#I love a good 90’s era style of we can’t show them ACTUALLY kissing

[ava-dreel-thinks]

I’m watching the last season of Riverdale and hoooooly shit dude it’s so fucking gay

[middleearth2asgard]

Halloween with the Avengers

“Here you go, sweet cheeks,” Tony said with a wink and a smile as he handed you an envelope over your breakfast.

“What is this?” You asked once you’d finished chewing.

“Open it and find out,” he replied simply before turning and heading back out the door, humming a happy tune as he did so.

With a shrug, you tore open the envelope to find a party invitation inside. It was for an Avengers-only (What was that about? That was very unlike Tony), costumes-required Halloween party that was to be held at the training facility on the evening of October 31st.

You were in the middle of reading all of the costume rules (which clearly stated that wearing your superhero uniform did NOT count) when Natasha entered the kitchen holding her invitation in the air.

“Well, do you have any idea what this is about?” She asked.

“You mean why is Tony throwing a party here at the facility and not inviting anyone but us? No idea. He rushed out of here before I even got the thing open.”

“I’m not the only one who thinks it’s odd, right?”

“No, he’s probably up to something. At least that’s my guess.”

“You going to go? Well, it’s here, but you know what I mean.”

“Don’t know of any reason not to. It’ll be fun. As long as no one kills each other, that is.”

——————

 

“I’m not going,” was Clint’s answer to your question about what he was going to wear to the party.

“What do you mean you’re not going?” You asked.

“I mean I’m not going. I’ve got better things to do,” he replied, plopping down on the couch across from you.

“Like what?”

“Like not go to the party of the guy that put me in jail.”

“Clint, come on, you know he wasn’t responsible for that. Not really.”

“He’s got a point, y/n,” Bucky said. “He gave me an invitation too, and considering our history, it was awkward. I just said ‘thanks’ and decided I was definitely not going.”

“Guys,” You began, “I talked to him. He wants all of us to have a fresh start. Try to become a team and all that. The least you can do is show up and give it a go. Please?”

You gave them your best puppy dog eyes and Clint was the first one to cave.

“Fine, I’ll go,” he said with a sigh.

“Me too,” Bucky added.

“Good! So, do either of you have any ideas for your costume?”

“Are you talking about Tony’s party?” Steve asked as he entered the room.

“Yeah, I was asking them what they’re going to wear. What about you, Steve?”

“I don’t have a clue. Neither does Sam. I thought about some kind of soldier’s uniform, but that seems sort of predictable.”

“I could help you guys out, if you want?”

“Did I hear you say you were going to assist them with their party attire?” Thor asked from where he had just appeared in the doorway. Without giving you time to answer, he continued, “Would you mind helping me as well?”

“Of course not, Thor. I’d be happy to.”

“Too bad you decided not to go, Loki. Y/n is going to help me dress for the evening,” Thor said over his shoulder.

“Well, I never actually said I wasn’t going,” Loki said as he slid past his brother to give you a large smile. “I am putting myself into your very capable hands.”

Clint let out an annoyed groan from where he was lying on the couch.

“What about you, Hawk? Do you also require my assistance?”

“I appreciate the offer, baby, but I’ve already got something in mind.”

——————

You only had a few days to figure out six different costumes, including your own. Why did you ever offer to help any of them? This was going to be a disaster.

By the time the evening of October 29th rolled around, you still hadn’t come up with a single idea. You were lying in bed, trying to decide what to watch, when you suddenly had an epiphany. You hopped up and ran out of your room to find that Bucky, Sam, and Steve were thankfully still up.

“Ok, I have three questions for you guys. Steve, do you have a good suit?”

“Yeah.”

“Great! Do you and Bucky mind shaving?”

They looked at each and shrugged before saying “no.”

“Awesome! Sam, are your ears pierced by any chance?”

“No.”

“Okay, I’ll have to find clip-ons then. Thanks!”

Then you ran back to your bedroom as quickly as you had left it, leaving three confused men in your wake.

Smiling happily, you said to yourself, “Four down and only two to go.”

——————

On the night of the party, you spread each of their outfits out on their beds, complete with written instructions on how to perfect the look. Your own costume was relatively simple. The only difficulty was the hair, but you managed to get the overall effect close enough that it shouldn’t matter.

As you looked over yourself in the mirror, you were interrupted by a knock on your door. You opened it to find a clean-shaven Bucky standing there.

“Well, how do I look?” he asked.

“The hair is all wrong. Come here,” you said, pulling him over to your vanity and pushing him down on the seat.

“You told me to pull it up,” he said defensively.

You snatched the ball cap off his head and pulled the tie out of his hair, ruining his ponytail.

“I meant pull it up in a way that the cap would hide how long it is,” you said as you ran your fingers through his dark hair.

He sighed softly and leaned his head back until it was resting against your body.

“This is nice,” he whispered, smiling up at you.

Returning the smile, you replied, “I can’t fix your hair like this.”

He let out a playful huff and sat up straight so you could finish styling his hair. When you were satisfied, you put the cap back on his head and nodded your approval. He stood up and you studied him from head to toe. From the blue cap all the way down to the black and white Converse, he looked perfect.

“You look great,” you said.

“Just great? I was hoping for drop dead gorgeous,” he said, earning a laugh from you.

“That compliment is reserved for me,” Steve interjected from where he now leaned against your bedroom door.

His assessment wasn’t far off. He wore a dark suit and blue tie that was a spot on match for his eyes. He made for a truly stunning sight.

As you stared at him, you actually found yourself at a loss for words. Luckily, you were saved by Sam coming into view. Honestly, if you hadn’t been so distracted by Steve, you probably would have heard his pounds of gold chains jingling long before he reached your room.

Steve’s eyebrows shot up when he saw him, and Bucky snorted before breaking down into laughter.

“Shut up,” Sam growled.

Walking towards him, you placed your hands on his arms and said, “I think for tonight, ‘Shut up, fool’ would be the more appropriate response.”

“I hate you,” he muttered.

“No, you don’t,” you said, reaching up and thumping his large feather earring with one finger.

Pulling a cigar out of your breast pocket, you put it between your teeth and said with a grin, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

—————

“Oh my god, you came as the A-Team,” Clint said when he saw the four of you. Directing his next comment to you, he added, “And I didn’t think I could be any crazier about you.”

“Oh, shut up, Clint,” you said with a laugh while giving him a hug. “Or do I have to call you Indiana Jones tonight? That costume is spot on. You even have the whip.”

“I was hoping you’d notice that part,” he said in a low voice that made your cheeks feel hot.

Before you could think of a response, Natasha and Bruce walked over to join you.

“Hey, your costumes turned out great!” Bruce said. “Can you guess who we are?”

You stared blankly at the pair of them. Bruce was wearing a suit and Natasha had on a 90’s era pantsuit, neither of which gave you any idea who they were dressed as. You noticed Bruce’s hopeful expression and quickly turned to look at Natasha, hoping she’d give you some kind of hint. She silently mouthed something that you didn’t catch, then crossed her two index fingers over each other to form an “X”.

“Mulder and Scully, of course!” You blurted out as if it was completely obvious.

“Yeah! See, I told you people would get it, Natasha. She thought it looked too ordinary.”

“Not at all,” you lied.

“Oh, excuse me,” Bruce said. “I’ll be right back.”

After he was out of hearing range, Natasha said, “You didn’t have a clue, did you?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Good evening, ladies,” Tony said as he slid up next to you with a pipe hanging out of his mouth.

“Sherlock Holmes?” You asked.

“Mmhm, What do you think?” he asked, holding his arms out and doing a little spin.

Glancing over his shoulder, you said, “I think I see two of you.”

He turned quickly towards the entrance and swore under his breath when he saw Stephen Strange wearing the exact same outfit.

“What the hell?!” Tony called out.

Even from that distance, you saw Stephen’s face drop as his features took on a disappointed and annoyed expression.

“Seriously?” Stephen asked once he had joined you. “We look ridiculous. People are going to think we matched on purpose.”

“Uh, they’re definitely not going to think that about me. You maybe, but not me,” Tony said. “And, by the way, that’s the worst attempt at a British accent I’ve ever heard.”

“So, What did you pick out for Thor and Loki?” Natasha asked, changing the subject.

“They were actually really tough to come up with good ideas for, so if you say their costumes suck it won’t hurt my feelings. Well, you can see for yourself. There they are.”

Thor was still sporting a large grin in spite of the fact that you made him wear his eyepatch to go along with his pirate costume. Beside him, Loki seemed to be having a hard time adjusting to his fake vampire fangs. He kept pushing them back up like a child with an oversized retainer. Thor waved to you above his head before the two of them crossed the room to join you.

“Don’t you two...I’m sorry, you three...look handsome tonight,” you said, petting the fake parrot that sat on Thor’s shoulder.

“It is all thanks to you, y/n. You did a truly excellent job!” Thor said. He reached over, took your hand in his, and gave it a playful kiss which made you giggle.

After shooting his brother an angry glare, Loki grabbed your other hand and said, “Yes, you did wonderfully. Thank you, darling.”

He pulled the hand he was holding up to his mouth, but before his lips made contact with your skin, his fangs fell out enough to bump you. He sighed in annoyance, pushed them back in, then planted a soft kiss on your hand that lasted much longer than his brother’s had.

You tried not to show your embarrassment at their attention and muttered a quiet, “You’re welcome.”

“So, What am I supposed to be exactly?” Loki asked you.

“A vampire. You bite people on the neck and drink their blood. And by people I mean young, attractive women usually.”

“Oh, really?” he asked with a heightened level of interest to his voice as he eyed your neck with a fanged smile.

“Down, Boy,” Tony said. “Or I’ll have Mulder and Scully here drive a wooden stake through your heart.”

“Uh, Tony?” Bruce said as he rejoined the group almost on cue. “If this is a party, where’s the food and everything?”

“I’ll explain that once everybody is here.”

“Hey, guys!” Scott yelled as he jogged over from the entrance. Everyone stared at the red, white, and blue clad man who was carrying a painted cardboard shield.

“Oh, so I’m the only one who thought it’d be cool to dress up as one of my teammates, huh?” he asked as he looked over the other costumes in the group. Pointing to Tony and Stephen, he added, “You two match. That’s...cute.”

——————

After the rest of the team had dragged in, Tony gathered everyone around and said, “Okay, since this is Halloween, I’ve got some activities planned before the actual party begins. First, the entire facility, except for this room and the living areas, has been turned into a haunted house. Don’t go crazy and assault any of the actors. I don’t want a lawsuit. The goal is to make your way to the main exit on the backside of the building. There, I’ve had a giant, enclosed outdoor maze constructed. It’s completely dark inside, no cell phones or flashlights are allowed, and each of us enters alone. I didn’t design the actual path so I don’t know the way, either. Once you make it out...if you make it out, that is....you’ll find the party waiting for you on the other side. So, let’s get started.”

Although not as cool as being one yourself would have been, having a billionaire as a friend was pretty awesome. The haunted house was absolutely spectacular. The special effects and attention to detail were amazing. And even though it wasn’t that scary (you were an Avenger after all), it was still a lot of fun. There was only one part in the whole thing that made you jump. It was when a man in full body paint came crawling out on all fours from around the corner. He startled you, and he would have gotten an instinctual kick in the face if not for someone wrapping their arms around you from behind.

“Remember what I said about a lawsuit, honey,” Tony whispered in your ear.

“Of course. Sorry, Tony,” you said with a nervous chuckle, still jumpy from the scare.

It wasn’t until you had all reached the entrance to the maze that an uneasiness settled over the group. Looking into the dark, quiet tunnel seemed to have a sobering effect on everybody.

“Tony?” Clint began. “This is just a maze, right? You didn’t set any rats or snakes or anything loose in there?”

“Just a maze, Barton. Who’s going in first?”

His question was met with several moments of silence.

“I’ll go,” Peter said at last.

“Way to go, kid. You’re making all of us look bad.”

Every few minutes, another Avenger would enter the maze until it was your turn. You wandered through the darkness with your hands outstretched, feeling along the walls as you went. The first thing you noticed was how eerily quiet it was. You should have been able to hear someone else walking around, right?

“Tony?” You called out.

No answer.

“Steve?”

Nothing.

“Anybody?”

Still more silence.

You kept moving, running into one dead end after another. After awhile, you began to lose track of time and started getting fed up with the whole thing. You were tempted to sink down to the ground and wait for someone else to come along, but how long might that take?

As you contemplated your options, you ran into something hard. But unlike the metal walls that surrounded you, this one apologized for getting in your way.

“Steve?”

“Y/n?”

“Oh my god, I’m so glad I found you! I was so sick of wandering around this place by myself. Do you have any idea where we are?”

“No, I was headed that way,” he said, pointing in the dark even though you couldn’t see him, “but I ran into a dead end.”

“Here,” You said, reaching down and feeling until you found his hand, “I’m going to hold onto you so that neither one of us gets lost. It’ll be so much nicer than being alone.”

“Yes, it will be.” If it hadn’t been so dark, you would have noticed the sweet smile and warm blush on his handsome face.

You pulled him along behind you through the many twists and turns. Having Steve around for company boosted your confidence, and you were walking at a much faster pace than you had been previously, which turned out to be a bad decision. In your rush, you ran nose first into something very solid.

“Son of a bitch!” You cried out, rubbing your nose while your eyes welled up with tears.

“Are you alright?” a concerned Steve asked.

“Yeah, I ran into the wall.”

“Sorry, doll, but that wasn’t the wall. It was me,” Bucky said.

You reached out and rested your hand on what had to be Bucky’s metal arm.

“It’s alright, Buck.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” He asked. “I’m about ready to punch my way through the walls.”

“Bucky, we don’t know how many walls there are,” Steve said calmly. “Not to mention we don’t know what direction to go in. We might just get in deeper.”

“So we keep tearing up the place until we get out.”

“This is supposed to be fun. We aren’t punching our way out,” you said. “Now, let’s go.”

You grabbed Bucky’s arm and let Steve lead the way, with you in the middle, and Bucky taking up the rear. After a few minutes, you stopped dead in your tracks, let go of both of them, and said, “Shhh! Listen!”

Somewhere in the distance, you heard the faint sound of bickering. As it drew closer, you recognized Thor’s deep voice. If anyone could pierce the soundproof nature of this place of course it would be him.

“Thor!” You yelled as loudly as possible.

“Y/n!!” he bellowed in reply.

Once your group met up with him, you asked, “Who’s with you?”

“It’s just me and my brother, darling,” Loki purred beside your ear. You jumped in response, surprised at how silently he could move in the darkness.

“Well, our little group is growing” Steve said. “Of course, that doesn’t seem to be helping us get out any faster.”

“I still say we punch our way out,” Bucky muttered.

“That’s not a bad idea!” Thor said.

“Yes, it is. We already threw out that suggestion.”

Before Bucky could respond, a high-pitched, girlish scream pierced the air.

“Wanda?! Is that you?”

“Uh...no that was me,” You heard Scott say from a few yards away. “Something brushed against my leg.”

He walked forward with his hands out until he felt something with his right palm.

“That’s my face, Lang,” Loki hissed.

“Sorry, man.”

“Ok,” You began, “I vote that we all stick together and keep moving. We have to be close to the exit by now. We should all hold onto each other so no one gets separated from the group.”

Your statement was met with a few moments of silence before Bucky said, “I’m not holding hands with anyone unless it’s you.”

“I second that.”

“Definitely.”

You sighed and rolled your eyes while the rest of the guys murmured in agreement.

“Fine, do whatever makes you happy.”

You grabbed onto Loki and Scott, who led the way, and once again started walking. Not more than ten minutes later, you were outside and felt the chilly fall breeze hit you in the face. You were pleasantly surprised to find a big campfire surrounded by tables of food and a full bar.

“You guys finally made it. Took long enough.”

You looked to find Clint perched on top of a picnic table working on a candy apple.

“We can’t be the last ones?” you asked as you glanced around, not seeing anyone else.

“Nah, it was just me before you guys showed up.”

“How long we were in there?”

“It took me about ten minutes. You were in there...about forty five,” he said, squinting at his watch.

“Only forty five minutes? I thought it was at least an hour and a half.”

“It felt like an eternity,” Scott said.

As you looked around, you noticed that your little group was one person short.

“Shit! Where is Bucky?”

“I thought he was behind me,” Steve said.

All of a sudden, the loud sound of metal hitting metal rang through the air. About eight feet down from the exit, the wall of the maze warped outward. On the third hit, his fist broke through. Everyone stared as he ripped the metal until there was a hole large enough for him to climb through.

Amazed by what you had just witnessed, you simply shook your head and climbed up beside Clint who passed you a candy apple. The rest of the team eventually found their way out in groups of two and three. After that, there was plenty of drinking and laughter. You witnessed civilized conversations between people who normally wouldn’t even take the time to tell each other to go to hell.

As you sat next to the fire watching your friends, Tony came up beside you and handed you another drink.

“You can go ahead and say it,” he said.

You responded by giving him a questioning look.

“You’re a genius, Tony. You’re absolutely brilliant, Tony. You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever met and I need you, Tony.”

You cut your eyes at him before breaking out into laughter.

“Okay, maybe I’m stretching it,” he said with a chuckle. “But, you’ve got to admit, this thing seems like a success.”

“You did good,” you said. With a soft smile, you added, “And you are brilliant, Tony.”

Wrapping an arm around your shoulder, he said, “This feels like a toast-worthy kind of moment. To new beginnings? Nah, that sounds pretty cheesy.”

Looking out over your team, you clinked your plastic cup against his and said, “To the Avengers.”

“To the Avengers.”

————Epilogue————

“Okay, even with the fire, it’s getting pretty cold out here. I vote we go to the screening room and watch some scary movies,” Tony announced to the group.

While the other Avengers murmured in agreement, you studied the group with furrowed brows and a frown and asked, “Hey, where’s the kid?”

“What?” Tony asked.

“Where’s Peter? Has anyone seen him lately?”

No one spoke up.

“Is he still in the maze?” You asked.

“That’s been like three hours now,” Clint spoke up.

“Tony, are there emergency exits or lights installed that we don’t know about?” Steve asked.

“Uhh...no.”

When his response was met with a disapproving glare, he continued defensively, “How was I supposed to know someone would get stuck in there?”

“Ugh, I guess there’s nothing else to do but go in and find him,” you said, rubbing your hand across your face. “I take back what I said earlier, Tony. This party really stinks.”

“I can’t be blamed for this!” he cried out as he followed you into the maze.

****Elsewhere****

“Wait, where is everybody?” Peter said out loud. “Am I—how did I get back to the entrance?”

With an exasperated sigh, he headed back inside the facility, grabbed the giant bowl of Halloween candy out of the kitchen, and set himself up in the screening room.

“I guess there’s nothing else to do but have my own party. Happy Halloween, Peter.”

[necropsittacus]

answer all the ones you have an interesting answer for, i guess?

i had FAR too much fun with this and it’s horrifically long so. Apologies For That. also thank you friend

2: What’s your dream pet? (Real or not)i really want some finches, when i'm actually in a place to care for an animal? maybe a pigeon3: Do you have a favorite clothing style?in real life i actually Wear button downs and black jeans most of the time for convenience. *ideally* it would be something more like "unholy union of like three different goth aesthetics, and sith fashion, and also Pirate. and spikes/chains/glowy lights." it's probably good for everyone else's eyes that i'm too cheap to redo my entire wardrobe in line with my ideal aesthetic sensibilities. i also have a set color scheme; at most one bright color, which is generally red, blue, or purple, and everything else should be black or grey. 8: What is your Greek personality type? [Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, or Melancholic]melancholic with choleric leanings.9: Are you ticklish?nope! im pretty sure i trained myself out of it 12: Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa?tea. i like the taste of coffee if it's very heavily creamed and sugared but it does terrible things to my body so i don't drink it. too much chocolate also makes me sick14: Would you rather be a vampire, elf, or merperson?VAMPIRE. practically already am. 16: How tall are you?5'7"-5'8". measurements have varied. 17: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?starscreamthis one is Already a name change? i've been through a few names and honestly i'm pretty happy with "ren." i thought about changing to something people could actually spell right on the first try, but nothing Felt right? 20: Do you like space or the ocean more?ocean! but both are pretty neat21: Are you religious?yes, but it's not remotely clear what i actually believe, just that it's Something  23: Would you rather be nocturnal or diurnal [opposite of nocturnal]?i'm already practically nocturnal tbh and it's fun 30: Favorite movie?i really appreciate the star wars prequels32: How many pets have you own in your lifetime?nine; six fish and three budgies, not all at the same time37: What is your eye color?green38: Introvert or extrovert?i think the whole dichotomy is a bit overhyped and doesn't exactly apply to me. my situation is more that i act like extroverts are "supposed" to with close friends but people i don't already know and like very much are deeply exhausting to be around and i'd rather not40: Hugs or kisses?depends. hand/forehead/cheek/etc kisses are intensely blessed and important to me, but i don't particularly enjoy making out or whatnot, and hugs are Very nice. 42: Who is someone you love deeply?tumblr user @autisticsansa​44: Do you like tattoos and piercings?yeah!45: Do you smoke or have you eiver done so?yeah, occasionally. obligatory disclaimer that it's a terrible habit and you shouldn't start. it's more a "i'm extremely anxious and need to do SOMETHING" thing than a regular habit, though. 57: Have any mental disorders? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!]several. it's just not 100% clear which ones. the most recent Professional Opinion was OCD and CPTSD with probably related anxiety and depression. also autism but i don't think that's quite the same thing58: What does your URL mean?it's a pun on "neurodivergent" that i stole from someone else's post about liches61: What makes you unfollow a blog?if your opinions start pissing me off too much or you post things i consider morally objectionable or dangerous to me. also if we have a sufficiently bad personal fight. i don't really care if a mutual or someone i've been following for a long time stops having common interests with me or anything like that, at that point i'm invested in You as a Person and will stick around for that64: Favorite animal(s):all birds. also cetaceans69: What is your star sign?i'm a fake scorpio. i have been telling people i'm a scorpio and tagging zodiac posts accordingly for literal years, out of a combination of the stereotype applying to me much better than the one for my Actual Birthday and residual influence from homestuck. 76: Do you like birds?i LOVE birds.86: Can you run a mile within ten minutes?i can't run a mile at ALL i'll have an asthma atatck88: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely?no and trying hurts90: If you were an animal, which one would you be?goth cockatoo94: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds?both of those sound fantastic. i want to say fly, though, both because bird thing!!!!, my latest batch of Attachment/Projection Characters has me thinking about the idea a lot, and mind reading seems like it would likely become a burden on me. i struggle enough with other people's feelings about me as it is96: Winter or summer?winter. summer is consistently a miserable time for me101: Favorite type of shoesaesthetically, high heeled black lace up boots. irl i mostly wear combat boots, though103: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why?vegetarian. i don't really Know why; it was how i was raised, i have no actual desire to eat meat, and i'm reasonably certain trying to start now would interact disastrously with a lot of my preexisting food issues. also, some of you are incapable of not responding to asshole vegans by acting like eating meat is a moral imperative and it's ok to bully people who don't. so even if i did want to, i wouldn't out of sheer spite106: Do you like bugs?depends on the kind. bees/wasps, dragonflies, and butterfly/moth type things are all fine. i'm deathly afraid of crickets107: Do you like spiders?yeah! i think they're cute109: Can you draw:not very well, but i keep doing it anyway114: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days?cloudy. bright light tends to hurt me115: Someone you’d like to kiss or cuddle right now:i'm in an odd place right now where i'm either not sure if the people i'm closest to (and/or most want to Become close with) would be comfortable with anything of the sort, or know for a fact that they wouldn't be, so i'm going to refrain from naming anyone, but certain friends129: What would you want written on your tombstone?"túrin turambar dagnir glaurunga." for old times' sake/the sentimental value. i doubt christopher tolkien would give anyone permission for that, though131: What is something you love but also hate about yourself?arrogance, ambition, drive to succeed out of sheer Spite. it's a very good aesthetic, but i don't imagine it's very pleasant to actually *interact* with someone with a complex about being #1 132: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures?nope. i exclusively either smirk or keep my face as blank as possible; i don't think smiling like that looks good on me. 133: Computer or TV?computer. i don't actually know how to operate a television139: What nicknames do you have/have had?a lot. tends to come with changing your name 500 times. atm i don't really have any, to my slight disappointment140: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends?i had imaginary enemies as a kid143: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help?depends? it's hard for me to help people, especially to guess what kind of thing actually Is helpful to them, and i absolutely LOVE being given things, but also if i know someone well enough that we're giving each other things i would feel absolutely terrible not reciprocating, and doing it makes me happy. 145: How many languages do you speak fluently?only english, unfortunately. i have like a six year olds level of russian, which i want to improve, and i think i Could get there with japanese eventually if i start taking classes again147: Are you androgynous?honestly i can't really tell? not deliberately so, particularly, but i think i have a very Traditionally Feminine kind of pretty face and the way that combines with mostly masculine presentation and facial hair is pretty androgynous148: Favorite physical thing about yourself:this isn't a Specific Thing per se, but i do think HRT has been taking my appearance in a very "g1 seeker" direction and i am DELIGHTED151: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose?hm. viking stuff is a Big Aesthetic, but also i think i deserve to be a sickly victorian gentleman and die of tuberculosis154: Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons?YES. this is one of my favorite forms of affection irl. also hand kissing is The Most Valid kind of kissing. 155: Do you like to play with others’ hair?yes!!!157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious:talking to people when i'm not 100% sure where i stand with them or how much they like me. especially if i'm requesting anything.168: Do you like to wear makeup?i used to. i probably still would if i could do it without being read as a woman, but as it is the discomfort of being misgendered outweighs the joy of Having Sparkly Colors on My Face

[artemissarrows]

The Most Beautiful Moment In Life: #BTSxCitiField

Wow. I’m home back from New York, where I had the amazing gift of being able to see BTS live on their Love Yourself world tour. I’m literally out of words to describe it, but I’ll try.

I saw in someone’s post about seeing them on the Wings tour that they were sad for a week after and I thought to myself, “it’s just a concert! How the heck would that happen?”

...and here I am, having cried a bunch of times in the last two days (though none of them actually during the concert, there was too much adrenaline), now I am living it.  I really feel it in my body. I’m exhausted. My voice is destroyed from so much cheering and fan-chanting. But I’m also sort of happy about that, because it’s a marker of having gone through that experience and I want to hold onto that. I was off work Monday and spent the entire day at my house watching Bon Voyage and Run episodes (didn’t realize they were only 20 minutes!!) to console myself.

I’m sad the concert’s over, and I’m also sad that the Love Yourself era is also basically over too, some additional concert dates notwithstanding. This era really encapsulates everything I love about BTS: their positive message, their incredible songwriting and producing and music in general, and their growth as artists. I have complete faith in our boys that whatever comes next will be fantastic and that they’ll keep growing, I just desperately hope this isn’t their peak. But regardless, I’m glad I got to see this show because it felt like such a special one—their first sold-out North America stadium show. And it seems like BTS felt like it was special as well.

I’m also feeling intense love, because love is at the heart of it all. BTS’ love for ARMY and their earnest and sincere desire that we love ourselves, and be our best selves (see: Magic Shop, etc). And ARMY’s love and deep appreciation for BTS seeing us and our struggles, and believing in our ability to succeed. I was a little leery of calling myself an ARMY before this concert, mostly because of ARMY’s reputation on the internet as being kind of a crazy and intense fandom, but I fully embrace ARMY-dom now, because I understand that it’s really all about love.

So to recap, I’m going to do some best-ofs and link to Twitter and Insta pictures and videos. My phone camera is the literal worst, which is why I unfortunately don’t have any of my own!

Best deep thought: RM, our leader, always and forever. Sometimes I forget that he’s a literal genius because he’s also so derpy and cute, and then it’s moments like this that I re-remember that he does absolutely nothing related to their music or public presentation by accident or without forethought.

Via @mimibtsghost

He—and all of them, really—understand so well their role in our lives and our role in theirs. ARMY loves BTS, and BTS loves all of us so much, and truly wants us all to be happy and to live our best and whole selves. RM literally said this in his UN speech (which he also mentioned). When he says Speak Yourself, I think what he means is a combination of “Tell your story,” “Speak out,” and “Speak your truth.”

Best bias wreck: Jimin

Now I’m one of those people who legit loves all the members almost the same (except for Jin, I don’t love him quite as much) and my biases are Suga and V, but only by a little. But oh my goodness, Jimin was such a bias-wrecker in this concert. His solo set was ridiculous, he was wearing this beautiful sparkly top and did his amazing lyrical dance moves. So many eyebrow quirks and hearts. I’m completely dead. The friend I was with is a Jimin stan, and I think they were like, “how did it take you this long???” I now have three coequal biases. Here’s a good one, and this cutie pic.

Best corny-yet-adorable moments: J-Hope and V

J-hope’s Trivia: Just Dance stage was J-Hope being a major hype-man for the entire concert. And oh man, did it work. He’s such an exuberant live performer and the perfect choice for the second song. That white suit?? And his joy and enthusiasm is completely infectious. Hope World was my favorite of the three rappers’ mixtapes, and I was happy that his Trivia song was very much in that style, lots of old-school rap vibes. His joy is just so pure.

Also, Taehyung’s sign-off for ARMY at the end of the show: “You are the brighest stars in my universe.” Corny, but sweet and touching; also poetic because the ARMY bombs really do look like stars to the performers on stage, and we are orbiting around them, pulled into their gravity. Ah, V, so poetical as always <3

Unexpected song I liked live: Epiphany

Jin’s not my favorite member (see above), and I’m honestly a bit mystified by why people seem to like him so, so much. I’m also not a lover of ballads, usually, and the Epiphany video was fine but not one of my favorites. But I really liked this song live, way more than I was expecting to. Jin does have a really great voice, and it’s a bit less breathy than Jungkook’s in particular (still love you, Jungkook, you also sound great live!) He really gave a powerful vocal performance, and I’m going to put Epiphany back in my listening rotation…..after I listen to Suga’s I Need You x Seesaw remix another 15 times, sorrynotsorry.

Best gay/ship moments: Vkook, Suga

Vkook showed up again at this concert in force! One moment I saw myself, one I missed and found later on Twitter.

1) Tae hopped onto Jungkook’s back for a piggyback ride. It was super-brief but I know it happened because I distinctly remember thinking, “huh, usually Tae hops on Jungkook’s back, but Jungkook hopped on Tae’s this time. Interesting!” Turns out I was wrong and Tae hopped onto Jungkook as usual! Here’s a still, via @harchu2

2) Apparently, Tae also gave Jungkook a little kiss and/or nuzzle on the neck at the end. I completely missed this myself, but hey, it’s there on the video. Vkook, you’re being so loud <3

Suga’s Seesaw performance also pinged my gaydar in a major way, I’m not even sure why myself. He started off lying on this white couch. And he’s just so sassy. And this sparkly red top with a sash that he was wearing. Suga, you’re the best. Here’s a really nice pic, via @maggiejslg + Seesaw clip

Best PSA: RM

Three separate times, RM said that we shouldn’t shove one another for our safety. Our boys are so considerate and want everyone to have a good time!

Most impressive stunts: V, Suga

V’s Singularity set was fcking amazing. He’s really the most stellar performer, such a true artist. It seems positively unbelievable that he’s only 22 (what the heck was I doing when I was 22??). His little video before his solo stage (all members had them) was him surrounded by dark flowers and a pane of glass that frosted over. The hand-in-the-coat dance, and his backup dancers with masks that moved with him…the visuals of his set were stunning, and his singing was really stellar live (well, truly, everyone’s was). Here’s a clip.

In Suga’s Seesaw performance, he did this slick little stunt where he slid down a lit white long prop bar, like a seesaw. It looked really cool. I love the song Seesaw, it really shows how versatile Suga is, and his performance was a giant f-you to everyone who thinks he can’t sing or dance.

Best surprise songs: Dope and So What

Dope has always been one of my favorite songs. It’s so clearly and lovingly descended from 90’s American boy band stuff, but updated and, frankly, better. It’s got the killer hook and the great dancing, and is almost always the first video I show someone when I’m trying to explain why I love this K-pop band so much. I thought there was next to no chance of their playing it, but they did!!! I can die happy now. It was part of the medley in the middle, including Boyz With Fun, Attack On Bangtan, Fire, Bapsae (another one I was thrilled to hear), and Dope.

So What is also lowkey my favorite LYS: Tear track (though like the members, really only by a little on what’s a phenomenal album overall). I knew there wasn’t a dance for it so I didn’t think they’d play it, and was so, so thrilled when they did! It was like having a huge party with BTS and ARMY at the end of the show.

Best emotional vulnerability moment: Jimin

Jimin did some excellent crying at the end of the show, when they all came out in black t-shirts and addressed ARMY directly. Oh my goodness, it was so cute and sweet. They’ve really come so far; Yoongi tends to respond through bravado and celebrating their accomplishments, and Jimin cries. I just love so much that he’s modeling being emotional and vulnerable, and everyone just wants to give him a big ol’ hug.

Such beautiful crying.

Best Jungkook moment: End filming

At the very end of the concert, right as they were about to sink down into the floor, Jungkook grabbed a camera and started filming ARMY. I was just like, “wow, they want to remember this night just as much as we want to.”

Favorite fanchant: DNA

There were so many fun fanchant moments. My only regret is that I didn’t learn the words to Seesaw better (@StanningBTSpod, you did warn me, I should have!) But DNA has the name bit at the beginning, and BTS! BTS! BTS! in the chorus, it was just super fun. Toward the end of the concert honestly there was so much screaming and such that it was hard to even hear the fanchants. That was fine too! 

Happy me success moments 

Met the wonderful @daftlolita waiting in line to get into the venue, it was super great to hang out! 

I made this jacket, and got a bunch of compliments! My entire goal was to find other queer ARMYs and I think I pretty much succeeded. 

I also gave out most of the pins I made (made a bunch of extra ones precisely for that purpose). I don’t love Twitter that much and much prefer interacting with people in person, and generally feel like I succeeded on that front.

I kinda wish I’d gotten at least a little merch, but honestly the ticket was expensive enough. I also kinda wanted an ARMY bomb, but also, see ticket price. I tried to go to the BT21 store in Times Square on Sunday before I left and it was an hour wait so….no go on that one, I’ll get back to New York soon though.

At the end of it all, I cannot tell you how indescribably proud I am to call myself an ARMY. Although our fandom has its flaws for sure because we live in a broken world, to me, being an ARMY means co-creating a better world with BTS. A happier world.

A world where we love ourselves.

A world where there’s no stigma attached to mental illness and we can ask for the help we need

Where we take care of one another and are mindful of others (no shoving!!)

Where we celebrate and embrace difference

Where all young people have the resources they need to thrive

And where people of all races, genders, and ranges of life experience come together to express joy. I’m tearing up again as I write this.

Arundhati Roy has this beautiful quote that I’ve seen around activist spaces. It goes, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

I saw a small glimpse of that world at #BTSCitiField. Janelle Monae will lead us through the narrow places into that world. Or, as BTS have it, from the desert to the ocean. And BTS will be there to make sure we drink enough water and are good to one another while we’re moving forward.

Suga, you said you’d be back. I’ll hold you to that promise.

And please, wear that red sparkly top again. It was absolutely killer. I purple all of you beautiful, special, luminous men who are making our world better, one song at a time.

[ericmooreporchkid]

watching THAT 70′S SHOW @ 25.

The first time I went to Point Place was summer 2003.

I was on a family camping trip of sorts with my friend Nick. Our families were pals and we thought it would be a stellar idea to spend humid Iowa July in some “cabins” (which were more Super 8 than log) and do some paddle boating, fishing, smore’s’in’, etc.

The trouble was we were suburb kids. Heat and bugs limited our activity to the sofa and stove Smore’s. Our moms took to the Cabernet and didn’t mind at all. After some frustration with the bloated and dusty TV ‘neath the spiral staircase, our media viewing ended up being some That 70′s Show DVD’s Nick had brought along. 

I didn’t get it at first. Why Nick liked it. We didn’t grow up in the era the show was concerned with. How could he even relate? We had velcro shoes and gushers. But, I wanted to impress him by also finding value in the funky colors and shaggy hair, so I dove in. I did feel a weird false nostalgia almost immediately, mostly because the weird orange-y chairs in the set kitchens and at The Hub closely resembled our cabin furniture and the seating offered by the shoddy grocery shop at the edge of the campground. This, interspersed with my mom’s occasional wine-hued comments about when an outfit was similar to something she’d once worn or when the coffee cups were what her grandma owned, made me urgently want to feel a kinship to this weird replicated era.

And so a few hours in I was pretty in love with all the characters. My embarrassing moments resembled Eric’s, my moron friends resembled Kelso, and all my crushes resembled Jackie and Donna. 

A few years later in middle school, as I began to crank into pubescent Hornville and become informed about sexuality and romance from movies/tv (yikes), I would spend late nights watching re-runs of the show with my younger brother. We had that early teens late night energy and hunger, and it felt weirdly invigorating to watch what high school might be like over microwave nachos. Having a consistent friend group who constantly face dumb sophomoric challenges like drinking ages and curfews and virginities in a pursuit of fighting boredom was exhilarating. 

I went through high school and had a lot of those first experiences (kisses, drinks, slight vandalism), with less cheese and folksiness but pretty similar small-town ennui. Occasionally the show would come up in mid-aughts conversations normally dominated by DEXTER, or Weeds (girls I would date were usually stronger-willed and muscled than me, so I settled into an Eric-ish self-deprecation mode that never felt good but at least felt defined), but I never watched it the way I did in that early teen fuzz, where the concept of sneaking out or drinking seemed so outlandish and attractively alien.

My summer after my first year of college (and the only summer I ever went back home for) was bleak. I had switched from journalism to creative writing, which my parents were not stoked on. I had experienced two relationships that were impactful but not meaningful. I had my first big surges of anxiety, panic attacks, calling friends and having nothing to say. I had a small part in a play and worked a part-time job doorknocking for a friends’ dad’s senate campaign. Having old people shout at me for supporting “the gays” in heat was far from reassuring life fodder. I rewatched all 200 episodes of the show that summer. It was true comfort at that point. True and natural nostalgia. It wasn’t “the 70′s”. It was just high school. It was friends. It was community. And the jokes felt cheesier than I’d remembered, but I excused them, the way you do when your mom ejects a jest you’ve heard a thousand times. The show didn’t ask me what I was going to do next, it just followed the quests of Donna to be taken seriously, of Eric to be respected by his dad, of Fez to be acknowledged as a person and also to “do it.”

Six years later and I find myself peppering in a few episodes amidst the onslaught of streaming content available. It’s odd now. It feels like summer break is done. I’ve grown so much in comedy and comedy has changed so much, on a pure structural level. Some quips that used to spark just flare out immediately, like the end of a sparkler placed in a Diet Dew can. A lot of themes and dialogue are pretty dated and gross, because it’s something made with a late 90′s concept of social structure trying to handle the 70′s style of equality, gender norms, etc. Hyde is not cool and anything remotely sexual from his mouth is dusting considering Danny Masterson’s real life monster behavior (go fuck yourself, Danny). It’s sad knowing Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly) died from a drug overdose and the lifestyle she has on the show is so slut-shame-based, treats vices like weaknesses. The blacklight of time is on.

On a pure production level, it’s weird knowing more about sets and shooting and Hollywood gunk, which honestly does take a lot of the magic I used to see away.

But the frame and the shots and the haircuts and the love are still there. Things still work. I want to be in the circle. The world and the characters exist with such life. So many scenes are real laughter, the laughter of actors in their early 20′s having fun and being blown away that they’re getting an opportunity to create together. I don’t ever really drip into the later seasons (fuck Randy) except for that last episode when Topher returns. 

I watch that one a lot, actually. It makes me happy that past the prime of the narrative and show, they wanted to end it back on the steps with kids doing nothing and trying to understand the world right before the buttoned-up eighties. The world got uglier and prettier as the show left us, but the basic soul of the material is pure and honest and explorative. The way adolescence is. The way we can sometimes remember being. 

Below are my top five episodes. Hi, Wisconsin.

5. “Hunting” S 2, ep. 13

Eric and the guys go hunting with Red and Bob. This is some of the most stellar Red vs. Eric activity, but it comes to a real emotional truth that surpasses the show’s normal depth when Eric reveals he knows how to shoot animals and he just doesn’t want to. The way he uses an ability Red so aggrandizes to prove its arbitrary importance is such a satisfying kick in the khakis and a nice representation of one generation slightly jolting the other awake. Also, everyone accidentally eats crow. 

4. “Halloween” S 2, ep. 5

The gang breaks into their old elementary school and reads their permanent records. The relatable curiosity every kid has over what the fuck a permanent record means also turns into a beautiful bottle episode of “how did we all meet?” I always end up tracking the spider webs of my own friendships post-view.

3. “The Career Day” S1 ep. 18 

Seeing the spectrum of Point Place’s job market is pure fun. It’s such a good characterization episode (Kelso telling his brainy dad he’s just gonna write down that “he’s a farmer” always kills me) and it rocks that moment many of us go through where we look at what our parents do and think what the fuck am I gonna do? Certainly not that. 

2. “Parents Find Out” S2 ep. 19

The self-explanatory title was not only satisfying because of the parental reactions, but because there are a few episodes between when Eric and Donna lose the V and when it actually matters. You know when you do something you think your parents are gonna kill you for and then you realize they can’t really do anything? Every time I watch this I still feel like Red is going to shoot Eric. I am happy Pavlovian here. 

1. “Dine and Dash” S3 ep. 15

An amazing modernized “And Then They Were None” wherein we see each character slowly avoid the bill. Of course its dumb teenage rebellion, but there’s also a very human quality to each of the characters turning on each other. It’s carnival stress.

(below: My friend Adam and I at a gas station before prom in 2009, complete with 70′s locks).

[i-smile-so-i-must-be-fine]

1: How tall or short do you wish you were? i wish i was like 5′5 2: What’s your dream pet? (Real or not) tiger 3: Do you have a favorite clothing style? joggers and hoodie or jeans and hoodie 4: What was your favorite video game growing up? crash  5: What three things/people do you think of most each day: my girl, and it depends on what mood i wake up in to what i think about  6: If you had a warning label, what would yours say? crazy bitch  7: What is your opinion on [insert person/thing here]? 8: What is your Greek personality type? [Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, or Melancholic] no idea didn’t even know that was a thing  9: Are you ticklish? yea but only my girl knows where they’re  10: Are you allergic to anything? not that i’m aware of  11: What’s your sexuality? lesbian 12: Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa? tea, but i’l drink any of them  13: Are you a cat or dog person? cat 14: Would you rather be a vampire, elf, or merperson? vampire 15: Do you have a favorite Youtuber? not really 16: How tall are you? 5′2 17: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? maybe not my first name but when i get married we’re double barrowing our last names 18: How much do you weigh? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] no idea haven’t been weighed in a while 19: Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? kinda 20: Do you like space or the ocean more? ocean 21: Are you religious? no 22: Pet peeves? people lying, biting their finger nails  23: Would you rather be nocturnal or diurnal [opposite of nocturnal]? i’m kinda nocturnal  24: Favorite constellation? 25: Favorite star? demi lovato  26: Do you like ball-jointed dolls? dunno what they’re  27: Any phobias or fears? a fair few 28: Do you think global warming is real? yea 29: Do you believe in reincarnation? no  30: Favorite movie? perks of being a wallflower  31: Do you get scared easily? no  32: How many pets have you own in your lifetime? 2 many to count  33: Blog rate? [You’ll rate the blog of the one who’s asking.] 34: What is a color that calms you? dunno  35: Where would you like to travel and/or live? i’d love to travel to most countries but my dream is to travel to new york  36: Where were you born? uk 37: What is your eye color? brown/green they change colour  38: Introvert or extrovert? introvert 39: Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiacs? not really i like reading them  40: Hugs or kisses? both  41: Who is someone you would like to see/visit right now? my girl  42: Who is someone you love deeply? my girl  43: Any piercings you want? kinda want my eyebrow piercing  44: Do you like tattoos and piercings? i have 9 of them and i like certain piercings but not all  45: Do you smoke or have you eiver done so? i smoke cigarettes but i’ve also done weed before  46: Talk about your crush, if you have one! 47: What is a sound you really hate? people biting their nails  48: A sound you really love? my girl sleeping  49: Can you do a backflip? nope 50: Can you do the splits? nope  51: Favorite actor and/or actress? channing tatum and margot robbie  52: Favorite movie? perks of being a wallflower 53: How are you feeling right now? i’m actually okay despite waking up in a shitty mood 54: What color would you like your hair to be right now? either red or purple  55: When did you feel happiest? not actually sure  56: Something that calms you down? talking to my girl  57: Have any mental disorders? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] BPD (borderline personality disorder) MDD (majore depressive disorder with psychotic features)  PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)  58: What does your URL mean? kinda means when i smile people think i’m fine even when i’m really not  59: What three words describe you the most? 60: Do you believe in evolution? 61: What makes you unfollow a blog? depends on how long its been since they last posted  62: What makes you follow a blog? if i like the content on what they post or reblog  63: Favorite kind of person: someone who’s kind, loving and just in general kinda awesome  64: Favorite animal(s): tiger  65: Name three of your favorite blogs. 66: Favorite emoticon: don’t really have one  67: Favorite meme: 68: What is your MBTI personality type? 69: What is your star sign? virgo  70: Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? no she just does it when she feels like it  71: What outfit out of all your clothes do you like to wear the most? kinda depends what i’m doing  72: Post a selfie or two? 73: Do you have platform shoes? nope 74: What is one random but interesting fact about yourself? 75: Can you do a front flip? no  76: Do you like birds? no  77: Do you like to swim? depends on my mood  78: Is swimming or ice skating more fun to you? ice skating  79: Something you wish didn’t exist: rapists  80: Some thing you wish did exist: certain people getting their karma  81: Piercings you have? none anymore.. used to have my belly button done  82: Something you really enjoy doing: spending time with my girl  83: Favorite person to talk to: my girl  84: What was your first impression of Tumblr? can’t remember 85: How many followers do you have? over 1000  86: Can you run a mile within ten minutes? lol no i can’t even remember the last time i ran  87: Do your socks always match? yea but didn’t used to  88: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely? haven’t tried in a while  89: What are your birthstones? sapphire  90: If you were an animal, which one would you be? dunno  91: If a flower could aesthetically represent you, what kind would it be? don’t really know anything about flowers  92: A store you hate? toy stores  93: How many cups of coffee can you drink in one day? i don’t really but it depends where i’m at  94: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds? read minds  95: Do you like to wear camo? no  96: Winter or summer? hmm i like both but i hate snow  97: How long can you hold your breath for? about 40 seconds to a minute  98: Least favorite person? my ex  99: Someone you look up to: i don’t really  100: A store you love? JD sports or Superdry  101: Favorite type of shoes trainers  102: Where do you live? uk 103: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why? nope  104: What is your favorite mineral or gem? 105: Do you drink milk? only in hot drinks or milkshakes  106: Do you like bugs? not really  107: Do you like spiders? no but i’m the one that has to kill them since my girl and our child is petrified of them 108: Something you get paranoid about? a few things  109: Can you draw: nope  110: Nosiest question you have ever been asked? why do you have scars  111: A question you hate being asked? about how i got my scars  112: Ever been bitten by a spider? no  113: Do you like the sound of waves at the beach? yea 114: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days? bit of both 115: Someone you’d like to kiss or cuddle right now: my girl havent seen her since march.. we are now at the back end of may  116: Favorite cloud type: 117: What color do you wish the sky was? dunno  118: Do you have freckles? no  119: Favorite thing about a person: 120: Fruits or vegetables? fruit  121: Something you want to do right now: see my girl  122: Is the ocean or sky prettier? ocean.. if people actually respect it 123: Sweet or sour foods? sweet  124: Bright or dim lights? dim  125: Do you believe in a certain magical creature? no  126: Something you hate about Tumblr: 127: Something you love about Tumblr: 128: What do you think about the least? 129: What would you want written on your tombstone? haven’t actually thought about it  130: Who would you like to punch in the face right now? a few people  131: What is something you love but also hate about yourself? i love my tattoos.. and to many things to name about hating myself  132: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures? no unless i’m caught off guard  133: Computer or TV? computer  134: Do you like roller coasters? yea 135: Do you get motion sickness or seasickness? not really i only got seasick once but the tides were quite bad  136: Are your ears lobed or attached? no idea  137: Do you believe in karma? to an extent  138: On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are? 1 139: What nicknames do you have/have had? i’ve had a few.. can’t really remember them  140: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends? i hear voices inside and outside my head if that counts?  141: Have you ever seen a therapist/shrink? yep  142: Would you say you are a good or bad influence to others? i try be good  143: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help? giving  144: What makes you angry a lot of things  145: How many languages do you speak fluently? 1 146: Do you prefer boys, girls, and/or non-binaries? girls  147: Are you androgynous? a what now? 148: Favorite physical thing about yourself: my hair i guess  149: Favorite thing about your personality: i always try help people  150: Name three people you would like to talk to right now in person. 151: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose? no idea  152: Do you like BuzzFeed? its alright  153: How did you meet your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? [If you have one.] on an dating app  154: Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons? yea 155: Do you like to play with others’ hair? yea but only when my girl does it  156: What embarrasses you? dunno  157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious: i have anxiety soooo..  158: Biggest lie you have ever told: can’t actually remember  159: How many people are you following? a lot  160: How many posts do you have on your blog(s)? i don’t even know  161: How many drafts do you have on your blog(s)? none  162: How many likes do you have on your blog(s)? i don’t really like posts i just reblog them  163: Last time you cried and why: last night and coz of a film i watched  164: Do you have long or short hair? long  165: Longest your hair has ever been: its down to the bottom of my back  166: Why do you like, dislike, or have neutral feelings about religon? i just never really believed in any kind of religion  167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created? no  168: Do you like to wear makeup? no i’ve only ever wore it a few times  169: Can you stand on your hands or head for more than thirty seconds? no  170: Did you answer the questions you were asked truthfully? yea 

[othernecessarythings]

81: Piercings you have?

only my ears

82: Something you really enjoy doing:

spening time with my favorite people on adventures

83: Favorite person to talk to:

my sister or my best friends

84: What was your first impression of Tumblr?

how the fuck does this thing work, what are tags and why can’t i see any dates

85: How many followers do you have?

not many

86: Can you run a mile within ten minutes?

well yes? if my googling is right and a mile is about 1.6 km, then yeah, i run one km in like 5 min

87: Do your socks always match?

yes i can’t wear mismatched socks

88: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely?

yes

89: What are your birthstones?

?

90: If you were an animal, which one would you be?

like a seal or something

91: If a flower could aesthetically represent you, what kind would it be?

hm the flower called förgätmigej in swedish, they’re small, blue and calm

92: A store you hate?

um like the swedish store tessie maybe

93: How many cups of coffee can you drink in one day?

none

94: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds?

read minds

95: Do you like to wear camo?

no not my style

96: Winter or summer?

SUMMER omg

97: How long can you hold your breath for?

probably not that long

98: Least favorite person?

hmm i really can’t stand trump for example

99: Someone you look up to:

my friends, hayley williams and my parents

100: A store you love?

weekday maybe

101: Favorite type of shoes

sneakers, always

102: Where do you live?

sweden, love it

103: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why?

i prefer vegetarian food, but i eat anything

104: What is your favorite mineral or gem?

no clue

105: Do you drink milk?

not straight up, but like oboy and stuff like that yeah

106: Do you like bugs?

not really

107: Do you like spiders?

not really either

108: Something you get paranoid about?

getting caught by parents or police or similar lol, i’m living very dangerously in that aspect huh

109: Can you draw:

absolutely not

110: Nosiest question you have ever been asked?

i’m not brave enough to ask too much, but i love to get to know people’s backgrounds, fears and dreams

111: A question you hate being asked?

“why are u so smart?” cause i know i’m smart, it sounds arrogant to just say it like that but i realize it’s true, but i don’t know why? it just happened? hm

112: Ever been bitten by a spider?

nah we don’t have any bigger or dangerous ones here in sweden

113: Do you like the sound of waves at the beach?

i live for it, i actually walk to the sea (i live pretty close to it) quite often just to breathe and let the waves calm me down

114: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days?

always sunny days

115: Someone you'd like to kiss or cuddle right now:

hm i’d like to find someone i like first ig

116: Favorite cloud type:

fluffy, compact clouds on a clear blue sky

117: What color do you wish the sky was?

i’m content with it being blue, and every beautiful colour the sunset is

118: Do you have freckles?

no

119: Favorite thing about a person:

their mind i guess? what they find interesting and are passionate about

120: Fruits or vegetables?

depends, i like both (indecisive as always)

121: Something you want to do right now:

bathe in a warm ocean, feel the sun on my skin

122: Is the ocean or sky prettier?

the combo of them together beats everything

123: Sweet or sour foods?

sour

124: Bright or dim lights?

dim, it’s so much more comfortable

125: Do you believe in a certain magical creature?

not really

126: Something you hate about Tumblr:

how addictive it is, and how some people criticize everyone for small mistakes when they’re just trying their best to be inclusive,, like for example this is one of the most lgbtq+ accepting spaces of all times compared the general homophobia in the world, but there’s still those who complain when every post doesn’t include their very specific orientation

127: Something you love about Tumblr:

how addictive it is, it allows me to completely forget everything else and just have a good time in peace,, and how i don’t know any one here, no one is here to constantly judge me

128: What do you think about the least?

huh? what’s that?

129: What would you want written on your tombstone?

oh um that’s a quite big decision but right now do i feel that this swedish lyrics would be very beautiful

”Låt oss gå upp på taket ikväll

Där vi kan se stjärnorna skimra

Låt oss gå upp på taket ihop

Där vi kan vara närmare himlen

Närmare himlen”

130: Who would you like to punch in the face right now?

trump or boris

131: What is something you love but also hate about yourself?

um everything, i constantly doubt all of my traits and appearances but love them at the same time

132: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures?

usually not, so if i’m smiling with my teeth am i usually really, really happy

133: Computer or TV?

computer

134: Do you like roller coasters?

hm sometimes

135: Do you get motion sickness or seasickness?

motion, seasickness is never a problem for me

136: Are your ears lobed or attached?

what?

137: Do you believe in karma?

no, but i still believe in acting good just because it’s right, not because you get any selfish profits from it

138: On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are?

oh that definitely depends, i know i’m quite near the society’s definition of beauty standards, with body shape and face features and clothing style and everything but i still doubt myself a lot, but i’d like to see myself as a strong seven

139: What nicknames do you have/have had?

none, my name hasn’t got any natural nicknames and i’ve never needed a nickname until recently when i’ve got a friend with the same name as me,, but she’s got a nickname so it’s okay

140: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends?

no i wasn’t a creative kid at all lol

141: Have you ever seen a therapist/shrink?

sigh once secretly, but it didn’t go that well and i’ve never done it since

142: Would you say you are a good or bad influence to others?

oof really depends on who, but hopefully good?

143: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help?

hm depends on how good the present i’m giving is

144: What makes you angry

not much really, i��m not an angry type

145: How many languages do you speak fluently?

kinda two? i mean i’m fluent in swedish of course, and i’m quite close to being fluent in english too.. and i must include some rather bad german skills too lol

146: Do you prefer boys, girls, and/or non-binaries?

honestly i don’t have a clue right now, but i’m probably bi? aah but idk maybe i’m just straight, how would i know, but rn am i comfortable in being bi and further explore what my sexuality is

147: Are you androgynous?

not really, i’m kinda stereotypically female i guess

148: Favorite physical thing about yourself:

hm my legs be kinda cute tho

149: Favorite thing about your personality:

no don’t make me choose this i don’t know and i’m insecure about it

150: Name three people you would like to talk to right now in person.

anyone? um hayley williams, tyler joseph and my grandpa who’s passed away

151: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose?

no i’m content in our era, but either the early 2000’s to fully live my emo life, or the swedish 50’s when my grandparents grew up, they always tell me such beautiful stories from their childhoods and teenage years (i am aware about the problematics with all eras, and 50’s being lots of racism and much more, but i’d like to believe that if i were able to grow up the same way my grandparents did here in sweden, would life been pretty great anyways)

152: Do you like BuzzFeed?

okay hear me out i don’t know if buzzfeed is i thing in sweden? i’ve never heard anyone mention it, i have a vague idea of what it is but i don’t really know? so i guess not

153: How did you meet your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? [If you have one.]

hah i wish

154: Do you like to kiss others' foreheads or hands for platonic reasons?

no i’m not a touchy friend, i’m more like a shower u with kind words instead friend

155: Do you like to play with others' hair?

no i feel like i intrude on their privacy somehow

156: What embarrasses you?

hm i don’t really know, i tend to avoid any situation that might make me feel embarrassed

157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious:

the concept of this (my teenage years) being the absolute best years of my life and that i have to achieve so much rn,, and media isn’t really helping me with that, i’m constantly forced to watch how great lives everyone else lives on social media and stuff,,, and i know my life is actually really interesting and good, but i’m anxious about my time running out anyways

158: Biggest lie you have ever told:

hm basic but “i’m fine” i guess

159: How many people are you following?/160: How many posts do you have on your blog(s)? /161: How many drafts do you have on your blog(s)?/162: How many likes do you have on your blog(s)?

not many on either of them

163: Last time you cried and why:

ah i don’t cry (which is a problem and i’m trying to loosen up my grip on my emotions but it’s hard) honestly i don’t remember the last time i really sobbed? i’ve cried a tear or two sometimes, usually over books, but i’m unfortunately not a crying type

164: Do you have long or short hair?

i had long hair until like yesterday! rn is it to my shoulders, which still is kinda long i guess, but short for me

165: Longest your hair has ever been:

idk quite long

166: Why do you like, dislike, or have neutral feelings about religon?

oh interesting topic, here’s my view on it; religion is a good idea, but we’re using it wrong. it is about spreading love and finding answers to the greater questions in life, to respect one and each other and finding a place and purpose in our world, which is beautiful right? unfortunately are many people and fucking leaders using it for their own profit, to spread hate or fear, which is completely wrong and not at all what it is about. worth mentioning that in sweden, particularly in the bigger cities, isn’t religion a big thing. no one i know is devoted religious? neither am i, but i still choose to believe in the good parts of christianity, about love and acceptance

167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created?

ye i’m a science nerd i would love to know how it was made from a scientific point of view, bc i firmly believe that it’s the big bang and not some god who randomly chose to make us lol

168: Do you like to wear makeup?

yes, a little everyday makeup, and bright, colorful and creative looks for events

169: Can you stand on your hands or head for more than thirty seconds?

against a wall, probably yes, but without? hah no

170: Did you answer the questions you were asked truthfully?

i think so, the knowledge that no one else is going to read this but me makes me feel quite secure in answering truthfully

that’s it! wow i made it through all of them, just for the record it’s the 23:d february 2020 today, nice, goodbye

[chokemeseokjin]

for that ask thing... do em all... all 170... do it 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

OK LET’S DO THIS

1: How tall or short do you wish you were? I wish I was like 5′6″ tbh i’m too tall2: What’s your dream pet? (Real or not) fucking dragon mate3: Do you have a favorite clothing style? I like kinda cute pastel shit but not really girly? does that even make sense?4: What was your favorite video game growing up? Nintendogs?5: What three things/people do you think of most each day: My gf, bees and flowers6: If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Approach with caution, cries easily and afraid of loud noises7: What is your opinion on Mo being unfaithful to Jimin? Unsurprising and relatable (ily)8: What is your Greek personality type? [Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, or Melancholic] IDK9: Are you ticklish? incredibly pls don’t touch me10: Are you allergic to anything? I’m lactose intolerant so… yeah11: What’s your sexuality? bi bi bi12: Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa? tea i am a brit after all13: Are you a cat or dog person? B O T H14: Would you rather be a vampire, elf, or merperson? vampire fam that’d be so cool15: Do you have a favorite Youtuber? either Dan and Phil or Tomska, Dan and Phil are one in my head ok shut up16: How tall are you? 5′10″ :)))17: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? Evie bc that was what i was going to be called and I would prefer it,,,,18: How much do you weigh? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] idk fam19: Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? kinda?20: Do you like space or the ocean more? S P A C E FAM THE STARS ARE JUST !!!!21: Are you religious? nah22: Pet peeves? When ppl walk really slowly in the middle of the fucking pavement23: Would you rather be nocturnal or diurnal [opposite of nocturnal]? nocturnal24: Favorite constellation? gemini obviously where my hoes at25: Favorite star? Kim Seokjin26: Do you like ball-jointed dolls? the fuck are they?27: Any phobias or fears? the dark n clowns28: Do you think global warming is real? yes???29: Do you believe in reincarnation? yeah i guess I do30: Favorite movie? Super 8! Pls watch it! support my kids!31: Do you get scared easily? yes like seriously easy32: How many pets have you own in your lifetime? 233: Blog rate? [You’ll rate the blog of the one who’s asking.] BEST BLOG EVER 10/10 WOULD LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AMEN34: What is a color that calms you? Pastel blue35: Where would you like to travel and/or live? Japan and Hawaii! 36: Where were you born? hospital in my home town37: What is your eye color? very blue38: Introvert or extrovert? introvert39: Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiacs? I think they’re interesting but the ones in magazines n shit are bullcrap40: Hugs or kisses? hugs pls41: Who is someone you would like to see/visit right now? my gf :(42: Who is someone you love deeply? ur mum43: Any piercings you want? more on my ears and maybe my nose44: Do you like tattoos and piercings? yes!!!!45: Do you smoke or have you eiver done so? i have yh46: Talk about your crush, if you have one! how to describe min yoongi,,,,47: What is a sound you really hate? metal being like dragged along something u know what i mean48: A sound you really love? kim seokjin when he gets lines :))))49: Can you do a backflip? no i’m not jungkook50: Can you do the splits? nearly lol51: Favorite actor and/or actress? I lov Andrew Garfield with all my heart 52: Favorite movie? u asked this already but I’ll chose another one soooooooo um Breakfast Club bc i am a white girl53: How are you feeling right now? sleepy54: What color would you like your hair to be right now? same colour it is now tbh55: When did you feel happiest? sleeping56: Something that calms you down? watching youtube videos specifically gaming ones idk why but it’s rlly calming57: Have any mental disorders? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] probably lmao58: What does your URL mean? i want. kim seokjin. to choke me. ok? are we clear? 59: What three words describe you the most? a fucking loser60: Do you believe in evolution? yeah61: What makes you unfollow a blog? posting rude/mean stuff or just if I don’t enjoy their content anymore, i don’t mean any harm or anything lol62: What makes you follow a blog? if it’s pretty/memes63: Favorite kind of person: nice people who’re funny and caring and actually give a shit about me and other ppl, not just themselves64: Favorite animal(s): meerkats, giraffes n bees65: Name three of your favorite blogs. @oh-no-its-mo​ @jinsasleep​ @taechy​66: Favorite emoticon: i’m on my laptop!!!! the sparkly heart!67: Favorite meme: um idk? the in tarnation one is p funny atm tho68: What is your MBTI personality type? fuck i can’t remember the rarest one i know that for sure69: What is your star sign? Gemini, come fight me70: Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? no jfc she wont even sit when i ask the hoe71: What outfit out of all your clothes do you like to wear the most? denim mini skirt thing, tights n some cute top 72: Post a selfie or two? no73: Do you have platform shoes? i am tall enough74: What is one random but interesting fact about yourself? I hate potatoes 75: Can you do a front flip? no jfc76: Do you like birds? yah77: Do you like to swim? I’m baically Rin tbh78: Is swimming or ice skating more fun to you? Swimming i have no balance 79: Something you wish didn’t exist: donald trump80: Some thing you wish did exist: free traveling 81: Piercings you have? 5 in ma ears82: Something you really enjoy doing: writing and dying83: Favorite person to talk to: my gf84: What was your first impression of Tumblr? yo it was awful i was superwholock bullshit asshat i still hate myself for it i’ve been here too long85: How many followers do you have? 983!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY86: Can you run a mile within ten minutes? FUCKING HELL NO87: Do your socks always match? no88: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely? yes89: What are your birthstones? emerald 90: If you were an animal, which one would you be? dragon91: If a flower could aesthetically represent you, what kind would it be? oh fam a fuckin scabious they’re the shit92: A store you hate? superdrug93: How many cups of coffee can you drink in one day? i had 6 one day it was a mistake94: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds? flyyyyyyy95: Do you like to wear camo? yes sir96: Winter or summer? summer97: How long can you hold your breath for? i can swim a length of the pool underwater98: Least favorite person? donald trump99: Someone you look up to: is it cheesy to say namjoon?100: A store you love? the fat ass topshop on oxford street101: Favorite type of shoes? cute ballet flats102: Where do you live? LDN 103: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why? bacon104: What is your favorite mineral or gem? i just thought of that fucking goat meme bye105: Do you drink milk? no i would die106: Do you like bugs? some107: Do you like spiders? small ones108: Something you get paranoid about? e v e r y t h i n g109: Can you draw: a little tho i’m sure others would disagree110: Nosiest question you have ever been asked? idk fam i haven’t rlly been asked one111: A question you hate being asked? is ur hair naturally that colour112: Ever been bitten by a spider? no113: Do you like the sound of waves at the beach? yah114: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days? sunny!115: Someone you’d like to kiss or cuddle right now: my gf jfc how many times have i answered with that 116: Favorite cloud type: penis shapes ones117: What color do you wish the sky was? pink118: Do you have freckles? yah 119: Favorite thing about a person: their laugh120: Fruits or vegetables? fruit121: Something you want to do right now: sleep tbh122: Is the ocean or sky prettier? sky123: Sweet or sour foods? sour? i dont rlly like sweet stuff much124: Bright or dim lights? in between aaaaaye125: Do you believe in a certain magical creature? unicorns i read a book when i was little that convinced me126: Something you hate about Tumblr: drama and ppl caring too much about shit that dont matter127: Something you love about Tumblr: making friends and seeing ppls amazing art!128: What do you think about the least? what a weird question um idk slugs?129: What would you want written on your tombstone? fucking finally130: Who would you like to punch in the face right now? Saitama? to see how much it would hurt131: What is something you love but also hate about yourself? my entire being132: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures? i dont smile at all if i can help it133: Computer or TV? computer134: Do you like roller coasters? sort of135: Do you get motion sickness or seasickness? motion yess not sure about sea136: Are your ears lobed or attached? attached137: Do you believe in karma? yes138: On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are? a strong -4139: What nicknames do you have/have had? El, Ellz, Petra, Sharpay, bitch, hoe, shut up ellen140: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends? yeah141: Have you ever seen a therapist/shrink? nope142: Would you say you are a good or bad influence to others? Good most of the time143: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help? giving!!!!!!144: What makes you angry? rude people145: How many languages do you speak fluently? two146: Do you prefer boys, girls, and/or non-binaries? anyone who’ll have me tbh147: Are you androgynous? no148: Favorite physical thing about yourself: my eyes?149: Favorite thing about your personality: i guess i’m kind idk150: Name three people you would like to talk to right now in person. my gf (again), Jess and Ellie151: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose? dinosaurs, i would make them my children152: Do you like BuzzFeed? their snapchat thing always makes me laugh153: How did you meet your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? [If you have one.] through this god damn website thanks to pepekwan,  romance at it’s finest kids154: Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons? yes155: Do you like to play with others’ hair? yes156: What embarrasses you? literally everything157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious: again, literally everything158: Biggest lie you have ever told: i’m straight 159: How many people are you following? too many160: How many posts do you have on your blog(s)? 46,715 JFC161: How many drafts do you have on your blog(s)? none162: How many likes do you have on your blog(s)? 1,758163: Last time you cried and why: i can’t actually remember 164: Do you have long or short hair? medium!!!!!!165: Longest your hair has ever been: nearly to my waist166: Why do you like, dislike, or have neutral feelings about religon? never really affected me tbh, people can believe what they want to beleive as long as they’re not hurting anyone/ pressuring anyone to believe in it too167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created? not really no168: Do you like to wear makeup? yeah u dont wanna see me without it169: Can you stand on your hands or head for more than thirty seconds? no?????170: Did you answer the questions you were asked truthfully? yes I have ur welcome Mo ily

i didnt check this so sorry if there are mistakes lol 

[obtusemedia]

Top 25 Songs of 2017: The Honorable Mentions

Some years, there’s an embarrassing amount of good-to-great albums/songs but not a lot of absolute 10/10 stunners. 2017 fits snugly in that category.

Although no single song or album this year reached a 10-out-of-10 perfect level, there were so many great 9s and 8s that I had to expand my year-end song and album lists, just to avoid the guilt of leaving off some songs I really enjoyed. In fact, even with 15 honorable mentions instead of 10 this year, there were still a few casualties (sorry, Harry Styles, Chastity Belt and Spoon).

Regardless, here’s the 15 that made the cut of barely missing the cut — if that statement made any sense. Let’s just jump in.

“Turn to Rage” by Bleached

California’s best bubblegum punk band released a new EP, Can You Deal?, this spring. It’s pretty solid, but what I found interesting was that Deal dove head-first into both sides of their sound. One single, “Flipside” was pure mid-90s sugary pop. It honestly could’ve been the theme to a Nickelodeon teen sitcom (and I mean that as a compliment).

“Turn to Rage” is the opposite. If “Flipside” is straight bubblegum, “Turn to Rage” is Bleached focusing on their punk side. It’s all aggressive guitars, abrupt tempo changes built for mosh pits, and snarky lyrics. There’s definitely some elements of Bleached’s original sound in here — they didn’t completely get rid of the vocal harmonies, and the song’s still catchy in a Weezer-esque sort of way — but there’s also more of an angry edge.

Luckly, Bleached managed to still maintain their sunburnt Los Angeles style, their greatest asset. “Turn to Rage” just shows the up-and-coming band has some range beyond adding heavy guitars to Go-Gos pastiches.

“Told You So” by Miguel

Miguel has been one of the most charismatic, sensual R&B singers on the planet for a while now. Instant classics like “Adorn,” “Coffee” and “Do You...” are bright, impeccably produced-and-performed ‘80s throwbacks that haven’t aged a day.

So, what’s his newest electro-funk single about? Love? Sex? ...how about nuclear war? 

Yes, “Told You So,” the supremely groovy standout from Miguel’s newest album, aptly titled War and Leisure, is meant to be told from the perspective of a war-hungry dictator (the video makes it a lot more obvious). Kind of makes lyrics like “Every pleasure you taste has its price, baby” and “I don’t want to control you/I want to set you free/just come with me” sound a lot more sinister in that context, no?

Yet, it also totally works as a bedroom jam. It’s kind of like how U2′s “With or Without You” can be both about God or a relationship. “Told You So” is just a more deadly version of that formula, and Miguel pulls it off with flying colors. The production here is about as good of a Prince ripoff as we’re going to hear in this century, and the L.A. singer’s forceful, sultry delivery really sells the message. 

Miguel just wanted to show that blowing away your enemies with the click of a button can be just as tempting as any physical desire, and his point is certainly proven.

“tonite” by LCD Soundsystem

A lot of veteran indie rockers had comeback albums in 2017. A lot of them didn’t really work. Fortunately, James Murphy had a trick up his sleeve to avoid this fate: middle-aged ramblings over a techno beat! Hooray!

Real talk though, if I’m going to listen to a 47-year-old complain about random things, I’d choose James Murphy nine times out of ten. Not only does everyone’s favorite Steve Bannon lookalike set his gripes to a laser-focused "Blue Monday” techno beat, but he gets in some interesting quotes. He discusses the looming threat of old age ( “I promise you this, you’re getting older...and there’s nothing I can do/nothing anyone can do about this”), worries about his generation becoming obsolete (“Oh I’m a reminder/the hobbled veteran of the disc-shop inquisition”) and even reminds himself of his tortured youth (”So you will be badgered and taunted and told that/you're missing a party that you'll never get over/you hate the idea that you're wasting your youth/that you stood in the background oh until you got older”).

Of course, in the best line, he deflates the whole thing by quipping, “Good gracious, I sound like my mom!” “tonite” is a snide, highly danceable song that Murphy could write in his sleep, but just because it’s a 2005-era throwback doesn’t mean it can’t still hit a nerve.

“Love” by Lana Del Rey

After a dismal 2015 (Honeymoon still has to be one of the most sudden dips in quality from an artist I’ve witnessed), Lana had a bit of a return to form in 2017, starting with the gorgeous, dreamy lead single, “Love.”

Lana’s always had a retro style, but she goes full ‘60s here, employing a Phil Spector Wall of Sound production technique and even ripping off the groove from a classic Beach Boys song (which she references during the bridge and closing). 

But remaking “Don’t Worry Baby” for 2017 with a thicker bassline goes beyond just playing with a vintage formula. “Love” is legitimately soothing and calming with Lana’s silky alto vocals, and in a tumultuous year like this one, it was nice to have some reassurance that hey, everything’s going to be alright. You’re young, you’re beautiful, and things are going to work out. Perhaps what Lana inherited from the Boomers more than anything else is a sense of optimism that’s badly needed right now.

“Minnesota” by The Courtneys

This song might be called “Minnesota,” but it sounds oh-so-California. And The Courtneys aren’t even from either state: they’re Canadian!

It’s honestly a bit odd how a song named after a famously frigid state written by a band from a famously frigid country (although Vancouver isn’t quite the Arctic tundra) managed to create a fuzzy indie-rock gem that sounds so sunny and surf-ready. Lead singer Jen Twynn Payne’s slacker vocals and the raw, crunchy guitar riffs from Courtney Garvin (the band’s only Courtney, surprisingly) make “Minnesota” feel like a hidden track on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack. Jeff Spicoli would absolutely approve.

“Everything Now” by Arcade Fire

Yes, I’m well aware that Arcade Fire’s days as a critical darling are just about over. I’ll agree with most people that Everything Now, Arcade Fire’s 2017 album, was a major disappointment that’s stained the band’s previously-flawless discography.

But “Everything Now,” that album’s title track? It’s a banger.

I’m sorry, but if mixing ABBA with Rusted Root while throwing in gratuitous jabs at late-capitalist consumerism is wrong, then I don’t want to ever be right. This song has an unstoppable disco grove, a catchy chant-along chorus, and lead singer Win Butler’s Bono-isms still perfectly toe that line between self-righteous and actually meaningful (at least, on this song). It might not be hip to defend Arcade Fire 13 years after Funeral, but I have enough goodwill left to enjoy “Everything Now.”

Oh, and the second single, “Creature Comfort,” is also great. Fight me, Pitchfork.

“I Dare You” by The xx

With their new album, I See You, The xx ditched the minimalist sound that made them famous at the turn of the decade for expansive synthpop that sounded a lot more like in-house DJ Jamie xx’s 2015 solo masterpiece, In Colour. And it totally worked! 

“I Dare You” might be the most pop-friendly track on the whole album, with its soaring chorus, pulsing backbeat and playfully lovestruck lyrics. It’s the kind of simple track you’ll love instantly, with enough depth and subtle touches to make it an enjoyable listen many times over. 

Also, Millie Bobby Brown’s in the video, so bonus points for that. Too bad she didn’t lift any vans with her mind this time.

“Silver” by Waxahatchee

Katie Cruchfield’s southern-fried indie rock is at its best when it has a raw emotion to grab onto, and “Silver” features just that. The driving track perfectly captures the feeling of falling out of love with someone. 

“The kiss on my lips/ starts to feel unfamiliar/the part in your eyes/my skin all turns silver,” Crutchfield drolly sings, perfectly describing the growing distance between her and her former lover. It’s not bitter, it’s not angry; It’s just a bit melancholy and disappointing. And sometimes, that’s all breakups are, something that Crutchfield encapsulates in her wordless chorus and wistful closing guitar solo. 

“Silver” is a realistic look at the unglamorous side of breakups, and a frank artist like Waxahatchee was the perfect person to deliver it.

“Lemon” by N.E.R.D. and Rihanna

Yeah, yeah, N.E.R.D. is back and all...but HOLD UP. WHO KNEW RIHANNA HAD THAT FLOW IN HER POCKET?! 

Okay, I guess we sort of knew thanks to her collab with Kendrick, but she was half-singing on that one. It was Fetty Wap rapping. This RiRi doing straight hip-hop, over an absolutely killer Pharrell beat to boot (he’s totally forgiven for “Happy” now).

Honestly, I wish the lyrics themselves were a bit more memorable (although Pharrell gets in a nice line about “Eli face,” which...lol) but I’ll be damned if “Lemon” isn’t an absolute banger regardless. 

Please make a rap album, Rihanna. It’ll be incredible.

“Carin at the Liquor Store” by The National

The National’s newest album, Sleep Well Beast, mainly deals with the struggles of maintaining a middle-aged marriage. Total rock-n-roll, I know. Still, if any band can pull off an entire album about somber marital strife, it’s these guys. 

“Carin at the Liquor Store,” located near the end of the record, serves as a nostalgic reminder of lead singer Matt Berninger’s romance with his wife (who yes, is really named Carin, and co-wrote chunks of the album’s lyrics) in their happier days. The verses detail their blossoming, awkward beginnings, while Berninger takes a dejected look at their present situation in the chorus.

It’s a very bittersweet song, bolstered by what’s arguably the best piano melody of the year. It feels utterly timeless, like a very melancholy Billy Joel tune. 

Although I’ve never been a massive fan of The National, “Carin” hits me right in the gut — odd, considering I’m probably not nearly old enough to relate. It still provokes something, though.

“Los Ageless” by St. Vincent

Avant-pop genius Annie Clark has done it again, even as she leans more and more into the pop world with every release. Honestly, I’m okay with that, especially if her version of “pop” is super-slick ‘80s new wave with Jack Antonoff on production duties.

Although on the surface, “Los Ageless” seems like a typical I-hate-L.A. song, with its references to the empty sheen of the Sunset Strip, plastic surgery, and weirdly nice weather, the song seems to take on a darker undertone than that. Based on the chorus and the chaotic bridge, and Clark’s repeated desperation to “keep on running,” it actually seems to be more about a mental breakdown.

Is it post break-up? Perhaps, as that’s what the chorus seems to indicate (“How can anybody have you and and lose you/and not lose their minds too?), but Clark keeps the details vague. In a way, the whole song feels like American Psycho (bear with me here): A shiny pop veneer is used to cover an insane underbelly. 

Based on how depressing the rest of St. Vincent’s album, MASSEDUCTION, is, “Los Ageless” fits in quite nicely, while still being an absolute blast on a musical level.

“Sixteen” by Diet Cig

Bubblegum punk is blossoming in New York as well as Seattle and L.A., if Diet Cig are any indication. Although their new album, Swear I’m Good at This, doesn’t have any barnburning masterpieces on the level of their 2015 single “Harvard,” “Sixteen” is a worthy successor.

Lead singer Alex Luciano’s angsty lyrics are crammed with details about an adolescent relationship and subsequent breakup, one being the odd scenario of trying to have sex with someone who has the same name as you (fairly believable, since “Alex” is super-common for guys or gals or anybody). 

She even spends a whole verse getting frustrated at the supermarket about having to still host a barbecue with all of their mutual friends post-breakup. It’s these mundane, unique vignettes that really make “Sixteen” feel lived-in and honest.

Of course, it helps that the song has a massive (and brilliantly simple) proto-punk groove to give it some oomph. Having heard it live, I can promise that “Sixteen” absolutely gets the crowd riled up, and with a perfect combination of angsty lyrics and angsty guitar riffs, why wouldn’t anybody get hyped?

“Over Everything” by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile

As much as it feels like a bit of a waste of Courtney Barnett’s precise, pointed songwriting talents to make an entire album of sprawling stoner jams with Kurt Vile ... damnit, “Over Everything” is too charming to not like.

I normally hate super-relaxing music (don’t you dare play Jack Johnson when I’m in the room), but these two seem to have a great, witty back-and-forth chemistry that really makes “Over Everything” likable despite my personal biases. It feels like Kurt and Courtney (lol) have been lifelong friends who can playfully throw jabs at each other and perfectly harmonize whenever it suits them.

Sure, it goes on for about two minutes too long (I blame you, Kurt), but the good mood is so infectious, that I can’t complain too much. It’s the audio equivalent of slowly cruising down an empty street on a sunny September day.

Besides, Melbourne’s finest is coming out with a new solo album soon, so we’re all good on that front.

“Big Fish” by Vince Staples feat. Juicy J

Vince Staples is not a flossy rapper, so it’s a bit odd to hear him on a song like “Big Fish,” which features a DJ Mustard-style beat and Juicy J on the hook talking about being “up late night balling.” This could easily be mistaken for a French Montana song or something.

However, Staples’ verses are something different entirely. The first verse is all about his chaotic youth in North Long Beach (he even calls back to his 2015 classic “Norf Norf”), while the second verse is about how he’s having difficulties adjusting to a more comfortable life since he’s reached rap stardom.

It honestly sounds like Vince hijacked someone else’s song, and it’s a very interesting juxtaposition. Much like the rest of his 2017 album, Big Fish Theory, Staples mixes party-ready electronic and trap beats with some thought-provoking, downtrodden bars. Although the record sounds better when listened to all the way through, “Big Fish” is as solid a single as you’ll find on it.

“Slip Away” by Perfume Genius

Although I’ve never loved his full-length albums, Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas always come through with at least a couple stand-out singles every few years, and “Slip Away” is a nice change of pace for the Tacoma indie singer-songwriter.

While his past record, Too Bright, was harsh and angry, “Slip Away” is painfully romantic. Hadreas’ swooning vocals beg his lover to escape the dark world surrounding them to go somewhere where they can be alone. This emotive sentiment is matched by some of Perfume Genius’ most bombastic, fleshed-out production to date. It’s like if Kate Bush had an EDM drop (I realize that sounds awful, but trust me, it works really well). 

All of Hadreas’ works are dripping with passion, but his best songs are when the music matches him, which is why “Slip Away” is so powerful.