#I love you Richard but that title is awful

[glassfirefly]

Listening to Richard’s music on a sunny Sunday morning.

[benkyoutobentou]

What I've Been Enjoying Lately - Japanese Media

This is way overdue! I've been consuming so much great media in Japanese, it's time to share the love and recommend some things for all of you lovely language learners

📚 Books:

旅猫リポート - 有川浩: This is a super adorable novel about a stray cat who is taken in by a young man. Five years later, the owner is suddenly unable to take care of this cat and the two embark on a road trip across Japan to find the perfect new owner. This one is definitely a tear jerker to any animal lover and will absolutely make you want to cuddle your own fluffy friends into oblivion.

キノの旅 - 時雨沢恵一: This is a light novel series that's extremely close to my heart! The 2003 anime adaption of this series also isn't just my favorite anime, but my favorite TV show ever. Because of the relatively simple vocabulary, I often see it recommended as a first read for Japanese learners just dipping their toes into novel reading, and I find myself agreeing. This series follows a teenager named Kino who travel from country to country with a motorrad named Hermes. There's not much of a continuous plot and very few recurring characters, making it even easier to follow if something confuses you. Despite the fluffy sounding description, this series has a good amount of content warnings accompanying it and can get pretty gory at times as well.

僕らの地球の歩き方 - ソライモネ: An adorable manga series in which two men travel the world together under the agreement that, upon returning to Japan, they'll get married. I feel like if someone looked into my brain to find what I like in a series in order to create a manga series perfectly suited to my tastes, it would be 僕らの地球の歩き方. It's gay, it's adorable, it's about traveling the world, it's about loving the people around you and human culture and delicious food, I'm already crying. Definitely one of my all time favorites.

薔薇王の葬列 - 菅野文: I went back and forth about putting this on my list, but it's not titled "What I've Been Enjoying Lately" for nothing and boy oh boy have I been enjoying this lately. Perhaps I've been enjoying it a bit too much. A while back, I actually banned myself from reading this series because I didn't have the full set and would instantly be put in an awful mood if I caught up with the volumes I had. This manga series follows Richard Plantagenet III, yes, that one, and his ascendance to the British throne. This series is chock full of treachery, murder, violence, and everything else nice. Due to the... everything about this series.... there's a lot of unusual vocabulary, but it has furigana on everything, which helps a lot for speedy look ups.

気になってる人が男じゃなかった - 新井すみこ: Bonus manga! Because this one is worth it, and also because everyone needs a little more GL on their shelves. This manga is so good that I've even been seeing people who don't speak Japanese buy this to have on their shelves. It follows a slightly awkward girl and a gyaru from her class as the two bond of their shared love of western rock music. Yeah, this is the manga that's doing a collab with Nirvana.

📺 Shows and Movies:

Old Fashion Cupcake - This is a BL office romance drama about a middle aged man and his subordinate who begin acting like teenage girls in an attempt to regain some of their youth. Through eating sweets together, taking selfies and food pictures, and talking "girls' talk," the two deepen their bond. I don't think I can say this enough, I love food romances. If their is food involved in a romance, I'm there, no need to tell me twice. This series is super sweet and a really enjoyable watch.

カルテット - Four musicians meet by chance and decide to form a quartet together. However, each one has secrets that they're hiding. Bonus points to Netflix for actually having a J-drama I like for once. This series has a warm and cozy found family vibe, while still managing to have some of the most wildest shenanigans imaginable. I also really appreciated that this series seems to take some stances that I've never seen before, especially regarding family and what you owe to your parents.

映像研には手を出すな！ - This anime follows three girls and their attempts to make anime. As an anime that is about the creation of anime, it's really no surprise that the art and animation is stand out in this series. I loved the ways that we as the viewer were able to see the imaginations of the characters. I also really enjoyed the characters, and the voice acting was phenomenal as well. This show is also home to one of the best intros ever.

赤髪の白雪姫 - This fantasy anime follows the titular character Shirayuki as she escapes from her home kingdom after being chosen as a royal concubine due to her unusual red hair. On her travels, she meets a prince from a neighboring kingdom and becomes a palace herbalist. It's not often that I watch or care about straight romances in media, but this romance is so adorable, and even beyond it, I truly love all the characters and their relationships in this series. Also, I think this is the only show I've watched where I found the soundtrack to actually be distracting- and not because I didn't like it, but because it was just that good.

🎤 Music:

オーガストの風 - THE BLACKBAND

夢伝説 - Stardust Revue

lemonade - Chili Beans.

Show - Ado

[beardedjoel]

get to know your moots ✨

ty for the tag cutie! @kedsandtubesocks 💕

what's the origin of your blog title? like 10 years ago i was trying to be cool and think of something joel related and i think several ones i wanted and something like "joelsbeard" were taken so i landed here

OTP(s) + shipname: oh fuck idk if i really have any these days? growing up i was a jim/pam shipper hardcore and ig more recently i did get very invested in richard/camille from death in paradise lmaoooo

favorite color: pink 💖

favorite game: the last of us for sure. close behind are red dead 2 and gris

song stuck in your head: omg none right now.... have i discovered peace

weirdest habit/trait? weirder things have happened but i have some motor tics that i've had since i was a kid and when i'm stressed they go a little crazy. other traits are that i'm very loud, which is less weird and just more annoying 🤪

hobbies: writing, reading, gaming, plotting oc shit aka daydreaming, and watching tv

if you work, what's your profession? baker!

if you could have any job you wish what would it be? my "in another life" job is to be a music composer for movie scores hehe or an author!

something you're good at: baking i guess 😝 and laying in bed

something you're bad at: keeping up with good habits like exercise, etc. i'm LAZY

something you love: all the kind and amazing people in my life!

something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: the last of us lmao and my ocs

something you hate: so many things...... one is people who are just nasty and hateful for no reason.

something you collect: crystals and plushies!

something you forget: a lot! i have an awful memory. also basic math.

what's your love language? probably quality time the most, but i enjoy aspects of all of them

favorite movie/show: arrival (movie) and taskmaster (tv)

favorite food: pasta

favorite animal: cats or squirrels

what were you like as a child? i was definitely an awkward oddball. very shy and found it hard to make friends but i was also extremely attention seeking in a lot of ways. just a weird little gal honestly

favorite subject at school? english!

least favorite subject? math

what's your best character trait? i like to think i have a pretty big heart and am very caring and loyal to the people i love

what's your worst character trait? i'm quite moody and a bit too sensitive

if you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? the bordering on migraine that has been plaguing me for several days now

if you could travel in time who would you like to meet? this kind of question always gets me bc i genuinely never know what to say! like there's lots of interesting people but nobody i'm ever drawn specifically towards. i guess it would be interesting to meet my parents when they were younger maybe?

recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!): i haven't been reading too much fic these days, but recent-ish standouts for me were run by @pedrospatch and a great honor by @joelstummy both 1000000/10

np tagging some friends! @wannab-urs @justicarsamara @murder-wife @covetyou @strang3lov3

[artycomicfangirl]

Couple Songs Playlist Headcanons - Mareach and Luaisy Edition

When I was more active in the JoJo’s Bizarre adventure community on Instagram around 2019-2022, I was part of the art and ocs community.

Many people started doing stuff like making Spotify playlists of songs that describe their Oc and other oc relationship aspects. I remember finding this SUPER fun to do. And I miss it. So, I decided to try it out with Mario and Peach first! (Just a teeny break from my much-loved Luaisy fixation!)

So without further ado, here’s a list of songs based on what I can find in my (Many) Spotify playlists. A bit challenging to find good ones!

This will have labels indicating indicating who’s mostly singing about who. Either one person referring to the other, or a Duet that includes both at the same time.

❤️MarioxPeach🍑

- Mario to Peach -

On one side, Mario would have the thought that Peach is simply so amazing. Someone so elegant, pure and beautiful. Someone just way out of his league. These thoughts would often show through hints of resistance at first. He and the Princess are just friends…right?

But the moment he fully accepts his feelings, he becomes so outspoken of his love. So some songs I’ve decided to choose from my playlist, tend to be about wondering if Peach feels for him, like he feels for her. A bit of doubt. But other than that, he shows protectiveness, Being her shield to danger. Also A bit more impulsive, energetic and upbeat in some parts. But with no matter what, he will always give her words of reassurance to make sure everything is okay.

• Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows

• Dance - Tim Halperin

• Aquaman - Walk The Moon

• I’ll Always Return - Bryan Adams (Rock Version)

• Nintendo - Todd Carrey (This is more of a comedic tone to it haha)

- Peach to Mario -

Very sweet, reflective and thoughtful. The type of love that whenever she thinks of her hero, she gets so fluttery and bashful on the inside. She is more reserved her feelings though, so some songs may reflect her denying a bit. But ultimately, they all lead to just wholeheartedly accepting her feelings.

• Fallin’ for you - Colbie Callait

• Tightrope - Michelle Williams

• Lover - Taylor Swift

• Next to You - Jordin Sparks

• I feel the Earth Move - Olivia Ong

- Duets -

• The Fighter - Kieth Urban Ft Carrie Underwood

• Waiting for a Star to Fall - Boy Meets Girl

• Am I Feeling Love? - Steve Lively and Bobbi Page ( The Thief and The Cobbler unfinished film, titled ‘Arabian Knight’ for the Miramax version where this song is made.

———————————————————

💚LuigyXDaisy🌼

- Luigi to Daisy -

Luigi is the more sentimental type. One who thinks about the deeper meaning of his feelings. The one who’s able to find sweet comparisons and words when describing love with Daisy. He knows how timid he is. How easily scared he could be. Which is why He holds such admiration of how much of a free-spirited character she is. So some of his songs will reflect almost awe in her character. How much her presence alone just brings his feelings to life.

• Crush - David Archuleta

• Nothing I’ve ever known - Bryan Adams

• So Close - John Mclaughlin

• All That you are - Goo Goo Dolls

• Into the Night - Santana Ft Chad Kroger

- Daisy to Luigi -

The theme I tried to go with Daisy is of a supportive figure, or one that drives Luigi to improve and be the best of himself. Her words may seem to be a bit more forward with some songs. But mostly, she’s the one who has more of her feelings on her sleeve, and will have no problem expressing them more. She reflects more of the intense passion.

• Better When i’m Dancing - Meghan Trainor

• I’m Feeling You - Michelle Branch

• Brave - Sarah Bareilles

• My Superstar - Jessie J

• Kiss me Crazy - Kaci Battaglia

- Duets -

• Wild - Troy Sivan Ft Alesia Cara (A bit more of an intimate song?)

• At the Beginning - Richard Marx and Donna Lewis

• Don’t Let Go - Bryan Adams and Sarah Mclachlan

[pertinax--loculos]

Books Read in 2024 (so far)

(Looking at my Goodreads, where I've been keeping track of this, I apparently only started keeping track in March? But I guess that's fair, there's a chance I didn't read anything before that. So let's go with that. ^_^)

The Foxhole Court, Nora Sakavic

The Raven King, Nora Sakavic

The King's Men, Nora Sakavic

-> These kicked off my reading binge for the year. Also, how have I never read them before? Because my god. Instant favourites. Don't talk to me.

Like Real People Do, E.L. Massey

-> My attempt to recapture the All for the Game vibes. It failed. The book was okay, though.

John Dies at the End, Jason Pargin

This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It, Jason Pargin

What The Hell Did I Just Read, Jason Pargin

If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe, Jason Pargin

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, Jason Pargin

Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick, Jason Pargin

Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia, Jason Pargin

-> Some of these are technically rereads; JDatE, Spiders, and the first Zoey book. Regardless, Pargin is an insta-buy for me.

Leech, Hiron Ennes

-> Tumblr recommendation off a random post. Very good.

American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

-> I enjoyed this. If you can say that about this book. Taking it as what it is, I thought it was very well done.

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry, Alex Ritany

-> Go check out @aritany if you haven't already! Wonderful human, incredible writer, new book coming out soon!

Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One, Jack Townsend

-> Trying to recapture some of Pargin's bizarre humour. Pretty similar, and I did enjoy it, but I was starting to move away from that vibe, and to be honest this just wasn't as good as Pargin.

Maze-Born Trouble, Ginn Hale

-> My only complaint with this book is it was too fucking short. 😠 Astonishing worldbuilding and a very rich story for what amounts to a novella. Love.

Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan

-> Following on from the scifi of Pargin's Zoey series and Maze-Born Trouble. This was good. I doubt I'll read more in the series because from the blurbs they're quite disparate, but holy hell the world that was built was incredible.

Mystic River, Dennis Lehane

-> Complicated reason why I read this that actually has to do with OOC. Also technically a reread, from a while ago. Love Lehane, though, and this as a standalone is very good. Has some examples of omniscient POV that I would almost classify as head-hopping that actually works, and as a thriller, so an interesting read for a writer as well.

Educated, Tara Westover

-> The beginning of my brief nonfiction binge.

I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jenette McCurdy

-> Because, obviously.

Eggshell Skull, Bri Lee

-> Highly HIGHLY recommended. Some heavy stuff regarding sex offences and the legal system, and quite centred in Australia, but a brilliant nonfiction read.

The Sunshine Court, Nora Sakavic

The Foxhole Court, Nora Sakavic

The Raven King, Nora Sakavic

The King's Men, Nora Sakavic

-> Why yes, I did see that The Sunshine Court had been released and immediately read it, then immediately reread All for the Game, because what the fuck else was I gonna do? Not reread it? C'mon.

Icebreaker, A.L. Graziadei

-> Note the author there, cuz I know there's another book by the same title. This one was excellent. Still not the AftG vibes I was seeking, but closest I've found reading something immediately after finishing that series.

The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley

-> I know everyone's talking about it. Read it anyway.

Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo

-> currently reading. Currently loving.

...and that's 27 so far this year -- 23 if you don't count rereading books I read for the first time this year. 0.o Still, not a bad effort!

If you'd like more info or just wanna chat about any of this books, feel free to hit me up. Also if you've got this far without being intimidated by my awful formatting choices, congrats! And thankyou. ^_^

[oliverreedmasterass]

Starcatchers 1x4 - Fate of the Faithful

Synopsis: It's media day for the GVF guys! What could go wrong? (everything) Danny struggles to hold back the truth, Jake takes advice from a higher up, and Sam and Josh can't stop saying the wrong thing. Their manager has never been more stressed.

Words: 5.8k

Warnings: mentions of physical harm (brief), caffeine addiction, Keith Richards

Notes: Thank you, as always, to @feelslikejakey for the original concept, and @jmkho for literally writing the ending for me because my writer's block was so unbelievably bad AND making the incredible title/gif!! 🫶🫶🫶

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jake, Josh, and Sam are in an old-fashioned diner, eating breakfast and sipping on tall mugs of black coffee. Sam sets down his fork with a clatter and leans closer to his brothers so he can conspire. 

SAM: Something’s different with Daniel. 

JAKE: (raising an eyebrow, mouth full of bacon) How so? 

SAM: It’s like he’s more gullible or something. Usually he’s the most headstrong one in the band, but I’ve been messing with him a lot more recently, and he’s falling for it. 

JOSH: You might be onto something, I convinced him that Genovia is a real country yesterday and he didn’t even Google it to double check. 

JAKE: I can’t see that happening. I bet he’s the one screwing with you both. 

SAM: No, trust me, watch this. 

Danny comes back to the table from the bathroom, wiping his wet hands on his jeans. 

DANNY: Some guy was styling his hair with the hand dryer. Can you believe that? 

SAM: (ignoring Danny’s interesting story) Daniel, did you know that it gets so hot in the summer because the sun doubles in size between June and September?

DANNY: I guess that kind of makes sense. 

Jake and Josh exchange amused looks. This is gonna be fun. 

JOSH: Well, I read yesterday that pisces can read people’s minds. 

DANNY: Really? That’s kind of spooky. 

JAKE: The pyramids were built from the top down. 

DANNY: I knew it. (beat) You guys are throwing a lot of information at me. It’s kinda making my head spin a bit. Not gonna lie, I’ve been all over the place since I stopped drinking caffeine. Like, I really can’t think straight. 

SAM: (obviously not feeling bad at all) Oh no, that’s horrible! 

Sam, Jake, and Josh share malicious grins. Danny is entirely oblivious. 

SAM: (to the camera) I can tell this fool whatever I want. 

Starcatchers Theme/Opening Titles

[acoustic theme song with a harmonica] 

From the fires we emerged anew, 

Singing, playing rock and roll, 

Reviving a genre just for you. 

Across the globe we traveled far

Recruiting an army of peace, 

Enchanting crowds with our guitar. 

A battle ensued at the Gardens Gate

And we preserved the gift of nature, 

Standing up against a culture of hate.  

We are the Starcatchers, reaching for the sky, 

Discovering words of wisdom to live by. 

We deliver a message from the heavens above:

Live your legend through the intelligence of love. 

[end theme] 

Jake, Josh, Sam, and Danny sit in their manager’s office. Danny is balancing a pen on his forehead while Sam times him with a watch that looks like it came from a Happy Meal. Jake and Josh try to focus on their manager, but it’s pretty hard with all the commotion Sam and Danny are making. 

SAM: Twenty seconds away from the world record! 

DANNY: Wooooo! 

MANAGER: (trying to talk over Sam and Danny’s shouts) Today is a big press day. We’ve got a calendar full of interviews for you to get through. I know it’s going to be exhausting work, but we really need to start spreading the word about your upcoming single, ‘Meeting the Master.’ 

JOSH: We’re more than happy to talk with some kind journalists, right guys? 

Danny sneezes and sends the pen flying across the room so it hits their manager square in the face. 

SAM: Shoot! You were two seconds away! 

Danny struggles to find a kleenex to wipe his nose, so he opts for a piece of paper sitting on the manager’s desk instead. 

DANNY: Ugh, this tissue feels awful. 

Danny crumples the snot-covered printer paper and discards it out the window. 

MANAGER: (nodding towards Danny) What’s up with him? He’s usually the sane one. 

JAKE: Caffeine withdrawals. 

MANAGER: Say no more. (shudders) Been there. 

JOSH: So, who do we get to chat with today? Rolling Stone? The New York Times Art and Culture columnist? Kelly Clarkson? 

MANAGER: 98 Rock outside of Clearwater, Florida. 

JAKE: Oh, come on. 

MANAGER: And a few others. Sam and Josh, you’ll pair off and take this schedule. (hands Josh a sheet of paper) Danny, since you just blew your nose on your schedule and chucked it out the window, you and Jake are gonna have to figure things out. I don’t feel like printing another one. 

Manager then slams a gavel down on his desk, making the guys jump. 

MANAGER: Let’s get marketing! 

The manager rushes out of the room, whooping and jumping around like he’s about to take the field for the Super Bowl. Jake, Josh, Sam, and Danny slowly follow behind him, unenthusiastically. 

SAM: (falling in line with Danny) I need to tell you something. 

DANNY: What’s up? 

SAM: (obviously lying) I put truth serum in your water this morning at breakfast. 

DANNY: Now why’d you do that? 

Sam shrugs. 

SAM: A guy sold it to me on the street. I wanted to see if it was the real deal or not. 

Danny nods like he understands where Sam is coming from. Then he stops. 

DANNY: I think you might have been scammed, Sam. It’s not like I’ve been spilling a bunch of secrets left and right. 

Sam pretends to look disappointed. 

SAM: There’s five bucks I’ll never get back. 

Danny stops in his tracks. Sam stops with him. Danny turns to face Sam and puts his hands on his shoulders, looking deep into his eyes. 

DANNY: I was the one who spread the rumor in third grade that you wore a wig. 

Sam gapes at Danny. 

SAM: DANIEL! 

Danny looks horrified that he shared this information with Sam. His mouth hangs open in shock and, after taking in Sam’s progressively angrier face, he snaps back to life to do some major damage control. 

DANNY: I don’t know why I said that, I’m so sorry, Sam. I was young then, I thought it was a funny joke, I didn’t mean for it to get out of hand. 

SAM: Kids called me Mr. Clean for years, Daniel. Years. I had to grow my hair long to prove a point, but they just kept telling me that I had a nice weave. 

Danny doesn’t know what to say. In a silent panic, he runs away from Sam. Sam watches him flail down the hallway and then shakes his head. As he does this, Josh retreats back to Sam’s side and places a hand on his shoulder, not noticing Danny running away. 

JOSH: I was instructed to relay the message that we need to be on our best behavior today in front of the press. Management threatened to subtract twenty bucks from our upcoming paycheck every time we make ourselves look bad. 

SAM: (focusing on Josh) How can they fairly keep track of that? It’s an entirely subjective thing. 

JOSH: I don’t think this is something we can negotiate. 

Sam shakes his head with discontent. 

SAM: I can’t help that I enjoy riffing. 

JOSH: I’m right there with you, bro, but it’s a challenge we’re gonna have to overcome. 

Josh guides Sam past Jake, who is waiting outside a door labeled “105.4 KSCR: The Singles” where he and Danny are expected to take their first interview. Jake is pacing back and forth in front of the door, practicing his lines. 

JAKE: Hi, I’m Jake Kiszka from Greta Van Fleet and I’m here to promote our new single, Meeting the Master. No, not quite it. Hey guys! This is Jake from Greta Van Fleet, spreading the word about our new single! Gross. What’s crackalackin my bros? I’m excited about my new single! 

A deep and booming voice reminiscent of Samuel Pack Elliott appears from seemingly nowhere. 

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Become one with the essence of your being.

Jake suddenly stops in his tracks and spins in a tight circle, searching for the source of the mysterious voice. 

JAKE: Huh? Dad? 

MYSTERIOUS OVERHEAD VOICE: Soar above the constraints of possibility. 

JAKE: Is this a prank? Because we already covered that in the pilot episode. 

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Your destiny lies in standing apart from the rest.

Jake’s face scrunches as he finally begins to consider what the voice is telling him. He looks back at the sign on the door. The words “The Singles” especially stand out to him, and he’s staring at the words while whispering “single” under his breath. Danny approaches Jake, looking turned around, and Jake stops whispering to himself, straightening up when he sees his bandmate. 

JAKE: Daniel, I wanna fly solo with the interviews today. Why don’t you go somewhere else? 

DANNY: I mean, I guess I can do that? 

Danny turns back on his heel and wanders away back down the hallway, accidentally bumping into stuff left and right. He finds a door and slips into the room, leaving Jake back on his own. Jake sighs a breath of relief, like he’s off to a fresh start, and lets himself into the KSCR room. 

The perspective of Jake entering the room swaps to a shot of Danny entering into a room of his own, which is entirely dark except for a single light. Danny gazes around and finally spots the interviewer, who is a woman around his age, giving him an eerie smile from the shadows. As he moves closer to her, it becomes clear that she’s using a screenshot of the Pixar lamp on her phone with the brightness turned all the way up as a substitute for an interrogation lamp. 

INTERVIEWER: You’re early. 

DANNY: My bandmate ditched me and told me to take some interviews on my own. I don’t like talking to people I don’t know, especially when there’s a camera around, but I am getting paid for this, so I might as well get it over with. 

INTERVIEWER: Your honesty is refreshing. 

DANNY: I’m so sorry, that was rude to say. I have no filter. 

INTERVIEWER: Like a geriatric patient. Excellent. 

DANNY: What’s with the dark room? I feel like I’m on the set of Hot Ones. 

INTERVIEWER: I like my interview space free of distractions, so I can focus on only you, and you can only focus on me. 

Danny points to the photo of the Pixar lamp that she’s still holding up. 

DANNY: That’s pretty distracting. 

INTERVIEWER: (adamant) The lamp stays. 

DANNY: You’re making my spine tingle. That’s what happens when I’m around people who intimidate me. 

INTERVIEWER: That’s exactly what I was going for. Now, shall we get started? 

DANNY: (still evidently uncomfortable) I feel like I have to. (beat) I really hope I don’t talk about how I stole Dave Grohl’s drum sticks that one time we played at the same festival or how I used them afterwards to build a piece of IKEA furniture because I lost my hammer. 

INTERVIEWER: Hold on, say that again after I start the camera. 

Danny’s face pales with worry. 

The interview room transitions into the room where Josh and Sam are currently on a Zoom call with a couple of cheesy DJs wearing Led Zeppelin band tees. 

DJ 1: So I have written here in front of me that your band name has an interesting story behind it.  

JOSH: Oh yeah, we actually came up with the name as an homage to our 3 main inspirations. 

SAM: Greta Thunberg. 

JOSH: Vanderpump Rules. 

SAM: And Adele! 

Josh flashes Sam a disappointed look. 

DJ 2: How fascinating. I could have sworn I read somewhere that the name came from a town elder in your hometown of Frankenmuth. 

SAM: If you knew that, then why did you ask the question? 

Josh’s phone pings, he looks down at it, and immediately frowns. 

JOSH: (to Sam) That’s a $20 deduction for both of us. 

SAM, DANNY: Darn it! 

Back in the darkened room with the interviewer, Danny is heard yelling the same thing as Sam, holding his head in his hands. The interviewer is flipping through her notes. 

INTERVIEWER: So, in the past five minutes, you’ve shared your social security number, list of allergies, all of your phobias, your home address, how you’re oddly attracted to the pink Stitch, that you think you’re better at guitar than Jake, and, just now, your iCloud username and password. Can I include all of that in my article? 

DANNY: (still into his hands) Please don’t. 

INTERVIEWER: My interrogation - uh, I mean - my interviewing skills have really improved since I did my blood oath - I mean - my Masterclass course on journalism. I didn’t even prompt you to tell me any of that stuff. You offered it all on your own.

DANNY: (groaning) That stupid truth serum. I’m gonna kill Sam. 

The interviewer is intrigued by this. She leans closer to Danny. 

INTERVIEWER: Truth serum, huh? I didn’t know that stuff worked. 

DANNY: Well, here’s all the evidence you need. Sam bought it off some guy on the street for, like, five bucks. It seems kinda cheap for something like that, though. I wonder if he had a coupon. 

The interviewer is on her feet now, looking energized. 

INTERVIEWER: Where’s Sam now? This could be my shot to finally get one of those big Hollywood hotshots to fess up to the existence of the Illuminati. It’s my time to expose those lizard people. 

DANNY: I thought the lizard people and Illuminati were two separate groups? 

It’s no matter, because the interviewer is already gone. Danny sighs and starts to play with the microphone that the interviewer left in front of him. Across the hallway Jake is sitting with the KSCR interviewer, a kind woman who looks like she’s got years of experience under her belt. 

KSCR INTERVIEWER: It said on the call sheet that your drummer, Danny, was going to be joining us today. 

JAKE: I’m flying solo today, hun. You see, Greta Van Fleet has been around for quite some time now. We’re veterans in the field, you could say, which means it’s time for us to explore new avenues. One of those avenues, as you can see, is that I get to take some interviews by myself. You know, test the waters a bit to feel what it’s like to be on my own, running the show. 

KSCR INTERVIEWER: Are you implying that you’re going to leave the band? 

JAKE: I’d be lying if I said the idea didn’t pique my interest. I keep seeing signs, like a higher power is pointing me in the right direction. Have you ever felt like you’ve been trapped in a cage your entire life? Don’t answer that; it’s a rhetorical question. What I crave is so much bigger than the confines of this little rock group. I want to move mountains with my song, to travel the world as a nomad, to become my own master. (without missing a beat) Speaking of which, our newest single, ‘Meeting the Master,’ will be available to stream on April 7th. 

KSCR INTERVIEWER: This is frankly shocking to hear from you, Jake. A lot of people would argue that Greta Van Fleet is in their prime now. You’ve found your sound, gained your following, and are dominating the rock world. Why would you want to walk away from that?

JAKE: The loner’s path calls me. 

Jake pulls a steel guitar out of nowhere and starts to play a tune that sounds similar to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly theme. The KSCR interviewer gives Jake a blank stare. That blank stare is shared by Josh and Sam, who are sitting in a room with their manager, who looks like he’s on the brink of exploding. 

MANAGER: You know how much money we’re deducting from your paychecks? 

SAM: I dunno, like 17 bucks? We’ve been on our very best behavior today.  

MANAGER: $10,680! Each! 

Sam and JOSH both wince at his words. 

MANAGER: (continued) You’ve only done three interviews. It’s like you’re trying to make yourselves look bad or something. 

JOSH: It’s just our personalities, I promise. We aren’t being deliberate about this. 

MANAGER: It seemed pretty deliberate when Sam screamed that he was going to strangle the next artist that used a drum machine. 

SAM: That came from the heart. I thought you told us to be authentic and likable. 

MANAGER: What’s likable about that? 

JOSH: Sam’s statement resonated very deeply with me, personally. He has my vote. I mean, he’s the kinda guy I could sit down and drink a beer with. 

Sam and Josh fist bump. Manager stares between the brothers, his eye twitching, obviously contemplating if he should rip out all of his hair in a blind rage and run through a wall. By some miracle, he swallows his strong emotions and the storm in his face disperses. 

MANAGER: GQ’s up next to shoot your 10 Things I Can’t Live Without interview. Please, I beg of you, don’t blow this. 

JOSH: I can’t live without Cheez-Its. 

MANAGER: Perfect, be sure to say that in front of the camera. 

Manager leaves the room and slams the door shut. In a match cut, Danny closes the door behind him as he enters the Buzzfeed media room. 

BUZZFEED INTERVIEWER: Danny! How’s it going?

DANNY: I can’t believe I have to chat with the stinking Millennial Disney Adult Top 10 List Toxic Work Environment Buzzfeed.  

BUZZFEED INTERVIEWER: Thank you? Uh, why don’t you take a seat right there, yeah, cool. 

DANNY: Please, for the love of all things holy, tell me you aren’t gonna make me take one of your pointless quizzes. 

Buzzfeed interviewer gives an apologetic smile as he hands over a Buzzfeed laptop. 

BUZZFEED INTERVIEWER: It’s ten questions, it should go by fast. Just make sure to share commentary and, if you can, include some good sound bytes that we can use for social media. 

DANNY: The only commentary I’ll have is how much your stupid quiz sucks. 

Danny sighs and turns his attention to the laptop to complete the quiz, Which Greta Van Fleet Member Are You? The first question, of course, is the classic: What’s your favorite color? Danny studies the options, shuts the laptop, and gives the interviewer an exhausted look. 

DANNY: I’m Daniel Wagner. I don’t have to take a quiz to tell you that. Plus anyways, there’s no way a set of ten questions could possibly define who I am as a person, and how I distinguish myself from my bandmates. I’m an excruciatingly complex man with a deep history like you’ve never seen before. You’d need 6 seasons and a movie to even nip at the tip of my iceberg, sir. (beat) I think what I’m trying to say is my favorite color is mauve, which wasn’t an option. 

BUZZFEED INTERVIEWER: Now that’s what I call a sound byte! 

A commotion can be heard through the wall. The camera pans over to investigate, and we learn that Jake is in the next room at a table, leaning in close to the camera with a look so intense, it’s a miracle the lens hasn’t combusted. 

JAKE: (on the brink of hysterics) Do you know how many songs I wrote for our last album? Enough to make Sir Paul McCartney poop his pants! And what did my bandmates do? They looked over my songs and were like, “wow, Jake, these are really good, but I don’t see where a song called ‘Walk the Plank Me Hearties’ would fit in our album’s tracklist.” Can you believe that? Turning down a banger like ‘Walk the Plank Me Hearties’? And it had a 38 minute long guitar solo too, perfect for radio. It’s like they’re digging their own grave in real time. What a joke. What an absolute joke. See how hard I’m laughing, guys? See the tears streaming down my face, pals? 

AMELIA DIMOLDENBERG: I just asked if you liked ketchup with your tendies. 

Camera zooms out to show that Jake is on a Chicken Shop Date with Amanda Dimoldenberg. Jake’s face is red from his rant, and he takes a break to shove a chicken tender in his mouth. 

JAKE: (somehow managing to chew really loudly on chicken tenders) Now, if you were in my shoes, you would leave the band, right? 

AMELIA DIMOLDENBERG: Absolutely not. 

JAKE: I don’t think this is going to work out. 

Jake takes three more chicken tenders and crams them all in his mouth before standing from the table and powering towards the door. Before he leaves, he turns back to face Amelia. 

JAKE: This chicken is delicious, by the way. 

AMELIA: Thanks, I didn’t make it. 

Jake leaves the room and hustles down the hallway, past a door where Sam and Josh are sitting with some people from NPR. 

PETER SAGAL: Welcome to Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! This is Peter Sagal, live here with a couple of members from the rock group, Greta Van Fleet. 

JOSH: Hiya, Peter. 

SAM: What’s hangin’, DJ Swaggin? 

PETER SAGAL: As you may know, this is a show that covers current events. Now, usually when we have guest stars, we take the majority of our time to discuss your career and craft. However, a story recently broke in the news that I would love to discuss with you. 

SAM: By all means. Is this about the soaring gas prices? 

JOSH: War? 

PETER SAGAL: Your brother, Jake. 

SAM: Oh god, what did he do this time? 

PETER SAGAL: Take a listen, guys. 

JOSH: I’ll bet you anything he turned into Oliver Reed and started threatening the people at Apple Music again for putting that U2 album on his phone. 

PETER SAGAL plays an audio clip that Jake recorded recently. 

JAKE: You know what? From here on out, Greta Van Fleet is a trio for all I care. I’m breaking free, baby, just like Troy and Gabriella. I don’t need them, I’m as single as a Pringle. (beat) By the way, our new single, ‘Meeting the Master,’ is available to stream on April 7th. 

Sam and Josh are having trouble hiding their shock. Sam looks to Josh for a cue, trying to figure out how he should react to this news in a way that won’t cost them more money from their paycheck. Josh clears his throat and stands from his seat. 

JOSH: It’s been a pleasure speaking with you, but I need to attend a very important meeting. About, uh, drum machines. 

SAM: (attempting to follow Josh’s lead) Yeah, we like to strangle people who use them. 

Josh and Sam both rush out of the room. Just as quickly as they leave the NPR room, they enter the room where Jake is currently sitting with a reporter from MSNBC, for some reason. 

JAKE: (to the reporter, oblivious to Sam and Josh’s recent entrance) All the greats go solo. Art Garfunkel, Michelle Williams, Liam Payne. 

JOSH: Jake! 

Jake turns around and stands to face his brothers. While he at first looks shocked and afraid to see them, he quickly masks his emotions with a smug smile. 

JAKE: Come to negotiate keeping me in your shackles? 

SAM: Dude, what’s gotten into you? You’re seriously killing the vibe. 

JAKE: I got a whiff of the sweet smell of independence, boys. I’m afraid I’ve gotten hooked. 

JOSH: The only thing I smell in here is your BO. And french fries. Hey wait - did you get Mickey D’s without me? 

JAKE: That’s the perk of going solo. 

Sam looks like he’s starting to consider leaving the band as well. 

JOSH: This is insane, Jake. You can’t leave Greta Van Fleet. 

The mysterious deep voice returns again. It’s apparent that only Jake can hear it. 

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Challenge the non-believers. 

JAKE: I’ll show you insane. God just told me to challenge Josh to a duel. 

SAM: (shock) Oh my god! (confusion)Oh my god? (realization) Oh my god??

JOSH: (cutting Sam off) You’ve got yourself a deal, pal. 

SAM: No! 

JAKE: High noon, bud. 

SAM: It’s 3:07. 

JOSH: It’s high noon somewhere. 

SAM: I don’t think it is? 

JAKE: Parking lot. 

JOSH: Right. 

The twins exit the room in a silent rage, leaving Sam behind with the MSNBC reporter. 

SAM: So, how about that economy, huh? What are stocks and why am I so afraid of them? 

The scene shifts to the parking lot, at not-really high noon. An instrumental version of ‘Fate of the Faithful’ plays in the background. Jake and Josh step into frame. Jake looks like Woody from Toy Story while Josh wears a cowboy suit with inflatable horse legs. Sam stands in the middle, dressed like a NASCAR flagman in a checkered suit, holding the starting flag up. 

SAM: Please don’t make me do this! 

JAKE: Wave the stinkin flag, Samuel! It’s a direct order from God!

JOSH: I bet he’ll smite you if you don’t. All that’ll be left is the memory of how annoying you were. 

Sam squeezes his eyes shut in fear as he holds the flag up, and Jake and Josh curl and unfurl their fists, preparing to grab for their weapons (plastic cups filled with boba). Sam slowly starts to move the flag downwards as the instrumental music crescendos. The camera zooms into Jake and Josh’s eyes to show just how serious they are about this whole boba shootout. Sam lowers the flag in full, his eyes still shut. As the twins stick their straws in their mouths and prepare to fire the boba at one another, Danny suddenly wanders past Sam, blocking Jake and Josh from each other. Danny appears dazed and confused, and gazes around with a sleepy look on his face. 

DANNY: Which interview is this? Why didn’t I get a fun costume? 

JAKE: Oy! Checker boy! Move your curly friend out of the way so I can pelt my brother with these tapioca pearls! 

SAM: (to Danny) Now’s really not a good time to be here, buddy. Why don’t you lay down and drink an ice water? You look awful. 

DANNY: (speaking to no one in particular) I said so many things on our no-no list. But I couldn’t stop myself. The words melted from my mouth like butter fresh out of the microwave. 

Jake and Josh are now standing upright, dumbfounded and trying to decipher what the heck Danny is talking about. 

DANNY: (continued) They know that I used a night light until I was 16. And that Josh has an irrational fear of George Costanza. And that Jake stole one of Chicago Music Exchange’s most expensive guitars back in 2019 and blamed it on Keith Richards. 

JAKE: Bollocks! 

DANNY: And I can’t speak a lick of Spanish. And Sam lied about being vegetarian during the pandemic. 

SAM: Oh no, my brand! 

DANNY: And Josh has a crush on Dev Patel…

JOSH: I’m actually okay with that one. Maybe he’ll hit me up? 

DANNY: (continued) …and a young Rasputin. 

JOSH: How do you know about that!?

JAKE: Okay, change in plans. I don’t need to duel Josh anymore. Let’s circle the traitor! 

JOSH: Yar! 

DANNY: (continuing) That truth serum Sam gave me is seriously strong. Like, it’s kinda freaking me out how powerful the stuff is. I told a poor reporter with Spin that I haven’t had a bowel movement in 4 days and he referred me to a fiber specialist. 

Jake and Josh turn to look at each other. It’s mutually understood that Danny is not the cause of this mess; Sam is. Sam has already caught onto this, as made apparent by the fact that he is already halfway across the parking lot, booking it as fast as he can from harm’s way. 

A steel guitar theme plays in the background as old-timey title cards flash across the screen, reading: Samuel Francis Kiszka was forced to go through robust media training as penance for his tomfoolery and despicable interview responses. Daniel Robert Wagner was given a doppio espresso with 20 shots of espresso and 10 pumps of white mocha to cure his caffeine withdrawals. He was back to normal within seconds. As for the twins, Jacob and Joshua…

Camera shows Jake and Josh. They are sitting across from each other in the room where Josh and Sam did their GQ 10 Things I Can’t Live Without interview. A box of Cheez-Its, toe nail clippers, a trucker cap that reads I’M NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS I’M WORSE, a ping pong paddle, and The Communist Manifesto are sprawled across the table. It can be assumed that all of Sam’s submissions were non-tangible. 

JOSH: I can’t believe Sam has to go through the same media training program that Disney Channel child actors do. 

JAKE: You and I both know it’s what the kid deserves. 

SAM: (voice calling from down the hall) WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN’T THREATEN PEOPLE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS? THAT’S MY BIT! 

Josh looks like he’s mulling over whether he should mention something or not. He starts to play with the toenail clippers, but then stops himself. 

JOSH: You know how you were talking about leaving the band? 

Jake seems uncomfortable that Josh is bringing this up. 

JAKE: Hmm? Oh yeah, that. (beat) Between you and me, I think Sam must have slipped me some “Tendency to Learn Towards Breaking Up” serum earlier today. Man, that stuff got me good. 

Now Jake is the one nervously playing with The Communist Manifesto, trying to read it upside down. 

JOSH: Is any of that serum still in your system? 

Jake mulls Josh’s question over. 

JAKE: I think it must have cleared out. I mean, I haven’t heard from God in a hot minute. 

JOSH: I am curious, what does God sound like? 

JAKE: Like the most darn tootin’ cowboy you’ve ever heard in your life. 

JOSH: Huh. 

JAKE: It is a little strange though, I swear I’ve heard his voice before. Maybe he regularly checks in on me. 

Jake shifts around a bit in his seat. 

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Our duty is to build trucks.  

Jake jumps out of his seat with a shout. 

JOSH: What?! 

JAKE: He just came back to me! He said it’s our duty to build trucks?  

JOSH: Are you sure he didn’t say ‘trust’? 

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: It takes the new 2025 Ram 1500 to move Heaven and Earth. 

JAKE: Huh? 

JOSH: What is it, brother?

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Guts. Glory. Ram. 

JAKE: I think God just recited a Ram Truck commercial to me. 

JOSH: You said he sounds like a cowboy? 

JAKE: Mmm hmm. 

Josh looks at Jake closer. Although his hair is covering his ears, Josh spots something. He reaches forward, brushes Jake’s hair out of the way, grabs something, and holds an AirPod out to Jake to see. 

JOSH: Do you think this was maybe where the “Voice of God” was coming from? 

JAKE: Did you pull that out of my ear? I didn’t realize you knew how to do magic tricks. 

Josh inserts the AirPod into his own ear and takes a pause to listen. 

JOSH: Your “God” is telling me about Dairy Queen’s 2 for $5 deal right now. 

JAKE: Sellout. 

JOSH: You’re playing ads on your phone, dude. 

Jake pulls out his phone and studies it. 

JAKE: So I am. Perhaps I’m not important enough for divine intervention. 

JOSH: (cautiously) You know, sometimes we apply meaning to things based on our subconscious without even realizing it. 

Jake doesn’t seem to be following what Josh is hinting at. With a sigh, Josh continues. 

JOSH: (continued) All of today you believed you were following the word of God. But, in actuality, I think you were doing what you wanted. 

JAKE: I was doing what Ram Trucks wanted. 

JOSH: Jake, I want to know if we’re okay. You know, as a band. 

JAKE: Oh yeah. Saying we’re A-okay isn’t even accurate. We’re more like A+ okay. 

Jake lets out a small cough, rubs his nose on the bottom of his dress shirt, hocks a loogie into Josh’s box of Cheez-Its, and stands. 

JAKE: I’m gonna grab some more chicken tenders from that British lady. Those made my stomach happy. 

Jake leaves the room, whistling the “Cha Cha Slide” to himself. 

JOSH: (to himself) I wish I had some of Sam’s truth serum to crack into that chestnut of a brain. 

The episode ends with a flashing series of national headlines that were produced as a result of the media day, like Greta Van Fleeing: Jake Kiszka on the Move? and 192 Secrets Daniel Wagner Probably Should Have Kept to Himself. The camera shifts to show that the members of Greta Van Fleet are doing more media, chatting with a couple of DJs over a Zoom call.  

DJ 1: You boys really took the world by storm last week with your, let’s call it, buzzworthy press. We’re glad to have you here with us today to shed some light on what happened, and why you’re currently at the top of the news cycle for every major outlet. 

DANNY: A word to the wise, don’t go off the bean. 

DJ 2: Noted. 

SAM: We’re so thrilled to be speaking with you both today. To answer your question, I went into the Disney Channel building and I sat down with the president of Disney Channel, and I said, ‘I wanna make history,’ and that’s what this is. 

DJ 2: Not the answer we were expecting, but very informative, Samuel. 

JOSH: You should congratulate him, he’s been taking his media training very seriously. 

Danny takes a break from chugging his venti coffee to chime in. 

DANNY: We’re a band who obviously doesn’t take ourselves too seriously. What happened last week was unprofessional, I will admit that, but it was a way to capture your attention so we can spread the word far and wide about the first single off our upcoming album, Starcatcher. 

SAM: Create a playlist with ‘Meeting the Master’ on repeat and stream it. Don’t mute it! Play it at a low volume and let it play while you sleep. 

DJ 1: Should we even be anticipating a new album from you guys if Jake’s so dead-set on quitting the band? 

SAM: I am not contractually allowed to speak on that matter. No comment. 

JAKE: That was an accident. False alarm. I was taking advice from Ram Trucks. 

DJ 2: How does that happen? 

JAKE: You forget to watch your back. 

DJ 2: I want to steer the conversation back to Danny about a certain someone that he expressed romantic feelings for last week. 

Everyone stares at Danny with concern. Danny looks mortified. 

DJ 2: Anything to say about Pink Stitch? 

JAKE: Oh, I bet he does. 

JOSH: (to Jake) You know who has something to say about you? 

Josh retrieves his phone from his pocket and opens a voice note. 

VOICE OF KEITH RICHARDS: Ello, this is Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. I have a message for a kid named Jake who screwed me over at the Chicago Music Exchange. Now, IF I SEE DAT BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP I’M GONNA BLEEP BLEEP THE GODDAMN BASEBALL BAT BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP ZEBRA CROSSING BLEEP BLEEP ICE CREAM BLEEP BLEEP FRENCH WINDOWS BLEEP - 

JAKE: (trying to call over the continued voice note of Keith Richards cussing him out to no end) MEETING THE MASTER. STREAM IT NOW, STREAM IT FOREVER. 

END OF EPISODE.

[providing-leverage]

The A-Team

(asexaul and aromantic Ted Lasso fic recs)

Let's be honest, half the reason for this post is the title. But also to shine some light on a couple beautiful fics I've found with aro and ace characters in this fandom. The purple heart indicates ace, green indicates aro content.

A is for Ally by starryeyedknight 3.8k💜

When Richard suggests a novel way for the Richmond boys to show their allyship, Colin ends up coming out to the team...just not in the way they were expecting.

In which the team gets distracted (multiple times), Isaac is overprotective, Jamie suspects Colin might actually be a Jedi knight, and Bumbercatch reveals way more about his sexual preferences than anyone was expecting. (And poor Will is inadvertently scarred for life.)

A cute little fic that I found perusing the asexual tag. I really enjoyed this au, and Colin's coming out/the guy's reactions to him as well as him not having it all figured out himself.

Love Stuck by @altschmerzes 6k 💚

When Keeley opens the door, Jamie bypasses any kind of perhaps typically-expected greeting. While this isn’t exactly unusual for him, what he says is.

“I’ve got great news,” he tells her, smiling like he really does have great news, which helps to somewhat offset the sense of foreboding she’d been starting to feel. “I am not in love with you. Can I come in?"

OR: Jamie Tartt is aromantic. This changes everything. This also changes nothing. A study in identity, defining your own relationships, and different kinds of love.

I am completely in love with this fic. Jamie having a bi panic before he realizes actually, neither is good/ref. It's very true to my own experiences and made me relate to him so much.

Such a Skeptic: or, Keeley Jones is Bad at Communication by ellarree 800💚

Keeley Jones is definitely not bitter about Shandy. Barbara is definitely interested in double dates and the institution of romance as a whole. Jamie Tartt definitely knows why he’s here. And Jack Danvers? Well, she knows that none of those three statements are true.

A short sequel to the above fic, with aromantic bonding and Barbara who quite honestly deserves so much more screen time in cannon. It has it's own sequel which you can find here.

A Simple Matter of (Mis)Communication by starryeyedknight 3k💜

For the past few weeks Moe Bumbercatch and Jan Maas have been spending an awful lot of time together, and everyone knows what that means. Everyone, apparently, except for Moe Bumbercatch himself...

Apparently I just need to binge read this author's whole collection of works because I didn't realize they also write A is for Ally until making this. Asexual Jan Mass which again I found myself relating to a lot. Technically part of a series and his asexuality was mentioned in the first work, but it's central to the plot of this one. It's also super cute.

Self rec: it's a rather touching notion by providing_leverage 5.7k 💜💚

“I won’t beat around the bush. We think you might be bisexual. You familiar with it?” A friendly team game of spin the bottle ends in a few revelations, some quicker than others. (AKA Moe Bumbercatch going through the unofficial aroace right of passage: adding no real attraction to men with no real attraction to women and coming up with bisexual, with a little help from his friends)

I really enjoyed writing this, even if the last 2k was just a fight against myself. It went through so many different versions and ended longer than I meant for it to be. I really neat part of the Ted Lasso fandom is how platonic so much of the content is.

If you've got any aspec recommendations of your own, please drop them here or tag me. Self recs are absolutely invited. Happy pride!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Charles Kaiser on Bob Dylan.

‘Life is about creating yourself’: on Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine

[The Dylan Center in Tulsa offers a read as endlessly fascinating, as vital to the American story, as its subject himself]

Charles Kaiser

Ten years before he became Bob Dylan, 10-year-old Bobby Zimmerman had his first mystical experience. Wandering through the house his father had bought in Hibbing, Minnesota, he discovered a guitar in one room, and then “a great big mahogany radio” with “a 78 turntable when you opened up the top” in another.

Sitting on the platter was a country record called Drifting Too Far from Shore. The record with a prophetic title “made me feel like I was somebody else”, Dylan remembered. “That I was maybe not even born to the right parents or something.”

A couple of years later, the young radio addict began to imagine the person he was supposed to be when Little Richard’s cleaned-up version of Tutti Frutti seized the airwaves with its unforgettable “a-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop-bam-boom” refrain and became the founding song of rock’n’roll. (Bobby’s high school yearbook would announce his ambition: “To join Little Richard.” His girlfriend then was Echo Helstrom, who might be the subject of Girl from the North Country.)

When Buddy Holly released That’ll Be the Day, Bobby got his next inspiration. The gangling, goofy-looking six-footer with horn-rimmed glasses and the irresistible aw-shucks charm of Lubbock, Texas, made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. For the boy from Hibbing it was love at first sight. From the moment he heard him, Bobby felt “akin, like he was an older brother. I even thought I resembled him. Buddy played the music that I loved – the music I grew up on: country western, rock’n’roll, and rhythm and blues. Three separate strands of music that he intertwined and infused into one genre. One brand. And Buddy wrote songs that had beautiful melodies and imaginative verses. And he sang great – sang in more than a few voices.”

A songwriter who fused multiple registers, and delivered them in multiple voices: the perfect model for a nice Jewish boy obsessed with music who was only a couple of years past his barmitzvah.

A year after Buddy’s second TV appearance, Bobby drove to Duluth (his birthplace) to see his hero in the flesh. The 17-year-old fan was thunderstruck.

“That was a few days before he was gone,” Dylan remembered. “I had to travel a hundred miles … I wasn’t disappointed. He was powerful and electrifying and had a commanding presence. I was only 6ft away. He was mesmerizing. I watched his face, his hands, the way he tapped his foot, his big black glasses, the eyes behind the glasses, the way he held his narrative, the way he stood, his neat suit. Everything about him. He looked older than 22. Something about him seemed permanent, and he filled me with conviction.

“Then, out of the blue, the most uncanny thing happened. He looked me right straight dead in the eye, and he transmitted something … and it gave me the chills.”

Three days later, the V-tailed single-engine Beechcraft aircraft Holly had chartered to avoid another freezing eight-hour bus ride crashed in an Iowa cornfield, killing him, Ritchie Valens, JP Richardson and the 21-year-old pilot. But the transference to his apostle was real.

So far, it has managed to keep Dylan performing for seven decades.

[autism-disco]

literally give me EVERY detail im hyperfixated on this

okokokokok so. hhhghhh where do i start

first of all my favourite bit is romeo's "top surgery" it's incredible i love it. the ABBA lyric chapter titles are real fun as well

ok and now the what the fuck why would you do this why would you hurt them and me in this way. i barely even know caroline and i'm so invested in how things are gonna go for her i feel so bad for her like the when she's looking at the photographs,,, ggfhgehfh

oh i loved the mailman thats wirth saying! i swear to god if you hurt the postman i will scream and cry and writhe and explode

i miss may :( and francois :( and angelique :( and caroline being happy :( and frank despite him being a kinda awful person :( and everyone else :(

i do have to say the writing's really good in general but specifically in terms of making you feel connected to all of the characters!! like i don't know some of these folks that well if at all but i'm still invested in them and their well-being

i don't know if you're gonna go there but i'd be really interested to hear more about what richard was saying before. well. i don't remember what he said exactly but like something about scientists doing things? and also the general world as well, there's a lot that i can kinda headcanon like what fucking atrocities occured in town B to make them resort to no names so that people don't get attached.

hjhuhhh im forgetting my thoughts now but the consensus is i enjoyed it i will keep myself updated, very good job

[andrebearakovsky]

(cont. ask) first of all NOOO don't apologize i was looking for a long post, this is why i came here! i've been lurking way back! i remembered your blog name! 2. wow??? this is such a comprehensive answer!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍🤗😳 thank you so much! 3. any content you want to post i am here for! 4. i can't believe there are so many new guys, like yes of course, but i can't believe it! 5. Oh yeah the details of the Holtby thing are coming back to me, i seem to have repressed it.🙈

Aw that's so sweet of you! A longtime viewer! (Viewer? What am I, a YouTuber? Calm down.) It's sweet of you to remember me and I'm delighted that I am apparently famous and evidently famous for making long/extensive posts lol. Which I'm about to do again.

I talked about Strome, Milano, Sandin, and alllll those young guys on my last post, as well as Darcy and TvR. [And Dowd but you already knew him.] The rest of the guys currently on the team I haven't really touched on yet that joined post-Holtby era are Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Anthony Mantha, and Charlie Lindgren. I'll get into them in a bit, but I gotta get into some other things first.

You said you haven't really watched since the Holtby era, so I'm going to assume you know everything that happened/all the people we had up til that final season, and that you know little/nothing of what has happened since then. So I'm gonna give a quick recap of some of the big things that have happened in that time:

You missed the ENTIRETY of the Sammy and Vitek goaltending era, which was kinda turbulent. Sammy was gonna be the starter with Henrik Lundqvist as the backup, but then it turned out Lundqvist had a heart condition and had to retire and never played a game for the Caps. This forced Vitek into action, and we had 2 years of the Sammy and Vitek goaltending duo. I, personally, loved it. Some people did not. I still hold that they were BOTH GOOD!! They split time, neither one ever TRULY grasped the starting reigns. There was also when Vitek got taken by the Kraken in the expansion draft and then immediately traded him back to us. Also they were besties, which started when they were a duo down in Hershey. It's also why my blog is titled "goalie best friend tandem," though it also currently applies to Darcy and Chuck who are besties. You can search the "goalie best friends" tag on my blog for cute Sammy and Vitek content. Neither of them are here anymore, but they're still friends - I remember seeing a quote Vitek gave to some Devils people talking about him and about still being friends and such.

Players you knew back from the Holtby era who are no longer with us: Lars Eller, Richard Panik (useless), Jonas Siegenthaler, Travis Boyd, Christian Djoos, Michal Kempny, Radko Gudas, Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov [don't talk to me about these last two I'm sad]

Players that played with us for multiple seasons after the Holtby era who are no longer with us this year: Justin Schultz, Conor Sheary, Daniel Sprong, Matt Irwin

COVID robbed us of our time with Brenden Dillon and I'm sad about it

We had Zdeno Chara for 1 year, and he straightup fixed Nick Jensen. Jensen was abysmal before that, then Chara was his defense partner for the whole year, and Jensen is good now. I no longer dread every time he touches the puck, I trust him. Also he has a personality now! Idk what kind of dark magic Chara used, but I will be forever thankful to him for it. 1 year of Chara absolutely 1000% worth it just for fixing Nick Jensen

We got Marcus Johansson back! :) And then we traded him again

We traded Jakub Vrana for Anthony Mantha, who is useless and unfortunately still here. He never fit in with the team vibe of "sexy idiots," he's not loud enough or slutty enough.

In March 2022 Carl Hagelin suffered a really bad eye injury during practice. I think the butt end of someone's stick got into his eye? (We were never told whose stick it was, I'm sure they have to feel absolutely terrible about it.) He's lucky he didn't lose his eye. He tried to come back, but he never played a game again after that. He was technically on the roster all of last season, but he never got into any games, and he just announced his retirement this summer. A really sad end, tbh. And RIP to the 4th line of dreams.

We were GONNA have Connor Brown for the 2022-23 season, and he was gonna play with Dylan Strome whom he's friends with and played in juniors with. But he played for like 2 games and then got hurt and was out for the season and never played for us again. I think he's in Edmonton now.

You know about goal songs, right?? I think the last year of Holtby was the first year of goal songs. I have a Spotify playlist of goal songs if you wanna check it out

There have been SO many injuries the last 3 years. 2021-22 was what I like to call the year of babies. I don't even remember who exactly was injured but there were so many injuries it necessitated the callup of SO many rookies. TWELVE rookies played that season: Martin Fehervary, Connor McMichael, Beck Malenstyn, Garrett Pilon, Hendrix Lapierre, Brett Leason, Aliaksei Protas, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Zach Fucale, Joe Snively, Alex Alexeyev, and Lucas Johansen. All of whom made their NHL debuts that season except for Fehervary, McMichael, Malenstyn, and Pilon. Of those rookies, Fehervary and McMichael were the only ones who were really supposed to make the team that season; they stuck around the whole season, while Leason and Protas played 30+ games, AJF played 20+, Snively and Malenstyn played more than 10 each, and the rest had 6 or less. It was truly the year of babies. Some of those guys aren't in the organization anymore, but I think this is the year the rest of them finally make the leap and are true full-timers. [Except for Fehervary, who already is]

More injury news: Nicky and Tom were injured for like the first half of last season. And in December, John Carlson broke his fucking face. He got hit in the face with a puck and it broke his entire face, like it was really bad, and he hardly played again. I think he came back for like the last few weeks, but tbh his injury was when the season went downhill. [I say "broke his face" but the official reports are he had a fractured skull and severed temporal artery. Yikes! He's fine now though]

Ovi just keeps breaking goal records. He got 800 goals and then passed Gordie Howe last season!!! He is now number 2 all-time in goals!! He currently has 822. Watch out, Gretzky, he's comin' for ya

Oh yeah the Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup this year!! It was absolutely epic. They played the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Kraken AHL team) in the finals, and it was an awesome finals. It went to Game 7 overtime. GAME SEVEN OVERTIME!!!!! Do you know how rare that is? It's only the 2nd time the Calder Cup Finals has gone to overtime in Game 7, with the first time being in 1953. In the NHL, it has only ever happened in the Stanley Cup Finals TWICE. EVER! By the Wings in 1950 and 1954. So the Bears won the Calder Cup in Game 7 overtime and it was exciting as FUCK. And a lot of guys who might make the Caps roster this year were on that Cup-winning team: Snively, Protas, McMichael, Malenstyn, Johansen, as well as top prospects Lapierre and Iorio. They're the oldest franchise in the AHL, and that was their 12th Calder Cup, which is the most in AHL history.

And you said to feel free to post some content so I am going to POST some CONTENT. Starting with:

✨Darcy Kuemper✨

I fucking love Darcy, so much. I've already said that I've liked him for a long time, and I'm absolutely elated to have him on the team. He won the Cup with the Avs in 2022. He is also very tall, he's 6'5", one time he hugged TJ and it made TJ look like a child. He's so sweet, and he's so dumb. He's like a giant labrador. Some of my favorite assorted Darcy things and moments include:

In one of his first interviews after signing he said he was gonna visit every museum in DC, and I'm like no you're not, Darcy, that's not possible. Our first sign that he was a big dummy

One time suplexed Matthew Tkachuk into the ice

Got a shot on goal during a game last year

The time he tried to "interview" Nick Jensen at the outdoor game practice while giggling incessantly

Here's him at NHL media day last year, featuring him kicking a soccer ball like you see in my profile pic :)

Says one of his life goals is to bring back the dinosaurs. Please see this post for the full story on that one

Is absolute BESTIES with Charlie Lindgren, the backup goalie. Like, so much so that they and their wives constantly take their dogs on walks together, the dogs are reportedly besties as well, and the Kuempers dog-sat Chuck's dog over Christmas. They also kind of have matching dogs, I'll include a picture below. Chuck also called himself and Darcy two of the "more normal goalies in the league" which is an absolute lie after the dinosaurs thing, so clearly Chuck doesn't have that many brain cells rolling around up there either. They also did THIS at media day this year. Their friendship is just so pure. You can read more about it in this article. And like, they didn't know each other before signing here. According to the article, evidently after they signed, they texted each other and then literally the scene from stepbrothers happened

And then TvR 🥰 Mine own love TvR. I adore Trevor van Riemsdyk so much. He's just got incredibly good vibes. I also have a bit more of a personal attachment to him, because he and I have the same birthday (July 24). He's a bit soft-spoken, especially compared to some of the other freaks on this team. Possibly one of the only ones with any semblance of a brain cell. He's not flashy; he's a steady-eddy defenseman, almost always on the third pair barring injuries. He's not gonna score a bunch of points, but he plays hard defensively every game (one of the reasons goalies love him), he's reliable, and he blocks SO many shots. He's also one of THE guys on the penalty kill. The penalty kill is TvR, Jensen, Fehervary, and Dowd, those are the main guys. We also officially claimed him as our own. As of this year, he will have played more years with the Caps than with anyone else, he currently has more goals, assists, and points with us than with anyone else, and after about 40 more games he will have played more games with us than with anyone else.

Also the ENTIRE team is absolutely fucking OBSESSED with him. There aren't like that many big specific things I can point to, it's just how I've noticed them treating him over the years, and how they talk about/to him and the general energy. They all love to shout "REEEEEEEEEEEEMERRRRRRRR" at any and every opportunity. And like you can just tell that every single one of them is deeply in love with him. They are all constantly tripping over themselves to give him the player of the game award in the locker room, even when other guys have a bunch of points in the game and it feels like they're the obvious choice but no they all want to give a love letter to their collective crush. The goalies especially love him. (Here's Chuck giving him the POTG, Nicky giving him the POTG, and a recounting of Sammy's love affair with him two seasons ago). The coaches also love him, sometimes too much for their own good - there have been times in the last few years when they've put TvR on the power play and in the shootout (??) when he had no business being there lol. And like I don't blame them lmao. He's grown to become a leader on the team (and occasionally gets As on his chest during preseason games and when a bunch of dudes are injured - another thing that confirms to me they're all in love with him, he got real high up on the chain of command real quick), he's super consistent (there was one game last year when there were so many injuries on D that the defense was quite literally just TvR plus a bunch of rookies - I said that day that the defense was "TvR and a dream"), and he will absolutely never put his mouthguard in his mouth. So as the year goes on, and as you watch games and social media content, just keep your eyes peeled, watch TvR, and you'll see that the entire team is so fucking horny for TvR specifically. I made this meme awhile back, which is exactly how the Caps feel about TvR:

Other miscellaneous fun facts about the team and players that I think you should know:

Our backup goalie is Charlie Lindgren, but we all call him Chuck. It suits him better, especially with his mustache. He also catches right-handed, which is different than practically every other goalie in the league. So like if you look, he and Darcy wear their catching gloves on different hands.

There are a LOT of NHL brothers on this team. Dylan Strome's older brother Ryan plays for the Ducks, and his younger brother Matt actually plays for the Hershey Bears. Trevor van Riemsdyk is also the middle child of three hockey-playing brothers: his older brother James plays for the Bruins, and younger brother Brendan doesn't play in the NHL but played college hockey. And Charlie Lindgren is the oldest of 3 hockey brothers: Andrew played college hockey but never made the NHL, and youngest brother Ryan plays for the Rangers.

Kuzy has been doing some wacky shit in the shootout the last few years, just go look it up on YouTube

Here's a video of the mentors trip this year so you can see Sonny Milano's father who is simply exactly who I envisioned him to be in my head

Nicolas Aube-Kubel (NAK), a French-Canadian fourth line winger that the Caps picked up on waivers in November last year, is Sergei Ovechkin's (Ovi's son) favorite player. We learn this in a video feature with Ovi's wife and kids (I'm including the link to this gifset from the lovely @thornescratch which is where I first saw this). The producer asks who Sergei's favorite player is, and Sergei immediately answers "Aube-Kubel." Not only is Aube-Kubel his "guy" according to Nastya, but then we also see that a selfie of Sergei and Aube-Kubel is the lock screen of Sergei's iPad. And Sergei calls Aube-Kubel his "best friend." Learning this information is such a curveball, because it's like the last person you'd expect Sergei's favorite to be. It's not somebody Russian or even European, it's not somebody old or someone who's been on the team a long time, it's not one of his dad's closer friends, and it's not even one of the stars of the team, it's a young Canadian dude who plays fourth line if he's in. Aube-Kubel must be REALLY friendly, otherwise why else would he be Sergei's favorite? You know it has to be absolutely devastating to Tom Wilson to not be Sergei's favorite lol. [I'm also convinced this is why they re-signed NAK so quick in the offseason, you HAVE to bring back Sergei's favorite player!!]

Speaking of NAK: remember how I said Beck Malenstyn was Nic Dowd's chosen winger? NAK is his OTHER chosen winger. Those two are twin shitstarters and Dowd loves them and I know he absolutely wants both of them on his line this season. They're gonna be a great 4th line. I could talk all day about Dowd and his 4th line duties, and you can ask me to do that if you want but I'm not gonna do it here

I also know everyone's zodiac sign because I'm a freak. I can also get more into that in a separate post if you want

There's probably more stuff, but this is all I can think of for now. Please feel free to ask me more stuff, I love diving into things. Stuff about the team, players, my favorites, whatever. I hope this is both informative and entertaining!

[minaharkers]

OC TAG GAME ｡*･♡;

tagged by @aragorngf to categorize my ocs and make them in this picrew by crowsen!!  

♡ FAVORITE OC. (At the moment) 

Lukas Warren — Fallout: New Vegas

This was cruel to make me pick between all of my kids but I think Lukas at the moment is always kicking around my head — my sweet boy my poor little meow meow. I have so much in my head about his relationship with his family both the complicated horror story that is his family and his adopted ghoul mom Majorie and how much that really shaped his worldview <3

♡ NEWEST OC.

Caroline Clarke — Various

Cara my beloved!! She’s my OC for a post-apocalyptic RP group I’m in and I love her sm <3 She’s a hunter from West Virginia who’s still trying to getting used to living in a (somewhat) civilized part of Boston after living in the literal Appalachian woods for a solid three years with her brother. I’m excited to write with her more !! She’s a sweet person but is still sort of closed off after so much has happened 

♡ OLDEST OC.

Aerie — The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim

Aerie is definitely one of my oldest ocs!! Skyrim was really one of the first rpgs I played and honestly I feel like she’s both gone through so many iterations but also stayed pretty consistent!! We love a wild girlie who the universe had to make her a short nord to balance out the whole dragon soul thing

♡ MEANEST OC.

Ethan Warren — Fallout: New Vegas

Some people deal with their issues in all sorts of ways; Ethan decided to deal with it by razing his hometown to the ground <3 Having his father be burned instead of crucified like the Legion normally would to not give him the satisfaction of dying like jesus is understandable given what an awful person Richard Warren was, but joining the Legion and staying for years is a bad move maybe 🤔

♡ SOFTEST OC. 

Merethel Lavellan — Dragon Age: Inquisition

This was tough between Merethel and Ophelia but I think he’s someone who’s got a quiet compassion to him. The role of inquisitor does chafe on him a lot with him being more comfortable behind the scenes and being with people one on one as a healer. But I think people tend to underestimate how intelligent he is at first with his gentle nature, because he definitely learns how to play the “game” of politics in his own right by the time of Trespasser (even if he is very eager to get rid of the Inquisitor title).

♡ MOST ALOOF/STANDOFFISH OC. 

Endaryn Ravel — The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Even before he lost his place at the Arcane University in Cyrodiil after being booted to Morrowind because the Emperor Said So (rip 😔) , Endaryn is someone who just wants to be left alone to study!! And stuff KEEPS happening to him and he just wants to finish his thesis can he please stop getting weird dream messages from Dagoth Ur

♡ DUMBEST (AFFECTIONATE) OC. 

Leondas Vendicci — The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

It’s not that he’s dumb, he just lacks any and all self-preservation or self-respect! <3 Jk, but Leondas is definitely the guy who acts first and thinks about it later when he realizes the consequences. A fuck around and find out kind of guy, you might say. But yeah, definitely the type to run into Oblivion portals without much of a plan. But he’s MY favorite dumbass so it’s okay

♡ SMARTEST OC.

Ophelia Faye — Fallout: 3

WOMEN! IN! STEM! Ophelia’s definitely the most intelligent; (I did actually give her a 10 in her Intelligence SPECIAL score). But I would say it’s pretty much all like science and medicine based intellect, and she’s the most comfortable in a lab or med bay than out in the Wasteland.

♡ OC YOU’D LIKE TO BE FRIENDS WITH IRL.

Euurydia Daeron — Star Wars: The Old Republic

I have NO idea if Dia and I would actually hang out IRL but she’d be the most fun to hang out with. She’s the perfect extrovert to adopt an introvert like me and talk my ear off and convince me to try one drink and suddenly it’s 2 am and we’ve been cantina hopping in the Lower Promenade on Nar Shaddaa for hours

tagging: @statichvm @chuckhansen @denerims @indorilnerevarine @risingsh0t @leviiackrman @florbelles @unholymilf @fashionablyfyrdraaca

[tryslora]

Welcome to What I’m Reading Wednesday on a Thursday, because yesterday was chaos and while I got as far as making my little graphic, I didn’t get to do a proper writeup!

I also managed to finish three things between yesterday and today, but that’ll get discussed next week—this is being done as if I were posting it on Wednesday morning as I should have done! Preparing AHEAD OF TIME is apparently the new name of the game for future!me.

Audiobook

I finished reading Heat Wave, the third book in the Incredibles trilogy by TJ Klune, and DAMN that was an awesome ride. Do you love YA books? Queer books? Superheroes? Complicated gray areas but also villains who are villains? Non-neurotypical POV? This is that series. I adored Nick—our POV narrator in all his ADHD glory. I adored the story. It was just so much fun, and angsty in moments, and SO GOOD.

I then started the non-fiction writing advice book Never Say You Can’t Survive by Charlie Jane Anders, narrated by the author herself. This book is wonderful, like having a conversation with the author, and it makes me feel SO GOOD. Even unfinished, I’ve been screaming about it every chance I get. It’s great to read a self-help book and come out feeling energized and motivated rather than shamed.

Physical Book

My physical book is continuing The Marann by Christie Meierz. I have a few quibbles with the book, but overall, I’m enjoying it. There are some trigger warnings that should be included, so be prepared for that. I continue to enjoy the difference in culture between the aliens and humanity. This is definitely a romance, and has that vibe and happy feel.

Ebook

I have a huge collection of ebooks in my Kindle library, many of which I am not entirely sure how I obtained. Some are freebies that Amazon gives to Prime members monthly. Either way, I’m not certain how I got Love Among the Stars by Claerie Kavanaugh but I’ve been enjoying the romance. It’s a quick, easy read, but too light and quick to be great.

Manga & Graphic Novels

My journey through Elfquest continues with The Complete Elfquest, volume 2 by Wendy & Richard Pini. I’ve reached things that are definitely not familiar! I completed the Seige at Blue Mountain arc and am in the middle of the Kings of the Broken Wheel arc (hopefully I’m remembering that title correctly). Continuing to love it. I fully admit, I want to kick Rayek often and do hope to get to see some character progression as it goes on. I’m very much enjoying getting to see the new things. My excitement grows and it’s hard to hold myself to only one chapter a night!

Since I received the latest volume of Black or White by Sachimo (Vol 8), I sat down and read it right away. I mean. It’s BL, pretty much what it says on the tin. Jealousy between two men—both actors—who can’t be out, but there are an awful lot of people in the know about their relationship. That said, they really have settled in to their relationship and that part continues to improve.

Spoiler for next week… Between Wednesday morning (when this should have been written) and Thursday afternoon (when I am writing it), I finished three of the above books… so expect some new things next week! I may have also discovered that audiobooks make thick unwieldy highly descriptive prose accessible to me, when I struggle to read it in a physical book. So that’s cool!

[buck-yyyy]

BUCKY BUCKY HI HOW ARE YOU??? HOW WAS YOUR DAY??

I COME WITH GIFTS FOR YOU!! i'm not finished yet BUT i'm SO CLOSE to being done, and i made sure to write down everything to tell you on a sheet of paper (it's titled "pour bucky <3" in the floweriest rune font i could do)

i could DEFINITELY write an analysis about the twins' parallels and richard's obsession with camilla and what that means for his heterosexuality

richard ONLY likes "ebullient" girls (also bright-eyed), a word with which i was, surprisingly, unfamiliar with, but a quick check of my dictionary says that it's "cheerful" or "happy". this isn't really anything to note, except that i saw it and the "bull" part and thought it was another synonym for masculine adhbfjadf

aw francis bought richard a tie <3

"a trick i learned from henry" THE BOYFRIENDISM OF IT

richard noticing things about henry <3

"glowing" richard that is NOT how people describe sunburns. you're just gay.

francis omg what (<- i have no idea the context for this)

"lovely strong muscled legs" i mean. i can appreciate a hot muscle lady too. but richard

"masculine" THE AMOUNT OF TIME HE DESCRIBES CAMILLA AS MASCULINE AND HOW MUCH HE LIKES HER FOR IT I'M FUCKING SOBBING

parallel (this was about camilla was being described beautiful and how much she looks like charles. richard WHAT is going through your brain)

richard should've left charles in jail tbh (DFUAHDA THIS IS ABOUT HIM AND CAMILLA AND LIKE. I HOPE HE DIES IN THE HOSPITAL, SOBER AND SUFFERING)

francis and his love of charles. francis. you're great. but man do you have bad taste

did he just fantasize about life with francis???

richard. richard what the fuck (<- also don't know the context for this but it's a pretty good summary of this book tbh)

"the glow of his praise" just say you're gay for him, richard. just say you're gay for henry and that he makes you feel funny inside.

"I had never thought henry handsome" mhm sure. an offshoot of this is his later description of henry being "tigerish in his grace" and my man WHAT (<- i audibly said that "my man what" like. 5 times ahfdafdsa)

jealousy (richard asking about camilla and henry is giving such jealous vibes, but in the context it seemed like he wanted to be with henry and was jealous of camilla)

henry really living up to his name, bc this is some vecna-esque shit right here

nah bucky you're right, winterpapen is OUT, richard x francis for the win

"i put my hand on his arm" there is literally NO reason to write this. it serves no narrative purpose. i mean. why include this if not gay 🤷‍♀️

richard and his homoerotic, daddy issues-fueled obsession with julian

finally saw the cover 💀 i thought it was abstract but nope that is a whole face 💀

anyways if this book doesn't end with "looking back on this, I think i;m gay" i am going to astral project into it and shake richard by the throat

SHSJXBAKXBS KAYE I LOVE ALL OF THIS SO MUCH LMAO

AND YAYYYYYYY RICHARD AND FRANCIS FOR THE WIN FR FR!!!!!! I’M SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE LIKING THE BOOK :DDDD

[absenthiium]

Re the ask game...1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (take the noose off, wrap it tight around my hand, which I will never not adore), 12, 13, 14 (for your war is the context (god is a boy) stories that I also adore), 16 (for εἴδωλον), 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26 (for παλλακή), 27, 28, 29, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42 (for take the noose off, wrap it tight around my hand and i’ll lay on the floor, touch me ‘till i vomit, again my beloveds), 44, 45, 46 (i’ll lay on the floor, touch me ‘till i vomit, I only feel more insane about that one after starting my Ethel Cain phrase), 47 (for "suffering is nigh, drawing to me" or any Ptolemaea lyric because I feel that is such a Leo song), 48, 49.

(I am so sorry if this feels like too much, please don't feel pressured to answer any of these, but you said you like asks and I love your writing so much, so)

twelve. my very first one was a terrible merge between pandora hearts and dante's inferno, if i remember correctly.

4. definitely angst (and i love post-apocalyptic stories, but i'm yet to include the genre in a fanfiction, i've mostly done so in my original work).

5. i don’t have many, so i’m not sure. but she will talk like a friend (she will kiss like a man) has a special place in my heart (and i really need to continue it!).

6. for those i’ve posted on ao3, maybe my first one? it’s a good omens fic i translated (badly) from italian, it’s very trope-y and not really my thing anymore. 

7. i write whenever the need to strikes, so i’m almost constantly scribbling. but when it comes to writing from start to end, it’s mostly at night (might be ‘cause it’s the time of day i have less to do).

8. a lot of things! most of it comes from music, some from my own state of being or random things i've experienced. plus, books or poetry. sometimes, as i write, i keep a few books close for inspiration (these days, it’s mostly T.S. Eliot's the wasteland, Richard Siken's crush, Beppe Fenoglio's a private affair; plus, and I'm mentioning it mostly since it directly impacted take the noose of, wrap it tight, 4.48 psychosis by Sarah Kane).

9. part xii, the one about medications, was done through a lot of research on topics i’m wholly unfamiliar with, so it was interesting, and quite fun (plus, reading Sarah Kane at night while listening to Ethel Cain which was. something). plus, the last part! i think it’s really representative of the style i’m going for.

12. I go through phases of concentrating on a single character, and at the moment it's Leonardo from TMNT (who would've thought). other characters have been Izzy Hands from our flag means death, Jesse from breaking bad, and Spadino from that shitshow (affectionate) that was Suburra. 

13. i tend to avoid the issue by. not writing them, i guess. but at the moment, maybe Donatello from TMNT. i like him a lot, but i still haven’t figured out how to write him.

14. all the titles come from Norma Jeane baker of Troy by Anne Carson! i really like that book, and it has some chapters focused on explaining a few ancient greek words, while still tying the explanation to the myth of Helen of Troy.

16. it’s actually very much inspired by a concept i’m exploring in an original novel of mine, which follows, among other things, the relationship between the protagonist and his aging father, gone mad after experiencing the death of three of his kids in a war. the novel itself is inspired by the last ronin so i guess the cycle is complete.

17. “the last thing Leo remembers was taking the shovel from Raph’s unsteady hands and digging a grave deep enough to bury a secret - their arms brushed, in passing, and it stung.”

(the WIP in question is, by the way, inspired by your incredible i see things that nobody else sees, that i just adore  too much for my own good).

20. not really, but there are a few things i would've changed in execution.

21. i’m pretty much in awe at a lot of people whose works i’ve read on ao3 (or other places), there’s just so much creativity and sheer talent. oh, and there’s this writer i really admire that writes an incredible range of styles and characters, consistently creating amazing stories, and whose writing has impacted me and my own work a lot. plus, she’s very kind and sends nice asks and, oh, look! it’s you!

23. i listen to music, generally the same song, on repeat, for hours.

24. not my favorite thing. i’m alright with making them not very explicit, otherwise i kind of cringe. not sure why.

25. i don’t think so, but i might if i keep up with the angst (i will).

26. the whole concept was very hard to tackle, because i wanted it to be very raw but not misrepresent the issue. other than that, maybe the final line. it’s just a handful of words, but i rewrote it many times before i got it right.

27. a go with the flow guy! i start with a concept, with a very minimal outline, and than just go until it feels done.

28. i wish i’d been capable of not attaching my stories’ worth to how many hits or kudos they get from the start. obviously i’m glad whenever a story of mine gets attention, but i want to learn to write for myself, mostly, not only to feel rewarded. but i’m getting better at this.

29. not sure, maybe παλλακή? but i do understand it’s based on a concept not many are comfortable reading about. plus, maybe my Suburra fics, but i probably can’t expect much since they are from an almost dead fandom and in italian (and quite untranslatable, since the dialogues are in Rome’s dialect).

33. first things that comes to my mind are some comments i’ve gotten on got a good look and measured my answer. many people told me it made them feel seen at a very visceral level, and, i don’t know, it moved me a lot. 

35. i don’t really talk about my story ideas to people. my cats know all about them, though.

36. i have a few, but for now it’s mostly ideas -but i really wanna try writing something about across the spiderverse.

37. there’s a few fics i’ve improvised (both by writing and recording) with a friend of mine -they were a messy mix of disney characters and tropes. one of those predicted the Queen’s death. funny times.

38. never thought of it, so i don’t have a specific person in mind, but i’d be very interested in trying! i’ve done a collab only once with an irl friend, and i’m definitely open to do one again.

40. a couple of my irl friends do, but they haven’t read anything.

41. i have this pre-canon fic about Eddie Munson (from stranger things) that i’ve been meaning to complete for a while, and i love working on it. very coming-of-age, smalltown queer boy-ish. i hope i’ll finally get around to finish it.

42. a whole ass fixation on Ethel Cain’s music, particularly Family Tree and Inbred. i listen to those two a lot while writing, in general.

44. not from a fic but: “this room’s a narrow place. everyone is talking.”

45. i have many words to say, and i love saying them. not much more, i think.

46. the sequels are, in fact, in the making! (i hope). no spoilers, but it’s a few missing moments from the first two stories and a bit of development on Leo’s state (from very bad to normal bad, i guess).

47. so, so Leo! you’re, as usual, very correct. plus, by mentioning Ptolemea, you’ve kickstarted a whole inspiration process in my brain, and i’m definitely writing something about it. not sure about the specifics, but i’m thinking: some feral behavior; Leo being his usual mother/widow self; someone’s getting eaten alive.

48. is angst a trope? if so, angst. 

49. a mildly explicit Inuyasha fic that involved stalking and divinity. read it on my mom’s phone at a family dinner at about eleven.

(thank you for the questions!)

[avengersrewatch]

E19: The Kang Dynasty

So here it is, the Avengers head to space to confront Kang the Conqueror! It's episode 19, "The Kang Dynasty" not to be confused with Avengers: Kang Dynasty coming soon. Though they LOVE reusing the same titles from comic books to cartoons to movies. ("Age of Ultron" was a a run of comics and they used the name for the second Avengers movie even though it was more like "A Day or Two of Ultron" in that case.)

Our team is: Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, Wasp and Ant-Man. All the white people since T'Challa went back to protect Wakanda from Kang's invasion of Earth. (Well, I guess Hulk is green.)

We are almost immediately another Avenger down, because Kang locks his weapons onto the Avengers (which would include much of New York as well), and Thor jumps out of the spaceship and absorbs the blast/sends it back to Kang with Mjölnir, so it will not kill millions. Wasp worries he is dead but Hulk assures her "goldilocks is tough" and I know he's right because I've seen this show before.

I feel like any variant of Thor can be counted on to do something very stupid but heroic to save people. Like in the comics, he dives into the Godbomb using two Mjölnirs to stop Gorr. In the movies, he takes a blast from a star to forge Stormbreaker. Here he's absorbing the full force of future lasers. What a dummy; I love him.

Just about everyone gets to do something fun this episode. Hawkeye is psyched he gets to shoot from the Quinjet at alien craft. Jan gets to fly around in space, since Tony made her a suit that allows her to, and she is awed by space. I would argue, you should be awed by space. It's objectively cool to be in space.

As a result of Jan and Tony keeping the alien craft off the Avengers' ship, they are not with the others when they arrive in the ship. Hulk gets to punch a hole in Kang's spaceship (the Damocles), allowing the Quinjet to land aboard. And he says "that was fun." I have never seen the Hulk so happy.

Jan tricks Kang's own scarabs into blasting holes in the ship so she and Tony can sneak in. At the same time, we get the news that all the ships around Wakanda have "disappeared." (So T'Challa's having some fun even if he's not with the team.)

If only millions of people on Earth weren't dying this would be the best day ever.

Hank leads the others to the "time drive", the thing that allows the ship to time travel. If they destroy it, then the ship will go back to where it belongs. But meanwhile, Wasp sneaks through the air ducts of the ship and finds Ravonna, in her stasis. Jan, being Jan, wants to know if she is okay.

Ravonna has, of course, appeared in the MCU in Loki and I am still confused as to what her connection with Kang is in that universe. Here it's a bit simpler. Kang loves her, and she's dying because of the time anomaly.

There is fighting. Kang captures Steve, who he blames for everything. They bicker until Tony shows up and hacks into the Damocles' system. Some fighting. Steve and Tony beat Kang. The Avengers send all the ships on Earth back to the future. They are about to send Kang and the Damocles back when Wasp stops them.

See Wasp doesn't want "Princess" Ravonna to die, and if they send her back then she will be erased from existence. She spills all the tea that Kang loves her and did all this to keep her alive (which seems to embarrass Kang). The Avengers are like, "Bro, we could have helped you" but Kang is like "NEVER!" so they have to fight some more until he's down.

They put Kang in one of the Negative Zone prison cells, while Reed Richards (first appearance, he doesn't speak) and Hank study Ravonna's stasis. Ultron stands by menacingly.

It's not the most epic of battles. At the end, it feels like neither side has "won." On the other hand, it seems the solution to Kang is to let Wasp and Ravonna hash things out. She can't talk in this, but if she could I bet she'd be more reasonable. And while we haven't seen Ravonna and Kang's relationship in the MCU but we have seen that he respects (even though he feels betrayed by) Janet Van Dyne.

Ravonna and Jan. BroTP.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 5th October

This week's songs really do complement each other. Not necessarily in a good way, mind you. British rock and rollers, both are also picking up bits of the American sound, either through hiring the same songwriters or just straight-up aping Buddy Holly. And with that sound, they also take a completely different lyrical tack, approaching romance from two different (but equally lame) directions. So, without further ado...

Nine Times Out Of Ten - Cliff Richard (peaked at Number 3)

So let's start with the good. Cliff is back to actual rock and roll. We've got pace, we've got jangly guitar, we've got a drum and guitar solo at the two-thirds mark that is genuinely awesome, we've got a proper rough edge to Cliff's voice, including a proper growly mmmmmmmm right at the end that (no joke) actually thrilled me, the first time I heard it. I've kind of got used to Cliff's new, softer stuff, and this was a nice return to the same sort of form as Mean Streak. It's maybe not quite as mean and spiteful as that one, but it's still getting the blood pumping, you know? It was noted at the time as a surprise return to form, and yeah, it's great fun.

However. Those lyrics. My goodness. Talk about iffy! Nine times out of ten, baby, I've told ya, Cliff opens, and I aim to tell you just nine times again / A-just how much I aim to hold you / Again and again and again. Okay, so he wants to really let his girl know how much he loves her. Fair enough, so far. He does spoil it a bit by calling her little girly, which is an instant turn-off in my books, but I'm sure that works for some folks. Except, he goes on to talk about how it's nine times out of ten you've refused me / And you say that you'll refuse me nine times again / But I won't stop until you choose me / Again and again and again. Yikes! If she's refused you nine times, and made it very clear that she isn't planning on changing her mind any time soon, then what you're doing has officially crossed the line into harassment, at least. And the song only gets worse, with lines imploring Cliff's love don't try to fight it, before he admits that nine times out of ten, I've tried to kiss ya / And I aim to try it just nine times again / Well if I missed the nine times that I've tried, baby / I'll bet my life I'll get you on number ten. Cliff... that's a crime. Just a straight-up crime. You do know that, right ? (Yes, I know it probably wasn't a crime when the song was released, but creepy's creepy - people in 1960 would absolutely have had a concept of it being not okay to try and kiss a girl nine times against her will, yaknow?)

If you haven't gathered, I strongly dislike the song. And yet, it's devilish, because it's good music. Partly that's because it's co-written by a genuine rock and roller, Otis Blackwell, author of hits such as Great Balls of Fire, All Shook Up and Fever. The man knew how to put a good tune together. Plus Cliff and the Shadows are good musicians, when they put their mind to it. Without Cliff's enthusiastic vocals and the Shadows' legitimately awesome solo, this track would be dead in the water, but the pace and the skill and the wholehearted embrace of the (sketchy-ass) lyrics really bring it to life. Pity the sentiments they're enlivening are so awful.

How About That - Adam Faith (4)

Half of the tracks that Adam Faith puts out seem to have a titles that are just something your dad would say, periodically, in a vaguely petulant tone of voice. What Do You Want? Poor Me. How About That. I've found most of them pretty lame, though, with the notable exception of When Johnny Came Marching Home. Which was awesome, but also wasn't an Adam Faith original. Sadly, with this number, I think we're back to business as usual.

We're fashionable, at least, with the now-familiar combination of pizzicato strings, non-pizzicato strings, hiccuping Buddy Holly-lite vocals and strummy guitar in the background. There's a bit of piano backing this one up, but apart from that, this is textbook 1960 British rock and roll-ish pop. And we're not getting much more adventurous with the lyrics, when they come in, with an opening line that scans particularly awkwardly, as Adam serenades us: You've got a face like an angel's face, / How about that. Lame, right? There's something about the repetition of "face", plus the casualness of "how about that" that just really gives a sort of bathos to the whole thing. "How about that" is something you say when you see a car with a license plate that spells something funny, you know. It's a phrase of mild surprise, nothing more, nothing less. Combine it with the rather tired and decidedly overblown metaphor of your lover as an angel, and you've got a set of lyrics that from the get-go are unintentionally kind of hilarious to me.

This sets a tone that I'm glad to report is upheld throughout the song. Not only does Adam's love have a face like an angel's face, she's also got a look like an angel's look. And in case we haven't got the message yet, angel's face, angel's look / Heaven didn't overlook / My girl. Okay, fair enough, if a bit obvious. But then the metaphors get more and more awkward, with lines about how love wasn't home till you came to me, and lines where Adam exhorts the lucky stars above to take a bow for thinking of / My girl. And finally, we hit "second coming" levels of awestruck wonder, as Adam proclaims, let this world of mortals see / Only you could ever be / My girl. So let's get this straight. This girl's angelic. So angelic that the stars themselves congratulate themselves for their part in her creation. The whole world should see her radiant beauty and perfectness. And what does Adam have to say, to conclude all this? Why, how about that / How about that / How about that. How about that, indeed?

If you didn't work it out, I didn't like either of these songs much. One rode roughshod over Cliff's girl's objections, completely ignoring her in favour of Cliff living out his own fantasies about her secrely wanting him. And Adam went far too far in the other direction, idolising and submitting to his girl to an almost comical extent, with a set of lyrics that just didn't hold up to the idealised version of her that he's created. Musically, Cliff's is at least a cool song, but I can't overlook how abysmally creepy it is. Adam's song is much worse, in terms of quality, but at least it doesn't leave me feeling skeeved out. So, reluctantly...

Favourite song of the bunch: How About That