#teen-patti-star

[astrologerali]

Cash Rummy Games vs Rummy Tournaments: Which One is the Better Option?

‍Rummy has been a popular game for centuries, and now it’s available to play online. But how do you decide which type of rummy to play? Should you go for the best rummy app for real money or rummy tournaments? Both offer a unique set of benefits, and the answer to which one is better for you depends on your individual preferences.

Cash rummy games provide a more relaxed atmosphere and allow you to play for smaller stakes. On the other hand, rummy tournaments provide a more competitive setting and can lead to larger rewards. Both options have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it’s up to you to decide which one is the better option.

Definition of Cash Rummy Games and Rummy Tournaments Cash Rummy Games The best rummy app for real money games are exactly what they sound like – games that are played for cash prizes. These games are typically played for smaller stakes, and the main goal is to win money. These games allow you to interact with other players and chat while you play, which makes the experience more fun and engaging.

Rummy Tournaments Rummy tournaments are tournaments where you try to accumulate as many points as possible. The player with the most points at the end of the tournament wins the grand prize. These tournaments are played for much larger stakes than cash rummy games and involve fewer players.

Rummy games are typically played at a slower pace than tournaments and involve a larger amount of strategy. All players start out with the same amount of chips and try to win as many hands as possible with the goal of amassing a high score. While tournaments are played at a much brisker pace and have a set time limit.

Advantages of Cash Rummy Games More Relaxed Atmosphere One of the main advantages to cash rummy games is that you can play them in a more relaxed atmosphere. You’re not competing against other players for a big cash prize, so the stakes are much lower. This makes it a great option if you’re looking to take a break from high-pressure games.

Low Stakes Another advantage to playing cash rummy games is that you can play for lower stakes. Depending on the site, you may be able to play for as little as $1 per hand. This makes it a great option if you’re new to the game and want to play at lower stakes.

Advantages of Rummy Tournaments Competitive Setting One of the main advantages to rummy tournaments is that they provide a more competitive setting. You still have the option to play at lower stakes, but you’re competing against a smaller pool of players, which can increase your chances of winning. This makes it a great option if you’re looking for a more competitive setting and a chance to win a large amount of money.

Disadvantages of Cash Rummy Games You Can Only Win a Small Amount One of the biggest disadvantages to playing cash Teen Patti Star games is that you can only win a small amount. The stakes are much lower than in tournaments, so you can’t win as much money. This makes it a great option if you’re looking to play for small prizes and take a break from high-stakes games. But if you’re looking to win a large amount of money, cash rummy isn’t the best option for you.

Disadvantages of Rummy Tournaments Very Competitive Setting One of the biggest disadvantages to rummy tournaments is that they are very competitive. The stakes are much higher than in cash rummy games, so you can win more money, but you’ll also have to face more competition. This makes it a great option if you’re looking to win a large amount of money and are willing to face stiffer competition. But if you’re not interested in competing against other players, tournaments are not the best option for you.

Comparison of the two types of Rummy Cash rummy games provide a more relaxed atmosphere and allow you to play for smaller stakes. Rummy tournaments are more competitive and involve larger stakes. Cash rummy games are played at a slower pace and involve a larger amount of strategy. Rummy tournaments are played at a much brisker pace and have a set time limit. Cash rummy games allow you to play for smaller stakes and have a more relaxed atmosphere. Rummy tournaments provide a more competitive setting and allow you to win large prizes.

If you’re in the Amritsar Punjab in do part of Teen Patti King ,they are the dream supply with your bonus ,so visit today for them.

[imbelfoxxyloxxy]

Tumbler wont show me notifications or let me post on my phone AGAIN AAAA

Took a break from pretty much everything with me being stressed about life and fearing death lamo

But I did regain my love for sketching and coloring with sharpies again :)

[cas-backwards-tie]

This really makes me think I need to watch those things, H 💕 it’s weird bc idk if I really have any… but if I did, I’d probably put these down:

• Allison Argent (Teen Wolf) through & through

• Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf) bc she grew so much

• Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries) how could I not? relatable

• Padme Amidala (Star Wars) how could I almost forget her?

[If I had to add]

• Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things) only the first few episodes

• Violet Harmon (American Horror Story) relatable, and based off the edits I’ve saved

• Sabrina Spellman (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) based off edits

• Patty Bladell (Insatiable) also based off edits

• Betty Cooper (Riverdale) for the most part

After that it’d be all animated characters probably 🤷‍♀️

what are some of you guys woman/girl blorbos. like female characters you are utterly obsessed with

[genosriyuu]

How to Safely Play Teen Patti Stars Online

Teen Patti Stars has rapidly gained popularity as an engaging card game that blends skill, strategy, and a bit of luck. With its roots in traditional Indian culture, Teen Patti has found a new audience in the digital world. However, as with any online activity, it is essential to approach Teen Patti Stars with caution to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. This guide will explore the various measures players should take to play Teen Patti Stars online safely.

Understanding the Game

Before diving into the safety aspects, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of what Teen Patti Stars is. Teen Patti Stars is an online card game based on the traditional Teen Patti, also known as Indian Poker. The game typically involves 3 to 6 players and uses a standard deck of 52 cards without jokers. The objective is to have the best three-card hand and to maximize the pot before the showdown.

As you explore the game, you will notice various online platforms offering Teen Patti Stars, each with its unique features, graphics, and gameplay. While the core rules remain the same, understanding the platform-specific nuances is crucial for a smooth gaming experience.

Choosing a Reputable Platform

One of the most critical steps in ensuring safe gameplay is selecting a reputable platform to play on. The internet is flooded with numerous websites and apps claiming to offer the best Teen Patti experience, but not all are trustworthy. To safeguard your personal and financial information, choose platforms that are well-known, have positive reviews, and are licensed by relevant gaming authorities.

A legitimate platform will often display its licensing information prominently. Look for certifications from gaming commissions or authorities that regulate online gambling. Additionally, check for user reviews and ratings on trusted app stores or online forums. Players often share their experiences, and a platform with consistently positive feedback is likely to be more reliable.

Securing Your Account

Once you've selected a reputable platform, the next step is securing your account. Use a strong and unique password for your Teen Patti Stars account. A strong password typically includes a combination of letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and special characters. Avoid using easily guessable information such as your name, birthdate, or simple sequences like "123456."

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) if the platform offers it. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone or email, in addition to your password. This makes it significantly harder for unauthorized users to access your account.

Managing Financial Transactions

Financial security is paramount when playing online games that involve real money, such as Teen Patti Stars. Always use secure and trusted payment methods for deposits and withdrawals. Most reputable platforms offer multiple payment options, including credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers. Choose the method that you are most comfortable with and ensure it is supported by your bank or financial institution.

Be cautious about sharing your financial information. Reputable platforms will have secure payment gateways, often indicated by a padlock icon in the browser's address bar and an "https://" URL. This indicates that the connection is encrypted, and your data is secure. Avoid making transactions over public Wi-Fi networks, as these can be vulnerable to hackers.

Recognizing and Avoiding Scams

Scams are a significant concern in the online gaming world, and Teen Patti Stars is no exception. Scammers often target players with phishing emails, fake websites, or fraudulent in-game offers. Be wary of any unsolicited emails or messages that claim to offer bonuses, free chips, or other rewards. These may be attempts to steal your personal information or access your account.

Always verify the authenticity of any communication you receive. Legitimate platforms will never ask for your password or other sensitive information via email or chat. If you are unsure about an email or message, contact the platform's customer support directly through official channels.

Setting Limits and Playing Responsibly

Playing Teen Patti Stars should be a fun and enjoyable experience, but it's essential to play responsibly. Set limits on the amount of time and money you spend on the game. Most reputable platforms offer tools that allow you to set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits, as well as self-exclusion options if you feel you need a break from the game.

Gambling can be addictive, and it is crucial to recognize the signs of problem gambling. If you find yourself spending more time or money on Teen Patti Stars than you can afford, or if it starts to interfere with your daily life, it may be time to seek help. Many organizations offer support for problem gamblers, and some platforms provide links to these resources.

Protecting Your Privacy

Privacy is another critical aspect of safe online gaming. When signing up for Teen Patti Stars, be mindful of the personal information you share. Only provide the necessary details required to create your account and complete transactions. Avoid sharing your full name, address, or other sensitive information in public chat rooms or forums associated with the game.

Review the platform's privacy policy to understand how your data will be used and protected. Reputable platforms will have clear policies outlining how they handle user data, including what information is collected, how it is stored, and who it is shared with. If a platform's privacy policy is unclear or overly complicated, it may be best to avoid it.

Staying Informed About Security Updates

Online platforms are constantly evolving, and so are the threats they face. Stay informed about any security updates or changes to the platform's terms of service. Reputable platforms will regularly update their software to patch vulnerabilities and enhance security features. Keep your app or software up to date to ensure you have the latest security protections.

Additionally, consider using antivirus software on your device to protect against malware or other threats that could compromise your account. Regularly scan your device for potential security issues, especially if you notice any unusual activity on your Teen Patti Stars account.

Reporting Suspicious Activity

If you encounter any suspicious activity while playing Teen Patti Stars, such as unauthorized transactions, account takeovers, or strange behavior from other players, report it immediately to the platform's customer support team. Most platforms have a dedicated support team to handle security concerns and can take swift action to protect your account.

Provide as much detail as possible when reporting an issue, including screenshots if applicable. Quick reporting can prevent further damage and help the platform improve its security measures.

Conclusion

Playing Teen Patti Stars online can be a rewarding experience, but it is essential to prioritize safety at all times. By choosing a reputable platform, securing your account, managing financial transactions wisely, and staying informed about potential threats, you can enjoy the game with peace of mind. Remember to play responsibly, protect your privacy, and report any suspicious activity to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming experience.

[agents-teen-patti-stars]

Teen Patti Entrepreneurship: Join Our Agency, Earn Online, and Thrive!

Introduction:

In the dynamic world of online gaming, Teen Patti has emerged as a powerhouse, captivating millions with its blend of skill, strategy, and thrill. What if you could turn your passion for this card game into a flourishing entrepreneurial venture? Welcome to the realm of Teen Patti Entrepreneurship, where joining our agency is your gateway to earning online and thriving in the exciting universe of card games.

The Rise of Teen Patti Entrepreneurship : Teen Patti is not just a game; it's a cultural phenomenon, and its online adaptation has created a wave of opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. As a Teen Patti entrepreneur, you have the chance to build your own success story by combining your love for the game with strategic business acumen.

The Benefits of Teen Patti Entrepreneurship Discover the numerous advantages of becoming a Teen Patti entrepreneur:

Financial Freedom: Break free from traditional constraints and unlock the potential for unlimited earnings.

Flexibility: Enjoy the flexibility of managing your business on your terms, allowing you to balance work and life effortlessly.

Community Engagement: Connect with a vibrant community of players, agents, and entrepreneurs who share your passion for Teen Patti.

Skill Enhancement: Sharpen your entrepreneurial skills as you navigate the unique challenges and opportunities in the gaming industry.

How to Kickstart Your Teen Patti Entrepreneurial Journey Embarking on your Teen Patti entrepreneurship journey is easier than you think. Follow these steps to get started:

Agency Registration: Join our agency and gain access to a wealth of resources, tools, and support to fuel your entrepreneurial aspirations.

Strategic Marketing: Leverage effective marketing strategies to promote Teen Patti within your network and attract players to your agency.

Financial Management: Learn the ropes of managing your earnings, commissions, and bonuses to ensure sustainable growth.

Community Building: Foster a sense of community among your players, creating a loyal player base that contributes to the success of your agency.

Success Stories and Testimonials Explore the inspiring success stories of Teen Patti entrepreneurs who have turned their passion into profit. Learn from their experiences, strategies, and the valuable insights they've gained along their entrepreneurial journeys.

Conclusion: Are you ready to turn your love for Teen Patti into a thriving online business? Join our agency, embrace the spirit of Teen Patti entrepreneurship, and set the stage for a future where you can earn online and truly thrive. Your journey to entrepreneurial success begins here – let the cards unfold in your favor!

[charlott2n]

the temple of online teens to thirty somethings who listen to swans and natural snow buildings and the microphones and black midi and car seat headrest and coil and daughters and duster and godspeed you black emperor and have a nice life and neutral milk hotel and sigur ros and songs ohia and xiu xiu and animal collective and aphex twin and my bloody valentine and the velvet underground and talking heads and kate bush and joanna newsom and nick drake and captain beefheart and fishmans and the residents and les rallizes denudes and the smiths and the gerogerigegege and kero kero bonito and death grips and bjork and stereolab and radiohead and kanye west and slint and slowdive and cocteau twins and nas and a tribe called quest and elliott smith and television and pixies and sonic youth and dinosaur junior and the strokes and pharoah sanders and talk talk and black country new road and sufjan stevens and ajj and jeff buckley and sweet trip and leonard cohen and frank zappa and depeche mode and the clash and the stooges and unwound and tom waits and boards of canada and fiona apple and arcade fire and brian eno and boris and merzbow and sunn 0))) and melvins and ween and mount eerie and portishead and lcd soundsystem and wilco and big thief and pavement and kraftwerk and candy claws and yes and gang of four and sun kil moon and sun ra and burzum and death in june and current 93 and nurse with wound and psychic tv and this heat and wire and nick cave and bob dylan and the dismemberment plan and grouper and the brave little abacus and herbie hancock and beach house and patti smith and charles mingus and fugazi and minutemen and american football and yo la tengo and boredoms and wipers and the mars volta and fleet foxes and oasis and pulp and big star and sophie and flying lotus and the flaming lips and thundercat and mf doom and weezer and stars of the lid and jeff rosenstock and red house painters and tim hecker and steve reich and david bowie and lou reed and nico and jpegmafia and danny brown and husker du and misfits and r.e.m. and the replacements and soft machine and van der graaf generator and scott walker and philip glass and pj harvey and low and big black and new order and magdalena bay and steve roach and neu and can and magma and spiritualized and mort garson and henry cow and john zorn and faust and ornette coleman and xtc and the books and oneohtrix point never and nujabes and de la soul and rush and king gizzard and the lizard wizard and the cure and capn jazz and mitski and lana del rey and weyes blood and bon iver and giles corey and silver jews and the mountain goats and clipping and machine girl and deaths dynamic shroud Has just fallen into the ocean. ssorry

[teenpattiindia]

Beginner's Luck? Tips for First-Time Mines Players

Introduction

Venturing into the world of Mines for the first time can be both exciting and daunting. While the game's premise is straightforward, mastering the strategies and nuances can take time. However, with the right approach and a few handy tips, beginners can quickly transform their initial forays into rewarding experiences. Here's a guide tailored for first-time Mines players.

Understanding the Basics

Familiarize Yourself with the Grid: Before diving in, take a moment to understand the 5x5 grid. Each square can either conceal a treasure or a mine. Your goal is to uncover as many treasures as possible without triggering a mine.

Begin Small: As a newbie, it is best to begin with modest bets. This allows you to get a feel for the game without risking too much. You can gradually increase your investments as you develop confidence and understanding.

Use the Tutorial: Many online Mines platforms offer interactive tutorials. These are invaluable for newcomers, providing step-by-step guidance on gameplay mechanics, strategies, and potential pitfalls.

Utilizing Tools and Features

Flagging System: Some Mines platforms offer a flagging or marking system. While the primary game doesn't involve numbers like its Minesweeper counterpart, these flags can be used to mark squares you're uncertain about. It's a way to remind yourself of areas you deem risky, allowing you to approach them with caution or avoid them altogether.

Game History: Many platforms provide a history or replay feature, allowing players to review their past games. This tool is invaluable for understanding your gameplay patterns, mistakes, and successful strategies.

Hints and Tips: Some online Mines platforms offer hints or tips, especially tailored for beginners. These can guide your initial moves, helping you navigate the grid more confidently.

Adjustable Settings: Familiarize yourself with the game's settings. Some platforms allow players to adjust certain game features, such as sound effects, grid colors, or even difficulty levels (by varying the number of mines). Tailoring these settings to your preference can enhance your gameplay experience.

Developing a Strategy

Observe Patterns: While Mines is a game of chance, certain patterns might emerge as you play more. Take note of these patterns, as they can offer clues about where mines might be located.

Set a Limit: Before starting a game session, set a win and loss limit for yourself. This ensures that you play responsibly and don't get carried away by the excitement.

Know When to Cash Out: One of the key strategies in Mines is knowing when to cash out your treasures. If you've uncovered several treasures and feel uncertain about the next move, it might be wise to cash out rather than risk hitting a mine.

Learning from Mistakes

Analyze Your Games: After each game, especially losses, take a moment to analyze your moves. Understanding where you went wrong can offer insights and help refine your strategy for future games.

Seek Community Advice: Join online Mines forums or communities. Engaging with more experienced players can provide valuable tips, strategies, and insights that you might not have considered.

Embracing the Journey

Stay Patient: Like any casino game, Mines has its ups and downs. It's essential to remain patient, especially during a losing streak. Remember, every game offers a new opportunity.

Enjoy the Process: While winning is exhilarating, it's crucial to enjoy the process of playing. The thrill of uncovering treasures, the suspense of avoiding mines, and the satisfaction of refining your strategy are all integral parts of the Mines experience.

Conclusion

While the concept of "beginner's luck" might hold true for some, success in Mines is often a blend of strategy, observation, and continuous learning. By understanding the basics, developing a strategy, learning from mistakes, and embracing the journey, first-time players can set themselves up for a rewarding Mines experience. Remember, every master was once a beginner. With dedication and the right approach, you too can master the Mines grid.

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with Backstage (2024)

Jonathan Bailey is still marinating in his thoughts, andthey taste pretty sweet. Top notes of red wine, he says. 

These are busy times for the witty British heartthrob. He’s speaking over Zoom from Malta, where he’s filming the next “Jurassic World” installment. And two days prior, he received his first Emmy nomination for his supporting turn on Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers.” 

What’s lingering in Bailey’s mind after reaching such a huge milestone? “The nature of the story, and how that story’s come to be told,” he says of Ron Nyswaner’s limited series, a decades-spanning gay drama that’s chock-full of steamy sex scenes. For him, the Emmy nod is “an acknowledgment of [the show] meaning something much bigger.” 

The 36-year-old actor radiates humility and surges with pride for his collaborators; “Fellow Travelers” also picked up nominations for lead actor Matt Bomer and for Nyswaner’s writing. Bailey believes the fact that executive producer Robbie Rogers was able to get the project on television at all is a “brilliant signifier” of changing times. He feels lucky to have been the right person for the job. And after a couple of decades in the industry, the actor’s star is about to go supernova. 

Childhood stage work and gigs on 2000s teen TV shows led to roles on acclaimed series like ITV’s “Broadchurch” and Channel 4’s “Crashing.” He nabbed an Olivier in 2019 for his performance in Marianne Elliott’s West End revival of “Company.” Households on the other side of the Atlantic learned his name in 2020 when he courted lockdown audiences as Anthony, the strident head of the titular family on Netflix’s period-romance smash “Bridgerton.” 

Then came the game-changing “Fellow Travelers.” Bailey plays the idealistic Tim Laughlin, a closeted congressional staffer who pursues a clandestine relationship with another man amid the witch hunts of McCarthy-era Washington. The actor is keeping up that momentum in the coming months with part one of Jon M. Chu’s highly anticipated film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Wicked” (out Nov. 22), followed by the fourth “Jurassic World” in 2025. 

“Fellow Travelers” is a fitting inflection point for Bailey, considering it reflects aspects of his own gay identity. Tim’s story also illuminates a thread connecting the actor’s work, both in and out of character: always embracing the truth, shame be damned. 

Born in Wallingford, England, Bailey made a beeline for the arts as a kid when he began studying music and ballet. After getting a taste of performing at a young age, he secured an agent when he was a teenager. Even now, he feels the sense of joy and wonder he discovered in those early days. 

He chose not to attend drama school, instead throwing himself into professional theater, where he encountered the performance process in its most essential form. “You start with your own instincts, and then you share with others in the room in real time,” Bailey says. “You academically approach text, then you emotionally explore it. Then, you physically put it on its feet.”

Theater taught him to be observant. In rehearsals, he witnessed actors being brilliant and bold, but also making crucial mistakes. Weeks of rehearsing helped him learn how to spend time with a character as he watched his castmates play against type and expand themselves through performance. Those lessons both tested and encouraged him, and they’ve carried him throughout his career. 

Since then, Bailey has gotten the chance to see plenty of giants at work. He reverently discusses performing Stephen Sondheim’s music alongside Patti LuPone in “Company” and reciting Shakespeare opposite Ian McKellen in the Chichester Festival Theatre’s 2017 production of “King Lear.” 

His contemporaries also made for great teachers. He worked with Phoebe Waller-Bridge on “Crashing” and Michaela Coel on “Chewing Gum”—two certified television geniuses whose creative successes Bailey likens to the magnesium flame of a meteor. It’s an apt comparison—Waller-Bridge called him “a meteorite of fun” in a 2022 interview with GQ. (“I think I’ve always been quite naughty,” he says playfully.)

“There’s so much you take on via natural osmosis,” Bailey explains. “It’s what you watch and how you interpret things.”

For example, he thinks that every actor should see Sandy Dennis’ Oscar-winning turn as Honey in Mike Nichols’ 1966 film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Her performance whet his curiosity about the craft: “She is so fluid. I mean, that might be the most exposing answer I’ve given about what my inner world is like.”

Bailey’s technique is rooted in music. He plays piano and clarinet, and he approaches acting like an instrument, too. When reading a script for the first time, he experiences his character’s arc as the phrases in a song. “The way my brain works is that I see the images of what they’re doing,” he says. “When I say ‘phrasing,’ it’s like, how you get from that image to this image.”

When he was playing the bottled-up Anthony on “Bridgerton,” Bailey found inspiration in songs by Echo and the Bunnymen and Nirvana. While filming “Fellow Travelers” in Toronto, he went on long walks while listening to expansive pop music to help him explore Tim, a character whose energy radiates outward.

Considering Bailey’s process plays like a song, connoisseurs of his work might notice a motif. Sam from “Crashing,” a party boy Bailey calls “a wild, untamed animal in a tiny little cage,” aggressively maintains a facade of heterosexuality while pining for his male housemate Fred (Amit Shah). On Season 2 of “Bridgerton,” Anthony locked himself into a prison of duty and a loveless engagement to avoid acknowledging his desire for the fiery Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

Tim of “Fellow Travelers” is the latest in a series of sharply drawn characters confronting the tension between their assigned roles and their personal truths. Viewers first meet a straitlaced rule-follower whose Catholic piety is only matched by his loyalty to the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy. All that changes when he crosses paths with Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller (Bomer), a crystal-eyed, debonair State Department official. Their respective closets combust on contact, and they enter into a forbidden love affair just as McCarthy’s Lavender Scare has begun purging queer people from the halls of government.

Bailey’s interior work tends to be more emotional than cerebral, but he’s a generous conversation partner who’s always game to riff on the deep stuff. Whether it’s yearning, going against expectations, or facing high stakes, the phrasing is what draws him in. 

He finds a lot of gorgeous notes to play across the eight episodes of “Fellow Travelers” as the action moves from the 1950s to the ’80s, making pit stops along the way. While Hawk settles for a life of straight domesticity, Tim hurtles through a sexual and political awakening: The Beltway boy becomes an activist priest who refuses to diminish himself, especially when the AIDS crisis begins to rip his community apart.

Bailey loved being inside Tim’s head; in fact, the actor thinks of him as a hero. After experiencing the isolation of his secret relationship with Hawk, he opens himself up to the world: He comes out, moves to San Francisco, cobbles together a found family, and builds a life as his true self. 

“Ron Nyswaner has spoiled Matt and me for the operatic detail that existed between [our characters],” Bailey says, “and also with Tim’s political fervor: the truth and the honesty that he demands of himself and the world around him, and the grappling with anything that is an obstacle to his own and other’s happiness.”

You can’t talk about “Fellow Travelers” without discussing its rapturous sex scenes—and not only for titillation’s sake, though the kinky encounters between Tim and Hawk certainly call for smelling salts. These sequences gave Bailey the opportunity to commit authentic queer intimacy to the screen, which members of the LGBTQ+ community rarely come across as they search for ways to understand their identities. 

The trust between Bailey and Bomer informed everything they did onscreen. Before filming those scenes, the two actors talked through their approach at a café (Goldstruck Coffee on Cumberland Street in Toronto—a ribald little detail that still makes Bailey laugh). The filming itself was incredibly technical, and the actors worked with an intimacy coordinator on set. “We sort of hit the ground running, knowing exactly what was going to be required but also how to communicate throughout it,” Bailey says. “It felt immediately quite safe.”

He sensed an exciting opportunity to tell a story about transformative love amid the “wild, oppressive moment” of the Lavender Scare, dismissing any reservations about the explicit nature of the material. “Honestly, this is exactly why this show is going to be brilliant,” he remembers thinking.

The series’ milestone dramatic moments, with buttons still done up and no skin showing, carried that same sense of significance. No matter how much Tim grew over the course of his arc, Bailey says that his bond with Hawk remained an “extraordinary, material thing.”

This summer, the actor made a very Tim move when he founded the Shameless Fund, a charity that supports LGBTQ+ causes under the tagline: “Raising cash. Erasing shame.” The initiative grew directly out of his acting work—first inspired by the platform afforded to him by “Bridgerton” and further influenced by his experience on “Fellow Travelers.” 

Playing Tim—or, as Bailey puts it, spending “five months doing a dissertation on queer oppression and liberation”—catalyzed his thoughts about the people who created a world where such a show could even exist. “I think in ‘Fellow Travelers,’ it’s so clear what Tim wants,” he says. “But as the world around him develops, you realize there’s so much that he can’t have, but that he can help change.”

Bailey sees that progress playing out in the next generation. He has a small role on the upcoming third season of Netflix’s queer YA hit “Heartstopper” as a dreamy academic who’s the celebrity crush of the series’ protagonist, Charlie (Joe Locke). Based on creator Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series, the show has found a passionate following of young LGBTQ+ fans. 

When he watched “Heartstopper” for the first time, Bailey remembers wondering what it would have been like to see such representation on television when he was growing up. “I was so celebratory of it,” he says. “But it was obviously kind of a melancholic watch for people above a certain age, because it allowed them to grieve what they didn’t have.”

Having conquered the Regency and Cold War periods on the small screen, Bailey’s blockbuster era is imminent. He’s playing dashing love interest Fiyero in the “Wicked” films (based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel), singing and dancing alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It’s a perfect fit for the actor’s particular lens: “Musically and theatrically, I understand it massively.”

Since “Wicked” came with its own well-known songs to study, Bailey spent a lot of time with composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s music in his ears rather than Kurt Cobain’s. He explored Fiyero’s interiority through the musical theater form itself: What does the act of singing express for him?

And for a character whose signature number is called “Dancing Through Life,” what metaphorical direction are his steps leading him in? 

Bailey sees Fiyero as part of the same club as Tim, Anthony, and Sam, as the heightened world of Oz sends him on a journey of radical transformation. “I think about where he starts and where he ends up; he’s literally a changed person,” the actor says. “I savored the arc over two films.” 

Next year, Bailey will become an action star in Gareth Edwards’ next installment of “Jurassic World” opposite Scarlett Johansson. Though details have yet to be announced, including the movie’s title, production is well underway; Bailey just finished filming in Thailand before shooting moved to Malta. A few days before we spoke, he was interacting with a fake blue-screen dinosaur (which is only a spoiler if you thought Hollywood has actually been cloning big reptiles this whole time).

But Bailey is still keeping his theater muscles toned. Next year, he’s starring as the titular monarch in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Shakespeare’s “Richard II” at London’s Bridge Theatre. “I have to go and sharpen up,” he says of returning to the stage. “You feel so sharp and dexterous at the end of a theater run—but also, you know, without a soul. Carcass levels of absolute exhaustion.”

Bailey lights up at the prospect of getting back onstage and experiencing the kinetic energy between the actors, crew, and director. He believes that the emotional and intellectual rigor of theater leads to a tight, specific piece of work. It’s an art form that requires continuous creation night after night.

This stamina comes in handy in front of a camera, too. “When you’re exhausted, you have to rely on technique,” he explains. “Technique does get you over the finish line, and you can deliver a performance that is honest and tell the story effectively and truthfully.” 

Until then—and until he’s back on set with those fake dinosaurs—he’s going to soak up that Emmy-nomination afterglow for a little while longer. 

“I’m actually going to go and have another glass of wine to celebrate,” he says.

Source

[jgroffdaily]

The New Yorker Interview

Jonathan Groff Rolls Merrily Back

The actor reflects on his journey in reverse: from his latest Tony nomination to his arrival in New York, waiting tables and dreaming of Broadway.

By Michael Schulman, Photograph by Thea Traff

June 2, 2024

Excerpts:

One of the problems with “Merrily” is its protagonist, Franklin Shepard, whom we first meet as a slick, philandering forty-year-old Hollywood producer. It takes two acts to arrive at the charismatic musician he once was, with a lot of mistakes in between. Putting effect before cause gives each scene a painful irony—but how do you get an audience to care about a guy who’s off-putting for so long? “Merrily” is back on Broadway, in a production directed by Maria Friedman, and it’s finally a hit. One big reason is its Frank, played by Jonathan Groff, whose natural warmth shines through even in the character’s older, sleazier incarnation. When this revival opened Off Broadway, in 2022, The New Yorker’s Helen Shaw wrote, “Groff’s silky tenor and angelic face elevate a part that can sometimes be contemptible—for the first time, I could see Frank as both the dreamer who believes in greatness and the glib charmer who believes every lie he tells.”

Groff, thirty-nine, is now nominated for a Tony Award, alongside Friedman and his co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez. He was previously nominated in 2016, for “Hamilton,” in the scene-stealing part of King George III, and in 2007, for the indie-rock musical “Spring Awakening,” as the rebellious schoolboy Melchior Gabor—his breakout role, opposite Lea Michele. Groff had come to New York three years earlier, as a stagestruck, closeted nineteen-year-old from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he grew up among Mennonites and was obsessed with the original cast recording of “Annie Get Your Gun.” “Merrily,” with its themes of aging, idealism, and the vicissitudes of show business, has had Groff thinking about his own path toward stardom. “Doing this show on Broadway at this time, moving to New York twenty years ago, I’ve now lived the time frame of the show,” he told me recently.

We were talking at a bakery north of Washington Square Park. Groff had glided in on a bicycle. As we spoke, he frequently welled up with tears—he’s a crier—but regained his composure by focussing on a pair of googly eyes affixed to the wall behind me. For our conversation, which has been edited and condensed, I had an experiment in mind.

Let’s start with the extremely recent past. Three days ago, you went to the Met Gala. How was your night?

The big headline for me was Lea Michele was pregnant, and I sat next to her at the table, holding her giant train thing while she peed. She took it off, and I was holding that and her purse. I saw Zac Posen, who was at our table, help Kim Kardashian up the little tiny stairs, and I said to him, “Wow, that was such a sweet moment of the gay helping the diva.” I was relating to him, like with me and Lea. It’s a zoo of famous people. I was going to go to the after-parties, but my body was just, like, “No.” I hit a wall from the shows and the epicness of the week, with the Tony nominations. So I was home by eleven-forty-five, and in bed by midnight.

The Broadway production of “Merrily” opened last fall. You told Jimmy Fallon that Meryl Streep came to your dressing room, where you have a bar named BARbra, and she took a video of you and sent it to Barbra Streisand. Who else has been there?

The first thing that comes to me is sitting in BARbra in October or November, drinking whiskey with Sutton Foster. I came to New York as a teen-ager and saw her six times in “Thoroughly Modern Millie”—now she’s in BARbra, dropping in for, like, an hour and a half after the show, and it’s so full circle. Who else? Patti LuPone was there—another big one for me. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Martin McDonagh. Glenn Close sent back a bottle of champagne to be chilled in BARbra, which we drank together.

This show, like every Sondheim show, is very dense. Over the course of three hundred-plus performances, are there certain moments that have suddenly hit you a different way, or that you realize have a double meaning?

Double, triple, quadruple, infinity. I’m still having revelations, which really makes me believe that it’s a true work of art. Maria [Friedman] talks about how, with Sondheim’s writing, he “leaves space,” which is why it’s always new. He always needed to work with a collaborator, and she talked about the actor being an essential collaborator. She said the lyric he wrote in “Sunday in the Park with George”—“Anything you do, / let it come from you, / then it will be new”—is Sondheim’s directive to the actor.

The Tuesday after the Tony nominations, I got to the theatre, screamed with Lindsay [Mendez], screamed with Dan [Radcliffe]. [He chokes up.] Then I was singing “Growing Up”—“So old friends, don’t you see we can have it all?”—which has meant so many different things to me in the run of the show. At yesterday’s matinée, Dan and I were sitting on the roof singing “Our Time”: “Up to us, pal, to show ’em.” We’ve done it a million times. We look at each other, and Dan just fucking loses it crying. He had to look away from me. We talked about it afterward, like, “What the fuck was that?” I don’t know. Something just happened.

When you started the show, in 2022, at New York Theatre Workshop, were there kinks in your performance that you’ve since figured out?

I remember feeling shocked at being disliked for so long in the first half of the first act. It was very clear from the energy of the audience that they loved Mary in the opening scene—immediately, they’re on her side. I’m out here as a gay guy, playing this straight, two-timing Hollywood producer who’s cheating on his wife. I’m already having to feel confident in a way that I don’t in my everyday life, this sort of swagger. And the audience hates me. I remember feeling scared and self-conscious. Maria, in that preview process, really helped with that, because she talked about the value of when it’s real, and you’re not playing ugly just to be ugly. The one line that I really struggled with was “I’m just acting like it all matters so people can’t see how much I hate my life and how much I wish the whole goddam thing was over.” That is a really confronting thing to say.

People might say that this is one of the fundamental flaws of “Merrily We Roll Along”—that you’re confronted with this cynical, smarmy Frank in the first act, and you don’t really understand him until the show’s over. I can imagine going into this not knowing if that’s a solvable problem, because it hadn’t been for decades.

Well, Maria wanted us to find the truth. She really believed that these characters weren’t archetypes, that there’s humanity in the writing from beginning to end. I found it after that first week or two of previews, not being so afraid. The line that made me want to do the show was “I’ve made only one mistake in my life, but I’ve made it over and over and over. That was saying yes when I meant no.” I’ve done that a lot in my life, and there was something that felt like the closeted version of myself. George Furth and Stephen Sondheim—I can only imagine being gay at the time that they were gay. Even though Frank is straight, there’s so much repression that feels very familiar to me.

Except that you felt it at the beginning of your life and not the middle, as Frank does.

Yes and no. I still feel it. I’m still trying every day not to go back. I’m obviously out of the closet, so that’s a huge relief, but I’m always going to be reckoning with the Republican upbringing that I had. I’m always negotiating whatever homophobia I’ve got. It’s all in there, still. What we see as ugliness in the top of the show, to stand and say, “I want to fucking kill myself, I hate my life,” and not overdramatize it but try to find it in the most pure, truthful place—it’s still, every night, a meditation to go there.

Let’s wind back. In 2021, you played Agent Smith in “The Matrix Resurrections.” Any good stories about Keanu Reeves?

Getting to play Agent Smith really unlocked rage inside of me that I didn’t know was there. That’s helped me so much with “Merrily,” particularly in the first act. Learning the kung fu was, like, months of fight training. They called me the Savage, because I was so into it. We were shooting a big fight sequence with Keanu, and, after the first few takes, I remember Lana [Wachowski] at the monitor, like, “Jonathan, come over here. Who is that?” I was, like, “I don’t know.” And she was, like, “And what is that?” I said, “Gay rage?”

I’d never shot a gun before. I shot Keanu and thought I had peed my pants, because I had this hot feeling. You know when you pee yourself and it’s warm? It lasted about ten minutes and then it went away. I sat next to Keanu and said, “Keanu, I just had extreme heat from my groin for, like, ten minutes.” And he was, like, “You opened up your root chakra.”

You turned thirty that year [Hamilton]? How was that?

I remember it vividly. We were at the Public Theatre. There was a fire in the East Village, and the show was cancelled that night. I got a cupcake at the deli around the corner from my apartment, on Sixteenth Street, and ate it by myself. I can be a bit of a loner, so that was a happy birthday for me.

(On Looking being cancelled)

But, in 2015, Michael Lombardo was our executive at HBO, and I was crying into my salad at some restaurant in West Hollywood, trying to convince him to keep the show going, right before getting on the plane to come do “Hamilton” Off Broadway.

I loved Raúl Castillo, who played your love interest Richie on the show. I interviewed him around then, and he told me that, since he’s straight, you all had to teach him some of the mechanics of what gay people do.

Oh, yeah! God, I love him so much. I officiated his wedding in July.

Let’s go back to 2013, when “Frozen” came out. You voiced the iceman Kristoff and the reindeer Sven. How did that film change your life?

It’s funny—I remember recording some of “Frozen” in San Francisco. I would be teaching Raúl, like, how to lick my asshole while jerking me off—not teaching him, but sharing the ins and outs of gay intimacy—and then going into the recording studio on a Saturday and being Kristoff and Sven in a Disney movie.

When they showed me “Let It Go” for the first time, I was, like, Oh, my God, this will help millions of people come out of the closet. This is the gayest thing I’ve seen in my life! That was the thing about “Frozen”: I don’t think anyone who worked on it thought it was going to be a juggernaut. It’s so weird to think of this now, but when it came out it felt quite alternative, because there was no villain, really, and the love was between two women. Now there are, like, tissues with Elsa on it.

Now we’re moving backward to “Spring Awakening.” By the time it moved to Broadway, in 2006, you were the twenty-one-year-old lead of the coolest musical in town. What was your actual life like?

I was so not cool. The show was cool, and the music was cool. I had people dropping me off joints at the theatre. And I remember fully understanding the stark difference between who I was playing onstage and who I was in real life, which was an extreme theatre nerd who wanted to be in the ensemble of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and never would have imagined playing Melchior. It’s his gravitas. And trying to tap into that side of myself, which was a side I’d never experienced before.

Tell me about your audition.

I went to the open call and knew who Michael Mayer was, because he had directed “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” But it was “Spring Awakening” and I was, like, There’s a beating scene? This is so intense! They called me in for Melchior, then had me sing “Hey Jude” in a falsetto, and Michael was, like, “That was your falsetto?” And I laughed at him sort of making fun of me. Tom Hulce, who was our producer, told me years later that he moved my head shot from the “No” pile into the “Yes” pile because I had laughed at Michael in the audition, and he thought, This kid has the ability to let Michael roll off his back. We should bring him back in the next month or two.

It was, like, ten people up for Melchior. They brought me in first, because they thought they would just see me and cut me. But I had worked so hard on the audition material. I remember calling my dad the night before the final callback and saying to him, “I know I can’t be this character all the way yet, but I—”[He tears up again.] I really got to get my shit together! Why does this keep happening to me?

Because we’ve gone on an emotional journey.

I guess so, in reverse! Fuck me. [Pauses.] I knew that I had it inside, if they would just give me the chance. That’s all I was trying to say, but I guess I can’t stop crying while I’m saying it.

In 2005, you made your Broadway début, as an understudy in “In My Life.” Now, this was the weirdest musical I’ve ever seen. As I recall, there were dancing skeletons in a song about how everyone has a skeleton in their closet, a giant lemon that came from the sky at the end, and a girl on a scooter who turns out to be a ghost. And it was written by the guy who wrote “You Light Up My Life,” who then came to a dark end.

And his son!

Yes, his son killed his girlfriend. What the hell was going on with that show? Did you ever go on?

I went on for the ensemble members. I was so excited! I was in my first Broadway show, at the Music Box Theatre, walking in where it says “Stage Door.” And you couldn’t give away tickets to see the show. People were coming to laugh at the show from the audience.

Like “Springtime for Hitler”?

Exactly. And the cast had to do the show, even though people were laughing at them, which is devastating for the actors. But we formed a little family. It’s the plight of the actor. You’re just out there, like Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.” I was twenty years old, so I was lit.

Had you been waiting tables?

Yeah. The whole year before that, I was at the Chelsea Grill, in Hell’s Kitchen. The day I got to New York—October 21, 2004—I moved to Fifty-first Street and Ninth Avenue, before it was super gay, and I walked down Ninth and got a job waiting tables. A week later, I waited on Tom Viola, who runs the charity Broadway Cares, and became a bucket collector. I’d watch the second act of shows and then collect the money at the end. I went to hundreds of auditions, trying to get my Equity card. That, to me, was “Opening Doors,” from “Merrily”—that moment of sheer will and ambition and ignorance.

We’ve now reached our finale, which is 2004. Can you tell me about the decision to move to New York?

My mom was a gym teacher and my dad is a horse trainer, and they didn’t really understand anything about the performing world. But my dad grew up on a dairy farm, and he was supposed to take over and become a Mennonite preacher, which is what my grandfather was. My dad didn’t like cows—he liked horse racing, so he sort of rebelled and did his own thing. My mom always says that nurse, secretary, or teacher were the options for women in a small town at that time, but her passion was sports, so she ended up being a coach.

So they understood the power of fanning the flame of passion. When I was a kid and into acting, they drove me to play practice. They drove me to community theatre. My senior year of high school, my mom drove me to New York to audition for this bus-and-truck tour of “The Sound of Music.” I got that tour, and deferred my admission to Carnegie Mellon. I made ten thousand dollars after a year on the road, and I learned so much from getting to act every day. I wanted to take my ten thousand and move to New York, and my parents were super supportive: “If you feel like you need to go to college, you can always go to college. But take a gamble and move to the city.” I’d worked at this theatre in Lancaster called the Fulton Opera House, where I’d met this girl who wanted to move to New York, so she became my roommate.

To me, “Merrily We Roll Along” is about how difficult it is to stay in touch with the person you were as adulthood knocks you sideways and forward. When you think about nineteen-year-old Jonathan coming to New York, do you feel like you’re the same person? What’s changed?

[He bursts into tears.] I can’t tell why I cry! When we were about to start rehearsal for “Merrily,” I would listen to “Our Time,” and I couldn’t sing it without crying. And, when I think about that version of myself—I think it’s because that person who brings you here does diminish. Maybe it’s the grief for that person. The whole reason that I’m here now is because of that person, but that person no longer exists.

But that person is still in there, somewhere. That voice is so quiet now, but it’s still driving my choices. You have to make choices. You get older, that pure inspiration dies, but it doesn’t have to go all the way away. I think that’s the whole point of the show, why it goes backward. Maria says that Sondheim put all of his regret into it, so that we could have less regret for ourselves. And perhaps the reason it ends with these people, with these versions of ourselves that we remember when we see it, is that it’s an invitation to remember and honor that person.

Why does that make me cry? Is it grief? Is it joy? I don’t know, but I’m so grateful for that purity and that optimism. The first month that I was here, feeling so lost and confused, I pulled the Bible that my Mennonite grandmother gave me off the bookshelf. She gave me that Bible before I left town. I was alone in the apartment thinking, What the fuck am I doing in New York? Or not even “what the fuck”—I didn’t swear until “Spring Awakening,” and when I would sing “Totally Fucked” I would get beet red. And I remember putting the Bible down and thinking, This is not the answer. This is not making me feel good. And then running to Central Park and standing in front of the Bethesda Fountain. I was nineteen, and I was, like, This feels better—but, like, What? Who am I? What am I doing here? I know I want to act, but I’m so scared. And gay. But it was something—some voice, some passion, some inspiration. Some something brought me here.

[spookyscaryskidnpump]

my thoughts on spooky month 6

copy pasted from a page and a half of google doc. crying. spoilers inbound.putting it under the cut cuz its super long. also swear warning.

Ok to start off LILA. LILA MY GAL NO UR DOING UR BEST AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Im crying im actually fucginf crying. She's trying. So hard. Skid is trying so hard. THEY'RE DOING THEIR BEST PLEASEEEEE. Father Gregor can go EAT SHIT. THEY'RE TRYING AND THAT'S WHAT COUNTS GODDAMNIT.

Susie… Susie no… please… she deserves better istgggggg. What happened to their parents? Are they actually just busy? Are they DEAD? Holy shit what if they're dead. Poor Pump, poor Susie, god please just let these kiddos be ok. PLEASE. ABUELO WONDER IS TYING SO HARD BUT SUSIE KNOWS IT ISN'T REALLY FROM HER PARENTS IM CRYING. SUSIE NOOOOOO

FATHER GREGOR I HATE YOU. ok well he obvs did some good but STILL. GREGOR. STFU GREGOR. I get that hes trying but U CANT JUST SAY ALL THAT SHIT ABOUT JUDGEMENT AND THEN JUDGE HER HER FUCKING HOUSE GOT BROKEN INTO!! YOU DONT HAVE THE FUCKING CONTEXT!!!! ARGHFDGHJSGHJKAGHSD. Also DAMN IS HE A CULTIST NOW?? IS HE DEAD?? WHAT?!?!?!

ROYYYYYY ROY MY BOI NOOOOOO poor guy :( i understand why he hates the kids they DID kinda ruin him so. At least he knows theyre trying now :( and ross n rob just ASSUME he did something bad isnt helping here!!!! I get that theyre also trying to help him and its nice to see him opening up to them about stuff (even if we dont get to know what specifically PELO WHY) but PLEASE get this kid an anger management class or smthn PLEASE. He needs SO MUCH THERAPY. I dont think hes gonna get therapy because im pretty sure his parents are Part Of The Problem but STILL.  Also FUCKER LITERALLY GOT POSSESED BY A DEMON?????? THATS GOTTA BE TRAUMATIC TF

Side note i love ross and robert dearly and i appreciate them doing their best to help on both sides i love them smmmmmm AUGH

KEVIN AND RADFORD FRIENDSHIP REALLLLLLLLLL i am SO fucking happy about that!!!! Also Kevin having conflicted feelings on the kids FAIR. Similar thing to Roy except hes an adult with a semi-functional support network and is able to understand that theyre just dumb kids and they dont actually mean any harm. He’s harsher on the hatzgang cuz theyre teens and old enough to know stealing is wrong but Skid n Pump are little kiddos they dont know better. Also him disapproving of father gregor REAL THO. also HE GOT POSSESSED TOO?? TRAUMA CENTRAL HOLY SHIT

PATTY DESERVES TO HAVE A GUN ACTUALLY. Also JOHN ANGST JOHN ANGST JOHN ANGST! IS HIS KID DEAD? IS HIS DAUGHTER OK HOLY SHIT. ALSO THEM HELPING THE KIDS PROPERLY IM CRYIG AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

WHAT WAS EVERMORE DOING WITH THE HOBOMEN???? HELLO??????

I SAW THAT CULT NECKLACE UNDER IGNACIOS SHIRT. I FUCKING SAW IT. CALLED IT BITCH!!!!!!

Rick just has the WORST luck lmao

STREBER IS ALIVE LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DEXTER NO PLEASE AUGH��… HIS MOM TOO……

JAUNE AND ROSS’S DAD… HE'S REAL HE EXISTS!! I get ur trying jaune but that is NOT the best way to comfort poor lila… AT LEAST SHES TRYING THO I APPRECIATE HER

THE ENTIRE NEWGROUNDS ENDING?? THE THIEVES AND THE CANDY DEALER IN CAHOOTS WITH THE CULT???? HELLO??????

MOLOCH IS GONE. he deserved it but also THE KIDS ARE SO SAD ABOUT IT? Like they don't really get it but they just watched someone they thought was their friend DIE. HOLY SHIT.

finally. SKID AND PUMP. KIDDOS NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ok for real tho theyre so much more self aware than the fandom and bulk of the show give them credit for?? Like Skid is VERY aware of his dad being dead/possibly missing and legit just doesn’t wanna talk about it. He knows what death is and he finds fun in it to cope. My poor sweet boyo… and PUMP. PUMP ANSWERING THE CALL AUGHHHHHH HE WANTS HIS PARENTS BACK IM CRYING. SUSIE AND ABUELO ARE DOING THEIR BEST AND HE'S TRYING SO HARD AND AAAAAAAAAAUGH. Also him getting possessed by Moloch while having Star-Eyes basically debunks the theory of the Star-Eyes being a form of possession which is FASCINATING. Anyway that scene with Susie and Pump got me misty eyed and then during the ending with Skid and Lila i actually genuinely started crying. I just want them to be happy. Please let them be happy. Please. PLEASE.

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio for May 1, 2013; #16.

Brian Eno “Third Uncle”

Patti Smith “So You Want To Be (A Rock And Roll Star)”

Iggy Pop “Nightclubbing”

David Byrne & Brian Eno “Strange Overtones”

Parts & Labor “Fake Rain”

Throbbing Gristle “Her Arm Was Her Leg” (live)

M.I.A. “Paper Planes”

Martin Rev “Mari”

NON "Warm Leatherette"

Normal, The "Warm Leatherette"

Kraftwerk “The Robots”

Suckdog “Oh, Mighty Pidgeons”

FFH “Worth Doing”

Einsturzende Neubauten “Styropor”

Foetus “Today I Started Slogging Again”

Sleater-Kinney “Get Up”

Mika Miko “Dear Teen Magazine”

Ms. Les “And Now We Know”

Swell Maps “Midgets / Submarines”

Slits, The “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

X-Ray Spex “Warrior In Woolworth’s”

Enharjharna “Starka Band”

Pailhead “Ballad”

Crass “Shaved Women”

New Bomb Turks “Dragstrip Riot”

Subhumans UK “The Day The Country Died”

Deluxe industrial, punk, indie, hipster, and marquee sounds.

[blacklegsanjiii]

•°♤°• What would happen if 01234ji all escaped Germa? Zeff would have 5 eggplants and if would be very funny of how would that go. But 0124ji are very overprotective of Sanji. They are guilty for their actions and want to redeem themselves so doing that they would want to protect Sanji. I'd have a feeling Yonji would be Sanji's fav bro bc Yonji is younger than Sanji & Sanji has that older sibling instinct. (Can be ASLXSANJI God AU of regular).

That's great, but they all need food names. Also yeah, imagine they feel guilty and then their brother is a god. Wild.

Zeff pinning Sanji to the deck of the Orbit only to have four tiny bodies hanging on him as the ship starts sinking. So now he and five rainbow haired brats are stuck on a rock so he gives them the food and goes and sits on his side. The he eats his leg. Then they get rescued. So Zeff and the kids are recovering and the blond is the worst of them for some reason. Zeff decides he's going to be called eggplant. I feel like Reiju would nectarine, ichiji would be chili, niji blueberry and yonji would be called floret like broccoli. So he recovers and they start work on the Baratie and Zeff suddenly has five children. Which is five more than he had like four months ago. It'll be fine.

Sanji and Ichiji cook, Reiju is the hostess, Yonji and Niji wait. They've cultivated a weird little family for themselves, even if the four stick to the blond like glue and apologize for things randomly. Eggplant doesn't like hats and toys with his hair a lot, one of the others will catch his hand and hold it. The boys share a room and one morning a group of teens come say Sanji is sick and shaking the geezer who is trying to calm them down, so they go check and yeah. Reiju is pointing and saying they never get sick and Zeff knows that's the truth, in the entire time they've been together they don't get sick, so eggplant having a fever and Sanji is shivering and sweating and yeah, he's sick. So he gives the kids shift to stay with him and they continue on as normal. As normal as his kids are. Floret uses his winch hands to whip assholes around the Baratie, Chili will use his laser eyes to destroy ships, Nectarine has eaten a whole poison fish on a dare, blueberry will electrocute dickbags who speak ill of his sister and the eggplant when he goes to help wait. Either way the eggplant is sick so he has the kids take shifts to take care of him.

Sanji is better after a few days and is even more drawn to the water than he was before. The brats could swim for hours, but him especially. His siblings ask him what's going on because he shouldn't be staring at the sun like he is and he's like 'I'm the Ocean, I know where the All Blue is' as his siblings ask what the fuck that means Sanji explains his past lives, his spouses-plural which piss his siblings, Zeff, Patty and Carne off- and Ichiji is like 'well, we're not gods, but you're not like us so it's fine' which is the conclusion the brats come to. It's not fine. Zeff is cursing up a storm and demanding what the fuck happened to his brat?

Then Luffy shows up and everything happens and he leaves and no one knows Luffy is the sun god and Luffy doesn't mention they're married or anything. So they all pay attention to the news and everything going on with their brother. Up until Marineford. Where Fire Fist is a god-the god of stars and Luffy is there with him and that clown is livestreaming it to the whole world. None of the crew is there and Fire Fist is screaming that the Elders are lucky so far it's just him who has unlocked his godly form. Then there is nothing after Marineford for two years. Then it turns out they're all alive and then after Wano the Strawhats, Ace, and Sabo show up at Baratie because uh...they need to meet Sanji's family properly but also uhhh, Zeff is probably going to kill Sanji's spouses if his siblings don't get to them first.

[cannibal-nightmares]

Arcane/League + Soul Eater crossover AU ideas

- Jinx is a meister, and Vi is a weapon (like that of the Atlas Gauntlets). While Vi was weilded by Claggor and Mylo as kids when they'd get up to trouble, she'd allow Jinx to weild her by the start of the series.

- Viktor tries to help develop demon weapons on the side of the allies until said allies inevitably betray him.

- Sevika is a weapon, but ever since she decided to go rogue against Vander, and when she lost her arm, she stays half in weapon form

- Jinx has weilded Sevika before, who might be a gatling gun, mini gun, and/or bladed weapon. 'Would be interesting if Sevika was Pow-Pow.

- A reason why Silco was estranged and had to work so hard to become a leader was because he was a lone weapon. Consider: Silco as Fishbones (or Fishbones containing his soul)

- Stein and Singed as enemy rivals.

- Double augmentation: Just as people can be augmented with hextech, so can demon weapons.

- Arachne and Silco in kahoots together against Piltover and the DWMA.

- Silco is not a witch, but witches trust him more than anyone outside of their circles.

- Finn, Renni, Smeech, and other chem-barons are followers of Arachne, just as characters like Giriko and Mosquito would be followers of Silco.

- yordle!Mosquito

- Jayce is a meister. I can't decide if Viktor is a weapon (especially as a Zaunite) who chooses to weild hextech, or if his interactions with The Void have corrupted his soul resonance abilities as a meister and he now depends on hextech to defend himself... OR Viktor’s illness diminished his abilities to transform into a weapon correctly or efficiently, so he depends on hextech.

- Something something Azusa Yumi and Caitlyn :)

- Marie, as a topsider, sympathizes with the Zaunites (and the children of Zaun to include our main characters of Vi and Powder) to the point that other Pilties tend to question her loving judgement.

- Something something Lord Death and Heimerdinger!

- As he grew complacent to Piltover's demands [for an effort towards peace], Vander was restrictive about Violet transforming into her weapon form.

- On that note, Vander could be a weapon who chooses not to transform. He sympathizes with Vi's want for rebellion, but tries to stay to his new-found principles. This would also allow for another element of tension between him and Silco. ("You'd die for the cause, but you won't fight for it?")

- Stein in a battle of wits in admiring Jinx, Viktor, and Silco. He can't help but be fascinated by their rough advances in science and their determinations.

- Stein microdoses shimmer like that of Viktor...

- "Madness" being synonymous with, related to, or originating from The Void ("the Void is a manifestation of the unknowable nothingness that lies beyond. It is a force of insatiable hunger ... To be a mortal touched by this power is to suffer an agonizing glimpse of eternal unreality, enough to shatter even the strongest mind.") Something something the book of Eibon + "the onset of madness" and the Void.

- Stein helping Viktor with shimmer, Viktor helping him with augmentation.

- Black Star was born in Zaun but was brought to Piltover as a baby. He runs into the main crew of Zaunite kids (Vi, Ekko, etc) as a pre-teen and has not been influenced by topside to see them any different from himself. He helps them get up to crafty shenanigans.

- Kid as the youngest member of the high council.

- Liz and Patty as Zaunites.

- While Zaunites (or at least Silco and chem-barons) get along with witches, they still face a bigger rogue evil: Medusa.

- Instead of black blood, shimmer; instead of shimmer, black blood. Or both!

- Medusa manages bigger ideas for evil in administering shimmer into Crona + Ragnarok and/or the kishin.

- Fire and Thunder as yordles? Could that be a thing?

- Stein and Heimerdinger as collaborators, up until the point Stein realizes how much Heimerdinger prioritizes the ignorance of arcane magic, especially after Viktor and Jayce prove it's scientific potential.

- Heimerdinger and Exclaibur. I just want to see them in the same room together. Hell, yordle!Excalibur, or Heimerdinger being equal to Excalibur in power. While I'd begin to headcanon him as a meister, screw it, weapon!Heimerdinger (despite that this goes against the idea that weapons are looked down upon by Pilties).

- High council meetings in the Death Room.

- Exclaibur being a guest of honor to the high council (at what cost...)

- Hextech/hex crystals and Brew Tempest...

- Don't let Gopher meet Silco. He'll probably love him more than he loves Lord Noah. Silco would use him in very similar ways that Noah does.

- Head-to-head rivalry for the kishin and/or Brew/Hextech specifically between Noah and Silco. Yes, I think Noah could instantly crush Silco, but Silco is far more strategically cunning.

- Viktor and Sky as a weapon/meister duo to some capacity :) heh

- If Caitlyn were a weapon, she'd have a momentary partnership with Jayce. If she were a meister, she'd partner with Violet. (imagine Caitlyn with the Atlas Gauntlets!)

- Something something Justin Law and Marcus?

- While I'd begin to think the main cast of Soul Eater kids are of similar ages to Violet, Powder, Claggor, etc, it'd be interesting if they could go to school with characters like that of Sky and Viktor.

- Something something Grayson and Auntie having similar dynamics and possibly even being a duo.

- Silco, Viktor, and/or Jinx facing madness. Or, really, literally any of the Arcane characters facing madness in the way all of the characters do in [the] Soul Eater [manga]

- Something something Vi and Maka... I just want to see how they'd interact...

- Crona and Jinx. Needn't I say more. Listen, re-read chapter 87 and come back to me.

- Mifune being some sort of bodyguard for Silco and Jinx. HC that Mifune was from Piltover. Something something Mifune and Sevika; Sevika looks after Angela with much more willingness than she has for Jinx.

- Soul being a Zaunite who made it to Piltover.

- Blair, Arisa, and Risa working at The Last Drop; Chupa Cabra's in the Undercity. Spirit frequenting The Last Drop despite that he is from Piltover.

- reaper!Mel Medarda, equal to that of Kid through most of the series. Is this too far-fetched? And what would that make of Ambessa Medarda? :3c

- on that note, reaper!Heimerdinger and the idea that there can be more than one Lord of Death

- The idea that Ambessa Medarda has long-secretly collaborated with witches for their power. Unbeknownst to the witches, Ambessa would betray them in a heartbeat, which proves further tensions as Piltover eventually tries to rectify their bonds with witches and Zaun against forces such as that of the kishin.

- Stein and Jinx getting along... I just feel like they'd resonate, but I can't place exactly how. Jinx would tease him so bad.

[rivetingrosie4]

Rockets’ Red Glare

RDR2 | Relationship: Arthur Morgan x Female Reader (modern) | Rating: Teen+

Summary: Arthur and reader invite John, Abigail, and Jack over to their property for a little Fourth of July celebration, complete with at-home fireworks.

Tumblr masterlist | Ao3

🎆Comments always welcome! Reblogs always appreciated!🎆

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As you set a large tupperware of sliced watermelon on the long, wooden outdoor table, the tinny smoke of beef on the grill begins to fill your nostrils. You’re hoping Arthur doesn’t put too much black on the burger patties. Since you share a love of burnt ends, you aren’t worried about the brisket he’s had perfecting in the smoker for hours. But he tends to get carried away watching the flames he’d created lick up through the grill’s grate and put a char on the edges of the patties.

When you’re reaching to adjust the little spray of metallic red, white, and blue stars you’d placed in the midst of the table earlier, the familiar electric guitar opening of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Up Around the Bend” suddenly bursts through the air. You look over just in time to see John setting his blaring bluetooth speaker on the ground and stuffing his phone in his pocket with a grin.

“All right! Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” he hollers.

You smile and chuff a silent laugh as you watch him nod to the tune in his strange way with his head too low—more like ducking his head repeatedly—and nibble from a bare, freshly piping patty he’d clearly just snatched from Arthur’s grill plate.

“Now it’s a party, Morgan! You gotta get the mood set right,” he calls as he nonchalantly turns away.

“Oh I’m sorry, thought I was just puttin’ food in your belly, is all,” Arthur says from his place standing before the grill. “Ain’t ever a party without that, that’s for sure.”

Just catching Arthur’s flat half-smirk and indignant glare in John’s direction, you glance back in time to see John wave his hand.

“Just be glad your cookin’s decent enough to bring me around every time.”

“Oh yeah…” you hear Arthur mumble beneath his breath. “Ain’t I just real glad about that…”

Shaking your head, you turn back to look at Arthur, his focus having returned to the grill. A smile spreads across your mouth at the vivid memories that visit you at the sound of this song. The romance of your relationship still very new, your timid heart so full of audacious hope and longing and trepidation. Even at your age, never had you been in a relationship before, and you’d certainly never been given reason to hope by any man as kind and respectful and gorgeous and wonderful as Arthur.

Riding with him in his cherry red pickup, you’d enjoyed the winding mountain path through the lush green of poplars and evergreens until you’d arrived at the nearby town’s gathering for their Fourth of July parade. When you’d parked and stepped out of the truck, it had been this song playing over the main street speakers. And you couldn’t have helped the bright smile that grew on your face at the beauty and vibrant energy of such a quaint, small-town celebration. Little boys and girls with bucket hats riding atop their father’s shoulders, waving flags in one hand and oblivious to the drops of melting ice cream dripping onto his long-suffering head from their cones in the other. Toddlers stomping both sandaled feet in excitement, clumsily clapping their hands and pointing at the marching bands and floats that passed by. Girls in jostling pigtails getting their faces painted and little boys with tiny sunglasses soaking up the sun and munching and slurping crispy watermelon slices, holding their mother’s hand.

It was all so beautiful, you’d found yourself almost crying above your bright, laughing smile, for reasons you couldn’t put into words. You’d never seen or experienced such a homey celebration before, full of such simple feelings of community and shared happiness. Arthur had given it to you, and he’d even slipped his hand into yours to bring you closer and make you apart of it.

That day you never felt any worry about behaving as suavely as you could or being the hottest, most perfect date. Arthur’s presence had let you relax and enjoy the whole day, from beginning to end, as a friend in love with your best friend.

Now here you both are, married and shaken loose from the gang and trying for a baby of your own. Putting on an intimate little Independence Day celebration at your own home.

“John, could you pour a cup of Sprite for Jack please? Just halfway,” you hear Abigail ask from somewhere on the other side of the table.

After glancing up to see her walking towards the table, you turn to your right to find the now five-year-old Jack reaching on tiptoes with his little arm outstretched and his tongue tucked over his top lip for the big, open green liter bottle on the table with his red plastic cup in his other hand. You notice John is several feet behind him, and though he turns to look at Jack, he won’t get there in time to keep him from tipping the bottle unless he immediately runs over, which he isn’t doing.

“Oh, I can help you with that,” you say with a smile, smoothly stepping to the side and pouring the soda into Jack’s cup.

“John!” Abigail quietly rasps through gritted teeth, her tone laced with a sharp, exasperated reprimand.

“What?” he shrugs with a mouthful of hamburger patty. “I’m all the way over here!”

When you hear Abigail sigh, you avert your wide eyes from what you’re sure is to be yet another argument.

“He’s your son! Not hers!” you hear her begin as she walks towards John. “And did you even wonder why he wasn’t comfortable askin’ you for help in the first place?”

Thankfully, as you walk towards Arthur, the sounds of the argument fade to indecipherable.

You have to smile at the sight of Arthur’s focused face, heather navy blue henley unbuttoned at the collar and rolled up to the elbows, and hunter green apron. Smoothing your expression, you step to his side and reach to drape your forearm atop his tall, broad shoulder.

“Goin’ all right over here, chef?” you ask with a mock serious tone.

“Yeah—” he offers a truncated grunt, pinching and turning one of the patties with his long metal tongs, and taking another off the grill and setting it on a plate on the side. “Just about done.”

After a few moments, you can’t keep from scrunching your nose, chuckling, and letting your bright smile show. You slip an arm through his and around to his back.

“I don’t think you look silly at all; I think an apron suits you,” you say, drawing close and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Oh yeah?” he quietly mumbles in a sheepish tone.

“Look like a daddy already.”

He releases a huff of air through his smiling cheeks and rolls his eyes up and away from you.

Pressing in even closer, you kiss his earlobe and mumble quietly, “Would look even better with…only the apron.”

You notice the corner of his mouth curl as he turns and pulls his chin back to face you. “That so.”

“Mm-hm,” you nod. “Maybe you can manage that tomorrow mornin’.”

“Oh! I see!” he chuckles with a wide smile and lifted brows, causing you to giggle. “Are you tryin’ to finagle a package deal of gettin’ laid and gettin’ served breakfast, Mrs. Morgan?” he asks, squinting and letting his gaze slide over to you.

Grinning and biting your lip, you nod. “Either way, I’m gonna sex you up tonight,” you say, your voice even and sure. Then you lean in and press your lips beside his ear to whisper, “So don’t overeat.”

Turning to stand beside him and keeping your posture inconspicuous, you quickly spank his rear. He gives the tiniest jump that you notice before you walk off.

Arthur is left standing there, releasing the breath he’d secretly been holding, wagging his head to play off how affected he is by you, and contemplating that it must be a crime in some places for a person to be as sexy as you are to him.

Hours later, as the sun is lazily drooping behind the skyline of trees, you’re popping the lid off a lager for yourself with the heel of your hand against the wooden table.

“Yeah, that spot is perfect,” you call over to Arthur and John, who are arranging a couple huge tester fireworks between the grass and gravel of your driveway. “Grass ain’t even ‘sposed to be there; it’s crab grass,” you chuckle, anticipating the black marks on the ground as you lift the bottle’s lip to your mouth. “Burn it up!”

“Are y’all sure we won’t miss the county’s show if we’re busy with our own?” Abigail asks in her pleasant twang as she puts ear muffs on Jack and nestles with him on the edge of the truck bed that’s parked several dozen yards away.

“Nah, they don’t start ‘til dark thirty—half an hour after the sun goes down,” John answers as he twists the Roman candle into the gravel until it doesn’t rock or budge.

“Been a few years, huh?” you hear Arthur mumble quietly to John, and something light and feathery fills your chest at the hint of unburdened, wry camaraderie edging his tone.

“You could say that,” John chuckles in his hoarse voice.

“Just make sure you don’t get those bushy eyebrows singed off like last time,” Arthur says a little louder.

“What?!” Abigail almost shrieks.

“Your husband’s an idiot is all, nothin’ unusual,” Arthur drawls lackadaisically as the gravel shifts beneath his western work boots.

“Elaborate immediately,” you chuckle before taking another swig.

“He always lingers!” Arthur gestures vaguely towards the Roman candle. “Even after enough time passes that you think, ‘Surely, now he’ll run.’ Get the fuse goin’, and he can’t tear himself away. He’s like an addict. Like a goddamn fire glutton.” Resting his hands on his belt, he limply turns his head to look at him with a knowing pinch to his crows’ feet. “And once, a teenage John Marston lingered a few seconds too long. That was the very last time we did this.”

“Oh my God…” you whine a laugh as you cover your mouth, imagining the smoke above his eyes and the curl of the few strands of damaged hair left.

“And you’re tellin’ me he ain’t had any experience doin’ this since?” Abigail asks.

“Well plenty before, but not since,” Arthur shakes his head as he bends to reach forward and secure the second Roman candle.

“John Marston, you just better not,” she says.

“Would you all just lighten up! Jesus!” John rasps in a high tone. “Can’t even prove I’m a grown ass man around here!”

“Well here’s your chance, Marston,” Arthur says, giving his head a tip.

After fanning out a blanket over the grass a few feet to the right of the truck, you sit with your legs before you and bent at the knee. You watch as the men fuss and fidget with the fireworks for a few more minutes before deciding to light them.

The whoosh of the match, the ensuing sizzle of the fuses. With a hiss below his breath of, "Shyit," and a shout, Arthur hauls ass to the right. John tears cheek a few degrees in a different direction. With a sudden loud pop, the flare is sent way up into the sky with a glittering tail. It wiggles for a moment before erupting with a head-splitting bang that fills your ears and thumps in your chest. It shoots its sparkling embers throughout the dull twilight canvas with a clapping clatter. At the sheer volume, your shoulders shoot up, and your smiling mouth hangs agape.

“Whoo-eee!” John promptly hoots with a pitch that rings through the surrounding forests as he and Arthur emerge from their respectively chosen cover.

“Hot damn!” Arthur shouts with a growly timbre.

“God bless America!” John wheezes.

“‘At one there had a bite to it!”

After a beat of silence, you all hear the peal of a tiny scream and the tinkle of giggling laughter. You turn to see Jack clapping with a huge, elated smile.

“That was amaaazing!” he sings, his voice strangely wavy since he can hardly hear himself through the ear muffs. “More! Do more, do more!”

At the sound, all of the adults feel the tenseness in their shoulders release and feel themselves ease into their own delighted smiles.

“All right, that was just a dry run,” Arthur says with lit-up eyes and a winsome grin. “Let’s get ‘em all set up.”

With the sky darkened to a deep, inky blue and with the moon high in the sky, he and John proceed to arrange several fireworks in multiple distanced rows to keep each stage of the little show timed properly. Fiery fountains, spinning awesome blossoms, snapping firecrackers, screeching Piccolo Pete missiles, whirring Roman candles, and more. When they begin to light the fuses one by one, you huddle your knees closer to your chest.

They light off several sets, one right after the other, and a peculiarly sweet, earthy scent similar to gunsmoke reaches your nostrils. With each new eruption high into the sky, you throw your head back to watch. You scream and hoot, smiling and laughing and clapping like a little kid.

Arthur is almost caught up with lighting set after set in a timely manner to keep the show continuous. He loves the spectacular play of sparkling light, the flashes of color through the dark sky. He even enjoys the rush of excitement through his veins, the pounding in his chest, and the sudden booms and crackles in his ears. But he glances in your direction just in time to see your upward-tilted face and your stunning smile. He spares a few moments to watch you bring your chin down and look forward again as the next firework bursts and blooms, shining more light across your face. It catches in your eyes, and for a moment all Arthur sees is the twinkling glimmer of joy reflected there. And he knows there is no firework that doesn’t pale in comparison to the beauty of that smile, the joy in those radiant eyes, or how precious you are to him.

Before long, the pair are on their final set of fireworks. You watch as Arthur stoops with the lighter. He flinches but dares to stay a moment longer to ignite the last long fuses. But though Arthur darts and makes it several yards away, John remains, standing beside the projectile, bent at the waist and gazing dazedly at the dancing sparks of the hungry fuse.

It all happens so fast.

“Marston!” Arthur hollers. “Run like hell!”

But John doesn’t seem to hear him. The light of the spitting spark plays across his face in a brutal, menacing cast of orange against the black atmosphere of night.

“Get your ass outta there, you idiot!” Arthur shouts again over the sizzling sound of the fuse.

John simply peers at the spraying light.

Your heart thuds faster as panic rises in time with the fuse that speeds towards its target, and you glance back and forth between the moving sparkle and John’s hunched, shadowy form.

Arthur steps closer, hurling warnings his way. Abigail screams her own warning.

Still, John remains.

Finally, at the same moment that the projectile is lit and launched into the air, out of nowhere Arthur tackles him to the ground a few feet away. The firework bursts in a shimmering display overhead, but no one pays any mind to it. Your attention is fastened to the struggling form of John and Arthur as they shift and rise.

“…goddamn moron!” you hear Arthur yell as he shoves John in the chest a couple times.

“I’m fine, it’s fine!” is John’s airy plea.

“Wanna get yourself killed?!” Arthur growls and heaves, his voice steely and ferocious as he glares at him with a tight, wrathful stance.

After a few moments of silence in the stillness and dark of night, a snorted, bubbling laugh arises from somewhere.

Arthur and John start to spin and look around. It takes a moment for you to realize the sound of relieved, disbelieving laughter is your own. They turn to find you toppling over to the side on your blanket, holding your belly and chortling and cackling uncontrollably.

The two of them stand there for another several moments. But the sound of your laughter is involuntarily loosening the rage in each muscle of Arthur’s body, one by one. First, John starts to quietly wheeze. Then, a few mindless, incredulous huffs arise from deep in Arthur’s chest. In no time, the two of them are snickering hysterically.

Unable to find a suitable word for the ridiculousness of it all or to chide in the midst of his relief, Arthur simply wags his head and walks away. You open an arm to him as he takes a seat beside you on the blanket.

John walks over to hop up and sit on the tailgate of the truck on the other side of Jack. Abigail promptly smacks the side of his arm.

“Gave me a heart attack!” she whispers before removing Jack’s ear muffs.

You all sit gazing up at the twinkling pinpricks of light in the sky and listening to the pleasant, creaking chirp of crickets until the county’s fireworks start. When the flashes light up the sky, you can see the beautiful show in the distance just over the tops of the trees. Jack oohs and aahs, gasping and pointing out each of his favorite types of fireworks.

Sitting beside and slightly behind you, Arthur scoots in closer, wrapping you in his big arms. You snuggle into him, closing your eyes when you feel him plant sweet kisses to your cheek. After managing to press a kiss to his lips, you finally let your head rest back on his shoulder with a sigh and turn your face towards him. He immediately meets your mouth for a full and surprisingly passionate kiss, quickly deepening it and sweeping his tongue into your mouth.

From her spot on the tailgate, Abigail glances your way and has to look back at the two of you. Your throat is fully extended as you rest your head back on his shoulder. Your arm nearer Arthur is outstretched before his chest, your hand sliding up his neck into his hair. She notices the brief, glinting flash of your wedding ring. And his arm that isn’t wrapped behind you is draped over your bent knees, his hands splaying over your bare, smooth legs. Even at a distance of a dozen feet, she notices the subtle way your open mouths move together as you kiss.

Such easy affection and passion between you, she thinks to herself.

Without thinking, her eyes flit to John where he sits on the other side of Jack. Jack himself is still completely enraptured by the show overhead. But instead of watching the fireworks, John is also taking note of the two of you.

As she watches John’s face, she can’t help but contemplate all the things that have led to such warm affection becoming a stranger to their own relationship. Outcroppings of selfishness and resentment on John’s part, of resentment and anger on her own part. Years of overgrowths of misunderstanding and isolation. And somehow, they’ve both let it all happen.

Her gaze on John stutters. She glances back to find you two gently pulling away with shared smiles as you slowly press tender little kisses to each other’s lips. When you both resume watching the fireworks, she glances back at John, expecting her gaze to remain covert. But she is met by John’s eyes on her.

After a few moments, his eyes falter. But he lifts them again and intentionally holds her gaze. Without a word, he reaches over Jack and brushes a hand to her back.

[geekcavepodcast]

Agatha All Along "Road of Agatha" Featurette

The cast and crew talk about the character of Agatha Harkness as well as the practical effects of the series.

A teen breaks Agatha out of her spell and encourages her to face the Witches' Road trials with him. The Witches' Road will reward a witch with whatever they are missing should they survive. The two put together a coven and set off down the road.

Agatha All Along stars Kathryn Hahn (Agatha Harkness), Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Okwui Okpokwasili. The series was created by Jac Schaeffer.

Agatha All Along premieres on Disney+ on September 18, 2024.

[bcbdrums]

Any and all soul eater ships? I know crossstitch and soma but are there others?

I answered this before but I don't feel like digging up the post, lol. So here we gooooooo..... Only lightly touching on the first two.

Soul x Maka = perfection. I'll elaborate should anyone wish, heheh.

Stein x Spirit = extremely messy perfection (my fave flavor). I actually prefer them platonically but I don't knock the romance. It shows up in my fics here and there lol.

Not going into those two cuz I already do that in other posts and you already know those, so moving on....

Black Star x Tsubaki = I know a lot of folks prefer them as a found family vibe, but they're no different than Soul and Maka. Teens who once grown up, have found their other. These two with all their quirks absolutely complete each other. And it's one of those things...again like Soul and Maka, where they don't need a...big moment of love declaration, or confused and gradual realization of feelings... They already know. And it's just that matter of...coming of age to where they step into that next phase of life, you know? (manga spoiler here) aahhhhhh just imagining Black Star and Tsu raising little Angela! The absolute chaos, that would be so fantastic!

Kid x Liz = they're also a found family (with Patty) but I see them....as they get older, Liz realizing her feelings of protectiveness are something far deeper.... and she keeps it to herself, doesn't wanna mess with what they have. Until it's one day hurting her in the future, how much she loves him and can't do anything about it. And Kid notices she's not well, and asks her, so she just tells him cuz it's the easiest thing... and much, much to her surprise he fully reciprocates her feelings! Aaaaahhh!! I've mentally written that fic so many times I can hear their voices. Kid by his nature just doesn't have any of that as a priority, so he would not be the one to bring it up. It would definitely be Liz.

Stein x Marie = since they are sooooooo different between the two canons I'm still wrapping my head around my feelings for these two, in terms of how they come together. I think manga gives them a much stronger foundation. (so manga commentary here) Stein is obviously interested in her from the beginning, but the dude ain't gonna make a move it's not his nature. Marie... she has this sort of ideal picture in her head, and Stein while she loves him doesn't fit the bill so she's got her own issues to overcome. That's one of the things I love about them in manga... We don't get to see what happened offscreen sadly, but, we can surmise that just by nature of their being there for each other and the day to day stuff they had to do in exile... she was able to forget about her "gotta get married asap and do the housewife/nuclear family thing" and actually let herself....be herself. With Stein. And get to know him past her duty and her own issues. And Stein too, in a very new situation, recovering from madness and trying to figure out what on earth to do with his feelings. I need to give this more thought, but, I know they're still learning each other but also that they're good for each other. Anime... idk man, I don't feel it as hard there. (And Stein and Spirit are still soulmates in both canons regardless fite me.)

Ox x Harvar = we needed a lot more of Harvar in general but we needed Harvar pining after Ox okay? Okay. You can tell this dude will follow his meister to the ends of the Earth and beyond (like Kim and Jackie) but it's also pretty one-sided (also for Kim and Jackie, on Jackie's part.... just easier to see that in the story since the author likes girls and seems a bit anti-gay guys...). But anyway. Yeah I could see Harvar slowly and slowly winning Ox over one day with his absolute faithfulness.... ah! I love angst.

Ox x Kim = (manga spoilers) it's freaking canon first of all they're an actual dating couple, but also maaaaaan that dude's love and devotion for her....! My gosh. Those are some of my favorite chapters, absolutely phenomenal.

Black Star x Patty = chaos duo, enough said.

Sid x Naigus = that's just canon and awesome. Power couple. Also there's the vibe that she's older (like Tsu and Black Star) and that's kinda neat too, the slightly older voice of wisdom. I don't think about them much tho.

That's all that's leaping out at me... If I've forgotten something I'll add to this later. Kilik gets no one, sorry lol. I have some NOTP's as well, but you didn't ask about those haha.