#chat: arden

[roman-werewolfy]

Boredom was kicking in and Roman needed to get up and stretch from his position on the floor.  The man made his way up to the counter, just to maybe have some conversation, but also to see if there was a possibility of getting something to drink.  “Sorry, didn’t mean to disturb you hon.  I was wonderin’ if there was anyway I could possibly get a cup of water.  Do y’all have anything in the back for cups and food?  You know for everyone here, in case we get stuck here for awhile?”  He wondered if there was anything in the back where the employees would bring their lunch and all.

status: open location: rhythm realm (before the storm causes the tree to fall)

Arden had been watching outside the store window's for a while now, a normal shift had taken a turn until the weather had other ideas. The snowfall was almost peaceful until it wasn't just snow, the shine of the layer of ice glaring back at her before she finally backed away. "Well this shift got longer than I thought it'd be when I got dressed this morning." She said though the blonde could list a few worse places to be stuck during a storm, at least if she got hungry she could dig into some of the snacks she kept handy. Arden walked over to the counter, hopping up on it before taking a look around the store. "Hey — sorry, I didn't think anyone would be approaching the counter. Are you holding up okay?"

[bootyliciousbeta]

What i grace the pack gc with every morning 😌

[lord-of-bad-art]

WHY CAN I NOT CONSUME ANY PIECE OF MEDIA IN A NORMAL, HEALTHY FASHION.

I LITERALLY WENT TO A THE FORCE AWAKENS ORCHESTRAL CONCERT AND NOW I’M HYPERFIXATED ON STAR WARS. I READ A BOOK FOR ENGLISH AND NOW I’M HYPERFIXATED ON LORD OF THE FLIES. I WATCH AN OPENING BAND FOR HALF AN HOUR DURING A CONCERT AND THEN I GOT HYPERFIXATED ON FALLING IN REVERSE.

PLEASE LIFE. JUST LET ME WATCH SOMETHING WITHOUT GETTING OBSESSED WITH IT.

[midmorninggrey]

Welcome, Grey! How about for Arden x Dorian "i’m sorry i had such a devastating effect on you." Happy writing! 👀

Thanks for my first prompt for @dadrunkwriting! 100% took the 👀 as part of it.

WC: ~1000

Crowds packed the great hall to witness him pass the judgment of the Inquisition. Nobles on their first visit to Skyhold pressed to the front, full of gossip and hope for a rare appearance from his blessed daughter, while those who had previously traveled the Frostbacks kept a respectful distance from the high seat, fanning the sweat off their pale faces. Behind them, merchants in loud clothes made nervous bets about the fate of the soul on trial. Nearby, a group of Chantry sisters pondered the same question with clasped hands. The Inquisition soldiers and scouts, all wearing clean boots, compared hints they’d gathered on his mood that morning.

Talk slowed when his ambassador came in from a side door, announced by the golden flash of her dress and the clip of her heels on the stone floor. All went silent and still when he entered the hall.

The lords and ladies who had clamored for a close look would later describe the experience as being face-to-face with a tiger. With his long stride, his red hair, and the strange black markings across his face, the comparison was an easy one that had been made in countless parlor rooms and offices of Ostwick since his youth. Only those in the mountain hall had felt an uneasy, instinctive chill on the back of their neck when he swept his eyes over the crowd. When he pinned his cool gaze on the accused, a fresh pity sprung for the one who had to suffer under it alone.

Usually, his judgment came quickly after his ambassador made formal introductions. Unlike smaller cats, he did not toy with his prey.

Today, when it came time to make his ruling, the hall stayed silent for a long time. The handful of spectators in the front row who dared look saw that his gaze had drifted to the left side of the room. Puckered lips mouthed silent questions and collared necks began to crane in search for the distraction. A polite cough from his ambassador snapped his eyes back to their proper place.

His harsh voice made even his unusually lenient ruling sound cruel. Then it was over.

--

As they passed in the doorway, Josephine spared Dorian an amused look and, with her infinite diplomatic sensibilities, she closed the door behind her. Although Arden didn’t look up from the spread of papers on his desk, Dorian approached him with loud confidence, speaking as if they were still in the great hall and not a private office.

“What distracted you? Was it my wit and charm again?”

“You don’t usually make an appearance.”

“No, it's usually such a stuffy affair. That's unless you chop off some poor blighter’s head.”

Arden cast Dorian a tired look as he cracked open an inkwell. There were shadows under his eyes that couldn’t be seen from a seat in the audience, but Dorian had watched them growing darker for months now. He stuck on a smirk.

“Let’s talk about more pleasant matters, shall we? Preferably me -” Dorian struck a familiar pose by propping one hip up on the desk, arms crossed to flatter his chest “- and how, when you were sitting on top of a room filled to the brim with power, my presence was enough to ensnare you.”

Arden briefly paused his writing then continued before any ink could drop. “Like you said – it's usually a bore.”

“Now you are just being difficult.”

The scratch of the sharp quill tip and the creasing of paper were the only responses Dorian received above a stubborn silence. He saw that Arden’s thin lips were pressed so tight that they near disappeared under his hawkish nose.

“Did I wound you so?”

Arden flicked his hand, already dismissive. “What about the talk? That scheming magister you were worried about.”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to be so easily smitten.” Dorian shifted his seat. “I thought it would take a scarf or two for you to wear that expression in polite company.”

“Yeah.” Arden’s mouth barely moved. Dorian had hoped for a smile.

“Also a surprise because I have been under the curious impression that you have been avoiding me.”

“Yeah.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Dorian stood on the exhale. “Well, it seems I have wasted enough of my day.”

Trying not to show in his steps any of the heavy disappointment that was building in his chest, he headed for the door. He was halfway across the braided rug when Arden said his name.

Dorian spun. “What?”

“I’m sorry.” Arden’s voice was thinner. Ink was dripping onto the paper now, ruining the words.

Then he was up. The speed at which the man could move still astounded Dorian at times; Arden rose, rounded the desk, and took Dorian in his arms seemingly in all one smooth motion. But the hands that caught him were gentle and familiar.

“I’m a complete ass,” he mumbled against the back of Dorian’s head.

“Yes, a frustrating ass,” Dorian replied shortly then allowed himself to sink against Arden’s chest. “But then I knew that from the start.”

“I was smitten?” Arden mocked himself, pulling Dorian closer and then curling over his shoulders. “I was ensnared?”

“Gloriously so,” Dorian said, voice quieting, turning to face Arden. He reached up to kiss him and was relieved at the welcome warmth that met him. Arden was not burning, not as bright as he could be, but today was not the day he turned cold forever.

Arden kept his eyes closed after Dorian dropped back down on his heels. “I’m not supposed to flinch.”

“Pardon?” Dorian drew back.

Arden’s eyes opened but stayed low. “That’s how they’ll know where to hit you.”

“Are we discussing jousting now?”

The smile Dorian hoped for finally pulled at the corner of Arden’s mouth. “Almost. Trevelyan family wisdom.”

“Ah. I should have guessed.” There was a fine ring that Arden wore on the fifth finger of his right hand. It showed a golden horse wreathed in laurels. Dorian had never seen Arden use it, but he had never seen him take it off.

“It’s not bad advice. Usually I can follow it.”

Dorian plucked at the high collar of Arden’s jacket then leaned into him with a real smirk. “I’m sorry I had such a devastating effect on you.”

Arden held him tighter, arms looped around his waist as they’d never left.

“I’m not.”

[h2llish]

change it to full elliot

I TRIED IT'S SO HARD

[faustianbroker]

@stainedglasstruth replied to your post “Opinions, thoughts, fears on what the hell is...”:

Hot spring would certainly be nice, and I mean there is Brimstone Springs in the Peaks, so it wouldn't be unprecedented for us, I suppose? And it could be volcanic- there are a few volcanoes along the coast of Maine.

​Really loving the idea of a volcano just rising up in the middle of this town. Would certainly give credence to the theory that the Flat is just igneous rock, but we all know it's a little more hocus pocus than that.

[nogreatergood]

@stainedglasstruth replied to your post “Where do you want the road to take you?”:

Travelling around and stopping to explore libraries sounds like a dream.

​Don't it, though? Can't read in every language, but seein' it all in person would be somethin'. Saw pictures of Abbey Library of Saint Gall in Switzerland, would give just about anythin' t' see it in person.

[rhythmicmeow]

@stainedglasstruth replied to your post “How do you handle grief?”:

I don't know, I'm definitely bad at dealing with it, too, but I think it does just come down to surviving it. No tips, no proper way of 'handling it', you just have to survive it, learn to live with it.

​I always thought there had to be some kind of perfect solution, you know? It feels [...] I don't know how to describe it? Overwhelming, maybe? Thinking that there is no finish line when it comes to feelings like this.

[hartlow]

why are people my age the way that they are. you ask the chat what's up and this 16 y/o you've never talked to before is like "oh it's going bad, my mom hit me bc she isn't handling the divorce well" and it's like?? dude i'm sorry that happened to you but maybe don't tell complete strangers extremely personal information about yourself like that. 1. not everyone is prepared to hear something so triggering unprompted 2. bad people will absolutely want to use that sensitive information against you. for the love of god learn about internet safety

[nothingnowheres]

Starter for @juunctures

Who: Rowan and Arden

Where: Twilight Park

Rowan had not called Hemlock Springs home for even a year, but she somehow managed to make more friends over the span of a few months than she ever had in Seattle. Sure, to an extent, Seattle had Ethan, but other than that there were only two other people in the city that she would get drinks with. It was all mere convenience. Her friends in Hemlock -- Bailey, Arden, Aria, and Devika -- felt more like true friends. Of the handful, Arden was the one Rowan knew the longest. They also both had daughters named after plants -- Poppy and Ivy -- and the thought always made Ro smile.

"I have to say, I feel a little guilty leaving Poppy with my brother," Rowan confessed. They were supposed to be watching a local band once the sun went down. As it stood, Rowan was using her new manicure to pick lint balls off the picnic blanket. Embarrassed at the little fuzz cloud forming next to her hand, Rowan looked up at Arden with a shake of her head. "Can you believe summer's almost over? Have the vacationers started to ebb off at work for you, yet?"

[erenkucuk]

closed starter for: arden rhodes | @ardenrhodes

his heartbeat remained steady, but his eyes couldn't help but roll at the sight of arden. stress already gnawed at him, and encountering her was the last thing he needed. despite his inner reluctance, he plastered on his most insincere smile and halted to engage in conversation with her, though both knew it was the last thing either of them desired. "i'm so glad before we get murdered i get to see your friendly face again," he quipped, sarcasm lacing his words, while a falsely sweet smile played upon his lips.

[hqtism]

do you ever think about someone and think, “man… i’m in trouble” or am i just having a realization

[nogreatergood]

Are they good books on ducks or just like [...] baby books? Another weird town quirk I guess, least this one is a bit funny. Don't tell them I said that though. Would hate t' get upcharged for some bad jokes. Makes me want a duck, don't think I got enough space for that in my apartment though.

That is always my stance, but I am also running out of shelf space again so. She keeps getting books about ducks with her regular shipments? No one seems to know where they're coming from, but apparently they keep coming. Those videos are really cute.

[louisisalarrie]

helloooo sweet angels. welcome to the show!

I tend to answer and talk about a lot of bbg/2015 things on here and seem to attract a lot of newer fans & Larries (which is wonderful!!!) but I thought I’d just share some resources that you can refer to so there’s not so much back and forth in my inbox.

Arden (cosmicleeds) makes fantastic, super digestible videos recapping years, bbg, rbb & sbb and the big gay war etc., and I think it’s a really valuable way to kind of get your head around some stuff as socials, especially Twitter, have a lot of misinformation, fighting, wrong timelines, stuff that’s already been debunked etc.

so, here are a couple of faves that I recommend newer larries, or people who want refreshers, to watch as it’s a little less overwhelming than the 15k word essays we have on these topics that are hard to read about when you haven’t kind of been introduced to it initially

The Larry Stylinson Timeline - 2015

Larry denials and why they’re meaningless

RBB, SBB, & the Big Gay War

The difference between larry and the rest of 1D

there is a video on each year of Larry since 2010 too, so you can feel like you were there for it!

as always, I also highly recommend Allie’s (skepticalarrie) tags post if you want more of a read instead of a video, with so many masterposts and specific info on everything larry, and also louis and Harry individually

if you’re looking for fic recs or general larry/1d chats and a heap of receipts, Gina (twopoppies) is also very wonderful

and obviously there are a million other fantastic blogs and videos to watch, but I highly recommend those to start off with at least as they are based off facts and are very clear, as opposed to some wild reaching that goes on these days in certain parts of twitter etc.

we’re all here to be welcoming, have a chat, and be here for you to navigate this wild part of the fandom, and while there can be some nasty folks out there, remember that this is a welcoming place where we love love and we are a community who supports each other. the way it should be.

so, welcome baby larries, you’re in for a wild ride!

(also I’m very excited for this year’s recap - I want something crazy to go down the end of this year because damn rewatching 2015 took me right back to the days!)

[roundnroundseal]

You Are Loved

When Blane wakes up, he feels like he’s been hit with a truck. His eyes are stuffy, and he can’t stop sneezing. His throat is sore and a coughing fit attacks him out of nowhere. At least he doesn’t have work today.

He looks at his phone, and realizes Alice texted him earlier. Just reading her name gives him some temporary relief, and a small smile forms on his lips.

Alice: dropping by today around noon to return your book! i’ll probably be taking the sequel with me <3

Multiple thoughts began to race through his head. The first being how happy he is that he gets to see Alice. Immediately followed with that he cannot let her see him like this. And the last being the realization that he overslept and Blane only had so much time to look less like he just rolled out of bed.

Through the sneezes, he manages to look a bit more presentable than when he first woke. Not a moment too soon, he hears a knock.

“Blane!” Alice gives him a smile. She reaches for his hand and gives it a squeeze, “You were right, I did love this book. Thanks for recommending it.”

“Glad you liked it.” Blane attempts to hide his hoarse voice.

“Huh? Are you alright? You sound… off.” Alice looks at him with concern.

“I’m fine-“ A sneeze interrupts Blane’s sentence.

“You’re sick.”

“No. It’s just a sneeze.”

“You sound terrible.”

“It’s nothing.”

Alice sighs. Of course he won’t make this easy. She crosses her arms, and looks at him dead in the eye.

“Ok then… if you aren’t sick. Then give me a kiss.”

“What?”

“You never regret my request for a kiss.”

Alice closes the distance between them, and Blane immediately takes a step back.

“What? Worried that you could get me sick if I kissed you?”

Blane freezes, and Alice smirks at her victory.

“Alright. Knowing you, you haven’t eaten or drank enough water. Go take a nap. I’m not as good of a cook as Kai, but I got a great sick day soup recipe. And I’ll ask if someone can bring medicine.”

Before Blane could protest, Alice takes his hand and leads him towards his room.

“W-what are you-” Blane bites his lip, “Don’t you have plans with Arden today?” A last ditch effort. Blane knows it’s fruitless, but he can’t bring himself to accept Alice’s care so easily.

“The love of my life is in a losing battle at the moment, Arden wouldn’t mind rescheduling.” Alice pauses, thinking of how she could convince Blane that she genuinely wants to take care of him, “Blane, if it were the other way around and I was sick out of my mind, would you have just left me to take care of myself?”

“…No. I would stay until I knew you were better.”

————————————————————————

Blane would have never thought in a million years that he would be in a position where having five people over while he is feeling terrible would be a memory he would cherish forever. When Alice sent a text to their group chat, asking if anyone had the time to drop off medicine for Blane, it had become a job that had suddenly required four people.

“You knew they would all drop by once they heard I was sick.” Blane looks at Alice with an amused smile.

Alice laughs in response, “Of course I did.” The usual mischievous glint in her eyes disappear, and her eyes soften.

“Blane. We care about you, and want to be here for you if you ever needed anything. You’re important to all of us. Especially to me.”

Blane feels his cheeks heat up. Whether it be her lighthearted jokes, or intimate moments like these, Alice just radiates a natural warmth. Alice notices Blane blushing, and can’t help but smile knowing he took his words to heart. Blane curses his illness, because he wants nothing more than to pull her close and show her how much she means to him.

Their conversation gets interrupted with a knock on the door, signaling their friends’ arrival.

“Ok, Rekner. I have had to cancel my exciting plans of binge watching my favorite show with my best friend. And the only way you can make it up to me is if you hurry up and get better.” Arden places a small box on the counter, “Your favorite tea leaves. If this doesn’t help then nothing will.”

“I disagree, Arden!” Rylan holds up a small jar, “The true cure to all diseases! Vicks VapoRub! I swear Blane, when my parents used this on me I don’t think I even need the supernatural healing to get better quick.”

“You know, I was going to use magic to speed up your recovery, but I think Alice has almost nursed you back to health. I did prepare some food though. And a few books to read if you need to pass the time.” Kai puts the container in the fridge and the books on Blane’s table.

“Everyone got so caught up in what they wanted to bring you, that we almost forgot what Alice originally asked for.” Nikolas says with a laugh, “Here, medicine and some tissues.”

They don’t stay long, knowing Blane needs his rest. But they all give their wishes that he gets better soon. Alice also plans to head out with everyone, content that Blane has everything he needs.

“Alice, thank you.” Blane says as she is about to head out the door.

Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for bringing everyone here. Thank you for being the warmth that I didn’t know I needed. Thank you for reminding me that I am loved.

He can’t find the confidence to say it all directly. But it doesn’t matter, because Alice heard it all.

“Anytime.” She smiles at him once more and his heart skips a beat, “But once you’re all better, remember you owe me a kiss.”

[d-criss-news]

From Hedwig to Helperbot: Darren Criss Looks Back on His Stage Journey

It’s nap time for Darren Criss’s newborn son, Brother, when the Glee star hops on our video chat. The camera’s off, but he quickly turns it on to say hello face-to-face dressed in workout clothes — a green sleeveless top and a ball cap — as he tries to do some chores at the same time.

Criss has a limited window at home as he prepares to star in the new musical Maybe Happy Ending, now playing at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre. The story, with book, music, and lyrics by Will Aronson and Hue Park, takes place 100 years in the future in Seoul, South Korea. Criss plays Oliver, an obsolete Belperbot along the lines of Siri or Google, “except more human-like, who is definitely past his prime and has been just waiting [in a Helperbot retirement facility] for his owner to pick him up,” Criss describes to Broadway Direct of the role. He stars opposite rising star Helen J Shen, who plays Oliver’s retired Helperbot neighbor. “It almost feels like two people in an old-folks’ home trying to connect with a family member.”

The plot sounds dramatic, but “make no mistake: This is a musical. It’s a musical comedy,” says Criss. “It has a lot of heart and a lot of joy and a lot of humor and amazing music, and it’s a hell of a spectacle.”

His friend Michael Arden, who won a Tony Award for his direction of Parade, was a big reason for Criss to sign on to the project — and serve as an executive producer as well. Arden brought the show to Criss’s attention many years ago, and again recently when Criss was starring in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway.

“This had been kind of percolating for a while, and between the pandemic and strikes and just a lot of other things, that really comes down to timing. So the stars just kind of aligned,” Criss says.

Criss, a figure on Broadway for well over a decade, started to gather a following while at University of Michigan as a founding member of Team StarKid, the student-run theater company behind the viral Harry Potter musical parody A Very Potter Musical. His big break came on the hit Fox TV show Glee back in 2010. The show had already aired for a full season before he was cast as Warbler Blaine Anderson and future love interest to Chris Colfer’s Kurt Hummel. If not for Glee, he believes his career would not have had the same trajectory.

“I felt like this was my master’s in performance of music on camera,” Criss says, admitting that, until Glee, he didn’t consider himself a singer — rather, a musician who acted. “I have that show to thank for giving me any headway in the musical-theater space.”

In the middle of filming Glee in 2012, his Broadway debut called. Criss was asked to succeed Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for three weeks during a winter break from filming Glee. “I left on, like, a Friday night from my last day of shooting. I started rehearsal on a Saturday. Within 10 days, I was on a Broadway stage. I left my Sunday matinee, got on the plane, and went to work [at Glee] Monday morning as if nothing had happened. So it was a bit of a fever dream. It goes by as quickly as it came, like all other moments in life.”

Three years later, Criss stepped into his next Broadway role. This time, he played Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch for about two and half months, succeeding John Cameron Mitchell. “People always ask me, ‘What’s your dream role?’ I’m like, ‘I kind of did it,’” he says of the opportunity. “Hedwig was a role I always loved so much when I was a teenager, and getting to jump into it was so special to me and my wife. We both love Hedwig so much. It’s a big part of our relationship.”

More recently on Broadway, Criss starred in the play American Buffalo with Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell in 2022 for a three-month limited run. “I completely idolized them,” he says of his scene partners. “I mean, if you see a pattern here, I recommend this to everybody, to just chase their heroes. I’ve just been chasing my heroes my whole life, and I’m not being bashful about it at all.”

Getting Rachel Evan Wood to play Audrey opposite Criss’s Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre earlier this year was something that he says was his idea.

“I pitched her pretty hard,” he said of getting casting directors to choose the Westworld actress as his costar. “When they heard her sing, I think it was very clear that this wasn’t like a favor to anybody. She was doing us a favor. The fact that she said yes just blew my mind.” The role of the nerdy floral shop worker wasn’t something Criss thought he’d get the opportunity to add to his résumé “because it just was never something that I thought anybody would let me do. … I wasn’t sprinting to that in the way that I was the other things in my life.”

Criss welcomed Brother, his second baby, this past June with his wife Mia. The timing couldn’t be more coincidental, since their first, Bluesy, was born during his run of American Buffalo.

As our conversation comes to a close, Criss says he kind of got all of his chores done and haphazardly put things away and folded laundry. The next project he wants to pursue is his writing, something he hasn’t tackled much in five years. Until then, he’s reveling in Maybe Happy Ending.

“I do find myself at a loss for words, trying to truly put into words how special this experience has been,” he adds. “I think it really is a thing of beauty that can really add quite a bit of ornamentation in perhaps a grim world.”