#because if the song is great then the rest will take care of itself

[theflyingfeeling]

Awww I feel the same way about Joel! You can tell this band means the world to him and it's endearing 🥺 I also love how he doesn't always say/do the right socially acceptable things and I relate a lot to that 😅

yeeeeessss he wears his heart on his sleeve and doesn't sugarcoat his words 😅💞 actually that's what I love about the whole band; they are just so genuine and...real? What you see is exactly what you get 🥰

I can still remember the exact moment I totally fell for Joel for good, which also happened to be the moment I decided I need to see them live, even though I was super nervous about going to my first ever BC concert. In August 2021, Niko and Joel were being interviewed live on TV (on Viiden jälkeen) and they were asked if they have someone who's in charge of their social media (i.e. a professional), and Joel answered that they had actually been offered a person to do all that but that they want to do it themselves, because they want it to be 100% authentic. I nearly started crying on the spot, because how many bands/singers DO that?! Most of them are HAPPY to have someone else handle all that for them, but no, not Blind Channel 🥺

[idiopathicsmile]

School Gymnastics: A Tragicomedy

So one day when we were in third grade, our P.E. teacher divided us into girls and boys. (I don’t remember what the boys had to do. Wrestling? Tackle football? I don’t know, probably not at age nine, but that’s not the point. Gladiatorial combat? I still don’t really understand kids’ sports.)

What matters for this story is that all the girls had to do gymnastics. Now—and I suspect this won’t surprise you if you know literally anything about me—I was always terrible at any form of school athletics. I am intensely, almost impressively uncoordinated. This doesn’t affect my life much at 36, but it was often a miserable way to be a kid. The only playground game I liked was playing pretend, because when you are playing pretend, you don’t have a bunch of people ostensibly on your side screaming in your ear, “Pretend faster! Pretend over there! Pretend with greater accuracy!”

Anyway, gymnastics and my clumsy, doughy little body. I couldn’t do a cartwheel. I couldn’t do a backwards somersault. I couldn't do any of it. We had an entire unit on this business and I literally did not learn how to even safely attempt a single move besides the log roll (lie flat and roll sideways on your belly). In retrospect, this seems like maybe it was in part a teaching problem, not a me problem, but that’s actually not the point either.

The point is, at the end of the unit, we were told to divide ourselves into little teams and choreograph a group gymnastics routine. My group, faced with my long list of limitations (more limitation than girl, really) decide my role will be to just forwards-somersault around the rest of the group as they do their moves. (This is itself kind of embarrassing but trust me, it is but the appetizer.) My friend Ashley has the Lion King soundtrack and we all agree that it is a great choice. The movie has only come out a couple of years earlier, and it of course features some funny, peppy options. 'Hakuna Matata'? 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King'? It's all coming together.

Carried on a wave of youthful enthusiasm, none of us even think to double-check which track Ashley has picked. Foreshadowing!

So the day of the performance comes. Another group goes right before us. They had picked “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, which was a huge hit at the time. I mean, it still is because it’s a classic, but then it was big and new. They step onto the mat and immediately begin to do choreographed dance moves, which they have worked into their routine. We had not thought of this. Oops. Dance moves, of course! So they incorporate the necessary gymnastics, it goes over really well, the energy is high, and now it’s my group’s turn.

I take my place at the edge of the mat, the mat we are required to stay on for the length of the piece. Ashley cues up the track she’d chosen.

A song starts up. Instantly, I recognize it from the movie. It is the very slow instrumental music that plays when Simba realizes his dad is dead.

‘Well, this is not optimal,’ I think. I've been on this planet for nine years; I can see that much. But it’s too late to change the track, and so I tell myself, ‘It’s okay. I’m a performer. I can sell this.’ I put on an extremely solemn face and begin to execute a series of the world’s saddest somersaults.

Friends, when I say “sad” I mean it, in every possible sense of the word. Picture a nine year old with the gravest possible affect, determinedly doing somersaults to the slowest, most serious music she can imagine, in a careful ring around her friends who have actually learned any gymnastics whatsoever. Okay, now as the music starts to pick up and get more hopeful, imagine she gets real dizzy and in front of everyone, she rolls all the way directly off the mat, careening dangerously towards the assembled students.

Somehow, I roll myself back onto the mat, we survive what feels like hours of humiliation, we stagger away, and I blessedly avoid adding “puking my guts out in front of all of my peers” to my very short list of gymnastics tricks.

Later, I asked Ashley what in the world possessed her to choose that song.

“It didn’t have any words,” she said.

(There was absolutely no rule against using songs that had lyrics.)

Anyway, that’s why being an adult is better than being a kid.

I may have to do laundry and make my own dinner and wrestle with more complex existential angst, but you know what I haven’t been asked to do in like 26 years? Somersault for three minutes straight to the musical shorthand for “this cartoon lion cub has no choice but to process the weight of unimaginable grief for his dead dad.” And you know what? If I live another 50 years, I can be pretty confident nobody will ask me to do it then, either.

[ghostlyferrettarot]

♥︎Pick a picture: 🖤📷Your next date📷🖤

•Pile 1 •Pile 2 •Pile 3

❗️This is a collective reading, take what resonates and leave the rest❗️

✨️Paid Services ✨️ (Natal charts and tarot readings) Open!

📷Open!If you like my work you can support me through Ko-fi. Thank you!📷

🖤Masterlist🖤

🐞Pile 1: The Hermit, 2 of Pentacles, Knight of Wands.

Hi pile 1! This person will probably be someone you will share your environment with, this could be through work or studies etc. There will be some trust between you, you will have a friendship before you start dating and I feel like you will have known each other for a while.

I feel like you both might be a little shy, for this reason it might take a while for this person to ask you out as they might be thinking about the possible consequences of ruining the friendship you already have. But they will eventually do it, and it will be a lot of fun.

The date itself will be quite relaxed and enjoyable. You will probably decide to go for a walk, maybe visit a cafe and then continue walking while chatting. The atmosphere will be comfortable and calm, allowing you to open up to each other without pressure. At the end of the day, you will both feel satisfied and confident in the connection you have established, leaving behind any doubts you might have had before going out together. Truly beautiful and fun energy! 🐞

🐞Song:

🌸Pile 2: 5 of Wands, The Sun, 10 of Cups.

Hi pile 2! This person is someone new in your life. Someone who will catch your eye as soon as you see them; I feel that both of you will feel very attracted to each other. Maybe you will meet them through someone in common, at some kind of event where there will be several people, like a party or gathering.

I feel that this date will be a lot of fun, both of you seem to have a very charismatic and cool energy, I feel that there is a fire energy going on, so this could be significant. You will probably choose a place where you can enjoy and have fun, like an amusement park, a fair or even a place to dance, etc.; but certainly something in which you will have a lot of fun, there will also be a lot of people. I see you shining through this persons eyes pile 2, so pretty🥹

I am convinced that you will love this new person, and you will realize how fun and cool they are. I believe they will also be impressed by you, which will open the door to a second date. The night could culminate with a kiss or a special moment that will really special for both of you. Without a doubt, this will be the start of something exciting and full of possibilities! 🌸

🌸Song:

🪻Pile 3: 2 of Cups, King of Cups, Ace of Wands.

Hi pile 3! This person is really lovely, pile 3. I feel like they are going to go out of their way to make sure you enjoy every moment together. You person probably feels head over heels for, so they want to make the best date possible. At the end of the day, they already feel blessed to have a date with you, honestly so sweet :").

This person will probably take you out to dinner somewhere romantic, special and intimate, I see them sharing deep conversations and having a great time. I feel like at some point during the date they will surprise you with a special detail, like some flowers or a piece of jewelry, because they are a very attentive and dedicated person.

In their eyes, you are someone truly special, and I am convinced that their efforts to make you feel good will pay off. The date will surely end with both of you wanting to get to know each other even more, creating a connection that could be very meaningful. There is a very positive energy, pile 3, and it is really sweet to see how they care about you 🪻🩷

🪻Song:

🖤📷Thanks for reading and tell me if it resonated📷🖤

[kalki-tarot]

Detailed love tarot reading.

You & your Destined person ♡

@kalki-tarot

Pick a picture you're drawn to the most.

Masterlist | Pick a pile masterlist

Disclaimer : tarot is not 100% accurate, this reading is just for fun. Tarot does not substitute professional treatment of any kind. I'm not responsible for any decisions you make on behalf of my readings. This may not resonate with everyone. Please be mindful of your own actions and thoughts ♡

Pile 1

Channeled song :

How and when will you meet them?

The universe will conspire for your meeting when you may have turned away from love itself. When you think everything in this world is against you, when you least expect it, you'll meet them by destiny. The reason why you turned your back on love is because you may be heartbroken, you dealt with something painful. Your thoughts would tell you that true love doesn't exist. You'll meet them when you are not even looking for love. This phase will come on it's own. You need not force it.

You can meet them while traveling. Most probably while traveling. This can be love at first sight for both or one of you. This person can also be a foreigner or from a different state/city.

For time frame, you can meet them in some weeks, 10 years or six months.

What is their current energy and what will be their energy when you meet?

444 or 33 can be significant. This person is currently in a very creative energy. They are upto something. They are starting a new shop or business. Whatever new venture they're upto, they'll be happy and content with whatever they make in terms of money from it. They are doing it for their own happiness. They can be interested in stargazing. They can also be a star. Like a famous individual. They are embracing their feminine energy, no matter the gender. They are allowing their emotions to come and flow. They're not becoming a block in the path of their own success. They can also be dating alot. They are doing a partnership currently, in business, work, school etc. They are very caring and loving towards their family. They have a lot of ideas, but they are not pursuing it right now.

By the time of your meeting, their energy will drastically shift. There would be a shocking realization about something. This person would've become very sensitive by the time they meet you. They'll know sides of human nature they didn't knew before. They can be traveling to their home town and you both can meet for the first time in their home town also. You can meet at a family celebration also. Like a wedding, family reunion or a friend's marriage ceremony. I see people around you. The most probable situation I'm getting is that, they travel to their home town in a wedding party and they see you there and fall in love with you. Their energy seems very family oriented.

What are the blocks or obstacles in this meeting? How do you overcome them?

I know people acted wrong with you, people were deceitful with you. But it's time to let divine play their part. You have to release the blocks in your heart chakra. Let love enter your life. Don't stop it from coming into your life.

You can release the past heartbreaks now. Take a deep breathe and release that heavy energy that rests upon your heart. You need to be intune with your intuition. The cycle has ended. Now you have to focus on the present. Know that you are the king/queen. Know that you can do this. Karmic cycles have already ended.

The ideal version of you that you look upto can become your reality if you're confident enough about yourself. Know that and move forward.

What is their personality like?

This person comes from a rich and happy family. They are connected with their family so much. They are quick and impulsive. They do make impulsive decisions sometimes. They like to party and socialize lot. They like meeting with people. Can be an extrovert. They have a great social and personal life balance. They believe in partnerships and collaborations. They are your romantic soulmate. This person is sad because someone left from their family. Or maybe a fight took place with their family members.

What will this relationship feel and turn out like?

Again 444 popped up. It's a very significant number. This relationship would feel very dreamy. You'll go on trips together and experience many things. It'll help you look better within yourselves. You guys would be able to understand yourselves better. It'll come with a lot of wise teachings. Things would calm down after the exhausting period. And you guys would definitely marry each other. This can be a destination wedding. Or you would travel after the wedding to some place for your honeymoon.

What is the divine purpose behind this connection? What will it teach you?

It'll literally teach you how to love yourself. The purpose behind this is to teach to the power of inner strength and compassion. The masculines would learn to get in touch with their feminine and emotional sides. Like to express themselves better and not to be afraid or ashamed of your emotions. It'll teach you how to take a leap of faith and trust in yourself. The feminines would get to know how powerful they are and how important they are. You know, you'll get to know your self worth through this.

Pile 2

Channeled song :

How and when will you meet them?

After a fight, with yourself. You'll meet them after a fight or a betrayal. Someone would lie or cheat on you and you nay go in ther hermit mode for sometime before they come into your life. When you actually realize your self worth pile 2, they'll enter your life. When you'll be in your boss b*tch era or when you'll be powerful and self confident.

When your life will be in your control or hands, things will fall into place and they'll enter your life when you would not even want love anymore.

Time frame would be 11 days or the waxing phase of moon.

What is their current energy? And what will be their energy when you meet them?

This person has also suffered very hard. Sleepless nights and racing thoughts surrounded this person. But now they're very focused and clear about their life. They may work with a lot of women or are surrounded by lots of women in their life. There might be a gossip surrounding this person, like how cold they act with others. Their ex probably cheated on them snd lied to them, with the three and seven of swords, they were very heartbroken and they cut themselves from the world. They appeared very silent and lost in their mind alot. And people are gossiping about how this person's behavior changed after the heartbreak. To be honest, they really loved their ex and had marriage in mind. But things went bad for them.

They have overcome all of this, now they are in a good state but sometimes the past haunts them. They don't want to socialize for a while now, they just wanna focus on their career goals. They are really heartbroken. A karmic cycle has ended for them. They cleared out whatever karma they had in their hands. Now here comes divine intervention at place, divine will help this person move forward. Angels literally guide this person towards you, towards love. They are being shown the positive sides of love, they're being introduced to pure and truthful love. Divine is blessing this person with a romantic union. Wow! They're being shown the path, don't worry they'll reach you when the time is right.

What are the blocks or obstacles in this union? How can you overcome them?

Someone's mental health is literally falling out of place, either your or theirs. Don't let someone manipulate you through kind words. Astrological events can be significant. You need to know where the obsession starts in love and you should be aware of it. Don't repeat the mistakes you made in the past. Learn from mistakes please. Be aware of red flags, addictions and toxic people. It'd be better if these things are cut from your life as early as possible.

Don't be stuck in the past love. That's the advice for you. I know you want love and you'll get it don't worry. Just don't be obsessed with anything. Let things come to you.

What's their personality like?

They are famous, very peopular like i said before, people gossip and talk about them alot! But this person is very isolated and introverted. Kinda contradictory, right? They are very wise and kind. They don't talk unnecessarily. They're an old soul. They can be a teacher or a manifestation coach.

They really feel trapped in their mind. They overthink a lot. They can't see a clear picture due to this. What's really great about them is that they are aware of what they're doing. That's really a curse and a gift. I can relate to that. They know where they lack and they can't do anything about it. They have certain traits which are bad and they know that they are bad but they can't really do anything about it. It's their own personality anyway, how can they change it? I'm sorry if i couldn't explain it better. Being aware of your own faults is really crucial. They also psycho-analyse themselves, i do that too lol. But it can become too self critical which leads to the weird paradox of self hatred and self awareness.

Aside from that, they want a happy family of theirs. Like even a small family would do, but should be a happy one. They want marriage, right now. They're ready to date around and get a girl/guy. They are very romantic, romance flows out from them! They would literally do what you want without you asking for it! They may belong to the education field somehow.

How would this relationship feel like?

Your fear of vulnerability will end with this person. You'll feel safe with them. This relationship would feel like a reward. You may look back to the past but this person would make you forget all of that. You'll feel safe with them. I sense warmth. You may also start a new business after getting married. The wall you've built around yourself would diminish and you'll feel your bond strengthing over time. The feminine would be a very caring and loving person to the masculine. The masculine would be a very romantic and giving person to the feminine. Such a beautiful and healthy relationship!

What is the divine purpose behind this connection? What will it teach you?

This will teach you how to create a balance. You'll learn how to face your shadow side and you'll learn how to end toxic cycles that surrounds you. You'll learn how to overcome your heartbreaks. You'll learn how to be more giving to others & yourself. You'll learn how to love and be in harmony with your person. You'll learn that sadness comes and goes. You'll learn that you're much more powerful that you think you are. You'll learn to be confident with yourself.

Pile 3

Channeled song :

How & when will you meet them?

You will receive a love offer after a cycle ends in your life. You may have a fear of getting rejected in love so you don't allow anyone get closer to you in the first place. But trust me, this person will come into your life when you'll stop fearing love. Don't be scared of it. Take the leap of faith with this person.

Holding onto things is not going to help, you should do justice with yourself. Libra season may be significant in your life. Your creativity will spark before meeting this person, so take it as a sign that you're gonna meet them soon. They'll be very romantic and will sweep you off your feet in the first meeting. When you'll let go of these fears, and move on from heartbreak They'll enter your life without wasting time. You can meet in a social gathering or a party. You can meet them at night or even midnight. For time frame Capricorn season can be the time you meet them. You can trust this person, don't be shy with them.

What is their current energy? What will be their energy when you meet them?

Alright pile 3! This person is currently releasing all the emotional turmoils and pains and blocks. These reason of this pain that they're releasing right now was that people or maybe a past lover took advantage of their empathetic and loving nature for their own means. Now they're improving and maintaining a distance from these kind of people. They're just being nice to people who are close to them. They are setting boundaries. They wanna start new and afresh in love. They're releasing every past energy. This person is becoming kind and gentle with themselves first and for their loved ones only. They're putting up a wall in front of strangers so that no one can take advantage of their kind nature anymore. They're working on themselves and improving their skills. They may be taking new classes or even join new sports practice. They're learning wise things and moving forward in life.

They'll create a significant balance in their life between their emotional and logical self by the time they meet you. They won't get swayed by people anymore when they're about to meet you, but they'll get swayed by you ;) they'll be very abundant or even wealthy and stable when they meet you.

What are the blocks and obstacles in this union? How can you overcome them?

Current advice for you is that you don't have to lose your balance in any tough situations. Don't get swayed by any handsome or beautiful person in the first sight only. Know that people hide so much behind their lovely demeanor. You not should just focus on love, focus on other things in life too, to be in a state of balance and equality. Otherwise i don't see any block.

What is their personality like?

They have a great convincing power. They can get anyone do what they want, not bad things of course. They're strong and energetic. Very enthusiastic energy, they stand up for what they believe in. This person's past was not very good in terms of love. They got cheated by someone whom they truly loved the most. This person is in an energy of walking away from love or his/her romantic side right now. They're heartbroken. As i said before, this person is cold to others but soft to their loved ones only. They have a fiery personality, air and fire signs are prominent. They may still be in a school/college right now. This person wants a powerful match for themselves, they want a man or a woman who is as capable as them. They're very romantic and loving too, very passionate about the people whom they love. It's hard to win their love, but once they let you in, they won't let you out of their minds and hearts.

How would this relationship feel like?

This relationship or union will be divinely guided for a greater purpose. This relationship will help you release toxic cycles and negative thinking. All the obsessions and attachments will be released. It will help you both transform and have a rebirth. So that you can start a new journey in life. This will teach you to take that leap of faith. And will also help y'all to get out of your comfort zone and visit all the places you've never been. A deep and sentimental connection is present here, full with compassion, empathy and divinity. I just love the whole cozy and comfortable vibe of y'all relationship.

What is the divine purpose behind this connection? What will it teach you?

Wow! We have three aces and the powerful queen and king of swords couple right here! The spread tells me about a past life of uou both where you both could were either very poor and separated from each other. In this lifetime, multiple opportunities will be given to you both for wealth, prosperity and abundance. And divine will itself guide you both together with eachother in this lifetime so that you both can finally love and be with eachother. This will teach you balance and harmony. Everything will be right in this lifetime for you both, whatever bad thing takes place, take it as a lesson or your own karma and be happy for yourself.

Please provide insights so I can improve more ♡

[missisjoker]

I wonder if the universal love for the House Stark is rooted in the authentic, non-toxic masculinity that this house represents.

In the brutally realistic, gory world of the Song of Ice and Fire, House Stark occupies the golden mean between vices and comes as close to the Aragorn-esque style masculinity as we can get.

Lord Stark is, first and foremost, a protector, the one who cares for and defends the lives entrusted to him. Unlike any other house, a Stark doesn't do it for the status or comfort that comes with a royal office. While other houses seek pleasures, riches, and status, Stark seeks duty.

In a world filled with conquest, violence and immorality, Starks take it upon themselves to protect the rest against the dark powers that dwell beyond the wall.

They are fiercely protective, brave, strong, and very competent in battle (remember, a house wouldn't hold their realm for 8 thousand years if they weren't). They are hardworking, they have grit and survival skills, they have discipline.

They don't abuse their status of lordship, but instead, they forge a bond of brotherhood with all the people of the north, a type of bond that grows when death stares you in the face.

Lords of Winterfell are caretakers and providers too- they make sure their people are fed and warm when the long winters overtake their kingdom. It takes -and builds- a special form of trust - to open your hearth for those in need and shelter and care for them in the most dangerous situation.

This unshakeable trust is the source of their honor- this is why they always keep their word; their survival depends on it.

Last but not least, their treatment of women. While the house itself is very masculine-coded (unlike, say, Tyrells with their matriarchal structure or Martells with their egalitarianism), women share as much respect as men. You can see that in many examples: Ned is horrified Robert beats Cercei and sees it as dishonorable; no Stark men got a reputation for frequenting brothels, they are portrayed as restrained and faithful; neither Ned nor Jon ever try to stop Arya from pursuing boy activities, on the contrary- both encourage and support it (it is women who belittle her for that- Sansa and Septa); Cregan Stark stills his hand from rightfully executing traitors during the Hour of the World because ladies of the great houses convince him to.

There is also ... mystery, wildness, and almost feral danger that lurks deep beneath the dutiful and well-controlled exterior - like wolves under the starlight in the dark forests. They are the children of the first men, they worship old, wild gods and wield old magic - don't try to convince me it isn't even a little ...alluring.

[dionysism]

okay fuck it tier list of every greek mythology or greek myth inspired musical i've listened to (so far)

with, if you care, short reviews for each below the cut. i'm like half asleep but take my poorly organized thoughts

paris the musical

this one is my all time favorite of all the ones listed here. the musical scores and vocals are just on another level. it's a rock opera so it's got guitar solos and the songs are so catchy. business is my favorite track i could loop it for weeks. i also love their patroclus characterization and i am obsessed with achilles in this unironically one of my top patroachilles adaptations of all time and the musical isn't even about them 😭😭 AND PARIS... the actual focus of the musical, i love this take on him too. it's kinda comical but also actually tragic at the same time. which i mean. paris is kinda comical but ultimately tragic in general so its fair 💀 things definitely go down differently in this than in the iliad though like agamemnon and the greeks are actually planning to invade troy before paris even shows up to take helen and ulysses (odysseus) is the only one who thinks this is stupid. he does manage to convince the rest of them to maybe Not, but then paris takes helen after what's supposed to be him going there to strike a trade deal. and agamemnon uses that as the perfect excuse to justify something he already wanted to do unprovoked anyway. also agamemnon and menelaus were going to violate xenia and kill paris in their home after making him a guest (again, before he does anything with helen) which was ?!?!!? but like similar to epic this is more like an au to me than a faithful iliad adaptation. i also love this helen characterization and the whole dynamic between hector paris and cassandra i wish i could put them all in my mouth and chew them up

ulysses dies at dawn

this is another great one. i will say this is the only album from the mechs i've listened to and the band itself has a whole ton of lore so there may be details i'm missing but i love it so much. this is definitely more of an inspired by tale—takes place in the future (i think?) on a planet that's entirely machine and metal and all animals and natural life is extinct. and all the characters are named after greek mythos characters and they have similar stories to their original counterparts but adapted to this futuristic universe and it's just so unbelievably cool. also ulysses nonbinary in this?! (the narrator says the records are lost to time and we can't be sure if ulysses was a "man, woman, both, or neither" and only refer to them with they/them pronouns) anyway i won't say too much on this one because the story tells itself and i don't want to spoil but GO LISTEN this album is fantastic

hadestown

this one i think is the most popular/well known on this list so most of you have probably heard of it but i'll still give my review. everything about this musical is incredible. i absolutely adore this take on orpheus and eurydice. and this is a take on persephone and hades i don't totally hate (because usually i do) and the way at times they paralleled orpheus to hades??? there was a quote i read from its wiki page once that sums it up pretty well, from todd osborne, "it is a musical both about how art can save us and how, especially in an apocalyptic world, hope might be the only thing we have left." just such a beautiful musical and beautiful story and the themes and messages like stop i could talk about this musical for hours let me stop

for epic i've already summed up most of my thoughts on it here

theseus the musical

um. i'm not going to lie there's multiple parts of this where i do not know what they are saying. i have auditory processing issues and i usually really need the lyrics and i cannot find any anywhere for this so i'm kinda just going on vibes. but the songs are catchy and i like the parts i do understand 😭 and well i love theseus. dearly. my little princess with a disorder my freakazoid i want to trap him in a jar like a bug and shake him around his enclosure. i'll kind of take literally anything i can get on him

penelope off broadway

full title is penelope or how the odyssey was really written and this is such a fun one. this is a comedy musical and the premise is that the epic poem, the odyssey, actually comes from fake letters penelope wrote to stall the suitors in odysseus' absence. so she's just making shit up like "umm... my men got turned into pigs so i'm gonna be late sorry babe :/" and signing it as odysseus. obviously not the most accurate characterizations but again its more of a comedy spinoff than a faithful retelling. telemachus also gets a cute little romance. (spoilers ahead if you care) they scared me for a second i thought they were having it that odysseus cheated penelope and she was gonna leave him but that's not the case and it has a happy ending so <3 this one is just so funky and silly like if you want a lighthearted not super serious musical you will love this it's really adorable and the woman who plays penelope's voice is incredible like omg some of the high notes she hits??? woah

jasper in deadland (tw suicide mention)

this one is also an inspired by/based on tale where jasper (orpheus) follows his friend agnes (eurydice) into deadland in an attempt to get her back from what was either an accident or a suicide attempt (but most likely suicide) he runs into various figures from greek norse and egyptian mythology and like it wasn't bad or anything really the songs just weren't catchy enough for me. i'm not gonna lie that's literally my only issue. i just cannot get into it and listen to it multiple times if it's not catchy enough. but the plot is cute!!

percy jackson the musical

i just don't personally care for percy jackson, sorry. never really did. you'd think as a greek mythology obsessed child i'd eat it up and i mean as a kid i did like it a little but i don't know it just never hooked me. i've tried to get back into it but it's even less enjoyable to me now unfortunately. the songs weren't catchy (to me) and i didn't like the lyrics either. it's not necessarily a bad musical. it's just not my thing

aristos the musical

sorry it just kinda felt like tsoa the musical to me and i immediately couldn't enjoy it 😭😭 that's literally all i have to say

[lightlycareless]

The perfect girl by mareux = Naoya and y/n

( if you listen to the lyrics you’ll understand !!🤭)

Hi!!!

First of all, I'm so sorry it took me a while to get back to you! Between answering other asks and writing snippets here and there... well, I got busy. But I will always do my best to respond to all!!!! And now, here I am. Moving on...

Omg this song I heard it everywhere but I never really gave it much attention—AND NOW, IT FITS NAOYA AND Y/N VERY WELL.

Now following the lyrics and song itself, I get a sense of being so irrevocably in love/obsessed with said girl that’s being sung about—just about the words I’d use to describe what Naoya feels for you haha.

warnings: fluff. a bit of highschool au. in my mind, that's how they officially met.

I always believed that the reason why Naoya fell so hard for you is because you were completely different from his world. And somehow the sentence strange girl takes me back to when you and Naoya first met.

Naoya obviously knew that once the year ended, they’d be a bunch of new students gracing the school grounds. Nothing that he would’ve normally cared for outside of observing if there were any girls that might catch his interest, but this time around he was forced to be attentive all thanks to your annoying siblings who had made such a big deal about your enrollment.

“Another idiot to join their shenanigans. Great!” He’d say, just about the usual harsh words he’d use towards them, because he hated them.

Kind of. Mostly. Depending on the context. He did not get along with them, at all; yet again, nobody did.

But then, when the fated day finally comes and he gets a glimpse of you… all preconceived notions were promptly thrown out the window, becoming immediately smitten by you.

He just… couldn’t peel his eyes away from the strange girl that honored the hallways with her hypnotizing presence. There was something so intoxicating about your appearance, a sense of purity that showed you had remained largely ignorant of the cruelties of life. Or at least those that are usually bestowed to members of the jujutsu community.

And that just made you stranger before his eyes; odd that someone like you, part of a somewhat important family, was still capable of being cheerful, with both yourself and others.

But as unusual as it was… Naoya was still enveloped with a grave urge to protect you. Shelter that same innocence he had been unwittingly stripped away from, while hoping he’d keep getting that same gentle demeanor you’ve always bestowed upon him when possible:

The way you were always so eager to tell him about your endeavors, whatever mission or school assignment you were tasked with—either to complain, or seek advice, he didn’t care for what as long as you went to him—always considering him above others it seemed, when the rest wouldn’t even bother to look at his direction if not to seek advantage of his title, or simply avoid him…

The way you’d softly call his name, imprinting the moment it happened the first time in the back of his mind: the tone of your voice, the look in your face… like you were happy to see him! When was the last time he could say that about anyone? Not even his own father…

The way you’d compliment his work; a sincere appreciation that didn’t come from recited words out of fear of reprehension or interest in obtaining favors. You saw what he was capable of and took interest in it with hopes of improving yourself, or to simply encourage him.

And of course, the way you took your time to get to know him. Not the heir, not the talented sorcerer, but the man himself; Naoya. Having little no to interest in his family outside of comparing lifestyles, see if he too grew tired of pestering elders and overbearing parents, or if he even got along with his siblings.

…

Naoya felt human for the first time in his life with you, your words filling a void he could never satisfy with the empty gestures of his surroundings… So how did you not expect him to fall in love?

“You’re a strange girl, Y/N.” He’d disclose to you one day, the moment he finally came to terms with his feelings for you, much to your horror.

“Oh, is that—is that a good thing?” you fret, for such adjective was rarely used in positive prospect.

But to Naoya, that word only meant you were beyond good.

You were perfect.

I'm sure Y/N did most of the approaching and Naoya just stood there like the tsundere I always envisioned him to be; it's not until he grows comfortable that he becomes the suave, teasing guy we all know and love (I mean, in my mind hahahaha) but yeah... it's safe to say that to him you were a strange little thing that he ended up falling in love with 🥺

Hnnnnnggggg this was so sweet to write, though the song kind of went more into a dark aspect ngl, or so that's how I felt it 🤣

Anyways, thank you so much for your patience!!! I really love it when I get sent songs that reminds y'all of Naoya and YN, ajgkhasjkghajksgas it adds depth to their relationship you know?

Now, take care and hope to see you soon!!

[cowboyemeritus]

not sure what this is but have some Copia/witch reader because I’m already thinking abt Halloween :)

There’s a warm, pleasant pressure at the base of his skull as your consciousness slips into his mind, overlapping with his. Then, a tugging sensation, like he’s being pulled on an invisible string.

My love, you whisper, voice at once nowhere and everywhere. The sultry quality of it sends a delightful shiver down Copia’s spine. Already, his heart is beating faster. Come to me. Like a moth to a flame, he cannot possibly resist; you had bewitched him, completely and utterly, a long time ago. His joints protest as he rises from his chair, weary from sitting for so long, but he persists, drawn to you by forces he knows are far beyond his comprehension.

You remain seated firmly in his mind as he flees the stuffy isolation of his office. Once unsettling, your presence has become a comfort, a blanket over the raging fire of frustration and anxiety that comes with his new station. From the series of images that flashes behinds his eyes — twisted sheets, sweat-slicked skin, swollen lips — he knows exactly where you are and what your demands will be. A flash-flood of arousal washes over him and he balls his fists, fighting the urge to moan out loud as his cock twitches with interest, already filling out. Whether this is his own nature or another one of your tricks he can’t quite tell, but he doesn’t care. All that matters is getting to you. The pile of paperwork on his desk can wait; the call of his mistress is of paramount importance.

The hallways of the Ministry, lined with the tombs of former Congregants, seem to wind on forever. With each second that passes, each moment he’s away from you, he grows more agitated, his heart racing and palms sweating. Beneath the gooey, honeyed feeling of your influence is a buzzing, like a nest of angry hornets, and as the journey to your shared chambers drags on it only grows. He turns the corner and is immediately blinded by the light of the full moon, streaming in through the stained glass windows. Today has been far too long and somehow, its ending completely skipped his mind until now. Taking a moment to breathe, Copia lets the pull of your magick, your siren song, numb him to the day’s events. As the bliss creeps into his mind, he sighs with relief. This, to surrender and let you take control, is exactly what he needed.

In the blink of an eye he’s standing before the heavy wooden door of your suite. Your power is overwhelming; you’re so close he can practically taste you. He reaches for the knob but the door opens on its own, beckoning him in. Stepping inside, he is immediately met by the smell of burning incense, a scent that so often clings to your skin, and he throbs in his trousers. His feet seem to carry him to the bedroom, the edges of his vision fuzzy as he stumbles through the dark apartment. The door is already ajar, allowing a beacon of soft orange light to seep out. Through the haze of magick and arousal clouding his mind, Copia is vaguely aware of the anticipation bubbling up inside as he pushes it the rest of the way open and shuffles into the room.

In his peripheral, he can see that the windows are open, letting in cool night air that caresses his feverish skin. The full moon hangs right in frame, as if to observe the scene transpiring below. Scattered across the room are clusters of lit candles, red and black. Their flickering light casts shadows that seem to move on their own, morphing into shapes that appear remarkably creature-like.

You are the centerpiece of the room, splayed out on the bed like the concubine of some great king. The candlelight casts a glow across your naked skin, gleaming as if you were forged from gold itself. You smile at him gently, but there is a predatory, primal hunger in your eyes. When your gazes finally meet an electric spark runs down Copia’s spine, nearly bringing him to his knees. His hands start to move on their own, scrambling to undo his various buttons and zippers until he’s standing at the foot of the bed, completely nude before you. The heat of his arousal is like an iron against his stomach and every inch of him burns, craving your touch. Looking him up and down, you lick your lips.

“Darling,” you coo, extending a hand. “Won’t you come to bed?”

“Yes,” Copia mumbles, feeling wonderfully out of his body. Already, the weariness in his bones is ebbing away. “I think I will.” He takes your hand, kisses it, and then his mind goes completely blank.

[sangoqueenkoko]

KAVEH

"how do you become accidentally married?" …part 2.

fluff

DENDRO MASTERLIST | DRABBLE MASTERLIST

Drabble prompt: page 1: #8 = "how do you become accidentally married?"

Warnings? Mentions of alcohol in general and of what could be blood (but it's actually red wine). Pet names mentioned (Honey, my Love).

Contains a mention of Alhaitham, slight mention of Nahida, and Kaveh of course!

1k words.

Here’s a part 2 no one asked for! @groovyparadisestarlight and @udretlnea sort of did

i wonder if this one will blow up like the first part…

‘Because he cannot remember what happened the night before.’

These are the events that lead up to the day after.

In a far corner of Lambard's Tavern sat you with a cup of the Taverns, in the words of Kaveh, “best wine one has ever tasted.” You were waiting for him to show up after a meeting with a surprisingly easy client. You would buy his drinks for him today as a treat for his good mood. As you don’t want to burden him any further than he already could be.

After you had finished a quarter of your first glass — as you didn’t want too drink to much before the occasion had even begun — Kaveh came bursting in, luckily it wasn’t so crowded just yet. So he didn’t disturb many people with his sudden appearance. Many.

He looked around the main room before spotting you and quickly making his way over, “(Y/N)! Great! You’re here!” He smiled as he sat opposite you. After he gave you a kiss on the cheek though. It was always a sweet gesture from him to you.

And him to you, only.

Anyway.

“So how was the meeting with the client?” You asked as you rested your chin on the back of your hand, gazing across the table at him. The question only made him more… happier than he was a literal second ago.

“Oh, right! Well, the client loved what I had in mind! He said that what I had thought and designed what exactly what he had in mind too! We saw eye to eye,” He exclaimed with a genuine grin before taking a quick sip of wine from the cup that you had poured for him, “and get this. He also said that he will help with most of the cost of it!! Can you believe it?!” He stood up with his hands on the table. You were genuinely happy for him, it’s the happiest you’ve seen him in a while.

“Wow! That’s great, Honey! And I am glad to see that smile of yours again.”

As the day went on, you ordered a few more drinks and a meal because why not? It’s a good occasion. More people came in and went. Locals and travellers. Speaking of travellers, a travelling bard from Mondstadt made a pit stop in Sumeru and tried playing their music, which was a hit. It was much different to what locals in Sumeru are accustomed to.

Faster pace, more upbeat, more… joyous. Lively. Something that was worth dancing to.

Evening came and the bard was back, they brought more people off the streets inside to dance. As that’s what a lot of people were doing already. Singing local songs and ones from other nations.

At this point, the two of you were a little drunk, ones with the vibes. It was the end of the week, so it was so worth it.

“Care to dance with me, m’dear?” Kaveh asked as he stood and offered a hand to you with a bow, the other behind his back. Looking into his eyes you would see the same kind, caring being he is, the only difference was that you saw more love and adoration in his eyes for you. You and only you.

���Of course, my Love!” You smiled as you held his hand and stood up.

The evening was… a bizarre blur. A lot of drinks, like different types of wine. Lots of singing with everyone in the tavern, and of course dancing. You vividly being on top of a table with Kaveh, and him spinning you around at some point. Though the owners didn’t do anything about it, I’m assuming that they didn’t mind it. Everyone had fun.

A little too much fun to be honest, to the point that The Corps of Thirty came in and closed down the tavern for the night as it was even quite loud and the sounds where quite brash on the main high street itself. Disrupting the peace.

But even after that, neither you or Kaveh wanted to go home. Even if it was best because of how drunk you two were.

But somehow, the pair of you traversed to the Sanctuary of Surasthana, and made it in one peace, where the Lesser Lord herself would be. During the nights, she would occasionally walk around the city to appreciate it in peace, and you so happened to come across her here.

Kaveh spoke to her and had the idea to ask her to officiate something and be the key witness for the occasion. And of course she agreed. Upon her asking what it was, Kaveh would say, in a heartbeat – yet drunkenly confident – “I want to marry this lovely being here” he pulled you closer, “(Y/N). (M/N). (L/N). The love of my life!”

She didn’t care what time it was, neither did you two.

The Lesser Lord herself, and the guards, served as your witnesses.

It wasn’t exactly how someone would want to be married, but to be married by a God herself? You better count that as a blessing for a bright future.

But the Goddess didn’t want something happening to the newly weds as you made you ways back down from the Sanctuary. So she escorted you both herself back home.

She granted you the sweetest of dreams for that night, and she knew that neither of you would regret the decision. Even she knew how close you two were.

It was about 2am when you got back to Kaveh’s shared house with Alhaitham. And surprisingly, you didn’t wake him up. Even if he sleeps like dead weight.

You stumbled onto the bed first, then did Kaveh. No type of intimacy was shared, apart from some loving words and light kisses. All before you both passed out asleep.

Let’s forget the red wine stains and glasses in the living room for now.

Just how will you explain this to Alhaitham later on?

So this is how you become accidentally married.

I ran out of steam towards the end. Sorry.

[nian-7]

hey! i see ur reqs are open, may i req pjsk boys (separate) taking fem reader to prom? like obvs established relationship, but like them reacting to her dress, the actual experience itself, and all that fun stuff. if you have to, you can make it gn reader! have a good day :)

sure, this sounds super cute! enjoy!

Akito, Tsukasa, Toya, Rui x fem!reader

✧taking their gf (you!) to prom

✧fluff

-Honestly, he's only going because you asked him. He wasn't really all that interested in it and wasn't planning on asking you to go until you showed an interest in it.

-He tries his best to be gentlemanly and formal but you just end up laughing a little at his attempts. He kisses your hand when he picks you up at your house and would rather get there when you finish rather than waiting for you to finish getting ready.

-Akito holds your hand for 90% of the night. The only times he lets go is when you decide to go dance with your friends or are eating. He doesn't really want to leave your side just because he's not particularly a fan of this whole thing. He wants you to enjoy yourself though!

-Terrible slow dancer honestly. Even though it's at such a slower pace than what he normally does, he can't help but mess up. He's a bit nervous and so he's almost stepped on your foot more than once.

-The most you'll get out of him for a compliment is "Nice dress." or "I like your makeup/hair". He's trying to save himself from the embarrassment of having thought how pretty you are and how much it's made him feel all fuzzy inside.

-It's such a blast with Tsukasa. You both have so much fun. Whenever a popular song comes on, he'll take you to dance with him to it. Genuinely you both have the best time and it's an overall super fun experience.

-He talks to your parents while you finish getting ready and you're honestly not sure if you should feel embarrassed or happy that they get along but you can't help but over hear your parents saying something embarrassing about you..

-Both him and Saki went with you to pick out your dress and his suit for the night. Even though you can't say that they were much help because each one you tried on, you got lots of compliments and encouragement from the two. It ended up being a hard decision since Tsukasa agreed on liking nearly every single one.

-Matches his tie with whatever color dress you've picked. He takes so many pictures of the two of you as well. A lot of them are just silly ones but there's a few actual ones sprinkled in.

-He would like to take you out to dinner before the actual dance starts. It's a bit more special when it's just the two of you together at a restaurant rather than sitting with a bunch of other people at prom to eat dinner.

-He's such a gentleman. He meets you at your house before you both go and sits patiently while you finish getting ready. He is in no hurry at all and honestly, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about the whole experience.

-100% matched his suit with your dress. He would like the dress itself to be a surprise but he also wanted to match with you so you both had to decide on a color to go with. Toya is truly okay with whatever colors you pick but, he'd likely go for a blue and black color scheme.

-At a loss for words when you come out of your room when you've finished. All he can do is clear his throat once he feels like he's stared too long and made it awkward. He's never been to such a formal event before so it's a first for him seeing you in such a formal outfit.

-Toya will slow dance with you when the right song comes on. He's surprisingly good at it and it makes you think he practiced before that night (he probably did..). A bit hesitant with his hands but he'll ease up and rest them on your lower back.

-He's the perfect date for prom in all. He makes it such a great experience for you without even trying. Toya just has a great time because you're there, he doesn't particularly care about the music or the food or anything as much as he does for you that night.

-Again, Rui wouldn't really be all that big on prom or very interested in it unless you showed an interest. He'll ask you to prom only if you show that you are interested in it.

-He took a picture of the two of you at prom and then you noticed later in the night that he actually had made it his lockscreen. He thought it was a good picture so he just decided to make it his lockscreen for his phone!

-Super chill about the whole thing. Yes, he's having fun with you, he just doesn't particularly have an interest in most of the activities. He'll follow you around, dancing with you if you ask him to or participate in any of the activities they have.

-He sure as hell flustered you quite a few times during the night. Whether it be with a kiss or his words, he truly did it unintentionally the first few times!

-Rui doesn't mind if you want to go hang out with your friends for a bit during prom, he'll wander till he finds Nene or Tsukasa (if they're even there) and chat with them till you come and find him again.

please do not repost any of my work without my permission, thank you for reading.

[luvliewriting]

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Their Love Language

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Imagine: What is their love lanuage?

Warnings: none

Note: did I miss a character you like? Feel free to request for me to do a part 2 for your favourites

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Arthur Morgan

Giving Gifts

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this man loves giving any kind of gift to those he cares for. Whether it's a simple pebble he thought looked nice or the latest pocketwatch, just to be able to see the bright smile on your face when you receive these gifts is enough for him. This man is such a giver, anything he sees he'll grab just so you can give it to you and tell you that he thought of you. You have a "little" collection of all the stuff that Arthur has gotten you; pretty rocks, feathers, cigarette cars, shiny coins, etc. The list never ends. Anything that lets him see that beautiful smile on your face is enough for him.

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Dutch Van Der Linde

Physical Touch

It's no secret that Dutch is a hands-on kind of guy, I mean hell he'll praise the ground you walk on in front of everyone, zero shame. Is the camp partying after a successful job? Sure as hell he's got an arm around your waist, maybe a kiss on your neck or two. He will happily swing you around in his arms in camp to his gramophone, anything that allows him to be physically connected to you is perfect for Dutch. His favourite though is early mornings in his cot with you curled up in his chest, your arm draped over his chest as he gets to pick up your wrist and leave a small kiss to it.

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Hosea Matthews

Quality Time

Hosea isn't a material kind of guy, he doesn't want gifts or anything like that. A simple horse ride with you is enough for him, he likes just being in your prescense. He's a simple guy, anything that allows it just be you and him is just perfect. Whether it be going to a nice viewing spot so he can read to you while you lay your head on his lap or fishing at sunrise with him. He enjoy spending time with you, even if its in complete silence and you two aren't doing anything, just the fact he gets to enjoy your company is enough to make him feel like a young man again.

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John Marston

Acts Of Service

I'm gonna be blunt, John isn't the most romantic guy alive. He'll put an effort sure but don't be surprised if he's not exactly prince charming. He does his best to be your dream man even when he feels like he's lacking so he's started taking up your chores around camp and asking if you had anything you needed or done. You didn't think much of it at first, you thought he was just doing a nice thing for you until you realised this was how he was showing his love for you. Don't get me wrong, John will do his best to be romantic physically don't worry, but he also enjoys getting to see you relax after a hard day not having to focus on any of your chores because he's already done them all for you

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Javier Escuella

Quality Time

Javier is much like Hosea when it comes to showing his love and care for you, he doesn't want anything physical. I mean if you get him gifts and stuff, he's not gonna turn his nose up at it but he's more just enjoying you being there with him. Especially when he gets to play his guitar just for you? Oh the man will just melt. He has songs that he wrote that only you will ever hear, it's all the more romantic when he finds you humming one of them to yourself while you're doing your chores around camp. He enjoys being around his hermosa more than anything else in the world

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Charles Smith

Words Of Affirmation

Sure Charles is a very private guy, it's not that he's embaressed about you; far from it, he's absolutely infatuated with you! When it's just you two, he'll shower you in compliments and words of affections when he dots your skin in kisses. If you ever feel self consious, he's the first to be on his knees complimenting and pointing out every little thing that he loves about you, how your blessed by the great spirit itself. Charles isn't exactly the same way in front of the rest of the camp (unless it's Arthur), he'll compliment you but he won't be as gushy, mainly just to avoid either of you getting teased or rude comments towards you by people like Micah who aren't exactly the most native respecting people.

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Sadie Adler

Acts Of Service

We all know that Sadie is a blunt woman as well as not exactly hands on with people. Sure if you just need to be held, she's happy to provide her arms as your support but she won't just randomly grab onto you. Not that she doesn't love you, she loves you more than anything but she's just not like that you know? Instead much like John, she'll start taking up jobs for you. She most likely won't be doing your chores around camp since she believes those should be shared between you two but if you just need someone to vent to than she'll sit down and let you vent, scream, cry, anything you need. If you're too shy to go order a drink for example, she'll step up and get you a drink (not that you're paying because she refuses to let you ever pay for anything)

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Sean MacGuire

Physical Touch

If he can have his hands on you he will. Especially around camp just to rub it in everyone's faces, he loves to show you off and will be your official hype man. His favourite thing is having you in his lap while he drinks and chats with his friends, placing a kiss every now and again to your shoulder. No one in camp is really tired of it, hey it gets Sean off of their backs since he's always following you around like a little puppy who got lost, your hand almost always in his. He can't sleep anymore unless you're with him, so if he's off on a long job or you're away from camp for a while, than guess what? Sean isn't sleeping and that's just a fact. He will pout like a child till he can see you again and have you back in his arms.

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Josiah Trelawny

Receiving Gifts

Josiah is gone for many days at a time, you rarely ever know where he is. So when he would be gone on these week long no contact days, you started writing letters with little gifts attached to them such as pressed flowers or a shiny pebble or a card you found that you thought he'd like. You never knew where to send these letters, you just dropped them off at the post office asking if they ever saw Josiah that he was to earn these letters. You never knew exactly how he ever got these letters but everytime he returned, he had your gifts with him. He carried most of them around on his horse Silver Dollar along with a photo of you two, just as a reminder what he would be returning to when he came back to the camp.

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Bill Williamson

Physical Touch

Bill is a big guy, so even if you're a big person, he will still love to crush you in his arms. He loves how he can just envelope you regardless of your size, plus he loves how safe he can make you feel in his arms. Nothing can get you while he's around, he won't ever let anything happen to you. He most likely won't do anything in front of other members of the gang because he's just more of a private guy. When it's just you and him though? He'll pick you up, he'll be loving up on you in his arms, anything that allows him to make you feel safe and loved in his hold.

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Thank you for reading, please like and reblog as it really does help me out

Taglist: @margofiore

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[nso-csi]

231117 Weverse live (eng sub)

Taemin says that it snowed for the first time this year in korea today and asked if his manager saw it. he says that the scarf was gifted by the brand itself and he was thanking the brand for this scarf. cr.

I'm going to the airport because I have a schedule in Thailand. Even tho I left early, there's a lot of traffic because people are getting off work. Today's also friday! I envy the people getting off work, treat yourselves well~ I woke up today and worked out and had a meeting regarding the concert and left for the airport. I've been pretty busy lately. cr.

I might sound full of myself, but rather than fixed variety shows, I want to do youtube content, like uploading song/dance covers. cr.

Taemin: I don't even know if they'll invite me over to variety shows however rather thanwanting to become a regular on variety shows, I want something that actually suits me? something like youtube content or sth relating to dance? cr.

Fans: You don't have any vacation? aren't you tired? Taemin: I don't think I have any vacation for this year, I've really been working hard (without rest) this year~ cr.

Taemin reading a comment: no holiday this year? I won't have holidays this year til the end of year. cr.

Taemin: can you all write how old you are? I am curious.. I am really curious.. because it seems like I'm the only one speaking in honorific?? no one apart from me speak formally?? Every one is younger but no one calls me oppa, everyone was like 'taemin-ah' but of course i know t's because the fans want to feel closer to me that's why they don't speak with honorifics cr.

Taemin: what's funny is everyone talks to me casually even those younger than me 6"6 no one even says oppa to me 6^6 I was joking you can talk to me casually~ some people get mischievous because I said so I was joking! cr.

Alcohol? it's been so long since i drank. When was the last time? I'm not drinking recently, maybe I lost interest. cr.

Taemin said it's been a while since he drink alcohol and said the last time he drank was during the live in Japan cr.

I'm so thankful that so many people did the guilty challenge with me. i was worried that they might feel embarrassed/scold me but everyone did show their abs, so i was very relieved. cr.

Fortunately there are a lot of people that recognize me as an artist. i'm determined to walk my own path. cr.

Everyone's asking me to take care of them, tbh i can't take care of myself. cr.

People who exercise regularly always show up. Like Minho is everywhere. He probably does ab workouts in his sleep and showers while flexing his abs and when he picks up stuff he picks them up in a squat position. I think it's really cool that people can exercise routinely like that. I would rather live without abs and be able to eat whatever i want. During the concert i should show you my abs~ 6v6 shooting content with minho hyung would be fun. there's two types of people who exercise: those who enjoy working out, and those who whine and complain. i'm the second type 6v6. cr.

Taemin: Minho hyung must work out even sleeping n even taking a shower 😆 he has such healthy hobbies so cool~ but shall we just have drinks? let's give up let's eat what we want this life~! there are 2 types of people one working out happily the other doing it whining i'm the latter cr.

I know how hard the SM staff works, so I don't want to talk bad about SM. But there are times when I don't understand the decisions made by (upper management). even if I were to have an ordinary job, I'd be bound to have some sort of complaints. cr.

Everyone is working hard to make something great. "Euisoo hyung make lots of money" I think our company's salary isn't that high. But everyone works with so much passion. It's a company where you make little money but you work a lot. and i know how hard our fans support us. Everyone always talks about how shinee/taemin fans are so amazing and beautiful! Some people enter the company and run away because the reality didn't match their expectations. So the people who stay behind work hard. The company is expanding but there's no money, so i don't understand how it's getting bigger LOL What I want to say is everyone is working hard, so please know that. There are people who work hard behind the scenes. That's right, raise the salary of our staffs! We have the deepest history among entertainment agencies in korea, so raise our salaries to match our reputation! 6v6 cr.

[munsonownsmyass]

Loving You Easy

Frank Castle x reader

Warnings: Oh, well... Plus size reader, insecurities, kissing. SMUT! oral (f receiving), fingering, bodyworhsip, praise, Frank saying 'Good girl' is a warning in itself, unprotected sex (wrap it up irl tho), creampie, cockwarming if you squint. And a little surprise.

Notes: So... Besides that little cameo in my Billy fic, I've never written for Frank. First full fic for him. Have I nailed his character? Probably not, but I still like what I made. Please be gentle.

And yes... This was super self-indulgent, I'm so sorry 🤣

This is part of the Thirsty for Cox april challenge, where we had to choose a song as inspo for our fic. My song was Loving You Easy by Zach Brown Band.

Words: 3.2 K

It’s the day most girls dream about their whole lives. The day they will go through countless of bad dates and the wrong men for, just to find the one guy that completes them. The one guy she can’t imagine living without.

This was that day. Dressed in white, looking more beautiful than ever. The wedding dress so beautiful it brings tears to your mother’s eyes. The hair and makeup flawless accompanied by a smile that would make even the darkest days brighter.

Unfortunately, this was not your day, but your sisters. While you were stuck somewhere between horrible dates and unfulfilling one-night stands, Jessie had found the love of her life. Matt was perfect. Lawyer, devilishly handsome and so kind and thoughtful.

And you were happy for them, you really were. But you could feel that little pang of jealousy, wishing you could have the same one day. And honestly, you didn’t even care about the big wedding and the whole ‘feeling like a princess’ thing. You just wanted someone to love and who would love you in return.

Sighing heavily, you adjust your dress one more time, looking into the mirror. Not even maid of honor, but that’s okay. Behind you the rest of the bridal party is giggling and having a great time worshipping the bride. Leaving silently, without them noticing, you walk outside to get some air.

“Need a drink?” A gruff voice asks, and you look up into a pair of brown eyes. The guy gives you a sideways smile, holding out his beer.

“What makes you think I’ll share a beer with a stranger?” You question, taking in his features. Dark brown hair, dark stubbles along his chiseled jaw and very kissable lips. Very handsome and definitely the type of guy you’d hit on at a bar. Of course, followed by a rejection, because a guy like that would certainly have someone.

“I’m following you down the aisle in 15 minutes, so we’re hardly strangers, princess.” He smiles, retracting the beer and take a sip, looking out over the beautifully decorated backyard of your parents’ country estate.

“I take it you’re Frank then?” You smile, stepping closer to him. Your eyes meet and he offers the beer once more and this time you take a sip of it.

“Yep. Frank Castle.” He extends his hand, and you shake it, giving him your name in return. For a while you just sit there, passing the bottle back and forth while making small talk, until your mother comes looking for you.

“Oh, Mushy, there you are.” She checks your makeup, visibly frustrated and takes the beer from your hands. “Would it kill you to act a little more ladylike, at least until after the reception?” Your mom walks back in, shouting for you to get ready. Frank gets on his feet, getting ready to go in with you.

“’Mushy?’ That’s not the most flattering nickname, I’ve heard.”

“Ah, well… I’m the chubby black sheep of the family.” You shrug, trying to seem unaffected even though you hate the nickname. Jessie had always been the pretty and skinny one, a real pageant queen kinda beauty, where you were not.

“Those are the best kind of people.” Frank winks at you with a soft smile, before you are both called inside.

The party is at full swing, and everyone is having a great time. Foggy have just given his best man speech, laughing with Matt and Karen, Jessie and the other girls are dancing, while you hide in the corner with a beer. In a glass of course, your mother almost giving you the evil eye when you tried drinking out of the bottle.

“Hiding from your mother?” Frank asks, stopping in front of you. You just nod, patting the chair beside you.

“Yeah, she can be scary.” You laugh as he sits down. Raising your bottle in a silent toast, you both take a drink of your beers. “I’m also hiding from my uncle. He always asks me to dance.”

“You don’t like to dance?” Frank asks with a soft smile.

“No one wants to see this-” you gesture towards your body, “twirl around the dancefloor.” You try to laugh it off, but by Frank’s expression you know he’s not buying it. He’s seeing right through you. He stands up, extending his hand to you.

“Come on, princess. Dance with me.”

“Frank, I…”

“One dance, that’s all I’m askin’.” He doesn’t remove his hand, just steps a little closer, insisting for you to take it.

You’re trying to come up with a polite way to turn him down, when it dawns on you. Here’s a gorgeous man willing to dance with you and you wanna say no? Are you crazy? Just when you take his hand, the band starts playing one of your favorite songs. Leading you out onto the floor, Frank takes a hold of you, swaying you softly to the music.

You make loving you easy

You make loving you all I wanna do

Every little smile, every little touch

Reminds me just how much it all makes

Loving you easy

As Frank swings you out and pull you back in, making you giggle, you notice how your sister is watching you. Hell, a lot of them are. This is why you don’t dance, unwanted attention. But still, you got to admit there’s one upside to it. Frank’s eyes looking into yours, his hand on your waist.

“Everyone is staring.” You whisper, looking to the side where your sister is whispering something to Matt, who only smiles.

“Probably ‘cause you look beautiful.” He muses, giving you another one of his cheeky smiles. Damn, is it even legal to be so handsome? You’re about to make a rebuttal, when Frank speaks. “And I mean it.”

Without warning, he dips you down towards the floor, making you squeal, probably drawing the attention of people around you. But you really don’t care, only focused on Frank.

Bursting through the door to your childhood bedroom, Franks lips never leave yours as his hands run down your body, caressing your soft curves. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re gorgeous.”

“You’re drunk.” You giggle softly, kissing him passionately. He pins you against the wall, grinding his hard length against your heated core. You reach out for him, idle fingers unbuttoning his shirt. In a frenzy of hungry kisses and touches, your dress and his suit is soon spread all over the floor as you fall onto the bed with Frank on top of you.

Frank kisses his way down your body, licking and nipping at your sensitive skin. When he reaches between your thighs, he places soft kisses before diving in like a man starved. You gasp at the first contact, the feeling of his tongue making you shiver. But he slows down, wanting to take his time with you.

Slowly, he adds a finger, then another, stretching you open. Expertly he licks up your folds and sucking on your clit, leaving you a whimpering mess beneath him. “You taste amazing, princess. Making such pretty noises for me.”

“Fuck… Frank…” His name is barely a whisper, but it’s enough. Frank devours you like a man possessed. He finds that sweet spot in you that makes you see stars. With his name on your lips, you come.

More. You want more. “Please, Frank. Please fuck me.” You beg him, body writhing under his touch, your need for him strong, overwhelming.

On his way up you body, he makes sure to kiss every inch of skin, caress every curve. “So fucking gorgeous.” He mutters under his breath, placing another soft kiss between your breasts before he once again claims your lips.

His cock is at your entrance, begging to enter. He pushes in slowly, making you gasp as his thick length stretch you open. His eyes find yours so he can see your face twist in pleasure as he pushes deeper. As he bottoms out, you both pant in unison, his forehead against yours.

“You feel so good, sweetheart. Shit…” He rolls his hips a few times, fucking you slowly. You whimper softly, wanting nothing more than for him to move faster, harder. You don’t even care who might hear you, lost in the feeling of him, wanting more.

Franks is so lost in you, not wanting this to end. He kisses you hungrily before he snaps his hips harder. As you close your eyes in pleasure, he looks at you. How your face twists in pleasure, how your body move under him with every thrust. You’re so fucking beautiful, and he wants nothing more than to stay like this for hours. Wanting nothing more than to hear you moan his name over and over.

All day you’ve been talking and all day he’s been thinking how your smile was the prettiest he’s seen in a long time and how he wish you could see the beauty in yourself that he could see. He’d only known you for a few hours, but he already knew he’d want more than just today. He’s been burying his feeling for such a long time, but you make him want to live again.

He can feel himself getting closer, so lost in how good you feel, how good you make him feel. He pulls your leg up, pushing deeper, hitting your sweet spot over and over. “I’m close. Please cum for me, baby.” He drives his cock deeper and harder, reveling in the way you moan. “Be a good girl for me and cum.”

His words wash over you, the praise pushing you over the edge. You scream out in pleasure, digging your nails into Franks shoulder. It’s only a few more thrusts before Frank comes, pushing in deep as he empties himself in you.

Frank puts his forehead to yours, both of you breathing heavily as you come down from your highs. You kiss him deeply, holding him close. You can already feel yourself wanting to see Frank again, but you wont get your hopes up. A guy like that is probably swarmed by women, many prettier than you.

You look away, hating your intrusive thoughts. As if he can read your mind, Frank cups your cheek, looking deeply into your eyes as he kiss you passionately. “That was something else, sweetheart.”

“Something good, I hope.” You bite back with a grin, making Frank smile. That damned smile. Fuck, he is a gorgeous man.

“Very good.” He smirks, kissing you softly before pulling out gently. After he helps you clean up, he surprises you by staying. He had his own room, but he lays down beside you, pulling you into his nook. You talk for a bit, about nothing important really, but it’s still one of the best nights of your life.

-

When you open your eyes, the sun is so bright it almost hurts. Or maybe it was just your head. You really shouldn’t have drunk all those beers with Frank. Your memory flashes back to the two of you, sitting outside in your parents gazebo with a ton of beers between you, listening to each other’s stories.

You look to the side and your heart drops. The other side of the bed is empty, Frank nowhere to be found. Even his clothes are gone from the floor. So, yet another one-night stand then. You’re starting to get too predicable, and you hate it. With a heavy sigh, you start to get dressed, getting ready for breakfast. There’s a soft knock on your door and you reluctantly open.

To your surprise, you find Frank outside the door, dressed in new clothes and looking ravishing. “Wanted to pick you up for breakfast.”

“Oh, I thought…” You begin, but stop yourself.

“That was I was just gonna up and leave?” He shakes his head, leaning against the doorframe. “That ain’t my style, princess.”

You smile in surprise, walking out the door to follow him downstairs. Many of the guests have stayed over and the venue from last night had been turned into a breakfast buffet. Your parents had spared no expense for this wedding.

“Look, ‘bout last night, I-” Frank begins, but you stop him with a soft hand on his arm. Ever since your dance last night, you had feared this was too good to be true and when he kissed you after a few dances and too many beers, you knew it was probably only the alcohol talking. So it was better for you to stop him, than to be stung by his rejection.

“Frank, you don’t have to say anything. I’ve already heard it all. ‘It was fun, but let’s keep it to one night’, ‘You are cute, but I’m just not ready for a relationship’ or ’It’s not you, it’s me’. It’s okay, I get it.” You put on a fake smile, willing yourself to look into his eyes. “I’m not the kind of girl men wanna date.” You turn, just wanting to get away.

“I was gonna ask if you wanted a coffee when we get back to the city.”

You stop, not even sure you heard him right. Did he really, this gorgeous man, want to see you again? For a date? In broad daylight in the city? You look at him and the expression on your face makes him laugh. Suddenly, you’re speechless. “I don’t drink coffee.”

“Beer and pizza then? I know you like beers.” He closes the distance, smiling as he looks into your eyes. And you just nod, smiling wide, already looking forward to your date.

Two years later

Frank is standing in the kitchen making you breakfast. It had been two years since he met you. The best two years of his life. After Maria and the kids he never thought he could be happy again. Especially with the things he had done, with all the blood he had on his hand and all the lives on his consciousness.

But you had accepted him, accepted every flaw and loved him for the man he was, the man he had been. You never saw all the bad, only saw him. That morning after Matt’s wedding you had chosen him and still to this day, you woke up every morning and still chose him.

Your footsteps sound on the stairs, your sweet yawn filling the air. You had been tired lately, so he just let you sleep in today, wanting to surprise you on your anniversary.

You always complain about how awful you look in the mornings, never believing him when he calls you beautiful. But you are, inside and out, the most beautiful woman. Even with your hair in a messy bun, mouth ajar in a huge yawn as you sit down, his hoodie covering your beautiful curves, he would still say that nothing compares to you.

“Morning, sweetheart.” He says with a smile, pushing your tea over the counter towards you. With a grateful hum, you take a sip of the tea, eyes never leaving him as he continues making breakfast. Putting the utensils down, he fumbles with his phone as walks around the counter and extends his hand to you.

“What?” You ask, but then the music of a familiar song fills the air. Loving you easy, the first song you guys danced to. You don’t even argue, just take his hand and let him swirl you around the kitchen as the pancakes bake on the pan.

As he swings you around the kitchen, you sing along to the song that has become your song. You love mornings like this, thinking life can’t really get any better than this. Frank place soft kisses on your neck, finding that one ticklish spot you have, making you giggle.

But the smell of burned pancake pulls his attention back to the stove, cursing as he throws away the ruined pancakes. With your help, you quickly get the rest of the breakfast ready and fill your plates before sitting down at the table.

“So, what’s our plans today?” You question before taking a bite of your pancakes, moaning over how great they taste.

“Somethin’ that makes you sound like that.” He grins, sipping his coffee as he winks at you. Breaking of a piece of your pancake, you throw it at him.

“Alright, alright.” He huffs, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Dinner at that fancy Italian place, a movie and then back here. I want your wrapped around me all night.”

“That can be arranged.” You grin, biting your bottom lip. He gets up and stops by your side to kiss you, before he walks to a drawer and take out a small gift.

“Here, sweetheart.” He places the gift in front of you and carefully, you start to unwrap it. Inside is a small box. Opening it, you find a small blue dog collar with a shiny little dog tag.

“You said you wanted to expand our little family.” He says softly, pulling his chair closer and sitting down. “We’re going to pick him up tomorrow.”

You throw your arms around him, kissing him hard. You and Frank already had a dog, a beautiful Pitbull rescue named Red (Frank thought he was so clever with that one), but you both loved dogs and knew you wanted more.

“Actually… I was thinking the same thing, when I made your gift.” You say nervously, standing up to get your gift. Frank just laughs, taking the gift from your hands when you return to the table. He tears the paper off, stopping completely when he holds the stick in his hands.

You’ve been so nervous to tell him, so scared of how he would react. You knew losing his kids had been a pain worse than death, not sure if he ever wanted to have a child again.

When he still hasn’t said anything, his eyes still fixed on the positive test, you get anxious. “Frank, please say something.”

Tearing his eyes away from the test, his beautiful brown eyes find yours. You can see the tears threatening to spill. “I… I’m gonna be a dad?”

“Yeah, but… Only if you want to.” You whisper, looking down at your hands fiddling with the hem of your sweatshirt. You feel Franks hands on your face, cupping your cheeks so softly. Bringing your gaze to his, you see the small smile on his face.

“I should have bought a ring instead of a collar.” He laughs, pulling you into a kiss. Wrapping his arms around you, he brings you closer until you sit on his lap. One hand moves from your back onto your belly. Nothing there to feel yet, still the notion makes you warm.

“I love you, Frank.” You kiss him again before snuggling closer to him.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” He whispers into your ear, holding you tight. Things might not always be easy and things were going to change, but one thing that would always remain was your love.

You make loving you easy

you make loving you all I wanna do

Every little smile, every little touch

reminds me just how much it all makes

loving you easy

TFC girls: @e-dubbc11 @itwasthereaminuteago @realfernmayo @pedrito-friskito @mindidjarin @mattmurdocksscars @saintmurd0ck @idrinkcoffeeandobsess

Tagging: @lucy-sky @darlingshane @boliv-jenta

[fortisseto]

Hi, I'm Erin, and I think I Will (from the Bury Me at Makeout Creek album) by Mitski describes act-one Mendel and Trina as well act-two Marvin and Whizzer.

I Will by Mitski, and where Mendel and Marvin meet each other in the middle.

Is this an analysis? I couldn't tell you! Listen to me anyway.

The first verse.

"I will take good care of you

I will take good care of you

Anything you feel is good

If you would only let you"

It's easy to understand that Mendel isn't a good psychiatrist. He avoids the negative and he doesn't like questions, even though facing the negative head-on and being asked what to do is.. literally his job. My newly acquired mutual, @morphean42 , said this in his little analysis thing about the pose they do in March of the Falsettos. See, if you just change the word "evil" to "truth" it's see no truth (Jason, due to his immature perception, but still the least bad out of the others), hear no truth (Marvin, due to his ignorance to the criticisms told to him), speak no truth (Mendel, due to his refusal to speak anything negative, as he claims that if you don't speak of your problems, they're as good as nonexistent), and do no truth (Whizzer, due to his ignorance to his actions having consequences, and you can see that in The Games I Play and You Gotta Die Sometime). If we just change that variable, it's a lot more realistic as "truth" equates to flaw in this situation.

Considering this is mainly about Mendel and Marvin, I'll only be focusing on speak no evil and hear no evil. In my opinion, that's a parallel within itself when you think about how communication is supposed to work: it's input and output, then the cycle repeats in a little ping-pong game. Now applying it to truth in and of itself, when you take two people like Mendel and Marvin and put them in the situations that they're in, you would get an equal amount of ignorance but in different forms of execution. Following? Great!

That being said, I prefer to think about the first verse, second verse, first chorus, and third verse to be mainly Mendel's contribution. And like I said, this is talking about act-one specifically.

Obviously, since taking care of Trina is his job as a psychiatrist, the line "I will take good care of you" doesn't span over much unless you think about Mendel's admiration for Trina. "In just five sessions on my couch, she'll be good as new" and in those five sessions, he confessed his love to her (making references to In Trousers about not being a giant man compared to Marvin who is a giant man, as established in Another Sleepless Night). I've not much else to say about THAT particular line, but please, share your input if you do!

However, in the line "anything you feel is good if you would only let you" comes back to his speak no evil mentality, as observed in Jason's Therapy and A Day in Falsettoland. "Why don't you feel alright for the rest of your life?" and "Everything will be alright, feel alright for the rest of your life," denying any and all possible negativity even if it's the truth of the matter because that's what's convenient. That is a flaw. Yes, Mendel and Trina are happy, but that doesn't make him perfect (he sucks as a psychiatrist but he's great as a husband).

"If you would only let you," would be in regards to just speaking "good," contrary to evil. But in this case, considering "evil" equates to "truth," "good" would equate to a "lie." Anything you feel is good as long as you say you're feeling good, or do something that feels good. For example: laughing. And if you listen to I'm Not a Good Psychiatrist (Falsettoland) and the song prior to that, Mendel tries to make Jason laugh and dance as if that will make things feel better. He later recognises that it obviously doesn't because he (Mendel) doesn't feel better because of the action, but he still keeps up with his speak no evil mentality. God, am I still making sense?

Let's move onto the second verse.

The second verse.

"I will wash your hair at night

And dry it off with care

I will see your body bare

And I still will live here"

Interpreting this is a little tricky from a metaphorical perspective, but let's just talk about the head - or at least my perspective of it in this situation. The head is what carries the consciousness and it is also your crown chakra, so perhaps washing one's hair could equate to listening to their problems, and then drying them would be solving them. We know that Mendel dislikes facing problems head-on (pun unintended), but as a psychiatrist and considering he is madly in love with Trina, he does so in more ways than one regardless of his poor way with accepting/speaking the truth on his plate. Marvin at the Psychiatrist, Jason's Therapy, This Had Better Come to an End, Marvin Hits Trina... Need I go on?

As for seeing one's body bare, being self conscious about one's body, specifically during sex is a big insecurity. It probably was for Trina for a long time before she knew Marvin was gay considering Marvin had continued to be "nauseous before the game (sex)," avoiding sex entirely in the end. Mendel would see her body bare and he would embrace it willingly rather than having to be chased down a block just to look at her that way. You can use The Marriage Proposal as a point of reference, as there are many In Trousers references in The Marriage Proposal. "There's not a man in pants (trousers) who can love you the same as I," referencing how being "in trousers" equates to queerness, and how Mendel doesn't fit that criteria, so he can love her in ways Marvin cannot. "I'm not a giant man, forget that giant man" referencing Another Sleepless Night from In Trousers, where Marvin sings "This bed is too big for one person, I'm big for one person, but this bed is too big for the both of us (iirc)." The bed could be referencing the expectations of straight couples, or perhaps just how Marvin can't love her the way she wishes, as he is too giant (gay) of a man to do so.

Now, the first chorus and the third verse.

The first chorus and the third verse.

I'm choosing to clump these two together because of how closely related they are.

"Stay with me, hold my hand

There's no need to be brave"

"And all the quiet nights you bear

Seal them off with care

No one needs to know they're there

For I will hold them for you"

This is where Marvin and Mendel build a bridge. Now, I think if you tie together the end of the first chorus and the rest of the third verse, it can again describe Mendel's speak no evil mentality as well as his devotion to Trina seen in Marvin Hits Trina and The Marriage Proposal. As the line "there's no need to be brave" means, in this case, "there's nothing for you to be brave about because there is nothing wrong." You can flip this onto the third verse too, as Mendel often talks about NOT acknowledging and talking about the issue to deal with it. "No one needs to know they're there, for I will hold them for you."

Now, let's revisit Marvin and the last line of the first chorus. Hear no evil/hear no truth. As we've discussed, Mendel is parallel to that. So if we put this in the situation of act-two, Unlikely Lovers, instead of saying that exact line, Marvin would tell Whizzer not to say anything that contradicts it because he doesn't want to hear such truth. Marvin deals with the truth he hates by covering his mouth, as Mendel deals with the truth he hates by producing lies. That draws back to what I said about input and output in a conversation. "Just stop it," Marvin will say, and he still has a tendency to interrupt the moment he dislikes the conversational topic of the truth he hates. That's akin to covering one's ears (hear no evil). However, as I said this is building a bridge between Marvin and Mendel, he does fall into the speak no evil mentality with a different perspective. "Let's be scared together. Let's pretend that nothing is awful," just not to hear the truth.

The bridge (?).

"'Cause all I've ever wanted is here

All I've ever wanted

All I want is always you

It's always you"

This can directly reference A Day in Falsettoland where Marvin's "I want it all" turns into "all I want is you." Whizzer becomes what he defines as "it all." He is all he's ever wanted in life from thirteen when he first started dreaming of men in trousers, and in the two years he took changing himself, he found out what his vague statement of "I want it all" truly meant considering he worked on giving up his narcissistic views. "Do you know that all I want is you? Anything you do is alright. Yes, it's alright. Do you know all I want is you?" That's what makes the truth of Whizzer having AIDS so painful, considering Whizzer is all he wants, but you knew that already. I'd say this also directly ties to the pre-chorus/bridge/thing.

The pre-chorus (?).

"We're not out of the tunnel

I bet you, though, there's an end"

This can be used to reference both Whizzer and Marvin's perspective. Marvin, who is trying to be sickly optimistic about Whizzer getting better. Whizzer, who has already accepted his death. The tunnel is AIDS. Marvin perceives the end to be the end of Whizzer's sickness, whilst Whizzer has accepted it as the end of his life.

However, Marvin is stubborn. He will always be stubborn. Especially for Whizzer, as long as it meant he was right in the end (spoiler alert, he isn't).

The final chorus.

"Stay with me, hold my hand

There's no need to be brave

And while you sleep, I'll be scared

So by the time you wake, I'll be brave

I'll be brave

I'll be brave."

Like I said before, the line "there's no need to be brave" can mean "there's nothing for you to be brave about because there is nothing wrong." However, while Whizzer sleeps, being able to pass away at any moment, Marvin is petrified because he knows he has everything to be afraid of. But by the time Whizzer wakes, which could mean literally or it could mean him eventually passing away, Marvin will be brave for him because at the end of the day, you gotta die sometime.

[that-ari-blogger]

No Thoughts, Head Empty, Evil (Hell Is Forever)

Hazbin Hotel doesn’t have time for subtlety, so it takes the most direct approach to any plot point. I want to stress that this is the fault of management insisting on an eight-episode runtime and not the writers and directors. Everyone who cared about this series put in a lot of effort and skill and that needs to be commended.

Notably, one rout taken to negate some of the pacing effects brought on by management was the first episode being as overt as possible. Here are two songs, one says what the hero thinks, one says what the villain thinks, they cannot coexist.

And Adam is a really good villain for this type of setup, because he isn’t particularly complicated. He’s a misogynist who has made narcissism his entire personality, and that’s about it. He doesn’t need to be complex, he needs to be bad.

Hell Is Forever then only needs to get across the most important parts of Adam’s character: Hypocrisy, bigotry, and unoriginality.

Let me explain.

CONTENT WARNING: Foul language.

SPOILERS AHEAD (Hazbin Hotel)

In this context, the unoriginality insult is levied at Adam as a person and not as a character. Adam is a really novel take on the biblical character, but also the archetype he is playing. There are some really cool details that I will go into in detail in a moment.

But as a guy, Adam is painfully uncreative. Case and point: his language style is so basic.

I mentioned in my previous post that Charlie is characterised as naïve, but I deliberately didn’t say anything about this as a youthful lack of knowledge. The series as a whole takes great care to not get the two misconstrued, and Charlie is always treated as the adult she is.

Adam, meanwhile, has the vocabulary of a twelve-year-old who just learned the word “fuck.” He has nothing else going on than dirty jokes and immaturity. He’s puerile.

Lexicon is a character tool. Every word has its place, and every situation has about a hundred ways of approaching it through language. If a character everything in the same exact way, it implies that they approach the rest of their life with the same brute force technique. One size fits all in this person’s mind.

Note that this does not apply to real people, a person can curse and swear as much as they like. Symbolism is not a force of nature.

Adam’s unoriginality actually does take an interesting form in his music. It’s rock, and it sounds cool, but it misses the heart of what rock is as a genre, at least to me.

Rock is transgressive. It’s about raw expression and emotion. It’s a genre about being free from constraints and letting loose. Take Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing by Set It Off, and The Hand That Feeds by the Crane Wives, for example.

The former is about betrayal and feels like a journey through the stages of grief at a broken relationship as it ricochets from unfettered anger in the verses to a more manic-depressive pleading in the chorus, until crashing into a form of acceptance that immediately subverts itself as the song returns to its chorus and the perspective character is unable to move on.

It twists fairy tales to show the corruption of what could have been a storybook romance and lays the blame entirely on the protagonist's ex-partner.

Meanwhile, The Hand That Feeds isn’t really a rock song until it abruptly is. It’s a slow, lilting melody about powerlessness in the face of capitalism and the danger of “the great American ruse.” It has a bit of venom to it as it speaks of loss like a survivor showing off their scars. Then it goes quiet for a moment as its protagonist starts talking about the present and future, before releasing that stored energy into a mantra that speaks of being unchained in the face of the horrors she is describing. It’s a statement of hope, a war cry to raise the morale the downtrodden and a threat to those who hold together institutional injustice.

“I may never be a rich man but the rich man will never have me, never have me I may never be a rich man but I can make sure that I am free”.

Compare that to Adam, who sings:

“The rules are black and white There’s no use to tryin’ to fight it. They’re burning for their lives Until we kill ‘em again.”

Are you picking up on the thematic dissonance here? Its appropriation of an aesthetic without any thought going into it. It’s Adam using a genre about freedom to say “no, the system is fine actually,” and that misuse plays into something else as well.

Adam's wings also allow him to manipulate the cinematography. As he flies, the audience takes the side of Charlie looking up at him as he regards us both with distain.

Music is a tool of expression being heard. That’s why Seraphine should be the most dangerous character in League Of Legends but isn’t because Riot is Riot. Music makes an idea palatable and easy to convey.

Adam’s use of the genre takes that tool and irons it out. It makes the meaning less special by mixing it with utter horseshit that effectively waters it down, therefore stripping those he oppresses of a key tool to band together and achieve their freedom.

He doesn’t even do this intentionally, he's not intelligent enough to do that; the meaning is a side effect of his greater motive.

In that way, Adam is like an AI image generator. He scrubs the source material for shallow things that people like and turns them into something that looks half decent but doesn’t actually mean anything. It’s a disregard for those who paved the way for the thing he likes because it doesn’t occur to him that any of them had any actual thoughts.

This carries over into the visuals, which are just token edginess without any of the punch to them that actually make edginess special. The black and white shot is cool visually, but it’s the most literal visualisation of what he is saying, same with the thing of the image of the pot a few seconds later. There were so many ways to get the idea across, but Adam is uncreative and went for the obvious because it was easier.

Here is what Adam thinks better is. It's just heaven. He thinks of himself and his people as inherently superior, so to go with a line about chances, he shows heaven. Its uncreative on his part, but really interesting storytelling being done by the writers.

On the other hand, the lyrics of this song pull double duty by undercutting Adam at every moment possible to display his hypocrisy. The man is a walking satire of himself, and the writers know it.

Why do I think this? You may ask. Context, I answer.

This song is one of those moments from media that I have heard misused a few times by people who agree with the guy who say it, and by a few people who disagree and think that the author shares the character’s views. I would put the “You Can’t Handle The Truth” speech from A Few Good Men in this category, as well as Feed The Machine by Poor Man’s Poison.

Feed The Machine is a song about political corruption and classism. It’s the idea of “what if we said the quiet part out loud” and is aggressively morbid. It is most definitely not a song about gamers not getting what they want. There are a ton of reasons to get upset with Microsoft, don’t get me wrong, but using this song to protest in that context just looks like Dudley complaining about only getting 36 birthday presents.

A Few Good Men is the most egregious example, because holy moly is it misconstrued. The speech declares that the army is necessary and therefore allowed to get away with whatever they want because the truth is too unpleasant. It talks about the sacrifices needed to win.

But you do realise he’s wrong, right? Jack Nickleson is charismatic, sure, but his character, Jessep, is the villain. The sacrifice in question was the assault and death of a recruit, and this is happening in peace time. The man is a prison guardian in Guantanamo Bay after the cold war and before the war on terror. What is he guarding against? He’s justifying manslaughter with the vague concept of an enemy. He’s overtly in the wrong.

This is the Alf Garnett problem. It doesn’t matter how bad you make a satire, there will always be someone who is actually worse and who doesn’t read the writing on the wall.

For the record, I would also put most of what Catra does in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power into this basket, but I have an entire other series exploring that, so check that out if you want to know more.

Adam is, like Jessep, the villain of the story, and his antagonism is based in his hypocrisy. He spends the entirety of the song claiming that the rules of heaven are set in stone, but are they? He declared that the extermination would be sped up because “fuck you, I do what I want,” and the rules are never actually stated.

Most notably, how does anyone actually get into heaven? We still don’t know that and season one has wrapped up and hinted at an answer. It’s all speculation at this point.

I mentioned in my previous post that this series is aimed at the internet and Tumblr specifically, and Adam actually factors into it, because for a satire set in the Judaeo-Christian afterlife, the series is weirdly averse to critiquing its setting.

Instead, the series uses it as a visualisation of the themes and relies on the version presented in the Devine Comedy rather than anything more specific to the source beliefs.

As such, Adam exemplified the idea of retributive justice. The idea that if you are good, you can make bad people suffer, which I personally disagree with as a concept.

Adam takes on a mournful affectation for this line, the dissonance of which makes me laugh so much. It's like "I have to do a murder, or I will be sad, and you wouldn't want me to be sad, would you?" He's such a shmuck.

“For those of us with divine ordainment, extermination is entertainment.”

It is fun to Adam to watch bad people get their just deserts. And putting aside for a moment the inherently dubious morality of “bad” being ambiguously defined, it also doesn’t take into account the complexity of individuals that cannot be generalised.

Perhaps a person made a mistake or genuinely didn’t take into account the consequences. Maybe a person needed to make the decision because they had no other choice, like stealing money to pay for a medical procedure. What if someone wasn’t thinking straight and made a rash decision because they were tired or inebriated.

Or how about this: A person knowingly and willingly did an abhorrent thing, like a murder, and then regretted it and devoted themselves to getting better as a person and atoning for it.

Your mileage may vary on the morality of all of these people, but if I was to ask you individually if each of them deserved death, what would you say?

The show's specific word choice here, "winners", is a representation of Adam's justification. He thinks that he has earned the right to do genocide and that the penalty for losing a game whose rules he is actively making up, is death.

Looping back to the ethics of this, what is defined as bad in this story?

Is stealing enough to get you into hell? How much would you have to steal? If you walked home from school with a pencil you borrowed from a friend and forgot to give back, that’s technically stealing, so are you going to hell?

Similarly, the series implies a Judaeo-Christian moral code, but that changes depending on the denomination and location. In some places, homosexuality is a sin, would that get someone in this universe damned for all time even if their particular church disagreed with that specific doctrine?

This is all compounded by the fact that, it doesn’t matter what you did to get to hell, the extermination aims to kill as many people as it can, one size fits all punishment.

Which leads to my critique of the internet, because say what you will about its benefits, the internet is awful at nuance, and it is awful at morality. Youtube and Twitter incentivise controversy through their algorithms, and while Tumblr doesn’t have that problem as bad, I have seen so many people in the media analysis side of this platform complain about how x character didn’t receive enough punishment for what they did, or y character’s redemption arc can’t work because they were too bad before.

And people act like Adam and Lute online, either shouting down others to drown them out or by speaking quickly to out debate people with arguments that don’t actually make sense when you think about them.

This is why the popular moral grey character these days is just either a fully good character who wears eyeliner or a fully bad character who’s blonde, but it also strays into how we view our own world.

The internet talks about the world with a black and white morality that just doesn’t fit. I live in a country where one politician being unapologetically terrible as a person means that everyone else is suddenly an angel and everything they do is forgiven, which is exhausting.

Yes, there are evil people out there, and there are good people, but the vast majority of humanity is somewhere in the middle.

People get really emotional online, and the desire to take revenge out on fictional characters is fine, they’re fictional. But take care to not let that stray into how you interact with real people. The internet has far too many horror stories of angry people hurting others because “its ok to hurt them, they hurt someone else, and this is payback”.

After I wrote this @comicaurora put out a post that made my point in a really succinct way, so go read that.

The most chilling example of this is that while writing this post, I was worried people would think I was generalising and assume I have accused them of being awful human beings for misconstruing characters. That’s not what I’m trying to do, I’m just saying that morality is complex and the internet as a whole isn’t very good at understanding that, so we should all try to work together and get better at nuanced thinking.

Be kind to people, essentially. Everyone has a story and some even have reasons for what they do.

Before I go, I despise the visual designs of the angels. I think in concept they are cool, but in practice I don’t quite buy them. However, the one thing that really works for me is that the exorcists all have one eye crossed out. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

Final Thoughts

I want to focus on my thesis for this series. As in, I think the series is fundamentally about hope. Hope for a better future, hope that you can get better, hope against all odds. So it’s important to me that Adam as a villain goes out of his way to tell Charlie that her hope is misplaced and that it won’t go anywhere.

But that’s the thing about hope, if there was a reason to believe, hope wouldn’t be necessary. Hope exists when there is no proof, and it inspires. Adam’s attempts to tell Charlie that she’ doesn’t have a chance fall on deaf ears because she knows what he’s telling her, it’s all been said before.

The difference being, thanks to the extermination, Charlie and the crew as a whole have no choice but to hope. Adam has brought on his own destruction through his callousness. If he had just left hell alone, it would have got better over time, sure, but it wouldn’t have done so in battle.

In other words, oppressors can only bring about their own demise when they make resistance the only viable option.

Next week, I will be looking at Stayed Gone and Alastor’s introduction, but I also have a post planned for this Sunday in which I will go into Lavendertowne’s second batch of redesigns and explore how they tell their story. So, stick around if that interests you.

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[cryingmeganekko]

Chihayafuru Hitomebore/ Love at First Sight symbolism

I know this is already a reddit post but I wanted to delve into it a little more so you might be familiar with what I'm going to say for Chihaya, but the rest have more symbolism than what the reddit post said. I'm going to credit it just in case I get anything wrong. This is a whole Taichi fest, the song lyrics, the symbolism, everything mwuah chef's kiss plus it made me a Taichihaya stan. Btw this is one of if not my favorite series

https://www.reddit.com/r/chihayafuru/comments/fnpn6q/chihayafuru_3_companion_guide_s3e23/

Wataya's Wisteria symbolize love, support ( his team ), Our expanding consciousness ( y'know after his grandpa died, his depression, and learning from Chihaya) , Tenderness, Bliss, Wisdom, Immortality, Nobility ( his grandpa being the past meijin ), and Sensitivity

Chihaya's Cosmos symbolize Purity, Harmony, Humility, Autumn cherry blossom, Chastity, Delicate aspects of love, Mother's love, Femininity, Deep romance, Maiden Japanese heart, Love, and Cleanliness

Taichi's higanbana/red spider lilies and butterfly are so great together let me tell you

Ok so basically the higanbana symbolizes Never to meet again with lovers ( him and Chihaya?, have not read the manga yet because I'm poor and I also need, high emphasis on *need* to learn Japanese ), Abandonment ( You know the deal with him Chihaya and Arata ), Hell ( I mean his whole not being able to see the cards thing and his pining for Chihaya ), Afterlife, Equinox which in itself symbolizes let go of your past, and Reincarnation ( moving on maybe, manga readers tell me I'm wrong, Taichihaya stans tell me so too, please yell at me in the comment section), and immortality

Then the swallowtail butterfly, Ageha 揚羽 omg you can't tell me I'm wrong about these butterflies. The f-ing autumn butterfly and Chihaya with the other autumn flower/tree I can't take it anymore. They symbolize Metamorphosis, Love ( Taichihaya ), Womanhood, Grace, Free nature, Departed spirits, Hope, Endurance ( his life ), Change ( maybe moving on again, but feel free to attack me ), Life, and It's Raised Wings have too much symbolism for being free ( but of what )

Ok then we have Yuki Suetsugu herself subtly saying that she loves Taichi but wants him to be free of something even if it's Chihaya. With both poems 43 and 46 which is Taichi's

46 means

Crossing the Bay of Yura

the boatman loses the rudder.

The boat is adrift,

not knowing where it goes.

Is the course of love like this?

Suou says this for card 43 S3E19 08:22 - Suou: "Senpai, that poem... is a poem about knowledge that can fill you with either light or darkness."

https://karice.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/p493/

Q: In the manga, in conjunction with the feelings and situations that the characters face, you turn the spotlight on poems that deal with a whole range of emotions, including (romantic) love. May I ask, which of the 100 poems is your favorite?

My favorite in terms of meaning is “When compared to / the feelings in my heart / after we'd met and loved, / I realize that in the past / I had no cares at all” (Poem 43, translation by Moscow). Having been ignorant, once you know of it, you feel like all the cells in your body have been reborn. I think that everyone will undergo that experience several times in their lives, but there are few poems that express this feeling in words.

Then we have the poems relevance in the endings

I know the significance of the the three main ones

Poem 17 Chihaya's is on top of both 11 Wataya's and 46 ( the topic of the day ) Taichi's

I'll quote the reddit person on the significance of them all being like that

"And finally, we can come back to the three poems that are in the front and center at the start of the ED. Here, we can see #17 is on top of #11 and #46. Topically, both #11 and #46 (our Poem of the Day) cards are about being exiled on boats:

Card #11 - My only thought as I am put out to sea is to ask the fishermen to tell the people in the capital that I make for the islands.

Card #46 - Like a boatsman adrift at the mouth of the Yura, I do not know where this love will take me.

It goes without saying that the card on top, #17, is Chihaya, who is the love interest of both #11 for Arata and #46 for Taichi. #11 is a "Wata" card, which shares Arata Wataya's name. The poem was written by Sangi Ono no Takamura, who was exiled to Oki Island after refusing to participate in an embassy assignment to China. Although the poem speaks of being exiled and away from "her", Takamura was ultimately allowed to return home after being pardoned a year later. On the other hand, in our Poem of the Day above, we can see that #46 is Taichi's card, who was stranded adrift because his "oar-string snapped" -- a far more distressing and harsh reality than Arata's."

Please tell me the significance of all them as I have the ogura hyakunin isshu penguin classics translated.

There are also two maps in the back of the ogura hyakunin isshu to know where all the poems came from

Guys I'm f-ing singing this for a Talent show too