#while Noah’s performance was good that’s not why I loved that one so much. definitely more so the atmosphere and people I met and stuff

[camscendants]

Honestly that Yungblud concert was the best concert I’ve been to

[concreteangel92]

The Predator And His Prey

Noah Sebastian x female reader

18+

Warnings: mask kink, slight predator/primal play, dom/sub relationship, oral (male receiving) PiV, spitting, being restrained. Pretty sure that’s it.

A/N: I definitely had a lot of fun writing this! Noah in a mask will be the death of me 🥵 and I just really wanted to get my own story out there haha hope you all enjoy!

Masterlist

You didn’t know you had a mask kink until you met Noah.

You’d never looked at someone in a mask before and thought ‘take me!’ you’d never watched a horror film and fawned over the masked killer. Until Noah came along.

You’d been dating for a while now, there wasn’t much you hadn’t done with each other at this point, you loved each other, trusted one another and knew one another’s bodies like the back of your hand and had tried almost every kink and position you could imagine.

But you’d felt too shy to admit to Noah that seeing him with his mask on had stirred something within you.

It was a weird mixture of emotions when you first realised, you’d gone to watch your boyfriend’s band from the side of the stage. You weren’t prepared to feel yourself clenching on nothing at the sight of him in the mask. The way he towered over you, his face hidden apart from his eyes and lips, how menacing he looked.

It also slightly frightened you at first, why did it cause this reaction? Is it normal to feel that? But the more you saw him wearing it, the less you cared.

Noah hadn’t appeared to noticed anything that first time and bent down to give you a quick kiss.

“Wish me luck?”

“Good luck”

You couldn’t take your eyes off him, your cheeks were no doubt red from embarrassment.

You watched him go out to sing artificial suicide, seeing him in full confidence owning the stage, stalking around like a predator, singing and growling to perfection was enough to make anyone swoon but with the mask, it was a thousand times hotter.

You’d been to a few of his shows now, every time seeing the mask caused a flutter, Noah also seemed to appear out of nowhere with it on, when he kissed you before a show he held your neck just that little bit tighter, almost like he was doing it on purpose.

But he hadn’t said anything and surely Noah would have questioned your reactions by now if he’d seen right?

Tonight was no different, once again you were ready to watch from the wings, Noah had been off getting his mic fitted, he gave you no warning before you had a low whisper in your ear.

“So how long until you admit it?”

You turned around with a jump to see his mask covered face in the dim lighting, his outfit making his broad build look even bigger.

“Admit what?”

“That me wearing this mask is turning you on”

Your eyes went wide and you felt your cheeks go warm.

“I don’t know what you mean?”

Noah stalked closer to you, making you back up against the wall, his hand coming to rest on your neck with a gentle squeeze and his frame towering over you.

“Really? Then why do you eye fuck me every time you see me in it? Don’t be embarrassed angel, is it the danger aspect that you like?”

Your heart was hammering in your chest which Noah would have felt with his hand around your throat.

“I don’t know”

“But you like it?”

You nodded, unable to take your eyes off of him.

“5 minutes everybody!” Was shouted from down the hall, your heart sank as you knew Noah had to go.

Noah pulled you in for a deep, messy kiss by your throat before pulling away and gripping your chin tightly.

“Open”

You obeyed to his command, he tilted your head back and he spat into your mouth.

“Swallow it”

You did, your thighs pressing together as your breathing had increased.

“That’s my good girl, we’ll finish this conversation later”

And with that, Noah went off to the side of the stage leaving you up against the wall processing what had just happened.

A couple of hours later you were back at your shared home, Noah hasn’t brought anything up yet, he looked tired from the performance but definitely still full of energy, the ride back was spent talking about the home town show and how good he thought it went, you couldn’t bring yourself to mention earlier, Noah was obviously waiting for the right moment of his choosing.

Once inside, he said he was going to grab a quick shower and then he’d see you afterwards.

You quickly got yourself comfortable in a baggy top and shorts and you’d wandered downstairs to grab a glass of water to take up, you hadn’t been paying attention to your surroundings otherwise you would have heard that Noah was finished in the bathroom.

“I believe we have an unfinished conversation”

You turned around and nearly dropped the glass in your hand at the sight before you.

Noah was stood leaning up again the doorway wearing his ski mask and a pair of black trousers, his top half bare to show off his inked chest and he looked so sinfully delicious.

Your breathing became harder as he stalked towards you slowly.

“So my little angel has the hots for me in my mask eh?”

“Yes”

Noah walked closer until he was stood in front of you, removing the glass from your hand, making you feel much smaller than you actually were. You subconsciously started to move around him, your adrenaline starting to kick in and arousal running through your body.

“You nervous?”

You shook your head, a small smile was forming on your lips as you slowly continued to move around and started to back up towards the door, Noah following every step you took, his intense gaze never leaving your face.

“You can run if you like princess, it won’t do you any good. I expect you to be stripped and waiting in our bedroom by the time I get up there, is that clear?”

“Yes sir”

You turned around and went up the stairs quickly, hearing Noah’s footsteps not far behind you. Once in your room, you threw off your clothes, Noah wandering in behind you shortly after.

His eyes looking you up and down like you were his prey, he stalked towards you and ran his hand over your cheek.

“Safe word. Any time you need it yeah?”

“Yes”

Noah sat himself down on the edge of the bed.

“On your knees for me and show me exactly how much you’re loving this”

You got onto your knees in between his legs and he lifted his hips up as you pulled his trousers off, mouth watering at how hard he was already.

You wrapped your hand around and gave him a couple firm strokes before you took him into your mouth and started to hollow out your cheeks and moved slowly up and down, pulling an instant low groan from above you.

His hand came into your hair as if to guide you while swirled your tongue around him and sucked on his tip, pre cum already forming and leaving a salty taste in your mouth. You used your right hand to stroke him in time to your movements, Noah becoming increasingly more vocal.

“Fuck…that’s it baby”

Your other hand that had been resting on his thigh came down to gently cup and massage his balls while you started to move your head faster, sucking on his harder, and feeling how hot and hard he was in your mouth, you knew he wouldn’t last too much longer.

You felt a tug in your hair and pulled yourself off him while still stroking, even with the mask on, you could tell his skin was flushed.

“Move back a bit”

You shimmied back on the floor and Noah stood up, you knew he wanted to take some control back and you squeezed your thighs together.

“You’re doing so good for me baby, but you ready for me to take over?”

You nodded eagerly, Noah pumped himself a couple times while you opened your mouth for him and stuck your tongue out.

“Double tap my thigh if you need me to stop”

Noah kept his grip in your hair as he guided himself into your mouth, you relaxed yourself and Noah started to rock his hips back and forth, slowly at first to let you adjust but this didn’t last too long.

Your hands grip his thighs to keep yourself grounded, you looked up and felt yourself moaning around his length at his dominating appearance. The mask hiding most of his face but you could see his eyes were closed and mouth slightly open.

His thrusts were becoming more sloppy, you gagged slightly as he hit the back of your throat and made your eyes water and you could feel your own saliva running down your chin but you didn’t care, you were in complete heaven watching him ruin you.

You moaned around him again and stroked his thighs, Noah looked down at you and pulled on your hair tighter while still rocking his hips.

“Shit…I’m going to cum, make me fucking cum”

You hollowed out your cheeks around him and sucked extra hard as you felt him finish down your throat, you swallowed down every last drop he gave you and didn’t stop until he pulled away.

Noah sat back down on the edge of the bed and pulled you up onto his lap and wiped away the tears that had run down your face. He gave you a lazy kiss, which was slightly awkward with the mask on but you still leaned into him.

He ran one hand down your stomach and you felt him run his fingers over your folds and he slipped one in.

“You’re fucking soaked”

Noah started to move his finger inside you which caused you to fall forward onto his shoulder, but he wouldn’t allow that, his other hand gripped around your throat firmly and made you look at him, adding another finger he moved them faster, your moaning coming out slightly choked due to the grip around your neck but god did it feel good.

“Look at you, such a whore for me, can you hear how wet you are? All this because of the mask, all you had to do was ask me baby and I’d have worn it sooner for you”

Noah removed his fingers and licked them clean and then positioned you back into the bed, he then went into the draw of the bedside table and pulled out some restraints.

“Normally I’d love to see you ass up, but tonight I think tided up on your back is best, let you see me ruin you with this on”

You held your hands out to Noah, desperate for him to fuck you now, you were so turned on it was unreal, you needed him to give you some relief.

He tided your hands up and restrained you to the bed, you now were completely at his mercy unable to move your arms.

“Spread your legs for me”

You opened yourself up to him, watching him pump his already hard dick again and his eyes stared into yours through the mask. This was probably one of the most vulnerable states he’d ever had you in, he looked so menacing and dangerous and you were so ready for what was about to happen.

Noah moved so he was in between your legs and lined himself up, he pushed in gently but didn’t meet any resistance and so he thrusted in all the way which caused both of you to moan out.

He wasted no time in pulling your legs up to his chest and he started an unrelenting pace, it was rough and hard and exactly what you had been waiting for.

“Noah…fuck…”

You were practically screaming, you could feel every inch of him, your arms were pulled tight as you held onto your own restraints, you stared at his strong frame pounding into you, the mask just adding to how good he looked.

You knew you wouldn’t last long, you could feel your orgasm approaching, your legs were shaking and you could feel your walls clenching around him.

Noah knowing your body, reached one hand down and rubbed hard, fast circles on your clit.

“Cum for me baby, let me feel you”

And you did, it wracked through your body and you cried out while your back arched and your eyes squeezed shut. And after a few hard thrusts you felt Noah empty himself within you and his body came down on top of yours.

You both lied there for a moment while the afterglow wore off and Noah pulled the mask off, his skin flushed red and sweaty. He reached up and undone your restraints and gave you a long, loving kiss.

“Wow”

You both laughed and cuddled up together.

“You can say that again”

“So I can safely assume that my mask can be used again?”

“Oh my god yes! That was incredible”

Noah lifted the mask up in front of you both.

“If only the fans knew what this mask has now seen the next time I’m on stage!”

[starsomens]

✨Request✨ about my embarrassment because embarassing myself is my hobby <3

reader's parents and younger brother (8 years old the young bastard😑💙 go pick up the reader at the end of the show, in that gentle moment when Noah chats a bit with fans. While he and the reader are chatting, the reader's younger brother approaches them and innocently asks "Is he that Noah guy you keep talking about in your sleep?🧐🤔" BABEGORL IMAGINE NOAHS FAACCEE IM FINISHEDD FOR LIFFEE😭😭

He come out of the concert absolutely exhausted, but absolutely fulfilled. You had one of the best nights of your life. The performance was amazing. The vocals were unforgettable and of course the boys as individuals was just a whole other experience. You were just a little little sad that you weren’t able to get VIP tickets in time but there was always the next show.

So here you were waiting outside for your parents to arrive. They’re about five minutes away, so it wouldn’t be too long. You scroll through your phone. Looking at the pictures you had taken tonight. You zoom in on a particular picture that you have taken nearly perfectly. It was a lead singer Noah and he looked fantastic. No it was very common but also pretty, looked down upon depending on who you asked to have a crush on the lead singer. as much as you try to avoid it or deny it, you definitely had a crush on him

His musical talents, his looks, and his vibe personality overall really draws people in, so could you really blame yourself? You sigh reliving the memory in your head.

“ maybe next time I’ll get into VIP “ you said to yourself wistfully

“ well, maybe that can be changed “ a voice comes from behind you you spin around to see none other than Noah Sebastian and Nick Rufillo. You felt your heart dropped into your ass you blink a couple of times look from side to side, not believing what you were saying. It was after the concert, and here was the band members themselves talking to you

You for a loss of words “I-I…. Your bad omens …” was all that you could muster

They both smile their heads “ that we are. Did you enjoy the show tonight? “ they asked and you not your head enthusiastically

“ it was so good I loved every second of it!” Compliment you’re more than sure that they could see the stars in your eyes from how you were gawking and rambling to them

“ Glad that you enjoyed, but how about a picture since you didn’t make it into VIP” offered you felt like you were dreaming at this point and you hope something would come and prove that it wasn’t a dream. As if the universe was listening to your thoughts at that very moment. Another voice comes behind you.

“Hi!” Slightly turned around to see your younger brother. “ is that your boyfriend?” he ask looking Noah up and down.

“Y/B/N! No, where’s mom and dad? Why are you here?” You ask as blush appears on your face. Your cheeks become aggressively red from embarrassment.

“ we’re here to pick you up remember” he said sarcastically pointing to the car. You just kept your mouth shut at that point because if you said anything else he’d make it worse.

“ hey how do I get a picture of you guys together?” Your mom offered pulling out her phones to take a picture. Your brother may have shown up to embarrassing you, but at least you were able to get a picture with Nick and Noah even if you weren’t able to get into VIP and see the rest of the boys.

Group together and take one or two pictures and thank them profusely

“ I know you” your brother says suddenly

And of course, Noah asks “oh you do do you enjoy the music too?“

“ not really but you my sister’s wallpaper and she talks about you in her sleep too”

You. were. Horrified. Sure your brother embarrasses you at times but why now? And in front of all people know Sebastian of bad omens. WHY???

You couldn’t move you couldn’t say anything you were completely petrified in your spot and just watched Noah’s eyes widen and surprise. A smile crossing his face in a light chuckle, escaping his lips.

“ well, I’m sure she does if she really likes her music” he was trying to save the embarrassment and redirect your brother in a different direction but of course this demon spawn says

“Mmm but she’s always staring at pictures of you saying how hot you are-“

“OKAY WELL IM TIRED and it’s time to go home and I have work in the morning”

“No you do-“

At that point, you sort of stuffing your brother into the backseat of the car and shut the door as fast as possible. You had nowhere to hide your face as a long size escapes your body. You had such a great night, and you even got to meet two of the band members and your brother just had to ruin the experience.

You felt the top of your shoulder and you turn around to see Noah, handing you a piece of paper those between his fingers. He gives you a soft smile and says.

“ we gotta get going, but have a safe drive and thanks for coming to the show”

“ thank you for taking a picture with me. I really appreciate it and again I love your music so much.” You think them and goodbye as they walk to you soon will be the tour bus

when all of a sudden you get into the car and put your headphones on completely ignore your brother. You look at the paper still in hands, folded. You take the paper and carefully open it, just enough for you to read.

It was autographed by Nick and Noah with a small note under Noah's name

"see you in your dreams ;)"

Your cheeks heat up and all you could do was fold it tightly and stuff it into your pocket. You'll make sure your brother doesn't ever see this one!

「✨Taglist✨」 @lilhobgobbler @cncohshit @vir-tual @tdopomymind @concretenoah @misspygmypie @your-girl-c @fvckmeorchokeme @lust-for-sacher @thescarlettvvitch @cind6547

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Could you write a joker x reader? Reader is an apprentice to the prosthetic guy but doesn’t know he’s using children, reader is just trying to learn from someone well versed and ends up seeing joker a lot and one thing leads to another ? Thank you very much

you're welcome!

fun fact I LOVE THIS OMG <3

When you first joined Noah’s Ark Circus, they all joyfully declared you a third-stringer.

You’re not a performer; far from it. You keep to the tents, mainly the medical tent wherein your mentor works. It’s a place of healing, quiet and out of the spotlight that many of the others seem drawn to.

It doesn’t bother you at all. Doc keeps you busy, even if there’s no one to treat at any given moment. There are other things for you to do, and things that he can teach you. Thank the Lord he took you in and is willing to let you study under him. Already you’ve learned so much.

Reviewing some of the texts he’s left you is one of the few ways you’re able to pass the time while Doc is away. You’re not sure where he is, exactly, but he told you he had to fetch some more supplies from town. What kind of shoppe he went to for such things is beyond you. Maybe he’ll show you someday.

For now, there are no illnesses or injuries, thank goodness, and you’re alone in the medical tent. So you read. You sit and commit things to memory and test yourself.

That’s how you stay, fairly idle, until the tent’s ‘door’ is parted and you hear footsteps in the grass and dirt. Upon looking up, you’re faced with the circus ringleader, JOKER.

To say you’ve had feelings for him since shortly after you met him would be fairly accurate. He’s a handsome man, with sunset-orange hair that reaches past his shoulders and the brightest eyes you’ve ever seen. His smile… it makes your heart melt.

He’s been here in the medical tent pretty frequently ― making visits every couple of days, per Doc’s orders, since he’s got a prosthetic arm. It needs checking up on often, to make sure things are going alright. (Though, if Doc is to be believed, he’s chuckled about having to chase Joker down before, with the man sometimes going a week without having Doc check up. You wonder what’s changed that he’s doing better about that now.)

You won’t complain. You like getting to see him. He always has a new joke for you, and despite that he seems quite shy about letting you examine his prosthetic, you find the technology fascinating. It probably isn’t nearly as much to him… he’s expressed before that he doesn’t like that he’s ‘missing pieces’. You can imagine he’s suffered a lot at the hands of other people’s cruelty because he’s different.

All these people are different. No one is exactly the same. You wish you could find the words to say something like that. You just… don’t know how to go about it without making it sound like you’re dismissing his struggles. Ah, well.

“Afternoon, Joker,” you call as you set your book to the side for now. “How are rehearsals going?”

He uses his prosthetic hand to tip an imaginary hat to you, smile ever present. However, there’s also the distinct look of discomfort on his features. “Afternoon, m’ lovely! Aren’t ye a sight f’r sore eyes. Rehearsals are goin’. Eh, well…”

His other hand is held up so that you can plainly see why he looks to be in pain. A cut across his palm, not especially deep but definitely dripping some blood. “Had a li’l accident. Comes wit’ the territory, I s’pose. Doc ain’t round?”

“Oh, dear! I’d say you had an accident.” Your romantic feelings for him get gently pushed to the side in favor of concern over his wound, and you wave him over toward you. “Doc had to go into town to pick up some things, he said… I offered to go so he wouldn’t have trouble getting around, but he says he likes getting out once in a while. Come here, though, have a seat. I think I can patch you up. What happened?”

He offers a mirthless chuckle, sitting down on the cot next to where you’re studying. “Ah, well, let’s jus’ say I ain’t gonna be takin’ Dagger’s job anytime soon, aye? ‘Parently I don’t know the right end ‘f a knife from the wrong one! Found a point, though, hehe.”

You shake your head. “Still making jokes even when you’re hurt? Tsk, if that doesn’t sound like a man married to his job.”

“Awh, no. I jus’ don’t want ye tae worry, ye knoo?” As soon as you turn toward him with a roll of bandages and a bucket of water, he holds out his hand. “I ‘ad worse than this, so don’t fret, alrigh’?”

You dip a rag in the water, and wring it a bit before reaching to start cleaning the cut on his hand. “No promises. Try not to flinch, okay? Grit your teeth if you have to; this might be a little uncomfortable.”

He does his best, you think. You can practically feel his whole body tense up as you make long, careful strokes down the injury to make sure it gets rinsed as well as you can manage. A hiss of pain even gets sucked through his teeth and you can tell from the look on his face that it isn’t pleasant.

“There we are,” you murmur once you finish that part, resting the rag on the edge of the bucket. “The worst part’s done. It looks like it’s stopped bleeding, since there wasn’t too much that came off while I was cleaning it. I’ll bandage it and let you get back to work. Although,” you add in a teasing tone, “if you wanted an excuse to take a little rest, I’d say you’ve got one.”

He laughs, and thankfully it sounds a little stronger than he seemed while you were cleaning the cut. “By God, I got s’me bad luck, aye? Ain’t enough I’m missin’ a ‘and, I gotta ‘urt the other one. Be useless before long. Bloke wit’out either of his ‘ands ain’t good for much, is he?”

You fall quiet for a minute as you unroll the bandage. You begin to wrap it around his hand, making sure that it’s secure but not overly tight. At the risk of your silence making him think you agree with him, you gingerly run your fingers over his palm after you’ve tied off the bandage with a small knot to keep in place.

“I think you’re good for plenty, Joker.” Even though he goes wide-eyed when you do it, you bring his hand up to your face and press a feather-light kiss to his palm. “That prosthetic Doc gave you allows you to have another hand. And this cut isn’t so bad, even though you should rest it a bit. Honestly, even if you couldn’t use both of your hands, I think you’d still find a way to be amazing.”

His face turns pink, then he lets out a breath of a laugh through his nose. “Maybe y’re the one who needs some medical attention. Got a fever ‘r somethin’? Scramblin’ y’r brains?”

“Oh, please.” You sit down on the cot next to him. “Don’t try to make me laugh. I’m trying to tell you that I have feelings for you.” If only your heart would stop pounding like it’s about to jump out of your chest. “You wouldn’t… happen to have anything to tell me, would you?”

“Ah. Well… no. Nothin’ tae say.” In stark contrast, however, he lets his injured hand curl lightly around your fingers. “… Migh’ ‘ave somethin’ tae do, though.”

With that, he leans forward… and hesitates. He’s so close, you can feel his anxious breath, warm against your lips. He wants it. He’s just too afraid to go for it. You can imagine that other people has beaten him down so thoroughly, the thought that no one who isn’t like him could love him has been engraved onto his heart.

He wants it. He doesn’t think you do. This despite the fact that you’ve just told him you like him. What has the world done to this poor, sweet man?

Well. That’s fine. You’ll just have to engrave something else over his heart, something much kinder.

So you lean forward to meet him halfway, taking his lips against yours. Once you’re there, he’s eager to reciprocate, pressing in against you like he’s been craving for it his whole life.

God, if there were only some way to lock a tent the way you’d lock a bedroom. All you can pray is that Doc doesn’t pick this moment to return.

You feel like perhaps you’ve convinced Joker to take that rest after all, because it’s not long before you’re lying on the cot with him. You’re content to kiss him like this until he feels relaxed enough to go back to the practice tent.

But then you twine your fingers into the bony fingers of his prosthetic, and he shudders like he thinks you’re going to pull away from him. “A-ah, hey…” he mumbles against your lips. “Ye shouldn’t… I mean… ye oughta focus on my good ‘and, darlin’…”

“Hm… but I don’t see a bad hand that you have.” You smile, and kiss him again. Twice as hard this time.

“You’ll have to keep up with your visits here, sweetheart. So I can examine your hand. I’ll need an excuse to hold it, after all.”

[alanis-altair]

FAN CAST FOR GOD OF WAR

Hello, people. So. I'm playing God of War for the second time now and I just can't help but imagine a live action adaptation of the PS4 game. In my head there are some actors and actresses who could pull off our beloved characters.

Disclaimer; I know that this is probably a very common fan cast, in my defense I think this is a very very fitting cast. And I will explain why. Well, I have to admit I love to cast more unknown actors for certain characters, still, in that case I just went with what first came into my mind. I also know that there are people who voiced the characters and we're based off of them. No disrespect here, just another idea of casting.

Aaand another warning; my edits really aren't that great. I know that. There are a lot of people who can do better than me. I just needed these edits for imagination.

Here we go.

Kratos - Jason Momoa

Yeah, quite obvious. Let me explain. We know from many tv series and films that that man can fight. He is tall, huge, has got the muscles, the brutality and especially the LOOK. I can definitely see why some people would consider Vin Diesel, The Rock or even Chris Hemsworth here. Still, Jason Momoa is Kratos for me. His performance in Game of Thrones explains pretty much why. Stubborn, quiet, dominant. That would work really well with the start of his and Atreus' relationship. Plus, his facial features are just the same?!? While editing some pictures, I was fucking impressed how well Kratos face fit onto Jason Momoas. And considering his performance in Aquaman, I'm sure he'd do Kratos softer side very well, too. (Fun Fact: I even thought of Richard Armitgae here!)

Atreus - Jaeden Martell

So, I'm a little unsure about Jaeden Martell for one reason; he's too old and tall already. I feel like Atreus should be small, especially in comparison to his father. Also he should be young, have that innocent look on his face and be willing to learn. He needs to radiate kindness. I still went with him because Jaeden Martell's face is really smooth and soft. He's got a teary look and refined features, which I really want to see on that boy that was thrown into the biggest mess of his life. Based on his IT performance, we know he can pull off the more reserved and shy boy, but also the one that isn't scared and willing to fight if needed. Plus, in Defending Jacob, there's an interesting relationship with his father. One, that I can absolutely see grow strong with Kratos. Taking God of War: Ragnarok into account, Jaeden Martell might be a good age for Atreus. By the way, I'm highly thinking of Noah Schnapp instead.

Freya - Emily Blunt

Well, Freya. It's kinda funny to me how she went from a motherly figure for Atreus to like THE villain in the end. With everything we know so far, she's gonna have a huge storyline in Ragnarok. And she's going to be crazy strong. So, that actress needs presence. Emily Blunt's got this handled. She's got great range and I think the character needs to be deep. There's a lot to Freya that needs to be explored. So, we're searching for an actress that can express sadness and trauma from the past days, balance as a facade and of course anger and power for her loss and mistakes. Some fighting skills are required for her as well, but she'll manage.

Baldur - Tom Hardy

This is probably the least expected cast. I totally see why people think of Joe Gilgun, Sheia LaBeouf or Sean Gunn here. My problem with Sheia LaBeouf is that he feels to broad. I don't know, he doesn't really give me evil vibes. Joe Gilgun is really really perfect and I almost put him on the list instead. Still, I was searching for something special. And that special I found in Tom Hardy and his performance in Peaky Blinders. Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons is beyond everything, the voice, the gestures, his way of thinking and his decisions. He's quite unpredictable, suspicious and still got such a presence and confidence. I feel like he needs to express superiority towards Kratos, which Kratos answers with non reactiveness only. He needs to be the exact opposite of down to earth and portray that in a way that's not toooo serious. And Tom Hardy is just perfect for this. I think his performance in Venom combined with the Peaky Blinders one is' exactly what's needed for Baldur.

Now imagine the dynamic these four would hold.

Part 2 is coming!

[veronicamarsconfessions]

Joel Silver, The Ruthless Producer (But He Wouldn’t Allow Logan To Be Killed)

This blog talks a lot about Joel Silver and his influence on pop culture (especially his role in Veronica Mars). He is well known as one of the “Bosses From Hell” in Hollywood and yet he is the lesser evil from other producers like Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin. Which is not a compliment whatsoever. But he is known as very protective with his assets such as his TV shows.

It is surprising that we hardly heard about sexual misconduct allegations against women/men (yet) especially during this decade alone. According to many, he is not interested that much in sexual hedonism as he is more concerned with being on top of the food chain. He is a married flamboyant producer who is deeply serious about his investments. He is always at the movie/tv set, watching everything like a hawk, making sure that everything is working accordingly. He dislikes unprofessional behavior from actors or showrunners, and most of the time, he just loathes writers. “Writers sometimes don’t know what works and what’s not. I don’t care if you are a brilliant writer, but I know better than anyone else in this business.”

That is the young Joel Silver, playing a frustrated director named Raoul in the movie 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'. According to interviews, Raoul was based on himself but more tamer.

Joel Silver was a type of producer who likes to change a lot of the source materials, to the chagrin of the creators. Many just saw him as this tough guy producer who is very meticulous and wants the job done properly. Sources said that he liked to yell a lot, but hardly physical towards his employees (unlike Scott Rudin).

This is why it was so shocking that he and Rob Thomas had a fistfight argument at the Veronica Mars set. Rob must’ve pissed him off so bad that he resolved to a fistfight. According to a TVGuide interview, Rob said that Joel wanted to have Tara Reid as Trina Echolls and Paris Hilton to be put in the show as a guest star while promoting the House of Wax movie. Rob hated the idea and Joel didn’t take it lightly. Their brawl was reported to many blogs and forums back then.

Joel was frustrated and furious that Rob was adamant about his vision, citing that he knows more about what works and what’s not in the industry, and that includes casting and storylines. Rob insisted that Veronica should be with the love of her life, which was Duncan Kane. Both Joel and Rob head-butted about this because Joel knew that Logan was more a compatible and popular character than Duncan. Not liking the idea of being blackballed all the time, Rob wrote Logan as insufferable in season 2, hoping that fans would turn against the character.

The plan backfired as the fans at the time rejected Duncan instead. Diane Ruggiero even admitted that they were reading the feedbacks especially from Television Without Pity and she said that they didn’t have a choice but to get rid of Duncan. At the time, they also didn’t know whether the show was going to be renewed or not in season 3, especially during the merger between UPN and WB to form The CW. The fans’ voice was clear: they wanted LoVe (Logan & Veronica) to be together. This didn’t bode well with Rob, but the fans (and Joel) have spoken. He finally got rid of Duncan by sending him off to Australia with his baby. And that was it, the end. Logan and Veronica got back together.

But season three came, and another obstacle came in a form of Dawn Ostroff (the president of CW) who wanted some changes in the show for the network to be more teen-friendly. Gone the whole Noir and mystery style, they focused more on the white teen drama and a love triangle. At this moment, Joel decided to stay behind the scene. He was no longer hovering, he had other projects, other money to pursue. He still co-owned Veronica Mars. But he was no longer involved much.

When Veronica Mars was canceled, Joel immediately snatched Jason Dohring - he approached Jason "out of the blue” and said, “There's a role, and I'm making it younger". Joel offered the main role of the CBS vampire procedural series Twilight to Jason before it was changed into Moonlight. Jason read two pages of the script featuring Josef Kostan and was interested in the character's "dark" and "sharp" personality. Jason had to go through the normal audition process and was not sure he would have gotten the role without Joel Silver, who had "pushed it through to the end". Joel noticed very early that Jason had a main protagonist charisma so he fought for him to be cast as Josef Kostan. Jason’s performance was praised by many critics and fans alike as this sarcastic manipulative vampire. Unfortunately, the writing of the show was atrocious and the rating was abysmal because of the Writers Guild strike and they had to hire ghostwriters to keep going. After one season, Moonlight was canceled and it was another money down the drain for Joel.

When the idea of a movie was pitched, Joel said the movie would NEVER HAPPEN. “There are no fans for this market. Sales of DVDs and merchandise are nonexistent.” Joel was thinking as a producer; no sales for the merchandise = no fans, which is wrong, obviously. But that was the way many producers thinking at the time, and still are. After his company severing ties with the Warner Brothers, Joel was no longer interested in any mention of the Veronica Mars movie. Knowing that Joel would not approve of the Kickstarter, Rob and KBell decided to go straight to Warner Bros head honcho Kevin Tsujihara and asked for a chance to get a Veronica Mars movie funded by the fans. The movie then was made, and Joel was proven wrong for this particular moment.

Sharks however started to circling Veronica Mars movie - a lot of producers started to take an interest in the Kickstarter when they found out that it became successful and a phenomenon — notorious producer Harvey Weinstein wanted to grab the rights of Veronica Mars and he boasted that he could make it more successful under his Miramax banner. But his rival, Joel Silver, wouldn’t have any of it. Joel might not be responsible with the Kickstarter, but he sure the hell would burn a swimming pool first before Miramax steals VMars.

Rob and Joel have a “good work” relationship - they definitely aren't friends in real life, but most of the time they avoid each other except in public events and red carpets. Their relationship is mostly being tolerant of each other. Joel didn't even bother to come to the Veronica Mars movie red carpet even though he was the executive producer of the movie and this franchise was a part of his life. Many thoughts for him not attending the red carpet were to avoid any embarrassment because he said that there were no fans of Veronica Mars. If it was allowed, Rob would say ‘fuck you’ to Joel as he strutted on the red carpet during the premiere of the Veronica Mars movie at the Chinese Theater.

However, when HULU took an interest in a VMars miniseries, Rob asked Joel for a favor, which is to get Kristen Bell to work around NBC The Good Place contract. As HULU is a part of Viacom and also an umbrella company for CBS and CW where VMars reside, technically she couldn't and was not allowed to be working with a rival company. So Joel helped Rob by calling the NBC president Noah Oppenheim to lend Kristen Bell to HULU temporarily. No words or interview about how Joel thinks about season 4 and how they killed off Logan Echolls; a character he protected during his reign back then. It is obvious if he was in charge of Veronica Mars season 4, he would scold Rob Thomas for killing the Golden Goose or maybe already stopping him before it happened. He might have a soft spot for Jason Dohring himself, calling him a “talented actor but too quiet for this industry”.

Joel Silver seems to have moved on from Veronica Mars and its tumultuous relationship within. He has a bigger problem than handling a franchise that has crashed and burned because it flew too close to the sun; namely being sued for the death of an assistant and the fact that he was kicked out from his own company (Silver Pictures) by the company CFO Daryl Katz, and also he is a bit struggling with financial means. But no matter what, Joel Silver was a part of Veronica Mars with its complicated history. And he definitely has no problem keeping going - after all, he is one of the notorious bosses in Hollywood.

[puckinghell]

The Plus One Pact | William Nylander | Part 6

Summary: Your ex is getting married, and you don’t have a date, which means the unavoidable “why don’t you have a boyfriend” question is about to haunt you for the rest of eternity. But then there’s Will, who could be the answer to all your problems. A simple business pact, no feelings involved: that won’t be hard for you, because you really don’t like him anyways. Except pacts were made to be broken… or something. Right?

Note: This is part 6, the final part! Click here for part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5

--

When you scoot into an empty seat in the back of the church, you suddenly feel very thankful that your sister invited Ellie because if you were alone, right now, you might just leave and go home.

“I’m gonna throw up,” you mutter under your breath.

Ellie hears you, and laughs. “Better not, I left the tag on this dress and I fully intend to return it after today.”

Then the crowd goes quiet and Noah appears.

He’s wearing a suit, and he looks objectively handsome, but it does nothing for you. It’s good to realize that, you think, as you watch him walk down the aisle.

The guy you thought you’d marry is getting married. And you really don’t care.

You think of Will, instead.

Betty appears too and she looks beautiful and really happy. Maybe they really were meant for each other; he still shouldn’t have cheated, of course, but if there’s one thing Noah had been right about it’s that it would’ve never worked out between the two of you.

You barely hear the vows they exchange; you’re there for show and you won’t pretend otherwise. Ellie is fucking around on Instagram on her phone and you look over her shoulder as she starts liking posts.

“Speak now or forever hold your silence,” a voice sounds loudly through the church, and you zone back in for a second.

Your mom is looking at you and you catch her eye. You don’t say anything, and she looks like she approves. Perhaps she believes that Noah belongs with someone like Betty, too. 

You find yourself not really caring about that, either. 

The priest speaks again: “If nobody has any objection to this marriage, I would now like to declare...”

A door slams. 

Everyone turns to look at the person that just came in, and when you see him, your breath sticks in your throat.

It’s Will. 

He looks around with his eyes squinted. He’s wearing a suit, but his hair is a mess, like he’s been raking his hands through it, and his tie isn’t tied properly.

He still looks like the most beautiful guy you’ve ever seen.

“Sir?” the priest asks, a little confused. “Do you wish to object to this marriage?”

“Oh.” Willy’s eyes widen. “Oh, God, no. No, no objection here. Totally go for it!”

A somewhat hysterical giggle escapes your lips and Will’s eyes find yours, a careful smile appearing on his face when he does.

“Sorry,” he says out loud to the crowd, then bows down and hurries towards you, sinking down on the empty chair at your side. “Sorry,” he repeats, now in a whisper.

You have no idea what to say. There’s so much you want to say to him: I’m so sorry, I was wrong the first thing that comes up, the second being please don’t give up on this, I think I love you.

It hits you with how true it is. You don’t just like him anymore, you love him, everything about him, and being around him feels more natural than anything else, it feels right.

You don’t say anything, though, because the ceremony continues on. Will stays silent, too, stares straight ahead with a sullen look on his face.

But he came. That must mean something, right?

This, however, is not the time or the place to talk about it and after the ceremony you trail your family to the reception, both Ellie and Willy hot on your heels. The two of them are keeping up a steady amount of chitchat and you would worry about that, about how well they seem to fit together, except…

Well, some part of Willy must care about you, because he wouldn’t be here, otherwise.

“So,” your mom says, when you’ve entered the reception hall. “Who is this, then?”

You’ve not even got yourself a drink.

“This is Will,” you say. Willy shifts, his arm bumping against yours. “My, uhm…”

You really haven’t thought this through. The deal was that he’d pretend to be your boyfriend, but after everything... 

“Her boyfriend.” Willy’s smile is nearly blinding. “Nice to meet you.”

“Boyfriend?” your mom repeats, sounding incredulous.

“Yep.” Will’s arm hooks around your waist and he pulls, so you stumble into his side. “We’ve been together a while, so.”

You haven’t, oh God, what is he doing? You know this was the plan, but surely after everything, the pact isn’t the pact anymore, you broke all the rules by falling in love with him. 

And...

You wish, more than anything, that he wasn’t pretending. 

“Oh, they’re adorable together,” Ellie pipes up. She’s obviously totally lying, but you could kiss her for it, because your mom’s eyes widen. “Always at each other’s sides. He’s so good to her, you know? Head over heels, really.”

Will smiles in the most bashful way, then swivels his head and presses his lips to your cheek.

You’re pretty sure your face is bright red, at this point.

“Want a drink, babe?” he mumbles.

This is torture.

“Uhm, yeah, sure.” You watch as Will disappears into the crowd.

“You didn’t tell us you had a boyfriend,” your dad speaks. Your sister is still staring at Willy, her mouth slightly agape.

“He’s hot,” she says, and she sounds shocked, which makes you wonder if you want to punch her or want to laugh. 

You don’t do either. After all, she did invite Ellie here, so some part of her must care for you.

“So hot,” Ellie nods. “When I didn’t know they were together I tried to flirt with him, but he had no eyes for me. Only wanted Y/N.” She smiles, and you think of her earlier words and can’t help but wonder if there’s some truth to that.

Fuck. You have to find Will.

“I’m going to go find Will,” you say, and before you can hear what your parents have to say about that, you turn around and leave, as fast as your high heels can carry you.

Your eyes search the crowd for a familiar head of blond hair, but when you see it, everything in you goes cold and rigid.

Oh no.

Next to Willy is Noah. Everything about Noah is relaxed, and everything about Will is tense; his muscles strung tight like a fiddle, his jaw clenched.

Oh, no. No no no.

You push through some people to get to them, but you can hear Noah’s voice before either of them have noticed you.

“I can’t believe William Nylander is at my wedding,” Noah laughs. “Dude, when you came in I nearly had a heart attack.”

As if it couldn’t get any worse. Will doesn’t like being recognized in general, and now this. 

Then, Willy spots you.

“Y/N,” he says, and some of the tension leaves his shoulders. Noah turns around with wide eyes.

“You know her?” He sounds even more shocked than your sister and this time, it pisses you off.

Well, Willy did show he was ready to perform the act, so.

“Hi, baby,” you coo, wrapping your arms around Willy’s waist and pressing yourself against his chest. His arms immediately come around you and you feel the slight press of his lips in your hair.

It’s an act, but God, you wish it wasn’t. 

“Sorry your drink is taking a bit longer, sweetheart,” he says, a little too loud. “Something held me up.”

Noah has the decency to look sheepish. Willy looks a little murderous.

“You’re dating William Nylander?” Noah asks.

No, scrap that: Willy looks a lot murderous.

So, even though you might be enjoying this a little, you’ve gotta make sure nobody gets killed at this wedding. As a warning, you press your thumb in Willy’s side. The scowl disappears from his face, although he’s clearly still unhappy.

“Noah, congratulations to you and Betty,” you smile. It’s fake, but you don’t think Noah notices – or cares. “I’m going to dance with my boyfriend, now.”

You pull Will away before he can say anything, and he lets you guide him towards the dance floor.

“I hate that guy,” he growls. His arm is still around you.

“Try to be more obvious about it,” you quip, and it feels natural until it doesn’t, anymore.

Because now you actually have to dance, and you don’t think you still have the right to do that. Everything that happened between you fills the air with something heavy, so you stand still and awkwardly look at him. 

“I won’t bite.” Will rolls his eyes and guides you into the correct position. He’s a good dancer, which is surprising because at Zach’s wedding, he definitely wasn’t.

At Zach’s wedding, Willy and Kappy had been diving into the wine coolers all day, though, so maybe it’s not that surprising.

His hands are heavy on your waist and he’s guided your arms to wrap around his neck. He smells like Willy and you realize that this might be the last time you get to touch him like this, maybe even the last time he’ll talk to you, so despite everything you let your head dip and rest your chin in the crook of his neck.

You feel, more than hear, him inhale deeply.

“You came.” The words are whispered into his suit but he hears you, anyway.

“We had a deal, and I don’t go back on a promise,” he says. It’s not what you want to hear, but he still came, and that still matters, so.

After a pause, he adds: “Besides, I wouldn’t let you deal with that jerk alone.”

That’s... something else, and a flicker of hope lights in your chest like a candle in the wind, dull and small, but there.

“Will,” you whisper, this time knowing that he’ll hear. “I love you.”

It’s not the right way to do it, probably, too much and too soon and too sudden, and when Willy inhales again it’s sharp and short.

“And I’m sorry…”

“Not here,” he cuts you off. It could come off as harsh, but it doesn’t, because he pulls you a bit closer and lets his head rest on yours.

Somewhere, people cheer for the married couple, but neither of you really notice.

--

“Come on.”

Willy’s hand is warm and rough tangled in yours, as he pulls you towards his car. You drove here with your family but you have to admit you’d much rather drive home with Will, even if it might be the most awkward car ride of your life.

It was easier to pretend everything was fine when you were in a room full of people laughing and smiling. Now, the night is quiet and dark and the wind is cold, and everything that hasn’t been talked about lays thick in the air. 

You told him you loved him. Why the hell did you do that?? You’re lucky he didn’t punch you in the face. He’s too nice to do that, even if you might deserve it. 

Neither of you speak, in the car. You because you already said too much, and Will seems to be thinking, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

It feels like the drive lasts forever. Finally, the car stops in front of an apartment.

But it’s not your apartment.

“Where…” you start, but Will doesn’t let you finish.

“At my place,” he says. “Wanna come up?” There’s a clear hint of vulnerability in the question and you’ve never been out of a car so fast.

You’ve never been at his apartment before, because he was always the one that came to pick you up, and when you follow him into the elevator you notice that he lives on the 8th floor. 

It makes you smile despite everything. Hockey players and their superstitions.

The inside of his apartment is somehow exactly like you expected it to be. It’s pretty in a very clear interior-designer sorta way, but there’s little pieces of him scattered all around; pictures of his family everywhere, pictures of the team, hockey pucks with dates on them, a million sneakers lined up against the wall.

He flicks on some of the lights and motions towards the couch, where you take a seat.

In front of you, the city of Toronto glistens a million lights.

It could be really romantic, but, Willy is standing in the middle of the living room, his arms crossed and his face a carefully constructed form of indifferent. So it’s not. 

“I, uhm,” he starts. Pauses. Sighs. Then: “Did you mean it?”

“Did I mean what?” you ask, softly. Because there’s a lot of things you’ve meant and a lot of things you didn’t, and it’s really important that Willy knows about every single one.

“That you, uh.” Willy is flushed a bright shade of scarlet. “That you love me, I guess.”

That one is easy to answer.

“Yes.”

Something shifts in Willy’s demeanor. His arms drop and with it, so does the shield around his heart; you can see it shatter and it causes something to shatter within you, too.

“I didn’t mean those other things I said, though,” you say. “The things I said right after Noah left. I guess his words threw me off guard and I just thought…” You try to smile, but you don’t think it reaches your eyes. “I just couldn’t believe I would get to have my happily ever after, I suppose.”

“I just don’t know what I could do differently,” Willy says. He sounds desperate, like the words have been swirling around in his brain for far too long, bursting to come out. “To make you believe that. Because I’ve tried, Y/N, I keep trying to…”

“I know.” Something is burning behind your eyes, but you’re not gonna cry now. “Will, I know, and I’m sorry for not trying harder to believe you, earlier.”

You stand up, carefully walk towards him. His hands are hanging limply by his side but you see his fingers twitch when you reach him. It gives you the courage to gather his hands into yours.

“I’m trying, now, though,” you say softly. “This is me trying. And I think I can believe it, if you just tell me one more time.”

The corners of Will’s mouth are curling up into a smile, hesitant and tentative but there, and your heart goes pitter patter.

“Y/N,” he mumbles, lacing his fingers through yours. “I’ve liked you since you rolled your eyes at me at Zach’s birthday party two years ago and I fell in love with you when you nearly destroyed my cousin’s gender reveal party. I want to be your automatic plus one to any event in the future, even if it somehow always ends up a disaster.”

You laugh. “Today was pretty okay, though, right?”

“Yeah.” Willy’s breath is warm against your cheek, and you feel the slightest press of his lips against the skin there. “Would be better if I got to kiss you now, though.”

Instead of answering, you press up on your toes and kiss him.

--

Three years later, you press up on your toes and kiss him in a grand mansion while all your friends and family surround you, wearing a white dress and a ring on your left hand.

You feel Willy smile against your lips.

“Thank you for inviting me to be your plus one today,” he mumbles.

“You’re getting better at it every time,” you smile. “No disasters today.”

“Day’s not over yet.” Willy grins and spins you around. You let yourself fall back into his arms and he catches you, like he’s been doing for years, and will do for years and years to come, too.

“So,” he continues, “now that we’ve made a new pact, is the Plus One Pact really over, then?”

“A new pact?” you repeat, a little confused.

Will’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “Yes, mrs. Nylander. You just promised you’d take part in the Love Me Forever Pact.”

You can’t help but hide your laughter in his shoulder.

“I do love you, Will.”

“Forever?”

“Forever.”

[kurts-still-here]

Awkward Situations Hevans FanFiction Chapter 4/6: Sexy

Just some Heavns fluff, my favorite fluff 🥰🥰. Feel free to read and review on here, A03 or FanFiction.Net and have a great day/ night!!

Archive Of Our Own

FanFiction.Net (Chapter 4)

The opportunity to get Kurt and Sam closer together stroked again a few weeks later after their “study date” when Mr. Schue announced they were going to be working on their sex appeal for Regionals. At first everyone was apprehensive about the assignment but after some thinking and planning done by all of them (minus Kurt and Sam) they figured that they could use this to their advantage.

Obviously Sam and Kurt both knew how good looking they were and they knew how good looking the other was but they would never admit it, not yet. So they were thinking that if they could get them in the position where it was so… in their face how great they looked then they would realize and admit their love for each other. So they had to make sure that they got partnered up for their assignment.

Finn paired with Rachel, Quinn paired with Puck, Mike paired with Artie, Tina paired with Mercedes and Brittany paired with Santana leaving Sam and Kurt no choice but to work together. And to their surprise, neither boy put up a fight and they almost seemed excited to work with each other (and they didn’t hide it).

So when the time came for them to present their performances, everyone encouraged (practically demanded) for the two of them to go first so they could watch as they manned up and realized their feelings.

“I think Sam and Kurt should go first,” Rachel said, everyone agreeing along with her.

“Yeah I want to see theirs,” Puck snickered with Finn and Mike.

Kurt and Sam were sitting next to each other and turned towards one another to see what the other thought. They both shrugged before Kurt turned to Mr. Schue. “We’ll go,”

“Awesome,” Their teacher exclaimed. “The floor is yours boys,”

They both stood up and walked to the front of the room, turning around to face the back, away from everyone else. As the band prepared their music they stole looks at each other, smiling and whispering. Everyone else just hoped they came up with something good and powerful enough for their plan to work. Good for them that Kurt was always going full out with his performances.

The music started up and Sam and Kurt slid away from each other at once, turning around to face their audience.

[Kurt]

I Stand Here Waiting For You To Bang The Gong

To Crash The Critics Saying “Is It Right Or Is It Wrong?”

If Only Fame Had An IV, Baby Could I Bear?

Being Away From You, I Found The Vein, Put It In Here

[Kurt and Sam]

I Live For The Applause, Applause, Applause

I Live For The Applause, Applause, Live For The Applause-Plause, Live For The-

Way That You Cheer And Scream For Me

The Applause, Applause, Applause

[Kurt and Sam]

Give Me That Thing That Love (I’ll Turn The Lights Off)

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch (Make It Real Loud)

Give Me That Thing That Love (I’ll Turn The Lights Off)

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch (Make It Real Loud)

[Kurt and Sam]

Make It Real Loud

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch

(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make It Real Loud

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch

[Sam]

I’ve Heard Your Theory, “Nostalgia's Just For Geeks”

I Guess Sir, If You Say So, Some Of Us Just Like To Read

One Second I’m A Koons Fan, Suddenly The Koosn Is Me

Pop Culture Was In Art, Now Art’s In Pop Culture, In Me

[Kurt and Sam]

I Live For The Applause, Applause, Applause

I Live For The Applause, Applause, Live For The Applause-Plause, Live For The-

Way That You Cheer And Scream For Me

The Applause, Applause, Applause

[Kurt and Sam]

Give Me That Thing That Love (I’ll Turn The Lights Off)

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch (Make It Real Loud)

Give Me That Thing That Love (I’ll Turn The Lights Off)

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch (Make It Real Loud)

[Kurt and Sam]

Make It Real Loud

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch

(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make It Real Loud

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch

[Kurt]

Woo, Touch, Touch

Woo, Touch, Touch Now

Ooh, Ooh, Ooh

Ooh, Ooh, Ooh

[Kurt and Sam]

I Live For The Applause, Applause, Applause

I Live For The Applause, Applause, Live For The Applause-Plause, Live For The-

Way That You Cheer And Scream For Me

The Applause, Applause, Applause

[Kurt and Sam]

Give Me That Thing That Love (I’ll Turn The Lights Off)

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch (Make It Real Loud)

Give Me That Thing That Love (I’ll Turn The Lights Off)

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch (Make It Real Loud)

[Kurt and Sam]

Make It Real Loud

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch

(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make It Real Loud

Put Your Hands Up, Make Em’ Touch, Touch

The music ended as they both posed and everyone stood up, clapping and giving them a standing ovation. Even Mr. Schue seemed to be impressed with the both of them, no one had known they had that much in them.

Sam had definitely taken up Kurt on his deal because their dancing was incredible. Sam spun him around and then tilted him back to everyone’s surprise, without dropping him on his head. They had both flipped and spun and danced around while singing and at the end they weren’t even out of breath. They were both so graceful, completely in sync with each other in each move they did. They were also so… sexy, full of confidence in their performance ability.

As everyone continued clapping for them Kurt and Sam hugged each other before pulling back and smiling at each other. Now it was time for everyone to see if their plan had worked.

“That’s my favorite couple,” Finn shouted, making Kurt glare at him and Sam roll his eyes.

“Realize anything?” Quinn asked the both of them after the applause had died down.

“Umm…?” Kurt said, looking at Sam and then back to Quinn. “No,”

“Really, you didn’t come to terms with any…?” Mercedes started to ask.

“Feelings?” Rachel suggested.

“Of love?” Artie added.

“Or admiration?”

“Or feelings you know…”Puck said. “... down there?”

“Gross Noah,” Kurt glared at him.

“Real mature idiot,” Sam mumbled.

“You didn’t deny it,” Puck smirked, sitting back in his chair with satisfaction.

“Is that all this was?” Kurt asked the group. “You guys paired up with each other so we would be the only ones left?”

“Forcing us to work together?” Sam added on before turning to Kurt, blushing slightly. “Not that I didn’t want to work with you,”

“No of course not,” Kurt blushed back. “I’m glad I got to work with you,”

“But that still doesn’t excuse these idiots,” Sam said, turning back to the group. “You can’t force us to fall in love,”

“We aren’t forcing you to do anything,” Santana pointed out.

“Yeah you two already love each other,” Tina added.

“We’re just trying to get you to admit it,” Finn explained. “Why are you two so stubborn?”

“Kurt doesn’t  even like me,” Sam practically yelled at them at the same time that Kurt practically yelled, “Sam’s straight,”

“Bullshit,” Artie frowned. “You obviously don’t notice how you two look at each other,”

But Kurt and Sam weren’t paying attention to them anymore, they were staring at each other in confusion, confused as to what the other had said.

“I’m not straight,” Sam said at the same time that Kurt said, “I like you,”

“You aren’t?” Kurt asked at the same time that Sam asked, “You do?”

“Of course not,” Sam said as Kurt said “Of course,”

They both stopped talking, not wanting to say something at the same time again so they could let the other one go first.

“I’m bi,” Sam admitted as Kurt admitted, “I really like you,”

“I’m done,” Finn grunted, throwing his hand in the air. “You’re both stupid,”

“Honestly,” Puck sighed. “How blind can you be?”

“I’m going to lock both of you in a closet,” Santana threatened. “And you won’t be able to come out until you kiss each other,”

“On the lips,” Brittany added.

“For a minute,” Mercedes said.

But both boys still weren’t paying attention to them, only to each other.

“I should go,” Sam finally said, breaking the silence between them. “I’ll- I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah-yeah of course,” Kurt said, shaking his head a little as he looked down, disappointed.

Sam went over to his chair and grabbed his bag before walking out of the door, looking disappointed as well. In what they were both disappointed in, no one knew but it was probably in themselves. It was painful for everyone to watch as they both obviously loved each other and yet they wouldn’t admit it. What did they have to do, they just wanted to help.

“I’m leaving too,” Kurt said sadly after Sam had left.

“Wait Kurt, come on don’t be upset,” Rachel told him.

“I’m not,” Kurt told them. “I’m fine, I just have something to do. Sorry,”

Kurt did the same, grabbing his bag and walking out of the choir room, leaving everyone confused and disappointed as well.

“Should we just give up?” Mike asked.

“No, I never give up,” Puck said. “Except for when I do but not this time,”

“Well maybe we just need to stop forcing it,” Rachel shrugged.

“Yeah maybe we just need to let them figure it out on their own,” Quinn said. “It’s obvious that they love each other so they just need to admit it,”

“But if we aren’t doing anything to get them closer to each other then they’ll stay away from each other as much as possible,” Finn explained. “I just don’t understand why, if Kurt’s worried that Sam’s not straight he shouldn't be because Sam just came out to him,”

“And Sam shouldn't be worried that Kurt doesn’t like he because Kurt really likes him and told him that,” Artie said.

“Well I think we need to stop forcing it,” Mercedes said. “I think we really upset both of them,”

“How though?” Quinn asked.

“I don’t know,” Mercedes said. “I just know how the both of them get and they seem really confused and unsure so we should stop pushing them,”

No one said anything after that but they all knew that they silently agreed on the same thing. They had to let go and let Kurt and Sam find their own way to each other. It was fun while it lasted.

“Well I don’t know what that was about but who wants to go next?” Mr. Schue asked, finally looking up from the stack of papers he had been grading while the drama went on.

[kidnappedbycartoons]

Thoughts on Hope

After I did Noah, you should’ve known I was doing Hope next. Frankly, she is my second favorite girl from that season (After Chelsea). I know a lot of people don’t like her, but let me give my thoughts about her.

At First:

It was obvious she was playing the game at first. She went straight for Noah without asking anyone to step forward, slept with him after Priya came in so that she couldn’t turn his head, inserted herself as the leader of the girls, and was lowkey performing with Noah in the first week. Remember how defensive she got during the Mean Tweets challenge even though Priya/MC gets the majority of votes for who is playing the game? But I always wondered why she was playing the game at first. Like, what could her reason be? Then I remembered a conversation she had with MC.

On Day 10, when MC goes to talk to Hope, she reveals that growing up her family didn’t have a lot of money and so she’s proud of her accomplishments because of that. That would also explain why she focused so much on Lucas’s money and why that comment about her having more money than Noah came out. Would it be right to say that she is financially insecure, I don’t know? But money might mean a lot to her because it gives her a form of security, not physically, but emotionally. It makes her feel important, accomplished, and confident. But she isn’t someone who will beg for money, no, she is someone who will get it on her own.

I also remember on one of the later days, she says that she wants to become the CEO of her own toy company and it costs a lot of money to start your own business. That could be part of the reason why she was playing the game. She splits the money when she and Noah wins and that’s for a multitude of reasons. Number one, that would be a heartless and selfish thing to do and she’s not that kind of person. Number two, she actually does have feelings for Noah and wasn’t going to hurt him like that. Number three, the public would dislike her if she did, which could cause problems for future endeavors.

Actually, I want to talk about the first reason, because I’ve noticed some people acting like Hope is some big, bad villain and I need to defend her.

Her Personality:

Hope is someone who naturally takes the lead. I don’t think she has a problem with control like Lottie does, but if no one else speaks up she’ll do so. I don’t know if I’m remembering wrong, but when MC takes over, she doesn’t interrupt her or downplay it. In fact, she agrees with MC and kind of stands by her. Yes, she does overdo it a bit in the beginning, but she loosens up a bit by the end.

Also, she’s not someone that likes drama. We see her try to calm things down on Day Five and on that stupid Girl’s Day Trip. Even when Operation Nope happens, she doesn’t drag it out like Lottie did with Marisol and Rocco. She even tries to act like nothing’s wrong in the few days following until something comes up, like finding out Noah had an ex named Priya. However, sometimes she does act a bit irrational.

The first instance that comes to mind is Day Ten. When she feels herself getting closer to Noah, the two end up arguing. Hope is upset because of the money comment and when MC calls her out on it sounding stupid, only then does she relax. This isn’t the first time either. The next day when she is in the lounge when MC gives her the hot chocolate, she says that Noah said she was upset with Priya because of her pride and it clearly affects her. And during Casa Amor, after the girls see the video, she starts stressing about Noah again, and only when MC gives her a reality check (If she didn’t participate in Operation Nope) does she come to her senses a bit. Hope gets in her head a lot and she needs someone who can call her out on it (Like Lucas), and that’s one of the reasons why she and Noah could never work. When she gets in her head, that’s when she gets a bit annoying to be around, but what she needs is a reality check.

Now. I have to talk about them. I’m going to focus on Hope and how people keep making her the villain though.

Nope:

They were never a good couple. Besides the fact that Hope was playing the game, they just didn’t mesh well. A lot of people say that Hope was keeping Noah on a leash and I do agree, to an extent. In the beginning, before Casa Amor, she definitely was. For example, she locked Noah in quickly when Priya came in but also didn’t bother to hide her excitement when Lucas came in. Remember when she was talking about them on Day Six and then MC says something about Noah being available and she gets upset? Or better yet, on Day Seven after Mr. Love Island. The girls are talking about the guys in the dressing room and when all the girls say that Noah saying that Hope is the only one he wants to date, she tells them to “Look, but don’t touch”. Or if MC takes Noah on a date on Day Nine, Hope feels the need to talk about how it doesn’t bother her. We all have to remember that is only the first week and that everyone is still getting to know each other, but she stops Noah from getting to know the girls while simultaneously letting herself interact with Lucas and Jakub.

Before the update, during the shower argument in Operation Nope, Hope had shamed Noah for not fighting for their relationship. They’ve changed it now to have her say “If you’re going to pie me off, I’d rather know about it before the entire villa” (Along those lines). But prior to that, that really shows her keeping him on a leash. She practically guilts him for not fighting for their relationship, only to then dump him the next day when Jakub picks her. I think it’s a mixture of two things. One, her playing the game and wanting to win and getting nervous when she sees how big of a risk MC/Priya is. Two, her actually developing feelings for Noah and not wanting to let him go. And remember that she gets in her head a lot and starts acting irrationally. All of this combined, caused her to say those words (Not justifying it, just explaining it).

But we also have to remember that Noah isn’t a saint either. After Operation Nope (If MC doesn’t participate), when he says that Hope was more upset at Priya because of her pride when Priya literally tried to kiss him earlier that day? She was actively trying to steal him away from Hope after going on about how cute of a couple they were just a few days ago, in front of Hope at that. And then not taking the blame for his part when he could’ve shut it down. If he had made it clear that he wanted to be with Hope to both of them, then Priya would’ve probably backed off. If he had said that he wanted to try things on with Priya to both of them, Hope would’ve been upset but she would’ve let him be. And if MC did participate in Operation Nope, then it’s just worse, but I already spoke about this on his post.

After Casa Amor, and I’m going to use it if MC didn’t participate in ON, she and Noah are kind of on a weird page. The two of them are saved by Lottie and Bobby, solely so they could get back together. I think both of them felt pressured to get back together after that since it seemed like everyone else was rooting for them to get back together. Once they do, we see that Hope is worried because she doesn’t want kids but Noah does. What I find interesting is that on Day Twenty-Six, Hope reveals that Noah would always talk about how he wanted a big family and it seemed he just assumed Hope did as well because he had these kinds of expectations about her. Like her being too much of a lady to get drunk at a waterpark. And during the Baby Boom episode, she starts getting in her head when she sees how much fun Noah is having with the doll baby and Noah gives in to calm her down and make her comfortable. It’s like, they both have feelings for each other, but they’re slowly realizing that they’re not a compatible couple, but they’re staying together because of the pressure of the show.

Her And The Girls:

I already know that she and Lottie don’t talk after the show. But I need to talk about her and Priya because I feel like Hope considered Priya a friend while Priya didn’t. She even tells Priya on Day Twelve that she was ready to be friends again if she backed off. But there are moments prior to that. I noticed that Hope and Priya hung around each other a lot. Like on Day Four, Hope went to check on Priya. On Day Six, the two were talking about Rocco and Marisol in the dressing room. On Day Seven, they were hanging around each other before Rocco showed up. Which makes ON worse for Hope because someone she considered a friend betrayed her.

As for her and Marisol, I never noticed the little moments between them until I had her hate my MC. On Day Eleven, Marisol talks with Hope if MC doesn’t give her the hot chocolate. During Casa Amor, it hints that she and Marisol have spoken to each other about something. Even in the first week, there were moments where Hope was doing Marisol’s hair and I don’t think I saw the other girls doing that. I think the reason why they meshed was probably that Hope tends to get in her head a lot and Marisol, with her psychoanalyzing skills, puts a bit of ease to Hope’s mind. Not to mention that Marisol doesn’t have much tact and would probably call her out when she starts acting that way.

Now, she and MC. No matter what I do, they always end up being close. The only time where they weren’t was during my second playthrough of Operation Nope. I’ve said before that she appreciates when MC calls her out on being irrational and is honest. She also applauds MC when she helps keep the peace in the group. Even during Operation Nope, as long as you stay loyal to Noah and are honest with your feelings, she won’t be that upset with you. I think she had a lot of respect for MC and her opinions on things. 

Final Thoughts:

Hope is a flawed character, but she’s not a villain like some people have painted her out to be. Her and Noah weren’t a good couple at all and because of the pressure of the show and her wanting to win, it got worse the longer they stayed together. After this, I’m debating about doing one of the guys. But it might not be who you expect.

[stina-is-a-punk-rocker]

so i watched ‘the broken hearts gallery’...

Oh boy. Oh boy.

I want to be generous, I really do- for my baby Geraldine and my baby daddy Dacre, if no one else. I watched Blockers a while back, and anyone who’s been in my general vicinity for the last two months knows I have a hot, pulsating mega-boner for Stranger Things.

Two people I like as the leads of a movie? It’s bound to be great, right?

… Right?

I’m gonna be honest; I’m probably not the best audience for a rom-com. Grand gestures make me uncomfortable, and cheesy love confessions make me want to hurl. Myself. Into the fucking sun.

But I’m willing to overlook all that if the film is enjoyable (the first To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie is bottled sunshine and rainbows and unicorn farts). Which The Broken Hearts Gallery was… sort of. Moderately.

Maybe it’s the whole premise that didn’t work all that swimmingly for me. The first time I had my heart broken was on March 25th, 2015, when Zayn left One Direction; and I’ve hoarded plenty of trash memorabilia, from the first bus ticket I bought for myself to chocolate wrappers I got from my friends in the ninth grade. But I can’t imagine anyone else would be interested in my junk- and I’d definitely not give half a shit about anyone else’s.

Maybe this is why I’m a STEM major. I don’t get art people.

Secondhand embarrassment is an exquisite form of torture. Forget waterboarding; if someone replayed that part where Lucy storms into the bistro and makes a scene and Nick has to physically carry her out, I’d just keel over and die.

Geraldine did justice to what she’d been given. Lucy might not make it to my list of favorite leads, but she’s got a charm that kind of grows on you. Like a dandelion, sort of. Technically a weed, but nice enough.

Dacre’s acting came across quite stiff- even the way he walked as Nick seemed like he had a nail-studded baseball bat up his arse. If I’d first encountered Dacre in this movie, I’d’ve thought him in the league of Noah Centineo and whoever the fuck played Hardin in After. Thankfully, I know what he’s capable of (with great difficulty, I hold myself back from choking this with gifs from Stranger Things)- so this, my guy, is a prime example of Bad Writing- or, what I like to call, Who the Fuck Thought Normal People Talk and Act This Way.

Not all, but a decent amount of conversations felt stilted and awkward, and fairly cartoonish. Not to mention that ending, where everyone at the gallery becomes a fucking hivemind and chants… that’s just cult behavior.

[picture me flailing my arms wildly at this part] It’s just. No.

Also, not to be that asshole, but why on god’s green earth does Lucy take Nick to meet her mum? Why are there are so many retirement home scenes in YA?? This is YA, right???

And Nick just… casually plays the piano. Unprompted. Just… sits down and starts playing. Because people do that.

Circling back to my antipathy for grand gestures: how awkward would it have been if that sign Nick drags halfway across New York just flickers out and dies when he confesses? “I love you,” he says, and the thing just goes out. Poof. Just like that.

And this movie made me realize how fucking. much. I hate music montages.

That being said, The Broken Hearts Gallery was not devoid of merits.

I adored the characters, for one. Magpie Lucy was a bit too quirky at times, but Geraldine’s performance put her more to the cute side than the annoying one on the quirkiness scale. Marcos and his wife (… does she get a name? I called her ‘Obama lady’ in my head) and Jeff belong in my pocket.

The female friendships were wonderful. Gosh, I loved Nadine and Amanda (even though I called them ‘Lesbian Friend’ and ‘Psycho Friend’ for a solid 95% of the movie because I forgot their names haha oops), and I loved how they had more personality than other best friends in typical YA. Their dynamic was super sweet and lovable, and I adored them. Me. A heartless bastard. Maybe there is hope for me besides eternal damnation.

The actors had really good chemistry- despite Dacre’s less-than-stellar performance (please don’t attack me; I want the man to father my children- I’m only being this harsh on him because I know what he’s capable of and this was far from his full potential), him and Geraldine worked really well together, and made one of the few cishet couples in media that don’t make me want to put my head in a microwave.

I really liked the little callbacks to the beginning of the movie; Nick’s in the front seat and Lucy’s in the back seat when they first meet, but when they’re coming home from visiting Cheryl, they’re sitting next to each other.

And Jeff finally talking after being on his phone for nearly the entire runtime? That’s literally the cutest fucking thing ever. I love how enthusiastic he is over meerkats- tell me more about their itty-bitty little legs, you cinnamon roll, you.

And this scene. Just, this.

And I don’t want to go on for too long about Dacre’s voice, even though I probably am, but GOOD LORD the man could read a grocery list and I’d be on my knees. His gravelly voice is everything. Even though I had trouble understanding parts of what he’d said because of aforementioned gravel.

Was art gallery lady in Ugly Betty? I think art gallery lady was in Ugly Betty. It was nice to see an old white lady giving a young brown padawan advice, for a change.

Okay, I don’t know how to end this, so here are gifs of Dacre Montgomery from Stranger Things:

[ledamemangociana]

RANKING HAISUTE (or the ones i’ve seen so far)

not that anyone has asked me, but i’ve literally been so hyperfixated on these shows for MONTHS and although i’ve gotten my bestie into them now, it’s not like i can bombard them with all these deep-ish dives into these things and how much and why i love them, so i thought HEY why not just put it out into the ether coz DAMN i really wanna talk about them.

under the cut for length (HELLA LENGTH) and spoilers.

let me preface this first by saying i havent seen ALL the shows yet. i havent ever watched the first run of Itadaki No Keshiki, and i havent seen any of the new Karasuno cast shows yet, as by the time i had gotten hooked on these shows, the time to watch Strongest Challengers and Battle At The Garbage Dump on DMM.com had passed, and with my limited budget (i havent been able to work properly since literally mid-July last year), it’ll be a while before i can afford their twin pack DVD when it comes out next month. ALTHOUGH i am hoping to be able to download Fly High on DMM.com before the availability runs out in the middle of March, if i’ll actually have enough money for that.

additionally, i rank these from my least favorite to most favorite, but that does not mean that i hate or dislike any of them. in fact, i have little to zero negative things to say about any of these shows. i just happen to love some more than the others, and i think you’ll be able to tell by how long i go on about each show. i’ll TRY to keep things concise but im telling you now, i’ve already tried this once until an accidental button press erased everything i had written, and this will not be short. at all.

i’ll start first with the things i love about Haisute in general:

quite obviously, the projections. before i finally saw Haisute this year, i had only ever seen BNHA, KNY and Kuroshitsuji musicals, and while they have awesome set pieces, i had never seen video projections utilized the way Haisute does, and i think it’s so wonderful and creative, and so technically sound on everyone’s part. like, it has to be so precise with cast performance and blocking and sound and lights...like. dudes. shout-out to the tech staff of Haisute, y’all are amazing.

the acting performances in general. i dont think there’s a bad actor at all in any of these. some stiff-ish performances (Noah Ishikura as Lev, but mostly in SoE, which was his first time acting ever, so understandable), maybe, but even those actors do great when they’re having a pivotal moment, scene or dialogue. it’s hard to pick faves but somehow i do have them, lol - Kenta Suga as Hinata (obviously), Kentaro as Daichi, Hiroki Ino as Suga, Kousuke Asuma as Oikawa, literally ALL THREE BOKUTOS, literally BOTH AKAASHIS, Ami Saito as Yachi, Tatsunari Kimura as Kageyama, and my top two faves, Shori Kondo and Takato Nagata as KuroKen. for obvious reasons (see: my numerous gifsets that i still have so much to add to alkdjf).

the music is WONDERFUL. the varieties across shows, teams and characters while still maintaining the main themes are just so good. it’s easier for them to be highlighted to since there isnt any singing, and so many moments are told through the music rather than the music accompanying the moment imo.

the choreography is gold af. im sad we lose HIDALI after Tokyo Battle, but im sure the rest of the shows still keep that amazing spark. but i juST. HIDALI’s choreography is iconic. i’ll talk abt it a bit more in some of the entries in the list.

OKAY, now on to the rankings.

7. View from the Top (2nd Run) so again, I DONT HATE ANY OF THESE SHOWS. the reason this is at the bottom of my list is mostly because of what it doesnt have through no fault of its own, rather than anything that it does. i personally love watching character growth and evolution, so for the most part, the first story in anything that has multiple follow-ups tend to be my least favorite part, and i come to enjoy them more as a “look how far we’ve come” thing. that being said, i do think this was such an awesome show to kick-off what has become an iconic 2.5D franchise. so much of it feels like the transition from potential to kinetic energy. a little show that could, and then did. i do think i enjoy this more with a nostalgic sort of fondness than i do with a “look how cool this thing is!” feeling, but again, that’s coz i enjoy watching things changing rather than at the start. what definitely stands out to me here is that i came to it this as only my fourth 2.5D franchise, and the ones i’d watched before this were so different in staging and execution, and that really had me hooked. also, this franchise honestly is one of the best casting in any show i’ve ever seen in my life, like wtf, i havent seen a badly cast actor at all, even for the side characters i dont really pay that much attention to otherwise. you cant help but be sucked into the bright light that is Kenta Suga, and Kousuke Asuma has to be the most Oikawa Oikawa to ever Oikawa anything Oikawa. Tatsunari, Ryotaro and Justin absolutely jumped right out of the manga and anime and onto the stage as Kags, Tsukki and Asahi. and GAWD do i love me some Kentaro and Hiroki as DaiSuga. i went in a big fan and simp of Hiroki Ino and Sugawara, so for the first couple of watches, i was heavily focused on Ino!Suga, but by the third rewatch, Ken-chan came around a corner and smacked me in the face with a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire. when that man smiles, i just get murdered.

6. Start of the Giant i honestly had a hard time picking between this and InK for the bottom spot, not because i hate this (AGAIN, I DONT HATE ANY OF THESE SHOWS), but because of how this show feels to me. ultimately, i picked this one to win over InK because of how much character progression is shown between these two shows. stating the obvious, KAZUMA KAWAHARA. HOO BOY. and big, BIG shout-outs to Kouhei Shiota for portraying Tanaka’s emotional roller-coaster so excellently to stride alongside Ennoshita’s big journey and Kazuma’s powerhouse performance. i also wanna spotlight how much more comfortable Tatsuya Kageyama was in his second go-around as Kags, and how well Keita Tanaka and Naoki Tanaka came in as new(old)!Daichi and new!Suga. it took me a while to get to this show because i was so sad to lose Ken-chan and Hiroki after SoE, and i thought i just would not be able to love DaiSuga the same way. turns out that that’s a good thing, because they do play similar but different DaiSugas to Kentaro and Hiroki. it possibly also helped to know that KT wasn’t entirely new, and to have known of Naoki from BNHA (with Hiroki!), although i hadnt known it was him until i started the show up at last, lol. Kentaro got to play a captain who was warm and very much one of the boys, someone who was growing into the role of a captain of a team that had a very real chance of going farther than it had in a while, while KT got to play a Daichi who, fittingly, was more established as a pillar of the group (and im sure the storytelling of this show helped with that), more of that Dadchi that we know and love. Hiroki got to play a gentle but mischeivous Suga who was all about watching over and taking care of the team, watching and waiting for his turn while understanding that Kags was their best chance, while Naoki got to play a more active, more athletic Suga who was becoming more active the closer the team got to Nationals. their performances stood out not just coz they were new, but because of the theme of this story in particular, about captains and leading, so i thought it was quite a nice way to welcome them into the fold. i also of course enjoyed Johzenji and Wakunan, maybe Johzenji more than Wakunan. i saw someone say they’re a bit like Fukurodani and Nekoma lite, and i can totally see and agree with that. this show also feels a bit like Revival lite, in that it’s got a fun first half and then a more action-packed second match with an emotional gutpunch at the end. but ultimately, this is lower on my list because, through no major fault of its own, it felt like a filler show, considering what was coming after this. it felt a bit like “lets’ get on with this story so we can get on to the last hurrah that everyone is looking forward to.” of all the side teams to have been portrayed in the Engeki story, i feel like i remember johzenji and wakunan less. again, that’s not really anyone’s fault, it’s just where this show was positioned in the timeline and what it was ultimately representing. as a parting thought tho, i just wanna shout-out the new lighting scheme they did for this show, especially coming from SoE where there was a lot of darkness or back-lighting. this show is brighter lit in general than most of the shows that came before it, and idky exactly but i do appreciate that a lot.

5. Winners And Losers objectively, this is probably one of the top 3 shows in all of Haisute’s history. but it’s lower on my list because it is the most taxing to watch and rewatch, not because it’s too slow or anything like that, but because it really just is such a tiring story, and i think that’s deliberate on the part of the writers and directors. this was Karasuno’s first major loss, and it was against an opponent they thought they knew, so of course the lead-up had to be a big deal. it’s also a story that revolves quite a bit around kageyama reaching a turning point and learning a few lessons that would ultimately change him, so the story had to also execute that change happening not just in Kageyama but around him. add to that the fact that this was Tatsunari’s goodbye performance (as well as Shohei’s as Noya, but then he doesn’t really get a big emotional moment here) and it’s just heavy on the emotions all around. the comedic distraction of ShoriTaka as Tetsuko and Kenko was honestly quite welcome, lmao. quick little shout-out to Kousuke Asuma and Allen Kohatsu as IwaOi, since they got to really show off the different sides to both those characters in this, and they just are stellar in general. that bit at the end of one of their flashbacks where Iwa-chan tells Oikawa that he’s not the only one fighting, there’s six people in that team, and Oikawa breaks into laughter as Kousuke strips off the flashback jacket, and Iwa’s like “uuuhhh did i hit you too hard, or?” UGH, i love that bit, that almost creepy laugh from Kousuke and the way he comes out of it to say “suddenly im not so upset” is just SO good. im also so happy to see Hiroki get his due as Suga when he finally gets to step up to the plate - or net, as it were - and basically pinch-hit for Kags. he plays senpai!Suga so sweetly, like you really can’t help but love him coz he’s so caring. i also did not expect to be hit right in the feels with the switch back from him to Kageyama, but that bit where he says “it’s frustrating, but hinata’s expression when he’s hitting my sets is different from when it’s yours” really got me. and then when he had to leave the court, asahi and daichi send a fist bump his way, and he gives just this tiny fist bump wave that’s both tired and disappointed and sad, and it’s juST! it hurts me everytime. and before this gets long, im gonna just spotlight the last 10-15 minutes of the show, right after Karasuno loses. Kenta absolutely nails Hinata’s expression in the manga, that wide-eyed disbelief and shock. and then when Daichi tells him not to apologize because he didn’t miss, when Daichi just walks over and hugs him, good gawd. (sidebar, but i’m so glad i got to see that bit with both Ken-chan here and KT in Strongest Team.) and the way Hinata couldn’t move after thanking the audience, not even after Ukai called him back, so Daichi had to actually go get him? my heart was in PIECES. and then the fuggin dinner scene. LORD ABOVE. like, if you dont love Kenta Suga as Hinata, this is the scene that should convince you you’re wrong.

4. The Strongest Team this is right smack dab in the middle of the list because it’s probably the best staged show of all the seven that i’ve seen, but it also hurts me so much for all the obvious reasons. this is the one i’ve rewatched the least, and everytime i rewatch it, i cry as if it’s the first time im watching it. the whole show absolutely feels like a tribute to the Karasuno cast and all the growth they’ve had and contributed to Haisute over their three years with the show, and the entire thing feels so fond, if that makes any sense. everyone on the team gets a big emotional moment, and it’s so sweet to see them each paid tribute. aside from them, i gotta AGAIN shout-out kousuke as oikawa. i like aoba josai enough, i like oikawa enough as a character, but that moment when kousuke absolutely broke down in the locker room after losing to karasuno broke my heart, even more so knowing that he absolutely felt all that gratitude because he wasnt sure he’d be able to come back to the show coz of his hip injury. i think one little moment that doesnt get as talked about as it should is just after he and Iwaizumi have that short convo of always being each other’s partners even after they’ve moved on to different schools. they do their fist bump, and then Iwa walks away, but Kousuke/Oikawa is still absolutely in tears, and as Iwa walks off, he just kind of reaches out and lets out a pained “Iwa-chan!” that’s just barely audible, and that jUST. GETS ME EVERYTIME. hell, im feeling a little heartstring pull right now just thinking about it. i also wanna shout-out Shiratorizawa because Engeki made me actually care about them. like, okay - i dont hate Shiratorizawa, at all. but watching the anime, despite having an entire season be around them, i just never really latched onto them. i like Ushiwaka enough, and i just...dont like Tendou (sue me). but Engeki Haikyuu has a habit of spotlighting other teams and characters enough to make you actually think about them and care about them, and Shiratorizawa was the biggest example of that for me. their theme is awesome, it’s this big, deep, heavy thing that feels as big and broad as the players look. and i could feel their almost militaristic teamwork when the coach is on them, and it’s so good. speaking of Coach Washijo, shout-out to that flashback scene to his younger days. Kenta looked absolutely risible in the wig and giant eyebrows, but i think it was an important touch to have the person playing Hinata be the person playing younger Washijo, because their inner conflicts are basically the same, and Washijo comes to appreciate Hinata’s efforts because of it, so i thought that was a nice touch. (still dont like Tendou tho, sue me.) i gotta end this entry coz it’s getting long, so im just gonna quickly list my favorite scenes/moments:

Yamaguchi’s pinch serve, and bringing out the spear. Kairi Miura wields that spear like he’s been doing it all his life.

Tsukki’s big “GODDAMMIT I THINK I LOVE VOLLEYBALL NOW” moment. the expression on ryotaro’s face right at the end of that scene, where he’s basically saying “it’s just a club, AND YET!” uuuggggghhhh, please i love it. also, shout-out to when Hinata pointed at him and just said “...nice.” like...that always feels like only half Hinata and Tsukki, and more half-Kenta and his best friend Ryotaro, just like the “Tsukki! that one was worth a 100 points!” line that absolutely gets Ryotaro so that on the live cam he had to turn his head away before he meant to for the next bit.

that moment in the last-ish set of the match where everyone is just DESPERATE to win, so it becomes this frantic rally and volley where everyone just starts to grunt and yell louder and louder, and people are running back and forth and jumping and diving, and it’s just this cacophony of sound and blur of movement that just seems to stretch on and on, until finally Shiratorizawa just yells “SHUT UP! WE’RE STRONGER!” and knocks all of Karasuno down. WHEW. that bit is just. WHEW. i almost always forget to breathe at that point. and then the waterworks get turned on as Ukai tearfully tells them to get back up, because volleyball is a sport where you HAVE to look up. LORDDDDD.

the bit towards the end of the match, after tsukki returns from his injury, where they absolutely acted out Ushiwaka pushing Hinata and Tsukki to the floor and holding their heads down. when i first watched it, i gasped because that is straight out of the anime and manga, and then when the rest of Karasuno came in to pull Ushi off, i just turned into a giant sobbing mess.

the graduation curtain call, obviously, but in particular, the bit that will ALWAYS, WITHOUT FAIL, destroy me is when Kenta says “this show was so tiring and tough sometimes, but when i look back, all i can remember are the good times, the best times.” GODDAMMIT IM TEARING UP BADLY RN JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT BIT.

3. Summer Of Evolution this is where the lines between the rankings get a little bit blurred, because i love these top three equally for the most part, but i had to choose a number two (i absolutely know what my number one is), and when i really think about it, SoE just gets edged out by my number two, but barely. i think what i love the most about this show is that this, more than any of the other shows, really portrays these characters as high school kids. and that’s not just because part of the story is set in the school and it’s actually showing the school sometimes, but coz they’re going through and portraying teenage experiences and emotions. most of the other shows portray the team in matches, so we’re seeing them more as volleyball players than teenagers or students, but we get to finally see that here, and it’s really refreshing. other than that, im gonna try to just list some of my highlights and favorites again coz i dont wanna keep going too long:

im so glad to finally have girls on the show, and not just in a “YAY FEMINISM! GIRL POWER! WHOO!” kind of way. kiyoko has always felt like an inextricable part of the team for me, so it was bittersweet to have such a great Karasuno cast but without a Kiyoko, so i was REALLY happy to finally get her here! and for a first time actor ever, Shizune was so awesome! she absolutely has that gentle strength that Kiyoko has, and the way she’s been written in absolutely does feel like she’s always been there. i do wish she got more to do with the third year boys, but all in all, it’s SO good to have an actual Kiyoko who absolutely looks like she came out of the manga.

im also just so DAMN happy about Yachi and her portrayal here. i think ami saito is so dang perfect, and yachi is such a fun addition that fits right in with the chaotic fun of Karasuno. one thing that i REALLY love, though, is how she gets to just act. before Haisute, my only experience of female characters and actors on a 2.5D stage is with Uraraka (and two or three other female students) in BNHA and Elizabeth in Kuroshitsuji, and those characters are your typical cutesy girls, and their movements and body language are so typically girly, you know what i mean, those softer arms and smaller movements, looser fingers, these little “Kyaa~” things, those things. but Kiyoko, Yachi and Saeko arent like that, so that’s not how they’re portrayed here. Ami as Yachi is just as loud and expressive and active as the Karasuno boys, bar actually playing in a match. also, her chemistry with Kenta is SO GOOD. i dont really ship YachiHina, i think they’re cute friends, but BOY DID THESE TWO MAKE ME RETHINK THAT. ami’s Yachi with Kenta’s Hinata made me think “YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE TWO GO ON A CHAPERONED DATE.” they’re adorable. a particular fave of mine is when hinata climbs a tree to help a baby bird back into its nest and he asks Yachi if she wants to climb up too, and also after Yachi finishes making the Hinata poster, she jumps onto the back of Hinata’s bike and they ride off-stage together. PLEASE IT’S SO CUTE.

also: SAEKO NEE-SAN PLEASE STEP ON ME.

OH HI FUKURODANI. they are such good chaos boys, i love them. i dont have much to say about them here just yet, but WOW im so glad to have them onstage at last.  

NEKOMA IS BACK THANK GAWD I LOVE NEKOMA. of all the teams portrayed, i think nekoma is the one that feels the most connected together (AHA!). like, even when they have a new character and/or cast member, the new ones never really stand out as new, they feel like they’ve always been there. this play really showcases the teams at their most casual so we dont get to see as much of their excellent teamwork and connection as we do in past and future shows, but you really get a sense of their family dynamic and just GOD I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, and honestly dont get me started on ShoriTaka, i will literally never stop

shout-out to Tatsuya Kageyama, he had big shoes to fill not just in terms of character but also as an actor, since this is his first show ever. much like with KT and Naoki as DaiSuga, it does feel like he plays a similar enough Kageyama without just mimicing Tacchu. this is also the right Kags arc to introduce a new Kageyama actor with as well, since there’s a big change after that loss to Aoba Josai and Oikawa, so i think the writing of the show also absolutely helped Kage-chan ease into his role, and helped the audience ease into this new Kageyama. overall, i think he did an awesome job, and we’re really fortunate to have had two awesome Kageyamas before gen 1/1.5 changed to gen 2.

i also just noticed/realized that the backstage video for SoE starts with the introduction of Kage-chan and Fucchi as new cast members, and ends with the farewell to Ken-chan and Hiroki as graduating members, and i know that’s just natural coz the first time the Karasuno cast met the two new members was at the photoshoot for visuals, but also what a nice little circle of life there.

COMING INTO THE HOMESTRETCH NOW, if you’ve made it this far, thank you SO MUCH, im sorry, i really just have a tendency to ramble, and like i said, i dont really have anyone or an opportunity to talk this deep about these shows to, so thanks so much for your time.

2. Karasuno, Revival! WHEW okay, so idk if this is Unpopular Opinion or controversial coz objectively it is the best show so far, and i’ve put it only at number 2. BUT LISTEN: before i saw Tokyo Battle, this was absolutely my number 1 favorite. the Dateko match is so good and so fun to watch, and honestly, that rap battle gives me so much life im almost immortal now. i LOVE that they also got to show ikejiri (THANK YOU KENTA SUGA) and ken-chan as daichi got his moments because of it, and it gave us “katou tou shinakya, katenai!” as an iconic quote and theme for the show, we got a fantastic moment for Asahi that was paid off from the previous show, also honestly “otchita kyougo, tobenai garasu” is just gonna be stuck in your head forever for a while. we also got Kousuke and Allen’s excellent IwaOi back, bringing with them their “Iwa-chan, are you my mom” dynamic (and gawd the cackle i let out when Iwa yeets a volleyball at Oikawa, or that turn and yell that makes Oikawa yelp as he exits off stage lkasdjf), which is always a plus. but! BUT!! best thING FOR ME???? NEKOMA, BABY!! like im sorry, im biased, but i fuggin LOVE nekoma, kuroo is my favorite character in the entire series, and Haisute really gave them a fantastic story and dynamic, because again, there’s so much you can do on stage that you sometimes cant do in anime or manga, so they were really able to highlight Nekoma’s famous teamwork, especially when centered around Kenma. more on that later, but like. it was just such a JOY to watch Karasuno, still kind of scattered puzzle pieces at this point trying to figure out how to best go together to create one big picture, go up against the smooth teamwork of Nekoma, and learn and grow from it. also they honestly have the best team theme music and team dance, fite me. also thank you Haisute for making KuroDai so painfully real lakdsfj

1. Tokyo Battle okay okaY OKAY OKAY OKAY. i think there are some people who actually like this the least coz it’s just too different from the rest of the shows that came before it - no Karasuno, less projections, different music style, aesthetically different stage, etc. B U T. aside from me just being biased because Nekoma are my favorite team, i actually think many of those differences are what makes this show my favorite one. first of all, the music is LIT AF. the themes for each team are so distinct, they really help play up the animal motifs that are played up the most in this show than in any of the others. secondly, THAT CHOREOGRAPHY THO. good gawd. HIDALI said “it’s our last Haisute, let’s go out with a bang” and they really fuggin did. Fukurodani absolutely is TOKYO PARTY TIME, they got to really play up their party birds schtick and i love it. Nohebi i cannot HELP but love because i love snakes, but also, with Nohebi’s cast, you can tell the choreographers were so happy to finally have an actual technical dancer. they had yuu fukuzawa doing the most and then some in playing up the snake theme, and it’s literally so hypnotic to watch his pops, locks and isolations. he’s also just such an AWESOME daisho, and it helps that nohebi are written to be cunning and sneaky. i also love that he and Kuroo seem to actually have a lot of untold history, and i kind of wish we could get a bit more elaboration on that, coz Yuu’s and Shori’s chemistry as frenemy team captains is SO GOOD. and then of course. NEKOMA, BABY!! so okay. kenma absolutely should be the lead of this show, and he is, BUT he’s also, to a certain extent, inextricable from Kuroo and the rest of the team, so that you dont always get that feeling of Kenma being in the spotlight the same way Hinata is (for understandable reasons since Nekoma arent even really the main characters of the story as a whole), and i think that’s important because, again, Nekoma is all about that teamwork and connection. like, Kenma is the lead because he thinks for Nekoma, and Nekoma acts accordingly, instead of how it is usually where the story is showing Hinata’s perspective alone. it also feels like that in terms of the actors. like, technically Takato is zachou, and he is, but also several times in the curtain call speeches, the cast members refer to or mention both Takato and Shori together. even Takato says that when he had spoken to Kenta about how nervous he was about taking up the zachou mantle from him, Kenta had said “if it’s you and shori, you’ll be fine.” they are a unit, and it really comes across in their portrayals of Kuroo and Kenma as well, and even if you love nothing else about this show, you literally cannot help but love that about them. i think the show does a great job revolving the Nekoma team dynamic around that too without making it the ONLY thing that keeps Nekoma together. the star of the show is absolutely the theme of “connection” (more than the other theme of promises), and if you’ve seen the show and you dont cry at the “Tsunage” section as Nekoma wins the match against Nohebi, then are you really watching the show lmao.

OKAY OKAY I’VE REALLY RAMBLED ON, and if you made it all the way here, THANK YOU AND IM SORRY. but also, there’s still a lot of things i wanna talk about that i didnt talk about here coz im mostly a scatterbrain and live half my life radiating BDE - Bokuto Dumbass Energy. so if you’re also ridiculously obsessed with these shows and wanna talk about it, my inbox is open. someone come hyperfixate with me while i make SO MANY MORE GIFSETS OHMYGOD ALL THE GIFSETS geezas crust when i get to Tokyo Battle i will be insufferable.

[djchika]

RNM fic: 5 Times the Malex Squad tried to intervene and one time when Kyle Valenti, self-proclaimed best friend to Alex Manes, had enough.

1.  

Kyle hadn’t been too proud to admit he was hurt Alex hadn’t said he was playing at the Pony. He’d stared at Alex all wounded and betrayed when Greg had gone on and on about how Alex’s song made him cry.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Alex gave him a look then mockingly repeated, “I really hate Open Mic Night.

“I meant country music and crappy spoken word poetry. I don’t mean you!”

“For the record Forrest is an organizer and he does spoken word. Maybe don’t say that around him if you’re serious about coming next time.”

Kyle had grimaced. Someday he was going to stop inserting his foot into his mouth, but it had not been that day. He did however, concoct a great plan to make up for missing Alex’s performance and accidentally dissing Alex’s new boy wonder and that was grabbing a table front and center during the next Open Mic Night.

He was even there early which was nice cause he was able to hang out with Alex and Forrest. What was unfortunate was that they had to excuse themselves the moment the program started – Forrest to host and Alex to do whatever musicians do to pump themselves up before a game. Unfortunate, because Isobel arrived dragging a surlier than usual looking Guerin and commandeered the empty seats.

“Um, someone’s sitting there.” Kyle pointed out.

“We’ll move when they get back,” Isobel said, “We’re just here for one song.”

Kyle scowled. Fine. He could just ignored them. He was gone after Alex’s anyway. There’d already been one guy singing about dusty roads and pick up trucks and that was already one song too many.

The moment Forrest said Alex’s name Kyle hooted embarrassingly loud grinning brightly when Alex rolled his eyes at him. He didn’t miss the softer smile Alex aimed at Guerin.

Kyle also didn’t miss Isobel’s soft “Oh no,” when Alex called Forrest up to perform with him.

It was a new song. One about hope and new beginnings. Alex sang and played the piano with Forrest reciting bits of poetry during the refrain. It would have been cringe-worthy if Alex’s music didn’t turn Forrest overly dramatic words into something heartfelt and beautiful.

Kyle could almost say he was enjoying it.

What he was not enjoying was the furious whispering between Isobel and Michael.

“This is stupid,” he heard Isobel hiss. “You should be the one up there singing with him.”

“We’ve talked about this.”

“Yeah, yeah. That was before you spent the last month and a half moping. Tripp and Nora never got their chance at happiness. I don’t want you to lose yours too.”

“You know what would make me happy? If you two shut up while Alex is singing,” Kyle interjected quietly. He trained a glare at Isobel. “Regardless of who’s up there with him this is a big deal for him singing with a guy and you’re ruining it."

Isobel huffed, but stayed silent.

Michael stared at him for a second looking like he’d swallowed curdled milk, before finally gritting out the word “Thanks.”

Ah. Apparently, that sour look was him experiencing gratitude towards Kyle. Figures.

2.  

“Your doctor said you can go back to work slowly. That doesn’t mean jumping straight into a 12-hour shift.” Kyle gave Maria his sternest doctor face, but Maria just brushed him off.

“It’s been two months. I’m not doing anything excessive. I was doing paper work, but Max needed a break.”

The fact that Max was now a bartender still broke Kyle’s brain sometimes. Not because there was anything wrong with bartending, but nerdy Max Evans was no bar hound.

“I said I could watch it for him,” Guerin grumbled from where he was brooding like a gargoyle on a bar stool.

“If I left you to watch over the bar, I’d be out of business and your liver would be one big alcohol rag.” She paused, then whispered low, “Wait, do you have a liver?”

“They do,” Kyle confirmed. He’d been intimately acquainted with Noah’s for a while.

“And we all know you really have a heart,” Maria said, poking Guerin in the chest. “Although why you enjoy breaking it, I have no idea.”

Kyle turned when he saw that Michael was no longer paying attention to them and was in fact, staring across the room where Alex and Forrest were alone in a booth.

Nope.

He gave Maria another stern look, this time coming from the guy who was fast considering Alex Manes as his best friend. “Your doctor definitely advises against meddling in other people’s affairs.”

Maria rolled her eyes, but didn’t press further. The pained grateful look Michael threw at Kyle was still hilarious.

3.  

“Valenti.”

“Evans. Guerin.” Kyle said, eyebrows up to his hairline. The two of them showing up at his doorstep at any time of day meant trouble.

“We need your help,” Max said, pushing Michael gently forward. The two of them showing up at his doorstep with Michael’s hand wrapped around a bloody shirt definitely meant trouble.

Trouble in this case was thankfully not of the alien variety. More like Guerin was apparently a genius who turned into a clumsy idiot around Alex. Kyle had known that for a long time now, but he’d figured after half a year of the whole tortured unrequited love schtick, Michael would at least learn to be less self-destructive.

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Michael said, when Max pointed out the same thing.

“You’ve been fixing cars for how long?” Kyle asked as he wrapped a proper bandage around Michael’s hand.

“Since I was thirteen.”  

“And you accidentally slammed the hood of your truck on your head then on your hand because?”

“Alex was out jogging shirtless,” Max said when instead of answering Michael huffed petulantly. “Which I still don’t understand, man. You’ve seen him shirtless before.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have some acetone, would you?” Michael asked Kyle, completely ignoring Max. “And another bandage to cover his mouth.”

Kyle ignored the second request, leaving to grab a bottle of acetone from the stash he’d started keeping for alien emergencies.  

When he got back to the living room, Max still seemed to be ragging on Michael. “He doesn’t even know how you feel.”

“He doesn’t need to know. Not right now.”

“You keep saying that. It’s been more than ten years of waiting for the right moment.”

“Then what’s a couple more?” Michael snarked back.

Jesus. This again. His friends needed more hobbies aside from going after alien murderers and prying in people’s love lives.

Kyle thrust the bottle of acetone at Michael then told Max, “The patient needs to rest. You need to leave.”

“I drove him here.”

“You can come back for him after a few hours when I’m sure he doesn’t have a concussion,” Kyle said, practically pushing Max out the door.

“Thanks,” Michael said, resting his head against the back of Kyle’s couch and grimacing slightly.

He wasn’t sure if that face was because of Michael’s injuries or because he had to thank Kyle again.

"I’ll get you some ice for your head,” he stopped halfway to the kitchen and turned to Guerin. “You know whose side I’m on in this, right?”

Michael gave him a small lopsided smile. “I still hate you for what you put him through, but you’ve been a good friend to him lately.”

Kyle nodded. Yeah. It took him a long time to stop hating himself for that too.

4. 

True to her character, Rosa didn’t even try being subtle.

She gave Alex the stink eye when he walked into the Crashdown with Forrest in tow. “Wait, I thought Isobel said you were soulmates with Gu—”

“—Guh-regory.” Kyle blurted out, then backpedaled quickly when all three of them gave him confused looks, “and she said service mates, not soulmates. Which is wrong because Greg was in the Navy.”

Rosa raised her eyebrows then proceeded to sip noisily from her milkshake.

When Alex and Forrest moved on to their own booth, Rosa eyed him suspiciously. “Are you trying the protective older brother thing on Alex too?”

“I’m not trying to be anyone’s older brother. And you’re both older than me. Technically,” Kyle added. “Besides, Alex doesn’t need protecting. He’s happy. People should just let him be happy.”

“Whatever,” Rosa said with a roll of her eyes. Then she grinned. “You’re totally on Team Malex though right?”

“Malex?”

“It’s what Isobel calls them.”

Kyle shook his head. “People in this town have way too much time in their hands.”

5.

The last straw was Liz literally lifting a straw from Alex’s leftover milkshake.

She had barely arrived back home updated on all the gossip thanks to Maria and Rosa and had apparently not changed one bit.

“No,” he said, grabbing the straw from her and grimacing at the sticky mess now in his hand.  

“Rosa said Isobel mentioned a cosmic connection. If I checked for proof then maybe—”

“No,” Kyle repeated bringing the straw with him when he left the Crashdown.

Seriously, was he the only adult amongst his friends? This was getting out of hand.

+1

“What’s the big emergency?” Isobel asked the moment the three aliens arrived at their newest secret bunker. Maria, Rosa and Liz were already sitting there, waiting impatiently for the reason Kyle had called the meeting.

Michael looked around, then froze. “Wait, where’s Alex?”

“Oh god, did he get kidnapped again?”

“No, he’s safe!” Kyle clarified quickly when six pairs of stricken eyes stared at him.

“Then why are we here?”

Kyle paused then said gravely, “This is an intervention. You all need to lay off Guerin and Alex. I know lately he’s been more sad, pathetic cowboy than angry cowboy, but he did the right thing walking away. It would have been a dick move rejecting Alex then going after him again just when he started going out with someone else. He’s right to wait until they’re both ready. So leave them alone.”

“You called us here to tell us to mind our own business, but aren’t you also technically minding their business by telling us to mind our own business?” Isobel asked, obviously faking confusion.

Maria and Rosa giggled, while Liz tried looked like she was trying not to smile and failing miserably.

Kyle crossed his arms, mustering his dad’s patented disapproving look and giving them all a good dose. “Alex has made his choice. If it’s the wrong choice then it’s his wrong choice to make. If we’re really his friends we need to respect that.”

Pulling out the friend card quickly sobered up Maria, Rosa and Liz who looked at each other guiltily. Max just sat there quietly seeming unsure why he was there in the first place, while Isobel finally huffed then finally nodded.

“Good,” Kyle declared. “No more pushing. No more meddling. Now we’re all going home, and Guerin is going to drown his heartbreak at the Wild Pony.”

“You really think Alex is that into Forrest?” Isobel asked, when everyone else had left and it was just her and Kyle.

Kyle let slip a small smile. Now that he had her word she wouldn’t interfere; he had no qualms in telling her what he knew. “Alex said it’s been fizzling out for weeks. They finally called it quits a few days ago.”

“What? Why didn’t you say anything? Michael could have rushed off to wherever Alex is and declared his undying love, black cowboy hat in hand.”

He gave her a look because 1.) they just went through this and 2.) Isobel was clearly watching too many soaps.

“Right. No meddling,” She pouted, then brightened immediately. “Doesn’t mean we can’t still watch in the sidelines. Where did you say Alex was again?”

“I didn’t,” Kyle paused and then added casually, “But we’re supposed to have drinks at the Pony tonight.”

Isobel gasped seeming to remember Kyle directing Michael to the same place. “You are such a hypocrite.”

“It’s not meddling if they just happen to be at same place at the same time at the right moment.”

She grabbed his arm, dragging him towards the door. “You and I are going there right now. We deserve to see this pay off.”

Kyle didn’t resist. As cheesy as all this was, he’d love to see Alex’s epic happy ending too.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Hints of Beth and the CRM War in 5x09

So, after I re-watched 6x08 and 6x09, which I posted last week, I also decided to re-watch 5x09. I did so for various reasons, including a comment I received on an old theory. But mostly, I’d been wanting to rewatch this episode for a while. I had a hunch that there might be hints toward the CRM war in it that we couldn’t possibly have known about or recognized back in S5. I was not disappointed.

Tyreese, Lizzie & Mica:

So, in this new comment I got, this commenter said she thought Ty was likening the twin boys to Lizzie and Mica. And I’m sure this has been discussed in some iteration, but I sat and thought about it in a way I hadn’t before. I know I’ve discussed that it seems, from the photos, that there seemed to be a “good” and “evil” twin, and obviously that has ties to Lizzie and Mica. But just think about it this way. Ty was obviously present for the Lizzie/Mica tragedy. Then, he’s killed by one of these twins as a walker.

A random line from 5x04, 4 Walls and a Roof, came to my mind. After Abe and co get on the short bus to go to D.C., Ty is digging graves (for the Termites they killed) and Rick goes to help him. Rick asks him something about what happened on his way to Terminus or something like that (can’t remember the exact question) and Ty answers that what happened “killed me.” Rick, looking a little annoyed, says, “No, it didn’t.” And that’s it.

 But it occurred to me that Ty’s line is a foreshadow. He was speaking about Lizzie and Mica, saying that their deaths killed him (emotionally) but it was a foreshadow that another set of siblings would actually kill him a few episodes later. I don’t have a whole lot more to say about this particular thing, though I’m going to talk more about Ty in a minute.  

The thing is, I really don’t think we understand the point of Lizzie and Mica, yet. We’ve had lots of theories, talked about how they impacted Carol, the ways in which they could be Beth proxies. But I don’t think we understand their significance in the grand scheme of things, and I’ve never quite known what to do with them symbolically. But given that they’re in Ty’s hallucination WITH BETH tells me we will probably figure it out when she returns.

Hints of the CRM in 5x09:

Several years back (like during S6) I tried so hard to figure out what the radio messages in 5x09 pointed to, and couldn’t really come to any solid conclusion about them. Of course, back then we knew absolutely nothing of the helicopter people, so how could I?

We’ve definitely seen some of the things they talk about come to pass, both before and after this episode. They mention prisons (prison fell before this) and setting people on fire (Carol did that both in S9 and also to Karen and David in S4) and of course they mention machetes (Red Machete). All important symbols.

But these messages also tell a story. Look at what they say:

“At least 68 citizens of the Republic have been killed in four deadly attacks along the main coastal district. The group has continued their campaign of random violence, moving across the countryside unfettered, with the Republic’s military forces in disarray.”

Okay, so I’m assuming the “republic” is the CRM. This suggests a different group performing guerilla warfare against them. Think about all the symbols these lines encompass. We have a group of rebels attacking the CRM, the COASTAL district, and of course the CRM itself. So it’s talking about some rebel group that will be fighting against the CRM.

I think that’s super significant, especially because of the TWB template. Remember that we saw a group of rebels, perhaps led by Will, though it’s a little unclear as yet, who is Beth’s proxy in that template. And they’re outside the CRM and, presumably, because they saw the slaughter at the college, going to fight against it. So I’m seeing this as a huge hint for Beth’s return.

The other thing to bring into the mix here is the Wolves. Because all of this in 5x09 definitely foreshadowed the wolves, and it’s where we first saw their “WOLVES NOT FAR” signs. And where did we see TONS of Beth symbolism: around the wolves.

Second message: “…then terrorizing the village by night, carrying out revenge attacks which include hacking innocents with machetes, and in some cases setting them on fire.”

Okay, so I get that this isn’t flattering for Beth or her group if she’s with the rebels, but it is really hard to know what they’re talking about here, since we don’t get the full sentence. The point is, these are acts of war, and even if this is talking about the rebel group doing this (and I think it probably is, given that wolves did all of these things a few episodes later in 6x02) it’s no worse than what we’ve already seen the CRM do.

But I can also see that if Beth is with or leading this group, this is a very Grady-like issue to be dealing with. Are we killing these people for the greater good, because the war needs to be won? You can see how Grady could easily have been a setup for what she’d be dealing with later on. And maybe she’s the “new sheriff” because she has to police her own people and not let them get too blood thirsty. Or maybe I’m reading into this WAY too much and the point is simply that there will be a violent war. ;D

There’s only one more message that comes out of the radio. So we had the first one, talking about the CRM war and a rebel group attacking the CRM. Then talk of wartime violence.

The third message is Beth singing her song. That’s super on-the-nose, if you ask me. No more clear way to say that Beth will be part of the conflict the radio voice was just talking about. See why that made me happy?

Tyreese…Again:

I’m gonna make a sweeping claim, here. I think the themes around Ty’s death are pretty much the point of the entire series. Yes, I know that’s a tall order. Let me explain. It does tie heavily into Beth’s return, but it encompasses other things as well, and I think it’s a huge part of the current Negan/Maggie/forgiveness story line.

So, when I first went to watch 5x09, I pulled up S5 on Amazon and it shows all the episodes, the first one, of course, being 5x01. And the little picture it had for that episode was Ty in the cabin with baby Judith. I sat and thought about that and that there’s the picture of a cabin in 5x09 that gets blood on it and it occurred to me that those two things are probably related.

So I watched 5x01 after watching 5x09. I’ll admit I didn’t see tons of smoking guns that haven’t already been discussed at length in 5x01. The biggest thing is simply that it was a setup for Ty’s death themes in 5x09, and I definitely need to revisit my cabin theories. ;D

So, if we look at the people Ty hallucinated, there’s the Gov, Lizzie, Mica, Beth, Bob, and Martin, right? These are all obviously people and events Ty feels guilty about. Bob’s death, because he lied about Martin and that sent the Termites after them. He feels guilty about being duped by the Gov and not realizing what a bad guy he was. Lizzie and Mica for obvious reasons. And Beth.

I honestly don’t think Tyreese did anything to feel guilty about with Beth. Not in the same way we think Sasha might have (Sasha/Tyreese Theory). But based on what the Martin hallucination says, I think he’s just really broken up about it and wondering if he could have done anything to change it. Just my opinion, though.

So, if you listen carefully to who is saying what in the hallucination, we have two different representations of good and evil. There’s 1) Bob vs. Martin and 2) Beth/Lizzie/Mica vs. the Gov. In each case, they’re like good and evil angels sitting on Ty’s shoulder and they’re arguing.

So, for example, Martin says the thing about Ty lying about his death and how, maybe somehow, if Bob hadn’t died, it would have changed things with Beth. Domino shit. And then Bob says [paraphrasing] “No, that’s bullshit. I got bit at the food bank. It went the way it had to. The way it was always going to.”

And we have the same thing going on with the Gov. He’ll basically tell Tyreese what an idiot he is, and then one of the three (Beth/Lizzie/Mica) will say, “No. It’s all right. It’s better now.”

So, you can see that Ty is really at war with himself internally.

It’s important to note that one big thing that’s mentioned is that he forgave Carol for Karen’s death. The Gov actually says that Ty is weak and ridiculous because he sat across the table from a woman that murdered someone he loved, and he actually forgave her. The Gov really razzed him about that.

And this is one of the things I mean about over-arching themes. Carol killed Karen and David in S4, which we all know was one great big foreshadow of arcs to come, and Ty forgave her.

I really think this was probably meant to be a foreshadow of Negan. Negan’s story, killing Glenn, was a way bigger deal and way more front and center, mostly because no one really knew Karen except for an episode or two and Glenn was such a beloved character.

Now, we have this redemption arc for Negan and Maggie is going to have to decide if she’ll forgive him, moving forward. We could apply this to plenty of other story lines where Rick took the violent route or forgiveness wasn’t had, and it leads to trouble and death. So, I think this is pretty huge for the overall show.

And I really think it points to Negan doing something to save TF in some way. Because they forgive him and he’s allowed to live, that will save lives. We’ve talked about this with Daryl showing Dwight mercy as well.

My Biggest Beth Takeaway:

As the episode progresses, before Rick and Michonne come to get him, Tyreese does finally stand up to the Governor. He says that the Gov was a bad guy, and that wasn’t his (Ty’s) fault. He says what he talked about with Noah: that he never turned off the radio. He always faced it, and did what he could to help. He said he forgave Carol specifically because “it’s not over.” Which I take to mean that he has hope for the world’s future, and forgiveness is the only way forward. Being angry and holding a grudge only brings death.

And then he said the thing that jumped out at me most: 

“People like me CAN live.”

Okay, so what does he mean by ‘people like me?’ Because obviously Ty didn’t live, so this doesn’t apply to him directly. Or if it does, he means that he’ll die, but people like him CAN live under some circumstances.

To figure this out, we have to go back to his cabin in 5x01. During that entire scene in No Sanctuary, Martin was giving him crap about being a “good” guy. Ty answers, “you don’t know what I’ve done.” And Martin looks at baby Judith and says, “no, you’re a good guy. You save babies. That’s a little like saving an anchor when you’re without a boat in the middle of the ocean.” (Total boat/water reference.)

So, when Ty says “people like me,” he means those who choose to be good. Who choose to be hopeful and moral, rather than violent. There’s a long-running theme in the show that Chris Hardwick mentions a lot, that people who function as the moral compass of the group often die. And that’s true.

But here, Ty says, “people like me” (meaning the moral compasses) CAN live.

And Beth is in the room with him when he says that.

She’s looking at the clock radio that simultaneously reads 5:10 (music box) and also 8:22 (Resurrection).

The skeptic might argue that all these other people are in the room too, and how can we be sure he means her? Well, putting all the mountains of TD evidence aside, they do have a point. After all, all the “good” characters Ty hallucinates (Bob, Beth, Mica) are moral compasses and fit the criteria. There are plenty of others not represented here (Hershel, Dale, Glenn, Denise, even Abraham to an extent) but these are the ones Ty felt particularly guilty about.

But I would argue that we only heard one person’s voice come through the radio: Beth’s.

So once again, look at this from a bird’s eye view. Talk of the CRM and a coming war. Then Beth’s voice comes through that same radio, suggesting she’ll be part of it. And later on, “people like me CAN live.”

See what I mean? As I told my fellow theorists, this episode really had all we needed to predict Beth’s return. We just couldn’t have understood the meanings back then.

And honestly, this may be the explanation for the Lizzie/Mica thing I mentioned above. It’s a representation of the evil killing the good, which is super traumatizing and messes everyone up because as humans, we’re hard-wired to believe good will win out.

So, we had Lizzie/Mica, Noah’s brothers, and then the good vs evil hallucinations I already talked about. And we might even have a representation of this at Grady because of evil officer Bob.

We had good Bob who died in 5x04, and then Evil Officer Bob, who directly led to them only having two prisoners, which directly led to Beth getting shot. And I remember when it aired, the show brought a lot of attention to it by doing clickbait articles about why there were “two Bobs.”

So, it’s something they wanted us to notice. And then we see Bob in Ty’s hallucination here. I gotta think that Sasha and Ty’s sibling relationship plays into this in some way as well.

Okay, I’ll shut up, now. But re-watching this gave me tons of hope. We can’t say for sure that we’ll see her in the bonus episodes (though obviously I hope we will) but I’m more sure than ever that she’ll be part of the CRM war. And we’re kind of on the cusp of that. We just have to sit back and wait. ;D

[merakiui]

Hi again Meraki ^^ can I request first date hcs with Jamie, Theo, Kati, and Nine? :3

(Hi there! Please forgive me. orz The wait time shouldn’t have been this long. But I hope you’ll enjoy these hcs nonetheless! ^^ They were a lot of fun to write!)

First Date HCs (Jamie, Theo, Kati, and Nine)

🐴 Jamie 🐴

He’s unfamiliar with the concept of first dates. Having grown up on a farm, there weren’t many romantic areas nearby—unless you count the chicken coop as a wild ride. (Which it technically is. It’s extremely messy, but Jamie knows how to get the job done.) Still, a date isn’t something he encounters on a daily basis.

Adjusting to the ways of the city folk have definitely been a challenge for him. Milk that’s not taken straight from the udder of a cow or eggs that aren’t freshly plucked from the nest of a hen. It’s so foreign to him.

On the farm, he knew where everything was. His sense of direction was impeccable. But now, faced with bustling streets filled with busy people, Jamie feels lost.

That’s why he thinks horse riding is a perfect candidate for a first date. It’s better than cleaning a coop with your partner, that’s for sure, and it ensures enough privacy for both him and you to chat about whatever you’d like.

He doesn’t have any need to feel nervous or flustered because he’s ridden horses plenty of times.

Jamie takes you to an area where horse riding is allowed, paying whatever fee may be necessary for an allotted time. It’s exciting, and he can’t wait to relive more of his hobby with the person he’s interested in.

He’ll help you get on your horse if you need it. If not, he’s pleased to watch as you climb on yourself, sitting on the saddle with both legs on either side.

Jamie explains everything you need to know about controlling the horse’s pace, not leaving a single detail out. He even demonstrates on his own horse, allowing you to see how skilled he is.

But Jamie’s intent isn’t to brag. It’s to ensure your safety and enjoyment. After all, he doesn’t want to risk messing up an already perfect day.

If you’re uncertain or worried, Jamie will console you, offering to have you sit behind him on his horse while he takes you through the open pastures.

Once everything’s settled and you’re confident, the two of you will ride your horses side by side, savoring the moment and each other’s company.

You’ll talk about all sorts of things as the horses gallop steadily along the grassy ground.

Jamie finds himself falling more in love with you as he listens to you recalling silly stories about yourself.

Everything goes exceptionally well, with Jamie even asking if you’d want to visit the farm someday.

You’re so enthusiastic about getting to know more about his life and hobbies, so you agree, and Jamie smiles. He’s equal parts elated and relieved. He’s heard enough stories about how first dates can end in disaster.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case.

He’ll definitely invite you to horse ride with him in the future, and you might end up growing used to the wind rushing through your clothes and hair as you and him ride your horses farther into the distance.

“Guess we’ll be sowin’ our own wild oats from now on.”

Jamie hopes the relationship will be long-lasting and fruitful, as he can’t imagine a life without you.

🎹 Theo 🎹

Theo doesn’t have an exact preference when it comes to dates. He’s happy as long as he gets to spend time with the one he loves most.

But if it were up to him to choose where you’ll have your first date, he’d like to spend the day with you at a library. Just something casual while he gets to know you better.

A library, in his opinion, is the best way to converse with your partner. In doing so, you’ll learn what genres they’re interested in and which authors are their favorite. It’s also fun to witness your lover light up when they explain their literary interests.

Theo also enjoys the calming atmosphere of a library, where the two of you can sit together and whisper about character arcs and subplots.

He’ll definitely take you to a café afterwards, allowing you to get any pastry and drink of your choosing. In such a setting, it’s easy to make conversation about food and hobbies. He even tells you about his passion for baking.

Theo will spend the entire day with you. Maybe he’ll take you for a walk in the park after your café excursion so that the two of you can continue your idle chatter. He just wants the moment to last forever as everything you say makes him like you even more.

He might not do anything too fancy for your first date, which is why he prefers to remain local. After all, he doesn’t want to go overboard and drive you away.

But once the relationship develops, he’ll definitely take you wherever you want.

Before your first date, Theo actually had so many plans in his head and on paper. He made a list of possible places, constantly crossing them out because he was certain you wouldn’t like them.

During your walk in the park, the two of you stumble upon someone who was playing the piano.

The both of you are drawn to it instantly, listening to the way the pianist elegantly plays a sensual tune.

When you bring up how good they sound, Theo feels inclined to mention that he’d like to play for you one day.

Why wait for that day to come when he can just do that now? You manage to convince the pianist to let Theo have a go at the keys, who is surprisingly more than happy to oblige.

Theo tries to get out of it at first, a tad shy to play for you so suddenly. A million thoughts race through his mind. What if they don’t like it? What if I make a mistake? It has to be absolutely perfect. What if—

Your smiling expression eases his worries. It’s such an encouraging sight, and it convinces Theo to do his best.

So he plays a random tune, not exactly sure how it should sound because you’re watching. Should it be slow and romantic? Fast and upbeat? He just plays from the heart.

He’s so focused on pleasing you that he doesn’t seem to hear how melodious it sounds. His playing manages to surprise the pianist, and it even draws in a few passersby.

By the time he’s done, you’re clapping and exclaiming so much praise that his cheeks flush.

Theo feels a hundred times lighter, and your compliments make him realize that you’re such a sweet person. As the saying goes, it’s a match made in heaven.

🍎 Kati 🍎

Kati checks his daily horoscope for nearly everything. He needs answers to some of his burning questions! Will a Taurus such as himself get along with Noah, a Gemini, or will it be another turbulent day?

He wonders whether or not your star sign is compatible with his. It must be if you’re allowing him to choose the location of your first date.

Now Kati knows a first date can either make or break a relationship before it even blossoms, so he wants to make sure his partner will have as much fun as possible. For someone as energetic as himself, the amusement park is definitely the best place for a first date.

It may be cliché, but Kati would rather do something fun and exciting. First dates can’t be boring, and he doesn’t want to mess up his chances.

So the amusement park it is!

To be fair, any place that offers endless hours of joy without seeming mundane is a good first date option. Kati can imagine many places: the arcade, a water park, and even a circus performance!

When the two of you get to the amusement park, Kati’s like an awestruck child, racing from here to there in search of cotton candy and which ride to go on first.

If you’re nervous about rollercoasters, he’s prone to whining in hopes that he’ll be able to drag you on the ride. But he’ll understand if you seem truly terrified. In that case, it’s off to stock up on sweets and to win prizes from the games.

You might have to hold him back from biting anyone when he doesn’t win, though...

If you don’t mind the dizzying speeds and the stomach-churning drops of most coasters, then be prepared to go on as many as possible. Kati will quite literally pull you in the direction of the scariest ride he sees, which only get more intense with each one you conquer.

You’ll have to take a break at some point, to which Kati fusses over how boring that is. Once you’re finished with your coveted ten minutes of rest, it’s off to the next huge ride.

He can’t stand waiting in those lines, so it’s best to get the passes that let you cut others in line. As the two of you advance past exhausted, sweaty strangers, Kati’s grinning and teasing them about how he’s going to be the first one on the ride.

A day with Kati, especially one spent as a first date, is an entire rollercoaster in itself. You’ll be so tired by the time the moon’s in the sky, and Kati will still have boundless energy.

He’s relieved at how smooth the date is going. If he checked his horoscope before, which he definitely did, he’ll chalk the luck up to his great fortune. If it were unlucky, that would be another story...

But everything’s great so there’s nothing to worry about!

At the end of the date, Kati’s hoping you’ll want to spend more time with him. After such a great day, who wouldn’t want to stick around?

He’s so happy that you’re such a compatible match. Star signs or not, it must be a stroke of fate!

Your next dates are going to be filled with so much chaotic fun, so get ready for a tiring, yet incredibly exciting relationship.

Kati’s definitely considering competitive tag as a date option and there’s nothing you can do to stop him.

🎼 Nine 🎼

Nine would rather not experience any sort of date at all, which is why he’s incredibly hesitant to even consider going through with this.

But he doesn’t want to upset you, nor does he want to ruin the relationship he’s already built up with you. Besides, dates are ways for couples to become closer, right? If anything, it’ll help him get to know you better, and it’s a perfect way for him to work on his one-on-one skills.

Nine doesn’t want to do anything too extravagant. He’d prefer something modest and tranquil, where it’s just you and him.

So he suggests something gentle like stargazing. Looking up at the stars is good for inspiration, and it might even help him clear his head. On top of that, he can come up with new ideas for his compositions!

For Nine, stargazing is also nice because it’s isolated and calm, which is wonderful for someone who spends most of his time alone.

The two of you check the forecasts religiously, awaiting the day when the weatherman explains that the night will be clear and starry.

When that night comes, you and Nine drive out to the nearest open area. Whether it’s the sandy shore of a beach or an endless grassy field, you make sure everything’s perfect for your first date.

Nine sets up the telescope with ease, and you have an astronomy guidebook in your hands, which has been flipped open to the table of contents so that you can locate a certain constellation.

Blankets have been laid out for comfort and warmth, and snacks have been packed in case you get peckish.

For a first date, it’s awfully quiet, which isn’t exactly a bad thing. Nine only talks when he feels it’s necessary, or when he’s directly addressed, so as long as you can put up with the silence it’ll be a lovely night.

If you’re getting tired, Nine might just allow you to lean against him. It’s a pleasant evening, and you deserve maximum comfort. Besides, he’s in a good mood and you’re his partner, so he doesn’t mind.

He won’t say it outright, but Nine secretly enjoys spending his time with you. You’re just so refreshing to be around, and you understand him. You’re very special to Nine, who gives you many privileges when it comes to stuff he normally doesn’t let others say or do.

Nine’s actually glad he agreed to this first date. Despite his initial hesitation, he’s having a grand time searching for stars and constellations against the inky backdrop of outer space.

If you’re into conspiracy theories, you could have a light debate over the existence of aliens. Though Nine doesn’t contribute much. He’ll just smile as you enthusiastically point up at the sky, telling him that somewhere in the distant blackness of space there exists a civilization of aliens.

Under the moonlight, Nine looks ethereal. How can one man be so elegant and perfect? Maybe he’s one of the aliens from Mars... (Spoiler, he’s not.)

Because Nine sees you as more than a friend, you’re allowed to call him pretty. As long as your praise isn’t overdone.

Yet despite the peace, there’s a lingering emotion in Nine’s deep blue eyes. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but it’s definitely something akin to melancholy.

You let your voice go anyways, not having considered why Nine suddenly seems to be brooding. “You’re not alone, you know. I’ll always be here for you, as your friend and as your partner. You can count on it.”

Nine, who is so accustomed to crushing loneliness and is against forming any type of bond with those around him, is pleasantly surprised. In moments such as this one, you really do shine brighter than the twinkling constellations in the sky. It might be sentimental, but you’re his favorite star.

[aaronmaurer]

TV I Liked in 2020

Every year I reflect on the pop culture I enjoyed and put it in some sort of order.

Was there ever a year more unpredictably tailor-made for peak TV than 2020? Lockdowns/quarantines/stay-at-home orders meant a lot more time at home and the occasion to check out new and old favorites. (I recognize that if you’re lucky enough to have kids or roommates or a S.O., your amount of actual downtime may have been wildly different). While the pandemic resulted in production delays and truncated seasons for many shows, the continued streaming-era trends of limited series and 8-13 episode seasons mean that a lot of great and satisfying storytelling still made its way to the screen. As always, I in no way lay any claims to “best-ness” or completeness – this is just a list of the shows that brought me the most joy and escapism in a tough year and therefore might be worth putting on your radar.

10 Favorites

10. The Right Stuff: Season 1 (Disney+)

As a space program enthusiast, even I had to wonder, does the world really need another retelling of NASA’s early days? Especially since Tom Wolfe’s book has already been adapted as the riveting and iconoclastic Philip Kaufman film of the same name? While some may disagree, I find that this Disney+ series does justify its existence by focusing more on the relationships of the astronauts and their personal lives than the technical science (which may be partially attributable to budget limitations?). The series is kind of like Mad Men but with NASA instead of advertising (and real people, of course), so if that sounds intriguing, I encourage you to give it a whirl.

9. Fargo: Season 4 (FX)

As a big fan of Noah Hawley’s Coen Brothers pastiche/crime anthology series, I was somewhat let down by this latest season. Drawing its influence primarily from the likes of gangster drama Miller’s Crossing – one of the Coens’ least comedic/idiosyncratic efforts – this season is more straightforward than its predecessors and includes a lot of characters and plot-threads that never quite cohere. That said, it is still amongst the year’s most ambitious television with another stacked cast, and the (more-or-less) standalone episode “East/West” is enough to make the season worthwhile.

8. The Last Dance (ESPN)

Ostensibly a 10-episode documentary about the 1990s Chicago Bulls’ sixth and final NBA Championship run, The Last Dance actually broadens that scope to survey the entire history of Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson’s careers with the team. Cleverly structured with twin narratives that chart that final season as well as an earlier timeframe, each episode also shifts the spotlight to a different person, which provides focus and variety throughout the series. And frankly, it’s also just an incredible ride to relive the Jordan era and bask in his immeasurable talent and charisma – while also getting a snapshot of his outsized ego and vices (though he had sign-off on everything, so it’s not exactly a warts-and-all telling).

7. The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

This miniseries adaptation of the Walter Tevis coming-of-age novel about a chess prodigy and her various addictions is compulsively watchable and avoids the bloat of many other streaming series (both in running time and number of episodes). The 1960s production design is stunning and the performances, including Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role, are convincing and compelling.

6. The Great: Season 1 (hulu)

Much like his screenplay for The Favourite, Tony McNamara’s series about Catherine the Great rewrites history with a thoroughly modern and irreverent sensibility (see also: Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette). Elle Fanning brings a winning charm and strength to the title role and Nicholas Hoult is riotously entertaining as her absurdly clueless and ribald husband, Emperor Peter III. Its 10-episodes occasionally tilt into repetitiveness, but when the ride is this fun, why complain? Huzzah!

  5. Dispatches From Elsewhere (AMC)

A limited (but possibly anthology-to-be?) series from creator/writer/director/actor Jason Segal, Dispatches From Elsewhere is a beautiful and creative affirmation of life and celebration of humanity. The first 9 episodes form a fulfilling and complete arc, while the tenth branches into fourth wall-breaking meta territory, which may be a bridge too far for some (but is certainly ambitious if nothing else). Either way, it’s a movingly realized portrait of honesty, vulnerability and empathy, and I highly recommend visiting whenever it inevitably makes its way to Netflix, or elsewhere…

4. What We Do in the Shadows: Season 2 (FX)

The second season of WWDITS is more self-assured and expansive than the first, extending a premise I loved from its antecedent film – but was skeptical could be sustained – to new and reinvigorated (after)life. Each episode packs plenty of laughs, but for my money, there is no better encapsulation of the series’ potential and Matt Berry’s comic genius than “On The Run,” which guest-stars Mark Hamill and features Laszlo’s alter ego Jackie Daytona, regular human bartender.

3. Ted Lasso: Season 1 (AppleTV+)

Much more than your average fish-out-of-water comedy, Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso is a brilliant tribute to humaneness, decency, emotional intelligence and good coaching – not just on the field. The fact that its backdrop is English Premier League Soccer is just gravy (even if that’s not necessarily represented 100% proficiently). A true surprise and gem of the year.

2. Mrs. America (hulu)

This FX miniseries explores the women’s liberation movement and fight for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and its opposition by conservative women including Phyllis Schlafly. One of the most ingenious aspects of the series is centering each episode on a different character, which rotates the point of view and helps things from getting same-y. With a slate of directors including Ryan Bowden and Anna Fleck (Half-Nelson, Sugar, Captain Marvel) and an A-List cast including Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Sarah Paulson, Margo Martindale, Tracey Ulman and Elizabeth Banks, its quality is right up there with anything on the big screen. And its message remains (sadly) relevant as ever in our current era.

1. The Good Place: Season 4 (NBC)

It was tempting to omit The Good Place this year or shunt it to a side category since only the final 4 episodes aired in 2020, but that would have been disingenuous. This show is one of my all-time favorites and it ended perfectly. The series finale is a representative mix of absurdist humor and tear-jerking emotion, built on themes of morality, self-improvement, community and humanity. (And this last run of eps also includes a pretty fantastic Timothy Olyphant/Justified quasi-crossover.) Now that the entire series is available to stream on Netflix (or purchase in a nice Blu-ray set), it’s a perfect time to revisit the Good Place, or check it out for the first time if you’ve never had the pleasure.

5 of the Best Things I Caught Up With

Anne With An E (Netflix/CBC)

Another example of classic literature I had no prior knowledge of (see also Little Women and Emma), this Netflix/CBC adaptation of Anne of Green Gables was strongly recommended by several friends so I finally gave it a shot. While this is apparently slightly more grown-up than the source material, it’s not overly grimdark or self-serious but rather humane and heartfelt, expanding the story’s scope to include Black and First Nations peoples in early 1800s Canada, among other identities and themes. It has sadly been canceled, but the three seasons that exist are heart-warming and life-affirming storytelling. Fingers crossed that someday we’ll be gifted with a follow-up movie or two to tie up some of the dangling threads.

Better Call Saul (AMC)

I liked Breaking Bad, but I didn’t have much interest in an extended “Breaking Bad Universe,” as much as I appreciate star Bob Odenkirk’s multitalents. Multiple recommendations and lockdown finally provided me the opportunity to catch up on this prequel series and I’m glad I did. Just as expertly plotted and acted as its predecessor, the series follows Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman on his own journey to disrepute but really makes it hard not to root for his redemption (even as you know that’s not where this story ends).

Joe Pera Talks With You (Adult Swim)

It’s hard to really describe the deadpan and oddly soothing humor of comedian Joe Pera whose persona, in the series at least, combines something like the earnestness of Mr. Rogers with the calm enthusiasm of Bob Ross. Sharing his knowledge on the likes of how to get the best bite out of your breakfast combo, growing a bean arch and this amazing song “Baba O’Reilly” by the Who – have you heard it?!? – Pera provides arch comfort that remains solidly on the side of sincerity. The surprise special he released during lockdown, “Relaxing Old Footage with Joe Pera,” was a true gift in the middle of a strange and isolated year.

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

One of the few recent Star Wars properties that lives up to its potential, the adventures of Mando and Grogu is a real thrill-ride of a series with outstanding production values (you definitely want to check out the behind-the-scenes documentary series if you haven’t). I personally prefer the first season, appreciating its Western-influenced vibes and somewhat-more-siloed story. The back half of the second season veers a little too much into fan service and video game-y plotting IMHO but still has several excellent episodes on offer, especially the Timothy Olyphant-infused energy of premiere “The Marshall” and stunning cinematography of “The Jedi.” And, you know, Grogu.

The Tick (Amazon Prime)

I’ve been a fan of the Tick since the character’s Fox cartoon and indie comic book days and also loved the short-lived Patrick Warburton series from 2001. I was skeptical about this Amazon Prime reboot, especially upon seeing the pilot episode’s off-putting costumes. Finally gaining access to Prime this year, I decided to catch up and it gets quite good!, especially in Season 2. First, the costumes are upgraded; second, Peter Serafinowicz’s initially shaky characterization improves; and third, it begins to come into its own identity. The only real issue is yet another premature cancellation for the property, meaning Season 2’s tease of interdimensional alien Thrakkorzog will never be fulfilled. 😢

Bonus! 5 More Honorable Mentions:

City So Real (National Geographic)

The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)

How To with John Wilson: Season 1 (HBO)

Kidding: Season 2 (Showtime)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs The Reverend (Netflix)

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Heathers | Sweet Pea

A/N: Part three! 

Act one - Act two 

Words: 2622

Pairing: Sweet Pea x Reader

Warnings: angst, fighting, cursing

Act three: Fight For Me 

Another day, another rehearsal. Today, we’re mostly revising the things we’d already done. Like Beautiful, Candy Store and Freeze Your Brain. Mostly Candy Store since Cheryl didn’t know we’d changed the choreo a little to have both of Cheryl’s and Toni’s in there. “Thanks a lot, Y/N,” Cheryl had attacked me viciously. “Don’t blame me, Cheryl. You should’ve been more professional.” Sweet Pea had glanced back at me with a smirk on his face, agreeing with my statement. The redhead scoffs, but then focuses on my mixed choreo anyway. I could tell Betty and Veronica had a lot more fun on stage since I did the number with them the other day. It’s fun to see everyone getting better every single time. “Let’s take five, guys, and then we’re doing Our Love Is God,” Kevin tells us when the Heathers have finished their Candy Store rehearsal. “Hey, Y/N,” I hear Sweet Pea’s voice behind me as I’m searching for my water bottle in my bag. “Hey,” I greet back when I’ve found it and stand up straight to face the tall Serpent. “I think I could get some pointers on Meant to Be Yours and I am Damaged. Would it be okay to rehearse together tonight?” I can feel my face heat up as a smile finds its way back to my face. “Yeah, sure! Your place or mine?” I ask and sip from my water. “Mine, if that would be okay? My auntie is dropping off my little cousin after school and I need to watch him for tonight,” he explains. “He’ll probably be in bed when you arrive though.” He adds it quickly as though that would be a reason for me not to come. I love watching children. And I love it when guys are good with kids too. Due to the gender roles and double standards, you wouldn’t think guys were good with kids and only women are meant to be gifted in that department. “Oh, that’s fine. I don’t mind. I’ll swing by after school? We could order some pizzas for dinner?” I suggest, making it an entire date. His eyes widen a little at the realization. “If I’m giving you some pointers, I’ll probably be there all night long,” I say in a teasing tone, and it makes him chuckle. “Yeah, after school it is,” he nods and gets to his spot so we can start rehearsing Our Love is God. I’m reminded of Friday night when we were at Pop’s and I’d started singing it softly, only to him, and then he’d continued singing. That was one of my favorite moments I’d ever had with a co-star. “Yeah-lo?” Archie says as Kurt Kelly on the other side of the stage, holding a vintage telephone horn to his ear. “Hi, Kurt. It’s Veronica… how did you guys know it was always a fantasy of mine to have two guys at once?” I ask in an innocent voice as Sweet Pea snickers beside me as JD. “Wow, uh… Lucky guess?” he exclaims, punching Reggie in the shoulder. “Well, if you want it to come true, meet me at the cemetery, at dawn,” I say and then hang up the horn. Archie does the same as he looks at Reggie in absolute merriment. “Free pussy!” he yells, and Reggie suddenly mirrors his expression. “And we don’t even have to buy it a pizza!” Reggie exclaims excitedly and the two boys fist bump, saying “Punch it in!” before heading into the wings, laughing, leaving Sweet Pea and I alone on the stage again. “We can start and finish wars We're what killed the dinosaurs We're the asteroid that's overdue The dinosaurs choked on the dust They died because God said they must The new world needed room For me and you” Sweet Pea and I sing the lines together, moving towards the center of the stage, staying close to one another. Then, Sweet Pea turns me, so I face him, and he keeps his hands on my hips while mine grip at his long trench coat. “I worship you I'd trade my life for yours They all will disappear We'll plant our garden here” Then I echo, “Plant our garden here,” after which we leap into a couple of “Our love is God”. I’m weirdly comfortable in Sweet Pea’s arms. I’ve only met him a couple of weeks ago when we started rehearsing and only really got to know him a bit better on Friday night. It does freak me out a little bit. But for now, it’s only a benefit to our acting performance that I feel this comfortable. I listen to him sing as I’m kneeled down next to Archie, who had been ‘shot’ first, as he’s keeping Reggie at gun point. For some reason, he looks hot when he’s about to fake kill somebody. He then ‘shoots’, and Reggie falls on the floor. “What the fuck have you done?!” I shout at him and get up from my spot on the stage to walk over to him. In the process of doing so, I slip on one of the boys’ shoes as they had to strip for this scene. I prepare for the fall, but it never comes as a hand grabs me by my arm and holds me up. When I turn my head, I’m face to face with Sweet Pea, who simply keeps going like a true theater professional. “I worship you I'd trade my life for yours We'll make them disappear We'll plant our garden here” Then, we leap back into the Our Love is God’s until the song finishes and Reggie and Archie get up again from their death-spot. The others from the cast in the audience, applaud for us, even Cheryl who didn’t used to do that last week or even earlier today when we did Freeze Your Brain. “Are you okay?” Sweet Pea then asks when he finally lets go of my arm. “Yeah, I just tripped over a shoe,” I reply with a smile, “Thanks for saving me though.” Sweet Pea opens his smiling mouth to say something back, but Kevin interrupts him. That’s also when I get snapped into real life again and out of my bubble with Sweet Pea. “That was amazing! Let’s do Blue now, and then we’ll wrap up for today,” he says, “Anyone who isn’t in this scene can go home if they want.” Sweet Pea turns his head to me, his face in a pained expression. I give him a smile. “You can go. Just text me your address and I’ll come over when we’re done here.” He nods his head, grabs the pistol prop from me and puts it in its place, so I can do the scene with Veronica, Betty, Archie and Reggie. I was kind of hoping I could go home with Sweet Pea instead. The ride on his motorbike on Friday was so amazing and so freeing, that I’d give anything to do it again. There was just something about holding him by his torso and feeling the wind whoosh on my face – I was wearing his helmet, so no wind through my hair. Or maybe it was just being so close to him that made it so much fun and easy. Oh no…

Sweet Pea had texted me the trailer number he lived in at Sunnyside, so I drove my car there and parked just in front of the park before getting out. Just as I shut my door and locked the car, I hear smacking and grunting and groaning. With furrowed brows I walk towards the sound, only to find Sweet Pea fighting some Ghoulie – another gang we should definitely steer clear from. Rumored cannibals. “Hey!” I shout and run up to the two. “Stop it! Stop it right now!” I yell, capturing both the boy’s attention. Sweet Pea’s face is almost covered entirely in blood and it pains me to see him like this. “Ah, Sweet Pea, don’t tell me this is her…” the Ghoulie says with a bemused smile on his face. “A Northsider, really? Out of all the people… I—” before the guy can even say another word, Sweet Pea lashes out and his fist hits the Ghoulie’s jaw, sending him to the ground. “Holy shit!” I yelp, bringing my hands up to cover my mouth. “Sweet Pea, come on!” I grab his arm and pull him away from the Ghoulie. Reluctantly, the tall Serpent backs off and follows me to his trailer. “I can’t believe you fought a Ghoulie,” I mumble as he unlocks his door and lets me in first. “Where’s your first aid kit?” he points to the door on my right, and when I walk through it, I find myself in the bathroom. It’s small. Really small. I doubt you could even move in here when there’s two people inside. Without judging it any further, I open the mirror-cupboard and grab the small red box with the cross on top. If this isn’t it, he needs to sort out his life. “How was the rehearsal?” he asks, hoping for the subject not to be his fighting. “Don’t,” I reply curtly, “Don’t pretend you’re not nearly bleeding and bruising to death, Noah.” I use his real name to get the point across right while wetting a gauze with disinfectant. “Don’t call me that,” he sneers, then hisses when I dab the wound on his forehead from the Ghoulie’s ring. “I was just trying to lighten the mood.” I sigh deeply, then grab another gauze since the first one is now covered in blood. He hisses again as the wet gauze comes into contact with the injury. “It’s not that bad.” “Why were you fighting that Ghoulie? And where is your cousin?” I ask two questions in one go. “My cousin’s in my bedroom, playing a game on my phone. I was just going out to get some apple juice for him from the supermarket when I bumped into the Ghoulie. He started bashing me about the musical and …” he trails off a little before adding, “you…” “So, then you decided to punch him in the eye?” I ask whilst covering the wound with a plaster. “Don’t give me shit about this right now, Y/N. Everything kind of hurts and I’m really regretting doing it all.” My lips pull into a pained grimace as I start on his bloody knuckles. I can’t really tell if it’s his blood or the Ghoulie’s. Maybe both. “Could you…” he starts, but then stops. “Never mind, it’s going to sound stupid.” I stop what I’m doing and look up at him instead. “No, tell me. Nothing you ever say would sound stupid. Anything Reggie says, however…” I trail off suggestively and earn a chuckle from the boy. “Just tell me, Sweets.” I encourage him before going back to cleaning his knuckles. “Could you sing for me? It always soothes me when you do,” he asks sheepishly, and when I look up again, he’s staring at his hand in mine. I take a deep breath before leaping into the first song that pops into my head. Which is also vaguely appropriate for this situation. “Hey, Mister No Name Kid So who might you be? And could you fight for me? And hey, could you face the crowd? Could you be seen with me and still act proud?” I glance up at him, shooting him a small smile. “Hey, could you hold my hand? And could you carry me through no man's land? It's fine if you don't agree But I would fight for you If you would fight for me” I bandage up his knuckles then, whilst still continuing the song. “Let them drive us underground I don't care how far You can set my broken bones And I know CPR” He chuckles a little at my suggesting expression, just as I would during the show.

“Well, whoa You can punch real good” I place a soft kiss on his bandaged fist. “You've lasted longer than I thought you would So hey, Mister No Name Kid If some night, you're free Wanna fight for me?” The next thing I do is grab a salve that I know also works for bruises. So, I put a dollop on my finger and begin to softly massage it into the spots that are already bruising and turning blue. “If you're still alive I would fight for you If you would fight for me!” My hand lands on his cheek and stays there as I finish the last high note. For a moment after, we stay like that; staring in each other’s eyes with my hand on his cheek and panting a little from the endeavor of singing.   “Thanks,” Sweet Pea whispers, and I catch him glancing from eyes to my lips. This can’t happen. I need to stay professional in this. So, I cough and snap both of us from our trance. “No problem. Let’s rehearse now, shall we?” I say and reach for my bag to grab my script. “Let’s order some pizza first, I think Jordan might be hungry or getting bored. Or both,” he chuckles a little while grabbing his phone to call the closest pizza joint. “Hey, why don’t we play some games with him instead of rehearsing? We’ve done plenty of it already and we can get back to it tomorrow. Let’s just babysit your cousin for the night, keep him entertained.” He nods his head with a smile and dials the pizza guy first before getting Jordan. The rest of the night, we spend playing games, eating pizza, and finish by watching one movie with Jordan together before we put him in his bed. “Will you be here again next time I stay here, Y/N?” Jordan asks when I tuck him in bed with Sweet Pea towering over me from behind. I smile at the little eight-year-old and push a strand of his long, curly hair out of his face. “I can’t promise you that, big guy. But I’ll try, okay?” He nods his head in response before wiggling down a little and snuggling into his pillow. “Shall we watch one more movie, and then I’ll get going.” “Or you could stay?” the tall Serpent suggests with a sheepish grin on his face. “Sweets, I—” before I can finish my sentence, he’s already cut me off. “Come on, Y/N. Please, stay?” he steps closer to me, and places his hands on my hips like he does so many times during the musical. “Besides, Jordan will love it when he sees you at breakfast?” he tries, hoping the mention of his way too adorable cousin will win me over. It does. My willpower isn’t that strong. I groan, rolling my eyes. “Fine.” Sweet Pea lets out a ‘yes’, “But we’re watching Heathers the movie tonight.” I point my finger at him as if telling him that would be my one condition to doing this. He nods his head in agreement, and the two of us settle on the sofa as I text my mother I’ll be staying over at Margot’s. If she finds out I stayed over at a Serpent’s house, she will kill me, and him. Even though I have a ‘I don’t care’ attitude towards them, my parents do not share the same morals. So, the rest of the night is spent like that; cuddled up on the sofa whilst watching Heathers until both of us fall asleep. I didn’t think I would have so much fun with Sweet Pea or feel so comfortable around him. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that it scares me a little.