#tinker talent!joel | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blicketdabest33 · 5 months

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Y'all remember that MCYT PJO au I asked for help with awhile ago? WELL HERE'S THE CABINS AND MY EXPLINATIONS BEHIND THEM!!

#1 Zeus Cabin: Jimmy, Joel Jimmy: He's a Zeus kid, but everyone somehow forgets about it. Joel: He's competitive and strong. Also, because Jimmy is his half brother through godly parent, i get to make a fun bit about him dating Lizzie. And one of his origins in Afterlife SMP was a thunderborn

#2 Hera Cabin: Scott Scott: Scott's whole thing is loyalty. Hera is the goddess of marriage and is insanely loyal to Zeus. However, I feel like Hera should get at least one affair. So now Scott can use peacocks as weapons.

#3 Poseidon Cabin: Skizz Skizz: Poseidon kids tend to be really, really loyal to a fault and heroic, both qualities I think Skizz possesses.

#4 Demeter Cabin: Sausage, Shelby, Bdubs, Stress Sausage: This man built Sanctuary in a jungle and has flowers in his hair. He sells wood. There is no other place to put him. Shelby: Mushroom gnome, spooky mangrove witch, powerful storm witch, i need not continue. Bdubs: Moss man. Stress: SHE HAS FLOWERS

#5 Ares Cabin: Martyn, False Martyn: His planet is Mars, which is the roman version of Ares. He ended Limited Life in such a violent way, i can't help it. He was also red for the majority of Secret Life. False: I just feel like False should get to kill people more often.

#6 Athena Cabin: Grian, Pix, Owen, Xisuma Grian: This sums it up pretty well

Pix: Smart man. Archeologist and definitely a nerd. I wanna see him skipping out on training just so he can read history books. Owen: He likes to explore and discover new things in Pirates. In Rats, he's a tinkerer. In New Life, he's an explorer who wants to study hybrids. In Empires, he's a Llama who's curious about how humans work. Just a very curious character overall. Xisuma: Admin. I'm not elaborating.

#7 Apollo Cabin: Gem, Oli, Lyarrah Gem: She is an Apollo kid because of her Empire in S2. She's the sunlight princess. Apollo kid. Oli: MUSIC. MAN. Lyarrah: She writes the captions for the hermitcraft recap.

#8 Artemis Cabin: Pearl Pearl: Y'know, Artemis could've just like... had a kid, even though she took that oath. It wouldn't even have to be with a guy. Gods can change to whatever gender they want. Anyway, Pearl gets to be an Artemis kid because her symbolism is moon, she loves dogs, and will commit murder and hunt at night.

#9 Hephaestus Cabin: Doc, Mumbo, Tango, Impulse, Cub, Zedaph, Fwhip, Iskall Doc: Redstone Mumbo: Redstone Tango: Redstone Impulse: Redstone Cub: Redstone Zedaph: Redstone Fwhip: Redstone AND has a red scarf (don't ask me how that's relevant) Iskall: Redstone

#10 Aphrodite Cabin: Keralis Keralis: Okay, I don't know why, but Keralis gives me the vibes of a very charming person. His voice is nice to listen to, so imagine how useful it'd be if I gave him charm speak.

#11 Hermes Cabin: Scar, Etho, Joe Scar: Trader Scar, scammer extraordinar. Etho: All i must say is Shady-E's. I get "jack-of-all-trades, master of none, often better than master of one" vibes from him. He's funny, he's mischievous, it just works. Joe: Comedy man. Excellent delivery. And, yet again, i look at this man and go "That right there is a multi-talented man with a habit for mischief."

#12 Dionysus Cabin: Joey, Beef Joey: *points at his season one empires theme* i need not say more Beef: Idk, food. I don't really have a reason. I don't know too much about Beef.

#13 Hades Cabin: Zloy Zloy: Zombie man. He writes the Hermitcraft recaps in the dark at 2am with nothing but pure spite.

#14 Iris Cabin: Katherine Katherine: SHE. HAS. COLORS. and also I couldn't put her in Demeter cabin because Shelby is already there and i am NOT excluding Nature Wives from this au

#15 Hypnos Cabin: Bigb, XB, Wels Bigb: Sleepy stuff, right? WRONG. Gaslight. Go in everyones dreams, make fake prophecies, peace out, and cause chaos. XB: I look at his fanon design, I see an alien, and I go "aha he sleeps" Wels: This guy (@dingdinghq) said so and i completely agree. Something about sleeping in S6.

#16 Nemesis Cabin: Edit: wels not here no more

#17 Nike Cabin: Ren Ren: VICTORY. I don't know much about Ren's story in the Life Series, but I look at this man and see someone who has won a lot.

#18 Hebe Cabin:

#19 Tyche Cabin: TFC TFC: Man goes mining and gets really lucky. That's it.

#20 Hecate Cabin: Lizzie, Cleo, Jevin Lizzie: Witchy vibes. Also, Arson. Cleo: Arson. She uses her magic for Arson. Jevin: He's a magic slime. Also, Arson. All Hecate kids love Arson.

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spoopydeboop · 3 months

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Hello, and welcome to…

Pointless Palia Head-Cannons!

This is a segment where my hyper-focused and obsessive brain will shower you all with all of the pointless very important head-cannons I have about the MMO Palia and its many NPCs!

Today’s topic is:

Which Palia NPCs can sing well and which ones simply cannot carry a tune?

Now, in the words of the famous Italian plumber, “Here we go!” (List below the cut!)

NPCs are listed in alphabetical order.

• Ashura - Absolutely yes, but in a very deep, sea-shanty / Gaelic tune way. He’s not the most technically sound, but his voice is very gruff and soothing. Absolutely sang his son lullabies every night.

• Auni - No, I’m sorry. Convinced that he cannot carry a tune AT ALL but thinks he can. Sings loudly with zero inhibition whatsoever. Gotta give him credit there!

• Badruu - We know this man was in a traveling Bard group, so he’s musically inclined for sure. I feel like he would have been killer backup and filler vocals and he can harmonize beautifully.

• Caleri - Doesn’t believe in fun, jovial activities like singing. (Elouisa informs you later that her sister can in fact not carry a tune at all.)

• Chayne - Absolutely. He’s naturally musically inclined, but part of his spiritual training involved learning to lead chants and hymns. Bass level vocals, v soothing.

• Delaila - Not at all. Where do you think Auni gets it? Part of what entranced her about Badruu in the beginning was his musical abilities. She’ll still sing along with a group and put her all into it though!

• Einar - The concept of producing a vocal stimulation to create a pleasing melodic sound is lost to the robot. But if it’s your Oneness, he respects it.

• Elouisa - Cannot sing, but definitely played clarinet in high school and was first chair!

• Eshe - No way. Cruella de Vil type vibes. She definitely was classically trained on the piano, but doesn’t often exercise the skill.

• Hassain - Can absolutely carry a tune and harmonize well! Definitely low baritone or higher bass in range. Can harmonize with higher ranges very well!

• Hekla - Her Jina often sings to herself as she works, but the ability and desire to produce a series of melodies is not within her rune programming.

• Hodari - Not the biggest fan of singing, but has a decent voice that comes off pleasantly gruff and southern. I imagine if Pedro Pascal’s ‘Joel’ from The Last of Us sang a slower, more reserved tune. (My other example was the dad cow from Back at the Barnyard that sings “I Won’t Back Down”… Let me know if that woulda been better or worse.)

• Jel - Definitely took vocal lessons with his sisters. Has a very pleasant and airy singing voice that is very technically sound.

• Jina - Doesn’t really sing much except for to herself. Massive stage fright on this one! Hekla says that her Jina seems happy when she sings, and that’s what matters.

• Kenji - Honestly? 100%, yes. Maybe like a broadway or an operatic voice. Doesn’t sing much but I imagine it would sound really jolly if he was a jollier guy.

• Kenyatta - YES! Doesn’t sing because she thinks it’s ‘lame’ (she gives me massive ‘too cool for school’ vibes) but has a delightful and powerful singing voice (kinda like the wolf Porsha Crystal played by Halsey in Sing 2.)

• Nai’O - Yes absolutely. Got his talent from his dad! He’s very shy when put on the spot though, so he doesn’t sing in front of people often — mostly when he works in the field with his animals by himself.

• Najuma - Not at all! But it’s okay because Najuma has zero desire to, haha. Kid is happy to be tinkering!

• Reth - On god, YES. Man has a beautiful and casual singing voice with a little rasp around the edges. Sings to himself while he cooks or gets really focused on something. I’m thinking “Feelin’ Good” by Michael Bublé, but maybe bit more rough around the edges.

• Sifuu - Not much of a singer, but I know our Muscle Mommy definitely has a few war chants or something up her sleeve! Lady can keep a beat for sure.

• Tamala - Thinks she can, but makes it way too sultry. You heard me. There’s such a thing as too much!

• Tish - Yes! Absolutely. She seems like she would 100% have like a Mandy Moore or Kristen Bell vibe. Very Disney Princess-esque!

• Zeki - Okay, honestly I think yes — but not in a conventional way. Kind of like Ashura; I think he would be great at singing like traditional Grimalkin shanties or folk-songs. Not very practiced, but he’s got spirit!

OKAY FINALLY DONE! I plan to do a lot more of these! Let me know if you have any suggestions!

#palia theory #headcanon #palia headcanons #palia tish #palia najuma #palia hodari #palia oc #palia open beta #palia reth #play palia #palia game #palia mmo #palia jel #palia hassian #palia #palia ashura

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froggymarsh · 11 months

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i’ve just remembered my mcyt pixie hollow au and I don’t have many folks figured out but I have a few!!

Grian - garden fairy. his jumper is made of pink rose petals that fade into red

Bdubs - garden fairy, specializes in moss and lichen

Tango, Impulse, Zed, and Cub are all tinkers who work very closely with animal fairies, those animal faries being Gem and Pearl and Scar (Gem and Pearl could also be a light fairies methinks, and Scar might actually be human)

Pixlriffs is the Keeper - he’s the guy documenting everything he can about fairy life. he might not have always been a fairy. he lives in late fall/early winter, right when the leaves have started browning and falling off trees

Fwhip - lives in late summer/early fall. might be a tinker? mostly just bothers Pix and paints leaves idk

Ranboo and Tubbo and Jack Manifold all live in winter, Ranboo’s a frost fairy and idk about the other two but they do a lot of sledding

Tommy is a light fairy who keeps “blackmailing” Ranboo into frosting his wings so he can cross the winter border whenever he wants lol. he gets a little reckless and loses a wing tho so now he flies around on some kinda bird idk. maybe a chickadee or a robin (he wanted a hawk but many people said no)

Philza is the lord of winter and flies around on a crow

Technoblade was a dust keeper but then stuff happened (pirates, philza losing a wing, etc) and now he lives in deep winter in a little stump in the middle of a snowstorm and experiments on pixie dust (he changed his talent to frost fairy so he can keep frosting his wings himself. he’s pretty fluid with his talent after he moves back to fall)

Wilbur was a dust keeper but then stuff happened (techno leaving, philza losing a wing) and he ditched the dustkeeping to be a musician and really enjoys it. He blames himself for Tommy losing a wing

(there’s a whole fic i was planning on writing about the sbi, feel free to ask me about it)

I want Lizzie to be the queen of the faries. There is Zero romance between her and Phil (if you’ve watched the movies u know sksjdjf) - instead she’s in love with a silly little. idk. water fairy? Joel is a lot of things and lies about his talent a lot (aka I have no idea what he is but he’s in love with the queen of the faeries)

Jimmy’s a water fairy. He and Tango encountered each other a couple of times and mistakingly thought the other was an animal fairy skskdjf (I also have a wip about that. Feel free to ask)

Scott is on the border of spring and winter, idk what he does but it’s perfectly normal to find him everywhere

#have I made a post about this before?#I mean. I HAVE. but on this blog? I don’t remember sksjdjd #please tell me I’m not the only person here who knows anything about the tinker bell movies #fairy au stuff

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karivem · 3 years

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Favorite TV Shows & Movies I watched in 2020

In chronological order, divided by month.

J A N U A R Y

Anne with an E Season 3

What a beautiful season! I loved Anne’s character growth and her relationship with Matthew and Marilla. This season had so many interesting storylines and compelling characters. I always love the life lessons and women empowerment this show presents. The romantic aspects of the season and the kiss in that last episode were perfect.

Parasite (2019)

This is a masterpiece. I watched it with my family on cinemas and we all loved it. The acting was great, there was a perfect combination of comedy and drama and the ending was amazing; it was depressing yet very realistic that it hurt my soul.

F E B R U A R Y

Ragnarok Season 1

Never thought I’d like a show about Thor, but this take on norse mythology was amazing to watch. I loved the protagonist and the setting of the show. This is a Norwegian fantasy show and all the actors are very talented. The characters (although weird) were very unique and the ending left me so excited for season 2.

Altered Carbon Season 1

This is not only a show, is an experience. The cast, the setting, the plot and the relationships are fantastic. It has many action scenes I enjoyed, it has mystery and a great protagonist. The world building is so rich and interesting. I love Joel Kinnaman and Martha Higareda, they did an amazing acting job and their chemistry was wonderful. Everything about s1 was so great but, don’t watch s2, it is terrible. You can just watch season 1 as a mini series and be happy.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

This movie broke my heart but also made me laugh so hard. I love the characters and the actors. The soundtrack was brilliant and the development of the story was so well done. It has many remarkable moments and quotes I loved. I never thought I’d like a movie about the second world war this much but I did. This movie deserves so much more recognition because it is fantastic, one of my all time favorites.

M A R C H

Elite Season 3

Not the best season of the show but it was great. It was one of my most anticipated season premieres and I binge-watched it like crazy. I love the characters and the relationships, I’m so invested in all the stories and the vibe of this show. The new characters were the weakest part of the season but overall there were many amazing moments I loved. Even Kevin McHale made a cameo!! Can’t wait for season 4.

The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy (2005 - 2010)

I watched these movies after reading the book series and I feel in love with the characters. I love the Pevensies so much, Edmund is my favorite but I love them all. The lion the witch and the wardrobe is my favorite movie out of the 3 but they all are great movies in my opinion. Caspian is also a fantastic character. The magic and the meaning of the stories are amazing and timeless.

The hunger games saga (2012 - 2015)

I rewatched this saga with my sister and we loved it. We cried and suffered throughout Mockingjay part 1 & 2 of course. I love this world so much, it is vast, interesting and full of epic moments. Katniss is a queen and Peeta is my beautiful soft boy. I love Finnick, Haymitch, Effie and many other characters. The social commentary of these movies and the rebellion are very impactful aspects the saga achieved.

A P R I L

El hoyo (2019)

This movie is disturbing in many ways but it is so great. This is a dystopia that talks about the worst aspects of society. It’s hard to see people’s behaviors and attitudes towards each other but you know they are realistic. The movie shows many things you can reflect on. The acting was great, the characters were interesting and the tone was grimm and mysterious.

Outer Banks Season 1

Teenage drama, summer setting, a hidden treasure and many adventures. The characters are interesting, the cast is gorgeous and the found family relationship of the group is beautiful. This show feels so fresh and exciting, the plot is very fun to follow but it also deals with hard topics like toxic relationships and abusive families.

M A Y

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 (2010) & part 2 (2011)

I rewatched these movies after reading the book and I fell more in love with the world, with Harry and with the conclusion of the story. I love part 1 a little bit more but both movies have such an epic feeling to me. I love the anticipation for the Battle of Hogwarts and the exciting fighting scenes. The ending always makes me cry, I love it.

The imitation game (2014)

This movie is so important, everyone should watch it. It is based on true events and Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing in it, his performance was stunning. I loved the protagonist, the story and the side characters. Upon this rewatch I noticed more how everything was remarkable, there were a lot of well written dramatic scenes and the moments near the end broke my heart.

J U N E

Gotham Season 5

I love Gotham so much!!! This season was amazing but so short, I needed more. I love Bruce and seeing how he became Batman was an epic experience. I love the heroes, the villains, the dynamics between many characters and the humor of this show. I will miss Gotham and the many great episodes and adventures it gave me. Also, I love Oswald and Nygma together and for me they are married and in love.

Dark Season 1 - 3

I rewatched the first 2 seasons in preparation for the third one’s premiere and I watched s3 in a day. I was so obsessed. This show is so brilliant, it plays with your mind and it deals with a lot of existential topics. I love it so so much, is one of my favorites forever. Season 2 is my favorite but overall the show has so many great things to offer. It has drama, great characters, shocking plot twists, an ideal amount of romance and the weirdest, most complicated family tree ever.

Star Wars Original trilogy (1977 - 1883)

I’m surprised I finally watched these movies, and I’m even more surprised I loved them! Luke is a fantastic protagonist, Darth Vader is an epic villain and the world is so immersive. I want to be a Jedi, I want to have adventures around the galaxy. I love Han and Leia’s love story and I love R2, C-3PO and Chewie.

J U L Y

Star Wars Sequel trilogy (2015 - 2019)

These movies for me were amazing, well episode 9 not so much but overall the trilogy was great. I love the new characters and all the references to the original trilogy. Episode 7 feels so nostalgic to me even though I watched the whole Star Wars saga this year. I love the character development of practically every single character here and I love the epic feeling of the fight scenes. In my opinion this trilogy is worth watching, you can’t change my mind.

Barbie and the magic of pegasus (2005)

I’m a sucker for old Barbie movies and this year I made a rewatch marathon with my sister. This one was the one that stayed on my mind for many weeks. I love the magic of the story and the relationship between Annika and Aidan.

The truth about the Harry Quebert affair Season 1

Amazing actors, intriguing premise and a well written mystery. I love this show and its book so much, this is an awesome book to tv adaptation. The plot is brilliant, the setting is beautiful and the characters are interesting. I love Harry and Marcus’s relationship, I love Nola, I love how the pieces fit together so perfectly and how there are no loose ends. This show is very underrated, it deserves more recognition because it’s fantastic.

The baby-sitters club Season 1

This show is so cute and funny. I love the cast, they’re perfect for their roles. It has quite a simple premise but it talks about many important topics of today’s society. The aesthetic of the show is so beautiful, is perfect to watch with you family and it has great pop culture references. I love the vibe of the show and I’m so glad it got renewed for a second season!

A U G U S T

The umbrella academy Season 2

I watched this twice and I liked it better the second time around. I still can’t decide which Hargreeves I love the most, they’re all amazing in their own way. This season was great, it had many beautiful moments and great action sequences. It also had baby Pogo. Do yourself a favor: watch it and listen to the soundtrack.

House of Anubis Season 1

I rewatched one of my favorite shows of my pre-teenage years and I loved season 1 a lot, s2 is not that great and s3 doesn’t exist for me but s1 is perfect. I love the mystery, the boarding school setting, the teen drama and the characters so much. Fabina forever!!!

The truman show (1998)

This movie is FANTASTIC. It has comedy, drama, romance and sci-fi elements with a concept that makes it an instant classic. This was the first time I watched it and I’m amazed by how brilliant it is and how many references to spirituality and capitalism it has. It has a great villain and a protagonist whose character arc is wonderful to watch. I loved the iconic Truman Burbank quote and the ending was just perfect.

S E P T E M B E R

A series of unfortunate events Season 2 & 3

Rewatching and old favorite always feels so great. I have no words to describe how much I love this series and the Baudelaire siblings. This show is perfect, it has a hilarious sense of humor I love. I love the drama, the tragedy and the ridiculous schemes Count Olaf plots. It also has music and a cast of actors I adore. Season 1 is also amazing but my favorites are 2 & 3.

Tinker Bell and the great fairy rescue (2010)

I made a marathon of all the Tinker Bell movies with my sister and this one was a surprise. I never thought I’d like it because my memories of it weren’t particularly good but wow, this movie was so cute and full of heart. Everything you hope to see in a fairies movie is here. It’s entertaining and very magical.

O C T O B E R

Julie and the Phantoms Season 1

BEST SHOW EVER! I’ve been screaming my love for jatp everywhere, I even made a video about it. This show came to save my 2020. I love the characters, the cast, the ships, the MUSIC, the plot... Every single thing is amazing. I can’t recommend it enough, please watch it and you will see the great masterpiece Kenny Ortega created.

The rocky horror picture show (1975)

I rewatched this movie for Halloween and I realised how much I enjoy it. I love it. It is weird and very sexual but it’s brilliant and has awesome songs. The characters are unique and the situations are bizzarre, the plot starts being simple but it ends in full science fiction madness. Now I need to go to a screening of the movie.

N O V E M B E R

Lost Season 4

I mention only season 4 because with this rewatch I realized it’s my favorite but ALL SEASONS are part of my best tv shows of the year. Lost is a show that changed my perspective on tv and gave me so many great life lessons. It is a masterpiece. It has an awesome cast of characters, drama, comedy and mystery. This show is superior to newer shows in many ways, it is so well done and the season finales are always packed with action and emotive moments. It uses foreshadowing, flashbacks, flashforwards and many other brilliant narrative devices that make the show a unique experience. Worth watching even after many years after its ending.

D E C E M B E R

Gravity Falls Season 1 & 2

Another rewatch. This is my favorite animated show. I love it so so much. Dipper Pines and me are practically the same person, I relate to him a lot. I love the mystery of the show, all the supernatural creatures, the science fiction and the plot twists. This is more than just a show for kids, this is a masterpiece of storytelling and animation.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

I decided after re-reading the books to give this movie another chance because I didn’t use to like it. But oh boy, this time I loved it. I loved the songs and the madness of Wonderland. I get now why is many people’s favorite.

The queen’s gambit Season 1

I guess I love chess now, like every person who watched this show. The acting was superb, the characters and the plot were very well written. The pacing, the soundtrack, the setting, I loved everything. Anya Taylor-Joy is a queen, I have no doubt of that. I loved the ending, I was so proud of Beth Harmon!

A Christmas carol (2009)

My sister has always loved this movie but I wasn’t a big fan. This year I read the book, and watching the movie again made me appreciate the story a lot. I’m a big fan now, I think this movie is unique because it has motion capture animation, a timeless story and Jim Carrey acting multiple roles. A true gem in my opinion.

*the end* thanks 4 reading

Also check these:

My favorite ships of 2020

My favorite characters of 2020

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gracie-p8-officialblog · 4 years

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Spilling Tea On Phantom of the Opera 2004

DISCLAIMER: I just want to say from the start that it is not my intention to offendanyone, you're entitled to your opinions and I'm allowed to have mine...

Ok, so, I just watched this movie a few days ago on my laptop and it was pretty much my first time sitting through the movie. I watched a few clips of the movie on YouTube but... Then, I decided to watch the whole movie. And this was my reaction.

Don't get me wrong! There WERE parts I liked but... That was just half of the movie... But overall... Um... It was meh. Ahem. Down to business!

My opinion on Gerard Butler as the Phantom? Um, wow. And not in a good way. I feel like this was a case of a talented performer being grossly miscast as the Phantom. I think this Tumblr post best describes on what I thought of his singing.

"He's supposed to have the voice of an angel, but it sounds like he's been gargling vinegar" ~Quoted by @faded-florals

Don't get me wrong. His voice is quite good for an untrained singer but... The Phantom is one of the biggest musical theatre roles of all time! It's right up there with Jean Valjean. It's really not a role that could go a competent singer, someone who's never sang professionally before but could be good once they've been trained up a bit. The role demands a truly great singer... And he wasn't right for the part.

His voice felt too strainy, growly and rock-ish for the Phantom. I didn't like how Joel Schumacher bought into the whole "sexy Phantom" thing and cast a hunky heart-throb, who was nowhere near disfigured enough. It's meant to be a gothic thriller novel with a small romantic subplot, not a B-grade vampire romance movie!

As for Emmy Rossum as Miss Christine Daae... it's true, her voice is good. She should know though, should she wish to excel, she has MUCH still to learn (Heeeeehee. Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Emmy's Christine had little-to-no character growth and personality but I don't think it reflects her as an actress, but reflects more on the director and casting director because of how young she was (but more on that later)

Not only that, her Christine was SIGNIFICANTLY dumbed down and oversexualized. I mean, the entire point of the story is that Christine grows strong enough to overcome the trauma of an abusive relationship and make sure that her abuser never hurts anyone ever again but still shows the Phantom compassion and sympathy. I mean, her story arc is her becoming strong-willed enough to overcome the Phantom's pull/spell/enchantment/hypnosis or whatever you percieve it as on her! And don't get me started on her costumes because of the SEVERE lack of modesty.

The chemistry was a little flat because she was underage and her two male love interests were both in their 30s (which totally isn't HER fault, of course, but the directors could easily have cast someone else older)

Her voice, too, strikes me as being much too young and undeveloped. She has a very pretty, sweet-sounding quality to her singing but she doesn't sound rich and operatic enough to be a convincing Christine. Rebecca Caine and Amy Manford do the best job of singing the way I think Christine ought to sound- a maturing opera voice! Though POTO is NOT an opera (you wouldn't believe how many people actually think it is...), it does revolve around opera, and Christine is an opera singer, not a pop star.

And now onto... Everyone's favourite vicomte!!!!!!

C'mon people, put your bottles down. It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least in the wee Raoul Defense Squad Circle) that Raoul is one of the greatest and most underrated boyfriends to ever exist in musical theatre and it's almost impossible to hate him because of how relatable he is.

Ladies, puh-leeze. He's much more relatable than you admit and face it, we all have a little bit of Raoul in us. Failure to see things staring us in the face, saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, having a 'see it to believe it' attitude when we have little-to-no evidence on something... yeah, don't pretend you don't see a trend. Raoul is relatable whether we want him to be or not.

My thoughts on Patrick Wilson as Raoul, he was one of the few redeeming qualities of this not so great movie. Yeah, the swordfight and Tarzan leaps were a little too much but can you blame him?! And though I feel like that foppish wig made him look more like a magic elf prince than a vicomte, he couldn't control that!

His Raoul was so gentle and caring! Yeah, his acting was a bit stiff but at least his voice wasn't a chore to listen to, it has this warm, tender, comforting quality to it which suits Raoul. I really loved the way he sang "Don't throw away your life for my sake" and "I fought so hard to free you" in the Final Lair (😭😭😭) It feels like Raoul is genuinely apologising to Christine.

I know, I know... The Hadley Fraser fans are approaching with menacing expressions as we speak but let me clarify. I still think Hadley is amazing but... His Raoul kinda felt a little too shouty for me and his Raoul was closer to the LND-canon than POTO-canon (not his fault though).

Miranda Richardson (aka. Rita Skeeter) as Madame Giry is kind of weird. I mean, I know Madame Giry's supposed to be a little Strange and Mysterious. But this Mme. wasn't really Strange or Mysterious at all, or even slightly Spooky at all. She was just kind of an oddball. Popping up in random places to give warnings about the Phantom and looking at people as if she were questioning their life choices or something. As for her daughter... well, Jennifer Ellison's Meg was so-so. She's got a sweet-sounding voice and that added scene where she looked for Christine in the lair was a nice touch... But... Her Meg was kinda forgettable and uninteresting. Meg is supposed to prance around shrieking that the Phantom of the Opera is here, not whisper it in a blase manner that you half expect to be followed up with, "by the way, what's for lunch?" Not to mention, she rivaled Christine as far as low-necked costumes went.

Minnie Driver as Carlotta was spot on! Yes, I know she didn't sing the score but her acting was alright. She was very over-the-top and self-centered, which is great for Carlotta, but I felt her portrayal was a little too childish to be accurate. Carlotta is a successful middle-aged diva who's willing to scream and storm when she doesn't get her way, but she isn't a two-year-old pouting and throwing tantrums. (Yes, there's a difference.)

Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow played Firmin and Andre, respectively. Their managers kinda felt like twits and nothing more. Also, Firmin's masquerade costume was ridiculous. The stupid kind, not the funny kind. ...Well, okay, it was a little funny.

I'm not going to touch on every song here, but I will say that "Hannibal" was beyond awful (if you thought the costumes in the stage version were a bit risque, you should see the movie ones- no, actually you shouldn't) and that "Think of Me," while very nice, was not particularly memorable. Christine's dress, however (despite its less-than-ideal neckline) was GORGEOUS, even though it looks completely out of place in a musical that supposedly takes place in ancient Alexandria.

"Little Lotte" kinda lost its charm by being spoken instead of sung. And Gerard Butler's voice in "The Mirror" was too rough and raspy for my ears and made me cringe in sympathetic shame. The title song was like a cheesy, campy B-grade horror movie tbh, trying way too hard to be spooky and chilling ("ooh, look, Phantom's Lair! It's DARK and SCARY down here!") and succeeding only in being cringeworthy. Not that I've actually ever seen a bad horror movie- or any horror movie at all, for that matter. Unless you count this one.

Christine's costume, too, annoyed me no end. She was basically wearing a corset and drawers under the dressing gown. *facepalm* The dressing gown is supposed to go OVER your COSTUME to keep it CLEAN, peeps. It's not a BATHROBE. And the amount of eye makeup she had on would terrify a raccoon. Yikes.

Though I liked the random horse because of its nod to the Leroux novel.

"Music of the Night" was so blah-slash-touchy-feely that it made me summarily uncomfortable.

I'd like to be able to say something nice about "I remember/Stranger than you dreamt it" but I have none. One thing that bugged me to no end was how Christine is no longer wearing stockings, like dude, that gives some GROSS implications. Anyways, let's skip to Il Muto!

Oh, but first I should say that "Notes" was rather a flop and that "Prima Donna" is unmemorable and indeed should probably be fast-forwarded as there's a rather unsavory bit involving a crew member showing the audience what he thinks of Carlotta's behaviour.

"Il Muto," I must say, was pretty doggone funny. Carlotta's "Your part is silent. Leetle toad," cracked me up into a bunch of giggling little pieces, and the little vignette of the Phantom tinkering with Carlotta's throat spray made her croaking later on a lot more believable.

Now for "All I Ask Of You", SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I honestly can't understand how anyone could listen to this song and still maintain that Christine and Raoul don't belong together. He represents everything she needs- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn- someone to show affection to and his childhood friend.

One thing I definitely think could have been left out was the scene in which Erik kills Buquet- we totally did not need to see him being chased, terrified, through the rafters and finally strangled. Gross.

And the Phantom and his rose crouching behind that statue... I think this was supposed to be sad, but there was too much snot mixed with tears for it to be sad. It was, again, gross. So was Gerard Butler's pathetic attempt at the "all that the Phantom asked of you" line. And the lack of a chandelier crash in that scene made the song anticlimactic.

And "Masquerade" was so-so but... The Phantom's entrance is anticlimactic somehow, and his Red Death costume (if indeed it's supposed to even BE the Red Death) is unimpressive. I don't like how Raoul just runs off to desert Christine as soon as things start looking ugly (yes, I realize he was going to get his sword, but still... something could have happened to her while he was gone. Duh, did this guy learn anything from "Little Lotte/The Mirror"? Just sayin)

As for Madame Giry's flashback immediately following, I like how it gives us some of the Phantom's backstory, but it seems really abrupt. You don't even realize until she's done that she was talking to Raoul the whole time- it sounds like she's just randomly reminiscing about Stuff, and if you didn't know the story you might be sitting there thinking, "who is this strange woman again?"

Also, Christine leaving wherever-it-is at, like, five in the morning to go to who-knows-where, completely oblivious to the fact that the Phantom is driving her. Whaaaaaaaaa? How'd he know she was planning to go for a graveyard stroll? Was he watching her through the mirror again? THAT'S JUST CREEPY.

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" was rather mediocre and dulled down the fact that it is a Christine Empowerment™ song. Why, exactly, does Christine's father have the biggest monument in the cemetery? If he were a rich and famous violinist as his crypt seems to suggest, why on earth was his daughter struggling along as a chorus girl taking free music lessons?

The swordfight... Well... I had mixed feelings about it. Sword fights are all well and good, but... The swordfight takes away the element of mysterious danger to the Phantom. Okay, fine, Christine getting Raoul to spare the Phantom's life is a nice touch, I guess, but did it strike no one else that his "now let it be war upon you BOTH" makes absolutely NO sense after that? If she just saved his life, why would he suddenly be all, "thanks, but no thanks, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOUUUUUUUUUU"?

And "Twisted Every Way" was after "Wishing" which made ZERO sense. Plus, I didn't like how they cut most of it because in the musical, it gave Christine a spine!

"Point of No Return"? Hooooooo boy....... There are so many things wrong with this number. Let's just a list a few.

*HOW did no one recognise the Phantom through his "disguise"?! At least in the stage play, it made more sense because of how he was wearing a cloak that obscured most of his body.

*Christine's sleeves falling down over and over again were REALLY annoying.

*It was just too touchy-feely for my taste.

*The fact that Emmy Rossum was a teenager during filming made this scene gross because of the way they oversexualized Christine in this scene.

*Gerard Butler's voice in that scene made me cringe and shake my head in sympathetic shame.

*In the stage play, Christine ran from him, showing her own agenda and resistance to his pull! While in the movie, she didn't resist him!

*Now for the one that took the cake... The disfigurement! Or it would be a disfigurement if it actually made him look, y'know, deformed. Instead, as several people have put it, he looks like he got a bad sunburn or something. It's really rather pathetic. It makes him look more like a drama queen than he already is! Yeah.... I really don't like this movie.

On to... Final Lair!!!!!!!! It was a flop. From Raoul's whining and flailing around and his stringy hair flopping about (shallow complaint, I know, but it's so ugly) to Christine's sappy melodramatic "don't make me choooooooose" faces to the Phantom's prancing around with his ropes and maniacal laughter that somehow wasn't really scary at all... yeah, it was a flop. A major, major flop. And though The Kiss wasn't all that bad, all I could think of was, "She's SIXTEEN! SIX! TEEN! THIS IS CREEPY, DISTURBING AND GROSS!"

Which is why it's so difficult for me to admit that, um, I... cried at the end.

I COULDN'T HELP IT GUYS HE WAS ALL ALONE THERE IN HIS LAKE WITH HIS MONKEY AND HIS SMASHED MIRRORS AND HE WAS CRYING AND IT WAS SAD.

And then that rose on the gravestone? That single red rose? And the look on Old Raoul's face (still Patrick Wilson, by the way, under all that makeup) when he saw it and realized he wasn't the only one visiting Christine's grave? Yup, I lost it again there, too. And I really didn't want to. Because I tend to cry over movies I love, y'know? And I didn't love this movie. At all

Yet I still cried at the end. I'm not really sure why. I think perhaps it had something to do with the way the story still "got" me, deep down inside, despite the lousy casting and less-than-perfect singing and ridiculously unnecessary elements that totally didn't need to be there. It's still a tragically beautiful romance, and even a bad film can't kill that.

In conclusion, I think Mary Poppins can best express what I thought of POTO 2004.

In conclusion, I rate it a 2.7/5

#Grace spills tea #grace speaks #poto 2004 #phantom of the opera musical #phantom of the opera #the phantom of the opera #Phantom of the opera 2004 #movie review #my reviews

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pitifulmagicalocs · 5 years

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New character playlist - Rodney

Rodney Joel Perkins Jr. (Known by alias 'Muttsy') despite his young age and weak magical presense, is the lead techsmith and a talented marksman for anti-Thomlin-law organization The Uncontained.

In his regular life, Rodney works in Thomlin Caster Community as a PSW and prefers a rather solitary life, usually playing video-games or tinkering alone in his apartment.

However, Rodney's loyalty, always keeping him firmly planted in place, becomes challenged in the events of book two, when he accidentally gets himself close to a member of the same group that has been fighting back against The Uncontained for the past few years.

#figured i'd start sharing these here #y'all like character playlists?#btw 'Cinderella Man' is a JAM #rodney perkins jr

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monkeypretzel · 5 years

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Out of curiosity, what sort of headcanons do you have about Joel and Mike's childhoods? I've gotten hints from your fic ideas that they may have been darker than what the show suggested.

Keeping in mind that I use bits from the actual life histories of Mike Nelson and Joel Hodgson and transfer that into my headcanon, but also that I am old and feel like I have to include a disclaimer that this is totally fictional Mike and Joel…

Joel Robinson grew up in rural Wisconsin the long awaited first born male middle child in a traditional family, one decade-older sister, one younger brother, and by traditional, read religious. His grandfather a Baptist preacher, there was always an undercurrent of disapproval that Joel’s father hadn’t followed the family tradition, but Joel was expected to remedy that situation - the call would come from God one day, and Joel had to be ready when it did, according to his grandfather, who ruled the family home with an iron fist as God intended it to be. So his young childhood was filled with warnings about Satan and sin, how self-denial led to holiness, how things of the world were temptations. Best to stay within home and the church and the arms of the tight-knit community, tinkering in the basement or the garage or the backyard with his younger brother watching and ‘helping’. Tinkering also helped block out the three-way screaming matches of his sister, his parents, and his grandfather. Joel hated conflict, hated fights, hated screaming, hated loud. The louder and more frequent the fighting got as his sister progressed through her rebellious teen years in the rebellious 60s, the quieter and quieter Joel got, listening for that Call that his grandfather swore would come while he invented new toys and games to delight his brother and the few other children he was allowed to play with. One morning his sister was gone, and his grandfather told him, when he asked, that she was in hell already. The family didn’t seem to miss her much. Joel wondered if they would miss him, if he ever disappeared. When his grandfather died only a few months later, things relaxed, but his sister did not appear, and the family moved to Green Bay. Joel’s teen years were much more peaceful; he was still quiet, but if something interested him he’d devote himself fully to it, learning everything he could. Things were concrete; they didn’t change like people. He still spent a lot of time praying, but less and less time listening as he retreated farther into his own world. His parents were supportive of his “strange” hobbies, but privately they wondered if he’d ever show an interest in girls, have a family of his own. Joel didn’t worry about such things. He wanted a family, sure, but there was plenty of time for that. And he’d make sure his family would stick together, all for one and one for all. They wouldn’t be left behind.

Mike Nelson had an older brother who treated him like any older brother would; alternately bullying him and conspiring with him to get into trouble. But while Mike liked roughhousing and sports and snips and snails and puppy dog tails, he liked music, and he loved nothing more than to play pretend and get to be someone else, someone exciting, not boring, average Mike Nelson. He was enamored with the piano in his aunt’s house even when he wasn’t tall enough to see over the keys. He doesn’t remember much of his childhood - maybe one too many knocks on the head? - but he does remember how one day a piano appeared in their living room, and how his father would always shake his head and stomp out of the room whenever Mike sat down to practice. His father, an ex-Marine, was a good solid chunk of man who thought his sons should be men, too, not pansies playing the piano like Liberace, or even worse, actors. Mike’s mother was a strong woman with a lot of patience and she usually won the battles she chose to fight. After a few years of practice on his part and grumbling on his father’s, Mike was good enough to play at the school plays, and when the family moved to rural Wisconsin from the suburbs of Chicago, his talent was recruited for the fledgling community theater. That’s where he discovered he could still play pretend and that he was pretty good at that, too. His size meant that he didn’t get picked on too much at school, but his brother was as big as he was and his father’s tacit approval of the bullying meant that he often holed up in the ‘barn’ (really just a shed and a garage since they didn’t keep animals on the property anymore) or his bedroom, thinking, reading, and hiding. Maybe he hid from himself a little, too, because the older he got, the more he realized he’d never be the man his father wanted him to be. He was the “fucking faggot” Eddie called him between punches, and he had to keep that secret buried deep. He was good at acting, at pretending. He could pretend to be normal, to like girls. He could fool them all.

#mst3k headcanon #rayshell22livejournalcom #gay space dads universe #fanfiction #mst3k fanfic

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caterva · 2 years

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Mistrustful of just about everything, Bill has very little left besides his survival skills and his loyalty. He’ll swear until the cows come home that his survival comes first, but when the chips are down there is nothing he won’t do to protect the last few people he trusts.

LEGAL NAME: Bill [Last Name Unknown]

DATE OF BIRTH: October 31st 1993

AGE: 40

GENDER: Male

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, Spanish. He also knows ASL.

EDUCATION: Dropped out of his last year of high school

OCCUPATION: Smuggler

RESIDENCE: Lincoln, Massachusetts

NOTABLE FAMILY: All believed diceased

DRINK | SMOKE | DRUGS: Yes | No | No

LIKE[S]: Tinkering with mechanics, being alone, being with people he likes, having enough stocked away to feel secure, being praised by Joel

DISLIKE[S]: Being dismissed, risks, strangers, other people.

FEAR[S]: Losing his town, being alone.

POWER[S]: None.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Loud, fierce, loyal, “reluctantly” kind, clever, determined, intelligent.

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

HAIR COLOR: Brown with hints of gray.

HAIR STYLE: Long, straight

EYE COLOR: Blue-gray

HEIGHT: 6′0″

TATTOOS: A few small ones done by friends in high school

TALENTS: Jury rigging various mechanical devices, brute strength, spatial reasoning and memory, survivalist experience

PHYSICAL ILLNESSES & DISORDERS: None

MENTAL ILLNESSES & DISORDERS: Depression, anxiety, BPD, C-PTSD and PTSD

VERSES

#tlou rp #tlou roleplay #zombie rp #c: bill tlou

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dork-a-doodle · 25 days

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Hermit Hollow concept doodles!!

The poll on my main blog decided overwhelmingly to keep the hermits color palettes, so as a trade off I decided to tint their wings to match their talents instead!

(I’m also debating on whether or not to keep the swirl details in their wings, it looks cool but it’s a pain in the ass to do 🤷‍♀️)

#mcyt #hermitcraft #hermitcraft au #hermit hollow au #hermitcraft x tinkerbell #tangotek #tinker talent!tango #grian #fast-flying talent!grian #smallishbeans #joel smallishbeans #tinker talent!joel #stressmonster101 #garden talent!stress #the dork doodles

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blicketdabest33 · 5 months

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FINAL CABIN PLACEMENTS I DON'T WANT TO EDIT IT AFTER THIS

So many of y'all had so many good ideas (and since a lot of these i came up with without any real reasoning) here's my updated version that i think fits A LOT better

#2 Hera Cabin: Scott, Impulse, Ren Scott: Scott's whole thing is loyalty. Hera is the goddess of marriage and is insanely loyal to Zeus. However, I feel like Hera should get at least one affair. So now Scott can use peacocks as weapons. Impulse: According to @dawnfire7 Impulse is known for loyalty, which i did not know. He's also known to hold grudges. Perfect Hera kid. Ren: He's apparently known for loyalty (and i didn't really like his Nike placement anyway)

#3 Poseidon Cabin: XB XB: Something about water temple guardians

#6 Athena Cabin: Grian, Pix, Owen, Xisuma Grian: This sums it up pretty well

#7 Apollo Cabin: Oli, Lyarrah Oli: MUSIC. MAN. Lyarrah: She writes the captions for the hermitcraft recap.

#8 Artemis Cabin: Pearl, Gem Pearl: Y'know, Artemis could've just like... had a kid, even though she took that oath. It wouldn't even have to be with a guy. Gods can change to whatever gender they want. Anyway, Pearl gets to be an Artemis kid because her symbolism is moon, she loves dogs, and will commit murder and hunt at night. Gem: Someone really wanted these girls to be sisters, and I think Gem and pearl should get to hunt at night and be fierce together. Oh, and she's got the whole deer aesthetic.

#9 Hephaestus Cabin: Doc, Mumbo, Tango, Zedaph, Fwhip, Iskall Doc: Redstone Mumbo: Redstone Tango: Redstone Zedaph: Redstone Fwhip: Redstone AND has a red scarf (don't ask me how that's relevant) Iskall: Redstone

#10 Aphrodite Cabin: Keralis, Skizz, Bigb Keralis: Okay, I don't know why, but Keralis gives me the vibes of a very charming person. His voice is nice to listen to, so imagine how useful it'd be if I gave him charm speak. Skizz: Person in the tags said he was really charming and you can't help but love him. I agree. He's here now. Bigb: Smooth talker. Someone (i think it was Scott) said in one of their videos "It's hard to kill him while he's talking". Charmspeak. Ma man, go do chaos.

#12 Dionysus Cabin: Joey, Beef, Cub Joey: *points at his season one empires theme* i need not say more Beef: Idk, food. I don't really have a reason. I don't know too much about Beef. Cub: Someone said Cub was really laid back, i liked this idea, he's here now. C'mon, go make ur empire.

#13 Hades Cabin: Zloy Zloy: Zombie man. He writes the Hermitcraft recaps in the dark at 2am with nothing but pure spite.

#14 Iris Cabin: Katherine Katherine: SHE. HAS. COLORS. and also I couldn't put her in Demeter cabin because Shelby is already there and i am NOT excluding Nature Wives from this au

#15 Hypnos Cabin: Wels Wels: @dingdinghq said something about sleeping during S6 and i completely agree

#16 Nemesis Cabin:

#17 Nike Cabin:

#18 Hebe Cabin:

#19 Tyche Cabin: TFC TFC: Man goes mining and gets really lucky. That's it.

#20 Hecate Cabin: Lizzie, Cleo, Jevin Lizzie: Witchy vibes. Also, Arson. Cleo: Arson. She uses her magic for Arson. Jevin: He's a magic slime. Also, Arson. All Hecate kids love Arson.

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froggymarsh · 11 months

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im goin t bed soon but tell m more abt ur fairys ^^

will do!! Empires Talents!! :D

Scott - All Of Them - he was a garden fairy methinks but he is friends with several pixie dust alchemists and he doesn’t mind being a test subject, so he’s been every talent at least once! His favorites are Frost and Light - he’s got about a million outfits and he looks stunning in all of them - his hair is blue because it just is. When he’s a light fairy he likes giving himself little crowns made of little balls of light - wings are long and sharp - lives in spring but you find him all over

fWhip - Tinker - house building, maker of silly trinkets, also dabbles in dust keeping. (Why do I keep thinking of fwhip as a redstoner?? does he do redstone??) - he works with Pixl, building shelves for the grand library - the grand library is built into a tree much like the pixie dust tree, the main floor is the base of the trunk but it goes aaaaall the way up to the branches. He carved out a bunch of reading nooks along the trunk and in the branches - average wings, lives in late summer/early fall

I did Gem in the hermitcraft one, but she’s an Animal fairy who also does stuff with Light and Fast Flying

Katherine - Garden - paints petals and leaves! Mostly flower petals. Learning about mulch with Shubble - average wings, wears lavender dresses that she made herself, lives in spring

Lizzie - Queen (previously a water fairy) - When she became queen her wings changed into blue butterfly/moth wings (if u wanna draw her then any butterflies work!! just big and blue and fancy) I don’t know the details of her becoming queen sksjdjd - Jimmy is her brother, they were born of the same laugh - she’s married to Joel - lives. Somewhere. In the pixie dust tree maybe? Idk

Sausage - Any - he’s another guy that I can easily see having every single talent. I think he’s got super strong wings so Animal fairy first, he works with a lot of “gentle giants” like bears and huuuge cats and was the first fairy ever to successfully befriend a hawk without dying. He’s also frequently a Light fairy, he does stuff like light filtering through leaves and stained glass maybe? Works well with tinkers. When he’s a garden fairy little plants sprout up behind him when he walks. Very fast flier. Also does performance stuff. Has tried every talent at least once - big wings, wears a lot of maroons and browns. Lives in fall or summer

Did Pearl in hermitcraft, she’s a Light fairy who does stuff with the moon phases and constellations and the like - or she might be Lady Autumn, she oversees all of Fall

Pixlriffs - The Keeper (previously a dust keeper) - he’s the keeper of all fairy knowledge. Oversees the Grand Library, keeps track of all the information of. Everything. Writes a lot of books (but he isn’t the only guy who writes books). Very hands-on research kind of guy, you can find him all over. If he had more time he’d go all in on pixie dust alchemy but it’s more of a side hobby that he does with fWhip and Zloy sometimes - wings are just a touch bigger than average. He lives in late fall/early winter, right when the leaves have started browning and falling and there’s a little bit of frost icing it’s way over the border.

The Grand Library is in Fall, all orange and golden leaves. There are smaller libraries in all the other seasons, Spring is in a cherry blossom tree, Summer’s is a regular green leafed tree, and Winter’s is in an ice cavern (Tango helped make that one)

Joel - King (technically) - he’s a fast flyer but you’ll probably see him around the house making gang pretty frequently. He’s Lizzie’s personal messenger by choice - big wings, lives with Lizzie and sometimes crashes on friend couches

Jimmy - Water - works very closely with a lot of animal fairies, provides water for baths, takes care of tadpoles, that kind of thing :3 - he’s Lizzie’s little brother, their wings used to do the sparkling thing before Lizzie’s changed into queen wings - average wings, lives in spring or summer

Joey - uuuuh fast flying? Animal maybe? Works with birds - big wings, lives in summer

Shubble - Garden - specializes in mushrooms, moss, lichen, vines, stuff you’d find in caves or wetlands methinks. Teaching Katherine about mulch - wings are a bit small and kinda round, lives in spring

Oli - Light?? - now performance/music talent (he plays songs while tinker friends work on houses lol. also bugs Joel while he’s delivering messages) but I think he would be a light fairy - average wings, lives in summer

#asks #juice beloved #fairy au stuff

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junker-town · 4 years

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The Warriors trade for Andrew Wiggins was not about Andrew Wiggins

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Warriors’ window for contention cracked open even further after the trade with the Timberwolves.

After five straight years reshaping how the NBA is played, the Golden State Warriors are a sleeping giant in the middle of a much deserved nap. Last week they traded D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, and Omari Spellman to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 top-three protected first-round pick, and a 2021 second-round pick. The move flapped open one of their eyelids like a window shade.

The Warriors are currently the worst team in the league. Their offense is vomit and their leading scorer is a 23-year-old rookie named Eric Paschall, who’s averaging 13.4 points per game. But for those who might have forgotten, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green will all be healthy next season. They now also have Wiggins, a positional upgrade over Russell who contradicts the cerebral persona that best fits Golden State’s system.

Most coverage of the deal has centered around the players involved, which is natural but, as we’ll eventually get to, besides the point. It’s OK to think Wiggins will bundle up inside the Bay Area’s auspicious basketball preserve and finally learn how to maximize elements of his limitless potential that would’ve forever gone untapped in Minnesota. Even though winning has been a foreign concept, the Timberwolves were better with Wiggins on the court in every single season of his career heading into this one. What the Warriors will now do is introduce the former No. 1 pick to a different slice of NBA life, where great expectations are annually overshadowed by tangible achievement. Who knows, maybe Wiggins was miscast from the start?

From the Warriors’ perspective, it’s also fair to wonder how much of this deal was about ego. Golden State is seemingly betting on its culture to rehabilitate the NBA’s most expensive lost cause. Even if they end up being wrong, it’s OK for the Warriors to try and milk, if not all-star potential, a useful two-way cog who elevates those around him by making smart decisions and efficient shots while finally understanding that possessions don’t exist just so he can take them for granted. They are precious.

Wiggins receives more criticism than any player who’s scored over 8,700 points before their 25th birthday — with good reason, considering only nine other players are in that club and they’re all either in the Hall of Fame or headed there someday — because there are no easy ways to explain why he can’t be great. He’s his own worst enemy, a tragic antihero who’s selfishness blends with frustrating indifference. Wiggins is an objectively talented solo act who doesn’t know how to sacrifice, let alone express a willingness to try.

Golden State’s front office wasn’t born yesterday, though. They know how hard it was to reach the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant, the two hottest shooters who ever lived, and a defender who forever changed defensive strategy. The denouement of their dynastic run will not be dictated by a player who epitomizes disappointment. Bob Myers is not delusional and Wiggins is not the answer; picturing him in the Finals wearing a Warriors jersey is like seeing a penguin in the Sahara. As one rival executive risibly texted one day after the trade when I asked about the viability of this new relationship, “Maybe Kerr can help Wiggins find joy.”

To that end it, factoring in the three years and $95 million that remain on his contract, Wiggins will not be remembered as the most consequential part of this deal. Sure, it’d be a boon for the Warriors if measurable strides were made, though filling a void left by Harrison Barnes ignores the irreplaceable contributions made by Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, let alone the age, wear, and tear of Golden State’s remaining Hall of Fame trio. It’s too hard to fathom a world where he helps an all-time juggernaut find its legs. This team must evolve, not chase their own ghosts.

Instead, it’s Minnesota’s 2021 first-round pick, the honey-dipped asset that every contender wishes it had, that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s no coincidence that this was the only future first that changed hands last week. They’re priceless for small market teams (like Minnesota) that can’t attract top-tier talent in free agency. When a pick like that is originally owned by a team that’s still rebuilding, with zero cap flexibility, an infestation of inexperience, and either James Johnson or Josh Okigie as their best defender, it becomes a diamond. (This may not matter, but it being unprotected in 2022 is a low-key stunner.)

Now, all is not entirely hopeless in Minnesota. Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are all-star talents who will give birth to an unanswerable pick-and-roll, and if Towns finally treats his defensive responsibilities with the seriousness they deserve, the pick’s value drops. When the Brooklyn Nets make the playoffs Minnesota also receives their pick, giving them two first rounders in this year’s draft. Their own has a 12.5 percent chance of being No. 1 and a 48.1 percent chance of landing in the top four; perhaps they move one or both for a player who can help them win sooner than later, or even select a prospect capable of giving the organization a B-12 shot next season.

All that’s possible but not very likely because the Timberwolves have been bad for approximately one million years. Since they picked Kevin Love fifth overall back in 2008, they’ve had five top-five selections, not including Jarrett Culver, who they traded up to take at six last June.

The Warriors now add that pick to all their own — Golden State does owe the Memphis Grizzlies a top-four protected pick, but not until 2024 — and assuming they Curry, Thompson, and Green pick up where they left off there’s a good chance all of them will be shopped, if not as picks then as invaluable rookie-scale contracts.

Even though no clear path to trading for a key contributor can be seen today, what happens over the next year is anybody’s guess. The NBA’s future is a total crapshoot, at the whim of impatient owners, insatiable stars, and desperate front offices. Moves that seem unfathomable at the moment will be made, and the Warriors are positioned to lure someone significant.

What if the Washington Wizards are lottery-bound again next year, and before the deadline Bradley Beal discloses a desire to leave. Would Washington take Wiggins (who’d only have two years left on his own max contract) if tethered to whoever Golden State picks in this year’s draft plus that Minnesota pick? Another team may be able to present a better offer, but how many would also be confident enough to re-sign Beal when he hits free agency in 2022?

What if the Sixers are finally ready to pull the plug on either Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid? Or the Houston Rockets implode and a lifeline is offered for James Harden? Or Rudy Gobert gets upset because the Utah Jazz aren’t willing to give him the super max? Or Victor Oladipo starts to feel out of place in Indiana and the Pacers fear he’ll test free agency? Or, in an all-time best-case scenario — assuming Golden State doesn’t drift above the tax apron — Giannis Antetokounmpo is willing to take a pay cut and agree to a sign-and-trade?

Yes, some of those read like a pipe dream, completely unrealistic in a world where Wiggins is static. But let’s momentarily ignore him altogether and take things down to a less glitzy reality, one where the Warriors exchange unproven assets for more established prospects — even extension candidates who may reach an impasse with their current team. Think Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Luke Kennard, or Jarrett Allen. These are expensive propositions, sure, but ducking the tax this year allows them to avoid the repeater.

Down the line, Wiggins’ contract may be intriguing salary filler when attached to another asset. What about teams that may suddenly need to change direction, like, say, the Milwaukee Bucks, if Antetokounmpo wants to play for the Miami Heat (him choosing Bam Adebayo with his second pick in the all-star draft was ... something?). Golden State could go after Khris Middleton. They could pounce on Nikola Vucevic or Tobias Harris or Jrue Holiday. What about Buddy Hield?

The Warriors might also look around the Western Conference and think what they have is good enough to contend. They draft someone like James Wiseman then tinker around the margins with exceptions that can actually land a meaningful player or two, given the dearth of cap space and favorable destinations in this year’s marketplace.

From there, assuming Minnesota’s pick lands in the top 10, let’s say they keep it and find another young gem. (Easier said than done, but I’m a glass-half-full type of guy and am not about to stop thinking Golden State’s front office isn’t one of the NBA’s best.) Suddenly the Warriors can straddle two functional timelines, and may be able to stiff arm the harsh rebuild every regime inevitably sees on the other side of extravagant success. All that’s too far down the road for speculation, but it’s worth thinking about.

Point being: the Warriors are not in a bad spot. Even without the pick, their ceiling with Wiggins is probably higher than it would’ve been with Russell. With it, they have endless options to explore over the next 18 months, and a better chance to scale a mountain top they used to live on. If they return, we’ll look back on this trade as the move that kick started it all. And there’s a very good chance Minnesota’s draft pick is the first reason why.

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megsblackfirewrites · 7 years

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The Beginning of a Legacy: Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“Welcome to Zurich, Switzerland,” Malaha smiled as they stepped off the cargo plane. “It’s a crisp ten degrees Celsius without a cloud in sight and winds at about ten kilometers an hour.”

“What were you, an airline hostess?” Reyes demanded as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his standard issue jacket.

“My mother was,” Malaha laughed. “Follow me.”

John fell into step behind Malaha, smirking a little as Joel grumbled about the chill. The cowboy was bundled up in his jacket, glaring at the sky whenever the wind tried to steal his hat. No one else was having an issue with the cold, just the Southerner that had never fully adjusted to anything below “melt the skin from your face” heat.

“This is Overwatch headquarters,” Malaha said as they approached the gleaming building. “All of your briefings and debriefings will be done here. All of our field data will also be processed here. Basically, everything that will happen and is going to happen will happen under this roof.”

“Swanky,” Joel commented as they walked through the glass doors. “Far beyond my pay grade.”

“Far beyond most of our pay grades,” John agreed as he looked around. “Oh what the governments of the world are willing to put out when pushed enough. Starving people can die in the streets, but war? Always ready to fuel a war.”

Everything was state of the art, gleaming and shimmering in the lighting far overhead. Holographic images flickered back and forth on the screens as people walked past. VI units droned to the people that demanded their attention, symbols from every culture on Earth used to represent the innumerable personalities behind the screen. Eyes slowly turned to regard them as Malaha led the way across the tiled floor towards a pair of double doors. She pushed them open and continued onwards with the rest of Overwatch at her heels. She led them straight to a council room where a long tables of decorated men in dress blues were waiting. Jack and Reyes immediately straightened up, quickly followed by Reinhardt, Miyu, and the rest of the entourage. All except Joel.

“Howdy,” he greeted as he tipped his hat.

The Generals glared at Joel, but no one said anything as he settled back on his heels. Malaha gave the formal introductions before she turned the floor over to the man sitting in the center of the table. The man regarded John closely before he tipped his chin forward.

“We are told that you are good at getting results, Captain Morrison,” he said.

“I am,” John replied simply.

There was a reason that he and most of the people in his unit ascended the ranks so quickly. They were smart, talented, and knew how to get what they needed out of a mission. They were ambitious, cunning, and more than one had been ruthless in their efforts to get places. John didn’t consider himself anything special, but when he had a goal in mind, he accomplished it no matter what.

“We need this war brought to a close as quickly as possible,” the General said.

“Consider it done,” John inclined his head. “All I need is time to go over the information available, talk with your experts, and devise strategies. War might still be a few years before it’s done, but the omnics will not be winning on my watch.”

“You have free reign of the facility, Captain,” the General said. “Do as you must.”

John heard the dismissal in the tone and saluted. He turned around, shooing everyone out ahead of him as Joel walked at his heels. He heard Joel snort as the doors closed behind them and glanced over his shoulder at his friend.

“Never liked suits,” Joel grumbled. “Don’t trust them one bit.”

“You don’t have to,” John smirked. “Just trust me.”

Joel clapped his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. “Trust ya to the moon, old man,” he teased.

John shoved Joel’s shoulder before he headed straight for the labs. He walked in with Joel on his heels and sought out the head scientist. He was a little surprised to find an engineer in charge of the whole operation, but he supposed it made sense. Dr. Torbjörn Lindholm was a grumpy individual with a clear case of dwarfism, but he knew how mechanics worked better than anything John had ever seen.

“These damn tin cans,” Torbjörn growled as he jerked a thumb at the parts on his work table, “make my life difficult. Designed to make the world a better place and they wind up scraping it instead. Ungrateful.”

Joel whistled as he looked the bench over. “Tommy would love to be here,” he chuckled. “All these parts to tinker with.”

“Well, where is the man then?” Torbjörn glared at him. “I need as many hands as I can manage to find in order to figure out how best to dismantle these things.”

“Tommy’s ten,” Joel grinned. “Don’t think you want to be dealin’ with my boy, doc.”

Torbjörn let out a chuckle. “Ah, well, sometimes kids can see things better than us adults,” he said. “So, when are we getting deployed, Captain? Been itchin’ to try out some new weapons.”

“As soon as I can get enough information to plan our first strike,” John shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t like charging in blind. Don’t like sending people out to die needlessly.”

“We’ll be ready when you are, Captain,” Torbjörn nodded his head. “I might not be the tallest man, but you won’t find anyone more willing to follow you into battle against the omnics.”

“Thank you, Torbjörn,” John smiled as he got to his feet. “I’ll let you know when we’re ready to deploy.”

“Little overzealous,” Joel commented when they left the lab.

“A tad,” John agreed. “He’s likely been fighting since the beginning. Don’t be too hard on him.”

Joel snorted before he clapped John’s back. “Well, I don’t know about you, Cap, but I’m starvin’,” he grinned. “Let’s go get us some grub.”

“Van?” Jack called as he trotted up the stairs to the “Secret Room”. “Van, are you up here? Your Ma’s really worried.”

The Secret Room wasn’t really secret, but it was difficult for most of the adults to get into. The hallways had low ceilings and weren’t very wide, and the best way in was through a tunnel that even Jack was starting to find hard to navigate.

Most of the kids had decorated it in drawings and other odds and ends they had lying around. It looked like the school room that Jack remembered attending before the war started. There was a peaceful atmosphere to it when there weren’t a lot of kids around and he’d figured this was where Vanessa would go to be alone.

Vanessa had her knees pulled up to her chest in the corner. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she hiccupped every now and again. Jack hurried over to her and sat down, hugging his best friend close.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” he soothed. “What’s wrong?”

“Ma doesn’t want me anymore,” she whispered. “She only wants Jesse, not me and Tommy.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Jack smiled and rubbed her arm. “She was really worried about you.”

“She’s faking,” Vanessa snapped. “You don’t live with us, Jack. You don’t hear the things she says.”

“Does your Pa know about it?” he asked.

“No,” Vanessa shook her head. “Ma’s not dumb enough to say it when Pa’s there. She knows he loves us and would do anything for us. Unlike her.”

Jack bit his lip. “We should tell someone,” he murmured. “One of the adults.”

“They don’t care,” Vanessa sniffled. “They don’t care about anyone but themselves.”

“Now I know that’s not true,” Jack smiled and hugged her. “You’re just scared.”

“I ain’t scared-a nothin’!” Vanessa shouted. “Yer the scaredy-cat, Jack! You don’t even like climbing trees!”

“That’s not true!” Jack pouted. “I just knew that tree by the northern watchpoint couldn’t have been climbed.”

“Yah, that’s why I almost got to the top,” she grinned at him.

“I totally would have followed you if my dad hadn’t come looking for me!” he pouted.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire!” she giggled. “You’re terrible, Jack!”

“Am not!” he pouted more. “You’re the one that’s too scared to talk to the adults!”

“Am not! I just know they won’t do anything,” she huffed.

“You won’t know that until you tell someone,” he grinned. “Come on! Tammy’ll know what to do.”

Vanessa didn’t look convinced, but she trotted at his heels to the tunnel. They crawled through the tunnel and hurried back to where Jack was staying in the apartments. The door was stuck, again, so it took Jack a little while to wiggle the door open. He grumbled about needing to talk to someone about the door and trotted into the kitchen.

“Tammy!” he called. “Vanessa has something to tell you.”

“Oh?” she asked as she cleaned her hands. “What’s wrong, Vanessa?”

“Ma doesn’t want me and Tommy anymore,” Vanessa said softly. “She only wants Jesse. I’ve heard her say it. She says it in Spanish really fast and quiet, but Tommy and I can understand. She…she’s gotten really mean too. Pa used to only give us a smack on the bottom when we were bad, not hard at all, but Ma…it hurts. It hurts a lot.”

Tammy knelt down and gently held Vanessa’s shoulders. “Vanessa, are you absolutely certain that’s what she’s saying?” she asked.

Vanessa nodded and rubbed at her eyes. Tammy frowned and hugged Vanessa close to her chest, rocking her slowly. Vanessa burst into tears all over again and clung to Tammy’s shirt.

“Ssh, mein mausi,” Tammy soothed. “It’s okay. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Ssh. You can stay here with me until then, okay? I’ll just let your Ma know that we found you so she can stop throwing a fit.”

“Okay,” she rubbed at her eyes. “What’s for supper?”

“Meatloaf,” Tammy smiled. “It’s one of Jack’s favourites.”

“I like pizza more,” Jack grinned as he walked over to hug Vanessa close.

“Everyone likes pizza more,” Tammy smirked and got to her feet. “You two go get cleaned up, alright?”

They nodded and hurried off to the washroom. Jack grinned as he helped Vanessa drag the stools over so they could reach the sink. She poked him in the side, huffing as he laughed.

“Told you they’d help,” he said happily. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

“They said they’ll help,” Vanessa shrugged. “We’ll see.”

Jack wet a facecloth and started wiping Vanessa’s face. She scrunched up her face, grumbling that he was being rough, but didn’t try to pull away. It felt good to help like this, especially since Vanessa knew what it was like to be without her dad.

“We’re gunna be best friends forever, right?” he blurted out.

Vanessa blinked at him in confusion. “Of course! Why wouldn’t we be best friends?”

“Because people leave,” he whispered. “They leave and….”

“I ain’t leavin’,” she said stubbornly. “Come heck or high water, I ain’t gunna leave.”

Jack felt himself starting to tear up and he hugged her close. She took the cloth from him and started dabbing at his eyes, giggling that he was still pretty when he cried. Jack laughed and hugged her tighter, nuzzling his face into her hair the same way that his dad did to him.

#John Morrison #Joel McCree #Jack Morrison #Vanessa McCree #Child abuse #torbjörn #lots of OCs

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flauntpage · 5 years

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The Alain Vigneault Hire is a Symbol of More Changes to Come for Flyers

Alain Vigneault is the new Flyers coach.

There were a lot of instant reactions in Flyerdom yesterday. And, as the case most times these days, the extremist opinions were the loudest.

There were those who panned this hire as another NHL retread who hasn’t won anything, a coach who trusts veterans over younger players, a coach who pushes the envelope with his offensive systems but has a defensive blind spot and relies heavily on goaltending to keep his team in games.

Conversely, there were those who see that Vigneault took two different teams to the Stanley Cup Finals, had eight teams reach 100-point regular seasons, won a President’s Trophy and a Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the year and were chortling “Let’s Go” with their thumbs on their smart phones.

The actual reaction though, as always, should be somewhere in between.

Vigneault is a good coach. You don’t get hired by four NHL teams and coach nearly 1,200 games and make the playoffs a dozen times if you aren’t a good coach.

As a matter of fact, the only coaches in NHL history who have won as many games as Vigneault has (648) and have taken at least two teams to the finals is pretty short:

Scotty Bowman (Montreal, Pittsburgh, Detroit)

Dick Irvin (Toronto, Montreal)

Mike Babcock (Anaheim, Detroit)

Mike Keenan (Philadelphia, Chicago, New York Rangers)

Alain Vigneault (Vancouver, New York Rangers)

The one thing that stands out on that list? Vigneault is the only one who didn’t win a Cup.

That was something that GM Chuck Fletcher pointed out during his Conference Call – that Vigneault is “ready” to win a Cup.

I would hope so. If after trying 16 times and failing to reach your goal 16 times, I would hope you are ready.

But there’s also a reason Vigneault has had great success without ever getting over that final hurdle. And some of those criticisms that exploded onto Twitter are valid, albeit much more muted than the Twitterverse claimed.

Yes, Vigneault does favor veterans – but most coaches do, especially when they are coaching to win. Quite simply, development at the highest level of the game is still frowned on by the people in the game. There are minor leagues for a reason and when young players arrive on the scene in the NHL only a very few special players can jump right into a high responsibility role.

So, if young players get minutes restricted or only play in favorable situations until they can earn more trust from the coach, that’s fine.

The way Vigneault, and most coaches like him, view it is it is their job to win in the NHL, not develop players.

Fletcher did say that Vignealut has a history of developing players, but I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate.

Vancouver had a few young players when Vigneault coached that blossomed into excellent NHL players.

Ryan Kesler was just 22 years old in Vigneault’s first year in Vancouver in 2006-07 and had a more limited role in the 48 games he played, but the Canucks had their star players hitting their primes.

Daniel and Henrik Sedin were entering their sixth seasons in the NHL at age 26. Roberto Luongo was 27, was a big acquisition via trade in the summer prior to Vigneault’s first season and was the Hart and Vezina Trophy runner-up.

And the team was supported by a series of veteran players who still had some good hockey left in them like Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrisson and defensemen like Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund.

The Canucks finally reached the Finals in 2011 and over the course of those next four seasons, only two young players really developed into key contributors for Vigneault – Mason Raymond and Alexander Edler.

Otherwise, that Canucks team succeeded on high end talent and a collection of a good, supporting cast of veteran players.

In New York, Vigneault reached the Finals in his first year and there were a few young players who were contributors, such as Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider, all who were under 25.

But those Rangers were a bit of a surprise team to reach the Finals. They were carried, of course, by Henrik Lundqvist in goal and pulled off two big upsets in the playoffs, none bigger than a second round war with Pittsburgh.

So, Fletcher’s assessment that players develop well under Vigneault isn’t greatly supported over his 16-year coaching career.

But Vigneault is a coach who believes in accountability, so recurring mistakes that have killed the Flyers in the past four-plus years won’t be tolerated. Vigneault will call a spade a spade in the locker room and hold his players accountable to one another.

He’s also not afraid to tinker in-game, shuffle lines, change a style or approach. He is an adaptive coach and he is a coach who believes in developing a system around the talent he has at his disposal rather than trying to force his round-pegged system in a square hole of a roster.

And that’s the real key of this hiring for the Flyers – the roster.

Hiring Vigneault says to me that there is going to be real change to the Flyers roster in the next two months. Fletcher is going to be busy to try and give the Flyers a different look and feel with Vigneault.

There’s no doubt the Flyers want to win right away. It was a mandate from Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Dave Scott.

It’s why Fletcher only met with veteran coaches who have had success in the NHL.

They reached out unsuccessfully to Joel Quennevile before he accepted the job in Florida. They spoke with Dave Tippett, who wasn’t sure he wanted to go back to coaching at this time after taking a gig in Seattle trying to build a team from scratch.

It’s also why other interesting names like Sheldon Keefe, who won the Calder Cup in Toronto last year, wasn’t interviewed. It’s why Scott Sandelin, one of only three NCAA coaches to win three national championships – all with the University of Minnesota-Duluth – wasn’t interviewed.

And, with Vigneault likely a target of other teams with openings or potential openings, it’s why he was offered a five-year, $25 million contract by the Flyers and locked up right away.

Fletcher had to make the boss happy.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right hire, it just means that other interesting and potentially good candidates weren’t ever candidates for the job.

Not that having Vigneault is going to light up the phone lines for ticket sales, but having Vigneault suggests the team is heading into a direction that is different than what it’s been the past five years.

And if it works out, then the new roster just might motivate fans to call for tickets.

That’s the biggest thing fans should take away from this hire. Vigneault is a just a coach. A good one, but just a coach.

But he is a symbol of change that is coming.

Because this Flyers roster is going to look a lot different in about 80 days.

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