#and to the fandom of these two shows: how does it feel knowing you're punk /j

[theaquapunk]

Octonauts and Wild Kratts are aquapunk and solarpunk

[gildedmuse]

Fandom rookie here. Could you please walk me through your Zoro/Law and Zoro/Ace HCs? Love your humor btw!

Ahhh! A little fandom greenhorn! So cute!

You have asked the wrong person the wrong question, newbie.

ZoLaw:

Zoro is from the East, and while he isn't use to Winter Island Cold, he naturally runs hot. Law is from the North and while he HATES being stuck on Summer Islands on hot days, he naturally runs cool. They balance each other beautifully when they share a bed.

Up in the North Blue, it's considered weak to admit that you're cold. Weaknesses gets people killed in the North Blue, so having someone imply you need an extra blanket is a direct insult to a person's ability to keep themselves and their loved ones alive. So obviously Law would never need the extra heat.... But he MAY find himself scooting closer to Zoro-ya on the chillier nights.

The handle of a katana isn't the only thing Zoro can talk around.

...

(Cock. He can talk around a mouth full of cock. And Law LOVES it. Its the only time he can stand one of the Strawhats yapping on).

Look, Law is scientifically minded and likes to believe he is very rational (that's open to debate). He's seen Zoro-ya in the sea and knows he doesn't have a devil's fruit. But sometimes it feels like he does. SPECIFICALLY, one that somehow manages to undo every single one of Law's plans. Because the problem certainly isn't in Law! His plans are complex and perfect. But anytime he comes up for one about how to, say, ask Zoro-ya out it always somehow manages to go terribly wrong. It MUST be a devil's fruit ability.

The first time Zoro actually properly asks Torao out, he first bows to and addresses Kikoku. Since it's imperative he has the curse blades permission to touch his master (especially with all the touching Zoro has planned).

Law doesn't get jealous. That's petty and below him

Law has personally threatened at least three shichibukai and one very (also highly annoying) horny yonko. Not because he was jealous, they just need to step off and stop looking at HIS Zoro-ya that way.

If you ask the boys when they started dating, you get VASTLY different answers. Law would argue that while he'd of course taken notices of the other Supernova back on Saboady, the boy then disappeared for two years and besides Law had a lot of plans that he needed to focus on and execute perfectly. They didn't really see each other again until after Punk Hazard and of course Law was very distracted until after Doflamingo..... Then the horrors they saw on Zou, though, admitedly he may have found himself distracted by Zoro-ya once or twice even at the time.... You know, he would say it was Wano. It was Wano when he realized what an idiot the other boy was, and how he absolutely needed Law on the ground watching after him or he would do something amazingly stupid like... Like listening to Law's plan for instance! When Zoro-ya endangering his life was CLEARLY not what Law intended! Yes, that is when Law decided this boy simply couldn't be considered safe unless Law is there to watch after him..... Also, it's sometimes nice when Zoro-ya looks after him as well.... SOMETIMES.

Zoro would say "Did you see Torao cut that island in half?" And that is all he has to say on the subject of when they started dating.

Law has noticed that Zoro-ya doesn't seem to pay much attention to what he wears, just picks up what is nearest and easiest and throws it on. On an unrelated note, Law has been "accidentally" making sure to strip down right by their bed, and leaving his shirts right there. His shirts with his jolly roger.

Nico Robin had to use not just her ability but her most Teacherly voice in order to separate Luffy and Law when Zoro shows up with the Heart Jolly Roger on his shirt. Law's smirking about it (while Zoro remained utterly confused through the entire fight) didn't help.

Zoro is super weak to people playing with his ear. This goes double when it's Torao and his stupid, sexy hands. He already wants to squirm whenever he watches Torao do that stupid switch-switch thing, but once Torao starts to sit closer and, even while reading his fingers seem to find their way to Zoro's earrings..... Twirl twirl twirl, TUG. Its enough to break Zoro's brain.

Historically, Northern denizens tended to have shorter and much more dangerous lifes compared to the relatively safe and stable East Blue, leading to them having a much different view of things like romance and marriage. That's part of why tattoos are so popular among North Blue denizens. However short your inevitably short life is, a tattoo is permanent. You can't change your mind or take it back. It's a way of wearing your loyalty.

Right behind his ear, the same side as his piercings, Zoro has a small black heart tattoo. He got it on their way up to Wano.

Usopp still doesn't understand how Zoro got lost on a submarine. He didn't see him for a whole four days! What's so funny, Robin.....

I actually have a number of HCs for these two that basically boil down to "Each Island should have its own culture, and by extension, each Blue should have its own culture the way each state has its own culture but the USA also has its own general culture." This can range from things like what I mentioned above, about North Blue having historically shorter lives due to the harsher environment or being more technologically advanced. But I also had smaller things like Law kissing Zoro-ya on the nose, since up North that was how you showed affection to family or younger friends and acquaintances. I also went the entire opposite direction of "smaller" and invented an entirely Shinto derived religion that's customs and kami differed based on the Blue.

I even came up with particular weather that happen almost strictly up North (Ice Storms which are incredibly deadly at sea and Black Mist, a yet unexplained phenomena that seems to choke the life out of any one who gets caught outside) and then wrote up an entire "Old North" mythology that explains the two phenomena and why they often follow each other even though one happens strictly on land and the other typically at sea. I pretty much full on created a whole religion and mythology and wrote individual stories just so Law could have a whole culture that belonged to HIS blue. The myth in question involved a human falling for a siren, and just like actual myths I created multiple retellings and versions where the characterization changed depending on the message the storyteller was trying to express. But in most every version the Siren, Isa, had green hair (because of course the North associates green hair with fertility; oh that's another thing, I created a whole sex profession hierarchy for the North Blue with the one common feature among different types of sex workers being they typically dyed their hair green, like that was a way to physically depict that you were fertile and later that you were, you know, open to being fertilized) and regardless of how they are depicted they end up turning into the shards of an Ice Storm either because they accidentally take human captain's life, do so and then regret their hunger, or are told they have killed them and in turn kill themselves. Law was told the latter version as a child and so always felt bad for Isa, who didn't know they were eating the captain's life force but the crew could have just told him and he would have left and instead because he is "different" they think it's better if he simply destroys himself. It's a character Law can both identify with but also see aspects of Zoro in; both his physical appearance which I'm sure to Law he just pictures Zoro now, but also in his loyalty and honor which aren't as important values up North which instead values survival and strength.

As you can see if I presented an accurate list of my HCs for these two, it would be insane and make no Earthly sense. I just really enjoy world building, especially when that world building leads to two hot sword boys pining after one another.

Oh, did I mention the whole "green hair = sex worker" association and just how personally All Hearts Law takes that when applied to his Zoro-ya?

Yeah.....

ZoBurn FistRo PortZoro

ZoAce:

Upon meeting him during Alabaster, every single non Luffy Strawhat was - at least a little -totally into Ace. He just seemed so cool (and also hot.) He's like a sexy Luffy and the whole crew wanted some.

Zoro wanted it the most, bitches

[gallavichthings]

This week’s interview is with an author who, despite not having written anything recently, lives forever in our hearts and minds. Let’s give a warm welcome to Kerri, aka horror_business, aka @damnnmilkovich, author of, among others, Dismantling Summer, a witch in wicker park, and the classic The Casanova Catering Conflict.

GT: Tells us a bit about yourself

K: My name is Kerri, I’m obsessed with my two cats, Grimm and Ghoul, and I have a lovely fiancé that I’ve been with for almost nine years. 

I work full time as the general manager of a restaurant which is why I haven’t written anything in awhile since it swallows me up fifty-five hours a week lol. I did most of my writing when I worked reception at a tattoo shop....there wasn’t much to do when the artists were in a session because it was an appointment only shop so that’s when I started dabbling in writing and posting.

I really love music and I know that sounds cliche but...I can’t even count the amount of live shows I’ve been to. Easily close to if not over 100. I’ve been going to concerts since I was 14, I’ve travelled to different states for festivals multiple times and went to warped tour every single year. I’m super into pop punk, metal and 2000s emo (because I am a 2000s emo kid...#imold). When covid hit and concerts stopped I was devastated, it’s like the only thing I *do*, music festivals are the only vacations I really take from work. But concerts are back baby and I got tickets to three shows already for the fall!! Vaxxed and ready to mosh!!

GT: I'm happy for you! I'm excited to go back to concerts as well, and I'm not even anywhere near as much of a music fan as you are! Does music inspire your fics?

Also, you're absolutely not old, I'm way older and I'm not old either 😜 No age for fandom.

K: Music is absolutely a huge inspiration for me. My fic “Dismantling Summer” was inspired by the song “The Boys of Summer” by the Atari’s, and the title of that story was taken from a song by The Wonder Years. Most of the chapter titles from Casanova Catering Conflict are songs lyrics or song titles lol. Music is meant to inspire you and motivate you and I guess it really got my creative juices flowing.

GT: What else inspires you to write?

K: I mean really just Ian and Mickey and their stories. Shameless is the only fandom I’ve ever written for and it was their love and development that really inspired me. I wrote all my fics before Ian and Mickey had their happy ending in canon and they deserved the type of love and support that I believe I represented in my fics.

GT: What kind of fics do you write more often?

K: Most of my work is AU’s. I have four one shots that are canon compliant but my longer, chaptered fics are AU’s. I would really describe my work as like feel good fics. Like I stated before I tend to lean towards more AU’s and I’m light on angst. There’s still some angst and sadness present but I feel like it doesn’t last long and I move on pretty quickly. They deserve to be happy at all times lmao.

GT: Agreed. Do you have a preference for writing Ian or Mickey?

K: I tend to write more from Mickey’s POV then Ian’s, tho I do switch it up! Dismantling Summer is all Ian’s POV, a witch in wicker park is all Mickey, but in Casanova Catering Conflict I switch the POV between chapters.

Mickey is my absolute favorite character ever, not just from shameless either, from anything, so I think that’s why I like writing from his POV more than any other. I just love getting into his head and trying to figure out what he would say and how he would react to certain situations.

Mickey’s a complicated guy, but he’s pretty easy to understand once you *get* him. It’s so easy to portray Mickey incorrectly, he seems to be a pretty misunderstood character (especially for the show writers lmaooo). Even tho I tend to write Mickey a little softer around the edges than he is in canon, it’s because I write him as someone who has realized his full potential and has accepted his sexuality so a lot of his anger in that regards has already dissipated, so I can write him as the confident, driven man he is and not the terrified, ashamed boy that he was.

GT: Lol tell me about it

What's the most difficult thing about writing them?

K: There’s a LOT of trauma to wade through with the two of them, not just as a couple but as individuals. So I think one of the hardest things to navigate is how to write them carrying these burdens still but to not make it their whole story. Their trauma has defined who they are as people and it’s defined their entire relationship so it’s hard not to dwell on Ian’s mental illness and exploitation as a teenager or Mickey’s abusive and oppressive upbringing since there is SO much to be explored there, but I think fic should be about them healing and growing and having a beautiful future for themselves regardless of these factors that have tried to do EVERYTHING to keep them from being happy.

Yes, writing dark and depressing and heavy stuff can be fun and enjoyable and we allllllll love the angst, but we love the healing just as much lol.

GT: That's absolutely true.

And what's the best or most fun part of writing them?

K Their chemistry. Their passion. Their love. They’re funny and sarcastic and smart and wild. They’re complicated and multifaceted and just all around great characters to work with and write about. But the best and most fun part of writing them is just writing about their love for each other and their families.

GT: Do you include other characters from the show when you write?

K: Occasionally. I’ve had Lip, Fiona, Debbie and Mandy have quick appearances in some fics, but for the most part I just stick to ian and Mickey

GT: What about OCs?

K: I don’t tend to do much with OC’s. The two used and somewhat fleshed out were Charles in Casanova Catering and Mickey’s mom in a witch in wicker park.

GT: Tell me a bit about your writing process.

K: I am probably the least organized writer out there lmao. I don’t exactly have a writing process. I don’t outline, I don’t really have plans, I just have vague ideas and scenes and maybe some quotes that I want to eventually get to so I have to connect the dots, a lot of my ideas come to me as I’m writing. I tend to write in order, don’t bounce around a lot and I would usually post the chapter as soon as it was done and work on the next one afterwards. I’m extremely undisciplined and lazy with my writing technique but hey! It got the job done lol.

GT: And done well!

Can you tell me a bit about your history with fanfiction? When did you first get in touch with it?

K: Oh jeez. The first time I read fan fiction was back when I was like 15/16. It was for this band that I was absolutely obsessed with. This was before like....shipping real people was frowned upon (for good reason) but I’m old, remember, so this was before ao3 when I got all my fic from livejournal. To this day it’s still some of the best fics I’ve ever read....I can remember some of the stories vividly! Wish I could go back and read them but there was a huge purge on livejournal years ago and all was lost.

I fell off from fanfic for years after that and didn’t get back into it until I started watching Shameless in 2012 and got into the fandom on here in like 2014. That’s when I fell back into reading fic and the first time I’ve ever written anything for fun in my life. So....thanks Shameless for unlocking a passion and talent I didn’t know I had lol

GT: What are your favorite seasons of Shameless? Or episodes. Or both.

K: Season two and season four have special places in my heart. Season two is just.....ugh....really the true beginning of Ian and Mickey’s story. It’s fun and cute and exciting and they’re ADORABLE. In general, season two seems a little lighter than the other seasons....if you can say that about shameless at all lmao.

And alternatively, season four is another favorite because of how *heavy* it is. The storylines are depressing and dark, but it’s compelling and heart wrenching and the development and life changes that happen to the characters shape the later seasons. Plus, season four is THE BEST Mickey season hands down, no questions asked.

Favorite episodes tho....ugh that’s so hard!!!! Weirdly 1x04- “Casey Casden” because it’s just pure chaos in the best way.

4x11 because.....come on....king Mickey.

7x10...dock scene supremacy.

The wedding episode!!!!! ❤️❤️

GT: Casey Casden, yes! That's one of my favorites too, but people don't usually mention it.

I actually agree with all of yours.

What did you think of the ending?

K: Overall, I think it was somewhat of a missed opportunity. There was so much potential to have old characters come back for Frank’s funeral, Fiona and Sheila and Mandy for example. It just would have been nice to have that catharsis. It was too open ended, we didn’t get closure on a lot of shit that was happening. Just seemed rushed.

But, as far as Ian and Mickey’s storyline goes, I was pleased. They have the business and the apartment and their communication skills have gotten sooo much better. They have a bright future ahead of them and I’m thankful. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

GT: What are your headcanons for their future?

K: Mickey and Ian have a beeaaautiful future together. The business takes off and they buy that new truck and hire a few guys like they were talking about. They find a nice, homey apartment that they both feel comfortable in with an extra room for wayward Gallagher’s....and eventually a child! I don’t think they would go the surrogate route, I truly believe they would adopt, and not just because they’re afraid of genetics, but because they truly want to help.

They thrive, they’re comfortable and have a little extra cash to take a vacation once every few years, they’re happy, they’re IN LOVE!

GT: It's perfect.

If you could go back and change one thing in canon, what would it be?

K: 3x666 😭😭😭 that changed everything

GT: What do you think would have happened otherwise?

K: I mean, so much would be different, Mickey’s entire storyline in s4 wouldn’t have existed because Svetlana wouldn’t be there. Would Ian still have run away? I mean his mental illness was going to make itself known eventually, but it probably wouldn’t have been AS traumatic if he was around his family and not in the army and stripping at clubs. Would Mickey have ever come out? Would he ever have the courage to stand up to Terry like that?

Everything would be different. So, as much as that episode truly fucking sucked, it shaped their whole story.

GT: I can't rewatch it though. And I specially hate how the correctional rape was completely shown while loving sex scenes between them get cut or have weird angles.

K: Oh absolutely!! It’s a terrible episode to rewatch and the showrunners are being blatantly homophobic, you can’t show their loving, intimate moments but can fully show the most traumatizing? K.....

GT: Tell me about your experience as a reader then. What are your favorite tropes?

K: I’m a sucker for a good ol’ friends to lovers au, anyttttthiiing that has to do with supernatural stuff like werewolves and vampires and witches etc lol. I love college au’s for some reason?? I’m really fond of au’s mostly but I looooove canon divergent fics as well. I always need some slight angst !! Because the resolution is always so sweet.

Really just anything lmao, as long as it’s well written and catches my attention from the jump I’m gonna enjoy it. There are so many good fics that have been written for this fandom like we’ve truly been blessed.

GT: We have!! Such a diverse collection as well!

What kind of fics do you avoid?

K: Anything with a big power imbalance, like student/teacher or boss/employee (SHITW is exempt from this rule) because it just sketches me out. Age gaps, many underage fics (kinda hard to avoid these all the time since they started their relationship as teenagers :/) or anything that’s just like...... icky 😂😂. Also, not to be a douche, but anything that’s not well written or doesn’t have paragraph breaks or just not using proper grammar I can’t do it lol.

GT: What are some of your favorite fics and/or writers in the fandom?

K: Ahhh so many!!! It’s hard to choose, I feel like my favorites are the fandom favorites lol. My favorite authors are pretty well known.... @loftec, @palepinkgoat, @thevioletjones, @goodkwuestion​, anomalously, andchaos, mellow_yellow, delgay.

My favorite fics? Oh man this is gonna be hard to list them all, but the ones I frequently go back to are...

LIFE, OR SOMETHING!!!

Our stubborn love

This is the road to ruin

Is there somewhere

Rookie Mistakes

OSHA Compliant

Until It Bleeds

Ahhh so many more!!

GT: I know, this fandom has so many great fics, it's nearly impossible to make a list.

What about your favorite from your own?

K: a witch in wicker park is definitely my favorite and the best thing I’ve ever written lol. It’s just....ugh....that fic was entirely self serving and I wrote it for ME which is why I think it’s so great. It’s not my most popular work, but it’s the most well written and evocative piece I’ve ever produced.

GT: How do you feel about comments?

K: Love getting them, terrible at leaving them lmao. I go back and read some of the comments I’ve received every so often just to remind myself that people like my stuff and I contributed once upon a time. I still get new comments on my old works too and that’s always nice to see.

I need to get better at leaving them, I used to be so good at leaving comments too!

GT: What kind of comments are your favorite to get?

K: Any comment is great!! I obviously love the big, long ones where they point out everything specifically that they liked and point out metaphors that I wrote or descriptions that were really good. But even just the ones yelling at me are good too lol.

GT: What's next for you? Do you have anything in the works?

K: I unfortunately just don’t have the time or the energy that I used to when I wrote all my fics, life is getting in the way. I have a few WIPS and even some completed chapters of a story that will never see the light of day, and I still have sooo many ideas floating around in my head so the creative thoughts are there but the drive isn’t.

It’s sad because it’s something I really, truly enjoyed, but it’s been so long since I’ve written anything that the idea seems intimidating now. I’m not ruling it out completely, but as of right now I have no plans to re-enter the fic writing game. :(

GT: I totally get it, it can be daunting to write when you haven't for a while, especially long fics. If you do write some more, I'm sure there will be plenty of people excited to read anything you have to offer, but if you don't, we'll always be grateful for what you've already given us. 💜

Ok, that was my last question. Send your fans a message now. 💕

K: Thank you so so much for your support and your continued love of my work!! The fact that triple c is something that is so cherished and recommended to this day is insane to think about. Thanks for the patience and the kind words and the interest. I can’t believe the comments and kudos I continue to get on everything even tho I haven’t published something in about three years. It means more than you know 💕💕 thank you!

And thank YOU so much for contributing so much to the fandom and doing these writers spotlights. It's so nice to actually be reminded that people care, you’re doing something special here!

[theepisceswriter]

300 MILESTONE WRITING EVENT. (CLOSED, BUT REGULAR REQUESTS ARE OPEN)

OMG HI BESTIES, I recently gained 300 besties and I can’t even begin to tell y’all how thankful I am for all the love and support all of you have given me in this short amount of time that I’ve owned my blog. I thought I was going to be a flop lowkey but you all proved me wrong LMAO. So to show my appreciation for you all, I decided to finally do a milestone event like I was supposed to do a long time ago but shhhhh, don’t be shy to send in a request bestie! I promise I don’t bite unless you know you’re into that kind of stuff 🙈 

MASTERLIST (tba once the first requests is complete or I get a couple of requests) 

 HOW THIS EVENT WILL WORK 

♡ listed below underneath the readmore cut are 90 prompts  for you to choose from that are broken into categories (fluff, smut, angst, & crack) 

♡ You can send in one prompt or mix and match them together along with a character of your choice, two characters for a ménage a trois situation if you want to be extra, or a character x character request 

♡ You can be as descriptive or as vague as you want with your request. 

♡ For example: “prompt number 13 (or the prompt by itself) + prompt 31 for Jean & scout!reader after he thinks you’ve died while in a battle but the two of you reunite later on” or just “Prompt 19 for Shigure Sohma” and even request who you want to say the prompt!

♡ In return I’ll write you a drabble based off the request that varies from 500-1k words. 

Requests specifically for this milestone event are open until 04/25/21 or until I say they close because I’m lowkey terrible at putting a time restriction on things. 

 WHAT FANDOMS THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO 

♡ ATTACK ON TITAN 

♡ JUJUTSU KAISEN 

♡ BLEACH 

♡  FRUITS BASKET 

♡  DEVILS LINE 

♡  FIRE FORCE 

♡  DEATH NOTE 

♡  JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE 

And any other animes/mangas mentioned in my rules post, even the ones in my currently reading/watching list, but the ones listed up above are the main ones.

PROMPTS LIST 

 FLUFF 

1. " hey, so... i know you haven't been feeling great, so i picked up a few of your favorite snacks, drinks... "

2.“ wait , did you just say you love me? “

3." it's okay. i promise you, i will be here when you wake up. "

4." wow... you look... you look amazing. "

5." you're shivering. here, take my jacket. "

6. “ i love you. “

7. “ what? ME have a crush on YOU? whaaaaaat?! haha! what? pfft … shut up! “

8.“ jealous?! i’m not jealous! “

9.“ wow … your smile is breathtaking. “

10.“I want to be more than friends. “

11.“ let me take you out on a date. “

12. “   it  seems  that  you  get  impossibly  more  beautiful  every  single  day .   ”

13.“ so … do i get a goodnight kiss? “

14. “   i  notice  that  you  keep  looking  at  my  lips .   you’re  criminally  unsubtle .   ”

15. “   i  think  the  kids  are  awake  …   ”

16. “   i  ran  you  a  bath .   get  in  it .   ”

17. “   there’s  no  greater  blessing  than  looking  at  my  child   &   seeing  your  eyes .   ”

18. “   let’s  just  get  in  the  car   &   drive  somewhere .   anywhere .   ”

19. “   i  just  can’t  believe  that  you’re  mine ,   now .   ”

20. “   no ,   you’re  not  going  anywhere .   you  have  a  fever .   ”

21. “   every  time  i  wake  up   &   you’re  there  next  to  me ,   i  wonder  if  i’m  still  dreaming .   ”

22. “  i think i might be in love with you.  ”

23. “ i love you, every part of you. even the parts you don’t like. ”

24. “  you know, if you moved in we wouldn’t keep having to say goodbye like this.  ”

25.“Come watch the sunset with me.”

 SMUT 

26. “i’ve been waiting all day…”

27. “can i come yet? Please let me cum.”

28. “you have to be quiet if you want to cum.”

29.“ wow … you’re hot when you’re angry. “

30. “i want you to touch yourself for me.”

31. “just shut up and fuck me.”

32. “i’m gonna fuck you until you beg me to stop.”

33. “i want you to forget everything and everyone else but me.”

34. “make me.”

35. “they’re gonna catch us—”

36. “You’re beautiful when you’re all flushed and wanting.”

37. “You can be rough with me, I won’t break.”

38. “Did you touch yourself, thinking of me?”

39. “Please, please, touch me.”

40. “I want to bury my face between your thighs.”

41. “You can beg better than that, I think.”

42. “Ride me. Slowly, that’s it.”

43. “Come taste yourself on my fingers.”

44. “are you gonna be good for me?”

45. “did you just yawn?”

46. “how much do you want to cum?”

47. “you sound so pretty when you moan”

48. “tell me you’re mine”

49. “I’m going to put a baby in you tonight.”

50. “Is this your first time doing anything?”

ANGST 

51.“ please just … leave me alone. “

52. “ i don’t love you. “

53.“  you don’t have to talk, we can just sit together.  ” 

54. “ stop trying to fix me.  ”

55. “  you’re right, you are a monster.  ”

56. “  loving you is killing me. ”

57.  “ you’re bleeding! ”

58. “  why can’t i be enough? ”

59. “  just stay still. let me hold you. ”

60. “  if you’re so intent on going down this path, then i’m coming with you. ”

61. “  i miss the way you used to smile at me. ”

62. “  i need to know that you’ll be okay. if something happens to me… ”

63. “  why won’t you just let me go? i’m not worth it. ”

64. “  please don’t go. ”

65. “There are more lives at stake here than the ones you care about! What gives you the right to decide that one person’s life weighs more than countless others?”

66. “I miss the old you.”

67.“I wish we knew each other sooner.”

68. “  even when you smile, your eyes are still sad.  ”

69. “Promise me you’ll find me in our next lifetime.”

70. “ don’t do that— don’t shut down on me. let me in.  ”

71. “ why aren’t you scared of me?  ”  

72. “ would you kill for me?  ”

73. “  i don’t like the way they look at you. perhaps i’ll cut their eyes out.  ”

74. “  yes. i killed them— but i did it for you.  ”

75. “I think I’m pregnant.”

 CRACK

76." what in the actual fuckily duckily. "

77." how do they know an animal is extinct like?? you looked everywhere?? "

78." why is it called creepypasta and not fettucine afraido? "

79." no offense to myself but what the fuck am i actually doing. "

80.“ … why does this card say ‘ happy 3rd birthday ‘? “

81." ted just be letting anyone talk. "

82." i wonder when the bermuda triangle stopped working. not a lot of drama there anymore. "

83." no wonder the ice caps are melting, i'm fucking HOT! "

84. “crying is very punk,  trust me,  i do it all the time  and i am a punk.  ”

85. “your inability to learn complicated handshakes is tearing this friendship apart.  ”

86. “  what do you mean a thesaurus isn’t a dinosaur? ”

87. “  i’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual.  ”

88.“It’s probably the Illuminati anyways.”

89. “ you’re lucky you’re cute. ”

90. “ Might just headbutt the wall and knock myself the fuck out.”

91. “You deserves the world but all i can give you is my anxiety and depression.”

[monday-headache]

Hey Simon! Thank you for the amazing ask <3 Right back at you:

I love that you're writing/arting about characters that have never met in canon (Gaige and Sasha, Fiona and Scarlett). What drew you to writing these characters together? And are there any more that you'd love to explore one day? :D

Hey Sarah, glad it made you smile. I want to have more interaction with the fandom so I’ll try to make this a regular, so please be free to send me questions whenever. I’d love to read your thoughts ;)

And Omg, that’s a fantastic question as well but, be aware, this is gonna be an essay as well.

Mhh where to start, where to start.

So first things first, My headcanon of why I think Gaige and Sasha would be best friends started a pretty long while ago, way before I even got gently pushed towards the Idea of really starting to write about it in the first place. Because you must know, even though Strays is my first longshot, it is also my very first fanfc I’ve ever written in like ever. So no matter how shitty, great or whatever it will turn out to be or how well others will be, Strays has and will always have a special place in my heart. And I’m not gonna rush things either, even when the fandom will die out, my Ideas for it will flow ;)

But yeah how it started. To put it simply Gaige was my first character In Borderlands ever that I played myself. I knew about the Lore of 1 and I’ve played 1 with a friend by the time it came out, but I played 1 myself AFTER I finished 2 So that may be a big reason, why I have such an open spot for Gaige. But also because she is fun, quirky extreme, punky, loves robots and tech... to put it simple a lot of traits I really love about a character. Her backstory with the science fair was so fresh and funny, and it may be one of my favorite spoken dialogue interactions heard over echo cassette’s

Then after Bl2 my love for Borderlands continued, played 1, played TPS and then... There was Tales, and by god do I loved Tales, and I hella still do. You probably know the feeling yourself. And with the love for the game, came a huge love for it’s cast. Like seriously I think besides Tector there isn’t really a character where I was going like, “ugh this one is trash” on the contrary. And besides my obvious love for the main 2 characters, there was a big love for the Deutagonist’s of this masterpiece. Namely Sasha and Loaderbot.

Loaderbot may have officially taken the spot for me as most favorite Robot in video game history ever (and Gortys for the most precious character ever). Like his whole segment of kidnapping them, forcing them to tell the truth, only to show how much he had grieved, how betrayed he felt and that he did all of tha  for his loved ones. Man say what you will about him, but damn he was written perfectly. I was blown away.

Secondly is of course, as you might have guessed it Sasha. I could go lengths for her too, how much I love and admire her character, how real she felt as a sister, a pandoran and last but not least as a human. Sasha felt to me like the most well rounded out character of the 6 (pls don’t hate me for it guys) From the punk rebellious attitude, to learning that she had an anti Hyperion pirate radio, that she used to broadcast bad things that happens in her neighbourhood, to her adapting her morals and learn that even in the most corrupt organisations there are still normal people struggling with their own life, and then progressing from it. And lastly after everything was at loss, the money the plan, she was willing to sacrifice her whole life for a dear friend/s, even on her dying breath putting both Rhys and her Sister at ease and in her last moments. Amazing.

Oooh boy and that was just the prelude to it all XD

After that I noticed a lot of similarities, between characters. Sasha and Loaderbot for instance are both pragmatic, put the lives of their loved ones over their own, love tech, are socially open people while holding back on information and emotion. Not to mention the scenes in 2 and 3 and also 4 and 5 where it is slightly hinted how well Sasha and Loaderbot work together, without sharing much words. So naturally the Idea was born that Sash and LB became quite close.

And the same goes for Sasha and Gaige. I was actually surprised that nobody (not entirely true, I saw one fanart of it) seemed to made that connection before as it was so obvious to me. So basically Sasha is a softer version of Gaige, in many terms. They both have a big heart for tech and especially guns. They both hosted a small radio broadcast that blew up in their region over night. Both are anarchist’s who spread the word for awareness, how fucked up the company war actually is. Both are not really good at their aim. Both call robots as their closes’t friends. Both share a deep hatred for Handsome Jack and his doings. Both fought a giant ass Vault Monster and nearly died in the process of doing so. Both got screwed up big time and now have a huge bounty on their head... So you see the list goes on, and honestly the more I write them, the more similarities I notice, both hc wise and canon wise. So there more I thought about it, and noticed similarites the more I fell in love with the Idea of them becoming close. And from there the Idea was born, that they probably met on a job ( the most likely scenario in the Borderlands universe). It had to be before BL3 of course, and to be after Tales naturally so that only put one timeline in the focus, Commander Lillith.

To be honest, I didn’t expect everything turning out so big. Like seriously I orifinally planed like 8k words or so. Now I’m dangling on the Idea of having 13 chapters and a big ass finally, a neat wrap up of everything and even a possible epilogue XD Yeah, that wasn’t what I expected either but damn do I love doing it.

Like seriously my headcanons only just gotten bigger and bigger. From a whole nebula system in the galaxy, to regions I created in my own mind for it, to even complex backstorys. Like why Sasha wears a headband, why she loves guns so much, what happened to her and Fi’s parents, why she was raised by her aunt, what does Felix have to do with it, Why Gaige has this kicks of both sudden depression and manical behavior. Why she’s so close to her dad, but her mom wasn’t even mentioned once (but teased), why she wanted to become a wedding planer, and why she is so obsessed with robots and margarita mix. I think one day, this thing will turn into a tabletop game or something XD

So estimated 20k words on my answer later and now we are going for my own created ship Scarleona. Don’t worry, as much as I like to gosh about that too, it wont take as long I prommy.

Scarleona was created in a sudden urge while thinking about what happpend to Fiona while Strays happened. And similar to Gaige and Sasha, Scarleona was born from a dynamic. Especially of those from two Ladybosses with Silvertongue and speech 100XD Fiona and Scarlett may have become my favorite Fiona ship (no offense everybody) because of how well they play off each other. Fiona is a con artist, her whole life she was used to swindle, to play it cool and by ear, go with the flow, and expect the unexpected. So here core idea is that she is manupulating people by LYING to them.

Scarlett on the other hand is similar while also the complete opposite to it. She is backstabby, plays with her charm and most importantly she is dead honest while tricking people. In fact even so honest that people don’t even realised that they got tricked even though she told it several times before. And this dynamic is so fascinating to me. You see, Fiona has almost an answer an action for everything prepared, but the idea that her winning honesty, is mind puzzling to Fiona is so perfect. @michellespenscratchz wrote me a drabble several months ago and I think that line describes it just perfect

“So, let me see if I got this straight,” Fiona tilted her head inquisitively at Captain Scarlett. “You needed these Vault Hunters’ help to find this treasure for you. So you…just asked them?”

“That’s right.” Scarlett nodded, inspecting her hook nonchalantly.

“Even though they knew you wanted it for yourself?” Fiona asked.

“Indeed,” Scarlett replied.

“And they…” Fiona blinked, “…knew you planned on fighting them for it once they had it.”

“Of course they did,” Scarlett shrugged. “I told them as much.”

“You told them?”

“Yes.”

“And they helped you anyway?”

“Precisely.” Scarlett turned her hat against the blistering wind. “I fear I don’t quite grasp what about this is so difficult to grasp, Fiona dear.”

“Huh.” Fiona cast her gaze out across the expanse of Pandoran horizon. “I guess I just gotta–I dunno–rethink my whole life right now.”

So yeah, that was basically it. I kinda diagressed and didn’t want to hurt your eyes more looking at the long ass text, but please if you have some more questions to it, pls hit me. I love to gosh about it <3

And thank you so much <3 This was hella fun

[twilightprince101]

That's right, we got TWO Bugsnax OCs!! This fandom/game has lots of potential for stuff and has really been bringing out my creative juices! So allow me to introduce to you Gramble Gigglefunny's punk ex-childhood friend, Skatey Skitterlock!

Skatey and Gramble used to live in the same neighborhood when they were younger. Because of her personal life and being exposed to the world from a young age she's always been the rebellious type. She fights for the right stuff and does her research, but tends to do it in a more... direct manner, as she sees that as the most efficient way of getting her point across.

She and Gramble were reasonably close back when they were kids, Skatey helping bring out his more adventurous side, but after accidentally landing him in hot water with his family the two fell apart. Now, after years of being on her own, she finds out that Gramble accepted an invitation to Snaktooth, and decided to try and follow him to make amends and reconnect.

Once again below is an interview following a layout prompt from @cosmicheartz, so go check them out and feel free to shoot an ask if you're interested! I'm hoping to do more with her in the future!

Who are you? Name’s Skatey Skitterlock. I’m uh, a lead protest activist.

( What kind of things do you protest for? ) Oh you know: preventing the hoarding of cash, homeless’ rights for living, ensuring corporate fuzzhats stay in their lane, the usual.

( Does that bat have anything to do with the ‘protest?’ ) What can I say? Grumps are a lot more willing to listen with a bit of ‘encouragement~’

Why come to Snacktooth island? I’m sure you’ve met Gramble by now? You know, smaller guy, lives in the barn, a little too into the walking food? Him and I actually go back a bit. We fell out of touch a while ago, so when I heard he was going to this little island getaway, I decided to tag along to catch up!

( Gramble never mentioned you when saying why he came. ) He didn’t…? Well, my decision to come along was a bit last minute, I did come in one of the later boats when the island had open invites. He was caught a bit off guard when I first showed up, but we’re, somewhat cool now.

( Why did you and Gramble stop talking? ) ...look I know this is just how you do things, that this is your job, but I’d appreciate it if you stopped while you’re ahead, alright? I think you’re smart. Don’t prove me wrong, for your own sake.

Thoughts on bugsnax? They’re… okay I’m just going to be frank with you: I think they’re weird and I don’t like them. I hate how they skitter around, it’s freaky how they talk without mouths and the whole transforming thing is just… Eugh. Shelda had the right idea trying to ward people away from them, I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat them, much less treat them like pets.

( Aren’t Bugsnax the only food source here? ) Not entirely. There’s some actual fish farther out in the ocean if you look hard enough, plus the sauce that Wambus grows. It’s actually how Gramble and I manage to stay alive on this grump-forsaken island. Troubleham and I even have an agreement: hang out around his crop to scare off Snax, then Gramble and I get first sauce pickings.

( Bugsnax are scared of you? ) Bash an entire population of white strabbys into mush and I think anyone would be.

Why did you leave town? I left soon after Gramble did. After the whole incident with Wabus I knew he’d probably need someone watching his back. Especially when I realized that Wiggle tagged along.

( What’s up with Wiggle? ) To give an extremely condensed version, I’ve noticed how she eyes Gramble’s pets. As much as I’m against the whole thing Gramble has going on, they’re important to him. Gotta give him some space to work though stuff, and that means keeping them out of that has-been’s maw.

( What stuff is he working through? ) *Quiet growls, alongside the patting of a metal pat.*

Any info on Lizbert? Peh, Liz. Honestly I don’t know what the other grumps decided to follow her here. I’ve met people like her in my business, and trust me when I say, she just brought everyone out here to make herself feel better.

( What makes you think that? ) Well let’s consider the facts here: She recently got labeled a fraud from her Grumplantis debacle, she drags pathetically weak grumps to an island where nobody has come back from, and--despite the fact it could’ve made things easier for everyone--she never bothered teaching anyone else how to catch Bugsnax. Do I need to spell it out for you?

( I do need your opinion on the record actually… ) Sigh. She put herself as the only food source on this entire island, making everyone here depend on her. All Lizbert did was create a problem only she could solve. Why do you think everything fell apart the moment she vanished? She’s no brave adventurer, she’s just another dime-a-dozen big shot looking to stroke their own ego, nothing more.

( What do you think happened to her? ) I overheard Cromdo talking about how Lizbert might’ve stolen the boat and dragged Eggabell along. As much as he annoys me, I don’t think he’s too far off. From my experience, when people in power are put under pressure from those below them, their first instinct is to turn tail and run, even if it means selling out the people you claim to care about. I don’t know when we’ll see those two again, but I promise that when I do, it won’t just be her tusks being broken.

That’s all my questions Skatey, you can put down the bat now. Yeah yeah, I get it, I’m not the nicest Grump in town. But honestly, somebody on this island needs to hold those two accountable. What Lizbert did was immature and really hurt people here, her own friend probably the most. The poor guy really idolized her and does nothing but try and care for others, then the minute things turn south she abandons him!

I respect Filbo's attempts to keep everyone together, but after trying to chase after Liz for so long he barely sees anything in himself. Somebody needs to be angry on his half, so it might as well be me. It's the least I can do for him.

[a3hastakenovermylife]

Hey there! Coming for the ask game for 2, 45 and 49 please💕 Hope you're doing well too love!

Oh, wow I really wasn’t expecting to get any asks!!!! Thank you so much!

2) Favorite Troupe

I love all of the troupes, I really do. However, I really am partial to Autumn Troupe. As much as I’d loved the upbeat nature of the story when it came to Summer and Spring Troupes, I am WEAK for people with complicated or dark past lives trying to turn over a new leaf. (and the idea that those dark pasts could come back to haunt them at any time and maybe pull the troupe into danger excites me)

Actually, I’m weak for Hurt/Comfort in general, and something about the whole way the portraits were set up and treated by the game left me with so much FUEL.

Like ok, TAICHI.  I seriously love Taichi’s whole character arc, I also seriously love how protective Autumn troupe, and specifically Banri and Juza get towards him after they hear the whole story, ok.  When Beni shows up at their closing night, and Taichi tries to stand up to him, and Juza and Banri chewing him out.  That made me so happy, just SO happy.

I also love Juza, like the poor baby.  He just wants some friends dammit.  (I seriously love imagining what would happen if one of the punks who likes to target him took a cheap shot and went for Muku or Kumon instead.  Can I see Juza in berserk protect mode please?). Also, he’s just such a sweet guy, I mean this figuratively AND literally.  Give him all the pudding he wants, he deserves it.

Like the other troupes had one or two characters with traits like that, and I love them. It’s just that, as a whole, Autumn troupe really makes me happy

(like I was enamored with the idea that Citron was a runaway prince with spies after him for a while)

(Also does anyone else remember that scene that Misumi like got startled but the Director and pinned her in a hold for just a sec because I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT)(wait a sec I remember reading that in game, I swear.  But, I just reread the whole summer episode and I literally couldn’t find it? I’m afraid I might be going insane, now. )(Does anybody else remember this happening because now I’m really curious what chapter it was?)

(also my crazy imagination running away with the idea that Tenma’s dad literally punched him, though that was before I started reading the Rookie arc for Summer.   I might still write something about them later...)

(Yeah, I really like Summer Troupe too if you can't tell...)

PLUS, their VOICES are so deep. 

I love.

Every.  

Single.  

One.  

Of their songs. 

I could listen to Banri’s raspy friggin’ voice all day, and Juza’s deep voice harmonizes so well with Banri’s. I want to scream.

45) Did your favorite character/troupe change since you started the game?

Ah, well my favorite character and troupe pretty much changed as soon as I first meet a new character. At least with the first three troupes, I was always convinced that nothing could top how much I loved the previous troupe when I started a new chapter, but the game ALWAYS surprised me.

The only troupe that kinda disappointed me was Winter troupe, but that’s mostly because I’m not a huge fan of Tsumugi. Like I love him, I just feel that his character was not nearly as well developed as the other leads, in fact, I feel like Tasuku would have been a better fit for the lead of that troupe, he has a much more interesting character arc, especially when he has to confront the fact that he hurt Tsumugi and apologize to him.

I just always felt that if you took away his friendship with Tasuku, there wasn’t much to Tsumugi. His character is almost built around Takuku’s character arc and the rest of him just feels fake, I guess? Not that Tsumugi is faking it, just that the character traits they chose for him seeem like they have little to no motivation or reasoning behind them, so he doesn’t feel as real as the other leads. It would be fine if he were a side character, but not as the lead.  

That’s why I’m a bit disappointed, like it would even be something if he showed more than token regret for leaving theatre for as long as he did, but he seems more upset about the fact that Tasuku is upset with him, than the fact that he quit doing what he loved for years. Like, it might be too similar to Sakyo’s arc in that respect, but I would have still been fine with it, especially because Tsumugi had his own reasons for leaving theatre, that are different enough from Sakyo's that I would have been satisfied.  

Anyway, I’m getting way off topic.

My favorite character has waffled like crazy too, its just like the header of my blog says, I love them ALL.  Its a bit overwhelming because I’ve never had this experience before, like I always latch on to a character or two and tolerate the rest for most fandoms I’m in.  

Like, at first, I adored Tsuzuru, like he was so friggin’ relatable, and hardworking and earnest that I loved him, I also loved how he was the big brother character.  Though, Itaru was a close second.

Then, it was Misumi.  I got seriously obsessed with Misumi for a while, he was so adorable and honest, and oblivious sometimes that I also sorta related to him, plus his voice is so adorable.  However, Tenma took over after I saw him get punched by his dad and he took over for that troupe from there.  I didn’t really appreciate Kazunari until I came back and reread his parts in the story, I missed some of the nuance of his small arc in my first read through.

THEN, Autumn troupe destroyed me.  DESTROYED ME, and I’m not even kidding. Like I literally hated Banri at first, though really, who among us didn’t at the start of all this.  I mean he was such a little shit for like the first third of the Autumn Troupe’s arc.  I was also on the fence at the beginning with Taichi, like I had like two SSR cards of him by this point so I knew who he was and he just seemed like an off-brand Kazunari to me, but that’s before I started reading so...

Anyway, but otherwise, right at the start of Autumn Troupe’s arc I had THREE FAVORITES just after auditions.  I’d really been looking forward to Sakyo joining, because he was the first SSR that I’d gotten, and immediately I remembered him from episode one and I got excited.   

Also, Omi just immediately appealed to me, the very second I first saw his dumb little confused face (you know the one), I was like ‘I love this man’ and that was the end of it.  Plus, I was getting serious big bro energy from him.  Juza also immediately appealed to me as well, he was just this intense guy but he was so earnest in the beginning that I really took a liking to him right off the bat.  He just felt like a gentle giant, he looks scary but in the way he acted you could just tell that that wasn't really him.

49) Any favorite quotes/trivia?

(not sure how much of this applies as trivia, I think I’ll do my favorite quote post later tho, I just don't have time at this exact second)

I love Sakyo popping bubble wrap, just going to put that out there.

I love the idea that Itaru just uses Sakuya as his personal gatcha drawer, that's just so cute to me.

I love the idea that Tenma literally has no sense of direction.

I love the Mankai Mahjong Club, and literally everything it entails.  

I love the Minagi family and I need more content with them, (thank you A3 anime).

BANRI AND TENMA GOING TO KAREOKE 

(^^ I don't know why I love this but I do)

Muku and Sakyo reading Shoujou manga together.  (It’s just too cute that Sakyo gave in after Muku started berating himself for even deciding to ask, I mean seriously it melts my heart every time I think about it.)

I think that's about it.  Sorry this is so long, and my thoughts are definitely jumbled, because I should definitely be doing schoolwork right now...

BUT THANKS FOR THE ASK!  I had a lot of fun answering these, and I definately went on a few tangents there, but I hope you enjoy it.  If anybody have any follow up questions either that's cool too!

[lunapaper]

The year was 2010. Emo was just starting to die out (long live the scene). I was studying to become a secondary school teacher, and Katy Perry was shooting whipped cream out of her boobs...

Second albums, more often than not, fail to live up to the hype. And yet, Teenage Dream has somehow endured.

While Perry’s 2008 debut, One of the Boys, launched her into the mainstream, it really hasn’t aged all that well. On tracks like ‘Self Inflicted’ and ‘Fingerprints,’ she tries way too hard to emulate Paramore’s bold pop punk. On others, she attempts to rebel against her gospel roots by turning the bawdiness up to 10.

It can also come off pretty juvenile at times. The singer was almost 25 when she sang on the title track: ‘So over the summer, something changed/I started reading Seventeen and shaving my legs/And I studied Lolita religiously/And I walked right in to school and caught you staring at me.’

But let’s be honest: Even though it’s been declared ~problematic~, you still jam out to ‘I Kissed A Girl’ when you hear it, don’t you? I hadn’t listened to ‘Ur So Gay’ before this, either, but its slinky, jazz-infused vibe absolutely slaps.

Like Teenage Dream is also a product of its time, presenting pop at its most sugary, hook-laden and bombastic. It managed to spawn 5 No.1 singles, the second album in history to do so after Michael Jackson’s Bad, as well as a documentary, Part of Me. There’s even a deluxe edition, cleverly titled The Complete Confection. It was Perry at her peak.

You know the title track, of course. Evoking images of cherry red lipstick, tight denim and driving down an empty highway in summer, Perry desperately clings to the memory of young love, breathlessly pleading ‘don’t ever look back, don’t ever look back.’

‘The One That Got Away,’ meanwhile, is its bittersweet sequel, Perry's lovesick nostalgia now tinged with regret. Yet, the only thing I really remember about the song is the video starring Cassian Andor himself, Diego Luna, as Perry’s past love, the beautifully dishevelled and tortured artist of my dreams (Dear God, that penetrating stare...) He’s also the only reason why anyone bothered to watch Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, if it wasn’t already obvious.

First single ‘California Gurls,’ on the other hand, is pure pop exuberance at its most campy and carefree, indicative of a more innocent time when it wasn’t driven by algorithms or social media. ‘Firework’ is still a go-to empowerment anthem for just about every kind of montage imaginable. ‘ET’ (featuring a pre-’presidential’ Kanye) is heavily-synthesised cyber pop that doesn’t get nearly enough love.

But Teenage Dream, in retrospect, has quite a few misses. ‘Peacock’ is just one big, long, glitchy dick joke. ‘Not Like The Movies’ is big ballad schmaltz. The brassy soft rock of ‘Hummingbird Heartbeat,’ meanwhile, opens with a hell of a line: ‘You make me feel like I'm losing my virginity/The first time, every time when you're touching me.’ And I’m pretty sure ‘What Am I Living For?’ is partly plagiarised from Justin Timberlake’s ‘My Love.’ Even Pitchfork awarded Teenage Dream a rather tame 6.8 in their recent retrospective review.

By the time Perry released Prism in 2013 – her ‘darker, moodier’ record - she had shifted further into ‘inspirational anthems.’ There was the inescapable mega-hit ‘Roar,’ the saccharine power ballad ‘Unconditionally’ and the Eastern-tinged ‘Legendary Lovers,’ complete with wellness and spiritual motifs.

But it wasn’t without its bangers: ‘Dark Horse’ (featuring Juicy J) jumped onto the trap pop bandwagon just in time with its subterranean bass and eerie, otherworldly synths. Even the slick, 90s-indebted ‘This Is How We Do’ has a certain charm.

Prism also marked the point where Perry’s invincibility began to wear off. Where the masses once lapped up her candy-coated antics, they were now calling her out for wearing braids in the video for ‘This Is How We Do’ and dressing up as a geisha during a performance at the American Music Awards.

And they would only get louder during her era of ‘purposeful pop.’ Released in the aftermath of the 2016 US election, Witness was meant to cement Perry as ‘Artist. Activist. Conscious’ - as her Twitter bio read at the time. She had joined Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail. On Instagram, she was quoting the likes of Socrates and Plato. She was Woke now, and she was telling anyone who’d listen.

Yet you’d be hard pressed to find much trace of this ‘purposeful pop’ on Witness, bar the first single, ‘Chained to the Rhythm.’ Written with Sia and Max Martin, the singer implores listeners to ‘put your rose-coloured glasses on and party on’ amid whirling, colourful synths.

The rest of the record, however, is made up of either soppy, overly sentimental ballads (‘Save As Draft,’ ‘Pendulum,’ ‘Into Me You See’), awkward lyrical turns and CHVRCHES/Purity Ring knock-offs (‘Hey Hey Hey,’ ‘Roulette,’ ‘Deja Vu’).

Funnily enough, Purity Ring’s Corin Roddick produced some of Witness’ better tracks: ‘Mind Maze’ and the soaring ballad ‘Miss You More, along with ‘Bigger Than Me.’

Final track ‘Act My Age,’ meanwhile, feels like a pre-emptive strike against the criticism Witness would inevitably receive (‘They say that I might lose my Midas touch/They also say I may become irrelevant/But who the fuck are they anyway?’).

Then there’s the godawful ‘Bon Appetit’ (featuring Migos) with its food-related double entendres. It was ‘Yummy’ before ‘Yummy’ existed. Seriously, I just wanna see Orlando Bloom say he likes this song with a straight face...

But I will still defend ‘Swish Swish’ to the death. Do the lyrics suck? Yeah, but Perry’s never been the strongest lyricist. But its pulsing 90s house beat does a lot of the heavy lifting, along with Nicki Minaj’s spitfire verse.

The promotional rollout for Witness, meanwhile, proved just as messy. Among the most infamous was a 72-hour livestream, where voyeurs got to witness Perry sleep, meditate, do yoga and welcome a random assortment of guests, including Gordon Ramsey and activist DeRay McKesson. Then there was the meme-laden video for ‘Swish Swish. She literally served herself up on a platter in the clip for ‘Bon Appetit.’ She tried reigniting her feud with Taylor Swift on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke. Needless to say, it reeked of desperation.

Looking back, though, you can’t help but feel a little bad for Perry, trying so hard to please only for it to blow up spectacularly in her face. So devastated, it sent her to the Hoffman Institute, which offers an abridged version of therapy. As she later told the Guardian:

‘I think the universe was like, ‘OK, all right, let’s have some humble pie here […] My negative thoughts were not great. They didn’t want to plan for a future. I also felt like I could control it by saying, ‘I’ll have the last word if I hurt myself or do something stupid and I’ll show you’ — but really, who was I showing?’

But although Witness lacked the perkiness of Teenage Dream or the cartoonish charm of One of the Boys, it shines best on its darker moments.

‘Dance With The Devil’ has the kind of smoky allure that wouldn’t look too out of place on a BANKS album, while ‘Power’ is a revelation. Produced by Jack Garrett, what could’ve been yet another dull empowerment ballad is turned into a gritty, groaning slab of vaporwave pop, with sultry sax riffs that sample, of all things, Smokey Robinson’s ‘Being With You.’ It’s electric as fuck. You believe it when Perry sings: ‘’Cause I'm a goddess and you know it/Some respect, you better show it/I'm done with you siphoning my power.’

If the singer had just done away with the whole ‘purposeful pop’ concept and stuck with Garrett, Roddick and Terror Jr’s Felix Snow as her core producing group, Witness probably wouldn’t have been half the failure it was. It could’ve had a chance to grow on people, the kind of slow burn Perry could’ve gotten away with at this point in her career. The cyberpop dystopian feel also could’ve gone hand in hand with her newfound wokeness, echoing people’s fear and anger in the aftermath of Trump’s win. But alas, we’ll never know...

While the rollout for Witness over the top, Smile’s was lacklustre and wildly inconsistent.

First single ‘Never Really Over’ came out a whole 15 months before the release of Smile to little fanfare, along with a hippie-inspired video to match. ‘Harleys in Hawaii’ later followed, which also stuck with the flower power aesthetic. Other singles - ‘Daisies’ and the title track – seemingly came and went without a trace.

So how did Katy Perry get to this point? And is there any chance of coming back?

It’s hard to say. A lot of artists go through a rough patch or two:   Miley's twerking antics divided audiences when she released 2013’s Bangerz. Taylor Swift’s reputation divided audiences. Only in recent years has Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP been vindicated. Such is the nature of music and pop culture in general. It’s fickle, just one vicious cycle after another; an endless quest for trend-bait that'll never end.

Right now, disco pop is going through a renaissance, while hyperpop reigns supreme. Dua Lip and Charli XCX are basically untouchable at the moment. TikTok has taken over from Top 40 radio when it comes to breaking hits, while the gap between album releases has also grown shorter and shorter. Even the nature of fandom has changed, shifting from old-school elitism to the bloodsport that is ‘stanning,’ along with an unhealthy amount of ‘endless simping’ (to quote a close friend of mine).

Perry, meanwhile, has failed to keep up, choosing to play it safe in order to avoid further scrutiny. But in doing so, she strips away the humour, the mischief and other idiosyncrasies that fans fell in love with in the first place.

But what choice did she have? As Junkee’s Sam Murphy notes in his own piece about Perry’s rise and fall:

‘At that point, you have two choices as a popstar — hunt for relevancy or make what comes naturally to you. Perry chose the former and came unstuck. She inserted vague wokeness into her songs as cancel culture infiltrated pop, tacked on rap features as hip-hop became the dominant commercial genre, and worked with producers who may have been able to find her credibility.’

(Full disclosure: I started writing my piece on Perry back in December 2020, so the timing of Murphy’s piece and mine is purely coincidental).

Even if you don’t believe in cancel culture, no one actually wants to be cancelled. It’s just not good for PR, especially for someone with an image as glossy and as carefully put-together as Perry’s. Even now, she continues to atone for Witness, telling the LA Times: ‘Having more awareness and consciousness, I no longer can just be a blissful, ignorant idealist who sings about love and relationships […] Even my travels have afforded me a new perspective on cultures, class systems and the inequality around the world, not just in the United States,’ though she carefully avoids the subject of politics on Smile.

But redemption is possible. Swift – Perry's one-time nemesis - was a total pariah back in 2016, mocked for her Girl Squad, for diddling the Hiddles while on the rebound from Calvin Harris and criticised for remaining coy on her political leanings. Now she’s earning indie cred with two of 2020’s biggest albums, folklore and evermore, and has thrown her support behind a number of social causes.

The devil works hard, but Swift’s PR team work harder. I might not be her biggest fan, but Taylor works Kris Jenner levels of mastery when it comes to rebuilding public sentiment. Thanks to her newfound indie cred, you’ve almost forgotten about the pastel atrocity ‘Me!,’ her 2019 duet with that insufferable drama kid cliché, Brendon Urie. Shifting her songs away from petty grievances to more original storytelling was also a smart move.

But while Swift has managed to move on, Perry seems to have fallen into the same adult contemporary trap as Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera and Pink, one that ensnares many female artists over 30 (Though many have also managed to escape – Gaga, Taylor, Beyonce, Rihanna, Kesha, Robyn...)

As ‘woke’ as the industry and fans at large might think themselves to be, they’re still pretty ageist. There's still an expectation to ‘mature’ your sound as you age, to become more ‘serious.’ No more fun, no more experimenting, boomer. But when you do end up filing away the edges, you’re called dull, generic and past your prime. Perry said as much on the aforementioned ‘Act My Age. You just. can't. win.

And yet, many female artists over 30 have created some of their best work yet in just the past year or so: Hayley Williams made the dramatic shift from pop rock to low-key, Radiohead-inspired tunes on her solo debut, Petals For Armor. Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters was hailed by critics as her most bold, urgent and visceral. Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? was a cut of understated disco pop elegance. Carly Rae Jepsen, meanwhile, released an equally stellar companion to 2019’s Dedicated.

At this point in her career, Perry could afford to follow a similar path to that of the Canadian singer. Once the meme value of ‘Call Me Maybe’ wore off, along with her mainstream appeal, Jepsen finally had a chance to discover real creative freedom, pushing her sound to greater heights and earning critical acclaim, all without having to compromise her love for catchy hooks and bold synth pop arrangements.

A couple of years ago, a Reddit user made a post about participating in a focus group held by Perry’s label to discuss why she’s ‘no longer one of the[ir] most notable female pop artists,’ and ‘what can [they] do with her image or marketing to make you care about her again?’

It’s depressing to think that an artist as accomplished as her needs a focus group to help solve her identity crisis. There really is no easy answer. Hopefully, Perry will be able to return more vibrant and assured than ever, on her own terms...

-Bianca B.

[shamelessllamapeanutthing]

My MatchaBlossom playlist

Here's the link to the playlist on Spotify-

Song meanings and POVs elaborated on down under.

Call it what you want- Taylor Swift

(Let's start with a TS song cause why tf not. I am and always will be a total slut for her 💜)

Okay, just the general vibe of this song is that of a person who's been through a bit and has now found a love so beautiful it's helping them heal and I feel like that ties in so well with Cherry and Joe's entire arc. I hear this song in Cherry's POV when Joe's affection is starting to restore his faith in love and life after Adam's done fucked it all up. Or even when his anxiety gets really fucking bad or whatever. It's just got big comfort vibes and I am a total whore for Cherry acknowledging and appreciating everything that Joe does for him.

All my flowers grew back as thorns,

Windows boarded up after the storm,

He built a fire just to keep me warm.

Explosion- Zolita

PINING JOE PINING JOE PINING JOE

*ahem* let me be more articulate.

TEENAGED PINING JOE

Don't call me about him I don't wanna hear

Put him out of your mind just make him disappear

Stop pretending you got nothing left to hide

My memory is slipping and it's killing me alive

Reached the bitter end

Can't pretend I'm not in love with my best friend, my best friend

Hate that you know me- BLEACHERS

Okay I think this song fits Cherry very well, especially when he is still trying to understand his dynamic with Joe. My personal headcanon is that Cherry is prone to bouts of self-hatred because of his anxiety and consequently, doesn't always consider himself deserving of Joe's love, and so, he tends to dislike it at times when Joe seems to understand him better than others and anticipate his needs so well, and I feel like this song depicts that beautifully.

Sometimes I hate that you know me so well (so well)

Sometimes I, I hate that you know me so well (and I hate ya)

Some days I, I wish that I wasn't myself (No)

No luck! (No)

And I hate that you know me so well

Heart attack- Demi Lovato

Okay, I can not be the only person who thinks of teenaged Cherry every time this song comes on. Imagine a Cherry who's flabbergasted by the strength of his feelings for Joe, and can never figure out what to do with himself.

Never break a sweat for the other guys

When you come around, I get paralyzed

And every time I try to be myself

It comes out wrong like a cry for help

It's just not fair; pain's more trouble than love is worth

I gasp for air; it feels so good, but you know it hurts

Lover- Taylor Swift

I have a very specific scene in mind when it comes to this song and that is MatchaBlossom slow-dancing in the first house they get together.

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

Make you mine- PUBLIC

You knew this song was going to end up on here lol.

Strangely enough, aware as I am of the fact that most of the fandom believes Joe was the one chasing Cherry (and I agree) this song just hits me as all Cherry's. It has all of his characteristic dogged determination and refusal to admit defeat lol

Well, I have called you darlin' and I'll say it again, again

So kiss me 'til I'm sorry, babe, that you are gone and I'm a mess

And I'll hurt you and you'll hurt me and we'll say things we can't repeat

Mess is Mine- Vance Joy

Slightly older, mellowed out MatchaBlossom, starting to realise they're in this together for the long run, that they always have been.

Further I feel like verse 1 and 2 respectively follow Joe and Cherry's POVs

First we have Joe, who is just brimming with the realisation that Cherry is his for good.

Talking like we used to do

It was always me and you

Shaken up and shipping out

Check me in and check me out

...

Hold on my darling

This mess was yours, now your mess is mine

Secondly, we have Cherry, who considers himself unbelievably lucky to have been considered worthy of Joe's love and keeps wondering if he is half as good a partner to the other man as he is to him.

See you in the market place

Walking around at 8 AM

Got two hours before my flight

Luck be on my side tonight

You're the reason that I feel so strong

The reason that I'm hanging on

You know you gave me all that time

Did I give enough of mine

More than Friends- BEKA HONNE

Baby MatchaBlossom pining. Really sweet, soft vibes. I keep thinking of shy, unsure junior high school Kaoru and Kojiro suddenly becoming blushing, stuttering messes around each other for a period of time as they both hit the realisation that they'd very much like to be kissing each other and it's very much not a Friend™ thing.

It happens after Joe has freshly realised that he is bi after all and Kaoru is exactly what he needs. Again, verse one reminds me of Joe, verse two of Cherry. They are down under respectively.

Driving home and those cats eyes got me seeing you

I'm always seeing you

I don't know how to tell you that I was wrong before

I thought I needed more

I was wondering if we could talk

I think about you every day

And the mixtape you made

Is all I ever to play

And every song reminds me that

You and I

Should be more than friends

...

I never thought I would see your face at my door again

Not at 3 AM

And I don't know just why I wasn't enough before

I thought you needed more

I know you came here to talk

Can't listen to the tape I made

It brings me too much pain

Cause every song reminds me that

You and I

Should be more than friends

This song can also work if you reverse the POV orders and then see it post Adam, but the vibe is a lil too soft for that.

Night go slow- Catey Shaw

MatchaBlossom but in a chill, lo-fi aesthetic.

The cars all stop where they are

When you take my hand, there is no time

Every moment that passes by with you

I wish I could rewind

Let go of your ways

And forget today

Just follow me tonight

Do you understand why I put all my plans on hold?

Not Afraid Anymore- Halsey

Okay, this one goes a lil heavy but imagine a traumatised Cherry, ya know after Ad*m, finally learning to let himself go and feel things again, emotionally and sexually, with Kojiro.

I also feel like they are two kinky bastards so really if you only wanna interpret it like that be my guest.

I am not ashamed anymore

I want something so impure

You better impress now, watching my dress now fall to the floor

Crawling underneath my skin, sweet talk with a hint of sin

Begging you to take me

Devil underneath your grin, sweet thing

But she play to win, heaven gonna hate me

People Crying Every Night- A R I Z O N A

I hear this song as Joe trying to get through to a hesitant Cherry, trying to make him see that while they don't get a say in so many other things, things that have happened and things that will happen, they get to choose the life they have together. They get to pick out their happy ending, build one out of scratch with each other and even if they have nothing else, at least they have this.

Oh and as the day

Turns into night

The things that we can't say

The things we try to hide

Like everyone else

We can't choose the way we die

Oh but we can choose

The way we live tonight

Oh I wish I had the answers

I wish I had the time

To give you all the reasons

Why it's worth it down the line

Ready to go- NEFFEX

This song is an ✨ aesthetic ✨

Okay but imagine, young, punk! MatchaBlossom, maybe around the time when they're travelling the world together?

It's all hot and heady, and Joe is thrilled by the wild, wild force of nature Kaoru is. He can't do anything but give in.

She said stay for a minute

Play with my limits

Drink till we're sinnin'

Baby I'm ready to go

...

She said she's finally alive

When she starts losing control

I said I know what to do

Just let our bodies go

Shine a Light- BANNERS

Another Kojiro song. This one reflects his inner struggle as he feels torn between wanting to comfort and protect Cherry after Adam, and the fact that he is hopelessly in love with Cherry who inadvertently keeps hurting him with how he is lost in the huge web of feelings he can't parse through, not completely blind to how much Kojiro loves him but not fully realising it either. This song reminds me of a confused and helpless Kojiro. Loving Kaoru is such an integral part of him that it makes him, him and it is his constant in the rapidly changing world around him as he stands on the brink of adulthood. He is very nearly ready to beg for mercy and yet knows he, himself is saved by the love he has for Kaoru.

And when the night falls, oh, call on me

Just don't forget to show me some mercy

Ooh, say you're mine

Ooh, take me higher

Sleepover- Hayley Kiyoko

JOE PINING @ HOMOEROTIC SLEEPOVERS WITH YOUR B(est)F

You wanna be friends forever?

I can think of something better

I'm just feeling low, feeling low

Sleeping here right next to me

But will you ever mess with me?

No

Thank you, my twilight- the pillows

Listen, this has been my fav classic Japanese love anthem for so long and to think it is PERFECT for Matchablossom just makes my heart go 💞

The lyrics are heart-wrenchingly raw and real, which is great reflection of Joe and Cherry's relationship. I include a translation of a few verses below, the first one seems something snatched straight out of Joe's internal monologues and the second one depicts the breathless intensity and loyalty so typical of Kaoru:

If you think it looks like I'm waiting for someone

Then you're right

I've been waiting for you

...

Sometimes people will ask me

"How far will you go for her?"

BABY as far as it takes

Wings- HAERTS

Another song depicting Cherry healing from Adam and learning to accept Joe's love, but a fluffier and sweeter way to go about it.

In which, Cherry decides to separate all of the sweeter moments of his and Joe's days with Adam from all of the bitterness, and carry that in his heart after they part ways and he finally moves on.

I will never let you go

I know you want it, know you want it

Learning love means not to know

I'll learn to take it,

Would you mind- PRETTYMUCH

Ending this post with a fluffy, flirty rec that could be Joe's anthem. See for yourselves.

Say you don't catch feelings, you say you ain't the love type

I'ma have to work, then, uh the whole night

Nothing like your ex, no, this ain't what you used to

Just give me that chance, girl, uh, won't lose you

See it? ;) Also, I feel like Joe had typical frat boy taste in music at some point so