#and how the song fits newton so well like

[max-the-silly-guy]

Chat I have a vision

[averagepsychouser]

Songs that actually remind me of fallout companions characters in no particular order. The themes vary pretty wildly.

Arcade: Starting off with Danke Schoen (I listen specifically to the Wayne Newton version on Spotify) which is a thank you to an old love for all the good memories. This song fits the general motif of goodbyes to the past that Arcade’s character is struck through with, and it was translated into an English version from a foreign language (like auld lang syne).

Benny: In very Benny fashion, Luck Be A Lady by Frank Sinatra. It starts off slow but quickly speeds up, and of course the lyrics all sound like things he would say. Naturally the song is about gambling and the fickle nature of luck. Also, it is annoyingly catchy.

Vulpes: Basic, I know, but A Well Respected Man by The Kinks is definitely like him. While the song is originally a satire about the middle class in Britain, it speaks of a monotonous life with darker undertones in the background. Understandably, a spy is going to need to live a monotonous life like this in order to maintain his figure as an upstanding member of whatever society he’s infiltrating. Vulpes, right?

Boone: I Don’t Want To See Tomorrow by Nat King Cole (Holy shit fallout show reference). Yeah yeah yeah, sadman deadwife stuff, I get it, but this song really does seem like him. The lyrics are pretty damn depressing, talking about how life without a love is a life not worth living. It’s very slow and deliberately paced, and hauntingly mournful.

Cass: Here’s a surface level song, and I know her only character trait isn’t drinking, but Poor Little Critter on the Road by The Knitters, X, and Dave Alvin fits. Essentially its about having a good time drinking and living life chaotically.

Ulysses: Going back to somber songs, Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley & The Wailers. The song is about African American cavalry troops fighting in the American Indian Wars and their struggle for survival, and I think it can reflect onto Ulysses very well. Some lyrics that are so, so, so much like him are “If you know your history/Then you would know where you’re coming from” followed by “Then you wouldn’t have to ask me/Who the heck do I think I am?”

I’ll prolly repost with more songs later idk

[weirdwriter69]

I have been updating all the Ikemen Vampire playlists as I listen to more music, and they're getting pretty long. Sometimes, it's 3am and the song just has those vibes, or it's 4pm and the song has deep lore references to the character. (lowkey debating splitting up some of the playlists but Idk if y'all prefer long listens or not... especially Shakespeare's playlist because it is over 7 hours long) My favorite recent additions: "Open Up Your Eyes" from the MLP movie to Vlad's Playlist (A Flawed View Perception of What it Means to Save Humanity). My reasoning... it fits Vlad, and it's funny to have this song pop up next to System of A Down and Slipknot lol. "Lemon Boy" by Cavetown to Isaac Newton's playlist (Too Nervous to Love & Too Scared of Rejection). Just aaaaa, poor Isaac "Everywhere I Go" by Hollywood Undead to Arthur's playlist (I'll drink myself to my death and drown my sorrows behind sex). It just fits Arthur's character so well. I see him trying to act like the singer while he masks his problems. "History Has Its Eyes on You" from the Hamilton Soundtrack to Sebastian's Playlist (An Ode to a Butler Who Refuses to See He Plays a Major Role in His Own Life) "Crooked Teeth" by Death Cab for a Cutie to Comte's Playlist (His false mortality is merely a formality to cover up his never-ending reality). The song was added to reflect on in Comte's route, he loves MC but he keeps her at a distance. "Judith" by A Perfect Circle and "Violent Pornography" by System of a Down to Faust's Playlist (Mein Liebe, Ich will mich umbringen :3) First song is to highlight Faust's problems with religion, and the second song is more a vibe thing with how he views the world as cruel and addicted.

"Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace and "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" from the Book of Mormon musical to Jean's Playlist (A Solider Fighting Himself). The first song was added to reflect on how Jean sees himself, and the second song is a light hearted jab at Jean's views of sinning. "Buddy Holly" by Weezer and "Everything You Know is Wrong" by Weird Al to Dazai's Playlist (Walking the Line Between Silly and Suicidal) Both songs are silly, but Weird Al's song is a mixture of silly and sad when put into the context of Dazai.

[niobefurens]

How is it going?

In his “Secondo Diario Minimo” published in 1992, Umberto Eco creates a fictitious collection of possible answers to the question by famous people, or literary characters. The inspiring originals under the cut.

I applied the concept to MDZS characters 🙄

Me: How's it going?

Baoshan Sanren: "Great! It's heavenly up here!"

Jiang Fengmian: "I'm a bit muddled..." Yu Ziyuan: "I'm sizzling with anger!" Jiang Yanli: "Good! The soup's almost done..." Jiang Cheng: "Not good; I lost my mojo." Wei Wuxian: "It's a bloodbath!"

Qingheng-jun: "I feel isolated."

Lan Qiren: "Going? It? What exactly do you mean?" Lan Wangji: "I'm whipped." Lan Xichen: "Very well! I love my bros." Meng Yao (smiling): "It's good!" Nie Mingjue: "I feel divided..." Niè Huaisang: "I don't know; I really don't know..." Jin Guangshan: "I'm having a ball." Jin-furen: "He's having another ball!" Jin Zixuan: "Someone punched a hole through my heart..." Jin Zixun: "I'm concentrating ..." Su Minshan: "I'm cursed!" Wen Ruohan: "I've been feeling flamboyant, lately." Wen Qing: "Very well! My experiment worked!" Wen Ning: "I'm dead. No, really!" Mo Xuanyu: "I want to kill myself." A-Qing: "Recently, it's been a steal!" Xiao Xingchen: "I must be blind..." Song Lan: "I must have been blind..." Xue Yang: "I'm craving candy!" Jin Ling: "I feel orphaned..." Lan Sizhui: "I feel blessed..." Ouyang Zizhen: "Going? Where are we going?" Lan Jingyi: "The crap I have to deal with!" Qin Su: "I'm giving it a stab..." Luo Qingyang: "I can't take them any more! I'm leaving!" Fairy: Woof!

😅

I translated the original into English for fun.

Umberto Echo: “How is it going?” Icarus: “It’s one long fall.” Persephone: “Sometimes I feel dead.” Prometheus: “It eats me up!” Theseus: “I’m on a shoe-string.” Oedipus: “Mom’s not happy.” Damocles: “It could be worse.” Priapus: “Fuck!” Ulysses: “I’m at sea …” Homer: “It’s bleak …” Heraclitus: “It’s going, it’s going …” Parmenides: “It’s not going.” Thales: “I’m up to my neck in water.” Epimenides: “I’d be lying if I said that” Demosthenes: “Hard to say.” Pythagoras: “Everything fits.” Hippocrates: “As long as I’m healthy…” Socrates: “I don’t know.” Job: “I’m not complaining, one has to be patient” Onan: “I please myself.” Sheherazade: “In short, I’ll tell you …” Boethius: “I take comfort.” Charlemagne: “Frankly, good.” Dante: “I’m in seventh heaven.” Joan of Arc: “Sweating it out...” Saint Thomas: “Summarily, good.” Erasmus: “Insanely well.” Columbus: “I’m going forwards.” Lucrezia Borgia: “Will you have a drink first?” Giordano Bruno: “Infinitely well.” Lorenzo de’ Medici: “Magnificently” Descartes: “Good, I think.” Berkeley: “It seems good.” Hume: “I believe, well” Pascal: “You know, I have so many thoughts…” Henry VIII: “I’m fine, it’s my wife who…” Galileo: “It’s spinning.” Torricelli: “Ups and downs” Desdemona: “I sleep between two pillows…” Newton: “Regularly.” Leibniz: “It couldn’t be better.” Spinoza: “Basically, well.” Hobbes: “The wolves are after me!” Papin: “My blood pressure is high.” Montgolfier: “My blood pressure is low.” Franklin: “I feel electrified.” Robespierre: “It’s enough to make you lose your head.” Marat: “I need a bath.” Casanova: “I’m coming!” Goethe: “There is little light.” Beethoven: “I’m deaf to myself.” Schubert: “Don’t interrupt me, for God’s sake” Novalis: “It’s a dream.” Leopardi: “Are you making fun of me?” Foscolo: “After death, better.” Manzoni: “Thank God, good.” Sacher-Masoch: “Thank God, bad.” Sade: “Good for me.” D’Alambert and Diderot: “It can't be said in two words.” Kant: “It’s a critical situation.” Hegel: “In sythesis, good.” Schopenhauer: “The will is not lacking.” Paganini: “I’ve already said it.” Darwin: “We adapt.” Livingstone: “I feel a bit lost.” Nievo: “I’ll tell you, as a child…” Nietzsche: “Beyond good, thank you.” Mallarme’: “I was left blank.” Proust: “Let’s give it time.” Henry James: “It depends on whose point of view.” Kafka: “I feel like a cockroach.” Musil: “So-so.” Joyce: “Fine, yes, yes, yes.” Nobel: “I’m exploding.” Larousse: “In short, bad.” Curie: “I’m radiant.” Dracula: “I found a vein…” Picasso: “It depends on the period.” Ungaretti: “Good. (full stop new paragraph) Thanks” Fermi: “I either make it, or break it.” Camus: “Like the plague.” Methuselah: “I’m just living my life …” Lazarus: “I feel like I’ve been brought back to life.” Judas: “It’s a kiss.” Pontius Pilate: “You decide.” Nero: “I’m inflamed.” Mahomet: “Bad, I’m going to the mountain.” Savonarola: “It’s the smoke that’s kills me.” Orlando “I’m infuriated.” Cyrano: “Fine, according to my nose.” Alice: “It’s wonderland!” Heidegger: “So much chatter!” Grimm: “It’s a fairytale!”

Two are untranslatable.

Saint Peter: “I feel a circle around my head.”

In Italian, it means he has a headache; and: a halo 😉

Verga: “Unwillingly.”

Unwillingness, or reluctance, in Italian, is malavoglia. Malavoglia is also the name of the family of his most famous novel; translated into English as “The House by the Medlar Tree.”

The original Italian can be found here:

https://www.filodiritto.com/umberto-eco-come-va-e-le-140-risposte

[singlesablog]

The Studio

“Hey Nineteen” (1980) Steely Dan MCA Records (Written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) Highest U.S. Billboard Chart Position – No. 10

"From noon till six we'd play the tune over and over and over again, nailing each part. We'd go to dinner and come back and start recording. They made everybody play like their life depended on it. But they weren't gonna keep anything anyone else played that night, no matter how tight it was. All they were going for was the drum track.”                                        - Jeff Porcaro, Musician

Like a python wrapping itself around the beating heart of Rock and roll more and more tightly, this was the last charting single for the last album in Steely Dan’s classic period (it would be 20 years until they would release another album, Two Against Nature, in 2000).  The stories of their recording methods reinforce this metaphor: what was once a real touring band of musicians had whittled itself down to just Becker and Fagen rehearsing the best artists in the world over and over and over again to achieve an exactness and fidelity that has never really been matched.  I remember “Hey Nineteen” charting in 1980; it was right there on the radio beside Blondie’s “Call Me” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Magic”, playing nice but certainly not fitting in.  They played it over and over again, a kind of spiritless meditation on something my teenage brain could never parse (The Cuervo Gold?  The Fine Columbian?).  Even today it is the kind of song one can never get to the center of, the smoothest track in the middle of the road: slick, perfect, and eternal. Like all of their hits it stuck around to sell a lot of copies but never really went to the top of the charts (one of the most successful bands ever to have never achieved a No. 1 anything).

Today some folks call this Yacht Rock (a term I mildly dislike as generic) which is ironic considering it is hard to imagine these two city slickers anywhere near a boat, or even in the wild.  I can only ever see them in the studio playing mad scientist with the idea of fidelity.  This much I know: I have a decent turntable setup and nothing touches Gaucho for sound quality—1979 is at the top of the top for the old idea of a great studio record.  The only vinyl record that may top it is Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk or Dan’s own Gaucho.  This is the result of all that squeezing: what starting out at a very high level with Can’t Buy a Thrill (their debut in 1972) only got more and more refined with every album.  By the time one gets to Gaucho (after the lush but boozy hangover and strung-out feeling of Aja) there is a kind of plateau-ing, a linear quality, to all of the rehearsing and perfecting and playing every note until it almost fails to exist.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a record I love—but at a distance, because it was constructed to keep you there.

There are so many legends surrounding the LP: that it was (up to that point) the most expensive ever made (over a million 1979 dollars); that it was heavily delayed by the band’s perfectionism (it took well over a year to record); that is was surrounded by tragedy and drug use (a terrible car accident for Becker, 6 months of hospitalization, his heroin addiction, and the death of his girlfriend).  The hyper focus of Fagen and Becker, rehearsing musicians to exhaustion to get every note perfect, included their famous engineer Roger Nichols (formerly a nuclear physicist!) who was given $150,000 of the budget to create a computer that could process the live drum sounds for them to manipulate exactingly (he named it Wendel and the RIAA bestowed the machine its own framed, platinum copy of Gaucho in acknowledgement).  There was the three-way legal battle between MCA, Warner Brothers and Steely Dan to actually release the thing (their original label, ABC Records, had been acquired by MCA).  Lastly there was the sign of the times in the new “Premium Pricing” by MCA, a hike in album prices from $8.98 to $9.98 for the more expensively-produced records (I guess) which included Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Hard Promises and the soundtrack for Xanadu, although I am not sure it ever went into effect after a lot of bad press.  One legend that seems plainly true is that this year was one of the last for huge, expensive, lavishly-produced studio records.  Like the old Hollywood system, it simply could not hold any more, and something leaner was right around the corner; if not inevitable, then necessary to move the art form forward.

Maybe this is the reason that “Hey Nineteen” sounded so anachronistic that year: it was by then a hologram from that ever-distant land of the 70s long player, richly produced, genre-defying, Empyrean, graceful.  Go on to an internet message board or read any history of Steely Dan and you will find there the endless jabber about their relative goodness or badness in the great cause of Rock Music, by jazzing it up, or slimming it down, or mellowing it out, or squeezing it too hard in rehearsals (Gaucho is deliciously given one star by Dave Marsh in The Rolling Stone Record Guide, 1983) but trust me: pay them no mind.  Just drop the needle, rejoice in the cleanest sound in stereo ever attempted by anyone anywhere, and spend time with some of the best musicians who have ever lived. 

-

Roger Nichols, after being with the band as a peerless sound engineer for over 30 years (and on all of their 7 classic-period albums), was unceremoniously let go during the middle of recording of Everything Must Go, right after the disaster of 9-11.  His wife Connie described it as an “emotional dagger to his heart and soul” and him as heartbroken.  No definitive reason seems to be well known. Nichols sadly passed away in 2011 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 66.

Right before the pandemic Connie found a clear cassette in Nichols’ things marked “The Second Arr” in black Sharpie pen (she had never had the heart to throw away anything with his handwriting on it).  This turned out to be a copy of a very famous lost master track from Gaucho, “The Second Arrangement”, which after months of recording and $80,000 invested, and complete, was accidentally taped over by a second engineer (whew - poor guy).  This tape was from the night before that event.  Fagen and Becker considered re-recording it, but being absolute perfectionists, they realized it was hopeless and moved on. 

Connie Nichols waited out the pandemic to have the tape professionally converted, fearing it would fall apart.  Later, another (even better) copy, a DAT tape, was discovered by her.  It can be heard here (most clearly in the second post, clocking in at 5:46) from the substack Expanding Dan.  It is rather wonderful.

[apurikottotii]

feburary song recs!

this month was also CRAZY. first few days of the month were incredibly sinusoidal. i got really close with some friends, because some friends were being incredibly distant. almost threw up from disgust/stress at one point lol. but it worked out fine and the middle of the month was really fun. it reassured me that things were going to be okay. unfortunately things aren't always perfect so that doubt and mistrust keeps creeping up on me, but to be honest i don't really care much anymore. is it alright to let some things fade away?

--- newton dance - nayutalien x chinozo

okay so i heard this ruinene cover- from project sekai: a new voice, i think- on youtube and it's so cool. the voices fit so well (BOTH OF THEM) and the song is perfect for them and so cute. i love the theme of sciencey space love songs nayutalien does. it's SO CUTE. "can't fight your pull of gravity!" is so sweet. the tuning style makes it even more cuter. dfnisdfjnasdjfnadk. and nayutalien has a way of writing songs that scratch that itch in my brain- maybe it's the harmonic minor lol.

--- speak now - taylor swift

listen. i don't listen to pop. i don't like pop. i hate taylor swift. however. however. i love the story this songs tells. it's such a stereotypical straight story, I KNOW. but who doesn't love a stereotypical sort of sweet love story once in a while. the instrumentation is simple yet unique (for pop lol). the way she structures the chorus is different from other songs i've seen.

--- kosho yashiki satsujin jiken - teniwoha

otherwise known as "murder case at the mansion of antiquarian books". I LOVE SONGS THAT TELL A STORY (can you tell??) ESPECIALLY. MURDER. CASES. THAT. IS. SO COOL. sadly the lyrics are hard to understand but i still love it anyways. i especially love the wonderlands x showtime cover because the "sho" and "lie" parts are emphasized when you have several different voices, in different octaves, with different timbres. I LOVE EMU'S VOICE IN THIS. her cutesy voice is mixed with her lower register and it sounds GREAT. this is one of the (few) songs that work with her very cutesy childish voice. the line distribution makes this song so delicious. and oh my god. EVERY CHORUS. PUSHES. DOWN. A HALF STEP. THAT. IS SO COOL. it keeps dropping when you expect it to end or go higher. SADFNAISDUFNAISUDFIU. teniwoha, thank you.

--- sobakasu - judy and mary

ANOTHER recommendation from a friend. took some time to grow on me. what i find interesting is how the verses and instrumental breaks sound very different (pop vs. rock). my favorite part of this song is how raw and genuine it sounds. it's so catchy i hear myself humming this throughout the day. it's really just a sweet song (about love i think... something like love is like a freckle you can't get rid of ...?). the chorus loops in my mind. the way the singer sings it is so aosdfnasdfnjasdj. makes me smile.

--- new rules - dua lipa

okay i swear i don't like pop. i swear. i just heard it in my dance team's playlist and was like "wow i hate how much they play this song" then proceeded to loop it. i'm NOT going to say it's relatable. i'm not.

--- this is how to be in love with you/umbilical in milgram project

mahiru's cv works so well in this song. and i love the es cv cover too. this song itself is so sweet and makes you feel very warm and fuzzy though it's a little sinister lol. like... this is HOW TO BE IN LOVE WITH YOU?? what an awesome title. i really love the line that goes "if you're kind to me, i'm going to start relying on you, so thanks" or something. it's just such a fun vibe. i love when she sings "o-ver-heat" and "AI NAN DESU YO".

it's getting late so i will just say: yuno is relatable. let's reload the warmth y'all. light the oxygen on fire. or something. "i hope i can be someone you like."

honorary mentions: ke mu san (this meme song SLAPS my #1 listened to lol. the dance is addicting to watch)

[an-eldritch-peredhel]

I would love to hear some nessa/vana/tulkas/orome thoughts if you wanted to share?

Ohhhh yes I have so many thoughts. Firstly for the vibes I have one ultimate Brainrot Song For They which is The Cult of Dionysus by the Orion Experience.

Before I was actually shipping them they already all occupied the same place in my brain because they make a neat little box of relationships- Nessa and Orome are siblings, Tulkas and Vana are their spouses along with functionally being the "youngest" of the Valar (Vana the ever young, Tulkas the last to come to Arda), Orome and Tulkas have overlapping Domains of hunting and fighting and chase after Morgoth's beasties, Nessa and Vana are considered the weakest Valar and are associated with flowers and general disney princess vibes. That's the basis I was working on.

So it started with... probably Tulkas/Orome but Nessa/Vana wasn't far behind. Tulkas/Orome is peak "construct intricate rituals to touch other men by 'wrestling' in the forest" and also I thought their character vibes suited shipping very well (Tulkas "canonically laughs in battle" Astaldo and Orome "canonically constantly pissed off" Aldaron). Even the Tolkien Gateway article directly contrasts the two. I'm working with what I've got.

Nessa/Vana have textbook fairycore forest lesbian vibes. Making each other flower crowns and braiding each other's hair and dancing in a lush clearing with birds and butterflies and bees and delightful woodland creatures (not to mention Vana's plausible association with fertility ;) Quoth Tolkien Gateway: "Vána robed Nessa with her flowers for [Nessa's] wedding." Could this be gal pals? Sure! But where's the fun in that when it's super gay! This is the least feral pairing simply because of how they relate to each other, but they're also the most shameless.

Of course the problem is that I'm a chronic canon-shipper unless I Physically Cannot Stand it, and I do very much like Orome/Vana and Nessa/Tulkas because you get fun hunter/gardener and dance/dojo vibes respectively, so I fix this the same way that I fix every problem: polyamory!

Orome/Vana has definite Hades/Persephone vibes to me, but wilder and without the whole. Kidnaping thing. Yavanna even slots nicely into Demeter's role but again, no kidnapping. She's much more chill with her brother-in-law. I have many inarticulate vibes about Orome's Domain of the hunt and dying opposing and complimenting Vana's Domain of new life and fresh growth, and how hunters weren't supposed to kill deer in the spring. Because of this, I think Vana is one of the few Valar who has no subjugation(?) at all to Orome's Domain despite the clear nature overlap (others who wouldn't are Varda, Namo, Vaire, Nienna, and Aule, but that's because their Domains don't really overlap with his at all, except for Namo who as Death would overpower Dying.) They are, functionally, each other's force-pairs in Newton's third law- the equal and opposite reactions.

My love for Nessa/Tulkas is more characterization related: to me, they are the epitome of those 20-something Fitness Couples who keep those super detailed daily planners with spots to fill in how much water you drank, who make really healthy delicious looking meals with seemingly no effort and constantly drink various smoothies but like. Fantasy Flavor. Their idea of a hot date is to spot each other at the gym, and martial arts sparring. They would go feral for Capoeira. Crucially, they thrive off of this. Their relationship is astonishingly healthy and peppy and they serve as each other's hype-man. My vibes-only Valar-in-modern-society AU has them opening a strip mall dance class/dojo place.

So we have the siblings, and the spouses, and the spouse swap (which has some very funny crack potential, I specifically find it amusing to imagine Nessa calling dibs on Vana and tossing Tulkas to Orome before stealing her away (they are both very amused, Orome is vaguely aggravated because she could just ask for time with their wife)

Tulkas/Vana starts as something like a relationship of convenience, along the lines of "Hey, our spouses are busy chasing each other around like idiots for Sibling Shenanigans, want to make out?" but ends up as something not quite romantic but past... FWBs I guess lol. A foundation of their relationship is committing to the bit- If Nessa and Orome are arguing it's even odds as to who will side with who, but if either of them has an argument with Tulkas or Vana it is the other's sworn duty to side with their bestie, no matter how utterly stupid. They will "Yes-And" each other's stories into eternity, even if it's a blatantly untrue excuse. This drives their spouses absolutely insane because "I know you're lying, and I know you know I know you're lying, and I know for a fact that you weren't doing something as dumb as convincing Aule to put smiley face shapes in rocks" but they will double down. (The one time they did this to Yavanna while on a warpath was unintentional and terrifying once they realized, but they committed and got her so frustrated and confused that she bluescreened and stormed off, forgetting why she had been interrogating Vana in the first place). Basically, they bring out the idiot in each other, and despite having very little in common they get along very well. It is also important to me that I see their typical physical forms as being a massive, firey, golden-veined stone giant (Tulkas), and a young, uncanny, bug-eyed and golden-haired hobbit lass (Vana). To the Valar this doesn't really register as strange beyond vague inconvenience for interacting, but to any elves who see them hanging out together it Very Much Is.

To use the terms I used in Appointed, Orome and Vana are Counterpoints, Nessa and Tulkas, Nessa and Vana, and Orome and Tulkas are Harmonies, and Nessa and Orome are Tone-mates and Harmonies. Tulkas and Vana are not quite Harmonies but they harmonize regardless. Don't mind if this makes no sense lol.

[a34trgv2]

Why It Worked: The Pursuit of Happyness

Introduction: The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical drama film produced by Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Overbrook Entertainment and Escape Artists, with distribution by Sony. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, the film stars Will Smith, his son Jaden, Thandiwe Newton, Brian Howe, Dan Castellaneta and Mark Christopher Lawrence as Chris Gardner, his son Christopher, Linda, Jay Twistle, Alan Frakesh and Wayne. Released on December 15, 2006 and received positive reviews from critics with most critics praising Will Smith's performance. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 67% out of 177 reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The film was also a box office success, grossing $307.1 million on a budget of $55 million. I liked the film well enough when I first saw it as a teenager, but I appreciate it more so now as an adult. Now is the perfect time for sing this movie's praises and go into detail why this film is relevant now that I'm an adult.

The Plot: Based on the true story of Chris Gardner, the film follows him during the recession in 1980s San Francisco where he struggles to make ends meet while taking care of his son. Chris goes from being broke, to getting arrested for not paying parking tickets, losing a couple bone scanners he's trying to sell, having all his money seized by the IRS, and ending up homeless. All these struggles, plus his wife leaving him, would've made a lesser man give up. What makes the film engaging to watch, though, is that Chris NEVER gives up. Every time he's knocked down, he gets right back on his feet and does such a good job as an intern, he's ultimately hired as a full-time stock broker, making all his efforts worth it. In addition to having really strong writing, the film also has some pretty funny moments to balance out the hardship Chris goes through, such as Christopher's God will save me joke and Chris' joke during the interview. The film also has a very well made score by Andrea Guerra with soft piano cues and fitting song choices. Chris' journey wouldn't be fun to live through, but his optimism and the well earned happy ending makes it all worth sitting through.

Cast and Characters: Will Smith definitely earned his nomination for Best Actor for this film. He oozes with optimism, wit, and determination in every scene he's in. I also thought him and his son, Jaden, worked perfectly together. For his acting debut, Jaden nails the innocence and loyalty of Christopher and gives his father ample reason to keep trying. Thandiwe Newton also did a really good job playing Linda, making her sound rightfully frustrated and tired of Chris' failure to make decent income. I really like how kind and understanding Jay Twistle was and Brian Howe gave in a solid performance. Dan Castellaneta was really good as Alan Frakesh, making him sound very busy and authoritative. Walter Robbins was also a really nice man and Kurt Fuller gave in a really good performance. All the other actors did a good job in their respected roles, and I especially like the little cameo at the end of the real Chris Gardner passing Will and Jaden.

Where It Falters: Yikes! This is the only instant in the entire film in which Chris was NOT being a good father. I don't care who you are, where you're from or what your mental issue is: don't EVER tell your child to shut up! This leads to the child thinking they're an annoyance or a burden to their parent.

Conclusion: The Pursuit of Happyness is such an amazing film that I appreciate more as an adult. It has a really good script, well rounded characters, a heartfelt score and an Oscar worthy performance by Will Smith. If you haven't seen this film yet, definitely check it out on Netflix or buy the DVD on Amazon. Trust me, this film will be well worth your time.

[thebandcampdiaries]

Reginald Furtick is back with a new studio work: Sunny Daze (Orchestra).

A beautiful composition with a stunning string arrangement at its very core.

GET THE AUDIO VERSION HERE!

August 2023 - Reginald Furtick is an accomplished artist, producer, and composer who loves to challenge himself with every release. Not only does he work with other artists in the process of helping them unlock their potential, but he also creates wondrous original compositions that provide insight into his brilliant musical mind.

Reginald has a penchant for creating music in various styles, and "Sunny Daze (Orchestra)" is an example of how deeply dynamic and diverse his music can be. The track, which is one of the artist's most recent studio works, is indeed a combination of orchestral music, cinematic soundtracks, and so much more. The stunning introduction has a mesmerizing quality from the get-go. The moment you hit the play button, you'll immediately be transported somewhere else, as Reginald is a master at building powerful textures and soundscapes. The music fits the title to perfection, evoking images of experiencing the life and brightness of the sun and appreciating the bounty that nature can offer us (and that we so often take for granted in our day-to-day lives).

The music evokes a sense of mystique and wonder, utilizing soothing melodies and ambient soundscapes. The composition is characterized by a mix of orchestral instruments and ambient pads, creating a unique sonic landscape that is both introspective and expansive. The composition is also very dynamic due to Reginald's ability to incorporate various techniques, such as droning notes, crescendos, harmonies, and more. Because of Reginald's incredibly eclectic approach, "Sunny Daze (Orchestra)" could be described as a fusion of contemporary orchestral composition and ambient music, as it brings a lot of texture to the table without necessarily sacrificing the melodic components in the arrangements. In other words, this piece seamlessly blends classical elegance with modern sensibilities. The true heart of this beautiful composition lies in its meticulously crafted string arrangements, which play a pivotal role in creating an enchanting and emotionally rich atmosphere. From the very beginning, the listener is greeted by a delicate interplay as the strings kick off softly, gradually drawing the audience into the music. As the song progresses, the strings become more articulate and prominent, serving as the centerpiece of this beautiful track. Reginald's ability to create seamless phrasing is absolutely remarkable. He conjured up a sense of motion without necessarily giving up on the subtle intimacy of the music. In the final movement, the string arrangements reach their climactic peak. The entire ensemble joins together, ascending to a crescendo that feels like a cathartic release. The strings sing with raw emotion, expressing the song's core sentiments with an intensity that is both hypnotic and simply beautiful. The orchestrations, like layers of a finely woven tapestry, enhance the vibrancy of the whole track overall.

This poignant instrumental composition speaks volumes, even without any vocals or lyrics. Furtick's expertly crafted arrangements skillfully extract the full range of emotion and expression from the main melodies.

Creating music with prominent string arrangements can be an artistic journey filled with both exhilarating creative opportunities and intricate challenges, but Reginald is most definitely up to the task, as demonstrated by "Sunny Daze (Orchestra)." This track, indeed, has plenty of movie score potential, given its affinity for cinematic grandeur and visually striking sonics. Fans of composers such as Hans Zimmer, as well as James Newton Howard, Sigur Ròs, and A Shamisen Orchestra will immediately be able to relate to the sound of this wonderful piece of music. Through careful orchestration and a profound grasp of musical intricacies, Furtick elevates his music to new heights, and this is definitely no exception. If any filmmaker happens to be reading this, you heard it here first! Furtick's masterful arrangements hold immense potential for enhancing the cinematic and emotional impact of films and various forms of media. The careful crafting of melodies and harmonies within these compositions creates a powerful synergy that can greatly contribute to storytelling, evoke emotions, and elevate the overall viewing experience.

Find out more about Reginald Furtick, and do not miss out on Sunny Daze (Orchestra), which is currently available on some of the very best digital streaming services.

[summercreolefanfictioner]

the Sakamaki brothers as break-up or unrequited love songs (plus scenarios / headcanons)

A/N: Before I dove into the world of Dialovers, I actually wrote smut angst fics and I usually listen to sad songs (no, I am not brokenhearted and my love life is doing well). This made me picture scenarios that would fit these bastards (cause as always Yui deserve better)

WARNING: Contains violence and a bit of smut (NSFW in short)

SHUU SAKAMAKI

"So sad, so sad, I could never make you stay

Too bad, too bad, I could never walk away"

Hmm a brokenhearted Shuu is like a blank canvas whatever

He basically doesn't want to do anything with his broken heart

I picture him falling in love with a mortal so deep but at the same time he didn't want to indulge in those feelings

Cause the last time he got attached with a mortal, they died (Yuma is still alive but still)

So yeah he be just listening to some sad songs all week

"And now I know I will regret it,

I'd rather keep it all inside"

But in case he decides to pursue this mortal, I think she would be at arm's length

Like he wouldn't indulge deeper than what they have cause someday she will die and boy he has attachment issues

Hence the second song

REIJI SAKAMAKI

"I know I'm just a fool who's willing

To sit around and wait for you

But baby, can't you see there's nothing else for me to do?"

Hmm honestly Reiji was the hardest

And yes, I had @yourlocaltea to help me on this one

Because I can't see Reiji crying over someone tbh

I picture girls crying over him and this famous Olivia Newton-John song would really work

Cause we all know that Reiji has dated girls for the sake of image so maybe one of them really fell in love w/ him

Too bad, he only sees them for his family image

But if he does fall for them, the second song will fit

"I’m no longer alone when I’m by myself

I can feel you even when you’re not here"

If you have watched the ending of this Kdrama aka What Happened in Bali, you prob know what I mean

Let's say the girl left him and found another man

You might think Reiji is being Kanato here but this man won't let you betray him after all he did

He prob gonna murder you in his own Reiji way 💀💀💀

But if he doesn't go the yandere route, he just gonna give you up... hmm... hopefully

AYATO SAKAMAKI

"First you say you won't then you say you will

You keep me hangin' on and we're not movin' on"

I am excited for this one cause as you all know Ayato is my first main diaboy (even before my Kanato simping arc)

I have actually told this to @moonderly and @samsvenn about the possibility of Ayato having an ex who has the fickle heart of Jenny (as mentioned from the same song)

Like at first they're okay, then afterwards they fight over nothing

I even think she's gonna cheat on him w/o him knowing

Or perhaps he knows but decides to think like "oh you want to play then fine I'll play your game and win"

But he is a sore loser

Ayato would prob be the one doing the begging (w/c is unlikely him) and it's all bcos he believes the girl will call him Oresama afterwards

Too bad she doesn't

"Last year's wishes are this year's apologies every last time I come home

I take my last chance to burn a bridge or two

I only keep myself this sick in the head 'cause I know how the words get you off"

Another song that would fit him would be this one

Cause I swear Ayato can be a target of those girls who just like to have fun and dump boys

Ayato be spouting he's an Oresama but these girls would give no sht abt it

If Ayato decides to get a bit serious, it would also be the time they dump him

This fuckboy is a loser in a friends with benefits situation

KANATO SAKAMAKI

"Good for you, you're doing great out there without me, baby

God, I wish that I could do that

I've lost my mind, I've spent the night crying on the floor of my bathroom

But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it"

This one is also hard

Because I have so many scenarios for Kanato

But breakups and unrequited love don't end well for Kanato so he prob would add this poor being to his doll collection

He's actually sarcastic abt it... at first

"Wow, you're smiling now. How shameless of you."

And afterward, he says, "How dare you do that to me? It's unfair, you know? Why isn't it me? Why him?"

Or "I gave you everything you want and now this is how you repay me?!"

"I won't let you betray me, NEVER AGAIN"

"And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone"

But once he comes down from his rage and intense emotions, that's when he really starts to cry and mourn

Kanato actually has nightmares of this person staying for a while, only to leave him crying

Like he would have an internal conflict where he wants you to go leave him, but he doesn't want you to belong to someone else

TANTRUMS GALORE

"This is all your fault! I'm suffering bcos you left me! (uhhh... you killed her???) 🤡🤡🤡

"You should've just dropped dead even before I loved you."

Anyway, she's a part of his doll collection now so she won't be going away anytime soon

LAITO SAKAMAKI

"The other woman will never have his love to keep

And as the years go by, the other woman

Will spend her life alone"

This song would actually be more about the girls he be toying with

Cause honestly loving Laito is like agreeing to be his plaything and there are many of you out there

In short, every single one of you is the other woman

Fvcking perv

Ofc what do you expect

This guy will never be serious and he would prob mess with your mind and heart until he throws you away

But if you manage to crawl deep in his heart and leave it wounded, then...

"You were the mermaid for me

Till one day, you found your feet

Leaving me in the God-awful bottle,

a model of heartache and grief"

I picture Laito drinking somewhere, prob a nearby pub or by himself at the manor

Like he would waste the night away because of a woman he can't mess with

For some reason, this reminds me a tiny bit of Helen and Laito's relationship (shoutout to @nutaella-kookie)

Like what if Helen broke up with Laito and she's like no turning back 💀💀💀

But what do you expect? Laito never believes in love anyway

SUBARU SAKAMAKI

"I should actually hate you

The more I embrace you, it hurts

Although when morning comes,

I will look for you again"

In relation to my headcanon abt Subaru falling in love w/ his teacher, this is actually a song that identifies his moving on stage

Like he probs like to tell this little lie that he'll move on but he actually doesn't

The type to do anything for a girl to stay even tho she can't give up her humanity for him

This guy gets waaaaaay attached emotionally

But unlike Kanato, he accepts his fate and takes all the blame

He's also actually like Shuu and would prob play sad songs on repeat

Most of them will be really sad, like how Scarlet Heart Ryeo made me cry

But in case he wants to switch things up, he'll prob play this one

"So what if I can't forget you?

I'll burn your name into my throat

I'll be the fire that'll catch you

And what's so good about picking up the pieces?

What if I don't even want to?"

Like ya know emo hardcore heartbreak ya know???

Actually, in my headcanon, Kanato sang Scarborough Fair to him and he cried at the lines "Remember me to the one who lives there. She once was a true love of mine."

YES SUBARU CRYING DUE TO HEARTBREAK LIVES RENT-FREE IN MY HEAD

[koravelliumavast]

Ranking classical movie music composers based on vibes

John Williams: what iconic movie soundtracks HASNT he done. Harry Potter! Jurassic Park! Star Wars! Indiana Jones! Others!!! All iconic ones and all ones that have so great musical compositions to them that are recognizable and beloved. John Williams is probably one of the most well-renowned composers today.

Michael Giacchino: I will not forgive him for the Up soundtrack. Also his superhero movie song titles have unique names and I love the one song from the Spider-Man no way home that combines all three Spider-Man themes into one song but still manages to make it a unique song.

Hans Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean. He also did the lion king and I assume some other Disney movies too. His best known works are in the DC movies but I haven’t seen those. The soundtracks are solid though.

James Newton Howard: THE HUNGER GAMES THE FRENCH HORNS & SAXOPHONES WE CAN HEAR THEM AND WE HAD THE MELODY when we played it for a band concert and the fact that it was almost 8 years ago and I remember that fact says something. Besides that he did the fantastic beasts movies. He really likes to highlight the horns and I love that.

Alan Silvestri: Avengers. His best work is the avengers. Even if you’re not a marvel person you know the avengers theme. It’s such a recognizable song that is such a good earworm. I love how he incorporated the original avengers theme into the song from endgame (portals) without giving it too much of a copycat of the theme. That song gives me chills listening to it.

Christophe Beck: ok less known but he did the Ant-Man movies and in the same vein of Michael Giacchino these titles are fun! But along with those he did quite a few of the marvel TV shows and also Frozen. Christophe Beck really likes strong motifs and themes that can be called back to later. He also likes to highlight the lower instruments.

Danny Elfham: he’s got the ‘weird ones’ the Johnny Depp Willy Wonka, Rango, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Nightmare before Christmas. But his music is really solid and fun. There’s not much else to say here.

Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein: ok so it IS two people but they’re the two who did strangers things all four years and even if you dont like the show; the soundtrack is beautifully done with a large number of callbacks to previous seasons. (Best example: Kids is the title of a song in s1. In s4 there’s a song titled Teens that uses the same motif from Kids but changed it slightly to be more grown)

Mark Mothersbaugh: ok so I only have listened to one of his soundtracks but it’s the thor Ragnarok one and I love it. He also did ofmd and yeah. I love the way the synth in Ragnarok is incorporated without making it too much in some of the more orchestral songs

Howard Shore: ok so I only know what’s from lord of the rings from him but I LOVE concerning hobbits as it fits the not concerned with the outside world, bouncy, carefree, happy vibe of the Shire so well in that song.

John Powell: so he did HTTYD and I absolutely ADORE LOVE test flight for many a reason. But mostly because of the FRENCH HORNS and the climax of the song and how it feels mildly action packed but not the sense of dread action packed but more of the carefree action packed.

What have we learned from this: super hero movies have great composers, I can talk about music theory for a long time and don’t even care if anyone is listening, I did know like 3/4 of these composers names without looking it up, and I’m the person the soundtracks are on Spotify for. Furthermore I love French horns despite never playing them and not being able to because I was a woodwind.

[prncesselene]

Prompt: Kate ever the older sibling immediately takes to the younger Bridgertons and Anthony falls a little harder (set during Anthony’s “nope I can’t love my wife, not me” phase)

Anthony pored over the accounts in front of him, the numbers and information on the pages stable and dependable. The work had come on stronger in the weeks since his wedding, which had led to a host of incredibly busy days for the young Viscount upon his arrival back in London. 

This was good. Work was good. It kept his mind sharp, it made sure he stayed busy, and perhaps most importantly: it meant he was not thinking about his wife.

(It was a task he was resolutely failing as of late.)

They had only been married for two weeks, and already he felt himself far too happy. 

 He didn’t love Kate, of course, he’d made sure of that. But he could not deny she’d proven to be a much better companion than he might have ever hoped for. Kind, compassionate and intelligent, with a wit so sharp he was unsure how it was her barbs felt so sweet — and then at night…

Anthony shook his head. This was precisely the problem. She occupied his thoughts far too much, and what he needed to do was focus on his work.

Which became increasingly difficult to do, as the moment he forced his head back down, there was a knock at the door of his study.

“Anthony?”

Kate had a tendency to take Anthony’s breath away, and today was no different.

(His attraction to her was growing slightly out of hand. This, he would admit. How else to explain that burst of light in his chest, whenever she graced a room with her presence?)

Her gown was of a soft lavender color, one that highlighted the mesmerizing darkness of her hair.

(Then again, was there anything Kate wore that did not compliment her?)

She looked regal, like some sort of Empress, and yet the way she tapped her fingers nervously against the door signaled there was more to her appearance than a mere desire to see him.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes,” she turned to check for something in the hallway and then turned back to face him, smiling, though there was an edge to it. “Are you very busy this afternoon?”

“I suppose it depends,” he grinned, ready to put his papers away at a moment's notice for a very particular activity if she so desired. “What do you need?”

Kate opened her mouth to reply, but before she could do so, two vaguely chestnut-colored whirlwinds stormed into his study, followed by Newton’s excited barks and taps on the hardwood floor behind them.

“Anthony!”

“We’re so pleased you’re back!”

“I’ve learned a new song on the pianoforte, I must sho—”

“I taught Newton how to sit just now! I think he’ll—”

“I was speaking first, Gregory! Do not interrupt me!”

“Well if you would speak like a lady instead of shouting, then perhaps—”

“Settle down, the both of you,” Anthony bit down a laugh, forcing his most stern expression. “What is the meaning of all of this?”

“Kate came to see us yesterday,” Hyacinth floated to where the woman in question was primly seated on the armchair in front of his desk and took one of Kate’s arms in hers. “She told us we could come and stay!”

“Oh?” Anthony darted his eyes between the two younger Bridgertons and his wife, whose cheeks had become stained with pink.

“Just for the night,” Kate said, with a warm smile on her face. “I thought it might be nice. If you’re not busy, perhaps we can retire to the drawing room after dinner and play cards?”

“And I still want to show you that song. Both of you. Please?”

Gregory was holding Newton now, attempting to act removed from the situation –– such was the attitude of a slowly growing young man –– though the glimmer in his eyes said otherwise. “And I get to play with him for a while. I like Newton.”

Kate chuckled, reaching out to scratch the beast between the ears. “He likes you, too.”

Anthony’s heart fell just a bit, seeing his two youngest siblings so excited, each of them in their own ways. As a child, their father had made it a point to provide them all with quality time, but Gregory and Hyacinth hadn’t quite had the chance to receive the same sort of attention.

“Why wait until dinner?” He made a show of closing his books, meeting Kate’s eyes with a smile for a brief moment before standing up. “We can begin now.”

Hyacinth squealed — a most unladylike sound, but he was feeling charitable — and dragged Kate ahead of them, while Gregory carried Newton and Anthony followed closely behind.

That afternoon, he indulged in Hyacinth’s performances and engaged Gregory in his ambitious animal training — Kate’s dog did many things, but paying attention to commands was not high on the list — all the while watching his wife: gossipping with Hyacinth while they prepared tea, kneeling to show Gregory some sort of card trick, and answering any questions the two of them had about how she managed to win Anthony in the particularly noteworthy game of Pall Mall that had quickly become legend.

Regardless of what she did, he couldn’t help but notice that she fit right in.

(Or the way it made him feel fuller and happier than he had in a long, long time.)

After dinner and sweets, the four of them sat in the drawing room once again, while Newton slept peacefully by the fire. The atmosphere was so peaceful, so quaint, that he couldn’t help it if he nudged Kate closer to him and inhaled the soft scent of her.

She was his wife after all — he didn’t need to love her to do any of that.

(Or to run his thumb across her knuckles softly. To closely watch the way her lashes fluttered when she was teasing the children and how her lips pursed when she was figuring out how to answer something. Right?)

“Thank you for bringing them,” he murmured in her ear, low enough that the two younger ones would not hear. “I didn’t realize how much I had missed them.”

“They missed you, too,” she smiled. “It’s a big change for them, I imagine. Having to leave their childhood home all because I turned up.”

“You’re natural with them. They like you.”

“It’s true,” Hyacinth said, grinning at them when they met her gaze and lacking any shame in having overheard their conversation. “We do. Very much. Right, Gregory?”

The boy nodded, an abashed expression on his own face.

Kate seemed to be at a loss for words, much to Anthony’s amusement. He gripped her tighter and was inordinately pleased when she sighed and dropped her head on his shoulder.

“I’m not sure what my brother did to deserve a wife like you,” Hyacinth continued, “but I dare say we are all the better for it.”

Kate blushed, waving away the compliment. She smiled and told the two of them, “When you’re older, I’ll tell you exactly what your brother did to lead us here.”

Hyacinth frowned, clearly confused as to what Kate meant, but too close to exhaustion to put up much of a fight. “Well. As long as my future husband loves me the way Anthony clearly loves you, it doesn’t quite matter how one gets there, I think.”

Kate smiled and fiddled with her hands, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I suppose so.”

Anthony tried to refute Hyacinth’s claim, if only internally, but he couldn’t.

Not when Kate was so sweet and warm against him; not after she’d set up an entire day for him to be with his siblings and enjoy their company; especially not when it was clear she’d blended so seamlessly into his life, that he didn’t understand how he’d ever managed without her in it.

No. In that moment, Anthony only knew one thing for certain.

(He was in big, big trouble.)

[harkingspot]

i know nobody asked for this but HERE'S MY RAND/JR PLAYLIST!!! enjoy this list of songs along the lyrics i believe fit these horrible men best 😁👍

Getaway Car - Taylor Swift

"Riding in a getaway car / There were sirens in the beat of your heart / Should've known I'd be first to leave / Think about the place where you first met me"

god this part is SOOOO rand like??? the entire song is basically his perception of their relationship as a whole

Fight or Flight - Conan Gray

"Fight or flight, I'd rather die than have to cry in front of you / Fight or flight, I'd rather lie than tell you I'm in love with you"

THE ENTIRE SONG NGL BUT THIS HITS MOST–

Flowers - MARINA

"With every careless action, you let me slip away / If you just bought me flowers, maybe I would've stayed"

AAAAA I THINK ABT JR WHEN I HEAR THIS SONG IT'S JUST SO SAD OAKFJAJF

All Too Well (10 Minute Version) - Taylor Swift

"They say "all's well that ends well", but I'm in a new hell / Everytime you double cross my mind"

yeah just so you know i have like A CRAP TON OF TSWIFT IN MY PLAYLIST 💀💀💀 this song was literally the beginning of my long history of jrand brainrot

Tolerate It - Taylor Swift

"If it's all in my head tell me now / Tell me I've got it wrong somehow / I know my love should be celebrated / But you tolerate it"

*LEANS BACK IN PAIN AND AGONY* these one sided songs are actually TOO good for these two im a bit stunned

Hopelessly Devoted To You - Olivia-Newton John

"There's nowhere to hide / Since you pushed my love aside / I'm outta my head / Hopelessly devoted to you"

THIS SONG... THIS SONG

SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK - Joji

"You looked at me like I was someone else, oh, well"

idk i just like picturing them slow dance together but you can just FEEL the pain in how they hold each other. it's great love it

No Other Heart - Mac Demarco

"Is it wrong? To think my love could really help you out / It's simply just my stubborn heart no doubt, rambling away"

GEUAGHHSGH INAUDIBLE NOISES

She - Dodie

"And she tastes like birthday cake and storytime and fall / But to her, I taste of nothing at all"

this song specifically is like,, yk how jr probably does think highly of rand but rand sees absolutely nothing in him. evident in his deep hatred for "friends"

[scumsucking]

Well, I’m afraid that the circles I’ve been drinking myself in

Aren’t big enough for the vowels that

I try to fit inside of them

When I was young, I drank too much, and I’d be lying if I said

I didn’t feel so goddamn young tonight

Maybe too young to ask what’s on my mind

Like if freedom means doing what I want

Well, don’t I gotta want something?

And won’t you tell me that we want something more than just more beer?

And my friends, if that ain’t true, won’t you lie to me tonight? (oh yeah)

Well, I’ve been listening to Minor Threat records all day

And shit if I do not know every word

I sing along as I tie off

And Ian screams he’s “Out of Step”

As I throw the cotton into the spoon, draw up into the syringe

I’ll know just what he means until I hit a vein

But after that I won’t have to bother with knowing who I am

For a while at least

In a moment the whole world is gonna melt around me

And I’ll swear I don’t miss it as a I lie to you tonight

Because I’m afraid to look the world in the eye

If nothing’s gonna change, well, then I’d rather die

And I’m too unemployed to organize a union

I’m too intoxicated to tear down a building

I’m too hopeless to look for a solution, I’m afraid that if I found one

I’d be out of excuses for the way

I waste away in the gutters that I chose

Like fashion accessories to go with my dirty clothes

I haven’t bathed in months, but you know it’s not because

I’ve been fighting bourgeois morals, I’m just lazy and I’m young

I’ve seen the best minds of my generation

Dying drunk or high from the rooftops to the parking lots

Stomped to death in west Philadelphian squats

They’ve got me waiting on a day when we can say “fuck the police!”

With a little bit of integrity

When it will mean: “I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine!”

Give me a scene where I believe in more

Than bad hair cuts, guilt, and misery

I don’t know where I fit between the vegans and the nihilists

That might be the first thing I’ve said that wasn’t a lie tonight

Because there’s gotta be something more

Than lying in the front yard, naked, screaming at the constellations

I want something more than an apology to say

When I look the world in the eye

I’ll tell you, man, my friend William came to me with a message of hope

It went: “Fuck you and everything that you think you know

If you don’t step outside the things that you believe

They’re gonna kill you.”

He said: “You think no one’s gonna stop you from dying young and miserable? You're right!

If you want something better, you gotta put that shit aside.”

I thought about how for thousands of years

There have been people who told us that things can’t go on like this

From Jesus Christ to the Diggers, from Malthus to Zerzan,

From Karl Marx to Huey Newton

But the shit goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on

On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on

Now, I’m not saying that we can’t change the world

'Cause everybody does at least a little bit of that

But I won’t shit myself, the way I’m living is a temper tantrum and I

Need something else, need something else, need something else to stay alive

And on the night that I play my last show, I’ll be

Singing so loud that my heart explodes

And I’ll be singing, I’ll be singing: 'We are free!'

Oh, but won’t you promise me that we won’t ever

Forget what the means?

I know it’s hard to give a shit sometimes, but promise me we’ll always try

Cause I don’t wanna hate you, and I don’t wanna hate me

And I don’t wanna have to hate everything anymore

[quotergirl19]

Born To Be A Bridgerton: An Eloise Daydream🐝💕

Eloise was in a living nightmare, trapped in the arms of Lord Awful-breath for the longest dance of her life and she was actually getting lightheaded from trying not to breathe while bouncing through this waltz.

She could not believe that he asked her to dance. Hadn’t he noticed her obvious disinterest in his attentions when she caught his gaze arriving at her sister Daphne’s ball last season? Just as she thought she might actually swoon from holding her breath, and dear lord this man could not be given even the slightest impression that she swooned because she fancied him, the song ended and she all but ran in the direction of the lemonade table.

It was unfathomable to her that Lord Auvalbruth might think she wanted more time in his company yet just as she was about to get away, he began to follow her towards the refreshments. This could not be happening!

Suddenly Kate was approaching.

Kate: Eloise, dear! What a happy coincidence, Anthony just asked me to find you. Oh, good evening Lord Auvalbruth. Lovely to see you looking so well, and no longer limping.

*He looked utterly horrified and stopped right in his tracks.*

Lord Auvalbruth: Good evening Miss Shar- forgive me, Lady Bridgerton. How are you enjoying your evening? I was just dancing with your lovely sister-in-law.

Kate: My evening has been most enjoyable, thank you. I do hope you enjoyed meeting Miss Bridgerton, pity you must part ways.

Lord Auvalbruth: Yes, it is most unfortunate. Perhaps I should call on Miss Bridgerton in the morning so we may continue our conversation.

*Eloise’s eyes shot to Kate in obvious panic but Kate didn’t bat an eye.

Kate: That would hardly be advisable my lord. Young ladies should only entertain serious prospects when it comes to gentlemen callers, do you not agree? And as none of my sisters will consider a gentleman without my endorsement, you really need not waste your time.

Lord Auvalbruth: My lady, I am most seriously interested in courting Miss Bridgerton and I believe she was enjoying herself in my company. I respect that you did not believe your other sister Miss Sharma and I suited. But surely you will reconsider me for Miss Bridgerton.

Kate: Come now, you know I could never recommend you to her. Not when you still owe my husband from losing at cards months ago. He and I so firmly agree that a true gentleman pays his debts. No, you should not wish to call upon Bridgerton house at all I’m afraid. Especially not when Newton finds your ankles so very delicious. Although the sound you made when he was biting them was riotously funny, I did not get the impression that you enjoy dogs. Sadly, you simply will never suit for any of my relations, but I am glad you are able to walk normally and dance again. Enjoy the rest of your evening my lord.

Just like that Kate and Eloise bowed and walked away from the red faced man. And Eloise could not help but giggle.

Eloise: That was positively masterful, I thought I was never going to escape him. Thank you! So, why did Anthony send you to find me?

Kate: Anthony didn’t actually send me. I saw the look on your face and remembered thinking that Lord Auvalbruth must clean his teeth with fish and garlic, back when he wanted to court Edwina. I simply came to rescue you.

By the time the two reached a smiling Anthony on the other side of the ballroom and he reached out to take Kate’s arm, it was clear to Eloise that her brother had married his perfect match. Kate was exactly what he needed to keep him on his toes but she fit in so well with their family it was astonishing. Yes, Kate was simply born to be a Bridgerton and Eloise was going to thoroughly enjoy having her as a new sister.

[juminly]

Invisible String (Napoleon Bonaparte x Reader)

Prompt #4  and #77 by @missmorosis: “Marry me. Now.” and “I can’t say her name without smiling!”

Tags: Fluff + Mutual Pining. PS: Everything in Italic is spoken in French. –♥–

As the song “Sacré Charlemagne” rang loudly in the air, you were whisked into a jolly circle with the children in the little school that Napoleon and Isaac created by the fountain, which you always seemed to forget the name. You absolutely hated using the term “poor children” as everyone referred to them so you made an effort to learn and memorize each one of their names, even if it earned you a few devilish snickers when you stuttered over a few of their names, fumbling through your misconstructed sentences.

Compared to the children, your grammar and vocabulary was absolutely atrocious and it seemed like the infamous Monsieur de Wahaha found way too much pleasure in it, you could see him biting his bottom lip, muffling his chuckle yet his shoulders gave him away before the rambunctious sound escaped him, racking through his entire body. The few swats that Napoleon had to suffer from you did not deter him from losing himself into a fit of laughter. Your expressions never failed to amuse him, his heart feeling lighter than it had ever been in his chest and the adorable pout on your lips that tempted a little too much.

Just to press his lips against yours, Napoleon would always think. Only for a moment, that’s all he wished for. To simply hold you in his arms, engulf you in his warm embrace, where you would be safe and… loved. Feel your soft plush lips and watch as your face turns to a bright shade of red that roses would envy. His thoughts always found a way to drift to you. The petite nunuche with a kind heart, a bright mind and sass that could rival Mozart’s snark.

While you attempted to decipher the words that you were singing, your botched pronunciation did not help much though, the children jumping around, pulling you forcefully into the merry atmosphere that you had absolutely no qualms to join. Fingers that were even smaller than yours wrapped tightly around your palms, squeezed them as tightly as you felt your heart clench in your chest. Even when you were so far from the place you truly called home, with Napoleon, with these children, you found another meaning to the word. How was it that even when you were in the middle of dancing and having fun, your mind was still flooded with thoughts of him? Finding absolutely any hook just to keep him in your mind, clinging to you with no chance for you to escape from them. Even if you wanted to. Was it because he was near? Was it because you felt his eyes on you? Without even looking, you could feel the intensity of his piercing gaze, thoughtful yet kind, that made your body go through a plentiful of sensations that were too many to count on your fingers. Napoleon didn’t realize that he had paused his lesson, his eyes trained on you, seeing you radiate happiness, the happiness that the little ones shared with you even when they lived in some of the most dire of circumstances. If there is anything that you have learned, it was that the smallest things that made a difference. It is the little things that truly mattered. That is a truth that the former Emperor himself has come to realize after being relieved from the responsibility of leading his country and has tasked himself in aiding those that would be the future of France. “Who taught you that song, Clement?” Napoleon called out to one of the boys that were in your circle, shaking his head incredulously and still laughing for a reason that you had still yet to uncover. You weren’t sure what Napoleon was necessarily asking but it was definitely about the song. That was the only word ‘chanson’ that you recognized in his sentence.

“All of you. Come here and form a circle. I think it’s about time that you all learn about what Charlemagne has truly done and why you should be grateful.” Chuckling to himself, he stood from the spot he was sitting in and walked towards you, leaning down so that you were both eye to eye. You didn’t know why every time he did that, it made your heart flutter, doing a bunch of those weird somersaults that kinda made you want to puke.. But not really, at the same time. Being around Napoleon made you feel a flurry of strange sensations. Thinking about him too. That was a fact. “You do realize that this song depicts how much children hold contempt for Charlemagne for inventing school? Whatever you were singing with them right now beats the whole purpose of what we are trying to do for them.” With an eyebrow cocked, Napoleon folded his arms in front of his chest, waiting for a response from you yet the corner of his lips were clearly strained as he fought back a wide smile. “Wait…” You blinked at him in surprise, clearly unaware of the situation that you were put into due to the language barrier. “I… I promise I had no idea! That was definitely and totally not my intention! Oh my God…” It was a funny situation and you found yourself stuck between a state of slight panic and laughter, both emotions reflecting clearly on your visage. The last thing that you wanted was for Napoleon to be disappointed in you. You held him in such high regards, and he did so to you when it came to you, so you didn’t want to do anything to ruin that. A small laugh escaped him, his large hand reaching to ruffle your hair gently before tucking the stray strands away from your face and behind your ear. A gesture that was so simple yet that was done with so much love. Love that you were completely blind to. “This is why you’re my petite nunuche. Come sit and I’ll explain it all to you, princess.” The sly grin he gave you, one that was more like a wide smile, was much too irresistible, your own smile tracing across your blushing face. As he turned away from you and found his seat before everyone, you noticed something. You knew that look in his eyes. It was one that you knew very well, the passion brimming in them, the heart he put into teaching these childrens and sharing with them everything that he had to give. Nothing was ever too much to ask for with Napoleon. God… you couldn’t stop staring at him and you still hadn’t realized why, assuming it was just because he was a born charismatic leader who was now capturing everyone’s attention as he began a history lesson about the medieval emperor Charlemagne and all he had done for France and for the world. Whenever any discussion happened between you, he always leaned down and looked straight into your eyes, especially since you were quite shorter than him. Even when you stood next to one another, he still did the same. Not only with you but with the kids as well, crouching down so that he was on the same level as them, never making anyone feel as though they were inferior. Never looking down on anyone. He spoke to all, treated all, as his equals. No matter who they were. Your daydreams and musings aside, you tried to focus on Isaac’s voice as he spoke in your ear, recounting to you in English all of the stories that Napoleon was painting before all of your eyes. His mind being a wealth of historical knowledge, he ensnared you with his storytelling, even when you had absolutely no idea what he was saying, needing the help of your dear friend, Isaac Newton, to explain it all to you.

“I have a question, Napoleone!” One of the kids, Patrick, raised his hand excitedly and was basically hopping on his cute little butt, curiosity seemingly eating at the young boy. When Leon gave him a curt nod, Patrick giggled and asked. “Why do you call big sister, nunuche?” “Well, there’s a very simple answer to that question. I call her nunuche because she has absolutely no clue that she has stolen my heart.” He declared with a warm smile, his deep voice reflecting the same. As the conversation took a turn, Isaac clicked his tongue, grumbling something that you didn’t catch under his breath and walked away from the big circle that you had formed in the middle of the small town square. Some of the kids were giggling and others were making gag noises. Whatever Napoleon had said really changed the mood. With your eyebrows furrowed, it was a bit bizarre to see the physicist’s face suddenly turn red. Was he that irritated from the story Napoleon was telling the kids about Charlemagne? Now that Isaac was gone, you were left with no one to translate the ongoing discussion for you. Well, upon Napoleon’s instruction, whenever he was addressing the children directly and couldn’t directly translate to you, Isaac would have to step in for him and help you understand the different French expressions and words, especially the most common ones. But… what were they saying now? You did hear the word Nunuche but they were definitely not talking about you. Were they, though? Still, you didn’t want to leave, even if you were completely lost and oblivious to what was going on. You knew that Napoleon would explain it all to you later. “Does that mean that big sister is a thief?” Jacques asked. “Non, non.” He chuckled, shaking his head and sighing out his next words. “It means that I love her with all my heart.” “Is it like how I love my dog?” The little man inquired again. “I love mushrooms!” The youngest of them all, Carmen, chimed in with her own declaration. “Haha, we can all love different things. Love comes in many ways and we all feel it differently.” “How does it feel for you then, Napoleone?” Lea, who was sitting right by his side, inquired considerately, seemingly scrutinizing every word the Frenchman said. He couldn’t help but smile widely, admiring the smart glint in her eyes, the curiosity in her was nothing but meaningful and quite in place. Eyes that reminded of his beloved. You. “Well…” He pondered for a few seconds, trying to find a simple way of putting his feelings into words. “I can’t say her name without smiling.” And just the thought of it did the same, in that very moment. “And sometimes, I think that I might just walk up to her and simply ask her. “Marry me. Now.”” He admitted, the corner of his eyes crinkling a tiny bit as he announced so. God, now you really wanted to know what they were talking about. To know the reason why Napoleon looked almost… giddy in that calm authoritative way of his. “Oh! Oh! That means you want to also have kids with her!” Jacques, ever the talkative one, stated confidently. “Haha, indeed. That is something I do wish to have with her.” As he turned to look at you, you could see his smile turn wistful, the way his eyes fell upon you held so much longing, a yearning for something that may not ever be fulfilled. “I promise, I’ll tell you about everything we just said.” He reassured you with that exact same smile, masking the fleeting sadness that overcame him by clearing his throat, demanding everyone’s attention and returning back to his storytelling. He would tell you all about that conversation he had with the kids. Maybe not on that day… but what he had to say was for later, or maybe never. Luckily for him, none of the children knew how to speak English or they would have blurted out the confession that Napoleon had yet to make. –♥– A/N: Consider this as a snippet from your matchup story with your Leon. I hope you enjoy this @delicateikemenmemes and yes, the title is a Taylor Swift song reference hehe  💜 And thank you @sweetlittlemouse for beta-ing my insecure ass. Tagging: @nafeary @kisara-16 Please feel free to leave some love in the comments or some feedback!💜 You can also check out my Masterlist !