#but this one really is the most bookends vibes

[panharmonium]

Man, these past few days...so many thoughts. About my life then, my life now. What I missed. Thoughts about what I'll never have. And what I want to have.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

The Billions Showrunners Go To See Bway Bmc like lgw "the problem has always been me" and they look at each other approvingly and nod like now he's getting it :) and then the squip's deactivated and everyone's embracing the realities of being a person and rejecting the idea there can be, should be, and is a set of standards to meet to get everything you want and preclude yourself from being mistreated and they're like nooo what a powerful tragedy :(

[timeslipcamp]

so the traitor thing

everyone has a theory and i feel like i've seen everyone's name thrown out at some point but i'm just throwing my two cents in the ring so that way someone can yell I TOLD YOU SO when we finally find out (hopefully me)

spoilers through ep 15

so the traitor thing was something touched early on and then not often since, getting sprinkled throughout just enough to remind us that while we need to get close to the ghouls, we still need to be suspicious

i wanna say eye roll but im so fucking locked in to trying to figure this out

anyways, despite the super sus vibes from the beginning, the first we really hear about the traitor is actually when taiga brings it up in episode 4

taiga's implying he knows who it is. he also knows a lot more than he's letting on, which i'll get into some other time, but this moment is also bookended by a couple moments of the most lucid taiga we've seen yet. in both episodes where taiga is featured, he's shown figuring out the anomalies before anyone else, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's known all along

another time we see the traitor mentioned is ed. he's such a weirdo i love him

what a freak <3

anyways he doesn't really give us any more info, just tells us that he knows. which also doesn't surprise me because apparently he can read the text boxes like he's deadpool or something.

but it continues to be sprinkled throughout the story, and we even get little hints that someone betrayed jin last year. so: who is it? 1. someone heavily involved with the ghouls and knows enough personal info that it's fucked them over (and potentially caused the clash, but that's a theory i'm still mulling over) 2. someone smooth talking and sly enough that they can get away with it

there's some obvious choices and some off the wall choices, but my basis is coming from a writing standpoint and is based mainly on themes....which is SO unfortunate, because he's one of my favs and if he's the traitor i'll cry

but i think it's haku

cue crying here

the instant a traitor was mentioned, my immediate gut instinct was haku--which in all honesty, that could be on purpose! they could have made him really obvious so we're looking away from who it actually is. but either way, my gut was screaming haku purely from the way he was introduced to us

a white knight swooping in to save us? promises our safety right away? tells us his main job is to clean up after the other ghouls because the teachers send him in?

i think it speaks for itself right there

not to mention if you pick him as the one you save right at the beginning, this is his intro:

suuuuussspiiiiiiiciiiiiooooouuuuuussssss

he's one of the ones that i believe has a plot relevant intro, and it's also because of this and his line in episode 15 that makes me think if he IS the traitor, then he doesn't really want to be. he's super flirty with mc as well, and while i think a lot of that is an act to get him to trust us, i think at least a little of it is genuine. this could just be because i'm a sucker for the classic trope of "i was supposed to hurt you but then i fell in love with you," but it is SO easy to see that with someone like haku.

unless he really is just duping us and i fell for it. but it's moments like this that make me think mc is slowly turning him back to the ghouls side

anyways, so we get into episode 15 where he talks a little more about his past. starting off in clementia makes sense i think. my guess is that it was a healing/holy house centered around sending spirits on and quieting the undead (more on defunct houses in a different post) so with his shrine fam, that fits. then he transferred to frostheim (well known family. again, makes sense.) and then ended up in hotarubi, another one that fits. the only suspicious part is him leaving frostheim last year and the timing of it. him and yuri would have left at the same time tohma was transferring in, presumably at the same time the clash was happening. he's got inside deets on three houses (one now gone) so that just adds to the ways he'd be able to wiggle in anywhere

not to mention in episode 15 he drops the line "make a deal with darkwick" several times. it almost feels like a callback to the classic haku traitor line

taiga voice "slimy motherfucker." anyways he says two or three times in episode 15 that he made a deal with darkwick. how often is he dealing with darkwick?

also, there was the break in at jabberwock. ren didn't say anything was taken, so i'm hesitant to say the traitor did this. this could have been any number of people just trying to get info on ren and what his stigma can do. ritsu said that he thought it was a professional, which makes me think it was a ghoul since they'd be able to make a quick getaway.

i've seen haku be associated with tanuki several times. tanuki are japanese "raccoon dogs" that are often depicted as tricksters in folklore, much the same way foxes are in western europe and coyotes are here in the states. while they're tricksters, they're not necessarily malevolent, and i feel like that fits with haku as well.

like i said earlier, i don't think haku necessarily wants to be the traitor. this whole story just feels...tense? i don't know if that's the right word, but it always feels like haku is waiting on something. the few conversations where the other ghouls seem a little suspicious (namely rui) and when he's talking to the teachers, it's always felt strained. so my two main guesses with haku are

1. he's being blackmailed into this. maybe he fucked something up and darkwick is covering it up for him as long as he feeds them info (was he at fault for yuri's medical mistake? is that why zenji died? does he feel guilty and that's why he's doing so much for a ghost now?)

2. he's the traitor willingly because something happened that made him distrust the other ghouls and side with the teachers, but mc is slowly making him realize the ghouls aren't all bad and deserve to be treated with respect. also, episode 15 has him admit he always takes the easy way out. saving his own hide would certaily be easiest.

i just realized i keep referencing the teachers all the way through this. i think the faculty are the antagonists of the story. they've felt slimy from the beginning and the more we talk the less i trust them. fight the power

i'm still not completely sold on haku, though. it can't be any of the first years because they weren't here for the betrayal last year. i don't think it's jin, tohma, or alan because they're all actively trying to solve it i think. zenji's dead, yuri seems like he was trying to run away from it and also actively avoids the other ghouls. i also don't think it's romeo because i think taiga would have done something crazy if it was. other traitors on my shortlist are: rui (can move in shadows, faculty could be holding a cure for his curse over his head), subaru (i think he could be guilted into it), and taiga himself (but he's not aware, only suspecting. memory suppression, constantly guessing who people are...it could be!!)

so that's my traitor theory! i'm sure i'll come up with more theories (hopefully in a more coherent manner) as more episodes come out.

send me who you think it is! ask and dms are always open

[224bbaker]

So, hypothetically speaking, if someone had never been interested in Sherlock Holmes before but wanted to get into it because of Fawx & Stallion... Where should they start?

Oh my GOD, anon, so upset we didn't see this until now because what a great question and also, our show inspiring someone to go check out Sherlock Holmes?? Deeply upsetting for our characters but SO exciting for us!

Hopefully since you sent this you've just dived in to the stories--because, honestly, that's how both of our writers got into them as kids, and also because despite what roughly 40 contradicting scholars will try to tell you, the timeline is nonsense and Watson's continuity doesn't make sense (we have made our own peace with this and addressed it in-universe because we didn't want to go on deep-dives to decide what puns we were allowed to use for the place we're at in the timeline it's fine, we're fine).

However, just a quick sidebar before we jump into The Stories--if you would rather start with an adaptation than the original ACD stories themselves, there are two options we'd recommend as starting points that are pretty true to canon while remaining engaging in and of themselves:

The Granada TV series with Jeremy Brett and David Burke/Edward Hardwicke: It rules, and most of it's on YouTube! Highly recommend their Solitary Cyclist, Speckled Band, Scandal in Bohemia, and Blue Carbuncle (we may be biased towards the early, David-Burke-Watson entries). These actors and sets are what we picture when we read Holmes.

For an audio adaptation, the 1989 Bert Coules radio adaptation, which you can get for a single credit on Audible in full and has basically the whole canon! Incredible dramatization work that preserves the stories and really deepens the character work in a way that we're obsessed with. Big fans!

If you're liking the vibe of these, you'll probably like the stories themselves! In which case, there are also awesome online book clubs like Letters from Watson that have great communities here on Tumblr (just peruse the tag, it's super fun!), and also over on Discord.

SO. If you're still here and looking for our direction on the stories:

If you just want to start with what is/will be relevant to Fawx & Stallion, we recommend:

Our goal is that our audience doesn't NEED to have read any Sherlock Holmes to understand anything in F&S. We'll hopefully lay things out or give context clues. However, we do have little jokes for the fans, and in season 2, some subtext may be a bit clearer, or have a bit more weight, if you've read some of the stories.

A Study In Scarlet: I know, I know I know I know, Holmes fans, the Utah Mormon stuff, I get it, BUT. Holmes and Watson meet in this one, and it's incredible. The first few chapters of them meeting, starting to live together, going from roommates with a mutual fascination to, through Watson's unintentional insult of Holmes's writing and a fateful invitation to a crime scene, actual friends, are electric. It's a crime (pun intended) that we have so few dramatizations of this in the canon era (we're trying to fix that), we love it so so much. Sacrilege, but, wikipedia the stuff in the middle, enjoy the fantastic meet cute that bookends the thing.

Hound of the Baskervilles: Happening during the events of Fawx & Stallion season 1. I don't need to tell you this one is a banger, we all know this. Less Holmes content than you expect, but a GREAT setting, mood, and roster of suspects, and a thrilling, well-paced mystery with some great Watson.

The Final Problem: Occurs right before the events of season 2, and though you again don't need to have read it, some stuff might hit better if you have, particularly in the back half of the season. High recommend. On the same note, The Beryl Coronet is also mentioned a few times, which is the case right before this one.

Ok, with that out of the way, we highly recommend:

The "Jump Around To Whatever Short Story or Novel Sounds Cool" Approach

This is the move, in my opinion. As I've said before, the timelines are nonsense, you CAN try to get into the weeds of continuity as we have and there is delightful madness to that, but would I recommend it as an intro? No. They're short stories! They're serialized! Treat it like a TBS rerun series at 1 AM and just pick one that is on/sounds cool!

Now, if you want our PREFERENCE? There are different genres of Holmes mysteries, different types of mysteries for different preferences, but we're going to recommend one particular sub-genre of Holmes mysteries that we find particularly fun/unique: The "It's Not Necessarily A Crime Yet But the Vibes Are There" Mystery.

We love these. They're the best. Not depressing or gruesome off the bat, usually starting with some whimsy at Baker Street, these stories usually begin with a client coming to Holmes and the following interaction happens

CLIENT: Um, hi. Honestly it's pretty silly that i'm even here. It's probably just a Weird Thing, you probably don't-- HOLMES: No no no please tell me I love Weird Things. CLIENT: Ok. Well. My boss/guardian/brother/[insert-person-who-has-power-over-them] has been doing this Thing where he [insert extremely weird thing that again, is not a Crime, but the vibes are there]. It's kinda weird. HOLMES: Yeah, super fucking weird. CLIENT: I know! But it's not a crime, so I don't know, you're probably not interested, I'm just a [not rich not male not high class not privileged identity] so there's really no point in checking that out-- HOLMES: No girl (gn), we are DEFINITELY checking that shit out there's a crime in there somewhere and we're gonna find it!

And we're off! If this sounds interesting to you (and it SHOULD), check out: The Solitary Cyclist, The Red Headed League, The Copper Beeches, The Greek Interpreter, The Speckled Band, The Stockbroker's Clerk, The Musgrave Ritual, The Resident Patient, and honestly probably some others we're missing because it's REALLY common.

Other fun Holmes bangers:

Holmes overworks himself and Watson takes him to the country to rest, only to solve ANOTHER FUCKING MYSTERY: The Reigate Squires

The Christmas One!: The Blue Carbuncle

The Dancing Men: I don't have a fun little thing for this one it's just a banger and the Granada Adaptation rules!

The One Where Sherlock Holmes does NOT fall in love with Irene Adler but does get completely owned because 1) he thinks women don't get up early, and 2) he wanted to have a sleepover with Watson: A Scandal in Bohemia

There are a ton, and hopefully you'll find one that you like and just jump in!

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Achilles Come Down (Gang of Youths)

The self is not so weightless, nor whole and unbroken/Remember the pact of our youth/Where you go, I’m going, so jump and I’m jumping/Since there is no me without you

How, the most dangerous thing is to love/How, you will heal and you'll rise above/Crowned by an overture bold and beyond/Ah, it's more courageous to overcome.

You may feel no purpose/Nor a point for existing/It's all just conjecture and gloom/And there may not be meaning/So find one and seize it/Do not waste your self on this roof

Soldier on, Achilles, Achilles, come down/Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

"I'm sure you'll get other submissions for this one. I have no idea who this band even are outside of this song but it fucks me up like it does everyone else. It's the tragic love of it all. The desperation of trying to save your loved one from themselves. Or are the narrators of the song Achilles' own conscience representing his indecision on whether to kill himself or not? It can mean so many things and SO many parts of the lyrics are very poetic and powerful. (also again for me this makes me cry over a Specific Blorbo in this case Dimitri Blaiddyd but that doesnt matter)"

"The cellos in the background, the lyrics, telling the story of Achilles, the fact that it's fucking 7min long, it's beautiful, it breaks me to then pull me back together, it gave me hope in a moment where I wasn't in the best mental space, it's like getting undressed to your very soul only to be cover up with a weighted blanket afterwards and be told "it'll be alright." It's like that image with the guy that's like "this is cinema" but with a song, god I love this song so much"

"Ohhhg my god. It’s so. It’s a fucking heartbreaking song but it gives hope (^^see abovw lyrics. there may not be meaning so find one and seize it gets me the most). I can’t say anymore about it but yeah"

"Achilles is about to jump off the roof, his lover is trying to convince him not to. the vibe of this song itself is so unique, the violin and the segments of French reading really grip at your soul. Towards the end there are two voices seemingly arguing. One voice is Achilles’s inner monologue and the other is his lover trying to yell over it. This part is my favorite, especially if you’re envisioning your blorbo. Tbh in my darkest times I would fall asleep to the ten hour loop every night. It felt like laying on a rooftop and looking out at the stars and the street lights. I think maybe it kept me from doing things I would regret."

Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)

You got a fast car, I want a ticket to anywhere/Maybe we make a deal, maybe together we can get somewhere/Any place is better, starting from zero got nothing to lose/Maybe we'll make something, me myself I got nothing to prove

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car/Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk/City lights lay out before us/ And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder/And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged

You got a fast car/Is it fast enough so we can fly away?/We gotta make a decision/Leave tonight or live and die this way

"I know it's an obvious one but YOU try playing it without crying I dare you"

"I cant explain the yearning but this makes me howl"

"OH GOD the longing!! The yearning in the recurring central image of the narrator and her lover on the highway, feeling this sense of limitless possibility and incredible hope!!! And then the verses take us with brutal efficiency through the collapse of their marriage, the way that the cycle of poverty stomps down on their hopes, and how with nothing left, the narrator does what her mom did and leaves!! Leaving the kids to experience the same thing she did growing up!! But it’s all punctuated and bookended by these callbacks to that central iconic memory of hope!!!!! But by the end we realize that the last line “leave tonight or live and die this way” offers only the illusion of a choice: when the narrator first runs away and later when she leaves her husband and kids, she’s still fulfilling her role in this cyclical generational story. God!!"

Fast Car submitted by @smallboyonherbike + @uchihasasukeofficial + @all-our-exploring

[shutupineedtothink]

X files mini review/analysis 2x20 "Humbug"

Ok I really don't mean to keep doing a review for every episode in this back half of s2 but wtF did i just watch with this one.

This felt like the x files we've seen so far but just barely. Sooo much more comedy in this ep than we're used to, I really felt like I was in a fever dream most of the time. That said, funny as all hell. Also, gross as all hell.

As soon as they did the funeral shot of them watching everyone leave while they just sit there, hold a beat, then mulder says I can't wait for the wake - I was like what. Is the tone. The tone is WACKY my friends.

Gillian definitely ate that bug tho i watched very closely.

But then we get both a silent conversation and flirting over magic tricks? A+

The potato investigation was just excellent.

Wait wait WAIT. Do you know what it is, this felt like X files does a PSYCH episode. THATS THE VIBE.

The bit where they're in the fun house and she's coming around the corner and he comes out of the slide in the wall and she almost shoots him and they just look at each other for a second? Idk man it's the kind of comedy you can't manufacture they just got it. I was also very amused that she just stepped over him lol.

I hate the weird twin thing I haaaate it.

Also Scully being the one to figure it out and throw out the batshit yet correct theory instead of Mulder really drove home we were in the twilight zone on this one.

Did notice the bookended "can you imagine looking like that your whole life" line, very nice.

He ate... the guy... he ATE THE EVIL LITTLE GUY.

Overall i laughed my ass off through this ep but I also basically felt high after it was over. Which begs the question, who actually got high and wrote this episode??

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Aw, thank you for thinking of me. I loved reading your picks! You’re right, Ashton, self love can be challenging but I am going to give it a go.

1) Depth of Reason (71k, M)

Probably no surprise here, I’ve called it my favorite before. I put a lot into this fic. It handles a lot of complex issues and takes a different and unique look at the World of Mages while also feeling entirely plausible within that world. I also really, really love this version of Simon. I put a lot into him and at the start it may look like a story about Baz’s journey but it’s really about Simon’s journey of questioning the beliefs he has and questioning the things he’s taken for granted.

It’s also probably no surprise that this fic is a little bit of a love letter to one of my fave fics Restoration Ecology by the lovely @captain-aralias. It’s obvious how that story inspired mine (Simon POV, older Snowbaz get together, Simon works for the Coven, he goes through this journey of looking within himself, etc.)

2) How to Avoid a Scandal (43k, T)

This fic has a lot going for it and was for to write for several reasons: 1) This was a CO Reverse Bang fic, so it was inspired by art made by @xi-vz and thus got me to write something I may not have come up with in my own. 2) @xi-vz kept making art for it, and in true reverse bang fashion, it kept challenging me to write the plot in a way that incorporated what the art portrayed. Truly such a fun way to find inspiration. 3) since this was a Hollywood AU, I wrote script excerpts for the tv show the boys were acting in to bookend each chapter and to tie into/nod to what was going on in the greater story while also playing with the idea of a WoM television show I’d made up. This was kind of a nod to the Snowbaz excerpts in Fangirl and these were just generally so fun to write. 4) friends to lovers, my beloved.

Also!!! The incredible @shrekgogurt told me she was inspired by the script bookends in this fic, which led her to adding the flashback bookends to I Knew A Boy, I Knew A Man and like (!!!) can we all agree those fucking flashbacks are AMAZING and totally add so much to that fic?! I’m so happy this was able to inspire such genius.

3) Rose-Colored Glasses (7k, T)

I don’t always get the chance to reread fics once they are published but I reread this one recently and while part of me latched on to things I’d try to write better if I were writing this years later and with more experience under my belt, I still nonetheless think this fic pretty good. For one, while it wasn’t my first published fic, it was my first most widely read fic. That helped me make a lot of connections in the fandom and probably established an audience that wanted to read more of my writing. Additionally, I think this sort of established my brand. I’ve written a lot of friends to lovers and this is the touchstone of me writing that trope. It’s got a sweetness to it that permeates a lot of my writing. Also, my pfp is still the beautiful, tender, fun art from that fic that @mostlymaudlin made and so y’all get to be reminded of it all the time 😂 Also have to give a shout out to @ivelovedhimthroughworse who made a lovely Podfic of this. ♥️

4) The Rule of Three (Doesn’t Apply to You) (9k, T)

This fic was a gift fic to the lovely @facewithoutheart whose prompt requested a funny Snowbaz get together with low/no angst. It was also part of a holiday exchange and I wanted it to have at least some Christmas-y vibes without being other the top, since that’s not quite Christina’s thing. I remember feeling very intimidated by the task of trying to be funny for one of the funniest writers in this fandom. Gulp. But also, while I’ve written some fun/funny things, I appreciated the impetus to really go for it in this fic. I think it’s a fun, sweet story and quite memorable, at least to me.

5) A Prickly Disposition (1.9k, T)

This is a short fic but I’m really proud of it. I’ve really had to work at brevity and I am still surprised I could write a get together fic in under 2k. (And I wrote it in one sitting, which still feels crazy because it came out so good without a ton of hair pulling.) This fic feels longer than it is, which feels like a special kind of magic. Plus my dear friend @fatalfangirl made a Podfic of this which just is such a great listen I cannot recommend it enough.

[e-b-reads]

Books of the Month: Feb 2025

I see I bookended February with different Barbara Hambly books! I feel like I'm still in a good sweet spot, where I am actually reading a good amount because I am finding things I want to read, but also I'm not trying to speed through anything: some books I actually purposefully force myself to savor so they take longer. Here's some of the books that occupied my brain the most in February (and a little on why):

Swordspoint (Ellen Kushner): I thought I was rereading this except nothing except the vibes were familiar; then I reached the end and looked up sequels and found it's actually the sequel to this that I once found in the library and read (many years ago). I do like the vibes though. Sort of medieval/renaissance fantasy world (don't get mad at the author for mixing those, get mad at me, I'm not going back to tease it out right now) except there is no magic, but there is (are?) a lot of duels with swords. It's suggested that other societies don't rely on these duels and professional swordsmen the way this particular unnamed city does, so it's fascinating (particularly as someone who enjoys fighting with swords) to think about what it would be like to be immersed in the culture where swords and duels are so important, and where dying might be worth it as long as the fight beforehand is good enough. (Also it's a casually queer book from the 1980s, and I love Richard and Alec.)

The Withdrawing Room (Charlotte MacLeod): This is second in a mystery series (Kelling & Bittersohn series) and I'm finding it delightful. Set in Boston (and surrounding area) contemporaneously with when they were written in the 1980s, these feel at times more old fashioned because Sarah Kelling is part of a large, eccentric, old money clan of Kellings, and they've retained habits from other decades. I enjoyed the first book well enough, but where this series really shines is in the delightful, odd, eccentric (there's no better word for it! but they're not all Kellings) cast of side characters, and they really start getting introduced in book 2. The second main character of the series, Max Bittersohn, is an art expert and part of a large Jewish family who are a little less front-and-center than the Kellings (so far). I've been using these books as lighter-hearted palate cleansers in between heavier ones. Speaking of...

All Mortal Flesh (Julia Spencer-Fleming): I'm going to be annoying and not actually say much about this book except it's book 5 in a series that I also mentioned last month (the Rev. Clare Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne series) and it was a doozy! This is a much angstier mystery series than the above but I'm really enjoying - it's hitting a lot of spots in my id or something. This book in particular is so sad (I knew it would be from the blurb) and also has about four different twists (that I thought were well done). Not the only one from this series I read in Feb, but probably the one that took the most brain space just from all the emotions involved.

The Ladies of Mandrigyn (Barbara Hambly): Surprise, I read another Barbara Hambly book in the middle of the month, from a totally different series! I will give you plot points for this one, because I feel like her fantasy plots are always a little refreshing: 40-something mercenary leader Sun Wolf gets kidnapped by a band of ladies from the town of Mandrigyn because all their menfolk have been sent to the mines by an evil wizard, and they need him to train them to fight so they can get the men back. In the meantime (mild spoiler) Sun Wolf discovers that maybe he is a wizard too. A couple interesting things: one is that I love how the plotline of like "oh these things I could sort of always do were magic that I must learn to control?" is given not to some YA protag starting out in the world but a jaded mercenary. Also interesting stuff about women and society; Mandrigyn was a very patriarchal city-state, and this is rapidly changing. In a "can the women learn to fight?" sort of plot I'm always wary of bioessentialism, but I don't personally feel that it was there. There's a certain amount of differences between women and men remarked on, but even Sun Wolf recognizes that surely at least some of this is due to the society these women lived in. (Meanwhile, Starhawk, Sun Wolf's second-in-command who also happens to be a woman, is tracking him down to try to un-kidnap him.)

[perfectlypanda]

Chance Encounters at the Wonderlust by Marijayne

I've been wanting to learn bookbinding for a while, so I finally took the plunge by binding one of my favorite Zutara stories! I followed the video series for a rounded, case bound book by DAS Bookbinding on youtube. I also took inspiration from @omfgreylo's fanfic book binds for things like including a page with the AO3 details and a QR code that leads to where the story is posted.

Large portions of the story take place at the Wonderlust hotel, which I imagined as having a bit of a classy art deco vibe, so that's what I leaned into a bit with cover, bookend pages, and font choices. Zuko first meets Katara sitting on a blue and gold sofa, which informed the choice of colors. I'm only just now realizing I chose different fonts for the cover and the title page. I thought I had used the same one. Oops haha.

This project went way smoother than I expected. I had to improvise in parts because I didn't have specialized equipment like a book press, but otherwise everything went well! The part that was the most challenging was adding the design to the cover, but that's my fault for using iron on vinyl meant for stretchy fabric (it was what we happened to have on hand already). If I had used a normal iron on vinyl, I think it would have given me less trouble.

I'm really pleased that with how this turned out, and I already have a list of other Zutara stories I'd like to bind and add to my bookshelf (just personal copies, not for commission or anything like that). Thank you again to @marijayne-writing for letting me bind your story!

[thatsparrow]

watched twister (1996) for the first time (thoughts)

wasn't expecting the opening credits to feel as ominous as they did, very horror-adjacent (when the tornado lands, there's this growling sound effect that feels very monstrous. from what I remember, this is really the only time that happens, which could be a cool, like—given that this is the tornado that killed her dad, to jo, it was a monster)

between toby getting (briefly) locked out of the storm shelter in the beginning and bill paxton having to carry aunt meg's dog out of the house before it collapses, this movie puts animals in danger much more than I anticipated (I guess that one cow didn't have such a good time, either)

still in the opening, but when her dad got yoinked, all those nighttime shots of the lightning and tornado felt very supernatural, ufo-ish (this big transcendent thing in the sky, abducting her father, so large you can only see bits and pieces of it) which does play into the mystery/unknowability aspect

we cut to the present, and there's this jaunty, western-style music playing, which I also didn't expect! I think that was one of my main takeaways—that I thought this movie was more a straight-up natural disaster action movie, when it's really more of an adventure story (and a love story, which bookends the whole thing.) but like, if you think of the tornadoes as some rare treasure, the storm signs (and bill's ability to read them) as the map, chasing against rivals after the same goal, all the beats are there. (not to say it isn't also a natural disaster movie, but it is interesting watching how/when the movie shifts between tornadoes as an object of pursuit, stirring excitement, the majesty of nature, and when they're a threat, a point of fear, dangerous in their unpredictability and impassivity)

we see helen hunt, and my first thought was, "why would he ever divorce helen hunt"

(more under the break)

but also I wasn't actually ever clear on why he was divorcing helen hunt? or more, why they had separated in the first place. the closest I could figure was that conversation when he says something to jo about her not wanting a house, and maybe that it was him wanting to settle down and she wanted a life on the road (see: his current job as a weatherman now that he's with melissa) but also, does he really want to settle down? the whole movie is us seeing how he's clearly happiest and most alive when he's chasing (and with helen hunt), but he can't or won't let himself accept that until melissa ends the relationship for him

didn't expect carey elwes to be here, doing his absolute best effort at a southern accent

i love human barometer bill paxton. "he's better at reading storms than anyone else" "why" "don't worry about it" (genuinely though, it's such a fun detail, and I'm glad they include it in twisters, too)

jo's storm chasing team is bigger than I thought it would be (granted, I had no concept of anyone else being in this movie other than helen hunt, bill paxton, and philip seymour hoffman) and I love that sequence of all the vibes of the different cars as they take off, the music they put on, the interiors—we are running the gamut of personalities here, but they are all equally excited and motivated by storm chasing (then compared to the deeply corporate and uniform energy of jonas's team)

"have you lost your nerve?" "tighten your seatbelt" we all know their chemistry is good, but their chemistry is SO good ("let's get you wired" LET'S GO)

melissa is interesting, like — she's the audience surrogate, she's the excuse to explain things about storm chasing and tornadoes that everyone else would already know (but the audience likely doesn't), she's insightful and compassionate when she's talking to her clients (are we meant to take the reproductive therapy or something as a joke job?), and she does clearly love bill, and he loves her, too. but she's so out of her element, she complements this entirely different side of him, and now that he's in this place where he's most himself, she's completely at sea. she's understandably afraid and overwhelmed. she's watching her fiance fall back in love (or, realize he was always still in love) with his ex, who's accomplished and capable in all the ways she isn't. and there's some friction between them, like melissa telling jo not to try to win bill back, and some jockeying from jo at the diner counter, but then you also have jo checking on melissa after the first tornado hits. I like that her story ends with her deciding to leave bill, but then adding the line about not being that sad about it, her recognizing that they weren't really what the other needed (it is weird though that she's suddenly gone from the group and no one remarks on it)

very into bill starting the movie all buttoned-up, then gradually shedding those layers, getting less kempt, his shiny new truck converted into their chase vehicle (later when the other chasers refer to bill as "the extreme," the push-pull between who he is in his life before the movie starts, and who he clearly is at heart)

it is wild that a divorce is the undercurrent of this whole thing (but wild in a fun way! like it's fun how much this is a love story that also has tornadoes. bill paxton is here to get the divorce papers signed. the movie ends with them kissing. rebuilding relationships via natural disasters)

that shot of the flying cow happens so much earlier than I expected

just between us, it took me way too long to realize jo was the little girl from the beginning ("how long?" don't worry about it)

jo as ahab, her trying to look into the tornado and bill turning her away, the obsessive need to understand, pushing forward beyond what's reasonable

the cars! cars as their primary instruments, reflective of their personalities, this is a western and their cars are their horses, but also cars won't protect them when a tornado hits, and in fact add to the danger, they're at the drive-in when the surprise tornado comes, they hide out in the floor of the garage, cars as homes, cars getting trashed, I've lost the point but you see it

there's something about the disconnect between the threat messages, both "they had no warning" when a tornado hits unexpectedly, vs. an f-5 that you can see and follow the trail of, but it's still going to destroy whatever is in its path (also after wakita gets hit and jo's aunt meg tells her that jo needs to stop it—like the data they collect is vital, but also them getting dorothy to fly won't have any immediate consequences on the tornado itself)

I do love all the "bill's back" "I'm not back" from the beginning, him saying he's only going to stay a day, and then he's immediately so back

spoilers but I did not expect carey elwes and his driver to die. this movie has a pretty low onscreen body count, and that one was a surprise

that near-kiss in the cornfield! so good!!

the whole sequence of them sprinting from the tornado toward the barn, the fence posts getting pulled up just behind them, the horses running—so, so good

but also what's the deal with the murder barn? like they run into the barn and it looks like a murder barn and then they run out because everything in the murder barn would murder them when the tornado hits, and then we never address it again. was this just to keep them running from the tornado a little longer?

they're a battle couple but for storm chasers, and it slaps

the movie ends with them kissing! this is their love story!!

all in all, I had a hell of a time, a blast from start to finish

[lee-sanghyeok]

What were your thoughts on the album track sampler? I’m mostly surprised that dangerous sounds so different than the other songs, I thought there might be another like it. I’m very intrigued by nice guy, the teaser sounds like a different vibe than I was expecting. Also skit stood out a lot but I don’t think that one’s a full song unfortunately. Of course can’t wait to hear the whole album tho, if all sounds v promising so far

Hi, anon! I was surprised as well with how diverse the album is sonically. It's their most experimental yet, though the slight disjointed feeling might be because the tracks in the sampler weren't in order of the track list... so I edited the sampler according to the track list.

And now, it does start to make sense. In a sense, 'Dangerous' and 'Gonna be a rock' almost feels like one continuous story (or a duology) of how quickly the mood can swing between adorably rebellious moments with friends and lonesome melancholic moments. 'Gonna be a rock' also seems to serve as a palate cleanser after the explosive opener.

Then there's a full break with 'SKIT', which seems to be a disco-inspired instrumental interlude. Possibly with the boys talking as well, but the music seems to take the lead. 'SKIT' allows for a full genre change as it bookends 'Gonna be a rock' and their title track 'Nice Guy'

'Nice Guy' still has that disco-funk influence (focus on the synths!) and seems to be an appropriate title track, though we'll have to wait until Sep 9th to really know if it lives up to that.

With 'Nice Guy' as the peak, they start bringing us down again with an introspective '20' ("When I was younger, I was foolish"). The sound feels the most in line with what we've come to expect of BOYNEXTDOOR.

And then finally, their sweetest most loveliest song to date, 'Call Me', which flows seamlessly from '20'. The snippet already brings a smile to my face. It's sort of a foil to 'Dear. My Darling', wherein the singer writes a letter saying goodbye and wanting closure. This time, the singer reaches out through a phone call to tell the listener to come closer, to speak to them whenever they need to.

Obviously, we'll have to listen to the full EP to have a complete opinion, but I'm really jazzed about this. It's charming and personable, which is everything I like about BOYNEXTDOOR.

[alligator-with-a-top-hat]

Track #28: The Adventure Continues

Artist: The Fishhead

Original: Title (Metroid) by Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka; Record of Samus by Kenji Yamamoto

Length: 4:30

"Record of Samus" is a remix of a remix, a bumpin' arrangement of "Tallon Overworld" (which, you may remember, is a remix of "Brinstar"). It is a livelier take on the upbeat but introspective Overworld theme that went on to be featured in every Prime game, and has the distinction of being one of the only songs from the Prime series to migrate back for a remix in the 2D games, in Samus Returns (released six years after this album came out). It's an unambiguously, thumpingly heroic theme to celebrate the player's victory.

For their third remix of the album, The Fishhead takes "Record of Samus" and winds it back down. Opening on a fraught string piano and string cover of the title motif (based on the instruments of the previous song by Tim Hellmann), the song quickly dives into a soft version of the intro from "Record of Samus" with interesting percussion. The instrumentation of the song is, for the most part, very similar to the original "Record of Samus" and the Tallon Overworld theme it derives from, with some funky bass synths in the second half; meanwhile, the tempo is slowed down for a more relaxed experience. The song takes some liberties with the final section and ends on the darker note of the title motif as a bookend.

So ummm. I think it's really funny to remix "Record of Samus" in the style of the song it's based on. It is still recognizably "Record of Samus", but brings chill vibes to the party. It's doubly funny to put it immediately after the remix of "Tallon Overworld", so functionally it feels like you're listening to eight minutes of Tallon Overworld when you listen to the album all together. So besides being a chill ass remix, there's the humor factor. I like this one a lot.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐️

Track #27: Entering a New World                    #29: Thunder Shooter

[daggerzine]

Ian M Bailey- Lost In A Sound (Kool Kat Musik)

It’s a new year and another collaboration with Cosmic Rough Rider Daniel Wylie. This marks the fourth release between Ian and Daniel. All songs are co-written with Daniel, but Ian tackles the vocals and instruments (6 & 12 string Rickenbacker, 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars, drums, bass, piano, Mellotron, & percussion). We can’t forget Alan Gregson on lap steel, orchestral arrangements, brass, synths, clavinet, percussion, vibes, Texas guitar, & dulcimer. Gregson also mastered and edited the album. With Gram Parsons, David Crosby, Gene Clark as influences, how can you go wrong? Ten songs filled with ocean and desert scenes set to beautiful music… “Rooks” kicks off with a return to 70s inspired folk rock with a blazing organ. But when the “Ba, ba, ba, baaas” come in, I love it more every listen. Gorgeous harmonies that just won’t quit. But the lyrics add more depth with, “Trigger happy lion tamer; We know who you are; It’s harder to accept a death; When killed by friendly fire.“ It’s a great preview of what to expect on the rest of the album. Track 2, “I’ll Be There To Save You,” slows things down a bit and shifts to the ocean theme, but the emphasis is on keyboards, organs, and more details too many to count. “A river runs right through this town, Who’ll survive and who will drown, I will never let you down, I am here to save you now.” With one of the many smooth transitions on this release, “White Whale” is another slower, beautiful song filled with orchestration that has you drift away on the ocean. “White whale is crashing through the ocean, White whale is crashing through the deep blue sea, Two white whales dancing out in harmony, King of the ocean, queen of the sea.” Track 4, “Deep Blue Water,” is the song that really caught my attention on first listen. A jangle of guitars swirling into a beautiful Mellotron. It’s a mostly instrumental track that you just don’t want to end. It eventually does with a bookend verse to “White Whale.” “New Year's Eve 2010” is one of the saddest break-up, jangling guitar waltzes one could ever imagine. “A house full of memories is everything that I have left of you, and all the emotional punches have left me bruised.” Track 6, “Desert Star,” is the only instrumental on this album. It’s a bouncy transition to the desert theme that could easily sit along side Booker T. & The M.G.s “Green Onions.” “Welcome To The Desert” is an uplifting beauty of a song with a rising guitar melody and a chorus filled with those wonderful harmonies again. “Never Read The Signs” starts off as a spaghetti western sound with its reverbed guitar, but when the chorus hits, it’s a gorgeous sound filled with strings. “Well I’m not from California, I’m a European man, And I know I don’t belong here, On this arid desert land, Well I don’t know how I got here, Things are blurry in my mind, And I’m not from California, So I never read the signs.” It's another favorite of mine that just seems cinematic. “Don’t Let The Garden Die” is an Americana number filled with harmonies and lap steel. “This world spins round with you my friend, This world spins round with you, So just dig the ground around my friend and sow these seeds of new. Don’t let the garden die.” The album ends with “The Desert Could Be Mars.” It sounds like a lost track from America’s Homecoming (my favorite by them). It’s another track that builds and builds with orchestration, intricate acoustic guitar, and Mellotron and eventually crashes. Bailey and Wylie have done it again with some amazing songwriting, but I do think the unsung hero here is Gregson by creating a fuller sound by adding his skills. It’s a great album that will make many Top Ten lists this year. Here’s hoping a tour will happen, especially to the US. ERIC EGGLESON “The highway to the stars may be closed to most of us now, but we’ll take the scenic route and maybe we’ll still get there.” Daniel Wylie

[sfsolace]

Makinata Mondays: A Hakumei & Mikochi read-along

This is a weekly series where i read through my favorite manga and share my thoughts along with some screenshots.

Chapter 5: Workday

Plot summary: We follow Hakumei on a day at her job as a repairwoman. After (almost) taking a nasty fall while repairing a windmill, she calls it a day and returns home.

Its so cute that the news hopper immediately picks up on the vibe and asks if they're fighting. I'm gonna touch on this more later, but this is one of those moments where you really feel like they are a couple.

Also interesting to note that Hakumei has a "killer stare" when she thinks about work. It's very relatable to me, since I've been told i have an intense look when I'm lost in thought or worried.

Her heavy-duty work clothes are great and most of the chapter is her working inside the wind mill.

To her left is her boss Iwashidani/Iwashi, a weasel with a smoking habit and a soft spot for Hakumei. He might not look like it most of the time, but he puts a lot of trust in Hakumei and her skills.

It's exciting watching Hakumei do her job and i'm a big fan of Iwashi; but what sticks out for me the most in this chapter is this melancholic side of Hakumei we see at the end.

After her fall, she seems quite shaken and the torrential rain certainly isn't helping. It's rendered very intricately, with the fine white mist where it hits the characters, thin black lines streaking down from the sky and thick drops hanging off the two. The rain feels almost oppressive, the scene completely drenched.

After this moment, we don't see Hakumei's eyes until she's home again. For the entire way home, she ruminating on how to do better next time; until Mikochi snaps her out of it with a bath and some food.

I'm glad this chapter ends on a sweeter note, because watching Hakumei hang her head all the way home is really heartbreaking.

It's a nice detail that we see the bus stop in the beginning of the chapter, her commutes to and from work bookend the chapter in a way, they provide a certain symmetry.

Let's hope next week is a bit more cheery!

[purecommemasolitude]

finished the play script! some changes + some accompanying thoughts

steve straight-up doesn't exist in this version and it did take me until after the court scene to realize. sorry king

sandy does though! she appears onstage after pony gets jumped and in an added scene of tulsa while pony & johnny are off. not much is added to her character in terms of facts other than she's got a real rough home life, but the way her relationship with soda's written is sweet. they do make one notable difference about her though, specifically:

sandy doesn't get pregnant or cheat in this version?? rather, she can't take her home life anymore, and goes to florida because of that. she shoots down darry's offer to stay with the curtises because she "can't stay here" and then soda's offer of marriage for the same reason + because they're both sixteen

two-bit and dally are older than darry, but it only comes up in the character description and not the play text

a lot of ponyboy's internal narration is converted into dialogue and sometimes it is. very strange. ponyboy's a quiet kid who keeps a lot of his thoughts to himself and now here he is blathering mean thoughts about darry all over the place that people are not doing nearly enough to counteract ‼

speaking of which ponyboy seems a lot less understanding of darry's plight in this verison. he only has one line saying darry's life is rough and several others dismissing darry's troubles

(also soda has to explain to pony who paul holden is and why he matters, which i assume is for the audience's benefit, but still contributes to darry and pony's relationship being much more distant here)

bob & randy are now also the socs who jump pony at the beginning, which makes sense

rather than go to buck's, dally just happens to be in the area and see the murder -- which makes sense to streamline the story and avoid unnecessary transitions, but does make his relationship with the other two less strong

as previously mentioned there's a scene about the tulsa gang while pony & johnny are gone, which is the scene where sandy tells soda about how she's leaving.

two-bit and pony have their exchange about how darry's stricter than his parents were and then they cut it off literally right before two-bit says darry would be a soc without the gang which is upsetting to Me as a darry enjoyer

it starts with ponyboy calling mr syme which is a fine lead-in i guess but i vastly prefer the bookend line and the reveal that ponyboy's been writing the whole thing at the end

pony & johnny do nothing about their hair in this version which makes sense because that's a difficult transition onstage but does make their plan way worse lmao

the tone of ponyboy's post-sickness plight is wayy different. it's a lot less catatonic state and a lot more easy breezy i'll have to get a job as soon as i graduate so why not just drop out now elemayo

darry knows about sandy's letter and ponyboy doesn't which kind of. counteracts the whole point about how both of them have been overlooking him (ponyboy knows she's gone to florida but thinks they're writing back and forth and darry shows him the unopened letter)

and also there's not nearly as climactic of a fight that causes soda's breakdown. they don't even try to get him involved in the argument

honestly the whole vibe between the brothers rings weird in several places to me. save me the musical. the musical save me

the end shift post-soda breakdown is not even about the brothers but about ponyboy deciding to commit to writing his composition (and school, as is implied) and it's very tied up in a pretty, resolved bow, which feels weird also

other than these (and a few other minor things) the script sticks really closely to the novel, including ripping most of the dialogue word-for-word, so unlike something more textually transformative like the musical it's a lot harder to highlight good stuff because most of the good stuff is because of se hinton and not the playwright 😭but it was genuinely a fun read other than weird pony choices and the strange curtis vibe and i'd go watch a production for sure

link below for those interested!

[markantonys]

Maybe Nenya is gonna heal Adar, but his children will turn away from him? I really hope he doesn't die 😭

i was just thinking about this theory, you read my mind! it would be so cool to see adar healed back to his pre-corrupted fair elf form. show us Yassified Adar! but then if his children don't recognize him or think he's betrayed them and chosen to be an elf again...........😭😭😭

adar is 100% going to lose the orcs' loyalty at some point and in some way. but when and how?

on the one hand, sauron seems like he'll be too busy in ep8 to have time to get the entire orc race under his sway and there hasn't yet been any setup for him being able to do that since he hasn't made any contact with any orcs this season to start manipulating, so imo it would feel rushed for the orcs to fall under sauron's control already next week (unless sauron has some quick but effective dastardly scheme up his sleeve, which is always possible). especially since the trailer showed we'll be catching up with some of the non-eregion storylines too; idk if sauron will have time for much next week besides having his big confrontation with galadriel and getting his hands on the nine. and i've heard from source material experts that he might need to go to numenor to do some scheming next season (pls don't give me any more spoilers beyond whatever i say myself, i've already received more spoilers than i wanted lmao), so if that were to happen, it might not make sense for him to collect the orcs at the end of s2 and then leave them unsupervised for a whole season while he's dicking around in numenor. so i could see "sauron gaining control of the orcs" being a slower-burn storyline that won't come to fruition until a later season.

but there HAS been a ton of setup for the orcs being disillusioned with adar and turning on him, so i would be surprised if that doesn't happen next week (unless that is ALSO going to be a slower-burn storyline). so perhaps we get a scenario of the orcs turning on adar, but being leaderless for most of s3 and thus primed for sauron to swoop in and snatch them? or maybe glug and a faction defect from adar next week, but others remain with him, but there's a crack in the family now and the increasing fracture is a storyline in s3 that ends with adar losing all the remaining orcs? either way, 2x07 had very strong "pride comes before a fall" vibes for adar, so i can't shake the sense that he'll suffer a BIG fall in the finale.

but i do feel that having him end s2 betrayed and alone but alive is a viable possibility. the showrunners seem to like his character, and he's been a fan-favorite, so surely they'd like to keep him around longer if they can! and it's good to have an orc-aligned main character since they would otherwise be the only middle earth faction not represented among the main cast of characters, so in that sense adar occupies a very unique space in the narrative that it would be a shame to lose so soon. plus, the recast; in most scenarios, recasting is a last resort when the character absolutely cannot be written out of the show after the original actor leaves, so the fact that they recast adar instead of writing him out like bronwyn gives me a smidge of hope that they have plans for him beyond season 2 (although there are plenty of other unrelated reasons why they might have recast adar but not bronwyn, notably that it's probably easier to recast a character so heavy on makeup & prosthetics since it wouldn't be as jarring or noticeable to the audience, and so it definitely doesn't preclude s2 being the end of his story).

but we also can't ignore that choosing to have adar leading the orcs to turn on and massacre sauron be the very first scene of the season sets up VERY heavy foreshadowing for adar to suffer that fate himself in the season finale as a neat bookend. so i am frightened!!!!