#and then watching all the music videos and hearing all the songs and differentiating between the members in the songs

[poughkeepsies]

rewatched the dynamite mv and felt the echo of the feelings it inspired back in 2020 and truly I need another hyperfixation like that again to feel alive

[remtan]

New Romancer 2

Rim’s 2nd album, New Romancer 2 was released on December 5th 2023! This album really shows how greatly Rim and Mao Sasagawa combine, and what they can do when they experiment together. Rim’s new wolfcut looks great and perfectly matches her edgy vibe. I’ve also noticed the general shape of it looks quite similar to Kaf’s hairstyle. I can’t wait to see her new 3D model at her upcoming Sinka live! (edit: this was written before her sinka live) Here's some of my favorite songs from the album in no particular order:

おしえてかみさま

This song grabbed me right away as the intro track. The voice sample captured my attention immediately, and the chords that followed afterwards reeled me in. One of my favorite things about this song is the piano that sounds a lot like the signal when the train crossing gates close due to an incoming train. I love how eerie and psychedelic it feels, but it also makes you want to dance.

生きているより楽しそう

I love how gritty this song is! The guitars and bass are all up in your face, and Rim’s voice complements them in an edgy, angsty fashion. The layering of Rim’s voice in different sections makes this song interesting to listen to! To be honest, I love this kind of sound from Rim the most.

Inner Child

I listened to this song all throughout 2023. The beginning piano and melody are so catchy, I love how there’s a hint of Mao Sasagawa’s voice layered under Rim’s as well. One of my favorite parts is the drum breaks appear only for a few seconds in-between Rim’s voice and the piano. I like how the first half of the song has the piano as the main instrument but then in the second half, the guitar takes over. Then near the end of the song, the piano comes in again to create the last chorus. This song is definitely one of my favorites out of the entire album!

フロム天国

A playful, upbeat song for Rim that’s still full of Mao Sasagawa's guitars. Ema also features in this song! I’ve heard that Rim is a Dustcell fan so I’m sure she’s happy to have Ema featuring in her own album. For a moment, I couldn’t tell which voice was Ema and which was Rim’s. I’d love to hear them sing together more!

Pilgrim

Pilgrim! This song was released over a year ago and currently it’s Rim’s 2nd most viewed music video at 4 million views. I immediately felt nostalgic upon hearing this in the middle of her new songs. Mao Sasagawa creates such a floaty hypnotic feeling with both his instrumentals and Rim's voice. The most memorable part of this song was Mao Sasagawa’s use of choppy voice samples that contrasted greatly against the rest of the song.

Fanfare

For some reason, this song reminds me a little of R Sound Design. It has somewhat of a groovy Jpop vibe! The outro is my favorite part, the piano is so addicting. I think out of all of Rim's new songs on this album this one will be the one I have listened to the most.

Refrain

Unlike in Inner Child where Mao Sasagawa’s voice layered under Rim’s for only a few seconds, his voice is all throughout the song. The melody feels a little lazy and laid-back but as the song goes on the melody becomes increasingly redefined by the constantly changing instrumental. I'm amazed at how quickly Mao Sasagawa can change the atmosphere of a song just by adding a few instruments. As Refrain's lyrics becomes increasingly more pessimistic and frustrated the song does as well. The MV also illustrates the changes in the song really well!

デイネイ

It's edgy but I really feel like rim had fun singing it, it has a snarky, playful vibe. I really like the piano runs in this song, it really differentiates it from the rest of the songs in this album.

Eloim

Definitely Rim’s scariest song so far, I can’t get myself to watch the MV because its too scary. It also marks an experimental change for both Rim and Mao Sasagawa. Unlike Rim’s usual songs, this song’s instrumental is full of dubstep. Rim’s whisper in the back is also very haunting. My favorite parts has to be when the guitars come in and the song builds for the chorus. I also love how Mao Sasagawa eerily trickles the piano notes, its similar to what you would hear in a horror movie. This song is currently Rim’s 4th most viewed MV at 2.4 million views, 3 months after its release. It’s right above Tall Story that she made with Guiano, which has 2.1 million views and was released 2 years ago.

不的

I love Rim's and Joucho's voices together, really putting the haunting feel of their voices together. Out of all the vwp duets, this one really stands out! It's so beautiful and edgy and eerie at the same time. I always feel like both rim and joucho are capable of capturing this mysterious, otherworldly feeling that's outside of reality. They performed this on Music Verse months ago and during the performance they panned Rim's voice to the left ear and Joucho's voice to the right ear and wow did it give me goosebumps.

Rim and Mao Sasagawa also did an interview on the production of this album here, and its a good read of rim's worldview, why they chose to use certain words in Rim's songs and also rim's career. They also touched upon Rim's identity as a virtual singer and how she often doesn't use her 3d model in her music videos. It's nice to get confirmation that this was a deliberate choice by Rim's team and that they've considered how her identity as a vsinger affects how people interact with her music. It's also sad to hear Mao Sasagawa say he's frustrated that people might dismiss Rim's music just because she's a vtuber, wherein he emphasizes because in the past people used to dismiss him because he was a vocaloid producer. However things are different today and he's grateful that vocaloid has broken into the modern Jpop scene. It makes me remember how Kamitsubaki are a rarity in the vtuber scene in terms of how seriously they promote and perform their music. Like Mao Sasagawa, I also hope the attitude towards vtuber music can change.

And in terms of the vtuber scene, it's worth pointing out how different Rim's genre and aesthetics are compared to other vtubers/vsingers. As rim's music and worldview continues to develop, I'm sure she'll continue to stand out and be a unique presence whether its in the virtual or non-virtual music scene.

[ralexsol]

Sanders Sides Possession AU

Yeah, so I would write an actual story about this but I’m busy writing my Lies series rn. If you want to write this or make a comic off it, just ask me first because I wanna know about it and read it. :P Also, please credit me if you make a story off this. I was inspired to make this AU after watching Thomas’s “wipe it” little video

-Thomas lives in an alternate universe where magic is a thing and he lives in Britain instead of Florida for some reason

-His dad, Patton, dies one day and so they have a funeral for him

-At the funeral, Thomas accidentally conducts a magic spell that takes seven souls of the dead from their graves and puts them into his body

-Thomas doesn’t realize this until he’s cleaning his mirror later that day, and basically Thomas’s short video happens but instead he doesn’t change clothes and Virgil is like “who cleans their mirror?”

-Obviously Thomas freaks out because he just lost control of his body for a good ten seconds and multiple other souls were in control instead

-After a long and arduous conversation between himself and six of the souls (the seventh refusing to show face- Orange) by wiping at the mirror, Thomas discovers who each of the souls are

-Virgil: a 22-year-old artist who had been hit by a car two months before

-Logan: Thomas’s 10th grade high school teacher who’d been shot at a school shooting a year prior

-Janus: a mob gang leader from the 1920s

-Roman: a long-dead knight

-Remus: a long-dead duke who happens to be Roman’s brother

-And Patton, Thomas’s father

-So, Thomas is really happy because his father is actually alive again! But Roman, being from a time where a lot more people used magic, informs them of what spell Thomas had conducted. Yes, they all share Thomas’s body and are “alive” for the time being, but if they don’t get put back in their graves before a year passes their souls will all be sent to Hell- including Thomas’s

-Of course, being the kind person that he is, Thomas wants to let them all stay in his body for a while and let them live again. This is where the story can go anywhere pretty much, as it’s just them having fun being alive again

-They change clothes every time they switch control of Thomas’s body

-This is because Thomas tells everyone about what happened, so by changing their outfits other people can differentiate between them all

-After a little bit of training, all the sides (including Thomas) can hear each others’ voices in their shared headspace

-Eventually they start looking for ways to undo the spell, but y’know- eventually Orange (once he’s revealed in canon series and we know what he’s like) tries to get in the way of their plans because oh no!! He knows a way to stay in Thomas’s body forever and he plans to take it for himself!!

-When they find the counterspell Thomas let’s each side go wherever or do whatever one thing they want to do most, and each side leaves individually

-Logan wants to go stargazing at Arches National Park and goes back to his grave first. He also makes a star chart for Thomas

-Roman and Remus leave together. Roman, who’s been dating a handsome fellow this entire time, goes to Paris with him and they kiss on the Eiffel Tower- he gives Thomas a fanfic about him and Leslie Odom Jr.. Remus was ready to go for a while but was waiting for Roman to be ready, as all he’d wanted to do was dance to invigorating music with other people and he did that in a park with a large crowd. Remus gives Thomas the music album that has the song he danced to on it

-Virgil goes to a MCR concert one last time and gifts Thomas his precious jacket

-Janus performs in a play and records a message for Thomas telling him that he deserves to take care of himself and that he is one of the greatest people Janus has ever known

-Idk about Orange, obviously they make peace with him and Thomas lets him go back to his grave instead of sending him to Hell

-Of course, lastly you have Patton. He and Thomas share a heartfelt goodbye and Patton tells Thomas that it’s okay to lose people, because there will always be somebody else there for him. Patton gives Thomas a dog pin and goes back to his grave

That’s all I’ve got, if you need a story name I came up with Octo Animarum, which is Latin for ‘eight souls’. Do with this what you will

[ciderlikethedrink]

nate “reviews” albums: razzmatazz

it’s finally here.

it’s razzmatazz day.

i’m gonna do an album “review” of it.

review in quotation marks because it’s mostly just gonna be me gushing about how good this album is.

================================

so i’ve been waiting for this album for a while, and it was very much worth the wait. a lot of the melodies in this album are so nice to listen to and some of them even make me feel nostalgic in a way. even the first time i heard them. dallon seems to be really good at that because i had a similar thing with “too weird to live, to rare to die” and a lot of the songs on “vices & virtues” (both albums that dallon wrote a lot of) so i guess dallon weekes is just really good at writing melodies. something else i like about razzmatazz is that all of the songs have similar sounds so you can tell they’re all from the same album, but they don’t sound the same and you can still differentiate between songs easily. like- they all have the same synths.

==============================

Leave Me Alone: i remember being very excited when this song came out because it was the first things we’d gotten from idkhow in a while. something i want to point out is that there are a lot of references to,,,, hanging in this album. (”go fly a kite until you’re tangled in the hanging tree”) i also adore the sound of the bridge and how it comes full circle after the line “and when the sun comes up, you’ll find a brand. new. GOD.” it’s just so cool and a great way to start things off.

Mad IQs: ABSOLUTE BOP!! back at it again with the hanging references. (”i’ll watch you tighten the noose”) this song is such a vibe and sounds pretty similar to “leave me alone” but like- more dance-y. it makes sense because lyric wise, they both seem to be about dallon’s “hollywood life” according to genius lyrics.

Nobody Like The Opening Band: I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I FOUND OUT THIS WAS GONNA BE ON RAZZMATAZZ!! this song was my favorite idkhow song for a while and i adore it. i love the lyrics and how it mention that opening bands are trying their best just as much as the headlining band. also the way dallon says “end” dfsjlkasakslfsdkl his vocal performance is so amazing in this song. and the last part!!! aaaaaaa!!1! you aren’t sure if he’s gonna do the high note or not, but then when he does it it’s just SO GOOD. and i love the notes he hits as he goes down (i don’t know anything about singing, i play the guitar, but that’s really nice) 

New Invention: thebassthebassthebassthebassssss the way dallon says “bad dreams” he’s just so talented =‘)) this song seems to be about a not-so-good relationship that brings out the worst in the narrator but doesn’t want to leave. or at least that’s how i’m interpreting it. another bop

From the Gallows: 2nd new song. it seems kinda like new invention pt. 2 possibly about the same person because dallon once again mentions someone being beautiful and evil at the same time. i love the piano in this song and the way it sounds like a generic slow love song, when it’s actually a little bit dark. also, is that the fred voice? as in fitter, happier voice? i’m almost certain it is. i don’t have a mac, so i don’t know, but it sounds like fitter, happier voice.

Clusterhug: this song sorta reminds me of some of the stuff dallon did with panic! and maybe even the brobecks. i feel like it could’ve been a vice & virtues bonus track and i wouldn’t question it. oh i just looked it up and apparently it was written during too weird era. so that explains it. the chorus in this song is just so pretty and dallon is once again going crazy with those high notes. it’s very ironic that dallon wrote the line “holy quarantine” before 2020.

Sugar Pills: “could it be that it’s only in my hhhheeeeeeEEEEEAAAAAAAAADD?” i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again, i’m in love with dallon’s voice. that funky musical interlude is so cool. this is one of the songs where the synth-y noises make me feel nostalgic in a way. not that i’ve heard them before, but like you could’ve told me this song was a hit in the early 2000′s and i’d believe you. this is probably one of my favorites.

Kiss Goodnight: i love this song,,, a lot. this is a really sweet love song, it makes me feel like i have a crush on someone even though i don’t. i also love the line “believe i’ll be a gentleman or you can show me the door”  because it’s foreshadowing to a later song on the album. i feel like i would hear this song in like- a cool mall. it’s so sweet and i love the pretty lyrics and aaaaaa it’s so beautiful!!!!! did i mention i love dallon’s voice???? i think this might be another one of my favorites, but i could honestly say that about every song on here.

Lights Go Down: this is another one with that nostalgic synth noise. the instrumentals honestly remind of lemon demon, maybe it’s just me, but that those funky noises just radiate lemon demon energy. this song makes me feel like i’m in a car late at night in a big city where all the pretty lights are out and the car smells like air freshener. that makes no sense, but it just does. such amazing vibes. the drums in this song are also very epic. cool saxaphone.

Need You Here: i feel bad because i almost forgot about this song. and it’s about dallon’s kidsssss~!!! that’s so cute. amelie did such a good job. i remember when i first listened to this, i was like “wait is this about his kids?” and it is. i didn’t know amelie could sing so well, i honestly thought they got some other artist to sing there. the high note GOD I LOVE DALLON’S VOICE.

Door: i’ll be honest, i cried like a little baby the first time i heard this one. sorta reminds me of how i am with my friends. just always suggesting that they leave me because i don’t feel like i’m good enough for them. it really do be like that sometimes. “promise the next time you take my hand is to show me the door” that line- oh god- that line gets me every time, dude. my sensitive little baby brain can’t handle that much emotion.

Razzmatazz: i think it’s really cool how they ended the album with the title track. i think this one is my favorite idkhow song. the chorus is so lovely and it makes me nostalgic as hecc. and apparently i’m not the only one because when i commented it about it one the music video some people seemed to agree. the way dallon says “cast all your spells” makes me smile whenever i hear it BECAUSE I LOVE HIS VOICE. that chorus is my life support, i adore it with my entire heart. i’ll never get tired of hearing this one because whenever i hear it, it feels like i’m hearing it for the first time again. “let’s go paint the town on our way home.”

==============================

if i had a physical copy of this album, i would give it a hug and kiss every night before i go to bed, i adore it. 10/10, great album, i love everything about it. i also feel like the track listing is perfect. ending it with razzmatazz was an amazing idea because i brings everything together after door. and starting off the leave me alone? that was a genius move. a wonderful listen from start to end, i’m so excited to see what my boys dallon and ryan do next because i was not expecting an album this great. i’ve already listened to it 2 and half times and it just got released today. absolutely worth the wait.

and that’s all i had to say about razzmatazz, in all honestly, it was the only reason i wanted to get up this morning.

ok thanks for listening

[ainabaina]

While I’m in an emotional mood - from BEING SO FOCUSED I COULDN’T SEE PROPERLY - HAVING MY HEART PLUMMET when SUNWOO FELL TO HIS DEATH, my heart RIPPED from all the high notes they were all spitting- Hui, Seonho etc (sorry I can’t remember my head’s like blank), to the sweat coming out excessively from my eyes during those interviews and THEN MY HAND HAD SOMEHOW BECOME ROGUE AND STARTED ACTING UP and IT’S ALL THE MC’s FAULT - ADD TO THE DRAMA WHY DON’T YOU? 

But seeing these boys cry and perform their hearts out and on a programme that’s attentive to this, I’m really proud of them. I’m proud of all of them. 

I haven’t watched passed The Boyz performance in episode 3 yet because I’m still waiting for my friend to watch it together so just a heads up why I won’t mention anything after that! 

Golden Child - I was honestly so surprised to see they got eliminated and so fast too! But I hope everyone sends them love regardless. They’re absolutely excellent artists so please give them love. I first saw these guys on the Weekly Idol episode they did with Weki Meki and fell in love with Donghyun but could never pick him out anywhere else because he just blended so well with blue. Also TAG’s reaction was so cute. Like their performance told a story. It was so artistic. My bias is Donghyun and TAG. PLEASE GIVE GOLDEN CHILD LOVE. ALSO WANNABE is an amazing song, please check out and stream their music. When Jangjun was on the phone with The Boyz, oh my god, he’s so funny but man if he did that to me he’d probably get a hiding. Not gonna lie :D 

TOO - Before RTK, I knew of them. I knew Magnolia but not enough to be familiar with the beat or lyrics. I knew Kyungho but only by face. The dance battle video too came frequently on my dash on Youtube and I regret not watching it sooner. The fact that they literally debuted in April just amazes me. Their Rising Sun performance was just so amazing, like I’ve watched it so many times. Also Donggeon, underrated vocalist, he’s become one of my favourites and literally just with that single performance, the power. TOO underrated everything. My biases (well at this point in time, I still need to get familiar with them) are Kyungho and Woongi. 

ONEUS - I was so happy seeing these boys on RTK and I hoped they would be able to grow their fanbase and their skills in the way they deserve. These boys are absolute treasures and literally all are some of the sweetest boys I’ve ever seen. I was already a fan of ONEUS before RTK and they really did not disappoint. My bias in ONEUS is Ravn and that did not change, although I did have difficulty finding who my biaswrecker was because they kind of all have that title at the moment. I love their new song too. Like give me more please. Also when the concept movie thing came out, I just wouldn’t leave my seat for a good half hour because I just kept getting immersed in it. 

VERIVERY - Now this is the group I probably feel the most apologetic (?) to because in comparison to other groups, I’m not too sure I can differentiate anyone and I know I could literally look up their names but it kind of feels more authentic (?) I guess this way. I know who Kangmin is and I thought we were the same age but nope he’s younger than me, way younger than I thought. I also really like their leader, Dongheon (I couldn’t help myself and looked up names and am just checking out their profile) and the way he organises his members and leads his members is absolutely amazing and diligent. Also - Hoyoung? Studied in New Zealand? AHH, wow it’s so weird hearing his accent cause like it’s also mine and I don’t know why it’s so strange to me. Fuck I want to find out what part of New Zealand he's from and I want them to perform here. Shit now I want to talk to him.  Okay guys please send recommendations of what I should watch because I can’t let this group slip from my fingers when I have them in sight so- 

Pentagon - AHH! Pentagon! I’m so fucking proud of them. They always hold themselves high throughout anything and they stay confident and everything no matter what happens. Seriously they’re boys that you could put all your trust, love and support in and know that it’s in a safe place and that with them it’s valued and I’m not saying that other groups aren’t like that, I just feel like it’s a thing with them. I mean, just look at Kino and that’s all the validation you need. But wow, their themes are absolutely amazing and Hui’s high note fucking killed me tonight. I knew who Pentagon were before RTK and stan them (kind of casually - I watch their videos and content often) But I have four biases in Pentagon and can’t choose between them and like there’s also another member that keeps snapping his fingers in front of my face and I’m tryna stay loyal. But I’ve got four possible biases, Jinho, YeoOne, Kino and Hui and there’s just a warm feeling with these guys. Like help, I can’t choose a bias from Pentagon to save my life and I’m kind of sad that Jinho has gone to serve military enlistment so soon but that just means he’ll be back sooner. 

ONF - Wow, ONF. That amount of things I’ve heard about them like literally a couple of weeks/months before RTK has been outstandingly large and I always seemed to see them with ATEEZ often. But their performances are so hard to get over, it like captures you in the moment with an ecstatic amount of dimensions and it’s just all really thought out. They’re also hilarious. Like I had to rewind a lot of the time because I find this one particular bit so funny. Their reactions were what I lived for. I’ve also come to realise I have a massive crush on Wyatt. Like damn. But can’t wait to listen to their music more and to find out more about their members. Right now all I really know is Wyatt and I’d like to get to know more. 

The Boyz - YAY! Congratulations my boys. So fucking proud of you you have no idea. Fucking freaked me out a lot (Sunwoo I’m looking at you you little sh*t) but I was in awe just watching you completely in your element. I used to be only a casual fan and knew most of the members but not all. I watched a couple of fan edits and liked a few pictures. I was so upset when Hwall left (and I hope he knows how proud of him I am as well). He was my bias and everything too so it was kind of a double hit. But 2020 must of been the year that I would eventually stan them stan them, stan them so much that they become top 3 on my personal kpop group bias list. Like I’m watching a lot of Youtube with them and their concepts and their ideas are so creative and open-minded. Like a concept is just a word to them and not a concrete ‘must do this’. But since becoming a stan, my love for Sunwoo grew again (I used to struggle between choosing between him and Hwall and also double biased them) and he’s actually my ideal type out of kpop idols. I also grew a love for Hyunjae and let me tell you, he fucking intimidates me and a massive part of that is because I have a crush on him. It’s just like-man. I remember first stanning them or trying to at least and like it feels like a faraway dream because it feels like it’s been forever supporting these boys and like they’ve become part of my heart and soul now. Like I love them so much and like world domination. 

[riceccakes]

Feels Like This

did any of you ask for this? no. do i hope you’ll read and enjoy it? you bet your bottom dollar.

hi everyone !! i'd only planned on this Song Based series to have two one shots, Same Boat and Means Something, but after receiving such wonderful comments and general love for the one shots, i decided to finish the story. i've split the final installment into two parts. both are based on Sean Angus Watson's song "Feels Like This" Watson is a guitarist so this song is completely instrumental. it's absolutely gorgeous, i recommended you listen to the song either before or while you read this. i'll admit, the first time i ever heard this song, i cried, it carries so much emotion, and i hope i was able to display the emotions here in this story.

read it here on ao3.

or right here on tumblr :) x

It was the sweetest of dreams: sitting up against the wall, feeling Korra’s cheek in her hand, placing her lips on the girl’s, kissing her slowly, feeling Korra kiss back, gently pulling away and hearing the faint sound of music from beyond the closed door. Cinnamon and vanilla filled the air and when she took a deep breath, she felt content. She didn’t need to be anywhere else, just against that wall, leaning her head on Korra’s shoulder.

It was the sweetest dream. Asami could’ve thought it was real.

She didn’t remember much from that night of the party. She knew she downed drink after drink to numb the feeling of watching Bolin hit it off with Opal. She was happy for her friend, no doubt about it, but she felt the pit of her stomach drop every time the two huddled up close, every time they held hands, every time Bolin sat on the couch and Opal opted for his lap. She wanted that and she wanted it with Korra.

She remembered finding Korra down a hallway, she was talking to one of her teammates. They met up and found a room no one else was in. They were both admittedly drunk so they found solace on the floor. Asami remembered how they used each other for support, how Korra had moved so her head could rest on hers. Then, she woke up the next morning in her bedroom. Korra was asleep on the bay window, her mouth slightly open and her hair a mess. 

It surely was a dream, kissing Korra. She must’ve fallen asleep at the party because she knew she would never have the guts to kiss Korra in real life.

Asami spent the following weeks thinking of that dream, how her lips would still tingle, as if Korra were right there and they were still in that room. Every time she was around Korra and smelled the cinnamon and vanilla, her mind would play the kiss over, and when she would take a deep breath, her eyes would close and she would feel content again. She ached to be that kind of close to Korra, to be able to place her hand on the girl’s cheek, to look into the blue eyes for just a moment before leaning in and showing her how in love with her she was.

Sometimes she felt like she was living a lie. Nowhere, written on any stone, did it say Asami had to tell Korra of her feelings. She could very well keep them to herself for her entire lifetime and nothing in the universe would say that would be a bad thing. But, what was worse: never telling Korra or never knowing what Korra would say? She felt like she was cheating, against what, against who, she could never say, but it was like she was stealing moments with Korra that didn’t belong to her. 

Sitting on the bay window together, Korra’s head would lay on Asami’s lap. The two would be doing work; Asami would have a book in hand while Korra typed away on her laptop. They would sit in a silence so comfortable, their breathing would fall in line and if Asami tried hard enough, she could hear their hearts beating in sync. Asami could predict when Korra would become too fed up with her assignment. Her breathing would grow heavier and she would feel the slightest shift on her lap. Korra’s back muscles would grow tense and at any second, Korra would let out an aggravated sigh and slam her laptop shut.

The moment Korra’s breathing would become heavy, Asami would lay her book down and begin to run her fingers through Korra’s hair. It was recently cut, to just about her chin. She let her fingers slide down her scalp and then follow through until her finger touched the girl’s shoulder. She repeated this until Korra’s breathing returned to normal. Korra would still close her laptop, but instead carefully, and she’d close her eyes as Asami continued her actions. A few seconds would pass and Korra would open her eyes and find Asami, the ocean blues were peaceful once again. They would grin at each other, usually letting out some small giggles, before Korra opened her laptop again and continued working.

In the boys apartment, the crew would be watching a movie, Opal began coming around more often. She and Bolin would be cuddled up together on the couch, Mako sat on the floor, intently watched. Asami and Korra would be on the other side, Asami would bring her knees up to her chin and Korra’s arm would be laid on top of the back edge of the couch. Somehow, through the movie, the two girls would inch closer together, until Asami’s head rested on Korra’s collarbone and the girl’s arm would be loosely on Asami. The other three would be too busy to notice, Opal and Bolin were caught up in themselves while Mako got lost in the action-comedy-thriller playing.  

Korra’s fingers would be running up and down Asami’s arm lightly, she could feel Korra’s eyes following what her fingers were doing rather than the characters on the television. With her head on her collarbone, Asami could feel when Korra would smile, how her jaw would tense up a bit and then relax as her nose exhaled. Asami would try to give the girl some room but as the movie would go on, she found herself relaxing into Korra, from the feeling of fingers dancing on her arm, from the sweet cinnamon and vanilla making her head spin, from the unseen smile felt on the top of her head, she was never sure. Only sure that her body fit like a puzzle piece with Korra’s, that when she finally let her body deflate, she molded near perfectly with Korra. 

They formed their own way of texting. After doing it so much, the girls had little codes to make typing easier, they used parentheses to differentiate between conversations, so they could talk about more than one thing at time without confusion. Sometimes, on a certain day, their text language would only be pictures: when Korra would send a picture of a dog on the street, Asami would send the Doge meme, which Korra would respond with Grumpy Cat, and for hours, their conversations would be just that. And at night, if the girls texted long enough to get there, they’d quickly recount their days to each other and give it a rating out of ten. After hearing about each other, they would do everything in their power to help get the score to a ten. 

If Asami’s day only had a 7.5 rating, Korra would send a video of her doing push ups, starting with two arms, then one, then clapping in between them, Asami couldn’t deny she always brightened up after watching her. If Korra’s day only had a 6 rating, Asami would send a voice recording of her singing a song of Korra’s choosing. She wasn’t the best singer, but after one night at a karaoke bar, Korra begged Asami to sing for her. She’d only do it sometimes, and she made the girl swear to never share it with anyone else. If both girls had a great day, an 8.5 or a 9, they would send each other funny faces until they felt satisfied enough for a 10. And when either of them had a bad day, whether it be too stressful from school or from basketball or from the company, they would FaceTime, just so they could see each other in real time. A few words would be said, but mostly the girls would lay together, trying to close the distance as much as they could.

None of these moments should’ve been Asami’s, at least she believed so. There was a line between friendship and relationship, between platonic and romantic, and she could no longer see where that line was. Was it her fault she wanted more of those moments: to run her fingers through Korra’s hair, to feel Korra’s fingers move on her arm, to be the last thing Korra would think of at night; was she being selfish? She was taking the moments but never giving in to conversation, the much needed conversation that could lead to the permanence of all the actions.

Or lead to the end of them.

Sometimes she would hate herself, for never taking the chance, for pushing it aside, yet always trying to find those moments where time stood still. It wasn’t fair, to Korra, to herself. She was capturing butterflies in jars to take home when she should’ve been moving into the garden where she got them. Yet, for whatever reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

The memory of her dream, of kissing Korra, it didn’t help the situation. Asami tried so hard to find the courage to tell the girl, to find a way to show her, because Asami knew the words could never form. She could build cars, design skyscrapers, lead Future Industries meetings, but she couldn’t admit her feelings for her best friend. Sometimes she hated herself just for that.

She often wondered how the future would go, when Korra would find a girlfriend or a boyfriend. It was bound to happen, Korra was irresistible, and the only reason she didn’t have a significant other was to focus on her sports career. Asami wondered what would happen to her when the couple would become serious, when they would get married. If there was anything Asami knew for sure was that she wanted Korra in her life until the very end. She never knew how she survived so long without her and any lifestyle without her now would be impossible.

But, how would Asami cope with seeing Korra with someone else? She’d be happy for Korra, no questions asked, but how would her heart take it? How would her soul take it? How would she handle knowing someone else got to come home to Korra, got to sleep beside her, got to hold her through every up and every down. 

Asami hated it, she hated all of it, herself, the situation, her inexplicable inability to tell Korra and she knew she had to stop. She needed to take the step, she needed to find out, she needed to tell Korra that she was her future.

She feared the opportunity would never present itself, she feared she would never find a window to know if she and Korra were in the same boat. She prayed to Raava to have the ability handed right to her, to have the Spirits show her the way. And maybe they did, she just didn’t realize it.

[fyexo]

191010 SuperM Aim to Conquer America By Staying Korean

A monolithic coliseum, intimidating and gleaming in the sun, materializes in the desert like a mirage. Inside, seven men clad in black and metallics stand tall in its center, facing the thousands gathered to watch them.

The scene that opens South Korean supergroup SuperM’s debut music video, “Jopping,” is an apt metaphor for K-pop’s most buzzed-about new act — donning their armor, the gladiators prepare to take on one of the most intimidating contenders of them all: the U.S. market.

In August, Korean music juggernaut SM Entertainment, in partnership with Capitol Records and its subdivision Caroline, announced that it would debut a new K-pop supergroup featuring the cream of the crop, pulled from some of SM’s most popular active groups. These acts combined (SHINee, EXO, NCT 127, WayV) have sold more than 14 million adjusted albums and garnered nearly four billion views of their music videos. Though SM has experimented with a few supergroups in the past, this announcement was especially mind-blowing to K-pop fans, as it promised to take a cross-section of some of the very best dancers, singers, and rappers in the business — an Olympic-level performance team.

Taemin, 26, is the industry vet, who joined K-pop darling SHINee as its maknae (youngest member) in 2008. Along with a successful career in the group as its charismatic main dancer, he also has made a name for himself through his popular solo work, dramatic and often androgynous looks, and sultry vocals. From EXO — a group so revered they were chosen to perform at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Closing Ceremony — is SuperM’s leader Baekhyun, 27, known for his killer sense of humor and soaring tenor. Then there’s Kai, 25, the ballet-trained dancer whose secret weapon is a combination of long, sharp lines and arresting looks.

From subunits of the 21-person umbrella group, NCT, is NCT 127’s bright-faced Canadian rapper Mark, 20, and its 24-year-old charismatic leader and rapper Taeyong. And from the Chinese-language unit WayV is the quadrilingual Thai triple-threat Ten, 23, as well as 6-foot-something, 20-year-old striking Hong Kong-born rapper Lucas.

While the announcement garnered a monsoon of excitement online, it was also met with a hefty dose of skepticism and criticism. Some were upset that the activities of NCT 127, EXO, and WayV would be put on hold, and felt bad for the remaining members. But the most vocal faction seemed to float somewhere in the middle, unsure of what to make of the all-star lineup. One thing was sure: the sheer talent would be next-level. But SuperM was notably announced as group aiming to appeal to an international audience and debut in the U.S. — would that mean stripping it of its K-pop identity to make it palatable to the American mainstream?

That fear was all but quelled with one word: “Jopping.” The lead single off of SuperM’s self-titled seven-track EP is a bombastic, genre-bending dance track that blends English and Korean, and even samples the Avengers theme — apt for the self-proclaimed “Avengers of K-pop.”

K-pop can now can add “Jopping” — a blend of the words “jumping” and “popping” — to its lexicon, joining the ranks of “Boombayah,” “Dumb Litty,” and “kitty-incidence.” Not only is the title very K-pop, but the song is classic SM. In fact, it evokes a specific company-coined sonic style called SMP, or SM Music Performance, which is choreography synced with a mix of rock, R&B, and hip-hop beats.

“It's our debut single and first appearance as SuperM, so we knew that we had to do something that shows off all our best sides — whether it be our style or each of our personas and characters,” the affable Mark tells Refinery29 following SuperM’s debut Los Angeles showcase. “We knew that ‘Jopping’ had a large feeling to it and we knew that only something that big could contain our performances, our raps, our singing, and our dancing.”

It’s a bold move. Many K-pop acts looking to make it in the U.S. have opted to collaborate with big-name Stateside artists, or even release straightforward pop/hip-hop English-language songs that do everything to hide even a trace of a foreign accent. But SuperM deliberately chose to take a risk.

“Now that we’re entering the American market, we could have released a song that suits the American taste better, but that’s not what distinguishes us as a group,” says Kai, a silver Rolling Stones necklace adorning his graceful neck. “We chose ‘Jopping’ because we wanted to show something that hasn’t been done in the States. Also, given that we’ve pulled together all these great members for this kind of performance, we saw a potential in this song to captivate the world and show our identity.”

“It gives us an opportunity to show fans a variety of styles, and prove that we can pull off anything,” adds the purple-haired Taeyong.

Dig deeper into the EP, and the tracks reveal a roadmap that winds even deeper into the group’s Korean identity. Take “I Can’t Stand The Rain,” an immense electro-pop song that opens with echoing traditional Korean drums and whose chorus is cradled by a classic haegeum melody. The synthy R&B B-side “2 Fast” features a classic K-pop tempo change halfway through, slowing down during the bridge before picking up the beat and adding undulating trills of vocal distortion.

“We’re from Asia,” says cotton candy-haired Baekhyun, who's taken quickly to his leadership role. “We wanted to emphasize the harmony between Western and Asian music. That’s why the drums and haegeum are on that Westernized beat [in ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’]. With ‘2 Fast’, the sudden change within the track is very K-pop because K-pop itself changes all the time. There’s no limitation and it takes on many different forms. This song is just another representation of that, and how we try to differentiate ourselves.”

“I’m honestly constantly learning from these six people how we can best represent SM’s history and show Americans what K-pop is,” says Lucas, who palpably relaxes when he speaks in Chinese, his native language. “I’m learning how, through this music industry, to be a vessel for spreading culture, thought, and happiness.”

And people are certainly noticing. After releasing their EP, SuperM delivered a blowout debut showcase in LA. Hundreds of roaring fans gathered to watch their first performance in Capitol Records’ backlot, which was streamed live around the world on YouTube. The group has since sat on Ellen’s couch, and announced a 10-date North American tour that includes New York City’s Madison Square Garden. It’s a promising beginning for the septet, and something that Mark didn’t think he’d ever see growing up.

“Growing up in Canada and being in the West, nobody really knew about K-pop unless they were Korean,” he says, his expressive eyes growing contemplative. “To see a Korean group like SuperM that’s so powerful, making an impact on America and sharing their energy and story, and to have Amercian fans come and run to us to see our synergy, is something I’d never thought that I’d see, nevertheless be a part of. I always try to remind myself how lucky I am to bridge two cultures together. It’s a cool moment.”

Though the EP is rumored to make a strong debut on the Billboard 200 next week, it seems unlikely that the average American will be "jopping" anytime soon. But it’s not about simply putting out songs that can dominate charts or airwaves right away — if that were the case, we'd be hearing a much more Western-sounding lead single.

It all comes back to an ethos instilled by SM’s founder and K-pop pioneer, Lee Soo Man. “I love what I heard from him yesterday,” says Ten with a quiet confidence. “Be humble, and learn from other people. Don’t put yourself above other people. Then, if you do that, you’ll rise higher without knowing.” It’s about promoting cross-cultural understanding, and hoping to change minds enough for the world to make room for what Korean culture has to offer. “K-pop itself is not just a music genre, but a whole cultural phenomenon,” says Taemin warmly. “It includes fashion, music, and so much more. When other people look at K-pop with a more traditional Western lens, or when people listen to it, it may sound like a combination of all different genres. Although it might sound unfamiliar at first, I think it's in the process of being blended into the mix of U.S. culture. Hopefully, SuperM can also make a contribution.”

source: Natalie Morin @ refinery29

[juliabohemian]

Nostalgia Bias

I recently came across a meme on Facebook, posted by a friend. The meme consisted of a reactionary joke about how Millennials don't know how to drive stick shifts or read in cursive, and that if we want to keep them quarantined, we should put them in cars with manual transmissions and give them the directions in cursive.

Ordinarily, I would keep scrolling past something as inane as this. Actually, that's not true. Ordinarily, there wouldn't be anyone on my friend's list, on any social media platform, who would post reactionary humor. I was truly surprised to see it at all, especially coming from this person, who has always seemed reasonably intelligent.

The first thing wrong with that joke is that it suggests that the generation struggling the most with staying quarantined are the Millennials. Which we know is not true. It is the Baby Boomers. Though Gen-X appears to be adapting best to the whole mess. Go team.

The second thing wrong with that joke is that we still teach children to write in cursive, in elementary school, as of 2020. The third thing wrong with that joke is that there are plenty of Millennials who know how to drive a stick shift.

One could just as easily say the best way to keep Boomers quarantined would be to lock them inside and hook up everything in their homes to smart devices. Ha ha. Isn’t that hilarious? Because old people can’t use technology, right. Yeah, except for all the ones who do. Betty White and Patrick Stewart, for instance.

I couldn't help myself, of course. I had to make a comment. Why? Because I genuinely thought that the person who posted the meme would realize that it was bullshit and be willing to acknowledge that. Needless to say, that's not how it went. I got the answer that I have gotten so many times in the past "yeah, I mean, that's TRUE I guess...but that doesn’t matter because it was rude of you to point it out.”

Was it, though? Ruder than the joke itself? Is politeness to a single individual more important than the feelings of an entire generation of people being maligned by a bad joke? I believe it was Dr. House who posed the question:

"What would you prefer, a doctor who holds your hand while you die or one who ignores you while you get better? I suppose it would particularly suck to have a doctor who ignores you while you die."

Now, I would like to point out that, as someone on the autism spectrum, I don’t socialize in the traditional sense. I relate to people by exchanging information. For me, that takes the place of socializing. That's probably why I am an educator. I like to teach people things. When I see something that I know is absolute bullshit, and I think there's a chance that it can turn into a valuable teaching moment, I cannot resist. Because it isn't just the person who posted it that is going to see my comment, but many other people as well.

Social media is wrought with misinformation. It’s pretty hard to avoid it. I cringe whenever I hear people using words like autistic or schizophrenic to describe the behavior of an ordinary, neurotypical person. Those are conditions for which there are specific diagnostic criteria. The same goes for diabetes, which you definitely cannot get from eating a bag of candy. 

So, what is it that makes people behave this way? Why would perfectly NICE, well meaning people willfully and knowingly spread misinformation? The simple answer is, they don't know it's misinformation. Which is the result of something called bias. 

Bias affects our critical thinking skills. It allows us to hold views that are completely incorrect and even harmful to others. And as we share misinformation that is based upon our bias, even via a format as harmless as a meme, it spreads. And it affects other people's views and behavior. 

The primary source of reactionary humor, such as that which I referenced above, is something called nostalgia bias.

Nostalgia is basically the belief that things from a previous era are superior to their modern counterparts, without the benefit of any objective analysis. Why are they better? Because they're old, obviously. No further analysis is required.

There are two types of nostalgia, historical and personal. The simplest way to differentiate between the two would be to consider historical nostalgia to be the product of anything that happens outside of yourself and to the larger group, such as your community, state or country. Personal nostalgia refers to that which affects you personally, your immediate family, your extended family unit, your school or workplace.

Psychologists have found that personal nostalgia (as opposed to historical nostalgia) can be a stabilizing force that anchors people emotionally and helps them to overcome trauma and loss. But on the flip side, historical nostalgia is likely to prevent people from being open to change by making them dependent on the memories of an idealized past.

I can't even count the number of times I have found myself on YouTube, watching a music video for a song that is (at least) 20 years old or more, and I made the mistake of scrolling down to read the comments. Because, inevitably, there will always be someone in there saying something to the effect of "they don't make music like THIS anymore" and/or "the music they make these days is crap!" And I roll my eyes because such a declaration is purely nostalgic and pretty much the antithesis of critical thinking. 

I am 42 years old. I remember hearing people say that “new music sucks” in 1984. Which is a relatively long time ago for me. But comparatively speaking, a mere hiccup for mankind. I suspect that people have been making such sweeping statements since long before I came into existence. They were bullshit then and they’re bullshit now.

There has always been bad music. Always. Just as there has always been good music. But what does it mean for music to be good or bad? Well, unless you’ve been academically trained in music theory or have acquired decades of performance experience, not a whole lot. For the average person it means that you either like it or you don’t. If you like it, it’s good. If you don’t, it’s bad. Really it’s only a valid measurement for the individual in question. Even if you manage to find 500 people who agree with your opinion, it's still not an objective measurement. Because art cannot be objectively measured.

It's important to consider the fact that genuinely bad music rarely survives to be appreciated by future generations. Meaning that the music that does survive represents the most popular, most commercially successful, most critically acclaimed work of that era. There's a reason why you aren't hearing Milli Vanilli on the oldie's station. Although, I suspect that is more likely related to the whole lip syncing scandal, but I digress.

It's also important to consider why people like or dislike things. Is it actually because they’re good or bad? Unfortunately, no. It's entirely a matter of personal taste. There are things that I like that I know are probably bad. Low budget, found footage horror films, for instance. No award winners among them. Some of them are comprised of video taken with a cell phone. But I love them all the same.

Like all art, music is very personal. We can hear a song and are immediately transported back to a specific time or place. For many of us, music is an escape from reality, or a window to another world. Thus, music is very much connected to our memory of events and the feelings that we attach to those memories. This is what contributes to our skewed perception that something is better because it is old. In actuality, it is better for us, personally, because it represents memories and feelings that we enjoyed or that we still enjoy. As more and more time passes, those memories become increasingly idealized in our minds. So much so that nothing new could possibly compare.

The arts are important to society. It is not logical to suggest that newer generations are producing inferior art, simply because their art does not appeal to older people. New art doesn’t need to appeal to older people, because it’s not really FOR them. They aren’t the intended audience. It’s not a reflection of their generation's interests, values or struggles. 

For some older people, new art is a reminder of mortality. It is a reminder that they are aging, or that they are no longer as relevant to society as they once were. And they deal with the discomfort of that by rejecting or invalidating new things. Which is a miserable way to live.

So, think critically, my friends. Even when you’re assessing something as harmless as a meme. Look for bias and when you see it, don’t be afraid to call it out. And as you get older, try to stay as open minded as possible. Or else, someday, someone might lock you inside a car with a manual transmission and give you an instruction manual written only in cursive.

[endoftheworldpaul]

Bright

This is my Pinescone Secret Santa fic, written for @pancake-man hope you enjoy! This follows their prompt soulmates. Always did want to write a soulmate fic!

Check it out on AO3!

Color reference sheet:

Blue- Trust, stability, calm

Pink- tenderness, caring, sympathy

Royal blue - stability, honesty

Beige - dependable, flexible

True love was tricky to understand, especially for a six-year-old. That didn’t stop Dipper Pines from asking every question about that popped into his head about the subject. Why is the world besides his family all gray? Why did Mabel illuminate a room with bright pinks and purples and oranges when all of his classmates remain a monochrome series of grays? Why did kittens glow orange and blue-gray and chocolate brown when the scary dog across the street that barked real loud every time he got close stayed a solid dark gray? ‘Why did’ and ‘how come’ poured from his lips faster than syrup on Mabel’s pancakes and Dipper could see that his parents were getting tired of deflecting his questions. 

Finally, they explained that everyone and anything you loved would light up with color for as long as you cared for them, that ancient magic encouraged a love for everything. And that some people would never see a single color in their lives because their hearts grew so cold and angry that no love could ever warm them. They explained that when people who loved each other touched, their skin would light up with a color representing the relationship wherever they touched, and that’s why when momma and dad held hands, they lit up with a soft blue hue. 

Dipper found out that Mabel loved everything. She rambled on about the colors of the sky, girls’ hair, and even spiders.

Dipper didn’t love spiders or the sky, but he did love lakes and rivers and trees and funny-looking fish. So he watched documentaries and science shows and learned and absorbed information and slowly, he began to see more and more colors.

When Dipper turned ten and invited his best friends Sam and Caroline to his birthday party at the new arcade, he first learned heartbreak. He knew he loved his friends because he could clearly see Caroline’s dark skin and the bright pink flowers in her hair and the way the blue raspberry lollipops she loved stained her tongue and Sam’s freckles and his blush when Caroline told a joke and the way his brown eyes sparkled when he planned on pranking someone. When Sam handed him the bright green birthday present he brought for Dipper, their hands brushed and nothing happened, no colors, no glowing. At first, he was sad but cheered himself up at the realization that it was likely just that Sam was slower to love people and since Sam and Dipper had only been friends for a few months, that he just was working to get there. 

Then, when Caroline grabbed his hand to drag him over to a game with flashing lights and loud music and silly ducks on it and their clasped hands also didn’t glow, Dipper was struck with the fear that something was wrong. He and Caroline had been friends for five years now. 

So, when he had the chance, he pretended to go to the bathroom. He followed Sam and Caroline around, weaving between people’s legs and trying to keep track of their conversation. 

“—such a nerd!” Caroline giggled.

“Yeah, and he never stops talking! It’s nice that his family lets him go to so many fun places because he drags us along.”

They continued to talk, the topic changing from Dipper to Mabel, calling her names. Right before they were blocked by a particularly tall man, he noticed their colors be replaced by deep grays.

Dipper ran to find Mabel. Mabel hugged him close and Dipper found comfort in the soft pink glow that illuminated their skin where Mabel’s arms wrapped around his arms and neck and how her fingers shined when she wiped away his tears. 

After that, Dipper found it harder to love people. Books and nature and games still had prominent colors, but only Mabel and his parents had color. Sometimes, Dipper would look in the mirror and smudges of gray would seep into his skin, hair, eyes. Times like that made him scared. When that happened, the only thing that brought him comfort was the soft rosy pink of Mabel’s hugs. 

Over time, Dipper made better friends, met new people, and occasionally developed crushes on pretty girls and nice boys. But very few people ever were brightened by colors. 

One said crush was Wirt Palmer, a dorky boy six months his senior. They had met at a sleep-away writing camp and immediately got on like fire on a house. Wirt was soft-spoken but passionate, clumsy yet gorgeous. Wirt was perfect, and Dipper would be damned if he hadn't tried everything to not fall in love with him. 

It would be cliche to say Dipper fell in love slowly, and it would be a blatant lie. Three hours after they first shook hands during their introduction to one another, color slammed into Wirt's form. Wirt had quoted Shakespeare, softly mumbling "'Tis the way to call hers exquisite, in question more…" under his breath, the following lines providing a comforting touch, their warmth soaking into Dipper's bones. And then, color. It was as simple as that, but also horribly convoluted and worrying, as Dipper hadn't felt love anew in a year. 

But, despite the panic creeping in, he was also comforted by how right it felt to love Wirt. Dipper was also just a teenage boy, and he struggled to differentiate the platonic and romantic affection he felt for his new companion. After all, love came in many forms, and identifying one after so suddenly being overwhelmed by its presence was a feat in and of itself. 

So, Dipper kept his feelings to himself, only letting Mabel know that he had made a new friend. As the week progressed and Wirt opened up more, Dipper came to the conclusion that no matter what he felt for this boy, he was certain that he would never feel whole again if not by his side. 

And stay he did, at least to the best of his ability. After all, Wirt lived in Massachusetts, the other side of the country from Dipper's home of Piedmont, California. They texted, nigh constantly, and during school breaks they would talk into the early morning hours, night coming to an end before their conversations. Dipper rarely actually saw Wirt, as opposed to just hearing him, seeing his words through a screen. That made it easy to ignore how clear Wirt's colors were, never wavering, never dimming. 

The few times he and Wirt were face to face—video chats or the occasional meetup—Dipper could only be amazed by how beautiful Wirt was. Fluffy brown hair and chocolate eyes, tan skin, a big angular nose, all made Dipper's insides warm pleasantly. And the beauty and determination of the colors comforted Dipper. He was reminded that despite being hurt and despite being taken advantage of, he was no less worthy of being surrounded by love than any other person. When he felt close to Wirt—despite the hundreds of miles separating them—he loved himself more. 

Sometimes, late at night, after Wirt finally succumbs to the siren call of sleep, Dipper would trace patterns onto his arms, royal blue bleeding through the gaps between his fingers, and feel closest to the old Dipper, the one who loved easily and truly, a part of him he had previously given up on finding again. 

Other times, gray would wobble across his body, only lasting mere seconds before returning to its bright hues, and a deep cold would seep into Dipper, down to the bone. On those days, Wirt would be quick to comfort, rambling on about plans for college or a book he had read or a song he was writing. The distractions helped, but Dipper wondered if it was more the words or the person they came from that brought him comfort. 

Dipper developed a habit of dedicating a large portion of his free time to conversing with Wirt, whether it be during school or during breaks in between study sessions or talking until midnight. And suddenly, as the end of junior year rolled past and suddenly the bubble of consistency was popped, making way for the stress and panic of searching for colleges. 

On more than one occasion, Mabel let Dipper know her opinions on his three-year-long college search, telling him that he has no reason to stress since he had had his favorites narrowed down to a reasonably sized list since the end of last year's winter break. She had known this because, for each day of Hanukkah, Dipper had gotten eight sweatshirts, each proudly advertising the mascot of one of those schools. Mabel had five of those same colleges on her list, she also had half of the colleges on the west coast on that very same list, so the overlap didn't surprise Dipper. 

His biggest confidant for his college prep fears was Wirt. They both discussed the pros and cons of each school, their interests overlapping enough that the most appealing colleges for one often intrigue the other as well.

And as the season for college applications neared, Dipper noticed Wirt often finding nitpicky reasons to dislike any school that Dipper wasn't applying to. It was almost as if Wirt couldn't bear the thought of consciously choosing to not be closer to Dipper. At first, Dipper brushed thoughts like that aside, but as Wirt steadfastly continued rebuffing schools he had previously fawned over, Dipper reconsidered his behavior. It was relieving to think that maybe, just maybe, Wirt would finally be within arms reach, for the first time since the summer before their sophomore year. 

Their last year of high school passed much the same as the previous two, worrying about grades, studying, preparing for college, and talking. Then, spring came and brought with it college responses. With his grades, test scores, and essays, Dipper managed to get accepted into some high ranking colleges, but he was most happy that Wirt had gotten accepted to three of the same colleges that Dipper had, one of which was highly favored by both. They video chatted that might, gushing over each others’ successes and happily imagining what the first year of college might be like. 

Wirt wasn’t a fan of cold weather and Dipper hated temperatures over 80 degrees, so they settled on a college in a warmer state, with just enough of an elevation to limit how hot the summers would be. 

As his final summer break before college finally began and the stress of finals started to abate, Dipper began packing for the drive to his new campus. Sadly, Mabel hadn’t applied to that college, but she had gotten accepted to one that was only a few hours’ drive away, so visits would be frequent. Freshmen had assigned dorms on campus with a roommate exam matching each person to one or two others, so Dipper had prepared a few different scripts to use, one for a cool roommate, one for a boring roommate, one for a douchey roommate, and one for an absent roommate, all color-coordinated. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing to the person he would be rooming with for the next two years, minimum. 

A few days later, he and Mabel had shoved their luggage into the trunk of Dipper’s car and were in the midst of saying goodbye to their parents for the eighteenth time. Mabel had refused to get a driver’s license, quoting studies about the damage driving has on the environment and human health, so Dipper would drive her to her campus, where she would rely on the college’s free bus system to get where she needed. 

The drive would take a day so they stopped at a hotel halfway there. Since Dipper had driven and was therefore too busy to talk to Wirt, he spent the next two hours chatting with Wirt about tourist traps he has driven past, the whole time trying to tune out Mabel’s loud getting-ready-for-bed-one-woman-performance. 

Wirt said that he was already at his dorm and that his roommate, singular, had yet to arrive. He then sent an invite for a video chat and, when Dipper accepted, gave him a shaky but descriptive tour of his half of the large suite. There were five rooms: a living room, two bedrooms, each with personal bathrooms, and a small kitchen. The kitchen had a stove, a small fridge, and a microwave. Dipper also noticed a small kettle, covered in stickers. 

Wirt babbled on about how nervous he was to meet his roommate and for classes to start, only stopping when Mabel burst from the bathroom to fill the room Dipper was in with her loud and only slightly off-key singing. 

“Oh hi, Wirt!” She shouted at the laptop, receiving a shocked greeting from Wirt in return. Shortly after the disruption, Wirt yawned, his jaw popping at the exertion. Dipper said goodnight and not long after he and Mabel were out cold. 

When he dropped Mabel off, she gripped him tightly and whispered “Go get him, tiger. He’s gonna love you, if he doesn’t already.” Her words were comforting, if not surprising, and he focused on the gentle pink lighting up around the points of contact to distract from the tears that wanted to escape. 

Her words echoed in his brain as he sped down the highway, stealing any semblance of extra focus that he would have had otherwise. 

As Dipper hauled his suitcase down the hallway, pausing a second to glance down at his phone to double-check what room he’s heading to. As he does, he hears a soft voice muttering what sounds like poetry escape the open door a few rooms ahead of him. 

“I falter, for the sight of you stops my breath, and gaze at the light that is you. Instantly, color fills my world, as there is no life where I do not love you.” Dipper creeps closer, not wanting the speaker to stop. “I stumble around blindly, looking for your guiding light, for when you are not around the world is dark. Now I stand, gazing upon a—” the speaker cuts off as Dipper lets out a gasp. 

In the room, Dipper’s room, Wirt stands, dressed in a pale yellow sweater and old blue jeans, and stares at Dipper before stuttering a rushed “Dipper! What, what are you doing here? I didn’t tell you my room did I?”

Dipper let out a breathy chuckle. “Wirt, this is my room. I… it seems like we might be roommates. I, what was that that you were reading? Who was it for?” Wirt’s Face burned bright red and the heat of Dipper’s own cheeks told him that he was blushing just as hard. 

“It was…” He trailed off, the answer whispered into his hands, which had crept up to cover his face. He peeked through a gap in his fingers and followed Dipper as he took a slow step forward. He dropped his hands, took a deep breath, and blurted out “It was for you! I wrote it for you because I love you!” He pauses. “I love you,” he muttered, softer this time. 

Dipper closes the distance between them, shakily stretching out a hand and pausing just inches from Wirt’s face. Wirt takes the initiative and leans into his palm. Instantly, the points of contact light up a soft beige, but Dipper focused on the beige pouring from Wirt’s chest, illuminating the shape of his heart. 

“Oh boy. That’s a, that’s a soulmark.” Wirt must notice the confused furrow of Dipper’s brow because he continues. “It’s a super rare thing that happens only when people love each other purely and like initiate purposeful contact with each other or something. There’s like twenty cases of this happening in the last four decades.”

Dipper felt his blush spread down his neck. “We’re just that special, I guess. If you couldn’t guess, I love you too, Wirt. I’ve been in love with you since the first day we met.” Dipper looked into Wirt’s eyes, filled with comfort by the pure love held in the brown depths. His other hand met Wirt’s cheek and the beige hue brightened. 

Dipper knew then and there that he would move heaven and earth to keep Wirt’s love close by, would fight the world if it meant making him happy.

[felassanis]

Everything I love about Assassin’s Creed

1. Ezio da la la la

2. If you idle for long enough in Odyssey Ikaros comes and lands on Alexios’s/Kassandra’s arm and then alexios/Kassandra will greet him.

3. Edward’s outfit is by far my favourite Assassin robe. It looks so fooking cool.

4. Alkibiades

5. The first mission in Assassin’s Creed III. Finding the temple and it coming alive with all the lights and the humming was so fucking cool and the theatre with Haytham was such a good way to start the game, I loved the environment that went with the theatre and the parkour was really good too, everything was good even though I had no idea why we were there in the first place lol.

6. SHAUN HASTINGS

7. Edward’s tattoos being the only reason why I go whaling in AC:Black flag

8. The dynamic between Jacob and Evie, I’ve always wanted a twin duo in a game and Jacob and Evie Frye were awesome and y’all keep sleeping on them.

9. The different colour schemes in Assassin’s Creed 2 for the different cities gave the locations their own feel and vibe and it differentiated them from each other while also ensuring that the landscapes were utterly gorgeous. For example, Venice had cooler colours, very blue and silver while Florence was warmer, with more orange and brown thrown into the mix. It really gave those maps their own identity and it was great.

10. All of Lineage. all of it, it was flipping fantastic and I know it’s not a game but it was brilliant and the other Assassin’s Creed movie will never top it despite Michael Fasbender being in it.

11. That cutscene in Black Flag where Blackbeard lights his beard on fire, I love that historical accuracy because it was very likely true and it’s so SO bad-fucking-ass

12. Alkibiades

13. How quickly I fell in love with Frederico Auditore despite the fella only having about 5 lines.

14. Also just how quickly I came to love the Auditore family, that was how well written they were, that I fell in love after 30 minutes with them. 

15. LEONARDO DA VINCI

16. Desmond Miles’s snark.

17. ‘Hey whatta matta with you altair,’

18. SHAUN HASTINGS

19. How buffy Kassandra is

20. The hookblade was actually amazing in Revelations and I’m in full support that it shouldbe brought back. The noise it made was also oddly satisfying too?

21. The Glyphs in AC2 were spooky and ominous and I refused to do the last mission until I had found all of them and uncovered the Truth. Because that entire side quest was full of anticipation and the creepy vibe the Glyphs gave off and how the footage of Adam and Eve was cut up and glitchy was just really interesting and it peaked with a climax.

22. LEONARDO DA VINCI

23. The golden beads in Alexios’s hair.

24. And Alexios just being an overall gorgeous human being who’s face was chiselled by the gods.

25. The flying machine mission in AC2 while really aggravating if you didn’t do it the first time was also really fun and getting to see Leonardo all giddy and happy made it worth it.

26. I don’t know if it’s just me? but Connor’s hair? like I know for a fact that I like men with long hair but something about his hair and the feather intertwined into it was just really appealing? and while I know why Connor shaved his hair I couldn’t help but screech when he did lmao but that’s because it’s obviously not my tradition and it’s abnormal to me. pfft

27. Revelations is one of the best AC games and I’ll fight anyone on this. It was phenomenal given how it finally concluded Ezio’s story (and remember Ezio was the face of the franchise for years and he was fan favourite and still is so there were some pressure and expectations) and how it also concluded Altair’s story.

28. Altair wasn’t that interesting in the original game but Revelations added depth and layers to his characters and made him way more intriguing. The game also gave this character important significance to the lore and I think that’s the perfect way to honour the guy who started it all. As much as we love Ezio, Altair came before and without him, Assassin’s Creed wouldn’t quite be the way it was today. (although it’s up to you if that’s a bad thing or not lmao)

29. And seeing Ezio old and matured, becoming this wise legend of a man was really cool and getting to play as him in his final journey was both heartbreaking but satisfactory.

30. I have to give a massive applause to Ubisoft for making Leonardo gay as well in Brotherhood prominently. I don’t think it was ever proven historically if he was? but it was rumoured? and yet Ubisoft went and made it canon giving that representation while also having Ezio outright say he’s okay with Leonardo dating men?! Like, in that time period if you were gay you could go to prison and the general view of homosexuality was that of disgust and yet Ezio is just here supporting his best friend? hell yes.

31. ALKIBIADES

32. I have certain feelings with Unity, but I won’t lie that the parkour was spot on in that game.

33. Gideon Emery....just Gideon Emery as Reginald Birch. The character’s a massive prick but god...that voice.

34. Connor mentioning his grandfather Edward as he’s sailing the Aquila.

35. Getting to see the wreck of the Jackdaw in Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry was gut-wrenching.

36. Finally getting to pet animals in ACIII.

37. Finally getting to feed pigs in a video game ^^

38. SHAUN HASTINGS

39. OKay, I like Shaun because the guy is really entertaining and he’s British like me and I need to see this fucker in future games again...because after Syndicate he just vanishes and we got...Fucking Layla ugh.

40. The Naval combat in Black Flag is unmatched, fighting other ships never felt like a chore and it was fun and thrilling and the rewards felt deserving. And the feeling of taking down your first Man’o War is RIVETING.

41. Rebecca calling the Animus ‘Baby’

42. She’s another character I want to see come back. And she and Shaun better come back and be alive.

43. Lucy being a Templar was a plot twist I never saw coming but I was all for that angst especially when it seemed like they were setting up what I thought was the inevitable Desmond x Lucy romance. But I guessed wrong.

44. Yusuf Tazim being the joy and light of Revelations. fuck you Ubisoft

45. Ezio’s family theme song is the most iconic video game songs ever.

46. The introduction of Alkibiades in Odyssey, what a great way to introduce a character. like seriously, I fell in love with that fucker the moment he started speaking and felt up Kassandra’s arms while being half naked and wasted.

47. Bayek being a breath of fresh air in wonderfully written complex characters whose story was powerful and tragic. He needs a sequel.

48. Assassins Creed Brotherhood’s trailer being iconic.

49. When returning to Florence to retrieve the apple and you bring Ezio back to his old home only to see the ghosts of his entire family waiting for him. I was gobsmacked when that happened and it’s such a beautiful detail.

50. Mary Read/James Kidd being one of the best characters in Black Flag and leader in the ‘did not deserve it’ club. Every minute of her was flipping terrific and her significance in Edward’s story as one of the driving points that turned him into a better man was great.

51. I cried at the end of Black Flag.

52. The little text about Shaun sobbing when you look at the database on Desmond the dog in Syndicate.

53. The lip scar being shared between Desmond, Ezio and Altair was a cool detail.

54. The interchangeable cloaks in ACII.

55. Henry Green was so soft, kind and lovely and I honestly adore him.

56. Cane swords in Syndicate WERE AWESOME

57. NO fall damage in Odyssey. Keep this feature I don’t care how impossible it is for me to survive a jump off of a giant statue of a naked god it’s cool and I want it for every other game about to be released.

58. If you walk through grass in Origins Bayek sticks his hand out like that scene in Gladiator.

59. The scene in ACII Where Ezio uncovers his father’s robes from the chest and holds it up, It’s an incredible scene and the music fits so well with it and if you’ve watched Lineage it’s all the more amazing.

60. Rosa being pretty and terrifying in ACII.

61. The Bleeding effect being that other thing in lore that is SO BLOODY INTRIGUING and I wish it was explored a bit more. Can you actually imagine having the bleeding effect? where you can’t tell the past and the present apart? where you see ghosts from the past and hear voices no one else hears? jesus,..

62. getting answers about Clay/Subject 16. Ever since he left that writing in the wall with his own blood I was hooked on his story and thank god we got answers and a face to the legendary name. I wouldn’t mind more of him though.

63. I’ve always been fascinated with Native Americans and finally getting to explore them a bit more in ACIII proved to be interesting and I hope it was satisfactory representation for Native Americans.

64. finally getting to play in the present day in assassin’s creed brotherhood and 3, like actually getting to run around and explore as Desmond.

(I did a post like this on my old blog and I’ve rewrote them on here but I also got some new things, I just like having a post like this on my blog and I like seeing people who also agree with these brilliant features in this franchise, you can pretty much tell which two games are my favourite lol, Black Flag and 2 will always have a special place in my heart,)

[thisisasupergoodidea]

just watched The Guy Who Didnt Like Musicals a second time. i didnt really process the songs properly the first time and didnt like them but now i can actually hear the tunes as intended and i love this whole thing so much. so im gonna ramble about this musical for a bit. spoilers ahead if u havent watched yet (its on youtube)

ive seen a few of the theories ppl have about the delivery of the musical, and about what happens at the end especially. i think i wanna try my hand at it too because sometimes i enjoy interpreting details. and im a gigantic sucker for reprises that stitch together all the songs we just heard into its own frankenstein song that completely changes in meaning or tone based on all the info we absorbed over the course of the program. and boi the last song of the show sure fuckin delivers

ok well i need to start at the beginning though. some ppl are confused by what the opening lil song and dance is within the context of the musical, because it introduces the main character, but at that point no one is infected yet so it just seems like standard musical stuff in the viewpoint of the audience, who expects this. but the entire plot of this musical is that the characters’ world slowly BECOMES a musical due to alien spores from a meteor infecting everyone to act as a harmonious hive mind. so in this sense its two musicals at the same time: the musical that starkid productions wrote, and the looser ‘musical’ that the alien entity is orchestrating during its antagonism of the main character. i believe that the opener takes place after at least a partially successful domination of the populace, mostly because of the fact that the characters who participate in that song are referring to ‘themselves’ in the third person and are dancing all hunched and menacingly, exactly how the alien spore compels people to dance later on in the plot. that plus a line that i might be recalling correctly about how the main character is their final story to tell, makes me certain that this is the alien telling that story

as for the main character paul’s absence from that song, i really think thats something intended in the musical to introduce what paul is like in the most succinct way possible. the guy just did not like musicals. throughout the plot he is constantly defining himself by his lack of participation, so of course the cheekiest way to set that up is to have him not participate in the opener. i think the confusing part here is when the story actually begins, because if the opener was performed by the future infected characters, when is the line drawn to differentiate between the two musicals that are happening (starkid musical vs alien musical)? or is the whole thing a performance by the alien entity? in which case, everyone on that stage is simply acting out the story as determined by the hive mind. but to whom, if everyone’s infected? i’ll get back to that later

another thing i love about this musical is how gradually tired of paul’s shit the alien entity becomes over the course of the plot, as evidenced by the tone of the songs. it just gets worse and worse. the alien’s songs turn from sickeningly cheerful to enticing, to threatening, to evoking hopelessness, then finally to pressuring paul past his breaking point. some of the songs arent even directed at paul but the change still happens, which goes to show the alien entity’s frustration. and at the end when the infected find emma, the song is happy again. they sing that awesome reprise, a really energetic mashup in which its hard not to feel like the alien plague is unstoppable. inevitable, one might say.

speaking of the end... paul’s confrontation with the meteor (my absolute favorite scene that i would rewatch a hundred times except i dont want to get tired of it too fast) contains good information to understanding what happens afterward. paul tries to blow it up, gets distracted by the appearance of his infected acquaintances, and the longer he stays there the more infected he himself becomes, breathing in such a heavy concentration of those alien spores at the epicenter of its activity. until now, he has rejected actively being the ‘star of the show’ like the alien seems to... want him to be? idk, the point is that his character defies musical protagonist tropes despite how the plot follows him. the story is ABOUT the alien, but paul is the audience’s anchor. until he goes to blow up the meteor. at that point, the alien has him. he can barely fight back against his own body synchronizing with the other infected as they goad him into giving in, but he puts up a damn good struggle considering those impossible circumstances. still, for the first time, he participates. he sings. he hates it, but it brings out some interesting thoughts: does he hate it? did he ever? or is this just the spores talking?

but what part, exactly, does he hate? in a musical, the singing and dancing act is usually the method of delivery for whatever the character is truly feeling. it is an opportunity for the audience to connect emotionally with the person who is singing. but we dont have that with paul for almost the entire show. he doesnt participate. and he’s established in the beginning as selfish, kind of a dick, and not available to anyone (except emma who is the only person he even slightly opens up to. he tries to be more friendly somewhat with bill, i think, but even then that couldve just been to get him to snap out of it and escape the school). he said himself that people singing and dancing makes him uncomfortable. so all this is to say that, on a deeper level, i think the aspect of the singing and dancing that he hates, that he fights to resist, is the vulnerability. you can witness the madness and shame for yourself as he sings more and more, letting out his worries, unsure if his feelings are his anymore. but hey, he ends that scene with a statement reaffirming the self he walked in with (which is to say, a guy who hates musicals) and finally pulls his grenade. so its cool that he was able to resist that but. guys. if the spores didnt get him. that grenade absolutely did. he didnt even bother to throw it away from himself, he flung it down right in front of him. theres no way he didnt get blown to bloody chunks, fully intending for that to be his final act of defiance

but i think it was too late by then. he’d already breathed in so many spores, and we were shown earlier on that death is not an impediment to becoming infected. i think after he exploded, he was still absorbed into the collective and reformed as a new addition to the hive mind. his explosives might not have been enough to fully destroy the meteor. and thats why, at the very end, i believe that - despite his admittedly suspicious face journey during the song - he isnt faking it. because if he was, wouldnt the hive mind know that it doesnt contain him within it? not only that, but in the opening song emma is clearly part of the group. given that she is the only one who is undoubtedly not infected in the last song, we have to assume that she will be sometime after the finale of the musical.

and now im left with my unexplored questions: is this a musical played straight, or a ‘musical’ put on by the alien entity after it wins? and who is the ‘musical’ intended for? its fun to speculate but im not sure these are questions that can be answered by watching it a bunch of times. theyre aimed too much outside of the zone of operation, if that makes sense. its like, you cant ever look at your own eyeballs normally. you need a mirror or for someone to describe them to you. these questions exist outside of the limitations of the musical format, so we wouldnt direct them at the video, we would ask them of the creators. or not. its cool to not have all the questions answered too

ah i wrote a flippin essay, huh? i guess i wanted to prove to myself that my brain still works

[the-inept-artist]

Apologies to a Brother

Yay, I'm not dead!

Yeah, this is a songfic. I recently discovered the song "Lullaby For A Princess" by Ponyphonic and animation by WarpOut. Despite not being an MLP fan, this song touched me, and also made me think of the Sanders twins. So I took some of the lyrics and changed them to fit the story better. I'm including a link to the original video and a link to the instrumental in case you want to try to sing my lyrics.

Original video

Instrumental version

With all that been said, Sanders Sides, MLP, "Lullaby For A Princess" and "Morning Mood" do not belong to me.

As always, please enjoy and review!

~oOo~

Roman lay on his bed, idly staring up at the ceiling. It was a down day for Thomas, so the sides were taking the free time to relax and unwind. Logan was undoubtedly reading some new text book, Virgil was probably on Tumblr, and Roman knew Patton was baking down in the mind palace kitchen. The tantalizing scent of brownies wafted through the air vents, and Roman smiled to himself. They would certainly have a treat after dinner tonight.

Calming classical music played quietly from Roman's IPod across the room on his desk. Despite being a wild Disney fan, every now and again, the princely side enjoyed not feeling the pull to sing along to every song that played, leaving him to instead ride the symphony and travel the ups and downs of it's invisible story.

'Morning Mood' faded out, and the brief silence swept over Roman. He sighed. He was actually glad Thomas had the day off, because Roman wasn't sure he would've been able to function properly. June 18th always did this to him, despite having been ages ago.

If the date on it's own wasn't enough, shuffle decided to resurrect an old song, one Roman had almost forgotten. Violins and piano rose elegantly, and with them, memories. Memories of things said and done.

Things he had said and done.

Roman sat up and sighed again. It was bound to happen, it always did this time of year. Reaching under the bed, he pulled out a worn book, pages old and cover leathery from touch and use. He opened to the first page and gazed at the taped in photograph, the familiar tug at his heart now starting in earnest. Barely thinking about it, he began to sing.

"Fate has been cruel and order unkind,

How can I have sent you away?

The blame was my own; the punishment yours,

The palace is silent today."

A young Creativity, Morality, and Logic beamed back at the prince, but Roman's eyes were drawn to the tiny figure behind them, a small splotch of green in the sea of blues and red being the only hint he was there at all.

"But into the stillness, I'll bring you a song,

And I'll dig through the past treasuries

Till your tired mind and my aching heart

Have had enough of the memories."

Roman turned the pages slowly, one by one. Every one of them had several pictures either taped or glued to them.

Patton learning his way around the kitchen and proudly presenting his first edible batch of cookies.

Logan during Christmas, joy in his grin as he unwrapped the first of the Harry Potter series.

Roman trying karaoke for the first time and owning Mulan's "I'll Make a Man Out of You".

Occasionally, the camera caught the child in green, but when he was there, he was on the outskirts of the little family. In the rare pictures when he was in full view, Roman seemed to be the only one who could see him.

The delicate sound of a mandolin echoed throughout Roman's room, and he continued to sing, lump in his throat be damned.

"Once did a small prince who shone like the sun

Look out on his friends with pride

He smiled and said "Surely there is nobody

So lucky and so very blessed as I."

Roman swallowed, eyes tracking the growth of he and the other Light Sides. Glasses appeared on both Logan and Patton, and each gained a necktie and cardigan, respectively. A bright red sash eventually marked himself as the fanciful aspect of Thomas. But the child in green simply became darker as time passed.

"So bright was his flame and so cheerful his smile,

That long was the shadow he cast,

Which fell dark upon the twin brother he loved,

And grew only darker as days and nights passed."

Eventually, the child, now in green and black, disappeared from the photo album. Roman closed the book, recognizing this as the time when Patton really began his work, helping Thomas differentiate between right and wrong.

Roman's mind took over, filtering reality with painful recollection as he stared around his room, never stopping his musical storytelling. He watched as his younger self and brother materialized, arguing.

"Soon did that small prince take notice that the others

Did not give his brother the same care

And their host had realized he wasn't all good

So he watched as his brother lay his discontent bare."

"They don't like me, Roman!" Remus shouted. "They never have!"

"You just have to give them a chance, Remus," Roman pleaded. "I know that they—"

"But it's not just them! Thanks to Patton, Thomas is figuring out that you're the better one out of both of us! Sooner or later, he's going to stop listening to me completely." Remus' voice cracked and his shoulders slumped, the fight going out of him. "It was always going to happen. I don't know why you thought you could stop it."

"Remus, I'm sorry, I really am, but—"

"But what do you care?!" Remus snarled, ferocity returning just as quick as it had left. "You're the golden one! The perfect prince! The cherished "fanciful" side!" Remus grinned, full of malice as he brushed past his twin roughly. "Why not give the people what they think they deserve?"

And he left their room, slamming the door so hard the walls shook and Roman winced.

Roman saw his child self, shaking in surprise. Then his expression changed from fear to anger, and he growled, clenching his fists. Roman shook his head at the memory, disgusted at his own actions. The music swelled, and his voice strengthened to match it.

"But such is the way of the Light Side, it sweetly

Enchanted the mind of its host

And that foolish prince just did nothing to stop

The destruction of one who had needed him most."

The prince blinked and teleported himself to The Pit. The place where it had all ended, just as quickly as it had begun.

The Pit was believed to be the entrance to the home of the Dark Sides. Shadowy, cold and fraught with terrors and beasts, it was designed to keep the evils locked away where they could do little harm. Roman had first hated Virgil when he came out of The Pit, because he saw the anxious side as proof that one could survive and escape. Fortunately, he had soon come around and made peace with him. The Light Sides typically stayed a good distance away from the innocent looking hole, knowing the horrors it possessed.

But the twins hadn't, on that terrible day.

The IPod and accompanying melody had been left back in Roman's room, but he didn't care. He had the coming lyrics committed to memory after having written and rewritten the words he so badly wanted his brother to hear.

Little Roman and Remus appeared again, swords and shields in hand. Roman watched them, eyes welling as he sang, straining to reach the pair, to stop them..

"Goodbye now, dear twin, I'm sorry, brother mine

Rest now with darkness embrace."

"Remus, stop!" Roman cried, blocking another attack from his brother and pushing him off. "This isn't you!"

"Oh, but it is, my dear Roman," Remus said sleekly, the new white streak in his hair flapping about as he landed a short distance away. "You see, I've learned that not all types of creativity are appreciated." He hefted his blade and rushed Roman, who barely had time to lift his shield and defend himself.

"Deliver my apologies, bring them to his ears

Through shadow, and through veil, and through pain."

"So I thought to myself," Remus said calmly, spinning for a counter attack, "why be forgotten if I can be the only creative side left?!" Sparks flew as swords clashed.

The knot in Roman's gut twisted as he witnessed the two young boys unknowingly step closer and closer to The Pit.

"Carry the peace and the coolness of night

And carry my tears in kind."

"Please, you can't!"

Roman took a shaky breath as his younger self started to cry, beaten down by his brother. A tear rolled down his own cheek as well. Still, he watched, and he sang.

"Remus, you are loved so much more than you know

May troubles be far from your mind."

"I can and I will." Remus stalked toward Roman, a manic glint in his eyes. "And all it takes is one—little—PUSH!" He lunged at Roman, who swiftly stepped aside out of self-preservation.

Roman broke into a dead sprint, reason gone, and head filled with alarms and the ever-growing chant of catch him, catch him, CATCH HIM!

But, of course, he couldn't catch him.

Remus wobbled, smirk vanished from his lips. Roman reached to grab the back of his lime-green sash, realizing the danger.

He missed.

Roman stopped at the edge of The Pit, even with his younger self, both watching as their brother fell. His cheeks were wet, and breath hitched in his throat. As his child incarnation screamed, Roman lowered his voice and whispered the final lyric, bowing his head as the shadows swallowed his twin whole.

"Please forgive me for being so blind."

"REMUS!"

~ONE WEEK LATER~

"Well if there's one thing I know, it's that Reese Witherspoon isn't evil." Patton nearly choked as he looked over at Roman. Roman gave him an odd look, but said nothing. Probably just the cookie he ate before doing the video.

Virgil scoffed from his place on the stairs. "I resent that. Ghosts aren't evil. They just scare people because you never know when they're going to SHOW UP!" His voice went deeper as he, too, glanced at the prince, eyes wide. Thomas also seemed to be somewhat panicked.

"Okay, okay, I take back what I said about ghosts!" Roman said, thinking they were just bashing his take on the movie.

A sharp pain exploded in the back of his head, and all went green and black.

[caitlinoconnormedia]

The music video first fades in with the calming diegetic sound of a fire crackling behind the silhouette of the artist Lewis Capaldi for 6 seconds. As the scene cuts on the first beat we hear a discrete diegetic sound almost like a waft of wind leading us into the next scene with a different atmosphere of sadness with white fog drifting towards the artist almost like ash falling from sky. In correlation the camera slowly pans across the artist never fully stopping always having Capaldi as the only focus of each shot he is in. A Harsh cut of white fog completely covers the screen, then fading away to reveal a new focus point of a man and women facing each other mid screen in the same location as the artist was in the scene before with the audience assuming they know each other from how close they are and constant eye contact. The Camera then slowly zooms in to a quick cut of the man then another quick cut back and forth between the women the man and flashbacks of them when they were clearly a couple, as well as each shot of the flashback differentiating from the rest with a black and white filter. As the video leads into the chorus there is a close up of the main artist’s silhouette with the same fogged background as before. As the line of the song, ‘cus everyday it’s getting colder’ you see the condensation of Capaldi’s breath due to the cold air. The video then goes into a slow motion shot which pans and zooms in over the couple still facing each other as this is happing other people begin emerging from the background with the man and women still in the centre of the shot and still oblivious to their own surrounding just focused on the person in front of them. There is then a series of slow pans of one subject behind a metal fence showing that the people are trapped and angry. It is in this shot you notice the Mise en scene as the crowds forming behind the women are dressed in beige same as her and the crowd forming behind the man are dressed in white same as him. This gives the impression that the crowd behind each person are connected to them and with the crowds being angry it gives the viewer the idea of it’s the anger from the past relationship. The song then leads back into the chorus for the second time revealing the artist sat next to a piano once again still all in the same location and on his own. Once again the shots cut back and forth with the couple and the flashbacks in black and white being happy and then arguing the quick shots then get erupted by a close up of a glass bottle with cloth on fire hanging out which the viewer assumes has alcohol it is then thrown once again in slow motion to exploding. A quick shot of a piano on fire is then shown relating back to the fire at the start of the video. There is then a series of contrasting quick shots between the artist, the couple and the flashbacks. As the song speeds up a high far angle is shown, showing both crowds facing each other are about to fight. The music heightens and a slow motion shot of the fence gets pushed down with both crowds running towards each other as well as the couple still neutral with a mid-shot focus point on them. An Extreme close up and quick shot of the man and women’s face screaming cuts to a much richer black and white filter. Correlating back to a shot of fire from the beginning of the video a man’s silhouette appears from fire assuming it to be the artists. As the pace of the song slows down the Couple touch faces for the first time and then cuts to an extreme close up of the artist on fire. We are then shown the same high angle shot of the couple from the first time we saw then however this time they are holding hands. The video then fades to black.

[uiruu]

Okay so here’s a confession lmao... I kind of got into Loona because of Hunter x Hunter. 

I got caught up in the HxH manga, and there are apparently a lot of references to a jpop idol group called Keyakizaka46. There’s a nen ability called “Silent Majority”, which is like a doll thing with the exact same haircut as the main member of that group, who has a song called Silent Majority. Also Halkenburg’s bow and arrow nen ability has him make a pose from the song Fukyouwaon. So I saw that and was like “WHAT THE HELL TOGASHI”, and I checked out those songs. They’re okay. Nothing to write home about. I mean like, they’re fun I guess, I like Fukyouwaon better of those two (which are the only ones I heard), but idk. I listened to it a lot for a couple days, it was like a guilty pleasure thing haha. And then like I must have seen posts from some of my HxH mutuals (who probably aren’t mutuals anymore after... uh... the drama in late february lmao...) post about Loona, and I was like okay, if I’m listening to this idol group that I can kinda tell isn’t like the highest quality thing in the world, let’s see what a Real group is like. 

I wasn’t really attuned to the differences between jpop and kpop, though I think I have a better understanding of the prevailing trends and styles that differentiate them (not just language. theyre as different as hiphop from LA and UK grime rap. that’s pretty different). But yeah, I was interested to see what a really Quality group sounded like. I wasn’t really expecting much, I was expecting something very catchy but kinda bland, like a lot of American pop is. I was also expecting something a little exploitative because of just the nature of having a group of “idols”, and I’d heard stuff about the kpop industry that wasn’t pleasant. 

And like, I listened to Hi High (which was the top result at the time. i got into them about a week before Butterfly), and I liked it at first. I wasn’t ready to let myself love it, though. In the back of my mind there was that voice saying “lol what are you doing, you are not the target audience for this, i should keep this to myself cause it’s embarrassing. if i admit that i’m listening to kpop right now i’ll be laughed at haha”. But still, it was catchy as hell and I liked that. The video production was sooooo good too, that video looks like a movie.

I watched Egoist too cause I guess it was the top related video, and I thought that song was pretty good, but idk I guess a lot of it just didn’t like sink in or something? I don’t really know. I listened to some others but didn’t find anything that stood out, I think there was a point just before Butterfly released where I liked Hi High, Egoist, and Love Cherry Motion (though I was kinda iffy on that one). I remember talking to my friend Jaci about them cause I know Jaci’s a kpop fan, and they said that they were kinda into Loona but not especially, though Heart Attack is one of the best kpop songs ever made. After hearing that, I listened to Heart Attack, but I didn’t really like it, it was a bit too bubblegummy for me, I guess.

Then Butterfly came out, and by then I knew most of the members by name (not all), and I had watched videos from people like formoftherapy about the songs I had heard and so I felt better about liking kpop cause the illusion of it being completely shallow was shattered. Butterfly didnt wow me at first... I liked the video a lot but the song was kinda eh. The “wings, wings” in the chorus stuck out to me in a bad way lol, I didn’t like that. 

So anyway, by then I was like huh, I’m gonna check out some more stuff. So I listened to groups like Momoland and Blackpink and Red Velvet. And by listened to, I mean really just kinda one song from each of those. I listened to other Momoland songs after Bboom Bboom and they didnt really do anything for me. I listened to Red Velvet songs besides Peekaboo and they were okay, Russian Roulette was pretty good but not something that really wowed me, but I was super super super into Blackpink for about a week there haha. I don’t know, I really liked Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, and I liked the members a lot. They’re only four members, so it was really easy to get into them. I listened to more of their songs though and at first I liked them, but the more I listened, the more I realized how bad they are lol. The members themselves are fine but god, some of the other Blackpink songs besides that one are just really bad. To me, anyway. And I think that’s when I realized... oh... Loona’s really something unique, huh?

Like, listening to other groups made me like Loona more hahaha. That’s when everything started to click with me. Songs that didnt impress me at first, like Girl Front and Favorite and especially Heart Attack started REALLY clicking with me. Suddenly every song I listened to from them I liked. And I was noticing things in their songs that I didn’t notice at first. And like, that’s also when it hit me... oh, it’s not just that Grimes did a feature in the intro to one of their songs, they actually take a lot of inspiration from Grimes musically. Aaaaaand that was the nail in the coffin. See, I was one of the biggest Grimes fans alive before we all collectively realized she’s kind of a shitty person. So, to see the good aspects of her music translated and adapted and iterated on by another group is cool. It also kinda made me facepalm because like god fucking damn it, I thought I was free of Grimes, turns out even when I get into something I thought was totally separate, nope... I can’t escape haha. Then though I started noticing interesting and experimental-ish production EVERYWHERE in their songs. 

And that’s when I’m like okay... I gotta finally go through and watch all their videos in order. I knew bits and pieces about the Loonaverse already, so I was ready to sink my teeth in and see it all for myself. It takes about 2 hours to watch all their music videos but it’s really worth it, that was a cool experience haha. The next day, I watched some of formoftherapy’s reactions to doing that same marathon too, and that helped me notice and appreciate even more things, especially about the music video production, since that’s what they specialize in talking about. 

And then you know, two or so weeks later, here we are, and I’m all in, haha. It’s wild to think that I thought Egoist was pretty good and Heart Attack was not really my cup of tea at first haha. Egoist now blows me away EVERY time I watch that video... the song is sooooooo good and the video is maybe their best and most cohesive video aesthetically and thematically speaking. Heart Attack is also in my top 5 songs now.. so is Butterfly haha, that song grew on me a lot too. It helps for Butterfly that the choreo and video are so artistic and masterful. 

Oh, also, one last thing, in the part where I mention other groups... I don’t wanna knock Red Velvet at all. I love Red Velvet. I could write a separate post about my journey with their music too, and how there was a moment when their songs also started clicking for me, and I think they’re just as adventurous and eccentric as Loona. I like Loona more cause I’m more personally invested, and I think Loona covers a broader range of styles and themes and stuff, but Red Velvet are really, really good. I cannot overstate that lol. Also, there are other groups and songs I’ve gotten into since then too, I’m not just a fan of two groups lol. Though to be honest, if I had to pick the ones that I think are doing something really interesting and stand out from the crowd, I think there’s only three groups I would call myself a die hard fan of, and that’s Loona, Red Velvet, and Fromis_9 (who have sooo much potential, im excited to see where they go). 

That’s all! I don’t expect anyone will reblog this (cause its so specific to me lol) or even read this, it’s pretty long after all, but if you did, thanks <3 I just wanted to write about my journey with this. Cause like, it’s cool how this type of thing can happen. It was cool to watch myself start to allow myself to really get into it. I could feel myself getting more and more into it but I was embarrassed about that and I thought it was really lame of me haha. I don’t mean that I was sad or scared or whatever, again, I just thought it was really lame haha. But I mean, deep down I thought it was cool, and the more I got into it, the more that became the only way I thought of it. And now I just think it’s really worth checking out and like not all that lame at all. There are lame groups, yeah. It’s just cool that Loona isn’t one of those. I didn’t expect that the one I heard the most about was 1. not even close to the most popular, and 2. really deeply musically interesting and risktaking, and that’s something that’s always appealed to me about the music I like. Who knew that Loona of all groups would be like that lol. You know... Loona. From the “Stan Loona” memes. Huh. 

Go figure. 

[royhalstead261-blog]

Orchestral Pop

There are now over 1,seven hundred sub-genres of music after the proliferation within the 20th century. Perhaps the largest music genres is rock and roll, an umbrella style beneath which several different forms of music will be categorized. Other main music genres include classical, folks, jazz, R&B, blues, steel, list of Popular music genres and world music. The recognition of artists is usually measured by the number of singles and albums they sell, and sales are listed in the music charts. The ten most successful artists of all time are listed beneath. Read the listing and see what number of different genres of common music yow will discover. Probably the most often cited examine into the question of music's effect on the mind involves the so-known as Mozart impact , which suggests that listening to sure kinds of musicвЂ"Amadeus Wolfgang's classical works, in particularвЂ"impacts and boosts one's spatial-temporal reasoning , or the ability to assume out long-time period, extra summary solutions to logical problems that come up. The Mozart effect has been overblown and over-promised, and even outright refuted as having "bupkiss" effect , however that does not mean a fantastic mind-juicing playlist cannot be created. There are actually brilliant spots among immediately's hottest artists, significantly among people of colour. With the release of her 2016 album Lemonade, the mighty Beyonce embraced politics with grand statements on black oppression in singles Formation " and Freedom" Hip-hop artists such as Probability the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and Killer Mike of Run the Jewels (a noted supporter of Bernie Sanders ) are simply on the verge of changing into family names. And lots of underground artists, together with Jon Connon and Moe Pope, have made political and social points central to their work. A genre is a class of an artwork form, and the phrase is used of subsets of literature, movies, tv exhibits, and music that fit sure criteria. Usually, a piece will fit into one style, but it's attainable for a piece to have a number of genres. The time period music style is used to seek advice from quite a lot of facets of music, together with the interval throughout which a musical composition was written, its model, its instrumentation and remedy of those devices, its kind and performance, its means of transmission, its means of dissemination, and the situation of its geographical origins sometimes crossed with the cultural or ethnic background of the composer. There is no agreement or a single complete system to speak about music genres at the present time. Over time the cost of breaking in a brand new artistonto the worldwide music scene has sky-rocketed. c Music movies are a "powerful new pressure" in adolescent tradition but they don't appear to hold adolescents' curiosity almost as long as the music itself. It's the youngest adolescents who watch MTV and other music videos the most, however older adolescents commit more whole time to music. The cello is the costliest musical instrument to learn whilst the drums are the least expensive, followed closely by the guitar. Songs in the Key of Life is a monumental work of American popular culture. It has inspired books , documentaries , cover albums Released just weeks before the election of Jimmy Carter, it's maybe essentially the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star on the height of his or her powers, an idea album" whose concept is nothing less than life itself. Its songs cope with, in tough order: love, God, inequality, music, childhood, romance, religious hypocrisy, betrayal, and divorce, and that is just the primary disc. It's a magnum opus in every sense, the product of an artist consciously getting down to make a profession-defining musical landmark and succeeding in breathtaking vogue. That artist was still solely 26 years outdated. Kwaito music is the preferred genre in Namibia, with probably the most artists and fans. It expanded into Namibia from neighbouring South Africa. The genre was first began in Namibia by Matongo Family, a trio considered the pioneers of the Namibian Kwaito, who first introduced kwaito to the Namibian stage in 1998. Other early Kwaito performers had been Guti Fruit and the late Pablo. The Dogg and Gazza then adopted. The style has since grown huge with the introduction of other artists reminiscent of Legg-Ghetto, Ees, Sunny Boy, Qonja , Exit, Tre Van Die Kasie, OmPuff , Chipolopolo, OmZoo, and PDK. I don't suppose it will come as a shock to a whole lot of audiophiles, but human listening to most certainly does not have a linear response curve. In reality, during Task 5 - what was considered probably the most complicated of the tasks - lots of the test subjects may hear differences between tones with as much as an element of thirteen more acuity than the linear mannequin predicts. Those who had probably the most skill at differentiating time and frequency differences between tones have been musicians. One, an digital musician, may differentiate between tones sounded about three milliseconds aside - exceptional as a result of a single interval of the tone solely lasts 2.27 milliseconds. The identical subject didn't carry out in addition to others in frequency differentiation. Another professional music was exceptional at frequency differentiation and good at temporal differentiation of the tones.

This is the cycle of pop music. Don't be a pop artist, they will love you, then they'll hate you. Perceive soul and R&B. Soul and rhythm & blues are genres of music impressed by gospel and blues music. These genres represent a larger umbrella of genres of music created by African Americans. Soul music is characterised by highly effective vocals and a catchy groove accompanying it. R&B is another giant style that has roots in the 1950s and reworked around the late Nineteen Eighties into a catchier form of pop.A lot of the experience listening to music — gospel and otherwise — is feeling it, catching the spirit. Before Franklin begins the title music, the Rev. James Cleveland asks for a witness. Then Franklin takes over. It's just her voice, the reverend on piano and a testament to the extraordinary: I used to be blind, and now I see. The experience of its overwhelming you occurs whether or not a survey of music people deems it canonical. But when canons are being fashioned and revealed, why not embrace this one alongside the same old suspects — your Sgt. Pepper's" and Rubber Soul" and Freeway sixty one Revisited" and Pet Sounds"? Amazing Grace" is a landmark, too. You do not want a list to inform you that. God is aware of. But that's not fairly sufficient.5dwBTeBmxdA

[hsperson]

Do you think that synesthesia, ASMR and misophonia are related to HSP? It involves very powerful sensing feelings. Also, it's habitual for HSP to avoid sharing songs or videos that make them feel a lot of things? I feel like people won't understand me and that they will laugh at my stupid sensitivity if they hear them :( It's almost like I live in my own world in my mind. How do a HSP know when they are in love? They feel a lot of stuff so how to differentiate friendship from romantic love?

When reading up on these, what I understand is that researchers have already examined and found possible links between synesthesia, ASMR and misophonia. Whether there’s also a link between these and high sensitivity in the way Elaine Aron described it, has -as far as I know- not yet been researched. Instinctively, all of these different concepts seem like they share commonalities and I would expect there to be some neurological overlap. Based on my own experience with these concepts, I’d say there’s also a lot of practical overlap, and the label people adopt to describe their condition may depend on the circumstances they’re in. Let’s not forget that, in the end, these are labels we use to describe conditions we experience. But these experiences differ from person to person, so there may be more overlap between one person who describes their condition as “ASMR” and another who describes it as “high sensitivity”, than two people who both describe themselves as experiencing “ASMR”. High sensitivity seems to me a more general term describing sensitivity of all senses, with misophonia and ASMR being more at the extreme end of sensitivity of hearing and synesthesia being on a different, but related plane. But that’s just my take on it.

In regard to your second question, I’d say it’s common for HSPs to feel a lot of things when listening to music/watching movies. However, what they decide to do with these feelings, really depends on the person. Some HSPs will tend to overshare, hoping to find someone who can understand their feelings and make the burden of feeling so much a little less heavy. Others, like you, will fear being misunderstood or ridiculed and keep their favorite things to themselves. In my experience, I’d say it’s worth taking the risk to share things you care about with people you care about. There’s always a risk of not being understood, and especially as someone with high sensitivity, you cannot expect people to feel things to the same extent that you do. But it’s also worth allowing people to get to know you better, and perhaps by allowing them to see things the way you do, offering them a different point of view, they’ll also learn how to view things more sensibly. How does a highly sensitive person know when they’re in love? This is a difficult question. I think non-HSPs can’t always distinguish between friendship and romantic love either, and often one smoothly transitions into the other (and back). I’d say: focus less on what these concepts mean, and more on what you want to do. If you want to spend more time with someone, then do it, without worrying too much about whether this is as a romantic interest or as a friend. Try to stay in the moment without thinking about the future. Allow things to take time to grow, and I do think once your feelings have grown and you’ve gotten to know someone at your own pace, you’ll be able to tell the difference between romantic love and friendship.