#i guessed when he was announced to be in the cast that his experience of being loki would give him a great dickish energy for syldor

[andi-o-geyser]

Oh, I cannot fucking wait to see this prick get the dressing down of the century.

[varpusvaras]

I've had a headcanon for a while that Breha and Fox are really into the romance genre - like, in a way that if the book/show/movie is good, they enjoy it as a good piece of media, and otherwise, they read or watch things together and have fun with it. Bail is...not so much into this, as much as he can also enjoy a good piece of media, but the second part of the experience is kind of lost to him.

He will listen to Breha and Fox talk about them and tries to guess what is going on in any given book/show based only on what they tell him.

(If he is actually a bit invested. Shh. No he isn't. No, he's not watching this- alright, fine, you menaces)

So, there's this relatively new show. It started a bit before the war, and gained a lot of popularity then, and when the show was put on hiatus because of the war, the fans were impatiently awaiting for more. The show is about mostly fictional planets and their high-society, royals and nobility.

Breha and Fox watch the part of the show that came out before the war, and make Bail watch with them as well (Bail watches, because they are asking and he wants to spend time with them, and, hey. He likes looking at them when they are happy and joking around). Then, some time after, the show announces that it will be coming back with new episodes!

The episodes start releasing. Breha and Fox watch them, and make Bail watch them as well (no, he isn't invested at all-). One week, there's a new character introduced. A Princess, who is going to become a Queen soon. She is from a very old and rich planet, that does arts and peace and nature. Breha says that it reminds her of Alderaan a bit, perhaps they have taken some inspiration.

One episode, the Princess meets a nobleman, who is very politically idealistic and believes in equity, and is striving for making the galaxy a more peaceful and unified place. The actor is very tall.

Fox jokes that they kinda remind him of Breha and Bail. Breha laughs. Bail squints his eyes at the screen.

The Princess becomes a Queen, while becoming increasingly close with the nobleman. Then, one week, they introduce another new character. A former soldier, who has now returned from the war, and the Queen and the nobleman meet him when they are in an event, discussing how to make more peaceful solutions.

Bail frowns at the screen. The actor is not a clone, but looks very much like one, with his tanned skin and dark, curly hair.

Fox looks at the character as well.

"Oh", he says.

"Oh", Breha says as well. "I do think...that they have taken inspiration from close by."

You don't say, Bail thinks.

He's not super stoked about this development, but at least the two other actors do not resemble him and Breha too much. He can...sort of understand the choice of casting someone who looks kind of like the clones into the role of the soldier. It's commentary. Easy to understand. It's....fine. They are just drawing inspiration from their overall dynamic, nothing more. There's nothing else that seems too recent.

Then Bail goes for work to Coruscant, and gives statements regarding his views on the clone rights, the war, and his relationship with the clones and how, even though he cannot claim himself to be a part of their culture, he and Breha and Alderaan as a whole have tied themselves into it and consider it to be a part of their culture as well.

It's a good statement. Bail is proud of it and the reaction it causes. The way Fox and Breha look at him after is the best reward he could possibly ask for.

Then, a few weeks later, a new episode comes out. The nobleman gives a speech about the war and cultures and how he relates to them. It's very much the statement Bail gave, but just reworded to fit the world of the show.

Oh, Bail thinks. Oh, it is on.

Bail decides to have his own fun. He starts to make very showy gestures to Breha and Fox in public. They know immediately what he is doing, and go along with it.

Some of the things he did end up in the show. Bail can deduce from what those things are when whoever it is who is gathering material is present.

Bail knows the press. He knows how they dress, he knows how they operate. Once he knows where to look, it is very easy to spot them.

It's a rare occasion that both Breha and Fox are accompanying him to Coruscant. Bail is playing it up, until he notices the person who is very much not press but who is very much recording and making notes, when Bail is not even saying anything to any of the people surrounding them.

Bail turns to look straight towards the camera.

He person holding it stiffens, but doesn't turn away instantly. Not so easily intimidated, then. Bail can respect that at least.

Bail continues to stare at the camera, not saying anything. Just staring. Fox and Breha have caught on to what he is doing by then, and they are trying their best not to burst out laughing.

Bail continues to stare at the camera. He has stared down bounty hunters, separatists, assassins, the sith. He can do this all day.

Finally, the camera turns away. Bail smiles, and clims into their speeder with Breha and Fox.

As soon as the doors are closed and the speeder starts moving, Breha and Fox lose it. They cannot stop laughing the whole way, and are barely able to contain it once they arrive to the Senate.

Unsurprisingly, at least for some, the plotline of the three characters in the show starts to steer to entirely new directions in the very next episode.

[adrealucia]

enemies to lovers with sean? 🫶🫶

I am going to be really honest this was fucking hard. I love enemies to lovers but it is so difficult to really bring out the tension in a short drabble like this. But still thank you so so much for the req and I hope you like what I did here :)

Canvas of Conflicts

The sun hung low over the Seattle skyline, casting long shadows through the windows of the art department at Blackwell University. Sean Diaz stood in front of a large canvas, his hands stained with a mix of acrylics. He was deep in his zone, creating a piece that blended surrealism with street art—a signature of his evolving style.

Across the room, you sat hunched over your laptop, typing furiously. Your focus was on an in-depth analysis of Baroque art for your Art History presentation. The sharp clacking of keys was the only sound that could rival the scratch of Sean's brush on the canvas.

The class was a melting pot of creative minds, and your professor often encouraged debates. But when it came to you and Sean, these debates often turned into heated arguments.

“Diaz, you can't just slap some paint on a canvas and call it art,” you snapped, glancing up from your screen. “There's no substance, no historical context!”

Sean paused, turning to face you with a smirk. “And you can't just analyze art to death, Y/N. Sometimes it's about feeling, not just thinking.”

The tension between you two was palpable, sparking almost every class. It wasn't just a clash of specializations—it was personal. You both carried an undercurrent of competition that bled into every interaction, whether it was a classroom debate or a chance encounter at a campus party.

One evening, the head of the department, Professor Henderson, called both of you into her office. Her stern expression was enough to make you both fall silent.

“I’m assigning you two to work together on the upcoming art exhibition,” she announced, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Your task is to combine your skills—Sean’s fine art and Y/N’s historical analysis—to create a cohesive presentation. I expect nothing less than excellence.”

The news hit like a bombshell. As you exited her office, you and Sean exchanged a look of mutual disbelief and dread.

“Great,” Sean muttered sarcastically. “Just what I needed.”

“Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” you replied, rolling your eyes.

The next few days were filled with awkward meetings and forced politeness as you brainstormed ideas. It was clear neither of you were thrilled about the partnership. However, as the deadline loomed, the gravity of the task began to sink in.

One late night in the studio, surrounded by sketches and notes, a breakthrough finally came. Sean was experimenting with a new technique, layering colors in a way that seemed chaotic yet intentional. You watched, intrigued despite yourself.

“Try using a bit of chiaroscuro,” you suggested cautiously, stepping closer. “It might help highlight the depth.”

To your surprise, Sean didn’t snap back. Instead, he nodded, adding a darker hue to the canvas. The effect was immediate, adding a new dimension to his work.

“Not bad, Y/N,” he admitted, a hint of admiration in his voice.

You smiled slightly, feeling the ice between you begin to thaw. “Thanks. And I have to admit, your work has a certain raw energy that’s hard to ignore.”

As nights turned into early mornings, the studio became a place of shared ideas and mutual respect. You found yourself laughing at Sean’s jokes, and he began to listen to your critiques without defensiveness. The friction that once defined your interactions gave way to a synergy that neither of you had anticipated.

One night, as you both sat on the floor amidst scattered sketches, Sean handed you a cup of coffee. “You know, I’ve been thinking,” he said, his tone unusually serious. “Maybe we’re not so different after all. We both want to understand art, just in our own ways.”

You nodded, meeting his gaze. “Yeah, I guess we do. And maybe… just maybe, we can learn from each other.”

The final days before the exhibition were a blur of activity. You and Sean worked tirelessly, fine-tuning every detail. The end result was a stunning fusion of artistic expression and historical context, each element enhancing the other.

On the night of the exhibition, as you stood side by side in front of your collaborative masterpiece, the applause from the crowd felt like a distant echo. You turned to Sean, your heart pounding.

“We did it,” you whispered, a smile spreading across your face.

Sean’s eyes softened as he looked at you. “Yeah, we did.”

In that moment, the competitive tension that had defined your relationship melted away, replaced by something warmer, something more profound. As the evening wore on, you found yourselves gravitating closer, the unspoken feelings finally surfacing.

Later, as you walked together under the soft glow of the campus lights, Sean reached for your hand. “You know, Y/N, I’ve grown to really appreciate your perspective. And… well, I’ve grown to appreciate you.”

You squeezed his hand, your heart swelling with affection. “Same here, Sean.”

And as the night enveloped you both, the journey from rivals to partners, and finally to something more, felt like the most beautiful piece of art either of you had ever created.

[jomiddlemarch]

I loved and guessed at you, you construed me

It was not that he was waiting for her as much as that he was most often in the faculty sitting room at this hour and so was she and the staff knew to leave out a full tea service and also a magically chilled bottle of very dry amontillado, the color of her eyes. And then to tell anyone else that the room was occupied and that they were not to be disturbed.

It wasn’t that he was waiting for her, but he did look up when she came into the room, letting the ancient, rare and precious book he held slip out of his hand, an instinctive, wandless spell keeping it from clattering onto the floor.

“You cut your hair,” Draco said. 

Any pretense to eloquence, savoir-faire, or intellectual rigor associated with achieving his Potions Mastery and Mwandamizi kemia had been decimated by the four words, uttered in a tone of complete shock, which given his Pureblood upbringing meant flat, with a hint of scorn. He had spent the past twelve years working to convince Hermione he wasn’t that man anymore, the one who would have meant the scorn, the fault-finding appraisal, cold and superior and not terribly clever underneath it all.

(The one he’d felt doomed to become before the chandelier fell in his family’s ballroom. Before she’d testified to keep him out of Azkaban. Before she’d returned his formal letter of apology with a brief addendum You were a child, Draco an absolution he didn’t deserve.)

Blaise always said he was his own worst enemy. Theo always nodded and offered a glass of single malt Scotch. Neville always shrugged and tried to reassure Draco, meandering through some nonsense about how they’d all had to grow up too soon, let down by the adults, forced to experience trauma that they’d been lucky to survive and a plate of buttered toast would soon set him to rights.

Luna changed the subject and talked about some possibly fictional chimerical creature to take his mind off his shortcomings. It never worked but he appreciated her effort and consistency.

“I suppose that’s better than ‘Bloody hell.’ And “Holy fucking Christ.’ Harry reverts to Muggle obscenity when he’s really surprised,” Hermione replied. “You only told me what I already know, as I didn’t accidentally fall into a Mongolian silver scissor-bush.”

“Is that a thing?” Draco asked. 

He had to keep talking but there was a lot to take in, the startlingly gorgeous line of her bare neck, the angle of her jaw, how her eyes looked enormous, luminous. How her chestnut hair was swept across her brow and came to a delicate little point on the nape of her neck, all these hidden aspects suddenly marvels revealed. Suddenly, astonishingly breath-taking and erotic and also heart-breaking, because he’d wanted so to run his fingers through her loose hair, to stand behind her and draw a brush through her curls. Watching her eyes get drowsy in the dressing-table’s looking-glass, resting a hand on her bare shoulder and feeling the tickling silk of her hair. He’d wanted to cast the spell that ended the charm securing her chignon, to pull out the jeweled pins she used to keep her braids in the coronet around her head. 

“No. It sounds like something Luna would mention though,” Hermione shrugged. It was as if he’d never seen the gesture before.

“It’s a lot to take in,” he said.

“It’s actually not. It’s both literally and figuratively not,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Snape being a double-agent in love with Harry’s mum was a lot to take in. Any Sunday lunch at Molly Weasley’s table is a lot to take in. War and Peace in the original Russian without a translation charm is a lot to take in. I took off a few inches—”

“A few inches?”

“Fine, I got the first professional, Muggle, haircut of my adult life because I was fed up with my hair and charms and Sleekeezy and glamours, so many glamours, and you would think I have announced I am Grindelwald’s secret lovechild,” she said in a tone of complete exasperation, pursing her lips in a matching moué he felt an impossible urge to kiss very thoroughly and until she was gasping his name. 

He was fairly certain that action would not be requited, not now, and potentially not ever.

But definitely not now.

She was now almost glaring at him, waiting for a response.

If this was ever to become something beyond hopeless pining, if he were ever to be allowed to call her sweetheart and coax her back to bed, he couldn’t get the next part wrong.

“Are you happy with it?” he said. It was a gamble, saying anything would have been a gamble, but there was a chance he’d gotten it right.

He’d surprised her, that he could tell instantly, though her face changed very subtly. It meant no one else who’d seen her had asked and considered she might be. No one else had thought about why she’d done it, only what they thought of it. Evidently, both Weasley and Potter had indicated a negative response, Weasley likely driven by his own unrealized Pureblood upbringing, where all witches wanted the long hair associated with power and Potter never wanted her to be anything other than she’d been in their youth, when her unruly hair was her most obvious signifier.

“Yes, I think I am,” she said. 

“That’s good. That’s what matters,” he said. He was supposed to reference the book he’d been reading or follow-up on their most recent conversation about geopolitics or whether Chopin was a Squib or at the very least offer her something to drink, the tea first and then, when she demurred, the sherry. But all of those would require him to look away from her and he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Not quite yet.

“I ought to have done it a long time ago,” she said. She spoke without her usual forthright confidence, but also without any of the regret the statement might have implied. She sounded hesitant, as if she wanted something from him she felt she shouldn’t. Or shouldn’t ask for.

It was tempting to make some sort of declaration, offer reassurance or an argument. But he’d gotten this far by asking her a question.

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know. It would have been a way to move on. Grow up. Make my life easier, decide it for myself,” she said. She was watching him very closely as she spoke. She liked that he’d asked, though she wasn’t smiling. “It wouldn’t have been grief or some kind of, I don’t know, unhinged trauma response.”

It would very much have been a response to the colossal trauma she’d experienced if she’d hacked it all off after being tortured, and it wouldn’t have been unhinged when one considered the myriad extremely risky alternatives she might have chosen, but Draco wasn’t about to ruin everything. Even as his own worst enemy, he could keep from doing that.

“It could have been just something you do when you’re in your twenties, trying something out. Like, going to the Maldives or studying Norn. Learning earth magic from tribal elders in Namib.”

“Only you would saying learning earth magic in Namib is something you do in your twenties,” Draco said wryly. “Most people just go to the pub and fret a lot.”

“You didn’t,” she said.

“I think it’s well established I’m not most people,” he said.

“No. You’re not. You’re the only person who didn’t tell me cutting my hair was a terrible mistake,” she said. “As if it could even remotely compare to the other terrible mistakes I’ve made.”

“It’s not a terrible mistake,” he said. “And you’re the person I know best whose made the fewest terrible mistakes in her life and we can sit here drinking sherry talking about it because of it.”

“My parents wouldn’t agree,” she said.

“Neither would mine. I wonder how people grow up when they don’t have to discover their parents were deeply, entirely wrong about something absolutely crucial to survival,” Draco said.

“We could ask Blaise Zabini,” Hermione said after very clearly Thinking About It, a little crease appearing between her eyebrows.

“Too risky,” Draco replied. “It’s only the husbands people talk about but people have a way of disappearing when they ask questions about his mother.”

“No one would comment on her haircut,” Hermione said wistfully. “What a bloody icon.”

Draco laughed, startled.

“You’re enchanting,” he blurted out. Stupid, gauche, impulsive—he could go on (and on) about how ill-considered it had been.

“Well, I am a witch,” she said. She did not seem put off. In fact, she smiled at him, a little shyly.  “Goes with the territory—”

“You enchant me. Bewitch me,” he said, throwing caution to the winds. “You don’t want anyone to comment on how you look, so I shouldn’t but you’re exquisite—”

He broke off, fearing he’d broken it all. She was still in the room and he still had all his bits and bobs, when he knew she was a dab hand at wandless curses. It was rather late to decide discretion was the better part of valor, but better late than never.

“I didn’t do it for you,” she said.

“No,” he replied.

“I didn’t do it only for you,” she clarified. “But I was curious to see how you’d react.”

“Did you have a hypothesis? You usually do,” he said.

“Yes. You’ve exceeded it slightly,” she said. There was a gleam in those sherry-brown eyes and when she tilted her head to the side, he understood the vampire’s insatiable lust. 

“I can do better than slightly,” he said, half-dazed with the realization that she was requiting far more than he’d ever imagined. And that she’d imagined his response to seeing her bare neck, had wanted his admiration. He got up from his chair and crossed the room to her, standing close enough to take her in his arms. “I can do a wide margin. Prodigious. Overwhelmingly—”

“I like prodigious,” she said and he leaned in and kissed her parted lips softly, then deeply, one hand at her waist, the other cupping her cheek. The urge to possess her was tremendous, held in check only by an immense and constant tenderness, the moon that could pull the devouring tide back from the shore.

“Can I see overwhelmingly?” she whispered. “For comparison—”

“Of course,” he answered and moved to kiss her neck. He tasted the pulse of her carotid, sucking gently where he wanted to nip her. He moved back up to the hollow behind her ear, grazing her lobe with his tongue, then murmured,

“You cut your hair. I love it.”

[anashins]

hi mina, happy new year! starting off 2023 good through sending u a request!! i dunno if you have done this but can i request idol!jaehyun x actress!reader? but rather than reader who's fangirling over him, it's the other way around. like jh has been watching reader's works, praised her acting n recommends few of her works n stuff on live. so when they get paired tgt for a drama, they make such a cute couple both off and on screen, constantly giving compliments to e/o, etc., the rest is yours to tell!! thank you!!

(this is my manifestation of actor jaehyun to make a comeback in 2023, hopefully 🥲)

Pairing: idol!Jaehyun x actress!reader

Genre: fluff

Word Count: 1k

A/N: HNY, dear! Let's manifest actor!Jaehyun in a romantic role that makes us all swoon 😍

“You did well - J.”

You twisted the card in your hands, inspecting the front and the back, but not much else information had been sent along with the flowers that had waited for you in the dressing room on your last day of shooting. 

It was normal for actors to get flowers and gifts once they finished filming, but you usually knew who sent them - staff, crew, friends, family members. There wasn’t a person in your narrow circle of acquaintances starting with the letter ‘J’ and not having written their full name on the cards except for the mysterious sender of the pink peonies. 

Out of all flowers, they were your favorite ones, that much they knew.

“Do you know who sent them?” you asked your assistant, but she also only shrugged.

“They got brought in with all the other gifts.” She paused and then widened her eyes as though she got hit by a sudden realization. “I bet it’s Jaehyun! How funny would that be?”

You blinked still in confusion. “Who?”

“Jaehyun from NCT. The one you’re shooting your next drama with? The lead? Hello?”

“Ah, you mean Jeong Yuno. I don’t perceive him as the idol he is. Under his real name, he’s only my co-actor.” 

You were only a casual listener to k-pop, but of course you knew NCT. When you had first gotten casted for this new coming of age drama, you were so happy to finally do something that wasn’t targeted to teens only that you didn’t care much about who the lead was, that was how much you trusted the respectful director. When it was announced that Jaehyun from NCT would do his second drama alongside you in this challenging project, you had been initially doubtful. He was an idol, not an actor, and idol dramas had quite the reputation you didn’t want to live up to. You hoped he too.

“I saw his Instagram live yesterday.” Your assistant was a certified fan with her bias being Doyoung. “He recommended your newest release and encouraged his fans to look forward to this one. He’s certainly such a fanboy of yours.”

“... he did?” You looked at the flowers and the card again. “He certainly got a lot of praise for his first drama.”

“I told you so!”

You allowed yourself to smile, getting caught up in a wishful thought that your assistant could be right and the flowers came from him, although you hadn’t even met personally yet. He was indeed very handsome, and from what you had seen, kind and respectful too, certainly a nice lead to act alongside with.

“Are we getting flattered, y/n?” she teased.

“No way!” you defended yourself. “Could be anyone else too. Quite a few celebs recommend my works, it probably has nothing to do with him.”

“Whatever you say, but that’s my guess.”

____

“Jaehyun, how was your experience working alongside y/n for your newest drama? She’s praised as the greatest actress of this generation.”

Jaehyun looked at the interviewer. He had been booked today for a photoshoot and an article with this magazine, of course questions about his latest work were inevitable. 

“She certainly is,” he answered. “She’s been in the industry since she was a child, so she has a lot of experience and could teach me many things since this is my second drama only. We practiced our scenes together a lot, so that the director would be satisfied and not many re-shoots were needed. She’s a capable and helpful co-actress.”

“What was an incident that stuck with you while filming?”

“One day, I came in sick, but we really needed to close this certain scene at the venue. Y/n waited for me with a thick blanket in which she wrapped me once I finished filming so that I wouldn’t be too cold. Aside from being a great actress, y/n is a great person too, always looking out for others.”

Jaehyun knew the last sentence was probably pushing it, but he got a kick out of it, wondering how much of it could make it through the editing process since he had read through the internet as well. Most of his fans were head over heels for such facts that supported their fictional ship. Truth to be told, he hadn’t expected such a positive reception, especially since they had quite a few kissing scenes too. 

“Okay…” The interviewer raised his brow over Jaehyun’s open attitude.  “You once admitted you were a fan of y/n or better say her works, even before shooting the drama. While filming, it was quite obvious that you got along well, not only during your scenes together, but also privately as you constantly talked and joked around. Would you say the fondness you had developed for each other on screen transferred to off screen? Fans would certainly be delighted. They even refer to you as the next Song couple.”

“This is not an appropriate question,” the manager interrupted. “I would ask you to stick to the questions approved beforehand.”

“Yes, but only this additional one… y/n recently got spotted wearing a shirt you once wore as well that wasn’t even produced by the designer anymore and was a bit too large for her. How can you explain this?”

“Please stick to the approved questions,” the manager chided again, obviously ready to throw hands.

“With an occupation in the entertainment industry, not as an idol but now also as an actor, I wouldn’t have so much time for a relationship,” Jaehyun cleared up. “In the future, I would like to continue concentrating on drama roles while simultaneously giving my best to contribute to the group. Please look forward to NCT’s comeback next month.”

“Thank you, Jaehyun.”

____

When Jaehyun had finished his last schedule for the day, he got into the car. It was already dark outside, but he still pulled out his phone to dial a certain number. She picked up right after the first ring.

“Listen…” he began and sighed, “I know you like wearing my clothes. But can you please not pick out one from years ago that people might recognize? They are sharp-eyed.”

She giggled at the other end of the phone. “I’m sorry, it looked so cozy. Are you already on your way?”

“Yes. See you in a few. I brought a gift.”

On the seat next to him, there was a bouquet of pink peonies.

[nalyra-dreaming]

hello! two things

first, ive been hearing that the show was greenlit many months ago and its confusing me? rolin from the way he spoke at comic con and interviews sounded like they had to rush the teaser and have literally nothing written down yet, just ideas and a lot of talking about music. which makes the official announcement legit. of course just in case rolin was already brainstorming as i said. but if they had months i guess now it is the right time to say "hey actually...", you know? season 2 was renewed so early because eventually they explained it was supposed to be one season, but amc told him "make two actually" and they had to rewrite for more episodes (so thats why assad could do the santiago monologue for his audition). and then they told us afterwards. so why dont tell us now they knew a long time ago? it would be the right time. but in the last interview rolin literally said "this is all bullshit (they were talking about what will happen in season 3) because we havent wrote down ANYTHING yet". so i guess they never lied about the show not being greenlit yet... i mean i cant see it, in months they should already have a full on trailer, not a teaser that rolin said was even rushed. its a confusing piece of information...? i guess when they will start shooting in fall it will include the documentary parts, the ones we saw in the teaser felt more like experimenting with season 3 vibes, "a sort of sneek into a POTENTIAL season 3", quoting rolin. and till then they will do all the music and write scripts and do the auditions. if not, it doesnt make sense. with months available they had the chance to do much more...?

second, (more lighthearted), considering this taylor swift situation (sorry im not a swift listener but i heard there is a feud sort of with lestat? lol?) he didnt have to say justin bieber in that teaser... he had to say TAYLOR SWIFT in hindsight (oh, if rolin knew). just imagine... just imagine. i would love a playful feud between fiction and reality. totally fantastic, in the lines of that vulture article. also like the boys' vought international youtube channel and people in the comments going with it. it would have been mindblowingly hilarious.

Hey!

So I think the season was indeed greenlit for months (I know others knew about it), but they were under gag order, because the focus was on the second season, and they didn't want to take away from it. And, given history, the announcement would have overshadowed it. I think it was a good move.

But in order to have music DONE, and a teaser video?! They have been on this for months. I also think they have been casting, and doing chemistry tests and so on in the meantime. That takes time.

I do believe Rolin when he says he has nothing "written" yet - remembering Sam saying they had only two(!) scripts ready when they started shooting season one, it means that Rolin has a LOT in his head that he then churns out.

As per Justin Bieber... I believe that is a play on an article that happened ages ago, where someone confused Anne Rice with Anne Frank, and Justin Bieber visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. I remember that throwing some waves ... back then (cannot believe the site is still up).

But yeah, I think "The Vampire Lestat" will - maybe has already - breached pop culture beyond fiction... if they really release a double album with music that hits like the first single???? We're in for a ride, baby :))))

[hiejindraws]

Key differences between Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu!! and Gekidan Haikyuu!! (+ Review)

Btw don’t ask me for scans of the pamphlet or bromides bc I didn’t buy them. The only merch I bought was a t-shirt and a towel ok BABY’S ON A BUDGET.

• No “hyper projection” and no rotating stage

• Less emphasis on music and dancing, more on acting

• The stage is level and not on an incline. This means the volleyball net could be on wheels and be rolled around on the stage (in fact, most of the set pieces were on wheels)

• No epic opening or closing sequences

• Very few (if any, I don’t remember) musical interludes—really, there was music only during the volleyball matches

• No Seijoh/Oikawa theme music 🥲 or Nekoma theme (for when they’re briefly mentioned in the announcement of the GW training camp)

• More characters! Seijoh actors doubled as Yukigaoka players/all FOUR members of the Karasuno Neighborhood Association, not just Shimada and Takinoue!

• They really fleshed out the Yukigaoka vs. Kitaichi game! Like, Hinata had actual teammates, it wasn’t just him and Kagz 1 v 1 on the court like it was in the first Haisute (although, I guess it wasn’t technically 1 v 1 then either bc Kindaichi and Kunimi were also there)

• They included even more scenes from the series and stayed even truer to the source material. I think leaving out the music and intense dance breaks opened up a lot of room for this

Some callbacks to Engeki:

• Hinata hums the tune to a musical motif from Engeki but I cannot for the life of me remember which one it was even though I JUST saw it today. If I had to guess (bc the scene involved Hinata imitating Kagz), it was Kageyama’s theme from the first Haisute when he whips off his cape and crown.

• Ennoshita (AND Kinoshita AND NARITA!!) do the “SE〜NO” synchronized clap with the audience (and it made me so so SOOOO happy!!)

Review:

Overall, this production seemed less “dramatic” in the sense that the entire performance (the acting, music, and choreo/blocking) felt very subdued compared to its predecessor. There was certainly a different energy in the theater this time around. My blood didn’t get pumping the same way it did when I saw Start of the Giant and The Tokyo Battle in-person. I believe this artistic direction was intentional. I’m just not sure it’s sustainable.

What I always appreciated the most about Engeki was that the stage performances perfectly matched the high levels of energy the anime possessed. In fact, I would argue it brought even MORE energy than the anime did or ever could in large part due to Wada Shunsuke’s memorable musical compositions and HIDALI’s ingenious choreo.

Music and dance have always been core elements of the OG Haisute to the point that each show had it’s own unique opening/closing sequence, each team had it’s own musical and dance motif, and certain reoccurring events had their own identifiable themes (e.g. the starting lineup before any given match). The true magic of Engeki lied in the music and dancing. Obviously, the cast brought their own magic by always giving 150% to their performances, but they were also matching the energy the music brought THROUGH their dancing/acrobatics. It’s all intricately woven together.

OH, not to mention the original production’s partial namesake: the projections! There was always a level of suspended reality when watching Engeki because the light projections literally helped to merge the manga with the stage. They transformed the stage and backdrop into anything and everything the story needed—manga panels, speech bubbles, a sunset, a volleyball net. They also synced with, you guessed it, the MUSIC to give an absolutely outstanding audio-visual experience.

It really hit me hard when I entered the theater to see that it really was… just a regular stage.

That’s why I question if this production (and any future ones they may have planned) is sustainable. Not in the financial sense… but just in the way of retaining interest. It didn’t get me hooked the same way Engeki did, so I don’t think I’m able to give it the same level of enthusiasm. I’m hard-pressed to believe others feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed it. It wasn’t bad. It didn’t take anything away from the series… I’m just not sure it added anything to it, either. Sure, there was music and dancing, but it just paled in comparison to what we were gifted by Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu. Makes me wonder why they would take so many steps back with this production.

All that being said… I’m glad I went. I truly did enjoy myself and the cast put their all into these characters. And if nothing else, I’m glad to have gone in support of Suga Kenta (OG Hinata) in his Haisute directorial debut.

[azuretl]

B-PROJECT

I am honored to announce that I was part of the fantastic localization team that's bringing Ryusei*Fantasia to the west!

With Ryusei*Fantasia announced, I thought I could write a little bit about my experiences with B-PRO and the interesting coincidences that led me to this fantastic franchise. Since I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this blog, and I'm deadly sick still, I might as well do a bit of random writing and talk a bit about the project! Weird rambling under the cut.

So, I actually knew about B-PRO when it was first announced years ago. My sister and I are huge fans of TMR (TM Revolution, aka Takanori Nishikawa) which stemmed from our love for the Sengoku Basara franchise. (I can go on forever about that one... We did cosplays, photoshoots, nightly gaming sessions [we had all the games in Japanese], I wrote fanfics... um yeah. It was...*a time* :P ) We caught wind that TMR was producing a new virtual idol group...and that's when I learned about B-PRO.

I didn't know the boys, but I did know that the music was going to be FIRE... And after seeing images of the characters, they didn't really have a lasting impression (except for Korekuni... At the time, I recognized him as "Kishio Daisuke's character" :'D I'm also a seiyuu fanatic, so...).

(Ahhh...the Daisuke team for KITAKADO...)

Fast forward to a few years later, B-PRO was still in its infancy, and, being the huge seiyuu fan that I am, I listened to a lot of seiyuu music. (I-CHU, Actors franchise, i7, etc. etc...) When just playing a random song list, I ran into some B-PRO music. That's really the extent of what I knew about it... It had a great voice cast and the music is FIRE.

I also found out that Kato Kazuki is voicing in it :O (And then I was certain the music was going to be SOOOO GOOOOD). I'm also a huuuge tenipuri fan (POT head here :'D. Cosplays, fanfics, fanart, dream novels [do people even remember those?] I've done it all.) and naturally, I became a huge Tenimyu fan as well (Prince of Tennis Musicals... I even got a group of friends together to cosplay + reenact some dances from Tenimyu for cosplay contests...and won quite a few of them too ;) ). My favorite Tenimyu cast was the Dream Live 3 group. (I guess they're considered season 2 Seigaku?) with the D-boys and Yanagi Kotaro/Endou Yuya as their Ryouma. (People who don't know Tenimyu, sorry for all the terminology that probably doesn't make sense to you lol... *sweat*) And my favorite school happened to be Hyoutei.

Now, for those who don't know, Kato Kazuki (voice of Aizome) played the captain of Hyoutei's tennis club in the musicals (Atobe Keigo) and he EMBODIED that smug, ore-sama sonuvabitch <3 aura. If you don't know PoT, Atobe is basically Aizome but younger and filthy rich. And naturally, Tenimyu being a musical, meant Kato Kazuki had to sing live... and I fell in LOVE with his voice. He is such an amazing singer! And actor! (I also started watching Kamen Rider Kabuto because of him... he plays one of the Kamen Riders and he is, again, a smug, ore-sama sonuvabitch... I guess he gets typecasted a lot...)

All this is to say, I really really really like Kato Kazuki...as an actor, singer, performer... he excudes sexy and he has so. much. presence. Seeing him working in an idol franchise was pretty refreshing and exciting!

(Side note, Goshi's voice actor- Toyonaga Toshiyuki is also in the Prince of Tennis musical... and he shared the stage with Aizome's voice actor, Kato Kazuki, quite a lot. They also interacted a lot in the backstage behind-the-scenes videos. They're really good friends so... queue my utter surprise when I found out how Goshi and Aizome interact in the stories >>;;;; )

So that was really the extent of my knowledge of B-PRO. Great music, great cast, great character designs. So when I was approached about joining the team, I was very eager to throw my hat into the ring. (PLUS my absolute favorite voice actor, Kakihara Tetsuya is in it... I HAD TO!!!) But boy, oh boy, was I hit with UTTER SURPRISE when I found out how much DRAMA and INTENSITY and STORY the franchise actually has!!!

What I thought might've been "just another idol game" turned out to be so full of drama... It was such a nice, pleasant surprise. I won't go too much into the process and the stories, since you'll all have to play the game to find out! But wow, all the boys were *nothing* like I thought they were at first.

Just for fun, here's what I thought at first vs what I think of them now. (Opinions are my own... and I'm sorry that some of my earlier opinions were...for lack of a better word, *dumb* )

THRIVE:

Goshi Typical bad boy chara -> I would love to have this character as a bigger brother. He's caring and really looks out for his kouhai... How can anyone NOT like him??? He's my second favorite...!

Aizome It's Kato Kazuki...so the typical Ore-sama kei, smug, flirty -> Ore-sama kei, smug, (playfully) flirty, and someone with so, so much depth. I want to be his friend...just to be there for him. He needs Goshi and Ashu more than he thinks. And you'll never convince me that he and Goshi aren't an old married couple that gets into fights literally every two seconds.

Ashu Genki boi #1 -> I remember his scenes very strongly, oddly enough. THRIVE needs him. Aizome and Goshi need him. He may act like a happy-go-lucky boyo with too much energy, but he's the water that helps keep the other Aizome and Goshi flowers alive, whether they realize that or not. He's also a really, really good senpai :')

KITAKORE

Kitakado Prince-kei. It's Ono Daisuke so...guessing we're gonna get something like his Starry Sky counterpart. -> Pretty much that... but he's also sooo silly whenever Korekuni is involved. Has a silly side to him, and a very loving and charming side too. He's a good guy XD and no one can convince me that he's NOT a married couple with Korekuni ._.

Korekuni Kishio Daisuke!!!! The Daisuke combo! Pretty boy. Guess he's snobby? -> I see a lot of myself in him. He's highly professional and demands the same level of professionalism from his peers, though that can come off as strict. He's so much more than his appearance, and he's not afraid to show that.

MooNs

Masunaga (I'M SO SORRY FOR SAYING THIS)I thought he looked...kinda boring...? -> He was one of the characters that I did the most research on because I wanted to grasp his character and who he really is...and when I did, boy... the tears were everywhere. I just want him to be happy. His side story is one that I remember MOST vividly. He's a good leader and a good person and I just really really really want him to be happy.

Onzai KAKKIIIIIII *screams and flails my arms around* I thought I would love him the most because of his voice actor. (I am obsessed with Kakihara Tetsuya) -> *pats his head* You're a good boy. I wish you will love yourself and realize how much everyone loves you ;~; He's more than his pretty looks... and he's very insightful. He really understands his teammates and cares for them deeply.

Osari The last time I heard Morikubo Shotaro voice a genki boy was GET BACKERS. [I KNOW I'M SHOWING MY AGE BY SAYING THAT...] Genki Boi #2. -> The mood-maker and a ray of sunshine. His crazy nicknames almost drove me nuts 8'D but he's such a lovable character. It's impossible to dislike him. I know one of the TLers on the team REALLY likes him and I can understand why!

Nome I love this character design SO MUCH!!! He's so good-looking! -> He's still really good-looking...I love his hair color...his build...his everything. Character-design wise, he's still my favorite. Was funny when I found out he's a gym buff :'D makes sense... He would also make a good big brother to the boys ;u; Though I THINK he has a big brother?? If I remember one of the special events I translated right...

Sekimura I'm usually not a fan of megane-types. He's okay. (I'M SO SORRY FOR SAYING THAT...AND I HATE MYSELF FOR NOT APPRECIATING HIM MORE BEFORE) -> WOW where to start. I want him to be successful. I want him to be happy. He has SO, SO, SO much depth. He deserves SO, SO, SO much. He breaks the usual megane-type trope and he's his own self that stands out SO MUCH. I appreciate him so much for his faithful, loyal support of his friends and I just REALLY want him to be happy. And no one can convince me that he's NOT madly obsessed with Onzai. He'd date him if he got the chance. :P

KiLLER KiNG

First off, before diving into characters, can I say that THESE BOYS ARE THE FURTHEST THING FROM SOMETHING AS EDGY AS "KILLER KING" I expected super edgy boys in this band... ._.;;

Haruhi Genki Boy #3. Ah, I think this will be my favorite genki boy. -> He is not my favorite genki boy :'D He's still great of course!!! But it's funny how that didn't turn out the way I thought it would. He's also a giant ray of sunshine, though a bit selfish, but that's part of his charm. The side story for him though... *Haaah* Haruhi... just...whyyyy... But I really really really liked his backstory. He admits his faults and grows to overcome them and I truly, really respect that.

Yuduki The gloomier of the twins. Lack self-esteem? -> He does lack self-esteem, but he grows from it too. I actually really like Yuduki...I was surprised because I didn't expect that. Again, he's another boy that had way more depth than I imagined. He takes good care of Haruhi, but he's not limited to being Haruhi's shadow. His individual stories away from Haruhi are where he really shines, I think. Go for it, Yuduki! Ganbare!!!

Akane Genki boy #4. -> MUST. PROTECC. AKANEEEE. *HISSSSS* The BIGGEST surprise for me is that Akane became my TOP. FAVORITE. BOY. His background story and his interactions in the special event stories made me empathize with him A LOT. He has INTENSE imposter syndrome and he doesn't know when to stand up for himself...so he needs his friends to help him. And in response, he LOVES his friends and will do anything to help them. He's selfless for his friends but tends to forget to care for himself. I can go ON AND ON but please, please PLEASE check out his backstory when the game comes out!!! That hit me really hard... and it resonated with me a lot. It might not with others, but it really did with me. Akane love. *sob sob sob*

Shingari Ah, it's Egu... Egu? With that kinda character design? I guess he's the silent type then? -> There's more depth than I imagined. I remember his backstory quite well, too, because it showed a more vulnerable side to him, and I came to understand Shingari really well after it. *pats his head* He's a good boy. I hope him success. Don't worry, you'll have your friends and your senpai with you! It's okay to be a bit vulnerable sometimes!

So...that was my evaluation of the characters before and after working on the series. It's okay if you don't agree with my views on the boys, I'm not saying they're the only view and the right view...it's just *my* view, after working on the select parts of the game that I did. It was *amazing* how much my opinions changed. No one was really entirely what I thought they were like...that just shows how much depth the characters really have. They're not bound to just their trope, but there's so much more about them... and I came to appreciate them and the franchise EVEN MORE than ever.

I am so genuinely blessed to have gotten the chance to work on this series and I am so genuinely grateful to PQube and the team that was put together for this title. I can't wait for all of you to play the game and experience this yourself, whether you're new to B-PRO or a veteran fan.

[mantisfriendd]

FNAF MOVIE NOVEL REVIEW

I just finished reading the FNAF movie novel, and id like to give some thoughts on it

This post will contain spoilers for both the FNAF movie and it's novelization! continue at your own risk!

Overall I would say this is a pretty good adaptation of the movie, and it actually provides some additional context for some of the weaker plot points of the movie. A prime example being Aunt Jane's motivation for wanting custody over Abby. In the book there is a trust fund for Abby set up by her grand parents, Jane wants to take this money for herself and sees getting custody of Abby as the ticket to that money.

Some scenes in the book play out much differently then in the film, but generally things end in the same spots as they do in the movie.

being inside the characters heads allows us to get more characterization out of everyone, and for the most part I really like what they did here.

EDIT: The section on Doug is no longer relevant, Scott has announced that book Doug is non cannon, and new prints of the book have entirely rewritten his character, I don't have a newer print so I can't tell what's changed, maybe I'll buy one eventually to see.

The only character who I think is a direct downgrade from the film is unfortunately Doug. In the film Doug comes off as a hapless lawyer who is being held hostage by his client who is clearly in the wrong, and he still comes off like that in the book but with a clear difference. In the film we feel sorry for him, clearly he's not a bad guy, he's caught up in something he doesn't want to be in. In the book he is barely spoken about, and when he is described he is described as being spaced out and nearly catatonic. Other then not wanting to be there his only other trait in the book is being a creep. The Sparky's Diner scene is seen from Max's perspective in the book, and we get some amazing characterization from her, expressing her discomfort with the entire meeting with Jane and the plan her brother hatches. At some point in the scene she catches Doug staring at her breasts. (sidenote I think this might be the only time the word "breasts" appears in any FNAF book, just a strange inclusion for a series about murder pizza bears)

This is strange characterization for a fan favorite character in the original film, and nothing in the film would lead you to expect this kind of thing from him.

Sidenote here in the book Ness (Matpat's character) is said to be the son of the owner of Sparky's and the book describes him as an "Auburn-haired teen" which is a funny thing to call a man in his 30s.

Minor nitpick aside I think both the movie and the film are acceptable ways to experience the plot, some of the things I thought were weird could just have been my knowledge of the films events changing my perspective.

I also enjoy the reinstatement of some of the elements from earlier screenplays and earlier cuts of the film that we know about from various cast members. The father son relationship of Hank and Carl and Garrett appearing in the archway before The Yellow Rabbit appears being some examples.

The book is also way more gorey then the film was, to my surprise. I was almost shocked at the end of the book where both Vanessa and Mike are in a pool of their own blood, the FNAF books have always gone a little harder with the gore then the games have but I guess I wasn't expecting it because of how much of a blockbuster the film was. You know with all the eyes on everything FNAF movie related, but I'm happy to say the FNaF movie novelization keeps with the tradition of surprisingly bloody Scholastic published books.

I quite enjoyed my time with this book, if you haven't read it and wanna give it a go after watching the movie, I'd say it's a worthwhile read. I also read it pretty quickly, but it might have something to do with me already knowing the plot so I didn't have to let it sink in as much

[happy-mokka]

Musical Extravaganza

Yesterday me and my cinematic partner in crime took the opportunity to get tickets for a special evening of "Musical Extravaganza" in our small local arthouse movie theater.

They were screening 2 classic "musical-ish" pieces. So for the interested people out there, if you're always keen on watching stuff both for the eyes and ears, I will share my experience under the cut.

Phantom of the Paradise

USA 1974 Director: Brian de Palma Written by: Brian de Palma Camera: Larry Pizer Music: Paul Williams Cast: William Finley, Paul Williams, Jessica Harper, ...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 / 5)

What a ride!!!

I, resp. we, absolutely L❤️VED it!!!

When I read "Brian de Palma", I was surprised, since I only know his later work, mostly Thrillers and Gangster movies.

This early work, however, is something...well...completely different, to put it mildly.

It's a wild mix of "Phantom of the Opera" with a liitle bit of "Dorian Gray" towards the end.

Everything in a wild 70s setting with awesome costumes and sets.

The music is brilliant and the whole staging is completely crazy with all actors being comitted to the bit.

I can absolutely recommend this one!!!

Streets of Fire

USA 1984 Director: Walter Hill Written by: Larry Gross, Walter Hill Camera: Andrew Laszlo Music: Ry Cooder Cast: Michael Paré, Willem Dafoe, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan, ...

Rating: ⭐ (1 / 5)

Ok. The euphoria of the first movie quickly subsided the longer the second one lasted, I am afraid.

Walter Hill is in my book known for rather hard actioners in the 80s and 90s and, honestly, besides of some music scenes in this one, it is really more an action movie, than a musical - and not a particularly good one at that.

The acting is really B movie quality. I really like what has become of young Diane Lane over the years, but this was not one of her proudest moments. The did good lip-sync on the singing scenes, but did not actually sing.

Michal Paré. One can clearly see, why he stayed a b-movie actor and never made it to the A list of that era. Apart from his handsome looks he basically switched between two facial expressions: stoic staring and wounded staring. His dialogs sounded like that voice announcing the next stop in trains and busses.

Rick Moranis was ok. Less geeky than usual but not really challenged by the meh script.

The only positive appearance was actually done by Amy Madigan.

She played the chummy ex-army gal with enough ease and made the best of her part.

The music was nothing special and sometimes a too wild mix of genres. Besides the opener, nothing really remained in my memory. Sad, since I normally like Ry Cooder's work. I guess he got better with age.

So, in sum, not really a recommendation. Neither as a musical, nor as an action movie.

[her-devils-advocate]

New beginnings

♥. Genre: Fluff

♥. pairings: The Dark Urge (Nell) x Astarion

♥. content warnings: None

♥. notes: Set after the end of the game. Spawn Astarion and my redeemed dark urge have since settled down and have now decided to announce their next step in life to their friends.

♥. Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51921196

♥. Word count: 1,563

Their companion's laughter is loud and joyful as it drifts from the dining room and into the kitchen. Nell's heart had swelled with a love she had yet to experience as they arrived one by one to share the evening with her and her lover.

It had been a year since they had destroyed the elder brain and derailed the horrid plan she had put in motion, a year of freedom. From her urges and the tadpole. 

Getting them all in one place had been easier said than done, even with the promise of a home-cooked meal and a "family" reunion, something Astarion had lightly scoffed at, earning him a gentle elbow to the ribs.

It had broken Nell’s heart to watch them all part ways, going on to make a new life for themselves, or returning to a life they had been snatched away from. But it was still a life away from the constant danger and discomfort that they had previously faced. They had said their tearful goodbyes and parted with a sending stone to remain in contact. 

Yet now they all share a table once more. Nell can hear Karlach’s loud voice telling stories of the trails both she and Wyll had faced upon returning to Avernus, excitedly acting out the more exciting parts as she does. She can hear Gale and Shadowheart gossiping amongst themselves, no doubt trying to find an alternative motive to their small reunion. They would be correct in their suspicion, but Nell takes a small amount of pride in knowing they would never guess the correct reason. 

Amidst all the chaos of chatter, she can hear Minsc’ booming laugh followed by the harsh scoff of a Githyanki. The druids are together at the end of the table, idly speaking together. If Nell strains her ears enough, she can pick up the faint murmur of Halsin casting Speak with Animals, no doubt to gossip with Scratch and the owlbear cub. She hopes the animals don’t begin to share too much information on their private life or the reason they are gathered once more.

Nell idly floats around the kitchen and now that the excitement of seeing everyone has died down, she is left full of nerves. She’s silently fretting while Astarion removes the cherry pie from the oven, smiling proudly at his work.

"For someone who won't even be eating this, I think I've done an amazing job, love." Astarion's smile manages to halt her movements, drawing her to him like a moth to a flame.

She gently places her hands on his chest, taking a moment to slowly smooth out his delicately embroidered shirt. Not that there had been any creases to begin with. Astarion catches her hands, holding them gently before giving them a small, comforting squeeze.

"It smells wonderful, thank you for doing this Astarion."

"Always, you know I would do anything for you." His words are soft as he gazes down at her, placing a small kiss on her forehead before his words take on a teasing tone. "That and I think we both remember what happened the last time I left you alone in the kitchen. Really, for someone who actually needs to eat, you can be quite a horror when it comes to cooking. And before you say anything; no, your amnesia is not an excuse anymore."

Memories of a smoke-filled house, a small oven fire and one extremely panicked and annoyed vampire fills her mind. She huffs before shooting him a playful glare.

"Well, it was a nice excuse while it lasted." She makes a point to ignore his raised eyebrow. It was a horrible experience for them both, her hardly knowing the world around her and Astarion as her reluctant translator in the early days of their forced adventure. But that was long in the past. She had since learnt her place in the world and Astarion was no longer reluctant to give her a nudge in the right direction.

Before she can get too swept up in her mind, Astarion's larger hand slowly takes one of hers and brings it up to his lips. His lips curl into a smirk as he kisses the shining jewel that sits proudly upon her ring finger. 

Nell's heart flutters at the action, nerves and excitement violently dancing within her.

He had given her many different gifts since they had become official; stolen trinkets that a merchant wouldn’t miss, dresses that he had hand-crafted for her, claiming that her old robes were getting tacky. Yet no gift could compare to the ring he had used to propose.

It was the first time he refused to use his deft fingers to his advantage, refusing anything that could make the moment less honest. 

She remembers how he gracefully dropped down onto one knee, his smile both blinding and hesitant as he showed her the ring. The glittering ruby was encased in gently engraved vines that wrapped themselves around the band of the ring. 

It was beautiful and dangerous, just like them.

"How do you think they will react?"

"Hmm, well if I know Karlach, she's probably going to squeeze you so tightly that you won't be able to breathe. So good luck with that dear, do try not to die. Lae'zel will most likely scoff, or voice displeasure for some reason or another. The rest… well, why ruin the surprise with speculation?"

Nell lets out a small giggle, the sound floating around the kitchen and settling within Astarion's heart.

"You do know that if Karlach gets me in a bear hug, she's going to do the exact same to you?"

Before he can grumble out a reply, the ruckus of the dining room interrupts any retort he has ready.

"We should probably serve dessert before it goes cold."

"And before they grow concerned that we've ditched them for more private activities?"

He laughs as his remark earns him a gentle bap with the tea towel before Nell carries out a stack of clean plates. Astarion follows her, placing the pie in the centre of the table with as much flourish as possible.

Jaheira is the first to speak up, a gentle smirk on her face. Her chat with the owlbear had been interesting for them, no doubt sharing stories of their domesticated life with the older woman. 

“Ah, so you had remembered the company awaiting you.”

“Perfection takes time, Jaheira! It’s not like the desert was going to bake itself.” Nell tries to sound stern, only for the permanent smile that has been on her face since the evening started to ruin that plan. Nell’s smile causes the older druid to smile in turn, pride flickering in her heart at how far the bard had come to now be smiling so openly. To see her no longer fearing her every move.

“You say that as if you were the one to lift a finger in the kitchen, darling. Here I am, playing personal chef while you take the credit” The dramatic sigh causes more than one eye-roll to occur around the table, much to Astarion’s displeasure. 

“A vampire cooking treats, I do believe I can say I’ve now seen it all, my friend!” 

“Yes well, I’m sure you will appreciate this pie more than you would appreciate me cooking and serving our dear ex-leader.” Astarion bares the wizard his fangs before Nell lightly drags him over to his chair beside Gale. 

“Alright, enough bickering you lot. We have a small announcement to make first, while the pie cools.” Nell doesn’t miss the way the room quietens, or the raised eyebrow Shadowheart shoots her.

“Oh my gods! You’re pregnant?” Karlach’s exclamation is loud, loud enough to spook the owlbear and cause him to run into the couple’s bedroom, earning a small whine from Scratch. “Do I get to be an auntie?”

The silence is deafening as Nell freezes. Her silver eyes are wide open in shock, mirroring the majority of the expressions on her friends' faces. All besides Astarion, who looks like he’s trying to stop himself from laughing, tears pooling in his eyes as he holds back.

“A vampire and a bhaalspawn, I didn’t even know they could procreate with one another...” Wyll’s voice trails off, going deep into thought and causing Astarion to break.

The group ignores the rapidly increasing giggles, too caught up in their speculation. “Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?”

“Hmm, I would place my bet on a girl. But she would have Astarion’s luscious locks, no offence Nell.

“Good thought Gale! I think she will also take his nose yet have her mother’s eyes. Well, the silver ones. Not her previous spooky mood-changing eyes… No offence again, Nell!”

“Uh, no offence taken…?” Nell is still frozen as she watches the chaos unfold around her, too overwhelmed to keep up with the rapid ideas being tossed around.

“You idiots, she’s not pregnant…yet,” Astarion gives the group a wink between his laughter, causing a few groans and scoffs to bounce around the room as he moves to Nell’s side, lifting up her hand and bringing attention to the ring glittering in the candlelight. A few gasps can be heard from their friends, obviously surprised at the idea of either of them actually settling down in such a way. “I believe you skipped a stage.”

[klenda-v]

Thinking about the King’s Jubilee special of 2003,

which featured Every Ultra they had a suit for at the time, an absurd amount of rap music, an Ultraman hip-hop dance troup, and Zearth’s hip-hop son, B-Boy Zearth Junior. He looks like this.

Literally I have difficulty watching this because this might be the single piece of ultra content that delivers the most psychic damage to me. It’s just. It’s absurd, it’s a musical, it revels in its shamelessness—or at least I think it does?

Link and more specifics below:

Just gathering screenshots I feel my soul deteriorating. For the curious and foolhardy, here’s a link to the video. No, there are no subtitles; no, you won’t need them. CONTENT WARNING: flashing lights and images, absurdity.

I will go briefly through each song, to give you an idea:

Song 0, 2:27 - Meet the performers

A dance/rap(?) group made of kaiju, aliens, and maybe bedazzled ultras? Or maybe they’re just dressed up as Ultras, the eyes are dark and they’re slightly Off? Maybe the announcer actually says, I think the general consensus is that they’re not true Ultras, but some other kind of alien cosplaying as ultras to…honor them? Or at least play as them for the purposes of the “narrative” they’re about to play out.

It’s also an incredibly large cast of performers. We’re just starting, we’re barely three minutes in.

UPDATE: My friend Emcee was kind enough to share the names of all the performers, which I will now relate to you:

"Ultra" dancers, referred to as Ultra Funk Jam:

Dyna Rocksteady, Gaia Electric, Zearth Funkygroove, B-Boy Zearth Jr., Cosmos Air, 80 Super Cool, Agul Boogiedown, Tiga Spinning, Ace Galaxy Step, Seven Shuffle, Justice Pointer

"Kaiju" Dancers (IDK their group's name):

Baltan Big Twister, Pit Flash, Izaak Wildstyle, Magma Freeze X, Dada Sexy (YES REALLY), Lady Benzene Hypnotic, Godola Popping, Bomberhead Gan-Q, Deban Floorcrown, Chaos Headder Grandmaster, B-G-RL Lady Benzene Daughter, Z Capsule Kouju Miraclon

Song 1, 3:15 - four-man hip-hop dance

There are no words I can possibly use to match the actual experience of watching this. I think it’s the fact that I can’t tell if this is satire, or if they’re playing it completely straight. They never tell us. Or maybe they do, I don’t speak Ultra.

Imagine if you will, any late 90s rap. Then imagine the music video for it. But filmed as if it’s a live stage performance, but also everyone is a trained gymnast and we get synchronized flips with Zearth Funkeygroove, Justice Pointer, Gaia Electric, and Tiga Spinning.

Song 2, 4:14, Kaiju Team’s turn

Now that I’m watching this, I think it’s framed as a dance competition? Where the kaiju and “ultra” teams alternate songs, like a rap battle with performances?

Anyway this song starts with an audio sample from, of all things, the sound Ultraman’s timer makes when he’s in mortal peril. This audio blinks sporadically throughout the song, hitting that sweet spot right between “huh I guess it’s just playing at the beginning, huh” and “actually using it as a sample/carrying any meaning.” Maybe the weird timing of the audio has significance with the JP lyrics, but I doubt it. The timer blinking tempo doesn’t quite sync up with the tempo of the actual music.

While the NotUltra’s solo performance had heavy use of flips, the kaiju team impliments a lot of floor work. Lotta breakdancing, if the camera cuts slowed down enough for me to catch most of the moves. Honestly the dancing throughout is very solid overall, with, again, the big caveat being the bewildering editing choices.

Also I think the ultras in the audience are moshing? Maybe I don’t know what moshing is. Watching this, I don’t think I know what anything is anymore.

Song 3, 5:21 - Kaiju Team, or the “Sexy Dance Time, Check It Out” one.

I…wish I were making this up. This one stars Dada Sexy (his [their?] actual name), alongside a feminine-coded alien I only later learned was Lady Benzene Hypnotic. At this point I wonder whether this is better watched high, or if this is already making me high.

The groove to this one starts notably different, but like…if the Cha Cha Slide tried to be steamy. And no I didn’t grab a screenshot mid-frame-shift, this part is literally shot like this. It goes on for several seconds. They wanted it to look like this.

Oh and the Not-Ultras are here too. Seven Shuffle is one of them. Do with that what you will.

The dancing itself is definitively less hip-hop and more…interpretative dance? I absolutely believe that this is an alien party, because nothing about this presents as remotely normal or human.

Partway through, a green screen cape (Kings?) flies through the screen. I can’t bring myself to care. Every Ultra in the audience is Very into it.

Then about halfway through they switch it back to…hip-hop? I think? It still has multiple Interpretive Dance elements to it. The Not-Ultras bedazzled suits have neon lights on them, btw, I think you should know that.

And yes, by the end, they have the (male) narrator's voice chanting variations of “oh, sexy” in a way that makes me feel. vEry uncomfortable and I wish I could turn back time. I can only hope that the writers truly, legitimately didn’t know what that word actually meant in English, or what it implied if you sing it with the breathy energy they put into this number.

Benzene Hypnotic lets out an alien scream/trill at the end of the song, and we cut to the Ultra audience applauding at what a fun song that was. I want to go home.

7:43 - The Kids Come And Do a lil dance!

This next song is the intermission, a little ditty sung by and danced to by children. One of whom is B-Boy Zearth Jr. Zearth has a child. I barely notice; I’m still reeling from Sexy Dance.

This song, inexplicably, also has the “Dying Ultra’s color timer” sound. It actually appears more here than in the “villain” song. The song itself is…I think cute and charming? It’s hard to tell, my eyes are still glazed over. The kids do a pirouette or a cartwheel or something. The song ends, the announcer praises how super kawaii the performance was, I get a drink.

9:03 - Actual Dance Battle

This one has Justice Pointer, Agul Boogiedown, and I think Dyna Rocksteady (Might be Gaia Electric; his head is weird so I can’t tell), in a dance battle against three Kaiju Team members. This one’s probably my favorite, it sums up the weirdest parts of this while also having some legit solid dance moves. That and since it’s turn-based, we get lots of cool freeze-poses. Plus Agul Boogiedown throws up some gangsta peace signs, which is deeply funny after watching how edgy he is in his show.

The rap song itself appears to also be framed as a rap-battle? I think? My JP is limited but each team’s bar of music seems to be lightheartedly dissing the other/pumping themselves up. Everyone ends the battle by doing the splits on the floor, which is what my head’s gonna do in a minute.

10:42 - A Ballet Number

What’s that? You wanted this to make less sense? No? Well that’s okay, this is basically a ballet number (??????), with violin and slow swaying from the crowd. Zearth Funky Groove is dancing ballet with Lady Benzene Hypnotic. It’s actually…you know what, this is kinda nice. It’s a nice break from—NOPE ITS HIP-HOP AGAIN, LADS

But like a…flamenco (I think?) influenced hip-hop. This song is actually really interesting in terms of merging VERY different influences. Definitely a musical style inspired by the carribian or one of the Romance languages, but asking me to search my mind for factual information while watching this is like asking a boxer to do trigonometry mid-match.

The announcer tells the crowd to grab your sweetheart and dance with them. Tiga bows before Camearra and offers to dance (she graciously accepts). A Daadaa propositions Seven to dance, which seems to catch him off-guard in a bad way. Ultra Father offers his wife his hand, though they don’t properly dance, they just hold hands and sway to the music. Incidentally, Yullian and 80 are present and clearly went together, but they don’t couple up for this dance (that we see).

This doesn’t fit anywhere, but Zoffy is REALLY into the music. Like I’ve never seen him this enthusiastic for anything before. It's really sweet honestly. He’s dancing alone but is clearly more than happy that way.

12:22 - Final Dance

I have trouble articulating exactly what happens in this segment. Clearly it’s framed as a final battle, but those interpretive dance bits are still mixed with the hip-hop. As before, the dancing itself is quite good, if you like incredibly 90’s hip-hop dancing and breakdancing. It’s definitely the most floorwork-heavy of any of the songs.

The camera-work, while strange but functional before, takes a turn even further into the surreal. Some of the camera cuts are so rapid you’d think it was a stage-3 marvel movie; in places it gets to about 5 cuts per second. It will also cut not only between angles on the same person mid-action, but to random other shots, like the crowd of ultras, or a different dancer, or someone unrelated doing half a flip before cutting back again.

I think this must be the point in production where someone discovered you could rotate a camera, because suddenly multiple flips or dance moves are filmed with the camera spinning—presumably to follow the movement, but not quite synchronized and there’s no way we’re doing another take.

At the climax of the song, I can only assume Ultra Father saw some risk to the child-dancers; the music gets tense, and the kaiju-dancers close in around the kids, who cower back-to-back. Ultra Father exchanges an urgent glance with his wife, and together they SHOOT A PULSE OF ENERGY AT THE PERFORMERS ON STAGE.

Which puts everyone on an acid trip. Or I think it does? The colors turn negative/green/weird, and then all the adult-coded performers drop to their knees in a clearly rehearsed part of the dance.

I’m losing my mind. What was this? Was this choreographed or not? Was Ken supposed to do that? I can only think he must have, but then why did his body language radiate legitimate fear for the children’s safety? Why have the Ultra Parents do that part, isn’t this King’s party?? What am I going to do with the avocado I bought two days ago and is gonna go bad??

Not labeling this as a separate song, because the last one never truly ended. But this is clearly the epilogue of the “fight”; the ultras do elaborate secret handshakes with the aliens and monsters, indicating everything’s A-OK now. I will never be A-OK again. The announcer is chanting “happy," though I think he’s repeating the last syllable a bit too much. I don't think they thought through what yelling "HAPPY-PEE" would actually mean in English.

The experience ends with King’s greenscreen cape floating down and King materializes onstage between the two child performers. He then levatates back up, which is the most normal thing to happen this whole time. He says something in English that sounds like maybe “Happy Mercy?” Messy? Blessing?

After the third listen, I realized he’s saying Happy Birthday. It’s his birthday. He’s saying it to himself. The crowd wildly applauds his self-congratulation and repeats the English phrase, and King makes his bows. My splintered psyche notices that the foley-work on his cape movement is very nice.

The end closes out with what I at first think is a hip-hop version of Dyna’s opening theme. I am wrong. They start a weirdly paced hip-hop beat with Cosmos’s “Something You Can Do” vocals. They loop the opening line twice, then go back to rap.

The announcer delightedly cries in English “See you NEXT YEAR!”

I take this as a threat.

[rabbitenn]

MATCHUP FOR THE LOVELY @yaminohimeyume

hello, dear and thank you for being my first matchup request on this blog! i really hope you like it <3

i re-read the info you had previously sent and i just knew who to pair you with! i hope the matchup is to you liking

your idolish7 matchup is someone you could easily compare to the sun; full of energy and encouragement to give others, yet inevitably succumbing to the cruel voices of insecurity sometimes. like you, there is nothing he wouldn't do for the people he loves. in contrast to your reserved nature, however, carrying a conversation is no problem to him, as he is right in his element so long as talk goes on.

i think with this, you can have a pretty good idea of who i have in mind as your perfect match hehe ~ well, why don't we see who's waiting for you backstage?

♡ IZUMI MITSUKI

There is no doubt that Mistuski is a positive beam of sunlight. I believe that is an aspect of his personality that would help you get out of your shy and not fond of socializing shell. Mitsuki is but pure intentions and honesty, often wearing his emotions on his sleeve, so he could be the one to aid you when memories of past experience cause for you to silence yourself.

With him, you wouldn’t have to be afraid to speak up either. You mention you tend to keep to yourself, only responding when asked directly, but truth is, as much as Mitsu is great at carrying a conversation, he wants to hear what you have to say! Whether it is about music, writing and reading or astrology, he stares at you starry eyed, entranced by the glow in you when you speak about what you’re passionate about.

Which brings us to a point you have in common: voice acting.

And who would’ve thought, you and your boyfriend would end up getting roles to voice main characters in a well known anime…

—

An excited ring on your doorbell pulls you out of your daze.

Hands still slightly shaking, you put down the script you were holding, almost afraid that, if you let it go, the magic will vanish and you’ll find yourself watching as this dream crumbles down right before your eyes.

With a couple of deep breaths, you exit your room, making your way to your apartment’s door.

The moment you open it, it feels as if the sun itself had entered your home.

Calls of your name surround you, as a flash of orange rushes past your vision, before materializing in the form of familiar arms wrapped around your form.

Your widened gaze relaxes, replaced by matching crescents on your lips and eyes, as you return the hug.

“[Y/n]! [Y/n]! Mitsuki exclaims, as he practically jumps up and down, his hands linked with yours. “Guess what? You wouldn’t believe this!”

An airy laugh escapes you, as you pat his head softly, strands of molten sunsets silky against your hand.

“What is it, Mitsu?” You giggle, guiding him to sit on your couch. His eyes are almost aglow, akin to the last stars of dawn reflected over a sunlit pond.

“Okay, okay…” He sighs, lids briefly fluttering closed, as he exhales, one of his hands on his chest, grounding himself. “I’ve been casted in Magical Cocona!” Your lover announces, elation brimming in his tone.

Your widening gaze followed by a bright smile are the first answer he gets.

“Oh my god! That’s great news! Ah!! I’m so happy right now!” You celebrate, before leaving a sweet kiss, fleeting, against his lips. “I told you, you have talent, Mitsuki.” You smile, your faces barely inches apart.

“I still can’t quite believe it!” He laughs, one of his hands tucking a stray lock of hair away from your face.

“Believe it, because it’s very real.” You utter, tenderly tapping his smiling lips. “Now do you want to know what makes me even happier about this?” You grin, a little bashful. “We’ll get to spend more time together, you know… I’ve been cast to voice Cocona!” You announce, with a shy smile.

Then, the most radiant smile you’ve ever seen draws on your boyfriend’s adorable face, as both of his hands hold onto yours.

“Really? We get to work together?” He swings your intertwined hands. “Now I’m even happier!” The idol nuzzles into your side, and as he looks up at you, tears of joy swim at the corners of his vision. “I feel like… a dream has come true…” Mitsuki confesses, as you stroke his bright hair with care.

“So do I, my love.” You whisper, as you lean your cheek on top of his head. “How does practicing together sound to you?”

“Let’s get this show started!” Comes his peppy response.

And so, blue morning skies fade to the coppery hues of early sunsets, as both your voices sway to the symphony of glimpses into a million dawns together.

—

Another reason that makes me think you and Mitsuki are a good match is that he’s your biggest hypeman. No matter what is it you’re doubting yourself about, his radiant energy and sunny demeanor are enough to put your mind at ease. As we all know, he is also skilled with his words, so he always knows how to reassure you in dire situations.

Speaking of which, sometimes he’s not the most confident ever either. And this time around, it is you who can comfort him. You’re a good listener and like helping others, offering Mitsuki a nurturing embrace, a safe haven where he can drop his smile for a few moments and compose himself, until the curve of his lips is genuine again.

Loyalty is another attribute you and Mitsuki have in common. Similarly to you, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his friends and the people he loves, so you two would be on the same page in that aspect.

Mitsuki also sees past your cool and collected facade, he just knows there is way more to it than just your practised poise. He knows there’s a whole world full of emotions that you keep safely stored inside your heart, and he’ll be the one to access it little by little, as you find your mind wandering to memories of his warm smiles more often than not.

With him, you’d never have to be afraid of approaching or bothering him in any way! Shortly after meeting you, Mitsuki just knew he wanted to have more moments with you as time went on. You became the first one he shared any news with; he learned how to cook all your favorite dishes; and he was always asking for your input on other topics, as well as likes and dislikes. Akin to an early summer breeze, his presence began to linger with you, frigid lonely days melting away in the light he offers.

If we focus on both yours and his mbti, well you two are quite compatible. As an enfj, Mitsuki seeks meaningful connections, an example of this is seen when he tells Yamato he doesn’t want “an average friendship” with him. That is a trait, you as an infj share too.

Both you and Mitsuki strive to get a good understanding of what the other needs and of each other’s emotions. In addition, both types are very empathetic, differing in the way to show it: enfjs are more direct and communicative, oftentimes voicing their affection, and Mitsuki is a great example of that; whereas you as an infj show your lover through quiet actions. I can see this as a very good balance between the both of you, given that he deserves to feel appreciated, and like someone’s first choice, while his verbal compliments are the boost that you need when you feel insecure.

You’re an aries and that is quite compatible with Mitsuki’s sign: pisces. Both signs share their generosity and seek their partner’s happiness above all else, making for a romance filled with passion and without a single boring moment.

Considering all the stated reasons, you and Mitsuki would be a very supporting loving couple: you share similarities, but are opposites in some aspects, which ties you both into a healthy and durable bond.

♡ RUNNER UP: YAOTOME GAKU

While he may seem intimidating, the truth is he’s actually one of the greenest flags you can encounter.

He’s honest, just, caring and protective in a healthy manner.

That is why I do believe he’d really pair well with your more initially closed off nature. With him, you wouldn’t have to be afraid to make mistakes or being belittled. Gaku really is a gentleman, and will do everything in his power to make you feel loved and cared for.

He is deeply loyal too; honestly he’d never ever betray your trust. You are his priority, no matter how many fans flock around him or how many rumors circulate, every night he wants nothing more than to come home to you.

He always makes sure to text you or call you too when he’s away for concerts and tours. Hearing his voice late at night, or just seeing one of his ‘I love you, my darling’ texts is enough to make you feel closer to him. He never wants you to feel lonely again, and he tries his best.

You’re very honest, even if sometimes you use white lies to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. And your honesty is something Gaku highly values.

Your relationship with him would definitely be a solid one, built on mutual trust and undying loyalty.

[liugeaux]

Fantastic 3.5

My thoughts on the Fantastic 4 casting announcement.

* Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm 10/10 - Great Choice! Honestly, he could have played Grimm, Doom or Richards. Cousin has range.

* Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm 7/10 - I liked him in Stranger Things and the energy of Eddie should line up well with that of Johnny. This should go over well.

* Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm 9/10 - Finally a Sue Storm we can take seriously! Of this cast, Kirby probably has the most experience performing in high-action sequences, and her resume proves she's not just a pretty face.

* Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards 3/10 - Before you jump down my throat, I do like Pedro, but I've never been impressed with his acting outside of GOT. I feel like Hollywood is giving him a pass because he's handsome and likable. He wasn't good in The Last of Us, or WW 1984, and he's 100% forgettable in The Mandalorian. When I see his face, I don't think super-genius, I think, "That dude has some funny SNL sketches." I know he's kind of the king of the nerds right now, but I don't see where he's really earned it. He's just the center of a VENN diagram whose circles are - Handsome, Unproblematic, and Vaguely Non-White. Talent doesn't seem to be a factor, and I guess that's fine.

That's not me saying an actor has to be white and/or problematic to be talented. It's just Pedro, his background, and persona thread such a specific needle, that his name naturally floats to the top of every casting list. Since he's handsome and seemingly a good dude, being a "good enough" actor is really all he's got to do.

Congrats on the casting Mando, stack that green while you can..

[saltedcaramelchaos]

i blacked out and this appeared in a google doc. looks like its about @how-to-fail-at-ship-jumping-au's founder?? that’s weird, there’s not much that’s canon about her

(cw derealization ish, pov second person)

"We should start a film company," you say to your friend one day. You are both young, college students. Majoring in film, in fact.

He laughs. "Taking some initiative? Sure, why not. Might as well try, huh?"

----

Somewhat surprisingly, it actually works! Within a few years- pretty good acting by a small group you collected, a whole bunch of social media campaigning by your friend's girlfriend, and lots of late nights spent (if you may say so yourself) skillfully editing- "Showfall Media" takes off! It's not huge, of course, but you've reached enough people that you're making decent money from it. The two of you plan a metanarrative for the company, but other than referring to yourself as "the founder" on the aforementioned social media it never really comes to fruition.

----

Your friend has a son, and the kid's adorable! He cameos in the next show, and quickly becomes a fan favorite. You think he'd be a great addition to the cast and even better publicity, but your friend says otherwise. At the end of the day, it is his decision, you suppose.

----

"You know things about old tech and stuff, right?"

You lean back in your chair. "Yeah?" That's an understatement, you think. The office around you is full of scraps, circuit boards, and wires- they're really interesting to take apart and fiddle with!

"Ranboo found some... weird tapes in the woods. Can- would you mind checking them out?"

"I would be honored," you respond lightly.

----

You listen to the tapes.

the sound wraps around you like a blanket or maybe a noose- buzzing in your ears, down your neck, under your skin

you blink,

your mind is fuzzy, but not unpleasantly so.

you could get used to this

----

Everyone at work seems more tense than usual, especially your friend. If only there was something you could do about that...

----

"We're tanking hard," the stats person says. They point at a screen. "This month has-"

You push them out of the way to look. "No! Someone announce a new show and get Hetch writing something. We need to fix this."

They nod and stand up from the floor, trying to avoid your eyes. You hadn't meant to push them that hard.

you hear a faint whisper in your ear, but when you look there is no one there

----

You learn from one of the cast members that your friend's wife(?) has died. You can't decide whether to be frustrated that he didn't tell you, or grateful that you didn't have to worry about comfort.

you have experiments to do, after all! a voice whispers

----

Showfall continues losing viewers. Anyone not immediately relevant is fired or tested on. vague red lines appear, framing people's faces

You only give a moment's consideration to the fact that your materials are most of the budget. If you can fix this, everything will go back to normal! Most people avoid you now, and you welcome the time alone.

----

Your friend's son wanders in during a Q&A, and you realize how valuable of an asset he could be. the voices love him, and the audience does too! You befriend him before his father can mess anything up, and when your friend calls you angrily later that night, you remind him who controls his paycheck. You mean to mention your projects offhandedly, but you think he takes it as a threat. you guess that works too

----

Ranboo is indeed an excellent addition to the company! He fits right in with the actors, and is a pretty good one himself- the mask thing you're willing to overlook, especially because it creates a mystery for the viewers to solve. you can tell the voices love it. It doesn't affect you, anyway; you can't see anyone's face anymore because of the boxes. 

----

Eventually, the time comes to get rid of your friend. You'd known it would happen for a while: aside from the voices (which you're pretty sure are from the future) talking about him nonstop, he'd become completely useless to the company. And what a perfect opportunity to test the box! as a treat, you let the voices decide his fate

----

they let him live. unexpected, but of course you're not going to argue. The anticlimax is disappointing, but the voices seem happy, chattering about the next time you'll let them choose...

[losinqminds]

(  taylor zakhar perez,  cis man,  he/him )   —    just  announced,  SANTIAGO  VIDAL  has  been  cast  as  JOEY TREVINO  in  the  upcoming  FRIENDS  reboot.  the  twenty eight year  old  is  trending  as  people  are  debating  if  the   diving headfirst when you decide to take the leap of faith, backlog of unanswered texts and ignored phone alarms, opening your mouth before your mind can catch up, drinking cheap beers in the nosebleed seats at the hockey game, the looming fear of missing out  that  they  are  known  for  is  enough  to  make  them  as  good  as  original.  a  quick  google  search  shows  that  their  fans  call  them  sanguine,  but  internet  trolls  think  they’re  more  impulsive.  i  guess  their  newest  interview  for  variety  where  they  talk  about  how five thousand people watched their face reveal live on twitch  will  let  people  to  know  them  better. 

statistics.

name : santiago vidal. nickname : nine out of ten times goes by santi. age : twenty eight. birthday : 26 may 1995. zodiac sign : gemini. gender : cis man. sexual orientation : bisexual. place of birth : butler, pennsylvania. current residence : los angeles, california. traits : sanguine, impulsive, curious, tactless, affectionate, gregarious, undependable, charismatic, scatterbrained. likes : the unexpected, public displays of affection, having a full agenda, saying yes, the pittsburgh penguins, his family's mexican food, the thrill of trying new things, the outdoors, hockey, the colour yellow, proving yourself, coffee, social media. dislikes : sitting still, not being (good) enough, overthinking, being alone, serious conversations, awkward silences, small enclosed spaces.

background.

— born  and  raised  as the middle child in  a  boisterous  family  of  seven,  in  a  town  close  to  pittsburgh.  his  parents  owned  a  mexican  restaurant  downtown,  a  bit  of  a  hole  in  the  wall  but  with  a  rather  hardcore  customer  base. they claim the birria is to die for. santi would agree. — had  a  close  knit  family  unit  in  the  region,  with  regular  family  gatherings  including  more  cousins  than  you  could  count  on  both  your  hands.  the  entire  family  were  hardcore  sports  fans,  and  so  santi  grew  up  sporting  the  yellow  and  black  of  the  penguins  from  the  moment  he  could  walk. — as  a  kid,  you  could  find  him  with  skates  on  his  feet  more  often  than  not.  he  was  quite  the  busy  bee,  the  word  no  not  being  part  of  his  vocabulary  alongside  maintaining  rather  impressive  stats  as  a  winger  and  keeping  up  his  grades.  at  eighteen,  he  was  recruited  by  cornell  university  on  a  hockey  scholarship. — whereas  he  used  to  skate  through  life,  the  college  experience  was undeniably harder.  stacks  of  homework,  early  morning  practice  and  a  constant  fear  of  missing  out  proved  to  be  a  disastrous  cocktail.  by  his  sophomore  year,  mediocre  performance  made  it  clear  he  wasn't  cut  out  for  the  nhl  and  although he continued to play, his  focus  began  to  shift  more  and  more  towards  his  degree. — around  this  time,  santiago  created  his  twitch  account  where  he  began  hosting  study  with  me  streams.  he  needed  a  way  to  hold  himself  accountable,  but  it  helped  others  in  the  process.  study  breaks  turned  into  full  blown  conversations,  and  handfuls  of  viewers  turned  into  hundreds.  his  streams  started  out  as  faceless,  but  a  curious  audience  convinced  him  to  start  showing  his  face.  it  might  have  had  something  to  do  with  a  fair  few  people  falling  head  over  heels  with  the  mysterious,  deep  voice. — his  evergrowing  audience  made  it  easy  to  continue  streaming  full  time  after  graduation.  study  streams  turned  into  weekly  catch  ups  and  gaming  streams,  movie  watchalongs  and  commentaries.  in  the  span  of  a  few  years,  his  social  media  accounts  amassed  half  a  million  followers  and  made  him  a  household  name  in  the  world  of  social  media  personalities.

— his  sudden  career  change  still  came  as  a  surprise,  to  himself  as  much  as  the  rest  of  the  world.  being  an  out  and  proud  bisexual  mexican-american,  he  became  a  popular  fancast  for  alexander  claremont-diaz  in  red,  white  &  royal  blue.  the  casting  directors  hadn't  overlooked  it,  as  they  invited  him  to  audition.  after  multiple  audition  rounds,  chemistry  reads  and  neverending  meetings  with  his  management,  he  was  offered  the  role. maybe becoming an actor with zero experience would be a gamble, but he felt rather lucky and approached the situation with a healthy (?) dose of confidence. — playing  alex  in  the  adaptation  wasn't  a  decision  he  needed  to  think  twice  about.  he  recognized  a  lot  of  himself  in  alex,  from  being  a  queer  latino  to  his  impulsivity  and  the  tendency  to  let  his  mouth  run.  throughout  the  experience,  the  character  became  as  meaningful  to  him  as  he  was  to  others.  and  he  felt honoured  to  be  their  source  of  representation,  and  inspiration. — the  unexpectedly  positive  response  to  his  acting  debut  opened  more  doors.  only  months  later,  he  was  announced  as  joey  in  the  reboot  of  friends.  but  suddenly  he  was  playing  a  role.  with  less  personal  attachment  and  connection,  and  recognizing  less  of  himself  in  the  character  he  was  playing,  he  was  suddenly  faced  with  just  what  it  really  meant  to  be  an  actor. — the  experience  is  new,  and  at  times  uncomfortable.  he  never  imagined  himself  in  his  current  position,  and  hasn't  ever  felt  as  much  like  a  fish  out  of  the  water  as  right  now.  now  entering  a  territory  where  his  career  is  a  make  or  break,  everything  depends  on  the  next  few  months.  maybe  his  deepest  fears  will  come  true,  being  exposed  as  nothing  but  a  fraud  and  an  e  list  star  forcing  their  way  into  the  spotlight.  maybe  he'll  decide  he  doesn't  care  for  acting  much,  fade  back  into  obscurity  from  the  mainstream.  and  maybe  this  is  what  kickstarts  an  entirely  new  career.

post credits.

FILMS. — 2021: red, white and royal blue as alex claremont-diaz TV SHOWS. — 2022 to present: friends as joey trevino

wanted connections.

because  i  am  woefully  unprepared  for  this  part  and  santiago  is  a  brand  new  character,  i'll  be  focusing  on  plotting  any  type  of  connections  (positive  or  negative,  and  platonic  or  romantic)  in  direct  messages.  through  brainstorming,  i  will  throw  some  suggestions  at  you  based  on  how  i  think  santiago  would  mesh  with  your  muse(s).  below  there  will  still  be  a  list  of  specific  wanted  connections  i  am  looking  for,  which  i'll  continue  to  update  throughout.  if  this  is  something  you're  interested  in,  please  do  let  me  know  and  i  would  love  to  chat  more  about  it! — roommates: santi  would've  auditioned  for  red,  white  &  royal  blue  when  he  was  still  living  in  the  northeast.  your  muse  would  have  offered  him  a  couch  to  crash  on  during  the  audition  process,  but  it  turned  into  an  unspoken  roommate  agreement. it has been years.  he  is  now  moved  into  the  spare  bedroom,  he  has  his  own  set  of  keys,  is  paying  rent  and  the  two  grew  thick  as  thieves.  — enemies: this  muse  would've  watched  santi  get  handed  everything,  while  they  worked  their  ass  off  all  their  life  to  have  their  career.  maybe  they  feel  threatened,  maybe  they  are  envious,  maybe  they  believe  he  doesn't  deserve  what  he  has.  either  way,  the  two  don't  get  along  at  all.