#darn song is stuck in my head

[oddishblossom]

me on my way to pepper some steaks and purify the world with my baseball bat or whatever

[alfhildr-the-word-weaver]

The other night I had a dream that there was a hot new parody of the song Lump by Presidents of the United States of America. Tragically, I don't remember any of the parody lyrics beyond the chorus of "she's Lump, she's Lump, she's Lump" being replaced with "he's Trump, he's Trump, he's Trump".

[inverted-flowers]

I almost always have music going in my head. Usually it's a random section of a random song that pops in and/or repeats over and over. Could even be a song I don't even like! Well sometimes there can be more than one (by sometimes i mean at least half) and when this happens they'll do one of three things;

Switch back and forth (taking turns to drive me batty)

Play over top of eachother (not taking turns)

Merge.

Option 3 has occurred just now and it's presented me with the mashup of two songs I haven't listened to in quite sometime. So uh... imagine the intro of Thank You For The Venom by MCR into the intro of A Candlelit Dinner With Inamorta by Asking Alexandria.

What a mash up honestly.

[kissingwookiees]

poor little bug 🐛 on the wall… ding ching! 🛎️

no one to love 💔 him at all… ding ching! 🛎️

no one to tickle his toes… ding ching! 🛎️

no one to blow his nose… PBBHTT! 🤧

[skyward-floored]

Dawn part 4 analysis, here we go! At it again with my ramblings.

Starting off with THE GLORIOUS RETURN OF THE MAILMAN! The moment I saw the flag I was like :O HE’S BACK!!!

(I also got the blue’s clues mail song stuck in my head)

Hey look, it’s Warriors’ money! And the inkeeper who’s happily admiring the ridiculous amount of rupees Warriors now does not own!

Rip Warriors’ money. It will be dearly missed.

Also no vacancy?? I mean, it’s possible there’s other people staying there, or it’s just a small inn, but... it kinda looks like Warriors literally bought every available room there was. Mad lad.

I (like everybody else lol) took a crack at figuring out who’s signature was who’s, based on their respective game’s Hylian texts/scripts, order of when they got there, and the OG tags on the comic. So here’s my best guesses—

1. Time is first, which makes sense based on him being the one to take Twilight to the inn

2. Hyrule appears to be next— his games don’t have a written script, but the hylian here is close to Legend’s, so I’m assuming it’s his, based on the fact that he was part of the next group to get to the inn.

3. Four is who I’m least sure about I’ll admit, but seeing as how he came with Hyrule, (and he’s the only Link left I couldn’t identify at all), I’m assuming it’s his.

4. Warriors we know for sure, since the tags say this signature is his. He gets a shout out for being the only Link who can actually write in the lines.

5. Wind seems to be next, as his hylian is very close to what’s here (his signature partially obscures Warriors’ XD)

6. Legend is who I’m going with for this one, but I’ll admit it could be Wild’s since their script is pretty darn close. But once again, based on when they all got to the inn, Legend would make the most sense to be here.

7. Sky is definitely here. His hylian is very unique compared to the others (I think it’s my favorite)

8. Wild is probably next, but same case as Legend, they could be swapped. But once again, probably not, since Wild was the last to get inside.

9. Twilight bringing up the rear! His hylian is unmistakable, and it makes sense that he’d mark his name last. I don’t think he could handle it until he woke up that morning, though I do wonder which arm he wrote it with...

(Rip Mr. Mailman in trying to figure all this out)

Moving on!

It’s gotta be close to mid-morning by now based on the light, but Sky obviously does not handle waking up at dawn well. It’ll be interesting to see if he stays sleepy during the rest of this arc, or if he'll wake up a bit.

(Side note, Sky looks so soft and fluffy here, I want to hug him)

Sky is so relatable in this update, he’s got some serious “I have no idea what’s going on” vibes. That first one he's got such a deer in the headlights look XD

The mailman is just like “you! I’ve been looking for you! Great to see you!” and Sky’s just “I have never met this man in my life” (probably forgot he actually did see him once (because he’s sleepy))

Four letters, all different languages and dialects... I’m guessing at least one Zelda based on the seal on that blue letter (it seems fancier to me), but I don’t know about the rest. I would guess Malon for one, and maybe another Zelda? Warriors or Wild or Four’s Zelda maybe? Maybe Twilight got a letter from someone in Ordon, or the Resistance!

Only thing I do know is that there’s probably not one for Sky, since he wasn’t immediately like “letter for me! :D”

Four trying to do something nice and fix Wild’s sword and this guy just laughs at him, rude 😤 At least he didn’t make a short joke, which was honestly what I was expecting. I mean I get knowing that your equipment won’t be enough for the job, but sheesh.

(Also the blacksmith’s goggles look a bit like Gondo’s in skyward sword’s, plus the ones the rescue knights wear, thought that was interesting).

(Cool pose mode: engaged)

I love this panel!! They all decided to follow Four and help him out just like they did last time, fix the sword and get Wild a good, reliable weapon.

I’ve also never noticed how similar these guy’s hair looks before, especially Warriors and Hyrule’s— if Rulie’s hair was a little shorter and blonde, it would be pretty near identical. Very interesting...

(Plus Wind has the funniest expression, he's so cute)

We interrupt this rambly analysis to bring you a brief moment of me yelling about Warriors' smile ABHDGFSFKHSBBG LOOK AT HIM that stupid cocky grin and the way he's rolling up his sleeve I'm *swoon*

Four absolutely losing it over Warriors’ jab about teamwork is SO funny, Captain you have no idea how good your joke was. (also Four, bud, you good? Little hysterical there pal)

Also he looks so happy!!! Compare that to any of the faces he was making the night before, he's doing so much better. I’m so glad he’s happy and smiling now, even if it was just at a dumb joke :)

I don’t even have anything to say about this panel. Just look at it. Glorious.

And one last thing...

MULTILINGUAL WARRIORS HOLY CROW that's such a cool trait to give him, I am in love with it now that's awesome.

An amazing update as always, it was fantastic all around <3

[the-golden-comet]

✨🏴‍☠️OC Questionnaire Mega Tag 🏴‍☠️✨

Thank you so so much for all these OC Questionnaire Tags:

@tragedycoded here, @wyked-ao3 here and here, @jev-urisk here, @illarian-rambling here,

@oliolioxenfreewrites here, @drchenquill here, @pluppsauthor here, and @saturnine-saturneight here. Thank you everyone who has tagged me, and even if I don’t see your tag just know that I appreciate you a lot! (I found out that Tumblr doesn’t catch all the times I’m mentioned either. Feel free to DM me if you wanna chat or get added to my writing list! ✨)

Allllright let’s get started on these….who should I—

….Oh.

Cheers, mate! 🍻

Five Things that make you happy?

Benjamin, Rum, my ship, my mates, and blasting the smug grin off the faces of royals :)

If you could save just one other person who would it be?

Take one guess, mate.

Tell us one of your funniest jokes.

There once was a lad whose nose flew off from a point-blank shot. What did he say? “Tell us one of your funniest jokes.” No? Not laughing? Oh darn, I thought that was quite the knee slapper there. :)

Where would you like to visit?

Around the Caribbean Isles with my husband and crew. The waters should be good this time of year…

When do you usually go to sleep?

Well, depends….usually after Benji and I—

Benjamin: —STOP. 😡

Are you a jealous person?

Absolutely.

Have you committed a crime?

….Nah. ;)

Do you have a chore you absolutely hate?

Usually it’s the mates that do those, but cleaning the heads has never been a favorable chore for any of them.

Benjamin:…Not at all. 😑

Tell me an embarrassing childhood story.

I was spending a night in the slammer after Officer Ralph caught me pickpocketing. I tried using the butter from my bread at dinner to slip through the bars, and wound up getting stuck. Officer Ralph was none too pleased about that one, as he had to get out the hacksaw on the iron bars to free me.

Are you a good person?

I’m a pirate. Are pirates known to be good people?

Benjamin: You’re a pirate with a heart of gold, Peter.

Oh love, you’re gonna make me blush. I’ll remember that line next time I’ve pissed you off enough~

What's the worst thing you've ever done? Do you regret it?

…..Oh Gods. I don’t think I want to go there…

Benjamin: …It’s fine, Peter—

—it’s not. Back on Bloodwater Bay, I….I still wake in cold sweats to that scream.

Benjamin: It had to be done. I realize it now. You saved me….

….I may have saved you, but I’m no hero for that.

What's the quickest way to make you laugh?

Insulting parliament. Or robbing them blind.

What is your favorite song right now?

“The Wellerman” is right fun, it is. Never fails to make me break out in a jig with the mates.

Do you sometimes wish to be someone else?

Mmmmmmnope. Can’t say I do.

Do you push forward or take time to rest?

I’d take time in the islands to let my mates rest, but if I let my guard down for even a second it could spell disaster. I remain vigilant, even in slumber.

What is your favorite drink?

Ron de Barbados. A gorgeous, rich rum with earthy flavors and hints of vanilla. A kick of cinnamon spice, and a dash of hazelnut that tickles the tongue. A bottles worth about twenty grand, but you’d be a fool to think I’d purchase a bottle to enjoy its contents :)

If you had to pick an item of clothing or an accessory to wear for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It’d have to be my father’s tricorn. I’m honored to continue his legacy.

If you were forced to forget one memory, what would you choose?

Remember that thing I regret? On Bloodwater Bay? If I could erase that from my mind, I’d do so in a heartbeat. The day I nearly lost my husband is a day that still rests as a deep scar stitched across my chest, and perched there is the little red bird that I must protect at all costs.

What is a positive thing your worst enemy would say about you?

That I have guts. And I’m not afraid to spill them.

Thank you, Peter. 🏴‍☠️💛✨

Leaving this as an +open tag for anyone who wishes to join 💛✨

✨👇Tag list for writing snippets below. DM me if you’d like to get added 👇✨

Tag List for writing tidbits (lmk if you want + or -)

@deanwax , @dyrewrites , @paeliae-occasionally , @lychhiker-writes , @thatuselesshuman , @katenewmanwrites , @zackprincebooks , @fantasy-things-and-such , @finickyfelix , @billybatsonmylove , @madi-konrad , @froggy-pposto , @fractured-shield , @avaseofpeonies , @topazadine , @willtheweaver , @rivenantiqnerd , @somethingclevermahogony , @noxxytocin , @leahnardo-da-veggie , @mysticstarlightduck , @yourpenpaldee , @moltenwrites , @pixies-love-envy , @davycoquette , @writeahurricane , @nczaversnick , @lavender-gloom , @smellyrottentrees , @aintgonnatakethis , @thecomfywriter , @pluppsauthor , @flurrysahin , @authorcoledipalo , @jadeglas , @spookyceph , @astramachina , @48lexr , @differentnighttale , @inseasofgreen , @saebasanart , @leatafandom

[ravendruid]

#18 for any cr ship!!

Thank you so much for sending a prompt!! Sorry this one is a bit short, I hope you still enjoy it ^_^

Put On Your Rain Boots

(Read on AO3)

“Imogen, have you seen my—Imogen?” Laudna stops dead in her tracks at the threshold of the shoe-box bedroom she shares with the purple-haired woman. She could swear she heard Imogen in the room, but now that Laudna looks inside it, she can’t find her anywhere. Strange.

Imogen? She uses the telepathic bond the two share but the line is quiet. “How strange,” Laudna mumbles to herself. She turns her back to the room and returns to the small living room where their elderly landlady, Zhudanna, is knitting what looks like the beginning of a sweater. 

“Zhudanna, have you seen Imogen?” Laudna asks the woman. 

“Ah? Imogen? No, dearie. I haven’t.”

“Strange. I could swear–”

THUD!

The sound of something hard hitting wood interrupts Laudna. Zhudanna jumps in her chair and looks worried at the hallway leading to the bedrooms, but before she has the chance to say anything, Laudna is already using her spindly limbs to run in the direction of the sound. She didn’t know what to expect when she started running, but the scenario she finds was not it. 

Imogen is holding the back of her head, crying in pain on the floor while the lower half of her body is stuck underneath the old, ragged bed the two women share. When she looks up at Laudna, her freckled face reddens in embarrassment of being caught in this situation.

“Imogen!” Laudna cries out. She kneels on the floor and tries to pull Imogen out from underneath the bed, but to no effect other than getting her shoulder out of her socket. 

“Darn it,” Imogen curses. She rubs the back of her head again where Laudna sees a bump forming, then she mutters a few words and the bed levitates enough for Imogen to crawl back to safety.

Laudna immediately busies herself checking her friend for injuries, completely oblivious to her dangling arm, “Are you alright?” When she doesn’t find anything more than a bump on Imogen’s head, she sits down on the floor in front of the woman, taking deep breaths.

“I’m okay. Are you?” Imogen nods at Laudna’s arm. 

“Wha—oh! Yeah,” Laudna shrugs and puts the arm back in the socket as effortlessly as if she’s joining two pieces of a puzzle. “What were you doing under the bed?”

“I was looking for your rain boots,” Imogen rubs the back of her head again. Laudna almost wants to jump to look at it for the millionth time, but Imogen gives her a look. 

“How did you know I was looking for them?” Laudna asks, completely forgetting that Imogen can detect thoughts.

“I heard you think about how fun it would be to splash in the puddles since it doesn’t rain often. I thought we could go together.”

“Oh, Imogen,” Laudna sing-songs with a grin. “That would be so fun! Did you find them?”

It’s Imogen’s turn to grin as she lifts her hand and a pair of black, rubber boots with red ladybugs comes out from underneath the bed, followed by a pair of purple boots with lightning bolts. “Of course I did.”

“Let’s go then!” Laudna grabs the boots with one hand and Imogen with the other and drags them both out of the room, running past Zhudanna in the living room in a flush of purple and black, and onto the street to play in the puddles in a rare moment of relaxation.

[absolutebl]

BL Best of 2022 - quick picks

Best KBL: Semantic Error

Best Thai BL: Bad Buddy (remember for me this falls into 2022) 

Best JBL: this was the hardest pick for me because Japan came back SWINGING this year. So... I cheated. 

Best traditional live action yaoi? Minato’s Laundromat 

Best modern BL? Takara & Amagi 

Best for me, personally? Old Fashion Cupcake 

Best Taiwan BL: My Tooth Your Love although I really adored DNA Says Love You and About Youth, the one fudged the beginning and the other the end (both are still v HEA) so My Tooth was the most consistent. 

Best director: Kato Ayaka (Old Fashion Cupcake) she did a fucking phenomenal job, and yes she had two killer actors to work with, but I am such a sucker for those long shots plus the sensual foods close ups? GIIRLLLLLLLL. Gah! 

Best kiss: honestly we had so many good kisses this year I have multiple blog posts going on the subject. But I am handing it over to the one that stuck in my head the most, Billy & Seng’s up against that chain gate with the damn blue towel sticking out of his back pocket in Secret Crush On You. 

The desperation was just insane. But I might have given it to OFC if they hadn’t already won the director category. And I flipping LOVE the Kissable Lips boys BTS smiley kiss from 304: 100% should have been on screen for us.

Best erotic moment: The shower neck make out kiss from side couple RainPayu in Oh! My Sunshine night. 

Runner up: VegasPete and the “ass to waist ratio” kiss in their kinky chain scene. 

Best O scene: Oh the whole LITA special, they knew what they were doing. Doesn’t stop me being annoyed by the whole thing, tho. 

Best cuddles: I mean it should got to 12% because, well, ENDLESSLY spectacular cuddles from SantaEarth but for me it was Star in My Mind’s cuddle+glare. I love me a vicious little “mine” moment. 

Best eye contact/soulmating/eyefucking: FirstKhao in The Eclipse although Japan did great work with THIRST this year (bit more one sided, that one). 

Best cinematography: Cherry Blossoms After Winter, I know, I know, but you know how I feel about yaoi, nostalgia and cinematic storytelling. 

Best boohoo snot bubble I’m dazed and crying: Eternal Yesterday, every fucking episode, Choco Milk Shake (I hate you Strongberry, I love you Strongberry), To My Star 2 (I just hate you and you are not forgiven). 

Most beloved character: Shin MY PRECIOUS BEAN SPROUT 

Best Pair: The Parks although I am also crazy about the To My Star and Kissable Lips boys. I really want more from all of them. Madness that it’s all Korea. 

Best Ensemble: The Eclipse had a killer cast but I expect that from GMMTV. So for all it was a mess of a story Cutie Pie wins best casting from me. All 3 couples had such good chemistry. I don’t think any other multi-couple shows out of Thailand were that on point, not even KP. 

Best siblings//family: My Ride, gotta hand it to the gay uncles and all the queer friends and the adopted son. Although DNA Says Love You was pretty darn great too. 

Best Food: There were so many food ones this year (Ocean Likes Me, Old Fashion Cupcake, La Cuisine, but none were as good food-wise as Bite Me last year) so the one where I actually wanted to eat stuff the most? What Zabb Man. What can I say? I love sweets and ramen, but Thai food is my last best hope in life. 

Best song: Eternal Yesterday’s OST Sunshower by Ayumu Imazu. I can’t believe Japan beat out Korea but I am sorry I just really fucking adore that song. I’m sucker for that raw slightly rough voice combined with Japan’s brusque style (and PINK hair). 

But Leo’s I still from Happy Ending Romance is a close fucking follow up, that boy is dripping slightly-evil honey even in falsetto, he’s a perennially ignored goddamn gift to Kpop. 

I do A LOT of best of lists, this is just the beginning. Also if you have a request of a top 10 of 2022 or any best of... name the tope lists, let me know in an RP or a comment. 

(source)

[nikibogwater]

I watched The Last Unicorn (1982) with very, very little prior knowledge of the film. And I wasn't planning to, but I ended up taking notes because wow. This movie. It's something.

The very little prior knowledge I had was as follows: it's an old animated film about a unicorn and I've occasionally heard people talk about it fondly. That's it, that's literally all I had going into this thing. It was not nearly enough to prepare me.

Ohhhh I love the scenery! Man, nothing hits quite like a traditional hand-drawn backgrou--OH MY WORD WHAT IS THAT WHY IS IT MOVING LIKE THAT STOP IT

Ohhh, this is a Rankin-Bass production? Well, that explains the animation.

Yeah that is not a unicorn, that's a llama with a table-knife glued to its head.

Ooh, the opening credits play over a lightly animated medieval tapestry! That's so coo--aaaaand they picked the most 80's sounding song I can imagine to go over it, okay.

Yo this butterfly is stoned out of his little buggy mind, maybe he should get some rehab.

Love that it's not immediately clear what the "red bull" actually is yet. Is it a literal bull? Is it a raging fire? Is it the inescapable march of industrial progress?? Gotta stay tuned to find out. (edit: it was literally just a bull and I need to stop reading symbolism into every little thing).

Ok ngl, the "Man's Road" sequence was actually fire, despite (or perhaps because of) the 80's cheese.

Angela Lansbury!!! Man, she just ate this role. Who'd've thought Mrs. Pots could sound so threatening?

I would die for Shmendrick.

Oh that is a very lore-accurate harpy right there. (⊙_⊙;)

Love how the witch's carnival arc touches on the idea of truth vs. wishful delusion. There's a beautiful irony in a movie about a literal unicorn talking about the importance of staying grounded in what is real and truly beautiful.

No, seriously, I would die for Shmendrick. Protect this precious man at all costs.

Can we pretty please stop calling the witch Mommy

"That's my immortality!" eyo this witch is actually a great villain. Really wish she could've stuck around for the whole movie.

Awww, the unicorn is taking care of Shmendrick! That's so sweet! God knows he needs it.

Shmendrick: Run! We'll find each other later! *immediately gets captured*

Have I mentioned that I would die for Shmendrick.

I feel like the entire bit with the outlaws had a lot of connecting shots cut out for time because I really couldn't follow any of what was happening.

Hehehe...That tree looks like a butt. I wonder if they did that on purpo--WHAT THE HELL

*nervously glancing over my shoulder to make sure my family doesn't see me watching this*

Unicorn to the rescue!! Thank heavens.

"That was true magic." Then please don't ever do true magic again.

"How dare you come to me now, when I am this?!" H-hey, nobody told me this movie was gonna go that hard...

Mom-friend acquired! Just in time, too. Unicorn looked like she was getting real tired of being the only one with two brain cells to rub together.

Our heroes: *bracing themselves for what may be the darkest, most dangerous part of their journey* Freakin' Gerry Beckley from "America:" 🎵MOON RISIN'! DISGUISIN'!! 🎵 Gotta love that tonal dissonance.

Oooh hey the animation on the Red Bull is actually kind of good!

Molly: DO SOME MAGIC! Shmendrick: I CAN'T! Molly: YES U CAN I BELIEVE IN U Shmendrick: *does some magic* Molly: NOOOOO WHAT HAVE U DONE Molly I love you, but make up your darn mind.

Love that being turned into a human being is like, the worst thing that could ever happen to the unicorn. Yeah, being human is a pretty awful experience.

Boy there is just empty static behind Prince Lir's eyes. Homeboy doesn't have a thought in his head and probably never will.

Lir: babe look I got u a severed dragon head pls love me

Oh yeah. Marry this one, Unicorn. He's a keeper.

Molly: Shmendrick will help! Unicorn: I hope for no help from him. He is no magician now, but the king's clown.

GURL SAY THAT AGAIN! U KEEP DISRESPECTING MY BOI SHMENDRICK AND U WILL GET THESE HANDS!

The pirate cat is now my second-favorite character. I've known him for all of 10 seconds, but I love him.

He doesn't actually purr. He just says, "Purr, purr." I love him even more now.

"No cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer." Most accurate line ever put to film.

Unicorn, please marry Prince Lir, you well never find a purer source of Himbo Energy than him. Look at him, he's even singing badly for you, you gotta take this one.

"I mean you can't really be that ridiculous magician's niece--" BETRAYAL. OUTRAGE. SCANDAL. I DISOWN YOU, LIR, YOU FOUL SERPENT WHO SPEAKS NOTHING BUT FILTH. I HOPE THE UNICORN BREAKS YOUR STUPID LITTLE HEART

Dang. This guy voicing the skeleton is putting his entire heart and soul into that laugh.

Prince "I love whom I love" Lir will not be stopped even by the threat of potential bestiality. I'd say Husband Goals, but first of all, ew, and second, he insulted Shmendrick so he is dead to me.

"I wish to God I didn't care about anything but my magic, but I do!" Oh Shmendrick, honey... 🥺

Yooo, that transformation back into her unicorn form was actually sick. For a Rankin-Bass made-for-tv movie, this thing pulls off some surprisingly good animation every once in a while.

Yeah, kick his magical red butt, little unicorn! Go save your boyfriend and your family!!!

What is it with Christopher Lee and playing creepy old guys who get thrown off of towers at the end

Wait, no, I only sort of meant it when I said the unicorn should break Lir's heart, I didn't think they'd actually do it!

Molly ditched her outlaw husband to travel the world with Shmendrick and honestly, I'd do the same if I was in her place.

Oh wow. She chose to save her own kind and return to her forest even though she loved Lir. This is actually very bittersweet and--GOTDANGIT GERRY BECKLEY, NOT NOW!!!

Closing thoughts: This movie was an absolute trip and I'm probably going to think it was a fever dream I once had after some time has passed. It's also the only movie I can think of that I would actually want a remake/remaster of. The story was great, though it jumped around from place to place so quickly that it was sometimes hard to follow what was happening. I like the characters a lot (mostly Shmendrick tbh but they're all good), and I wish there had been more time to let them interact with each other. You can see the potential for chemistry between the different personalities, but it's stifled by moments of awkward voice acting and the strange, jittery character animation. With more time to breathe and better animation, this story would really be something amazing. I'm actually very interested in reading the original novel it was based on now, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on a copy. All in all, The Last Unicorn (1982) is a mind-boggling experience with surprisingly deep themes combined with what I can only assume is what you see when you're on acid. If you have any interest, I would highly recommend seeing this thing for yourself.

Yes. Even the Boob Tree. Please. I don't want to be the only one who is cursed to have that scene in my brain.

[aclowntiny]

Ska Day- Woozi x GN!Reader (Soulmate AU)

Word Count: 2.1k | Soulmate AU, Humor, Fluff | Warnings: none

Y’all on the poll said complete this 💁🏻‍♀️😂 Inspired by my often unshared love of ska lmao anyway wooahae enjoy this lowkey crack 😆 went to a ska show for one of my favorite bands like 2 months ago n it was so fun

It's hard to say what kind of day it's going to be when you wake up with a song about Canada stuck in your head. Jihoon wasn't even aware he knew a song about Canada, but there it was in his head, trumpets and all as he brushed his teeth. Lots of brass, actually, which he might have dug if it wasn't layered over the pop-punk guitars, too. Who writes a song like that?

When did Jihoon listen to a song like that?

He entered the practice room singing even the French bit under his breath as he swung the door open, AC sweeping in a chill wave toward him. "Canada oh Canada, I s'il vous plait..."

"Are you singing in French?" Mingyu asks him from his seated position on the shining polished floor.

"Don't get me started," Jihoon shook his head at the cursed mental brass, trumpet tune making it hard to get a clear thought into his mind. It was really catchy, too, darn it. Let’s go to Canada, let’s leave today…

“Who’s singing in French?” Jun chimes in.

“No one,” Jihoon sighs.

“Woozi-hyung,” chimes Chan.

“Why?”

“Let’s just practice,” Jihoon sighs, shooting the maknae his best ‘not another word outta you, Dino’ look.

~

The sweet, sweet relief when the Canada Song faded away, no longer stuck in his head. Jihoon put on one of his chillest samples as he sat down in the studio just to clear his ears like the coffee beans in cologne stores were supposed to, sinking into the leather of his chair after the strain of both dance practice and all the Canada. As the simple beat filled his brain, he sighed, preparing to add the next layer when…

…Another even catchier song entered his head. The backing guitar was similar, but overall the electrics were more prominent. The trumpets were even more rousing, the voice singing triumphantly about this and that all in English this time. Something about singing a song, ironically. Jihoon was very confident he’d never heard that song either, and this time it was far more vivid than simply having something stuck in your head. It was playing as if through headphones with the volume turned up, like God himself was trying to blast out the sampled beat he’d wanted to work with. Fine, then.

He turned it up. The music in his head turned up, too. He fought back with his chill beat. It fought back just as hard. You asked for it…music.

Jihoon had plenty of upbeat songs to work on, too. Closing the relaxing song-in-progress, probably something that would be going to the vocal team, he opened up one of the hip hop unit’s demos, the loudest one they had, and started playing that. It needed some fine-tuning before the next album anyway. Finally the trumpets faded out of his head as he got some work done, tweaking the autotune back to keep the members’ voices at the forefront. This time, neither the brass nor the guitars returned. Ha. Victory was his.

~

“What song is that?”

“Was I humming?”

“Yeah,” Soongyoung nods, “it sounds like a nice song.”

“It isn’t.” Jihoon crosses his arms as the music fades into his ears. “It’s just some song about a pool party.”

His friend smiled. “Sounds like fun. New concept?”

“No, it’s not mine.”

Soonyoung’s brows furrowed as he swiveled in his chair, clunking plastic sounds accompanying the motion. “Whose is it, then?”

His head fell into his hands. “I wish I knew.”

He spent the rest of the day ready to strangle Soonyoung, who liked the pool party song enough that he kept singing it long after it was done playing through Jihoon’s head.

~

A song about skateboards? Ok, kind of a good idea, just maybe not one so goofy. Had a trumpeter died and seen fit to haunt one Lee Jihoon for his musical proclivity?

Something was going on. This wasn’t natural. His dancing time was suffering unless he listened to the practice song in headphones. His lyricism failed him, other instruments blurring out his careful, sentimental mixes in whirlwinds of skateboards and time bombs and foreign countries. The songs could have been worse, in fact Jihoon was getting a bit too comfortable with the catchy one about something or other in school and singing, but in his line of work no one could afford distractions. Especially distractions that literally got louder every time he tried to drown them out as if they wanted him to know they hated him.

He excused himself from practice, slumping down against the wall with his chin in one hand, the other digging in his sweats pocket for his phone, praying Google would have some answers as to what would cause this.

A shadow fell over his vision. “Hey, are you ok?”

Glancing up, he saw Jeonghan standing over him, hands wringing in concern. “I know this has been a tense week for you, but the others were saying something about music? About singing in French?”

Jihoon sighed, sliding his phone back into the warmth of his pocket. He let it all fall out, all the brassy details of his past week rushing forth. How it started with feeling a song he’d never heard stuck in his head and continued into sometimes hours-long segments of invisible headphones tuning him into unfamiliar ditties.

“I- I feel like I’m going crazy.”

Jeonghan rested a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not going crazy. Have you considered that it’s your soulmate?”

“My soulmate is a bunch of disembodied ska?”

“No,” Jeonghan suppressed a laugh, “some people hear music when they’re close to their soulmates. It gets louder when it’s closer to your time to meet.”

Jihoon cocked a brow, shifting a bit on the hard floor. “Then why does mine sound like pool parties and Canada?”

“I’m…not even going to ask what that means,” Jeonghan shot back, hands steepled, “but you hear what your soulmate is listening to. They’ve probably been hearing bits of our practice or anything you’re working on.”

“A-ha!” Jihoon finally lit up. “That’s why it stopped when I worked on the hip hop demo!”

“Maybe they were listening,” Jeonghan confirmed with a smile.

“My soulmate,” Jihoon shook his head in disbelief, partially having believed he wouldn’t have one as such a recluse, “my soulmate who probably thinks I’m a rapper now. And who listens to…” He pulls google back up to the page with the pool party song artist. “A band with a bunch of grown men who dress like superheroes.”

Jeonghan squinted at the image on the proffered phone, a bunch of spandex-top-clad men in dynamic poses holding their instruments, eyebrows raising. “Those guys look like dorks.”

“I think it’s comedy? They have a song about pizza too. And aliens. And skits on youtube.”

“Well, I guess opposites do attract. Have you tried following the music?”

The jaw drop was practically palpable. “Following it? I’ve been running away,” Jihoon chuckled.

“Well, it’ll only get worse until you find the person, you know,” Jeonghan lowered himself into a seated position at his side, “so if you want no more brass, I’d suggest-”

“Running around like a chicken with my head cut off.”

“I was actually going to say ‘leaving the Hybe building for once in your life’, but that works too. Who knows,” the older singer shrugged, “maybe it’ll get louder. Maybe it’ll stop on someone you really like. Your soulmate could just be a friend, you know. A friend of mine’s soulmate is her best friend and both girls are straight.”

“Alright,” Jihoon puts his hands up, “alright. I’ll do it, I’ll find them just to get the music to stop.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jeonghan offers, standing up and holding out his hand.

Ignoring the hand, Jihoon stands up on his own. “What, for the show?”

“For moral support! …but yes, also for the show. I can’t wait to see what your soulmate looks like,” Jeonghan grins.

~

After rinsing off and changing out of sweaty practice outfits, the dual vocalists exited the Hybe building to the sound of trumpets…well, if you were Jihoon, that is. It really was like he was the unwilling recipient of a mostly-ska music subscription directly, forcibly installed into his brain.

The light outside was harsh for someone like him who wasn’t used to it. Even Jeonghan blinked a bit as they made their way onto the sidewalk, skirting around a planted tree.

“Ok, we’ll start with going this way,” Jeonghan said, “tell me if it gets quieter or louder.”

Jihoon felt his frown tighten, which made Jeonghan laugh. “Let me guess…we’re getting closer?”

He laughed again at the dry nod he was given in response, pointing down the street where they’d turned left. “Then we keep going that way.”

They passed about five buildings before the sound was practically unbearable, every brass note an echoing assault on Jihoon’s cranial walls despite the considerable skill of their players. Hey, assaulted or not, he was a musician at the end of the day, one who had to respect the lungs on a fellow wind or even brass player.

Looking up from the blare, he saw a bookstore of all places. "This is it," he nodded toward the doors at Jeonghan before disappearing inside.

Mazelike walls of grey shelves bearing rainbows of books greeted him, but Jihoon didn't need to go far for the music, this new song an entirely different man and woman singing about gas in a car in a rapid-fire chorus, drowned out all perception. Tables sporadically dotted the area, and one of the closest ones drew him like a magnet, bringing him closer and closer...

...Until like an act of mercy, the sound abruptly stopped, Jihoon's eyes fluttering closed in sweet relief, a laugh almost escaping him at the returned use of all his cranial real estate. Relief was all he felt, the relaxing sensation washing over him hard enough to keep him frozen there, all but forgetting where he was until a voice cut him off.

"Hi, did you need something?"

Descending back to reality, Jihoon opened his eyes and fixed them upon the speaker, the lone occupant of the table he'd stopped at sitting there with a laptop. Call it a rush of sentimentality, but the first thing he noticed about you was the kindness of the smile on your face as you removed your headphones.

That wasn't what he came there for, though. "What are you always listening to that music for?" He asked.

"Uh, I'm a music major?" You responded, head tilted and tone questioning. Kind of cute.

"And you listen to ska?"

"I like it," you defended with a shrug, "and besides, I'm writing my thesis on the influence of ska on various sides of counterculture like its greater punk umbrella and the serious topics it can be used to convey through the light style, like faith, how people judge your views based on their expectations of your expression of them, or even feelings of self-doubt and fear of judgement that are conveyed in one of the most famous songs. The singer himself has even talked about how his social anxiety inspired the lyrics, which many agree really exemplify a human experience."

The concept of his soulmate being a scholar, or even just being a real non-psychopathic person, had barely occurred to Jihoon in light of all the trumpet torture, but now that you were before him, his ire was rapidly melting away, weeks of beating himself up over diminished performance replaced by the one stronger feeling: sheer curiosity.

"Oh, wow. I had no idea, and I'm a producer."

Your face lit up with surprise. "You're a producer?"

He just hummed and nodded.

"I'm really more interested in songwriting, but that all goes hand-in-hand," you said, "but hey- how did you know what I was listening to?"

There it was. The reason Jihoon had taken to, in the words of one Yoon Jeonghan, who was perusing books two tables away, 'leaving the Hybe building for once in his life'. "I've been hearing practically nothing but for, yeesh, how many weeks now?"

"You're the guy listening to all the kpop songs over and over?"

"It's my job."

"And that rap demo?"

"Also my job."

"It really threw me the first time my sound got interrupted."

"Yeah, think how I felt," Jihoon remarked drily, meeting your eyes.

Several heartbeats passed before you burst out with a laugh, and something about the sound of it coupled with the tail end of the relief wave was so infectious Jihoon found himself laughing, too.

"Here," you waved a hand over a chair, "sit down and I'll play you another Skankin' Pickle song."

"Another excuse me?"

"'90s ska band."

Brass-filled 'Nam flashbacks. "I'm good."

"Well, now that I've suggested something worse," you grinned, sending some part of Jihoon's heart flipping, "hopefully it'll sound better if I ask my soulmate whose name I still don't know on a date."

[phosphorus-noodles]

list 5 songs you like to listen to, publish, then send this message to 10 other people

(I am so so sorry I know how annoying tag games can be but I hath been tagged 😔😔😔 no pressure tho)

ohh that's hard... hmm

pink pony club by chappell roan. basic rn but it's a bop

lucky people by waterparks. the au oli love song ever,

inertia by ajr. been stuck in my head

a world alone by lorde. gives me au playlist thoughts...

passing papers by egg. i need to finish that gosh darn animatic

i listen to a lot of songs by a lot of those artists but those are the ones that i never skip on my variety playlist lately <3

[galavant-song-tournament]

Round 2

Propaganda:

it’s one of my favorites and constantly gets stuck in my head. the recap, the dancing, the brady bunch, the breaking of the fourth wall, it’s got everything

Galavant was always self-aware but this song lets us know the fourth wall is going down, hard.

A New Season really leans into the meta elements of the show and is hilarious. Also, it really fuels my belief that if galavant was ever renewed the necromancy jokes would be top teir

“Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but four pirates walked the plank last week. Middle of the ocean. Just walked right off”

Hilarious

Great intro to season 2

Richard and Galavant’s buddy-ship is the greatest thing ever

Gotta love a good fourth wall break, right? The dramatic swell at the end as they list a bunch of shows up til “Give into the miracle that no one thought we’d get!” is a favorite of mine. Also love how the music changes slightly for each group of characters as we check in on them (and the big change at the bridge for Isabella.)

Propaganda:

I Love You As Much As Someone Like Me Can Love Anyone has that excellent Spanish dance flair, and is also pretty darn good early characterization for Magdalena

BANGER. aro anthem.

[frogmoisturethief]

dude

Jack Manifold and Slimecicle ylyl 14:49-18:24. that gosh diddly darn bone bit has been stuck in my head like a catchy song. specifically 16:58 has been playing very clearly every so often in my scary scary brain

every noight I heær yuou 👁️_👁️

[escapetheslaughters]

It just dawned on me.....you like Elara so you put a ring on her. And now the song lyric line for that is stuck in my head......darn it.

Well she's definitely no single lady.

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! Last one of the year! There are so many amazing shows I listened to this year--Gastronaut, Kakos Industries, Madame Magenta, Dungeons & Daddies, Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later, Bronzeville, Deviser, Ghosts in the Burbs, The Silt Verses, Fall of the House of Sunshine, The Ballad of Anne and Mary, Eliza: A Robot Story, Eeler's Choice, Hemophobia--this list isn't even comprehensive! But here is what stood out to me this week. (As always, some spoilers follow.)

🦸‍♂️ I've had Superhuman Public Radio on my radar for a while, but I finally got a chance to listen to it this week. For lack of a better way of putting it, the structural integrity of this show is flawless. It sounds exactly like listening to NPR, and it's funny and clever with some really incredible worldbuilding. It's everything I like about listening to local news without the stress of it being local news that affects me. I love it.

✨ I'm also new to Breathing Space, but the Firefly vibes are off the charts. I love any story that is basically just Anticapitalists in Space, but the western vibes of this really make the stories hit home. I especially liked S1E2, "A Rat Among Falcons," because who doesn't love a scruffy nobody being incorporated into a found family? S1E5, "The Salvage of the Valentina Tereshkova" was also a really excellent space horror story. I can't wait to see what they do next. And that theme song tho, right??

❤️‍🩹 @thefringespod has been making incredible use of their new full cast, and I love the twist that this season is driving home--it's not a story presented to you, the listener, it's a tragedy that the mute second character is helping to undo. The softness of the family that Pine Gonzalez spent the whole first season describing comes through beautifully in the work of the actors.

🌊 Modes of Thought In Anterran Literature is always a little bit unnerving, but this week our professor faced the horrors of...rich people. Like, REALLY rich people. "You're already paying for private security?" Absolutely chilling conversations. There was a headline this week about a bunch of Silicon Valley millionaires trying to start a utopia in the desert, which works great all the time of course, and I thought of Anterra, tearing itself apart, and about the professor, who doesn't exactly make great choices, tearing himself apart too.

🐺 Things are getting very scary on Palimpsest! Is this a werewolf season?? It is VERY gothic, which is fun in a Jazz Age setting. It feels incongruous, which just adds to the horror. The quiet build of Palimpsest never disappoints me.

📦 Bless those children on @storiesfromylelmore, they're so darn good. ItMe has always been excellent at writing along the span of human nature, and seeing them do it with the three kids in Stories from Ylelmore is wonderful. Of course, a lot of the credit has to go to ItMe's flawless line delivery too. The kids feel very real, even while they're delivering magical packages from a bookstore to the head of the local witch coven.

🐦 The Amelia Project's Twelve Days of Christmas thing has been so funny. I half hope we never find out who's tormenting Alvina. The only downside is that now I have the song stuck in my head constantly, and seeing that it's like, the second-worse Christmas song, this is a problem. The show's worth it, though.

🕯️ What should appear in my podcatcher this morning but the second episode of Flickers! I was intrigued by that first episode, and this second one is really bringing home the isolationist horror. I can't wait for the next installment.

👽 Among the Stars and Bones is coming back! It's coming back this month! This is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi shows, everyone, if you're not on board yet then GET WITH IT, because this next season is guaranteed to blow your mind.

That's what I've been listening to! Here's what's going on with me:

🧟‍♀️ The Dead has been posting episodes from its second series, Ephemeris, which I wish we could have spent more time on, because the premise is so good. Zombies. In. Space. My gosh. David Ault and Kayla Temshiv in particular are killing it on this story. It'll be a few weeks before our next story premiers, but I'm REALLY excited about that one. Tune in!

Finally, the most important news...

💚Inn Between Returns on Wednesday!🏹

AAAAAAAAAAAAA

I am THRILLED about season five. The cast is killer, the story is fantastic, everyone's bringing their A-game, and I can't wait for you to hear it.

That's all for me! Happy New Year everyone!

(If you like what I do, I'd love it if you could send me a ko-fi! Especially since my car just frikkin. Died. So rude of it. Thanks!)

[acutiewithagun]

Birthday present for @oleander-nin

Balloons Pop

You pushed against his arm as he snickered and blew that gosh darn noise maker in your face again. He laughed as you stuck your tongue out at him and stood up. "One minute party person, we gotta finish filling up these balloons!"

You wanted so badly to smack that smug look off his green face. But you begrudgingly flopped down onto your place on his mattress. "You blow that noise maker in my face one more time and the party is off."

Leo gasped dramatically as a small smile cracked from your lips. "I honorably remembered your special day and offered so graciously to set up a party with you. And you're threatening me!? Blasphemy!" You laugh before blowing up another balloon and tying it off. "Surprised you know such a big word."

Leo playfully kicked you as you started blowing up a balloon. Which caused your hands to release the partially filled elastic joy maker to fly around the room. You rolled your eyes and stood up to acquire the ballon.

Picking it up off the floor you looked back at your red slider companion. He had the biggest dopey grin that made you smile and shake your head. "Alright you dope, what's up?"

The blue codded turtle simply shrugged and gracefully fell backwards onto his bed. You walked back over to the bed and sat down, going back to blowing up balloons.

Suddenly you shriek as he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you back. You start laughing as you start pushing his arms off of you. In turn he deviously smiled and hugged you tighter.

That led to no party actually happening as you and Leo just messing around. Blowing up balloons and letting them fly to see how far they would go. Tickle fights and streamer battles. Oh, and don't forget Leo accidentally trapping you in a portal loop as he laughed his butt off. Don't worry he helped you with your vomit, kinda. You also had to help him with his as well.

By the end of the evening you both were laying on his bed and telling cringy dad jokes. After laughing at an incredibly awful one you turned your head to look at your blue banded buddy. Your gaze widened slightly with surprise.

He was just laying there, no smugness, no cocky attitude, just a genuine smile. Humming, he placed a hand on your head. "Happy birthday, I'm glad I got to spend this one with you."

A bit shocked at the sudden seriousness from your friend you didn't notice the encroaching hand that pushed your head down. Leo laughed at your response and quickly bolted up. You followed quickly after him with a pinata bat, noticing a box on his shelf you'd never seen before.

You shook it off as you heard the annoying jokester sing the birthday song. You smiled mischievously and hurried off after him, leaving the train car he called a room.