#good thing too because there isn't much else for me to play this concert

[supercantaloupe]

only thing worsebetter than sightreading schubert 3 finale a tempo? sightreading the fucking trio when the conductor is deliberately rubato-ing the shit out of it

[dr-spectre]

Talking about Side Order and... Marina. (SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!)

You know, i really enjoyed Side Order, like it wasn't perfect or anything but i had such a blast with it and if they continue to expand on it we could have something REALLY amazing. My reaction to the GOD DAMN TUTORIAL BOSS GOT ME HYPERVENTILATING! IM NOT JOKING! IT WAS SO EXCITING AND SHOCKING!!! THE FINAL BOSS WAS INCREDIBLE TOO! I was singing along to Spectrum Obligato and WHEN THEY BROUGHT IN THE STUFF FROM THE LIVE CONCERT VERSION OF EBB AND FLOW MY JAW DROPPED!!!

However i gotta admit, the story could have been better, what was the deal with the Octoling engineers Marina was talking about? That goes completely nowhere and i thought it was gonna build to something with the repeat playthroughs of the final boss.

And of course, the biggest missed opportunity in my opinion, Marina Agitando.

Now look, i wanna say right off the bat, the design is excellent, it was so smart to bring back her Order outfit and make her into a giant abomination that moves in such a weird way that makes you feel uncomfortable. When i saw her for the very first time when you enter the room, i stood there for at least a solid minute in complete disbelief and shock seeing a giant Marina in some octopus tentacle heart thingy that beats and pumps with the music. The song that plays too "Unconscience" is such a BANGER and honestly it rivals Octo Callie's Bomb Rush Blush remix in my opinion.

The build up for this was pretty good too, seeing Marina say "help me" before she was knocked unconscious and then possessed by Overlorder BROKE ME! I was like "OH NO! ITS HAPPENING AGAIN! NOT MARINA!!" The build up to the 10th floor was so anxiety inducing because you know in the back of your mind that Marina is gonna fight you but you don't know what it's gonna look like, if you were there since Splatoon 2 and have watched Pearl and Marina since the beginning then this build up is even more anxiety inducing and its pretty damn good. And once you free Marina she feels so sorry about what happened and helps you out to put things right, heck she goes through a small character arc of embracing chaos.... but... i have to say...

It is unfortunately not executed that well or with any depth in my opinion because they repeated the whole thing of "oh no a character we know is evil because of (quote on quote) mind control!!!! oh noooo!!" Which is a tired trope in this series that needs to stop or else I'm gonna get REALLYYYYYY pissed off.

I've done enough ranting about Callie's villain arc and how that has been misinterpreted and stuff, but for Marina, i really wish they didn't do the whole "oh no a character is evil because of an evil character oh nooo!! we gotta save them!!" thing again and i wish Marina was more of a villain with a sad motivation for her actions. As much as its cute to see Pearl and Marina act all flirty with each other in Side Order, it kinda ruins the mysterious and dark tone of the story that was teased from the trailers and the tutorial in my opinion. Everything is also explained so quickly early on which really sucks. I really wish Marina was actually conscious throughout her time as Marina Agitando and most of it should have been her fault. She does blame herself for creating Overlorder but it's kinda brushed aside quickly and Marina ends up being totally fine and free of guilt. There isn't enough depth to it which is so lame and a missed opportunity.

Marina is flawed, she makes mistakes and acts emotional and angry sometimes. We have seen a side of Marina where she snaps at Pearl when she loses Splatfests and has shown signs that she still hasn't recovered from her time before she met Pearl.

She picked team Order because she was genuinely scared that her new life would fall apart and she doesn't wanna lose the people (especially Pearl) that she's met and grown to love. Marina is also heavily theorized to be on the autism spectrum and as someone who is autistic, i can see myself in Marina, they could have really explored Marina's psyche and mental health in Side Order but they just... didn't. Instead she's put to sleep and controlled by her ai child and all of the focus is put on stopping it like a traditional "oh no we gotta stop an evil ai!! oh noo!!" story... ugh... I mean Smollusk is cute i guess but there's not a ton to them and they come off as yet another "evil ai that wants order and control!! roarrr!!!"

From reading the most recent interview on Side Order and seeing the concept art, they said that they wanted to tell a story about Marina losing herself to a machine that she created. Could you imagine how tragic it would have been to learn more about Marina and how she's so wrapped up in anxiety that she decides to make this replica of Inkopolis Square and make the Memverse? Maybe at first she makes it to help Sanitized Octolings just like in the dlc, but then maybe due to overwork and burnout (which Pearl mentions in the tutorial by the way), her emotions and anxiety become so strong that she becomes consumed by it, this obsession of order and trying to achieve happiness takes over her and then she gets the idea to spread this order to the real world, where her friends can be "happy" and "safe." Maybe Overlorder is still there but they just whisper to Marina, manipulate and point her in the right direction to continue to her mission of order instead of just fucking knocking her out and using her as a meat puppet for 5 minutes.

Could you imagine how much better the build up would have been to not see Marina until you get to the 30th floor for the first time and you got to unlock her diary entries beforehand? Seeing her thought process and her slow descent into becoming an antagonist. I'm not sure how they would have changed the permanent upgrades but they could have thought of something man. I get that they wanted to subvert expectations but, i think they should have gone WAY further with Marina Agitando.

I was waiting for Pearl and Marina to have their "Tidal Rush" moment where it's this emotional battle between the two, could you imagine how DEVISTATING a remix of Ebb and Flow would have been if it had gotten that "Tidal Rush" type of remix? Pearl singing her parts in this chaotic and emotional way, on the brink of tears trying to get Marina back and calm her down, and Marina trying to fight back against her words, not wanting to believe her because she's so wrapped up trying to make them both happy in her way. She's so caught up in order that she has forgotten what Pearl wants, that Pearl wants to be with her and go against any obstacle that stands in their way together. God i would have cried seeing that I'm not gonna lie. Maybe once Marina starts to think rationally, she breaks free from the machine and then leaps into Pearl's arms, and then we have to go back up the 30 floors to fight Overlorder and we slowly see Marina learn to embrace chaos throughout the floors instead of it just being at the final boss.

I really do feel like Splatoon has this issue of trying to appeal way too hard to kids and being really scared to dive into the flaws of these characters. They are so avoidant of being more serious and they hide it away in optional collectables and obscure posts on social media that creates misinformation and stories that feel way too undeveloped. They just say "oh this character has been brainwashed!!" which is such a lazy and bullshit trope they slap on these characters to avoid getting into their flaws for some stupid reason. (Hell that word has lost all meaning to me now to be honest. Like no, Callie wasn't "brainwashed" per say, hypnosis is not brainwashing or mind control I've said that a trillion times in other blog posts but whatever. Agent 3 was knocked out and had no clue on what was happening. They weren't "brainwashed" they were used as a puppet from a fucking goopy telephone for five minutes while they were asleep. Maybe its poor translation i don't know.)

I know that Splatoon is made for all ages and primarily for children but, i find that to be a stupid excuse for bad storytelling, a good story with depth that's explored and set up properly can be applied to all kinds of age groups not just adults. And the adults that say that shit too, why do you think like that? Why do you wish to dismiss that sort of thing in media? So what if it's made for kids? Adults write these stories and plant themes and arcs into them. Why do you think people cried over the Rosalina storybook in Mario Galaxy and think its the best part of that game? You don't want that kind of stuff in games because "they are made for kids"? Why do you think there are so many adults in the Splatoon community hmm?

I am so worried for Deep Cut in the next game because i really don't want this to happen again, i want an actual proper villain arc for either Frye or Shiver. No hypnosis, no brainwashing, no mind control. Just a pure fucking villain arc caused by the flaws of the characters and without the involvement of a third party. Please, i wanna see growth in these characters that is explored way more clearly and better. Or maybe don't do a villain arc again and just have Deep Cut be fully happy with each other and develop their relationship more with lore and backstory. PLEASE!

Anyways ramble over, thank you for reading!

[dewdropsonparchment]

SDV Headcanons: Sam 3/?

Little thoughts about Sam, a bit angsty here and there. It's random and I'm not sure there will be any coherency between the points I share, most if it is more on the negative emotions side. What do you mean there are other characters in Stardew sorry I can't see anybody else besides the resident sunshine boi he's shining too strong

Some angsty Sam headcanons:

Sam strikes me as somebody who internalizes everything he feels that might be seen as negative. I don't think Jodi was ever abusive to him in any way, but I feel that she could have been very judgmental and controlling as he was growing up, so much so that he would have taken each and every single little thing she might have deemed to be a flaw to heart and tried to cover all of these as best he could overtime.

Sam would probably feel shy about doing something he's not used to doing in front of somebody in fear of being judged. It could be trying his hands at cooking, sewing a patch on a jacket, painting something on his skateboard,... He's probably had a lifetime of people telling him he wasn't doing x and y right, that he was stupid for doing it the way he did, that he was just making a mess, that he wouldn't succeed and now he just really feels anxious about people seeing him try things he's not comfortable with. What's sad is that he'd probably be able to undertake anything and everything he'd set his mind to. Sam definitely isn't scared to get his hands dirty and if he was given the space to actually grow and experiment safely, with the encouragements he deserves, then he'd be amazing at anything, really.

After the band's concert, Sam is critical about the mistakes that he made playing the guitar and hopes that nobody noticed them, so I feel like he might be a bit of a perfectionist and wouldn't want others to necessarily perceive him as average in the things he knows how to do. I do strongly believe Sam is actually gifted when it comes down to playing instruments and that he knows it, so he's especially critical about his performance because he might internally believe he doesn't have any real other strong skill to share with the world. However, if it's something he's not known to be good at, like pools, he's not really gonna care that he's bad at it and will laugh about it himself. I feel Sam would really kind of use humor to beat himself up, too, and have a tendency to put himself down and "joke" about how he's unable to do so many things/how he sucks at so many basic things (not necessarily consciously though).

I have a feeling Sam is a very emotional and very expressive person but that he feels like he can't really show his vulnerable emotions out in the open. He would make sure to be alone, either under the shower, late in the evening in his bed, in a remote area like the beach or forest, before he is able to let himself cry and let out the pent up pain he might have let build up. He would feel comfortable with Sebastian and the farmer knowing how he feels, but everybody else he would rather die than let them see any of it.

I don't think he would take his feelings out on someone he loves, but I feel like he would kind of build up walls high enough that you would have to actively encourage him to share his emotions as well as know the signs of him being upset for him to consider opening up at all.

Alright some more angst because I can... I have this random headcanon that, while he wouldn't be jealous of Seb and wouldn't resent him for anything because he's genuinely friends with him and loves him to bits; that he would feel REALLY inferior to him. Seb is smart, good looking, looks like he's got his shit together (which he doesn't but hey when you compare yourself to others you're never objective are you), he's got that charisma that kinds of lure people in somehow. Maybe in the past when they were in high school Sam had developed a crush on somebody, and maybe said somebody and him were getting along well, and then maybe that somebody confessed to having feelings for Seb and Sam just now kinds of lives off that fear that he's not going to be good enough for anybody. That somebody else is always going to be better than him. That the farmer couldn't possibly look at him the way that he looks at them. That the farmer is probably completely infatuated with Seb. He'd be happy for both of them of course. And curse himself for whatever it is he's lacking that could make him worthy enough to be special to somebody.

[floridagirlboy]

go check out @nevgovhater's marching band headcanons. done with that? ok. good. time for orchestra headcanons.

gov is the conductor. i need not say anything else.

1. ALABAMA — second violin. just strikes me as the type. he doesn't like to sit in the front or back, he prefers middle of the section.

2. ALASKA — double bass. specifically 2nd chair. he has the skill to be principal bassist but he has zero interest in being a section leader.

3. ARIZONA — cello. not sure why. i think they started out as a violinist, decided it wasn't for them, and then switched over to cello. they sit in the second row. 3rd or 4th chair.

4. ARKANSAS — first violin. in the back. got put into this class on accident and just hasn't switched out. used to be a second violin but switched sections later on. his old sectionmates haven't forgiven him.

5. CALIFORNIA — started out playing the viola. could not get along with them (they play around too much for his taste). accidentally broke his shoulder rest and that was the crucible for him switching to cello. he's a cellist.

6. COLORADO — viola, middle of the section. half-asleep at most rehearsals. people outside of the viola section forget he's there. always has an unreasonable amount of pencils on his person, all his section borrows them. only time he is not stoned is at a concert.

7. CONNECTICUT — concertmaster/principal first violinist/first chair. the kind of guy who slowly turns and stares at you after a song during rehearsal if you fucked up a chord really bad. will get onto his sectionmates for not bringing their stuff and say something like "next time i'm just not letting you borrow it" but he always does. he's a provider to his section. he cares about them a lot. same with the rest of the orchestra. just wants everyone to do their best. also he has tiny erasers on him to chuck at florida when he won't pay attention.

8. DELAWARE — second violinist, second chair. not sure why. just is.

9. FLORIDA — ...principal violist. he is the bane of gov's existence. main guy who drove california out of the viola section by being too silly but keeps begging him to come back. he has referred to this incident as the "viola section divorce", much to california's irritation, but he's started playing into the joke as well. he's a really good player but cannot focus to save his life. takes the most incomprehensible sheet music notes you've ever seen. you can't read half the notes on his sheet music because he wrote over them in the process of marking it. really good teacher to his section outside of the joking around way too much.

10. GEORGIA — second viola, has been florida's stand partner throughout all of orchestra. one of three people who can decipher florida's music (the other two being florida and louisiana; louisiana isn't even in their section, but florida taught him viola for funsies). dozes off immediately after rehearsal ends, but not during it.

11. HAWAI'I — first violin, second chair. chats with delaware sometimes since they sit next to each other. the only person she trusts to borrow her tuner, rosin, or cloth is alaska (and, lately, rhode island).

12. IDAHO — second violin.

13. ILLINOIS — first violin. i think he plays cello at home though.

14. INDIANA — cello.

15. IOWA — ..cello. maybe.

16. KANSAS — second violin or cello.

17. KENTUCKY — second violin or viola.

18. LOUISIANA — viola, second chair. florida's stand partner. he holds onto everything except the sheet music (which is surprisingly the only thing florida does not lose). actually joined orchestra because florida kept pestering him to. he got really good really quick because he has prior music experience.

19. MAINE — back of the bass section.

20. MARYLAND — clarinet

21. MASSACHUSETTS — first violin.

22. MICHIGAN — second violin.

23. MINNESOTA — first violin.

24. MISSISSIPPI — viola or second violin.

25. MISSOURI — viola.

26. MONTANA — second violin.

27. NEBRASKA — cello.

28. NEVADA — cello or first violin.

29. NEW HAMPSHIRE — cello.

30. NEW JERSEY — second violin.

31. NEW MEXICO — viola.

32. NEW YORK — cellist. wishes he was a violinist or violist sometimes but you'd have to waterboard that information out of him because he makes fun of the upper strings all the time.

33. NORTH CAROLINA — second violin. used to be a viola but switched over because his brother kept pissing him off.

34. NORTH DAKOTA — first violin. also switched sections to escape his sibling (former second violinist).

35. OHIO — viola.

36. OKLAHOMA — viola.

37. OREGON — first violin.

38. PENNSYLVANIA — first violin.

39. RHODE ISLAND — principal bassist. first chair because alaska doesn't wanna be there. he is so much fucking smaller than his bass that it's outright comedic. he sits on the stool to play and his feet don't even come close to the ground. perfectly capable of carrying his bass strength-wise but the size of it makes it a bitch, so alaska helps him. sometimes hawai'i if alaska is busy.

40. SOUTH CAROLINA — viola.

41. SOUTH DAKOTA — second violin.

42. TENNESSEE — first violin.

43. TEXAS — second violin. picked up the violin and he is not a fan but he's been with it so long he just doesn't know how to switch instruments. wishes he was a cellist. stares longingly at the cello section. he is allergic to shifting.

44. UTAH — first violin.

45. VERMONT — second violin.

46. VIRGINIA — first violin.

47. WASHINGTON — first violin.

48. WEST VIRGINIA — viola.

49. WISCONSIN — first violin.

50. WYOMING — bass.

[forsinnersandsaintsalike]

Billy’s spoiled little sister

Protective Older Brother Energy

Billy absolutely dotes on you, though he'd never admit it out loud. He plays the "tough guy," but he's the first to step in if anyone messes with you.

You never have to ask twice for something. Whether it's a ride, a snack, or even skipping school to avoid a bad day, Billy makes it happen.

He's always slipping you extra cash "just in case," even though you both know it's for things you don't need.

"You're My Favorite, But Don't Push It"

You get away with things no one else can. Stu's even joked that you've got Billy "wrapped around your finger," which earns him a death glare every time.

"Don't tell Dad" becomes Billy's go-to line after he covers for you when you break curfew or skip school.

Billy constantly complains about how much trouble you are, but the moment you look upset, he's back to spoiling you rotten.

Billy takes you shopping whenever you want. Clothes, CDs, makeup-whatever you need, he's got you covered.

"This is the last time I'm buying you something this ridiculous," he says while handing over money for a new pair of boots. Spoiler: it's never the last time.

If anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way, Billy's ready to throw hands-or worse.

"Who made you cry? Tell me their name," is something you hear more often than not. You've learned not to test him because he will follow through.

Stu gets a kick out of Billy's overprotective streak and loves to egg him on. "Man, you act like she's a princess or something."

"She is," Billy snaps back.

He might not be openly affectionate, but he shows his care in little ways. He'll leave your favorite snacks in the kitchen, fix your car when it breaks down, or let you hog the remote during movie nights.

If he notices you're having a bad day, he'll casually suggest grabbing your favorite takeout or letting you pick the next horror movie (even if Stu whines about it).

"You're so annoying," he grumbles after you steal his hoodie for the millionth time, but he never asks for it back.

Stu loves to tease you but also enables your spoiled behavior. "Princess gets whatever she wants, huh?" he jokes while handing you the last slice of pizza.

If Billy's being too overbearing, Stu's your go-to for lightening the mood. "Relax, dude. She's fine. Let her have a life."

Billy has a sixth sense for when someone's flirting with you, and it sets him off instantly.

If it's a random guy at school, Billy steps in, calm but menacing. "Hey, she's not interested. Move along before this gets ugly."

The guy usually backs off, sensing that Billy isn't bluffing, but if they don't, Stu is there to play bad cop to Billy's even-worse cop.

"Ooooh, big mistake, pal," Stu says, slinging an arm around the guy. "You don't mess with Billy's little sis." Cue unsettling laughter.

Billy doesn't like to make a scene unless absolutely necessary, but once the guy's gone, he gives you a stern look. "You need to be more careful."

"Careful of what?" you argue. "I wasn't even doing anything!"

"Careful of attracting idiots," he mutters, dragging you away.

If it's someone Billy knows personally, the reaction is even worse. He feels betrayed and furious.

"Seriously? Out of all the people in the world, you think it's a good idea to hit on my sister?"

The guy will either stammer out an apology or get defensive, but either way, Billy makes it clear: "Don't let me catch you looking at her again."

Stu, meanwhile, finds it hilarious.

"Dude, chill. It's kind of a compliment, right? She's hot."

"Don't ever say that again," Billy snaps.

You've learned that Billy has a tough exterior, but he can't say no to you.

"Billy, I need a huge favor," you start, knowing you're already halfway to getting what you want.

"What now?" he asks, pretending to be annoyed.

"Can you drive me to the city?There's this concert I really, really want to go to, but no one else can take me."

He sighs like you're asking him to move mountains, but after a long pause, he tosses you the car keys.
"Fine. But you're buying me coffee on the way."

Stu loves to tag along during these moments, adding to the chaos. "Road trip! I call shotgun!"

"You're not even invited," Billy groans.

"Please?" you ask, giving Billy your best puppy-dog eyes. Stu joins in, mimicking your expression.

Billy can’t help but roll his eyes and give into you both “Fine. Both of you shut up” You and Stu giggle while you pile into the car.

[reg-arcturus-black]

Enough is Full of Romance

Part 2 - Drinks Over Coffee

Where 2 brilliant talented people fall in love and navigate a life filled with paprazzi, rumors and a private romance after being introduced by their common friend. They say wrong person, right timing is a real thing but Ben and Y/N know they have a deep connection and they will wait for however long it takes!

Warnings: None.

Angst-y, maybe? And fluff.

2.2 k words

Series Masterlist

gif not mine

Your sides hurt after laughing and gossipping too much. You couldn't remember the last time you were this happy and had laughed so much. Of course, a large part of it was Ben and you knew it. You had had a long day but you did not want the night to end.

"Wanna call it a night?" Andrew asked, stifling a yawn.

You glared daggers at him and patted him on the shoulder, a little too hard for his liking. For someone having played Spiderman, he was awful with his Spidey-senses.

"I mean... maybe after a few drinks?" He corrected, scared of your wrath.

"Maybe we should call it a night," Ben sighed. "I have an audition tomorrow."

You nodded, trying not to let your disappointment show. Maybe it was time to say good bye. You knew you were being dramatic but only because you knew you would never get to do something like this again. Hanging out with your favorite celebrity crush and best friend, talking and laughing till you cried into the late hours of the night.

You were heading towards the parking when you saw Ben taking another turn.

"I thought you and Ands came together?"

"We did but our hotels are in the opposite direction," he shrugged.

"Right! You had mentioned. Let me give you a lift, my hotel isn't far from yours." you offered with a kind smile. However, your heart was racing with the thoughts of being with Ben in a car. But you were elated with the idea of just spending more time with him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course."

Hugging Andrew goodbye and ignoring his smirks, you got into your car followed by Ben.

"Did we make you wait too long, Carl?" You asked and the man in the driver seat laughed.

"No, ma'am. Went and got myself a little sushi after attending your concert. Traffic was terrible though."

You chortled. "Treat's on me next time."

He simply winked back in the rearview mirror.

What you didn't know was how taken aback Ben was when he realized that all your staff was invited to your show and you treated them just like friends. When he realized that he called you ma'am sarcastically. While this was not uncommon, this had genuinely touched his heart.

What moved him even more was that after spending hours with you, he could not see a difference in the personality you had on stage during shows and interviews and behind the stage where you just hung out with your friends. You were the same person and not just another celebrity putting on a facade.

"Hey, Y/N?" He asked, making you look at him.

"I am really glad that I got to see you perform today and spend time with you."

"Me, too."

It was a shame that the darkness in the car hid the shades of red that both of your cheeks were turning into or else you would have realized how mutual the blood rush was.

"Hey, Ben?" You asked in a low whisper.

"Hmm?"

You toyed with the hem of your dress, twisting and turning it between your fingers. You had wanted to ask him this since the beginning, you just didn't know how. You were nervous and he could clearly see it.

"I won't eat you up, Y/N," he laughed.

But you were still hesitating.

"I promise I am not a cannibal."

"You won't get offended?"

"I won't, I promise."

But he was now looking at you seriously, worry clouding a small part of his mind. "What is it, Y/N? Is everything okay? You can tell me."

You seem perplexed and he could not see you that way. Mustering whatever courage he had in him, he gently took your hand in his and looked into your eyes.

"What is going on, Y/N?"

"canihaveapicture" you mumbled to yourself, turning away from him.

"I am sorry, what's that?" He shifted closer to you, making you heart speed up even more.

"Can - can we click a picture?"

Ben broke into a big laugh, one that made you all tingly on the inside.

"It's - it's just that I am a fan...." you explained.

"It would be my honor, Y/N, to have a picture with you."

You relaxed after hearing his reply and settled back into your seat with a smile. It was then your gaze finally fell on your still intertwined hands, which reminded him, too, and he instantly pulled his hand back.

His hand longed for the warmth in the chilled air of the car but he had to restrain himself from touching you without any reason.

"Was it weird working with stuffed animals and talking to them, hoping they would talk back?" You asked suddenly.

"What?" He laughed.

"Yeah, for Narnia. How'd that feel?"

"Oh, you have no idea. We would have to take breaks between scenes because we would be laughing so hard."

You thought back to all the times you had heard him laugh and before you could think, you had blurted out words you never thought you would say out loud.

"You have a beautiful laugh."

"Oh... um, thank you," he blushed as you mentally cursed yourself for not thinking before you spoke.

You soon settled into a comfortable silence, though your heart skipped a beat every time you thought about how you were in the same car as Ben Barnes.

You were staring out the window when you felt him looking at you.

You turned around and saw him facing you with a questioning look on his face.

"Go ahead, Ben... I don't bite either."

"Does it help?"

You turned towards him, supporting the side of your head on the headrest of the seat, just like he had. "Does what help?"

"Songwriting..."

A small smile played on your lips. "It helps but it's not always easy to write songs because the emotions attached with those words are too difficult to process."

"You inspire a lot of people, you know?"

"As do you, Ben, and I am one of those people."

"I am glad to hear you say that."

Once you looked at him, you could not look away. It was as if he had unknowingly captured you. Your gaze slipped down to his lips for just a second and came back to his dark brown eyes. His beautiful eyes which had captured the whole world inside them.

He was unable to look away as well. His gaze was settled on the way your hair fell to your face. His lips curved into a smile as he shifted closer to you, afraid to do anything else. He could feel his heart thumping against his ribs as he slowly brought up his hand to your face and tucked the loose strand of hair behind your ear.

"You're even more beautiful up close, you know that?" He breathed.

Before you could reply, the car came to a halt at your hotel.

"We're here, Y/N," Carl said.

Sighing heavily, you grabbed your phone, taking as much time as possible before leaving the car.

"Carl will drop you till your hotel."

You were trying not to let your disappointment show. You had one of the greatest nights ever with him but it was coming to an end. What had started out a fan-crush had turned into something more.

"This is it then, I guess... Thank you for coming to the tour..."

"Actually, I was thinking coffee...." Ben said sheepishly, looking at you.

"Sorry?"

"Would - would you like to have coffee with me sometime? Whenever you are free? I would love to talk more over coffee."

The seconds in between his question and your answer felt like eternity to him. He knew this would happen the moment he had stepped into your green room. He knew that the way you blushed when he looked at you would have him falling for you in no time. His breathing would quicken when you came near him, his mind would stop forming coherent thoughts when you laughed, his voice would get stuck in his throat whenever you smiled. So when he asked you out, his heart was beating more rapidly than it ever had.

You took a second to take in the question. You wondered for a moment if he had truly asked you out for coffee or was it your mind just playing tricks on you.

"I - um, are you sure?"

He nodded.

"I would love to have coffee with you, Ben." You grinned, butterflies in your stomach at the prospect of going on a date with him. But that grin soon turned into a frown.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, afraid that you would change you mind.

"I have rehearsals tomorrow and I don't know when I will be in LA..."

"Oh. I - I guess maybe not then." He sighed, his heart sinking completely.

"However..." you said, a mischievous glint on your face. "My hotel does have a cafe and right now is the only time I am free, so..."

"Wait, really?" He beamed.

You nodded excitedly, happy that you would get to spend more time with him. And not just spend time, but actually be on a date with him.

"Let's do it then!"

Carl pulled into the deserted drive way as you two made your way into the hotel.

"Hello, could you point us to the cafe, please," you said at the reception. "Room D708."

"I am sorry, ma'am, but the cafe is closed." The man in the suit replied.

"Oh."

"But the bar is still open if you would like to go for drinks," he said with a small smile.

You nodded and walked to Ben who was waiting a little distance away.

"The cafe is closed but the bar is open."

"I don't mind," he smiled. "Would you like to have a Drink with me? Over coffee?"

He held out his hand and you took it, walking in the direction of the arrow pointing towards the bar.

It was not a huge bar but it was empty, just what you two needed to talk properly. You ordered your drinks and settled down on the long stools, still holding hands. His thumb tracing patterns on the back of your hand in the darkness.

He asked you about life on tour and you asked him about his life playing roles he was so different from. You two had seemed to form an instant connection. With the slow music playing on the speakers, the night felt perfect. He wished that time could stop in this moment forever and you could talk for as long as you wanted.

You unlocked your phone and opening the camera, handed it to him.

"I did agree," he said, rolling his eyes out of feigned reluctance but pulled you closer the next second. He put an arm around your shoulders and clicked a picture. Then he clicked one more. Then some more where both of you were making silly faces and laughing and not once did he let go of you.

You stared at the photo where you were grinning from ear to ear, wrapped in his arms.

"And, um, how would I send these pictures to you?"

"Bluetooth?" He winked.

"Oh, alright. Sure." You said dejectedly.

"I am joking, Y/N". He chuckled and entered his number into your phone.

You sent him the pictures right away and he made sure to save your number in his phone as well.

"How is LA treating you?" You asked, resting you chin in your hand.

"It does get a little lonely sometimes," he admitted, taking a sip from his whiskey.

"Are you lonely right now?"

Something about the pain in his voice hurt you. Even the thought of him being in any kind of distress made you upset. All you wanted for this man in front of you to be the happiest in the world. And you knew that you would sacrifice everything in the world if that is what it took to make him feel that way.

"Not right now," he whispered, looking into your eyes.

"I am glad to know that."

"I am glad to be with you, Y/N."

His gaze fell on your lips and he leaned towards you. You met him halfway, running your thumb over his cheek.

He touched your forehead with his, breathing in your scent. But when he looked up at you, he could see your eyes glistening with tears.

You knew that you were going to kiss, just like your ex and you had. You remembered how he had kissed you, promised you the world and then left your heart in shambles.

"It's too soon, isn't it?" He asked, recalling everything the tabloids had printed, recalling the painful lyrics you had sung just that night and recalling how you were unable to control your tears from flowing while singing those songs. He placed a hand on top of yours which was touching his face.

You closed your eyes and nodded against him, letting a tear roll down your cheek. Your heart broke knowing that you were not ready for the most amazing man in the world. And so did his for he would suffer from a heart break that wasn't his and for one that he did not cause.

He took a deep breath and kissed your forehead.

"Take care, Y/N."

When you opened your eyes, he was gone.

[voltives]

top five bebe/donna performances (single list, separate lists, entire shows, one-night appearances; go wild)

sure. hell, i'll even include video evidence for free.

top five donna murphy performances by tumblr user voltives

5. "hit me with a hot note," from a benefit concert for fran liebergall.

self explanatory. watch it and you will know exactly what i mean. (and hey, droughtofapathy even wrote a fic inspired by it.)

4. "a hundred easy ways to lose a man," from wonderful town.

ruth sherwood is a lesbian, change my mind. but seriously, this number showcases so much of donna's physical comedy, and it's a hoot from start to finish.

3. "kiss of the spider woman" from the kennedy centre honors for chita rivera.

i know this is an abridged version, but donna sang this while sick, and if that isn't impressive then i don't know what is. i'm obsessed with her voice.

2. "i read" from passion.

look, we all know i am the number one passion (1994) enjoyer on this website, but c'mon. it's a classic and fosca my beloved, you deserve better.

"the story of lucy and jessie" from the 2007 encores production of follies.

i don't know anyone else who has oozed so much sex appeal in my life. red is just her colour.

honourable mentions:

send in the clowns from sondheim's 90th birthday concert.

one thing i will say is that i love her necklace.

and as for bebe ... bear with me, because this will also be long.

top five bebe neuwirth performances (once again by tumblr user voltives)

5. "when velma takes the stand" from chicago.

velma is so goofy, i love her. and this number also showcases her legs, so write that down.

4. "if my friends could see me now" from sweet charity.

i used to play this song religiously during high school. it would be the one song i would listen to to start my day. bebe is so cheery and so happy during this song. i love her.

3. "all i care about is love" from chicago for broadway backwards.

oh, to be a showgirl dancing sensually around bebe neuwirth. this performance just scratches my brain in all the right places.

2. "what would you do" from cabaret (2024)

i don't have video evidence of this, but god. her rendition of this song is so heart wrenching and haunting and i just... i don't even have words. she's just too good.

"i still get jealous" from high button shoes for broadway backwards (2019)

i have a clip of this on my hard drive, but i just can't post it publicly. as it's from broadway backwards, it is intensely sapphic and homoerotic (as it should be), and bebe is wearing a white button down tucked into these trousers and ugh, the dyke energy. it is so, so powerful.

thank you for asking! i really enjoyed answering this <3

[squishykotetsu]

The Great "Squishy went to a Festival" Post

I wrote a thing for some friends but they said to put it online, so here comes:

a little guide to the bands I watched at this years PartySan, written for people that don't know anything about metal, because more people should listen to metal :3

This is a list of all of the bands I watched, with a quick blurb about what they sound like, how the concert was, and a link to a song for checking them out!

Rope Sect BIG recommend, very chill groovy dark goth-y rock with nice gritty dirty production, I love their first EP to bits! The concert was wonderful and the guys are lovely. Give them a listen, even if you're not into metal at all! Track recommendation: Tarantist https://open.spotify.com/track/6lxekwquW2tnlvBNeIwGg0?si=c455db23e99a48ac

Mephorash very cool black metal (meaning there is screams n shid) - epic, kind of unconventional, makes you feel like there's some satanic fuckery afoot :D The concert was in the same vein, very ritualistic and mystical - good stuff Track recommendation: Sanguinem https://open.spotify.com/track/2JQQhdTBOhRV8knLclnF83?si=377bf940b41a441f

Left to Die they're a coverband, so I'll just talk about Death, the band that they're playing, cuz they nailed the sound (granted they do, I think, have some of the original members). Death were a huuuuugely influential band for the genre of, you guessed it, death metal absolute killer riffs - fast, catchy, groovy, technically and musically interesting and progressive, keeps you on your toes the concert had me honestly wondering what we've been doing these past like 40 years that we still can't top them Track recommendation: Left to Die https://open.spotify.com/track/0BO5g7FXNhZgQuC8xIORDm?si=5cf7cd9dea2e4da9

Ritual Death More "advanced", probably harder to get into if you don't already like black metal - they're still pretty new, but the black metal scene is keeping a close eye on them cuz they're interesting and weird. Musically very cool, more on the experimental side, but not too crazy. Just giving their own take on things. The concert was great, the frontman (guitar & vocals) was wearing this cool, tall mask/hood thing that hid his face completely, which made for an interesting experience in watching him sing - no visible mic, no visible face, only gestures and motions, very eery in a way that's hard to describe Track recommendation: Ancient Devil Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/0iVLWVXyoc1WABbtwpVfVh?si=b8984ed8165147a1

Darkend Nocturn Slaughtercult just really fuckin solid black metal - fast, evil, great riffs, lofi production, screeching vocals, blastbeats galore. Bonus: Female vocalist, always cool to see in this sausage fest of a scene (on te bands' side, the audience was fairly mixed) I sadly didn't enjoy their concert all that much cuz the sound was shite - the drums were drowning out the guitars completely. They do have an awesome stage presence though! Gonna try to catch them again somewhere else Track recommendation: A Sweven Most Devout https://open.spotify.com/track/4pkA0avPTHSA5QZz7dI3Op?si=50ab46fa9ffb412a

Schammasch I'd say it's post-black metal, so focussing on atmosphere and deeper lyrics rather than violence and just plain evil satan business - I really recommend checking out this song cuz it has exclusively clean vocals, might be a cool way to check out the other elements of black metal if you're usually put off by the screaming lol The concert was meditative, atmospheric and very moving - I nearly cried during one song :D Track recommendation: Metanoia https://open.spotify.com/track/3bj4gLDzAT8gTC8YdpOMRs?si=5eaeff94f32f4c96

Afsky really good example of a different common variant of black metal that isn't evil aggression: atmospheric melancholy. Wonderfully touching sad songs that use the harsh elements to bring voice to the darker parts of life, I love this kind of stuff The band impressively made these songs work under the 2pm sun, quite the feat Track recommendation: Altid Veltilfreds https://open.spotify.com/track/3dKyLNbYun1timBlPx3Wlp?si=dcce815edb2f456f

Batushka Do you have catholic trauma? This is the band to work it out to. It's black metal from Russia with orthodox male choir elements - epic, dark, mighty, really cool unique shit. Their theatrical, church-y performance was perfect to bring this sound to a live setting Track recommendation: Песнь 1 https://open.spotify.com/track/34FWlbZHTtjslQ9u07ghTY?si=643bec22ba684bbf

Non Est Deus again, just absolutely solid black metal. Good production, kinda lacking in creativity with the lyrics (church bad hurr durr), the guy's other project is much more impressive (they're called Kanonenfieber and they write about WW1) - still really good (epic, fast, dark), just not all that unique imo cuz I think they're too close to Mgła, who are just the best at this particular style of black metal. Bangin show though, you can tell these guys have been on a stage before :D Track recommendation: Thousand Years of Sand https://open.spotify.com/track/7CXCoEqwKrYnHnzAkpmt2Y?si=fb8029a4bd8e4122

Solstafir Kind of chill, kind of psychedelic, progressive blend of influences from within and without the spectrum of metal music - no two songs are really alike, so I'll just recommend a chill one that's easy on the metal bits and should be quite enjoyable for everyone. I used their concert for a bit of a sit-down to relax my back, have a beer and just float around in their soundscapes, so I can't say too much about the front and center before the stage experience. Sound was fantastic tho Track recommendation: Ótta https://open.spotify.com/track/2LJZE1yXy9SdglruufEDHG?si=f239271b14df4838

Konvent This is the heavy shit. The genre is called "doom metal" for a reason. Slow, hard-hitting, dark and unrelenting. A beatdown of a listening experience, but in the best way possible - these ladies don't fuck around. Probably the concert that I had the most physical experience with, I felt like I got run over by a steamroller (affectionate) Track recommendation: Puritan Masochism https://open.spotify.com/track/770HRSwohWkdbOOk6ByEeT?si=6e13a384cb8c451d

Regarde Les Hommes Tomber "watch humanity fall", fantastic french black metal - more on the dark and atmospheric than the enraged and evil side of things, but they keep it interesting, it's never formulaic - howling lamenting vocals, fast and straightforward but effective drums, nicely layered guitar harmonies that drive the mood of the tracks, is gud shit Very energetic live show, they really went all out Track recommendation: A New Order https://open.spotify.com/track/6eL3uPBHe6H23O9AcbhKJB?si=b9a4f709dc274b83

Unto Others Continuation of the 80s with modern technology. It's more rock than metal, but you can hear the influences. Absolute gods of the v i b e Catchy, groovy, but also melancholic and introspective at times, biiig recommend, again something that should be wayyy easier to get into than all that screaming insanity lol Track Recommendation: It doesn't really matter (that is both the song name and also just actual advice, all their stuff slaps lol) https://open.spotify.com/track/5uMml4h2o7eGfkqmXo2n7a?si=0310fa3faa924963

Sulphur Aeon My beloved, the band I was looking forward to the most - cosmic horrors made audible. Sometimes chaotic and fast, sometimes epic and majestic, sometimes slow and brooding, they're definitely conjuring something. Mostly harsh vocals with the occasional clean part. All-around highly competent musicians and songwriters They played a good selection of tracks and I had a blast! Shoutout to the guy from Bogota I stood next to who knew all the lyrics, you made an already awesome concert even better brother! Track recommendation: Usurper of the Earth and Sea https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZOCudJOOzIfV5P5JF0Cns?si=10c258aa203e4d00

Hellripper We're drunk, let's party! This is a crossover between black- and thrash metal, a very successful combination. Fast, virtuous, heavy, just a blast to listen to and to watch live - they bring the heat! It's the dirty sound of black metal without the depression, and the speed and ferocity of thrash without the shitty vocals lol (he scream tho). This is peak moshpit music and the concert was, accordingly, just pure insanity Track recommendation: All Hail the Goat https://open.spotify.com/track/79PE0a8VfZKSxhLVeUq3rd?si=f89cb77d2a8848be

Anaal Nathrak Death metal of the more modern variety. Very hard, very fast, but it's not just mindless brutality - they actually have very clever and effective songwriting - try to make it through the first minute so you can get to the chorus of this one, it's worth it! I didn't see much of the concert, it was another exhausted sit-down one, but they audibly enjoyed themselves and the vocalist was pretty funny in his between-song quips and stories about his own time at this festival as a fan some years back Track recommendation: Endarkenment https://open.spotify.com/track/2IUO6hWyrG7FYDkJZrFpQP?si=1240e071f87840bd

Paradise Lost this band has a huuuge discography, covering a plethora of metal subgenres, but they're probably most famous for their more gothic-leaning work. "Sway in the wind at a graveyard" type music - dark, melancholic, epic, atmospheric, clean but hard vocals. Excellent song- and lyrics writing, a bit more refined you could say. Not too out there tho, I find their music very approachable so it's another recommend to definitely check out if you wanna ease into the genre. The concert was phenomenal, you could tell the years and years of experience and mastery from everyone involved, including sound and light. Fun fact: you know the meme about how you can find the people with depression at a party by how loud they sing "I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all" when Bohemian Rhapsody plays? I found the goth version of this at this concert, when this song played and we screamed "VANQUISH THE PAIN" in unison :D Track recommendation: Faith Devides Us - Death Unites Us https://open.spotify.com/track/5gOjvocmJZQ05QBSE9xIkR?si=9800cb39b7364b37

Sodom absolute titans of the genre, they practically invented German thrash metal. Simple, fast, hard, there's a reason that they're still so successful even though they're getting old. One of the most solid live bands you can see, they know how to light a fire in the crowd Track recommendation: Agent Orange https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ks3K2RmCxSUcXS6cOvd43?si=91c3c9df2afb43ee

[into-september]

Five things I'd never got to experience if I hadn't been in band

English is lacking a good vocabulary for ensembles consisting of adults of varying age playing wind instruments which sometimes involve marching, but it's not like the "wait, you guys do something else than Sousa and Christmas mucic" stereotype isn't a thing over here as well.

My two greatest musical experiences are ones I can't share because one of them was a jazz performance written specifically for the band I was in and performed only once, some nine or ten years ago, in a small, rural pub full of drunk people with no way to appreciate it. The other was some jazz-up version of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" performed in what was allegedly one of the world's best concert halls. In Riga, twenty years ago.

But here are some other pieces I'd never gotten to play if I hadn't done this.

I have a love-hate relationship to marching band marches, finding them one the one hand cool and on the other, exhausting. And - not gonna lie - Sousa is just tired, even for me who've played comparatively little of him.

But Army of the Nile is always a highlight. It's difficult, but it's so fun. The only song where the woodwind embellishments feel like they add something more than showing off the finger work of the flutes and clarinets. Best trio, change my mind, taken just that level higher by the bars seguing the first run to the repetition.

I feel like the only person who love Tolkien primarily for the hobbits, and this is the most hobbit-y piece of music in existence (arguably barring the Prancing Pony number from the musical stage show). Sure, the third clarinet might involve a technically impossible semi-quaver trill between A1 and C#2, but everything about this number is perfection; the way it captures the spirit of hobbits, the perfect shifts between cheer and melancholy, the fact that at 6:14, the score says "ships come. Gandalf comes too", according to the director. Too bad I haven't got the vocabulary to say what it is about the chord shift at 1:40

Never played this one with a cornet solo, and this is the only recording I could find. Which is weird, because I didn't even know this was originally written for a cornet solo until I saw a different performance of it on youtube. But the cornet is clearly the superior instrument for both the clarinet solo in the beginning and the trumpet one in the middle, so please enjoy it, and also the most triumphant french horns coming in with the main theme at the end.

This is, after all, the epitome of wind ensemble music.

Only Scandinavians would understand, but understand at least the joy it brings me every time I get to do the Schubert towards the end. This piece is just pure joy and so much fun

The second and third movements I can give and take, but the first and the fourth? Sign me up, any day. You'd think playing the exact same movement over and over would get old, but it somehow never does.

[greatwyrmgold]

Oshi no Ko is a lot like Mushoku Tensei, in that I would have dropped both series immediately due to their protagonists embodying some of my pet peeve tropes, but people keep saying they're good, so I want to give them a fair shake.

Yeah, no, that was my one concise, well-composed statement for the post. Everything else is just rambling about random thoughts. Keep reading if you want to see another perspective on OnK or like reading what I write, I guess.

Cream of the Crop

I get why the anime combined the first several manga chapters into a feature-length Episode 1; the alternative would be to spend 3-4 episodes building up something that would be twisted away in episode 4/5. But it feels like several distinct episodes in the lives of its main characters, connected primarily by the fact that it's the same person doing them.

The most obvious instance of this is how Ruby's past life is explored near the end of the episode, instead of at the beginning when said past life was introduced. It works, I guess, but...I think introducing, explaining, and resolving her issues around dancing in one chunk with no breaks works better when that chunk is a discrete manga chapter and not ten minutes of a feature-length anime episode. I can't help but wonder whether the story could have been restructured a bit in the screenplay stage.

The author clearly put a lot of research into the idol industry, and while he respects the idols, he absolutely does not respect the industry. Which is the proper distribution of respect in most industries, I feel.

It's interesting to contrast how Aquamarine and Ruby react to their respective reincarnations, how their very different apparent personalities are a straightforward result of taking advantage of a second chance at life after very different first chances. Maybe I'll write a full post about that.

The sound design in this show is great. The scene where Aquamarine and Ruby attend their mom's concert gave me the same kind of anxiety as a hundred people cheering in a small concrete room while loud music plays would in real life. (Though I could pause the noise and type something in the other tab, so it wasn't quite that bad overall.)

Crop of the Cream

I read the manga, since it was also available on the website where I...um, legally accessed the Kaguya-sama manga. I don't remember exactly why I stopped, beyond the overt-wish-fulfillment vibes and not having heard as many people insist that it's great.

I really like how the theme of deception is introduced in the anime's opening lines. It sounds like it's one of those "This is a word of fiction, any similarities to real people are a coincidence" disclaimers, but it's actually the start of a thesis statement!

Over the course of one scene, our protagonist: gets called a lolicon without denying it, tells a 12-year-old patient that he can't marry her because "he'd be good as dead socially" (and not any of the other reasons), offers to consider it when she's 16, doesn't deny that he'd date another 16-year-old if she asked, and gets called a lolicon again without denying it. It would be one thing if he was a high school senior, but he's a doctor who completed his residency, so he's probably at least 30. Ew.

The manager desperately hoping that Ai is 20 weeks constipated and not 20 weeks pregnant is pretty funny.

I'm the kind of person who will probably put way too much thought into the metaphysical implications of one of AI's twins being the reincarnation of someone who died years ago, and the other being the reincarnation of someone who died late in the third trimester. (Oh, um, spoilers; the Mushoku Tensei comparison isn't just because I find the protagonists aggravating.)

On the positive side, those implications probably contribute to the show feeling less aggressively pro-life than you'd expect from a series whose inciting incident (point of attack?) is a teenaged idol deciding to have kids even though it could ruin her career and reputation. The fetuses don't have souls even days/hours before they're born (after all, Aquamarine's soul is still in the doctor), and the possibility of terminating the pregnancy is floated quite neutrally.

It would have been easy to have the doctor...what's the silliest way to phrase this?...qualify for reincarnation after an appointment with Truck-kun. However, the author instead decided to have his death be part of an event that's actually relevant to the rest of the plot. Nice storytelling efficiency.

"Oh, right, there's another person who lives with us." The doctor clearly wasn't an only child in his past life.

One point of contrast between Oshi no Ko and Mushoku Tensei: Aquamarine is not perversely joyous about seeing his new mom's boobs. Rudeus is happy to be breast-fed, Aquamarine prefers the bottle.

(Which is as good a time to remark that, even though the doctor was worse than I remembered, he matured a lot when he turned into a baby. Or at least he toned down his worst habits.)

Judging by how well Aquamarine and Ruby sit when watching Ai perform on TV, they're probably six months old by that point. Which means that Ai's break from idol-ing was a bit less than a year long, and that she had half a year to remember that Ruby is in the pink onesie and Aquamarine is in the blue one. (Ai forgetting their names was a bit less silly when her kids were printed in shades of gray.)

This is contrasted with the fact that some background dialogue implies that Ai's idol group has only been on hiatus for six months or so, which in turn implies that the author either doesn't know or doesn't care that newborns can't sit up unsupported like that, even if they have the memories of a grown-up. (They don't have the muscles to support their heads, let alone their whole bodies.)

Yeah, the doctor was definitely a big brother before he got reincarnated.

Also, since you can see it: The fact that Aquamarine and Dummy Ruby each have a star in one eye (with Ai having a star in each) is a great character design detail. And while we're here, baby Ruby stealing her mom's phone to get into flame wars on Twitter is hilarious. (I hope she used her past life's account and not her mom's...)

Is it weird that I find newborn Aquamarine and Ruby talking more plausible than them sitting up or walking around? I have no idea if baby vocal cords are physically capable of making intelligible words.

"Aquamarine claiming to be a divine messenger? Nah, that's crazy, I don't believe in that stuff. Ruby claiming to be an incarnation of the goddess Amaterasu? Oh shit, that's definitely a thing." (Ruby must just be a better actress.)

Ruby's got the right idea. Or...well, part of the right idea, the liver thing is just absurd. But speaking of AI's salary, the 208,000¥ she got as net pay is not much to live on! According to the first source I found, the cost of living for a single person in Tokyo is about 143,000¥ without rent, with rent for a single-person apartment being at least 60,000¥. So her pay would cover Ai's basic expenses, if she didn't also have kids.

It seems like she's living with her manager and his wife (so said wife can be a live-in babysitter on top of her other duties), which complicates things a little. But yeah, no wonder she's worried about being able to send her kids to a good school. (And not buying ice cream won't help.)

Ai coming across a tweet complimenting her on the genuine smile she had when she saw her kids in the concert audience, and taking that as a lesson for making her smiles look more genuine in the future...that's her in a nutshell, isn't it? She wants to be the best idol she can, and she'll fake sincerity as hard as she needs to do it.

I can't tell how much of the over-the-top formality in Aquamarine's apology is in the original Japanese and how much is a result of trying to translate a level of grammatical politeness that English doesn't support, but it's funny either way.

Starting to remember that, as much as the doctor had a few really egregious moments (like the bit where he implied he'd be fine getting engaged to a 12-year-old if it wouldn't ruin his social life), the thing that bugged me/reminded me of Mushoku Tensei was less the perv stuff and more the adulation. I can only take so many scenes where characters remark on how Aquamarine is acting weirdly mature, only to praise him for being a genius, before I complain about it in the stream-of-consciousness log I have open in the other tab. Especially when one of them ended with a director going "I want to hire you as an actor, small child I just met. Take my business card." Kudos to Aquamarine for pointing out that he should probably give it to someone old enough to sign a contract. (If you gave your business card to an actual toddler, he's more likely to eat than to call you.)

Kana's attitude is weird for a kid, in ways that can't be encapsulated by any single screencap. It's probably a side effect of being a professional actress for a substantial fraction of her life, but I would be very amused if she (and every other child character with a meaningful role) was another reincarnee who remembers her past life.

I can't decide if Kana freaking out at how good Aquamarine was at acting for a "creepy child" role (when he wasn't even trying) is another instance of ego-stroking, or if it's a joke about how Aqua is just a creepy little dude. Sadly, it feels more like the former. The focus of the scene is on "Aquamarine is a good actor and Kana feels shamed next to him," not "Ha ha, Aqua's creepy".

One last point about Kana's bit: I find it hilarious that she assumes his legal name of "Aquamarine" is just a stage name. I mean, yes, that's fair. Aquamarine is a silly name, possibly sillier in Japanese than in English. Yet that's the name Ai chose for her son.

Aquamarine checking up on the state of his prior life's missing person report is a neat plot beat. It's also the only reason we know his doctor name (Gorou Amemiya). I wonder if it'll go anywhere.

Ruby wanting to hide details of her past life from Aquamarine feels like some pointless secret-hiding drama. Like, how is any of it going to be relevant ever?

Ruby expressing her grief by getting into more flame wars on Twitter was...a mixture of emotions. Sad. Poignant. Funny. Yeah, I said it, a preschooler sending violently angry tweets at people criticizing her dead mom is funny.

I like this line.

[mxshpitbaby]

tl;dr about my blog and me!

welcome to my blog:) this is basically my space for everything, so I will repost things I love, and also vent/rant here. kinda unorganized rn, oh well

disclaimer: I have mental health issues (most significantly bpd and anxiety) and I am actively learning how to live and cope with my feelings. One of my ways of coping is writing and blogging, I think finding connection is good for me because in the past I have felt so isolated and thought that no one else knew what I felt, but obviously that isn't true. Healing isn't linear, so that means I will have my bad days and bad feelings, and I'll use this blog to get shit off my chest and feel less alone. However, my account isn't just going to be a hub of negativity and bad feelings, I am also going to post positivity, just my thoughts that come to mind yk, im using this to help express my thoughts/feelings. I'm going to try to organize different posts with hastags, #myblogiventhere will be used for hard feelings, and once i come up with a good enough tag for my other posts I'll edit this and put it in!

get to know me: I consider myself to have the greatest taste in music. I love all metal, especially hardcore, and I have a soft-spot for nu-metal. Of course I love punk and post-punk as well. Fun fact: my license plate was G0THGRL. I love midwest emo and a few emo bands/songs. Local shows and supporting local music is what makes me the happiest in life. I have been learning to play bass and aspire to be in a band eventually

I love all animals, but I'm a crazy cat lady.

gifted kid burnout:) I was mainly gifted in english/reading (fuck math). I used to want to be an author, I won multiple essay contests as a kid. I loved doing speech and debate (& was amazing at it too) basically college drop out too, i had a full scholarship to community college but life fucked that up for me in the middle of my 1st semester.

I have extremely strong leftist, ancom, political beliefs. I used to get into so many arguments and debates for fun that now I'm burnt out of politics and stay more quiet. late stage capitalism is suffocating me.

Random list of (some) of my favorite things: concerts, nature, w33d, halloween, autumn, literature, love, learning, philosophy, poetry, my childhood build-a-bears, sad acoustic songs, baggy, comfy band tees, bass guitar, joey jordison, skateboarding, littlest pet shop, superbad, half-baked, rob zombie's movies, teotfw, photography, art (all mediums, sculpture is my personal favorite!), youtube

Random of list of things I despise (there's too many to list all, i am a hater): having celiac disease, royal blue (such an ugly color), out-of-touch rich people, nazis, ignorance, my anxiety, capitalism, tik tok and what it has done to society (i hate it so much, no account for me), doctors and medical related things, declawing cats, c0ps (1312)

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 7.8

Because Avery and Lucy were good at doing.  Verona was good at the practice but not so good at the hairy situations.

At some point the three of them need to talk about how they all feel like they're each letting the other two down

Avery looked so wounded, somehow.  Because of Laila?

that and being literally kicked aside

The feelings rolled over Verona and she wasn’t really equipped for it. She thought of her dad and how she’d left him.

I guess this is the flipside of how Avery commented that experiencing Verona's memories feels muted.

If she’d taken another path- if she’d stayed home, bit her tongue, got her dad that frigging flat ginger ale, changed the sheets, and let her friends go back, maybe let them go back without her, she could have helped out more at the perimeter. 

Verona is really beaten down here. I get why she's fixating on how she could have stayed in Kennet and been dutiful instead of chasing what she loves, but I think being stuck at home, in a place she feels she can barely breathe, hearing secondhand about everything Avery and Lucy were learning, would hurt her worse. Not to mention how she'd feel knowing they were in danger and stuck far away.

And because everything's gone so badly now, she's not giving herself credit for how much her skill with the practice has been useful in setting up basically every ritual and diagram they've made.

He was going to fight them and it would be disastrous.

Toadswallow... he really is a good teacher

If you want a laugh or you want to be sadistic?  He’ll be way more fun to go after than I will.  I just shut down, guys.

"My trauma responses make me uninteresting to torture" is such a fucked up defense. Like, good on Verona for finding a use for everything, but man that's bleak

“I thought the brownies would carry you off, Miss Hayward,” Bristow said, as a brownie crawled up to his shoulder.  It hissed.  “And you made a challenge.”

welp, him knowing about it makes things considerably harder. I'm not sure what they can do, particularly if he knows he just has to wait Verona out for a few hours. I think at this point it might really be depending on Avery

“She’s not a real member of the family, she’s not privy to our methods, and, funnily enough, I wouldn’t make her wear that thing.”

wow, Musser is managing to be a dick to literally everybody

“This kind of knowledge doesn’t come with the package, or with the clarification as they refine their Self, as if they were taking progressively smaller chunks of clay out of their raw Self, to create more detail,” Musser said.  “He’s either killed practitioners, or he’s seen others of his kind get bound.”

... or someone told him?

Everyone else is too complacent, too selfish, too wrapped up in what they’re doing.

... and Bristow isn't too selfish?

I have to ask, if you knew to the point of certainty that the well being of the world hinged on working with a man like him, would you? 

very Taylor Hebert of you there

He’s good at heart

doubt!

It will take time and education and meeting the right people to get him to a better balance. Losing the right people, even.

... I am reluctantly forced to acknowledge that it sounds like Ted might be speaking from experience here, of knowing Bristow in another timeline

“We need a tyrant for a moment, and he has it in him to be a true hero. I know this in a way I couldn’t possibly convey to you.”

yeah. Blech!

A music box played a full concert in plonky, artificial instrument sounds.  America hummed tunelessly along.

oh upside! If they're in the new building with America, that means the goblins (and maybe Avery, Zed, and Jessica?) have a way in.

The nine-ish minute intervals allowed her to keep track of the passage of time.

2.5 hours, more or less. Barely an hour to go until the deadline

“If I got two hours to watch TV, it meant two hours, and if I went a second over, then I’d have the same two hours with the music box, which usually meant a cold dinner, after.”

:(

“And my mom is not horrible. I have a roof over my head, food, education, practice, and opportunities, thank you,” Talia said. The reply sounded automatic.

:( :( :(

Hadley reached over her head, sticking out a finger, and poked Estrella in the side. Estrella didn’t react. “Tickle tickle.” Estrella swung her hand down, lightning-fast, for a full-faced slap on Hadley’s face. Hadley shifted feet around and sat up, looking at Estrella, bewildered.

unfortunately these antagonists are fun. Gore-strewn violent girl who always seems to be moving and fae practitioner who specializes in those who have gone static is a nice combo. Also, the fact that Estrella's family was killed by witch hunters and Hadley spends her free time hunting them... could be a point of connection.

“The dead can be touched as necessary.  But it should be respectful and mindful, not just of the quality of any materials, but of the sentiment for the dead.  One day we shall be dead and we should be so lucky as to be made useful after, and treated with respect in the process.”

very harrowhark-core

A knife, black as night, almost invisible against the dark blue sky, except for the fact it was glossy.

oni knife throwing!

Kind of played off of ideas like how if a superhero on TV had a forcefield that let light and sound through, it shouldn’t protect against sonic or light based attacks.

you can take the wildbow out of the capefic, but can't take the capefic out of the wildbow

A sharp stomp of one high-heeled shoe crippled the goblin on the floor. “Again!” it cried out, voice high. “Again, please!”

lol

The goblins charged the table.  Dolls intervened, the goblins bowled through the first dolls, started to pick themselves up, and headed for the table again.  Estrella had to tackle them to protect the music box, and in the process, they wrapped Bristow’s underwear around her face.

I like how goblins keep turning these fights into slapstick

America kept going.  So Verona did too, one eye wincing.  If Lucy got hit, she’d- she didn’t know what she’d do. But it wasn’t pretty.

Torn between liking how Verona panics at Lucy potentially getting hurt, and disliking Lucy potentially getting hurt

Verona’s hand changed. One large cat’s paw, very nice, and cats paws had claws, and claws could cut binding. Or maybe not, but she was riding a high and buying her own bullcrap and it worked. The claws cut through the cordage.

catgirl mode!

“I leave, I’ll only protect myself, nothing aggressive unless I must, and I’ll avoid seeking out circumstances that force my hand.  I’ll get my younger brother and we’ll step down from any fighting for the time being.  I so swear.”

Oh this is a good angle to pursue. A lot of Bristow's allies seem to have defaulted into it, if they can convince them to act neutral that's a big improvement. And I'm all for arguing for clemency if/when Alexander regains power.

“And I want to stab you in the boob.  Sorry hon.  That’s my condition.” “You could stab me in the leg to make it even.” “I don’t want to make it even. I want to stab you in the boob.”

broadening my "goblins keep making fights funny" statement to include goblin practitioners

Verona saw Avery come running. She braced for the incoming hug better than Lucy did.

:)

Zed, wearing his power glove, gave it a tap.  The battery icon flashed on and then went to full.

incredibly useful bit of practice

She’d let Bristow do his thing and gainsay her.  Hoping to hear some key words. Or rather, to use the apps that she’d bookmarked after trying to open lines of communication with Tashlit. One of them was speech to text and text to speech.

oh fuck yeah! I mean, I'm worried this might be similar to the brownie trick that backfired earlier, but good planning

“Or are your words true, and you’re pleased at this final outcome that you got with the help of the staff?  You, grateful to the brownies, with all the implicit danger that comes with that expressed pleasure and happiness?”

hahahaha get fucked

“This is my first of three challenges put forward to you, regarding our back and forth,” she told him.  She hung up and ended the message.

*mic drop*

[theredtours]

Yeah no PE is nice, but adulthood has that thing where you have to actively make an effort to keep in touch with the few friends that you have left instead of going with the flow of your life and ghosting them as a result, therefore ending up alone 😭 (I'm making efforts to fix this behavior which are working in my favor).

Nice to see someone else who is like "manifest, manifest, manifest" because everyone else is like "I'm in ur walls" and I'm just here like "Taylor played it yay" combined with a URL change if it's a big event and I happen to have a relevant one (ex: TMIK)

Bruh. That's literally me. I'm so much better of a friend online than I am in real life and it SUCKS but like, I'm also just too exhausted 90% of the time to actually get up and do anything with my irl friends, so I don't even try because I don't want to be the person always saying no to things. There's also the fact that I live in a college town and everyone ends up moving away and all my friends are significantly younger than me...

Hopefully when I move as well (date pending but I know it's coming soon), I'll be able to make friends my age in real life that don't require high amounts of energy haha.

On the note of what she's played, I do find it funny how up-in-arms people get when the song is played at a concert that isn't theirs. I'm personally like, "Any song she plays at my concert is gonna be so so good, so I really don't care what I get!" I wish more people had that mind set. And honestly, whether you're in the room or not, if you're quick, you'll be able to hear/see her play it on YouTube or here on Tumblr anyway so like, what's the point of being jealous?

[unproduciblesmackdown]

wakes up from a fucked up little nap So Anyway

interesting to me how banana is like oh yeah i guess i got married b/c you, my special guy, were in jail :( and because i'm kind of held hostage and living this life i don't belong in but it's nice to be wanted? but this is Realistic? (with the Outside The Spaghetti Western affect like oh no now i wear polo shirts / not in your soul you don't) and that realism is supposedly enough and there's no pretense at Affection or anything, all practical, until his special guy comes back like I Need You to go on my mission (to rescue my wife) & also to play my special music that also undeniably resonantes with your banana soul & the musician rescuing banana from this Married Life from a mini villain role like sort of a preview of the Ideal rescue of his wife from quasi married life with lo cocodrilo. guys being dudes

And Then banana's ideal life is like oh boy you & violetta will live in the main sitcom house & i'll be over in the guest house or something :) and meanwhile is like hey i mean since you're not reunited with your wife, We could cuddle. also i pray i can just do enough of anything for you. well good day

And Then by contrast lo cocodrilo is Of the spaghetti western element but has that "realistic" commercially successful musical career such that besides violetta the people around him are like working their office type jobs & Not of the western genre framing, meanwhile lo cocodrilo is also the hostage taker in the "practical" marriage too like banana / the wife of banana like okay Spouse Obtained & Kept at weaponpoint & we live together & there are the trappings of a marriage & that Would plausibly all be just fine by him then if there wasn't that main vulnerability of Unlike Banana's Wife needing the genuine affection that he knows he doesn't have (or like, purported affection lol Classic casual reference to murder attempts as routine) like very Romantic view of nuclear family & marriage there & that is more relevant than just having the material situation of [obtain & maintain access to wife, child] which Is Not It even though he intends to just keep at it, not about to take another route

and prior providing another prominent side character's premise by being like okay tonal rise fall rise (fall) Pardon Me greeting there only to go no i don't want to fuck madame I Want Your Shoes for whatever i want them for, it doesn't matter b/c i just get what i want, is the villainous thing, is getting to take what you want without having to Explain Why you want it at all much less have that approved or denied anyway if it's just an Or Fucking Else, & I'm Not Kidding Neither....like again you want her shoes & that's the Pardon Me for that. okay noted. & then like well i guess i'll uhh have This woman live with me for long enough & that will become Loving Wife Beautiful Family surely? which surely one wants? and don't call me shirley

And Then it's interesting to me with The Office Job Henchman who is Not held hostage & isn't doing the bare minimum or sabotaging his villain boss or anything is interrupting the "surely all that can be done is insistently & unavoidably Playing The Parts of beautifully married couple" goings on like gosh i want my pseudo wife's heart & when i want something i just take it, pin in that for the followup when it's like okay you can come in my room :) check out my moves :) epic highs & lows like well the office henchman is Making Sure you know this showdown will be a problem so be ready & lo cocodrilo's sort of outburst [I Will] the one that is most not quite properly(tm) aggression, most improperly vulnerability then, and i mean the like abject misery delivery of the "how are the ticket sales for the concert" & henchman steve raring to give him that good news encouragement & cocodrilo perking right up like yayyy ^-^ ahaha & then the sort of verbal lines tumbling over each other with that energy uptick "there's a lot of truth in that" & lo cocodrilo like Alright Get Out I Hate You (very good sir) like that his lifted spirits / I'm Ready To Go Villain Mode back from improper vulnerability is expressing purported hate like that's just interesting to me with the purported hate too of [framed as sort of sitcom family domestic life just as it is even for the musician & violetta Oh And Banana Of Course] like okay

And Then it's just interesting to me like with the pet name again for Your banana counterpart? & like oh hey baby / Yes? :) & this as the contrivance born of that I'm Ready To Go Villain Mode On Another Man (My Narrative Foil) mode that henchman steve helped get him into & steve is so Dismayed cocodrilo is setting him up like hey :( & then like we don't have visuals how much of the "oh it's okay god gotcha hug it out" pretense gets going in the next second before oh lo cocodrilo loves the Personal nature of his knife kills & oh btw like if i want something i take it, my vulnerability is i want but know i don't really have your figurative heart for my dream domestic nuclear turkey family situation which Why Didn't Lo Cocodrilo Just Actually Have That Already, Interesting & i'm Taking my guy's heart here. to villainously send to his mother as further sicko mode flair & as promised but oh you know. meanwhile that Knife Kill Encounter intensity & subsequent exertedness could've been less evocative as sexual & orgasmic. that subsequent Close Em Baby & like sorry this whole thing the knock three times bit, we don't have visuals but before going Hey Carol addressed offstage like what are three kisses for like, his heart? all of steve? the universe? hi. then like thank you dear mwah kisses carol like i think one just might ask like Is Lo Cocodrilo Ah You Know & like all this resulting in like yeah steve cheered cocodrilo up but then And I Hate* You & I'll Just Be Taking Your Heart villainy escalation has him going like peak cocomirthful aheehehheehee ^w^ like hey guys. so what's all going on in here :)

[mainstoryarchive]

Kingdom - 67: Blooming

Translator: Creampuffs

Hajime: Hyaa…♪

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Location: Auditorium

Hajime: Hyaa…♪

Wow, they're amazing~! Akehoshi-senpai is shining more than anyone~♪

Tomoya: He's pretty awesome, too, but I think Hokuto-senpai is amazing, too! He sang the difficult melody flawlessly! Flawlessly! You're so cool, Hokuto-senpai~☆

Mitsuru: *Munch munch* Guys, don't cling onto the Transfer Student from both sides like that. You're getting way too excited, yanno. Neechan's gonna suffocate, yanno?

You guys should have some popcorn and calm down in the meantime, yanno.

Tomoya: Is this the time to be eating~!? I mean, you're being noisy! Because I'm concentrating on watching right now! Because I'm enjoying myself right now!

Hajime: He's right, Mitsuru-kun! Uwaa, but I can't see what's in front properly because I'm moved to tears~!

Mitsuru: W-whoa. Both Hajime-chan and Tomo-chan are like completely different people, yanno… This is the first time where I'm the calmest one, yanno?

But it's actually really awesome, yanno! It's so much fun~☆

Nyahaha, watching a performance sure is comfortable. We Ra*bits wanted to perform in front of a huge crowd like this too, yanno…♪

Good luck good luck, our bi~g bros in Trickstar! You're sparkling the most, yanno…☆

Subaru: Thanks! I heard your cheers!

Your yanno-yanno's are as noisy as ever~

But it lifts our spirits! Thanks, yanno ♪

Mitsuru: Don't take my "yanno"~! But I'm happy to see that my cheering got through to you ☆

Subaru: Ahaha, are you guys having fun~? Your most sparkly smiles are shining even brighter than the cyalumes ☆

I feel great~ I'm really happy, too! That I got to see you all today!

Subaru: Transfer Student, are you enjoying yourself too~?

Show us more and more of your smile ☆

Hokuto: (Hm.)

(I bet Akehoshi isn't thinking at all, but… he's addressing the audience, waving his hands, and getting everyone excited. He's giving the best performance very naturally.)

(As expected of him. But I have a feeling he'd hop down into the audience and frolic about if we left him on his own.)

(He must feel like he's just innocently playing around, but for Akehoshi, it's fine that way.)

(Let's turn this auditorium… into a playground full of infinite joy and happiness instead of a stiff concert hall.)

(It's been superb up until now. The program selection was perfect; it was right to ask the Transfer Student for her opinion.)

(As a matter of fact, things are going far too well, to the point that it's frightening.)

(We started off with all the members of Trickstar singing one of the songs from our repertoire. With this, we finished Trickstar's introduction for the many members in the audience who are seeing us for the first time.)

(I'm sure during the first song, the audience would have started thinking about who they'll support among those in Trickstar… and who they'll pay attention to.)

(And starting with the song after that, it'll be a medley that focuses on each of us, one at a time. Akehoshi was first, then me, and now Isara has become the focus and is livening things up.)

(Akehoshi, who was first, has captivated the audience in one go. There's beauty in Akehoshi, a dazzling talent that glitters more than anyone else.)

(He dominated the auditorium in an instant and enthralled the entirety of the audience like a bombing raid.)

(Because of that, it seems the audience has already forgotten all about the units before us… 2wink who stepped down earlier, UNDEAD, and of course, AKATSUKI.)

(They're in a trance watching Trickstar.)

(All that's left is to prolong the momentum the way that it is. That would be my role as the second player.)

(Dream Festivals are long lives and although there aren't many units participating this time around, it's like a marathon. There are people in the audience who are feeling listless and are starting to lose interest.)

(There, I take aim and strike with a song. I turn my gaze, the movements of my body, the smile on my face towards them. The bored and tired audience will recover as if they have been slapped on the cheek.)

(That was my role. This is, again, all going according to plan.)

(I'm the sniper; I take down those who survive Akehoshi's bombing raid, one by one.)

(He is a genius, but he's also moody and is still far too self-centered. There are many areas he has overlooked.)

(But I'll be the one to cover them. My vision has broadened with the special training of the twins. I have the leeway to smile and look over the entire venue.)

(I'll shoot them down, one by one, with my sniper rifle.)

(Everyone here will become involved; this is a battlefield. Not a single one will be able to escape from Trickstar. They'll become victims who'll have their hearts shot out or who'll possibly be burned down to nothing.)

(That is the ideal. I still can't afford to lower my guard, but things are going smoothly right now. It even feels like a dream.)

Hokuto: (Of course, this isn't only to the audience right in front of us…)

(But also to the students who are bound right to their very core by the "common sense thus far" at Yumenosaki Academy. I want to send them our dreams… our song.)

(To those who willingly abided by that as if they were being brainwashed, I want to send our revolutionary song to you!)

[ ☆ ]

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[dojae-huh]

For me doyoung’s voice is not the flashy type. What i mean by non-flashy is when i visualize his voice in nct his voice doesn’t cut through the loud instrumental. A lot of the time it blends with them. Some members i can clearly see them cutting through it. Sorry i just don’t know how to describe it. Bear with me. And that’s why i really really like it when he does a Capella, acoustic, ballad, or just listening to his behind recording scenes. I like when a singer’s voice gets to shine or stands out from the instrument in the background. Sometimes i find instrument of certain songs overpower or blend with his voice. Like his voice is battling against the loud instrument and that confuses my brain. Idk if that’s unfavourable in music production but to my preference yeah it’s unfavourable. That’s also why i really like him opening nct song. It’s like the calm before the storm. I can hear him talking all day too. I really really like his voice as is. And recently as he gets to show more of his vocals i think i hear less of this ‘blend’ with instrument. And that’s a win for me hihu. I still can’t come to conclusion if that’s just his technique to purposely blend with instrument or vocal tone or maybe sth else. But i think band music in his music in his album, two of em are loud for me. Little light and from little wave. But there’s also the case that a good song is when the instrumental shines. I can’t deny those two has really good instrumental. Then, i guess it’s just my preference in songs? What the composer intended to shine better? Vocal or instrumental. Hmm maybe that’s why.

I know I don’t make any sense but I just love his voice as is. He, for me, sounds a hundred times better without accompaniment. It’s almost like I don’t want any sound to interrupt his voice. I guess that’s one way to appreciate his voice. Anyway warmth has climbed my ranking now because of his really really good behind recording. I’m still in awe. Oh, and maniac concert version is crazy mannnn

Someone (was it a neo or a producer, I don't remember) said that neos' voices are used as instruments. Doyoung often stands out to me, but he is often blended in as well. That's intentional. (Also, in some NCT songs the instrumental part is just too loud, SM isn't good with mixing).

Yes, in comparison to Mark and Taeil, Doyoung's voice is less recogniseable, less "heavy and grounded", I get what you are trying to say. Plus he sings airy for many NCT songs. He needs to play a different part/instrument from Taeil. Doyoung is good at changing his voice though, and doing harmonisation. It's his strength though, it allows him to be a chameleon, to sing in many genres.

Do's voice has a piercing quality to it, it's why he is good in the beginning of songs and as accompaniment to rapping (Yestorday, Light bulb).

Doyoung carries the generic sound of Little light, so I can't agree he doesn't stand there (with the exception of a some live performances). From little wave is one of my faves on the album, I think it's a good blend of powerful instrumental and a powerful (in energy) voice.

I think comparing Do's voice to a watercolour is fitting. He is not a powerhouse to take with brute force, he doesn't have a specific rasp or unique warmth that just makes a voice pleasant to listen to without much of additional training, he is more about the colour and nuances, transitions.

I always found one thing perculiar, neos are always boastful about having Taeil, but they talk more about Doyoung's voice. And people who listen to him live, work with him get impressed as well. It seems he is impressive live. Maybe it's the cleanliness, lightness. Something that gets lost in recording or covered by instruments during mixing of songs.

Do probably just wanted to give more to his fans of himself, so his recording sessions were so long. However, in the end it was a smart move. We finally could see his current level. And the sound in the videos is very good, as well.