#does a silly little boogie

[fluffle-writes]

Okay okay time to get back into the swing of things! Game plan: finish the next chapter of Small Stars and Unfamiliar Skies, work on drafts that should have been finished last year, reply to newer stuff in the inbox. I can do this! Whoop!

[stellarhistoria]

heads up, luka's flirting again-

[localceilingdevil]

i believe I've posted this to twitter before so hello again to anyone who has seen them there

this is guts. we love guts. he has rabies.

yes this is what he does when he feels threatened. a silly little boogie.

song is garbage wastes - threat

[carletes]

lando and carlos post barcelona gp 2024 because i want to forget that race :(

They were sulking. It wasn’t a judgment, just an observation. Carlos had tried very hard to be optimistic, making sure he was smiling for the crowd, trying to be as gracious as possible.

Lando, on the other hand, was not precisely proficient at grace, at least not when it came to giving himself grace.

So, when her sons showed up at Reyes’ hotel room, hand in hand, ready to go to dinner with the biggest, saddest eyes in the world, Reyes made a split-second decision:

“We are going home to Madrid.”

It was, Reyes thought, good to have two sons who could get such easy access to a private jet. Lando and Carlos only protested a little, but Reyes was a mother so she knew how to sound firm and a little scary while still cooing. Within the hour, they had located her husband, packed up, and gotten into the jet. Reyes let them sulk some more, there, whispering at Carlos to let Carletes and Lando sit towards the back together. Sometimes you just needed to mope through it, and misery loves no company better than that of its spouse.

Reyes had been miserable alone enough to know the truth of that. She reached for her husband’s hand and he squeezed it, an instant response. She smiled; she loved her husband and regretted nothing. But she was happy Carletes had fallen in love with someone who shared the lifestyle.

When they landed, Carlos and Lando did look a little better. She had caught snippets of their discussion:

He’s been on one all weekend…

I just don’t know why he would think…

You’re almost done, baby, and then…

You did so well, amor, please don’t…

Ay, but she missed Carlos’ days with McLaren. And Lando had been just too cute. She sighed, and Carletes’ ears perked up.

“Mama, ¿que pas��?”

“No preocupa, hijo, mira a tu esposo.”

He was all too pleased to comply. Lando’s ears turned red and he smiled shyly at Reyes.

Oh, she loved her boys.

They had eaten on the plane but Reyes had still made some arrangements. When they got home, there were Boogie Burgers on the kitchen counter, and it was worth it to see Carlos light up and Lando laugh.

“You’re such a kid.”

“Ay, no, these are good burgers for adults!”

“Yeah, that’s what a kid would say.”

They bickered while they ate, and Reyes noted with satisfaction how Lando’s shoulders relaxed over time, how their laughter became more squalling and silly and, well, their own. She and Carlos stayed with them for a little while, but soon enough it was time to go to bed.

Reyes kissed her sons goodnight, hugging them both a little extra long. She put her face in Lando’s curls and felt the same warmth she did from hugging her other children. She caught Carlos looking at her, his eyes big and shiny, and shrugged.

“None of you had this hair.”

Lando laughed and murmured, “Thank you, mamá.”

Ah. It never got old.

Still, when they retired, Reyes lingered in the stairwell just for a moment.

“I’m glad we’re here,” Lando said, the smile bright in his voice. She heard a shuffle, and knew Carlos had wrapped Lando in his arms.

“She loves you,” Carlos said. “I’m so glad.”

“I know she does,” Lando said, shy yet confident. “I love her too.”

And Reyes, eyes sharp with tears, went to bed happy.

[theclod3215]

My piece for the Malevolent Big Bang 2023! ( @malevolentbigbang )

Image ID in alt and under the cut (with some extra silly doodles!!)

It was an absolute honour to work with everyone on @organchordsandlightning ‘s fic!! It’s such an amazing story, I couldn’t recommend it more!! (I might have cried a bit)

You can read it here!

[ID: Digital art of Arthur Lester sitting cross-legged holding a golden haired baby, presumably Emily McFarland, swaddled in a golden blanket. Arthur, or rather John, is gazing down at her lovingly, tears running down his face. He is sitting against a stone bricked wall, with dark vines crawling towards him and blood splatters behind and on him and Emily. /End ID]

Unofficial doodles I made to try to come up with ideas! (Also cuz I went a little insane over the fic for a bit)

[Image ID: Screenshot of a Procreate canvas tinted a light cream. Several monochrome (excluding a blush applied to each figure) digital sketches of John Doe and Arthur Lester cover the canvas. John is portrayed as a large (in musculature) man with dark prominent eyebrows, a curved nose, a stubbly goatee (only on the chin) and yellow eyes with slight wrinkles underneath. He has dark hair styled similar to the ‘Fa��on’ hairstyle, though more messy and swooping/fluffy. He is also lightly shaded in.

Arthur is portrayed as a slight man with very messy hair reminiscent of the cut of the ‘contour’ hairstyle (but with no gel and grown out slightly). He has a moustache and prominent eye bags as well as many [canon] scars. His scars include: a nick on his right eyebrow close to his eye, a long thin scar along his neck, a large, messy, scraping scar on his right jaw and cheek, his wooden right pinky (sometimes not depicted on accident), and various other bodily scars. From left to right the sketches are as follows:

The top left sketch is of Arthur, in a plain white button down, seemingly laughing affectionately and looking downwards.

The next sketch is of John, in a button down, tie, vest and slacks, as he looks down at a bundle in his arms (the baby, or, Emily McFarland) with an anxious expression with wide eyes. The caption reads: “You are” [crossed out] “He’s a Dad!! (Boogie Woogie Woogie!!”

The next drawing is a design sketch of John, in the same clothes as before. He is looking to the right with a serious expression, eyebrows drawn together. The caption to the right of John says: “John’s Human Body.” The notes read as such: “In Arthur’s POVs, Just a silhouette w/ eyes”[pointing to the sketch].

The next is a series of four(4) drawings. The first being a darkened silly here of a figure (John) in a doorway, holding the door open with the caption “ominous.” The second is another sketch of John, still in the doorway, but now visible and this time in a tank top and sleep shorts, with messy hair, more stubble and an exhausted expression. There is a speech bubble reading, “Can I come in?” attached to him. A caption is to the right, also attached to the next drawing, and says, “same energy as:” the next sketch is in a simpler chibi-like style compared to the last, though it reflects the same moment from a different angle, with John saying a bit more pitifully, “Mom, I frew up.” The last sketch in the series is of Arthur, in the simpler style, looking as if he just woke up, with an exhausted and exasperated expression, squinting forward, as he hunches over and balls his hands into the blankets. The caption with an arrow pointing to him says, “Thought he was done w/ midnight invasions after Faroe”

In the upper middle left, there is one drawing of John, in button down and vest, anxiously clutching his chest/shirt, with wide eyes and a frightened nervous expression. The caption with an arrow pointing to him reads, “Look what you’ve done,,, you’ve given him anxiety”

The lower middle left contains another series of three (3) drawings, in the simpler style, starting with one of John. He is wearing a dark suit with a light button up and trench coat. He is looking at someone slightly off camera with a pleading look not unlike “puppy dog eyes” and is saying, “Could I take a cab?” The next drawing in the series is of Arthur, wearing a suit, tie and button down, with a confused look on his face, the caption reading, “*processing *” The next drawing is the continuation of the last, but Arthur is angry and flushing, his hands in the air as he shouts, “I’M NOT A CAB, JOHN”

The next sketch is of Arthur, in the last outfit, with his right hand on his hip and his left doing ‘jazz hands’. He is grinning smugly , his eyebrows raised high above his dark sunglasses. The caption around him reads, “Best Detective in ✨Arkham✨”

The very last sketch on the canvas, in the bottom left corner is of a cop (no discernible features except a hat, button down, and mouth) talking to Arthur, who looks resigned but pained. The cop says, “Man, this guy has shit luck” /end ID]

[aurae-rori]

AVENTURINE TRAILER ANALYSIS - THE GOLDEN TOUCH

SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT & AVENTURINE’S TRAILER! 

TW FOR VERY VAGUE SUICIDE MENTIONS. 

Hey girlies, hold still. On another note, hello again! I will be going through visual analysis, symbolism, and talking about how this trailer ties multiple aspects of Aventurine’s character together. Some of the things covered here I will be covering in my full analysis of Aventurine himself, so feel free to give that a shot. 

My disclaimer! Although I have been researching psychology personally for about six years, I am NOT a professional. (Yet. When I do, Tumblr Will Know.) Any conclusions I come to are because of my own deductions, personal interpretations, analysis, and logic. You are free to disagree with what I say! 

I also do NOT know card numbers and symbols – what they mean and symbolize and all that jazz. Sorry guys. :( 

Now, let’s get into it. 

First of all, let’s fucking go, let this man ENJOY himself (well. A little. This trailer is not as happy silly as it seems, just like the character himself.) He gets to have a silly boogie woogie! Look at you go!! (He is not boogie woogie-ing.)

Second of all, time for game theories.  

The first scene is really pretty. It’s a coin falling down, toppling against a few stray objects before we flash to the next panel, the ground, as it rolls to the feet of a young boy. Gently, he reaches down, before picking it up, and then, in true Aventurine fashion, proceeds to flip the coin in his hand. However, this gesture actually holds more meaning than I originally thought it did. The coin that Aventurine has seems to transcend his definition of ‘time’ – his inherent ‘value’, or his ‘roots’, never changing. It also shows his connection to his younger self – how he’s still holding onto that child, still connecting to that child, and showing that this child is still a part of him, even if it’s only his past self. 

I believe that the coin that he always has flipping around actually represents Aventurine himself – it represents his ‘value’ as a gambling chip. In Aventurine’s eyes, interpersonal relationships are just like that – they are gambles, where people take advantage of one another and backstab each other. However, it also represents how little he seems to care for his own life – he tosses the coin around, does tricks with it, and is overly flamboyant – just like how he presents himself to the outside world. This single gambling chip is actually the presentation of how Aventurine sees himself and presents himself to everyone else, as well as encompasses his worldview – bet himself, going ‘all in’ with his own worth, or doing nothing. That worth has been with him his entire life – the worth of being a child blessed by a God from his home, being blessed with good fortune. 

Also, sick ass transition. Love that shit. 

Pay attention to the next scene – there’s a brief moment where it shows him walking through a hallway… through the lens of a camera. This could definitely be alluding to the idea of always being watched – I mean, he’s the last of his own race, of course there’s going to be eyes on him. People are going to be asking questions - how is he still alive? Why is he with the IPC? Can he be trusted, considering his race was known for scheming and plotting? 

And then, he tosses open the door in a grand display – a grand display of his fake persona. He opens the room to a whole bunch of robots, who are all gambling, and they stare at him in surprise. That’s Aventurine – flamboyant, showy, confident. He holds a captive audience and all of the others move to the side as he strides towards the slots machine – and as predicted, due to his good luck, he gets three in a row. However, what I think is important to note is that he slides his coin into the machine – and remember what I said about the coin representing his worth? This is what I mean by he bets himself. He is just another gambling chip that he will use to achieve victory no matter what. He is another pawn on the table who has made his way this far, and it’s all or nothing – his whole worth, or not worth the gamble at all. 

Also, at 0:42, we see a briefcase open up to reveal a gem – definitely a callback to the 2.1 trailblaze quest with his moment with Ratio. Damn, gay people. 

Then, after that, he slides many chips towards the table – and interestingly enough, they’re all copies of his one singular chip. This, your honour, is what we call a ‘bluff’. Pretending to be more than you are in order to appear more confident so that your enemies will fear you. Pretty good strategy, honestly. 

Also, cool editing with the machines falling into the Void of Cards. Maybe symbolism for how people fall into his persona easily and fall for his schemes? 

Epic ahh pose, 0:54. Love that for you, my silly homosexual lad. 

Also, him in the elevator going to the top at around 1:02? That means more than you think it does. Probably most likely a representation of how he had to crawl his way from the bottom to the top, and yet, now, it’s showing that he is at the top now. He takes an elevator instead of having to climb – he’s gotten higher, he’s gotten more status. His ‘all or nothing’ mentality pays off. 

And then, he’s set into an arena. Representation of life, honestly. His whole life is a stage, a play, something to be watched. He’s here to put on a good show. He’s being watched, which is a callback to my note about the camera at the start. 

Then, the horrors are set loose. He does his gambling stuff with the cup in his hand while he dodges the monsters. That’s him, alright – taking gambles in dangerous situations, relying on his luck, smiling through what should be terrifying. 

“The wager will be life and death,” but oh, that’s your usual wager, Aventurine. We all know how you have self-destructive tendencies. 

1:42. Hand behind his back. Oh lord, we all died. We all know what the hand behind his back means. We all know how much emotional damage that caused. 

1:46. The dice cracks. Just like his cornerstone, eh? Just like his façade, right…? :) 

And then, everything is drowned in gold coins. Yay! 

And then, he’s standing on a ledge. Possibly a callback to how he said that he had “tested death” in the dreamscape. What better way to test it than jumping? 

And then his enemies are drowning in coins. Probably a metaphor for his win against them. 

And then, here is where things get interesting at the two minute mark. He tosses his coin down, again, like at the beginning of the trailer. Kakvasha flipped the coin up, trying to get higher, and then, Aventurine tosses the coin down, keeping his connection with his younger self. It falls down to the ground, and Kakavasha picks it up with awe in his eyes. He’s still keeping in mind his younger self, still keeping him with him, even to this day. Holding onto his past like a lifeline. 

Aventurine’s trailer… while it does seem on the surface that you’re having fun, you’re really not, when everything is a show and a gamble, right? 

Alright, thanks for reading, everyone! :) 

[polyshipweek]

Polyship Week '24 - Day Four Prompts

We are four weeks away from #PolyshipWeek24, and it’s time to take a closer look at the prompts!

Day Four

Aro/Ace & Polyam Aro- and/or ace-spectrum characters are welcome any day of the week, but this prompt is all about the aromantic and asexual experience within polyamory! Show us your blorbos finding partnerships that are shaped to be exactly what they need. Celebrate all the unique ways attraction manifests — or doesn't — within your polyship. Or explore a new a-spec headcanon for a favorite character!

Promises Big and small, serious and silly, kept or broken — this prompt is all about the promises, vows, and oaths within your polyship. Perhaps they're writing wedding vows, or perhaps they're just swearing that this time they'll definitely remember to take out the trash. How do they handle the promises they just can't keep? How does it feel to see a promise made true?

Time Travel Bring us your timey-wimey-est ideas! Time loops, fix-its, journeys to the past or adventures in the distant future — there's time for all that and more with this prompt. Maybe you'd like to drop your crew into an alternate universe set in a different point in history. Or maybe you'd like to re-imagine your polyship as the crew of a futuristic exploration mission. Or maybe they're stuck repeating the same day over and over until they're all on the same page. Whatever the adventure, we want to see it!

Let's Dance Put on some music and let's see those blorbos boogie! Who can't wait to hit the dance floor? Who has two left feet? Who's the line dance enthusiast of the squad? Whether dancing the night away at a ball, performing as a world-class ballet troupe, learning some new moves together, or just having a sweet little party in the living room, show us your polyship cutting a rug.

As a reminder, feel free to make any kind of fanwork for any of the prompts, mash them up, or do your own thing entirely. Check out the 2024 Masterpost for the full prompt list!

[rin-and-jade]

'Tis My Cue?: A Post on (system) Triggers | PART 2

Here's a little warm up. Anyone knows the answer for 2 + 2 ? It's 4, right. But you didn't think on how you get the answer, you just knew. Another one, you were on recess and time's up, so you calmly go back to your work/class and stopped kidding around. How did you learn this signal? Yeah... talk about that, Boss.

--

Yippie--part two is here! IF you haven't read the first, here is the link. The first trigger post is more focused on trauma based, fight and flight response,, the second one will truly delve on the process and how triggers affect switches even deeper.. discussing how the subconscious plays a role on making this possible.

TLDR section: Fast Pass Available! Scroll most bottom.

No need for introductions, right?

We already knew that triggers means sparking a fuse--particularly an emotional reaction, which part one explained in-depth. In addition, triggers can also evoke certain memories and actions that were previously learnt.

The types, followed by previous terms, that are most often successful in triggering parts are: Dynamites (thoughts), Landmines (environments), and Grenades (interoception)

Here on, we will only focus on this specific kind of trigger, why they're often strong to evoke a reaction that causes a switch, and short elaboration on the process of shifting through different states of alters.

Bare in mind that these triggers, although usually most successful on facilitating switches, will not mean you would have a 100% guarantee at all times.

The other meaning of a trigger

Outside of the common usage of this word which is often used to create warnings (abbreviation like TW) that is used to prevent negative thoughts from resurfacing, 'trigger' in this today's context resembles closer to a program or a code.

Like alright, i know some of ya'll are game nerds,, this is no different than a minecraft sculk sensor with some redstone contraption.

So, trigger in this context would specifically refer to how you're able to execute or adapt to a necessary task or rules you adhere. A cue, like a 100 meter runner, relies on listening that resembles a bang. In more practical usage, this also can be specific words, environments, or even some favorite words that causes a response. A learnt one.

Now, while all three type of "bombs" have different cues that pulls an alter out, they all still generate the same response that leads to a switch. Just that some are more obvious/external, or more hidden/internal.

So.. how does this work again?

One example: you're a host doing daily chores, a familiar figure suddenly entered your peripheral vision.. it's the one you associate with the most negative experiences at the past.

This encounter generates a copious amount of discomfort alone, which made you wary and unsure how to go by,, high chances, you were expected to endure and hide any negative reactions.

As you slowly begin to worry, the trigger had worked, you then coped by dissociating and everything starts to get fuzzy. Any existing alters who had more resilience or took on a protective role often notice that something is wrong, and so, the trigger was the cue to your brain to start fronting another alter that is more adept on a certain situation.

In conclusion, the process looked like this:

New stimuli -> processes and identify the object/situation -> attempts to react to the stimulus in an appropriate manner -> brain regions associated with priority and behavior are involved -> which brings out the specific alter that is made for a task

Nonetheless, it is an adaption for any person, though for systems,, the speed and awareness to recognize external threats and switching with designated alters varies widely.

Boogie traps?!

Right.. i never explained that how your brain identify triggers like. They don't.

What?!..

Yeah silly... it can't see or hear, it can only know if it is similar to the past, no matter what the relevance seems to be. This is how false alarms happen. False what again? Well, try explaining why you have an alter stranded outside at front that has nothing to do with its current role or proficiency.

Oddly enough, this can also happen if you deviate from your conscious state of being aware of the external world and think of something, or daydream, that may have any subtle cues an alter is familiar with,, good luck being spawned by accident, guys.

...

Im still on topic. Do you know that the efficacy of triggers heavy depend on two things? Yes, the intensity and dissociative-factor.

Why these two? I'd say, the easiest way to explain this is how Intensity helps your brain gauge how serious or urgent the matter is to start adapting with another facet (or parts, in system's pov). While the D-factor is what suppresses your fear response from the 'salience network' which gives way for your 'central executive network', the one that controls priority and task switching, to bring out an alter that is necessary for a task at hand.

Because, if you were not to get knocked out to a dissociative haze, your salience network, which acts as a threat radar, would immediately slam the danger button that activates your 'ventral attention network' which is often related to upkeeping with tasks that require high cognitive/attention demands; The common situation a system would experience: Front stuck.

If you were to not be clutched in a front stuck, it would mean your D-factor suppressed the danger sense from your salience network, creating a catanotic state instead.

If you are seeking for front stuck information, i had a post on my tags, #jeducates or this link instead.

Last words

That's all to it on the second part--oh, and the reason why this is possible is going back to the basics:

Alters are made up of compartmentalized memories, and those who held a specific experience to the situation, will recognize the cue that helps them react appropriately. It is just benign (co-conscious) until a familiar cue caused that whole brain process to perform a switch,, now that's what a trigger is.

--

Oh man, i hope this didn't flop as bad. But what do you guys think? There's so much about triggers and switches that i still can't elaborate due to how advanced and many more studying you guys need in required to fully comprehend it, so i tried to compile this as simple as i could.

Although, i hope this alone is still informative, we've went through the basics on the first part, so this is only for explaining the internal process that people often cannot put to words.

I also intend to release another educative post about phantom limbs by mid-November, please look forward to it if you're interested!

TLDR SECTION

Triggers as Signals: Beyond trauma-based responses, triggers are cues or signals that our brain has learned to respond to, often through past experiences. Some cues, such as specific environments, thoughts, or body sensations, can quickly facilitate a switch to another alter who’s better suited to handle a given situation.

Examples of Triggers: The post focuses on the three most effective types for triggering parts in DID:

Dynamite (Internal triggers like thoughts)

Landmines (External triggers from environments)

Grenades (Physiological triggers like heart rate or pain) Each trigger type has its own way of initiating a switch, often activating a specific alter to manage the experience.

Trigger Process: The process looks something like this:

New stimulus -> Brain registers and identifies it -> Appropriate response begins -> Specific brain regions assess the priority of the reaction -> Triggered alter takes over as needed.

False Alarms & Accidental Switching: Sometimes, “false alarms” occur, where cues remind the brain of past experiences and cause an unnecessary switch, even when the alter’s role doesn’t fit the present situation.

Intensity & Dissociative Factor (D-Factor): Trigger effectiveness depends on two factors:

Intensity: How urgent the brain perceives the stimulus to be.

Dissociative Factor (D-Factor): The degree of dissociation that helps suppress fear and allows the brain’s executive functions to bring out a part who can handle the situation effectively.

How This Affects Switching: When dissociation lowers the "salience network" (our inner alarm system), the brain activates the "central executive network" to manage task-switching, often leading to a co-conscious or full switch. If the brain instead signals high danger, it may create a front-stuck situation where switching becomes harder. If the brain suppresses the danger, it would instead bring you into catatonia.

Final Note: This is a deeper look into triggers beyond trauma. The brain’s use of learned cues to help switch and adapt keeps each alter equipped to handle their own tasks.

- c

[timbit-robin-art]

my personal guesses for what genres each group does:

yj: punk rock

titans: hip-hop

new teens: r&b

good charles: old school rock

the xmen: heavy metal

the gifted: general emo

lob lob lob this au so much :3

Wahhh, I’m glad people like my little rhythm game doodles. It started out as a silly side thing, and then it kind of got out of hand.

You’re pretty close to my original vision. While I have your attention, I will now hold you hostage to explain my thought process with this.

Young Justice: Punk rock for sure. I was thinking Green Day, Alkaline Trio, and Blink-182. I also want to sneak some Coheed and Cambria in there, because yes. I think Bart’s energy alone adds in some Simple Plan and Bowling For Soup. And Cassie and Cissie bring in Paramore and Avril Lavigne respectively.

Titans: Admittedly, I wasn’t thinking of a genre, baha. I was specifically inspired by the song Cinema from Project Sekai. But hip-hop fits them a lot. According to Google, Vivid BAD SQUAD is hip-hop, teen pop, electronic, and street music, which sounds right. I don’t know what other music groups fit that genre, so Vivid BAD SQUAD is the only comparison I have.

New Teens: I can see them doing some R&B. Specifically early 2000s. Their looks are very inspired by Y2K futurism, so I personally had Break It Off by PinkPantheress stuck in my head while drawing them, baha. They’d probably incorporate a lot of breakcore and jungle into their sound.

Good Charles: Old school rock is a good way to sum it up. The songs I had in mind were Let It Be (The Beatles), Ruby Tuesday (Rolling Stones), and Going Up the Country (Canned Heat). Lots of rock and roll. They just really like to boogie. But if you want to dip in a bit of a modern psychedelic sound, I think Tame Impala is a good addition, too.

The X-Men: I’m going to be honest, I think their style is too far from my emo bubble for me to compare them to anything. I had a very clear vision for their aesthetic, but their sound… no idea. I think generally calling them heavy metal fits. I have no groups for comparison, though.

The Gifted: General emo made me chuckle. Yeah, that can sum them up. I was thinking of bands like Courage Alive and South Arcade, so alternative rock and pop rock. And also Scene Queen, which adds bimbocore to the mix. Just the girlies (+ Gambit) having fun.

I really want to design more, but dividing up superheroes into groups of 5 is so hard. If you have any ideas, let me know.

[little-creature-business]

Luffy posting (+ puzzle rant)

Mini rant below

Does anyone even remember this man?? Puzzle?? Captain if the Phoenix pirates??? I know he wasn’t in the manga but I love him dearly <3 And I love the fact that his little crew believe s he’s going to be the next King of the Pirates because!! Who wouldn’t!! He’s so silly I love him so much !! I personally made him look like this because I felt like he deserved it

Ready to boogie. To party even. Maybe say howdy.

[crowdecays]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Morning with Dad ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

(for baby boy/masc regressors)

"Goodmorning little one," I whisper to him, "its time to get up".

He lets out a little noise and does a big stretch and looks up at me with his big beautiful eyes. "Hello there," I say smiling down at him and gently caressing his hair. He lets out a little giggle and gives me a cute gummy smile.

I pick him up and hold him close, giving him a little kiss on the cheek. "Time to wash up a bit," I carry him to his changing table. Grabbing the baby wipes, I clean any drool and boogies off his face. Taking him out of his pajamas, I change his diaper and put him in a cute dino onesie. "You are just adorable, ya know that?" I say covering his face in kisses as he squeals and laughs.

I pick him up again and bring him out to the dining room and place him in his high chair. I place a bib on him and grab a jar of baby food and a cute clean spoon. 'Time to eat!" I say cheerily. Grabbing a scoop of baby food, I say, "here comes the airplane woosh~," and place the spoon in his mouth. "Good job! That must be yummy, hm?" Slowly, he finishes the baby food, creating a little mess but that's okay, that's what wipes are for, to clean up messes.

Quickly, I clean him up and move him over to his baby bouncer and give him a cold teether to chew on and putting on a simple baby show. I do some work in the living room while he watches the show.

When I'm done with my work, Its play time! Grabbing some toys, we play for a bit just tossing them around and making them dance. He laughs and smiles every time I make a silly face at him.Hes just babbling away when I notice that he starts to get sleepy, must be nap time!

I gently pick him and bring him back to our room. I place him on the changing table and take him out his onesie and change him diaper again before putting him into a new onesie with polka dots. I place him gently back in his crib placing one of his stuffies with him to protect him. "Ill see you later, little one," I say as he drifts off to sleep.

[mamawasatesttube]

This might be old-fashioned of me but I miss when comic books were less about shitty character growth the characters don’t need from writers who don’t really get those characters and more about just those characters going on silly adventures.

I recently been reading the original JLI comic run and how the fuck is a comic run from the 80s better than all the comics dc released this year together? (In my opinion) it just baffles me how, idk, somehow the love for writing these stories got lost along the way. I read the jli run and writer and editors notes and clearly there was some level of thought put out in this, despite it being just silly almost episodic stories most of the time. There’s isn’t really anything like that now-a-days, these stories feel like they’re being put out just for the sake of it.

I guess the point I’m trying to make here is that i wish Kon (and half of Superfam honestly) just had writers that genuinely love him, or at least put some level of thought into the comics they’re writing, comics now a days just feel so soulless, it’s such a pity :/

<🦎>

first off i LOVE the lizard signoff. that's iconic of you

but yeah no i'm in full agreement. generally i try to keep an open mind towards newer comics (some of them ARE fun! just... pretty much only the ones introducing new characters.) because i do think nostalgia glasses are a factor in how much we all praise postcrisis era. like some of that shit was dumb as hell too (war of the supermen i'm looking at you). so i try to keep in mind that we mostly care about the new earth comics that were good and ignore the bad ones, but all the same...

the number of writers that seem to actually care about the story they're telling lately does seem... low. they all seem so soulless and safe. you just know no modern comic would have cassie join a fucking resurrection cult or have tim doing a boogie in the cloning basement. everything is neat and packaged in little boxes so it can be easily sliced up for people to post on twitter or tiktok, with pithy one-liners and tired, rehashed tropes to sell the deal no matter how out-of-character they may be. everything is resolved nice and neat and clean and there's no character development needed. if a character has a flaw, it'll be hammered in as heavily as possible so you KNOW the author knows it's a character flaw they need to overcome.

so yeah. it's by and large just so ... flat.

i think the only comics dc is putting out that are really worth keeping up with to me at this point are like. new characters. spirit world, city boy, that sort of thing. with existing characters they're kinda just getting mangled.

[larz-barz]

im curious but... what does milo (any AU is fine) think of the kny OCs? (some that are hashira or not, it depends)

🥸 *slamming my curious looking face on*

oml ok, this might take a while-

Mari- “She’s silly! I love her personality and she’s very fun to hang out with!” (@cloudymistedskies)

Ilona- “I was a bit intimidated by her at first but she’s really nice! We’ve gotten pretty close!” ( @tokito-dulya20)

Eva- “She’s so sweet oh my goodness I love her!” (@muitsuri)

Michio- “He’s my brother and I love him. That’s it.”

Yuna- “MAMAAA!!!” (@kimetsu-chan)

Delrosa- “I don’t know much about her but she seems sweet!” (@naramaiz)

Hiyori- “Again- don’t know much about her but she seems sweet!” (@snowmist-hashira)

Basil- “He’s so nice! I love being with him!” (@aceofstars0) (bringing in oblivious basilmilo content)

Haia- “I taught her everything she knows. She’s super sweet!” (@aceofstars0)

Aika- “AUNT AIKAA!!!” (@aika-writes)

Zeno- “Big brother 2.0. I kinda wish he was actually my brother. I think Michi agrees.” (@kimetsu-chan)

Katarina- “She seems really sweet so far!” (@muitsuri)

Akira- “She seems super sweet!” (@tinyperson00)

Kurisato- “She’s really kind!” (@muichiroslovermwah)

Sakura- “She’s pretty quiet and calm so being with her is never stressful!” (@silliestsakura)

Kiyoka- “Total sweetheart, I love her so much!” (@kiyokatokito)

Leah- “I don’t know her that well but she seems sweet!” ( @leahdulya)

Rika- “She’s really nice and I hope to get to know her better!” (@mjtheartist04)

Kazi- “Her fur in her wolf form is really cozy!” (@frosty-lycanthropy)

Legion- “You are my dad, you’re my dad! Boogie woogie woogie!” (@anime-and-toon-oc-time)

Kaito- “My little brother who loves head pats. His head is so pat-able.” (@ask-paradox-and-friends)

Hanki- “Other little brother who loves head pats! He’s so silly and I love playing with him!” (@anime-and-toon-oc-time)

Yumera- “She’s so sweet and kind! I would like to see what she looks like without the mask, I bet she’s really pretty! I understand why she wears it though so I’m not gonna force her to take it off.” (@bunskero)

Irina- “I love how bubbly she is! She’s very positive and kind! She’s also pretty loud but she tries to tone it down when I’m around and I deeply appreciate it.” (@shycroissanti)

Nayuki- “She’s pretty sweet from what I can tell!” (@frostburn-shoto)

Nayuri- “She and her sister seem pretty similar. I think she might be more blunt, I need to interact with her more!” (@frostburn-shoto)

Raine- “She’s amazing! She helped me out so much and I’m so grateful for her!” (@rainechizakuslife)

(I’m crying, I can’t think of any of the others😭)

I am so sorry if I forgot anyone! If I forgot about you please lmk so i can add you and I sincerely apologize 😭💕

[mythrite]

Drogo Full Bio

i love my silly lil guy

Name: Finley Williams

Aliases: Drogo, The Metal Cryptid, Glowstick (From being in Ghost)

Nationality: Canadian Ethnicity: White

Age: 29 DoB: 6/30/95

Pronouns: he/him 

Gender: Cisgender Sex: M

Sexuality: Gay

Height: 5’7

Languages: English

Roles/Instruments: Lead/rhythm guitar (typically lead), bass, clean/dirty vocals, acoustic guitar (not for performance)

Personality: Social, flirty, high energy, cryptid energy very much

Backstory: Born in Vancouver, he grew up in a music household of the 90s bands. Finley eventually got interested in metal and it was that from there. He has tried starting up his own band when he was younger, but decided never again. But he still wanted to do music, so found himself joining any and all bands, learning all sorts of styles on guitar and bass.

Issues: Facial dysmorphia, loses track of time when playing instruments—leads to exhaustion and fingers bleeding, exhausts himself to the point he cannot speak

Habits: Licks blood off fingers, gestures a lot, has a little boogie, stands ominously in the back of the stage

Scars: Scratches on his fingers, missing canine

Preferred method of showing care/affection/love language: Compliments/words

Preferred way of receiving care/affection: Physical touch, Words

Body description: Slim, muscular, great waist (people love it)

Favorite Activities: Band practices, posting online, interacting with band members, hiking, going to coffee shops, playing/singing acoustic versions of songs

Blood Type: B-

Favorite color: Dark blue. Dark red and neon green (they look good on his mask)

Favorite animal: Ravens

Favourite food/Dessert: Marshmallows, cookie dough

Other Fun Facts:

Drogo was a name decided upon his fans. Once the fans agreed on his name, that’s when he began making social media accounts.

Has (had? idk if/when the ban goes through) a/an Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter/x, and a Youtube channel where he posts more cryptid shit. Usually who he’s touring with next.

Very anonymous. People have tried to find his identity like the assholes they are. They have gotten insanely close to his identity, but no one is sure because theres barely any solid evidence. Drogo is straight terrified that his fans will be able to find him.

Gives in and does the fan service

Has had to shove glowsticks into his mask when the LEDs died on him

ok fine he gets to like dcfc

Had his gay awakening one day on stage

Only uses his acoustic guitar when alone

Keeps a bag of marshmallows in his pocket to eat

Had a biker phase when he was 25-27, but sold his motorcycle when he began touring

Profesional at hurting people with baseball bats

Vapes occasionally, usually only when offered

[im-outofideas]

an old new thing

fandom: good omens

w/c: 1977

summary: word vomit domestic life feat. crowley and aziraphale.

a/n: got dang this is all over the place!!! this is plotless fluff and very much self indulgent. self-soothing after season 2. also i cannot write kiss scenes for my life so it turnt stupid LOL. please do not pay it any attention and enjoy the rest 🫶

----

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Convincing you."

“Well.. I’m not convinced.”

“You will be.”

Crowley stiffened. Over the last six millennia, Aziraphale had used distance as a hand over Crowley. If he'd suggested a scheme slightly too outrageous, or gone out and done it himself before relaying it to Aziraphale, he wouldn't see the angel for a long time. It sure took a lot of patience, being his..frenemy.

To be fair, Aziraphale was much more tolerant of mistakes than the angels he’d been surrounded by for all of eternity. Much more forgiving than the demons Crowley reported to. It only took hunting the angel down (not a particularly difficult task; he was conveniently predictable) and a little dance before they were back on their Arrangement and regularly scheduled meetings. Still, the weeks of silence frustrated Crowley beyond anything. He's glad Aziraphale decided to do away with the silent treatment since the notpocalypse.

He's taken up a new way to get Crowley to admit when he's wrong. Or to get him to admit Aziraphale is right. Rather than disappear, Aziraphale will cling. He’ll bother and bother and bother. He’ll talk and pout and follow Crowley endlessly until he’s had enough. Crowley definitely prefers this to the former method. He’d rather be annoyed endlessly than ignored for a little while.

Perhaps it's even why it takes so much longer for him to fold.

With that said, it's just so new. After 6,000 years of the same old routine, the affectionate turn in their relationship is taking some getting used to. It’s a bit much to handle in Crowley’s opinion. It's probably why Aziraphale does it so often, the bastard. He knows it's effective.

---

Two nights ago, Aziraphale had been reading on the armchair when the lights inexplicably went out. He picked up the lit patchouli candle next to him when a sound came from the darkness.

Aziraphale has cleverly stayed away from horror content most of his existence. Unfortunately, this made him very unaware of most cliches used in films. He was an excellent target.

“Crowley?” He tucked the book underneath his arm, using both hands to grip the candle closer to him. Another noise came from the left.

Aziraphale went to investigate. Crowley was meant to be in Glasgow for a boogie-concert. Both decided it would be better if he had gone unaccompanied. The last time Aziraphale attended a concert with the demon, a spill to his tartan coat had him miracle every narcotic on site into the chalky substance they put in candied hearts. There was a lot of confusion among the mosh pit, mainly about the lack of confusion everyone felt.

“Is that you, mister Mouse? I've told you, it's not safe for you here. There are snakes in this household.” Aziraphale called out, but there was no response. All noises stopped.

He went to the front door, intending to check the electrical box outside. He swung the door open. Aziraphale felt a presence somewhere out in the night. Dread filled his guts.

He chuckled to himself for being silly. The list of things which could harm an angel were short. Other angels took up a majority of it. Fear was one of the hundreds of human attributes he's indulged in during his time on earth.

He took a breath of courage, but choked on it when a two-headed, red goblin roared out from the side of the doorframe. Aziraphale screamed, dropping the candle and the book. The goblin quickly saved the book from hitting the floor, but the candle shattered. The ancient and quite ridiculously flammable carpet lit up instantly.

Aziraphale clutched his chest and shouted several incohesive ‘oh dear goodnesses’ while Crowley blew the fire out in a long, icy breath.

“Hm, well. Wasn’t expecting that.”

Aziraphale pushed past him. “Oh no, oh no..” he softly repeated until he was too far away to hear. The lights inside the bookshop flickered on. Crowley could now see the charred stain over the antique rug. He hissed.

The “oh no’s” were returning, growing steadily in volume, until it was shouted right near Crowley’s ear. Aziraphale appeared in the doorway.

“Look what you've done!” He whined.

Crowley stared at the spot in disbelief. “How did it go up so fast?”

“You startled me!” He continued indignantly.

“It's October, angel. Really, what do you use to top off these carpets? Petrol?”

“You burnt my rug!”

“...would explain the Bentley's recent behavior.* Actually, you dropped the candle. Seems terribly irresponsible to keep candles in an old bookshop.”

“You turned out the lights. I needed to see!”

“Right, well. Not a big deal.” Crowley pushed the armchair directly over the stain. “Good as new.”

“Not good as new, it’s still all ruined.” Aziraphale enunciated dramatically. “I expect you to fix it.”

“You're being ridiculous. You can't expect me to miracle it out tonight. The two heads thing took a lot out of me. You can’t even see it!” Crowley sat on the armchair, covering the gap - in which the stain was still very much visible - with his legs.

“I don’t expect you to miracle it out,” Aziraphale said. “I want it restored. Naturally.”

Crowley groaned. “Alright, sure. Fine."

“And a new candle.”

“Whatever you want.” he said spitefully.

“And company to Derren Brown’s Illusionist performance.”

“Never!”

---

Aziraphale is currently hugging Crowley from behind him, entrapping his arms in a one-sided embrace.

“No, I will not. Get off!” Crowley growled, pulling out his arms. Aziraphale remained hugging around his waist. Crowley huffed. “If a person makes a mistake, and then fixes said mistake, the mistake no longer exists and nobody owes anyone anything. I agreed to fix the rug. I’m not going to a silly magic show.”

“I’d hardly call it a mistake. The scare was certainly deliberate.” Aziraphale grumbled. “He who has done wrong unto another must make it up to thee who he wronged.” He made up.

“What, like… building interest? That's not how it works. Do all angels forgive like a bank?”

“Afraid so.” He hugged a little tighter. “Even though I've returned, I still haven't made up for… leaving.” The example seemed to spill out before he could ponder its appropriateness. “Didn’t do much good in the end, did it? So much was damaged. World nearly ended again. No, haven't even begun to make up for it.”

It's a tricky thing. Part of the healing process for Aziraphale had been to bring it up every so often, as casually as possible. Even during moments of domesticity. Perhaps one day they'd grow immune to the pain if exposed to it enough times. That was Aziraphale's logic, though sometimes he regretted ruining a nice moment with a sour memory. Crowley saw it more like a confession. A way for Aziraphale to relieve the guilt he felt. Guilt which hit him harder anytime he realized he was starting to feel happy rather than guilty. What a bitch, that guilt.

Angel’s felt nothing but guilt for over 6 millennia. Only for ever doing what he thought was right.

Personally, Crowley wished to never speak of it again. He didn't find it healing to reopen wounds. But he was working on his tendency to run from his fears, so he tolerated it.

“Course you have. I’ve forgiven you for that.” He softened.

“Yes, well..” I haven’t, he didn’t say.

Crowley squeezed the arm around his middle and took in a breath. “You can hold me however long you want, I’m still not going to the show with you.” He reminded Aziraphale despite not wanting to go. Perhaps he was running a bit. The subject is still awfully uncomfortable.

“It won’t kill you, my dear. It’ll only last six hours.”

“Six hours?? I’ll go mad. Add onto the week of you attempting all the tricks you've seen him do. Forcing me to watch. Forcing me to participate. No. You cannot make me- haha! You can’t make me go!” Aziraphale began to tickle around his grip.

Crowley tried to walk away, but Aziraphale followed surprisingly lightly on his back. Like a pair of wings. It would’ve been less frustrating if he had held Crowley solid.

“Let go!” He laughed.

“Oh, please come with me darling. We’ll have an incredible time. He won’t be performing here again for another year!” Aziraphale persuaded, pretending it was still his words doing all the bargaining.

“I- ehehe, piss off!!” Crowley stumbled over to the couch, legs beginning to give out under him. With a war cry, he suplexed himself Aziraphale-first onto the couch. His attempt to dislodge the angel failed. Infact, it only invigorated him. The hold around him tightened and the once gentle tickling turned deadly. Like a snake. Ironic.

There was an initial few seconds of kicking and cackling, before the laughter became true and bright. Still every bit as loud, but margins sweeter.

“GET OFF!” He shrieked.

“I think you’ll find you're the one on top of me. I’m quite frightfully stuck. I can’t seem to get out.” Aziraphale replied calmly. “Do you mind letting me up?”

Crowley struggled to sit up or wiggle off with Aziraphale still holding onto him. He dropped his head back and laughed in frustration. “Please!”

“Oh, alright.” Aziraphale chuckled. He stopped and let go. Crowley immediately rolled off the couch.

They both lay staring at the ceiling for a moment. Crowley turned his head to look under the armchair, directly at the charred stain. The cleaners wouldn't arrive for another day.

"Never do that again. Ever."

"I'll do it again the second your back is turned."

The threat made Crowley blush. There was another silence.

“Why do you want me to go with you anyway? I'll only spoil it with my complaining.”

“Nonsense. I enjoy most things more with your company. You could never spoil it.” Aziraphale stood up to straighten himself out. He stepped over Crowley, who frowned. Bastard didn’t even lend a hand. “But I suppose you’re right. I wouldn't want you to have a bad evening on my behalf.”

Aziraphale left the room without Crowley for the first time in two days.

“Hang on!” Crowley called from the floor. “What, that’s it? All that.. blasted effort into persuading me and you’re just letting it go?”

“Well, I tried everything I could think of. I figure you must dread to go if you're willing to endure all that tickling.” Crowley could hear him fiddling with cups. “I’ve stooped to torture. How you've corrupted me.” Aziraphale said low and fond.

“You only did it for a moment.” Crowley said as Aziraphale returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He furrowed an eyebrow.

“What’s this? You'll miss the performance if we start drinking now.”

“Oh yes, well… what's a year to beings like us anyway?” Aziraphale said gently. “Are you saying I could have convinced you if I kept going?”

“What? Ngk-no, no. I mean, maybe. F'ya did it long enough. This.. bloody corporeal thing. Right ticklish. But don't you dare!” he pointed at Aziraphale. He dropped his hand to his chest. “But the pestering. The hugging, I mean. I almost conceded there. Didn't, though. But that's only ‘cause I didn’t want it to stop so soon. Shut up!” he exclaimed upon seeing Aziraphale smile widely.

"Ugh." By that explanation, the same logic would have applied to the tickling.

“You could have just said.” Aziraphale smiled, bending slightly over Crowley’s head. He appeared upside down. Crowley looked away too late - a little smile was tugging the corner of his own mouth. “So, then, tell me. How can I convince you to join me?”

“Get me off this damn floor, for one.”

Aziraphale pulled Crowley up as though he were a feather, holding his hands. He scooted closer, straightening out the fabric over his chest. “And then?”

“Hm," he looked off. "I suppose you could give me a kiss. Might do the trick.” He said with a smirk and an old confidence in his words. He was grateful how well this communication thing was finally working out.

Both were flush when they parted. To Crowley’s dismay, a bit of steam trickled out of his ears quite cartoonishly.

“Look at the time!” he said, flustered again. “Ahm, better get a move on if we want good seats. Might as well be comfortable if we’re going to be there for six hours.” He hurried out the room to the front door. Aziraphale smiled and straightened with giddiness. How good the demon was to him.

“Bring the wine!” the demon shouted.

*referencing the headcanon that the Bentley and bookshop are in love with each other. 😼

[jules-has-notes]

King of Prussia, PA — VoicePlay live performances

For the penultimate show in their 2019 Warm Up holiday tour, the merry gentlemen of VoicePlay headed to southeastern Pennsylvania. They spread some holiday cheer with their signature blend of vocal skill and crowd-pleasing antics.

Most of these recordings are missing the very beginnings of the songs, but that's just because the audience member was too busy enjoying their performance to prioritize acting as a videographer. And we can't really blame her for that.

.

Even though it was a holiday show, the guys also sprinkled in some tunes from the rest of their catalogue. This recent addition to their repertoire is as vocally challenging as it is lyrically touching.

Details:

title: Tennessee Whiskey

original song / performers: David Allan Coe (1981); inspired by the Chris Stapleton version (2015)

written by: Dean Dillon & Linda Hargrove

arranged by: Layne Stein

performance date: 20 December 2019

My favorite bits:

Eli's casual agility on those riffs and runs

the way J.None plays with the rhythm in the second verse, adding little pushes and pulls

Geoff conducting himself through those tricky bass riffs

Layne's descending tom run to punctuate the big build-up

Earl, Eli, and J pulling off that harmonized riffing

the rich, warm final chord

Trivia:

The music video for this song was released in the spring as an entry in their PartWork series. Considering how nervous most of them had been to record that version, it's impressive that they decided to perform it live.

.

Some holiday music is soft and solemn. Some is celebratory and fun. In true VoicePlay fashion, they decided to combine both and create this joyous romp through the virtual snow.

Details:

title: Santa and I Know It

original songs / performers: modern English Christmas carol "Carol of the Bells"; "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO

written by: "Carol of the Bells" melody composed by Mykola Leontovych under the title "Shchedryk" (1914), with English lyrics added by Peter Wilhousky (1936); "Sexy and I Know It" by Stefan Kendal Gordy, David Jamahl "GoonRock" Listenbee, Erin Beck, George M. Robertson, & Kenneth Oliver

arranged by: VoicePlay

performance date: 20 December 2019

My favorite bits:

the trio adopting an operatic tone for the classical portion

Eli picking up the scratching in the transition

Layne dropping in a quick squat before Earl does his big flex 💪

J throwing in some extra riffs for fun

Trivia:

This song had been part of their holiday setlists since the 4:2:Five days. The earliest recording I've found is from their time as the Polar Express Conductors show at SeaWorld in 2011.

They first recorded it for their 2012 holiday album "Peppermint Winter".

It was a staple in their residency shows for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World.

.

These guys love The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is why they've recorded and performed their own versions of several songs from the movie's soundtrack. This one spotlights Geoff in the title role, but these guys always make sure that everyone gets a moment to play.

Details:

title: Oogie Boogie's Song

original performer: Ken Page as Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

written by: Danny Elfman

arranged by: Layne Stein

performance date: 20 December 2019

My favorite bits:

Earl, Eli, and J.None bouncing in time with their syncopated ♫ "if you aren't shaking" ♫

Geoff rubbing his tummy as he sings about ♫ "snake and spider stew" ♫

the trio's silly minion voices in the breakdown section

that big brassy ♫ "Whooooa!" ♫ heading into the final verse

Layne being alarmed at the gestured implication that he might be the one at risk

Geoff nailing that final descent and subharmonic note

Trivia:

This song was the guys' Halloween offering for the year, with the music video debuting just two months earlier.

.

Vocal percussionists perform a vital role in a cappella groups, keeping the beat for the other singers, but that can make it easy to overlook their incredible skills. Layne takes a moment at center stage that can't be ignored.

Details:

title: Layne's percussion solo

written & arranged by: Layne Stein

performance date: 20 December 2019

My favorite bits:

the silly squeaky noises he makes during the setup process

settling into that relaxed groove

the decelleration into the more electronic sounding section

the vibrations from the speakers causing the stage skirt to floof out

that final decending tom run

Trivia:

Percussion solos are a time honored tradition among modern a cappella groups. It can also be fun to hear beatboxers' differing styles when they team up as they did during the 2014 and 2015 Sing-Off tours.

.

This mashup of classic tunes from the Rankin-Bass stop-motion animated holiday specials is sure to get your toes tapping. Especially when the guys themselves are clearly having such a good time on stage.

Details:

title: Frosty the Snowman

original performer: "Frosty the Snowman" by Gene Autry; "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Eddie Cantor

written by: "Frosty the Snowman" by Walter "Jack" Rollins & Steve Nelson; "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by J. Fred Coots & Haven Gillespie

arranged by: VoicePlay

performance date: 20 December 2019

My favorite bits:

Eli's lovely, pure tone on the opening lead

J.None and Earl's impromptu knee-wiggle dance at the back

the slow bell chord on ♫ "when they placed it on his head" ♫

Earl's laser clear timbre at the start of "Santa Claus"

Eli fussing at the back when the others start rapping

their coordinated grooving to the front of the stage

Trivia:

The boys also started performing this mashup during their 4:2:Five days. The earliest recording I've found is from their stint as castmembers in the Polar Express Conductors holiday show at SeaWorld in 2011. (Go hear Layne sing bass!)

It was a staple of VoicePlay's holiday shows for many years, particularly during their Disney World residencies for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

They recorded a swingier version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" with their friend Michael Andrew for their 2012 holiday album "Peppermint Winter".