#anyway. stream folklore

[nontrivialproof]

Also. Midnights did not deserve AOTY. And when we give it to Taylor for bad albums it really cheapens when we give it to her for good albums.

[spicysix]

i'm sorry but The Loneliest Time is better than Midnights. miss swift might have the numbers but Carly Rae has the GENIUS.

she's an icon. she's the moment. she's the best there is in our pop scenario. no one does it like she's been doing for 10 years straight. emotion was a cultural reset. banger after banger, bop after bop

you tried to steal her spotlight miss swift but Carly Rae is the best there isssss idc

[florencewellch]

The fact that 3 country Taylor track fives are among the ones winning (after AYHTDWS bc come on... that’s not a track 5) in the least fave track 5 puts to bed the idea that ANY of her pop albums are underrated. It’s country Taylor that gets overlooked

[naffeclipse]

What if Eclipse from AP was a naga? And this took place in the deep jungle of the amazon, where photographer y/n is trying to take pictures of the wildlife?

I'm vibrating at the speed of sound over this ask while also nudging my naga au

Naga Eclipse from AP would have the tail of a Green Anaconda, with an olive green scaly color dotted with black, framed by burning-like flares of orange along the length of his slithery body. He's also decorated with orange-yellow striping on either side of his long, slipper form. His upper half is scaley with a lithe deadliness to his musculature and decorated by frills surrounding his head with brighter orange-yellow colors, almost hypnotic in their gradient hues. One eye is deep emerald green, and one is midnight blue.

Lucky you—you're out on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to explore a jungle closed off to the public, funded by Fazco, and occupied by two researchers who will be your bunkmates for the next few weeks. You're itching to take photos of the large river, including swamps, marshes and streams, and whatever wildlife is out there.

The few locals you did meet before you left to hike the rest of the way to what would be your new, isolated home warned you of a dangerous snake—a large, mythical beast. You take note of the local folklore. You understand the truth is hidden in there somewhere, and you are well aware of the dangers and diseases you could be met with in such a harsh environment, but you're determined.

It doesn't take long for you to feel eyes watching you when you first venture out by yourself. You take beautiful pictures of freshwater fish, big and beautiful, unlike any you have ever seen. Of course, you have hundreds of snapshots of the local flora, the trees, the floating meadows, the thick vines that drape each branch and hang thickly about the ground. You almost forget that you eerily don't feel alone.

But you swear something moves in the water—the ripples stop as soon as you look. The stillness is suddenly stiff, lifeless. Even the birds have stopped chirping.

You lower your camera and carefully put it away. A trickle of fear slips into your heart. You turn away from the river's edge only to be met by a low hiss and a creature, unlike anything you witnessed in your travels, spooling itself neatly out of the water, blocking your path to the base. An incredible creature with long arms and a great, serpentine tail that seems to stretch for yards and yards. You can hardly breathe in his presence—he's otherworldly with his frills and scales and fangs.

His eyes contain a mesmerizing shine as if staring into a fire as it burns or watching the ocean as it laps up against the beach, drawing your attention, demanding you don't look away. You couldn't anyway. Half-frozen, you struggle to keep from collapsing. He beckons with a sharp talon. He hisses softly for you to come closer, mouse. He wants to see you. You try to beg no without revealing how terribly you tremble. He doesn't let you go. He insists. His eyes flash with an allure. You almost step close when he murmurs that you need to be good.

But then your sense of survival kicks adrenaline into your heart, and you turn to run—

He strikes faster than your eyes can follow. Two loops of his green and orange tail surrounded you in an instant. You're dragged to the ground, your arms pinned under his mass, and the back of your head cradled by his large palm as powerful muscles squeeze you in the slightest—a gentle rebuke for thinking you could get away. You're hyper-aware of the terrifying bulk of muscles as you lie trapped in his coils. One strong twist and your eyes could pop out of your skull, and every bone protecting your heart and lungs would crumble to shards. You gasp. An urge to kick your legs and struggle erupts in your panic; a sinking feeling tells you it would only make things worse.

He coos over you, hissing and humming in an ancient song of the jungle you have no name for. When you whimper, he shushes you and strokes your cheek. He tells you how lovely you'll be. When you talk back to him, somehow finding your tongue amid your horror, you find out his name. Eclipse. He moves you more upright, resting you on his tail so you're not petrified by how vulnerable you feel lying down, but he never loosens his scaly bindings. He hovers over you. You gaze into his stunning frills of yellow-orange and wonder how a being like him came to exist. He studies you as you study him. He grins at how you shiver when he traces your collarbone with a sharp fingertip.

You remind yourself that you can still breathe. He hasn't crushed you—yet—but you don't like how wide his smile is. Sometimes, his jaw stretches a little too long as if dislocating from his skull, ready to devour you. His eyes gleam with a ravenousness as scales twist around you, holding you close enough to smell the slick green water he had been in and deep musk.

He tells you that he'll see you again very soon—away from other humans, lest you bring him a fine gift for a meal. You can only flex your fingers, silently pleading in your heart that he won't unhook his jaw and eat you alive.

Then, he unravels himself from your limbs. But before he lets you go entirely, he leans in close, his serpentine tongue flickering close to your neck and by your hair, tasting the air around you as you muster all your strength to not scream. He inhales deeply, pleased, before he murmurs, "Sweet mouse. You are mine. Say it."

You don't understand, but you echo his command, and when he taps your chin once in what might have been a loving gesture, you force your jelly legs to solidify before you run and run, all the way back to base. You slam the door to your room behind you. You touch your ribs, your arms, still caught in the heavy sensation of his loops as if he were upon you right now.

The stories are true—there is a giant snake in this jungle, and he wants you. You're afraid to discover if Eclipse's intrigue with you is only an exotic way to satisfy his hunger.

[joesalw]

Another ex-swiftie rant here. I had been a fan of hers since her debut album. I fell off the train in 2016 when Reputation came out because I was going through a lot of my own bs and couldn't be bothered to even listen to it. I listened to it after Lover came out and still didn't like it lol Anyways I really adored Lover and Folklore and Evermore so I got back on the swiftie train and I was so excited for everything. I had a feeling when Midnights came out that I was breaking away from the crowd. I didn't like half of the album that was apparently everyone else's favorite songs. (Vigilante Shit is awful, it's just like the majority of Reputation, she tries to make the awful things she does sound cool and it comes off as tone deaf.) Then she goes and dates that half drowned rat during the Eras tour and she was so aggressive about it. Her fans continue to sweep her defending a racist man's actions under the rug. Hasn't she heard the phrase "You are who your friends are"? And the people she hangs out with are drug addicts, racists, rapists, etc... it's really gross. She can say she's a liberal all she wants but she fails to walk the walk time and time again. And then TTPD! Oh boy, I was really skeptical when I saw the release date and album title. I was like "Really? Another sad girl album right before summer? Haven't we had enough angst? We're in a recession, the music should be making people dance!" and then it wasn't even a sad girl album, it was fucking deranged. For someone who's never gone to therapy because she thinks she's "very sane" she comes off as having gone off the deep end when her 6yr relationship ended. She uses something she's never gone through as an aesthetic like a white woman having a plantation wedding. She throws a temper tantrum because the public didn't like her very unlikable boyfriend. She looks like a hypocrite in "so high school", what? The cheerleader dating the football player aethetic is only cute when you do it? A lot of the lyrics were crazy triggering for me because they were basically shit my mom said verbatim when she was dating A LITERAL MURDERER!!! "You all just don't want me to be happy!" Ugh, it made me want to scream. I'm gonna spend the summer dancing to Ava Max and Chappell Roan, maybe stream Joe's movies for kicks. Even though I'm 6 years younger than her, I feel like I've finally outgrown Taylor Swift.

preach!

[abiiors]

falling for you ❤️ // matty healy x reader

promptober '23 - day 10

a/n: might be one of my favs of this month?? writing this made me so giggly, i do very much love the song cw: smoking?? umm nothing else, i don't think wc: 950

a leaf crunches under matty’s foot, shooting a tendril of thrill through him. giddiness and adrenaline is an amazing combination, he’s realised. especially if she's with him, holding the flashlight in one hand and his hand in the other. 

if only so she won’t get lost in the darkness. 

they are breaking into a graveyard at 1 am afterall. what else do bored teenagers do on nights they feel rebellious? so matty allows himself another excited grin knowing she can’t see his face and tugs on her hand. 

“scared?” he teases, giggling when she scoffs quite bravely. 

“you wish, healy.” 

he should commend her, really. the tremor in her voice was quite well hidden that time. 

“well you did just enlist me to finish your dare so…”

“matty!” behind him he can hear her anxiously biting down her nails, bitten red and raw and down to the skin. he tuts, the pot calling the kettle black but at least she stops. 

“you won’t tell ross would you?” she asks sheepishly.

stifling his laughter seems almost impossible then, so much so that he stops abruptly and she walks into his back, making him burst out laughing anyway. a hand comes up from behind him—her slapping a palm over his mouth, muffling his cackle. 

they both look at each other, matty with tears streaming down his face and her with a slightly annoyed glare that’s quickly melting away. he gulps in air to calm himself down, to breathe in the scent of her skin. jasmine. just like it’s always been. 

“wouldn’t…” his voice comes out muffled and she immediately moves her hand away, making him feel a little cold. “wouldn’t tell ross, i promise. don’t wanna ruin your stellar reputation! he’d never let you live it down.” 

“yeah, alright matty,” she rolls her eyes but the laugh in her voice is unmistakable. “you care about my reputation so much, sure, i believe you.”

“hey!” he protests, jogging up to her when she starts walking away from him and deeper into the graveyard, a little brave now. “why wouldn’t i care about my best friend’s reputation?” the word stings, he swallows it down. 

matty catches up to her, walking side by side as he stares at her profile illuminated by the moon. the old smudged eyeliner under her eyes, the faint dusting of freckles, the slight curve of her lips that fights to be free even when she’s trying so hard to act annoyed at him. 

it disarms him thoroughly, so much so that he has to shakily light a cigarette just so he would have something to do with his hands. 

it’s not new though, she always disarms him, he always lights a cigarette to stop his hands from shaking. at this rate, his lungs would shrivel up well before his heart does from the joys of unrequited love. 

“there she is,” he points into the distance, putting on his old-man spooky voice. “old dorothy and her old grave. you know what to do…” 

he’s well aware of the local legend and so is ross. hence the dare—she has to chip away a piece of stone from the oldest grave in town and bring it to him. and it has to be done on a full moon's night according to george the folklore connoisseur. 

she gulps involuntarily, lingering a bit and toeing the grass. matty watches, amused, as she tries to gather courage. the girl he’s known all his life for being tough as nails scared of a harmless local legend. 

“don’t take two though,” he teases, wiggling his fingers in front of her face. “you know what they say—dorothy punishes the greedy.”

“i don’t even want one piece, why would i take two?” she mutters, wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans. matty wants to kiss them, place a tiny kiss on her palm. maybe even on her lips while he’s at it. 

shakily he takes a drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke.

“give me that,” she practically demands it, barely waiting for him to hand it to her before she takes a deep drag, cheeks hollowed, eyes closed. when she opens them again, she looks calmer. then she turns to him and blows the smoke in his direction in tiny rings and matty damn near goes into cardiac arrest from that alone. 

“right, here i go!” she jumps in place once, twice to hype herself up while he tries to recover. and then just like that, she sprints into the night. towards the moss-covered crumbling grave. 

matty takes another drag. and then one more just in case. 

not even half a minute later she’s jogging back to him, only a silhouette in the moonlight before her triumphant face becomes clear. her fist is held high in the air, the little piece of mossy rock hoisted like a trophy. 

“all done!” she whoops cringing instantly when matty hurries to shush her. 

unmistakably a porchlight turns on in the distance. a grumble—something about “rowdy teenagers” and a flashlight shines on them, blinding them for a moment. 

she squeals, pocketing the stone and grabbing matty’s hand. 

“run!” he yells, laughing maniacally as they run out the graveyard, hand-in-hand, all the way until they’re out the wrought iron gates and in a little alley before bursting into wheezing and fits of giggles. 

she pumps her fist up giddily. “oh ross can suck my dick, i did it!” 

matty stares, memorising the details of her face, of the curve of her lips, the glee in her eyes. the way her hair blows in the wind, unruly and slipping out of her claw clip. 

she looks alive. his heart thuds in his chest. 

it really is a shame that he’s a coward. 

lemme know what you think <33

taglist: @scooby-doodoo, @partoftheairforce, @justgoatsbreakinghearts0855@beachesgetpeaches, @you-muppet, @mcabister, @alexmarie29, @at-her-very-foreign, @hfkait, @squishysoupy@sierraeslaprincesa@harrie-fic-center @alien-girl-violet@thereisaplaceintheheart @kennedy-brooke @lolidontknowanymore @theoriginalwhatsername@celestcies@sugarkane1001 @ari-turner @thewaywewereinsaigon @daphnesutton @beliefandsayingsomething @ros3chu @nothingrevealedeverythingdenied @zzzhealy @mattymybeloved

add yourself to the taglist

[socialdegenerate]

In a rare but delightful turn of events, the Young Wizards seiyuu reading play is currently up for (paid) streaming with English subs until Chirstmas 2022!! It was written by the same playwright who wrote the original Mars Red reading play, which was adapted into one of my favourite anime of 2021

If you’re up with your Japanese folklore, it’s an original story inspired by a Kabuki play, about the younger years of Abe no Seimei (Mamoru Miyano) and Ashiya Doman (Yuichi Nakamura), also featuring Minamoto no Raikou (Junichi Suwabe), Sakata no Kintoki (Daisuke Namikawa), Enju (Akari Kito), Fujiwara no Michinaga (Kenjiro Tsuda) and Kuzonoha (Romi Park) - and there’s a live band with one of the singers being Lyn Inaizumi of Persona 5 fame

If you’re not up with your folklore, it’s still a captivating story with a bunch of seiyuu going off the absolute shits in terms of belting out these lines plus some great lighting work and luxe costumes, so I highly recommend checking it out anyway

Links are in the replies!

[livealittleoc-cb]

Small Hearts Month Update!

🎏: Do I have a Valentine? No, and I’m quite happy about that actually. Don’t have to worry about buying certain stuff other than maybe for Hel cause she nags me if I don’t 🙄 I love her but sometimes I want to bop her over the head-. Anyways…our E-Sports team is having practice later today and we might also be arranging something to do on the day of Hearts but…I don’t think I want to go-. We’ll see what they decide to do but for now I’m trying to get into the headspace for practice! I think we’re going to be streaming it too so people are welcome to join in and watch!~

🪦: Hehe I LOVE THIS MONTH! I know it’s kind of ironic but I love giving gifts so much 🥰 It always makes me happy giving my friends, family and Hecate gifts. Sometimes I know it can be too much but I can’t help it! I love seeing how flustered and shy Hecate gets or how happy Fenrir gets when I give him a sweet. Even Andr smiles a little when I get him something! It makes me feel the best! I hope everyone has someone to spend this lovely month with, even if they are a family member or friend and not a partner. It’s still nice and fun to spend it with someone you love.

🐺: So I told my bandmates like last month that I’ve never had a Valentines and they looked at me like I had two heads! I thought it would end there but today they gave me a bunch of stuff…stuffed animals, cards, flowers…OH OH AND CANDY! Lots and lots of candy 🥰 Also cake and cupcakes! I was so surprised but they said they’ll all be my Valentines. They’re so sweet ☺️ *whispers* I still don’t really understand this holiday… *perks* But we’re having a Valentine’s concert thing on Valentine’s weekend! It’ll be fun and I have the perfect outfit for it I think it’s my favorite stage outfit actually!

🩵🩵: @monsterhigh-cb [🐟🤍💍 && ⚡💙 && 👻💜 && 🐺💕 && 🎤💖 && 👑💛] @evicted-oc [☕️🤎 && 🐼🖤 && 🔦💛 && 🧊🩵 && 💄🖤 && 🏴‍☠️🤍] @theinvitation-bot [🐭🩶💒] @welcome-to-maniac [🐇🖤 💍 && 🌻❤️ && 🌕❤️‍🔥 && 🐿️❣️ && 🐉🩶] @fantasyaespa [🐈 💚💍 && ☀️🩵💍] @k-venturetime [🍓❣️] @multi-joong [🌧️🧡💍 && 🎨💚] @kardpackcb [🌙💝 && 🐺❤️‍🔥] @lavienrosecabaretxo [👑🖤] @obsession-cb [🍰🖤] @clubwnderland [💃❤️‍🔥]

possible new residents: @faywithlove @badbf-cb @domxbot @welcometosector1 @lunaaofthemoon @reve-rv @multi-esme @the-hellhounds @oppositesattraxt @domrachaa @hwangsiblings-oc @coffeexdreamcb @silcntxnight @moonlightchn @blogger-yura @thesugaredalchemists @folklore-cb @doom-bc @hearthstone-apothecary @redlight-cb @inferno-cb @darkloversxcb @9ateez-multiau-bot @mxthxbot @mirage-ocs @raiden-oc @fntsybot @adminhoney @crimson-l @themanor-cb [DM + / -]

[useramor]

Can i just say that i was actually really thrilled to see that i at least follow one (1) other person who doesn’t like TS? Times like these are hard for haters like me

(jk but also not. I’m glad people got something that makes them happy, but man…stfu)

RIGHT and like i'm not gonna waste my breath hating on her 24/7 because i quite literally do not care enough but jesus christ man she's EVERYWHERE like it's damn near impossible to go on any social media and not see her. even if i block every taylor swift tag on tumblr (which i do) i have irl friends who like her and repost her insta posts on their stories and i'm just sitting here like? really? most of her albums barring folklore and evermore are fine at best (which folklore is actually one of my favorite albums but i have a cd that i listen to because i refuse to stream <3). idk. and then there's the fact that she only uses her status and her money and her power when it directly benefits her which like. sure you could argue celebrities don't have to talk politics they're not politicians blah blah but at the end of the day in the political climate we live in not saying anything is already saying so much.

she's a rich white person and billionaire white people will be billionaire white people. i'm not gonna make an exception for her just because she's a feminist girlboss fighting the patriarchy or whatever.

anyway i'll be a hater any day lmao

(also to my swiftie mutuals idc if you like her. i do not and i tag all my posts that are against her as "anti taylor swift" and "swifties dni" if you want to block it. if you unfollow because i don't like her that's okay too lol)

[sunshine-on-marz]

Wilbur soot x reader

Angst no comfort

Song fic

Exile

I can see you standing, honey with his arms around your body laughin', but the joke's not funny at all and it took you five whole minutes to pack us up and leave me with it holdin' all this love out here in the hall

The world felt like it was spinning slower every second he starred at you. Dream’s arms draped around your hips, his chin on your head. You’re giggling at something he said, and your smile doesn’t look forced. Wilbur knows that flirting with Dream is part of the plan, but seeing you like this with someone else? God it’s eating him alive.

I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending you're not my homeland anymore so what am I defending now?

He can see it in your eyes. You’re happy. The same gleam you had when Wilbur kissed you in the van. The same happiness you had during l’manburg. You’ve changed since then, you’re shoulders sit heavier on your spine from the crushing weight of the world around you..

And the world inside Wilbur.

You were my town now I'm in exile, seein' you out I think I've seen this film before

The more he thinks the worse it gets. He knows you two have been fighting more. He’s been distant but there’s no way you’re falling for Dream. You’d never. Or atleast, Wilbur thought you’d never.

-

I can see you starin', honey like he's just your understudy like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me

I’m the corner of your eye you saw Wilbur. He looked angry. Grabbing the door frame with white knuckles. He looks ready to throw a punch, but he won’t. He wouldn’t. Not with you watching

Second, third, and hundredth chances balancin' on breaking branches those eyes add insult to injury

You could feel Wilbur glaring. Glaring with the storm behind his eyes. There’s always a storm behind his eyes.. but right now, you cant worry about that.

I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending I'm not your problem anymore so who am I offending now?

This was the same situation as when you spied for schlatt. But you aren’t a pawn in someone’s game now. This is integral. This is justice for Tommy. You have to do this.. but god does it feel nice to be held.

Wilbur hardly treated you like a partner anyway, though you aren’t sure if he even remembers how too. You missed gentle touches and whispers of “are you ok” whenever the room gets a bit too loud. You missed this. But now Wilbur isn’t the one giving it to you. Does he even have the right to be jealous that someone else is treating you the way you’ve been begging for? You aren’t sure, but again, you can’t focus on that right now.

You were my crown now I'm in exile, seein' you out I think I've seen this film before so I'm leavin' out the side door

The screaming had started. Wilbur was jealous and you were angry. Then he said it.

“Get out”

So you did.

So step right out, there is no amount of crying I can do for you all this time we always walked a very thin line

This can’t be happening. You cant lose Wilbur over dream of all people. None of it’s fair. You’d been walking for a minute when you stop. Dropping to your knees in the snow. Tears threatened to spill, but they don’t. You want to go home but you can hear the argument in your mind.

“you didn't even hear me out”

“you didn't even hear me out”

You never gave a warning sign

“I gave so many signs”

…All this time

———————

This was just a little idea I had, not great but not awful. Stream folklore

[apocketfullofpoesis]

Saw your recent post and honestly it's loads better to just quit her. Not in the sense that you should never ever listen to her songs ever. I have similar experiences as you - listened to mainstream songs, was a fan when I was 15, like few folklore songs. By 2021 I had listened to better artists but still listened to her. 2023 hit and all that shit started. I was very confused because I'm someone who has strong morals and values and would stand on them if it's up to me. So I couldn't see her the same. Didn't listen to midnights much, like the least listened album because by the time it was released I didn't find her music enjoyable. And all this combined made it easier for me to withdraw from her music. But I still used to listen to a few that I had an attachment to. And then her becoming a billionaire, her reacting to a fan's death like it didn't mean shit to her, her co2 emissions all made me hate her. And the. I stopped listening to her altogether and I haven't listened to a single song in 2024. Ig what I'm saying is if you want to stop listening to her altogether it can be done, or if you want to enjoy listening to her it's also okay. Being an ex-swiftie doesn't mean you're a hater. You can just stop listening to her if she's not enjoyable or you find fault with her. Also a friend of mine was such a huge swiftie, like she really loved her. But she also went down a similar journey. She listens to her once in a while but tries to stay away from her. So what I'm saying is if you feel uncomfortable streaming her music because it is giving her streams which is her biggest achievement, maybe download them from sites. Or if you're comfortable with it, then you can listen.

Hope you have a good day

I appreciate your calm reply bc the internet is going wild about criticising her and it started all of a sudden and so much annoyance from a majority of people i knew were hardcore fans .. just didn't make sense and was quite scary. I agree with you on not entirely quitting her - I don't think I ever can. My literary idols have taught me to value the art, not the artist but the internet is an influential place and my morals are constantly getting challenged and I'm trying so hard to make people value at least the songwriting bit - maybe because I want to value it. I never cared who she dated, what actions of her are contributing to pollution - all that - but the internet is both a scary and enlightening place to be. I was a bit sad about Joe bc I knew Joe as an artist before him being associated with her. I used to be a directioner and then when the band broke up, i sided with Harry. And lately I've been exploring Mitski. So I think I'll go back to give both of these more attention of mine. You do you, anyways, isn't it? If I like a song, i like it. If I don't, I don't. It's high time i work on my attachment issues and focus on the bigger, simpler picture. I loved how you took your time to respond. I loved how you understood me. Thank you.

[cowboylikemeaaron]

Masterpost on taylor and olivia's relationship (but taylor is at fault)

it's an ugly theory for taylor.. so if you can't handle criticism for her please don't read!

I'd like to start by saying I'm not an olivia stan, I've been a taylor stan for 10 years but this is the theory I found to be logical.

Firstly , let's look at this blind item posted on may 22/2023 because it's the spark for this theory

AA is taylor, AB is Matty healy, AC is olivia.

AD could be beyonce or Ariana but it is irrelevant

AE is deja vu and AF is hayley william

AG is good 4 u

So anyways now that we have layed the ground for the theory let's discuss

From olivia's dawn of time to April 2021:

Olivia has always talked over and over how she's the biggest swiftie on earth.. and in January 2021 taylor commented the famous "I say that's my baby and I'm really proud" and she was also sending Olivia gifts.

And then Fearless TV is announced, and the also famous reel of Olivia and Conan on White Horse TV

Also note that taylor sent olivia the Red ring and olivia talked about it which was in march 2021

So far everyone is everyone's bestie right and they're both in each other's business?

And it continues, and they meet in 11 May 2021 in the BRITs awards where they photographed together and it's all very cute

Now before we move on to the sour release let's talk about olivia for a little:

She was just 18 at the time, she was resembling to taylor's style in many ways:

She wrote about her personal life and had drama around her with her ex and how he cheated

She wrote all her songs and her style is close to Taylor which is fast songwriting and just gets the idea and write about it.

BUT also she differed from Taylor in the following and I'm here talking about late taylor pop album Lover because folklore isn't in the same category:

She made her album very short which helped in the streams

She chose the best singles for her album

She got viraled on tiktok with most of her tracks

Now keep in mind that lover technically flopped (IN TAYLOR'S EYES ONLY), and while folklore has just won AOTY, fearless TV also wasn't that huge of a success (which might be okay as i don't think she thought that the rerecords would make that much of a hit) and ofc evermore also flopped in her eyes (I just know that the willow flop incident is still hunting her), and as a Taylor fan we all know how crazy she gets when her albums aren't breaking all records left and right, and how especially in the lover era she was talking about how she's never gonna get more famous, but then ofc folklore happened, and she started gaining some new fans this time and also the rerecording thing boosted her, but in her head she had about 3 out of 4 albums that weren't up to her standard.

Panic in swift city:

Sour release May 21

Sour is released, olivia is breaking every record left and right and taylor's records, and her spotlight, and her fans because everyone saw that they were friends so they were double stanning. And ofc, miss swift who wrote nothing new would start to feel threatened right? She did.

Sour dropped and taylor had "non collaborative credit" on a song, which is "1 step forward, 3 steps back" that was sampled from new year's day, now of course Olivia got approval for this her and Taylor are besties, and when the album dropped taylor had credits for this one song, and knowing taylor which is also miss "get a good lawyer" she wouldn't let Olivia not write her credits on only one song if there was another..

Video below has olivia talking about the album and she mentions she got approval for 1sf3sb

Now let's talk about the first thing that could be shady:

May 28 2021: evermore vinyls release

So after 1 week of sour, taylor finally drops the evermore vinyls. Like imagine if the situation has been reversed and another huge artist drops something 1 week after taylor's album release? Girl would have eaten them alive. BUT ALSO, she could have scheduled it from early. But also also, she could have postponed it for 1 week. I can't really tell but it just seem weird to release them when Olivia is your baby right?

Which btw resulted in Taylor of course dethroning Olivia the next week. Yes it is weird.

July 9th 2021

Taylor and Jack got writing credit for deja vu which was a mega successful hit, which is weird.. why now? And they say it's because "cruel summer" influenced deja vu, which if you ask me doesn't make sense if you listen to the songs, but anyways it happened suddenly?

My theory is, taylor saw how sour preformed, and how big deja vu was and of course olivia has told her that cruel summer inspired that, and probably asked her if she was okay with it, and taylor said yes. But then she changed her mind with how well sour got and wanted a piece of the pie, so maybe she threatened a lawsuit? Maybe she just said she'd unleash the angry swifties? Maybe olivia just wanted to be polite? Who knows

After that and for most of the year, they stopped mentioning each other and it was radio silence.

December 6 2021:

Grammys change their rules, which meant that taylor wouldn't be getting a grammy for sour.. which of course made taylor even more mad because we all know how much she loves getting a grammy. Now ofc red tv was released and she was getting more loved by everyone and she was everywhere. But nothing is ever enough for taylor on a famous level, or a grammy level.

April 4,2022:

Taylor and Olivia are at the Grammy, supposedly they're still friends, taylor should be supporting olivia for her album with 2 taylor influence right? no. They don't interact all night and sour wins 3 awards and does a 2009 Fearless Taylor moment, while Taylor gets 1 award which is still huge, but Taylor gets jealous of Olivia being in the spotlight for 1 year, and wining all those awards and most of all, being compared to her all the time.

Keep in mind that swifties were dragging olivia left and right and they kept saying she was benefiting off taylor and she was a fake because they claim olivia betrayed taylor for some reason, olivia was (and still) gets hate everywhere and even snake emojis. Which is something taylor could stop with a tweet/story mentioning Olivia in any good way which will result in swifties stopping acting like assholes.

After and until now, olivia never mentions taylor, only Conan Grey who is olivia's bestie and also a diehard swiftie as he used to claim said that he didn't get a chance to listen to midnights which fueled swifties.

Now there could be 3 things:

1. Taylor was really jealous and threatened by Olivia so she cut her off and took the credit out of jealousy and probably in a not nice way in july 2021.

2. Olivia wanted to separate herself from Taylor because swifties were saying she's using taylor for clout (that's the most popular narrative)

3. Olivia is the shady one and didn't want to give taylor credit (highly unlikely because she was just debuting and she's a huge fan of Taylor)

Personally i do not think olivia or her team would let her be stupid enough to start a feud with taylor, we all know how this ends. And especially when Taylor is a role model to her. So why would she fight with taylor and risk her getting angry and get endless hate from her army that holds grudges till the end of time against anyone that comes near taylor? Additionally, I think even if there was a little tension, olivia still wouldn't cut Taylor off because she's useful to everyone who's her friend as i said swifties hold grudges but they also worship anyone who's her friend. So my guess is taylor is the one who started this thing, and regarding the second possibility, maybe olivia wanted not to be in the shadow but Taylor got hurt over this.

Let me know what you think!

[riathedreamer]

So. In theory. According to Danish folklore, Crowley might be Santa's helper.

You see, in Denmark, Santa's helpers are not elves, but what we call nisser. Nisser are now a part of Christmas, but that wasn't always the case. Nisser are some of our oldest folkelore, and they used to be rather terrifying. It's a tiny creature living on your farm, and if you don't treat him well, he might just burn down your livelihood. But if the nisse is happy and well-fed, he will protect your animals etc. Anyway, the thing is, according to the old myth, nisser are in fact fallen angels!

A lot of Danish supernatural beings are thought to be fallen angels - the angels who fell and landed in the streams would become åmænd/nøkker/nixies, the one who landed in the woods would become ellefolk/elves, the one who landed in the mountains would become bjergfolk/giants, and, finally, the ones who landed in farms would become nisser.

So if Crowley hadn't landed in a sulfur pit, who knows what could have happened -

[jdenvs3000w24]

ROCKS

Hello again fellow bloggers,

The most amazing thing about nature for me is the geology of an area. My main fixation in general is pollinators, as exemplified by my group's podcast, “What the Buzz?” and I love bees and ants and stuff like that. However, anytime I'm out hiking or just exploring, I can't help but get excited about rocks. The geology and topography of an area tell a story that goes back millions of years. For instance, down where I'm from in Nova Scotia there is a place called the Bay of Fundy, I'm sure you've all heard f it considering it is home to the world's highest tides.  Down near a little village named Walton there is a shale beach with a massive cliff and folds in the rocks. 

This cliff face tells the story of two landmasses colliding together to form what is now Nova Scotia. Initially happening long before the Atlantic formed. And then the Bay of Fundy itself formed from the rifting of North America from Africa and Europe. This caused the split in the mountain chain that now has pieces in Morocco, Scotland, the USA, Canada, and Norway!

(pictures taken by me, Walton Cliffs)

A little closer to campus there is a location in Hamilton called the Devil's Punchbowl. I've gone there twice now for class field trips. The Devil's Punchbowl tells a story of the ancient seas and streams that used to run through this area of southwest Ontario. The grains of sand that make up the sandstone tell stories of millions of years ago. The dolomitic capstone of the Niagara Escarpment tells another story, so long as you speak the language of rocks and sediment. 

(another photo by me, Devils Punchbowl)

Another area of Nova Scotia I've hiked through is on the Cape Split Peninsula. This region of the province is located on basaltic bedrock which formed during the same event that formed the Bay of Fundy. Magma pours out of the earth to form the north mountain range which makes up the sea sideward side of the Annapolis valley. The cape is covered in rocks filled with copper ore speckled through basaltic rock. Based on the patterns and the lack of crystallization you can tell that this magma cools very quickly, likely due to a rushing in of seawater after the rifting event. 

(another photo by me, Cape Split Point)

Further up the bay, there are a few islands, near Parrsboro, the indigenous peoples of the area, the Mi’kmaq, called these the five islands. The five islands are part of the legends passed down by the Mi’kmaq people. The story goes that Kluskap, or Glooscap as the settlers called him, who was a giant man, was fighting a giant beaver in the bay. During the fight, Kluskap hurled 5 large boulders at the beaver that formed the islands today, the beaver was said to have been trapped by the boulders and sticks causing him to turn into gold underground. Geologically these islands are exposed parts of the north mountain chain that I talked about earlier but it's neat learning about the indigenous peoples’ folklore, especially when centered around how the landscape was formed. 

Anyways, till next week bloggers!

[miloscat]

[Review] World of Demons (ATV)

Okami 3???

I occasionally browse Apple Arcade to see what's been added; this time what leaped out was a title heralded as Platinum's first mobile game. Platinum of course is known for their character action games and as the successor studio to Clover, creators of Okami for Capcom. This has a very similar setting inspired by Japanese folklore and mythology, and almost identical graphic style inspired by traditional Japanese arts. After enjoying Okami and Okamiden so much, I wanted to see if this recaptured their magic at all.

It's important to reiterate at this point that this is very much a mobile game. The control scheme is simplified compared to other games from the studio to remain accessible on touchscreens, a priority for many Apple Arcade games that must be platform-agnostic. (I did play it on an Apple TV with a controller, which helped it feel better... although there's no helping the dodgy camera.) The level design is more or less simple corridors between battle arenas, with some interaction along the way: it felt like a very stripped-back Okami without the overworld.

The overall game structure too follows trends of the platform. The game encourages replaying levels with ratings and random drops, and grinding is required at times to progress or at least make your numbers go up enough. A bonus level requires a premium currency to enter, a likely vestige of a free-to-play microtransaction-driven business model which many Apple Arcade games retain even after being retrofitted for the paid service. It never fails to give these games an uncanny feeling of being neither fish nor fowl.

Anyway. The game feels good to play, those well-honed Platinum mechanics in a more accessible framework. There's one main attack button, although different weapons have tweaked attack strings and unique special moves. The dodge button gets a lot of play with well-timed activation giving you a counter. You unlock new characters for a total of four, and they each play quite differently (I favoured a combo of the fast, range-focused shrine maiden Sayo and the cursed Buddhist monk Dohzen who is slow and strong).

But the main gimmick of the game is the recruitable yōkai. These spirits and creatures of legend are the main enemies of the game and a constant stream of new ones keeps the battling fresh. When defeated they drop orbs which let you summon them for a one-time attack or effect. You also unlock permanent versions which can be enhanced, and each level lets you pick two per character to bring with you. (I usually made sure to pick at least one that would draw enemy aggro.) This is a fun way of customising your playstyle and experimenting with combinations, although with the length of the levels it's better to keep experimentation to the short sidequests lest you be punished for a poor choice.

The yōkai also have some use outside of battle, as there's a limited version of Okami's environmental puzzles. Some objects can be interacted with for a few items or an extra battle, but only if you have the right type of yōkai equipped. Since choices are restricted, and you might not get the right drop or know to save it, it's easy to be stuck without the right tools for these and feel left out; and replaying levels can feel a chore. It feels like a half-baked system, often punishing you for poor luck rather than rewarding you for smart play.

The story is pretty standard demon-and-samurai stuff, with a series of amusingly improbable revelations about character relationships as you go on. It's decent enough with a bit of flair, much like the character designs. It must be noted that after four chapters building to a climax, there's a cheap undercut seemingly setting up an Okami-style next phase (complete with a "to be continued" screen as with all the other chapters), only for the game to just not have any more content. I guess they released the game unfinished, expecting to add more story in later updates, as with Castlevania Grimoire of Souls, or Shantae and the Seven Sirens? But with over a year since the last update, who knows when or if it will indeed be continued.

Either way, what's here is a neat package. In fact I'm glad it didn't drag on too long as Okami did at times. The heavily cel-shaded art style invoking traditional ink painting is a great look, and the game systems are solid save for the yōkai interactions. It's not quite an Okami 3 but there's enough DNA here for it to be maybe an Okami 2.5, and for that reason it was a cool novelty for me.

[foultastemusic]

EP Review - Here, Hear. IV – La Dispute (2024)

This EP was the best gift that 2024 could give me, and we're still only in March. A game between the traumas in the stories recounted in La Dispute's first "great" albums - Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair (2008) and Wildlife (2011) - revolutionary for the experimental world of midwest emo, post-hardcore and the underground community in general, and the latest works of art that are most listened to and reflected on, which tell us through the details of everyday life, feelings, landscapes and images open to the listener's imagination - Rooms of the House (2014) and Panorama (2019) - when recitation becomes part of the post-hardcore trends.

Despite the pained voice and the contrasts that create the perfect synthesis of the guitars and bass, the rhythmic coherence of the drums and the literary personality of the band that has always been faithful to us from the beginning until today, elements that have created the "brand image", I notice that these geniuses of emo music don't mind experimenting with new electronics, the absence of screams and distortions, love, new ways of saying things. The fact that we can't catalog and put aesthetic labels on certain artists, because they are constantly metamorphosing and contradicting themselves with the genres given by fans and record companies, certain types of festivals and events, algorithms of streaming platforms, etc., is a proof that the post-hardcore of these bands that continue to record over the years is maturing as a movement. And this EP has made me reflect on my generation, which adapts to trends by not adapting to it at all. Perhaps silences and improbable harmonic resolutions are the oxygen pump for artists and listeners of music created in a studio as if it’s a laboratory.

Here, Hear. is a collection of four volumes, the first of which was released in 2008, the band's big bang year. In the four volumes, we can see that La Dispute exploded at the beginning and took their own advantage of the sounds in a very genuine, pure and direct way, unashamed to use unconventional instruments such as pianos, maracas and “folklorized” melodies - always recognizable on a timbral level, anyway - but it was in this last one, sixteen years later, that we see the band flourish, not in an explosive way as before, but always pure and honest. They reinforce simplicity and the timeless stories. Sixteen, the fourth song on the EP, and one that had been released before on Spotify, marks a new life of La Dispute: it reminds me of the walks I had to school when I was fourteen and of my first crush had dedicated the song Such Small Hands (2008) to me in anonymity; of the song Woman (In the Mirror) (2014) when I was always at home trying to discover my own way of (always hidden) teenage happiness. Today I've discovered how happy I can be and that the nostalgia for the sadness, heartbreak and melancholy that went on in the corners of my neighborhood while I listened to La Dispute's entire discography for most of the years I lived there is part of it. We were sad listening to sad music, and happiness, today, is based on that. This single, according to my empirical experience and to the community of fans writing online as well, reminds us of those nostalgic times.

And the group's aesthetic minimalism continues. Not just in the music, but in the band's overall image. And I'm enjoying watching it. The lyrics and stories increasingly make sense, since the instrumental part of the EP makes them prevail. In the song Reformation, which concludes the EP in a mode of ecstatic tranquillity, we have a beautiful guitar that harps along with Jordan Dreyer's unsung and unshouted voice. Just like that. Everything that the music of sensitive people needed to offer about the art of growing up and noticing life's little symbols, even when you drink your coffee in the morning before facing the life of an adult who is emotionally trapped by the years that have passed.

«You awake at 3AM to the soft voice of her dream, saying

"These are the people who said that you like him would never die

Until you do and you will and I will too

Just like this, baby, but longer, forever

And there's nothing past that door, I know it"

Before she drifts back to sleep where you can't now and it's okay

Peace be with you»

Reformation, La Dispute (2024)