#it is! really good! I was like Insane over the stage and light design

[b4kuch1n]

The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to have total power over a single life.

[mustainegf]

Soooo i read the step dad james fic and i had an idea

James is your dads best friend and you are staying at his place for some time and he catches you touching yourself while watching some video of him on the tv and then he fucks you and teases you about the whole situation

(I'm sorry if this long I got a bit carried away 😅)

Yesss I loved writing that one so much, and this one too!!

WARNINGS: slight daddy kink, age gap, degradation, sex toys, oral m receiving, creampie

Sure it was wrong. He's my dads friend for fuck sakes! But... he's also James Hetfield...

My hole aches as I push the dildo inside, imagining that it's him.

I can picture him forcing me to bend over, his balls slapping my pussy as he plunges all the way inside me.

I whimper and squeeze my eyes shut. It would never happen. How could it? It's just a fantasy.

That's why I'm so into him in the first place.

He's untouchable. Unobtainable. And somehow that makes it even hotter. I push the dildo all the way in and bite my lip at the thought of what it would be like if it was really him fucking me.

The image of him in this video has been haunting me ever since I saw it. He's standing on stage, shirtless and sweaty. His muscles flex and ripple as he plays the guitar.

"James.. Daddy, yes..." I whine. I felt no remorse for calling him that, it only made me hornier.

I freeze as I hear the door creak open, my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes fly open, and I’m met with the sight of James Hetfield leaning against the doorframe, a smirk playing on his lips.

His short silver hair glistens in the soft light filtering through the window, and his piercing blue eyes seem to gleam with desire as he takes in the scene before him.

“Well, well, well, what’s this hm?” he says, his voice low and teasing, sending shivers down my spine.

I blush furiously, feeling exposed and vulnerable under his intense gaze. “James, I-I can explain…” I stammer, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

He chuckles, stepping further into the room and closing the door behind him. The tattoos that adorn his muscular arms and chest stand out against his slightly tanned skin. “No need to explain, babygirl,” he says, his voice dripping with amusement. “I think I understand perfectly.”

My heart races as he approaches, his presence filling the room with an intoxicating mix of danger and desire.

Without a word, James reaches out and grabs the dildo, pulling it from my grasp with a playful smirk.

He examines it for a moment before tossing it aside, his eyes never leaving mine.

“You don’t need this,” he says, his voice low and commanding. “You need me, Don’t you?”

Before I can protest, he’s on me, pushing me back onto the bed with a strength that leaves me breathless.

I gasp, feeling a surge of arousal course through me at his touch.

“Such a dirty little slut,” he growls, his breath hot against my ear. “Using toys to satisfy yourself like some kind of desperate whore.”

I moan, unable to deny the truth of his words. I am desperate for him, craving his touch more than anything in the world.

James wastes no time, he strips himself before positioning himself between my legs and sliding his cock inside me with one swift motion.

I cry out, feeling myself stretch to accommodate him, the sensation both painful and pleasurable.

His cock is thick and hard, filling me completely and stretching me in ways I’ve never experienced before.

He begins to move, thrusting into me with a force that is unapologetic. Each stroke sends shockwaves of pleasure beating through me, and I cling to him desperately, lost in a haze of ecstasy.

His tattoos seem to come alive as he moves, the intricate designs shifting and writhing with each powerful thrust.

“That’s it, baby,” James murmurs, his voice low and husky. “Take it all. You’re such a good little slut for me.”

I whimper, unable to form coherent words as he pounds into me relentlessly.

His cock feels like pure bliss inside me, driving me to the brink of insanity with each deep thrust.

I can feel every ridge and vein, every inch of him filling me completely as he takes me harder and deeper than I’ve ever been before.

“Daddy! Harder!” I beg through moans.

I arch my back, meeting his movements with a fervor that matches his own. My pussy is clenching him so hard, he knows I’m close to cumming.

“Cum for me, baby,” he growls, his voice thick with lust. “I want to feel you cum around me.”

With a cry of pure ecstasy, I let go, my body convulsing as wave after wave of pleasure washes through me.

James follows soon after, his own release flooding my insides.

We collapse together, spent and sated, our bodies tangled in a sweaty, sticky mess. James isn’t finished with me yet.

With a firm grip on my hips, he flips me over onto my hands and knees, positioning me exactly how he wants me.

I gasp as his hand comes down hard on my ass, sending a jolt of pleasure and pain coursing through me.

“Such a naughty little slut,” he growls, his voice low and commanding. “You need to be taught a lesson.”

I whimper, feeling a rush of lust run through me at his words. I’m putty in his hands, completely at his mercy as he takes control.

With a sharp intake of breath, James slides back inside me, filling me completely once again.

I moan, feeling him stretch me even further as he thrusts into me with a force that leaves me close to blacking out.

He fucks me harder, deeper, his cock pounding into me.

I can feel every inch of him inside me, stretching me in all the right ways as he uses me as he pleases.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” James groans, his voice thick with lust. “So tight, so wet. I could fuck you like this forever, little thing.”

I whimper, unable to form coherent words.

“Look at how well you grip me, so perfect.”

James takes me harder and deeper than ever before.

It’s not long before I’m cumming again, spasming around him, my insides are aching with his abuse.

I can feel him pulsing inside me, his hot cum filling me completely as he empties himself deep within my core.

It’s an intense, mindblowing sensation, and I cry out as I feel myself being filled with him.

As James sits me up, his commanding presence sends a tremor of fear coursing through me.

I obediently take his cock in my hand, feeling the weight of it in my palm as I lean forward, my mouth hovering just inches away from his throbbing length.

“Open up, baby,” he commands, his voice low and husky with desire. “I want you to taste yourself on daddy’s cock.”

My heart pounds in my chest as I part my lips, eagerly taking him into my mouth.

The taste of our combined juices is unlike anything, and I moan softly around him as I begin to suckle over his sensitive skin.

James watches me intently, his eyes smoldering with lust as I eagerly clean him off, every stroke and flick of my tongue making him groan and twitch. He sighs softly, his fingers tangling in my hair as he guides me, urging me to take him deeper.

I comply eagerly, taking him as deep into my mouth as I can, reveling in the feeling of him filling my throat completely.

Finally, with a low groan of satisfaction, James pulls me away from him, his cock glistening with my saliva as he gazes down at me with adoration and desire.

“You’re so good, baby,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion as he leans in to kiss me deeply. “So fucking good, I should’ve fucked you a long time ago.”

[wintersera]

rockstar!winter x f!reader

notes: completely self indulgent as you will be able to tell from all the screaming- i’m blaming that clip… drove me insane LIKE ACTUALLY INSANE

cw: dom winter, sub reader (OMG SURPRISE), daddy kink, is calling reader a ‘whore’ degredation? it’s also not proofread i just wrote this on autopilot-

word count: 0.8/0.9k i forgot….

showing up to your girlfriends performance for the first time ever was going to be the death of you.

the lights were dim, loudness of the bass shaking your skeleton? you didn’t even know that could happen. it was a bit overwhelming for you because honestly... you weren’t even into rock that much even though your girlfriend is a rock genius.

it was definitely worth your time. seeing the spotlight shine on her while she plays with her guitar. and in all seriousness you didn’t really give a shit about the music AT ALL. your focus was completely on her fingers, the way she was tapping and strumming the strings had you in a trance, and oh my! you’re panties are soaked through.

you didn’t even last one second into the song thag was playing, all that was in your mind was her fingers, oh my god her hands, her fingers should be in me right now, i want her fing- yeah…

“baby you did so good on stage” running to the back of the stage. you just couldn’t wait anymore

“of course, you were there. i had to put on the best show for my girl” standing there with sweat dripping down her face. “did you like my guitar solo? dont tell my fans, but i practiced it just for you”. your girlfriend, minjeong, was so sweet. the main guitarist of the band aespa and the hottest person to ever cross this universe. whatever you did in your past life must be crazy to bless you with such a fine ass girlfriend.

“no one is in this room right?”

“what are you implying y/n?”

“oh nothing, i just wanted to say that you looked so hot on stage daddy” seducing her by slipping the string of your top down your shoulders.

not expecting that, she dropped everything she was holding right at that moment and cornered you. locking the door just in case one of her bandmates decide to waltz in. “oh don’t you dare start this now. not with those skimpy ass clothes you're wearing” now you knew wearing a mini skirt and a tight top would do you justice even tho your ass was so cold waiting outside the venue 😭, and well today you couldn't help being turned on, seeing your girlfriend work her guitar with her skillful fingers on that electric guitar had your pussy throbbing.

“turning me on after my performance, oh my baby is such a whore for me” hiking up your skirt to reveal you pretty much soaked thong “and you’re wearing a thong? all dolled up for me? you’re so kind” tugging the thong that rubbed your clit all in the right ways.

“a-anything for you daddy” god you turned her on so much. she just wanted to fuck your pussy so hard rn, and thats what she’s doing 🤭 pumping not one but three fingers into your sopping wet hole while she messily makes out with you, her tongue dominating over yours with ease. the noises you were making were anything but holy, thanking the interior designers for the very good choice of making the room sound proof because god, you are literally screaming out her name, moaning, groaning, literally all the noises are coming out of your slutty mouth. and if the noises coming from your mouth weren’t enough to show that she had you wrapped around her fingers (PUN NOT INTENDED) your wet pussy definitely showed. sticky, wet sounds were definitely escaping out of you. oh my god she was making you so unbelievably wet, your juices literally spilling all over the floor coating her hands and dripping everywhere on your legs.

AND SHES NOT FINISHED WITH YOU, breaking your kiss to make you face the wall and bend over so she can see your pussy in full view!!! her licking your lips before she fully makes out with it. licking and sucking so violently on your clit it makes you squirm and buck your hips into her face, while also shoving her fingers back into your pussy, slamming them into you without any mercy. it doesn’t really take that long to make you cum, with the whole build up during the concert you were pretty much standing there in awe on the verge of cumming JUST BY SEEING HER PERFORM?? she’s so rough with you but that's how daddy minjeong likes it anyways, seeing you turn into her personal sex doll and treating you as such as well, slapping your ass as you're bent over like a whore, repeating to you that she’s “your daddy”. she would open the door to show the entire crowd her lovely baby being finger fucked with a stupid slutty fucked out face, but she’s overprotective like that you know.

when you finally, cum it’s so violent yet so so so good. legs shaking, BODY SHAKING, you’re on the verge of blacking out as you’re hitting the walls screaming “daddy- ah, daddy m-minjeong your fingers feel so good” biting down on your lip as you feel the ecstasy course through your entire body.

of course once you’ve had the most craziest orgasm of your life, you fall to your knees.

picking you up she just smiles at you, kissing you on the lips then whispering in your ear “let’s continue this at home”

[rottenpumpkin13]

Ello!!! Hope it’s been a lovely day, my friendo! 💕 I can say mine has been made 10x better after reading your “Sephiroth turns invisible” prank 😂❤️ Another golden post by the Pumpkin master! (´∩｡^ᵕ^｡∩`) ♡ Anywho, in light of how much I adored that post, I’ve been inspired to pose a similar ask!! *deep breath* Here goes:

For another prank, as the last one didn’t work out so well (or it can be disconnected all together), Zack decides to pretend that Sephiroth is very much visible, very much there, except everyone pretends that they don’t know who he is. Angeal pretends like he’s meeting Seph for the first time, as do Genesis and Zack; even Cloud wants to join in on the fun/pretends he doesn’t recognize his hero. What they think is a harmless joke to give Seph a break from his fame turns into something rather distressing for the poor man, until he ultimately just breaks down under the crushing illusion that he lost his treasured friends forever. Only then do the gang break the act <33

Really craving some Pumpkin-flavored angst/fuff!! There ain’t anyone who can deliver it quite like you can!!!

Ughhh I owe you Cloud content ˙◠˙ I forgot to include him in this one fhfhfhfh forgive me Pichu 😭💛🖤 But at the same time you owe me tissues for both the brilliant one-shot you write with the prompt I asked you about and the emotional damage this insanely good prompt caused me (seriously, I had to hold back tears because I was in public and didn't want to seem like a lunatic asdfghjk). Enjoy the angst!

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Jokes were supposed to be funny, that much he knew. Sephiroth recalled a time when he was utterly floored by Glenn’s claim of “getting his nose” after pinching his lightly between two fingers. After he had been confused, the older SOLDIER explained that it was a joke—although Sephiroth was not amused by the concept of stealing one’s nose.

Another instance, during the initial stages of their friendship, involved Angeal's determined endeavor to coax more smiles out of Sephiroth. This pursuit took the form of a barrage of jokes, some of which sailed right over Sephiroth's head at first. "What do you call a fake noodle?" Angeal asked him one day, the inquiry that left the younger SOLDIER utterly flummoxed.

"I'm not certain there's a designated term for—"

"An im-pasta," Angeal interjected, flashing a wide grin.

Angeal then found himself investing the next two minutes in a patient explanation of the joke to Sephiroth, who had mistakenly interpreted the term "im-pasta" as the actual designation for fake noodles. Though he did understand one thing straight away: jokes weren’t meant to hurt you.

It all began one morning when Sephiroth went looking for them. Angeal was nowhere to be seen around the training room or his office, a fact that piqued Sephiroth's curiosity since he knew Angeal didn't have any missions scheduled for that morning. Likewise, Genesis was conspicuously absent from the public archives, his office, and even the break room, his usual spots. Just as Sephiroth was contemplating checking for Genesis at his apartment, he finally caught sight of the duo.

They were near the data room, engaged in lively conversation and laughs.. It was a scene that never failed to warm Sephiroth's heart, for his friendships were the only true source of joy in his otherwise mundane days. He approached eagerly, ready to share the news of beating his personal record in the training simulator.

But then the laughter stopped, and the air immediately soured with a hint of awkwardness as they both looked at him, confused, before turning back to each.. “Do we know you?” Genesis asked, followed by Angeal’s “I don’t think we do.”

Sephiroth paused, confused. “What do you mean?”

His friends provided no answers as they merely looked at each other, laughed, and walked away.

Sephiroth stood there, alone and confused, as a thread of understanding began to weave its way into his mind. He realized why Genesis and Angeal had seemingly disregarded him: he must have done something to upset them.

The remainder of the day was spent pondering over the possible words or actions that could have soured their view toward him. Had he been too harsh on Angeal while correcting his footwork? Perhaps he had been too exhausted from his latest mission to give Genesis the attention he deserved when discussing the new Loveless play he had been invited to critique.

Eventually, after a day filled with distraction and a multitude of potential scenarios swirling in his mind, Sephiroth decided to confront the issue head-on. He found them in the mess hall that evening, seated at their usual table, the aroma of food wafting through the air stirring his neglected appetite and reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since yesterday.

Approaching them, Sephiroth didn't even attempt to take a seat, uncertain if his presence would be welcomed. "What have I done to upset you?"

The response felt like a punch to the gut. They exchanged a glance before fixing their gazes back on Sephiroth. "Sorry," Genesis shrugged, his expression showing a hint of a smile. "We don’t know you."

Sephiroth walked away, his heart heavy. Not only had he upset them, but he had seemingly committed an unforgivable act, risking the loss of his closest friends. He couldn't bear the thought of losing them; his friendships were the very essence that kept him going each morning, the reason that infused life into every waking moment. What had he done to squander it?

That night, sleep eluded him, and the gnawing hunger in his stomach went unnoticed as he lay awake in bed, tossing and turning, replaying every single interaction he'd had with them over the past week. As the clock struck 5 AM, he hurried down to the mess hall once more, determined to seek answers.

Spotting Zack heading in for breakfast, Sephiroth swiftly intercepted him, pulling the younger SOLDIER aside with urgency. "Has Angeal mentioned anything to you about what I've done to upset him and Genesis?" he inquired, his tone clearly displaying the desperation he felt.

Zack's eyes widened, and for a brief moment, Sephiroth thought he detected a hint of amusement.. "I'm sorry," Zack replied, "Who are you again?"

Sephiroth refrained from attempting to approach them again that day, whether it was Angeal, Genesis, or Zack. He had committed some unfathomable wrongdoing, and the guilt gnawed at him like teeth biting down deeper and deeper into his skin. It was exacerbated by his inability to recall what he had done. He had squandered the one good thing in his life.

Then, at once, the reason for why they were upset with him came to mind. And it made so much sense. He hastily gathered his thoughts and made his way towards Angeal's office that evening, the usual meeting place for the four of them at the end of the day.

He didn't bother with the formality of knocking—after all, could he possibly worsen their anger towards him? Sephiroth pushed open the door, coming face-to-face with the startled expressions that greeted him. Genesis dropped the book he had been reading into his lap, his mouth agape.

Zack, who had been perched on Angeal's desk, leaped to his feet, his expression a mixture of concern and alarm. Angeal nearly choked on the water he had been drinking. "Seph, have you been crying!?"

"I understand why you're upset with me," Sephiroth began, his voice trembling. "It's because I declined the offer to go see a movie with you all last weekend, isn't it?" His words caught in his throat as tears threatened to overwhelm him. "I'm sorry," he choked out, gasping for air. "I didn't mean to show disinterest in spending time with you, but I was completely depleted after enduring an exhaustive examination session with Professor Hojo throughout the day."

Pausing briefly to compose himself, Sephiroth was oblivious to the tears streaming down his face as he continued, his voice cracking. "I couldn't focus on anything, and I was feeling utterly drained, but I should have made the effort to be there with you all. I understand how you might feel that I didn't care for our friendship," He sniffed, "but I assure you, I do. I understand if you never wish to speak to me again—”

Angeal enveloped him in a hug before Sephiroth could utter another word, the warmth of the embrace causing him to surrender to his emotions completely. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he buried his face in Angeal's neck, his sobs muffled but very much audible to the other two people in the room, who looked at each other, stunned.

"Sephiroth, it was just a joke," Angeal exclaimed, his tone tinged with exasperation. "We thought you knew."

"We never imagined it would upset you like this," Genesis interjected, joining the embrace from behind and wrapping his arms around Sephiroth. "Sure, we expected you to be a bit annoyed, but we never anticipated this level reaction!"

Feeling Zack's hand rest gently on his shoulder, Sephiroth looked up, meeting his friend's gaze. "We're not angry with you,” Zack’s voice shook, his eyes wide. “We never were, and I don't think I could ever be!" Zack gripped his shoulder tighter. "We–we had no idea this joke was hurting you. If we had known, we never would have gone through with it!"

“Never,” Angeal added.

“But,” Sephiroth sniffed, blinking the tears from his eyes, “You Weren't speaking to me, so I thought—”

"Seph, look at me," Genesis gently turned Sephiroth to face him, tenderly wiping away the tears that stained his cheeks, his own eyes glistening with tears of his own. "We were just playing a prank on you, we thought it would be a harmless joke, something we'd all laugh about. We were never angry with you, and I'm truly sorry for how much this has distressed you."

Sephiroth glanced away, his voice small. "You're not angry?"

"No, Sephiroth, no!" Zack's voice cut in, his own tears mirroring Sephiroth's. "I'm so sorry," he sniffled, enveloping them all in a tight embrace.

"Me too," Angeal added, his arms pulling Zack into the hug. "We promise we won't ever pull a prank like this again. We should have realized it could hurt you."

"Can you forgive us?" Genesis asked.

Sephiroth felt himself deflate, his tension dissipating as he melted into the embrace. "But I'm not angry," he murmured. "I just wanted to understand."

Lazard was on his way to deliver some papers to Angeal when he paused outside his office door, his attention drawn by a commotion sounding from the other side. Concerned, he hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open.

What was on the other side made him do a double-take. Sephiroth sat on the floor, flanked by Zack, Angeal, and Genesis, all four of them huddled together on the ground, sobbing as they clung to one another. Lazard was almost tempted to ask if someone had died, almost.

“What a strange bunch,” Lazard muttered, shaking his head and closing the door.

[sondheim-girly]

ok so my Tony’s thoughts:

-the outsiders deserved best sound design and lighting omg so happy

-so happy that Gatsby won the one thing it was nominated for

-unsurprised about cab winning best scenic design

-total sense that illinoise won best choreo, still a little shocked that I doubted it would win for a moment

-hells kitchen ate, I loved the medley they did

-my prediction for what merrily would perform was spot on, transition song into old friends. I CALLED IT

-so happy that Daniel Radcliffe won, and I had so much hope for Lindsay, cuz then we could have had all three winning

-WATER FOR ELEPHANTS WAS AMAZING OH MY GOD THEY TOTALLY SOLD THEIR SHOW WITH THAT

-I wasn’t expecting them to do anywhere, I was hoping it would be road don’t make you young into wild or something, but it worked.

-Illinoise SLAYED. That song has been stuck in my head since the performance, it was actually SO good. And Ben cook :D

-the outsiders should have won best score. I’m sorry but Suffs has a very mid score. There were like two songs that I really liked from it. But tbh I’m just glad that a play didn’t win this

-my friends were simping over Eddie redmayne, and the moment the performance started they were screaming changing their minds and it was so funny

-I was expecting cab to do wilkomen into the title song, so i was sad that they didn’t

-I was expecting merrily to win best direction, but I’m soooo happy for the outsiders

-so shocked that stereophonic got best play /j

-Suffs performance was incredibly underwhelming. Honestly I want to love Suffs so much, and I think if I saw it I would love it, but I just didn’t really like the song that they did.

-JONATHON GROFF DESERVED THAT TONY SO MUCH AND IM SO HAPPY FOR HIM

-still heartbroken that Lindsay didn’t win

-THE OUTSIDERS PERFORMANCE WAS SO INCREDIBLE!!!!! I WAS SO HAPPY WITH IT, AND THEN THEY STARTED DOING THE RUMBLE AND I WAS SCREAMING

-um yeah so THE RUMBLE!!!! It was INCREDIBLE and the fact that they did the rain on stage and everything????? Hello???? Was that not the best performance on the Tony’s of all time????

-SO GLAD THAT MERRILY WON BEST REVIVAL IT DESERVED IT IN EVERY SINGLE FUCKING WAY

-I was hoping that the outsiders would win best musical, but I fully wasn’t expecting it. BUT WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I AM SO FUCKING HAPPY ABOUT THIS???!!?!? I WAS SCREAMING AND JUMPING AROUND LIKE I WAS INSANE, WHICH I AM

-anyways other than best score and featured actress, this year went incredibly well for me, I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be so great :)

-I probably forgot stuff and this is wildly out of order, I’m just going off of memory, so sorry about that

-gonna post photos of my Tony’s cupcakes tonight or tomorrow

[pjsk-headcanons]

back from the void, got obsessed with the grind a bit too much (up to interpretation on which game) but heyyyy what did i misss

imaginarium phantom - theater SEKAI

-formed by nene, later joined by ichika, airi, and kohane

-starts with miku and luka

- consists of a large "circus tent" (???) and a small beach area outside (they dont go there until post 2nd anni

- there is a day/night cycle, but they only saw sunlight/moonlight/sunrise light through the cracks in the tent. there was onw time where they had to push a recording date later because some of the equipment got soaked

miku: lead actor. commanding and cheerful. like nene, she had stage fright and it comes back in parts when there are REALLY dramatic bits. she didn't want to be lead actress, but pre-first SEKAI visit the VIRTUAL SINGERS helped her she got over the fear. normal hair style and length, but the colour is REALLY BRIGHT (like neon. like burns your eyes a little bit)

rin: actress. really mischevious. she likes pretending to be the villain in all of the practice shows and also pranks her brother all the time. joins the SEKAI pre ~2nd anni. part of ichikas feelings.

len: set co-director. short temper and quick (the type of person who thinks work is a race). acts sometimes? gets pranked by rin a lot but lets it slide most of the time. part of airi's feelings. joins the SEKAI pre ~1st anni.

luka: director. soft spoken with an insane commanding presence (everyone gets spooked by her). was the one who formed the troupe, enjoys writing scripts n such. personality improves throughout the timeline (like niigo miku kinda??)

MEIKO: actress. hear me out. wine aunt theater MEIKO. it'll work out i promise. she's really caring but really gullible. likes acting dramatically. part of kohane's feelings. joins the SEKAI pre ~1st anni.

KAITO: actor. probably the most mature? not in a fatherly way but more like a concerned big brother than fusses over little papercuts (looks at tsukasa). really good at improvising. tends to the equipment the most. part of nene's feelings. joins the SEKAI post ~1st anni.

asking mod and anyone else if they have any questions about the au, because maybe that will get me more motivated to write faster. and YES i am planning on posting the designs. eventually...

as always, have a great day mod and anyone else who reads this :D

🌐 anon

.

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 11 - Overseas Training

Izumi: Umm, this is 7th Avenue, so…

Tenma: Is that it?

Muku: Ah, it is!

Misumi: We’ve arrived~!

Kumon: It’s so crowded here!

Kazunari: No matter where you snap a pic, it looks great and makes such a great ref~! Yukki, Kumopi, pose for the camera~!

Yuki: Sure.

Kumon: I love New York! (1)

*Camera clicks*

Kazunari: Here, here, Sumi and gang, you join too~!

Izumi: (Even after a little under 13-hour flight, everyone’s still full of energy. That’s Summer Troupe for you.)

Izumi: (But time really has flown by so fast from the time when we decided to go to the U.S. to now…)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Flashback*

Yuki: Training in the U.S.?

Tenma: I got a call from my dad out of nowhere.

Tenma: There’s a film festival coming up in the U.S., and he suggested that all of Summer Troupe come for a training trip. He said the agency would cover the cost too.

Muku: Huh? The cost too!?

Kazunari: If the cost is covered, then it’ll be a-okay with Frooch-san.

Kumon: I wanna go to the U.S.!

Izumi: But is it really okay for him to do that much?

Tenma: Partially, it’s because he feels bad about not being able to do anything for the company back when we were struggling with the whole Amadate mess.

Tenma: I think we should just be grateful for it.

Tenma: Theater and musicals included, the U.S. isn’t only about entertainment culture.

Tenma: It’s also cutting-edge in design and fashion, so I think there’s a lot we could all learn from it.

Tenma: He said that if we want to win the Fleur Award, the highest theater award in Japan, we should experience some authentic theater as actors.

Yuki: I am pretty interested.

Muku: Issei-san does have a pretty significant presence in the world, so it’s a pretty convincing argument coming from him.

Izumi: Well then… I guess I’ll take your word for it.

Tenma: Yeah. I think it’ll be a good opportunity for us to relearn some stuff, too.

Misumi: Let’s go to the U.S.~!

Kumon: I can’t wait to be on a plane~!

*Flashback end*

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: (We didn’t exactly have the greatest experience with Issei-san during the debut performance, but…)

Izumi: (Now he truly is supporting Tenma-kun’s path as a stage actor. I really am thankful for that.)

Izumi: (I hope they can all return home full of excitement and having absorbed a lot during our short stay.)

Muku: If we move a little further left, we should be able to fit the building in.

Kazunari: C’mon, Director-chan!

Misumi: Take a picture with us~!

Izumi: Ah, sure!

*Camera clicks*

Kumon: I still can’t believe how many people there are~.

Yuki: I mean, it is a tourist attraction, so it’s no wonder everyone’s taking pictures.

Tenma: And with the film festival coming up, there will be even more people than usual.

Kazunari: I’m so hyped for the film festival~. It’s something we never would’ve gotten to go to if we weren’t invited.

Kumon: I wonder if we’ll get to meet some of the world’s biggest stars~.

Tenma: But first we’re seeing this play before any of that.

Muku: Ah, we should start heading towards the theater now.

Izumi: The theater should be around-- Ah, over there.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kumon: That was so impactful~! I feel kinda fluffy like I’m still in the story!

Tenma: I’ve never seen a production like that before, so I was really amazed by the whole thing and overwhelmed by the performance skills of the actors.

Tenma: It really reminds you of the wide range of possibilities that exist within theater.

Kazunari: The lighting and music were supes cool. Everything was so powerful and the impact was insane~! I feel like I’ve got ideas bouncing all around in my brain!

Misumi: It was so much fun~. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, it was filled with so much heart-pounding excitement!

Kumon: Yeah, yeah, it was like an emotional roller coaster…

Kumon: I couldn’t understand the language, but it was still conveyed through all they did~.

Muku: There were so many different types of actors. Not just in age, but in the way they acted too…

Muku: They each seemed to be making the most of their abilities.

Yuki: The costumes were good too. Those are what stage costumes should look like.

Yuki: This place really is authentic, and you can see that the pros are working hard to improve each other and create the best things they can.

Izumi: (Looks like each of them was inspired in their own way. I guess there are just some things that you can only get a feel for when you actually see them in person.)

Izumi: (We’ve hardly been here a day but I’m already happy we came…)

Muku: It’s all in English, but I just had to get a brochure too.

Kumon: Me too! Even though I can’t read any of it~.

Muku: When we get back to Japan, let’s read some of it together with a dictionary.

Kumon: Yeah! Looking at the credits, there are some Japanese-sounding names, though. Like the costume person, Aiko Kataoka--.

Yuki: Ah--.

Muku: Do you know who that is, Yuki-kun?

Yuki: Yeah, they’re famous.

Kumon: Really~?

Yuki: I see, so that’s…

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

• • •

(1) Kumon says this in English.

[soul-likeasecretinyourthroat]

Me and a group of friends went to emo nite at the rave last night and it was so fun! I got to do my friends makeup too!!!! O’s dads pretty funny, he held O’s face while I put on the first layer of eyeshadow because he wouldn’t stop talking lmao. I really like his parents, they are pretty cool people. He was a very good canvas tbh, he didn’t flinch and was patient with me too :) Once I was done with his makeup, his parents said he looked like Robert smith from the cure, and I fully agree with them! O looked so cool in the black eyeshadow, and it really was a trip for me to see him in it <3

After that, we left to go pick up 3 more ppl. A couple, B and R, who killed it with their outfits! The bf (B) wore a leather skirt, knee high leather stiletto heels, and some sort of tshirt (which under he borrowed his gf’s bra to complete this almost-drag look). The gf (R) dressed to the 9s in emo attire, rocking the mcr tshirt and fishnets. Me n Him were Shocked to say the least when B walked out of his garage like that lmao it was insane, very proud of him!

Then we went to go pick up M, and she wore her homecoming dress and a cute jacket, it was pretty scene inspired for her inspo, and she killed it!!!!

Me and O forgot to eat before picking ppl up, so we stopped at chipotle for food in our full emo regalia. Imagine just 5 of the most emo teens you’ve ever seen, and put them in the most suburban chipotle Ever, we stood out like a sore thumb! It was honestly really freeing to just like wear my outfit in public because it was so emo and I consider myself diet emo on the best days so I was happy. We got so many confused looks but I didn’t care, I was hanging out with the people I loved :)

After chipotle, I drove us (on the freeway!!!) downtown to the venue, and got parking right across the street! Then I started to do B and R’s emo makeup per their requests, and both of them have cool bone structures and I loooove doing peoples makeup fr it’s so much fun!!!!

O had a surprise tho, he brought with a second shirt that he wore, that he didn’t want his parents to see >:) it was a black, lacy, long sleeved button up with a flowery design on it, it was very sheer so he wore a white tank top underneath. We all looked so sexy fr, like omg

We got inside at 9pm, but it apparently didn’t start til 10:30, which was said nowhere lol. All good tho, us 5 got to hang out for a while anyway so it was fun!

Once the set started by the emo nite dj, the room got so fucking hot like I was melting in my thick tshirt, but I only had on a fishnet long sleeve top that barely reached my collarbones and a bra, and no way was I gonna be showing my assets for free (at least not to the 30 year old crowd of millennials there lol)! O got hot, so he took off the tank top he had on underneath the sheer shirt he had on, and he offered it to me to wear so I wouldn’t be so hot! Dude I like him so much he doesn’t even know fr like (I’m so down bad for him) anyway I change in a bathroom into the tank top and put the fishnet shirt over it, it was a very cool outfit ngl, and thank god I wore a nice bra and not an old one, because I would’ve cried if it looked gross infront of him fr

We all were dancing and having fun, and then O has the great idea of getting up and dancing on the stage, and me and M were like ofc that sounds like fun! We managed to get on stage and we were dancing and singing so much, the photographer took several photos of us together in the cool lights on the stage, they will hopefully be put on the www soon so I can see them! I love candid photos and I wanna see how I look in candids as well :)

I was really trying to be flirty with him (O) last night, and i was dancing really close to him, like within a few inches of him. I love to see him dance, when he dances with his arms above his head and moves so fast, it’s mesmerizing and I can’t look away. Whenever songs came on that had lyrics about love, I would purposefully get his attention and make him look at me scream-singing along to them, hopefully he caught a hint PLEASE! I twirled him like a pretty princess, and that made me get a stupid smile on my face :)

The concert got done at like 1 in the morning, and while we were walking back to where I had parked my car, O said that he wish he could’ve gotten any hot goth girl’s Snapchat, and I casually said “Omg what about me? Aren’t I got enough for you???” And he was mad blushing after that comment, hopefully that signaled to him how I felt maybe? We stopped at a kwik trip gas station to refuel and for a late night snack, and it was again very comical to see 5 emo kids in a gas station in a suburban area at 1:20 in the morning lol.

I dropped M off first, I thanked her for coming with and she thanked me for taking her lol.

Then, O got in the passenger seat and started playing music on my phone that was connected to Bluetooth! He played the full album of “Good God!” By rio romeo, which if you don’t know rio’s work is very romantic and like sappy songs. We both knew all the words to the whole album, and R and B were in the backseat giving each other looks and stuff, I’m pretty sure they think that O and I are dating, and I really hope that O knew that too >:)

We then dropped off B and R, said our goodbyes, and we went on the way back to O’s house. We kept playing the album, even if it restarted once or twice. Before we turned into his drive way, he changed back into his tshirt he left in. The moonlight reflected off of his skin beautifully, and it caught in his eyes which shone like jewels. We were talking about how much fun we had, and then we got to his house, His sister was waiting at the front door to let him in, since it was 3 am everyone else had long since been asleep. I told him that we should hang out again asap, and that I was really happy that he came with tonight even though he doesn’t know a ton of emo songs. He said he had a lot of fun too, and told me to be careful on the roads and go like 20mph because of all the deer on the road wandering. I said I promise I’ll go slow, and I would text him when I got home to let him know I was safe :) I watched as he walked down the long driveway into his house, he almost was skipping inside. I kept the album playing. I started my way back home. I regret not making a move on him, I really do. I don’t know how much longer I can survive without knowing that he might like me back. He’s so beautiful and sweet, his eyelashes are so long they touch his brow-bones, his off white teeth are the same shade as mine, those blue eyes that ensnare my gaze whenever I turn to look at him, the way his face moves when he smiles, the crinkles next to his eyes, the way his hair falls on his head, his nose is just perfect, his body covered in small freckles like a strawberry, and his voice that makes me weak in the knees and could tell me to do anything at all and I would no hesitation. (I want to hear him make noises that I didn’t know he could make, and daydream about what he would sound like, and how I can get him to make those types of sounds >:3 )

Sorry for the sappy rant, I have feelings for him that I’ve never felt for anyone else before ever. I’m just a teenager hoping that their crush likes them back.

Anyway, on my drive home (15 mins) I was tearing up over the fact that I already missed him, and how I wish I could go be at his side forever, maybe fall asleep on his basement couch next to each other while watching a studio ghibli movie or live-streaming an symphony orchestra playing. I got home around 3:30, talked to my mom for a bit, let everyone know that I got home safe, and ate half a pizza. I went to bed around 4am, but I could barely fall asleep even though I was exhausted because I couldn’t get him off my mind long enough to fall asleep lol

I need to be straightforward with him about how I feel. I’m currently writing down these tumblr posts about him in a physical notebook, that after I tell him how I feel, I can give it to him and show him how long I’ve felt like this for him, and some of my most favorite memories I’ve made :) I’m such a romantic it kills me.

Ok I gotta go to bed now it’s 1:30 am.. I’ll be back hopefully soon with an update concerning mine and his relationship >:) wish me luck!!!

[spinningbuster98]

So one thing I forgot to mention about Nero is that after grabbing an enemy you can hold down the button to use said enemy as a meat shield. I always forget about it and it's not my style to be defensive but it's got its uses

By far the hardest mechanic for Nero is Exceed. You may have noticed that Nero's sword has a rev up engine. You can rev up the sword to gain up to 3 Exceed levels, with each one being spent during your next attack which will be faster and more powerful

That's not the hard part, the hard part is that you don't have to rev up each level slowly: if you hit the Exceed button at the EXACT moment your sword hits the enemy you'll instantly gain an exeed level. If you do it with frame perfect accuracy you'll gain all 3 at once.

This is insanely hard to do and is mostly there for the Super Experts, because if you can somehow master this mechanic then Nero's attack power and speed effectively double:

Anyway the Castle is where some of DMC4's first few gimmicks start showing up and I'll have....words to spare about this game's use of gimmicky level design...but not yet, since I feel it's not particularily bad yet

There's that room with the disappearing Devil Snatch points where if you fall you gotta fight the enemies all over again but ok it's not too bad once you get the hang of it

Then there are those spinning tops which are a bit intrusive yeah but I don't think they're that bad, I even like how they insta kill enemies if you launch them at them

This is also where you'll start to encounter the enemies that will give you the most shit throughout the game, especially on DMD

Thos ice lizards are from DMC1 and they've been upgraded, not only with more attacks but with an ice armor that reduces damage and makes them really hard to stagger when hitting them. Thankfully a fully charged shot from Nero's gun can destroy most of their armor though they can regenerate it

The Bianco Angelos, those Knights with shields, aren't that hard on their own, but later the game will start throwing many of them at you. The general strategy is to get behind them to hit their backs but a fully charged shot will also pierce their shields

Then we have the poster boy for annoying DMC4 enemies; the Blitz

You're supposed to meet them way later in the game but this is DMD so the game is more evil

They zip around the room at the speed of light, randomly materialising for brief moments to hit you, meaning you can't just sit still and need to have really good reflexes.

They have an electrified armor that can only be breached by gun shots, and after the electricity is down you can actually damage them with sword strikes.

Before dying however they'll enter a desperation stage where they'll be invulnerable, even faster and if they grab you they'll self destruct on you. You can only keep avoiding them until they explode on their own.

Yeah they're infamous for a reason, though thankfully, even on DMD, you only meet like 5 of them in the whole game

You may be starting to notice an issue with Nero's gameplay though.

Which is that most problems can be solved by simply abusing his Devil buster or his charged up gun, especially the latter.

Now these two are abilities unique to Nero and they probably wanted to encourage you to use them, but given Nero's more simplistic gameplay style, this makes it feel like you're resorting to the same strategies each time: keep charging the gun as you fight and when in doubt grab enemies and go ape shit on them.

Hell even the early bosses can mostly be handled by keeping your distance, avoiding their attacks and pelting them with charge shots. It's kind of like DMC2 but a shitton better...but still a bit underwhelming in a way

It's somewhat understandable though: Nero's gameplay is a new thing and they still had to work the kinks out, and in DMC5 he'll see a number of improvements

...but let's just say that this will probably not be the last time I'll complain about this game's shoddy balancing

Oh and we also meet Ms.Fanserv-I mean Gloria

Hmm...this game's story seems a bit lacking now doesn't it? I wonder...

[sanstropfremir]

ok, so here's my miscellaneous music show stages post! idk what to even call it in terms of an 'official' title or whatever, but who cares. a lot of my fave stages already ended up in the fave stylings posts or i've talked about them in some other capacity, so this is just for outliers and ones that have stuck in my mind over the last year!

+

set design

test me - xdinary heroes, music core 220723 // the concept of the test me cb was an underground battle of the bands type thing, and i loved the set design of this specific stage because it's so subtle and builts directly out of the existing stage intrastructure. also the yellow jumpsuits are cute, so sue me.

invu - taeyeon, inkigayo 220220 // honestly, i'm just obsessed with the choice to use the led floor panels to to simulate a pool, ringed with the surrounding greenery. the rest of the designs is great but lighting effects are always gonna get me

voyager - kihyun, music core 220319 // i LOVE this ship, it's a great way to work the band into the stage with different levels all in association with the theme.

+

styling

feeling - kim wansun, music core 220108 // the only pants to every exist in the history of ever

wooah hip - mamadol, mcountdown 220127 // my villain origin story is that mamadol was a temporary project group. give us kahi back!!!!

chase - minho, mcountdown 221229 // people have slept on minho's solo which i expected, but honestly i really enjoyed it and i like how he very clearly showed that he had clear ideas that he wanted to explore than aligned with his own interests. the styling overall was not particularly notable bc it's a very naturalistic theme, but this patent leather trenchcoat really is something that only minho could pull off

what if love - up10tion, music bank 221014 // what is even happening with these outfits. i'm obsessed with xiao's shirt.

chronograph - victon, inkigayo 220130 // just looking at any pictures of hanse from any two victon eras should be enough to convince you that gender isn't real.

undercover - craxy, music bank 220819 // fun af fake chain props for the choreo, very theatrical!

focus - ha sungwoon, mcountdown 220825 // he only did one stage bc this was right before he enlisted, but did he need to bedazzle his cleavage like that? did you sungwoon??????? also this choreo is so fucking fast like holy shit you really did the damn thing even though you did not need to

me = naneun - just b, show champion 221130 // if anyone wants to fill me on on what fuck bain is wearing i'd gladly take any info. train conductor chic is all i got

dance with god - craxy, mcountdown 220224 // i can guarantee that on any given day those gold fringed pants will pop into my head at any random time

tomboy - wei, show champion 220608 // no comment

boom - minhyuk, mcountdown 220630 // no comment, but louder. again, another cb that almost made my top stylings list, but i can't keep rewarding him like this. any one of these stages gives me brain damage.

louder - tan, inkigayo 220626 // could not tell you what is going on here. a.c.e's stylist seems to be periodically working with tan and so their styling ranges from fine to excellent to batshit insane on any given day and every single louder stage is a hit. honestly all of their cbs almost made my top stylings list just for the sheer insanity of them.

alone - highlight, music core 221112, YOSEOB PUT THOSE AWAY I SWEAR TO FUCKING GODDDDDDDDD. dongwoon don't think i didn't notice you also but we're not gonna talk about it. also yoseob's collar for this stage i'm gonna be sick who allowed them do this.

+

staging and/or other

this GORGEOUS staging of kim jaehwan's back then, it's one of the few times that i've seen in the round used properly in a kpop context and maybe the only time i've seen it on a music show? also great set design and it looks so good with his pinwheel lightsticks.

tbh i just picked a random ascension stage for this, bc the sheer amount of production value they put into everything they do deserves being viewed even if they didn't make any of my other lists. prop kings, literally.

dkz's mcountdown special stage of lupin, because she's a queen and she deserves the love

plus a couple of not specifically music show performances, but they they are music program performances. mostly this is here for me to pimp kbs listen up bc NOBODY watched it except me and nana and it literally had some of the best stages of the year:

kihyun's solo performance of someone's someone on k-909, bc it's soooooo cute. honestly ppl watch k-909 too they put so much production value into everything

dkz on listen up performing a remake of in the rain, featuring kyoungyoon doing a standing backflip for no reason??

seungsik, subin, and sejun (victon) on listen up having a ball and also flipping a couch over

woohyun on listen up being sluttier than he should be allowed to be

ren on listen up god i miss nu'est so BAD

ghost9 on listen up absolutely WRECKING the hundred millionth kpop song named monster

swan absolutely wrecking on listen up stan purple kiss i stg

+

that's a wrap on 2022 posts! now i'm gonna get cracking on all my backed up asks 😭

[fluffallamaful]

Also, something kinda funny: before the Staged Finale was confirmed, there was a really big theory about how it was for Tommy in part because it held all of his triggers — giving up items, enforcement of rules, that sort of thing. I wanna present that in a new light.

Some details (stay with me here):

- The prison was laid out in a way that, indeed, would make Tommy’s stay there — for any period of time — absolutely miserable.

- Dream gave him a hero’s victory on a silver platter. Yeah it was fake but Tommy didn’t know that.

- Dream never went out of his way to bother Tommy again.

- Every time Dream saw Tommy after the Disc Finale after that was because Tommy broke into his house to harass him. The only exception to this was Logstedshire, where he went to retrieve the Axe of Peace to repay Techno — but even then, he was there first. (Tommy didn’t know that, but did Dream know that Tommy didn’t know that?)

- Dream clearly doesn’t think Exile was a big deal. Look at what he thought was an acceptable thing to do to himself with the prison. He consistently overestimates everyone — including himself and including Tommy. That’s one of his worst traits. Also one of his funniest. Anyway, he probably expected the Finale to make him get over it and lose interest. It didn’t, because he was wrong about how trauma works, but he probably thought that that would be the reasonable course of events. And I think he’d expect that, even if Tommy was “annoyed,” the kid would find the prison too miserable to get through just to bother him again.

- He was wrong.

Conclusion: From Dream’s perspective, Tommy is batshit insane. He handed this guy what he thought he wanted on a silver platter and then the guy spent the next two years chasing him down, at one point getting stuck with him for several weeks in a prison he specifically designed to be as miserable for Tommy to get through as possible, during which time Tommy ate half of his meager supply of raw potatoes and killed his cat — the one good thing about his cell — out of pure spite, before later coming back to break into his house, chase him down and murder him in the same cell he had been tortured in for a year. Like, can you imagine what his thought process about this kid was?

I’m not even saying Tommy’s “The Villain” or whatever because I don’t believe in that sort of thing (especially not on THIS server), they’re all good characters that deserve more recognition than being dumbed down to a single archetype, and cc!Tommy did a brilliant depiction of this character’s mindset and exploration of why he does what he does — but from Dream’s perspective Tommy must’ve looked absolutely nuts.

once again, you explained this so well and your attention to detail is incredible.

i think that was what made the ending so sweet is that prior to the soft talk, dream and tommy both literally thought each other were absolutely bonkers. and so that moment where they realised wait,,, your motives aren’t that strange?? was so incredibly moving. but if your theory was right, then it was already too late on dreams end

perhaps when he heard the nuke that’s when they quickly did the nuke reset? and does that mean punz sacrificed himself?

[ukulele-mixtape]

last night i finished my sa2 playthrough and i will say it holds up substantially more than i remember and initially gave it credit for...!

so i wanna ramble about it for a bit!

it's definitely the game i see the most replay value for, as the games past this era really don't house that same level of difficulty for those A ranks. (though i heard unleashed is really challenging, i just don't have a way to play it atm)

it's quite comical going straight into sa2 right after sa1 bc the tone is so drastically different it's almost like whiplash. having sa1 start w sonic chilling on a rooftop while the cops are racing to fight a water demon with guns and then hanging out by the pool the next day in comparison to the literal next game being that same blue gumball son of a bitch running from the cops while committing mass amounts of property damage (or if you're starting the dark story first, it's eggman breaking into a highly secure government facility, kicking ass and taking names) is the funniest contrast in the world.

girlie it's insane back to back. and it gets even worse when you realize the game that comes next in the lineup is fucking heroes. complete tonal whiplash and i wouldn't have it any other way.

as an answer to my initial question on whether or not knuckles' stages would hold up better for me in sa2 or sa1, i honestly still can't really say. i think both are still very fun and chill, though i kinda disliked rouge's stages a bit. aesthetically they're great but in practice i'm still kinda mad that emerald pieces can move around when you're trying to fight against a wind current in attempts to catch them.

what surprised me the most was how much i ended up vibing w eggman's mech stages in particular! not so much tails' and i genuinely can't seem to figure out what the difference is, but i'm chalking it up to it being the novelty of being the bad guy and just fucking up government property. that shit ruled even if the controls boil down to "lock on targets and just shoot them". gaining the most points out of a chain of baddies is really fun!!!

sonic/shadow stages are lit, but that's to be expected. shadow having only 4 stages to sonic's 6(?) still makes me laugh so hard when he is literally why anyone bought this game in the first place. having such a fan favorite be shafted in the literal game he debuted will never not be a Certified Sonic Team Classic. (sonic's crazy gadget can eat my ass tho why did it take me so long to get that one light speed dash section right goddamnit)

i will say that i do suck shit at sonic games in general so having the level design and ranking system in particular actually mean something is quite refreshing to look back on. i'm hoping maybe with the success of frontiers they can get that speedrun type level design to work better so those ranks will actually matter. i shouldn't be getting an s rank on a stage i fell off of. sa2 will spit in your face if you so much as stub a toe on a GUN mech. it rules.

overall, fun game! i think the story at it's base level is serviceable without any hindsight of the other games that came after it, and shadow barely being involved also kinda makes me laugh given how popular this man is. but it also works too bc he spends most of his time just kinda gathering the emeralds and watching as eggman does the work of activating that eclipse canon for him. he's just lying in wait watching the world burn and i think that's kinda badass.

wish the story would have actually delved into maria and especially gerald's stuff a bit more as the impact of their story isn't really as put together as it should be. i don't think getting hindsight off of instruction manuals and interviews is a good way to get your main antagonist's motivation across, but it's a nitpick i can live w bc i know ESRB ratings are kinda weird. (also his arc afterward is pretty dope)

i probably will tackle heroes next over the weekend so i'm very excited to continue this abrupt self induced journey...!

[colemckenzies]

Act Two

the last supper - 2005 austria

the apostles are extra calming in this version which makes the argument even more jarring. the slightly ominous shift when jesus starts singing. but most importantly. drew sarich as judas is craaazyyy in this version, literally BEGGING jesus to listen to him. 'jesus please.' unreal.

for the disciples section, i also really like the chimes in australia 1992, and the all-female cast recording gives me chills. for the argument, obviously 1973 crushes it, and i love the lighting use and Feral Energy of 2000 film. drew is also great as jesus in the 2006 austria album. i love you drew.

gethsemane - 2011 austria

SPEAKING OF DREW. this is theeee gethsemane for me i'm sorry. there are some versions where even though the notes are Hit it still feels uncomfortable to listen to, which maybe it should. but this one is solid and sweet and melancholy throughout. the amount of emotion and character conveyed in just the pacing choices alone. gorgeous.

i really like ben forster's Angry version in 2012 uk arena tour as well, and morgan james on the all-female cast recording is a solid female cover that still feels powerful and impressive

the arrest - 2000 film

THEY WERE CRAZYYYY FOR THIS ONE. the most insane kiss of any version this is better than the sweden version and i will die on this hill. nothing else about the way this song is sung or performed even matters because that tearful clinging dragged away betrayal is what easter is all about amen.

i really like that in the 2019 castaway productions version, jesus' 'must you betray me with a kiss?' is BEFORE the kiss actually takes place. literally encapsulated doomed by the narrative. 1973 film has the best delivery of 'stick to fishing from now on' and honestly john legend does surprisingly better than average at jesus' resigned energy in 2018 tv event, that version has cool musical direction on the ensemble section as well.

peter's denial - 2002 germany

i love a Funky version of this song. i know it's a dramatic moment and everything but i want it to be Fun to listen to. and this version is funky!! it's also the only version i've ever heard where 'i don't know him!!' doesn't sound awkward well done peter. very melancholy for mary's part also.

the original 1973 australian cast version also has Great musical design but alas there isn't really a high quality audio to fully recommend on that basis. once again 2011 austria smashes this song.

pilate and christ - 1973 film

every choice barry dennen makes in this is so excellent and also he is giving severe Carry On film energy. this is also i think the only version where jesus says 'your words, not mine' rather than 'that's what you say' which is soooo much better to me, but i guess it's too close to an outright denial. anyway costuming performance music all excellent mwah

i also absolutely adore the staging of 2012 uk arena tour w pilate just casually doing his workout. striving artists has a really nice musical intro, and i really like rob fowler's pilate as well.

king herod's song - 2012 uk arena tour

(proshot not on youtube) HARK WITH HEROD! imo this is the biggest payoff of the contemporary stylisation of this production, the talkshow element is so excellent. you can tell that chris moyles is having the time of his fucking life and i always feel weirdly proud of him?? just incredibly fun and flashy as this song should be

runner up for me is rik mayall 2000 film which makes my opinions on this song deeply british. i do like alice cooper's version, which is slightly better on the 1996 london cast recording over the 2018 version imo. for smaller productions that can't do the big stunt cast, the 2014 new musical orchestra album is weirdly good. 2014 centerstage ver is also very fun.

could we start again, please? - 2012 broadway revival

i will confess i think this song fucking sucks. it's so boring and it just halts the momentum entirely. that said, the choice to swap peter's second verse for judas is possibly the single greatest creative decision any production has ever made. the way it highlights judas' regret and re-emphasises the love between the three of them just as it goes into judas' death is so inspired to the thesis of the show

i know the 2017 paramount theatre production did the same thing so shout out to them!!

judas' death - 2000 film

the gayest and angstiest judas song MUST go to the gayest and angstiest judas. oh to lie on a stage and wail like a dying cat bc you sentenced your ex boyfriend to death in a fit of pique. great music choices too, the coins rattling like an instrument, and the music disappearing and swelling with his voice.

the 'i don't know how to love him' section is incredibly moving both in the original 1973 film and in the 1996 london cast recording. love the staging of 2012 uk arena tour bc i am insane about the fraught little interaction between annas and caiaphas after caiaphas gets punched in the face.

trial before pilate - 2013 hungary

(starts about 1hr19) the whipping section of this song is always so long and uncomfortable and i think this version does a really good job of at least making it dynamic and interesting to watch. i love the way the crowd carries him to pilate in the crucifixion pose at the start, and as already noted i think this is such a great pilate. very real emotional tension. it does the thing i like where pilate is clearly being Interrupted for this.

again barry dennen nails this in every version, and i think the 1996 london cast recording is pretty good as well

superstar - 2005 austria

rounding off w my boy drew once again. another confession i prefer versions of this song where judas is in hell rather than heaven LOL i love his bitchy little revival. the energy of this version and all the little adlibs and actions are just so so good and fun.

carl is obviously incredible in the 1973 film for the more genuine 'i wanted to help you i want to understand' angle which i do also enjoy as a judas apologist. 2000 film is another great take on 'hell judas mocks jesus as he is crucified'. really i am just glad the first and last Songs are judas. thank you judas the musical.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ultimate Edition

this easter It Is Time. using my years of fixation and research i present to you The Best Version of every song from jesus christ superstar, plus commentary. obviously subjective opinion so do feel free to discourse in the tags bc as you may have picked up i enjoy talking about the relative merits of jcs productions. also i might not even stand by this in a week bc i find it hard to keep multiple versions in my head at the same time for comparison and there are so so many versions.

please note that acting, vocal quality, music direction, and where available staging have all been taken into account. split into two acts bc of link restrictions.

heaven on their minds - 2012 broadway revival

obviously in terms of pure vocals carl anderson is unbeatable forever, but the staging of the 2012 broadway revival pips it for me. josh young's voice is still gorgeous and the judas/jesus/mary throuple is everything. i love versions where hotm is sung directly To jesus, and i love that in this version jesus actually listen and takes judas' concerns on board. the love and respect between all three of them is palpable and even though it is a serious disagreement, part of that disagreement comes from the fact that they care about each other so much. that's tragedy baby!

special mention to henrike tönnes on the 2022 rob carroll version, i specifically like the Ending of the song for that one. also the sarcastic clap along w the disciples that judas does in the 2013 hungary version.

what's the buzz/ strange thing mystifying - 2018 tv event

annoyingly this isn't on youtube but tbh the staging is nothing mindblowing. i think what's the buzz is a great song for showcasing the usp of each version and in this one i think being able to hear the real crowd actually cheering for jesus (john legend) really adds to the narrative. i also absolutely love brandon victor dixon and as i have said before he would be one of my favourite judases if judas were straight. sara bareilles does a great 'offended' face when he bitches about her lmao.

honourable mention to the 2012 uk arena tour for again showing off the conceit of 'modern day activists' really well in this song, not forgetting of course WOTS THE BUZZ #buzz tweet

then we are decided - 2013 hungary

(starts at about 9:49) obviously not a huge amount of competition for this one, i wish more versions included it bc it's a great song :( anyway i loveee the staging choice to have everyone else freeze-framed on stage with the priests walking among them, and i freaking love this caiaphas. literally inserting it into what's the buzz also works nicely

i do miss kurt yaghjian from the 1973 film tho, forever obsessed with his voice and facial expressions. extra shout out to the striving artists version for simply existing.

everything's alright - 2006 austria

something about the musical direction in 90% of versions of this song goes right through me, like there is always some weird instrument that makes me Cringe. but this version is Nice :) really enjoy how Pissed this judas is. and i love the way the long notes last into the next section of the song. i will say i prefer the alt melody for 'people who are hungry' but you can't have everything

this is a really nice one on the all-female cast recording as well, obviously it's already the most female-heavy song of the show but shoshana bean's judas is particularly good here i think. also of course carl anderson with tears in his eyes grasping ted neely's hands while the music swells is ingrained on my brain for all time.

this jesus must die - 1994 studio cast

this album as a whole is probably my Least Favourite JCS Ever, but i will admit that this song fucks. the haunting eeriness at the beginning. the way it kicks into a funky little syncopated rhythm. the disembodied hosannas. unexpected delight.

2012 uk arena tour is unfortunately disqualified for having possibly the Most antisemitic portrayal of the priests, which is a shame because it's probably my favourite casting. one of my favourite annas portrayals, but in general all of them are distinct and fully embodied which does make that version very fun to watch. i also really enjoy the 2019 castaway productions version for this song, the way they play instruments while they sing like a lil band, and caiaphas' eye make-up is sick. 1973 film is obviously also iconic with the little scaffolding tippy taps, and the way kurt yaghjian sings 'a trick-or-two with lepers'. i love this song sorry.

hosanna - 2017 striving artists

i kind of don't have justification for this one LOL i just like it. i know there are versions that are sung better and really the staging is quite important for this song but idk i just find this version really calming. i don't know if it's the music direction? i don't know enough about music tbh

admittedly this is another one that works really well for the 2018 tv event, but doesn't quite win for me as the crowd don't cheer in all the right places and john legend doesn't react at all to the 'would you DIE for me?' line which is crucial. for good reaction to that line the 2000 film where it elevates the bitchy gay tension in the love triangle really nails it.

simon zealotes - 2011 austria

EASYYY WIN FOR ME this is actually the song that made me want to pick a best version for each one because this version IS so much better than any other one for me. the guitar!!!!!! rob's energy!! the music design for this one really fucks so severely and then there's just rob jumping around hyping up the crowd (there is a film version from 2008 on youtube, but i wanted to capture the music for this one). iconic.

big love also to hungary 2013 for having a simon who's in a wheelchair, particularly notable when it's really the highest energy role in the show. i do enjoy.

poor jerusalem - 2022 rob carroll

i cannot find any information about this album other than what's on spotify but i do enjoy the slight alt melodies in this version and i like his voice.

not a lot to go into for this song really. i like the ben forster version a lot as well, and the 1996 london cast version. 'close your eyes' is a better lyric than 'live a lie'. moving on.

pilate's dream - 2022 all-female cast

may be biased bc I LOVE ORFEH but i just think this version is so gorgeous. i love the little vocal drifts without going too overboard and distracting from the song. the music composition is especially pleasing as well.

there's a lot of honourable mentions i could give here bc i think pilate has so much potential for power and gravitas, but 1973 film, 2012 uk arena tour, 2013 hungary, and east end theatrical ensemble. are also big favs. in terms of staging i love the fact that 2019 castaway productions has jesus himself on stage playing the backing piano like he actually is haunting pilate.

the temple - 1992 australia

australia 1992 habitually has some of the most interesting and creative music direction and this is one of the songs where it particularly pays off. love the whistles. i also like that the second 'get out' is spoken, not screamed. the second half is appropriately creepy with the sustained 'chriiiist'. pretty boring staging but at least the costumes are fun.

i don't know how to love him - east end theatrical ensemble

possibly controversial choice but ugh i love this version i even love how low the sound quality is. like listening to a vinyl. i think her voice is so gorgeous and i love her accent. deeply soothing to listen to. i feel like im in the 70s rn.

i'm also a huge fan of the 1996 london cast recording, joanna ampil has such a sweet voice and the way she emotes so that you can really Hear it works well for this song. special shout out to 2012 uk arena tour which i don't think is a particularly amazing version but we get the absolute gunshow from mel c at the end so we love it.

damned for all time/blood money - 1973 film

CARL!! I feel like 1973 film and 1996 london album are at a disadvantage in this bc they're what i grew up with so i kind of take them for granted but this is undeniably iconic. no one can commit to the tortured soul but belief he's doing the right thing like him. the way he can scream but it still sounds Good. i prefer versions that have annas suggest 'a fee' rather than caiaphas just repeating himself so that's here too. the weird keening way he sings 'on thursday night'. annas dropping the coins just as he reaches for them. UGH so good. a lot less brassy than other versions as well.

this is another song that kinda fucks in every version, but the original 1970 album and the 2018 tv event are particularly good i think. also that one bit in 2012 uk arena tour where annas is like '...... get up off the floor.'

[ashesforashes]

ok so i saw the 1776 2022 revival and omg

(spoilers for changes in the new revival. 100% worth it to see it if u can)

first of all: every single person in that show was amazing. literally not a single weak link. costume design: amazing. lighting and set: perfect.

what i liked:

they didn’t modernize it too much. yes there was a whole thing in “the egg” where they projected onto a curtain all the civil rights movements/protests/etc up to the present but other than that (and a couple other times where the characters broke the first wall to adress the crowd) it was fully set in Philadelphia, 1776. also i don’t think that show ever needs to be done with men again. having it all non men made all the voices blend so much better and let them all show off their (insane) talent. also, everyone who had a solo song (ex he plays the violin, lees of old virginia, etc) like went up an octave and showcased their vocals and it was so good.

what i didn’t like:

there honestly wasn’t that much i wasn’t in love with. i think jefferson could have had a little more personality tbh but her violin was incredible so im ok with it.

the true showstoppers of this show were “he plays the violin”, “mama, look sharp”, and “molasses to rum to slaves”. with “he plays the violin”, the actor who plays martha washington used to play christine daae on broadway and it SHOWS. that girl sang that song so perfectly. there were some issues with the pacing of it but i did like how adams and franklin left halfway through and left martha with just jefferson and showed how in love they were. i must say, i was not insanely impressed with martha jefferson’s character until she started singing but i guess it was more in line with who she was in real life rather than a girl like in the movies. also. when they first saw each other they danced. i was hoping for a kiss lmfao.

mama, look sharp:

power. vocals. like it was a powerful song made even more powerful by the godsend vocals. the scene didn’t start off lighthearted like in the movie and i think that was a good choice and when she started singing, billy’s mama (who also played hancock) came out and just started riffing over the instrumentals in a gospel style and good god it was amazing. 

molasses to rum to slaves:

this hit so much deeper cause the audience was from boston. it was also so powerful watching the Black actors take off their congress coats and dance in front of the non Black actors. also rutledge put her everything into that song, she performed it and sang it so powerfully. it really cut the new englanders in the show and the audience to their core. 

other misc notes and thoughts

southern accents are hot

slavery comes up a lot sooner in the revival; jefferson brings an slave to philadephia and there’s a scene where they’re reading the declaration of independence and when it’s like “we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal” and the slave is on stage and we see just how much of a hypocrite jefferson was.

the new scoring for the orchestra pretty much made the show. it modernized it and, especially with john and abby’s songs, it lifted them from pretty ok to amazing. like the way that the guitar came in. it was so good

jefferson’s coat was clearly a nod to hamilton lmao. it was a very nice coat too. and they gave her a red wig b/c of course

a lot more jefferson playing the violin 

john adams was insane. she was just so good

the lees of old virginia was somehow. forgettable? like don’t get me wrong, it was amazing but because everything else was so good, it just happened and then was kind of forgotten

“the egg” got turned from a boring song to a rocking firery song about american revolutions etc it was great. also more violin

hahaha dickinson was such a karen like oh my god i loved it

1776 is kind of a hard show to pull off, what with so few female characters and the time period that it’s in (and the way it kinda glorifies the founding fathers) but i think the newest revival is the gold standard to how it should be performed.

ok i’ve probably forgotten a lot but i genuinely enjoyed it so much and i’m praying so hard that there’s a cast album so i can listen to eryn lecroy sing “he plays the violin” on repeat. and also a proshot. i would v much love a pro shot.

[transsexualhamlet]

Dead Apple Is A Hot Mess: The Analysis

Essays:

-Dead Apple Only Really Makes Sense If You Assume It's Just Dazai, Shibusawa, and Fyodor's Elaborate Honeymoon

-Half All Other Inconsistencies Can Be Explained By Dazai Making Up Excuses To Shove Chuuya At His Crotch

-I Think Fyodor's Ability Is Actually 10 Times Weirder Than We Thought

-Ranpo Solved The Backrooms While This Shit Was Going On

Plus, everything else batshit crazy stupid about dead apple (affectionate)

Subtitle subtitle: me overanalyzing the movie equivalent of "girls just wanna have fun" played over a slasher film

this is all word vomit at this point

Prefacing this with holy shit of course I mean this all jokingly, obviously this is not what the writers meant, but they certainly left enough plot holes that my stupid idea actually fills them pretty consistently, so I'm taking it and fucking running.

I've been wanting to make a post like "how little sense dead apple makes as a cohesive story and how genuinely every time I think about it I'm just more confused" for a while, but since I finally finished reading the light novel, now I can say with certainty that yeah no, I'm not just stupid, it just literally does not make any logical sense unless you conclude that these flamboyant war criminals were all just in love with each other and their entire three-way backstabbing apocalypse deal was all a predetermined game that they planned out for their honeymoon or something. Yes, I am really saying that I think they just dressed up and played pretend as terrorists and decided that half the gifted population of Yokohama was a sacrifice they were willing to make.

Even then, it really doesn't account for half of the bullshit in the movie, but taking it that way honest to god explains about 80% of the inconsistencies, as ridiculous as it sounds.

@akutagawasslur and I have been talking about it and came up with a few sort of outlandish theories that try to actually make sense of the plot, but again, most of this is just gonna be me pointing out plot holes and continuity errors and narrative stupidity that I have no way of understanding, and that even assuming a ton of things, it still feels like this meme

Let me preface this with the fact that I love dead apple, it's an amazing movie and very pretty and I'm so glad it exists and it gave us 1. soukoku sex scene /j, 2. dazai with fancy hair, and 3. shibusawa our transfem icon /hj. But also, it just objectively sucks ass. I'm sure people have talked about this before, I just. Also have thoughts on the subject of how insanely poorly thought out the entire concept was.

(Giant fucking essay under the cut I feel like one of those youtubers who criticizes anime for fun but when I call everything gay it's a compliment)

_____________________________________________________

OK FIRST, DEAD APPLE TRIO GAY,

Before I even get into the plot of the movie, I'd like to for a minute direct you to the fact that there's no way any of these men are straight to begin with, no matter what they have to do with each other.

It's something really funny about anime in general, the way that they inadvertently make all the men fruity af for interesting character designs because straight guys are just so incredibly bland looking. It might seem normal when looking at an anime dude, but if you saw a dude irl wearing long braided hair, long, manicured nails, eyeliner, Arm Warmers, clothes he sewed himself, jewelry, and a Cape, there is no doubt in ANYONE'S mind that that's not a cishet man.

Dead Apple is just in general a very confusing movie. The light novel doesn't really help that much either, even if you've already watched it several times. I've heard that the stage play has just, a different plot altogether, but we're not even getting into that. And if someone has to put in that much effort to understand the plot of an anime movie, I don't think that's a good sign. The light novel definitely does go more into the plot, but that's kind of weird, since it's an adaption of the movie and not the other way around? They're kind of inconsistent, and they also have different translations. Honestly, after reading it, I have more questions than answers.

First off, I want to point out how entirely vague Dazai, Fyodor, and Shibusawa's motives all were in this movie. Even though the movie does eventually state what in general all of their motives supposedly are, the explanations given not only Do Not Explain their actions in ANY WAY, but also come off themselves as blatant misinformation.

I feel like the writers tried so hard to have their mind games seem death note level complex that they just ended up creating massive fucking plot holes that bring all of their motives into question.

To begin with, we have Dazai. After spending an ungodly amount of time on it, I think I kind of understand what the writers intended for him to come off as. It's a little hard because they wait to reveal that Dazai didn't actually just wholeheartedly want everyone to die for a little bit too fucking long, in my opinion, and even when they did it... it didn't work, it just took away an understandable though awful motive and failed to repace it with anything good.

So you have Dazai at the start of the movie clearly having a Moment Moment on a grave going hey bestie gonna go try out a new method of fucking killing myself, and atsushi's like, ok, be back for dinner. Dazai then reveals that he thinks Everyone Should Commit Suicide Actually and it's pretty in character to be perfectly honest. Yeah sure, of course he does. Seems like his brand of mental illness. Ango is like Dazai this is a bit much even for you you Literally Invited Terrorists To Have A Good Time but dazai's like Bestie Im Just Having A Bad Day and meets up with his matching gay villains like this was planned all along, which undoubtedly it was.

Yeah, seems like a pretty understandable motive. Depressed man convinced into thinking Apocalypse Sexy by two homosexuals. I can forgive that.

But then like three quarters through the movie, after they've had a whole ass arc about how much they're depressed and want everyone to die including themselves but they have to lounge around being emo first, Dazai is suddenly like No Actually I Was Faking It Definitely To Save Yokohama Of Course Because That's Me, Mr. Morals. And as much as I'm glad Dazai did in fact give a miniscule shit about Chuuya and Atsushi and like the entire city, I... honestly don't believe it. Not just because I wouldn't trust Dazai as far as I could throw him, but because the way they try to clear his name just isn't comprehensive enough, and I have to say it would not hold up in a court of law. (I'm amazed that it took as long as it did for Dazai to get thrown in fucking prison as it did, lol)

So sure, the movie then tells us that he invited them into the city because, I guess, they were going to do it anyway? That doesn't even make any sense. If Shibusawa was already targeting Yokohama, Dazai wouldn't need to fucking invite him. We never got any clarification on what Dazai actually did to get Shibusawa's trust in the slightest. How did he help with the plan? How was he cooperating with Shibusawa? What did he say or do that made the guy trust him? No clarification on that at all.

So that is left as a mystery, and now onto the other side- what did Dazai actually do to HELP the city? How was anything he did helping save them? Of course, he was working with Fyodor and he was going to nullify the fog with his skill, right? Fucking wrong, actually- Dazai knew the whole goddamn time that wasn't going to work. He knew he was going to be betrayed and stabbed, he could pinpoint it so well that he knew what poison that Shibusawa would use, and he knew that what Fyodor was telling him about the room and the skill was a lie. He was fully aware that being in that tower with those two would not help anyone. So then why was he there to begin with?

So Dazai gets stabbed, fucking dies, and is somehow beamed up into a fucking dragon because of Fyodor killing Shibusawa and like, resurrecting him again with his own ability. This part still doesn't even make sense to me in the slightest, and the fact that Whatever They Did Here also applied to Verlaine and Rimbaud in the Lore doesn't actually clarify much.

The only reason that this works is the fact that Dazai is genuinely dead. Not passed out, not in the process of dying- no, he's straight up passed away. His ability yeeted. It doesn't work during that time Because he's Dead, or well, that's what the light novel said anyway.

Then Chuuya punches the dragon and somehow gets to Dazai and punches him...... and then... dazai fucking.... comes back to life...... because he had a pill in his mouth......... and then boom his ability comes back on and saves Chuuya. Correct me if I'm wrong, but how the fuck did that help anyone in the slightest, not to even get into the absurdity of the plat yet? Chuuya wouldnt have even needed to use corruption if Dazai hadn't gotten himself turned into a goddamn dragon.

I don't believe the fog even went away at all until Atsushi smashed in Shibusawa's skull, so Dazai's ability wasn't getting rid of the fog in the slightest, even after the whole Dragon Event. And Dazai being there didn't change the outcome of Atsushi's battle, since Shibusawa got where he was with Atsushi entirely because of what Fyodor himself wanted. That same outcome would have happened whether Dazai was there or not.

Even if there was something Dazai did to help that I somehow managed to miss, gee fucking whiz, Dazai, you sure did take your sweet fucking time getting to it. Remember all those crystals that appeared in Shibusawa's collection during this shit??? You know??? The people that fucking died in the fog???? Because you let them in?? He wasn't being particularly helpful, if anything, what he did only got Fyodor farther along in his plans and Shibusawa exactly what he wanted.

The writers attempt to present Dazai as having in the end chosen the good side, but in all fucking honesty, what they came across showing us through his actions is that he let hundreds of ability users die because he wanted to have a fun time. Bitch was not trying to save the city. He didn't care if it was saved at all, he left that completely up to three teenagers who had about a 20% chance of surviving and all fucking hated each other. And why, because he realized that Shibusawa would eventually target Yokohama? God, maybe he could have fucking called Ango or something and gotten the actual qualified government on it, or even got the whole detective agency to fight Shibusawa before he came. Surely that would have fucking worked fine, or at least had fewer casualties. If all they needed to do was have Atsushi beat the shit out of him and Dazai was fully aware of this, I don't think he really has an argument as to saying he was doing this for good.

He never even tries to say it was to save anyone. Atsushi just, decides that's what he was doing. Dazai even tells him he's wrong.

(In my opinion, I do think he cared about the city, I do think he wants to fulfill Oda's wish, but from what I've seen, he's just... not really trying as hard as he could be. I think he was playing both sides on this one, you know? If Atsushi makes it through, then boom, well, city saved, let's move on. If Shibusawa succeeds, well then everyone dies, whatever, you know, he's hot. This can't really be proven by anything, I just think it's what makes the most sense considering the plot)

So then the question is, what the hell WAS he doing? What were ANY of them doing, if they all predicted perfectly what the outcome was going to be from the beginning?

The only answer I can give is that they're fucking depressed homosexuals and they wanted to have a little morbid fun. Genuinely, if someone can give me a better reason for what is canonically being depicted in this movie I'd LOVE to hear it.

To show you why I feel that interpreting these three as queer, polyamorous, and currently having crazy gay sex, I'd just like to point out a few things.

First of all, when you think about it, the entire stunt these gayasses pulled must have taken an absurd amount of unnecessary preparations and planning. Just to begin with, neither Shibusawa nor Fyodor live in Yokohama, but the second they're there, they already have the fanciest, most emo, obviously Supervillain Hideout piece of real estate in Yokohama. It's not like that place was just sitting around with no one owning it, one of them had to BUY THE PLACE from whoever like. Owned this goth mansion.

I mean, we don't even have time to get into what the hell this building was doing in Yokohama to begin with, because it's like.... in the 15 arc. it's just. A building that exists right at the edge of the Arahabaki crater town. That's GOTTA be plot relevant, but somehow it just. Isn't. It irritates me to no end.

And then before they moved in, someone had to move an entire, crystal collection in there (I've heard that it's actually part of Shibusawa's ability like Anne's room but I'm not sure how true that is so I'm leaving that as a question i guess)

Not only did they probably have to ship 2000 crystals into this place but Shibusawa also BOUGHT THREE CUSTOM MATCHING FANCY CHAIRS and SET A TABLE WITH FRUIT AND HIS FUCKING SKULL and LITERALLY TAILORED MATCHING WHITE OUTFITS for these motherfuckers TO WEAR LITERALLY ONCE. LIKE. HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO S T A B DAZAI HE DIDNT PLAN ON REUSING THE DUDE'S COAT AND YET HE FUCKING SEWED IT HIMSELF.

I'm just. I'm SORRY, this is NOT something you do with your Work Associates. Just. Objectively. This is Not a coworkers relationship we've got going on here, and neither is this something that straight men do.

And even without the embellishments that can be excused as animators wanting to be Aesthetic and Extra without realizing that any higher thinking would deem these bitches as Fruits, the three of them didn't really have any excuses to be together in that tower in the first place, none that they could voice out loud, at least, if they weren't like, fucking.

There seemed to be no plot relevant reason for them to have a tower to stay in. If Draconia was a manifestation of Shibusawa's ability, they didn't have to purchase a building to store it in. And if Dazai and Fyodor didn't need to stay up there to stay away from the effects of the fog (another major thing I'll get to) why did they even meet up to begin with? God, I know you movie makers only have so much you can fit in, but this is pretty basic stuff.

Neither Fyodor or Dazai needed to be around Shibusawa at all for the plan they had pretended to agree on to work.

Fyodor had been aligned with Shibusawa because he was giving the dude inside information on the city. That really,,, has no relevancy to the actual event, even if Fyodor helped him get into the city or something, which wasn't really touched upon. He certainly didn't have any official excuse to hang around other than to watch.

And what did Dazai even do at all? What did he do to get into the cool kids club?? All Dazai did was propose the idea, according to canon... just. Contacted the dude and said hey bro wanna Destroy My City For Funsies? Sounds good, I'm not suspicious at all. Anyway mind if I hang out in your house while you do it? Cool? No reason, I just wanted to watch.

Because Fyodor and Dazai both Somehow are randomly immune to the fog, it's not like they needed protection of any sort. They're just...... there.

Like, that just doesn't hold up. What were they there to do other than have gay sex??? Of course, all three of them have ulterior motives that make it necessary for them to be in the same place, as well as separate different alliances within the alliance that are also lies.

Fyodor agreed to help Dazai touchie the crystals in order to stop the fog, but they both knew it was a lie.

Shibusawa agreed with Fyodor to kill Dazai because they knew he wanted to betray them, but at least Fyodor knew that was a lie.

Dazai on his own really didn't have any clear motive, as I can tell. He seemed to have known touching the crystals wouldn't fix shit, and he seemed to have known Atsushi was the only real determining factor in the outcome, so I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve there other than having a grand old time.

And Fyodor..... well, he says he wanted to kill both Dazai and Shibusawa so he could take the fog to spread out and go across the entire earth, but. No he didn't.

Legitimately. No he did not. He was in Yokohama to look for the book, yet he plays this whole "I'm going to kill everyone right now with my Secret Evil Plan" card and is so incredibly unsurprised when that doesn't end up happening that it doesn't even feel like he meant it to begin with. He tells us this grand plan over the span of TEN YEARS where he gets Shibusawa killed and resurrected and amnesia'd and killed again and then resurrected and killed again. But even though he's spent that much of his life invested in this, when it doesn't work out, literally, he doesn't care???? He fucks off and laughs the second his entire plan falls apart, and this isn't how he we've seen him act when he's been actually bested by Dazai. (yknow, he was clearly very amused when it happened in the third season, like he probably got off on it, but he was still incredibly inconvenienced by the fact. Yknow.)

He also... was in the tower when it fucking. Exploded. And then showed up utterly unscathed in season three. Like. Sure, ok, horror movie physics. He just comes back. But genuinely he must have known beforehand a general idea of what was going to happen even though he apparently "hadn't considered that"? Because otherwise he would like. Not be alive sorry Fyodor getting crushed by a giant building kind of isn't survivable.

Bestie really spend ten years investing in a night of fun.

So genuinely, I don't think it makes sense at all unless the three of them had to some degree agreed on all this beforehand. Because if they were genuinely trying to fight against each other, and they each all had their own comprehensive spiderweb of plans and lies, and they're all really that smart, what would they say to each other when they were all together that any of them would believe? Even if they all knew the others were lying to them and they had to go along to get what they wanted, that wouldn't fix the problem, because what are they lying to say? What would their front be when they have no plot relevant reason to lounge around in a tower together listening to classical music and getting drunk?

If you just accept that they were there to paint each others nails and have crazy gay sex, that pretty much clears that all up. I mean. Why do they need a tower? Gay sex tower. Why do they need to be together? They're gay. Why does Dazai say "i knew your Special Knife would deal me a Nasty Blow" while moaning? I hate the gays. /j (they took that out of the novel and it makes me laugh like. they knew how awful that sounded)

The thing is though, because like I said earlier with how it all ended up playing out, it seemed almost scripted between the three of them. (haha, this is a movie.) But even if you assume these three are in a queer polyamorous relationship as a FRONT, because they're just That Extra, that doesn't really work either.

The way Dazai reacted to their betrayal, the way Fyodor reacted to Dazai's backup plan, the way Shibusawa reacted to Fyodor's plan- none of them seemed unhappy with it, none of them seemed surprised at the fact they were being betrayed, just the specific way in which it happened.

So that's really the only reasonable explanation of what they were doing dhfgdfhgfjfdl. All of them had to have gotten together at least months beforehand and set this up, the way it went. In the end, Fyodor and Dazai just wanted to give Shibusawa a good time before he got to be too much of a problem for their own motives. (dazai's being, existing in yokohama and finding a good way to either die or live, and fyodor's being to find a book in yokohama to murder everyone in his Own Way(??)) Shibusawa genuinely did want to destroy the city tbh I don't think anyone's doubting that, and to some extent, Dazai wanted to see the city Not Destroyed, but Fyodor's utter lack of actual motive here kind of breaks a scenario where they all went into it for that reason.

The only normal reason why I'd believe Fyodor inserted himself into this plan was because he'd have a chance to kill Dazai. Seriously, I still can't see what was wrong with going along with Shibusawa... isn't "i can help all ability users Fucking Die" literally just what Fyodor wants? He can still get the book afterwards too, assumedly once all the competition is gone it would be significantly easier.

The only reason I can give is that it was a fake piece of entertainment for their amusement.

Again at this point it's all just a funny idea, but genuinely, nothing contradicts this, and it certainly would make a lot of things make sense. So get this:

Dazai knows Shibusawa is going to be some level of threat to Yokohama no matter what he does, so he brings together the three of them and goes, hey you know what would be fun? We have a little bet. A little game of among us if you will. So here's the deal. One night, three of us, two knives, one murder. We let you into Yokohama to start up your funny apocalypse thing you wanted to do, and I'll get this cool tower and we'll have a good time. We all get drunk, put on some atmospheric music.... Now here's the catch, MY role is I'm going to try to STOP the fog from killing everyone. Shibusawa, YOU have to try to stop ME from stopping YOU, and FYODOR, you're here because, idk, we like you and you want to kill us, I don't know, surprise us, come up with something insane, and the two of us will have to figure out what YOU'RE doing without spoiling it! We have a few months to all come up with our own plans and try to figure everyone else's out. Let's make this as insane as possible guys. We all have plenty of reasons to benefit from the other being dead, so, Winner gets to homoerotically murder the loser, but we're all suicidal here anyway, so it's really a win win situation no matter how you look at it. Does that sound good? And of course they both say yes and they start making plans and it's like, half a year before this thing happens.

It really means that they had to have all been in on every level of betrayal and decided to go in on it anyway, they had to agree to this stuff and then planned it all in their heads so some of it would be a surprise.

_____________________________________________________

ANYWAY MORE DUMB INCONSISTENCIES THAT I COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO ACTUALLY PUT INTO A COHERENT ORDER

There's a significant amount of other things about this candy colored piece of nonsense though, specifically just, how absolutely batshit stupid the storyline itself is.

Like, Dazai, straight up fucking died. He passed away!! He, unalived, if you will!! He got stabbed by a poison knife and died! His ability stopped working and separated from his body which specifically said in the narrative would only happen if he Actually Died!

But then??????? Chuuya slaps him?????? And there's a pill in his mouth that he's somehow kept there for the whole night???? And he just!! Resurrects from the goddamn dead!

Yeah, I know it's supposed to be like that because blah blah snow white but SNOW WHITE IS THE MOST ILLOGICAL FAIRY TALE EVER and to convert that to anime is just. Wow the anti death pill that heals Stab Wounds, great job. It didn't even actually get swallowed by dazai, when Chuuya punched him! The pill CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH. It popped ! Outside of his mouth! So he didn't swallow it either!

What the fuck happened then? Chuuya simply slapped him right out of hell. Man climbed back up eeby deeby screaming. I swear to fucking god.

It seemed that the pill which exploded several feet from his mouth also healed his stab wound, considering that the knife fucking disappeared from Dazai's back, along with all the blood.

__________________________________________________

ON THE WORKINGS OF ABILITIES- another batshit theory

Ok, so, the whole workings of the fog regarding different abilities and stuff is also rather inconsistent.

It's stated Chuuya's ability works even in the fog because it's artificial, which makes fine sense if you've read stormbringer, yeah. But ok. If Chuuya doesn't need protection from the fog, then why when Dazai and Chuuya fall to the ground, Dazai is like "oh no you have to stay touching me because the fog isn't gone yet!!" DAZAI HE WAS FINE BEFORE YOU JUST WANT AN EXCUSE TO GO HOLD STILL GIRLIE *SHOVES YOU AGAINST MY CROTCH*

Also, why is atsushi's ability super fucking powerful? We still have not solved this. Still no one goddamn knows. He is an ability but he's also the antithesis of all abilities.... why did this have to be Atsushi, he's literally a fucking tiger? It actually makes no sense. If I was gonna choose someone to be the "antithesis of all abilities" it would be Dazai? I feel like that makes significantly more sense to be dazai here like seriously what's more "antithesis of all abilities" than an ACTUAL ABILITY THAT NULLIFIES ABILITIES? And it would have like. Actually made the movie make sense then. But no??

It's not only that that makes no sense, the whole premise of Shibusawa himself existing and the way the fog works is also, paradoxical in nature. It makes a little sense with stormbringer and the idea of these singularities, but. I'm sorry, if Dazai's ability doesn't work when he's dead, or like, apparently "really really close to dead but also Totally Fine after getting punched" according to 55 minutes logic (like. hi) then Shibusawa's ability can't work after his death either.

How shibusawa's ability works is that it separates someone from their ability, and when the original person dies, the ability becomes a crystal. Not like. A sentient ghost who forgets it died with a skull completely separate from his body. Like. Show me where that makes sense.

Fyodor's ability somehow makes even less sense. Ofc, we don't know a lot about his ability, and that's somewhat of the point. But like, without dead apple Existing, no one would question what Fyodor's ability was. Oh yeah, crime and punishment, he kills people that he judges guilty with a touch of his hand, ok. The specifics are a little hazy, maybe he controls the blood, maybe he controls the soul, maybe both. But you watch this goddamn fucking movie and somehow, his ability is its own singularity as well as Dazai's and Shibusawa's, and that is why they're all immune to the fog?

The question here then is... what is the singularity? What is the paradox of his ability, how are "crime" and "punishment" different yet something that would completely cancel each other out and make the fog not work?

Well. I have an idea. It is. Certainly not to be taken super seriously, but I think it would clear up a bit of what's going on in this shit show.

Personally, I think that Fyodor controls life- that he has the ability to resurrect people as well as kill them. Resurrecting is the "crime", killing is the "punishment". They go hand in hand, they cancel each other out, they tie into Fyodor's whole religious metaphor junk.

Ok, that makes sense right? Shibusawa issue solved, weird semantics with ability singularities and Shibusawa being like. The remnant of an ability just continuing to exist after death for no fucking particular reason solved. Dazai literally dying fr and then coming back to life with the most stupid reasoning ever solved.

Also, per my last essay, they're gay. So that's why he'd ressurect them over and over again.

Again, this is a very non-serious answer, however it does make a lot of sense somehow.

__________________________________________________

The Aftermath TM (or lack thereof)

One of the funniest things about this movie is how nonsensical the whole premise of its existence within the bsd canonical universe is. They shoved it in the middle of season 2 and 3, but it was released after season three, so things got weird.

First of all, since season three was written first, obviously Fyodor's real introduction comes in season three. This is all fine and dandy out of universe (except if you watch it in chronological order and then you're just like? They're introducing this russian dude in dead apple as if I know who he is already? When this is... clearly his first appearance in Yokohama.) But in universe, after the events of dead apple, these people would know who Fyodor was already.

So, Dazai never informed anyone of Fyodor's existence or involvement in dead apple. Ok. Of course he wouldn't. They want to keep their relationship private. Alright.

Even though it happens canonically and chronologically before season three, it's only ever mentioned in season 3 literally twice (introducing fyodor as "that guy from the shibusawa incident" and just. literally. Dazai eating an apple when he sees Fyodor in the alley. Which is so subtext-ey as to barely even count.) But other than that it seems to be an event that like... just... no one talks about. At all. We don't know the aftermath of this event and it makes no sense how thing could have gone back to normal after this.

So yeah, that means he didn't open up and explain what happened. No one seemed to question Dazai's motives at all.

Ango knew Dazai was working with Shibusawa and presumably got kind of fucked up by them, yet. We get nothing about that. He never denied working with them, and yet, he just goes back to the ADA and no one fucking wonders whY THE SHIT HE DID THAT? They're literally like oh wow. Well that happened. I don't know what Dazai did and he doesn't care to tell us. Anyway haha don't do it again and you're fine lol

Second of all... literally 90% of the city FUCKING POPPED OUT OF EXISTENCE FOR A DAY. That is not a thing that can go unnoticed.

Imagine you're fucking? Just a normal dude in Yokohama. And you just. Don't exist for a bit. Or maybe you were hanging out in the backrooms and thought it was a dream or something. But imagine you pop back where you were and a whole calendar day has passed. There's crashed cars everywhere, evidence of many battles and lots of destroyed buildings, half of downtown is destroyed, that Weird Ass Tower fell down, there are at least a hundred Fucking Dead Bodies killed by mysterious means just, fucking, hanging out in really ridiculous places... and almost nobody remembers what happened.

This wasn't just a few people who disappeared, this was EVERYBODY. Are they just gonna pop back in their cars? Or the spot where they had disappeared? And just go? This is fine where did all these corpses come from? Half the buildings have been leveled by Dragon Shaped Footprints ah godzilla moment lol

How did they cover this up? How could Ango And The Government possibly fucking manage to contain something this size? Yokohama would look like it had just been through the fucking owari no seraph catastrophe. And yet. Somehow this isnt a problem.

Even the ability users seemed not to really bring this up at all after. Yknow. Ok. They treat it like a fever dream and never mention it again because that's what it was.

I think something that sums this up perfectly is the part at the end where the fourth wall kinda breaks a little and the writers apologize for all of their motives and actions being a hot mess. Tsujimura is like "hey ango lol... What TM" and Ango just turns around like "yeah you wouldn't understand... dazai and fyodor and shibusawa are just... you can't understand them... they're a lot like joker from the movie joker."

essay complete go about your days and contemplate my word vomit 👍

[boytouya]

goosebumps

IGNORE THIS LOL MY BRAIN IS ROTTING. lowercase intended cause this isn’t a fic…this is what me rambling looks like

pairing: katsuki bakugo x male reader

katsuki bakugo, the loud and abrasive actor who is known for driving assistants insane, falling for the boy who does his makeup on set. you have excruciatingly soft hands that cup his cheek and press some sort of powder onto his face— and katsuki isn’t sure if he wants to crush your hand or hold it. he often finds you refilling mugs or struggling to pull apart reusable coffee lids because ‘i swear they’re glued together.’ but it never stops the actor from snatching it from you.

katsuki is strong, it’s always been painfully obvious because the actor loves to wear wife beaters in his free time (the kind that shows off his biceps, any movement he makes has him flexing against the soft cotton warming up his skin). he has no problem tearing the lids from each other, shoving them back into your chest with a grunt. you’d never admit how the display of strength makes your tongue feel thick in your mouth, how it turns your knees to jelly and electrifies the air as the A/C blows against your skin.

you’re not very good at stealing glances, he notes, because halfway through each set he can feel your gaze. it’d be cute if it weren’t so distracting, and before katsuki can gather his emotions he’s stomping over and snapping at you. his pink lips curled into a snarl as he grabs you by the collar of your shirt, vermillion eyes just about searing holes into your eye sockets and you swear you can hear his teeth grinding,

“don’t you know it’s rude to stare, huh?! your mom ever tell you that? what, are you motherless or somethin’?!”

you have to assure him that, yes, you were taught manners and, yes, you were aware staring was rude. you just couldn’t help it, not when he’s so captivating. the first thing anyone notices about katsuki is his attitude. hard to miss, almost forced upon any onlookers— but it’s the way he carries himself that really keeps you staring. he radiates confidence, with a sharp tongue and an even sharper jawline. you find yourself telling him to relax his jaw whenever you apply deeper shadows to his face (not that he needs them), your fingers finding a place just below his jaw. upon closer glance, you notice a long vein that travels past his throat, and you find yourself wondering how low it goes. his eyelashes are unfairly long, dark blond and perfectly curled upwards. you could only imagine how it’d look on a big screen. he doesn’t smile often, but when he does there are dents in his cheeks. dimples. down to his hearing aids, a bright shade of orange and red, he’s perfect.

BONUS:

“stop being so mean, man! everyone else is watching too.” eijirou, another actor— arguably the sweetest (besides izuku), with striking red hair finds himself next to you, his large hand gripping your shoulder with nothing but pure friendliness.

katsuki seems to dismiss kirishima with the flick of his wrist, his red eyes meeting yours before he adjusts his costume. clad to every inch of his figure, hugging the dips of his waist— resting where it should, his costume leaves an orange ‘X’ across his chest. there are green props attached fo his wrists, they’d later be edited into CGI gauntlets. contrary to popular belief, the actor designed them himself. you can tell he’s biting his tongue, swallowing whatever witty remark he’s just itching to reply with. his adam’s apple bobs in his throat, and he finds that he himself has the staring problem. “whatever.”

he keeps his eyes on you for five long, lingering seconds. the red in them had never seemed so bright, sparkling under the fluorescent stage lights. the warmth of eijirou’s palm leaves your shoulder (as if him and katsuki have some sort of unspoken agreement), and before you know it, they’re back to shooting the scene.

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