#some of these stage directions absolutely slay

[sic-vita]

lancelot edition

some text by @badsalmonella

[lonelylittledot]

Wicked

~ a Wicked scholar's thoughts on the movie

Okay. I had detached myself from any feelings about the movie truly years ago, and so I walked into the movie theatre with really low expectations.

My overall opinion: it was not a bad adaptation. I'd expected to give it 3/10, it turned out as a solid 6.5/10.

Here are just a few things that stuck out to me:

The landscapes - didn't hate them but didn't like them.

The costumes - amazing. Pretty much every outfit slayed. I feel like they could have been even a bit more extravagant, but they were great as they were. - As for Elphaba, I think my favorite outfit was the first Shiz dress and the post-Popular outfit. - Glinda's bubble dress was exquisite, and I really liked her Emerald City ensemble, although I do miss the yellow dress, I feel like it doesn't get enough love

I liked Ariana's G(a)linda surprisingly a lot. Maybe it's because I know she's a huge Wicked fan, but I felt like her love for the source material really showed.

I wasn't really sold on Cynthia. Don't get me wrong, she has a truly fabulous voice, and she absolutely did shine in the big, loud parts - but overall, I wasn't a fan of her versions of the songs. She looked and acted great, though.

Michelle Yeoh, the woman you are. Fantastic casting, no notes.

Jonathan. Oh, dear, Johnathan Bailey. Looks? Hot. Vocals? Gorgeous. Vibes? Flawless. I wish he'd played the role a decade ago, because he does look forty and not college-age, but I think everything else about him truly makes up for it.

Speaking of - I liked that Fiyero got just a few tiny little additional scenes/lines, really helped to flesh out his character more.

Grammar-nazi Elphaba, my beloved.

Listen, I have shipped Fiyero and Elphaba since I was 14. And I'm not going to stop now. I stan them, I loved their chemistry in the movie, I will ship them until the day I die.

The direction on G(a)linda/Elphaba - hella gay. But I didn't quite feel their chemistry, neither friendly nor romantic. It was okay, but didn't blow me away.

IDINA AND KRISTEN???? love love love love my og queens

The movie dragged on. A lot. This is my only really big criticism, unfortunately it's a really important one. I think they could easily have made the whole musical into one 3h long movie, and it would have been much better for the pacing. - there weren't even that many added scenes; and a lot of the additions were pretty good, actually - some were totally unnecessary though. like the guards chasing Elphaba and Glinda and the whole balloon shenanigans? - similarly, many scenes were just unnecessarily stretched out; with the camera staying too long in one place or one moment being dragged out way too long - some of the songs just had slightly longer (like 2 bars?) breakes between the choruses added for no reason

Defying Gravity. This is the same thing as one of the previous comments, but I feel like it deserves its separate mention. The pacing in that scene (or, here, more like a collection of scenes) was extremely off, the song losing all of its momentum by being chopped up into pieces. And the way they made us wait for the iconic vocalization at the end; I honestly thought I'd die of boredom.

Sometimes I felt like the movie couldn't decide if it wanted to be more stage-y and theatrical, and lean into the whole campy vibe, or more cinematic and "naturally" acted; and sometimes it switched weirdly between the two.

There was one single thing that looked way better onscreen than onstage. The Lion cub. In the movie, he looked extremely cute, tiny little adorable darling baby kitten. Way better than the creepy-ass puppet they use in the show.

There were many more tasty little details that I simply couldn't remember/write down, or else I wouldn't have been able to pay any attention to the movie. Once it's available, maybe I'll rewatch and dissect it in more detail (I should also finally watch the 1939 Wizard of Oz, it's a CRIME that I still haven't! I'm sure people who know it well could also see many references in the new Wicked - even I noticed the ruby slippers in Popular, for example!).

Summing up this unnecessarily long rant:

It was not a bad adaptation; although I doubt it will make many people into Wicked fans. At the end of the day, it's clearly a story made for the stage, and even though it was transferred to the big screen fairly well, I think it still belongs in the regular theatre, not the movie one.

[katerinaaqu]

Hehe yeah i guess you could say that it's the timezone that made me finally clarify it after like 5 posts of it, though I genuinely love your analysis posts, idk why but i simply found myself smiling so damn widely whenever i read one of them.

Also another question i just thought (sorry if i have too many questions), i read from some sites that Eurylochus was cowardly and an unpleasant man (also i once read that after Odysseus got his man back after Circe turn them back to normal, Eurylochus insults him, I guess? Then Odysseus was tempted to kill him but the crew hold him back, idk if it's true or not), so with him being second in command, do you think that the crew would treat him differently despite his position as second? Like they would be a bit skeptical of Eurylochus or do they just respect him the same as Odysseus?

Genuinely sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, i am a very curious person.

Hahaha I understand 👍 and I also understand that not everyone wants to write their asks with their username so the adittional questions could be answered with reblogs or comments 😅 hehe I absolutely understand

Oh my that is so kind of you to say. Thank you very much! 🫶

Not at all it is a very good question and not stupid at all so here's what I think;

Like I mentioned before Eurylochus has been named Odysseus's rival in one way and most of the time he is seen opposing Odysseus either because he is scared or because he has had enough with the situation. Yes after Circe's adventure for example Odysseus goes to the beach to inform them on the change of the situation and Eurylochus opposes. He says that if they go then Circe would transform them all to pigs or wolves and lions to guard her palace and then he insults Odysseus by saying:

"And so had (followed) insolent Odysseus and so because of his recklessness they perished"

(Translation by me)

So basically he straight out insults Odysseus in front of everyone and Odysseus indeed had it and he did consider to kill him;

So he spoke and I was seriously considering whether to draw my pointy sword that was hanging from my thick hip and strike him there and then and take his head even if he was my brother in law (lit: kin by marriage) if it weren't of my other companions to restrain me with soft words

(Translation by me)

However I should say it is an unfair characteristic to call him "cowardly" or "unpleasant" all the time given what he has been through in the arduous trip and all and much of what he said was correct and his fears justified although spoken out of disrespect which was also kinda understandable given how tough their situation was.

Now for the main question it is hard to tell. Although I wouldn't go as far as to say they respected him the same as Odysseus. Odysseus was not just their king but he was also someone with so much knowledge talent and on top of that he was known to have direct contact with the gods. Which is why no one ever directly rebelled against him apart from Eurylochus himself or never staged a mutiny against him. I analyze most of it in some other analysis of mine

Odysseus was what kept them going. However Eurylochus does seem to be a character with plenty of influence. Perhaps the fact that he was the closest to Odysseus in terms of being his brother in law or the fact he was a prince himself and so he did have knowledge to rule was definitely the next possible candidate to take over things. However his power of persuasion seems to be the strongest when they all hit their lowest part; when they got desperate or hungry. Eurylochus persuaded them to slay the cows of Helios and he didn't deny to them the possibility of that meaning their death. But he also mentioned how death in the sea seemed quicker and more preferable than dying of hunger. In one way he is an influential figure but no. Once Odysseus takes over there is no doubt who has the most respect amidst their peers.

I hope this answers the question and it is not stupid at all. It is very intriguing and very important for the Odyssey. It shows how someone like Eurylochus openly insults or challenges Odysseus's leadership and why his peers seem to allow it. In fact Eurylochus brings many valid points and his behavior like come on who wouldn't be scared or worried for their safety and the rest of the men after what they had been through? And Eurylochus has stayed till the end in that nasty situation

[samlikesbooks]

kdramas i watched this month and what i think about them :

• hometown cha cha cha : this drama deserves a 5/5 rating for acting, plot, cinematography, script. this is a wonderful, comfort watch. you just cannot have enough of it in one watch. you NEED to rewatch it. (other dramas like this : i'll go to you when the weather is fine, soundtrack #1, welcome to samdalri, midnight romance in hagwon)

• taxi driver 1 : my friend suggested this to me. i love this. first of all let me talk about the female leads. OHMYGOD. this is basically about a taxi organisation who are also a secret organisation to fight crimes. i love the concept. (other dramas to watch if you liked this : a shop for killers, extraordinary attorney woo, wonderful world)

• see you in my 19th life : bro this drama had so much potential but idrk i'd give it a 3/5 maybe for the plot. i loved the acting. but the plot literally had so much potential to be better but it just felt off. (other dramas to watch if you liked this : a time called you, twinkling watermelon, 18 again, seasons of blossom, good day to be a dog, born again, goblin, midnight photo studio, destined with you, while you were sleeping)

• escape of the 7 + resurrection : kim soon-ok (writer) and joo dong-min (dir) slayed as always. like bro i literally felt so empty after watching penthouse. i HAD to watch this. the best thing i love about penthouse and this series is how the portray the characters. they're neither good nor bad. and i love how in the end they choose the ‘good’ side of them. plus, the plot twists had me dying. (other dramas like this : penthouse : war in life, pandora : beneath the paradise, lies hidden in your garden, mouse, born evil, cafe minamdang)

• born again : this drama is an absolute masterpiece. but. yes, BUT. the direction and cinematography was so weak like some of the scenes didn't even make sense. 5/5 for acting, plot. but the script could have been better. i mean honestly the plot is amazing. JUST AMAZING. there hasn't ever been anything like this drama. the actors absolutely devored but the direction bro. it was so ehe :(

• the atypical family : i started watching this because like it was being really popular in social media but i ended up binging it. it was amazing. like so good. this literally tells us why we DON'T need superpowers. like the concept of psychological disorders linked with their superpowers were really an amazing idea.

• hierarchy : wt actual fvck was this??? because i had SO MUCH hopes and excitement for this drama and it ended up being what — a 2/5? maybe. i liked the acting, but it wasn't a mystery drama at all. it was TOO westernised and it was just bland. just straight up bland. like bro a mystery/thriller set in highschool has so much potential to be good. eg : the pyramid game. IT WAS JUST A GOD DAMN MASTERPIECE.

• heartbeat : my blood boils everytime i remember this drama is literally THE MOST underrated drama of all time. if you need a good cry please watch it. it was just — WOW. like wow. i am literally at loss of words. idk. from the starting to the ending it was just WOW.

• midnight romance in hagwon : it is currently an ongoing drama. anyway, this is like one of those comfort dramas one goes to rewatch everytime they're down. it is just so cozy, and cute and amazing. i love it <3

• mouse : this. THIS. this altered my brain chemistry. dude wth was this????? this was just on another level. like after penthouse and escape of the 7, this is something one should definitely watch to fill the void in their heart. i cried so much bro this was so sad, and engaging and sometimes funny at the same time. i went through all the five stages of grief while watching it.

• highschool return of a gangster : this drama was STRAIGHTWASHED. ofc. why would they even show representation???? anyway i watched it because i loved the first episode but i hated the ending man. i hated it.

• hansel and gretel (movie) : literally deserves all the awards. you know what i mean. 5/5 for everything.

• destined with you : started watching it yesterday and im already halfway through. i love this bro. it is so funny ohmygod. and i absolutely love past lives and reincarnation tropes so this is a win-win!!

+ some jmovies i watched :

• monster : ion think i need to say something about this.

• re/member : loved this. 5/5 for everything. i loved the plot, especially how ‘loneliness brings people together to fight against the evil - which is literally their own loneliness’. i wish there was a part 2 of this movie tbh.

• the forbidden play : this shit messed with my head so bad, i literally had nightmares and couldn't sleep. no because this was horrendous. literally wtf???

[scarabiaa]

*tumbles into your asks* HELLO 🥰💗💞 I COME PRESENTING.....

*drum roll*

✨ How I perceive Sol/Ivy x Vil ✨

Sort of as a late bday gift kdnfmdn plus as a ty for all the writing you do and joining in the brainrot 🙏

The Theatre Couple™ but not in a bad way, in the best way possible actually

You talk about projects (shows, plays, movies, etc.) you're currently working on

Both of you learn new stuff from each other all the time I think! Since he's mainly an actor and you're mainly backstage

He asks you to watch him practice lines or asks you to join sometimes! (When he has romantic roles haha—)

Watching stuff together and being critics 🤝

Giving tickets to the other for stuff you're in and being so proud while watching

I think both of you would be like. Kind of like the parents of nrc's film research club. You're the ones who know the most there so everyone looks to you for guidance

I can imagine you being at one of Vil's shows or something then you notice a detail that could've done better if they did something else so you call up whoever is in charge. Then the person is just like "who tf are you" but you're still giving an entire essay on what they did wrong

In my head you're truly like a power couple. You'd rule the entire industry I'm so sure of it

You're not like those couples you see on TV where they're all lovey dovey all the time imo, you more like constantly support each other. You have your lovey dovey moments, yeah, but to me this seems more romantic. A very healthy relationship

Vil always makes sure you're taking care of yourself bc he KNOWS it's not easy to be backstage either

As much as you probably admire Vil for being super successful for someone his age, he admires you just as much. He didn't expect to find someone who clicked with him so well AND who can relate to him too

I just know both of you would look so slay side by side. 100% convinced.

Though I've been rambling about stuff more related to your work, I imagine your time spent together without worrying about anything is way softer <3

He'd love to kiss your forehead and your hand affectionately. It's one of his favorite things

His smile being so soft for you?? And only you get to see it?? And knowing you're the reason why he's smiling???

When you're holding hands, his hands are so soft. They're impossibly soft. And you're the only one who gets to hold his hand like that omg

He gets gifts from people often and if he can share them with you, he does (food. very expensive food from around the world)

He enjoys doing your makeup and stuff and in the end, you look stunning. And he's proud of his work because wow you look absolutely jaw-dropping?? He can't help but give you a kiss

Aaand I hope you enjoyed this 💗💞 Have a great week and know Vil is always proud of whatever you do 💪 (He also wants you to never forget your skincare routine)

BAWLS AND SOBS AND CRIES LOUDLY

LIKE I SAID BEFORE. I HAVE AN ESSAY. I AM RAMBLING. I AM FREE MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHA

no. no dude. they are the Theater Couple, i guarantee it. NO BC the way that she's probably the assistant stage manager at some point (just because she wants to try) and he's playing one of the leads, but they're just. subtle with each other. there are times where he just gently grabs her elbow while he's leaving to go on the OTHER side of the stage bc he knows she has to stay on her side, so it's their little "goodbye for now" AND ITS SO CUTE SINCE ITS IN THE DARK AND ONLY THEY KNOW!! ONLY THEY KNOW!! ohmygod during their breaks, they usually go off on their own and he definitely takes her to his favorite place, where they will talk about what they're working on. he'll go, "I have a featured role--" and she's already preparing to scream for that role when he appears on screen. SHE WANTS TO DIRECT HER OWN MOVIE WITH A SCRIPT SHE'S WRITTEN and he's already prepared to send it to producers that he knows (it's even better bc she demands for him to be the lead) <3

oh god when they practice lines together, she's usually a lil monotone at times (but she is definitely turning pink due to the romance lines AND BC HE USES HIS BLOCKING FOR HER AND IT FEELS SO REAL AND JUST OAIGJEOAIJGOIAJG) anyways, when they watch stuff together, they're both so judgmental it's not even funny. they are the WORST people to see movies with, i stg. she judges every little thing about the lights, sound, directing, sets and he judges every single part about everyone's acting, the directing, the script itself. the one time that they were invited to a film festival to watch new shows that were coming out, the way that he was calm and deadpan but she was making disgusted expressions that just turned her into a meme.

SHE'S HIS BIGGEST FAN, HE'S HER BIGGEST FAN. fun fact, its usually actors that get flowers backstage but vil ? if she's doing anything backstage, he's sending flowers. "send this to ivy, please." "she's working--" and ivy's sobbing in the bg bc he sent her flowers !!! with a note !!! SHE SCREAMS FOR VIL EVERYTIME HE BOWS ONSTAGE, she's lost her voice so many times because how she wants to be the loudest one for him (fans can scream "I LOVE YOU VIL" but she's pulling out a megaphone).

OH GOD THEY REALLY ARE THE PARENTS OF THE FILM STUDIES CLUB. its the way that she teaches everyone backstage and she's the one hanging upside down from 100 feet just to set up a light, while he teaches acting plus directing, while staring at her fondly (always makes sure there are people underneath to catch her if she falls, would probably move so that she falls into his arms). THE DAY SHE SEES SOMEONE MESS UP HIS SHOW, SHE'S CALLING WHOEVER'S THERE AND GOING "who do you think you are, how did you mess up so bad" "who are you and who do YOU think you are" "GIVE ME YOUR SCRIPT I CAN DO IT BETTER"

he definitely takes care of her. it's the way that she's always sore after a concert and sleeping for a while because she doesn't go to sleep until like. 1 in the morning sometimes, which is far past the time she should sleep. he has to get his beauty rest, but he'll always leave out some healthy snacks so that she'll feel refreshed, plus have warm water waiting for her (which, she thinks, definitely means he was up after 11 just for her). THEY BOTH CLICK SO WELL AND IT'S LIKE. they can read each other's minds and when one is forgetting something, the other is immediately behind them with said thing. they are so cute in that regard.

HIS SMILE, WHEN HE SMILES AT HER, SHE LITERALLY HAS TO LOOK AWAY AND FACE THE WALL SO THAT NO ONE CAN SEE IT, IT ALWAYS MAKES HIM LAUGH BC SHE'S USUALLY THE ONE FLIRTING HEAVILY. no no hear me out. backstage, they're waiting in the wings until it's his turn onstage, but everything is dark and they're right next to each other. i guarantee you he always plants a kiss on her forehead, just the smallest one before he gets onstage and she always takes his hand in response, ITS A SOFT AND TINY MOMENT BUT IT SAYS EVERYTHING. it always winds up in her gazing at him softly from the wings as he acts. if any actor asks her or teases her abt vil, she just bonks them.

THEY GIVE EACH OTHER GIFTS CANON, she knows a lot about makeup and skincare products now so whenever she's abroad for a vacation, she'll find new products that could possibly be something he likes and gifts them to him. he'll get her food and they both look through his fanmail. (one of those letters is definitely from her, she snuck it in). OH MY GOD WHEN HE DOES HER MAKEUP its such a quiet and soft moment bc she's usually impatient but when it comes to him she just. sits still the whole time to let him work and it's the cutest thing to see how he watches her as she keeps her eyes closed for him.

EXTRAS BC I CAN AND I LOVE THEM. when they hang out in the green room with the other actors and she's sitting but he's standing near her, she always leans into him. HE ALWAYS PETS HER HAIR SUBCONSCIOUSLY AS HE TALKS TO THE OTHER ACTORS AND ITS ADORABLE. the one time they were hanging out alone in the boys' dressing room as he put the last touches of makeup on, she was leaning backwards in a swivel stool chair to the point where he was afraid of her falling. once, he thought she was and immediately raced to catch her. she wasn't falling but her head landed on his lap as she looked up at him and said, "wow, are you gravity? because i just fell for you" AND HE JUST. HE HAD TO LOOK AWAY WHILE TRYING NOT TO SMILE.

they've definitely got the cutest moments in their plays backstage when they're together, because she'll be in the green room, sitting on the counter and he's always right by her to lean against her. in the wings, OH GOD WHEN SHE'S STRESSED BC OF ANOTHER ACTOR, there was definitely one time where, it was after a transition for the second act, she was just standing there with her arms crossed and looking down--a sign that she wasn't okay--and he just asked what was wrong. when she told him everything and he saw her so close to tears but holding it back, he just hugged her, even though he was supposed to do a costume change.

THIS ALSO APPLIES TO HER WITH HIM, when he hasn't gotten a role he wanted, she knows he's secretly disappointed in himself to which she prepares a self care day for him. facial masks, a good movie, snacks he likes as well as some calming drinks, she does an entire thing for him while saying, "the director is an idiot, he literally can't see talent when it slaps him in the face, someday i'll make a movie to make you the lead" and he always feels better in the end.

tldr: vilivy the most supportive couple of each other and the cutest and i have heavy brainrot for the two of them

[thetoxicgamer]

The Cinderella run isn’t over: EG prove they can go head-to-head with one of the world’s top teams at VCT Masters Tokyo

It's safe to say that the past year has been turbulent for Evil Geniuses. The squad is now demonstrating they can hold their own against some of the finest rosters in the world after going from being one of the most inconsistent VALORANT teams in the Americas League to just making it to VCT Masters Tokyo. In what many are considering a massive upset, VCT America’s third-place squad unseated Korea’s DRX from their group-stage throne on June 12. EG not only slayed the group stage demons, but they did it in 2-0 fashion as well. After their victory over DRX, EG are now the first team at VCT Masters Tokyo to advance out of the group stage and secure a top-eight spot. https://twitter.com/EvilGeniuses/status/1668174942892961793 EG faced heavy criticism throughout the VCT Americas season due to controversial roster changes and strategies. In contrast, DRX were one of the most consistent teams in the entire world throughout the first part of the year. But as we know, VALORANT is a momentum-based game at all levels, and after these two teams had opposite experiences in their regular season leagues, their trajectory is continuing to go in very different directions. While EG have only gotten better over the last month, with them finally starting to gel together and the roster looking like a well-rounded unit, DRX have had noticeable issues that may have cost them the VCT Pacific title. Yet the clash of these two teams seemed to still favor the Korean squad, who have had numerous international appearances and finished as high as third place overall at an international VCT event. DRX have opted to go for the newer version of their roster so far in the tournament, which includes young duelist player Foxy9 instead of veteran Zest. On the side of EG, Demon1 has been helping them to their victories after fears he may not make the tournament at all. While EG ran a standard composition, DRX switched things up and opted for a variation of their Fracture composition that shifts Foxy9 onto Raze and Rb onto Fade. Longtime DRX fans will have noticed a complete shift in strategy on Fracture based on this composition alone. DRX have been winning Pacific League matches by using a Neon-focused composition that absolutely demolishes the defense on this map. Instead of that strategy, the team decided to instead focus much more heavily on utility than speed and force. There were lineups galore, but they didn’t look entirely coordinated with this strategy. EG, on the other hand, looked dialed in. https://twitter.com/ValorantEsports/status/1668150404411174917 Foxy9 wasn’t making an impact on Raze, while on the other side, jawgemo finished the map with a KDA of 22/11. EG won Fracture after DRX were only able to win five rounds. On Ascent, things just got better for EG, and the team put up an incredible map. Demon1 seemed activated and ready to go, getting frags left and right with everything from knives to an Operator. The team moved as a unit and worked together seamlessly, adapting to everything DRX threw at them. EG truly showcased their depth, not only in their roster but also in their pool of strategies. The players are clearly learning and adapting, a key feature of any team slated to make a deep run at an international tournament. https://twitter.com/ValorantEsports/status/1668176965877243905 EG took Ascent 13-10 with a picture-perfect finish from Demon1, and beat DRX 2-0. EG will now get a few days of rest before the playoffs stage of the tournament, which begins on June 16. The team will have to wait to see who their first opponent will be in the playoffs. Read the full article

[monotonous-minutia]

I request a detailed tier list of all the Hoffmann productions you've ever seen 🥺

okay BUCKLE UP

from Best to Worst my absolutely objective ranking of all 48 productions of this opera I've seen. and I am only just now realizing what an insane number of productions I have seen of this opera.

the best

#1. 2009/2015 Metropolitan Opera production (designed & directed by Bartlet Sher my beloved) Hands-down the best. Great vibe, great atmosphere, great casts in both productions, great amounts of gay, and costumes/sets that evoke such a fantastical feel it's like we've actually fallen into some kind of creepy fantasy from ETA Hoffmann's universe! A must see for anyone who loves this opera and a great first production.

#2. 1995 La Scala. The cast is to die for, the costumes and pleasingly straightforward, the sets go smoothly from wacky to eerie at the appropriate times. But most importantly it contains hands-down the absolutely bonkers fantastic amazing GAYEST Hoffmann/Nicklausse team EVER--Neil Shicoff and Susanne Menzter. I lost my fucking mind the first time I watched this one and continue to do so every time I rewatch.

 #3. Munich 2013. Fun and wacky all over with a great cast and excellent amounts of gay. Delightful all the way. Diana Damrau positively slays as the ladies. Rest of the cast is excellent too, no complaints.

#4. Brussels 1985. Surprisingly gay for being so old. A lovely production overall and, as far as I know, the first recorded production of this opera containing the Violin Aria (so possibly the first recorded Oeser edit?) which makes it extra special.

#5. Orange 2000. Two words: Angelika Kirchschlager (okay, four words: The Hair). Production's a bit odd and it is the cursed short edit but it is quite gay and, well, Angelika Kirchschlager. Outdoor stage lends a great atmosphere to the creepy parts. Natalie Dessay reigns supreme as Olympia again.

#6. Hamburg 2021. Very fun (though fairly, and somewhat distractingly, odd at times) production with another to-die-for cast. Very gay. Brower and Bernheim quickly made it to my top 10 (possibly top 5) Hoffmann/Nicklausse pairs. Olga Peretyatko gives fantastic, wonderfully multi-faceted portrayals of all the ladies and Luca Pisaroni is iconic as the villains.

#7. Paris 2002. Not as much a fan of the production, but it makes my top 10 simply because we get Shicoff and Mentzer in these roles again, and you simply cannot beat them. you just can't.

#8. 1970 German film. The costumes and sets for this are very detailed and evocative of the story and the special effects are amazing. There’s a decent amount of added dialogue, especially at the end with the Muse’s speech, so a few story-related liberties taken, though some of them draw from the original play which is interesting. All-around good cast with another dynamic Hoffmann/Nicklausse duo (the way Hoffmann runs offstage calling Nicklausse’s name over and over at the end of the Giulietta act…oh. my. god.)

#9 Zurich 2021. A bit too dark lighting-wise at times (could give Vienna a run for its money) but another fun and eccentric production. No big names but a good cast overall and another wonderfully gay lead pair but the ending has MUCH to be desired. They straight-ified it. Makes no sense. (does not compel me.)

#10. Royal Opera House 1981/2016. A classic. Very gay despite being the abbreviated version. Luscious sets and costumes. Some unfortunate casting in the tenor role but beyond that quite good, and my first production so it’s got a special place in my heart.

the good stuff

#11. Metropolitan Opera 1988. Featuring Adorable Baby Shicoff in yet another delightfully gay performance with an extra sassy (and impeccably dressed) Nicklausse. Olympia’s phenomenal. Some odd bits but a mostly great cast and fun staging make up for it.

#12. Barcelona 2013. Phenomenal cast somewhat dampened by a strange production—does a good job emphasizing the darker parts of the opera, which is a relatively rare (so interesting) take, but a few directorial choices don’t vibe with me at all. Quite gay though and great acting/singing overall.

#13. Vienna 2000. Unfortunately this exists as a highlights-only reel with absolutely terrible image/sound quality but we get Shicoff yet again paired with an equally adorable Kirchschlager in one of the gayest performances on the planet (making their 2005 performance all the more bizarre, but more on that later).

#14. Toronto City Opera 2019. Hoffmann and Nicklausse are such a dynamic duo in this one in the most adorable way. It’s abbreviated even by Choudens standards which is obnoxious but it’s such a cute and fun production it still makes my top 20.

#15. Paris 2016. Same production as the 2002 one so that in and of itself is not my cup of tea but we get a good cast which carries it pretty well.

#16. Las Palmas (?date?) This one is about as close to full-on Oeser as anyone’s tried (except maybe the Genève 2008 one) so it’s remarkable for that. The production is equal parts campy and cool and the cast overall is very good, especially the villains and especially Dapertutto. Chemistry between Hoffmann and the ladies is pretty great. Decently gay. I need Nicklausse’s Act 1 costume immediately.

#17. Macerata 2005. A low-key production with an even mixture of fun and strange. Nicklausse is adorable and off-the-charts gay. Relatively unremarkable besides that.

#18. Orlando 2015. Why, oh why do we not have a full recording of this production?? It currently exists only as a youtube playlist with videos of some of the most important parts and it just looks SO GOOD it makes my top 20 without even having seen the entire thing.

#19. Regina Opera (NYC) 2011. Straightforward and fun and lots of ingenuity for a tiny space. Olympia and Antonia are particularly good. Hoffmann winds up in Nicklausse’s lap at the end. Nuff said.

#20. St. Petersburg (Florida) 2017. Another highlights-only reel but it looks really good and I’m mad we don’t get the rest of it. Refreshingly straightforward sets/costumes and engaging performance.

#21. 1951 film. This movie is so extra. There’s really no other way to describe it. Everyone is gay. The sets are gay. The room is gay. The air is gay. Ironically though Hoffmann and Nicklausse don’t get much gay time together. A lot of Nicklausse’s stuff is cut and I don’t like how they do the ending. The final trio in the Antonia act is fire though (pun intended—watch it and you’ll see).

#22 Miami 2017. Another highlight playlist on youtube. I like the “pour conjurer le danger” in particular. Nothing else terribly exciting though.

#23. Las Palmas 2022: WHY, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2022, ARE WE STILL USING THE CHOUDENS EDIT FOR THIS OPERA?? At least Nicklausse is adorable and Hoffmann has good chemistry with him and the ladies (especially Antonia), but this fun and quirky production is absolutely wasted on the abbreviated edit. Come onnnnnnnn. (Especially after already attempting the Oeser one a few years back???)

decent

#24.  Skanderbeg 2005. Production doesn’t do much for me—looks like it came out of a bad sci-fi movie—and most of the acting isn’t great but it’s got a really cute Hoffmann/Nicklausse dynamic that made it worth the watch. Antonia was pretty good too.

#25.  Parma 1988. Unremarkable but pretty cute and gay.

#26. Avignon 2009. Only the Olympia act is available sadly but from little there is you can tell it’s a really fun and adorable production with good acting and signing all around.

#27. Paris 2000. Same production as the 2003/2016 one but the acting is less compelling except poor Kirchschlager who really does her best but it’s hard to sing to a wall and this Hoffmann is pretty much a wall. Nicklausse does get to slap Hoffmann though which is excellent.

#28. Royal Opera House 2000. Same production as the 1981/2016 one but the acting is overall less captivating.

#29. Beijing 2013. Unremarkable production with okay cast and annoying edit but the chemistry between Hoffmann and Nicklausse?? The Violin Aria blows it out of the park. They practically kiss at the end. It’s glorious.

#30. Buenos Aires 2019. I have a visceral reaction to this one and severe love-hate relationship with it. The edit sucks (no Violin Aria) but the cast is great. The sets are cool but the production/staging is questionable. Individual performances are good but there’s not much chemistry between anyone. And finally, despite the fact that we get next to no chemistry between Hoffmann and Nicklausse (and may I remind you NO VIOLIN ARIA) they decide to have Nicklausse and Hoffmann kiss at the end. I ranted about this for a full day once so I won’t go into any more here. But seriously. Come on.

#31. Met 1973. Super old, terrible sound/picture quality, but iconic thanks to the one, the only Dame Joan Sutherland singing all three heroines (not four, no Giulietta act in this one. It’s a really terrible edit).

questionable

#32. Genève 2008. Weird and downright unpleasant at times. Phenomenally gay but Hoffmann is a total jerk. Villains are quite good but the production takes away from pretty much everything. I’d like the heroines a lot better if it wasn’t for that awful bob cut (and Olympia’s costume…or rather lack thereof…). Giulietta somehow makes the hair work. My favorite edit so far—just wish it had a better production to go with it.

#33 Mexico City 2020. They tried, they really did, to do a Kaye edit but they tripped at the finish line. Also the production is kinda “?” Actors are pretty decent but I can’t get over Dapertutto and Giulietta kidnapping Nicklausse while Hoffmann does nothing. Matching outfits are a win but there’s not much else.

#34 Seoul 2019. Interesting production with good acting. Some really odd directorial choices. Edit is awful.

#35 Monte-Carlo 2018. I hate this one for making Juan Diego Flórez one of my favorite Hoffmanns but giving him a terrible production to work with. We get a nicely devious set of villains and Olga Peretyatko is great as the ladies (thank goodness she gets another shot in the Hamburg one four years later) but I don’t even want to talk about what they do with Nicklausse here.

#36 Lyon 1993. I was hyped for this one, I really was. Reviews kept praising it for the cast (which is great) and the fact it’s the first recording to use the Kaye edit, but…it doesn’t really? The edit is practically unrecognizable; aside from some parts of the orchestration I really couldn’t tell you which edit it was using. The production itself is…wild. Disturbing almost. I have no idea what’s going on, it’s almost like some kind of fever dream.

meh

#37. Moscow 2019. Unremarkable to the point of being forgettable. Odd and not compelling. Stop using Choudens people.

#38. Nagoya 2010. Okay production. Odd at points but Hoffmann is really cute and I do like the Antonia quite a bit.

#39. Hagan 2020. I don’t even know what this is supposed to be. I don’t think the director did either.

awful

#40. Berlin 2015. Edit is atrocious and production is equally bad. Nicklausse is pretty good and some of the Hoffmanns are decent (because, yes, there are multiple performers playing Hoffmann) but it’s just…I don’t even know.

#41. Dutch National Opera 2018. Do you know how much I’d give to see (most of) this cast in a Hoffmann production? One that’s not this one because it’s awful? They try to modernize it but it just doesn’t work at all and they make Nicklausse a girl for the entire show and just. Wow. No thank you. John Osborne and Erwin Schrott deserve so much better.

#42. Madrid 2014. I couldn’t begin to tell you what they are trying to do in this one. Another terrible interpretation of Nicklausse and the rest of the characters don’t seem to know what they are doing. I don’t think anyone working on the show did.

#43. Brussels 2019. You could barely even call this Les contes d’Hoffmann because of all the ridiculous stuff they add to make it something it really is not. The production is just plain confusing. Is it the opera? Is it a movie? Is it them trying to film the movie? There’s no consistent reality. They throw the gay out the window here too with another girl Nicklausse. And Hoffmann is quite a piece of work himself.

#44. Salzburg 2005. Another monstrosity that attempts to un-gay the opera and totally demolishes the Hoffmann/Nicklausse dynamic. I can’t believe this is actually McVicar. Why would a gay opera director decide to direct one of the gayest operas ever only to mutilate it to this extent.

#45. Antwerp 2000. Same production as above so same level of terribleness.

#46. Klostenberg 2019. What. Just what. I can’t even.

#47. Bregenzer Festspiele 2015. I’m convinced everyone working on this was high on shrooms while they made it because I can’t think of any other explanation for how bizarre it is.

#48. Mexico City 1987. Didn’t even watch this one because Nicklausse is a tenor which is an unforgiveable sin.

and there you have it! Now I just need to watch two more to make it an even 50!

thank you for letting me rant about this opera yet again:) I never get tired of it!

[dumbduckfan]

👖Dating (an idiot) Philip Trousers headcanons👖

A/n: Yeah I'm doing this...

Gonna do Pam-I-am next 😳 Btw, the reader is GN

Warning: Suggestive content

-------------------------------------------------

- Oh boy.

- Too confident.

- Narcissistic.

- Narcissistic as hell.

- Don't be surprised with a thousand questions per minute saying "How's my hair?" or "Isn't my suit wrinkled?" And a lot more.

- He literally won't leave the house without making sure everything he wears looks phenomenal.

- He's a complete idiot, so you are a thinking person in this relationship.

- He's still a handsome idiot.

- With this man, there is no way that wherever you go you will not be fashionable.

- "Bye Phil, I'm leaving for a mission!"

"Not dressed like that you aren't (y/n)!"

* Literally 1 hour later *

"Better?"

"Yes Bitch slay!"

- Of course, he realizes that you have a need to wear other, more average clothes, and he will not judge.

- Nah, of course he will judge.

- It seems to me that despite the demanding work of a spy, Philip can find a lot of free time, which means that you don't have to wait for weeks to see him.

- Sometimes he is extremely flirty on missions, which usually leads to the need to take him to some private place (And u know). Even though work obliges, but whatever Philip wants, Philip gets. Even if the mission has to wait.

- Of course, he doesn't care how you cover the marks on your neck later. The only thing that worries him is the condition of his hairstyle or clothes.

- But be careful, sometimes when you flirt back he may not get it and the whole atmosphere goes to hell.

- Okay, hear me out. He doesn't like ANYONE but himself touching his hair. But there are exceptions when he wants you to get your fingers tangled in his lush hairstyle.

- Kisses... they just are. Usually, instead of short ones, he prefers long and passionate ones.

- *ahem* Make out sessions *ahem*

- Not a huggy type. It's just not his thing.

- But he won't hesitate to rest his arm on your hip or shoulder.

- In fact, he often has his hand on your hip.

- Kissing your hands all the time. ALL THE TIME.

- You know, you're his darling. You are his man/woman. He has to show that he is a gentleman.

- His best line: 'You're almost as handsome/ pretty as I am.'

- Okay, okay... he won't make you do anything, but I'm 100% sure that he would be more than willing to invite you to a bath together.

- Wine (or some fancy drinks), atmosphere, that's all he needs.

- Showing you off strangely often. I mean, he'll still talk about his looks, but he's proud to have you anyway.

- You calling him handsome is absolute music to his ears. Especially when you are alone.

- He's used to being called Phil by you. When you use Philip you are either angry or... in the mood.

- A fancy and exclusive restaurant is the best place for him to take you on a date.

- I have a feeling that he has a lot of complexes which he masks with self-compliments.

- You are kind of his mental support. Not that anything is wrong with his health, but even someone like him needs to talk sometimes.

- Maybe not often, but he can be delightfully clumsy.

- He's so ducking iconic so he can't be changed.

- When you talk to him, you must be clear and direct. Try to avoid metaphors.

"It will be a piece of cake"

"What cake?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"So... no cake?"

- Due to his character, quarrels between you happen.

- He won't admit that easily if he did something wrong.

- In the end he'll say a short 'I'm sorry', of course violating his pride.

- He doesn't like to see when you're sad.

- I don't think he's particularly good at comforting, but he'll try for sure.

- In the early stages of a relationship, it will

be very awkward. Only with time does he come to it more confidently.

- She usually does it with a soft smile. He sees no reason why he should have a sad expression, for him that could only make it worse.

- He calls you by your name most of the time. He also uses 'Sugar' sometimes.

- Quietly judging people is the best you can do together. Standing to the side and mocking quietly won't hurt either.

- "Oh my, have you seen that dress?"

"At this point, I wish I could unsee it"

- Try to wake this man up I dare u.

- Either he just ignores you or he'll ask for a little moment.

- There's also a chance he'll pull you under the covers next to him, and you'll spend the next hour cuddling up to him.

- Showing off to you. Usually it doesn't lead to anything good.

- You literally have a notebook where you write down how many times you saved each other's ass.

- When there's a moment when he doesn't act selfish, enjoy it.

- Now watch your private spy in action. He loves to receive praise.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

the grand santa fe barbiere di siviglia write up:

this show was pure. fucking. GOLD.

i just HAVE to give y’all the play by play because it was pure gold.

so:

-the overture was mostly unstaged. what do i mean by mostly?

well, the opera started with this:

yes, that is a mustache made out of greenery, complete with LED oranges.

about halfway through the overture, an enormous bust of Rossini emerged from beneath the stage and then slid forward until it perfectly matched up with the mustache. the audience loved it, and rightly so.

-the basic conceit of the production was “18th century but with modern touches”, which is often a struggle to pull off but this production (directed by Stephen Barlow) did it incredibly masterfully.

-Fiorello was great and also incredibly cute.

-he was dressed in a classic 18th century look but walked on with a GAP bag, which made the audience lose it.

-the musicians were a full-on mariachi band, which was hilarious especially given that Rossini’s orchestration there does not sound like a mariachi band.

-Almaviva walked on in 18th century costume, took the GAP bag, and quickly changed to look like a student at the “University of Sevilla”.

-one of the mariachi dudes conducted using the little straw thing from a Starbucks coffee cup

-the chorus gave 120%

-they did a fuckin KICKLINE

-Berta took the trash out before Figaro’s entrance, went “Che?”, and then went back into the house

-i should also mention that the house was made out of the bust of Rossini: the front door was where his mouth should be and the eyes were the windows

-“Largo al factotum” was CHEF’S FUCKIN KISS

-for one thing Joshua Hopkins is brilliant

-Figaro had six assistants

-each one of them gave a haircut to a toreador

-the repeated “Figaro” cries were sung individually by the assistants instead of by Figaro, which became hilarious when he started to continue the “Figaro”s but instead turned back to the last assistant and cried “Bravo!”

-also Figaro broke the fourth wall and started conducting for a bit

-at the end, the assistants held up what seemed to be mirrors but when turned around were actually signs that spelled “FIGARO”

-the mustache was a source of much physical comedy, ridiculous attempts at hiding/blending in, etc

-Berta had a heart box of chocolates. Bartolo threw it out but Figaro ate some of the chocolates before deciding he didn’t like them and putting them back with the trash.

-Almaviva offered (and later gave) Figaro an entire suitcase of cash

-Figaro and Almaviva practiced soldier and drunken soldier moves during their duet

-the audience loved them so much that everyone started clapping halfway through their duet

-also Almaviva had golden retriever energy and was fuckin fantastic

-anyway

-they were great

-the house had an elaborate cage like structure with a huge swing on it

-this Rosina SLAYED

-Basilio had an Orange brand computer and cellphone, which was objectively hilarious

-also this Basilio was absolutely fantastic

-INSANE range

-“La calunnia” was essentially “Basilio teaches Bartolo about how modern technology works”

-at one point, Bartolo started trying to write on the laptop with a quill and ink, which was hilarious

-Bartolo learning about (and loving) modern technology was great

-also i have to say this Bartolo just about stole the show

-he was fuckin GOLD

-think the amount of comedy Jonathan Groff produced in Hamilton

-then multiply that by a hundred

-Rosina and Figaro had ultimate BROTP energy, which is EXACTLY as it should be

-their chemistry was perfect

-Bartolo’s aria was fucking PERFECTION INCARNATE

-he got SWEATBANDS and a YOGA MAT and spent most of the aria doing what could only be described as “calisthenics” while delivering perfect patter

-then Berta walked in and gave Rosina some sort of drug to give to Bartolo that caused him to do the bass claw (iykyk) and then have a problem where he could not sit in a chair without sliding out and then Rosina was panicking

-(btw, pretty much NO ONE could sit in a chair correctly…if you know, you know)

-Berta was perfection btw

-had the perfect “wtf???” reaction always

-also she kept chatting with someone into a rotary phone

-while Drunk Soldier Almaviva and Bartolo were talking in the street, a random po-po walked by and they had to act natural, which was hilarious

-Bartolo took Berta’s duster and tried to use it as a weapon against Almaviva, but Almaviva pulled a gun on him

-BASILIO CAME IN WEARING BEATS

-the physical comedy was IMMACULATE

-the “we’re all like statues” scene was fucking HILARIOUS, especially when Figaro decided to use his handkerchief to slowly dust off Bartolo’s legs

-also props to the chorister who fanned (a fainted) Rosina perfectly in time with the music

-the Act I finale was INCREDIBLE.

and then there was intermission and i didn’t think the show could get any funnier.

i.

was.

WRONG.

-the swing was replaced with Rosina in a bubble bath.

-Bartolo just continued to be chef’s kiss.

-this next part just might have been the funniest fucking part of the entire show

-for the music teacher disguise they disguised Almaviva as

-wait for it

-a Mormon missionary music teacher.

-y’know, the way they’re depicted in everything I’ve ever seen about The Book of Mormon.

-same outfit.

-Almaviva walked in with golden retriever energy

-and the entire audience LOST ITS SHIT.

-and then Almaviva proceeded to give Bartolo several copies in increasing size of the Book of Mormon.

-I FUCKING DIED

-Rosina was dressed like an old Hollywood star for most of Act II and I WANT THAT COSTUME SO BADLY

-“Contro un cor” and all surrounding hijinks RULED

-Bartolo deliberately sang nearly all his song afterwards flat and with plenty of physical comedy

-the crash scene was amazing because immediately after the crash, Figaro walked back onstage holding a box labeled “crash box” and proceeded to shake it until it made crashing noises again

-the other principals wore masks during the scene where they’re gaslighting Basilio into thinking he’s sick

-also they were all giving him doctor examinations in time with the music

-SEVERAL GUYS WITH HAZMAT SUITS CAME TO TAKE BASILIO AWAY ON A STRETCHER

-but first the other principals wheeled him around and gave him grapes and did a little dance number around the stretcher

-Bartolo blew a bunch of shaving cream into the air at one point

-also only half his face got shaved

-Berta’s aria was AWESOME

-about halfway through, four guys in tuxes came on and suddenly we’re in an old Hollywood dance number Rossini-style

-they whipped off her 18th century maid costume in one of the fastest onstage changes i’ve ever seen to reveal a 1930s look, and the audience cheered

-one of the guys threw her a rose bouquet at the end

-the storm featured a guy pretending to get blown away

-also Almaviva and Figaro getting increasingly tall ladders in several quick on-offs

-Figaro got so annoyed with Rosina and Almaviva’s lovey-dovey stuff that he just straight up LEFT

-only to come back in when he realized they were in trouble

-the wedding scene (and Bartolo’s reactions): perfection.

-the mariachi band came back for Almaviva’s last aria and the end

-Rosina got wheeled around on a suitcase cart at the end

-and at the VERY end, the mustache disappeared so the ending looked more or less like this:

-tbh this likely wasn’t even the half of all the SHENANIGANS

-but yeah

-this production was ICONIC

-and of course all the performers were iconic

-Kevin Burdette (Dr. Bartolo) I am officially in love with you

-actually I’m in love with everyone in this

-couldn’t have asked for a better first trip to the santa fe opera ❤️❤️❤️

[mono-blogs-art]

SOLVED VERSION BELOW!

Full spoilers ahead! (we got a bingo ... kind of???)

here are some notes! (keep in mind that my JP is really bad so it's possible I missed a lot here, so this isn't necessarily the final version)

song from a previous play reprise but differently: yes, this happens a lot actually, and I loved all the throwbacks and new versions!!

Kukugumi post-HS scene: no, all of it takes place before up until the day of graduation (though maybe i missed some of the context cuz they jump around in time a lot)

Momoyo Solo Slay: #MOMOYOSOLOSLAY SO REAL. LITERALLY THE REALEST OF IT ALL SHE SERVED IT ALL A FULL FEAST

someone confesses but chickens out last second: nope, though that one MYKR scene gave me some vibes, but unless I have a clear translation I won't count it

Karen loses a revue: no, by God, the exact opposite of this happens lmao. #KARENSWEEP

Maya loses a revue: our first "yes, technically"! Maya is on the "losing" side of the Climax revue so I'm kinda counting this one.

video message: doesn't happen (though I wish it did, Koharu&Suzu would have been cute!)

Souda-sensei cries: ok, this one is admittedly a stretch. But she gets very emotional a few times, even more than usual, and although no one acknowledges it, I am going to say that it's a valid interpretation. Half points, I guess

Gekijouban parallel: yes. Like, so so many. I guess you could say Climax is the real "gekijouban" of the stageplay-verse. There are a lot of parallels but the execution is very different. I loved it!!!

HUG: in my dreams.

Junna unhinged moment: this was free space; this is just what happens when you put Sato Hinata on a stage.

parental pressure angst: to my (lousy) jp knowledge, this doesn't come up in conversation at all. (to be confirmed later)

you cried: i sure did!

AkiMichi & KareHika parallels: YES. THEY EVEN HAVE MICHIRU SING A MELANCHOLIC SOLO ABOUT IT MY GOD.

Claudine therapist moment: Yes! I was so happy about this. One of my favourite scenes. Claudine consoles Futaba.

KareHika flashback moments: they show some scenes of them from the anime on screen, so I'm counting it (still a stretch though)

AkiHisa duet: didn't happen, Akira and Hisame were on very different lanes in this one. And I kind of didn't mind, it felt very natural. Akira should be the funnyman more (insert joke about Edelight here)

2+ hour length: nope, it was 90 minutes long.

perform off-stage: didn't happen in the stageplay part.

Mahiru wins a revue: *sigh* alright, you guys win. I predicted this one wrong, very wrong, and I was sooooo convinced it was her time but it wasn't. She won some fights, but not overall, as there was only 1 sole winner of the entire revue this time, not a bunch of smaller revues.

Junna VS Hisame revue: another "technically yes" as they were on opposing sides of a large group revue, but didn't really go 1v1. Half points. Still predicted a totally wrong direction tho lol

B-gumi appreciation song: Nope, B-gumi was almost entirely absent from the play (as their B-gumi characters), but many of the B-gumi actors AKA the Starlight Ensemble played a bunch of different, more important side characters, which I loved!!!!! They're all such good performers!!!!!!!!!

KISS: in my dreams, always and forever, I'm never giving up

FutaKao least angsty divorce: I was surprised that this wasn't the case, though it was still quite mild, there was just a lot of Futaba angst because she was a more central character this time. The award for the least angsty divorce this time goes to, and absolutely no one expected this: JUNNANA, OF ALL PAIRS ?

a capella song: Maya sings part of a song completely without any music. It's just partly, but it was unexpected enough that I'm giving myself a full point here lol. Also ofc #MahoSlay

it's #4 Climax week so here's my totally serious predictions (also feat. suggestions by the besties @transimailisa & @flibbityflob) (i will never give up on the possibility of an on-stage kiss)

please feel free to share your own predictions !!!

[herinsectreflection]

I Don't Sleep on Bed of Bones: The Slayer as a Killer Across the Seasons

A pretty constant question throughout Buffy's arc - arguably the central question of the entire show, that Buffy must answer, is "what is a slayer? What does being The Vampire Slayer mean?". And a major part of that is the question of whether a slayer is just a killer. It's a question central to S5, but ripples throughout the rest of the show too, with some of the most iconic scenes in the show in converstion with each other around it. Inspired by an ask I received about this from @potterkid, I took a look at how this idea develops and resolves itself over the course of the show.

In S1, being the Slayer means accepting responsibility. It's metaphor for growing up - a metaphor that recurs throughout the show along with other ideas, but is strongest in S1. Buffy is torn between her teenage/human wants and her adult/supernatural responsibilities. She accepts her mortality and her duty (fighting the Master), and wins when she manages to integrate that with her personal desires (fighting the Master in a kickass prom dress with her friends and boyfriend). There's some stuff around the classic superhero idea that being around the hero is dangerous -e.g. in Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, but not much on the idea of a Slayer being a killer exactly.

In S2, being the Slayer means making hard choices. It means accepting that sometimes all your options are bad ones, but choosing one anyway, even at personal cost. This is introduced through Ford's story in Lie to Me, with Buffy's words to him forming one of the core thesis statements of the show ("You have a choice. You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice."), and it's climaxed beautifully in the tragic ending of Becoming. There's not much direct allusion to the idea of Buffy being a killer here, but this is a vital moment in that discussion. Ultimately, Buffy does make the decision here to kill Angel - not to slay Angelus, but to kill him. To take the life of her ensouled lover in order to save others. It's kind of the opposite of the decision that Ford makes - the best of two bad choices. It's the classic trolley problem, and Buffy's hand is on the lever by design - she has to make that choice because she's the Slayer. We will see this moment returned to again and again as this Slayer-vs-Killer theme develops.

Also, Ted is a very important episode for later. Buffy herself feels guilty specifically because she used her slayer powers on what she thinks is a regular human, and therefore killed him. Specifically, being the Slayer made her a Killer. It's also notable that this is where the idea of Buffy having a free reign to kill is first introduced - by Buffy's original shadow self in Cordelia no less.

Cordelia: I don't get it. Buffy's the Slayer. Shouldn't she have... Xander: What, a license to kill? Cordelia: Well, not for fun. But she's like this superman. Shouldn't there be different rules for her? - 2x12 Ted This isn't explored massively here but will be revisited again and again going forward.

S3 is where this theme really comes into focus. Faith enters as Buffy's shadow self and a representation of hedonism. How that manifests is as a Slayer who gives herself a license to Kill. She posits the idea that as slayers, they can and should decide who lives and dies.

Faith: Something made us different. We're warriors. We're built to kill. Buffy: To kill demons! But it does not mean that we get to pass judgment on people like we're better than everybody else! Faith: We are better! - 3x15 Consequences

Obviously, this is something that Buffy has to reckon with and fight against. But there is a glimmer of truth here, because at the end of S2, she does take the power of life and death into her own hands. She is faced with the choice between Angel and the world and decides that Angel should die. She had to, that's the position she has to be in because she is the Slayer. She has to be a Killer because she is a Slayer. So the two are intertwined.

More than this, Faith is someone who at least appears to revel in the kill. Up until now, we hadn't really seen Buffy enjoy being a slayer, but Faith does. Buffy is genuinely drawn to that, to slaying for pleasure. The equation of slaying/killing and sex for Buffy is first explicitly drawn by Faith in this season. ("Isn't it crazy how slaying always makes you hungry and horny?"). Slayers are very much like vampires in that respect, blurring the line between sex and death. In general, Faith introduces the idea that Buffy is drawn to killing - not just to protect people (the ideal of a Slayer), but for its own benefit. That's something that Buffy continues to struggle with going forward.

I have said before that Faith in S3 is an echo of Angel in S2, both in Buffy's relationship to them both and how that shifts mid-season, and in how it ends. In Graduation Day, Buffy again is given the power of life and death. This time, it's more personal - she can stop Angel dying by killing Faith. It's not such a straightforward (for want of a better word) decision as Angel .vs. the literal entire world, it's just the value of one life against the other. Another trolley problem, and it's not an easy choice, but it's still a choice. Just as she chose the lesser evil in killing Angel in S2, she kills the person filling the Angel role in S3. And this time, the choice is explicitly tied to the idea of being a Killer. Faith is set up as the person that Buffy could be in a slightly different world, and that person is a Killer, as Faith herself claims.

"What are you gonna do, B? Kill me? You become me. You're not ready for that, yet." - Faith Lehane, 3x17 Enemies

"You did it, B. You killed me." - Faith Lehane, 3x22 Graduation Day

In the act of choosing to pull the lever, Buffy has to kill. In the act of killing, she has become her dark mirror. In the act of defeating/becoming Faith, she becomes again the sole Slayer. Being a killer and a Slayer again intertwined. It's interesting here that she then makes the decision to feed herself to Angel. She unravels the trolley problem by throwing herself on the tracks. It's fascinating that between the dual trolley-problem finales of Becoming and The Gift, where in the first Buffy chooses to pull the lever, and in the latter she refuses and chooses a third option, Graduation Day exists in the middle as a stepping stone where she kind of does both.

The bulk of S4 is a little lighter on this theme, instead examining The Slayer as a role that must be juggled amongst a series of competing roles as Buffy's life as an adult becomes more fractured. There are flavours of it in Fear Itself, where Buffy fears that her friends will leave and her destiny lies with death and the dead, but otherwise not too much jumps out at me. Except, of course, for Restless, which is so heavy with this theme. It's one of the many reasons why I kind of consider Restless an honourary part of S5, as it's setting up the themes and arcs of S5 as much as it's wrapping up the like from S4.

RILEY: Hey there, killer.

BUFFY: We're not demons. ADAM: Is that a fact?

RILEY: Thought you were looking for your friends. Okay, killer...

TARA: I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound. I am destruction. Absolute ... alone. BUFFY: The Slayer. FIRST SLAYER: No friends! Just the kill.

OK, so SO much to unpack here. This is all within the under-10-minute sequence of Buffy's dream, and in that sequence she constantly shows a fear that she is in fact a "killer". It's clearly strong in her mind. Riley calls her "killer" multiple times, and Adam equates her with him, and with demonhood. I also find it very interesting how she responds to Tara's words, which are very literally describing the act of kiling ("the action of death...the blood cry...the penetrating wound"). She hears that and immediately identifies her as the Slayer, so slayerhood and killing are clearly bound up together in her mind.

Central to her concerns is the dichotomy between friendship and death. This was built up in Fear Itself, and it's central here. Riley and Sineya both frame it as a choice, between friendship and "the kill". This is a fear that Buffy has already, since S1, that her Slayer life will stop her ability to have a "normal" life of friends and family, but it also sets up her arc in S5 nicely. She chooses her friends over becoming a pure instrument of death in Restless, but that does not resolve her ongoing fears. They existed before and continue to dwell even more strongly in her mind, with words that both Sineya and Dracula repeat.

"You think you know ... what's to come ... what you are. You haven't even begun."

This sets the stage for S5, and her arc of choosing between family and being the Slayer. Friendship and family are presented as more of less one and the same a few episodes later in Family, and the choice Buffy is faced with in S5 is another trolley problem - the life of Dawn against the world. This time, it's more specifically tied to the Slayer/Killer dichotomy through the prophecy that Buffy is faced with ("Death is your gift"). This frames the similar choices she faced in Becoming and Graduation Day in the same light, with Buffy even specifically comparing this to the former.

BUFFY: I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew ... what was right. I don't have that any more. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that... I just wish my mom was here. The spirit guide told me that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all. - 5x22 The Gift

S5 is soaked in this Killer-vs-Slayer idea, and that's part of why I love it so much. It opens with Buffy having gained an appreciation of killing. She goes out not to patrol, but to hunt. To revel in the enjoyment of the kill, just as Faith did. There's also a constant theme of people identifying Buffy as a Killer. Importantly, it's a theme of her believing them. She knows that there is a kernel of truth there, and it develops from a subconcious worry in Restless to a more concrete fear in Intervention, where Buffy explicitly says that she is afraid that being the Slayer means losing her humanity and ability to love, and become nothing more than a "killer". Eventually, Buffy is so ground down by it that when The Gift rolls around, she simply accepts that the Slayer is "just a killer" as an inevitability.

BUFFY: Yeah, I prefer the term slayer. You know, killer just sounds so... DRACULA: Naked? - 5x01 Buffy vs Dracula

SPIKE: Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. - 5x07 Fool for Love

FIRST SLAYER: Death is your gift. - 5x18 Intervention

I also like the way that Joyce is repeatedly linked to this idea. Buffy's response to Sineya points to Joyce's death as a rebuttal to the idea of death being a gift ("Death is not a gift. My mother just died. I know this."). Buffy talks about Joyce just before accepting that "a slayer is a killer" in The Gift. Spike's speech about Slayer's having a death wish comes immediately before Buffy finds out that Joyce is going into hospital. The idea of the Slayer as an instrument of death, killing every day, is juxtaposed against the mundane horror of what death is really like, as demonstrated in The Body. As the Slayer, Buffy must cause death, but this is what death looks like. It's hard and painful and mortal and stupid. Eventually Buffy reaches a point where she just can't do this anymore. She can't live in a world where she must choose to be a killer, because she understands death more now than ever.

It's here that the show explicitly connects the ideas of utilitarianism and being a killer. Buffy says that killing Dawn to save the world (and by association killing Angel to save the world, or killing Faith to save Angel), would make the Slayer "just a killer". This goes back to S3, and Faith arguing that the death of one innocent was washed out by the many people that they save, and that being Slayers gives them the right to make that calculation. Tara points to Giles in this episode, the voice of utilitarianism, and identifies him as a killer. Giles himself identifies himself as one when he kills Ben, and here draws a line between being a utilitarian/killer, and being a hero.

BEN: Need a ... a minute. She could've killed me. GILES: No she couldn't. Never. ... She's a hero, you see. She's not like us.

Some people criticise the moral absolutism of this, and could very justifiably argue that killing Ben, or even killing Dawn, would be the most moral thing in this situation. Who are we to say that Dawn's life is more valuable than the lives of a thousand other 14 year old girls, with families of their own that love them just as much as Buffy loves Dawn? But within the context of the show, I think it makes sense for them to reject utilitarianism. Buffy is a Sisyphean story. There will always be another apocalypse after this one is stopped. There will always be another impossible choice with innocent lives in the balance. Through that lens, the idea of "killing one to save a thousand" becomes meaningless, because there's a thousand apocalypses, and if you kill one to stop them all, then you've killed a thousand. That's how Buffy feels - she killed Angel, she killed Faith, now she has to kill Dawn? Where does it end? Eventually it all just gets stripped away, so what's the point? There's no winning move here. The only way to break the cycle is to change the game.

We should also keep in mind Buffy's words at the start of the episode. She fears that the Slayer is "just a killer", but she is also identified by the guy she saves in the alley in the opening scene as "just a girl". And Buffy agrees ("That's what I keep saying."). Buffy is The Vampire Slayer, which dictates that she must make these impossible choices, but she's also Buffy, which means she is a human being with the power of free will. She gets a choice - not a good choice, but a choice. As a human being, she can reject the options in front of her and find a third way. She can transform the whole game, and turn "Death is your gift" into an empowering statement. This was heavily foreshadowed of course - the Guide in Intervention outright stated that Buffy was full of love, and that "love will bring [her] to [her] gift". But it takes Buffy working through these fears and emotions and realising that she simply can't take Dawn's life. She chooses a new way. She avoids being a killer by rejecting utilitarian ethics. To paraphrase The Last Jedi, she wins by saving what she loves. Ultimately, she's not a killer, but a girl, a friend, a sister, a Slayer - a hero.

So season five is very much the climax and resolution of this theme. Very few themes ever disappear entirely from this show though, and this one continues to echo throughout the show. In S6, Buffy again fears she is slipping into darkness. That there is some kind of darkness that is innate within her. But where in S5 this was a fear that she recoiled from but at times seemed inevitable, in S6 it is something that she is drawn towards, that disgusts her but that she takes a kind of comfort in, because it's easier than facing the mundane reality of her depression.

This yearning for her own darkness takes the physical form of Spike, who she uses for what is basically sexual self-harm. Spike steps into Faith's role as Buffy's shadow self for much of the later seasons, and , and like Faith he represents killing as hedonism, and as sex. There's no vampire who so aggressively blurs the lines of sex and death/violence as Spike. Her fear that killing is part of her nature, and her fear of her own sexual desire, are very much one and the same. When she breaks down in Dead Things, she talks about the darkness within her, and of her shame over her own sexuality.

Spike also repeats Faith's utilitarian justifications from Consequences in the episode which forms the climax of Buffy's self-destruction, Dead Things. When Buffy attempts to metaphorically commit suicide by turning herself into the police, she does it while constantly identifying herself as a killed. She repeats some variation on "I killed her" four times in just two scenes. She wants to be punished for being a killer, and not protected for being the slayer. She has grappled with this several times, and is still resolute that being the slayer does not give her a license to kill, but this time she is desperate to be seen as a killer, to give justification for her own self-hatred.

The final way S6 explores this idea is with Willow. When she is after Warren, Buffy tries to stop her, not for Warren's sake but for Willow's. She knows that taking a life changes a person, and implicitly draws on the first time she chose to take a human's life, the moment she "became a killer" on that rooftop with Faith.

Buffy (re: going to kill Faith): I can't play kid games anymore. This is how she wants it. Xander: I just don't want to lose you. Buffy: I won't get hurt. Xander: That's not what I mean. - 3x21 Graduation Day

XANDER: She should be coming down at some point, shouldn't she? I mean, back there she was out of her head ... running on grief and magicks. BUFFY: Doesn't matter . Willow just killed someone. Killing people changes you. Believe me, I know. - 6x21 Two to Go Killing Warren might have been justified given what a complete piece of shit he was - just as killing Angel was justified, just as killing Faith was, just as killing Ben was. That doesn't matter, because Buffy still recognises that the act of killing leaves permanent psychological scars, which she is still bearing.

In S7, we get the final major exploration of the "does the Slayer have a right to kill" idea in Selfless. Here, Buffy seems to have reached the conclusion that Cordelia, Faith and Spike (all her shadow selves) were right, and she does, in fact, have the right to pass judgment because she's the Slayer, when she decides she has to kill Anya.

"It is always different! It's always complicated. And at some point, someone has to draw the line, and that is always going to be me. You get down on me for cutting myself off, but in the end the slayer is always cut off. There's no mystical guidebook. No all-knowing council. Human rules don't apply. There's only me. I am the law." - 7x05 Selfless

However, I don't think the show wants us to take this as gospel. Buffy is conclusively proved wrong in this episode, since killing Anya doesn't work, and it's Willow who finds a third option that saves the day. In S7, the idea of the Slayer-as-Killer is more an incidental theme, while the central exploration is the idea of "one girl in all the world". It explores the nature of that tragedy, that Buffy is by definition alone. Because of this, she necessarily must be a killer. She does have to pass judgement, because there is nobody else capable of it. She has to be the one to hunt and kill vampires. She has to face the choice to kill Angel, to kill Faith, to kill Dawn, to kill Anya.

This is where the theme ends up - as a tragic inevitability. Buffy must always make that choice. Making the selfless choice to kill her boyfriend doesn't stop it. Avoiding the choice and dying herself doesn't even stop it. That boulder just rolls down the hill again and again, and Buffy is the only one who can push it back up. The Slayer is a killer because the Slayer is alone. So the only way to break that cycle is for the Slayer to no longer be alone. There are still elements of The Slayer, and of Buffy as a person, that are linked to death and killing, but she has mostly made peace with those parts, and now can be free of having to be "the law" too.

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

Okay since I’m not satisfied reblogging the recap as is since the older ones weren’t as good, I’ll just paste it here but with some edits to include more direct quotes and stuff

This is one of my favorite days for Quackity’s character

---

RECAP: December 6, 2020

- HBomb hosts Niki and Wilbur’s L’Cast

- Fundy continues work on the chess board

- Ranboo is leaving a book with messages to communicate with Tommy

- Fundy and Ranboo visit Tommy and help him through the Nether to find blaze rods. Fundy fills Tommy in on the fact that Dream is officially recognizing L’manburg as a country.

- Tommy falls in lava and loses all his stuff

- Then he burns to death

- Then he falls in lava and loses all his stuff again

- He FINALLY gets an ender chest

- Lazar asks him for help since he’d fallen in lava and needed help getting out. As Tommy does so, Lazar questions why Tommy hasn’t turned against L’manburg. Tommy says it’s because Tubbo is there, but Lazar points out that Tubbo was the one who exiled him.

- Ghostbur comes on and says he has a gift.

- Tommy attempts to rescue Lazar from the depths of the lava pit. Techno starts arguing with him.

- Tommy falls in lava and loses all his stuff again. He gives up on helping Lazar, who is understandably annoyed at him.

- Philza joins the call wondering wtf is happening and why Tommy keeps dying, but Tommy just ends stream

- Psyche! Ghostbur asks Tommy to return to Logstedshire so he dies in lava to fast-travel back. Ghostbur gives Tommy a lodestone compass named “Your Tubbo” that points back to L’manburg at all times. Tommy puts the compass in his ender chest right next to the discs, saying he’ll keep it close to his heart.

- Thunder’s frustrated that Tommy got exiled exiled because the Prank War he was setting up between Dream and Tommy can no longer happen and Thunder’s great villain arc has been cancelled - he is no longer a villain now.

- Now, he wants to do the clay prank to George instead to try and get Dream and George to turn on each other as revenge for Dream burning his house.

- Puffy builds Tommy a second Christmas Tree.

- Quackity declares war on the Dream SMP from Mexican L’manburg. He gets George, Sapnap and Karl on to help. He’s rigged TNT under Eret’s castle bridge and wants to invoke the same ideas as the Mexican Revolution. He wants to put M.L. on the map by staging an assassination and using George’s dethronement as an excuse to start a political movement.

- Sapnap wants to take on Technoblade but Quackity tells him that they have to take things step by step and that it’s an extremely bad idea to do it now.

- Eret asks Hbomb to be one of his knights. HBomb agrees.

- George wants his kingship back

The explosion goes to plan with H and Puffy as witnesses.

— —

CANON DEATH: KARL

Cause: Death by explosion and falling

— —

- George distracts Eret while Quackity, Sapnap and Karl steal his throne. Punz joins Eret’s side as one of his other knights.

- The M.L. side reconvenes in L’manburg and drink invisibility potions. Dream is in Mexican L’manburg. He is tearing the dirt to shreds. Meanwhile, Eret gives a speech to his Knights as they head to Party Island. Dream, alone, is invisible in Boomerville.

- Sapnap gets Dream to log (he says it’s lag). The Dream SMP faction blows up M.L. with TNT. The Mexican L’manburgians kill Puffy.

- They want to head to the Holy Land. Dream says he wants to talk. They collect at the Church.

- They argue. Dream threatens to kill Quackity permanently and make sure Mexican L’manburg can never rise again. 

- Sapnap tells George that he thinks Dream has completely turned against them, and that they’re better off disowning him.

— [Including some more direct quotes here] ---

Quackity: “Listen...this should be between Eret and me, I don’t know why you are getting involved...we will give back the throne, but what we want-”

Dream: “- Mexican L’manburg is not...existing. Ever again...if you wanna destroy and grief the kingdom, then that is called being a terrorist! Listen, Karl, I don’t give a crap if you died, that’s your fault. You died griefing and being a terrorist...”

...

Quackity: “Is that what we’re going off of now? That the entire server can be run by one goddamn person? We’re not even allowed to voice our opinions now? What’s going on? As far as I remember, you’ve been taking all the shots, and anything, nobody has free speech anymore!”

...

Dream: “I think you forget that I designated this as the holy land.”

...

Dream: “I have no problem with Tubbo, who’s leading his country gracefully. You are a terrorist.”

...

Quackity: “What is it that you want from us? We were doing peaceful protest, that’s all we were doing.”

Dream: “Quackity...you’re not doing ‘peaceful protest’ when all I hear is ‘hey, the Dream SMP castle has been sieged.’ ...Look, I...You’re trying to paint me as this tyrant when I’m just trying to maintain peace...if you think Eret’s being too political, come and talk to me! Don’t go and raid my castle and my throne.”

Karl: “YOUR castle? YOUR throne?”

Dream: “Yes!”

Karl: “Dream’s an absolute TYRANT!”

...

Dream: “The only reason it’s a no-kill policy in the first place is because I wanted it to be that way, and it’s enforced by me.”

Karl: “That sounds like a tyrant!”

Dream: “It’s not a tyrant! I’m a humanitarian if anything! It’s not for my agenda...listen, my agenda always, since the beginning, has always been for the SMP to thrive. That has been my agenda, so if you’re saying for my agenda, it makes me a tyrant - no, it doesn’t, it makes me wanting the server to thrive and everyone to be peaceful.”

...

Dream: “In my mind, Mexican L’manburg does not exist as anything whatsoever and you know what? I’ll talk to Tubbo about it and make sure he sees it doesn’t either.”

Karl: “Dream said the same thing about L’manburg back in the day--”

Dream: “No I didn’t!”

...

Dream: “You don’t get a country recognized by being a terrorist, Quackity.”

...

Dream: “I did NOTHING! At all! Until you decided to attack my nation...you know what someone has to do to be recognized? A country that is established has to have a fair, and just, and logical ruler, and you are NONE of those things. Tubbo is all of those things, and that’s why L’manburg is recognized. 

When Tommy was head of state, and Tommy was vice president, you’re right, L’manburg had no right to be recognized...it was the fact that Tommy, a dumbass, was exiled and is no longer in charge of their land anymore...Tubbo would never...never in a million years do what you just did.”

“You know who would? Jschlatt. You know who would? Wilbur. You know who would? Tommy.”

...

Dream: “The king is a figurehead! He knows that!”

Quackity: “So that’s what you are? That’s what you are, Eret? A puppet?”

Dream: “YES!” -- No he’s not a puppet --”

---

M.L. argues that putting a human life above a few blocks of gold is more important.

He says that Quackity is causing the most problems, the number one “enemy” of the SMP right now.

—

- Quackity decides to dissolve Mexican L’manburg for a clean slate and call it something else. He wants the server to have a precedent of establishing new countries without having to go to Dream for recognition every time.

- Eret agrees to recognize Quackity’s new country if they apologize and return the throne.

- Sapnap declares that he no longer wants to fight Techno but Dream instead. He says he wants to slay Dream in front of everyone.

- Overall, Dream and Eret declare it a “failed coup” and say that the destruction is just a consequence of “what happens when you don’t plan anything” but Quackity is satisfied that his new country has been “put on the map.”

- Quackity declares the country to be named “El Rapids” in honor of Cedar Rapids.

- Punz no longer wants to be an official Knight.

- Quackity misses Ghostbur and wants to speak with him. He tells Ghostbur about the war. Ghostbur asks if it was a revolution - Quackity says yes! Ghostbur also informs Quackity that he burnt the sacred texts - How to Sex 2 - in lava.

- Karl streams with the intention of rebuilding and preparing for Pokimane’s visit

- Karl steals Eret’s Museum Llamas and gets caught in the act. Fortunately this doesn’t spark up the war again. They take a llama to Party Island.

- They get into trouble at Boomerville and Lazar joins.

- Dream comes online and asks Sam about the prison’s progress. Bad gets annoyed at Sam for destroying the beachfront property value, and he didn’t authorize the seizure of the land. Dream is there helping to shovel but Bad wants him to stop. Bad is angry about the prison being built and starts shouting at Sam.

- Bad tries to negotiate with Dream. Dream refers to the prison as containing a “prisoner.” Singular. And that the prisoner would have nothing, and Bad would be in charge of helping to guard it. There are going to be multiple “layers.”

- The prison will be in the middle of the ocean bit, and Bad would have a terraformed beachfront property. All of the land would be considered property of the Badlands - including the prison.

- People are going to have to go through portals to escape the prison.

- Bad starts to come around to the prison idea. Dream tells Sam he thinks they need more hands to help, potentially Ant and Eret.

- A strange, giant red “egg” has appeared in the corner of Bad’s statue room. He feels a strange aura coming from it, and he’s unable to bring himself to break it.

- Dream says Eret can’t help with the prison but he can help make the beach nicer. Bad says he might want to put Tommy in the prison but Dream says no, Tommy’s already exiled. So the prison isn’t for Tommy.

- Once the prisoner is in there, Dream says they would only be able to be let out “by the server.” It’s got certain secrets that only Dream and Sam know about. Sam says that he could potentially escape from it, but it will be so impenetrable that even if you know the secrets it would still be difficult to escape from.

- Bad shows Dream the Egg. Dream gets creeped out by it.

- Another Red Corruption has appeared near Hutt’s Pizza, and another at the Mansion. Everyone swears that it wasn’t there before, and there wasn’t enough time for someone to place all of it manually in the time that they were down there.

- Bad stabs Dream for trying to “hurt it.” He likes it for some reason.

- Bad asks Dream about who the prison’s for. Dream says “if you can’t kill somebody, you need to lock them up.” He mentions that it’s one of the more powerful people on the server, someone who either provides a threat now or in the future. He has someone in mind.

— —

Dream explains to Bad and Sam that the reason he switched sides in the Manberg-Pogtopia War was because Schlatt gave him something.

And that thing is “a card up his sleeve” until he needs it.

A book of great value.

It puts Dream in danger if people know of it, but also gives Dream power.

The “most valuable thing on the server.”

Something pertaining to the prison.

Something where they wouldn’t believe Dream if he told them what he was given.

— —

- The corruption grows AGAIN despite Dream, Sam and Bad all being in the middle of the ocean

- Another corruption appears on Tommy’s Power Tower

- The water level in New L’manburg has risen again, covering George and Quackity’s mushroom house

- The prison is going to be as tall as a MOUNTAIN

- Dream proposes the idea of Bad giving him the disc to piss off Tommy. Bad says that Skeppy has it so he’ll have to ask some other time. He might trade some information about Schlatt’s book in return for the disc.

- Bad says he likes the name a dono came up with for the corruption – “Blood Vines”

- Dream and Sam removed the Blood Vines on the Mansion to Bad’s dismay. Sam burns the Vines and Bad goes on a murderous rampage against him.

- Technoblade got a “Bee our guest” achievement

- Dream burns down the Eiffel Tower again.

- The prison will be reinforced with 15 layers of obsidian, and the guards will have Ender Pearl Stasis Chambers that are alarm-activated.

- The Blood Vines have sprouted up from Schlatt’s Grave.

The prison’s unofficial name as of right now is “Pandora’s Vault,” but it is subject to change.

---

(You can tell this was written a while ago lmao)

[thedumpsterqueen]

Standards of Performance, Chapter 12: What Happens in Alleyways

From the Beginning,  Previous Chapter

AO3 Link

Sorry it's a lil short, it's more of a transition chapter to actually jumping into this case and Reader's now even more confusing "relationship" with Hotch. Things get kinkier and angrier and more explicit from here, but I'll do my best to tag stuff. Thanks for your patience as always, guys, especially amidst the dumpster fire that is current events right now <3 Your reblogs and tags slay me and I love it.

Summary: You’re the BAU’s newest intern, desperate to prove yourself amongst an established team of much more experienced profilers. Agent Hotchner, the seemingly infallible team leader, sets strict expectations for your performance. He commands your respect without even trying, but is there something more to your relationship than a simple desire to impress your stony-faced boss?

Chapter Summary: Turns out, the world doesn't stop on its axis just because you had sex with your boss. You’re unsure whether or not that’s a good thing.

Words: 1,882

Rating: Explicit, 18+. Violence, dark themes, explicit sexual content. More specific warnings on AO3.

Pairings: Hotch x Reader, Hotch x You

You awoke to the dim light of the dawn, rain gently pattering on the windows, and the blaring sound of Hotch’s ringtone three feet from your face.

“Jesus christ, old man,” you groaned, blinking your eyes open, “turn your hearing aids up.”

Already sitting up in bed, he paused with the phone halfway to his ear.

Shit. You were being too casual - waking up in his bed, joking with him. Acting like you belonged there. You didn’t know how he felt about what happened, for all you knew he regretted every second and-

“You’re paying for that later,” he smiled before answering the call.

The playful threat filled you with relief before it made your stomach flip, and the memories of last night came flooding back. His body, his eyes, his hands all burned inside your eyelids as if you’d been staring directly at the sun. You’d never been in this situation before - waking up next to someone you’d spent the night with and desperately hoping it was the first time rather than the last. But you’d also never felt your body sing with the white-hot pleasure it did when it was touched by the seemingly unattainable man who did so last night, so. There was that.

The low rumble of his voice brought you back to the present, and you looked up at his face to find it was twisted up in concentration, resignation, and something else.

“I’ll be right down,” he said, standing up swiftly and pulling his work clothes on with practiced speed. “Don’t let anyone touch anything.”

He shoved his phone in his suit pocket and looked at you, still tangled up in his sheets.

“Get dressed and meet me downstairs,” he said, terse. “There’s a body in the alley outside the building.”

“Outside this building?”

“Yes,” he responded, “and there’s a note.”

As he swept out the door, leaving you reeling, you realized what the other expression on his face was. Fear.

***

Hotch had gotten ready and exited the apartment before you had even processed the situation, and your mind was racing a mile a minute as you flung yourself out of bed and scrambled to get dressed. The logical assumption, of course, was that the stalker had left the body. People didn’t just end up dead in alleyways in this part of town, and certainly not in the middle of a rainstorm mere floors from where the BAU Unit Chief slept - not without a reason.

You threw on your coat and boots, forgoing contacts and makeup in favor of your glasses and a hat to cover the tangled mess last night’s tryst had made of your hair. Without even pausing to look in a mirror, you scurried down the stairwell and exited the lobby into the cold October wind.

It was easy to tell which alley the body occupied - there were an excess of thirty people milling in and out of the space to the right of the building. Crime scene investigators, policemen, and other personnel talked in hushed voices. You spotted a clearing in the sea of people and knew that’s where the victim would be, given a wide berth per Hotch’s instruction.

The team hung out at the edge of the circle watching Reid, who was kneeling in front of the body slumped against the side of the apartment building. Moving closer, you could tell he was in the middle of one of his spiels, gesturing wildly while the everyone nodded along. You joined the group that had formed around him and caught the middle of what seemed to be a hypothesis about victimology.

“ -no patterns, obviously, but if we assume similar characteristics would be present in all his victims, it’s hard to discern what statement he could be making. Positing a male in his mid-to-late twenties is statistically most likely, but stalkers of this age group also frequently have some sort of sexual motivation, and if the autopsy is consistent with what we can observe now,” he gestured to the body, “I don’t think that’s the case here.”

Throughout his speech, you’d been scrutinizing the victim - a brunette women who looked to be no older than 20, arranged in a half-sitting position against the wall behind her. There was no blood anywhere you could see, in fact, she barely looked dead at all, likely thanks to the below-freezing temperatures last night that had put a pause on the early stages of decomposition. Pinned to her shirt was a white envelope that bore an ominous message in bold, black ink:

“For my friends at the BAU.”

Not hard to guess who had killed this woman.

“Can you determine cause of death, Spence?” Prentiss asked, her arms folded.

“I’m not sure, but if I had to guess…” he used his pen to push the victim’s hair to the side, exposing a neck mottled with stark blue bruises. 

“Anger, then,” you offered, speaking to the psychological drivers behind strangulation, “but I doubt we’ll find any sign of sexual assault. The unsub made it clear that his disdain is directed towards us; it’s not likely that would extend to his victim.”

The rest of the team nodded in thought, but Hotch looked at you in surprise, as if just noticing your presence. As his eyes glued on yours, his face changed, and he grabbed your arm in an unpleasantly tight grip.

“Open the note. I’ll just be a moment.”

Unaware of his boss’ sudden change in demeanor and the vice on your elbow, Morgan gloved up and reached for the envelope. Hotch, meanwhile, unceremoniously dragged you down the alleyway and around to the deserted back side of the building.

“What the hell?” you hissed, yanking your arm out of his grip.

“Did you fail to look in a mirror before you came down here?” Hotch’s narrowed stare betrayed nothing but contempt, and you scrambled to determine the implication of his question.

“I’m sorry, did you want me to take a shower before looking at the dead body? I did the best I could, it seemed urgent -”

“No,” he snapped, “I’m referring to the fact that your neck looks worse off than our victim’s does.”

You processed his words for a moment before the implication hit you.

“Are you talking about the hickies?! Christ, Hotch, I’ll get a scarf then. Just give me a second!”

“Please do. I’d like my agents to appear professional, not like they’re college kids coming off a one night stand.”

His words halted your stomp back into the building, and you turned back, furious.

“You put them there! How is this my fault?”

“I didn’t think I would have to be this explicit about the fact that I don’t want the fact that we had sex last night broadcast to everyone at the crime scene.”

You gaped at him in disbelief.

“Are you embarrassed or something? I’m sorry if you regret what happened, but you don’t need to lash out at me like this -”

“I’m not lashing out,” he interrupted, “I’m informing you of my expectations for my agents. Is there a problem?”

You wanted to scream at him. You wanted to smack that perfectly raised eyebrow and controlled expression right off his face. But he was boxing you in - speaking to you as your boss and not the man you slept with last night, and as much as you hated him for it, your sense of self-preservation won out.

“There’s no problem,” you mumbled, unable to make eye contact as you slipped past him and around the building.

You made it halfway up the stairwell before the tears started flowing. Had you really thought sleeping with him was going to change something? That he was going to ask you to be his fucking girlfriend, like he wasn’t the chief of your unit and you weren’t a twenty-something intern? For all you knew, he did this all the time. His level of skill in the area certainly made it seem like he did.

That wasn’t true, though, you knew it. He may not reveal much, but you could tell it had been a fraught decision to let your relationship develop the way it had. Perhaps even a decision he regretted now - and it certainly seemed so, given his behavior.

Wiping tears on your sleeve, you fumbled with the spare key he’d given you to his apartment and walked in. You glanced in the mirror by the entrance and your eyes nearly bugged out of your head. Hotch wasn’t exaggerating when he likened the marks to strangulation - indigo smudges, still peppered with the angry red of burst capillaries, circled your throat.

It was a juvenile, possessive, ridiculous display, and Hotch was absolutely right to label it unprofessional. And yet, the thought that you’d walked onto the scene bearing the marks he’d given you filled you with a thrill so intense you had to brace yourself against the entryway table and clamp your legs together.

Breathe. There’s still a fucking murder scene downstairs.

You steadied yourself and headed for your duffel bag, where you’d thankfully packed a scarf in preparation for the cold snap that was predicted to hit the state this week. Midway through unzipping your bag, though, your eyes landed on his dresser and the devil sitting on your shoulder, buzzing with a deadly combination of anger and arousal, whispered a terrible, reckless idea in your ear.

***

You practically skipped downstairs to rejoin the team, who appeared to be engaged in a lively debate about the contents of the envelope Morgan was holding. After gloving up, you reached out a hand towards him.

“Can I read it?”

He handed it over, distracted by another stream of consciousness from Reid. Hotch took note of your return and glanced in your direction before turning back to the conversation.

You pretended to read the note and waited for him to notice.

You waited all of three seconds.

He whipped his head back so comically fast you struggled to suppress a snort, and you knew exactly what he was looking at. A midnight blue cashmere scarf, nicked from his dresser and wrapped artfully around your neck to cover the bruises, just like he’d asked. The first compliment you’d ever paid him was in regards to this scarf; tentatively whispered when he’d worn it to a chilly 2 am crime scene. He’d accepted the compliment passively, but the optimistic part of you had noted that he seemed to wear it much more frequently after that.

You weren’t entirely sure what statement you were intending to make by wearing it, but his reaction told you you’d certainly succeeded at provoking something.

Morgan reached back out for the note you were still pretending to read and dropped it in an evidence bag. If he noticed Hotch steaming from the ears next to you, he didn’t say so.

“They’re ready to pack everything up and head back to the lab. Let’s meet ‘em there?”

Everyone nodded in the affirmative and headed back to the SUVs.

“You riding with me?” Morgan asked, nudging your ribs with an elbow.

“No,” Hotch answered for you, an unseen hand suddenly gripping the back of your neck. “She’s not.”

Taglist (message me to be added!):  @klinenovakwinchester @stop-drop-and-drumroll @cevanswhre @addie5264 @honeyshores @violentvulgarvolatile @masumiyetimziyanoldu @violetclifford @pipersaccomplice​ @itsmytimetoodream​ @groovygoob​ @captainhyenafan​ @thebadassbitchqueen​ @softboystyles​ @witchcraftandwit​ @call-me-mrsreid​ @ssahoodrathotchner​ @fanficscuziranout​ @rintheemolion​ @scrumptiousroadponymoney​ @iconicc @thelux47 @bellaswanismysoulmate​ @possum-pancakes  @sweatydiplomatshepherdzine @spencers-hoodrat @totalmess191 @sunshine-and-riverwater @sunflowersandotherthings @chelseyjoyce @helloladyvanilla @mac99martin

[sadviper]

Confessions of a Seducer: Woo Do Hwan Interview with Hong Kong Esquire, July 2018

The time is 9:21 PM. Like any other city, New York is vibrant and teeming with activity after dark. Lights glisten throughout Manhattan. This reporter, Patrick Soon, has an appointment to interview Woo Do Hwan at this time. It feels right to interview him late at night. This year, Woo Do Hwan is still only 25 years old. His drama, “The Great Seducer” is the reason for his recent rise in popularity. In it, he acts as a 2nd generation chaebol who deliberately gets close to an honors student named Eun Tae-hee with the intention to get revenge for his friend. However, he unconsciously becomes attracted to her without realizing it.

Seduction is the theme of this drama series. Woo Do Hwan is its living embodiment.

The night is dark. He arrives on set where the photoshoot is taking place, enveloped with a mysterious aura. The amazing seductive power that he exhibited in the drama is present here, demonstrated to all as he appears in the midst of “Quiet Nights”, a soft jazz melody that permeates the air.

He has a quality that is different from others

We never deviate from the topic of seduction for the purpose of the interview. In Korea, there was a strong reaction to the drama series after it aired. Typically in Korean dramas, the male lead is either entirely warm and loving, or the type of guy who is very strong but is still full of love and righteousness. The type of role that Woo Do Hwan plays in “The Great Seducer” is rare: he’s edgy, defiant, a little bit dangerous, wrapped in an aura that might very well kill you. 

This series focuses on the classic kdrama subject matter of upper class angst. Within this structure, he sets new goalposts that redefine the image of a male lead actor--simultaneously cool and fragile, conflicted and gentle.

Following the broadcast of the drama, the positive feedback went far beyond Woo Do Hwan’s expectations. I paid him high compliments, telling him he was the breakout male lead character of the new generation, that this series placed him into the public consciousness of Hong Kong audiences. His expression clearly showed his astonishment.

WDH: “You said that I became an Adonis through this drama. I’m pretty embarrassed--I don’t really know how to respond. Maybe I should just accept your compliments and thank you.”

He humbly smiled and laughed after he said those words. It was like being with two different people; the feeling of someone fresh out of school versus a man with dark powers of attraction.

The drama is full of seduction, danger, and excitement, so I asked Woo Do Hwan if he ever encountered any kind of temptations in his own life. He took the question seriously, and fell deep in thought. Then he replied with a hint of embarrassment, “I have to give it some thought, if you want me to tell you what are the most difficult things to resist. That’s because at different points in your life, different things will tempt you. Lately, the greatest temptation for me is sleep. I was very tired during filming and kept wanting to just pass out. I have to sleep; so more than once, I would skip meals and go straight to bed. I want to perform well, so I try to grab every chance I can get to sleep. That way, I can stay focused and not wander off while filming.”

He likes women who are straight-shooters

In “The Great Seducer”, Woo Do Hwan plays a chaebol heir who at first treats love like a game. But once he starts dating Tae-hee, without realizing it, he becomes deeply attracted to her, only to discover after the fact that he has fallen in love. Not just love; through her, he rediscovers meaning in life. 

WDH: “I feel that the character I play is very similar to who I am as a person. When I find my true love, I will give my all for the other’s sake, just like him. I can walk through fire and do anything for her. The most important thing is giving her happiness.”

There is an unspoken rule that women do not like men who are perfect, pure, goody-two-shoes. Woo Do Hwan’s role in the drama, with his aura of mystery and soul-slaying power to captivate, confirms that unspoken rule that men can’t just be normal if they want to appeal to women.

Woo Do Hwan couldn’t help but laugh when I shared my thoughts. 

WDH: “Sometimes I wonder whether I’d be attracted to someone mysterious or to someone happy, upbeat, and straight-forward. Personally, if a woman can talk to me about anything and everything under the sun, then I will find her attractive. That’s because heart-to-heart communication is important to me. If she is too mysterious, then I won’t know what to do. She’d give me the feeling of being hard to get close to. So if I were to date, I would definitely choose someone who makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. Any important relationship should have no reservations, pressure, or secrets. There should be no need to hide anything. That’s what I believe.”

Noona romances

Woo Do Hwan’s focus and involvement with only one person is a testimony to how seriously he treats romantic relationships. I listed five qualities that could be used as a new definition for masculinity: Seriousness; the ability to mesmerize; manliness; mystery; and lastly, being easy-going or easy to get close to. 

Many kdramas have been using noona romances for their thematic material. As the trend increased in popularity, it caused an upswell in discussions in Korea, opening up a new possibility of redefining masculinity.

WDH: “I also recently found out that noona romances are very popular in both dramas and movies. It’s an interesting phenomena. I don’t think love has anything to do with age. As I previously said, the most important things in any kind of relationship are honesty, communication, and trust. If each party thinks of the other as The One, then age shouldn’t be a factor.”

The father as the role model for your life

Woo Do Hwan’s career is only just starting to rise. He spoke frankly that he didn’t have time for romance at this stage of his life.

There is a movie called “The Divine Fury” that he is about to film. He was cast to play a completely different role from “The Great Seducer”, and will go head-to-head in direct confrontation against Park Seo-joon. In this movie, he plays a Machiavellian character who manipulates and betrays others without hesitation.

WDH: “I’m looking forward to acting this role. I’m so grateful to my family who helped and encouraged me after I entered this career field. My father is the person I admire the most, and my family are the most important people in my life. Since I was young, I already respected my father. Now that I’m an adult, I keep reminding myself to learn from him, and hope that I will become somebody like him.”

The interview is drawing to a close. I said, “You’re absolutely a rising star.” He immediately responded with a humble smile, “If you want to talk about what’s fashionable, let’s talk about local hotspots. If I don’t need to work, I’d ask my friend to join me at the Nanji Hangang Park (a resort area for picnicking and camping near the Han River?). I feel very relaxed in those kinds of places. After camping, then along the way, I’ll visit rooftop bars and cafes in the ___ area (in Cantonese, sounds like “Lee Tai Yuen”). I like to enjoy my coffee or handcrafted beer, and just relax and talk until nightfall. That’s the kind of life that I like.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: Not my translation, I just bothered someone to give me the rough idea, and I cleaned up the aftermath, chortling over the endless amounts of “amazing seductive power” that Woo Do Hwan was overwhelming this Patrick Soon guy with. Apparently the interviewer was being excessively roundabout in his writing, so I just...made stuff up since I couldn’t verify accuracy, ahaha. I’m irked that this article isn’t on the HK Esquire website, so this is for internet posterity I guess?

Finally, I seriously hope WDH got paid beaucoup bucks for sitting on dumpster lids and bare doorsteps in NYC, my god. ;__;

[multiversecarnavep]

Nimrod is a mutant-hunting Sentinel from an alternative future and was created by the Sentinels ruling that timeline. When Rachel Summers travels backwards in time to the present, he follows Rachel. Although not capable of time travel by himself he was transported back in time by Doctor Strange and Magik using their powers to change time to prevent Kulan Gath's occupation of New York. Thus Nimrod saves the life of construction worker Jaime Rodriguez by slaying a mugger (Kulan Gath's destined host), who would have otherwise killed Rodriguez. In gratitude Rodriguez offers Nimrod a job and a home with his family, not realizing who or what the shape-shifting Sentinel truly is.[2]



Nimrod in Uncanny X-Men #194 (June 1985); art by John Romita Jr.

After gathering information about the timeline in which he finds himself, Nimrod eventually changes his prime directive from the extermination of all mutants, having determined that such widespread destruction is not necessary in this era, to only the extermination of mutants who were regarded as outlaws by the government, such as the X-Men. He fights the Juggernaut. He hunts Summers and the X-Men, but is defeated by Rogue when Rogue absorbs the mutant powers of Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde and Colossus. Based on a plan that Kitty conceives before losing consciousness, Rogue uses Nightcrawler's teleportation to teleport part of Nimrod's body away, with Rogue's and Colossus's combined invulnerability protecting Rogue from the resulting physical strain in a manner that Nightcrawler could not have handled.[3] Some time after this, Nimrod garners a reputation with the public of New York City as a heroic vigilante, assuming he is simply a man in powered armor. He also adopts the more human personality Nicholas Hunter as part of a cover alias as a construction worker.[4]

Nimrod later faces the combined forces of the X-Men and the Hellfire Club and proves himself as a powerful threat, killing Black Rook Friedrich Von Roehm, causing Harry Leland's fatal heart attack, nearly killing Nightcrawler and badly injuring Rogue and Sebastian Shaw.[5]

When Nimrod comes across a piece of the gigantic Sentinel Master Mold while working on a construction site, his programming is immediately co-opted; Master Mold merges with Nimrod, using its systems to rebuild Nimrod in its own image. The X-Men are initially hard pressed to defeat the reborn Master Mold, but Nimrod comes to their aid, claiming he has evolved as well and no longer views them or mutants as a threat. Nimrod asserts enough control over Master Mold to render it immobile, and even convinces it that it has become a mutant as well. Thus, to fulfill its prime directive to exterminate mutants, it must self-destruct. The remains of both robots are pushed through the Siege Perilous, a mystical gateway that causes all who passed through it to be reborn with new bodies.[6] Though the exact moment is unclear, Nimrod and Master Mold are merged into the being Bastion, a man who had absolutely no memory of his former existence.[7]

In X-Force, a modern-day version of Nimrod appears. Created by an offshoot of Project Wideawake, this version is based on the technology derived from the Nimrod from the future.[8] In truth, between the time of Nimrod's first arrival and its apparent destruction when it merged with the Master Mold and had traveled through the Siege Perilous, it had taken precautionary measures to ensure its survival. By downloading a self-awareness program into the base's military computer cybernet, the program served as a sleeper virus that awaited the opportunity to access a Sentinel development program so it could use it to re-create Nimrod itself. Nimrod's detection of the invading X-Force had caused it to act before it had originally intended to fulfill its imperative. It deactivates itself when Cable convinces Nimrod that its earlier creation in the timeline would cause a paradox and incalculable damage to the timestream.[9]

Reverend William Stryker later found a damaged Nimrod as it enters the Marvel timeline from an alternate one.[10] Immobilized, Stryker secretly uses Nimrod's memories of future events to give him the appearance of precognition to his followers and to help plan an attack on the X-Men and other mutants, but Nimrod alters its memories to facilitate its own escape, and Stryker is defeated. During the New X-Men[11] story arc "Nimrod", it searches for Forge, whom it believes is its creator. Nimrod believes Forge can repair its damaged body, but Forge instead transfers Nimrod's programming into a new chassis which Forge can control. Believing Forge to be in danger, the New X-Men travel to his workshop to help him. This eventually leads to Nimrod gaining control over his body and attacking Forge and the New X-Men. Nimrod is defeated when Surge overloads Nimrod's temporal unit, blasting Nimrod out of the timestream. Nimrod survives and travels back in time to March 1985, where the events involving Jaime Rodriguez and Kulan Gath's amulet play out exactly as they had originally[12] with its memory corrupted, resulting in its existence in the 'true' timeline — with Rachel's history erased — becoming a temporal paradox.[13]

The series X-Force reveals that the Purifiers held on to most of Nimrod's original body and fuse it with Bastion's head to reform Bastion.[14] He then, using the Technarch transmode virus, revives numerous villains that have destroyed many mutants.[15]

During the events of Second Coming, he personally confronts Hope Summers, Rogue and Nightcrawler, leading to the death of the latter. Bastion appears to be reverting more and more to fully being Nimrod. Some time later, Bastion unleashes an endless horde of Nimrods from an unknown future to destroy the X-Men. However, X-Force, Cypher and Cable go to that future and destroy the Master Mold controlling them. At the end of the crossover, the original Nimrod (Bastion) takes his original form but is destroyed by Hope. The chest and head of Nimrod are later shown to be exhibited in X-Force Headquarters. Deathlok identifies it as version 32.1 and the possibility for its future to come to be is 1.34%.[16]

During a brief glimpse three months into the future seen in Uncanny Avengers, Havok, Scarlet Witch and Sunfire are shown fleeing from a new model of Sentinel. Havok refers to the machines as Nimrod units, and mentions that they were built by Tony Stark.[17]

Dawn of XEdit

In this new X-Men timeline, "Nimrod the Lesser" is seen 90 years in the future, along with "Nimrod the Greater" seen 990 years in the future.[18] It was soon revealed that a human coalition of scientists and espionage agents from various secret agencies have joined forces to form Orchis, the ultimate mutant-fighting organization. Along with the former X-Man Omega Sentinel and built on the remains of Sol's Hammer, they have created the Orchis Forge solar orbiting space station which serves as a construction platform for the Mother Mold, a Master Mold capable of creating other Master Mold Sentinels. After intel provided by Moira MacTaggart suggests that this event is the probable origin of the Nimrod Sentinels, a team of X-Men invade the Orchis Forge and successfully decouple the giant Sentinel before it fully awakens, sending it plummeting into the sun.[19]

Later, on the Orchis Forge, it is discovered by Mystique during an infiltration mission that Director Killian Devo has completed work on an unknown component that Dr. Alia Gregor installs inside the torso of a Nimrod unit that is in the initial stages of construction.[20]

At the behest of Xavier and Magneto, Mystique returns for a final desperate mission in the Orchis Forge to detonate a mini-black hole bomb designed by Forge capable of annihilating the entire station. Her mission coincides with Dr. Gregor preparing to resurrect her husband, Captain Erasmus Mendel, who was killed in the original Orchis raid, into the chassis of her newly constructed Sentinel prototype. The activation succeeds and the crystalline memory transfer is successful, but the Erasmus persona prototype immediately detects the disguised Mystique as a Mutant and sacrifices itself to save the Orchis base by teleporting into space with the bomb she has triggered, leaving two emotionless duplicates without Erasmus' memory core yet uploaded to subdue Mystique before she can escape the station, and to protect Dr. Gregor. Executing Mystique through the entrance of her Krakoa escape portal, the fearsome Sentinel announces his existence as "Nimrod, The Hunter" to the X-Men, who have failed once again in their attempt to destroy Orchis, vowing to hunt down and kill all Mutants.[21]

Aware of Nimrod's creation by Orchis, Bishop, who refers to the prototype as "Nimrod 2.0", advises the X-Men, the Hellfire Club and X-Force about the formation of a highly specialized strike team that has experience fighting Nimrod Sentinels in the past and to create unorthodox weapons and strategies to deal with Orchis' new threat.[22]

[fantomgirlonsonthin]

Rewatching JATP For The Somethingth Time: Observations (1x02 – Bright)

– I think Julie leaving for school with Flynn, waving to the guys is so cute. Like she’s just like “Bye new ghost friends!”...she really had no idea how much they were gonna throw her life into chaos (in the absolute best way possible of course).

– Okay, I don’t ship Ruke, but I also don’t NOT ship it. But the way Reggie eyes Luke in the garage makes me wonder if I should🤔😂 (All jokes aside, Ruke is cute, whether that be in a romantic or friendly way)

– I’d really like to know what goes on in Luke’s head. He enters Julie’s room for the first time and out of the many, many, many things that he could mess with, he really makes a direct beeline for the tiny box in the very back of the room on the 2nd to highest shelf😂Like?????

– The fact that after asking if she got back into the music program, Alex kinda just lingers in Julie’s room a bit, as if waiting for an invitation to stay?? Which just makes me more anxious for a S2 ‘cause Reggie and Luke are great friends, but Alex and Julie would be such a good duo!

– Luke mentioning that Sunset Curve played at book clubs has got me thinking that he’s gotta be a secret book nerd. The rockstar/himbo energy definitely would make you think he’d be the “I only read if there’s pictures” kinda guy, but the dude writes some really deep lyrics, which makes me think he definitely appreciates any good writing when he finds it.

– “Tainted hot dog”. I love Luke, but I had the same reaction as Julie there...

– Nick is a supportive boyfie when Carrie performs Wow. I actually want them to get back together.

– We don’t give stage and lights guy enough credit. He’s a trooper.

– Wait did Julie actually learn, memorize, and absolutely SLAY Bright overnight?? ‘Cause...talent.

*I was too busy jamming to This Band Is Back to make any observations about it*