#I noticed that they have plenty of similarities. i'll list some i know;

[go-against-fate]

Jaeho from The Strongest Florist is so silly i want to put him and Lloyd in the same room and watch them interact

[yanderenightmare]

your vocab is really rich, what's ur secret

Writing Advice: Vocabulary Tricks & Tips

Excellent request!

Read! And every time you stumble upon a word you've never noticed before or know but don't often use, put it in a list, write down its meanings, and try using it the next time you write! (I'll put my list at the end of the post)

Read different things! Different authors and different styles, especially poetry! I mean, if you're looking to fatten your vocab, reading poetry is one of the best ways to do it. Poetic writers must search far and wide for the perfect words to create rhymes and rhythms and audibly pleasing sentences---they practically do all the work for you! Honestly, I am so serious about this. One of the best things you can do is buy a fat compendium of poetry with all different authors and eras. Get you some Edgar Allen Poe, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson, and Shakespeare if you want to hurt your head. Also! The same goes for music! Try listening to the lyrics---you'll probably hear some words you've never thought of using in your writing.

Here's a cheap trick for bilinguals---write something in your own language and put it through Google Translate. Honestly, I've found so many words just by doing this.

Every time you feel you've used a word too much, or anytime a word bores you to read, search up its synonyms and try using something you've never used before---don't stop the search until you're satisfied. Sometimes, it takes me more time to find just one word than it takes to write an entire post. Not only does this enrich your vocab, but you've probably just written a whole other sentence with newer meanings and more nuance!

Make your own synonym lists! Seriously! Because you can only find that many creative synonyms by searching up "word+synonyms."

Additionally! Think outside the box! Often, the best synonyms are those words that aren't actual synonyms at all. If you read poetry, you'll see poets use unorthodox words in place of something all the time---it's called a metaphor. Take flesh, for example---you can use fat, meat, muscle, brawn, beef---but you can also use cake, down, plume, pillow, softness, etc... I find this one especially useful for writing erotica, as you have to describe a lot of the same actions and body parts over and over and still make it interesting. (I'll add my synonyms list at the end of the post)

Also! This one is trickier, but instead of using words and synonyms, try making sentences that can replace the word instead---such as longer metaphors and fuller descriptions! This aligns with the literary device of "showing vs. telling." Of course, outright telling has its uses too and should not be disbarred entirely from writing, but often, it's showing that persuades the reader more. For example, instead of saying nervous, make sentences that describe how the character in question showcases nervousness---does their throat close up, do they sweat, do their eyes go wide, do they stutter, do they fiddle with their fingers, pick their nails, bite their lip, kick the ground, hunch their shoulders, look away, blush, flush, cry, run away or do they feel stuck? Describing these things helps the reader better understand the type of nervousness the character is experiencing. Hence, it makes for not only more interesting writing but also clearer writing!

A similar literary device is "focus and expanding," which slows down the reading or puts focus on certain aspects of the text by describing something to a great extent. If, say, this nervousness the example character is experiencing is of great significance, then that's what the readers' takeaway should be. But the reader won't think too much of it if the text simply states that they're nervous without underlining it. Luckily, there are plenty of ways of doing that, firstly through showing vs. telling, such as in the examples above, then metaphorically, such as "the ground seemed to swallow him up, down the guzzle of a monster with an appetite for disaster---darkness ensued like a storm cloud, cold and clawing with a weight heavy enough to nail him to the spot---all eyes were on him, unblinking and all-seeing, no matter what, he couldn't escape, he was stuck, glued to the ground by the soles of his shoes." I mean, the options are truly endless. These metaphors piled together are also a form of focusing and expanding, but you can take it even further than that by focusing on a small detail and giving it significance. For example, say the character is sweating because he's so nervous---you might focus on a single droplet of sweat instead of everything else, "A chill ran down his back. No, not a chill--sweat. Cold and creepily tracing the rigid bones of his spine. He can't move--if he moves, then they'll see. The sweat will seep into his shirt, and everyone will know what a sweaty and pathetic wreck he is. So, he can't move. No, yes, leave it alone. The droplet continues, running down the cold skin of his clammy back, sliding undeterred until meeting the band of his boxers and disappearing in the fibers. He swallows thickly and sighs with relief--only for another to pill at his nape, tracking the same course as the former. A vicious cycle is forming. He needs to get out of there!" And that's focus and expanding, folks! Focusing on something minuscule and expanding it by using it to describe what the character is feeling. It's a way to have a fresh take on something that's been written a thousand times before, such as "he was nervous."

Anyway, I might have gone a little above and beyond, but really, all these literary devices are ways of "expanding vocabulary" or at least giving an impression of it.

NEW WORDS

Manically---like a maniac

Despotic---like a dictator, having unlimited power over someone, often using it unfairly and cruelly

Chasm---a deep fissure, like a ravine, wound, or metaphorical rupture

Shunts---track-change basically, scoots to the side

Dearth---a scarcity or lack of something, a shortage

Raucous---making a harsh or loud noise

Innocuous---not harmful or offensive---harmless and safe, but also bland and unremarkable, maybe even a little boring

Lanyard---the woven necklace of a festival pass

Gossamer---fine spiderwebs, almost mesh

Cossetted---care for and protect in an overindulgent way

Beribboned---decorated with many ribbons

pupil-fat---cool way of saying enlarged pupils

Chitters---snickers, like a bird

Decadent---corrupt, depraved

Blotting---either soak up and absorb, or stain, or obscure

Barbell---a bar “pole” with attachments on each side

Bunting---of animals, when they butt or rub their head against you

Garnet---red

Cherubic---angelic, plump cuteness, quality of a child

Haunches---hips

Sodden---soaking

Waxing poetic---speaking in a flowery or poetical fashion

Inkwell---a container for ink---a dark well

Rend---tear in two, or more pieces

Ebb---recede, go back, like a tide wave

Webbed---like a duck's feet

Cloying---sickly sweet

Saccharine---oversweet

Apple of your cheek

Swathes---wrap, swaddle

Shroud---obscure something

Moonstone---to describe something grey and dusty, but pretty

Kinked---tangled, messy

Leaden---heavy, dull, slow or the colour of lead, grey

Stygian---devoid of light and brightness, hellish

Flaxen---of hair, champagne colored---ashy blonde

Tepid---lukewarm

SYNONYMS

Related to sucking cock:

Swallow

Glug

Drink

Eat

Guzzle

Receive

Take

Suck

Suckle

Slobber

Gargle

Gurgle

Drool

Gulp

Gobble

Stuff

Glut

Choke

Gag

Lap

Lick

Kitten-lick

Slurp 

Allow entry

Related to kissing:

Kiss

Lock/brush lips

Tongue-feed

Suck faces

Smooch

Peck

Snog

Canoodle

Related to biting:

Bite

Graze

Nip

Nibble

Sink teeth into

Chomp

Related to crying:

Whimpering

Mewling

Bleating

Whining

Snivel

Sniffle

Cry

Sob

Bawl

Hiccup

Spluttering

Blubbering

Coughing

Croaking

Related to pre-cum:

Ooze

Leak

Weep

Well

Drip

Dribble

Flow

Drain

Bleed

Sweat

Seep

Pill

Pearl

Cry

Related to fear and panic:

Hysterical

Wild

Manic

Uncontrolled

Unrestrained

Frantic

Frenzied

Restless

Hectic

Sporadic

Swivel-eyed

Related to screaming:

Scream

Yell

Wail

Yelp

Yip

Yammer

Squawk

Howl

Squeal

Shriek

Related to moaning:

Moan

Whine

Yelp

Purr

Hum

Croon

Related to overstimulated moaning:

Mumble

Croon

Warble

Quaver

Burble

Bumble

Hum

Slur

Ramble

Mutter

Whisper

Stammer

Stutter

Scramble

Jumble

Muddled

Babble

Blubbered

Splutter

Blurt

Related to groaning:

Groan

Grunt

Growl

Grumble

Grouch

Hiss

Guttural

Feral

Rusty 

Throaty

Wet

Sloppy

Related to angry noises:

Howl

Roar

Bark

Grizzle

Grump

Related to surprise or fear:

Gasp

Gulp

Choke

Suck in a sharp breath

Flinch

Jump

Jostle

Wince

Hiss

Pull back

Related to comforting:

Coo

Fuss

Comfort

Hush

Shush

Tsk

Mollycoddle

Nurse

Cuddle

Babying

Consoling

Soothe

Loving

Smothering

Hug

Hug tight

Cocoon

Snuggling

Swaddling

Rock back and forth with

Cosseting

Petting

Overwhelm

Related to begging:

Beg

Pleading

Pray

Bargain

Related to soreness and pain:

Ache

Sore

Throb

Swollen

Fattened

Welted

Related to taking cock inside entrance:

Swallow

Receive

Take

Suck inside

Stuff

Fill

Allow entry

Submit to

Ease inside

Bully inside

Squeeze inside

Force inside

Push

Pry

Related to how the hole squeezes:

Kissing

Fluttering

Hugging

Pressing

Squishing

Squeezing

Tightening

Pulsing

Related to a wet hole:

Slush

Squelch

Squishy

Creamy

Sloppy

Wet

Soaked

Slosh

Sop

Cry

Slick

Weep

Drool

Gush

Swollen

Velvety

Gummy

Cotton

Silken

Satiny

Related to thrusting:

Squeeze into

Pound

Jam

Ram

Rut

Loll

Rock

Thrust

Stuff

Bottom out

Fill

Fit

Nestle

Cram

Prodding

Poking

Kissing

Hammering

Jack-hammer

Smack

Slap

Ream

Related to pleasure:

Ecstatic

Opium-eyed

Euphoric

Elated

Thrilled

Blissed-out

Rapturous

High

Cloudy

Numb

Related to overstimulation:

Overstimulated

Outdone

Aching

Burning

Sweating

Feverish

Delirious

Febrile

Numb

Immobile

Dazed

Dull

Related to being dumb, high, or overstimulated:

Ditzy

Dumb

Clumsy

Silly

Foolish

Giddy

Brainless

Dizzy

Fuzzy

Dopey

Whimsical

Fickle

Featherbrained

Daft

Hare-brained

Awkward

Graceless

Blundering

Bumbling

Klutzy

Clueless

Cloddish

Dense

Related to the body and the flesh:

Tender

Supple

Soft

Creamy

Plush

Doughy

Cakey

Downy

Pillowy

Malleable

Squeezable

Biteable

Pliable

Touchable

Putty

Plume

Related to cuteness:

Cute

Cherubic

Adorable

Sweet

Soft

Precious

Darling

Lovable

Endearing

Baby

Related to weak or smallness:

Breakable

Brittle

Weak

Fragile

Dainty

Delicate

Frail

Flimsy

Vulnerable

Petite

Small

Little

Tiny

Feeble

Defenseless

Powerless

Helpless

Worthless

Hopeless

Related to struggling:

Struggle

Winding

Striving

Straining

Toiling

Playing

Wriggle

Wiggle

Twist

Shake

Tremor

Shiver

Quake

Related to men:

Vulgar

Loud

Oafish

Rough

Rude

Rustic

Gruff

Gross

Doltish

Barbaric

Bearish

Beastly

Churlish

Coarse

Swinish

[writer-room]

I personally like headcanoning Peacemaker as still being just a little too similar to Darkstalker in some aspects. He's obviously still a good dude, in fact he's an absolute sweetheart, but there's still some...characteristics. You know what I'll list them for the good of my inner child

Kid gets big. And I mean big. He's nowhere near Darkstalker's size, but he ends up really tall and heavy for a NightWing, let alone one thats supposedly half RainWing, which are not overly big dragons to begin with. This leads to most dragons trying to convince him to move into professions that require big guys, but his strength still helps him plenty with farming. It does make some people ask questions, though

He's not as narrow as Darkstalker was. As Darkstalker grew, his features became noticeably sharper, more IceWing in body type. Peacemaker has softer features, however his face never truly changed. It's not as jutting such as in the jawbone or horns, but he has a much more defined face that seems to stand out on a rounder body. He's terrified a few dragons on accident who saw him from a distance or as a silhouette and thought he was Darkstalker risen from the dead. He never understood why everyone was so scared

Doesn't quite like the RainWing part of himself. As a kid, he was never sure why. Sure, some dragons weren't very nice about it, but his mom loved him plenty, he had some really nice dragons like Moon and Kinkajou who who were really sweet, so he never quite got why he was upset about it. Maybe he was still mad at the dad who wasn't there? He wasn't sure why he was upset about that, either. He got better after having a lot of talks with his mom and friends, but that little piece of self-hatred never fully went away, and he can't for the life of him explain why

Had a lot of imaginary friends as a kid. They didn't always have names, but they were usually dragons he made up in his head. Like a scardy-cat SeaWing all the other dragonets accused of just being Turtle, or an actually scary SeaWing, or a super smart NightWing who knew all the answers to everything! Sometimes he made up a new NightWing queen or played a pretend war with the other dragonets. Occasionally, he said his friend that week was a big shadow. He said the big shadow seemed kind of angry and sad, but his shadow liked to listen. He slowly stopped after a while. Some of his older friends started looking worried. Imaginary friends were for babies, anyway.

He still has Darkstalker's horns. Those never changed, for some reason. Maybe a little less pointy on the ends, maybe a little thicker at the base, but they were still very much Darkstalker's Horns. Hope & the gang silently freaked out about this, but when some dragon brought it up in earshot of little Peacemaker, he loudly proclaimed he liked his horns, they were all funky and looked kinda like mister Winter's horns! Mister Winter is kind of rude sometimes, but he seems nice, so Peacemaker doesn't mind looking kind of like him! Winter was tormented over this for months

Sometimes he'll just...say things. That sound a little too similar to what some other dragon was thinking. Or make random guesses that are very close to what will actually happen. It's never by much, usually finishing other dragon's sentences or predicting the next thirty seconds, but it's enough to make Moon twitchy. He just thinks he has good luck

Once asked Hope if he could ever have a little sister. He never asked again. He'd never seen his mom cry before.

[noco-alienau]

A Royal Reunion

~~~♡~~~

The palace doors stood wide open, the king standing proudly alongside the two blue aliens who guarded the entrance. They didn't seem very impressed with his introduction, the darker of the two even giving an annoyed huff. He was corrected once the purple alien's tail whipped the side of his helmet.

A small crowd had formed, the heads of other alien's rising from holes in the ground. Their colors had a pattern; they were all higher ranking.

"My, you two must be terribly tired after such a rocky trip," the tall gradient spoke, leaning forward to see the aforementioned couple better. "That pair of blues are definitely not the best pilots. Come along - there's plenty for us to do! How does a tour sound? 5728, you and your partner enter as well. 4043, 3717, clear this crowd."

The newcomers shared a similar glance of worry and confusion before silently entering the castle. The large doors shut behind them with a gust of wind, alerting someone new to come along. A much smaller yellow alien darted in from an unknown direction and to the kings side, prepared to write a list of instructions as to how he could be useful. His yellow eyes glanced to the visitors, the pen and paper, and back to the king. It's in his best interest to pay attention to his ruler.

"Cody?" Noah turned to his fiance.

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you say the king was.. some kind of cruel, ruthless tyrant?"

"Yes, I did."

"Someone who holds unimaginable power and caused the downfall of you and your kind?"

"Correct."

"Why does he look like that?"

"Noah!"

"Hey, hey, I just expected something.. scary?"

"I mean.. he's tall?"

"He has hearts on his antennas. And face. And.. stomach. "

"Stop looking there."

"Do you see what he's wearing?"

"I see what you see, Noah!"

"He looks like an arcade carpet."

"A little bit."

"He looks like a Hot Topic clarence bin."

"Alright, that- that's kind of funny."

"He looks like the back wall of a Spencer's."

"Noah, we get it."

"I'm just saying, I expected something.. different. Not this lavender mess."

Noah's chatter caught 528's attention. How hadn't he noticed this new being? The Codmiester crouched down, his hand cupping under the head of the unrecognizable person and pulling him closer to his eyes. It fit perfectly in his palm.

"Oh? And what might this pretty little thing be?" He cooed. Noah seemed uneasy at the sudden gesture, but due to the kings position, he didn't dare to speak in return. Although not digging into his skin, he noted the long, painted claws the king had. Seemed awfully sharp.

"It's a human," one of the ships pilots explained, removing their helmet. "We couldn't have returned 6827 unless he came along - his order, not ours. His species is dominant on planet Earth, and we believed he would have been useful as well."

"Well, he's quite the sight. I'll be sure to pamper him like any other loyal subject of mine. 2056, make sure his and 6827's room is comfortable once we get there. These guests have a long stay ahead of them."

Cody grit his teeth in an attempt to keep himself cooled. The human was let go and allowed back to his partners side, stumbling over his feet on his way. He wasn't sure if he was uncomfortable with the encounter or not.

The group traveled along a neverending maze of hallways and rooms, given directions of every space so they would know what is where. Restrooms, a ball room, a grand staircase that they had to climb to reach their room. It doesn't seem as if either could pay much attention to anything being said, though.

"And why were you looking at 528 like that?" Cody muttered.

"He looks a lot like you," Noah answered. "I got confused in every way possible."

"Everyone looks a lot like me! We're an alien race!"

"Well, in my defense, you're attractive."

"Yeah, but.. okay, but I'm still annoyed."

"Believe me, you don't have anything to worry about."

Their small argument aside, Cody couldn't help but notice the yellow alien accompanying the king was staring an awful lot at him. He wasn't sure who the other was. It was likely due to his strange appeal, a mixture of alien and human. It certainly wasn't common around here, and if he could recall correctly, Cody knew low ranking aliens such as greens were rarely allowed within palace grounds, more or less greens with.. his look.

"2056, are you marking all of this down?" The king hissed.

"Uh- yes sir!" The assistant was quick to answer.

"Are you? You don't look like you're paying attention."

The yellow alien took a step back, quickly scanning over the paper he was given.

"We visited the ballroom last, we're heading to their room now."

"Watch your tone!"

"I-I'm just answering your-"

Noah and Cody fell silent at the sudden yelling. The assistant seemed far more frightened, having fallen back onto the floor. The king looked to the guests then back to the yellow.

"Oh, clumsy me," he chuckled awkwardly. "How about you take the night off? I'll show our friends where they'll be staying."

2056 scampered off in an instant. The pair weren't sure if they wanted to be alone with the Codmiester, but it didn't seem as if they had any other choice.

"Don't worry, loves," he said with a light purr. "Lets get you settled down, shall we?"

Writing by @plushii-gutz Art by @5t1nky-p1nky ♡♡

[imtrashraccoon]

Runs in but trips over my own paws, scattering some papers everywhere

So... I have a new thing that has been taking over my brain... Not sure if I'll end up doing all of the prompts and I know I won't have time to do them all on time, but I want to try!

I decided to take a similar approach to the fic I wrote from the last prompt list I did, Have Some Empathy, Dear. So, rather than write for Classic Papyrus all month, I'm going to split the prompts up among the four Papyri I have created. Some I haven't expanded on much or barely written anything in general, so this is exciting for me! First up, my Underfell Papyrus - Scar!

Thanks to @starlikeswomen for the awesome prompt list! (Let me know if you don't want to be constantly tagged for these...) (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

Edit: I changed the title of the fic as I decided to only do the first seven prompts and I'm also finishing this outside of October.

Next Chapter

Chapter 1: I Guess We're Roommates??

Word Count: 1,884

It was a warm day today but rather than finish unpacking your apartment, you decided to go outside and get some sunshine. You were between projects anyways so it's not like your clients would get upset if you took a break. After grabbing your phone and credit card, you locked the front door behind you and set out to explore the city. Maybe you'd even try out a new restaurant for lunch if you encountered anything interesting.

It seemed like everyone was out and about today, either enjoying the warm weather like you or just going about their business. You didn't live anywhere particularly fancy, but there were plenty of new businesses in the area and your street had become a popular hang out spot for young people. It gave you some hope that you could start a new life here and make some new friends.

The sun was so bright that you almost wished you had remembered to grab your sunglasses but there wasn't anything you could do about it now since you didn't want to go all the way back home. For now, you kept your head down so you wouldn't have to squint constantly, at least some of the taller buildings occasionally blocked the sunlight.

A bus pulled up to the sidewalk up ahead and half a dozen people disembarked. On instinct, you moved towards the buildings so they could easily move past you, but in doing so, you noticed a very tall skeleton in the middle of the crowd. He seemed rather out of place but instead of asking for help, anyone who got too close received a harsh glare.

Despite Monsters being on the surface for quite some time now, they were still a rare sight since they tended to keep to themselves. The general public seemed to like them but you knew there were still many Humans who not-so-secretly disliked them. It just made sense for Monsters to stick together in a world that was still brand new to them.

You waited until most of the crowd had dispersed before attempting to approach the skeleton. He was dressed sharply, and thanks to his sharp teeth, that seemed to be a good word to describe him. Maybe his clothes were a bit too warm for the current weather though.

He had on a bright red scarf, a classy tan trenchcoat, dark slacks, and well-polished leather shoes. He was also wearing dark leather gloves, making his skull the only visible part of him. The most distinguishing features about him were the two jagged cracks that passed through his left eye socket and his scarlet eyelights that seemed to boil with barely concealed frustration.

Just as you were debating if you should bother talking to him or not, he seemed to notice your presence and turned sharply towards you. For a moment, you got the distinct impression that he was evaluating your appearance but he broke eye contact as soon as the thought occurred to you.

"Are you alright?" you asked carefully.

He stiffened and shot a glare at you. "Of Course I Am," he growled in response.

You weren't that surprised by his harsh tone but a part of you wondered if you should just excuse yourself and continue on your way. "I just wondered because I'm new to the city and I know the feeling of being lost quite well," you commented. "If I may ask, do you need help getting somewhere?"

His expression softened ever so slightly but his earlier frustration continued to hold on stubbornly. "No, I Am Not Trying To Go Anywhere," he muttered.

You raised an eyebrow but before you could say anything else, he let out a huff and crossed his arms. "But, If You Do Not Mind, What City Is This?"

You hadn't been expecting that question at all but you managed to keep a poker face rather than betray your bewilderment. "We're in Mountsburg."

His bonebrows furrowed and he propped his chin up in one of his hands in a thoughtful manner. After a moment he huffed again and turned back to you. "I... I Have No Idea Where I Am," he confessed.

You blinked in surprise and looked around but no one seemed to be paying attention to the two of you. So, you moved a bit closer to the skeleton before responding, "I can try helping if you want?"

He nodded, albeit hesitantly, and finally allowed himself to relax some.

Even though you had to basically crane your neck to look up at his easily seven foot frame, you smiled and introduced yourself before asking for his name in return.

He opened his mouth to respond before apparently thinking better of whatever he was going to say. "Scar. You May Call Me Scar," he answered.

A part of you wondered why he'd been reluctant to tell you his name but you decided not to pry for now. You were a complete stranger and he was in a bit of a tough situation after all.

"Would you like to go somewhere so we can talk? I was planning on getting some lunch anyways if you want to join me?"

"That Is A Good Idea," Scar started to say slowly. "Are There Any Good Monster Owned Places Around Here?"

You shrugged, "I don't know but we can find one."

After searching through some local review websites for a few minutes, you settled on one that was nearby with reasonable prices. It turned out to be a little hole in the wall place but on first impressions, it seemed clean at least. Other than Scar giving you the occasional odd look while you were looking for the restaurant, he had no complaints so you decided to give it a chance.

He picked a table in the far corner of the dining room and you noticed he chose to sit with his back to the wall, as if he didn't like the idea of not knowing who might walk in the door. After ordering, he leaned a bit closer to you, resting his arms on the table as he did so.

"I Am Not Sure Why I Am Here," he started to say in a low voice. "But A Small Skeleton With A Large Paintbrush Told Me To Find Someone With The Same Name As You. The Next Thing I Knew, I Was Here And Well, You Know The Rest."

"You just appeared here?"

Scar thought for a moment before nodding. "That Is The Best Way I Can Describe It."

"Can I ask where you're from then?" you asked.

"I Live Near A Place Called 'Surface Home'." When you have him a curious look, he added in slightly exasperated tone, "Our King Is Very Bad At Naming Things..."

You couldn't help but chuckle. "Considering everyone calls the East side of the city 'Monster Town', I'm not that surprised."

"Wait, Humans And Monsters Live Close Together?"

"Most live here in the city but I know some don't like living in the shadow of the mountain, which makes sense."

Scar nodded quietly.

"You know, I could try looking up your town or city on my phone. Maybe that could help you figure out where you are?" you suggested.

He only shrugged in response, although you did catch a glimpse of a curious glint in his eyelights but it vanished almost immediately.

Try as you might, you couldn't find anywhere that was called "Surface Home" or even any other instance of the former Monster King naming another Monster settlement. When you tried asking Scar about himself or anything else that might give you an idea of where he was from, he seemed to grow a bit uncomfortable, so you changed the subject and tried to make casual conversation instead.

You learned that he liked animals and owned a small hobby farm with his brother outside of their town. He used to be in the Royal Guard back in the Underground as well, which is how he got the two scars. You got the impression that while he acted tough, he really just wanted to be left alone, which was something you understood quite well.

Interestingly, you caught him closely studying you while you searched for his town on your phone. He attempted to play it off when he realized that you'd noticed his staring by complimenting the burgundy highlights in your hair. Then, the waiter returned with your orders so you brushed it off for now.

While eating, you noticed how he kept looking around at the other patrons. It was casual, as if he was only curious about what they were wearing or the occasional bits of conversation you could overhear. However, you began to notice that he was actually surveying the room for potential threats. When you asked if he was alright, he seemed a bit startled but gave you a gruff nod.

He insisted on paying separately when the bill came around and you noticed that he paid in Gold. It occurred to you that he could have requested a Monster restaurant for this specific reason but you supposed it could've also been for the food and familiarity.

When you stepped outside again, you turned to Scar. "Do you have any social media? Or maybe a phone number I can use to get in touch with you?"

He cocked his skull and gave you a confused look. "No? I Do Not Know What That Is..."

Well that put a spanner in the works. You should've guessed that he wasn't the type to care about what other people were doing online. That left you wondering what he would do next since he was alone in a strange city with no way of finding his way home. This led you to offer something that you normally wouldn't have if he was anyone else.

"You could crash at my apartment for a while until we figure out how to get you home."

He physically balked at the very suggestion. "No. You Do Not Need To Put Yourself Out On My Account."

"You were supposed to find me, right?" you pressed. "Maybe together we can find out why, but for now, I'd sleep a lot easier knowing that you have a roof over your head."

He frowned and looked away. "I Suppose You Are Right..." he muttered. "But I Do Not Want To Be A Burden..."

"Nevermind that," you huffed and planted your hands on your hips. "I've lived with roommates plenty of times and I doubt you'd be half as difficult to live with as some of them were."

Something about what you said got him to laugh. Maybe it was your tone of voice or maybe it was the sight of your much smaller frame glaring up at him like an annoyed chinchilla, either way he couldn't stop the smile that threatened to overtake his usual sneer. His laugh was very distinct, almost comical, like a truely maniacal villian, except he was a well-dressed skeleton who apparently hated the idea of being indebted to anyone.

"Nyah! Fine! If You Are Going To Be So Stubborn, I Accept Your Offer, Human," he huffed, although he still had a mildly amused look in his scarlet eyelights.

And so began the most interesting period of your life to date.

[pippin-katz]

you may or may not be the person who needs to know this, but you're the only person I can think of to share this with, and if I don't tell somebody, I might explode:

so there are some similarities btwn Merlin/Arthur and Alex/Henry, right?

and like

Alex : Merlin :: Henry : Arthur

right?

so isnt it weird the both Nick & Bradley James are Libras, while both Taylor & Colin Morgan are Capricorns? and both pairs have a three-year age gap? and while they share the same signs, the 90s babies/RWRB pairs have their birthdays at the end of the month before their 80s babies/BBCMerlin counterparts...

just so many weird coincidences, and I had to share it with *somebody*! thank you for listening/reading!

Dude I feel you on needing to tell someone something or you’ll explode; that’s my life lmfao

Now regarding what you’ve shared, that is really fucking weird! Those are some pretty specific details for them to share. I’m not a huge astrology person, but maybe there’s just something about that pairing that works? Especially when they’re close in age?

Post Writing Note: This spiraled so far out of my hands that it smashed my plans for the day. I've been writing this since 9:30AM and I'm now finishing at 4:20PM. You have been warned.

Taylor and Nicholas

What’s crazy is that Colin and Bradley’s dynamic off screen is similar to Nick and Taylor’s.

While Alex is a loud and outgoing character, Matthew mentioned in an interview that Taylor is actually on the quieter/more reserved side most of the time. I was a bit surprised, but if you pay close attention, he actually does seem like he’s quieter than Nicholas. It's more noticeable in the draw-off video and their little promos with the teapot. He's definitely enthusiastic, but in a different way than Nick, who acts like he just took a shot of concentrated caffeine.

But you can also see it in the friendship quiz if you look for it. It's there in the way that Nick is more... I'm not sure how to describe it- maybe scatterbrained? Or ditsy? I don't mean that as an insult by the way.

It's like he has pent-up energy and wants to be entertaining for the camera, so he initiates most of the jokes and sarcasm, while Taylor is kind of just chilling. He definitely makes some jokes, but the ratio between which of them is the first to say something that starts a joke is heavily skewed towards Nicholas. He also randomly forgets what's going on, and goes off on tangents where he bounces from one thing to the next.

I looked and looked for GIFs, but I couldn't find some of the moments I'm talking about, so I'll just write them out:

Nicholas gives Taylor 10 points, and he's like "wait, wait, did I get it right?" and Nick's like "yeah" before immediately remembering that he got it wrong even though they had just had the conversation

Nicholas gets a question right and he says "point for Taylor" and Taylor is like "no, for you" and Nick corrects himself with "point for Nick", then jokes and points between them like "you're Taylor, I'm Nick, okay, got it"

Taylor asks the bonus question about the major sporting event in Indiana, and Nicholas starts randomly listing names, like "the Big Game, the Big Football Game, the Bowl, the Indiana Bowl, the Great State Champion Lacrosse Game of Indiana" instead of stopping to think or letting Taylor give him the hint you can see he's been waiting to say between laughs

Nicholas randomly starts being sarcastic or hyperbolizing his behavior when talking: - "Taylor is the one American person who knows where London is on a map." - "I believe you competed in [the Cooper's Hill Annual Cheese Race] yourself, didn't you?" - "I'll give him a point." Taylor laughs because it took a couple tries to get the right answer. "The points, they are bountiful and plenty. We don't have to be stingy with them."

Nicholas describing a corndog by holding an invisible "weird thing that goes on a stick" and pretending to eat it while going "nhgnhgnhgnhg" as he spins it.

He also reacts more to Taylor getting questions wrong than Taylor reacts to him getting questions wrong. There's the whole bit about the "chip butty" and "English fry-up" that leaves Nicholas acting all annoyed, whereas Taylor sort of just starts immediately helping him with hints when he gets something wrong.

Basically, Nicholas probably has some form of ADHD and it seems to manifest as hyperactivity. Nicholas being so hyper and enthusiastic is ironic considering how quiet and calm Henry is as a character. It's such a drastic contrast between them.

Taylor is much more chill. He's definitely hyper around Nick, but there is a difference in them. Notice how Taylor just watches Nick do his silly intro, but Nicholas starts making movements with his hands and expressions during Taylor's. Also Taylor was talking completely normally until then, when he ended up doing the point at the end.

Similarly, Nick is the one who starts chanting USA, and Taylor joins in. We obviously see the difference when they each summarize the film. Nick is basically a hamster in a ball speeding across a room with how he tells it, and Taylor simplifies it a ton and delivers it monotone; yes, it's a joke, but it still highlights the contrast.

Bradley & Colin

I'm using past tense with Bradley and Colin because we only have videos of them from over a decade ago, so they've definitely changed since then.

The thing is, Colin was funny and vocal, but there were a lot of times where he got quiet, and he always felt more reserved, in the sense of there being more to him than what he's showing. He seemed to have a lot of layers to him that you didn't get to see unless you actually got close to him, if that makes sense.

I wouldn't call him quiet, but like in the video diaries and interviews of him and Bradley, he always seemed much calmer than him.

Colin was always very funny, but he was also self conscious. During one of the behind the scenes quest videos, Bradley talked about how he and Colin would create songs together, but whenever he wanted to show someone, Colin was dead silent. Bradley actually turned to him as was like, "What, is it stage fright?" and Colin is like, "I don't know what you're talking about." in a way that clearly shows he's deflecting the question because he's nervous or embarrassed. Bradley pointed and was like, "And that right there is a perfect example of what I mean".

Merlin is very bright and outgoing (at least before he develops depression in later seasons 🥲). He basically had no shame about most things. When he met Gwen while in the stocks and covered in food, he acts completely normally, like there's nothing weird about it. Obviously, this boy waltzed into Camelot and called the fucking prince a prat to his face. He was really bold and openhearted. Colin always felt more closed off, even though he wasn't always quiet.

What's crazy is that Arthur is much more refined and serious than Bradley. It's not to say Arthur is never silly or unserious, because he is, but his default mode is very composed because he's a prince and later a king. Bradley was like a fucking hurricane behind the scenes. He was know for driving everyone a little crazy because he was so hyper. He got his video camera taken away cause he was apparently being too annoying to the rest of the cast and crew.

Wrap-Up

Here's similarities I thought of in a rapid fire list, including what you said and what I covered:

The brunettes are both the "quieter" or "calmer" of the two.

The blonds both play a prince.

The brunettes both play a character who came from a place of humble beginnings.

The brunettes' characters are both usually the one to start the insults/banter.

The blonds are the more vocal of the two about their affections and admiration for the other.

The blonds are both Libras.

The brunettes are both Capricorns.

The age gap is the same for both pairs: 3 years.

I am going to make an entire post dedicated to the similarities between Bradley, Colin, and Merthur, and Taylor, Nicholas, and FirstPrince, because I have more, but it was getting more into the characters' so I'll save those for later.

What was that you were saying about needing to tell someone something or you would explode again? Nah, not me, could never have that problem. I'm so normal about this.

Thank you for sharing, I have no idea what to do with this information, but I am glad I have it. It will now haunt me 😂

Thanks for reading!! If you enjoyed this essay & would like to support me, you can give me a tip on my Ko-Fi! ☺️

[dweemeister]

2024 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (preliminary round)

Long ago, tumblr disabled completely the ability to make indented bullet points. I apologize in advance for how ugly most of this post looks. And now I've been having trouble with traditional user tagging, too. Apologies.

* * * * *

OPEN invites to (or at least people who are committed to the final, but would like access to the prelim): @derricklogan2, @inmyworldblr, @memetoilet, @metamatar, @myluckyerror, @noelevangilinecarson, @phendranaedge, @plus-low-overthrow, @qteeclown, @shadesofhappy, and @the-lilac-grove. Some of you have participated in past MOABOS editions, some of you are longtime followers I've not really spoken to, but have interacted with quite a few of my posts... if you are interested, please let me know. I'll assign you a group or I'll put you into the final.

* * * * *

Hello everybody,

The mercury drops, the days shorten, and the sound of cinephiles drawing up their "best of" lists for the current year fill the air. But in addition to my sort-of "best of" list, there's this tradition I've got.

If you were tagged here, that is because you graciously accepted my invitation to help out with this year's edition of the Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (MOABOS). I welcome you to the twelfth edition of MOABOS (MOABOS XII) and the eleventh edition with outside help from family, friends, and followers on tumblr. When I first opened this up to other folks in 2014 (MOABOS II), I believed that this would last but only a few years, at most. And every time the year is new, I have no clue whether or not there will be another edition of MOABOS.

But here we are yet again. The Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song is not possible without all of your help.

For newcomers near and far: This is a classic film blog (concentration: pre-1980s Hollywood, but I have various specialties outside of that and watch plenty of newer films). That blog's primary purpose is to host my nearly 800 film write-ups tagged "My Movie Odyssey" (an index can be found here). MOABOS is one of my blog's year-end traditions, and just a smaller part of a larger one. On my blog, the Movie Odyssey Awards honor some of the best achievements from movies that I saw for the first time this calendar year (the "Movie Odyssey") with an Oscar-like ceremony. I choose all the nominees and winners from each category, save one: Best Original Song. It is the only category that does not require you to watch several movies in their entirety. MOABOS is my way to say thank you for your friendship and moral support no matter how long I've known you. It is, sneakily so, a way to introduce all of you to music and movies I enjoyed this past year. And you might learn a snippet of film history through this!

INTRODUCTION

An unspecified number of songs have already advanced to the final round. 24 songs will contest this preliminary round in two groups – Group A and Group B. Longtime participants may notice immediately the lack of newer releases this year, similar to the MOABOS editions from 2020-2022. I saw plenty of new releases in theaters, but very few original songs I deemed good enough to get here. In addition, I think this is the first edition of MOABOS in some time where there is no prohibitive favorite on paper (perhaps as far back as 2015's MOABOS III). The field is wide open for the taking, I think.

Two years after a monolingual slate, 2024 is even more multilingual than 2023. This year, across both groups and an unidentified song and movie that qualified straight to the final round, we have a record number of languages: seven. These non-English songs come from, interestingly: one Old Hollywood movie from a studio celebrating a centennial; an industry-defining film that burst forth across boundaries and remains stratospherically popular in the former Eastern bloc; one of the greatest "what if's" of martial arts cinema; a most pleasant surprise from Viet Film Fest (VFF); an underseen piece of sci-fi animation filled with thematic intrigue and fully-realized worldbuilding; and a film about religion that also gifted us one of the best film scores of the 20th century.

The record 44 participants in last year's prelim were in an upset-minded mood, with stunning early eliminations for Barbie (2023) and both Top Gun movies. Lesser-heralded songs from Brazil, France, and India advanced at their expense. The cold streak for Shirley Temple movies at MOABOS finally broke, with a Shirley Temple song finally advancing from the prelim. What might be the narrative this year? Though I've said there aren't prohibitive favorites, there are still a number of songs I consider favorites and underdogs. Which ones fall unexpectedly? Which Cinderellas will continue to the Big Dance?

2019's MOABOS (MOABOS VII) preliminary – the "I Dug a Ditch" year, as some folks call it – was finally surpassed last year for the amount of chaos that ensued. 2023's MOABOS had a three-way tie on points in one group and the upset of the round in the other (Top Gun's "Take My Breath Away" eliminated by two points). I'm not expecting similar nailbiters yet again, but you folks like to make it dramatic!

INSTRUCTIONS

Please rank (#1-12) at least seven of your group's songs. Please consider to the best of your ability (these are only suggestions, not strict guidelines, and is largely how I consider my own rankings): 

How musically interesting the song is (incl. and not limited to melody, harmony, musical phrasing, and orchestration);

Its lyrics (incl. and not limited to lyrical flow, invention, and poeticism); 

Context within the film (contextual blurbs provided for every entry for those who haven't seen the films)*;

Choreography/dance direction (if applicable; I know that almost none of us have a dancing background, but please do not discount this aspect entirely);

The song's cultural/sociopolitical impact and legacy/listenability outside the film's context (if applicable, and, in my opinion, least important factor)

* Should a song that only appears in the opening and/or closing credits, but has no bearing on the film's score or the body of the film itself be penalized? Some say yes, some say no. I have no official position here.

A notice on audio/video quality and colorization of black-and-white film: Because it is sometimes difficult to find clean recordings of much of this music, imperfections in audio and video quality may not be used against any song while you are drawing up your rankings – you're on the honor system on this one. In addition, in respect to personal and blog policy, I will not provide (nor encourage you to seek) colorized videos of films that were originally in black-and-white. You can call this snobby all you want. But to yours truly, film colorization of B&W is disrespectful to the artisans who plied their craft and made decisions based on the fact the film was shot in black-and-white. It is essentially redirecting a movie without consent.

You are encouraged to send in comments and reactions with your rankings – it makes the process more enjoyable for you and myself!

The top six songs in each group automatically advance to the final round. Unlike previous years, no at-large wild card picks outside the top six will advance to the final.

The deadline for submission is Sunday, December 15 at 11 PM Pacific Time. That is 9 PM Hawaii/Aleutian Time. That deadline is also Monday, December 16 at 1 AM Central Time / 2 AM Eastern Time / 7 AM GMT / 8 AM CET / 9 AM EET / 2 PM Indochina Time. This deadline - and some of you have joked with me that this is inevitable - will be pushed back if there are a large number of people who have not submitted in time.This deadline may be pushed back if there are a large number of people who have not submitted in time. However, I very much do not wish to extend the deadline because the final round is more intensive and usually involves more participants. A small group of longtime MOABOS veterans will be asked to do both groups, if possible (but they are required to complete their assigned group first before moving on) – they are generally selected for their longevity of MOABOS participation and promptness. Tabulation details are under the "read more".

Please pay attention to the groups you have been sorted into, and please only submit rankings for the group you have been assigned. For your convenience, the YouTube playlists for both groups follow:

PLAYLISTS: (GROUP A) / (GROUP B)

Group participants were randomized to ensure a roughly equal gender spread in both groups. The twenty-four songs in the prelim were placed into groups based on a pre-ranking that I always perform before MOABOS – anticipating how all of you, collectively, would rank them, #1-24. Based on those pre-rankings, I balanced the groups and, as needed, separated songs that appeared in the same film.

Feel free to listen as many times as you need and perhaps take notes, and I hope you discover music and movies that inspire you to find them. With profound appreciation from this grateful classic film fan, here are your group's songs.

"Song title", composer and lyricist, Film Title, country/countries of origin if the film is not predominantly in English and not from the U.S.

GROUP A

“Amor de Gitano (The Love of a Gypsy)”, music and lyrics by Morris Stoloff and Fred Karger, The Loves of Carmen (1948)

Performed by Rita Hayworth

Lyrics in Spanish (rough translation)

In this adaptation of Prosper Mérimée's novella Carmen (which also served as the source material for Georges Bizet's opera Carmen), this number appears late in the film after the turbulent relationship between Carmen (Hayworth; whose character is Romani) and Don José (Glenn Ford) of the Spanish dragoons. At this point, Carmen has escaped her earlier poverty (and Don José) and is now living comfortably in Córdoba as the partner of a bullfighter.

Hayworth, an actress of Spanish Romani and Irish/English descent, began her career in minor roles at 20th Century Fox before moving to Columbia. While at Columbia, she became the studio's top star and a pin-up icon to American soldiers in WWII. Despite frequent clashes with chief executive Harry Cohn over roles and pay (contracted Hollywood actors had little freedom to choose their roles until the 1944 court case De Havilland v. Warner Bros.), she single-handedly catapulted Columbia into financial stability for years to come, dashing any remaining beliefs that Columbia was not a major studio. The Loves of Carmen was to be her final film for Columbia, due to her impending marriage to Prince Aly Khan (they divorced, and she came back).

“Belleville Rendez-vous”, music by Benoît Charest, lyrics by Sylvain Chomet, The Triplets of Belleville (2003, France/Belgium/Canada/United Kingdom)

(French original with translation) / (English dub version)

Performed by Béatrice Bonifassi and Matthieu Chedid

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

From Sylvain Chomet's absurd, darkly comic, and disgustingly original animated feature debut (“disgustingly” is used here with admiration, because of the intentional ugliness of some of the animation). The film features an aging group of singing triplets who attempt to help another woman find her grandson after the grandson was kidnapped while competing in the Tour de France. The song first appears in the opening, is reprised a few times during the film, and repeated a final time in the end credits. It forms the basis for the film's score.

“Broadway Rhythm”, music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

(part 1) / (part 2)

Performed by Frances Langford and company; danced by June Knight, Nick Long Jr., Eleanor Powell and company

This number is the third-to-last scene of the film. At a dinner-and-a-show club, radio star Langford (playing herself) sings the title song of the stage musical that producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) has been trying desperately to open for the entire movie. His failure to cast a lead actress – despite his high school sweetheart, Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell), excelling in her audition – and other shenanigans have gotten him to this point. All that singing on the offbeats! If this song sounds vaguely familiar, it might be because it forms much of the mid-film ballet sequence in Singin' in the Rain (1952; "GOT-ta dance!").

Between parts 1 and 2 provided here is supposed to be a dance between siblings Buddy and Vilma Ebsen, but I could not find a video of it online.

In part 2, two of the film's antagonists (not villains, just antagonists), played by Knight and Long, dance with each other. Then, Irene appears to Robert's surprise. It is implied she is cast for the lead role in the film's final scene, as well as rekindling her relationship with Robert. Eleanor Powell, who plays Irene, was approaching the peak years of a relatively short film career, and was considered by many to be the most accomplished female dancer in Hollywood history (incl. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Fred Astaire, who said she was in a league all by herself).

“Camp Isn’t Home”, music and lyrics by Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Mark Sonnenblick, Theater Camp (2023)

Performed by the child cast members of the film

In this mockumentary of a summer theater camp (I can already hear the groans from some of you), the kids – many of whom are regulars at this camp – put on a show in order to save the camp from being repossessed. The montages you see in this particular clip are not featured in the film; the film itself simply shows the performance. To explain the final moment in this video would be to spoil a film-ending punchline.

“Dam Bhar Jo Udhar Munh Phere (I Wish the Moon Would Look Away for a Moment)”, music by Shankar Jaikishan, lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, Awaara (1951, India)

Performed by Nargis and Raj Kapoor (dubbed by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh, respectively)

Lyrics in Hindi (turn on the CC's in the provided video for translation)

In Awaara, Raj (Raj Kapoor) and Rita (Nargis) are childhood sweethearts who were separated when Raj could not afford the fees for school, resulting in his expulsion. Years later, after Raj turned to a criminal gang to support himself and his mother, the two reconnected. He has been trying to tell Rita, indirectly, that he has turned to thievery and is attempting to leave his criminal life behind, but she's unable to connect the dots. After a beachside first date, so appears this number – the rekindling of their relationship, in spite of the length of their separation, class differences, and another factor that would spoil the moral framework of the entire film.

“El Dorado”, music by Nelson Riddle, lyrics by John Gabriel, El Dorado (1966)

Performed by George Alexander and the Mellomen

The opening theme to this American Western film. Appears in the opening credits and quoted occasionally in the film's score. Edgar Allan Poe fans will note a lyrical reference to his poem "Eldorado" (the poem is quoted a few times in the film by James Caan's character). At its heart, this Western is about male friendship amid personal foibles (John Wayne's character has a physical ailment; Robert Mitchum's attempting to overcome his history of alcoholism, Caan is overconfident in his abilities) as the three protagonists attempt to protect a humble family from the illegal and violent machinations of a wealthy land baron.

The portraits you see in the opening credits are from Danish American painter Olaf Wieghorst, a noted 20th century artist who specialized in scenes of the old American West. Some of these portraits were done for the film, and Wieghorst's stock in the art world has gradually risen over the decades.

“Game of Death” (Mandarin version), music by Joseph Koo, lyrics by James Wong, Game of Death (1978, Hong Kong)

Performed by Roman Tam

Some rather blurry subtitles of a loose translation are in the provided video (to my Mandarin-speaking friends, may I ask if you can provide a more accurate translation?)

Appears as the opening credits song to the final film featuring Bruce Lee. Game of Death was incomplete at the time of Lee's death, and a "complete" version was released in 1978 with re-edited footage from his previous films. Roman Tam, the singer, was a major figure in the Cantopop music scene, He was also controversial – his on-stage flamboyance and his voice (which was not as masculine as some of his fellow Cantopop peers) were frowned upon by conservative Hong Kongers.

The Cantonese release of Game of Death occurred at the same time. It also has a title song, with the same composer, lyricist, and performer. However, it is a markedly different song (and is competing in the other group). The Cantonese version is considered the "original" and is competing in the other group.

“Goodbye Girl”, music and lyrics by David Gates, The Goodbye Girl (1977)

Performed by David Gates

This song appears in this romantic dramedy's finale as it transitions to end credits. Unemployed dancer Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) and ten-year-old daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings) are forced to take in a struggling actor (Richard Dreyfuss), who is the friend of Paula's now-ex.

Those of you who saw The Last of Us season 1 may have noticed The Goodbye Girl featured in the sixth episode of that show during a "movie night". From my perspective, The Goodbye Girl is about learning how to trust again after being abandoned (whether once before or repeatedly). Very apt for that certain episode of TLoU.

“A Million Miles Away”, music and lyrics by Fred Avril and Philippe Monthaye, Mars Express (2023, France)

Performed by Alice Lewis

Appears as the only song in the end credits to this French animated cyberpunk noir. The lyrics make (relatively non-spoilery) reference to the violent events that transpired in the finale. Not quoted in the film's score. In Mars Express, private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are investigating a homicide – leading both of them to a horrible conspiracy that might shake the foundations of 2200s human society.

Dropping objectivity for a moment... for all of you who are fans of the likes of Blade Runner (1982) and Ghost in the Shell (1995, Japan), Mars Express is 100% for you. And even if you haven't seen either of those, this is the one animated movie from outside the major American and Japanese studios competing in this year's edition of MOABOS I highly recommend to all, with a small warning here for the film's severe violence.

“Puppet on a String”, music and lyrics by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, Girl Happy (1965)

Performed by Elvis Presley

None of the videos on YouTube have the "correct" audio alongside the images, but the provided version is as close as it gets. Apologies.

In film #17 of 31 in his acting career (1956-1969), Elvis plays the lead singer of a band. The band is normally cooped up in Chicago, but it's Spring Break, and their nightclub manager boss (Harold Stone) needs someone to make sure to watch out for his college senior daughter (Shelley Fabares in her first of three appearances as the leading lady in an Elvis movie – a record). The boss wants her protected from the "30,000 sex-starved young men" also vacationing in Fort Lauderdale. Florida (the boss' words, not mine). The two leads eventually fall for each other, and fully realize this with this song (which became Elvis' most successful single from this film).

“Something’s Gotta Give”, music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Daddy Long Legs (1955)

Performed by Fred Astaire; danced by Astaire and Leslie Caron

Starts in earnest at 1:17.

In this, the third (!) adaptation by 20th Century Fox of Jean Webster's 1912 young adult novel of the same name, Daddy Long Legs sees wealthy American magnate Jervis Pendleton III (Astaire in his first widescreen musical) secretly paying for the college education of young Frenchwoman Julie André (Caron), after he, by chance, spotted her tending to children at a French orphanage. Julie calls her unidentified benefactor "Daddy Long Legs", based on a faraway description given to her by her fellow orphans. As she writes to Daddy Long Legs, she nevertheless falls for him – sight supposedly unseen. And he, to his surprise, starts falling for her.

The biggest hurdle to this movie is the obvious age difference between Astaire and Caron. However, Daddy Long Legs fully acknowledges this reality throughout – and gifting viewers some hilarious lines to boot at Astaire's expense. I've seen much worse (re:age difference), and it helps that Astaire moves and dances as well as he does. Your mileage may vary, but I don't read the narrative as predatory.

This is a Great American Songbook standard and was covered by many artists, including Bing Crosby (F:NV fans?), Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald.

“You Are My Lucky Star”, music Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

(initial version; begins in earnest at 1:00) / (reprise, part 1) / (reprise, part 2)

Initially performed by Frances Langford; reprise performed and danced by Eleanor Powell

If you're vaguely familiar with this song, that's because either you've seen the end of Singin' in the Rain (1952) and/or Alien (1979). Stage producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) is putting on a radio special to promote his upcoming Broadway musical. Robert is also having trouble casting a lead actress for his musical. Frances Langford plays herself here – she was principally a radio star who made only a handful of appearances in films, usually in supporting or bit roles. Langford would be a key fixture in Bob Hope's USO performances during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

In the reprise, Robert's former high school sweetheart, Irene Foster (Eleanor Powell), has just arrived from Albany to audition for his stage musical. She imagines herself onstage – singing and dancing in a fantastical ballet sequence. Powell, approaching the peak years of a relatively short film career, was considered by many to be the most accomplished female dancer in Hollywood history (incl. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Fred Astaire, who said she was in a league all by herself). And here, she shows she can do more than just tap dancing.

The folks assigned to GROUP A include: @cokwong, @demenshah, @emilylime5, @halfwaythruthedark, @maximiliani, @rawberry101, @theybecomestories, . You are also being joined by 17 others including myself and my sister.

GROUP B

“Aren’t You Glad You’re You?”, music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Johnny Burke, The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)

(in-film version) / (soundtrack version)

Performed by Bing Crosby

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

In this sequel to the Best Picture-winning musical Going My Way (1944), Crosby (at the height of his career) reprises his Oscar-winning role as Father O'Malley, who has just been transferred to a big city parish and to oversee its underfunded, nun-run private school. One student, Patsy (Joan Carroll), has been dropped off there by her financially unstable single mother. While seeking for advice about a writing assignment one night, Father O'Malley urges Patsy – who has not been fitting in at school – to be herself and approach the essay uniquely, leading to this song. Quoted a few times in the film's score. The soundtrack version and all covers are usually a lot more upbeat than the original.

“Farewell Amanda”, music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Adam’s Rib (1949)

Performed by David Wayne

In this romantic comedy, prosecutor Adam (Spencer Tracy) and defense attorney Amanda (Katharine Hepburn) are married. He's a traditionalist; she's a feminist. He's prosecuting a woman who shot (but didn't kill) her adulterous husband; she's defending that very same woman. Their neighbor, pianist Kip Laurie (David Wayne), has been romantically interested in Amanda for some time and, over dinner, premieres this song. The song becomes a hit later in the film.

For MOABOS veterans, you know that I include a "troll song" in MOABOS every now and then. This is the closest thing to a "troll song" this year because "Farewell Amanda" appears multiple times through Adam's Rib in unexpected and hilarious contexts (to Adam's annoyance).

“Game of Death” (Cantonese original), music by Joseph Koo, lyrics by James Wong, Game of Death (1978, Hong Kong)

Performed by Roman Tam

Some rather blurry subtitles of a loose translation are in the provided video (if you know someone who is fluent in Cantonese and is willing to provide a more correct translation, please let me know)

Appears as the opening credits song to the final film featuring Bruce Lee. Game of Death was incomplete at the time of Lee's death, and a "complete" version was released in 1978 with re-edited footage from his previous films. Roman Tam, the singer, was a major figure in the Cantopop music scene, He was also controversial – his on-stage flamboyance and his voice (which was not as masculine as some of his fellow Cantopop peers) were frowned upon by conservative Hong Kongers.

The Mandarin release of Game of Death occurred at the same time. It also has a title song, with the same composer, lyricist, and performer. However, it is a markedly different song (and is competing in the other group).

“Giấc Mơ (Dream)”, music and lyrics by Túng, Before Sex (2024, Vietnam)

Provided version (which is mildly NSFW) performed by Túng; performed in-film by Nguyễn Lê Việt Hưng

Lyrics in Vietnamese (very rough translation that I know the Viet Film Fest crew is gonna pick apart)

The provided soundtrack version is part of the film-ending montage of this raunchy coming-of-age romantic comedy.

The song's first appearance (not provided) is much more instrumentally simple, and appears during a comedic fantastical sequence. Before Sex opens with two groups of friends discussing their opinions on sex, one-night stands, how to "win over" someone, and love before splintering into three storylines. Say what you will about how the film gets to its endings, but I saw Before Sex as a springboard into discussions about what is healthy in a relationship – rare for a major Vietnamese studio romantic comedy.

“Girl Happy”, music and lyrics by Doc Pomus and Jerry Ragovoy, Girl Happy (1965)

(single version which also appears in the opening credits) / (end-of-film reprise)

Performed by Elvis Presley

This number appears in the stylish opening credits and in the final scene of the film. It is occasionally quoted in the film's score. In film #17 of 31 in his acting career (1956-1969), Elvis plays the lead singer of a band (shock!). The band is normally cooped up in Chicago, but it's Spring Break, and their nightclub manager boss (Harold Stone) needs someone to look out for his college senior daughter (Shelley Fabares in her first of three appearances as the leading lady in an Elvis movie – a record). The boss wants her protected from the "30,000 sex-starved young men" also vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (the boss' words, not mine). The two leads eventually fall for each other, despite this exceptionally strange situation and further drama with another love interest, Deena (Mary Ann Mobley). If you think that sounds like a crazy plot for an Elvis movie, you haven't seen enough Elvis movies.

Girl Happy was made by MGM as a response to the popularity of the "beach party" movies made by American International Pictures (AIP). The beach party subgenre was a 1960s craze with low-budget comedies of teenage/young adult characters getting into zany situations often involving elements of '60s teenage culture – poor romantic decision-making, dance parties, days at the beach (Californian surf culture especially, though Girl Happy is set out in Florida), rock-and-roll, car culture, excessive drinking with comical consequences, and more. AIP's Beach Party movies are also one of my guilty pleasures.

“I’ve Been Kissed Before”, music and lyrics by Lester Lee and Bob Russell, Affair in Trinidad (1952)

Performed and danced by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Jo Ann Greer)

Nightclub singer Chris Emery (Hayworth) is based in Trinidad and Tobago, still a British colony in 1952, and has been embroiled in an investigation into her late husband's murder. Her husband's brother, Steve (Glenn Ford; first seen at 0:43 in the provided video), has just arrived on the island and is seeking answers. This performance comes at significant risk for Chris, as it is being held in the estate of one of the primary murder suspects (to explain why she is taking that risk is a major spoiler). This song marks the point in the film in which the web of murderous schemes and the local authorities' investigation that define this entire work finally comes together.

Rita Hayworth, of mixed Spanish Romani and Irish/English descent, was considered one of the pin-up girls of 1940s Hollywood. She retired from filmmaking after her marriage to Prince Aly Khan, but when that marriage collapsed, she made her heralded return in this film noir, made at Columbia Pictures (where Hayworth was contracted to before the marriage).

“I’ve Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'”, music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

Performed and danced by June Knight, Robert Taylor, and company; brief reprise by Frances Langford

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Dance Direction

As Broadway producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) commiserates with the fabulously wealthy young widow Lilian Brent (June Knight) over the fact he is having trouble opening his show on Broadway, the two begin flirting with the other, in addition to suggesting a business arrangement to help open his show. The flirtation continues with this song. How about that furniture? Reprised briefly by Langford later on during rehearsal.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awarded a competitive Oscar for Dance Direction for only three years (1935-1937). Choreographer Dave Gould won the inaugural Dance Direction Oscar for this number. This category was discontinued because of political pressure from the directors' branch of AMPAS. The most recent honorary winner for an Academy Award for choreography for work on an individual film was Onna White for Oliver! (1968).

“Même plus l'amour (Not Even Love)”, music and lyrics by Fred Avril and Philippe Monthaye, Mars Express (2023, France)

Performed by Barbara Carlotti

Lyrics in French (somewhat literal translation)

In this French animated cyberpunk noir, private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are investigating a homicide. Their investigation leads them to find the murder victim's roommate, who is being followed by persons unknown. Despite their best efforts, Aline and Carlos fail to protect the roommate while trying to make a getaway. This song plays muted, under dialogue with lyrics somewhat not perceptible to the viewer, while Aline – a workaholic and a recovering alcoholic – drinks away her sadness at a bar. Not quoted in the film's score.

Dropping objectivity for a moment... for all of you who are fans of the likes of Blade Runner (1982) and Ghost in the Shell (1995, Japan), Mars Express is 100% for you. And even if you haven't seen either of those, this is the one animated movie from outside the major American and Japanese studios competing in this year's edition of MOABOS I highly recommend to all, with a small warning here for the film's severe violence.

“River Song”, music by Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, and John Williams, lyrics by the Sherman Brothers, Tom Sawyer (1973)

Performed by Charley Pride and chorus

Produced by Reader's Digest (seriously) and distributed by United Artists (UA), this is a musical adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This movie comes early in John Williams' film scoring career (this is two years before Jaws, four before Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and just past the peak Disney years for the late Sherman Brothers, the three collaborated for this opening credits song – establishing the setting for this film (shot on location in Missouri).

Pride was the first black country music superstar and, at this time, Pride's presence (even for an opening credits song) was a massive get for this production. This was Pride's second and final performance on an original song for any movie.

“Sing Before Breakfast”, music by Nacio Herb Brown, lyrics by Arthur Freed, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)

Performed and danced by Eleanor Powell, Buddy Ebsen, and Vilma Ebsen

After going to her former high school sweetheart's office to inquire about auditioning for a Broadway stage musical he is producing (and not finding him there) the previous day, aspiring singer/dancer Irene Foster (Powell) has breakfast with her friends. Siblings Ted and Sally Burke (the Ebsens, both making their film debut; Buddy would go on to have a long film/TV career while Vilma stuck solely to the stage) provide Irene with support during their occasional appearances in this film.

Why is Buddy Ebsen wearing a Mickey Mouse sweater in an MGM musical despite MGM having their own animation studio at the time? No clue.

“Tere Bina Aag Ye Chandni (Without You, Even Moonlight is a Scorching Fire)”, music by Shankar Jaikishan, lyrics by Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, Awaara (1951, India)

Performed by Nargis and Raj Kapoor (singing dubbed by Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey, respectively) and chorus

Lyrics in Hindi (turn on the CC's in the provided video for translation)

In Awaara, Raj (Raj Kapoor) and Rita (Nargis) are childhood sweethearts who were separated when Raj could not afford the fees for school, resulting in his expulsion. Years later, after Raj turned to a criminal gang to support himself and his mother, the two reconnected. He has been trying to tell Rita, indirectly, that he has turned to thievery and is attempting to leave his criminal life behind, but she's unable to connect the dots. Awaara comments upon class, feminism, and what a genuine redemption looks like – though it's not apparent in this musical number, the film's dramatic and comedic moments were inspired by the silent films of Charlie Chaplin.

This song is part of a dream sequence depicting the struggle between a potential romantic future and Raj's criminal past. The scene follows a date between Raj and Rita and immediately follows a tense exchange between Raj and his knife-wielding gang boss (seen at 9:09 in the provided video), who fully expects Raj sto steal from Rita and her family.

“Wave-a-Stick Blues”, music and lyrics by Ozzie Nelson, Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra (1940 short)

Performed by Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra

This comes from a 1940 Vitaphone short film that most likely would have appeared between feature films at a Warner Bros.-owned theater. The film is solely a musical showcase of the talents of Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra. Nelson was a bandleader who would become best known for his starring role in the TV sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966).

Before the United States v. Paramount (1948) Supreme Court decision, the major American studios owned theaters and theatrical chains. And back then, if you wanted to see a movie at one of the studio-owned theaters, you often bought a ticket for a double feature. The "B-movie" would go first. Following the B-movie, you would be treated to some combination of a serial film, short film(s) (like Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra!), and trailers. Then your "feature presentation", the A-movie, would play. Moviegoing was far more of a community event then, and a double feature was considered normal to audiences in those days.

When the major American studios lost the Paramount case, they had to sell off their theaters. And as such, the major studios pulled out of making serial films (essentially, a predecessor of television) and short films. By the end of the 1950s, the live-action short film had essentially become extinct among the majors. The Paramount decrees were repealed by the Department of Justice under the Trump administration in 2020

The folks assigned to GROUP B include: @addaellis, @cinemaocd, @dog-of-ulthar, @idontknowmuchaboutmovies, @machpowervisions, @shootingstarvenator, @stephdgray, @umgeschrieben, and @yellanimal . You are also being joined by 17 others including myself and my sister.

Would you like to know something more about a song or a movie featured above? Do you have a question or comment about MOABOS's processes? Feel free to ask me! If you are having difficulty accessing any of the songs (especially if region-locked) or if there are any errors in the links above or the playlist, please let me know as soon as possible.

You will be contacted for the final round regardless of your participation or non-participation in the preliminary. If turnout in one group is lagging behind compared to another, I will ask some of the more senior participants to participate in the other group, too. Do not worry too much about this if you cannot participate, although I will be checking in as the deadlines near.

Once more to all of you here, my thanks for your support for the Movie Odyssey, the blog, and for me personally over however long I've known you. It's a privilege and a pleasure to share all these movies (well, excerpts of them) and musical numbers with you. I hope not only do you learn something about film or music, but that you personally enjoy listening, too! My deepest appreciation to all!

TABULATION FOR THE PRELIMINARY ROUND

This preliminary round uses a points-based, ranked choice method which has been in use since MOABOS II (2014). A respondent’s first choice receives 10 points, the second choice receives 9, the third choice receives 8, etc. The winner is the song that ends up with the most total points. The tabulation method described here for the preliminary round is used only as a tiebreaker in the final round (more on how the final is tabulated when we get there). 

The tiebreakers for the preliminary are:

total points earned;

total #1 votes;

song(s) which is/are ranked higher on more ballots than the other(s);

average placement on my and my sister's ballots;

tie declared

[alpimerealmsystem]

hihihi could you go into detail about what stuffs you researched about endogenic systems !? bc im very curious and i'd like to learn more about them myself lol btw i love your blog :3

GLADLYYYYY I'ma just rant because I can and I love talking about this

Endogenic systems are systems that do not form due to trauma and via other means. Examples: (a long list of em)

Parogenic: Parogenic systems are systems formed from free-will. This includes tulpamancy, thoughtform and soulbonding.

Quoigenic: Quoigenic systems are systems that 1) Don't know and don’t care what their origin is 2) Don’t wish to disclose their origin 3) Are mixed origin

Protogenic: Protogenic systems are systems that were born plural or have been plural for as long as they can remember (from what I've noticed this seems to be the most common)

Neurogenic: Neurogenic systems are systems that are formed by pre-existing mental illnesses or neurodivergencies

Tulpa: Tulpa systems are intentionally created systems using tulpamancy/thoughtform processes.

Gateway system: Gateway systems are systems that have a connection to another universe and have exits and entrances where headmates can come and go. (This is primarily what I am I do believe)

Median: Median systems are systems that are more connected than typical systems. The alters in these systems are most commonly called facets. Median systems bridge the line between singlet and system.

Soulbonds: Soulbond systems are systems with a lot of soulbonds. Soulbonds are souls from another universe that have latched onto the system or host. Typically these systems have a lot of fictives however the soulbonds can come from any universe not just fictional ones.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW :D I could list plenty more but I'll save you from that.

Now let's rant, next part is facts.

Most research shows that Disacoiative disorders such as DID and OSDD don't have to be caused by trauma, trauma simply increases the odds to have it. A lot of endos do have trauma but that's not the primary cause for their system and may not be a cause at all.

Several studies show endos do exist and some even say up to 2% of the population is simply naturally plural WITHOUT trauma.

For some systems it may take weeks to form a new alters, some a matter of minutes. It's been shown these experiences vary between endos and traumagenics pretty much equally. There is no one way to be plural, but we do share very similar experiences.

And lastly this isn't research but this is still knowledge about endos, so here are my experiences and views.

I am endo due to spiritual reasons but even when I was traumagenic, and my spiritual related alters were dormant, I've always sorta accepted endos. I didn't understand them at the time but do now and really people are quick to assume. We tend to follow other's leads, and so let's say if someone hates on endos, a ton of people are going to as well because subconsciously they now think endos are a bad thing. This goes for any community, so do proper research before hating on something and criticizing it. And well, don't even hate on something, let people live their lives.

[lssugaluv]

 “Welcome Home”

• Chapter 9 of “My First.”

See "My First" Chapter list here: My First Masterlist.

• See My Masterlist here: Lssugaluv's Masterlist.

• Chapter 8 link: "From Closures to New Beginnings."

Contains: Family fluff, worries, feelings, family time.

After the what seemed like a long car drive, you finally arrive to Atsumu’s place. He knew you felt a bit uncomfortable and offered you to stay in the guest room. He asked if it was okay if he can sleep with Benji for the night which you agreed on. You asked to shower and he let you borrow one of his t-shirts to sleep. He got Benji ready for bed, and changed him into his Pjs that you had for him in your bag.

  The next morning, you woke up to Atsumu on the phone. "So you're telling me that I have to do a press conference?!" Said the man in a frustrated tone. Minutes later, he knocks on your door and asks to speak with you. "I spoke to my representative and he told me that Akira already broke the news about calling the engagement off. She's going off saying I cheated on her. And she already mentioned the press about you and Benjiro."

  Atsumu rests his head on the bed stressed out. He continues with, "now I have to go out and explain the situation. But I don't know if I want too." You grab his hand and try to encourage him. "Obviously you don't have to say everything but I do suggest you to go out there. You don't want to seem like a cheater either." You both smiled at one another. Benji gets up from bed and comes to you and Sumu. "Mama, Papa, I hungry." He says as he rubs his tummy. "Let's make pancakes?" Suggests Atsumu.

You guys all entered the dark kitchen and fix up some pancakes. Atsumu couldn't get enough of how adorable Benji is. He also couldn’t get enough of you in his oversized t-shirt. “If I can wake up every morning to this, it'll be amazing." Atsumu quietly says and you simply smiled.

"Hey so I want to know if you aren't busy today?" You asked as you guys were cleaning up. "No, I have practice today at 4 though." You nod your head and as he asks why. "I have to visit the school board today at 12, to see where I will be placed. And then I have a couple of apartment complexes to view." Atsumu eyes shot up bright. "You want me to go with you?" He asks just like an excited little Benji. You giggled and told him no. "I will like for you to watch Benji. Maybe spend more time with him." He liked your suggestion and agreed.

"If I don't come back by 3 to pick him up, please drop him off at my mom's. I'll let her know since I'm going over to change anyways." He agrees and takes both you and Benji back to your parents. He waited for you to freshen Benji up and get his stuff ready. You handed Sumu the bags of supplies and told him everything he needed to know. "Please if you need anything or have any questions call me Atsumu." He laughed hard at you. "Y/n, I'm not some type of babysitter, I'm his dad. Don't worry, everything will be okay." He tried to help your worries go away. "Oh, do not forget to give him his pain medicine for his arm okay."

You gave Benji plenty of hugs and kisses up until he became annoyed. "Y/n it's okay. He will be in good hands." You look at Atsumu with a worried expression. "It's just. I never leave him alone. I only did but with my sister. This is hard." He gave you a hug and laughed at you. "Look at you being all mama bear. At least I know he has always been in good hands." You smile and wave your good byes.

Okay l/n sama, you will be placed in Inarizaki and work as a counselor there." You were so excited, you right away called Maya to tell her the news. "We need to celebrate!" Says Maya. You girls hang up and you meet up with the realtor. He took you to three different apartments. The first one was nice but it was a bit far from work. You needed something close to work, your parents home, and to a day care. You noticed the realtor on a phone call.

   "I actually have another place to show you," you go to a very similar apartment complex building. You guys went to the fourth floor. "What do you think of this?" You did like it but you weren't sure. "It has the city view, it's close to your parents home and work. The day care is about a 10 min drive however." You looked around at the rooms. "It does have great space for my baby and I but it may be too much just for the both of us."

The realtor kept trying to convince you. "Well this place does have a play house where you can take your son. There's a spa, a pool, a gym, and they even have food courts!" You then asked for the pricing. That was when your realtor told you that someone was offering this to you. You heard a knock on the door and saw Atsumu and Benji walk in. "So, what do you think?" Says Atsumu with an amused tone. "I had a feeling you were behind this." You say as you lay a hand on your forehead.

"I'll allow you two to talk." And the realtor steps out. "It's nice but it may be expensive." He smiled at you. "I'll take care of the payments." You obviously refused. "Well, it's mine." And you sat there in confusion. " I bought it yesterday, so I owe mine and this one. Mine is on the 6th floor which is the top flooring here." You simply smiled.

"Look, I wanted you to live with me. But with all this commotion I'm having, I knew it was not a good idea. Plus, I already know you will reject my offer. But please, I want you and Benji to stay close to me." You took his offer and spoke to the realtor. "Sell all of your things in America, you will start fresh here." You thanked him by giving him a hug. Your arms were around his waist while your head rested by his chest. "Welcome home!!"

After thought:

Y/n finally settles in. So far everything is going well for her and Atsumu. They both have been focusing all of their attention on Benji. But what about them two? How far will their relationship go?

See you on the next chapter. 🥹

[alesyira]

fruitless

super early draft, but i'm spending nano wordcount working on the accidental vigilante story. it's really neat to revisit something in a new way. this reads a bit like it could belong in the sweeter, softer cute-guy AU, but it won't stay that way for long. this content is probably going to be what part of the first chapter once i get enough of the series offering done & edited to start posting, but i want to share early even if this part isn't terribly exciting. Writing is writing and it's been way way way too long.

Fun fact, most of this was written with voice recognition, so if you notice some weird punctuation or typos, no you did not. I'll be sweeping for bugs before sharing on AO3. Thank you for reading!!

He turned down his mother's help to help find his new apartment. He'd already done so many things on his own (from the relative safety of his childhood home) that surely this low-stakes task is something he can accomplish given enough time and resources.

Maybe if he'd been pressed for faster turnaround, kicked out and wandering the streets with nowhere else to go, he might've been willing to accept an adult’s help navigating the strange world of leases and rentals and potentially shady (or dangerous) deals.

But no, he does some poking around online, asks his friends what they would do, and then does his best on his own. He tries a few places in person and is immediately turned away at the door. 

He should have figured. It’s not exactly safe to walk up to an unfamiliar building and ask to see available units. 

There’s been too much crime in the last few years for people to be very trusting of strangers. 

After that, he tries calling places before showing up. He gets similar results. No one is willing to meet with an unknown variable with a suspiciously nervous youthful voice and promises of enough cash to cover the first three months of rent.

He starts to get a little frustrated, but he runs his fingers through his hair and takes a deep breath as he leans against the glass wall at the local bus stop. He shouldn’t expect to find much in only one day of apartment searching.

He needs a mediator. A contractor. Someone who knows these people and can get him an in, or can at least take down his information and find a few willing parties to hear him out without assuming he’s going to rob them blind.

A local realtor’s office doesn’t seem very impressed by his youth, and even less impressed when he hands over one of his faked IDs. Foreigner, but at least it lists a quirk. He doesn’t want to think about what kinds of dismissal he’d see if he dared trying to apply for an apartment as a quirkless citizen. 

Their interest perks a little at his available budget, but he gets a firm denial within thirty minutes. 

Nothing available in the surrounding areas. 

He wilts a little. 

It’s fine. 

Probably. 

He can keep looking for something.

The realtor’s office isn’t completely cruel, though, and promises to put him on a waiting list. 

He jots down his phone number in the middle of a dusty page in an aging binder, feeling very little hope they’ll call him back.

He picks up a little pint of strawberry ice cream on his way home that afternoon, a little bummed that he’s had no luck. 

It’s not worth getting upset over one fruitless day of searching. 

He still has plenty of time to figure something out. 

The warm scents of home-cooked food greet him as he pushes open the front door. He only has one key on his keychain, so there’s nothing to jingle as he pockets it and kneels to remove his shoes with a little sigh. The door clicks quietly as he locks it, and his mother is waiting for him with a soft expression when he turns around. 

Sometimes it surprises him that she knows when he gets home even if he hasn't yet said a word. 

“Welcome home,” she murmurs, her keen gaze catching sight of his half-smile. “No luck, today?”

He shrugs and holds out the pint of ice cream.

Dinner is quiet, but by the time dessert rolls around he’s feeling a lot better. She refuses to let him help with the dishes, instead shooing him toward the living room to pick out a movie they can watch together. 

He selects a goofy pre-quirk spy flick and pauses it on the opening title, then opens his laptop to poke around on the forums until his mom joins him. 

His inbox has over a dozen unread messages. 

“Weird,” he mutters, clicking into them with cautious curiosity. The subject lines are usually the first indication of spam mail, but these are all well-written, and he quickly discovers they're advertisements for apartment offerings from all over the city.

Not spam.

But he doesn’t remember giving his email to the realtor’s office. He chews his lip as he thinks back through his day. When could he have-?

He absently skims the first message.

Amenities: Rooftop pool. State-of-the-art heroNet connection speeds.  

Izuku scoffs. Being out in the open, exposed to the elements and also anyone who might be flying/jumping/sneaking about overhead? Maybe before quirks that would have been nice, but not anymore. The heroNet connection claim sounds pretty good, but he doesn’t need speed as much as reliability, and his wireless setup can keep him running from nearly anywhere in the city. 

Amenities: One block away from the city library. Gorgeous floor-to-ceiling picture windows. Park within easy walking distance.

He pauses and purses his lips. The library is a little tempting, but he really has all the information he needs at his fingertips. And he likes looking out of big windows, but he doesn’t feel very safe around them. Curtains would be a necessity. Park close by is both a blessing and a curse, probably beautiful and very dangerous, unless that’s a more expensive part of the city that still retains some hero presence. (In which case, he probably can’t afford that apartment, anyways.) 

Amenities: Well-aged closed-circuit security system. Cafe on first floor, residents only.

Izuku’s finger hovers over the touch pad. This one sounds promising. Closed-circuit systems are notoriously difficult to get into without being on-site. And he likes cafes, especially ones that sound like he won’t have to worry about being surrounded by a lot of strangers. 

His mom joins him on the couch with a blanket and two cups of tea. 

He shuts his laptop with a bright grin, already feeling the hope welling up within him. 

The advertisements can wait until morning. 

With the clarity of morning and even more apartment offerings in his inbox, he starts thinking back to the day before. He’s certain he hadn’t written his email address on anything. He stares at the messages, tapping between them, searching the metadata for clues or patterns as his mind whirs through possibilities. Maybe his phone number is linked with his email address in some obscure database? 

He absently starts a search on his phone number in a background window to see how many hits he can generate before he returns to the advertisements. No other identifying information can be found within the messages, so he doesn't think it's been somehow linked with his name. All the messages come from different addresses, different systems, different networks. There doesn't seem to be a common thread between any of the sources. 

It's as if he's been added to some kind of housing mailing list.

The background window flickers to indicate the search has completed. 

No hits.

He breathes a little sigh of relief. That's one less thing to worry about. But still… 

Had he really handed out his email address and forgotten about it?

He absently taps his finger against a key.

He hates to think he's forgotten something that important, but he also hates to think that someone took one look at his face as he walked into the realtor's office and immediately knew how to reach him. 

(That seems nearly impossible, but quirks are capable of some nearly impossible stuff.)

there's more coming pretty soon as scenes sneak out of my notes and outline. <3 ily

[creator-muses]

6/2/24: LGBTQIA+ in creative media

People have plenty of names for it; "the gay agenda", "queer rep", "those darn liberals", "LGBTQIA+ rep", "is he...you know", the list goes on.

Since June started yesterday, I thought, "what better way to ring in Pride Month than a talk about characters and themes of queerness?"

First, I'd like to talk about why it's important, as some outside the community might not understand why. It's similar to any minority representation is important; it gives them a sense that they are recognized as a part of society. Art imitates life, as they say.

Now can this representation be shoehorned in/overdone? Yes, yes it can, and this is coming from someone of the community themselves. The main way I've seen it done is by constantly bashing the viewer/reader over the head with "Hey, they're gay. Hey, I dunno if you noticed, but they're gay. They're gay. Do you know they're gay yet? Hey."

This is understandably annoying for the viewer/reader; it implies that the creators think they are stupid. Let's face it, no one enjoys being called stupid.

So how can creators take this topic and put it into their work in a more realistic way? As a consumer, I have a few suggestions:

Unless it's integral to the story's plot, make it subtle. Show the character with a same sex partner or simply talking about them, for example. They don't even need to say the words, "I'm [insert sexual identity here]."

Don't "fix them" by the end of the movie/book/show by making them straight. That defeats the whole purpose in the first place. Unless the character was simply trying things out and realized they weren't queer. That happens in real life, so why not in media?

Don't put it in because you feel like you have to. That will show through in the final product and your audience will likely have something to say about it.

Disclaimer: These are solely my opinions, I do not expect anyone to follow these suggestions just because I brought them up. It wouldn't be fair of me to do so anyway; the whole idea of creative endeavors is that you create what and how you want. There will always be some audience for what you create. There isn't any perfect way to do things, either, and you will unfortunately always have people who don't like what you create. (More on that in a future post!)

That all being said, I am always happy to see LGBTQIA+ inclusion in creative works. We've come so far from what things used to be like, and it's not only made a lot of people happier and feel more included, but it's expanded character development and, in my opinion, made for some interesting characters!

Happy June/Pride Month, everyone, and I'll see you next Sunday!

~Liz

[kagedbird]

TESSDE AU (+ Lucia :]) (Lucien part 2)

Lucien: *nervously holding Lucia's hand while out shopping, going over the list in his other hand* Hmm... what do you think, Lucia? Should we gather some food first, or some general supplies?

Lucia: *feels a little bad for not appreciating her new papa very much and making him feel sad, holding onto his hand and keeping close to his side* Um... food?

Lucien: All right! Shall we go see Carlotta then?

Lucia: *nods and follows after him dutifully*

Carolotta: *smiles brightly at the sight of them* Hello you two! Come for some shopping?

Lucien: Ah, yes, hello! Allora has a list specifically for this- would you mind seeing what you have in stock? *passes over the journal*

Carlotta: *chuckles and takes it, looking it over* My, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were Lucia's birth father.

Lucien: *flushes brightly, squeaky voice* Pardon?

Carlotta: *smiles, looking down at Lucia clinging to her father* You two look so similar! And Allora as well. It's very cute!

Lucia and Lucien: *look at each other*

Carlotta: And your names being so close as well! It's like it was meant to be. *laughs* I'll get these supplies in a basket for you, one moment!

Lucien: *nervously glancing at Lucia*

Lucia: *staring up at Lucien, before smiling* Hehe. I do look like you, papa.

Lucien: *pleasantly surprised, smiling down at her* Well... yes! I do see the similarities. And our names being so close is quite interesting.

Lucia: *nodding assuredly* Papa was meant to be my papa.

Lucien: *heart melting, tearing up* Oh... that's so sweet!

Lucia: Can papa teach me stuff while we're out here? *falters for a moment, not wanting to be caught having listened in on Allora and his conversation* M-Mama said you were... good at it...

Lucien: *too elated to even think about it* But of course! What is it you were wanting to learn about? There's plenty of things to teach you- oh, but Allora did say to not overwhelm you. How about we start with some basics? Since we're out shopping, I'll teach you about commerce!

Carlotta: *shaking her head, watching Lucia gain a slightly strained expression as Lucien rambles off information about economics* He's got a lot to learn... but his heart is in the right place.

~Hours later~

Lucia: *absolutely dead on her feet, walks over and clings to Allora's leg in the kitchen*

Allora: *picks her up easily, kissing her head* Hey pumpkin, have a good day?

Lucia: *buries her face into Allora's neck and huffs a sigh*

Lucien: *worriedly watching from the doorway*

Allora: *notices but doesn't look at him* Long day? Wanna talk about it?

Lucia: I can't understand Lucien-papa... I'm sorry mama... I'm really trying, but...

Allora: Shh, hey, it's okay. You two don't need to be the best of friends. Lucien-papa isn't well experienced with kids, you know? He's learning and you're his first experience. It's kinda scary!

Lucia: *wrinkles her nose* I'm not scary...

Allora: *chuckles and shakes her head, swaying Lucia carefully* No sweetheart, you're my little ray of sunshine. What's scary is that it's a lot of work to take care of a kid. You suddenly have to think of everything, all the time, to make sure they're happy and safe and healthy. That they're learning about the world in a safe environment. It's a lot, but to no fault of your own. Okay? *kisses Lucia's temple* You're doing great by giving him a chance. He really does care about you. He's pretty scared about messing it up.

Lucia: *thinks about him looking nervous all the time* ...Oh... I understand.

Allora: Yeah?

Lucia: Mhm. Thanks mama. You're the best.

Allora: *smiles at Lucien, giving Lucia a squeeze* Happy to help, love.

Lucien: *flustered, shyly leaves the doorway as quietly as he can*

[letterboard-fantasy]

Theatre of Darkness | Barriere Hotel Lore | [ Chapter One Link ]

Barriere Chapter Two: Devilish Dancers [Part One]

Characters in Chapter Two:

Eiji starring as | A Ride through The Other Side - Guide Ross

Akihiko starring as | In the Twilight’s Depths - Twilight Bates and Diane ???

Liam starring as | Wise, Rich Groom - The "Hotel Host"

Ellie starring as | Manipulative Bride - Ballroom Organizer

Beth starring as | Abandoned Bride - Ballroom Planner, Amira ???

Laurence starring as | Curious Recorder - Lucien Aliceson

Lockheart and Inference starring as | Hired Investigators - Investigator Jaiden (Lockheart) and Investigator Denice (Inference)

??? starring as | - Emory Willows

"Ah, well you see, our two ballroom organizers are having a bit of a dispute. I was hoping that having the input of two guests would have them settle on a solution."

...

"You have ballroom organizers?!" Lucien's head felt light. "How did I miss that..." He had researched the hotel in depth in preparation for this trip... or so he thought he had. "...I'll be honest, I didn't know you guys hosted parties either." Emory had chimed in, also seemingly unaware of the ballrooms. "Hm? Oh, this is a more recent edition to the hotel's long list of things. My... erm... wife runs the ballroom with her planner, Amira. They're usually pretty in tune with one another but..." The Host awkwardly rubbed the back on his head with a face of... discomfort. "Is your wife hard-headed?" Emory had asked quietly. "Or highly stubborn?" Lucien chimed in. "Because I know when MY mother wants something, not even the devil can change her mind." He mumbled, half jokingly. In reality, he had gotten his mother's stubborn nature, which he credits for how far in the historical scene he was able to make it. He owed a lot of his mother. "...You could say that. Amira wants to have a space/galaxy themed ballroom event, but my wife... isn't exactly feeling that idea. I was hoping with guest input, they could find a common ground and work something out... before any axe-cidents happen." The Host had put an odd emphasis on the words "axe" in accidents, one that struck Lucien with a morbid curiosity. "Come on, Guide Ross will be here soon. And it would be rude to leave him alone in the cold."

They had quietly made their way through the eerily quiet Tower Branch, and Lucien could swear that the halls were getting darker... and more starry as they traveled down the halls, as if they were changing. Transforming. Right before their eyes. Lucien couldn’t help but wonder if he was just seeing things. They carefully wandered down the hallways until they reached the entrance of the Tower Branch. Outside waiting for them was an odd little fellow. He sat the edge of a cart with four wheels and a small overhead roof. Inside where a set of seats and a control panel. The man himself looked similar to the bellhop who had helped Lucien and his investigator friends move into their rooms. He had the same uniform, although his sleeves were wider than those of the little girl. His hair was neatly brushed, with a section pulled back behind his head into a low bun. Lucien noticed a small panda sitting on the edge of the cart by the control panel. He waited quietly, but when he saw the group of three approaching, he came down from his sitting position, standing intently by the odd cart’s side. “Oh? I see you’ve managed to find some guests, Host M.” His yellow eyes fell on the odd duo. “I was very fortunate that they were awake, and even more so that they agreed to aid us in our little… predicament.” There was something odd about the way he had spoken. Lucien wasn’t sure what it was. “Please, take a seat. There’s plenty of room for everyone.” The man, who he assumed was this Guide Ross, had opened the door to the odd cart, motioning for the duo to come and sit down inside. Lucien was hesitant, but a gentle nudge from the Host caused Lucien to stumble slightly, awkwardly entering the cart. He sat down across from the mysterious Emory, who sat down with silent grace. “…” He looked down at his phone.

4 missed calls, 2 from each of his investigator friends.

“Ah! Uhm, one second. My friends were calling me. They must be awake too…” Lucien had begun to text them back when he paused. “Actually… if they’re still awake, why don’t I invite them over too? The more opinions the organizers can get, the better, right?” He suggested the idea suddenly, causing the Host and the Guide to consider it. “I mean, it would certainly help, no?” Emory chimed in. “…okay. Go ahead. Tell them they have 5 minutes to get down here, by the front entrance. We can’t wait on them forever.” Those 5 minutes were some of the strangest 5 minutes Lucien had ever spent. They were talking. There wasn’t anything important coming from their conversations, it was really just to fill in space as they waited in the cart. Lucien couldn't remember what the conversation was about anyways. But soon enough, the two investigators appeared. "I hope we're not too late." Denice's voice was soft as if he was trying not to speak too loudly. Jaiden nodded, although he couldn't tell if it was a nod in agreeance... or if she was quite literally, nodding off.

...

The drive over was... odd, to say the least. It was extremely quiet out, almost too quiet. It left Lucien anxious. Anxious about what? He wasn't sure, if he was being honest. Was it quiet? Or was the silence too loud? Was it the way the stars swirled in the deep, purple night sky? The stars shone so brightly, it was almost hypnotic. Sometimes, he swore he saw roman numerals floating across the sky, appearing and disappearing. It reminded him of the 5th dimension. It was a story he had heard before. In fact, people believe that Mister Bates had crossed over into the 5th dimension on that night, and the strange, starry remnants left on the elevator were the effects caused by the dimension opening up. Of course, that was just a story. This hotel was built on ancient land, above the Barriere Mansion. It was just as likely that the bodies somehow broke through the elevator and into the underground mansion. It wasn't likely, but the thought of being swallowed whole by a different dimension? Lucien shook his head, rubbing his eyes. When he looked back up, the sky was normal. Well, at least, there were no numerals flying across his eyes. "... are we almost there?" Lucien couldn't help but ask. The night was messing with his head. Badly. "Almost. Is something wrong, Mister Aliceson?" Guide Ross looked at Lucien with an oddly serene look. Was no one else seeing the oddities? "No, I'm just..." Lucien's thought process was disrupted by a sharp pain in his head. "...sorry. I'm fine, my head just aches a little." To say he was seeing stars... was a bit of an understatement.

...

More silence. More floating, fading numerals. More sharp and sudden headaches. He didn't just feel dizzy...

...

He felt faint.

He didn't even notice that they had come to a halt in front of the Misfortune Manison. It glowed an eerie green in the moonlight. He felt a small tapping on his shoulder. "... huh?" He turned to face the source of the tapping, but found no one there. That was odd. He knows he saw a purple cuff in his peripheral. "What...?" He rubbed his head in confusion. He then turned back, but felt a small tuggin on his pant leg. He looked down, but once again, no one was there.

... although he could have sworn he saw a tuff of brown hair out of the corner of his eye. The only person he had seen with brown hair was Jaiden... but she was already halfway down the mansion's stone path. It couldn't have been her. Besides, the height didn't match up, Lucien thought.

It was at the height of his waist. It couldn't have been anything other than a small child.

"...Lucien. Are you okay? Everyone else is waiting inside the mansion for you. Is something wrong?" The voice was the smooth, familiar tone of the Host. Lucien paused as he looked up at the Host. "...I don't know. I think the blood loss might be getting to me, I'm seeing things that aren't even there, haha!" Lucien tried to laugh it off, but the laughing had made him a tad bit nauseous, so he stopped. Host paused, however, a perplexed expression gently dusting his facial features. "Blood loss?" "Eh, don't worry about it! It isn't that important, we've got a ballroom dance to save!" "...Right." ... The Host didn't seem very convinced.

Lucien made his way into the mansion with the Host in tow. Upon entering the mansion, he could hear people conversing to his left. Well... conversing was putting it lightly. He had turned his left, following the sounds of the voices. As he did, he came across the oddest sight.

"No no no! Amira, that idea is absolutely ridiculous!" "But Miss Connie, we're approaching Sir Bates' death-iversary!" "That's insensitive!" "But he always wanted to come to one of the ballroom events! Even Guide Ross and this young lady agree it's a nice sentiment!" "Throwing a ball for someone who will never be able to attend it? That's insulting! Even this gentleman and odd girl know so!" ... Lucien was perplexed. Was this the dispute the Host mentioned? This wasn't a dispute.

It was more of a harshly worded beatdown. One with both sides equally tied.

...

Oh.

Oh no.

"You there! Odd redhead!" The older woman, who he deduced was "Miss Connie", snapped her fingers before beckoning him over. "He's not odd, Miss Connie! ... he's just got white highlights in his hair." Lucien awkwardly shuffled forward as he mumbled something to him. "... it's not highlighted. It's poliosis..." He shook his head before looking at the two arguing women. "...tell Amira her idea is stupid." "I do not know Miss Amira's idea. I can't judge it as stupid, ridiculous, insulting, nor insensitive. I cannot say the same for you, Miss." The words came out of Lucien's mouth cold and venomously. The sudden heartless tone seemed to shock everyone. It was a tone Lucien personally hated taking. Because it sounded so harsh and condescending. "...hmph. You love bringing in difficult youngsters, don't you?" The sharp comment from Miss Connie was directed at her supposed husband, the Host. "...His decisions are his alone, Connie." He put his hands up defensively as he shook his head hesitantly. "I don't appreciate being told to talk someone else down, especially without knowing the full story. History is told by the winners, but both sides have a story. Miss Amira?" Lucien's eyes landed on the reddish brunette, who ever so slightly cowarded behind his own brunette friend. "... I'd like to hear your idea for the ballroom dance, please. In as much detail as you can manage. From theme to dress code to catering. I believe the more information you can produce, the better and more accurately I can judge it. Because I believe even with my friends already chosen input, you're both still at a standstill... and I'd be your tie-breaker." He always hated being the tie-breaker for conversations, because it always ended badly. He knew no matter which side he chose, that someone would despise him forever.

"Oh? A-As much detail as I possibly can?" Lucien's question had caught Amira off-guard, even more so as he pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. How long had that been there? It was almost like he pulled it out of thin air. "Yes! As much detail as you can! Or... have you not gotten that far yet?" Amira was quiet for a moment. "Well..." Amira clasped her hands behind her face as she looked down with an expression of timidness and embarrassment. "No... not quite... we've been arguing so much that we haven't gotten to the intimate details yet." Lucien pondered on the information before putting his notebook down. "Then just the theme will do. And the intent." Lucien gave a gentle smile as he spoke, one that put Amira to ease. "I believe Lucien will be so moved after you explain your idea, Miss Amira! He's a sucker for romantic intentions." Jaiden cheered Amira on with a soft smile. "...Okay. I was thinking about having a twilight-themed ballroom dance because the death-iversary of Twilight Bates is coming up. I worked with him back when he was still alive, and he told me it was always his dream to be able to attend one of the Barriere Hotel's special ballroom dances... and I promised to invite him personally to the next one! But... but he died far too soon. And he never got to see that dream come to fruition." Amira clasped her hand against her chest with a saddened expression. However, Lucien immediately noted an error in the story. She was far too young looking to have worked with Twilight Bates. He has died in 1946. They were in 20XX. That would mean Amira was in at least her late 60s, even older, in her upper 70s. But she barely looked a day over 30.

With that timeline... her story was impossible.

"... you are right. That certainly does have romantic intent." He chose not the point out the oddity. "I wanted to do one in his name... hoping maybe he could see it from wherever he is resting. That he'll see it, and smile, knowing that his hopes were never forgotten." Amira finished with a gentle sentiment. "...and your idea, Miss Connie?" Lucien showed little opinion as he seeked the ideas of the hotheaded Miss Connie. He must stay impartial until he had both sides. "...are you asking my ideas for the ballroom dance?" Connie rose a brow in slight confusion. Lucien nodded.

"... I was thinking of a golden-era ballroom dance... because our stage is the Misfortune Mansion. It's a once-in-a-lifetime stage. We're never going to have another ballroom dance on the mansion grounds. I say we go down beautiful and extravagant. There is no place in the world as deserving of it." Connie kept her words short and sweet, yet information dense and concise. "Mhm... I see. I'll need a moment to reflect on this information, ladies. I hope you don't mind."

With those parting words, Lucien picked up his journal and stepped aside. Closing his eyes, he drowned out the nervous chattering around him. Picking up his ink pencil, he summarized his findings.

'The dispute is barely a dispute at all. It's more of a verbal slaughter. Miss Amira wants to have a twilight-themed event, one inspired by a supposed wish made by Mister Bates when he was still alive. Ignoring the oddities laid in her motives, it seems driven by guilt and regret for never being able to grant Bates's wish. He was a very selfless person in life from my research, always giving and never asking, so the guilt and regret Amira feels seem justified. The intent seems overly genuine and pure. Connie's idea was a golden era theme, one to highlight and bring out the extravagant nature of the Misfortune Mansion. Mallory Misfortune was a man of class and pleasure, and Connie could be drawing inspiration from his likes and known history. Her ideas keep the historical location and history in mind... and as she points out, having a dance for someone who will never be able to attend... could come off as rather insulting. Both ideas are... rather romantic on closer inspection... but I think my answer here is very clear.'

"... I think I've decided. I think I have to go with..."

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

*please note your answer will directly affect the story... not a lot, but something special will happen based on the winning theme! Please, choose your answer based on your personal feelings about each theme!

[2-kamikou-1]

woag it's an intro post

hi I had my writing list as my pinned for so long but it didn't even have the desired effect so I'm making an actual pinned

(dividers by @k1ssyoursister ☆ layout by @cherryshh )

hi m'name's adrien (+ aux names) I'm a minor I'm transmasc & autistic & suspected bpd & ocd I use he/it and some neos listed in the pronouns.page link below. I strictly do not use they/them. this is my main so you'll see just about everything here.

pronouns.page! :3

buddymeter! :3

I am in a closed relationship please don't hit on me ^^"

my primary special interest is project sekai so you'll see a lot about that here. my favs are Rui, Ena & Shizuku, my favorite units are N25 & W×S, and I am a massive shizuruikasa & mizuena shipper (there are plenty others I like though) but some other non-media ones are etymology, alt fashion, & drugs (yes you are reading that right, no i am not abusing substances i just like to research them), I have others but I can't think of them rn.

I'm not really very active in fandom spaces of medias other than prsk, so if you want to know what other stuff i'm into, you just have to get to know me! :3

stuff I like that you should tag me in (no pressure lol): shizuruikasa, pandemonium, cicadas, frutiger metro, alt fashion

I post vents here sometimes. I try to tag them or put them under cuts but I don't always remember. feel free to shoot me an ask about it if it bothers you, and I'll go back and tag it. I also do my best to keep mental health crises off here but you will see it happen.

because of my bpd I have semi-frequent self-isolation episodes where I often softblock my mutuals. I am prone to dissociation which means I also don't always remember this. If you notice I've softblocked you this is probably why. Don't hesitate to ask if you want to know- the chances of me remembering to follow you back are slim otherwise. If I really didn't want to talk to you anymore I'd hardblock you.

if we're mutuals please tag;

pictures of crickets (or similar bugs that are dark colored with lots of spindly extremities, like whipscorpions)

anything related to the movie "girl, interrupted"

specifically sexual innuendos related to hospitals/doctors (anything else is fine though)

hurricanes, tornadoes and other similar natural disasters (note: this doesn't count for things like fundraisers for people trying to come back from disasters like hurricane helene and milton. just for things that are detailed accounts, or for things in fiction)

child death (same as above, you don't have to tag fundraisers or other causes for me, just for detailed accounts or things in fiction)

(list subject to change as I remember more things)

you can use #adrien no look as a catchall tag if you want but I do have the tags for all these things blocked separately as well. ty 🩷

list of writing

list of sideblogs

other places you can find me (tell me you came from here so I don't freak out!!):

discord: adrien9174

prsk id (en): 557794736782815241

AO3: matsuu_u

tiktok: niigosho.enthusiast

[writersprocrastinators]

Introduction!

Hi yall! Name is Bell F. Archer, but you can call me Archie and I'm a writer who has decided to make a blog for my work! I've never made one of these so here we go!

I post mostly on Instagram under @writersprocrastinators but I hope to post longer works here, updates on my WIPs, any random prompt I see, and hopefully receive tons of asks and prompt requests. I'm 26 living in the US, I enjoy many different TV shows, but I loved shows like Chuck, Bones, Castle, most of the MCU works, iZombie, Family Guy, the 100, Wynona Earp, Motherland: Fort Salem, Lucifer, ATLA, Walking dead universe, honestly the list is never ending it would be easier if yall asked if I've seen it and I'll say yes or no lol. Hope you enjoy this intro!

I'll follow your accounts from this account seeing as its my only and main account.

I however will not follow if you're under 18, or if you have no age on your blog. As another warning, this blog will contain some material that may not be suitable for underage viewers, nothing too intense but better safe than sorry. I am not responsible if you read something you should not have, and all mature content will be marked as such!

♤ About me ♤

I'm relatively new to setting up a blog on Tumblr for this purpose so if there's any tips, please send them my way!

I like fictional works ranging from crime dramas, romance, fantasy, and others like dystopian works. Honestly, I don't read nearly as much as I could, but I write a lot and enjoy fan fictions! I find fan writing to be fun to read because the writing styles tend to feel very different between all writers, for the same base content. Reading each authors twists on a particular moment is pretty inspiring! It's hard to explain, but I I love to read it, but I don't particularly write it and would love to chat about it! I'm always looking to follow blogs that post anything writing related.

♤About this blog♤

This blogs purpose is for any and all of my writings/poems/stories and whatever else I write. I'll hopefully start doing some OC introductions, world building, or any art that can connect to my works. For example, one of my WIPs has a map that I've been working on, and I've also been trying to teach myself how to draw in order to draw the OCs out (it's very hard and I'm having a hard time lol).

I'm open to asks, prompts, questions, and messages, but do keep it respectful, I don't find wasting my time to be something I enjoy. If you have any advice or recommendations please also let me know! If you'd like something written for you, in a fictional sense not an essay or something lol, I will gladly look into it!

All writing done here is entirely my own, written by me and for me. Please do not copy my work anywhere else © copyright notice is below and on this page. I hate that I even have to say this, but people steal content so often and I just dont want the headache.

♤How my writings will work♤

Not all of my work is connected, but a lot of them are part of the same "series", specifically the poems are. They’ll be tagged as the same series. The WIPs are not connected, but they both have tons of similar callbacks and subtle author references.

Most of the poems are within a part of a series, and the characters for the "conversations" are generally the same people unless I say otherwise.

♤What you can expect to see♤

On this blog you can expect to see plenty of poetry, prose, short works, and maybe even excerpts of my WIPS. Let me know what you prefer to see!

♤About my WIPS♤

Whatever Means Necessary (working title)

This is a crime drama fiction, that is by far my oldest work. It's got a dash of romance but for this one it's less and more subtle, due to its nature. Part 2 has a bit more of it, but that WIP is very far from happening. It's been in progress since 2011 about, and I have yet to finish it, hence the procrastinators part. This one is about 3-5 chapters from being done! Its all the editing that's gonna get me.

I would rate this as a new adult fiction.

Some tropes in WMN are spies, futuristic weapons, angst, life changing family news, discovering family, family nemesis, casual drug and alcohol use, slow burn (like glacial), found family, betrayal, symbolism, and besties.

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, attempted SA, death, cursing, sexual scenarios

Fallen (working title)

This is a fantasy/dystopian & adventure fiction that is newer and has many more moving parts, lore, descriptions and OCs. This one is not even close to being fully written out, but is plotted out fairly well. I learned my mistake with no outline this time around.

I would rate this again, as a new adult fiction. But too mature for young adult, not quite mature enough to be adult.

Some tropes in Fallen are enhanced human abilities, zombie-esque creatures, mythical creatures and beings, monsters, reinvented military, dystopian governments, utopian governments, romance, not so slow slow burn, extreme angst, character death, defying destiny, defying fate, mental health exploration, race discussions and combating aggressions, found family, gender and sexuality exploration, positions of power, morally grey characters, betrayal, and symbolism.

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, mentions and attempts of SA, major and side character death, cursing, sexual scenarios, murder, illness, heavy casual drug and alcohol use. This work is considerably grittier.

Hope you enjoyed the Intro! First post is coming within the next few days!

Have a beautiful one, Bell.

© Bell F. Archer, Tumblr and writersprocrastinators, 2024.

[fadebolt]

Personal room rankings:

1 - Outer Expanse: RUINFrontHall (8/10) 2 - Metropolis: templetoll (7/10) 3 - Challenge #01 Survivor (7/10) 4 - Rubicon: R03 (7/10) 5 - Submerged Superstructure: bitterunderground (6/10) 6 - Outskirts: A38 (6/10) 7 - Silent Construct: LSCOREACCESS (5/10) 8 - Sky Islands: A17 (5/10) 9 - Undergrowth: GUTTER03 (3/10) 10 - Suburban Drifts: A41 (3/10)

Extra comment: Yeah, I don't know, this poll is generally pretty weak. I wouldn't exactly call most of these bad per se, but they all either fail to stand out in a meaningful way, or they have some big design flaw, so none of them really end up being exceptionally good.

My favorite - which also coincidentally happens to be on the list - is RUINFrontHall. While I did technically vote for it, I still wouldn't call it 'one of the best rooms in the game' or anything like that (heck, it probably isn't even in the top 10 of Outer Expanse). But from the options, it's the one that functions the best. It has a clear, unique and good idea that was executed decently well, with no caveats or weird choices that would sour the experience of being there. It stands out from other rooms, and there's basically nothing to complain about, so yeah, it's a good room that absolutely deserves a vote.

Another that I'll need to cover is bitterunderground, which is essentially bitterentrance, just more annoying to traverse. I guess I should give it props for not being a 1 to 1 copy, since the former's layout is all messy and disorganized (like the rooms in Garbage Wastes), whereas the latter has more straight and clearly defined lines and shapes (like the rooms in Pipeyard). My preferences towards these design styles tend to vary, but the general pattern that I noticed is that I like the Pipeyard style design in rooms with predators, and I like the GW style design in the more peaceful/platforming oriented ones. This is mainly because uneven terrain makes combat and fast movement trickier to execute, and that becomes very clear when Miros Vultures decide to say "Hi!" while you're traversing bitterunderground. I know I rambled way more about general design stuff, rather than the specific room at hand, just know that I find it inferior compared to a similar alternative you can find nearby (though that doesn't make it horrible, just… not as good overall).

And like usual, I've got two bonus rooms to pair with the two from the poll. In this case, it's very fitting that we covered a Bitter Aerie room, because we're staying on a snowy environment, specifically of A32 from Suburban Drifts!

I'm really thankful that this was added to the list, because it's kind of… weird, in a way. Mainly because putting a Red Lizard here seems like such an bizarre idea, one that honestly sounds horrible and completely nonsensical. Yet, it works. Because it completely recontextualizes the feel and general gameplay of the nearby rooms, but in a surprisingly fair way, because more often than not, that Red Lizard is avoidable. The usual counterplay is "if you hear or god forbid, see it, run away immediately", which is why the creature is always placed into long rooms, so that you have time before it can reach you. Putting one into such a tiny room completely breaks the design fundamentals that go into placing creature spawns… in theory. But because it is specifically on the Saint, it actually ends up working out very well, and for that, I gotta give this an 8/10, because I can respect game design rule breaking done properly (I mean let's be honest, we all do, cus we wouldn't be playing this weird game otherwise xd).

Moving onto a much warmer Saint-specific place, we've got C14 from Rubicon, and I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't have nearly as many thoughts about this one. It's clearly based on an Industrial Complex room, and while I don't think this is the worst possible choice to put into Rubicon, there were plenty of more fun and interesting alternatives, and B05 is really the only cool Industrial copy room here, and so it really feels like that region got the short end of the stick. It is not bad by any stretch of the imagination, especially cus it's kind of fun to ignore the platforming that you always have to do on the original, and just fly up. But outside of that, there's really nothing to this. It's a 5/10.

Pick Your Favorite Rain World Room, Day 216.1 R2

This is not single elimination! Every room with at least 15.0% vote will move on to the next round.

There is a hidden slugcat in one of the rooms (they can be in any color). If u can see it comment or reblog with where they are and if u are first, u get a cookie!

Credit for game screenshots goes to: Rain World Interactive Map, Rain World Wiki and me

Congratulations for day 215.1 winners!