#although there are little variations in the lyrics

[bookendsguy]

I WANNA I WANNA I WANNA BE ADORED I WANNAAAAA I WANNNAAAA I WaAANNNA BE ADORED I GOTTA GOTTA GOTTA BE ADOOREDDDHH

[misskattylashes]

The Ballad of Miles Peter Kane

I’m writing this because 80% of the speculation in the AM/TLSP/MK fandom is about Alex – ‘he shags groupies, he’s gay, he’s bi, he’s autistic, he’s an arrogant bastard’....the list is endless. Because he is our master of deception and subterfuge, he opens himself up to speculation.

But on the surface Miles is so different. Happy, smiley, seemingly open Miles, sharing his home and his dog and his family on social media. Chatting away in interviews like a little bird. People think he has it together.

But dig a little deeper and read between the lines, and I get a completely different picture of Miles from the Rascal of 2008 to our One Man Band of 2024.

I have been watching some early interviews with Miles recently and he shoehorns the topic of women and girls into them far more often than Alex ever has. A simple question about if he likes meat is met with a ‘not in a gay way’. At a time when Alex was being photographed looking like Alexa’s little brother or Arielle’s hot gay pal, Miles was being ‘papped’ with his tongue down the throat of the latest hot model or Page Three Girl. There was a sexy girl in every video. And before you say it, yes there were in AM’s videos, but find me one where Alex interacts with them. There was also Miles’ relationship with Suki Waterhouse which I find hard to believe wasn’t real, unless he is far better than Alex at faking a relationship.

Controversial as this may be, but in my opinion, early videos of baby Al flirting openly with Andy, and pressing himself up against Miles, and a bit later on, even AM Alex flirting with that hunky male interviewer, does not point to someone battling too much with their inner homophobia. I think Alex – as ever – has two personalities. The Alex known to the inner circle is out and has been for many years. But Mr Schwartz - the public facing Alex, struggles with his sexuality and the effect it will have on his career and that of his three ‘brothers’.

But read between the lines of their lyrics from the AM/Don’t Forget Who You Are era. AM is filled with longing, of someone who doesn’t know where they stand with this secret - keeping lover who treats them differently at night than during the day. DFWYA is still full of ‘she’ and ‘her’ songs, although ironically the lyrics to Out of Control are so Milex coded it’s funny. I will always maintain Give Up is about Alex (I think ‘stand so tall’ is a figure of speech rather than literally lol) lyrics like ‘you’re pretty good looking but I’m looking for a way out’ and ‘stop tainting my soul’ scream Alex. Don’t forget both albums will have been written around the same time, so I am guessing that they were going through the conflict of Miles not knowing what to do, and him somehow blaming Alex for his confusion, but at the same time unable to keep away from him.

So we reach 2015 and the recording of EYCTE. Something happens. Once on stage and once in an interview, Alex talks about them falling in love whist recording the album. Traditionalists will choose to think he means with their ‘girlfriends’ at the time, but once on tour it is obvious there has been a change in the dynamics. Alex is coquettish and sexy, but his stage personas have all been a variation on this since Humbug, but Miles is different. Miles can’t keep his hands off Alex, Miles follows Alex around the stage like a lovesick puppy. In interviews gone are the playful lusty looks of TAOTU era, instead Miles gazes at Alex like he’s the most beautiful and wondrous thing he’s ever seen.

I think Miles had finally seen the light and realised he was in love with his best mate/casual fuck buddy. He could no longer go on treating Alex like some dirty little secret, and he could no longer deny his sexuality.

What happened afterwards? Who knows, I guess they’re the only ones who know the full truth. But they both came out of EYCTE depressed (the two interviews recently posted on here show this), but Miles admitted to having a mental breakdown, and all I can do is speculate why I think this happened. Imagine being a young man fighting inner demons about your sexuality, you finally realise you’re in love with your best friend and promises are made (see Someone to Rely On and Wrong Side of Life) and he leaves you to go off to France to record an album and keep up his ‘relationship’ with his girlfriend. You have laid yourself on the line and taken a huge step for him and he's gone.

In Alex’s defence, he probably had years of Miles letting him down and also the responsibility of AM etc, but this isn’t about Alex.

But time is a great healer and I think Miles came out of the whole period a different person. By Change the Show, we lose the ‘she’ pronouns (just one ‘girl’, and Suzie and Caroline) and sexy girls in videos. Gone are the models and page three girls. There is a brief ‘romance’ with Nadya Duke, but that is it.

So we come to One Man Band. Apart from one ridiculous tongue in cheek podcast with his friend James Buckley, where he goes on about women (incidentally just before the Ireland gigs with AM), Miles has changed. In early interviews, his childhood heroes are Lennon and Oasis…no mention of Baggio. With One Man Band we suddenly get Baggio and in interviews he talks of how eight year old Miles thought Baggio and the Italian football team were sexy. Old Miles would have followed that up with something like ‘the sort of sexy that pulled birds’, but there was nothing like that, instead he was admitting that part of his sexual awakening was admiring Italian men.

The video for The Wonder had a sexy woman, his friend Didem, but somehow the dynamic felt different, the general vibe was more two mates mucking about.

His stage persona is more ‘fruity’, he is using ‘she’ pronouns but to address himself, and whilst he isn’t ‘out’ - he may never come out publicly, it is entirely his choice - there is definitely a change in Miles, he seems more settled and happy in his own skin. He said he had therapy during the bad period and hopefully that helped. Interestingly he has posted songs about difficult relationships with fathers, and without casting aspersions on Miles’ dad, I wonder if part of his earlier issues were about him trying to please him. Liverpool has quite a macho culture – especially 20-30 years ago. Let’s not forget Miles liked and commented on that beautiful poem about men who know they are gay even when they are children. Maybe it resonated….

Miles story is a fascinating one, a look at a young man fighting his inner demons to get to a point where he knows his true self. I always think Troubled Son is the counter to Body Paint. But Troubled Son is about Miles coming to terms with who he is and accepting his own faults, Body Paint is Alex keeping on his costume, which he doesn’t look like taking off any time soon. Hopefully private Alex is as happy as Miles, and it’s just that public face that looks as though their world is ending.

[katerinaaqu]

Remembering this traditional Greek song made me think of Penelope:

Sea,oh sea the seamen, my beloved sea don't strike them with your waves, my beloved sea and bring back my little bird * Rose water, become rose water, my beloved sea and sprinkle their course, my beloved sea my beloved sea you are my love and pain * Sea and salty water I can't forget about you * Sea, oh sea, you have drowned, oh, no oh no the maiden's husband my beloved sea you are my love and pain * And the maiden, and the maiden is young, oh no oh no and black clothes don't suit her, my beloved sea blow my beloved Northwest Wind * Sea, I embark, for you I stay awake at night Sea and salty water I can't forget about you

Now this song probably originated from the Aegean sea, possibly in Kalymnos, an island with tradition of fishing sponges. The men that were doing this job oftentimes left in the summer for a long time traveling often all the way till North Africa. They would freedive often even 50 meters below the surface to catch sponges and their job was expremely difficult and dangerous. Often they died either from nitrogen narcosis effects or attacked by sealife or even dying in sea. Thus the song speaks on a woman singing for the sea to bring back her husband, brother, fiance etc back. The traditional song has many variations to the lyrics depending on the singer, the area etc.

Now the term "little bird" (πουλάκι) is a nickname used in greek to show a tender relationship with someone. It indicates your beloved one; family or lover etc

The term I translate as "my beloved sea" is the nickname of the word "sea" (θάλασσα -> thalassa) which is θαλασσάκι (thalassaki). As a term and nickname it also means "little sea" but is also used tenderly to speak more on something you love so I thought it would be more fitting to say "beloved sea" than "little sea"

Likewise the word μεράκι (meraki) is not translatable exactly. It means something you do from your heart or with love and care. It also means love and care for something. However when spoken more sadly it also means some love that causes you sadness and pain this is why I translated it as "my love and pain" in here.

The song speaks on a woman being young and "black clothes do not suit her" aka it is a pity for a young man to die and a woman wear mourning clothes at young age (plus in small villages it kinda was a tradition for a woman once widowed never to marry again although the tradition is not followed to its totality by every person)

The clips are from an old dramatic movie called "The girl with the black clothes" starring Elli Lambeti and Dimitris Horn

[not-the-dum-e]

Let me start with: nobody does it like Key.

I don't fully know how to articulate what I mean by that, and that in and of itself, says something to me.

Pleasure Shop

The rap. Now, I know very little about rap, but this is good, I can feel it.

The melodic way in which he performs it, melds perfectly with the rest of the song.

Where a lot of times in kpop it feels like rap verses have a "break for rap" if you will, which is not bad, mind you; this one feels like it has been built up to slowly, and it fades back into the song in such a way that it doesn't stand out even if it feels like a highlight.

But I love the way I didn't realize we got to the rap section of the song till midway through it, and it's a long section, too.

Following Tongue Tied with this, just... I wanna scream into my fist, it's so good. Really loopable.

The way that every section smoothly moves into the next is so nice, and even though the beat is very repetitive, it has enough variation throughout that it does not get boring or annoying.

Next, this is more about the mv but the fact that the dancers were highlighted instead of bringing in models or actors... my heart (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠)

Since we are talking about the mv, the concept is so good, I might try to do a breakdown for the mv later.

Overthink

I can't wait to see a performance of this, I know I can watch fancams, but I haven't watched one yet.

I love that little synth... arpeggio? riff? over the bass, wish it was longer though, I feel like it could have another minute or so.

The way he uses different contrasting tones for different parts of the song is just so charming, and just gives the song such a trippy kind of feel, that, and that wubby bass and the synth.

Golden

This sounds so sweet and bright, truly has a golden hour type of feel. I always look forward to that warm tone he uses for songs like this; like Sunny Side, it has this comforting effect on me that I can't quite describe.

The percussion really catches my ear on this one, I feel like it has a lot of variation, all in all, really nice.

I Know

His vocals really are the focus of this one, it's similar to Overthink, but it's stripped down, I think.

I really like how it moves back and forth from lower tones to higher ones, and how his vocals are contrasting to the backing track. Like at parts the instrumental goes low, and the vocal line goes high, and vice versa and then meet again.

Going Up

This might be my favourite, the one I was most excited for from the highlight clip, and it did not disappoint.

I am addicted to his lower register. And paired with the shifts into falsetto for the "we're going up" *chef's kiss*

It has that sort of spacious, dark feeling that's hypnotic, for lack of a better word. Like it's pulling me somewhere, don't know where, but I wanna live in it.

The bass and synth, actually, not just in this but in all the album, but specially on this one, are just on point. I really love the soundscape. It scratches my brain in all the right ways.

Having said that, I think this is going to be a running complaint on my part (and I know I'm not alone on this) but, it's too short.

I want another two minutes of this song.

Novacaine

I really like the lyrics, it won't take Helium's crown for my fave eng Key song or second place from Imagine, but it's a good song.

The title makes me think of FOB, but I like this one more that I like theirs? Although this one is misspelled

If I have to compare it to the only other Lauv song I have ever heard, which is Lay's Run Back to You (and I like that one), I like Novacaine better. Don't know if it is Key's input or what, but there is something that I feel only he could do. I love the way he delivers the lines.

I wonder if the lyrics were written for him specifically, or with him in mind, because it's very Key? Like thematically it reminds me a bit of G.O.A.T., and has that melancholic, nostalgic feel of This Life.

Like in Golden, his vocals have that warm, deep quality to them, but this one is sadder, like a misery loves company kind of thing; Finding comfort in knowing you are not the only one that feels this way.

Reminds me a bit of Hold On too, don't ask me why cause idk.

I love that he is embracing his natural tone a lot more in this album and in Tongue Tied, and the way he is using it as the building block for the songs and using the higher and lower tones, and falsetto as embellishments. It makes his sound so much more distinct and unique.

It feels like he has honed in the finer details of his style.

Also I love how all the songs flow into the next, it's really nice.

Touring has done wonders for his vocals too, I feel like he levelled up for this album.

His vocals were good to begin with, but he has this richness to his sound now that comes through so much more, his voice feels a lot fuller even in the recording.

I was so fascinated watching fancams from the first Keyland On: and On and just how much better he got by this last one. Truly, he is meant to do live performances.

I hope I can see him live one day, same for the rest of SHINee hehe

If there is one thing I can say about Key's solo discography, aside from he doesn't miss (which ofc he's SHINee); Is that he has such a coherent evolution from era to era, from album to album, there is always a nod to past releases, a thread through sound and the fact that he is including his JP discography on that thread. Tongue Tied just fits perfectly with this.

I'm always really excited to see where he goes with every new release, and he hasn't disappointed me so far, this is no different💖💖💖💖💖

[crustaceousfaggot]

Hob Gadling traditional folk music collection.

Been thinking about a sort of Hob Gadling character playlist composed entirely of British folk music. Songs he might have listened to throughout his life and resonated with. This is also just a little excuse for me to share some of my favorite folk songs from across the history of the British Isles :) Most of these are British in origin, but a couple are Scottish.

Some of these choices are loosely based on the fic And In The Waking World We Want And Wait by @qqueenofhades because at this point it's basically canon to me and has considerably influenced my perception of the character. Furthermore, I'm writing this with Dreamling in mind because... Well because I want to.

I'm attaching recordings for each piece, but keep in mind that, by the nature of folk music, songs (both melody and lyrics, as well as accompaniment and performance choices) are intrinsically altered in every performance and there is no single correct interpretation of a piece. If you don't like the recordings I picked, I encourage you to seek out your own :)

I am not a music historian, just a classical singer with a love of traditional folk and a cursory education on music history.

Lastly, keep in mind that folk music in the Late Medieval and Early Modern music exists in a much different form than it does today, both in its lyrical and melodic content. Of the songs surviving from that period, the majority are liturgical in nature. Those that aren't are generally about farming, changing seasons, and (of course) drinking. I've done my best, but most of these pieces aren't perfect fits. Still, what character playlist is?

Arranged in rough chronological order.

1200s: "Sumer is icumen in" (composer unknown) (Note: This song is the oldest recorded English language folk song. I think that's pretty neat.)

Sumer is icumen in Loude sing cuccu (cuckoo) Groweth sed (seed) and bloweth (bloometh) med (meadow) and springeth the worlde new

(Full text)

~1450: "Tappster, Drinker" (unknown composer)

Tappster, Drinker, fill another ale, Anonn God sende us good sale. Avale the stake, avale, here is good ale y founde. Drynke to me and y to the and lette the cuppe goe rounde.

(This is, as far as I can tell, the full text)

~1513: "Pastime with Good Company" (King Henry VIII)

Youth must have some dalliance Of good or ill some pastance Company methinks then best All thoughts and fancies to digest. For idleness Is chief mistress Of vices all Then who can say. but mirth and play Is best of all.

(Full text)

1500s: "The Ballad of Tamlin" (composer unknown) (Note: Yes this one is @landwriter 's fault. Go read Oaths. Also, I'm using one of many translations of the original ballad, but there's also an excellent folk punk adaptation by The Forgetmenauts which you should listen to if you like the story. Generally, I'm not doing this ballad any justice with my little 2-line snippet and I encourage you to look into it more yourself.)

"For if my love were an earthly knight as he is an elfin grey, I'd not change my own true love for any knight you have."

(Full text)

~1580-1650: "Greensleeves" (composer unknown)

Alas, my love you do me wrong To cast me off discourteously And I have loved you so long Delighting in your company

I have been ready at your hand to grant whatever you would crave; I have both wagered life and land Your love and good will for to have

(Full text)

1700s: "A Maid in Bedlam" (composer unknown)

My love he'll not come near me To hear the moan I make, And neither would he pity me If my poor heart should break, But, though I've suffer'd for his sake, Contented will I be, For I love my love Because I know he first loved me.

(Full Text)

1800s: Black is The Colour of My True Love's Hair (composer unknown) (Note: although the most famous variations of this piece are from 20th century America, the piece is believed to have originated in Scotland some time in the 19th century.)

Black, black, black is the color of my true love's hair, His lips are something rosy fair, The fairest face and the gentlest hands I love the grass wheron he stands.

(Full text)

1813: "The Last Rose of Summer" (Thomas Moore) (Note: I was a bit conflicted about adding this one. The song is about the pain of losing those you love to time, and the loneliness that comes from outlining your companions, both of which are sentiments I feel are very applicable to Hob. However, the song also implies that death is a mercy in the face of such loneliness, which obviously doesn't align with Hob's worldview.)

'Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone. All her lovely companions are faded and gone. No flower of her kindred, no rosebud is nigh, To reflect back her blushes and give sigh for sigh.

(Full text)

1902: "Whither Must I Wander" (Ralph Vaughan Williams, from the song cycle "Songs Of Travel") (Note: This is technically not a true folk song but shhhhh. This was the song that inspired this whole list because I absolutely adore Vaughan Williams and particularly this cycle.)

Home was home then, my dear, full of kindly faces, Home was home then, my dear, happy for the child. Fire and the windows bright glittered on the moorland; Song, tuneful song, built a palace in the wild. Now, when day dawns on the brow of the moorland, Lone stands the house, and the chimney-stone is cold. Lone let it stand, now the friends are all departed, The kind hearts, the true hearts, that loved the place of old.

(Full text)

1904: "In Dreams" (Ralph Vaughan Williams, from "Songs of Travel") (Note: I will not apologize for using two pieces from the same cycle. Y'all don't understand I'm so autistic about these songs. Also, I had to pick at least one song with "Dream" in the title haha.)

In dreams unhappy, I behold you stand As heretofore: The unremember'd tokens in your hand Avail no more. [...] He came and went. Perchance you wept awhile And then forgot. Ah me! but he that left you with a smile Forgets you not.

(Full text)

1946: "Come you not from Newcastle?" (Arr. Benjamin Britten, original composer unknown) (Note: Although the text of the song itself doesn't necessarily have any strong Hob Vibes, the most widely known arrangement of this piece was done by Benjamin Britten, one of the country's most famed composers and also a fairly open homosexual. This, combined with the text of the song and the time that this arrangement was written, gives the song a distinctly queer vibe, at least to me, and so it makes the list. The recording attached is by Britten's life partner, Peter Pears.)

Why should I not love my love? Why should not my love love me? Why should I not speed after him, Since love to all is free?

(Full Text)

And that's all of them! Please let me know if you have any traditional folk songs you know that fit the bill, as I'm always looking for more good traditional folk music. It holds a special place in my heart :)

Consider reblogging if you got anything out of this post, since I did spend quite awhile on it and I'd love it if it got out to the wider Sandman fandom.

Resources: 1 2 3 4

[fluentisonus]

Hello, sorry if you’ve already said this before, but where are you finding your folk songs? like a specific book or website? (i’m always looking to expand my collection and i have never heard of long lankin before)

thanks in advance :D

Hey!!

So originally I just got folk songs from ones I heard growing up, because my dad was fond of folk music & played me a number of bands I'm still fond of. A lot of ones I come across now are still basically from rabbit holes of songs I fell down with these.

However! If you're looking for more thorough catalogues of folk songs, the main ones you come across are:

Child Ballads -- These are only ballads. They were collected by Francis James Child in the 19th century, and they're all numbered, so if you've seen songs mentioned as like "Child 93" that's why, especially because a lot of these songs don't have consistent names. They're primarily collected in his 5 Volume book The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5), linked there to where you can read it for free. The great thing about these is it will list all the variations of the songs he found as well as where he found them, with a little scholarly discussion of the song and its history on each. As someone that loves like. the process of transmission & the context of songs this is very appealing to me personally. It is old fashioned in its scholarship etc though.

Roud Folk Song Index -- This is a Much larger more modern index of songs: for comparison there are only 305 child ballads, whereas the Roud Index has nearly 25,000 songs (including all the Child ones). These also have numbers, so you'll often see something like "Child 93; Roud 6" where they overlap, or "Roud 2989" where they don't. Obviously because it's so big there's no book for them all, and likewise not as much commentary on individual songs. You can search them by number here, or by subject (!!!) here. The fact that this index exists is really cool, and especially that you can search it like that, although sometimes I find it a bit hard to get what I want, or have it layed out as clearly as in Child, I think just because it's so big.

This isn't really a major index like Child and Roud so you won't get it cited anywhere, but Mainly Norfolk is an index of folk songs mainly focusing on more modern recordings of the songs and their different variations. So for example you'll get a page for a songs and it'll tell you all the bands that have recorded it, and the differences in their lyrics, and what they said about the song on the back of the CD, etc. Which is fun for me particularly because I'm often accessing them through having listened to modern recordings and I'm curious about that.

You can also find various collections of broadsides and things (Roud includes a lot of broadsides I believe but if you want to look at them specifically), one of my favorites is the Bodleian Libraries online collection, which even has images of a lot of them I believe. This is fun if you like print sources.

And then a lot of these I'm just searching in Youtube as well, haha. You never know what old man recording a song he heard from his grandmother with 10 views and 2 likes you might find.

I hope this was helpful & answered the question! I will say I don't have any sort of expertise in this, it's entirely based on me just fooling around, so if anyone more knowledgeable than me has anything to add or any corrections to make feel free!

[ericmicael]

CAMPFIRE SCENE - Definitive Edition

I already made some posts in the past listing curiosities or differences involving the “campfire scene” between Elsa and Honeymaren, but since I hadn't made a post yet gathering everything in one place and we are in Lesbian Visibility Week, I decided to do it.

THE ORIGINAL CAMPFIRE SCENE THAT WAS FEATURED IN THE MOVIE “FROZEN 2″

(the original text is from the Novelization, but I adapted it to match 100% with the movie)

 Honeymaren and Elsa are sitting by a fire, a baby reindeer is lying next to Elsa getting a cuddle, Iduna's scarf is draped over Elsa's thighs. Honeymaren just tasted the soup from the wooden bowl.  “I want to show you something. May I?” Honeymaren asked. Elsa nodded. Honeymaren reached for one end of the beautiful burgundy scarf that had belonged to Elsa’s mother and gesture to the snowflakes on it. She identified the symbols on the points of one snowflake. “You know air, fire, water, earth.”  “Yes,” Elsa said. “But look.” Honeymaren touched a diamond in the center of the snowflake, a symbol Elsa had never noticed before. “There’s a fifth spirit.” Honeymaren smiled at the surprised expression on Elsa’s face. “Said to be a bridge between us and the magic of nature.”  Elsa was shocked. “A fifth spirit?”  “Some say they head it call out the day the forest fell,” Honeymaren said. She had Elsas full attention.  “My father heard it,” said Elsa. “Do you think that’s who’s calling me?” Elsa asked.  “Maybe.” Honeymaren smiled. “Alas, only Ahtohallan knows”.  Elsa smiled back, recalling that her mother had said the same thing to Anna and herself when they were children. “Ahtohallan-” With the scarf over her thighs, Elsa remembered the words of her mother's lullaby that she had sung to her and Anna when they were little. She half sang and half spoke the words aloud.

                                              “Dive down deep

                                                into her song”

 Honeymaren smiled again, recognizing the song and singing along with Elsa.

                                              “But not too far

                                           or you’ll be downed”

 “Why do lullabies always have to have some terrible warning in them?” Honeymaren asked once they had finished.

 “I wonder that all the time,” Elsa said.

 Suddenly, the ground shook from a distant boom like thunder. But no lightning followed to electrify the sky.

 “Earth Giants,” Honeymaren said.

CAMPFIRE SCENE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MOMENTS THAT HAD CUTS

The “campfire scene” for anyone who watched the “Frozen 2” documentary or saw this tweet knows that it was one of the moments in the film that were changed.

And that at least three shots were cut.

We don't have confirmation of what they were and honestly I don't even believe that one day we will, and although I like fanfics imagining they were important I believe in the justifications given in the documentary for the cuts in the film: making the plot more dynamic for all audiences although I don't know how some phrases could be considered non-dynamic, but whatever.

VARIATION OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 1 - Novelization

The official book of the film states that this scene has only 3 differences: it does not specify in the book if Honeymaren was eating the soup or not, the position of the scarf in the book is on the shoulders while in the film it is on the thighs (this change in the position of the scarf happens almost everywhere from the movie to the books), and there are no lyrics for the duet though it does happen.

 Honeymaren and Elsa walked over to the logs around a campfire and sat down. A baby reindeer ran up, nuzzling and rubbing its head on them. Elsa stroked the little reindeer’s back as she thought about everything that had happened since they’d entered the forest.

 “I want to show you something. May I?” Honeymaren asked. Elsa nodded. Honeymaren reached for one end of the beautiful burgundy scarf that had belonged to Elsa’s mother and gesture to the snowflakes on it. She identified the symbols on the points of one snowflake. “You know air, fire, water, earth.”

 “Yes,” Elsa said.

 “But look.” Honeymaren touched a diamond in the center of the snowflake, a symbol Elsa had never noticed before. “There’s a fifth spirit.” Honeymaren smiled at the surprised expression on Elsa’s face. “Said to be a bridge between us and the magic of nature.”

 Elsa was shocked. “A fifth spirit?”

 “Some say they head it call out the day the forest fell,” Honeymaren said. She had Elsas full attention.

 “My father heard it,” said Elsa. “Do you think that’s who’s calling me?” Elsa asked.

 “Maybe.” Honeymaren smiled. “Alas, only Ahtohallan knows”.

 Elsa smiled back, recalling that her mother had said the same thing to Anna and herself when they were children. “Ahtohallan-“ She drew the scarf tightly around her shoulders, remembering the words to the words to the lullaby her mother had soothed them with. She half sang and half spoke the words aloud.

 Honeymaren smiled again, recognizing the song and singing along with Elsa.

 “Why do lullabies always have to have some terrible warning in them?” Honeymaren asked once they had finished.

 “I wonder that all the time,” Elsa said.

 Suddenly, the ground shook from a distant boom like thunder. But no lightning followed to electrify the sky.

 “Earth Giants,” Honeymaren said.

VARIATION OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 2 - The Enchanted Forest

Although small this book is one of the most interesting versions of the film having several differences or additions to the plot of “Frozen 2″ and obviously the “campfire scene” is one of those moments. Could those extra phrases shared between Elsa and Honeymaren be among the cut moments? Well, this book could be an early script for the movie, but anyway, I don't logically believe that it would be every moment for the descriptions.

 Anna smile she glanced up when Elsa walked by talking with Honeymaren.

 The campfire cracked and pop as Honeymaren and Elsa sat here it’s warm glow.

 “Tell me about the voice.” Honeymaren said as she petted a baby reindeer that had wandered over looking for attention. “What makes you so sure they have the answers?”

 “Because they speak to a part of me that no one’s ever been able to reach,” Elsa resonded, holding her hand out for the reindeer to sniff.

 Honeymaren looked intrigued. “What part is that?” she asked.

 “The part of me that’s magic,” Elsa said.

 Honeymaren throught for a moment, “I want to show you something. May I?”

 The queen nodded. Honeymaren showed her a part of her mother's scarf. She pointed to the snowflakes that adorned it. She showed Elsa the symbols on the flakes.

 “You know air, fire, water, earth,” observed Honeymaren, then pointed to the diamond in the center that connected them all.  “But look. There’s a fifth spirit. Said to be a bridge between us and the magic of nature.”

 “A fifth spirit?” Elsa asked, intrigued.

“Some say they head it call out the day the forest fell”.

The queen's eyes sparkled.

“Do you think that’s who’s calling me?”

“Maybe. Alas, only Ahtohallan knows”.

 “Ahtohallan”, Elsa repeated with a smile. She remembered her mother saying the same thing when she and her sister were children, asking a thousand questions: Only Ahtohallan knows.

 When she put them to sleep at night, Anna and Elsa's mother would sing them a lullaby about Ahtohallan. It was about a mysterious river that had all the answers about the past.

 As a child, Elsa wanted to find the river and ask questions. For as long as she could remember, she wanted to learn more about herself and her magic. Why does she have powers? Were there others like her? And if so, would Ahtohallan know them? At that moment, in front of the bonfire, she realized that... it was strange, but being in the Enchanted Forest made her think that she would soon get some of the answers she so desired.

 She brought the scarf up to her chest and squeezed it tight. She could almost hear her mother's lullaby. She started to sing and Honeymaren joined in with a smile. The Northuldra woman was surprised that Elsa knew the melody.

 “Why do lullabies always have to have some terrible warning in them?” Honeymaren asked.

 “I wonder that all the time,” admitted Elsa with a giggle.

 Suddenly, a BOOM was heard in the distance which interrupted their laughter and caused the queen to shudder.

“What was this?” Elsa asked.

 BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ground under everyone's feet began to shake violently with each bang.

Honeymaren paled, she rose quickly and said:

“Earth Giants”.

REPRESENTATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 1 - Comic

Another representation of the “campfire scene” that skips the duet moment.

REPRESENTATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 2 - Manga

The differences with the manga are one of the most interesting for including a feeling in the scene that the original didn't explicitly have.

Arina Tanemura at various points in this manga included or expanded on the feelings of certain scenes. That's not to say it didn't exist in the original, Elsa very well could have those feelings at the beginning of the duet with "All is Found", but the film prefers to express a more fun and joking feeling that happens at the end of the lyrics as the manga addresses the feelings that are at the beginning. But as I said Arina Tanemura really liked to make the moments more sentimental like Elsa at the end giving a sign to Honeymaren and Ryder that in the manga it really seems that Honeymaren has an expression of being in love or at least enchanted with the Snow Queen.

REPRESENTATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 3 - Descriptions

There are at least four descriptions that I know of the “campfire scene” where they put the image and some text. The fourth description is not included here, the only difference being that it refers to Honeymaren only as "Northuldra woman".

Elsa and Honeymaren become friends. They talk about the spirits.

At the campfire, Honeymaren showed Elsa the spirits of nature symbolized on her mother’s scarf. Elsa was surprised to learn about a fifth spirit called the bridge. It was said to connect the magic of nature to humans and it disappeared when people stopped listening.

A young Northuldra woman named Honeymaren showed Elsa the spirits of nature on Elsa’s mother’s scarf. Elsa was surprised to discover there was a fifth spirit: ‘the bridge’. It was said to connect the magic of nature to humans, but it had disappeared when people stopped listening.

REPRESENTATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 4 - Toys

And the “campfire scene” was technically split into two parts: "Forest Expedition" which has Honeymaren and "Campfire Friend" which has everything else in the Campfire Scene including another Elsa. So if you recreate this scene you have to buy two sets instead of one.

REPRESENTATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS OF THE CAMPFIRE SCENE 5 - Frozen 2 as told by Emoji Disney

There is no “campfire scene”, as this is one of the skipped moments and after the conversation with Yelana already placing the Earth Giants moment. But I include more here to show this adaptation of the visual, and that at the end they put together “You Belong Up Here” with the moment of Elsa riding the Nokk and waving to the Nattura brothers.

BONUS 1 - The Campfire Scene Prologue

This is completely speculative, but this theory makes so much sense to me that I can't help but talk about it.

I believe this concept art by Jim Kim is also part of the “campfire scene”, or as theorized in a fanfic, is the reason for it to happen. But this is purely theory as there is other concept art imagining moments of interactions between the Arendelle delegation and the Northuldras that are more difficult to fit into the passage of time. But of all the post-Bruni conversations, Elsa and Honeymaren's campfire conversation is the only one that doesn't actually have a prior introduction or reason for happening. You can even mention that Honeymaren talked about the scarf and that was the motivation, but to be honest the reason the women approach doesn't seem to have anything to do with the scarf, the conversation about the scarf happened on Honeymaren's idea. If Elsa wanted information about the Northuldras, Iduna or the scarf she probably would have gone to talk to Yelana, but in the movie she seems to have only decided to sit down with Honeymaren because she wanted to talk to her alone and the conversation about the scarf happened by accident, if Anna had gotten scarf the conversation about Fifth Spirt would not have happened and the two women would have just talked about other things.

Now, the reason why my theory about concept art is the connection point: Honeymaren is officially called a big fan of magic due to having some knowledge on the subject, so in my opinion, she asked Elsa to show a little bit of her magic and the Snow Queen, seeing how enthralled she was by it (Jim Kim's concept art) decided to go sit down with her to have a private conversation, whether or not it was about magic. I'm a self-confessed ElsaMaren shipper, but I can't help thinking that there must have been one more reason why a serious and focused person like Elsa decided to talk to Honeymaren instead of the tribe leader who was the person she was talking to earlier and who probably has a lot more knowledge.

A beautiful recreation of this scene by Kelly Erosen (https://twitter.com/kellyerosen/status/1645807089481297925).

BONUS 2 – The Campfire Scene was maybe recreated in “Raya and the Last Dragon”

It may or may not be a coincidence, but:

Two girls sitting close together with something between them

A meal near them

A pet close to women

Their conversation involves interacting with items that have stories related to the plot of the movie.

And if you want to consider this too: there are many similar camera angles with Namaari playing Honeymaren and Raya playing Elsa

The only big difference is that there isn't a duet moment between the girls, but even the pace of the conversation is pretty similar with the more relaxed air. Peter Del Vecho and Kim Hazel herself, who was responsible for the “campfire scene”, also worked on this film, so this theory of inspiration being confirmed would be no surprise.

If you have any more items to add, please add them.

[nebulacollege]

hi! i've been wondering, what kind of music do your boys enjoy?

Hi! That’s... actually quite a hard question lol

I imagine all of them grew up with classical music, although Liam probably listened to it the least. Still, there must be some variations... right???

It took me longer to come up with the ideas than I expected, I’m sorry.

Niall strikes me as someone who really knows a lot about art in general, so he definitely enjoys classical music the most. It’s a little bit hard for him to listen to simpler music due to that, at least on the level of “you sit down and actually listen to it���. But to be honest, I think he wouldn’t really mind club music if he ends up in a place like that. Any background music is okay with him, but he never listens to it properly, it’s too boring. He probably enjoys dance music slightly more than the rest. He also enjoys opera...

Ned is more open-minded and he actually likes background music, if it’s something like those long playlists that you can use as a noise to help you think or not to think. He also probably listened to rock and heavier music and liked some of it, and he’s the most diverse out of the bunch and is a proper music lover that doesn’t limit himself to one genre.

Edmund prefers quiet and peace... He rarely listens to music, it distracts him too much. He likes depressive songs though and he likes something that has a gap moe to it: when the music is funky, but lyrics are sad, depressive, or creepy. He’d also enjoy things like Korn and Linkin Park lol

Liam also likes silence or white noise the most. He likes the buzz of the lamps or fridges, he’s most used to those types of sounds, and he doesn’t mind them! When he’s not around such a place and tries to relax, he likes listening to nature sounds more than to music. Bird chirping, rains, all that stuff. In terms of music, he doesn’t really care as long as it’s not very loud, it can be anything.

[guinevere-of-smiths]

a stained-glass variation of the truth

Book: The Unexpected Heiress

Words: ~6600

Rating: G

Pairing: John Somerset x f!MC (Celeste Hayes)

Characters: John Somerset, Celeste Hayes, Lady Ashbourne, Francis Somerset, Delia Hayes, Mrs. Watmore and Effie Ainsley

Warnings: I imagine Delia to be mildly emotionally abusive, but that isn't even really alluded to in this. She is just overbearing and unplesant.

Summary: John and Celeste think themselves safe after Lord and Lady Ashbourne agree to call of the engagement. They are wrong. Some in-between scenes for the beginning of Chapter 16.

Featuring, among other things: Lady Ashbourne having a soft spot for John, Delia not having a soft spot for anyone, Celeste being very determined and John being very fatalistic.

Fun Fact: The title is a lyric from Neptune by Sleeping at Last, which in my mind is the "John-romancing MC marries Francis"!AU song.

If John was hoping to find Celeste in the great hall, he was in for a disappointment. Neither she nor his brother were anywhere in sight, although they had been penning letters here only an hour or so ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Truth be told, it wasn’t all that surprising; both were eager to end their engagement officially. Certainly, they would have sent the letters out as soon as his parents had given them their approval. Someone of a more philosophical bent than John would find much to ponder about their unity in trying to disentangle their lives from each other, but as far as he was concerned, the sooner the better. He couldn’t wait for Celeste to be free of the engagement, if only because he would finally be able to court her as she deserved.

But that didn’t tell him where they were now or why Celeste hadn’t appeared for their stroll in the gardens as she had promised. It wasn’t like her to stand someone up without explanation.

He had just hazarded a step towards the family drawing room when a figure rounded the corner. He paused. “Mrs. Watmore. How fortunate to meet you here.”

Mrs. Watmore had never been overly fond of him, and her movements were clipped as she halted and inclined her head. “Mr. John. What can I do for you?”

“Do you happen to know where I can find Miss Hayes?”

“As far as I know, she is talking to Mrs. Hayes upstairs.”

At first, John thought he must have had misheard. Celeste’s stepmother wasn’t scheduled to arrive for a few days yet if his parents’ telegram calling off the engagement hadn’t postponed the journey altogether. “Mrs. Hayes?” he repeated, just to be certain. Mrs. Watmore sniffed and made a show of looking around, as if she wanted to make sure that no member of the Hayes family was within earshot.

“She showed up here a little while ago, without so much as a letter announcing her arrival, and wasn’t here two minutes before she started to make a scene to Miss Hayes about the engagement. Mr. Francis barely managed to welcome her before Her Ladyship arrived to take charge of the situation.”

Her dislike for Americans oozed from every word. Usually, John would have chuckled and gone on his way. Not this time. His blood went cold when he realized the implications of her tale. Francis, Celeste, and he had been so caught up in getting his parents’ approval to end the engagement that they hadn’t even considered that Celeste’s family might think differently.

Calm yourself. If his parents and, most importantly, Francis didn’t agree to the marriage, there was nothing Celeste’s stepmother could do.

And then he realized, to his horror, that that didn’t mean that she couldn’t sabotage her other marriage prospects. Celeste, at nineteen, wasn’t old enough to be married in England without her parents’ consent. He didn’t know where American law stood on that, but if Delia Hayes just carried her off, that didn’t matter either way. Maybe he would have to raise the possibility of his marrying her far sooner than he would have liked. Or maybe his mother, diplomat that she was, had managed to smooth the situation over already.

“Where is my mother now?”

“Her Ladyship is in her boudoir.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Watmore. That will be all.” His pace when he started towards his mother’s boudoir was far more measured than he would have liked, but even now, he couldn’t bring himself to run through the manor like a maniac. His mind was reeling. His mother would usually withdraw to her private sanctum to write letters in peace. Was that what she was doing now? If so, what about? Dread coiled in his stomach at the thought of the plethora of letters replanning the wedding would take. He stopped in front of the closed door to take several deep breaths, only knocking when he was sure that his face wouldn’t betray his inner turmoil.

The world hung in silence for a moment before his mother asked him inside, voice clear. Even if the morning’s events had upset her, she didn’t show it. She was even smiling, sitting at her small writing desk when he entered. That would have comforted John if he didn’t suspect that it was forced.

“Pardon the interruption, Mother, but I was informed that we have surprise visitors.”

“News travels fast, I see.”

Nothing was further from John’s mind than telling on the staff to his parents—even disagreeable staff like Mrs. Watmore—so he decided to keep the tone of her words to herself. “I crossed paths with Mrs. Watmore. If you want a thorough report on what everyone heard, I will certainly keep my ears open.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Sighing, she put down her pen and motioned for him to come inside. John closed the door behind him before taking a seat in the armchair nearest to her desk. “This entire situation is a debacle.”

He watched his mother put the cap back on the pen and waited a few more moments before speaking. He didn’t want to hear the answer to his question. He wanted to close his eyes and leave this room and stay in that blissful bubble he and Celeste had been in for the past few days. He wanted to court her until they were both certain that they were ready for marriage. He wanted her to be part of his life, but not as his sister-in-law, forever out of reach. 

There were so many things he wanted, but he forced himself to speak. “Then she really demanded for the marriage to take place?”

“Most empathetically. I must admit, she is not wrong about it being a waste to cancel the wedding on such short notice.”

“Not such a waste as forcing Francis and Miss Hayes into an unhappy marriage. You’re not implying that your opinion has changed just because an American showed up and made a scene?”

"John," his mother scolded.

“It would have been good manners to at least take off her coat.”

His mother didn’t even acknowledge the quip. “Her demeanour wasn’t the best,” was her single reluctant admission. “And I still have no wish to force your brother into a marriage that would make him miserable, nor Miss Hayes. But that decision at dinner a few days back wasn’t easy.” She sighed. “The upkeep of both estate and servants won’t lessen, John. And if Delia Hayes wishes to, she could make it harder for us to make another lucrative connection.”

“There are plenty of wealthy daughters in England. Delia Hayes has no sway over them.” I’d marry Celeste. The words burnt his tongue, begging to be spoken. Marriage was a step he hadn’t yet wanted to put into words. Celeste and he had known each other for barely two months. Much as he wanted to remain part of her life, it wasn’t enough time to be sure that it wasn’t just infatuation, a reckless reaction on his part to a fascinating, vivacious, beautiful woman he had gotten close to only because of the thrill of a murder investigation. But he refused to let that chance be taken from him. If Delia Hayes insisted on an engagement, she would have it—if it proved necessary. “Did she really threaten you with destroying our reputation?”

“No. But we are in no position to take that risk.”

“Fear usually isn’t a good tool for judgement,” John said, feeling like a hypocrite. Why had he flown abroad, if not for fear? But that hadn’t gained him anything but guilt about wasting more of his family’s resources. “I’m sure that once she has calmed down, we will find a solution that makes everyone happy.”

“I hope so.” His mother gave him a direct look. “But you should know that she will likely insist on a marriage between young Celeste and Francis.”

She knows. Dear God. The foolish, inappropriate need to apologize seized hold of him. He hadn’t thought the attention he gave Celeste subtle—he hadn’t wanted it to be, especially during the last few days. And still, he wanted to assure his mother that it hadn’t been his intention to fall in love with his brother’s fiancée. That the hope the false engagement had stoked inside of him had burnt too bright, turning all his resolutions to stay away to cinders.

But he was no longer fifteen years old. Carefully indifferent, he raised his brows. “What, is a prospective husband only worthy if he is to inherit a title?”

“She is a very ambitious woman. She didn’t say so openly, but it was certainly obvious that she wants her stepdaughter to become a viscountess. And I can’t fault her for wanting the best for her family.”

“Why stop at viscountess? Why not find a willing duke?” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t say that out loud; that will only give her ideas. But still. Father and you said we’d find another way. I don’t see why we should abandon that stance now. It’s a matter of principle.”

His mother’s smile was sympathetic. “I fear if we don’t assent, Mrs. Hayes will look for another husband for her daughter. Possibly a duke.”

The implication was obvious. Regardless of whether Celeste married his brother or not, he would lose her. And he refused to accept that. “And it is certain that she would only accept Francis?”

“I think it's quite likely. With her family's... resources, she has bargaining power, and she knows it.”

I’d marry Celeste. The words were searing him from inside out. It might solve their problem, but he couldn’t bring the idea up to his mother before speaking to Celeste first. Even if his mother accepted that he had fallen in love with his brother’s intended, she would have expectations regarding Celeste that might prove too difficult to bear. Celeste had just escaped an unwanted engagement. He owed it to her—and himself—that she chose him of her own free will.

But that meant that he might lose her just because he hesitated, and he didn’t know if he could bear that.

His mother had watched him closely, shaking her head with a sigh after a few moments. “You have always been too stubborn for your own good, John.”

“How do you mean?”

His mother had been Viscountess Ashbourne and a member of the English Peerage for far too long to do anything as demonstrative as to lift a brow; considering this, it was a far more impressive feat that it still felt as if she did. “I can suggest to Delia Hayes that there is a far happier marriage to be made between our families, but first I need to know if that is in your and Miss Haye's interest.”

“Mother, certainly you are not suggesting that I fancy my brother’s fiancée.”

It was a last desperate attempt at decorum. His mother only smiled benignly. “I may have gotten old, but I’m not blind. You have never cared about your brother’s marital prospects as much as you do now about arguing against his marriage to Miss Hayes.”

“I…” He realized as he opened his mouth that he was struggling in vain. His parents might have been blind about Amelia’s death, but the revelations at dinner seemed to have opened his mother’s eyes at least. “She’s a charming woman.”

His mother was still smiling. “That she is.”

“Does Father know of your suspicions?”

“Not as far as I know, for now. Until now, I wasn’t certain myself if I wasn’t reading too much into your friendship.”

That at least was a small consolation. As generous as his mother appeared to be towards his indiscretion, he assumed his father would think differently. He had, led by his anxiety over the estate, urged Francis’ engagement with the younger Hayes daughter from the very beginning. But that was a problem for a different point in time. “If Mrs. Hayes could be talked into it, at least our fiscal problems would be solved. And it would spare Francis the guilt of marrying Amelia’s sister.”

“And you’d be prepared to marry her?”

“As I said, she’s a charming woman.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“You’re right.” The boudoir’s windows looked out onto the garden, presently bathed in the most beautiful sunshine he had seen in days. Had Delia Hayes not made her abrupt appearance, he and Celeste would be promenading there now, talking about everything and nothing—a book she had read, their travel experiences, absurd anecdotes about social engagements, society, philosophy, whatever brought them joy. The end of her engagement and the murder investigation had given their conversations a freedom that hadn’t seemed possible before. Feelings they couldn’t afford to indulge in had always stood in the way of the friendship they could have had otherwise. Imagining all of that being taken away, hardly won, hurt more than he dared to admit.

But did that mean that he was ready for marriage? He felt he had been once upon a time. But that had been in another life, with another woman. And while he was sure that he could love Celeste, was well on his way to loving her, in fact, he didn’t want to give her less than his entire heart. If it weren’t for the fact that he would lose that possibility if he let fear get the better of him now. As his parents’ younger son, he would never face the same marital expectations from his parents as his brother—he could wait for years if he so pleased. But would he ever find someone like Celeste again?

“John?”

“Forgive me. I hope you understand that that is not an easy question to answer. I greatly enjoy Miss Hayes’s company, and I think we could be happy together. It wouldn’t be my choice to suggest marriage to her under such circumstances, but if there is no other way..."

“Do you think she would agree to such an arrangement?”

I love you too, John. “I couldn’t tell you. I hope so.” He took a deep breath. “I would be grateful to you if you could at least put forward the possibility.”

His mother regarded him for a few endless seconds before nodding. “I will see what I can do.”

“That’s all I ask.” Guilt crept up from his chest to his throat, heavy and dark. He could only pray that he wasn’t wrong about Celeste’s affections for him. If he forced an engagement on her out of egoism, she would never forgive him—and he wouldn’t forgive himself, either. He stood quickly. “I should let you write your letters in peace.”

He was almost at the door when his mother spoke again. “John, one more thing.”

“Yes?”

His mother hadn’t moved; she hadn’t even picked up her pen. She was just looking directly at him. “Should Mrs. Hayes insist on the marriage we originally planned, and should your father and I decide that it is what is best for our family, I’ll expect you and Miss Hayes to comport yourselves accordingly.”

He swallowed. He had expected no less, but the knowledge that his mother would be watching them and know of his desires filled his stomach with lead. “Of course, Mother.”

Then he left, praying to every divinity that might hear him that his mother would be successful.

~*~

Whatever it was that his mother said to Mrs. Hayes, it wasn’t enough.

He shouldn’t have expected any other result. Francis was their father’s rightful heir and would be viscount one—hopefully distant—day, while he himself was only the child his parents had taken in out of pity and sorrow and had never cared much about societal influence. Not only did his brother stand between himself and Windcroft, but his natural father did as well, if he was even still alive. Looked at logically, the decision made sense. Celeste had mentioned again and again how ambitious Delia Hayes was and how desperately she wanted her family to climb the social ladder. An adopted son without legal entitlements to anything of relevance was bound not to be enough for her.

And still, deep in his heart, he had nurtured hopes that died an agonizing death that very afternoon.

It was cruel irony that it was his mother that told him the news. A year ago, it had been her that had taken him aside after his return from India to tell him what had laid his world to waste back then—that bloody ship, Victoria’s father’s business trip, her mourning brother’s note that had ended the faint hope that she, at least, had been able to escape. He felt just as numb as back then when he nodded, excused himself, and left the room.

Celeste was alive. That was the small consolation left to him. He would still be able to see and talk to her. She would remain a part of his life.

Until the thought of everything they would never have drove him mad.

~*~

For the rest of the day, he didn’t get a chance to talk to Celeste. Even when they were in the same room, Mrs. Hayes successfully kept her occupied—on purpose, if John wasn’t imagining the glances she threw his way now and then. Considering the antagonism he felt towards the woman, imagining foul play where there was none was a distinct possibility.

Heaven knew how he had managed to get through dinner—he had blocked out so much of it that he wouldn’t have been able to tell. Still not seeing much of what was around him, he followed his father and Francis to the library, only to nearly collide with Francis’ back when his brother suddenly stopped walking.

It took him a few moments to grasp the reason for the sudden halt: Mr. Barnes was speaking to his father in a low voice. After a moment, Father sighed and nodded. “Then I’ll better have a look at it right away. You two go on into the library.”

He only waited for a nod before walking off with Barnes. A viscount didn’t need permission to leave people out in the cold, after all. Privilege gave them the right to destroy lives or to stand idly by while others did the destroying.

For God’s sake, don’t be so dramatic. It was unfair of him to even think like that, and he knew it. His parents had given him so much, and they were only doing what they felt was best. It was ungrateful of him to jeopardize that. “What happened?”

“There has been a letter from Mr. Giles that father was waiting for.”

“Ah.” Disregarding Francis’ raised brow, John walked past him into the library. “If it is legal business, we could be waiting for a while.”

Luckily, there was already a bottle of port standing ready on a side table. Drowning his sorrow in alcohol was neither healthy nor effective—he knew well his problems would still be there afterwards—but he wasn’t sure he would survive the evening sober. He went to pour himself one and looked over his shoulder at his brother. “Do you want some as well?”

“Yes, thank you.” Francis accepted the glass and sat down in an armchair without taking his eyes off him. “John, you have to know that I am sorry.”

“It is how it is.”

“I’m serious. If there had been any way to convince Father and Mrs. Hayes that—”

“Francis, leave it be. There is nothing we can do about it either way.”

The last thing John wanted were discussions about something that could only hurt him. He didn’t blame his brother for what had happened. At least he was trying not to. Certainly, Francis could refuse to marry Celeste, but then her stepmother would whisk her away to the States and find her another husband. This way, she at least remained in his life. Maybe, someday, when the wound wasn’t as fresh, they could be friends.

Until that day, he refused to spend more time thinking about it than he had to.

“Maybe there is.” His brother put down his glass and rubbed his forehead. “There has to be some way to make her understand that you’d be just as good a husband for her daughter as me.”

“Only that I am not.” John drained his drink. “You’ll inherit the title; I won’t. That’s enough for that woman.”

“But-”

“Francis, leave it be.”

His brother shut his mouth and looked at him with far too much pity for comfort. When he didn’t say anything, John squared his shoulders. “Don’t make the situation bigger than it needs to be. Miss Hayes and I have known each other for, what, two months? We’ll bear it.”

For a moment, he was certain his brother would disagree, but then Francis only nodded and released a slow breath. “You’re probably right. I’m sorry nonetheless.”

After that, neither of them uttered another word. John would have liked to say that this would change nothing between them. All of them were mature adults. They moved in circles in which marrying purely for love was a luxury. He would be expected to master his feelings and be the perfect brother-in-law to Celeste.

He repeated that knowledge to himself again and again. Tried to internalize it. Tried to remind himself that what he took for profound, fervent love could well be nothing but infatuation that would dissipate if he ignored it long enough. That was how feelings were supposed to work once one was no longer an adolescent.

If only reality were as simple as the theory.

~*~

He stayed in the drawing room for as long as he could stomach, but in the end, he couldn’t bear it anymore. Listening as Delia Hayes talked excitedly about wedding preparations with his grandmother, while his mother and father made polite replies, Celeste sat there looking as miserable as he felt, and Francis gave every appearance of wanting to disappear then and there, was a new form of torture.

The proper behaviour on his part would have been to listen with a stiff upper lip, but his patience was at an end. He stood, instantly feeling all eyes on him.

“I’m sorry, but I just recalled that there was an urgent letter from an acquaintance I need to reply to. It slipped my mind, what with everything that happened today. I hope you’ll excuse me.”

His mother nodded immediately. “Of course. Will you rejoin us once you are finished?”

“I don’t think so. I wish everyone a good night. Mrs Hayes. Miss Hayes.”

“Can’t your letter wait awhile longer?”

Of those present, most could not have made him hesitate, but he couldn’t ignore the sound of Celeste’s voice. Everyone’s eyes shifted from him to her. Her gaze was on him, her smile brave, but with a plea in her eyes that made his heart stutter painfully.

He cleared his throat. “I don’t think I have much input to give on the wedding preparations.”

“That topic will surely soon be exhausted.”

Her stepmother tsked. “Don’t be foolish, Celeste. We’re not nearly done even with the guest list!”

Celeste’s smile was as polite as it was impersonal. “The guest list has been finalized months ago. I can imagine that you’d like to hear what important personages will be in attendance, but everyone here should be able to participate in tonight’s conversation, don’t you think?”

“As yet, nobody has voiced a complaint about this topic, dear.”

Her smile was so patronizing that it made John’s blood boil. As if Celeste was nothing more than a misbehaving child that one needed to explain basic concepts to instead of a mature, intelligent woman that knew her own mind.

His grandmother waved her hand dismissively before he was able to rise to her defence. “I’d like to hear more about the intended guests. So, Blythe, Rebecca has made certain of the accommodation despite this unfortunate matter?”

The beginnings of hope that had crept into Celeste’s face for a few traitorous heartbeats vanished. She was still looking at him, silently pleading with him to stay. And he wavered. He didn’t want to abandon her. But she was his brother’s wife-to-be. The sooner he accepted that there was no future to this kind of closeness, the better.

So, he held her gaze for a moment, trying to silently give her the apology he was unable to speak aloud, and then left the room.

There really was a letter to be answered (the only thing that had been a fib was its urgency), but he halted at the foot of the stairs to breathe in deeply. He might not have been able to bear the drawing room, but the prospect of his empty quarters seemed no more inviting. If he went about it quietly, he would be able to sneak out to spend a few hours at the pub. Its laughter and noise were sure to distract him. Going there wouldn’t solve his problem, but it would help him forget for a time.

But first, he would have to change his clothes. His tailcoat was unlikely to be inconspicuous in a pub. He was so immersed in debating his plan that he nearly collided with Effie once he reached the upper floor. The maid only just managed to jump aside.

“Oh! Master John!”

“My apologies, Effie. I should have watched where I was going.” He made to move past her when she suddenly cleared her throat.

“Beg your pardon, sir, but I have a message for you.”

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

Against his better judgement, he had stopped, which allowed him to watch Effie look around furtively before pressing the sheets she was carrying to her chest with one arm and using the other to pull a sheaf of paper out of her apron’s pocket. “It’s from Miss Hayes. For you. She gave it to me before she went down to dinner. I was supposed to give it to you as soon as I saw you.”

If he were wise, he would dismiss the letter, especially after all his lofty professions of good intentions, but he couldn’t bring himself to. “Thank you, Effie.” He took the note from her and was about to turn away when she cleared her throat again.

“I’m sorry, sir, but Miss Hayes asked me to tell you to read it immediately, so I can give her your answer.” She lowered her gaze, as if she expected an upbraiding for her brazenness. Even investigating a murder together couldn’t change some things.

Celeste’s letter was short. Instead of the unnecessary apologies and vows to never forget him he had expected, there were only two sentences.

John,

I need to speak to you. Tonight, at the top of the tower, once everyone has gone to bed.

All my love,

Celeste

He shouldn’t.

But he couldn’t resist, either. “I’ll be there," he said, pocketed the note, and continued his way towards his room.

~*~

Celeste threw herself into his arms the moment he reached the top of the stairs.

“Careful!” The unexpected force made him teeter backwards; only a quick grab for the railing prevented them both from tumbling down the staircase. Celeste backed up immediately.

“I’m sorry, but I’m so relieved to see you.”

“It’s alright.” He took a few steps away from the stairs, just to be safe. “Are you telling me that seeing you during that farce of a dinner wasn’t enough?”

“You mean the dinner where I hardly had a moment to speak to you?” Celeste, usually a picture of decorum and grace, laughed bitterly. At least she hadn’t completed the indecency of their situation by having shown up in a nightdress. She was still wearing her evening gown, merely without her gloves and jewellery. “I’m glad Effie caught you before it was too late, at least.”

“I wasn’t sure whether to come.” Every shred of common sense he possessed was screaming at him to leave, that there was no use, that their disappointment would only get bigger the longer he held on, but instead, he wrapped his arms around her when she embraced him again. “But I couldn’t stay away.”

“You better not.” It was her who pulled away, if only far enough to look up into his face. “John, I’m so unbelievably sorry. I tried to change Delia’s mind, but she twisted every word I said.”

“I’m under the impression that your stepmother is quite determined not to let anyone veer her from her course. Even my mother couldn’t do a thing about her.”

Celeste twisted out of his arms completely, her lips pressed tightly together, and walked a few steps away from him, only to turn sharply around. “Delia has always been like that," she announces, her eyes blazing. “Whenever something doesn’t fit into her plans, she just stops listening, no matter how many arguments one brings forward. And with this, it doesn’t help that it’s about our feelings. Who cares that I’ll still marry into English nobility, but will be happy about it, if she could brag about her daughter the future viscountess instead?” She looked on the verge of punching or kicking something.

John understood. He was just as furious at the powerlessness he felt.

“She can’t force Francis and you to marry.”

“But she can force me to go back to the States.” Sighing, Celestes dropped down onto the cushioned bank they had sat on only a few days ago when he had confessed his love to her. The memory turned his stomach. How naïve they had been. “I don’t know whether she’d use force, but I’m financially dependent on my parents. And, well, they're my parents.” She looked away. “I can’t simply break with them.”

“They’d really disown you?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. “But I fear it. In any case, I doubt they’d agree to pay the large dowry that made me attractive as a daughter-in-law for your parents in the first place.”

“Even if I don’t marry for money, Francis could still do so in the future.”

“But will his marriage prospects be improved by a penniless American, disowned by her own parents and without any connections worth mentioning?” Her hands balled into fists. “And all this wouldn’t be such a problem if Delia wasn’t so good at dismissing anything that doesn’t fit into her view of the world!”

He would have liked to reassure her that all her stepmother needed was time to acclimate herself to the idea, but she had told him enough about the woman to know that that was unlikely. Once Delia Hayes had adopted a goal, she held onto it, even if she had to walk across corpses to reach it. “I’m sorry, Celeste.”

Immediately, astonishment softened her angry face. “Why? Nothing about this is your fault, John. If anything, I have to apologize for Delia.” For a moment, she seemed on the cusp of saying more, but then, she pressed her lips together and shook her head. “We have to come up with something, and fast.”

John laughed without joy. He had been wracking his brain since his conversation with his mother, without one decent plan to show for it. Only ludicrous, half-formed ideas. “Sadly, I don’t have any claims to titles I haven’t told you about. Without eloping to Scotland, I don’t see a way out.”

Celeste was silent for some moments. She stared out at the moonlit hills, her brows furrowed. “If this was only about showing Delia that she can’t control everything, I’d be tempted to ask you for precisely that.”

“I beg your pardon?” He was sure that he had misheard.

But Celeste merely met his eyes and shrugged. “That isn’t a new idea, is it? Two lovers throwing duty and opposition into the wind and running away together?” She forced a smile. “Aunt Maude, at least, would be thrilled.”

“Your aunt would probably even help us if we asked her to.”

“Oh, she would.” As if she had suddenly forgotten why they were meeting clandestinely and talking about hypothetical secret marriages in the first place, Celeste’s eyes took on the mischievous gleam he so loved. “If only to see Delia’s face when she finds out. You don’t know how much Aunt Maude would enjoy holding that over her head for the rest of their lives. That all her tyranny and propriety didn’t gain her anything in the end, I mean.”

“There isn’t only your family to consider, however. There’s mine, too.” John had meant to remain serious, but when he looked into Celeste’s sparkling eyes, the same recklessness he always felt with her seized him. “My grandmother might actually have a heart attack when she hears of it.”

“Your grandmother always seemed rather tough to me.”

“That’d be the alternative: her having both of our heads.”

“Obviously, there is only one solution for that.” He had sat down next to her by this time, so instead of continuing her speech, Celeste scooted closer to him, let her fingers wander down his lower arm until she could take his hand in hers, and looked at him so intensely with her warm brown eyes that his chest warmed. Only then did she speak. “We just turn our back on it all and make sure we are never heard from again.”

“Or we rely on your charm winning over my parents to our side and let them deal with Grandmother. Provided you don’t object to marrying a younger son without much to offer.” He held her hand tightly in his. All of this was nothing but idle daydreaming, but he couldn’t make himself let go.

“Only if that younger son doesn’t object to marrying said penniless, disgraced American.”

He swallowed with difficulty. The mischief had vanished from her eyes, although her gaze hadn’t lost any of its intensity, and without her having to say it, he knew what she hoped for from him. “If this was only about myself, I wouldn’t care a whit about anything else, Celeste," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. “I would go anywhere with you. But my family…”

His parents had done so much for him. He couldn’t repay them by not only foiling a lucrative marriage but making it harder to find another such one, at the very moment they needed the money the most. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he disappointed them like that.

Celeste didn’t seem to have expected another answer; she only nodded and took a slightly shaky breath without loosening her hold on him. “I understand.”

“But I’m grateful for the time we had," he said after a moment. “As short as it might have been.”

“So that’s it?” She looked up at him with those big, dark brown eyes he had found such joy losing himself in during the last few days, and his heart constricted painfully. It was obvious that she felt the same. He saw her swallow before she could speak again. “We just give up?”

It was as if her words pulled his fears and anxieties into reality with gruesome clarity. For a moment, he felt as if forced into icy water; his lungs closed as if every breath was pressed out of them, and his heart first stuttered and then beat thrice as fast as usual, painful and in panic. He had only just found her. No matter what they did now, their lives would alter forever, and both paths were littered with things they would regret.

But how was he supposed to put his own happiness over the financial security of his family?

“It was a beautiful dream, Celeste," he said, shaking his head. “But it was always too good to be true.”

“There has to be something we can do," she insisted, but at this point, she likely spoke out of stubbornness rather than real hope. He wanted to deny it himself, but the truth was that there was no escape. Hoping at all had been naïve, but he couldn’t regret having given into it. He was just about to say something to that effect when Celeste suddenly dropped his hand and stood. “We just have to find some means to delay the wedding; buy ourselves some time. Enough to come up with something to convince our parents to let us decide for ourselves.” She started to pace. “Maybe I can fake an illness. Effie would certainly aid me. How kind or liable to bribery is your family’s physician?”

“Celeste, even if we were able to fool anyone, which I don’t believe we could pull off, what good would it do? There is nothing that could make me look like a better match than Francis.”

“I refuse to just give up. After everything we’ve been through in the last few months, I won’t waste my life by being forced into a marriage that will make every single one of us unhappy.”

“Francis is a good man.” It hurt, saying the words, but someone had to. He had to make both of them realize that it was easier to look their fate in the eye. “He would never mistreat you.”

„He would do his best not to see Amelia every time he looks at me, you mean.” Suddenly, she stilled and looked at him with steel in her gaze. “How am I supposed to marry a man who I know wishes I were my dead sister, while he knows that I wish he were you? Just how do you expect this to work, John?”

“We would hardly be the first to marry other people than those we wish to.” She was right, of course she was, but what would admitting that aloud change? “It will hurt in the beginning, but we will learn to live with it.”

“Even if we could, that isn’t what I want.”

“It isn’t what I want, either.” He stood and walked over to where she was standing. In the dim light, her hair silvered by moonlight, her face gilded by the lantern’s glow, she looked like an ethereal creature out of a dream, hidden from daylight. Just what she had always been to him. And yet, she was so beautiful that he wanted nothing more than to pull her to him and kiss her until they forgot everything that had happened that day. The thought did nothing but feed his misery. “Believe me," he said, “I wish things were different.”

“John…”

“I can’t hang on to pointless hopes again and again, Celeste. Not after everything.”

“They won’t be pointless if we can find a way to convince Delia.” When he didn’t reply to that, because he honestly didn’t know what to say, she reached out a hand to gently stroke his cheek. The tender caress sent a shiver down his spine, and although he should have put distance between them, he leant his hand into her warm, soft hand when she let it rest against his skin. He didn’t want this moment, possibly the last they’d ever have, to end. Her thumb softly stroked his cheek. “Promise me you won’t give up, John, that you’ll at least try to come up with something. Then I’ll promise the same.”

It was pointless; it was foolish, but looking into her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say so. At the end of it, she was right: after everything they had seen and lost, sacrificing their happiness to duty was laughable. He could only hope that they would find a way to win this fight before it was too late.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Friday, 11-22-24, 8am Pacific

'Mornin', folks...Mr. Baggins here with our Morning Coffee Music, selections to get us in gear and in good cheer on this very rainy Friday morning here in The Bay Area. While we wait for the java to finish brewing, let's keep going with that boxed set of Malcolm Hamilton playing Bach. Here he is with Prelude and Fugues numbers 4, 5 and 6 from Book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier.

Let's move now to another of Schubert's Symphonies, played by Marriner and The Academy. Let's hear his Symphony No. 3, in D Major, D.200 today.

And now let's have a live performance by the Camerata Pacifica, a Chamber group from Santa Barbara, their splendid reading of the Dvorak Serenade for Winds, Op. 44. Amazing performance!

Now we turn to Our Favorite Canook, Glenn Gould, playing Bach. Let's hear his second recording of The Goldberg Variations, made in 1981. This is Gould near the end of his days, although he was not old by any means, musically it was as if he knew he didn't have long. This recording, made 25 years after that first whirlwind performance clocks in a full eleven minutes longer than that performance.

Now let's listen to one of the tone poems of Richard Strauss that doesn't really see a lot of air at all, and that is his "Sinfonia Domestica", Op. 53, his paean to home life. Here is Fritz and The Band on an RCA Living Stereo recording from 1956.

I thought a little more Bach would be nice, here is his Concerto for Three Harpsichords in C Major, BWV 1064, in the classic large-orchestra recording by Karl Richter and the Munchener Bach Orchester.

Here is the divine Elisabeth Schwarzkopf with Gerald Moore at the piano to sing Schubert's lied "Die Forelle", or "The Trout". The lyrics tell of a beautiful trout in a stream who is (sadly for him) caught by a fisherman.

And now, let's hear the Piano Quintet that Schubert built off/around that very song! Here is Schubert's "Trout" Quintet in A Major, played by pianist Clifford Curzon with members of the Vienna Octet, their landmark recording from 1958. Pour a fresh cup and enjoy!

That wraps up this Friday edition of Morning Coffee Music. This is Mr. Baggins, signing off for now. I'll return at 2pm Pacific with your Afternoon Stack of Classic Wax.

Until then, be kind, babies, be kind.

Baggins out.

[solarwynd]

Agreed. Heart On The Window is definitely the best song in the album and Wendy sounded really nice. Falling is good too.

Running Wild felt too short honestly, it would be better with a bridge. Though I suppose that shorter song are a little easier to stream.

Anther Level felt like it was trying a little to hard, it has a certain vibe that Jin doesn't quite pull off. Also the "we'll bounce back and hit, bounce back and hit" part, that doesn't sound like Jin, so I'm assuming it's this James Keys guy Apple Music is telling me does the background vocals, and I'm sorry to James but that part kinda ruins the chorus. I don't know if this makes any sense but he almost sounds like a country singer and it feels out place in the song.

I Will Come To You will probably be better when I find the lyrics on Twitter. Is that type of song that is not the most interesting sonically speaking, so it relies more heavily on the lyrics. But it's apparently a fan song so I, as a pjm, will hardly be moved, but hopefully armys can enjoy it.

Heart on the Window is his best song vocally on the album too.

Although it’s still objectively a good song, I feel like why I can’t fully get into Running Wild for one is the beat is a bit too repetitive for me and also Jin’s voice doesn’t really do it for me on it especially in the chorus.

I agree with all your points for Another Level cause I had the same thoughts. Same with I will come to you. I’m not gonna bother looking at the lyrics though cause it’s gonna be some variation of the lyrics all their fan songs have and fan songs have beyond run their course for me 💀

[thisaintascenereviews]

The Funeral Portrait - Greetings From Suffocate City

Almost ten years ago to the wire is when I first listened to The Funeral Portrait’s debut EP, For The Dearly Departed, and around eight years is when I listened to their debut album, A Moment Of Silence, but I haven’t cared about them since. I liked their debut EP a lot, because they were really unique, ultimately taking baroque-pop, theatrics, and post-hardcore and put their own spin on it, but the album didn’t hit as much. They went into a more generic direction, and it just didn’t work. Weirdly enough, they haven’t dropped an album in around eight years, for whatever reason, but they’ve been active. They’re back with their new album, Greetings From Suffocate City, and I wasn’t super curious to check it out, but for all I knew, this could be a really cool album. It’s been eight years, so who knows what they sound like now, right?

Well, unfortunately, Greetings From Suffocate City leaves a lot to be desired, although there are things I like a lot about it. I just don’t care for this enough to revisit it, but it’s not surprising that this band is any bigger than they are. I hate to say that, because I don’t want to be mean, but this album isn’t very good. I wouldn’t say it’s terrible, or even bad, because I’ve heard a lot worse this year, but the bad outweighs the good. This album just has a few things that get under my skin, and they may even be just personal gripes that I have, not necessarily something that’s truly bad about it, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.

There are a couple things I like, but they’re going to be backhanded compliments, because as much as they work for me, they also hinder the album. For starters, their vocalist is still really damn good, and it’s no question he has talent, but he’s constantly being so melodramatic, over the top, and theatrical with his delivery, it really takes me out of the album, especially when he’s always at 11. He sounds good, but he’s always doing way too much, even when the song doesn’t require it. He also just kind of sings in one register the whole time, and again, he doesn’t sound bad, but he just doesn’t have much variation in his delivery. I also kind of like their sound here, because instead of generic post-hardcore, they go into an alternative glam-rock sound. Think like My Chemical Romance meets Queen meets David Bowie, but not as good. It’s pretty generic still, but I’ll admit that the sound isn’t half bad, and there are some cool ideas here.

Where the sound doesn’t totally sell me is how generic it is, because they don’t do much with it. One song does have a cool southern-rock feel, and their vocalist even has this preacher sound to his voice, but most of this album is bland glam-rock meets alternative meets post-hardcore. A couple songs get a little heavier, but not too much, unfortunately. I think it doesn’t help that this album is way too long, as it clocks in at over 50 minutes with 14 songs. It just feels like overkill, especially when each song sounds the same, and they all have similar problems.

One of the biggest problems, aside from its length and generic sound, are its lyrics. I always liked this band’s lyrics, but what is this album? Song titles like “Generation Psycho,” “You’re So Ugly When You Cry,” “Stay Weird,” and “Dark Thoughts” make me cringe. That sounds like stuff I’d write when I was 14, and the lyrics don’t disappoint, I guess, even though they’re kind of bad. This album should be alternatively be titled Theater Kids: The Album, because the lyrics are just as melodramatic as the vocals.

They’re just not good, but it doesn’t help the few guest vocalists aren’t good, either. Spencer from Ice Nine Kills, Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria, Bert McCracken from The Used, and Eva Under Fire, are on here, and none of these guest vocalists are bad, per se, but in the case of Danny and Bert, how the mighty have fallen. The last Asking Alexandria album wasn’t very good, and I haven’t even wanted to listen to The Used’s newest one, but this is the best features they can get. Yikes, but I guess it could be a lot worse — you could be on a Falling In Reverse album.

I wouldn’t say this album is good, but I wouldn’t call it outright awful. There are some good ideas here, especially in their sound and presentation, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. I guess if you like My Chemical Romance, or you like more theatrical and over the top stuff, you might dig this, and more power to you. This isn’t offensively bad to me, where I’m appalled that someone would like this, but I’m also kind of like, “Why?” I’m just not sure why someone would rather listen to this over a lot of other stuff, but again, it could be worse — you could listen to a Falling In Reverse album.

[seven-oomen]

Hi, Ben!  I hope decorating continues to go well!  And I’m curious about your zoo game you’ve been mentioning.

Hey B! It’s progressing steadily. I’ve almost finished my hallway in terms of floor and wallpaper and am now doing the smaller bedroom. (Only thing left in the hallway is the baseboards/skirting boards? Idk in Dutch we call it a plint. I had to look up the translation.) The game I’m playing atm is called planet zoo. It’s pretty fun, you have complete freedom to build your own zoo and design habitats, signs, and buildings. I recently build a train station:

Including shops, decorations, and a bunch of other stuff. It’s pretty neat what you can do in the game.

So, I saw DP&W a second time (did I tell you that already?  My grasp of time is even worse than normal lately.)  Anyway, I feel like I managed to pick up on more stuff that I missed because I knew what to expect and was less overwhelmed by all the “EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING SO MUCH!!!"  Although I maintain my views on the Odyssey incident, there is definitely an absolute vibe of "pushing the line as close as Disney will possibly let us”.  Like I’d noticed it the first time, but holy shit, that second time was even more in your face.  (Also still stand by the potential for some flavor of Scott/Jean/Logan in his past based on how he talks about them, because why not add a little more trauma for him?  XD )

So did I! (Well not in cinema, that’s too much right now. But I found a link.) Idk if you did tell me tbh, but you told me now XD. And yeah, that oddesy scene is really skirting the line as much as they can. It’s so freaking obvious. But I do really like your interpretation as well. It makes sense for Logan not to be in to that considering everything he went through. (They do fuck nasty on the couch once everything settles in the end. That I wholeheartedly believe. Logan and Wade are so into each other.)

And yeah, Logan def had a relationship with his Jean and Scott. I’m even putting that into the fic I’m writing. Just for the delicious angst that’ll bring.

Also can you believe I’ve been on Ao3 for 10 YEARS?? holy crap.

And I’ve been a voting member for most of that time.

And like, so many (banger) love songs on that soundtrack.  So many.  XD  Ngl, one of my first thoughts during the rewatch of the finale was “I wonder how many fics are going to end up titled some variation of ‘I hear you call my name and it feels like home’?”, so that post had me choking down a cackle.  (Yes, I realize I’m one of those song lyric as title authors.  Yes, I have thought of several other lyrics from other songs from the soundtrack that would also be great titles for Poolverine fic.  No I will not apologize for that.  XD )  (Also I stand by my previous thoughts on the Personal Jesus playlist.)

Oh my god you don’t wanna know how many Madonna song fics there are now XD I count at least 3 new ones per day. Hahahahaha. (I laugh but my own fic is titled after a Starkid Song from their musical; The trail to Oregon.)

And I have been trying to come up with Jesus related songs for Wade to put into a playlist but I haven’t gotten much further than Jesus take the wheel and Jesus of Surburbia.

Here’s the fic playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/61ImiJ5GmpyzskXDDZKCz7?si=697e193191a246fe If you have any ideas, feel free to fire away!

Something I hope make an appearance of some variety in someone’s fic: Yukio convincing Laura (and Vanessa?) to participate in a back and forth contest with Wade and Peter (and Remy? [Shhh, let me pretend the TVA got him out]) to send each other videos/TikToks of themselves doing girl group and boy band music video dance routines.  Piotr and Dopinder are the (theoretically) impartial judges, while Blind Al is allowed the tie breaker vote when needed.  Shatterstar (can’t remember his civvie name offhand) joins whichever group he feels like at the time.  There’s no real stakes, but there’s an ongoing extra level that true bragging rights will belong to whoever gets either Negasonic or Logan to join in first.  (I at least think this would be very entertaining, but I admittedly may be a little slap happy at this point.)

What do you mean pretend? Of course he got out with Blade and Elektra. I will die on that hill.

But yeah that’s brilliant actually XD. I don’t think Laura herself would participate but she’s definitely the type to egg on others to be stupid. And then laugh at their stupidity. (And Peter, Wade, and Remy would have a fucking blast.) The three girls are watching them with popcorn buckets and Mary Puppins on their laps.

Also, Logan getting to experience some joy in his life.  A lot of the characters he seems to end up friends with (Kitty, Kurt, Wade, etc) seem to be the “unrelentingly cheerful and upbeat in the face of severe horror and trauma” types, which I feel is good for him.  He needs those kinds of people in his life, whether he would agree or not.  XD 

He does 😭 I like to think he’s secretly very grateful to be surrounded by them, even if he’s grumpy about it due to the over-stimulation. It’s very easy to fight for people that bring him that much comfort and joy.

And just because I feel like it’s been a while since I offered a purely NSFW suggestion/thought:  Wade makes WAY too many pegging jokes to not be a switch (and it hasn’t been THAT long since I saw the first film), so consider; Wade getting railed by Vanessa while Logan rides him like he stole him (bonus here is that he potentially can see both of them as this happens without turning his head, presuming his eyes haven’t rolled back into it.)  Alternatively; Wade getting his back blown out while buried inside Logan, who feels full and protected and weighed down in the pleasantest way possible, and Vanessa gets to enjoy how seeing how content and satisfied everyone seems afterward.

I very much like the way you think. I agree, I think Wade is more a switch, but Logan is a bottom. Pillow princess. I think that’s also the most kind to any partners tbh XD. Considering he has an adamantium skeleton... yeah no he’s lying on his back/belly. There’s also a lot of people that have this headcanon that Logan extends his claws when he cums, but I tend to partially agree with that. I don’t think he does it every time, I like to think that in 200 years he has some control over the snikt. But when he’s overstimulated beyond compare (or any other intense emotion), then yeah they come out without him meaning to. Because Idk about others but not every orgasm is higher than life all the time.

I had a lot of time to think about that one when I rped Logan a decade ago, hahhaha.

Oh, and it’s amusing to me to see all the art of Logan flinging Wade like a discus, because I remember there being a running joke among my friends many, MANY the year ago about Colossus or Beast picking up a (comic appropriately sized) Wolvie and hurling him at an enemy.  Not sure if this was actually something from a comic or show, but I remember they always called it a Fastball Special.

It is very much a thing in the comics, yeah XD. Fastball special incoming!

So, I’ve rambled more than I meant to, and it’s way later than I realized (like I said, my sense of time is rather vague at best lately  XD ), so I will wrap up for now (also I can’t remember at this point if there was anything else I meant to bring up…)  I hope you’re doing as well as can be expected, and that the good days are outweighing the bad!  I hope things with the apartment continue to go well, and that you get a chair of excellent quality from the municipality.  I hope your weather is pleasant, and you and Yara get a chance to enjoy it properly.  Sending lots of good thoughts and energy to get your goals, writing or otherwise, accomplished with relative ease.  Take care!  *HUGS TO YOU BOTH!!!*

Big hugs and cuddles from me and Yara, my friend <3

I’m holding on, I finally had a meeting with other people from the municipality. I get to keep my current chair, and help is on the way. Finally.

I hope work is going well and that people are treating you decently at the pet store.

Take care my friend!

[vivisols]

like with everything related to mers, courtship traditions vary from pod to pod! different pods have slightly different variations on their traditions and preferred gifts.

as mentioned in prior chapters, shells are a superrrr common gift for mates, although they can also be gifts for friends. it'd be pretty hard to find a pod that didn't have the exchanging of shells as a tradition in some way, especially as a courtship tradition! mers choose shells based on size, texture, color, and shape! small, smooth shells are considered most romantic, as they can easily be used as a scale polisher or made into jewelry. they also just make a nice decoration in general. intact venus comb shells are also considered romantic because of their rarity!

plants (of the uprooted and easily replantable variety) are also a common gift! it's not unheard of for a mer to find a plant pretty and for their mate to come back with it the next day for them to plant in or nearby their den. picked flowers or leaves on their own are considered gifts for your "first crush as a pup", as most mers grow out of picking apart plants for no reason and see it as a bit reckless and disrespectful to both the ocean and the gods. pups, however, don't really care for that. they just grab what they think looks pretty!

some pods have dances for courtship, some do not! a typical courtship dance involves very little use of the arms and a lot of use of the tail unless it's a partner dance. it involves a lot of circling and spiraling and a whole bunch of fin waving! so think of it as like… a waltz! somewhat! bioluminescent mers also incorporate flashes of their bioluminescence. really, it's all about controlled swimming and pretty looking patterns! partner dances involve a lot of twirling and circling, too!

pearls are a very, very special item in mer culture. they're often made into jewelry such as necklaces or bracelets and, because of their rarity, are considered extremely romantic. they're highly sought after! if a mer gets another mer a pearl then theyre basically saying "hey. i love you so much i would die for you". however, its like getting someone an extremely expensive piece of jewelry. it's good if both parties love each other a lot, but at the same time a bit risky to give just anyone. one mer might end up with no pearl, no mate, and a broken heart….

songs and melodies are considered the MOST romantic form of courtship. coming up with a song with or for your mate is considered incredibly romantic. each courtship song is completely unique to those mers! they can either have lyrics or not, with many opting for the latter in order to make it easier to remember. then again, they could also opt for an ever changing, always unique song with a similar melody each time, showing their ever changing and adapting love for each other!

sharing food is common as well! one mer might go out to hunt and bring back another a particularly hard to catch piece of food, such as an octopus or crab. mers prefer larger catches that can be easily shared as opposed to smaller ones that they would eat separately. mer courtship is also based a lot on physical touch, too. holding hands, curling their tail around each other, traditional kissing, and snout nuzzling are very common to see in mates! mers love physical contact! verbally flirting is a bit on the rarer side, but flirting by getting gifts or food to share is incredibly common.

in order to court each other, mers would get each other more gifts and engage in a lot more physical contact. bringing back food to share is especially common! all in all, it depends on the pod and the mer. one mer might really like shells as a gift, and another might prefer to watch a dance. and when two mers are absolutely sure they want to become mates, they will get each other a shell that the other would like and verbally tell each other of their wishes! and after that, well, they're mates! mers mate for life! :Dc

[nonbinary-sticks-the-badger]

ummm errr heres my NiGHTS playlist

tbf its just meant to be songs that feel magical and NiGHTS was the best character i thought i could assign to a playlist of that theme but whatever. explanations under cut

1. Gate of Your Dream SEGA SOUND TEAM

hurrrr hurrr NiGHTS into dreams song fits NiGHTS' character

2. Peaceful Moment SEGA SOUND TEAM

yeah this is pretty magic and from NiGHTS hurrrr

3. Fragmented Nights SEGA SOUND TEAM

guess the explanation

4. Introduced Dream SEGA SOUND TEAM

hmmmmmmmmm

5. Paternal Horn SEGA SOUND TEAM

ummmm

6. After The Dream SEGA SOUND TEAM

see 1 - 5

7. Star Light Zone Masato Nakamura

THE STAGE TAKES PLACE WITH STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY!!! LIKE NiGHTS!!! AND ALSO IS SONIC TEAM!!!

8. Special Stage (Sonic 1) Masato Nakamura

mysterious and surreal... some may say dreamlike... and also sonic team

9. Duel in Dream SEGA SOUND TEAM

like the first one but instead of NiGHTS into dreams its journey of dreams

10. Peaceful Moment SEGA SOUND TEAM

if i include the NiD version i may as well include the JoD version. i didnt do this with gate of your dream because the JoD version sounds so bad

11. Merry Memory Go Round SEGA SOUND TEAM

this is getting exhausting

12. Eloquent Echo: River Rescue SEGA SOUND TEAM

do you hear the flibberty jibberty jibber jabber with an 'oh my god ive gotta get out of here or ill have another word to sell another story to tell another time piece ringing the bell' do you hear the clocks stop when you reach the end no you know it must be neverending comprehend if you can but when you try to pretend to understand you resemble a fool although youre only a man so give it up and smile

13. Dreams Dreams - Located Link Mix (Instrumental) SEGA SOUND TEAM

see 9 - 12

14. Collision Chaos - "G" Mix SEGA SOUND TEAM

yeah this feels like NiGHTS

15. Tidal Tempest - "G" Mix SEGA SOUND TEAM

these are also obviously sonic team, yeah, you get it

16. Zone Clear SEGA SOUND TEAM

TELEPORTATION YEAH! ZIBITTY BUP-BUP!

17. Sky Chase Zone Masato Nakamura

i think you get the point

18. Special Stage (Sonic 2) - Demo Masato Nakamura

i recently got into the sonic 1&2 demos. some of them are bangers, such as this one

19. Special Stage (Sonic 1) - Demo Masato Nakamura

see above, with the additional bonus of me adding the mega drive version before

20. Vanilla Jack Stauber

FINALLY!!! FINALLY!!! A SONG I CAN ACTUALLY EXPLAIN BECAUSE IT ISNT NiGHTS OR SONIC!!!

and i just realised its instrumental. great. if it helps, its sort of like a lullaby.

21. dancing around in circles until my little feet fall off spellcasting

WOOHOO!!! SILLY CLOWN MUSIC!!! LIKE NiGHTS!!!!

22. Dream Sweet in Sea Major Miracle Musical

alooooooooooone

i think less about the lyrics and more about the fact this sounds vaguely magic and a little christmassy (because, yk, christmas NiD)???

23. A Lady Tally Hall

idk its kinda calm ig. if you ignore the 'lady' bit (although NiGHTS probably wouldnt mind being called that) i suppose you could say theyre good and evil? idk

24. 13 Tally Hall

i probably should have added ruler of everything afterwards but idk why i feel i shouldnt

25. Spring Yard Zone Masato Nakamura

this is my favourite stage in sonic 1!!! so much so that i made up loads of lore about it having homes just so that i could make an oc be from there!!! anyway yeah the usual. its sonic team. sounds vaguely magical.

26. Temptation Stairway (Waltz Variation) Metaroom

when i got into ena temptation stairway was the latest episode, or really anything to do with ena. maybe the first teaser for dream bbq was out??? before we knew it was a game??? idk. point is, ena is absolutely bafflingly surreal, and i could sort of imagine this in a NiGHTS game. sonic team please contact metaroom for any future NiGHTS projects please please please 🙏🙏🙏

27. Fancam RYL0, Aron Enoch

the lyrics dont fit even slightly ❤️ but it sounds cute

28. Theme of "CHAO" SEGA SOUND TEAM

this is such a silly happy song from a game that references NiGHTS! also ive literally gone bankrupt from buying stuff in the chao garden black market in sadx lol

29. Isle Unto Thyself Miracle Musical

to me, this DEFINITELY fits the magical theme, as well as the sensation of flying. i have absolutely no idea what any of the lyrics mean.

30. Black Rainbows Miracle Musical

it also feels kinda magical and follows isle unto thyself

31. White Ball Miracle Musical

see above only less because it feels magical and more because it follows black rainbows. i didnt add murders because that's definitely a stretch to say it fits NiGHTS

[bvannn]

Weekly Update February 2, 2024

I think I’m mostly better. The medicine I take is once a week, and it’s supposed to last me all week. Last week it brought me through about Tuesday, this week I was good until Wednesday, hopefully next week it’ll last the full week. I’m doing fine today too because Fridays are when I administer it. I think I’ll be fine real soon. Unfortunately I am swamped with homework, but I can manage it pretty soon.

This week as far as art projects was mainly me messing with music. I found the trick to getting good electronic instruments, and that is a little free plugin called Krush. I don’t know why music software companies like mortal kombat so much that they spell everything like that, but the ones that do make nice stuff so I won’t judge. I also started fiddling with Melodies for some instrumental themes for OCs, Shaun and Romeo are first up for that, planning to make progress tonight. Cleaned up my other project files as well and found a nice bass and drum line I must’ve made while I was delirious on medicine after surgery bc I don’t remember making it but it sounds nice so I’ll keep it. I’m the process of cleaning up a Zelda medley, I’ll probably post the piano version of that alongside the full instrumental. Finally, another one that’s set for vocals even though I technically haven’t finished the first one. I’m impulsive. The first one is just missing vocals and lyrics really so once I’m in a good headspace I’ll try to lyric out both of these in one go and fiddle with vocaloid after I know what words I want.

I also finally started prodding at Vocaloid 5. I’m going with v5 over v4 because it has a more user friendly UI and I’m under the impression that the attack and release feature is unique to v5, although I may be wrong on that. I’m still not sure exactly which voicebanks I’ll want to use, obviously the Kagamines would be a good choice because having a male and female option packaged together is cool, but the Zolas are also a package deal and have a bit more variation amongst them. I’m not sure how well they do English though, since they’re not built for it. I mean I guess people won’t really care, people still seem to be big fans of the Vflower English songs even though she’s also not built for english *or the genre most of those songs are* and they eat them up anyway. The Zolas are also less marketable than the Kagamines or Vflower, though. Also I guess Miku is an option and probably an inevitability if I do start making vocaloid music but I don’t need to start with her, you know? Idk maybe I’ll keep working on song stuff and consider which vocal fits the best, maybe I’ll draw them a bit too, see how much demand there is.

I haven’t been doing any comic work because I’ve still been sick, plus now I’m waffling since I don’t have a big animation project anymore and I guess I could fill the void by making that project an animation, but I’m still unsure. It might be smart to do both, and at a minimum my thumbnailing out the comic makes sure that everything is paced correctly and the dialogue flows. Tonight I’m hoping to pick back up where I left of before I got sick: I had finished the first third of the first ‘episode’, and was moving on to act 2.

Today especially I’ve been bit by the TTRPG bug again and kinda want to write out and draw stuff for that, but normally I do my best conceptual writing while I’m delirious in bed after my sleep medicine is kicked in but before I fall asleep. I stayed up late last night alternating between chemistry homework and playing ghost trick so tonight should be a good night for writing. Maybe I’ll get more comic outline writing done too, who knows.

And finally I also just really need to get more drawings done. I posted those epithet challenge ones the other day, which people seem to like. And I really want to do a drawing of Lynne, I like her because she reminds me of an OC of mine, can’t say which one or why though because that’s a spoiler for both characters. I really need to do more art in general, so I threw together a wheel of small little doodles to do, but all that still relies on me having free time, which is a lot scarcer now that I’m working. Still, if I get back into the habit of chugging out those comic pages, I can probably do a little more.

I’m still not sure what to do tonight. I keep flipping back and forth over whether I want to do music or drawing, and end up with little in the way of posting. I did find out that I can post audio to tumblr easy now, so I’ll try to do that more often. Idk. I’m exhausted from today specifically, and this past week has been busy, but I’m hoping it’ll die down and I can do more this upcoming week.