#but i did think i was preparing so well by marking out the whole song im using with all the lyrics/instrument transitions

[tea-earl-grey]

who could have predicted that me overconfidentally using new software without reading directions or using a tutorial would lead to me making mistakes. never saw this coming.

[your-local-hoemie]

Aftercare with the anemo boys shwjendh TT

My sibling in Christ, yES HDIDUKEJ!!!

Apologies for Heizou and Xiao’s part’s being short! God decided to send a vibe check this morning and gave me a heart attack so I finished writing this from hospital while super tired >_>

Warnings: fluff, pretty suggestive (especially in Heizou’s), established relationship, swearing, gn!reader, not proof-read.

Characters: venti, kazuha, wanderer, heizou, xiao.

Venti~

He would be so smug and caring at the same time wtf?

Be prepared for a lot of teasing.

Definitely actives his archonic-ego

If you find it hard to stand or walk, he’d absolutely carry you bridal style!

Though good luck getting him out of bed to begin with-

Dudes gonna be clinging to you like a imprinted koala!

Lots of nuzzling and kisses!

After ya’ll did the do, he’d make sure to check you over at least three times to make sure you’re ok~

And I mean thoroughly check you over.

He’d bring you water and sliced apples along with a nice cool cloth for your head!

He absolutely gets a little worried that he’s too rough!

He does his best to make sure he doesn’t go too far but he is still an archon that has levelled mountains T-T

Kisses every mark he made on you with such gentleness istg-

Refuses to break eye contact jdudikedj

Once he’s made sure that you’re ok then teasing.exe is activated.

Brace yourself with this man.

“So, love. How does it feel to be worshiped by a god?”

“You did so well, Windblume. Now relax and let this archon take care of his most precious beloved~”

He’d absolutely lay your head on his chest while playing with your hair!

He’d also him you to sleep with songs he made just for you~

Goes through a whole list of reasons why he thinks you’re perfect.

Once he see’s that your asleep, he’ll have the softest smile while he takes in your peaceful expression~

He’s so in love with you and even if you can’t hear him, he’ll still make sure to tell you that every chance he gets~

Kazuha~

Slams fists on table.

HE. ADORES. YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Praises, lot’s of praises-

Pretty praises from pretty boy.

He’s always extremely gentle with you and rarely leaves any marks unless you ask him to T-T

If he does then he’ll lay there while gently tracing them with his fingers while telling you how pretty the colour is against your skin~

You think you’re going to walk anywhere after?

You buffoon.

You will not be allowed out of bed until he’s certain that you’ve completely recovered!

He always makes sure to ask if you’re ok!

Makes you triple promise that he didn’t hurt you by accident.

He’s very big on trust so he would never want you to hide it if he did go a little too rough!

He’ll bring you fruits and nuts (giggle) to help build your energy back up along with the freshest water he can find hduxuxudu.

This man will wrap you up in his arms while staring at you for ages just taking in how perfect you look!

If you hate eye contact then please pull this man out of his trance or he won’t stop sdukkdjd.

“Ah, my apologies, was I staring? I couldn’t help myself, dove. Not when your eyes glisten as brightly as the stars in the night sky~”

He’ll give off the cutest little giggles when you say something that flusters him istg.

Then somehow pulls the most flirtatious and smooth line you’ve ever heard in your life and then acts surprised when you get flustered???

He has and will continue to make countless poems and haikus about how you make him feel.

He has a special “private” book of poems for very specific aspects of you that he loves-

Always makes sure you fall asleep with a forehead and nose kiss.

He’s made it like a cute lil’ ritual T-T

Also random but he’ll often recite poems in his own language to you!

Even if you don’t understand him, he still feels like it’s even more intimate to show you that side of him hhzhsus.

Wanderer~

Inhales-

My precious little goose.

My pretty, beautiful, perfect little goose.

God I need to write a ns!fw fic on this man. I need him to slam me against a wall ysuxudijd

If you got this man in this position then holy fuck, you absolute god.

Don’t expect him to be openly fluffy with you.

He’s going to get flustered and then mad because he’s flustered.

He’ll show you love in his own strange little ways!

He personally checks you over and cleans you up.

Does he insult you while doing so?

Maybe.

But in a loving way :)

“Look, idiot. It’s my job to make sure you’re alright. Don’t argue with me on this or I won’t do it again.”

He’s lying. He will.

Similar to kazuha, he knows nutrition.

He’ll bring you high energy foods along with juice or water!

You will have marks.

Lots of them.

But don’t worry, he’ll make sure to kiss every single one better!

Boy acts all tough but it’s very obvious that he adores you.

He won’t let you out of bed for at least a day.

He also refuses to let you out if his sight since he knows full well you’re going to be stubborn and get up.

There’s always a moment before you fall asleep where he’ll be completely soft with you!

He despises it but he also can’t help but love it at the same time.

He’ll tell you how well you did and how happy you make him feel.

He always insists on being big spoon so he can cuddle you up as close as possible and nuzzle his face into your neck while leaving lil’ kisses T-T

“You’re such a idiot, but… you’re my idiot, ok? Don’t you dare forget that!”

It’s a rare sight but it’s his way of reassuring himself that you’re still there and won’t leave him.

Since he doesn’t need sleep, he usually just lays next to you while you dream away happily and just admire you.

He feels comfortable enough to let his guard down when he knows you can’t see him so he’ll always have this adorable little smile on his face when he whispers a flustered “I love you” making sure not to wake you up.

Heizou~

AAAAAAAAAA!?

This little shits gonna be riding his ego all the way to Celestia and back.

Similarly to venti, he’s gonna be super flirty and tease you persistently.

Also like wanderer, you’ll have marks-

Man is kinky-

He’d always insist on getting you water before wrapping his arms around you under the blankets and just stays there for like 30 minutes.

“Oh hush now, you think I’m going to leave you alone in a cold bed? Man alive, partner. Do I have to prove my feelings for you again, hmm~?”

Praises you so much!

Whispers how hot you are and how wonderful you make him feel owo.

What’s that? You think you see him blushing?

Pffft totally not? It’s just the saké m’hm yep totally.

I head-canon that he’s super amazing at making milkshakes so he totally makes you one to “cool you down”

He just looks like a milkshake kinda dude, shut up >:(

Reads you crime novels while you’re all snuggled up T-T

He’ll also sing to you!! You can not tell me that he’s not a good singer istg-

Lots of ear nibbles and neck smooches uwu

I don’t think he actually has much or if any experience with aftercare but he’s definitely a natural at it somehow????

Do not mention it to anyone though, he’ll turn it right round on you and you’ll end up losing what dignity you have left jfgcudu

Also he’ll usually get so into praising you and telling you how good you are that round two is pretty much inevitable aAAA

All in all- he’s a little brat. but a brat that loves you beyond comprehension! uwu

Xiao~

HE DON’T KNOW

:(((

You’ll have to teach him what it is.

It’s not his fault!!!! He never did this stuff before he met you :(

Though saying that. He’s naturally very protective of you and would be mortified if he hurt you in any way what so ever-

So he catches on pretty fast! It’s basically second nature to him even though his process is a little awkward sometimes.

He’ll always make sure to tuck you into bed and even if he can’t stay all night because of his duties as a Yaksha he’ll still make sure to leave you with a small note saying that he’ll return soon and that he love’s you, along with a Qingxin!!

Not to mention the softest and prettiest kiss you’ll ever receive.

He’ll sometimes get a lil’ too serious when checking you over and he can get very stern with how you rest up and drink water!

He doesn’t mean to sound bossy! He doesn’t understand how mortals work so he’s using what knowledge he has on human bodies gdjfixiudi.

Pretty boi will always be flustered afterwards so he’ll hide his face away into your chest or your neck while caressing your knuckles or back~

He’s definitely not much of a talker so often times it’ll just be the two of you cuddling up together while he just silently plays with your hair.

Sometimes, if he’s feeling super confident he’ll whisper soft praises to you along with how lucky he is T-T

“I… I really don’t deserve you, but I hope you know that there isn’t a force strong enough to stop these feelings towards you my love”

Brings you food that’s been personally cooked up by the chief at wangshu inn along with juice or water!

He doesn’t understand why you’d need those things but he still obliges albeit a little hesitantly.

Reward him with kisses and encouragement!

He really wants to do his best to pamper you but he just needs a lil’ practice that’s all T-T

Also he’s such a bad liar so please be prepared for a very amused Zhongli when he asks why Xiao’s been acting a little…differently today-

Dude I decided to pull on genshin with some premos I got from the daily award thing and I got my boy Tighnari. I’m as broke for mora as Zhongli’s voluptuous ass cheeks with building kazuha and heizou now I have a sassy furry to tend to as well T-T

I can’t believe I missed the new 3.8 trailer but I’ve heard that wanderer, my stinky little baby boy Snooki-pookie-wookums will be running a banner aaAAAAAAAA time to save up and farm for artifacts again :))))))

[lexusiswriting]

A love you deserve (Ricky Olson) - Part 1 of ?

Hi guys! Long time no see.

I missed writing so much and here I am, trying to make a comeback. This will be a Ricky Olson/ Horror love story and we will see together how many parts it will have.

NOTE: Ricky will not be present in the first part, being more of an introduction to the story.

Warnings: none.

I hope you'll enjoy it and by box is open if you think I can put your ideas into something nice.

__________________________________________________________

“Lexus, you’ve got 5 minutes!”

“Alright, I’m coming!”

I am rushing to the stage while trying to dodge the many people that were on my way. Today was a big day for us, our second studio album being released on the last day of our American tour. We tried to keep it a secret and tonight the fans are going to hear one of the singles.

Being a little nervous is a misunderstanding, because I am terrified. The whole band united to make something better than the first album, where we tried different things to show we can do more. We are not dreaming of going #1 on the charts, we only want to hear our fans saying they are proud of what we want to become.

Now I’m in the backstage, waiting for the guys to prepare my entrance. We always try to do something different and today, Seth, the drummer, came with an idea. He will play a little solo, giving a little hint about the first song on the setlist. After that Andrew, who plays bass, will do the same thing. In the end, Xander, the guitarist, will be the last one to have his moment which will mark my entrance. And that moment is happening now.

I only hear screaming and I can barely see any faces from the lights. But I always feel like home while on stage. In that moment all of my fears disappeared, being replaced with excitement for doing what I love.

“Let’s rock this place out!”

If there is a thing I hate about myself is that I will never be a morning person. My alarm started to ring so loud that I could feel the vibration in my brain. I tried to stop it and I failed miserably when the phone fell on the floor. When I reached out for it I saw a message from Xander:

~ Wake up you piece of sunshine, we have business to do. ~

Getting out of bed was my main business at the moment. I went to the bathroom and saw that I completely forgot to take my make-up off last night. Tried to repair the damage and made myself look a little more presentable I made my way up to Xander’s room.

“Look who finally decided to show up looking like a mess.”

“Such a sweetheart. I’m sorry I did not get all glammed up for your poor little eyes.”

“At least you are not losing your sense of humour when you barely sleep.”

Well, that’s true. About both things, of course. My sense of humour? One of a kind. Sleeping schedule? A completely mess. This tour got all the life out of me but I know now we have a couple of months free to prepare the international tour for the new album.

“The manager called and apparently we are going to play some shows.”

“Where? Last night we finished the tour, isn’t that enough?”

“Don’t give me this attitude cause you’ll love it. It’s about Warped Tour.”

We had a thing that I hate and now a thing that I love. I always loved Warped Tour because I don’t see it as a job I have to do, but as a place where I can hang out with my friends every day. Maybe I will not regret that much the sleep I will still not get.

“Oh and a little birdie told me your boyfriend will be there as well.”

“Then it will be one hell of a summer.”

[isobelleposts]

“Eat The Rich” — My Favorite Genre in Film

by Isobelle Cruz [February 1, 2022]

The Menu (2022) dir. by Mark Mylod

The phrase in the title comes from political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s quote, “When people have nothing to eat, they will eat the rich.” The last film I watched that had me surprised they did not literally eat the rich was The Menu by Mark Mylod.

This film never took itself too seriously despite its center around the wealthy and the lengths they go to just to experience the finer things in life. It is fully aware of its bizarreness and adds bits of humor here and there, making it enjoyable despite mostly taking place in one setting.

As the first film I had seen this year, The Menu truly sets up expectations and a fresh path to more of what the industry has in store for the rest of the year. Moving on, here are four more films to see if you enjoyed The Menu:

Triangle of Sadness (2022) dir. by Ruben Östlund

Starting off strong with one of my final watches of 2022 that had me saying “what the fuck?” under my breath every few minutes is Triangle of Sadness directed by Ruben Östlund. What initially caught my interest in watching this film was a clip in the opening part wherein we see a bit of the modeling industry and its quirks, or so, ridiculousness. What I didn’t know, and certainly wasn’t prepared for,  was what I would witness next.

I went into this film after refraining myself from spoilers or even a hint of what it could be about, preparing myself to be either disappointed or pleased with what I was about to be met with. And that is exactly what I suggest to you as well. Ditch the synopsis and logline and head straight into this experience. Just know that you’ll be met with great dialogue, delicate cinematography, and a whole lot of shit—both figuratively and literally.

Parasite (2019) dir. by Bong Joon-ho

Behind my little song to the clouds to tuck its raindrops away, a certain thought would always lie at the back of my head while growing up. As we celebrate a class suspension and give thanks for the chilly weather in the desert-like heat of the Philippines, I wonder what life is like for those living by the rivers, whose roofs are made with cheap iron or yero and whose walls are made of thin wood.

It hasn’t occurred to me before how important these thoughts were until I encountered this film a few years back. Parasite presents its audience with the rich’s ignorance of their surroundings and several contrasts between the everyday life scenes of a wealthy and poor family. 

Parasite is precise, well-written, and surely deserving of its multiple awards.

Knives Out (2019) dir. by Rian Johnson

Whodunnit—-they say that when you see them once, you’ve seen them all. And that may be true, but Knives Out’s fast pacing and quick cuts from past to present still kept my eyes glued to the screen. It’s a classic murder mystery, encouraging the audience to say things like “It’s too early on for such an obvious clue.”

This will keep you thinking throughout its length, asking questions again and again in your head, eager to beat the ending before the killer’s reveal. Though predictable for some, Knives Out nonetheless offers a fun view into the world of a money-starved family and their deceased father, along with a bunch of odd and entertaining characters.

The Handmaiden (2016) dir. by Park Chan-wook

Of course I found a way to sneak The Handmaiden into this list. 

The film follows Kim Tae-ri’s character who falls in deep romance with Lady Hideko, the woman she works for. Just when you think it is about to finally end, a sharp turn comes and it’s as if the story had only begun then—this happens thrice, by the way.

As we go further along the story we encounter money’s play in the wickedness of men and are left with our mouths agape after another unexpected revelation or scene. 

The Handmaiden is not only a story of forbidden romance between two women but also a showcasing of comradeship and care for another in suffering. Looking past its long length and adult scenes is a mind-boggling and thoroughly written story accompanied by excellent direction, camera work, and acting.

[tay-tay-everlark13]

YOU BELONG WITH ME

I stand by the window and watch him talking to his girlfriend. She's upset. She probably didn't understand the joke he told her and took it personally.

Again.

‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do.

Taylor Swift's song plays in my headphones. Definitely not the type of music she would like. Too girly. Which is weird, because of the two of us, she's the one who acts girlish while I'm the complete opposite.

So here I am - Katniss Everdeen in love with her best friend Peeta Mellark, who is dating the beautiful Julia Collins.

I sigh and rest my chin on the windowsill when I hear the sound of the new message.

Let's go out somewhere. Please.

15:36

I smile to myself and look out the window to see him with his phone in his hand.

kpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkp

We are walking down the road to the park. Peeta is wearing his worn-out jeans, in which he looks so handsome. But I cannot stop thinking this is how it has to be.

Peeta and me. And no one else.

And I'm just more sure about this when I finally see his beautiful and shine smile, but then he gets massage and everything is gone.

"Are you alright?," I ask.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," he answers, but I don't believe him.

Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?

And for the next time I'm compering myself with her. She wars short skirts and high heels, while I'm wearing normal T-shirts and sneakers. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers.

And what makes me more sad and my eyes are starting getting tearly. I'm dreaming of the day when he wakes up and find that what's he's looking for has been here the whole time and she has him now. Maybe forever.

And that makes me lie to Peeta and go back to home. Of course with him, because she would never let me go back to home alone when I'm not feeling well. Actually he never lets me go back home alone.

kpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpkpk

I'm half asleep when I hear something knocking to my window. I open my eyes and see him. I'm shocked but I open the window and let him go inside.

"What the hell are you doing, Peeta?!," I yell at him but not so loud, so I won't wake up Prim or mom.

"I have to talk with you," he says.

I'm about yelling at him even more, but then I see his eyes filled with tears and my heart is broken.

"What happened, Peeta?," I ask and get him to hug me, and he wraps his arms around my waist tightly and clings to my shoulder, so I can easily run my fingers through his soft hair soothingly.

"I'm no longer with Julia," he answers and I want to cry and celebrate at the same time.

But then I'm angry.

"She broke up with you?," I scream loudly, not caring that it's late at night.

Peeta pulls away from me, surprised by my outburst, and strokes my arms soothingly to relax me. He's touch distracts me and leaves behind hot marks that burn me and make me focus only on his rough, strong hands.

"Actually, I did it."

This shocks me even more.

"I broke up with her, Katniss."

"Why?," I manage to choke out.

He doesn't answer right away, so I suggest he sit down and cool down while I make him some tea.

As I go downstairs, I thank heaven that my scream didn't wake anyone else but this old cat that I've had to cook for years

Good for you, I think.

I prepare two cups of warm drink for me and Peeta and go back upstairs to join him.

"Here," I give him the dish and he puts it on the windowsill next to my bed.

"Okay, you don't want to drink," I mutter to myself, "So you wanted to talk about something." I remind him his words.

He looks up at me and slowly gets out of bed, walking towards me. He took the cup from my hands and set it next to his, then took my hands in his.

"I broke up with Julia," he finally says, looking into my eyes and rubbing my knuckles.

"I know," I can't say more.

"But it's not everything," he says mysterious. Then he does something I don't expect.

He kisses me. First, he gently takes my face in his hands and lightly presses his lips to mine. However, when he feels me kissing him back, he starts kissing me harder and more greedily. He licks my lips, asking for entrance, which I mindlessly allow. His hand goes from my cheek to my waist, circling it possessively as he presses me against him, and I can't help but think that I like what he's doing to me and how he makes me feel.

Because I feel wonderful. A flock of butterflies fly out in my stomach and I feel like it's my first kiss. Because it's true - it's the first kiss that really matters to me and while I really feel something.

When he breaks away from me, we are both panting, our lips red and swollen from the long and intense kissing. We're both blushing and I don't know what to say.

So Peeta starts. He was always wonderful with words.

"I did it for you," he says low. And this voice makes me weak on my knees.

God, I'm so weak because of Peeta fucking Mellark, I think. Only for him.

And then I actually realize what he just said.

"What?," I ask stupidly.

"I said I broke up with Julia for you."

"No, no, I understand but...," I say and look at him. "Why?"

I don't and can't understand how he could do it for me. I mean, brake up with Julia. He adored her so much. He had a crush on her for ever. Well, he never said that he loved her, but I guess it's hard to fall in love in a few months.

"God, Katniss, don't you see that?," he asks and stares at me waiting for me to say anything.

But I don't understand what he wants me to say. I don't understand what he's saying.

"It's you, not her, that I want," he says, caressing my cheeks with his hand, which makes me even more confused. "Okay, listen to me, Katniss. I remember driving to your house in the middle of the night when I'm sad or happy or anything. I remember you making me laugh, when I know I'm about to cry. You're the one who care about that simple things like my favorite song, my dreams," he stops for a moment and look down on his shoes, but his hand is still on my cheek, and the other is on my wrist.

When his eyes come back to mine I see more fear in them. And I'm sure about that I have to know what he was about to say, so I do the only thing I've got stuck in my mind right now.

I kiss him. I grab his face and press his lips to mine, just like he did before. His hand tightens around my waist and his other hand goes from my cheek to my hair, which I left loose for sleeping. He tangles his hand in my curls and I let out a soft sigh in response.

When we pull away, we're flusher than before, and there's a huge smile on his face. It takes me a moment to realize that I, too, am smiling so hard that my cheekbones start to hurt.

"I did it just to know what you wanted to say," I'm trying to look like I don't care, but I'm blushing with a big smile on my face, so he just laughs.

"What I was trying to say was that I think I know where I belong," he pauses and look me straight in the eyes, "I think you know it's with you, baby."

And then we spend all night long kissing and touching ourselves on my bed.

[scarletwinterxx]

i would never fall, unless it's you I fall into -- mark lee imagine

hellooooo😊 hope you're not sick of me being in my mark lee feels😅 here's another fluff moment with minhyung, hope you like it!

Songs mentioned here:

call it what you want, double take,paris,until i found you,little things

if you have a request or scenario you want me to do, just send me a message I'll see what I can do😊💌

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2023 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

You know how they say you shouldn't associate a guy with a Taylor Swift song. Well they never said anything about dedicating a whole playlist for him, which you did. In your defense it's not filled with only Tswift songs, most of them are, but the gist of it is basically all the tunes that remind you of him.

How can you not think of him whenever you hear the line "Starry eyes sparkin' up my darkest night" or your current favorite song "In the midst of the crowds In the shapes in the clouds I don't see nobody but you" and immediately you have this stupid smile on your face.

"You're smiling" Mark tells you, breaking you out of your thoughts

"Mhm?"

"You were smiling just then, what were you thinking about?" He asks, eyes looking back at yours with curiosity. And there your brain goes, humming the tune and lines that goes 'I wanna brainwash you into loving me forever'

But instead of saying that, you just shook your head "Nothing, just something funny"

He just smiles back at you before going back to tuning his guitar, he asked you to come and have a lazy day with him. You ended up at the beach, a quick getaway.

So now you're here sitting by the beach waiting for the sun to set as Mark hums to random songs while plucking on his guitar, taking the camera to snap a few shots of the beach and more shots of him. He can hear the shutter of the camera, not really noticing he was the focus of the lens instead of the view in front the two of you.

You look through the pictures, smiling at the ones you took of him.

"What's your favorite song?" he suddenly asks you catching your attention. Setting the camera gently on the blanket before hugging your knees to your chest,

"You know with the amount of time I spent thinking about that question, I was so sure I would have an answer by now. But whenever I get asked, my mind goes blank" your explanation made him laugh, making you smile too

"Yo same, but like is there anything you want to hear right now?

"Any song?"

"I mean... any song yea sure. I'll just look up the chords if I don't know it"

"Then just play something you know" you insisted, you wouldn't care if he sings the random words in the dictionary. You'd still listen with all your heart and cheer for him

"Yeah but what do you want you hear? I wanna play something you like" he mumbles, looking down at his guitar string. Avoiding your gaze, hoping you don't notice how his fingers trembled a bit when he said that

"Okay then how about Until I found you" you tell him, another song on your secret playlist for him

"Oh yeah I know that one"

For a moment he strum the strings, humming to himself then you hear his voice. First it was quiet then as the song goes to the chorus part you can hear him more clearly.

And nothing really prepared you for it.

"I would never fall in love again until I found her" I said, "I would never fall, unless it's you I fall into" I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her I found you

The sunset was so pretty, painting the skies with hues beyond your imagination but your attention is on this guy sitting across you. Suddenly the center of the Universe wasn't the sun, your universe rather. Like something shifted fully and how he's the center of it all. There's no way to stop the gravity of his pull on you. Not that you're really doing anything to stop the fall.

You bask in that moment, wishing for the seconds to slow down. For the song to be longer just so you could hear his voice some more. You didn't even notice finished until he was looking at you again,

"How was that? Did I do it justice?" he asks, a boyish grin on his face. When he looked up at you, you were just staring at him too lost in your thoughts

"That was... how am I suppose to listen to it now? I like your version better" you joked but it was half meant. Your comment was enough to make the boy blush, it was the best compliment he heard especially since it came from you.

After a few more minutes, you finally decided to call it a day. The sun no longer up in the sky, the sea breeze getting colder as the sky gets darker.

"Want to go here again next weekend, if you're free" Mark says, shoving one hand in his jacket pocket while the other holds his guitar case.

"Sure, sounds like a plan to me"

"How about you tell me what songs you want to hear, I'll learn them in advance"

"Really?" you ask, looking at him. "Yeah, whatever you like. Send me your playlist"

"Okay" fighting the smile, trying to look not too excited but the blush on your cheeks were a dead giveaway. Mark didn't comment on it though, keeping his thoughts to himself and enjoying it.

Little did you know, he learned countless songs all reminding him of you. Like that one time you played Little Things in the car and you were singing along to it, for the next days following that he couldn't take the sound of your voice singing 'I'm in love with you' in his head.

Maybe, just maybe one day he'd hear you saying that again this time to him. He can hope for the best, he can pray and dream about it. Which is why for you he'd stay up late at night to learn how to play any song your heart desires.

You're his muse and he's your favorite tune.

[get-back-homeward]

Now and Then Day

This sideblog began after watching Get Back nagged and nagged at me until finally I started to look closer at context relative to the Beatles discography and suddenly started experiencing these WAIT WHAT moments every day as what I thought I knew got turned inside out. The appeal was in looking at something you knew like the back of your hand from another direction and seeing/hearing something new you hadn’t seen/heard before. But I had no idea we’d get another song to add to the mix in 2023.

I knew Now and Then day would be an experience. I thought I’d have to wait the whole day before listening. But I got lucky and found a few minutes to listen to Now and Then when it was first released this morning. And inexplicably clicked to hear the remastered Love Me Do instead. I cannot explain my brain.

I then tried to start Now and Then and noped out before 15 seconds in. Too overwhelming. Not the right time. I was too rushed and needed more space to mentally prepare for it.

I caught NPR covering the Now and Then release today on my drive home. They had a Lennon biographer (I didn’t catch the name) reviewing the song. He said the song recalls John’s more delicate tunes like Beautiful Boys (sic) and mentioned John started the song in 1970.

Say what?!

Here I was late last night trying to nail down a better date for John’s demo than “late 70s”. Meanwhile, biographers are just here on national public radio pushing lies. Did he have ChatGPT write his comments?

Oh yeah, they also said it was created with AI no qualifier.🤦‍♀️

They played a few snippets of the song including one new piece not in the doc but refrained from playing it in full. It was mostly wrong Beatles facts all segment.

Trying the song a second time hours later, I got through it in one piece but was feeling abit 🥴 about it as a song itself. Having just listened to the original demo was probably a mistake, and I could hear all the seams and feeling the Frankenstein song effect.

Third attempt sounded more together, with the seams not quite as noticeable. I was prepared for the changes, the layering bits from other songs, and noted highlights of the instrumentals: the strings, George’s guitar bits, and Ringo’s flourishes. I love Paul coming through on the future tense certainty of “I will love you” (is that I Will?). Ringo’s shimmering effect choice (is it tams?) is such an entrancing closer. Giles’ score and Beatles recycled bits do mend the seams well once I stop thinking about them too much.

On fourth listen, my biggest notes are questioning why Paul’s harmony with John isn’t more distinct. He shows a lot of restraint here but maybe too much? Did Get Back get to him in other ways than the most obvious? Is he just self-conscious about his own voice? Or is it the limitation of the tech when it comes to harmony mixing?

The strings were what I was most worried about, but their entrance at the 1:15 mark really kicks it up a notch to transition into the singalong. Other standouts are 1:40 with George’s flourish and 2:29 peak with the guitar solo.

Lyrically, it’s the conditional and if I make it through it’s all because of you that haunts in layers of meaning both grim and cathartic that reverberate through time and space.

If John makes it through emotionally to 1980 and has a comeback? Congrats, bud you did it. But he’s stopped physically through no fault of his own. There’s the obvious mourning of that lost potential even 40 years later.

If this song this voice this message of John’s makes it through to 2023 and reaches the public? Well, success there, Paul’s tenacity saw it through with help from many friends. John’s voice and song lives on through Paul’s wish to conjure him by his side. On the Day of the Dead no less. I was reminded of the concept of tulpas today and was knocked back on my heels by the thought.

If John as an artist and Beatles as a band make it through so fans are still listening in 2023? This doubles as a bit of a fan love letter, and thank you for 60 years. Released on the day Beatlemania first appeared in black and white.

But then there’s also a reflector on this. Some original Beatles fans have aged with Paul and Ringo and others have not and aren’t here to share this like John and George. There’s grief and mourning from those still here about those lost, and the song acts as a catharsis. A kind of thank you to the band for being there for fans in good times and bad. The symbiosis of fame between a band and its fans across the decades.

It’s a lot.

I spent some time looking at the youtube comments on the song. Some original fans but many second and even third generation fans. And quite a few stories about a loved one who loved the band and recently passed away like this one:

And this:

But also in there are stories of catharsis and healing.

And many memories of the joy that Beatles music has brought to people’s lives. We all have these stories of how their songs weave into our own life. But it’s the joy that I keep coming back to as the secret sauce to the band’s earliest days. I often think of those early songs more in terms of feeling then anything, and it starts with the first single.

I love the Love Me Do remastering. That harmonica sounds so crisp. The bluegrassy harmonies have never sounded better. The ones on ple-ee-ee-ease still give me chills. Ringo’s drums moved forward in the mix to appreciate that driving beat just a bit more. I can hear the bass too. I can’t wait to hear what the other early Red album tracks sound like.

But next to Now and Then, I’m also looking at the lyrics like I never did before. Why give it another glance? Written by a 16 year old kid, it always sounded a bit juvenile and simple. But suddenly next to Now and Then, there’s a weight to it I never heard before.

Love, love me do

You know I love you

I’ll always be true

So please, love me do

It sounds like a promise. Now and Then is fulfillment of that always. It’s no longer just the whim of a kid. But rather the beginning of 7 decade devotional: To John, to the band, to fans, and reflected back again. The love is reciprocal from all sides.

How’s that for a WAIT WHAT moment? Paul turning the least likely song inside out and backwards. And he didn’t even add a lyrical middle eight.

[mysticalsoot]

this is reality

sort of sbi au and autistic!wilbur centric fic

A/N; this took me like four days and it was simply bc I wanted to write autistic will stimming. like the whole concept was the last scene, I just got carried away with james and wilbur bestie moments

Summary; Wilbur Soot also known as Wil Gold is the lead of an up-and-coming indie rock band named Lovejoy. They've only released two EPs in 2021 and are preparing to release their next single Call Me What You Like, but Wilbur is concerned his contribution to the song is what will be their downfall.

OR; Wilbur is autistic, insecure, and anxious so he's surprised when the UK charts are released that maybe he makes good art that people love

TW; anxiety, panic, swearing and I think that's it

Characters; Wilbur, James, Ash, Tommy

Words; 5.4k

dedicated to; @loverboy-soot bc i sent him sneak peeks constantly and I have been meaning to finish and post this every day I've written on it

masterlist

my ao3

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Wilbur had always dreamed of having his own band, people who loved music just as he did and put as much passion and care into the music they made.

He had that now. Joe, Mark, and Ash were the best friends and bandmates he could ask for. They were passionate and creative—they put their all into their art and their dedication was beginning to pay off. There was a manageable amount of non Dream SMP or MCYT Lovenjoyers, but they were getting recognized in mainstream media more often. They’d been on the radio a few times, and they’ve trended on youtube before and they appeared on at least two Spotify-curated playlists. They weren’t big but they were becoming less and less of a silly little indie band by the day.

And Wilbur knew their next single was their big break. It would jumpstart their career further into the industry, he just knew it. Or, well, he hoped it would. There was a gnawing at his brain and his heart that their new song wasn’t all that, that he was fooling himself by believing it was their best yet. The man couldn't get his hopes up, but he also couldn't really help himself in doing so. He loved it so much, he had poured his heart into the lyrics for years, the instrumentals and melodies for the past year—it was his baby. And Call Me What You Like was the song to make or break Lovejoy’s future.

It was a few days to premiering. Wilbur stood in his bedroom pacing back and forth, gnawing at the skin around his nails which nearly drew blood. He pulled his hands away when he began tasting copper.

He tried rocking back and forth on his feet, standing on his toes, lifting himself up and then dropping to stand on his heels. Back and forth, back and forth. Over and over.

That didn't help either.

He tried flapping his hands and pacing. Squeezing his eyes open and closed.

He did everything he could to ease the anxiety that ate him from the inside out.

He rubbed his eyes with the corner of his palms until stars shown in the black of his eyes and a stinging pain appeared with it.

He groans as he kicks the corner of his bed, hissing and reaching down to grab his foot when the pain shoots up from his stubbed toes to his brain where he registers the sensation.

A silent fuck is muttered under his breath.

"Jesus, fuck!" He yells into the void of his room and throws himself down into his desk chair. He quickly clicks on the discord icon. The usual starting pop-up appears and the wumpus logo spins on the window as it loads the program.

He selects the last dm he's opened and goes to type a message; to James.

WilburSoot 7:35 PM, Today

wanna come over?

The question was simple and open-ended and it didn't require an explanation from Wilbur as the reason was probably clear. But not entirely.

James started typing moments later, he wasn't even online when Wilbur initially messaged him, but the moment the message went through, James' name shown as online. He began typing shortly after.

James 7:37, Today

yea sure. you ok tho?

Wilbur hesitated over the keyboard, chewing at the inside of his cheek as he contemplated an answer.

WilburSoot 7:38, Today

oh yeah, I'm fine man. just missed ya.

He hoped he could easily pass James' bullshit detectors, at least until he saw him face to face. It was easier to fib through a screen rather than in person. He didn't have great control over his facial expressions, he was terrible at hiding anything he felt and sometimes he wasn't even sure what he felt so expressing that was difficult. It's easier to lie anyways.

Wilbur sat in silence, opting to chew on his cuticles again as he patiently waited for a response. James began typing just before stopping again, he'd start and then stop over and over. This went on for quite a few moments and Wilbur grew more and more anxious. He wasn't sure why—James had already given his answer but watching as those three dots appeared and disappeared became just one more creature that ate at the flesh inside him.

James 7:40, Today

alright, I'll be over in 10

Wilbur sighed in relief, his hands dropping to his lap and his head hitting the back of his chair as he leans on it. He runs his hands down his face and he lets out a sound close to a laugh but it's more like a strained huff of air.

He uses his hands to push on his desk, his chair rolling backward and he stands up in a rush, hissing at the creaking sound the chair makes as it spins behind him.

I need to fix that, he notes, before hastily grabbing his phone off his bed and shuffling out of his bedroom. His overhead light was already turned off due to the horrendous sound it made. It was like a static clicking, unlike most lights and it was beyond painful. Part of him was quite thankful it was his apartment. That way he could have whatever lights he wanted off, off, and whichever ones he wanted on, on. It was a wonderful thing.

He found himself walking over to his sofa and carefully sitting on the far left side, pulling his legs to rest underneath him. He quickly unlocked his phone and began scrolling tiktok as he awaited James’ arrival.

It was what felt like much less than ten minutes later when there came a knock on wilbur’s flat door and he hopped up. Wilbur shuffled over to the door, quietly but quickly turning the door knob before opening the door to let James in.

“How are you, Wil?” The question catches Wilbur off guard and James stands in front of Wilbur, hands in his jeans pockets and eyes trained up on Wilbur.

The man shrugs, walking away from his friend but gesturing for the other man to join him on the sofa. He finds his previous spot, legs still tucked under himself. James joins him on the other side, shuffling his shoes off his feet before bringing his own legs to rest under him.

“Okay, Wilbur. Why did you ask me over?” James crosses his arms, a stern glare trained on Wilbur and he tries to meet his friend's eyes but panics and diverts his gaze on the wall behind him.

“As I said, I missed you.” He speaks plainly, doing his best to give a soft smile but seemingly failing given the breathy chuckle James gives in response.

“Hmm, like I believe that. I’m not gonna push but I know something more is going on.” James is flat with his delivery, but sincere nonetheless. Wilbur is, surprisingly, able to read the concern stitched into the expression James wears, his eyes soft as he gazes at his friend.

A comfortable silence falls upon the two and Wilbur leans his head against the back of the sofa, his own arms crossing over his chest.

“Mario Kart?” Wilbur’s question breaks the silence and James scoots off his spot on the sofa and hurries over to the tv stand, turning on Wilbur’s old Wii console and slipping in the old Mario Kart cd.

After the TV boots up, James walks back over to sit next to Wil, throwing him a Wii remote steering wheel. “I’m going to beat your ass, William.” The use of Wilbur's legal name earns a laugh from the anxious man and his friend huffs.

“I’d like to see you try.” He smiles, what he thinks is a genuine smile and he clicks through the various introduction screens. He lets James choose his character first—Wario, as always—before he chooses his own, which is always Mario. He likes it simple and predictable, Mario is just that.

The two play a game on the coconut mall map, Wilbur ahead of James—but not for long before his friend catches up to him, knocking him off course and taking his spot in first.

Wilbur grunts at his friend, using various power up's to gather momentum in order to steal his spot back. His attempts return to fruition and he yells in triumph when he passes the finish line, coming in first.

"Fucking told you!" Wilbur laughs in giddy, shaking his hands in pure joy, his eyes closed tightly and a smile wide as can be—one he knows is genuine.

"Jeez man, why are you so good at this game?" James puts his controller on the coffee table, pulling his legs up onto the sofa and resting them in front of him.

"I'm just that good." Wilbur's snarky remark earns a scoff from his friend and he rests his hands behind his head in triumph.

"You need to work on that ego of yours."

"I do *not* have an ego!" Wilbur counters, dropping his arms to cross against his chest and he exaggeratingly huffs.

"Oh like anyone would believe that!" James laughs, a soft, considerate laugh despite the joke thrown at his friend.

"Wow, such little faith." Wilbur smiles and lets a silence fall on the two, the only sound heard is James readjusting his spot on the couch, and a few sighs let out occasionally before going to scroll Twitter on his phone.

Wilbur fiddles with his hands, looking over at James before going to stand and pace again, he tries to be subtle about it, avoiding the attention of his friend. He tries all of his common coping stims, handshakes, bouncing on his feet, rolling on his feet, tapping his fingers, etc. Doing anything he can to cope with the anxiety that was deciding to reappear again. He keeps his eyes on the carpet below him, spinning on his heels to walk the other way when he gets too close to the wall.

James watches Wilbur, eyeing him and his pacing. Wilbur doesnt notice the eyes on him, and James is thankful for that as he sifts his mind for any reason for Wilbur’s current panicked state. He knows something is up and wrong but he’s sure he won’t get an answer out of the man no matter how hard he tries. He would love to be able to guess Wilbur’s reasoning for his panic, but he isn’t telepathic and he can barely understand his own reasoning, let alone another person’s reasoning. James hesitates, he opens his mouth to speak but shuts it closed a moment later. He averts his gaze back down to the phone in hand, mindlessly going through whatever fiery chaos that was his timeline.

He tries his best to keep his gaze off Wilbur, and it worked for the most part but it eventually got to the point his worry outweighed his desire to stay unnoticed. James watched as his friend continued pacing, tapping his fingers or shaking his hands. Wilbur was nervous but James couldn't pinpoint why.

He makes an attempt, "Wil, are you alright?"

Wilbur's head shoots up and his eyes dart to James focused on his forehead but giving the impression he's making eye contact. He's not.

Wilbur hesitates, going to say something when the words lodge themselves in his throat. He nods.

James goes to stand, walking to where Wilbur is frozen in place. He rests his hands on his friend's shoulders. "You can tell me, I know you're not."

"I'm- I'm fine." Wilbur manages to stutter out, wiggling his fingers in another attempt at calming himself. It doesn't work either.

James looks at him with a stern glare, not one of any malice but one of intense care for the other. 

"Wilbur." He warns, unwavering in his attempts at calming the other.

Wilbur shakes his head, eyes focused on the fibers of his carpet, and he's glad it's soft.

"I said I'm fine, James. Okay?" His tone is sharp, and he knows how mean it sounds but he doesn't mean it that way and James knows that.

James keeps his gaze on his friend, squeezing his shoulders in reassurance and Wilbur attempts to meet his gaze. 

It's a few moments before Wilbur cracks, the realization that James isn't letting this go—that James cares—seeps into his mind and he lets down his wall.

"I'm anxious, very anxious. Scared even, I think." Wilbur's voice is small, and it's shaky. "I'm scared that the song isn't as good as we think, that it'll ruin our careers or that it just won't land right, and that all our hard work will be for nothing because I ruined it all."

"Woah, woah, woah. Where is all this coming from? You have the fanbase you do, because you're talented, because Lovejoy is talented. The song is amazing, you've heard it from everyone and their mothers and you wouldn't if it wasn't true." James pauses, taking a moment to think of what he should say next, his hands still resting on Wilbur's shoulders to keep his friend's attention. "It is going to put Lovejoy on the map. I know it."

Wilbur shakes his head, eyes focused downwards. "But it could be what lights us in flames too."

James laughs, a lighthearted and bright laugh, "You really think that?" Wilbur nods. "Man, you are so wrong."

Wilbur looks up, head tilted and eyebrows knitted in confusion. Big brown eyes wide with fear.

"You're seriously the most talented person out there, anything you make either on your own or with people will be and is amazing. Don't undersell yourself, Wil." James lets his hands fall from his friend's shoulders and he holds his arms open, inviting Wilbur for a hug. "Hug?"

Wilbur nods and takes up his offer, wrapping his arms around the slightly shorter man and resting his forehead on his shoulder. "Thank you," Wilbur mutters, the fabric of James' jacket muffling the sound.

"It's what friends are for." James pulls away and so does Wilbur. "Wanna watch a movie to get your mind off of it?"

Wilbur smiles softly, nodding, "That sounds great. Popcorn?" James nods and Wilbur swiftly leaves the sitting room to head into the kitchen moments later.

"What d'ya want to watch?" James calls from the TV, voice echoing through the walls.

"Anything but Marvel."

"Aw man, I was gonna put on the new ant man movie!" James laughs, and Wilbur does too, readjusting his attention to the popcorn he threw in the microwave. 

"Very funny, James!" Wilbur calls back, chuckling to himself as the microwave beeps. He takes the package of popped popcorn and hisses when he burns his fingers, shaking them in the air and blowing on them as if it would help the pain. He rushes to pull open the paper bag when doing so he pours out the contents into a turquoise bowl, his favorite but James doesn't need to know that.

He takes the bowl into the living room after discarding the popcorn bag into the trash. He holds up the bowl, greeting James.

"I grabbed your weighted blanket, by the way, hope that's okay." James gives a soft but nervous smile to Wilbur and he smiles wide in return, nodding enthusiastically.

"Thank you," He mumbles in response, his smile warm and thankful.

James widens his own smile in return, "I was afraid it wouldn't be, it's over on your spot." He points over to the far left side of the sofa—it may be Wilbur's sofa but he has a tendency to lean more towards sitting on the far left side. It's just a habit, and he's grown to dislike breaking it. 

He walks over to his spot, sitting down just as he did before with his legs tucked under him. He still holds the popcorn bowl and he hands it over to James when said friend finds his spot next to him.

"We could watch Hamilton," Wilbur suggests, head turning to look towards James. He makes eye contact briefly but feels that same uncomfortable panic and averts his gaze again.

"Really, Wilbur?" James' tone is playful, and you can see through his eyes that he's seriously considering it, and the pout Wilbur puts on only makes his case clearer. "Okay, Hamilton it is." James then throws the remote to Wilbur and he catches it immediately. There's a soft, warm smile graced upon James' lips and he crosses his arms over his chest in contentment.

It's a few moments before Wilbur finds Hamilton on Disney+ and selects play, but the moment it begins, his eyes are glued to the screen. He barely touches the popcorn he made as he feels the anxiety drain from him and his body finally feels relaxed. Maybe it's his weighted blanket or his comfort media that helped, but he considers it and believes that maybe it was James. His words and his presence helped calm Wilbur.

It's silent between the two for the next three hours, Wilbur's attention barely staying from the musical playing before him. James notices the silent happy stims Wilbur begins to do, small, soft handshakes or rocking side to side. His smile is wide and James is happy, he's happy he was the one to help and he is beyond glad he was the one Wilbur reached out to.

He knows why Wilbur was upset, why he was anxious and pacing his flat. The anxious thoughts got to his friend, dug into him deep, and began tearing him apart one by one. Something about Wilbur thinking of going to James first for something so stressful and serious—even if he avoided speaking about it at first—was reassuring, or calming to know. He's important to Wilbur just as much as Wilbur is to James. 

Everyone deserves a James, and everyone deserves a Wilbur.

Someone who knows you'll be there for them, someone who will find what would make you most comfortable and help you, who will sit with you in silence and simply be in your presence and enjoy it.

This was nice, this was good. And James was happy.

There was a moment of contemplation after the musical had ended on whether James should leave or not. Part of him wanted to stay so he could be sure Wilbur's anxiety wouldn't kick back up and eat him alive, but the other part of him knew he had to get back to Aria and Otto. He loved Wilbur, he was his best friend, but he also knew Wilbur may not handle him staying the night, and he was okay with that.

"I think I'm gonna head home for the night. You'll be okay?" James began to get up off the sofa, throwing on his jacket that he discarded on the chair, his gaze locked on Wilbur. He had his legs pulled up against his chest and his eyes were locked on the floor.

He nods, "Yeah, I'll be fine..You go home." His tone was flat, and it made James unsure in his decision. He bit the inside of his cheek as he paused, standing frozen as he gazes down at his friend who seemed to fall back into the pit of panic.

"Are you sure?" James is keen on being fully sure it's okay to leave Wilbur alone.

Wilbur looks up and gives a soft—masked—smile, "Yeah, of course...Go home to your family."

James rolls his eyes and laughs, "Otto is a cat."

"He's still family, isn't he?" Wilbur inquires, his tone light and playful now.

James groans and smiles, and then turns to leave for the door. "I'm a text or call away, remember that." And then he heads out the door, softly closing it behind him and then he's out of Wilbur's sight and earshot.

Wilbur shakes his head and rests his head against his knees, doing his best to calm his breathing. He decides to put Hamilton back on, maybe it'll help again.

And so he spends the rest of the night like this, head rested on his knees, arms wrapped around his legs, and the comfort of Hamilton playing in the background. Eventually, he sleeps.

                                                     —★—

It's days later and mere hours to the release of Call Me What You Like. He's sniffly and truly feels like shit with his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton and his body being dredged in slime.

It's a horrible gross feeling and he really wishes he didn't go talk to fans after their gig this past Saturday. It's by no means their fault, he just has the worst and weakest immune system known to man—and he knows it.

He was pacing again, the skin around his nails raw and bleeding. He didn't have enough self-restraint so his coping mechanisms today were more self-destructive than usual or than they should be.

The rest of the band had been talking in the group chat all day and he had ignored every message, their positive outlook only made things worse. It really should be what makes it better but their hope for everything to go well and their seeming knowledge of it doing so, dragged him down and only fed the negative thoughts. 

It would only crash and burn because of him, not because of the others, so it made since they had a positive outlook. If it burned it wouldn't be their fault by any means.

His pacing only got worse, and he started to pull at his hair. It was an hour to midnight, hes been avoiding Twitter or any other social platform that would tell him what people thought all day. The Australian fans had already listened to it since it's realized at midnight on your local time—but he was too scared to see what they had to say. So he had all of his devices turned off or facing down. 

He didn't want to know, he was too scared to know.

He eventually tired himself out and ended up laying on the floor, blood still flowing with panic. His phone went off at exactly midnight and he waited a few minutes before opening his phone, only to be flooded with oceans of messages from his friends and fans. His friends asked if he was okay, and they seemed worried and concerned—they already heard the song so they didn't have much to congratulate him on. The messages, indirects, and mentions online from his fans were all messages of care and congratulations. Expressing their love for the new song and the new sound—they seemed to believe it was a masterpiece. Some people even used that word.

The flow of words upon his screen took him aback. He wasn't sure how to process all of the positive messages, and he was sure this was a dream. I mean, it had to be. How could so many people love the song so much, so soon? 

Maybe it was because the words he was seeing were from his already existing fanbase—the people who are devoted to Lovejoy and wouldn't switch their opinion over one song. It wasn't a sound comparison is what his brain told him. So surely, in the next few days, it'll crash and burn.

He didn't have much longer to sink into his anxious thoughts, as Ash was quick to call him. Wilbur hesitated before picking up and bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hey," His voice cracked from the lack of use and he dug his hand into the carpet, grabbing at the fibers.

"Well, hello, Wilbur." Ash's voice was joyful, and bright, a very large contrast to how Wilbur felt or sounded. "Have you seen what people are saying? They love it!!" He's so quick to enthusiasm, his voice pitching up towards the end and he lets out a joyful laugh.

Wilbur smiles softly at his friend's reaction, but is still hesitant to believe it to be the truth, "Yeah, yeah I saw some of that." He pauses, breath catching in his throat as he mulls over his next action. "Are they lying, though? I mean they're the ones that have been here ages—they could actually hate it and just say they like it." Wilbur's voice is low and quiet, only audible to the man on the other end of the line.

Ash sighs and lets out a breathy chuckle, "It's the internet, Wil. They'd be brutally honest if it was bad." 

Wilbur shakes his head, "But they're our fans, they could lie to save our feelings." 

"Dude, you're one of my closest friends and I would hate to hurt your feelings—but you sound like an idiot right now." Wilbur can hear Ash's smile through his words, it's playful in the way he says it.

"I'm sure I do—" He cuts himself off, running his free hand through his hair in a stressed motion. He's at a loss for words, he doesn't know what to say anymore, so he just falls from where he stands, sitting with his legs forward on the floor. 

"They love it, Wilbur. And you're part of the reason why." Ash is genuine in the way he reassures Wilbur, he means it just as much as he believes it himself.

Wilbur shrugs, and he feels the anxiety gnawing at his insides again. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"I'm sorry." 

"What the hell are you apologizing for?" Ash sounds almost offended at Wilbur's words like he just insulted Ash's firstborn child.

"For being a bother? Or for possibly ruining our career." His voice has gone small again, almost mirroring his attempt at curling in on himself, making him seem smaller.

"You're never a bother—and if anything you're the reason we're even here in the first place. Give yourself some more goddamn credit." Ash isn't harsh with his delivery, but stern. And caring—he means well.

"Sorry again," Wilbur replies sheepishly, regretting opening up about his doubts in the first place. He really feels like a burden now, and it's far from Ash's fault.

"Do I need to ban that word?" Ash laughs, and Wilbur can hear the smile through his words and he smiles back.

"No, no, I won't say it anymore. Promise." Wilbur reassures, his smile is unwavering but still small and soft.

"By the way, I was calling to ask if you wanted to come over to mine tomorrow? Joe and Mark are gonna be there too. We're celebrating Call Me What You Like, we tried texting you—" Ash begins but Wilbur is quick to cut him off.

"I'd love to, I'm sorry about ignoring my phone—it was just too hard." Wilbur nervously admits, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, no, I understand. Don't worry, dude. See you at 11?" Wilbur nods and then shortly replies verbally when he realizes Ash can't see him.

The embarrassment bubbles up in his throat but he pushes it down and hurriedly says his goodbyes to Ash. When they've bid their farewells and he's hung up the phone, he heads to his room—deciding sleep is the next thing he should do. He needs much more of it than he's been getting, especially in his ill state. He's not contagious but he notes it as a valid excuse in case he chickens out the next day before he goes over to see his bandmates.

He's more afraid of bringing them down than seeing them. He'd hate to be the reason they feel bad about the song.

                                                                    —★—

It's been a week since their new single was released, they've been on the radio even more than before, they've announced and sold out an entire tour and the love they've received on it has been absolutely mind-boggling. Wilbur's anxieties over it have practically dissipated entirely, besides the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind about the album—but it's far too early to worry about that. Right now, Wilbur was alone in his flat yet again, patiently waiting for the UK Top 40 charts to release. A few hours prior he posted a video asking everyone to stream CMWYL in hopes they can get a spot on the charts—it'll help get them noticed by important music executives but also reassure him that it's actually good, they wouldn't stream it if it wasn't, right? He didn't mention or consciously realize the second reason, but it was all the same in how prominent of a thought it was.

A few minutes from now and he'll find out statistically how much of a success CMWYL is. Sitting at his desk and refreshing the chart's website is probably not the best option for his anxiety—but he still does it nonetheless. He patiently sits there as he awaits the release of the UK charts. I mean he has nothing better to do at the moment, he's off and he's enjoying his free time just the way he wants.

He's nervously tapping his fingers on his free hand while his knees bounce in the usual gnawing anxiety that he holds. He keeps refreshing the page as he waits for that one moment of truth.

His eyes burn from staring at the screen so long, especially without blinking, and he contemplates taking a break for a moment but then reminds himself why he's doing this in the first place.

After a few more refreshes and the charts are released, he scrolls down the list of songs and artists. He's beginning to get disappointed when he gets into the 20s, but he's soon surprised when he gets to the #32 spot.

Call Me What You Like by Lovejoy is #32 on the UK Charts.

He practically leaps up out of his desk chair when he realizes what he's read. He can't quite tell if the wetness on his cheek is tears of joy or from his eyes watering from yawning and holding his eyes open for hours on end. But he doesn't care, his silly little band has made it. Or, well, it's starting to make it. It's just the first step to becoming known and loved, they can finally get their art out into mainstream media, with new people. They can share their passion with more people.

He's ecstatic, flapping his hands and bouncing around his bedroom floor. It's finally happened. Lovejoy is going to be the indie rock band. And he helped.

Oh my god, he helped!

He goes to rock on his feet as he thinks about what he should do next—obviously, he needs to tweet to thank everyone—should he call his brother? Or maybe his dad, or mum even. He isn't sure where to start first but he seems to go into autopilot as he makes the tweet, taking a photo of him pointing at the computer screen and then another of him flipping out, a blurred and chaotic photo if we're entirely honest. He then texts the LVJY text chat, telling them and showing them photos of it and sending links with it as proof.

And then he calls Tommy, the call is immediately picked up on the other end, a gruff and very Tommy-like hello being muttered on the other end.

"Toms! We're #32 on the charts!" Wilbur exclaims all in one breath, smiling so wide his face hurts and he's giggling from joy. He still bounces on his feet but his hand flapping has died down a little. He spins and jumps around and hopes to God his downstairs neighbors aren't home to be upset at him.

"Really?? Dude, I'm so proud of you!" Tommy replies, and Wilbur is taken aback by how out of character that is—but he takes it, he takes it and he runs with it. His little brother is proud of him.

"Yeah! Yeah! We're finally on the charts man!" His voice is so bright and excited and Tommy laughs at the excitement his big brother exudes.

“You wanna go out and celebrate tomorrow?” Tommy poses the suggestion, voice poking up at the end.

Wilbur quickly nods, “Yeah, of course! Sorry for calling so late by the way--I had to tell someone.” He lets out a small laugh at his own words.

“Glad it was me, big bro.” Tommy’s response and nickname for Wilbur aren't unusual but he can't help from wanting to pick on the younger boy but decides against it.

“Thank you, Toms. I’m gonna head to bed, see you tomorrow?” Wilbur shuffles over to sit on the edge of his bed. 

“Yeah, I’ll text you the plans! Sleep well, bitch.” Tommy lets out an airy laugh and Wilbur mirrors it in response to Tommy being so Tommy.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Love you.”

They bid their final farewells and Wilbur gets up and puts his phone on charge, and then slips into bed.

They’ve finally made it, and it was because of him and his talent. Turns out that anxious thoughts aren't that reliable.

[nico-di-genova]

okay be prepared for a long ass message right here 'cause i'm going through your playlists and they're interesting and cool af 👀

first of all, i'm gonna be listening to your lightyear playlist, the 'max and billy's get along mixtape' and your lewis playlist daily (even if it reminded me that unfortunately kanye is a really good artist 🙃🙂🙃) also the title + description of the lewis playlist?? 😎👀

i feel like i'm really learning things about you here 'cause eduardo saverin???? when i tell you that pulled me back about 5 or 6 years to my 'a social network/andrew as eduardo' phase. and, 'you love him, you do. and here's the miracle, he loves you too. and here's the tragedy; it's not enough' in the context of eduardo/mark???? ouch.

alex manes???????????????????? do you know how in my emotions i still am about that man??? malex??????????? devastated me for four years. the first song on the alex playlist being 'numb'????????????? PERFECT SONG CHOICE FOR ALEX. (also one of my favorite songs of all time. tho i am very partial to numb/encore as well.) 'i wanted to be the kind of person who won battles, but now i look in the mirror and i don't even see myself sometimes.'????? 😢 i do appreciate that you left out the last and for me, the most painful part of that quote tho.

the max and billy playlist????? dear billy????? 'i imagine that we could have become friends. good friends. like a real brother and sister'?????? again. ouch.

kili?????????? why are you out to hurt me cass??????

dick grayson??? 👀 i'm personally more of a jason todd fan but very interesting 👀 'dick gray's getting ready for a night out on the town mix (night on the town being beating the shit out of the joker' and you know.... maybe killing him for murdering your little shit of a baby brother?????? (only for your fail-dad to bring him back to life)

the love i have for you for putting bezos I on your kendall roy playlist 💖

(also how the fuck did i not know that the tu-tu-du-du max verstappen meme was an actual song????? that fucking slaps?????)

buck piñata era 😂😂😂😂😭😂

grandson *chef's kiss*

(this might have been even longer to begin with 'cause i added like 30 songs i LOVE that you used on playlists but it was getting so riddiculously long 😅😅😅)

(also last point, i happened to spot some songs from assassin's creed 2 and uncharted 4, you gaming???? 🤨)

Jas 🥺 ily.

Making playlists is my passion maybe actually, lol. I am the Road Trip Music Conductor in my friend group, and I always need something that fits the Vibe. I don’t play around about my playlists, I can’t lie. (Dream job maybe used to be making those Spotify official playlists because I learned that was a real job when I was in high school, and let me tell you!! I am lowkey sad it did not happen).

My playlists at this point are also kind of a scrapbook of all the interests I’ve had (though I have like 100+ more that are private/incomplete from other fandoms) and I kind of love you sending this because it’s like a trail of all the things I’ve loved 😅.

Malex had a CHOKEHOLD on me, and social network was on repeat in my dorm room for like a whole semester. I think I could probably quote that whole film if promoted - 100% I could tell you sorry my Prada was at the cleaners along with my hoodie and my fuck-you flip flops (iconic, we must never let it die).

And yeah, anything involving protective older sibling/younger sibling they couldn’t defend forever, very much I am going to latch onto it. Hence the many Billy & Max playlists and kili and dick Grayson (my beloved blorbo).

(YOU DIDNT KNOW ABOUT THE TU-TU-TU-TU MAX VERSTAPPEN??? I break the speed limit to that song on the regular (jk, jk, or am I 😏))

And yes, I game, lol. But it’s literally exclusively F1 23, uncharted, Jedi fallen order, and the Assassins Creed Ezio trilogy on rotation (the Witcher thrown in occasionally).

[bengiyo]

My School President Ep 6 Stray Thoughts

Y'all, I just know I'm about to put on my clown makeup, so let me just go ahead and get it ready.

Last time, a jaded school counselor doused the naive optimism of a bunch of high school seniors, and inflicted massive doubt on Chinzilla. They took some time to reevaluate, and Tinn spent the episode helping rebuild Gun's self-confidence. Gun's mom collapsed at work, and he briefly considered giving up his dreams on music, before everyone came together in a lovely musical number. Finally, Tinn all-but-confessed his feelings to Gun, and I'm hoping I won't have to put on my makeup.

🤡 Gun doesn't know who Tinn has a crush on, and wants to play matchmaker. 🤡

BL shirt messaging of the day: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

Oh no, Tinn is back to his fantasies and now they're harsh.

He put Gun in his phone as "Chinzilla Baby." I can't.

Both of them in this angsty spiral are going to demolish me. It's very high school and appropriate, and at least endearing because they like each other. Still, I want to mash their faces together. Where is Tiwson?

I'm with Por. Just Being Friendly is a banger.

🤡 Is Gun only just now connecting the dots about everything Tinn has been doing, including the pinky touch? We thought he maybe liked Tinn this whole time and we were wrong lol. 🤡

Alright, real shit. If you grab my neck like Tinn did here, we better kiss immediately.

Of course this is Tinn's favorite song. You're my favorite simp, baby boy. You and Vincent Liang eat at the same table.

"Don't mind a nosy boy like me." Thank you for showing up to save these clowns, Tiwson.

I will say, as a former educator, I'm a strong advocate for peer mediation. So, I'm really enjoying Tiwson stepping in to manage this MV project after Sound and Win started fighting so hard they kicked off their shoes.

That's right, Tiwson, ship to your heart's content. "Good job, BL."

The Tiw and Tinn friendship is a lot of fun.

Tinn is flustered at the first question? Baby boy, please.

I'm so glad Tiwson is taking his role as director seriously, and now I want to try these noodles.

Mark is genuinely funny. He and the noodle shop owner made me actually laugh.

The interesting thing out of the badminton scene is that Win doesn't lord over Sound something he can do that he can't. Instead, he genuinely tries to teach him. Sure, he gets frustrated and yells at Sound, and it shows that Sound struggles with being seen as incompetent, especially when he's being berated about it.

I like the fantasy sequence of them laying on the bed together answering these questions.

Car violence continues to play a role in these shows. Determined to build a future where our transportation modes aren't so hazardous.

Fourth and Gemini played the emotional shifts of that bed scene really well.

Sound doesn't like to lose or be bad at things. He clearly practiced for a long time. Win also gives praise easily.

I don't know why Tiwson is dressed like this, but I am thankful.

😂 Yo is too big to just be fainting like that.

"Cut! We got it!" I'm dying 😆

Love the era we're in where the boys fight over who likes who.

Okay, I really love that everyone got life from that medal kiss, and now these two caught feelings.

The music cues in this umbrella scene are timed so well. I am leaning in so hard with the tension.

"Got it, friend." "See you, friend." Why am I being crushed?

Excellent use of comedy after that scene. Gentle reminder of the kind of story we're in.

Gun going for a repeat on wiping his lips, eh?

Tinn and Tiw were not prepared for Gun's improvised kiss.

Oh, I had to pause. Usually Tinn likes when Gun grabs his chin, but he threw him off this time.

Finally, mutual open admission of the attraction. Good use of the friend zone graphic.

Oh lord we are at Church's Texas Chicken.

Tiwson knows his audience. "You are allowed to eat and watch."

I'm back in my The Way He Looks era and thinking about Gabriel asking, "If you stole a kiss, how would you give it back?"

I am always taken out by these boys flirting over chicken.

Okay, but do I get to see the music video???

Secret dating next week? Be still, my heart.

YES, WE GET THE MUSIC VIDEO!

[incoherentsobbing]

Dandelions

Intentions... With "Dandelions" by Ruth B.

Ft. Ruggie Bucchi and my OC, Kyōki Kaitekina

Where Ruggie want's to take the one he's fallen in love with someplace special, despite his weak knees

"So...?" they played with the rings on their fingers nervously, he had requested them to meet him alone and they had to make Jack watch him since he was the only other one available on such short notice, but the feline-like monster managed to slip away and join them anyway

"Y-You'll see" he wound up stammering, trying to keep his heartrate steady but the way they just existed less than 6 feet from him made him lightheaded 

They had slapped on a beautiful pair of lace-trimmed shorts and an o-ring crop top they originally wore a hoodie on top but had to leave it with Grim so he wouldn't be so anxious (which was then later left with Jack as he escaped, the poor wolf), and a nice pair of grey combat boots to finish it off, their goddess braids black but shining in the light, the blue-green highlights being accentuated 

And let's not forget their scent, Seven, they gave off such a mesmerizing scent he could sit there and bask in it forever 

They quirked their brow when he flushed red again out of nowhere, slightly concerned, but didn't say a word

Eventually, after about another five minutes of seemingly random turns, the two reached a wide open field of dandelions. 

They took on the view of white, green, and yellow, and carefully picked a few up, starting up flower crowns 

"Galleta" They looked up at his nervously standing self with a smile "come here, this one's for you"

"F-F-F...????" He couldn't say anything, just stared at the ground near their feet

"Of course!" They laughed, gently grabbing his hand and dragging him down to sit, placing the flower crown on his head with a proud grin on their face "I've never made a flower crown before, so I'm really happy to get to try it! Though I've never even seen anyone make one either... I think it turned out well?"

He felt the lopsided but sturdy crown of bright yellow dandelions resting on his head, carefully avoiding his ears even though it looked like it was close to falling apart 

"Yeah..." He blushed red, though he found himself shifting slightly closer despite his whole nervous system telling him to run away or they'd devour him

But, hey, what's so bad in being devoured by someone this hot?

After a few more flower crowns, they made some more for Ruggie and Grim, saving a few strong looking ones for Ortho to keep marked and placed a little point on them so they'd remember to pick

"Y'know, this reminds me of that song" Grim commented, and Ruggie couldn't help the nasty feeling of jealousy that fizzled up inside of him each time he saw Grim in their laps or resting in their chest 

How does it feel to be living my dream, damned Raccoon? Tch... he'd always think, biting his lip

"Oh yeah!" They smiled, quickly fishing out their modified phone and scrolling through some audio files 

Not long after, a few high piano keys were struck, and his ears perked up, listening to it intently

But he could not prepare his heart for the next things to happen

They started to sing. It was very deep, coming from the gut, but easily took a higher pitch when they wanted

"Maybe it's the way you say my name" They began, picking up another few dandelions "Maybe it's the way you play your game"

Game...? He stared at their calloused hands and how with every twist, they improved on the flower jewelry they were making Who are they talking about?

"But it's so good, I've never known anybody like you"  even though their words were still a whisper, he heard every one, and grew increasingly nervous at who they could possible be directing this song at "But it's so good, I've never dreamed of nobody like you"

Grim purred happily and rubbed his head against their chest, one he would give almost anything to lay on comfortably while they pet him like they did Grim

"And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime" his breath hitched, mind running millions of miles a second when he heard the L word leave their lips, and the whimsical but attractive look they gave him from under their undeniably hot lashes "And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine"

They smiled, placing their completed and tremendously improved flower crown and necklace around him, leaning back on the ground slightly as they looked at the white tufts around them 

" 'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions, Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine" they nodded to the beat, their lower and deeper vocals mixing well with the singers higher and airy tones "And I see forever in your eyes, I feel okay when I see you smile, smile"

I... Are they talking... about me? He gaped, hands trembling as he watched them pick one up and blow it in the air after a subtle pause 

"Wishing on dandelions all of the time, Praying to God that one day you'll be mine" they all watched as the seeds followed the path of the breeze and Grim hopped off, chasing after them "Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time..."

They stood up, doing a little dance as they swayed, reminiscent of the tall grass and flowers, giggling to themselves as they turned to Ruggie, directing their lines to him

"I think that you are the one for me, 'Cause it gets so hard to breathe" they twirled, feet light but prominent as they moved "When you're looking at me, I've never felt so alive and free~ When you're looking at me, I've never felt so happy"

He stared, wide but loving eyes as they laughed at one of their missteps, holding their hand out to him as the song played lowly in the background

their next words made him feel like he was floating, in a blissful dream

"Ruggie...And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime Dance with me...And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine " They smiled cheekily, patiently waiting for a reaction from him

and it was as if the universe was pushing this all to happen, as the music suddenly became louder, and a whole flurry of dandelion seeds exploded from behind him, the breeze pushing them towards their outstretched hand

He'd be a fool to reject.

And on they went for that evening, slow dancing as Grim messed around with the flowers and insects 

It was then that he made up his mind fully; He was utterly in-love with them and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with them

[freetobeafcknriot]

I just stumbled across your TUA Soulmate AU while looking through the tags in preparation for Season 4 dropping tomorrow, and I absolutely ADORE your AU! The idea of soul bonds is something I love, especially platonic bonds. Anything highlighting that those bonds are equally as important as romantic ones instantly has my heart 💛🤍

I love how each soul mark is so very personal to the individuals within each bond. It makes each one feel that much more special. I think my favorite has to be OG!Ben & Viktor 🥺

If you ever wanna talk about it more, I'd love to hear it! I'm especially interested in the playlist you mentioned. Connecting music to different characters/dynamics is something I love doing, so I'd be interested to hear which songs you picked for each of the bonds!

why hello there~! 💕

oh, i'm 100% down to talk about that AU anytime, i've got months of musings to unleash lol (though i'm down to talk about tua in general tbh, my inbox and dms are always open for that). i was a bit anxious because i feared it wouldn't have resonated with anyone, but i'm glad it did, so i think you can understand why i say your ask made my day─well, morning. it's why it took me a while to get to it :)

anyway, it might have something to do with me being on the aro spectrum but when it comes to settings such as this i feel like including the importance of platonic love is not only pivotal but oftentimes overlooked, too. there are sooo many ways of loving someone and the plethora of dynamics within the hargreeves siblings (regardless of soulmarks) kind of proves that imo.

it's also the reason why the soulmarks are all different from one another! i actually sat down and overthought the hell out of each one lol, even the ones i didn't list in the post you saw. i have a whole file on them, it's so long it's almost scary! :')

as for the playlist. . . it's a work in progress because i'm assigning at least a song to each bond plus some additional stuff and it needs to feel spot-on, it's just the way my brain works. so far, since you said it was your favorite, i can tell you that i finally settled on this !

their soulmark came out of the blue but i so wanted them to have one, it felt so real and necessary and they genuinely break my heart for multiple reasons. i really like it, too, because you need to picture this glowing threads softly blooming on their skin and outlining a small flower every time they touch. then you need to picture the season two finale :) i'm in tears, so really! never hesitate to drop by because i have many thoughts and i'm always happy to share. ♡

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.121 / Q & A with British singer, Maggie Moone with Mark Watkins.

MW: Obtaining maximum points from Mickie Most on New Faces is impressive! Tell me about that show and what was the immediate impact afterwards in terms of your showbiz career? 

MM: Winning New Faces in 1977 was the first big break of my career as everything started happening after that. Televised “live” every Saturday night, the show was watched by millions including the biggest showbiz agents and music producers. It wasn't the lavish production you see now with X Factor, but it was a very exciting show and gave raw talent a chance to be seen and heard. 

Mickie Most was the Simon Cowell of his day, and he along with Tony Hatch were two of the most brutally honest judges on the panel. Mickie gave me maximum marks and offered me a record deal. Mickie would have taken me in the rock direction and I often wonder whether I would have had a hit record with him. But in the end I got signed by Don Black and Geoff Stephens to record, ‘Dear Anyone’, a concept album. They also became my managers. It was an incredibly exciting time in my life. 

MW: You've starred in so many TV programmes in the world of light-entertainment, in particular during the 80s and 90s following your Eurovision heats successes in 1980. I'll pick out just one TV show, Name That Tune. Tell me about your role in that, and how you prepared, including rehearsals and choosing wardrobe, plus any particular highlights…

MM: I had already appeared in many Thames Television shows, such as Mike Yarwood, Morecambe and Wise, Jim Davidson, Des O'Connor and Give Us A Clue, etc . I guess that put me in the right place at the right time at Thames when they were looking for the resident girl singer for Name That Tune. 

It was a singer's dream and I remained with the show for nearly five years. We recorded a 20 week series in two weeks and for me that meant learning 60 sing-a-tunes and 60 reprises by ear as I don't read music plus I sang a solo song at the end of the show. 

For every show, various dresses would be wheeled in for me to choose from and I didn't always like what was on offer. So I also used some of my own. Name That Tune reached nearly 17 million viewers at its height and we were all very sad when it was taken off the air. 

The studio had a live audience for each show, hosted initially by the inimitable Tom O’Connor and then the ever-youthful Lionel Blair. We were like one big family and I had the luxury of singing with the wonderful Alan Braden Orchestra. Having a “live” band of 16 talented musicians made the show quite unique. We got to know some of the contestants before and after the show, and their music knowledge was amazing. 

MW: Tell me about working with the man of many faces, impressionist Mike Yarwood... 

MM: Mike Yarwood was a one-off! No-one could compete on his level really... such a talented man who could impersonate anyone. Mike was also a very kind and sensitive person and I loved working with him. Apart from singing on his show, I also did a Hart To Hart sketch with him as my looks were often compared to actress Stephanie Powers. It was my first acting job and we had a laugh recording that sketch. I am sad that he seemed to go off the radar very suddenly and we were deprived of his enormous talent. 

MW: In 1989, Steve Wright was, like you, one of the guests on BBC One’s Blankety- Blank. Any specific memories of Steve (now on BBC Radio 2), and that show as a whole? 

MM: Les Dawson made the show with his warmth and natural comedic style. He put everyone at ease and was one of those true show-biz greats. Blankety-Blank was a fun family show which also challenged your brain to think quickly. Celebrities across the board were keen to appear and of course I remember Steve Wright who was brilliant. I also well recall the wit of Giles Brandreth, Buster Merryfield, Samantha Fox, Lionel Blair as just a few of the great panelists. All with their own inimitable personalities which kept the banter with Les flowing at a fast pace. 

MW: You have a magic "time travel" TV remote control, you can channel hop across years and decades. What programmes would you pause on and watch? 

MM: You can’t beat those star-studded “live” TV shows from the Palladium and Piccadilly theatres aired on Saturday nights with the great Jimmy Tarbuck hosting. I well remember my terrible nerves standing there before the curtain rose … a full theatre house, plus 14 million viewers!! Apart from our own home-grown UK talent on the show, I had the pleasure of appearing with international stars such as Gloria Estefan, Tony Bennett and George Benson. 

I miss the comedy of Eric & Ernie (Morecambe And Wise), Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howard etc. We watched their shows through the 70s, 80s and 90s and I wish they’d bring some of them back. I know tastes change, but they will be forever universally funny. And always clean. 

I was an actress in Russ Abbott’s BBC series for three years and he was incredibly popular… a natural funny man. People would still laugh their heads off at him today! Bring him back! 

Some of the sit-coms, such as Steptoe And Son, were also favourites of mine. Top Of The Pops was another that everyone tuned into; it’s important to give new talent a chance of being seen. 

MW: What’s your favourite year for music?

MM: From my point of view, the whole of the 80s was a great decade; I don’t really have a favourite year as every year was just amazing from a career point of view. 

I am sentimental and can cry buckets when hearing certain ballads such as the Everly Brothers' 'Let It Be Me'. My lovely mum suggested I sing 'Never, Never, Never' for my New Faces audition and so that's a special lucky song. Burt Bacharach's Dionne Warwick songs evoke wonderful memories of my teenage years. Frank Sinatra's 'All Or Nothing At All' gets to me big-time.  But I also absolutely love soul, rock and funk!  Wish I'd done more of that.

I love today’s music and as a fitness instructor I use a lot of club mixes of old songs. It’s amazing how contemporary these past hits can sound with a different treatment using tribal beats and funky house dynamics. I love all kinds of music! 

MW: What's your connection to Poundbury? What do you think of this King Charles designed "village"? 

MM: Well, my husband William and I live in Poundbury and since moving here it has grown into a lively thriving community. We now have more shops, more restaurants and pubs and you always see someone you know when you go out.

I think King Charles’ architectural ideas and skills are fantastic! Poundbury is unique. Hats off to him! Every house has its own individual style and no two are completely alike. We don’t have to worry about parking spaces here, and we also have a lot of green space to walk our two little dogs. It is the perfect place for bringing up a family and there’s nothing really not to like! Queen Mother Square is particularly stunning in architecture! 

MW: Your memories of two greats, sadly, recently passed, Tony Bennett and Vince Hill..

MM: I have had the pleasure of working with both Tony Bennett and Vince Hill. Tony engaged me in conversation backstage at the London Palladium and he was such a personable and gentle personality… he had time for people, despite his huge success and that amazing voice instantly recognizable. Never a false note. 

Vince had a great voice and was also modest despite his record success with ‘Edelweiss’. It’s sad that we haven't heard much about him in recent years. 

But I think I am most sad at the passing of dear Michael Parkinson. He was the nicest man in show-biz and my personal favourite. He had a wonderful sense of humour and I don’t think there is a person alive who knew him that didn’t admire his talent and natural style as an interviewer, or love him for the down-to-earth person he was. He knew how to listen, which is the essential ingredient for all successful interviewers. 

MW: Describe your ideal Saturday night out?

MM: I teach and participate in six fitness classes every week so am usually quite tired by the weekend - but never too tired to socialise with our closest friends. We are fortunate enough to have a fun circle of friends and we usually either go out together, or take it in turns hosting at each other’s homes at weekends. I love dinner parties and interesting conversation that’s fun. Having a sense of humour keeps you going. 

MW: Looking back, how has fame and fortune treated you, and what have been some of the lessons learned? 

MM: I can’t complain about anything. I was lucky enough to be given the chance to do something I love… entertaining! Of course, you see things from a different perspective as you get older and realise that you made wrong decisions and missed out here and there. When I was young, opportunities came to me easily, but I think if you are going to continue being successful, you need to be a bit ruthless and keep pushing yourself. I didn’t have that instinct.

I wish I had gone to America when the opportunities were there, and who knows how things would have turned out. I’m adventurous by nature, but for some reason I chose to stay with the familiarity of home and family. But no regrets really. Wherever you are, there is a whole world out there with so many interesting and fascinating people from all walks of life, and I have met many. 

MW: Finally, any tips for upcoming singers…

MM: Listen to advice, but always go with your own instinct, which is usually right! Don’t be afraid of anyone or anything! Believe in yourself. You are unique. There is no-one like you, and so don’t try to imitate any other singer. Have your own style. Go for every opportunity and always be nice to people on the way up! 

For more information please see Maggie's website below:

About Maggie Moone

© Mark Watkins / 31 August 2023

[kariachi]

Quick centaur au fic. Ben is suffering, Kevin and the kids are having a grand old time.

~~

The Tennysons were Southern California people. It was where their fathers had lived since they were kids, where they’d been born and raised. Snow was something you travelled to see. Cold was sixty degrees. Fifty was freezing. They’d become friends with one northerner and spent every winter getting scoffed at as they huddled in long sleeves over the winter.

So nobody knew why Ben decided to move his ass to South Dakota, besides possible self-punishment issues and enjoying being heckled.

It was twenty degrees outside, Real Feel seven degrees, and he was shoveling show while Kevin pranced about with the kids. Lyn and Kenny were bundled up nice, snug, and tight- less so than their father, having grown up out there, but still with full understanding that frostbite was a very real concern- while the Levins ran around like the weather wasn’t so bad. Kevin in particular was making easy work of the snow, over two foot and not quite grazing his belly, while the children were mostly cavorting along in the paths he was leaving behind.

Somehow both freezing and sweating, Ben knocked his shovel clean on the sidewalk and paused to watch them, glaring very specifically at Kevin as he paraded around like he owned the place.

“You know,” he called out, “you could make yourself useful.”

“I’m keeping the kids out of trouble.” He almost would’ve believed it, if the bastard hadn’t been sing-songing the words. The whole block could’ve been done by now if he’d put on some towing gear and a small plow. But how did you say that when the kids were there chiming in about how much fun they were having and how Ben should join them? Did you just ruin their fun with griping? What sort’ve dad-slash-uncle did that?

Not the type he wanted to be.

Unfortunately.

“You’ve got another ten minutes, Levin,” he said instead, Kevin’s grin widening and ears perking up, “once I’m done the kids and I are coming after your butt.” The tides of the children’s support immediately shifted with the promise of future play. While Kevin laughed they immediately perked up, darting away- well, the Levins darted, the Tennysons trudged with speed- behind a cry about preparing from Lyn. There was no doubt in Ben’s mind that by the time the sidewalk was clear they’d have the beginnings of a snowball stockpile to work with, and he grinned toothily back at his friend.

“It’s a low blow, Tennyson,” Kevin said, amusement clear like crystal in his voice. “They’re going to be even more soaked to the bone later you know.” As if his own wouldn’t be more than able to handle it. Still, Ben warmed at the concern for his own kids, no matter that Kevin’d coddled them from birth.

“Nothing some hot soup and cocoa won’t fix,” he said. “Now, I think you said something about keeping them out of trouble?” Snorting another laugh, Kevin made a far too easy turn and trotted off like the snow wasn’t even there, flipping him off as he went.

They were still going south next winter, mark his words.

[feuqueerfire]

GMMTV 2023 Showcase

This is so exciting, it’s like a kpop comeback except instead of having like a 1 hour live showcase before the release time when the song and album drops, we get like a 5-hour event with like 20 trailers and possibly won’t get the shows till 2024.

Gonna miss the first 1.5 hours because I’ll wake up at 6am instead of 4:30, hope it’s just delays and speeches and like 1 trailer i don’t care about so that I don’t miss much.

Trailer: 

Initial Reaction: (Cast/Director/Plot) 

Predicts: Did I predict this? Were there rumours about this? Was I hoping for it even without hearing rumours?

tags: gmmtv 2023

Trailer: MilkLove - 23.5

Initial Reaction: ahhhhhhh as expected but I’m so relieved! Gemini/Forth is a side couple in this as well. Also, loveee MilkLove’s outfits at the event

Predicts: I would’ve been very surprised without a MilkLove show and there were rumours about the 23.5 adaptation.

Missed the Dew/Prim trailer

Trailer: Cooking Crush - Offgun

Initial Reaction: My mouth fell open when I realized the cooking trio comedy show is actually OffGun BL ?! It looks cute enough and a nice surprise, though somewhat juvenile after Not Me. Are Neo and other dude a side couple? Update: Other guy is Mark and I assume so. Apparently it’s being directed by the same/similar team as CLW/Enchante/FUTS so expectations should be low lmao. Also, after watchinga few reactions, I’ve realized that Gun is tryna scam Off with those lessions lmfao I didn’t realize that at first

Predicts: I’d heard 0 rumours about this so I went O.O This was so surprising, which makes it exciting.

Trailer: Middle Children Friends and Betrayal - Wednesday Club

Initial Reaction: not super eyecatching the way I’d expect something with friendship and betrayal and revenge to be. Jane is pretty as always, 

Predicts: 

Trailer: JimmySea - Last Twilight

Initial Reaction: Interesting premise, hope they handle the disability well. The storyline suits the ships I think. I don’t feel much pull toward JimmySea as a ship but maybe they’ll manage to get me with this show.

Predicts: I knew P’Aof was gonna direct a BL and JimmySea were gonna star in one but didn’t know Aof would be directing JS and also didn’t know the story Update: apparently it’s an original script.

Trailer: the one after JS - idc

Trailer: Only Friends

Initial Reaction: KhaoFirst !!!!!! Messy, messy gays and physical relationships and arguing :00 Definitely not what I expect from a GMMTV BL but then Jojo came out and it all made sense. Mans likes messy, ensemble cast shows. Also I’m glad I wasn’t prepared for this one because trying to figure out who the main ship are (before I realized it’s ensemble cast) and whether Khao and First will be friends or a side couple in that first 15 seconds and then my mind just melting for the rest of the trailer was great. Definitely one of my most anticipated and a very very nice surprise.

I’ve watching some reactions to the trailer on Youtube and it’s hilarious how people start off normal in the beginning and then they keep going “huh? huh?! HUH?!?!” at the Friends-> Secret Crush on a Friend -> FWB -> BF --> A friend’s BF transitions and then go back a few seconds to rewatch the transition and understand it 

There’s a whole mess with it on Twitter with people saying it’s too sexualized or that it’ll give queer people a bad rep and Jojo even having to explain that it’ll be more than just NC scenes like bruh I hope this show is incredible and Jojo hits it out of the park because 1) I’m anticipating this show so much but also 2) I need him to show these ppl

Predicts: 0 rumours and expectations !! Didn’t know I could hope for KhaoFirst this year ahhh so this was a great surprise

Trailer: Faceless Love or whatever, idc

Trailer: Dangerous Romance

Initial Reaction: PerthChimon is expected but god that trailer was just Event after Event, got whiplash fr

Predicts: knew about the high probablity of PerthChimon for a few months now but didn’t know the story

Trailer: The Jungle

Initial Reaction: hmm interesting cast but I’m not fully interested. think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was about girls rip but it’s by Snap25 so hmmm

Predicts: none because I was hoping another Snap25 show filled with girls

Trailer: The TayNew

Initial Reaction: as expected taynew and i also don’t care much about cherry magic. i was so excited for jan as fujisaki but we get sing/jan meaning no aroace fujisaki aghhhhh 

Predicts: the TayNew BL was almost certain and the Cherry Magic rumours were strong on Reddit, so I’m not surprised. Although I’ve liked some of the other surprises in this list, this one was good to have been warned about because wtf

Trailer: Midnight Museum

Initial Reaction: oooh a fantasy type thing? missed most of this trailer but seems like it’s mostly just vibes right now. Wonder how strong the plot will be but I hope we get to see some very good acting.

Predicts: Gun and Tor were expected, they were lots of rumours about it.

Trailer: Our Skyy 2

Initial Reaction: ahhhh !!!!!! T.T More Bad Buddy PatPran, I’m so fucking happy and almost cried when I realized what this trailer was. I’m losing my whole mind, we’re getting more KhaoFirst AyanAkk as well T.T 

Predicts: I was hoooping for an anthology series (esp after Magic of Love) but wasn’t sure if we were actually gonna get it, I’m so happy. Esp because we’re getting like very established couples in it as well ahh

Trailer: My ID is Gangnam Beauty remake - idc

Trailer: The Bright trailer - idc

Are we coming to a close soon? We got both Win and Bright leading series.

Ah yes, it has ended.

Time to watch some of the earlier stuff:

Interesting, so they’re still planning on airing a bunch of stuff. I assume it'll be like 1 day: MSP, NLMG, one of the midnight series, and 2 days: Warp Effect, 10YT

Catch Up with Trailers I Missed

Trailer: JoongDunk - Hidden Agenda

Initial Reaction: It was fun at first (i think Joong basically dating Dunk under the guise of teaching him is hilarious) but it got really dramatic toward the end and I didn’t like SIMM when it got needlessly dramatic so I’m cautious but optimistic

Predicts: I think there was recent prediction of JoongDunk with this novel and from their IG live, people guessed AouBoom were a side couple.

Trailer: A Boss and A Babe

Initial Reaction: I need the title changed right nowwwww and I wonder if there's gonna be more of a focus on the e-sports team part of it in the actual show. It was a fine trailer, though Force as the boss isn't working for me at all. Curious about the friendgroup and side couple Fluke/Ohm (rookie) 

Predicts: Knew they were gonna make another attempt at ForceBook 

Trailer: Enigma

Initial Reaction: Ooh, looks like a cool high concept show from the director of The Gifted. GMMTV don’t have many high concept/SFF/Horror shows this year compared to the multitude of SFF shows last year. Also people are kinda meh since it’ll be student (Prim) and teacher (Win) romance but like I don’t really mind that in this type of show (in contrast, I would’ve minded in The Eclipse)

Best made trailers

Only Friends: I liked not quite knowing where this was going at the start, liked getting to see such strong emotions in it, the acting and production was good. Also has insane rewatchability because I understand a little more each time.

Our Skyy: Apparently I love being confused in the beginning because this had me thinking this was some merch advertisement of established pairings until we got the ATOTS transformation and then I just went into a state of shock because we’re getting more PatPran. I love the vibe of the trailer and enjoyed how the transitions worked as well, seems like each pair had an object (EarthMix - that fucking diary lol, KhaoFirst - the merch but beautiful hoodie, ForceBook - computer(?), FourthGemini - the guitar, JoongDunk - painting, PondPhuwin - climbing stairs ?!, JimmySea - hourglass, OhmNanon - football)

Rumors I Wish Had Been True

Everybody was so certain about the JoongDunk fortune teller show for weeks, so interesting that we didn’t get that.

brief ข้ามฟ้าเคียงเธอ rumour. would’ve been cook cuz i think it’s royalty?

Bingo

I’m not gonna actually post my Bingo card but I got none rip. I knew enough rumours to get a Bingo but had a whole bunch of guesses and hopes that I’d heard nothing about. Unfortunately my hopes of a female-led show or GL side couples were dashed, oh well.

Maybe I’ll get a bingo next year if I still do it.

Anticipation Ranking

Only Friends

Our Skyy 2

Enigma (Het)

23.5 (GL)

Last Twilight = Dangerous Romance = Hidden Agenda = Midnight Museum

Cooking Crush

Cherry Magic

A Boss and a Babe

None of the non-BL/GLs caught my attention except Enigma and maybe Midnight Museum, which is a big step down from last year (2022 non-BLs I was interested in: PSIHY, Warp Effect, Home School, Midnight Motel, My Precious and also possibly Dirty Laundry and UMG). Only one of those has come out lol so at least I’ll still have the others to look forward to next year

[aemontargaryen-bloodraven]

Hey,

This is my first time asking a question and I’m fairly new to the fandom, but what do you think about people claiming that Sansa and Jon are very similar and have the same ambitions?

Hello, first off, sorry I couldn't reply before. I might just go off the rails with this one Anon.

Jon and Sansa are not similar, they grew up in the same castle and had some notions about the outside world (as did all Stark children) which are shattered in AGOT itself.

Jon thought the Night's Watch was an honorable place and Sansa thought that all knights are good and noble, Kings and Queens are great and kind and not capable of doing any harm. That's it. That's where the similarities end.

In Jon's Chapters in AGOT, GRRM takes Jon's beliefs and unravels them one by one. Jon observers, he learns and modifies his behaviour accordingly.

On the other hand, we have Sansa who inspite of overwhelming evidence that her worldview is flawed, refuses to change it.

She expects Cersei to have mercy, Joffery to be kind to her even after the Trident incident and is still besotted with Joffery until her father's head ends up on a spike at the end of AGOT.

There is no comparison between Jon and Sansa.

Jon goes to the Night's Watch without ever knowing what it was. No one tells him the truth except Tyrion. He is angry at first, yes and he does take it out on other recruits. (Going off the rails here because I need to talk.)

But the fact that Jon's sudden anger and his disappointment makes people just go around and say that he was a brat just like Sansa and he needed to be brought down a peg because he is a bastard irks me alot.

Yes, there is no justification for Jon taking out his anger on his recruits and it was wrong for him to do so and Noye was right to call him out on it. But most times, I think people forget the fact that Winterfell (no matter how desperately they want for it to be Jon's home) wasn't his home.

As a Noble bastard, he fit nowhere, not with the highborn and not with the lowborn. Catelyn's resentment of his skills left a mark on Jon and I believe he was reenacting his trauma here.

She was looking at him the way she used to look at him at Winterfell, whenever he had bested Robb at swords or sums or most anything. Jon XII, ASOS

"They hate me because I'm better than they are." Jon III, AGOT

Jon grew up knowing that life is not fair as he tells Arya and is not a song, but he was sheltered by what the truth of the Night's Watch was. However, when it was told to him, he accepted it.

Jon Snow set his mouth in a grim line. "If that's what it is, that's what it is." Tyrion II, AGOT

Meanwhile, Sansa takes an entire book (at the end of which her father is executed because she ratted him out to Cersei) to learn that Joffery is not the Prince Charming she thought he was and Cersei is no benevolent Queen.

As of ADWD, Sansa's ambition is to host tourneys, host extravagant feasts and have 12 feet long lemon cakes made for her. While Jon's goal is to try and have food for the Night's Watch, to save and feed the Free Folk, make glass gardens so the North has food for Winters, conduct science experiments on the dead men to learn more all the while preparing the realm against the Others etc. He has no time for his personal ambitions. He was tempted (Stannis's offer) but he rejects it because he will not burn down his father's gods.

Jon exists as a whole another character seperate from the rest of the realm and yet with 41 Chapters because at the end of the day everyone's story will be culminating where he is right now. Sansa on the other hand, at this time is playing a part in Littlefinger's story. I have no doubt that she will bring him down, I say that because of her parallels to Cersei.

Catelyn defenders and also most Stansas love to say that Jon should thank his stars that he was dealing with someone like Catelyn and not Cersei. Well I think that should be applied to Littlefinger. He should beware, for he is not dealing with Catelyn's daughter but Cersei's protege.

So I am not sure who these people are who say that Jon and Sansa are very similar or whatever. They crave family? Daenerys wants to have a family. They want to come home to Winterfell? All Stark children including ultimately want to do that.

So, whoever says that has absolutely no idea what they are talking about and have not read the books (which is usually the case with Jonsas and Stansas.).