#i am also constantly looking for music recommendations

[catofspades]

Heres 10 songs that i really wanna share! :3c tagged by @rowanoke. Tagging literally anybody who wants to participate.

Domino Line - Casiopea. This whole album is life-changing. There is a bass solo that is so fucjing crazy. Give that bass a cigarette!

L.U.V. - Romare. My sister showed this one to me a while back. She says it wounds Exactly like the inside of a lava lamp. She is 1000% right.

Lust for a Vampyr - Scandinavian Pop Tarts Mix - I Monster . The production on this is insane. A monsterfucker anthem.

Tea or Coffee - Gaze. I really really love the guitar tone in this one :0. Twee Pop my beloved

Trava u Doma - Priklyucheniya Electronikov. really like this cover. The song tells of cosmonauts longing for home. The original by Zemlyane is really nice too!

Hazel - Far Apart. Sometimes the lyrics hit hard and it has me sobbing late at night. But not in a bad way, if that makes sense

Here's Your Future - The Thermals. Makes me want to shout and jump around my room! Easy to play along to!

Hips Don't Lie - Billy Cobb. I am a sucker for this guy's covers. This one in particular is my favorite.

They Provide Paint for the Picture-Perfect Masterpiece that You Will Paint on The Insides Of Your Eyelids - Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution. If you like folk punk pls give this entire album a listen it is so so so good.

Brave as a Noun - AJJ. One of my favorite folk punk artists! The entire album is so incredible. I do like this track a lot, but the album is greater than the sum of its parts.

Despite what you've been told - Two Gallants. I heard this song from a wtnv episode and it had me obsessed. One of the first songs I learned on my guitar.

[jillianallen14]

Dear Baby Bats - Goth Band Recommendations

As a middle sibling goth (I’ve been in the subculture for 10 years now, so not a baby bat but not an elder goth either), let me turn you on to some bands because we do not gatekeep in this house!! Also, if you want consistently good lesser-known & brand new goth band recs, go follow Awfully Sinister on TikTok and Instagram. He’s a DJ & has great recs. I've found so much music through him because it's really hard to keep up with all the new bands cropping up every year. You want to avoid the goth subreddit because they are extremely gatekeeper-y and argue over labels constantly. It’ll just confuse you, and they are not nice over there.

If you’re very new to the subculture, and you haven’t yet listened to all of Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Christian Death, Cocteau Twins, Clan of Xymox, Joy Division, and Depeche Mode, go do so now. You'll want to know which of them you really enjoy the most because it will help you know which sub-subgenre(s) of goth you want to watch out for, and it'll tell you what to look for to find it. For example, Sisters of Mercy is the gothic rock subgenre, Christian Death is deathrock, Cocteau Twins is ethereal wave, Clan of Xymox is like the original darkwave, Joy Division is classic post-punk, etc. I haven’t included industrial, despite its proximity to the goth subculture, just because I actually don’t really know that many industrial bands beyond Skippy Puppy, Ministry, and Throbbing Gristle. Some other goth/goth-adjacent staple bands (that are very popular and very influential) that you should listen to if you haven’t already are The Damned, Killing Joke, The Cult, and Adam and the Ants/Adam Ant). I didn't know where to put She Wants Revenge or London After Midnight either, but they're also great.

I’ve bolded some of my absolute must-listen to goth bands, and I've put monthly Spotify listeners for each band so you know which ones deserve WAY more love. And in my pre-list ramblings for each OG band, I've given you some key terms to look up so you can more easily find music that's similar to what you enjoy. Okay, here we go:

If you like Bauhaus:

Bauhaus is a hard one because honestly, nobody really sounds like them, and they aren't really that closely associated with a specific sub-subgenre of goth. They were post-punk, they were art rock, they were experimental, they were sometimes very punk and at other times very gothic rock. They liked to call themselves “dark glam rock” (all four members are massive Bowie, T-Rex, and Iggy Pop fans), but you’re gonna have a hard time finding bands that sound like them if you look that term up. They probably have one of the most unique sounds of all-time. They’re my favorite band (I even have a tattoo for them, like I am devoted lol), but even I have a difficult time finding other bands that scratch their particular itch for me. These bands I’ve listed are as close as you’re gonna get to Bauhaus’ general vibe imo.

Virgin Prunes (80’s band that is technically deathrock but has the same absolutely unhinged, danceable sound that Bauhaus has, so they’re going here; one of my favorites; no one else does it like them and no one else ever will; I would actually give my left foot to see them live); 13.2k monthly listeners (this is actually physically painful to me, how is it this low!!! don't walk, RUN to go listen to them)

Alien Sex Fiend (80’s classic unhinged goth); 77k monthly listeners

Sextile (modern band that has some very Bauhaus-sounding guitar work at times but with heavy industrial influences); 147k listeners

The Danse Society (80’s unhinged goth; has similar experimental vibes to Bauhaus imo; one of my fave goth groups); 36k listeners

Sex Beat (80’s); not even really on Spotify

Ritual Howls (modern band; I don’t know why it gives Bauhaus, but it does; one of the few modern bands that scratches that particular itch for me); 45k listeners

The Agnes Circle (modern band; one of my favorites; they have the right Bauhaus-like atmosphere for me); 52k listeners

Traitrs (I can’t explain why they remind me of Bauhaus, but they do; another one of my fave modern bands; they make me want to start levitating and doing the Ian Curtis dance in the same way Bauhaus does lol); 239k listeners

Paralisis Permanente (underrated 80’s; they have a lot in common with Bauhaus’s sound actually, def give them a try!); 54k monthly listeners

The Birthday Party (80s band, totally unhinged; they’re less dark and atmospheric than Bauhaus, but if you take one listen to their album Junkyard, you’ll know exactly why I put them under this category haha; Nick Cave is the vocalist, which is amazing); 54k listeners

Tones on Tail (80s; Daniel Ash & Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus formed this group; I’d put Love and Rockets as well, which is all of Bauhaus’s members except Peter Murphy, but Love and Rockets weirdly bears little resemblance to Bauhaus’s music; but if you just generally want more of Bauhaus members' work, Love and Rockets is great, too); 81k listeners

Dalis Car (80s; collaboration between Peter Murphy and Japan's bassist; their music is extremely weird, so only listen if you really love the batshit insane Bauhaus songs or if you really live and breathe Peter Murphy like I do lol; their description on Spotify is so fucking funny); 7k listeners

I'd also recommend listening to Daniel Ash, David J, and Peter Murphy's solo work. They're all great!! Peter also did some amazing collaborations with Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails); the version of Reptile that they did together is better than Nine Inch Nail's original version imo, and you can find that entire session on Youtube!

If you like Siouxsie and the Banshees:

Siouxsie is another one that's hard to pin down sound-wise because again, they don't really fit into one specific sub-subgenre, so all of these recs are just goth bands with female vocalists who have the same kind of powerful vocals that Siouxsie does.

Second Still (modern band, one of my faves; singer sounds a lot like Siouxsie to me at times); 69k listeners

Skeletal Family (80’s band; has the same “women in punk” vibes that Siouxsie has); 55k listeners

Xmal Deutschland (80’s band; has the same powerful vocals that Siouxsie has; makes you wanna go stupid go crazy the way the Banshees do); 73k listeners

Secret Shame (modern band w/ woman singer; has the same rage that Siouxsie songs have to me, especially early Siouxsie); 6k listeners (let's get those numbers up, folks!!!)

Rosegarden Funeral Party (modern band w/ a woman vocalist); 57k listeners

Mephisto Walz (90s & 2000s; sounds so much like the Banshees at times); 56k listeners

The Creatures (80s; a Siouxsie Sioux & Budgie side project); 34k listeners

Madhouse (listen to Repulsion! 80s group that’s technically deathrock, but I put them under this category because the singer has Siouxsie-like qualities); not really on Spotify

Strange Boutique (90s; vocalist is Monica Richards of Faith and the Muse & Madhouse; this is probably my favorite project of hers); 112k listeners

If you like Depeche Mode:

For Depeche Mode enjoyers (which DM is kind of on the fringes of what’s considered “goth,” but they’re so entrenched in the subculture that I included them anyway), you’re gonna want to delve into goth playlists and modern goth that leans towards synthpop/synthwave. So those are the kinds of playlists you’ll want to search up for similar sounds to DM.

Nuovo Testamento (modern band; combines post-punk and pop elements in a way that’s very similar to Depeche Mode; lots of fun live, and they have a good sound); 25k listeners

Boy Harsher (modern band; relies heavily on synth; feels like it should be playing at every goth club); 558k listeners

ULTRA SUNN (modern band; singer sounds like Dave Gahan); 217k listeners (they just blew up on tiktok recently, which explains why this just skyrocketed since the last time I was on their Spotify page lol; good for them, good for them, they deserve it)

Ministry's first album (called With Sympathy), which was synthwave/synthpop before they went industrial (this is one of my all-time favorite albums)

French Police (modern band); 252k listeners

Closed Tear (modern band); 152k listeners

Night Sins (modern band); 33k listeners

Panic Priest (modern band; vocals sound decently similar to Dave Gahan & there is a lot of reliance on synth; In All Severity is a gorgeous song); 5k listeners

Fad Gadget (underrated 80’s; I just feel like if you like DM, you’re also gonna like Fad Gadget); 58k listeners

Martin Dupont (underrated 80s cold wave/synth pop; Inside Out is one of my favorite 80s songs); 26k listeners

If you like The Cure:

You'll be hard-pressed to find a goth band that wasn't influenced by The Cure, so I really can't give you any key terms for what to look up lol. They also changed their sound so frequently that it entirely depends on what era of The Cure's music you're looking to find similar music for.

Vision Video (modern band; combines post-punk and pop elements like The Cure does; one of my fave modern goth bands; they are INCREDIBLE live); 52k listeners (I'm gonna need y'all to get a song or two of theirs to blow up on tiktok expeditiously lol)

Urban Heat (modern band; great live); 36k listeners

The Chameleons (80’s band; very underrated; they are also very good live); 167k listeners

House of Harm (modern band, very new; also very good live; has pop elements); 44k listeners

Deceits (modern band, another very new one); 28k listeners (it's crazy how much this number has grown the past two months because it was in the single thousands not that long ago; everyone say thank you, tiktok)

Drab Majesty (modern band; their instrumentals remind me of The Cure); 172k listeners

Double Echo (modern band, one of my faves; their instrumentals also remind me of The Cure); 15k listeners (let's get these numbers up!!!)

The Bolshoi (underrated 80’s band that combines new wave and goth elements in a similar way to The Cure); 114k listeners

The Essence (underrated 80s band that sounds so much like The Cure it’s actually insane, but they’ve got their own sound too; they’re like a perfect blend of all of The Cure’s different sounds); 25k monthly listeners

The Glove (80s; a Robert Smith side project with Steven Severin from Siouxsie and the Banshees); 25k listeners

Crimson Ivy (80s band; singer sounds so a lot like a more yelly version of Robert Smith sometimes); not on Spotify

Miss Teen America (brand new band from NYC! They only have one single out right now, and it’s well worth listening to); 940 monthly listeners (y’all know what to do!!! Let’s get those numbers up, up, up!) link to their single: https://open.spotify.com/album/4nvdZeUVLLrMv3tEziCqm7?si=2WVS7-eYQLGR7Id3wLiKhg

If you like Clan of Xymox:

Most of these bands will be modern ones because Clan of Xymox was honestly way ahead of their time. (They are also amazing live, so go see them before they eventually call it quits!) For playlists that are full of their vibe, you’re gonna want to look up “darkwave” playlists. Clan of Xymox pioneered darkwave, so any darkwave band you listen to is gonna be influenced by their sound in some way or another.

Harsh Symmetry (modern, very new; very heavily relies on synth); 29k listeners

Ssleeping Desiress (modern band; instrumentals similar to Xymox); 55k listeners

Twin Tribes (probably my favorite modern goth band; they are fucking incredible and so good live!); 276k listeners

ACTORS (modern band; heavily relies on synth); 86k listeners

Mareux (modern; heavily relies on synth); 4.8 million listeners (this is wild!!!! everyone say thank you, tiktok)

Sixth June (modern); 23k listeners

Plastique Noir (modern); 40k listeners

Rendez Vous (modern); 160k listeners

Minuit Machine (modern); 97k listeners

The Frozen Autumn (90s & 2000s); 31k listeners

If you like Christian Death:

All of these recs will be deathrock recs or goth bands that heavily leaned on punk sounds. So if CD is the OG goth band you’re most fond of, you’re gonna want to delve into deathrock playlists for similar sounds.

Asylum Party (80’s band); not on spotify

45 Grave (80’s band); 47k listeners

Voodoo Church (80’s band; probably my favorite out of this bunch; I actually like them more than Christian Death); 7k listeners (let's get these numbers up immediately!!!!)

Ausgang (80’s band); 2k listeners (WHAT; they deserve so much more, damn)

Corpus Delicti (90’s band; they are very good; they sound the least like Christian Death on this list imo); 26k listeners

13th Chime (80’s band; very underrated); 6k listeners

UK Decay (you know, I actually don’t know what era they’re from; unhinged sound); 1k listeners (omg)

Super Heroines (underrated 80’s band; Eva O formed it); 2k listeners (you see what I meant about underrated?)

Specimen (80s band; this one could have just as easily gone under Bauhaus tbh, but the vocals are generally higher pitched than Peter Murphy’s, so I put them under this category); 102k listeners

Sex Gang Children (80’s band; just so unhinged & I love them for it); 27k listeners

Suspiria (90s, I think? I don’t actually know); barely on Spotify but 27k listeners

Theatre of Hate (80s); 7k listeners

Bloody Dead and Sexy (2000s, I think); 44k listeners

Mescaline Babies (2000s); 3k listeners

Acid Bats (2000s; Mexican band with Spanish lyrics); 2k listeners

Altar de Fey (80s band; formed in San Francisco!!); 23k listeners

Twisted Nerve (80s band; classified as “gothic punk,” so I felt this was the best category for them; they’re great; their sound also reminds me of early Siouxsie and the Banshees and Killing Joke); 2.5k listeners

Play Dead (80s); 8k listeners

Limbo (underrated 80s; if you like Bauhaus & Virgin Prunes as well, you’re gonna like this band); 413 listeners

If you like Cocteau Twins:

Cocteau Twins’ early sound is usually categorized as “ethereal wave” goth, so those are the playlists you’ll want to look up if you enjoy their early sound. If you like their later sound, you’re gonna want to lean more towards shoegaze for similar vibes. Admittedly, ethereal wave is one of the goth subgenres that I know the least about, so I’m not gonna be much help here.

Dead Can Dance (80’s band; NO one, and I mean NO ONE, was doing it like Dead Can Dance; so fun to dance to in the goth club); 332k listeners

Lycia (90’s band; their music is very transcendent); 20k listeners

Linea Aspera (modern band; gorgeous woman vocals; honestly, their music is just very beautiful); 67k listeners

This Mortal Coil (formed in the 80s; some songs feature Elizabeth Fraser & Robin Guthrie from Cocteau Twins, but even the ones that don’t still have an ethereal vibe similar to CT; Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust is just like the best song ever); 310k listeners

Autumn's Grey Solace (2000s); 62k listeners

Faith and the Muse; (90s); 22k listeners

This Ascension (90s); 4k listeners

Strawberry Switchblade (80s); 400k listeners

If you like Joy Division:

All of these bands will be ones that sound very classically post-punk, so those are the playlists to search out; emphasis on "classic" because post-punk is a very broad term that gets applied to a lot of music. I would argue that Joy Division has had the most influence out of all the OG goth bands on the current goth sound/goth renaissance we're going through right now, so there are a LOT of bands out there for you if you’re a JD fan.

Molchat Doma (modern band); 2.5 million listeners (wow lol, they've grown so much over the past two years, it's actually insane; good for them)

Soviet Soviet (modern band); 152k listeners

Fearing (modern band; very good live); 30k listeners

Ploho (modern band); 146k listeners

Pink Turns Blue (criminally underrated 80’s band; they are SO good live); 98k listeners (this is an actual travesty, this band is way too good to not even be in the hundred thousands)

The Sound (another incredibly underrated 80’s band); 119k listeners

This Cold Night (modern; has the deep vocals of Joy Division and the driving bass but more stripped back than JD); 150k listeners

Bleib Modern (modern; has very similar vocals to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, which is a band listed under the Sisters of Mercy section of this post, so if you end up liking this band, you should also listen to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry & vice versa); 36k listeners

Lebanon Hanover (modern; has the existential angst that Joy Division always ignites in me but more stripped back); 936k listeners (this is crazy, holy shit!!!!!! go, Lebanon Hanover, go!!)

She Past Away (modern; deep vocals); 226k listeners

Belgrado (modern; woman vocals!); 18k listeners (they deserve better than this!!)

Leonora Post Punk (modern; Mexican goth band w/ Spanish vocals! They’re amazing! They have those deep vocals you want when you’re looking for a similar sound to Joy Division); 56k listeners

O. Children (modern; has the deep vocals & interesting bass lines that Joy Division was known for; great band); 29k listeners

If you like Sisters of Mercy:

This is one of my least favorite goth subcategories, which is odd because I actually love Sisters. But if you’re looking for a lot of music that sounds like SoM, I’d suggest delving into the 90’s and early 2000’s goth music scene. Search out those playlists. A lot of the 90s and 2000s goth bands were very derivative of Sisters of Mercy.

Rosetta Stone (90’s band); 54k listeners

Miazma (modern); 10k listeners

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (another criminally underrated 80’s band; one of my fave goth bands); 40k listeners (THEY!! DESERVE!! BETTER!!)

Dreamtime (modern); 65 listeners (ouch lol, please go show them some love)

Fields of the Nephilim (80’s, I think; if you’re a metalhead, you’ll probably appreciate this band); 95k listeners

The Merry Thoughts (80s); 19k listeners

The March Violets (underrated 80s; might be a controversial opinion to put them under SoM, but I’m standing by it); 69k listeners

Horror Vacui (modern; it’s kind of a stretch putting them here tbh, but I couldn’t figure out what other category to put them under); 44k listeners

The Sisterhood (spin-off Sisters of Mercy group that was formed by goth king Andrew Eldritch himself); 3k listeners

The Mission (formed by former Sisters of Mercy members; Wasteland by them was actually one of the first songs to get me into goth music); 180k listeners

Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle (late 80s & 90s; every time a song by them comes on, I’m convinced it’s a Sisters song until the singer starts singing lol); 13k listeners

Ex-Voto (formed in 1982, but most of their albums on Spotify came out in the 2000s; this band is like if Fields of Nephilim had a baby with Clan of Xymox & then sprinkled some industrial techniques in); 6k listeners

Also, if you want a 1500-song, 105-hour goth playlist that’s constantly growing, here you go. The name of it is a dig at my ex lol: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jCV530pMmOEmDHj4CLNka?si=cEVKiyAwQpaieGiV2pMyqw

[crooked-wasteland]

The Sound of Music: How the Hellaverse Doesn’t Get Musicals

Despite two generations being raised on the concepts of musical theatre through the Disney Renaissance, it's only in recent times with Disney’s failure to replicate their own formula that people have been compelled to ask why. Why do some musicals work and others don’t? It’s easy to find someone on YouTube talking about musicals and discussing the “I want”/“I am” song without really understanding what that means for the musical as an overall structure. In order to adequately grasp the importance of understanding how singing works in musicals, one must start at the beginning: Opera.

Like musicals, Opera is also broadly separated into two types of songs: Aria and Recitative. Recitative is the part of opera left behind. During the evolution of musical theatre, the operetta adapted recitative into dialogue, breaking apart the songs throughout the story and leaving only the Aria behind. Aria in opera is what are the large musical numbers that are best remembered. The entire story comes to a crawl as a character stands center stage, looks to the back wall, and starts to sing. The Aria was how theatre go-ers would learn about the characters, their motives, and desires. The recitative was often performed like a sing-song narration that could be more or less musical, but the true depth of the story was found in the Aria.

The reason why the story worked was the structural cohesion of getting to know your character in one grand, memorable way and checking in with them as the narration went along. You would see how they changed based on the songs and their progressions. You’d understand why things would change as the songs were coordinated with dramatic events littered throughout the plot. Something would happen followed by a character singing how that thing affected them. This basic structure inherited from Opera is still the structure of Musical Theatre. The Aria further deconstructed into the “I Am” and “I Want” songs. These songs as a basis help offer a deeper connection between the audience and the characters while also adding a sensation of progression with how the songs interplay between the narrative and world.

With the transition to our modern musical theater, we have tightened up the formula of integrating musical numbers and the pacing of traditional theater. Singing should never result in a stagnation of the story. We should constantly be learning something about the characters, story, or world at all times. Music works best when paired with profound moments in the story. The more emotionally heightened a scene or plot point, the more effective it is to express it in a song.

These are just the broad, unrefined general guides to how musicals work, but I believe these are substantial enough to grasp what makes a “good” musical and what is lacking when someone says a musical is “bad”.

On the surface Happy Day in Hell appears to be a classic “I want” song, heavily inspired by Howard Ashman’s Belle. My argument for this comparison being that Happy Day in Hell touches on all superficially similar points as Belle from the unnamed background chorus, Vaggie following Charlie by jumping along the rooftops similarly to Gaston, and the overall subjects the song incorporates such as the emphasis on setting. My points are focused on the superficial and take in account that the context are not identical, but the purpose was meant to be an imitation in some manner. Whether its a homage to Beauty and the Beast or merely a clumsy ripoff, Hazbin Hotel is very obviously copying notes. Which is why it's easy to identify why this song just doesn’t work.

I will preface this portion by recommending Calxiyn Cares Too Much’s video on Happy Day in Hell. She makes similar points to me and, while we do disagree on some points, overall she has more ethos than I do, being a musical theater performer. She is generally more lenient on the music and story than I am while providing more in depth technical critique in terms of rhyming conventions and lyrical pacing. But while I don’t agree with everything she has to say, I do think her video is worth a listen.

To come out and say it, Happy Day in Hell is a disaster of an “I Want” song due to a lack of coherent wants and this is the result of not knowing how writing and stories work. Even divorced from the structure of a musical, the entire message of the song is fundamentally confused and this is in part a failure of understanding narrative structure and misunderstanding what was going on in Belle.

In Disney’s 1991 animated film, Howard Ashman started the story with a magnificent musical number, masterfully weaving in the setting with the desires of the titular character and her conflict with the rest of the world. She is an outsider, both in her own perspective and that of the town. We see her disinterest in them with her line “There’s the Baker with his tray like always with the same old breads and rolls to sell”, layering the delivery with a hint of melancholy and perhaps even a hint of condescension. The lack of variety in her life is a source of resentment to her, not in that fiery passionate sense, but the frustrated impotence that comes with craving experiences over stability. She isn’t a cruel or rude person, but her attitude towards them is that of how someone would regard an NPC.

This is most clearly seen when she attempts to engage the baker in conversation about her book and he waves her off. The little eye-roll and smile as if to say, “Of course” with a shrug of her shoulders. It’s the purest display of condescension without malice. The movie has comparisons of the Townspeople to Sheep, first having Belle interact with sheep instead of the town before depicting the town as its own kind of herd to later outright having The Mob Song with the lyrics “We don't like/ What we don't understand/ In fact it scares us”. The subliminal messaging of their “sheep mentality” is intentional and multifaceted, not just positioning Belle above them by simply setting her apart but confirming that her perceived superiority should be seen as the truth. Belle is a better person than anyone else in town, she is special, that isn’t being challenged.

This is called world building. Belle’s singing is not just telling us about the town, but her feelings about the town and the town’s relationship to her. It foreshadows the finale and sets all the tracks down to move the story along. Belle wants fantasy and adventure, she doesn’t care that she doesn’t fit in whereas the Town’s musings of her shows that her not conforming is disruptive to them. This additionally explains why Gaston and his quest to marry Belle is so supported by the town at the end of the film. Why would they completely go along with imprisoning her father in the asylum unless Belle agreed to marry Gaston.

The opening number made that kind of escalation so natural to where it makes little sense to question motivations of anyone involved in the story. We have a thorough and intricate roadmap of conflicting wants and needs from three major characters in the cast all through the subliminal use of language and themes. So when Belle is literally singing about the town what she is actually conveying are her motivations for her want. “I want so much more than this provincial life.” The character embodying that provincial life is the Town. The Town is what Belle wants to run away from. Gaston is the force trying to keep Belle from leaving the town and pressure her into something that better adheres to the values of the town.

This song is the thesis of Beauty and the Beast.

Similarly, Happy Day in Hell is the thesis of Hazbin Hotel. But what exactly is that thesis? This is where the wheels fall off the cart. Happy Day in Hell doesn’t set the stage for Charlie’s desires and motivations, but rather loses focus and meaning the second Charlie leaves the hotel.

The straightforward response is that Charlie wants to convince Heaven of something to motivate them to do something about her Hotel.

It is unclear what she expects Heaven to do, let alone what she is going to do to get that outcome. In just discussing this question I have been told what Charlie wants is anything from “Convince Heaven to redeem sinners” (like she appears to be doing in Welcome to Heaven) to “Convince them to stop the genocide” (which seems to make more sense in regards to Adam and Lute), however neither of these aspects actually address the main issue of the song number: Sinners don’t believe in Charlie and her hotel.

This issue is also why the actual structure of the episode is just wrong: the B plot has nothing to do with the A plot. While it isn’t always necessary for that to be the case, it actually holds a story together better when they do overlap. In Rick and Morty season 3 episode titled “Pickle Rick”, the family attends therapy and Rick turns himself into a pickle to get out of it. Beth takes the syringe full of an antidote Rick was going to use to turn back into a human after the family left, showing how she doesn’t trust Rick not to abandon her. Beth’s B plot of attending therapy with the kids thus ties directly back to her fears of abandonment and distrust that kicked off the episode in the first place while juxtaposed with Rick’s A plot that, on the surface, has absolutely nothing to do with therapy. However, Rick entering a top secret base is metaphorical to him infiltrating Beth’s emotional fortress. He never asked to be there, and for all intents and purposes he doesn’t want to be.

As Beth locks down her emotions on Dr. Wang, the facility responds similarly. Even more, it is a father who is sent to kill Rick in order to protect his daughter. A plot point that becomes an even deeper parallel in the season five finale where it is revealed that Rick’s tragic backstory of his Beth being killed in an explosion alongside his wife from season 3 was actually true. So Jaguar having refused to work for the Russians and losing his daughter in the process is a direct and intentional parallel of their motivations. The hardships Rick faces throughout the episode from rebuilding his body to destroying a secret Russian spy base are thematically relevant to the B plot of attending family therapy. This episode also places Beth and Rick in a position to have their relationship evolve through “Froopyland”.

”Pickle Rick” was emotionally and thematically necessary in moving the characters to a place where they could change. And that was masterfully rafted through parallels between the A and B plots. So when it comes back to structuring “Happy Day in Hell”, it makes no sense for Charlie’s plot to focus on convincing Heaven to do anything. It makes more sense for her to be trying to convince Sinners to come to her hotel and attempt redemption. If she is trying to convince Heaven to redeem sinners, she should have sinners who she thinks are ready to be redeemed. If she is seeking a ceasefire from the exterminators, then she should have a hotel with more than one resident to show that there is a desire for redemption within Hell. If anything, the song reaffirms that Charlie’s plight is pointless.

Because of this confusion and lack of focus, Happy Day in Hell is a weak thesis for Hazbin Hotel. It apes on structures it doesn’t understand, telling a story it hasn’t earned, and fails to thematically connect the two plots of the episode despite having both leads in Vaggie and Charlie singing together. Structurally, the song foreshadows the fumbling of the rest of the series’ major plot and world building. It lacks an understanding of why musicals are the way they are and fails on even a surface level to comprehend the important role of musical diagesis And its inherent limitations in storytelling on top of failing to structure the music thematically to the character motivations and overarching plot.

Visual Storytelling is an intricate circus of multiple mediums coordinating together in a delicate balance that can corrupt the entire production by just one mistake in the visuals, pacing, writing, or music. All of these categories have their own completely unique set of rules that only become more complicated when trying to be used in tandem. And to have a director not understand the fundamentals of ¾ of those categories results in a sloppy cacophony of poor choices.

[hyuckswoman]

« yoo, how are you? » mark asks waiting by your desk as you collect your stuff 

« when did you even get there??? also we’ve been texting the whole time you know how i am » 

« my class ended a bit early so i waited by the door and when people were leaving i thought i’d just come in, also it’s called courtesy the whole asking how you’re doing, so stop complaining this is me being nice » mark says as you both head out of the class 

« righhtttt my bad sir , where are we going by the way? I don’t have classes for the rest of the day so I’m free if you want to hang out » you say 

« I told you to stop flirting with me, you’re getting desperate and it shows » mark jokes as you slightly punch his arm 

« we could grab lunch if you want to? also i don’t know where your friend is, i don’t think i saw him in your classroom but we can wait for him if you’d like » mark says looking around for hanbin you presume 

« Bin went to a party last night, he sent me a text this morning he’s wasted and hungover and basically skipped class so we don’t have to wait for him this time, also i wouldn’t act like I’m the one that likes you too much given how you practically begged me not to leave the music group » you said trying to get back at him. It was kinda annoying how he shrugged and told you that you were right without fighting back tho. 

« where the fuck are you taking me? this looks too expensive i don’t have that kind of money » you say as you guys near mark’s recommendation. you make a mental note to never trust the guy ever again when he tells you he knows a place

«  don’t worry, i got the bill » he says

« man, you’re as broke as I am don’t even pretend with this gentleman shit » you say laughing 

« dude you could’ve at least pretended for my ego, you suck. also it might look super fancy but it’s affordable don’t worry, not that i’d let you pay for your meal tho, i might be broke but I still know how to treat a lady thank you » he says holding the door of the establishment open for you 

«  I will wrestle you to the cash register don’t even play with me marcus lee » you say trailing behind him as he chuckles. you wonder if he’s making fun of your threat or if he’s laughing because of the nickname (the answer is both)

you were halfway through your meal when mark started to speak again 

« man.. isn’t it kinda crazy? » he says looking at you 

« what is? » you answer genuinely confused.. did this man think you’re sherlock holmes or something?? how would you know what he’s even talking about 

«  it’s kinda crazy how you, my diehard fan managed to be in the same music group as me. you hide your game pretty well though, sometimes i forget that you’re the president of my fan club » he says, you could see him holding back his laugh so hard. crazy how this man was openly making fun of you like that 

«  what happened to ‘let’s not talk about this ever again’? also, considering how you’ve been hyping me up these past few weeks i’d say that the roles have reversed and you’re my die hard fan now, you even said so yesterday » you reply 

« i never said any of that you are mistaking me for another man on your roster » mark answers

« let’s not lie like that we both remember the messages… and stop slut shaming me we are in public. and considering the amount of girls that want you i’d say you’re more likely to be the slut » you says hoping that’ll shut him up 

« ooo are you jealous that everybody wants me?? » he says. the answer is yes but you’ll never tell him that of course. 

« stop being so cocky before i slap that smirk off your face » you reply lowkey glaring at him

«  you didn’t deny it though » he says cockily. this man was aggravating you 

« god you’re becoming worse than hyuck. actually nevermind you are worse than hyuck constantly asking me for validation and compliments » you say smiling

« ouchhh okay i get it my bad, i’ll stop asking for validation and compliments the minute I’m 100% sure that I’m your favorite. also i don’t think it’s fair how donghyuck and jisung get to have cute nicknames while you call me marcus » he says kinda sulking 

« oh sorry my bad dork lee » you say laughing while he just gives you the middle finger « also i call you markie so you do have a cute nickname stop complaining and eat your food » you say as he just goes like « oooooh, that’s right » remembering the nickname you gave him. 

as you guys were finishing the meal you excused yourself to go to the toilet (little did he know you were actually paying the bill like the gentleman you are)

as you come back to the table you see mark trying to grab the waiter attention 

« what are you doing? stop doing that you’re giving me the ick » you say sitting back down 

« man fuck you, it’s not my fault nobody sees me i just want to pay the bill. and don’t fight me on this please » he says continuing his gesture to grab the staff’s attention 

« mark i paid the bill already that’s why no one is coming please stop » you say grabbing his hand to put it down 

« WHAT???!!!! » he replies 

« man… i can’t believe you paid the bill. next time’s one me tho » he says holding the door open for you to get out 

« is this an attempt to ask me out on a date? » you ask. yea that’s right. uno reverse bitch 

« sorry i don’t date fans » he replies. ooooooooh this man is 100% aggravating 

« by the way I texted you earlier to give you something but I’m really fucking nervous so I’ve been delaying it this whole time, but no more delaying shit I’ve got this I think. Also if you think it’s weird thennn pretend i never gave you shit ok? » he says sorta hyping himself up in the middle before opening his palm revealing a black guitar keychain 

you burst out laughing 

« I think this is worse than if you would’ve told me that you hated it. I’m literally contemplating suicide right now don’t even play with me » he says as you laugh even harder because his antics were really making it worse 

A few seconds later and in between giggles you decide to speak « no.. wait, i swear I’m not making fun of you, I swear I find this unbelievably sweet, you’ll understand why I’m laughing just give me a second » you say reaching into your bag pulling out a spiderman lego keychain you grabbed from the same store earlier to give to him as a present 

« this is for you, i bought it earlier because it reminded me of you, since you said you liked spiderman and since your twitter header is a lego character » you say finding it amusing how you both got each other a keychain

« dudeeee you need to stop doing this to me I’ll cry i love it so much, also look i got myself a guitar keychain to match yours » he says showing you the other keychain 

« i also got a keychain to match the one i got you hold on » you say showing yours 

« it’s crazy how we thought of the same thing tho, we’re like… spiritually connected » he says as the both of you start walking to head back to your apartment because even though you’ve been making fun of him for his gentleman antics, deep down (you didn’t even have to look hard to see it) mark was a good guy and no matter the time of day, he’s going to walk you back home.

you wonder if it’s because you like him but you know that if he keeps on acting the way he’s acting, this whole crush was going to be even worse than it is…

39. double matching

previous chapter masterlist next chapter

notes: ended this on sort of a cliffhanger lolll, also this is not proofread at all sooooo idk probably a bunch of mistakes i just cba

taglist : @imsiriuslyreal @iscocohere @simpforarmihn @replayenthusiast @lovm4rk @youreintheclubb @polarisjisung @sour-chaos @jising-jisang-jisung @aerivrs @multifandomania @tiddygang2020 @roseangelxfuma @skepvids @morkiee @yangasm @artstaeh @pussyslayerhd @bacons-thighs @bugcattie @leefullsun @jkslvsnella @alethea-moon @marvelahsobx @haechansbbg @katsukis1wife @winuvs @n0hyuck @whats-my-question @dojaejunging @hibernatinghamster @user7520 @m1dn1ghtv1olet @starwonb1n @lostinneocity @miniature-tragedy @llearlert @haezyhyuck @inosfavgf @bluesinfinities @calumsfringe @cigarettesafterjae @defzcl @delfdiary @minkyuncutie @bunnyjaycheoluwu @sofix-hc7

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Sorry if you’ve already answered this, but what are your thoughts on Wicked? Have you seen the new movie? Any impressions?

You're in luck, anon, I've seen both the play and the movie.

Thoughts on Wicked

Wicked is a very excellent musical and it's not shocking it's survived on broadway and the west end as long as it has and been such a sensation. It has a soundtrack with multiple hit songs, memorable and interesting characters, a compelling story, great set and costume design, and it leans on (in a generally tasteful way) one of the most iconic films American cinema has ever seen.

It is a very good show and I enjoy it immensely.

However, that is to preface, it is also one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in my life.

Wicked is, to those who are unfamiliar, essentially what happens if a Wrong Boy Who Lived fic (in which some other twerp is called the Boy Who Lived, instead of Harry, and Harry is very upset about this for an entire fic) becomes a smash hit musical sensation.

The entire plot is just "but what if Wicked Witch of West never did anything wrong and everyone else is just meeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn" this requires making Glinda vapid, shallow, power hungry, while also being less talented than Elphaba at magic (read has no magic) because Elphaba has to be her superior in every way now, the Wicked Witch of the East is actually just a bitter old hag who blamed her sister for everything, the Wizard has gotten an upgrade from sleazy con man to sleazy ineffectual dictator, every single character in the original story (except that boring twerp Dorothy) has a deep and complicated history with the Witch of the West, that funnily really doesn't make sense given none of them ever mention knowing who she is (looking at you especially, Fiero the Scarecrow, what the fuck man), and well, I could keep going.

We also get songs to justify the bad things Elphaba did in Wizard of Oz, which we won't show on screen because they were bad, but we'll allude to them. Vaguely. Very vaguely. So, what we're left with is several numbers where Elphaba says "I really fucked up" and her fucking up is... she was tricked into creating Flying Monkeys.

It's a ridiculous show in which we have to explain that everyone sucks to Elphaba/sucks in every way because they're just so stupid (read the Munchkins who are constantly celebrating dead people).

Now, that said, it does have a very compelling narrative about racism via Elphaba as well as the treatment of the animals--but that doesn't also mean it's not about how Elphaba is the most special person alive and even the animal narrative is made secondary to the fact that she is the most specialist person ever.

The Movie

Fantastically done movie, one of the best movie musicals I've seen in a very long time. Casting was spot on, singing was great, choreography was extremely well done, I loved the sets, the costumes, and even the parts that were added in in addition to the play's original material, I thought seeing bits of Elphaba's past and such as well as explaining a little more about how the Wizard got where he is really added to the film.

I recommend seeing it and am looking forward to part two.

[youremyheaven]

How does sensuality work? I never understood (probably because I am way too stuck in the head). Sometimes I aspire to be honestly, though it doesn't come naturally unfortunately.

OMGGG I love this question 🤪✨😍

I consider myself very sensual 🥰🤪😜 and I realllyyy enjoy being in that energy 😌🫣🙈

First of all, lets begin by understanding what sensuality is and what it is not.

There is a world of difference between sexuality and sensuality. they're like night and day.

and you can be one without being another. because of the culture we live in, most people are sexual without being sensuous.

Sensual is understood as involving the five senses but also being sexually suggestive.

Sexual means relating to sex

Sensuality is more about enjoying yourself and life than it is about sexually pleasing or being sexually inviting. Sensual people seem more alive and vibrant because they truly enjoy the simple things and fine things, so they dont sweat the small stuff and usually maintain a calm and relaxed demeanour.

Sexual energy is more frantic, more wild, more aggressive. its very in your face and hard to miss. its someone asking you to give it to them, basically.

Sensuality is self-contentment and enjoying pleasure in all its many forms. be it food, music, dance, art, walking, looking at the sunset. A sensual person just enjoys absolutely everything. When you're in the presence of that energy, you feel similarly relaxed and open. They come across as warm, open and welcoming, its comfortable being around them. Someone who is fully alive will always naturally be perceived as "sexy" because they signal that they're open to enjoyment and pleasure.

All of these are subconscious impressions we form of people in nanoseconds, and whether we know it or not, we all pick up on energy and treat people accordingly. Why do we feel like being nicer to some people and standoffish with others??? its all down to the vibe. you can be a "good" person and still feel like you cant be good to some people who havent even done anything to you. its all just vibes.

I suggest reading Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde to understand this more. It's an essay and it's only a few pages long and she describes being erotic as a feeling of being alive.

pleasure activism by adrienne maree brown is another book i recommend on this topic.

now onto HOW to be sensual

Sensuality means being fully alive, open and vibrant. So in order to be sensual, you have to embody that.

You correctly said that you're too in your head and feel disconnected to sensuality because in order to be sensual, we have to get out of our head and into our bodies.

Sensuality necessitates forming a deep profound connection with our bodies.

This is why dancing is so sensual. just moving your body can feel so vulnerable but there is nothing as sexy or confident as someone who knows how to move???

there are many dance centered trauma release + "feminine flow" type activities. i know many of you get the ick from hearing things like "feminine flow" and i dont blame you lmao but being feminine, strictly energetically speaking means being relaxed, soft and flowing. thats Yin energy in Daoism.

dating in our era sucks because even men want princess treatment and it shows that Yin energy is def something that can be channelled by people regardless of gender lmfao xD

now many people have adopted a very harsh, aggressive "go-getting" approach to succeeding our toxic capitalist patriarchal world and whilst that might help us make some progress, we're constantly at the risk of burnout. so its in our best interest and for our long term well being to learn how to be chilled out and not sweat the small stuff.

think of Yin energy as the energy of being chilled out.

we can win and gain things by fighting for it but isnt it better to gain the same things in a softer gentler way??? you can work 200 hours a week, suck up to your boss and do all the extra work and someone else who does none of that will get 5 promotions while u get nothing. basically, life is not "fair", i.e, our efforts aren't necessarily going to be compensated for adequately and if you can get better results by doing less and chilling more, then whats the harm????

people who go far in life are often just people who are pleasant and fun to have around. look at any self-made individual and they'll have boat loads of charisma. whereas nepo babies wont even know how to hold a conversation bc they never had to lmao

anyways sorry for getting sidetracked (me everytime i talk lmao)

Do more body-centric activities to feel more connected to your body

this can be dancing, yoga, pilates or any exercise, or other hobbies like pottery, sewing, painting, basically anything you can do with the involvement of your body??? do that

they help you get out of your head and be in the here and now

being more present is like 50% of sensuality

and once you do things you care about more, you'll naturally shift to a place where you cut out things you dont enjoy and people you dont want to be around. youll enjoy life more. its all connected.

When you see someone with that raw earthy sexiness, don't they just seem so wild and free??

It's that. Someone who has that glow ✨

i hope this helped and provided some insights <333 i hope you get glowingggg <333

[i-heart-hxh]

I read a post about a little killugon easter egg in the Succession Arc. It was when Tyson was talking about love at some point and her guards mentioned Nishino Kana's songs Darling and No Matter How Much. Do you think this was supposed to be a killugon reference regarding their current feelings or is that a stretch? And if these are a killugon reference, don't the lyrics of Darling imply Killua is now aware his feelings for Gon are romantic and his desire to stay with him forever hasn't changed?

Hello! So, I've actually considered bringing up my take on this, but hesitated a bit up until now.

I've listened to and looked at lyrics for both Darling and No Matter How Much... (Tatoe Donna Ni...), and...I think Tatoe Donni Ni... does fit Gon's situation/POV well, but Darling, on the other hand, has some lyrics that weren't included in the original post that make it pretty hard to apply to Gon and Killua directly:

"Hey Darling, which is better? This skirt or dress Ah—, why are you yawning? Hey, we should leave now Wait! I’ve forgotten my phone Ah—, did you just sigh at me?

I once asked Who your favorite actress is I don’t think I’m quite like her, but—"

I was somewhat skeptical that this random musical reference was intended to be about Gon and Killua to begin with because the conversation and situation in the manga don't connect with them in any particularly strong way (it's more just generically about love, which Tyson talks about constantly), and this portion of the lyrics not applying to Gon and Killua well furthered my skepticism.

I think a simpler and more likely explanation is that Togashi, a known music fan and someone who frequently makes music references in HxH, art he makes, and his tweets/etc., included these references because he's a fan of Nishino Kana and he wanted to recommend these songs, and he may have thought they fit the situation with Tyson and her personality/outlook well. So, my personal conclusion is that...I think it's unlikely Togashi included these songs specifically to connect with Gon and Killua.

However, there's still some room for doubt here. Togashi is an incredibly detail-oriented writer, and it is true that the lyrics to these songs do still partially fit Gon and Killua, with some parts of the songs fitting them quite well. Is it possible he's thought of them while listening to these songs? I mean, sure, it's possible! These are songs he decided to connect to HxH by referencing them, whatever his reason(s) might be. I just don't feel like the connection with Gon and Killua is definitive enough for me fully buy into it, at least not without more supporting information.

It's a creative idea and I'm glad the person who made the connection pointed it out because I am intrigued by the places where the lyrics line up with Gon and Killua (whether it's an intentional connection or not), these are just my thoughts after looking at it carefully.

Also, Darling is really catchy and I recommend listening to it in particular. It gets stuck in my head a lot!

Thanks for asking!

[lbibliophile-sw]

Soundscape

Also on AO3 [960w] @ailesswhumptober - day 21: "this will make you feel better, ok?"

The job of Marshal Commander is stressful and hectic and for every problem he solves another two seem to pop up in its place, but Fox does try to practice self-care. He delegates where he can. He accommodates the medics’ instructions as much as his duties allow. He makes sure to eat, even if it is just ration bars between meetings or while completing formwork. He stays hydrated, even if a rather higher percentage than advisable is caf. And he tries to sleep.

He blocks out his schedule and he leaves his office, he locks his comm to all but emergencies and he settles into bed. And then he lies there. Fox tries to sleep, but if he is anything less than utterly exhausted, then his mind just goes around and around in circles – work and worries and his mind replaying everything he might ever have possibly done wrong. He stays in bed, the medics have been very firm that resting is better than nothing, but too often just ends up watching the hours count down until his next shift, frustrated with the knowledge that he is neither sleeping nor working nor even enjoying himself.

He is fairly sure that at least part of the problem is that his room is too quiet. Clones are social creatures, spending their whole lives crowded in next to each other. Fox is one of the elite few with rank sufficient to earn the privacy of an individual bunkroom; a luxury that he is now finding he would rather do without.

He’s tried borrowing a bed in one of the general barracks, hoping that the sound of his vode around him will settle him. And to be fair, it did stop him from spiralling. But only because he startled every time one of the other troopers moved or made a sound, constantly alert in case something needed his attention. And honestly, it was just plain awkward, feeling like he was intruding on his subordinates’ private space.

It might have been easier sharing with the other commanders – fewer people and closer in rank – but they mostly each cover different shifts, so there would be little difference to his private room anyway.

So he starts looking for other ways to cover up the silence in his room.

He tries the radio; but finds himself either cursing the inanity of talk shows, or taking mental notes for work from the news bulletins. He tries music; but he never realised just how many styles there are to choose from. And even when he eventually finds ones that might work, it just leaves him lying in bed feeling guilty about the indulgence.

It is Senator Organa who finds him a solution, during one of the stolen conversations when they are not yet Fox and Bail, but ‘Commander’ and ‘Senator’ are more than their titles.  

Fox shows up to their early morning meeting – ostensibly a security briefing regarding an upcoming press conference – with eyebags almost as big as his oversized cup of coffee. Official business quickly out of the way, Organa asks after his health. To his own surprise, Fox finds himself honestly describing his problem, frustrated by his persistent inability to just make his tired brain cooperate.

Organa ponders for a minute.

“Perhaps a slightly different approach is needed. You know, I used to do a lot of hiking when I was younger. I am assuming that your training covered wilderness safety as well as urban environments?” Fox blinks at the non-sequitur, but nods. “What is the first sign of danger in natural environments?”

“Silence.”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t quite understand what that has to do with -” Fox’s comm beeps. He looks at the message and grimaces. “ Sorry, Senator, I need to go.”

“Of course. I’ll send you a file, and you can tell me how it goes.”

Fox is kept moving from crisis to crisis all day, but when he settles down that evening he sees that the Senator has indeed sent him a sound file. He wonders what it is. Perhaps he has sent his own music recommendations; Fox is interested to hear them even if he doesn’t have any real faith that they will help.

Fox opens the file, and his room is filled with a cacophony of noise. Or… perhaps not. It takes him a moment to parse the medley of natural sounds, but he starts to pick out distinct patterns within the chaos. Clearest, are the long fluting calls – a melodic rise and fall with a flourish at the end. Next, he notices the intermittent clusters of chirps and squawks, several sequences of each. There are lower rhythmic sounds: a regular creaking, a flowing drone, and something that almost sounds like bonk. And behind it all, a whirring buzz in a dozen different pitches and rhythms…

The next thing Fox knows, his alarm is going off. And he feels more rested than he has in weeks.

That night, he plays the file again. But instead of losing himself in the deluge, he focuses on picking out one sound, learning its rhythms and variations, letting the rest of the soundscape flow around him and fill all the empty spaces in his mind.

The next night, he chooses a different sound to follow.

Another day later,  he manages to steal time with the Senator again and gushes about all the sounds he has identified and listens raptly as Bail tells him about nightingales and cicadas and pobblebonk frogs.

Three weeks later, just as the soundscape is becoming familiar, a new file appears in his inbox.

And so it continues. Fox spends his days run off his feet, treasuring the rare hours he spends with Bail, and each night he is lulled to sleep by the sounds of Alderanian wildlife.

When the War ends, Fox follows Bail back to Alderaan. That first night, lying in bed between Bail and Breha, should be a dream come true. And Fox is so so happy. But he is also staring at the unfamiliar play of shadows on the ceiling, feeling the itch in his brain as it refuses to let him relax. As much as he wants to be here, he also finds himself ruefully missing his music player.

A warm breeze brushes his face, and with a burst of clarity he realises that he doesn’t need the tinny recorded wildlife after all, not when the reality is right there. He focusses on the sounds coming in through the open window – the lilting call of the nightingale, the creak of the frogs in the pond, the droning hum of cicadas – and lets them wash through him. Then he focuses on the steady breathing of his partners beside him, and lets the combined melody drag him down into sleep.

[meirimerens]

Hey hiii popping in first to say, ur patho playlists (esp the temy one like AUGHGHGHJHFSJKFD) have been a godsend for finding out new music, found some rlly amazing songs through them hehe And jumping off from that, how do you go around finding new music? Do you have any playlist recs or smth like that? Esp for more electronic type of vibe, ty in advance mwah

hiiii omg Thank You i am still quite proud of my little playlists I ♥ MUSIC and i have a few different ways...

first of all i have been pleasantly surprised by the spotify algorithm over the years. i have it (🏴‍☠️🤫) on my phone ( + have found that on firefox wit adblocker it's also usable on desktop without too much hassle) and have sometimes found that the songs it recommends me to add to playlists are actually pretty good even if they don't make it into the playlist. helps that i have a pretty big Musical Appetite (but you're kinda outta luck re:electronica with me because that's not something i necessarily gravitate towards). i'll listen to a new song on loop because Good and then i'll be recommended stuff in the same vibe. it's a 1/7 chance i'll actually want to put it on my phone and #enjoy it for long but sometimes it's bullseye. some of my favorite current songs were random spotify recs (recently La Suite Meurtrière by Vox Vulgaris, Rozy by Dakh Daughters, Requin Blanc by Suprême & Miu by Marina Herlop.)

i'm also constantly looking for #music to put on in the bg while i draw/work so i pop on youtube, find myself a "[genre] [decades (optional)] playlist" and kinda let the waves take me. a lot of it is like solid 5/10 but sometimes there's a 7+/10 that pops up so i find it, add it to a playlist, more stuff like it gets recommended to me, repeat the cycle... Check out musics from other places. it can be looking up "[nationality] [genre] playlist" on youtube. just found this literally just doing it right now. or this channel i like it a lot. some i've loved from it are "Turkish Female Singers from '70s Vinyl Set", "70's Turkish Anatolian Rock Vinyl Set"

Also also, some stuff i put on playlists i don't have in like. my main "everyday listen" playlist. a lot of songs are deeply contextual and if i pulled them out of their playlists I'd Get Scared. i'm not listening to Triple Sun by Coil or ... Archright by Town Portal (both from my threefold bullet playlist) in the subway every morning I'd Get Scared. or so mad like i'm off red dye.

i'm not a big #electronic guy so i don't have great recommendations for you except Check Out Lauren Bousfield's "Mansions No One Wants To Buy For Any Price" Song Of The Summer

[journalsouppe]

UNWOUND FUTURE RAAHHHHHHHH!!! What an AMAZING trilogy conclusion with such a perfect setup for future sequels. I cannot recommend playing Professor Layton enough.

All of the Professor Layton stickers are from @jordydrawsmerch which can be found here and here. Every other sticker is from Daiso!

All the writing is typed below!

Rating: 9.3 Played: Fa 2023 Port: HD mobile (iPad) Favorite? Y Replayable? Y Recommend? Y

Comments:

the way the PM walked T^T

LMFAO STACHENSCARFEN

Layton’s about to be beat up bc of his top hat (skull emoji)

Getting major DGS 2-3 vibes

FAMILY GOON

An arc arcade? You’re speaking my language

I LOVE THE BLOCK HAT PUZZLE PIECES SPELLING LAYTON IN JAPANESE!!!

FLORA STICKER

BABY LAYTON BLUSHING IM SCREAMING

I really love the picture book and its music

THE DEVIL IN THE TOP HAT NOO

Luke always takes the opportunity to roast the Laytonmobile (skull emoji)

THEYRE JUST SHOOTING AT EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING

THE ORIGINS OF LAYTONS HAT IM GONNA CRY T^T

I love that bi Luke has his own puzzle solving sequence

Where the fuck did you take us future Luke

The battle of wits was so fun omg

I cant get over evil Layton

BIG LUKE AND LITTLE LUKE

Omg Hershel in the background

Based p. Layton newspaper conversation

LMFAO Hershel trespassing and Luke stressed

The bee???? T^T

FLORA PUZZLE SOLVED SEQUENCE T^T!!!!

GO OFF FLORA!!!!

Ooo pretty Chinese arc

Hershel i swear

Hmmm young sir… who is big Luke?

NOT AVOGADRO

Did all the scientists piss their pants?

I have a lot of questions

Love the design and music of the pagoda

Where tf did Hershel go (skull emoji)

Omg Luke’s a Sherlock fan

I feel like Layton was replaced with evil Layton

I swear Dimitri had a mustache??

THE BARS

WHERE IS FLORA

DON PAOLO LMAO

THE LUKE MOBING SCENE MAKES ME WANT TO CRY

How many secret hideouts are there T_T

NOOO FLORA

The barkeep is v sketch

Chad laytonmobile

I can see how this game inspired dgs

THE KAZUMA AND CLIVE PARALLELS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY

BEASLY AND PUZZLETTE HOLY SHIT

“That’s funny” :[

Ive been side eyeing some of these designs the past 2 games but yeah bostro’s design is def racist

DON PAOLO TURNIGN EVIL BC OF CLAIRE LOVING HERSHEL LMAO T-T and the running into the river omfg

Working with don paolo has been fun

I DIDNT THINK LAYTON WOULD ACTUALLY CUT THE ROPE

Where did Layton learn all this about Clive??

Summary:

WHAT A PHENOMENAL GAME!!! Truly what a great “conclusion” to the main trilogy. You learn so much about Layton, Luke, flora, and many other characters like don paolo. The ending reveal of Clive was CRAZY. It really reminded me of movies like howls moving castle/the iron giant. I also just love how complex Clive is. He was driven to violence because of how the government treated him and his family, but he never truly wanted to hurt people. He was without any hope and thought mass destruction would finally bring some change to the government, but he also made sure to include Layton in his plans because he so desperately wanted someone to stop him. It’s tragic and terrorism definitely wasn’t the way to go but at least this is a fictional story and that death machine looked kinda sick Ngl. The story of Layton and Claire was also so tragic yet so healing. Layton could finally take off his hat without feeling grief, you never would’ve known he was hurting that much. I loved Claire, she seemed like such an amazing person and I’m glad Layton wasn’t swayed to try to bring her back, although he did falter when he had to say goodbye again. Although I highly enjoyed the game, I am slightly disappointed there was no actual evil Layton. How fun would a game with evil Layton be omg. The whole game constantly caught me by surprise, even by small scenes like Beasly and PUZZLETTE. I’m still a littel confused about the lab experiments with Gumbo and subject 3, I’m not quire sure why they added that plot (and have no resolution) but I liked Gumbo fine. My favorite coin animal will always be hot dog though. I cannot recommend this series enough, I am having the time of my life. I can also see how DGS was heavily inspired by these games and im so glad about it bc dgs was game changing. I can’t believe there was a 26 year wait in between UF and NWOS but im glad to be a Layton fan :’) so fucking glad!!!!

[fictional-love-is-my-life]

Hi 👋. I unfortunately have a severe fear of needles. Whenever I have to have blood work done, I start losing it, from crying to hyperventilating the list goes on forever 😓. And I remember in Transformers Prime, there was a scene where Raphael got super sick, and Bumblebee gave him some of his energon to help him get better via transfusion. So could I get how tfp ratchet would calm down or give advice to a patient who is scared? And how would bayverse bee, Hound, and Lennox give advice or help a bot who gets scared of doc visits?

I am the exact same friend. I despise needles and hate injections or getting blood drawn. It makes me anxious and sick each time. So I know how you feel!

TFP Ratchet:

He is often perceived as having a rough, grumpy personality. He makes his dislikes known, and will often tell people when they annoy him.

But his patient's care is very important to him. He cares about all his patients and wants to make sure they are healthy but also happy with their care. He knows there are many unpleasant medical experiences. He completely understands why someone would be scared.

He's good at sensing his patients' emotions, he can tell when they start to get nervous. Before he starts he will sit down with them and ask if they are nervous, then he will go through and explain the entire process of what he will do, hoping that knowing what is going on may calm them a little.

He will happily bring someone in to hold their hand if they like, or he will hold their hand himself. And he will go quickly or slowly depending on what helps them get through the process.

He'll constantly talk to them, trying to distract them with conversations. He'll talk in a soft, calming tone and ask them about things they like and are interested in.

He'll be extremely gentle and constantly reassure them that they are safe.

Advice he gives is, to always communicate with their DR, they are there to help. And if they are scared, he wants to know so he can help ease the fear.

Bumblebee:

He recommends listening to music to help calm them down and keep them distracted.

Also, don't look and keep their mind on something else.

He would be more than happy to go with them and hold their hand through it if they wanted.

Lennox:

He suggests asking for a sedative if possible, depending on what they are going for.

However, if it is something like an injection, he suggests big deep calming breaths.

He also suggests they squeeze something tightly in the hand of the arm that is not getting the injection. Having something to squeeze can take their mind off it.

Hound:

He doesn't have much in the way of advice, as he's never had issues going to a medic.

But he would be more than willing to go with them if they were scared. He would talk them through the whole thing.

He'll also promise to let them throw one of his grenades and blow something up if they can get through it. He likes using rewards as a way to try and coax them through the scary situation.

[ohnoitsjetster]

hiya jesse darlin!! i’ve got about a million questions for the ask game >:] these are all things i’m curious about, but it’s a lot. so feel free to pick just a few to answer <3

12, 13, 14, 42, 99, 100, 119, 127, 137, 142, 145, 146, 148, 149

i love you jesse beloved!! i hope you’re doing well <333

HIYA SOL!!! Ilyt <3, i hope you’re having a good day! I’m gonna answer all of these :]

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now?

OGH okok. This changes constantly but lately:

- Sedona by Sir Chloe

- Thank God for Springtime by Levi Shrader

- Snowbank Blues by the Backseat Lovers

- Sex with a Ghost by Teddy Hyde

- Cool from West Side Story

Two of these were actually recommendations, Sedona was recommended to me by @specimen101 and Snowbank Blues was recommended to me by @ricky-mortis (Thank you guys! :D ). Also I found out about Thank God for Springtime at a student art showcase for my college. I met Levi Shrader and hung out with him and then he was like “alright :] im gonna go get ready for the show :] see ya :]” as if he wasn’t about to play music that fundamentally changed my brain chemistry. I also strongly recommend his songs Calvary Hill and St. Mary Amygdala to anyone that likes folk music.

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair?

I…. am a simple creature. (Head scratches 🔥 especially the back of my hair where its shortest)

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

Nope not really, I participate occasionally in superstition only for the sake of whimsy

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?

It’s probably an anxiety attack

99. Have any pets?

A dog named Goldie. She’s a mutt that looks like a small pudgy black lab. She’s 14 but she’s acts like she’s just turned 1

100. How are you feeling?

Less anxious than normal, glad to finally have some free time this week, and kinda drowsy cause I just woke up

119. Favourite book?

I don’t read much but I like reading plays. I’d say my favorite is A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare

127. What makes you happy?

Talking about my favorite musicals, plays, and movies, preferably to someone who is equally insane

137. How tall are you?

5’9 I think

142. Favourite month?

Maybe June because of summer break and also gay month. But I also love March because it’s got my birthday and spring and its the right temperature to wear my jackets

145. Tea or Coffee?

Tea! Coffee’s nice too but I think caffeine might be bad for my anxiety

146. Was today a good day?

Just started, I think it will be, but Ive got work to do and I hope I can get it done

147. Mars or Snickers?

Snickers

148. What’s your favourite quote?

Ough, couldn’t possibly choose. I have a few main ones. Maybe ask me for a character or piece of media to narrow it down? For now I’ll go with the Blasphemy quote even though we all know I love that one: “I will not be Shackled by the failures of Your god. The only blasphemy is to wallow in Insignificance. I have taken the refuse of your god’s failures and I have Triumphed!!!”

149. Do you believe in ghosts?

For fun but not for reals

Thanks for the questions! These were fun to answer

[worstvideogamesong-poll]

Worst Video Game Song Tournament - Round 2 Match 5

Know What I Mean? - Mario Party 2

VERSUS

The Yoshi Clan - Yoshi's New Island

FIGHT!

I would recommend listening to as much as you can of each song before voting, but how you choose is up to you! Remember to be civil in the tags and replies!

Propaganda under cut:

Know What I Mean?:

"#i'm going with the mario party #it's SO off-tune and off-beat constantly #which i think is intentional but #i hate it"

(in reference to its previous match) "#this literally isn't even a fight. coughing baby vs nuclear bomb level matchup. what the fuck was that mario song. who thought that was a #good idea. i want to have words with them."

"#kwim is overstimulation in its purest form #it's the musical equivalent of getting nonstop discord notifications while looking for something i dropped while someone is talking to me"

"#know what i mean absolutely ROCKS. horrible. rocks so hard. they did the same thing that yoshi clan did. im guffawing"

The Yoshi Clan:

"the ass band will play a song of farts to celebrate your failure"

"#FUCK YOU YOSHI"

"#yoshi sounds like suck"

"#YOOOOOOOOSHI CLAAAAN!!!!!!!! #ok im gonna complete my santa review before getting to my ten page essay on why i love yoshi clan. yea that shit bad #i accidentally started it playing in two tabs at different points of the video which was honestly really fun. i recommend tryin that esp wi #bad songs really adds smthn to the exprience. it was awesoeme #it also just sounds the exact type of awful that that video image implies which is cool. its so perfect. it sounds ass #but. what it can not beat. is my favorite of all time. my darling love. it is time to begin my sermon #ok so yoshi clan is just so beautifully terrible. and truly the whole soundtrack is an orchestra of bad design. and its so fun to look at #that really nice professional looking art for the game and get BLASTED with kazoo #and like. i understand the thought process. kazoo does seem silly goofy yoshi. and it also sounds like a chorus of pain #now this song specifically has some really great awkward pauses. at 0:16 theres like a full 3 seconds of silence. which is SO cool #then the hot cross bun bit that ends at 0:27 gets so sad and deflated at the end of it. like it starts off in time but then clearly the #soloist got kinda embarrassed alone and so rushed and got really quiet. and its just so sad and lonely. its so cool #also some of these pauses have a couple lone far away kazoo squeaks for no reason before the 'melody' comes back in? awesome #but what i really really love about this. what really draws my eye. is the ending. because we go through this entire rigamarole with the #worst secondhand embarrassment of my life. then. 0:43. the kazoos move out. and in. the most genuinely awesome groovy drum beat in the worl #like its SO good. and those last few seconds are like you're in a different world. like you just survived horrors and you are brought to an #angelic chorus. and it lasts what 5 seconds? 5 seconds of beauty after a full 40 seconds of purgatory. in what world do horrors live foreve #while an angel can last for only a flash #its cruelty. its injustice. its completely ingenious. incredible music making. i am in such awe. #anyways thats my manifesto. please feel free to put any of this in the propaganda section op. im passioante"

Feel free to add more propaganda in the tags and replies, or send it to me in the ask box and I'll try to share it as soon as I can!

[dsenvs3000w24]

My Relationship With Nature

My current relationship with nature is overwhelmingly positive. Almost all my favorite activities revolve around or include nature in some way. I enjoy hiking whenever I have the time to, and regularly visit the trails near my apartment. I’m always very excited to come across a cool mushroom, plant, or animal and I really enjoy walking around and feeling connected to the environment. When I don’t have time for a full hike, I like to get outside and sit in the sun or look around for cool stuff in the grass or trees. Aside from physically being in nature, I also really enjoy learning about the environment, watching nature documentaries (anything with David Attenborough <3) and making art or music about various aspects of nature.

Just a little guy I found while hiking near my house in Guelph.

This attitude has stuck with me since childhood. Some of my earliest memories involve me flipping random objects outside to find cool bugs, looking for cool rocks or shells, and running around in the park climbing trees. Now that I have attended university and studied biology, I have developed an even greater appreciation for nature. My understanding of how things work and why things look or act a certain way have filled me with an ever-growing desire to get outside and see cool things in nature or to take a million pictures and then find out all about them when I get home. I also find that as I get older, I feel less inclined to spend time on my phone or watching Netflix, and getting outside and appreciating nature feels like an excellent way to disconnect and refresh my brain. I have some of my happiest and most productive days while or after I get outside and go for a walk through my local nature trails.

A baby mantis I found hiding in a big field in Cambridge, ON.

I developed my sense of place in nature in three main ways. One way I have been offered a sense of place was from my partner trading knowledge with me. While I have a background in botany and animal sciences, my partner has a deep love for fungi. This means that as we walk through a forest, we will constantly be looking for cool things to see and trading facts about what we find. Our mix of knowledge gives each of us a better understanding of the forest as a whole and contributes greatly to my sense of place while walking around. Another contributor to my sense of place in nature is my curiosity. As I walk around, I always enjoy knowing more about what I am seeing, and this leads me to actively search for knowledge about areas I go to and try to understand what I see around me. The other way I develop a sense of place is through self reflection. I find that being in nature and thinking about how I interact with it is a great way to ground myself and feel connected to the environment. Overall, my sense of place in nature comes both from building and reflecting on my own knowledge, and from incorporating new knowledge from people with alternative perspectives to mine.

Wild almond blossoms I found while hiking in the Judean Hills in Israel (the almonds tasted like death 0/10 would not recommend)

[foreststarflaime]

All 20 + the wildcard of “how much of a literature nerd are they” for Loki

( @izunias-meme-hole )

Oh boy you got it! Fun fun here we goooo

1- Favourites thing(s) about this character?

Genderqueer! Parent of fun horrors whom he loves dearly! Mischievous fun! Inspires devoted love in someone (Sigyn) despite being disliked and abandoned by the rest of the world! God of stories meta fun! Trickster with a good heart!

2- What song(s) remind you of this character?

The Poet and the Muse by Old Gods of Asgard! Banger song and changing fate vibes wrapped up in a spooky weird story

3- Do you like this character?

No. I LOVE HIMMMMM

4- Would you write about this character?

Absolutely I do need to don’t I

5- What do you not like about this character?

That media doesn’t often portray him with his kids 😔 also don’t like it as much when he’s portrayed as being too on the evil side, I like him to be sympathetic or at least to have a bit of nuance

6- Favourite thing this character has said?

I’ll go with comics Loki specifically for this one, also I’m cheating and treating an extended monologue as one ‘thing’

7- What do you like most about this character?

TRICKSTER TROPEEEEEEE

8- Do you think this character is underrated or overrated?

Hm idk. All versions of Loki deserve ALL the love and praise and attention. I think comics Loki is decently popular? He is…rated ig lol. Myth Loki tho? Underrated gem

9- What’s your favourite headcanon(s) for this character?

Oh I’m realizing I haven’t actually heard many other people’s headcanons about him. I’ll make one up rn instead hmmm…he plays a musical instrument of some kind, something nice and bard-y that can be sat with and played by a campfire. Guitar? Nonono wait LYRE he plays the lyre get it it’s perfect

10- Who do you like to ship with this character? (If you do of course) Is it another character from the cast or is it an OC?

I’ve never really shipped him with anyone tbh, buddy needs to get himself some friends who love him unconditionally so he has a support system before that happens. I volunteer

11- Who do you not like to ship with this character?

Uhhh hmm idk shipping slips my mind more often than not, I have to be reminded romance can exist lmao but yeah ig I don’t really like shipping marvel him with Sylvie. Or Verity, haven’t seen it but I’m sure people do, for the reasons listed above^ I do adore their friendship tho it is so special to me

12- Have you read any fics about this character? (if it’s not an OC)? Can you recommend anything good?

I HAVENT STILLLLL 😭😭😭 that said if anyone seeing this has one to recommend do share 👀

13- Contrary wise if it is an OC, what’s your favourite story with them in it you’ve written?

I still haven’t written for him either 😔 he is in my head constantly tho in many Scenarios they have just not reached the concrete stage

14- What outfit would you really like to see this character wear? Or what’s your favourite outfit of theirs?

Aoa Loki god of stories has always been my favorite look for him but if I had to change anything it would be to add more of the fur, give him some Genesis-level fancy boots, give him longer hair with maybe a little braid or two that he put in there fiddling with his hair while bored, and then unleash him upon the world

15- Favourite line of theirs?

I think this is a duplicate question so I’ll go with a different version of him now, how about Twilight of the Gods Loki? This scene destroyed me

16- What do you think would improve this character? Like, character-arc wise?

I am so so bad at criticism, uhhh in general let him have his kids and let him go a little quirky crazy while still being sympathetic

17- Have you ever had a crush on this character…?

Crush? No. Squish? Yeah. Gender envy? Absolutely all the time

18- What’s something you associate this character with? E.g. a certain colour, object or scenery?

Winter for sure. And campfires. Snowball fights

19- What would the show/book/movie be like if this character wasn’t present? (if it’s not an OC)

:((((( I WOULD CRY. AND IT WOULD HAVE THE LIGHT AND JOY TAKEN OUT OF IT

20- Contrary wise, if this character is an OC, how does their presence change the story?

HIS PRESENCE CATERS TO ME AND MAKES ME HAPPY :) also adds wonderful solace and acceptance and representation of people who like to be a little weird and end up outsiders

Wildcard- how much of a literature nerd are they?

Massive nerd. Literature anarchist, will say anything is literature and he’s right. If he was in a stuffy high literature class in some university he would write his term paper on a comic book or a video game or something, and he constantly references any type of storytelling medium. Can pull references and examples from random stories out of nowhere from the most obscure books/movies/video games/etc

[hologramcowboy]

If you were a celebrity, what would your side hustle be? Like would you have a makeup line, sell perfumes, have a book club, fashion line, etc. And what would that look like for you (ie what books would you recommend, what would the first products you launch be, what perfume notes would you pick).

Most actors have a side hustle, at least until they break out. After they break out they also receive offers to create what you mentioned above. Some get deeply involved, others just slap their name/brand on stuff without caring about what is being created in their name.

I would not like to be a celebrity, because I'm too reserved for that. I'd rather just be one of those people that work constantly but aren't really known. That being said and my reservations aside, having a celebrity profile can be a catalyst to becoming a very powerful connector of people and it can allow one to create impact, to be an "influencer" in the real sense of the term. ( Sorry but for me the only type of influencers that should exist are the kind that expand minds and lives)

I'd love to invest in something media related to allow actors/artists with less means to have equal opportunity with those with means. (There is a saying that acting is a rich person's game, I want to change that because there are incredibly talented people out there who never even get a chance to be on a set or a stage due to lacking means.)

As for a make-up line, I think releasing a line where the benefits go to charity and focusing on natural ingredients that work well with the human body.

Jewelry - same thing, I'd be looking to create collaborations to raise money for important causes. I'm talking getting huge brand names involved.

As for a book club that would be off brand for me, I'm more the mysterious type. I adore books but I love the intimacy of keeping what I read to myself (unless it's the kind of book that can help others in which case I could be into creating a podcast and inviting authors to explain their process).

Perfumes - I'd love a YSL collab and my perfume notes have to be sultry, mysterious and overpowering to be on brand.

I think the first thing I'd want to launch is a music album(with lyrics written by me) or a book written entirely by me.

Nowadays, celebrities are multihyphenates, meaning they wear many hats and aren't limited to just being a pretty face. I guess I'd just look to strike the right amount of balance with everything I love to do in a way that serves the world. I am great at encouraging people to reach their set goals so I might even go the coach route or create a company that recruits people who can pass down key skills and mindsets. Looking to create balanced leaders because that's what this world needs more of.

Thank you for the beautiful question 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I hope some of my mutuals also respond to your ask, because building a vision is a powerful thing and the subconscious mind doesn't play into small images, it needs big, big ones.