#but otherwise perfect song 10/10 no notes

[nevertochange-evertoshare]

The harmonies in "Now and For Always" actually make me lose my mind

[azullumi]

JESUS, TAKE THE WHEEL ?!

premise — to put it simply, hsr men driving. characters — boothill, sunday, aventurine, veritas ratio, jing yuan, and blade content tags — small mentions of reader, probably fluff, not proofread, i don't know how to tag this please | wc: 0.6k ; headcanons

note from me — this idea was brought to me after nearly crashing and getting multiple heart attacks while my dad was driving

BOOTHILL, races with the wind that it feels like you left your soul somewhere in the road—literally a wild spirit who seems to enjoy the feeling of the breeze on his skin. He probably got you lost one time too, or maybe twice, or thrice. He just loves fast cars and faster chases, likes the thrill of it (much to your dismay if you’re a cautious person). He’s probably cussed someone out for cutting him off his lane which led to him nearly crashing when he pressed the brakes suddenly. Despite his reckless driving habits, his quick thinking and reflexes keeps him out of harm.

SUNDAY, perfect law-abiding citizen—follows the traffic rules, doesn’t go past the speed limit, never crashes, never gets pulled over, you’re in the safest hands and you can trust the entirety of your life on him. You have a good road trip, a great driver, and someone who you can easily talk to. It’s perfect. He probably has a playlist ready with the most of it being his sister’s songs, playing and listening to it as he drives, often humming along with the melody.

AVENTURINE, drives like there’s no tomorrow when he’s alone but drives like the most responsible and careful driver whenever there’s someone with him in the car. He likes driving during the night despite the risk of it (and that’s honestly the point); he does love the quiet streets and the solitude he gets, taking long drives to often clear his mind or just drive somewhere where he wants to be, often taking the scenic route. There are times that he drives in complete silence, deep in thought, and taking random turns.

VERITAS RATIO, just your normal and average sane driver. Literally it’s all just normal with him that it feels so wrong. He’s quite the careful driver but is easily annoyed when someone cuts off his lane and you’ll have to deal with a rambling doctor that calls people who have no driving etiquettes foolish and reckless. He strictly follows the rules of the road, but doesn’t hesitate in voicing out his frustrations at those who don’t. Other than that, everything is fine. He rarely listens to music, however, opting to listen to educational podcasts or the radio instead—he says it helps in keeping him focused.

JING YUAN, bold of you to even assume he’s driving; he doesn’t drive, or he rarely does. He’s a passenger princess, a shotgun queen, the backseat sleeper,—preferring to sleep on his seat than focus his eyes on the road. If he ever drives, however, it’s slow and careful. He’ll reason that there’s nothing to rush for and that you all have the time in the world, and you don’t know if you’re supposed to accept his reasoning, especially when you’re going to be late. The chance of him falling asleep while driving is higher than the chance of arriving at your destination early (a 10-minute drive easily becomes a 30-minute one and no, it’s not because of the traffic).

BLADE, believe it or not but he’s, if not the most, but one of the trusted drivers. While he does go past the speed limit sometimes and maybe he does have to swerve the car that you’ll fly off your seat (if not without your seatbelt) ever so often, you never die while he’s the one on the driver seat—thankfully. Surprisingly, he does wear his seatbelt and even urges you to wear yours (even if he didn’t, you’ll have to because you have nothing else to hold on to). The most silent car ride to ever exist though as he’ll only speak when you’ll ask him something, otherwise you’re left on your own with a conversation in the wind. Nevertheless, you’ll arrive at your destination in one piece. Not until the mara strikes.

FELIIII, a lovely mention to the beautiful and lovely @dr-felitas !! i'm getting back to writing now since i'm back from vacation (which means i can do anything and everything i want, but not including ghosting 🔥) ANYWAYS i would like to say thank you for always being patient with me and my replies ,, like my bad g 🙏 i really appreciate your presence in my life and your constant understanding, and i know i already told you this but you're a very warm and comforting person and i only hope for the best things to come in your life (i know love and beauty exists because you exist and you're full of it). i will support you in each and every one of your decisions, despite how bad or stupid it can be. don't let anything hold you back boo, never listen to your haters or your opps 🗣, you're still young and you have all the time in the world to experience meaningful moments (even heartbreaking ones). so go talk to that girl bae <33 no matter what happens, i'll always be here for you. ily lots mwaaaa

© azullumi — do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor translate any of my works.

[hivemuthur]

What was that? - Ch. 1.

viktorxfemale!OFC mature! (for now, I will mark later chapters as explicit when the time comes

friends to lovers, co-workers, sexual tension up to the wazoo, pinning and banter that got me frustrated when I was writing it, attempt at humour, some angst and a slow burn with a happy ending and a classic Viktor for once

Ch.2. | Ch.3. | Ch.4. | Ch.5. | Ch.6. | Ch.7. | Ch.8. | Ch.9. | Ch.10. | Ch.11. | Ch.12. | Ch.13. | Ch.14. | Ch.15.

word count: 4,6K

tag: #what was that

summary: A romance that explores two insecure people growing closer together through snippets of their time at work.

author’s note: Can I post three things a day? Yes. This is the first fic I've written and I love it dearly. It connected me with @rennethen who has been beta reading it patiently and helped me create significant parts of it, and for that connection alone it was worth to write it.

Cross-posted on AO3

—

“Renly, are you being serious right now?” John stormed into the lab’s kitchen visibly flushed with anger. Renly only blinked at him, a question in her eyes.

“I guess? Didn’t you get my note?” She definitely remembered sending the note asking John to take a raincheck. She even made a song about it to not forget, like the last time. Viktor had mocked the song at first but later grew annoyed with it.

”Please stop, this song is now rotting my brain. I get it, John is a nice guy,” Viktor rotated on his chair with a groan that has clearly been building up for at least one minute.

“Sorry, it’s the only way I don’t get distracted and forget!” to Viktor’s demise, Renly sang this line as well.

“Well, didn’t you get my note?” John said, already huffing, seemingly offended. He did get her note, he did see the little heart she drew on it and a coffee stain that suggested she wrote it hastily, while doing something else with her other hand. So, he sent a passive aggressive jokey note back stating that it’s tomorrow or he doesn’t know when, because he is also oh-so-busy.

“I can’t make it otherwise,” he laid his hands apart in apologetic gesture.

“Like… this week? Or ever?” light mockery in her voice, she said with her back to John, while pouring coffee into two cups. “It’s okay, we can have breakfast here. Do you want coffee?” Renly pulled out the third cup from the sink and waved it at John expectantly.

At which point, Viktor entered their tiny lab kitchen, scrunching his wet hair with a damp towel, his cheeks flushed and clothes slightly dishevelled, clinging to his hot-after-shower body. “Do I smell coffee? Hi John,” he said, waving at the doorway.

“Nothing will hide from you. Crisis averted?” Renly asked referring to fifteen minutes ago, when Viktor banged viciously on the bathroom door, demanding shower access immediately, as he spilled suspicious fluid from Renly’s workstation all over himself.

She said it was punishment for snooping. He said she’d taken his favourite pen, and her workstation was planned ridiculously, making moving around risky. Also, she took showers that lasted forever. She said her shower was only fifteen minutes, which is perfectly within bounds of morning toilet routine. He said she should shower at home and sleep at home; otherwise, she would end up a social pariah like him and Jayce. She said it’s a bit late for that as night is a perfect time for quiet work and she is one person away from the social pariah status. She meant John. So right now, it really did look like she was close to adding it to her work signature. She had to evacuate from the bathroom before she had the chance to dry off completely, which is why her hair was wet.

“Did you shower together?” John’s tone gained additional pitch to it as he asked his ridiculous question, visibly getting more and more distressed.

“Yes, John. We also have occasional orgies that I forgot to mention,” Renly couldn’t help about the snarky comment but when she turned around to take a look at her… boyfriend? They went out about ten times and slept together twice, so she guessed he was her boyfriend already. Well, he looked hurt, and she immediately wished she didn’t say it, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

“Please, don’t be like that. I pulled an all-nighter again, and it was too late to go home. We showered separately, obviously,” she said in a softer voice as the cups were placed on the tiny table in the middle of the kitchen, only three chairs.

“I will give the two of you some space,” Viktor swept his cup with Jayce’s face on it and gave both of them polite smile as he walked out faster, than Renly thought he was able to.

“So… are you very cross with me?” she waited for Viktor to leave the area and asked reaching out to place her palm on top of John’s forearm, but he winced away.

John had always been good at making himself seem indispensable. When they first started seeing each other, his charm felt effortless—little gestures like remembering her favourite tea or distracting her with a ridiculous joke when she was too stressed to focus. She had let her guard down with him in a way she rarely allowed herself to. It had felt safe, comforting even. But lately, the cracks in that façade were harder to ignore. He got offended easily and threw some stupid accusations at her when he was out of arguments. She did admit, she was quite oblivious to some of relationship savoir-vivre, but it was also discussed priorly! And he said he doesn’t mind, so the next part caught her off-guard.

“I… don’t think this will work out this way,” he said with a sigh and waved his hand around making her question if he meant them, or breakfast with Victor in near vicinity. “I didn’t know this is what I was signing up for frankly,” he finished and gave her a sad puppy glance. This made her… angry? Of course, he knew what he was signing up for. She told him from the very beginning how important her work was. And how bad she was at this, but he just called her cute. Surely, this was enough of a warning. Or maybe it wasn’t but John really didn’t seem like he heard anything of what she ever said in the long run.

He was a Piltie, and she was from Zaun. He liked posh places that were trying to pass as casual, she liked to hang out by the riverbank in the evenings and sneak into The Undercity to look at street art and eat street food. He always seemed to pay attention to what she was telling him about her lab work and how many lives it could potentially change but at the end of every test presentation and heated one-sided conversation (it was hot on her side only) when she looked at him expectantly, he praised her with a you are so smart or you look pretty when you get excited about science and it left her empty of all air like a sad balloon in the aftermath of a party. He probably had a politician’s career ahead of him, so in the future, he would be the person to decide whether she does or doesn’t get funding for her research and in her mind’s eye John was a person that would probably happily fund something else than the medicine for long term Grey exposure symptoms. But he was a good practice for that. And despite everything else, she did like him. He had his moments, as they say.

In a few seconds, that took very long in the pocket dimension of her brain, Renly tried to calculate how much fault in this situation was hers and if it was worth to back down and give him a peace offering in form of a dinner at her place, that she would cook, and they would be alone, and it would be romantic, and he would probably get to fuck her on the dinner table.

The plan started forming itself, when John said “I mean… you spend all your free time here, or you drag me around the lanes. Also, this Viktor guy? I got over Jayce, recently he is barely here. So…” he dragged his huge eyes across her face looking for a sign of understanding that wasn’t there “…you understand how I feel when you spend most of your time with another man.” It came out weak, but he decided to stand by it.

“Another man? It’s Viktor,” she scoffed. “Not even a day ago he stated how much I disgust him with Zaunian food in fridge. He works all the time. We sleep in separate rooms. He…” Renly inhaled, exasperated by this accusation. It’s ridiculous, how insecure John was to even suggest that.

“He is a friend. And that’s all. I assure you he is not interested in me.” She had a dead serious certainty about this. If something was fixed in this universe, it was the fact that Viktor wasn’t interested in her. And she didn’t think of him that way either. Except the one time she let her mind wander, and she did. Which was a lie, because she thought that at least twice.

Once, when they met for the first time. She already knew Jayce, who made her gasp the first time she saw him. The impression passed, but friendship remained. Jayce and Viktor, freshly acquainted, were passing her classroom when a quake shook The Uppercity. It caused one of her test tubes to fall into the vial she was working on, breaking and triggering a teeny-tiny exoenergic reaction (it exploded). The hero within Jayce’s body drove him straight in to help any casualties, of which the only one was Renly, face full of colourful goo. From the floor, she glanced at Viktor walking in shortly after his partner, and she gasped, even more than when she had met Jayce. She immediately knew it was wrong to look for so long. Her suspicion was confirmed when Viktor’s expression shifted from amusement to the realization that his brief chance to present himself as more than the guy with a cane had passed. From that point forward, he was very formal with her, though he occasionally joked about history repeating itself within the academy walls.

It was a lie though, as well. She first saw Viktor by the riverbank in Zaun, as a child. She had been maybe seven, and he could have been slightly older. Her eyes, round and curious, followed him trying to chase down his mechanical ship taken by the stream. She tried to shadow him that day, but he disappeared in the mouth of a cave she was afraid to walk into. He had a smaller cane then and she thought him a magician. So, she only lingered in disbelief that their paths crossed once more and that he was, indeed, real. And also, in awe of how beautifully he has grown up. But overall, Renly counted it as a one time.

Second time, after she decided to stay at university to continue her research and teach students, they were copying the notes together and Jayce was growing more and more bored, so he kept trying to start random topics.

"I wonder if all of them are as pretty as Mel,” he said, trying to trace down beautiful Mel Medarda’s heritage while fishing for reassurance from his friends about their imminent romance.

“But maybe it’s not a rule. I mean, looking at the both of you I would say the rule for Zaun is to be full of attractive people as well,” Jayce was waffling on, and Renly grew tired of it.

“And ugly people. And short people. And tall people. And fat people, and skinny people, Jayce. It’s all just people, like in Piltover, there is no rule to here or Zaun. Initially, it’s the same city, and we all come from different places,” she said harshly not lifting her sight from the notes she was copying.

“Oh relax, it was a compliment! And I am looking for reassurance from you guys, yes,” he traced his finger down the blackboard, wiping some of the old equations away.

“Not very progressive of you, the Man of Progress. I can give you reassurance – Mel seems fine. You will be fine. You are a big boy, Jayce. But I do not need compliments, not because I��m from The Undercity, nor because I’m a woman,” Renly’s dead stare made Jayce look for help from Viktor. She gave him a pass and went back to scribbling.

“Vik, any help?”

“I’m afraid with this one I have to place myself in Renly’s corner. Even though of the two of us, I probably am the one that needs compliments,” Viktor also didn’t glance up from above his paperwork.

“No, you don’t,” Renly didn’t notice she now got the attention of both of her friends.

“You are, yourself, quite…” her mind was absent at this moment, so it was probably the other part of her that spoke the rest “…dreamy.” A second past, in which her brain caught up with her mouth and a deep shade of red bled into her cheeks and chest. She cleared her throat, stood up quickly and threw barely audible excuse me leaving the boys to exchange their looks and make their fun of her. Jayce snorted when Renly was out of hearing range and Viktor only mouthed a what was that? That was the second time, infinitely more mortifying than the first one.

“You put a lot of effort into assuring me of this, but you never once said if you are not interested in him. From where I’m standing, you are definitely not interested in me,” John’s voice broke her out of reminiscing.

Renly’s face went into stupid mode, twisting her features with disbelief. How dare he.

“Are you really saying what I’m hearing? Are you accusing me of infidelity based on your own insecurity? Have I truly given you any reason to believe I’m involved with anyone else but you? When do you think I would have time for that? Or do you actually not listen to me when I tell you about what I’m doing here and how much of my time and energy it consumes?” John’s expression grew more and more panicked as he saw how far he has overstepped.

“This is not… I didn’t…”

“What you didn’t do is think. You are the one who is not interested in me, John. You listen to me, but you do not register, nor remember anything I tell you. What do you want from me? Should I drop everything I’m doing just to dangle from your shoulder at the parties? Should I change the way I speak? Should I cut all my friends and relatives loose because they are from The Undercity? Would that make you feel secure enough?” she spat at him, becoming more and more angry with every sentence, self-winding regret fuelling her.

“Gods, this is not what I want, and you know it,” John brought his hand to the back of his neck, his voice gentler this time. “I just don’t feel like you want me around, is all,” he whispered, his words making Renly’s shoulders drop and her chest sink.

His fingers tapped an idle rhythm on the table, his eyes darting toward the adjoining lab room. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him stealing glances at her colleagues’ workspaces, but she had always dismissed it as idle curiosity or stupid jealousy, first over Jayce, then over Viktor. Now, though, every stolen glance felt like a clue she should have picked up on sooner.

“I do,” she hesitated. “I did. I invited you to meet my people, come to my home, my work, my bed,” at which point, in the other room, Viktor—who was doing his absolute worst not to listen—squeezed a piece of chalk a little too hard, causing half of it to disintegrate into dust with a loud, whiny, bone-chilling sound that gave him goosebumps at the back of his neck. So, they slept together, great. Just great. It didn’t bother him at all, and yet… it bothered him greatly for some reason. Probably just because she will be a nightmare to be around for the next week or so.

Ridiculous, Viktor thought, though the word didn’t carry the weight he wanted it to. What did it matter who she invited into her bed? It certainly wasn’t his concern. The tightening in his chest wasn’t jealousy—it couldn’t be. No, it was irritation, that’s all. Irritation because she was so impulsive, so reckless, letting herself be distracted by someone so undeserving of her attention.

Why did it bother him? It wasn’t the first time she’d been entangled in some personal drama, and usually, he had the patience to tune it out. Yet here he was, bristling at every raised word, every pointed jab from John. It wasn’t his place to care. He had told himself years ago that people like Renly—bright, chaotic, and distractingly beautiful—were nothing but a complication. And yet, he found himself gripping his cane tighter every time John’s voice rose.

“Just realistically, I don’t think this is what you want. So, the obvious choice would be to put a pin in it until we both decide what we want,” her voice faltered. Breaking things off with John hadn’t been part of her plans for the day, and she could never have been emotionally prepared for this—especially not before breakfast. She wasn’t really breaking things off with him, either. Maybe a short, temporary break would do them good, cool things off. She fidgeted with her fingers under the table, becoming increasingly self-conscious about how much of the conversation Viktor had overheard.

“Really? So now it’s about me not respecting your Zaunian heritage, instead of you blowing me off at every opportunity?” at this point John knew that guilting her into giving it one more shot was probably his only chance. His father really wanted those hextech blueprints, and he would be very disappointed if John didn’t manage to get them. “Look, I don’t mind if we hang out here at all. But truth be told, you don’t really invite me here very often,” John said, his voice softer now, but there was an edge beneath it, like a scalpel disguised as a pen.

He had a way of twisting her words, making her feel like the selfish one for not prioritizing him more. It was a skill he wielded well, and for a moment, it almost worked. But the memory of all those little disappointments—the times he had brushed off her work as "just another experiment" or barely listened when she explained her progress—bubbled up like a pressure valve ready to burst. He did actually like her. She was his type – pretty, quirky, talented and driven. She could be a bit more elegant, but that would be polished with time. “We could make a schedule, meet here when nobody is around? Maybe you could even show me some hextech, hm?” with this, he knew he probably pushed a little bit too far, as her expression grew weary.

There it was again, that same calculated curiosity masked as casual conversation. At first, she had chalked it up to natural interest—what Piltover scholar wouldn’t want to know more about hextech? But now, with his eyes lingering too long on the blueprints and his questions steering the conversation in predictable directions, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was about more than idle fascination.

“I… you know I don’t work with hextech,” she shook her head while her brain was glueing the pieces together. “Why would you…,” and it hit her gently, prompted by the guilt painting her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend’s face. Unbelievable. When she thought about it longer, he did usually snoop around innocently while waiting for her to wrap up work. He would wander between the lab rooms, seemingly just killing time, but she saw him linger on the blueprints more than once. When she told him about her experiments, he always drove the discussion towards Viktor and Jayce’s work. How are they doing? So does this hextech actually work? And what do they want to use it for again? And he tried to pin it on her sleeping with Viktor. The audacity.

Renly wanted to believe the relationship had been real, that it hadn’t just been about her work or her connections. But as she stared at him now—his charming smile just a little too polished, his words just a little too well-placed—she realized how many times she had ignored her instincts. How often she had pushed aside the nagging thought that he didn’t see her, not really. Just the parts of her that were useful.

“So… you come here and make a scene about the note that you seemingly wrote for me and that I didn’t get. You accuse me of cheating on you with my colleague,” at which point Viktor scoffed to himself in the other room. The idea of Renly and him being a thing was laughable. She was too stubborn, too unpredictable, too... distracting. And yet, John’s misplaced jealousy had struck an uncomfortable chord. Absurd, Viktor reassured himself. If anything, she deserves better than someone like me. She deserves better than both of us.  

“You propose a solution – let’s hang out here,” Renly exhaled, and her eyes rested on her hands with the realization of being used all this time hitting her hard. She didn’t think she cared that much. Frankly, having a normal secure relationship also with someone normal and secure was a hope she didn’t dare to entertain very often. It was mostly work and friends for her. So, when John came along, she just let it happen, as maybe, she thought, it was a good thing happening to her. Realizing there was no love in it, left her feeling numb.

In the other room, Viktor stopped pretending to work and simply sat on a stool, his hands and chin resting on his cane. That was new territory, a kind of danger they hadn’t anticipated. Also, he did feel angry for Renly – annoying as she was, she really didn’t deserve this. He wondered if he should intervene and kick John out, but the act would have to be based on his authority, which as a fellow Zaunian in John’s eyes he had none. Any show of force would need to be purely verbal—calculated and precise enough to leave the boy speechless and make him back down without a fight. While he was negotiating the terms of this heroic act with himself, he heard Renly’s voice echoing across the corridors: “I think it’s best you go.”

“Can we talk this through?” one last desperate attempt on John’s side as he covered Renly’s palm with his. She slid her hand from underneath his, threw a quick no over her shoulder and stepped through a heavy metal door that separated living area form the laboratory. She locked it behind her with a loud crank and immediately sank to hug her knees. Well, shit. This wasn’t part of her plan for today. And she didn’t want to cry in front of Viktor. If Jayce was here, he’d make it better, but he was with the beautiful Mel Medarda having breakfast in her quarters, which was a secret. Viktor would make fun of her—or worse, he’d get cross for endangering their life’s work. On one side of the door, her mean ex-boyfriend, on the other her mean niggling friend. She could just stay here.

“Do you need help getting up?” Viktor’s voice made her gasp and release the tears that were gathering under her eyelids, now streaming down her cheeks. And just to be clear, they were angry tears, not sad pathetic tears.

“Maybe,” Renly said, wiping her face with a sleeve, unable to bring herself to look him in the eye. She accepted his offered hand, which was about to pull her up. Unfortunately, the sudden movement sent a cramp shooting down Viktor’s calf, leaving Renly standing while he folded in half.

“Oh shit, Viktor I’m sorry, let me grab a stool!”

“Ah, no need. It’s fine. Just a cramp, it’ll stretch,” he panted, sliding down the corridor wall. She crouched down by him, question in her eyes about what to do.

“Well, where is it? I can… rub it out?” she heard herself saying and a darker shade of pink flushed her already enflamed cheeks. Viktor noticed. Her hands were faster than her brain this time and she already had his calf in her grasp, looking for the knot.

The warmth of her hands startled him, a flicker of something unwanted creeping into his thoughts. He shut it down immediately. She’s just helping. Don’t make it into something it isn’t. But the gentleness of her touch lingered longer than it should have, and when she looked up at him, her face flushed with concentration, he had to look away. Focus, Viktor. This means nothing.

“How did you get this so bad, Viktor?” she gasped at the state of her friend’s muscle, contracted like a rusty hinge. Her eyes full of concern, and some guilt. She made him uncomfortable in his own lab, because of some stupid drama. Stupid, yet it tore a hole in her heart.

Viktor remembered this look. He remembered the way she had looked at him back when they first met—not the awestruck gaze she reserved for Jayce, but something deeper, sharper. It had unnerved him. People always noticed the cane first; it was a fact he had come to accept. But she had looked past it—no, she had lingered on it, and he wasn’t sure whether it was curiosity, pity, or something else entirely. It didn’t matter now. He had decided long ago to keep her at a polite distance.

“Too much sitting down, ah!” he gasped when more pressure was applied “I tried to work through your… quarrel,” Viktor’s voice grew breathier, his eyebrows pinching together. Absent-mindedly, he placed his right hand on Renly’s shoulder and closed his eyes, letting his body relax into her touch. She was very careful, almost… affectionate.

“I guess this would fuel John’s theory,” he chuckled slightly, forgetting himself. Did he just admit that something was possible? Renly was too focused on getting rid of the knot to notice the awkward grunt following this sentence, and without much thought to it she said, “don’t be ridiculous.”

Something sunk in Victor’s chest hearing that. Of course, it was ridiculous. He was ridiculous. All of it. He was about to figure out how to run away, take his leg with him and tell her this is good enough, when she continued.

“I mean, we are not responsible for someone’s insecurities. I refuse to be. Also, as I presume you heard all of it, you will know that it was all a play,” she put so much attention into rubbing Viktor’s calf that the words just went out of her mouth. “Just to get his hands on hextech. So, I’m guessing this accusation was also fabricated to guilt me. Or he was obsessed with you. Which I understand… gotcha!” she exclaimed as the muscle relaxed under her fingers, and Viktor gave an involuntary moan, making both of them flush slightly.

The tension in his calf eased, but his chest felt impossibly tight. He was about to thank her—briefly, formally—when the look on her face stopped him. She was glowing, not with the self-satisfaction he often associated with Jayce, but with genuine care. It was infuriating. No, not infuriating—irrelevant. Why do you even notice these things? he scolded himself, rising awkwardly to his feet and turning away before the warmth in her eyes could undo him further.

“Forgive me, I… thank you,” was all he was able to say.

“That’s… it’s nothing, no worries.”

“I believe you know this, but in case you don’t—he’s a donkey, and you’re brilliant, yes?” Viktor tossed over his shoulder. “Ah, I’m not… thank you,” she said, standing in the corridor, confused, her face burning. What was that?

[stllmnstr]

sacred monsters [teaser!]

pairing: lee heeseung x f reader

genre: academic rivals to lovers, vampire au, slow burn

teaser word count: 1.7k

teaser warnings: swearing

release date: saturday, august 3, 10 PM EST

soundtrack: still monster / moonstruck / lucifer - enhypen / everybody wants to rule the world - tears for fears / immortal - marina / supermassive black hole - muse / saturn - sleeping at last / everybody’s watching me (uh oh) - the neighbourhood

⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖

A literature student in your third year of university, you’ve been dreaming of having your writing published for as long as you can remember. With a perfect opportunity dangling at your fingertips, the only obstacle that stands in your way comes in the form of a ridiculously tall, stupidly handsome, and unfortunately, very talented writer by the name of Lee Heeseung. Unwilling to let your dream slip out of reach, you commit to being better than the aforementioned pain in your ass at absolutely everything.

But when a string of vampire attacks strikes close to your city for the first time in nearly two hundred years, publishing is suddenly the last thing on your mind. And, as you soon begin to discover, Heeseung may not quite be the person you thought he was.

note: this fic is my BABYYY so I really hope it’s well received and you all have a good time with it. it’s probably no surprise that still monster is one of my absolute favorite enha songs, and this story is essentially (my interpretation of) it in written form. this is going to be a multi-part story, and as of right now, the first part is almost ready to share. for now, enjoy this snippet!

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Crossing a dark line through the word you just penned, you sigh. 

This is the fastest you’ve put a story together in ages. It’s cohesive, and the writing is solid. Your use of metaphor is strong and concise, and the prose feels true to your identity as a writer. 

But something in you withers a bit with every new word you commit to paper. It’s not that you hate your topic. If anything, it’s just that you have no stake in it at all. It doesn't feel innovative or exciting or representative of your creativity. 

No matter how easily the words flow out of you, something about it just feels… flat. One dimensional. 

You need something new. A different angle or an alternative perspective or… Or a fresh set of eyes. 

Struck with a sudden idea, you pull out your phone, plan taking form in your mind. The literature club at your university hosts bimonthly peer review sessions, and you haven’t taken advantage of them nearly as much as you should. They’re a chance for any writer, literature major or otherwise, to come together and workshop any piece of writing of their choice. 

Tapping your finger impatiently on the table, you wait for the page to load. The fall semester did end almost a week ago, so it may be a long shot. You’re not sure if the club typically holds sessions over winter break. But as you pull up the club’s calendar of events, a small smile tugs at your lips. 

Luck seems to be on your side this time. It’s written there in plain, bold font that there will be a session this upcoming Friday evening. That means that if you attend the session and get some solid ideas for revision, you’ll have exactly five days to refine your draft before you present it to Professor Kim. 

The idea of having not only a topic, as the schedule outlined, but an actual complete,  well-written draft to show him next Wednesday, turns your small smile into one that overtakes your features. 

Energized with a new vigor, you reach for your pen again. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you remind yourself, even as a turn of phrase makes you cringe. Even as a piece of punctuation feels out of place. It just needs to be written. You just need to have as much content as you can to share on Friday. 

Besides, you’re sure that a second opinion will help you fine tune this story into something you’re proud to share, something you’re excited to attach your name to.

The afternoon is quick to blur into early evening, and you’re still bent over your favorite corner table. Coffee long drained, you’re full of a new confidence. The thought of proving yourself suddenly doesn’t seem like such an unachievable, out of reach task. 

And when you do finally gather up all of your belongings and make your way back to your apartment for the night, you’re sure that this is the exact boost you needed. 

That same stroke of self-assuredness carries you all the way through a finished first draft. It’s rough and messy and littered with loose ends, but it’s tucked away in the bottom of your tote bag with a smile as you haul it to classroom number 105 in the university liberal arts building Friday evening. 

You pause at the door to the classroom, only for a moment. The inhale you breathe in is deep, full. Nodding to yourself once, you push open the door. 

You haven’t been to one of these workshop sessions since the second semester of your first year, back when you had just switched to a literature major. You remember being wide-eyed and incredibly protective over your work. It was hard to part with it, to let anyone else read over the sentences you were so unsure of. The writing you had little confidence in. 

But your partner had been kind. Another girl in her first year, she had nothing but gentle feedback to give and reassurance that your writing was worth reading. Honestly, it was such an overwhelmingly positive experience that you would have come back for more sessions if you weren’t constantly struggling to find minutes to spare in the day. 

You’re hoping that tonight will be just as rewarding as you enter the classroom, tote bag in tow. But as you survey the space around you, your face falls flat, easy going smile dropping from your lips. 

You weren’t expecting a big crowd, considering that it is winter break and most students are deliberately avoiding campus right now, but you were hoping there’d be more than one other person in attendance. 

Well, you think, deciding to look on the bright side of things. At least you’re not the only person. 

The other attendee is sitting in the far corner of the room, occupying a desk near the front of the classroom. At the sound of your entrance, they turn to face you. 

With that, your small disappointment is quick to snowball into an intense wave of exasperation. Because why is the universe so hellbent on playing games with you?

Your mouth drops open without your permission. “Heeseung?” 

Your sudden outburst fills the room and lingers long into the awkward silence that follows. You hadn’t meant to say anything, but really, what are the god forsaken odds?

If he’s bothered by your reaction to seeing him, Heeseung doesn’t show it. Instead he looks strangely… relieved. It makes absolutely no sense for him to feel any sort of relief at the sight of you, but it’s hard to put a more apt descriptor to the way tension drains from his shoulders, crease between his brows softening as he looks at you, scans you from head to toe. 

A moment of stilted silence passes between the two of you. Another. Your heartbeat feels too loud in your chest.

You exhale, a cross between a scoff and a laugh so humorless it could freeze a flame. Weighing your options, the most tempting by far is to just turn on your heel and exit the way you came. 

Heesung seems to read your intention before you can commit to it. 

Breaking the heaviness in the atmosphere, he acts as if you’ve greeted him like an old friend, not as the source of all your recent headaches. 

“Hi,” he nods, so tentatively you almost want to let your jaw drop open in shock. Almost. 

Because what the fuck does he mean by ‘Hi?’ This has to be some kind of mind game, some way to get in your head and ruin this for you. 

“Right.” Your lips pull into a tight line. You don’t bother to return his greeting. “I’m just gonna go, then.” Hiking up your bag on your shoulder, you turn to do just that. Your first draft will just have to be unpolished. Oh, well. You’re sure Professor Kim will have better feedback for you than Lee Heeseung ever would anyway. 

Once again, Heeseung’s voice cuts across the classroom. “Wait.” There’s a command in his voice. Gentle, but firm. Insistent. So pervasive that you find yourself following without really meaning to. 

Mind made up and dead set on leaving, now you’re just annoyed. What a waste of a Friday evening.

“What?” You turn back to him. You’re not sure if there’s more venom in your voice or your eyes. 

And Heeseung, who commands a classroom with quiet grace, with his steady, unwavering presence, suddenly looks so damn unsure. As if tormenting you is uncharted territory. As if he’s never once left you in the cold with flaming cheeks and a thoroughly shattered ego. 

“I…” he trails off, not quite meeting your furious gaze. “Didn’t you come here to get feedback?”

“Right.” You scoff again. “Because I’m sure you’d love nothing more than to tear my writing to shreds. Forgive me, but I’m not interested in being the butt end of your joke tonight.”

“What?” If you didn’t know any better, the ignorance he feigns would be rather convincing. “That’s not why I’m here.” He shakes his head. “I brought something I want reviewed too.” 

Your brow arches. He can’t be serious. “Even if I did stay,” you counter, “you’re actually the last person I would want to read my work. Feel free to be offended by that, by the way.”

For a solid minute, Heeseung just looks at you. He wears that same damn deer-in-the-headlights expression he had after you brushed him off when he intercepted you in class the other day. He pauses, weighing words on his tongue. “Look, ____.” The sound of your name on his lips strikes a strange chord in you. Until now, you were certain he didn’t even know it. “Did I do something to offend—”

And no. Absolutely not. No way are you rehashing that day in the quad with him now. 

“You know what,” you interrupt. You need to go. Now. You need an out. “I’m actually, like, super tired. I think I’m just gonna head back, and—”

But then it’s his turn to cut off your train of thought. “It’s your piece for Professor Kim, isn’t it?” Heeseung takes your silence as confirmation. “Publishing is a big deal. A second set of eyes will only make your work stronger. And if you hate my feedback, it’s not like you have to use any of it.”

You hate it. You despise the way his reasoning matches your internal monologue nearly word for word. The way your thoughts align exactly. 

You pause, a decision weighing heavy on your mind. He is an excellent writer… There would probably be substance to his feedback. Real, actual, good substance that you could use to make your writing bloom into something truly amazing. He could be the exact spark you need to make your story come to life. 

You purse your lips. “What’s in it for you?”

Heesung smiles, a nearly imperceptible quirk of his lips. He knows he’s won. “Like I said, I brought something I’ve been working on.” There’s an intention you can’t quite read behind his gaze when he adds, “I want to know what you think of it.”

Hook, line, and sinker.

With a grumble, you take reluctant steps towards where he sits on the opposite side of the classroom. And if you slide down into the seat next to him with a little more force than necessary, well, it’s just because you’ve had a long week. No other reason. None at all. 

“Fine,” you relent, reaching to pull your notebook out of your bag. “You get twenty minutes.”

“That’s not nearly long eno—”

“Thirty,” you concede. “And don’t push it.”

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TO BE CONTINUED...

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note: thanks for checking out this little snippet! I can't wait to share the full first part soon. this one is going to be so much fun I'm buzzing already. I don't have a tag list, but I will most likely update this post and reblog it once I have a confirmed release date. like I said in the note at the beginning, I'm anticipating it will be ready to go by this sunday (august 4 EST) at the latest. woo!

[sourpatchsquids]

I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN STARS AND TIME FOR A SECOND

Okay i just finished watching my girlfriend play ISAT and I felt the urge to dig into the music a little bit and lost a whole day to it. So i think i have to post about it. General spoilers below, read at your own risk.

Ok so Im gonna talk about the title theme and one other song here, which is a secret for later. (This part took like 2 hours to cobble together ill post the other one tomorrow)

In the first statement of the melody, we have a very bog standard i -> III -> IV -> Cadential 6/4 moti-- wait a second.

With where these lines intersect, the A in the middle voice actually dips below the bass voice for the statement of this chord, which means that the chord lands in a second inversion. You wouldn't normally put a i6/4 just after a cadential 6/4 unless you were actively trying to make the resolution feel weaker for some reason. As if you intentionally wanted the listener to not feel a strong sense of returning to the tonic.

When the strings come in we are treated to lush root position 7th and 9th chords to really feel magical and detached from ourselves. Just as well, that cadential 6/4 turns into an entire tonicization for A major! I adore the way the strings milked the motion down from D to C# to C, its a perfect suspension of the old tonic into the tonicized dominant :>. The themes of not feeling at home continue from here. We get the briefest glimpse of a happy A major chord in measure 8 before we lose any sight of an A that feels at home in the harmony. Measure 10's A in the melody is completely unsupported by the G major chord underneath, and the only A's to play in measure 11 are in the bass and the frenetic synth line bouncing between left and right panning, as the upper string descend to a G and the melody completely skips over the A in otherwise stepwise line. I wonder why home is so hard to latch onto in this piece? You're only ever able to grab onto it for a little bit at a time, when you even know what you're listening for.

As we approach the end of the phrase, we finally get a reasonable resolution to the tonic! We made it! However, it is nowhere near as harmonically pleasing as it should sound. Even with the faster pulse flipping back and forth between the ears and the actual stepwise enclosure of the tonic, when a tonic chord finally rings it quickly darts back, and what we get is empty. The 3rd of the tonic is played for the length of a eighth note and is quickly kicked out of our aural memory by the staccato E in the same instrument. And then all previous accompaniment leaves, save for the strings, as the piano enters to play one last statement of the B theme. The title theme makes very clear, we are allowed to approach home, but we are not allowed to linger. As quickly as a taste of it comes about, we realize how much it tastes like nothing.

Finally, we are rewarded with another cluster of A's and E's to leave us feeling empty and full of ennui. Truly we are meant to interpret this piece as Siffrin feeling lost and alone, no home to return to, nowhere to truly rest. That about wraps up my analysi-- hey wait a fucking second.

HEY WHAT THE FUCK.

If you listen at the very end, the strings jump back up to a D chord at the very end of the piece. D, the key we originally thought we were in. This single chord completely recontextualizes the entire piece and im not kidding in the slightest. If everything that happened while we thought A was the home key was actually just elaborating the dominant, then what does it actually mean? And more importantly, why is it so quiet? What is the purpose of the final D chord, the actual end chord of the piece, when it is so removed from what feels like the real ending of the piece. It's as though it's being intentionally kept at bay, as if we as listeners are actively pushing it away. It's like song itself doesn't want to really end.

Oh.

Studio Thumpy Puppy, if any of you ever read this, please know that I am in absolute awe of your ability to bake in the themes of the story into 42 seconds of music.

Not only does the title theme convey Siffrin's emotional pain from not being able to remember his home country, it manages to tell the listener the crux of the plot before a single line of exposition hits the screen. Siffrin doesn't want his party to leave him alone, he doesn't want their journey to end. He is so desperate to prevent his party from returning home without him that he breaks the structure of the piece, hides the final chord, from his own god damn opening theme. To stop the journey from ending.

If you've gotten this far, please support the artists behind this amazing game. If you haven't bought and played ISAT yet, go do it, and while you're here, also buy the soundtrack. Give these people money!! They're really good at what they do!

Next up: We're With You! Look forward to it, it's also amazing.

[iguessitsjustme]

The Boy Next World Ep 7 Thoughts

Everyone be proud of me I left the house today and was social. It was great. Even if it meant I couldn't watch shows until later. It's good for me to not be a hermit every once in a while. But now. It is time. If you had told me a month ago that I would be enjoying both a Jittirain show AND a MAME show at the same time, I would have looked at you like you had two heads, seven arms, and drank the sun out of an enchanted goblet. But that's what's happening. Shoutout Perfect 10 Liners can't wait to see where that show is going with this final couple. But you aren't here for that. You are reading this because for some reason y'all like my liveblogs. I'm just a silly little guy posting some thoughts and some of you seem to enjoy my thoughts and I appreciate y'all and love y'all. And you can continue to find my thoughts under the cut:

At some point in this watch, I will be interrupted by my pizza being delivered. I hope. Otherwise that pizza is taking too long to get to me.

Awww cuddle babies

It concerns me that every time I try to watch this show, screaming children appear outside my apartment.

Phu's friends are so incredibly caring.

I get Phu. He goes alone every year. Even though he has so many friends that would be willing to go with him and support him in his grief. I, too, prefer to grieve alone. I think him agreeing to let Cir be there was a little bit for him but more for Cir. Because he knew how worried Cir would be if he went alone.

This theme song still slaps.

I still don't understand the hourglass. And I have decided I don't need to understand it. Just like last week, I'm just vibin. Very mind off show for me. I am enjoying just letting this show do whatever it wants forever. I want this show to blow my mind which means I gotta turn my mind off to ignore some things. So I am actually having a great time. Love all the characters and honestly as long as I love the characters, I'm going to like a show even if the plot is whack. I don't think this plot is whack though. I'm rambling. Someone stop me…oh a message. Perfect timing to stop the ramble. God bless

This is me on a tuk tuk

Also I was so confused when I saved this screenshot because there were none for episode 6 and then I had to remember I didn't have my laptop last weekend. Those were dark times. Dark times indeed.

Awww hand holding. They're sweet

That means this episode is gonna hurt me

Fuck yeah pizza time! Right when our boys start to eat. Thank GOD. I was starving.

I don't care what the show tells me about Phu's mom. I hate her for abandoning her child to deal with his grief on his own. Yeah, she was grieving but she put her own emotional needs over that of her CHILD. And I cannot forgive her for that. Poor Phu.

This show loves mirrors. I wonder why this show called *checks notes* The Boy Next World with implications of *looks down at notes again* parallel worlds loves mirrors so much.

I also love the mirrors. Love a good mirror shot.

Oh this lie is hurting both of them right now so much. "Why does that world Phu have a Cir and I don't" oh baby boy you're breaking my heart. Phu is literally just the sweetest little bean. I hope Cir confesses soon and gets forgiven and they can be in love and happy forever. They don't even need to worry about Cir's mom cause I'll just hire some *cough cough* hitmen to take care of it (they might be retired but I think I can convince them to make an exception. Y'all know they don't like evil mothers)

Why was Cir on that street in the past? Was he stalking Phu? Did he just happen to be there? To be clear, I don't care about the answer, I just want to know.

JIN AND WIM MY BELOVEDS.

Are these two healthy? No. Do I love them? Yes.

I love that Phu does let his friends see him every year but only after he goes alone to see his dad. There's something about that specifically that just hits for me.

Same actor for Thorn. Appreciated. However the implications about this universe now are hilarious to me. Somewhere in TharnType there must be a mind reader. Just because it is so funny. Take this world with complete zero supernatural elements and then in a different show years later, just add some. They were always there but hidden to everyone.

Cir if you don't tell this baby boy soon, I will be throwing hands with you. As much as I love you, I will cut you if you do not confess and put my sweet little angel out of his misery

Boy if there's an unspoken rule not to disturb Phu, why you there? (Do not misunderstand I think him showing up is actually very sweet. Checking on his baby cousin and all).

I love the use of piano in this show.

Don't ask me if this soundtrack is good. I don't know. But what I do know is that I enjoy it. Overall as a soundtrack, I'm pretty sure it's mid, but my god do I vibe with all of the choices it's made. So I'm biased.

Did y'all hear that? That was me screaming

I'm not a fan of kissing to shut someone up. I'm also not a fan of kissing without consent. However, here, I'm gonna ignore that because I love these two and also Jin can read Wim's mind and he knows that Jin felt something earlier. I also think Jin is about to push Wim off of him and scold him too. Very old school of this couple and weirdly, I'm not mad at it. Who have I become?

Why is there light on only one side. WHY IS ONE SIDE DARK.

And now it's Cir in the light? What does it MEAN. No one tell me I don't want to know.

Fully in the dark now. Surely, that has nothing to do with Cir's LIE and how Phu loves him yet doesn't know he gets to keep him forever and forever and forever.

Cir comes in and brings the light with him. Lighting up Phu but remaining in the dark himself until he walks himself into Phu's light (that he brought). I'm sure this means nothing.

Screaming children go AHWAY

I suppose I'll allow it. Since it's not another guitar.

Okay this is for sure not the song he is playing. Or at least they definitely overlaid it. But as far as instrument playing goes, I can believe he plays the flute at least a little.

Just a little. I'm not a flautist but it seemed about 1/10 realistic to me but considering what I've seen in the past, I will gladly take that. *stares OMSN right in the eyeballs*

These two. Always with the tongue.

FINGERS IN THE MOUTH CIR YOU INSANE MAN

Should have confessed the secret before sleeping with him.

Dark and light side of the bed again. Again, sure it means NOTHING.

Phu is actually an excellent communicator.

I told y'all they were too cute in the beginning and therefore this episode would hurt me and NOW LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE

I BEG YOUR PARDON

Now did this show really need this specific drama?

Yes. Yes it did. I don't care. Give me ALL the dramatics.

THE FUCK

[chewiiez]

idol au! idol au! idol au fengqing + hualian!

ive been brainrotting on this for a while now — i do love my kpop jpop cpop guys and i wanted to explore these dynamics with xl4 !! (an excuse to watch more time to twice really) so yay let's gaur!!

so basically, xl4 is a famous group X4, shortened form of XI4NLE. a boy group, formed through a survival show.

what is a survival show? no, it's not about wilderness survival – a survival show is trainees competing against each other in order to become part of a sometimes temporary, but otherwise permanent, group! you have performance missions, activity missions, domestic and international voting, all of which determine who stays and who is eliminated. all the trainees dorm together, or maybe if the show has a special theme, the trainees are segregated based on the theme.

anyways, my theme actually came from my fav group's (twice) survival show, sixteen. in sixteen, the ceo of the company chose trainees from his own company and divided them into two categories: major and minor. major are trainees who could be debuted tomorrow if they felt like it. minors are trainees that are talented, but need to compete against majors for a better chance.

so in the X4 survival show, we have the same segregation. from our beloved quartet:

feng xin and xie lian are in the majors.

hua cheng and mu qing are in the minors.

now, let's go over their skills!

after many mental line distributions, song listening sessions, and others, i decided on the perfect skills for the quartet. (IMO)

feng xin: main rapper / lead dancer / lead vocalist / leader. i think feng xin as a rapper would be soooo good omg. spitting bars left and right! i think of him as this ace card that no one really expects from a guy who looks like a cute golden retriever. he also has good stage presence and good leadership, which makes him a well rounded idol. you'd find him on forums of people discussing "underrated idols in the cpop industry!!!"

mu qing: secondary main vocal / main dancer / visual. secondary because his main strength is dance and flexibility, but he has the second highest vocal range of the group!! he's also the visual, because in the actual tgcf fandom everyone talks about how he's so pretty and all, obviously had to include that. mu qing is a sort of enigma to many on the show because off stage he's a blank slate, but on stage his stage presence is so captivating....

xie lian: secondary main dancer / lead rapper / sub vocal / center. i think xie lian is also a very flexible dancer, considering in canon he and mq had similar weapons and cultivation, i wanted to make this connection. now as for rapping, he's really good, but his flow could use a little bit of work! sub vocal because i wanted the canon neck cursed shackle to come into play. AND CENTER! such an important position: he has the most center time in choreo because of his stage presence (note that center time ≠ iconic/hard dance moves. those may be given to mq because he's the main main dancer, and sometimes to xl.)

hua cheng: main vocal / sub rapper / fotg. yess, hua cheng is the main, main vocal of the group! he has the highest range and his voice is perfection!! i also think his flow would be good, so sub rapper. finally, fotg is face of the group, aka a member that you usually think of when you think of the group. i wanted to give this to xl but realized that when people think of tgcf so many think of hc first, so yay, the position is his. that way, everyone has an important position to maintain!

now for some lore:

hua cheng is one of the youngest contestants alongside sqx and hx on the show

feng xin wins the show because he gets the most international and domestic votes from fangirls after a performance of his goes viral

xie lian is in a close second, only 10 votes off 😭

mu qing is eliminated from the show because during one of the performances, the group forcefully gave the high note to him, but he couldn't hit it. however, yushi huang brings him back with her producers choice card.

xie lians family are big investors in the community.

feng xin and mu qing had a longstanding rivalry for the better part of their career, which only ended after the BIG jun wu scandal. (i can talk about this if people are interested.)

feng xin has written the most songs for the group, followed by hua cheng and xie lian tied, and then mu qing.

their reality TV show is called XFOURONLINE!

they debut solo in a weird order: xie lian, feng xin, hua cheng, and mu qing.

they've all gone viral multiple times.

their best charting song to date is probably from an album that took a more mature route.

please do tell me if you're interested in this au because i would love to blabber about the jun wu scandal, dynamics, and subunits, as well as the group image and other things 💖

[thehumanwiki]

rating all NuWho finales based entirely on how cool the titles are

because yea

(putting a read more because this will take a while, lol)

Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways

5/10. Bad Wolf is a cool name! For cool ppl! It’s the season’s mystery! It slays! But The Parting of the Ways? That could be used for like, half of the finales in this show. That’s a generic name. Not a fan. It even has one more “the” than it ought to. That’s a tryhard name. (Rose and The Doc don’t even part ways for another season! It’s a LIE!)

Army of Ghosts / Doomsday

6/10. Army of Ghosts! That’s freaky! It catches my attention! I’m interested, Mr. Davies, tell me more about that! Doomsday is also a generic name though. Like it could be used anywhere. It gets more points than S1 however because Doomsday is a very cool word and I like it a lot.

Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

8/10. YES. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE TITLES. Utopia? That’s a word that can’t be applied to many other episodes! That’s a memorable word! That’s a fun word! The Sound of Drums? What the hell is so significant about drums?? In a FINALE episode?! There must be something SCANDALOUS about the drums, tell me everything! (And they did! But this isn’t about what happens in the episode this is just how hard the titles fuck.) Last of the Time Lords??? Holy shit! That means we’re delving into that aspect of him specifically, and you can’t duplicate that easily! But more importantly, that sounds cool! Cool names, absolutely W from whoever named RTD’s stuff.

The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End

5.5/10. Same boat as S1, tbh. The Stolen Earth? Excellent, no notes. Journey’s End sounds generic af though. But I gave it a half point lead because Journey’s End has the Vibes more than The Parting of the Ways, lol.

The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang

8/10. Yea I see the vision Mr. Moffat, I see you. Love what you’ve done with the place btw. Like, neither title is generic! And both are super interesting! Look honestly I forget how to do commentary I’m just one sleep deprived fan who likes Vibes they just slap OK

The Wedding of River Song

9/10. Oh. Oh yes. Oh I am LOVING this. Nothing gets me going like seeing a wedding that is somehow the culmination of a high stakes season. Like, how is there a wedding there?! And. River Song is there? Do you promise? 🥺

The Name of the Doctor / The Day of the Doctor / The Time of the Doctor

6/10. OK I’m honestly not sure which ones are finales or not, but y’know what? The name matching is fun. I like that. That is good. But besides the first one, these are p generic episode names. Sorry.

Dark Water / Death in Heaven

8/10. Dark Water is a p good episode name. It’s not the most interesting, but I like it. BUT ***DEATH IN HEAVEN***?! Now THAT is a finale title! I have never SEEN such a title! THAT is an IMMACULATE title! SPLENDID!

Heaven Sent / Hell Bent

10/10. The matching names? The rhyming? The low-key religious theming? The ominous nature? EXCELLENT. No notes Mr. Moffat. Great vibes.

World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls

9/10. I would give this striaght up 10/10 if I could figure out what “World Enough and Time” meant. The vibes are perfect but like. What does it mean 😭 And The Doctor Falls??? OH MY ATTENTION HAS BEEN GRABBED BY THE THROAT DO GO ON PLS—

The Battle of Ranskoor av Kolos

4/10. Kolos? What is this, Pokémon XY? Anyways, I feel like this is just dialogue that would be said in passing in a sci-fi novel that everyone forgets. Sorry 😞

Ascension of the Cybermen / The Timeless Children

7/10. Cybermen are OK. It’s a fine title, I have nothing against it. The Timeless Children??? The vibes are just SPLENDID here. Especially because it’s a Bad Wolf situation where it’s like “hey wait a fucking minute I’ve heard that somewhere else—” Good stuff! W for Chris.

Chapter Six: The Vanquishers

6.5/10. Adding chapter to the title does make it automatically cooler, so that’s a bonus half point right there. Otherwise, it’s neat. Like it’s good. The vibes are fine and I like them, but not THAT fine, y’know?

The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death

7/10. Look, even if it’s not generic, anything with “death” in the title *feels* generic. The Legend of Ruby Sunday still saves this tho, because I am INTERESTED, girl. TELL ME EVERYTHING

In conclusion, episode titles peaked with Capaldi.

[deniigi]

hey random question that you don’t have to answer if you don’t wanna but like i’ve ran into some free time and was wondering what your top ten movies are? mostly so i could watch them lol

Ohhh interesting.

I can list out some of my favorites in no particular order. I would recommend most with them although some have some period typical bullshit so just be aware of that!.

1) Tekkonkinkreet

Based on an incredible manga called Black and White about 2 homeless boys, one of whom is autistic and the other of whom struggles to keep the first safe as he fights the mob and tries to carve out a home for them in an ever changing city

2) Song of the Sea

Beautifully done animated film about a little girl who is a selkie and her older brother who tries to bring her home when she gets lost.

3) Glass Onion/Knives Out

Love a real life Professor Layton/Sherlock Holmes situation without Holmes.

4) Annie (1982)

Makes me sob every fucking time at the end. Look I am a mess and am suseptible to adopted children feeling like they belong. Do not fall for the capitalist propaganda obvs.

5) Hello Dolly (comfort movie don't look at Me) and WallE which is Hello Dolly adjacent.

Louis Armstrong and Barbra Streisand should sing together for this whole movie. The whole thing. I wouldn't mind.

6) Now You See Me (2013) heist heist heist heist HEIST film

7) Pride and Prejudice (TV show, 1995)

This is my only accepted version of Pride and Prejudice. Colin Firth is the most supremely awkward Mr. Darcy, no one compares and no one shall convince me otherwise. I love how fast he talks in this but especially Lizzie's mother. Perfect characterization. No notes.

8) Men in Black (I)

Aliens.

9) Pacific Rim

More Aliens. But the comic visuals in a real life medium? Um THANK YOU. The score of this fucks so hard.

10) Lilies of the Field (1963)

Watched it recently and was perplexed/intrigued. Its about a traveling laborer who gets roped into helping out a bunch of German nuns in the middle of the desert. Def worth a watch if only because Sidney Poitier is/was the most handsome man ever. Otherwise it's an interesting piece of its time historically.

I realize that this is a wild list of films but I hope something on here perhaps speaks to you.

[coolcrazycoffeecat]

Thoughts about the remastered songs

✨🗡️Troy saga edition 💅🏻✨

Horsie time 🐴

- I like that you can hear the ticking clock more

- The new and improved “Aaargh” when he gets the vision

- Luke’s voice 🙌

-Actually like that Zeus and Ody overlap, it makes it seem as Zeus is that voice in the back of your head when you have to make a quick, hard decision

- Overall it seemed a little empty. Like the pacing is a bit off and it’s a bit echoey and everything is sung a little more melodic than with raw feeling. I will grow to love it but will be missing some quirks

Just a man🧍‍♂️

- perfect

- no notes

- still makes me cry

Full speed ahead ⛵️

- I will forever miss the articulation of “my second in command”. It was one of my favourite parts. RIP.

- Armando and Jay 🫡

- Hits like a rock after the thunder saga 😭

- Otherwise, love it!

Open arms 🤗

- oh you can hear what Lotus eaters are saying now? I’m neutral about this. A bit scared but that’s just my natural state

- love the genuine vibe Steven brings!

- Love the added part where Polities decide to live out his days happy and alive on that beautiful tropical island doing alive activities such as breathing and not getting crushed to death 🏝️

Warrior of the mind 🐥

- New hahahaHA is amazing 10/10

- I miss Athena! She needs to come collect her pet monster man! And would love to hear more from Teagan!

- I love the improvements for this one! Don’t know why exactly but it made me wiggle to the rhythm and that’s good

Overall, I’m a person who struggles with change so I will always resist it. But having listened to the new songs a few times now I can honestly say I like most parts of them. And the rest I will get used to. And I will of course listen to them and only them regardless, support artists or else 😡

[dust-n-roses]

Parasomnia thoughts!!

1. In The Arms of Morpheus: I was sooo tense waiting for the ambience to kick into a riff or something lol! and when it did it was very cool, drums are immediately so Mike Is Back, Petrucci is awesome as always, more melodic than I was expecting but a nice album-focussed way to start :)

2. Night Terror: we already knew this as a single and I’ve loved it since first listen, a true prog-metal banger. loooove the dark vibes and the catchy chorus works weirdly well!

3. A Broken Man: another single, this one was more of a grower but I really like it now! the Deliverance vibes at the start are excellent (the darker atmosphere of this album in general is fairly Opethian which considering my current fixations is fine by me lol). the way it builds is awesome, and I’m a fan of the slower hulking heaviness of the verses. that interlude-y bit at 3:00 is so cool. WHY did it take a few listens to get into this one??? maybe it’s hitting different in the context of the album but damn

4. Dead Asleep: aaah something new… immediate reprise of a tune from ABM is cool! they are SO GOOD at creepy intro -> evil riff. that organ(?) at 2:00?? so dark I love it. niiiice melodic Petrucci solo, gotta love those. more big riffage and crazy instrumental, awesome. piano at the end… do I spy an interlude��� ooh closing door okay, and into MM! Niiiiice, loving how it flows as an album so far

5. Midnight Messiah: last single, and another track that I really enjoyed from the get-go <3 Train of Thought vibes are strong on this one which is fantastic bc that’s my fav DT album besides I&W. the thrashy sound is a little different for them which is cool!

6. Are We Dreaming?: ✨ambience✨ & once again I’m very tense for whatever is coming! a well-placed breather after the chaos of MM. also organ babyyyy

7. Bend The Clock: ooh that opening guitar sound?? Mr Petrucci I adore you. Ballad? Acoustic guitar? Pretty! Again this is well-placed after the intensity of the first bunch of tracks. Very much enjoyed the riff at 1:30 and the evolution into a more fully-fledged song. It’s so epic and dramatic but has weight to it which is the perfect way to do a softer song to me!

8. The Shadow Man Incident: last song 😨 but it’s an epic so all is well. Honestly I’m just gonna sit back and take this one in otherwise this will be ten paragraphs long lol. The narration voice though – Neil in The Necromancer vibes much?! And that section at 10:30!! The whole instrumental bit OMG this is freaking awesome. Near the end: what is this last minute for…? Oh back round to the ambience from ITAOM! And ‘wake up’! This is such an ALBUM album and I love them for that

General notes:

James sounds awesome! they clearly paid attention to where the vocals would fit into the songs and what works with his current voice which is great

my new policy of listening to new things on headphones is working well bc the stereo is well-used, especially in all of Mike’s fills! they’re all over the place, as they should be.

the guitar sound is so meaty and EVIL! the atmosphere is so dark which I enjoy. great production too, the sound is just excellent

Conclusion: AAAAHHHH

this was such a difficult one for them to pull off with all the anticipation and they’ve done so well! I love it and am immediately listening again! It’s so DT but also has a fresh vibe to it which is perfect. I’m proud of them 🥹 <3

also: WHEN PARASOMNIA TOUR I NEED TO SEE THEM AGAIN

[bisexualfemalemess]

BRIDGERTON SEASON 3 PT 2 SPOILERS

Live reaction episode 5:

I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see Penelope’s answer to colin’s proposal but in my head she just straight up faceplanted outta that carriage. On another note, colin constantly looking back at her to check on her is peak protective husband. Colin ‘my wife’ bridgerton indeed. Also Penelope’s so loved by his family and not him being willing to fight Eloise, his own sister, like hold your horses buddy. El baby she’s loved him since you guys were children. Both are honestly valid and i love them both so much, i just need my peneloise besties back right now. Like so expeditiously. Awww, colin checking up on pen. He’s truly already so far gone. I’M SORRY THE TREE???? What the actual fuck???? Lady tilley arnold needs to get the fuck off my screen. I’ve never read the books but booktok and twitter made me love sophie already, i need her. Not pen listening to her family reading LW Lmaoo she seems so smug about it. EY LADY DANBURY HAPPY ABOUT POLIN THEY’RE SO LOVED BY EVERYONE. KANTHONY MY BABIES. MY PARENTS ARE GONNA BE ACTUAL PARENTS STFU. Anthony’s so feral for her 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 aww hyacinth is so excited to tell them about polin’s new engagement my daughter fr. HYACINTH OMG IJBOL NOT HER SAYING GREGORY’S THE FAMILY PET I’MMA DIE. Eloise baby she did not use you, she loves you and you love her so make up bitches. Cressida is so gay for eloise no one can tell me otherwise. OH MY GOD NOT THE BOOK LINE ABOUT HIS LOVE BEING A THUNDERBOLT FROM THE SKY SOMEONE SEDATE ME (might need to make a part two and i’m only 10 minutes in) they’re not even married yet and Benedicts like “your wives” she’s always been a bridgerton for real. PORTIA I AM INDIFFERENT TOWARDS YOU BUT BACK OFF FROM MY GIRLY AND DON’T MAKE HER DOUBT HER RELATIONSHIP. COLINS SO HOT TELLING PORTIA OFF SOMEONE GET ME SOME HOLY WATER OR SOMETHING JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. HE’S BEEN WITH HER FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS AND HE’S ALREADY THROWING AROUND THE L-WORD OH HE FELL SO HARD FOR HER IMMA THROW MYSELF IN FRONT OF A MOVING TRUCK. MIRROR SCENE OH MY GOD OH MY GOD ALRIGHT ITS HAPPENING ITS HAPPENING OH HIS SPEECH IMMA KILL MYSELF IM SO SERIOUS. THIS IS PERFECT OH MY GOD, NICOLA COUGHLAN IS A GODESS AND THEIR CHEMISTRY IS SO PALPABLE. “LIE DOWN” THAT WAS SO FUCKING HOT, COLIN BRIDGERTON CAN COMMAND ME AROUND ANY DAY. Sex scene, sex scene, sex scene….TO POV???? Oh, that’s such a beautiful song choice. This is literally so intimate, i feel like I’m intruding. Colin bridgerton is a canon consent man and as a woman i think that’s so sexy. That was the cutest sex scene of my life, cute, hot, awkward, everything a first time is supposed to be (i wouldn’t know🙊) KANTHONY SCENE. HES THE CUTEST ALL KISSING HER STOMACH. Newton and Anthony always beefing. Their so cute 😫😫😫. Awww John and Francesca are so cute as well. Awwww him asking about marriage 😖😖😖. VISCOUNTESS KATE IN ACTION MY BABY GIRL. She’s working overtime being pregnant, viscountess and giving eloise advice. She clocked peneloise’s tea. AWW Post-sex polin is the cutest with the book line too 🥹🥹🥹🥹 and the teasing!!! They’re truly so friends to lovers. NOT HER GETTING INTERRUPTED WHEN SHE WANTS TO TELL HIM SHE’S WHISTLEDOWN. FUCK ASS SERVANTS. Oh poor pen having to listen to her fiancé trash-talk her without knowing he’s taking about her, like i wouldn’t tell him i’m Whistledown either after this, bet. Also they literally have no sense of personal space and it’s too cute. Aww a colin and eloise talk. THEY WERE INSEPARABLE AND THEY NEED TO BE AGAIN SOON OR IMMA DO SOMETHING SO DRASTIC I SWEAR TO GOD. Peneloise as bestie sister-in-law’s is something that i need so bad it’s like not even funny anymore. Penelope’s sister need to leave her the fuck alone and portia needs to leave her ulterior motives at the door even penelope was like what the hell is going on. I don’t really mind will and alice plot honestly they’re just a cute married couple, much like polin will be. OH MY GOD NOT BENEDICT CALLING KATE SISTER IM DYING IM DECEASED. THAT FUCK ASS TOP HAH OH MY LORD. NOT COLIN CALLING PENELOPE HIS BRIDE TO BE 🫠

[talkingbl]

2024 Best actors in BL

Reminder that for this list, I only consider actors who have had Main/2nd Main Couple roles in one or more BL-related series and/or films. I complete this list without regard to whether they have done a BL in the past year. Purple = new entry or higher ranking from the previous list. Red = lower ranking from the previous list.

Tier 1 - Phenomenal actors who make you believe fully in their characters. These actors have only a few weaknesses but numerous strengths. They evoke empathetic responses, making you feel what the characters feel. The actors in this group can compete with the best actors anywhere.

Gun Atthaphan

Billkin Putthipong

Wayne Song

Tier 1.5 (aka the Fourth Nattawat Tier) - Tier 2 but without the "I'm actually acting" vibe and the "I can't play a silly character" problem. The only reason these actors aren't Tier 1 is because Tier 1 is reserved for thespians who have proven themselves beyond a reasonable doubt.

Fourth Nattawat

Neo Trai

Mark Pakin

Tier 2 - A full step above Tier 3 actors, these actors are convincing in their roles but struggle with one significant aspect of acting. These actors are typically excellent in emotionally intense scenes, but struggle with light-hearted scenes (rarely vice-versa). There is a recurrent awareness of the fact that these actors are acting that limits suspension of disbelief at times.

Krist Perawat

Fluke Natouch

Ohm Pawat

Fiat Pattadon

Singto Prachaya

Off Jumpol

Apo Nattawin

Bible Wichapas

Tay Tawan

Nanon Korapat

Perth Tanapon

Lim Jisub

Jes Jespipat

Bas Asavapatr

Fuaiz Thanawat

Tier 3 - Above-average actors in the BL genre that do well enough to make you care about their characters. Their characters seem natural and charismatic but there is typically a feeling that these actors are simply playing themselves a lot of the time, which can distract from their characters’ stories.

Max Nattapol

Charles (Shan-Tsun) Tu

New Thitipoom

Rookie Watch - Rookie BL actors who need practice in key areas, but still offer Tier 3 (and at times above)-level acting. These actors are the ones to watch 2-3 years down the line to adequately judge their growth.

Progress Passawish

Park Seoham

Park Jaechan

Honorable Mentions - Actors who do one or two things really well and have great potential but generally float around average.

PP Krit

Podd Suphakorn

Mix Sahaphap

Santa Pongsapak

First Kanaphan

Nonkul Chanon

Some notes:

Santa had some decent showings, but I am struggling to see the vision with his character in Perfect 10 Liners He's removed rom Rookies because he's not a rookie anymore. Same with Mix.

Phuwin was removed from the list entirely because his abilities are very limited. It seems like the role of Pi was made for him, which is why he performed so well then.

First was moved down because I find that he struggles with some of the roles he's typecasted into. He's not completely believable as a bad boy and there's something about him playing opposite Khao that takes away the feeling of him playing a particular character.

Removed Win, Earth Cooheart, and Zee from Honorable Mentions because Win has not impressed me, and Earth and Zee seem to have regressed.

After re-watching Bad Buddy and other Nanon-projects I realized that what made Nanon special in Bad Buddy was his chemistry with Ohm. Otherwise, he's not on the same level as Gun and them.

[flowersonpebbles]

Thursday Week 2: Legacies 10. Friendship

@elfroot-and-laurels

TW: angst, character death, a lot of emotions

word count: 1 925

Jowan – A scribbled note found in the Circle tower of Ferelden, where an apostate had stayed and slept – paper covered with smeared blood and tears, discovered 9:30 Dragon whilst cleaning the tower after the horrific happenings. “I am afraid for what will happen today… Dallas I know will trust me, will help me… but I feel awful for having to lie to him and Lilly. But he will forgive me if he is to ever learn the truth, maybe not immediately, but eventually… I hope… I cherish our friendship too much to not work for his forgiveness…”

Alistair – An official letter, written with careful handwriting but there are stains looking akin to tear drops here and there, discovered in Vigil’s Keep 9:38 Dragon. “Respected Hero of Ferelden, Warden-Commander, I hope this letter finds you well. I also hope you can forgive me for being such a selfish man many years ago… I let grief color my judgement. But I think I am happy, trying my best to make a difference where I can, with influence to actually achieve it sometimes. And I owe it to you. Anora and I even grew to love each other… it is very bitter sweet sometimes, albeit. But we fill in each other where one lacks skill, it is… fulfilling. I know the Inquisition is in search of you, for what I do not know but I am cautious for you, I can only hope this letter reaches you in time, or that you’re already gone from where they can find you. Kindest regards, King Alistair Theirin.”

Morrigan – A neatly written first page in an otherwise empty journal not accidentally left behind in a worn, familiar backpack, discovered after killing the archdemon, “My dear friend, as we had discussed, I am gone now. But I hope your thirst for knowledge like my own can be documented in this journal I leave for you… I cannot thank you enough for the journey and our friendship. It will all stay precious to me.”

Lamb – A worn blanket left behind in an inn’s room, smelling strongly of embriums and lotuses for the friend who stood beside him til the end and who should now protect his soulmate in his stead, 9:49 Dragon.

Leliana – A book well loved and filled to the brim with songs, poems and stories, all written with utmost care. A last page entry of it though – end of 9:31 Dragon: “We finally part ways. I am saddened to do so but he wishes to venture far and I have a new duty. Something to help the world even further. Our memories together will always be dear to my heart, I was lucky to have met such an amazing person who let me help!”

Sten – Orders written in qunlat, page neatly folded and writing perfect, signed by the Arishok found in 9:44 Dragon. “The Warden-Commander of Ferelden, infamous Hero of Ferelden, should not be harmed in any manner if he is to be found among places to be conquered. If he wishes to protect any dwellers in a location, rather fall back. Highly dangerous – do not engage. Inform me immediately if he comes into play.”

Wynne – A journal entry in well keep book, the last page having tear and blood drops upon it, but is later ripped out and sent to Vigil’s keep, the entry was on 9:39 Dragon, “I feel weary, I think my time is nearing. I think fondly of our journey together, your questions always so odd to me. But I’ve grown to question more and more things myself, all thanks to you, Dallas. I am not sure if I’ll have the pleasure to see you again but I wish you well. I hope and Zevran have found happiness by each other’s sides.”

Zevran – A letter sent in desperation, hurried writing with inked smudgings indicating tear drops, sent and received 9:49 Dragon, “Dearest Leliana, or should I address you as Divine Victoria now? My dearest, I beg with utmost urgency aid in searching for our friend, Dallas. You see, he left in the middle of the night, Lamb is still with me. But even he is struggling to find our Dallas… I was hoping maybe you could help with that… I must speak plainly. He holds my heart; my very soul and I do not wish for him to perish alone. I owe him more than that. Yours kindly, Zevran Arainai.”

Oghren – A solemn journal entry in an old journal, dated 9:35 Dragon, “Little Dallas is grown and running around, belching like his pa. He even got red hair like me and the Warden-Commander! Felsi ain’t looking too great lately, got me worried. But I myself haven’t slept great, maybe that’s why she looks so tired all the time? Damned darkspawn… never thought a dwarf could have nightmares. Yet here we are. Hoping to report back to Dallas when he gets back so I could maybe ask for some help. He’s a smart cookie, after all.”

Loghain – A letter written in haste even though the neatness is tried to be kept, sent 9:41 Dragon after the Grey Wardens were welcomed by the Inquisition, “Warden-Commander Dallas, I am unsure where to send this to. I entrust our old ally, Leliana to send it to you along with all the other letters I have been meaning to send but I did not know where to reach you. She might know where – or when she does learn where they’ll be sent. We have broken free of Corypheus for the most part. We are aiding the Inquisition in rebuilding what we can to help atone for what has transpired… I know well how trying to help in exaggeration can be too extreme… I hope only to be of a soothing hand to their shame. Yours faithfully, Loghain Mac-Tir”

Bethany – A panicked last journal entry in a beloved diary of Bethany Hawke, 9:30 Dragon, “I worry for my siblings. They left to fight against the darkspawn, to help the King in the battle… Emikka will look after Carver though. I fear still… and I have a bad feeling for what has yet to come for us all… I know Emikka will help us through it all though. Wait, is that her I’m hearing outside? Did the win already?” ink is then spilled on the rest of the blank page, also ruining other mages, obviously the book had been shut whilst ink was still wet.

Carver – A letter sent in response to his sister’s request to be sent away, 9:41 Dragon, “Emikka, I left Ferelden as you requested. I just think it unfair that you let Loghain stay back and I’m made to leave. But I have safely arrived in Antiva City… Sister, you need to see it. Its bloody gorgeous and I think I could’ve even taken Merril on a date here. Please stay safe, I’m not sure why you even trust this Inquisition. But I do trust you. Write back soon, you better stay alive too. You still have your piece of the jade, yeah? Keep it close. I have a bad feeling… Nug has also been restless lately, he misses you. Your brother, Carver.”

Nug – 9:39 Dragon a well-loved stuffed tug toy was given to a brother to look after his sister’s mabari until the three of them can reunite again.

Aveline – 9:38 Dragon a letter was sent with a copper coin with marigolds on it, “I hope this finds you well, Hawke. I know you’re on the run, I know you’re trying to help people who need it. I just wanted you to know that Leandra is born. And I hope… now more than ever, the world she grows up in will see her be free of demons and a tower for her whole life. I will keep our city safe until you can return. Remember we miss you. And Hawke? Thank you. Aveline.”

Varric – 9:41 Dragon six different letters were sent out after the siege of Adamant Fortress written with great dread, grief and many tear stains and ink smudges. “Little Hawke, your sister was glad to have gotten your response before we left to siege Adamant Fortress… She only started writing a response but I’m still sending it with my letter. I think it only right you have it… I’m so sorry… It was all my fault. I should have never asked her for help… She… she stayed back in the Fade to let others escape… to let others live. Loghain also sends his deepest regrets to you, Junior. Varric” “Aveline, what I’m about to tell you… tell Gamlen for me too, if you could so kindly. Hawke was left behind on a mission to let others survive that were… necessary in her eyes. I wish I was there… I wish I could’ve stopped her… It’s a big mess, I’m so sorry… Send my regards to Donnic and Leandra, my regrets to Gamlen. Varric Tethras.” “Fenris, Emikka died on a mission. I don’t even know if you’ll be able to read this, hopefully you get someone who can read it to you then. I was such an idiot… I’m so sorry… Your friend, Varric” “Daisy, I’m telling you this with great caution. Hawke was left behind in the Fade to let others get out alive. Don’t go doing something stupid though, you hear me? She would want us all to go on living. Who knows, hopefully she can get out on her own… that’s possible, right…?” “Rivaini, I’m running out words, at least the ale is stopping the tears. Hawke… Hawke stayed back for others to live… I’m… it was my fault for asking her for help… Varric” “Blondie, by Andraste… you and Daisy, I don’t even wanna tell either of you but… Hawke was left behind in the fade… It hurts so much… it was my fault... again… how can we even begin to fix this, Blondie…?”

Fenris – A shakily written letter sent 9:41 Dragon, a few drops of blood at the corner. “Do not trust this new thing trying to recruit you. Listen to Varric and do not go where I cannot follow, Emikka. The jade piece I have will miss yours. Your love, Fenris”

Merril – A letter covered in scribbles, runes with elfroot leaves attached was sent on 9:39 Dragon, “Hawke, I hope this fighting ends soon. The elves following me grow weary. The Templars grow more aggressive. I fear our fates, but I do not know what to do other than hide in forests I know well, it is much more defensible. But it grows too cold for them… I hope you and Anders are fairing better than we are. Merril.”

Isabella – A letter written neatly with a pretty blue feather attached to it, sent 9:41 Dragon, “Hey, beautiful. Heard some kind of Inquisition has you roped in? Varric said he needed your help, right? Just behave yourself and come back with some shiny trinkets of theirs, alright? My jade has been missing yours too. Stay safe, pretty. Much love, Isabella”

Anders – A crumpled piece of paper with singes at the edges and a torn edge was sent 9:40 Dragon, “Hawke, I know we split up to try and get the Templars off my back, and the other apostates. But I fear for what is yet to come. I will die for our freedom. But not everyone wants to, I know that now… Have I doomed us all, or was it going to happen without me nether the less? Stay safe, old friend. Anders.”

[bisexualhobi]

exo - exist review

i just wanna start by saying that this comeback is the highlight of my year already. i did have high expectations because after all, this is exo and their discography is easily at the top of the entire industry... and for groups that debuted over a decade ago they're one of the last still standing, so after a 4 year old hiatus the expectations were high to say the least. did they manage to meet them? let's find out!

the title track deserves a whole paragraph so:

cream soda - a high paced r&b pop song with a luscious instrumental and a collection of high notes that flex the strengths of the group. it definitely packs a punch and i think it would benefit from getting a slower intro but even so, the song doesn't disappoint. it kinda reminds me of a maroon 5 song during their golden years and i think it's the perfect balance of "grown men r&b" and playfulness (coupled with less than subtle sexual innuendos about popping like a soda bottle this is a great evolution for exo, who have been known to always make pussy popping music but have struggled to shed the high school boys image sm is so fixated on giving them). rating: 9/10

regret it - literally straight out of the pcy1 vault and you can't convince me otherwise. soooo happy to hear an r&b jam straight out of the 90s since that is literally exo's blueprint. i love the production on this track because it has enough elements to keep it interesting and the chorus is super catchy. chanyeol takes the crown for me for obvious biased reasons but i love kyungsoo and jongdae's runs in this. rating: 10/10

hear me out - sounds much better like this. like now i get 100% the reasoning behind this song and the style it has. it's really such a chill vibe and a welcome breather after the one two punch of the previous songs. i feel like the prechorus and post chorus of this song could have been amped up way more and a breakdown for the bridge would've made it ten times more fun tho. rating: 9/10

random observation i noticed: the resting silences between songs are a tad too short for my liking. we need to let this marinate and sometimes it does feel like the album is sprinting towards the end.

private party - chanyeol opening the song AS HE FUCKING SHOULD. this beat is nasty... it's the perfect combination of exo's r&b sultry side and a hot sexy beat to shake ass to. it's just fun and good and takes you on a sonic ride from start to finish. i did expect the weeknd vibes from the title alone but i'm glad with the result here. rating: 10/10

cinderella - oh marz. oh you.... i knew exactly what the beat drop was gonna sound like from the second the song started and i'm not mad about it! this is another old school r&b infused serenade song while giving it a fresh modern style with the synth arrangements. taking a point off just because the mixing is too compressed and the synth takes over the landscape in an overbearing way (happens all the time with flume too so i get it but i feel like this could've been prevented here). rating: 9/10

no makeup - okay so the whore music run of this album from private party to no makeup is insane. we get it. these men fuck. they made sure to let us know they're in their 30s and it was about DAMN time. that post that's like they melted their dick and balls into a flashdrive and fucked the console in the recording studio.... yeah. the background harmonies are TOP TIER too but i didn't expect anything less from exo. props to jongdae, minseok and chanyeol cause they were working overtime layering these vocals. rating: 10/10

love fool - deadass was expecting this to be the slower snoozefest of the album... but exo are intent on making every track off this album COUNT. this is such a classic exo jam... every element of this song works in their favor. great melody, great instrumentals, great topline, great chorus. this is PURE quintessential exo. rating: 10/10

another day - this is good song! a great song even. my notes for this one just say "good song. really like it" it's just not something that stuck out to me enough to analyze it further. i think that's fine. the layering of vocals is once again great. i don't love the topline specially for the chorus (feels super nct 127 past their peak) but it's still a good song. rating: 8/10

let me in - this is their boyz ii men serve of the year. perfect closer. perfect slow ballad and i'm not a fan of those in the first place. definitely the vocal highlight of the album. that's all i can say. exo did it once again kids. rating: 9/10

[blood-gulch]

grace blood-gulch's s14 episode ranking list because i am so special and have lots of thoughts on every episode ever :)

Tier 1 - legitimately good quality content i recommend viewing

Room Zero - as someone who was personally Waiting those multiple years to see that rvb animated episode be finished i was so excited by this one. also i just love the animation + attention to character details in the og one. even though it doesnt really add much to that original base, newer fans should watch it to appreciate the animation cuz its cute. especially fond of every character detail moment like church running backward and using his hand to slide or the earliest iteration of grif being canonically animated as fat. idk i love it a lot and i think its p cute and well worth the watch. it's also the first episodically which is neat. good opener for s14.

The Brick Gulch Chronicles - look its stop motion lego and its cute as fuuuuuuck. the plot being sarges bday is adorable. literally awesome.

Fight the Good Fight - okay i just find it cute and quirky and generally enjoyed watching it quite a bit :) it made me laugh. the [Red] team gag was good. it reminded me of the similar gag from the simpsons in the kamp krusty episode. my dad always makes jokes about that specific gag so ahh. definitely worth the watch but understandable to skip.

Caboose's Guide to Making Friends - its just really fucking cute idfk

Head Cannon - This one's just really funny and also adds on to a scene that already was fun in a good way. Enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Get Bent - I wish sarge was still an old woman but dykenut and church bisexuality balances it out. i also wish we had female tucker. it makes me sad we didnt get female tucker.

Red vs. Blue the Musical - The reds' song is about weapons and the blues' song is about church killing himself. 10/10. no notes. perfect summation of rvb in like 10 minutes.

Mr. Red vs Mr. Blue - genuinely delightful like a distilled everything i like about tucker. he's really fun here. also sister is fun here.

The Triplets & The "Mission" - The triplets own hard. the scene with wash connie and south at the end always makes me smile. ohio girl youre fucking crazy but youre everything. I love you.

Tier 2 - Decent content. You can skip but still somewhat worth ur time.

From Stumbled Beginnings and Why They're Here - Mostly fun. Asterisk mostly. There's an episode between these two that's technically an episode trilogy you should skip. Otherwise is pretty fun.

The #1 Movie in the Galaxy: 3 - This is silly and fun. I enjoyed it. It's also short.

Meta vs Carolina: Dawn of Awesome - look man its a death battle. if you like death battle youll have fun. if you hate death battle you can skip it. shoutout sarge deadbeat dad implications though. i cant even be mad its just not the character id expect them to do that to...

Grey vs Gray - i found it fun :) nothing stand out tho. skippable but not egregiously bad.

Immersion: The Warthog Flip - Look if you Like seeing science stuff yeah its a good watch. if you dont like that you can skip it. I like the math and science though. you don't lose anything in skipping though.

Tier 3 - Meh

Orange is the New Red & Invaders from Another Mother - theyre not bad but aged... poorly. i thought they were funny when i was younger but i watched funhaus actively then. i dont know how this would fare to a non-FH fan. Desert Dance [Spins]

Red vs. Blue vs. Roosterteeth - I KNOWWWWW THERES A LOT OF NOSTALGIA its just .... not very funny. its creators meeting their characters but its also odd in a strange way. you can watch it if youre curious enough. i liked the end voice over of s14 a lot tho so like maybe watch it and if youre bored skip to the end lol

Tier 4 - Drink a lot or watch with friends to experience enjoyment

Club, Call, & Consequences - look man the only way youre enjoying this is if you are a hardcore lolix guy or you are wasted out of your mindddd. im sorry who the fuck is siris. i honest to god thought siris was a bit as a joke on the whole thing of "grif simmons and hammer" from earlier. they never even mention siris again. who the fuck is siris. i felt like i was like lied to or something . sorry siris is so fucking funny. well he didnt have a personality but thats ok. i dont know if he actually exists.

RvB Throwdown - Get Miles Luna out of the booth. never let him rap again.

Tier 5 - Bad. Skip it.

Fifty Shades of Red - Fifty Shades of Red has possibly one of the worst jokes in the series that immediately assassinates Tucker into a pretty fucking awful light and retroactively ruins his character for the preceding 13 seasons. I honestly recommend skipping Fifty Shades of Red to avoid that one tucker joke. its not necessary and contributes nothing. The rest of the episode is fine and on the level of stumbled beginnings & why theyre here. but god that one joke is so bad i can't in good faith recommend it. it just leaves me fuming LOL i could write an essay as it being the origin point of post s13 writers room tucker hate where they start trying to make him an irredeemable asshole & dont understand his whole deal for the rest of the series.