#but definitely i think he has more of a chance than megs would

[bumbleblurr]

gives shockwave sympathetic traits but also won't let him escape the consequences of his actions

#i do see ppl get upset abt like getting upset abt making the male cons sympathetic which like. im guilty of that a bit yeah #which is not particularly great when ba is often just thrown under the bus for being So Mean to poor little optimus cry cry so sad #he obviously had No part in how she ended up in her current position #& she has no right to be upset about it due to how severe the trauma of it was and how it changed her life #(sarcasm. this is sarcasm) #like yeah there is some irrationality in her anger when u consider some details but like #girl i think she should be mad regardless. thats my hot take #anyway. yeah when ppl shit on ba but then they turn around and treat other Far Less ''redeemable'' characters better it is a bad look #but i prommy i am not doing thay i swear 🥺 #i just think shockwave is neat and i want to shake him around in a jar i trap him in #like yes. i like to interpret him not as a complete heartless villain #w/ sympathetic traits that are based on small details i focus too much on #but also i never am like ''so thats why its ok for shockwave to harm & traumatize ppl #bc the cons are the good guys so all the fucked up shit they do in canon & fanon is justified'' #which. i see often :| #but have u considered (twirls my hair) what if Shockwave is not a 100% good person even if i made him sympathetic heehee hoohoo #bc maybe cubing ppl is a bad thing actually #i think hes more interesting to me if hes a sad loser that ended up doing horrible things that he does have to face consequences for #if he had a redemption arc i think he would have his work cut out him #but definitely i think he has more of a chance than megs would #esp since part of what i think makes shockwave sympathetic is how megs is 100% willing to let him die if it benefited him #even though that dude dedicates himself so much to him & is considered one of his most loyal followers #and he gets rewarded by being shoved into an incinerator to power a escape ship #if he managed to survive that i think he'd just have a rlly intense existential crisis about the whole thing #which might be his opening to redeem himself if he doesnt become Worse during all that despair #anyway i think the point of this tag dump was #im not like other tf:a shockwave enjoyers. i want to see that british moose meet his doom #bc it would be awful for him but oh so so fun for me #and then maybe he can be ok in the end or if not. exploded into pieces #🐝 could you repeat the last part? 🟦

[yuwuta]

Nsfw // Remember the itfs talk?? Cause I was thinking, I was thinking so hard about what to answer cause like yesss!!!

I want to focus on the latter tags cause.... Wow thats what I'm talking about!! Whenever I read itafushi I like top yuuji and bottom (and more often than not sub) megumi. So it makes so much sense that you'd want to take revenge for that cause he liked you but chose to ask yuuji out before asking you?? Or, yuuji knew megs liked you and still choose to ask him out?? So, in the first scenario it would be more than fair to dom him! Maybe you were all just talking about how you all ended up together and yuuji just lets that slip. maybe you're feeling like being a bit (or maybe a lot) mean to megumi, get him on his knees, sucking, deepthroating really, yuuji with you controlling his movements absolutely forcing him to take all of yuus length down his throat and gag like crazy with an obscene amount of spit oozing out of the corner of his lips. It was definitely personal too, they way you were treating megumi. Yuuji is not innocent in all of this ofc, but I'll let that slide for the sake of the moment. To continue punishing megs you would have your way with yuuji while he just sits there and... watch. It would end with yuuji giving you a huge creampie, it was such a lewd sight too, his dick was already shining cause of megumis spit, and even more after he entered you cause you were soaked. So there you are, full of your bfs cum seeping out and you ask megumi to clean you, cause that wouldn't be the first nor last time that he'd taste yuuji. Your revenge on yuuji is definitely happening another day too

gnaws on a steel plate… godddddddd okokokok yuuji has such an effortless dominate aura about him that’s a little scary once he hones in on it. most of the time, it’s purely his outgoing, charming nature and physical strength that lures other people into submission by will or force, whichever comes first, and he’s sort of naive to it. but when he chooses to exercise that strength, when he chooses to be stronger than you, than megumi, when he chooses to seduce, it’s mind-numbing, it’s boyish, but there’s still a distinct power struggle that it’s dizzying… insane… 

anyway… you said two very important things in here and i only have the space (brainpower) to bring attention to one right now, and i will below, but just know we need to come back to the point about letting yuuji creampie you while megumi’s there bc i am firm believer that that’s actually one of megumi’s biggest fantasies. in general, seeing you and yuuji together does very bad things for his brain but not bad enough for him to deny that… also megumi king of safe sex until it comes to watching yuuji cum inside of you goddddd

yuuji is the one who instigates your revenge in the first place (and he will also do the opposite, will convince megumi that he deserves to take some frustration out on you, that you were sooo oblivious while he pined for you for all those years, how you weren’t very observant as his best friend and now he’s got the chance to show you exactly how badly he’s wanted you… but that’s for another time…)—but right now, yuuji’s getting into your head, he’s deceptively charming, not at all innocent, and far too calculated when he stops making out with megumi and turns to you, not too far away, sitting up against the headboard with wide eyes. yuuji thinks you look awfully cute—you always do when you three are together, you have this wide-eyed awe about you; not shy, but definitely still timid about the fact that you’re now dating your childhood best friend and his boyfriend. yuuji loves that look, but he thinks he’d like to ruin it more. 

and he takes the opportunity to do so, much to megumi’s surprised and distaste—ignoring megumi’s pawing at the hem of his shirt, impatient, yuuji looks over his shoulder to you and poses, “can i ask you something?” 

your eyebrows raise in surprise. megumi’s raise in suspicion, petulantly coming down from the high of making out with yuuji, and craning his head back to look at you. your eyes shift to his briefly, and then back to yuuji’s, almost embarrassed, and when he looks at megumi, there’s a slight blush at the tips of his ears. cute. you two are very cute, and yuuji likes it a lot. it confirms to him exactly what he wants to happen tonight. 

“you remember how i told you about yuuta-senpai? and how he’s my best friend, but when he started dating inumaki-senpai, i kinda hated him because they spent so much time together?” yuuji recounts casually, biting back a grin when megumi huffs. you nod, evidently confused, but yuuji continues, slowly reaching a hand up megumi’s arm, over his shoulder, up his jaw, until he reaches the shell of his ear, then asks, “did you ever feel that way about me?”

he can see the shock on your face, hear it from megumi when he gasps a bit and pulls away from yuuji’s touch, “what kind of a—”  

but yuuji doesn’t want to hear his side of the story right now. in fact, if all goes his way, he won’t be hearing much of anything from megumi tonight—he reaches his hand back up to pinch at megumi’s ear, and hushes him, “i’m just asking her, meg. she’s my girlfriend now, too. don’t i get to know these things?” 

your mouth is slightly ajar, and yuuji chuckles. you’re so quiet, he’s beginning to think he’s scared you, but soon, you smile, sweet, and gentle, and he can’t even blame megumi for fawning over you since middle school. “i—i didn’t hate you yuuji,” you reply, “i thought—think—you’re good for megumi. i just wanted him to be happy, and you make him happy.” 

yuuji hums. no wonder you two never got together before. “so you’re the self-sacrificing type, too, huh?” he smiles, far less innocently than you might think, “maybe i should have gotten you and yuuta-senpai together, instead.” 

you look like you’re about to refute, but megumi pulls back again, throughly annoyed when he interjects, “what the hell are you—”

but yuuji is quick to move his hand from his ear to his throat, pinching his fingers around his neck with just enough pressure to stutter and silence him. 

“i’m still not talking to you,” he reminds megumi, eyes sharp. he squeezes around megumi’s neck a bit tighter, before turning his attention back to you, “was he always like this? always biting before you can bark? must have been kind of annoying to deal with, huh?” 

your eyes widen, bambi-like and yuuji almost coos. from where you’re sitting against the headboard, you can’t see megumi’s face completely, just a sliver of his cheek, but you can probably tell by the reddening skin around his neck and ears that yuuji’s not just choking him for show. 

“i—uh… it’s not like that, it’s just… yuuji you’re gonna hurt him…”

but, you should also be able to tell that megumi’s not fighting it either. 

“you’re always so worried about him,” yuuji pushes megumi back against the pillows, paying no mind to his panting, simply ordering, “stay down.” 

yuuji then reaches out for you instead, gently pulling your body towards in him stark contrast to how he’d treated megumi a moment ago—twirling you as best he can while you’re kneeling on the mattress, maneuvering your body so that you’re straddling megumi and yuuji’s back is pressed against yours. 

yuuji hears you gasp, ever so lightly, when you inadvertently press your crotch against megumi’s. he almost wants to watch you two do that instead, but right now he’s a man on a mission, so instead, he puts his hands on his hips to keep you still, “see—he can take it. he even likes it.” 

you raise a hand to reach out to megumi, but yuuji stops you, forcing your back flush against his front, and caging you in with his arms and resting his chin against your shoulder. he turns his head to kiss you on the cheek, slow, once, and then again, and then against your earlobe, “you wanna try?” 

“try—what, choking him?” you ask, trying to turn your head to face yuuji, but he keeps it steady, keeps you facing megumi. 

“it’s not like you’re gonna hurt him,” yuuji hums against your skin, trails open-mouthed kisses along your neck. “it’ll feel good, i promise.”  

“well, uh... megumi, do you—”  

but yuuji raises a hand to squish your cheeks together before you can finish, turns your head to him and tuts, “i’m telling you it’s okay. megumi didn’t ask you before he asked me out, right? you don’t need his permission for everything, princess.” 

yuuji’s not just leveraging your feelings against each other now—now it’s sexual knowledge too, all the fantasies megumi has indulged him in about you, all the kinks he has that you’re clueless to. yuuji knows that despite the history you and megumi have, he’s the bridge between you now—and right now, yuuji wants you on his side.

“must bother you a little bit, right?” yuuji coos, releasing his grasp on your cheeks and using his hand to tilt your chin upwards to face him, “that he asked me out when he still had a crush on you. it still bothers me sometimes—and yet he had the nerve to get upset when i asked you about it. kinda selfish, no?” 

“i’m just saying, i think you should teach him a lesson,” yuuji continues, using his other hand to help your body rock against megumi’s, drinking in the sight of your pliant lips and the sound of his strained sighs. 

megumi’s probably not far from cumming in his boxers at this point, and you’re not far from helping yuuji make him do worse. 

“come on, princess,” yuuji smiles, pressing a kiss to your cheek before looking at megumi, “you gonna help me put a leash on him?” 

it’s an invitation and a threat, this you seem to understand. you can say yes to yuuji, say yes to having megumi between you two tonight, say yes and have a little bit of power; or you can say no, and be on the receiving end of punishment. 

yuuji almost thinks you’ll choose the latter out of loyalty, out of devotion to your best friend, out of shyness and inexperience in taking what you want, but you’re not just megumi’s anymore—your his girl now, too, and you make it known when your soft hand crawls up megumi chest and to his neck, and hesitantly wraps around his throat. 

tonight, megumi’s yours and yuuji’s. 

“good girl,” yuuji grins, wicked with intent when he presses a kiss to the back of your neck, “now lets have some fun with him.” 

#.........immense intense brain rot i didn't even put into words right how yuuji has so much inadvertent power and [blacks out] #GODDDDDDD #tumblr user yuwuta ever stop using dog analogies when writing about megumi level impossible #HNNNNNNN i need to BITE him #yuuji is so effortless seductive it's crazy it's crazy it's CRAZYYYY #the twist of using your and megumi's feelings for each other to get you three together #to then using it to tear you two apart for his own devices............. yuuji itadori when i catch you............. #this reminds me i have more itfs asks to answer i just need to relax and be coherent.... #itafushi #itafushi x reader #yuuji x reader #megumi x reader #yuuji smut #megumi smut #itafushi smut #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk smut #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jujutsu kaisen smut

[lovinglylibelle]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

-navigation || masterlist-

pairing: fushiguro megumi x reader

genre: fluff

description: Megumi has always been curious about love, having never experienced it himself. So what happens when he meets someone from his past that might just be the key to changing all that.

requests: open

a/n: this is has been on my mind for a while and i tried sooo many times to write this, but it somehow wasn't giving the vibe i wanted it to give. However, writing it this time was better and i like how it turned out, may have gotten carried away down there but eh (is it obvious that i am absolutely enamored by Megs?) If you like it, please press that cute little heart in the bottom right corner and that reblog button just next to it. If you want more such fics, you can also drop a follow and i promise not to disappoint. Have a happy day ahead, keep yourself hydrated and well fed. Thank you

"Ya Itadori, do you think it will rain?" Kugisaki asked, shielding her eyes as she looked up at the sky. It was the beginning of Japan's rainy season and it seemed like Tokyo was about to welcome it too.

It was getting darker by the second as more and more clouds gathered, blocking out the rays of the sun and from the looks of it, the sky was ready to let down the first rain.

"It's definitely going to rain," Itadori replied. According to the duo, he had some sort of sensor in him that allowed him to predict the weather... keeping aside the fact that it was already visible.

Megumi sighed as he watched the two sorcerers, now trying to climb the lamp post in order to get a clearer view, wondering how he managed to get himself surrounded by them. Not that he minded it. He had gotten used to it.

The three were standing outside a movie theatre, waiting for the movie to screen. Kugisaki and Itadori had insisted upon watching the latest romance movie, the same old story about love.

Fushiguro Megumi didn't know a thing about love and it really wasn't a surprise. To him it was just a myth, a fool's errand that the world seemed to chase for reasons unbeknownst to him.

He didn't get it, truly, the concept of it foreign to him but he wasn't the one to blame for it. He didn't exactly have the chance to experience it: his parents abandoned him, his sister was in a magic coma, and his 'relatives' wanted to exploit him... the only thing close to love, affection, and warmth he had ever known, not that he would ever admit it to him or anyone, was the chaotic white haired man child known as Gojo Satoru, and the two idiots who seemed to have taken it upon themselves to be the bane of his existence. However, that was all platonic anyway.

Romantic love was something he had only read about in the various novels and mangas: that were neatly stacked in his dorm, or watched in movies like these, and yet they weren't enough to make him believe in the notion.

It felt fictional to him, a love that transcends all barriers, a love that makes one do irrational things, a love that is unconditional... the idea was too far fetched. Everybody wanted something in the world, he knew that, he experienced that on an everyday basis. And everybody was selfish when it came down to it, so something as selfless as love was odd for him, odder than the existence of curses and magic.

However, he did wonder what it felt like, to be in love and to feel that feeling that all these things portrayed. Will he ever feel that? it was a question that made him ponder sometimes. He wouldn't mind it if he did and wouldn't mind it if he didn't either.

This reverie of his might have been neverending if it wasn't for the loud shout that Kugisaki had let out. "Fushiguro, it's open!"

He nodded, making his way towards them but stopping short after feeling a strong and familiar cursed energy.

"Huh?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings. A nostalgic emotion making its way to his heart. What was it-

thud, he felt someone bump into him, making him stumble slightly before he caught himself.

Looking up, he noticed the culprit and was ready to give them a terrible look but as soon as his eyes met yours, his entire world seemed to have slowed down to a halt.

There you were turning around to face him as your hair cascaded around you, framing you delicately like the buds do the petals. Your eyes were wide with evident shock that was etched onto your face oh so sweetly. Your lips parting slightly as it finally began to rain... the first of its season.

The air around you seemed to shimmer and Megumi could have sworn that he had never seen anybody look as beautiful as you did in that moment.

"Oh my god, shit, i am so sorry." you said hurriedly, a shocked expression on your face. You kept a hand above your eyes to be able to see.

Megumi couldn't even breathe much less talk or comprehend whatever you were saying as he noticed the feeling from earlier creeping in again. He squinted at you, running a hand through his hair that was now soaked and sticking to his forehead.

As he took in your features, the feeling started to bloom into something more, recognition.

You had the same aura around you, as you did all those years ago, of comfort and safety that once was Megumi's only solace. Your clumsiness was intact too, barely taking a few steps before crashing into things as he recalled. Your hair was longer though and somehow it looked even more perfect than what he had remembered... And your eyes, oh your eyes, they were the dead give away.

They had that same glint in them, the same warmth and insatiable curiosity that always left him in awe. Even now they seemed to hold the entire universe in them and sparkle like a million stars resided in them.

"Y/n..?" he whispered, loud enough for you to hear over the rain and soft enough to not break the moment.

"What? How do you know my nam-" you replied, confused beyond your belief when a flicker of understanding crossed your mind and you lit up with the same feeling of recognition.

"Meg- Fushiguro? No way..." you chuckled incredelously, disbelief on your face.

"Hello to you too, Y/n" he said, a smile on his face. It was genuine, the smile, just like it used to be all those years ago when you two spent time together.

To Kugisaki and Itadori who were watching it all unfold from afar, it was truly a rare sight; to see the alleged sea urchin, make that face and that too in a serious way.

"It's been so long Fushiguro, you've not changed a bit." you said, tucking your hair behind your ear as you smiled back at him. The more Megumi observed you, the more aware he became of his surroundings. He felt his cheeks growing warm despite the cold rain that was falling relentlessly around him.

"well my teeth grew back," he joked, earning a soft laugh from you and a gasp of disbelief from the other two, who exchanged a look. At the sound of your laugh, Megumi felt his heartbeat pick up, he couldn't comprehend what was happening to him. It was the first time ever that he had felt all those things, was it the weather? was it the rain? was he getting sick? what was happening to him? was he okay?

"that they did... makes you less cute though." you commented, making him nod his head and his friends face-palm themselves.

If they had been standing closer to you, Kugisaki would have smacked the oblivious guy's head right in that instance but due to the distance she couldn't.

"So you are back?" Fushiguro asked as the two of you started walking, the rain almost forgotten now.

"Yeah, Gojo Sensei had insisted on it and well i did miss everything here, especially you." you said, a hopeful look in your eyes as they met his.

I missed you too, he had wanted to say but decided against it.

"So what brings you here?" he said instead, his hands in his pockets.

He was looking down on the street, various puddles forming due to the water. He stepped in one, watching it splash against his feet.

"Believe it or not, it's a mission. There is a cursed spirit right around the corner there, caused a few suicides over the week." you said pointing at the alley behind the theatre.

"Speaking of, i can feel it manifesting again." you added, stopping in your tracks.

"They already got you going huh? You should go and exorcise it, we can talk later." he said, stopping to face you. He didnt want to stop talking just yet but he knew that the exorcism was more important.

"Alright, see you back at the dorms?"

He nodded in reply,

"It really is nice to see you again Fushiguro, i'll see you later." you said, taking off towards the alley with your hands clasped behind your back.

Fushiguro watched you walk away and felt himself coming to his senses again, he could now feel every raindrop on himself that had seemingly disappeared when he was talking to you. He realised that he was soaked, his hair sticking to his face, his hands cold and clammy and yet he didn't mind it at all,

He was so lost in watching you walk away that he didn't realise when Kugisaki and Itadori had joined him.

"So... who was that?" she said, holding the umbrella that somehow magically appeared in her hand. Her eyes narrowing at Megumi.

"A friend,"

"Just, a friend?"

"Yeah, just a friend."

"Sureeee, you made us miss half the movie though."

"But it's just been ten minutes Kugisaki-" Itadori interrupted,

"Yeah yeah i know, i am exaggerating. Come on now and quit staring, you look like a creep for fuck's sake." she called out, making her way towards the entrance of the theatre.

"Shut up." Megumi replied, shaking his head but looking away too.

He was elated to see you again and was even looking forward to meeting you back at the school and introducing you to his new friends.

"For the record, I don't believe that she was just a friend." Kugisaki added as she sat on her seat inside the theatre. Megumi who was now dry, thanks to his shikigami, sat down next to her with a sigh.

He avoided her gaze as he replied, "I don't care."

He was glad that the cinema was dark enough to hide his face when he said that because despite everything, a small smile had found its way on his lips which he really did not want Kugisaki or Itadori to see or they wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

His eyes focused on the movie in front of him, a romance movie, about love and somewhere in his heart and beyond his consciousness, he knew that he had found the answer to most of the questions he had as he thought back to the encounter he just had with you.

He really was looking forward to seeing you again.

#𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 🦋 #𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞— 𝐣𝐣𝐤🥀 #megumi fushiguro #jjk fushiguro #fushiguro megumi #fushiguro x reader #fushiguro x y/n #fushiguro x you #fushiguro megumi x reader #fushiguro megumi x you #fushiguro megumi x y/n #megumi x reader #jujutsu megumi #jujutsu kaisen megumi #jjk megumi #megumi fushiguro x reader #megumi fushiguro x you #megumi fushiguro x y/n #megumi x you #megumi x y/n #fushiguro megumi fluff #megumi fluff #megumi fushiguro fluff #jjk x reader #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu sorcerer #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you

[chrollohearttags]

it's ☃️ here again and I have more questions but reverb edition bc I love how 3 dimensional the characters are...

1. Now what is rapper!connie's true IDEALL type (if he actually has one). like he's immediately folding and falling to his knees because she's everything he wants type shit.

2. Do any of the pole assassins ladies swing the other way perchance...? IDK if you mentioned this but i'm getting a vibe...perchance.

3. What are mika and jean's favorite things about one another?

4. How would eren react to being posted on the shaderoom and having them get in his business? I recently saw a video of summer walker flipping the shaderoom off and I screamed 😭😭

5. IDK if you didn't go into detail but is sasha an influencer here as well or an artist?

6. Does eren like any other forms of art besides music/writing in this universe? I don't feel EJ is the type to like go walk a museum (or maybe he is) but I feel he definitely holds some appreciation for like visual arts yk??

7. Is influencer!y/n any good at games? I remember you mentioning him being a gamer and I had the idea of him teaching her to play madden or COD or some shit and her being sooo bad to the point where he gets a little upset bc no way you're this bad at the game.

once again that is all the questions my brain has come up with, until next time *fades off into background*

hello again, snowanon!! 🤍 I swear you always come with the best asks. I’m actually working on reverb right now so thanks for this! (sorry these took so long btw!)

1. now Connie isn’t the type of dude to discriminate when it comes to the ladies. He loves them all but he will undoubtedly fall in love (and maybe propose on the spot) for a tall women or BBW. he loves him a girl who’s taller than him or a plus size lady. I’d say his range is anywhere from Meg to Lizzo. But he really just a loves a woman who can make him laugh. Somebody he can clown with.

2. Yes 3/5 do in fact! 😭 our girl (y/n) is bisexual. Eren is honestly the only man she loves. Niesha is pansexual + Syrai is lesbian. Kelley and Brianne have only ever dated men but they’re not against the idea of being with a woman!

3. omg I literally love these two so much and I hadn’t had a chance to elaborate yet but Jean and Mika are each other’s saving graces, dramatic as it sounds. Jean helped Mika stand up for herself when she felt powerless and she helped him realize his dream and that he was worth more than being on the sidelines. I think Jean’s favorite thing about Mika is her determination and how smart she is. If she wants something done, nothing can stop her. She’s headstrong but she’s soft in the same turn. Not in a weak way or that she wants to be babied but she’s so compassionate and emotional about the things + people she loves. As for Mika, she loves how much of a natural leader Jean is. He’s dominating but in the best way possible. He knows she can handle her own business but she doesn’t have to when he’s around. She can be comfortable in her feminine energy without feeling weak. All in all, they just compliment one another so well!

4. LMAO! the day Eren ever ends up on the ShadeRoom, everybody’s getting their feelings hurt. 😭 what makes it so bad is that it would probably be for some dumb shit, like them trying to messy about he and (y/n)’s relationship and now he gotta cuss everybody and their family dog out :(

5. so the next few chapters are going to feature Sasha heavily but my baby is actually Mikasa’s assistant for the time being. Her ultimate goal is to do music, more so as like a country hip-hop artist. She’s basically mentoring under her and Jean both.

6. Eren does have a great appreciation for other art forms. He has a few unique and expensive paintings in his home and he himself loves to draw. Many of his tattoo pieces are artworks of his. He also enjoys stage plays, shockingly! (he’s really a theater kid cosplaying as a delinquent, don’t let him fool you 😭😭) but he enjoys reading from time to time as well.

7. okay listen! my sis be giving it her all to beat this man LMAO. Eren is so damn competitive that he can’t just play shit for fun, he makes everyone want to fight him. But the one game he does NAWT want to see her in is Tekken. That’s been her favorite series since she was a kid and she gives him the work every single time.

#cherry’s asks 🍒 #nonnies 🍒🌹 #thank you again for these nonnie <3 #I love when y’all pick my brain. reverb has been a lot to write but I love it so much #aot x black reader #musician x influencer au #eren x black fem!reader #aot au #black fem reader #eren jaeger #eren jaeger x black reader #eren jaeger x reader #eren jaeger aot #eren jaeger headcanons #connie springer #connie springer x black reader #mikasa ackerman #jean kirschstein #jeankasa #sasha braus #musician au #reverb series #aot headcanons #aot modern au #black reader #queued posts #scheduled post #snk au #snk headcanons #connie headcanons

[thebrightmillenial]

SAM WINCHESTER HEADCANONS

Sam Winchester is left handed.

He is lactose intolerant, which isn't confirmed but is also my headcanon and I am keeping it because I can.

He enjoys forensics, chemistry, law, english and theater - particularly law and forensics, but is really skilled in english which is mostly canon.

Not a huge fan of tattoos, but still got his along with Dean after Sam got possessed by Meg.

His favorite scent is grass and old books. He just finds it comforting and reminds him back of Stanford, when he and Jess would sit together under a tree, on the grass, reading books. Total silence, but still no time was being wasted.

He can't enjoy being around cats. He just doesn't like them. There isn't really a reason or a trauma behind it. He sees a cat, he keeps his distance if he is given the chance.

Sam feels relatively anxious if he can't understand something. This will sometimes cause him to chew on his nails or even obsess over the problem in question to no end.

The reason his wifi is exceptionally good is because he actually befriended a witch. The deal was an essay in exchange for all wifi bars anytime he needed. This isn't my headcanon but I love it.

He is able to draw really well, but only when he has visions about it.

Sam sleeps mostly laying on his stomach but sometimes feels comfortable sleeping on his right side.

Mostly vegetarian - once or twice he will break the rule but he likes to keep to that diet.

He actively searches hunting lore. He doesn't fully hate hunting itself. He just hates not being given the choice.

This is more canon than not, but if you want to read Sam Winchester's emotions, look at his eyes. What his face won't show, his eyes will immediately show as much as he tries to hide it.

Sam can't stand to talk about himself without talking about other people's problem's first. The moment he tries, he finds himself struggling to get the words out.

He is non-binary bisexual, but really can't care much about the labels.

He will always finish what he starts and avoids making promises he can't keep.

Sam absolutely loves dogs and if he can, he will stop to pet one.

Sam's favorite colors are powder blue, brown, white, black and gray-green and his favorite season is autumn

He seeks control for himself. He needs to be able to feel in control of his life, thoughts and actions, since people are always depriving him of that, which then becomes an issue with the entire Ruby situation (she made him think he was in control).

Sam's playlist is very strange. He'll listen to Bon Jovi, Amanda Palmer, Celine Dion, but would probably enjoy some styles of classic romantic music or baroque on certain days.

He's the type that would listen to christmas songs in June. Especially Frank Sinatra.

He is sometimes able to sense ghosts in his presence - this has been something that he's felt since he was a kid but had nobody to tell (he feared Dean would be upset with him)

He would definitely shamelessly listen to Adele.

Jess taught Sam how to knit, or at least started teaching him.

Sam is actually a decent cook.

Sam's friend group at Stanford was Luis, Jess, Brady, Zach and Rebecca.

They sometimes went over to Zach's and Rebecca's just to play Mario Kart and watch movies all day after their exams.

Their group photos burned down along with Jess so Sam never had the chance to retrieve them.

Sam was actually really short until he turned 17-18. His growth spurt came out of nowhere.

Sam had to wear knee braces during most of his time at Stanford.

Autistic with some slight OCD

#queer sam winchester #sam winchester #supernatural #non binary sam winchester #non binary #bisexual #stanford era #sam winchester headcanon #some canon facts mostly headcanons tho

[seareefer]

If you're still taking requests, how about one where Idia is trying to deny that he has a crush on the reader and kind of saying some random lines from "I Won't Say I'm In Love"?

I-Who told you my weakness to disney songs-Also Idia having a Meg moment, chef's kiss. I hope this is like what you wanted tho <;3.

The cloudy weather outside felt some higher power was tormenting Idia. Well misery loves company he supposed. He had spent the day just laying on his bed, even his games couldn’t get him out of his low right now.

Ortho had been coming in more often, his worry grew each time when we realized Idia had no plans to do anything today. “Big brother... Please something has to be wrong. You won’t even log on to hammer wins on some ‘noobs’. I’m worried...”

With a tired sigh Idia slowly sat up, “If there’s a prize for rotten judgment, I guess already won that...” Looking back, Ortho tried to pin-point what recent time Idia could’ve had the chance to make a mistake that would upset him for more than half a day or so... Unless it was-”Are you talking about when you went out with MC the other day?” Though his cheeks gained a slight dust pink, Idia whimpered before shoving his face his face in a nearby pillow.

With a soft giggle Ortho started his recap of that day before the two had gone out, “Big brother who do you think you’re kidding? Are you still trying to keep your feelings for them hidden?” Ortho moved to sit next to his brother, waiting in anticipation for him to rant about his crush.

“I think you should tell them! You two seemed so happy when coming back from your date-” “IT WASN’ D-DATE!” Hitting his face with the pillow before throwing it at the wall Idia stood and began pacing around his room. “No chance, no way I won’t say I.. It’s too cliche!” Wrapping his arms around himself he went on, “I thought my heart had learned it’s lesson-It feels so good when you start out...”

Slumping into his gaming chair Idia thought for a moment, about you and him...together. Though his thoughts didn’t go far before he cried out and grabbed his head “GAH-Get a grip!!”

Ortho skipped over to his brother and comfortingly touch his shoulder, “Idia... you keep on denying and I’m not buying. When are you face it like a pro-you’ve got it bad!” Gently shrugging his little brother off Idia turned around in his chair with a heartbroken sigh. “You don’t get it Ortho... You’re way off base, I won’t say it just get off my case... Even if I did I doubt I’m the one they want. No matter how many affection points I rack up-This scene just won’t play..”

Watching him turn on his set up, Ortho took that as his cue to really give Idia space. With a frown on his he went back into the hall and started walking aimlessly, stuck in thought. “Big brother doesn’t see it but, I’ve checked that grin MC totally returns his feelings!” Digging his feet into the floor he stood and thought what he could do... then it hit him. Checking his recording systems he gleefully went off to find the target of his brothers affections.

About an hour after their interaction, Idia was logging off and got up to look for Ortho to apologize for how he acted earlier. He opened the door just as you were raising your hand to knock. Squeaking he closed the door in an instant-What... Why were you here!?

“Idia! Can I come in? It’s super important I promise!” Taking a moment to catch his breath and grab his tablet he slowly opened the door for you. Walking past him you turned to face him expectantly, “Don’t freak out ok?” Confused, he slowly nodded. Before he could even blink you leaned up and pecked his cheek, “I like you too~!”

Gasping for air his tablet slipped out of his hands and he slowly pulled his jacket up to cover his face-All while Ortho giggled along with you happily on the other side of the door.

My Idia hate grows everyday-But I do hope you enjoyed! I definitely used this as an excuse to listen to Hercules music over and over~. But yes I hope this came out as you wanted, have a good day and week!!

Taglist: @c3lestialstars @vanrougemoons @xoxowritingclub @a-mossball-with-a-pen @idiasdiscordkittensposts @kaiyoschaos

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #idia shroud x reader #idia shroud #ortho shroud

[glindaupland]

The Phantom of the Opera | Seoul, South Korea | 동팬텀 x 손크리 Review 1/6

October 8, 2023 - Evening | 200th Performance, 100th for Seoul

The Phantom of the Opera | 전동석 Jeon Dong-seok

Christine Daaé | 손지수 Sohn Ji-soo

Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | 송원근 Song Won-geun

Carlotta Giudicelli | 한보라 Han-Bora

Oh hey, it's that man I never shut up about. Round 1 out of 2 of him! I made the following excuse for this ticket decision: I need something for my sanity the day I arrive after a 19 hour long trip so why not add in a special milestone performance if the chance is right there? Well, I got two very different experiences on both days I saw him, so it was absolutely worth it. So you'll have to read both to get the full picture. Let's begin with this one

My friends have heard this 5000 times, but I don't know what devil possessed him on the first show. Maybe it was because it was a special show and he wanted to show off? Who knows! I ate it up! He for sure woke me up after 24+ hours of no sleep and 19 hours of travel! I had a horrible migraine the whole show! I don't care!

Hannibal Rehearsal / Think of Me

Sorry, but if you could extract the view from my eyes like camera footage during Hannibal rehearsal it would be like at least 70% Yoon Young-seok fancam. His Monsieur André is clearly very passionate and enthusiastic about opera and has major googoo eyes for Carlotta. He kind of reminded me of Nehal Joshi with his energy 🥹 As many of you may know, he was the original Phantom in Korea and played the role in both the 2001-2 and 2009-11 runs! He had said that he wanted to return to POTO because it felt like home to him, but not as the Phantom again (even in 2010 he felt taking the role again in the future would be greedy). So it's been really sweet to see his clear love for the show in this. When Piangi got cut off because of singing "Roma", from behind you could hear one of the ensemble members complain about doing this 200 times because it was the 200th performance. 😆 It was also really funny when Piangi did a pinky promise to himself during the "Promise me" line when Carlotta was singing 'Think of Me'. He is really all over her

As others have said, Sohn Ji-soo really is reminiscent of classic 90's Christines. I think she has a light operatic voice pretty similar to Sarah Brightman's (she is an opera singer making her musical debut in this show). I lean towards these types of voices for Christine so she was my favorite to listen to most of the time. It kind of felt like her Christine was already "more experienced" than Eun-hye's? I don't mean that she's better at it, I mean her Christine's energy felt more experienced if that makes sense. SEH Christine looked like it was her first time in the spotlight. Maybe it's the actual opera singer experience she has coming through. She is absolutely light and angelic though, I adore her voice :') Monsieur André is very into Christine's performance the whole time looking proud of her. But sadly poor André surrounded by hooligans who don't respect the arts once again! Raoul would get up to cheer for Christine and he would immediately look mortified waving his hands for him to stop and then crouch covering his mouth in embarrassment. Madame Firmin looked at him in shock and Monsieur Firmin looked away covering the side of his face like he couldn't bear to see it or be seen with him

Angel of Music / Little Lotte

SJS Christine has "her head in the clouds". She looked like she was drifting off in a trance hearing the Phantom's praises until Meg pulled her out of it. Son Won-geun is the standard soft, protective Raoul. He's a good egg. Maybe not a very seasoned exciting egg often, but he's definitely a stable choice for the future! That's always my preferred temperament anyway even if it isn't super unique. These two make a pretty classic Raoulstine pair. Even if some of her lines can be a bit awkwardly spoken sometimes, I thought she's improved and seemed really adorable and innocent.

The First Lair | POTO / MOTN / STYDI

SJS Christine looks at everything around her in the boat like this world she's entering is so magical and beautiful to her. When she was singing for him at the end, JDS Phantom looked like he was drowning himself in the sound of her voice. He smiled and nodded excitedly, motioning for her to continue. He also smiled when passing his hand over his music at his organ, saying he wanted her alone to sing his music. God. I think Dong-seok's Phantom is a nerd. I know he's very pretty and romantic, but his Phantom fumbles around restlessly unsure of what to do with Christine. Definitely "I've never seen a woman before in my life" energy. We must be convinced by acting that a pretty man can too be a terrible basement loser too after all! Despite this, his hands had very pretty and delicate movements gliding through the air. They looked like they were guiding and drawing the music out of her. He was a little less awkward this performance, but he would lose his flow and get stressed if he actually got to close to her. He switched his hands after turning her face away from him to gently draw her face near him again with the tips of his fingers. But when she stepped forward to try to kiss him he got panicky with wide eyes and stepped away quickly. He adjusted his collar a bit as he continued as if he had struggled to breathe for a moment. When Christine approached him on the portcullis, he looked shy about it and turned away. It's a bit funny since Ji-soo's Christine is 1) Always very into MOTN and following the Phantom 2) Has the best chemistry with him and KJT Phantom most of all. I don't think you need to have much game to win with her, but you're still stressing this much about it! But he got stronger at the end! First, he lightly touched her shoulder with one hand and drew back hesitantly, but then he walked around her to wrap his other arm around her slowly. Once he realized he finally did have her, he became bolder. He leaned in close with a voice heavy with desire and rubbed his cheek in her hair. Please...he almost seemed like a proud kid presenting their art project when he brought Christine to the mirror bride. His pure excitement to show Christine his gift made his confused and freaked out reaction to her passing out especially funny to me. Poor guy, that's not the way to get ladies.

I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It

It wasn't loud enough to hear what he was saying, but he mumbled to himself while working on his music. It made me really curious He causes one of the biggest scenes out of the Phantoms after being unmasked. He yells "날 저주해! - Curse me!" at the very end of his outbursts and then screams and gasps wildly. His anger was mostly at himself than at Christine. He had a harsh sort of growly voice in parts of the first half. At one point he stopped covering his face and used both of his hands to pull himself forward clumsily. He's a very long awkward mess! SJS Christine would quietly look away until the Phantom is finally in front of her. With big pleading eyes, he reached for her, but he turned away when she finally faced him. She looked so deeply sad for him like she wished she could comfort him in some way, but didn't know how. From the start, his Phantom has romantic intentions, but he just feels every feeling so intensely, so deeply that anything gets too painful for him. It seems like the closer he tries to get and the more he tries to love her, the more harmful it is for him.

Notes I/Prima Donna

The managers were constantly checking in with each other while they handle the stress of convincing Carlotta. During Prima Donna they would lean behind or peek around her to exchange looks either urging the other to keep it up or just to give show their relief (André nodded and winked at Firmin right before they began their singing for the song). It's so cartoonish and ridiculous and I love it. I also love that when they realized they had finally fully swayed her, they high fived each other. Perfect team! Interrupting this to drop an important tweet:

Han Bo-ra seems like the more comedic, obnoxious Carlotta (don't take that the wrong way, I Iove it) and had some big exaggerated expressions sometimes. Her speaking voice was higher than her singing voice. At the start of Prima Donna, she gave into the managers' flattery pretty quickly. She had very big starry eyes as they showered her with praise and it was really cute. SWG Raoul kind of gets drowned out in these big scenes. I could tell that he was trying to make some choices in the background each show, but it just wasn't enough to make himself stand out if you weren't actively looking for him.

The Rooftop

SWG Raoul is very worried for Christine above all before 'All I Ask of You'. Although he watches her in confusion, he doesn't seem judgmental of her meltdown. I think he just genuinely wants to understand what's happening to her. His AIAOY, while not very intense, was pretty sweet and gentle. But still this is a safe and normal choice for Christine!! That's a normal stable man and he's doing his best

AIAOY (Reprise)

I was first row balcony so he was directly in my line of sight. I could already see his hand come up before Christine and Raoul had even left. He's the biggest crier out of the four in this scene, like full sobbing. (Also whoever whispered "미쳤어" in the audience when he revealed himself on the angel is so relatable truly)

Twisted Every Way / Don Juan Rehearsal

SJS Christine always looked like she's completely drained here. She's almost dazed and doesn't have the energy to deal with it anymore. Her worn betrayed face when she realizes Raoul really wants her to go through with this plan made her look like she felt abandoned. I think this is what makes her 'Wishing', her finding her strength, especially impactful. Also, during Don Juan rehearsal, Christine was trying to help Piangi pointing to his sheet music even though she didn't even want to be there, but he was not having it haha

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

She is the best at this song both acting-wise and vocally. It broke my heart seeing her kiss the red scarf after she holds it close to her face. Before the last verse of the song when she ran to the mausoleum gates she clung to them so tightly breaking down and sounding frustrated with herself. You see a lot of growth with her Christine who was so reliant on the Angel of Music's guidance and so willing to obey and trust him. If the gift from her father that she believed in and held onto so tightly was a lie, what did she have left now? She needed the courage to move on herself. The transition from being so exhausted and lost to angry with herself for being trapped by her grief to finally finding her strength...my heart. One of my favorite performances of this song for sure. She is just putting everything into this.

The Point of No Return

He was unusually spicy during this scene. Tension was high, the Phantom was finally being pushed to the edge. He wasn't very rough with her, but he was definitely possessive. I remember him brushing under her chin with his fingers when she looked at him after he stopped her from turning away. His hand wrapped around her wrist slowly and sensually when he pulled her arm away after she drank. His hands tended to tremble when he would reach up for Christine when she was behind him, but he really did not have that fear this performance. He actually leaned into her touch pretty shamelessly and indulged himself in the moment He's the only Phantom with this slight lyric change in PONR. It's just a word difference (This would be where "No backward glances - Our games of make believe are at an end" is) 이제 더 이상 날 떠나갈 순 없게 하리라 / now you'll no longer be able to leave me -> 이제 더 이상 날 거역할 순 없게 하리라 now you'll no longer be able to defy me Whoa, whoa his proposal at the end of the song was not a blubbering mess. Sometimes he can barely get his words out like he's on the verge of a meltdown. Here? There was no pleading. He pointed at her asking her not to leave him alone, but he was most definitely actually telling her. The ring was put on pretty forcefully like he finally had lost his patience waiting to be chosen. It really surprised me to see it coming from him

Final Lair

I think it was after saying he wasn't allowed any happiness that he held his hand up to keep her back. He didn't give her any room to show him sympathy. Instead of looking hurt, when she told him she's not afraid of his face, he leaned in really close to her face with his finger to his lips and hushed her. He had an especially arrogant sarcastic attitude when Raoul arrived and laughed darkly. The bitterness was something else! Later upon hearing her say her tears had dried up and she was left with only hate, he crumpled his sheet music. Even when she threw the veil he didn't react in the normal way trying to reach for it. He had tried to motion to stop her, but then just stared coldly after she had done it. You could really see that resentment in her eyes though. She had changed so much. SJS Christine had always had so much deep respect for and great faith in her angel, but she could see him clearly now. More points for SWG Raoul for focusing more on protecting Christine than beefing with the Phantom. He immediately asks her "괜찮아요? / Are you okay?" when the Phantom allows him in. Even when he gets the lasso thrown on him (which thankfully the Raouls in this cast actually remember they need to really act like they're being suffocated) his first priority was reaching for Christine and trying to protect her. I don't like when Raouls act like they're just competing with the Phantom. For the "you try my patience line" Dong-seok added in something extra. He got really close to her face again leaning forward in his throne and said in a whispered voice: 날...날 시험하지마...알겠어? 크리스틴? 선택해! / Don't test me...do you understand? Christine? Choose! It was so so quiet you could barely hear him before he shouted at her to choose. But even with the tension in the air, in this moment he felt weak, giving empty threats to hide how broken down he was. The way Ji-soo sings before the kiss hurts me so bad! She's almost cracking with a weak voice at the start from crying until she builds up the energy to go to him. During the first kiss, he was repeatedly gripping at her arms frantically like he was drowning and trying to cling to something to stay afloat. He was pacified by her hug letting his arms lower to his sides. It was during the second kiss that he closed his eyes and his face looked peaceful for a moment. He looked like he was freed. He took a long time to release Raoul. He sort of did a small pained laugh when he looked at him that turned into gasps (as if trying not to cry) before he released him. This night, he sounded and looked really exhausted with the way he told them to leave. His "I love you" was so soft "사랑~...해.." the last syllable was cut shortly and weakly... SJS Christine was very reluctant about leaving the Phantom. Once again he let another pained laugh out before he began sobbing at the sound of Christine and Raoul's singing. But SJS Christine never took her eyes off of him when the boat passed by. He barely saw it though, he turned and saw her only right before she was out of sight :( When he sang his final line he sobbed out "끝나버린 / over" struggling to get his words out, but gathered to strength to finish one last powerful note and accept this ending

At curtain call Ji-soo was messing with Won-geun when he was going to kiss her hand (I think she had switched it up on him or something I can't remember) and they started jokingly bickering until Dong-seok walked down for his bow and shooed them away with his hand like they were being ridiculous hehe We took a big audience photo with Dong-seok after curtain call to celebrate the milestone performance! This was also Lee Sang-jun's 700th performance so Yoon Young-seok tried to give bring some attention to him before they left the stage. He was Buquet in the last production of POTO and I believe he has the most performances in POTO out of any cast member That's a lot lot of people photobombing my personal photo with my guy how rude. The seats were all sold out, but the gaps in the audience happened because there was a mass exodus after curtain call both this day and on the 1500th. I'm assuming people have trains to catch or are tired at the end of the night. Dong-seok was cutely insistent about us wearing the white side out and he told us not to catch a cold at the end (a lot of cast members were getting sick in the show and other shows around then)

That's it for this performance! His second one which will be analyzed in the other review was more of his usual than this. I feel like I got one of the most unusual Dong Phantom shows of them all this time so you know what? It was worth the complete exhaustion on the literal first day of my trip. A fitting reward for my struggles!

#i did not have rose-tinted 본진 glasses on i swear #he just ate something crazy before this show or something #one of my fave performances #the phantom of the opera #poto korea #poto #jeon dong seok #sohn ji soo #song won geun #전동석 #손지수 #송원근 #오페라의 유령 #poto review

[estellamiraiauthor]

Some thoughts on the Ken Hill Phantom in Tokyo—both the show itself, since I’d never seen it before (only partial recordings, never even a full video) and this particular production.

Apologies in advance that I do not know the names of much of the cast… only three cast members are named on the website. I guess you had to buy a program to get some credit for the others, which seems a little shitty… they all did a great job and I’d like to be able to give credit where it’s due… if anyone happens to have a full list, let me know and I’ll add that information.

So, overall thoughts… it was a lot funnier and more fourth-wall-breaking than I expected. Not all of the jokes quite landed (either with me or with the audience in general), but it wasn’t because they were especially dated either, which is always nice in an older show. Just some moments that were like “I know I’m supposed to laugh here, but the joke’s just not that good.”

The banter between Richard (the only new manager in this version) and the old manager, and between Richard and Remy (his assistant or manservant, who kind of fills the role that a second manager sometimes does) usually worked, and all three of them were talented actors. Richard is the former manager of a railway company in this version, which he brags about quite a bit, and I think it was an interesting attempt to showcase the difference between a businessman who really doesn’t appreciate or even attempt to understand opera at all, vs. the Phantom, to whom art should be everything… unfortunately I feel like overall, the Phantom’s characterization was a little weak, which really hurt the emotional impact of the second act. More on that later.

Jammes sort of fulfills the ALW-Meg role here, and this was an interesting character for me because she wasn’t really very good of a dancer? What she did, she did competently, but definitely came off as “actress who has taken ballet lessons” rather than professional ballerina. It also didn’t seem to be much of a singing role, so not a case of choosing a singer over a dancer… I suppose she was maybe supposed to be comic relief, but the actress played her pretty straight?

Paul Potts as Faust is one of the three credited actors, alongside the Phantom and Christine. I LOVED him on Britain’s Got Talent, and watched a few videos of more recent performances when I learned he would be in this, but I wouldn’t say I’ve seriously followed his career. I was surprised in general that the role was such a funny one, and that he was extremely funny in it, because the image I had of him was definitely “Super Serious Tenor”. He was extremely enjoyable, both as a singer and as an actor here. For those who are wondering, because I Googled the role and didn’t find much, “Faust” is essentially the “Piangi” character here, except we never learn his actual name (although we do learn Mme. Giry’s!). He actually had a bigger role than I expected based on his first couple of scenes, unlike poor Mephistopheles, who got killed off fairs soon, for the actor to return as the Persian!

The other major character we meet in that first scene is Raoul, who is Richard’s son in this version. The whole “Little Lotte lost her scarf in the sea” backstory never seems to have happened. Christine and Raoul are already in love from the first scene, but we never learn where or when they met. Interestingly, while the whole “Raoul as aristocracy would never be with an opera singer” issue is not addressed here, since he’s not aristocracy, he does bring up how inappropriate it would be for Christine to be alone with a man in her dressing room. (Not that that stops HIM from barging in!) This Raoul was Sweet and noble, and I really wish I knew the actor’s name because he was a beautiful singer as well.

Christine actually didn’t get a chance to sing until fairly late in the show, and I’m pretty sure the first time she really sings is at her father’s grave, not during a performance or rehearsal! Tayla Alexander as Christine was AMAZING. It’s nice in general to see a Christine who actually is an operatic soprano (although I know that’s not really the POINT of a lot of versions, and don’t mind at all when they don’t, it’s refreshing to see a Christine close to the Leroux character?) She was a great actor too, and this is definitely a Christine with agency. I thought it was an interesting choice to have her come straight out and say “I PITY you!” at the end… that IS possibly a bit of “datedness”? Leroux, or at least the translation I have, also says “pity,” but pity isn’t necessarily seen as an emotion people WANT others to feel about them these days… not sure if that’s an evolution of language/evolution of disability culture thing, or just that this Christine is brutally honest?

So I guess this brings me to the Phantom… he also doesn’t show up until almost the end of Act 1, which is a choice I respect… mystery is good for this character! But I also feel like less interaction with Christine ultimately just made him come off as a creepy incel? I have to say, I did not love Ben Forster in the role. I just went and Googled him because other than playing the ALW Phantom, I wasn’t familiar with him at all, and it’s not at all surprising to me that he got his start in JCS and Rocky Horror etc… I’m much more interested in seeing him in those roles, because he has this like… rock-n-roll twang? To his voice that just did not fit a mostly-Leroux-faithful, generally-period-appropriate Phantom. He was overshadowed vocally not only by Potts but by the woefully uncredited Raoul and the Persian, and if the Phantom doesn’t have the most angelic voice on that stage, it just doesn’t work. I’m curious to see him as the ALW Phantom now, because I surprisingly don’t hate SOME more rock-ish voices there (Paul Stanley isn’t my favorite, but he’s far from my least favorite)… Looking those videos up once I get home!

Since I’m going through all the characters, this version actually has Mme Giry AND the Persian, although Mme Giry is in her original role as box manager! Mme Giry was another great actor and singer, she had a few nice funny moments to break up the overall gravitas of the character.

The Persian… well, this gets into the whole weakness of the second act and of the Phantom character in general. The actor who played the Persian (as well as Mephistopheles) was great, and I didn’t really have a problem with HIS character so much as the needlessly convoluted backstory they gave him and the Phantom. Just about the ONLY sympathetic backstory we get from the Phantom comes from the Persian, and he’s actually pretty brunt about it, just outright calling him “disfigured” rather than a monster or a devil’s child or whatever… which yes, is correct, but it just feels like it’s never really communicated to the audience with any degree of emotion how the Phantom (who never gets a name here) has really been robbed by society’s fear of any chance to have a normal life.

Christine doesn’t have that moment where she sees his face and is initially horrified. She doesn’t see his face at all until the end, so never gets to speak sympathetically about him to others. The Phantom never talks about his OWN past. And what we get from the Persian is mostly about how good at torture he is, oh and that he killed their parents. Because the Persian is his brother.

And I just… that feels so unnecessary? And I think, throws something in there that doesn’t need to be, because is this story set in France, written in English, now commenting on the treatment of children with facial differences in Persia? I don’t really think so, I think it was just supposed to be a big reveal, but it really fell flat. And honestly, if the dude’s parents neglected and abused him… we’ve all been following the Gypsy Rose Blanchard thing for long enough to say, maybe not that it’s OKAY to murder an abusive parent, but it’s certainly a lot more sympathetic than the Persian makes it out to be.

So, in the end, the Phantom is trying to force Christine to marry him by… yelling at her and telling her Raoul is dead. There’s no scorpion and the grasshopper, no Raoul held hostage. If she says no, he’s probably going to kill her, but he’s planning to do that anyway, so it’s a little hard to say what either of them hope to get out of the situation.

And in the end I guess he repents and kills himself, and then all of a sudden all of these people who have been physically and psychologically tormented by him gather ‘round to sing about how he won’t die without a friend? And Christine says he was once her angel of music, but because we’ve never really seen them in the same scene before this, it’s hard to really feel anything about that.

The second act just felt like a huge disappointment after the first… and a lot of that just hung on the Phantom, both the way he was written and the way he was played and sung. I’m glad I saw it, and it’s really interesting to see the parallels either way certain scenes that probably inspired ALW. I was particularly glad to be introduced to Tayla Alexander. But I’m also not going to be going back, at least not during this run.

#ken hill phantom #phantom of the opera #Ken hill #ben forster #Paul Potts #Tayla Alexander #musicals #musical review #live theatre #live theatre review

[transingthoseformers]

Oh yeah Overlord definitely whittled down the DJD one by one. He hunts them back as it were. Deliberately saving Tarn for last. Tarn following Overlord to Earth is how he even ended up in the vicinity. Nickel was found by the Scavengers. She doesn't get killed by backstory.

I can imagine this Tarn/Damus with his IWD influenced origins siting down with the history and diffrent people to figure out how and where exactly things went wrong that the Deceptacons became something worse than what they fought to topple. And what went so right that Optimus turned the horrifically corrupt old regime into something close to what the original vision was. This Damus/Tarn knew Orion Pax and even read Towards Peace on Orion's recommendation. Dude's writeing technical reports on it.

And Damus would potentially have information on what fresh hell Mandroid did. If not he can give a picture of what's going on in the wider universe and what threats might be Earth bound.

Exactly

The scavs finding nickel has gotta be fascinating because earthspark scavengers (I was thinking earlier about how Fulcrum should be smaller for shits and giggles)

Damus is just pouring over everything rn figuring out where they went wrong

Where he went wrong

He's most definitely looking at Optimus in a new light especially concerning Oppy's interactions with Megs, now that they're on the same side, because he knew him too. Concerning how Megatron and Optimus were close before the war and built the faction together, there's a chance that Glitch used to know both somewhat well then

You know, it'd be interesting if Damus got to read the first couple drafts of Towards Peace and saw what got edited out in later versions.

Oh I feel like he's exactly got info on what went down with Croft and Mandroid, because I wanna see his reaction to it with him arriving a tiny while after it went down. If we're rolling with more IDW influences, him and most of the other adult mecha would immediately see connections between the mind control and mnemosurgery (even if they function with very different goals in mind and work differently, there's still a connection.)

But I'd love love love to see him ferrying information from outside of earth too it, I love thinking about that.

#maccadam #transformers #tfe tarn #tfe optimus prime #tfe megatron #tfe mandroid #tfe overlord #nickel #the scavengers #transformers earthspark #decepticon justice division

[brandwhorestarscream]

TFA jettwins in Cybermorphs AU could totally just be SS and Megs getting curious what would happen if they did it the other way around? Like normally SS sires and Megs makes eggs right? So what if Jettwins is just the two of them being like

("Would this even work?" "Idk" "Wanna try it?" "Sure.")

And next thing we know, The Twins. (Extra angst for the whole trines idea.) Normally Seeker eggs are in threes? But because of the wonky cybermorph genes, one eggy doesn't make it. Luckily vosimorphs are less predisposed to needing trines, so the twins only need each other.

Ok so I really, really like this as a concept (like! Stick a pin in this! We can definitely apply this elsewhere), but it doesn't quite fit the TFA jettwins vibes. They are, first and foremost, autobot warriors/weaoons. I don't wanna remove that part of their character, it's so tragic and interesting

So! Hear me out 👀

Since there's no Soundwave during TFA's war (that we know of), that means Megatron has no chosen cybermorph King to be his main commander. In TFP Starscream is a normal born mecha, but I wanna switch it up here. Keep it fresh

Way, waaay back in the day. Megatron's carrier, as a flight capable warframe (hi Galvatron) is an accomplished gladiator while his mate is a humble miner. Maybe he took up pit fighting in an effort to get money for Terminus's treatment after he lost his legs in the famous mining accident, or maybe he was yeeted in there as punishment for some offense or other. Regardless, he's an absolute monster in the ring, and quickly becomes a fan favorite for his sheer brutality and graceful fighting style alike.

Pivot to Vos. One of Winglord Hurricane's mates is planning an offworld excursion. Maybe for scientific study, maybe as a vacation. Hurricane isn't able to accompany them, and isn't comfortable letting them off so far away even with some of the armada as an escort. For extra protection, he opts to hire a gladiator or three. The best of the best: anyone would think twice about going after royalty that's not only attended by a Vosian fleet but also protected by arguably the best warriors on the planet. Galvatron accepts immediately, especially when the Winglord is kind enough to give him 25% down right away. It's more than enough to cover Terminus's surgery and recovery time off work. It's enough to get them their own private apartment in Kaon! He jumps at the chance. This is the kind of thing warframes on the southern side of the planet dream of, a once in a lifetime opportunity to make things better.

And, well, you know what happens next 🤭 whilst exploring or vacationing or whatever, they fall into an abandoned xenomorph nest. Galvatron is first, as the royal embryo that eventually becomes Megatron is dominant even in the ovimorph state: it gets to hatch first and latch onto a host. There's of course lots of screaming and panic: a few seekers go down, the Winglord's mate included, as well as all 3 gladiators. The first generation of cybermorphs begins incubating, and there's probably only about 7 of them to begin with. Shaken, the party immediately begins to head home to Cybertron, as the afflicted seeker Lord desperately wants to go home after that

Because they're not organic incubators, and the cybertronian genetic code is more dominant than the xenomorphs, it probably takes multiple weeks for them to pop. They grow very slowly, compared to when they use human incubators. They're all scanned when they get home but there's no traces of anything malicious or contagious, so they're not subjected to quarantine right away.

From there, stuff basically goes the same for quite awhile: the babies burst and the southern half of the planet is immediately locked down. That's the catalyst for life spiralling out of control and becoming so bad that the war is eventually ignited. Vos, as a flying city that self governs independent of the Senate, refuses to surrender the newspark morphlings. Lord Skysoar, Starscream's carrier, is bonded to him at the spark. They have a parent-child sparkbond and separating them would likely cause both of them to die. The Winglord refuses to rip them apart, and though Starscream isn't technically his, he's still raised as Vos's rightful prince. The first child the Winglord's mate has beared, technically.

Anyway. Starscream and Megatron meet before the war. When the dual bombings happen, they swiftly agree to allyship and fight the Senate together. As the leader of the vosimorph armada, Megatron's second in command, and, likely, the most prominent sire in the hive: he's selected to become the cybermorph King, like Soundwave was in TFP. Shockwave was also a candidate, but politely declined, as his work in espionage and science alike didn't leave him enough time to be an effective commander.

Things likely devolve between them over time: a King can't rule a hive, only a Queen can, but with the way the war ends they don't have a hive anymore. The cybermorphs are pushed to the brink of extinction by the autobots extracting the Allspark and making waves after waves after endless waves of soldiers. They and all warframes by extension are banished from Cybertron and put on a Kill On Sight list. Starscream and Megatron are at each other’s throats constantly, blaming each other for the loss of Absolutely Everything: all of their children are dead and gone, they have no incubators to make more, and now they're doomed to slowly die out. Even if they can manage to get their hands on stray autobots, they barely have enough energon to sustain themselves. There's probably less than 100 cybermorphs left in existence

Now, having said aaaaall of that! We can finally jump into the jettwins!

When Starscream is captured by the Elite Guard, millions of years and several generations have past. Almost no one that remembers the cybermorphs is still around, and there's next to no data on how they work. They try in vain for months to get a baby out of Starscream, but he's not a Queen, so he's completely sterile and infertile. He can't carry a sparkling to term, and he can't get anyone sparked up. He's subjected to this harsh, brutal reality for countless cycles, having to endure their assaults and forcing aphrodisiacs into his body in increasingly desperate attempts to get him to make them some offspring they can use.

Something they're entirely unaware of is that only Cybermorph Queens can reproduce, they're the only ones that can make eggs and the only ones that can sexually impregnate. They assume that Cybermorph Kings must have the ability as well: they don't think it's possible for their entire species to be sterile. They're starting to think that they just got a bad specimen, that Starscream is just an unlucky mecha that can't be a parent.

Now, the thing that makes Kings special is that, aside from being a hive's natural commander, they're the only other type of morph that can reproduce, but not in the typical way. Interfacing doesn't work with them. They're able to actually implant an embryo directly into a host with a special organ on the tip of their tail, grabbing them in magnetic pincers and impaling them with a sharp spine in the center, directly into their fuel tank. Idk what triggers the actual impregnation: maybe they've drugged him with something new, maybe he's finally cracked from all the abuse and flies into a defensive rage after using his own acidic energon to melt through his restraints. But he manges to transform to his full vosimorph form, just long enough to grab someone and impale them in self defense. I'm impartial to Sentinel cuz I really fucking hate that guy and wanna see him get doubly chestburstered, but Perceptor is also an option. He's usually the one I cast as the jettwins' other parent, sooo

Really long story short: Jetfire and Jetstorm are the results of the autobots capturing vosimorph king Starscream. He... probably escapes during this time, I would say, and doesn't reunite with them until they've undergone their first several molts. As they were King implants, not fertilized eggs, they grow very quickly, and are ready to be dispatched into the Elite Guard after only a few months. The autobot government is very happy with their new obedient little cybermorph weapons, right up until they get to earth and the twins run off and/or turn on them in the presence of more morphs, especially a King or Queen

#cybermorph au #but now it's tfa #jettwins #jetfire #jetstorm #i hope you guys enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it 🥰

[toacollabevent]

Submitted by @fearlessinger

My match is @im-here-maybe, and here’s the art piece of theirs I chose for the collab: https://im-here-maybe.tumblr.com/post/687703760647110656/post-toa-stuff-is-so-fascinating-to-me-because-in

The more I look at this piece the more I love it: it’s deceptively simple, yet it captures something really profound about the ending of the series. 

Apollo – and it’s important too that it is Apollo, rather than Lester, that we see him appear as – is alone, not surrounded by his friends and family like he was in the final pages of TON, making explicit what’s only barely hinted at in his narration: eventually, all of those people will grow old and die and only he will be left; his memory of them, of their time together, the only proof that their bond existed, that once upon a time, for a while, he truly was one of them. 

He’s curled up in a fetal position, evoking the rebirth of body and heart and mind that his journey culminated in. It was a terrible victory: you need to be unmade first, to be able to remake yourself anew. And Apollo was, first at the hands of his father and then at his own. Zeus started it, and Apollo finished it, because tearing himself apart was the only way to survive. 

His face is half hidden: he threw aside his masks but he never completely stopped lying, to both us and himself, both outright and by omission. He will never admit in so many words to the crucial truth: that he’s walked this path before, that a huge part of this journey was a rediscovery of things he already felt and knew and believed. That that is why he’s afraid. 

“I have to see if I’m strong enough,” Meg tells him, explaining why she wants to confront her abuser again. But Apollo already knows that the previous times he wasn’t strong enough. He knows that he’d surrendered. That he’d let himself become complicit. He’d finished his father’s work for him, finished tearing apart everything that made him him, that made him Apollo, with his own hands, until the resulting wreckage was enough to his father’s liking, because it was either living in pieces or not at all. He’d done it with his eyes wide open, not out of ignorance but simply out of sheer impotence. 

Because that is the source of his problems. His impotence before his father, his entire family. And reclaiming his godhood brings him right back in the middle of them. Right back where he started.

But still that’s what he chooses. That’s been his goal from the start and he’s never doubted it, not even for a second. It’s only after he’s achieved it that he allows himself to mourn what he gave up in pursuit of it: the sense of belonging that only people who experience life at the same time, at the same pace, who grow old together, and then die and in death reunite for one final time, can share. The comfort of knowing that the good things he’s built will survive him. 

Apollo started out this story terrified of death, thinking of immortality as a refuge from the responsibility of having to make the right choice, clinging to the certainty it gave him that he would always have another chance, that he’d always have tomorrow to make things right… and in the end, he’s conquered that fear. He’s finally stopped waiting for tomorrow. He’s started making things right today. That’s what allowed him to make peace with the very real possibility that he might die. It’s why he now openly allows himself to long for what Lu has, what all mortals have. You don’t need to fear the end in sight if you know that, in the limited time you had, you’ve done your best. And Apollo has.

But he has not changed his mind. 

“Think of yourself as dead,” recites the maxim by Marcus Aurelius that Apollo remembers by heart. “Now take the rest of your life and live it properly.” 

That is what Apollo really wants. To live properly. So he mourns the things that he lost when he chose to reclaim his own immortality, his own power for himself one final, perhaps definitive time, pulled himself up from that ledge, remade his divinity from scratch out of sheer willpower. He mourns, but he does not regret his choice. Because no matter how tempting it may be, to renounce the immortality that sets him apart from humanity, to renounce the power that makes his father feel threatened, the power to make things right… that would not be to live properly. 

Gods can do anything, even choose to die. It’s the choice that, in different ways, both Hemithea and Harpocrates made. It’s also, in a sense, the choice that Pan, and Helios, and a lot of deities big and small who lost faith, who lost sight of themselves, ended up embracing in the end. It’s a choice that Apollo could also have made, that he also could have embraced. But to Apollo the freedom that mortality would grant him – from his father, from his family, from accountability for his own mistakes, from the responsibility to do more and better – will never be worth the price. 

“Call on me. I will be there for you”. Apollo wants the power to make that promise. 

But even as a god, especially as a god, back in his home that isn’t a home, once again subject to the rules of non interference that in the millennia have been tightened to the point of stifling the gods’ very reason of being: not just the people’s belief in them, but their belief in themselves… does he really have that kind of power? Does he, when even just to go back to visit his children, his friends that he’s made in the brief time he was allowed to walk the earth among them, he already has to lie? 

There’s no answer to that question, no certainty at the end of the story. There’s hope, yes, that this time will be different. That this time Apollo will remember that he is not alone, and allow himself to draw strength from the people who believe in him. That he will be strong enough to reach out again to those who did not have the strength to reach out to him. But there is no certainty. There can’t be. And the truth is, there would not be even if the series ended with the revolution we are all rooting for. As Apollo’s family history demonstrates, it’s far, far too easy for the killing of an old tyrant to give way to the crowning of a new one. 

“Power,” Apollo says, “should make good people uneasy.” And right after he’s reclaimed the power of a god, he is full of uneasiness. He finds that reassuring. But how long before he stops feeling like that, after he’s rid himself of the one person who had the power to oppress him? How long before he forgets what it was like to be under his father’s talon? Eternity is a really long time. Millennia after the fact, Apollo looks at the laurels that his sister’s put on his head, at the hyacinths that adorn the balcony before him, and he wonders whether he really meant for them to commemorate the people they represent, or if he just wanted to wallow in self pity. He’s not sure anymore. Perhaps he’s being unkind to himself, as he tends to do. But with the power of a god at his fingertips, he really can’t afford to be very indulgent with his own flaws, his own weaknesses. 

To live properly is a choice that must be made every day, every time anew, over and over again. For an immortal god, such as Apollo, the work is quite literally never ending. But that was his choice. That was always his choice. “We only fail when we stop trying,” he says, and he believes it.

#submission #trials of apollo #trials of apollo meta #riordanverse #riordanverse meta #pjo apollo #fearlessinger #im-here-maybe

[decepti-thots]

Hello! So, I had a dream in which instead of Megatron it was Optimus/Orion who joined the Lost Light. And I’ve been thinking about it... how different would everything turn out? Megatron staying on Cybertron and confronting decepticons (because I believe he would have joined the autobots in this AU?? too) and maybe even going to Earth along with Prowl, Arcee and co, his conflict with Starscream (and Windblade?), his conflict with humans after AHM (awkwaaaard), trying to redeem himself but kind of failing (like remember Optimus annexing the Earth?).

And Orion (who may or may not become a co-captain) dealing with his deeds (because he, too, directly or indirectly killed a lot of people), Brainstorm maybe actually trying to kill him instead of Megatron, Rodimus vs. Optimus, Getaway’s conflict with him (he (believed) that he was “worthy” of the Matrix, after all).

There’s just so much that can be explored!

first off, you guys continue to have way cooler dreams than me, and i continue to be jealous.

second of all, i get that you probably meant this from an in-universe perspective, but my brain immediately jumps to 'what if Megatron was in exRiD and Orion was in MTMTE/LL', which tbh is something i have thought about before, haha. the way the storylines on Cybertron vs the LL go is so tied not just to in-universe plot events but also the genres those comics are in and the approaches they take, it's hard for me to imagine without considering that element.

some not-very-connected thoughts i have, given all the above:

barber is a loooot less sentimental than jro about many TF characters. i don't say this as a value judgement, just an observation. in particular, his approach to OP as a Big Iconic Character TM in exRiD is to make OP central to the lives of other characters and explore his impact on them, rather than necessarily making OP a very conventional protagonist. which definitely fits with a ton of what you bring up here, and ESPECIALLY the stuff re: humans on Earth if Megatron was there, rather than off in space. the entire element of what atrocities Megatron committed during the war mostly being towards non-cybertronians by numbers that gets brought up in EC becomes a lot less hypothetical and lot more immediate with Megatron on Earth. i think that's a storyline for Megatron that would have a very ambiguous tone and be a lot more about how other characters feel about him than in MTMTE/LL, where much of the focus comes from his perspective more directly.

i think megatron-prowl would have been a FASCINATING parallel in this context btw. AND megatron-arcee. honestly, i think megatron would have fit into exRiD surprisingly well thematically. arcee, prowl and megatron in IDW all represent different questions about surprisingly similar themes IMO: culpability, change, agency over your circumstances and actions, and exploitation vs. being explioited. and prowl-megatron especially is very personal, and really brings into focus the 'war left every side with dirty bullshit to deal with', versus arcee having been largely uninvovlved and having a very different outsider perspective, so.

by contrast i feel somewhat less enthusiastic about OP in the LL? partly because I am not sure jro is great at committing to IDW OP as flawed. i won't get too into it here because one day i really want to write meta about it, but the backstory jro fleshed out for OP (the 'one good hero cop' stuff we see first in Chaos Theory and then in Shadowplay, etc) has always been one of the weaker parts of phase two for me. also, I don't think OP fits as well into the themes of MTMTE/LL as megs does for exRiD… there's a lot about what it means to make significance in your life when you have become insignificant, but OP never actually becomes insignificant in IDW. he sort of… tries to, and the issue he has is that he fails. imo anyway.

still, there's definitely some interesting possibilities. for a start, the rodimus-OP stuff would be WILD. the chance to really address some of that Autocracy stuff is so tantalizing, and something there was just never room for anywhere else. likewise the Getaway stuff you mention, especially regarding the MTO subtext coming full bore with the guy who approved that for the autobots right there. OP is not just the guy who has the matrix, he's ALSO the guy who approved the program which created getaway AND the guy who presumably approved it being so… you know. awful and a war crime and all that. (i would totally love a version of events where getaway preys on roddy's insecurities re: OP to depose him, only to turn on roddy himself.)

anyway jkfhjss yeah it's very interesting!! i will say, i didn't mention the starscream-windblade stuff because i genuinely am not sure where i think that would go... mostly because there are kind of two versions of those plots in idw and they have, imo, very different starscreams in particular. barber and scott were kind of telling different stories, especially re: that history with starscream, so... idk.

#i wrote this on lunch break so sorry it's so off the cuff klfjsdfs i had like 15 minutes

[tinseltine]

Up until a week ago, the last time I saw TOP GUN was in the theaters in 1986.  It’s never been one that would make my Letterboxd List of Movies I Can Watch Again and Again, but I love that for so many others, both male and female, it is.   Nothing like nostalgia for a movie that just makes you feel good and nothing like a movie that so perfectly captures a time period with pop-culture resonance abounding 36 years later.

That being said, I don’t think the original Top Gun is a good movie – it’s hard to follow WTF is going on in the countless flying/dogfight/MiG scenes. In terms of the romance between Charlie (Kelly McGillis) and Maverick (Tom Cruise) I get that he was attracted to his superior who was a bit older and more sophisticated, but Cruise didn’t even look 22, he’s got such a baby face in this movie he could have been playing a 16 year-old.  She never would have fallen for that cocky kid, she just would have used him for a night or two.  And yeah, I get the bromance between Goose (Anthony Edwards) and Maverick, and Goose subsequently dying is the crux of the movie…  I was more into the scenes with Goose’s wife played by Meg Ryan, because at the time, she had just left As The World Turns and she still had her Betsey Andropolis hair cut. IDK basically, Top Gun for me is just one fun soundtrack.

Now, TOP GUN: MAVERICK with Mr. Cinematic (Cruise) Executive Producing the whole thing, has a bit more weight. He and this set of writers bring more story and structure, better dialogue and explanation of the still countless (I know, that’s the point of the movie) real flying scenes.  

It seems since last we saw Pete “Maverick” Mitchell not a lot has changed. He’s still taking chances, he’s still got the same motorcycle and jacket (original from Top Gun) doesn’t appear he ever married, and he’s still a captain flying planes for the Navy.  “You won’t retire, despite your best efforts you refuse to die, you should be at least a 2 star admiral by now, yet here you are Captain, why is that?” says Radm. Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain (Ed Harris) angry at Maverick for yet again disobeying orders.

This latest stunt could have had him dishonorably discharged, but he’s still got friends in high places – Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet (Val Kilmer). Who has commissioned Maverick to come back to train a group of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission.  These are this generation’s Best of the Best – Female pilot “Phoenix” (Monica Barbaro), “Payback” (Jay Ellis), “Fanboy” (Danny Ramirez), “Coyote” (Greg Tarzan Davis), ‘the new Iceman’, is super cocky “Hangman” (Glen Powell), I like that his helmet is spelled with some of the letters missing like the game. And last but not least, is Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) son of Goose and like a son to Maverick.  I remember thinking when I heard Teller was in the movie that he would be much older than the recruits of the original Top Gun, and he is, which is at the center of Rooster and Maverick’s rift.

Rounding out the main characters is the antagonist Adm. Beau “Cyclone” Simpson (Jon Hamm – here’s a great podcast interview with Hamm) on how thrilled he was to be asked to join this iconic legacy. And Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), you may remember her name is mentioned as an Admiral’s daughter Maverick is caught with in the original, during the scene when Maverick and Goose are being reprimanded.  This is an easy way for the writers to add in a little romance with a character from the past, without having to give her a lot of backstory or motive. Connelly plays into it, giving Penny plenty of sexy, confident, playful body language. She and Cruise definitely have chemistry.

Yes, I agree with what most are saying, if you loved “Top Gun”, you’ll love “Top Gun: Maverick”, if you only kinda liked “Top Gun”, you’ll still find this sequel to be a well-done popcorn blockbuster meant for 2020, enjoyed in 2022.

#movie review #movies #franchise #top gun #maverick #tom cruise #jon hamm #summer movies #naval air station #filmmaking #storytelling

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Beyond All Doubt by Hilton Reed

Adrenaline-packed thrill ride from first page till last ~ Couldn’t put it down.

What I liked:

* Cameron Kane: widow, raising seven year old daughter, photographer, photo licensing job, trying to move on though still grieving his wife Alison, sees someone that makes him question whether or not his wife is really dead and starts to investigate, tenacious, loves his wife and daughterr

* Alison Kane: brilliant, math prodigy, died in a fiery car crash, loving wife and mother, worked for a bit-coin billionaire, intriguing

* Sabrina Kane: seven-year-old daughter of Cameron and Alison, typical little girl, misses her mother

* Elliott Kane: Cameron’s brother, supportive, caring, there for Cameron and his family.

* Mickey Donovan: private investigator who takes Cameron’s case to research Alison’s death, ex-military and ex-police detective, intelligent, good at his job

* Zemira Moon: retired special forces who works with Mickey Donovan, lethal, protective, someone I’d want on my side and not against me

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

* Wondering if perhaps Zemira Moon might have a book of his own in the future

* The conclusion and how everything turned out.

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about how greed and its impact on more than one in this book

* Wondering how some people can be as amoral as more than one in this story

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

When a grieving widower finds out there are dark secrets surrounding his wife’s death, he’s set on a nail-biting chase for the truth in this tense, propulsive thriller, perfect for fans of Joseph Finder and Meg Gardiner. It’s been a year since Cameron Kane’s wife Alison died in a fiery car crash. Aside from the grief that has shattered his life, Cameron struggles to reconcile the memory of his wife with the reality of how she died. The police couldn’t explain what she was doing in a Lamborghini with Maxwell Harding, a wealthy white-collar criminal, but they were certain of one both Alison and Maxwell died in the horrific accident. Cameron is trying to start a new life with his daughter when he walks past a man who resembles Maxwell—the man who was pronounced dead beyond all doubt more than a year ago. The chance encounter quickly propels Cameron down a rabbit hole as he begins to question everything he knows about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death. Is he simply imagining things, hoping that the police made some mistake? Or are his suspicions all too real? The further he digs, the more he becomes convinced that there’s a deeper conspiracy at play. As he follows strings that lead to devious schemes and murder, Cameron knows that there’s no price he won’t pay for the truth. And as the deadly threats to Cameron mount, that price may be his very life.

#Reed Hilton #NetGalley #Crooked Lane Books #Fiction #Thriller #Mystery

[teenageread]

Review: The Dark Prophecy

Synopsis:

Go West. Capture Apollo before he can find the next oracle. If you cannot bring him to me alive, kill him.

Those were the orders my old enemy Nero had given to Meg McCaffrey. But why would an ancient Roman emperor zero in on Indianapolis? And now that I have made it here (still in the embarrassing form of Lester Papadopoulos), where is Meg?

Meg, my demigod master, is a cantankerous street urchin. She betrayed me to Nero back at Camp Half-Blood. And while I’m moral, she can order me to do anything… even kill myself. Despite all this, if I have a chance of prying her away from her villainous stepfather, I have to try.

But I’m new to this heroic-quest business, and my father, Zeus, stripped me of all my godly powers. Oh, the indignities and pain I have already suffered! Untold humiliation, impossible time limits, life-threatening danger… Shouldn’t there be a reward at the end of each completed task? Not just more deadly quests? 

I vow that if I ever regain my godhood, I will never again send a poor mortal on a quest. Unless it is really important. And unless I am sure the moral can handle it. And unless I am pressed for time… or I really just don’t feel like doing it myself. I will be much kinder and more generous than everyone is being to me – especially that sorceress Calypso. What does Leo see in her, anyway?

Plot:

Honestly Apollo did not see why Leo returning to Camp Half-Blood was such a big deal. What was a big deal was them traveling west to Indianapolis to find Nero, and Meg. Traveling on Leo’s flying dragon, Apollo was sore, bored, and done with Calypso. The former sorceress was a royal pain to Apollo, treating him as a moral, and not the god that he is… or worse. Once they arrived in Indianapolis Meg was nowhere in sight, but Nero’s men were everywhere. Saved by Emmie, she took them back to the Waystation. Emmie and her wife Jo told them about their daughter, and how she was obsessed with The cave of Trophonius, and how Nero kidnapped her. Apollo’s past is catching up with him fast, a past that he cannot remember. The oracle in the cave is his son, Emmie, the girl he accidentally saved, and the villain, who goes by New Hercules, was someone Apollo was desperately trying to forget. 

Thoughts:

Rick Riordan introduced us to sassy and spoiled Apollo in the first book, and he is back and worse than ever in this installment. Apollo, well he still does not understand how this moral life works. Which makes him a great character to read about, because where some of his decisions, like with Meg, and for the good of the group, there are some times where you just want to punch him in his mortal face. The plot moved on steadily in the story, leaving with an ending that definitely leads into the next book, and with more characters from the past that readers are dying to hear about. The main plot is still left in the shadows quite a bit, as it is with Apollo against Python, who was not mentioned much in this story, and Apollo against Nero, who has a hold over Meg who is the only mortal Apollo seems to care about. Meg, who is such a strong character that Riordan put so much detail into and she grows a lot in this book compared to the first. With many more books left in the series, Riordan is nowhere near done. Maybe Meg will be able to grow Apollo a heart for the morals he thinks so little of, and maybe Apollo will let Meg see that she does not need Nero in her life.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

#The Dark Prophecy. #Rick Riordan #The Trials of Apollo #book review

[sarah-dipitous]

Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2024 Day 325

Jack In the Box/Orphan 55

“Jack In the Box”

Plot Description: After the Winchesters mourn a fallen hunter, Jack tries to right his wrongs until a dearth of angels in Heaven forces him to use his powers

Would I Survive the First Five Minutes??: were I a wraith, I wouldn’t stand a chance against Bobby

Who are these people?! I thought all the apocalypse world people died, but I’m glad there are people here for Mary’s memorial

Yeah, Dean’s not a public griever…and that includes in front of Sam, Cas, and Bobby

Ketch mention. They remembered he exists

I would hate to be in Jack’s shoes rn. Between the actual guilt he is feeling over Mary and the Lucifer inside his head

Oh Deeeeean. Deeeeeeeeeeean 💔😭

Heaven is, unsurprisingly, still no fan of Castiel

I’m so suspicious of Dumah right now. Is she probably doing the right thing in the greater good sense, but is she doing….not great things in the meantime? Oh yeah. She’s an Old Testament type angel, having Jack turn a dude into a pillar of salt

He’s so impressionable, and Dumah wants him to make more angels. With no actual instructions

Oh no oh no oh no….that’s disturbing. I don’t want to watch a dude have worms emerge from his skin…oh he’s in the HOSPITAL hospital

Omg the box Dean built to contain him and Michael…I hate what this has come to. Dean wants to lie to Jack about a spell that will fix his souls to get him to agree to be contained til they have everything they need…but there is no spell

I don’t blame Dumah, but she should have known better than to threaten Mary and John’s souls to Castiel

It’s so hard for the Winchesters to hide their hurt, especially when Jack is so placid. Like, yes, he SAYS he regrets what he did but…….

This is so hard to watch. Jack is still so earnest, and the boys…they seem like they hate that it’s come to this but it’s the only thing that will work

Not to make light of this scared kid trapped in this box that can and will hold anything, crying out for the people who swore to protect him, but it is feeling a little like when I had to close my bedroom door with Meg on the outside so I could hang some lights in peace and she meowed incessantly from the other side of the door

The sheer amount of betrayal in this one episode

Oh!! Is he going to burn through the Ma’lak box?! Oh this backfired on the Winchesters BIG TIME. I was thinking earlier about how this season, the penultimate season, was feeling a little disjointed and even anticlimactic since Michael was vanquished, but having to go up against Jack who has been manipulated and betrayed so much. I’m excited for the season finale

“Orphan 55”

Plot Description: A luxury holiday on an alien planet beckons for the Doctor and friends. But their stay at Tranquility Spa becomes a fight for survival against terrifying monsters

The welcome is giving Fantasy Island and specifically the reboot

Already things are going wrong?!?! Both behind the scenes of the spa and with Ryan

Why is the spa under attack?!

They were not joking when they said terrifying monsters

Oh cool. They built the spa in a place where they REALLY shouldn’t have…even the atmosphere isn’t compatible. So of course the indigenous population doesn’t want them there

I was wondering why the episode was called that. It’s the name of the planet they’re on. It’s a planet that’s become too toxic for life but this species adapted

Awkwardly ace Doctor strikes again. She could not recognize that Ryan and that girl were…maybe flirting is the wrong word but getting to know each other because they’re both interested

Oh I don’t think Benni and this lady will be getting married, even though they came all this way for him

Touya would be disappointed to hear this from me, but if I felt abandoned by a parent, I don’t think my go to would be “go undercover and try to kill them while burning their work to the ground.” I would take less drastic routes, but the girl Ryan was chatting up should definitely have fun traumatizing her mom (the spa owner) back

Orphan 55 is Earth?! I don’t know how I didn’t see that coming

The old lady sacrificed herself for the group because she couldn’t run and made them use too much oxygen 😭😭

Can people stop sacrificing themselves for FIVE FUCKING MINUTES?!

These are mutated humans…I mean, I guess I buy it, they sure are featherless bipeds

I wouldn’t blame ALL of this on Bella (the now former owner’s estranged daughter)

Oh shit! The owner didn’t die!! And she saved her daughter…kinda

This is a little bit of a heavy handed global warming lesson at the end

#hellsite nostalgia tour 2023