#also the animation style is also high-key reminding me of something from my childhood

[thebibliosphere]

Enough people have told me to watch Merry Little Batman that I'm doing it right now, and I can't get over Bruce's dad persona. He really decided to settle down and become a family man, and his go-to was to grow a lumberjack beard and start wearing flannel shirts.

Fucking Clark Kent-looking mother fucker.

Also, the fact that so many of you wanted me to watch this but didn't tell me that Damien had to defend the mansion Home Alone style is criminal. That little gremlin went full Kevin McCallister, replete with fire boobytraps. Incredible.

[discotreque]

LwD 2.05: An Embarrassment of Dooplers

So I was a little nervous about this one! I hadn’t heard any spoiler-spoilers, but screeners have been out for weeks now, and I’d heard a bunch of individual, vague, non-spoilery hints about (1) big character moments, on the scale of a mid-season finale even though the show’s not taking a mid-season break; and (2) an ending that would make me cry.

I guess I imagined something relatively serious and dramatic, like “No Small Parts”? This show makes me cackle with laughter and giggle with nerdy glee and “d’awww!” at heartwarming friendships every week, but it’s only ever made me cry once—and then I was impressed that they were going to get there from the wacky hijinks we saw in the brief teaser.

The lack of a cold open made me apprehensive too—in my experience, that’s typically a sign that there’s so much plot in the rest of the episode that they need that extra scene—but after ~21.5 minutes of aforementioned hijinks, I was having so much fun that I’d completely forgotten about the alleged tear-jerker at the end…

…and they were not the tears I was expecting.

I didn’t think I’d be smiling and crying!!!! That was wholesome as SHIT!!!!!

I almost can’t believe they earned that—but they totally did.

After a Mariner–Tendi episode and a Boimler–Rutherford episode, we’re back to the “usual” Season 1 pairings… except the relationships between these characters have changed since Season 1. Mariner still feels thwacked in the abandonment issues by Boimler bailing for the Titan, and Rutherford’s having a tiny little existential crisis about losing an entire year of his life.

Both of which are extremely understandable and very heavy situations—and both of those situations get resolved because everyone in them is vulnerable with each other and honest about their feelings—AND that honesty and vulnerability brings both pairs of friends closer together. Are you kidding me?? I would watch SEVENTY seasons of that shit. Put it in my veins.

Onto the notes:

So basically Dooplers are Tribbles, but for cringe comedy instead of slapstick? Ohhhhh boy.

Look at Ransom the diplomat, tossing his own fork on the floor! I like that he’s actually a pretty competent Starfleet officer, despite also being a completely ridiculous person.

Wait a second, is that—OH HOLY SHIT, THE DOOPLERS ARE VOICED BY RICHARD KIND.

It makes sense that B. Boimler would find William annoying—who likes seeing their own flaws reflected back at them? And who could be a better reflection of one’s flaws than one’s literal duplicate?—but most interesting to me is that it implies on some level, Bradward knows the stick up his butt is a flaw. (Does William?)

Why does the Cerritos model have working phasers?!?!

I’m loving hot pink as the currently en-vogue colour for “dangerous sci-fi energy” in animation (cf. almost every previous episode of this show; Into the Spider-Verse; other stuff I can’t remember right now). As a former child of the 80’s, I’m living for it… but as a former teenager of the 90’s, I can’t help but wonder if it’s going to age as poorly as the harsh neon green of The Matrix, every Borg appearance on Voyager, and like 80% of the websites I made in high school…

SKANTS! SKANTS! SKANTS!

That fake-out joke with the fly-by over the Cerritos model was in the season trailer weeks ago, and I was so enthralled by that handsome lady that the sticker coming into frame still got me good 😂😂😂

BECKY Mariner????? omg yes

Some top-quality Boimler screams in this one. Poor Jack Quaid must drink gallons of throat-coat tea when he records.

One of the great things about Star Trek to me is that you never know what you’re going to get from any random episode. A murder mystery? A road trip? A spooky thriller? A cheesy romance? Broad comedy? Body horror? Didactic political screeds shrouded in tissue-thin science-fiction metaphors? Brain and brain, what is brain??? And after this many years of watching, you’d think I’d be hard to surprise. But if I ever told you I thought I’d see a Blues Brothers–style car chase through a frickin’ shopping mall on an episode of Star Trek, I would have been straight-up lying to you. I loved it, it worked for me, my jaw was on the floor and I was clapping with joy—but I’m definitely comfortable calling this one “unexpected.”

It’s CAPTAIN SHELBY!!! And an ancient babydyke crush rose from the depths of my childhood subconscious… (Also I think her Number One is based on the original makeup—eventually deemed too complicated—for Saru? Now that’s a deep cut.)

In 20th-century Trek, you almost never got to see what was going on inside a starship from the outside. Even after they switched from physical models (where it was next to impossible on a single episode’s budget) to CGI (which was still in its infancy, still not exactly cheap, and still broadcast in SD anyway), it was a rare thrill to see any meaningful interior details in an exterior shot. Disco’s modern VFX have given us some tasty, tasty treats in that department, but nothing quite as sublime as all the pink Doopler light glittering through the Cerritos’s windows.

Mariner says she’ll take her contact Malvus down with her, and threatens that they’ll end up “in the same cell.” Malvus is a Mizarian, a species introduced in TNG’s “Allegiance,” in which Captain Picard is held in a mysterious prison with one. I think I see what you did there, McMahan?

Bartender… so hot… lesbian circuits… overloading…

The Tendi and Rutherford C-story was, well, a C-story within a 22-minute episode, so there wasn’t much to it, but the one scene that mattered actually mattered a lot. I’m ambivalent on whether they should end up romantically involved—I’d prefer they don’t, but they’ll be one of the cutest couples in Trek history if they do—and as long as they keep that pure, sweet friendship between them at the heart of whatever else happens, I’m on board.

Carol Freeman was already one of my favourite captains before this season, and she’s been steadily moving up the list. The quiet throughline about her ambition to be on a better ship has been fascinating so far, and it’s starting to actually make me feel a little conflicted: I’m of course rooting for Captain Freeman to recognize her worth, make Starfleet recognize her worth, and become the ass-kicking captain of a hero ship that she’s clearly ready to be—but that almost surely means she’d be kicking ass off-screen, because LwD isn’t about those kind of adventures, and I’d be devastated not to have Dawnn Lewis on the show every week. So I’m kind of on the edge of my seat about this one!

I had so many favourite jokes this week I put them in a separate list:

“Even the replicated water on the Titan tasted better” is a low-key brilliant dunk on people who can’t shut the fuck up about the cooler places they used to live.

“Ooooh, they have a Quark’s now! That used to just be an empty lot where teens would make mistakes!” ← That���s literally me every time I go back to where I grew up. I felt so Seen™ I almost hid under a blanket.

“I would never go down the stairs!” (evil grin) (goes up the stairs)

The “well, shit” expressions from Mariner and Boimler as their crashed car sank right into the water… which started to bubble innocuously… and then the bottles of Data bubble-bath popped up, paying off a joke I thought had already been paid off—that was the one that woke up my poor cat this week. Just exquisite timing.

“YOUR PAGH IS WEAK, AND IT DISGUSTS ME!” “I don’t even know what that is, but I don’t like your tone!”

“Okona’s in there? He’s not even Starfleet! This is outrageous!” made me shout “NO!” at the screen like I was scolding my cat for scratching furniture. (She did not wake up that time.)

Best background joke: the neon sign at the dive bar advertising FREE SHOTS & BEERS. (Get it? Because they’re on a Federation starbase? Where nobody uses money?)

And of course Quark merchandised DS9.

This wasn’t just a standout episode of Lower Decks, this was a brilliant episode of Star Trek, period. The Dooplers, though extremely silly, are nevertheless also a clever sci-fi metaphor for real and relatable personal/interpersonal issues, and an effective plot catalyst for meaningful character growth from all four of our ensigns and the captain.

The jokes were hilarious, the action was kinetic, the A-, B-, and C-plots linked up thematically, the visuals were consistently and thoroughly gorgeous, the character beats—between Mariner and Boimler, Tendi and Rutherford, Mariner and Capt. Freeman—were all genuine, heartfelt and wholesome, and the references to other Trek canon were both deep and deeply affectionate.

Only 15 episodes in, and this series knows exactly what it is, exactly what it wants to do, and knows that it can knock our socks off doing it. Mike McMahan has said in recent interviews that the back half of S2 (and the apparently almost-fully-written S3) is a straight line uphill in quality from here—which surprised me at first, because McMahan seems like a pretty chill dude who doesn’t normally brag about his own work like that.

But then the Prophets sent me a vision of my space dad Ben Sisko, who reminded me of the words of 1930’s baseball player Dizzy Dean:

“If you can do it, it ain’t bragging.”

[Thanks to cygnus-x1.net for the screenshots this week—I was too lazy to do my own.]

[liquor-and-intellect]

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO? H.S. AU part one: bad guy

SUMMARY: Jay is force to be reckoned with. She does what she wants and the consequences aren’t as bad she’d expect. She stays out late, drinks with her friends and sleeps with Kai- who may or may not have a girlfriend.

When Jay meets Harry, her life seems to slow down. Feelings start to slip through the hard exterior that she’s worked so hard to build. She could finally learn to be vulnerable and overcome the scars left by her childhood that she didn’t realize went to deep.

Follows Billie Eilish’s Album.

part one: bad guy

“White shirt now red,

my bloody nose

sleeping, you’re on your tippy toes

Creeping around like no one knows

think you’re so criminal,”

- Billie Eilish

“Oh, my-“

I didn’t let Kai finish his sentence, but instead swallowed his moan. Pressing my mouth against his, I increased the strong rocking of my hips.

As my nose brushed the rough flesh of his, I felt a warm liquid slide across my nostrils, filling my nose with the hint of iron. I broke the contact of our mouths to ask when he groaned.

“I’m about to- I’m-“ Kai released a breath as his body shook beneath mine. His sweaty hands loosening their previously tight grip on my hips. I’m sure they would leave their usual marks. Kai dropped back against the pillows of the bed, his chest rising up and down as he worked on coming down from his high.

I pulled back from him, shifting my weight to his thighs as he caught his breath. “Are you using again?” I asked, wiping the back of my hand across my face to see the red stain of blood that had been dripping from his nose.  

He opened one deep brown eye, obviously irritated that I had ruined the mood of our sexual endeavors. I was never one for pillow talk, he should have known this by now.

Kai sniffled, pushing his index finger against his nose. “Just a bit,” he grumbled.

He didn’t expect me to make any disappointed or upset remarks. It wasn’t our thing. I didn’t really care what he did with his life– and frankly he didn’t really care what I did with mine. This was the extent of mine and Kai’s relationship: mid-day, late night– or anywhere that could be quick and meaningless– sex.

He rubbed his thumb underneath my naval, looking up to meet my eyes. “Do you want me to…?”

Right when I was about to nod my head, we heard the front doorknob turning followed by the familiar sound of someone trying to find the right keys.

“Shit!” Kai sat up quickly, pushing me off in the process. “Get dressed now!”

I didn’t want to argue with him and tell him I was basically already dressed. We had never been in the business of too much foreplay. I smoothed my shirt back down and pulled my jeans up the remainder of my exposed hips.

“Get in the closet,” Kai demanded, and I saw the familiar spark of amusement in his eyes. While he was acting stressed, I knew better than anyone that Kai loved this game. He loved to sneak around, he got off on the excitement of it.

I rose any eyebrow and followed his order, letting him shut the closet door behind me. It wasn’t long before I heard his girlfriend enter the room.

“Kai, what are you doing home so early?”

Tiffany had a small, tender voice. She seemed sweet—at least as sweet as I could tell from her bedroom and apartment she and Kai shared. I also might have looked her up on Facebook once while drunk. I didn’t ever ask about her and Kai never really brought her up. We had a mutual understanding that she stayed out of our relationship as much as possible. I’m sure it was because- deep down- Kai felt guilt for continuing to cheat on his girlfriend. They had been together since high school.

I—on the other hand—had no such feelings on my conscious. I was fine. What I did was just to have some fun.  Kai would cheat on his girlfriend whether I was a part of it or not. That was his personal problem, some deep rooted issue I’m sure he had from an absent father. I had never really been one for drama though. There was nothing that could ever practically come from my relationship with Kai—not that I had even wanted something. Even if I had even believed in love, it definitely would not be with someone like him.

“I came home on my lunch break, babe.”

I rolled my eyes at Kai. He really knew how to play the game. A small part of me felt bad for Tiffany.

Turning around in closet, I ran my hand across the silky shirts that were Tiffany’s. She had nice style, at least.

A bottle caught my eye on the shelf in the corner. Black and sleek. I picked it up, sniffing the top of it. Kai always did smell good when we were together. It reminded me of when we had first met drunkenly in a bar. All my friend had been mixing pills with their drinks and I was desperate to get away from them. Kai was there and very attractive and looked ready to tear the clothes off of any female that looked his way. Luckily, that had woman was me in the backseat of his car.

I spritzed a small amount onto my neck.

The closet door opened.

“She’s gone, Jay.”

His eyes looked at the bottle in my hand, I placed it back where it had been and walked out of the closet, my shoulder brushing his as I went around him.

Kai grabbed my wrist to pull me back to him, using his finger to brush down my cheek. “Now, where were we?” he whispered.

I snorted. “Done.” I reached underneath the bed to grab my shoes. I wonder if Tiffany saw them.

Kai stepped in front of me, blocking my way to the bedroom door. “She’s gone,” he said, his eyes trailing down my neck. “she’s not coming back for at least a couple of hours.”

Placing a hand on his chest, I gave it a friendly pat. “And I have somewhere to be,” I told him.

He puffed his chest in response. He was disappointed but Kai was also a tough guy and would never admit it.

“Where are you going?”

He asked so many questions. “Hell,” I responded.

He chuckled, leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms. “Ah, but you have such a good soul.”

I opened his front door, glancing back at him. The sun was bright and it was hot in Los Angeles in mid-august, I could feel my skin burning already. “Don’t be so cynical,” I yelled back as I closed the door.

My mother was not the proudest.

I tried my best not to give her as many details of my life when she called, I knew they would only disappoint. Which was fine, I totally get it. The little girl that tore your vagina during her grand entrance into the world lives in a small two-bedroom apartment with one roommate and likes to get drunk in her free time when she’s not waiting tables at the local Italian restaurant.

Life was not too shabby if I did say so myself. Sure, I had room to grow up and possibly mature some more. Most of my decisions were borderline questionable, but I’ve learned to lean into the excitement of doing things that caused risk.

My father had been a drughead and unfortunately left us by his own misdoing when he overdosed. I was twelve, mom was depressed, and I did the best to live my life on the fine line of learning to pretend I was okay. Which to some fortune, has turned out okay ten years later.

My thumb pressed ignore on my mother’s call and let the hustling of the bar that we were in blend into the background of my brain as I took another methodical sip of my drink. It was a place that me and my friends liked to attend often—especially on Friday nights when they had local bands playing on the cramped stage.

Currently, a deep raspy voice floated above the delicate strums of an electric guitar. “I’ll be your animal…” he sang. It put chills down my spine, but I pretended to remain unfazed.

I, also, tried not to notice as my roommate slid a pill past her lips and took another sip of her drink.

A groan to my left. “Shit, Jay. Wipe that frown off your face. I swear you’re always so serious.”

I smirked. “And you’re never serious enough.”

Hunter, my other friend accompanying us tonight, was a bundle of hormones and anxiety issues. She was the type of girl to jump on any guy that looked her way but then cried the next day as she wondered if he really thought she was pretty or if he was just faking it.

Of course, what she didn’t realize, is that she was gorgeous. Down to her freckled face and dark auburn hair. She could really be a picky girl if she tried.

“Oh my gosh, I think he’s looking at me. Is he looking at me?” Hunter sat up straighter, smoothing her blouse against the nonexistent wrinkles.

Winnie, my roommate, groaned. “Calm down, your, like, anxiety“-she waved her hand to motion Hunter’s entire body- “is really ruining this chill high I have going on.”

I snorted.

To entertain Hunter and genuinely check- although she wouldn’t admit it because she loves to be mean to her—, Winnie flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder to glance behind her at the mystery man that she was referring to. “Oh yeah, no,” Winnie laughed. “that’s that guy that Jay sleeps with on the reg. What’s his name? Kyle?”

Hunter nodded. “Yeah… he looks like a Kyle.”

“All the douches are Kyles.”

I glanced over Winnie’s shoulder to where Kai was standing with his girlfriend Tiffany. They were happily laughing at something their friend was saying in the corner area of the bar. Kai was nursing a beer in his hand while his other was resting on the small of his girlfriend’s back. Even though his name wasn’t Kyle… damn he really was a douche.

Winnie followed my gaze. “Five bucks says a sister won’t walk over and say hello.”

Hunter gasped. “No… don’t make her do that.”

I downed the rest of my melon Bacardi mixed drink and smiled as I stood from the stool. “Make me do what?” I asked Hunter as I slid away from the countertop.

“Shut up! You, bitch!” Hunter gasped in astonishment, but Winnie only laughed.

Kai saw me approaching before Tiffany did.

He did a really good job at hiding the slight anger in his eyes that lit up when he saw my confident gait. I loved his anger. It looked good on him. Right along with the tight ripped jeans and white shirt.

“Hey, Kai… I thought I saw you over here,” I greeted.

He took a deep breath. He loved the game but he hated that I could play it better. “Jay? Wow, I haven’t seen you in ages. Tiff, babe, this is Jay from work!” He sent her a million-watt smile and gestured to me.

As her eyes took me in, I knew– within that moment– she knew exactly who I was. I became highly aware that I was still wearing his cologne from my endeavors within the closet and that the strong smell of it was oozing off my clothes. It flooded my nostrils and wrapped tentacles around my brain that I knew it must have been doing it to Tiffany as well.

She smiled—softly—regardless. “Nice to meet you.” There was actual sadness in her eyes.

Kai, like the dick he is, did not notice it and gestured to the man that was with them. “This is Harry—but you should know him already, he works with us.” There was a slight panic in his eyes.

Glancing towards the tall man that stood with them, I recognized him as the guy who had previously been singing the haunting melody on stage. His green eyes drank me up and I felt as if we were caught in a dominance battle of who would look away first. I didn’t mind though, he wasn’t bad to look at. Brown curly hair, sharp jaw line, tattoos littering his exposed skin… he was god-like.

I broke first and nodded. “Yeah, of course. I think I’ve seen you around before. We must be in different departments though.” He and I both knew we were not in different departments. And I definitely knew that I hadn’t seen him around before.

Harry raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

I took a deep breath and laid a quick hand on Kai’s arm. “Anyway… I better be going. Nice meeting you, Tiffany.” I quickly excused myself before I could catch their gazes, feeling lingering green eyes trailing my steps as I walked back to the bar. My heart fluttered a bit in my chest.

What the hell was that?

“How did it go?” Winnie asked.

“Well,” I started, waving at the bartender for another drink. “apparently Kai and I are coworkers now.”

Hunter went on about how she almost threw up through that entire confrontation as Winnie argued that there was absolutely no confrontation involved whatsoever. I sat in my uncomfortable stool wondering what the hell was going through my brain and why I felt like Harry’s gaze had left permanent marks.

My phone buzzed in my lap.

It was from Kai.

I am so mad at you but you looked so fucking hot pretending to be my coworker.

My eyebrows furrowed together.

I think I felt guilty.

But then again… maybe not.

“I’m only good at being bad.”

part two

[anime-grimmy]

Favourite Gaming Soundtracks of the 2010s

It’s the end of another decade and what a decade it’s been. So much has changed in “just” 10 years, so many cool things have happened, so many amazing games have been released. Since it’s the end of the year I thought I could talk about some things that are dear to my heart. I love music and with so many dope games came just as amazing soundtracks. So, I just wanna let out my thoughts for my favourites. This is not really ranked, but I’ll tell you which my favs are from my favs.

But first, some “honorable mentions” for soundtracks I really enjoy, even though I’ve never played these games.

-        Dark Souls / Bloodborne Mystic and gritty, but strangely calming from time to time

-        Hollow Knight It came coming on with YT Autoplay and to be honest, I can’t complain. All in all a great soundtrack

-        Persona 5 Dude, talk about style. It’s not quite my type of game, but holy fuck, the music is my JAM

-        God of War (2018) I DID play this game and I loved it, but the soundtrack didn’t really stick out to me THAT much. Some tracks are downright bone-chilling and epic, but it didn’t have such a big impact on me all in all.

 Anyways, on with my list.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

I’m gonna start with a recent one since it’s still fresh in my mind.

I always liked the Pokemon Soundtracks. Though most of the time simplistic, some tracks just have such iconic melodies. However, from Sinnoh onwards, I started liking single tracks more than the soundtrack as a whole. For example. even though most people say Cynthia has the best Champion theme, I can agree an the melody being amazing, but for me, the theme is so loaded, I don’t like it (best Champion theme is still Lance). Alola, for me, started having an upcurve on the soundtrack. I liked it as a whole, though I can’t really remember what exactly stood out to me.

Now Sword and Shield. Dudes, keep going on that route, your OST is amazing. I’ll be honest, the BEST thing of this game is the soundtrack. All have this kinda sporty/cheery sound and even though, let’s say, the normal battle theme isn’t that of a banger, the number of amazing single themes is just so high. Bede’s theme is basically the only thing I like about him, Marnie’s has such a cool tune (and all the metal covers on YT, BRO) and even if many people don’t like Hop’s theme, I really dig it. Some parts remind me of Mirror B.s theme, I dunno why.

And then you have my fav tracks, Rose’s Final Fantasy theme, Toby’s amazing Battle Tower theme AND THE GYM BATTLE MUSIC. I really didn’t like the gym leader theme at first but while playing the game, after each gym leader, it got me more and more stoked when the battle began.

All in all, Pokemon Sword and Shield has an overall enjoyable soundtrack. Filled with bangers, for me it made the game itself so much better.

Animal Crossing

Though I haven’t played the game in a long time, I still listen to the music.

Animal Crossing is just laid out to be this chill and calming ensemble of melodies. And it works. When I’m stressed or have to work on stuff I don’t want to, I usually just put on Animal Crossing music. It calms me and just gives me this warm and fuzzy feeling. It also helps when I have problems sleeping.

A soundtrack to just lie back, close your eyes and just enjoy life.

Legend of Zelda – Breath of the Wild

Continuing with calm music, let’s talk about my favourite Switch title.

This game often gets flag for “having no music” or too little of it. I know where you’re coming from, but I just think the limited use of the soundtrack makes you appreciate it even more. The moments when the music is used is carefully chosen and that makes it special. Be it the few piano notes that play while the day goes on, the little notification that you’ve entered a new area, the unexpected high energy when you’re fighting (most of all bosses) or the indescribable fear you feel when a Guardian spots you.

There are a few favourite moments I have of the game.

First is the start, when you first leave the cave, run out and this vast landscape opens before you. Just those few piano notes made me all excited for this new adventure. Like dawn is breaking.

The first time I rode on a horse over this wide field and suddenly, the music starts swelling. It was almost magical, the music rising just like my excitement.

The last thing I love is the difference between being in villages and outside. When I noticed that you always have some kind of melody playing when you’re in a settlement it dawned on me how quiet it was outside of them. I love this contrast between being alone in the wilderness with all the quiet and the sudden swell in music when you’re with other people.

This OST amazes me with how much emotion it can convey with often just the smallest amount of notes. An amazing soundtrack for just as an amazing game.

Super Mario Odyssey

So, last Nintendo game on this list, I swear.

This one is a small surprise, but at the same time, it really isn’t. I’ve never really been a fan of the main Mario games, they just aren’t really my thing. (the spin-offs are my jam). However, I’ve always enjoyed Mario’s music. The upbeat tunes really get stuck in your head and the melodies are always so recognizable. Heck, my favourite OST was from Super Mario Sunshine back in the day!

With Odyssey, I really enjoyed both the game and the soundtrack aspect. The worlds are colourful and the gameplay is super fun. Combine that with the stellar soundtrack and the game was such a fun experience, it’s definitely in my top 10. But what I really enjoyed is the diversity of the track. When you listen to the soundtrack on Youtube and you just click on two different parts of the video, I can guarantee that they’ll probably sound completely different but at the same time somehow coherent. The best tracks, in my opinion, are the upbeat ones for sure. The feeling of excitement and adventure just swells so much it’s amazing.

Then you’ve got “Jump up Superstar”. I fucking love this song. It’s so much fun, has such a great tune which gets stuck in your head and the lyrics are so easy to sing along. All things I love in a song. I actually listened to the song on repeat before I even got the game and I couldn’t wait to get to New Donk City to LIVE the song. And I wasn’t disappointed, it was one if not the best moments in the game.

Great game, great soundtrack, 100% fun.

Bravely Default / Bravely Second

(technically on a Nintendo Console, but whatev) I’m just gonna lump this two together, since BS’s the sequel.

Now, JRPGs aren’t really my thing. They often take too long for my tastes, I can’t for the life of me concentrate on the story and characters and after some time they just get stale for me. But now and then, I pick up a series I actually finish and that was Bravely Default and Second. I think I just have such a huge soft spot for the series cause of the art style/atmosphere and the fact that I played 8 hours straight of BD on a flight from Canada home.

I haven’t played the games in forever but when I think about what I like about them, there are 3 things I always think about: characters, art style and soundtrack. The songs might sound generic to most, but to me, with my little knowledge of JRPGs, find them quiet unique. It does at some points remind me of Final Fantasy but I think something just makes the tracks just sound like Bravely, though I can’t put my finger on it.

I don’t know the names of the themes, but even now there are just certain tracks which I link to a certain reaction. Like “oh no, not them again” or “Now shit is getting down”. Or every time the main theme plays, I get absolutely pumped.

Haven’t played the games in forever, but the soundtrack’s still in my mind.

Kingdom Hearts

From one RPG to the next, here’s a very special soundtrack. Kingdom Hearts is a franchise near and dear to my heart. It’s one of the first, if not THE first, RPG I ever played. I just get so nostalgic with this game. I can just remember watching my brother playing KH2, seeing two characters from my favourite franchise run around with this spiky haired boy with this stupidly big key. So much stuff happened I didn’t even understand back then, but just seeing these animated characters laugh and cry and go on this grand adventure, little me was mesmerized.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too happy with KH3. I’ve waited so long for it, just like hundreds of other people, but the end product just, I dunno, lacked the heart it used to. One thing however didn’t, the soundtrack. As sad I was to not enjoy the game as a whole as much as I wanted to, the soundtrack became one of my instant favourites. It sounds grandiose and has so much emotion. Each track sounds amazing but the OST really shines in its more calm and beautiful themes and its epic ones.

My favourite songs are the serene ones, however. “Sincerely Beloved” and the other Utada songs are some of my favourite songs ever and I can’t tell you how close I came to crying with the Sea Salt Icecream Trios themes. Heck, I played Xion’s theme back in the day on the piano and I still can play it now.

As much as KH has gone down in heart, the soundtrack stands up there as one of the best, much thanks to Utada Hikaru as well. It will always be important to me and just reminds me of my childhood. Some very fond memories.

Undertale

Well, let’s get outta the nostalgia feel and turn it up a bit!

Ah, Toby Fox, you madlad. Creating such a great game and subverting so many expectations. Undertale really had a big impact on the gaming scene but for me, the soundtrack really lasted. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the characters and story very much, but I still listen to the soundtrack regularly.

Undertale’s OST is comprised of sad, melancholic, upbeat and downright hype tunes. It has a wide spectrum but Toby Fox really does know how to push Leitmotif. All themes kind of flow great into each other but still manage to stand out and are recognizable. Each character theme fits the character perfectly and I love how their themes usually have some melodies/instruments from the area they’re in. And speaking of areas, as much as I love the character themes I just might prefer the atmosphere tracks even more. I mean, “Snowdin” just sounds like this super laid back, cute little town, “Home” is such a calming song and “It’s raining somewhere else” has such mystique. And, of course, the fact that the tracks have character/plot relevance is just amazing.

Not to mention, Toby Fox created one of the best Meme songs in existence.

Love the game, love the soundtrack even more and I’ll listen to “Death by Glamour” til I die.

Horizon Zero Dawn

I’m so happy I picked up this game. I never bought it cos A, I feel overwhelmed by open world games, and B, it COSTS SO MUCH. But I found it for half the prise and I bought it right before exam week. I know, smart move.

But anyways, the soundtrack. There aren’t any tracks that really stand out to me but I just like it as a whole. It’s such an atmospheric OST and when listening to it as BG music you just HEAR where you are, which tribe you’re in, what you probably did in the game when it played.

And that’s actually a big factor. All in all, I don’t think it’s such a special OST. It sounds great, most tracks are solid, but what really makes it shine is how much it enhances the experience of the game. The gameplay and story are great, but the OST just makes everything so much better, with setting the tone and atmosphere and all that.

I could go on and on about this game, but the soundtrack can be shaved down to a few words. Solid, great and atmospheric.

Monster Hunter World / Iceborne

So, I’ll drop this to second to last because I already made a super long analysis of the soundtrack. I’ll link it here.

https://anime-grimmy.tumblr.com/post/188601659768/some-monster-hunter-ramblings-possible-spoilers

But to put it simply, this is probably my favourite soundtrack at the moment. I just haven’t experienced so many emotions while listening to an OST since a certain game that’s next on the list. I still can’t listen to “Succession of Light” without almost crying (who am I kidding, I cry every time). I dunno why, but so many tracks make me feel such a barrage of emotions, be it excitement for adventure, hype for the hunt or just simply a childlike wonder.

Simply a great soundtrack that will be on top for a long time.

Okami

Technically a game from 2006, but the PS4 version came out like 2017 and I REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS GAME.

This is my absolute favourite game of all time. Since I played it first when I was about 9 years old, I just really loved this game. I replayed it more times than I can count and dude, I speedrun this game in record time.

For people who don’t know this game, you play as the Sun God Amaterasu, who has been summoned in the body of a white wolf. You job is to banish the evil from Nippon. To say this game awakened my fondness of Japanese culture is, well, spot on. I’ve played this game before I even knew what anime was. The atmosphere, style, themes and mostly the music mesmerized me. It was all so, well, foreign. Even nowadays it stands out from anything else I’ve played.

But on to the OST. Next to it being just amazing in general, it just is so Japanese and that’s what has always stuck out to me. I grew up with very traditional and classical music, back then I didn’t even listen to English/American music. So to hear these melodies and instruments that just sound so unfamiliar was very intriguing. And that just topped of the already amazing tracks. Okami does a great job of having super epic, exciting but also sombre and atmospheric music. It’s also very animated and comedic with it’s use of music. So, the mix of foreign sounds and great timing of amazing tracks just makes the experience all so much more memorable.

Even after 10+ years, Okami never gets boring and no matter how much I play it, the moment I face a boss and the epic music swells, or the moment a calm scene passes and the melody slows, my heart fills with emotion and I’m so glad I played it again.

Well, that’s that! I know it probably often sounds kind of sappy, but music is very special and important to me. If music doesn’t evoke emotions in me, I don’t care about it, even if it sounds great. For me it’s important that, when I listen to a soundtrack, I can remember the game or the scene it played in and the emotions I felt in that moment.

Soundtracks are supposed to make a emotional connection between you and the game and that’s why they are essential. At least that’s how I see it.

Anyways, if you made it this far, I bow my head to you. Thanks for reading and I hope you could somehow share my perspective of these games’ soundtrack. Feel free to tell me about your fav tracks!

 It’s been a nice decade, enjoy the rest of 2019!

[yourdlmatchmaker]

I think this one is the longest match up I’ve answered so far… :’)

“Hello there, this looked fun. Could I have a long match-up please?

1. Physical appearance: 5'4" (163cm) 100lbs (45kg) very long dark reddish brown hair, dark brown eyes, olive skin (Mix of Thai, English and German) My look has been compared to a scaled down (in height) fashion model – that is long legs, very skinny, high somewhat hollow cheek bones, narrow face and a high forehead with almost no bust to speak of and a teeny tiny waist, I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

2. Personality: Oh my, where do I begin? Well, I’m definitely an extreme introvert. People usually seem to think I come across as very professional and aloof. I try to be kind and courteous to everyone I meet, but if they do or say anything that bothers me I can be a little prickly and sometimes downright vicious. Little do they know though that I’m like that, because I’m terribly shy around strangers and have a very strong desire to make people happy and protect them. I fear getting close to others, because I don’t want to hurt or be hurt and have a very hard time finding people I can bond with in both an intellectual and emotional way, so I hide behind distance and politeness. Just because I’m shy at first though, doesn’t mean I won’t be a chatterbox once you get to know me though. Once I’m comfortable with you I’ll share (almost) all of my ideas, random musings and gripes, if I think you’ll be receptive towards it anyways. That takes a very long time though and so far only two people have gotten to that point with me. For people that I’m friends with normally I tend to act in a sort of motherly way, giving them advice and helping them with their problems – sometimes admittingly to my own detriment. As well as taking care of them when they are sick or having emotional issues. I don’t like to help people, but on some level I feel like I must do so especially if I know them.

I’m normally a very logical person, so much so that I will occasionally say the wrong thing or offer ideas or advice when it’s not what the other person is looking for, which I realize after the fact but because I really like to just ‘fix’ things I have a hard time understanding that sometimes people need to emotionally vent, and I often just get confused by it. I’ll try to “be there” for them despite that but it is still difficult.

Despite my size and shy disposition I’m actually extremely hard to intimidate and will stand up for myself and other people very quickly. It doesn’t matter who my opponent is or how big, strong or powerful they are, I will stand my ground possibly to the end if I believe in my cause strongly enough (though because of my protective nature it is very easy to make me back down by threatening other people). No matter how many feminine things there are that I love, for some reason I always feel like I end up coming across as a bit too masculine and I often feel a bit more male than female. This isn’t necessarily out of a desire to be male, but rather I feel like I have more masculine than feminine qualities and also feel like I am sadly bereft in the supposedly more girlish personality traits of my sex. Despite this though I have no real desire to change my personality or sex, I am who I am after all. Nevertheless I remind people more of their brothers and sons, and my tiny social circle is all boys (at the moment.)

3. Scorpio (Sun), Gemini (Moon), Gemini (Rising) (The last two are important because despite having almost all of the Scorpio traits, once you get to know me I never shut up. ^_^;)

4. Hobbies/Interests: Drawings, painting (I like both fine art and illustration and can work in several different mediums – acrylic, watercolour, marker, ink and even digital art. Fantasy art, Surrealism, Manga and Impressionism are examples of styles I can do, and I’m still working towards improving my hyperrealist style.) I’ve been obsessed with making art since I was a very small child and at this point it’s really become my life’s work. I dedicate so much of my time, energy and resources to this that I forget to eat or sleep and become a bit of a shut-in. Reading: (Most of my books are non-fiction, though I do enjoy some older fiction on occasion – The Silmarillion, The Great God Pan and pretty much anything by H.P. Lovecraft being some examples. My library contains field guides, books on botany, mycology, medicine, artbooks, anatomy, geography, geology, microbiology, mythology, occult/witchcraft, religion, linguistics, phrasebooks, particle physics, cartography, calligraphy, history, psychology, genetics (…probably a lot more but we’ll be here for far too long.) Gardening: I love growing all sorts of things, but especially herbs and flowers. My living area is full of plants of many different kinds and I devote a significant portion of my time and energy to them. I also like to grow tropical plants from the seeds of fruit that I buy at the grocery store. Manga and Anime: I don’t seem immediately like the sort of person who would love popular culture, but the fact that I can enjoy some fun stories while reading or watching in a language that is not my native tongue has always been the main motivation behind this obsession. I’m also madly in love with cute things and ink drawings. Video Games: Another thing people probably wouldn’t expect by looking at me but… I have a HUGE collection of games (on my computer) of many different kinds. Like with anything else I do, I have to play everything in it’s original language (it’s more fun and respects the artistic integrity more.) I mostly like JRPGs and Visual Novels now, but I used to love Sierra games when I was younger, and some FPS like Doom. There is no type of game I won’t play. Though gaming is generally the lowest thing on my list of priorities these days. Cooking: I like to cook, can can do many different styles. Mostly Thai, but also frequently Japanese (both traditional and modern), Italian, German, English etc. I can cook pretty much anything though I don’t like baking as much. (I’m not super fond of sweets, except on the rare occasion when I must have them.) Fashion and Makeup: I am completely unable to leave the house without makeup and sunscreen and always have to make sure my clothing is at least presentable and neat. I actually enjoy applying makeup and like experimenting with it (I hate doing my hair though, the length is too much so I usually bun or ponytail it.) I also like a few Jfashions, Mori-Girl, Otome-kei and Classical Lolita especially. Unfortunately I’m also a very active person so I usually end up dressing in a more Korean style instead (tight high-waisted jeans, long sleeved tight black shirts and heeled boots – is running in heels a skill? XD), but when it’s practical to do so I love wearing the frilliest dresses I can find with a very poofy petticoat, a bonnet and floral designs. Hiking: I like to forage in the forest for mushrooms and plants when I can. I find that the fresh air and beautiful scenery calms me down and energizes me. Studying Languages: I haven’t had as much time for this lately, but it’s a side hobby. Unfortunately Japanese is the only one I’ve gotten particularly far in… (There are not enough hours in the day or night.)

5. I like: Tea (Especially Earl Grey, must be high quality or I get a stomach ache… yeah I know, its true. @_@), coffee (espresso in lattes or specialty black coffee made in a French Press, no drip :P), Self discipline, Quiet time, Nature, Music (all kinds, though especially symphonic metal), WalkingI love: My cats (though I get along quite well with all felinekind and animals in general (save humans :P), Plants (I mean every kind of plant, though trees and flowers stick out a bit), Fungi (even molds, though not when they’re growing on my food), Beautiful things, Art Supplies, Bright and pastel colours, Antiques, Books, Art, Paintings, Illustration, Shopping for art suppliesI dislike: When people look untidy, Foul smells, People that bore me, Small talk, Sloth, Loud noises, Erratic behavior, Selfishness, People who act overtly friendly and try to get close to you too fastI loathe: Cruelty (especially towards animals and children), Cowardice, Deliberate ignorance, People who complain a lot, Irresponsibility

6. I was unable to bond with my sole caregiver due to extreme child abuse and neglect on their part, In addition to that I was not allowed to attend school until my teenage years (I was educated very strictly at home, supposedly because I was too advanced to fit in at school – though it might also have been to keep me prisoner at home all the time. >_<). Due to this I have had a very hard time fitting in with society as my childhood was mostly spent alone, reading, drawing, playing computer games, spending time with the cats that I lived with and going out into nature (I made friends with a couple of squirrels.) Much of what I knew about people and the world was gleaned from books, magazines and the internet – although I was allowed to associate with a few family friends on occasion. I did have a very good intellectual education (though often held to impossible standards), but because I was so cut off from more normal ways of socializing I still have a very hard time relating to other people.“Relationship-wise” I’m umm… actually extremely submissive in private (^_^;) (Not something most people would expect as I seem very proud and dominant normally). I’m also very easy to embarrass as I’m not very comfortable talking directly about certain sorts of… umm… “romantic” things and avoid almost all forms of public affection. Above all else I look for people who can understand and relate to me via interests and experiences and who I can also relate to in the same way. Probably the same thing most people look for… but figured I should mention it. Would rather not be paired up with Ruki, I have a huge personal grudge against him that dates back to More Blood – and a part of me still plots his doom. (I apologize deeply to all the Ruki fans though.)

Hope this wasn’t too long, I feel a bit silly. (^_^;)

Take your time and have fun with this.

Could I please be anonymous?”

Admin Abi: Oh my~ what a long and detailed match up!! I really enjoyed reading it and I NEED to say that I felt identified with many parts!! Well~ I hope you get to see it “anon-chan” ;D and I thank you for the long wait. Long reply for a long match!

*finishing your match up*

Your romantic match is…

Reiji!

I must say/confess…I seriously I thought I was reading Reiji’s female description! I don’t intend to offend you and I apologize if I did. But you see…I want to explain myself a little more as to why I said it…

I'll tell you how you two met! After some time that you were studying in a school, you just wasn’t able to fit. Your parents then decided to change you into a more private school. They even changed you into a night-time school. During that time of the day, they thought you would be able to fit more since there would be less students as well as to keep your high level of education. They sing you up to this school and to be honest you weren’t very sure or excited about it. It would mean to adapt one more time and start all over again. Adapting to the time, education system and…met new people once again. On your first day you had a hard time finding your classroom…you were lost and let’s say you didn’t know exactly how you ended up in the chemistry laboratory. You knocked and…a handsome and elegant man opened. He seemed somehow annoyed, but he asked you what is that you wanted. You showed him your schedule and asked him where you could find your class. He gave you the directions and you thank him. This encounters seem to happen constantly since you seemed to always cross paths. He was always polite (and annoyed) and gave you instructions whenever you needed. One time you asked a girl of your class if she knew him so you could thank him properly for all his help. She was surprised and told you that he was no other that Reiji Sakamaki, the most popular family in school. She was more surprised that you get to be in good terms with the second eldest of the brothers.

“Reiji is well known to be the perfect gentleman…but he is unrechable. He’s cold towards everyone and thinks of himself above all. No one has see him dating any girl and he just closes himself in the chemistry laboratory, yet he is the top student in school. I really think you shouldn’t try to catch him, you’ll end up rejected” the girl told you. It’s not like you had those intentions with him in the first place, you just wanted to thank him. The next day you went to his class and simply left him a small note telling him how greatful you were. He was impressed? You couldn’t tell to be honest. You kept having encounters with him, you discovered that he was a little more open when you both were alone. He showed you his perfectionist nature as his sadist part. Yet…you seem to be unavoidable attracted to him. You of course were polite and a lady at first and that gave you extra points! He never confessed to you directly? He just simply let know that you now belong to him~.

He can’t believe how many things you both have in common. Just like you Reiji has an interest in botanics and science. You both have created a small garden with all types of herbs and a small section with flowers. You two sometimes have disagreements since you both are very logical, so you tend to discuss about some things. There were times in which you had troubles with him since he can’t stand being told what he should do (I mean it wasn’t your intention to offend him…you just tried giving him some advice!). Yet…even Reiji had it difficult to make you afraid…you were so difficult to intimidate, how you do it?.

He also had some troubles accepting or at least trying not to change you that much about your preferences. He sometimes have problems dealing with your more masculine nature…but well no one is 100% perfect. He sighs loudly and you know that you are doing something that is bothering him. He also doesn’t like that you tend to hang more with men that girls, yet he knows that even though you are nice and such with them…no one could provide you with the things he offers for you like a deep connection both mental and emotional. He also don’t mind the fact that you have social problems…I mean he manages to keep you with him almost all the time. He’s pleased whenever you dress like a lday or all cute just for him…it makes him feel good with the fact that he gets to know you better than anyone.

He understands what is like to grow alone and being force (in a way) to always give your best and being the best. He felt like he needed to have you all by himself and you fekt the same. You had someone to care for (well not literally but as a target to your attentions and love) and so has he. He always take care of you no matter the circunstances, he has found you and has no intention to let you go…never!

Your dates are mostly staying at his room, having a nice cup of Earl Grey tea (of the highest quality, who you think he is?) and discussing for hours about deep and serious topics. He enjoys your vast knowledge in literature, sciences, botanics, medice, linguistics, witchcraft (which he also has used), gentics…man, he can talk to you for hours and just like you said there are times you both wished the day had more hours to keep going. Even your drawings, pieces of art and knowledge in general never cease to stop to amaze him (he won’t admit it though…his biggest attempt to praise you, would be telling you “you did a good job” or “Indeed you are right about this”). Your interests are so vast that is incredible to make you both stop (Reiji is the one that always stops the conversation in order to go to sleep). Reiji sometimes have problems with your huge invest of time in your video games…but he accepts that a break once in a while is important. You small walks also doesn’t bother him that much…he has one of his familiars keeping an eye on you at all moments so he doesn’t have to worry and can concetrate on his chores and experiments in peace.

Reiji is a true gentleman: he always remembers the important dates, the things that you like and those you don’t. I can tell you that he knows perfectly that you are rather new when it comes with romantic things, so he doens’t push you into hand holding or kissing since he, himself, doesn’t like it. Your submissive nature with his dominant one makes a great combination, he feels so proud that he gets to see your true nature…and that you show it just for him…not just in a “pervert way”, but also as the chatty and even your akwardness. Because that true self with imperfections and all…is what makes you perfect to his eyes. You are so perfect together: YOU TWO HAVE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON THAT HE SHOULD THANK HEAVENS FOR SENDING HIM SOMEONE AS PERFECT FOR HIM AS YOU!!

I hope you liked it and that I made sense? I feel that in some parts I wasn’t very clear or…maybe that was just my imagination…?

Either way hope you get to see it and like it of course…and thank you for your patience again!!

[allons-y-to-hogwarts-713]

All the numbers for the music ask

Thank you so much! Anon, I love you. ❤️❤️❤️

1. three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle—“Still Into You” by Paramore—“Low Day” by Capra (wow it’s been a while)—“All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera

2. three last songs you listened to—“Finish What You Started” by Every Avenue—“I Forgive You” by Every Avenue—“The Story Left Untold” by Every Avenue(If you couldn’t tell, I’m listening to a playlist of Every Avenue rn because I like them but don’t know much of their music very well, so it keeps me awake while I’m working on a paper without taking my focus by making me sing along)

3. three songs you were recently obsessed with—“This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman—“Phantom” by NateWantsToBattle—“Santa Fe” from Newsies (OBC lately)

4. three songs that you know thanks to your parents—“Rock of Life” by Rick Springfield—“A Little Too Late” by Toby Keith—“Pass It On Down” by Alabama

5. three songs you wish you could forget (because listening to them hurts)—“Into the West” from Lord of the Rings (we sang it in chorus in high school and I looove Peter Hollens’s version, but I heard it with bad timing once and now I can’t listen to the song without crying)—“Home” by Daughtry—“Why Should I Worry” by Billy Joel (again, love it but bad timing has forever tainted it)

6. three songs you wish you could erase from history (because they’re terrible)—“Gangnam Style”by Psy—“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel—“Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj

7. three songs you didn’t expect to like but eventually loved—“What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction—“Monster” by Skillet (the first song I ever heard by them)—“Living in Oz” by Rick Springfield

8. three songs that remind you most of summer and vacation—“Summer Breeze” by The Isley Brothers—“Mayberry” by Rascal Flatts—“Little Bitty” Alan Jackson

9. three songs that get you in the Christmas Mood—“This Christmas” by Elliot Yamin—“That Christmas Feeling” from the Phineas and Ferb holiday episode/album—“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” pretty much any version

10. three favourite Halloween/spooky songs—“Lost in the Shadows” by Lou Gramm (from The Lost Boys)—“Thriller” by Michael Jackson—“The Oogie Boogie Song” from The Nightmare Before Christmas (love the song, but still can’t watch him)

11. three favourite songs from movie or TV series soundtrackOkay so I’m not counting musicals (including Disney movie musicals) because it would be all of them; also I’m just going with what first comes to mind because…there’s a lot—“Ain’t Got Rhythm” from Phineas and Ferb—“Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (but Frank Sinatra’s version)—“A Single Man Tear” from Supernatural

12. three favourite songs from video games(not counting songs from Guitar Hero)—Animal Crossing theme—Sonic Heroes theme song (shut up) (I’m not in the fandom, and the song was the only part of that particular game that I really liked)—The Nintendogs Naptime record

13. three songs you want at your funeral—“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet Boys (or any BSB song)—“Home Sweet Home” by Mötley Crüe—and I guess I should have a hymn so “I’ll Fly Away” by Keith Urban or even better is Tim Lovelace’s “Away Fly I’ll” (I swear if my family plays a really old blah staticky country quartet version of a hymn that sounds like it would be on a possessed record, I will sit back up and change it myself)

14. three songs you want at your wedding—“Just Fishin’” by Trace Adkins would be my father-daughter dance—“Fine By Me” by Andy Grammer—“Forever and Ever, Amen” by Randy Travis

15. three songs you want to dance with your love to—“I Promise You” by the Backstreet Boys—“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran—“This I Swear” by Nick Lachey

16. three favourite songs for sexOkay so I haven’t had/don’t have this and I’m not encouraging it, buuuut a lot of songs are about it sooooo I’ll still answer, but if any of these are actually really awkward…oops—“Tonight I’m [Lovin’] You” by Enrique Iglesias—“Lay Your Hands on Me” by Bon Jovi—“Bésame Mucho” I like the version by Thalía and Michael Bublé

17. three songs that remind you of your crush—“Accidentally in Love” by Counting Crows—“I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from Disney’s Hercules—“If Only” from Disney’s Descendants

18. three songs that remind you of your best friendAnswering with three different friends in mind, and none of these are lyric-based but just because they like the song/band/etc.—“Dream On” by Aerosmith—“Footloose” by Kenny Loggins—“What Is This Feeling?” from Wicked

19. three songs that are your guilty pleasure—“Year 3000” by the Jonas Brothers—“Take Me or Leave Me” from RENT—“Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard (it’s totally horrible but it’s so gosh darn catchy)

20. three songs that remind you of the person who sends this oneThough I have a guess about who sent this, you’re on anon so—“Who Can It Be Now?” by Men at Work—“Who Are You” by The Who—“As Long As You Love Me” by the Backstreet Boys

21. three songs of your childhood—“Oh Where Is My Hairbrush?” from VeggieTales—“I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King—“I’ll Be Your Everything” by Youngstown

22. three songs you listen to when you’re sad—“Alone Together” by Fall Out Boy—“Renegade” by Daughtry—“Broken” by Seether feat. Amy Lee

23. three songs that never fail to get you pumped up—“Feel Invincible” by Skillet—“Eye On It” by tobyMac—“Determinate” from Lemonade Mouth

24. three favourite old songsHow old are we talking here?—“Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra—“Save the Last Dance for Me” by The Drifters—“Chattanooga Choo-Choo” I like the Andrews Sisters’ version

25. three favourite songs of 2017—“What Do I Know?” by Ed Sheeran—“Believer” by Imagine Dragons—“…Ready for It?” By Taylor Swift

26. three favourite non-English songs—“Bashana Haba’a” which we recently sang in choir—“Uh Oh” by Chloe Wang (aka Chloe Bennet aka Daisy Johnson/Quake)—“Dímelo” by Marc Antony

27. three songs that you sing while drunkI’ve never been drunk so I don’t know what I would sing but probably—something Broadway really off-key—something Disney—something I don’t even like

28. three best songs to get drunk or high toI’ve never done either so my guesses are—“Drink With Me” from Les Misérables—“Glad You Came” by The Wanted—“Take It Easy” by the Eagles

29. three songs that influenced you most (some songs change or save lives)—“Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Misérables (one of the first songs that really got me interested musicals/musical theatre I think)—“Arise” by Newsong—“Here I Am” from Camp Rock

30. three songs you really want your followers to know (for reasons other than all those above)—“C'est La Vie” by B*Witched—“In a World Like This” by the Backstreet Boys—“Love Is Here” by Tenth Avenue North

[johngarrisonmusic]

Tour Diary Part 2

Arrive at JFK fully expecting a thorough, Trump era inspection and interrogation. However, I breeze through immigration and even have a nice conversation with Errol, my inspector. Although his authority muscle was flexed a little when questioned what music I was playing. “I play bass for James Blunt” I reply. “Who?” he says “That’s Showbiz” I quip……..!!!! An icy stare falls onto the once happy face of Errol. “I only like rap” are his final words as he stamps my passport and shouts “Next”

June 26

3 hours sleep. 4am lobby call. It’s Good Morning America live performance today of “OK”, Blunt’s new single here in the States. This track is quite personal for me as they are releasing a version of the track that I remixed along with James, as the main version to radio here in the States.  You need to have many strings to the bow to make a living in music these days. We’re all in a daze as we check our hire gear. God knows what time our crew arrived but all the gear is set up and ready to go.  Writing this a few days later and I can’t remember much about the performance but the label and management all seemed happy. I think. Or maybe I dreamt that…!!!

Jet lag and the general buzz of being in New York means an attempted snooze doesn’t happen. So Pembers (keys), Kristoff (drums) and I go for a power walk around Central Park. Gotta take the opportunities to stay in shape on the road. Something I’ve learned over the years. And failed at mostly..!!! Central Park is such a wonderful place.  It never fails to impress. A perfect way to pass a few hours off.  Days like this I feel very privileged to be doing what I do.

We then head off to another TV studio to perform on the Seth Myers Show. The studio is bloody freezing. It’s always the way with US TV shows. God knows why. There must be a reason. No idea what that is though. But it’s full jacket wearing performance for this show.  Which is odd as it’s 27oC outside.   A planned big night out in NYC is thwarted by jetlag that eventually kicks in too hard to ignore. Early night for us boring folk. How very un rock n roll…!!!

June 27

5am wake up. Not for any particular reason. Just jetlag. But that’s ok in NYC. I go out and wander the streets for 4 hours interspersed with coffee breaks. I still love this city. I lived here for 2 years back in 2006/7. It still feels like home. There’s an energy that emanates through the floor here. You can feel it coming out the walls of the buildings and skyscrapers. Everyone is here for a reason. There is a focus here that brings out the creative side in everyone who has one. I still love it and today I soak it up.

We are performing on Kelly and Ryan TV show today.  Another freezing studio. A trailer filled with farmyard animals is parked right outside our dressing room. The odd ‘Moooo” and Baaahaaaa” interrupting James’ vocal warm up are highly amusing breaks to the tedious boredom of TV world. Still no idea why they were there as they never appeared on the show…!! Slightly gutted that the very cute Kelly is on holiday.  It’s always a treat for the eyes playing on her show.

The boredom is abruptly shattered when we are told we have to lose 30 seconds of the track. We have already soundchecked so it’s a strategic edit arranged, board meeting style, around the table with no way of checking. Times like this we are thankful we are a fully live band with no backing track. We visually cue the changes live on air while being broadcast to millions. It’s times like this you know you are alive. It works. No time to stress or panic. We nail it. 3 mins dead. Everyone is happy. And we are done for the day. With nothing but a fight tomorrow, there is a palpable air of excitement amongst the band.

We head downtown to my favourite Italian restaurant in NYC called Emilio’s Ballato. It’s an old school mafia style Italian that I was introduced to when I lived here. Emilio is a terrifying, yet lovable character who sits at the door. Always does. Has done for decades. You only have to imagine a mafia style Italian restaurant owner with a gravelly voice who has to occasionally pop out to “take care of business” to know what he looks like. The mental picture you have now……. That’s Emilio.   The first time I came here, Sting was sat at the first table with Jay Z and Rhianna. It’s that kinda place. Emilio Jnr takes us to a table and explains the menu in his “baddabing” way.  It’s so cliché one or 2 of our party suspect it’s all a show. But I know for a fact it is not. The family back in Sicily send over the ingredients twice a week. All 3 of Emilio’s sons work at the place. It’s the real deal. And it’s awesome.

Tonight we are all on the guest list of the Imelda May gig at Webster Hall. Pembers, our keyboard player, is Imelda’s player too. He depped out the last 2 Imelda gigs as they clashed with the Blunt tour.  But coincidence means we are all here in NYC. The band are amazing and Imelda’s voice soars in this place. A great old school sweaty gig. We hang out with the band at an Irish bar around the corner after the show. God knows what time we finished but it was a long hazy walk back to the hotel. 

Goodbye NYC 

June 28

Flight to Kansas today. We arrive to find they have not sent the mini bus that we asked for, but a car….!!! For 12 of us. So we squeeze in 3 cars with gear and bags on our laps. It’s not all glamour…!! 

June 29 It’s the first day of our Ed Sheeran support today. Kansas City the first show. Still  jetlagged. I’m up and wide awake at 5am. I decide to check out Kansas. I set off on a head clearing 90 minute walk. In the space of a few minutes, the sky turns apocalyptic black and I’m suddenly in the middle of an almighty downpour and a violent thunder storm.  Flash floods come hurtling down the street. It’s actually pretty scary. But awesome too. Mother nature flexing her muscle and reminding us how insignificant we all are. Trash cans hurtling down the street. I run back to the hotel and watch the storm from the safety of my hotel window. 

A post shared by JohnnyVic (@satellites_johnnyvic) on Jun 29, 2017 at 5:38am PDT

The tour bus pulls up outside our hotel. Always a hugely exciting moment. There’s something about American tour buses. It’s probably subconsciously linked to the childhood dream of touring the States that most musicians had at some point. But also just how cool the busses look. This is home for the next 2 months.

We get to the venue.  The Sprint Arena. Sold Out 16,000. We meet Ed and all the crew. They are all super nice and friendly which is a welcome relief. It’s not always the case. The support act can occasionally be treated as a lesser entity. But not here. I think the fact James is such a big name in his own right helps. And the fact James and Ed are friends. Ed co-wrote some of the tracks on James’ new album and we even recorded one of them at Ed’s house earlier in the year.

We soundcheck the whole set. It feels a bit weird. Ed does his thing with just an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal. And rarely sound checks. So seeing all our full band gear on his stage feels a little intrusive on his minimal set. But again, Ed’s crew are all super helpful and asking if we need anything.  We iron out a few issues from the rehearsals and drop a song as we creep over our allocated 40 mins.

My Bass Set up.

James and I then play a quick 3 song set unamplified on acoustic guitars for 25 competition winners. We haven’t worked out the songs before on acoustics so it’s very much on the fly. But they all seem thrilled.

Ed pops in to wish us luck as we all do our vocal warm ups. We go on.

It’s a younger crowd than we are used to. It’s quite clear pretty early on that a few of them have no idea who James is. I guess it is 12 years since his debut album was no.1 here in the States. But rather sweetly, you can see a lot of the crowd are holding their phones with the lyrics on and are attempting to sing along. So cute.

James announces “most of you were probably conceived to this song” as he strikes up the opening chords to the world wide smash that is “You’re Beautiful”. You can see the penny drop in the audience. And in a scene reminiscent of an 80’s style cheesy high school movie, the crowd slowly all get to their feet and whoop, with fists in the air as they all realise ‘it’s that guy’. It’s an amazing moment. And from that point on it’s an amazing show. James gets all the 16,000 to their feet as he piano surfs during the outro of our set.

We all come off and have a post gig huddle. It’s a success. There’s always a slight element of doubt before a support gig. But those doubts are put to bed tonight. Ed pops in before his set and pours us all a mandatory Tequila.

Ed hits the stage to an ear splitting shrill of 16,000 very excited people. It’s an amazing spectacle. Just a man and a guitar with a loop pedal. He is a master of his craft. Everyone is on their feet. From the hardcore fans at the front to the reluctant parents on the very back row, Ed has them all in the palm of his hand. With just the occasional look down at his loop pedal multi track set up, the accompaniments he makes on the fly with his voice and beating the guitar body for percussion, it’s seamless. And mighty impressive.

[thrashff]

P.A. (Part 3)

Title: P.A. (Personal Assistant)

(Part 3/?)

Part 2 | Part 4

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader (AU)

Word count: 3,200~

Synopsis: Y/N is stuck in a dead-end job, conflicted between pursuing her music career as a producer and her social anxiety. In a tight spot for money, she takes on a new, well-paying job that she desperately needs as Personal Assistant to the cold and emotionally distant Namjoon, an up and coming rap artist. (Cameos from the rest of the Bangtan boys)

A/N: Did anyone want some more BestFriend!Yoongi? Some shirtless Namjoon? No? Just me? Okay then.

It’s Saturday night, and you and Yoongi have decided to stay in.

“You’re late,” he accuses as you enter his apartment with your copy of the key.

You roll your eyes and drop the boxes of pizza on the kitchen counter. “I forgot to bring his Majesty Namjoon his meals for tomorrow.” You shrug off your jacket and hang it on the peg behind the door, kicking off your boots at the same time. “You know, you can have pizza delivered instead of making me go get it.”

“Pizza delivery always leaves some of the toppings on the box cover,” he complains. “Bring it over, will you?”

You roll your eyes and grab the boxes, bringing them with you to the living room, where he’s playing a video game. “You’re a lazy asshole.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he responds, not even removing his eyes from the screen.

“Just reminding you, in case I haven’t said it today.” 

You open a box and take a slice, holding it in front of his face so that he can take a bite before taking one of your own. Using this method, the both of you eat through the first pizza as you quietly watch him play. Afterwards you get up to get your drinks, slipping a straw into his so he can drink without having to pause, and you stretch out on the sofa, resting your head on his lap as you browse your social media accounts.

“How was your first week?” Yoongi finally asks, having reached a checkpoint.

You glance at the screen to check his progress, and then shrug. “He’s an ice king and kind of harsh,” you confess. “But a job is a job, and he could be worse, I guess.”

“It’s funny,” he says, finally putting the controller down and opening the second box. “He’s only like that around you. I mean, he’s a perfectionist in the studio and pretty authoritative, but he’s a total goofball during down time,”

“Wait,” you say, pulling yourself up into a seated position. “You’ve been working with him?”

“Yeah,” he answers, mouth full of food. “I was ahead of schedule on my EP, and he asked me to produce one of the songs on the album.”

“And you like working with him?” you ask incredulously, and your best friend looks at you weirdly, nodding slowly. “Ugh!” you complain, whacking him in the arm with one of the throw pillows. “He’s an automaton! He’s not human! And all he raps about are chicks and how big his dick is!”

“Freedom of speech,” he says, dodging your attack. “What’s your point?”

You glare at him. “You’re supposed to be on my side, you know,”

“Yoongi is only on Yoongi’s side. Do you not know this yet?” he points out.

“You’re terrible and I hate you,” you tell him—something that is quickly becoming a mantra. You hope that if you say it enough times he’ll disappear, like an evil spirit or a bad dream.

“Stop pouting,” he complains. “It was just an observation.”

You hold the pillow you used to smack him close to your chest. “Maybe he just doesn’t like me,” you mumble into the fabric.

Yoongi nods enthusiastically. “That’s probably it. You are butt fucking ugly. Maybe he doesn’t like your face.”

You snap and jump on him, digging a knee into his ribcage and wrestling him down. “My face is a work of art, you asshole! I’ll show you ‘butt fucking ugly’!”

He raises his fingers in a cross at you, twisting to get off the couch and away. “Y/N! Don’t come near me, you animal! You haven’t gotten your rabies shot yet! Get back! Get back!”

You bare your teeth at him in a snarl, and chase him around the apartment until you both collapse on the bed in laughter. The quick game of cat and mouse leaves both of you panting, and he closes his eyes, blinding reaching out and patting the closest body part he can reach—which just so happens to be your face.

“Don’t worry, Y/N. Someday they’ll invent technology that will make you as pretty as me,” he tries to say soothingly.

You make a face and stick your tongue out, making him quickly retract his offending appendage. “Yeah, and when that day comes, I’ll have to apologize to the entire population.”

“Why do you hate me so much?” he whines, maneuvering so that he’s lying next to you. He loops an arm around yours, curling slightly to embrace it like a pillow. His chin settles into the crook of your shoulder, and you automatically tilt your head so that your own chin rests on top of his. “All I do is tell you the truth.”

“Sometimes I just… sometimes I don’t wanna hear it, Suga,” you say wearily, reverting to your childhood nickname for him.

He swings a leg over yours, knowing the weight comforts you. A comfortable silence stretches between you, until he quietly says, “Jimin asked me why you dance so well.”

You blink at the ceiling. “I didn’t mean for him to find out,” you say.

“I know, Ducky.” It’s an annoying nickname, brought on in high school when he likened your dancing to a duck’s waddle, but it’s grown on you over the years. A hand reaches up and tugs at a lock of your hair. “How’s your back?”

“I still get shooting pains when I’m standing too long,” you answer honestly. “But it didn’t hurt after dancing with Jimin, so maybe it’s getting used to movement again.”

“You should dance more often,” he states.

“And you should write better verses.”

“You should get plastic surgery.”

“You should brush your teeth.”

“You should give me a massage.”

“You should stop drinking so much.”

“You should admit you find Namjoon attractive.”

“You should SHUT THE FUCK UP.”

You aren’t an idiot, you remind yourself in the days that follow. Of course Namjoon is attractive. Every girl in the building is probably already part of his fanclub, and he naturally commands the attention of every room he enters no matter who’s already in it. He’s tall and lean and exceptionally handsome in an off-kilter kind of way—the kind of face and presence that’s difficult to forget even if you try. More often than not you even find yourself jealous of his sense of style, admiring the way he puts his outfits together and complaining to yourself that God just really isn’t fair.

But more than his physical appearance and in spite of yourself, you start to pay more attention to how he interacts with everyone else in the studio. You notice that he always makes the receptionist in the front office laugh when he greets her in the morning, and that he gives the security guard in the lobby a special handshake whenever he sees him. He grows close to Director Bang very quickly, and the other producers he’s consulted with all seem to respect him.

You also notice that he breaks almost everything he comes into contact with—everything from doorknobs to his own glasses, like he doesn’t realize his own strength, or like he lowkey gets excited so easily that his usually graceful movements become brash.

Even when you’re busy, you find yourself noting even his smaller habits, like how he chews on his bottom lip when he’s anxious, or that he subconsciously wears thumb holes into all of his sweaters. In fact, the only time you don’t watch him is during the times you can’t—when he’s holed up in the studio working, or when he leaves to go home.

Yoongi reports, even though you never really ask, that his album is coming together quickly. Whenever he brings up your “boss,” you stare at him blankly to make it clear that you don’t care and simply return to whatever it was you were doing before he started talking.

The days breeze by, and you fall into a comfortable routine. It gets to the point where you can tell what kind of tea he needs in the mornings just by how he’s dressed—he wears black or grey when he’s frustrated or bored, so you give him White Peony to help soothe his nerves; accents of color (usually pink) when he’s in a good mood, so you give him Tie Guan Yin to help keep help sustain it; earth tones when he’s in a fit of melancholy, so you make him Earl Grey to help ground him.

You begin to read his body language and mood shifts so well that he’s stopped telling you what to get him for lunch, and actually allows you to choose for him. He’s as cold and dismissive to you as ever, but over time and continued exposure, you both begin to ease into each other’s presence like it’s a natural part of your day. He slowly begins to trust you more, giving you more and more responsibility in the planning of his debut, and things finally begin to look up.

“Namjoon,” you call, swiping the keycard that lets you into his apartment. “I’m here!”

A quick look around shows you that he isn’t in the kitchen or living room, so you sigh and set down the bag of food on the counter.

“Namjoon?” you call again, slipping your bag off your shoulder and hanging it on the peg he’s assigned you.

“I’m in here!” he calls from the bedroom-turned-home-studio, and you sigh and swipe the extra-large chai latte he requested from the kitchen and make your way over.

“Fuck!” you exclaim, freezing in the doorway at the sight of him standing shirtless in front of his closet. Your mouth falls open in shock, and you gape at him stupidly for a few seconds, trying and failing not to stare at his abs or perfectly toned arms.

“What do you think you’re doing, Y/N?” he exclaims, his voice an octave higher than normal as he pulls the shirt he’s holding closer to his chest, as though to protect his dignity.

The question finally forces you from your shocked state, and your hand automatically snaps up to cover your now-shut eyes with a painful whack. “Ouch!” you complain, rubbing your forehead as you shove his drink in front of you blindly. “When you called I thought you meant you wanted me to bring this to you!” you explain in a rush, feeling your cheeks burn.

Against your will your knees lock together awkwardly, as though it will help alleviate the sudden pool of tension in your lower belly. It’s been a while since you’ve had sex, granted, but holy sex-cuts, seeing a man’s body shouldn’t have this effect on you, let alone his. He’s your boss, you berate yourself furiously. What if he fires you for this?

You hear the rustle of fabric, and sense him walking across the carpeted floor in socked feet closer to you. He takes the drink from you, his fingers grazing yours ever-so-slightly. “I’m decent now,” he informs you, having seemingly recovered from his initial surprise, and you drop your hand but keep your eyes on the floor.

“Sorry,” you mumble before you turn around and march out of the doorway and back to the kitchen, where you place his breakfast burrito on a plate and set it on the counter with his usual condiments. He isn’t far behind you, sipping his drink, looking completely unflustered. If anything, he now looks mildly entertained by your reaction.

“I have those mood boards you wanted me to print,” you tell him as he takes a seat on the barstool across from you.

He nods. “Could you set them up in the living room? I want to see them laid out by concept.”

You mumble an affirmative and head into the adjoining room, glad for the slight reprieve from his presence, if only to collect yourself and will your cheeks to stop burning. You set up the boards as he requested, all possible pegs for his album. He finishes his breakfast quickly and joins you, studying them intently.

“What do you think?” he suddenly asks, making you startle. It’s the first time he’s ever asked you for your opinion, and you blink at him slowly, wondering how, after a very long month, he still manages to surprise you.

You chew on the inside of your cheek, considering how honestly you should answer him before deciding fuck it, the worst he can do is dismiss your opinion, seeing as how you just survived seeing him shirtless and managed to keep your job.

“Well,” you begin tentatively, and point to the first set of pegs. “This one clearly thrives on a lot of old-school hiphop references, but is it really relevant now? I mean, most of the people who listen to your music probably aren’t even old enough to know what you’re referencing, or that it’s meant to be an homage,”

You glance at him, but he’s just nodding, a hand in the pocket of his jeans as he presses the edge of his paper coffee cup to his mouth. “Go on,” he hums.

You turn to the second set and shake your head. “This one is the complete opposite, like someone took a grade schooler’s idea of the year 2000 and wrapped it in tin foil. And I don’t mean in a cool, TLC circa No Scrubs kind of way,”

“Too much Sisqo, not enough Tupac?” he jokes, and it surprises a genuine laugh from you.

“I don’t think anyone but him can rock the metallic silver lipstick, no offense,” you return, and he chuckles.

“And the last one?” he prompts.

“It’s pretty,” you say, after a few moments.

“Pretty?” he repeats, raising an eyebrow.

You grimace. “Yeah, but that’s all it is. It’s missing something, an edge. Something that makes it more than just aesthetically pleasing.” Your eyes dart back to him, all black fabric and lean lines in the soft morning sun filtering in from the floor-to-ceiling windows. “What are you planning to call your album, anyway?”

He returns your gaze, and you straighten your posture at the scrutinizing look in his eyes. “Rap Monster,” he finally answers.

“Rap Monster?” you repeat.

“Yeah, you know, because I am a rap monster. My old StormSound handle used to be ‘rapmon’,” he explains.

Your brain spasms, unable to come up with a reply to that. Instead you say, “Then what these concepts is missing is grit. None of them have that feral, street-smart quality that your verses have.”

“You’ve listened to my songs?”

You shrug, crossing your arms in front of your chest protectively because something about the question suddenly seems too personal. “Just your informal online releases, not a lot of what you’ve been working on for the debut,” you admit. Unable to stop yourself, you add, “I’m more than just a pretty face, you know,” in what you hope is a joking manner, remembering what he told Yoongi and Director Bang the first time you met.

All he says is “hmm,” and you try to brush off your annoyance at his nonchalance.

“So what you’re saying is it should be gritty,” he confirms.

“I’m suggesting,” you say carefully, “that it should be an honest visual representation of the music. All the best hiphop albums have been about things that are real—sex, love, politics, struggle and strife. None of these-” you gesture at the boards. “-reflect any of those things. They don’t reflect your music, and they don’t reflect who you are.”

“Who I am?” he repeats.

“When you started out, how did you imagine yourself as an artist?” you ask him.

He chuckles at that, and runs a hand through his hair, turning away from you. You try not to stare at his throat as he takes another sip of his drink, mulling over the question.

“To be honest, I’ve been dreaming about making it big since I was 9 years old. I imagined myself walking everywhere with a giant spotlight on me, finally standing out of the crowd. Special, you know? Worthy.” He says the last part in a low voice; so low that you can barely hear him, as if he expects you to make fun of him.

Surprising yourself, you don’t make a comment about it being vain. His words are so sincere and the expression on his face is so painfully fucking human that it makes your chest contract.

“Then the album art should be exactly that,” you nod.

He lets out a bark of sudden laughter and turns abruptly back to face you, his eyes widening at the resolute expression on your face. His surprise at your words doesn’t last long, because he quickly schools his features into a neutral expression and takes a long sip of his drink. “I’ll think about it,” he finally says. “Make sure the samples I asked for are loaded onto the blue hard drive at Studio C. I’ll be in at 11.”

Recognizing the dismissal, you nod and make your way to the front door, retrieving your bag as you go. You’re halfway out when he calls out to you again.

“And Y/N?”

“Yes, Namjoon?” you respond, turning around, your hand on the knob, ready to leave.

“Thank you,” he says quietly, but even though his expression looks indifferent, the corners of his eyes are crinkled up, and you know that he’s smiling inside.

Your limbs go numb at the sight, and all you can do is nod.

You let out a long breath when you finally find yourself alone in the elevator, a stupid smile on your face and feeling, surprisingly enough, like your first actual conversation wasn’t a complete disaster.

The camaraderie between you and Namjoon, unfortunately, doesn’t last long. Within a few days he’s back to being an actual, real-life monster instead of a rapping one; berating you for imaginary infractions and acting disappointed with every decision you make. Your reserve of patience is quickly running dry, and even though you hate bitching about things, you find yourself ranting to Yoongi more and more often.

Even though he just shakes his head at you and ignores you for the most part, you feel better for having gotten it off your chest. You also find yourself sneaking into the dance studios more and more often, finding that the only healthy way you can vent out your frustration is through dance.

Saltwater is the cure for everything, you think, remembering one of your favorite quotes. Sweat, tears, and the sea.

Sadly, a visit to the beach was unimaginable on your schedule, and the only tears you want to see are of Namjoon’s suffering, so you start to dance harder and harder, pushing your body to do things you’ve been afraid to try since the doctors declared you physically fit again.

The only bright side to the situation is that thanks to the income that being Namjoon’s babysitter affords you, you’re finally able to pay off your loan from your parents and are even able to take classes again. And because you’re always looking for ways to work off stress, you find yourself writing and making more music than before.

On the day that you do your weekly groceries and can afford food healthier than instant noodles, you feel so overwhelmed you want to cry.

It’s the first time in years that you finally feel like your life is back on track.

To Be Continued

[downeystarkjr]

The Loft (Captain Swan AU) - Part 1/?

SUMMARY: An AU based on the TV show New Girl. After a break up, Emma finds an apartment she found on Craigslist, that she moves into with David Nolan, Robin Hood and Killian Jones. What's the worst that could happen?

Also available on AO3:http://archiveofourown.org/works/10312712

“And so, that’s why I need a new apartment,” Emma finally concluded her long-winded explanation about how she had just got out of a relationship with her boyfriend Neal who was having an affair behind her back. A small chuckle left her to try and lighten the awkward silence that now filled the penthouse four-bedroom apartment that the inhabitants referred to as The Loft. “I'm sorry, what was the question again?” she queried towards the three rather speechless men sitting on the couch in front of her.

All three were rather contrasting characters – except for how they all had different shades of blue eyes. David, the clean shaven blue-eyed blond was a football coach at one of the local schools in Los Angeles who liked to show off his athletic build by wearing sports vests or short sleeved t-shirts. The light brown-haired man sitting in the middle was Robin. He was the richest of the three friends and always went out to make a good impression, although, Robin did often act as if he was the greatest gift to all women. Finally, sitting at the other end of the couch with dark brown hair and the most alluring blue eyes - the sort of blue that reminded Emma of the ocean – emphasised by the eyeliner he wore. Emma did notice his style was rather different to what Robin and David opted for. Instead of a button up or a t-shirt, Killian sported a dark shirt complete with a waistcoat underneath his black leather jacket. He completed his outfit with black denim jeans and pirate style jewellery consisting of rings, a necklace, and an earring on his right ear. Emma figured he must have just had a preference for a more gothic style than his friends but noticed something else unusual about Killian, was that a prosthetic hand at the end of his arm?

“Do you have any pets?” he spoke out in response to Emma’s question, suddenly pulling her out of her thoughts that did often have the tendency to get the better of her.

“Oh er… no, my boy-… my ex-boyfriend was allergic to animals so we lived in a pet free zone,” she explained as she glanced around the room from where she sat, getting a perfect look at the dining area of the apartment and noticed the open plan kitchen. “You know what's funny? When I saw your ad on Craigslist, I thought you were women.” Emma commented honestly with a laugh, rather amused by the shocked expression on the three men’s faces to know of her misinterpretation. Robin seemingly more insulted than his friends.

“Women…? Why the bloody hell would you think that love? That's crazy.” Killian scoffed to hide his confusion about where Emma could have developed that idea from when reading the add.

“I mean, what-- ?” To say that David was speechless was an understatement and he sent dagger towards Killian with narrowed eyes. “Killian, I told you this was a bad idea.”

“Mate don’t blame me, Robin wrote the advertisement,” Killian was quick to add with a raised eyebrow, gesturing with his head to the friend who was still yet to speak. Probably due to the embarrassment of the situation.

‘This is what happens when you’re working in an agency surrounded by mainly women,’ Robin mentally scolded himself, rolling his eyes to Killian’s words.

“I dunno, I guess it was something about the words you used,” Emma shrugged, not seeing how it was such a big deal as the three men were making the situation out to be. “It was like, "sun-soaked" and "beige-y.” she continued, causing David and Killian to burst out in laughter at Robin’s expense.

“In my defense, the description of the apartment in the ad I wrote did the place justice and none of you two wanted to provide any input before I submitted it Craigslist,” Robin pointed out, turning his head to look at both of his friends who were sat on either side of him.

“You’re saying that as if it’s our fault Robin,” David countered with a light-hearted frown. The three friends really did have a brotherly vibe about them and Emma was curious to find out more about their friendship, having decided this was the place for her.

“Aye, Dave’s right mate, you’re the one who insisted on writing it because you work in advertising,” Killian nodded with an amused grin on his face, trying to stop himself from laughing and shrugged as he leant back on the couch. “So, we let do your job.”

“Well, it did bring a lady to the apartment, didn’t it?” Robin smirked with pride at what his ad had accomplished and winked at Emma. Wanting her to know there was nothing effeminate about him. “And we all know LLR, the Ladies Love Robin,” he added in a flirtatious and obvious self-centred tone which was closely followed by groans of disapproval from both Killian and David who didn’t hold back when making their opinion known.

“Oh Robin, come on, what is wrong with do you not hear yourself? Douchebag jar now,” David grimaced, giving Emma a look of apology. Something he imagined he’d have to do quite a bit is Emma moved in, knowing what Robin was like.

“Seriously?”

“What?” Killian had known Robin since his childhood and would always be surprised by what his friend would come up with. Which was why he and David invented the Douchebag jar concept, where Robin needed to put five dollars in the Douchebag Jar whenever he said anything crude or derogatory or self-centred. “What did you just say? Go put a dollar in the jar right now.”

“Fine! But I don’t see why I have to always be the one to put money in the jar,” Robin complained and reluctantly stood up and took a five dollar note out of his trouser pocket.

“That’s because we don’t say stuff like LLR,” David sounded, always acting like the older brother out of the three friends.

Emma couldn’t help but feel a mix of awkward and amused by how David, Robin and Killian interacted. She decided it was about time to step in and let them know that she wanted to move into the apartment with them. “Do you think I could see my room?”

“Excuse me love? Your room?” Killian was surprised to hear that Emma still had intentions of calling The Loft, her new home despite what she just witnessed.

Emma nodded, pushing her black-rimmed glasses closer to her green eyes before playing with the end of her hair that was tied in a high ponytail. She was rather eager to see the rest of the place she was moving into. “Uh-huh, I don’t really have anywhere else to go since I can’t really stay at my friends house, did I mention they’re all models?” Emma feigned innocence, hoping the fact many of her friends were models would convince the three men to let her stay.

“How soon can you move in?” at the mention of models, Robin’s expression lit up in anticipation. Finding himself grateful that Emma answered the advertisement if it meant he could date a model.

“Wait Robin, we need to think about this, Miss Swan, excuse us for a minute,” David said calmly as the voice of reason and took his two friends to his room so they could discuss things away from the presence of Emma.

“Guys, her friends are models we have to say yes,” Robin was clearly not going to take no for an answer and did not see why his friends had reservations about letting Emma into their home.

“And what if one of us starts hitting on her? Or even sleeping with her?” David questioned, gesturing with his hands to emphasise the risk they were facing if they agreed with Robin. “Killian, the deciding vote lies with you, but I don’t think I can take that much drama. We discussed this before that we were looking for a guy to move in.”

Killian sighed as he listened to David and Robin continue to argue with each other over the matter. “We did say we were hoping for another man, just to keep things simple. But..”

“Killian you’re weak!”

“Hey Dave, hear me out mate,” Killian placed his one hand on David’s shoulder as a way of keeping him calm. “I know what it’s like to live with a woman and I honestly have to agree with Robin, we have to at least give her a chance.”

Robin didn’t even wait to hear David’s protests as he headed out back to the living space of the apartment with a wide welcoming smile to Emma. “You’re in, welcome to the loft!”

“What? Really? Thank you so much!” Emma couldn’t believe her luck and hugged back when Robin gave her a sudden embrace. “You won’t regret this I promise you,” she insisted while the other two men walked back to join her and Robin. “Wow, after breaking up with Neal I…” she began but found herself speechless, it really did seem as if things were looking up for her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Robin smiled like a Cheshire Cat, he was rather looking forward to having Emma as their new roommate, not only because of her model friends. “And hey, about your relationship, Killian understands.”

“Robin, don’t…” David knew Killian’s relationship history was a touchy subject and thought it best to warn Robin not to overstep the mark. He looked over to his leather-clad friend who was picking up his apartment keys.

Emma grew curious and turned her attention from Robin to the one-handed man. “What happened? Did your girlfriend dump you?” she asked in a sympathetic tone. Sometimes she would say the wrong thing at the wrong time and this was a perfect example where Emma regretted the words that came out of her mouth.

“Actually no love, she died,” Killian gave his response and met Emma’s gaze before Robin or David could have the chance to change the subject. It was a rather sensitive issue and Killian managed to smile as an attempt to hide the obvious hurt in his eyes. “And she wasn’t my girlfriend, she was my wife…”

“I’m so sorry, Killian I didn’t know... it wasn’t my intention to upset you,” any sign of a smile left from Emma’s face as she stepped closer to Killian who moved away from her. How could she have been so stupid? She should have known to handle the situation more delicately.

“Aye, like you said you weren’t to know,” Killian sighed heavily, blinking away any tears that threatened to fall as he headed to the front door. “I’m just going to leave,” he added quietly and walked over to the front door.

“Wait, please don’t go on account of me,” Emma tried to get Killian to stay but her attempts proved fruitless as he left without another word. “Oh my God… I’m so sorry, if I’ve upset him.”

“Emma it’s fine, Killian isn’t upset with you, trust me, he’s still struggling with his wife’s death. It hit him hard,” David was the comfort Emma needed and she let him guide her over to the couch once more. She didn’t notice the disappointed look her new friend directed at Robin for bringing the topic up.

“Killian’s made of stronger stuff than that,” Robin chose to ignore David’s glare and crouched down in front of Emma who was now sitting on the rather comfortable couch. “He had to leave to pick his daughter up.”

“His what?” Emma had not been expecting to hear that at all. There was no evidence in the advertisement Robin wrote to suggest there was a child living in the apartment. Not that it affected her decision at all. In fact, the revelation made Emma all the more curious about Killian. “He’s a father?”

[unikkornhall]

I Don’t Know Her

Basic Character Questions

First name? Nikolas

Surname? MCS

Middle names? nope

Nicknames? You can call me Nikko

Date of birth? 10/09/1991

Age? 27

Physical / Appearance

Height? 1,74m

Weight? 89Kg

Build? Wide, graciously curvy

Hair colour? Red [thanks science]

Hair style? It should be long, but shit happens.

Eye colour? Light Brown

Eye Shape? Oh well... Caucasian-ish?

Glasses or contact lenses? None

Distinguishing facial features? Ginger beard

Which facial feature is most prominent? Forehead galore

Which bodily feature is most prominent? Paleness? Big ass[ets]?

Other distinguishing features? Long torax, short legs, waist legend

Skin? Pale, smooth, full of spots #101Nikkatians

Hands? Big, soft, can snap for days

Make up? Translucid powder, eyebrow, mascara, bronze eyeshadow, go!

Scars? Under my nose [dog bite], on my head [hammock fail]

Birthmarks? None

Tattoos? yensiD [left wrist], Mickey [right forearm], gnuoy eb, duorp eb [hands]

Physical handicaps? None

Type of clothes? It’d be a lot more awkward, slutty and funny if only $$$

How do they wear their clothes? Oh well, you know... On my body

What are their feet like? (type of shoes, state of shoes, socks, feet, pristine, dirty, worn, etc) I’m a 43(br) and love all kind of boots [perv]

Race / Ethnicity? Caucasian, mainly Lebanese and Italian, but also everything else [shout out to Ireland]

Mannerisms? As I said, Italian, so... hands everywhere. And faces.

Are they in good health? My body tries, I get in the way of it

Do they have any disabilities? Hmmm... Maybe focus-wise....I don’t knSQUIRREL!!!

Personality

What words or phrases do they overuse? Like... What now?

Do they have a catchphrase? “I didn’t come out to see straight people.”

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Opt knowing deep inside shit is real

Are they introverted or extroverted? Ext Social Mask smothers Int Self

Do they ever put on airs? Behind a humble facade, yes

What bad habits do they have? Bad love choices, bad alcohol choices

What makes them laugh out loud? Almost everything, espeacially myself

How do they display affection? Taking care, criticizing, keeping around

Mental handicaps? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAdefinitely

How do they want to be seen by others? Good, loyal, fun, reliable

How do they see themselves? A fucking mess

How are they seen by others? Funny, airhead, always late, immature

Strongest character trait? Sense of humor, devoted, very protective.

Weakest character trait? Can’t decide until last minute. A little angry ego.

How competitive are they? Mostly okay.

Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider? Both

How do they react to praise? STAHP IT. No, srsly, stop.

How do they react to criticism? War in my mind (less apocalyptical if it is a constructive one, not only mean)

What is their greatest fear? Not knowing. Also Alzheimer’s. Arachinae.

What are their biggest secrets? You wish. ~immaho~

What is their philosophy of life? Don’t rush, don’t hush, judge before trust.

When was the last time they cried? Some random song this week

What haunts them? Darkness, regret, violence, gone too soon

What are their political views? Good laws to protect and respect all people

What will they stand up for? Friends, animals, injustice.

Who do they quote? Bad obscure cartoon characters

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? in, love nature, but sun, heat, insects... ugh, PEOPLE

What is their sinful little habit? Can’t really tell, can I?

What sense do they most rely on? Very grateful for sight, but hearing

How do they treat people better than them? If only there was such people

How do they treat people worse than them? Politely evil. [if by worse you mean a bad person]

What quality do they most value in a friend? Loyalty

What do they consider an overrated virtue? Family need

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Don’t overthink so much, be able to choose something and focus on it

What is their obsession? Music

What are their pet peeves? DON’T GO FUCKING CHANGING MY FUCKING PLAYLIST IN THE MIDDLE OF MY FUCKING SONG

What are their idiosyncrasies? It seems like I’ve been living in a musical for quite a while now.

Friends and Family

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of? Big, huge, love my siblings.

What is their perception of family? My space, your space, deal? [I don’t talk much to any of them]

Do they have siblings? Older or younger? I am the oldest, then there are 2 boys and 2 girls.

Describe their best friend. Ginger, unfair karma queen, the best.

Ideal best friend? A twin? [narcisist much?]

Describe their other friends. Easy going people, alcohol friendly, nighters

Describe their acquaintances. RMC, are you there?

Do they have any pets? Towanda, the cat. [Bridget, her sister, ran away]

Who are their natural allies? The walls at home?

Who are their surprising allies? The stage

Past and Future

What was your character like as a baby? As a child? Fat and smart

Did they grow up rich or poor? Okay, no big luxury, comfortable

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected? Emotionally negleted

What is the most offensive thing they ever said? *bleep*

What is their greatest achievement? Living alone

What was their first kiss like? Ugh, mall stairs, f u Marie

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? Let them go

What are their ambitions? The world, rule it.

What advice would they give their younger self? You go and do that and speak up and enjoy the fuck of it!

What smells remind them of their childhood? Plumeria rubra scent

What was their childhood ambition? Be a scientist

What is their best childhood memory? Seing Santa Claus

What is their worst childhood memory? Hearing stepdouche doing mom

Did they have an imaginary childhood friend? I don’t remember :^(

When was the last time they were crushed with disappointment? Pff! Good morning?!?!? Done.

What past act are they most ashamed of? Perform a Britney song to my steploser

What past act are they most proud of? Get into college

Has anyone ever saved their life? Not that I remember, but I did.

Strongest childhood memory? Making “herb-ice”

Love

Do they believe in love at first sight? Yep

Are they in a relationship? Nope

How do they behave in a relationship? Ugh....... Not well

When did you character last have sex? Ahahaha HOW DARE YOU?

What sort of sex do they have? THERE ARE CHILDREN READIN[I’m Breathless track 3]

Has your character ever been in love? Yes...yes

Have they ever had their heart broken? You can’t love and not have your heart broken

Conflict

How do they respond to a threat? Analysis and response

Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Tongue

What is your character’s kryptonite? A stupid thing to awnser

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? Books as a whole count? If not, my writings.

How do they perceive strangers? Fully.

What do they love to hate? Crocs [but I have one, FYI]

What are their phobias? Spidey, things falling [?!?]

What is their choice of weapon? Double 9mm OR Mr. Pointy

What living person do they most despise? Right awnser! SD! E FD.

Have they ever been bullied or teased? Hm... A fat gay boy in high school... I WONDER WHAT IT WAS LIKE?! [actually after a slow start I did very well socially in high school]

Where do they go when they’re angry? Smoke a cig... or 5

Who are their enemies and why? Toxic straight people, evil pocs, fascionistas bitches and unemployment.

Work, Education and Hobbies

What is their current job? English teacher

What do they think about their current job? I love my students

What are some of their past jobs? More of that. Also DJing

What are their hobbies? Assimilate culture

Educational background? College almost done than dropped

Intelligence level? ahahahah too much for my own good

Do they have any specialist training? Madonna 101: How to be a star and make fabulous detail-oriented tours and concept albums

Do they have a natural talent for something? Very bend-y. Can dance.

Do they play a sport? Are they any good? Long Time-distance Sleeping

What is their socioeconomic status? White privilege going bankrupt

Favourites

What is their favourite animal? Wolf and deer and unicorn

Which animal to they dislike the most? Eesh, besides arach-crew? Protozoa disturbs me

What place would they most like to visit? NY/Iceland/Japan

What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? Every dawn is it.

What is their favourite song? HA! As if I could, but I got some. Down Under - Men At Work is a good one.

Music, art, reading preferred? Gimme gimme blood! All of it, Love art.

What is their favourite colour? Green. [is rainbow a color?]

What is their password? anime character

Favourite food: Potato, Nachos and Watermellon

What is their favourite work of art? The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo DaVinci.

Who is their favourite artist? Oh boy... Gustave Doré. Mucha is one of them. DaVinci is the most important in my life. Björk in music.

What is their favourite day of the week? Wednesday

Possessions

What is in their fridge: many spices, little actual food

What is on their bedside table? water, saline solution and toilet paper

What is in their car? nothing because it does not exist

What is in their bin? used tissues, nails, empty snacks packages

What is in their purse or wallet? lot of hygiene itens, umbrella, more toilet paper, some books, e-reader, chargers, sunglasses, water bottle, mess

What is in their pockets? trash, coins, keys, cellphone, ID

What is their most treasured possession? My books

Spirituality

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? A very tired one

Do they believe in the afterlife? Yes

What are their religious views? Go nature, fuck people

What do they think heaven is? Peace

What do they think hell is? This?

Are they superstitious? Yep, a litte

What would they like to be reincarnated as? A happy person with a happy life

How would they like to die? No pain, no fear.

What is your character’s spirit animal? Bridget Jones. Maybe a capybara.

What is their zodiac sign? Virgo [asc Aqu moon Lib ven Leo]

Values

What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? Take away their freedom

What is their view of ‘freedom’? Being responsible for your own choices

When did they last lie? Some lines above SCANDAAAAAALL!!!!

What���s their view of lying? Sadly vital

When did they last make a promise? Last month

Did they keep or break their last promise? Hell yeah

Daily life

What are their eating habits? Bring it in

Do they have any allergies? Everything and nada, possible rhinitis.

Describe their home. Empty, quiet, books everywhere, clean but messy.

Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? FREACKING HOARDER BOSS

What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Tea

What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? Become one with the sofa

What do they do on a Friday night? Try to stay home, fails, go out

What is the soft drink of choice? Strawberry juice with condensed milk

What is their alcoholic drink of choice? Margarita [it is not a cocktail, but Bailey’s]

Miscellaneous

What is their character archetype? Chaotic Neutral towards Good [ENFp - #2w3]

Who is their hero? My fantasy autors, directors, painters.

What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween? Sailor Moon. Elvira. Scooby Doo. An Absolut bottle. Dorothy or Elphaba.

Are they comfortable with technology? Very

If they could save one person, who would it be? My older sibling.

If they could call one person for help, who would it be? Beyoncé

What is their favourite proverb? To know and not to do is not to know

What is their greatest extravagance? Eat good food without caring about the money

What is their greatest regret? Can’t recall any BIIIG one

What is their perception of redemption? To love fully, completely surrender to it, just because it feels right.

What would they do if they won the lottery? Give enough to my siblings be okay for their lives and then travel the world, never come back.

What is their favourite fairytale? Donkeyskin

What fairytale do they hate? Cinderella, too close to home maybe

Do they believe in happy endings? Yes

What is their idea of perfect happiness? Peace, freedom, money

What would they ask a fortune teller? How many children will I have?

If your character could travel through time, where would they go? Definetely the 80′s. Ancient Greece. Renaissence Italy. Feudal Japan. The Celts. And find out if there really was an Atlantis.

What sport do they excel at? Volleyball, gymnastics, can I say yoga?

What sport do they suck at? Most of them?

If they could have a superpower, what would they choose? Read minds, teleport, being invisible, Luke Cage Skin, The Phoenix... any of this haha OY WITH THE POODLES ALREADY!! Ugh, endless!!!! 

Thank you for your endurance through this! Well, that’s a little lot about me! Hope it will awnser some of your questions as they pop up. You can always ask. So, that is done. Bye now, 

- Nikko, the Unikkorn King

original questionaire by https://www.novel-software.com/