#he awards this entire experience no stars

[malkaleh]

Kind of got encouraged by @miabicicletta and @onekisstotakewithme and uh, a girl saves boy TWW fic

Danny does remember being shot. He knows that’s the somehow so opposite of a cliche it circles back to cliche cliche but he remembers. It wasn’t like anything but…well, being shot, however you might describe the experience.

But he does know he scoffed at himself for thinking ‘I’ve been shot’ because hello, writer, couldn’t you come up with a better line there than ‘I’ve been shot and I feel cold and kinda numb’

(And then he wishes he could go back to the numbness)

CJ just wants to yell at him. Or argue. Yell argue, perhaps - yell at his stupidly endearing face and argue about how he could have stayed in the fourth row. He could have not left when she’d yelled at him.

He’d always understood her before, the fear and the professionalism and enjoyment of their dynamic but then he’d left and he hadn’t and now she’s crying over him and she can’t afford to be right now, she has work. And work. And spin to manage.

She can’t afford to be falling to her knees over the thought of never seeing Danny’s stupidly endearing face in her life ever again because he was a nimrod and he left and he’ll have the last word.

(And it will be her fault. He was in a war zone and it is her fault and her voice will be steady and her hands won’t tremble and people will judge her for it but they’d judge her for falling to pieces and she’d rather be a bitch helping Danny than a mess not helping Danny).

-

He means it about going back to the numbness. Though the judgement of the utter cliche he seems to have landed in - one of those old school romance novels his two older sisters loved, the ones that can’t have the heroine having sex of her own accord, but she really wants it, everyone understands that. Except he doesn’t and he doesn’t have the bosoms to heave anyway.

(It’s true, it’s funny what you think at times like these. Tori, as ever was so right. Like the fact that his captor is so concerned about him and also apparently ‘right wing terrorist principles’ don’t extend to not eating the foods of those they consider less than, which he shouldn’t be surprised but it’s so stupid and he refuses to let this ruin Chinese food).

And it’s sick, the way he’s almost grateful because he gets painkillers and medical treatment and a shower and they stop, you know torturing him because Terrorist Leader apparently read the same romance novels Lana did or something.

-

He’d left, because he couldn’t take it any more. Oh not that he didn’t, that he doesn’t understand why they couldn’t - especially when it’s CJ who cares so much she hurts herself, CJ who has to be far far more professional than anyone on the Senior Staff, CJ who would die for her people (and do they understand that, Danny thinks sometimes, do they value how much she would bleed herself dry for you all) - no he understands. He gets it. He just couldn’t take it. Being there, so close and so incredibly far.

So he’d taken himself to a war zone - it’s something he had done before and it’s something he knows. He knows the precautions you take in dangerous places.

The ironic thing is, he’d been grabbed and shot from a safe zone, while he was buying a sandwich - not because he was a journalist but because he was an American. He really wishes he could say that no one in power cares. He really does. Maybe they’d let him go then he let himself think, the kind of stupid ass bullshit you think when you’re tied to a radiator and someone will work out eventually that not only is he a journalist, he is friends with actual powerful people.

[seat-safety-switch]

I don't know if you've ever been to Paris before, but I recommend going. Normally, I would not have gone, but I made a really rich enemy on IRC and he spent a lot of money to have me kidnapped and brought to his home country. While I was there, I got to try a bunch of restaurants (they're hostage-takers, not barbarians) and came away impressed. Something was missing, though, and herein is my genius idea.

In Paris you can get any kind of food. Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai: and it's all good. All of it. You literally can't find a bad restaurant. At one point, I walked into a convenience store and got a plate of one-Euro nachos that made me cry at the beauty of the arrangement.

Everyone around me was taking this for granted. Having lived there for years, their quality threshold had crept invisibly upwards until nothing could impress again. They needed something to re-calibrate their sense of truly bad food. That's where I came in. After I got kicked out of the country, I decided to come back with some investor support. I can burn cereal, usually by roasting it gently with a blowtorch on the top of an old gas can. Investors were easy to find.

Our first week of opening was tremendous. Hardened Parisians were discovering their first taste of truly incompetent food. The novelty of it all had captured them. There's just one problem, though: after making an entire lunch rush's feast of poorly-cut toast in reheated canned soup, my cooking skills began to improve from sheer experience. The complaints began to change tone. You got too good, they cried, you're not the same bad chef we once loved. Again, I was deported.

I looked out the window of the plane as it left De Gaulle, staring down onto the beautiful streets of Paris. Down there, I imagined, real gourmets were now eating food out of trash cans out of desperation to recapture what they had experienced with me. If there is one nice thing to be said, I now have two Michelin Stars here in my homeland of Canada, where my consommé-and-grilled-cheese recipe is now so much better than most of our restaurants that it made the Prime Minister Herself come and spit in my face for ruining the economy, before awarding me an Order of Canada. It's not the same.

[lurkingshan]

Random QL Superlatives: 2024 Edition

My friends! It is time once again to reflect back on the year and give out some random ass awards to the things that gave me joy in the many QLs I watched.

In no particular order, this year’s winners:

Best Long Term Glow Up: Off Jumpol as Jane in The Trainee

I've been simping for Jumpol since the Puppy Honey days, because I know potential when I see it! This year the rest of y'all finally caught up with me and realized this man is aging like a fine wine. We all won!

Most Valuable Prop: Aoyanagi Hajime Standee, I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama

Will anything ever make me laugh as hard as Akafuji opening the door to Aoyanagi Hajime while holding an Aoyanagi Hajime standee and then running for his life, standee tucked under his arm, to escape the mortification? If so, it's def another joke from this show.

Best Heart Destroying Angst: Every Moment of Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo

Sometimes you just want a show to break your heart into a million tiny pieces and then stitch it back together, and there is no better version of that experience this year than this beautiful show.

Wackiest Premise That Somehow Works: Caged Again

Whomst could have predicted that a BL about a penguin who turns into a human, goes to high school, and falls in love with a panther would be one of the sweetest, most compelling stories of the year.

Most Precious Bean: Taishin, Takara's Treasure

Just look at his cute little face!! My son has never done anything wrong in his life. He's adorable and I won't hear a word against him.

Drama Child of the Year: Young San, Century of Love

My soul fully tried to leave my body every time this child appeared on screen. I must congratulate this child actor--his name is Chayanan Akkharadumrongdet--on perfectly embodying the spirit of an old man trapped in a tiny body. Give this boy an award!

Best Love Theme: Di Inakala by Paul Pablo, Marahuyo Project

Such a gorgeous song, first used while King reads Ino's letter and realizes Ino has feelings for him. Hits me right in the chest every time I hear it.

Best Sex Scene - Almond and Latte's first time, Knock Knock Boys

Everyone else can throw in the towel, this is the best depiction of a loving but awkward first time that will ever be committed to film.

Star of My Vision Board: Yako, She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat

Oprah said it best: “She is the mother I never had, she is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don't know a better person.”

Outstanding Achievement in Old Man Yaoi: Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

It's not every day that a show manages to sell you on a 20+ year age gap, but this one did it without breaking a sweat and had us all rooting for Ishida to eat that old man up with a spoon.

Best Sight Gag: Rock Lifting Karan Over His Shoulder, Cherry Magic Thailand

Is it the way Rock bends down and grabs him with no warning? The way Karan still does a polite wai over his shoulder? The way Dujdao scurries after them? Idk but it's been 10 months and I am still laughing.

Best Absolute Mindfuck: Love for Love's Sake

Sometimes a scene from this drama will flash through my mind and I'll have to spend a few minutes just staring at the wall, and that's how you know it was damn good.

Most Brainrot Inducing: Unknown

The way this story had a chokehold on my brain for three entire months was no joke.

Swooniest Love Interest: Mahasamut, Love Sea

Just look at this glorious man! And on top of all that visual splendor, he's kind and generous and brave and smart and competent and high key a smart ass. In this house we love Mahasamut!

Best Classic Watch: The Miracle of Teddy Bear

The most delightfully surprising watch of the year for me, and a great reminder to never, ever trust anything MDL commenters say about a show.

Y'all know the drill: feel free to join in and post your own superlatives, and please tag me if you do!

[marybeatriceofmodena]

What did Andrew Lloyd Webber do to make Patti Lupone upset? Sorry, saw your tags and i was curious

Oh.

Oh honey.

You sweet child.

Anyway, get ready for one of the most infamous showdowns in all musical theatre history, with the guy who writes the straightest musicals on Broadway (derogatory) and the one and only, the matriarch, the queen, two three-time Tony award winner Patti LuPone.

So, Andrew Lloyd Webber was basically kind of a boy genius in his prime - he met his future collaborator Tim Rice when they were 17 and 20 respectively, he wrote his first big hit, Jesus Christ Superstar, at 22, with Tim Rice writing the lyrics. And it was kind of a big deal at the time because the topic was controversial (you know, the Passion with rock music), but also because Broadway wasn't that far off from its golden age and let's just say the music and style were very different from, say, My Fair Lady. Or The Sound of Music. Or Funny Girl. It was basically the Rent/Hamilton of its time. (Yeah, Stephen Sondheim was around at that time, he worked on West Side Story which was revolutionary in of itself, but he's kind of an oddball in this case. You'll understand why later.)

Their real follow up (I'm not counting Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for a variety of reasons) was a little musical called Evita, which you might know mainly because of a song called Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Or at least, your mom has probably heard it once at the very least. It's that song that's oversung from a musical while being out of context along with I Dreamed a Dream for Les Misérables. Or Memory from Cats.

Evita tells the story of Eva Peron, the wife of an Argentinian dictator, who basically screws her way to the top and ends up becoming the mistress of Juan Peron and the most beloved woman in her country through guile and deceit. Yes, I know the historical accuracy is very much debated but I know jackshit about Argentina's history except the bare basics so don't come at me. It was first produced in the West End in London, with Elaine Paige in the role, but because of Equity issues, she couldn't reprise her role for the Broadway production. So a Julliard graduate who was mostly starring in David Mamet plays got the part instead, and that was Patti LuPone.

Patti... did not have a good time during Evita, because the part is basically the kind of score where you can tell the composer is used to writing male parts, but most female singers have a two-octave range (yes, you got Julie Andrews who used to have a three-octave range, and many others, but they're exceptions), so she struggled a lot. That being said, if you listen to live recordings of her, you wouldn't be able to tell, and it got a lot easier later on. But she had this to say:

"Evita was the worst experience of my life. I was screaming my way through a part that could only have been written by a man who hates women. And I had no support from the producers, who wanted a star performance onstage but treated me as an unknown backstage. It was like Beirut, and I fought like a banshee."

This is from Patti's autobiography, which she wrote in 2007 - 8 years after shit with ALW went down. With all that said, she won a Tony Award for Evita, and she pretty much became a musical theatre household name from then on. She played Fantine in Les Misérables, Nancy in Oliver!, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. Meanwhile, ALW's next big hits were Cats (I'm not even kidding, Cats was a hit), and, you guessed it, The Phantom of the Opera, which he wrote in part to showcase his then wife Sarah Brightman's triple threat talents.

So, you need to understand before I continue that ALW, from my perspective, has always had a bit of an inferiority complex. He's basically associated to writing these commercially successful musicals that show a big spectacle but aren't ultimately substantial. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that, but I do think that if he didn't have Hal Prince, Maria Bjornson, Charles Hart and Gillian Lynne backing him up for Phantom, it would have probably been a Rocky Horror Picture Show knockoff people would have forgotten about pretty quickly. This is what I mean:

Yep, that was Phantom before any of the people I mentioned above (and Michael Crawford) were really involved.

Remember how I said Stephen Sondheim was an oddball? The thing with him is that his musicals weren't always commercially successful, but in general, in part thanks to being Leonard Bernstein's protégé, he was generally pretty well-respected and it was considered that his work was bringing musicals to a whole other level. Without Sondheim, you wouldn't have Jonathan Larson, and you wouldn't have Lin-Manuel Miranda. I am convinced ALW is resentful of that, and when you stop and think about it for more than 10 seconds, it's so obvious he REALLY wants to be Sondheim or at least command the same level of respect, but that's a story for another day.

So, after Phantom, ALW had other musicals that followed that either got a meh reception or outright flopped. Then there was Sunset Boulevard, which is based on the movie of the same name with Gloria Swanson. Despite all of her griefs for Evita, Patti LuPone agreed to partake in the musical as Norma Desmond, for its production in London, with the promise that she would transfer to Broadway once that production would open. And overall, after a string of flops, Sunset was actually doing pretty well.

HOWEVER. One day, while reading the gossip column of a newspaper, Patti found out that contrary to what she was promised, Glenn Close, who was meanwhile starring as Norma in the Los Angeles production, was to play Norma on Broadway. That was a complete surprise for her since no one on the production team had bothered to tell her it was happening - and keep in mind that for the news to come up the way it did in a gossip column, it probably would have necessitated a delay of a few weeks between the producers and the newspaper, which would have given them plenty of time to break the news to Patti. And Patti kind of needed the leg up because she was pretty bitter that a) Madonna was cast in the Evita adaptation instead of her; b) they actually lowered the key to fit Madonna's voice range, and she still had to expand her own to be able to sing the (lowered) score. And trust me, Patti is mad about it to this day.

So of course, she trashed her dressing room, the cast and crew weren't even mad about it because they were as shocked and angered as she was by the news. Patti sued Andrew Lloyd Webber for breach of contract, namely for 1 MILLION DOLLARS (yup, those are the real numbers), won, used the money she got from the lawsuit to get a swimming pool, which she called (and I SHIT YOU NOT) the Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool. Since then, Webber is dead to her, to the point rumor has it she had part of a building blocked during an event so she could get out of it without coming across Webber, because she hates him so flipping much she doesn't even want to be in the same building as the guy.

(There's also drama that happened with Faye Dunaway who was supposed to replace Glenn Close after she went from Los Angeles to Broadway, except they abruptly closed the show down after Close left, but that's a story for another day)

So with all the bad press, and with ALW forced to pay 1 million dollars for Patti's lawsuit, that led Sunset's productions to close earlier than expected. ALW has stayed around since, with... mitigated output, so to say. The lowest point for a lot of people is Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom, which some people love, and that's fine, but it didn't do well with either critics nor fans of the original show, which ALW is EXTREMELY BUTTHURT ABOUT. And like, there are so many stories I could tell about LND alone, but I will share my own crack theory about it, since it does relate to the ask.

Anyway, buckle up.

So. There have been jokes going around for years that the Phantom in LND is basically ALW's self-insert, where he displays to the world that he's totally not over Sarah Brightman leaving him (in part because making Phantom kinda ruined their marriage lmao), despite, you know, having married since. (Aaaaaakward.) So LND basically becomes this really uncomfortable therapy session where a man writes a self-insert musical about how his ex-wife made a big mistake of leaving a sensitive artistic soul such as himself. The characters from Phantom who appear in LND are all more or less unrecognizable as a result, and one who gets it worse (in my humble opinion) is Meg Giry, who was basically Christine's sweet and loyal ballerina friend who basically went into the Phantom's lair on her own to save her friend despite the danger. In LND, she's basically a bitter hag (because ALW hates women, guess Patti was right about that), who really likes the swim and even has a stripping vaudeville number about it, written in universe by the Phantom, no less.

For comparison, here's Don Juan Triumphant (the Phantom's opera in the original):

And here's Bathing Beauty (the vaudeville number):

Yeah, so... do you see why people hate LND already?

And that's not the only thing with Meg! She's also pining for the Phantom to pay attention to her and threatens to drown the Phantom and Christine's secret love child when he makes it clear that he's gonna love Christine for EVA AND EVA.

So, with everything we learned today about ALW, would someone like him view someone like Patti LuPone as some sort of crazy, bitter diva who's obsessed with him for whatever reason? Absolutely. Would he be petty enough to insert Patti LuPone into his self-insert musical, which gave us the version of Meg Giry we got in LND? Of course. Why does Meg love to swim so much and why does she drag Gustave out ostensibly for a swim? Is it a dig at Patti's Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool? Maybe.

I kind of hope we find out one day if that theory is true. And maybe start a kickstarter so Patti can add this painting from the 2004 movie in her collection.

Fun fact: during the process of casting for the 2004 movie adaptation of POTO, ALW allegedly suggested Patti LuPone to play Carlotta... only for Joel Schumacher to have to awkwardly remind him that they were not on speaking terms. The idea was therefore promptly dropped.

[midnighttreasureseeking]

they are dropping the ball arent they?

When season 2 ended i was still optimistic. I was on the side of; dont appraise the day before the evening falls. I was definitly going to watch sesason 3 and was, with no evidence to the contrary present, convinced and hopefull that Louis was going to be respected and present.

But with recent behavior from AMC and the fandom I have left that conviction behind. There are many reasons for this, from those awfull AI- created Louis starter pack instagram posts which reeked of carelessness and racism to now with the snubbing of every prominent POC in this series, but especially jacob Anderson, for the critics choise awards in favour of Sam Reid.

Sam Reid is a good actor, this is true. But the snubbing sends an particular message and it is this.

Sam Reid is bettter in one episode than all three were in the entire season.

As others have pointed out it dismisses all of the incredible performances that happened in this season, from Jacob, from Delainey and from Assad. It dismisses them entirely, puts them and all their work (which has at times been praised as better in comparison to Sams, especially in the language and accent department) beneath Sams' one episode. " they just weren't good enough" is also something i find really hard to believe.

AMC is a corporation, it wants to make money, sorry for being crass but they would kill their own mother to get to where they want to be. It has made it clear that the praise the IWTV team and Jacob recieved for the effort of accuratly representing the world and experience of a black man in New Orleans in the 1910's was nice, but in the end worthless to them. They rode the high of having done diversity right and are now dropping it as it is no longer important to them. As if Louis' story does not continue. It's infuriating and the reason my optimism has ended. I'm ok with iwtv being 2 seasons. 2x8 was a fine ending and i can live with that. I have more important real life things to do anyways.

But on top of that, people in this fandom, with the annonimity of the internet have taken this moment to show their true colors. Saying Jacob Anderson would have better succes in the supporting catagory is incridibly offensive and racist. As others have also pointed out, Jacob isnt in a supportive role, he is the lead. He has been leading for two seasons and two years. He has the most screentime and the camera is never off him with exception of few scenes with for the characters of Claudia, Armand and Daniel. Is him leading somehow of eqaul value to a supportive role in comparisson to his white co-star? I could unpack that slowly, but i can also show the present: That is a white-supremacist take. White-supremacy is often subtle and subconcious to the peopole who do it, to those: take action, educate yourself.

Anyways, all of these things combined plus time and distance have left me a little jaded but mostly apprehensive if not dismissive to season three. If this show treats its characters and actors of colour like this, now that the spotlight isn't on them anymore, and the fandom enthusiasticly cheers that on, i dont want it.

TLDR: It is becoming increasingly clear that neither AMC nor a large? (definitly loud) part of the fandom actually care about the story that is being told or the team behind it. It is apparent in their treatment and consideration for their characters and employees of color that the driving force behind that lack of caring is informed by race. With instances of racism piling up thoughout the last year (and the one before, lets be honest) my enthusiasm for the show has dwindled and i'm ok with dropping it after season 2.

maybe im being cynical, but this is where im at right now.

[maraschinocheri]

Happy 39th birthday to the London production of Les Misérables (which officially opened on 8 October 1985 at the Barbican Theatre, though previews began at the end of September)! By way of celebrations, scans from the 1985/86 / 1986/87 Royal Shakespeare Company Yearbook, which honoured the success of the Barbican production and its transfer to the Palace Theatre by making Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball during 'Bring Him Home' its cover stars. The annual RSC Yearbook summarised productions in all of the company's (at the time five) theatres and on tour with production photography and critical commentary from newspapers and other media. Text from the pages above is under the cut below, with bracketed extra information to clarify some references.

Not since Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd back in 1979 has there been a score which soared out of the pit with the blazing theatricality of Les Misérables, and to those of my tabloid colleagues already in print with feeble and fainthearted objections to the show, I have but this to say: remember the demon barber. Sweeney, too, we were once told; was too dark, too savage, too downbeat a theme for a musical. Six years on, that show has won more awards and been acclaimed to more opera houses than any other in the entire history of the American musical. Les Misérables, in a brilliantly intelligent staging by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, will achieve a similar kind of long-term success …

[The Times’/Punch’s Sheridan] Morley went on. ‘… The greatness of Les Misérables is that it starts out, like Sweeney and Peter Grimes, to redefine the limits of music theatre. Like them it is through sung, and like them it tackles universal themes of social and domestic happiness in terms of individual despair.’

[The Financial Times’ Michael] Coveney talked of the allying of ‘Nickleby*-style qualities of ensemble presentation to a piece that really does deserve the label ‘rock opera’, occupying brand new ground somewhere between Verdi and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was not, he thought, a company celebration like Nickleby, ‘but an appreciation of those values along with the musical experience gathered by the team (Trevor Nunn, John Caird and David Hersey) on Cats and Starlight Express.’ To that extent, he went on, the show was an important one, ‘bridging gaps between musical and opera, and subjecting rock musicians to RSC tutelage while last year’s Clarence [in the RSC 1984 production of Richard III], Roger Allam, is unveiled in the role of Javert as an outstanding performer in the musical idiom.’

[*The RSC's landmark 1980 production of an adaption of Charles Dickens’ The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby]

[The Guardian’s Michael] Billington posited that if you fillet any great nineteenth-century novel, ‘you are left with melodrama.’ Les Misérables, he said, jointly produced by the RSC and Cameron Mackintosh at the Barbican, becomes exactly ‘high class melodrama.’ It was staged ‘with breathtaking panache by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. It is impeccably designed by John Napier. It has a lively score by Claude-Michel Schönberg. But it is three-and-a-half hours of fine middlebrow entertainment rather than great art.’ Billington claimed to have ‘conned’ the novel sufficiently ‘to realise that it is a towering masterpiece about social injustice, redemption through love and the power of Providence.’ What the musical offered, he went on, ‘is the hurtling story of Jean Valjean, the paroled prisoner who becomes a provincial mayor, who is relentlessly pursued by the policeman Javert and who achieves heroic feats of self-sacrifice at the 1832 Paris uprising. What you don’t get is the background of moral conflict that makes this more than a classy adventure story.’ In this he thought, Hugo’s novel was infinitely more dramatic than the musical.

[The Times’ Irving] Wardle spoke of the temptation in such circumstances for anyone who has read the novel ‘to quarrel with any adaptation for its omissions and liberties instead of judging the adaptation on its own merits.’ In this instance, he maintained, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg had done a capable gutting job. ‘They present a clear outline of the epic contest between Jean Valjean, the saintly ex-convict, and his implacable pursuer Javert: including Valjean’s defeated attempt to save the wretched Fantine, and his life-long devotion to her daughter, Cosette, only to lose her to a young love, Marius, amid the Paris barricades of 1832.’

The adapters had cut corners with boldness and ingenuity, Wardle believed, and had found fresh situations where Hugo’s are theatrically unworkable. They had also preserved the essential sense that Valjean and Javert are two of a kind, belonging, as Hugo puts it, to the ‘two classes of men whom society keeps at arms length: those who prey on it and those who protect it.’

Coveney maintained that the organization and placement of the continuously revolving stage was ‘beyond praise’, with John Napier’s design doing as much honour to Hugo’s Paris as he lavished on Dickens’s London [in Nickleby]: ‘Two huge trucks rumble on and form a barricaded wall which, just as Hugo describes, seems to contain a city in itself, a fantastic jumble of chairs, barrels, planks and people, a teeming segment of a revolutionary catacomb.’

This alternative society, Coveney said, was presented without sentiment ‘as indeed are its urchin sentinels, the daughter of Thenardier (a devastating waif performance by Frances Ruffelle) and Gavroche … sweetly and surely sung by an admirable child actor and just when you feel the production is slipping by allowing a [writer of Oliver] Lionel Bart-ish point number, he is shot full of bullets and left to sing plaintively on the wrong side of the barricade.’

The music, [The Sunday Times’ John] Peter though, ‘has a fresh, astringent lyricism and a powerful, ballad-like drive: number after number makes robust contributions to character and drama.’ The best performances, in Peter’s opinion, came from Alun Armstrong and Susan Jane Tanner as the ‘horrible Thenardiers', Patti LuPone (Fantine) and Frances Ruffelle (Eponine). But this was, he pointed out, ‘essentially a company musical rather than a star vehicle. If it transfers to the West End where its masterful theatricality would outshine almost anything else on offer, it might show people that success in this genre doesn’t depend solely on expensive star turns.’ The transfer to the Palace, of course, came swiftly after the Barbican opening.

[The Observer’s Michael] Ratcliffe described Schönberg’s score as ‘all tinselly arpeggios, stabbing staccato, pile-driving trumpets and thinly-disguised hymns.’ In polite terms he said, it was ‘electric, trailing a range of references from high-tech Bizet and Massenet to the air-time acceptable, and Celtic Fringe Folk.’

Some scenes, said Coveney, go straight into operatic form, ‘for example the apprehension by Javert of Valjean at Fantine’s deathbed, or a beautiful garden trio for young lovers in Valjean’s garden hideaway.’ There was also a ‘startling thematic echo of Rigoletto as Valjean ponders the son he might have had.’ Colm Wilkinson’s Valjean was in Coveney’s opinion ‘a remarkable study in impassive acquisition of self-knowledge … He [has] particularly fine and lyrical use of his upper register. Above all he transmits palpable goodness without sounding like a prig or a boar [bore?].’ [The Sunday’s Telegraph’s Francis] King thought Wilkinson not only sang the role with eloquence ‘but – far more difficult – brings out the essential goodness of a much-wronged man.’ The outstanding voice of the evening in King’s opinion, was that of Patti LuPone as Fantine.

The band under the stage and the musical direction of Martin Koch include some rumbling brass premonitions of disaster as well as some very fine work on synthesizers, brass and strings. The score also underpins such exciting production movements as the arrival of the barricade, the suicidal leap (done by the bridge flying up as Mr Allam free falls on the spot) and the descent to the sewers with lots of dry ice and naked banks of light not equalled in impact since Mr Hersey did something similar in Evita.

In short, this is an intriguing and most enjoyable musical, fully justifying the mixing of commercial resources with RSC talent and personnel, even if not all that many RSC actors are involved.* Being now acquainted with the demands of the score, I see why that should be so. [Morley]

[* The RSC members who appeared in the Barbican production were Roger Allam, Alun Armstrong, and Susan Jane Tanner. Other RSC members at this time joined Les Mis in later companies, among them David Delve, who would replace Alun Armstrong as Thenardier.]

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 9: Danganronpa Another Case 6

//When I got to ordering this list, it honestly surprised me just how much I liked the ending to the original Danganronpa Another Despair Academy.

//Up until now, I've talked about all of the game ending trials with only one more to go, and so far, my opinions of them have ranged from catastrophically bad to "eh, it's alright."

//While not my top ending, this one still deserves a lot of credit. Mainly in the way it wraps up all the mysteries of the school, while also delivering an emotional punch to the face. Narratively, it's very well handled, but it still falls a little flat purely because of some contrivances contained within it.

//Which makes it all the harder to defend because I've seen that quite a few people are REALLY not on board with this ending. And trust me, I get why, but what are problems for you might not necessarily be problems for me, and if they are, then maybe I think about them differently in ways that I feel they're justifiable.

//I'm pretty sure that this is the trial that most of us have been anxiously waiting for me to cover, because I have drawn reference from it in almost every other Another trial that I have covered on the list so far, especially in regards to its masterminds, and finally, we are here.

//But let's go beat by beat, and let's start by explaining the full circumstances behind DRA1's Killing Game, as revealed in this chapter and trial. Sit down, because you're gonna spend the next hour hearing me lecture plot at you:

//As fans of the Danganronpa series know all too well, the franchise loves its convoluted plots, memory-erasing shenanigans, and high-stakes death games. Most of the action revolves around the antics of Class 77-B, who become the future Ultimate Despair, and Class 78-A, the unlucky stars of the first game, at Hope’s Peak Academy. These two groups are iconic for their tragic descents into despair and their respective experiences in nightmarish killing games.

//But Another Despair Academy takes a sharp turn, veering off into an entirely different story by introducing the stragglers: Class 79, the underclassmen of the Danganronpa 1 cast.

//Now, if you think this is going to be a copy-paste of Makoto and friends losing consciousness in the entrance hall, only to wake up trapped in a killing game with zero memories...

//Well, you’re right...

//But also spectacularly wrong. Class 79’s situation spirals into its own unique, chaotic mess.

//The story begins with Class 79 arriving for their first day at Hope’s Peak Academy. Or so they think. Like their predecessors, they lose consciousness right in the middle of the entrance hall, and wake up to find themselves trapped inside the school, with the only way out being to kill a fellow student and get away with the crime in the Class Trial.

//It's revealed in this trial that they’ve already been attending Hope’s Peak for months. As with Class 78, their memories have been wiped clean by the Killing Game’s resident neuroscientists.

//By the time Class 79 arrived at Hope’s Peak, the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History was already in full swing. Junko was busy doing what she does best: wreaking havoc, brainwashing Reserve Course students, and sowing chaos.

//This is where Yamato Kisaragi, a student in Class 79 and an early candidate for “guy-who-tried-his-best-but-still-failed-spectacularly," award comes in.

//Yamato realized something was very wrong at Hope’s Peak. Instead of sticking around to figure it out, he decided the best thing to do first was to evacuate his classmates to safety.

//This "safety," however, turned out to be a secluded Kisaragi Foundation research lab on a remote island. And because nothing in Danganronpa ever goes according to plan, things quickly went south.

//Unbeknownst to Yamato, and in an eerily similar fashion to Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba, two of his classmates were secret agents of Despair. These double agents infiltrated the lab, and what followed was a slow, methodical takedown of the rest of the group. Even Tsurugi, the group’s resident justice fanatic, couldn’t escape their grasp, despite holding out with a head-to-head confrontation.

//As tradition demands, the survivors had their memories wiped courtesy of Junko and Yasuke Matsuda’s patented "Forget Everything and Suffer" operation.

//But Here’s where the plot gets spicy: Class 79’s killing game wasn’t just another tragedy...it was the FIRST killing game.

//Junko orchestrated this bloody rehearsal to test the waters before unleashing her masterpiece with Class 78. Think of it as a twisted trial run for Despair Incorporated.

//To sell the illusion, the traitors and masterminds behind the operation even erased their own memories and remodeled the lab into a replica of Hope’s Peak Academy. The result? Class 79, now brainwashed, believed they were still attending school while being forced to participate in the experiment.

//This final trial reveals that the masterminds behind this disaster were the Ultimate Maid, Akane Taira, and an undercover Despair bigwig hiding among the survivors. Akane, regaining her memories before the final trial, takes on the role of the main villain and sets the stage for the grand finale.

//She scattered clues around the facility, leading the survivors to believe that solving the Killing Game’s mysteries in a class trial would secure their escape.

//The game’s protagonist, Yuki Maeda, has a rough time during all this. Thanks to some memory manipulation quirks, he keeps experiencing random flashes of how the Killing Game worked, which only adds to the chaos. During the final class trial, the surviving quartet, Yuki, Rei, Tsurugi, and Teruya, unravel most of the game’s secrets.

//Just when things seemed to be wrapping up nicely, Akane dropped the ultimate bombshell: the true mastermind wasn’t her. It was one of them.

//Cue the panic. The survivors scrambled to prove their innocence by recounting their lives, but Yuki hits a wall...literally.

//He can't remember anything about his past, not even his own mother’s name. Things go from bad to worse as Yuki’s headaches intensify, and he suddenly finds himself inside his own mind space. Here, he was presented with two choices: embrace Hope or give in to Despair.

//In the canonical ending, Yuki recovers all his memories, but his current persona vanishes, and his true identity emerges: Utsuro, an Ultimate Despair with godlike Divine Luck and a spot on Junko’s VIP list.

//As Utsuro, Yuki’s transformation reveals the depths of Junko’s machinations and sets the stage for everything to come.

//And there you have it: Danganronpa Another Despair Academy. It’s a prequel, a sequel, and a rehearsal all rolled into one. Now where do we start unpacking this?

//First of all, A-6's investigation is generally pretty solid. Similar to 1-6, it does, for the most part, feel like you're solving a mystery. However, the way it's executed is different from it in a good and a bad way.

//For one, the trial is still ultimately Akane lecturing you on everything that's happened, and all you're really doing is finding the clues that she on purposefully placed in the academy. So it's not just a matter of you finding the proof that was already there, it's basically just Akane planting them, and you're going on an easter egg hunt, which kind of takes away from the sense of accomplishment.

//But what I think balances that out is the fact that Akane genuinely gets ANGRY if you don't do as you're told and solve the mystery. And honestly, with how painstakingly obvious all the clues are, I totally understand that. She genuinely gets pissed when no one recognizes the fact that Yamato's diary referred to the Masterminds in plural, and she's the one who has to say "Jesus Christ, there's an S at the end of these words, what part of there being more than one of us are you not getting!?"

//Of course, the real reason why she's so frustrated is because she put the clues down to coax Utsuro out of Yuki. I just think it's funny, but it also really reinforces that everyone in this trial is just...really dumbed down so that it feels like Akane is in control the whole time. Akane herself is great, and she does feel like she towers over the others in terms of status for this trial, and the fact that the investigation is directly managed by her reinforces this.

//But at the same time, everyone who has made it to the end of this game is decently smart, except Teruya really, but it feels like the investigative skills they've all shown through the game don't even apply here. Even Teruya somehow feels as dumb as he's ever been here, because he's the one who has to ask the questions so that the other characters can explain things to him, and by extention, the player.

//And for what it's worth, the characterization for these characters in this final trial is generally fantastic despite this.

//ESPECIALLY Rei.

//This is just my personal bias really, but I think this trial and the way that Rei reacts to the fact that not all of them are going to make it out together is kind of heart-wrenching.

//The way that she breaks down and reveals her true feelings doesn't feel unnatural either. Throughout the whole game, through every class trial we go through, Rei becomes gradually more and more not okay with everything that's going on. And this just feels like the final nail in what is a slowly building coffin for her.

//I think what I like about this final trial is that this feels like the kind of death game ending that Uchikoshi would think up. It kind of ticks all the boxes for this genre.

//For one, it's the only one of the five main games to have a very prominent good and bad ending. Like the bad ending to the first Danganronpa game, it's pretty sudden, but I think it's way more impactful and way less...strange.

//Okay, so the whole point of DR1's bad ending was to be discreetly unsettling. But the bad ending of the original Another is far more...I guess poignant would be the best word.

//And no, I don't mean that in the sense that Yuki gets a claw run through his chest.

//At the end of the trial, when Akane urges everyone to figure out who the Mastermind is, and Yuki starts to bluescreen because he realizes that he knows nothing about himself, you are given two choices. You can either go through a white door, or a black door that forms in Yuki's mind.

//Going through the black door unlocks the true ending where Yuki reverts back into Utsuro, but if you go through the white door, he regains all of Utsuro’s memories, including the weight of his past atrocities and the existential despair that led to his identity crisis, but ultimately still remains Yuki Maeda

//Akane, as you can imagine, is furious over the experiment’s failure, but her rage doesn't come from a villainous origin so much as it does her desperation to save her beloved Utsuro, highlighting her complex, misguided loyalty to him. And when she realizes Utsuro had lost the will to live long before the Killing Game, her heartbreak drives her to end Yuki’s life, leaving his existence as both Utsuro and Yuki unresolved.

//And the last thing that Yuki hears as fades away are her tears.

//Can you see how that's already so much better than 1-5's bad ending!?

//This ending works well because it encapsulates the despair that defines the Danganronpa series. The stark contrast between Akane’s rage and her eventual sorrow adds depth to her character, showing her as more than a villain. It shows off the tragic figure that she was before she became a Despair, trying to hold onto the only one she ever cared for.

//It's just so incredibly creative that the ending where Yuki retains his personality and stays as himself is the "Bad Ending" while the one that he reverts back to Utsuro is the "True Ending."

//Because even though Yuki turns back into Utsuro, he's STILL the protagonist of the game, so the fact that he returns, and manages to kill off most of the students in the killing game IS HIS GOOD ENDING! He ACHIEVED his goal, and Akane achieves hers at bringing him back.

//It's just...SO genius!

//If I have any problems with the fact that Utsuro comes back, it's...I won't say it's bad, but it's conflicting that after he reappears, Yuki is basically just GONE!

//You've spent the whole game playing as this character, and while it's awesome that this is how it happened, Yuki effectively dies when Utsuro pops out again, and this is how his story ends.

//He just completely disappears until he gets resurected in SDRA2. Which ironically gives him a happy ending at long last and after all this, dear god he deserved it.

//Anyway, I kind of want to go through all these points in order as I can, so the next thing I want to talk about, and something that I kind of HAVE to talk about, is the huge flashback sequence that happens in this chapter.

//Before Yuki makes his choice to choose between Yuki and Utsuro, there's a lengthy scene that shows the events that unfolded with Yamato's evacuation, and how it actually happened, as well as how Utsuro and Akane subdued the rest of the students.

//It's...pretty long, and kind of doesn't need to be, but it's still interesting to watch. Especially in the sheer parallel between Mikako and Yuki.

//Ironically, Mikako is this bright and bubbly person who believes in people to a fault, while Yuki, or Utsuro, is just deep in thought, quiet, and doesn't speak to people. Meanwhile, both these personalities are completely flipped on their head when they actually meet in the Killing Game.

//The flashback sequence offers a glimpse into how the students interacted before their memories were erased. Unlike most games, where we meet characters already thrust into the despair-filled chaos of a killing game, this sequence peels back the layers to show their pre-tragedy lives and relationships.

//While Danganronpa 3: Despair Arc did something similar with Class 77, the focus there was more on Junko and Izuru’s rise to infamy, leaving the classmates as a supporting cast. Here, however, the spotlight is firmly on Class 79, making the flashbacks feel more personal and impactful.

//What makes these moments so intriguing is the contrast between the tense, fractured dynamics during the killing game and the warmer, more natural bonds we see in their past.

//During the game, it’s clear that trust is a luxury none of them can afford. Nobody truly feels like "friends." But in the flashbacks, when their memories are intact and their relationships less strained, you see glimpses of a group that could have grown into something special.

//Some standout moments include Kisaragi’s growing suspicion of Akane and Utsuro, which are ultimately undermined by Mikako’s misplaced trust in them.

//Seeing Mikako and Yamato as their true selves, unburdened by the effects of Yamato’s infamous retention machine, is a bittersweet reminder of the personalities they lost along the way.

//And then there’s Yuki, eerily silent as chaos unfolds around him, his passive demeanor from his own POV hinting at the dark truth of his identity.

//The truck sequence, where the classmates use their talents to defend themselves against Monokumas, is a real highlight. It showcases how each character reacts to the crumbling world around them, offering flashes of growth and camaraderie even in the midst of destruction. Even characters like Mitch and Kizuna, who we've already established as the bad eggs of the group, get their moments to shine, proving that they’re more than just walking red flags. There’s an underlying sense of tragedy in seeing the potential for all of these characters to become better versions of themselves, only for it to be snatched away.

//The key takeaway from this flashback is the strength these students draw from their bond with one another. They may not have reached the tight-knit unity of Class 77, but there’s a budding sense of a dysfunctional family forming among them.

//The killing game’s ultimate purpose, to strip them of that foundation, becomes all the more devastating in this context. By showing us what these students could have been, the flashback adds layers of depth and heartbreak, turning what could have been a simple backstory into a critical, character-driven tragedy. It’s the kind of storytelling that Danganronpa excels at, giving you just enough hope to make the despair hit that much harder.

//And speaking of flashbacks, as I already said, this game is actually a fanmade prequel to the entire Danganronpa series.

//I largely think the reason why LINUJ made the DRA series part of the same timeline as Danganronpa's is ultimately to play it safe. As one of the first big fangans, you already know the stakes as a player, and there's already established lore that you can work around. Ultimately, Utsuro and Akane do get tied back to Junko in this way, and the game itself is a prelude to the killing game that happens in Trigger Happy Havoc.

//A means of the Ultimate Despair testing the waters, if you will.

//These days, Fanganronpa games and series often choose to distance themselves from the Hope’s Peak timeline for a variety of reasons, with the primary one being creative freedom. The Hope’s Peak saga is rich with lore and intricate connections between its characters, but that complexity can also be restrictive.

//By creating entirely new timelines or settings, creators free themselves from the constraints of canon events, allowing them to explore unique storylines, characters, and themes without being tethered to established lore.

//This freedom enables creators to reimagine the series in fresh ways while still adhering to its core mechanics, such as the killing game and class trials.

//Also, unlike how this game seems to do it decently well, integrating their stories into such a tightly knit narrative without contradicting canon is insanely difficult.

//The Danganronpa series has a detailed timeline that spans decades, involving global events like the Tragedy and the rise of Ultimate Despair. Trying to slot a new killing game or set of characters into this timeline risks creating inconsistencies with established events. So instead, many creators opt for alternate timelines or settings, where they can craft original stories without the burden of reconciling their narrative with the complex events of Hope’s Peak.

//So people tend to really not like Fanganronpa's that tie into the Hope's Peak saga an awful lot. I already know a few of you who have admitted as much to me yourselves.

//However...I'm actually going to have to disagree with you.

//I'm not going to claim that a Fangan that takes place within the original timeline is better than one that doesn't, but I don't think they deserve to be looked down upon as a result of it.

//Granted, Another 2 seperates itself from the main timeline to branch off what LINUJ established in the first game, but Another 1, demonstrates that fanmade games can still take place within the Hope’s Peak timeline effectively.

//Another 1 acts as a prequel to the first Danganronpa game, leveraging the established world-building while adding its own layer of storytelling, which I think was the most creative approach to go about it.

//It's equally risky, but it works because it respects the existing lore while expanding on lesser-explored areas, such as the potential underclassmen of the original game, and their relationship to the overarching story of Hope’s Peak and the Tragedy.

//Most people would say that a safer approach to go would be to make a Killing Game that takes place after the series, like...

//Well...THE AFTER...

//But what makes Another 1 particularly successful is its ability to add new dimensions to the established timeline without overshadowing or contradicting the original story, even though it's really easy to add a detail that probably doesn't make sense in the main game's context.

//By simply presenting the 79th Class as precursors to the killing game experiments seen in the main series, it provides a unique perspective on Junko’s machinations and the broader impact of despair. It explores a fresh angle while still respecting the core themes and structure of the Danganronpa universe.

//Additionally, Another proves that stories set in the Hope’s Peak timeline can enrich the series by answering lingering questions or providing new insights into established events. For instance, it delves into the psychological effects of memory erasure and examines how the killing game concept was developed and refined.

//Ultimately, while many fanmade games choose to break away from the Hope’s Peak timeline for creative freedom, Another 1 stands as an example of how a well-crafted story can thrive within those boundaries. It demonstrates that even in a world as intricately detailed as Danganronpa’s, there’s room for new narratives that honor the source material while offering something fresh.

//But it's not this concept, or the truths that are revealed necessarily, that are the highlight for me with this trial. For me, my love for this trial, and why I put it so high up on this list, comes down to two things.

//The first...are the villains.

//This is going to be what I think is definitely...a take...But it's how I genuinely feel, and it's this:

//UTSURO AND AKANE ARE THE BEST VILLAINS IN THE ENTIRE SERIES!

//Genuinely, I was so excited to get to this trial PURELY because it means I get to rant and rave about how these two are FUCKING EXCELLENT! Not only are they portrayed as incredibly diabolical, but engaging antagonists in the game, but they leave such an astounding legacy across the Another series, and are well-rooted into it thanks to their backstories.

//Akane, on her own, is handled PHENOMENALLY well. The sheer fact that she is effectively this game's Deutragonist, as well as having such critical moments of frienship and potentially sexual tension with Yuki, really rides home the fact that she was one of the Masterminds behind it.

//And what's great is that LINUJ doesn't even make it obvious. Akane has such a compelling character arc throughout the game that really blindsides you to how she really is as a character.

//In Chapter 2, things take a dark turn for Akane. One night, she’s called to the Switchium by Kizuna, who tries to rope her into a plan to kill Yuki. Akane outright refuses, but Kizuna, desperate, attacks her. In the scuffle, and because it’s pitch-black, Akane accidentally stabs Kizuna. Shocked, she flees with blood on her hands, only to be seen by Ayame. To protect Akane from being executed, Ayame kills Kizuna instead. However, this selfless act seals Ayame’s fate, and she is executed.

//Akane is deeply traumatized, falling into a state of shell shock after Ayame's execution. The day after, the students investigate newly unlocked areas, but Akane isolates herself, refusing even Yuki’s attempts to comfort her. When she finally rejoins the group for breakfast the next day, she barely speaks, only murmuring Ayame’s name in a broken voice when someone mentions her.

//Things worsen when Monokuma reveals the third motive: personalized videos designed to provoke the students by showing them their desires. The videos are shown in a private, soundproof room, and students are forbidden from discussing the contents. Akane’s video, cruelly tailored, features Ayame blaming her for her death.

//This sends her over the edge. By the time the viewing session ends, Akane snaps out of her daze, screaming and running out of the gym. The others speculate her reaction was tied to the motive video and go looking for her, eventually finding her in her dorm room.

//The next day, Akane’s despair culminates in a suicide attempt. She’s discovered by Haruhiko, Satsuki, Teruya, Mikako, and Yuki, covered in blood and muttering about needing to join Ayame. Mikako steps in to calm her, offering reassurance and trying to remind Akane of her worth.

//This, coupled with the fact that Tsurugi spends all of the game after Chapter 2 refusing to let Akane live down what she did, and probably trying to STEER her towards this suicide attempt, leads to a long-running character arc that really keeps you hooked on Akane T. and her relationship with Yuki.

//The only other Mastermind who hides as part of the main group for the whole game is Tsumugi Shirogane, and as we've already said about a dozen times already, she's so pointless as a character throughout all of V3 that it ultimately means when she finally is revealed to be the Mastermind, nobody fucking cares.

//But this character is effectively your BEST FRIEND, possibly your love interest! Imagine being in Yuki's shoes for THAT revelation!

//But what makes Akane so bloody fantastic is that her being revealed as the Mastermind...DOESN'T WASTE THIS!

//As I've already said, Akane does cry when Yuki dies in the Bad Ending, which already shows a far more human side than the likes of Junko or the others.

//After Utsuro reveals the harsh truth about their families, sending Rei, Teruya, and Tsurugi spiraling into despair, he orders a group of Monokumas to finish them off. However, when the Monokumas close in, Akane unexpectedly turns against Utsuro, destroying the Monokumas with sheer force and disobeying his commands. Furious at her defiance, Utsuro orders Akane’s death as well.

//Just as all seems lost, the monitor broadcasting Monokuma’s presence is suddenly hijacked by an Alter Ego of Yamato. Yamato’s hopeful message reignites the trio’s will to fight, and they rally to confront Utsuro.

//As a Monokuma charges toward Rei, Akane throws herself in front of it, taking a deep slash to her side to protect her. When the facility's self-destruct sequence is triggered, Akane urges the trio to escape, choosing to remain behind with Utsuro.

//In their final moments together, Akane reveals to Utsuro why she defied him. She confesses that she heard Ayame’s voice in her head, reminding her of the person she truly was. Acting on that voice, Akane chose to reclaim her humanity and protect others, even at the cost of her life.

//What simply makes Akane such a fundamental and amazing character in this game is that unlike the rest of LINUJ's characters, she just never stops growing or developing as a person. And when you look at her backstory, and how she was an orphan who was saved by Utsuro, and swore undying loyalty to him, you kind of see how it works out.

//In reality, the Akane Taira of old grew up with just Utsuro to love. But as part of the memory erasure, she made genuine friends and bonds in the Killing Game, particularly Ayame, and that had an affect on her. When she saw what was happening to the survivors, even though she knew it was part of the plan, she found herself...not liking it.

//In a way that she herself couldn't explain, and before she knew it, she had acted on that doubt and turned against the one person she was faithful to.

//I just...GOD I love it!

//Akane is such a good Mastermind and villain compared to the other villains in Danganronpa because she feels like such a human by comparison. As far as the characters in this game are, she's written exceedingly well, and this reflects back on her brief appearances in SDRA2, and how she influences Sora in the final trial of that game.

//But of course, despite how amazing she is, Akane is ultimately the second fiddle to Utsuro in the same vein as Mukuro is to Junko. So we need to talk about him as well, and you might be wondering what do I actually think of Utsuro as a villain?

//Well, I really like him too!

//First of all, with Utsuro, let's not beat around the bush.

//One could argue that the twist that Yuki is the true Mastermind of the Killing Game is eerily similar to the twist that Hajime Hinata is actually Izuru Kamukura. There are very similar beats to it, namely that Utsuro and Izuru themselves seem devoid of any personality, ally themselves with Junko, and are beings up nigh unstoppable and ridiculous power, respectively with Divine Luck and Ultimate Hope.

//And you know what? I will concede with this. And I have said before that one of DRA's most controversial issues is that it copies/borrows a lot from the games that preceded it, due to LINUJ playing it safe with his Fangan.

//However, fundamentally, I actually think Utsuro ticks all the boxes for a stoic, overpowered antagonist that Izuru failed to tick for me. And I can boil it down into just one comparison:

//Utsuro is a character.

//Izuru...is a plot device.

//As much love as I do tend to show Izuru, I like him really as a concept, and for his role in the story. He exists for two reasons: to explain why Hajime is involved in the plot of DR2 despite being a Reserve student, and to show the moral corruption of Hope's Peak Academy and how Junko used it against them to end the world.

//Izuru’s design as the "Ultimate Hope" who possesses every ultimate talent makes him excessively powerful. This diminishes tension in the story because he lacks significant personal challenges or growth, he's essentially perfect at everything.

//And similarly, Utsuro's ability of Divine Luck, and the way people tried to exploit that from him is very similar. However, by comparison, Izuru doesn't evolve meaningfully as a character.

//While this reflects his existential ennui, it results in a static portrayal. Even when he appears in Danganronpa 2 and Danganronpa 3, he serves more as a plot device than a dynamic character.

//A tool to drive the story forward rather than a fully fleshed-out personality. His role is more about being a catalyst for Despair by creating the Tragedy and assisting Junko rather than a nuanced individual with his own compelling motivations.

//The big issue with creating this type of character is the concept of someone burdened by perfection and robbed of humanity is interesting, but it’s not explored deeply enough. This is something that I mainly do with his role in DR Survivor, but Izuru could have been used to explore themes like individuality, the value of imperfection, or rebellion against societal expectations. Instead, his apathy dominates his characterization, leaving these themes underdeveloped.

//But while Izuru fails to do that...Utsuro succeeds.

//Utsuro only appears twice in the series. He appears for the first time in this trial, and is present for the whole second half until the end, and then he shows up in the final chapter of SDRA2, where he's there, and has some good dialogue, but isn't as interesting as he is here.

//But somehow, not counting DR3, that's more screentime than Izuru ever gets, and really good things are done with it.

//For starters, yes, he's equally as stoic, and his facial expression rarely ever changes, but Utsuro has far more personality than Izuru. And on top of that, he is far more of an antagonist.

//I think largely the reason why this is is because Izuru had his personality taken out of him physically, but Utsuro fell into it naturally as a result of his abilities.

//Additionally, and this may ultimately be my personal opinion, I like Utsuro more than I like Yuki. At least more than I liked Yuki in the first game. I most assuredly, 1000% do NOT like Izuru more than I like Hajime.

//Hajime's journey of self-discovery, insecurity, and growth throughout Danganronpa 2 makes him one of the best characters in the franchise, but Yuki feels like such an everyman by comparison that it's hard to be as compelled by him. No disrespect to Yuki, of course, it's just that it's only when he vanished from the story, and was outed to secretly be the mastermind is when things got really interesting.

//In relation to that, the key difference between Izuru and Utsuro's origins is that while both of them undergo personality shifts and loss of memories, Utsuro was the ORIGINAL personality.

//Now, I still like Izuru's backstory more because the story of how Hajime fell into his slump after repeated mental abuse is fascinating to me (I'm not approving of it obviously, but still) but for Utsuro, it's his story from start to finish, instead of how Izuru just ends up as the unfortunate end product, then Junko steps in and is like "Quit your job, join my edgy high school boy band."

//(I say "boy band" most of the villains in this series are women, but...you get what I mean...)

//To recap, Utsuro was originally born into a loving family and had a happy early life born with a blessed power called "Divine Luck," "Divine Fortune," or "Heavenly Luck," depending on your translation.

//Utsuro possesses a unique ability tied to fortune, allowing him to bring anything he desires into reality and spread good luck to those around him. His power is absolute, and whatever he wills will simply happen. For instance, Tsurugi survives a gunshot to the head in the previous chapter solely because Utsuro (as Yuki) wished for him to live. Similarly, his extraordinary luck reshaped his appearance to perfectly resemble the real Yuki Maeda, aiding his deception.

//However, his parents soon discovered his supernatural luck and began exploiting him to satisfy their greed. This realization left Utsuro miserable, and while he eventually gained control over his luck, it came with an unusual caveat: his abilities bypassed the natural process of achieving things.

//For instance, he could ace a math test without ever learning math, or instantly become an expert in machines just by thinking about it. This effortless success robbed him of any sense of fulfillment or purpose, leaving him disillusioned and bored with life.

//Gee...doesn't THAT sound familiar...!?

//Frustrated, Utsuro ran away from home and survived on his own, using his luck to navigate life on the streets. Along the way, he helped many people, including Akane Taira and the members of VOID (Nikei, Iroha, Hajime M. Emma, and Mikado). However, his acts of kindness weren’t out of genuine altruism; they were simply things he thought he should do. Over time, even good deeds lost their appeal, and Utsuro became apathetic to everything. Repeated attempts at suicide failed, as his luck always intervened to save him.

//Eventually, Utsuro crossed paths with Junko Enoshima, who introduced him to something he hadn’t felt in a long time: Despair. A negative sensation, but the only one that he had felt in a long time.

//Fascinated, he began following her lead, assisting in her plans for Ultimate Despair. Utsuro masterminded Class 79’s Killing Game, which he orchestrated at Junko’s request as a precursor to her own.

//To infiltrate Hope’s Peak Academy, Utsuro kidnapped the real Yuki Maeda and assumed his identity. As part of this plan, his memories were altered at the start of the killing game to ensure he blended in seamlessly with the other participants.

//First of all, what makes this so interesting to me is that this answers a question of why people still rally behind Junko despite the fact that she's not shy about killing her allies, and is absolutely the worst person on earth to ever live.

//This. This is why.

//Because unfortunately, there are people out there in the world of Danganronpa who are just like Junko. Utsuro, Izuru, and Junko all fell into Despair and became some of the most dangerous people in the world because they all share a similar pain.

//Izuru was born with the power to do anything; Utsuro was born with the power to make anything; and Junko was born with the power to estimate and predict anything with 100% accuracy. As a result of this,

//They were all born too powerful. They were born with abilities that made life easy for them, regardless of what they were doing, and as a result, they all quickly became...bored.

//This is why all of them, even fucking JUNKO, are somewhat sympathetic as villains. Izuru was the only one of them who got any kind of look into the light, which is why he ended up as a more neutral party in the end, but they were all people who were there to be exploited by others, or who had no help or anyone to bring excitement to their lives.

//The sad thing is the only reason why they cause so much pain, despair, and destruction to humanity is because it's literally the only way any of them can FEEL anything anymore. And this is why Utsuro is so compelling, because he sits on that fine line between Junko and Izuru on the Scale of Villainy.

//He's sympathetic, and someone that you feel for, but at the same time, DEAR GOD this guy is FUCKING EVIL!

//In a typical Danganronpa format, what you might expect to happen is Yuki will reveal himself, and through the power of Hope, friendship, and the other shonen anime BS that the series is famous for in its finale's, he and Taira will somehow turn around and Yuki could come back.

//While Akane does see the light and try to comply to the power of Hope, Utsuro makes it abundantly clear to all of them that there's no going back for him. And this, for me at least, is my FAVOURITE PART of ANY of these class trials, at least of the one's in Another 1.

//You can kind of see me replicate this in ReProgrammed, but this final Non-Stop Debate is single-handedly the best thing I've ever had to do in a Class Trial for this series of games. See, what makes the final twist with Utsuro so awesome is that even after Yuki is repressed back into Utsuro, the perspective DOESN'T CHANGE!

//You'd expect maybe the protag view could switch to Akane like it briefly does in Trial 5, maybe to Tsurugi or someone, but no. In a way that eerily mirrors the final NSD of Danganronpa 1, you play as UTSURO, and your goal is to plunge the remaining Survivors into DESPAIR, instead of "planting your seeds of Hope to overcome Despair."

//And by GOD does Utsuro do this in the most fucked up, but entertaining way possible!

//Utsuro reveals harsh truths about their loved ones to drive the remaining trio into Despair. To Tsurugi, he explains that the leader of the Despair External Agents was none other than his father, Juu Kinjo. After mistakenly believing Tsurugi had died, Juu fell into despair, becoming the catalyst for the chaos in Japan. Utsuro further reveals that Juu consumed the remains of Tsurugi's childhood friend, Sasaki Kouhei, deepening Tsurugi's anguish and plunging him into madness.

//Rei learns from Utsuro that her parents, whom she believed had abandoned her, actually loved her deeply. They had gone bankrupt trying to repay dangerous loans and arranged for her to be cared for by a relative, only to be betrayed. Left destitute, Rei ended up on the streets. When they believed Rei had died, her parents sought out Junko for answers, but Utsuro intentionally withholds their ultimate fate, leaving Rei to spiral into despair over the unknown.

//To Teruya, Utsuro reveals that the funding used to transform the lab and create the executions came from his father, Kojiro Otori. Overcome with grief after Teruya’s presumed death, Kojiro donated vast amounts of money from his business to Junko's efforts. Utsuro cruelly blames Teruya, as his supposed death indirectly enabled the horrors that befell his friends, pushing Teruya into despair.

//Bro, I'm sorry, but NO friendship speech is saving this man!

//Utsuro definitely shows his more human and victim-of-circumstance side at the end of both stories, ironically both times speaking with Akane Taira or a form OF her (Sora.) And in the end, he stays with Akane in her final moments, largely because he wanted to die himself, but he also uses his Divine Luck on her to protect her body and somewhat keep her alive, even though she ends up braindead by SDRA2.

//But I think for me, what DRA tries to convey with this finale, and what makes it so great, is a simple idea that V3 later tries to explore with its theme. And I think it's an incredibly underrated part of the Another series narrative:

//Hope and Despair are two sides of the same coin, which in turn, means they can be equally as dangerous as each other.

//If you don't understand what I mean, let me give you a short list of some of the moments that convey this idea:

Utsuro is the main character of this game, even though he guises as Yuki Maeda the whole time. Utsuro is an agent of Despair, tride and true, while in comparison, Izuru/Hajime is more of a neutral party, and the only reason Hope wins out in the end of DR2 is because Izuru intentionally leaves a caveat in the Neo World that allows it to, should the survivors choose Hope for their future.

The final Non-Stop Debate is about shooting down the Hope of the surviving trio; Rei, Tsurugi, and Teruya. Implying that Despair is the side that you should be fighting for, while Hope is the enemy.

Picking the side of Hope, where Yuki remains as Yuki, is the BAD Ending. The one where he awakens to Utsuro, and falls back into Despair is the TRUE/GOOD Ending.

Akane is still technically a member of the Ultimate Despair when she does her heel-turn and saved Rei and the others.

If you really think about it, it's Mikako's Hope that caused this entire incident. Because she held onto Hope that Utsuro and Akane were actually good people, it stopped Yamato from taking care of them before it was too late. Unlike Jin, who genuinely trusted the students out of kindness, Yamato caught onto the fact that something was up with the two, and it's only because of Mikako insisting they were good people that he didn't act on those feelings. A fatal mistake that cost them and most of their classmates their lives.

All of the killers in the game are driven by the idea of Hope that Monokuma, or other circumstances, give them, not necessarily them falling into Despair or dissaray. 1 - Mitch's motive was entirely for himself and the Hope he carried for himself. He tries to convey the idea that he's doing it for soccer, but he doesn't really care about that. He just loves himself so much that he was willing to off anyone in the game 2 - Ayame killed Kizuna as part of a sacrifice so that Akane could keep on living. She had the hope that Akane would survive the game and move on from her and the pain she feels. 3 - Kinji betrayed his religious code as a priest, and committed two brutal murders because he held hope for the orphaned children of his church. If it meant they could survive, he acted against his almighty judgement. 4 - Haru set up the scheme so that Satsuki could get out and survive on her own. But Satsuki chose not to take that out because she was too kind to sacrifice everyone else like that, and even betrayed her loved one's wishes. (Maybe this point's a bit of a stretch, but it's how I kind of feel about it.)

By the time the game ends, despite having regained his feelings and gotten his head on straight, not only does Tsurugi regress by the time the trio escape the island, but by the time SDRA2 happens, he's learned to wield Despair and evil as a weapon against greater Despair and evil. Not through the power of Hope like the Future Foundation do.

In the second game, Mikado is not defeated through the power of Hope. Instead, Sora ends his reign of terror by speaking with her memory of Akane Taira, then uses harsh facts, and her power of Divine Luck, to slowly pick Mikado's plan apart and send him squirming. This is the EXACT strategy that Junko and Tsumugi use on the final players of their games to send them into a state of disaaray and Despair, and Sora's final line in the final PTA is even the same as Utsuro's.

In relation to this, the climax of SDRA2 is literally you trying to save Utsuro. And it's largely thanks to Akane Taira speaking directly with Sora that she snaps out of her BSoD.

Neither DRA nor SDRA2 have a necessarily "happy" ending. Another ends with Rei, Teruya, and Tsurugi severely traumatized, and both Utsuro and Akane die on the island. Another 2 ends with none of the people who died in the sim coming back to life, unlike DR2, Yuki is now forced to live in Akane's body, Sora herself gets erased from reality, with no guarantee that she'll return, Syobai and Iroha remain criminal scum and on the run, and the Kisaragi Foundation remain morally corrupt.

//For me personally, it doesn't feel like the message LINUJ is trying to convey is that life is pointless and that giving up and dying is the right thing to do. Obviously, that's a horrible way to think about it, even for some of the shit he pulls.

//It's more the idea that in this kind of world, the fact that things can end on such a high note are...highly unrealistic, to say the least. And you know what? He's exactly right. The fact that most, if not all of the Danganronpa games end on such a positive note really feels like the trauma you experienced throughout the game had no lasting impact, and that rubs me the wrong way.

//The Another series really handles the everlasting consequences of the death games well, and ultimately, this theme is what solidifies this trial in my good books.

//Now, I don't want to end this on a negative note, especially since I've already spent at least 5 hours of my life talking about this damn trial, but there are two final aspects that I want to talk about regarding this trial and what's revealed in it that ultimately prevent it from being my favourite finale in the series.

//Both, in short, are plot holes and problems that I have with the ideas at play here, so crucial in fact, that I actually had to RETCON them in Survivor so that it would make sense as part of the plot.

//First and foremost is the revelation that Mikako and Yamato used a device Yamato created to resist the memory erasure, meaning that when the Killing Game happened, the both of them still had their memories. The downside was that the machines side effects made it so that Mikako couldn't talk without slowly dying, and Yamato couldn't form a comprehensive sentence.

//So even though Mikako knew what was going on, she was physically incapable of talking about it to anybody. But...If that's the case...why didn't Mikako just write down her words for everybody to read?

//In Survivor, Uchui creates a type of pill that gives the same effects of Yamato's machine to Seiko when he demands Zetsubou release her; a maneuver that means Seiko can be cured of the affliction thanks to Dr. Ando. But not only does speaking hurt her, but her hand spasms when she tries to write, making her writing unintelligable, and sign language makes her dizzy.

//I added these weaknesses to reinforce the fact that Seiko couldn't communicate in any meaningful way to the Future Foundation, but these weaknesses, as far as I'm aware, were never established with Mikako. It's even dumber when you remember that the students were literally given notebooks at the start of the game for them to write in.

//So there's really no excuse or reason given for why Mikako just didn't do that immediately. The only reason I can imagine she didn't is because she still held on for hope that Yuki and Akane could be saved from becoming Utsuro and Ultimate Despair again, but even for someone as hopeful as Mikako, surely all bets would have been off the table by the time Chapter 4 came around.

//The other issue is with Utsuro's Talent.

//Divine Luck as Utsuro’s defining ability fits snugly into the pattern of over-the-top, reality-bending powers that seem to be a staple for Danganronpa masterminds:

Junko, and by extension, her AI version, have extraordinary analytical abilities, enabling her to process information at near-superhuman speed, memorize details effortlessly, and master new skills with just brief exposure.

Izuru, as a result of Hope’s Peak Academy’s experiments, possesses every talent researched at the school, making him superhuman. His most notable abilities include superhuman analytical skills, like Junko, enhanced physical abilities, stealth expertise, extreme luck, specialised knowledge, and being adept at basically every single human function in existence.

Though more of an assistant than a Mastermind herself, Mukuro has shown to have an absolute god-like level of speed and power thanks to her abilities as the Ultimate Solder; fighting on several battlefields and never recieving a single scratch.

Monaca in UDG is a natural-born genius who possesses exceptional skills in robotics and programming, which enabled her to lead the Towa Group's Robotics Division at a remarkably young age. Her most notable creations include the Monokuma Units, the Original Monokuma, Kurokuma, and the robotic double of Miaya Gekkogahara. It’s also suggested that she designed the mechas used by the Warriors of Hope during their activities.

On top of her cosplay effectively allowing her to shapeshift into anybody she wants, Tsumugi has said she has a certain degree of control over the narrative of V3, and the plans and actions each of the characters take. To what extent, is unknown.

Mikado is a highly skilled wizard capable of executing a wide variety of magical feats. It soon becomes evident that he can perform genuine magic within the context of the killing game. Notable examples include his ability to levitate for extended periods and his frequent demonstrations of fire-based magic.

//The bad guys in this franchise tend to operate on a level that transcends normal logic. Villains in this series aren’t just evil, they’re almost comically invincible, and Utsuro is no exception.

//Luck itself isn’t new to Danganronpa, either. Makoto and Nagito have already demonstrated how this seemingly mundane talent can warp the narrative in ways that benefit them, often hilariously or dramatically so. Utsuro is essentially the ultimate culmination of this theme. He doesn’t just have luck; he IS luck incarnate.

//But while the premise of Divine Luck might seem fitting, it’s also so overwhelmingly powerful that it feels like LINUJ wrote himself into a narrative corner trying to balance it.

//The problem lies in how Divine Luck operates. Utsuro’s ability is so absolute that whatever he desires, even casually, becomes reality.

//This omnipotence creates complications in the story because it makes Utsuro more like a walking deus ex machina than a character, giving him the power to twist the plot at will. While that might work for a thematic villain, it also leaves a trail of contradictions and plot holes.

//Take Utsuro’s backstory, for example. His luck initially brought his family wealth and prosperity, but their greed eventually turned him into an object to exploit, leading to his Despair and eventual departure. But if his Divine Luck can make anything happen, wouldn’t there have been some incident that corrected their behavior? If Utsuro could subconsciously will good fortune into existence, why didn’t it influence his parents to suddenly become loving and supportive? It feels like LINUJ overlooked this while trying to portray Utsuro as an embittered wanderer detached from the world.

//Then there’s the way Divine Luck functions during the Killing Game. For instance, when Tsurugi shoots himself in the head and miraculously survives, it’s attributed to Yuki subconsciously wanting him to live. But if Yuki’s will can override the lethality of a point-blank gunshot to the brain, why didn’t his desire for everyone to escape together override the deaths of the other participants?

//Does Utsuro’s plan override Yuki’s wishes? If so, why did Yuki’s will save Tsurugi at all? It creates a weird inconsistency that undermines the stakes of the Killing Game.

//Even worse, Divine Luck threatens to undercut the dramatic tension of the story entirely. It’s essentially a catch-all explanation for any narrative contrivance, making conflicts feel cheap or pointless. This becomes especially frustrating in the case of Yamato and Mikako, whose disagreements over whether to trust Yuki and Akane could have added depth to the narrative. If Utsuro can will the Killing Game into being anyway, why bother debating faith and trust? It robs the story of meaningful struggle and makes the characters’ actions feel like window dressing against Utsuro’s godlike control.

//And above all else, what transitions the game between the end of DRA and the plot of SDRA2 is that before his death, Utsuro gives Akane Taira his power, so that he'll die while Akane's body lives, albeit in a vegetable state.

//So you mean to tell me that you can just GIVE your whole-ass power to somebody else at will!? WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST DO THAT!?

//In reality, Divine Luck probably isn't perfect, and in Survivor, I do play with its weaknesses. One of the main ones is that in order for the Divine Luck to work, Yuki has to be present to trigger it. He also can only give a fraction of his power to people at any given time should they need it.

//But even I have trouble dumbing down this ability because of how manic it gets to be.

//In the end, while Divine Luck gives Utsuro a sense of grandeur and inevitability, it risks breaking the narrative by being too absolute. The stakes and conflicts lose their weight when a single character can essentially rewrite reality on a whim, and even the story’s emotional core gets lost in the shadow of Utsuro’s overwhelming power.

//It’s a classic case of a cool idea taken too far, where the mastermind’s abilities become more of a plot device than a believable, balanced element of the story.

//But even with all of those problems, it still doesn't stop this trial from being awesome as a finale, and getting into my good books.

[nolita-fairytale]

so my darling | sydney adamu x the restaurateur (unnamed male oc) | oneshot

summary: sydney falls in love with a restauranteur (one played by pedro pascal). song title inspired by so my darling by rachel chinouriri.

warnings: swearing, unnamed ocs, talking about sex, use of she/her pronouns, no use of y/n, two original characters (the restaurateur & the pastry chef), the pastry chef is the mc from make my heart surrender, wong kar-wai films, ambiguous ending

wc: 4.8k

a/n: ok, so i'm not entirely back, but this photo of pedro pascal and ayo edebiri at the sag awards quite literally haunted me and made me write something about it. also i've really missed all of you. and i've missed these characters. and i miss this world. this oneshot feels really different to me than a lot of the things i've written for the bear and there isn't much inclusion of the other characters because i really, really wanted to write from sydney's perspective. it's limited storytelling in the way that it's mostly her experience of being charmed by the restaurateur but i had a lot of fun with this and i hope you enjoy. fic inspired by the pic below:

nolita fairytale's masterlist

Sydney doesn’t expect to win, yet her name is called out anyway, followed by the phrases: “James Beard Rising Star Award” and “the winner is.” 

Most of the night is a blur. Somewhere between winning the biggest award of her career to accepting congratulations from the best chefs in the world, Sydney’s still trying to gather her bearings. It’s not until Carmy’s girlfriend, the woman who picked up her life and moved to Chicago to be with her exec chef, tugs at her arm. 

Sydney doesn’t mean to completely reduce the woman to just Carmy’s girlfriend. 

She’s also become many other things: the head pastry chef at The Bear, a colleague, and most importantly, a best friend. 

“Hey, Syd! Carm wants to introduce you to someone,” she says, before giving Sydney a chance to politely excuse herself from the previous conversation she’d found herself in. 

As The Pastry Chef leads her away from her present company, Sydney follows with a soft smile, half expecting it to be yet another celebrity chef—someone in Carmy’s network that reminds her why she began working at the Bear when The Bear was The Beef. 

What she doesn’t expect is to meet him, her breath hitching in her throat as she and her best friend who’s dragged her over here, find themselves standing across from Carmy and an unfamiliar man.

“I see a congratulations is in order,” the man greets her, tipping his half-empty glass of champagne in her direction with a smile so charming she has to do a double take. 

“To this year’s newest Rising Star chef.” 

He’s handsome, sure—but that’s not what catches her eye.

The first thing Sydney notices about the man is his soft, dark curls—much cleaner than the unruly ones that belong to her head chef. He wears thick-rimmed rectangular glasses and has a perfectly groomed mustache that surprisingly works for him. It’s not usually her kind of thing, is all. In a white button down, perfectly tucked into his pristine black trousers, it's somehow still black tie with a touch of rebelliousness for forgoing a tie and a proper suit jacket. 

He can’t be much older than Richie, she thinks to herself. What? Ten… maybe fifteen years older than herself? 

Reality comes back to her, as she realizes that she hasn’t said a word, wondering just how long she’s spent caught up in her own head over the handsome stranger. 

“Oh uh, yeah. Thanks,” Sydney replies with a smile and a nod, snapping back to her senses. 

“Syd, this is… probably one of the few mentors I’ve had in my career. Well, him and Terry, ‘course,” Carmy begins to introduce, shyly. He’s not used to the one doing the introductions. “From Malibu.” 

“Fairest Creatures,” the man clarifies with a hearty chuckle, citing the name of the restaurant they worked at together. “Way, waaaaaaay back in the day.”

Right. 

The restaurant that put Carmy on the map, winning himself the same award that year that Sydney’s won tonight. 

That’s when it clicks for her.

An old mentor of Carmy’s. 

Not Terry.

And no, not that one—not the asshole from New York—to put it nicely.

The Restaurateur from California.

“No, I-. Yeah! I’m a big fan of your work, yeah,” Sydney scrambles to say, a glimmer of recognition in her eyes as she reaches out to shake his hand. 

“Carmy was one of my early boys—look at him now. The student has far surpassed the teacher,” the chef adds, implying he’s mentored plenty of then-up-and-coming chefs back in the day.

“Oh thanks, but uh. Nah, I don’t know about that,” Carmy mutters, quick to brush off the older chef’s compliment. 

Sydney can feel The Pastry Chef nudge her playfully, letting out a chuckle in response. The two exchange glances as Sydney follows her gaze from Carmy to his mentor. 

“Oh they’re just being modest. Don’t think I’ve ever met two humbler chefs than these two,” the pastry chef adds with a playful eye roll, shooting her lover a look that doesn’t go unnoticed. “Which… if you ask me, is practically unheard of in this industry so… I consider us lucky, Syd.” 

Sydney lets out a small, nervous laugh in agreement, before raising her own champagne glass to her lips as she finds herself, suddenly, parched. 

*

She sees him again, weeks later, when the pomp and circumstance of winning a James Beard award has almost died down. She’d been quick to assume that, like many other chefs that weekend, he’d only been in town for the award ceremony, but as Sydney listens to the man tell Carmy that he’s moved to Chicago for “the foreseeable future,” she wonders why she never asked in the first place. 

The Restaurateur had come in to say hello, for a meal, and Carmy had quickly declared that it would be on the house—eager to feed the best mentor he ever had in his California fine dining days.

“Yeah, I’ll be steppin’ in for Cuadros… when he goes on paternity leave… and we’re talking about expanding—what that could look like. Well, you know how it goes, Carm. Right now I’m just hangin’ out, helping out where I can between the two restaurants he’s got now,” he explains to Carmy with a nonchalance, as if he’s not a restaurateur whose reputation precedes himself. 

“Ah, man. That’s cool. Well, you let us know if you need anything. I’ll give you mine and uh… Syd, you cool if I give him your number too?” Carmy asks, catching Sydney off guard. 

“What do you-, I mean-?” Sydney begins to ask, unable to hide her surprise. 

“Since he’s new to the restaurant scene here in Chicago. Can help each other out, you know?” Carmy returns, a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Yeah, I guess I-. Sure,” Sydney nods, forcing a small smile in an attempt to shake the ‘deer-in-headlights’ look she’s sure her face has involuntarily contorted itself into. 

She watches her head chef carefully, as Carmy continues to interact with the restaurateur in a way that she’s never seen before. She’s never seen him this eager to try to impress someone—hell, sometimes she wonders if Carmen thrives on pretending like he doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks—so it’s sends her head spinning as she tries to reckon with this newly-revealed side of her business partner.

“That means a lot. Thank you–the both of you,” The Restaurateur replies, genuinely, bringing her back into the conversation.

“Sure,” Sydney manages to get out, still caught up in her head—exploring this new side of Carmy she has yet to see. “Anything for a friend of Carmy’s.” 

“I’m at Amaru most of the time these days,” the restaurateur continues, his eyes shifting from Carmy then back to Sydney as he adds one last thing. 

“You should stop by sometime.” 

*

They exchange a few texts here and there, but it’s all business. 

Who’s your preferred vendor for kitchen towels? 

You guys see success with extended weekend hours? 

Thoughts on being open on Monday?

“He likes you,” The Pastry Chef insists one day, in between lunch and dinner service. Sydney quickly shoves her phone back into her apron pocket, as if she’s a kid again—one who’s gotten caught texting in class. 

“What? He does not! I-. This is-, it’s not-, we are two professionals… talking shop,” Sydney dismisses, because it’s easier to push those thoughts aside than to entertain them.

“Syd. He could be texting Carm but he’s texting you,” the her friend continues, completely and utterly unconvinced. Sydney finds herself on the receiving end that says, ‘cut the bullshit’ as The Pastry Chef continues. 

“Even if it is… just about work, I think it says something that he’s texting you, Syd. I mean, do you know how long it took me and Carmy to-.” 

“Okay, but not all of us are you and Carmy!” Sydney interjects, letting out an uncomfortable laugh as a means to break the tension. 

Off her look, her friend just chuckles with a shake of her head, reminded of a time that she too could live this far in denial. 

“If you say so,” The Pastry Chef resigns herself, accepting that she won’t make much progress on this one today. 

She waits a beat, focused on cleaning up her station as Syd unconsciously checks her phone to see if there’s a notification from a certain someone yet. 

“When are we going? To his restaurant, I mean,” The Pastry Chef speaks up again with a quirked eyebrow. 

Could she really have noticed that? Syd wonders. 

This time, Sydney only groans in response with a mumbled, “Fuck off. I am sick of you,” earning a bigger laugh this time from her pastry chef friend. 

But the conversation seems to be the push she needs. It only takes a week or so longer for their days off to align, and Sydney’s the one bringing up the idea: that they should do a happy hour at Amaru to “show support” (and nothing else — really, no ulterior motives at all). 

The Pastry Chef is more than enthusiastic about the idea, easily suggesting that they make it a girls’ night. 

Which is how Sydney finds herself here, seated between her two biggest cheerleaders, Sugar one side of her, and her pastry-chef-colleague-turned best friend, at the bar of the Pan-Latin American neighborhood spot. She’s sure that Sugar was recruited for said girls’ night, in an attempt to get a second opinion on whether the handsome, older restaurateur is or is not in fact, into her. 

She doesn’t hate the idea of it, for the record, but she wonders if they’re reading this all wrong—hesitant to get her hopes up.

But after the first plate—a gift from the kitchen—and the aperitif sent their way, both on the house, Sydney can only assume that The Restaurateur has something to do with it. 

Of course, it’s easy to chalk it up to good hospitality. After all, hadn’t they done the same when he visited The Bear, a few things on the house Carmy insisted they send out? Isn’t it customary? 

Sydney thinks back to how easily Carmy had given her number to the older chef, eager to extend as much support as possible to his previous mentor as he transitioned into the Chicago market. 

But he wasn’t texting Carmy all that much. Just her. 

She tries not to brush off yet another excuse: because she’s the CDC, not Carmy; because maybe he thinks Carmy, as the exec chef, doesn’t have the time when she does. Syd thinks she could go on and on like this, and instead, for a split second, she allows herself to think that maybe, just maybe, it’s because her friends aren’t all that wrong about this. 

“You’ll have to forgive me. I wanted to come say hello earlier, but. Well, you know how it goes,” The Restaurateur says, earning the attention of all three women. While he acknowledges both of her friends warmly, he makes sure to he’s look at Sydney as he concludes with: 

“I’m glad you came.” 

“Oh, yeah. Thank you for everything. Seriously. Everything’s been amazing,” Sydney answers, wondering why it suddenly feels five degrees warmer inside of the restaurant.

Sugar snickers and the knowing look shared between her and The Pastry Chef doesn’t go unnoticed. 

She just might have to kill her best friends later for this. 

The Restaurateur smiles, and with a polite nod of his head, mutters a ‘thank you’ before her friends chime in with compliments, kudos, and their own respective ‘thank yous’ for the superb hospitality. Syd listens as he picks The Pastry Chef’s brain on their newest dessert addition, while Sugar enjoys what feels like a well-deserved second margarita. As The Restaurateur explains the most recent dishes he’s added to the menu since taking over as CDC, she notices that somehow, his focus and attention always seem to return to her. 

He can’t visit for long, The Restaurateur apologizes—it is a busy night of service—and before she knows it, he bids his goodbyes before disappearing to the back of the house for the rest of the evening. 

“Well he definitely likes you,” The Pastry Chef declares, as soon as he’s out of earshot. 

“Oh. So obvious,” Sugar adds with a knowing smirk as the two exchange the exact same glance from earlier

“I’m gonna kill you guys,” Sydney mutters, her head hanging low as she feels a heat rush to her cheeks. She can’t make eye contact with either of them—not right now—or she might just burst into flames. 

“Well, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you! That’s for sure,” Sugar clarifies, earning a nod of agreement from The Pastry Chef. 

“See! This is what I’ve been telling her since… shit, since he came to The Bear a few weeks ago!” the pastry chef exclaims, sharing another looking with Sugar. “I think he likes you and I think you like him.” 

Sydney opens her mouth to say something, but instead, just lets out an exasperated sigh, earning another round of giggles and exclamations of ‘I knew it!’ from her best friends. 

They don’t stay for much longer, knowing they’re all due back at the restaurant in the morning. The three women say their goodbyes before parting ways, and as Sydney sits on the train, on the way home with her phone on do not disturb, she notices a few notifications waiting to be read.

A text from Carmy about the prep list. 

The pics from tonight waiting for her to open in the group message labeled: Girlies.

And then, from the Restaurateur…

Thanks for bringing friends! It was great to see you. 

There’s a familiar heat that warms her cheeks as her fingers race to reply:

Thank you for everything. The meal was incredible. 

She waits before adding:

I’m glad we stopped by. 

And almost instantly, there’s a reply: 

Come back any time. :) With or without friends. 

*

Come back any time. With or without friends. 

The words linger in her head over the next few days. She lets them settle in, tossing them back and forth in her mind, while holding what feels like a fragile kind of excitement in her hands that’s somehow seemed to have buried itself deep inside of her. 

So he is flirting with you, she thinks to herself, coming to the conclusion that her friends were perhaps right about The Restaurateur. 

She doesn’t want to completely misread the situation, but she’s not sure how else she should interpret it either. 

It takes Sydney two more weeks to work up the courage to go back to Amaru on her day off that week. Part of her wonders whether it’s been too long—if she’s missed her chance—and part of her knows that in the business they’re in, the days blur together, and two days become two weeks, become two months, and that he probably hasn’t even noticed that’s been that long. Her and The Restaurateur are both on Kitchen Standard Time, right? She’s not sure what takes over her, but she’s somehow mustered up the cajones (she can practically hear Tina’s voice in her head as she hypes herself up) to show up, this time, without friends. 

Her risk does not go unrewarded, when he comes out to say hello. This time, he’s not alone, introducing her to his soon-to-be-business partner, Chef Cuadros, the owner of Amaru and his other venture, Bloom. They exchange pleasantries and congratulations (you know, over the huge fucking deal of an award she’s just recently won) before he pats The Restaurteur on the back, excusing himself back to the kitchen. 

The Restaurateur chuckles, noting how much he’s looking forward to joining Cuadros’ restaurant group. 

“Rodolfo’s a great guy,” The Restaurateur sighs, contently. 

“Yeah, he seems great,” Sydney agrees, almost just to be polite.

“Yeah. Really leads by example. Rare to find that in this industry,” he chuckles, before changing the subject. 

“Speaking of. Cuadros is closing up tonight which means I’m off, starting now.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah. You wanna get a drink?” 

She doesn’t even have to think about it. 

“Yeah. I uh-, I’m in.” 

*

“It’s devastating!” The Restaurateur declares, the passion evident as the words escape his lips. 

“I mean, the transitions are a little choppy. And even they can’t take away the fact that: It. Absolutely. Without a doubt. 100% ruined my life,” Sydney wholeheartedly agrees, completely captivated this conversation—one that she finds incredibly sexy.

“I cry. Every single time,” the man that sits across from her says, a dopey smile plastered to his face and a heat to his cheeks from the second whiskey on the rocks he’s nursing.

“Every single time!” Sydney emphasizes, just to drive the point home. 

“Because, well-, I mean, they just can’t catch a break! Always just a moment too late. It’s like… well, it’s like they’re never supposed to end up together in the first place,” The Restaurateur clarifies, in reference to what about the film is so goddamn devastating. 

Syd nods with a sigh, examining the idea in her head cautiously, knowing that he’s right—even if she doesn’t want him to be. 

A beat. 

She leans in, the corners of her lips beginning to turn up into a smile. 

“Have you seen Chungking Express?” she asks, because she’s ready to start this whole thing over again. 

“Have I seen-? Are you-, of course I’ve seen Chungking Express,” the Restaurateur answers, building on their shared excitement about finding common ground outside of the kitchen. “I love Wong Kar-Wai so much I even put myself through My Blueberry Nights.” 

“Okay, chill. It’s not a competition,” Sydney jokes, earning a full bellied laugh from The Restaurateur. 

“You’re funny,” he states, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiles back at her. 

Her heart skips a beat, her breath caught in her throat. 

The way he says it is genuine. It’s real. It feels… more earnest—more intimate than what should exist between two colleagues.

Then again, she didn’t exactly say ‘yes’ to drinks thinking it was just as colleagues.

“I-,” Sydney hesitates, scrambling to find the right words when it feels like so many of them could burst out of her at any minute. 

Instead she settles on, “Thanks,” feeling more like Carmy than she’s ever felt in her life. 

There it is again—that flutter in her belly. 

This man is most definitely flirting with her, a thought that only mildly causes her to panic. 

The moment feels almost too tender for either of them. Sydney shifts nervously in her seat while The Restaurateur takes another sip of his whiskey, before clearing his throat. 

“I uh. I should probably get going. It’s uh… yeah. It’s getting late,” Sydney says, finding the words to excuse herself. 

She’s not sure what she wants out of this—it’s maybe why she takes the out in the first place, thinking it may be best to end the evening here. Tonight was… more than she expected it to be, and she’s torn between wanting to stay and wanting to flee the great state of Illinois. 

Better pause while we’re ahead, Sydney thinks.

“Yeah, no, of course,” The Restaurateur agrees, easily, before insisting that he pick up the tab. 

“No, I-, I couldn’t let you-,” Sydney begins to argue. 

“Please,” he insists, his tone once again rendering her once again at a loss for words. “You’ve been more than helpful to us over at Amaru since the minute I got here. This is on me.”

*

Syd spends the next few days going back and forth over whether or not it—whatever the hell the other night was—would be a good idea. She eventually concludes that she can’t stay away—from the high, from the way he made her feel when he insisted on paying the bill (a moment she’s replayed in her head over and over again), from him. She doesn’t tell anyone: not Nat, not The Pastry Chef, and certainly, not Carmy. 

She sends the text before she can chicken out one Saturday night, as she finishes closing up. 

Heading to Green Door Tavern for a night cap. 

He puts her out of her misery, quick to respond as always, almost as if he was expecting her to (or waiting for her to, which, she decides is a little too much of wishful thinking). 

I was just thinking about you! Just rewatched 2046 the other night. Want some company?

Yeah. 

Let me close up. I’ll let you know when I’m on the way :)

The smiley face.

The fucking smiley face. 

She discovers that the same dopey smile finds its way across his lips as soon as he enters the bar. The two of them quickly find themselves in yet another deep conversation about foreign films over, for him, a whiskey on the rocks, and for her, a tequila soda. There’s that same buzzing in the air between the two of them—chemistry, one might call it—as they move from Wong Kar-Wait to Jean-Pierre Jeunet with an ease that feels good to her. 

Really good, actually. 

So good that as soon as Sydney realizes it’s getting late, she doesn’t run in the other direction. She’s not sure what she’s expecting, but she thinks this time, she could stay. This time, she could talk to him till the sun came up, allowing herself to get lost in his soft brown eyes she finds more comforting than she should. It’s not till he brings it up that she notices again that: 

“It’s getting late.” 

“Oh shit. Yeah,” Sydney agrees, reluctantly, because she doesn’t want this night to end. Before she can say anything else, her body moves to get up, just half an hour away from last call. 

The Restaurateur stops her, reaching out a hand that feels warm against hers as she pauses, her eyes locked with his. 

“I hope it’s not uh, well, I hope it’s not inappropriate of me,” he begins, clearing his throat as he pauses. 

“No, I-, I don’t want the night to-, you know… I lost track of time too and I-,” she stammers through, unsure of what she wants to say. 

He smiles warmly, his hand moving to grab hers, as if, in spite of the fact that she can barely get the words out, he understands exactly what she’s trying to say. 

“You can say ‘no,’” he prefaces with, a sure nod as his gaze returns to hers. 

“Can I take you home?” 

And the only response that makes sense to her is the biggest, most enthusiastic:

“Yes.” 

*

Maybe it’s just a one time thing. 

Okay, a three-time thing, considering it happened that night, then two more times after the sun came up.

But to Sydney’s surprise (and delight) he texts her later that day, and the one (three) time thing becomes a one to three times a week kind of thing (schedules permitting, of course).

They fall into a rhythm—and she likes this rhythm—they cook, work at their separate restaurants, and then she lets him fuck her into his mattress like they didn’t just work their own respective twelve-hours shifts. 

The Pastry Chef lets out a laugh, noticing that it’s the third day in a row that Syd’s come in having ‘not gotten enough sleep’ yet still glowing. 

“How’s the sex?” she smirks, shooting Sydney a look. 

In return, Syd rolls her eyes, like she isn’t getting laid on the regular, her best friend waiting patiently for a proper answer. 

She checks over both shoulders to ensure no one else is listening before lowering her voice. 

“It’s the best sex of my life.” 

*

She finally moves into her own apartment a month later.

Of course, it’s a decision she’s made on her own volition and has nothing to do with the hot Restaurateur who seems like he might have some kind of staying power—the same one that’s giving her the big bang of orgasms, but that’s besides the point. 

No, it most certainly has nothing to do with that. 

With Chef Cuadros officially out on paternity leave, The Restaurateur somehow still manages to find the time to help her move in between running two restaurants while developing the concept for a third. 

It’s the first night he spends the night and they sleep—just sleep—since she started seeing him, though they christen the place in the morning. 

“We’ve been talking about a full nixtamalization program. For the new spot,” The Restaurateur explains over breakfast tacos one morning—ones he made for her in her new apartment because, of course, they had to christen the place in more ways than one. 

“Shit. That’d be dope,” Sydney replies, as they continue to bounce ideas back and forth. “Do you think you could pull it off in that small of a space?” 

“I’m so glad you asked!” The Restaurateur grins, before going into a near-monologue about the handful of creative solutions he’s come up with, eager to soundboard a few ideas off of her. 

But Sydney finds herself a little distracted. 

It’s not that she’s not listening… but she’s got something else on the tip of her tongue that she’s been holding back. The Restaurateur is in the middle of breaking down the logistics, contemplating whether or not they could pull off what he’s labeled, Idea B, when Sydney finally musters up the courage to blurt out: 

“I want to cook something for you. Like not in a restaurant, or anything. I mean. Here. I want to cook something for you here.” 

“Yeah?” 

A beat. 

“Yeah, I mean. It doesn’t have to be like-, I don’t know, this big thing or anything. But. You’re always cooking for me,” she explains, unsure of why she feels so nervous as she continues. “I kinda want to return the favor.” 

He only smiles. 

“Then it’s a date.” 

*

It started as the best sex of her life, but it’s as if he’s carved out a place in her life without her noticing, seamlessly woven himself into her life, and she, his, in a way that she can’t imagine what it was like before. 

It simultaneously excites her and makes her feel uneasy. 

Fuck. 

She doesn’t really even know what she should call ‘it’ anyway. 

They haven’t really talked about it—haven’t given it a label—but with shifts at The Bear for her, running two restaurants for him, and fleeting nights spent at each others’ places before it was time to do it all over again, it’s not like they’ve had the time. 

She finds herself in late Fall, almost Winter, all dressed with a newly-done silk press at yet another James Beard fundraiser. Her coat was checked in long ago as she bares her shoulders in the near-off the shoulder, gingham-printed dress, with The Restaurateur by her side. He wears thick-framed glasses, his white-collared shirt unbuttoned low enough that she’s more than ready to head back to her place to undo the rest. 

It practically gives her deja vu—the two finding themselves in an all-too-familiar place—as they stand across from Carmy and The Pastry Chef, sipping on their fancy champagne and making small talk to the best of anyone’s ability. 

“Hope you guys don’t mind. Can we get a few pictures?” the event photographer asks as he approaches, noting that a picture of this year’s Rising Star award recipient is a must on his shot list. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Sydney replies, a kindness in her voice even through her discomfort. 

It’s not lost on her that Carmy’s more than relieved that he doesn’t have to be in the spotlight anymore, eager to step out of the way. 

She poses for a few photos solo before both Carmy and The Pastry Chef are encouraged to join in, taking a few more shots with her. 

“And then can we get one of the two of you?” the photographer asks, this time gesturing towards The Restaurateur. 

Sydney opens her mouth to protest, to let him off the hook, because what would that mean? Before she can say anything, The Restaurateur has happily agreed, wrapping an arm around her, his hand on the small of her back. 

She exchanges a look with him, something that says, ‘are you sure?’

He only nods in response, a supportive smile and a softness in his eyes that puts her at ease as if to say, ‘of course.’ 

Instinctively, she reaches for him, his right hand landing softly against his midsection. She feels the warmth of his palm as his hand slides up, landing somewhere above her wrist, making another point of contact. Well, now they certainly look like a couple. 

“Great! That’s great, you two,” the photographer grins after taking a few more shots, his eyes fixed to the screen on his DSLR as he plays back the last few photos. “Thanks so much.” 

What could this mean? 

What could this be? 

She doesn’t have all the answers. 

Not yet, at least.

But she’ll take a wild guess—one that fills her with a certainty that she can feel in her bones. 

Because tonight, he stood proudly by her side—his hands all over her as if she were his, in a photo she’s sure will make it out of Adobe Photoshop—meaning maybe, just maybe, The Restaurateur could be here to stay.

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss Live at Tre Posti Vineyards

Pre-Concert Wine Tasting Reception • Live Concert in the Vineyard • Post-Concert 3-Course Vintner's Dinner

Time & Location Jul 25, 2024, 6:00 PM Tre Posti Vineyards, 641 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574, USA

About the event Please note: Concert is at 7:30pm. Arrival time varies based on ticket type. Broadway & Vine invites you to an unforgettable evening pairing some of Napa Valley most beloved vintner's with a concert by Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, Critic's Choice, and SAG Award Winner Darren Criss (TV: Glee, Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Hollywood, Broadway/Off Broadway: Maybe Happy Ending, Little Shop of Horrors, American Buffalo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015), How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying) at Tre Posti's Vineyard. For this concert, Darren will be performing a playlist of songs featured throughout his wildly eclectic career as both a songwriter and performer.  Supplement your concert experience with a pre-concert wine tasting reception and post concert Vintner's dinner.

Since bursting onto the pop-culture landscape over a decade ago, Darren Criss has embodied the kind of kaleidoscopic artistry that’s entirely uninhibited by form or genre.  Before Darren Criss exploded into the internet’s subculture as both an actor and songwriter for the YouTube viral hit A Very Potter Musical in 2009, he had made a small name for himself playing unique interpretations of popular songs he’d perform at cafes and bars in his hometown of San Francisco.  Little did he know that the same knack for covering tunes would serve him well in 2010, when he was cast on FOX’s massively successful musical series Glee, from which many of his performances of popular songs would lead to several Billboard-topping records.  In 2015 his songwriting also landed an Emmy nomination for Best Original Music and Lyrics, from penning the song “This Time” for the show’s series finale.

Criss has continued to write and produce music extensively through the years, whether for his own releases as an artist or as a songwriter for theater, film & television.  In 2019 Criss created, executive produced, starred in, and provided all the original songs for his short-form musical comedy series Royalties, and earlier this year provided the music & lyrics for the opening number of the 2022 Tony Awards: Act One.  As an artist, he most recently delivered a genre-diverse collection of "character-driven" singles as part of his 2021 solo EP titled “Masquerade” (BMG), and in the same year, released a full-length Christmas album titled- aptly- A Very Darren Crissmas (Decca).

As an actor, Criss is a veteran of the stage whose Broadway credits include the titular role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015), How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (2012), and the most recent 2022 revival of David Mamet’s seminal play American Buffalo alongside Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell.  In 2018 his work in Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story received wide critical acclaim, earning him a Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice Award.  He was most recently seen starring in Netflix’s hit series Hollywood, for which he also served as executive producer.”

Please Note: The event will be held outdoors at sunset and the temperature will vary. Seating is based on party size and arrival time, and is up to the discretion of the event management. No seat is greater than 35 feet from the stage in this exclusive Broadway concert experience.  ALL SALES FINAL.

[jbaileyfansite]

On June 6, the 2024 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate 13 creators and stars responsible for some of the most stellar work of the TV season. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, this event is a new edition of its IndieWire Honors event focused entirely on television. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event.

Ahead, “Fellow Travelers” star Jonathan Bailey writes about the many qualities that earmarked the collaboration between our Wavelength Award winners, showrunner Ron Nyswaner and star and executive producer Matt Bomer.

When it comes to celebrating the collaboration of Ron Nyswaner and Matt Bomer, I have to acknowledge how both of them influenced me long before I came onto “Fellow Travelers.” Their work on both sides of the camera has permeated in the same way.

Ron’s writing has always been so significant to me because of his ability to provocatively Trojan-horse brutal truths with tender, human experiences and romances. And this has sculpted my understanding of how to be and how to love. Matt Bomer is someone who visibly made me understand what was possible as I grew up in a world where it seemed that being an out gay actor wasn’t going to be an easy task. There he was — brilliant and visible, a lighthouse.

Now, to see the two of them come together and shine so bright in and around the work of “Fellow Travelers” and to understand the journey it took them both to get to this place, is remarkable. They really are warriors in the same way as Tim and Hawk.

When I first spoke to Ron, he said to me, “This project has been 10 years in the making. It might be my life’s work.” And I replied to him, “Well, whoever you invite to play Tim or any of these characters, it will be their life’s work as well.”

With Matt, we started in Gold Struck Coffee on Cumberland Avenue (the jokes write themselves). The two of us had an hour-long conversation about how we felt, our apprehensions, the opportunity, and the thrill we felt seeing the stories of Tim and Hawk on the page. He led the whole company of actors with such elegant grace and intelligence. He’s a force for good on set and a brilliant friend.

It has been extraordinary to see the work of “Fellow Travelers” celebrated, and that is a reflection of so many people in so many different capacities, but all of whom are being led by these two amazing people, Matt and Ron. And as a society, as a community, and as people who love television, we should always be grateful to them.

Source

[vro0m]

Ok I have one. Explain to me a very basic, level 1 concept of F1. Like. The most simple way. Everyone should know this but I don't.

Hi Sae 💕 I set out to explain simply a very basic level 1 concept of F1 and ended up writing you an essay, I hope you don't mind. I can't help myself but infodump.

If you ask people what's most important in F1, chances are they'll tell you about the cars, the engines, the aerodynamics, the driver's talent but I'm here to argue that some of the most decisive and/or exciting moments the sport has given us to see were down to : relationships.

You always, always have to do better than your teammate (an unnecessarily long essay by vro0m)

I wanna preface this by saying I'm unfortunately missing a chunk of good examples because although I've been, as most of you know, watching Lewis' entire career from the start I've not yet seen 2016-2018 but it doesn't matter.

Introduction :

As you know, F1 is made of 10 teams, and each team has 2 drivers. It also awards 2 titles per season. One is the World Constructors' Championship, hereby referred to as WCC, that is won by a team, as per the points both of their drivers earned combined. The other one is the World Drivers' Championship, hereby referred to as WDC, which, as the name suggests, is awarded to the driver who's won the most points over the season.

This unique feature creates one of the most complicated networks of relationships in the world of sports, because each team wants the most points aka for both their drivers to do well VS. each driver wants to do better than his teammate. They have to work together to help the team, but they have to work against one another to help themselves.

It's a recipe for angst and drama, and god knows we love it.

It's also very much a key feature of the sport, and you can find examples of it influencing the way events unfold in all eras, although I will focus only on the years I have myself seen.

Teammates, rivalries, and egos :

Take the very famous Multi-21 drama. Mark Webber joins the young Red Bull Racing team in 2007. His teammate is David Coulthard, a veteran who's soon to retire. Webber was a midfield driver, who got his hands on a new, midfield team seat and must have thought he was set for life. Who knows, the team might even get better? But in 2009 the stars align and shine not on him but on young, golden-haired Sebastian Vettel, his new teammate, who ran into him once before in 2007 during his first season, after what Webber called him "a kid" and blamed his lack of experience.

Indeed Sebastian is a decade younger, brazen and moving through the ranks about as fast as the rocketship RBR has suddenly managed to put together. It's his third year in F1, against Webber's eighth, and he finishes 2nd in the WDC, not one, but two ranks ahead of him.

In 2010, they collide again during the Turkish GP, while Webber is in the lead and Vettel tries to overtake him, sparking controversy over the team's management of the drivers. Webber finished 3rd and Seb had to retire from the race. But it didn't matter in the end, because that year, he won his first WDC, and RBR won their first WCC. And then again in 2011. And then again in 2012. The blond kid turns out to be the golden goose.

And Webber is pissed. Because as a driver, when your team puts together a winning car, you don't have a good excuse for not winning the title anymore. All there is to it is that he's not as good as his teammate, and that's the worst thing a driver can be in F1. You always, always have to do better than your teammate. Even when your team is last. Why? Because you're in the same car. Your teammate is the gauge of your actual driving skills. If you end up behind another team's driver, you can always say his car was better. There's no hiding your shortcomings when it's your teammate. Even less so when the spotlights are shining on you.

So what does he do? Work his ass off? Train? Study the car better? No. He blames management. Right from 2010, as soon as he realised who he was up against, even though he was leading for most of the season, he claims RBR is giving Seb the preferential treatment.

Team principals :

See, that's the third angle of that love/hate triangle. Driver-driver-team principal.

If you're a team principal, your drivers are a constant headache because chances are they fucking hate each other. Might or might not be okay off track, but as soon as they sit their asses in the cars, they most probably hate each other. And the more your team wins, the more they hate each other! Backmarker teams usually have rather minimal internal drama because what are you fighting about? P19? But when you start winning... boy oh boy.

Because that's the whole point, right? You're more or less happy to be a team player when there's not much on the line for you (although as stated earlier, you still wanna finish ahead of your teammate). But when you're in a winning car??? That might be your only chance to win a WDC in your whole life. Better seize it. Better fucking win. Better run your teammate off the track as you do it because he now also has a winning car.

Back to the team principal. You don't care which one of your drivers finishes first, as long as your team finishes first. You know what doesn't help teams finish first? Drivers crashing into each other while racing for the win, like Webber and Vettel in 2010.

Enter team orders.

Team orders... or not :

Team orders are exactly what they sound like : the team is ordering their drivers to act a certain way, whether they like it or not, because the team is looking out for the team and the drivers are looking out for themselves. It's the team being a stern parent and getting a grip on its rowdy children. No more games. Now you sit down and obey. Now you're also looking out for the team. After all, we're paying you.

Team orders are controversial, because nowadays when a team is good, a team is usually dominating. Hence there's no real racing at the front, the dominating team's drivers finish first and second most of the time. So if you don't let them race, and they have no real competition, then there's really nothing to watch, and it gets boring. Team orders are also controversial because it doesn't give the other driver a chance.

That same year, Lewis Hamilton joins a then "best of the rest" team. Upper midfield, if you will. Lewis and his new teammate, Nico Rosberg, are childhood karting friends who are finally living their shared dream of being F1 teammates. And Mercedes takes a different path. A risky path. They decide that their drivers can race each other. They claim it pushes them to do better. Rivalries drive people, right? As much as your teammate is a gauge, he's a benchmark. You always, always have to do better than your teammate.

But you don't give a shit, you're a team principal. Doesn't matter in which order your cars arrive. As far as you're concerned, your cars are first, out of all the other teams' cars. So you give team orders. You protect your 1-2 finish. Better believe Horner was fucking pissed when his drivers crashed in 2010.

(Now, not always. Not all the teams. There was a time Mercedes let their drivers race for real, for real. We'll get to it.)

RBR tried it the stern parent way. It doesn't always work though. Malaysia 2013. Mark Webber is leading the race. Sebastian Vettel is second. They have about 10 seconds on the Mercedes, there's no threat on the horizon. "Multi-21," they are told. That's team orders for you guys are finishing in that order. That's stern parent for fall in line and bring home the 1-2. Webber is obedient, of course, he's in the lead. His goal aligns with the team's goal. But Seb is a brat, and his goal is not P2. The tensions have been piling up for several years now. While his elder relaxes in the lead, reassured by the team orders, Seb doubles down, attacks, and overtakes him for the lead. Fuck your team orders. Fuck Webber. Although he claims the relationship didn't impact his decision, Webber quits F1 at the end of the season.

The team is actually doing really well, finishing 2nd in the WCC. Lewis finishes 4th, Nico 6th. The challenge is set. And in 2014, new regulations, new cars, the racing gods smile down on Mercedes like they did RBR in 2010, and they get a fucking rocketship for the next eight years. We're in a dominating situation, mostly. They had some competition, but most of the fighting was, in the end, infighting. It's the brocedes era. The most brilliant example of the complexities of F1 team relationships.

At first, it's exhilarating, racing each other at the front. But it's like Icarus and the sun, you cannot lose sight of the goal. Because you can't win and have a friend. From using engine modes they weren't supposed to use to try to beat each other, to controversial pole positions that might or might not have been won by cheating, Lewis ends up calling an end to their friendship only a third of the way through their second season together. And then, it's Mercedes' version of the 2010 RBR drama : Nico collides with Lewis, costing the team the 1-2. Turns out all the F1 roads lead to drama.

Lewis wins in 2014. Mercedes wins in 2014. Lewis wins in 2015. Mercedes wins in 2015. Nico wins in 2016. Mercedes wins in 2016. But Nico is so frayed by the rivalry, he quits. Just like Webber.

Now what? Mercedes tried it the other way and they got the same results RBR did. Many wins, and one driver short.

Toto Wolff hires Valtteri Bottas. And Bottas is the final example of F1 relationships because he's the sacrificial lamb on the altar of Lewis' career. It's the last concept we'll talk about today : first and second drivers.

First and second drivers :

See the last, and arguably most common, solution to the thorny team VS. teammate problem is to have, more or less explicitly, but mostly less, a first and a second driver. Which means, as a team principal, your order of priorities goes team > driver 1 > driver 2. It simplifies things for you because you don't have to juggle your drivers, favouring one over the other and then the other over the one, to keep them both happy and obedient and not crashing into each other, like Mercedes had to at some point to try to tame the intra-team war the Lewis-Nico situation quickly evolved into. They thought they had a spark, they ended up with a forest fire.

But does it, really, simplify things? No. Because you always, always have to do better than your teammate. No driver is in it for the team. They're all in it for themselves. They put up with the team because they have to. If the team doesn't support them, well... Why would they support the team? And that's why they end up ignoring team orders. See, although Webber did it (as long as he was in the lead, anyway) most drivers will not ever admit to being a second driver. Think Perez pretending RBR supports his fight for the title. Why? Well my friend, because you always, always have to do better than your teammate. They will never admit that the whole team decided that their teammate is the one they should back, at their own cost.

And that's just another source of resentment, right? They hate the team for not backing them up, and they hate their teammate because he's better. On top of it, they can't vent openly about it because it would be admitting that they're the second choice. So amp up team radio drama and internal problems shushed behind closed doors.

Now that's not what Valtteri did, actually, surprisingly. Valtteri thought he had a chance, but he didn't. First of all because Lewis is practically untouchable as I mentioned in another essay, but also because his seat was built on the ashes of Nico's. There was no way they were letting the situation get that out of hand again. Enough with the permissive parenting. Turns out Mercedes is not the fun dad after all.

Valtteri is good. But Lewis is great. Valtteri doesn't have the kind of record sheet Lewis does. Choosing a first and a second driver is not so much a thought-through decision than common sense. Mercedes' management most probably didn't sit down at a table and write it down. It just... was. Valtteri never got close to winning the title. And I know I've said it before but it's truly a wonder he didn't start hating Lewis for it. For being the second driver. Oh it did damage, don't get me wrong, but most drivers externalise such things rather than internalise them like he did. But eventually you can only sacrifice yourself for so long. Again, none of them are in it for the team. Valtteri was a perfect second driver, he obeyed, he didn't create drama, and he pushed himself to the point of exhaustion trying to catch up to Lewis to beat him the right way. Some people might argue he's not selfish enough for F1. I'll argue at least he's a decent human being. It might even have worked with a different teammate, but it was Lewis.

So he left. Now he's not stepping on podiums anymore but he is better than his teammate. And you always, always have to do better than your teammate.

[duckprintspress]

10 Books for Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day!

May 24th is Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day, so make sure to say hi to your pan friends before they’re invisible again! We’re celebrating with (shock) book recommendations! Explicit pan rep is hard to come by, and in cases where it’s implied, the difference between interpreting a characters as bi versus pan is often down to personal perceptions of the character and the sexuality/romanticisms in questions. With that in mind, we present 10 titles we loved with either explicit or implied pan rep! The contributors to this list are: Nina Waters, Tris Lawrence, boneturtle, E. C., and two anonymous contributors

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries series) by Martha Wells

“As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.”

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

A Fisherman of the Inland Sea by Ursula K. Le Guin

The award-winning stories in A Fisherman of the Inland Sea range from the everyday to the outer limits of experience, where the quantum uncertainties of space and time are resolved only in the depths of the human heart. Astonishing in their diversity and power, they exhibit both the artistry of a major writer at the height of her powers and the humanity of a mature artist confronting the world with her gift of wonder still intact.

Commit to the Kick by Tris Lawrence

For eighteen years, Alaric has lived under the cloying politics of family and his Clan community. His freshman year is supposed to be a chance to explore a world where Clan and his shapeshifting Talent isn’t central to his life. But when his inner bear bursts forth during his first football game, endangering those around him, Alaric realizes that it’s not so easy to ignore his past, or his own internalized anger.

In his quest for anger management, Alaric begins to train in taekwondo, and makes new friends in both sports. He finds that he is creating his own small community, where Clan, Mages, other Talents, and even humans come together and build their own found family.

When Alaric receives news that something has happened to his brother Orson, he must return and deal with his Clan and his place in their world. He discovers that old prejudices are still strong between Clan and Mage communities, but that both may be in danger from a creature long thought to be only a legend. Alaric must figure out how to move forward and prevent a war and protect both his home and newly built communities, his found family with him every step of the way. 

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found “the one” and she’s beginning tofeel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.

Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married… and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.

When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love? 

Maneater (Monsters of Moonvale series) by Emily Antoinette

If something ever seems too good to be true, it probably is. That’s how the “friendly” invitation to join a new coven turned into a surprise demon summoning. At least it wasn’t a virgin sacrifice. Then I really would have been screwed—and not in the way they plan for with the succubus they’ve bound. 

When I help free her from the bindings and offer her a ride back to work, things get even weirder. She tells me she wants to see me again. This captivating woman wants to see me—a nerdy witch who spends his free time playing D&D. 

There’s no way she means it. Because that’s definitely too good to be true. Still, there’s no way I can resist the opportunity to spend more time with a goddess like her. 

There’s Magic Between Us by Jillian Maria

A diehard city girl, 16-year-old Lydia Barnes is reluctant to spend a week in her grandma’s small town. But hidden beneath Fairbrooke’s exterior of shoddy diners and empty farms, there’s a forest that calls to her. In it, she meets Eden: blunt, focused, and fascinating. She claims to be hunting fae treasure, and while Lydia laughs it off at first, it quickly becomes obvious that Eden’s not joking-magic is real.

Lydia joins the treasure hunt, thrilled by all the things it offers her. Things like endless places in the forest to explore and a friendship with Eden that threatens to blossom into something more. But even as she throws herself into her new adventure, some questions linger. Why did her mom keep magic a secret? Why do most of the townspeople act like the forest is evil? It seems that, as much as Lydia would like to pretend otherwise, not everything in Fairbrooke is as bright and easy as a new crush…

Fire and Flight (ElfQuest series) by Wendy and Richard Pini

The forest-dwelling elves called the Wolfriders are burnt out of their ancestral home by vengeful humans. Betrayed by cowardly trolls, the elfin band, led by Cutter, Blood of Ten Chiefs, must cross the Burning Waste to find a haven they’ve never seen before. Can the Wolfriders survive? If they do, what surprises await them at Sorrow’s End?

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

This is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted-and still wants-to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself.

Final Draft by Riley Redgate

Laila Piedra doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, and definitely doesn’t sneak into the 21-and-over clubs on the Lower East Side. The only sort of risk Laila enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before graduation, Laila’s number one fan is replaced by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who sees nothing at all special about Laila’s writing.

A growing obsession with gaining Nazarenko’s approval–and fixing her first-ever failing grade–leads to a series of unexpected adventures. Soon Laila is discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, and the beauty of temporary flings and ambiguity. But with her sanity and happiness on the line, Laila must figure out if enduring the unendurable really is the only way to greatness.

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their tiny snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. But as Kyra starts to struggle with her bipolar disorder, Corey’s family moves away. Worried about what might happen in her absence, Corey makes Kyra promise that she’ll stay strong during the long, dark winter.

Then, just days before Corey is to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated–and confused, because Kyra said she wouldn’t hurt herself. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones, saying Kyra’s death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she’s a stranger.

The further Corey investigates–and the more questions she asks–the greater her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets–chilling secrets. Can she piece together the truth about Kyra’s death and survive her visit?

You can also view this list on the shelf on our Goodreads, or visit Bookshop.org and check out this list in our affiliate shop! Note: due to the difficulty of differentiating a pan characters versus a bi character unless which they are is explicitly identified in canon, we have put bi and pan characters on joint lists – so these lists linked are bisexual and/or pansexual character lists.

What are your favorite books with pansexual and panromantic characters?

[fuckyeahelijahwoodfan]

A great interview and lots of photos for ensemble magazine

Adored honorary Kiwi Elijah Woods is excited. His second film with Kiwi director (and husband of Ensemble’s co-founder Rebecca Wadey) Ant Timpson is about to be released and he’s fantasising about the meals he ate in Aotearoa while shooting here last year. 

Unlike the first film they made together (Come to Daddy, an R18 dark, comedy horror filmed on Vancouver Island in 2018), Bookworm brought Elijah back to the filming location he’ll be long associated with.

Part Bigfoot genre movie and part a touching examination of parenthood, it’s a film that combines subject matter close to both Ant’s and Elijah’s heart, this time wrapped up in a wholesome PG rating.

A man of impeccable taste, Elijah has in the past worked with friend, photographer and filmmaker Autumn de Wilde on a Prada campaign, DJs with his friend Zach Cowie under the moniker Wooden Wisdom, and is friends with Kate and Laura Mulleavy of LA fashion brand Rodarte. He’s regarded by many – except perhaps Jared Leto – as one of the nicest people in show business.

Another example of his incredible taste? Early next year Elijah will marry long-term partner Mette-Marie Kongsved, one of the most beautiful (in every sense of the word) human beings we’ve ever met – and the person who named Ensemble.

Elijah and Mette-Marie were friends for several years, before falling in love while making the Sundance award-winning film I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore, which Mette-Marie produced, starring Elijah and Melanie Lynskey. When asked the best thing about the Danish producer, who also worked on Come to Daddy and Bookworm, Elijah brightens. “There's too many to name. She speaks seven languages. She is a bright shining light that makes a huge impression on everyone that she meets. She's very funny. She loves adventure. She loves food as much as I do. We share a lot of the same interests. She loves the Danish hotdog.”

What’s the best meal you've ever eaten?

It's a hard question to answer, but I would probably say it was at Fäviken in Sweden. Mette-Marie and I went there for New Year’s when we’d just started dating. We built our entire trip around eating there; we’d seen a profile on it and the chef, Magnus Nilsson, on Chef's Table. It’s remained one of my favourite meals, both in terms of an experience and the food. It was just totally all encompassing. 

There were a few guest rooms so we opted to stay there and it  was just magical. It was snowing, we drove up, there were these fire pits outside and a gentleman in a beautiful suit came to our car and he's like, ‘Elijah, Mette-Marie welcome.’ We were in the experience from that moment and the meal hadn't even started. 

The meal itself was incredible. And the environment, it was like two tiered. You started the meal downstairs in this one area by a fireplace, and then moved up to this main dining room, in this old rustic, almost barn-like building. It was just magical. 

The meal ended with cigars and cognac in a teepee outside. It was unbelievable. Oh my god. Then there was breakfast the next morning. It was totally magical and insane. That’s hard to top. The restaurant doesn't exist anymore. Magnus stepped down. He has an apple orchard now.

[defectivevillain]

struck by your lightning (idol au)

pairing: kaminari denki x reader 

reader’s pronouns: he/him

You're a reporter working at the red carpet of a national award gala. You've convinced yourself that you're doing just fine. At least, you're doing fine until you interview Kaminari.

notes: since this fic is both a chat fic and a regular fic, the formatting is better over on ao3. but, I wanted to post it here too :P

Against all odds, you’re the agency member selected to serve as a reporter on the red carpet at the biggest gala of the year. There will be musicians, actors, and a plethora of other celebrities in attendance. The very thought of having to interact with those kinds of people makes you extremely nervous. It’s an amazing opportunity, of course. You just hope you can live up to the public’s expectations.

You end up spending the week before the gala drafting interview questions. You’ve decided to lean into a more fun and lighthearted type of interview. No doubt, the guests in attendance will be accosted with all sorts of personal questions throughout the night. You hope it’ll be refreshing for them to get asked noninvasive questions.

As for your attire, you’ve been provided an agency-regulated outfit to wear. It’s a suit- rather luxurious, but nothing too eye-catching. Ultimately, the celebrities will be wearing far more flamboyant and attention-grabbing outfits. You’ll fade into the background, with any luck. Despite that knowledge, however, you’re a bit nervous. You’re not a stranger to being on camera, but the thought of your interviews being posted to Youtube makes you pretty anxious. Unlike live television, platforms like Youtube can immortalize content. Your embarrassing moments will live on forever. You grimace to yourself. No pressure, right?

Amazingly enough, you end up being fine. You get to meet and speak with famous figures like All Might, Shoto, and even Shota Aizawa. The interviews aren’t awkward, somehow. You do notice the celebrities all relax after you ask your first stupid question. They don’t seem to expect things like: “What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?” or “Favorite movie to watch at 3am?” That only makes the interactions all the more pleasant. You even receive murmured words of gratitude from a few of them.

You’re fixing your hair in the reflection of a handheld mirror provided to you when there’s a sudden presence in front of you. Admittedly, you haven’t had much of a break between interviews- the red carpet has been rather busy the entire time. You decide to take advantage of the moment’s respite you’re given. “Sorry, I’m fixing my hair,” you decide to murmur, taking one final look in the mirror before handing it to the assistant standing behind you. “Okay. Hey, how are you?” You look up, only to find yourself staring at Kaminari Denki. The Kaminari Denki- the idol with over thirty million listeners and sold-out concerts across the world. You’re certain that you’re going to fumble your words several times in front of him. It’s not even like you’re a fan of him- you’re just brutally aware of how immensely popular he is.

“I’m good,” Kaminari responds, an easy smile on his face. You take a moment to look him up and down, raising an eyebrow at the sleek white suit he’s wearing. It’s perfectly fitted, unsurprisingly. There’s an expensive watch- likely worth more than your entire salary- on his wrist. “It’s crazy to be here.”

“I’m sure!” You remark, wincing at how your voice sounds. It sounds a bit too much like your fake customer-service voice. You take a deep breath and try to recollect yourself. You’re supposed to be here; you have the experience needed for the situation. “It’s not your first rodeo, though, is it?”

“Nope,” Kaminari answers, pushing a piece of hair out of his face. Cameras flash around the two of you. Kaminari is certainly used to it. You, on the other hand? Not so much. You’re blinking stars out of your eyes as you try to listen to him. “I was at last year’s gala, too.”

“Lucky you,” you say with a strange mix of sincerity and humor. Thankfully, you’re holding onto a placard, so you aren’t tempted to do anything stupid with your hands like shooting finger-guns at him. “Hey, what’s your best tip for not making a complete fool of yourself on the red carpet? I’m asking for a friend, definitely not for myself.”

Kaminari laughs at that. “You’re doing just fine, don’t worry!” He’s just as cheerful in person as he is depicted online. Well, it appears the Internet is sometimes right about things, you think to yourself. Kaminari squints for a moment, evidently contemplating what to answer with. “My biggest tip, though… I think I’d just try to remember that everyone here is human. We’re all nervous. Some are just better at hiding it.”

“That’s a pretty good tip, actually,” you acknowledge with a nod. “Alright, well… Do you have anything coming up that you’re looking forward to? I’m sure the audience would love to know.” You lean back towards the camera and wink. Kaminari blinks at you for a few seconds, as if distracted.

“Well, I do have an album coming soon,” the idol starts, a mischievous smirk growing on his face. You can practically feel the paparazzi off to the side waiting with bated breath. “But I can’t share the details.”

“Not even for me?” You put on your best puppy eyes and you swear that, for a moment, Kaminari’s facade cracks. You’re quick to reassure him that you’re just joking, however. “Kidding, of course. That’s great to hear. I’m sure your fans will be pleased. Maybe I’ll give it a listen.”

“You will?” The idol seems pretty surprised and you’re not sure why. It’s not like the offer is tedious or taxing. It would be easy enough- you listen to music a lot throughout your days.

“Sure,” you shrug, suddenly feeling a little flustered. “You’ve been very kind. You’re pretty cool and down-to-earth, too.” You’re sure that your expression may be falling a little far away from professional respect, but you can’t quite control it. Kaminari is just so easy to talk to.

“Thanks.” You’re not sure what else to say- especially when faced with his insistent gaze- so you look down at your placard for any last-minute questions you can throw in. Your eye catches on the one stupid question you wrote down and you huff a laugh.

“Okay, so… one last question,” you say to the idol. Thankfully, Kaminari doesn’t seem annoyed at the prospect. He seems pretty easygoing, all things considered. His agreeableness makes your job much easier, admittedly. “Pancakes or waffles?”

“Pancakes, one hundred percent,” You gasp in mock offense and place a hand over your heart. Kaminari crosses his arms over his chest and rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “I see you prefer waffles. Can’t imagine why.”

“Waffles are fu- freakin’ amazing, excuse you,” you say, only slightly fumbling in your attempt to censor your cussing. The idol notices and grins. “Do pancakes have pockets? Didn’t think so.” You smile smugly. Kaminari looks entirely indignant at the thought.

“So?” Kaminari asks. “Pancakes can just as easily have syrup and toppings-” Before the idol can finish his sentence, someone places a hand on his shoulder and whispers in his ear. Kaminari nods and then turns back to you, an apologetic expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, I have to get moving,” he frowns, as if genuinely bothered by the idea of ending the conversation. You immediately shake your head to reassure him that he doesn’t need to apologize. If anything, you should be the one apologizing.

“Sorry for keeping you,” you grimace, taking a moment’s glance around your immediate area. It’s as if your surroundings are crashing back down on you and you begin to realize the scale of the entire event. It was easy to forget when faced with Kaminari’s intent gaze.  “Thanks for the interview.”

“Of course,” Kaminari responds, looking frighteningly sincere. There’s an unreadable expression on his face as he stares at you, apparently incapable of tearing his eyes away from you. Eventually, there’s someone at his shoulder again and the idol nods. He turns back to you. “Love ya.” Kaminari grins and winks.

“Love ya,” you respond habitually. The idol then walks away, evidently on to the next media outlet or celebrity. You wait a few moments before turning back to the camera and putting your head in your hands. The placard slips to the ground and, in your embarrassment, you don’t even notice. You’re too busy imagining the angry Tweets from Kaminari fans. Ugh.

Against all odds, you manage to get rid of your unease and go through the motions throughout the rest of the night. Thankfully, you’re only working the red carpet- not the whole event itself. So, instead of going into the rather fancy event hall, you can traipse back home and wallow in your embarrassment and humiliation.

When you get home, you make yourself dinner and have a bit of dessert for surviving that red carpet unscathed [well, your pride isn’t unscathed, but that’s a different story.] You’re dreading the media attention you might have received, but ultimately, you decide to open Twitter anyway. Kaminari is trending, unsurprisingly. However, it seems there’s another tag trending: #Reporter. Dread coils in your chest and you click on the tag before scrolling down to the first Tweet.

______________________________________________________________

angie | @kamisimpsimp

a valid reaction to kaminari, tbh

[reporter.gif]: A GIF of you turning to look at the camera and putting your head in your hands.

2.8k comments | 114k retweets | 498k likes

______________________________________________________________

Heart racing, you scroll down to the next Tweet.

______________________________________________________________

surprised pikachu face | @kamipikakami

guys i think i might have to side with the reporter on this one… waffles are absolutely better than pancakes

1k comments | 230k retweets | likes

____

jj | @dendendenki

In response to @kamipikakami

are you fucking WRONG

207 comments | 49k retweets |107k likes

____

surprised pikachu face | @kamipikakami

In response to @dendendenki

#TeamWaffles

24 comments |2.4k retweets | 8.9k likes

______________________________________________________________

no. 1 kaminari stan | @narinaridenkki

Kaminari seemed rly comfortable,,, thx reporter-chan for taking care of him 🙏

80 comments | 6.9k retweets |43k likes

____

alex | @kaminarunaronari

In response to @narinaridenkki

“reporter-chan” 💀

2 comments | 8 retweets |23 likes

______________________________________________________________

Well, those aren’t so bad. You were expecting far worse, honestly. You continue to scroll- which, in hindsight, is your fatal mistake.

______________________________________________________________

stream lightning by kaminari! | @heyheyh3y

okay but is it just me or was there some tension there…

[interview.jpg]: A screenshot of Kaminari standing next to you during the interview.

657 comments | 34k retweets | 107k likes

____

just thinking abt kaminari | @denk1kam1nar1

In response to @heyheyh3y

kaminari looked whipped fr

14 comments | 673 retweets | 1.3k likes

____

stream lightning by kaminari! | @heyheyh3y

In response to @denk1kam1nar1

RIGHT ?? mf glanced over his shoulder at the reporter as he walked away…

8 comments | 201 retweets | 877 likes

____

just thinking abt kaminari | @denk1kam1nar1

In response to @heyheyh3y

kaminari seemed flustered when the reporter winked, too 😭

0 comments | 4 retweets | 60 likes

______________________________________________________________

i said what i said. | @urfavescouldnever

this is why i love kaminari denki- his gay ass is just so immensely relatable.

[kami.gif]: A GIF of Kaminari walking away, but not before turning to look over his shoulder at you once more. His cheeks are ever so slightly pink.

7k comments | 403k retweets | 1.2m likes

____

jj | @dendendenki

In response to @urfavescouldnever

to be fair, i’d be looking back at the reporter too…  he’s hot

409 comments | 3k retweets | 18.2k likes

____

i said what i said. | @urfavescouldnever

In response to @dendendenki

that’s factual

0 comments | 21 retweets | 451 likes

______________________________________________________________

Admittedly, you’d never noticed that Kaminari had looked back at you. It’s not like that means much, though. There could be a million different explanations for that. Perhaps he just wanted to make sure his assistant was walking behind him. Surely that’s it.

Surprisingly enough, people seemed to be well-receiving of your interviewing skills. That’s good, you think to yourself. You certainly hadn’t expected for people to be commenting about your looks- you figured you would slip to the background when standing next to Kaminari.

You think about the Tweets you just scrolled through. Ultimately, you wish they were true- that Kaminari was actually interested in you. That’s nothing more than a desperate hope, though. It was an interview and nothing more.

You drown your doubts in ice cream and watch the rest of the award show. A few of the artists you listen to are in attendance and you’re curious to see if they win anything. Kaminari ends up winning an award and you smile at the ecstatic look on his face. The rest of the event passes rather slowly, as there are frequent commercial breaks. You find your eyes slipping closed more often than not and it doesn’t take long for you to drift off into sleep.

You’re woken by a loud buzz from your phone. You sleepily reach a hand out and grab your phone, turning it on and wincing at the sudden brightness. It seems you slept for a few hours. There’s a notification sitting on your lock screen. You frown and tap it.

______________________________________________________________

Unknown Number: hey, is this the reporter from doublevision?

______________________________________________________________

Immediately, your heart begins to race. Was your number leaked? You don’t remember ever sharing that information, but you could have slipped up somewhere… You’re so preoccupied that your next few responses are subconsciously typed and sent.

______________________________________________________________

You: um..

You: who is this?

Unknown Number: kaminari denki

______________________________________________________________

You can’t resist a disbelieving laugh at that. This asshole woke you up from your much-needed nap… just to pretend to be Kaminari? That’s hilarious. It’s also immensely frustrating, but somehow, you’re feeling generous today and you don’t cuss them out.

You: haha. nice try.

Unknown Number: wdym i’m literally kaminari denki

You: and i’m the mf president

Unknown Number: i’m being serious 😭

You: yeah, me too, dude

You: you def have the wrong number methinks

Unknown Number: i’m actually kaminari dneki//????!?!??!?

You: yeah sure, kaminari dneki 🤨

Unknown Number: shUT UP

Unknown Number: hold on

Unknown Number: you can block me after this if you want

You: why would i do that when i can just block u rn?

Unknown Number: WAIT PLS

Unknown Number: [selfie.jpg]

______________________________________________________________

You frown and squint at the attached photo. Surely enough, it’s Kaminari Denki. He holds a peace sign up to the camera and there’s an easy smile on his face. You’re still not convinced, however. The picture could easily be an older one. This is clearly just a fan trying to mess with you.

You’re almost about to shut your phone off when a glimmer in the picture catches your eye. You zoom in, only to find Kaminari holding the award that he just won a few hours ago. You blink, convinced you’re seeing things. When you look at the photo again, you realize that he’s wearing the white suit from earlier. You’re still a bit unconvinced, so you zoom in on the clock conveniently located in the corner of the shot. 20:35. You glance down at your watch and a shiver rolls down your spine. Sure enough, the time is the same. It appears this is actually Kaminari Denki.

Fuck.

____

chapter 2

[bloomingdayswithyou]

Can I request a jeno x male reader fict 🤭

Melodies of the Stars

Pairing: Jeno x idol!male!reader

Word Count: 903

Warnings: none, just a really cute love story

Author’s note: hello!! Thank you so much for requesting. Since you didn’t give much detail, I jus improvised everything hahah you can give me feedback so the request is to your liking🫶

In the dazzling world of K-pop, where dreams and music intertwine, a rising star named m/n found himself swept away by the mesmerizing aura of NCT's Jeno. With every captivating performance, Jeno's charisma, talent, and charm ignited a flame of admiration within m/n's heart. Little did he know that his feelings were not one-sided, for Jeno, too, had taken notice of the talented male idol. As m/n's popularity soared in the industry, he couldn't help but feel butterflies whenever he thought of Jeno. Their paths had crossed on several occasions at music shows and awards ceremonies, exchanging smiles and polite greetings. But m/n longed for something more than just casual interactions.

One day, fate smiled upon them when both NCT and m/n's group were invited to perform at the same event. The excitement and nervousness were palpable as the event approached. M/n couldn't wait to share the same stage with Jeno, yet he couldn't shake the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. As the day of the event arrived, m/n and his group prepared for their performance, rehearsing their choreography and vocals with precision. But deep down, m/n’s thoughts were consumed by the upcoming encounter with Jeno.

Backstage, as m/n's group waited for their turn to perform, he spotted Jeno in the distance, looking effortlessly handsome as always. Their eyes met briefly, and m/n felt his heart skip a beat. He tried to focus on the upcoming performance, but the anticipation of seeing Jeno up close was undeniable.

Finally, the moment arrived, and m/n's group stepped onto the stage. The cheers of the crowd and the adrenaline coursing through his veins pushed him to give his best performance. As they sang and danced with passion, m/n couldn't help but glance in Jeno's direction from time to time, secretly hoping for a sign that his feelings were reciprocated.

He wasn’t aware that Jeno was watching him with genuine admiration and affection. He was captivated by m/n’s stage presence, talent, and the way he connected with the audience. Jeno had noticed m/n from their previous encounters, but seeing him perform was an entirely different experience – one that solidified his feelings. After m/n's group finished their performance, they returned backstage, breathless and exhilarated. As they caught their breaths, Jeno approached m/n with a bright smile.

"Hey, that was an amazing performance! You guys killed it out there," Jeno praised, his voice filled with sincerity. M/n blushed, feeling both flattered and nervous. "Thank you so much! It means a lot coming from you," he replied, trying to hide the rush of emotions.

Jeno chuckled softly, "I've always admired your talent and passion for music. You're an incredible performer." The words sent shivers down m/n's spine, and he mustered the courage to speak from his heart. “I have to admit, Jeno, I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time. Your talent and charisma are truly awe-inspiring.”

To his surprise, Jeno's smile widened, and his eyes sparkled with joy. "I actually think the same way about you." he confessed. In that magical moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them and their connection. It was a moment neither of them would ever forget, a moment that marked the beginning of something beautiful.

As the night continued, m/n and Jeno spent some time together, talking and laughing as they shared stories about their journeys in the music industry. Their connection deepened, and they found comfort in each other's company. When they had to leave each other’s side, they decided to exchange phone numbers.

From that day on, their relationship blossomed, not just as fellow idols but as partners in love and music. They supported each other's careers, cheering each other on from the sidelines and celebrating each other's successes.

Their fans were overjoyed to witness what seemed like a beautiful friendship, having no clue about what was going on when the cameras were turned off. And so, in the glittering realm of K-pop, two stars found each other, united by their love for music and each other. Their story was a testament to the power of destiny, the magic of mutual affection, and the joy of finding love in unexpected places. As their love story unfolded, m/n and Jeno proved that sometimes, the most extraordinary love stories are the ones written in the stars.

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[justforbooks]

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), also known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, media personality, and actor. His initial fame dates back to 1992 following his guest appearance on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and later on Dre's debut album, The Chronic that same year. Broadus has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States, and 35 million albums worldwide. His accolades include an American Music Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 17 Grammy Award nominations.

Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, Broadus's debut studio album, Doggystyle (1993) was released by Death Row Records and debuted atop the Billboard 200. Selling 800,000 copies in its first week, the album received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the following year and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "What's My Name?" and "Gin and Juice". He was the lead performer on Death Row's soundtrack album for the 1994 short film Murder Was the Case, wherein Broadus made his acting debut. His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), likewise debuted atop the chart and received double platinum certification.

In 1998, he parted ways with Death Row in favor of Master P's No Limit Records, through which he saw largely continued success with his albums Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). He then signed with Priority, Capitol, and EMI Records to release his sixth album Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002), which was further commercially oriented. This effectively continued upon him signing with Geffen Records to release his next three albums: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004), Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006), and Ego Trippin' (2008); the former spawned the single "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), which became his first to peak atop the Billboard Hot 100. He then returned to Priority and Capitol—upon his hiring as chairman of the former label—to release his tenth and eleventh albums, Malice 'n Wonderland (2009) and Doggumentary (2011), both of which saw mild critical and commercial response.

During this time, Broadus starred in films and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg's Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. In 2012, following a trip to Jamaica, Snoop converted to Rastafari and adopted the alias Snoop Lion, under which he released a reggae album, Reincarnated (2013), and a namesake documentary film about his Jamaican experience.

His thirteenth studio album, Bush (2015), was produced entirely by frequent collaborator Pharrell, while his fourteenth studio album, Coolaid (2016), was released the same year as his induction into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. In 2018, Broadus became "a born-again Christian" and released his first gospel album, Bible of Love in March of that year. In November of that year, Broadus was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2022, Broadus acquired Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group (formerly known as eOne Music), and released his nineteenth studio album, BODR (2022)—preceded by the independently-released I Wanna Thank Me (2019) and From tha Streets 2 tha Suites (2021).

The Washington Post, Billboard, and NME have called him a "West Coast icon"; and Press-Telegram, "an icon of gangsta rap". In 2006, Vibe magazine called him "The King of the West Coast". ABC News journalist Paul Donoughue, cited him among the 1990s acts that took hip-hop into the pop music charts. Broadus received the BMI Icon Award in 2011. In 2023, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Broadus popularized the use of -izzle speak particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry. A type of infix, it first found popularity when used by Frankie Smith in his 1981 hit song "Double Dutch Bus". The Guardian's Rob Fitzpatrick has credited his album Doggystyle for proving that rappers "could reinvent themselves", expanding rap's vocabulary, changing hip-hop fashions, and helping introduce a hip-hop genre called G-funk to a new generation. The album has been cited as an influence by rapper Kendrick Lamar, while fellow rappers ScHoolboy Q and Maxo Kream have also cited him as an influence.

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