#and wildly obsessed w his cat so +5

[hopkei]

10.25.23 Itsuki ig story

[tae-cup]

Cat & Mouse | Tata’s Spookytober 2020

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader (not romantic, definitely not)

Summary: Run away, little mouse, you have 5 minutes. 

Genre: Horror/Thriller, Angst

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Spine tingling, blood, scary!tae

Word Count: 2k Words

A/N: Hey y’all, welcome to the first installment of tata’s spookytober where I try to crank out as many spooky (or not so spooky) stories this october! Let me know if you would like to be tagged in my future updates!

Other: 

Masterlist

Spookytober 2020 Masterlist

             The basement wreaked of death and decay. The ever present smell of blood and bile coated the walls in its foul stench. The wood of the chair creaked as you dug your palms into the unforgiving surface. Ropes of wire and barb were bound to your wrists and ankles, making it impossible to move without adding your blood to the mixture of red swirling the ground. Sweat beaded on your forehead. It was no use. 

            Your captor’s heavy boots thumped down each step. There was the distinct drag of a body behind them. A girl, one you’d never seen before, was thrown limply to the side. Her body was still warm.

           The man stretched his fingers in his leather gloves, the tug of the fabric giving a familiar squeaking sound. It was a sound that reminded you of your father, or his driving gloves, of a warm summer’s day, of a place you could never visit again. 

        The man turned around after surveying his work and looked you in the eyes. He had on a white mask, one with a polished surface, a pristine finish that was much too clean for the environment. He tilted his head at you and then crouched in front of the chair. 

“Hello, little mouse.” His voice was a deep rumble that sent shivers down your spine. “I bet you’re wondering why you’re here.” He stood and began to pace slowly.

 “You see, I want to play a game, you and I.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “A game of...hide and seek, of sorts.” The man stopped and turned to you. “I will be the cat, and you will be the mouse.”

“W-why?” You choked out hoarsely. Behind the mask, his eyes were familiar.

“Now now, what you should be asking is ‘what are the rules?’.” The man’s voice was muffled against his emotionless mask.

 “The rules are simple. You hide from me for three hours, you win. I’ll let you go, and I’m a man of my word.” He displayed his fingers to show he wasn’t crossing them. “Any questions?” 

Your eyes slid over to the body in the corner. “And if you catch me?” 

He chuckled darkly. “Don’t get caught, mouse.” Then he undid your restraints, pulling you roughly behind him as he went up the stairs once more.

 “Run, little mouse, you have five minutes.” 

            Your heart was pumping, your legs were shaking, and worst of all, you couldn’t make a sound. His heavy boots stomped against the floorboards of the old house. The entire place was dusty and decrepit, the wood rotting and spiders in every corner. You were sandwiched between two jackets and a few old pairs of pants.

           The broken slats of the closet showed through the slightest sliver of moonlight. You tried to slow your breathing as the footsteps drew closer to the room. Then they stopped. The creak of the door was the only indicator that someone had entered the room. His presence was almost silent. 

            He was a trained hunter, he was loud on purpose beforehand. It had only been an hour. He didn’t seem too impatient or in a hurry to finish the game. Your captor seemed to be the type to enjoy toying with his prey. You slapped a hand over your nose and mouth, not daring to breathe. The footsteps advanced closer and closer to the closet. 

          Then his shadow covered the moonlight and you were plunged into darkness. You blinked a couple times to adjust your eyes. He was standing in front of the closet. In his hand, you saw the glint of steel. This was it. This was how you were going to die, soaked in your own blood. 

          You hardly breathed, your heart pounding uncontrollably. You squeezed your eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable. A few moments passed by. You could still feel his presence. Then you slowly opened your eyes.

           Immediately, you scooted backwards a few steps and your hand muffled the noise of surprise. The white masked face was leaning against the slats of the closet. His dark eyes met yours. You could have sworn you heard him chuckled. Your wide eyes stared at him as he stared back. 

            Slowly, he straightened and walked out of the room loudly, his boots thudding against the old wood. He whistled a small tune while he went about it. 

           He had found you. And he had let you go. Now he was toying with you, truly. You needed to start thinking smarter, not harder. Through all your fear and timid anxiety, you found clarity. He knew the house better than you, most likely knew every nook and cranny. The place was surrounded by woods for miles, there were no roads nearby. He was a tracker, a hunter, he’d find you instantly. 

         Your head ran the numbers, your ears listened for him. He seemed to be downstairs. He underestimates you. Your father used to always say, ‘When someone underestimates you, you use that to your advantage, got it?’ 

          You hesitantly opened the closet, cringing at the slightest of squeaks. Your plan needed to be quick and easy to execute. You needed to move fast, not sparing a second, because that’s all it would take for him to catch you. He gave you a second chance, and you planned on using it well. 

         Think smarter. You crept out of the closet and looked around the dilapidated room. The walls were peeling and the dark corners of the room trickled into your peripheral. Thump thump thump went your heart. Your toes curled inward. You tried to be quiet, but the dust on the floor showed your bare footprints. Down the hall you went, the shadows looming in. 

         You were more concerned with the man hunting you downstairs than the darkness of the house, because nothing could be scarier than another human being right now. You were going to find another hiding space. Where has he already checked? Then it hit you. It would be tricky and wildly dangerous, but it may be your best bet. 

        You could hide in the basement. You almost scolded yourself for such a stupid idea. It would never work. How would you even get down there? But he would be expecting you to stay in the main floors. You reached the railing that overlooked the first floor. There were murmured voices. 

“I’m in the middle of a game, hyung...yeah, I’ll be there soon, let me just finish this up.” Then there was the click of a call hanging up. 

          You scrambled to your stomach as your captor’s head came into view. He was no longer wearing his mask, instead it hung limply in his hand at the side. You could just make out his profile in the low light. He had a defined nose and wide lips.

           You recognized him. He was the weird kid at the back of the class in school, the one who always watched the cheer practices with an unreadable gaze, the one who disappeared every so often. Taehyung had always struck you as an enigma and it had become your strange obsession to find out more about him. 

          Then one night you had been walking home and a masked figure had knocked you to the ground. You could imagine it now. Your body dragged to his car, thrown into the back, tied up to a chair, and watched. Taehyung always watched. 

          You felt sick, but that was only to your detriment. He glanced upwards. You only saw the slight twitch of his lips before he slowly raised the mask once more. Then started making his way to the stairs. A low whistle split the silence. 

          You scrambled upwards, trying to remain quiet as you darted down the twisting hallways. His heavy boots lazily went up the stairs. You made your way around the rooms. Then you raced down one direction, slammed a door shut, and then quietly made your way the other way. You flew into the laundry room. 

         Old and broken tiles littered the floor. The broken machines sat in the corner of the room and two different hatches stuck out from the wall. You opened one, holding your breath as you saw the darkness of the chute below. The rusty metal latch squeaked quietly as you moved the next one. You took a deep breath, mustering up what little courage you had. Then you stuck one leg into the chute. 

          The footsteps echoed down the hallway towards where you slammed the door. The low whistle continued. The man dragged his knife against the walls of the house as he went along. The silver cut easily into the wallpaper, tearing it away to reveal the underside. 

“Mouse, mouse, where are you?” He crooned, turning back around and reaching what he knew to be the laundry room. 

           Taehyung liked a chase, but he was getting impatient and Namjoon was waiting for him at home. He heard a rustle from inside and a sadistic grin plastered onto his face. 

“Found you, mouse.” He threw open the door with a bang. 

           You scrambled out of the chute, the spiderwebs tangled in your hair. There was a loud bang upstairs as the door was flung open. You stepped lightly into the downstairs hallway. You heard an anguished shout from the floor above. 

          The cocky grin slipped off his face. There was no sign of you. He shouted in rage and kicked the softened metal of the laundry shoot with his foot. Then Taehyung turned on his heel and stormed down the hallway. His knuckles were white as he gripped the handle of the knife.

          The thing is, he loved to watch people, but when people began watching him, he needed to stop it. That’s why that girl who was flirting with him earlier was dead in a ditch, the reason his professor was strung up downstairs, and the reason you were playing a little game. 

          All his life, he’d been watched. His own parents wouldn’t leave him alone for a second, always taking him to doctors, trying to figure out why he was torturing animals, why he smiled at horror movies. So he had taken care of them of course, and now he’d take care of you. 

         The last sentence would be wonderfully romantic if it was out of context. Sadly, this was a cat and mouse game, and you were the unfortunate mouse. There was a door slammed downstairs and he followed instinct. His heavy steps thundered down the stairs and down the hallway. 

“Little mouse, come out and play. You can’t hide forever.” He seethed. 

           You ducked into the basement, the darkness throwing you off. You waved your hands wildly around the darkness like a blind man. The sliver of moonlight wasn’t much to go off of. You tripped over something, tumbling forward onto several squishy things.

          You felt around, then your hand came into contact with strands...of something. You held it up to the sliver of light. You gasped loudly, heart thumping, disgust moving up your throat. It was hair and that hair was attached to a head. 

          You backed away until your back hit the concrete wall. There was safety in the sturdy material. You took deep breaths as the footsteps pounded up and down the hallways. 

“Mouse, get out here, right now.” His low growl shot through the house. 

           No no no. His steps stopped right outside the door. You pushed yourself into the corner, concealing yourself in the dark. Taehyung walked down the steps, his heavy breath the only sound. You were as still as a mouse, and a mouse you were indeed. 

          He stopped at the bottom of the steps. Then he slowly whistled a stilted tune strung together by his lips. The twisted notes made your stomach curl and your head spin in anxiety. 

“Come out my mouse. I know you’re down here.”

        You let out the smallest breath. Taehyung had always observed, always watched. A cheshire cat smile made its way onto his face. 

I have you cornered, little mouse. 

[clayfaced]

POSITIVE 20 QUESTIONS TAG GAME

ily @hopeisthewholepoint i was doing this a while ago and then the draft didn’t save so this is about 30 years late by now whopps. ily thanks for tagging me tho. ❤

1. Name 4 fictional characters who showcase your personality the best, with explanations if you want.

My girl Edrisa Tanaka from Prodigal Son bc we’re both socially awkward but at least she’s unapologetic about it. I want to say I have Sam Wilson’s humor and I too do what everyone else does just slower. Raymond Holt because I love fluffy bois and I’m down to fight anyone who says anything bad about my pets. Ben Wyatt because we’re both human disasters and I like making dumb stuff when I’m bored.  

2. Aesthetic

Playing pool terribly with friends, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, colorful rain jackets. Balloons, music playing from car radios, collecting movie ticket stubs. Painted nails, open windows, and fish stamps on postcards. The smell of fresh basil.

3. Favorite musical/play? (If you’ve never seen a musical or play, one you’d be interested in seeing?)

Come from Away. Hands down. Though I will say I saw recordings of the National Theater’s Frankensteins recently and both are very good but the Miller-as-the-creature version is especially good.

4. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Okay this is a bit of an unfair question bc I die at any and all compliments. But one that I thought of today /a couple days ago/ a long time ago when i started writing this that made me happy again was when someone I'm in a club with let me borrow his camera to take pictures during a performance. I hadn't taken pictures in a while and I had so much fun and I don't really contribute to the club so I finally felt like I had purpose. It was hard to see how they came out on the camera but the next time I saw him he said they came out really well and someone else said that he's normally picky when it comes to photos but he liked mine so that made me feel even better and it was overall a very nice time. It wasn't even really the compliment (I mean, it still was but) it was also just the gesture to offer a camera when he heard I liked taking pictures. I didn't have my camera with me until after this and it really made me remember how much I liked it. Anyways he graduated and hasn't been in the club since last semester so I never see him but it made me v happy.

5. How many times have you been in love?

Miss me with that romantic love but I fall in love with friends and people and every little thing everyday.

6. Embarrassing story or fact about yourself that makes you laugh now?

Bold of you to assume I've recovered from anything embarrassing ever.

This is a bit of a cheat bc it was always funny but my middle school PE uniforms had words and definitions on the back of the shirts (no i don’t know why) and mine said “final: adj. last in place” or something like that and you know what? it was RIGHT.

7. Favorite Disney/Pixar movie?

Probably Up. Idk I don’t really have one.

8. Favorite flower or plant?

Probably triostar plants because they’re cute and pink.

9. What’s your favorite holiday?

Halloween 🎃! I love the idea that kids are going bonkers and getting candy and having a good time. And I love that it gives not-children people a chance to dress up and have fun and take themselves less seriously for a day.

EDIT: NO ONE TOLD ME I MISSED QUESTIONS 10-14. NO ONE LOOK AT THIS .LOOK AWAY. IM FIXING IT. HOW DID I MISS FIVE WHOLE ENTIRE QUESTIONS. SMH.

10. Name three things that made you laugh or smile this past week.

This meme dee just sent me a minute ago. I had a socially-distant dinner with a couple of my friends whomst I love a lot on Saturday and it was very nice to see their beautiful faces in person again and I love them a lot. Time isn’t real I don’t know what happened this week. I set up the Xbox again and I’ve played a little little bit of Assassins Creed (which Im very bad at) and Skyrim (which im only a little bad at) and that’s been fun. Bonus answer of dee, nina, and I have been watching 911: Lone Star together and it’s v v fun.

11. What song would you play to introduce yourself to someone?

That is way too hard of a question to definitively answer. My music taste varies so wildly and my favorite song is usually the one I've obsessively listened to the last. Using that logic: Bang! by AJR or Wake Me by Bleachers. Or Chris Martin’s cover of Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan. Yeah. The last one.

12. Name something that truly makes you feel peaceful even at your most stressed moments.

Being a passenger in a car with music playing though that doesn’t really happen when I’m stressed. I wouldn’t say peaceful because when I’m not good at that when I’m stressed and most of the time when I’m stressed I have too much stress inside of me so I would rather get it out than be peaceful. So I just put earbuds in and listen to music too loudly so I don’t have to hear anything around me and I can just sort of release all pent up energy with the music and calm down.

13. What do you, did you, or would you study at college?

I’m studying film! I’m technically undeclared but I’m hoping to declare soon. :-). Yes I’m going to be unemployed and leech off of dee for the rest of our lives thanks for asking.

14. This is kind of a weird one, but which outfit of yours makes you feel most like yourself?

Um. Definitely sneakers (by default my white ones because I only have one pair) because I like being able to Move. Same reason for my black pants bc they’re not restricting at all and comfy. And then probably my gray sweatshirt which dee will murder me for saying bc it means I have zero (0) colors in my outfit but it comfy. I like having colors but I feel more comfortable in more neutral colors.

15. What is a quote you live by?

Oof oof I don’t know. I think there are a lot of quotes I want to live by and then I forget about them so if I am living by a specific quote, it’s not consciously. I reblog a lot I like to my words tag or text tag, and this one:

 “‘Do you fall in love often?’ Yes often. With a view, with a book, with a dog, a cat, with numbers, with friends, with complete strangers, with nothing at all.” (Jeanette Winterson)

explains me very well. I don’t know that it’s something I live by because it’s just a state of my existence but it me.

16. Name the funniest playlist name you have.

I wish I had funnier playlist names. One of them is living room couch alone for a very specific mood when it's after 10 o'clock and everyone else is asleep and I'm in the living room alone on the couch and I'm not tired and time doesn't feel real. It's a good mood. I also have one called new york times which isn't funny I just like it.

17. Make a reference to an inside joke you have with someone you love with zero context.

“you know why we do this?" *snap with one hand* "because we can’t always get our arms free to do this” *dramatic arching snap with both hands* 

But that one’s not with dee ( @mrrmiracle ) so give me one sec to think of something else too. Ok here we go: 

"that Andrew Garfield movie"

18. What is a message you would give your younger self if given the chance?

Stop overthinking and start doing. You can’t sit at home sad your friends aren’t hanging out with you if you never ask them to hang out. Initiate things. Its not as scary as it seems. Also for the love of all things holy please form good habits now. Form all the good habits I have none and I’m tired.

19. Who is your favorite family member? (If you have no good blood family members, feel free to mention someone in your found family)

um my cats :// im just kidding it’s @mrrmiracle obviously.

20. What’s a secret dream of yours?

Um lol to not be alone. To be employed doing something I enjoy and make enough money to support myself. If I put lol will this sound less sad.

I’m tagging @mrrmiracle, @grayson-dick @valleydean and @daredeviil and if anyone else wants to do it just say i tagged you and i’ll edit it to include you 👀. i just get anxious tagging people bc i don’t want to annoy people and i never know who wants to be tagged or not.

[antiquatedfuture]

New for the Holidays

NEW ZINES

All Together: A Primer for Connecting to Place + Cultivating Ecological Citizenship- All Together asks us to think about our relationship with community, place, plants, climate, food, and land, helping us figure out how we can know the place we live more intimately. ($5) Buried: A Zine About Grief and Digging Out- Both a memoir of losing parents and a guide to dealing with grief, Nicole Worthington's Buried is tender, heartbreaking, and uplifting, all at once. ($5) Clock Tower Nine #14- In an attempt to figure out the last record he would ever sell, Danny Noonan writes the story of a skittish teenager’s discovery of punk that leads him to house shows and eventually a move across the country. ($2.50) The Complete Speculative Red Hot Chili Peppers Fan Fiction (Second Edition)- After a long absence, the second edition of Chase Kamp's TCSRHCPFF is finally here—a gloriously odd collection of interlinked short stories based on the lives and careers of past and present members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. ($6)

Drink More Water, Be More Honest: 30 Lessons From My 20s (Second Edition)- A brand new printing of this fabulous zine from the ever-wise Sarah Mirk. A must-read zine for anyone, at any age. ($4) Fear, Safety, & Femmes- In a series of interviews with queer women and non-binary folks, Fear, Safety, & Femmes examines what safety looks like. ($5)

The Hid Are Out: A Tribute to The Breeders- Told through short personal stories, the zine is a heartfelt tribute to the band and an example of how music can change the course of a person's life. ($3) Offerings of Grace & Mischief #13- Part of our ongoing effort to stock everything Rachel Lee-Carman. Art studios, nettles, crows, good friends, the year of the horse, folk bands, a survey of winter vegetation, and so much more. ($5)

Proof I Exist #28- Juxtaposing his brother's substance abuse issues with his own aversion to substances, Proof I Exist #28 becomes a short memoir on family and addiction that's heart-felt and curious. ($2) Sword Loser- The new game from story-game creator Jackson Tegu. Sword Loser is the story of a lovable rake named Tyngauld who has a bad habit of losing swords. With a group of friends, you create the stories behind his recent acquisitions and losses. ($5) Tattoo Punk- The second issue of this high-energy, full-color cut-and-paste tattoo fanzine. The latest project from Ben Trogdon, editor of the legendary Nuts! fanzine. ($10)

Things Men Have Told Me About My Body- A collection of anecdotes and stories from 30+ anonymous contributors who have had men make wildly inappropriate statements about their bodies. ($5) Tranquility, or The Virtue of Realizing Your Self-Worth- In Tranquility, César Ramirez takes on a wide array of life experiences in a small amount of space. Within: the day John Wayne shot his dad, being a teacher of color, and finding pride in a name that no one can quite say. ($5) Under Pressure: Herbs For Resilience- Looking at the physiology of stress, the zine is a holistic guide to surviving an unhealthy culture. ($10)

Wanderer, Issue #5: A Perzine About Home, Mental Health, Self Care & DIY Music- Within: road trips, house shows, gender identity, zine mazes, and odes to initiators of fun. As well as finding ways through depression and panic attacks and hard times. ($5) When Death Knocks- A personal zine written by Death himself. Or, more specifically, written by a lowly "Transition Officer" working for the agency of Death. A morbid and tender piece of writing from the postmortem zine scene. ($3)

Where You From #6: Home Is- Combining her long-running Keep Writing postcard project, a community art grant, and a zine series about the idea of home, Hope Amico asked people in the summer heat of New Orleans to write about how they define home. ($5) Women in Sound #1- The issue that started it all, in stock here for the very first time. The highlight: a conversation with the legendary home recording artist Linda Smith. ($5)

NEW BOOKS Everyday Mythologies by Joshua James Amberson- A sideways glance at the mundane myths that make up our lives. Or: three personal essays about collecting, cars, and dads (that are also about gender, masculinity, and strength). ($8) The Frustratingly Insufficient Gatsby by Jackson Tegu- Playful, absurdist, and description obsessed, this is a wild and bizarre ride through the mind of story-game writer Jackson Tegu. It's weird fun for fans of Italo Calvino, Gertrude Stein, and Alejandro Zambra. ($10) Stranger in the Pen by Mohamed Asem- The latest from Perfect Day Publishing, Stranger in the Pen "examines the burden of being disconnected from one's homeland, unpacks the emotional toll of racial profiling, and illuminates the quietly surprising ways in which grief can change one's life." ($10)

NEW PAPER GOODS & MISCELLANY

2019 Lunar Phase Calendar Poster- An annual favorite. The lunar phases among night-blooming flowers by Nina and Sonya Montenegro of The Far Woods. ($18) Curtains Sticker- A cat with a knife, sneaking out from under a curtain of leaves. From Deth P. Sun. ($1) Metallic Eagle Owl Notepad- The latest from Eberhardt Press' legendary bird pad series: An eagle owl, metallic and properly intimidating. ($4)

NEW MUSIC

Sabriel's Orb & John Atkinson- Split Tape- Two sides of textural ambient synthscapes from some masters of minimalism. Sabriel's Orb is the latest project from Willow Skye-Biggs (Stag Hare, ariel) and John Atkinson is a film composer, formerly of the Brooklyn hypnogogic-pop group Aa. ($7) The Washboard Abs Tape Pack- All three full-length cassettes (w/ download codes) from The Washboard Abs, for only $10. Part of a month-long benefit for Real Rent Duwamish. ($10)

[vivarin]

tagged to do the 5 things meme by @sufjoon love u :’)

5 things you’ll find in my bag: my backpack is a hell pit lmao def a knife, a lighter, my laptop, a to-go thing of coffeemate, and my lil journal

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom: oh my literal crack den !! the spirit/entity named luther tht currently occupies my room (i’m 100% serious) and his portrait that i abstractly painted whilst high, an obscene number of mugs, an even more obscene number of shot glasses (man i don’t even do shots anymore), my beanbag chairs (which i am including in honor of my friends who literally inhabit them), and my keurig/hoard of kcups

5 of my favourite things: my black cargo jacket covered in patches n buttons n shit (affectionately named scrappy doo), coffee!!!!, my knives (just ordered a dubiously legal smith & wesson otf switchblade im so excited), cats (my literal weakness dude if i’m ever about to murder someone just show me a cat), my white nike af1s (honorable mention to my combat boots tho)

5 things i’m currently into: bnha man i am DROWNING in bnha hell, making wildly specific mood/theme playlists on spotify, weird hair colors (it’s legit neon green rn i am obsessed), giant hoodies (esp obnoxiously colored ones), vent art/journaling

5 things on my to-do list: all the classwork i was supposed to do over break (lmao), cleaning my hellish room, writing the next chap of my bnha fic (told u i was in hell), call my pharmacy at home (my mom switched my insurance w/o telling me so now i can’t fill my meds at school out of state l m a o), goddamn motherfucking laundry

ok imma tag @dylanzink @anarchyworm @carrie-onn and @regina-cordium

[atonguethatisafraid]

media diet 07/15/2019

(podcast) The Treatment w/ Elvis Mitchell - David Fincher, “Mindhunter” - fincher’s work as an examination of sociopathy and fame - serial killing as a narcissistic need to be seen - famous serial killers as a regional sensation until Son of Sam, when the fame portion went national (article) The New York Times - “Amazon Prime Days Brings Sales, and Risks, For Retailers” by David Yaffe-Bellany https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/business/amazon-prime-day.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage - the effect of Amazon Prime Day as a sort of summer Black Friday - other retailers forced to have sales to compete, may end up hurting them if people become accustomed to only shopping when there are sales - “They do have this physical footprint that they really should leverage,” Mr. Nash of RedPoint Global said. “They can meet with consumers in person, let them physically touch products. That’s an advantage.” do we really believe this anymore? - nothing about the effect on workers or labor, obviously. it’s the Business section. there will never be a Labor section. (article) The Ringer - “Simona Halep Has Her Moment” by Katie Baker https://www.theringer.com/2019/7/13/20693039/simona-halep-serena-williams-wimbledon-2019 - watched the last week of Wimbledon with my sister Kate - very bizarre final, Simona just crushing, but Serena never looking fully engaged or excited to be there, tough to read her state of mind - Simona was incredibly cute in the post-match interview after learning that she’d get to meet the Royals (review) The New Yorker - “Midsommar,” Reviewed: Ari Aster’s Backward Horror Story of an American Couple in Sweden” by Richard Brody https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/midsommar-reviewed-ari-asters-backwards-horror-story-of-an-american-couple-in-sweden - I like Brody’s intellectualized take on thinggs, even when I wildly disagree with even the basis of a take (his “A Quiet Place” review as a defense of white, gun-obsessed culture) - I’m with him largely here that Aster is more interested in aesthetics than digging deeper on his psychological premises he introduces, though I think he does a bit more than Brody gives him credit for (music) Helios - Veriditas (2018) - ambient, swirling, some simple piano, calms the brain while it wakes in the morning (music) Midsommar Original Score - Bobby Krlic (2019) - “The House that Harga Built” and especially “Fire Temple” are so beautiful; the haunting stuff is good but not a chill listen (article) The New York Times - “The Great Race to Rule Streaming TV” by Jonah Weiner https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/magazine/streaming-race-netflix-hbo-hulu-amazon.html?auth=login-email&login=email - “the mission at a streaming service like Netflix is “to basically create channel surfing within Netflix” — to entice us into a walled garden where the plantings are so copious we never think of leaving” - the goal is your attention - everyone’s bringing their Content home after letting others license; it’ll be cable 2.0; how many subscriptions can you have - the glut is the point; the “good enough” era of TV - more people, more voices, no monoculture? probably fine, but, we’re still adapting

(tv) Mindhunter (2017) - ep 5: the one with benji; crying for performance or not?; Altoona is a shit hole; the spectrum of men being threatened by women’s sexuality, Benji on the murderous end when his girlfriend is sleeping around, Holden indignant when he discovers his girlfriend had multiple partners before their meeting, further indignation when she won’t give him the precise number - ep 6: more of the interior life of Anna Torv’s character; lesbian; the conversation with the other academics about wearing a mask, self-humiliation to reveal true self; what good is all the research and insight if you can’t distill it simply for a distracted jury - ep 7: Wendy and the cat; the shoe fetish, mom wanted a daughter, conflicting signals from adult women; transvestism threatening masculinity; kink coming too close to Holden in his home life, when he can’t play along