#waltz of treachery

[asagaciousmind]

TOUR THOUGHTS

Saw the Les Miserables Tour at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto on May 21 2024; here are my thoughts (Long read, sorry I have a lot of feelings)

Prologue/Look Down/Valjean's Soliloquy

We got like, holographic waves crashing and the men are rowing a boat LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE it's awesome

Oh my god the pipes on the background actors were so good. THE SUN IS STRONG ITS HOT AS HEEELLL BELOW

I miss Javert's stupid guard hat. Was bareheaded as he gave Valjean his yellow ticket

PETIT GERVAIS?????????? Valjean steals a little boy's coin when he's roaming the countryside 😭

Randy Jeter as the Bishop blew me away. Not just his voice but his acting was FANTASTIC every single movement was like. I am an old bishop. This is how an old bishop moves. Idk idk it was really good

Nick Cartell did a great job w Valjean overall, but I totally loved him as pre-MsurM Valjean the most. He acts like a feral animal, grabbing the wine out of the nun's hands and the bread from the priest all hunched over and practically snarling - very very cool and awesome

At the End of the Day

Not a negative but when we went to At the End of the Day there was very minimal lighting and my first thought was Oh no the lighting broke hope they fix it and we don't have to have a brief intermission but then when they went 'At the end of the day there's another day dawning' the lights went up and I was like OHHHHHHHHHHHH so that's just me not understanding lighting direction

Foreman killed it, so did all of the factory workers I love all the interactions and ad-libbing in the background it makes me so happy to see

Every time I saw a tall graceful ensemble member I was like '"That's Kyle Adams" and 8/10 times I was right. Otherwise it was Daniel Gerard Bittner

I Dreamed A Dream

OKKKK VOCALS???? Haley Dortch has such a beautiful, clear, emotional sound and she left not a dry eye in the house. Literally the second intermission hit my parents and myself were like. Holy shit dude what about that Fantine

I got her autograph after the show and she was so so sweet 🥺 She accidentally messed up her signature and had to redo it and was apologising to me and I was like GIRL you brought the house down you could stab me right now and I'd be like 'Thanks have a good one'

Lovely Ladies / Fantine's Arrest

Bamatabois (David Andino) was a standout performance, really chewed the scenery and I adored every second he was on stage (Plus his costume was fantastic)

The other girls defending Fantine 🥺

I like that after the police show up and they basically arrest all of the ladies and pimps, regular well-off citizens come out to witness Valjean defending Fantine from Javert. Thought it was a nice touch

Fantine's Death

My first and only cry of the evening, Haley Dortch no one does it like you

The Confrontation

If you've heard me talk about the confrontation you'll know that I absolutely hate the new chain choreography, HOWEVER. I really really liked it this time. Preston in particular gave it a lot of physicality that I enjoyed

Nick Cartell is a little guy and I don't really believe that his Valjean managed to knock out Preston's Javert

For some reason the percussion was really loud and I could barely hear the vocals so I don't have many thoughts on them

Master of the House / Waltz of Treachery

MATT CROWLE YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS

Both Thenardiers were fantastic, not a crazy amount of ad-libbing but when they did they made it count ("BYE, BAGUETTE")

Madame in particular was hilarious

Master of the House is very busy in a good way, everywhere you look interesting things are happening. Another number where the ensemble shines and you can tell everyone is having a blast

The Bargain was funny as hell, Thenardier tells Cosette to die in his arms and she goes limp when he's saying she's 'often been ill'

Valjean gives Cosette Catherine!

Look Down / The Robbery

Gavroche was super charismatic and confident, really great child actor (Milo Maharlika)

Eponine tosses Marius' book across the stage and he goes "I like the way you always ... tease 😐" They're such cute friends together

After Enjolras and the boys are done their preaching Enjolras gets stopped by a policeman and is told off 😭

During the robbery Montparnasse keeps Marius away by brandishing his little knife at him which I thought was cute

Also! Montparnasse is the only member of Thenardier's gang to escape during the Robbery!!! Which is a nice Brick reference

After Thenardier's 'In the absense of a victim' spiel he does this exact pose

Gavroche's little 'Clear the streets' 🫡moment is so cute

Stars

God I love Preston Truman Boyd

His Javert is so stalwart and reserved and dedicated, he's kind of robocop and it really really works, and you get to see just a smidge of vulnerability peek out in this song

ABC Cafe / Red and Black

I DON'T REMEMBER A LOT bare with me

Grantaire was absolutely the standout. Slapped Marius' butt with his coat. Stuck his wine bottle dick in Enjolras' face. Offered Combeferre a sip of his wine (who reluctantly accepted). Blew a kiss at Enjolras

Kyle Adams physicality is probably my favourite aspect of his Grantaire - he moves very assuredly, like a cat, in a way that is like okay he's drunk but he's so used to being drunk that his stumbling is more like dancing. I remember reading a fic that described Grantaire's movements in a similar way and I wonder if that was one of the fics Kyle took inspiration from?

OOH they did the wine bottle keep-away thing with Grantaire and Marius which I didn't know they still did so that was exciting

J.T Wood is such a cute Joly I love his voice

In Do You Hear the People Sing Grantaire grabs a gun and holds it at arms-length like it has cooties before handing it off to another student

Combeferre waves the flag both times (Here and in One Day More) and I'm not sure if it's always Combeferre who does that or if it's because Andrew Marks Maughan is clearly the most physically strong of the Barricade Boys

In My Life / A Heart Full of Love

Delaney Guyer is a really good Cosette in that she has a gorgeous voice and also has a lot of personality and actually reacts to things going on around her

Marius (who was played by Christopher James Tamayo for this performance) is such a cute little nerd. You can see him try to figure out what he's going to do, then he throws a rock at Cosette's window and kind of cringes at the noise - he's so unsure of himself and awkward

Cosette is very excited that he's here and closes the window right away, which prompts Marius' 'I'm doing everything all wrong!' until she reappears downstairs and they get to be cute dorks in love

Attack on Rue Plumet

I don't remember a lot but I DO remember that Eponine was really good here

When Valjean is like 'Tomorrow we'll away' Cosette goes 'WHAT? NO!'

David Andino is so good as Babet he is a chronic scene stealer at this point

One Day More

If you know Another thing about me you know I hate the One Day More box-step but it actually did not bug me this time. They put Grantaire next to Enjolras for the marching portion which is cute

On My Own

Holy shit Mya Rena Hunter delivered the most heartbreaking and powerful rendition of this I've ever heard

The Barricade

Loved Feuilly in his little part

Javert is a good spy. If I didn't know the plot of Les Mis I would've been like Holy shit that's Javert? Crazy. I love him drawing the 'plans' he'd overheard into the ground with a stick

Gavroche flipping Javert off >>>>>

Buff Combeferre is one of the two to drag Javert away to be tied up lol

A Little Fall of Rain

The only version of ALFoR that actually made me feel something

Marius and Eponine get a lot of time to be cute together before the barricade actually notices that she's dying - and Gavroche is the first to notice and gets a front row seat to her death which is heartbreaking

The First Attack

Grantaire's "AND SO THE WAR WAS WON!" was sooo scathingly sarcastic

Javert waited, like, 30 seconds to leave after Valjean freed him, with his back almost against the barrel of Valjean's gun as if he were hoping to be shot

When the gun went off the entire barricade abruptly snapped their heads to look at Valjean and the audience laughed 😭

Telling Valjean 'Well done' for shooting a tied up hostage is a strange choice

Drink With Me

I still hate 'For certain as the eagle flies' I think it's the dumbest line in the entire musical

Grantaire's part was very grand - His voice has like noticeably changed at this point in the musical to give it a sort of hoarse hopeless quality to it which absolutely hits you in the feels

Enjolras comforted him and I swear Grantaire let his hand linger on his cheek for a few seconds longer than normal before pushing him away

Gavroche hugged Grantaire from behind and Grantaire couldn't even turn around at first because he was so distraught and kind of blindly reached for him 😭

Chris Tamayo's Marius is such a poor little meow meow

Bring Him Home

Absolutely jaw-dropping performance from Nick Cartell

He sings Bring Him Home like it's a lullaby - which it's supposed to be

I don't exaggerate when I say that the applause went on for about a minute straight, and was the loudest of the night by far

Death of Gavroche / The Final Battle

Oh poor thang

Grantaire near the end of Gavroche's singing was turned away facing the audience like he knew Gav was going to die and couldn't bear to watch 🥺

Later on in the final battle Grantaire spends most of the time next to Gavroche's body in like a catatonic state

The SPOTLIGHTS representing BULLETS as Les Amis died almost made me lose it

Grantaire dies last, I'm sure he said something before he started climbing the barricade but I couldn't hear it 😭He and Enjolras still have their moment over Marius' body

The Sewer

Javert comes across Enjolras' cart-carried body (Still hate the cart but I can learn to appreciate it) and looks a bit uncomfortable

Then he stumbles upon Gavroche's corpse, kneels, and does the sign of the cross over him

Almost made me cry ngl

DOG EATS DOG WAS SO GOOD I LOVED IT

Javert looked like he wanted to shoot Valjean as he walked away with Marius

Javert's Suicide

HOOOOOOLYYYY SHIIIIITTTTT

It was so good

Preston Truman Boyd you will always be famous I fully believe that Javert had completely lost his mind at this point in the play

I don't have many thoughts on the rest but I loved Marius and Cosette reading Valjean's confession as he walked away with Fantine - and the Bishop hugging him as he arrives in heaven

Also Kyle Adams as Major Domo mincing about the stage in The Wedding was an absolute delight

Am very sleepy now but overall 10/10 I love this cast so much

[txttletale]

What are your thoughts (lorewise) on Warhammer fantasy so far and what's your favorite faction

i love skaven. ive been a skaven fan for like 20000 years ever since i briefly played actual tabletop. they're just funny little guys :)

when warhammer is good it's because it's embracing its original 80s gonzo spirit of 'just throw any old pop cultuire shit in there and figure it out later' -- i love how the skaven are, like, cartoon mad scientists with nuclear power and genetic engineering and also stupid rats who love scheming and betrayal anbd they waltz around with giant fucking flesh monsters and gatling guns and Combat Hamster Wheels. ther'es other stuff in this vein that's good too: orcs being english football hooligans is never going to stop delighting me, the tomb kings are a really cool concept, the vampire pirates (as far as i'm aware a CA invention?) are so fucking goofy and they rule so so hard.

overall though there's al ot of really really uncomfortable undertones to the world of warhammer fantasy. first of all there is the straight up racist shit, i love the lizardmen (i am currently deep into a mazdamundi campaign) and some of their lore is really interesting and in some ways avoids some of the common pitfalls of 'fantasy indigenous peoples'--it's made very clear they are an advanced society, technologically and socially complex, with a rich culture and history. but the lazy aping and blending of half-remembered maya/aztec aesthetics and the '''''funny''''' joke names they have and the fact that they are ancient and mystical and Not Of This Age just adds up to them being a really racist caricature of mesoamerican societies.

also WHF leans really really really hard into the biological determinism stuff. i love the skaven but the fact that they're a rapidly breeding menace that secretly infiltrates your cities and kidnaps people and gorge themselves on resources and have an Evil Religion and are As A Race predisposed to treachery and viciousness and are depicted as literal vermin brings to mind yknow the place all these tropes hold in the racist and antisemitic cultural imaginary and it definitely makes me kind of uncomfortable. i think the same can be said of the (also straight-up racist) depiction of beastmen as Tribes and Hordes that are very literally More Animal Than Human. like, there's so much of That Shit, of X Race are Biologically Fundamentally Like This, and the Like This often happens to coincide with a constellation of tropes used to demonize and justify the extermination of real people, and i really hate That Shit.

i also find the (also quite typical of fantasy) Order (Good) and Chaos (Evil) moral distinction to be pretty ideologically repugnant

so overall, yknow. mixed feelings innit. that said i'm having an absolute blast with TWWH2 this shit rules im driving my big dinosaur around and eating mother fuckers

[bonefall]

so if Mudfur kind of regretted taking Leopardstar to the clan, instead of leaving her safely with Brightsky (well, regretted might be strong word? he did felt like Shite given how she turned out).. then how did Leopardstar felt about him becoming a cleric after winning a fight with Adderfang? i know that timeline-vise she was probably a baby and probably didnt had strong opinion Yet, but like.. if she looked back at his decision, was she be disappointed? angry even?

i have seen posts with how Mudfur felt about her later, but i dont think i seen anything about how Leopardstar felt about her dad.. and maybe even her mom (if she even has memory of her or anything)

Ohh nonnie you're right. Let's talk about BB!Leopardstar.

She is absolutely ashamed of what Mudfur is. She was born after all these glorious stories of her father took place, but to say she was "raised in his shadow" would be a misstatement. She was raised with his legacy as a SETTING SUN.

It was something in the distance, just below the horizon, painting the sky in royal pink, gold, and purple. Though she had never seen the sun itself, the impacts it had on the world were breathtaking, awe-inspiringly beautiful.

And yet, the sun had hidden itself away. Its magnificence is fleeting. He had locked himself away in the Cleric's den, and acted as a Mi to herself and her sister, setting nightfall upon RiverClan

How DARE he? When you are radiant, worth SO much to your Clan as an undefeatable warrior, LEGENDARY in your strength, you should feel RESPONSIBILITY to share that warmth. But he, with only the paltry connection to StarClan of a regular warrior, had chosen "his own happiness" and forsaken RiverClan in the process.

And to be breaking your Vow as a Cleric, to be RAISING CHILDREN when you should be serving your Clan?? Had he not taken to heart the story of Larkstripe? Or respected the pain and sacrifice of Moth Flight as her children were (given/stolen/claimed/bestowed)* to the Clans?

How selfish! And Hailstar enabled him!

Leopardfur is the great-granddaughter of Volestar, who was appointed by Darkstar herself to continue her legacy in spite of any opposition from Oakstar. Volestar kept RiverClan out of the Crusades and was the ONLY outspoken opponent of the madness, adamantly defending the Queen’s Rights and asserting that her Clan was different from the other three.

Leopardstar wants to set this legacy "straight."

Darkstar, Volestar, Hailstar, and eventually Crookedstar are a line of cats who have allowed RiverClan to become weak. Clerics raising kits! Accepting help from Fireheart! Obvious violations of the Law of Loyalty! StarClan took Silverstream to TEACH CROOKEDSTAR A LESSON and yet he just allowed Graystripe to waltz right in bearing the HalfClan kits like a gift, asking him for details of his treachery.

When she took power, she was glad to finally be able to explore options for ousting Mudfur. If he wouldn't take an apprentice, then she would simply exile him and have Tigerstar's cleric train a new one.

So. She did.

Did it pain her? Yes of course, he was her Mi, after all. She does love her family, yes, yes. But she knows the meaning of the word "sacrifice," and HE does not.

[milton-dammers]

Jeffrey Combs in Star Trek DS9

Tiron

S03E08 - Meridian (1994)

Brunt FCA

S03E23 - Family Business (1995)

S04E15 - Bar Association (1996)

S04E24 - Body Parts (1996)

S05E20 - Ferengi Love Songs (1997)

S06E10 - The Magnificent Ferengi (1998)

S06E23 - Profit and Lace (1998)

S07E12 - The Emperor's New Cloak (1999)

S07E24 - The Dogs of War (1999)

Weyoun

S04E22 - To the Death (1996)

S05E19 - Ties of Blood and Water (1997)

S05E25 - In the Cards (1997)

S05E26 - Call to Arms (1997)

S06E01 - A Time to Stand (1997)

S06E04 - Behind the Lines (1997)

S06E05 - Favor the Bold (1997)

S06E06 - Sacrifice of Angels (1997)

S06E09 - Statistical Probabilities (1997)

S06E11 - Waltz (1998)

S06E13 - Far Beyond the Star (1998)

S06E18 - Inquisition (1998)

S06E19 - In the Pale Moonlight (1998)

S06E26 - Tears of the Prophets (1998)

S07E01 - Image in the Sand (1998)

S07E02 - Shadows and Symbols (1998)

S07E06 - Treachery, Faith and the Great River (1998)

S07E17 - Penumbra (1999)

S07E18 - 'Til Death Do Us Part (1999)

S07E19 - Strange Bedfellows (1999)

S07E20 - The Changing Face Of Evil (1999)

S07E22 - Tacking into the Wind (1999)

S07E24 - The Dogs of War (1999)

S07E25 - What You Leave Behind (1999)

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Midnight Blades {2}

Aemond Targaryen x princess!reader (Dark!themes) Summary: Aemond makes an entrance with a proposal and you must choose the lesser of two evils. Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, violence, blood play, rough sex, blow job, dub con WC: 3230

A/N: forgot to add there’s some spoilers for Episode 10

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven || Part Eight || Part Nine || Part Ten || Part Eleven || Part Twelve || Part Thirteen || Part Fourteen || Part Fifteen || Part Sixteen || Part Seventeen || Part Eighteen || Part Nineteen || Part Twenty ||

The throne room was abuzz with father’s men talking over one another when you arrived, the herald announcing your entrance and silencing the cacophony for a moment. You strolled right up to the Oaken Throne, its roots forever entombed in the stone while the stump was carved by the finest craftsmen who also built the palace that surrounded it.

“What is the cause for so much excitement, your grace?”

“My darling child, thank the stars you are here.” The King rubbed his forehead to ease the pain that often flared when difficult decisions needed to be made. “News arrived from Westeros, Viserys is dead and his council has crowned Aegon as his successor.”

“That snivelling worm!” Your fingers curled around the pommel of the sword hanging from your hip. “And what of Rhaenyra? Surely she will not take the treachery lying down.”

“You know as well as I do, she does not have the support to take her seat on the Iron Throne.” The King drummed his fingers over the arm of his throne and watched you pace before him. 

“The skies must be nearly black with ravens in Westeros.” You stopped pacing to look at the tapestry map of the Known World hung across the wall, narrowing your eyes at the embroidered lettering locating King’s Landing. “Every man and his dog will be out trying to gather support for one side or another.”

The doors to the throne room were thrown open and the heralder looked pale as he announced the new arrival. “Prince Aemond, requesting to seek an audience with the King of Scythe.”

“Speaking of dog,” you muttered at the same time as Aemond stepped into the doorway, pushing past the heralder as he spoke, “Request suggests I will take no for an answer.”

The faded pink scar on your chest burned as he scanned the cavernous room and you noticed his step falter at your sight only because you knew how graceful his feet could carry him. More than once, your hands had found themselves between your legs on the nights spent alone, his name on your lips as you chased down a release that couldn’t come close to matching what he had given you.

“You dare to waltz in here and demand an audience with the King.” It didn’t matter that the king’s guards were stationed between Aemond and your father, you drew Black Heart from her scabbard and crossed the room. “I should have your tongue for the insult.”

The curve of his lips left a perpetual smirk on his smug face but the press of your sword to his chest had it widening by the second. “That would be an enormous waste, princess. I think you would rather like what my tongue can do.”

His words were only for you to hear and you felt them all the way down to your toes that curled in your boots before Ser Negan reached your side and placed a calm hand on your sword arm. “The prince is here as messenger, not warrior. Isn’t that right, Kinslayer?”

Kinslayer. That was a new title or you would have heard of it already, but which of his blood relatives had he killed, you wondered.

Reluctantly, you sheathed Black Heart and took a breath as you regained your composer that had been misinterpreted as anger and not what it truly was, desire. As your sword slid home, you swore it would not be the next addition to the Iron Throne, nor would your fathers. 

Aemond finally looked away from you as you turned your back on him, trusting Ser Negan to protect it as you walked back to your father’s side. No one moved until you reached the last step and were securely placed behind three rows of kings guards.

“I come with a proposal,” Aemond spoke to the King, his voice calm and confident despite standing in the heart of his enemy's territory. “To unite our people and end the conflict that has kept us divided.”

The King chuckled and your own laugh echoed his as the rest of the room held its collective breath. “Your family has already usurped one throne. Is your plan to use this union to steal mine too? Or, perhaps you just want my soldiers to die in the war you have waged with your sister?”

Aemond ran his forefinger over his bottom lip and you remembered the feel of them as moved inside you, your corseted dress suddenly too tight to breathe in. He seemed to notice the tell of your dark thoughts and stared at the skirting as if he could see the throb pulsing between your thighs. 

“I won’t lie, if the opportunity were presented I might take it for myself,” Aemond said to you before flicking his eye to the King. “But if my dear wife-to-be begged on her knees, I may be inclined to listen to her requests and let her homeland remain untouched.”

You cocked an eyebrow at his bluntness and for confirming that the union would be one of marriage and not trade, not that it made you any more comfortable. There was already an heir to the Oaken Throne but your half brother was travelling the dangerous northern provinces, if something were to happen to him you would be the next in line to the throne. It would be dangerous to have someone with Targaryen blood married to someone so close to the throne.

Your father rose from his throne and drew Dragon Bane from where the ancient sword had rested against the arm. The sword had been forged by dragon fire and could cut through the thick scales that protected the beasts, one of only two blades that remained intact to this day. 

“I do not take kindly to threats,” the King stated as he watched the flames from the large hearth reflect in the metal. “Especially ones towards my sweet daughter.”

“I intend to find out just how sweet she is.” The prince laughed as he knew the truth and took a lazy step closer to the guards ready to cut him down and pulled a scroll from his cloak. You caught sight of the dagger that you were intimately familiar with as his cloak fell back into place and licked your dry lips. “I have already taken the liberty to draw up the contract. You will find the terms quite agreeable.”

Quiet as a mouse, your Lady-in-Waiting skirted around the edge of the room until she was at your side. The slip of a girl took your hand and kissed the top of it as she curtsied, passing a note into your palm before disappearing silently into the crowd. 

Two dragons overhead.

One order and the city beyond the stone palace would burn. 

The King stepped down from the raised platform the throne sat upon and raised his sword, the guards parting at his gesture. “I will tell you exactly what you can do with that scroll, prince, but I assure you it won’t be enjoyable.”

The threat of violence was shimmering in Aemond’s eye and he was excited to hear the threat that would give him cause to damn the city, you couldn’t allow that to happen. “I accept your proposal.” Your father’s eyes flared with fury as he spun around to see blood dripping from your palm, the promise already made. “You will not make an oathbreaker of me will you, your grace?”

Grief washed over your fathers face and he dropped his sword with defeat, cursing your mother for the drop of witch-blood that passed through the female descendants. The cocky grin from Aemond only served to enrage your father more until he screamed for the room to be emptied. 

“Not you,” the King ordered when you stepped past him, he caught your elbow and held you there until the last guard closed the heavy wooden door behind him. “What were you thinking! You wish to live with our enemy?”

“I was thinking I don’t want to see our city and our people burn the second the spoiled brat doesn’t get his way.” You slapped the note into his palm and watched his eyes widen at the words. “I have studied the dragon wars, father, two of the beasts could destroy Scythe. I am sworn to protect my people, even if it means sacrificing myself.”

“The Targaryens will expect the support of our soldiers.” Your father shook his head and cupped your face. “He will demand that you live in King’s Landing with him.”

“They don’t know how many soldiers we have. Half are in the north and they cannot expect us to leave our country undefended so we can argue for the national corps to remain stationed here.” You placed your hands over your father’s and patted them reassuringly. “Once word gets across the Narrow Sea that Scythe has allied with King Aegon, Rhaenyra will assume that means our vast army of legend. Perhaps it will be the deterrent needed to avoid war all together.”

“I will pray to the stars to keep you safe.” His fingers traced the blood promise cut across your palm. “That is all any of us can do now.”

“Where is he?” you demanded the second you stepped out of the throne room and found the foyer empty, save for the king's guards. 

“Prince Aemond?” Ser Khoal asked with a confused frown. “He said you would know.”

Forcing a smile on your face, you bid farewell and took the shortcuts the maids used until you reached your room without the eyes of the guards seeing. 

“You whoremongering, dragon’s turd.”

Aemond chuckled without casting a glance in your direction as he sat in your chair, watching the flames in the hearth. “Is that any way to speak to your soon-to-be husband, my darling?”

You stepped in close between him and the fire so he was forced to tilt his head back to meet your glare. The temptation to deal with the consequences of being an oathbreaker seemed to look pretty good all of a sudden when he licked his lips and smirked. The urge to wrap your fingers around your sword was strong but you transferred the deadly strike to a more forgiving slap across his pale cheek. “Suck a dick, Aemond.”

The blood from your palm smeared across his cheek that was burning red in the shape of your hand and in a heartbeat you found your feet swept from under you and the stone floor rushing to meet you. The jarring of the crash sent an ache through your bones but the gasp of pain was stolen by the fingers that gripped your throat. You tried to buck him off but he was taller and pinned you beneath his body with the ease of his training. 

“You know exactly what my sexual preference is, love,” he taunted in your ear as he eased his grip slightly to let you take a wheezing breath in. 

“Do I?” you rasped with short intakes of air and smirked as you felt his cock pressed hard between you. “You did…fuck…my ass…”

With a growl he released you to tear the buttons on his tunic and pull it over his head. Lean muscles glowed in the firelight and you ran your fingers along the scar over his heart before raking your nails down. His back arched and his lips parted, enjoying the pain with a feverish shudder that sent a bolt of lightning straight to your core. 

“Did you find such pleasures when you left?” you asked as he pulled a short knife from his boot and cut through the material of your dress from hem to collar. 

His eye fluttered shut as you freed his cock and ran your thumb over the swollen, leaking head. “No one would dare bleed a prince of Westeros.” 

“Such a shame.” You moaned as his lips sealed over your breast and his tongue swirled and sucked your nipple to a stiff peak before moving to your other. The velvet warmth of his tongue and the soft tease of his long hair falling over your body had your hips rolling to see what else you could feel. “One day I will bathe in your blood and know my realm is free from your poisonous family.”

You cried out as he bit your nipple before releasing it and nudging your legs wider to bury himself in your cunt with a hard thrust your body wasn’t prepared for. The stretch of his thickness burned and the mewls from your lips spurred him to move faster until your back was bruised from the stone beneath it. 

“I love it when you talk dirty,” he growled against your lips before taking them roughly like he did your body with a clash of teeth and tongue. You wrapped your legs around his hips and gasped as his cock rode over the deepest parts of you, the pressure of impending release building low in your abdomen until it burst and your legs trembled. “We’ll see how quick you are to threaten my blood when it is your child, a Targaryen, who will be born from this union.”

You tore your legs from his hips about to push him from your body but it was too late, his teeth clenched with a deep moan and his back arched as he spilled his seed deep within you. “Fuck you, Aemond.”

“Insatiable little minx.” He chuckled and took a seat back in your chair, his trousers still hanging down his hip and his glistening cock still standing tall. He caught you staring at the hard length of him and wrapped his fist around it, smooth gliding strokes thanks to the mix of your cum coating him. “Suck a dick, princess.”

You could have tossed a shoe at him for throwing your words back at you but the want to hold his most precious anatomy between your teeth and watch him balance on the knife's edge of desire and fear had you kneeling between his parted knees.

The first long lick drew a moan when you reached the sensitive slit at the top and dipped the tip of your tongue inside but the second one drew a groan. His need to have your lips wrapped around his cock was showing but you were not finished teasing him. 

“Careful, prince, you’re looking desperate.” 

He bared his teeth and grabbed the back of your head as he bucked his hips. His cock filled your mouth and choked off your air until your nose pressed against his skin. Your throat convulsed at the intrusion and he fell back into the chair giving you a moment to breathe before pulling you back down until you gagged. Spit ran down your chin as you moaned around him and the taste of his cum coated your tongue, tears burning in your eyes. It was a mess, raw and primal. 

“Fuck,” Aemond murmured through his clenched teeth when your nails dug into his hips and left crescent moons of blood behind. His hand fell away from your head and he watched lazily as his entire cock disappeared into your mouth and your hand slipped between your legs. Your fingers were slick as they circled your slit and gathered the warm cum leaking out to glide over your clit. 

The muscles of his body tensed a moment before he moved, grabbing your arms and dragging you up onto his lap so he could see you pleasuring yourself. “Show me.”

You shamelessly teased yourself from his knees until your arousal was running down your thighs and over his leather trousers, his cock twitching at the sight. Needing to be filled more than your fingers could, you climbed higher and impaled yourself on his shaft. 

His hands groped your ass, pinching and squeezing it before laying sharp slaps to the skin that drew delighted gasps from your lips as you rode him. His hair tangled in your hands and you tugged at the strands until his chest was heaving with his shaking breaths. 

Your thighs burned from the quick pace you set as you chased your release but the growing warmth in your belly told you it wasn’t far away. The bead of sweat rolling down Aemond’s chest told you he was just as close and you dipped your head to taste the drop. It tasted of the sea he had flown across and the smoke of his dragon’s fire, it tasted wild and free. 

Leaning back, you cried out at the sharp angle and rolled your hips to hit the spot again. You ran your hands down his legs until you reached his boot and returned with the short knife in your hand, soft trembles starting to rise up your body.

“Give me your hand.” There was no hesitation as he placed his hand on yours, his palm facing up. “Our wedding custom is far different to what you have in the Seven Kingdoms. We have the bloodletting.”

You dragged the blade across his palm and pressed the cut to yours, lacing your fingers together so the blood of your houses melded to one. You weren’t sure whether it was the pain or the union that unleashed the restraint he had held as you rode him but some animalistic part of him rose to the surface. 

He locked your joined hands behind your back and held you in place as he fucked up into you, lifting your legs off the chair as he found the deepest wall within you and tried to break through. Heat flooded your body and you cried out as you came, your pussy clenching around him as your moisture soaked his lap. With a dark curse he collapsed against the chair and you shivered with each pulse of his release filling your cunt.

Sated and overstimulated, you fell against him, resting your head in the hollow of his neck until you could feel your limbs again. 

“Ser Negan called you Kinslayer.”

“Yes, well I would hardly call the bastard son of my sister kin.” His lip curled at the thought. “Little Luke took a tumble from his dragon, in pieces. Mother was none too pleased but a war with Rhaenrya was inevitable, despite what she thought of her old friend.”

Your head fell back with a laugh as you sat up and Aemond’s hands gripped your hips enough to bruise as he growled, “Glad you can see the amusement in war.”

“Not at all, I am just glad that you will see your end before it is over.” You twirled the strands of his hair around your fingers as you stared into his pale blue eye. “Not even the gods can protect you from a mother’s vengeance. Rhaenyra will burn all of Westeros for what you did.”

You laughed again as he pushed you from his lap and tucked himself back into his damp trousers before standing. His usual smirk had fallen away as he stood at his full height and looked down at you. “And when my sister comes to take her payment, a son for a son, will you laugh then too?”

“You should have done your research, husband,” you murmured as you stroked the scar down his cheek, a smile teasing at your lips. “My mother’s line has never birthed a son.”

Click here for Part Three.

[penrose42]

I just want to scream this into the void so badly but honestly I fucking love the Violence circle in ULTRAKILL. The aesthetics of Greco-Roman architecture highlighted only with blood splatters really brings home the weight of your actions, where normally it'd just blend into the background in the darker circles, especially Heresy, but then 7-2 is where shit really amps up when it turns into WWII era Britain, with tracers flying across the skybox and Earthmovers in the distance ominously choreographing it all. The percussion in 'Hear the Siren Song of Death' mimicking machine gun fire juxtaposed by the flowing melody makes it feel like a war and ballroom waltz happening simultaneously, and you're the most nimble ballerina in center stage, with the spotlight right on you. The Gutterman with its 'mother' poem driving home the idea that the robots are becoming more human the more blood they absorb, which was hinted with the Mindflayers all the way back in Lust. Then the fucking trees in 7-3, which traditionally were suicide victims in not only Dante's works but also the Norse mythos, they come to your aid as you feed them blood, the very same fuel source you and the other machines seek, almost as though they regain some aspect of their humanity as well after so long being dormant. How do they repay you? Simple, they stop an Earthmover in its tracks in 7-4, allowing you to easily climb up, scale it's chassis city, take down anything in your path while you destroy it's defenses system, and finally destroy it's CPU in a blaze of defiant glory where you take down the affrontment to God himself, something no human or machine was able to do for centuries. Your purpose, your reason for existing, now realized and fulfilled, and now you seek to set ruin to Fraud and Treachery with no regard, no reflection on your acts or what that all meant or implied because you're a robot just doing what you were built to do. This is your nature. You were built to end the war but your battle continues regardless and will not cease until Hell is empty.

What I'm trying to say is goddamn ULTRAKILL is so fucking good.

[threetrenchcoatsinatrenchcoat]

🎧

🔀

The Bargain / The Waltz of Treachery - Les Misérables

one of my least fun songs to listen to, let's lean into it:

"One thing more, one small doubt There are treacherous people about No offense, please reflect Your intentions may not be correct"

it is very real that the people most likely to abuse are the quickest to accuse others of such, and i think it's super important to represent undeniable child abusers who fully know how to play the part of the concerned parent. deflection is powerful and it works. especially during pride i'm thinking a lot about how the centered accusations that certain groups of people are hurting children hurt a lot of innocent people, especially especially especially the children themselves

[cometomecosette]

Review: Les Misérables, US National Tour, Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco (July 15, 2023) (long)

This review is very late, but better late than never.

This was my first time seeing Les Mis live onstage since 2018. While YouTube has kept me well supplied with performances in the meantime, I was overjoyed to finally see it live again.

The production, of course, is still Laurence Connor and James Powell's "25th Anniversary" production that premiered in 2009, and which is now the official "replica" production all over the world. My views on it are still the same: it can't hold a candle (or a silver candlestick) to the original Trevor Nunn/John Caird production, but it's still effective, still handsome and atmospheric, and still a good, solid way to experience the musical.

I did notice some changes from when I last saw the show, however:

*Once again, I noticed that a few costumes have been redesigned. The convicts' uniforms now feature historically accurate red smocks. Fantine's factory dress has been redesigned yet again (not to my liking – I preferred the solid turquoise dress from the previous tour). Mme. Thénardier now wears a red bodice at the inn. Éponine no longer wears her overcoat before Act II. Both Thénardiers' "Beggars at the Feast" costumes have also been slightly altered: her skirt is now trimmed with a pattern of ruffles instead of feathers, and his trousers are slightly less poofy (both improvements, IMHO – the costumes are still gaudy, but not cartoonish anymore). And in the final scene, Éponine's spirit now wears a floor-length version of her overcoat, giving her a subtly more "angelic" look, much like the train added to Fantine's nightgown.

*There seemed to be more spoken ad-libs from the cast than I remember from past performances. Not to the extent of, say, the 2014 North Shore Music Theatre production, but notable. For example, this exchange between the Thénardiers just before "Master of the House": Thénardier – What time is it? Mme. T. – Time to get to work! Thénardier – There she is! My daily reminder that you can be happy, or you can be married!

*The "Waltz of Treachery" gave comic business to Young Cosette, of all people! On "That would quite fit the bill..." the Thénardiers picked her up and held her horizontally, stiff as a board, and then on "...if she hadn't so often been ill," she dramatically went limp. It seemed as if they had trained her to play sick in this way, presumably to earn charity from rich travelers. I didn't care for it, though: Young Cosette isn't a character who lends herself to slapstick comedy.

*Grantaire didn't scream "No!" when Gavroche was killed. Instead the whole barricade went deathly silent, as they used to in the old days of the classic Nunn/Caird production. I'm not sure if this was a change in direction or just an acting choice, but I'm assuming the former, because every past Grantaire I've seen or heard in the Connor/Powell production has done the "No!"

*The gag from the previous tour of Mme. Thénardier stuffing her face with cake in the wedding scene is gone. Just as well: it was goofy slapstick at best and fatphobic at worst.

*In "Beggars at the Feast," instead of "This one's a queer, but what can you do?" Thénardier sang "This one's a queer. I might try it too!" then grabbed the man and "romantically" dipped him.

One thing I definitely like about the current tour is the commitment to diverse casting, which wasn't seen nearly as much in the classic Nunn/Caird production until its last few years. In this particular performance, Jean Valjean, Fantine, Marius, Éponine, Cosette (both older and young), and Gavroche were all people of color.

But of course, diverse casting would mean little if the performers didn't give good quality performances. Fortunately they all did. Some performances I liked better than others, but there was no denying how talented the whole cast was.

Randy Jeter (Jean Valjean u/s)

How ridiculous it is that in the musical's 37 years of existence, this man is only the third black actor to play Jean Valjean in an official Cameron Mackintosh production! While I was a little disappointed at first not to see Nick Cartell again, I'm very glad now that I saw Randy. His voice was rich, clear, and alternately powerful and sweet: excellently suited to the music. And he did full justice to Valjean's journey, with all its transformations and wide range of emotions, making every one of the believable. My only reservation about his performance was that physically, he was a little bit youthful and slight for the role. I hope that either in this tour or in future productions, more people get a chance to see his Valjean.

Preston Truman Boyd (Javert)

One of the best of the last several Javerts I've seen live. He was a solid, imposing stage presence, who sang with a rich, handsome baritone voice with a bite to it that almost recalled Philip Quast, and was an appropriately inexorable force of the law until he was ultimately broken. I was relieved that he wasn't too aggressive or neurotic, but gave a traditional, hard and stolid characterization.

Haley Dortch (Fantine)

A lovely and passionate Fantine, with a beautiful, powerful voice. Past Fantines whom I've seen in the Connor/Powell production have tended to be slightly too delicate and passive for my taste, so I was glad to see her bring a good amount of fire to the role.

Matt Crowle (Thénardier)

A talented, enthusiastic performer, but not quite ideal for this role. Besides seeming slightly youthful for the part (not uncommon), he was a flamboyant comic Thénardier, without the edge of nastiness or realism that other actors bring. Still, as I discovered from an interview, he's read the novel, and he did do a good job of creating a ferret-like stage presence and a "scratchy, vermin-like voice" (in his own words). I've seen better, but he was fine.

Christina Rose Hall (Madame Thénardier)

A decent Mme. T., but like her onstage husband, she wasn't as nasty as she could have been. This might have been intentional on her part, though: she often seemed as if she was trying to play a more sympathetic, comically put-upon Thénardiess. But to make that portrayal fully work, I think her husband should have been more of a domineering emotional bully than Matt's Thénardier was. Overall she was good, but both Thénardiers needed more of an edge.

Christine Heesun Hwang (Éponine)

A good Éponine whom I'd like to see again sometime. Her voice was rich and powerful, and while she wasn't particularly wild or gritty, she brought good, solid toughness to the role that I like to see, as well as plenty of feeling. Her "On My Own" went beyond mere pining into desperation, as if she were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and "A Little Fall of Rain" was beautifully gentle and tender.

Christopher James Tamayo (Marius u/s)

I liked him very much. His voice was a warm, rich baritenor, which I prefer to the thin, high tenors of so many recent Marii. His characterization was excellent too: gentlemanly and dignified, yet youthful, innocent, and tender, and believable in all his many emotions. He deserves to be the regular Marius, not just an understudy, either in this tour someday or in a future production.

Devin Archer (Enjolras)

Until after the show, I had forgotten that I saw him as Marius in a regional production back in 2015. He's definitely grown up nicely from a Marius into an Enjolras. While too "human" and "manly" to be Hugo's "marble lover of liberty," he was an appropriately strong, dignified, courageous leader, staunchly dedicated to the cause, yet a caring friend too, with a reserved yet commanding stage presence and a handsome, powerful voice to match.

Addie Morales (Cosette)

Good, but not a favorite. Her voice was light, pure, and slightly thin, but pretty. Acting-wise, she was a very lively, bubbly Cosette, often giggly in Act I, and an angry "rebellious teen" toward Valjean (though still with all-important moments of affection). I used to favor that characterization because it made Cosette "stronger," but now I have mixed feelings about it, because it's not really true to her upbringing or to the novel. Still, as a whole, she was good.

Ciaran Bowling (Grantaire u/s)

In a US tour performance, I wasn't expecting to see a British veteran of the London production who also had a minor role in the 2012 film! But he was a welcome presence: appropriately funny and boisterous in "Red and Black," angry and despairing in "Drink With Me," and touching in his reconciliation with Enjolras and his death.

(Though I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of the current staging of Grantaire's "Drink With Me" solo, where he goes to center stage, sings the solo angrily and aggressively, and then pushes Enjolras away when the latter tries to talk to him. It annoys me that every replica-production Grantaire now performs it that way. I miss the variety from the old days, when individual actors and resident directors were allowed to do what they liked with that moment and bring all sorts of different emotions and nuances to it.)

Milo Maharlika (Gavroche)

An excellent, lively, likable young presence.

(I do like the fact that in the current staging, Gavroche is everyone's emotional support at the barricade, comforting both Marius after Éponine's death and Grantaire in "Drink With Me.")

Vivian Atencio (Young Cosette)

An appropriately sweet little girl.

The ensemble was excellent all around.

Going to see this performance was such a wonderful experience. It would have been a thrill no matter what, because I've been waiting five years to see the show in person again, but the good performance quality made it truly shine. I hope that within the next few months, while the show is still in California – most likely when it comes to San José in October – I can see it again.

[ratethisalbum]

#1) Les Miserables (The Complete Symphonic Recording)

Composed by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil

Suggested by: Anonymous

-

Spotify ~ Youtube

(Remember to listen first, then rate!)

-

Tracklist:

1 Prologue 2 Valjean's Soliloquy (What Have I Done?) 3 At The End of the Day 4 I Dreamed a Dream 5 Lovely Ladies 6 Fantine's Arrest 7 The Runaway Cart 8 Who Am I?/ The Trial 9 Fantine's Death 10 The Confrontation 11 Castle on a Cloud 12 Master of the House 13 The Bargain/ The Waltz of Treachery 14 Look Down 15 The Robbery/ Javert's Intervention (Another Brawl) 16 Stars 17 Eponine's Errand 18 The ABC Cafe/ Red and Black 19 Do You Hear the People Sing? 20 Rue Plumet/ In My Life 21 A Heart Full of Love 22 Attack on the Rue Plumet 23 One Day More! 24 At The Barricade (Upon These Stones) 25 On My Own 26 Building the Barricade 27 Javert's Arrival 28 Little People 29 A Little Fall of Rain 30 Night of Anguish 31 First Attack 32 Drink With Me 33 Bring Him Home 34 Dawn of Anguish 35 The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche) 36 The Final Battle 37 The Sewers/ Dog Eats Dog 38 Javert's Suicide 39 Turning 40 Empty Chairs at Empty Tables 41 Every Day (Marius and Cosette) 42 Valjean's Confession 43 The Wedding Chorale/ Beggars at the Feast 44 Epilogue (Finale)

[mr-imagin8ion]

Every Bluey episode, acronymed

With only two days left until new Bluey and one day left until new Chip Chilla, I've figured it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. So here, I present: every episode of Bluey, expanded Kids Next Door-style into an acronym that reflects what the episodes are really about.

Season 1

Operation M.A.G.I.C.-X.Y.L.O.P.H.O.N.E.: Motion-Altering Great Instrument Controls Xistence, Youths Left On Pause Have Outrageous New Events

Operation H.O.S.P.I.T.A.L.S.: Herd Old Sick Papa In-To Alleviating Location Soon

Operation K.E.E.P.Y.-U.P.P.Y.: Keep Entertaining Elevated Projectile Yon Upward; Pups’ Parents Ynvolve

Operation D.A.D.D.Y.-R.O.B.O.T.: Daughters Alter Dirty Dormitory, Yusing Robotically Operated Bandit Of Tidiness

Operation S.H.A.D.O.W.L.A.N.D.S.: Spoiled Hound Alters Directions Overtly While Little Adventurers Navigate Dark Shadows

Operation T.H.E.-W.E.E.K.E.N.D.: The House Established: Wanting Extra Exposure, Kid Examines New Discovery

Operation B.B.Q.: Bluey’s Bringing Quenching

Operation F.R.U.I.T.B.A.T.: Frantic Ruffian, Unconsciously In Thought, Becomes Animal Tonight

Operation H.O.R.S.E.Y.-R.I.D.E.: Heartful Old Relatives Suddenly Enter Youth, Resulting In Disastrous Endeavor

Operation H.O.T.E.L.: Heelers Own Technically Excellent Lodging

Operation B.I.K.E.: Bluey Isn’t Kwuitting Eventually

Operation B.O.B.-B.I.L.B.Y.: Bringers Of Bilby Better Intentionally Lose Blinking Ylectronics

Operation S.P.Y.G.A.M.E.: Secret Pups Ynfiltrate, Get Adults’ Mind Eraser (the only episode that's really made to be acronymed)

Operation T.A.K.E.A.W.A.Y.: Two Active Kids Exhausted Already Weary Adult Yesterday

Operation Y.O.G.A.-B.A.L.L.: Youngsters Obstruct Game And Bandit Asserts Less Love

Operation B.U.T.T.E.R.F.L.I.E.S.: Betrayed Unloved Tiny Tot Easily Re-Friends Little Insects Extra Sadly

Operation C.A.L.Y.P.S.O.: Children Aren’t Learning Yet Pretzel’s Shop Opens

Operation T.H.E.-D.O.C.T.O.R.: Tired Honey Encounters Doctor’s Orders – Cilling Time Obviously Required

Operation T.H.E.-C.L.A.W.: Tiny Hounds, Easily Cheated, Learn Another Way

Operation M.A.R.K.E.T.S.: Make Absolutely Right Konclusion Et The Store (as to what to buy, that is)

Operation B.L.U.E.-M.O.U.N.T.A.I.N.S.: Blues’ Limbs Use Emagination, Making Over Unknowingly Napping Titan’s Abdomen Into Novel Story

Operation T.H.E.-P.O.O.L.: Trip Halted, Entire Pack Of Objects Left

Operation S.H.O.P.S.: Store Has Obstructively Perilous Standards

Operation W.A.G.O.N.-R.I.D.E.: Wayward Adult Goes Off Note, Really Ignoring Dog’s Expectations

Operation T.A.X.I.: Toys And Xciting Intentions

Operation T.H.E.-B.E.A.C.H.: Truly Helpful Enormous Bird Eventually Aides Child Home (referring to this guy)

Operation P.I.R.A.T.E.S.: Pups In Rough Aqua Trust Easy Scaredydog

Operation G.R.A.N.N.I.E.S.: Get Results About Nana’s Non-Innate Ebility (to) Samba

Operation T.H.E.-C.R.E.E.K.: Tiny Hounds Explore Completely Rustic Exterior Environment Kreatively

Operation F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Father’s Awfully Inadequate Rolemodeling Invites Evil Sprites

Operation W.O.R.K.: Waltzing Oughta Restrict Kommerce

Operation B.A.T.W.O.W.: Bumpy And The Wise Old Wolfhound (only episode to be fore-cronymed instead of backronymed, because dang, that title is long)

Operation T.R.A.M.P.O.L.I.N.E.: Truly Reliable Adult Must Part Or Little Inspirations Need Explanation

Operation T.H.E.-D.U.M.P.: Treachery Has Encountered: Dad Unloads Many Pictures

Operation Z.O.O.: Zany Outbreaking Oldster

Operation B.A.C.K.P.A.C.K.E.R.S.: Bluey And Cousins Kovertly Play Adults’ Cool Knapsacks, Entertainingly Rewriting Slog

Operation T.H.E.-A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.: Traveling Hounds Embark, Adopting Da Various Egos Necessary To Undo Ruler’s Evil

Operation C.O.P.Y.C.A.T.: Copying Old Papa Yndirectly Causes Avian’s Terminality (you have been warned)

Operation T.H.E.-S.L.E.E.P.O.V.E.R.: Tiny Hound Enters, Sounding Like Extra-Exhausted Person, Overturning Very Eventful Rendezvous

Operation E.A.R.L.Y.-B.A.B.Y.: Everyone Admits Rusty Leaving Yndy Brings A Burden Yonder (it's not my fault that nothing good starts with the letter Y)

Operation M.U.M.S.-A.N.D.-D.A.D.S.: Majorly Uncomfortable Male Seeks Another Nicer Diversion – Dragons Also Desire Sport

Operation H.I.D.E.-A.N.D.-S.E.E.K.: House Is Definitely Empty And Nobody’s Doing Seeking Except Engrossed Kid

Operation C.A.M.P.I.N.G.: Confusing Alpine Mutt Pal Ignites Night, Goes

Operation M.O.U.N.T.-M.U.M.A.N.D.A.D.: Mother Obviously Undergoing Nap Traversed Mostly (by) Unbeatable Mutts Also Navigating Definitely Asleep Dad (they can't all be something to be proud of)

Operation K.I.D.S.: Katastrophe In Da Supermarket

Operation C.H.I.C.K.E.N.R.A.T.: Children Helpfully Invoke Counter-Klockwise Events, Need Retrieve Adored Toy

Operation N.E.I.G.H.B.O.U.R.S.: Noisy Excessive Irritating Guy’s House Brings Overly Un-Restrained Sensation

Operation T.E.A.S.I.N.G.: Taunting Everything Always Summates In Neglected Gripes

Operation A.S.P.A.R.A.G.U.S.: Anomalous Sprout Plant Alters Reality And Generates Unanimalistic Status

Operation S.H.A.U.N.: Smelly Horrid Animal Upends Night

Operation D.A.D.D.Y.-P.U.T.D.O.W.N.: Definitely Adequate Dad Does Youngsters’ Pattern, Usually To Dear Old Wife’s Nonpresence

Operation V.E.R.A.N.D.A.H.-S.A.N.T.A.: Very Especially Rude Act Needlessly Done Around Holidays – Socks Adn’t Nown The Awfulness

Season 2

Operation D.A.N.C.E.-.M.O.D.E.: Discipline-Averse Newly Chosen Exercise Makes Owner Desire Emphasis

Operation H.A.M.M.E.R.B.A.R.N.: Home And Making Marketplace Easily Riles Bluey’s Activity Response Needs

Operation F.E.A.T.H.E.R.W.A.N.D.: Frustrated Enfant’s Appealing Toy Heavies Everything Round, Worsening All Needed Dogs

Operation S.Q.U.A.S.H.: Sibling Quashes Un-Athletic Stripe’s Hopes (or maybe "Stripe Quashes Un-Athletic Sibling's Hopes". it's been a while since I've watched that one.)

Operation H.A.I.R.D.R.E.S.S.E.R.S.: Hounds’ Appearance Is Re-Done Really Elegantly Specially Styled – Examination Reveals Something (N.I.T.S. means "No-see-ums Interrupt The Story")

Operation S.T.U.M.P.F.E.S.T.: Several Tree-Uprooting Men’s Pursuits Finished, Ensuing Spa Turns

Operation F.A.V.O.U.R.I.T.E.-T.H.I.N.G.: Family’s Afternoon Victuals Obscenely Unceremoniously Ruined In Tricky Euphemism, Therefore Hounds Imaginatively Nostalgically Grasp

Operation D.A.D.D.Y.-D.R.O.P.O.F.F.: Dad Allowed Do Drive Youths, Destructively Resulting Of Playtime... Or Found Friends

Operation B.I.N.G.O.: Babe Independently Now Goes Out

Operation R.U.G.-I.S.L.A.N.D.: Rugged Unkempt Guy Is Swept Lost Around New Destination

Operation C.H.A.R.A.D.E.S.: Children Hafta Adapt Rules Around Destructive Enfant’s Schemes

Operation S.T.I.C.K.Y.-G.E.C.K.O.: Simple Task Interrupted ‘Cause Kids Ynsist (on) Getting Extra Clingy Kritter Off

Operation D.A.D.-B.A.B.Y.: Disastrously Adept Dad Bears A Blissful Youth

Operation M.U.M.-S.C.H.O.O.L.: Majorly Underfunded Mom Starts Coaching Heeler Out Of Love

Operation T.R.A.I.N.S.: Transportation’s Rebellious Animals Immediately Need Service

Operation A.R.M.Y.: Autistic Recruit Maddens Ynfantryman

Operation F.A.N.C.Y.-R.E.S.T.A.U.R.A.N.T.: Fancying A Nice Caring Yndication, Romantic Event Serves True Appetizers, Uses Regard, And Needs Tenderness

Operation P.I.G.G.Y.B.A.C.K.: Parents Immediately Gotta Get Young Bingo Across Commons Kreatively

Operation T.H.E.-S.H.O.W.: Tiny Hounds Envision Showfully How Oldies Wed

Operation T.I.C.K.L.E.C.R.A.B.S.: Tiny Irritating Crustaceans Kinda Love Exacting Crawly Rubbing, Annoying Bandit Severely

Operation E.S.C.A.P.E.: Everyone Simply Can’t Allow Parents Ease

Operation B.U.S.: Bashfulness Unites Seniors (the simplest ones are often the best)

Operation Q.U.E.E.N.S.: Quirky Unstable Events Erode New Succession

Operation F.L.A.T.-P.A.C.K.: Family Latently Allows Tiny Planet’s Advancing Civilization Kreate

Operation H.E.L.I.C.O.P.T.E.R.: Honey Enigmatically Leaves – In Counteract, Operative Pilots Tautly Envisioned Rotor

Operation S.L.E.E.P.Y.T.I.M.E.: Sweet Little Extra Enervated Puppy Ymaginatively Turns Into Milkyway’s Explorer

Operation G.R.A.N.D.A.D.: Geriatric Retiree And Nieces Discover Another Day

Operation S.E.E.S.A.W.: Sending Everyone Existent Should Amend Weightiness (Bandit's weightiness, obviously)

Operation M.O.V.I.E.S.: Monkeys On Video Incite Endless Shock

Operation L.I.B.R.A.R.Y.: Little Insufferable Brat Really Annoys Reading Youngsters

Operation B.A.R.K.Y.-B.O.A.T.S.: Brazenly Abandoned Riveters Kinda Yntended Better Of Angsty Teenage Students

Operation B.U.R.G.E.R.-S.H.O.P.: Bandit’s Unexpected Reduced Generational Expertise Regiment Sends Hamburger Operation Packing

Operation C.I.R.C.U.S.: Children Invoke Rottenly Constructed Ubergovernmental Simile ("rottenly constructed" because I didn't like how reliant this episode was on the electoral metaphor)

Operation S.W.I.M.-S.C.H.O.O.L.: Strict Woman Is Masterminding Swimming Classes – Heelers Operate Overbearing Laps

Operation C.A.F.E.: Children Accumulate Friendships Easier

Operation P.O.S.T.M.A.N.: Prevent Oldies Shouting To Mail A Note

Operation T.H.E.-Q.U.I.E.T.-G.A.M.E.: Tiny Hounds’ Echoes Quashed, Unceremoniously Impeding Effort To Get A Message Expressed

Operation M.R.-M.O.N.K.E.Y.J.O.C.K.S.: Must Re-Model Old Nick-Knacks, Except Young Juveniles Obviously Consider Keeping Simian

Operation D.O.U.B.L.E.-B.A.B.Y.S.I.T.T.E.R.: Duly Overbooked Uncle Brings Lady Escort – Bluey And Bingo Youngly Suspect It’ll Turn To Evening Romance (I like the acronyms that tell a whole story)

Operation B.A.D.-M.O.O.D.: Bingo And Dad Make Occupation Of Depression

Operation O.C.T.O.P.U.S.: Obviously Chloe’s Tired Overworked Papa Underappreciates Silliness (it's shocking how well this one fits)

Operation B.I.N.-N.I.G.H.T.: Bully In Nest Now Is Given Hard Talk

Operation M.U.F.F.I.N.-C.O.N.E.: Majorly Uncaring Fussy Female Is Now Contained Over New Equipment

Operation D.U.C.K.-C.A.K.E.: Disastrously Unkempt Child’s Klutter Complicates Adults’ Kulinary Endeavor (yeah, you try and pretend that the Kids Next Door didn't use Ks for Cs all the time)

Operation H.A.N.D.S.T.A.N.D.: Helpless Antiquated Nana Does Start To Appreciate Niña’s Deed

Operation R.O.A.D.-T.R.I.P.: Relinquishing Onintentionally All Digital Things, Rovers Intend Plan

Operation I.C.E.-C.R.E.A.M.: It’s Clearly Emotional – Children Remember Eventually About Melting

Operation D.U.N.N.Y.: Don’t Use Needlessly Naughty Yargon

Operation T.Y.P.E.W.R.I.T.E.R.: Teacher Yuses Printing Equipment – Will Require Impassable Terriers’ Engagement Retrieved

Operation B.A.B.Y.-R.A.C.E.: Blissfully Aloof Baby Youngly Rots Away Chili’s Expectations

Operation C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S.-S.W.I.M.: Child Heartfully Receives Impossibly Stressed Toy Making A Scene, So Whole Impetus Moves

Operation E.A.S.T.E.R.: Expressly Arranged Scavenging To Eternally Remember

Season 3

Operation P.E.R.F.E.C.T.: Pick Essential Reminiscence For Ennual Celebration Time

Operation B.E.D.R.O.O.M.: Bluey Envisions Delineation; Renovation Of Old Moor

Operation O.B.S.T.A.C.L.E.-C.O.U.R.S.E.: Old Blues Start Teams And Chase Like Extravaganza – Cheating Of Unenforced Rules Spotted Evidently

Operation P.R.O.M.I.S.E.S.: Parent Reduced (to) Oversized Minor If Serious Engagement Spoiled

Operation O.M.E.L.E.T.T.E.: Old Mom Earresponsibly Lets Enfant Try To Essist

Operation B.O.R.N.-Y.E.S.T.E.R.D.A.Y.: Bandit Organizes Rejuvenative Newbornification – Youths Eagerly Start Teaching Every Riveting Detail About Yuniverse

Operation M.I.N.I.-B.L.U.E.Y.: Mutt Incurs New Inversion – Better-Loved Underling Earned Yntirely

Operation U.N.I.C.O.R.S.E.: Uncouth Neighing Interrupter’s Crass Outbursts Ruin Storytelling Evening

Operation C.U.R.R.Y.-Q.U.E.S.T.: Carry Unusually Riveting Recipe, Yet Quickly Undermine Extra Swoopy Things

Operation M.A.G.I.C.: Must Avoid Getting Intentionally Cheeky (another thing I like is when the acronym is also the lesson)

Operation C.H.E.S.T.: Children’s Helpful Entelligence Stagnates Terribly

Operation S.H.E.E.P.D.O.G.: Solitude-Hoping Exhausted Edult Purposely Does Obnoxious Game

Operation H.O.U.S.E.W.O.R.K.: Helping Out, Under-Stimulated Encouraging Walks Of Random Kids

Operation P.A.S.S.-.T.H.E.-P.A.R.C.E.L.: Parent’s Antiquated System Schemes To Halt Every Party And Risks Clearly Everyone Losing

Operation E.X.P.L.O.R.E.R.S.: Endearingly Xtraneous Puppy Lost On Route; Emergency Retrieve Soon

Operation P.H.O.N.E.S.: Pups Help Oldies Newly Embrace Stuff

Operation P.A.V.L.O.V.A.: Parents’ Alimentary Values Leave Others Very Annoyed

Operation R.A.I.N.: Redirect Aquatic Infiltration Noiselessly ("noiselessly" because no words)

Operation P.I.Z.Z.A.-G.I.R.L.S.: Playful Ingénues’ Zesty Zooming Activity Gets Into Really Loud Shenanigans

Operation D.R.I.V.I.N.G.: Dogs’ Roadrage Infuriates Vicious Imaginary Nefarious Gato

Operation T.I.N.A.: Totally Imaginary Newfound Authority

Operation W.H.A.L.E.-W.A.T.C.H.I.N.G.: Wasted Heaps A’ Lard Enervatedly Wane About, Thus Children Have Inspirational Night Gazing (maybe I was a little hard on them in this one, and maybe they brought it on themselves by being... everything that they were... in a show that was supposed to be for 6 and under)

Operation F.A.M.I.L.Y.-M.E.E.T.I.N.G.: Fluffing At Master Imperatively Leaves Young Mutts En Extreme Trouble If Noted Guilty

Operation F.A.C.E.Y.T.A.L.K.: Family Around Computers Evades Yelling To Annoying Little Kid

Operation R.A.G.D.O.L.L.: Really Appallingly Giant Dad Obstinately Lies Limp

Operation F.A.I.R.Y.T.A.L.E.: Father Almost Inaccurately Recalls Youthful Tale About Late Eighties

Operation M.U.S.I.C.A.L.-S.T.A.T.U.E.S.: Mostly Un-Stable Incites Chili, Allows Lyrical Shaking Then Adjourned Turning, Unsticks Everyone’s Spirits

Operation S.T.O.R.I.E.S.: Second Telling Of Ruinousness Introduces Equine Supporter

Operation P.U.P.P.E.T.S.: Preventing Unicorse’s Politeness Problem Epitomizes This Story

Operation T.U.R.T.L.E.B.O.Y.: Toy Unknowingly Regifted To Little Ear-Broken Outsider Youngling

Operation O.N.E.S.I.E.S.: Offspring Not Existent So I Empathize Sisterly (that one still haunts me to this day)

Operation T.R.A.D.I.E.S.: Two Really Adept Dudes Irrigate Entire System

Operation G.R.A.N.N.Y.-M.O.B.I.L.E.: Grouchy Rude Adult Needs New Yntent – Muffin Operates Big Impractical Load Equipment

Operation S.P.A.C.E.: Student’s Prior Abandonment Complicates Expedition

Operation S.M.O.O.C.H.Y.-K.I.S.S.: Sickeningly Morbid Obnoxious Old Chap’s Habits Ynspire Kids Into Setting Straight

Operation D.I.R.T.: Dogs In Real Trouble

Operation T.H.E.-D.E.C.I.D.E.R.: Two Houses Examining Deciding Event Championship Is Definitely Exercise Recap

Operation C.U.B.B.Y.: Cuddler Usurps Bluey’s Bedroom Yntirely

Operation E.X.E.R.C.I.S.E.: Effortful Xertion Expecting (to) Reduce Chubbiness Is Shoddy Excuse (referring of course to the fat-shaming controversy)

Operation R.E.L.A.X.: Resort’s Events Leave All Xcited

Operation S.T.I.C.K.B.I.R.D.: Sentimental Tot’s Imaginatively Created Kompanion Bird Is Rudely Destroyed

Operation S.H.O.W.-A.N.D.-T.E.L.L.: Short Hound’s Obviously Waning Attention Nearly Diverts To Extracurricular Lost Lecture

Operation D.R.A.G.O.N.: Draw Right And Get Over Nostalgia

Operation W.I.L.D.-G.I.R.L.S.: Women’s Imaginations Literally Divide, Getting Indy Really Left Stranded

Operation T.V.-S.H.O.P.: Tele-Vision Set Has Others Piqued

Operation S.L.I.D.E.: Shouldn't Let Insects Destroy Entertainment

Operation C.R.I.C.K.E.T.: Clearly Rusty Is Creating Kalamity En Tournament

Operation G.H.O.S.T.-B.A.S.K.E.T.: Grannies Have Objective – Stop The Buyers And Secure Kids’ Existent Territory

Operation T.H.E.-S.I.G.N.: Together Hearts Elevate Status Into Great Newlyweds (or, more jokingly: This Hopefully Ends Series (or) I'll Go Nuclear)

Operation S.U.R.P.R.I.S.E.: Sudden Unexpected Rivaling Playtime Rift Is Sufficient Ending

[rippleberries]

Jeffrey Combs trivia: 17 of 44 episodes of Star Trek that had Jeffrey Combs (and his first 8 consecutive episodes) were directed by Star Trek actors.

DS9

Meridian - Jonathan Frakes*

Family Business - Rene Auberjonois*

Bar Association - LeVar Burton*

To the Death - LeVar Burton*

Body Parts - Avery Brooks*

Ties of Blood and Water - Avery Brooks*

Ferengi Love Songs - Rene Auberjonois*

In the Cards - Michael Dorn*

Call to Arms - Allan Kroeker

A Time to Stand - Allan Kroeker

Behind the Lines - LeVar Burton*

Favor the Bold - Winrich Kolbe

Sacrifice of the Angels - Allan Kroeker

Statistical Probabilities - Anson Williams

The Magnificent Ferengi - Chip Chalmers

Waltz - Rene Auberjonois*

Far Beyond the Stars - Avery Brooks*

Inquisition - Michael Dorn*

In the Pale Moonlight - Victor Lobl

Profit and Lace - Alexander Siddig*

Tears of the Prophets - Allan Kroeker

Image in the Sand - Les Landau

Shadows and Symbols - Allan Kroeker

Treachery, Faith and the Great River - Steve Posey

The Emporer’s New Cloak - LeVar Burton*

Penumbra - Steve Posey

Till Death Do Us Part - Winrich Kolbe

Strange Bedfellows - Rene Auberjonois*

The Changing Face of Evil - Mike Vejar

Tacking Into the Wind - Mike Vejar

The Dogs of War - Avery Brooks*

What you Leave Behind - Allan Kroeker

VOY

Tsunkatse - Mike Vejar

ENT

The Andorian Incident - Roxann Dawson*

Shadows of P’Jem - Mike Vejar

Acquisition - James Whitmore Jr

Cease Fire - David Straiton

Proving Ground - David Livingston

Zero Hour - Allan Kroeker

Kir’Shara - David Livingston

Babel One - David Straiton

United - David Livingston

The Aenar - Mike Vejar

These Are the Voyages - Allan Kroeker

[theygotlost]

Every episode of Star Trek DS9 ranked by me and @gar-trek (video)

Text version:

S TIER: Civil Defense, Rejoined, Bar Association, Trials and Tribble-ations, The Ship, The Ascent, The Magnificent Ferengi, Far Beyond the Stars, Change of Heart, Take Me Out to the Holosuite, It's Only a Paper Moon

A TIER: Babel, Rules of Acquisition, Necessary Evil, Rivals, Crossover, The House of Quark, Fascination, Past Tense parts 1 and 2, Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast, Family Business, Little Green Men, Our Man Bashir, Hard Time, Body Parts, Let He Who is Without Sin, In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light, Business as Usual, Empok Nor, Rocks and Shoals, Behind the Lines, Favor the Bold, You Are Cordially Invited, Waltz, One Little Ship, In the Pale Moonlight, Treachery Faith and the Great River, The Emperor's New Cloak, Field of Fire, Badda-Bing Badda-Bang

B TIER: Emissary, Move Along Home, The Nagus, The Storyteller, The Forsaken, In the Hands of the Prophets, The Siege, Invasive Procedures, Melora, Armageddon Game, Whispers, Paradise, Profit and Loss, Tribunal, The Jem'Hadar, The Search parts 1 and 2, Visionary, Through the Looking Glass, Explorers, The Adversary, Hippocratic Oath, Indiscretion, Starship Down, Rules of Engagement, To the Death, Looking for Par'Mach in All the Wrong Places, Nor the Battle Too Strong, The Assignment, The Begotten, Doctor Bashir I Presume, Ferengi Love Songs, In the Cards, Call to Arms, A Time to Stand, Sacrifice of Angels, Resurrection, Who Mourns for Morn?, Honor Among Thieves, Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night, His Way, Valiant, The Siege of AR-558, Penumbra, Tacking into the Wind

C TIER: Captive Pursuit, Vortex, Battle Lines, Progress, Accession, The Alternate, Playing God, Blood Oath, The Wire, The Collaborator, Second Skin, The Abandoned, Heart of Stone, Prophet Motive, The Sword of Kahless, Sons of Mogh, Shattered Mirror, The Quickening, Apocalypse Rising, Things Past, The Darkness and the Light, Ties of Blood and Water, Sons and Daughters, Children of Time, The Sound of Her Voice, Afterimage, Prodigal Daughter, Chimera, Till Death Do Us Part, Strange Bedfellows, The Changing Face of Evil, When It Rains, The Dogs of War

D TIER: Past Prologue, Q-Less, Dax, If Wishes Were Horses, Cardassians, Second Sight, Shadowplay, Equilibrium, Meridian, Life Support, Distant Voices, Shakaar, The Visitor, Homefront, Paradise Lost, Crossfire, Rapture, A Simple Investigation, Time's Orphan, Image in the Sand, Shadows and Symbols, Once More Unto the Breach, Covenant, What We Leave Behind

F TIER: The Maquis parts 1 and 2, Defiant, The Muse, For the Cause, For the Uniform, Blaze of Glory, Statistical Improbabilities, Inquisition, The Reckoning, The Tears of the Prophets, Chrysalis, Profit and Lace, Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges, Extreme Measures

Don't remember well enough to have an opinion even after reading the plot summary: A Man Alone, The Passenger, Dramatis Personae, Duet, The Homecoming, The Circle, Sanctuary, Destiny, The Way of the Warrior, Return to Grace, Broken Link, Soldiers of the Empire

[calico-cows]

I like the complete symphonic recording of “The Bargain/Waltz of Treachery” (linked below) because of the duet between Cosette and Valjean at the start. It’s a different side to Valjean, I think it’s really cool, and honestly it really lets me imagine them walking hand in hand out of the woods and becoming affectionate towards each other. Also the overlapping melodies sound nice!

[thesorcererspen]

The Devil You Forgot

@flashfictionfridayofficial FFF202 'The Devil You Forgot'

In shadows deep, where nightmares dwell,

A tale I weave, a grim farewell.

With ink of dread and words that rot,

Behold the tale of the devil you forgot.

Once, in realms beyond ethereal bounds,

A being rose, in darkness crowned.

With fiery eyes, a wicked grin,

He whispered secrets, stoking sin.

In nights long past, he reveled free,

A mastermind of treachery.

He danced with souls, a macabre waltz,

A symphony of sorrow, haunting halls.

But time did pass, and memories fade,

The world moved on, a new crusade.

The devil's name, a distant dream,

Lost in the folds of forgotten screams.

Yet deep within, he bided still,

A slumbering darkness, a malevolent will.

For memories may fade, but the essence remains,

And the devil's thirst, it knows no restraints.

He waits in shadows, patient and cold,

As twisted tales of horror unfold.

Through shattered dreams and fractured minds,

The devil lurks, where hope unwinds.

Beware the night when conscience sleeps,

When virtue trembles and darkness creeps.

For in that hour, he'll rise anew,

The devil you forgot, his purpose true.

He'll whisper doubts in your weary ear,

Planting seeds of dread and fear.

He'll taunt your soul, make sanity rot,

Rekindling memories of the devil you forgot.

In dreams, he'll twist and rend your peace,

Unleashing horrors that'll never cease.

He'll claim your thoughts, a wicked puppeteer,

Tainting innocence, breeding despair.

Oh, wretched soul, beware his call,

For once entangled, you'll surely fall.

In depths unknown, his grip so tight,

The devil you forgot, his dark delight.

So heed this warning, embrace the light,

Shun the darkness, refuse his invite.

For in the shadows, he yearns to play,

The devil you forgot, forever to stay.

[writingonesdreams]

Sorting Mononogatari: Malevolent spirts

Based on the @sortinghatchats​​ system leaning on @wisteria-lodge​​ explanations and terms.

This is just an excellent little series. You have enemies to friends as an actual premise and purpose of the story, not just a plot point or side dish, found family, main guy and girl being actual foils for each other with budding romance and the conflicts between human and spirit worlds. While doing that it's actually quite character focused with slice of life elements.

Hyoma Kunato is a very interesting badger primary defined mainly by his total dehumanisation of said spirits, called tsukumogami. After losing his older brother and sister to a brutal attack of supposedly peaceful spiritual beings in need of guidance with the occasional troublemaker or two, he sees them as threats and monsters and attacks them on sight, actual situation be damned. That’s what prompts his grandfather to send him away to a a group of six tsukumogami that live with permission as humans and act like a family to an adopted human girl.

This is a big challenge for poor Hyoma that beautifully showcases his lion secondary. Hyoma is absolutely honest and straightforward about his feelings and intentions. He waltzes right to the family he is supposed to spend the next year with, introducing himself: “I hate you and I’m only holding out from destroying you to be polite”. This wins him no favours of course, with Botan, the human in charge of the tsukumogami freaking out on him, giving him a deadline to learn to work with them or leave, absolutely horrified by his attitude and prejudice. Are they really prejudice when he has such good reasons?

Anyway, the family is actually hilarious, very friendly, emotional, indulgent, carefree, while doing a dirty business of catching their own kind and making enemies with everyone out of love for their little human charge. They don’t get equal screen times, but I would like to sort at least the most prominent ones.

Nagi is the hot-headed main fighter and adult looking guy besides the two teens, the dreamy leader lady and the stoic mute older guy. He is a fine lion secondary himself - he reacts to Hyoma with a nice straightforward “fight me” right then and there. For some reason this actually helps though. Hyoma and Nagi speak the same language and Nagi appreciates the directness. When the rest of the family becomes (rightfully) insulted and irritated, Nagi offers up a helping hand in completing tasks and giving Hyoma a chance. Mainly because he notices that Hyoma is concerned about Botan, their human charge and can respect him for that. Botan is his snake main person. Actually without more information the whole family strikes me as very snake, being so devoted to sacrificing their good reputations and any chance to return to the spirit world and do work they objectively don’t like and that feels like treachery to them for their little human mistress - and their loyalty to each other.

Hyoma’s dehumanising badger primary quickly realises this family might be different, but they become more of an exception than a rule. Being with them makes him more curious, but his trauma induced bloodlust looks for the wrong kind of tsukumogami that kill humans, and gets insanely excited upon finding them. His goal of finding the killer of his siblings gives the series direction and him an overreaching goal, but what strikes me as particularly healthy badger about him is his reasoning behind his work: he wants to prevent further tragedies like the one he had to go through. He wants to save people by eradicating the dangerous kind of tsukumogami. His external goal of revenge actually doesn’t take over like a snake’s would, and it’s rather community and good of the many based like a badger and not a lion’s and it’s feeling based, so not bird’s.

Also Hyoma’s badger love for tradition and politeness is very interesting in contrast with his lion directness. It makes him look uptight, serious, mature until a conflict or fight happens, where he charges right in. He also has a way to tell you really nasty honest stuff...in a super polite proper way, with a greeting, bow and introduction, apology and please at the right time. Talk about lions being able to be polite just fine.

One more character I want to talk about is Botan, the human charge. She isn’t a hunter of the tsukumogami herself, she doesn’t train insanely like Hyoma does. Grows up like a normal girl, goes to a university (did I mention this anime has an adult cast and seinen target audience?). But she isn’t actually as humanly ordinary as it seems and the normalcy she did achieve is hard-earned with great will and work on her and her family’s part. She is carrying her own moribito inside, a spirit that didn’t choose an object like the other tsukumogami to manifest in the physical world, but a human one, which is very rare and promises god-like scale of abilities. Her spirit is sleeping right now, but no one knows when and how it will wake up. Her power is an important political tool, a point of unsteady neutrality treaties and fragile power balances around the local hunter, human and spirit communities. She is constantly watched, attracting spirits and tsukumogami like a light in the dark and she will have a lot but an ordinary life.

A collection of traumatic betrayals and losses also adds up to a very burned little snake primary. Botan cares only about her family, but she is completely paralyzed by her desire to trust and not being able to. Hiding behind a cheerful attitude perfected over the years, she is scared of trusting that people won’t die, won’t get fed up with her or won’t throw her to the wolves for their own purposes. Caring about others is difficult, being attached to them, even her closest people is painful, and making friends is possible but closeness is a point of struggle and torn feelings. This being the focus of her arc seems like an argument for a snake to me for Botan to be a snake throwing herself out of her own circle.

Her secondary strikes me as badger. She is friendly and cheerful, mainly to put others at ease. Her main concerns and activities, her language so to say, seems to be caretaking. Thinking of what to make for dinner, who is doing what today, how could she help with that, how could she be useful. Her way of getting closer to Hyoma is worrying about his injuries, bringing the first aid kid, commanding him to be careful with himself. It’s inviting him to breakfast, asking if he is tired, thinking about his needs. And she wants to be fair to him even at the beginning, when he is still very edgy and hostile towards the people she loves most, and that’s something.

We could also count Tsubaki of the Kadamori hunter clan as a double snake. In contrast to Botan’s snake, Tsubaki is only concerned with herself though and anything that would bring her pleasure, relief from boredom or a bit of fun. Her secondary is a confident playful actoress though, being charming or trustworthy and serious whatever the serious requires or playing the dumb spoiled heir or a girly confident friend to Botan while following her own agendas. 

Hyoma - badger / lion

Botan - burned snake / lion 

Nagi - snake / lion

Tsubaki - snake / snake

[granhairdo]

watching this and am very pleased to inform you that during the whole waltz of treachery thing we see who i am nearly 100% sure is azelma

les mis 1980 production is INCREDIBLE