#ofc there’s Shan as a star

[alex-the-moss]

Skaro-themed playground-page in my current sketchbook

[thomthinks]

Demonata by Darren Shan

✓ I liked it

And I hated it. It was extremely good, and extremely flawed. I wanted it to be over, at the same time, couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed it but it was so hard to get through and yet worth it.

If I haven’t made it obvious by now, I have mixed feelings on this series. And by that, I mean a lot of mixed feelings.

There are ten books in this series: 1.Lord loss 2.Demon thief 3.Slawter 4.Bec 5.Blood beast 6.Demon apocalypse 7.Death’s shadow 8.Wolf island 9.Dark calling 10.Hell’s heroes. Each book is usually less than 300 pages, and pretty easy to read.

It's young adult fantasy horror mostly aimed at younger teenagers. They’re officially listed as “middle grade” however I personally don’t think this amount of gore and horror (very descriptive & graphic) is appropriate for an 8 year old. I remember reading the first 3 books at 14 and loving them.

There are 3 protagonists present by the names of Grubbs, Kernel, and Bec. Each book is told from a different point of view.

Now on to my opinion (minor spoilers):

The first 4 books? Great. Amazing. Perfect even. The ones that come after? Downhill. (Well, mostly downhill. Death’s shadow was still as good as the first ones.)

The first 4 books give the series a very strong start. Each one is about a different protagonist in a different timeline and it sets up the plot and characters quite nicely. But as soon as the timelines crash and the 3 protagonists meet and unite? The story starts becoming stale and dragging on wayyyy too much.

Each of the first 4 books have their own stand alone stories while setting up future plot points, but afterwards it’s just set up after set up, with little pay off and too high stakes, to the point that you don’t even care anymore. It kinda reminds me of MCU actually.

I mean, for example book 9. Dark calling has no actual story of its own. It’s just 186 pages of exposition about information you need to know so that the next book makes sense.

There is a sort of? Inverse? Character? Development?? I’m not sure what it’s called, but instead of unlikable characters becoming likable, the cast of lovable characters becoming completely appalling by the end.

You will start to notic a pattern when it comes to side characters. Most of which aren’t important and get introduced only to be killed later, without any purpose or development.

While I find plot twists to be one of the biggest strength of Darren Shan and I love him for it, I don’t think every single book needed to have one. Now don’t get me wrong, he writes plot twists so well, I’m in shock and awe. I cannot emphasize how good he is with plot twists, but as the story progresses, you start to anticipate them and they lose their intended effect. (Except for book 7, ofc. God that one was so delicious)

All of this complaining might make it sound I didn’t like or enjoy the series, but I assure you that I truly did. My annoyance and fury stems from a place of love. I’m just mourning the lost potential and nitpicking the issues that stopped a good series from becoming a great series. But I would still recommend reading this to anyone between the ages of 12 - 15 I come across.

Lastly, my favorite characters were “Lord Loss” and “Dervish”. (And to a lesser extent Beck. She was pretty great too. Definitely well written and interesting. She's the star of book 7 and she shines.)

I used to like Grubbs and Kernel in the first few books, but like I said, by the end there was nothing likable left about them.

I absolutely loved Dervish. (Even though he was pretty pathetic at times, ngl) he was a good character and a good person, and he stayed that way until the very end. Most importantly he was cool, interesting, sarcastic, and charismatic, lol. His arc and development were good too.

But my all time favorite has to be Lord Loss. Yes the villain. But God, he’s just sooo good at being bad. He makes an amazing antagonist. He’s evil, literally a demon with no redeeming qualities, his presence is dark and chilling and he doesn’t pull back ANY punches. See that people? THAT’S how you right a good villain. If this was a movie he would absolutely steal every single scene he was in. Whenever he showed up I just KNEW things were about to become hella intense and interesting XD

That’s pretty much all I have to say on this book series. It might be worth mentioning that the whole story is rather forgettable. But I guess on the bright side, that means you can read it again and still enjoy it as much as the first time ;)

Farewell for now ~

[flowerslut]

😂☀️🏅

What’s the funniest comment someone has left on a fic of yours?

this is such a tough one, but half of @volturialice’s comments on call of the night made me laugh so hard that I befriended and then hung out with her. and fast forward five years she has clowned her way into my heart ~irrevocably~ 🥰❤️

honorable mentions go to these specific ones (top one belongs to my wife ofc)

and I wish I could find the tumblr ask that says “thanks for the stories my therapist will know your name” because that one takes the cake.

Has anyone ever left you a comment that made your day? What did it say?

ALL THE TIME ARE YOU JOKING??? most recently I’ve been getting a lot of comments from people telling me about how my version of maria in roots is turning them into maria stans, and every time that happens I twirl my hair and kick my feet like a lovesick idiot 🤩

also a lot of people have left comments on call of the night (and walk in the dark) to tell me about how they binge-read it over a day or two and those are always my favorite because it means I derailed someone’s sleep schedule for at least one night and that delights me every time. but here’s a pair of comments I think of regularly:

because it 1000% summed up the way I wanted everyone to feel during the climax of cotn’ and to see that I stuck the landing? sublime. nothing will ever feel as good as seeing these as the first two comments after I posted that chapter 🥰

What is the fic you’re most proud of?

this is suchhhhhh a hard one so I’m gonna be a cheating little cheat and answer it in three parts. because my personal favorite fic of mine (not the best, per se, but my number 1) is north star. tbh, that fic should have been much trickier to write (empath alice and psychic jasper? how do you even attempt to successfully jam that into canon!verse?) so i’m very proud of myself for cranking it out over the time span that I did. that was the first fic I ever gave to my wife to look-over and make lil edits to, which is something that I had never once done before with any of my writing EVER.

then or course you’ve got call of the night, and just about everyone has heard the story about that fic, but I really am soooo proud of myself for finishing it! 16/17 year old baby shan would have been sooooo happy to know that it was lovingly completed (technically speaking) in my 20s!

but I think I have to nominate roots for ‘fic i’m most proud of’ just due to the sheer size of this project. and maybe it’s that Current Fic Bias talking (since it’s the only fic of mine being updated/worked on rn) but I really did daydream, outline, and draft an entire 200k word fic with multiple alternating povs and so many moving parts that my even readers are making timelines to make sure they don’t miss anything. that’s so cool for me! that’s so fun! roots has swamped my brain for a year and a half, I’ve put my whole pussy into it, and not to sound like a broken record but shoutout to my wife @volturialice for basically being my editor. the fact that she hasn’t killed me for not knowing the difference between “its” and “it’s” or divorced me for my fixation on unnecessary scene blocking isssss miraculous 🥴

send me more fanfic asks

[tiredassmage]

2,7,23,25,27,31,35,40,47

nfadsnfldsf I love you, too <3 [swtor asks!]

2. Who's your main?

Will Smith showoff.meme. Why, my sonboy, of course!

It's Tyr, lol. My bestest double agent son. He's who I do everything with first, generally speaking; my initial playthrough for him on Star Forge is where I currently have him at pace with the story patches, and, ofc, when I decided I was going to replay him on Satele Shan, he's... the favorite child. I'd tell you not to tell my other ocs, but I think we're all well aware he's the chosen son, lol.

7. A class you haven't played (much) of yet?

In my heart, I want to say Trooper, but technically I suppose it's really Bounty Hunter. I never actually completed BH's vanilla story on Star Forge before I started up my Satele Shan playthroughs, but I have, technically, done Trooper's 1-50 twice because I have one on each server. Then again, Len (my SS BH) is in the early chapters of KOTET, so I've actually done more content with him, but I'd probably have to pull play-time in game to give you an accurate answer.

I've not been much of a military action enthusiast, so Trooper's story, while still par for the rest of the class stories, is way more of a slog for me, so if we flip this to which one am I going to play more readily? Bounty Hunter. So, eventually, it'll likely leave Trooper here.

23. One item not in-game that you'd like to see?

Well, topically, yesterday I was poking around at the lightsaber pikes available and I could have sworn we had a Zakuul-style one available, maybe Senya's? Searching for it tells me I'm not losing my marbles, it must just be out of rotation at the moment, but I'd like to get that and maybe put together some Zakuulan armor for Rhystyl when I get him a bit further into KOTXX, since he'll be the primary face of the Alliance between him and Savosta.

And at least so far I haven't run into quite what I'm looking for, but something like the Remote Outcast's headpiece, but... just the lower face covering. Similarly - and I know this one risks clipping issues, but stick with me a moment - I've also kinda itched for a pair of goggles that sit a little higher, like Koth wears his more as a headband piece than over the eyes. Short of a helmet toggle like in FFXIV, lol, I'd like that as an option. I wanna see my character's faces usually because I love them, hence the goggles, but there's also a few looks I'd just like the more subtle covering for. I have too many Agents.

25. One species not playable that you'd love to play?

I have two thoughts, but topical to GS4 just releasing, I'd like to see more of the Selonians. They don't really fit to the whole 'more or less human with some tweaks' theme for playable races, so playing as one is probably a stretch and I bet it'd take Work, but what I've seen so far of them in-game is neat and I wanna know more.

27. Favorite companion?

I mean, probably Theron. :P My endless excited tippy-taps when I get to play Shadow of Revan are largely because that's when I get Theron back, lol.

31. Best class storyline finale?

I'm biased, absolutely, but it's Agent. And I have played all of them, lol. Like, please, I am absolutely biased, but I do also genuinely believe Agent has some of the best consistency and carry-over between chapters of all 8 classes. The multiple variances to the ending based on your previous choices, the little hazards/puzzles... I could be here for a while, but if I had to boil it down, it feels very Agent - not that the Sith stories don't know how they end, but Agent benefits from me liking the dramatic spy action movies, lol.

And it just. factors in so much of your previous experience. It genuinely feels like the ultimate of Nine's career. Everything has lead you here. Nothing is ever going to be the same. Even if you win, even if you walked away, nothing is the same. It absolutely recolors the entire rest of the game viewed through the lens of the Star Cabal. That's fucking epic.

35. Thoughts on Revan?

I don't have KOTOR context, so SWTOR Revan's all I've known. I generally skip the mid-late game flashpoints (Taral V/Maelstrom, and Boarding Party/Foundry, particularly the Foundry) after just. How much I play and how many characters I have, lol. The Foundry I avoid mostly on the grounds that HK's fight is a pain in the ass. Anyway, off-topic.

I've overall enjoyed him. I don't think he overstays his welcome in the narrative and Revan's story is definitely one I'd fall in love with. The only thing that holds me back from going to do KOTOR myself is I already have such a cranky time trying to run Dragon Age Origins, lol, and also I'm a creature of habit so I already have SWTOR, lol. I have fond, if slightly muddled, memories of doing the Republic FPs with my Jedi Consular for the first time and it being kind of big for me because Revan's struggle is so big and you get the impression that so much rode on his decisions either way, and my Consular was just like '... let me help. Let. me. help.' (He's like that.)

Anyway, I guess sorta... long story short, Shadow of Revan is one of my favorite expansions, I never fail to find it interesting regardless of which class I tackle it with. It's not necessarily all because it's Revan and I'll cede that I generally agree that Star Wars as a whole is a bit obsessed with legacies and I think sometimes that's detrimental (and sometimes completely counterproductive to all you work for, looking at things as a Cipher agent, lol - stop telling everyone I'm alive challenge @ the Imperial Military).

I will look forward to a KOTOR remake if it ever does actually come? I keep hearing rumblings about it, but the last few times I've followed game releases to the letter it's been a Process, lol. so I'm coasting on the fringes of whatever's up with that.

40. Favorite world boss?

I'd say I've never done world bosses, but there is a fun story I can share. When baby didn't know what a world boss was, I did once sneak over and poke the Lance Squadron Command on Yavin IV and, predictably, got melted in like less than a minute. So, technically, I've seen them, lol. Oh and Lucky was hanging around on Corellia that one time I was doing Dread Seed stuff and I was praying to whatever powers that were listening I'd get very lucky and would go unnoticed, ha ha, which, yes. I survived that encounter with Lucky none the wiser. Tell Acina she owes me hazard pay. Anyway. xD

Choosing on looks alone then, I like the snow kitties. I'd like to pet Snowblind if I didn't think they would nuke my flimsy little Operative ass in like a minute.

47. Your greatest moment in-game to date?

Hmmm... that's a tough one? There was this one time I was on one of my lower level characters doing Hammer Station in group finder and I totally forgot about the Rocket Boost thing to get over the gap as groups usually skip certain trash packs there, so I went plummeting to my death in front of 3 total strangers and I could NOT stop laughing because one of them made like an 'ah wayward padawan' comment and explained stealth or rocket boosts and it was. I just had a good laugh, lol.

Uhh... silly stories aside kind of though, probably @captainderyn and I having flashpoint adventures together with Era and Tyr? xD We did Kuat Drive Yards together last which I don't think either of us had ever done, so we mopped the floor of most of the dungeon and then we got to the boss lol and we had a moment trying to piece together the mechanics and then we kicked absolute ass and it was just REALLY fun to no pressure explore and learn and conquer - part of what I did enjoy about doing extreme fights in FFXIV when I did was having those moments where you all compare your mental notes and getting that aHA of figuring out the mechanic, but also we just had. a really good time about memeing on the final hallway because we had some uh... some big guy with bombs and a small army of reinforcements as our final encounter and we'd been largely two Operatives stealthing around to our objectives before but that hallway before the boss had nothing. And you just knew.

So, long story short, we joked the hallway was empty because the boss had to pull all the reinforcements back to deal with us and that they were all busy hiding in the ceiling, lol. I sadly don't have anything from inside our Kuat adventures, but I do have Tyr and Era slaying in one of the initial cutscenes.

Flashpoints are more fun with friends. xD Hoping to do a lot more silly flashpoint shenanigans in the future : D

[daisychainsandbowties]

i lowkey almost hate your star wars au (/massive j, it’s fucking amazing) because it popped the idea of kotorish au with ava as revan and beatrice as malek into my head along with a few vague aus of that au like ava, lilith & beatrice as revan, malek & bastilla and i can’t just spontaneously manifest those into reality which is so homophobic

god i love your mind

but also Unwell at the thought of Ava & Bea who fought a war together & went searching for answers, posing as mercenaries to gather information about the Sith emperor.

Ava & Bea who are captured and turned to the dark side, returning to declare war, limned in darkness and unable to remember why. believing that they are making all their own choices.

and ofc all of this under the assumption that they are Messily in love the entire time.

(& like. THINKING of Lilith as Bastila Shan & Malek (aka Bea) capturing her and turning her to the dark side. Ava fighting for both of them, to bring them back, torn between staying and going with them, even if it is into the dark)

[centrally-unplanned]

Was super curious as to why this exists, so lets find out!

The obvious answer ofc: the Wikipedia page of Kagami Yoshimizu, the author of Lucky Star, lists him as doing the cover for an edition of Nietzsche's Words for Young People:

Words for Young People (若き人々への言葉, Wakaki Hitobito no Kotoba) (cover illustration, by Friedrich Nietzsche, Kadokawa Shoten, 2011)

Straightforward so far, right? But still, *why* is a real question. Kadokawa does stuff like this all the time actually - Japan's 'collector book culture' is very large, way larger than it is in the US, special cover editions by famed artists is a very common occurrence. And in June of 2011 we have the -

God dammit, and the internet archive isn't any help either due to shenanigans w/ frikkin Flash. Anyway, blogs to the rescue!

This entry details the "Discovery! Kadokawa Bunko 2011" Summer Fair, where you amoung other things win adorable keychains related to cooling down - totally buyable off Yahoo Auctions still if that is your thing.

But in addition to that, 5 'collectors' versions of classic books were released to encourage participation in the festival, featuring art by different manga artists. We have:

Anne of Green Gables" Cover Illustration by Kiyohiko Azuma "Words for Young People" Cover illustration by Kagami Yoshimizu Yi Ling, Shan Tsuki Ki, Disciples, and Biographies of the Great Masters" Cover illustration by Asagi Sakura Greek and Roman Mythology: A Complete Translation" Cover illustration by Mari Yamazaki Night on the Galactic Railroad" Cover Illustration: Kohaku Kuroboshi

Funnily enough the rest of them did art a bit more aligned with the source material. Kiyohiko Azuma, for example, is the author of Azumanga Daioh, but his cover looks like this:

Yoshimizu is just a renowned troll and so just drew Konata in a castle because you aren't the boss of me I do what I want. Which is ofc why this book got tiny amounts of traction in the english-speaking internet, removed from its wider context.

If you want to see a little more of the book btw, there are a few more Konata's on the cover flap and under the obi:

What is Konata doin on a cover of a Nietzsche book, why was the creator of lucky star commissioned to do art for a Nietzsche book

[ao3feed-tolkien]

The Firebird's Call

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/8fuEGwZ

by Aria Breuer (Aria_Breuer), Frodo the Poet (Aria_Breuer)

Book 5 in the Hobbit Wizards series.

Frodo Baggins, fifteen turning sixteen, already has challenges to face. In light of Sauron’s return, hardly anyone believes Frodo’s story. Not only that, there’s a new Introductory teacher set loose upon the castle, whose anything but a gentle flower petal. On top of that, Frodo’s dreams lead him to a door. A door which may unlock the key to defeating Sauron.

A crossover story between The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. This story is set before the War of the Ring and during “The Order of the Phoenix”.

Words: 1007, Chapters: 1/25, Language: English

Series: Part 5 of The Hobbit Wizards

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games), Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Gen, Multi

Characters: Frodo Baggins, Marietta (OFC Hobbit), Bilbo Baggins, Self-Insert(s), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, Pippin Took, Fredegar Bolger, Folco Boffin, Snorri (OMC Dwarf), Everhart Boffin (OMC Hobbit), Hilibert Blodwen (OMC Hobbit), Nymphadora Tonks, Bastila Shan, Elizabeth Swann, Constable Green (OMC Man), Madam Sil Courter (OFC Hobbit), Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Cho Chang, Arthur Weasley, Sindri (OMC Dwarf), Rita Skeeter, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Otho Sackville-Baggins

Relationships: Bilbo Baggins & Frodo Baggins, Frodo Baggins & Marietta (OFC Hobbit), Frodo Baggins/Self-Insert, Rose Cotton/Sam Gamgee, Estella Bolger/Merry Brandybuck, Diamond Took/Pippin Took, Frodo Baggins & Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck & Pippin Took, Folco Boffin & Fredegar Bolger, Frodo Baggins & Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Frodo Baggins & Fred Weasley & George Weasley

Additional Tags: Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pre-War of the Ring, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Family, Friendship, Romance, Drama, Humor

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/8fuEGwZ

[fatpotatosaysmoo]

so um this happened

AAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YALL!! I never expected to get over 50 followers😭 and I cant believe that 300 fricking people follow me. Wow. I love and appreciate all of yall so much!<33

Anyway I'm gonna try to celebrate it so send me a: (I'm not really good at anything so sorry lol)-

⭐- for an aesthetic

✨- for a voice reveal

❄- tell you a random fact about myself or just ask questions(if you have any ofc)

🖤- face reveal? (idek what I'm doing at this point)

🦋- if you want us to start interacting and stuff

🌙- suggest a random song from my playlist

Gonna tag a few mutuals under the cut(sorry if you didn't wanna be tagged hshjs):

@thatrandomfangirlll @thesexypanda-boo @pillowfight69 @zephyr-thefwoggy-likes-sandwich @hanirii @guerrera-3010 @just-wordsandthoughts @thehottestmess @iambecomeyourvillain @inejghafasupremacy @im-someone-i-guess @woolf-and-other-muses @leestillyeetschappal @oh-my-tatoes @veryfrackinflabbergasted @benzel @trash--god--emo @holding-shan-back-from-murder @church-of-burnt-romances @ambivertedfrog @ohyoumeanher @thatchickavai @byebyebikinisss @wolfstarrysky @user-with-a-name @thehornoftheunicorn @crazyas-hell @mydogisgaytoo @thebewilderedpotato @mynameiscrosswinds @browntrash @brownskinpride @anotherteenageroninternet @chocolateeedonutpie @vanini-head @the-stars-love-us @do-gay-dont-be-crime @lamandragora @acereader @darkacademia-things

[confused-as-all-hell]

as widely requested, here is the era of peace between the couples who have subjected to my misery and doom. rest assured i’ll stop causing you all so much pain. first, as always, comes nina and matthias serving enemies to lovers. i would love it if you reblogged, because it makes such a difference

tagging everyone who stormed my dms and notes looking for kinder endings: @thebonecarver @crazywritingbookworm @holding-shan-back-from-murder @highfaelucien @saltyfortunes @queer-bookwyvern @smol-satan @quintessential-octessence @nightshade3465 @murderbabies @wafflesandschemingfaces @dreaminginvelaris

@black-like-my-soul to you, ofc, because you make everything brighter

Matthias Helvar hadn't always loved her.

Once upon a time, he had simply been a boy from the countryside, his fingers stained with blue ink, the curve of his mouth slow and deliberate.

Once upon a time, he had spent his days closeted away in the university library, poring over texts and thick tomes snatched from the very highest shelves.

Once upon a time, he had slept peacefully in his bed, and woken to the sun rather than a star-bright laugh, and his evenings were dull but he knew their rhythm, their beat.

Once upon a time, his name had been eight letters, three syllables, one simple intonation; the first time he heard her say it, breathless and gasping with her head thrown back against the wall, he lost his fucking mind.

They had just been two students, too determined and arrogant and convinced of their own pride. Nina Zenik was raucous and gorgeous and so likened to the sea, all lush curves and storming tempers and glittering surfaces and unknown depths. Matthias Helvar was quiet and furious and easily compared to the ice, all shining facets and cold beauty and unforgiving resistance and inflexible anger.

They danced around each other, at first, a solid series of cautious steps and mocking inclines of the head.

Sometimes he glimpsed her running around the fields, her straight dark hair slick with snow, spluttering as a tall young man tossed another handful at her. He watched with mounting fury as she stretched out during lectures, her head tipping back, soft rosebud lips parting.

Matthias hated her.

Hated the exquisite sprawl of her body, the graceful curves and elegant concaves and sharp angles.

Hated that when the night grew dark, darker, darkest, she was all he could think about.

Hated her eyes, brightest summer green, like dewy leaves and eager flower shoots and grapes stolen from his sister's plate.

But he had never glimpsed anything quite so ethereal as her gaze, and her lovely, secret smile. The smile she turned on her dearest friends, the smile he so often wished to experience, the smile he thought could turn the coldest dregs of the world warm.

She was fucking stunning, and brilliant and wise and glorious and he wanted to kiss her so badly it ached.

She was fucking awful, and loud and insouciant and miserable and he wanted to hold a knife to her throat and listen to her beg.

But she was Nina Zenik, after all, and he never managed to do much more than ruin himself with his fantasies and hopes and wild dreams.

When Matthias lay on someone else's bedroom floor, staring up at the ceiling with eyes that couldn't quite focus, all he could hear was the soft lilt of her laugh, the dulcet cadence of her voice.

He heard her whisper, Matthias Matthias Matthias as if his name was her religion, and she was kneeling at the altar.

And if Matthias spent his nights imagining the press of her hands, the furious set of her lips, the slide of her clothes against his bare skin, he could blame it on his hatred.

He found excuses to watch as she bickered with Kaz Brekker in the corridors, shouting over her shoulder and grinning all the same. He studied at the same table where she was talking to Wylan Van Eck as he sketched with limber dark pencils, preserving her smile in charcoal and paper. He couldn’t keep himself from listening as she laughed with Inej Ghafa, both of them doubled up, arm in arm. And when he glimpsed her trailing her fingers up Jesper Fahey’s arm, her eyes blurred with ecstasy, he nearly lost his damned mind.

Sometimes he reminded her of a hurricane, fierce and indomitable and unforgiving, and then he saw the shade of her eyes and all he could see was flowers flowers flowers.

Winter roses, shrouded in snow and cloud and mist, regal despite every attempt to make them bow.

Spring cherry blossoms, their branches slender and elegant, every little flower a bouquet of rosy jewels.

Autumn sunflowers, veiled in dusty light and the dying cinders of day, the sprawled petals a beacon of hope.

Summer hydrangeas, sweet and bright and prismatic with their precise hues, resting in a crown upon her head.

She was every blossom in the world flowering at once, a determined tide of unfurling colour, undaunted and unbothered.

Nina, Nina, Nina. Even the lilt of her name was a blessing in his mouth, though everything he longed to do with her was godless.

Matthias wanted to watch those rosy lips part, wanted to hear the breathless moan that escaped her, wanted to taste the sound on his lips. He wanted to watch the famous Nina Zenik come and come apart on top of him.

She was a song, and he could have listened until the downfall of the world. He had never heard anything quite so exquisite.

Her voice felt like redemption.

And suddenly, Matthias was seeing her everywhere.

She was in the little cafe across the street, her dark hair unbound, her lipstick the colour of fury, leaning across her table to better reach the sugar bowl.

She was dancing in the club his friends dragged him to, her hands tangled in a pretty girl's hair, and they were both kissing, moaning breathlessly, and all he felt was jealousy jealousy jealousy.

She was unwrapping a cherry popsicle and sucking on it idly, her head in some boy's lap as he braided her hair, and he had never known such hatred.

She was in his messages, in his kitchen, in his bed.

When Nina was drinking at a club, her lips around a twirling straw, her red velvet dress hitched around her thighs, all he could think about was the daring cut of her neckline, the precise slash across her breasts.

And maybe it was because he was drunk and tired and ecstatic that he asked her for a dance.

It wasn't the slow, sweet, serious waltz he had always imagined undertaking with his future bride.

It was furious and frenzied and fearless, his hands on the curve of her waist, her lips tracing a hot path down his throat.

It was Nina angling her face to stare up at him, long lashes low, her mouth parted ever so slightly.

It was Matthias sliding his fingers into her hair, gazing down at her, kissing her.

When she sighed against him, a breathless exhale, he lost his fucking mind.

His hands were tracing up the tight velvet of her dress, ghosting across the flare of her hips, faltering at the graceful curve of her breasts, and then she was whispering and smiling and her fucking green eyes were fluttering closed.

Matthias never saw the colour green the same way.

They never spoke of the kiss, or the dozens that followed, each one occurring beneath the strobe lights of their nightclub and a haze of ecstasy.

His evenings began to play out like a movie one had watched thousands of times, and yet every single twist was breathtaking, ethereal.

Nina's warm, sweet mouth. Her wicked hands. Her secret smile. The press of her lips against his own. The curve of her body tight to his own. The brilliance of her, so incredibly staggering that he felt the need to turn away.

She was Nina Zenik and sometimes when Matthias realized he was the one she was kissing, the one who felt her clever touch, the one who was witnessing her delighted grin.

And in those moments, the world could have been hewn of gold for how exquisite it seemed.

The very first time Nina kissed him outside of their club, he could barely move.

She had simply bounded up to him, dark hair ribboning back, and suddenly she was kissing him, one warm hand through his own.

All Matthias could do was stand still, stand still, stand still.

He still dreamt about the wicked, determined, furious look in her eyes as she collided with him. That single spark in her gaze could have lit cities aflame.

Their relationship was never the brutal, raucous wreck Matthias had imagined.

It was Nina with her arms around his neck in the corridors, leaning onto the tips of her toes, smiling up at him.

It was Matthias leaving a bouquet of sunflowers in her dorms, because something about their undaunted bright stand reminded him of her.

It was Nina tangled in his bedsheets, her hair a dark halo on the pillow, sunlight slanting across her soft skin, smiling just so slightly even in her sleep.

It was Matthias waking up to a series of drunken texts and shaking his head, because of course she was out drinking at three in the damned morning.

It was Nina skating across the lake of his childhood, her arms held aloft for balance, smiling softly as she whirled; a wraith of the cold, a sylph of the ice. Her cheeks were red as cherries in the winter air, and every breath was a cloud of warm air past her parted lips.

When she threw her head back, dark hair shaking loose, he thought love might be his death after all.

And on the single night when the sky was clear, and the clouds were softer than spun silk, and they were laying intertwined in the meadows, Matthias wondered if it hadn’t already.

If he could have captured the stars, they would have been hers.

[a-master-procrastinator]

Space Barbie updates!

Since I haven't posted many of changes I had recently.

When I made Airistan 2.0, I chose to do so on Satele Shan server bc this server could use a Jedi Knight (gameplay wise). What I didn't think of is her outfit after chapter 3 of class story. Thing is, she's wearing Underworld Knight's armor (at least chestpiece and gloves), and I didn't have the unhooded version on Satele Shan (or her original server, for that matter). However, I had it on Star Forge and no one needed it there. I was too lazy to make her again (was already through chapter 1), and grinding heroics gets tiring fast. So I didn't find a better solution than to transfer a character from Star Forge (with the armor piece in their inventory ofc) to Satele Shan and pay 1000 cartel coins for that. Yeah, I don't like easy ways, it seems.

Anyway, I'm glad she looks proper now.

Plus, transferring had its perks, like getting some stuff from item stash that I didn't have on Satele Shan, or getting all decorations from Star Forge.

So, a while ago I started coming up with at least one outfit for cold weather. It won't be a quick process bc I need to buy some outfits and then unlock them in collections so I can mix and match different pieces. So far only blueberry girlfriends received them.

Ixess got 2 outfits because all smugglers gotta be fashionable. Bal'sara just had to get an expensive set (actually, I unlocked it in collections specifically for her) because it looks sooooo good. And dyed it in brighter colors bc Bal doesn't like too many dark colors.

Speaking of Bal'sara. I just hate how little customization options twi'leks get in this game. While I still think togrutas were done dirty, twi'leks have it even worse. Only 3 face types to choose from (like cyborgs), makeup and lekku patterns are the same category for mysterious reasons, which limits customization even more, can't choose color of lekku patterns, flipping complexion options (can we have more than 1 complexion option with a clean face?). All of that makes creating twi'leks in SWTOR kinda weird bc they are going to look very similar.

What I want to say is I decided to Bal a clean face she deserves (even if I'm not happy with eyebrows) and a some makeup. But all makeup option did not please me, so I used the power of photoshop (with my questionable skills).

Raen got a new jacket, again. But this one is probably my favorite version of those jackets (Outer Rim Gunslinger and Shrewd Rascal are similar, but they aren't as cool IMO).

And last, Jaria gets a new outfit that she uses for going out to parties (don't judge me, I like it).

[claranidala]

Do all the star wars asks!

Uhm okay c:

Yoda: Favorite character?

Vader/Anakin if I have to choose only one

Alderaan: Favorite planet?

Mustafar, Naboo and Alderaan. Really can’t choose only one

Sith: Favorite Force ability?

Sith lightning and this animal ability anakin had

Han Solo: Favorite film?

Rogue one, attack of the clones and revenge of the sith

Dagobah: Favorite quote?

Everything darth vader said, “You were deceived”

Chewbacca: Favorite nonhuman character?

Hera, ahsoka, eleena, aayla

Galactic Empire: Jedi or Sith?

Complicated question. Sith because of their aesthetic and they are mostly hot. And jedi because they aren’t space n*zis. But i wouldn’t support either of them actually

Princess Leia: Favorite heroic moment?

When anakin threw Palpatine away

John Williams: Favorite song or theme?

Across the stars and i love reys theme

Stormtrooper: Proper viewing order of all six films?

I myself view it 1,2,clone wars movie/show, 3, rebels,rogue one, solo, 4,5,6,7,8,9

But i would probably do it differently if i watched it w friends that never watched star wars

Darth Vader: Favorite Sith character?

Vader and malgus, if sith rey counts then sith rey too

Luke Skywalker: Favorite Jedi character?

Anakin ofc, satele shan and luke. I would love to say leia but idk if she counts

R2-D2: Favorite droid?

I love them all, i cannot decide

Jar Jar Binks: Least favorite character?

Palpatine, i mean obviously

Hoth: One thing you would change about the original trilogy.

That alderaan isn’t exploding

[barefoot-pianist]

Les Mis – Sondheim Theatre (New Production) – 28/01/20

** HUGE HUGE SPOILER ALERT! CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED**

**second disclaimer: it is nearly half midnight and I’ve been on the go since 5:30am, please forgive rambling, meta commentary to myself, and bad grammar. I just wanted to get this all out whilst it was still fresh**

General

YES the new staging was 90% a hit. I liked it. It was great to see Les Mis performed in a radically different way, I think, and enough was kept (like, for example, the basic structure of One Day More) that it didn’t feel totally alien and I didn’t miss the turntable all that much?. The opening scene is now on a ship, rather than in a mine. More on specific stagings below.

THE. SET. WAS. BEAUTIFUL. There is literally no other word for it. The original Les Mis set is quite minimalist, I think, whereas this one was lush – heavily centred on the idea of houses, which really gave more of a feel to the Paris streets. They had tenements and posh houses, the barricade was still huge, don’t worry, and they had a staircase which was in the café and the Thenardiers’ inn, etc. The scale really worked as well – like in Who Am I, the courtroom felt enormous as opposed to the little mobile thing they had before.

A preface to this point is that I don’t think I’m the right person to offer a critical commentary on race & the cast of Les Mis, but I think it is worth flagging – will 100% defer to folks with more experience/expertise. There were four black cast members – Éponine, Gavroche, and two of the chorus, which is way more than I’ve ever seen in the West End in this damn show. I’m under no illusions that Les Mis in the UK hasn’t got a bit of a problem with race. It is slowly inching its way better – when the Bishop came out and he was black right at the beginning I had a moment of “finally? Are they finally doing this right?” but the diversity wasn’t quite as much as I’d hoped. Especially as in my head, I’ve developed a huge, very multi-racial dream cast for the show, so…yeah. I’d love to see some of the characters who always get played by white people played by folks of colour – Enjolras, for example, Grantaire, Valjean himself. Or have both Éponine and Cosette be not white? For once? This would be great? Please let me know what you all think?? (this is West-End specific, I know there have been some productions working on this elsewhere).

The general mood seemed a bit darker? More violent? Perhaps that was the updated lights and set, idk, but more fake blood abounded I felt, and yeah – more actual deliberate fight scenes. It worked, ngl, the world feels like it’s gotten to a darker place, and the new Les Mis reflects that in a way, doesn’t gloss over the violence. Again, I think more thinking will let me know what I actually think about this, but we’ll see.

ONTO SPECIFIC CHARACTERS & SCENES!

Valjean

·       Jon Robyns – he was brilliant, like, nearly as good as my holy grail (Killian Donnelly). Voice incredibly on-point – I’ve seen some Valjeans with really harsh voices which I don’t think fits the character – his Bring Him Home started so softly and gently and then really soared (until some twat decided to take a FLASH PHOTOGRAPH of him mid-song, whoever it was should have been ASHAMED of themselves).

·       He was so sweet with little Cosette! At the end of the curtain call, he and the actress had their own mini bow and then hugged, and he carried her off into the wings.

·       He really made more of Valjean’s physicality than other actors I’ve seen – perhaps to do with staging too – but his and Javert’s interactions were much more physical, violent, and in your face than they have been. It wasn’t OTT on his end I don’t think, but you definitely got the sense that he was trying to rein himself in and that the violence was still there? You know? But ofc NEVER towards Cosette or anyone unlike SOME adaptations I could mention (yes I am still bitter about the BBC trashfire, sorry to anyone who liked it but eh, imho, gross).

·       At the end, he and the Bishop have a hug in heaven! It was very sweet!

Javert

·       This is the second time I’ve seen Bradley Jaden in the role of Javert and I am a blessed human being (really want to take my Dad to see him too) because he has officially ruined every other Javert for me. Like ever. His characterisation feels very book Javert, very stern and uncompromising but more so than other Javerts, idk, it’s just his sheer stage presence as well, and his facial expressions and his general look…I can’t put my finger on it. He’s just phenomenal.

·       Stars was on this beautiful Parisian bridge (fake stone balustrade-style complete with four hanging lanterns) that came down from the flies, incredible backdrop, and he just brought the house down again.

·       Ngl – they have him actually holding a legit chain during the Confrontation and maybe I’ve read too much ship fic, but it certainly gives a whole new dimension to the line “Msieur le maire, you’ll wear a different chain!” Also especially as the Confrontation was so much more physical as well, they were properly fighting each other instead of just circling.

·       He was much more bloodied at the barricade, and there was this moment where he was being taken offstage as a prisoner and he’s on his knees in front of Enjolras, who’s very blonde hair is all you could see from where I was sitting, and they’re both in a spotlight, and the mood just really reminded me of the dynamic in the fic Les Hommes de la Misericorde by Kchan88 (which is great and you should read if you want to).

·       After the barricade, they incorporated that heartbreaking idea from the movie – Gavroche is lying dead in the front of the stage and Javert bends down to shut his eyes and crosses himself. There’s then a total reversal of the moment with Enjolras described above, but I’ll get to that in more detail in the Enjolras section.

·       In Javert’s Suicide, he did the complete breakdown thing again – which worked as he actually had blood on his face and long hair loose everywhere from the barricade scenes. Back on the pretty bridge, which split in two and he legit FLEW for the drowning scenes, so was thrashing suspended in midair as the lights and backdrop swirled around and behind him. That was something special.

Fantine

·       The one, the only, the Carrie Hope! She played a very understated Fantine? Which…I liked more than I thought I would? Like the voice came out at the end of I Dreamed a Dream, Lovely Ladies etc, but she was so…controlled? It perhaps felt odd after seeing her as Éponine and Veronica in Heathers where she let loose a lot more, but her Fantine just felt a little more mature, a little more resigned?

·       Her Fantine also gets put through the bloody wringer, jeez – the fight with the factory woman is much more physical (and when I say more physical, I actually think they were properly choreographed?) and with Bamabatois, who is just as grim but less slimy than the last actor I saw play him?

·       I’d kind of almost forgotten about her by the time she came out as a ghost at the end, but that bit was lovely, as it always is.

Éponine

·       Shan Ako was a scene stealer. Bloody hell she can sing – she put some pretty riffs in On My Own (small, but noticeable if you know the song) and her belting voice was unbelievable.

·       With the new set, you really get a feel of the Gorbeau tenement – she’s hanging around up there a bit. Also in Attack on the Rue Plumet, with the set the way it is (a house with a wrought iron balcony and a door, with the gate and fence extending out towards centre stage) you again get a feel for the scene in the book when Éponine basically says to her father and his gang that they’re dogs but she’s a wolf and she’s not afraid of them because she’s standing guarding the door with her arms wide…yeah, it really worked.

·       She and Gavroche are either friends or it’s a subtle nod to their siblinghood, as they fist bump right when Gav introduces Éponine.

·       On My Own was a tour de force – second standout of the night after Stars, for me.

·       Her A Little Fall of Rain was also gorgeous, and she had a real fizz with Marius, which was cute.

·       A rather large niggle – Shan Ako is black, and Young Éponine was white. Perhaps there was a last-minute emergency, but surely they could have got a little black actress to play Young Éponine? Idk, it just bothered me.

Cosette & Marius

·       Oh my god, Harry Apps as Marius – he Pontmercied around the place, and was so awkward and adorable! In Éponine’s errand, when he tried to go up the stairs, he banged into the set! During his bit in Red and Black he gets up on the staircase and starts full on declaiming, arms wide etc. His scene with Cosette in Heart Full of Love was gorgeous – he chucks a stone at her window, and she comes out, sees him, and disappears and he’s like “oh god I’m doing everything all wrong” and then she comes hurtling out of the front door instead and then stops and they stare at each other and it’s so cute! And then he’s just so self-conscious for the entire scene? And what’s so interesting is in the reprise at the end and the wedding, he’s so much more sure of himself – I really loved all the little nuances like that?

·       He’s also really young! He’s the complete unknown they cast off the open auditions for the UK tour, and he is bloody amazing – totally deserved that!

·       Lily Kerhoas was very charming as Cosette. I adore the character, but sometimes actresses play her too girly, which drives me a bit nuts, but she managed to pull off young/innocent/naïve/very soprano with a bit of practicality, heart, and edge. And there was a great moment when she and Éponine are both in the garden after, and getting that look in at each other without the gate in the way was really powerful.

·       Cosette and Marius had chemistry! It was lovely!

·       Empty Chairs – wow. So basically Turning (my underrated fave) was a range of women dressed in black who leave candles dotted all over the stage. Marius sings Empty Chairs surrounded by them, and (you guessed it) the dead Amis come in and all pick one up and Marius does too, and then they blow them out and leave and Marius is left holding the only lit one and blows it out then raises it like a toast and WOW MY FEELINGS WERE NOT PREPARED.

 Gavroche

·       This kid STOLE THE SHOW. LITERALLY. He was black too (like Éponine) and they had a proper little thing going, it felt like it really drew on the brother-sister Brick canon. He also felt very book-Gavroche, so cheeky and so serious at times.

·       They’ve changed his first set of lyrics in Look Down to be those from the movie, which…sure. Worked.

·       OKAY – in The Robbery, when Javert is like “everyone about your business/clear this garbage off the street” everyone scatters APART FROM GAV who’s pootling around behind Javert yelling “go on! You heard the man! Go away, even you!” and then when Javert turns to face him, Gav just does this irreverent little salute and saunters offstage and Javert just…lets him?? It was a FANTASTIC moment.

·       At the barricade when Gavroche busts Javert’s disguise, he goes right up to him and on “this only goes to show what little people can do” just cheerfully gives Javert a big old middle finger. Which was SO GREAT.

·       When Éponine is dying, he spends most of a little fall of rain loitering next to Marius and not really knowing what to do and my heart just BROKE.

·       He and Grantaire had a cute bromance going – after Drink With Me, when Grantaire nonverbally tells Enjolras to go fuck off and goes off to the side of the stage, Gavroche just goes over to him and starts hugging his back, and then they have a cuddle on the side of the stage together for Marius’ solo.

·       Because no turntable – Gav didn’t die alone on the other side of the barricade, he makes it just back to the top, gets shot with the bright white light (which they kept) and then just falls over into Enjolras’ arms, who then carries him down the barricade and puts him in Grantaire’s arms who just stands there, centre-stage, cradling a dead Gavroche for a few minutes before lying him down at the front of the stage.

·       At the end, Gavroche gets dumped unceremoniously into the cart with dead Enjolras and idk, it’s just a moment.

Enjolras

·       Right – instant disclaimer that I am incredibly biased and Hyoie O’Grady is and will forever be my Enjolras and I measure everyone against his performance.

·       This guy, Ashley Gilmour, – mostly had the look and the hair and general icy beauty. I was initially disappointed with his voice, but he did grow on me – he just really didn’t have the presence I associate with a great Enjolras. This was especially evident in the speech bits like in Red and Black?. Like, you know they’re not right for the role when you don’t particularly have much to write home about. Maybe I’m being unfair – other people who’ve seen him – what do you think?

·       The one bit of changed staging I didn’t like was Do You Hear the People Sing. I think Enjolras being towed around on the cart (which did come back during the beginning of the barricade) gives the song the momentum it needs & deserves? Whereas they were just marching round a staircase they’d shoved in the middle of the stage which Feuilly got up on for his verse, so…

·       Aside from a few handclasps, there was basically no E/R. Not even a hug during Drink With Me. It wasn’t even like “no homo” bullshit whatever, it just…didn’t happen. Actors didn’t have chemistry, and it’s a fair reading – this Enjolras read ace/too busy for romance quite strongly, I guess, and also very young, but yeah. After the joy that was Sam Edwards, even a bit more chemistry with Hyoie O’Grady (even though he said he didn’t really like that reading (I think??) which totally fair), and some actors I believe ACTUALLY KISSING OMG in other productions (one Enjolras also wore a Pride sash instead of a revolutionary one in Brazil, I think???) it really wasn’t anything. I would love a cast with an outwardly gay & together E/R, but I think the West End has a while to go before that becomes reality.

·       Enjolras’ death: obviously no turntable, end of that iconic spin to reveal him draped across the front of the barricade with his flag. In this version, he basically yeets himself off the front of the barricade very dramatically (there is no other word for it, I promise I’m not using “yeet” gratuitously) and then when Javert comes back after the fall of the barricade, there’s a soldier with the cart from the building of the barricade with a very dead Enjolras on his flag, arms akimbo out the end. Which worked. It was more quiet and understated, but it worked. No complaints from me.

·       At the curtain call he gave us a little hand heart, Taylor-Swift-circa-2010 style. It was cute and I should probably stop being a cow.

Les Amis

·       They’ll never cast them as diverse as they are in my head (I can only hope one day, perhaps, PLEASE!) but they were a good bunch. Their Feuilly looked more like a Jehan to me, but eh. Again, just no real…buzz. Not in the way I’ve seen them performed before? And I think Les Amis depends on a good Enjolras and a good Grantaire, because as the two main Amis in the musical, they set the tone?

·       When the soldiers’ final announcements were happening during the Dawn of Anguish, one of the boys (idk which, they were basically all blonde) was having a very obvious panic attack on the floor by the tables, and one of the others was comforting him and it was like that horrible powerful scene in the 2012 movie and I didn’t like it because it was heartbreaking but it was very effective.

·       They all seemed a bit less tolerant of Grantaire, who wasn’t even that disruptive by other actors standards, which I didn’t like?

·       Grantaire was, again, eh? Funny, fine, but didn’t have interesting things going for him (like Adam Filipe’s pacifism, for example, or any kind of chemistry with Enjolras) in the way others have done, but it was a solid performance.

The Thenardiers

·       Yes, they were great! Master of the House built to Thenardier being given the birthday bumps, which was funny.

·       Madame Thenardier’s solo in Master of the House was delivered in the kitchen all by herself as a bitter monologue, rather than the drunken rowdiness you used to get in the old show.

·       They were a pretty typical funny Thenardier couple, and I’m getting tired, I might remember some more about them tomorrow.

 So yeah. Those are my thoughts. Would love to hear what other people think, and I definitely want to go back and see it again, perhaps with a different cast (a different Enjolras, argh). I’m off to bed, I have class in ten hours. Oops.

[emeraldskulblaka]

Les Mis Concert Cast Review

I saw the show on Monday, September 2, 2019.

First up, the show was absolutely amazing. I read a few mixed to negative reviews before I saw it and therefore was sceptical. No need for that, though - this was an excellent Les Mis concert. It reminded me once again just how much I love this show.

I'll write a detailed review some time in the next few days/weeks, but for now, here's a review of the cast:

John Owen-Jones (alt. Jean Valjean):

Incredibly good, just as expected. I chose Monday for a reason, and it was a good one. Amazing acting and sublime vocals. I can't name any highlight in particular because he was constantly great, and no negative things either. He's JOJ. You expect the best, and he delivers. Also kudos to him for doing the whole stage door line! He was the last one to come out, and I think it took him almost 15 minutes to get to the end of the line.

Michael Ball (Javert):

I'd read quite a few negative things about his portrayal of Javert before, so I didn't know what to expect. He's obviously a great singer and actor and I love his voice dearly, but I had my doubts about the role and if I could see Javert instead of Michael. Well, you see, it was clearly Javert. No doubt. It wasn't Michael just singing his songs. No, he's not the best Javert out there, but he gives a solid performance (acting-wise; vocally, he's brilliant ofc). I liked him throughout the show, and Javert's Suicide was superb. Seriously, that one was unbelievably well done and I was wrecked afterwards. Michael's is a Javert who keeps it together, always, is very collected, but then just explodes at the end.

Carrie Hope Fletcher (Fantine):

Ah, yet another one I was sceptical towards because of reviews. She's such a sweet Fantine though, very introverted and less emotive than most others - which makes her different. However, I like her interpretation, and I suppose most people who criticise her are just too used to actresses clearly showing their character's emotions or can't personally relate to her version of Fantine. Hers is the inner turmoil - she just can't believe all those things are happening to her of all people, and thinks she's dreaming. And her voice, gosh, Carrie's voice is so beautiful. Sublime. Most beautiful rendition of I Dreamed a Dream that I've ever heard. Again, I can relate to her, but it might be difficult for others and I get why people are saying things like she's 'hardly there' etc. She also signed my copy of 'When the Curtain Falls' for me <3

Rob Houchen (Marius):

Just as expected, he was fantastic. I'd fall in love with his Marius at first sight as well, I think. He's so gentle with both Ep and Cosette. I cried a bit during Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, couldn't help it. The only thing I'll criticise: he didn't really seem to fit in with the Amis. I don't know if it was the director's choice, but he barely interacted with any of them beyond the necessary for the songs.

Bradley Jaden (Enjolras):

Holy shit that guy is good, he reminded me that I'll automatically fall in love with whoever's portraying Enj if he's any good. And wow, he was beyond perfect. I'd have followed him to the barricades as well. He's THE personification of a stage!Enjolras imo, and master of running-up-stairs-in-a-revolutionary-way.

Shan Ako (Éponine):

A real highlight among the cast - she's so unbelievably talented, and this star-studded concert is a great way to show your qualities as a performer. Reminds be a bit of Lea Salonga vocally, but I think I prefer Shan to Lea. You know the way you build you 'perfect' On My Own from various different performances, the version no single person is able to reach? Shan sang my perfect version of the song. She did that. Just wow, I hope her career flourishes and we'll get to listen to her more often!!

Lily Kerhoas (Cosette):

Cosette is so difficult to get right in my eyes, but I liked Lily, I really did. Her voice wasn't one of the (imo) 'annoying' musical theatry soprano voices, she is very pleasant to listen to. Acting-wise I loved that she didn't go for the childish Cosette that's pretty common, but rather for a mature and comforting one (esp when it comes to In My Life and Every Day). It was great to see a French lady playing a French lady!

Matt Lucas & Katy Secombe (the Thénardiers):

Vocally brilliant, Matt was so much better than in the 25th Anniversary, but they were so over the top with their ad-libs. They drowned out Valjean completely when he came to get Cosette, which I didn't like a bit, but the audience absolutely loved them.

Raymond Walsh (Grantaire):

Just a big YES. THAT'S a Grantaire. He had great chemistry with Gavroche, and wasn't too annoying or provocative, just the right amount of everything. It shows that he's played R for a year before the concert imo.

Kayleb Rene-Gray (Gavroche):

So CUTE! I can't even. Reminded me a lot of BBC Gav, very sassy. Totally E and R's adoptive son in barricade heaven.

Go see this concert if you can - it's not a mere 'cash-grab' like I've seen it referred to! It's beautiful, timeless, gorgeous LES MIS!

[shao-haofan]

22 questions tag

tagged by @bevanjun @yao-mingmng @linm0mo @zhyixuan ❤️🧡💛💜

1 - Name: Shannon

2 - Nickname: Shan, Shanonon, Xuanxuan

3 - Star sign: taurus

4 - Gender: female

5 - Sexuality: straight

6 - Favourite colour: navy blue

7 - Time right now: 7:02pm

8 - Average hours of sleep: 6-7 hours

9 - The last thing I googled: does frozen fruit retain nutrients

10 - Number of blankets: 2 but really more for presence than warmth since it’s super hot where I live right now

11 - Favourite fictional character: gonna have to agree with Lisa and say Totoro, he just reminds me of my childhood

12 - What are you wearing right now: workout top and leggings

13 - Favourite book: changes constantly, right now I’m rereading Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and remembering how much I love it

14 - Favourite musician: cpop - VOGUE5, kpop - Seventeen, western - Zedd

15 - Dream job: 70% science, 20% creativity, 10% travel

16 - Number of followers: 87 (love y’all 💗)

17 - When did you create your account: February of this year

18 - What do you post about: QCYN+ occasional other cpop

19 - What made you get an account: too many QCYN feels! wanted to find ppl who also had feels 😊 no one posting about Shao Haofan & the other VOGUE5 babies

20 - When did your blog reach its peak: don’t know what that means haha

21 - Do you get asks on a daily basis: nah

22 - Why did you choose your url: Shao Haofan was my QCYN one pick and my V5 bias now! half the time I want to hug him, the other half I wanna fight him (ง •̀_•́)ง

tagging (only if you want to ofc) @roiqin @zhenmings @zhenings @jiayoujiayi @yunljun @xiao-lingchao 

[cole-saberhagen]

Cole's Kotor/SWTOR thoughts of the day

- Nothing else going on with me except trying to get Kotor done - So this is a Star Wars post now - Firstly, I'M THE BIGGEST MORON for forgetting something critical - So I decided to keep my Kotor playthrough as a canon one - And the other day I was complaining about not wanting to romance Bastila - But if I don't then that means Theron Shan wouldn't exist, lmao - And his whole family tree ofc, so I guess yeah it's important that I do - I finished Kashyyyk and I'm onto Manaan - When in planet-naming doubt, add extra letters/hold the keyboard down? - It's funny how I only remember certain things about the game - I remember certain side quests completely blanked out others - Or more likely I didn't bother to do them the 1st time. Yeah most likely - There's so many sidequests on Manaan though, looord - I'm just too excited to get to Korriban - That's going to set the mood for when I reroll my Inquisitor - The trial quest on Manaan was a bitch, glad that's done - I keep unintentionally getting DS points trying to do everything - Mostly bc I'm working for the Genoharadan now - I must have skipped that completely the first time I played - The 1st time I learned about them was one of those KotET chapters - This is why redoing Kotor is a good idea, I've forgotten so much - I'm still a bit murky on the pre-Kotor lore details with all the wars etc - And I forgot to make a recommended reading list before Ossus - In fact I forgot which of those old comics we were suggested to read - I would dig around but I'll run into PTS spoilers :o - I could just read the ones in the Appearances section of the wiki

[santasfes]

5x5 Year In Review: 2018

I was tagged by @tofangirlonly! Thank you btw!

My memory sorta sucks so this might be hard.

Top 5 movies you’ve watched in 2018.

1. The Princess Bride.

2. X-Men: First Class.

3. Solo: A Star Wars Story.

4. Ant-Man and The Wasp

5. Aquaman

(This probably isn’t accurate as I can’t remember most movies I’ve watched in 2018 but it’s probably close enough xD)

Top 5 television shows you’ve watched in 2018.

We have a problem here... I haven’t watched any new tv shows in 2018.I mean I haven’t actually really watched any of these shows I’m going to list, just like an episode or two but I’ll just list them anyways. Also, I didn’t like any of them based on what I watched but I have nothing else to list so xD

1. The Gifted.

2. Inhumans.

3. Runaways,

4. Daredevil.

5. Primeval

Top 5 books you’ve read in 2018.

(Let me level with you here, I don’t read much and I honestly don’t like reading and it takes me forever to finish a book because of it so yeah.. Also I may have not read them all this year I’m not sure)

1. Dear Evan Hansen. (Still reading it thought)

2. The Maze Runner. (Still reading)

3. The Saga of Darren Shan: Hunters of The Dusk

4. The Saga of Darren Shan: The Vampire Prince

5. The Saga of Darren Shan: Trials of Death

Top 5 songs of 2018.

1. Santa Fe- Newsies.

2. What You Mean To Me- Finding Neverland. (Mainly when JJ sings it)

3. Broadway, Here I Come- SMASH (Just the JJ one ofc)

4. Raise A Little Hell- Bonnie and Clyde.

5. Good Enough- Jeremy Jordan (Basically any song Jeremy Jordan has sung to be honest.)

5 good/positive things that have happened to you in 2018.

1. I’ve made a lot of new online friends who I love a lot and are the best people in the whole world!

2. I created a social media account that’s sole purpose was to spread positivity and I kept sending people positive messages about themselves and I mean technically this didn’t happen to me but I mean it did too in a way so I’m adding it. I mean if I made someone happier then that’s great!

3. I fell completely in love with Jeremy and that made me gain more friends and also was part of the reason I now talk to one of my friends daily. Also his singing has kept me calm and less stressed out at times which helps!

4. I finally let someone I know in real life read my writing and they’ve encouraged me to keep writing which I’m glad about.

5. Hm well I sorta created plans to meet one of my best friends (online) irl hopefully next summer which counts I guess!

Tagging: Sorry if you’ve been tagged already! @butimaloneandfree @amaranth-and-glitter