#and apparently i never listened between 5 and 6 am

[seaofreverie]

No way...... I'm officially the #1 Metaphor fan, hooray

[wordy-little-witch]

I am now hip deep in the Edge of Midnight campaign from legends of avantris and lemme tell you some shit -

1) I would lay down my life for Jericho Sticks without any hesitation. Torbek and Jericho are my sons now, no takesies backsies.

2) Lethica and Marius are so perfectly aligned to be end game lovers but I personally adore the idea of them being queerplatonic if only bc it's funny to watch people be confused and I think Lethica would adore that.

3) you can pry the concept of Briggsy having a some kind of magical fantasy cellphone equivalent from my cold dead hands - sending stone or smth idfk - and he's been keeping his buddy/boyfriend Torbek updated on all this like "Becky you would not BELIEVE what happened today-" ((listen I know the flirting bit between them in the yuletide one-shot was a feycurse but leave me alone it's funny as fuck))

4) briggsy @ jericho in ep 24 appropos nothing: Jerry, maybe we have to kiss ((sad, silly twinks with Literal Darksides are his type /j))

5) I have a friend-crush on Nikkie and I will never recover

6) I have an unyielding NEED to have Jericho get a final hit on a boss and yell yeehaw

7) I know stylistically Jericho doesn't have "skin" but I personally hc that his clothes aren't effectively his skin, he has a burlap body - and he has "tattoos" in the form of embroidery. It started when he had to stitch up his own cuts and stuff and he just kept it up.

8) Only Yorgrim has any constant sense of cooking in an actual kitchen-like setting. Farryn, Marius, and Briggsy can do journey or on-the-road cooking, but it's never.... great. Lethica burns everything somehow or gets the bright idea to 'experiment', and it's never good - she's fine if she's got clear end goals. Jericho is understandably skittish around fire due to his body and straw, but he is the closest to being able to cook well and do so semi regularly.

9) Virgil is a weird mix of a hater and lowkey overprotective. He does hate being imprisoned, but also he's kinda bound here so he HAS to keep this disaster of a bard safe. He refuses to admit he might have a soft spot. He is Stressed.

10) Farryn doesn't get the appeal of Girls Nights, but Jericho does!!! They join Lethica for some fun relaxation. Briggsy once asked why Jericho was allowed since he's also a dude, and Lethica just responded "he's allowed to be there - on account of him being a scarecrow and not a literal man after all." It's an inside joke which later has to be explained - Jericho is nonbinary but doesn't rightly care about stuff like that.

11) Yorgrim is the group dad, no I will not explain.

12) sometimes after a battle, Lethica and Marius will help stitch up some of Jericho's tears. Farryn may also add in random flowers she finds around because it makes him happy.

13) Briggsy is small but mighty. The only person he has yet to pick up and carry is Yorgrim - he swears that one day that tombstone will be gone and he'll be able to do it. It's all the rock's fault, he's sure of it.

Spoilers under the cut (caught up to present)

OKAY so I am caught up completely and have decided that Canon is not important leave me alone

• Yorgrim did not die - he got wounded heavily but survived.

• Farryn almost got taken but they got to her in time. She is mute for a time due to injuries and trauma - idk if she ever talks again bc we could use more sign language in the world. Maybe it comes and goes, fuck if I know, idk and idc

ONWARDS TO SILLIES

• Lethica strong armed her way into giving Jericho The Talk after he revealed he had no idea what a penis was. Scarecrows cannot blush, but apparently his fiendish glow can ebb and flow and he glows much MUCH brighter when he's embarrassed - she tries so hard not to laugh.

• Adella and Jericho btw are simply besties. His "crush" on her is a friend crush and Phillip just finds it painfully cute. ((Also -> Jericho has mommy issues and Adella always wanted a son/nephew/little brother. Peaceful alignment))

• Dark Mode Marius is a colossal flirt but still a giant dweeb. He's cool and suave until someone flirts back - then he's a mess.

• Briggsy is very happy with his Kannon & makes "shooting my shot" jokes at every and any opportunity

• Yorgrim, with his reward, manages to finally lay many souls tonrest but he still carries the tombstone on journeys - just not constantly now. He still believes he must pay penance, but it's a little easier to share the burden.

• Farryn, with her own reward, has not chosen to activate it yet. Something tells her to wait, to bide her time and remain. She does, however, get a little more at ease with the others. She and Jericho have come to an understanding, too - that being they they are a package deal, no takesies backsies, and they refer to each other as twin, much to the confusion of many, many, many people. WLW and NBLM solidarity.

• Jericho is pining HARD for Marius, but he's absolutely terrified of damaging the friendship so everyone is watching two oblivious dummies look longingly into each other.

• POLYAMORY POLYAMORY POLYAMORY

• Marius grows rather fond of Virgil, and the sentiment is very much NOT reciprocated bc this angry knight vampire is not good enough for his vessel and he's mad about it.

• Yorgrim: I've only had my friends for a few days, but if anything happened to them, I'd kill everyone in Druskenvald and then myself.

• I fully expect for Jericho to somehow befriend an enemy in disguise, not realize, and accidentally fuck up the evil plan with the powers of puns, music and friendship (/j)

• the first time the party sees Jericho presenting more feminine, he's been lended one of Lethica's dresses after his own clothes got torn up and the rest are being washed. Marius has a nosebleed and faints. Briggsy is staring somewhat respectfully. Lethica is trying valiantly not to laugh. Farryn and Yorgrim regret not dying when they had the chance.

• Marius: i cannot have a relationship because I have sworn to follow the duchess of sin

Lillith: whoa hold up, Do Not use me as an excuse to avoid the cutie pie over there. Besides, he has a demon. I'm queen of hell. I can make a small exception.

Marius: shit

• Briggsy Bi Icon: OH if ONLY Jerry here had a DASHING KNIGHT to SAVE THEM from this PERILOUS INCIDENT

Jericho: captain, I'm just getting off of a horse??

Marius: no no Briggsy has a point, no maiden should be unaccompanied or unassisted. Allow me-

Lethica&Farryn: We Know What You Are

• Yorgrim is watching all this inter party flirting and is definitely wondering if he's gonna have to have an aside with everyone about flirting tactics and communication skills. Briggsy is making it worse by enabling everyone.

• Farryn gets some sweet, succulent healing, that is all.

[kellykswift]

so guys. its time for a new manifestation - Vienna n3!

since Robin worked amazing last time… i decided to make more daisy hats. there will be around 3-4 this time

so…..Taylory if you see those hats, Vienna, n3…

I beg you to play Florida!!!

its for my girlfriend. the most supportive non taylor fan and best person ever.

let me present my points why she deserves to hear florida!!!

1. she went with me from europe to the US last year to see taylor because i couldn’t stand the fact not knowing if there will be an european leg

2. during all too well, she stood up, bought us beer and merch!!! she giggled about it because apparently she was alone in the hallway😂

3. i decided to collect vinyls (well only taylor’s so far) she bought a nice shelf

4. i was fucking obsessed with the pirelli calender where karlie was part of. when i got it, she picked a really nice spot and we discussed the estethics

5. her favorite song is lavender haze, the felix jaen version, but she always makes sure whenever i feel bad to put on a REP song.

6. she made a shirt for the show. but daddy i love her. at my bday party (taylor themed) she took the red shirt and made it something like: never let her go. i didnt ask her to do it

7. when its my turn to chose a movie, she asks: reputation, miss americana, lover in paris or the one on Disney wirh jack (she loves bleachers). but not the eras tour(since i livestream a lot) and i always have to promise to not get crazy while watching 😂

8. we went to tomorrowland and she made a friendship bracelet for me because she knew that i ll miss the surprise songs those days.

9. when we met, she wanted to give me taylor tickets to rep for our anniversary. (She had no clue, how hard it is to get those. )

But the point is. she listened to me from the beginning. and i know that florida!!! will be her no1 spotify song because that’s basically the only song she not only knows the lyrics but actually sings them. (she knows all of them, thanks to me but she is not into country taylor unfortunately .)

what i am trying to say here. i am a selfish bitch most of the time but i would like to see my girlfriend freaking out over one of Taylors songs. so pls taylor. i know we cant get her florence to vienna for a duett but pleaseplay florida!!! vienna night3! its a saturday.

so….

happy wife happy life. please play florida!!! for vienna n3 .

thanks!

[quartings]

Thoughts on fan backlash: The Good and the Evil.

With the recent massive Pokemon leak bringing a lot of internal Gamefreak correspondance to light, I wanted to just give a stream of consciousness on my thoughts about people's reaction to fan backlash, and how it can have both really good and completely evil impacts.

I think the Pokemon fanbase has speculated for a long time that low Gen 5 sales caused Gamefreak to begin their excessive Kanto pandering in Gen 6, 7, and early Gen 8 in an attempt to increase profit.

And while I understand the apprehension about fans being unhappy with the Unova dex restriction, I think a sales dip was only inevitable as Pokemon's initial overseas fanbase entered their cringy teen years. Blaming it on foreigners and the entire Unova dex was a gross overreaction. And as someone who was in their early teens when BW launched and only had good things to say about it, it baffles me that the controversy even existed in the first place.

But later controversies had even kid me upset with Gamefreak- the low difficulty of the games (which comes and goes nowadays), games coming out with missing/underdeveloped features, severe performance errors, and of course, Dexit (when I was an adult). BW only having Unova Pokemon in their regional dex was fine, since all the older Pokemon were still in the postgame and game data ready for transfer. So when is fan outrage justified, and when isn't it?

I guess the main problem here is making a series for children, wanting to keep it for children (nothing wrong with that), but trying to get all your feedback from teenagers and adults online, since most kids (at least back in the 2010s) can't access social media as easily to enunciate their thoughts. Because meaningful feedback (Make the stories better paced, make the games at least as tough as they were in Gens 3-5, improve competitive custom games, improve continuity between games, bring back the Battle Frontier, etc) conflict with Gamefreak's backwards mindset of "kids are stupid and want easy games, boring characters, and flashy features we'll scrap next gen". Which leaves the only criticism they can respond to being "Let's appeal to the shallow Genwunners by focusing way too much on Kanto Pokemon."

A part of me worries for the dark potential future where Gamefreak listens to fan backlash about Gen 8's Dexit, and makes a game with all 1100+ Pokemon available. But due to internal pressures and overworking their employees on a poorly planned schedule, the game runs awfully and has next to no postgame. As a result, reception to this game is naturally negative, but both dimwitted Gamefreak executives and a small handful of especially stupid fans think "Oh, this happened because we had all the Pokemon in the game- we should never do this again, and blame fans who want basic features in the games from now on!" instead of the obvious lesson "We shouldn't overwork our employees and instead take our time to make a functioning and fun game."

And for anyone who has followed my blog since its early days, you'd know I am (was?) a huge amourshipping fan, partly because I love the XY anime, partly because I really enjoy Serena as a character, and partly because I had a foolish hope that the anime would try to properly progress Ash as a character instead of what they wound up doing in Gens 7-8. And apparently The Pokemon Company limited Serena's screentime in Journeys because they were too scared of fan backlash at the risk of handling her wrong, with the former XY director getting threats over such issues (I won't comment on what kind of fans were making the threats as they weren't specified in the leak) in her only return episode. And I know this may come across as naiive or insensitve, but... who cares? There's always going to be a handful of crazy fans trying to stan or hate a certain character- what do YOU as a creator think is best for YOUR character and YOUR story? And as long as the overall public is fine with your story, who cares what the few psycho fans think one way or the other? Why sabotage your own story not to appease the majority, not even to please a minority, but to silence a minority? I think more fans both casual and hardcore would be happy to see Ash and Serena get together than the amount who would be upset by it. It just feels like cowardice.

But when it comes for stories made for older audiences, listening to feedback becomes a more complex story. On the opposite end, a lot of fanbases like to bootlick for big companies when they make blatantly discriminatory decisions. For a non-Pokemon example, I'll cite The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Marvel changed the character from an offensive Chinese sterotype to a self-aware vague Middle Eastern stereotype played by a goofy British man in-universe in order to avoid hate from Chinese audiences.

And there was a lot of fandom drama from this choice naturally, between fans who wanted a real villainous and Chinese Mandarin, and fans who enjoyed the twist and appreciated Marvel's choice to not risk an offensive Chinese stereotype. I was a bit too young to participate in any of this drama at the time, but I generally enjoyed the twist Marvel did, while also sympathising with fans who liked the comic storylines.

Well apparently, the fan backlash to Iron Man 3 was enough to compel Marvel to make a short film called "All Hail the King" in the same year, where they confirmed there was indeed a real East Asian villainous Mandarin somewhere in the MCU. And eventually in Shang Chi (8 years later), the real Mandarin did appear as Xu WenWu, an incredibly cool and compelling villain who wasn't harmfully stereotypical at all! I know the extremely racist Marvel executive Ike Perlmutter getting fired after Iron Man 3 and before Shang Chi probably contributed, but I can't help but wonder if fan backlash was the main cause for us getting WenWu eventually? In the alternate universe where everyone agreed to shut up and happily accept the Iron Man 3 version of the Mandarin, would there be no WenWu? Would that universe be all the worse as a result?

And then, there's the difference between "fans" and "fandoms". Sometimes I think both creators and fans forget that the main audience for a show does indeed love it, but rarely do they "obsess" over it. I've always said that children love good stories, while adults find excuses to love bad stories. Take my brother for example- he loves many cartoons, and has a lot of valid points to say about their storytelling, but I would never at all say he's a "fandom" kind of guy. Meanwhile, myself and all my animation colleagues are very much in fandoms, or at least aware of them. So one of my fellow animator friends was very surprised when they found out my brother and his friends had no idea what a "tumblr sexyman" even was, but still enjoyed cartoons and their stories nonetheless. You mean you can enjoy a cartoon for the actual content it has, without obsessively thirsting over characters or getting attached to completely fictitious ships and headcanons? No way!!

It's important to remember that when making stories for kids, the shipping/thirst/drama opinions of fandoms never really matter as long as you've put genuine thought and care into your characters and story. You don't have to deliberately insult, offend, or repel fandoms (though with enough skill and tact it could be funny I guess), just pay them no mind as you try and make the best show you can. Which is a lesson I'd like to take in making my own stories. As I make content on Youtube and beyond, I keep reminding myself that the most important viewers I have are the ones I'll hear from the least- kids with very little social media presence. And if I barely hear from that audience, the best I can do isn't to pander to my adult fans (though I still hope they like what I do if it suits them), but to keep having faith in my own content, and to be open to constructive criticism when it arrives (obviously different from insults and threats, which I've thankfully never gotten anyways)

[protobrieile]

just finished the human fear. screams in retired 2017/18 franzdom. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

my own amateur "review" below

audacious - dislike. gave me an awful first impression, to the point at which i didn't listen to any of the other singles until just now. lyrics are like, performatively self-aware in an offputting way and the composition is bland af. also just feels like a weird attempt at trying to redo early franz without the inherent cynicism which just. functionally is impossible to do well i think

2. everydaydreamer - this one i liked pretty well, both lyrically and compositionally. this feels like a good balance between pre- and post-nick ff sound imo. it reminds me thematically of The Universe Expanded and Dream Again and feels like the healthiest nick-grieving song he's ever put out. which is unfortunate bc that was very nearly an entire decade ago but oh well. still good tho

3. the doctor - this is the first of a few songs on this album that i feel like would sound fine if any other band did it but feels weirdly attention-reaching since it's them. SPEAKING OF ATTENTION I DONT LIKE THE LYRICS AT ALL. This is definitely the most grossly self-aware/acknowledging song imo. don't like it

4. hooked - i could name half a dozen songs by other artists in my library compositionally similar to this one. i like the style but it sounds, again, weird coming from them. lyrically though i think it's pretty dull and the chorus.... eughhh. alex is too old to make it feel like anything other than an awkward "back in my day magazines called me a sex symbol" ordeal.

5. build it up - HAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA the funny thing about this song is that they've been playing it for so long that it only just now being officially released just. REALLY emphasizes the fact that alex will never get over nick leaving even more LOL. Good song though, not my fav stylistically but fine

6. night or day - this must be my favorite single but that's not really saying much lol. it's fine. doesn't sound tooooo totally derivative of older stuff which helps.

7. tell me i should stay - Ok I LOVE this one. The piano interlude is v nice. The style and chord progression is also v nice. Alex's voice sounds the best it has in years (imo). the chorus key change really sets this one apart from the others and it feels WAYYYY more exciting and natural than the one in audacious. I love the guitar riffing and the tempo changes. This is EASILY my favorite off the album and honestly will probably rank in the upper quarter of their songs overall for me. If they go and make a whole album like this i will forgive alex for his transgressions against humanity

8. cats - this is another one that feels like a good balance of older and newer ff sound. i really like the "take it outside" refrain compositionally and am a bit of a sucker for the vocal style he takes on the second verse LOL. lyrically i think it is Interesting, especially the switch between "you" and "we" pronouns. i will likely be analyzing this one in the future heheheh.

9. black eyelashes - sorry not sorry but the folk-ish style reminds me of das lunsentrio. also the usage of greek words is interesting. apparently the bridge translates to "you are not greek/no, you're not talking/why? why aren't you talking?" Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. hmm,,,,, hm. Interesting. overall this one is pretty fun tho i like it lol

10. bar lonely - this one feels a little compositionally derivative of their early stuff imo but not to an extent that i feel ruins it. the lyrics kinda remind me of YCHISMB b-side era stuff, especially the vague progression of the curtain metaphor (i guess it reminds me of uh. that one supposedly about his grandpa idr what it's called lol). it is ok imo.

11. the birds - OK I LIKE THIS ONE A LOT. I love the style of it. I love the chaos that abruptly realigns into the almost factory-like riff structure. the lyrics are fine and i would like them better if they didn't end with "thank you for accepting me" but it's the composition that sells this one for me. Kinda weird for a closer tho tbh

I am glad I can say that this album exceeded my expectations and didn't end up being nearly as compositionally derivative of franz 1.0 stuff or as agonizingly self-appraising and emotionally deflective as I thought it would be after hearing the lead single. Most of the first half gives me this impression of "very adamantly trying to paint a certain image" that feels kinda gross but beyond that there is definitely a good amount of artistry and I personally find it to be much more open-minded and creative than AA ever was. it's clear that AK has grown over the years and honestly i'm surprised (for better or worse) to see there really aren't any obvious digs at any of the former members given past patterns. But i'm very glad that's the case lol. I hope they can continue to ride this wave as a group bc there's definitely a lot of good potential for some really fantastic works of art within its current form.

[wagrilous-23]

Bunny With A Vision AU!

Masterpost

- This is going to be the post where all the links and stories of this AU will be as I develop it over time, and I'll organize it as best I can!

During an unknown time period, a cosmic force of unfathomable proportions tears holes between realities, both big and small, snatching those unaware in a tear that led to a specific world....

In one world, a digitized simulation whose sole AI ringmaster administrator was in the middle of giving his 6 human avatar guests a rundown of the next adventure he had in mind, until a reality tear enveloped the purple one, confusing everyone and briefly causing chaos within the digital circus before he is taken, but not before adding in one final joke to humor himself.

In the other, the world was already war-torn and a bit empty on human life except for cybernetic robots, one of which was a giant TV-headed one. He was in the midst of using black smoke to teleport himself to another location, but a reality tear happened to appear, sending him far away from his home dimension, to somewhere far beyond....

Characters:

-Jax

The whimsy, mischievous, yet so annoying and jerkish asshole of the Amazing Digital Circus, he had been taken away from the now familiar simulated world he had come to call "home", initially thinking he had finally escaped. But nope! Jax was still in purple rabbit digital avatar, now apparently stranded in a big, desolate world that was far too realistic looking for Dentures' to have made-

"What, you expected the author to be writing everything? Nah! I can speak for myself, and boy, do I got things to say!"

"First of all, @$&^ the one who sent me to this place! Two, I hate the stupid monsters that roam everywhere in this stupid world, they ruin any sort of fun I have. Third, why am I stuck having to listen to a giant screen-faced robot who I can't even understand because he's talking gibberish!"

(In reverse) "I heard that." >:(

"Shush you. Eh, I guess this is my new circumstances, oh well. Be sure to be on the lookout for updates to the adventures me and the big guy get into, it'll be hilarious watching him do all the work! While I just sit back and relax now that I don't have to deal with that hammy AI or the others. Don't need 'em. Never have, and never will! Hahahaha!"

....Moving on.

-Visionet

-Visionet, or more often known as Titan TV Man (abbreviated TTVM), is a giant, TV head robot who can teleport with a black smoke effect, is all kinds of stoic and badass, yet cares for those who are smaller than him as comrades. His abilities are diverse and set him far apart from your regular TV head character, on top of being tall enough to look into a 4 or 5 story building (not that he'd do that mind you); plus he likes to swear or say some vulgar innuendos whenever he can, something that Jax gripes about since despite being WAY beyond the range of the Circus, he can't swear without the profanity filter. Visionet was just trying to teleport to a mission objective when he landed in a hostile world that seemingly was once full of life and is now roaming with all sorts of creepy monsters, but is now dead, with only a small purple rabbit jackass to act as company. The Titan makes it really fucking clear that he hates being the one pulling his weight while Jax just chills behind him. However...something within Visionet recognizes that there's more to Jax that meets the eye...

(In reverse) "On any other day, I would've crushed you within my fist, but for some reason you have something in your soul that stops me..."

"Is it my charm? It's gotta be my charm! I do try to be as presentable as possible, and that's just one part of me I have!"

(In reverse) "At times like this though, I severely question my own judgement." -_-

-Character 3: N/A

-Character 4: N/A

-Character 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, whatever: N/A

Posts List:

The Setup (here)

Lore, Backgrounds, and Worldbuilding (x)

When a Rabbit and an Overconfident Box Meet (Part 1 & Part 2)

Interactions 1 (Coming soon!)

Oh Great, Ommetaphobia if it gained sentience (Coming soon!)

What's an ol' Telly For? (Coming soon!)

Jax and Visionet: The Exhausting Quest for some Peace and Quiet (Coming Soon!)

Interactions 2 (Coming soon!)

A Sense of "Why do I care about this guy?" (Coming soon!)

Of Hares and Screens (Coming soon!)

Irrational Fears (Coming soon!)

Learning to Live, Learning to Love (Coming Soon!)

Soft Lights, Dull Gold (Coming soon!)

Story Post #1 (Coming soon.)

(That is all for now. To whoever becomes interested in this AU, ask me about anything, criticize any mistakes I make, and just do so for fun, lol)

To give you a preview, here's this:

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: A Chance To Fly (Wicked Medley)

You'd be hard pressed to find a Voiceplay arrangement that took more time to create/finish than this one. This was Geoff's creation (he arranged it, came up with the video concept, co-directed it, and collaborated on lighting design), and he apparently worked on this for years. I don't know how long exactly, but I'm fairly certain he vaguely alluded to it in a live Q&A he did on his channel in 2020, when someone asked if Voiceplay was planning to do any Broadway stuff. And based on comments I've read on reaction videos, I believe he's worked on it since sometime in 2019 or so?

But anyway, as spectacular an arrangement as it is, I'm not here to talk about it! I'm here to talk about the video which accompanies it, which was released on the 26th of November, 2021, and features the awesome Emoni Wilkins (in the role of Galinda), and the wonderful Rachel Potter (in the role of Elphaba) (and yes, this is another rare six-vocalist video for Voiceplay, though this time it's 4 members + 2 guests, rather than 5 members + 1 guest). One of the comments says that this is apparently Rachel's 10th collaboration with Voiceplay, though I can only count 7 previous ones (or 8 if you count Just Sing (she was in that too right?)). But regardless, what a veteran!

Anyway, the medley itself clocks in at about 7 and a half minutes, so enough backstory - there's a lot to get through!

Group shot! Love the giant clock backdrop, very cool (and very accurate/appropriate of course)

(Note that I've never seen Wicked, not even a bootleg, but I've listened to the soundtrack a few times on the odd occasion, and I know how the story goes)

(Also this video really highlights the height difference between Layne and Eli, the tallest and shortest of the group, respectively. Apparently Eli isn't actually even that short - he's like 5"5/165cm (which is about how tall I am) - it's just that everyone else in the group is taller than him, whether by a little (like Cesar), or a lot (like Layne, who's 6"1/~183cm)

I adore Emoni and Rachel's makeup looks in this one. Shoutout to Rick Underwood for doing amazing things yet again!

(Also that's a super gorgeous necklace that Rachel is wearing and I want it)

Super massive shoutout and kudos to Geoff and Eli for the lighting on this one! This is top-tier stuff! And so much variety throughout the video in terms of colours and light levels!

Cute earrings, and also face jewels! (Those things can be an absolute pain in the backside, both in terms of applying and then getting them to stay there! I'm assuming Rick used some special skin-safe "glue" product to make them stay in place, and/or some setting spray afterwards?)

Get it, Rachel! 🙌👌

Geoff is handsome as ever, of course

Firstly, go off, Eli! And second of all, Rachel looks so freaking enamoured by Eli during this part, which obviously would be because he's filling the role of Fiyero, the love interest of Elphaba (whom she's acting/singing as here), but also it's just a little bit amusing too 😁

"Think of it as personality dialysis!"

Cesar being adorable 💜

Layne popped a bubble! (With matching "sound effect" of course) (Also I only just realised earlier while watching this that Layne is wearing a tie, just that it's mostly hidden/tucked in)

"And with an assist from me, to be who you'll be, instead of dreary who you were- well, are"

Nothing but respect for my Wonderful Wizard! (He did nothing wrong 😁😝)

I love him your honour

(Gonna do a Geoff Hair Study for this one too, but won't include it in this post, because frankly this post is long enough ^^;)

(Also just realised that Geoff is also wearing a tie that is mostly hidden, and wait hang on a minute, that means that his shirt is actually fully-buttoned-up? Gasp!)

I know I'm going quite heavy on screencaps (and we're only halfway through the video, heck), but I had to share these blink-and-you-miss-it shots of Cesar and Rachel 😄

Cesar: "KILL THE WITCH!"

Geoff (noted bass singer and sometimes sea witch): Uh oh 😬

(Joke stolen from a YouTube comment, but it was too good not to include)

"Because I knew you," (🥺🥺🥺)

The urge to take a million screencaps of the Defying Gravity section at the end is strong. It's so good on all levels!

The quality as an individual screencap is not the best, but still, I'm calling it another "Voiceplay money shot", and such a cool way to end the video!

As I am typing this, the trailer for the Wicked movie (or part 1 at least) has been out for a few days, but I'm yet to even watch it, and I probably won't see the movie, because honestly I don't see how they could make any of the musical numbers better than this. And this was just a medley! And acapella! Re the movie, I'm a little uncertain on how to feel about Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and I'm definitely skeptical about Ariana Grande as Galinda. Rachel and Emoni killed it though, as did all of the guys of course! Well done Geoff, this was definitely worth the hard work and the long wait!

[amenvs3000f24]

Unit 7 - Nature in Music/Music in Nature

I think music in nature is only what you make it! If you ask my grandmother what music in nature is, I guarantee she would mention bird songs, as I grew up with her making cardinal noises outside when we heard them singing. My father, on the other hand, would call bird chirping a nuisance that wakes him up at dawn! Either way, there is music in most places for those with ears for it.

I think music in interpretation is a great avenue for evoking emotions in your audiences. Chapter 8 touches on the challenges of mass interpretation, as well as how effective communication can be integrated into interpretation. Music in nature gives an opportunity to tackle both problems! Concerts are a great example of a mass audience being communicated with. While a singer or band may not be the exact same as a nature interpreter, it’s apparent that the audience is being communicated with in a way that evokes a range of emotions! Music is a format that is accessible in various forms, be it listening, making together, or performing! In nature interpretation, music can of course be expressed through animal and plant noises, but it is important to think of how audiences can be more engaged by just listening. Examples such as using pieces of nature to create music (rocks, sticks, shells, etc.) come to mind as a way for audiences to contribute to the sounds of nature.

Musical instruments made of natural materials.

Source: Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

Nature in music is something I am a bit less familiar with. As mentioned in Gray et al’s 2001 article, music can have roots in natural sounds produced by animals. Aside from the direct sounds of nature in music, it is important to also highlight how different cultures integrate nature into artforms. An example would be the Finnish folk music mentioned in Mallarach’s 2012 article, where the relationship between humans and nature is expressed through song. I found this example particularly interesting as it was used in conservation efforts as well as an artform.

I think interpreting music through nature (and vice versa) is extremely important for reaching wide audiences and generations. The ability to communicate across languages, cultures, and age groups is extremely valuable. We can also consider how music can be passed down through generations. Bird calling is a skill my grandmother taught me, and I can think of many others involving the music present in nature that younger generations may benefit from! The same can be said about nature in music, where one may pass down instruments or recordings that reflect their relationship with nature.

A song that takes me back to a nature landscape would be ‘Harvest Moon’ by Neil Young. I think of campfires my family had growing up with the view of a never ending cornfield was across the road from us.

References:

Beck, Lawrence, et al. Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing, Sagamore Venture, 2018.

Gray, Patricia M., et al. "The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music." Science, vol. 291, no. 5501, 5 Jan. 2001, p. 52. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69270354/AONE?u=guel77241&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fb9366a8. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

“In the Garden... Composing at Home (Children) >.” In the Garden... ‐ Learning Resources Hub | Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Composing Activities for Young People and Resources for Teachers, resources.bcmg.org.uk/creating-music-at-home/in-the-garden. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

Mallarach, Josep-Maria (ed.). Spiritual Values of Protected Areas of Europe: Workshop Proceedings. Bonn, Germany: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, 2012. 170 pp. ISBN: 978-3-89624-057-6.

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Streetlife Serenade Ranked

Since this album is apparently vastly underrated, allow me to start this by saying that I absolutely love every song on this album. There isn't one that doesn't do it for me.

1) The Entertainer

I don't think I can adequately describe how much I love this song. I have always been so blown away by it. The instrumentation is so masterfully done, and each verse gradually builds on the last. There is the opening acoustic guitar, then that iconic synth riff that later repeats between verses throughout the song. The acoustic guitar continues on its own for the first verse, then the drums and bass come in on the second verse, then the steel guitar comes in on the third verse, then the banjo on the fourth verse, then the fantastic piano on the fifth verse. Then they all come together for the big crescendo of the sixth and seventh verses, while Billy absolutely goes nuts vocally. The cynical lyrics are some of the best that Bill has ever written, and I have always been obsessed with the rhyme scheme he used. It's poetic in a way that is reminiscent of Piano Man, but more impressive. Also shout out to the lost verse, which I love so much.

2) Weekend Song

This is an absolutely fantastic rock 'n' roll song, and I just love it more and more with time. I love that guitar riff, as well as the organ toward the end. I am obsessed with the gospely, bluesy piano riffs that are reminiscent of Ain't No Crime. And I think this is one of the best vocal performances Bill ever gave. I mean wtf!!!!!! He is so good, it makes me angry. I have seen this song compared to Take Me to the Pilot, but I won't go there other than to say eat your heart out, Elton. All those comparisons, but one thing Elton and Leon could definitely never do is sing like the great Billy Joel.

3) The Great Suburban Showdown

This is one of my favorite Billy Joel vocal melodies. It's one of those songs that just gets me right in my soul. The combination of the beautiful synth solos, the fantastic piano, the wistful pedal steel guitar, and the nostalgic lyrics alone would make me a little emotional, but add Billy's gorgeous vocal, and this song can easily bring me to the verge of tears.

4) Root Beer Rag

This is an incredible ragtime piano piece that sticks in my head for days after hearing it. I love everything about it, but I particularly love the part containing the dissonant, alternating major and minor seconds that comes out of nowhere and contrasts fantastically with the rest of the song. And I really love listening to live performances of this song and hearing Bill play it as fast as humanly possible, challenging the band to keep up.

5) Last of the Big Time Spenders

This is a song that I never hear anyone talk about, and I'm not sure why. I am obsessed with the piano on this song. It has a great, sort of jazz/blues flavor that provides an interesting juxtaposition to the country undertones of the pedal steel guitar. Bill has some incredible, soulful vocals here. And I think the lyrics are so clever, with the comparison of spending money and spending time. It's just a great song all around, and I think it leads really nicely into Weekend Song, which comes next on the album and has a similar feel.

6) Los Angelenos

This is an awesome rock song that goes harder than a lot of the songs on Glass Houses, with a great combination of electric piano, electric guitar, bass, excellent vocals by Billy, and some vintage, sardonic Billy Joel lyrics.

7) Roberta

I love the prominence of the piano on this song. The piano throughout the whole song is beautiful, but I especially love the intro and the piano break before the last verse. This seems to be a theme of this album, but there are more particularly great vocals from Billy here as well.

8) Streetlife Serenader

I absolutely love the classical sound of the piano in this song. The intro is just gorgeous. Billy's vocal here is great, and the rare appearance of his falsetto is delightful to me.

9) Souvenir

This song is short and sweet, but it is so good. The melody is gorgeous, the piano intro/outro is beautiful, and the wistful lyrics can really make me emotional.

10) The Mexican Connection

This is a beautiful, relaxing piece of music. I love all the piano work here and how it is complemented by the guitar, the congas, the organ, and, later on, the marimba. I especially love the big crescendo of piano chords at 2:03.

[zhouxiangs]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally

or as close to that as i can get, tagged by @bunnakit !

i had to look deep in my soul and tumblr gifs for this so please enjoy the boys, under a cut to keep the mystery alive for two more seconds

i am very ace so the concept is nebulous, let's just say i feel some type of way... and if you see me call these men my sons it's bc they are, ty for your time <3 also the order is kinda eehhhh general idea, i don't actually keep a mental list it took me hours to make this one 😭

10. pete (kiss me again/dark blue kiss)

do not ask me why idk either... there's just Something i can't explain. also it was between him and knock from together with me so i'm choosing the one that committed less crimes, anyway *holds him up like a potato* i just think he's neat

9. vegas (kinnporsche)

my little meow meow,, my explanation for most of these is just "do i not have eyes", but some (like vegas) are special jsjs in his case kp was the first thai bl i watched, as soon as he became remotely relevant i was obsessed with him and then a rewatch made me finally fall into thai bl as a whole so... thank you for your service

8. gong gil (the king and the clown)

my baby my darling my angel and the reason i even know about lee joongi, the actor i've been following the longest that i remember. i haven't watched tkatk in a while so i don't remember the details that well but i've always loved him, pretty sure he's my first bl boy too

7. xie'er (word of honor)

does he count? is this cheating? idc he's staying either way, MY XIE'ER 😭 will never get over him or his killer eyeliner

6. gaipa (moonlight chicken)

possibly the cutest 30yo man out there, that alone endeared me to him but also the way he is with his mother is just so 🥺 he's so special to me (also the fact that he's 30 AND cute as heck it's just so personal to me)

5. wen (moonlight chicken)

god i wish i could explain what he DOES TO MY BRAIN. some of it is the mix effect but i was normal about mix before wen so... he's so beautiful so magnetic i want to bite him

4. black (not me)

listen- he's my lil murder raccoon i know there's plenty of reasons for him to be as angry as he is for the 90% of his screen time and they're all sad but he's just so attractive like that (even though i'm more of a white girlie most of the time)

3. karan (cherry magic th)

i've only had him for two eps but if anything happened to him i would kill everyone in this room and then myself, etc. he's perfect and a nerd and i would love him for any of those two things alone, but they're combined into such a gentle beautiful (inside and out) and sensitive character i jsut love him so much

2. way (pit babe)

so i am definitely not babe, here supporting way's rights and wrongs from day 1. is he pretty? yes. is he evil? quite possibly. do i still want him? also yes. he hasn't touched me so pretty sure his big sad eyes are doing something. to me.

1. sand (only friends)

The Only Man, which is how my non bl friends know him bc i've apparently called him 'the only man i would like if i liked men' more than once ? HIM

special entry: tharn (the sign), yeah this one is definitely cheating

(using the only gif i've made of him so far which isn't great for this but...)

he's so tiny and efficient... like a fiat 500

if you see this and want to do it consider yourself tagged by me <3

[little-escapist]

Angsty Romance Prompts

(I love angst!)

24.) i tried! i tried to tell you! you didn't listen to me and, wow -- look you are not listening to me right now as well.

Can't wait to see what you write! 💖💖

Sorry it took me forever!

This is angst, people. Hurt with no comfort. Set during the summer between season 5 & 6 of Glee, not long before Kurt and Blaine break up. So, be prepared.

Their fights have gotten worse. They escalate so fast Blaine feels like he’s getting whiplash. One off-handed comment leads to a shouting match in no time.

Having no roommates is not the heaven they once thought it would be. There’s too much silence these days, when they’re not fighting or having sex, that is. Blaine feels lonely even though Kurt is right there, sleeping next to him all night. They rarely have breakfast together. Kurt is away for most of the day while Blaine throws all of himself into wedding planning. It’s all he has. It’s probably just growing pains, trying to fit into one life together, and they are both anxious about the wedding.

Today they have a date night. Blaine is running late because the subway was late. He can see that Kurt is annoyed, their meal is full of tense silences and long pauses that never used to be their problem. And once they get home, Kurt comments on Blaine’s tardiness, and they’re off. Again.

“I can’t help it if public transportation fails here,” Blaine says, trying to stay calm. “I said I’m sorry. If it bothered you so much, why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Kurt rolls his eyes as he shrugs his jacket off.

“Talk to me,” Blaine says, practically begs. There’s a bad feeling on the edges of his mind, making his stomach tighten unpleasantly. It’s strange that this brings back his feelings of isolation at the beginning of senior year, Kurt newly away in New York. Back then, when they talked, Kurt talked almost too much, full of tales about his grand city life, pushing aside what Blaine was saying. This is the opposite of that, Kurt is shutting him out and turning cold, but the feeling is the same. Blaine feels lonely.

“You coming to bed?” Kurt asks, walking towards the bathroom.

Blaine sighs. “Of course, I am. Just… can we talk this out first?”

Kurt turns around to face him. His lovely eyes are shuttered, his mouth a straight, tense line. “You were late, again. I don’t know what there is to talk about. Just stop being late every time we’re supposed to meet up, ok? I don’t know where you are, who you’re with, you probably understand why that makes me a little angry.”

Blaine blinks. “Are you insinuating what I think you are right now? Kurt, I told you, will never cheat on you again.” There’s a fist clenching around his heart. He feels sick with it.

“Well, I thought you wouldn’t back then, but then you did. What do I know.”

The guilt is overwhelming. Blaine looks away, takes a deep breath. His worst mistake will haunt him until the end, it seems. He thought Kurt had forgiven him, but apparently there is hurt lingering, still. Not that Blaine blames Kurt for it. It just feels so heavy to know that no matter how he tries to make amends, no matter how much he regrets and apologizes, Kurt won’t forget. Kurt will forever have this to hold over him. “That was a completely different situation, and you know it.” He sounds defeated to his own ears.

“Do I? Oh, I guess I do, because now you’re getting some on a regular basis and back then you weren’t.”

“Oh my god!” Blaine explodes. “Really? None of what I’ve told you means anything to you, does it?”

“As if you’ve told me anything.”

Blaine has. He has told Kurt about how lonely he was, how he was sure Kurt was done with him from the dismissive air whenever Blaine tried to share something of school or glee or anything, really. He thought they were done, and then he went and ruined them. “I tried! I tried to tell you! You didn’t listen and, wow – look how you’re not listening to me right now either.”

Kurt has turned his back, walking towards the bathroom as if their conversation is done. “You cheated. There are no excuses for that.”

The bathroom door shuts behind his back, leaving Blaine alone, swallowing back tears and bile.

[glapplebloom]

The new songs I listened to this year...

Song’s Eligable for this...

NOTE: I have decided to disclude Death Battle and Death Battle related songs since I feel those would be too easy to fill up this list since I do tend to listen to those songs. Songs used in fan made Death Battle Trailers on the other hand will be okay.

Shatter by Code Orange (Premiered in 2022, but only heard the full version in 2023)

You've Got a Friend in Me - Disney Friendship Mash-Up presented by Thomas Sanders

Priceless from VHS Christmas Carol Live

Moon Girl Soundtrack

Greedy Greedy by the Kuromis

Big Balls (Cover) by Scratch21

Ayleeyuns by Scratch21

Delivered Us The Moon (Feat. Tony Mac & Sega) by Jakeneutron

Lil Nuggit by Chi-Chi

Ordinary (Cover) by Anna

Jack Hornet Vs Dr. Eggman by Freshy Kanal

Rocket Queen by Team Shachi Featuring MCU

Happy Sounds by Kyle Allen Music

Smell of the Game from Guilty Gear Strive

Just the Two of us by Neco Arc

Look at This from Helluva Boss

Red Flags by Tom Cardy Featuring Montaigne

Song of the Dead by @kana-boon

Kindness by BB-Panzu

Evil As Can be from Broken Karaoke

Nerdy Prudes Must Die from Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Our Love is God from Heathers

Komi-San Vs. Wile E. Coyote from Rabi

A Little Theorizing by the Stupendium

Wah & Only (Waluigi Rap) from Mashed

Sidechain Fever from Scratchin’ Melodii

Voices (2023) by Rev Theory

Unbeatable from Mario’s Madness V2 

#10 - Look at This from Helluva Boss

I enjoy Helluva Boss. It’s crass but there are definitely worse shows out there. And I have no real connection to Fizzarolli’s voice actor, who was apparently Beetlejuice for the Broadway Play. Still, between this song and Two Minute Notice he has proven to be my favorite singer among the cast. Hopefully things turns out well for this series as well as Hazbin Hotel.

#9 - The Beyonder from Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Talk about a Glow up! The Beyonder was pretty meh despite being so powerful in the comics. But Moon Girl really showed just how entertaining he could be with the right people behind it. Laurence Fishburne does a great job with him and honestly the Music Choices throughout the show was great! I got the soundtrack too! So here’s hoping Season 2 continues to bring banger after banger.

#8 - Rocket Queen by Team Shachi Featuring MCU

So I found out this year Capcom did a crossover with some K-Pop Band and they were going to take down the game based on it this year. Never noticing this, I decided to listen to the song and I enjoyed it. It has the energy I really enjoy in songs and even though I don’t know the lyrics it was well performed that I could enjoy it regardless. I also love the Sax part in the song and the music video.

#7 - Red Flags by Tom Cardy Featuring Montaigne

This year, I’ve seen a lot of memes based off one part of this song. The original singers even did an Uno Reverse version of that part so people can have more options. But I wanted to hear the original to see why this was memable. And MAN, I feel like people overlooked the HUMAN CENTIPEDE part to focus on the awkward date part. The song is hilarious and I am glad I gave it a shot to listen to the full version. The Meme is definitely underselling this song.

#6 - Nerdy Prudes Must Die from Nerdy Prudes Must Die

I feel bad for putting Starkid on twice but man, this year showed off their best stuff. Their newest part in the Hatchetfield Series was so fun and the best song in my book is the title song: Nerdy Prudes Must Die. I also like Hatchet Town. But man, the main song is so fun for a villain. And the whole “who will pray for me” bit was definitely selling how much of a threat he is.

#5 - Priceless from VHS Christmas Carol Live

I instantly fell in love with the VHS Christmas Carol Live when I saw it early this year. It is so good, not only did I get the soundtrack I also downloaded the Live Performance so I can listen to it all on my i-Pod. My favorite song from the entire thing is Christmas Day, but it is pretty much combining the best songs from the show into one. So I’m picking Priceless because that part really gets me on Christmas Day. I recommend everyone to watch it.

#4 - Shatter by Code Orange

While he appeared with this song in 2022, I never got the chance to hear the full version until this year. And I love every minute of what I listened to. I was listening to this song so much even before Bray Wyatt’s sad passing. He was taken from us too soon. I hope whoever is close to him is alright. Still, this is a great song and while I don’t think it is great for a tribute to him, it is great to listen to and remember the great stories he given us during the time he was alive.

#3 - Happy Sounds by Kyle Allen Music

I’m not much of a gamer. I’m more interested in the stories of games than playing them. So My Friendly Neighborhood was definitely a story I was interested in since I was curious how they would do this story compared to many other games. To my surprise, as Game Theory suggested, it's not a story about corrupted souls trapped in puppets, it's about the puppets trying to save a world already corrupted. This song captures that story in 3 minutes and I love it for that. I would recommend this song and the game in general.

#2 - Song of the Dead by @kana-boon

I will talk about my experience more in the One Shot next month, but this song is the reason I saw Zom 100. The song is full of life and energy and it's everything I want in a song. And if you want an English version, I think Dangle did a great job transferring it to English. Regardless, this was a song that was instrumental into me trying a series I would have probably passed by. Definitely give it a watch.

#1 - Smell of the Game from Guilty Gear Strive

So how did I find out about this song now of all times? Well, I noticed Evo was actually streaming this year and decided to give it a watch. It was before the Guilty Gear Strive and during the countdown I hear people singing the chorus of this song. That got me interested in hearing the full version and I don’t regret it. The Lyrics may sound random but man, it really gives you the energy to sing it out loud when you do hear it. I get teared up a little bit too. So thank you Evo for letting me get the Smell of the Game.

[uninspiringdyke]

this is my response to @femmeliarity​ ‘s post and @bloodstarvedbutch​ ‘s response, since klarissa me blocked ig. the post can be found here

1) calling this SA, even online, is an absolutely wild thing to me given NONE of what is described meets any definition of sexual assault. i’m assuming OP meant sexual harassment, but i’m not sure it meets any definition of that either

2) the fact this post includes nary a screenshot, or link, or whatever, indicates two things to me:

a) this callout post is based on very little actual evidence

b) i should take it with a grain of salt

and it’s very very weird to me so many people are commenting on this issue/reblogging posts about it without any actual concrete way for the rest of us who were not involved to see what was actually said. this is apparently a discord with several people (i’m guessing? more than 10?) and not a single person has come up with screenshots. not of the supposed messages to other people, not of instances where people were uncomfortable, none of the actual incident/context, none of the mods messaging each other about the decision to remove this person.

that’s...weird right? to everyone else? in a world where many posters are said to engage in leftist activism in a way that, at least in a way where we can acknowledge prisons and cops are bad, why are we using retributive measures?

3) “The allegations against that person sending an NSFW video to the server is completely fabricated.”

then what happened? what exactly did this person do?

4) “I have not spoken to this person or their partner, including through sending anons, but I did message with someone who asked about the situation, and told me they would try to make sense of it with them. “

Who? what did they say?

5) “This person and their partner have both made several posts about their removal from the group, each of which they had included this falsified allegation, or the narrative that we had them removed from another group, which neither are true.”

which posts? what did they say? which parts of the narrative are false?

6) “ I did not want to make a post of my own as neither of them seemed to be willing to listen, take accountability, and take the time to heal”

did you approach them? what did you say? what did they say? why are we assuming instead of just posting screenshots of what was said? i don’t need anyone to have URLs posted, even.

7) “ This person’s partner called my femininity as conforming to “tradwife aesthetics.” “

what’s the context here? tradwife is accurately described in the paragraphs below, but i’m confused about the application of that definition in this instance. jewish women and women of color (and jewish women of color) can also contribute to white supremacy--one is not exempt from aiding an oppressor merely because they are an oppressed class.

8) “I am sure many other femmes of color will agree, but we have to work extra hard for our femininity to be “acceptable” to white people.”

I agree this is true, but I am not sure of the connection between this and what was said earlier.

9) “I would never wish ill upon anyone and I understand this individual is hurt, but I hope they can heal, make peace, and move on.”

what healing do they need to do? how can they move on if restorative practices are not taken? how do they make peace?

10) it also seems, to me, strange to say in one post “we can understand that sometimes it can be hard to determine when someone has established a boundary or been made uncomfortable, so we wanted to be as clear as possible in our rules.” and then platform a reply to your post that says “ making callout posts because you got kicked out of a space where you made people uncomfortable and pushing multiple boundaries to be THE reason sfw rules were reinforced and expanded on.”

[bolding mine for readability]

people are going to be uncomfortable. that is life, especially in an online and explicitly political space.* these are also, i would say, not boundaries. they are rules. and that’s fine! but to say they are boundaries is incorrect and gives a false idea of how boundaries and discord servers work.

*i mean this in that marginalized identities are often political in nature + butch/femme are political identities

11) it is also weird when these are the tags left on the same reblog:

then how do you know what was said? why are you getting screenshots and we aren’t?

TLDR: we need to change the culture around behavior changes on tumblr, but also queer spaces broadly. the more this continues, the more we will see posts like this one, and situations like this one, which can (and will) explode.

[racingliners]

F1 Re-Watch 2022: Round 22 - Abu Dhabi

😭

Well friends, here we are 🥲

While it has been more enjoyable than I thought watching (almost) the entire season back, it’s also been very emo whenever the TV feed would cut to Seb and realise it was his last race at each circuit.

Obviously, I had to follow AD live in some way so I actually listened to the BBC Sport radio coverage for quali and the race, and then watched C4 highlights so I’ve heard the race in full and seen chunks of it (and I started full on ugly sobbing on the last lap at the time, bc you know, feelings)

Well, let’s whip out the tissues and see Seb’s last ever F1 race (😭😭😭😭😭)

How coherent will this liveblog be? Great question I have no idea

Also worth noting I’m watching the International feed, as I have done with the other 19 races, I’ll likely watch Seb’s onboard cam in my own time and blubber in peace

Also they really had Seb last on the F1 intro I’m not okay 😭

Less starting grid whiplash as I was vaguely aware of the grid order at the time

but SEB TOP 10!!!! 😭

argh, I’m getting emo already and we’re not even at the formation lap.

I genuinely thought I’d be fine watching this back, apparently not.

[Formation Lap]: Virtually everyone starting on the mediums apart from Kevin and Bottas on the hards and Gasly on the softs bc ?????

Also I find it so wild how close the battles for P2 in the drivers and constructors championships were like, especially when you consider how many more races Ferrari won compared to Merc

cut to Norbert and Antti in the AM garage 😭

[Start/Lap 1]: Lewis jumping Sainz at the start!! 🥳🥳

And Sainz pushes him off bc 🙃

[Lap 2]: Well that was a surprisingly eventful first lap, by Abu Dhabi standards anyway

I will not be talking about FIA bullshittery bc I want to be able to enjoy the rest of my day after this 🥲

[Lap 3]: Anyway Seb watch: He’s still in P9 💚

[Lap 4]: Bono sounding more done than normal at the FIA nonsense, a mood

[Lap 5]: And Lewis getting P4 back, noice

[Lap 6]: The Red Bulls being 2 and a bit seconds clear of everyone just about sums up 2022

Also like... having the final race of the season at Abu Dhabi is not the brightest idea bc the track is... eh.

I mean is it pretty and looks good on camera? Yes. Does it give us entertaining races? No.

[Lap 7]: Seb closing up to the back of Ocon, go get him!!!

(I am usually a pro-Estie Bestie household, but the needs of the Seb outweigh the needs of the many)

[Lap 8]: Sainz re-passing Lewis, I hate it here

but Seb and Esteban racing for 8th >>>>

midfield spice (beloved)

[Lap 9]: And Russell passes Lewis for 5th, I know Lewis eventually retires with a mechanical issue but I can’t remember what specifically

[Lap 10]: Lewis switching between engine modes and nothing works... pain

Meanwhile Seb is the filling in and Alpine sandwich 

yes I’m very biased, but I will never, ever tire of watching Seb race. It’s very beautiful to watch

And livery watch: Aston Martin under floodlights very very pretty

[Lap 12]: Another cut to ultimate Grid Dad Norbert in the AM Garage, and one of the AM mechanics sporting a very snazzy stache for Movember

god that shot of Seb trying to swoop round the outside of Esteban, fucking gorgeous

I mean he didn’t get the move done, but it was still beautiful 

[Lap 13]: I love how much the TV feed is sticking with the Seb vs Alpine battle, Seb and Fernando always know how to bring the drama no matter the season

and you know... it is by far the most entertaining action on track rn

[Lap 15]: and Esteban pits, mediums for hards

lol at Crofty saying Alpine had to tell Esteban and Fernando to behave themselves for their final race together, 

[Lap 16]: Lewis was on the radio saying his tyres were getting better????

This is the wonky timeline, rip “Bono my tyres are gone” 2014-2022

SEB PASSES PEREZ!!!!!

Oh, that sparks so much joy, Aston Martin 1, RBR 0

[Lap 17]: Meanwhile the rest of the front runners are making their first stops, but Russell had an unsafe release 😬

[Lap 18]: Anyway back to Seb vs Fernando, I genuinely could watch an entire race of them just cashing each other down - the poetic cinema of it all

[Lap 19]: Anyway Lewis thinks he has a broken floor so 🙃🥲

[Lap 20]: “He’s [Seb] entitled to fight Sainz every metre of the way” You’re damn bloody right he is Brundle!!!!

That’s my boooooooy

You keep that Ferrari behind you

nvm Sainz made a DRS pass

It was great fun while it lasted though

[Lap 21]: Seb in 5th, stioll yet to stop, iirc he was kept out for ages and ages bc ????

I love Team Green, I really do, but they are not immune to dumb strategies

also Russell given a 5 sec pen for the unsafe release

[Lap 22]: Charles pits for hards and comes out in 3rd in front of Sainz

Seb. Bottas and Kevin the only drivers left to pit

[Lap 23]: Lewis passes Seb for 6th, one last on track Seb and Lewis interaction 😭

Meanwhile Yuki, Bottas and Fernando are having a little scrap over 11th-13th

[Lap 24]: Fernando in 2010 🤝 Fernando in 2022: stuck behind a slower car at Abu Dhabi

ah, Lando adds himself to the “I passed Seb bc he hasn’t pitted” party

It’s fine it’s just bc they all want to see him and give him a proper send off right... right???

[Lap 25]: Seb having one last whine over team radio, which Chris saying that everyone around them is two-stopping, which means Seb is on the one stop

[Lap 26]: HE PITS!!! 😭

and it was a bit slow 🥲

“Is that Sebastian Vettel’s last ever F1 pit stop” Brundle please SHUT UP

Anyway it’s fine we get a Seb overtaking masterclass of making up 8 places over the second half of the race.

[Lap 27]: “Charles Leclerc catching Sergio Perez” Yes, good, excellent.

[Lap 28]: Aaaaaand Alonso DNF. (Helmet watch: no I am still not over his Seb tribute helmet 😭)

And speaking of, Seb just passed Gasly for 16th, the comeback is on besties!!!

[Lap 29]: Livery watch: you know what... I don’t hate the matte Ferrari under the floodlights actually. I will let it off just this once (though pleeeeeease bring black glossy liveries asap I MISS THEM)

[Lap 30]: Perez asking for Verstappen to speed up so he can gain some distance on Charles... if I speak

Anyway, back to Seb, now in P15 after passing Bottas.

And Gasly passed Bottas as well after Bottas locked up.

the replay of Seb’s mechanics applauding his overtake I’m 😭💚

[Lap 32]: Tag yourself I’m Shaquille O’Neal looking very happy to be seeing some F1 cars go zoom

[Lap 33]: Charles is almost in DRS range of Perez 👀

“Lewis is closing in on Russell is anything” putting that broken floor in it’s place, as he should

[Lap 34]: Ah, Perez pits. inch resting.

Lewis purple sector one, feels good feels organic

also helmet watch: Lando’s ultra-black stripes with the metallic blue is sooooo pretty. I love mixed finishes on helmets. JMD never misses.

[Lap 35]: Seb watch: they didn’t play it, but he’s up to P14!!!

[Lap 36]: “Question can you keep this pace with Plan C?” Xavi I will fight you with my fists

I genuinely have mild trauma now whenever I see the Ferrari team radio graphic come up on screen. The downside of watching the 2022 season across 12 weeks 🙃

[Lap 37]: Seb up to P13 after Albon’s stop.

Also it’s proper night time now. Yas Marina is pretty I will give her that.

[Lap 38]: Oh Lewis has been catching up to Russell! He’s within DRS range

“Let me tell you about Sebastian Vettel” We are Ted and Ted is us 💚

[Lap 39]: Mick and Nicky having a little spin into the barriers 🙃🙃🙃

Yuki pits, Seb up into P12!!

Lewis even closer to George since he’s suddenly somehow a chunk faster

[Lap 40]: ah, Sainz and Russell pits. 

Mick and Nicky now under investigation for their little spin.

Yelling. Sainz and Russell pitting puts Lewis into third. !!!!

I shouldn’t laugh, but the synchronised spin with Mick and Nicky is ever so slightly funny. Very dance of the sugarplum fairies.

[Lap 41]: Lance pits, Seb is into P11!!!!

Ted doing everything he can to manifest Seb points on his last race I cannot 😭

How has Teed been post-Seb retirement? Is he okay? Do we need to book in another Seb nation group cry and invite him along?

anyway, racing

[Lap 43]: Seb half a second behind Zhou!!!

and again he tries round the outside, doesn’t make it stick but it looks beautiful!!

Meanwhile Lance has joined the party after making his second stop.

[Lap 44]: and Seb makes the pass!! HE’S INTO P10!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

Lewis P3, Seb P10. We can stop the race now. 

“I forgot which letter of the alphabet we’re trying this afternoon” I feel like it’s a bit of a paddock in-joke about Ferrari and their strategy woes at this rate 

[Lap 45]: Perez passes Lewis but then Lewis re-passes him. That was fun actually.

“Like some sort of sleeping praying mantis” ...okay Crofty. (that was about Lewis btw)

[Lap 46]: Perez passes Lewis and makes it stick this time. 

[Lap 47]: *10 Laps remaining klaxon*

“Just tell Checo to go full send” Maybe I’m biased but if I was his team mate I would not find that helpful in the slightest adfvnifvfdvgh

[Lap 48]: “Sebastian Vettel is gaining a bit on Daniel Ricciardo” oh yeah

[Lap 49]: Finally Crofty is getting on the livery watch bandwagon, F1 cars do look pretty under floodlights

argh Lance passes Seb for P10, but granted he was faster 🥲

and Seb having another little whine, god I miss his sarcy team radios.

[Lap 50]: “Yeah leave me alone please thank you” CHARLES I ADORE YOU

You tell em hun, you tell Ferrari to fuck off, I’m so proud.

[Lap 51]: And Lance passes Dan for P9

[Lap 52]: Seb also catching up to Dan

also I forgot how late on Lewis’ DNF was sheesh

also also he just got a black and white flag for track limits svhaegheuh

[Lap 54]: Mick and Bottas having a very spicy little fight for 16th.

[Lap 55]: Meanwhile Perez is about 4 second behind Charles

ughhhhhhhhh and there’s Lewis hydraulic failure 😭😭😭😭

Pain, so so much pain. But it does put Seb in the points. Lewis we honour your sacrifice. I’ll join you to smash the W13 to pieces very soon.

[Lap 57]: I find it so wild that despite all the W13′s failing, that was it’s first mechanical DNF for the entire season. WILD.

the gap between Charles and Perez down to just under 2 seconds.

[Lap 58]: Final lap. and I’m once again a little bit weepy.

I do not give one shit about Verstappen show me Seb 😭

I’m literally just watching Seb’s name on the leaderboard.

[Finish]: Verstappen wins, no one is surprised. Charles finishes P2 and clinch the runners up spots in the drivers and constructors titles.

ahhhhhh Seb chasing down Dan!!!!

and Seb finishes P10. I am weeping at quarter to 1 on a Wednesday morning 😭

Well the race was very meh. Mild midfield spice with the proper battles for almost all the positions from P2 downwards. And a lot of it was down to strategy as opposed to actual racing. So overall a very average 6 front wings out of 10.

And whew, the 2022 season as a whole. We really thought it was going to be a proper title fight after Australia and then Ferrari happened 🥲.

However, my beloved midfield spice saved the season, with Alpine v McLaren and Aston Martin vs Alfa Romeo especially. Like honestly just ignore the title fight and watch the midfield it’s so much more enjoyable (especially with the way 2023 looks to be going asduhsui).

Anyway, the whole reason why I started this was to watch Seb’s last season and there was some great races, some very not good races, but I will forever be so so proud to call him my favourite driver (yes he’s still my fave after retiring this is my blog I can do what I want).

The 2002 season was certainly something. While the title fight wasn’t as entertaining as it could have been, we still had some decent races (Monaco, Silverstone, Austria and Brazil were my faves). And I think we all have the Dutch and Austrian anthems burned into our memories to come degree 🥲. 

Auf wiedersehen, and danke fur alles Seb 💚

[aeraspais]

i wonder if most of the pushback with regard to 8x05 comes from the fandom being so sure that eddie is going to figure out he’s gay before he shaves the mustache. i think that belief has led to there being this sense of ‘if gay eddie/buddie doesn’t happen now and like this then it’s never going to happen and we’re running out of time’, which isn’t true. i admittedly did get caught up how the fandom theorized episodes 5-7 would play out (bt fight and breakup in 5-6, gay eddie and mustache shaved in 6, possible feelings realization in 7) and felt disappointed with 8x05 because of that, but after rewatching the episode and reevaluating the expectations i had for it and why i even had them in the first place i feel a lot better about it. eddie’s arc is only just starting! we know the shaving scene is at the end of the next episode, and imo it would be extremely rushed for eddie to realize he’s gay within that time frame based on what we’ve seen from him so far. eddie has clearly been thinking a lot about the situation he’s in but his sense of self is still wrapped up in being a father. my guess now is that he will confide in someone about feeling completely lost without christopher in his life and the mustache being a manifestation of that, and they will tell him that altering his physical appearance isn’t the solution he needs to change his circumstances and encourage him to figure out who he is outside of being a father. the synopsis for 8x06 says a call dealing with a divorced man will open old wounds, so if that's about eddie then i think that he will likely also confess to shannon wanting a divorce and how he’s been lying to himself about the true nature of their marriage and the effect that lie has had on all his subsequent romantic relationships. shaving off the mustache will be what kickstarts his self-discovery arc instead of being the moment he accepts his sexuality like i’d thought previously.

as far as the bt breakup goes — if the show does end up going the route of tommy being abby’s ex and that striking a nerve with buck, i think that could be the catalyst that allows him the freedom to admit all the other things about tommy/the relationship that he dislikes but has so far disregarded in an effort to make the relationship work. the comments buck made in 8x05 (“oh so i am gross?” and “my own boyfriend won’t even kiss me”) point toward him feeling dissatisfied and frustrated with tommy. i also wanted to add on to what the other anons have said about bt’s lack of intimacy and say that i find it to be apparent in the dialogue as well. what stuck out the most to me about the daddy issues joke last season was that although buck and tommy had been seeing each other for a couple months and were presumably fucking, tommy still says “god i hope so” instead of something like “i know you do” which would have established a sense of familiarity between the two. everything about the way they’re physically positioned in scenes and how they speak to each other shows that the writers are not interested in developing tommy or the relationship beyond what’s strictly necessary.

also! something i liked about the episode was how it showcased how much trust and respect buck has for eddie versus how little he cares for tommy’s input. tommy and eddie both tried to talk buck out of believing he’d been cursed, but he only relented because of eddie (the pointed “if you say so”). even tommy recognized that he was incapable of swaying buck and deferred to eddie (“listen to the medic”). buck protested when tommy called him out for picking his skin but quieted when eddie backed him up. tommy doesn’t know best, eddie does. also the way buck kept talking about billy boils despite tommy’s multiple (very condescending and patronizing!) attempts at getting him to stop… buck does not like that man lol

Thank you for sending me such a thought-provoking message. I love this post entirely, but I have one small correction regarding your first piece about Eddie’s journey. From my perspective, it's misconception that Eddie’s gay discovery hasn’t started. I always thought the Buddie feelings realization theories were too fast, too soon since they would be a core couple, and like Chimney and Maddie before, their romantic development would happen spread across the season. However, we’ve been watching Eddie’s gay discovery storyline unfold the moment he said “Tommy’s gay?”, learned he and Buck were on a date, then instead of breaking up, stayed with Marisol. So I don’t believe it’d be rushed if he has a small realization that he keeps privately to himself. Otherwise, I agree with you and all your thoughts.

I don’t want to simply reword everything you said about Buck and Tommy. I will also add that Buck likely believes he owes Tommy their relationship since he’s his first gay relationship. Buck has once remained in a relationship under obligation (Taylor Kelly after they said “I love you”). And he has never made the same mistake twice in his relationships.

[corny-ass-shit]

soo i literally suck in every area of my life.

ive said in 3 different parts of my life that, “i’ll do better” and “im sorry” like 10 times. i’ll do better. i’ll do better. i’ll do better. i’ll do better. i’ll do better. its like the words wont leave my head.

my family, who barely sees me because im always hanging out because i hate them, say they miss me and need me at home. ok, im sorry, i’ll be at home more. i’ll do better. yes im at home more but now i have attitude. wow i wonder why you fucking assholes, i literally cant stand you and you’re the rudest, narcissistic, transphobic/homophobic, oblivious people ive ever be around. but fine. i’ll shut my mouth and my attitude. i’ll do better.

my boyfriend, who i love dearly, thinks hes not enough for me. hes saying stuff like ‘why arent i enough for you to pay attention to me?’ and more stuff mentioning when i accidentally ignored him or when im on my phone too much (which is a genuine problem because ive become connected to my phone with the previous reason being anxiety, and now its just an addiction), or times where it isnt my fault and someone interrupts a conversation between me and him and just starts yapping but i cant shut them up like they’re a machine or when hes standing behind us and im not directly looking or talking at him?? i suggested coming to the side of me instead of behind but that was wrong of me i guess. but whatever, i’ll do better, im sorry. no but im apparently not listening to what hes saying, im telling him to fix things instead of listening, im reading his words but not listening. what the fuck else do you want me to do? shut everyone out of my life? i would happily do so but thats not fucking socially acceptable. but still, im saying i’ll do better so why dont you believe me? im not a liar. i stopped being a pathological liar years ago for people i love, because i didnt want to hurt them. im crying, having a panic attack on top of anxiety and nausea and shaking from medication im having a panic attack. im sorry. im fucking sorry. i cant do better can i? i dont know but i know that im trying really hard, and he wont believe me. but all i keep saying is, and all ive been saying since we’ve been friends is, i’ll do better. (and honestly im sorry i cant let go of things, im sorry i hold grudges, im sorry everything you say or do affects me. i am really sorry.)

My school. im failing 2 classes. never in my life had i ever been failing a single class, never mind 2, im killing myself because of it. they’re both advanced classes too. my math teaches emails my mom (even though im not failing) saying shes worried im disconnected in class and not following the coursework. yeah, maybe thats because im doing a sport at 6 am and have to be up at 5, and i dont get home most nights until 9-10 pm. my ap world teacher doesnt gaf, ive been doing ok on my quizzes since i started doing my homework again instead of literally stealing my friends hw from that class to show to him. i think i failed the test though, i dont remember. my chem si teacher emailed my mom about me failing and being disconnected and not paying attention during class. thanks for letting her know that im failing dawg i didnt need her knowing that. i was gonna bring the grades up but wtv. i fucking failed the last test and passed the test before that by 3 points. he said we havent even reached the honors level work yet and im failing. fuck you. im not doing my hw and im zoning out during class. i dont want to be like this, im usually good. im a good kid. i’m supposed to be. im always in honors for report cards. always. i always have at LEAST an 85 in my classes, but im struggling with a 54 in chem, a 61 in ap world, and 73 in math. like what if i kill myself. the one thing i was semi-good at. theres always gonna be people better than me in every field of work. school, art, makeup, fashion, sports, everything i like theres always someone better. i know its impossible to be the best, but cant i at least be good? i wish i could do better.

i love my life, but no i dont. hence the reason im suicidal :))))))