#so like I originally got through all of season one by watching it alongside fruits basket

[michdoodles]

Decided to try and force myself to finally read this volume of mha I checked out from the library over a month ago and

I forgot that my boi was so angy at the beginning

Bonus: I’M SO SORRY DUDE

I started reading your name as Masahiro Sakurai 😭 GOMEN

[junichan]

The Return of Flower Fruit Mountain

Part 1 of 3

Content warning: None, TW: None Based on The Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en and the Monkey King graphic novels by Chaiko

A massive plum tree grew from a rocky outcropping high atop a cliffside. The onset of fall had stripped it of its leaves and left its dark limbs as bare as black bones. It might have looked dead and gnarled, but it had never failed to produce fruit. It was one of the few trees that survived from Sun Wukong’s youth and remained one of his favorite places to relax. He lounged in the upper branches, watching the clouds. A chilly wind ruffled the Monkey King’s fur, chasing away what little warmth the late-September sun offered. Being immortal, all but the most bitter cold had long since stopped affecting him. It was still a sobering reminder that winter was on its way.

Decades had passed since Sun Wukong had returned home from India, but things still weren’t quite the same.

The vengeance of Heaven had razed the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to baren rock after he’d been trapped under a mountain for stealing the Peaches of Immortality. In his early days as the Handsome Monkey King, thousands of simians had called the Mountain home, now only a few hundred of their descendants survived. Life had been brutal for them in his absence, struggling for survival on a ravaged mountainside. He knew he would always bear the guilt of not being there to protect and provide for them.

Sun Wukong’s subjects never lost faith in him though. They passed down his legend from generation to generation, and even while they struggled to find food and shelter they kept his banner fiercely guarded. The descendants of his original tribe were overjoyed to have him back, and he swore he would never let them suffer again. Under his guidance they were bringing their home back to life. Forests of pines, larches and maples once again covered the mountain alongside orchards of wild fruit trees. He taught his monkeys how to arm and defend themselves, how to hunt and build traps, and how to build fires to keep themselves warm.

He was proud of all his people had accomplished, and yet it seemed like the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit would never regain its former glory. Lately the seasons had been harsher, and some days it seemed like there wasn’t enough food or warm places to rest. When he was young, he and his people feasted and drank themselves silly nearly every day. Now some of the youngest monkeys didn’t even know what a feast was.

That year the summer had been especially short and the autumn especially cold. Sun Wukong had made sure they had stockpiled as much food as they could in Water Curtain Cave, but he wasn’t confident they could make it through the winter without rationing. If it came to that, he would simply find some bandits or demons to steal supplies from.

Maybe I should do that anyway, Wukong mused. It had been a while since he’d been able to flex his powers and enjoy a real fight. He’d been feeling the itch of boredom scratching at the back of his mind lately. He loved his tribe more then anything, but an all-powerful, immortal monkey could only focus on the day to day minutia of being a king for so long before he got restless.

Wukong had heard a rumor that a group of demons had taken up extorting a small kingdom a few hundred miles away. He could go investigate that and maybe even be back by –

“Monkey King! Monkey King!! Come see what we found!!”

The excited shouts of monkey children filled his ears just before three of them suddenly sprang up the tree and jumped all over him. One of them landed on his stomach, blasting the air from his lungs, while another tugged on his arm and the third attached himself to his head. Wukong never minded the rowdy antics of his littlest subjects. He chuckled as he sat up, and gathered the tiny, fluffy bundles of energy into his lap.

“Take it easy, children! What’s got you so excited, huh??”

They all started talking at once, but Wukong managed to pick up most of it.

“A stranger has come to the Mountain! A goddess!!”

“She turned into a monkey! With bright, shiny fur!! And she’s big, like you!”

“She made apricots grow for us! You have to come see!”

It took a few minutes, but Wukong was able to get them to settle down enough to explain. From what he gathered, the little ones had wandered away from their mothers’ watch to play and had found themselves in the apricot grove near the base of the mountain. They had spotted a young woman walking through the trees, and knew immediately she was no ordinary human. “She had pointed ears and glowing eyes!” When she spotted the little monkeys watching her, they had been wise enough to run away at first. But then she’d transformed into a monkey and asked them if they were hungry. The little monkeys spared no detail in telling Wukong how the strange goddess had made the apricot tree come back to life, and how delicious the fruits were. The goddess-monkey talked with the little monkeys as they ate until their bellies almost burst. Then they all fell asleep because it felt so warm, and they were so full. “She seemed really lonely, and really tired,” the smallest one observed quietly. When the little monkeys woke up from their nap, the strange one was still fast asleep.

“And that’s when we came to tell you! You’re the Monkey King! She’ll make more apricots for you if you tell her so!!”

Usually when word reached him about a stranger appearing on the Mountain it meant trouble. It wasn’t uncommon for mortal hunters to threaten his people, no matter how often he chased them off. Demons weren’t always so bad. Any demon that came to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit was usually smart enough to pledge their loyalty to him and leave his monkeys alone. And if they weren’t, they didn’t get far before Sun Wukong put them down. It was the immortals that were the most problematic, and the worst were celestials from the Heavenly court. Wukong couldn’t stand their high and mighty attitudes, as if everyone in the Earthly realm was beneath them.

This time however the little ones were so insistent that the goddess was ‘nice’, he felt more curious then perturbed.

“Alright, let’s go see this apricot growing goddess.” The children clambered up onto his shoulders, whooping with delight as Wukong jumped onto his cloud and flew down the mountain in a blink of an eye. He found the strange monkey where the little ones had left her, still asleep on the tree branch.

Next

[dansnaturepictures]

29/03/2021-Monday off: Part 3 of 3-The wildlife photos and story of my second stint at Lakeside: 10 more different pictures in this photoset to those I tweeted tonight 

The Peacock was still flitting around on the path when I arrived back at Lakeside. I then went through the southern fenced off nature reserve area taking the first picture in this photoset a macro one of blossom and bee nearby. As I reached the woods in this area it was like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia going through a little path into the woods as I was enchanted once more to see the gorgeous snake’s-head fritillaries on the woodland floor which I was captivated to see last Tuesday. With me based at home for work still although I was off today and am tomorrow everything is happening at a great volume still so if I see particular wildlife and photograph it at Lakeside I am likely to do it again on subsequent walks so I could not resist another bite of the snake’s-head fritillary cherry and seeing them is the sweetest of fruits. It was smashing to take in these endlessly beautiful flowers again today. I just stood and took them in for a bit, I would like to revise my statement last week saying there were around 20 of them as its more like 40. I felt so very lucky to be able to take alongside other ones I tweeted the second and third pictures in this photoset of them I got some unique angles to last week and previous years I thought. I took the fourth picture in this photoset looking up as I walked on. In this field I would go on to see a Chiffchaff my first at Lakeside this spring after hearing my first hear last week it was a year tick elsewhere in January.

In the glorious and warm afternoon sunshine I carried on and was delighted to see the Kestrel from earlier hovering high above Concorde lake where I focused my attentions of the second slot of time at Lakeside. It of course wasn’t actually over the lake as they’re not aquatic birds of prey but over the meadow area beside it but I’d still never seen a Kestrel over this bit of the country park before whilst I have seen Buzzard there before so this was interesting. I saw it flying off above me later on too. I walked around Concorde lake to look more at the famous Great Crested Grebe pair which are currently courting. Walking under trees around the lake I heard a Chiffchaff again and I got a brilliant view of a Chaffinch among green buds. I took the fifth picture in this photoset of a Greylag Goose very closely on Concorde lake it was a pleasure to see the beautiful Greylag Geese very closely around this lake again today. 

I then had a little look in the woods in an area that has a big bench and here I caught sight of another butterfly flying, the beautiful orange Comma as it came towards me. I saw it and was so thrilled to see it, my first of the year. It was my fourth earliest ever sighting of a Comma a butterfly I have certainly had to wait to see at times in years so it felt really good to get this one seen. My fourth butterfly species seen this year. Greeted by the delightful call of a Robin I walked on. 

Here I took the valuable time I wouldn’t have much of on a work lunch break to stand and watch from a fishing jetty the Great Crested Grebe pair. I was so happy to once again this year see them doing the little bits of courtship if not the whole iconic display. This included them swimming towards each other and erecting their necks and facing each other which made me feel very excited mostly out of anticipation. I enjoyed seeing one of them building a bit of a nest too. It was so beautiful and stunning to see these birds and take in this behaviour and also be so close to them and be able to take them in so intimately it really was a stunning wild moment and I felt supremely connected to nature with one of my very favourite species which I have loved seeing here for so many years and is such an important part of my journey with this species and birdwatching and this hobby generally as I have said before. I am so excited for the rest of the journey with these birds this year it did feel me with glee seeing these today. I took the sixth picture in this photoset of the grebes among others. The grebes and the snake’s-head fritillaries were the stars of lunch breaks last week I quite wanted to see again on these days off here and I loved seeing both of them again so much. As I stood on this jetty I was happy to notice a  Moorhen’s nest right beside me most of the other usual water birds here are nesting nicely again and two more Greylag Geese walked right beside me and went into the lake another nicely connected moment. 

As I walked on it became a truly brilliant day of flowers as I saw the grass beside the lake adorned by a spring time favourites the cowslips I recalled seeing them when I did the snake’s-head fritillaries a year ago today so I wondered when I might see them again. The grass was brimming with their delicate yellow and greenness. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of these. As I walked on back to the area I’d seen both Peacock and Brimstone I re-acquainted myself with some periwinkle I’d noticed here on the dog walk. It was great to see a lot of it among greenery, a flower I’d only learnt this year in a flower bed at Lakeside just over a week ago the flower bed by the visitor centre these were in more wild settings today. Here also I was over the moon to spot a flower I’ve long since known when I saw my all important first bluebells of the year one or two which I tweeted a picture of, they looked so pretty and I liked seeing them. I walked on to behind the steam railway station and took a macro picture of the sea of daffodils on a verge there. I got a top view of a Wren just further on and some more lesser celandine. 

As I reached the area I know as Marbled White meadow my strong butterfly day too went up a notch. By this point I was really after another year first today, the all important first butterfly picture taken with my macro lens this year. Peacock was looking the more likely to do it with a few were landing and I did manage it with the ninth picture in this photoset. I didn’t get as close as I would have liked to be able to take the macro picture right up close, but I managed this one. The butterfly flew up as I was leaning in trying to take a picture of it and it flew up. I worried I had scared it away but I saw its shadow on the grass as it flew. I looked up and there it was battling with another, its presence had got the original one up most probably. A great bit of behaviour and I loved walking through the meadow area with it adorned by blossom in a big way I was stunned to take in so much blossom as it almost blocked out the bright gorse with its own brightness. Then I made my way back studying the blossom surrounding the allotments where I had seen a Small Tortoiseshell a couple of years ago one I needed to see too but I didn’t see one. I did however see another Peacock which I got a macro photo of which I tweeted. There was then a sweet cameo from one of my favourite butterflies the Red Admiral I was very happy to see and get a macro picture probably better than any of the Peacocks for me as I tweeted. This represented the always very interesting and something you can only do at one stage in a year moment with the amount of butterfly species on the wing going up form here on in in a spring where I see 100% of the butterfly species I have yet seen this year in one day so I loved seeing my 2021 quartet all today. 

A fantastic day for my macro lens was further added to as with it being early season so the butterflies more flighty they are emerging in another patch of quite warm weather and very sunny. So these both settled on blossom higher up than me and I was not immediately on top of them like you’d want with macro but I had to stretch my arm out with my camera and just about look through the viewfinder at a distance to take the picture. So I sort of thought ah they’ll be record shots but I was more pleased with them than that I would say. I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of more top flowers seen lately and today speedwell and daisy together on the green out the front on the way back. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary for the whole of today: My first Comma butterfly of the year, one of my favourite butterflies the Red Admiral, one of my favourite birds the Great Crested Grebe, Peacock, Brimstone, lots of nice bees, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Coot, Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Starling, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin and I heard another of my favourite birds the Green Woodpecker, one of my favourite songsters the Song Thrush, Great Tit and possibly the Ring-necked Parakeets too. I don’t usually include flowers in the wildlife sightings summary flowers are something I’ve got into lately and I’ve just never really thought to do it. With how many I saw today and notable ones I shall include them for today though. My first ever snowflake, one of my favourite flowers the snake’s-head fritillaries, my first cowslip and bluebell of the year, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, less celandine, speedwell and violets. 

Well today was one of my days of the year and one of my best days ever for photos and wildlife especially in spring. I took so many pictures my macro lens in particular with a big shift today and enjoyed my time outside and at home truly so much. A perfect spring day which I got a lot out of. In particular it was a wonderful day for seeing things I have done in spring in recent weeks at Lakeside again valuable chances to do this, as well as seen so much for the first time this year so I really enjoyed today. It should be another packed one tomorrow too I think. Thanks for all your support for my photos and experiences today. It was two really athletic walks a lot of time on my feet on a day COVID restrictions lifted slightly with an emphasis on getting outdoors and active where we can safely and so much seen and done I feel so positively tired right now. I hope you are all safe and well. 

[bittysvalentines]

The Phantom of Faber

From @leahlisabeth

To @the-lincyclopedia

I had a ton of fun coming up with this au! I hope you enjoy it!

Bitty wasn’t sure when he first noticed it.  Maybe it was a creeping sensation up his spine, a chill not related to the cold of the rink, a hint of movement out of the corner of his eye.  Whatever it was, he could never quite put it into words.  He wanted to at least tell Shitty about it.  He was a good guy and had been so understanding when Bitty came out to him.  But he couldn’t bear the thought that Shitty would think he was crazy.  So he kept his mouth closed, ignored what his gut was telling him, and kept going to practices like nothing had changed.  

It was the muffin incident that convinced him.  He had quickly gotten into the habit of breaking out his figure skates for early morning workouts.  He would get up early, reminiscent of his days in figure skating when he would meet Katya on the ice long before the sun crowned over the horizon.  He loved to be the first to make his mark on the fresh ice, hearing his skate blades bite deep into the cold, hard surface, feeling the wind on his face as he got up to speed, and inhaling that smell that was unique to Faber.  It helped to remind him why he loved skating, why he was here and still trying even though he couldn’t take a check.

Then he would sit on the bench, skates dangling, and enjoy some of his leftover baking and some sliced fruit for a post-workout breakfast in the solitude of the rink.

One morning, perhaps a month after he had first begun this routine, he packed an extra muffin.  He had a meeting after his first class and wasn’t going to be able to take his usual snack break so he wanted the extra calories to tide him over until lunch.  He pulled the paper bag out of his locker to find there was only one muffin.  He would have written the incident off as him being scatterbrained, but he swore he had double-checked the bag and there had been two muffins in there before.  He took a quick walk through the rink but he found no one.

After that, Bitty started to pay closer attention.  He counted his fruit before he packed it and counted it again when he ate it and often found he was short a strawberry or two. The coffee level in his thermos wasn’t exactly where it had been before he got on the ice either.  He remained vigilant, listening carefully for doors opening and closing, or footsteps, but he never saw or heard anyone.

“Have you ever heard anything about Faber being haunted?” he asked at one team dinner.

Ransom and Holster exchanged glances.  “Not the rink, no,” Ransom said.  “But did we tell you about Mandy and Jenny?  They’re the Haus ghosts and I swear they’re the ones leaving bruises all over my ass.”

Holster scoffed.  “I still say you’re making the whole thing up.  If we had ghosts with an ass fetish, why the hell would they be going after you when they have this specimen of manhood to covet?” He stood and turned around, pushing his butt out toward the group and looking back over his shoulder like a pornstar or a female superhero.

This, of course, started a fight, and between pulling Ransom and Holster apart and threatening no more dessert if they didn’t behave, Bitty’s original question was forgotten.

Bitty didn’t try to start any more conversations but he started packing a bigger breakfast, a second bacon and egg sandwich, two giant chocolate chip cookies, sometimes even a slice of pie alongside his usual fruit.  The first few times, his extra items weren’t taken, just the few bites of fruit.  So Bitty left his leftovers in his locker and by the time he came back a couple of hours later for practice, the food was always gone.  He still hadn’t caught a single real glimpse of whoever it was but he could feel the presence more clearly.  He was certain someone was watching him skate now and once he managed to land a triple axel, he thought he heard light applause.

Bitty was doing pretty well faking it at practice.  He was fast enough to avoid getting checked for the most part and so far he’d been lucky.  But today was the day his luck ran out.  Ransom and Holster had somehow managed to flank him and trap him against the boards and there was nothing for him to do but take the check.

He was not even sure if they reached him. He was already on the ground and he didn’t remember how he got there. Everyone was concerned, fluttering around him, trying to see if he was hurt. But Bitty didn’t even need to look at Hall and Murray to know they were disappointed. He wondered how long it would be now until they regretted giving him a scholarship and sent him home.

He stayed out in the rink after the team hit the showers.  He skated around a little, still jittery from adrenaline and fear, but soon he was shaking too hard to skate and he sat down on the player’s bench instead, hot tears welling up in his eyes and streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks.

“Are you okay?” a soft voice, one he didn’t recognize, asked behind him.

Bitty turned his head quickly around but didn’t see more than a shadowy figure cowering back into the darkness.

“Don’t look at me,” the voice pleaded.  

Bitty turned around to face the rink.  “I’m sorry.  I won’t.  You don’t have to run away.”

“Are you okay?” the voice asked again, closer this time.

“I...I don’t know,” Bitty answered honestly, tears still threatening to fall.

“Euh, thank you...for the food.  I don’t think I’ve ever had baking that tasted that good,” the voice said.

“I baked it myself,” Bitty said. “I was raised in the South so I don’t like anyone to go hungry on my watch.”

“It’s good,” the voice said.  “Especially that one apple pie, with the maple?  Reminds me of home.”

“You must be Canadian, eh?” Bitty teased.  He was met with silence and when he finally turned around again, he was alone.

The next morning, Bitty brought an extra slice of pie.  He hoped that he could apologize for frightening away his ghost.

He followed his regular routine, getting changed and going straight out onto the ice, leaving the pie in the locker room.  He warmed up for a few minutes and was surprised when a figure wearing all black joined him on the ice.  He was wearing an old, beat up goalie mask that had definitely seen better days and obscured most of his face.  He hunched one shoulder awkwardly, like he had hurt it and it had never healed properly, but his skates were sure and his strides were powerful and fluid, like he had spent his life on the ice.

Bitty tried not to stare too much but he couldn’t help catching a glimpse of blue, blue eyes beneath the mask.

“You skate?” he asked, delighted.

The man shrugged, keeping his face turned away from Bitty.  “Not really, not anymore.  But I know a little, maybe enough to help you get past your block about checking?”

“You’d really do that for me?” Bitty asked.

“It was really good pie.” The man looked Bitty in the face for just an instant, enough for Bitty to see kindness and sadness in equal measure in those eyes.

“I’m Eric...Bittle, but everyone here calls me Bitty,” Bitty said, holding out his hand for the man to shake.

“Bitty,” the man said, grasping Bitty’s hand and giving the impression of strength.  “Call me Jack.”

Bitty’s routine changed again.  He would meet Jack in the rink in the morning and would try not to faint as Jack gently checked him into the boards again and again, and then they would sit on the bench and enjoy breakfast together.  Jack had to remove the mask to eat so they would sit back to back, talking and laughing but unable to look each other in the face.  Out of all the physical touch he was experiencing now, from Shitty’s borderline risque cuddles, to Holster and Ransom’s whirlwind bearhugs, this was the touch he had begun to relish most, the warmth of Jack against his back, a safe haven from the chill of Faber.

It didn’t take long for Bitty to start pouring his heart out.  He was quickly coming to think of Jack as one of his best friends.  It did bother him that he hardly knew anything about Jack, but anytime he tried to ask questions or press for more, Jack would clam up completely and run away.

It was nearing the end of the season.  Holster and Ransom had set Bitty up on another disastrous date and Bitty was regaling Jack with every awful detail.  “And then his face turned this weird sickly green and I didn’t have time to even move before he was throwing up all over my shoes.”

“Haha, oh?” Jack said.

“Bless his heart, I think it was his first time drinking, for sure his first time going on a date with a boy.  I don’t know why Ransom thought we would be so perfect for each other.  That boy clearly has not had time yet to come to terms with his own sexuality.  Maybe we could be friends, but that’s not what I’m looking for right now,” Bitty said.

Jack tensed behind him.  His voice was deceptively casual when he spoke again.  “What are you looking for?”

Bitty was thrown off by the question.  “I guess, someone taller than me, nice ass, strong enough to throw me around.”

“And that’s all that matters, someone who can manhandle you?” Jack chirped.

“Well no...but…” Bitty took a deep breath.  “Someone easy to talk to, to laugh with, someone who knows all about me and likes me anyway.  Blue...um...blue eyes.”

Jack leaned back, shoulders warm and solid at Bitty’s back.  “I want...I want to tell you something.”

“Of course, Jack, you can tell me anything.”  Bitty breathed deeply and reached a hand back to touch Jack’s arm.  Jack moved and laced his fingers with Bitty’s.

“I used to play hockey,” he started.  “Not just for fun.  I was good, like NHL good, like first pick of the draft good.”

“I thought perhaps you were better than you let on,” Bitty said, reassuringly squeezing Jack’s hand.

“I also...um...have really bad anxiety.  So the night before the draft, I’d been drinking, I was freaked out, and I decided to go driving.  It was stupid.  Things could have been so much worse.  I could have hit someone.  But instead, I wrapped my car around a tree and that was it: no more NHL, no more hockey, no more...anything,” Jack was nearly whispering by the end of it.

Tears stood in Bitty’s eyes.  “I’m sorry that happened to you.”  He wished he had something better to say.

“My shoulder never healed right,” Jack continued.  “And my face...it’s not pretty.”  He sat silent for a long moment, clutching Bitty’s hand desperately.  “But I want you to see me.”

“You don’t have to,” Bitty said.

“I do,” Jack said, “because I’m falling in love with you and you need to know me.”

“Jack, I…” Bitty started.

“Don’t say anything, not until you see,” Jack said.  He let go of Bitty’s hand and stood.

Bitty stood too and turned to face him.

The first thing he saw was Jack’s blue, blue eyes, staring back at him.  The left side of his face was normal, strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, a hint of manly stubble, but the right side was scarred beyond repair, cheekbone and jaw crooked after being set improperly, skin swollen and melted like candle wax from healed burns.  After a moment, Jack turned away, hiding his face once more.

Bitty raised a hand.  “Can I?” he asked softly.

Jack looked back at him and nodded.

Bitty traced the scars with one gentle fingertip.  Jack closed his eyes and leaned into Bitty’s hand.

“I’ll go,” Jack said.  “I just wanted you to know why.”

“No,” Bitty said, sharper than he meant to.

Jack looked at him with hope in his eyes.

“Sweetpea,” Bitty said.  “I’m falling in love with you too.”

[rkxsungwoon-blog]

☆ MGA5 EPISODE THREE; JULY 11 #5008 HA SUNGWOON ; FT. NA JAEMIN ( duos ) performance: easy by wheein ft. sik-k ( rearranged ) ( 0:07 - 2:07 ) ; line distribution

he’d never precisely forgotten how nerve-wracking waiting for the results of each round of the mgas could be, but sungwoon is still surprised by the sheer depth of his anxiety as they await the judges’ pronouncements. too much is at stake; he’s worrying for four peoples’ survival instead of just two. maybe he’s doomed to feel this twisted up and scared for as long as the rest of his friends are in this competition alongside him, but he’s willing to endure it if it means they can stick together for a while longer.

though idly, sungwoon wonders if it would be easier if he were eliminated and watching the episode air in the comfort of his home. would he feel this nervous, this jittery as the ceos announce names—some of them familiar, some not—of those who won’t continue on in each category? would he feel sick looking at the faces of those who’ll be leaving today, guilt threatening to eat him up because he made it when they didn’t? would that be better?

(his heart says no, he’s meant to be here).

beneath mild disappointment that none of empty enigma placed in the top 3 of their individual skill categories is immense relief that neither were they bad enough to be cut at this stage in the competition. daniel’s survival is the most important of them all. despite his early switch from singing to rapping, sungwoon couldn’t shake the worry that this might be it—but it’s the switch that saved him, in all likelihood. sungwoon commends daniel for realizing he’d have a better chance at making it through doing something he was confident in, as opposed to the very skill that got him eliminated last time.

joohyun’s elimination hurts, even if it’s not entirely unexpected. the stumble was costly, and though sungwoon doesn’t like it, the judges’ assessment is fair. he just hopes she isn’t taking it too badly. it’s sobering to realize that the previous season’s contestants are beginning to drop one by one as well; he wonders if it’s a matter of overall skills not being up to par or just a lack of improvement. or is it simpler still—a lack of star power? sungwoon can’t tell, and that worries him.

but with the announcement of the next episode’s mission, he’s forced to switch gears. duos, he thinks, squaring his shoulders. different from last year, sure, but not bad. he can work with duos. part of him can’t help but hope that he gets paired with one of his friends, but that would be… vastly unfair. woojin and kenta deserve better than his dance skills, but sungwoon thinks he could do something exciting with minhyun or daniel. they’ve worked together enough that sungwoon trusts them.

of course, the universe isn’t that kind. sungwoon gets paired with na jaemin instead. he knows very little about the kid himself—and he is a kid, as if sungwoon wasn’t feeling old enough in this competition already—or what he’s capable of, though he remembers jaemin performing an original song he enjoyed. their introduction is a bit awkward and formal, but they eventually settle on a time and place to meet the next day to plan their performance without much trouble.

sungwoon doesn’t know what to expect out of their partnership, but he hopes at the very least, they’ll pull together a performance to be proud of.

-

the awkwardness persists.

jaemin has a makeshift studio they can practice in, which sungwoon is grateful for. he’d offer the empty enigma practice space were it not for the possibility one of the others might be using it as well. it hits him for the first time that—well, he’s competing against his friends, that whatever he and jaemin put together is a secret only the two of them should be privy to. anyone else discovering what they’re planning to perform could give them a potential edge in the competition—or at the very least, screw sungwoon and jaemin over.

(sungwoon trusts his friends would not resort to sabotage. he does. but he’s also competitive as fuck—there’s no we in a competition).

so he heads to the address jaemin provided after his shift at the pastry shop is over, armed with a box of leftover goodies, also known as whatever they didn’t sell that sungwoon could rescue from his coworkers’ clutches. he’s hoping the food will break the ice somewhat between them. who doesn’t love a good pastry? but he figures out soon enough that expecting a couple of (admittedly delicious) fruit tarts to set the stage for them to work well together is being overly optimistic.

jaemin isn’t rude or arrogant or a dozen other horror stories wrapped up in a deceptively benign package. he’s just a little on the quiet side. sungwoon can manage quiet—he’s lived with woojin for long enough that he knows how to curb his own exuberance to match the energy. however, jaemin also doesn’t fuck around when it comes to music. their first argument (professional disagreement?) happens because of their wildly opposing opinions, and neither jaemin nor sungwoon are willing to back down. 

stubbornness runs through sungwoon’s veins in spades, sure. he’s less used to dealing with it in other people. while they eventually compromise and come to an agreement regarding their performance, sungwoon ends up under the impression that jaemin hates him for the first couple of days of the week.

and—truthfully, sungwoon isn’t the easiest person to work with either. he knows from the album prep that he can be a bit much, but it comes from a place of passion. jaemin is the same way; sungwoon can see it in his eyes when they practice together, and in the care he takes while working on the arrangement for their song. it’s admirable, and recognizing that jaemin cares just as much as he does finally bridges the gap between them and puts them on the same page.

jaemin is a good musician in every sense of the word. sungwoon wishes he had even half of his talent. he may not know a lot about rap, but even he can tell jaemin is skilled. and when it comes to rearrangements and remixes of songs, sungwoon can see how much thought and effort he puts into every single one. it’s not mindless playing around for him. the fact that jaemin is just as invested in perfecting their performance as he is gives sungwoon hope for the round.

they keep in close contact until filming, practicing together every single day. jaemin sends him snippets of revisions he’s made to their arrangement constantly, sometimes tiny things sungwoon can only hear after putting all his focus into listening, but every bit of it is important in ensuring they’re prepared for d-day.

by the end of it, sungwoon is, to his surprise, pleased to have been paired with jaemin in the end. the experience may not have been smooth sailing all around, but he feels like he’s learned a lot from his partner in the short time they’ve worked together. they’ve reached a good point, not only in their teamwork but in their performance as well, and he prays their synergy will shine through on stage.

-

seats are assigned for the day’s filming. sungwoon is both relieved and disappointed; he was hoping to sit with his friends and feels a little lost at the idea of not being able to lean over to whisper his comments into their ears or slip his hand in one of theirs when the nerves get too bad. but—at least he’s away from the distracting presence of those around him in the last round.

minhyun is still near enough that sungwoon throws him a quick smile as he takes his seat next to jaemin and surreptitiously wipes his clammy palms on the underneath his thighs. “nervous?” he asks, attempting to look unconcerned. it comes out as more of a grimace instead, but jaemin seems alright in sungwoon’s eyes.

it’s… odd to think how unused to singing with other people he still is. how unused to sharing the spotlight he is. squall is larger than life by necessity; he eats up the stage by himself. sungwoon is not an explosive, expanding, all consuming star. he wants to be someone who enhances others, who shares his glow rather than devouring everything in sight. but jaemin is a star on his own, and they’ve worked so hard this past week to ensure they work in tandem and not against each other. sungwoon has to believe they’ll perform equally as well today.

the competition is fierce this round. they’re sixth to perform, but the people before them pull off some truly spectacular stages that have sungwoon applauding hard enough to turn his palms red. when it’s finally their turn to get up there, he gives jaemin a double thumbs up and a smile brimming with confidence he doesn’t fully possess. “let’s get it done!” sungwoon chirps. it’s their time to shine.

they’d decided to coordinate their outfits for the performance because appearances matter, and they stand together as a polished duo up on stage. their introduction is similarly polished and cheerful—“we’re your lucky stars, sungwoon and jaemin!” as sungwoon goes on to explain, “jaemin is the brains of our team, which makes me the brawn.” a grin dances on his lips as he lifts one arm and flexes (well, makes an attempt) to punctuate his sentence. “brawn-to-be, i guess.” letting his arm fall back to his side, he continues. “we’ll be performing easy by wheein—but with our own spin, courtesy of jaemin. we hope you enjoy!”

sungwoon emphatically believes in giving credit where it’s due, and jaemin deserves that much even though it’s cumbersome to say. he gives the younger boy and encouraging smile as they take their places and the first notes of their pre-recorded acoustic rearrangement fill the stage.

sungwoon raises the mic to his lips and vocalizes for the first part, letting the vibe of the song flow through him. it’s a little more playful than his usual fare, almost cheeky in its lightheartedness. the words are both meant to be taken seriously and yet not at the same time; he feels like it’s meant to be an admonition, though not a stern one. it’s like when you try to tell someone something important but so so with a smile or a just kidding! at the end, as if naked, frank honesty is terrifying. and it is, most of the time.

넌 다른 생각할 때 그 표정이 너무 뻔해 난 다 알 수가 있어 it’s not an ordinary day

눈치가 빠르지 않더라도 넌 너무 알기 쉽게 보여주니 잔인하네

날 긴장하게 만드는 예민함도 가슴을 찌르는 너의 솔직함도 왜 내게만 해당 돼 it’s too unfair

initially, he was a little unsure about singing a song originally meant for a female vocalist, but sungwoon knows he won’t get anywhere without taking some sort of a risk. but they’ve rearranged it into a male key, though it’s still not entirely easy to sing. sungwoon is confident enough in his abilities that he’s not scared of attempting it by any means. he knows he can pull it off.

i’m not easy 난 그런 거 싫어해 좋게 맞춰준 거지 널 더 좋아한 거지 이미 내 마음도 변해가네 너에게 가둬둔 날 꺼내 벗어날래

he makes eye contact with jaemin as he sings, naturally turning towards him during the chorus, taking the opportunity to ad lib some high notes and dip into his falsetto as the occasion arises. they play well off each other, their synergy coming across in the ease with which sungwoon gives way to jaemin’s rap verse following the chorus—he sings it’s not easy right at the judges, then shifts to let jaemin have his turn in the spotlight.

too late too late you’re so stupid stupid no way no way it’s not easy

sungwoon’s head bops along to jaemin’s verse. his delivery is smooth and works well with the song; neither of them overpower the other during their parts. most importantly, in his opinion, they’re having fun performing together. the whole song is a labour of love, from their rocky beginnings to their comfort with each other now. he wants to show that progress, that growth from nothing into the duo they are now. he feels like he and jaemin have been performing together for longer than merely a week; they navigate the stage well together, their energies matching, and their facial expressions on point as they interact with and react to one another up there. 

i’m not easy 난 그런 거 싫어해 좋게 맞춰준 거지 널 더 좋아한 거지  이미 내 마음도 변해가네 너에게 가둬둔 날 꺼내 벗어날래

it falls to sungwoon to end the song with a refrain of the chorus. it’s his final chance to demonstrate his skills, so he builds up into a powerful high note before softening his voice, almost trailing off on the last line so his voice fades out along with the notes of the song. in that moment, he hopes more than anything that both he and jaemin survive this round. sungwoon isn’t sure anymore about who deserves to survive and who doesn’t—not after last week—but what he wants is for them move forward. he doesn’t want to be the reason jaemin’s mga dreams come to a premature end. 

because it’s sink or swim together—and sungwoon will doggy paddle to the shore with jaemin in tow if he has to. 

once they’re off the stage, sungwoon pulls jaemin into a one armed hug. “it’s been great working with you,” he says sincerely, his voice hoarse with the effort of keeping his emotions at bay. “and if we don’t—uh, no. we will pull through.” if he says it out loud enough, maybe he’ll even convince himself of it. "i just wanted to say that you’re my rapper one-pick from now on,” he continues. "and i hope we get the chance to perform again together. let's meet in the finale, yeah?" 

sungwoon's still dreaming big, but he takes comfort in the knowledge that jaemin has the skills to make it. and if nothing else, he's glad he got the opportunity to learn that much. 

[aion-rsa]

The How I Met Your Father Idea is Good, Actually

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

At first, it admittedly seems like a bad late April Fool’s prank. Alas, it is not. 

Per Deadline, Hulu today announced that it had commissioned a full-season, 10-episode order for a sequel to the hit CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother. To switch things up a bit, this iteration will be called How I Met Your Father and will star Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire) as Sophie, a woman in the future who is telling her son the story of how she met his father. 

The new series comes from This Is Us showrunners and Love, Victor creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. HIMYM creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas are onboard as producers, as is Duff in addition to holding down the starring role. 

“I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career to play some wonderful characters and I’m looking forward to taking on the role of Sophie,” Duff said in a statement. “As a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother, I’m honored and even a little nervous that Carter and Craig would trust me with the sequel of their baby. Isaac and Elizabeth are brilliant, and I can’t wait to work alongside them and all of their genius. Just fangirling over here getting to join the Hulu Originals and 20th families. I realize these are big shoes to fill and I’m excited to slip my 6 ½’s in there!”

One could be forgiven for reacting to this news with annoyance or even outright horror. It has all the hallmarks of only the most creatively bankrupt decisions. A studio has taken a well-liked property, changed precisely one noun in the title, and tried to repackage it to you as new. That’s not even to mention the fact that HIMYM has a toxic legacy thanks to a deservedly loathed series finale. 

But if we try to put aside all the baggage for a moment, maybe we can appreciate that this idea might actually be…good?

Or at least I think it might be. And so too did American actress, director, visionary, celestial being Greta Gerwig. Real terminally online TV heads will recall that this isn’t the first time a studio has attempted to grab the low-hanging fruit of “How I Met Your (Insert Parent Here).” Back in 2014, just as the original show was wrapping up, CBS commissioned a frustratingly titled spinoff called How I Met Your Dad (why they chose “Dad” other “Father” in that title will never make sense) with Gerwig set to write and star.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Though How I Met Your Dad came before Gerwig wrote and directed 2017’s Lady Bird or 2019’s Little Women, she was already an indie cinema darling with an iconic role in 2012’s Frances Ha under her belt. To put it simply, even in 2014, Greta Gerwig was very comfortably above this material. But she signed up for it anyway and the show actually made it pretty far into production! Look at this footage from the actual pilot:

OMG, it was. With Greta Gerwig as the lead. #HowIMetYourMother #HowIMetYourFather pic.twitter.com/KWDET5q165

— Laura ลอร'า 劳拉 (@lsirikul) April 21, 2021

And get a load of this amazing DVD screener box art, highlighting a surprisingly excellent cast:

Time to break out this DVD for another watch? pic.twitter.com/ibmDe0gFc6

— Michael Schneider (@franklinavenue) April 21, 2021

Despite being a transparent money and zeitgeist grab and premiering so soon after HIMYM’s terrible finale, How I Met Your Dad made it pretty far all things considered. And I suspect it made it so far for the same reason that the project has popped up once again: it’s a good idea. 

Before losing steam at the end, How I Met Your Mother was really a charming sitcom. That is largely due to the talent of its cast and appeal of its characters (yes, even Ted Mosby) but it’s also due to the strength of its core premise. How I Met Your Mother was a show about the present (roughly 2005 through 2014) told from the perspective of the future. 

By narrating his own story years in the future (2030, which is scarily now only nine years away), Ted Mosby (voiced by Bob Saget) got to edit and tailor his story to his will. This meant cutting out some less savory aspects for children to hear (sandwiches instead of marijuana) or casting himself as the hero when he was the villain. 

How I Met Your Mother’s main narrative of five young friends finding themselves in the big city was often relatable and entertaining, but it was that meta narrative of a story being told from a flawed memory that made it truly compelling. To a certain extent, we are merely the stories we tell about ourselves to other people. And that’s what How I Met Your Mother was all about. 

Shows about (usually white) friends in New York City are an inescapable part of the TV landscape. From Seinfeld to Friends to Girls, they are simply never going to go away as long as there is television and as long as there is New York City. If they’re to be a fact of life, they might as well come along with narrative devices as creative and flexible as HIMYM’s. 

Now another group of talented folks will have the chance to pick up that narrative device and run with it. Aptaker and Berger are very capable television storytellers, as evidenced by their previous work. Duff is an appealing presence and has outlasted the stigma of Disney child stardom for a reason. Together, they’ve earned the opportunity to tell a new story with a familiar framing device.

And if none of that is convincing, just remember that if an idea is good enough for Greta Gerwig, it’s good enough for all of us.

The post The How I Met Your Father Idea is Good, Actually appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[sneezehq]

(Pt. 1) So I've been thinking. In Episode 1, Yuuri performs Viktor's free skate in Hasetsu. And once the video is touched on, we see a few characters watching it. And I noticed, Yurio, Mila, Geogi, and Yakov were at the rink. And Viktor was at home on the couch. And he looked like he was in comfortable clothes. Which got me thinking... That was prior to Viktor announcing his retirement. And Viktor doesn't seem like the person to skip out on practice for no reason at all.

(Part 2) don’t get me wrong, the clips we see could be at different times. But it looked like Victor’s apartment was a bit dark, but there was still outside light. what if Victor was home sick. And not just a simple headache or head cold. No i’m talking about incredibly sick. Fever, aches, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, and possibly spending a better part of the previous night throwing up, maybe the rest of the day except for what we see. Could you make this a fic if it’s not too troubling?

Wow, my first two-part ask (I hope that I formatted this right)! And of course it’s not too much trouble! I’m happy to write it for you. Also, I’m aware that I’m all out of order with my requests, but Megan from @feelingalittlesick wanted some sick Victor, and I love her so here it is!

Victor’s dim, empty apartment looks like heaven after traveling for so long. He lets his bags drop with a heavy sigh, thoroughly exhausted from traveling. Makkachin, upon hearing her master’s arrival, comes bounding over to the front door. “Hey, girl,” Victor says cheerfully, scratching behind her ears and bending over to rub her belly when she rolls over. “You’ve been holding down the fort while I’ve been gone, huh?”

Georgi has been looking after her; Victor should probably thank him. And he needs to start planning for next season. But first… He drags himself to the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets and the refrigerator. Of course. They’re all empty. Well, he has been away for awhile. He needs go grocery shopping. Maybe he can do that tomorrow. He could always order takeout, except that he’s not really hungry right now.

Heading towards the bathroom, Victor settles on just showering and going to bed. He can always go to the store in the morning. Casting a glance at his discarded luggage, he decides that that can wait as well.

He feels a bit strange, but it must just be the jet lag. The sore muscles, too, can be blamed on traveling; even first class seats will make you sore if you’re sitting in them for too long. He just needs to get some sleep, and readjust to being at home.

The shower is nice and soothing, and Victor finds himself almost falling asleep on his feet. Fortunately, his nose bumping the wet glass wakes him up, and shaking his head at his own foolishness, Victor finishes washing up. He’s reluctant to leave the cozy warmth of the steam-filled paradise, but as soon as he’s in bed he has no complaints. It’s a wonder to be back in his own bed, in his own home instead of a hotel room. Victor is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

Unfortunately, his blissful rest isn’t the cure-all that he was hoping for. His muscles still ache, and his joints are stiffer than before. He’s also still exhausted, despite getting twice as much sleep as usual, and he’s strangely dizzy. He blames that on low blood sugar, and after another fruitless search through the kitchen, he drags himself out the door, Makkachin in tow.

The market is within easy walking distance, and Victor figures that it’s a good way to get some food for the apartment and let Makkachin get some exercise at the same time. Makkachin is ecstatic to be outside, and sniffs inquisitively at every rock and bush they pass. He smiles at the dog’s antics; the worst part of traveling, in his expert opinion, is not being able to take her with him. The morning is crisp and clear, not too cold or too warm. Perfect walking weather.

It’s not a very long trip to the market and back, but Victor is completely drained by the time he arrives home. He’s still a bit woozy, but strangely enough, he still doesn’t really have an appetite at all. He forces himself to nibble on some of the fruit he brought anyway. The dizziness abates a little, but doesn’t completely disappear.

Groceries put away, Victor wanders aimlessly around the apartment, looking for something to do. Makkachin follows closely on his heels as he unpacks his suitcase and reorients himself to his flat. Normally he wouldn’t bother to try to find something to do, and would just head to the skating rink, but Yakov had made it very clear that he didn’t want to see Victor until tomorrow (there might have been some threats involved). He settles on watching his past routines in an attempt to find some inspiration for his new routines. At some point during the afternoon, Victor dozes off mid-video, Makkachin curled up beside him.

A jolt of nausea forces him back to wakefulness. Victor sits bolt upright, one hand clapped to his mouth. Outside the windows, the sky is still pitch black. It must be the middle of the night. A bitter taste in the back of his mouth disrupts his train of thought and has him bolting for the bathroom.

He doesn’t quite make it to the toilet in time, and instead he’s forced to pause in front of the sink as the little bit of fruit he managed to choke down earlier forces its way back up his throat. Victor heaves violently into the sink, bringing up a wave of vomit that burns his esophagus and makes his eyes water.

There’s a small reprieve after he pukes which he seizes to situate himself in front of the toilet. What Victor had originally thought was jet lag had actually been the stomach flu, and he’s not about to be caught off guard again. The rest of the night passes painfully slowly, with Victor curled over the toilet, holding on for dear life and cursing his own existence. He didn’t think that he had anything left in his stomach to throw up, but he’s apparently wrong.

When he the vomiting finally stops, Victor is left curled up and shaking on the tile. Eventually, he pushes himself shakily to his feet and stumbles back over to the sink. He turns on the water to rinse the mess out, and rinses his mouth out. After a few cautious sips of water, he debates the merits of making the long trek back over to the couch.

The idea of relaxing into the comfortable cushions wins him over, and Victor painstakingly makes the journey back to the living room. He snags the trash can from the bathroom, in case of emergency.

The couch is beckoning to him, and he collapses onto it with a contented sigh. He closes his eyes for a moment, before a problem suddenly occurs to him: he’s freezing. And there aren’t any blankets within reach. Victor lets out a frustrated whine, and almost jumps when there’s a nudge at his hand. He opens his eyes to see Makkachin next to the sofa, looking at him imploringly. He pats the cushion next to him and she jumps up eagerly, settling next to him.

Warmth seeps into his frozen legs from the dog lying next to them, and Victor moans in relief. He pulls Makkachin so that she’s lying alongside him; her warmth is better than any blanket. Finally warm and relatively comfortable, he dozes off as the sun begins to peek over the horizon.

His restless sleep lasts for most of the morning, and Victor only wakes up when he hears his phone buzzing. He’d forgotten that he’d left it out here.

He enters his passcode and goes to his texts, expecting a “Where the hell are you?” from Yakov. Instead, there’s a link to a video from Yuri.

That’s unexpected. Frowning, he shoots a message to Yakov explaining the situation before opening the text from Yuri. “You’ve got to see this,” is the only text accompanying the mysterious link. “Cryptic,” Victor murmurs to himself, before hitting the play button.

As soon as he sees just who is starring in the video, Victor lets out a shocked gasp, his blue eyes going wide with astonishment. He’s transfixed, unable to take his eyes off the screen the entire time. Watching Yuuri skate is entrancing, and when the video ends, Victor immediately presses the replay button, determined to burn this into his memory forever. His mind is already swirling with ideas, plans to fly to Japan. Because this means that…

“My Yuuri,” Victor whispers. “I knew that you hadn’t forgotten me.”

[burndownthehousetonight]

((I though this was going to just keep going on and on, and @tinyredartist and I would have to cut it into chapters, but it seems like we were going to do that anyways, so this one’s a bit short compared to the other one. You can find the first part here!))

Scourge went back downstairs, cleaning up the living room they had been in originally. Aria's art supplies were strewn across the table, her sketchbook open for the page to dry. As expected, her drunken work was abstract, but the idea was there. A streak of blue was the night sky, the bright yellow the lights of the casino. Brown shapes were civilians and the two green and one red shapes were clearly them. He left it to dry, wondering if Aria would paint a canvas for him of the same work.

He turned out the lights in the castle, and passed by a door. It was the only one in the castle with a lock, and he merely glared at it.

Scourge eventually went to bed. He laid on the right side of the king sized mattress, looking at the empty space next to him. Slowly, he fell asleep.

The next morning, Scourge was up with the sun. He had snagged a cup of coffee from the kitchen and had climbed onto the roof for some peace and quiet. To think things over. Manic had gotten up similarly early, many of the things he'd confessed the previous day weighing heavy on his mind. Unlike Scourge, he didn't have any kind of energy that early in the morning, instead pulling out his phone and laying around in the guest bed doing nothing. Idly tapping away at mindless games to think through what he could say, or what he should have said. Of course the right wording was coming to mind, now that we wasn't anxious and delirious. But what was said was said. "Gotta get some practice done..." He grumbled to himself, stumbling out of bed.  He walked down the main stairs, out the hall and into his van. Clothes, make-up, he always had some spare outfits in the built-in storage boxes in case he had to get the hell outta dodge. A fresh set of clothes, some make-up to make his face look less effeminate, and he was ready for the day. Even if there was nothing planned for the day. So he swung open the back doors and lounged back, practicing some chords and simple melodies while he breathed in the morning air. Scourge heard the melody from the roof, listening happily as he sipped at his coffee. His thoughts went to Manic and his messed up love life. He felt sad for the other green hedgehog. At least Scourge had some form of closure to the ruins of his marriage. Not knowing where someone went? No wonder Manic was always so anxious.

A fire burned in his belly suddenly as he thought to Sonic's comments about the missing hedgehog. He regretted not punching that stupid face while he had a chance. The king inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself. Getting angry isn’t helping anyone.

Aria woke up a while later, after Scourge had come off the roof and invited Manic in for breakfast. The smell of baked goods had her wandering downstairs half asleep in search of food. "...so the whole time, he was giving me the wrong cue cards, right?" The table had a small buffet of breakfast foods, dominated by the number of breads and other baked foods on display. Manic was already down here, eating and talking with Scourge when Aria walked in, munching on a plate of a few cheeses and meats with some bread. "Frühstück," he'd always call it for some reason. "Like, I knew the melody, but only... haaaalf the words, maybe? I pretty much had to make it up as I went-" Manic cut himself off and turned around, pleasantly surprised at the sight of Aria. "Oh, morning, Ari!" He almost moved to continue his story, but shifted back to Aria again. "Uh, you kinda drank a ton, you gonna have a hangover? Want some water, or summat?" “Shhh… She’s not quite awake yet. This is more Zombie Aria.” Scourge explained as Aria walked over, nose twitching as she used her sense of smell to guide her. She mewled quietly, sitting down in chair that Scourge had pulled out for her and she started groaning quietly.

She was given a plate of eggs and bacon, French toast with syrup and powdered sugar and a cup of tea. Mindlessly, she started eating, purring quietly.

“And here, you see the hunter has cornered her prey and is starting to feast on the carcass,” Scourge joked, narrating Aria's actions to Manic as if they were in a nature documentary. "The eldrich french toast cryptid never stood a chance." Manic reiterated. "When it's sweet maple syrupy blood has been spilt, it can only plead and beg to be served with proper plating and a lightly seasoned poached egg for both flavor and appearances. This one will never meet it's dying wish." She didn't even seem to care that they were essentially mocking her. As Manic put the 'sweet syrupy blood' string in the back of his head for some kind of lyrics, he continued his story with Scourge. "Uh, where was I...? Yeah, half the lyrics and all that!" Manic said, making hand motions again as he spoke. "I tried coming up with something since he wasn't even giving the words to the right songs, and it turns out I ain't the best at improvising lyrics?" He took a moment to think of how to describe it. "Have you ever wanted to watch someone sing the same lyrics two or three times in a row while sounding like they're having a stroke? Cause that tape..." He smiled and looked down, more reminiscent than ashamed. "Let's just say I got that baby deleted a while back." Aria finished about half her cup of tea and woke up a little bit, mewling quietly. “Morning,” she cooed.

Scourge listened intently to his friend's story, laughing slightly and patting Aria on the head gently as she woke up. The breakfast went slowly, Aria ever so slowly waking up and coming out of a hangover-esqe state. Once she was good and properly awake, she snuck a bread roll from Scourge's plate and nommed quietly on it.

“So you two, we need to talk.”

Aria made a face like she instantly regretted every decision she’d ever made. It was enjoyable to carry on his story, exaggerating the details just a tiny bit to make it that much better. The bread was fresh, the cheese and meats slightly spiced and delicious, the little bits of fruit alongside it in season and wonderful. Not to mention, it was fun to watch Aria slowly gain energy as she seemed to somehow evolve from the disheveled sleepwalker into her normal bubbly self. And then he spoke seriously. Manic couldn't help but notice how serious Scourge was. Was this somehow related to Aria's blatant regret over... something? "You doing alright?" Manic would have leaned over the table and crossed his arms, but he had no idea if that was some cardinal sin in a royal castle or not. He settled for leaning forward the best he could. "Did you do something? We'll listen, mate, don't worry." Scourge coughed a little. “Don’t worry Aria, you’re not in trouble.”

Arias wariness didn’t ebb, and she merely chewed on her bread to combat that feeling of intense anxiety. Scourge merely looked at her, concerned and giving her a pitiful look.

“So. Uh… I don’t even know where to start… Last night, you got utterly smashed. And you said some things that concern me, and Manic too, and I think we need to talk about them." The green hedgehog put his hand on her shoulder, to try and comfort her.

Aria only saw it as a way of preventing her from leaving. She looked between the two green hedgehogs, scared and anxious, having finished her bread. Most people would have brushed this off as Aria being jumpy, but Manic knew the signs. The way she jumped when the hand was on her shoulder, all the eating an drinking, the creative outlet, it was all very obvious. "You got anxiety issues, too?" What would have relaxed him? Manic leaned back in his seat and relaxed his shoulders. "That's a real crap hand to be dealt, ain't it? We ain't gonna push you too hard, but I mean... we can't help if you don't answer us, alright?" He thought for a moment about how to word it without being too direct. "Is that what's stopping you from asking for your pay?" Aria looked down at her hands, hiding the subtle shaking under the table. “General anxiety disorder. I can’t afford a diagnosis or medication but I’m pretty sure. Its not a surprise.”

Scourge already knew about the anxiety, so he relaxed, removing his hand from her shoulder and putting them over her hands, stopping some of the shaking. She looked up at Manic, surprised.

“How did you-… Right. I got drunk and couldn’t keep my mouth shut… No that’s.. That’s not why I won’t ask.”

The green hedgehog studied her face. What she had said the night prior. “Then why not? Are you scared? Do you want me to do it?”

“No, no its fine… It's… A long story,” she sighed. She wasn’t gonna talk unless someone brought up what she said last night. And speaking from his own anxiety issues, Manic knew this for a fact. "You didn't say a ton, dude, but from what you said..." Manic scratched the back of his head. "I dunno, I think Scourge knows something I don't. Either your boss isn't paying you 'til you sleep with her... or she's trying to sell your body." There wasn't a soft way to say it, and if there was, Manic wouldn't have found it anyways. So he sat there, and thought. "Can you not get out of there?" Manic spoke sincerely, rubbing his hands together. He had no idea what happened at Aria's home, but he just had a terrible thought at the back of his head. "Are you being blackmailed? Me and Scourge used to drop off the grid all the time when we got in trouble, I could help you out, honest! Just gimme the word, and I can get some friends to keep you hidden." She looked away from them, ears drooping. “… She’s not paying me until I sleep with her… And she’s not the kind of person you can say no to without consequences. In that part of town zone cops… Police… Even you. No authority has any power except for black market officials like my boss… So I’m on my own.”

Scourge tensed, quills bristling. Trying not to growl. “You’re wrong. You’ve never been alone Aria, I’ve always been right here! Glare, Rosy, all of us. Right here… Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t want to abuse your friendship.” She shrank back from her friends, and Scourge let go of her hands, trying to calm himself. He got up and ran his hands through his quills. Pacing.

“Imma kill her.” He decided, rather calmly. A calm but angry Scourge is a bad sign.

“Scourge, no. Manic, help me out here. Killing her won’t do me any good.” Aria got between him and the door. "She's right, dude." Manic said, hopping from his seat and walking towards the two. "Messing with those kinds isn't a dumb mistake, it's the dumbest mistake. You ain't killing her." Manic patter Aria on the shoulder. "Aria, I get it. You think you're taking resources people can't afford, but we just- swallow your pride! We're serious, just forget about abusing the resources and do what you have to to survive!" His words were getting more forceful as he went. "I have been there. Okay? I. Have. Been. There. I'll help you through this." Manic started brushing his own quills aside, thinking. "First thing's we're getting you outta there. You can't quit, right? So you just-" He covered his mouth, and thought. "I'd say we could fake your death, but if you wanna go back to your home, it's be really easy to see through that." He was used to his debts being monetary, but he wasn't a woman being virtually THREATENED into having sex. What could they do?! "Honestly, what I'm thinking is... you have to stop being valuable to her." He said. "What're her turn-offs? What'll make her not want you as a worker, what's going to get you fired and be believable?!" Arias ears flattened more and she winced. Afraid of the agitated hedgies who sounded mad at her. “Please stop yelling at me…” She whimpered

Scourge toned the hell down super fast. “Easy.. Its okay. We aren’t mad at you. We’re sorry. Let’s figure this out”

Aria turned to Manic when he suggested making herself less attractive to the other. “Manic this woman has known me for over 13 years. She knows me better than I know myself because she’s been sizing me up forever. The day I turned 18 I was fair game to her. I can’t hide anything. I’m stuck…”

She started to sniffle, eyes getting glossy from the tears that were about to fall. Scourge snuggled her gently, cooing softly to calm her. “Easy.. Its okay… You’re safe, shes not going to hurt you… Maybe instead of getting the money from her, you could offer art commissions? I know quite a few rich and famous who would love a piece of artwork from you. That will fix your money problems anyways..” Manic simply looked on, unsure of what he could begin to say. She was stuck, and he knew that he would have thought the same thing if he was in any kind of a similar situation. But he wasn't there. Aria didn't just need support, she needed a plan of attack. "Ari, come on, let's sit down somewhere," Manic suggested. He didn't force her, he didn't choose where to sit, he simply followed, patting her shoulder as he thought thought his own lack-of-a-plan in his head. He sat a safe distance, making sure she wouldn't feel cramped. "Here's the main thing." Manic said, thinking. "You said you're heading back to your home 'next week,' right? If she's sizing you up, she's going to look for you there." More thought. "You definitely want to keep going there, so you have to convince her that you aren't useful to her, we can't just hide you in a potato sack and drive outta here." Thinking. "But she's attracted to you, so we have to make you, like, bat as an employee and a love interest..." "My plans are always really extreme, but that's why they work. I mean, REALLY extreme, cause I'm usually the one getting messed up." He rubbed his hands together. "We could fake a ton of documents, pay some doctors and make it look like you have a fatal STD... or we could fake an accident, and make it look like you're... physically unable to work." “I don’t know how far she’s willing to go… She told me once, when we were alone, that she influenced and shaped my personality to be exactly what she wanted in a….” She trailed off and Scourge held her hand from the next seat over, trying to support her.

“…Is she into anything illegal?” Scourge asked, an idea starting to form.

“Yeah. The whole place is running on dirty money, save for my tips… Money laundering, cocaine, steroids…any and all of the drugs you can think of, including… Oh what’s it called… The one that starts with an R. Its a date rape drug.” Aria's nose scrunched up as she tried to think.

Manic could literally see the lightbulb go off in Scourge’s head. “We can call the zone cops to do a drug bust on the building. They may not respect them, but they are the be-all-end-all of policing. When are the drugs in the building?”

“Shipments are on Tuesday but we need proof! And I’m not gonna try and steal some because then I’m at risk of being arrested as well… Amongst other things.”

Scourge turned to manic and raised a brow. “You up for a little undercover mission?” Manic sat up in his seat, ears perked and fingers anxious to get to his electronics. "Lemme show you just how ready I am. ◇        ◇        ◇        ◇ The backseats of Manic's van weren't folded down, they were gone. What appeared to be the backs of the seats lifted up to show stashes of small electronic devices. Tiny cameras, hacking equipment, and a large, clearly powerful laptop at the center of it all. "Maybe she doesn't use electronic records, but trust me, as long as there's a computer, we can make it work." Manic said. "We just make it look like she's doing deep web crap with a bad attempt an anonymity, and people are gonna start lurking. And if you wanna do something more direct, get some disguises going..." Manic reached for a make-up rag. He seemed almost hesitant to use it, but he started to rub his face, cleaning off the contouring and detailing he did. He looked younger without it. Not just younger, but more bright-eyed and effeminate. He looked like a different person completely. "Just gimme a ref and I can make it happen." ”….. Damn.“ Scourge said after Manic gave his little speech. "Did not see literally ANY of this coming…”

Aria sat in the van, thinking. “She has a database of all her clients. If we can get our hands on that… That puts the whole operation belly up… And that won’t be difficult.”

“Sounds like you got a plan lamb shank.” Scourge teased her with the most curious of nicknames, and Aria pushed him a little bit. Slowly winning her spark back.

“Okay. So Manic, you go in and ask to buy some. She’ll take you upstairs to fill out your info into the computer. Scourge and I will cause a fuss downstairs and she’ll come down to see what’s the matter. Then Manic you steal the laptop and get out via the fire escape. Then we have our Zonic meet you and Scourge at the van. Sound good? We shouldn’t need disguises, in fact you could probably go in just the way you are now and she wouldn’t remember you.” "We don't have to be that direct with theft," Manic said, rummaging through a small set of USB sticks, pulling out one marked with a dark blue piece of tape. "We just need to copy down the information she's got. She keeps her information, she won't figure out we got into the records. We pull it off that that and she's gonna know you were up to something." Manic reached into his hair, pulling out some hair clips. His bizarre updo tumbled down until his quills fell, long and once more, feminine. He reached for the old drum case he kept spare clothes in, digging around for a small jacket and some cuban heeled shoes. "I say for your distraction? Yell about something. Aria left something when she was working, no one knows where it is, Aria's acting pissy, and she flips out at Scourge. Believable, simple. Shouldn't suspect a thing. Just act it out to the patrons, too, make it believable." He was rattling things off and standing in an in-control way that they hadn't seen before. Illegal schemes were Manic's forte, and he came prepared. When he spun around, he looked younger, the jacket and heels tight fitting. He looked attractive in a strange half-effeminate way. Even his stance was more exaggerated and flirty. "And don't worry. She won't remember me." "No, I’ve handled things like that before on my own… We need something else… Maybe I can distract her? I get my top dirty and ask her to borrow a shirt? It's a little on the riskier side but boobs are 110% the greatest distraction. Its foolproof because people throw drinks at me to soak my shirt through all the time. I keep a spare at work, but there isn’t one there now because I haven’t gone in to replace it.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. It leaves you in a vulnerable position.” Scourge expressed concern, worried about using Aria as bait.

“Don’t worry. Manic will only be a few feet away. Besides, the second the files are done you can get cranky and bust in,” Aria continued, not at all surprised by her friends sudden visual transformation. "Scourge, she'll be fine." Manic said, just a tiny bit unsure of it himself. "Old batty wants Aria for herself, and she's in control here. You think she's going to watch a bunch of drooling guys harass someone she's interested in and get outta there in one piece? I'd say get snippy with her when she comes out, that'll distract her a bit more. As long as we're buying time, we'll be fine." Manic reached down into the electronics again, this time pulling out a long rectangular... earring? "This'll film it all, should be enough proof to get a zone cop sting." He shifted the seat backs down, covering up a mass of electronics with flagrantly specialized illegal services. "Just call Zonic down, and I think we're set." Manic hopped into the driver's seat, grinning back at the two. "You ready?" "Not quite. I need to go home to grab my work uniform. Could you drive me? I’m not comfortable warping when I’m this anxious,” Aria asked, getting in the van. Scourge waited by the driver's side window.

“I’ll call Zonic and warp in when you two are ready for me. Don’t walk in together either. Manic, you’re in charge.” Scourge sounded more like a dad lecturing his unruly children who were about to go to a party more than a king involved in a semi illegal plot.

Aria nodded and the two drove off. A few minutes into the ride, she looked over at manic. “Hey… Thanks for everything.” "Hey, no problem." Manic said, grinning at her. "Friends help friends, no matter what." He punctuated this point by reaching over and ruffling Aria's hair again, trying to add some kind of joking fun to the otherwise serious moment. It wasn't too long of a drive to Aria's place. Manic just waited in the van, thinking through everything. It was a simple plan, it was an easy plan. This baby could copy a record keeping system no problem, and get plenty of information in the meantime. He didn't even realize how much time was passing until Aria came back in uniform. Anxiety meant he was always thinking, and always double checking himself to make sure his plans were going to go smoothly. "Ari, when you want Scourge to show up, just text him or something." Manic added as they began driving towards Dasvidania. "If anything happens, she'll think I'm guilty, and I've gotten outta much worse places. She doesn't want to hurt you." "I know. You be careful too. The way you’re dressed right now, you’re almost presenting as her ‘type’. I don’t see her hitting on you though. She’s a boob kinda lady.”

Silence in the car. Aria fidgeting. “When I was looking for my house keys in my purse I found a whole wad of cash. Mostly small bills. I know it was you. Thank you Manic, but next time… You don’t need to steal to help me.” A pause. “Well okay, maybe now you do, but the money is unnecessary.”

Aria had Manic drop her off a few blocks away from the bar. “I’ll text you when I’m inside… If something goes wrong, and it comes down to saving me, or the information, get the info.”

She got out of the car, straightened herself up and walked away.

[chestnutpost]

Life Isn’t Perfect, But ‘PEN15’ Is

This post was originally published on this site

It’s hard to believe it has been nearly two decades since 2000, but watching “PEN15” makes that year seem like a long-lost relic. The new Hulu show, which follows two best friends navigating junior high, brings back dial-up internet, landlines, locker mirrors and nascent AIM relationships. Happily, it has more to offer than easy nostalgia.

What keeps it fresh is the twist in its casting: Adult women Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, who created the show with “Take My Wife” director Sam Zvibleman, play the two main characters (also named Maya and Anna), setting an off-kilter tone for everything that follows. If watching teens freak out over a furtively passed note from a love interest is funny, it’s even more hilarious to see 30-somethings do it. 

Maya and Anna are social outcasts determined to make seventh grade their best year yet. It begins on a rocky foot, with Maya being labeled that year’s UGIS, or “ugliest girl in school.” It only gets wobblier as the duo face intimidating cool girls, young love, periods, masturbation, family drama and their diverging identities.

From “Big Mouth” to “Everything Sucks!” to “Sex Education,” there’s plenty of teen fare out there. So what makes “PEN15” worth your precious bingeing time? The specificity of the early ’00s references provides instant gratification for elder millennials, while the perspective that Erskine and Konkle bring to their characters elevates it beyond a simple “Remember when?” kind of show.

HuffPost writers Matt Jacobs and Jill Capewell gushingly address the question everyone has on their minds: Should you watch it?

Matt: I haven’t loved a comedy as much as I love “PEN15” since … I don’t know when. Maybe the first season of “Orange Is the New Black”? The time Selina Meyer walked through glass? Our first glimpse of swole Chidi on “The Good Place”? Anyway, it’s been a while. How much do you love it, Jill?

Jill: Matt, I love it so much! The promise of gel pen references drew me in, but the love Anna and Maya have for each other — and the hilarious ways they show it — kept me there. Plus, I was in seventh grade as AIM was coming out and cargo skirts from Delia*s were cool, so I am probably the exact target demo for the show. I had major flashbacks when I saw Anna’s two face-framing wispy strands of hair.

There were so many perfect references to that time period in the early aughts, when the internet was new and clunky and the best thing we knew to do with it was ask each other “a/s/l?” in chat rooms. Maya’s “diper911” screen name, for example, nails the freewheeling, random nature of how we saw the World Wide Web back then and how we presented ourselves on it in turn. We didn’t yet view our social media personas as “personal brands.” Plus, lol, diaper emergency. How did it feel to see the awkward early teen years (let’s face it, we were all awkward) played back for you in such exacting detail?

Hulu

Matt: Such excruciation, but even more than that, it felt like a real swoon, honestly. Maybe it’s because I’ve had such existential dread about social media lately, but revisiting a world where AIM is the nearest source of anxiety was comforting in a way that transcends easy nostalgia.

“PEN15” is a show built on gimmicks, and it rises above every one. The off-kilter casting, the 2000 setting that requires clichéd Y2K-era signifiers, the whole “let’s revisit how awful middle school is” ethos that “Eighth Grade” did as recently as last year. Magically, it all works.

I think casting Erskine and Konkle gives the central characters a nuance the show otherwise couldn’t hope for; they bring a perspective to the roles that teenagers wouldn’t. What’d you make of them playing 13-year-olds opposite actual 13-year-olds?

Jill: I was also thinking that “PEN15” is able to stand out among the many “awkward teen years” offerings out there, and I think it is helped in part by having adults play the two main characters. For one, it’s delightfully absurd to see — I cackled when Maya and Anna were trying to cuss out an actual teen on their first day of seventh grade. Seeing adults posturing as brace-faced and bowl-cut adolescents never gets old.

And another component is that crucial perspective you mentioned. The audience is constantly reminded that this will end up just being a phase in these girls’ lives. Having Erskine and Konkle playing teenagers lends an odd believability to the series, as wild as the optics are: You know they lived as the outcasts they play on screen, so I can trust the foibles and emotional roller coasters the characters go through. Plus, it speaks to the fact that we never truly outgrow our weird teenage selves.

I was concerned about how they were going to pull off Anna’s first kiss — but some camera-angle magic took care of that.

One thing that really surprised me as I got further into the series was how much heart it has. The show is able to segue from pure nostalgic joy to resonant truths about growing up without feeling like an after-school special. The arc of Anna’s parents fighting more and eventually getting divorced reminded me how crushing that can feel when your parents are your whole world. What did you think of the show striking a balance between pure fun and these bald truths about getting older?

Hulu

Matt: “PEN15” does get bittersweet by the end, but I also love the touch of sadness that’s nestled into its humor. Its physical comedy ― Maya’s timpani solo, for example, or the girls’ hallway catwalk on the thong episode ― is “I Love Lucy”-level good. But even within those moments, I felt pangs of melancholy, in part because it reminds us of the intimacy inherent in adolescence. Even a great adult friendship lacks the connectedness of a bond based on youth, when you get to learn about the world alongside classmates and neighbors who are just as uncertain (even the ones who mask that uncertainty in bullying tactics). We don’t realize what our teenage kinships mean until it’s too late, and that’s something Erskine and Konkle tap into without ever saying as much.

Jill: I think you hit the nail on the head, Matt. It’s easy to brush off your teen years as a wasted time of being young and dumb, but it’s really when we start to become who we eventually are. What I think makes this show feel so revelatory is the respect it gives to aspects of teendom that don’t often get treated with importance. No stray feeling is too inconsequential, because it didn’t feel inconsequential then.

Hulu

Matt: That’s right. Things are only ridiculous with hindsight. An internet romance is serious business, and so is your first cigarette or your terrible haircut or your shared thong. A middle-school relationship can be almost entirely silent and avoidant and still feel like the most meaningful thing you’ve experienced, like Anna and her band boyfriend Brendan, who scribbles notes but can barely sustain a conversation.

The last few years have been a golden age for popular culture about teens who feel isolated from the world around them. But most of the genre has been character studies built around one protagonist (“The Edge of Seventeen,” “Lady Bird,” “Eighth Grade,” “Skate Kitchen”). Here we get to see how two girls’ lives intersect and diverge, and the way they vow to share every moment along the way. (“Broad City” is probably the aptest comparison, but that show has faced narrative limits that “PEN15” can more easily avoid.) It’s in that very togetherness that we see them as individuals just starting to figure out what sets them apart. The beauty, for us, is knowing how long and fruitful that journey will be. I almost don’t even want a second season because I’d rather imagine it for myself; the limitlessness is poetic, ya know?

Jill: I understand what you mean — on one hand, I want more of this great show, but on the other, I just want to imagine Maya and Anna side-by-side learning how to shave in the tub before the school dance forever. I don’t want them to age, even if they’re 31 in real life. We can’t go back to 2000 and, honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready to, but with “PEN15,” we can always pay a quick visit. That is, if our mom gets off the phone so we can use the dial-up.

This has been “Should You Watch It?” a weekly examination of movies and TV worth ― or not worth! ― your time.

RELATED COVERAGE

The post Life Isn’t Perfect, But ‘PEN15’ Is appeared first on The Chestnut Post.

from The Chestnut Post https://thechestnutpost.com/news/life-isnt-perfect-but-pen15-is/

[demitgibbs]

Q&A: Leslie Jordan Talks ‘Exposed’ at Sunshine Cathedral

Leslie Jordan is one of the most consistently recognizable faces in popular entertainment. His journey towards stardom has provided one of the quirkier, impressive, and varied career trajectories of the past few decades.

His arrival in Hollywood back in 1982 (with $1500 sewn into his clothing by his steel magnolia Mother) was the starting point. After a brief career as a jockey, Jordan has enjoyed the full show-business spectrum; the lean days, the bumps in the road, the acclaim, reaching the pinnacle of television performing with award recognition, the ensuing victory laps, followed by an alarming and unexpected down slope, the dangers of being type cast or stereotyped, the challenges to remain “current” and “relevant” in a rapidly changing world of technological advancement, and the ever present threat of being put “out to pasture” by a youth obsessed culture and industry.

Through it all, Leslie Jordan has remained constant, relevant and – above all – funny! His ability to take it all in stride has kept him moving onward, upward and forward!

Leslie Jordan is the prestigious Emmy Award winner in 2006 for “Will & Grace”. He has enjoyed rapturous reviews for his original stage plays (“My Trip down the Pink Carpet”, “Stories I can’t tell Mama”, “Fruit Fly”), and supporting presence in one of Hollywood’s most prestigious, message-minded films of the last decade (“The Help”, 2012).

In 2017, Leslie Jordan again sparred with his lovable nemesis “Karen Walker” as a guest actor in the triumphant return of NBC’s “Will & Grace”, and is currently starring alongside comedy heavyweights Martin Mull, Vicki Lawrence, and David Alan Grier in the new comedy series “The Cool Kids.”

It was a pleasure to sit down with Leslie Jordan for this exclusive Hotspots interview just weeks before his appearance at The Sunshine Cathedral as part of the Outlandish Performance Series.

Were you always a ham/performer even as a child or when did the bug bite you?

I was always funny but it was to keep the bully’s at bay. I was 27 and I was exercising race horses since I was 19, and I thought I don’t have a future here, so I went back to school. I was going to study journalism, but everyone said to take the intro to theater arts elective, so I did. The first day we did Improv and it hit me like a drug that this is what I want to do. I got a degree in theater and I had $1,500 and took a bus and went to Hollywood.

What was your first professional/paid gig as a performer?

My aunt Marie who did the windows of Millers Brothers (Dept store). In the summer time I would dress up as Mickey Mouse.

My first real acting gig was a commercial for Aunt Jemima syrup. I did a lot of commercials, I was like Flo from the insurance commercials.

You have traveled the world. Is there a favorite city or concert hall you performed in and why?

I always loved San Francisco, I played a couple of venues there. I also love London. Lily Tomlin produced a Trip down the Pink Carpet for me and we did 12 weeks there. English audiences are very quiet and wonderfully polite. You have to earn their laughter.

How did you get cast on Will & Grace and is it as fun to film as it looks?

It is as fun. You have four actors who have theater backgrounds who know how to perform, and we shoot in front of an audience. So you get the best of all worlds. Each of them are generally funny and having such a wonderful time. I auditioned for the role and believe it or not, it had been written for Joan Collins.

Do you remember how it felt when you won the EMMY for Will & Grace?

It was so out of left field, and I didn’t think I was going to win, but it felt so good. I thought jobs would come to me after winning, but I didn’t work for a year so I got back out on the road.

I am a HUGE American Horror Stories Fan. How was it to film Seasons 3 and 6?

Season 3 fell in my lap and I didn’t know the show. I was in New Orleans for a month filming. It’s a hard show to film as its 14 hour days. However, I learned so much from Francis Conroy. When I came back for season 6, a lot of my scenes were with Lady GaGa, but unfortunately they got cut. There were so many strong actors in that season it forces you to come up to another level.

Tell me about your new show “The Cool Kids,” and how is it to work with Vicky Lawrence, David Alan Grier and Martin Mull?

My manger said to me there is something going over at Fox, and the part is a 73 year old straight Jewish man from Brooklyn….I walked in to the audition, and said I was going to put a different spin on this. I was surprised that I got the show….everyone auditioned, none of the actors were given the parts. This is the closest I have ever been allowed to play me.

Do you and Vicky naturally have that chemistry?

She says we met in an airport one time a long time ago, but I don’t remember. The four of us have chemistry together. David and Martin have known each other for years, they have a bro-mance going. They are talking about sports and Vicky and I are talking about the sales at Neiman’s.  

Describe Leslie in three words?

Curious, kind and generous.

How great is your show “EXPOSED,” and why should our readers come see it?

Exposed is almost 10 years’ worth of me standing in front of people telling stories. I have it honed down to a great show that I promise anyone who buys a ticket will be happy they did. Martin Mull saw it and he said “watching you in exposed is like a master class in comedy.” I love doing it and I hope everyone will come.

Tickets for Leslie Jordan’s Exposed On January 19 at the Sunshine Cathedral at 8pm start at $35 at OutlandishFL.com. Premium seating and VIP tickets (including an artist meet-and-greet) are also available.

Other performers in the 2019 Outlandish season include: Fran Drescher (Jan. 26), Pam Ann (Feb. 9), cirque troupe AirOTic (Feb. 14-16, 23-24), Miss Richfield 1981 (March 9), Coco Peru (March 23), and Lee Squared: An Evening with Liberace and Miss Peggy Lee (April 6).

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/01/10/qa-leslie-jordan-talks-exposed-at-sunshine-cathedral/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/181899050480

[cynthiajayusa]

Q&A: Leslie Jordan Talks ‘Exposed’ at Sunshine Cathedral

Leslie Jordan is one of the most consistently recognizable faces in popular entertainment. His journey towards stardom has provided one of the quirkier, impressive, and varied career trajectories of the past few decades.

His arrival in Hollywood back in 1982 (with $1500 sewn into his clothing by his steel magnolia Mother) was the starting point. After a brief career as a jockey, Jordan has enjoyed the full show-business spectrum; the lean days, the bumps in the road, the acclaim, reaching the pinnacle of television performing with award recognition, the ensuing victory laps, followed by an alarming and unexpected down slope, the dangers of being type cast or stereotyped, the challenges to remain “current” and “relevant” in a rapidly changing world of technological advancement, and the ever present threat of being put “out to pasture” by a youth obsessed culture and industry.

Through it all, Leslie Jordan has remained constant, relevant and – above all – funny! His ability to take it all in stride has kept him moving onward, upward and forward!

Leslie Jordan is the prestigious Emmy Award winner in 2006 for “Will & Grace”. He has enjoyed rapturous reviews for his original stage plays (“My Trip down the Pink Carpet”, “Stories I can’t tell Mama”, “Fruit Fly”), and supporting presence in one of Hollywood’s most prestigious, message-minded films of the last decade (“The Help”, 2012).

In 2017, Leslie Jordan again sparred with his lovable nemesis “Karen Walker” as a guest actor in the triumphant return of NBC’s “Will & Grace”, and is currently starring alongside comedy heavyweights Martin Mull, Vicki Lawrence, and David Alan Grier in the new comedy series “The Cool Kids.”

It was a pleasure to sit down with Leslie Jordan for this exclusive Hotspots interview just weeks before his appearance at The Sunshine Cathedral as part of the Outlandish Performance Series.

Were you always a ham/performer even as a child or when did the bug bite you?

I was always funny but it was to keep the bully’s at bay. I was 27 and I was exercising race horses since I was 19, and I thought I don’t have a future here, so I went back to school. I was going to study journalism, but everyone said to take the intro to theater arts elective, so I did. The first day we did Improv and it hit me like a drug that this is what I want to do. I got a degree in theater and I had $1,500 and took a bus and went to Hollywood.

What was your first professional/paid gig as a performer?

My aunt Marie who did the windows of Millers Brothers (Dept store). In the summer time I would dress up as Mickey Mouse.

My first real acting gig was a commercial for Aunt Jemima syrup. I did a lot of commercials, I was like Flo from the insurance commercials.

You have traveled the world. Is there a favorite city or concert hall you performed in and why?

I always loved San Francisco, I played a couple of venues there. I also love London. Lily Tomlin produced a Trip down the Pink Carpet for me and we did 12 weeks there. English audiences are very quiet and wonderfully polite. You have to earn their laughter.

How did you get cast on Will & Grace and is it as fun to film as it looks?

It is as fun. You have four actors who have theater backgrounds who know how to perform, and we shoot in front of an audience. So you get the best of all worlds. Each of them are generally funny and having such a wonderful time. I auditioned for the role and believe it or not, it had been written for Joan Collins.

Do you remember how it felt when you won the EMMY for Will & Grace?

It was so out of left field, and I didn’t think I was going to win, but it felt so good. I thought jobs would come to me after winning, but I didn’t work for a year so I got back out on the road.

I am a HUGE American Horror Stories Fan. How was it to film Seasons 3 and 6?

Season 3 fell in my lap and I didn’t know the show. I was in New Orleans for a month filming. It’s a hard show to film as its 14 hour days. However, I learned so much from Francis Conroy. When I came back for season 6, a lot of my scenes were with Lady GaGa, but unfortunately they got cut. There were so many strong actors in that season it forces you to come up to another level.

Tell me about your new show “The Cool Kids,” and how is it to work with Vicky Lawrence, David Alan Grier and Martin Mull?

My manger said to me there is something going over at Fox, and the part is a 73 year old straight Jewish man from Brooklyn….I walked in to the audition, and said I was going to put a different spin on this. I was surprised that I got the show….everyone auditioned, none of the actors were given the parts. This is the closest I have ever been allowed to play me.

Do you and Vicky naturally have that chemistry?

She says we met in an airport one time a long time ago, but I don’t remember. The four of us have chemistry together. David and Martin have known each other for years, they have a bro-mance going. They are talking about sports and Vicky and I are talking about the sales at Neiman’s.  

Describe Leslie in three words?

Curious, kind and generous.

How great is your show “EXPOSED,” and why should our readers come see it?

Exposed is almost 10 years’ worth of me standing in front of people telling stories. I have it honed down to a great show that I promise anyone who buys a ticket will be happy they did. Martin Mull saw it and he said “watching you in exposed is like a master class in comedy.” I love doing it and I hope everyone will come.

Tickets for Leslie Jordan’s Exposed On January 19 at the Sunshine Cathedral at 8pm start at $35 at OutlandishFL.com. Premium seating and VIP tickets (including an artist meet-and-greet) are also available.

Other performers in the 2019 Outlandish season include: Fran Drescher (Jan. 26), Pam Ann (Feb. 9), cirque troupe AirOTic (Feb. 14-16, 23-24), Miss Richfield 1981 (March 9), Coco Peru (March 23), and Lee Squared: An Evening with Liberace and Miss Peggy Lee (April 6).

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/01/10/qa-leslie-jordan-talks-exposed-at-sunshine-cathedral/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2019/01/q-leslie-jordan-talks-exposed-at.html

[hotspotsmagazine]

Q&A: Leslie Jordan Talks ‘Exposed’ at Sunshine Cathedral

Leslie Jordan is one of the most consistently recognizable faces in popular entertainment. His journey towards stardom has provided one of the quirkier, impressive, and varied career trajectories of the past few decades.

His arrival in Hollywood back in 1982 (with $1500 sewn into his clothing by his steel magnolia Mother) was the starting point. After a brief career as a jockey, Jordan has enjoyed the full show-business spectrum; the lean days, the bumps in the road, the acclaim, reaching the pinnacle of television performing with award recognition, the ensuing victory laps, followed by an alarming and unexpected down slope, the dangers of being type cast or stereotyped, the challenges to remain “current” and “relevant” in a rapidly changing world of technological advancement, and the ever present threat of being put “out to pasture” by a youth obsessed culture and industry.

Through it all, Leslie Jordan has remained constant, relevant and – above all – funny! His ability to take it all in stride has kept him moving onward, upward and forward!

Leslie Jordan is the prestigious Emmy Award winner in 2006 for “Will & Grace”. He has enjoyed rapturous reviews for his original stage plays (“My Trip down the Pink Carpet”, “Stories I can’t tell Mama”, “Fruit Fly”), and supporting presence in one of Hollywood’s most prestigious, message-minded films of the last decade (“The Help”, 2012).

In 2017, Leslie Jordan again sparred with his lovable nemesis “Karen Walker” as a guest actor in the triumphant return of NBC’s “Will & Grace”, and is currently starring alongside comedy heavyweights Martin Mull, Vicki Lawrence, and David Alan Grier in the new comedy series “The Cool Kids.”

It was a pleasure to sit down with Leslie Jordan for this exclusive Hotspots interview just weeks before his appearance at The Sunshine Cathedral as part of the Outlandish Performance Series.

Were you always a ham/performer even as a child or when did the bug bite you?

I was always funny but it was to keep the bully’s at bay. I was 27 and I was exercising race horses since I was 19, and I thought I don’t have a future here, so I went back to school. I was going to study journalism, but everyone said to take the intro to theater arts elective, so I did. The first day we did Improv and it hit me like a drug that this is what I want to do. I got a degree in theater and I had $1,500 and took a bus and went to Hollywood.

What was your first professional/paid gig as a performer?

My aunt Marie who did the windows of Millers Brothers (Dept store). In the summer time I would dress up as Mickey Mouse.

My first real acting gig was a commercial for Aunt Jemima syrup. I did a lot of commercials, I was like Flo from the insurance commercials.

You have traveled the world. Is there a favorite city or concert hall you performed in and why?

I always loved San Francisco, I played a couple of venues there. I also love London. Lily Tomlin produced a Trip down the Pink Carpet for me and we did 12 weeks there. English audiences are very quiet and wonderfully polite. You have to earn their laughter.

How did you get cast on Will & Grace and is it as fun to film as it looks?

It is as fun. You have four actors who have theater backgrounds who know how to perform, and we shoot in front of an audience. So you get the best of all worlds. Each of them are generally funny and having such a wonderful time. I auditioned for the role and believe it or not, it had been written for Joan Collins.

Do you remember how it felt when you won the EMMY for Will & Grace?

It was so out of left field, and I didn’t think I was going to win, but it felt so good. I thought jobs would come to me after winning, but I didn’t work for a year so I got back out on the road.

I am a HUGE American Horror Stories Fan. How was it to film Seasons 3 and 6?

Season 3 fell in my lap and I didn’t know the show. I was in New Orleans for a month filming. It’s a hard show to film as its 14 hour days. However, I learned so much from Francis Conroy. When I came back for season 6, a lot of my scenes were with Lady GaGa, but unfortunately they got cut. There were so many strong actors in that season it forces you to come up to another level.

Tell me about your new show “The Cool Kids,” and how is it to work with Vicky Lawrence, David Alan Grier and Martin Mull?

My manger said to me there is something going over at Fox, and the part is a 73 year old straight Jewish man from Brooklyn….I walked in to the audition, and said I was going to put a different spin on this. I was surprised that I got the show….everyone auditioned, none of the actors were given the parts. This is the closest I have ever been allowed to play me.

Do you and Vicky naturally have that chemistry?

She says we met in an airport one time a long time ago, but I don’t remember. The four of us have chemistry together. David and Martin have known each other for years, they have a bro-mance going. They are talking about sports and Vicky and I are talking about the sales at Neiman’s.  

Describe Leslie in three words?

Curious, kind and generous.

How great is your show “EXPOSED,” and why should our readers come see it?

Exposed is almost 10 years’ worth of me standing in front of people telling stories. I have it honed down to a great show that I promise anyone who buys a ticket will be happy they did. Martin Mull saw it and he said “watching you in exposed is like a master class in comedy.” I love doing it and I hope everyone will come.

Tickets for Leslie Jordan’s Exposed On January 19 at the Sunshine Cathedral at 8pm start at $35 at OutlandishFL.com. Premium seating and VIP tickets (including an artist meet-and-greet) are also available.

Other performers in the 2019 Outlandish season include: Fran Drescher (Jan. 26), Pam Ann (Feb. 9), cirque troupe AirOTic (Feb. 14-16, 23-24), Miss Richfield 1981 (March 9), Coco Peru (March 23), and Lee Squared: An Evening with Liberace and Miss Peggy Lee (April 6).

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/01/10/qa-leslie-jordan-talks-exposed-at-sunshine-cathedral/

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Buttery Radish Baguette

My dad and brother are crazy for radishes, and this peppery baguette appetizer is a big-time favorite. Add a sprinkle of fresh dill or parsley on top. —Kathy Hewitt, Cranston, Rhode Island

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Spicy Crab Salad Tapas

I served these at a party and everyone went wild! These delicious morsels have a crispy flaky outside filled with creamy sweet crab that has a little kick. I used scalloped edge cookie cutters to cut my pastry, but you can use a small biscuit cutter. —Vanessa Mason, Summerdale, Alabama

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Simple Waldorf Salad

This is my go-to salad when I need a quick little something for a meal. Sometimes when I want a sweeter taste I use whipped cream instead of yogurt. —Wendy Masters, East Garafraxa, Ontario

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Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs with Dill

My family is of Danish heritage, and my husband makes our smoked salmon. To use it, I came up with these dilly deviled eggs. They’re a real treat and nice addition to any meal. —Charlotte Giltner, Mesa, Arizona

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Cucumber Canapes

I always get requests for the recipe for these canapes whenever I serve them. They’re delicate finger sandwiches with a creamy herb spread and festive red and green garnishes. —Nadine Whittaker, South Plymouth, Massachusetts

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Layered Fresh Fruit Salad

People always pass on compliments when I take this salad to covered-dish suppers. It’s nice on a hot day…with a winter meal…or as a dessert! We live on a small farm where my garden gives me lots of possibilities for fresh food. —Page Alexander, Baldwin City, Kansas

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Oysters Rockefeller

My husband and I are oyster farmers, and this classic dish always delights our guests. It’s deliciously simple! —Beth Walton, Eastham, Massachusetts

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Herb-Roasted Olives & Tomatoes

Eat these roasted veggies with a crunchy baguette or a couple of cheeses. You can also double, or triple, the amounts and have leftovers to toss with spaghetti the next day. —Anndrea Bailey, Huntington Beach, California

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Rye Party Puffs

I can’t go anywhere without taking along my puffs. They’re pretty enough for a wedding reception yet hearty enough to snack on while the gang is watching football on television. A platterful of these will disappear even with a small group. —Kelly Williams, La Porte, Indiana

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Dilly Cheese Ball

The whole family devours this herby cheese spread—even my son, the chef. Serve it with your favorite crackers. —Jane Vince, London, Ontario

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Chicken Pot Stickers

Chicken and mushrooms make up the filling in these pot stickers, a traditional Chinese dumpling. Greasing the steamer rack makes it easier to remove them once they’re steamed. —Jacquelynne Stine, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Salmon Mousse Canapes

It’s so easy to top crunchy cucumber slices with a smooth and creamy salmon filling. Guests rave about the fun presentation, contrasting textures and refreshing flavor. —Barb Templin, Norwwood, Minnesota

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Spicy Shrimp & Crab Cocktail

I don’t usually like radishes, but I love them in this shrimp cocktail. Serve it straight up, with tortilla chips or on a bed of butter lettuce. A zippy Bloody Mary mix works just as well as spicy V8. —Heidi Knaak, Liberty, Missouri

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Meatballs with Cranberry Dipping Sauce

With their cranberry dipping sauce, these no-fuss appetizer meatballs make use of traditional Thanksgiving ingredients, so they’re ideal around the holiday or anytime you’re craving those favorite seasonal tastes.—Ann Baker, Texarkana, Texas

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Smoked Trout Pate

This tasty spread is easy to make in a food processor, and it’s a guaranteed winner at any party. The recipe is versatile, so feel free to substitute other favorite smoked fish.—Judy Walle, Toledo, Ohio

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Pancetta, Pear & Pecan Puffs

I was recently at a wedding reception where the menu was all small bites. Here’s my rendition of the pear pastries they served. They’re the perfect combo of savory and sweet. —Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois

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Three-Cheese Fondue

I got this easy recipe from my daughter, who lives in France. It’s become my go-to fondue, and I make it often for our family.—Betty A. Mangas, Toledo, Ohio

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Smoked Salmon Bites

Because smoked salmon is one of my favorite ingredients, it plays a big role here. Best of all, there’s no cooking involved. —Tom Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey

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Autumn Pepper Relish

This colorful pepper relish is a favorite with friends and family—everyone always asks for the recipe because it tastes great on just about everything. I like to serve it over cream cheese with crackers or a sliced French baguette. I also include a jar in gift baskets. —Barbara Pletzke, Herndon, Virginia

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Artichoke & Caper Cream Soup

I adore the flavors of oyster mushrooms, capers and artichokes. So after experimenting with several batches, I came up with this soup. Every year I’m asked to bring it to our office Christmas party.

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Roast Beef Finger Sandwiches

These simple sandwiches are ideal for a bridal shower, brunch or high tea, when the menu is a bit more substantial. The mustard adds a nice kick without being overly spicy. —Anndrea Bailey, Huntington Beach, California

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Pimiento Cheddar Spread

I was a theater major in college, and our director’s mother always made sure we were well fed. I was particularly fond of her pimento cheese sandwiches and tried making a similar spread for crackers. It tastes just as good as I remember! —Katrina Jameson, Brandon, Mississippi

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Crabbie Phyllo Cups

I always like a little extra chili sauce on top of these easy snacks. If you’re out of crab, try them with water-packed tuna. —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona

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Sesame-Beef Pot Stickers

I enjoy having these little dumplings as a late-night snack while I’m watching television. They also work well as a quick appetizer for parties. —Carolyn Turner, Reno, Nevada

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Mini Crab Cakes

Fresh crab is one of my all-time favorite foods so whenever I get the chance to cook with it I will often make this dish. It’s great for appetizers but you can make larger ones for a fantastic dinner with a simple salad. —Ellen Riley, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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Garlic-Dill Deviled Eggs

In my family, Easter isn’t complete without deviled eggs. Fresh dill and garlic perk up the flavor of these irresistible appetizers you’ll want to eat on every occasion. —Kami Horch, Calais, Maine

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One-Bite Tamales

Clever little meatballs deliver the flavor and rich sauce of a traditional tamale in a bite-sized portion. They’re a delightfully different addition to a holiday spread. —Dolores Jaycox, Gretna, Louisiana

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Shrimp in Phyllo Cups

I almost didn’t make these appetizers for last year’s Christmas party because I was running out of time, but I knew they’d be a tasty hit. Simple to make, the cups have few ingredients and look beautiful on the plate—very gourmet! This turned out to be one of the night’s favorites, and they just flew off the plate. —Terri Edmunds, Naperville, Illinois

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Pressure Cooker Marinated Mushrooms

Here’s a terrific healthy addition to any buffet spread. Mushrooms and pearl onions seasoned with herbs, balsamic and red wine are terrific on their own or alongside a tenderloin roast. —Courtney Wilson, Fresno, California

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Sweet Pea Pesto Crostini

I made a healthier spin on my favorite celebrity chef’s recipe by using hearty vegetable broth and less cheese. To top crostini, use less broth for a paste-like pesto. For use on pasta, add more broth for a sauce-like consistency. —Amber Massey, Argyle, Texas

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Creamy Red Pepper Veggie Dip

I got this recipe from a college roommate. Thick and creamy with just a touch of sweetness, this colorful dip is a winner served with chunky veggies. —Lynne German, Woodland Hills, California

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Florentine Almond Artichoke Mounds

I always enjoyed traditional artichoke cheese dip, and for a drinks and appetizer party, wanted to create a new appetizer that was a spin on that. This original creation is a bit reminiscent of the dip recipe, and works well on a buffet. —Sherry Johnston, Green Cove Springs, Florida

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Calamari Salad

This is one of the seven fish dishes we serve at Christmas time. It is easy to make and quite delicious! I enjoy it served both warm and cold. Either way, it has become one of our traditional dishes each year. The recipe has been passed down to me through my grandparents, who were excellent cooks. —Paul Rinaldi, Easton, Pennsylvania

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Pina Colada Dip

If you like pina coladas, you’ve gotta try this fluffy fruit dip. Scooped up with a slice of fresh pineapple, it tastes just like the beloved beachside drink. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Slow Cooker Marinated Mushrooms

Here’s a terrific healthy addition to any buffet spread. Mushrooms and pearl onions seasoned with herbs, balsamic and red wine are terrific on their own or alongside a tenderloin roast. —Courtney Wilson, Fresno, California

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Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Aioli Sauce

I made these for our staff Christmas party last year; they were such a hit that I was flooded with requests for the recipe the next day. Throughout the year, whenever I needed favors done at school, people gladly helped as long as I promised to bring them shrimp cakes! This year’s Christmas party is coming up, and I’m already being asked if I am bringing the shrimp cakes—I guess I am! —Linda Zilar, Kennewick, Washington

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Italian Steak Bruschetta

This recipe combines my favorite things to eat: toast, steak, bruschetta topping and delicious pancetta. It’s looks so pretty on the plate! This five-ingredient appetizer is easy to prepare but will have everyone thinking you spent a long time in the kitchen. —Devon Delaney, Westport, Connecticut

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Chinese Meatballs

These were a huge hit at a cookout I attended recently! You can use two tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger in place of the fresh ginger if you like. —Pat Barnes, Panama City, Florida

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Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Flaky salmon and creamy sauce go so well over hard-boiled eggs. Drizzle the sauce or serve it on the side; it’s great either way. —Marinela Dragan, Portland, Oregon

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Chutney-Topped Cream Cheese Spread

I’ve had the pleasure of introducing many of my friends and family to chutney, that sweet and savory fruit sauce. Make the spread even faster by using chive-flavored whipped cream cheese. —Michelle Torkelson, Ham Lake, Minnesota

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Creamy Chicken Vol-au-Vent

My friends and I have been getting together for “ladies lunches” for years. These vol-au-vents are the perfect no-fuss fancy food; they look complicated, but are actually simple and fun to make. Whenever I think of good friends and good company, I think of these savory pastries. —Shauna Havey, Roy, Utah

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Oyster Cheese Appetizer Log

When you say “holiday tradition” around our house, this appetizer comes to mind immediately. Every winter, I make lots of cheese logs and freeze them for when I’m expecting company or need to take food to someone’s home. The blend of smoked oysters, chili powder, nuts and cream cheese tastes good-even people who don’t like oysters may enjoy this interesting appetizer. —William Tracy, Jerseyville, Illinois

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Spiced Pickled Beets

With spicy, robust flavor, these pickled beets are so good, they’ll convert any naysayers! —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana

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Three-Cheese Souffles

No matter when I’ve made these soufflés, they have always been a success. Although I’ve never seen the centers start to fall, it’s best to plan on serving them hot from the oven. —Jean Ference, Sherwood Park, Alberta

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Shrimp & Cucumber Rounds

I always make these appetizers for our get-togethers. They’re easy to prepare and a snappy addition to any party. —Kelly Alaniz, Eureka, California

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Microwave Pickles

You can enjoy a small batch of these sweet crunchy pickles anytime without the work of traditional canning methods. They’re loaded with flavor and so easy to make. —Marie Wladyka, Land O’Lakes, Florida

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[theconservativebrief]

There are so many good reasons to recommend Sharp Objects, HBO’s new eight-part miniseries adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel of the same name. (I’ve seen seven of those parts.)

For starters, Amy Adams is ferocious as Camille, a journalist who returns to a hometown streaked with memories of sorrow to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, who vanished in a fashion eerily similar to how another girl disappeared a year before. (The other girl was later found dead.) Adams plays Camille as a scab no one can stop picking, least of all herself, and the deeper the show digs into her demons, the more thrilling it is to watch the actress at work. Adams has certainly played darker roles on the big screen (think of The Master, for instance), but she’s primarily known as a sunny, comedic presence. Sharp Objects lets her go way, way against type, to her benefit, as well as the show’s.

The rest of the cast is terrific, too, especially Patricia Clarkson, as the mother who haunts Camille’s memories like a monster under the bed, and Eliza Scanlen, as the teenage half sister who Camille doesn’t know. And that’s to say nothing of the huge collection of actors both well-known (Elizabeth Perkins, Chris Messina, etc.) and less well-known (Sydney Sweeney, recently of The Handmaid’s Tale; Taylor John Smith), who drop in for gutsy, lived-in performances.

I could also recommend the direction by Jean-Marc Vallée (the director of Big Little Lies), who finds a haunting beauty in the way that Camille and her female relatives can’t stop haunting one another in the same house. Or the writing, by a team headed up by showrunner Marti Noxon (of Buffy and UnREAL fame) and Flynn, which takes its time unfolding the several layers of small-town mystery alongside its deeper and deeper exploration of Camille’s character. My fondest hope is that Adams returns to this character again and again, with this team, similar to how Helen Mirren redefined her career in the British series Prime Suspect.

But none of the above is what I want to single out about Sharp Objects. What makes Sharp Objects work so well is the editing.

Three very different women, all part of the same family. HBO

In the miniseries’ fifth episode, during which Camille attends a local festival that unpacks the assorted personal and political traumas of Wind Gap, Missouri (her hometown), she refers to a heroic teenage girl from the Civil War era as her “great great great great grand victim.” It’s a joke both about how long the town has embraced as a patron saint this woman — who married an adult man as a teenager — without thinking about the darker implications of her life, and about the legacies of trauma that run richly through Camille’s family.

And it’s indicative of the Sharp Objects approach to telling stories about those traumas. The past juts up against the present in the series, with memory literally writing itself over what’s actually happening. Camille might open a door and look into a room to see how it appeared 20 years ago — or to view the specter of someone long dead who continues to haunt her.

This is, to be sure, central to the show’s scripts, since it’s so keyed into deeper themes of Sharp Objects: confronting the parts of your past that you haven’t dared think about and realizing the frailties of your parents and yourself. But I was taken by the way the show presents this visually, through its images and by the way the editing (also by Vallée) juxtaposes the images.

If I have a complaint about Sharp Objects, it’s that the first few episodes move a little slowly, as Camille reluctantly re-submerges herself in the town she thought she had escaped. (It’s rarely clear to me why exactly her newspaper editor thinks sending her back to her hometown will help her confront her trauma, when it’s eminently clear the town is at the root of it.) But the deeper I got into the season, where the potboiler of a plot starts to heat up, the more I realized that these episodes are there to teach the audience how to watch the show.

The fine editing is present in the elegant way the entire miniseries opens, with a bike ride that takes Camille from the 1990s past to the 2010s present, transitioning gracefully between her younger self (played by It’s Sophia Lillis, a dead ringer for a young Adams) and Camille as she is right now. It leaps from a girl who was not yet damaged to a woman who is unable to escape the things that happened to her. But then it asks if there was any way for that girl to avoid becoming that woman, when the fruit of her family tree was so poisonous.

Thus the editing proceeds throughout the project, as Vallée intercuts brief snippets of images that might later make sense. They function as reminders of the ways Camille’s mind has fractured the world into pieces and forced her to ignore so many of those pieces, the way she simply must move forward at all costs, which means sloughing off those traumas like dead skin. And yet she can never wholly avoid or ignore them. They’re always there, brief splinters in her consciousness, jarring her awake.

There’s much more I could talk about in Sharp Objects — if nothing else, it’s a surprisingly trenchant commentary on white, rural America’s inability to escape its own fictional version of its past. But to say too much more about its plotting or its characters would spoil some of its pleasures, which unfold languidly and methodically, but always with purpose, always with a sense that Camille is standing athwart bigger and bigger waves that always threaten, to drown her.

And it’s the editing that best suggests those waves, in split seconds at first, then with longer and longer shots, until it can seem as if Camille and the show with her have become unmoored in time. It’s difficult to tell this kind of a story and not utterly lose the audience. But Sharp Objects’s touch remains delicate throughout, thanks to its gifted lead, its beautiful writing, and, yes, its laser-sharp editing.

Sharp Objects debuts Sunday at 9 pm Eastern on HBO. Look for weekly recaps of the show from Vox writers Alex Abad-Santos and Aja Romano after every episode.

Original Source -> What makes HBO’s Sharp Objects so good is hiding in plain sight

via The Conservative Brief