#goddddd he really is so simply pretty

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 2, Match 2 BRING IT ON vs. THIS IS HOW TO BE IN LOVE WITH YOU

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for BRING IT ON:

"Reasons why Bring it On should win:

- Just by starting the song, the instrumentals are BANGER. Like his more rock style is very cool, even better than After Pain’s more mellow style - Arthur’s voice (Futa’s va) had bills due because have you HEARD his singing?? His raspier voice fits Futa so well - It feels so explosive and like a call to action in a sense, which very much matches Futa’s mentality during trial 1. He also wasn’t playing victim like a CERTAIN girl… (jk, love you mu!) - SAA HAJIMEYOU USOTSUKI KARIDA - UNDEAD HEROOOI YES SLAY KING HIS HIGH NOTE HERE IS HEAVENLY - His scream at the end. Oh my god. HE LITERALLY ATE THIS NOTE. AFTER PAIN COULD NEVER. BRING IT ON FTW 🔥🔥🔥" - His range goes WAAAAAY higher than Mu. She would end up like PHG if she even tried hitting any of his high notes in the last chorus /j

---

- The vocals are amazing, those growls are so well done - You’re able to get Fuuta’s crime and motive pretty succinctly, only based on the visuals - But it still leaves a lot up to interpretation, like how he only attacked once in the final fight scene. It lead to some cool theories. - On that note, the game aspects are so cool!! Especially when paired with him going after people online, just good synergy with awesome style! - Fuuta’s scared face after he realizes what he did. The great contrast of other foes simply being knocked out then being met with blood splatter. - The tempo of the song changing with his mood is a really good touch as well. Make the song more chaotic which highlights his character traits well

---

"propaganda for bring it on: the music FUCKS it genuinely slaps so hard listening to it. song style is incredible its perfect for fuutas personality and gamer vibes. also the way the mv frames everything as a game? the only time real blood and real gore happens being when killcheroy dies? the little details of all the usernames, the different monster designs, the generally distorted feel of everything being too lighthearted?

okay i could go on about the mv for hours but lets not. aside from that: the FEEL of the song!!! the vocals!!!! it really feels like fuuta putting his whole heart into it, into this point of view that both blows problems out of proportion and minimises them, and DEEPLY fucking up. my darling little hypocrite gamer boy twitter user. he makes his witch hunt genuinely sound like something that could sweep people up into it. also the instruments goddddd. the guitar and synth the bass and the drums the DRUMS. im relistening to it to write this propaganda and it keeps making me headbang when i should be writing. if you arent headbanging to bring it on you are LYING.

the way the lyrics are written is wonderful too!!!! they feel so brash and brave and powerful and like. cocky about it. and it fits PERFECTLY. its gets someone swept up into it and it FUCKS. vote bring it on im serious. lets go!! a victory march!! dan da dan!!"

Propaganda for TIHTBILWY:

okay so like the thing im most in love with: the VOCALS!!!! this song has an absolutely AMAZING singer and AMAZING vocals!!!! the way the conversational talk-singing lines still feel so musical!!!! the cute cute cuteeeee mahiru voice!!!! it brings you so much energy!!!! its a song sung with so much love!!!! mahirus va brings such an amazing feel to the song with such amazing talk-singing!!!! its very skillfully done and it happens in i love you too!! mahiru songs r the QUEENS of musical talk singing

the silly phone call bit. kurururu~!

the little vocal flourish and the way her voice raises up like an excited exclamation in the final prechorus!! daijoubu nante kirai DA!

its such a fast song but everything flows so well!!!! it makes it feel so bright and cheery and peppy!!

the instrumental is so underrated just LISTEN to that catchy bass line thats so pretty in the verses!!!! no for real even if u dont vote this is how to be in love with you go listen to the bass line in the verses it works to move both the song and the listener forward at mahirus sweeping breakneck pace. and the cute keyboard sounding and synth instruments!!!! its SUCH a danceable song!!!! i cant listen to it without bopping along in my seat

the way the ominous bits are subtly hidden? it all sounds so cute but there are just these Things that she sings that are really kind of concerning and unhealthy when she sings them!! and the veiled desperation to be in her relationship- listening to that and the cheery tone and breakneck, quick song pace, it really does represent mahiru SO well. she throws in all these little bits that just go noooo teehee the relationships just fine!! when it REALLY isnt

i would listen to mahiru talk for hours

the MV!!!!!! HER FASHION SENSE THE MAGAZINE STYLE!!!! the magazine style especially works so well with her character!!!! its so cute and stunning and just looking at it you have a blast. also her birdcage!!!! her birdcage and the bright orange and the pink bars!!!! the way everything desaturates and becomes more sickly looking when she wakes up at the end!!!! its such a happy carefully curated and designed dream and then it drains away!!!! also god all her outfits are stunning. mahiru call me

the way she sings "overheat de~!" cutest thing in the WORLD.

the little faces she makes!!!! godddd shes so expressive

actually the whole songs so expressive!!!! shes putting her all into it!!!! her words have so much expression in them!!!! once more praising mahirus va the way her voice can soften and become bright or subtly desperate so quickly is MASTERFUL control of expression when singing and its so underrated. join me in being insane over miho okasaki delivers her lines. shes such a perfect mahiru.

funniest es cover. hands down. funniest es cover.

this is how to be in love with you is FREE serotonin!!!! free energy right there!!!! this is how to be in love with you sweep!!!!!

---

-The song is so cheerful!! I always feel like dancing and singing when this one comes up in my playlists!! Absolute banger, mood definer, kicking sadness in the shin with those high-heels and then hitting its face with a cute purse -THE HIGH-HEELS STEPPING TO THE BEAT OF THE MUSIC IN THAT ONE SCENE (0:50). SIMPLY ICONIC. NO ONE DID IT LIKE HER. -👠💅👝��� -She is slaying. Look at her outfits. She put so much effort there. She gave it her all. Absolutely serving. -SUKITTE KIMOCHI WAKATTA TSUMORI? NARA KONO MAMA FUTARI O-VA-HI-TO- DE -The storyline of the mv MAKES SENSE and you can form a COHESIVE TIMELINE OF EVENTS (unlike other unspecified contestants' mvs you know 🙄) -look at herr 🥺 she beby 🥺 all she did was love too much 🥺 we all love mappi don't we 🥺 she deserved more let her win this pleease 🥺 -No medical malpractice happened in the making of this mv 👍

---

I care so much about This is How To Be In Love With You- it's visuals are brilliant in the ways it conveys its themes and narrative. I'm never normal Ever about the "Love as marketing" symbolism that is brought in by the use of magazines. It's a lovely upbeat song but the Horrors are Always Lurking under it, the breakup Ritual line is my Favorite Line cause its so horrifying but its said so casually and its so good oh its so good-

[sakumasmut]

GOOD EVENING FRIEND I AM BACK. (just this weekend tho) HOW R U? I hope you're no longer sick!! please drink golden milk and boost your immune system (if you wish to do so)

- fem!tsumugi ramble?!?

since its tsumugi day I was thinking about all the fem tsumugi fanart that is out there and how she always has big titties, I think she'd absolute love to have them bitten and licked, I also whole heartedly believed she's someone who unknowingly arches her back during it pushing them in your face further but nobody complaining, I think her inner thighs would be very sensitive so she'd enjoy her thighs being slapped as she sits on her knees like a good girl... I also want to talk about how she would love having fingers in her mouth as you use your strap or cock whichever, in her, its a super pretty sight i have in mind like just her sucking and gently biting on your fingers as you ram into her? I still love her titties can't live without them..

- fem!eichi tsumugi and keito ramble including breeding by the five eccentrics?!?!

also oh my goddddd I can't stop thinking about fem!eichi fem!keito fem!tsumugi and the five eccentrics just taking their stress out on them and breeding them whilst teasing their chests I'm so sorry this is stuck in my head please!!! they have so many reasons to make those 3 into their personal cumdumps especially rei??? rei and keito?? childhood friends??? rei and eichi?? roommates after all she put him through??? rei and tsumugi would probably be softer but he's not afraid to bend her over and force her to, talking about how she's too naive and innocent or whatever

I think wataru would probably stick to just fem eichi especially after finding out her little crush on him?? oh he'd breed her gently for HOURS, where as natsume and shu would use her like no fucking tomorrow, no way she's not coming out pregnant after those two?? especially knowing they'd put her in the most humiliating positions ever, and sooner or later in breeding presses.. oh god..

fem!keito probably doesn't really get used by anyone but rei I'm sure rei will keep her full and pretty, I'm sure just rei will be enough for her to not walk properly for a while, or maybe rei decides to share her with kanata just watching how much more gentle kanata is before slamming his own hips into her now, very sensitive, hole

and fem!tsumugi?? yeah... natsume dragging her to the secret room and making her scream her lungs out, no other way, but hey? five eccentrics they'll live up to their name and make the most of their school year right? everytime they get annoyed about one of their schemes they simply drag one of them to one of the rooms and force their cum in them, I think it's pretty cool i would not mind being any of the three girls!

also I don't know where I'd fit kanata to be honest? I think he's the kinda guy that would keep the girls bent over but he'd be very into keeping their wrists tightly held behind their back or the wrists on top of their head, though I'm not sure exactly who he'd prefer out of the three, I also believe he's more into forcing them to take him down their throat, and maybe he'll cum on their face or chests simply cause it'll be humiliating, especially having to clean themselves or how they can smell him for the rest of the day as they sit in class all prim and proper what not- but that doesn't match my breeding kink so. I dunno!!! maybe he just got a need to slam his hips into the ones who upset him and his friends! plz do give your opinion on kanata THANKS I HOPE UR DOING WELL FREN!!

- 🫧

(what is golden milk,,,) but yes I’m doing better now ty!

okay I’m thinking about this too much as well. something about eccentric group sex is soooo. mmmm. going under the cut

Okay first, big agree with just using Femmugi and playing with her tits. I ADORE the idea of cockwarming her while just. biting her chest, leaving lovebites all over them. she’d definitely arch her back instinctively, all the better for me.

Okay eccentric time. Rei is railing ALL of them. He doesn’t wanna get first dibs unless the others insist because he doesn’t mind getting sloppy seconds at all, might as well let his friends have fun first you know? Plus I think he has a bit of a voyuerism thing. He has such different dynamics with all 3, he treats Eichi like the whore she is and is rough with her, knowing she doesn’t enjoy being handled as fragile. Keito, he’s so teasing with, not too rough but takes his sweet time. Tsumugi honestly like you said he’s pretty sweet with her, he probably gets along with her the most so Rei’s really soft and just enjoys playing with her boobs.

Natsume obviously has a Tsumugi bias, even if he doesn’t hate her anymore he’s still VERY rough and mean with her, so most of the time he’s the one railing her over tables and desks whenever he feels like it. He does still have that Eichi grudge though so that’s where all the rest of his hate sex goes towards. He gets bored of breeding Mugi all the time you know?

Shu pretty much hates all 3 but as much as I’d love for him to fuck all 3 I think he’d concentrate on Eichi since it’s specifically about breeding. He prefers getting stress out in others ways but he can’t resist giving the Tenshouin heir a bastard, something about ruining her life in return.

Wataru’s definitely not in it for the hate he’s in it for the SEX. Of course he can’t keep his hands off Eichi, but the other Eccentrics know Eichi would enjoy that the most so they relegate him to Keito fucker. Rei WOULD fuck Keito a lot too, but consider Wataru a tap out for when Rei is fucking one of the other 2 instead. Eichi gets fucked by all the others so her holes are a bit busy, so Keito’s duty as right hand woman is to be another breeding hole for Wataru.

Kanata..yeah I agree wouldn’t really be into hate sex either. If I had to delegate a position to him it’d be to cockwarm them while they’re bathing so that they’re always comfortable and full. Him just watching them get fucked would be good too though, if they’re lacking the equipment to keep them restrained he can pin their wrists down or lift a leg up for easy access. If you really want him to fuck someone though, probably Keito since she was the one responsible for his execution.

[eurotowne]

here are some semi final 2 second rehearsal clip thoughts for you guys

1) reiley’s new outfit is SOOOOO cute where can i find it

2) he’s also got a pretty good voice!

3) BRUNETTE MY QUEEN

4) armenia’s staging is by far one of the most aesthetically pleasing ever

5) romania…babes this was not it but i like the pink better than the yellow

6)Alika looks and sounds good, but the song itself is so boring to me sorry

7) i think Gustsph needs to wear more color because he’s starting to blend into the stage

8) BUT THE BACKING SINGERS AND DANCER??? THEY ATE IT UPPPPP

9) CYPRUS OH MY GODDDDD

10) stage is kinda boring but ANDREW IS SERVING VOCALS I NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED

11) diljá has so much energy, but it isn’t enough to save the song methinks

12) sorry i like greece. even though the outfit is giving UPS driver/Safari tour guide

13) does greece’s song sound like it may have been revamped??? because i LOOOooooOoooOOOVE it

14) idk if still might not qualify :/

15) poland is better than expected

16) the dancebreak is another example of classic polish esc editing

17) slovenia…my boys

18)the stage itself is a tad boring, and the boys are really trying to connect with an audience that simply isn’t there…but i know when it’s time for semis, it will be a huge party

19) idc all five of my slovenian boyfriends ate it up

20) LETS TAKE A MOMENT FOR IRU

21) GEORGIA DID NOT COME TO MESS AROUND

22) i’m the biggest piqued jacks stan so obviously i’m living for Like An Animal

23) “the WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY” is sounding good (idc that my mom says it sounds like screaming)

24) Teya and Salena are sounding and looking great…but the slow walk to the front stage during the most energetic part of the song is not it for me

25) albania exceeded every expectation….they are qualifying i fear

26) i don’t love monika’s new dress, but we got another flawless vocal performance from her

27) australia looks fun, loving the choreo, it’s just so DARK and why is there a car 😭

[badmoon--rising]

Omega

YESSSSSS SEASON 2 LETS GOOOO

SKEJSKFKGKKD STOP, IT OPENING WITH JACKSONS CAPTAIN KIRK SHIRT IS HYSTERICAL HOW DID DEREK FUCK UP HIS SHIRT THAT BAD and WHY IS HE IN A LAKE????????

oh SHIT here he COMES!!! the guy I love so much running on ALL FOURS STOP RUNNING LIKE THAT WHY DID THEY THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA

yessss the gorge we never see again ❤️

oh my god I cant stand this flashback sequence its so awful to watch. why’d they do chris like that and where the fuck are they parked and what’s UP with the FOG I simply do not understand

OKAY. SCOTT RUNS INTO TWO CARS. INTO SOMEONES BACKYARD. AND THIS IS JUST FINE? THIS IS JUST OKAY?

OH NEVERMIND FUCK HOW THIS SHOW MAKES NO SENSE WE FINALLY HAVE THE THEME SONG BAYBEEEEEEEEE mud woman I missed you so much

Stiles what js wrong with you

I unironically ADORE Lydia’s delivery on “and still taking bubble baths” she looks so unhinged i love her

ok, again, I skip all of the makeout scenes but The Stick Up by the filthy pillows is SUCH A GOOD SONG

aww Scott’s stretch marks are really pretty :)

Allison im so sorry your family is constantly violating your privacy at every moment

people really love to say Stiles is the smartest character when he is literally such a fucking idiot

oh my god Lydia’s shower scene is so gross but the camerawork is pretty good I’ll admit it

The smudge on Dylan’s head where he ran into the camera lmao

Goddddd I love how much everyone loves Lydia it’s so sweet :’)))

SCOTT HANGING HIS HEAD OUT THE CAR WINDOW IS SO CUTE I LOVE HIMMMMM

AAAAAA ISAAAAAACCCC I MISSED YOU SO MUCH ITS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU

The fact that his dad leaves a graveyard behind after he dies is such a good metaphor

It was so funny how we’re supposed to think Lydia is the one eating people’s livers sbdjsjfk

AAAAAAAAAAAA DEREK HAAIIIII I LOVE YOU SMMMMM

What was Lydia doing at Derek’s

Love how Stiles just goes ahead and trips the wire. clown

“Yeaa buddy :)”

It’s cool how far along Scott is with his abilities now

STOPPPP THIS EXCHANGE “Scott.” “Mr. Argent.” “How’re you doin.” “Good.”

Scott I love you so fucking much

Fuck you very much Mr. Lahey

LMAO HI DEREK YOURE STILL SO FUNNY

Stiles being like I think Lydia deserves to eat people

............I want Stiles’s flannel from this ep so bad

God Jackson you look fucking ridiculous

Coach I love you but please stop talking about your testicle

All of you are wrong she’s turning gay

Harris was really like “I want to beat the fuck out of Stiles” and everyone laughed. I mean, accurate portrayal of the treatment of neurodivergent kids in public school but also wow everybody fucking hates Stiles huh

The nosebleed sequence is so funny

Hi Derek

SNDKDKKF the way Jackson’s makeup rubbed off of his nose

Derek watching black blood ooze out of Jackson’s face and just being like ummmm haha I’m leaving

Oh god. Matt. :| hes such a boring villain I’m sorry

Allison I love you..... so much..........

Scott you are so unbelievably kind I adore you

Thank you for adhd representation

God Harris you are unbearable

Ok I’ll admit it I love buzz cut Stiles a lot I think it looks really good on him and also gender

Allison :(

The one good thing Gerard ever did in his life was break Matt’s sd card

God he’s so immediately scary

OBSESSED WITH “pick up my tie” “yeah sorry, I know I’m supposed to ask” ITS SO FUNNYYYY

The two of them bored in the back of the car is so cute

Why is it night

“....just find her” :( the Lydia love in this house tonight

NOOOO DONT DO IT DONT RUN ON ALL FOURS

Stiles continues to be an idiot

Derek saving Scott and holding him like that is so sweet genuinely. Brothers :)

An omega rarely survives..... on ees oon

Damn it’s pretty good gore though

Gerard you are terrifying, nice use of singular they tho

Alrighty here we go, season two baybe 😎

[vonlipvig]

Survivor Winners at War Ep 9 Recap

In this episode, oh my gODDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH SDHSKJHSJHSKFHSKL holy shit

...Anyway.

So the ep starts with the gang coming back to camp, and Nick and Michele are pissed cause they were not in on the last vote, and ok why is it so hilarious that it’s TONY the one that’s being super level headed and telling Nick “dude, calm down, nobody’s going after you just cause you voted for Wendell”? (No but for real, Tony’s being super smart and not that over the top sooooo...)

Then Michele and Adam have a conversation (where Michele is like “oh yeah I’m pissed”...to Adam? The person she was voting for? Lmao), and Adam tells her...his...brilliant idea.

It’s the beginning of something wonderful, oh baby.

But yeah, he thinks the little fleur de lis thingie on Jeff’s table looks like the idol Denise found, and thus, it’s probably a hidden idol...in Tribal. On the podium. And here’s where my friend and I look at each other and go hoooooly shit don’t tell me this is gonna happen cause WE CAN FEEL IT’S GONNA HAPPEN and dkjffdflk.

But we’ll go back to that.

On the Edge, the gang goes on another scavenger hunt for something to sell, and Danni and Parv end up finding a 50/50 immunity coin thing (And apparently they find it in the same place that Aubry found whatever the hell she found on s38, y’all think I remember? I’m a fan I just have shit memory, guys!). Parv decides to sell it to Michele for four tokens, which DKFHDKJ PARV YOU’RE SO RIPPING HER OFF I LOVE IT, and in the end she and Danni decide to share the news and food reward with everyone else BUT Yul and Wendell which lmao (I mean, makes sense since they were the last ones to arrive).

Back in the game proper, it’s Challenge Time! It’s the one with the fish puzzle pieces, blah blah blah, they divide into two teams, whatever. Sarah’s team wins, but then she decides to give her spot on the reward to Nick, because it was his birthday the day before (and well, he didn’t have a great time, if that TC was any indication lmao).

And ok, Sarah did it simply because she is Nice. I mean, it must be tough to keep the “strategic brain” turned on every time, cause sometimes the humanity of it all gets to you, but ONCE AGAIN TONY IS BEING A BIG VOICE OF REASON going “girlie, c’mon, that’s gonna be seen as a strategic move, they’re gonna want you out”. And he’s kind of right, cause everyone else is like uuuuuuhhh okay.

Then Michele finds the 50/50 coin that Parv is trying to sell to her, and lo and behold, she buys it!

Like, don’t get me wrong, she 100% got scammed cause that thing was NOT worth four fire tokens, but she’s in a pretty shitty position if they’re gonna keep going after low profile people (and considering she doesn’t have that many allies anymore, I’d say Jeremy but Jeremy’s the one that wants these kind of people out sooo). But yeah, making Parv rich, I’m not complaining!

For the Immunity Challenge, we have the “stand on that triangular platform on the water and stay there” challenge, which always seems like such fun and one that...I think I could do pretty well? I mean, I don’t have the worst balance?

Anyway, Kim wins (Yay, Kim!), but god was it fun to see Ben do some weird Surfing Karate to try to stay on it!

Yeehaw!

Then of course it’s time for Chaos. The lions want the vote to be between Nick and Adam. Nick wants Sophie out. Adam prefers to go for Sarah. The lions clearly don’t want it to be Sarah, so they’re ok with Adam. 

Gratuitous Sarah pic being a badass, because we all need Sarah being a badass in our lives.

Then Ben goes to confront Adam cause he had said that him and Sarah were super close and Adam is kind of trying to stumble his way out of that and it’s really awkward and also really funny? I just think they’re so over each other dfkjdfkh (AND IT AIN’T OVER YET!).

And now we go to Tribal. Hooooo boy.

So Jeff gets ignored almost right away, and LET THE CHAOS BEGIN!

You got everything, baby. You’ve got Adam and Ben going at each other about PRE-MERGE DRAMA!? WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT DKJFDFKJ. While that distraction is going on, everyone is whispering, everyone is up and talking, and I’m smiling from ear to ear, gotta love this show.

AND THEN. DKJFHDKJFHD. AND THEN EVERYONE SHUTS UP AND ADAM ASKS IF THEY’RE VOTING FOR HIM.

AND THEN IT’S COMPLETE SILENCE. THEY’RE HARDCORE IGNORING HIM I’M-..DFJKDHFKDH

So at this point I’m at near death from the second hand embarrassment, and I think it’s pretty clear to everyone--Adam included--that it’s probably him being voted out...

OH BABY TIME FOR PLAN B.

So it’s time to read the votes, I’m grabbing my friend’s hand really hard, we’re at the edge of our seats, is he gonna do it? is he really gonna do it?

AND THEN. AND THEN HE DOES. HE STANDS UP. HE WALKS TO JEFF’S TABLE...

IT’S STUCK. IT’S STUCK TO THE FUCKING TABLE. BECAUSE IT’S A PIECE OF THE FUCKING SET. AND HE’S TRYING AND IT KEEPS RATTLING AND I’M DYING HOLY SHIT OH MY GODDDD DKJFHEKJFHEKF.

But holy shit it doesn’t even end there because Jeff motherfucking Probst--who thrives on chaos, tears, and embarrassment--is all “...are you sure?”, AND THEN ADAM GOES “wait, can I play that? I wanna play that.” AND JEFF IS LIKE “you wanna play...this thing...the thing you can’t get from this table.” AND ADAM’S LIKE “yes.” AND I’M IN ANOTHER DIMENSION BY THIS POINT I’M LAUGHING AND CRYING THIS IS A LOT.

And no, it wasn’t and he was voted out.

BUT LET ME SAY THIS. Fucking kudos to him for going through with all of that. Like, at one point if you know you’re screwed anyway what does it even matter right? Just fucking try, the worst thing that can happen is that you look silly, but that’s COMEDY AND WE LOVE IT. So yeah, props to him cause GOD THAT WAS HILARIOUS.

(Also, apparently there was an idol hidden in TC in an international Survivor season, maybe South Africa, I don’t remember? I didn’t watch any but if he did then he probably convinced himself it wasn’t that crazy an idea. Plus, I guess if you’re desperate you can totally convince yourself that if the idol was a fleur de lis that could be an idol as well, but yeah...it was WAY too crazy, but goddamn if it wasn’t entertaining).

Thank you Adam, love you dude.

[local-anon]

OC introduction

Will Barrett (rdr2)

Full Name: Will Barrett

Race: White

Class: Outlaw/ broke

Sexuality: Pan (but doesn't know it bc its the 1800s)

Age: 26

Physical Description

Gender: Male

Hair: Short, light brown

Height: 6’

Build: thicc but swole

Eyes: Hazel (depends on the day)

Scars: Scar round half his neck from nightfolk. Various gunshot grazes. once got stabbed in the hand during a drunken five finger fillet bet

Tattoos: Stick and poke sleeve on left arm.

Personality

Summary of their backstory.

An against the world attitude ever since he ran away from his parents' farm (too many kids they didn’t even notice) Worlds been throwing shit at him ever since. gains overconfidence because he somehow hasn't died yet 

“My best skill is surviving because I haven’t died yet so clearly I’m immortal” Takes it upon himself to make everyone smile once in his presence even if they respond by hardcore insulting him.

Do they have any mental illnesses?

Ptsd definitely. prolly adhd bc he forgets shit like a mother fucker, will start 15 chores and not finish any of them.

“Shit probably but who cares about that when people are shooting at you lmao”

How do they cope?

He doesn’t. To the frustration of himself and the rest of camp

Do they have any medical conditions?

“I have this thing where my neck scar will suddenly start burning to the point of my legs collapsing but that’s probably nothing”

Is medicine/ treatment available for them?

Honestly it’s probably psychosomatic and in 1899 he isn't going to bother with it.

How much do they care about their outer appearance?

11/10 He will bathe twice a week and is always doing laundry. miss Grimshaw appreciates him the most because he washes clothes the best.

What’s their “beauty routine”?

Beard is in perfect condition, has added pomade and stimulant to make sure of it. Makes his own soap.

What do they fear the most?

Spiders, it's a hindrance when it comes to checking out caves and abandoned places.

Their biggest flaw?

“My existence?” His self-esteem, not knowing when to shut up.

Do they recognize it as a flaw?

He recognizes his entire being as a flaw so idk

What’s their zodiac sign or which one do you think they relate to the most?

Doesn't know his birthday exactly but I predict he’s a Libra Scorpio cusp with cancer rising and Leo moon. he has a Leo venus. Sagittarius Mars

What Harry Potter house would they be in?

“I’m a Gryffindor” he's a Hufflepuff

What natural alignment are they? (ex. Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil)

Neutral good. He really just wants to live good and let people live good.

Do they have any hobbies? What are they?

He loves gardening and is crushed every time the camp moves because he has to start all over again.

Do they have a favorite holiday? How do they celebrate it?

He once visited new york in the summer and saw fireworks on the 4th or july he was in love. It's his favorite holiday but he will light off fireworks whenever he gets his hands on them. “That's why I loved that mayors party”

What’s their favorite season?

Spring, seed sowing season lol

Do they have a temper or are they level headed?

He is mostly level headed unless you completely got him fucked up (insult his partner, his family, THREATEN his family?) he will shoot you after telling you all the ways you fucked up

Do they express their emotions freely or hide their true feelings?

Both?? He hides behind half truths most of the time. But very blunt if he doesnt like you.

Are they a leader or a follower?

He’s a good team player but not necessarily a follower. Will question you if you give weird not good orders (dutch almost dropped him twice)

How do they come off to others?

Blunt and overconfident, charming in his way that even if you’re mad you won't be for long.

What first impression do they usually make?

You either want to punch him or hug him.

Do they prefer to travel alone or with company?

He likes traveling with people he trusts, and he prefers it to being alone. He will banter with himself if left alone for too long. (Camp has gotten concerned for his mental status a few times)

Would you describe them as selfless or selfish?

He cares more about his family than he does about himself. But would steal candy from a kid bc he wants it.

What do they find most attractive in others?

He just really loves peoples personalities and if ur nice and treat him and his family well he will find you attractive (also he rlly likes muscles on people)

Do they flirt often?

Yes, aggressively, too much, in a dumb way

Do they fall in love easily?

“No” Yes

What’s their love life like?

“Amazing” Awful, at least it was until he joined the gang

Do they prefer to solve things diplomatically or using violence?

It really depends on the situation, he wants the least amount of innocent casualties. keyword innocent

What is their combat style?

“I have a shotgun for sticky situations, but my favorite are these metal knuckles i got from an old blacksmith friend, theyre bladed”

Do they sneak?

When the situation calls for it

What weapon(s) do they always carry with them?

Sawed off shotgun, Sighted rifles, bow & arrow (Charles made him one after a week of pestering)

Their most prized possession?

An old native American ring he was given after this old white drunk dude after sobbing about all the atrocities he's seen and passing out after handing him the ring saying he can't stand the weight anymore. Will dragged his passed out person into his tent and saved the ring as a reminder to try to help out everyone when he can

Favorite armor/ outfit?

Redshirt, black paisley vest, duster jacket over top.

How’s their aim?

“Its the fuckin best” It’s alright, not perfect all the time but still pretty good

Do their hands shake while aiming a bow?

It used to but Charles taught him how to keep steady

Their thoughts on killing to survive?

He does it because he has to but he’d really like it if people would just stop shooting at them

Does it take a toll on them?

Only when they were innocent and were just caught in the crossfire

Or do they shake it off rather easily?

“Fuck O’Driscolls

Thoughts on death if any? (ex. Fear it, accept it)

Is only afraid he’ll die in a stupid way

Do they scavenge for their supplies or simply buy them?

He’s good at looting houses and won't let things go to waste. Once stole an entire houses blankets because the girls were complaining about the chill drafting into their tents

Are they the type to get distracted and go off to an unknown nearby location or do they stay on track?

Ohhhh myyy goddddd. He was once riding from Valentine to Rhodes and stopped at every single herb he saw, even in the distance and was late bu a few hours than he meant to be back to camp.

How do they sleep?

“What is sleep?” He doesn’t, has to be dragged to bed or will pass out on his horse.

Are they picky about where and how or can they sleep basically anywhere?

Yes, he can’t sleep on the bare ground.

Are they a picky eater?

Not really just needs seasoning

Do they know how to cook?

Surprisingly yes, he taught Pearson how to use the sun to bake.

What’s their favorite beverage?

Rum, it gets him fucked up fast and tastes sweet.

Do they drink alcohol?

Yes

Anything they like to collect? (ex. Unique weapons)

He collects pressed flowers after Mary-Beth taught him how to do it. Arthur bought him a penny dreadful just for the purpose of pressing flowers because he got tired of Will sneaking off with his journal to do it.

Are they good at disarming traps or do they constantly miss them?

He nearly lost a leg to a bear trap.

[magicofthepen]

Gallifrey Relisten: A Blind Eye

The end of Series 1! (I will admit I had to stop myself from immediately jumping into Lies because that’s when things really get going for me.) Some thoughts:

Mentions of/spoilers for: Neverland, Zagreus, Spirit, Insurgency, Enemy Lines, the Time War audios (but in a vague way).

Romana announces her name and title and then immediately follows that up with “I want no record of my being here” lol.

This episode is the closest we get to “everyone has to dress up fancy for an event” and it’s a shame we don’t get more of this! I would love more off-world and/or dress up episodes that are less......dire probably isn’t the right word because there’s some heavy things going on in this episode...maybe frantic? There is definitely a difference between the degree of tension in A Blind Eye and the degree of tension in the off-world episodes in Time War, for instance. (Also A Blind Eye has more banter.) I’m pretty sure it’s just A Blind Eye and Spirit that capture this sense of “we’re going to do something different for an episode” and I like it! (I feel like this is part of my ongoing push for a post-Enemy Lines, pre-Time War series of misc. CIA missions and shenanigans. Please someone just shove more side adventures into gaps in the timeline.)

The banter! The banter. (“You have your business face on. / You’re a transtemporal crook Arkadian, meeting you could never be a pleasure.”) 1. Arkadian is a supremely entertaining villain, and 2. he’s a tremendously good villain opposite Romana specifically, purely for snark and banter reasons.

I was never a big fan of the Sissy Pollard portrayal — the character’s personality feels too....exaggerated? Over the top? And not in an effective or interesting way.

Romana’s defense of Charley is actually quite sweet, given that they weren’t super friendly in Neverland/Zagreus.

Romana chastises Leela for careless talk, but uhhh if you wanted to keep things subtle and not reveal anything, maybe don’t have Leela suddenly grab Sissy?

“Madam, the Alps are in the other direction.” “Are they? Damn.” / “Be careful, you’ll break it!” “I’ll break you in a minute.” Truly, maximum levels of scathing Romana snark in this episode. 

I have never seen anyone mention this, so I always assumed I’m not hearing it right, but....when the original!timeline train is about to crash into them....does Romana tell Narvin to fuck off?

Andred has a whole scene with no other Time Lord witnesses in which he could have told Leela the truth and yet.

“I am a Guard Commander of Gallifrey” apparently I never paid enough attention to what he actually said here because I think that was the first time I noticed that Andred gave his Chancellery Guard title, not his CIA title.

“Arkadian! You’ve met with that crook!?” Shoutout to Narvin for some A+ false indignation here.

I’m not sure there was a way to write a parallel between between real world Naziism and Leela’s fictional past without having it come off a bit as oversimplifying/cheapening the horrors of Nazi Germany. (But I’m white and raised Christian, so I’m also really not the person to be speaking in depth about the portrayal of Nazis in this episode.)

Does Arkadian know about Andred? I assume that he would just because he generally knows most things, but hmm it adds another layer.

Narvin is genuinely surprised when Romana gives in and agrees to leave lol.

Ms. Joy — it’s funny because we the listeners know that the one random character must be there for a reason, so it feels like the only reason the characters don’t know she’s suspicious is that they don’t know they’re in an audio drama episode and so she must be important to the plot.

Did Narvin really intend for Romana to go with “Torvald”? “At least he’s have been exposed?” Way to throw your President under the bus sir (although possibly he assumed that Torvald wouldn’t actually assassinate the President?)

“See, it is always a monster.” Wait, I take it back, Leela knows she’s in a Doctor Who (adjacent) episode.

“The only name in town where there’s temporal naughtiness to be done” — the Arkadian = Brax crack(?) theory is the most “I can’t unhear this” thing that’s happened to me since Narvin/Torvald. What is it with y’all and Series 1, I’m losing it. 

...does Andred have a plan when he lowkey kidnaps Romana or is he just panicking? He is quite genuinely pleading with Romana to go along with him into the TARDIS and sounds genuinely desperate. But then he seems to regain control and starts more tactically trying to persuade Romana to work along side him without giving her any real answers. Although really, he must know that he’s very close to discovery — maybe he wants to resolve the past!Torvald situation first? Or maybe he’s not thinking that far ahead?

“I have no paws.” Awww K9.

“I think you’re a bad President. I think you’ve willfully sacrificed Gallifreyan influence upon the altar of your own increasingly cranky liberal agenda.” 1. “increasingly cranky liberal agenda” is such a specific insult wow, 2. I can’t tell how much of this is Andred still trying to be Torvald and how much he actually means this? The politics of this incarnation of Andred were always a bit fuzzy to me, even in series 2.

Also. Any conversation between Romana and Andred has a whole weird vibe on relisten when you know about the uhhh future murdering that’s going to happen.

I do love a Dramatic Reveal, and this one is incredibly dramatic.

....does the train crash? Does the train not crash? I’ve always been a bit confused about what happens in that moment — I assume Romana doesn’t actually plan on the train hitting the TARDIS, and we hear the TARDIS dematerialize so I think the train is fine? But it’s a weirdly ambiguous sound/end of scene.

“I can tell you are lying. It’s when your lips move.” Okay Leela snarking at Arkadian is also very good.

It is genuinely so interesting how connected this plot is to Neverland/Zagreus — if I had to pick one “you should listen to this audio before Gallifrey” I'd go for the Apocalypse Element because of the enormous ripples it casts in terms of Romana’s characterization (and also it’s more stand alone), but I imagine this episode would be particularly confusing without Neverland/Zagreus? (Would be curious to hear people’s experiences.)

“I never lie!” Romana, that’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told. 

The narration of what happened to Andred by Andred and Romana is um. It’s a little bit obviously an info dump for the listener, but I’m not sure it’s the best way for Leela to find out? I mean, hearing the context and explanation probably was a better idea than just “oh btw I’m Andred”.....possibly this felt weird to me because of the acting? It’s very emotionally detached, very “so this is what happened” — Andred manages some emotion afterwards when he’s pleading with Leela but uh. He could have sounded more apologetic here.

Leela. Leela. “You have watched me suffer and worn my enemy’s clothes?” / “The man that I loved is dead.” Goddddd I want to give her a hug so much ughhhhh. Leela just goes through so many awful things throughout....all of Gallifrey actually, and she still remains such a good person with such a genuinely caring heart......give her a break please.

“I think the only person who’d actually benefit from a temporal war would be a...dealer in arms? A trader in secrets? A fixer and a fiddler. A dishonest broker with no scruples and no shame.” / “An interesting theory Madam. Prove it.” I just really like the delivery of this bit. Although: I realize there were several things going on at this point, but really, they just let Arkadian walk away at the end?

And thus ends Series 1. It has some highs and lows but it honestly ranks near the bottom on my constantly-in-flux list of favorite-to-least favorite Gallifrey series. (Weapon of Choice is probably the only episode I actively look forward to relistening to?) I said in my Weapon of Choice post that Series 1 was a nice “palate cleanser” after Apocalypse Element and the Charley arc through Zagreus, and that was true for the first time listening, but I think some of those same attributes mean I’m kinda meh about relistening to it. It just doesn’t hold my interest quite as much as many of the other series. (Series 2 though....👀)

EDIT: I realized I forgot to tell my personal story of my first time listening to the Andred reveal, and I wanted to have some record of that, even if I don’t quite remember the specifics of my reaction. In general, my first listen of Gallifrey was shaped by knowing a lot of major spoilers, which is what happens when you spent a lot of time lurking on Tumblr blogs in advance of listening to the series. (It actually led to a lot of super fascinating experiences of “well I know X happens, but I don’t know how or why” and being really curious to find out how X played out.)

So I knew something about Andred and Torvald going in, and I think I should have known that it was simply Torvald = Andred, but somehow I got it in my head that oh no, no it’s weirder and more complicated than that. But of course there are a lot of hints throughout series 1 that Torvald is Andred, so the first listen was this cycle of me going “I think maybe Torvald is just Andred? Nah, it’s going to be more convoluted than that. But no really, it makes sense that Torvald is Andred...” etc. etc. So it was a weird experience of knowing pretty early on that Torvald might be Andred, but still not being quite sure until the end of series one. The other bit of this is that I can’t remember at what point I knew that Andred died (and how) — I think I may have known he died before I listening to Gallifrey (or at the very least I knew that he was written out in some way or another earlier on), so that may have also confused me further re: the series one question of: what actually happened to Andred? All around, an odd experience of “I was spoiled...but somehow I still wasn’t sure what was going on” and I wasn’t surprised per se but it was still a reveal. 

Next Episode Reaction: Lies

Previous Episode Reaction: The Inquiry

[jaouinedcan]

Sunny Daze [NedCan Week: Day 2 - Sun]

Alternate Title: Internal Screaming, The Fic

I’ll be posting another fanfic for the second half of today’s prompt [Moon] in a while, once I go through a final edit.

I really enjoyed writing this; it’s very silly and cute, so I hope everyone has fun reading :)  It’s intended to take place in the late 1950s, so the Netherlands is mostly recovered and shaking off the last of the war’s effects.

It was Saturday so he ought to have been able to sleep in without a worry, but while it was nice to have a constant companion, the downside of owning a pet was that you actually had to roll out of bed at a decent hour in order to feed them.  Or, in Canada's case, where the pet in question had the strength required to accomplish such a feat, he often ended up getting dragged out of bed via any limb within reach.

"I'm hungry," the polar bear whined, though it was Canada, yanked halfway off the bed by his arm so that his head had knocked against the floor, that ought to be complaining.

"Good morning," he said, instead, pulling himself upright and grimacing a bit as he rubbed the small lump forming on his temple.  It should disappear soon enough, but it would continue to smart until then.  Trying to put the throb out of his mind, Canada retrieved his eyeglasses from his bedside table and put them on gingerly, successfully avoiding the bump.  "What would you like to eat?"

"Salmon," the bear answered immediately, having obviously decided well in advance.  At least he wasn't indecisive, because that would be annoying to deal with before his morning coffee.

Fish was fine for a polar bear's breakfast, but Canada's choice for morning protein was bacon and eggs or peanut butter on toast, or... actually, a bacon and egg sandwich sounded amazing right now, and if he was still hungry after that he was pretty sure he still had leftover pancakes in the fridge... unless a certain someone had raided the fridge overnight, anyway...

With that plan solidifying in his head, Canada walked barefoot into his kitchen and started up his coffee machine first before he was encouraged to finish the trip to the icebox by insistent pawing with the hint of claws catching on his flannel pyjamas.  Well, if he was that hungry, then he probably hadn't nicked the pancakes after all, so Canada allowed the display of impatience without a word.  It wasn't like it was terribly complicated to feed his pet anyway.  He kept that icebox at a reasonable temperature to avoid the fish freezing solid, but even if it did, the powerful jaws of a polar bear would still make quick work of a fish popsicle.  All he really had to do was unlock the box, remove the packaging, and hand over the fish raw.  There wasn't much of a need to even rinse it off, though Canada sometimes did anyway if it looked particularly grisly.

"Thanks," his polar bear said, his manners always better when he got what he wanted.  Canada left him to his meal with a quiet reflexive 'you're welcome' as he walked away to wash his hands at the kitchen sink, then got started on fixing his own breakfast while waiting for the coffee pot to fill.  Bread went in the toaster, eggs and bacon went in the pan, and within a couple minutes, he was seated at his kitchen table, caffeine beginning to kick in just enough to ground himself in yet another quiet, uneventful mid-autumn Saturday morning, wondering what he ought to do that day in between meals until Hockey Night in Canada began its weekly broadcast.

He was halfway through leisurely eating his sandwich when his polar bear finished licking his paws and the floor clean, then began wandering around the room searching for any elusive crumbs he'd missed, only to stop suddenly by the window and turn his head back toward his owner.  "He's been standing out there for half an hour."

Canada was initially flummoxed by the amount of words pouring out of his pet's mouth, used to only a few syllables every now and then until closer to noon, when he got a little more verbal.  Then the meaning of the words sunk in and he nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee but at least he avoided spraying it everywhere.  He quickly rose to his feet, unfortunately hit his knee on the table, grimaced, then demanded to know, "Why didn't you tell me someone was at the door?!" in a voice more like a pained hiss than an actual shout.

"I was hungry."

Canada was so mortified he was certain that his soul was ready to leave his body and vanish into the vast wilderness of the Rockies or the boreal forest never to be found again, but somehow he managed to limp his way over to the door, hastily putting together an apology for not hearing his unusually patient visitor's knocking.  Or had his polar bear answered the door and just left them there with a forgotten promise to fetch him?!  Oh, Goddddd...

Meanwhile,  the Netherlands, who definitely hadn't gotten around to knocking yet, was silently lamenting his inability to hold his Holland Lop while he smoked, but he wasn't about to put her health at risk, and simply watched her contentedly hop around Canada's front yard instead.  Some of the neighbours glanced toward him with concern as they went about their daily lives, but they quickly looked away from the force of his stare.  The glare was borne more out of irritation toward himself than anyone else, but nobody needed to know that.

It was a simple enough plan.  He just had to knock on the door and hand over the box.  He'd done this sort of thing before, with other recipients.  Hell, he'd accompanied much larger gifts to Canada than this one small box before.  Every year since 1945 had brought him to Canada's shores on a ship full of tulip bulbs, and he'd enjoyed the overwhelmed gratitude every time as he paid back whatever slight fraction of the depth of his debt he could afford, bit by bit, even as he wondered if it was even fair to think that he'd ever break out black ink in his books again now that he had the gall to gain any sort of satisfaction from Canada's happiness.  Was it so dramatic of him to not consider ever ceasing sending him thousands of tulips every May?  ...Certainly not now that the Canadian government had decided to match the delivery with an annual tulip festival, purchasing even more to spread among both the public and private sectors.  It was already a tradition he didn't intend to break.

Yet, he'd been bothered to note that, while Canada had happily shared the tulips with all the people who called his land home, it seemed that he'd yet to keep any for himself, and the Netherlands would wonder why that was, if it weren't already so obvious.  It had started with Princess Juliana's initiative, not his, so Canada must have assumed that they were for his people to enjoy and to take even one for his own garden would be a disservice to them.  After all, it was his soldiers that had risked their lives in the war.  Canada himself would have survived under America's protective umbrella indefinitely even if Europe had fallen completely to the Axis Powers.

So.  Here he was, on Canada's doorstep with a box of tulip bulbs specifically for him and him alone to take and plant in his own garden and enjoy for himself because he couldn't stand it any longer--he couldn't deal with Canada never realizing just how important he was to him.

Now if only he could settle his nerves long enough to actually knock on the door.

...Shit, he'd already burned through his whole supply of tobacco.  Now he would have to go buy more, but maybe walking to the closest store and back would help him to calm down?

That was, of course, the moment Canada threw open the door, saying, "I'm so sorry!  I must have missed hearing you knock..." only to trail off and continue on in surprise, "Mr. Netherlands?!"

Canada hadn't expected to see him, and the Netherlands certainly wasn't expecting to be greeted by a frantic male with an impressive case of bed head still in his pyjamas.  As a fierce blush rose up Canada's face, the Netherlands' pipe fell from his open jaw and clattered noisily on the porch, spooking his bunny into returning to his side.  They were caught in an otherwise silent staredown until Canada's polar bear peered around his owner, munching on some sort of sandwich.  "There's food inside if you're hungry," he said, which turned out to not be entirely accurate as his owner would be forced to endure his embarrassment regarding his state of undress in the Netherlands' presence while reheating pancakes and awkwardly making small talk that his guest was far too distracted to respond to properly, but at least it got them moving.

Just as soon as the younger nation placed a small stack of pancakes in front of him alongside a glass of orange juice, a stick of butter, and a jar of maple syrup, he hastily excused himself upstairs to get dressed.  As he left, the Netherlands thought he heard a low keening whine drawn out under his breath, but certainly couldn't blame him for being embarrassed.  He was struggling to recover, himself, and he'd started out already fully dressed.

He turned his head to the side after putting down the box of tulips beside the plate, and found Canada's polar bear upright and staring at him.  "Are you gonna eat that?" he asked, after a long moment, and the Netherlands tucked his bunny under his opposite arm just in case as he used his free hand to spread butter and pour syrup to his taste.  The fluttery feeling in his stomach wasn't hunger but maybe a full belly would help him avoid making a fool out of himself and Belgium had already given him an addiction to sweet breakfasts so if he started feeling queasy then it wouldn't be the sugar to blame.

He let the polar bear lick the plate clean after he was done, hoping that would be enough to avoid any more subtle implications regarding his bunny's snack potential.

After Canada finished his delayed morning routine and got dressed in casual-but-not-too-casual clothes, he had to give himself a pep talk before he was finally able to leave his room again.

"All right, Canada," he said to his reflection in the small mirror hanging by his closet, which he often used to psyche himself up before important meetings and events where he was required to make a speech, "you can do this.  You can walk out there and have a nice and pleasant chat with Mr. Netherlands.  It's not your fault that he decided to visit without calling ahead and caught you straight out of bed, and he wouldn't judge you for your appearance on a Saturday morning.  This should be a day off for him, too, after all, and for whatever reason he decided to share a bit of his time with you even though he probably has a lot more important things to do and oh-maple-I-left-him-alone-in-the-kitchen-with-whatshisface!"  The thought of his polar bear bothering him somehow was enough to get Canada racing out of his bedroom again.  Thankfully, his house was a modest size so he didn't even have a chance to run out of breath, but he did slide a bit on the kitchen tile in his sockfeet, only saved from a disastrous fall by quickly grabbing the door jamb on his way past.

Thankfully, his guest was distracted by a polar bear messing his face with syrup and failed to notice his clumsiness.  That one piece of luck didn't slow down his racing heart, though, and he ended up stuttering a bit through his nerves as he wet a towel to start cleaning off his pet's sticky maw.  "S-s-so what brings you here today, Mr. Netherlands?"  It was a lot easier to talk to him while busying himself with a task that made it easy to avoid looking him in the eye.

However, the Netherlands must have been waiting for his full attention, choosing to take the time to stand and walk over to him, extending a small package into his field of vision before finally responding.  "I came to deliver this," he said in an enviously even tone.

Canada looked up from his crouch next to the struggling bear, who managed to escape the horrors of being cleaned and hurried off elsewhere, and that was a mistake because beyond the lid of the box he could see the Netherlands standing there with his usual impassive expression, and even if he didn't already know that it was a carefully constructed mask designed to keep others at arms length and he was the only one who actually knew that for sure thanks to being the one sent to help him through what was probably the worst disaster in his nation's history, he thinks he would have gotten a hint of something below the surface thanks to the way he carefully cradled his bunny in the crook of his elbow and continuously brought him gifts without even a word about expecting anything in return.  He was pretty sure that the Netherlands wanted to get closer to him because he was feeling grateful for the help, and normally Canada would have had no problem making a new friend, but... but...

The Netherlands cuddling his bunny like that was just way too cute and Canada was seriously starting to doubt that he'd be able to limit his feelings to friendship at this rate!

With those thoughts alongside his still rapidly beating heart, Canada was definitely struggling to keep calm as he forced his body to move, reaching out with one hand to accept the gift as he rose up to his full height again, setting the soiled towel next to the sink, intending to throw it in the wash later.  "O-oh," he said, mentally kicking himself for his lack of composure.  "Thank you, Mr. Netherlands...  Should I open it now?"  He felt silly for asking, but Dominion Day had come and gone and he wasn't entirely sure if the Netherlands was aware of that, and if not, certainly didn't want him to feel guilty about missing it.

"Yes," the Netherlands said, simply, nodding toward the box and shifting the bunny in his arms now that he had both hands free, going so far as to start gently stroking the fur at the base of its ears and Canada had to avert his eyes or die where he stood.  Good thing he had a present to focus on, and he took the opportunity to do so, carefully undoing the twine tying it together, then setting the box on the kitchen table in order to remove the top, revealing a dozen or so tulip bulbs packed in cotton.  The sight of them was so familiar that it immediately helped put Canada at ease.  He really should have known, to be honest.

He turned back to face the Netherlands with an easy smile.  "The tulips you send me always bloom so beautifully; thank you again, Mr. Netherlands.  My parks and civic buildings just wouldn't be the same without them anymore."  He paused, though, confused about one particular thing.  "But... you've never shipped them this early before...  I'll have to give my warehouses a heads up..."

"No," the Netherlands replied, having turned his gaze toward the window.  Something must have caught his attention outside but Canada couldn't see anything special from where he stood.  "These are for you; for your yard."

"Ah--oh... um..." Canada started, caught by surprise and a significant bout of awkwardness as the smile fell from his face.  "Well, I mean, thank you very much, but I... I have some... bad news...?"

The Netherlands quickly looked back toward him, likely just as surprised as him.

"I... I don't... actually have a flower garden...?"

The Netherlands was thrown so off balance that he ended up turning around and walking out through Canada's back door without an invitation, finding it to be just as he'd said.  It had been impossible to not notice that no flowers grew in his front yard apart from a wayward dandelion here and there, but his backyard was encircled by a fence designed to keep out wildlife, only, instead of flowers like his own yard boasted, all it protected was a large maple tree and a vegetable garden.

Well, the mystery of why Canada never took any of the tulip bulbs for himself was now solved, but the Netherlands found the answer entirely unsatisfying and he looked over the yard, overcome with woe.  Was Canada just... not as interested in the tulips as he'd assumed...?

"I'm sorry," Canada said, having followed him out the door to stand beside him.  "I really do like the tulips you send...  It's just that the growing season here is so much shorter than places further south that I put all my attention into farming crops instead of flowers.  Agriculture techniques, technology, and science have improved to the point that harvesting enough food for everyone is no longer a problem, but... I just never got into the habit of keeping flowers... much less learn how to care for them..."

He didn't think he was imagining the disappointment in Canada's voice, and when he glanced over at him, he appeared crestfallen.  An idea formed in his head and he followed it silently to a workable conclusion.  He'd been planning on spending the day in Canada regardless, so spending the day with Canada wasn't out of the question as long as Canada was fine with it.  Trying not to sound too eager, he asked, "Would you like to?"

Canada's breath hitched in his throat, surprised in the middle of an inhale, but he quickly turned his head with another dazzling smile that melted his insides like the butter on his pancakes.  "Yes!"

The Netherlands was able to endure it a little while longer this time before looking away, this time at the bunny in his arms.  Surely it wouldn't be a problem to carry her around a bit longer?  Hopefully it wouldn't bother any of the shopkeepers.  "You'll be needing some supplies," he explained, though he likely had most of what he needed already to care for his vegetables.

"I have a small truck," Canada offered.  "We can go now."  And that was that.

It was a good thing Canada could drive because the Netherlands preferred bicycles.  He had been escorted by a driver from his embassy when he'd landed at the airport earlier that day but he wouldn't dare dirty one of their vehicles and carrying around a couple bags of soil would have been as unwieldy as it was messy to the point that the Netherlands would have actually preferred to pay for delivery rather than ruining his clothes.  As luck would have it, the local Canadian Tire was only a few kilometres away, and they stocked everything on the list, though Canada tossed a few extra things in the cart he must have needed for other projects along with a wide-brimmed straw hat.  They stopped by a grocery store, too, as Canada mentioned wanting to prepare a fresher lunch rather than more reheated pancakes, and the Netherlands tagged along to offer suggestions, going so far as to mention that the work might occupy them well into the late afternoon so they might need to plan supper in advance as well.  In the end, they were lucky that Canada's polar bear had refused to come out of hiding before they left the house because there was no room left in the cab.  As for his bunny, nobody had asked him to leave either store, but he did end up getting a lot of attention from women and children.  He'd gotten bored with it after a while and started glaring at people to keep them away, while Canada laughed a little, completely unconcerned.

Canada behind the wheel was a far more notable occurrence.  The last time he'd been driven around by the younger nation was just after the war when they'd joined the ranks of soldiers delivering food and supplies to the most remote regions of the Netherlands, and his driving was just as calm, focused, and precise as it had been back then, even as he made small talk.  The Netherlands' own driving skill was not nearly as good, having so little practice.  After all, why pay for gas when cycling was free?  He did enjoy watching Canada drive, however, so he ended up continuing on letting him drive instead of adding to his own experience.

It was close to noon when they returned to the house and unloaded most of Canada's purchases minus the bags of soil, so they went ahead with lunch before getting to work.  Canada pulled a fish out of a large icebox for his polar bear who appeared out of nowhere once food was mentioned, and then went out into his garden to pull up a fresh carrot for the Netherlands' bunny.  As she happily munched it on top of the kitchen table (he refused to release her on the floor since he was still concerned about the bear's likelihood of mistaking her for food), they prepared their lunch together, the Netherlands following Canada's lead since he very rarely ever cooked for himself.  He hated making a mess of his immaculate kitchen.

While they ate, the Netherlands gave him a crash course in caring for tulips along with a general explanation for several other varieties of flowers if he chose to expand his collection at a later time, offering to assist with more specialized advice later on over the phone if he wasn't available in person.  Canada already knew how to contact him and had on several occasions already, always careful to match up their differing time zones to reasonable hours, but the topics thus far had been mostly limited to serious topics such as how reconstruction was going after the war, aside from the yearly discussion about the tulip delivery, so he was looking forward to discussing one of his favourite hobbies in more detail instead.

"Front yard or back?" he asked Canada as they rounded up the dishes from lunch and breakfast, intending to take care of them all at once following supper, wanting to get started on the flower garden while the weather was good.

"Back," Canada replied, easily, smiling to himself as he scraped off a few lingering bits of food from a plate into his garbage can.  "They're for me, after all, and I spend more time in my backyard than out front.  It'll be safer for your bunny, too, away from the street and the fence keeping out the predators that sometimes wander into town."  He didn't mention the predator living in the house itself, but the little polar bear had already wandered off to enjoy an afternoon nap.

Before they got started , Canada fetched some old clothes from his room for them to change into, since the Netherlands hadn't brought any clothes he was willing to get dirty.  The fit was... not perfect, but workable, the denim riding low on his hips thanks to his slimmer frame, and  the shirt not long enough to completely cover his torso when he lifted his arms thanks to his height.  The Netherlands had changed in the restroom, and when he stepped out, he found Canada in a similar outfit topped off with a straw hat that wasn't the one he'd bought earlier, because that one was offered to the Netherlands.

"I know I have a reputation as a frozen wasteland but I still get a lot of sun in autumn; you definitely need to cover your head when you work outside, here."  He smiled in satisfaction when the Netherlands tried it on and found it fit nicely after sweeping his hair back with one hand.  "There, your face should be safe from sunburn now."  It wasn't the first time he'd worn a sunhat to block the sun while planting tulips, but it was the first time he felt blessed for doing so, enjoying the happy expression on Canada's face.

They didn't waste any more time before heading outside, Canada hurrying to his shed to pull out a wheelbarrow to transport the soil from his truck bed, and the Netherlands following him after releasing his bunny to collect a few shovels, trowels, and other tools and supplies.  Canada only had one pair of gardening gloves, but he let the Netherlands borrow them, not minding getting his own hands dirty.  Canada reappeared shortly with the wheelbarrow and they briefly discussed the best place for the garden as they left the bags of soil on the grass, eventually settling upon a stretch of lawn along the back wall of the house, and they got started digging up the grassy earth, filling up the wheelbarrow again.  It seemed as though the earlier warning about the sun was accurate, judging by the spreading flush on Canada's face, though it seemed to be caused by the increasing temperature rather than an actual burn, so he didn't mention it as they moved on to lining the flower garden with a long strip of aluminum to prevent the grass from growing past to take over the fertile new soil that they worked together to empty into the hole directly from the bags.  From there it was simple enough to retrieve the box of tulip bulbs from inside and plant them, carefully leaving the dirt loose beneath them to avoid letting future rainfall drown them.  When that was done, Canada rolled back on his knees to rest on his ankles beside the Netherlands with a content sigh, seeing a job well done, and used his arm to wipe the sweat off his face, unknowingly leaving a streak of dirt along his jawline.

"Canada," he said to get his attention as he pulled off one of the gardening gloves, leaning over and reaching out to brush the grime off with his thumb.  Getting dirty in the process was annoying, but it wasn't like he wasn't planning on washing his hands after going back inside anyway.

Well, that was the plan, but then their eyes met and the Netherlands was frozen between thinking 'oh' and 'oh no'.

When they started the project Canada had no idea just how hard it would be to focus on the job, but then the Netherlands began to shovel dirt into the wheelbarrow and his shirt rode up every time he lifted his arms and suddenly it was a struggle to pry his eyes away and continue working.  He was lucky that the Netherlands was completely absorbed in the task, but if he was caught staring then he was prepared to mumble some half truth about how relieved he was that the Netherlands had healed up nicely from his war wounds and the lingering muscular atrophy had reversed, though he could still use a little more meat on his bones to ensure perfect health, and, oh, that was starting to sound creepy even in his own head so he was glad that the Netherlands didn't seem to notice his wandering eyes in the least.

With sheer force of will, he managed to make it through the afternoon without embarrassing himself, but maybe he let his guard down too soon because when the Netherlands said his name and touched his face and leaned in close and locked their eyes, Canada's heartbeat rushed in his ears and the next thing he knew, his hat had tumbled off, his hands were cradling the Netherlands' face, and their lips were pressed together.  His eyes had shut tight at some point, and after a moment of stillness, the Netherlands' hand drifted down from his cheek to the back of his neck, holding them together more steadily as he began to lean into the contact.  Emboldened, Canada started to move his lips in delicate motions, drawing one kiss into half a dozen quiet smicks and smacks until he felt the Netherlands' hand start to shake, and, worried that had been too much, leaned back to check, allowing them both to take a breath in the process.  The Netherlands leaned forward with him, chasing just one more kiss, but unwisely opened his eyes, probably intending to ensure his aim, ending up freezing upon meeting Canada's gaze, a flush rising all the way from his neck to his forehead.  Canada tried to stop himself, he really did, but between that and the dark smudges of soil transferred from his fingers, the Netherlands looked so silly and endearing that he couldn't help the laughter bubbling out past his lips, and that spooked the Netherlands into backing off, slipping out of Canada's grip as he took his hand back and covered the lower half of his face.  Unable to stop but unwilling to let the Netherlands think he'd done something wrong, Canada leaned forward again, this time to encircle his torso in his arms as he rode out the remainder of the laughing fit on the Netherlands' shoulder, attempting to explain himself several times only to wind himself up again, relieved when the Netherlands began to relax again.

The Netherlands had endured countless social kisses over the course of his existence, sometimes from the overenthusiastic, but mostly wherever and whenever it was considered customary.  This was, however, the first time he found himself enjoying it and craving more, even as he began to start feeling overwhelmed, his thoughts swirling in panicked little circles of 'what now' and 'what next', only to be overcome by a massive flood of 'what if' following Canada's unexpected laughter, before easing down into quiet relief after a short time in Canada's embrace, finally lowering his hand from his face to rest upon Canada's hip, though the other still desperately clenched the removed gardening glove in its grip while all ten toes slowly uncurled in his shoes.

He waited until Canada regained enough control of himself to explain, "I'm sorry, Netherlands, I just--I'm just so happy and relieved and glad and--I swear I didn't mean to make such a mess of you!"

He'd felt like such a figurative mess that he didn't understand that he'd meant it literally until Canada pulled back and tried to use the relatively clean patches of skin on his forearms to brush the dirt off the Netherlands' face, presumably with only moderate success judging by the way his lips twitched in barely contained mirth.  He didn't even know that he'd dirtied his own face first and that the Netherlands only wiped the barest bit off before they'd been caught in the moment, but the Netherlands didn't mention it as he silently accepted Canada's attention until he finally gave up and stood, holding out a hand to help him up.  It was still as dirty as ever, but, again, the Netherlands was planning on washing his hands soon anyway.

"Let's go in and wash up," Canada suggested, stooping down to grab his fallen sunhat.  "I can empty out the wheelbarrow some other time."  Presumably, some other time when the Netherlands was not there to distract him from the chore in favour of better ways to spend time together.

He nodded and followed Canada inside after collecting his bunny.  She had been bold enough to dig up another carrot but he doubted that would be a problem.  He ended up staring at his face in horror in the restroom for a while, then scrubbed himself clean, changed back into his much cleaner clothes, and fixed his hair before returning to socialise some more, finding Canada hanging up both hats by the back door, already seeming to expect more time working in the garden with company.

The Netherlands ended up staying well into the evening until Canada drove him back to his embassy, but before then, they enjoyed more conversation, another meal, and a broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada, wherein the Netherlands finally understood why a shellshocked Denmark had warned him back in 1949 to never ever ever play a game against Canada.

"What colour are they?" Canada asked as he slowed to a stop in front of the building, finally succumbing to curiosity.

He played with the idea of telling him to wait until spring to find out, but it seemed cruel now that his intent had been all but stated outright.  Originally, he was supposed to have at least six months to decide whether to let the flowers speak for themselves or to play it off as simply knowing Canada's favourite colour.  "Red," he said, instead, and Canada, more knowledgeable about flower meanings than most thanks to his earlier lectures, smiled like the sun and kissed him again.

(Notes: Denmark faced Canada’s national men’s hockey team in 1949 where they endured their worst defeat in history with an end score of 0-47, and has never won a game against them to this day.  Damn Canada, cold!  Denmark does win most of his games verses the Netherlands, though, so at least he can count on his buddy for a more even match :) I only found one game where the Netherlands faced Canada in the 1980 Olympics, and they lost 10-1; so they got wrecked pretty bad but at least they weren’t utterly destroyed and managed to score a goal.)

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 2 BRING IT ON vs. AFTER PAIN

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for BRING IT ON:

"Reasons why Bring it On should win:

- Just by starting the song, the instrumentals are BANGER. Like his more rock style is very cool, even better than After Pain’s more mellow style - Arthur’s voice (Futa’s va) had bills due because have you HEARD his singing?? His raspier voice fits Futa so well - It feels so explosive and like a call to action in a sense, which very much matches Futa’s mentality during trial 1. He also wasn’t playing victim like a CERTAIN girl… (jk, love you mu!) - SAA HAJIMEYOU USOTSUKI KARIDA - UNDEAD HEROOOI YES SLAY KING HIS HIGH NOTE HERE IS HEAVENLY - His scream at the end. Oh my god. HE LITERALLY ATE THIS NOTE. AFTER PAIN COULD NEVER. BRING IT ON FTW 🔥🔥🔥" - His range goes WAAAAAY higher than Mu. She would end up like PHG if she even tried hitting any of his high notes in the last chorus /j

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- The vocals are amazing, those growls are so well done - You’re able to get Fuuta’s crime and motive pretty succinctly, only based on the visuals - But it still leaves a lot up to interpretation, like how he only attacked once in the final fight scene. It lead to some cool theories. - On that note, the game aspects are so cool!! Especially when paired with him going after people online, just good synergy with awesome style! - Fuuta’s scared face after he realizes what he did. The great contrast of other foes simply being knocked out then being met with blood splatter. - The tempo of the song changing with his mood is a really good touch as well. Make the song more chaotic which highlights his character traits well

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"propaganda for bring it on: the music FUCKS it genuinely slaps so hard listening to it. song style is incredible its perfect for fuutas personality and gamer vibes. also the way the mv frames everything as a game? the only time real blood and real gore happens being when killcheroy dies? the little details of all the usernames, the different monster designs, the generally distorted feel of everything being too lighthearted?

okay i could go on about the mv for hours but lets not. aside from that: the FEEL of the song!!! the vocals!!!! it really feels like fuuta putting his whole heart into it, into this point of view that both blows problems out of proportion and minimises them, and DEEPLY fucking up. my darling little hypocrite gamer boy twitter user. he makes his witch hunt genuinely sound like something that could sweep people up into it. also the instruments goddddd. the guitar and synth the bass and the drums the DRUMS. im relistening to it to write this propaganda and it keeps making me headbang when i should be writing. if you arent headbanging to bring it on you are LYING.

the way the lyrics are written is wonderful too!!!! they feel so brash and brave and powerful and like. cocky about it. and it fits PERFECTLY. its gets someone swept up into it and it FUCKS. vote bring it on im serious. lets go!! a victory march!! dan da dan!!"

Propaganda for AFTER PAIN:

"so here is why people should vote for AFTER PAIN !!"

Muu's vocals. Need I say more?

The bridge to it is absolutely wonderfully done, the way she softens her vocals to an almost creepy point is incredible

during the final chorus you can hear the desperation in her voice and it’s very well portrayed

The coloring in this music video were phenomenal

The overlapping vocals at the end of the song just have a really really nice effect

Its just a pure banger

In some parts of the song there’s the sound of a clock ticking in the background used as a sort of beatline… GENIUS??

Its just a banger

even with what we found out about Muu in her second trial, After Pain on its own portrayed bullying in a very realisitc and artistic way (from someone who deals with it regularly)

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"After pain propoganda: She just girlbossed too close to the sun and happened to be holding a knife at the time"

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"Gosh everything about After Pain... How can you NOT like it? It's literally such a good song and is very singable. The instrumentation is absolutely amazing and I've listened to it on loop so much."