#there's so much nuance in his performance in the way he holds himself and the way he acts at the start vs the end and just!!!

[comradekatara]

What do you think of Ozai as a villain? 👀 i'm seeing people saying the live action Ozai is better and i'm like "nah". They missed the point of the character

i mean i think a lot of people misunderstand ozai because people want a compelling character (especially a compelling villain) to be “layered and complex” in a very specifically emotional sense. but i do think ozai is layered and complex, simply in a different way that people expect. azula, for example, is a great villain because she is psychologically complex, and every action and motivated is entrenched in layers of nuance. but ozai is thematically complex, functionally layered. his underlying emotional motivations, however, are beside the point.

ozai’s narrative function is primarily to be metonymically figured as the embodiment of patriarchal and imperialist violence. ozai performs this function through interconnecting the domestic (his abuse of his wife and children) with the national (his role as sovereign of an empire). zuko’s disavowal of ozai in “the day of black sun” very explicitly ties his personal abuse to the logic of imperialism, and zuko denounces both logical tracks through acknowledging their interrelation. it’s hardly an uncommon character construction either: the domestic (specifically, the patriarchal nuclear family model) as microcosmic of the societal (specifically, patriarchal societies that are otherwise organized along unjust hierarchies) is prevalent across plenty of narratives, from the house of atreus to king lear to succession.

my personal favorite example of this trope as it is employed is in palace walk by naguib mahfouz, because al-sayyid does function as sovereign of his house, but he is also grappling with the consequences of being a colonized subject, and that colonial shame and humiliation both complicates his relationship to power but also reifies his patriarchal role within his family, his very real pain and disempowerment leading him to exacerbate his domestic abuse and tighten his control over his wife and children. al-sayyid is also, notably, not strict and controlling beyond the purview of his family, but within his own house, he very deliberately positions himself as an inviolable patriarchal authority.

however, unlike al-sayyid, ozai is a sovereign in every sense of the world, and even positions himself as akin to a god. but, as we can infer from “zuko alone,” ozai is not impervious to patriarchal abuse (or he wasn’t before ascending the throne), and thus has suffered his own shame and humiliation fostering his god complex due to compensation (and through the internalization of the logic of patriarchal abuse). ozai perpetuates the cycle of abuse as he, too, once suffered it (much like logan roy, to name another excellent example of this archetype). so while ozai is no longer a victim in any sense of the term, it is important to understand the psychology underlying his belief that he is ontologically deserving of the undivided respect and submission of the entire world due to his position of power.

ozai genuinely believes that he was teaching zuko respect, because respecting his authority is one of the values ozai holds most dear. because, of course, to speak out against ozai as an individual is to speak treasonously of the fire nation, and vice versa. and he expects his children to display their unquestioning loyalty to the Father(land) above all. the second they question him or confuse that priority in any way, they have irrevocably forsaken him and thus must be discarded. that is the logic of (to quote utena) a man who has made himself “end of the world.”

moreover, the other most crucial aspect of ozai’s character is how he is framed. until book 3, we never actually see his entire face. he is always a goatee, a spaulder, a disembodied smirk, a voice echoing through the flames, a crown. ozai as metonym goes both ways. and it serves to emphasize his ominous nature, as someone who is so powerful that we cannot truly view him head on. he’s framed in an almost godlike way.

and then, in “the awakening,” we see him without reservation. he is a tall, imposing man, but he is also, fundamentally, just a man. in “the headband” we see his face through a fire nation propaganda poster, as if to imply that his face is not more sacred than any other face. his poster is immediately followed up with aang’s recreation of his portrait with noodles. before book 3, holding ozai’s gaze is impossible, as he is merely a looming spectre. but book 3 immediately and ruthlessly undermines the notion they have been building up for two seasons, and through comedy, no less. ozai may be uniquely powerful and uniquely evil, but he is still just a man, and by the time he crowns himself phoenix king, destroyer of worlds, we are well-aware that he is not innately, divinely superior in any way, and his fascistic performance simply looks ridiculous.

unlike azula’s claim that “the divine right to rule is something you’re born with,” there is nothing unique or ontological about the role of the emperor. there is nothing ontologically superior about the colonizer’s relationship to the colonized besides the material dynamics of power informing their relationship. the father as head of his family is not ontologically necessitated any more than the structure of the nuclear family is predicated on innate anthropological roles rather than being socially constructed and maintained through systemic violence. ozai is not ontologically special, and his claim that he is seems even sillier as he goes up against the avatar, who actually truly is.

when ozai faces aang in the final battle, it is a significant fight because it represents the culmination of all the ideals aang has constantly fought for and asserted within ozai’s imperialist paradigm. and by refusing to submit to ozai’s logic of domination, aang disempowers ozai wholly. not because lack of firebending makes one totally powerless, but because lack of bending makes one powerless within ozai’s logic. aang renders ozai victim to his own ideology, playing his own imperialist dogma against him. instead of killing ozai in combat, as ozai expects, aang humiliates him by asserting his cultural values and their continued relevance over ozai’s values. the culminating battle against ozai, with the spiritual light that threatens to overtake aang, is a battle of one ideology winning out over another. it is the culmination of a century of genocide and colonialism by an imperialist power. it is the undermining of ozai’s entire worldview.

ultimately, we don’t need to see a lot of ozai to understand him. we can understand ozai perfectly through zuko and azula, because he positioned them as extensions of himself and thus their respective embodiments are simply their ways of performing him (azula is obviously a better actor). his complex psychology is beside the point, because his narrative function is to represent the imperialist forces that aang must battle. and they do this by establishing him as an ominous and terrible deified man, and then undermining him as little kore than a human being with an incorrect worldview. so he is interesting, not because he’s “complicated,” but because he reflects the central tension of the show in a satisfying way, and that’s what matters.

#lilith-91 #asks #analysis #ozai #synthesis #azula&ozai #ozai&zuko #azula #zuko #putting this under a readmore even tho it’s only 10 paragraphs….. for shame #im on mobile rn but if u go thru my ozai tag you’ll also find a lot of other posts and more in depth analyses of the things i cover here #im sick of linking to other posts tho #at this point everyone should just be wholly familiar with my oeuvre #(im lazy)

[sminiac]

hi it's me again 😜😜 since you've seen the bnd insanity on my blog i was curious abt yours,, what are some random hcs u have for them (could be any of them or all of them,, whatever u wanna share im listening 👂🏾)

(also ur name is so pretty <3)

- lunicho

Warnings — Smut focused, MDNI.

Note — My beloved bunny!!!! Thank you sm, literally making me smile so much, I’m sorry this took a little longer than expected, I wanted to catch up on content since it’s been a while and wanted a refresh on the boys :,) BUT THIS ONES FOR YOU !!!!

⋆ P. Sungho

He’s such a service dom to me, but he isn’t completely nasty, though if you requested it he could switch up quite easily and become a little rougher with you, a little more mean with his mouth. Literally whatever makes you feel good, whatever has you cumming around his dick quicker he’s more than down. I also think he’d have a thing for fucking you in unconventional places, situations- holding you up, keeping you steady as he whispers praises to you for being so compliant with him that are so quiet it doesn’t even catch at the surrounding air. He likes putting in the work to keep your pleasure flowing, the atmosphere alive, undisturbed. His kisses are messy, even when it’s just a quick goodbye he still manages to slip his tongue into your mouth and he isn’t satisfied until at least your hair or his clothes are left in a disheveled state, sometimes he can’t help but slip his fingers under the waistband of your bottoms, his two fingers curling into your cunt and sinking smoothly inside of you, only giving you a few pumps before he’s tearing himself away and hurrying out the door. (I’m unwell.)

Remainder of members under the cut!

⋆ L. Riwoo

Can I just say that Blonde Riwoo reminded me so much of Blonde Mingi :b ANYWAYS, GIRL. HIS NOSE???? Goes out of his way to purposely drag the tip of it against your clit when he’s eating you out, keeps his eyes open and focussed on you almost the whole time too, makes sure you see the way his tongue drags up in tandem. I can only THINK of him having an oral fixation, loves your tongue, loves sticking his fingers in your mouth and keeping them there when you’re riding him, but also when your fingers are in his mouth, prodding the back of his throat when you’re fucking him dumb, gets really messy because he’s so far gone. Lots and lots of eye contact!! wants to see every nuance of your expressions in the ways he pleasures you, gets hard in public a little too quickly when you make a sudden sound or face when you’re eating something good because it reminds him of the same characteristics you have in bed.

⋆ M. Jaehyun

I literally wrote something similar to this but very halfassed, saved it as a draft and then deleted it but… Jaehyun’s the type to have an older s/o, like he just needs to be taken care of it makes me unwell. Whether it’s minor domestic acts of service or sex, he just wants you, needs you. Always has his arms wrapped around your waist, holding you against his chest, face buried in your neck. I’M SICK. The type to prefer your natural scent over perfume because it’s something that keeps him grounded when it becomes hard to speak, his nerves jumping up his throat before a performance, sweet thing just wants to be held. The same with when he’s asking of you to help release some of his stress in a more… intimate way. Wants to be sat cozy between your legs while you play with his cock, wants to be called pretty, told that you have faith in him to make the best of his time on stage. Whimpers “Love you- I love you so much.” repeatedly when he’s close because he’s just so full of your love that it spills out from between his pretty lips without the mental effort.

⋆ H. Taesan

I know that quite a lot of people perceive Taesan as a dom leaning person, but I think he’d love- like love to be at your will, knowingly plays himself into the palm of your hand because he finds himself frequently craving the feeling of overstimulation paired with your sweet, encouraging words that drives him to tears. And not just the few clumps of squeezed out tears kind, but to the point where you have him a full on sobbing wreck. Loves when you ride him because the sweet boy doesn’t have to do a thing except lay there and remain open for you to use, likes when you make him say humiliating things, when you roughly grab at his jaw when he denies you with a bashful shake of his head, cheeks red and hot. Likes starting things in public because he’s never the one to finish it, changing rooms are a bad idea when the two of you are out shopping together, because he becomes a little too touchy when you’re trying stuff on and then has to be shut up with his head stuffed between your thighs. I’d love to say pillow princess vibes, but he’d be wayyyy too desperate for you to hold himself back.

⋆ K. Leehan

I feel like with Leehan dirty talk is something that’s kept to a minimum, like you have to beg for him to talk to you whilst he’s got his fingers teasing you, waiting to hear more, hanging at his every word. The horrible, gut wrenching thing about it though is that he’s so good with his words. I’ve noticed that his voice has a lot of bass to it compared to the other members, like if you put your hand to his chest you’d feel the vibrations of it rattling through his bones, he knows how bad you crave to hear him, that’s why there’s always a little smile on his face when your voice starts becoming airy from the impatience wearing you thin, purposely shifting around under him to show how bad you need it to get off. Hearing him lip nasty words into your ear is the equivalent of his thumb reaching up to run circles into your clit while his two fingers pump expertly into your cunt at a pace that has you struggling to keep your eyes open, he knows it, but he won’t so easily give in because the way you paw at him, say his name, the sight of you, your body, your face, all of it makes him so incredibly hard.

#bndbysai #lunicho <3 #boynextdoor smut #bnd #bnd x reader #bnd imagines #bnd smut #bnd hard hours #bnd sungho #bnd riwoo #bnd jaehyun #bnd taesan #bnd leehan #park Sungho #lee sanghyeok #myung jaehyun #han dongmin #kim donghyun

[ankh-morporkianpostalworker]

The Rise of Dimension 20: The Changing Face of Roleplay

I remember when I first heard about Dimension 20 in 2019. I had subscribed to Dropout to watch Um, Actually and I saw D20 being pushed on the platform. I sat down and watched the first episode, then the second. In two days I had finished the first season.

I had never seen anything like it. I had tried NADDPOD and CR and bounced off both (I'd eventually fall head over heels for the former, and gain a solid respect for the latter), but I fell in love with the Bad Kids, the Intrepid Heroes, the world of Elmville, and the style of Brennan Lee Mulligan.

Later, I would learn that the first season of Fantasy High was seen by most in the community as a sort of novelty, the last death-rattle of a dying company. It was cool and new, sure, but it was also a flash in the pan.

Escape From the Bloodkeep proved the naysayers wrong. It proved that Brennan was as much the source of the fun as the Intrepid Heroes, and it showed us something that set him apart from the pack - Brennan was constantly pushing himself to be better. Out of the starting gate, he proved a technical proficiency on par with Matt Mercer, the reigning king, but for Brennan, that wasn't enough. He wasn't facing off with Matt, he was facing off with himself, and he needed to be better.

The Unsleeping City continued this trend. It was another setting the DND actual play community wasn't used to - the real world. The characters were fresh, new, more nuanced than the children they played in Fantasy High. They were up to the challenge, with the same drive as Brennan. Brennan and Ally redefined how the Wild Magic Sorcerer was played, Lou Wilson brought an abandoned Unearthed Arcana to the forefront, and the pair played, perhaps, their best roles to date.

Tiny Heist showed that Brennan could bend 5e to be something it wasn't meant to be - a heist simulator.

Then came A Crown of Candy. Some hold this season to be Brennan's magnum opus and the best performances the Intrepid Heroes have ever given. The combat was quick, dirty, tactical, the characters textured and nuanced. Our heroes had to get out of impossible situations, both in roleplay and combat. Death was a very real possibility. And this season was what sealed Brennan as a real rival for Matt, and was when "I only have Dropout for D20" stopped being a joke and started being a reality. Brennan had hit his stride.

The sidequests and seasons two from this point don't really prove my point, but they're good. Brennan didn't do a couple of them, though.

Then we get to Starstruck. Set in a world his mother had created, it obviously meant a lot to Brennan, and so he strived to outdo everything he'd done up to this point. It was funnier, more moving, the combat more tactical than anything he'd done before. He included space combat, and the cast once again rose to the occasion, portraying those cast out and cast aside by the corporatocracy that was the Starstruck universe, forming a touching bond. It was as if he had peaked.

And then came Neverafter, and with that, Brennan became king. It was horrific, scary, brutal. Combat wasn't fun or interesting, it was intense and nail-biting. The party dropped in their first combat encounter. Children were brutally murdered. They were up against eldritch horrors in perverse retellings of fairy tales. The humor was there, sure, but it was twisted, dark, more about relieving stress than being funny. And again, the cast excelled.

And all because Brennan wasn't trying to outdo Matt or Griffin or Brian, but himself. Each season, he wanted to be better than he had ever been before, pushing his technical abilities, his storytelling abilities, to the max. And the world of actual play shows improved as well. Matt stepped up his game, as did the other big dogs. Brennan redefined the game.

Or I could just be a massive fanboy who's reading way too far into things. Either/or.

#dimension 20 a starstruck odyssey #dimension 20 the unsleeping city #fantasy high #brennan lee mulligan #neverafter #dimension 20 essay

[hsvh-hp]

You know I agree with you that fanon paints Lucius as a much worse father than he was and I don't like that either, but do you not think indoctrinating your child into a genocidal cult + coldly demanding that he be the best in class and publicly humiliating him about that ("if [my son's] grades don't pick up, a thief or a plunderer] may indeed be all he is fit for") is bad parenting?

Like I'm not saying "he is a bad parent" or "he is a good parent", I'm very hesitant to label parents (real or fictional) in such a one-dimensional way because parent-child relationships are so incredibly complicated. But at the same time it is very important to me to acknowledge even little things parents can do that can really have a negative impact on children. And indeed in Draco's case they do, leading him to want to be a Death Eater, to seek validation from Voldemort (when he disarms Dumbledore he talks about wanting to be the Dark Lord's favourite, he doesn't want help from Snape because he has a need to prove himself etc) and contributing to his general insecurity and need to be better than everyone & getting upset when he's not, because if he's not the best all the time then he feels really bad.

One big reason I dislike the fanon tendency to make every morally questionable parent an extremely physically abusive monster is precisely because that erases the representation of how the smaller, psychologically/emotionally damaging things they do can still be traumatising.

It goes without saying that there’s nuance. I would never say nor claim that Lucius did nothing wrong or didn’t make mistakes. By mere virtue of holding bigoted beliefs, he signaled to Draco that there were things he could do or be that might undermine his father’s love. To me, it doesn’t even matter if Lucius is otherwise perfect as a father. That small thing, in a kid as needy for love and validation as Draco is, would be enough to have him always on edge and anxiously performing his role as the perfect son to the best of his ability.

My earlier frustration was a pushback against the need to inflate Lucius’ less-great moments into overtly obvious abuse (we are very much in agreement there), as fanon seems to love to do without a hint of introspection or greater analysis. I’m so bored of complicated behaviour being filed away into a thought-terminating box called ‘abuse’, where a sole instance of someone being a grumpy, imperfect dad (the Borgin & Burke’s scene) is all that’s required to put a character on the same level as men who actually do beat their sons. It’s not given a greater thought.

For instance, you bring up Draco’s indoctrination into the Death Eaters, and his eagerness to join. This is a very interesting conundrum for Lucius to me because Voldemort is back for an entire year before Draco signs up. Lucius is in Azkaban at the time, unable to exert any influence over Draco’s decision, and Voldemort explicitly brings Draco into the fold as a form of punishment for Lucius. We have no access to Lucius’ head as readers, but he had an entire year afterward to sit and think about how he failed Draco. He’s a smart guy. I’m sure he could put it together that his bigotry came very close to costing his son his life. Considering the Malfoys sit alongside the winners of the war in the Great Hall, it speaks to me of some greater narrative reflection on Lucius’ part to have earned himself a place there.

The point is, I’ve never seen that Lucius in fic before. I crave that Lucius, who can realize his mistakes and grow or change as a result (and is brave enough not to let the lateness of its arrival dictate the terms). It’s very important to me that growth not be something exclusive to a certain age (16 and under? 18? I’ve seen people argue that Draco was no longer redeemable at 12 LMAO). So yeah, feeling alone in this sentiment occasionally bubbles up and I forget to articulate all the nuance of the subject when engaging with it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#meta #draco malfoy #lucius malfoy

[faeriekit]

hey gang I gave in and wrote something for the Holy Ageswap, Batkid! AU after all :) :) :) :)  Whoops 🦇

Alfred turns the page in the Gotham Gazette.

It looks like there’s to be a stage show at the local theater next week. A performance of King Lear—normally, he would consider attending, if only to judge from a seat in the audience, but his usual operations have largely changed in the last few months.

For one, his free time has severely decreased.

“Alfred,” a tiny voice pipes up from somewhere around his knee. Alfred sets the newspaper on the plastic picnic table.

Bruce Wayne, second grader and aspiring crime fighter, has both hands fisting Alfred’s more comfortable dress pants. The boy isn’t stellar with eye contact— based on Alfred’s research, that may never happen—but he is a remarkably clingy child, when he can bear human touch.

“Bruce.” Alfred’s greeting is just as calm. Just because the other children in the kiddie gym may be raging doesn’t mean that Bruce doesn’t prefer quieter tones. “How was your lesson today?”

Bruce bounces on the balls of his feet, his little white socks raising and lowering. “I did a front flip today,” the boy reports, pleased. “Dick said I did a good job. I have a sticker now.”

A reward. Alfred does smile; he isn’t sure that Bruce fully appreciates the item itself, but the positive reinforcement Richard provides his students is certainly appreciated just as much. “May I see it?”

Bruce pulls his sleeveless shirt forward until Alfred can see it. With his reading glasses, he can somewhat make out a little blue figure with some sort of shield.

“Ah, Captain America,” Alfred realizes. His wire frames return to his breast pocket. “No Gray Ghost, of course, but highly respectable.”

Bruce hums, and kneads the fabric trapped in his hands. Alfred knows perfectly well who Bruce’s favorite crime-fighter is; after a few movie marathons, trips to thrift shops and secondhand sales to find more tapes and merchandise, and re-readings of the novelizations, all at his new charge’s request, the preference has become clear. There is no one who reigns in Bruce Wayne’s favor above the Gray Ghost. “Dick let me pick last, so I had more time to make a decision.”

“That is very kind of your teacher. Are you ready to say goodbye for the evening?”

Bruce nods. In the same way that he is uncomfortable with eye contact, he is often uncomfortable with prolonged skin-on-skin contact, so Alfred doesn’t offer to hold his hand. Bruce keeps himself tucked away at Alfred’s side, perfectly content, with three slim fingers keeping him latched onto the edge of Alfred’s wool jacket.

They are usually one of the last to leave the gymnasium, if not the last. Bruce usually wants to report about all he’s done for his lesson, and then takes a moment to dress himself in daywear once more, all at his own pace, before they leave. It’s optional to speak to the coach on their way out, but Alfred prefers to; although he is retired, and has no intention of either returning to his field of work or introducing Bruce to it, he still appreciates supervising and evaluating Bruce’s training for its level of quality.

Richard is a fun sort of lad. Loose—in the way that young men have been, he wears his hair long and enjoys colorful fabrics. In the gym, he wears his dark hair up in a ponytail and throws cotton tees on over his shorts.

“Hey, Bruce!” Richard recognizes, and waves. Bruce silently waves back. “Ah, and you’re his guardian. Alfred, right?”

No assumed family connection. Alfred accepts the handshake. “Rightly so.”

Richard grins, white teeth and patience. “Excellent! Well, I’m happy to report that Bruce is coming along well in his class. He’s very dutiful with his exercises, and works very hard on mastering the newer tricks we learn in lessons. I’m sure he’ll be able to place up into one of the higher level classes by next year.”

Bruce, of course, is touched, and kneads the fabric of Alfred’s jacket that much harder. The little nuances of childhood’s strong emotions. Alfred will never understand them.

Richard leans down, ever so slightly. It’s not low enough to be condescending, but manages to make himself at least more equal with the height of the child. “Do you remember what we worked on today?”

“Yes!” Bruce declares, happy to have an answer he knows. “First we sat down on the mat and then you told us about how the gym is going to be closed next week because they’re replacing the climbing net and then we did our warm ups and we did butterfly legs and we stretched out our arms and then we stood up so tall—“

“Bruce has an excellent memory,” Alfred explains to a clearly flummoxed gymnastics teacher. Bruce’s recitation of events does not end. “When we get home tonight, he is going to repeat the entire lesson on his mattress. I am certain he is going to ask for gymnastic mats for Hanukkah.”

Richard laughs and laughs until he runs out of air. He surfaces with tears in his eyes. Bruce accepts a very careful high-five, swiftly changes in the single-stall family bathroom, and is escorted to the car by his older guardian. Bruce buckles himself in and hugs his gym clothes.

They drive back to Wayne manor.

“I think Dick has secrets,” Bruce announces, apropos of nothing. His feet kick against the seat.

Alfred hums. His eyes stay on the road. “Oh?”

Bruce nods. Alfred catches the last edge of the gesture in the rearview mirror. “He has a lot of big scars under his shirt, and always knows if you’re beside him. Sometimes he practices before class, and he’s really good at climbing stuff. He has big knives in his locker.”

Alfred mulls over the stated observations. Well, the observations are valid at the very least. However:

“I believe we have discussed respecting others’ personal boundaries, Bruce.” This has been a frequent point of contention.

Bruce’s huff is audible. He is no doubt crossing his arms in the back seat. “Alfred.”

“Bruce.” Alfred is firm on this point. “Your aspirations of detective work are to be admired; however, you are still eight, and could be removed from your class or otherwise fined if you are caught. Breaking into one’s personal possessions remains illegal.”

Bruce goes silent. The sound of kicking feet stops. They sit, quietly in the car, as Alfred drives them home through dingy back streets of urban Gotham.

He really only turns to face his charge once they hit a red light. “I did notice, however,” Alfred continues, half as sly and satisfied besides. “That Richard has very prominent swordsman’s calluses.”

The boy, of course, lights up. Beyond his love of Gray Ghost and learning new detective skills, Bruce loves, beyond all reason, new clues. “I saw," Bruce breathes, fists balled up as he veritably shakes in his seat. “When we high-fived! What do you think??”

Alfred rights his position for appropriate levels of concentration whilst driving. “Well,” Alfred admits. “There is no point in making any assumptions now, of course. We only have half the information.”

“Aw.”

“We can, however, perform a very thorough background check.” Perhaps it isn’t ethical to bribe young children with borderline legal methods of informational gathering, but it does keep him occupied between his school hours and his extracurriculars. Alfred will take what he can get. “Would you like to learn how to gain access to several forms of paperwork when assessing someone’s trustworthiness?”

Bruce kicks the seat again, thrilled, squeezing his little gym bag taut in his arms. He buries his face in it, overwhelmed, and only surfaces for a second to shout: “Yes!”

“Good.” Now there will be something to do after dinner. “Now, don’t forget to wash your hands before dinner. We’re having pot roast.”

“Thank you, Alfred!”

“You’re very welcome, Bruce.”

#neurodivergent kid vibes all the way arouuuuund #faer winds #this one is not batfam but it is batfam adjacent #holy age swap batman! #holy age swap batkid! #batman au #dc #Batkid!AU

[blue-eyed-giant]

i saw poto for the first time ever today since wanting to see it since i was 11 years old and there are some stuff i've noticed (and i will talk non stop bc this was a dream come true)

this was an incredibly creative stage. it was rather small but it was used so well. there was a spinning stage frame on the real stage and during in-play opera performances it would spin to show you what the cast backstage would see. it took all shapes throughout the play as if it was playdough just by spinning. it was stage, it was christine's dressing room (yes, phnatom stepped out from its inside through the mirror), it was andre and firmin's office, it was rehearsal room... i think if it was on broadway it could get a tony for stage design

DRAMATIC. ASS. LIGHTING. for the first half and hour or so it was so impressive because it made every movement so dramatic and it was perfectfor the spooky mood but. it got too much. sometimes it was hard to see actors' faces and expressions and it was constant. if the light had been used more variably this would be an incredible lighting piece.

the overture. i had never seen how the stage looks during overture but i loved this sooo much it looked like those start-credits scenes from movies. it showed all the key moments from the show in slow mo with shadows, as if raoul was remembering what had happened all those years ago. it was nostalgic and it was terrifying because even if you didn't know anything about the story you would clock something terrible and tragic happened there. at the very start you see two actors with an actress between them bowing together and then the actress goes to the side with one of them, the other looking at them as they go and taking some time before going to the other side himself. yeah, i think you got my point.

orchestra was live. and it was magnificent i think. this is all i have to say i can't think of a way to make you believe how a not particularly big orchestra was so impactful without actually showing you live.

carlotta's comedic acting was so on point. the "these things do happen" bit is my favourite and i loved seeing it a lot. "think of me" also was very well acted not just by carlotta but also by andre and firmin.

madame giry sounds real young. she is also less strict or stiff than the way she is traditionally portrayed.

the head male ballet dancer was surprisingly delicate for his size and i tell you that guy had a real broad torso and a lot of big muscles and the hannibal damce was beautiful

SO MUCH FUCKING MEGSTINE!!! during "think of me" christine panics and stops singing with a hitch in her voice and only gets her courage up and continues when meg holds her hands and has her sing looking only at her eyes

you very quickly realize meg is just as vocally strong as christine in this production

you immediately notice ramin's microphone being loud as fuck. the sound team said "people come here for this bitch let's give 'em what they want" so everyone is singing at a normal volume and quality and then ramin comes in with his full hd 4k stereo 1080p voice (not complaining tho)

you don't get it. this fucker isn't just playing phantom. he IS the phantom. he's studied, he's acted, he's lived, he's embraced, absorbed, eaten the part. i doubt the fucker drops a chandelier every week in his house. you know how people say "oh he's added a second/third dimension to this part"? this bitch is forcing his way into the sixth at this point. he's doing it such naturally and in a nuanced way i could believe this is his office job. think of 25th and make it better, that's what it was.

this phantom isn't just miserable. he is so much older and wiser than our leads and he knows this and he is actively holding this over their heads. he knows exactly what leaves christine vulnerable and plays into those things. he knows he's manipulative, you can sense that in his mimics and voice and chuckles. he holds great power over christine whether she allows it or not. he also treats christine like a predator does to a younger person, which makes the dynamic very realistic bc it is exactly that

amelia milo is young, which makes you realize just how young christine actually is because she actually looks, sounds and acts like a 21 one year old and this makes a lot of her decisions and reactions make so much more sense

when the ballet starts andre keeps bumping into the dancers and the male dancer doesnt know what to do with him so he just. picks him up, spins him and moves him out of his way.

"all i ask of you" is portrayed in such a different way without changing a single line i was speechless. like yea??? technically you can play it like that and it will change everything about raoul and christine's relationship even if the script is the exact same. right before the song starts christine rushes to the roof with raoul following, gives her speech about the phantom, and tries to jump off, rould yells and begs her name to stop her. then he sits right at the edge with his legs dangling, as if he's showing if she jumped so would he. AIAOY sounds like raoul desperately putting in all his effort and saying everything he could to keep christine from killing herself. it isn't the little ray of light in the midst of the chaos, it is just another little, happier chaos in the big chaos. even christine doesn't seem to be particularly happy, they both seem to think "we'll look into this later"

not a huge fan of vinny coyle's raoul. like many raouls he wasn't particularly bad, but also he wasn't so good either. ofc he had his moments like his good dancing and small stu ts during "masquerade" but he couldn't shine where he had to shine big and be the prince charming (aiaoy was very underwhelming bc of that). in the end i was wondering how would bradley jaden be if he stayed for the milan cast as well

this

also, probs due to lack of ensemble members, half the masquerade guests were puppets on wheels which made the whole vibe so creepy

after long years of poto, earl carpenter was also a cast member that shined and added so much character to the production

THE SPECIAL EFFECTS!! PHANTOM APPEARING, REAPPEARING AND THEN DISAPPEARING!! HIM TAKING PIANGI'S PLACE WITHOUT THE CHARACTER LEAVING THE STAGE! the special effects were top notch

at first she sounds kinda weak but towards the middle of the play amelia milo's voice gets so strong and impressive you start to hink she did it on purpose to show how amateur christine was at the beginning.

PHANTOM HAS BLACK BAT WINGS AND SOARS IN WANDERING CHILD

thank for coming to my ted talk :)

fr tho, they either fucked with ramin's mic or he just sounds so strong his voice feels solid bc that IT'S OVER NOW THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT was something else

edit: at one point during an opera meg jumps on stage just to yell "he's there the phantom of the opera!!!!". it's not even her scene, she wasn't supposed to be on stage and gets called back by her mom. we love a hatergirl <3

#poto #phantom of the opera #poto milano #ramin karimloo #amelia milo #earl carpenter #musicals #vinny coyle #musical theatre

[fish-bowl-2]

i feel so corny for sending ppl asks all the time, but it's so dead around here. anyway what is your favorite and least favorite thing about each of the eds?

Hiiii and please NO WORRIES about sending asks. I love talking about these guys sm 😭😭 I take any excuse to do so gladly.

Ed: - He's a big sweetheart. I feel like this is commonly re-iterated, but I really love how direct and "in-tune" he is to his emotions, even if they manifest in extremes. He loves his friends, and lets them know about it all the time! - Despite this, understanding the nuances of his friends feelings seems to come kind of difficult. If he finds something amusing/funny he will not take much notice of how that affects those around him. A good example of an episode displaying this is "X Marks The Ed" where he really doesn't seem to acknowledge how bothered Eddy is about getting a zit. There are plenty other examples of this in later seasons, but I specifics are not coming to mind atm. It can be kind of frustrating to watch, but I don't hold it doesn't feel intentional or with another incentive. Delayed social awareness is something common with a lot of people, and especially kids.

Edd: - I think credit needs to be given on just HOW often Edd puts himself into the confrontational position of defending/standing up for his friends. I mean, in BPS it is obviously a big deal, but it is not, per say, an isolated incident. Pretty often throughout the show he is the one apprehended by the other kids to "apologize" for Ed and Eddy. He's regularly put in the position of mediator. I wouldn't say he is willing to be in these positions, but he still ends up taking the reins. It is so fun to watch since Eddy clearly has a better hand at sociability whereas Edd is an awkward mess. Yet here he goes again having to defend his friends (Eddy) from the witch hunt. - He is the DEFINITION of the 🤓 emoji like omg dude SHUT UPPP. A good portion of the time he kind of deserves getting his ass handed to him when he is being too intolerable. Granted, he is an enjoyable kind of annoying for a character (at least to me). I can laugh at him because he reminds me way too much of how I used to talk/act in elementary and middle school. In a way it is a little cathartic. I love characters who are a little over-their-head and egotistical. It is a Frasier and Niles Crane appeal (if anyone gets that reference).

Eddy: - Dude is so creative...I mean just look at a majority of these scams. I know the other two also play a role in constructing and conceptualizing them, but a lot of them definitely originate from Eddy. Like, the goal is making money, but the effort and variety is insane. A different thing in almost every episode. IN COMBINATION usually with an over-zealous performance. An argument is to be made that he has a lot of legitimate fun carrying these out. - His fickle tendency to kind of treat his friends like shit. I mean...Ed and ESPECIALLY Edd are guilty of this as well. There are quite a few episodes where I'm just like "come on. Did Eddy really deserve this?" But, in all honesty, he can be pretty mean-spirited in the way that a lot of preteen boys are. With his tendency to push buttons and take advantage of the other Eds weaknesses, he is seriously lucky they are just as codependent to him, as he ultimately is to them.

#thank you thank you sm fr it is nice to write these down after a stressful week : ) #idk if I would frame any of these things as things that I HATE about the characters in a way that it affects my viewing of the show #I think these character fallbacks serve a very good purpose for how each are developed and presented (even when it is frustrating) #like ultimately even though it can be irritating when eddy takes advantage of his friends I still enjoy watching it #in context with the episode and what I know about eddy's character already (same applied to the other two) #asks

[paalove]

As a prompt a jealous (more insecure) tinn from MSP? They are together now , gun makes a new friend who always is attached to him and tinn is happy for gun, he is. But also he fears that he won't ever be good enough for him and then he pulls back lightly and gun notices and is like??? My baby????

insecure slash jealous tinn, coming right up! (for a given value of "right up", you def requested this months ago haha) thanks for the prompt!

also on ao3

Tinn is going to be left alone, forever, and he’ll die single and clutching the selfie where Gun’s kissing his cheek.

“What do you mean, ‘the’ selfie?” Tiw asks.

Rolling onto his back to stare at the one cloud making its lonely, single way across the sky, he says, “The one where my eyes are closed and I’m wearing the white shirt but you can barely see it because he’s draped across me so it looks like we’re in the same shirt.”

“Ahh.”

“Do you think he’s at the café yet?”

Tiw shuffles over on the grass next to Tinn. He’s got something in his hand; Tinn watches as Tiw raises his balled fist over Tinn’s chest, high up, and opens it.

Grass rains over him.

Then Tiw says, “You know they’re, like, rivals, right? From the training.”

“Exactly,” despairs Tinn. “They were rivals, which proves they’re similar and have chemistry, and that Tul is a talented musician, but now they both have the contract confirmed so they’re learning to get along.”

Tiw nods, like this isn’t a world-ending disaster.

“They’re learning to get along after a rivalry, Tiw! Like Gun and I did! And they work together, so he's always around.”

This finally makes a look of understanding cross Tiw’s face; he’s getting the severity of the situation, now.

But then he makes a confused face again, and he says, “I don’t think you guys were ever rivals. It hurt your feelings when you had to be, like, a little bit mean to him.”

Tinn sighs, remembering.

Gun was so cute when he thought Tinn was trying to thwart him, all driven and dramatic and occasionally roaring in his face, and there was nobody else going after him at all, it was-

“Tinn?”

It was amazing, such a good time when he thinks back, even the hard parts ones they could get through and even the bad news could be overcome and redone-

“Tinn! Por’s texted, I’m going to meet him at the bubble tea place by the weird bridge, bye.”

And Gun’s determination to see things through carried Tinn, carried all their friends, past every obstacle and through everything. He’s such an amazing, warm, happy person and Tinn doesn’t know what he’ll do if they really break up.

He’s smiling to himself, mostly, when he opens his eyes.

But then he sits up and looks around in confusion; where did Tiw go?

…

Tul nudges him on the shoulder as the group breaks up.

When Gun looks up at him, he’s smirking, and he says, “Is this what you were expecting?”

“There are so many vegetarians,” Gun immediately says.

He’d had a sort of vision that it would be like music club used to be – okay, they wouldn’t be as close, of course not, but they were all singers and performers who were working together and towards the same goals, so they’d be friendly and gather with their instruments and maybe even do hotpot together.

But probably the hotpot isn’t going to be a thing, because all four of the people who just left before Gun are vegetarians.

Tul shrugs and says, “That wasn’t really what I meant. You were expecting this much talking, then?”

Frowning, Gun points to Tul, and then to himself, then sort of wags his finger between them.

They aren’t talking a weird amount, he thinks.

“Not like-“ Tul snorts, “Man, this is why I thought there was no way you were finishing training. Interviews take nuance and shit, what the fuck is-“

“-Hey, what the hell, how do you know I don’t have a nuance-“

“-Tell me what a nuance is, right now,” Tul keeps smirking.

Gun says, “Okay, so I don’t know what one is, that doesn’t mean I can’t sing!”

“Peace, okay? Peace,” Tul’s laughing now, holding a hand out to, like, shake, because he went to a pretty formal school and it comes out in weird moments, sometimes.

It doesn’t hurt to shake hands and it’s never bad to make peace, so Gun does.

He pulls his hand out of Tul’s as Tul starts with, “All I meant was- wait, what the fuck was I talking about.”

“Talking,” Gun helpfully reminds him.

They’ve stopped walking – Tul because Gun has, and Gun because Tinn was supposed to be by the fountain in this park, but he can’t see him anywhere.

He’s only half-listening as Tul says, “Right, yeah, that. I just meant I kind of thought we’d be in the studio, not spending half the time meeting previous years’ hires and weird old guys nobody will tell us the actual jobs of and that one guy who was-“

There.

It was hard to find him because he’s alone – Tiw must have left – and instead of sitting up, looking for Gun, he’s huddled into a ball facing away. But Gun would recognise the back of his head from a much further distance than this.

He interrupts Tul, probably in the middle of a sentence or something, to say, “There he is! Do you want to meet my boyfriend?”

“Um- I,” Tul doesn’t finish.

Seems like a yes – he doesn’t pull out from under the arm Gun swings over his shoulders to drag him over.

As soon as he gets to Tinn, still curled up on the ground, he can feel the rest of the tense nervous excitement that fills him whenever he remembers that this is his job, now, finally drain away. He could never be tense around Tinn.

But why is he curled up?

With that question in mind, Gun speaks softly when he says, “Tinn?” in case it’s because of a headache or something.

Tinn doesn’t uncurl in response – he lifts his head and turns to the side enough to peek out of the little huddle.

Gun waves, one-handed, at him.

“Hi,” mumbles Tinn.

He’s glancing to Tul, so Gun says, “This is Tul – I’ve told you about Tul. I don’t think he’s a dick anymore. Tul, this is Tinn! He’s my boyfriend.”

Gun might be grinning a lot, but whatever, he’s totally entitled to that.

“Anymore?” Tul laughs, shoving at Gun’s arm.

That means they’re disentangled enough for Gun to sit down, cross-legged, by his huddled boyfriend. Who is still looking up at Tul silently.

Gun looks up to, and nods in response to Tul’s question, telling him, “I was kind of nervous during the final round auditions. Sorry about the thing with the table.”

“Oh, no, that was my fault, bro, I’m just surprised you stopped thinking I’m a dick,” Tul smirks again, “People generally agree on that point.”

“I think you’re nice when you aren’t worried about stuff,” Gun starts, but Tul waves his hands.

With another look at Tinn, Tul cuts Gun off to say, “Nice meeting your boyfriend, bro. Be careful.”

“Mae says that too,” Gun agrees, “Because he’s a nice boy.”

It’s fair; he should be careful. Everyone should be careful with Tinn.

The huddled ball next to him tightens up, which is weird, but he’s not looking up at Tul anymore.

Gun waves a goodbye; Tul gives him the peace sign and walks away backwards, with a final, “That’s not what I meant to be careful about.”

The industry, probably, but Gun’s not going to acknowledge it.

People already know about Tinn. Things that are online stay online, and it’s not like he even wants people to not know.

Tinn’s amazing.

He doesn’t want people to think Tinn’s available.

He shuffles up to Tinn’s back, drapes his chin over Tinn’s shoulder, and says, “Head hurt? I told you not to read so much.”

“No,” mumbles Tinn miserably.

Gun manages to work his hands through the tight ball that Tinn’s curled into and gets a hold on his waist, under his arms. When Gun’s hands meet by Tinn’s bellybutton, Gun shuffles and pulls them around until he can roll Tinn onto his back, on Gun’s lap.

Tinn uncurls.

“Hey,” says Gun.

“Hi.”

He strokes Tinn’s soft cheek with one finger, just because he can, and says, “What’s wrong?”

Tinn sighs and looks sad.

“Should I ask Tiw-“

“-No.”

He strokes Tinn’s cheek again and watches him turn his face towards it.

“Did you want to spend more of the day together?”

Shaking his head, Tinn sighs again and whispers, “I know it’s important. You and Tul need to go to that stuff.”

He nods and watches Tinn’s face.

Gun knows Tinn; the whispering means he’s not willing to put all his confidence into saying that.

Which means…

“Are you sure it’s not that?”

Tinn closes his eyes.

Then, in a quick burst, he says, “You don’t think he’s cute do you?”

Gun frowns.

“Who?”

Tinn opens his eyes and says, “Tul. You don’t like him?”

“Tul?!”

He can’t make that thought fit together.

But Tinn’s upset, clearly, so he doesn’t laugh out loud and instead says, “No, I don’t like Tul. We’re the same height.”

“What?”

“That’s not important,” Gun can feel his ears flushing.

He possibly hasn’t made his thing about Tinn’s height clear, whatever, this isn’t the time for that, he’s pretty sure.

Tinn, who is perfect, just pauses and says, “Okay… So you don’t like him?”

“You’re my boyfriend, I like you,” is a better response that doesn’t bring up the height thing.

He’s taking the height thing to his grave.

If Por can keep his mouth shut about that time-

Tinn’s smiling shyly, now, turning his face away. So Gun reaches out his hand and turns Tinn’s face back.

“What,” he teases, “You didn’t know you were my boyfriend?”

Mock-calm, Tinn shrugs and stares up at him, saying, “Remind me more.”

He doesn’t think Tinn should be surprised by the tickle-attack that Gun responds with; that’s a boyfriend-thing.

“Gun,” Tinn giggles, breathless.

He’s batting at Gun’s hands, absolutely not fighting him off at all, so Gun wriggles out from under him and continues the offensive, saying, “Hmm? Do you remember?”

Tinn looks very pretty, flushed, which makes this a very important way to spend some of his time. But Gun can’t climb on top of him here – they don’t need to be banned from another outdoor space.

“I remember, I’m your boyfriend,” Tinn laughs.

“Good.”

Then Gun kisses his face, a few times, to make sure he keeps remembering.

#my school president the series #my school president #tinngun #robfic

[saezurufeels]

@angellove44:

I couldn’t help but think about how Doumeki yanking Yashiro away from Kido was, in a way, completing some kind of loop that Yashiro had been stuck in since his childhood abuse. It seems like Yashiro deeply internalized the trauma in such a subconscious way that he put himself in similar self-harm sexual situations as his inner child desperately seeking to be rescued. So I wholeheartedly agree with your deduction. It’s great that someone else felt the same.

Doumeki coming in full of rage to ”rescue” Yashiro from his “aggressor” is like a subconscious trauma that inner child Yashiro has DESPERATELY needed to feel like he mattered. That he had any form of worth as a person. That he wasn’t just a disposable piece of trash that wasn’t worth getting angry for. Doumeki, in a weird way, is filling an empty void in Doumeki’s life. A gap.

That gap being, the role of the protector, nurturer, and dare I say…parental figure he never had? So all of this confirms one thing - beneath all of the bravado and acting, Yashiro still cares. About who? That little boy inside that needed rescuing. The fact that he’s still seeking to be “rescued” by Doumeki proves that Yashiro does in fact deeply love himself.

It proves that he’s still angry at the fact that he was never rescued. He’s still seeking justice for little boy Yashiro. I love this chapter as it is fraught with so much psychological density and nuance. And I haven’t discussed Doumeki yet either!! Because Doumeki is ALSO trying to redeem himself from his old crimes too. Through Yashiro.

---

Hey! Ooo, thanks for sharing!! I’m so glad you brought this topic up, so interesting! So many great points

I think Yashiro playing out his trauma over and over again is a way for him to control the narrative and convince himself he was/is in command of his life, rather than a helpless subject. The thing about being someone else’s subject is that it leaves you feeling victimized— worthless and uncared for. But feeling like “I wanted this/I controlled this situation” allows Yashiro to believe that he could still be valued for all of his beautiful, multifaceted qualities and his inherent uniqueness, rather than only holding value for being someone else’s vessel for sexual relief. In other words, Yashiro’s masochistic persona helped him feel somewhat multifaceted and it helped him pretend he could still hold some value, even to his abuser and especially to the world around him that didn’t come to save him even when some of them saw and knew what was happening to him. But, after all, why would he need any saving if he wanted it all along.

However, deep down, Yashiro does believe he’s just a vessel, with no redeeming qualities; like you said, he’s internalized this belief because no one has ever proven to him that he truly matters for who he is— all of him. Of course he doesn’t like being abused, abandoned, forgotten, and left to fend for himself. So I agree, he does need saving. Somewhere, deep down in his heart, Yashiro knows he wants someone to save him, because he wants to feel…human.

I wholeheartedly agree with you, that by rescuing Yashiro in that situation with Kido, Doumeki interrupted that loop— the never-ending play that Yashiro was performing, to keep himself going— hoping that maybe someone will notice it’s an act. Hoping that someone would change the script or pull the curtain. Idk why I’m talking in metaphors but the bottomline is, the only way to stop the play IS by being rescued. Is there any other way?

And YES about your comments on anger. Anger is such an important emotion— it’s the moment of realization; the spark that gives you the push you need to fight for yourself. It gives you courage that no matter what happens next, I am going to defend myself. The only appropriate reaction to abuse (at least initially) is anger. The fact that Doumeki was angry on Yashiro’s behalf— it was definitely a whoa moment for Yashiro. It must have been relief, I swear. That finally, someone showed him he is valuable, and should be protected. Isn’t it funny that Doumeki’s star quality is his protectiveness? They really do compliment each other.

#asks and replies #yashiro #doumeki #discussion

[mcdonaldsnumberone]

FEEL MY RHYTHM!

ballet dancer yukimiya hcs

gender neutral reader

Yukimiya is a gorgeous ballet dancer. He has the sophistication, the decorum, and the resilience necessary to flourish in such a demanding sport, and he does it with such grace that it easily catapults him into his place as an irreplaceable member. He can dance elegantly, he can dance passionately, there isn’t a single thing that this boy can’t do. Even just watching him as he’s getting ready is enough to snatch your breath away: his hands crawling up the tights stretched over his long legs, his dexterous fingers lacing up his shoes, his delicate eyes fixed onto his task at hand. You could simply stare at Yukimiya doing his prep work for the rest of your life and be satisfied; he fits into the sport as if ballet was made just for him.

He’s always eager to help too. If you need a hand warming up or doing stretches, Yukimiya is the first one to volunteer. If you’re having trouble with a particular stretch, he’ll carefully guide you. He’ll place his hands gently on your back to help you bend forward, using his body to apply the right amount of pressure bit-by-bit until your muscles give in to him. No matter what you do, Yukimiya always praises you highly, telling you that you “did so well” for him and that “it’s always such a pleasure” to be able to stretch with you. The tension between the two of you is so ridiculously thick that you swear you could cut it with a knife.

Even practicing your routines with him makes you go insane. His hands constantly ghost over your hands, your waist, and your hips as he leads you through the complex moves, silently guiding you against his body. Yukimiya manages to look so composed and poised as a proper ballet dancer should, even when his heart leaps to his throat whenever his fingertips trickle over your body. The times when he gets to actually pick you up into the air are his favorites—his hands hold you around your midriff tightly as he hoists you up, his eyes locked onto yours in pure wonder as he loses himself not into the momentum of the dance, but into the little trance you’ve trapped him in.

Yukimiya might slyly ask you to help him get ready for performances just so he can hog your attention for a little bit backstage. He knows he can’t talk to you much when either of you are performing, so he likes sharing a little moment together whenever he can. He’ll happily zip up any outfits you have trouble getting on or sit still while you adjust his makeup, and being the slightly repressed gentleman he is, he gets awfully excited over every small touch the two of you share. This isn’t the first time he’s had a dance partner or anything, but every little thing you do towards him feels like a shockwave sent into his core. It makes it hard for him to focus before he goes onstage, but knowing that you’re watching and wishing him well snaps him back into his A-game.

He’s still prone to getting extremely jealous and a tad bit possessive over you. He gets petty and snappy if you get another dance partner, wondering why he isn’t the one who’s dancing with you. Isn’t he a better dancer? You obviously trust him more. Besides, the way you look at him versus your current partner is totally different. He knows he can do better than wallowing in his jealousy, but sometimes all he wants to do is snatch you up and keep you in his arms so that you’ll dance with him and him only. He’ll glare daggers at your new partner the entire time you’re practicing, all while keeping his professionally honed faux smiles so that no one suspects a thing. 

Whenever the two of you aren’t in a performance together, Yukimiya never forgets to invite you to his shows. He’ll specifically seek you out in the audience while he’s onstage, making sure to catch your eyes and perform as if you’re the only one observing him at that moment. His coaches are constantly stunned at how he manages to perform with such genuine emotion and the same nuanced expertise a long-term professional might have, but deep down, Yukimiya knows that it’s because he’s trying to express how he feels for you in the way he knows best. If you bring him flowers to congratulate him on a show well done, he’ll press the pretty blooms and look back on them to continue to motivate himself to give it his all.

Away from the glamor, the spotlight, and the pressure of it all though, Yukimiya’s favorite thing is to dance only for you. His favorite performances aren’t the ones in grand halls in front of tons of people; it’s the ones he does in your living room, the two of you stumbling through the unfamiliar steps when no one’s watching. Your breathless laughs and the way you swat at his arms are the best rewards he could ask for, and he’ll occasionally pull you in for an impromptu twirl if you’re alone with him. If he’s feeling particularly bold, he might even daydream about the many dances you’ll share with him in the future—maybe even so far as to the first one you’ll share with him at your wedding together.

“...May I have this dance? Was that a good impression? Haha, I thought I’d ask. You look lonely here, and I need a partner to help me with this sequence. Here, let me walk you through it. I’ll hold you right here, and put your foot there like I’m doing. There you go! You’re such a fast learner. That’s my precious little partner.”

x

#blue lock #bllk #blue lock x reader #bllk x reader #kenyu yukimiya #x reader #my writing #slay lock server saw my moment of weakness and rlly ran w it

[homemade-ghosts]

I know this is a kind of weird question, but why do you think you never got into EJ and Gina?

I saw a comment saying was season 3 was backtracking, "how their relationship was so genuine and supportive in the first two seasons then suddenly all the development was gone in s3 with EJ back to being inconciderate and Gina is back to having feelings for Ricky'

Not a weird question at all! 

I’ll start with things I think I’ve mentioned in previous PW-related asks (just to get the repetition out of the way lol). They share no common ground beyond both initially being seen as the scheming antagonists when the series began. They don’t understand each other — nor does EJ ever make a concerted effort to understand Gina, beyond asking her (literally one time) what it feels like to be constantly moving. They don’t communicate well; EJ put no effort into maintaining their relationship. + EJ essentially refuses to support Gina the second it becomes inconvenient for him (sure, he’ll pick her flowers to congratulate her on landing the lead, but then he’ll negate that by immediately talking about himself and his failings without giving Gina a moment to celebrate her own success). 

& on top of EJ & Gina being, on paper, not compatible — regardless of who they are being played by — there’s also the fact that I have never once felt an ounce of romantic chemistry watching Sofia & Matt on screen together. Chemistry is, in part, something that just is. You either have it with your scene partner(s) or you don’t. They don’t. (IMO) That’s problem #1. & even actors who establish that natural onscreen chemistry can’t coast on that alone, to really get the audience (in this case, me lol) invested, they both have to have the emotional range to back it up. 

Which brings me to problem #2: I don’t think Matt has the kind of depth, as an actor, that it takes to be a good scene partner to someone as incredible an actor as Sofia. I don’t want it to sound like I’m just trying to dunk on Matt, he seems like a nice guy and I by no means think he’s a bad actor (I don’t think anyone on the show is a bad actor) but, in my opinion, he doesn’t bring much, if any, nuance to his performance. It’s always very…shallow — meaning that Sofia, too often, has to carry (most? all?) the emotional weight in their scenes together. Josh, in contrast, is a much stronger actor who can hold his own in a scene with Sofia because he’s capable of giving a layered performance. Like Sofia, there’s so much going on behind his eyes, so much in the slight change of a facial expression. She doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting in their scenes together, it’s more of an equal partnership.

I should probably also mention that I have never exactly loved EJ as a character, for reasons completely unrelated to Matt’s portrayal of him. Even when s1 was airing and he was in everyone’s “Big Three” edits on Twitter, I didn’t really get the appeal. I thought he was funny sometimes and a necessary part of the show’s narrative, but I had a hard time rooting for him because his problems were often so trivial compared to other characters’. Like, Ricky’s parents were in the midst of a divorce and his mom was miles away, seemingly starting a new life with a new relationship, without him. Gina had finally found a home and friends and somewhere to belong, only to have all of that ripped away from her, out of nowhere, the instant her mom gets a call from work. Meanwhile, EJ…lied and lost Instagram followers because of it ?? & I’m expected to sympathize with him? Then, in s2, Gina is heartbroken, without her mom to comfort her, Ricky is forced to move out of his childhood home & Nini is finally embracing her independence and learning not to see herself through the eyes of others and EJ just…doesn’t get into one Ivy League school until his dad effectively buys his way in and again, I’m supposed to feel for him because he's sad he couldn't earn that spot on his own? The only thing I feel is that he’s incredibly privileged. & when he was desperate to please his dad in s3, I tried to care (because it's the closest he's ever come to genuine struggle on the series) but I couldn’t because he was doing it at the expense of Gina & her feelings — something he never took responsibility or apologized for, by the way. Ricky makes a mistake, learns from it and does his best to make up for it. EJ makes a mistake and…well, that’s it. He keeps making it, but it’s supposed to be okay because he’s a good guy who’s always trying to do the right thing, even if he doesn’t succeed. & I’m tired of it, honestly.

TLDR: In order for me to root for a couple, they need to have chemistry, the actors need to have comparable acting abilities & I need to sympathize with both characters, to like both of them &/or to find them both interesting (I specified the “&/or” for that last part because I do have a couple ships where I don’t necessarily like one of the characters, but I do feel for them at times & find them interesting/compelling). PW has none of that.

As for the second part of your ask, the old “EJ & Gina’s relationship was great in s2, but the writers ruined everything in s3 by having EJ go back to being selfish and Gina go back to being in love with Ricky.” Ugh. Here’s the issue with that: neither of these factors ever changed. EJ has always been an inconsiderate & insecure boyfriend and Gina has been in love with Ricky this whole time. Neither of them went “back” to being anything, they just never left. EJ had all the same negative qualities in his relationship with Gina that he displayed in his relationship with Nini in s1 — jealous, insecure & secretive, with an inability to own up to his own actions & a tendency to blame Ricky for something that was entirely his own doing. That isn’t a sign of character regression. You can't regress if you never learned, never changed, in the first place. PWs only convinced themselves that EJ had changed because he was single for nearly all of s2 and that allowed them to completely forget what he was like in a relationship. Out of sight, out of mind.

 & I don’t know where PWs get the idea that Gina was completely over Ricky once her & EJ got together. She only accepted EJ’s offer of a date after making it clear (at the sleepover) that she thought Ricky was no longer an option, not that she didn’t still harbor feelings for him. There was no closure between them, they never talked about Opening Night and, in order for EJ & Gina to get together, she had to literally not be on speaking terms with Ricky.

Also, about the whole “EJ was so supportive in s2” thing: I’m guessing their idea of “support” is 1. EJ asking how she was one time — even though he didn’t ask because he noticed she was emotional and wanted to check in, he asked as in, “how do you feel about everything you’ve pulled off tonight?” because she had helped plan the entire party and performed that musical number for Carlos in front of everyone. Gina, feeling alone & dejected, took it for more than it was. & 2. EJ bringing Gina that ass granola bar from his back pocket at the airport. Both of these aren’t so much expressions of support as they are the absolute bare minimum, which required little effort on EJ’s part. Like, wow, in the entire time they’ve know each other, he’s asked her about herself twice and picked her up from the airport once — boyfriend goals, am I right?

#apologize for any potential typos in advance #it's late and my brain is small lol #hsmtmts #asks #filmmakerdreamst

[tomionefinds]

Hi there, thank you so much for running this page! Its probably my favorite account and I really appreciate the work you do! Do you know of any fics where Tom and Hermione are fake dating?? Like they’re doing it to keep up appearances or to benefit each other in some way? (Preferably with smut, but not a requirement!)

Hey Anon,

Thanks for the love. We're happy to help when we can. I found quite a few for you on this one. As always if anyone else knows more drop them in the comments. -JD

Lady Selwyn by matchapuff E/Ma | WIP | 88k The discovery of an old Selwyn family photo sends Hermione back to 1952. At the heart of her journey is a silver crown.

Miðgarðsormr by xXAonoNYmouSPXx M | WIP | 163k Tom watched as the mother and son stop at a spot by the fountain. The witch whom he's never met before in his life, with bushy brown hair atop a heart-shaped face, and the boy who looked exactly like him when he was at that age.

Wizard of the Slopes by elizabethriddle E/Ma | WIP | 19k Business is booming at Hermione's new flower shop inside a ski resort owned by the elusive Lord Voldemort and sparks fly when she starts a YouTube channel with professional skier Tom Riddle to increase publicity for the lodge. Meanwhile, two elite assassins are operating out of the area and competing for jobs. What happens when Voldemort decides to hold a ball and an avalanche traps all of the guests? Will Molly Weasley be able to solve the murder of Igor Karkaroff?

Murder, Milkshakes, and Drive-Ins by PotentiallyLovely E/Ma | WIP | 33k He had been defending her. He was defending himself, a part of her whispered, he’d throw you to the wolves.

Just Another Girl Alone at the Bar by Spork_in_the_Road M | Complete | 9k “Oh Ron-Ron, you’re too funny,” a feminine voice says, giggling. Hermione thinks she might vomit. In which Hermione pretends Tom is her boyfriend until he actually is.

Authenticity by MykEsprit E/Ma | One Shot | 2k Acting is a nuanced art—a tilt of an eyebrow or a shadow of a teasing smile could elevate a good performance to a great performance. This was at the forefront of their thoughts when they arrived for their fake date at the annual Ministry ball. They each had their own agenda, of course. Written for Tomione Smutfest.

A Deal in the Dark by Penopy T+ | WIP | 4k [AU] [Drabble] Hermione is just trying to make a difference at the ministry, but there's not much she can do as an entry level nobody. Tom Riddle makes her an offer she can refuse.

Nothing Like the Sun by orphan_account E/Ma | Abandoned/Orphaned | 120k There’s something unnerving about Tom Riddle. Hermione’s never quite been able to articulate just what it is about him that unsettles her so: after all, Riddle’s popular and charming and adored by Hogwarts staff and students alike. Still, she’d swear that there’s something lurking beneath that warmly polite veneer of his, something that lies in wait like a serpent in the dark.

#tomione #drama #fake dating au #fake relationship au

[tutuandscoot]

Things I love about VM: Post skates

1. Scott always helps Tessa all the way out of an ending pose.

This is something I have talked about ad nauseam. I’m obsessed with it not just in the fact that they always do it but the way they do it. In all fairness it’s not always super delicate and soft, sometimes- specifically in practices it’s a bit quicker just to they can move on and get out of the way for the next team, but there is always a constant in that he helps her back to vertical, then to her feet if they have finished on the ground, and holds her to make sure she’s on balance.

Here is a very stark comparison of what it looks like when you do and don’t do this:

Now I know this wasn’t the best skate for HD.. but that’s exactly my point. As the male partner you are responsible for your woman and you can’t let your own disappointment get in the way of caring for her. Scott was not (seemingly) super happy initially after their skate either- I’m not sure why, presumably just wrecked and the music eff up situation at the start of wasn’t fun. But everything he does before he gets up is getting Tessa up and ensuring she’s settled before worrying about himself, despite his current feelings. I know this seems like not much to make a larger judgement on, but given Zach attempts to make ‘cute’, “”””soft”””” moments in warm ups when it’s not necessary/not holding her in an awkward position like these ending poses.. only makes me view those moments as less genuine since he doesn’t hold and support her when he actually should be. This is never the case with Scott and Tessa- both/all instances are 100% genuine whether it’s just a nice intimate moment for them or he is actually responsible for her safety.

Now to be straight its not like this is a huge safety issue- like for eg just dropping the girl when a lift doesn’t go right, but it’s a more nuanced version of safety in the way the man handles his woman. It’s caring for every part of her as if she is made of priceless china and must be handled so carefully. Helping her even in moments where it’s not completely necessary, Tessa or any girl is fully capable of getting out of these positions on her own or with minimal help, but it’s the fact that with TS, T never has to because there is this quality built into their relationship of Scott having absolute priority for her physically and emotionally. Its like when Scott is talking about celebrating on ice after a skate and the fact that he has Tessa and she existing reminds him that he can’t just leave her.. he says it kinda comically but the irony if it is every single time she is his first priority to stand her up and make sure she’s settled before stepping away no matter how excited he is. It also, in reference to any performance prolongs the emotional connection the two skaters were at least attempting to convey in their performance. In the instance of.. really any of TS programs where they finish like this.. the emotions are always some variation of love/romance/devastation/needing to be one/them honestly wanting to keep feeling what they say they feel so strongly whenever they skated together. In an instance where a team doesn’t do something like this- for whatever reason, it takes you out of the performance. If for some reason you didn’t notice HD’s errors or didn’t know enough about skating to know the consequences, you are immediately hit with that fall of energy just by their reaction. I understand the disappointment they felt but you should do your absolutely best not to show it and not take away from the good parts of the program or the audiences experience watching you. I will go on to say further later in this series how distracting it is when a team lets up their disappointment with a performance right at the end, sometimes before they have even finished. With TS that doesn’t come into affect, they are good at remaining professional and Scott is actually good at suppressing his emotions in this respect, as well this care of her is natural and constant in their physical relationship-his utmost protection of her at all times.. it’s not a choice, it’s just what he was taught from an incredibly young age to protect his partner no matter what, as well as his love of her, and so that’s always what he did, and by the end it was second nature.

TS gif is from GPF 2016

#things I love: series #post skates

[hirako5hinji]

random non-contextual drabble of a conversation between aizen and shinji post!TYBW:

          Once again, that Aizen is being so forthcoming is…difficult to fathom. The tendency to overthink when it comes to this man is strong, as always. Layers upon layers of silken deception and subterfuge over the centuries has rendered Shinji unable to simply, blindly, trust in his senses anymore when it involves all that comes from Aizen. Every word, every gesture, every unspoken nuance. The urge to reexamine and carefully pore over it all, turn them around and around in his mind, mulling them over like maybe they will reveal hidden secrets if he looks hard enough. But that is also dangerous. Sometimes, the truth is as is. It is really not that deep. There are no buried depths to unearth.

               “ Yes, barely. The Quincy sure kicked our asses good. ” Shinji does not deny, because Aizen is right. Woefully unprepared and taken off guard, struck repeatedly again and again in quick succession by a shattering series of turbulences that had shaken the Gotei to its core in recent times, the biggest of which was the audacious coup d’état perpetrated by none other than this man before him. Yet he still has the gall to sit there and talk about how he was the one who saved the day (true and undeniable, for without that strength surely they would have been destroyed), but Shinji cannot help but think that a lot of those lives lost as collateral damage could also have been preserved, if this man who claimed to only want to help had done so in a way that hadn’t weakened the Gotei to the point where it was finally advantageous for the Wandenreich to attack in the first place. The resentment is real. The simmering anger, impossible to ­mask. “ Are ya seekin’ praise or credit for yer meritorious deeds? Isn’t this- ” he gestures vaguely to the quasi-pleasant surroundings of the man’s paroled residence; it is at least head and shoulders, hell, an entire torso above the black pit of despair that is Muken. “ - already a nod of recognition towards yer merciful intervention, even when ya provided it with such great reluctance? ”

          The thread of sarcasm that leaks from his tone annoys him, because the control of emotion is something he very much desires to keep a tight rein on whenever Aizen is concerned…but that is slowly unraveling too, in frustration. A weapon of war, Aizen had bitterly labeled himself, but aren’t they all? This is the type of world they exists in; fight to live or perish by the wayside, and Kyouraku had dragged Aizen out kicking and screaming to perform his duty. He pauses, takes a deep breath and holds it, counting the seconds for as long as he can until the disquiet is silently strangled out of existence, his lungs starting to burn. Then, he exhales…and breathes.

               “ …Yer right. Yer strength saved us all. I’m grateful ya fought on our side. ” And he is. He really is. There was true hopelessness and despair, the day the Wandenreich invaded. He can still taste it now, the raw acridness of smoke and fire and destruction, the sharp tang of blood and terror and wailing grief in the air. They were so close to losing it all, until Aizen’s power surged and he pulled off that spectacular act of sacrifice completely out of the left field, buying precious time for Ichigo to finish Yhwach. Even now, Shinji wonders at the other’s motive, wonders why the other chose to do what he did, even if he knows that he will likely never get a straight answer. His eyes continue to seek Aizen’s firmly, trying to read beyond what the other allows him to see. His voice…softens. “ Why couldn’t ya have chosen to do that from the start? Ya already knew that ya couldn’t convince Yamamoto, of course ya wouldn’t be foolhardy enough to seek that direct path. There are other routes; did ya even try? How could it be that yer immediate conclusion was to plan a bloody coup? What the hell were ya even thinking? ”

          Kyouraku, Ukitake. Even Unohana. The previous Soutaichou was notoriously rigid and unyielding, but even a leader would not be able to lead if his followers refused to follow. And Aizen have proven himself charismatic and strong. Inspiring, even. He had been told that the younger Shinigami had idolized him, during his tenure as Shinji’s successor and predecessor. Yet oddly enough, he steered clear of the older Captains and kept his activities low profile. “ I mean it when I say that ya’ve got no faith in yerself. I ain’t referrin’a strength and intelligence, because in those yer excessively proficient and we all know it. I’m talkin’ ‘bout yer inability to establish genuine connections with others, in a way that exposes yer vulnerability. ” All his followers were younger…and depended on him to a certain extent. Even Gin and Kaname. Even his ranks of arrancars and espadas, who were all beholden to him in a way that placed them in a lower position below him, however powerful they were independently. “ Rather than not botherin’a establish trust because ya’ve got no need for it, isn’t it more because ya’ve got no faith in yer own ability ‘ta earn trust, in a way that does not involve using yer power as a crutch or a bargaining tool? ”

          He wants to hunch up like some tortoise, defensive and protective, as if Aizen will take something of value otherwise. Tensed…but also knowing all too well that the other man is not wrong with his pointed remarks. But neither is Seireitei, at least not in the ruling that had resulted in a one-hundred-year long exile for them who have been maligned and tarred, their reputations dragged through the mud and blackened…for a sin not of their choosing. Once upon a time, he was angry. Once upon a time, he raged, and he roiled with seething hatred. He was through with it all. In denial. In bargaining. In grief. And then, finally, acceptance. The past was the past. The years have tempered his fury and smothered the helpless impotence of being abandoned by the very organization they are meant to die for, that will also leave them to die unyieldingly. But this and that, are two different things.

          Shinji glares exasperatedly at Aizen. “ Funny ya brought that up, seein’ as YOU were the whole main cause of our miseries. Ya wanna be thanked again, is that it? ” If Shinji is still disappointed in Seireitei and the Gotei, it is not because they had once been deemed dangerous and had to be exiled for their conditions. Because that was the truth. Back then, they had been out of control, completely out of their minds and irrational, driven by howling instinct and violence. Dangerous and corrupted beings entirely unknown as a new, forbidden hybrid of powerful entities. They were a high-risk peril not just to themselves, but to everyone around them. Those were all true. Until they had been stabilized, until they learned that it was possible to control the feral, corrupted entities that lurked in their souls…there was no telling if they would go berserk and destroy everything in their way until they had to be put down like rabid animals. Coming from the Gotei’s purview, Shinji understands that trepidatious reservation.

               “ I don’t disagree that Seireitei is too entrenched in tradition and unyieldin' laws…and I don’t disagree that a fresh start might be ideal…but so what? ” he scoffs, gaze still hard, voice still low. “ How will yer leadership be any better? You, who turned us against our will, you, who made use of anyone and everyone like expendable pawns just for yer own agenda. You, who could not even spare yer own allies and the innocent. A hundred years passed, and in all that time ya managed to do more harm than good to the people whom you were s'posed to look out for. Is this yer definition of a better system? Seireitei as she is now is full of monsters, true. ” 

          Because even Shinji, himself, has to become one whenever it is necessary. 

               “ But do not think, not for even a second, that yer not also one of them. ”

#||мιѕc #hirako shinji #aizen sousuke #;;drabble #[ i gotta kick this out too -> the number of drafts i have in my folder is already in the THOUSANDS -sweats- ] #[ this was supposed to be a REPLY I THINK - but it's been so long I don't remember much anymore >.> ]

[spaceorphan18]

What’s your opinion of Blaine’s crush on Sam, and whether Against all Odds was for him?

Hi Nonny!

So, I'm not going to post the link you sent me - unlike with the Brittana meta that was written by someone who had clearly moved on and wasn't tumbling any longer - I think that person is still very active, so I'd prefer rather than be reactionary just talk about my own thoughts.

I'll be honest, I've never understood all the hoopla around Against All Odds. When Blaine performed the song on the show, during that moment, the song was clearly about his feelings for Sam that he wasn't sure how to deal with.

So. Here's my thing...

Because I think the problem is that fandom has this tendency to look at things in black and white and while Glee wasn't exactly a beacon of literary and artistic genius, I do think it operated on a variety of layers, and sometimes I think people missed little nuances, subtextual meanings, and the greater context of something.

I will be getting to this, eventually, in my musical retrospective - but the thing is, the song doesn't have to be about one thing -- as well as having different meanings when set within different contexts.

Breaking Blaine down a little -- he's a rather emotional guy. He feels his emotions deeply and intensely, and lives in the moment with them. Of course - his feelings for Kurt were very deep and meaningful and real. But he also built a lot of his personality around trying to be something (namely best bf ever) he couldn't even live up to for himself. And then the relationship ended, and he was left feeling without an identity -- who was he if he wasn't Kurt's boyfriend?

And then, Sam came along - who is a relatively attractive guy anyway, and helped Blaine figure out that he could be a full person without needing to attach himself to someone else. So - yes, Blaine's crush does form out of an attraction, but also because Sam was a friend who gave him emotional support that he had only really been getting from Kurt up until that point and -- like Tina says a few episodes earlier -- a lot Blaine's tendency to latch on to someone and have feelings for someone transferred to Sam.

I'd also like to remind everyone that Blaine is a teenager -- even if Darren Criss was well into his mid-to-late twenties at that point. Teenagers are raging balls of hormones that tend to swing from one intense feeling to the next - and don't always make sense. So, I think it's a little unfair to say that Blaine couldn't have strong feelings about Sam -- even if they were relatively fleeting (and they were) and even if he knew they weren't going to go anywhere (they weren't - and one reason Blaine allows himself to crush on Sam is that it's a safe crush, where he won't really get hurt by it).

So, with all of that context set up - let's talk about the song...

Does Blaine like Phil Collins? I'm sure he honestly does. And I'm sure that this song, no matter who it's about (and it doesn't have to be about anyone) is one that he probably really enjoys.

Yes - there's a layer of this song that is about Kurt. I'm sure that Blaine thought about (or listened to) this song a lot when Kurt first dumped him. Blaine has a lot of regrets, and a lot of remorse about how things went down. A lot of the lyrics about not wanting the person to leave... wanting the person to turn around and see him cry... yes, that's about Kurt, and that's about the pain he cause in the break up.

And yes -- there's a part of Blaine who feels that Kurt was the only one who knew him. And yes, Blaine feels like getting Kurt again is against all odds.

But the thing is, at this point in the season - Blaine and Kurt are on their way back to each other. This song doesn't have the sharp meaning for Kurt anymore. That pain is not only dull - but recovering, so I don't think the song's sentiment holds as much weight as when he was probably singing it to himself a few months earlier.

I should also add that I don't think the particular performance that Blaine sings on the show - the one that (and I'll get to it in a minute) is about Sam erases the fact that there is sentiment about Kurt here. Just as I don't think that having an actual friendship with Sam, finding Sam attractive, and having a deep bond with Sam takes away from any feelings Blaine is having about Kurt.

But here's the thing -- when Blaine sings this on the show -- it /is/ about Sam. Is it a bit melodramatically about Sam? Yes - because I don't think Blaine's feelings for Sam are as intense or deep as they were (are) for Kurt. But in this moment - Blaine's feelings are about to come out, and he's feeling very intensely about them - as he's worried that those attraction feelings might cancel out the very real friendship bond that he's created with Sam. And Blaine (being a teenager) is still trying to figure all that out.

So, in relation to the song again, Blaine had felt unseen with Kurt. He had felt unseen by the rest of his classmates - but Sam decided to be his friend and Sam decided to help him through his issues. Blaine let Sam see a bit of him that isn't the performer who tries to showcase his best self to please others -- but that other, darker side that isn't so pretty. And Sam liked him anyway. /That's/ why the song resonates with feelings for Sam now than it does for Kurt.

As per the song - Blaine has felt like an empty vessel for so long, unsure of himself, and Sam sees him as a person of potential and as a person worthy of being cared about - and both of those things are huge with Blaine. So that line - you're the only one who really knew me? Yeah, is about Sam. Because that's what Blaine is feeling - at this moment.

Also, the second chance part of it -- the against all odds sentiment -- is about the fact that Blaine knows that Sam's a straight guy, who is never going to like him in a sexual way. And the fact that he's afraid that if Sam did know Blaine felt those things - Sam would reject him, and he fears the loss of Sam's friendship far more than the loss of him as a potential romantic partner.

Does the song fit perfectly? No - it really doesn't. And I stand by the fact that this song was originally a song Blaine felt for Kurt that he's now transferring over to express his feelings for Sam. But it doesn't have to be a perfect fit? A song's tone and ambience can be enough to express your feelings. There doesn't need to be a one-to-one lining up for something to be relevant.

And... I should add, it's clear by the way the filmed the scene that Blaine was singing this in regards to his feelings for Sam.

Anyway... long winded answer short, songs can take on different meanings and sentiments when placed in different contexts. I don't think this song should be taken as literally as a lot of people take it. It's ultimately about a teenager feeling things really intensely wanting to express that -- the lyrics are nonconsequential at the end things, to be honest.

But I digress...

#that's how s.o. sees it #blaine anderson #sam evans #long post is long #people have such intense feelings about this song and it just seems weird to me #I hope I explained this well enough for everyone

[bcbyteeth]

ABOUT ROMAN | Must you keep my baby teeth in the bedside table with your jewelry.

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: Romanyuk Annikovych Konstenko aka Roman Kon

AGE: Twenty-Nine

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis man, He/Him

FACE CLAIM: Dylan O'Brien

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown

HEIGHT: 5′11″

DATE OF BIRTH: September 7th

ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: High School Diploma

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: N/A at the moment

OCCUPATION: Primary Male Ballet Dancer for the Los Angeles Ballet Company

HOMETOWN: Kyiv, Ukraine

CHARACTER HISTORY [TRIGGER WARNING FOR CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT]

The Konstenko name is gilded in grace overseas, holding a titular title as one of the most prestigious families devoted to professional ballet. Anichka Konstenko, following her own mother’s footsteps, paved the path for the engraving of their name in the industry as one of the youngest dancers to be part of three separate international companies and taking a lead at just sixteen years old. Her platform was built on the strength of her delicacy but also her insistence that she was far from fragile. However, her career that was promising to go farther than the usual retirement of most dancers was brought to an abrupt hault. Anichka became pregnant and was not only unable to dance, but never able to renew her contract again with the age in which she wanted to jump back in.

However, Anichka refused to believe her career was over and meshed into her new life as a mother to Romanyuk. She believed her son carried her talents and lovingly cultivated them for success following everything she had done right in her career, and avoiding everything she had done wrong. It was more than luck that her son carried the same passion she did but instead of feeding into a shared love, it drew out an obsession. Roman’s proficiency didn’t just encourage her and reinstate her sense of value, but challenged her own perception of her career. Her love grew into a hate where whether Roman moved along impressively or fell behind compared to previous performances. Dance was truly his guardian not only as what raised him, but protected him as it allowed him to create some distance between him and his abuser by attending dance academies in Ukraine, Russia, and France where he followed his mother’s reputation of signing with various companies to learn new techniques.

Despite the cushion of his mother’s reputation, Roman had different standards to follow as a man in ballet and her namesake only allowed so much for him to climb. He learned, just as his mother had before him, that he could use his body and sex to get not only what he needed but what he wanted even if he wasn’t deserving of it.

At fifteen, he took a the opportunity to get out from his mother’s thumb. There was an opening in the Los Angeles Ballet Company, miles away from his home. It was a risk to try and apply at his age, but he was accepted upon his background. He devoted his time to as many challenging productions as he could even if the shows were tied smaller theaters and operas, or carried an experimental title. Roman learned to measure his worth on how far he could push his body. He was given the opportunity to audition when a check came his way with a particular request to meet him. He took advantage of it and made sure to set up the meeting the week of auditions and ensured he had a place to stay to see it all play out. The last thing Roman expected was an eleven year old claiming to be his sister trying to scope him out. These two would never become allies, but surely being a nuance kept them in each other's lives.

Roman successfully joined the company as one of the youngest dancers they'd had in decades at just fifteen. His name didn’t carry much power in America, and he had to find a way to support himself upon limited funding. It was once again through his body that he learned to get what he needed, and he used his charm to get what he simply wanted as well. He excelled despite being a male dancer and found sway to get opportunity to prove his worth.

PRESENT DAY

Roman’s career, however, is coming to its end and soon enough he feels he’ll have to return home. He suffered an injury to his hip that was deemed the butchering of his ability to dance, but he pushed through. The only trouble is that the most he pushes it, he risks more than just not being able to go up on stage. Roman, however, is determined to go out with a bang if this is what costs him ever dancing professionally again so he continues to push himself hard.

HEADCANONS [TRIGGER WARNING FOR ALCOHOLISM, VIOLENCE, RELIGION]

Roman has a slight accent no matter how hard he tries to hide it, specifically around ‘a’ vowels. When he’s drunk, it’s very thick and he tends to lose most English pronunciation.

He can speak English and Ukrainian fluently, understands Russian and French, but he cannot read French well at all and tends to mispronounce a lot. This is because he attended school in the three countries where he had to learn enough to understand instruction.

As a means of coping with essentially running away from his life in Europe and the possibility that his dance career is over, Roman has dabbled in drinking socially. As of late, once he starts drinking he can’t stop. He takes advantage of the fact that he’s celebrating to the extent that the dance company knows to keep him around for recognition at the beginning of events, and then quickly have him escorted home.

His biggest vice at the moment? Dance can only do so much, and even though he’s determined to keep doing it, Roman knows he has to find somewhere else to ensure he doesn’t implode. He likes to test his luck with anyone willing to go for a brawl, finding some semblance of comfort in disclosed locations to fight it out.

Religion was often implemented into his craft early on by his instructors as a means of implementing a sense of drive, courage, and confidence. For some time, Roman practiced catholicism and came to America adamant in this part of his training. He ended up rejecting it all together as he was unable to put faith in something higher than his own autonomy when his entire life is devoted to what his body can do beyond his soul.

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

DILAN OSDEMIR — Dilan was the first person his age that Romanyuk met when he came to America upon the Los Angeles Ballet housing him in her father's hotel. Despite moving him to an apartment a month later, they stayed in touched and began a romantic relationship that was short lived. Their fuse, however, must be longer and more resilient than they think as they bickering is endless.

MAVERICK WEST - Meeting during a low point in Roman's life during physical therapy, Mav seemed to be the only one that understood his devotion and the pain of not doing his craft. One thing led to another, and a few social outings have become a pattern. They laugh, they banter, they fall into bed— or what has somewhat of a door.

EMERSYN BARNES - When he arrived in America bought out by some estranged family member, the last thing Roman expected was to come face to face with an eleven year old half sister when he was fifteen years old. While they they don't get along, and their relation and acknowledgement of the other is a fine detail hidden from most, they are two conflicting extremes more alike in their determination than anything else.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

The good ol’ classic hook up, whether it be something consistent or a one night stand that he gave into

People he’s come across in the city because of work or something else, such as patrons to the dance company or people with tickets to see shows

Friends growing up since he’s been in town since he was fifteen!

More can be found here!

You can message me on discord at adam bolbi#5434 (:

#about.roman #unholy.intro