#here's to hoping for a good band show in the near future

[kingofpopmj]

Can’t Go On Without You By My Side

Summary: You visit your boyfriend of two years on his BAD world tour. The excitement of witnessing him perform live is quickly tainted the moment she walks in.

Pairing: Michael Jackson x Reader

Warnings: SMUT

Requested: no

*Y/N's POV*

Michael and I were finally able to plan for me to visit him on tour. I was lucky enough to get a week and a half off of work and we were determined to make the most of it. Michael had insisted on picking me up from the airport even though he was technically supposed to be at the venue. We arrived about ten minutes after the show was scheduled to begin, but thankfully, no one called us out on it.

I stood off to the side, watching Michael completely own the stage. The way he mastered his onstage persona was breathtaking. His smile was so bright. I took a moment to discreetly admire his outfit, clinging to his body tighter with each passing song.

“He’s sexy, isn’t he?” A breathy voice sounded from beside me, interrupting my silent gawking. I guess I wasn't being as discreet as I thought.

“Um—” I looked to my left, making eye contact with a very tall woman. She was beautiful. A tight black dress clung to her body so tight it almost looked painted on. I know exactly who this is.

“The correct answer is yes. He can do it all, if you know what I mean.” My hands clenched into fists with such force I could feel my rings digging into my skin. “He’s absolutely the sexiest man alive. I’m so exhausted, he kept me up all night this past week. That's not a complaint by the way. He is so worth it.”

I couldn’t put together enough words to form a complete sentence. Quite frankly, all my focus was on holding myself back. I couldn’t catch a case right now. Michael might be cheating on me and this woman is certainly a whore. That was that. I couldn’t change fact. If I went off and beat the living shit out of some groupie it would ruin the rest of my life. I couldn’t let the anger control my behavior. He betrayed me, but I refuse to let him see how much it really broke me.

“I’m so sorry, I get all misty watching him. Don’t we all?” She laughed, squeezing my shoulder, little did she know she was dangerously close to losing those boney little fingers. “My name is Tatiana, and you are?” She held out her hand, batting her eyelashes so hard I thought she’d fly away. At least I hoped she would. Maybe over a large body of water, perhaps shark infested waters.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.” She let out an exaggerated gasp, slapping her palm against her mouth.

“You’re the girlfriend! Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.” She quickly ran off leaving me standing there alone with this feeling in my stomach that I couldn’t describe.

I glanced around the immediate area, seeing no one else near me felt worse somehow. I don't know many people here other than Michael. I became distracted as he sang Rock With You, little did he know he was moments away from getting rocked. Y/N, no, stop. I release the tension in my hands, shaking it off, trying to let go of the violent thoughts swirling in my mind. Besides how therapeutic it was right now, it wasn’t productive. I need some air, a drink, a hitman? No. Air, I need air.

The clicks of my heels echoed through the halls as I headed towards an unknown destination. I'm probably lost, but that’s a problem for future Y/N.

*Michael's POV*

As Rock With You came to an end, I noticed Y/N disappear behind the curtain. Exactly, two songs have gone by since then and still no sign of her. During the brief outfit change after Thriller, before intermission, I notice Greg, my music director mouthing something to me.

"What?" I mouthed back, scratching my forehead. He's terrible at this.

"Your girl." Okay, I got that. I nodded, shrugging slightly as if to say and what about her.

"Mad."

I couldn’t play charades any longer, as the lights dimmed and the band took over the stage I snuck behind the large equipment to get closer to him.

"What happened?"

"I saw Tatiana talking to her. She did not look too happy after that brother."

I nodded slowly, processing his words before walking off. I should be taking advantage of my break, but I couldn’t relax not knowing where my girlfriend was.

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. What are you doing all the way back here?”

"Nothing I just needed some air." She said lowly, avoiding my eyes.

"Are you okay?" I moved towards her, cupping her face in my hands. The look in her eyes answering my question, but I wanted to hear it from her.

"Yeah, well, no, but it can wait until after the show."

"Are you sure?" I asked and she nodded in response. "Now, can you please come back with me? I perform better knowing my beautiful woman is watching me."

She accompanied me as I changed into my next outfit. She helped me slip into my coat, but my excitement was short lived, because I could sense her sadness. What is going on?

"I love you, baby." I watched closely as she struggled with her response, she began biting on her bottom lip, her eyes growing glossy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Her voice cracked and she quickly turned away from me.

"I know you Y/N. You're hurting and I'd like to know what's going on so I can help."

"S—She—" Y/N broke down right, her body was shivering as she tried to compose herself. I felt less than helpless.

"Who?" I tried comforting her, but she brushed me off, moving away from me all together.

A quick knock on the door, signaling that intermission was coming to a close and I needed to get back out there.

"I'll let them know I need more time. I'll be right back."

"No!"

"You're crying. Y/N, baby, I'm not leaving you."

"I'm alright. Please, can we just talk about this later?"

I didn't want to agree, but she wasn't asking, she was practically begging. I intertwined our fingers, keeping her close as I weaved my way through the backstage area.

"Please, stand here and watch the rest of the show. It would mean the world to me." I smiled at her and kissed her temple as I hugged her.

"I'll be right here." She reaffirmed my confidence. Then, she grabbed my collar, pulling me into her lips. Her tongue was pure magic. Normally, I'd be embarrassed about public affection, but with the way I'm feeling, I'd love to feel every inch of her right here, right now. I didn't care who was watching.

She pulled away and I desperately chased her lips as she giggled at my neediness.

"You have to go."

"There is no way I'm leaving your side after that."

"You don't have a choice."

"I will be back. Very, very soon."

*Y/N's POV*

I watched the second half of Michael's concert the way I should've watched the first half. I enjoyed myself dancing and singing along to my man's voice. What Tatiana said hurt me, but I felt so foolish when I thought logically again. Michael isn't that type of person. I didn't need to talk to him about this, because once the anger and hurt wore off I was able to come to a conclusion on my own. She's lying. She has to be.

"You're still here?" This damn witch. "I'd be halfway home by now if I found out my boyfriend stepped out on me."

There was so much I wanted to say, but I chose to let her words go in one ear and out the other. The last thing I want to do is let her know she ever got to me.

"Well, that's my cue. Enjoy the show." She winked, walking pass me and flipping her hair.

I was forced to watch as Tatiana strutted across the stage with my boyfriend chasing after her. This was one of my favorite songs and now I couldn’t even enjoy it. I felt my blood begin to boil as she shamelessly flirted with him in front of the crowd of thousands.

She was getting closer and closer to him. She was doing this on purpose and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

Why is this song so long all of the sudden?

"What the hell is she doing?" I heard Frank DiLeo grumble from behind me. I jumped a bit at his tone, but tried to play it off.

"Everything okay?" I asked softy.

"Hey darling, yeah she was supposed— what the hell! Get her off the damn stage! Now!"

I turned my attention back to the stage and I wished more than anything I wouldn’t have done that. I tried to blink as if that would change the view, but it didn’t.

I was stuck in that horrible moment as the worst thing I could imagine was confirmed. I had a front row seat to my own humiliation and I had no idea how to escape.

Before I knew it, she was walking towards me. "So happy you could be here to see what a real power couple looks like." She stopped in front of me, crossing her arms. "Sorry honey, he's moved on to bigger and better things."

I felt my cheeks heat up as I became uncomfortably aware of how many eyes were on us.

"Tatiana, that's enough. Get away from her." Frank shouted, shooing her away like a toddler.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

We stood in silence as Man in the Mirror blasted through the speakers. It wasn't until Michael's long passionate goodbye to his fans, wrapping up the concert that Frank slung his arm around my shoulder.

"Darling, you know she's full of it right?"

"I'm not sure."

"Michael and I have to take care of some business. I won't keep him too long and I'll send him your way after."

I knew that was his way of telling me it was private business that I couldn’t be around for. I hugged him before heading off, I wasn't really sure where I was going, but walking felt better than sitting with my thoughts.

"Baby! I'm so sorry. Frank told me what happened after—"

“I need to get out of here before I do something I regret.” Michael reached out, taking a firm hold of my hand, he pulled me down a short hallway and into his dressing room.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” He finally spoke, shutting the door behind him.

“You’re sorry I had to see it?”

“Yes.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Y/N—”

“Does that mean you do it often?”

“No, that’s not—”

“You go around kissing other people when I’m not around?”

“Y/N, I’ve never—”

“I know they’re everywhere, throwing themselves at you, but I never thought you let them get to you.”

“Stop!”

“What!”

“I’ve never cheated on you!” He shouted in a tone I had never heard before, the look of pain present in his eyes. Shit.

“That’s not what people are saying.” I muttered, suddenly I felt so guilty.

“People? What people?”

“Who do you think! She said you two—”

“That’s a lie! I only see her during performances. That’s it. Y/N, I would never do that to you.”

“How am I supposed to believe you after that? She kissed you and you let her.”

“No, no, no! I didn’t let her! I wasn’t even paying attention to her. When I’m on stage, I’m there to perform. Why would I spend weeks planning for your visit just to betray you?”

“She was so awful to me, the things she said, then, she went out there and—”

“Got herself fired.”

“Michael, I’m pissed, but I’ll get over it. I don’t want this to affect business. You don’t have to fire her.”

“I already did.”

“Michael—”

“I only want to work with people who respect me and my loved ones. She won’t be missed. I don’t care to have people around me that I can’t trust.”

“I’m sorry I yelled. I’m so sorry I accused you of—” Michael shut me up, gripping my hips, pressing my body against his and kissing me sloppily. His hand claiming a possessive hold of the back of my neck, deepening his touch.

"I love you." he spoke into my mouth, his hot breath sent shivers down my spine. I felt myself tremble as his fingers explored my inner thigh, pushing up my skirt to give himself more access.

"I love you." I said, slipping my fingers around his belt buckle. He smiled knowingly, pushing me back, my ass collided with the counter and I felt myself crumble at his roughness. The cold countertop causing me to let out a moan. He pulled away for a moment, reaching behind me and clearing off the counter in one swift movement. "Such a gentleman." I purred in his ear as he picked me up.

"Only for you." A smirk on his face as the sound of nylon tearing filled my ears. "I love how sexy these look on you. I'll have to replace them." His long fingers slipping pass the freshly shredded fabric of my panties and teasing me one finger at a time. He watched as my head leaned back onto the mirrored wall, he chuckled as I struggled to find something to grab onto.

"Michael!" I was fighting to breath feeling him knuckle deep inside of me, hitting the right spot. "Fuck! Deeper!" I begged for more. Contrary to my needy cries, he pulled back, leaving me feeling empty as he unbuckled his belt, letting his pants fall to the ground. I took this opportunity to tear his shirt off, throwing it across the room.

Michael pushed my legs apart, admiring how much I yearned for him, he slowly pulled me towards him with a strong grip on my legs. My bare ass slide across the counter painfully slow until I finally felt his hard tip press against my entrance.

"Always so wet and ready for me." He slammed into me, giving me no time to adjust which threw me further over the edge.

"Harder!" I yelled as he pounded into me with such intensity I swear I could feel him rearranging my guts.

"Baby, I want to cum inside of you." His voice smooth, making me even more wet.

"Please!" The walls were shaking as we continued to devour one another.

"You're fucking perfect." He whispered against the bare skin of my chest, I felt him everywhere. My eyes rolled back as his dick massaged all the right places.

Suddenly, the door swung open violently, causing me to panic and try to cover my exposed chest, but Michael stopped me. He grabbed my wrists trapping them behind my back in on of his hands as he increased his speed again. My moans escaped my throat against my will as tears of pleasure rolled down my cheeks. At this point, my entire body was shaking, Michael's tongue rolling against mine elongating my high further.

"What the fuck are you doing!" A voice shouted, causing my head to snap in the direction of its origin. Tatiana.

"You feel so good wrapped around my dick." He declared as he sucked on my neck. It was impossible to concentrate on anything else but his lips. "I'll never get tired of fucking this perfect pussy." Michael didn’t stop. He spoke clearly and confidently as he fucked me with purpose.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Tatiana yelled.

"Y/N!" Michael whimpered, his seed spreading within me, causing my legs to tingle. He gazed deep into my eyes, beads of sweat trailing down his face. "I fucking love you." His hand gently curled around the side of my neck, pulling me back into his sweet mouth.

"What the fuck!" Another shout from the demon herself. I paid it no mind. Looking back at Michael, his long dick still twitching inside of me.

"I love you baby." I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck, leaning into his neck to leave my mark. Tatiana stood there staring at us in shock, so naturally I challenged her stare. I waited to see if Michael would break focus, but he didn’t.

“We are busy in here. Close the door on your way out.” Michael said sternly between breaths, not even sparing her a glance.

The door slammed shut seconds later and it was only then that I took the time to look around the dimly lit room. Make-up and personal belongings littered the floor. Various unfamiliar items surrounded us, leading me to believe that I was made apart of one very well thought out, very devious plan and it turned me on.

"Michael?"

"Yes, my love?"

“This isn’t your dressing room, is it?”

“Nope.” He smiled triumphantly, planting tender kisses all over my face.

“You’re so sneaky.”

“You’re my girl. That’s never changing.”

“You quite literally marked your territory.” I giggled as he caressed my collarbone, watching as goosebumps formed.

“Oh, Y/N, baby, I’m just getting started. We’re gonna be here all night.”

“Let’s see what you got rockstar.”

“Baby, don’t make me carry you out on that stage and give those lovely people an encore they’ll never forget.”

“A girl can dream can’t she?”

I winked teasingly as I positioned myself onto my knees, looking up at the man I love, confident I was about to give him the best head of his life.

[violetasteracademic]

I just finished cc3 and I’m worried the next book will be about nesta. Why do you think the next book is still about elain?

Hello my darling anon! Congrats on finishing CC3, you have sent this to a rare bird in the wild who actually enjoyed the hell out of it despite the flaws. So I hope you had a good time!

I'm a bit nervous to show you guys this side of me. Well, I suppose I've been showing it, but to compile it in such a way is quite another ordeal. That being said, I have toooons of links and resources to share why, for me personally, it is so clear that Nesta's story is *not* over, and Elain's book is undoubtedly next. Both of these things are true, but it has everything to do with the direction of the multiverse, which is very tightly woven, and *not* ACOTAR 5/6, which has been in the works for near a decade. Save this. Come back to it. Take your time working through it. I'm giving you everything, anon!

We have two parts at play: ACOTAR and the new series, which I have no doubt in my mind is Twilight of the Gods (more on that later) so lets start with facts before we move on to theory.

I am positive Elain's book is next because Sarah's messaging has remained 100% consistent since signing on the ACOTOR spinoffs in 2016. Moving forward from ACOWAR, she wrote ACOFAS as a novella to "bridge the gap" between ACOWAR and the spinoffs, and set up the future of ACOTAR. That was completely true for ACOSF, where everything that was set up has come to pass or been expanded on so far. The introduction of the Blood Rite, Nesta's mental health struggles, Morrigan being assigned to Vallahan, and the continued escalation of Elain's relationship with Azriel and Lucien's with the Band of Exiles. We meet Emerie, we learn more about the struggles of the patriarchy in Illyria, so on and so forth.

Then, we have ACOSF. The first dual POV romance of ACOTAR. This was only the beginning of a long term plan of dual POV romances coming to fruition. Here is youtube video from early on in the process describing the spinoffs as standalones that feature a different romantic pairing each book, but form a backbone when united.

By 2020, after ACOSF was announced, Sarah reiterated again that the new spinoff series features a new couple each book, with their own miniature plot and romance resolving within the overarching story of ACOTAR. Here she also shares that she plans to write a *lot* more than what she is contracted for, and has a ton of different ships to choose from. You can watch that here.

And now we move to 2021, after ACOSF was released, and Sarah confirms she always planned to write a book about Elain here.

This is actually a great interview and one of my favorites. You can watch the whole thing here. Eva Chen is a real one.

As far as ACOTAR goes, Sarah has continued to confirm in multiple interviews that her initial plans regarding the spinoffs have not changed, and still largely follow that initial outline she pitched back in 2016. And it was always going to be Nesta and Elain.

I will reiterate, ACOTAR is its own series with its own structure. Every ACOTAR book will feature a new couple with their own romance story. ACOTAR will continue to be exclusively a romance series from here on out. A lot of people speculate a lot of things on the future of ACOTAR. That we'll get a big finale with a multi-pov, that the story will end after Koschei, that we'll have a Kingdom of Ash style book. None of this is true. Sarah is going to keep contracting ACOTAR books until she runs out of couples. If you think this sounds odd, keep in mind that SJM herself is a fan of and grew up on Nalini Singh, who has series that started in 2006/2009 and are still going, featuring a new couple each book:

So, this is not strange behavior for the genre, and I think SJM is excited to have an ongoing fantasy romance series like this. And I'm excited for us to read it!

So, no KoA multi-pov finale. No second Nesta book. ACOTAR is an ongoing romance series with an "unspecified number of books remaining."

Okay! Now let's talk about Nesta! Bone Carver voice: Nestaaaaaaa

I'm going to do something just for you, Anon. And whoever catches this in the next week or so. I left titkok as far as booktok/content making and whatnot and privatized all my videos with my face on them (for a variety of reasons. Some fandom/bullying related, some not) but I did a massive breakdown of SJM's publishing contracts and all of the lore for Twilight of the Gods build up. I did get some of my screenshots from other Tumblr accounts, and linked my sources in the caption! Give this a watch (it's long) and pop back over.

Obviously if you spend some time in the comments section, mostly the questions at large are regarding timeline. I'm happy to chat theory, but focusing on Nesta, it is incredibly important and specific that she had her role in CC3 and that she connected The Valkyrie to Midgard, aka Middle Earth in Norse mythology which is where Twilight of the Gods, aka Ragnarok takes place. We have seen Midgard, Hel, and I have no doubt we will see Asgard.

But take a look at the difference between Nesta and Azriel's journey in CC3. Nesta had a deep emotional arc with Bryce. She developed trust and a relationship with her that Azriel didn't. In the HoFaS bonus chapter, Nesta forged a bond and a relationship with Bryce's mom, Ember. Nesta and Bryce's development is what is important here: Nesta has now created the bridge between the Valkyrie and Midgard. Valkyrie are the chosen fighters of Odin in Twilight of the Gods- the war at Ragnarok.

Twilight of the Gods is coming, fam. Crescent City three also revealed that The Mother, Urd, and Wyrd are all the same entity. The Goddess of all creation and fate. She oversees all worlds, and another important but oft overlooked element in the CC3 crossover is the frequency of the conversations about the Gods:

So yes, Nesta still has a huge arc coming up baby! She is not done. No one is done. But the Valkyrie are gearing up to play a major role in TotG, not the next ACOTAR. I believe this also grounds the continuation of the tension between Nesta and Rhys, and these two powers at odds when it comes to making decisions. Rhys will protect Prythian first. Nesta is building the bridges to other worlds, and is willing to fight alongside them. Rhys has no relationship with Bryce and Midgard. Nesta does. And lets not forget the Pegasi!

CC3 was not about Nesta. It was about Bryce and Nesta. Giving the Starsword back to Nesta is simply because that is who Bryce had a relationship with, and will continue to have a relationship with in the multiverse, not because Nesta is getting another book. Honestly- who else was she supposed to give the sword, Mask, and Truth-Teller back to? Twilight of the Gods will feature characters from all worlds. Sarah confirmed it will be emotional to write because of the old faces we'll see pop up in her Today Show interview here. This interview was thoroughly structured and planned, and released on the same day as HoFaS.

Speaking of the Starsword, let's talk Azriel and his role in CC3. Azriel is now the only person we have seen carry both the Starsword (likely Gwydion from here on out) and Truth-Teller. Light and dark. The power that combined to unleash the magic on Avallen, otherwise known as the Prison/Dusk Court in Prythian. Nesta has her own sword, Ataraxia. We have not seen Nesta touch, wield, or use Gwydion. Only Azriel has.

There is only one other character at home in Prythian who has also wielded and used the full power of one half of that pair of weapons: Elain.

Nesta used Truth-Teller to cut off the kings head, yes, but Elain used Truth-Teller to travel through the shadows across a battlefield with no experience and no training. She held that blade, and it worked to her will, tapping into its magic.

Azriel also learned about the corruption of the Cauldron. This was his primary experience in the crossover- discovering that the Asteri, who force mates and curate bloodlines to create powerful offspring which they then churn through a soul meat grinder for food warped the Cauldron to enact their will. Azriel did not form a relationship with Bryce, or Ember, or form any sort of additional connections to Midgard the way Nesta did. His part of the story revealed the problems at home. His (likely) love interest is the only person who has used his blade there, while Azriel is the only person who has used Gwydion. Bryce notes that Azriel must have some Starborn blood in him. Silene confirms that the Dusk Court can only be nurtured and looked after by Starborn heirs.

So while Nesta's compass in the crossover pointed to Midgard and her developing relationship with Bryce, as well as her clear willingness to work with her, Azriel's compass pointed home. It pointed to his lineage, to the corrupted Cauldron, to being one half of Gwydion and Truth-Teller combining, the Dusk Court. All of which points us to...

Yup. Elain.

If this STILL isn't enough for you, I have made a few additional posts regarding The Glass Coffin (aka Sleeping Beauty, which Bryce plays for Azriel in the HoFaS bonus chapter) and some, but not all of the little Elain coded details in HoFaS. You can find those posts here and here.

I could keep going forever. I can reiterate that there was not one but two ACOSF bonus chapters, and both were about Elain. I can talk about about the fact that SJM always planned to write a book about each sister, and ACOFAS was about- duh- each sister. But this is already so long and full of so many links and resources. The wrap up is this- ACOTAR is now an ongoing dual POV romance series. Until she tells us that is no longer true, it is true. A new couple each book. Nesta and the Valkyrie are key players in Twilight of the Gods. Sarah confirmed she was writing Crescent City and Twilight of the Gods at the same time. The multiverse is happening, and it just takes a little bit of exploration to understand where the characters are likely headed.

I'll end on this note. Azriel and Elain are light and dark. This belongs to them. The bridge of connection between them- Truth-Teller:

Now look at how the combination of the Starsword and Truth-Teller is described in HoFaS, and tell me if it looks familiar to you:

And now alllll together again, fam! Who are the only two characters who have properly wielded and/or tapped into the power of the Starsword and Truth-Teller in Prythian?

Azriel and Elain.

I think that's everything. I hope this comforts you. I genuinely don't ever feel worried or confused. It is all so clear to me how Sarah wove this together, and I think it's absolutely brilliant. Eep! I just get so excited! So take a little bit of my excitement and release the fear. Half of the people making content on this blatantly hate one half of the next book and they willfully ignore that she has had one of the most beautiful, breathtaking, well foreshadowed and woven storylines in the history of SJM's writing. Of course that is only my opinion, but honestly, how could you NOT be impressed and excited?!

I can't wait. I just can't heckin' wait.

If you got through all of this, wow. You're the real MVP.

[tacoma-narrows]

Let's Get Back! presents the Shockwaves Tour!

[Disclaimer, this is not a real tour, this is just for fun lol]

AAA I have wanted to make a mockup of what a Let's Get Back! tour poster would look like for months now and I finally got enough an idea nailed down to make something!!

This was a super fun project to make!! I'd wanted to do some drawovers of some still shots from the music video for Beat Crusaders and Tropical Gorilla's song Droog In A Slum (the original pics will be below the cut) because I thought they really conveyed the sort of "action shots" I guess that would come from a band being on tour lol. With the originals being black and white as well, I wanted to see how that looked on my guys and I think they look pretty cool hehe

As you can also see, Let's Get Back! is not the only act on this tour! They're joined by Deadmeat as the opening act! Deadmeat is a band made up of @macaronichewtoyz's OCs and drawing my OC band collabing with a friend's OC band is something I've also wanted to do forever :3 If anyone else has an OC band (I know at least one or two more hehe) they will have a LGB! collab at some point !!

In terms of the tour locations, I didn't wanna assign dates to it bc that would have been WAY to complicated for the scope of this project, but in terms of locations, I tried to hit up areas relatively close to where my friends and mutuals live so they'd be able to see the show if it were an actual thing :3

Lots more goodies below the cut! Closeups on all the pieces in the poster, the logo, the original images that I drew over for the LGB! pics, etc.!

Hope you guys like this one!! Is LGB! coming to a city near you? Would you go and see them if they were? :3c

Closeups on all the LGB! pieces here! I rlly had a good time with these! Very much enjoyed the posing on PB and Rye's especially :]

Headshots of the members of Deadmeat! Requiem [she/it], Priscilla [she/her] and Brae [he/him]! Again, owned by @/macaronichewtoyz :3 Lots of things I've never (or only once or twice) drawn before with these three that was fun to work with! I am sure u will see a more dedicated Deadmeat piece from me in the future hehe

Here's the logo for the tour! I chose the name the Shockwaves Tour bc A) LGB! is out there making waves in their music scene, shaking things up, B) it ties in with their BLAST! album from earlier this year, C) it just sounds rlly cool as a name, and D) yes it also connects to the show Shockwave which is a subset of a special interest of mine lol. I was rlly happy with this logo tho! The perspective on it especially hehe

And then lastly, here are the pics from the Droog In A Slum music video that I based the pieces for the LGB! guys on :]

[xiaosonlybeloved]

Forever Together~ Kaeya

featuring:- Kaeya tags:-fluff, a teeny bit of angst if you squint, semi-modern au(?), soulmate au where you get a golden band on your 18th birthday which changes into a silver bracelet like thingy when you properly meet your soulmate, kaeya calls you princess once a/n:- this is my entry for the summer santa event by @solarisfortuneia , thanks for letting me take part and sorry for being so late! this one is dedicated to @satoruxx i hope both you and mika like this :)

word count:- 1.3k

masterlist

You grow more excited as the clock nears midnight. “Only five more minutes, Kaeya!” You exclaim, tugging his hand and pointing at the clock. Your childhood best friend shakes his head, amused at your unusual excitement. “You’re really that excited just for your soulmate band? How funny. I mean, you’ve always been a soft romantic, so I’m not really surprised.” He chuckled, the sound filling your room. Both of you glance towards the golden band already present on Kaeya’s wrist, showing that he hadn’t met his soulmate yet. It had appeared, as it always does for everyone, on his 18th birthday. 

None of you said it, none of you knew the other was thinking the same thing. But both of you wondered, if… If you two could possibly be each other’s soulmates.

Both of you had harboured feelings for each other since you were children. It was cute at first. But then as time passed, as you two started to notice each other more, grow up side by side, saw all sides of each other, that harmless puppy love started growing into ‘small’ crushes, even as you two were content to remain best friends. Best friends who were practically attached at the hip, frequently did sleepovers and study sessions, hung out a lot, and always took advantage of the couples discount system. Deep down, both of you wondered if you could ever be more.

The chance of Kaeya being your soulmate was a one in a thousand. So, what harm did it do to imagine the what-ifs of a nearly impossible situation, you both thought, allowing your minds to wander.

The thought of being Kaeya’s soulmate excited you. But it scared Kaeya. 

It wouldn’t be easy to love you officially. It’s not because he couldn’t or didn’t want to. He had no idea what the future would bring, but for now, he really did love you, the way you did. But he was terrified what a relationship would bring, not just to you, but to any possible partner of his, which is why he wanted to avoid meeting his soulmate. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to maintain a relationship with his ways. And he was scared of his past.

Kaeya and his dad had fled from their home nation, Khaenriah, when it was on the brink of utter ruin because of the wars that had ravaged the world. Fled to Mondstadt, a stable country with abundant beauty, one that had already risen up after the war. There, his father had disappeared, leaving him with a caring adoptive family. 

It had been hard for him to adjust and adapt to this new life, especially since he had just been a mere child when all this happened. And he wouldn’t have been able to, if not for you.

You were his neighbour- still are, in fact. He remembered when he’d timidly ventured out into the gardens of his new house a few days after his life had been uprooted. You had noticed him wandering alone very quickly from your own garden, tugging at your mom’s hand to point at him. He’d been scared then, but then you ran ever to him, eyes sparkling, asking him if he was new here, and if he wanted to play with them, adding that their family were very good friends with his new family.

That was the beginning of their friendship, the one that had led them here, staring at the clock at night, waiting for it to strike twelve. And Kaeya was scared, scared because he’d heard many rumours of whatever remained of the Khaenri’ans searching. Searching for what, he didn’t know. Maybe it wasn’t even real. 

But he was still afraid of the possibilities.

And yet, a part of him wished to love you freely, without fear, be with you, be your soulmate. 

The internal conflict was tearing him apart.

The clock struck twelve, signifying the start of your birthday.

You grinned excitedly, holding up your hand, on which a golden band had materialised. But then both your eyes widened, as it turned silver, before reshaping into a swirling silver pattern, almost like a bracelet, with a half heart in the middle. 

The same happened to Kaeya’s band, the formerly gold band having changed into a silver bracelet, same as yours, with the other half of the heart.

It was confirmed- you two were soulmates.

You two stared at each other, eyes wide and confused. It was silent in the room for a while, as you two let the fact sink in.

I suppose it was to be expected, after all, you two had stuck with each other from the moment you met.

A part of you was incredibly happy, now that you didn’t have to hide your feelings any more. However, another part of you was worried for Kaeya and how he’d take this. I mean, what sort of best friends- soulmates- would you two be, if you didn’t know each others’ deepest fears? You knew what he was afraid of. And you didn’t blame him for it in any way whatsoever.

You were the first to speak up, gently taking both his hands in yours. Something you had done a thousand times before, and yet, it felt different this time. “You alright, Kaeya?”

He slowly nodded, eyes staring off. You understood his internal turmoil and the fact that he’d need time, and didn’t press him. “Do you need space?” you asked softly. “To process this? I don’t mind if you do.” Finally he looked at you. There were a multitude of emotions swirling in those beautiful periwinkle eyes of his- confusion, surprise, shock, fear, and more, as they met yours. “You won’t be upset?” He asked quietly. You shook your head almost immediately. “No, Kae, I won’t. I understand why.” You said reassuringly, squeezing his hands with yours to reaffirm your statement. 

“I’ll see you later then..?Once I’ve sorted everything out?” “Sure, take as much time as you want, don’t rush, I’m always here for you, ‘kay? Now let me drop you off home.” You smiled at him.

The next evening, Kaeya texts you to meet him in your regular meeting spot- the swings in the park next to your houses. On text, he sounded like he’d made up his mind, causing you to be a bit nervous as you headed over, albeit a bit early.

You were just swinging gently, lost in your thoughts, when Kaeya walks up to you. He seems to be holding something behind his back, as you look at him curiously. “You alright now?” You question. “Yup.” he grinned back, that easygoing, charming smile that was reserved specifically for you back on his pretty face. “Got everything figured out now, and I have something for you too.” He smiles, bringing out the gift-wrapped package he had been holding behind his back. You chuckle, relieved, as you quickly open it. You stop short when you see what it is that he has given you.

“Forgot to say this, but happy birthday, [Y/N].” He said softly, bending down a bit to take the beautiful silver necklace that had your engraved to put it around your neck. “There.” he said, leaning back to admire you. “Now it matched with our bracelets.” He added, his words meaningful.

This was his way of giving you confirmation. “Let’s give this thing a try, huh? After all, if anything ever happens, I’ll be here to protect my beloved princess, won’t I?” He smirked at his successful attempt to make you flustered as he pulled you up from the swing, holding one of your hands gently in his.

[flyingwargle]

flufftober day 4: market day

amagasaki is home to several indoor and outdoor markets that appeal to different audiences. the indoor market attracts artisans and small businesses that produce household items, jewelry, and crafts. the outdoor market is where independent grocers, farmers, and most food trucks congregate, occupying parks wreathed in autumn colors, accompanied by music from local artists and bands.

osamu borrowed everything for his booth. the tent is from inarizaki’s volleyball club. the metal trays are on loan from his old home economics teacher. the folding tables are from aran, the cash box and chalk sandwich board from omimi. the disposable plastic gloves, napkins, and takeout bags are from kita. the truck that he used to transport everything is from his uncle.

it’s only his onigiri that belong to him.

he opens the tent, sets up the tables. he slides the trays of onigiri into the transparent food displays, stickers already in place with the price and filling. he places the cashbox beside it, along with a stack of business cards, which only has his name, phone number, email, and ig. the storefront will come in the near future.

atsumu joins him after he’s set everything up and takes a piece of chalk to draw on the sandwich board. in uneven letters, he scrawls onigiri miya and doodles onigiri in the corners. he takes a handful of flyers that osamu printed with the available flavors, and atsumu starts walking around to distribute them. the morning is still young; business will pick up, hopefully.

“hey, osamu! nice booth ya got here.”

his smile widens at the pair of familiar faces. “aran! kita-san! good morning!”

aran waves, and kita nods. “how’s business so far?” aran asks.

“the market just opened, so i haven’t sold anythin’.” he gestures at the empty park. “’tsumu is walkin’ ‘round ta advertise.”

kita picks up several flyers. “i can take a handful ta bring back ta the farm an’ distribute ta the neighbors.”

“oh, same here. my team is nowhere nearby, but it helps ta spread the word, yeah?” aran does the same, tucking them under his arm. “well, i should show some patronage. i’ll take a tuna mayo, please.”

“konbu fer me, please,” kita adds.

osamu packs their orders, deposits their change into the cashbox. “thank ya both. will y’all check out the rest o’ the market?”

“of course. we’ll come back ta say bye when we leave.” aran steps away, giving him a final nod of encouragement. "good luck!”

he sells a few onigiri, and atsumu returns to deposit the remaining flyers in hand. “didja see aran an’ kita-san?” osamu asks him.

“yeah, i saw ‘em walkin’ round. i saw akagi an’ omimi-san too, they said they’ll come by.”

as if he summoned them, their upperclassmen arrive. “look at ya, osamu,” akagi says, slightly teary-eyed. “workin’ on the other side o’ the counter fer once.”

omimi rolls his eyes, although his expression is soft. “shinsuke gave us a glowin’ review. can we get one o’ everythin’?”

“thank ya both, akagi-san, omimi-san,” osamu says, beaming as he packs their orders. “i hope ya’ll enjoy ‘em.”

“ya better,” atsumu adds. “that’s yer kouhai’s cookin’ yer ‘bout ta eat.”

“i’mma enjoy the hell outta ‘em,” akagi reassures him. “if ya aren’t sold out by the end o’ the day, i’ll come back an’ buy the rest.”

the height of the afternoon approaches, and the crowd thickens. atsumu, after a brief phone break, goes back out to advertise, and osamu continues to sell a few more. a small line forms but quickly dissipates, and he’s left with another pair of familiar faces. “gin! kosaku! yer back in town?”

“we came ta support ya!” ginjima knocks his fist against his. “it’s yer first gig at the market, yeah? it better not be yer last.”

osamu shakes his head. “i’m gonna be at two others after this. gotta balance it with work.”

“which restaurant are ya at?” kosaku asks. “are ya still at the teppanyaki place?”

“nah, the owner recommended me ta his colleague’s kaiseki restaurant. it’s been hard, but i finally got on his good side. good thing, or i woulda had ta work today.”

“hey, guys!” atsumu returns, empty-handed, knocking fists with their friends. “ya’ll came back just ta support ‘samu?”

“obviously. we gotta support, ya know?” ginjima’s eyes gleam as he takes his wallet out. “i’ll take a negitoro onigiri.”

“i’ll take bonito flakes,” kosaku adds.

the onigiri steadily decrease from the trays. business is steady, with many eager to support him online or await his physical shop. for now, they’ll have to contend with his appearances at various markets in town, until he’s able to expand further out.

“tsum-tsum! so this is where you’ve been!”

atsumu straightens from behind, stepping next to his twin at the owl-haired young man and his dark-haired companion with glasses. “bokkun, keiji-kun! nice of ya’ll ta come by.” to his brother, he introduces them. “bokuto koutarou, my teammate, and akaashi keiji, his friend.”

“it’s nice to meet you, mya-saam!” bokuto says cheerfully. “your onigiri look amazing! i could buy all of them!”

“please don’t, bokuto-san. you don’t have enough luggage space for all of that.”

“oh, that’s true! okay, i’ll take your last mentaiko and one salmon!”

“i’ll get salmon, please,” akaashi adds. “i wish your business the best of luck, miya-san.”

osamu hands them over. “thank ya. yer support means a lot ta me.”

meian, atsumu’s captain, also stops by, along with inunaki, barnes, and adriah. atsumu converses with them while osamu bags their orders, dwindling his stock further. there’s still an hour until the market ends, with three onigiri left. he wonders who’ll take the last of them.

his answer comes as soon as his brother’s teammates leave, replaced with another trio, this time led by a familiar face. “hey.” suna has his hands in his pockets, a smile on his face. “hope we’re not too late?”

“so this is the humble beginning of an empire, huh?” his companion asks. “i’m lucky to be part of it.” there’s another person lurking behind him, and atsumu immediately singles him out.

“ya lied ta me, omi! ya said ya wouldn’t come by!” atsumu shouts.

sakusa glowers at him, the lower half of his face hidden behind his face. “it wasn’t a lie. i was brought here against my will because of motoya.”

“we have to show our support! it isn’t every day that a new onigiri restaurant is in the works,” his cousin insists. “we came just in time to snag the last three!”

it’s easy for them to decide who gets what: sakusa gets umeboshi, komori with kombu, and suna with tuna mayo. osamu slides his gloves off, satisfied that he’s sold out.

they stay to help him dismantle the stall, and promise to meet with the twins for dinner after. atsumu loads everything into the truck and climbs into the passenger seat beside osamu, clicking his seatbelt on. “that was a pretty good first day, yeah?” he says. “just wait ‘till ya get yer storefront. the line will go fer blocks.”

osamu smiles, inserting the key into the ignition. it’s so easy to imagine it, to envision the happy customers with his onigiri in hand, to visualize a full house. “i can’t wait, either. thanks fer yer help, ‘tsumu.”

“any time, ‘samu.” they knock against each other’s fists.

[the-samsquantch]

The Garden in Which we Lie

Pairing - Astarion x Tav (Juniper Callendula)

Summary - In the aftermath of the fall of the Netherbrain, Astarion abandons June out of a mixture of fear and shame.

Three years later, he finally summons the courage to see her again to fix what was broken.

However, in confronting their old feelings, they must face an old enemy who they once thought were long dead.

Warnings: Topics of abandonment, angst, Astarion is going into his second flop era.

Part 1: The Choices We Make

Read here on Ao3

The sun felt so intense, painful.

To think that there was semblance of hope that Astarion could ever permanently walk in the sun again was now nothing more than a distasteful joke. The spawn scrambled to find a temporary safe haven, any semblance of shade or shadow would be enough.

Their merry band had all agreed that the Netherbrain had to be destroyed, to be rid of their tadpoles and stop the plot of the absolute from coming to fruition.

They'd done it, but not without some bittersweet consequences. Astarion could feel the painful sting of the sun's burn biting at his skin like ants. Finally, he spotted a place with enough shade to keep him protected from the sun's rays.

Fear coursed through Astarion in waves, he was trying so hard not to feel like some vulnerable lamb, ripe for slaughter.

The elf had hoped that he'd never have to experience this sensation ever again after they killed Cazador, but with the sun beating down on him once more, that familiar sense of unwelcome vulnerability wracked his body.

He tried to think of things that calmed him, his mind immediately going to his lover. The image of Juniper appeared in his mind, with her kind smile, her bell-like laughter and her sweet nature.

What should have given him comfort only twisted at his heart. It seemed like their time together while they searched for a cure for their tadpoles seemed like a dream now.

Why would he ever think that a relationship with her would ever work? Why the hell did he have to fall for her?! What had originally been a plan to seduce her into helping him destroy his master had clearly spiraled out of control.

Astarion rested his head against a ship crate, doubt and self hate taking over his mind.

Juniper deserved better than him, she deserved a good life where she could continue to nurture through her hands and her kind words. He'd only hold her back if he stayed.

What was that stupid saying people often brought up? "If you love something let it go?".

He would wait until nightfall, though the notion of stepping away from this relationship filled him with a painful melancholy. He wanted to be with her, to hold her. To show her the same tenderness and patience that she had shown him.

The memory of their talk on his grave, the promise that they'd face everything together, that their future was theirs to create. What a hopeful notion, a naive one too.

Astarion couldn't believe that he had become so blind from his feelings. He was a monster, it was in his nature to take until there was nothing left. Juniper created, nurtured. Surely two opposites were not meant to be together.

Night eventually came, and Astarion was finally able to move from the confines of the shadows. If he wagered a guess, the allies that stayed in the aftermath of the brain were holding up in the Elfsong, either recovering, maybe celebrating...If he went back now, they'd think that he was there to stay. So, he waited until the night drew on, long enough that most would be in their beds.

Astarion was more than familiar with the sight of near quiet city streets, the warm yellow shining out from homes slowly snuffed out as people settled down to rest, the only ones out now were too drunk to notice him.

By the time Astarion arrived at the Elfsong, he could see through the windows that while candles were still burning, the bar keep was nowhere to be found, and patrons had settled into their rooms.

A lump formed in his throat. Was he really doing this? He really going to step away from the one good thing he had?

As Astarion stepped into the building, his resolve began to waver, the idea of slipping into bed with June was becoming more and more appealing as he went up the steps and made his way to their shared room.

Seeing June at rest gave Astarion a sense of relief, she was alive and well. Though there was an ache in his chest too.

Despite how peaceful she looked, he noted the bags under her eyes, and for a moment, her expression twisted into worry. Was she thinking of him? He had run off in a hurry, and he knew that she probably went out to find him herself, despite her own injuries. Her face settled again, and for a small moment, a feeling of warmth filled the spawns body.

Juniper was a beautiful sight, with her long black locks pooling around her, the look of peace settling nicely into her features. She had a face that could make beasts kneel with just a simple smile and a kind word. Gods know, she managed to tame him with it.

There was a part of himself that was begging to stay, to undress and slip back into bed so that he could hold her close, whisper sweet nothings and praises into her ear while she slept until the sun came up.

But the sun was part of the problem, wasn't it? How long would she stay happy with him? How long until she realized that he held her back?

"It'll be better this way" he thought to himself. Astarion forced his eyes away from her sleeping figure, turning his attention to his pack. Everything had been packed already, they were constantly on the move after all.

Quietly, the rogue padded toward his bag, the floor not even uttering the smallest of creaks and groans as he grabbed it.

As Astarion turned to face the door again, his eyes wandered back to June. Hearing her breath and feeling the warmth of her skin had become a bit of a reassurance for him, a reminder that she was alive.

The pale elf began to walk toward the door, though he had gotten sloppy.

The groan of the floor boards caused Astarion to freeze in spot, panic racing down his spine as he whipped his head toward her. Juniper wouldn't forgive him for this, especially if she caught him, he held his breath.

Silence hung over the air, anticipation holding the vampire by the throat as he waited for any sign that his lover was awake. She simply turned onto her side, pulling the blanket higher up her chest.

Astarion felt his shoulders slouch in relief for a few moments, only for a fresh wave of shame came over him.

This was a terrible idea, he was going to break her heart and she deserved a better break up than this.

"Why in the hells are you still thinking about this?! Just go! You've made up your mind haven't you?!" This was the moment of no return, and if he had seen reason, he would have simply crawled back into bed.

"Goodbye my sweet" he whispered softly, his face falling into a melancholic longing. With that, the vampire forced himself to pivot back toward exit, slipping out without a sound.

Closing the door with care, Astarion began to pad softly down the stairs, only to be greeted by Shadowheart at the bottom of the stairs.

"In a hurry are we?" there was an edge to her tone, one that he hadn't heard since she deserted Shar.

Unfortunately for him, he froze, unable to make a comeback to the cleric's piercing words, her glare felt like that of a disapproving older sister.

"It's better this way," he whispered. Shadowheart raised an eyebrow, she was having a very hard time believing that. She'd witnessed how June had thawed his icy exterior. Their leader had an uncanny ability to see the good in others and bring it out, given what happened with her in the gauntlet of Shar.

Before meeting Juniper, Shadowheart had never dreamed that she'd give up her ambition of being a dark Justiciar, let alone turning her back on Shar.

"Are you sure about that Astarion? Because you and I both know what's going to happen if you leave her". Juniper was a kind soul, a caring soul, and for Astarion to leave out of nowhere? That kind of loss could break a person.

Shadowheart watched as he shifted, as if he was trying to summon that false confidence that he so often relied on.

"You don't understand! She can walk in the sun! She can make something out of nothing from the fucking dirt!" his whispers were angry, hushed as if he was trying to keep his voice down.

Shadowheart crossed her arms and stepped toward the pale elf, the fury on her face was palpable.

After everything they've just gone through, Shadowheart couldn't help but be angry on her friend's behalf. They were both so saccharine together that it almost made her gag of course, but she saw that they were happy. Shadowheart was even convinced that nothing like this would happen between the two of them. But she guessed, there were just some things that you couldn't take out of the rogue.

"Do you really want to cut things off with her? Are you prepared to experience this kind of loss and the pain that goes with it?". Shadowheart knew what it was like to deny herself things that made her happy, Shar and her dogma played a big part in that.

To see her friend slide back into behavior like this made her frustrated, and the venomous irritability that was written across his face meant that she had struck a nerve.

"Please, none of you know what I want," he spat. Shadowheart scoffed at that, she had a feeling that he didn't know either at this point. Her reaction only made the vampire more angry.

"I know that you love her, and I know that you know that if you leave, you're going to hurt her". 

And her, Gale, Halsin and Jaheira would be the ones to help her pick up the pieces.

Astarion couldn't keep this up for much longer.

"Are you done trying to stop me? Because, you're wasting my time" he was finally able to summon his false visage.

Shadowheart let out a disappointed sigh through her nose, it seemed like he had already made up his mind. She watched as he made his way to the front door, his back turned to her. He paused, almost as if he was lingering on a thought before forcing himself to push past the tavern's threshold.

She felt her eyes linger on the door for a few moments before slumping her shoulders. Tomorrow morning would bring a new chapter, as the story of the absolute had come to an end. And this new beginning would start with the crying of a young woman who'll suffer from a broken heart.

______________________________________________________________

Howdy! Its nice to meet ya'll, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. This is actually the first time I've posted any of my written work on here soooooo please be nice. This is a project I've been working on since July and I decided to finally share this piece of work on here. So heres to taking the plunge.

On that note, its hilarious how many bg3 Tavs are named Juniper, theres like? Three of them?

My Tav is very near and dear to me because she was originally meant for a DND campaign that didn't come to pass, and I wound up recycling her into an Owl House OC until I played Baldurs Gate 3. Shes one of my most developed characters and I'm excited to show her to you guys.

I appreciate reblogs, hearts anc comments, I love hearing from you guys. And I'll probably be posting these chapters weekly until I'm caught up with what I've written on Ao3.

Thanks again to Minamishimadahime for beta reading!

Toodles!~

[allfillernothriller]

Yard Act (+ Murkage Dave + Folly Group) @ Les Nuits Botaniques, Brussels, Dream Job Tour, 28.04.24

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Land of the Blind

What. A. Night. The acoustics? Terrible. Did they play Grifter's Grief and Petroleum like I expected they would? Nope. Am I disappointed? Not in the least. There's no way for me to assert one gig was better than the other. They were unique experiences and I'm so happy I went to both.

My favourite spot at any given concert is near the singer's mic but a little to the side so that I can get a good view of the bassist. As you can tell on the video, that's precisely where I was ��

10mins before the start of Murkage Dave's set, there was still only 12 of us inside, and man. That was heartbreaking to me (at least at first). I saw him get on stage and start his set fully focused like everything was normal, but it certainly didn't feel normal to me. Back in Paris, the venue was full from the moment they opened the doors. (Maybe cause this time was a festival?) Thankfully, people started to come in bit by bit and by his 4th song the tent was filled. But in the meantime I turned into a self-appointed hype man and cheered + sang along anytime I remembered lyrics from his set in Paris. He flashed me the biggest smile and that was my job done. I'll say, he killed it! He acts out some of his lyrics while singing them and I love how theatrical his presence on stage is. In the end, he told us that while we were 12 at first, he felt very welcomed by the fact that his performance attracted the rest of the audience inside. I'm glad it turned out to be a positive experience for him bc I was quite worried during the first 3 songs.

Folly Group was the best kind of slap in the face. You know me, I went without listening to anything first. That strategy has never failed me and I'm going to keep doing that until I die. They are so good?? Ridiculously good. I'm defo seeing them again some day, in a nebulous future.

Yard Act... They were magnificent. Beautiful people, beautiful show. They gave their all for the last one, the energy was electric! Daisy and Lauren went all out with the dance moves and I was so here for it! Love them, love the vibe they bring, it's the icing on the cake. I hope they'll stick with the band next tour (fingers crossed).

Now here come the fun parts.

James, James, James.

Dunno if any of you recall the post I made for the Paris gig, but basically he caught me singing along to the newest songs and went through a hilarious mix of emotions bc most ppl in attendance didn't know the lyrics yet. (It was at the very beginning of the EU tour, by the end of it more and more goers had had the time to memorise the lyrics.)

Well, this time I was front row and in his line of sight more often than not. So of course he noticed I was pit choiring (dunno if that's a thing but you know what I mean) during the 2nd song (Dead Horse), came to the edge of the stage right in front of me, crouched a little, looked me straight in the eye and basically sang the last verse with me. Thing is, he did it again during the next song (When the Laughter Stops) for the remaining half of the 2nd verse and from that point on, it turned into a game, sort of?

Land of the Blind was next, he gave me a pointed look from the mic stand at the very beginning of the 1st verse (to see if I'd start singing straight away I assume?), he didn't sing directly with me this time BUT mimed the 'magic trick' in front of me. (🥰)

Now for the real shenanigans. The following song was Fizzy Fish and it is my absolute favourite. However, there is a tricky part at the beginning of the song — a tongue-twister (and rather long at that). You prolly know where this is going. So, when I cheered obnoxiously at the first notes, he got a twinkle in his eye and a grin that spelled trouble and before I knew it, he was squatting in front of me, initiating the most intense eye contact I've received in years (eyes wide and intent, as he does), daring me to follow. And you best believe that I always mess up this part when singing in the comfort of my own home, and given the smug look James was giving me, he was 100% trying to trip me up. But I wasn't going to turn down a challenge from one of my favourite musicians, was I? Bc the other thing is, that lil stunt of his channelled my focus and I was able to sing through the tongue-twister for the 1st time thanks to him. He feigned annoyance and moved to the other side of the stage, and that was fucking hilarious. He came back at the very end though, and addressed the “keep your silly grin plastered accross your stupid fucking face” line to me. Love that man.

Oh, but we're not done. Next up was We Make Hits, and I believe that's their most popular one from the latest album. The crowd was extra responsive, and James tried to interact with as many people as possible. He still sang the first chorus with me, but the band (not just James) went and tripped *everyone* up on the 2nd one (took a longer pause between 2 lines basically), everybody in the crowd fell for it, except me. (I'm not psychic, their body language was easier to read from my pov.) I'm not gonna lie, I felt a tinge of pride.

James 'left' me alone for the next few songs (for one he was too hyper to stay put, and that would've been unfair to the rest of the audience if he gave attention only to me). But! He sang the tiniest bits of A Vineyard for the North and 100% Endurance with me and that meant the world. James is a certified sweetheart and I wish he was my big brother.

Surely, I'm done now, right? Think again. Bc I have to tell you about Ryan. I'm autistic, right, it's no secret. I'm very sensitive to sounds, I do suffer from misophonia and that does include music sometimes (heavy autotunes, recorders...) but that also means I get the exact opposite of that. Sensitivity works both ways, and I've been obsessed with bass guitars and basslines for as long as I can remember, and even that is putting it lightly. (I could make a post about that to go into further details if you're interested but this one is never-ending enough as it is.) When filming a performance, I keep my eyes off my phone as much as possible, but I always try to make sure to get decent footage of the bass. Now Ryan was quite far off to the side, and the stage was rather wide, so that meant if I wanted him in the frame, I had to blatantly orient my phone towards him. I got caught, obvs. He didn't pay much mind at first (I like how he looks very focused and overly serious when he's playing, you wouldn't guess he's just as silly as James is), but after a while he realised I was filming him specifically a lot. He sort of kept and eye on me from then on, and so we made eye contact several times (esp when James was interacting with other members of the crowd). I was unapologetic bc I'd kill for his basslines, but at one point he raised an eyebrow at me, tilted his head towards Sam (who was at the opposite side of the stage) and nodded once. I chuckled, nodded back and filmed Sam bc I felt called out. 🥲 (Don't get me wrong, Sam is a tremendous guitarist but tHE BASS.) I basically got scolded by one of my favourite bassists of all time for not giving his bandmates enough attention, that was both sweet and really funny. Ryan caught me again a few more times (I couldn't help myself) and he'd give me a glare with no real heat or roll his eyes lmao.

I had such a blast! Towards the end of 100% Endurance, James thanked their crew and each band member, I yelled "LOVE YA" enough times to pass as the lunatic I am, so that was great too (/gen). James always thanks Ryan last (they're the co-founding members), and takes the time to hug him and give him lil kisses to his temple and cheek, and that's when Ryan melts. Lemme tell you, seeing a grown man drop his professional musician mask and turn into a puppy in anticipation at the sight of his co-founding bandmate walking over to him is the most adorable fucking thing ever. (The queerplatonic vibes they got going too 🥹) I'm a bit sad I didn't record that, but there'll be other opportunities.

This time it wasn't just Murkage Dave joining in on the Trench Coat Museum fun, but Folly Group too and the result was insane! Sadly all my footage is extremely saturated (again, the acoustics suuucked).

After the concert, a handful of us goers were waiting round to see if we could get a setlist but the security staff didn't know anything about that. Thankfully, Ryan walked back on stage to get something so I asked him directly. He was so surprised he didn't reply, he simply gave me an acknowledging glance and proceeded to peel off his setlist with the greatest care in the world. I immediately thanked him profusely (and loudly) and some guy waiting with me had the audacity to say Ryan wasn't going to give it to us. I got super defensive and told him that yes, he was, what do you think he's doing? Ryan gave me a fond lil lopsided smile, got up and went on to peel off (just as carefully) all of the remaining setlists. I just... Lost it, half yelled “AWW YOU'RE SUCH A SWEETHEART, YOU'RE THE BEST”, thus successfully embarrassing the both of us. He sent me a look that said “do you have to be so loud?” (tbf I didn't). He gathered the setlists in a pile and handed them to the staff so we could have them. I've never received one in such good condition, they always get at least a tad torn and/or crumpled. But look at that! 🥹

I love him so much, protect him at all costs. ❤️

Even though I remember everything vividly, I'm still having trouble realising everything I've told you here actually happened. I'm a lucky bastard.

I'm in love with this band. 🧡

🫶🏻

[Click on 'read more' for bonus vids & pics]

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—

Murkage Dave keeping it real (World I Want to Live In)

He's got a sense of humour too (Gotta Go DJ)

Folly Group setting the tone (Awake and Hungry)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

James making the most of the last gig (Pour Another)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Daisy & Lauren 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 (Pour Another)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

James decided to sing the 'clean' version of Land of the Blind, and I decided to ruin it

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Yard Act tricking the crowd (We Make Hits)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Losing my entire mind over them (Dream Job)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

I can't post the video itself bc my obnoxious cheering pollutes the audio, so have a gif instead (Dream Job)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

The four words James sang with me (A Vineyard for the North)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

A very blurry James singing with me (100% Endurance)

Better yet, the video

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Ryan staring at me disapprovingly while I'm filming him (The Trench Coat Museum)

He looks absolutely done with me but don't let that fool you, he's a very endearing man 🧡

Bonus anecdote:

The woman who was next to me at the barrier (I'd say she was in her 50s) accosted me after the gig was over and told me she had fun watching James sing with me 🥹

Post-concert sap for everyone involved 🧡

[oh-no-another-idea]

Another Get to Know Me

Tagged ages ago by the brilliant @sleepy-night-child and the terrific @splashinkling -- thanks, guys!

a band you don't like that many others do: ...I don't listen to much modern music that you'd find on a radio, so one of those bands? Heavy metal isn't my thing, so perhaps a heavy metal band on the radio. least favorite animal and why: LEAST favorite! I've never been asked that before! I think I'll go with mosquitoes (insects I know, but really, the devil's own)

do you wear any jewelry, if so, what's your favorite piece: I wear assorted embroidery floss friendship bracelets depending on my mood, but my favorite would have to go to my necklace, which is just a simple chain holding a Magen David and a ring my family gifted me as a sweet inside joke :) a movie others liked but you didn't: Golly. ...Okay, I've never gotten the Princess Bride hype, and I know I may be speaking blasphemy to some people, but when my mom showed it to me I was kinda meh about it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sorry! three things you love about yourself: My leadership skills, my sense of humor, and my writing abilities! a place you hope to visit in the future and why: I would love to see Budapest--everything I've read about it/seen in films looks like such a beautiful place. Also would love to go back to Australia sometime! an actor that gets on your nerves and why: What a funny question :) That guy from the heist movie with Steve Martin kinda creeps me out I suppose, but there's no real reason other than my own random instincts. Michael Caine! I don't know why but something about him is just ERUGH to me 😤😂 things you're excited about in the near future: My dance friends in the area are restarting their free fall dance classes, and I'm really looking forward to the lovely mix of structure/laid back-ness I know they're going to bring! Super glad for the opportunity to stretch my body and hang with friends! least favorite ship in a fandom you're in: Gonna go with Marvel here since the other fandoms I'm in don't have the same kind of shipping strife...do NOT like Stony (Steve Rogers/Tony Stark). To everyone who does like that, good for you and do your own thing, but since I have read any of their comics I do not see it. And I can't ship Steve with anyone other than Bucky, it's both my greatest gift and worst curse, lmaoo 😭 what's the most toxic fandom you've been in: I don't know! I stay on the outskirts usually. There are some crazy people wherever you go, that's for sure. But it's also probably Marvel due to sheer size. list three things you find beautiful about life: Laughing with my sisters, cooking and eating good food, and standing somewhere outdoors and feeling the wind roar any dreams for the future: Honing my stories and sharing them with people who both appreciate and enjoy them! Also making more friends and being brave enough to push myself to find the right life for me. how are you feeling today? Packing up to leave the beach as my family vacation wraps up...enjoying my short haircut and gearing up to dive back into work and everyday life, and very ready for fall to arrive...I am feeling tired and hopeful and glad to be alive. :)

OPEN TAG! Come play <3

[ash5monster01]

(@he-is-half-my-soul I hope you don’t mind but this post inspired a little something in me because I live for tropes where each of the poets come to terms with Neil’s death)

Trapped in Time

Warnings: mentions of suicide, depression, grief, light swearing, all around sad, and I’m sorry.

Summary: after Neils death and Graduation the Dead Poets make sure to keep in touch, not wanting to risk losing another. They help each other through the grief and remind each other that the powerful play still goes on. When they discover Todd still struggles they band together to do the same for him.

Masterlist

Each of the Dead Poets found themselves in different places after graduation and college. Despite the distance they never lost touch and in the end it was a good thing. They had a shared life experience, one surrounded by turmoil and trauma. Not many people in the world went through what they did. They saw the light at the end of tunnel but before they could get to it they lost a friend, their teacher, and some of them a school. So when the torture of the future they tried so desperately to avoid came crushing down on them they had each other. The only issue being the distance keeping them from seeing things right away.

Luckily for Todd, Charlie had ended up in the city just like him. Todd kept his quiet persona but was less outspoken which worked in favor with Charlie’s still boisterous personality. Todd became an English professor at NYU and Charlie found himself on Wall Street, a shark in the business, his father no longer deeming him incompetent considering he was now more successful than him. Either way the two ended up having each other, only a 30 minute cab ride from the other’s apartment. They met weekly for dinner or lunch and it was always nice to have a familiar face.

Charlie had been uptown for work. Meeting with investors and attending fancy lunches and dinner shows. Basically kissing ass and praying they’d shake on the deal. He was also bitterly annoyed when he had to cancel lunch with Todd and make plans for dinner. This bothered him because Todd didn’t have any classes today and without Charlie he would never leave the house. Todd still needed to learn how to live a little and Charlie figured it was fate he ended up near him stead of any of the other poets. So Charlie with a permanent scowl walked beside his business partner in the Broadway district, annoyed he sat through an entire play just for the investors to say they were considering a different direction. So here he was stuck uptown, annoyed about work, and disappointed he missed lunch with his best friend for something as stupid as that.

“We didn’t need them anyways Charles, we have other investors” Benjamin, his business partner pried as he tried to keep up with him.

“I know, I’m just annoyed they wasted my time. I enjoy theater but that was torture” Charlie grunted, realizing twenty minutes into the show the investors were freaks and knew nothing about real entertainment.

“Yeah I could’ve gone my entire life without seeing that” he agreed, knowing full well he didn’t understand a damn thing that happened the entire time he watched the play.

“Idiots, all of them” suddenly Charlie stopped, Benjamin practically running in to him from trying to keep up the entire time.

“Woah, why we stopping?” Benjamin caught his balance and moved back from Charlie where he almost knocked him face first to the cement.

“Todd?” Benjamin looked up to see Charlie catching the attention of a blonde gentleman stepping out of the theater.

“Charlie, what’re you doing on Broadway?” Todd meekly asked, the brunette boy approaching him. Charlie assessed the situation, surprised to see Todd out, that was until he looked up at the sign above the theater. A Midsummer Nights Dream.

“I should be asking you the same thing” he said, trying to read any emotions coming from the boy. Todd went to speak but was caught of abruptly.

“Mr. Anderson, you forgot your coat” a theater worker rushed from the doors, holding out his jacket. Todd happily accepted it. “Maybe you wouldn’t forget it if you stayed till the end of the show for once”

“Thank you Margaret” Todd acknowledged her, wincing slightly that he was caught red handed by Charlie.

“Margaret” Charlie stopped the woman from walking away and she turned with a smile. “How long have you been putting on this show?”

“About a month and a half now. Mr. Anderson here enjoys it so much he comes once a week, sometimes twice if we’re lucky” Todd’s shoulders fell and Charlie nodded and thanked her as she disappeared back into the theater.

“Do you want to explain?” Charlie pressed, Todd struggling to make eye contact with him.

“You know I don’t” Charlie sighed, pressing a hand to his face. Benjamin stood confused but patiently waited nonetheless.

“Do you know how bad this looks? Todd why would you do this to yourself?” Charlie wanted to cry. He never ever wanted to relive that night again. To this day it was still the worst 24 hours of his life and here Todd was trying to relive it.

“I don’t know Charlie?! I just do” Benjamin was surprised to hear someone refer to the man as Charlie and not Charles. Sighing Charlie turned to his business partner.

“Head back to the office, let Clarice know to clear my schedule the rest of the day. I have to deal with this” Benjamin nodded, feeling he already peeked to far into Charlie’s personal life than he ever wanted too. With zero hesitation he rushed off, ready to finish his workday.

“I need you to explain this to me Todd, or else I can’t help you” Charlie pleaded and Todd sighed as he looked down to the coat in his arms.

“Can we at least sit down?” he asked and Charlie nodded, starting back on his pace as he bustled down the city sidewalks to a diner that was sure to appear. He grimaced at the Worlds Best Coffee sign in the window that every diner in this God forsaken city seemed to have.

“You want to explain it now?” Charlie asked as he went to take a sip of the worlds best coffee. Todd kept his gaze on the table, not wanting to meet his eyes.

“It started when you had to cancel lunch since something got messed up at work. I didn’t want to sit home so I went for a walk. That’s when I saw the sign. At first I wanted to run away but then I realized I hadn’t seen the play since that night. I practically knew it word for word since Neil made me run lines with him every chance we got. It felt like I watched it yesterday even though I hadn’t seen it in years” Charlie felt his heart tighten. They had all been at the play but Todd was the one who practiced with him. Todd played every part alongside Neil’s Puck.

“So you went inside?” Charlie egged on, needing to know the dark thoughts in the boys head. They all struggled with the shadow of grief, it’s overbearing weight crushing their shoulders over the smallest things. For Charlie it was soccer. Him and Neil had played together since children and after he died he never played or watched again.

“I figured it would be a good thing. Give myself a new memory but then the end came. It was Pucks big speech and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. That was Neil’s moment, I remember cheering so loud my lungs hurt, then I remembered it was pretty much the last thing I ever heard him say. So I ran out, too afraid to relive it” Todd said and this made Charlie more confused.

“If it was too hard why did you go back?” he asked, leaning forward on the table wanting to know where this was going.

“I wanted to find the strength to finish it. I never could though. After a while it became less about finishing it and more about getting lost in the play. Feeling like that 17 year old kid again who just saw his best friend follow his dreams. It felt like when Neil was still alive” this answer hit Charlie like a ton of bricks. This was torture and he had gone too long without realizing Todd was trapped in an endless cycle of torment.

“Todd-” Charlie held his face in his hands, not knowing what to say. He wasn’t prepared for this, this was worse then having nightmares about that night or crying when it all became too much.

“I know, I know I need to stop. It’s hard though, when I’m home with nothing to do I started remembering and getting upset and when I sit in that play for at least an hour it’s as if nothing ever happened” Todd told him and Charlie nodded, understanding wanting to feel like the people they were before tragedy struck.

“You can’t go back Todd, if you ever find yourself needing to go you call me. I’ll cancel whatever I’m doing, say it’s a family emergency because you’re the only family I have Todd and I can’t let this consume you” Todd nodded, feeling guilty for having kept this secret for so long.

“Okay, I promise” with a content nod Charlie accepted this answer, not needing to have anymore depressing conversation.

After they ate their meals and Charlie made sure Todd got home he found himself unable to stop thinking about what Todd had been doing. Tugging his tie from his neck and getting ready for bed he kept going over it, again and again, wanting to understand how he could put himself through that. Yet the longer he thought about it he realized how little closure they all got. The days after Neil’s death were filled with so many things. In a matter of a few days they went through losing a friend from suicide, a funeral, their teacher getting fired, and for Charlie, getting kicked out of school. Everyone was so focused on finding who to blame, including the Poets, that none of them ever came to terms with the fact that Neil was really gone. So with this in mind he came up with an idea.

Putting the plan together wasn’t hard. Using his connections he found a way. So even though Todd thought this was just a normal dinner for the two of them he actually had no idea what was to come. So Charlie knocked on his door, signature smirk proud on his face as he waited for Todd to open it.

“Hey Charlie-” Todd froze as he saw not only Charlie but Knox, Chris, Meeks, and Pitts standing behind him. “What’s this?”

“We’re all going to dinner, and a show” Charlie reached forward and Todd saw the familiar ticket in his hand. When Charlie had reached out to the boys and told them about what was happening they all agreed immediately to help Todd through this. After all every single one of them needed it too.

“I thought it was a bad idea” Todd said, already growing nervous at the thought.

“I did. I still do. Then I realized the reason you felt that way about the play was because you never got closure. None of us did. So we’re gonna stay to the end, and hopefully when we all get through it we will feel a bit better” Charlie said before stepping to the side and gesturing to follow them out. Todd nodded, still nervous as they left his apartment and made their way out to the loud streets.

It was like deja vu sitting in those seats all together again. Every single one of them remembered the night like yesterday. Charlie nearly jumped as the orchestra started in the pitch black of the theater. Knox squeezed Chris’ hand like his life depended on it. Todd tried to settle his nerves as they waited for it to start. When the actor who played Puck appeared it was as if the whole group couldn’t breathe. He had the same look in his eyes that Neil did all those years ago and Charlie felt himself begin to cry. Pitts and Meeks looked at him with sympathy as they all faced this nightmare together. Suddenly Todd’s hand appeared on Charlie’s back and gave it a comforting rub.

When the end of the play approached Charlie felt the air surrounding him thin. There it was, the feeling Todd had described. This was the last moment they saw their friend with a smile on his face. When he came out for that final bow and looked so fucking proud. Their friend who deserved the world and everything it had to offer because if anyone of them deserved to be in this world so did he. So Charlie sucked in a breath and kept his eyes on Todd who looked like he wanted to flee his seat. All six of them grabbed hands and prepared for it to end and the curtain to drop.

“If we have unearned luck. Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, We will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call; So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends” chills filled their bones as the last line was spoken and the curtain dropped. As Charlie turned to Todd he saw the boy absolutely broken, sobs raked his body. The boys all wrapped themselves around him in a hug. Bystanders clearly confused by their emotional behavior but this was a beautiful moment for the group. They faced their demons and they did it together.

“See Mr. Anderson, the end is beautiful” Margaret said as the exited the theater and he smiled at her.

“It really is, thank you Margaret” Todd told her and she waved as the group followed him out the doors.

“That was intense” Knox sighed, his arm wrapped tightly around his wife.

“I never realized how heavy that moment was until now” Meeks muttered pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Neil would’ve loved this, going to Broadway and seeing the shows. Hell even being in them” Charlie said and the group nodded as they reminisced their friend.

“He’s with us now, I know it” Pitts smiled and Todd looked up at the sky, barely any stars visible, a violet haze around the earth.

“He changed my life, I wish he would’ve stuck around to see how it turned out” Todd muttered and Charlie tugged him in a hug, thankful he could help his friend.

“He was my best friend, my first friend. The only guy who put up with me until I met you dorks” Charlie said as he pulled away.

“His heart was too big, he would’ve given each of us the world if he could” Knox told them and Chris smiled, never having met their beloved friend. But she remembered him in that play, it was the best local theater she had ever seen and despite not knowing him she knew he would’ve changed the world.

“To Neil, and us. Remember the powerful play goes on and we may contribute a verse”

[bengiyo]

My School President Ep 11 Stray Thoughts

We're nearing the end and heading back to the beach.

Last week, we finally faced Hot Wave, but not before saddling Tinn with the responsibility of keeping a health scare away from Gun. Gun finally learned how much Tinn has done for him, and the two are finally looking at each other properly. I still tear up watching the video for Let Me Tell You when I think about the last thing Mrs. Gim might have seen was her son singing his heart out on stage.

I know I said last week that it didn't matter if they won at this point, but this shit hurted. I think about how much of a loser Gun feels like all the time, and he put so much hope into this competition.

Win and Gun haven't gotten into any universities.

Chinzhilla is not okay, and you can feel them tearing at the seams.

Oh, Gun, please talk to Tinn.

Wasn't exactly expecting Por to be the one trying to hold the band together, and it's so sad to see him crying alone.

I'm so relieved that Mrs. Gim is okay and seems like herself. She consistently asks the right things to Gun so he's receptive to more uplifting perspectives.

Oof, Fourth is so dehydrated in this hospital scene. Get some chapstick for my boy.

Tinn remains the best boy. He knows things aren't great for Chinzhilla and so arranges a performance before a friendly crowd, and he was trying to bring a gift for his boyfriend's mom.

I like the design of Tinn's family's home theater setup.

Baby Tinn photos!!

You know Tinn's parents have their shit together. They both have actual pajamas.

I get Photjanee. She can be worried about her son without being a villain. She worries that she wasn't a good mother. She worries that she can't help her son and that be won't forgive her. She cares that she was a good partner to her husband.

At least the show is doing some interesting character work with the band's loss. Win's breakdown is affective, and I like Sound just letting him get the feelings out.

Oh good. They're by the pool. Hopefully we get Gun back on his feet.

It's interesting seeing them okay in the past without Sound, because now it feels like he's missing.

I feel so much for Gun, because he's just a a guy, you know? We see him through Tinn's eyes a lot, but so many other things and people tell Gun that his best isn't enough.

Fourth is a good crier.

"I want to eat you." Listen, Mark Pakin, you have no idea how hard these folks ride on crumbs.

The greatest subversion of a trope ever is future winner of the 2023 NAMGOONG BEST BOY AWARD Tiwson not catching Por before he fell down those stairs.

That's right, Por. Get these boys back to the beach.

I just knew they were gonna cut off the question. I like Photjanee going to see Gun away from school. I like that she seems to be trying to understand Gun more now that she's aware of his importance to Tinn.

Look, y'all, I have never doubted Photjanee, and we're seeing it here. Whatever reservations she has, she's not inflicting them on Tinn. She didn't forbid the trip.

Gun's shirt says TOGETHER FOREVER in a heart shape.

Gosh I love Chinzhilla, but they do seem to always face unforseen troubles.

Did Phat just quote Sam from The Lord of the Rings??? I'm gonna McFuckinLoseIt.

I love playing You Got Ma Back as they make the trek together.

Things were getting tense. Oishii must save us. Everyone drink the BL Juice so we can make it up the mountain.

Gosh Chinzhilla is so dumb together sometimes. Tinn's reactions to them are golden.

A band is a little family, and only family can cut you this deep. And just like that, they also come back together. I just really want them to succeed together.

Of course Tinn went with Gun to get water for them while they rested.

I love these boys so much. Gun just didn't want to let his friends down.

I NEVER ONCE DOUBTED PHOTJANEE. This is how parents should work out their worries for their kids. We talked about this during 21 Days Theory, and here we are again. You talk with the other parent or caregiver, and you make sure that whatever your kid might face, you have their back.

Suddenly Tiwson. You just knew he was gonna show up. Ford Arun, you be careful with those eyes too!

"I want veggies." We know, Fourth.

Oh, Yak. You're such a weirdo, but you care. He remembers them as glowing. I love this show when they tried to sing their seniors home. Now they're singing themselves home. I need to lay down.

Oh my God. I said it felt like Sound was missing, and so they just put him in this song.

And now Tinn is here? Help

They let Tinn and Tiwson be part of the Chinzhilla tribute. I am HOLLERING through my TEARS.

Tinn for him a music box that plays the song he wrote for him. I can't take anymore! I surrender!

Noh Shinwoo would love Tinn.

I swear this show better not deny me like Mr. Unlucky or I will revolt.

FINISH YOUR DRINKS!!!

Okay, Tinn, you're getting smoother.

I believe in Photjanee. This cliffhanger and preview cannot stop me.

[rigginsstreet]

misc. tag game

tagged by @blood-mocha-latte

a band you don’t like that many others do:

maneskin... tried a couple songs, wanted to like them.... cant do it

a childhood memory that you remember vividly:

this costume contest i refused to enter because my costume was boring and i knew i was gonna lose by the adults were like "no just join come on itll be fun" and i was like... already consumed by the darkness at that point lmfao and i sat watching everyone crying. fun! lmfao

least favorite animal and why:

i hate a snake. i respect their role in the ecosystem but dont you ever put one near me. dont put one within 5 miles of me. no. i dont trust anything that slithers bitch aint got no legs! i dont like that. and the striking? dont like that either. i have to stop talking about them now im genuinely uncomfortable

hot fandom take:

steve harrington is not a good character. he is badly written. yall only like him cuz you think joe is hot. thats literally it. the man has literally zero positive qualities. apply this to every other loved st character as well theyre all bad the show sucks i hope everyone dies

do you were any jewelry, if so, what’s your favorite piece:

i wear a friendship bracelet and a rope bracelet i got on a cruise (i forgot what theyre called. sailor bracelets or something?) and thats about the extent of my jewelry wearing

a movie others liked but you didn’t:

i don't think i've ever cognitively watched a movie and thought that i loved it or hated it. i'm usually just like Well That Sure Was A Movie. <- im keeping prevs because thats what wildest thing ive ever read in my life i need to study you lmfao as for my answer, insidious movies are bad. youre next is bad. many movies this website loves i havent even seen but i know they are bad thats why i havent watched them.

three things you love about yourself:

my hair is getting real cute lately. i am a huge bitch. i stare at my butt a lot i think its fun

a place you hope to visit in the future and why:

italyyyy i want to trace my roots

an actor that gets on your nerves and why:

idk if theres actors i have beef with for their personality lmao several i dont like because they are overhyped and im sick of seeing them. ariana grande she counts as an actress i cant stand her lmfao the vibes are rancid also stop dating married (taken) men its gross its weird

things you’re excited for in the nearby future?:

for my dog to finally be healed from her surgery cuz god its a lot of working making sure she dont pop her stitches

least favorite ship in a fandom you’re in:

if stancy is endgame im setting fires to buildings i want you all to know this. also fuck a steddie and a ronance but that goes without saying

what’s the most toxic fandom you’ve been in?:

stranger things. riverdales a close second but stranger things... you are all genuinely mentally unwell i would like to speak to your therapists and tell them shit aint working

list three things you find beautiful about life:

the ocean my best friend the ocean. animals just be out here looking for pets... brings a tear to my eye. im really struggling for a third life is bad lmfao my best friend? thats it.

any dreams for the future?

i try not to think about the future it gives me panic attacks

how are you really feeling today?

sleepy

tagging (no pressure): @panickedpenguin @avalonlights @ihaveacorgi @imsodishy

[thecrazedpotato]

Bocchi The Rock Review!!!!!!!!!!

So overall, I really enjoyed this series. The entire time it has been entertaining and comedic, and the Kessoku Band are entertaining throughout the entire runtime. Especially Ryo, Ryo is awesome as heck. I do feel the ending could've been a bit better for reasons I'll explain in the spoiler segment, it didn't really feel all that climactic, but to be fair the climax of the season was at the beginning of episode 12 so the rest is falling action and setting up for a season 2, which I am very much hoping will get greenlit in the near future because it would be VERY disappointing if this anime ended here.

SPOILERY THOUGHTS BELOW YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!

So episode 12 started off REALLY strong with the concert, it was really fulfilling to see how far the Kessoku Band has come, and especially how far Hitori has come as a person, the girl who could barely make eye contact or speak when handing a drink to a customer is now playing in front of a huge live audiene, that part where one of her strings broke before her solo but then she improvised was really cool, it was awesome.

But then Kita made Hitori do a speech in the middle of the concert and it caused her to panic and do a stage dive because she had no idea what to say or do so she went unconscious and they had to call off the concert early. I feel like at this point Kita would know better than to put Hitori on the spot like that, and I really do think she should've apologized to Hitori since she pretty much caused that. To be fair Hitori had the courage to play in front of an audience so I guess Kita overestimated her confidence, and doing a stage dive was not really a good choice on Hitori's end, but still Kita should've apologized to Hitori after Hitori apologized to Kita for ruining the concert.

Anyway after that the rest of the finale is them getting a new guitar for Bocchi because the old one broke. It's definitely not bad, it's still entertaining Bocchi shenanigans, but I feel like there's way more of it than there should've been. Maybe have more concert time, like they play one more song before Kita pushes Hitori to do a speech (or better yet Bocchi gets so confident and excited that she does the stage dive thing herself and falls to the floor that would've been really funny), or maybe put the end of episode 11 where they get ready for the concert at the beginning of episode 12, though the drawback would be that 11 wouldn't have as much important stuff going on.

Speaking of, yeah episode 11 is definitely the weakest episode for me. I feel kinda bad because a large factor of it is that this episode shoves a bunch of fanservice animeisms in your face (everyone wears maid outfits, the swimsuit gag, etc) and that's not really my thing so it's kinda the weakest by default. The problem with this is that means there's less important stuff going on, which like yeah I know this is a slice of life show but the concert is about to happen I don't think we should be doing all this fanservice-y stuff in the middle of it. I don't hate this episode, it's still got that charm the rest of the show has and it's still very funny, that post-apocalyptic biker gang is probably one of the show's funniest bits. And I do like Ryo in a tux that was really cool. And fortunately there isn't a ton of this animeism/weird stuff in the entire series, like the only other major animeism is in episode 2 when Hitori is getting in the ice cube bathtub and it shows her in her swimsuit and that's literally just the opening of that episode that that's basically it.

So yeah, rad anime, it may have lost its balance a bit near the end but it still stood on the rope. Again I am SERIOUSLY hoping season 2 gets greenlit I will be very upset if it doesn't, I am currently debating on if I get a Hitori figure or a Ryo nendoroid or both from Good smile, you should totally watch it, "I think it's really good"/10

[a-tale-of-legends]

Guys I have a theory as to why Piers hates dynamaxing that isn't just "his parents died by some dynamax pokemon "

So. If I am having the timeline of events right, Oleana created the dynamax bands in recent history, correct? It was probably around the time Piers was young, possibly before then. So, before the dynamax bands were made and utilized, we can only assume that the Galar league didn't have a way to dynamax their pokemon. So like, opal and Mustard probably didn't have dynamax bands or pokemon ( note: I could be VERY wrong on this, the timeline of swsh is wonky so I might be missing some key details!). And all of that in relation to Spikemuth is that I think Spikemuth, before dynamax bands, was honestly fine. Like we know the place has a lot of shops, and is near a vast amount of water for fishing, so again, I feel like Spikemuth pre- dynamax bands were honestly fine as it was. But then Dynamaxing became part of the league circuit and everything just went down hill for Spikemuth. Their town was way too small to even place a power spot, let alone to have dynamax pokemon battle. So, if all of this holds true, dynamaxing being commercialized the way it is basically shot Spikemuth to the ground. That plus the fact that most people already don't have a good view of spikemuth - being a town of punks - and Spikemuth was pretty much doomed( note again: I don't remember if anyone in game has ever bad mouthed Spikemuth as a whole. Team yell certainly, so that's why I kinda made this assumption here), with its literal saving grace being it's gym.

Tldr: Dynamaxing becoming the Thing™ of Galar pretty much ruined Spikemuth. If you're wondering why Piers rejected Rose's offer- I can think of many reasons but the main one was the fact that the new gym would be far away from Spikemuth. 1) that wouldn't really help Spikemuth at all I think. At that point Piers' would be "The Spikemuth gym leader" rather the gym leader of someplace else. The title is important for Spikemuth's future. If Piers isn't the gym leader of Spikemuth, then why go to Spikemuth at all? The decision would just hurt Spikemuth even more. And 2) going off of the previous point, what's the point of having a gym if you aren't around a community to support it. It's very clear that Piers loves his town and loves his people, hence why he's trying so hard to get a handle on things. I don't think he likes the idea of being away from his home, especially if it wouldn't really help them.

Soooo yeah. I think that's a good theory as to why Piers doesn't like Dynamaxing. Of course, it's just a theory lol. I hope this wasn't already stated before by others bc man I would feel like an idiot. And it just shows I was late to pick up on this lmao.

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

Hello! It’s Winter! This is the second part of yesterday’s story. (I added some humour near the end)

“Table for 2, please”

“Right this way, Sir” The hostess led them to a small table in the back section of the restaurant.

“Cherie, is this spot good for you?” Emmanuel asked, holding out her chair so she could sit down.

Brigitte nodded before taking a seat. “It’s great, I’m starving”

The couple chatted about their day as they patiently waited for a server to approach them with the drink & dinner menus.

As per usual, Emmanuel reached across the table to hold her hand, but he immediately stopped when he realized something was different.

“Your rings! They’re gone!” He exclaimed. All that remained on her hand was the thin wedding band that once belonged to her sister.

“I didn’t think you’d notice -

He interrupted her, “I notice everything about you. When did you remove them? Surely, I would have seen this earlier”

Brigitte confessed. “I slipped them inside my purse when you started the car”

He tried not to show his excitement, but his one-worded question came out with a hint of glee. “Why?”

Brigitte spoke low so the couple at the table next to them couldn’t listen in on their private conversation. “I don’t feel married anymore. In fact, I haven’t for a while. My husband and I live separate lives. I don’t see a reason to wear the rings, they’re meaningless now. Sebastian, Laurence and Tiphaine are my only connection to him”

“Does this mean you’re ready to move forward in our relationship?” Emmanuel grinned.

“Honey, slow down. I’m not even divorced yet. Taking off my rings was a giant first step for me. The decision didn’t come easily” Brigitte confessed. She was throwing away a decades-long marriage for a man 25 years younger than her.

Emmanuel considered his next question before he asked it. He was scared of her answer but he needed to know, with certainty, that there was hope for them. “Do you want to be my wife one day?”

He had once promised to marry her when he was just 17.

“Are you proposing to me right now?” She giggled. “Because the answer is no… not yet”

“No! I’m not proposing! I wouldn’t do it like this. Not here! Not in some casual, tacky restaurant without an engagement ring! You deserve better than this sad place!” Emmanuel was offended. “Why would you even think that? Is this how little you think of my planning?”

“Calm down! People can hear you” Brigitte lightly kicked him under the table. “Don’t get so offended”

They sat quietly for a few more minutes, their stomachs rumbling.

“I am not opposed to marriage, but I don’t want things to change between us. Everything is very good right now” Brigitte grinned. “We connect on every level”

Emmanuel wanted more. He wanted to marry this beautiful woman sitting in front of him. He dreamed of waking up next to her every single day. Eating dinner together, playfully fighting over the newspaper in the morning, and attending family events were just some of the things he longed for. He wanted to live and experience every day with this remarkable lady. He needed every man to know she belonged to him; that they belonged to each other.

“Brigitte, I won’t rush you. But I want you to be my wife. My feelings on that will never change.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, looking deep into each other's blue eyes. Brigitte was scared of the future, but she loved him. And he loved her unconditionally.

But walking down the aisle for a second time was a huge commitment. She had already failed at marriage once.

“The service at this restaurant is terrible.” Brigitte broke the silence with a joke, realizing they hadn’t been greeted yet.

“This place is the worst” Emmanuel playfully rolled his eyes when the man at the table next to him got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. “I hope she says No”

Brigitte shot Emmanuel a death glare. “Oh, look! Here’s our waiter now!”

“No, that’s just a man dressed like one. Is this even a real restaurant?” Emmanuel was ready to leave.

“I think I saw a McDonald’s across the street!” Brigitte beamed. “I love that place!”

“I’ll remember to propose to you there” Emmanuel joked.

Hellooo Winter! ❤️

The image of Emmanuel proposing to Brigitte in a McDonald’s made me laugh. Soooo romantic that would be 😂

“I hope she says no” Emmanuel 😂

Thank you so much, Winter! ❤️❤️❤️

[thevampsworld96]

Just My Type

Hey, all. I hope everyone is doing well. I have deleted the other imagines fanfic as I thought they were not good enough, so I'm rewriting them. I really want you guys to enjoy them, so I am going to try to make them more interesting.

I wrote this well it's a rewrite, but I'm thinking of adding some improvements in the future.

Sorry in advance if there are any spelling or grammar errors.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

I wasn't planning on doing anything today. I was going to stay home, chill , but I guess my bandmeates had a different idea.

Well, after receiving a text from Tristen, I couldn't really say no to his request. He wanted to go to a where which was new somewhere in London. I am guessing things never are easy when it comes to Mr. Evans, but that's another story for another day.

Since plans were made, I realised that I needed to find something smart to wear for night. You never know who you might meet tonight.

I went into the room and was thinking about what to wear. Finally, I just found the perfect suite to wear and fixed my hair, and that was when I made my way to the bar. I met the other lads outside, and we walked into the club together.

We walked into the bar from the moment we walked in. The 4 of us were amazed to see the number of people who were here, of course, but we hardly knew them, which was great for us.

Eventually, we agreed on a table. There was a band playing, so we wanted to get the front row of the show. Well, I didn't mind. When he sat down, Tris was the first one to get the drinks in. James and Con were about something while o noticed someone different walking in

She had a red short dress on, hair had beautiful loose waves which were tied up but liad on her left shoulder. The light shimmered and danced off it. I searched to see if anyone else was around like a friend or somebody, but thankfully, she was alone.

Had trouble looking away from her, though. I had this feeling that I needed to get to know her well it was a feeling difficult to describe. I needed to be near her.needed to feel her touch but of course I needed to get to know her better.

Moments after Tris came back with the drink and noticed that I was miles away from James and Con's conversation.

"Yo B, Brad, Hey Bradley"

Con called. I heard someone calling me, but it sounded very muffled.

"Yes, yes what's up bro"?

I said, directing my attention to the boys but still watching her from the corner of my eyes.

She took a seat at the table, I hoped for her to be alone. That was the only thing rushing through my mind. I didn't want to see mw staring at her god knows what the hell she would think of me.

"Dude, you OK? You seem a bit out of it already, and we haven't even started drinking yet"

Said James while chuckling, along with Con, too. It did make me laugh, too, but nervously.

"No, I'm fine, thinking how amazing this place is. Let's drink up and get chatting shall we"? We all clashed glasses.

"Cheers"

We all chamted and took a sip of our drinks, and as I did, I watched her again. I saw her again looming around the bar. I hoped to notice me but not straight away.

"So what do you think Brad"

Asked Con. Of course, I miles away again as I watched looming around. I needed her next to me. Everything about her was just beautiful.

"Mate your not with it tonight"

Says James.

"No, I'm listening. Don't worry, carry on what are we talking about?"

Tris kept smiling, which gave me the impression he knew what was going on and who I was staring at but, of course, didn't say anything about it. I carried on staring towards her direction but made it look as if I was still as to what was going on around me. I didn't want to make it look bait. Half of my attention was on the conversation, and the other half was on the mystery girl.

After a few moments, 3 of the lads had noticed where my attention was.

"Now we know why he is distracted"

Says James and chuckles.

"Go and talk to bro"

Says Con.

"What if she doesn't like me"

I'm letting all my insecurities kick in again. I have noticed her staring at me from the distance, so then I gave her a smile and wink, but of course, in a friendly way.

"You won't know if you try mate, just go"

They convinced me, I walked to words in her direction, and she'd noticed me coming.

Once we were face to face, she told us to sit down and that when we talked and talked. I didn't want our conversations to end...

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Inside Babymetal's ambitious new chapter: "there have been times I felt unsure if I could continue"

Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap-clap, “Yon yon!” Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap-clap, “Yon yon!” The chant fills the thick air of the windowless, wood-panelled restaurant as 130 Babymetal fans at an aftershow party raise their glasses and cheer. Some have painted their faces white like Babymetal’s backing musicians, the Kami Band, and many sport official merch or custom t-shirts. All are ecstatic. 

Metal Hammer are in Chiba prefecture, 30 miles east of Tokyo. It’s Sunday January 29, 2023 and we’ve just witnessed the second of two consecutive Babymetal shows at the Makuhari Messe convention centre in the company of 15,000 other fans. As with every Babymetal gig we’ve seen, they were loud, colourful and unlike anything else out there. 

Yet until recently, there was no certainty that a Babymetal performance, or a party like this, would ever happen again. On October 10, 2021 (10/10/2021), following a 10-date series of shows to celebrate 10 years of Babymetal, a mysterious announcement online proclaimed the band had been ‘sealed’. No one knew when or whether they’d return.

Then, exactly a year and a day later, there was another announcement: ‘the seal would finally be lifted’ with a ‘two-day performance’ called Babymetal Returns – The Other One. A concept album, also called The Other One, would follow. Back at the gathering, superfan Susumu – more on him later – says he felt conflicted about the news. 

“I had a mixture of anxiety and anticipation,” he remembers. “Is the Kami Band alive and well? Could they possibly become virtual or a backing track? But on the other hand, I was hopeful that I would be able to see their amazing performance again and experience Babymetal live with my whole body.” 

Later, Babymetal co-vocalist Moametal will explain the reasons behind the duo’s hiatus to Metal Hammer. “It’s been 10 years of purely pushing forward and not looking back in order to achieve Metal Resistance,” she will say. “Taking a breather allowed me to take a step back and really appreciate how much love I have for Babymetal. So, I truly hope our fans understand that being sealed was an essential time for us.” 

Still, other questions remain: What’s the story behind their new album? Will they ever bring in a permanent third member to replace the much-missed Yui, who departed in 2018? And what does their future hold? We’ve come to Tokyo for answers.

Twenty-four hours earlier, we arrive at concrete behemoth Makuhari Messe for show one. In the foyer is a monument bearing the handprints of the wrestling and fencing athletes who won gold medals here during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. With his pink hair, matching pink t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Funky Metal Babys’ and oversized yellow glasses, Babymetal fan Kenji resembles 90s UK personality Timmy Mallet. He’s been to more than 20 Babymetal shows. But for his Sanrio rabbit puppet My Melody, it’s the first one. 

Near some lockers, a posse dressed like the Kami Band amasses, in full facepaint and white robes. By a bank of vending machines, we get talking to Uyumetal, who’s wearing cute black satin bows in her hair and sings in tribute band Dizzymetal, which formed in 2015. Why the name Dizzymetal? “We love alcohol! Good songs and drinks make us dizzy!” She laughs and waves her arms around her head, to illustrate her point. 

What does she think will happen tonight? “A big bang! Ha ha ha! Moametal, Su-metal… big bang!” At the guestlist desk, we’re handed a grey and black ‘Savior Mask’ to slip over our plain one. Currently in Japan, masks must be worn when you’re within two metres of someone else, even outside. The good news is that, just yesterday, the government lifted restrictions on concerts, meaning people are now allowed to shout loudly. 

An usher hurries us to our seat, and we watch messages loop on the big screens in each corner of the room. They include: ‘Please wear your Savior Mask at all times’, ‘No smart phones’ and ‘No banners’ – each accompanied by a cute skeleton illustration. The most entertaining ones are ‘No other nuisances’, alongside an image of two side-by-side skeletons getting clonked on the head by a crowd surfer, and ‘No big head costumes’, showing a skeleton wearing an oversized Fox God head. 

At 6.10pm, the lights go out. A video message plays, accompanied by a voiceover: “The time has come for us to unify our voices once again,” it declares. “The Fox Gate is where a new journey begins.” 

Ten figures robed in black march slowly down a central aisle, bathed in blue light, to the suspenseful intro of Metal Kingdom – the first track on The Other One. Each bears a golden staff that looks like an upside-down pair of scissors, two large Os sticking out the top to represent the album title. 

At the head of the aisle, lights illuminate two enormous, stone-grey doors with fox heads carved into them, eyes glowing red. The doors part, and a platform wreathed in dry ice slides out to reveal three ornate thrones: Su-metal sits in the middle, Moametal is to her left… and the other throne is empty.

Moametal walks down the aisle while Su-metal starts to sing, and then she turns to face her bandmate. They end up on either side of a round stage in the middle of the walkway, sweeping and raising intricate tridents, before stepping forwards. Their podium rises. Firework showers detonate along the length of the gangway, causing a ripple of awe. Uyu-metal was right! 

Since Yui left the band, Su and Moa have appeared with one of a revolving cast of dancers, dubbed ‘The Avengers’. This time they’re joined by Momoko, formerly of Babymetal’s previous band, Sakura Gakuin. The trio run through Divine Attack - Shingeki – The Other One’s second song – on the round stage, which by this point has moved to the other end of the venue, in front of another static stage featuring the Kami Band. Still with us? 

During Pa Pa Ya!!, red and orange lights flash as pyro explodes, while the crowd whirl souvenir scarves above their heads like a Japanese version of Skindred’s Newport Helicopter. New Bring Me-inflected song Monochrome begins with a round of gunfire drumming, and the girls are thrown into dramatic light and shade. “Take your phone out!” yells Su. “Turn on your light!” The sight is breathtaking. 

But the most WTF moment comes during upbeat 2013 classic Doki Doki * Morning. Before the song, the words ‘The Other One. In The Metalverse Of Madness’ flash onto screens in the Marvel font. A voiceover says that beyond the Fox Gate, there is a world we can’t even imagine. A parallel world, in which there exists a lifeform beyond comprehension – but are they a threat, or are they a friend? The gate of the new world is about to open…

The girls begin on the round stage, in front of the Kami Band – who, despite being out of the spotlight tonight, are Slipknot levels of thunderous. It glides towards the middle of the room – and then, another round stage sails up to meet it. Another round stage with another Babymetal on it, dressed in the red-and-black colour scheme of their earlier days. They mirror each other’s dancing, collapsing in a heap at the end. It is truly surreal. Then they disappear, as if they were never there.

 There’s one more surprise. After closer The Legend, the Kami Band vanish. In near darkness, on opposite sides of the stage, Su and Moa ascend a flight of stairs, red horizontal strip lights appearing with every step. They pause in front of neon white coffin outlines, and a booming noise rings out like an advert for Dolby surround sound. The lights come up. It’s only 7.30pm, but it feels like we’ve been inside their Metalverse for hours.

The next afternoon, several hundred Babymetal fans assemble for a group photo on a staircase outside Makuhari Messe. Tipped off by a Tweet from ChiyoMetal, owner of a Fox God-themed bar in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku, we’ve come to take a look.

One of the fans on the staircase is Ukky, an engineer from Kawasaki, an hour and a half away. Ukky has been a Babymetal fan “for about five or six years”. He’s wearing a new Babymetal hoodie and holding a purple puppet of the Kami Band’s Ohmura Takayoshi. Impressively, it plays a pink guitar. It turns out he built it himself. “This took about a month to make,” he says with a smile. “First I bought a book about how to make a puppet, and then I made the guitar with a 3D printer.” 

Ukky is part of a Facebook group called Bokuchi-kai. They’re having an aftershow meet-up at a nearby izakaya – a type of informal restaurant, where groups of friends or colleagues meet to let loose – but he can’t attend, because he has to get home to his family. Can we go to the meet-up? He smiles and says he thinks it’ll be OK, but he’ll have to ask his Leader. We exchange email addresses, and he takes a selfie with us as proof of identity. Then, we wait. 

At 5pm, show two begins. This time, we notice more details. The new songs are mid-paced and mature, with choreography to match – there’s a greater emphasis on hand gestures, rather than frantic jumps or exaggerated facial expressions, making the likes of Gimme Chocolate!! seem sweetly ironic. It’s not surprising, given Su is now 25 and Moa is 23. Later, Su will tell us that Divine Attack - Shingeki is the first song she’s written lyrics for. 

“From here, a new journey begins once again. It is a song about our determination to pave another path,” she will say mysteriously. The audience are rowdier, too, perhaps now accustomed to shouting behind their masks. 

Although there’s a special ‘Silent Mosh’sh Pit’ area for people who have children or just don’t want to get pushed around, the regular pit goes off for Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!! with its ‘dogeza headbanging’, where people fall to their knees and bow. 

It’s pretty much the same show as last night, but, because this is Babymetal, there’s one final reveal. Fox Day – April 1 – will bring a new stage for Babymetal, “together with a departure into a new world”. 

Two more shows are announced, for April 1 and 2 at Yokohama’s Pia Arena. Then, Su-metal and Moametal advance to their coffins like before. But this time, a third coffin appears in the middle, together with an unknown third person, their back to the audience. The atmosphere is electric.

The venue is emptying, and from backstage we can hear Bury Tomorrow’s Earthbound blasting over the PA. A rep from Amuse, Babymetal’s management company, appears with Su and Moa. They are still in their costumes, their holographic neck-pieces shining brightly under the harsh lighting. We congratulate them on the shows – so much energy! – and they say ‘thank you’, eyes smiling above white masks. 

The Amuse rep asks if we noticed anything different about tonight’s show. Yes, we say – there was a third coffin! And a third member! But who is it? “Only the Fox God knows!” they giggle in unison. Well, it was worth a shot… We ask about the hiatus. The band were only gone for a year, and during that time, they obviously worked on fourth album The Other One. Yet, with a question mark hanging over their future, it felt like much longer for fans. Was there any doubt about the band continuing? 

“I love Babymetal. I love our team, I love our fans more than anything, and everyone at Metal Hammer,” says Moa. “But to be honest, there have been times when I felt unsure if I could continue or not. Words or attitude without any love will hurt people. There were times when no matter how much I put into performing, I felt as if I was not loved. 

“At that moment in time, someone at Metal Hammer said, ‘Your dancing is incredible! I can’t imagine Babymetal without the dance component!’ I felt so happy to hear and  Su-metal and Moametal perform with Momoko – one of their ‘Avengers’ realise that people notice my dancing. Being commended is always a great feeling, and as I’m saying this, I realise I’m so basic, aren’t I? Ha ha!” 

We ask for more details about why she felt she wasn’t loved, but none are forthcoming – though when musicians express sentiments like this, it’s often related to unkind commentators online. Moving on to The Other One, we try to uncover more about the concept. 

“It’s about Babymetal’s other story in which 10 parallel worlds were discovered,” says Su. “All 10 tracks are based on myths, and each track represents a myth.” 

The myths are drawn from many countries, not just Japan, and the 10 worlds are called Cavalry, Illusions, Coffin, Inverted Mirror Reflection, Monochrome, Smoke, Light And Darkness, Transition, Mirror and Throne. 

In October 2021, back when the band was ‘sealed’, a new piece of merch called Black Box was released, featuring postcards of the band depicted in these parallel worlds, plus online access to snippets of unreleased music. These snippets were then ‘restored’ to become the songs on The Other One. No doubt we’ll spend hours trying to make sense of the concept. 

“It’s a bit difficult, isn’t it?” smiles Moa. “To put it simply, it’s like Babymetal existing in a world separate from the one we see now. And I think the title points to that ‘other’ Babymetal that exists in a parallel universe.” 

When we ask who was in the alternative Babymetal during Doki Doki * Morning, we don’t get an answer… Babymetal founder/producer/Fox God emissary Kobametal materialises. It took him two-three months to think up the production for these comeback shows, he explains. Once he had the idea for the symbol for The Other One – two interlinking Os that represent the infinity symbol – it came to him quickly, and he’s already planning for April. 

The trio thank us for coming, and present us with a gift bag containing a t-shirt and a transparent coffin keyring. We wave goodbye and leave them to a well-earned rest.

Back in the foyer of Makuhari Messe, we check our inbox. There’s an email from Ukky about the aftershow get-together, containing the address of the restaurant: Inawaraya Kaihin-makuhariten, on the first floor of the Excellio Makuhari shopping mall, a 20-minute walk down Chiba’s wide, immaculate streets. The Leader has approved our request. 

When we arrive at the door, a stern-looking man in a Babymetal t-shirt is sitting behind a wooden table with some papers attached to a clipboard – presumably a guestlist – and he won’t let us in. After several minutes of back and forth, he goes inside, and returns with a man wearing a name badge that says ‘Vins Metal’. 

“Metal Hammer?” We nod, and he opens the door. Vins Metal introduces us to the Leader – Susumu. Grinning from ear to ear, he leads us up the room and yells, “METAL HAMMER!” In response, everyone rises and cheers “METAL HAMMER!”, some standing on their seats and others filming us on their phones. 

Susumu grabs hold of Hiroshi, a 74-year-old senior research assistant at Virginia Tech in the US, who’s fluent in English. He waves his arm, and everyone sitting along the side of his table immediately gets up, abandoning their food and drinks to make way for us. We remove our shoes and take a seat. 

Susumu discovered Babymetal after his son showed him the video for Akatsuki, but when he went to see the band by himself, he felt lonely and walked out. Back then, you often had to apply for VIP tickets via a lottery, meaning many people ended up in the same position. Plus, he admits, many have wives and girlfriends who don’t like Babymetal, and aren’t interested in seeing them live. 

In Japanese, a ‘bochi’ is a person who attends a gig alone, so the Facebook group he formed in 2018 is called ‘Bokuchi-kai’, meaning ‘The lonely fox’. It has 940 members.

What does his own wife think of the group? Susumu lets out a long laugh, and Hiroshi interprets. “Disgusted? No, actually, it’s a very difficult word in Japanese, because it’s a combination of ‘disgusted’ plus ‘I’ve given up’! He’s already paid 10,000 Euros ahead of time for tonight, so if nobody came, he’d be short. And he says, keep it a secret, because his wife doesn’t know about it! Ha ha!” 

Luckily, the izakaya is packed. A stream of excitable members come over for selfies, and present us with homemade gifts. Mota-Metal hands us a sticker that riffs on the Red Hot Chili Peppers logo, and KIMI3 gives us a wooden keyring with a shiny golden fox head attached, plus a phone charm depicting Su-metal and Moametal on their thrones. 

Minako-Metal gifts us a sticker of herself, and thanks us for including a photo of her and her friends dressed as the Kami Band in our last Babymetal feature. Periodically, the chant from 4 no Uta breaks out: clapclap, clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap-clap, “Yon yon!” 

When the night’s over, we gather outside for photos. As we thank Susumu for his hospitality, he pumps his fist in the air and yells ‘METAL HAMMER!’ some more, and everyone follows his cue. We respond with a Babymetalstyle “See youuuuu!” And the group choruses “See youuuu!” and waves goodbye.

These gigs, and the imminent release of The Other One, mark a major new chapter in the Babymetal story. Since their initial burst of virality in 2014, they have been working towards establishing themselves as a bona fide metal band with staying power. 

If second album Metal Resistance capitalised on their newfound fame, and 2019’s Metal Galaxy cemented it with collaborators such as Sabaton’s Joakim Brodén and Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz, The Other One feels like a sleeker, more grown-up statement about Babymetal in 2023. Or Babymetal and their interdimensional counterparts, to be exact. 

“The theme this time around was The Other One – the other Babymetal we never knew existed. Therefore, this concept album needed to be comprised only of us,” says Moametal. “Although no guest singers were involved, now that I think about it, since we’re exploring the Babymetal from another dimension we never knew existed, maybe we are the guest singers!” 

The girls still have ambitions to fulfil. Su-metal would like to collaborate with Bring Me The Horizon again, and Rammstein – “It would be so cool to blow fire!”. 

Moametal’s are more… unexpected. “Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to the Backstreet Boys and we spoke about how we would love to perform together,” she reveals. “I think it would be so fun and interesting to go beyond genres and collaborate with them. Also, I would love to collaborate with Måneskin. I was surprised to hear that they were actually younger than us, because I totally thought they were older than me. But us both being in the same generation, I feel so inspired and also motivated.” 

In turn, Babymetal have paved the way for the next generation. Later this week, we go for dinner with rising metallers Hanabie. With a song called We Love Sweets and an immense sense of fun, singer Yukina cites them as an influence. 

“I feel honoured that a Japanese band like us is getting a lot of attention,” says Su-metal. “I would love to be onstage with them one day.” 

As for the immediate future, the third member (Momoko? Yui?!), and the parallel-universe (Doki Doki * Morning Babymetal?) All we can do is cross our kitsunes and hope for more intel on Fox Day. 

“Babymetal is constantly growing and evolving, and I believe change is always good,” says Moametal. “At times, I want to be a bit lazy and slack off, but when I think about your radiant smiles, I know I need to shake it off and do my best! Even while I am being interviewed right now, I am growing, so I don’t want you to miss a single second of it. Please keep your eyes on us, OK?”

Babymetal's new album The Other One is out now.