an issue with an energetic three-going-on-four–year-old who bounces around from room to room like a bunny on speed. (An adorable, cuddly bunny that Rachel loves with all of her heart and soul.) It might just be time for Rachel and Quinn to discuss upgrading to an actual house with a yard for Callie to enjoy somewhere outside of Manhattan, especially if they decide to go ahead with the potential expansion of their family.

When the elevator comes to a stop on her floor, Rachel practically skips out of it, eager to spend the rest of the afternoon with her girls. It's such a lovely day—in the mid-seventies and sunny with a nice breeze—and she's thinking that maybe they can all go play in the park. She's still humming when she slides her key into the lock and opens the door, stepping into their bright apartment with a cheerful, "I'm home."

She frowns a little when she isn't immediately greeted by her wife's voice or her daughter attempting to tackle her around her knees. "Quinn, baby? Calliope?" she calls out on her way through the foyer.

"We're in the living room," Quinn finally answers, voice sounding a little odd.

Rachel heads directly for the living room to discover Callie curled into Quinn's side on the sofa with wide, wet eyes while Quinn looks up at Rachel regretfully, one arm curled securely around their daughter.

Rachel's heart practically stops beating before jumping into her throat. "Oh, God. What happened? What's wrong?" she asks in a panic, rushing over and sinking onto the coffee table across from them, immediately reaching out to gently cup her daughter's wet face, but Callie only turns her head into Quinn's breast to hide from her.

Rachel sucks in a harsh breath at the rejection and jerks her hand away, her heart breaking as she turns to Quinn in hurt confusion.

Quinn reaches out a hand—the one that isn't currently holding their sniffling daughter—to take Rachel's limp one as she offers a reassuring smile. "Don't panic, sweetie," she instructs in a calm, even tone. "We're both fine. No one is hurt." Then she cringes mildly, glancing down at Callie. "Well…no one except Emmy."

Rachel's brows furrow even more as she glances between the two most important people in her life before her worried eyes settle on Callie, who's peeking around Quinn's damp shirt with doleful eyes.

"Who's Emmy?" Rachel asks in bewilderment, wracking her brain to remember if Callie has any little friends in her preschool class named Emmy.

Quinn sighs, shaking her head as she lets go of Rachel's hand and reaches down to pick up something from the sofa beside her. Rachel's eyes follow the motion, registering the flash of gold and—

Rachel's hand flies to her mouth to suppress a squeaking gasp of horror, and her eyes go wide as they take in her once beautiful statuette—now broken off its black base with a missing globe and bent wings.

"She took a little spill this morning," Quinn explains apologetically. "I'm afraid her condition is critical."

Rachel's attempt to respond to her wife's inappropriate humor is barely more than a pained grunt.

"I'm sorry Mama," Callie mumbles tearfully—though it comes out sounding more like Mm thawee Mmm since her face is still mostly buried in Quinn.

Rachel pries her hand from her mouth and forces a deep breath into her lungs, tearing her eyes away from her poor, mutilated Emmy Award to study her daughter's guilty posture. It finally registers that her precious baby girl is Emmy's assailant.

"H-how did it happen?" she finally manages to ask, glancing back to Quinn with a forced calm.

It's just a statue. An inanimate thing, she silently reminds herself.

The third piece to completing my coveted EGOT that is now in pieces!

Quinn sighs, rubbing a comforting circle over Callie's small, quivering shoulder. "Someone got a little too rambunctious during her reenactment of Merida's daring rescue of her mother and ended up tackling your award case."

Rachel's frown deepens, and she reaches up to rub two fingers over the bridge of her nose. "I knew we should have gone with the wall mounted one," she grumbles—but no, Quinn had thought that one would be too dangerous with both Oliver and Callie running around, so they'd gone with the floor cabinet instead, and—

"Oh, my God," she gasps in realization, immediately sliding off the edge of the table to kneel awkwardly on the floor in front of Callie, her decimated award all but forgotten. "Callie, baby, are you okay?" she rushes out, gently running her hands over her daughter's tiny form. That case is heavy oak with a thick, glass door. Callie could have been seriously injured. "Did you get hurt?" she asks fearfully, stroking Callie's dark hair as she tries to urge her daughter's face away from its hiding place so she can thoroughly inspect her for injuries.

Callie's little head shakes furiously against Quinn, but she still won't look at Rachel, and she's beginning to fidget noticeably even as she stays burrowed into Quinn's side.

Quinn bites into her lip, suppressing a smile. "She's perfect, Rach. No injuries whatsoever. I promise."

Callie makes a noise then that doesn't sound much like a sob at all. In fact, it sounds more like a muffled giggle, and Rachel frowns in apprehension as her gaze flies back to Quinn, whose eyes are alight with a suspicious twinkle.

"I don't see what you could possibly find funny about any of this," Rachel accuses, and her daughter—her sweet, guilt-ridden daughter—collapses into giggles.

Rachel's eyes narrow. "Quinn?"

Her wife ducks her head close to their daughter's hair with a mischievous smirk. "Callie, hon, what do you have to say to Mama?"

Callie pokes her head up then, all her tears dry as she grins toothily at Rachel. "April Fool!" she squeals before enthusiastically flinging herself at Rachel, tiny arms looping around Rachel's neck and tugging her forward.

Rachel teeters off balance from her daughter's unexpected weight, and she has to catch herself against the edge of the sofa to keep from toppling forward. Next to them, Quinn is laughing her ass off.

"This…this was a prank?" Rachel realizes incredulously, even as she instinctively wraps Callie in her arms. Belatedly, she remembers that today is, in fact, the first day of April. God damn it!

"We got you good, Mama," Callie boasts, obviously tickled pink at her part in this subterfuge.

"You certainly did," Rachel admits with a faint smile, unable to resist her daughter's infectious exuberance. She'd really believed—wait! Her eyes suddenly fly back to the mangled award still in Quinn's hand. "But…but my Emmy?"

"Safe in the closet," Quinn assures her. "This one is plastic," she supplies, holding it out to Rachel for closer inspection. "I have to say, those prop guys on your show do some high quality work."

Rachel's eyes widen in disbelief. "Quinn! You turned my own crew against me?"

Than damnable eyebrow inches up smugly—because yes, Quinn's eyebrow absolutely is capable of being a smug, little bitch all on its own. "What can I say? Tommy likes me."

Rachel scowls at her. "A little too much, if you ask me," she mutters, making a mental note to have a few words with the cocky, young prop master when next she sees him. His crush on her wife has just crossed the line from cute to bothersome.

"Your face was so funny," Callie tells her, still grinning irrepressibly.

"Oh, it was, was it?" Rachel challenges, feeling her lips twitch at her daughter's giggly nod. "And did Mommy tell you exactly what to do to get me to make that face?"

"Uh huh," Callie confirms happily.

Rachel darts her reproachful gaze back to Quinn. "I can't believe you dragged our innocent daughter into your wicked plot to dupe me again," she huffs, heaving herself off the floor with Callie still in her arms—it's not nearly as easy as it used to be when she was smaller—and settling them both onto the sofa next to Quinn with Callie snugly between them.

Laughing again, Quinn shakes her head. "You should be proud of how well she takes direction. She's a natural," she compliments with a proud smile, tapping their daughter's nose and receiving another delighted giggle before bowing her head to press a kiss to Callie's messy curls. "You're as good an actress as Mama."

"I know," Callie agrees, beaming up at them both and making Quinn laugh in delight.

Rachel presses a hand over her heart, realizing that Quinn is absolutely right. Callie had her convinced that she was distraught—tears and all—right to the moment she broke down laughing. Her daughter has talent.

She's so incredibly proud.

Except—

"You were very convincing, little star," Rachel promises her daughter, wrapping an arm around her, "but we really have to work on the roles you agree to take. Being Mommy's evil minion," and she side-eyes Quinn, "is a waste of your immense talent."

Callie giggles again, and Quinn rolls her eyes, reaching out to gently comb her fingers through Callie's hair and fuss with that one stubborn curl that always curls in the opposite direction. "But we had fun, didn't we, Sunshine? Mama's such an easy mark."

"It was fun," Callie agrees with a nod, kicking her little legs against the cushion. "I wanna do it again."

Quinn laughs in delight, and Rachel sighs in resignation at her daughter's easy betrayal. "I can't believe I have two of you now," she complains affably.

"You love that you have two of us," Quinn counters knowingly.

Rachel feels her mouth curve into a content smile as she gazes lovingly at her two pranksters. "I do," she agrees, cuddling Callie closer as she leans into Quinn and brushes a brief kiss across her smirking lips. She'll happily play the fool for them every single time.

#something in your eyes is makin' such a fool of me #don't blink #it happened in a blink #faberry #ficlet #april fools day #this will be archived when ao3 is back up

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