#the funniest part will be about her coming up with wigs and costumes for all of them

[seventeenlovesthree]

As pointed out in the linked post above, Sora will definitely join the team (as assassine and costume designer), but unfortunately, I haven't fully outlined her role (and design) yet. And I'm not sure if they're counting as super heroes, but rather... Undercover rebels for justice!

I kinda should have known that watching Arcane season 2, listening to the TV remix of "Enemy" and being delirious due to the cold meds I'm taking would eventually bring me back to my own Cyberpunk AU... I had the general story outlined here before, but to have the set-up of these two: Best friends since childhood, having their hometown be involved in feuds between clans that eventually lead to devastating wars. Taichi's attempts to protect both their families and Koushirou trying to save Hikari from being abducted (due to her psychic powers) lead to tragedy. Traumatized yet hardened by the experience, they choose the path of revenge - and undergo years of training, learning the craft of combat as well as how to successfully combine technology and magic. It's how they learn to live with the loss of Taichi's left eye and Koushirou's left arm - and use the gadgets Koushirou manages to create to their advantage to hunt down their enemies. Their fates are irrevocably intertwined and fueled by an undying sense of loyalty and connection. All that despite the lingering fear that they may have to make some deals with the devil to reach their goals eventually.

[tending-the-hearth]

finally got around to typing up my thoughts on Stranger Sings because even though y'all are probably sick of me talking about the show and don't care i still want to talk about it <3

obligatory tags for my bestie @storyweaverofgondor

ok so starting off with the double/triple tracks! this took me a second to figure out, but i think i've got everyone:

Steve, Jonathan, and Brenner (he was my favorite part of the entire show kyle mangold my beloved)

Lucas, Erica, and Demogorgon

Hopper and Mr. Clark (and i THINK he also played Mrs. Wheeler which was... absolutely hilarious)

Joyce and Will (and also one of the Russians)

Nancy, Eleven, and Robin

act 1:

i mentioned it before but Will is a muppet

Hopper kept trying to sing his Emo Song about losing his daughter but kept getting cut off

Jonathan

Just Jonathan

He took a picture of me and I could not stop laughing because he was just being The Most

Barb!!!!!!!!!! I think she’s purposefully supposed to be the best singer lmao

Barb after Nancy leaves with Steve: Nancy’s kind of a bitch, right? Didn’t expect me to say that, did you?

Steve. His wig, his costume, his mannerisms, I love him dearly

Lucas was absolutely perfect

He’s so rational and wonderful ily

he interacted the most with the audience and was amazing

The demogorgon was absolutely hysterical for no reason

Joyce had a number called “Crazy” and the cast members came out dressed as Beetlejuice, Amy March, Heather Chandler, and Edward Scissorhands

Someone went to the restroom in the middle of the show after Joyce's song and Joyce said “did you see that? Am I losing my mind?”

The fourth wall breaks were so funny

Hopper broke character during his first scene bc he was laughing at Joyce

i haven't mentioned the wigs but the wigs are PERFECTION and are the most dramatic things

The demogorgon had a dance number to Thriller

I saw the demogorgon walking out and started laughing, and they waved at me

The finale of Act 1 is so good???????

act 2:

Like this show has no reason to be this good?????

SAILOR STEVE SAILOR STEVE

AND ROBIN MY WIFE

Steve and Dustin have the cutest song to open Act 2, and Max, Chrissy, and Mrs. Wheeler cameo in the song

Mike, Dustin, and Lucas call Steve dad at the end, 10/10

Barb dates the demogorgon good for her

Basically combines season 1 and season 2

Lucas’ actor plays Kali and is the funniest person

"Lucas’ actor also played Erica, iconic

"you can't spell America without Erica" 10/10 line delivery

Brenner was the funniest part of the show oh my god

I got waves from Steve and Hopper 🥰

Also I kept making eye contact with Steve and i have never known the true meaning of “giggling blushing twirling my hair” until he looked at me

if it isn't already obvious i'm in love with kyle mangold his steve is so babygirl

The Party (sans El) is running away from the Russians and they started playing “running up that hill”

STEVE SAID THE “ALWAYS THE GODDAM BABYSITTER LINE”

HE ALSO CALLED MIKE DUSTIN AND LUCAS HIS NUGGETS I'M GOING TO DIE

The final battle was a dance battle between El and the demogorgon

Listen it was played as a joke but Dustin talks about how his dad is an asshole in the first act before El's song about wanting a dad and then at the end of act 2 he sings about how he’s found a dad in Steve and I’m 🥺

And El sings about how she just wants a dad who will say he’s proud of her and that’s what Hopper says after the final fight 🥺

also just a few of my favorite lines:

Joyce: oh great, a teenager! Steve: hi! Joyce: can you watch these children while Hopper and I go into an alternate dimension and leave you all behind and hopefully come back safe?

Jonathan: i have to go Nancy: but you just got here! Jonathan: I’m an INFP and this conversation is stressing me out

[janeyseymour]

I saw the second preview of six and here are my thoughts (along with a few fun stories at the end):

My heart literally fell out of my ass when the queens started walking out They changed a few small little things here and there and it was perfect If six doesn’t win best lighting at the Tony’s I will sue Ex-wives was WOW I literally could not stop smiling Some of the poses were different 

ADRIANNA FREAKING NAILED NO WAY

I am convinced she just is beyonce always

She’s just fantastic in that role and that’s what I have to say about that

Ig abby danced a little too hard during no way because she kept messing with her wig after

Actually she lowkey played with it throughout the whole show and it was adorbs

Britt was helping her fix it and like pointing out where it was a little cray (also abby’s wig looks so good omf)

ANDREA IS- WOAH DURING DLYH

Her delivery throughout the whole show was a bit more mature, but it was still so babey I love her

(On a side note someone today told me I look like Andrea, which is very kind but so untrue because I literally look like a broken thumb and she is gorgeous)

Her “IM NOT SORRY” was amAZING

She like low-key cut made the whole head joke short and im kinda sad ab it, but it was still fantastique

Through the “Wearing Yellow To A Funeral Bit” abby looked confused through the entire thing and I was cracking up

HEART OF STONE HOLY SHIT

She was INCREDIBLE and her dress was so pretty and sparkly and I just wow 

Shes just so pretty in general like ma’am how do you do that please drop the skin care routine 

The emotion that was conveyed was enough to make me tear up BUT I DID NOT CRY AND I AM VERY PROUD OF THAT 

she did the “you lift me high” line and kinda went into this airy place in her voice and it was angelic and heavenly and all the good things

HER RIFFS WERE JUST DFJDHJLFH

She was just fantastic and thats all I have to say 

Thats a lie I have so many things to say about that woman but the time will come

HOH was a whole acid trip there was a point during this song where I literally just took it all in and then thought “Janey, you really spent your hard earned money to go on an acid trip for a solid few minutes good job”

Their dancing is hilarious and thats that

ABBY SAYING “BUT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU’LL STILL WALK AT FORTY” I had to stifle a laugh because my queen is indeed 40

THE GERMAN ACCENTS HAD ME QUAKING

Brittney Mack is… all bad bitch energy and I was living for it

She is a queen

When she did the “my horses can trot up to twelve miles an hour”- in the boot (not that I watch those…) abby is always making a 😳😶😲 kind of face and this time she just couldn’t stop smiling and it made me laugh

WOOF

Her reveal was SO GOOD she literally just started checking out her nails while everyone just applauded… AS THEY SHOULD

When britt told the person to get up, this person full on WENT and britt was like shook it was hysterical

THE INTERLUDE BETWEEN GET DOWN AND THEN KAT’S ROAST WAS ICONIQUE

i dont think it was here but I cant remember where it was but BRITT WAS PLAYING WITH ABBY’S WIG AND IT WAS REALLY CUTE SHE WAS LIKE PLAYING WITH THE ENDS OF IT AND AWH

justice for the beheaded cousins 

BOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO BABY MARY HAD THE CHICKEN POX AND YOU DIDN’T GET TO HOLD HER HAND… YOU KNOW ITS FUNNY BECAUSE WHEN I WANTED TO HOLD MY NEWBORN SON…. IIIIII DIIIIIIEDD. Abby lowkey went feral and I loved every second of it and then her pose after got so many laughs it was truly amazing

THE K HOWARD ROAST WAS JUST SO GOOD IT WAS SO GOOD

Aywd destroyed me

I also teared up here but I did not let those babies fall because I was not about to ruin my look

justice for my pink queen

Her delivery is insane and honestly its gotten better and I didn’t even know that was possible because WOW SHE WAS ALREADY STUNNING BUT DAMN MY HEART GOT RIPPED OUT OF MY CHEST

The whole “Catherine not singing” bit was fantastic

Abby looked so confused the entire time 

Andrea’s “hahaha what” was perfecto 

when Anna said “should we really be doing this” someone in the audience went “yes” very loudly and made the queens break for a solid second abby almost forgot to say her line and you could barely hear it because the audience was laughing at the rando 

Anna acknowledged it and just went “I know” before turning to the queens and saying “I know” it was hysterical 

“I’m Catherine parr, I draw the line in arbitrary places bLaH bLaH bLaH”

THE CLAPPING- BRITT GOT IN HER FACE AND JUST *CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.”  It was the funniest thing oh my gosh

“Are you sure Catherine? I-we don’t mind if you wanna sit this one out… I mean you must be exhausted from all those backing vocals”

IDNYL WAS INSANE AND ANNA UZELE IS WICKED TALENTED LIKE DANG

I dont know if this was intentional or not but when they all start to understand the purpose of parr’s thing- abby is the last to stand up and in my head im like “no yeah that makes sense because shes “the one he truly loved” and shes still trying to get to a point where shes realizing he wasn’t all that great and I dont know I just really like that minor detail

The whole “remember that I was a writer…” part got loud cheers, especially from abby it was very cute

She did a new riff on the “we all disappear” line and WOW my eyes went so wide it was so good I was genuinely shook

the “i dont get it” was sooo good

“My sixth finger” was said so casually and so determinedly that it was a whole new joke and I loved it

“Everyone notices Jane cant dance” -abby just looking so sad

“Yeeeaaaahhhhh. I read!” Was so cute and she sounded so proud of herself it was adorbs

The way they just stood there awkwardly was amazing and got so many laughs it was so good

When sam said the line about competing, abby really almost cut Anna’s line out but she caught herself and it was funny I dont know if anyone else noticed it, but I did and it was glorious

REMIX

“Rise abo-o-o-o-ove” WAS BEAUTIFUL THEY WERE IN SUCH GOOD HARMONY

AGAIN, ANNA’S RIFFS HOW DOES THAT WOMAN DO THAT AT THE END OF THE SHOW LIKE SHIT

After it was over, of course it got long applause and the entire time abby was doing her like “sparkle hands” but also awkwardly moving her arm kinda like a noodle and then going back to sparkle hands and it gave me a good chuckle

Six

The slow acoustic part was so soft I died

The harmonies was delicious

The audience was so hype

Megasix

Super hype

Amazing

Fantastic

All the good things ever

Basically it was just adorable and amazing and absolutely stunning

The new costumes are gorgeous and the lighting is wild if they don’t win best lighting for Tony awards I will full on riot

Aragon and Boleyn interacted a lot and so did Seymour and Cleves and it was very very sweet

Abby interacted with the band a lot to the point where she almost missed a cue and it was very endearing

AND THEN THEY DID THE CURTAIN UP THING AND FIRST OF ALL WOW THEY ARE ALL SO CUTE AND IT WAS SO SWEET SEEING THE WAY THEY ALL WATCHED EACH OTHER WHILE THEY WERE SINGING AND I JUST JDKFDJLA

abby’s hair is SO LONG but I am here for it

So I was looking for my friend when I hear “Make some room, make a path!” From a security guard, and the queens legit walked RIGHT PAST ME

I wanted to go to the theatre anyway to take pictures, but when I saw them, I did follow them back to the theatre because wow I wanted to bask in their glory I didnt even want to talk to them I just wanted to be in their presence

So im like, walking behind them when this happens:

I guess abby saw someone she knew because I heard this “abby!” And then she was like “OH MY GOD” and like RAN to hug them and i legit almost walked right into her/got stepped on but i freaking stopped like a noob i should’ve just let her run me over but I did not I just stopped in my tracks and let out a soft “aH” and then went around her

And then I got to meet a friend and apparently toby heard us squealing and watched us hug for a solid however long so that was awkward

And Julia schade was like talking to him and stared at us for a good amount of time

And then I was walking away and passed Julia again and she kept looking at me, but she was talking to someone else and I think she thought I was going to stay to talk to her (and I would have loved to) but I didnt I just gave her a smile, a nod, and a little wave because I can not do confrontation like if I could not confront abby ma’am I cannot confront u either I am SHY

And that is a very detailed run down of my time in nyc at the brooks

[highqueenofelfhame]

more disney au PLZ ily

It had been consistent. All. Fucking. Day. It didn’t matter what they were doing in character, he was there to fuck with her. At one point while he was being one of the chipmunks, Chip or Dale, she didn’t know the difference. He had circled her while she was trying to leave her meet and greet area, all the while acting like a silly little chipmunk. It had made it impossible for her to walk so much as three feet before he was blocking her path again. Being in character, she had to act like it was the funniest, silliest thing that could ever happen to Rapunzel. Nevermind that he wasn’t even supposed to be in her part of the park. 

Now, while on a float, he was doing anything and everything to get under her skin. It was retaliation for giving him an allergic reaction, she knew. He’d been relentless since swapping his chipmunk head for a brown wig and a satchel. Aelin genuinely hated how good he looked as Flynn Ryder, as Prince Charming. It didn’t matter what they had him as, he looked good and it was infuriating. She much preferred Dorian as her Prince Eric, because something about Rowan’s eyes became too distracting against black hair with blue contacts in. She hated it. She hated him. 

She was also positive Fenrys had lied about Rowan finding her beautiful. Ever since the maple syrup issue, he’d been a pest. Rowan lately was the equivalent of getting a splinter under your fingernail. Especially right now, as he swiped her crown off her head in the middle of a meet and greet. 

“Eugene,” she chided, holding her hand out for the crown with a bit of sass that wasn’t entirely fake. He grinned at her, a lazy thing, and popped the crown on his own head. The kids in the area started giggling, begging for photos with the couple right then. They obliged, only for Aelin to swipe the crown back off his head and into her own. 

In the same breath, Rowan was plucking the fresh flowers from her long, braided wig and popping them behind his ears, dropping them onto the floor. Crossing the line would have been when he grabbed the frying pan and twirled it around on a finger, whacking Aelin in the arm in the process. It was infuriating. 

When they finally waved goodbye to the crowds and made their way backstage and disappeared into the tunnels, she shoved him hard enough that he stumbled back a bit and started laughing. 

“You are genuinely the most annoying person I have ever met,” she swore, pulling the heavy wig off her head with the wig cap. She knew full well she looked inside, the braids her hair was in likely messy from being under the wig cap. He laughed the whole way back to the cosmo room, which was empty. 

“It was harmless fun, Aelin. Nobody got hurt.” Rowan pulled his own wig off, his silver hair beneath in a similar arrangement to her own. It was almost funny. 

“I’ve apologized like a thousand times and you still want to hold it over my head?”

“Oh, come on. It’s a little funny now,” he tried, stuffing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the door. She was done for the day, thank the gods, and would be began to pull her hair free of their braids. Rowan was doing the same. Aelin walked closer to the bathroom, pausing in front of the mirrors to ruffle her hair at the root. Rowan stood beside her, unnervingly close, and followed suit. Except where aelin tucked her hair behind her ears, Rowan pulled his up into a messy wavy bun at the top of his head. 

“It’s not funny,” she finally said, looking at him with her hands on her hips, but the face he was making, the way he was looking at her. A sly, crooked grin on his lips that made her want to scream. So she did. “UGH! You insufferable bast—”

He cut her off by grabbing her face and pressing his lips to hers. At first, everything screamed to put him away. Her hands were poised on his chest to push but… but it was a good kiss. Instead of pushing him away, she found her hand knotting into his shirt and tugging him into the bathroom behind them. 

Rowan wasted no time locking the door and soon had Aelin backed up against the skin, then had her lifted up on the edge of it. Her legs were around his waist, her costume dress bunched up around her thighs. Her fingers were in his bun, making it far messier than it had been moments before. Rowan was groaning, rocking his hips to grind against hers as his tongue slipped into her mouth. Then it was Aelin’s turn to moan as his lips began a decent down her neck, pausing to suck on the side of her neck. 

“Rowan,” she breathed, fingers tightening in his hair as his hands ran up her thighs and teased the soft fabric of her panties at her hips, and —

“Aelin? Are you in there?” Lysandra. Aelin put her hand over Rowan’s mouth, which he promptly began to nip at her fingers. 

“Yes,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “I”ll be out in a second.” 

“Okay, I just thought we could ride to your house together. Aedion is stuck at his office.” It sounded like she was leaning against the door. 

“Let me just change really quick and I’ll be out and we can go.” On the other side of the door, Lysandra made a noncommittal noise as she walked away and Aelin laid her head back against the mirror. Rowan’s hands remained on her legs, burning holes in her skin and she was trying to not catch fire and burn under his touch. Finally, she dropped her hand from his mouth and looked at the mess of lipstick smeared across his lips. He grinned and kissed her again, moving his tongue against hers in lazy, slow motions until he finally pulled away. It killed her the way he left a series of soft kisses on her lips before he pulled all the way away, keeping her on the counter with his hands on either side of her body. Aelin stared at him briefly, brow completely furrowed, before sliding off the counter and going to leave, but she caught his eye just before she could get the door open.

“Stop looking at me like that. It didn’t mean anything.”

“Nobody got hurt,” he pointed out again, running a thumb over his bottom lip.

“Yeah, well.” She paused at the door, sucking on a tooth as she straightened her dress a bit. I just might.

tags under the cut.

@starseternalnighttriumphant 

@westofmoon

@over300books

@notaelingalathynius

@bookishdrawings

@dreamcatchersimss

@cmoff1

@wifeofchrishemsworth

@pen-paper-and-ink

@highladyofelfhame-remastered

@therealgoldenbookworm

@casuallyghostlywonderland

@cat5313

@secret-lil-rendez-vous

@running-with-thieves

@silvermindwarrior

@ame233

@highladyofnothing-yet

@faerie-queen-fireheart

@the-regal-warrior

@anabelkay

@lucytmpleman

@city-of-fae

@empress-ofbloodshed

@athousandlivesread

@elide-lochan-salvaterre

@vi0let-femmes

@andreywasnthere

@shyvioletcat

@vasudharaghavan

@goth-mother

@xxrattlethestarsxx

@nalgenewhore

@lady-westfall

@clockworkgraystairs

@hellas-himself

@tangledraysofsunshine

@totalcompletebookworm

@dean-winchesters-impala-1967

@bookloveaffair

@la7sorcellerie

@lovemollywho

@rowaelin-fireheart

@rosesandglass

@faefromthenorth

@buffaloxchange

@amren-courtofdreams

@damebadwolf

@addicitedtowriting

@waterless-cloud

@ariadneswake

@impossiblescissorspeachpaper

@the-book-reaper

[lordxgrinnyxboy]

rewatching tgm, wifi being useless edition 2/?

every time i hear puppet!Dea say “when a story is raw and real” i see Mr. Gordon Ramsey memes, they just scroll across my vision and there’s nothing i can do to stop it u-u

ngl im kinda in love with Mojo Puppeteer

the foot shimmy during this scene, like right as Ursus gets up off the floor Gwyn/Mr. Maskell does this little ankle squirm. u-u

foreaaaaaaaaaarmmmmssssss

love how mr maskell doesn't emote w/his face while puppeteering but ms. brisson's just facially so into this performance and honestly so's ms. onitiri

also love all the different bits of ribbon and such puppet!Dea’s hair is made of. several different textures in there

kay but the way he makes the prince puppet kinda bounce in place as he sings “only those three words could ever free me from the curse” it just makes it look like the prince is kindof adorably excited about this

im just now realizing that one part of the puppet is supposed to be the prince’s mouth and not his chin or something.

Dea’s soft “oh” when their hands touch

foreaaaaaarmsssss

Gwynlit always looks so shook as they step back from each other after the aging up sequence like he’s full dear-in-headlights (i know it’s ‘deer’ in headlights but he is Dear to Me so)

and really so is Dea for a second there

oh god her look of alarm  changes to a smile the second Gwyn starts singing. i need a minute.

i love these two so much

the harmony will never not end my life why is it so powerful

idk what they put in this song but every single time my aroace self is like “shfjshfsj play this at my wedding” and then i have to be like “wait.”

Dea’s adorable and i hope she knows how adorable she is

im cry they’re so cute they’re so cute i love these two

Quake is on it about letting ppl know entertainment’s cancelled due to the king dying Quake is ready Quake loves her job so much

oh so  the barrels are just there for Dirry-Moir and Osric to have somewhere to sit while Ursus tells the story okay

wait how quick did dude just throw on his Clarence costume and climb in the coffin that was. super duper fast

he’s literally offscreen for 24 seconds and managed to

holy cats how does he do it

wait also mojo tho. mojo had to put on his priest costume

wait also Osric and Dirry-Moir had to put on their Lord attire

and they say movies are supposed to be magic

just continuing to absolutely love every character played by ms. obianyo

love how they just. have trombones. 10/10

i mean i guess the costume changes aren’t super complicated like throw on a robe and a wig but STILL within 24 seconds? i think it’s impressive

oh hey jojo-as-a-random-lord is also here

ohhhhh is that why Jojo’s costume is Like That then? to make it easier to switch characters real fast? but no actually???

the hats on the lords tho. we’ve got Fish Lord, Bunny Lord,,, maybe some kind of Bird or Chicken Lord...

so it’s a Pig’s Foot that killed Clarence and the name of the holy relic translates to like, “pig’s flower” ...thematic....dots.......

oop there’s Only a Clown

ngl i kinda love Archbishop Kupsak. a weird dude.

would love to know why Angelica thought she needed to ‘make a law’ regarding traitors being brought to justice. just curious about her thought-process. heck she could probably have her own musical.

WAIT MS OBIANYO PLAYS THE TROMBONE. SICK.

wait hey, hey. hey. petition for ms. obianyo to play a FATE.

oh god it’s my least favorite scene

skip? no...but? no u-u

jojo apologize to the trash clown

scene too stressful

genuinely have no thoughts, head completely empty

CART SCENE CART SCENE CART SCENE

is that a bowl and spoon on th-

separate post separate post gentlefolks of the jury i

jaw twitch

okay but Dea gets this Look when Gwyn asks Ursus “who did this to me” she looks a little Surprised

does not react however to “who carved me into this freak”

the hand flex as Gwyn walks away from Ursus after Ursus Won’t Let Him Talk

oh Osric you absolute delight

beauty and the beast ii destroys me every time gwyn’s just steadily wilting but trying to hold on but he can’t and Dea’s so supportive

would love to know what Ursus’ take on all this would’ve been if he hadn’t been involved. like would he still be hell-bent on not letting Gwyn remember or would he have been more chill about letting Gwyn make that decision for himself

like on the one hand i can see why Ursus would think that maybe Gwyn would be better off not remembering, but also making him forget clearly didn’t actually help him suffer any less, it just gave him a different kind of suffering. He’s wrung-out tormented and Ursus can’t/won’t help him because of the potential repercussions of Gwyn learning the truth. which do include some Worst Timeline options for how that could go but. also include a few Gwyn’s Able To Move On And Live Well, With Or Without Ursus options so.

idk i just feel like after a certain point of seeing how Gwyn’s basically falling apart over all this Ursus really should’ve considered having that difficult Discussion bc that boy was Not getting better on Ursus’ Plan A

also the whole dismissively invalidating ur kid’s struggle is not a good look Ursus

i love him and absolutely believe he is definitely Trying His Best but he’s #Problematic_Dad for sure

that bit where Ursus notices Josiana as if for the first time and does that little bow to her oh my goodness XD

also him just trying so hard to keep it together in the lead-up to Born Broken. debating whether Ursus sticking his head through the curtain is the funniest part of this show. probably not but it’s real close

Dea’s so pretty and i love her outfit u-u

and her blue makeup

and her lovely lovely eyes like wow she’s Perfect

this girl is in her element and im fully convinced that in the version of events where Gwyn and Dea stay on as Lord and Lady Dea does some addressing of parliament or whatever, has speaking engagements, she’s all kinds of involved.

there’s tears in Ursus’ eyes during this bit and i don’t agree w/him but i do feel bad for him. he does want to do right by these kids but he’s just...it’s not working out for him because he can’t have it both ways.

i mean genuinely tho Ursus is so desperate to forget/bury/escape/move on from the past but in adopting Gwyn and trying to be a family and a fresh start for him...that shut down any chance of that actually happening.

no but fr Ursus’ face when Dea says “it doesn’t keep us safe, Father, it turns us against you” which is like. probably the exact thing he’s afraid of happening if they ever learn the truth.

*strums lyre* it’s a sad tale, it’s a tragedy!

Musical Ursus is fully a good dude who did one Stupid Thing and spent the rest of his life trying to control the damage only to make it Worse and then he died and i’m so! 😭

at the end of the second 30minutes but im keep going

Dea and Gwyn are holding hands so intently im feeling feelings about

harmonyyyyyyyy

ngl though i wonder if given Ursus’ “dear god, you pick your moments” and “who did what to you” if maybe this is something that’s just been festering and hasn’t been verbally brought up until the show’s events

“What do you want?! BLOOD?!” i mean u did script him as saying he wants to kill a man

“I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know” i mean technically that’s true bc technically Gwyn does know, he just doesn’t remember, which is pretty much the same as not knowing but ayyyyyyyyyy

would love to know what Ursus thought was coming when Gwyn said “I can only tell them what I know I am” like

wait no but “I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know” being followed by “I can only tell them what I know I am” idk how to say but oh heck oh heck oh heck heck oh no.

but yeah Ursus’ little glances at Gwyn and then the Turn as Gwyn starts to sing. i just wonder what Ursus is thinking just then

ohhhhhhhhh wait a minute now. stars stripped from the sky. the play on the lyrics from within Ursus’ show. the conversation they just had. is Freak Show (partially?) a vaguepost at Ursus 👀

no but the Wiggle before that next to last “watch me smile” tho

needs the backbend 🍹

hello Puppet Helmet Thing. i’ve developed a fondness for you, you unexplained and kind of weird yet near-infinitely interpretable element of the show.

and cutting here for length uwu

[nomattertheoceans]

The 100?

Thank you Nonnie!!! :) 

Top 5 favourite characters:

Echo / Emori / Raven / Murphy / Octavia

Other characters you like:

A lot, actually! Off the top of my head, Lexa, Clarke (although not in the way most people like her, I enjoy her as an anti-hero lmao), Bellamy, Monty, Jasper, Lincoln, Indra!

Least favourite characters:

Aside from the obvious villains obviously, I’m gonna say Kane and Abby. I never really cared for their stories, I’ve hated Abby since season 1 and Kane since s5 there’s just something about them being absolutely awful leaders and blaming kids for their failures that I can’t get behind.

Otps:

Basically lmao.

No but seriously, I think their love story is just great on so many levels, they’re the only love story I really care about in the show.

Other couples I really like are: Bellamy and Echo, Octavia and Lincoln, Octavia and Niylah, Octavia and Diyoza, Murphy and Emori and Raven, Echo and Raven, Jasper and Maya, Monty and Harper

Notps:

..... Bellarke lmao.

I enjoy the dynamic between Bellamy and Clarke, but I never saw it as romantic, and that’s how I enjoyed it. I love their ennemies to reluctant allies dynamic, I love the fact that their relationship is dysfunctional I love the parallels between Clarke and Octavia. But I don’t enjoy it at all as a romantic dynamic.

Favourite friendships:

Monty and Jasper, Octavia and Jasper, Raven and Murphy

Favourite family:

This is almost only found family because this show has a ton of found family dnamics that I love!! The Blake siblings, Spacekru, Octavia Diyoza and Hope, Raven and Finn.

Favourite episodes:

Murphy’s Law, Blood Must have Blood part 1 and part 2, Thirteen, The Chosen, Pramfayia, Red Queen, The Garden

Favourite season/book/movie:

Season 2. It has my favorite version of Lexa, it has Bellamy and Echo meeting, it has the most interesting antagonists (in my opinion haha). Season 4 is a close second though!

Favourite quotes:

“You believe that to defeat an ennemy who will stop at nothing, you must stop at nothing. How is that any different than Blood must have Blood?” - Luna in s3, because I think this quote shows very well the central conflict of the show, one that was established by Finn in s1: We have to try not to repeat history, and yet everytime, they do repeat it. I disagree with Luna in that instance because the threat that was ALI wasn’t like any other, but I agree with her sentiment.

“In peace, may you leave this shore. In love, may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels. Until our final journey to the Ground. May we meet again.” LISTEN. If there’s is one thing of the world building I absolutely adore, it’s the Traveler’s Blessing. It’s a beautiful prayer, and it gives me all the right emotions when I think about it. I was disappointed with what the show was making of it in seasons 2 and 3, with characters saying it all around, but then there are two instances that really get to me: Octavia and Bellamy saying it over the dead radio at the end of s4, and Monty / Bellamy and Clarke saying it at the end of season 5.

Best musical moment:

I loved the way the music carried the scene right after Lexa’s death, how it melts from Lexa’s death and Titus saying his ritual words, to Becca reaching earth, back to Lexa and the Flame coming out of her.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest:

Oh boy there are a LOT Off the top of my head: when Monty refuses to leave Jasper alone when he gives his blood to Maya, when Murphy says “Touch me again and I’ll end you... in a non-criminal way”, when Becho was confirmed in s5, When Clarke managed to align the satellite dish in Pramfyia, when Octavia confronted Skaikru in The Chosen,.... I can’t think of others right now but there are a lot lmao You can check out my favorite scenes series if you want, I’m working on it slowly!

When it really disappointed you:

A lot of times, honestly... I’m gonna say, all of season 6. I hated it. It had so much potential, with characters having to deal with the aftermath of season 5, Monty and Harper dying, Jordan existing, Wonkru.... Instead we got a whole mess that didn’t do much for any character and I was really disappointed.

Saddest moment:

Lincoln’s death. I knew it was coming because I knew the actor was leaving the show, but I was so NOT READY for it omg it’s the scene I still cry everytime I watch it because it’s so sad and heartwrenching....

Most well done character death:

Okay so I think The 100 is really bad at having well done character deaths, so I’m gonna say my less well-done one lmaoooo

Lexa’s. Her death was so stupid. I wasn’t in the fandom at the time so I wasn’t aware of the awful queerbaiting that was going on, so without talking about BTS and marketing ploys, I do believe that her death was heavily predicted by the show. However, it was a stupid death and Lexa was too awesome a character to die by a stray bullet. She deserved a proper send-off, she deserved to die in an epic battle, or fighting for what she believed in,..... not a bullet. 

Favourite guest star:

I know Shawn Mendes (Mendez? I don’t know lmao i don’t know him) was a guest star but I don’t know any other guest star so I guess that’s my answer lmao

Favourite cast member:

I don’t follow the cast, so I don’t have a favorite xD

Character you wish was still alive:

Jasper and Finn both deserve to still be alive, because the show treated their mental struggles like shit and I’m very bitter about that!

One thing you hope really happens:

Honestly, I don’t know? We have four episodes left of the entire show and I have no idea where it’s headed lmao I guess I hope both Emori and Murphy survive to see the end and have a long and happy life <3

Most shocking twist:

Okay I actually have three so I’ll you my top three:

1- The revelation of the Mountain Men. I was absolutely NOT expecting this to happen and I was gasping and going “nooooooooo way!!!” at my computer because it was so out of nowhere!! I loved it lmao

2- Murphy discovers that ALI destroyed the world: the ending of s2. That scene is so chilling, Murphy watching the video of Chris crying and killing himself, cut with scenes of Jaha getting to the mansion and the wholse scene with ALI herself... that whole scene was really cool and unexpected!

3- Clarke and Jaha steal the bunker during the conclave. I was so SHOOK by this moment, it was such a bold move and I loved it!

When did you start watching/reading?:

Early January, 2015. I was back at my appartment waiting for the semester to start, my roommates weren’t back from the holidays yet, and I was bored. So I started the show, and I binged all of season 1 and half of season 2 in 24 hours xD I caught up at Spacewalker, and then had to wait two weeks for the next episode to air and it was agony!!!!

Best animal/creature:

HELIOS THE BEST HORSE THERE IS

Favourite location:

The Second Dawn Bunker. Yeah I know it’s strange coming from me because I absolutely hate so many things about the bunker xD But it was such a cool location!! With the rotunda/arena, the farm, the huge corridors,.....

Trope you wish they would stop using:

“It’s the end of the world, whatever shall we do???” I’m just tired you guys. Nuclear apocalypses and other bombings should not be that common lmao

One thing this show/book/film does better than others:

I love the fact that it has so many different and well developped female characters.It shouldn’t be rare, but it still is, and this show really stands out to me for that reason. I’m not saying it’s the peak of feminism or anything because lmao IT’S NOT. But the women of the show have agency, freedom, they’re all distinct from one another and not just tropes and cliches. I really like it.

Funniest moments:

Nothing comes to mind right now? I feel like an idiot lmao I have so many moments that make me laugh and I can’t think of a single one right now x)

Couple you would like to see:

I would love to have canon Murphy x Emori x Raven!!

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast:

Nobody haha sorry

Favourite outfit:

Blodreina’s cape thingy!

Favourite item:

Raven’s necklace!!! I’m actually hoping to make myself one someday, it’s my favorite thing ^^

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?:

Nothing!

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?:

I wish I could be spacekru haha they’re the best found family of the whole show and we deserved a flashback episode for them <3

Most boring plotline:

the entirety of season 6 xDDDDD

No but seriously, I’m gona say Illian’s plot. Honestly I never got into it at all, I didn’t care enough about him, or his family.

Most laughably bad moment:

I mean, the pilot is pretty cringe-worthy xD

Best flashback/flashfoward if any:

the flashbacks of the Dark Year.

Most layered character:

Octavia

Most one dimensional character:

Jordan lmao I was so disappointed with his story in s6.....

Scariest moment:

OMG in season 2 when Bellamy, Octavia and the guards go into the old parking garage and CAROL OF THE BELLS START PLAYING THAT WAS SO FUCKING CREEPY

Grossest moment:

Ewwww the whole worm thing happening in s5, AND the weird trees growing inside people in s6 xD

Best looking male:

S5 Murphy, hands down. Also s7 Murphy cause he spends half his time shirtless lmao

Best looking female:

Emori! She’s so pretty.

Who you’re crushing on (if any):

I mean everybody is gorgeous but I don’t have a particular fixation haha

Favourite cast moment:

I don’t watch interviews or BTS stuff so I don’t know much, but Richard Harmon wearing hie sister’s costume and wig was really funny ^^

Favourite transportation:

Becca’s rocket

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise):

It’s very obvious symbolism, but I love the last shot of Blood must have blood part 1, with Clarke standing alone in front of the door of Mount Weather.

Also, Octavia forcing the clans into submission in Red Queen, the mini conclave in fron of the doors of the vafeteria. The shots in that scene were really good!

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:

Lmaooooooo do you have ten hours? Because that’s how long I can ramblr about the inconsistencies and plotholtes of this show x) Off the top of my head:

- Why does everybody on the Ark speak Enlighs?

- If Becca knew Nightblood could let you live on Earth then why didn’t she distribute it among the space stations?

- Why did Cadogan build the bunker in the middle of the city when he had a prefectly good FOREST??

- If Lexa is the first Commander to unite the clans then what was the role of the Commander before her?

- Why didn’t the Ark send one adult with the 100 (Pyke) to protect and help them?

- How come the Eligius IV prisoners don’t die when they come back to Earth in s5 since they have no nightblood and didn’t adapt through evolution?

- How is it that Spacekru survived with algea alone but Wonkru had to have this huge variety of plants?? WHAT’S THE MAGIC ALGEA MONTY???

- Why did Mount Weather crash the Exodus ship?

- If the ressources on the Ark are so scarce then why would they float people with clothes on them?

- How come Raven could visit Finn in prison but Bellamy couldn’t visit Octavia?? If Octavia was in solitary, why?

...... Okay i’m gonna stop for now lmao but I could write an entire memoir on the inconsistencies of this show lmao

Best promo:

That one:

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: 

I’m thinking Murphy’s Law? The first few episodes were a little too teenage-drama for me but this episode shifted my opinion enough to get me to keep watching ^^

[yourstateofdreaming]

The Favor [Gwilym Lee x Reader] Part IV

Masterlist | Gwilym Lee Masterlist

<<Previous | >>Next Part

Pairing: Gwilym Lee x Reader

Warnings: Fluff, also again: daddy-daughter relationship (SORRYNOTSORRY)

A/N: so... I have a chapter that kinda goes before this...it was meant to be part three but I found it too long and containing no Gwil, I’ll post that later so you can read more if you’d like and get a better understand of the story. Enjoy!

She picked up Roger’s clothes from the dry cleaner, got his vitamins from the pharmacy, picked up a package from his P.O. Box and then stopped at his favorite coffee place before arriving at the Taylors’ home a quarter to 12.

“Morning!” She called out from the entrance with her hands full.

The usual odd chorus of voices let her know that Tigs and Lola were here, Sarina in the studio and Roger upstairs.

A regular Wednesday for the Taylors.

The two blondes ran out from the kitchen to say hello, staring at (Name) with expectations of something showing in their gleaming eyes.

“Hi, what’s up?” She gave a puzzled smile.

“We heard a rumor from Dad,” Lola teased without hesitation.

Tigs giggled.

“We heard somebody from dad’s movie might be into you?” Lola hinted. “What’s with this Will guy?”

All blood rushed to her feet. She cleared her throat and started going to the kitchen.

“Gwilym.” (Name) corrected her. “He’s,” she did not look back or over her shoulder, “a friend!”

She felt embarrassed. If they knew...if only they knew what had happened just the night before. She reprimanded herself in silence, she should have not done it, but she gave in. Who could deny it? The two had chemistry, they knew each other and it was about time... if only it wasn’t such an inappropriate relationship. Why did she let him stay last night?

“(Name)?” Roger greeted her with a peck on the cheek and an empty cup of what must have been tea in his hand.

“Hi!”

She could not help but come off as super excited.

“So, busy day, Rog! Busy, busy day! Have you got your shoes on? Let’s go!” She clapped at Roger and waved at his daughters. “Sorry, girls! Come on, Rog! Car’s waiting outside!”

“Kitten...” Roger followed, although complaining felt like the natural response to (Name)’s behavior, “later, girls!”

While (Name) sat with Roger in the back of the car, he kept staring at her. Roger was trying to figure her out, there was something about her this morning that gave him an odd vibe. It wasn’t until she shifted in her seat and looked to the side that he thought of it.

“Kitten, do you have a boyfriend?”

(Name)’s brows skyrocketed up her forehead, or so it felt like. She smirked at her boss, smart-assing the man without a gram of shame.

“Why? Are you trying to hook up with me now, Rog?”

The drummer laughed, throwing his head back for a second.

Roger would never try such a thing, she was Tigs’ age and even if she was a bit older, the way she got along with everyone in the Taylor family made her almost a family member too; Roger knowing her dad and that (Name) was an only child, he felt somewhat like a father to her half the time.

“Well, do you?” Roger insisted.

(Name) shrugged, she took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

“Not really.” She watched Roger’s brow furrowed. “No,” she insisted. “Maybe.”

Roger did not need to say anything, (Name) gave in and told him about some guy. She liked him but she said that because of their jobs it would be too difficult to be together, as a side note she did find other guys attractive.

“So, it’s not set on stone, kitten. Take your chances!” Roger advised her, patting her knee. “And cover up the neck, dear.”

(Name)’s hand flew to her neck and she used her phone to see. A love mark showing just above the collar of her shirt. The man sitting on the opposite side of the car smirked as she fidgeted with a scarf in her handbag.

“Shit...” she mumbled.

The drummer laughed at her and seeing as the car was moving through the streets a bit faster than usual, he chose to talk to his young assistant about a certain invitation his manager received earlier that morning. 

Peter (Y/L/Name) was a well-known wildlife photographer, his successes in art brought him to South Africa, where he worked with Save The Elephants and other organizations. (Name)’s father was a real animals’ rights activist, his job teaching about the world around us; it was odd to see him with his daughter, who he loved but with whom he would only spend time on rare occasions ever since she started uni. In fact, Roger could recall seeing his young assistant with her father only once, while at an event much like the one he had been invited to. 

Brian was pressuring Roger to RSVP, he was fascinated with Peter’s work, he and Anita had already confirmed their assistance to P. (Y/L/Name)’s exhibition. 

“Are you going?” 

She looked up from the agenda, the day of the exhibition was one of her rare days off, but she would not mind seeing Roger, which she still sort of planned on doing. 

“Do I have time?” 

Roger leaned over her shoulder and read the bright orange note saying “Fend for Yourself Day - Kitten’s Day Off’”. He put his index finger up in the air. 

“Ah! I guess I’m seeing you there!” He winked. 

She nodded and scribbled something down on a different page, mentioning to Roger that she would arrange for a car to pick them up at a decent time so he could be fashionably late to the event, just enough to be classy and not as much to make Brian anxious. 

“Hey, Rog?” She wondered when they arrived at the label’s building. 

The older man walked out of the vehicle with his sunglasses in his hands and put them on as soon as he heard her, mumbling a “yeah”. 

“How come you always call me Kitten?” She giggled as she finished her question. 

It was pure curiosity, (Name) never had a nickname before. Her father would always call her by her name or say “child”, so she was not used to the affectionate sound of “Kitten” when Roger first started using it a while after she started working for him. 

“Well, you see...” Roger put an arm around her shoulders and they walked together as the car drove away to the parking lot. “I realized you are not quite as tall as my Tigs, so what’s smaller than a Tiger?” He brought his hand out, waving it in the air as he spoke. 

(Name) shrugged, arched brow and pout on her mouth. 

“I dunno,” she straight up said the first thing that came to her mind, “a cub?”

Roger stopped walking and the silence grew between them for a second before he shook his head and repeated the word “no” over and over, almost chanting it. 

“A Kitten, (Name)! A Kitten! Has a better ring to it too!” 

They waited for the lift and once the shining silver doors opened, (Name) walked in first, followed by Roger. 

“You really are your father’s daughter...” He commented. 

Having spoken to the man a few times before, he knew where her previous comment was coming from. 

For days, (Name) tagged along with Roger, she never got to sit inside the offices where the Rock Idol had his meetings with producers and important people, she would only be outside, at the ready with a notebook and a pen; agenda in the pocket. She knew how to do her job, she did it quite well and had received no complaints from Roger or his family ever. 

It was indeed, during her last day shooting for the movie that she had the chance of chatting with Gwil. He had asked, of course, he was curious about the assistant; it seemed Roger could get along just fine without her but she also made everything move faster, with more efficiency, and for sure by more modern means. 

“Oh, I graduated from business school a bit early. Dad was in South Africa, I needed a job and thought, why not start at the bottom?” She explained, “I didn’t think I would be Roger Taylor’s assistant, that sort of happened thanks to my dad’s manager.”

Gwilym’s expression, now that he was in his Brian costume, was soft as usual, although upon hearing her his brows shot up in the funniest of manners and left (Name) giggling like a school girl. It might have been the beautiful contrast of the dark wig and Gwilym’s blue eyes, she felt weak in the knees. 

“Your dad’s manager?” He wondered, his hands on his hips, the pants provided by the costume department flattering his long legs.

She made the mental note that Gwil was slightly thicker than Brian, but she was not quite sure and thought asking about it would only serve to fuel the rumor going by among the crew that there was something romantic going on between the two of them.  

(Name) blushed, she never bragged about it, her last name would oddly come up in conversation and even if it did, it never caught much attention - unless she was speaking to a wildlife enthusiast or an animals’ rights activist. 

“Uh,” she felt her voice going quieter as she moved her lips to form the words, “yeah, Peter (Y/L/Name)” 

It was not shame what overtook her. She loved her father; he had fought to give her everything she had, and he had struggled to build his own career from scratch - not an easy thing, especially since he raised her on his own. What (Name) felt was embarrassment. Now she was under the impression that she should have mentioned it sooner.

“Oh, he’s having an exhibition next month! Right?” Gwil reaction was the usual, a small smile appearing on his face when she nodded. 

He pulled her sparkling black jacket closed over her chest once the cast was called in to get another take. 

“Well, darling Fake Wife of mine...” he called and (Name) rolled her eyes at the lame joke the two had, “on with the show!” 

(Name) made a terrible attempt at playing the air guitar, earning a laugh from Gwil, who stood the closest to see and embarrassingly enough, a cheer and chuckle from Brian and Anita. 

“Take off the wig, Gwil, you’re being replaced!” Joe yelled from another part of the set at what was going to be Freddie’s crazy house party. 

“Oh, shut it you!” She yelled back, grabbing Gwil’s face with as much delicacy as possible to avoid ruining whatever makeup he had on, Gwilym had to lean down so she could play with his face, “this is the face of a man! A man whose parents have some explaining to do!” She turned to Gwil, “are you sure Brian’s not your dad? You look so much like him...I’m doubting this.” 

At (Name)’s pout, Gwil smiled. He shook his head as he pulled back and put his arm around her shoulders to go back to their marks. 

For the entire time they were there, Anita was hypnotized by Gwilym, she took pictures with him and gave him the sweetest compliments, at which the actor could only blush and look around for help. Brian’s wife also told him funny stories about a younger version of her husband; all the while Ben, Joe and (Name) kept trying to stay out of trouble but somehow still causing it, of course. Rami was the only one of the group who kept it quite professional, he was the leading man and nobody would hold it against him if he was in character more than he was himself. 

“Hey,” Anita, grabbed (Name)’s hand and held it absentmindedly while she spoke, oblivious to what she was about to do, “Brian has been teaching Gwil how to use his camera, why don’t you bring him to your father’s exhibition?”

The small woman looked up at (Name) and then at Gwil. She did not know what to say; she had already made plans to bring someone else...someone she had been seeing for some time. Gwilym noticed something was happening in her mind and opened his mouth to excuse himself only to be interrupted by the brunette. 

“I think my dad would love to teach you a thing or two as well.” 

“It’s a date!” Ben yelled. 

The blonde gave Gwil a pat on the back and exchanged a look with Joe and Rami, all three of them grinned. 

Next One  >>

Tags: @tv-saved-the-teenage-girl @naturalswifty89 @itsametaphorbriansblog @i-want-to-break-free-39 @stomp-stomp-clap

[bowtiesnmusicals]

Here is my recap of the Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) episode of the podcast.

Jenna did a Dory impression. It was funny.

They said Jayma is one of their favorite people. That she is the sweetest, funniest, and cutest.

Kevin said they learned a lot talking to Jayma.

There was a lot they didn’t know and they laughed a lot.

They learned about some people’s journeys to glee.

Jenna said Jayma was really funny and hopefully you peed before you listened to this episode.

Jayma was sick for weeks before Snixxmas. She’s fine now.

Jayma wanted to be on the podcast. They joked that she forced them to let her be on it.

She was doing press and she still gets asked about Glee. They asked if she was going to be on the podcast.

Jayma says she get her intel from the podcast.

Jayma met Matt before the show. They did another pilot together probably two years before Glee.

The pilot was called Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office. They were sort of like love interests on the show.

Jayma thought they would never cast them together again. The pilot was never picked up.

Jayma auditioned for Glee. She was a newlywed in Canada. She thought the script was good. She flew back and auditioned.

She went into a room with a table to do her audition and had to sing. She thought it was a really bad audition.

Jayma sang Toucha Toucha Touch Me during her audition.

Jayma says she is not really a singer.

She had done Rocky Horror in Los Angeles.

I’m Not Getting Married in one of the hardest Broadway songs. Jayma thought she couldn’t do it. She thought it was impossible. It took a lot of recording. She kept getting stuck at the candlesticks part.

Jayma got to do some cool musical numbers.

You’re All The World To Me was memorable because of the rotating box they filmed in for that number. They had to take Dramamine because of the motion sickness from dancing in the box.

Jayma thought she was hallucinating because Baby Spice was on set during one of the rehearsals.

The box is called a gimble box.

Kevin was excited about the gimble box because he had seen it in a NYSNC music video.

He was also excited about meeting Baby Spice.

Baby Spice was on set because she was interviewing the cast for a special on Sky Tv for Glee.

Every time Jayma did a musical number it gave her clarity on what the rest of the cast was always doing and even more respect for them.

Kevin said that Jenna and him felt that way whenever they had more then two lines in a scene.

Kevin and Jayma had a contest at one point to see who was the most expensive extra for an episode.

Kevin said he laughed so hard when he got to work with Dot and Jayma. He said Jayma is one of the funniest and wittiest person he knows. He said Naya and Jayma have the quickest wit.

Jayma and her husband could have their own sitcom.

Jayma embarrassed her son for the first time. He didn’t want her to come to school.

Jayma said her son is funny. He tries to make his friends laugh. He likes physical comedy.

He watched Jayma in Disenchanted. He didn’t know if he was acted to watch his mom in a movie. He told her not to come home wearing her big blonde wig. At the end of the movie he said good job mom.

Working with Adam Shankman was fun. He is a ball of energy.

Adam directed the Rocky Horror episode.

Jayma said the funniest was Amber and Chord. She handed Mercedes a pamphlet that said your a hoe and Sam one that said so you are in love with a two timing hoe.

There are so many good ones.

Jayma likes character stuff. She said this was one of best jobs she had because it was all set up for that. They always had the perfect props. It felt like everyone from hair, makeup, and costuming was influencing her character in the best way possible.

Kevin texted Ryan to ask who came up with the pamphlets and it was Ian Brennan.

Emma had the best wardrobe of the entire show.

Emma wore a pencil skirt during her audition.

The costume was all Lou Eyrich and Ryan.

Jayma’s said at times Glee felt like a blur. She remembers the first 13 the most. They were special because they hadn’t aired yet and they were kind of in a bubble.

She was doing a lot of new things at the time. She was newly married and had just bought a house.

She knew this was really special and felt thankful to be a part of it.

Kevin’s all time favorite scene is Emma in the car singing All By Myself.

Jayma thought that moments where we see a different side to Emma were nice.

She loved when Emma calls Will a slut.

The pulled out al the stops for the All By Myself clip.

She loved sitting in the auditorium watching the cast sing.

Jayma didn’t know that John Stamos would be on the show. It was a funny little poke.

Working with John Stamos and Gwyneth Paltrow was memorable.

Jayma made a joke that they were trying to keep her away from anyone famous to keep her from drooling on them.

Jayma said it was very hard doing stuff with Jane.

Jane does not break.

Kevin doesn’t think Jayma broke during the show.

Jenna loved when Matt broke because he has a boisterous laugh.

Kevin said he was intimated to work with Jayma and Jane.

Everyone respected and admired each other.

Kevin brought his friends to see a movie that had Jayma and Tom Cruise in it.

Jenna’s favorite Emma lines right now have to do with Ken Tanaka. Kevin likes the line about not having a gag reflex.

Jayma loved all the innocent stuff about Emma.

She liked doing Afternoon Delight.

Everyone had the flu during Hello/Goodbye and they were all vomiting when they filmed this scene.

The did some of the greatest hits from Mattress.

Jayma thinks Ian Brenna wrote for Emma.

She has noticed more people are watching Glee again. It tends to be teenage kids coming up to her. She said its lovely that people are watching it and its found a new audience.

Jayma said the feeling glee left her with is happiness. It’s always been a special experience that she got to be a part of and it massively influenced her life in all he most wonderful ways. It’s been a life changer for her.

There were times early on that getting noticed in public was overwhelming to her.

Glee will be one of the most incredible things that she has ever been a part of and she is supremely grateful for it.

Jenna calls her daughter weird nicknames and realized she was using nicknames from Glee that Ken would call Emma.

[antmfunny]

1. Baby Talk

Oh my goodness, the styling for this photoshoot was TERRIBLE. The episode’s drama surrounded whether a particular contestant treated the hairstylist disrespectfully. I’m going to throw it back at the hair and makeup people, though: if you want don’t want to be treated like shit, don’t make your models look like shit, okay?

Erin says she feels like she’s 20 again as a rap video ho, which is appropriate because that’s how old she would have been when that look was last relevant. Khrystyana’s androgynous look just falls short.

Kyla gets assigned “cyber-sexy” which just makes you think of cyber sex. Every time I try to make sense of that as an aesthetic (cyber sex usually happens between two people who each have sent a fake photo of themselves) the stupid look they give Kyla doesn’t match it at all. The photographer wants to know if she knows what kind of woman she’s trying to portray, and Kyla has to admit that she doesn’t, which - I don’t care how stupid Kyla supposedly is - is entirely fair in this situation. They don’t offer her much in the way of advice, but Drew tells her to be a woman who “doesn’t give a fuck.” We know Law would disagree, anyway - he definitely wants Kyla to give a literal fuck.

I suppose Jeana’s look is kind of cool in a White Swan kind of way, but Drew seems to try to sabotage it by loudly singing bizarre circus music as she poses. Jeana has no idea why he’s doing that, but she decides that it helped her make authentically confused and uncomfortable faces for the camera. I know we’ve seen a lot of complaining from her lately, but never let it be said that Jeana doesn’t have a positive side!

Okay, but the girl with the most styling problems is Shanice. She’s legitimately stoked when she finds out she’s going to finally get a wig. Remember, she was so heartbroken when she found out her psoriasis interfered with her makeover that she sobbed on a toilet.

And then the hair guy fucks it up. Granted, Shanice can be mouthy, but did he threaten her when he said, “When someone’s got scissors, be careful”? Regardless, she explains to him that the wig looks dumb because the part isn’t right and the wig is literally inches away from her hairline and creeping down her forehead. Here’s the thing, and I’m going to say this a few times in relation to Shanice in this segment: she’s not wrong. The wig needed adjusting and the proof is in the fact that they fixed it.

Even in the proper spot, though, the wig looks unattractive. Drew has to abort the photo shoot before it starts to give Shanice an entirely different look that’s not so stupid. Too bad that doesn’t happen. The hair guy compares Shanice’s new look to Mary J. Blige, and he better hope Ms. Blige doesn’t come murder him in his sleep for even making that suggestion. Shanice more accurately compares her new outfit to “1970s hooker” and, yes, she would look perfect as an extra on HBO’s The Deuce. Why you’d want that as a Paper Magazine cover, I do not know, but I guess they’re just throwing stuff at the wall to see what breaks the internet.

I swear, she’s being PUNISHED with that dumb wig and hat. Shanice tries to fix the situation by asking for a darker, red lipstick. The makeup artist seems annoyed, but Shanice is right again, and it is an improvement that way. Drew kind of sasses her when he says her lip looks like Louboutin and then asks if she even knows what that is. By this point, Shanice is out of patience and says it’s something she can’t afford… until she wins America’s Next Top Model.

At panel, Drew complains about how difficult Shanice was on set and rages about how much it ticked him off that she was telling the stylists how to do their jobs. Uhh, somebody needed to! While I acknowledge that her tone could have been more pleasant, Drew is straight up spinning stories if he thinks any of the looks they tried out on her were not just cover-worthy, but costume party-worthy.

Tyra seems sympathetic to the low wig story, particularly since you know how she likes to make sure her five-head is showing, yet she tries to resolve the situation with some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard on this show: TALK LIKE A BABY.

For real, Tyra is telling a grown woman to act more like a imbecile and use a baby voice to get what she wants on set without sounding too aggressive. I know this isn’t a super feminist show, but FUCK that’s disappointing to have to hear. A model should be able to advocate for her own appearance without having to demean herself in that way.

Despite Shanice’s allegedly bad behavior, the judges decide to keep the infant over the 42-year-old. Handing Shanice a photo, Tyra again emphasizes the need to act like a baby on set, at least until she’s at the point that Tyra is in her career where she can tell the stylists off and just do her own hair and makeup herself. If only the makeup crew knew that if they talked to Tyra like a baby, they might have been able to talk her out of some of her more questionable looks. 

5 Funniest Moments of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 24 Week 10

[paladihn]

falsettos proshot things

ok now that i’ve slept on my Emotions™, i think i can finally make this post. more under the cut because this got long:

generally throughout the performance there were a lot more spoken dialogue things after a lot of the lines as an afterthought and it was really nice

at the very beginning of “four jews” when they’re all wearing those wigs and costumes, a bit of whizzer’s wig gets caught in his mouth and he makes a really big deal about getting it out and idk it made me laugh

at the end of “a tight-knit family”, marvin pulls whizzer’s hair back and oh my g od it was a Lot™ so long live the hair pulling kink

during “hepa hepa hepatitis hepatitis hepatitis” they zoom in on whizzer and he’s just like “hepatitis?!” and looks really worried but in a comical manner

hoo boy guys i can definitely tell you that they did not gloss over the “daddy’s kissing boys” kiss like it was a full on make out i was not disappointed. 

thrill of first love was amazing like all of it was shot so well. the angles, the zooming in on their faces, everything. whizzer and marvin were also laughing and smiling a lot during “the fight” which was really nice

after “that is so sincere...” whizzer gives marvin a little peck and when marvin leans in for more, whizzer whispers “that’s it” and gets up

the Mendel Boner™ was strong during “marvin at the psychiatrist”  and honestly brandon was so funny and extra in the proshot all the way through and b o y i love him

when marvin asks “would he kill you” they zoom in on marvin’s face and his eye twitches when he says “...yes.”

the fading out of “marvin at the psychiatrist” into “my father’s a homo” was the funniest thing

anthony rosenthal is so talented and too good for this world

jason’s little retching sound after trina’s like “i could take you to the jewish center” made me snicker

whizzer glared at marvin for so long after he flicks his head in “everyone tells jason to see a psychiatrist”

oh my gosh christian borle is so good like he was honestly so terrifying in “this had better come to a stop” and whizzer looked so scared and anxious the entire song

they changed “asshole” to “jackass” and honestly is that any better???

like,,, stephanie j. block was robbed i’m breaking down stole the show

there’s one part where she’s touching herself and then she grabs her boobs and is like “oh that feels so good” under her breath and i was trying so hard not to laugh because the theater was otherwise quiet as she kept on singing

the banana belt is so Iconic™

“i don’t have time for a breakdown! i have to get back to my banana carrot surprise!” *eye twitch*

throughout act one, the camera kept cutting to jason and he just. looked so done all the time #relatable

the dancing in “jason’s therapy” is just. amazing

all of “a marriage proposal” was just so pure and stephanie j. block and brandon uranowitz have such good chemistry

when mendel does his “biblical times” line, marvin gives him a little sarcastic thumbs-up

during “a tight-knit family (reprise)” when marvin is talking about having a loving wife, whizzer looks like a mix of sadness and anger and i  l o v e  that the proshot kept the other characters in mind during solos and stuff

god the camera got so close during “the chess game” and you could see the raw emotion during their fight and oh my goodness that song wrecked me

they changed “this game shits” to “chess ain’t how your boyfriend thinks” and i love that a lot more wow because 1. boyfriend 2. it shows a lot more of whizzer’s anger and the whole reality of the situation they’re in and w o w

marvin reaches out to touch whizzer at the end when they’re fighting and he just slaps his hand away like the anger was real

whizzer was just packing his clothes in his suitcase during “making a home” and well if that wasn’t one of the most heartbreaking moments of the night

and then right after you’ve got “the games i play” so william finn just loves watching us suffer doesn’t he

andrew killed that song, as expected (#robbed)

christian borle, yet again, shows how versatile he his and how much rage he can project in “marvin hits trina”

when trina and whizzer sing “we had fights and games” etc., trina stands up and looks past marvin to whizzer and they both just. ugh the emotion

after whizzer says “do i love him? no.” the theater was completely silent and there was just 10 seconds of silence as marvin’s face fell before he went “i am so dumb.”

and then after that he spent another like 15 seconds walking around the set to the back and it was so silent that when he punched the bits of the cube with a loud thunk all of us in the theater were scared out of our seats

whizzer making the sound of the slap was so much more

marvin being like “oh baby i didn’t--” quietly once he realizes what he’s done

jason’s face through this whole number was just so heartbroken and scared and betrayed and sad but especially so after marvin slaps his mother

trina just sobs into her hands once the beginning of “i never wanted to love you” starts and once she uncovers her face and starts to sing, the camera zooms in and you can see the tears in trina’s eyes

father to son was emotional as ever and you could see the tears in both marvin and jason’s eyes at the end

there was no intermission and i’m salty about that

when mendel says “homosexuals”, he pointed his little airport light things to two specific people, and that was funny enough, but then the camera panned outward and he kind of just pointed to the whole crowd and it was so much funnier

whizzer punching the nancy reagan blow up doll saved my life

everyone was so happy when the lesbians arrived it was so nice

cordelia’s apron said “cordelia’s catering on it”!!

honestly i don’t remember much of act two’s details because i was like trying to brace myself for what was coming but like the same things i talked about apply like the raw emotion in the character’s faces and just like little things they said under their breaths here and there that just made the play more real

jason’s dancing in “year of the child” was so precious 

marvin was so thirsty in “the baseball game” i cry, and when he was doing his touching whizzer’s hair bit, whizzer spun around and gave him the same glare from the “everyone tells jason to see a psychiatrist” bit

rip caroline

trina and mendel were like playing and being like nice-feisty while they were exercising i don’t know how to describe it but sjb and brandon have such good chemistry

charlotte tasted cordelia’s failed cooking and smiled, and when cordelia was turned away she spit it out and it was so pure and funny 

cordelia’s little “yay?” in “a day in falsettoland” was so funny like she paused for like five seconds before saying it

ok guys,,, i think andrew rannells is just fucking hung because like the bulge was there

or the pants might just be really awkward

either way, andrew rannells is packing and those costumes were so much

“everyone hates his parents” was so good like jason’s and mendel’s choreography was so synchronized and i love their relationship

the “flip me” part was so intense like brandon uranowitz fucking went for it and he flipped jason so fast

his failed cartwheel made the entire theater burst into laughter i love him

in “what more can i say”, andrew was like sitting up with marvin and nestled right into his neck, and before he rolled over, he gave marvin a lil kiss and aw i love their chemistry

and before he rolled over and was nestled against marvin, marvin started to run his fingers up and down his back so tenderly and it was so Pure™

i mean and then he went and did the “that’s the simple truth” thing where he lifted up the blanket and had that stupid smile on his face and well it may not have been pure but it was wholesome

when the song ended and he rolled to snuggle against whizzer, they both gave each other little kisses on their heads or shoulders and it faded to black and i wanted to cry because it was so sweet

and then. the Sad™

cordelia was so sweet when she was massaging charlotte in “something bad is happening” like she made little “ohh”s and she was so In Love

in “more racquetball”, whizzer was wearing bigger clothing to show that he lost weight and damn you could visibly see how weak he was even after one song

when he collapsed, the camera zoomed in on his face and he just said “i’m sorry” in the smallest voice ever and you could see that he was so scared and fighting back tears

they both looked so scared when they took him to dr. charlotte and i think she whispered something like “we’re gonna keep him here” or something and you could see marvin’s face fall

towards the end of “holding to the ground” you could see the silhouette of marvin helping whizzer to the hospital bed with his iv and everything

i was surprised at all the crying in act 2 but i was pleasantly surprised because it just made the story more authentic and believable because the actors were allowed to truly feel like their characters in this terrible situation

that said, whizzer looked like he was holding back tears for all of “days like this” and it broke my heart

when jason said “i’ll let you win” there was this pause as whizzer’s face fell and he just sang quietly “don’t let me win”

jason and mendel had this really heart to heart moment where he was explaining the situation in “cancelling the bar mitzvah” and it was really touching and sad

unlikely lovers was just so good and powerful and pure and god i love this show and the actors so much

before cordelia and charlotte come in, marvin lies next to whizzer and starts to cry a little and honestly i was surprised there was pieces of my heart left to break but hey these guys managed to do it

everything about “another miracle of judaism” was so good and anthony rosenthal is so talented at such a young age

oh my gosh, andrew rannells did not hold anything back during “you gotta die sometime”. his emotion was so raw, and towards the end he was literally crying yet managed to keep his voice strong and honestly #robbed again because i cannot believe i got to watch that

at the very beginning of “jason’s bar mitzvah”, while they’re setting everything up, whizzer is still crying but he tries to stop himself so the others don’t see

charlotte and cordelia kiss and it is Beautiful and trina just smiles and stands there awkwardly 

whizzer does more than just mouth “thank you” once he leaves, he actually whispers it and you can just see the pain in everyone’s eyes as he’s escorted away by charlotte

“what would i do” ruined me

once whizzer came on, it wasn’t all sad. there were smiles and laughs as they stood there, looking at each other and reflecting on their lives together. but they were also tears and cries and looks of pain but it was so emotional and raw and real and once the light finally faded on whizzer and he turned away and the rest of them came back and mendel sang the reprise as they reformed the cube,,, it was all so devastating and beautifully done

and then mendel beckoned jason over and they took one piece out of the cube and set it on stage to mark whizzer’s headstone, and marvin couldn’t hold it in anymore and he just sobbed into his hands and the others comforted him

and then they all watched as jason, young, innocent jason, came forward and pulled a single white king chess piece from his pocket and rested it on whizzer’s headstone.

and then i got to talk with people sobbing in the bathroom

and i honestly can’t even put all my thoughts here

like these weren’t even all my thoughts, it was just stuff i found specific to the proshot and such. but like,,, i need a dvd now

[the-record-columns]

Aug. 28, 2019: Columns

I’ve seen ‘nun’ other like it...

                                                  The nun doll

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Friends of the Wilkes County Library Antiques Roadshow which was held in the Friends of the Library Meeting Room.  

This has been an annual event for several years and is always interesting to attend as an exhibitor or just to look at the cool stuff.  With rare exception, the things brought by are worth spending time looking at and learning about, both of which are good.

When I have something to be looked over, my major interest is to get to tell the story to the folks attending the Roadshow of how I got the piece, or its history, what makes it special, or all the above.  To quote my buddy Sonny Church, "...Kenny is always looking for a fresh set of ears."

In this case today, I suppose a fresh set of eyes.

As often noted here, most of my "finds" actually find me these days. The stuff out front of The Record attracts visitors and folks with things to sell alike, and one day a guy walked in with a Davy Crockett lunch box.  

I had bought a couple of things from him before, notable a nearly perfect "Flipper" lunch box, but the Davy Crockett box was in rough shape. We talked a bit and I told him I wouldn't be interested and, as he left, I walked out with him.  I felt a bit guilty not buying the thing and walked all the way to his car with him and he opened the trunk.

There, on her back in a box of miscellaneous things was Mary—the doll in the picture on this page.  I don't collect dolls, too many, too easy to get a piece of junk, too expensive—you name it. However, I knew if I could stand it Mary was coming in with me.  I had never seen a Catholic nun doll before that day, and haven't seen one since.

I have showed this doll to anybody that has visited for the past five months and no one else has seen one either.  The box of items with the doll each had a handwritten note with it as though whoever packed it up didn't expect to be around to tell about the items on their own.  This note, which I have, says "Edward named this doll his "Holy Mary Doll” - He had a little Catholic friend, Timmy Higgins, who used to tell him about the nuns, etc."

I showed the doll to my Rotarian friend Rob Hicks who was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school for 12 years.  Rob says the outfit is period for the 40’s era, but he had never seen a doll like this one either.

On it goes.

I know there are more of those dolls out there, but it is fun to have something that at least appears to be very rare—and to get to show it off to such a wide variety of visitors--makes the doll like the MasterCard advertising says: "Priceless."

One final note.  

The guy with "Mary" and the Davy Crockett lunch box knew he had me, and he made me buy them both.

And, it was well worth it.

“It’s called ACTING, try it!”

By HEATHER DEAN

Record Reporter

If you are of a certain age, you had the opportunity to take Drama Classes at Wilkes Community College, where you could even receive an Associate in Fine Arts Degree.

Alas, the classes are no more, and two generations are growing up without the pleasure of filling their semesters learning the craft and magic of the stage: set and light design; carpentry; costuming; stage make-up (a necessity for both men and women actors) and most importantly the history of the theatre, and how to become someone else completely, regardless of your comfort level in someone else’s skin.

I knew I wanted to be involved in this magic as a wee child, from very first introduction to the world of singing and dancing your way out of the direst of circumstances- the Wizard of Oz. I was going to “Theatre or Bust” including once when I packed my bags and was off to join the circus and become a trapeze artist, at the ripe old age of 9.

I loved Broadway musicals, the costumes, and I was fascinated by the silent films. I was amazed as a teenager when my paternal grandmother pulled out a picture of her as a teenager, and told me she had a job at a theatre as the “cigarette girl”- and met big stars like Lash LaRue at the premiers. (Alfred "Lash" LaRue was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. He had exceptional skill with the bullwhip and taught Harrison Ford how to use it for the Indiana Jones movies.) I loved going to the John A. Walker Center and seeing classics like Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, The Sound of Music come to life in our little town, and I wanted to be a part of it.

I got my chance in 1993, when I had my first restaurant job at the age of 19, and Wes Martin was the bartender. He was taking said above classes to become a theatre teacher, and I was always agog when he spoke about production life. He invited me to see an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm tale of Beauty and the Lonely Beast. I was hooked, and the rest as they say is history- He’s the Wilkes County High School Theatre instructor, and I am in my 26th year of being involved in local and professional theatre.

Back to the beginning… If you are of a certain age, you most likely had Dave Reynolds as your theatre instructor. If you signed up for theatre as an elective and thought it would be an easy “A” you were mistaken. Reynolds made everyone work for it, including reading up on, and writing a term paper on what was going on in NYC on the Broadway stage; Saturday sweat sessions building/painting/lighting a set; the importance of finding the “perfect” prop; how to use modern clothing to look like period costumes, going out of town to see how other theatres interpreted shows through lights and sounds and acting…the list goes on.

I say all this to say, if you had Dave as an instructor, no one was immune from being told “What are we doing here? It’s called ACTING, try it!” when we were not living up to the characters potential.   The truth of the modern theatre is that it has gone a full 180 degrees. In Shakespeare’s time, men played the women roles too as it was considered unlucky for a woman to be on stage.

Juliet? A man.  Bianca and Katherina?  Men.  Cordelia? A man.

Beatrice? A man.  Lady Macbeth? Yup….you guessed it. Which is why one of the funniest lines in Midsummer Nights Dream is when the bellows mender is told to play a girl, and he says “But..I have a beard coming in” then goes on to perform in a wig and dress, with a beard.  

 These days we are lucky to find enough males to fill male character roles. I cannot tell you how many countless times I have played a male character, whether it was the lead role, a lover, a tyrant, a father. It’s nothing to wince over, it’s called acting. And when acting, our only concern is to bring the audience into the story, into the moment, into the lights and glitter and stage magic, and make them forget that they know us in our real day to day lives.

Stella Adler, a theatre teacher herself told her students “The word theatre comes from the Greeks. It means the seeing place. It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation. The theatre is a spiritual and social X-ray of its time. The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation.” Her students included Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Harvey Keitel, some of the most famous for acting across the spectrum.

Truly, what are we on stage for if not to make everyone realize that we have space for all, and to portray every dimension of life’s diverseness? Theatre is where we go to see the truth of our world reflected through another’s eyes.  “No theater could sanely flourish until there was an umbilical connection between what was happening on the stage and what was happening in the world,” said Kenneth Tynan.

So, if you have ever been upset with what a stage theatre presents, or come out of a production feeling uncomfortable, GOOD. That means we have lived up to our potential and done our job as actors.

That does not mean we are “reprobates, perverts and going to hell,” that means we have done our duty to represent every aspect of life and those who live it. Having found something offensive does not warrant a boycott of your local community theatre, threats across social media, and intimidating handwritten notes left on individual’s personal property. If you don’t approve, don’t go. “It’s called ACTING!”

No one ever said theatre was where we go to hide from current events, hot button topics or celebrating diversity in our community, but it has been said: “The theatre is traditionally where people go to hear the truth.” -David Mamet

By right and by fight, the land belongs to Israel

By Ambassador EARL COX and KATHLEEN COX

How can anyone think otherwise except they believe the fake news? Gone are the days of investigative journalists digging for facts and sharing them without interjecting their personal philosophies or political beliefs.  A half-truth is a lie, and a lie told frequently eventually becomes the truth. 

I have witnessed how the media can change history. Decades ago, an underwater archeologist who is my friend, discovered the remains of a now-famous Civil War submarine, but he never received recognition.  He followed protocol and filed the necessary documents with federal, state and local governments however, he never contacted the media.  Years later a well-known author and deep-sea diver used my friend’s research and coordinates on file with the government, and went about the business of “discovering” (RE-discovering), this same sunken sub.  Upon reaching the site, the media were immediately contacted and thereby received all the glory and fame. Although my friend presented solid evidence as being the rightful founder, he could not afford the cost of a legal battle to set the record straight.  Except for a few who remember and a government file full of documents, the truth has been buried and forgotten.

This is the same tactic the Palestinians are using in rewriting Israel’s historic connection to the land.  Our job, as Christians and as people who value truth, is to learn to separate fact from fiction.  

The Palestinians claim ownership of the land they currently occupy, in addition to the land of Israel, based on a mythical connection they claim dates back 5000 years.  This is false. So, who are the Palestinians? The truth is, there are no Palestinians.  They are all Arabs.  

The term “Palestine” was first used by the Roman Emperor Hadrian during his reign of the region.  Hadrian hated Jews.  He massacred many living in Judea and sent the rest into exile. He then began to erase any Jewish connection to the land despite archeological anchors.  Hadrian renamed the area Syria-Palaestina to humiliate the Jews. The term “Palaestina” comes from Israel’s most ancient enemies, the Philistines.  

Over the centuries the area of Judea and Samaria was ruled by many foreign powers ending with the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of WWI.  During Ottoman rule, the term “Palestine” was used to describe a general geographic area south of Syria between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River - not a specific place or people. 

Following WWI, the Ottomans relinquished control of the region to the Allied Forces which decided to divide the area into countries.  During this time, British Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour recognized the historical connection of the Jewish people to their homeland and earmarked an area of land for the Jewish people equal to about a half of one percent of the entire Middle East and it included Judea and Samaria.  

The League of Nations, predecessor to the United Nations, granted powers to the victors of WWI to control the Middle East mandating them to prepare the local people to live and govern themselves independently.  These areas came under the British Mandate of Palestine.  Jews and Arabs were under British Administration, “until such time as they are able to stand alone.”

How did Israel come to possess the area known today as the West Bank and why do so many call it “occupied” territory?

On the day Israel became a nation in 1948 she was attacked by her Arab neighbors. Jordan took advantage of the turmoil and moved in claiming the West Bank without any legal justification. In doing so, the area known as Judea and Samaria became known as the West Bank (the land on the “west bank” of the Jordan River).  In 1967, Israel was again attacked by her Arab neighbors in what became known as the Six Day War. Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt.  For Israel, this was a war of self-defense. Those who attacked Israel did so with the intention of destroying the newborn nation and, according to international law, destroying countries is illegal.  Miraculously, those who attacked Israel found themselves on the losing side, so they ran for help to the United Nations. The U.N. refused to label Israel as the aggressor however they did call for a negotiated solution – one that would leave Israel with defensible borders.

So, are Israel’s West Bank settlements illegal?  If you believe the “fake news” narrative of today, then you believe that “Israel attacked her Arab neighbors, captured the West Bank, threw out the Palestinians and began building illegal settlements.”  It’s worth repeating - never was there an Arab nation or state named Palestine therefore there are no “Palestinian” people.  They are Arabs, plain and simple.  They speak Arabic. Their culture is Arabic. Their history is Arabic. They are descendants of Arabs.  There is nothing that uniquely distinguishes them from the greater Arab world.  By right and by fight, Israel owns the West Bank yet the media and others continually refer to the area as “occupied territory.”  At best, the land should be referred to as “disputed” territory.  In the 20th century, Israel’s claim to the land was recognized by the leaders of the International Court of Justice.  Therefore, Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are not illegal. 

While there is no easy solution, any peace deal must be based on legal and historical facts.  Truth, based on facts, must prevail.

Ducks, Home Remedies and Powerful Music

By CARL WHITE

Life in the Carolinas  

August is an interesting month.

The weather in the south is warming to get us ready for summer. Sweet magnolias perfume the morning air and stimulate thoughts of days gone by when visits on the front porch and lingering conversations were how folks spent their causal time.

I chuckle just a bit as I recall a few of the more colorful conversations I have engaged in this August.

One conversation with barber Gary was most interesting. He was recalling a story about ducks and their ability to sleep with one eye open. He asks if I knew whether or not that was true. No, I said, I have never heard that. When I left I could not stop thinking about those poor ducks who were not able to get a good night’s rest.

I find that research has at least a 50/50 chance of bringing peace to an unknown situation. So I set out to discover the truth about duck sleep.

I give thanks to Indiana State University for a study that was done in 1999 and published in “Nature.” The study suggests that some ducks do indeed protect each other when sleeping. As it turns out aquatic birds normally sleep together in a row and the ducks on the end of the row will keep the eye open which is facing away from the group. The study also showed that the ducks that were in the middle of the row tended to sleep with both eyes closed. The ducks on the end were engaging in what scientist call single-hemisphere sleep. The eye controlled by the sleeping side of the brain is closed, while the active side of the brain keeps its eye open and on guard. The good news being, that even while on guard, ducks can get some much needed sleep.

An interesting pollen induced August conversation that I had with a friend was about the making of a passed down recipe from generation to generation for a homemade cough remedy.  It consisted of a good amount of white liquor, honey and horehound candy.  As the story goes, after days of dealing with a nasty lingering cough that refused to leave, his wife asks him to make some of the special family medicine.

He did so, and when it was ready, he told her it was to be taken a tablespoon at a time. She said okay, and he went out to do some yard work. When he came back inside he noticed that the glass was empty and he ask if she had poured out the rest of it. She said, no, I did what you said, I sipped it all, a tablespoon at a time.

He said in about 20 minutes the phone rang and she jumped up to answer with a spirited “Howdy Do.” I was told that this was not her normal way of answering the phone, and the word soon spread, and over the next few hours family members called just to hear her highly energetic, all be it temporary zeal for life. The good news is, she didn’t cough any more that night, and she slept well.

There are several music festivals in the Carolinas in August, so it’s a good time to think about Music. I was setting at my desk one day and I heard producer Jared exclaim, the right music makes all the difference. He was searching for the perfect music for a scene he was working on. This is a never ending task in telling stories on the screen.

I had been listing to some work by composer and Steinway Master, Chad Lawson.  His music is among a selection I listen to when I am writing. It seems to stimulate creative thoughts. I’m not sure if the music brings creativity or it relaxes me so that creativity can show up. In either case, music is involved. Sometimes it’s a recording and sometimes it’s the sounds of nature.

I called Chad, to get his thoughts on the matter, and he said; “It’s somewhat mystifying to me as a composer, I learned to not rush it and let it take root. Don’t over analyze it…accept it for what it is.”

I love talking with Chad about music, he always makes it sound so amazing.

The eighth month is a good time to reflect on the mysteries of nature, family cures and the power of a musical encounter.

[coffee-cake-otter]

Questions for Cosplayers!

Taken from @ohicosplay​ (warning long)

1: How did you discover cosplaying? My good friend @mapagronpat once just sort of said, “Hey, there’s a convention coming up in Seattle. We should be the Kyoshi Warriors from ATLA.” So we did it. And it was great. I had been making costumes for Halloween every year, but that was when I started doing the cosplay-at-conventions thing.

2: What was your first cosplay? fem!Tenth Doctor, using a suit and coat bought on eBay

3: What are your next 3 cosplay plans? Pikari from Amanchu (since I’m not quite finished with her yet), Mark Watney from The Martian – Surface Suit, and Akko/Amanda from Little Witch Academia

4: Have you ever been in a cosplay contest? Nope

5: Do you prefer sewing, armor making, or wig working? Sewing definitely, but I really liked what armor I’ve made so far.

6: Do you prefer to do photoshoots at cons or at specific locations? I really like the spontaneity of con photoshoots because you’re all hyped up like “OMG someone wants to take my picture” but then it’s like “This tree will work, we’ll just have to photoshop out the people”

7: Is there a type of character you cosplay frequently? Girls with attitude I think suits them xD

8: Do you have any favorite cosplayers? My friends! :3 But also Theena Cosplay. She’s my armor senpai.

9: What's the most detailed cosplay you've ever done? Probably still the Kyoshi Warriors, but that was a group effort. On my own, maybe Raven (Teen Titans).

10: What are your top 3 craftsmanship tips? Iron your shit, take your time, orange face wash gets out everything. EVERYTHING.

11: What is your favorite cosplay you've done? I still really love Raven, but I think once I wear her Pikari will be fun too.

12: What is your worst cosplay "horror" story? The time we almost ran out of Kyoshi robe fabric! We were on the phone with two different Joann Fabrics at the same time trying to get it all before it went out of stock forever.

13: What's your funniest cosplay story? Our friend cosplays Okabe from Steins;Gate, and we found like three other Okabes at the con we were at and they ALL had Dk. Pepper bottles! They all opened them but one guy’s fizzed up and sprayed everywhere.

14: What's the best in-character interaction you've ever had? I think it was the same Okabes from Kumoricon. One walked up to my friend and was like “What timeline is this?!” and they sort of gibberished and gestured together and then stopped for a beat, then nodded at each other, and the other one walked away. It was perfect and I wish I had captured it on film.

15: Have you ever cosplayed with a family member? Nope

16: What is your favorite cosplay photo of yourself? I don’t want to link to my personal Facebook, but this one of me as Raven giving the camera horns (the rocker style horns) while I’m sitting up on something high.

17: What are your go-to stores for cosplay materials/full cosplays? Joanns and Amazon

18: Do you prefer to buy pre-styled wigs or style your own? I’ve styled my own, mostly since I haven’t done a character with SUPER crazy hair yet. And that includes a cube-shaped bun!

19: Have you ever had someone mistake you for a different character? I think so? Can’t remember who they mistook me for though.

20: List all the cosplays you've done. fem!Tenth Doctor, Haru – The Cat Returns, Ruka – Steins;Gate, Kyoshi Warriors/Suki – ATLA, yukata!Kyoko – Madoka Magica, Raven – Teen Titans, Nastasia – Super Paper Mario, Makoto – flying witch, Naru - Barakamon.

21: What's the biggest con you've cosplayed at? Emerald City Comic Con

22: Do you prefer cosplaying characters with props, or characters that you don't need to carry a prop around all day? I don’t remember having a problem with my parasol for Kyoko, but I like not having to carry stuff around.

23: Have you ever lost a cosplay piece at a con? Nope

24: Have you ever bought a cosplay piece at a con? Nope

25: Do you prefer to cosplay solo or in a group? I try to make groups when the show/game fits it but it’s easier to just go solo

26: If you had a chance to meet your all-time favorite cosplayer, what would you say to them? I’ve already met Theena from Theena Cosplay and Athena from Enayla Cosplay and I just said “Hey I love your stuff!” (I’ve also said, “Do you need the bathroom because I’m going to take a shower” to Athena because she changed in our hotel room

27: Have you ever done a cosplay panel? Yup, quite a few

28: Do you prefer to buy or make cosplays? I make my own because I don’t have THAT much to spend and I’d rather make it to fit me and to say that I made it myself.

29: If you could tell your past self anything about cosplay, what would you say? Even if you’re not part of a group, you can still have fun going solo.

30: What is your ultimate dream cosplay? omg I don’t even know… Abe Sapien? I’ll go with that. Anything with prosthetics that I can have handmade not out of latex.

31: What's the most difficult cosplay you've ever done? (Craftsmanship, wearing of, ect) Nastasia I think. From wearing PAX paint and blue makeup over a white shirt, to making weird triangle pants from scratch, and the pink cube bun, it is a pain to wear.

32: What's the most difficult character makeup you've done? Kyoshi Warriors are still up there, but we’ve gotten the routine down so it’s not that difficult. It’s still a lot though compared to one color Raven and Nastasia.

33: What, in your opinion, makes a cosplayer a "pro" cosplayer? It’s the up close and personal craftsmanship. Seeing that a costume is ironed, all their seams are nice and flat, trim is neat and tidy, shoes are made up nicely. I also love extra detail, like trims or textures or nail polish that match. It means you thought more about the costume and the character rather than just simply recreating something.

34: What is your favorite part of cosplaying? Mutual fangirling/fanboying out to people’s cosplays and making new friends!

35: Make up your own question! No.

[moviecvnt]

the godfather part 1, 2, & 3

i'm like 95% sure that i have not seen these movies before or maybe i did & they were so boring i blocked them out? either way here is a half assed review of all 3.i love francis ford coppola's movies like Bram Stoker's Dracula, Cotton Club, & Peggy Sue Got Married but i find gangster movies to be boring. the only one i can stand is Casino because sharon stone is such a well dressed baddie. ok.lets get to it the godfather #1 3 hours long,huh? this had better be good. 2 minutes in & i am already annoyed by marlon brando's stuffed cheek whisper voice.its weird how naturally good looking he was & how hard he fought against it(like johnny depp now). i dont get it, is fredo supposed to be retarded? the wardrobe & hairstyles are really bad.very 1970s when i'm guessing its taking place in the 1950s? all those afros & disco makeup styles are distracting.i didnt even recognize diane keaton.whoever picked out that wig & shaved her eyebrows must have really hated her. halfway through & i'm not seeing why this is considered such a classic.i get it was based off a best selling book but this is pretty boring & idgaf about any of these characters. all this anti black stuff isnt cute either. 3 hours & still could not come up with a better ending than that,huh? part 2 its disturbing how they only call him "tom hagen" not just tom.the hair/costumes are much more authentic. am i supposed to know what is going on? i guess not.whatever. its annoying, all this italian dialog with no subtitles. i'd rather watch a movie starring fredos wife deanna than this although young al pacino is looking like a snack. speaking of snacks, young robert deniro was a full meal.this movie is VERY boring. i'm loving this abortion monologue,too bad diane keaton never gets to play dramatic characters.she's basically an extra throughout the 1st movie until the last 40 minutes of the 2nd.again the ending sucked.i'm really regretting watching these movies.what a waste of time part 3 ok so here's where it gets "good".hopefully this will be interesting.george hamilton is such a fox,i wonder why he was never a bigger star.al pacino's hair is too 1990s, the grey reminds me of christmas tree flocking,super distracting.its set in 1979 but all the hair/costumes are from 1987.good job? its weird he thought sofia coppola could be a movie star.without actual talent you need looks & she just doesnt have it(or enough charisma that you forget you are looking at an unattractive woman).i wonder why he would set his daughter up for failure like that. this movie is so bizarre.is the diabetes scenes really necessary? as usual i have no idea what is happening or why.maybe that is for the best.i am bored & this opera scene is going on way too long. the end of mary may be one of the funniest things ive ever seen. all 3 movies were SO boring & bad,i have no idea why the first 2 keep being put on best movie lists