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deadcactuswalking · 1 year ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 11/11/2023 (Olivia Rodrigo, Jax Jones/D.O.D/Ina Wroldsen, The Kid LAROI)

Welp, with a ton of sales and some actually good streaming traction, the Beatles have done it. With their supposedly final single, they now have 18 #1s, the second most of anybody charting only second to Elvis. It’s their first #1 since 1969, “Now and Then” surging up to the top spot this week. So what about the rest? Well, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It should be no surprise that “Now and Then” hit #1. They sold 78,000 units - a lot of it being physical copies - which naturally stomps on the usual sales figures we get nowadays. They set all kinds of chart-span records, including gap between #1 singles, and whilst it’s far from the only story this week, it is pretty great to have a genuine chart moment much like the Christmas #1 where the average person may actually give a damn about the chart. Now that you’re interested, here’s what’s on the chart, our notable dropouts - songs exiting from the UK Top 75 after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we say farewell to all the Halloween-related re-entries and debuts - probably not worth listening here, just make five guesses and check last week’s episode, you’re probably correct - and then it’s just “ONE MORE TIME” by blink-182, “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Bittersweet Goodbye” by Issey Cross and “Kill Bill” by SZA, it’s not exactly a week for big losses.

This is also one of those weeks where we do see resurgences of old songs, with “Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran back at #74, as well as the return for “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls at #67. This is its first time in the top 75 since 2014, and it has a bit of a bizarre run in general. It charted at #50 on release, died almost immediately, came back the next year at #26 before soon drifting back away. With the introduction of digital sales and eventually streaming, however, “Iris” has won out, going in and out of the charts for 100+ weeks since 2006. It peaked at #3 after a performance on The X Factor in 2011 pushed its sales up, which meant it was competing with Sak Noel’s “Loca People” and Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”. Elsewhere, we see gains for “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac at #61, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi at #58, “As it Was” by Harry Styles at #57, “Another Love” by Tom Odell at #51 and the earliest defrosting of the Christmas hits ever, with “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey at #40 and “Last Christmas” by Wham! at #37. Therefore, Christmas rules need a reminder: I will not discuss Christmas gains past the top five unless they are entering the top 75 for the first time that year in that week. It means the rundowns get a lot less tedious during the holiday season.

To be fair, we have some more contemporary gains, like “MONEY ON THE DASH” by Elley Duhé and Whethan at #63, “Black Friday” by Tom Odell at #54, “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa, “Would You (go to bed with me?)” by Campbell and Alcemist at #29, and “On My Love” by Zara Larsson and David Guetta at #22. Additionally, Jung Kook’s solo debut album GOLDEN debuts at #3 on the albums chart, thus we see gains for “3D” featuring Jack Harlow at #45 and a re-entry for “Seven” featuring Latto at #35, alongside a new single in the top 10 which we’ll talk about later, standing right next to Taylor Swift swapping out “Slut!” for “Cruel Summer” returning at #7, and speaking of the top 10…

The top five this week consists of “Water” by Tyla back up to #5 with Tate McRae’s “greedy” at #4, Taylor Swift’s “Is it Over Now?” holding on at #3, “Prada” by casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe at #2 and of course the Fab Four at the very top. Now for our pretty scarce but vaguely interesting batch of new songs, though I say the term “new” a bit loosely.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 - “The Night We Met” - Lord Huron

Produced by Ben Schneider

Okay, so we have another weird chart run here. This song by California indie rock band Lord Huron was originally released in 2015 - which is soon, terrifyingly, near a decade ago - and did not make much noise until it was featured on the soundtrack to Selena Gomez-backed polarising Netflix show 13 Reasons Why in 2017, the year in which this song actually charted below the top 75 for a brief couple weeks. The year after, a remix featuring Phoebe Bridgers of boygenius was featured in the soundtrack for the show’s second season, and gave the song a bit of a third wind… and now it’s back for a fourth because God knows why, probably TikTok because the show is long cancelled. Thankfully this constant slow-burn of a chart run is for a song that is genuinely very good, going for a slightly retro-sounding guitar lick with the haunting doo-wop vocal lead-in, for a song about losing the spark and connection of a relationship and just desperately wanting to recapture - or honestly, escape - the initial moments. I wish the lead vocalist would really get into it a bit more as whilst his fried devastation is effective, I’d like to hear a real belt considering the desperate melodrama of these lyrics. It’s also not the bets co-ordinated-sounding chorus in the world, isn’t really that impactful, and the mix can feel a bit compressed, but as a song, the qualities are there, and I think it lacking a bridge or real climax is by design. It’s the closer of the album after all, and I’m not about to complain about something that could be corrected by listening to the full record. I prefer the Bridgers version, primarily because of how a female perspective in the second verse just touches a better note for me, I don’t exactly know why. It doesn’t make any major differences to the composition so either will work, and if it ends up sticking around, it’s far from the worst indie pop track to have lying around at the bottom of the charts. Isn’t that right, Vance Joy?

#66 - “Brilliant Mind” - Blanco

Produced by Jensmuller

We’ve seen UK rapper Blanco, specifically accompanied by Central Cee, and he didn’t make much of an impression then, though the song wasn’t bad. Here he is backed with what may be one of the best drill beats I’ve heard this year, if it counts as one, applying the rhythms to a club bounce and some African-influenced blocky percussion, as Zelda-sounding flutes ring off in the background and as soon as Blanco starts rapping, a warm sax joins the mix, adding a lot of richer potency to otherwise standard flexing and violence, though the rhyme schemes and flows are on point, and Blanco has a fantastic delivery to sell all of this. I find the lack of ad-libs for the most part really interesting too, it makes the song feel a lot more self-interested, inward-looking rather than flexing on the audience, where each thing he’s grateful for in his life has the added caveat of what should have happened or what eventually does happen to defy the purpose and meaning of it, like when his old gang friends hop the gated fence he has up. It’s a shame that the name of the song comes from a corny sex pun in the hook because there really is a lot to this one, and I think a better outro would seal it for me, but as this there’s still a lot of quality here, especially in the production and that frankly fantastic second verse, for me to call this a pretty excellent example of where British hip hop could be going. Check this out.

#41 - “BLEED” - The Kid LAROI

Produced by Billy Walsh, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin and The Kid LAROI

So The Mid LAROI has slowly been drip-feeding songs from the new album he just released this week, and whilst rap is still an influence, LAROI is moving further into the pop rock direction Post Malone kind of took, which makes complete sense for LAROI considering he is some kind of amalgamation of Posty, Bieber and Juice WRLD, with the only thing that really makes him all too recognisable being his hate-it-or-love-it voice. Now I love “WHAT JUST HAPPENED”, but that’s not the single that charted this week. Instead, we have “BLEED”, which just goes for a similar indie pop-influenced acoustic rock sound, except more familiar and laidback than what the other single went for. It’s not bad at all, even if LAROI’s rawer lead vocal take seems a tad detached from the backing harmonies. I do quite actually like that interplay - or more accurately counterplay - on the chorus, where LAROI’s vocal inflections seem particularly dejected when he’s not going for a half-rap angst. The soaring backdrop makes this a pretty solid track, even if perhaps a one-note one that doesn’t go for much more than the one cool trick it saves for the second verse, that being the fast-pace build-up with the distorted guitar and synth flutters sliding in, but it doesn’t lead up to all that great of a final chorus, especially since some of the extra layers are stuck in the back of the mix or only in the left channel. There’s a good song here, but it’s not really fully realised and I don’t think it’ll ever be a great one.

#28 - “Won’t Forget You” - Jax Jones, D.O.D and Ina Wroldsen featuring The Blackout Crew

Produced by Jax Jones, D.O.D and Mitch Jones

Part of me perhaps optimistically hopes that D.O.D will offset some of Jax Jones’ copy-and-paste house-pop genericism by a lot trying a little, and we have Ina Wroldsen - who you probably heard on Jones’ older hit “Breathe” - on the meaningless vocals, so it’s not exactly a good sign, but hey, it’s not awful. Wroldsen sounds frankly terrible but the Euro-trance revival is still in full effect and that slightly jerkier take on the beeping trance synths is actually a bit of a cool, different touch amidst the rest of the oddly drowned-out atmospherics that Wroldsen is mixed way over. It was probably D.O.D’s idea but that’s not important, it’s still there… but it loses its novelty past the first drop. It’s an earworm for sure, though and for whatever reason, the Official Charts Company credits “The Blackout Crew” here for the less-streamed “donk edit”, which is basically the song sped-up and with comical rapping over the drop. Welcome back, Blackout Crew, you haven’t charted since you “Put a Donk on It” in 2008, and you haven’t gotten any better in those 15 years, but it’s still… just delightful. In fact their style of comical EDM-rap they introduced with that classic novelty single is probably more influential than I’d like to admit nowadays. I’d like to see them collaborate with some of the people that clearly take influence from them, like Kak Hatt or, uh, the “give me some time, I’ll have that Rover” guy. Yeah, that would work.

#18 - “Can’t Catch Me Now” (from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) - Olivia Rodrigo

Produced by Dan Nigro

Welp, there’s a new Hunger Games, and Lorde isn’t hip with the young-adult demographic anymore so guess who’s back? This seems to act as a semi-motivational semi-revenge track that makes many direct references - albeit through metaphors and imagery you could absolutely apply to, say, a breakup - to the film’s plot, or at least seems to. Rodrigo plays a powerful woman responding to mistreatment by just being everywhere and having whoever wronged her constantly reminded me of O-Rod, without them being able to “catch” her. It’s a cool idea for a song, but perhaps not an acoustic ballad? Rodrigo doesn’t feel like she’s signifying much power here, even if the acoustic guitars sound a lot richer this time around and the harmonies are pretty gorgeous as one would expect. For an acoustic Olivia Rodrigo ballad, it’s actually up there quality-wise, even if just for the swell and for the lack of annoying wordiness that is a bit of an O-Rod trademark at this point. The haunting strings do a pretty good job at feeling surrounding and particularly enclosing, giving a ghostly essence to the reverb and echo on Rodrigo’s “oohs” in the post-chorus. In fact, the bridge kind of seals it: her performance is fantastic, the initial hit is great, but then it repeats as a mantra, gaining swell but losing most of its steam. Unlike LAROI’s ballad from earlier, there IS a great song here, somewhere, but the structure of it - and perhaps my lack of connection of the franchise - doesn’t do it as many favours for me. I can see it growing on me or really being a fan favourite but for now, I just think it’s pretty good.

#6 - “Standing Next to You” - Jung Kook

Produced by watt and Cirkut

I’m still yet to be impressed by BTS solo work and whilst Jung Kook is somewhat close - he definitely has the charisma of a pop star - I feel like he ends up losing me just in the songs department, as they really end up being a competent version of a mostly competently-written song with a fun performance, and nothing more. They’re so fine-tuned and well-done it makes me forget that he was at some point a K-pop singer, and that’s definitely true for this one that just throws 80s synth funk grooves, harmonies and disjointed blasts of horns and bass at you, to convince that there’s some kind of bombast. But I’m honestly not convinced: it’s trying a lot, trying to make some kind of epic, but it doesn’t have a lot of the guts. One of the big lines in the chorus is “it’s deep like DNA” and the wham line it drops on is just a stuttered, kind of weakly-sold “take off”. There’s also just not a lot lyrically here at all, and I mean that in quite literal terms of how many unique words there are. It’s not bad, it’s just a nothing burger.

Conclusion

And sadly, on a decent week, that’s enough to get Worst of the Week. I probably have to clarify given it’s Jung Kook that I have absolutely nothing against the boys, just I’m not a fan of the song. I can’t sincerely give out a Dishonourable Mention so I’ll tie the Honourable Mention between “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron, specifically the version featuring Phoebe Bridgers, and Olivia Rodrigo for “Can’t Catch Me Now”, whilst Best of the Week goes to, surprisingly enough, Blanco for “Brilliant Mind”. I guess, keep it up, man. As for what’s on the horizon, we’ll be in festive season soon enough, but maybe PinkPantheress will give us something less confectionery to chew on in the interim? I don’t know. Regardless, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

#uk singles chart #song review #pop music #jung kook #olivia rodrigo #the kid laroi #blanco #lord huron #phoebe bridgers #jax jones #ina wroldsen #d.o.d #blackout crew

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avrelia · 2 years ago

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I posted 2,396 times in 2022

118 posts created (5%)

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Blogs I reblogged the most:

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@virologistandpotato

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I tagged 1,853 of my posts in 2022

Only 23% of my posts had no tags

#atla - 413 posts

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#avatar the last airbender - 81 posts

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#aang - 68 posts

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Longest Tag: 125 characters

#i am voting for democrats ever since becoming us citizen but what would it take them to actually accomplish something useful?

My Top Posts in 2022:

Beach Wars

So, The Free Comic Book Day happened and I have one. It is not a very exciting offering, and, it seems, it is unfinished, but really< I am quite happy with it.

Because this is exactly what I want from Atla and TLoK comic stories: characters are having silly fun. In this case, elderly matriarchs Katara and Toph relaxing on a beach together and pulling their descendants and innocent bystander Avatars into their prank war. Bring it on!

Story and Art by Meredith McClaren

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92 notes - Posted May 11, 2022

I was tagged by @bacchanalium

Favorite color: Blue, specifically this shade

#0000FF

Currently reading: I have just finished Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, the book that is about as intense, insane and amazing fun as I was lead to believe. Before that I re-read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, which was my favorite read of 2021, and a very satisfying re-read now. And now I am looking intensely at How Story Works by Lani Diane Rich, hoping to read it next.

Last Song: Six Feet Under by Kissin’ Dynamite, because I’ve just watched the third episode of the Peacemaker, and this song kicked me in some sensitive place, and I had to listen to it several times to get this song out of my brain.

Last Series: I’ve just finished the Expanse, the last season and everything. I probably should start the books, but these days long book series scare me.

Sweet, savory or spicy: depends on a mood and circumstances. Usually, I prefer savory and a bit sour. But with my tea I would have something sweet or nothing at all.

Currently working on: Several unfinished fics, several unfinished original stories. Also I am trying to delete all the unnecessary and double photos I have collected over the past… fifteen years?

Tagging: @attackfish, @robb-stark, @yen-yen282, @yogi-bogey-box, @idkmybffgill, @poolsidescientist, @krastbannert, @ljf613, @avayarising, @catraboobwindow, @virologistandpotato, and of course anyone who wants to do it

107 notes - Posted January 21, 2022

133 notes - Posted August 28, 2022

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252 notes - Posted February 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

One moment that I think is underappreciated in Mai and Zuko relationship is their playfulness with each other. We see it in the picnic scene, and in the Mai’s house scene, and in the reunion scene. They are so different from their usual state, like they enter a happy bubble when they are together, when they can finally relax and don’t think about that pesky reality and its problems, and just be carefree.

And sure enough it doesn’t work for long, because reality is there, and its problems intrude quite rudely, often literally, personified by Azula, but their happy bubble is real, too.

They don’t pretend being anyone else, just themselves that no one else can see. So the possibility is there, for Mai and Zuko, when they manage to integrate all the different parts of themselves and deal with the reality, and to communicate better, to keep that playfulness not as an illusion, or a throwback to their childhood, but a part of their adult relationship. So that’s how I prefer to write them.

300 notes - Posted April 14, 2022

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#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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time-loopzim · 2 years ago

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I posted 712 times in 2022

That's 712 more posts than 2021!

182 posts created (26%)

530 posts reblogged (74%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

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I tagged 677 of my posts in 2022

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Longest Tag: 134 characters

#is this some looming threat that haunts your dimension causing you to live in constant fear of it coming to devour your civilization?!

My Top Posts in 2022:

ZIM AWAITS YOUR QUESTIONING.

39 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

Not that I care but, what's wrong with you?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ZIM.

IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE HERE THAT'S WRONG! I'VE RUN OUT OF PUZZLES, GIR KEEPS REPEATING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER (I MEAN, HE DID THAT BEFORE, BUT THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE). THERE'S ONLY SO MANY TIMES ZIM CAN BAKE OR KNIT OR PAINT BEFORE IT GETS BORING. IT'S THIS LOOP, THE FANCY PIG, THE DIB!

... the Dib...

A.. AND I'LL NEVER GET TO WATCH THE LAST EPISODE OF FLOOPSY BLOOPS SHMOOPSY BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET AND NOOOOW, IT NEVER WILL!

RRRGH, THAT ROBOT.

THE ONLY SOLACE FOR ZIM IS MUFFINS AND TEAS WITH LITTLE TAPIOCA BUBBLES. THAT AND MAYBE THESE LITTLE TUMBL-CHAT DIVERSIONS.

50 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

Have you tried playing an instrument

ACTUALLY, I'VE TRIED SEVERAL... WITH MIXED RESULTS.

MINIMOOSE REALLY LIKES DRUMS AND EVERY TIME I TRIED TO BRING HOME A WIND INSTRUMENT... EH, THIS WOULD HAPPEN:

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55 notes - Posted May 26, 2022

OOOH! THE JUICE IS HERE!

@the-best-invader

70 notes - Posted June 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Have you tried drawing anything? Any little doodles?

YES, OF COURSE!

THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR ALL OF THE ALTERNATES ZIM HAS ENCOUNTERED, BUT BELOW ARE A FEW I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO SKETCH OUT.

@player-membrane @z-ib @space-roach0 @powerfulsexy-almighty-tallest@the-best-invader @z0mbeezbranez @agntm0thman @saves-from-stars @200-2im @the-galactic-hunters @thetrueultimatezim @askzim2000 @ukagaka-zim @kneltnotbowed @survivor-zim @nyanyanyaminimoose @gir-taqitooo @revengineer-tak @invader-t4k

313 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #TIME-LOOPZIM #QUITE A LOT HAS HAPPENED #ZIM WONDERS WHAT NEXT YEAR SHALL BRING #IZ Askblog Community

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calliecat93 · 2 years ago

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I posted 2,998 times in 2022

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I tagged 2,490 of my posts in 2022

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#rwby - 175 posts

#spones - 173 posts

#ask - 153 posts

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#encanto - 104 posts

#mckirk - 92 posts

Longest Tag: 122 characters

#maybe its just because their relationships with spock are so much more emphasized and mckirk requires a bit more attention

My Top Posts in 2022:

It would probably make sense for McCoy to have realized his feelings for Spock first since he’s more experienced and thus could probably recognize/act upon his feelings more readily… but for some reason I really like the idea of Spock falling for McCoy first. Just the thought of him having this crush on such an illlgical, easily provoked, volitile human that defies all logic and him having no idea how to deal with it but can’t really find it in him to fully supress it (and boy does he try) is both freakin’ hilarious and freakin’ adorable in my mind.

45 notes - Posted January 11, 2022

Well it’s Valentine’s Day everybody! Which means it’s time for another list! I ran out of ideas for Disney-inspired lists, I’m not ready to update the Top 10 Pairings list, and… let’s face it TOS has controlled my life for over a year so me doing a Spones list was the only thing that made any sense. So I decided to go ahead and list my Top 5 Favorite Spones episodes. Hope you all enjoy~!

#5. The Empath

Yep, we gotta start with the ‘McCoy knocks his friends out to sacrifice himself to be tortured’ episode. But can you blame me? There’s not too much to say about the first half, but the second half? Ho boy. We have Spock and McCoy wanting to sacrifice themselves so that the other won’t have to. That alone is just… damn. Then Spock tries to use McCoy knocking Kirk out to make himself the sacrificial lamb, with McCoy knocking him out to make sure that didn’t happen without any hesitation whatsoever. He just accepts his death so that Spock and Kirk will survive. It makes sense. Spock may not die, but the probability is he’ll be heavily brain damaged and that in itself is just as bad if not worst than death especially for a Vulcan. Of course, McCoy wasn’t going to let that happen. It shows a scary lack of self-concern, but I consider it the best McCoy Episode for a reason. Then Spock doesn’t at all argue with using the Vian device to teleport to him and… yeah. This is arguably the closest time we see a main character near death in the show (until Wrath of Khan of course) and it’s a beautiful yet heart-wrenching moment. Spock tries to keep it together but it’s clear that he’s having as hard of a time as Kirk is processing it and barely holding the emotions back. Lovely acting from Leonard Nimoy. And especially the moment where McCoy starts coughing, Spock trying to hold and comfort him at the same time, just holding him in the most gentle way imaginable, McCoy’s line about ‘good bedside manor’, and Spock looking about as on the verge of crying as a Vulcan could be and it shows just how much these two cared about each other. The reason that this is Number 5 is that in the end, I consider this a Triumvirate episode and this emphasizes and love and care between all three of them so beautifully. Spones certainly has some strong moments, but I don’t think it was particularly in focus enough to justify ranking it any higher compared to my other four picks. But it still deserves a spot on this list, so here it is~!

#4. Bread and Circuses

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61 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

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146 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

I was thinking about Operation: Annahilate and how McCoy made an arguably rash medical decision that he didn’t want to do that ended up blinding Spock (except not) after Spock and Kirk wanted him to and to end Spock’s pain. A decision yhat ended up being unecessary as he woukd have found out had he and the other two waited just a little longer. Thus he felt utterly awful about it to the point of being more or less unresponsive and that alone is just sad to watch…

…and then you realize that that wasn’t the first time he made an arguably rash medical decision despite not wanting to because a patient wanted him to end the pain that he found out was ultimately unecessary. Except instead of blinding someone and it turning out they were fine cause of Vulcan biology, his own father died from a terminal illness and it turned out he could have possibly been cured had McCoy just gotten him to wait just a little longer. If he had gotten himself to wait just a little longer.

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148 notes - Posted January 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

RIP Bob McGrath

372 notes - Posted December 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#…my top post was a rip post i did not even a week ako #welp #yeah this was not my most productive year #but MAN i needed the break

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airadam · 4 months ago

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Episode 182 : The People's Music

"I never did a dance for a dollar..."

- Buckshot

This month we don't shift into high gear in terms of tempo at any point, topping out at around 90, so those of you experiencing actual summer don't overheat! We've got some absolutely fire new releases in the mix alongside some versions that you might never have heard, plus some deep album cuts. We start things off with just such a track - if you don't own the album, I'd be willing to bet you've never heard it...never let it be said this is a show that leans on the obvious records!

Still a few tickets left to see Phat Kat at The Hip Hop Chip Shop on August 4th, plus me playing a special Detroit warmup set!

Mastodon : @[email protected]

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Above The Law ft. Kokane : Rain Be For Rain Bo

RIP KMG, who passed away twelve years ago this month. In a season where we maybe haven't had the sunshine we expected, this seemed like an appropriate choice - a downtempo but funky piece from the well-respected LP "Uncle Sam's Curse", Above The Law's third. Cold 187um not only produced the track but also provides the scene-setting first verse, while his cousin Kokane is on the hook, and KMG's second verse builds on the perfect setup. A lot of people were not ready to digest this LP fully when it came out, but if you have time to take a front-to-back listen, especially if you appreciate the West Coast sound, then do - you'll be rewarded.

Tavaras Jordan : Change, Pt. 2 (The Last Thing)

A beautifully smooth instrumental from this talented Hip-Hop and R&B producer out of North Carolina, taken from his short - but very sweet - 2019 "Manifest Destiny" album. Anything with this man's name on is worth a listen!

GZA : Animal Planet

The streets are a jungle, and nature is gangster. Another in GZA's series of themed tracks that started with "Labels" on "Liquid Swords", this grand-sounding Bink and Tyquan Walker-produced cut from "Legend Of The Liquid Sword" allows the Genius to demonstrate once again how he can build a concept track like few others.

Jay-Z ft. Damian Marley : Bam

One of my good friends always plays this track before job interviews, because these people have to "know who they F'in with", to quote Jay-Z! This collaboration with Damian Marley from the "4:44" LP is one of my personal highlights of that release, and the producer No I.D. goes straight to a reggae classic to provide the raw material, the mighty "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy.

Black Moon : General Feva

The "Rise Of Da Moon" album, Black Moon's first after a sixteen-year layoff, seemed to go under-appreciated by many, but I for one was very pleased to see the Brooklyn legends release that LP in 2019. Da Beatminerz on production of course, for some slow, loping boom-bap that is a little dark for summer perhaps, but perfect for this slide towards some sandpaper-type roughness.

Cut Beetlez x Bronx Slang : I'm Not Chillin

If the last track was raw, this is the cow still wandering around in the field! Finland's Cut Beetlez production team linked up with the always-NY Bronx Slang for a brand new EP, from which this is the title cut. As soon as Jerry Beeks told me it was out I had it in my headphones and even after repeated listens, I knew this was the track to go with right here! The sonics snarl, thump, and grind, and yet you can hear every word from the MCs, who just seem to keep getting better with time and can give you the business regardless of the pace of the track.

[J-Zone] Al-Shid : Fight Club (Instrumental)

He may be a full-time and high-quality drummer now, but I'll always remember the originality J-Zone brought to Hip-Hop production for so many years. There's no-one who sounded quite like him, and this instrumental of a track from Al-Shid's debut single is a great example - some might say quirky, but in terms of quality, very serious.

Conductor Williams & Boldy James : Flying Trapeze Act

Too many people think that street rap and lyrical creativity can't go together, but this song from the "Across The Tracks" LP by Kansas City producer Conductor Williams and Detroit's Boldy James, thankfully still with us after a serious accident, have both in spades. The Conductor's track clearly treats its original sample in a pretty extreme fashion (you can hear the warbling which the processing likely introduced) but then adds the subtlest of kick-snare to quietly drive it along, and the vocals left in just add extra soulful flavour beneath Boldy's voice. As he moves between straight description, metaphor, and simile - especially the last punchy one in the hook that gives the track its title - Boldy James puts in excellent work.

El Michels Affair ft. Raekwon : The PJs (Instrumental/Vocal)

I needed to lead with the instrumental just to provide a nice bridge in, but it's always a pleasure to hear the brilliant El Michels Affair play! This is a re-recording of the track "The PJs" from Pete Rock's 2008 LP "NY's Finest" - no Masta Killa this time, but Raekwon returns to do his verses over with some small changes. El Michels Affair, in turn, base their instrumental performance around the way Pete Rock worked the original sample, but with some subtle flourishes. "The PJs...From Afar" is a 12" single well worth adding to your collection.

Da Beatminerz ft. Black Moon : Anti

Black Moon again, because why not? This time we go with their appearance on the new Da Beatminerz project "Stifled Creativity" (bearing in mind that Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz is also an actual member of the group) for one of the highlights of the LP. Over a slow, reflective, almost funereal take on the groove best known from Souls of Mischief's "93 'Til Infinity", Buckshot speaks on his journey as an independent artist and label owner (Duck Down) in a straightforward manner while maintaining that trademark flow. To maintain a thirty-plus year independent career through the changes in the industry is quite a feat - salute.

O.C. : This Is Me

This is a track I've always enjoyed, but which I think escaped a lot of people's notice. A selection from the overlooked "Smoke And Mirrors" LP, O.C.'s fifth, it's a track where he speaks on his career-long determination to follow his own path and ignore the trends - in fact, it's spiritually very close to the Beatminerz/Black Moon track that precedes it here. Mike Loe takes a late-70s soul sample, turns the speed up a touch and provides an excellent musical backdrop for the lyrics.

MF DOOM : Dead Bent (Original 12" Instrumental)

If you know the "Operation Doomsday" LP but not this, it would sound like an overstatement to say that the version of "Dead Bent" on the album is a "refined" version of anything, as rough-and-ready as the whole release is, but you can hear that this original is even more beautifully unpolished. Self-produced by the late great DOOM, you can find this not only on the original 12" mentioned in the title, but also on some later reissued versions of the album, containing alternate versions, B-sides, and instrumentals - essential for the DOOM fan.

Dubbul O & Cutterz : Stay Gold

Stellar new release out of Manchester, with this familiar duo (and half of Voodoo Black) headlining their new "Stay Gold" EP with this title track. If you've lost someone close, this one will hit you hard, with Dubbul O's deeply personal lyrics coming through strong over Cutterz' production which is somehow both optimistic and moody at the same time. Definitely check for that five-track EP.

Mecca:83, Phat Kat, and Guilty Simpson : Don't Stop

Exclusive! *Sounds airhorn* Manchester's own Mecca:83 blessed me with a copy of this as-yet unreleased track, with his warm and bumping production backing up two giants of the Detroit scene, Phat Kat and Guilty Simpson. Two cities famous for their industries come together for a great musical union!

Dilated People : The Main Event

I'll be honest - of the three tracks on the classic underground "Work The Angles" 12" single, this is the one I play the least, but the Alchemist-produced middle track on the release (also on 2000's "The Platform" LP) definitely deserves respect. Rakaa Iriscience steps all the way back here and makes space for Evidence to get busy on both verses. The samples of some of the Hip-Hop greats for the hook rounds off the whole package nicely.

Nas & Statik Selektah : Dead Presidence

(That's not my spelling, it's what they printed on the labels of "The Prophecy EP"!) Jay-Z and Ski famously sampled the "presidents that represent me" line from Nas' "The World Is Yours" for "Dead Presidents" on the classic "Reasonable Doubt", but on this track Statik Selektah reverses the game and blends the vocals from the Nas track with Ski's instrumental, and while the original is a flawless cut, these two pieces do fit together beautifully as well.

Marco Polo : Ps & Qs (Remix Instrumental)

MPC magic from Marco Polo, from his entry in the "Baker's Dozen" producer series, with clean drums, a live-sounding bass, and guitar licks placed to perfection.

Camp Lo ft. Jungle Brown : Hold On

I've always loved the way this track ends, and as such thought it needed to be played in a position where that portion can be heard uninterrupted. It's not just the closing track here but also the finisher on the 2009 "Stone And Rob : Caught On Tape" album. Jungle Brown is one of the few MCs to make repeated features with the Lo, and he does his thing alongside the legendary Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede while also co-producing it with Apple Juice Kid. If you're a fan of the group, definitely seek out this release as there are some absolute heaters on there, including the back-to-back of "On Smash" and "89 of Crime".

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

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eld-mandate · 10 months ago

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Top 5 Podcasts Perfect for Your Trucking Journey

With a staggering 88 million podcast listeners in the country and an estimated annual growth of 20 million, podcasts have become an integral part of people's lives. For truck drivers spending long hours on the road, the monotony of solo driving can be broken with various options, and one excellent choice is listening to podcasts.

What Are Podcasts?

Podcasts, audio or video files available for download on mobile devices or computers, cover a vast array of topics. Coined in 2004 by Ben Hammersley, a BBC journalist, the term "podcast" combines "iPod" and "broadcast." Unlike traditional radio shows, podcasts offer the flexibility of on-demand listening anytime, anywhere.

The History of Podcasting

Often referred to as the "Podfather," Adam Curry, along with Dave Winer, played a crucial role in automating content delivery to portable audio players in the early 2000s. By 2005, Apple's formal support for podcasting through iTunes increased accessibility and convenience, marking a significant milestone in podcast history.

Why Should Truck Drivers Listen to Podcasts?

1. Free Downloads

Most podcasts are free, providing entertainment without added expenses. Downloading episodes allows uninterrupted listening, even in areas with weak cellular signals.

2. Variety of Content and Length

Podcasts offer diverse topics, catering to individual interests. Whether a trucker prefers a short, informative podcast or a longer, in-depth discussion, the variety ensures there's something for everyone.

3. Convenient Setting Options

Podcast apps offer customizable settings, allowing users to download episodes using Wi-Fi or cellular data, providing flexibility based on preferences and connectivity.

4. Wide Array of Topics

Podcasts cover an extensive range of subjects, including current affairs, sports, economics, fiction, history, comedy, and, of course, trucking. There's a podcast for every mood and interest.

How to Listen to a Podcast?

Using a podcasting app is the best way to enjoy podcasts. Popular apps include Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn Radio, and RadioPublic. These platforms make it easy to discover, subscribe, and enjoy podcasts.

How to Find the Most Appropriate Podcast?

Most podcasting apps feature top charts, making it simple to discover popular podcasts. Users can also search for specific shows or interests, allowing them to tailor their podcast experience. Subscribing to favourite shows ensures a continuous stream of new episodes.

Popular Podcasts for Truck Drivers

While there are countless podcasts to choose from, here are five popular recommendations based on conversations with truck drivers:

1. Reply All

Hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, Reply All covers a wide range of topics, offering a mix of news, humour, and internet trivia. With over 182 episodes on SoundCloud and a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, it's a favourite among listeners.

2. Myths and Legends

Hosted by Jason Weiser, Myths and Legends revisits ancient tales with a modern twist. With over 197 episodes, each around 45 minutes, it's an entertaining and educational choice for any drive.

3. Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast

Comedian Bill Burr hosts this popular podcast, sharing his take on personal experiences, current events, and more. Released every Monday and Thursday, it's a humorous and engaging option for listeners.

4. The Joe Rogan Experience

Hosted by Joe Rogan, this podcast, launched in 2009, features lengthy conversations with a diverse range of guests. Known for its variety and depth, each episode, lasting around 3 hours, provides ample entertainment for long-haul truckers.

5. Trucker Dump Podcast and Blog

Hosted by Todd McCann, a truck driver since 1997, this podcast focuses on the trucking industry and community. With over 141 episodes, it combines education with entertainment, offering insights into the life of a truck driver.While these recommendations are based on conversations with truck drivers, it's essential to note that views expressed in the shows are not endorsed. The goal is to provide entertainment and variety for truckers during their journeys.

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chorusfm · 11 months ago

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Liner Notes (January 13th, 2024)

Ringing in 2024 with a new newsletter. We have some thoughts on music out this week and some early thoughts on music coming in the first part of the year. Can it live up to 2023? We’re about to find out. If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here. A Few Things * And we’re back! At the end of every year, I always find myself struggling with what to write about on a week-to-week basis. When the entire music industry goes into hibernation, and no new music is being released, I also tend to hunker down. I spend a lot of time reviewing albums I listened to during the year to prepare for building my favorite albums of the year list, and I like to look for things I’ve missed or spent less time with throughout the year. Oh, and listen to a lot of holiday music. And when I don’t have a lot of new things to write about, it’s more challenging to carve out the space to sit down and write knowing I don’t have a lot of content to mine from. So, it was nice to take a little break. November and December are two of my favorite months of the year, and this year was no exception. Now we’re into January, and I’m feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the new year. * We published our annual favorite albums of the year list this week. My personal list of albums, movies, TV shows, and other stuff can be found here. I listened to more music in 2023 than in any previous year, and the difficulty I had in choosing my favorite albums of the year showed the year’s strength. So many bands that I loved for years came out with albums that I feel sit proudly in their storied discographies. And so many new artists I discovered that I’ll be following for years to come. * A few quick hits to get caught up on things from the past few months: I’m exploring how I want to move this newsletter from Substack. I originally started using the platform for the backend because it was easy to set up quickly and would let me take my audience with me if I wanted to. And now I want to. Idiots run the company, and the latest Nazi defending is the final straw. No one subscribed will need to do anything; it will be a seamless transition. Once I move the newsletter backend over, I’ll start linking directly to the website’s archive for these posts, and that will be the place where new subscribers can sign up. And that’s a better way to do this anyway: keep everything in-house. I’ll have to build a new email template, so it’ll probably be a few weeks until I’m ready to move fully, but it is happening. (If you use the Substack RSS feed, please replace it with the official one.) * Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve (finally) been going through the archive of the Chris Demakes a Podcast to check out episodes from some of my favorite bands/songs. It’s quite good. I love how they break down songs, and I’ve heard stories from Blink-182, Sum 41, Simple Plan, Yellowcard, MxPx, and New Found Glory that I’d never heard told before about the making of some of their most iconic songs. It’s become my default “while making/eating lunch” podcast. * I finally moved from Deliveries to Parcel as my package tracking app of choice. The built-in Amazon integration is nice, and it actually works with all the major shipping platforms. It gets my recommendation. In Case You Missed It * Chorus. fm’s Top 30 Albums of 2023 * Jason Tate’s Top Albums of 2023 * Yellowcard Announce New Collaboration Album * Third Eye Blind and Yellowcard Announce Tour * Craig Manning’s Top Albums of 2023 * Adam Grundy’s Top Albums of 2023 * SCP Merchandising Closes Down * Garrett Lemons’ Top Albums of 2023 * Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties Announces New Album * Albums in Stores – Jan 12th, 2024 Music Thoughts * A lot of my music listening through December was holiday music. Of course all the staples, and all the pop-punk staples, but also just throwing on instrumental or piano versions of classic songs to have on in the… https://chorus.fm/features/articles/liner-notes-january-13th-2024/

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animusiem · 1 year ago

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Billboard USA Exclusion Zone Episode 14 (06/03/2023)

This week felt a bit...weird. I think it's because some of these songs are just there you know? Anyways no more wasting time let's get through this.

-----------------------------------------------------

2. "WHERE SHE GOES" by Bad Bunny

There's three big trends that has been happening over the course of the year. Regional Mexican sound going mainstream, lazy sampling, and the rise of Jersey club. Jersey club's impact so far on the global stage is basically that one Lil Uzi Vert and the remix of Players. But, now Jersey club has its biggest hit with this Bad Bunny song. I'd say that for those who wanna get into this genre, this song is a great introduction with more fuller production and the familiarity of the Bad Bunny formula with the synth and the subject matter of hostile back and forth relationship drama. Overall a great tune.

12. "Angel Pt. 1" by Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, JVKE, Jimin, & Muni Long

I'll just rank every performance here because this song is kinda boring. Muni Long = Jimin >>>> NLE Choppa >>>> Kodak Black > JVKE.

19. "Say Yes To Heaven" by Lana Del Rey

If there's one thing TikTok is good at is making deepcuts and even unreleased demo from an artist whom are still on an album cycle. It happened with The Weeknd and seems like it happened with Lana Del Rey too.

36. "TQM" by Fuerza Regida

You know I would've joked about how this song correlates with TQG but this song is generic enough even by corrido standard that I just ehhhhhhhhh.

89. "Amagura" by Karol G

I think I might like this song more than half of Manana Sera Bonito. It all came down to the vocal melody which is very nice indeed.

90. "Bite Me" by ENHYPEN

You know my friend actually love this band. So this is a perfect opportunity for me to listen to their sound. I would say that they're doing the ITZY sound but doing it 80%.

93. "America Has A Problem" by Beyonce ft. Kendrick Lamar

It's kinda nice to hear Beyonce paying homage to early southern rap with the Kilo samples. And Kendrick Lamar always love to experiment his flow with his features and this one is no different. I wish both of them have a better chemistry tbh.

100. "Mourning" by Post Malone

NOW THIS IS WHAT I WANT MISERABLE EMO POSTY TO SOUND LIKE. No but seriously if the next album sounds like this song, I think it's gonna be as great as Hollywood's Bleeding.

169. "Vagabundo" by Sebastian Yatra, Manuel Turizo & Beele

I wonder what would come after reggaeton if and when the genre will become unpopular. Seems like it's gonna be either merengue, bachata, or regional mexican sound. Honestly I would love more merengue that sounds like this.

174. "69" by Nicky Jam X Feid

Why does this song sounds like it sampled Your Mines Still by Yung Bleu? Also I think I can say that I am sick of Feid. He's very bland and his success baffled me even more than Peso Pluma this year.

182. "Novo Balanco" by VEIGH

Speaking of rising trend, I think Brazilian trap music will be the next trend worldwide I'm predicting it now.

187. "The Best" by Tina Turner

Rest in Power Tina Turner.

I highly recommend everyone to listen to these songs.

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pandoramusicbox09 · 2 years ago

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I posted 1,518 times in 2022

51 posts created (3%)

1,467 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@izupie

@everythingfox

@a-lonely-tatertot

@bunjywunjy

@thelastpilot

I tagged 902 of my posts in 2022

Only 41% of my posts had no tags

#critical role spoilers - 202 posts

#cr spoilers - 198 posts

#cr3 spoilers - 182 posts

#critical role - 180 posts

#cr - 163 posts

#orym of the air ashari - 134 posts

#dorian storm - 94 posts

#acofaf - 93 posts

#a court of fey and flowers - 91 posts

#mustlovedogs - 82 posts

Longest Tag: 101 characters

#i was checking tumblr before heading out and i saw my uk friend making a post about the queen’s death

My Top Posts in 2022:

Does anyone else still get emotional about Yasha’s sad and quiet “I have so many flowers to bring to her” or are the rest of you normal?

28 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

“If you are orphaned, then so am I. And you will never know a lonely day again, as long as I draw breath.” - (Former Major Knickolas Pnackolas Hob)

40 notes - Posted November 10, 2022

So that last episode has put me in deep in Dorian feelings

Everyone has said it much better than I can. But I was absolutely gutted after that whole last scene. Dorian throwing the outfit he was going to wear to the ball into the closet in exchange for a severe, militaristic outfit in order to play of the role of Bronte Secondsun Wyvernwind of the Silken Squall; my heart just broke into a million pieces for him.

There’s one bit that honestly though stuck out to me that every time I think about it, I want to cry.

Dorian pulls out that chiffon outfit and states that “he got so long ago” and just looks at it before crumpling it along with the mask. That chiffon outfit was the one he got and wore during the Gem of Byroden pageant all those months ago. He stated at that time that while they were in the tent with the different outfits, he had it in his hands and was just looking at it before he decided he wanted to be a part of the pageant.

Then the scene transitions to Dorian tentatively asking Opal if the pageant was only for the ladies, to which Opal replies, loudly and excitedly, “No, no anyone can join!” And then he asks her if she minds them competing against her, which she very emphatically says “No! Of course not! In fact...” and then Opal gives Dorian and Fearne the option to act as a live band for her during her act during the talent portion of the pageant. But, honestly, Opal really wanted her friends to participate in the pageant with her and have fun. She was so excited when Fearne, Dorian and Dariax said they would join.

Dorian then proceeds to blow everyone away during the formal dress portion of the pageant with beautiful sheer chiffon outfit and floating himself above the crowd. Whimsical, beautiful, “giving them [the crowd] all the charm and machismo that he has to offer.” Afterward, he goes backstage to his friends, enthusiastically clapping for him and telling him how amazing and “hot” he is. Dorian is “flushed” and thanks Opal for the chance to be able to do that because he’s “always wanted to do that or something like that.” He does get embarrassed later on but at that moment, he was so happy and excited.

Here’s the thing: it’s probably safe to say that even though there are pageants where he comes from, he clearly has never been in one. He was so nervous about joining the pageant at first. So much so that he pretty much begged Dariax to join with him for moral support. But he really wanted to participate. He clearly wanted to join and show off who he is and be accepted for what he presents.

And then, during the pageant and afterwards, he’s not only accepted but celebrated for his show. That sheer, shimmering, chiffon beige outfit with the deep V cut that goes down all the way to bottom of his waist. The whole thing showing off his “svelte, muscular form”. His ancestral winged boots that carried him over the crowd, wowing them with his unexpected artistry and charm. More than anything, at the end of that pageant, he may not have won but he was happy, he had fun, he felt alive and excited; so much so that he initiated a drinking contest with Fearne and Dariax as a sort of after-party.

As nervous as he was, the Gem of Byroden pageant was probably the first time Dorian was able to express who he really was and be completely accepted for it. Whimsical, free, beautiful, artistic. He was so happy.

But then, we fast-forward to the Marquet and the ball they are to attend.

Dorian takes that chiffon outfit that he so clearly loves so much that he literally carried it with him from Byroden to Jrusar. The one that he got and wore “so long ago it seems”. He’s just looking at it but not in the same way he was looking at it in the tent in Byroden. And then he tosses it to the bottom of the wardrobe (not even hanging it, just crumples it up and tosses it, ow my heart), and takes an outfit that is “more appropriate” to get the job done. More befitting of Prince Bronte Secondsun Wyvernwind of the Silken Squall. Severe, almost militaristic, nothing whimsy about it.

This is what Bronte is (what Dorian was raised with the expectation of being). Serious, restrained, muted, authoritarian. And he is miserable.

You see it in the way Robbie (which oh my god, what a performance!) plays out the scene. Dorian dismisses his friends’ concern for him, refuses to look at any of them for a while. He’s trying to hold himself together through the disappointment and misery and reminds himself that “he’s the best person for the job”.

Dorian throws away the physical reminder of a time he was so happy just being himself in order to don the identity of someone he hated and was forced to endure being until he could get away.

Oh my god though, the way EVERYONE tunes in as well.

Laudna immediately questioning the rest of the group if this is a good idea, not because she thinks the plan won’t work but because “we don’t want to cause undue trauma”.

Imogen asking Dorian in his mind if he’s alright with this plan (to which Dorian very tersely replies that “it’s fine”, not even looking at her because of course, he’s fine, he’s the best person for the job. He’s used to giving up what he truly wants for the benefit of other people, this isn’t new to him 😥).

Fearne asking Orym for his thoughts and Orym, being very careful and slow with his words. “He’s the best person for the job.” “Dorian has talked us out of 20 different situations” “He’s the best fit” but Orym’s body is stiff. He’s leaning forward, covering his mouth, almost like he’s trying to filter out his words to what he thinks is appropriate, not necessarily what he feels. Orym knew how excited Dorian was for the ball and there’s an unsaid “I hate that this is happening to Dorian” in Orym’s body language while talking to Fearne.

This is followed immediately by Orym saying he was going to stay with Dorian while they were deciding who should be in which group. As well as, Fearne agreeing immediately to being with Dorian when asked (because she loves her boys and the thought of being away from them makes her very sad).

Also, those little smiles one Liam, Ashley and Laura’s faces when he described the outfit he was planning on wearing. My heart hurts!

Ashton also cluing in and while they initially volunteered to be with Dorian as a bodyguard, they revise and tell Dorian “you should have final say to who you want at your side”. Honestly, I feel like part of it is that Ashton felt guilty because they were the one who initially, very enthusiastically, volunteered Dorian to play the part of the noble, not realizing what that would do to Dorian emotionally. I think Ashton clued in but it was too late and so they decided the next best thing was to give Dorian as much autonomy in his choice to who would accompany him.

The only ones I couldn’t get a good read on was Chetney and FCG. I think with FCG, they could probably sense that Dorian isn’t alright but might not have a good bead into why. There was that whole discussion beforehand with “designation” and what that means. Also during “What the fuck is up with that?” several episodes back, FCG stated that “it seems like you would be proud to come from a fabled, noble tradition.” I have my own thoughts but I think I need to see more going further.

God, this is a monster of post. I just wanted to contrast the moment Dorian got his chiffon outfit in Byroden to the moment when he tossed it into Eshteross’s wardrobe and how thinking about all those moments in-between and all the implications fucking broke my hearts into a million pieces.

Fuck me, I’m just going to go cry in a corner now.

48 notes - Posted February 8, 2022

Oh god, I just had a cursed thought

It’s been implied a few times already in this latest episode that Dorian might be mistaken for his brother and be captured/killed for the bounty. We also know that Dorian gave the second Sending Stone to Cyrus and didn’t tell the rest of the party.

What if, for some godforsaken reason, Dorian gets taken for the bounty and he’s unable to get back to the group. Orym, immediately uses the Sending Stone to try to locate him and ends up contacting Cyrus instead. At that point, Orym and the rest of the party realize that Dorian’s gone and they have no way of being able to contact him/ find out where he is or where he is being taken or if he’s even still alive.

And now, I’m imagining how Orym will react. I’m subscribed to the idea that Orym is a widower who lost his husband in that attack 6 years ago. There’s some pretty strong evidence to show that Orym is starting to develop feelings for Dorian (the flower in the hair, clutching the Sending Stone so tightly he bruises his hand, Liam himself saying that Orym “really like Dorian a lot” etc.). Can you fucking imagine what would go through Orym’s head at that point? He already had to go through a heartbreaking loss once before. He already had to go through the feeling of being unable to protect someone he loved before. And now, after all this time when he finds himself falling for someone again (which must carry its own set of complicated feelings), he is unable to protect Dorian. Orym could possibly lose him and he is helpless to stop it.

Oh fuck, I just hurt myself thinking about this.

80 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The last episode has me in my Orym feelings again

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!

My heart was just breaking while watching Orym while they were meeting Oshad. Liam is a master at using his body and facial expressions to convey everything we need to know how a character is feeling. There was actually a moment when I was a little jarred watching Liam because I was suddenly thinking how much Orym resembled Caleb in that moment.

Then I had a thought that just shatter my heart into a million pieces.

Here’s the thing, I love how Liam constantly acts out different things/ says certain things that reminds everyone that he’s a 3′3″ Halfling. But I had a realization that without those reminders, it’s very easy to forget that Orym is “so wee”, as he puts it. It’s not even really about Liam not being a small dude. When Orym sits, he’s leaning back into the chair with an arm swung over the back; he takes up as much space as possible without it really encroaching into another person’s space. Dorian and Fearne have always taken leadership cues from Orym and the others very readily turn to him too when he does take initiative in a situation (i.e. the conversation with Tefta). When they’re in battle, Orym is all over the place, maximizing his movement and his actions play the field. Just the fact that his battle maneuver, Bait and Switch, has him switching positions with an ally and shielding them gives this image of stalwart protector; a wall between a threat and a friend. Orym, as quiet and soft-spoken as he is, feels like he takes up more space than he physically does.

Which brings me to one specific scene during the meeting with Oshad Breshio.

When the party is waiting in the kitchen for Ginang Ela Lumas to come back; Orym was folded in on himself. He was clutching his arm with the tattoo on it; specifically his upper arm where the two moons of Exandria are; Ruidus being cradled in Catha (which adds a whole new level of hurt if we subscribe to the idea that the two moons represent Orym and his late husband, but I digress). Orym was holding himself and looking down. It was really the first time I ever saw Orym actually look that small. Like he was trying to protect himself from something, like he was trying to hide.

Orym doesn’t say a thing in that waiting period. When he does speak to Oshad, it’s careful, slow, his face is tight and his eyes look so sad and desperate. Orym looks nothing like the focused, stoic fighter on a mission. He looks like he’s barely holding himself together and is trying to find a line to pull keep himself from falling.

When they’re saying their goodbyes and Orym clasps Oshad’s arm, he says “Let’s do the same to them”. In the context of what they had just spoken about, Orym is obviously referring to the assassins. But even, without the context and Oshad’s response, it could be heard in Orym’s tone of voice; it’s cold, it’s angry. Orym before this has never shown a penchant for vengeance, even after Bertrand’s death. If anything, after Bertrand died, it seemed more like Orym’s main priority was removing possible threat to his friends’ safety. But after this talk with Oshad, it’s clear. Orym wants those assassins to pay for what they did.

And then the reactions from everyone else!

It was clear the moment they stepped into room with Oshad that this mission was deeply personal for Orym. This group typically has no problem racing each other to ask questions, probing for information from whoever is in the room. Yet, during that entire conversation, even though the whole group was in the room too, no one else said a word. All of them kept a respectful distance and silence, sensing that Orym was on a thin emotional tether. They only really spoke up when it seemed like Orym addressed them directly or when it seemed that meeting with Oshad was wrapping up. Even so, the rest of the party spoke softly and only really saying what was strictly necessary. Ashton, quietly telling Orym that it takes a few days to get to the Heartmoor, FCG expressing his condolences to Ela Lumas as they were about to the leave, Imogen gently asking a steward how old the twins were, Laudna, just as gently, asking Orym if he had any other information as to what it seemed like the assassins were after and then dropping it when Orym told her honestly what the working theory was and that he really didn’t know more than that. Everyone just realizing how hard this was for Orym and being so kind.

I honestly don’t know where I’m going with this. Just that I think this was such as beautiful scene that also broke my heart. Orym, this lil murder man, is already murdering my feelings.

153 notes - Posted January 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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august-atwood · 2 years ago

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I posted 232 times in 2022

That's 232 more posts than 2021!

9 posts created (4%)

223 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@frankieking

@raj-veerapen

@amaya-veerapen

@penned-cbarbosa

@chris-grimaldi

I tagged 231 of my posts in 2022

#t: frankie - 118 posts

#t: raj - 35 posts

#p: frankie - 20 posts

#t: amaya - 18 posts

#o: amaya - 17 posts

#swwedding - 15 posts

#p: celeste - 7 posts

#p: chris - 6 posts

#p: zari - 6 posts

#p: xavier - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 97 characters

#((and they're going to be like uhhhh about it because auggie doesn't know if amaya knows or not))

My Top Posts in 2022:

@frankieking

Happy Birthday, babe!

I cannot wait to celebrate you & celebrate with you all weekend. I hope you like your presents and don’t think they’re too cheesy.

Love you! Your Auggie

Contents

Suitcase backpack (with 3 packing cubes) that fits under an airplane seat

Daisy passport & credit card holder

Not A Girl t-shirt

SDCC selfie printed on a canvas

2 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

First Not-Date | Frauggie

Featuring: August & Frankie @frankieking Location: The Black Keys Time: The night before the Thomeste wedding Mentions: Raj @raj-veerapen Notes: Raj was working at the same time as August, so I imagine he witnessed everything that happened before August took their break.

--FRANKIE-- What does one wear to meet someone they've already made a date with for the first time? It's the age of technology. Come on, Frankie, pull yourself together. In their 20-something some odd years, they haven't fully discovered the ability to do this. This being meeting someone they're kind of interested in but too chicken shit to really put themselves out there. They blame their grandmother. Obviously, raising Frankie wasn't and couldn't have been easy. Between their constant desire to learn and need for stimulation and the troubles they had caused in their younger years, grandma King had her hands full with young Frankie. But oh how they miss her now. After going through several outfits, they settled on a Blink 182 cropped top and black biker shorts with doc Martens on their feet. There was no time for updos or anything else. The curls would have to do and hopefully, the lighting at the bar would be kind to them. Once they had arrived, Frankie immediately approached the bartop and leaned in to kiss Raj on the cheek. "Hi. I'm here. Well, obviously I'm here. Why would I say that? Do I look okay? I brought a ring light with me. Don't ask. Do you even know what a ring light is? Oh!" Raj began backing away and Frankie noticed August standing behind him. "You heard all of that, didn't you?"

--AUGUST-- August was both excited and a bit nervous about going to the wedding with Frankie. It would kind of be their first date. They didn't know anyone who went to a wedding on a first date. Of course they told Raj all about their conversation with Frankie and how it ended up with them agreeing to go to the wedding together. August just left out all the bits about Mission Parent Trap. They didn't even notice when Frankie came into the bar because they were helping a customer, but when they heard Frankie talking, August knew who it was. They had seen Ship-Wrecked, and they had seen a few episodes of Frankie's entertainment show. Between serving people, they glanced over and heard what Frankie said about a ring light. August chuckled a little and gave Frankie a wave. "I heard the last half of it," they grinned. Frankie was even cuter in person, which August didn't think was possible. "Hi. In-person."

--FRANKIE-- Frankie watched Raj disappear into the wild from the corner of their eye. It was so dad-like it was actually comical. A chuckle escaped their lips and they shook their head as if telling him from a distance they'd get him somehow. And well, they were going to go through with that promise at the wedding. Setting their entire focus and gaze on August, they slipped onto a stool and grinned. There was something so refreshing about August. They were outgoing and bold which were two things Frankie struggled with. One would think that being on E! every evening would help with that but Frankie was one of those extroverted introverts. That's how most people described them. "Ah, so the ring light part? I got you one. To show off your face. People will love it..." Their words trailed off for a bit, finding themselves caught up in the said nice face. "Hello. Live and in color! How's your night going?"

--AUGUST-- "Oh! The ring light is for me. It's for the TikTok stuff, right?" August asked. They got so caught up in flirting with Frankie that they forgot they were going to help with the account stuff. As soon as Frankie sat down, August filled up a glass with ice water and handed it over. "It's better now," they said, giving a flirty smile. August knew Frankie was sober and would never suggest a cocktail, however August had a strong mocktail game. "Do you want something fancy to drink? No alcohol in it," they promised. "Just tell me what kinds of flavors you like, and I'll make something up."

--FRANKIE-- "Yeah! Get you those followers and that creator fund flowing." Frankie had become invested in wanting to help August get to their goals but it also helped how great they were. "Oh God, there they go again." Frankie chuckled, bringing the glass to their lips to hide the obvious grin on their face. It was nice of them to remember the sobriety. Frankie appreciated that so much that they found themselves staring again. "Um..." Tucking a curl behind their ear, Frankie cleared their throat, setting the glass down. "Thank you. I'd love something fancy. Pineapple and coconut? Or Mango? Something Tropical. I can pretend we're on the island after all."

--AUGUST-- August laughed a little bit, but they were glad for the help. Any help would be good and would get them one step closer toward their goal of being a full-time traveler and blogger. "You had to know that was coming," they grinned and watched the look on Frankie's face. The way they got bashful was even cuter than how August imagined it. "You're welcome. Tropical flavors are the best. I can absolutely whip something up for you. Something blended? It's warm out." August grabbed the blender along with some pineapple juice, coconut cream, and ice. They blended it all together for a virgin piña colada. And in the glass, August swirled a bit of strawberry puree before pouring the piña colada in. Then they garnished it with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry. "Here we go. A virgin Lava Flow. If you hate it, I'll make you something else."

--FRANKIE-- "I did and yet there go my cheeks! Right on time." Frankie kept their glass of water near, choosing to sit on their knees to lean in slightly and get a good look at August at work. Something about the whole scenario was very attractive to them and it was probably obvious considering they're gaze never tore away from August. "Oo yes blended sounds amazing." When the drink had been prepared and brought to them, Frankie moved to sit back down on their bottom. "How can I hate the most beautiful thing I've ever seen?!" They chuckled and then gathered some of the cocktail on to the straw before bringing it to their lips for a taste. "Oh my gosh..." Frankie then took one nice, long sip. "So good!! Thank you!! I think I'll have to come in every time you're working."

--AUGUST-- They looked at Frankie's cheeks and grinned. August just wanted to reach out and feel how warm they were when they blushed. "You're so fucking cute," they grinned. It was hard to focus with Frankie watching them, but August was determined to show off a little bit and make sure there was a fancy and delicious drink to put in front of Frankie. While it wasn't a date, they could still flirt. "It's nothing. Just a drink I learned how to make in Hawaii. I'm really glad you like it, though." August grinned widely when Frankie said they might have to come in every time they worked. "I wouldn't be opposed to that. Though you're probably busy with your own work."

--FRANKIE-- Truly, Frankie can't remember the last time they felt so flustered or rather, anyone flustered them. It was like they had met their match in August which, in this case, wasn't a bad thing. Biting their bottom lip at the compliment, they found themselves completely smitten with the bartender. "It is waayyyy better hearing you say it." It was almost too easy, flirting with August and talking to them as if they had been doing this forever. "And this is so impressive! But yeah, you made me forget all about work." Frankie chuckled before taking another sip. "I'll come by when I wrap up." The determination in their voice was evident. Frankie just wanted to see them again. "You know, help you with your blog, bother Raj, state at your cute butt. The usual. And maybe you can take me out for a burger. As gratitude for the blog, of course. No other hidden reason."

--AUGUST-- It was August's turn to blush. They smiled at Frankie and tried to play it off cool, but they were really glad their flirting was successful. It would be impossible not to like Frankie. It wasn't just that they were beautiful, but they were cool, funny, and witty. "Did I? Well, go me," they chuckled. "You can come by anytime. I'll just make sure you know my schedule." August thought Frankie's determination was so cute. They were just as determined to see the other again. "You think my butt is cute, eh? But yeah, no other reason than helping me with my blog." August felt like their smile would never go away in Frankie's presence. "A burger with no ulterior motive. With burgers, we also have to get milkshakes, right?"

--FRANKIE-- Frankie continued enjoying their drink, sipping from the tiny cocktail straw, brown eyes on August as they spoke. "Oh, Raj is going to kill me for being here so often." They giggled softly before taking a break from the beverage. "What? Its a cute butt!! And yea super important. That blog of yours." Frankie smirked, enjoying August's company. Raj was so right. They'd be sure to sing his praises later. "A no ulterior motive burger. Yes with milkshakes and fries. Helps with the business chatter...”

--AUGUST-- “Will he?” August wondered, grinning a bit. “Maybe his plan is working too well,” they chuckled. “Thank you. Thank you very much,” August said and shook their hips a bit. “Mhm. Totally. The blog is super important. As is TikTok.” They were just happy for any excuse to see Frankie. Raj was totally right about them. Frankie was adorable and perfect for them. “That sounds like a great Business Meeting date.”

--FRANKIE-- "I mean, what if I distract you?" Frankie couldn't help but laugh at August moving their hips. "Oh my God. Has anyone ever told you that you're a ham?" Frankie then rested their cheeks on their hands, propping their self up by their elbows. It was like being back in high school again. August was too cute for words and quick with the comebacks. It was nice talking to someone who could easily keep up with them. "And you have to walk me home. Its part of the business transaction protocol..."

--AUGUST-- “I can still do my job and talk to customers, even though I just want to talk to you all night,” August smiled. “Every day of my life,” they laughed and watched Frankie lean their face on their hands. “Is it too much to tell you again how fucking cute you are?” They asked and shook their head. Frankie was someone new, but the way they got along felt like they knew each other forever. It was so refreshing. “I assume holding hands is standard business transaction protocol as well?”

--FRANKIE-- "Oh, gosh. You're killing me." Frankie's voice was just above a whisper, unable to contain themselves much longer. "Well, it's true. You should model with that ham-esque personality of yours." Frankie bowed their head slightly and giggled, their face completely on fire. "It is. It is too much but I'll take it because you're really charming and you remember things like not to give me alcohol..." Frankie's gaze then flickered up to meet August's "Oh absolutely. You have to make sure your business partner is safe. Maybe even do one of those moves where you snake your arm around my waist. To make sure I don't fall into a puddle or something."

--AUGUST-- August wasn’t trying to kill Frankie. Maybe just make them swoon a little bit. “Oh, I don’t think I could ever do that,” they chuckled. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me charming before, but I’ll take it! And of course I remembered. It’s kind of an important thing.” The last thing August wanted to do was ruin anyone’s sobriety. You don’t have to drink to have a good time. they thought. Ironic coming from someone who makes money on the drunkenness of strangers. “What kind of business partner would I be if I let you fall into a puddle? A shitty one, for sure.”

--FRANKIE-- Frankie couldn't help the wide grin pulling at the corner of their lips. "I feel like you'd be better than you think. Maybe you can model for me!" And once again the heat rose against their cheeks. "Oh God, the way that must have sounded..." Frankie chuckled, shaking their head some. "And you're definitely charming so I'll tell you a few times to remind you." Frankie was so smitten at this point, hearing August talk about the importance of sobriety. "You wouldn't believe how many people our age don't get it. They think it's okay to "cheat" a little or whatever. They don't understand." They nodded, smile growing even more. "I want to know more about you. Like, okay...if you could be anywhere right now, where would that be? And what are some of your pet peeves?" They took another sip. "And when you walk me home, you can hang out a bit longer? To discuss more business."

--AUGUST-- “I would, but I don’t think behind this bar is a great runway. I don’t think it sounded that weird,” August laughed. They loved Frankie’s smile so much. It was big and genuine, and they wanted to see it on them all the time. “Thank you,” they grinned some more. August shook their head at the idea of ‘cheating’ on sobriety. “It’s an all-in kind of thing. They don’t get that cheating a little doesn’t happen. I promise that every time you come here to see me, well and Raj, I will make you fancy mocktails.” August smiled at the rapid questions about themself. “More about me? Okay, if I could be anywhere right now, it would be New Zealand. I just really want to go there, but the flight is out of my budget right now. Um, pet peeves are talking with a mouthful of food and blowing noses at the table,” they scrunched their nose. “Yes, I think that would be nice to stay a bit longer. Discuss the private stuff,” August smiled. They loved that they were already planning a second date, even though they technically didn’t have a first one yet.

--FRANKIE-- "Okay, we'll save that for our business date, then." Frankie chuckled, glad that they were able to make August laugh. It was such a nice feeling knowing their company was enjoying having them there. The most interesting thing about all of this is how not once has Frankie overthought anything. There hasn't been an instance of doubt or cynicism. From the very first message, August had already shown just how genuine they were. Frankie couldn't help but beam at the thought of August taking the time to tend to them and make them a mocktail every time Frankie decided to drop in. "I love that. I'll cherish every single one!" Listening to August's answers, Frankie's smile never faltered. "Oh! New Zealand is top of my list because of Lord of the Rings! It looks gorgeous. I have a feeling you'll be able to cross that off your list in no time." The pet peeves made Frankie stick their tongue out and cringe. "Gross. No, thanks. Definitely not a favorite of mine either." Even the trivial questions weren't awkward. "Perfect. I think we'll be perfect business partners, then." Frankie had been leaning in the entire time, taking in their new friend and everything they had to say that they hadn't noticed someone trying to grab August's attention. "I think you have a customer. Go, go, I'm not going anywhere.”

--AUGUST-- "Sounds like the perfect time to show off," August chuckled. They didn't know if it was the fact that this wasn't technically a date or if it was just Frankie being Frankie that made this first meeting wonderful and not awkward. They were usually awful at first meetings, but Frankie seemed to be having a good time. "I'll have to come up with some creative ones so you don't get bored," they grinned. "Yes! That's exactly why I want to go to New Zealand. I mean, there are other reasons to go to the amazing country, but Lord of the Rings is among them. And I'll check out Australia, too when I'm in that part of the world," they said. August was happy they had similar pet peeves. It was always nice to have that stuff in common. "I think so, too." August opened their mouth to say something else when a customer grabbed their attention. "Okay, good." They turned to the next person and made their drinks. August actually ended up making several drinks for several people before being able to turn their focus back to Frankie. "Hello again," they grinned and topped off Frankie's water. "I get to take my break as soon as the next bartender comes in for the late shift. Do you want to come back to the break room with me then and show me the ring light and stuff?"

--FRANKIE-- Frankie's face was beginning to hurt from all the smiling and they were starting to realize that was probably going to be the norm when August was around or texting them. They didn't mind. This was actually such a nice feeling. "Perfect. And honestly, I don't think it's possible to grow bored around you so there's that" When August went off to work, Frankie decided to answer some work e-mails but not without stealing a glance or two. It was impossible not to and it made them slightly nervous thinking just how drawn they seemed to be to August. When they returned, Frankie lit up and locked their phone before setting it to the side. "Hi! Thanks! I like watching you. You're good at your job. I can see them fawning over you." They winked at August and then nodded at their little plan. "I love that idea. I already began setting up your Tik Tok so we just have to add some things and make the first post. " But really, Frankie just wanted to spend more time with them.

--AUGUST-- "Challenge accepted. One of these days, I'll purposely bore you," August teased. Between drinks, August would steal glances at Frankie. Their nose was buried in their phone, doing whatever they were doing. They just hoped they weren't sending out a SOS to someone to save them. August felt certain that their first meeting was going well, though. Finally, when they were able to return to Frankie, they grinned. "You think so? Thank you. There's much more fawning at my other job. But I also wear very tight clothes over there. And sometimes mesh shirts," they chuckled. "Oh really? Fantastic! I'm so grateful you're helping me out." August saw the next bartender come in, and they pointed it out to Raj and the manager on duty. "I'm taking my break!" August took off the half-apron around their waist and came out from behind the bar. "Shall we?" they asked, holding out their hand to help Frankie off the barstool.

--FRANKIE-- Frankie laughed and shouted out to August as they moved around. "You'll be wasting your time." It was funny watching them. All of this seemed so effortless. August was definitely a people person and the patrons loved every single moment. Perhaps Frankie was one of them now. The thought made them chuckle to themselves. "I need to visit you there too, then." Full of relief that the next bartender was ready to begin, Frankie grabbed their phone, tossed it into their bag and the boxed ring light. When August offered their hand, Frankie didn't think anything of it, taking it immediately so that they can step off the stool and the moment Frankie's hand was in August's, they felt a tiny twinge that they had never felt before. It was an unexplainable spike in energy and for a quick second, they wondered if it was the environment. Was it the ambiance? The music? The excitement? It was enough for Frankie to selfishly keep their hand there and they looked up at August with a grin. "Lead the way." They only hope August wouldn't let go until they got to the break room.

--AUGUST-- August smiled when Frankie said they would visit them at Lookout. "Definitely visit there! It's in the Castro. Big, fun gay bar," they grinned. The moment August's took Frankie's hand, they knew they were a goner. Just the simple touch felt like an electric shock to their heart in the best possible way. While they kept telling themself it wasn't a date, August was a bit bold and they laced their fingers with Frankie's as they walked to the break room. It was a short walk, but they wanted to maximize on the time. "Let's sit here," they said and picked one of the rectangular tables where they could sit next to each other.

--FRANKIE-- When their fingers laced together, it was obvious the wedding would be a date, date as Frankie told Celeste they'd try to figure out and while that would usually send them into some headspin, right now they were hyperfocused on how being so close to August made them feel. IT was confusing and invigorating all at once and yet, Frankie was convinced there was no better feeling. "Hm?" They let out a breath they didn't even realize they were holding. It was the best kind of adrenaline rush. how did they manage without this before? "Oh!" Frankie giggled and sat beside August. "Okay. So I---" Frankie pulled out their phone, still slightly out of breath, and passed it to August, opening up the screen to the Tik Tok. "I'll text you all the details but that's what it looks like and we'll post a simple video and introduce you. You're cute so you'll definitely get a following. Is it hot in here?" Frankie fanned themselves and bit their bottom lip, choosing to unbox the ring light, turning it on for August to see. except doing so really amplified how beautiful August was. "Oh...you're. Here let me fix this one curl..." Their words trailed off as they tucked August's hair behind their ear and smiled. "I think the camera really likes you..."

--AUGUST-- They grinned and sat next to Frankie, scooting closer to them. For... business reasons. August took the phone and looked between the screen and back to Frankie. They weren't paying as much attention as they should have been. Frankie was so gorgeous and wonderful. "Ha, I hope I get a following for more than my looks," they grinned. "Oh, it's a bit warm in here, yeah." They didn't know if it was just because they were nervous and excited about being near Frankie or if the A/C in the room was busted again. "Whoa, that's brighter than I thought it would be." The little ring light was probably going to make a big difference. August pressed their lips together for a moment as Frankie tucked their hair behind their ear. "The camera..." they muttered and leaned a little closer to Frankie. Before their brain could even comprehend what their heart wanted to do, August's name was called out by a co-worker who burst into the break room. 'August! What's in a Cuba Libre!?' "What?" they asked, pulling away from Frankie. "Dude. It's a fucking rum and coke with a lime wedge. Isn't Raj out there?" Now that the moment was completely ruined and Kevin disappeared again, August cleared their throat. "Um, sorry about that. So, um... ring light. And - and an introductory video."

--FRANKIE-- The math wasn't mathing. These things take time and precision and a lot of overthinking that would send Frankie into their usual overload. Thinking like that ended with Frankie needing a moment or ten to recover from the literal exhausting of trying to socialize more than the trivial stuff. But this? This was easy. they've been saying that for three and a half days now. Every little ding on their phone made them smile like an idiot and what happened back there? With the hand holding? That was new! But not once did they overthink. Not once did they feel as if this wasn't making sense. Frankie was convinced Raj knew witchcraft or something. And even though their lips were moving, Frankie's brain wasn't processing much. They had just activated their social battery. But everything else seemed to be focused on August and when August leaned in closer, Frankie followed suit. It definitely felt like second nature. Closing their eyes, Frankie's heart sped up only for it to drop into their stomach the moment they heard someone burst in. If this were a show, they'd surely laugh at the situations the main characters had been placed in. This moment, however, was killing them. When the bartender left, Frankie couldn't help but laugh softly. "I don't care about the ring light. I'm sorry." Frankie snorted, letting out another fit of laughter. Without further hesitation, Frankie leaned in and kissed August on the cheek before whispering, "You owe me."

--AUGUST-- Normally, August wouldn't try to kiss someone on the first date, or first not-date, but being next to Frankie and talking with them just felt right. The funny thing was... Frankie seemed to be going in for the kiss, too. Still, August knew they needed to calm their heart down before it leaped out of their chest. "I don't care about it either," August laughed a little and they reached out for Frankie's hand again. If they weren't going to kiss, they at least wanted to hold the other's hand. After Frankie kissed their cheek, they blushed bright red. August was sure it was immediately obvious, and all smoothness they may have had before went out the window. "I- yes. Yes, absolutely. Add it to my, uh... list for being a good business partner."

See the full post

3 notes - Posted July 22, 2022

Outfit for Celeste & Thomas’ Wedding

4 notes - Posted July 22, 2022

August was glad Raj was back from the island. They missed their work dad and watched the whole show, though not week-to-week. They had been traveling a bit while the show filmed and aired. That’s what stopped them from applying. But now that Raj was back, August felt like they were on the show. They heard about what really happened and knew who everyone was. One night they were working at the jazz bar, but Raj wasn’t there. The moment they saw one of the Ship-mates walk in, August smiled widely. “Hi! If you’re looking for Raj, he’s not in tonight. But I’m happy to grab you a drink.”

31 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

IG DM -> Frankie

August: Hi, I don't even know if you check your DMs because of creeps, but maybe my blue checkmark will get through?

August: I work with Raj. He told me to slide into your DMs.

August: He didn't say that exactly. I don't think he knows what that means. Anyway... hello, I'm August.

54 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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chidoroki · 1 year ago

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182 Days of TPN - Day 63

Chapter 63: “Help”

What better way to understand a character than to learn about their trauma. Those Ray parallels are starting to surface. No doubt our geezer has relived this nightmare for the past thirteen years.

I love how Demizu shows how exhausted the duo is by not only their tired eyes, but their worn out jackets and how messed up their hair is. Also one of the rare moments Emma’s antenna isn’t sticking upwards.

For a dude who was just awoken from a nightmare and has to constantly deal with demons and RE, Yuugo is certainly in a surprisingly good mood.

And y’all do get just as good as the geezer! Or maybe that’s just me being biased. But the two of them really are learning so much in just last couple days and if Yuugo won’t be proud of them, then I will be!

What do you mean you don’t need food?? .. girl, what? I’m surprised Ray didn’t knock you on the head for that comment. Thankfully Gilda is that Mom Friend.

Sigh.. I once wished the anime would’ve expanded on their trip to A08-63 a bit more, just to really show how much our duo was improving, but of course, the second season never even had this arc, so there goes that dream!

I wanna say the cliche “age is just a number”, but it is fairly impressive how well they’re both holding up. Then again, they do have a pretty decent teacher, even if he’s not actually giving them any advice up front. They’re also determined as hell and living up to their fullscore reputations. Totally not alive because they’re the protagonists, nope, not at all.

I know Ray’s got some pretty serious stuff on his mind that would definitely be worth chatting about, but look at her! She is so darn proud of herself, she’s got several sparkles shining around her. She’s literally so excited and it’s so cute that there’s no way someone could be annoyed at her.

I really have no problem with us seeing Emma having some doubts as it makes her feel more human, but I guess the small issue I have with it is the “how” and/or “why” whenever we see her hit a low point. I’m not faulting the manga here, but it’s the few pages here that reminded me of that one moment in s2ep5 where Emma woke up in the middle of the night and stands against the wall. While I do love that Ray came over to cheer her up a little, hearing Emma say that she hates herself and wondered if escaping from the house with everyone was worth it when that was the one decision she was always so certain was correct in manga is just.. weird to me. Her doubts sorta feel outta place in that episode since we skipped so much story and saw nothing of the time skip, but here in manga, we know exactly what this Emma has been through and all her concerns which makes her doubts believable and valid I guess. (I dunno, this makes more sense in my head.)

Prepare yourself geezer, you got some talk-no-jutsu coming your way.

Favorite panel/moment:

The way he looks at her!! Fuck! It is so precious I wanna cry.

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

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deadcactuswalking · 1 year ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 28/10/2023 (The Kid LAROI/Central Cee, blink-182's 'ONE MORE TIME...')

Content warning: Cynicism and brief masturbation

For a third week, Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” is at the top of the UK Singles Chart, and welcome back to a quieter, later episode of REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

Now the Official Charts Company was so delayed in posting the chart this week that I am so incredibly late in actually getting the chance to write this rundown section. Alas, let’s do a speedrun here - firstly we always start with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 - which is what I cover - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40, you know it, yadda-yadda-yadda. This week we bid adieu to: “DArkSide” by Bring Me the Horizon, “I Do” by Nines featuring who the Hell cares, “Hide and Seek” by 163Margs featuring Digga D, “PARK CHINOIS” by Headie One and K-Trap, “Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony Music, “Hell n Back” by Bakar and finally, “So Much in Love” by D.O.D. It had a good run.

As for our gains and returns, we see re-entries for bottom-feeders like “Riptide” by Vance Joy at #75 and “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac at #66, as well as the new Rolling Stones album letting “Angry” slip back at #73, “Lil Boo Thang” by Paul Russell sprouting legs at #65 and “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo doing weird three-song-rule shenanigans at #46 because of course. And as for our gains, we see boosts for - bear with me - “Style” by Taylor Swift at #62 (watch that space), “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac at #56, “Party All the Time” by Hannah Laing and HVRR at #53, “ONE MORE TIME” by blink-182 at #42 thanks to the album, “Calm Down” by Rema at #39, “Me & U” by Tems at #36, “On My Love” by Zara Larsson and David Guetta at #29, “Agora Hills” by Doja Cat at #28, “Pompeii” by Bastille at #26, “One of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan and finally, Noah Kahan grabs his first top 10 with “Stick Season” at #9.

As for our top five, it’s pretty expected - “Water” by Tyla is at #5, which I’m never going to complain about, and then we have “greedy” by Tate McRae at #4, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #3 gaining off of the back of a re-release featuring a live version and a remix - more of her to come next week - and then “Prada” by casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe at #2 with of course, “Strangers” at #1. Now to see what this smaller week may have to offer in its pattering of shoddy new entries.

NEW ARRIVALS

#63 - “Sensational” - Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay

Produced by DJ Hardwerk, BigRagee, Krazytunez and XQ

Davido and Lojay are Nigerian singers so it seems like Chris Brown’s latest ploy is to slot himself within Afrobeats, a genre wherein he… honestly fits pretty well. A lot of male Afrobeats singers have nasal, Auto-Tuned voices saved by their potent, earnest delivery. That’s Breezy’s vocal default in a nutshell… so why is he trying to be cool here? He plays off the wavy, tropical shuffling with a level of restraint and subtlety you rarely hear from the guy ever, I guess to match the sample-esque murky backing vocals from Lojay. It’s not a bad groove either, but it honestly kind of disappoints me that he didn’t go full-out with the classic Chris Brown approach, even if he does do some obnoxious “na-na-na”s and those staccato harmonies as usual. It doesn’t help that this song doesn’t have a good hook, despite Sean Kingston being behind the writing of all people. There’s just nothing catchy about this song, which seems to focus much more on atmosphere… which makes no sense! It’s a club dance song where the girl’s body is described as sensational, where’s the sensation? Davido tries, bless him, but as a result of the song’s misplaced “coolness” pretence, he just sounds out of place. And Lojay’s verse is embarrassing - “booty wider than the Internet”? Really? Sigh, given it’s Chris Brown, it could be a lot worse.

#57 - “IT GIRL” - Aliyah’s Interlude

Produced by Lxnely Beats

It’s been a while since we got a straight-up TikTok viral song, it feels, but rising star Aliyah’s Interlude - what made you go with that name? - seems to have cultivated a pretty loyal fanbase and specific terminology, some of which is mentioned in the song, already so this could either be the start of a big deal or a complete meme fluke. And God, I hope this is a fluke because this is insufferable. It’s not even insufferable in a moral or boring way, it’s just annoying. The Eurodance throwback synth is obnoxious, the plodding percussion is lazy, and whilst Aliyah’s Interlude herself is clearly full of passion and character, it is actually to the detriment of an already minimal, annoying song. It seems the intent was either to be primal or overwhelming, but that synth is so distracting that I can’t fully understand the cult of personality with borderline comedy-rap verses and an admittedly very good use of spelling out the title in chorus. I believe that this is what one could claim as “slaying”, and I kind of get it, but it’s just too much of a stressful listen for me. That synth, it just never stops. I’m sure Aliyah’s Interlude would shine on more polished production as her performance here is close to salvaging something but that may come years down the line. For now, God, please don’t make this a hit.

#55 - “DANCE WITH ME” - blink-182

Produced by Travis Barker

This is such a dry week that I could aptly describe it as being victim to a blink-182 album bomb, or at least as much as the UK Singles Chart will allow. At least they debuted some songs from their #2 album ONE MORE TIME… unlike the Rolling Stones at #1. Anyway, this was a pre-release single only charting now thanks to the album, and it has a music video that mimics that of the Ramones’ “I Wanna be Sedated”, which the track also interpolates. The 1978 track was never released as an A-side single in the UK so failed to chart, but has been set in stone as one of the classic punk outfit’s most iconic songs. I assume that as a result we have a pretty straightforward punk throwback from blink, and for the most part we do, but it’s not really a good one. I love Travis Barker’s cavernous drumming and production of course, and it will always will give a certain base level of quality to these songs, but blink aren’t doing anything new here, or doing something they’ve already done particularly well. There’s a weird bitter venom in Tom DeLonge’s delivery and an apathetic disinterest in Mark Hoppus’ voice that both miss the mark for a song about dancing - or masturbating, if the awkward intro is to be believed - all night long. The chorus is basic but somehow not even catchy, it’s just expected and predictable. At this point with blink, maybe that’s all we should settle for? It just sucks that I know how interesting they can be.

#48 - “ANTHEM PART 3” - blink-182

Produced by Travis Barker

This is the opening track on the record and one that follows in the footsteps of their older “Anthem” tracks, signaling their big comeback. The original “Anthem” from 1999’s Enema of the State is actually the outro to the album, and is fittingly out of fuel considering the rest of the album’s energy that this track seems desperate to grab onto, which sounds like a complaint but considering the fantastic drumming, atrocious vocal delivery and mixing, incredibly cathartic post-chorus, I’d say it sums up the aftermath of a reckless party pretty damn well. The issue here is that “Anthem” plays a lot into the idea that parents - probably a further analogy for authority in general - possess a lot of power behind what fun can actually be had, with “Anthem Part Two”, the opener of 2001’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, playing even further into that by basically making it a protest against how the youth are having their futures ruined by those in power who are from generations prior. It sums up pop punk’s teenage rebellion side pretty well - it’s not good, it’s formulaic and surprisingly dull, but I can understand why it is held up as the anthem it claims out the gate to be. Now here’s the real problem: blink-182 are now the parents. What do they rebel against this time around? Life, in general. Actual adult life in fact. It’s an uplifting track with rapid, awkwardly-mixed drums and a seemingly constant crescendo of guitars that merges into a muddy, gross stretch of noise under Tom DeLonge, but an uplifting track nonetheless, an anthem for people who have been played with by the nine-to-five and tedious career. The really resonant bridge from Mark Hoppus, who recently came out of his struggle with cancer, ends with a line about no-one caring for the eventuality of him dying… but it gets cut short, taken away by the chorus. This could be a pretty effective decision, if it weren’t the only part of the song that I actually liked or moved me in any way, with even the classic pop punk drop-into-half-time trick just coming off as tired. Whilst all of these “Anthem” tracks are tired, exhausted last bursts of anger, this one is tired in a particularly sad way. It’s a pathetic song, one that can’t really be called “ANTHEM”… and that’s fine. In fact, it’s slightly endearing and not even really a slight towards the song. It’s just kind of sad to hear.

#41 - “In the City” - Charli XCX and Sam Smith

Produced by A.G. Cook, Charli XCX, George Daniel, ILYA and Omer Fedi

I have no idea what either of these artists are doing career-wise at this very moment. It seems like both Charli and Sam are struggling to hold onto the balance between mass appeal and niche novelty, and Sam may be in a similar spot to where Charli was back in the mid-2010s, or at least appears to have some kind of dissatisfaction with pop stardom as a fact rather than how they viewed it when it was a promise. Basically, it makes complete sense for the two to collaborate, and it also makes complete sense that the song is… just bad. A.G. Cook is on the boards here but his style is so washed out by the pop songwriters also involved that even Charli sounds disinterested. It’s hyperpop lite, with some interesting lyrics about finding your true self after meeting a partner in New York City’s sprawling nightlife, but over some particularly dull four-on-the-floor percussion and with vocal effects - particularly on Sam Smith’s voice - that overwhelm the actual performance, making it feel programmed and somehow so professional it breaches back onto amateur, in a cyclical motion I didn’t think could even happen. I know Charli fans will defend her continuing to experiment whilst also spreading out to mainstream pop tracks but let’s be real, how far is this really from a Joel Corry song? A.G. Cook could have had nothing to do with this and it’d sound the same. Everyone here just seems tired and confused with what to do with themselves, in an awkwardly passionless single that seemingly isn’t connected to an album yet and doesn’t have a video. Sam Smith is nowhere to be seen in the cover art or even the picture used for the YouTube audio video. This is just… nothing.

#10 - “TOO MUCH” - The Kid LAROI, Jung Kook and Central Cee

Produced by Blake Slatkin, Jasper Harris, Emile Haynie and Omer Fedi

You know, this is kind of refreshing. For once, there is no discourse. It is just a simple idea that this top 10 hit by three big-name artists, including a BTS member, with a stacked production list, Scooter Braun single push is a bad song, and that’s fine. There is nothing immoral about the song’s badness, there’s nothing particularly annoying or sad about the song’s badness, there’s nothing even all that boring about the song’s badness. It’s just bad, sometimes comically, and I’m honestly okay with that. The vocal sample is filtered to crap and placed against a similarly weightless, chippy snap and ladders of gross, inhuman leads and sounds, none of which actually seem like they actually want your attention. The chorus has too much empty space punctuated by… bilingual breathing, The Kid LAROI’s verse goes for a desperate and annoying delivery which doesn’t last too long but is still overly whiny, Central Cee is in full rent-a-rapper mode and despite having a completely fine, on-beat flow, he still somehow sounds awkward with his typically toxic, sexual lyrics that don’t go too far to be immoral, just more weird and overly wordy and detailed, maybe manipulative at times. The Kid LAROI’s second attempt at a pre-chorus is actually pretty good, he sounds great, especially on the backing vocals, right before the final chorus, wherein I couldn’t tell where he ends and Jung Kook begins. In fact, Mr. Kook has jack to do in this song. The song just seems to reflect how all three of these guys are at least slightly complacent, facing slightly less favourable results than they expected commercially but still doing well enough and is a piece of apathetic male pop music no one is actually seeking out too much anymore - and apparently Justin Bieber was supposed to be on this at some point and still has a writing credit, so that rings extra true. But that’s all it reflects. It’s just bad, and if anything sums up this week of new arrivals, it’s that: just bad.

Conclusion

And yeah, that wasn’t really hyperbole in any way. I liked none of what little the charts had to offer this week. I can barely give a sincere Best of the Week and really, Chris Brown is a runner-up for the most quality song here, which is a depressing state of affairs. He’s not getting it though, at least blink-182 gave me a lot to say with “ANTHEM PART 3”. As for the worst, I mean, pick any of them but I think I’ll give to “In the City” by Charli XCX and Sam Smith for making me feel absolutely nothing, with Aliyah’s Interlude as the Dishonourable Mention with “IT GIRL” for making me feel a pounding headache. Taylor’s next and then we’re in the holiday dregs for the next two months. Thank you for reading, sorry for the delay - genuinely out of my control, complain to the Official Charts Company - and I’ll see you next week!

#uk singles chart #pop music #song review #charli xcx #sam smith #the kid laroi #central cee #blink-182 #one more time...#aliyah's interude #davido #lojay

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