#ive a lot of thoughts on francesca still

[winterrlunarhalo]

no because hozier really wrote that he would choose being tormented and tortured if it meant that he could also spend time with the one he loves once again. because what is more painful that not getting to be with you? what can be more painful? hell is supposed to scare me? my life really has been a storm and a little shake of a branch is supposed to turn my head away from you? fear would hold every ounce of your being and it would waste away the future you could once see with me and that would totally break my heart and the longing would feel longer than the loving but I’d crawl back to you to do it all over again. heaven is just another place. and if it will not house you and I then so be it. there’s nothing I would change. I would wait with you in purgatory till our fates are sealed and even after that.

Sheridan le Fanu - “Carmilla”

[shiocreator]

An Oz cuz he is also a favorite

I. Have made a cryptid crush oc now also, will put that under readmore cuz ive been making her for afew days and have quite afew workshops of her wjhsshj

Welcome to the point of no return.

Evangeline(Eva) Francesca Valentina!, she is recently turned a vampire trying her best to get by, and her final ish version is the bottom finished piece :], she probably has a lot of outfits along with a cloak though

I also have sum,, headcanons for vampires that i may use in original stories cuz i like them but,,/lh

•Burning in the sunlight is kinda just a myth! Mostly. They sunburn and can get hurt by it easily however and at maximum can stay outside for one to two hours unprotected from the sun, sun umbrellas sunscreen and clothing that covers most of your skin is reccommended. It is safer going out at night still, so most tend to just become nocturnal.

•Vampires need blood to stay nurished, but they can consume regular food, preferably more bloody meat if a substitute is needed. Bloodpacks from a local hospital are probably needed on hand though for on the go emergencies-

•depending on their morals they will have a nagging feeling about entering someones home without being let inside by the host, they CAN, but the feeling tugs at their thoughts a lot if theyre good, newer ones outright tend to just wait until theyre offered inside out of being unable to keep the nagging thoughts away about it

•They can see themselves in reflections unless it's a silver thing

•can turn into vampire bats! When in the humanoid form their ears are longer because of this, maybe even have slightly webbed fingers/wings somewhere to show for it

•it is probably very, very painful to be turned into a vampire

I have been thinking too much about this all

[aquila1nz]

Shortland Street's Queer Women in 2022

We finished 2021 with an unexpected kiss between Samira and Francesca, plus two ongoing f/f relationships, and then 2022 turned out to be an absolute rollercoaster.

The new relationship between Samira and Francesca was very popular and absolutely lovely - and then went downhill very fast, as Francesca pushed too hard, then left the show. Samira immediately decided Marty was the love of her life instead, then promptly left the show without him.

Dawn tried to set Louis up with cosplayer Demelza but instead she kissed Dawn. Dawn was very flattered and is never good at saying no to people, but had to tell her she had been down that path before and it was not for her. Demelza turned out to be an ex of Maeve's (pre-Saskia) that she had a bad break up with which Maeve was apparently still harbouring a lot of anger over. I'm sorry Demelza didn't hang around after that.

Rosalyn left Leanne for a man who grew flowers; Rosalyn's side of the breakup all happened off screen. Leanne didn't swear off women forever (which would have been within character) but she did sleep with newly married Damo and then got involved with an evangelical church which would have drastic repercussions down the line. She did quit the church when her closest friend there proved homophobic, in time to prevent them fleecing her of all her money, so well done Leanne. Not sure if she'll get a girlfriend again but she has evolved a bit. Still trying to run Nicole's life though. And then at the end of the year Ros showed up for a funeral.

Nicole and Maeve have had a difficult year of never quite being on the same page, struggling with intimacy and whether the other really wants them. Which culminated in Maeve suggesting a threesome with a woman who had been flirting with Nicole because she thought that might make things better with Nicole. Nicole was not pleased but later trying to initiate a threesome with a man they worked with which Maeve said yes to but then freaked out about, and shortly after that Nicole decided their relationship had become too hard and asked Maeve to leave. Maeve did not take this well, got drunk a bunch and kissed Harper once. And then someone from Brightshine church killed Wilder, which briefly brought them back together in their grief, the year ended with them loosely together, Nicole obviously not happy about it, and Nicole was last seen in the IV as it burned down. Cliffhanger! On the one hand that's three f/f couples that have broken up on Shortland Street this year. On the other, that's a soap record, because no other soap has three unrelated (or overrelated) wlw couples to break up.

Saskia also returned for one episode for Wilder's funeral (not surprising - Amanda Tito had been doing some directing - including directing the episode where Nicole and Maeve first broke up).

Young Billy is still not quite up to full dialogue scenes, but has become more vocal with the addition of Marley, and there was a nice storyline where Marley wanted to wear a blue Frozen dress for Halloween to match Billy's princess dress. After Marley came home from school angry at being laughed at for wearing it to the school Halloween Drew also dressed in a dress to go trick or treating, leading to drama with a friend's parent who had unnecessary opinions. And Billy ended the year with a full sentence of dialogue!

In other news in November new doctor Gia Te Arakura was introduced when Jack employed her as a locum. Gia was avoiding meeting TK who had recently found out that the older child he was estranged from was dead, and it quickly became clear that Gia was that child, who had transitioned. And had also become a fully fledged doctor in the five years since she last appeared on the show as a teenager focused on rowing - we could solve the country's health worker shortage if we used Shortland Street's sped up training methods! Gia is played by trans actress Awa Puna.

So yes, a year with lots of ups and downs for the fans. Shortland Street is back from hiatus on Monday, it'll be interesting to see where they go this year.

[miiilowo]

I want to hear your thoughts on how Bride of Re-Animator could’ve been improved especially regarding Dan I want to hear them pretty please

oh god okay

if i were to fix bride of reanimator i think the first step would be to cut francesca entirely and make leslie more of a threat-ill get to him later on.

Overall, Id make it focus on dan and herberts relationship and the tension present-because at its core, thats what the movie is about, but it doesnt pay enough attention to it. it doesnt do it justice. regardless of whether i ship them or not, having the focus be on these two and herberts desperate attempt to keep his big gay crush from leaving him makes for a better movie with more emotional impact. more bride also

francesca is a distraction. thats the role she plays in the plot and its also unfortunately the role she plays in the movie as a whole. shes underdeveloped and there to move the plot along while also not being important to it at all at the same time? shes a pawn used to explain things, but she doesnt have anything to do with them-shes a crutch the movie falls back on, but they somehow still made her lame as fuck. they cut a scene where dan was supposed to get to know her better and it makes her even more of a boring flat love interest than she wouldve been with it-shes much unlike meg, who actually serves a purpose in the first movie and is swag and epic. we have a reason to care about her. if you removed meg from reanimator, the movie would suck. if you removed francesca, almost nothing would change. yknow?

id be keeping the same general plot with some minor changes to keep things effective. we know herberts become more ... adventurous. with his experiments. dan does not like this, obviously, and the stress on his moral compass is making him want to move out. but, herbert, seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone (try to make a fully functioning human out of separate parts + getting dan to stay) shows him meg's heart, and proposes they make what becomes the bride. that all stays the same, and of course we keep gloria in the mix.

then theres leslie! id definitely want him to be more of a looming threat than he is. the scene where he first shows up and they try to hide the hand monster is PERFECT and i would want more cat and mouse type shenanigans like that with his threat level increasing as he gets closer and closer to finding out what herbert and dan are up to- i definitely dont want him to die off the way he did in the movie.

obviously, leslie being on their asses is gonna cause more conflict between herbert and dan, and through that we can explore their individual emotions toward eachother more. dan cares about herbert whether he wants to admit it or not- hes stayed with him all this time, and they certainly had to have bonded back in peru. they moved in together for fucks sake-but The Way Herbert Is conflicts with his morals. i want his love (platonic or not) for herbert to be in direct opposition to this and i want to see him torn up over it. i want to see him hurting herbert and feeling awful about it, and i want to see herbert hurt (which bride honestly does very well with all those scenes where he looks jealous and pathetic and sad).

a good main conflict, aside from leslie and their general issues with eachother, is the crypt full of herberts experiments hes been hiding from dan. remember that scene in the movie where he calls them rats? dans not that stupid. he investigates, he confronts herbert about his disgust, and this creates more of a rift between them- one theyll have to work on. for now, though, theyll have to work on the bride. through building her, the tension will be high, a lot like the scenes where dan says shit like "gee thanks ive never done this before" in the movie

the bride is delightful and perfect shes my shining star the love of my life she is my Everything. that being said we need to give this baby more screentime- and ON calling her a baby, i absolutely wanna veto the weird relationship she has with dan. it was her purpose, yes, but she doesnt know that upon being reanimated, and i dont think dan should have any interest in her. dan and herbert made her together-if anything, thats their daughter. we get a lot of screentime with her- we get to see her become acclimated to walking, talking, and living. we get to see dan and herbert bond with her and teach her how to be human again. not only do they bond with her, but eachother through coparenting her, potentially resolving some issues theyve been having and actually getting some decent fucking communication in. i know i want them to start putting their differences aside to take care of her. dan, upon seeing success of the bride, becomes more lenient on allowing his experiments-though maintaining horror about the sentience the other creations have, and upon this shared revelation, dan convinces him to put them out of their misery. i dont think this has to be shown on screen, but it should be agreed upon- with resistance from herbert. i absolutely dont want this to be solved completely just due to The Power Of Love! Herberts WAY too into his experiments to completely stop-he'd continue endeavors in a similar field as the bride. (maybe even lie about killing them?)

He could get some development here in the sense that he doesnt care about her because shes a science project, but because he loves her. he could lose some of his workaholic disposition and become a bit softer, but of course, never losing his spark since thats most of his character. but i havent forgotten about leslie- the end here in my mind is a bit choppy, but this is just conjecture so

all throughout hes been following them and spying on them and generally being a freak as he does. breaking up the plot and adding suspense and stuff so it doesnt get too same-y.

i think for the climax we have him inside the house, similar to how he showed up before getting killed in bride. he encounters her, gets terrified, attacks her out of fear, and she retaliates, getting damaged in the process. dan and herbert obviously react to this with outrage. dan goes to protect bride and relocate her while leslie wails on herbert, and he once again kills him because "he attacked me" therefore eliminating his presence. one thing i havent contemplated is how herbert would still definitely want to revive him. maybe reanimate him and hide the body from dan, keeping him locked up somewhere. dont want any more experiments running loose. im not really sure about leslie but i am just throwing ideas out here anyway

after this is resolved, the end of the movie could be a parallel to the first reanimator. bride dying instead of meg, though not fully dead, of course- they can fix her. they can do this. theyve come this far-they can solve death once and for all if they just keep working. but herbert cant do it alone, and dan cant resist working with him. maybe he likes the thrill, maybe he just likes herbert-either way, hes strapped in for the ride, and theyre going to fix her whatever it takes.

it could also follow the same general ending with her actually dying but their resolve hardening to continue bc they know its possible

alternatively you could ignore everything i just said and make it so dan pulls herbert out of the rubble instead of francesca thatd fix things probably

EDIT: adding my tags live laugh love

[millylotus]

Story Index Post

I'm going to be posting a bunch of stories right about now, and I want to have it all lined up so people can find them easier. Hope ya like 'em.

Poems

Sol Born of a Wish

The Nebula

The Coven in the Woods

The Rabbits are not what it seems to be

The Desperate Broken Prince

The Demon Heart [Talia Al Ghul]

The Sunspot Prince [I've always liked bringing up the fact that Duke Thomas is probably a minor god]

In Madness

I call for a sacrifice to be my savior: my he be swift and kind (We worked on Tanka poems in class today :D)

In Madness (Dionysus invites Ariadne into his world)

Princess Most Holy (Ariadne's life in one poem)

Little Brother (Ariadne mourns the Minotaur)

A Ring Lost In A Decade Is Still Lost (Ariadne misplaces the engagement Ring Dionysus gave her)

Parking Lots, Angry Birds, Forgotten Gods (A mortal approaches Ariadne at midnight in a Target parking lot)

Sherlock & Killer

Sherlock : Francesca "Frankie" Linly Bonet (Frankie's back story and the songs I used to make her)

Ghost Zone Lore

How Ghost Are Born/Spawned

How to care for Young Ghosts [Lair]

Danielle's Rebirth

Valerie Spots them

Ghost Classification

The GS Batfamily AUs

I have a google spreadsheet document that I keep all my AUs in for the batfamily.

BASE AU

Bat-Family Ages

Inheritance In The Bat-Family

Cullen Row / Mockingbird

New Baby Jitters

The Malones

Miscellaneous AUs

Madrigal Batfamily

Circus Robins

Birds Migrating East

This is a Justice League and Harry Potter, world mash crossover fic. Where every bat has some form of magic or another. And Tim, Steph, Duke, and Damien are sent to protect Harry in his fifth year. While Zatanna joins the Order. And Constantine infiltrates the Death Eaters.

Lore

Chapter I [May]

Chapter II [Four weeks later/July]

Chapter III [That Night/July]

Chapter IV [Three weeks later/June]

Chapter XI [Couple Minutes Before the Arrival of the Birds, and Batdad]

Chapter XII [In Number 12 Grimmauld Place]

Chapter XIII [Right when Dumbledore walked in]

Short Stories

Wilbur Confronts Sally (all I had to do was write a scene about a conflict for one of my classes and this is the angst I get) [Fanfiction]

Prompt: Five passengers are riding a train when something happens (It's a zombie apocalypse and someone's water broke)

The 8th and 9th wonders (Don't really know how to explain this one)

Cassandra Sanvanterules (DnD character I was thinking about using)

Saint Lucifer (I remember writing a lot of this down on paper but I don't feel like pulling out all my old journals)

Ender Bunn (One of the stories I finished for a Minecraft OC... I've changed them if your wondering)

Liminal Sanctuaire (A little story of puppy love that I had to make for school)

what a way to go. (A captive escapes their hell, but in the vast emptiness of space, they find no one) WARNINGS: TW SU!CIDE, TW SELF MUTILATION, TW SELF HARM, TW SELF CANNIBALISM

Chills (Just two love bros playfighting, and drinking beer)

But Never Enough (Abandoned Story Idea)

Boy Isn’t Right

Hello Lovely

But Never Enough

Unfinished Stories/Fanfiction

Moon Goddesses (Creation Myth)

A Kingdom Old and Forgotten (Was supposed to be a DSMP fanfic set in the modern world thousands of year after the DSMP fell, but then I got bored)

William's Family (In a Pirate AU, Wilbur's dad [Phil's brother] is lured over the side of the boat by a siren and dies. A couple years later the same siren Comes back to give Wilbur to Phil) [Fanfiction]

Esmaray's Wish (Pirate AU the siren who lured William of the edge has some thoughts of the night) [Fanfiction]

Jordan Needs to Move (In an apartment complex AU where all the MCYT families live together. Jordan moves away from his wife after divorce to Dream Family Apartments. (Not actually owned by Dream, but by his dad)) [Fanfiction]

I'm Not Gonna Be the Side-Character Anymore (A stereotypical Manhwa Harem goes wrong when one of the Harem boys defects and leaves)

The Animals Feed (Noble families are comprised of the Chinese zodiacs. And they all choose their heir, by making the twelve children (all of different zodiacs) fight to the death in different ways)

The Time of Fea (A story of two sisters who run away into the Fea populated woods)

OCs from a long ass time ago. That I honestly forgot existed.

Spirit of Bleak Winter & Knight of Shadows [DC x DP, Ship: Bruce/Danny - Frostbat] (Just a one-shot for a prompt I saw and loved)

[isfjmel-phleg]

Fortnight of Books 2021: Day 1

Overall - best books read in 2021?

Torch by R. J. Anderson (a satisfying end to a series I enjoyed, likeable characters with thoughtful development)

Archer’s Goon by Diana Wynne Jones (started out bizarre and inexplicable and turned into a fascinating exploration of sibling relationships, with Jones’s trademark twists)

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle (beautiful and profound and found me just when I needed it)

Tenthragon by Constance Savery (haunting and has already had an impact on my own writing)

Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr (perhaps the best candidate for a spiritual successor to The Secret Garden that I’ve encountered)

Best series you discovered in 2021?

A Clock of Stars by Francesca Gibbons. I didn’t expect a lot out of this middle-grade series, but the characters were endearing, the themes more thoughtful than I anticipated, and the illustrations fantastic. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Best reread of the year?

I enjoyed revisiting the Penderwicks series (although some of the books still disappoint me, the early ones are full of delightful memories of enjoying them with my sisters, and The Penderwicks in Spring is brilliant and the true climax of the series). Also The Summer Birds and Emma in Winter (the first two books of the series ending in the better-known Charlotte Sometimes), which were easier to understand and appreciate this time around. And although it was read under a lot of stress, revisiting 1 Henry IV rekindled my affection for the play in a way I didn’t think possible after an unplesant experience.

[cesca-untoldstories]

Ive been meaning to ask but how wold cesca's brothers react to finding out about jonas? What type of uncles woukd they be?

Kinda little spoilers from Stone Ocean ahead

(The hypothetical case) I think following the plot that we all know at jojo's but adding to it the small (big) change of assuming there is no reboot by Enrico Pucci and the pertinent victory of Jolyne leaving everyone in a possible subsequent coma saved by the speedwagon foundation.

I think the situation after a reconciliation and a unique affection between the siblings, explaining everything and how things really were. It would make Domenico and Giancarlo understand the situation better and maybe Francesca would be the one to admit that the Joestars were the one who really saved her not as they thought. there would possibly be a lot of things to fix after that and one of those is Jonas.

The relationship or presentation of Jonas (canon) with his uncles would be somewhat uncomfortable at first, in the long run a 10-year-old boy is showing him that his entire family on his maternal side are high-caliber gangsters. but honestly Jonas would get along with both of them, his personality is strong and meticulous but he is still a child. Domenico is the one who would be most fond of Jonas; starting with the fact that he is the son of his older sister and his grandfather. He would like to have him around since they are both quite silent in his acting and quite a geek for their day to day. With Giancarlo it would be more like a freer relationship, more than his uncle is his confidante.

The most beautiful way to get to Francesca is to show a unique affection for her son. I sincerely believe that Domenico would offer Francesca to live with them and maybe they would live together for a while, to talk and learn about all the problems of the past. but they would certainly have a pretty nice relationship of forgiveness and reconciliation.

sadly the reset of the universe screwed up everything.

[skimblyshanks]

Ok, my thoughts on first viewing:

First, this is something that I always have to remember when watching his videos: A singer/Dancer/actor he is not. While he will vouch for performers against poor direction, he is acquainted with the orchestral side of things first and foremost. This is a glaring flaw in Part V which is probably the most muddled part of the video. While I’ve yet to see him full-on go after an actor alone, he got close this time w/ Corden and Sir Ian, though this was mixed with his general issues about how orchestration was run, I wasn’t a fan of that aspect of this.

I have comments on Part V toward the end of this post.

It might feel like a “Not 1998, so movie bad” argument, but this is based on the score and decisions in music direction

that said, 98 was clearly his primary reference. He didn’t really look at M+R for this reason which I feel was a bit of wasted potential bc if he looked a bit more into the OLC’s score it would highlight how much they screwed Danny over

He used the CATS wiki during his research for this

A lot of small jabs aat the show, but they’re small, scattered, and he doesn’t let his own personal distaste for the show taint his analysis of the score

Very hostile to the film’s musical direction, and calls the vocal performances p bad, but he isn’t knocking the actors on that so much as hooper’s continued decision to put the actors’ performances in control of the orchestra’s tempo to the point they had to set up a 5 track audio system during shoots

I’m forever going to be aware now of the orchestra in Memory and the off-beat cockroaches

related to the above, There is a claim made that most of the singers didn’t properly know the music, due to the level of score mismanagement, and says that the two cleanest numbers tempo-wise, Tugger and Skimbleshanks, are likely so because they are carried by ppl very actively dancing/moving for the most part to the beat of the original piece. He isn’t 100% on that claim, but it’s still one that I wouldn’t give all the weight in the world to.

Personally, I’d say it was more likely that ensemble dance-heavier numbers got away mostly unscathed bc the cast rehearsed those at tempo and came in for shoots knowing them at tempo. He says this himself, bc he talks abt how awkward some of the numbers are for dancing in this portion of the video. so yes, there is still room for his argument, and he was also mostly directing it towards Corden, Wilson, and Sir Ian than all the numbers, but I think it’s worth considering how much of that is also just. You can know a piece, and know it at tempo, but when you’re thrust into a situation where the accompaniment follows you and the click track isn’t the first and p much only line of action while performing this live and seperate from the orchestra like how Hooper does it, the first instinct is to drag, speaking from similar experience.

Still very mad at Hooper

Inadvertently and absolutely unintentionally gave me music-theory tuggershanks justifications

All in all:

Parts I-IV were pure catharsis. He managed to break down and analyze the narrative outline of CATS superbly, and provided it in a way so the unexperienced could understand it beyond “Lol cat ppl cult try to die” and even if he doesn’t care for the show, he clearly understands the story beats and the strengths of the score. I can sit through his negative tone for that. He attacks the writing of Victoria as protagonist, but not because there could never possibly be a protagonist, rather because in introducing her as the protagonist they undermined Jemima’s role in the original story, and saw Victoria touching Grizabella as special because it was Victoria, and not bc for the first time, no one stopped her (All of the younger cats tried to get close to Griz in act I, Vic included, and were stopped. While she is the most visually striking choice, he argues that the impact is meant to be in the fact that this time, she’s allowed freely. Her acceptance is facilitated by the tribe’s acceptance at large). There’s also discussion on Beautiful Ghosts’ placement making her seem unsympathetic, and her generally confused character writing. He addresses how multiple instances of blocking and choreo are directly in opposition to proper breath support. He does a mahor takedown on the way Hooper runs his audio for his movies; having the orchestra follow actor, always.

Part V is the weakest section of the video, bc he ends up spending time arguing that the actors didn’t know the music even when explaining that Having the orchestra submit to the actor was detrimental to all parties back in Part IV. Part V is named dance rehearsal, and you’d think then that he would adress the number of dance rehearsals vs the number of vocal rehearsals, which is where I thought the part was going, but it wasn’t. Good points were raised thru Tugger and Skimble’s numbers; both being fast-paced, dance-intensive, and dancer-led all likely contributed to their objective musical quality being maintained, but there really is a lot to examine in the way of vocal rehearsals, bc for all we know solo actors could have been told to learn their songs at their own pace and not fret the tempo so much, in which case it is ultimately a failing moreso on the director than them.

Part V really highlights Sideways’ distance from the performers’ side of things. While it’s true that when Orchestra enters rehearsal, you should already know the score by that point, this is where an examination of the rehearsal process for this movie would have been most needed, bc for actors there are vocal rehearsals before orchestra is introduced, and if Hooper didn’t have them rehearsing with set click tracks, if he or the vocal director weren’t advising them to practice at tempo, there’s only so much blame to be laid at the actors’ feet. After establishing in Part IV how very muddled the audio system was during shoots, it might also have been good to mention the utter crunch everyone involved in the movie was under, including actors. He ignores that the cast is largely made up of dancers, and in doing so implies that Francesca was unprofessional and didn’t properly learn her song when she had almost no time to learn it. It was a section of wasted potential, basically. He talked in the Les Mis video abt the danger Hooper put his cast in with his directorial practices, but we don’t get a condemnation of the utter lack of proper prep time actors were given before being sent to shoot with a piano and orchestra that weren’t allowed to follow the set tempo.

A reminder that p much all active production for this movie, including dance and vocal rehearsal was done within the year. Times where that works: the 1998 film, where the cast was made of alumni and current cast members, working with largely universal choreography by Gillian Lynne, and all having prior stage experience.

Times that doesn’t really work: When you have a cast with several new ppl, alumni from various casts who learned different choreography, and an entirely new set of choreography to be learned on top of that, along with not casting any alumni in parts that carry large numbers, save for Dame Judi Dench, who instead of playing the role she was once slated for, instead had to manage a role usually played by an operatic Baritone. Francesca and Steven both learned to sing FOR this movie. a good handful of the performers have not been in stage productions before. With the production schedule of this movie, and the convoluted setup for live performances while shooting, it wasn’t fair of Sideways to position it like the actors ought to have known better and shown up with the songs all at tempo, especially when he himself established earlier on and in his Les Mis video that Hooper assumes his actors know what they’re doing and won’t step in.

[lxurant]

laura harrier. twenty-four. she/her/hers.  ／ artemis laurent just pulled up blasting carmen by lana del rey  — that song is so them ! you know, for a(n) twenty-four year old model and actress, i’ve heard they’re really intense, but that they make up for it by being so hard working. if i had to choose three things to describe them, i’d probably say the smell of a freshly blown out candle, piles of old planners, and long manicured nails. here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble ! 

what’s up kiddos!! it’s ya girl paige (carol’s mun) here with my new baby artemis. sweet girl, but definitely hard to get through im still working out a lot of the KINKS but here she is:

artemis francesca laurant, older half sister to noel, daughter to eva and some one night stand that she doesn’t even remember

from a young age, artemis was like a second mom around the house. she was always looking after noel and trying to help her mom out as best she could

artemis was five when her mother and noel’s father got back together, and that was like the only time in her life she actually got to be a kid and enjoy herself and be a little selfish

she started dance classes around that age, and it was clear she had a talent. she was always dancing around, or singing. she loved performing and dance was her favorite thing

when noel’s father left, artemis was 10, and that was when dance classes stopped because they couldnt afford it

the owner of her dance studio, miss jane, took a liking to artemis from a young age, so when she had to quit for financial reasons, she was given a job at the studio

at first, it was just easy work, but when she got old enough she started teaching dance classes herself

apart from teaching dance, artemis worked as a personal assistant to one of the richer people in their home town of san marcos, as well as attending school

artemis was bright, a very smart student, and also talented. she was in the musicals and did very well in school, all while balancing working and looking out for her brother

speaking of noel, the two were��inseparable for their entire lives. it didnt matter that they had different dads, they were the best of friends. artemis did whatever she could to try and give noel the most normal childhood she could

when it came to college, artemis had set her mind on staying home. one day, she got a packet in the mail from julliard offering her a full ride for dance, and she was completely shocked bc she didnt even apply

turned out miss jane sent in an application for her because she thought she had so much talent and didnt want it to be a waste

artemis, however, turned down the full ride because she knew she had to stay home

she went accepted a full ride to texas state, right in san marcos, and was able to attend her classes as well as work as much as seh could

mostly, she wanted to be able to save enough money so that noel could go to whatever school he wanted, and so that their mom could relax a bit

tbh artemis wasn’t fully happy with her life but she knew that she had to support her family, because she loved them

so when noel announced that he and his band were picking up and moving to LA, she was furious

she had given up so much of her life to support her family, she gave up going to the school of her dreams so she could provide for noel and her mom and he was just going to leave them

huge fight, honestly artemis didn’t talk to him for a really long time after that happened because she couldnt understand how selfish he could be

about a year and a half later, noel decided to move them out to LA--while artemis wanted to stay put, their mom insisted they take the opportunity to mend the relationship and lvie a better life

begrudgingly, artemis agreed, and they moved out to LA when she was about 21 years old

at first, she hated it in LA, but after a few months there she was offered some kind of modeling gig. she didn’t think anything would come from it, but it was a victoria’s secret scout, and she soon became a model for the brand

her world turned upside down. she began modeling in magazines, on runways, in the victoria’s secret fashion show.

it was a dream come true

but it wasn’t the dream. so when artemis heard disney was spearheading a high school musical project, she decided to audition

singing and dancing and acting has always been her passion, so given the opprotunity, she wanted to take it

much to her own surprise, artemis was cast in the lead role of nini in high school musical the musical the series

now, artemis is about to start filming the second season of the show, as well as continuing to model and attempting to mend her relationship with her family

random stuff that didnt fit

artemis’s father is white, so she’s mixed

she and hal dated for like 11 months last year, and broke up at the end of november. it was a HEARTBREAK man, they were so in love and the end of their relationship was so sad omg she’s still heartbroken

while she still models, artemis quit working for victoria’s secret a year after working with them--she hated what they stood for, and wanted to model for more inclusive brands (she’s now the face of third love)

she really is a triple threat, shes a great dancer and loves to sing and can act and model 

shes left handed

she does a LOT of activism work, she wants to help out underresourced communities and has a lot to say about the election (WARREN FOR PRESIDENT) and the world and stuff

personality

she’s a fun gal, i promise

her exterior is just very hard

she doesnt open up to people very easily, but once she does shes a ball of fun

shes very hard working, which comes from having to work her whole life

shes super passionate about what she does as well as the people she cares about

definitely comes off very queen bee, but shes not selfish or shallow

plots

uh everything

friends she made before becoming famous

friends she made AFTER becoming famous

ppl she met through her noel

people she met through hal

either ex hook ups (before dating hal) or current hook ups

maybe someone that helped her into the business

roommates!! she’s moved out of her mom’s place and roommates are fun

idk enemies?? shes the type

i suck at this

ok yah so that’s all ive really got. artemis is a gem i promise. pls press that like button and ill come for plots!!

[monstersinthecosmos]

Eleven Things!

RULES Always post the rules Answer the questions given by the person who tagged you Write 11 questions of your own Tag 11 people (or however many you want)

Tagged by:  @justsomespacedust  

Tagging: @justsomespacedust (you tagged me but it was like 6 months ago or something and I found it in my drafts so I’m tagging you BACK), @superhiki @theraphaellus @lestvt @scriptedwithprecision @misfitapplication @tartara-to-eto @theballadofmrslovett @i-want-my-iwtv @sheepskeleton @yureiyume @hedonisttrash @punkrockaryastark @auburnandamberangel @morganeskylar @houseofromanus @redversaillesrose @mntyaggrssn @wicked-felina @ineffablelexicon @secret-les-mis-blog-ooo  @dianysus  @fairytalesgoneawry  @nightfreaks @vampiricmusicaltheatre @xlilvamp @amadeo-child-of-the-renaissance @pandoras-crocs  THIS WAS MORE THAN 11 IDK I wanna tag everyone but I have to do adult things now, I’m genuinely curious for you to answer my questions so plz feel free LOL 

Questions I’m answering:

1. What is one show or movie that you will watch over and over and never get tired of?

I have like an obsessive/addictive personality so when I like stuff I have no problem watching them over and over and over and over.  Off my head, a few movies that I can and will watch twice a fucking day for a week when I have the chance: The Departed, Interview with the Vampire (lol), Shutter Island, the miniseries of The Shining,  An American Werewolf in London!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. For shows shdjgkal I’ve watched Six Feet Under all the way through so many times I know a lot of the words and can tell you episode titles and quote it back to you. I’ve watched the first half of Dexter so many times it’s also shameful. AND I MEAN BANSHEE, like the first time I binge watched Banshee I finished it and marinated for a day and then started it over. I’ve never done that before. Binged a show twice a row. Goddamn.

2. If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

LIKE I’D TRY TO KNOCK OUT ALL THE CREATIVE ENDEAVORS I DAYDREAM ABOUT? Being creatively productive is big on my life goals but I still only scratch the surface of the ideas I have.

3. Do you have any uncommon vices or habits?

Everything that comes to mind doesn’t seem all that uncommon in Tumblr land, where everyone is excessively candid about their weird bullshit and poor mental health. =P I mean I would say probably that I read so much fanfiction but I’ve surrounded myself with like minded people so in this space it doesn’t feel all that uncommon. I also have a thing like every time I’m super fucking broke and have less than $30 to my name I’ll go buy myself a Starbucks drink cause I have this feeling like I MEAN WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT FUCKING MAKE AT THIS POINT LMAO and it feels good to have a sugary overpriced coffee as the world burns.

4. If you had to pick one food or type of food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Sobe Liz Blizz with probably like bánh mì sandwiches.

5. If you could pick a fictional universe to live in, which one would you pick and why?

I feel like all the fictional universes I like are sort of dystopian and wouldn’t be a good time LMAO.  I love the Francesca Lia Block version of Los Angeles though, even though it’s like, the real world. I just always loved how she wrote about LA and now that I live here I find it really helps contrast when I get frustrated with it cause I can see what she means.

6. Which pokemon is your favorite?

I DON’T KNOW SHIT FROM FUCK ABOUT POKEMONS BUT I THINK EEVEE IS REALLY CUTE?

7. Who was your celebrity crush when you were a kid/teenager?

Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, does that count? Obsessed.

8. Do people assume you are older than, younger than, or close to your actual age?

I am consistently mistaken for being 19. Not 18, not 20. 19. Always 19. I had to get an epidural last month and as the nurse was putting my IV I had mentioned that I just turned 30 and she’s like “Oh my god I thought you were a teenager.” I get carded a lot lol.

9. Do you have any pets? Describe them.

NO I CAN’T HAVE ANY IN MY APARTMENT but one of my cats from high school is still alive. She lives with my parents. Her name is Pajamas and she’s very pretty!

10. If money wasn’t an issue, describe your ideal house. Would it be a mansion or a compact house? Ultramodern or antique? In a city or out in the country?

I would love to live in the mountains/woods but then I also always feel like if I’m out in the middle of nowhere I wouldn’t be able to go to metal shows enough, and tbh I love living walking distance from 711 so I do like being in denser areas, too. I always imagined just having enough space, maybe a two bedroom so that I could have a room as an office. I’m not interested in having a giant place.  Brenda’s house on Six Feet Under would be perfect, or Carrie’s apartment in Homeland? Goals.

11. What sights/sounds/smells do you find relaxing?

SIGHTS: The North Shore of Long Island when you’re driving the back roads that curl along the coast with all the tiny little harbors and inlets and bays and it’s this amazing balance of feel like you’re in the woods but then opening out onto the beach but it’s like that rocky LI North Shore kinda beach with all the rocks and the water is so fucking still and barely moves and you can see all the marsh grass and all those roads are so windy so it’s like you’re just taking all these insane curves through the woods and then suddenly you’re at the waterfront and then suddenly you’re back in the woods again.  

SOUNDS: I LOVE THE SOUND OF RAIN and I never hear it anymore cause I moved to LA, whoops, gotta listen to those ambient white noise YouTube tracks.

SMELLS: Sandalwood candles, unburnt boxes of incense, summer asphalt in the rain.

Questions for you to answer:

01.  Put your favorite album on shuffle and tell me a memory that comes to you with the first song that comes on.  (Obviously tell me what song it is lol)

02.  What’s the first movie you ever saw in the theatre?

03. How old were you when you first read your favorite book? (OBVIOUSLY ALSO TELL ME WHAT BOOK!)

04.  The worst job you’ve ever had!

05. Look up your fav movie on IMDB and list 3-5 of its keywords and we’re gonna try to guess what it is LOL.

06. Is there a meme that pops into your head at random that makes you laugh out loud, like even when you’re in public?

07.  Describe your fashion sense.

08. Tell me about the most fun thing you did last month.

09. What’s your favorite chain restaurant and what do you like to order there?

10. What’s your favorite song to sing at the top of your lungs in the car/shower/empty house/whatever?

11. Tell me something you’re looking really forward to!!!!!

[ficdirectory]

The Crossing (Disuphere series #3) Chapter 30

Scene IV: They Live In You

Dominique can’t help it.  The question’s out of her mouth before she can stop it.  Irreverent.  Sarcastic.  “Your invisible friend?  It wasn’t me, was it?”

“No,” Jesus answers, not sarcastic at all.  He’s sad, almost grieving when he says:  “Like you, with me, he was real.”

“You really don’t think it’s weird?” Dominique checks.

“No.  I mean, we all have to cope,” Jesus maintains.

“I used to think...what was happening to me was happening to you, too…” Dominique admits.

“Was it?” Jesus checks.  “I mean, did I like, tell you it was?”

“No.  You never answered.  I just figured you weren’t answering because you didn’t wanna say it out loud.”

“Maybe you didn’t want to say it out loud,” Jesus ventures softly, no judgment.

Dominique exhales, impressed.  “That is….  That is very true…”  Silence again.  She should really go back across the hall but there’s something almost sacred about being awake when no one else is, and just talking.  Just being.  “My um...he used to make me call him my boyfriend...he used to always say everybody was looking for you, but nobody was for me.”

“He used to go search for me.  Talk to my mom.  While he had me locked in his basement…” Jesus shudders.  “He came back and told me about it once.  Brought me a pin with my face on it.”

Dominique shivers, too.  

“Only my parents were ever looking for me.  Cops decided I ran away.  Just turned eleven.  Straight-A student.  Happy at home.”

“That sucks,” Jesus says.  “And they looked for me…but they didn’t find me.”

“Nobody found me, either,” Dominique agrees.  

For a while, they just sit.  Jesus seems tired, and so is Dominique but neither one of them is willing to surrender to sleep.  Dominique’s sure it’ll bring nightmares after what went down tonight.

“Can I ask a question….I already asked?” Jesus asks, tentative.

“Are you asking me?” Dominique wonders, surprised.  “You don’t need my permission, Jesus.  Ask whatever you want…”

“I know it’s just...trauma…  I could never ask anything.  And definitely could never repeat a question.”

“Well, it was damn scary earlier tonight.  But I don’t think you’re stupid.  And you’re not back there now ‘cause you didn’t have your awesome across-the-hall triplet then.  To be clear, you can absolutely ask a question.  Even if it’s a repeat.  Repeating can help the truth settle...at least I’ve found…”

“Yeah?” Jesus asks.

“Yeah.”

“Are we still friends?”  He looks terrified.  Like she’s definitely gonna say no.

“We are.  We’re friends.  According to you and Mariana, we’re triplets.  And that doesn’t go away when one of you has a tough day does it?  You don’t stop being there for Mariana?”

“No.”

“So, I won’t stop being there for you.  It might be hard sometimes.  I might need space.  I might feel safer with Mariana at times, like you do.  But I always wanna be your friend.  Do you wanna be mine?”

“Real friends.  Not invisible,” Jesus says, certain.

“No, not invisible.  We spent long enough like that,” Dominique yawns.  “I should go back,” she says, regretful.

“Hey...I’m glad I could be there for you.  To help, you know…” Jesus says.

“Yeah, thanks for being cool about it.  And for checking out the tweet.”  She scoops up Roberta, who’s fallen asleep in a corner of Jesus’s kitchen.  She keeps Jesus in sight, backing to the door, not able to break this old habit.

“I’m really sorry for not responding.  It really isn’t ‘cause I didn’t care.  I saw your tweet.  And it meant a lot to me.  I’m not some asshole who’s above all this, and all about his social media presence.”

“That’s not what I thought,” Dominique allows and then corrects herself.  “Okay, that kinda is what I thought...but…”

“You didn’t have the full information, and the pieces you did have left you with a lot of holes,” Jesus says simply.  “It’s okay.  I’m not mad.”

“Okay,” Dominique nods.  “And it’s okay if you need to ask me stuff.  Even repeat questions,” she clarifies.

“You should go, you’re gonna be a zombie tomorrow…” Jesus encourages.

“Yeah, too bad I don’t have a costume for that.”

“Maybe Mom does,” Jesus grins.  “That was a seriously awesome costume she had.”

“I’ll let her know you appreciate it,” Dominique nods.  “‘Night, Jesus.”

“‘Night,” he says.

Back in her own place, Dominique locks the door behind her.  Picks up her phone and texts Mom.  

Fire alarm.  No real fire.  But scared me.  Also Jesus likes your Maleficent costume.

Mom:

You okay?

Dominique:

Mom.  I didn’t actually expect you to be up and text me back now.  Did I wake you?

Mom:

Of course I’m gonna text you back now.  Tell Jesus thank you when you see him.  Are you okay?

Dominique:

I gotta be up in an hour.  IDK if it’s even worth it to try and sleep right now or if I should get up for the day and buy a trenta sized iced white mocha to get me through.

Mom:

If you can, try to get some rest.  Even if all you can do is lie down and breathe deep.  Sing something, maybe.

Dominique:

Sing what?

Mom:

What do you feel?

Dominique:

Tired.  Happy.  Relieved.  Adrenaline.

Mom sends a voice note and Dominique plays it.  There’s Mom’s voice singing to her softly: “Here’s a little song I wrote.  You might want to sing it note for note, but don’t worry.  Be happy.”

Dominique records her own voice, singing back: “In every life we have some trouble, but when we worry, we make it double.  Don’t worry.  Be happy.  Thank you, Mom.”

She lays awake for an hour, feeling tense as her thoughts race, but she tries to do what Mom suggested and take deep breaths for a while.  It doesn’t work for her.  She keeps expecting the fire alarm to go off again.  Finally, she gives up and gets out of bed.  Her alarm will go off in ten minutes and Dominique turns it off.

Tries to find clean clothes for work, but her mind is elsewhere.  Talking to Jesus had been good.  Talking to Mariana never stopped being good.  Jesus still wants to be friends.  Mariana never stopped, and Francesca feels like a little sister that Dominique’s never had.

Domminique has a birthday coming up.  Maybe Jesus and Mariana (Francesca, too, if she wants,) can come and hang out at Mom and Dad’s then.

On a whim, she group-texts all three Adams-Fosters and asks what they think.

So, my bday is on Saturday, October 3 and I was wondering if y’all wanted to do dinner at my house that night?  Don’t have to bring presents.  Just yourselves.  RSVP whenever.

On her break at work, Dominique checks her texts:

Francesca:

I want to go.  I want to go to avoydense to.

Jesus:

Wait.  Dom how did you get Fran’s number?

Francesca:

I gave it to her.

Mariana:

I’m in.

Jesus:

Me too, with questions.

Dominique smiles.  Texts the group back:

Questions are welcome.  What do you say we go to Avoidance for a pre bday meeting.  Maybe Fri afternoon?

Francesca:

I am at school 330.

Dominique:

We’ll have it after 3:30, Francesca, so everybody can come.

Francesca texts back a row of smiling emojis, plus hearts and a rainbow.  Then a picture of her Kindle with the first Harry Potter book loaded on the screen.

This is so good did you read it all?

Dominique:

Maybe ;) (Yes.  Several times.)

Francesca:

OK don’t tell me what happens!!!!

Dominique:

Okay I won’t.

Mariana:

What have you done to our sister? ;)

Jesus:

Excited for Avoidance + bday dinner w/ the fam.

Dominique smiles again:

Me, too.  

[littlefurpants]

Long ass book post:

1. How many books did you read this year? 61 and I can probably finish one more tonight.

2. Did you reread anything? What?

I really tried not to reread, but I know I reread the six of crows duology and I read 'red white and royal blue' at least three times. I also reread 'drawing blood' by poppy z. brite for the first time in seven years--definitely problematic, not for the faint of heart, but i still really love trevor/zach, something about that couple just gets me.

3. Your top 5 books

1. 'Wolf in white van' by john darnielle (omfg... possibly the best book I've ever read)

2. 'The art of starving' by sam j. miller (never has my heart so broken for a character)

3. 'Carry on/'wayward son' by rainbow rowell (they have their issues and are not perfect, and are honestly not super well written, but I would die for baz)

4. 'Red white and royal blue' by Casey mcquiston (I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK ENOUGH. THIS IS THE MOST ROMANTIC BOOK IVE EVER READ)

5. 'The gentleman's guide to vice and virtue' by mackenzi lee (all the debauchery and yearning you could desire)

4. Are there any new authors you discovered?

Almost everyone I read this year is new to me: john darnielle, ve schwab, victoria lee, natasha pulley, seanan mcguire, kd edwards, sam j. miller

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but didnt get to?

I have a whole stack. One that really stands out is 'the library of the unwritten' by aj hackwith. I also really anticipated the release of 'black sun' by rebecca roanhorse but I havent gotten to it yet.

10. Do you have a favorite new release of the year?

I just read 'the tindalos asset' by caitlin r. kiernan and it was AMAZING. Highly recommended if you want something masterfully creepy and weird.

11. Was there a book that's been out for awhile that you discovered?

I just read 'howl's moving castle' by diana wynne jones which was written in the 80s, and is GREAT. Much better than the movie. Howl is a queer icon.

12. Was there a book that disappointed you?

I really loved 'love in the time of global warming' by francesca lia block, which features a great queer romance with a trans character, but I was so disappointed by its sequel, 'the island of excess love.' Theres virtually no character development with any of the characters we grew to love in the first book. A bummer in what couldve been a great queer series.

17. What was the book that surprised you with how good it was?

Definitely 'red white and royal blue!' I mustve read the description ten times and thought "this sounds stupid." I've never been so proven wrong! This book had me SOBBING with gay pride tears. It took me through the depths of emotion and left me with hope not just for myself but for the entire goddamned world! Its incredible!

18. How many books did you buy?

This... is probably a sign of a true problem, but I think its 90. Not counting the books I've been gifted. Its... a lot. I had to get a new bookshelf and box up all my college era books.

23. What's your fastest time reading a book?

I read 'love in the time of global warming,' 'the island of excess love' and 'the art of starving' all in two nights. 'The art of starving' I literally could not put down.

24. Any DNFs?

I got about 1/4 through 'the bedlam stacks' by natasha pulley before I decided it was boring, but I want to go back to it. I started 'gods behaving badly' by marie philips but I really didnt like it.

25. What are your reading goals for next year?

I havent 100% decided yet, but I think I want to just continue doing what I did this year: trying to read as much queer lit as possible. I'm really proud of what I read this year (85% queer) and maybe I can do better next year... although I do want to take the time to reread all the books I've really liked.

[gramilano]

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell are quickly becoming The Royal Ballet’s ‘couple to see’. After recent successes dancing Clara and the Nutcracker, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, over the Christmas season, they have just debuted in Giselle. An important moment in the career of any dancer.

The Guardian said that Hayward was “nothing less than exquisite” and remarked on the “illusion of spontaneity” she brings to the choreography, while The Telegraph was blown away by Campbell’s “immersion in character” and the “punch of his dancing”. Another test passed triumphantly. Facebook was awash with appreciative comments the next day: critics are useful; a fan-base is indispensable.

The Nutcracker with Alexander Campbell as The Nutcracker, Francesca Hayward as Clara © ROH, Tristram Kenton, 2013

Hayward and Campbell first danced together when she was a last-minute substitute as Clara in December 2013.

It was seeing The Nutcracker that set Hayward off on her ballet journey, though she saw it on video. Her grandparents, wanting to keep her occupied, bought her a copy “on a whim”.

I still feel emotional every time I dance Clara and the Sugar Plum as they are definitely a realisation of my dream. Two of my favourite and most emotional moments are Clara and Hans Peter’s pas de deux in Act One and the Grand Pas de Deux of the Sugar Plum Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Act Two. They are probably the two parts I danced the most from the whole ballet when I was little, dancing them at home by myself, and the music always gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I hear it.

Last season, soon after the end of the The Nutcracker run came The Sleeping Beauty and during that period Hayward and Campbell performed together as Clara and the Nutcracker/Hans-Peter (in Peter Wright’s version of the ballet, Drosselmeyer’s nephew, Hans-Peter, has been transformed into a Nutcracker Doll), the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince, Bluebird and Princess Florine, and they debuted together as Aurora and Prince Florimund.

It was probably about three or four months in total rehearsing and performing together — says Campbell — and I feel like it was hugely beneficial to us, as it gave us a lot of time to get to know one another. It felt as though we were able to take things from each of the performances and build on that as we worked towards the next one. It was one of the most enjoyable times in my career.

Hayward adds,

It’s been great to have a consistent partner to learn the art of pas de deux a little better and I think we have a lot of respect for each other. We’ve shared some important debuts and daunting first night shows together!

Made it through today’s matinee! Thanks to my fantastic prince @acampbell_1 for getting me through this afternoon’s Sugar Plum marathon & to our incredible coach Lesley Collier 💕 H a p p y N e w Y e a r 💕 #sugarplumfairy #nutcracker #ballet #royalballet #exhausted #butlovedit

A post shared by francesca hayward (@frankiegoestohayward) on Dec 30, 2017 at 3:24pm PST

So, what makes the partnership work?

Francesca is a very intelligent performer and her approach to performances and to developing a character isn’t too dissimilar to mine. I think we both like things to make sense in our head when we are out there on stage. When it comes together and works well it is a really satisfying feeling.

Hayward senses that she is “very calm and safe” dancing with Campbell:

Most importantly we hear and feel the music with the same musicality. This is great as it means we can be more flexible and adaptable with our steps together. If the music’s faster or slower, I can take a little longer or make a step a little quicker without panicking him as I know he is with me and won’t be surprised! I have complete trust in him to always have my back… quite literally!

An excellent coach can make the difference between a series of steps and a dance, between approximated moves and those executed with all nuances the choreographer intended. None is better than The Royal Ballet’s Lesley Collier, who was a Principal Dancer with the company from 1972 until her retirement in 1995 and has been a répétiteur at Covent Garden for almost two decades. She also happens to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in the video that inspired Hayward to start dancing.

Lesley Collier has coached us for nearly all our roles together. I think she’s a wonderful coach as she has always learned the steps through the music and the story, and the thoughts and feelings that go with marrying the two. I personally find it really hard to be inspired when I am taught something by being given rigid counts.

The Sleeping Beauty with Francesca Hayward as Princess Aurora and Alexander Campbell as Prince Florimund © ROH, Bill Cooper, 2017

The Royal Ballet’s practice to invite its retired stars to coach carries on through the generations; former Royal Ballet Principal Jonathan Cope became a répétiteur immediately after he stopped dancing in 2005.

Alexander and I were also coached for The Sleeping Beauty by Jonathan Cope which was immensely helpful for the technical aspects like lifts and grips. It was also an amazing chance to dance with him — he would often lift me and partner me to show us how to do it!

Campbell says that he feels “inspired” by having Collier in the studio with them:

It took me quite a while not to be star struck by her – this was the ballerina who created Rhapsody with Baryshnikov after all! But, that aside, she is incredibly caring and knowledgeable, and it’s been a real pleasure getting to work with her. I have a real appreciation for Lesley’s commitment and eye for detail and I know that Francesca looks up to Lesley a great deal.

Yet not everyone looks up to Collier — one Royal Ballet Principal famously does things her own way, throwing out many of the choreographer’s intentions in doing so. But Hayward’s eager to learn and learn well:

It’s great to have Lesley pass down comments and notes from Ashton and Macmillan. Lesley was the first Sugar Plum Fairy and Lise from La fille mal gardée that I watched on a video as a child, so it’s incredible to be in the studio being taught these ballets by her.

Not every little girl who watches a ballet video starts taking ballet classes, and very few young dancers get into a company, but for Hayward there was to be a promotion every year with The Royal Ballet from 2013 until she became a Principal Dancer in 2016.

When Kevin O’Hare [Director of The Royal Ballet] promoted me I hadn’t done any big tutu roles yet — The Sugar Plum Fairy and Aurora were yet to come — so I think he saw the potential for that, but really I think he saw that I was capable of dancing the bigger roles because I could convincingly tell a story which is essential to nearly any ballet.

I think he also knows that I’m generally pretty calm and I take everything in my stride both on stage and off.

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Campbell’s story started in Sydney, Australia, when he was so excited by what he saw at his grandmother’s dancing school, that he began studying there when he was just five. Inspired by Baryshnikov, he chose ballet over cricket as a teenager:

One of the qualities I most admire about Mikhail Baryshnikov is the sense that he performs everything with real commitment and sincerity. It is something that I try to bring to my own performances and I believe it is a quality that really stands out. I certainly appreciate it in others when I see it.

He crossed the globe to study for a short while at the Royal Ballet Upper School before joining the Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 2011 he moved to The Royal Ballet as was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2016, the same year as Hayward.

I would say that my versatility has probably helped me get to where I am. I think that the biggest joy and challenge for the Principals of The Royal Ballet is having to perform the vast amount of repertoire we have here, often with conflicting styles and demands, at the highest possible level.

Becoming a Principal and being entrusted with roles such as Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty and Albrecht in Giselle has widened his horizons even more.

Both these roles have allowed me to work really hard on my classical technique and it’s forced me to examine the way I do certain things. My aim is always to work hard on the technical elements in class and rehearsals so that by the time we get to performances the steps are just an extension of the character I am playing as opposed to a series of steps and enchaînnements. It’s a lot easier in theory than in practice but that is the aim!

Last night after our official debut in Giselle. So glad @katchkadeem was on hand to snap this picture! Thank you! Thank you also for all the wonderful support we have received, especially on Instagram. Knowing so many people were rooting for us was a special feeling. I also have to thank my beautiful partner @frankiegoestohayward – I feel very fortunate to have been onstage with you for your first Giselle and thank you for being such a pleasure to perform with ⭐ – – – – #royaloperahouse #royalballet #giselle @royaloperahouse

A post shared by Alexander Campbell (@acampbell_1) on Feb 10, 2018 at 3:17am PST

After Giselle, Hayward and Campbell will both be dancing in The Winter’s Tale, though not together, but then will team up again for Manon in April.

Campbell says,

I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve worked on together so far and I hope that we will have the opportunity to develop this relationship further as I feel it could be something quite special.

One ballet to add on to the list of possible future collaborations would be Romeo and Juliet.

I saw Francesca perform Juliet for the first time and I thought that it was a really beautiful interpretation of the role — I’d love to play against it because I think she gives her partners, and all the cast members around her, so much to work with. Here’s hoping!

I mentioned sincerity on stage as something that I admire in performers and I think that Francesca displays absolute sincerity whenever she performs. It makes it very easy for me to play off and it is genuinely exciting to be onstage with her.

Hayward quips,

Who knows what the future’s got in store, but I hope we have a lot more Nutcrackers ahead of us!

END

The Nutcracker with Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2016

The Nutcracker with Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2016

Interview with The Royal Ballet’s hot couple: Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell are quickly becoming The Royal Ballet's ‘couple to see’. After recent successes dancing Clara and the Nutcracker, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, over the Christmas season, they have just debuted in…

[loveydoveykirk]

just talk on friends of the past

ive had 6 best friends thru my life. theyve always come in sets of two.

elementary school was brianna and kate. bri was a little mean but we always picked two of the same books and we read them during reading time aloud together (with the permission of our teacher) and whenever a bad word like "darn" came up, we'd lean in close and whisper the word. kate was canadian and we had dreams of the future. anything and everything was our ticket to success and a good life. fries at lunch turned into an international fry business where we would travel on private jets to meet kings, queens, prime ministers, and the president because our fries were that good. but then, a new school year had started. kate wasnt there. she had moved back to canada and no one had told me. i was sad but i had bri right? but over the year she got new sets of friends and i just wasnt good enough. i didnt have any friends before elementary school because i was very shy and reserved. now i didnt have any again. i shouldve been used to the loneliness but once youve experienced something you cant live life the same way again.

in middle school i had anna and miriam. she was so cool. i admired her. she liked the same nerdy things i liked, loved to read and write, and she knew things (like what all those sex terms meant). she introduced me mim, who had her own computer and four older sisters who were really cool. she was super nice and we had a lot of classes together! we experienced things together, anything from our first school dances and dates to puberty. i used to be a good christian girl (minus being christian, but that stereotype yknow?) but they told me swear words and sex terms and made me scream about it until i was comfortable. mim came to anna and i one day and told us her parents had given her and her siblings a choice: they could vote to move to kansas or stay in nebraska. we tried talking her thru her pros and cons. a couple weeks later she said they were moving. she had voted to leave. anna and i became so close after that. the bus routes had changed the following year and anna and i rode together. anna had started self harming that year and constantly flaunted it. i thought she was cool and must know what she was doing so i started doing it too, and showed her on the bus one day. she saw my cuts and smiled proudly, asking my methods. that was the start of a habit that ive struggled with for years. she became more manipulative and practically abusive over the years, always putting me down whether personally or asking complete strangers who was more attractive, me or her? (they always chose her.) it was the last day of eighth grade, the last day of middle school. she was complaining about the yearbook because i was chosen for 'most likely to become a famous author' but she thought she had much more potential and would actually become an author, unlike me. i stopped talking to her. (and currently im published and shes not? fuck her.)

high school came with new friends. sierra and francesca. they were friends in middle school and while i had known them i wasnt really friends with them. sierra was so so good for me. she helped me with my depression and anxiety and helped me figure out my sexuality. she helped me loosen up a little more. we snuck out when i slept over and i was happy and at peace, at least for a night. we went to our first con down in kansas city! it was without my family too, so it was like freedom. it was great, since we planned it for so long. when i was first hospitalized, sierra and i were supposed to go to that same con, the following year. she and her mother begged to see me, but couldnt because mental wards only allow family. she went to the con still and she came back with a surprise. my aph russia plushie was signed by the aph belarus voice actor! (i cosplayed belarus so i was estatic!) frenchie was supportive and offered me rides so i didnt have to ride the bus was so fiercely protective. then, sierra had to move. she stayed in the city but it was a different school district, and she lived 30 minutes away on a good day. i tried to hang out with frenchie a lot and it took me a year to realize this (but i didnt wanna lose another friend, and i was in a bad state mentally) but she always made excuses onto why she couldnt hang out, or, when we made plans, shed back out at the last second. id been hospitalized every year in high school (for 3 days/2 weeks for the first two years) but after all this, i was put back in there, but this time for 8 weeks then put into an instution for longer than i like. senior year started off horribly. there were many times they wanted to put me back in the hospital, but after the institution, i was terrified of hospitals. i refused. frenchie had all but stopped talking to me and when we did it was tense and uncomfortable. after christmas break, i was 18. i could legally drop out of school. even with one semester to go, i couldnt do it and dropped out. it was nearlly march when i got a text from frenchie. "where you been?" i deleted the message. i havent heard from her since then.

im not trying to push blame on anyone but ive been so lonely and depressed and reclusive since senior year started nearly a year a half ago (with no local friends) and i had to get all of this out and off my chest.

[hirokiyuu]

m o r?

marchen owakens romance

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

me, sitting down with my claudelgard political marriage au: Oh Boy Do I

realtalk anything that’s a big project is always gonna be pushed aside for pef lkghlskdlkgh ive been on and off working on a olberhardt postgame thing since i beat olberic’s chs in octopath that i basically go back to and write a paragraph of every time i finish a pef chapter so that will. ideally be out somewhat soon WWWWW 

thats the one thats most likely to get Published but beyond that ive been tossing around concepts for a fe3h au where (black eagles spoilers) edelgard dies during the childhood experiments and ferdinand is picked to be the replacement heir after some political manuevering from his dad. eventual ferdibert but Very slow burn in the “they start out deadass hating each other” way u kno. i dont really kno where to take it tho i gotta wait for alm to finish black eagles so i can bounce ideas off them

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?

HMMMMMM........... this is a tricky one bc basically almost all my story ideas are “hey how would chara a react in a situation like this” or “what kind of situation could i do to make chara a act this way” u kno. like. pulling out the obvious example pef was “ok but an ng+ where goro is the one who goes back” > “ok but his character means hed try to speedrun it” > “ok so how do we keep him from doing that thats still ic” u kno? so pef is basically character driven the whole way thru

but for emperor ferdie au (black eagles spoilers) my thought was “hmmm is there any way to avoid a war in this game while still keeping the same backstory + history?” and realizing that. the only way el would give up on her ambitions is if she’s dead. and then it was like going from there how all the other characters react to that nad that kinda stuff

so i guesssssss it’s like. ill have a concept but the way that it moves forward is based entirely on how i htink the characters and stuff would act u kno!!!

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

haha let’s start with non-fic authors bc i talked abt fic writers a lot recently. honestly my biggest influence is probably alice hoffman!!! i really deeply adore the atmosphere in all her works; i’ve probably reread practical magic like a thousand times......... its so good. one of the things i like is how thematically well all her stuff ties in together too like. practical magic is all abt love and everything abt it is abt love and family and i just!!! its so good

hmmmm beyond that....... lemony snicket/david handler really influences my desire to make character voice present in stories wwwww same with john dies at the ends’ author whose name is escaping me. JOEY COMEAU IS A BIG ONE (asw author) his books are always soooo well done. i think abt one bloody thing after another All the time please read th...... i havent read her since early high school but francesca lia block was a big influence in terms of metaphor (im sorry).... and akira-sensei’s writing w/enst is genuinely one of the biggest influences i have re:timeline stuff and foreshadowing and slow reveals........ ill never forget how i predicted most of lionheart before it dropped wwww their style is good

in terms of non-prose authors.... clamp for storylines + thematic stuff, the way they play w/consitent themes across not only a single story but entire works is good. satoshi kon is smth i think abt a lto when i try to think of an interesting approach to take w/starting a scene if that makes sense....... thinking abt my “”camera”” for that stuff........ zero escape fuels my desire for characters to start talking abt stuff that seems totally unrelated to the situation at hand but later on u realize its Desperately Connected thats a lot of fun wwwwww

ficwise i think i mentioned before i really consider decolark’s dialogue hugely inspirational....... luv how they can convey so much in so little u kno. pengiesama is someone ive followed for Years at this point and her sense of humor in fic is really really good it’s smth i want to be able to do wwwww ladysisyphus for story hooks + general engagement levels............

writing is good. theres a lot of good stuff out there.

[nickelnumber91-blog]

eating in perugia umbria

Even though I’ve had a home in Umbria for about 30 years, and have traveled all over this region, the city of Perugia (the capital of Umbria) has always been a no-go zone. And it’s not just me who tends to avoid it. When I ask any of my neighbors here in the countryside (both foreigners as well as Umbrians) everyone has the same response: it’s just too much trouble.

The thing is, Perugia is located on top of a hill. And it’s a big hill and a big town. There are about 160,000 people living there, so it’s definitely the largest city in Umbria. And even though the center is medieval, the surrounding area that has been built up around it is more modern and navigating the roads that lead to it is a puzzle that is difficult to crack. First of all there is the ring road that had tons of tunnels and is a nightmare. Then, once you exit from the ring road and try to follow a map or GPS, the under passes, over passes, roundabouts and forks in the road often mean you  miss your turn and have to double back. By the way? This is not just me! It’s anyone you talk to.

And don’t get me started on parking. To visit Perugia you have to find, and then park, in one of 4 or 5 public parking lots. Once there, there are a series of escalators that lead up to the center of town.

But I’m here to tell you that it’s worth the effort. After more or less avoiding Perugia for 30 years, I’ve been up there about 8 times in the past few weeks. And it’s gorgeous. I now have pretty much figured out how to get to my preferred parking lot (Pellini is you want to know) and have figured out the route to get up to the center of town. Which has got to be one of the prettiest walks ever. Medieval buildings and Renaissance palaces are encrusted with carvings and wrought iron details. Buttresses shore up the tipsy foundations forming picturesque archways everywhere you look.

There is also art. Major art. In addition to the Duomo there is the Museum which holds masterpieces by Duccio, Piero della Francesca, Perugino and Fra Angelico, as well as Perugino’s frescoed jewel The Cambio.

The reason that I’ve been spending so much time in Perugia lately, though, is (obviously) because of food. This October I’m leading a week long tour of Umbria with my friend Evan and we will be hosting 30 donors to KCRW, where Evan’s show Good Food is produced. We will be based in Perugia (staying in this very fancy hotel!) and I needed to check out the current restaurant situation to plan out our dinners. Because while during the day we will roam far and wide around Umbria, in the evening who wants to get on another bus? Much better to wander through this gorgeous town and eat a delicious meal.

So for the last two weeks I’ve been enjoying delicious meals. Many many delicious meals. There was even one day when Sophie and I had lunch twice. (the sacrifices I make for work!)

While I’ll be posting fuller descriptions and many more photos in my app Eat Italy in the next week or so, I thought I’d at least post the list of restaurants right away. Just in case you make it up to Perugia. Despite the difficulty. Which you should. Because it’s a pretty fantastic city once you get there.

Osteria a Priori This tiny restaurant is founded on Slow Food’s principles of using local and seasonal ingredients. The dining room is upstairs and the front of the restaurant is given over to a small shop that sells local legumes, as well as an outstanding selection of local wines, including many that are biodynamic and/or naturally grown. Via dei Priori, 39, 06123 Perugia PG tel: +075 5727 0987

Cantinone This lovely little restaurant is located just off the main square. The small outdoor terrace faces one of the most stunning archways in town, but locals tend to head for one of the arched inner dinning rooms. I loved loved loved the Umbrian pesto which was made from majoram, thyme, savory and walnuts. Via Ritorta, 06123 Perugia PG +39. 075 573 4430

Al Mangiar Bene This spacious restaurant is located down a little alleyway (as are most places in the center of Pergugia). The entry way is taken up by a massive wood burning oven that turns out pizzas in the evening, but is used to bake the restaurants bread every morning. Although the menu is not extensive, every item is meticulously sourced. I loved my tagliata (hangar steak) and Sophie ordered a scamorza which had been melted and arrived sizzling at the table in its own little terracotta pot: crusty at the bottom and heaped with truffles on top. Via della Luna, 21, Perugia +39.075 573 1047

Civico 25 This hip and cozy wine bar is a great for either a full meal or just a great glass or bottle of wine and nibbles. Via della Viola, 25, 06122 Perugia PG +39.075 571 6376

Da Cesarino This is one of the oldest restaurants in Perugia, located right in the main piazza facing the Duomo and the famous fountain. I had read mixed reviews about it online, and realized I needed to try it myself. I skipped the outdoor terrace on a hot and muggy August day and my friend Laura and I headed inside, to the main dining room, with the rest of the locals. And had a pretty fantastic meal. This was not fancy. This was not creative. But a plate full of perfectly made crostini went down well with the house wine. Laura ordered the perfect version of an Umbrian Amatriciana (sausage instead of guanciale) and I had the most amazing stracchino stuffed gnocchi in pesto. Although the waiter started out grumpy (old fashioned restaurant grumpy) by the end he was dragging us into the kitchen to see the open grill. Piazza IV Novembre, 5, 06123 Perugia PG , +39.075 572 8974

Sandri This turn of the century coffee/pastry shop has recently changed ownership. It’s been spruced up a bit (complete with a lounge area outside which sometimes plays annoying music) but the interiors – and the pastries – have remained unchanged. And they still make the weird almond paste snake shaped pastry that is their specialty. Corso Pietro Vannucci, 32, 06100 Perugia PG

Iper Coop just in case you are the area, this mega supermarket is located in a mall just outside of town. If you’ve rented a villa in the area it’s well worth stopping if only for their amazing wine section. Centro Commerciale Collestrada, Via della Valtiera, 181, 06135 Perugia PG

For more information on eating in Umbria and the rest of Italy please download my app, EAT ITALY available for iTunes and for Android.

And for more culinary and travel inspiration please buy my books: Eating My Way Through Italy Eating Rome

And if you’d like to join Sophie and me for a Week in Umbria, just send me an email and I”ll send you the details.

Source: http://www.elizabethminchilli.com/2018/08/eating-in-perugia-umbria/