#And the song intrigued me so much I actually listened to the whole thing. Now it is on my playlist.

[shima-draws]

I swear to god if I have to hear that Cupid song ONE more time,

[agyraty]

Can I ask for Javier to be actually awkward around Reader? A lot of people make him a womanizer, but I want to see him be dorky and awkward <3

Just some fluff like a cute first date or something!! Please and thank you!!

Of course!! I wrote this based off of like, one of their first interactions. Basically the beginning of it all. I was gonna make two parts for this, the next being based of maybe the confession or the first date.

Sorry for it being short though!

- - - - -

I don’t bite

Javier Escuella x reader

- - - - -

Javier was widely known around camp for his skills, not to mention when everyone would gather around the fire at night, and he would play and sing some magnificent songs. You always found him interesting. You loved watching the way he would intently strum away at the strings of his guitar without a worry in the world, the way it sounded like a lullaby.

But you and him didn’t talk much. You were always to nervous to talk to him, why wouldn’t you be? He was a handsome man, standing tall, and watching everyone through his narrowed dark eyes. And he never seemed like he wanted anything to do with you, whenever he would actually speak to you, he was always quiet, never meeting your eyes with his.

Tonight was like often nights, some were drunk, or getting there, and others were either sleeping or isolating themselves. You were one of the only sober ones left, along with Javier. You sat on a log, staring at the fire and the way its yellow and Orange flames burned together, enjoying the way it kept you warm on this cold night.

Javier was here to, leaning on a log closely sat to yours as he worked at tuning the strings of his guitar. Every now and then your eyes would drift away from the fire to watch him as he worked, the way his fingers twisted the nobs, the way his eyes gazed upon his instrument with care.

You took in a deep breath, mustering up the courage to speak. “You’re really good at playing that thing.” You spoke softly, immediately looking away and back to the fire.

Javier stops what he’s doing, his fingers stop and hover just over the knobs. “What?” His voice sounds hesitant. You look back over at him. “Your guitar. I always look forward to you playing it.”

His dark eyes trace your face, and you swear you catch the sight his cheeks turning pink, but maybe it’s just the fire.

“Oh,” he licks his lips nervously, letting out a dry chuckle. “I’m glad you like it.” He looks down. God why was he so nervous? Every time he played he always looked for you. He enjoyed it when you were there to listen to his music. But he never spoke to you, he was to scared to. Too shy.

Although you two didn’t talk much, he was fascinated by you. The way you held yourself, the way you could handle a gun better than any man he’s seen, or how you look good in whatever you wear or do, and how you hated dresses. Hell, even the way you walk or the way you laugh intrigued him.

Javier was harboring a crush for you, but he was too nervous to act upon it.

You glanced back over at him, watching as his eyes quickly darted away from you. A small smile grew on your lips, he was always like this. He seemed almost.. shy?

“Arthur told me you and him robbed a homestead today, how did it go?” You asked, wanting to keep up some form of conversation. His head perked up a bit, eyes coming back to meet yours as he sat up straighter, clearing his throat to speak.

"Uh, yeah, that was... something," he stammered, his usual confidence faltering. He could feel his heart racing, and he quickly looked back down at his guitar, strumming a few random chords to keep his hands busy.

“The whole house was ran by inbred’s.”

You raised an eyebrow, that was certainly something Arthur hadn’t told you. “Inbreds? No way, were they all like strange looking?”

He nodded, “they were certainly strange. Uh.. the way they spoke, wasn’t normal.” You watched as his hands nervously played with his guitar, playing a soft tune as he spoke.

“Damn, I wish I went along so I could see.” You sighed, pulling your gaze away from him to look up at the sky. It was late, and god were you tired. You brought your hand up to your lips to cover your yawn, a soft hum escaping you as you did.

Javier just watched, his face tinted pink as he watched the way your eyes squinted and your nose creased, the small sound comping from your throat as you yawned. It was cute. At least to him.

You looked over at him, wiping your eye a bit. “I’m going to get to bed. You really should too, it’s late.” You stand up, walking beside him, eyes staying on his. You carefully reached down, setting a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. “And there’s no need to be so nervous, I don’t bite.”

You giggled as his face noticeably flushed red as he looked away, nodding quickly. Your hand fell from his shoulder as you began to walk away. “Goodnight Javier.”

Javier sat there, Heart hammering in his chest from both embarrassment, and the way your hand felt resting upon his shoulder so carefully. “Goodnight..”

He took a deep breath as he turned to watch your form as you descended off into the direction of your tent, smile tugging at his lips

- - - - -

[liliesof-the-valley]

Singer mc

How do the brothers react to a mc who can sing?

Not proofread, this idea came to me while I was supposed to be writing about a jack of all trades mc but oh well, enjoy!!

─── ୨ৎ────

Luci

Needless to say, he’s so impressed.

He thinks you should show the world this while also wanting to simultaneously have your voice belong to him

I suppose the showing off the talents you have boosts his ego in a way.

I’m pretty sure it’s canon that he’ll listen to anything except techno (I think) and regardless of the style of singing you do (be it opera, more theatre-y or metal) he’ll support you.

To be fair , though, I do think his favourite would be you singing opera

He’ll accompany you with the piano as you sing your heart out to whatever and whatever.

Perhaps if you sing a duet, he’ll join in, who knows?

Mams

Do I love him? Yes. Do I think he may try exploit this? Also yes.

Okay hear me out, once he does find out about your special talent he’s absolutely awestruck, though at first I do think his greed may get to his head.

Plots of how he can record you or help you audition in films/ musicals or how much money he would make if he—

But wait. Once he comes to his senses, he realises…

Your voice should just be heard by him, he is the great mammon, your first after all!

Needless to say, the two of you go to many karaoke parlours afterwards as well as singing whilst driving to nowhere special

Levi

To be fair, I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be anyone who wouldn’t be impressed by your absolute delight of a voice

Levi thinks similarly, thinking of how many people you’ve sung to and how many people have heard your siren song…

Well, he is the avatar of envy after all, he’s bound to get jealous over something.

Despite his jealousy, it’s quite easy to make him feel better.

How? Easy, sing an anime op. More specifically (if he’s in a reallyy bad mood) sing the opening of hana ruri and he’s grinning ear to ear, brighter than the whole of the celestial realm.

You and him do actually do karaoke and he LOVES how your voice can just…wow.

Expect him to ask for mini concerts with you dressed in cosplay

Satan

He’s intrigued, curious and even more interested in you now.

You can sing? And not just that, this wonderful?

Some demons would take centuries to build up this kind of voice, and you (be with years of practice or being naturally talented) have achieved this skill this quickly? (Remember the perceptions of time are diff guys😭)

he treats this as sort of a science experiment, I suppose—which does mean LOADS OF QUESTIONS.

How high can you go? How low can you go? Do you know that…? Do you—

After this initial stage, he does like asking you to sing to him, especially if he’s in a mood or about to explode and like that, he’s calm again.

Asmo

oh my! You can sing?!

How cute!!

He may ask for your permission to post some videos of you singing, the world deserves to see your beautiful voice and his beautiful face!

Sing to him while he’s getting ready and he feels like the main character

Asmo has a nice voice too so I could imagine a duet between you two

Its so happens that company reached out and asked you two to sing a duet!

Well, at least your getting payed good

Asmo nights now are required to have at least one karaoke portion/place

Beel

You can sing? Cool!

I mean honestly, he’d probably find out randomly

I can imagine him realising your siren-like voice whilst you are singing and cooking

You’d casually be singing to a song from your playlist as you cook and he walks in

His jaw drops because, wow???

Almost forgot about his snack due to the sheer shock of your serene voice

anyways, he does ask you about it, thinking its something you should share with people

Belphie

there’s no way that he wouldn’t make you sing lullabies to him

In fact, that’s probably his favourite thing to hear you sing

Whilst napping together, even if he’s on the verge of falling asleep, it’s nice to hear you singing into his ears, lulling him to sleep

Hm? Belphies having problems with sleeping? That’s a lie first of all he wants you to sing to him

maybe if you sing a lullaby to him he’ll be able to fall asleep better

Come on.. just one, or two, or three, or—

[mystiquedrops]

whit for the ask game mayhaps?👀

You shouldn't have asked that. /lh /hj

Now I can get out the box fully somewhat.

IT'S WHIT TIME !!

Favorite thing about him: His heart pupils that will break at some point/hj (MY FRIEND SUGGESTED ME TO SAY THAT, IDK 😭💀)

Hmm.. well, I don't know myself- 😭✋ I guess his mysterious aura? The way despite being a comic relief of some sort, he still happens to be intriguing. Like, you can tell there's something VERY wrong with this man, but.. What is it? How curious.

SPOILERS FOR CH2 EP16 OF DT FOR THE NEXT ONE !! And I'm crashing out too, soo-

Least favorite thing about him: His overly happy and avoidant attitude. Ik I'm contradicting the earlier statement probably, but listen. 3-4 people died? That's just not his problem (I mean, he wasn't really close to any of them so.. makes sense?). Someone just gets executed infront of him? Not his problem! BUT WHEN THE ELEVATOR IS CLOSED, HE PULLS UP A NEW SPRITE?? EXCUSE ME- What's his damage honestly- 😶 You terrified me before without even doing anything, and now I have every reason to be afraid of you (P.S: WHY IS HIS HAND BEHIND HIS BACK- WHAT THE FU-)

Favorite line: I actually have 2 but.. I'll try to be lighthearted here. "Haha, yeah, don't beat yourself up, since you already beat up Ace."

My honest reaction:

brOTP: Let's see... What do I got.. hmm.. TeruWhit or Whitrei. Yeah sure, one of these will do-

OTP: Charwhit very basic but yeah.

nOTP: Don't have one atm. 😔

Random headcanon: (I am allergic to being lighthearted to him for more than a milisecond.. so.. you're gonna face ANGST.. I'm not easy on him like I was with Eden. ) Whit doesn't make "your mom" jokes. And if you make one infront of him, he'll just stare you dead in the eye, not laughing. Idk- 😭✋

Unpopular opinion: Not sure if I have one.. but, I guess I'll say one SPECIFICALLY for crossover AUs. I genuinely don't see Whit as Madoka in any way, and don't really like the role. (big understatement) (Also, don't waste your time writing an essay on WHY it's fitting. I just don't see it or like it. If you like it or see it, good for you- but don't try to "change my mind" or whatever..)

(Nope I lied, I do have another unpopular opinion on Whit.. but that unpopular opinion is a secret, and can potentially get me cut by the fandom- that's why I chose to say an opinion that I believed NOBODY will give that much of a fuck about-)

Favorite picture of him: .. Take a WILD guess-

Song I associate with him: "Nonsense Speaker" (the Japanese lyrics. Not the English cover.) or "Mesmerizer" (the whole song in general tbh, he doesn't have to be associated with anyone-) Kyuukurarin-

Thanks for asking ! (Sorry if my answers are incoherent btw- I'm awkward with answering, and putting my thoughts in proper words in general- I really appreciate it though!)

[policemanofprincesspark]

Babygate questions:

Do you think Louis might be in a Clay Aiken kind of situation where he was convinced to do IVF with a random woman? Clay Aiken was a gay American Idol contestant who was convinced to fake a baby. He almost went through with it, until he came out the next year after the stunt. They continue the raise the kid together. I wouldn't be surprised if the situation was similar, except they are too far in to organically accept that this happened. The whole marketing of Freddie as Louis' son is very similar to how Simon and his son were talked about. There is a rumor that his son isn't actually his, but that of Silverman and her ex. The ex and Simon continue to remain friends apparently, even though Silverman cheated on him with Cowell. The gay rumors of Cowell predate 1D, so I wouldn't be surprised.

I just looked this up and read a little about it. This is really intriguing. It seems like he just wanted to have a child with someone he was friends with. A lot of older gay men and gay men decades ago did this kind of thing, except without IVF by marrying their female friends and having children with them in order to convince the world that they're straight.

I see the original articles that came out before Clay opened up about his sexuality are honest about Clay doing IVF, so I don't see how this was a stunt to hide his sexuality.

Duncan from Blue did this exact same thing, except he actually had sex with the woman. This was also right after he came out as gay to his mother, and even his mother was confused when he told her he'd gotten his friend pregnant.

I considered this situation with Louis because in the articles about Louis becoming a dad, it states that Briana and Louis were "good friends" and that it was a "surprise" for them. There was even a gay man on a morning show who read the article and saw Louis's face and claimed Louis "looked like he was on his team" (aka saying he thought Louis also looked gay) and that if you read between the lines in the article it's very obvious what's going on, and he said "this is what gay men do; this is what we all do." And... yeah, I agree. I don't see how you can listen to a gay man say all that and still think Louis just got a hook-up pregnant by accident. It definitely sounds as if he and Briana were set up and knew each other a little and decided to have a baby in order to hide Louis's sexuality, as per his own choice.

If that's true, then I just plain don't get it. You're gay, you're afraid to come out of the closet, whatever. But why not, I don't know, have an IVF child with a woman but then raise the kid with your husband as well? That's certainly an option for surrogacy and would keep you in the closet at the same time. Yet there's so much reason to believe Harry hates Briana (see: the song Kiwi and the fact that he kicked Briana and her friend out of his concert one time). Why would he hate her if she was the surrogate mother to his and his husband's child? Just doesn't make sense. Plus they shade babygate too much for me to believe Harry and Louis are raising Freddie, so then what are we left with? Why would Louis have a child to hide his sexuality and then not just... take advantage of that situation by raising the child with his husband? Boom, now they have a child together! Great! Like?

Either Larry isn't real or the kid isn't Louis's. I don't know. Maybe there's a secret third option.

[bootsandsugarr]

Song of the day༄

Today has been so windy! very annoying for my fringe havers out there, I know y'all get me. It has also been such a good music day! It's been an exploring genres day so it was a struggle to decide which one I wanted to pull from. However, luckily enough this song covers a few of the bases. It also happens to be super nostalgic and beautiful.

I've been really interested in nautical stuff recently, anything nautical i'm heart eyes with right now. It's not really a new thing of interest for me, just revisiting. The imagery in this song is very heavily nautical.(it also talks about wind, so perf.)

And when that foghorn blows I will be coming home, mm-mm And when the foghorn blows I want to hear it, I don't have to fear it

Van Morrison is a big one for my family. My dad is very firm in his belief that Morrison is the best musical artist to come out of Ireland. I think I agree... but that is not to understate the other greats.

I was listening to a lot of my folk music today, I missed you Jim Croce. Picking a favorite genre is near impossible... BUT if I had to pick I think it would be folk. I love you folk I love you folk acoustic I looove you I love you sea shanties I love you literally every subgenre of folk.

Back to the nautical... I've been thinking about how I want another tattoo and I was thinking it would be nice to get one of the lighthouse I stayed in, in Norway! This is the lighthouse in question btw:

It was so fun I really miss those trips. This time was when we were stranded because of a storm. None of the locals wanted to come pick us up because of the conditions out there. Speaking of the wind today, I seriously have never felt wind like I did on that island. It was so impossible to walk, the strength of it was so incredible. We had to walk so far down to use the bathroom, like an actual hike. So every time you needed to go you had to face the storm in full gear. There were so many sheep, one big mother sheep chased me. We had to start rationing food and chocolates lol. Which objectively sounds scary and a lot of people had breakdowns but I thought it was so much fun. It was one of my favorite things the whole year Stuff like this makes me feel like I need to move back. It was such a special experience, I've been reflecting upon it a lot recently. That trip really stuck with me, it was so beautiful. I miss my friends from that class too. I was in nature all the time, all the time whether i wanted to or not. I miss it so much dang it I think this is my sign to go back. Back then i almost strictly listened to folk acoustic so I also associate this music with those long haul trips.

Something about living on an island+lighthouse really intrigues me. I need to go to a lighthouse ASAP, maybe I'll try and go to one this weekend.

[dearweirdme]

I have been a tkkr almost as long as i have been an army since like 2016. im jk biased and tae has always been my bias wrecker. i have consumed taekook fan content such as reading aus and fanfics, etc. but i wouldn't say i am a believer (?). i am simply a shipper i guess? i just cannot bring myself to believe they are actually dating (nor do i believe that they are dating other members for that matter).

BUT i want to believe so help me with this

recently i fell down the taekook tumblr rabbit hole and i am very intrigued. you said in one of your last posts on how to distinguish a couple without them kissing or obvious physical affection and you answered it perfectly no doubt, the actions of a couple are very different from a pair of friends.

but what actions do you see tkk doing specifically that the other pairs are not doing??? you said they don't have any physical boundaries with each other but other pairs do. but sometimes i can see other pairs also not having a definite moment for their boundaries. i for the life of me cannot see the difference.

as a jk biased person it is very obvious to me he has a different wavelength with all the members and he is closer to some than others. so are the other members. i am not doubting that they could be queer or anything but i just cant see jk and tae dating each other. ofc it is very obvious that they are close friends who clearly love each other but i cant see anything more than that

so help me with this, tell me where can i start? like suggest me specific content to go back and watch? cuz i have pretty much seen everything maybe this time ill watch with a different lense

Hi anon!

Well… this is quite different from people usually telling me to stop Tkking 😂. To start off, it’s not necessary to believe in them. If you’re fine just enjoying their friendship, than that’s totally fine. And also.. if you haven’t seen what I see by now while you have already watched Tkk extensively, I’m not sure what I can say to enlighten you more.

I agree that there are moments when other pairings are also extremely physically intimate. To me those moments are more like a temporary extension of physical boundaries, because it suits the occasion. For instance, while engaging in banter two people might touch each other differently in places they might otherwise not do so freely. Or when comforting someone, those boundaries are also temporarily widened, because comforting someone might call for a more physical approach. That is what I see a lot between other members.. it has to do with the context of the moment a lot. Whereas between Tae and Jk I feel there’s more of a continuation of extended physical boundaries and their actions don’t rely on context much. They just touch freely.

It is hard to talk about signs of them being a couple, because we only/mostly see them in ways that have nothing to do with their private lives. We don’t see couply moments of any member. What I do feel we have seen are moments in which they seem in love.

Tae kissing Jk’s neck is a strong one for me. Jk’s reaction to it is also telling I feel.

The way Tae looked at Jk during the vminhopekook live is telling to me.

I think the vminkook live is also real showing of the attraction between them.

When we look at things that happened more recently, I feel them wearing the same shirt on the same day is a thing couples would definitely do, but best friends maybe not so much.

For me the lives Tae did where he was listening to the song Jk songs for him (missing Jk) and the two after, also very much speak of them being a couple to me, because when you look at those combined and place them in context you get Tae missing Jk very much while he was away, Jk going (almost) straight to Tae when he arrived back home, and them sharing a bed later at night. It just makes so much sense to me.

It will always be subjective. It’s not possible to speak of hard evidence. But when I look at the whole of it, I just see a clear story that makes sense to me.

[anomura]

Saw your post about 40's gale waking up in the present... not saying i'll actually write the whole thing (literally been so long since i wrote a whole fic) but i did word vomit this up pretty quick after i saw your posts and wanted to share with you! hope you like it!

~~

The sun broke through the curtains, rousing Gale from a fitful sleep. It was warmer than it should be, and the nightmares of the flack had filled the night. He felt disoriented. He rolled off, trying to miss smashing his head on the bunk above him, when his bare feet hit something soft. That woke him the rest of the way.

He had gone to sleep in Stalag Luft III, dressed in the same disgusting uniform he had been wearing for months now. A biting cold that had crept into his bones that no blanket could fight off, his boots nearly cemented to his feet. A stiff straw mattress in the bunk right under Brady, where he had woken up every day since arriving in this god forsaken place where the Krauts swarmed like roaches around him.

He wasn’t in the Stalag this morning.

The room he was in was an open space. He could see a kitchen from where he sat on a large, plush bed. Wide windows looked out over a downtown somewhere, red brick buildings and flowering trees lining the street. Under his bare feet was a soft green rug. He stood up carefully, sure the Stalag had finally broken him. The space was wrong. Nothing was how it should be. Too sleek. None of what he was seeing made any sense.

And then in walked John.

He carried two paper cups that brought the smell of coffee into the space. He was humming, terribly, some kind of cord hanging from his ears. He barely looked up, setting the cups down on a table and dancing around before grabbing Gale by the arm and spinning him into the dance. John leaned forward, pressing his cheek into Gale’s, turning them around the floor to a song Gale couldn’t hear. He pulled back, leaning in again, almost as if he was going to-

Buck’s eyes opened, the bitter cold of the Stalag eating into his cheekbones and his fingers, and dragging him into a reality that felt all too familiar and now, just for a brief second, too torturous to bear. He looked over, expecting to see John still asleep, only to see him watching Buck with a look that he couldn’t understand, confused and intrigued and burning. Buck held his gaze for just a second before he had to turn away, caught by the memory of what could have only been some kind of crazed dream.

the posts for context: x, x

oh my god !!!!! this is so cool thank you sooooo much for sharing it with me <3 very happy to know my post inspired u to write!!! and man making stalag gale the one to switch places is even more evil ngl he really cannot catch a break....

and johnnnnn listening to music and humming and dancing!!!! yes !! made me think abt how he would have loved headphones and having access to literally every song ever... rip

[catofthenine]

Gibbet Hill: Ham Stroker's New Publishing & Critique

Hey Ghouls! wake up new Bram Stoker!

I'm probably the last one to know, but a new short story by Bram Stoker has been uncovered from the archives! (Archival documents make me so happy)

SPOILERS BE AHEAD! If you have not gotten a chance to consume this piece of media, you can listen to it here. I couldn't find a written format, so this is the way I consumed it!

The audiobook I linked is really well done, although I would not pronounce 'gibbet' like that- maybe I'm just American, but it sounds too much like 'giblet'.

Shout out to Brian Cleary for discovering this 134 year old document! Almost as old as myself!

CW: I will be talking about racist and objectifying themes. I am also oversimplifying a lot of this because this is Tumblr, so feel free to add onto this!

ANYWAYS. Here's my review!

This story was decently entertaining, especially with the novelty on this new discovery! This ghost story was entertaining to listen to as I did my makeup this morning. The minor sexism at the end over the Wife was so over the top I found it amusing; "What should I do, husband!!". I enjoyed the plot a whole lot, I didn't find it too scary, but also I almost never find media scary. I also found like this magical-supernatural element really intriguing, and the snake part was cool (also sad).

Within I want to say the first third of the story, Stoker makes some racist comments. I believe he says something like "If these Indian girls were of European descent, they would be around 13, but because they are Indian, they are likely much younger." erm weirdo alert...?

This is seriously racist, objectifying, dehumanizing, among many other things. This is unfortunately very common in gothic literature- and none of these kinds of details are ever pertinent to the story! Like ever! I suppose that within a antique lens it's like a trope, comparatively Carmilla also had this similar thing.

You can make an argument that this is like, "of the time", and that this way of thinking is a product of the culture, but that's not the purpose of this post, maybe one day I'll do some kind of cool social-historical analysis, but not right now. For this post, I want to focus about how this effects the current day-- I'm not a historian!

How I consume gothic media with a critical lens:

Because a lot of our "classics" contain horrible stuff, it's incredibly important that we are anti-racist, call out the racism in gothic literature, and are open to stories that break barriers and stuff like that (I know that some stories regarding the harm of minorities are deemed "not scary enough" because we are so desensitized to this type of harm within western culture.) I'd say that we can be desensitized to harm against women as well, it is different however because that desensitization is inherently rooted to the objectification and sexualization of women. ESPECIALLY the sexualization of violence against women. But that's a little off topic for this post.

So, when we look at Ham Stroker's Gibbet Hill or any gothic media, we have to really like think of it in an oppositional way, and have that be an element besides our enjoyment. Or, I suppose, when we come across these uncomfortable plots we shouldn't be clutching our pearls at it- but we shouldn't also become desensitized to it.

I guess I don't actually care if you want to cross out/otherwise ignore the slurs or racist comments in books like Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite, but to ignore like this major horrible thing is entirely against what we as a subculture stand for.

Music Reccomendation: Voodoo Voodoo by LaVern Baker

You can come at me and say this isn't goth music but I'd argue that it's the earliest predecessor! Voodoo Voodoo was published before Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put a Spell on You, which it seems everybody and their mom seems to claim was the first song with 'gothic lyricism'. I also feel that this style of music was the predecessor for many gothabilly/spooky rockabilly music of the 60s and 70s.

As always, Thanks for Reading!

-Cat (Catofthenine)

[baejax-the-great]

[First, I was rereading "Agua Caliente" and I remembered a song that played a lot in my childhood (and I had kind of forgotten) bc the lyrics somehow matched the Patrochilles dynamic in this fic. This is kind of funny bc I would never in my life associate sertanejo (it's a type of country music, I think? Idk I've never heard country, but the aesthetic is kind of similar. Anyway, it's pretty popular here) with shipping an ancient Greek couple in modern AU, but ok. And I went to listen to this song again and now I'm listening to it on a loop, so thanks for that.]

Now the real question! It's perhaps a strange question, but do you plan what you write? Like, before you write, do you have the whole structured idea in mind? I could have sworn it was like that reading the fics, but then some notes on Ao3 and certain things you say on Tumblr started to make me reflect that maybe you don't plan as much as I thought… in that case, how do you manage to connect everything so well without looking like something was left out/without prior planning??? It's magic, technique, luck or actually do you plan?

Sorry if the question is a bit "???" but I'm REALLY thinking about this! I used to write fics years ago and I was in the "won't plan" group and as expected the fics came out obviously unplanned (but that was ok with me bc it was just to pass the time and I didn't expect it to be an engaging story or anything), and here's why this ask exists: it's precisely bc I was in the “won't plan” group that I'm really intrigued by the possibility of you NOT planning bc it just doesn't seem that way reading your fics...

The short answer is that I do plan what I write, but probably not enough.

I rarely start writing a fic with an entire idea. Often it's just a vibe. But I won't start posting a fic until I know exactly what the conflict is and how it will be resolved.

This was easy in ATG, for example, because I'd already written the resolution before I even decided to write the fic. Structuring it by Patroclus's age also helped, because I could make an outline with the stuff that needed to happen and then jam stuff I wanted to happen around it. That "Stuff" could be really specific--obviously Pat had to graduate school and Achilles had to go to the Olympics on specific years, and it was also like, this section should have them fighting. This section should have them getting along, but Achilles is hiding this big lie so there should be a weird tension.

In Sunset, it took me longer to figure out the conflict/resolution. Sure, I knew that Achilles was going to cry on a Chicago street corner and get naked in Pat's kitchen, but why was he there? How did he get there? I had already written Achilles settling in to Pat's place and the scene where he gets into the lake before I decided on Aphrodite being the key to explain this whole thing. Then I knew Pat had to die. But a lot of the stuff that happened in the middle was sort of on a whim (particularly Achilles getting on the wrong L train-that was definitely just an impulse I had while finishing that chapter). Tecmessa's chapter was also a later addition, and a deeply self-indulgent one, hah.

Agua was the least planned of these three, and in some ways it was because the idea was a lot simpler. After three years, Achilles runs into Patroclus again and they reconcile in some way. I knew exactly how Patroclus would feel about the whole thing (relieved, guilty, upset, wounded, hopeful, upset about feeling hopeful). My original plan was just to set up Achilles in his shop and his new life doing his best and have him run into Patroclus at the beach, and eventually they'd go to the desert. I wrote parts of their meeting first, and then I started writing the beginning and ended up scrapping most of that. I realized I was going to have to do a lot more writing for poor Achilles. My lack of planning here did cause some difficulties--I had like three versions of that date he went on with Pat with different endings. One involved Pat in the hospital, lmao. Zag and Meg coming to stay with Achilles were kind of whims, and I had meant to have Hypnos show up for "his turn" and have Achilles send him home because no, these were not team-building exercises, but then I forgot 😩.

The reason that I need to know the conflict/resolution at the start is because I do think all the scenes in a fic should relate to it in some way, either by building up the conflict or setting the groundwork for a resolution. Even for the impulsive scenes I add just for fun, I think about how they can do this. For example, Achilles getting lost on the L allowed me to build up Pat's unreasonable anxiety, show that Ajax was also feeling it to some extent, and end in Pat saying "fuck it" and just giving in to making out with his hot, ancient boyfriend. It was also something that happened to a friend who was visiting me from out of the country and didn't have a working cell phone. That moment of watching him through the window of the L as it slowly pulled away is just etched in my memory.

In Agua Caliente, almost anything could relate to the resolution, because the resolution was "Achilles having a life," thus it didn't require as much planning. Zagreus's apartment getting flooded (something that happened to me in grad school) showed Achilles attempting to be flexible with some success while allowing himself to become closer to Zagreus, which led to a point of connection with his kids. It also made it easier to explain why Achilles was doing Zag's delivery that day when he ran into Pat. There were only a couple things that truly needed to happen in AC for the fic to make sense, and that was a resolution with Achilles' kids and then with Patroclus, of course.

I do get loose threads sometimes, side conflicts or things that didn't end up going anywhere, and those things tend to annoy me until I figure out a way to resolve them or make them otherwise relevant. Or I don't. Or sometimes I realize I need to add something/someone into the fic, and it would have been smoother if I'd added it in an earlier chapter so it didn't seem like a convenient thing I'd just thought of to solve a problem. That's always annoying to me. But whatever. It's fanfic. That's the risk of posting while you write.

[oh-cramity-its-amity]

Welcome to Day 2 of my self-imposed challenge for October, where I listen to 31 albums I haven't gotten around to listening to yet in an attempt to clear through my overwhelming Spotify library and document my thoughts.

Day 2.

The Weird And Wonderful Marmozets by Marmozets!

So I found this album actually a few days ago on Google, my homepage has news stories, and an article brought up this album as being "the weirdest rock album of the decade" and I was simply intrigued by how they worded it. I quote "mixed mathcore, punk, indie, and alt-rock into a fresh new take that took the scene over by storm." and as someone who loves a bunch od those things- If not all, I pulled up my spotify IMMEDIATELY to add it. I didn't even bother reading the rest of the article quite frankly. I'm sure it's alright but this, seemed like everything I'd be interested in.

Upon the first track it immediately engaged me with the drums and riffs. Almost electrical in a sense that it ignites the energy and then pulls away to allocate for the vocalist to yell... WHICH... as I'd spoken before I'd just found this from an article so I did not have a whole lot of prior knowledge on the band. I did look a little through their catalog to see they've been inactive since 2017 and that they only have two albums out and an EP(?). I'll have to look into the other album at a different time more in depth, but the female vocalist was NOT expected but holy crap!!!! She literally comes into the track and absolutely owns it. If I could explain her voice, it reminds me a bit of Against The Current's vocalist X Bea Miller during her "Not An Apology" album X Cassidy Mackenzie's covers on YT. Like- it's got a similar sound definitely but unlike anything I'm familiar with.

I adore it! The realization that I have not found many bands with a female vocalist with this type of sound is insane. The only thing however is I do not entirely love the lyrics. Yes, everything SOUNDS great, but the lyrics. It's giving Disney Channel Pop-punk. Which isn't a bad thing at all, but genuinely the sound is great, but the first track fell short in the lyrics.

AND THEN the second track hits. And holy damn the fry in her vocals absolutely was not expecting. GOOD. I completely fucking loved that shit, and it's much more up my alley with everything it is.

Which is amazing because when I write a band au, this is the sound I'm envisioning. This sound. It's so fascinating. Grabbing your attention with the drums and riffs and then toned down to let her be known full force. Such a interesting sound and I think that this track genuinely was everything. "Captivate You" completely enamored me as well, I adored it. A lot of this album I can say I genuinely loved to experience. I don't know how I hadn't found these guys before now!! I would've eaten them up years ago I think. The lyrics sure aren't as mature as I'm familiar with but I think the vocals are genuinely such an eye opener and theres a handful of absolutely amazing track on here. Semi replayabilty, I think I could definitely listen to this a bunch and not feel bored and its a decent length. 46 minutes! Not bad at all.

Would I recommend this? Hm. Possibly? I'm not too sure, I don't think I'd recommend the entire album because it can feel a bit cheesy but I think it's sound is something I have NOT seen before in bands I'm accustomed to listening to. It sets them apart having that female vocalist for me, which I've prompted to educate myself on more bands with female vocalists because it seems that most pop-punk is male dominated, unfortunately. Which this is definitely something of a gem. I think its a good thing to take a chance on if you enjoy the genre and want to switch it up. There's good stuff here. It would be worth the time to give it a spin if you wanted to, but I don't think its a needed thing in full if you just want to see the good stuff. There's cohesiveness, but not all songs are differentiated to where it doesn't feel too different from one another. There's good to be had here, and I did enjoy my time and will be relistening to this record, but there's also better introductions and examples of pop-punk as a genre.

[buttsnorkeler69420]

HI HOWS THE ALBUM (← insane)

you know how when l(glu) was released april said this:

[image ID: a screenshot of text from a page on the song lyric website genius. it reads, "underscores said, 'Everything was too sad. I wanted to have some fun.' the text is white on a dull grey background.]

i underestimated it and i am having a TIME. um so i wrote up some thoughts i had on every song (i don't really know how to properly talk about music but i really like underscores so i am going to say things anyway haha)

(SPOILERS FOR WALLSOCKET BY UNDERSCORES BEYOND THIS POINT. content warnings for songs discussing grooming, war, suicidal ideation and transphobia.)

track 1: Cops & Robbers

i remember mentally exploding when i saw the thumbnail for this pop up on youtube. every time i hear the beginning guitar section my brain chemistry just is like... YEAHHHHHH ITS WALLSOCKET TIME!!!!!! this song just feels so so fun—the "haha gotcha" tone of it, and the speed and energy, and the part where it's like "and its full of all of your money / yEAHHH!!!"—i looped this thing so much until the other singles came out (and then i looped those. a lot.)

i love love love the bridge of this song and it gets stuck in my head all the time

track 2: Locals (Girls Like Us)

it's another underscores and gabby start banger!!!!!!! i love the songs both of these artists make and this one is no exception. immediately when the intro started i was like YEAHHH!!!! and then when the spoken "good luck" suddenly turned into that loud sample "Good Luck!" i was honestly startled enough to jump the first time i listened to it.

this is one of the songs where i don't really get the full symbolism behind everything yet (the whole horse section in the gabby part... basically gabby's entire part actually because i am not sure what the things they mention symbolize)

i really like how the repeating words mantra extends basically throughout the whole song in different ways, and the chorus is so so catchy

track 3: Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

i really enjoy the wordplay underscores uses in her lyrics a lot... like how she describes a fishing lure to play into the "taking the bait" theme in the chorus (at first i was like "huh??? what colorful piece of plastic?" and then i was like OHHHHH!!!!) and how she indirectly alludes to things ("the name of my illness/is just one letter short of my own" - S*nny is five letters and i think this song is about S*nny's queer identity so the four letter word being referenced here might be LGBT??? not sure / and the "my favorite animal is engraved on the sides of my ribs" which i currently don't know the meaning of, but the person on Genius who suggested it was a reference to the creation of Eve makes a really cool point)

the transition in this song to the Patented Louder Ending Section is just soooooo soooo pretty... it gets me every time...

shoutout to this "OH" in particular.

track 4: You Don't Even Know Who I Am

originally when this song came out (both unofficially in "The Story of S*nny", then its official release), it honestly was not my favorite, but now it gets stuck in my head a lot and i don't mind at all! the singing and effects pair really well together. I also really like the intermittent beeping sounds that occasionally show up.

edit: i was lucky enough 2 be able to go to a live show and OH MY GOD was this song SOOOO cool in it. the freaking lightbulb effect is so cool when i realized what was going on with it i screamed

originally when i first started listening to this song i really liked the last loud bit but now i'm not really sure why but it's kind of off to me now? i dont know maybe something about the notes is a little weird to my ears but i still enjoy

track 5: Johnny johnny johnny

oh my god. OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDD. this song has been stuck in my head since my first listen and will probably stay that way for the next month or so. this song is so amazing. IMMEDIATELY i was extremely intrigued by the way it opened (i had never heard of the Johnny, Johnny hand game thing before, and upon looking it up i was like OH MAN you KNOW the song is going to be mind blowing when it has LAYERS like this).

i think my first impression with this song was that it kind of reminds me a lot of underscores's MARINA covers?? like in a really good way, since i think underscores has mentioned marina as an inspiration and it's so cool seeing how many kinds of music she can make

i also love how like... expressive underscores's voice is, even in ad-libs and effects like the repeated "whoops!" in this song... it adds so much to the atmosphere and the um. growing dread as you realize what this song is about and are more and more aware of the juxtaposition between its topic and its tone. (the "johnny's gonna be the one who finally makes me real" line gets me every time in particular.... aaaaaaa)

this song's climax near the end is also just so so cool... i love how it takes a ton of elements that showed up earlier in the song and suddenly puts them all together (the "johnny johnny johnny johnny whoops" chant suddenly appearing alongside the chorus and transforming as the two are played at the same time)

track 6: Shoot to kill, kill your darlings

HIP, HIP... HOORAY!!! ough. this song. man. MAN. i am so crazy about how well this song tells a detailed story while still being catchy and fun to listen to (same with pretty much the rest of the album too haha) because that is such an impressive feat. the repeating gun sound impacts between verses are so crunchy i love them.

the line where it's like "he doesn't like what she chooses to do with her body / but he's given over his body as well / you'd think he'd get it more than anyone else"... OUGH...

this song is originally written in a very like... mostly conversational tone, but it's just so so fitting when at the end, OMB just accepts that her friend is going to go to war anyway, and to reflect this mood change, underscores just. drops all the fancy lingo and straight up repeats "I just don't want you to die" as the instrumental deteriorates. OUGH$$$))

track 7: Horror movie soundtrack

for some reason i was not expecting the banjo? guitar? notes that played in the album trailer to actually be a part of one of the songs in the actual album itself, and when that familiar tune started up, i immediately got chills and was like "OH SO WE'RE DOING THIS NOW".

god. the "you won't get away with this" being introduced as a calmer line that is mostly said like a quiet vengeful promise to becoming a big part of the crescendo is so so cool.

track 8: Old money bitch

i think this song was definitely my favorite of the singles when it came out because i could NOT stop listening to it and thinking about it when i wasn't listening to it. it is so so catchy. i didn't know where this sound would be in the album because i didn't have the tracklist memorized and it was such a gutpunch to hear it RIGHT after Horror Movie Soundtrack; we listeners just got to peek at OMB's current state of mind--her fears of losing her friend and her bitterness towards everyone except her friends and maybe "the girls"?--and then we IMMEDIATELY see that mara is bashing her on TOP of that. bonus points if mara happens to be included in "the girls"--I think this song does imply that OMB and mara were originally on good terms before their "first big fight" at a birthday party.

track 9: Geez Louise

i was NOT expecting to hear a rock/metal song from this album and i was smiling so hard when this came on. honestly surprised that i WASN'T expecting this because she makes so many different things but omg.

during my first time listening to the album, i'd remembered there was a song with a 7 minute timestamp in the trailer, but i forgot what song it was and by the time the album was over i was still waiting for the seven minute song. this song really does not feel longer than an average song to me somehow and it still feels only like three minutes every time i come back to listen to it.

i just... MAN. this song first being loud and angry and resentful, then bitter and dismissive with the "we don't have to talk about it", then suddenly transitioning into a feeling of like... an epiphany about identity in henhouse!'s part, is so so cool. the repeating "we don't have to talk about it" suddenly becomes like... an admittance of a sudden unspoken kinship. it's so... augh...

i had never heard about henhouse! before this song and after i was done with the album i immediately went searching and was shocked to only find one song... i am so excited to see more from henhouse! in the future though

track 10: Seventyseven dog years

hold on... is that the scream sample brakence uses in hypochondriac????? (maybe it just sounds similar haha)

the "do do ee oo ee oo oh oh"s in the background fading in and out are so pleasant and the crunchy texture of the drums in this one are so nice and i really like how the song transitions very nicely in and out of busy-ish loud and quiet sections

it's a little hard to hear the vocals during the louder parts but still a very cool experience!

i don't really know what the significance of dogs in this album is yet but i am curious because they've popped up a couple times (this song, the whole "ilovemydog77" password, arg and song thing)... i wonder if it has something to do with "dog" being an anagram for "god"

track 11: Uncanny long arms

ohhhhhh my god oh my god. i already knew this song was gonna be crazy because JANE REMOVER but man. i got interrupted in my first listen during the first verse of this song but i was so bewitched by the vocals that i had the chorus stuck in my head until i kept listening. another AWESOME example of how much vocals have been growing and evolving since the past albums... all the singing in here is so good and this song is just captivating.

the echoey louder part of the chorus ("and i saw that my hands were in a different place than before"/"and i woke up and felt my hands all on the carpet") transitioning into that ADDICTIVE "i can touch my toes/without bending over") is just so so pretty.

AND THEN THAT PART WHERE IN JANE'S SECTION IT DROPS OFF FROM THOSE VOCALS INTO A CRAZY EFFECTS ZONE. when the vocals suddenly break off and stutter and you suddenly honestly feel a little scared at where the song is going and then it fades gently into strings and more echoey vocals. GAH..... this album and its ability to play with my feelings...

(currently talking about this song while taking into account the current theories on genius that it is about mara realizing she has stalked S*nny so much that now she is talking to her, she has realized that she has overstretched and done something wrong (the metaphor being "waking up with long arms"), then deciding to withdraw ("getting an arm reduction").

the inlaws callback actually blew my mind when it showed up. i guess it kinda is a bit of irony in terms of the Lore... originally the lyrics of kinko's DO fit mara because she doesn't necessarily have real struggles (but yearns for S*nny's tough upbringing and struggles), but NOW she is just realizing what she has done by inserting herself into S*nny's issues and realizing she could affect them and have a huge impact for better or worse... ough...

track 12: Good luck final girl

this song feels both really cozy and mournful,,, especially the tune of the chorus and its tone... i can't decide whether "i hope you get what you deserve/that's not how this thing works" is more bitter or hopeful, but i think that's kinda the point because the description of this song says it's about the main characters realizing how they should grow up

considering there are 3 verses for our 3 main characters... i thiiink that the middle verse is most likely S*nny's (it talks about a girl down the block offering to help her, but she rejects the offer and says she doesn't need "people like that" anymore; likely referring to mara, "the girl next door" whose interactions with her were um. yeah.)

i am not sure which in the top and bottom match with old money bitch and mara... i think the last verse is OMB mostly because of the "ive postponed my suicide indefinitely" line, and also because of the sudden tone shift of the song (no more guitar, ambient noises in the background giving the feeling of being around people but feeling alone, the repeating of a final line over and over at the very end until it fades away like in Shoot to kill, kill your darlings)

um yeah. good album. good luck. wall sock er 👍

[felixravinstills]

volumnia for the ask game!!!

Ask Game

Thanks, anon! Always happy to talk about my favorite wire mother!

My first impression

Haha, Silly Mad Scientist Lady! I always thought she was kind of interesting, but I always need some sort of visual to help kickstart my obsessions and I wasn't really in the fandom after reading the book so I wasn't seeing any fanart (is there pre-movie Gaul fanart?)

My impression now

Viola Davis' portrayal really dominates my mind even though it's probably not exactly how Gaul was supposed to look at all. She is wire mother to me. I love her. I need her to look me in my eyes and scare me so bad I have a heart attack.

Favorite thing about that character

Just her whole vibe. She's the worst and I love her

Least favorite thing

That everything about her and Max (Pres. Ravinstill) is made up/a joint hallucination with El.

Favorite line/scene

When she's talking about being and obstetrician and sharing her world view with Coriolanus. That's her little creature <3 Or he's trying to make him that!

Favorite interaction that character has with another

See above

A character that I wish that character would interact with more

I-is President Ravinstill too much of a cop out at this point? Because he's a man who barely exists? Well, the other answer is Felix, so RIP.

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character

Renee Branvillier Parmedes from B! and Adora Crellin from Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects. I don't know how well those comparisons hold up to close scrutiny, but they have the certain vibes... Also maybe Jenova from FFVII. Alien mother... just corrupting some guy raised in a lab.

A headcanon about that character

She's not really a part of the oldest and most influential families, and her home life was pretty standard before the usual Capitol intrigues probably killed her parents. But she was already strange and off-putting. I don't think she's born into who she becomes, but rather her worldview is the easiest explanation for why she is the way she is and she excepted it with no nuance. Her just adopting that worldview snowballs her into who she becomes. <- I'm explaining this badly.

A song that reminds of that character

Someone put me out of my misery. I don't know! Actually wait!

The Most Unwanted Song Ever by Dave Soldier and Komar and Melamid???? Because forced to listen to that song on loop while playing board games at 3am in a classroom during University was insane and maddening, and it was definitely a surreal Volumnia worthy experience. The operatic rap portion... The soprano juxtaposed with the children's choir jingles. I think about it often. (don't click this)

An unpopular opinion about that character

I never want to see a prequel about her origins. The mystery of it is part of the appeal. I love hearing what other fans think is going on, but I don't think Suzanne Collins should ever give us something concrete (idk if this is unpopular? very few people talk about her...)

Favorite picture

[eclipseaotters]

Give lover boy Tae a break okay

or: jikookers’ taennie protectors era

Since we’re all open to differing opinions here, this is gonna be a totally different one. Let me rant in my side account so you don’t grab your torch and pitchforks on my main. I’m talking to a wall here but i need to let it out.

I agree that something changed in the air re: Tae and yes I do think it started after Taennie’s photos were leaked BUT HEAR ME OUT.

Try to remember how it was when gurumi surfaced. Seeing the whole thing unfold in real time was horrible—people waiting on the latest photos, fans from both sides scrambling to cover it up saying it’s edited or it’s not them. It was messy. But anyone with eyes and a decent brain knew they were real photos. So it’s extra scary.

It started in August. By October, headlines looked like this:

A whole iCloud account was involved. There was a group chat with hundreds of people. Threats from the awful leaker were THIS bad:

And even then, people were disgustingly excited about an impending dating scandal instead of being concerned about artists’ privacy. Go figure. It was a really, really bad time.

So let me be the really odd one out among jkkrs by saying I understand and genuinely accept why Tae had to amp up tkk interactions AND I’m not calling him out on it. Let me even go as far as saying tkkrs (and Jenlisa shippers i think) were the silver lining during the peak of the Taennie revelations.

Tae and Jennie can’t afford to be found out now, period. We all saw the reaction of the two fandoms and the malicious nosiness of the media after the “accidental” IG follow. And it was just that. What more if it’s a full-blown dating scandal? So any little contribution against the exposé helps, whether it’s proving that they’re in different locations, or appeasing and/or fueling rabid same-sex shippers so they can water down loud intrigue as well as support for Taennie.

I understand why a lot of jikookers, jimin lovers, don’t approve. It fuels the cult and validates them. And some of us are worried it fuels more hate against Jimin. But in a bigger picture, does a few tweaks in Tae’s behavior, a few more tkk interactions, really significantly change things for the worse? It really doesn’t, I think, because even if tkk don’t interact, the cult’s constant hating on Jimin will still be a thing.

I think it’s more of us we’re really thinking about here. How Tae’s actions hurt us because it fuels a cult that spreads hate against Jimin. But for Jungkook, Jimin, Tae? What their haters (and shippers) do is insignificant to them. They don’t go around looking for the hate. They see it on the weverse lives, yeah, but I’m pretty sure they’re (sadly) desensitized already. It’s been like that ever since. If they ever feel it’s too much even for them, they’ll call it out the way Joon did.

So let Tae do his thing and let the boys help, yeah? Let the cult be validated because that actually helps a lot in the short term. Taennie don’t have the luxury to be in the middle of a dating scandal in such a transitional, unstable time. All eyes are on them.

At his very core, Tae doesn’t bullshit, please. That’s what I love about him the most. When it got bad before and Jennie’s friend was involved, he acted immediately.

So for Tae to behave the way he is doing now—it’s because he HAS to. It helps.

It’s not just Jikook who knows how to be loud to those who listen, Tae does too. He’s also trying his best to be loud to those listening. Did you watch his latest live? The song he played? Snippets of songs he’s written? Have you been seeing how more romantic Tae’s been the past year? Man’s so in love he can barely contain it.

He could rival Jungkook in the fight for the bigger hopeless romantic (but Jungkook just had to do a series of indisputable-number-1-fan things just weeks ago so he’s still the OG smitten lover boy lol look at him).

Anyway, Tae’s not one to hide but this time he has to because it has serious ramifications to their careers. They’re two of the biggest stars in SK, heck, two of the biggest Korean stars in the world. Both of their groups have a global reach. They have so much to lose.

So please give Tae a break :( Taennie (and Jikook and all of them) are not one-dimensional characters. They’re human and they want to be able to live like humans. If you were in Tae’s shoes, and it’s tried and tested that your actions towards your bandmate—no matter how horrible your shippers are—doesn’t even directly affect their partner/your other bandmate, you might just be doing the same. It’s not even a big deal.

Bottomline is I’m acknowledging the change in Tae’s behavior; I’m just not against it because it doesn’t affect Jikook and it’s not ill-intentioned. He’s only playing the people who want to be played, and that shouldn’t be a large portion of us on this side, because his target audience for that is waaaay over there in rainbow text land.

When you fully absorb that thought, I swear you’ll easily get over that dreadful feeling you have when you see tkk interact and you’re anticipating the cult’s reception of it.

[When I have energy, I’ll let out my precious thoughts on vmin’s relationship because that’s another thing. tl;dr is what they’re showing—or not showing—is also not a big deal for me.]

[fitzpirations]

Some thoughts on me seeing Days of Wine and Roses like,, almost a month ago now but I don't feel like editing it other than to add a few extra bits in bold & at the end. Overall, I really enjoyed it! Intrigued at what's next for the cast & crew, and if I could see it again/replicate my first viewing I probably would.

My thoughts, like film have developed and I am mostly out of a terribly weird headspace that I was unfortunately stricken w/ this weekend and I gotta say I loved Days of Wine and Roses.

~~~~~~~

I do think it’s perfect in the theatre it is right now & while I would LOVE for it’s actors to win very big awards for it and do believe they are due… for me a transfer is not the right move. Willing to debate on it! I think the story is important and unique and beautifully told but,, I also think the set/sound/lighting design @ Atlantic is special and can’t imagine it staged differently. It perfectly fits that space and needs that intimate of an audience, in my opinion.

anyway, this isn’t a full review & no one cares, but I’m so stoked with how things turned out & with my friend and I scoring great cancellation ticket seats & seat upgrades for a very cheap price and the fact that REDACTED who I adore was also there. my friend spoke to them while I blacked out- it was very neat. So embarrassed of myself for our post-show interactions that I’ve physically cringed and tensed up every time I think about it but! The show keeps replaying in my head and I’ve been thinking more and more about how it was told and listening to the demos and I just think how great is it to see a new piece of live theatre! I went in knowing a barebones plot (and purposely avoided real reviews, the demos, and the original movie) and was so happy to go on that ride. I do so so wish my mental health wasn’t being all finicky because I think I would’ve been all the more immersed in it but- nothing I can do about that. Luckily I didn’t say much of anything to the redacted actors in question, but my lack of interaction with one while my friend spoke to them and kept nudging me & my theatre equivalent of “good game” to the other will haunt me forever ❤️ my only consolation is I believe I wasn’t memorable in my presence & that maybe 1 day I’ll properly meet these people who I literally adore as a fellow creative. Wouldn’t that be nice. Until then, I will continue to beat myself up about it LOL. It’s so,,, I hasten to actually explain it more, but I feel about 3 feet tall thinking about it.

And did they drink ANY wine the whole time??? I’m very Kirsten in the first few scenes-coded in that I don’t drink and really never should be convinced to, haha. So I’m not super knowledgeable on names of booze- but I think I would have noticed them drinking wine, red wine at least. And no roses, just sad tulips. Oh! I could go on about the 2 little transition scenes they do with ok, both the “wine” (the bag from the liquor store that they have you you to believe is only holding one bottle) and the “roses” (the soon-to-die Tulips). Like it’s set up as a bit of like? Something to watch while they’re moving things around but actually? It reappears in the actual plot in a large way. And so many moments echo and mirror each other in words, actions, and song between Joe and Kirsten, but the reprises (so to speak) are new and fresh. Just so so neat. What a fun & exciting new piece of theatre. And why is the rolling out of the bed all the way to the front of the stage so funny? maybe it just was to me.

anyway anyway I have a lot of thoughts/they keep coming in and like loading which is wild. Like I’m joking but it’s as if I blacked out?? Perhaps someone on here will appreciate the image of me debating just buying closing night tickets even though I was too cheap to spend full price on any other performance// but a newer friend of mine posted a story of like, the New York Times review on opening night and I responded to it like “I’ve been dying to see this show!” and he was like “yeah haha it’s really good I’m working press on it lol isn’t that funny and I had to take a group pic with Kelli and was emailing her to arrange something and she saw me and called me over by name and gave me a hug- I didn’t know she knew my name!” I worked with this guy on the show I stage-managed recently and he’s in the process of quitting his sweet sweet press agent job and I’m not a close enough friend to acquire tickets from him and let me tell you,,, I was absolutely losing my mind reading this .

cut to my (other, closer) friend and I rolling up to the show without tickets the other night, with just hope & a dream and we were like 'wouldn’t it be funny if we saw like ~celebs/Broadway people because a lot of them are off tonight?' and we were chatting about watching the Tony's and stage-dooring and other unrelated stuff & we get tickets after 20 minutes and go to dinner and when we come back she’s like look it’s REDACTED TONY WINNER and I’m like omg. We go to step into the building proper and who do I see but my literal favorite actor at the moment other than REDACTED who is in the show and I was like friend it’s REDACTED! and she’s like go say hi and I’m like??? No I will not be doing that. And she’s like but he’s your favorite! And hey, we’re here to see REDACTED, who’s your other favorite! It’s a big night for you! But she was so loud that I was like looking straight ahead embarrassed that the random people in line would hear us. Literally what a time though, we had standing room tickets and then we got moved up like twice to center row, perfect view seats. Literally like a day later I was finally like O MY GOSH about it all,,, the desire to not be crazy about any of it and keep cool made me robotic in the moment and I’m very pro leaving-people-who-don’t-know-me-alone, so the circumstances were odd.

Anyway I literally have a notes app I keep throwing thoughts at about the most random moments from the show or the staging and it’s v good theatre. Like I enjoyed it, but wasn’t in love or anything but the more I stew on it, it’s a random choice of adaptation, a weird little show, its stars (including the actress playing their kid) are arguably all too old for their roles, there’s a song in Norwegian?? the opening number didn’t give me the ick but I was scared for my life that Brian was singing all of his lines// like I knew it was going to be a “two-hander” and read that the others other than the kid don’t really sing but that opener,,, I was like o no do I hate this? But also the set was so cool and as a recent big fan of Brian is was v cool to literally see him irl (lame I know) but why does the cast just pose in the beginning and slay for like 30 seconds? Idk but it was v 1950s chic of them idk idk we literally were clapping like,,, YEAH 👏👏👏 yeah! 👏👏 . And the scatting/jazziness of it all, I literally was shook but so pleasantly surprised by it all. What a treat! New musicals!!!

ok i literally never resolved the point I was making that the opening scene was not my thing and I was a bit scared I was going to hate it, but really enjoyed like the following 90%! Something about the first song is that it shouldn't be a song, in my opinion. I get why people are tempted to call it a play with songs, but I do think it's a real musical. Just was a bit cursed watching Joe singing right off the bat when no one else did, imo! If I were to see it/hear it again I may come around to it, but something about the way he was like half-singing was weird to me lol

but also randomly saw something from a video (that I haven’t watched as of yet) of Kelli saying they were supposed to open on BROADWAY February 2021 I think?? (tell me they wouldn't have closed immediately w/ omicron? or am i mistaken, I watched like 3 shows I was rooting for that season close early, and there were a TON) Literally the more I think about the show I’m like,, respectfully don’t transfer to Broadway,, it’s so special where it’s at, like I know Atlantic announced its next season I feel? But I don’t know what theatre it would fit in correctly, they’re all too big and the opposite of the intimate experience it is rn. In a perfect world I literally want them to film this version (which I know is the epitome of highly unlikely) but also, I think realistically other than the star power of the cast and creative team it’s such a hard sell for your typical theater-goer or tourist and I would hate for its history to be one of a flop like,, what have we learned from The Sweet Smell of Success :((( I also learned via Kelli ‘s own post and someone’s reference on here that there’s a full boot of that…someone please me up with a link!

So what have we learned. A lot of takes I have not shared,,, it turns out I can get starstruck and it’s so embarrassing it makes me want to scream. Show is good! I’d love a cast recording and for it to not just die but,,, I’m fearful of the idea of a transfer- it seems like it’s likely happening anyway, someone on the team commented on Kelli’s ig about the Tony's all like “excited for next year!” And my press agent friend is all “they’re eying a transfer!” And it’s not that they don’t deserve it but… idk I will remain skeptical of that. I truly believe it can be a success where it is now, and that just because it isn’t a Broadway show doesn’t mean it isn’t impactful and rewarding creatively and etc etc there is the part in my brain like this is Brian’s Tony tho, no?

I firmly believe had everything w/ Next to Normal gone down differently he would have beat those little Billy Elliots’s in a heartbeat, but I digress. Like other than SSOS which I only have a idea of (and no clue about that year’s competition from the top of my head) he’s been up for 2 comedic roles which are hard sells in a category with “proper,” dramatic roles nominated -as in, actors who appeared in a leading role in a drama- and then ITW-which I have thoughts on separate from who his competitors were- which tows that line and sadly like,, it wasn’t even close for him. I feel like every nom he’s had doesn’t even quite show off how talented he is as an actor like idk how to describe it, but idk. I want a Chip Zien nom & win for Harmony, which my brain tells me may be a featured role but if it’s lead… all hypothetical but I’m not rooting on the show’s downfall… I just think it’s perfect where it is.

Anyway... chaotic highly informal thoughts but I also have a few screengrabs from my notes app note I am going to paste below. Would love to hear someone else's thoughts, and am willing to say, obviously, one of the REDACTED's in question is BdJ.

[maybemoonout]

Hello again!!! I'm the anon who was talking about TDS and Ultracheese analysis. In one of the answers you said something really interesting about Alex and Miles lyrics, the fact that some Miles lyrics seem to be about someone who has been hurt in the past meanwhile Alex seems more self-reflective and in some lyrics like Ultracheese apologizes for things he shouldn't have done, in a Milex perspective this is a very interesting contrast to be observed. Miles once dedicated The Wrong Side of Life to Alex in one of his gigs, this is another very interesting point in all this, as we all know Miles said in a interview that TWSOL was the most painful song of the album to be recorded and he even said that he couldn't record the song again in the studio and they ended up using the demo. Well, again from a Milex perspective i think this is pretty significant, btw in TWSOL Miles says "Oh, how i feel, i feel you don't love me no more" and Alex says in Ultracheese "But i haven't stopped loving you once", both albums were released in the same year and when we kinda notice that there was something wrong (?) going on between them, this is also another interesting point. In TWSOL we can't clearly deduce if Miles is talking about a girl in the lyrics, he always uses the word "baby" to talk about the other person and how much he is devoted to this person's existence in his life and how much he feels hurt at the same time (even if it's about a girl to me it still doesn't make sense that he dedicated a song like that to Alex, his bro and partner of crime). Well, these details call my attention and i just love to talk about them, so tell what do you think. Thanks again for the answers, you're so nice <3

Hi anon! Missed you so much <3 glad to see you're back! I love having these discussions with you, so I'm so happy to see you have more ideas to share!

Abut TWSOL, yes I did hear about the fact that Miles said it was one of the more painful songs to sing in the whole Coup de Grace album. Not just painful emotionally but apparently vocally, as the vocals were a tad bit too high for his own voice, so they used the demo because it was, not his exact wording, the rawest form of the song.

Miles dedicating TWSOL to "his brother" is quite interesting indeed! Although he never mentions a name, who else would he consider his brother? From the audience perspective, the answer is quite obvious. Plus, there was someone in the audience of that gig, possibly still listening to him when he said that… Who knows though, right?

Those lyrics you mentioned, I actually never noticed that myself before! So intriguing indeed, I'm very glad you brought that up!

"Oh, how I feel, I feel you don't love me no more" - The Wrong Side of Life

"But I haven't stopped loving you once…" - The Ultracheese

What a parallel! So… coincidental ;). This is definitely an interesting point indeed. I quite love this parallel because it looks the most like "a reply" after all the lyric parallels I've seen between the two. The most… possibly connected. Couldn't stop thinking of this now the moment I read your ask, how fun! If you see more parallels like this, please let me know.

For your next point, I have seen a few analyses on "gendered terms" in MILES SONGS, as you've mentioned his continues use of "baby" and other names, but never gendered terms. A counter I'd like to mention, NEITHER HAS ALEX! Maybe I am slowly going deaf, but besides from "She Looks Like Fun" from TBH+C, I haven't noticed any other significant gendered terms in both TBH+C and The Car. It's like after ETYCTE, both of them just decided, fuck gendered terms! Which to me is quite nice, because now I think it allows to reach more people, allows more people to relate and find solace in their music, makes it more fluid I suppose. Mentioning "She Looks Like Fun" from TBH+C, that song gives me big "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" by the Beatles vibes. Which we all know is a song TLSP particulalry liked covering during the ETYCTE Era, so we all know that Alex loves that song. I obviously don't actually know if Alex made "She Looks Like Fun" to have the vibes of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" but I personally find it similar, just wanted to share since we were on the topic lol.

Continuing on, another song I really wanna see an analysis for is "Golden Trunks" from TBH+C. Possibly because it's one of my favorites, love the song to bits. Also because I saw in that Ultracheese analysis I mentioned before, that they also believed that song could possibly be about Miles, and personally I see it too. Especially the last verse:

Especially with the line "In response to what you whispered in my ear" like, c'mon. I know you know what I'm thinking about. There was this one interview too where they asked about what they talk about when they whisper to each other on stage, and I think it was Miles who said "dirty things". I can't recall where I got the post I'll try finding it later, but you see my point right? I hope I'm making any sense right now T_T, but I wanted to mention Golden Trunks because I think you have some very good ideas anon, and I wanna hear what you think about other songs too! I'd love to see a Golden Trunks analysis one day, maybe if I'm knowledgeable enough, I'd give it a small try.

What do you think anon? I genuinely want to hear from you again! Your ideas give me lots of good fun, and when I woke up today to see I had an ask from you I felt very excited! I hope I made sense in this one T_T And, thank you so much as well! You're so sweet <3 Hope to hear from you again soon!