#i made another niche playlist!

[starlightkun]

boygroups just arent having cringefail eras with their whole chests like they used to

[loveyni]

sunghoon is for ,,,

heeseung • jay • jake • sunghoon!! • sunoo • jungwon • ni-ki

a/n. aaa my hoon (∩˃o˂∩)♡ enjoy<3 this might be another self callout post idk!! and i see ur reqs!! jaeyun may or may not be released next ^^

୨୧₊˚⊹ᡣ𐭩⋆ ──

sunghoon is for those who are fascinated by snow. particularly in the way that it falls so delicately and blankets everything in a shimmery white.

sunghoon is for those who become hush during outings because they forget that everyone else can’t hear their stream of consciousness.

sunghoon is for those seek solace in song lyrics that hit too close to home, almost repeating them like mantras (tell me about your niche playlists!!).

sunghoon is for those are loud and hyper around their closest friends because there’s no need to maintain the rigid image they have curated for themselves.

sunghoon is for those who are highly ambitious, often discouraged when they aren’t immediately skilled at something (how could you be perfect on the first try? you’ll get more chances as long as you allow yourself them ^^).

sunghoon is for those who are often reminded to raise their voices because they speak too softly (who made you feel so small?).

sunghoon is for those who find it difficult to communicate their struggles, resorting to internalizing to them instead.

sunghoon is for those who should worry much less about what others think of them because their perception of you is not your responsibility.

── ୨୧₊˚⊹ᡣ𐭩⋆

[suosgirl]

Party in the USA (the dayger’s going crazy)

Word Count: 15k+

୨ৎ Read me before interacting!

୨ৎ Characters: Hayato Suo, Haruka Sakura, Hajime Umemiya, Kotoha Tachibana, Jo Togame, Ren Kaji, Mitsuki Kiryu, Akihiko Nirei, Choji Tomiyama, Toma Hiragi, Kyotaro Sugishita, Taiga Tsugeura

୨ৎ Warnings: mdni, gn!reader, alcohol (lots of it), alcohol consumption, weed, weed consumption, cigarettes, ooc (most definitely), shitposting, for fun! – if I’ve missed one, I apologize + please let me know!

୨ৎ Note: I feel very well qualified to write about this. I have hands-on experience and feel strongly about this topic. Please feel free to send me an ask regarding any of my references (I have attended many, many daygers.) This is actually so americancore and niche of me – sorry (not sorry). Also! Don’t be fooled, I hate America!

Hajime Umemiya | “Hey! Hi! Are ya hungry?”

The first face you see when you walk in, all in his shirtless glory

An absolute king at grilling – he’s got burgers, hotdogs, skewers, the works

The lettuce and tomatoes? Yeah, he grew them

Will take every chance he has to tell everyone too

Be careful though – for as much as he’s hot, he’s also a yapper

Being behind the grill unlocks a side of him that not many know – his dad side

“There’s a lot at steak… it’s un-grill-ievable!”

Buzzed & responsible – doesn’t let himself get too lit when he’s grilling

But once everyone’s had their fill and he’s got some downtime? Oh he’s inviting everyone to shotgun a beer with him

Can slam down a can in like 3 seconds no joke

Then, he’ll turn to you with stars in his eyes waiting for your words of praise and acknowledgement (how do you tell him that he did it so fast that you didn't see it?)

Toma Hiragi | “Whaddya drinkin’?”

You’re telling me you WOULDN'T trust this man to get the best liquor for the party?

Gonna go out on a limb here and say that he leans toward either Hennessy or Casamigos

Throws back his shots like a fucking champ – no chase needed (he likes the burn of it)

Definitely a heavy weight, so he’s got at least 2 of whatever he’s drinking just in case

Also doesn’t drink chase because of his stomach, so you know – go big or go home

Never lets you pour your own shots (chivalry isn’t dead, everyone)

And … if you ask him nicely … he’ll birdfeed it to you

Ren Kaji | “Chase is over there – you need help getting it?”

With how much candy he has to inhale on a daily basis, it just makes sense that he would be getting the soda, juice, or whatever pairing he thinks goes well with the corresponding liquor

And he definitely went with Hiragi to pick everything up (so cute)

Also in charge of the playlist for the day (I know his music taste is impeccable)

If you tell him this, though, he’d try to be so nonchalant about it (inside his heart is doing little pitter patters)

I feel like he has little shit tendencies and once everyone is feeling good he’ll see how many times he can queue Party In The USA until someone notices (wears his headphone tho bc ofc he would get annoyed)

Akihiko Nirei | “I made it! It’s really good – want a sip?”

JUNGLE! JUICE! PRO!

I just know he’s got the most insane recipe in his notebook (he’s got the exact measurements and brand names too)

Based on countless interviews, many trial runs, and many hangovers –  he’s perfected it to a T

Literally one cup has everyone on a good one – and he’s somehow got it to not taste like alcohol at all?

So proud of it too – if you tell him how good it is he’s got hearts in his eyes and he’s offering to get you another cup (with your consent of course)

Haruka Sakura | “I just grabbed the first one I saw … is it good? Do you like it?”

He’s new to this you know, so he’s keeping it cute and simple and easy

Besides, you can never go wrong with a pack of seltzers

He’s so cute and flustered about it too –

Like imagine him standing in front of the fridges just looking at all of them and getting slowly overwhelmed by all the different types and seeing that they all have different alc % and it’s getting so confusing

He just grabs one that looks decently good or has a name that seems kinda familiar to him and he storms off

And it’s literally like Twisted Tea or White Claws or something

But, as I said, you can never go wrong with a nice basic seltzer

Compliment his choice (even if you know it was made on a whim) and he’ll blush (he blames it on the summer heat)

Hayato Suo | “Do you want me to get your back?”

Sweet, thoughtful king

Brings sunblock and aloe vera gel because he just knows that everyone else will forget the basic necessities

If you need help getting your back, he’s more than happy to offer his services

Also – who would he be if he didn’t bring green tea shots (it’s a given)

He actually created them not many people know that

It’s always the perfect ratio too – never too strong and never too weak (the perfect balance)

Anyways, also a heavyweight (potentially) but gets just a bit touchy when he’s buzzed

So when he offers to reapply sunblock on you despite having done it less than 30 minutes ago, who are you to say no?

Kyotaro Sugishita | “I need a partner … You any good?”

This man absolutely demolishes at beer pong

Never leaves the table actually (and stays undefeated the whole dayger)

He’s so tall like he’s got built-in stats for it already

If Umemiya takes a break from grilling and comes to join him? Oh they’re absolutely wiping everyone

If beer pong was an Olympic sport, Sugashita would’ve already been scouted

Because he’s so good, he doesn’t even need a partner that’s at the same level as him – he just needs a partner

But – to him, making at least one cup is better than nothing, and if you’re able to do just that? Oh, you’re never leaving his side

Mitsuki Kiryu | “You want a hit, cutie?”

It’s actually canon that Kiryu smokes like I just know it in my heart and soul

Loves to make different blends too, some with rose petals and some with lavender 

His blunts are so pretty too, and he’ll use pink wrapping papers

Also has a small bong just in case anyone wants it in that form — and also edibles

And also cigs

He has money, why wouldn’t he show out?

His lighters all have decoden on them too, and they all have his name spelled on it (he was tired of people stealing them)

Also incredibly respectful – brings his own ashtray that he disposes of on his own

I feel like he transitions a lot of people into smoking for the first time (if they’re interested, of course! Would never peer pressure.)

But …. Oh boy… the way that he would gently tilt your head back to blow a hit into your mouth

Kotoha Tachibanau | “I’m gonna get you so wet!”

Give this girl a break she deserves to have fun!

Stays in the pool most of the time, but also loves to soak up the sun so she’s got her own self-care agenda for the day

Loves water guns! Brings like 2 or 3 of them

Also probably brings a book to enjoy by the pool when she’s tanning

Definitely the type to get the ice water from the coolers and spray anyone who tries to come within 5 feet of her

If she feels silly (and buzzed) she’ll pour jungle juice into them and shoot them into people’s mouths

Takes this time to truly relax and unwind (we love a work-life balance!) – and loves doing it beside you

Taiga Tsugeura | “Don’t forget to drink water!”

Absolutely brings cases of water and liquid IV

He’s all for partying, don’t get him wrong, but he’s also got to hit the gym tomorrow so

Makes sure that everyone’s got a bottle of water on them – his virtue is caring too much

Also decently good at beer pong, but his downfall is that he throws the ball too hard and ends up hitting people like 10 feet away from him in the head

Also strikes me as unhinged, so – if you’re cool with getting pulled into the pool, then he’s definitely your guy

Definitely does flips while diving into the pool to try and impress you (it works)

Jo Togame | “Need some help with that?”

What Sakura may lack in seltzers, Togame makes up in beer

If there’s one thing he knows, it’s a good brand of beer

Also clocked in my mind as a heavyweight, so if he’s up to drink, he’s bringing many many cases

Has a bottle opener that has sentimental value to him – probably one that Choji got for him

Can also pop it open with his teeth (but no one ever lets him because it’s bad)

("Sure, okay, whatever squares" — he listens.)

If he sees you struggling to pop the cap off, he’s already grabbing it from your hand and doing it for you – no questions asked

(Ask him while he’s buzzed, and he’ll do it with his teeth, all while staring into your eyes)

Choji Tomiyama | “Let’s take a shot!”

The first thing he does is do a cannonball in the pool (this is so canon)

If you’re a soju lover – he’s got it!

Brings all the flavors too, but is most partial to yogurt-flavored soju

Is flitting all over the party talking to everyone and anyone

(Tries his hand at beer pong – going to go out on a limb here and say that he sucks)

However! He is a heavyweight!

Can hold his own with Umemiya and Togame for sure

Is definitely the one gathering everyone together to take some shots

Will probably ask Kaji to play Shots by LMFAO and Lil Jon every single time (after the first time, Kaji starts ignoring him)

If you’re open to shots, is absolutely pulling you by your arm to take yet another one

[toooliix]

hey! alright so i may have done a thing

so for the past,,, idk 3 weeks? ive been going on a deep dive into spelling bee mostly to sedate my own curiosity of needing to know everything about what i'm interested in. as it turns out, there is a LOT of content with this musical, so i'm here to talk about my findings! note: i will be keeping this EXCLUSIVE to the original 2005 off broadway cast. as much as i'm a brown university girlie through and through, the original cast is where the content is. OKAY FIRST: youtube findings

a lot of small videos were made usually with logainne and leaf. you'll be quick to learn that they made the most off stage content. i have a public playlist with these videos, along with interviews, the original boot, and a few other things. the cast album isn't in it because that's audio only and i want visuals damnit. (plus its on spotify and easy to look up so.) the exception is 25apcsbmt12doc because its pretty underground and the purpose is to get word out about niche things.

second: myspace pages a lot of the spellers have myspace pages! this is like. a common thing!! only two were archived (leaf and logainne) and are able to be accessed! i'll talk about the others in a bit. they contain new information and i personally find them very interesting!

leaf logainne

HOWEVER: three are currently able to be accessed through modern myspace without needing an account. the format is off, but it's accessable.

barfee 25apcsb account panch third: other

there's two different things here so i'll separate them :]

3.1: r/v club

r/v club is a short film by rebecca feldman (one of the people that worked on spelling bee) that includes logainne! it can be found on her site with other short films. i believe this is the only one with her in it HOWEVER i have not checked therefore i could be wrong. it's set post-spelling bee, i believe. also jesse is in it but not as leaf.

r/v club

3.2: official site

spelling bee had a site!! and official merch!! its just a cool thing i think. it'll be mentioned again in the last section

spelling bee site

fourth and final: lost media (to my knowledge)

okay, spelling bee has.... QUITE a bit of lost media. again, this will be separated into parts.

4.1: C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E

before spelling bee was a thing, crepuscule (albiet mispronounced) was an improv play made by the farm. (same group who made r/v club) a lot of the characters were similar or the same, and it has a similar premise. however, it wasn't a musical. from what i've heard, there USED to be a boot of it, however i haven't found one of my own. i would love to be corrected.

4.2 myspace pages

remember how i was going to say this was going to come up again? hi thats now. outside of leaf and logainne, other myspace accounts were made! mitch (comfortcounselor), olive (mydictionary) + (oliveostrovsky), chip (chiptolentino), marigold (marigoldconeybear) an olive and barfee joint account (ilovemydictionary), and a leaf and logainne joint account (schwartzylogan). there's also another leaf account with the very confusing name of panchspell the issue with these is that theyre not archived, so you'll need a myspace account with a verified email to view these. in the year of our lord 2024 that's not exactly an easy find, especially since verification emails no longer send. plus, one of olive's accounts is dictionary.com now so,,,, who knows what it looks like there. most also need a connection, which makes things even MORE difficult. i hate how close but out of reach these accounts are.

4.3. spelling bee game

yeah they had a game. it's on the site, and it's eternally stuck at loading characters from my experience. here's the link anyway! game

4.4 the dirty bee

oh jesus its the dirty bee. so for context, in 2006 when the show was running, a few nights were booked for spelling bee that were meant for mature audiences and were 18 plus. it's catered towards people who have already seen the bee and want something new. it was inspired by jay (panch) and putting in words or sentences researsals that were clearly for funnies because he was bored. alas it became a derivative of the musical. all we know is what an article provides (theres more than one but the one linked gives the most info) and that chip quote unquote "finished off" at my unfortunate erection according to jose. there's rumor that chip is canonically bi in it but theres no sources so,,,, can't confirm that one.

article

(the quote is said in the reunion "stars in the house" and is found in the playlist)

conclusion:

there's genuinely so much shit in this musical i find it fascinating. this post WILL be updated with any other finds or information. PLEASE dm me or let me know if i got something wrong or if you have something to add (though do add a source, please and thank you)

ALSO: reblogs are greatly appreciated!! shoutout to the wiki, @/honkmaster69 and the people i spam in dms for helping and tolerating me <33

[toomanythoughts2]

Toki and Murderface RoadTrip Old Fic Idea

I'm the author of the Skwistok Honeymoon Groupchat Fic, and this was another idea that was also going to be a Groupchat fic but it never happened because I was too indecisive about things. So have the ramblings of the possibilities of it all.

Anyway, this was a "Murderface and Toki Roadtrip" fic idea in a groupchat style. It would be after AOTD and after an album was released, and it would have been their own "Friender Bender". Now, I was never able to decide if this was Murdertooth, Polyklok + Murdertooth-Centric, or Established Skwistok with Secret Relationship Dickface. I was leaning toward the last one because then the fic had a plot, specifically one where Toki ends up becoming Murderface's confidant about his queerness and his relationship, and helping him come to terms that coming out to the band won't ostracize him, that he is worthy of love, he is worthy of being proudly in love, and that times aren't what they were when he was a child.

There were random bits that would have fleshed out characters and random scenes that would have been a laugh.

For instance, Murderface and Toki would have drastically different music genres to listen to.

Murderface is the driver while Toki is the passenger princess. Murderface flips between his black metal (which Toki also enjoys), Bachata (Spanish Singing Murderface is canon to me. He just can't speak it. Toki is shook.), opera (He went to that god damn opera by himself for a reason, he's gotta like it.), thrasher, generalized American Boy roadtrip music like Lynard Skynard, Areosmith, and Eagles to name a few (Toki knows these songs but listening to them within the American context of going on a roadtrip does something to his soul.), and The Divas™️ which are classic female artists like Whitney Houston, Cher, and Madonna (Toki is well versed in The Divas™️)

I think Toki would bring out a lot of EDM, Top 40 POP, indie bands with like 100 listeners on Spotify, Actual Norwegian Black Metal, Disney (They both know all the words. Nathan helped him make the playlist), ABBA (It's him and Skwisgaar's guilty pleasure band), and other animated/cartoony music made that's either instrumental or vocal (Think like Hex Girl's "I'm a Hex Girl" from Scooby Doo.)

Obviously, they both have a long list of other type of Metal-centric music that they switch between like Grindcore, Nu Metal, Doom Metal, Power Metal, and lot of lesser known and very niche genres.

Another scene would be Murderface and Toki making a pit stop to Pickles house while on the trip but they don't let Pickles know.

And they don't let Pickles' parents know. They basically sneak into Pickle's parents house while they're gone and steal Calvert's most prized possession, which is a signed football from his favorite player. He won it by using up Pickles' college savings before Pickles' decided he wasn't going to go to college. They steal the football, take pictures of them with the ball, take pictures of them pissing on Molly's garden and then ripping up the flowers, then a last picture of them destroying the football. They then send it all in the groupchat, tagging Pickles like, "Hey, we stopped by your parents place. Hope they don't mind. <3" and Pickles is crying because he's never felt more seen. (Alternatively, Toki and Murderface would have sent the football to Pickles and told him to watch out for a package from them with it in there, perfectly pristine. Then Pickles would have been the one to destroy the ball and send pictures to the group chat.)

There would have been scenes where they're in motel rooms and Murderface is outside filming Toki talking on the phone to Skwisgaar, where he's dubbing over their conversation.

Such as, "(Bad Norwegian Accent) Oh Skwisgaar, it ams beens a wholes 30 minutes of nots speakings to yous. I feels likes I'ms goings to dies. My weaks guitar playings hands can't keeps up the phones withouts yous!" then he would mock Skwisgaar like, "(Bad Swedish accent) I am feelings the sames ways, my littles dildo guitar player. Every seconds you ams away froms me, I dies on the insides. I may pass away withouts yous.” And then he posts the video to the group chat, which Toki chases him around with a bat for because those were private phone calls. (Murderface wasn’t too far off and he’s embarrassed.)

But, if we go down the secret relationship route, the ending of the fic would have been Toki filming Murderface outside of the motel room while Murderface was on the phone with Knubbler, doing the exact same thing. Except, while Toki and Skwisgaar were defensive in the group chat anytime Murderface recorded any of his dubbed phone calls of them, Murderface would confirm that, yes, that’s exactly what he was doing and yes, it was Knubbler. Which would end in them teasing him about it for a bit BUT it would end with a congratulations and good vibes.

There would have been a lot of running gags too.

There would be a running gag of them pissing off different things in the area like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, and the Hollywood sign. There would also be a gag of them going to all different kinds of tourist traps like the World Largest Paint Ball or Real Life Alien Exhibit (Mystery Shack perhaps?) and them fully believing it/having the best fun. Like, Toki adds a layer to the paint ball and just about cries while Murderface is on the phone with Charles looking at the “alien” and demanding answers on why they couldn’t get aliens. They would also try and sneak into Area 51 but they would be kicked out quickly.

They would also do a lot of touristy things like scenic routes through the mountains or drive in theaters in the Midwest or go to New Orleans for Bourbon St or see the Giant Sequoias in California. There would be a large portion of fluff of them just hanging out together and being friends and doing stuff. Toki would have so many pictures of cats while Murderface, surprisingly, had a lot of pictures of them together. (He’s a changed man after AOTD, he does not want to take for granted his freedom, Toki, and his friendship/relationship with Toki.)

Now, there was also another instance in this fic where they could have made a pit stop at Murderface’s grandma’s house.

This gave me a lot of ideas of what it would look like. I’m partial to my dingey and depleting two story southern home that has not been taking cared of due to poverty and old age while in the middle of acres of woods where the nearest neighbor is 2 miles away.

Now, I am also very partial to ranch Murderface, where they own farm animals such as pigs, chickens, goats, and maybe a cow and a horse. This would have been a somber scene, where Toki is introduced to Murderface’s homelife, along with getting a better understanding of Murderface’s trauma with family. There would have been a moment where Murderface shared pictures or sentimental objects of his mothers with Toki (and the group chat). It also would have tied in some of Murderface’s Appalachian beliefs such as glass bottles on trees and “never go into the woods at night if you hear a woman. That’s not a woman. That’s a skinwalker.” (Murderface fully believes in skinwalkers. He’s a 2am AM Radio listener of conspiracy theories. Is there an active skinwalker in Murderface’s childhood homes area? Possibly. Toki is too scared to get out of bed at night to check.)

There would have also been an attempted hit on their lives as well.

I did dabble in the idea of Toki and Murderface being targeted and hurt while on the trip and having to go to the hospital. It would have been something like this.

Murderface hops off the highway and decides he wants to take a scenic route on the trip. While on this route, he pops a tire somehow. He pulls over to attempt to see how bad it is and if he can just pop on a spare till they can get to an automotive place. Well, someone passes him and pulls over. Thinking they’re coming to help, Murderface greets them, only to then be shot at. Toki, who is still in the car, freaks out and while attempting to get out and help Murderface, Toki gets strangled from an unknown assailant from behind. Fighting happens, Toki knocks out the person behind him and Murderface runs back to the car. However, he gets shot (Don’t worry, he lives) but Toki, who stole the other assailants gun from his belt, shoots at the other guy and hits him in the chest.

Well, Murderface gets back in the car and he has to basically race to the hospital with one popped tire and a bullet wound. Toki has a nasty gash around his neck that’s bruising. Toki is sending a SOS message while Murderface drives. Some of it altered between Toki having to take the wheel while Murderface pumped the pedals to Toki having to take over completely by pushing Murderface’s chair all the way back and climbing in in front of him to take over.

They get the hospital in time, they are treated, and the guys + Charles have the two people plus that area searched. Here would have been the conversation of “Should we come get you to go home?” and Murderface would have said, “Fuck no.”

Basically, it would have been one big self indulgent fic of Murderface and Toki having fun while road tripping around the US and getting into trouble.

[notnights]

Is Creep by Radiohead more Jax coded or Gangle coded?

Hey this gives me the opportunity to mention "Creep by Radiohead" was a very shortly lived tumblr meme a few years back, and I genuinely don't think a lot of people knew that judging by the reactions people had to this picture,

and by the fact that because of the reactions I saw to this picture, I went to go find evidence this was once a meme (and possibly what Gooseworx was making a funny about here maybe??) only to find out it was such a niche meme there is no "knowyourmeme" page about it or even people talking about this specific meme outside of tumblr.

And I feel insane because I can't find any proof, but I KNOW it happened, it would be stuff like "person makes playlist for their fav supervillain, and it's just creep by radiohead" and the [supervillain playlist] is replaced with almost anything else and then "but it's just creep by radiohead" or "and it's creep by radio head"

Kind of the same as people who meme on "Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez because so many teenage girls will describe the song as their family because just like Creep by Radiohead, there's enough relatability to it even if the stories don't line up exactly with one's life. Teenage boy relates to Creep by Radiohead, Joker relates to Creep by Radiohead, real! memed on!

Which, back to the Jax picture, I had originally ASSUMED this was the joke of this piece. That Jax's life from our perspective, at the moment, is nothing like Creep by Radiohead, or is it? Because again, there's that vague enough relatability for any fan to listen to this song and take SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ABOUT JAX from it. Half of this song is about loving someone else, or about not fitting in, or about not having control, and people dove in, what parts relate to Jax, etc etc.

A meta joke, about oh Jax is finding this song relatable that's funny on it's own, fans seeing this photo and song will start guessing about stuff it means for Jax, even though the reality is, Creep by Radiohead has such a wide reach. Even if it meant anything specifically for Jax, there would be so many guesses as to what that might specifically be, no one would know right. This is on par with other funny tweets Goose has made before in relation to keeping fans guessing: "when you see fanart of something close to canon---it was fast food uniforms" <- her first tweet, NO one was going to guess right, it's vague enough to make people think and go crazy but not confirm anything, the follow up tweet, showing it was never serious at all, relevant but nothing no one needed to think too hard on. It was months until we got the punchline but god that was funny. Saying this song ALSO relates to Gangle shows further the vague wide relatability of it, everyone gets something out of this song one way or another, for themselves, for a character, whatever. More over this is part of my ribbunny playlist long before this image of Jax was posted. And you're probably at this point being like, NIGHTS WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT!!!

AND I'M SHAKING YALL AND SAYING I SWEAR THIS IMAGE OF JAX IS SUPPOSE TO BE BASED OFF A NICHE TUMBLR MEME AND I FEEL LIKE IM INSANE BECAUSE IM THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS IT!!! OR MAYBE I AM JUST INSANE!!!

[ego-meliorem-esse]

Do you hc America to speak other languages or is he a fully English bimbo? To my knowledge, NASA requires Russian fluency, I don't think many other US-government level agencies require another language but I could be wrong. I know Spanish translations of official documents are increasingly accessible but English is still the de facto language.

What I will say is that the notion that Alfred, as a superpower in the modern age, does not speaks several languages is absurd to me.

The languages i hc him to know, besides English, are:

Spanish - first and foremost. Though Alfred does have more of a Mexican dialect when speaking Spanish, which slightly annoys Antonio. As it should.

German - very good at it! Gets the accent almost perfect. For Alfred, German was one of those easier languages he learned. With most nations, Alfred speaks English. And not really because he doesn't want to or try to speak their language, but mostly because it's rare that other nations expect this dude to speak their native languages. Not with Gil tho! Their conversations are full of German-centric memes. Alfred is a big fan of Mitten im Leben. Unapologetically so! He knows enough German to understand the shitty acting in the show.

Mandarin - this on is very straight forward, it's good business. He uses it too much for diplomatic purposes to find joy and interest in speaking it. Sad really, as its a fascinating language.

Russian - also very straightforward, he works at NASA for commissions and contracts and its very common to speak it. Even besides that, the Cold War required it as well. His Spotify playlists are full of post communist songs of Russian, Polish, Yugoslav origins but he'll die before show it to anyone.

Japanese - He stutters and takes his time when speaking Japanese. He learned it but rarely uses it nowadays.

Korean - man, he tries. It's a relatively new language under Alfreds belt. But his problem is that he sounds very flat when speaking Korean. Nowadays he uses it more than Japanese though!

French - oh this is a very fun one for me to get into. Contrary to popular headcanoning, I hc him to struggle with it. He does understand most of verbal French, but as a child he started learning it and at that point he wasn't really all that interested in other languages. He had other shit keep his focus. So, while he did hear a large amount of it growing up, he had few attempts to speak it himself. Even during the American revolution, when he made his way across the pond to woo his french patrons, he was mostly spoken to in English. In their minds he was not very cultured. A mixed race country bumpkin putting his big boy pants on for the first time. As annoying that was for Alfred, he had other shit to worry about. And Matt rarely spoke French when living with Al and Arthur so there wasn't really an opportunity there for Alfred. This is one language that he is constantly passively learning, which is hilarious bc it's one of the first ones he should have known lol. I get that this is a very niche hc and makes little sense but i find joy in it. And also in François' frustration.

Plus a limited knowledge of other languages. Alfred is trying to make time to learn more languages, but finding time for it is a challenge.

I'll expand on Alfreds knowledge of both specific classifications of Algonquian and Iroquois languages in a later post.

All that said, Alfred is, in heart and soul, an "English bimbo" 🙏

[finnedfatale]

What kind of music do you think the entire savannaclaw listens to?

Oh my days I've been waiting for an ask like this hold on.

So first of all I gotta ✨loredrop.✨ I made silly little playlist for all the guys in the series before I got into it to see if they're even somewhat accurate, most of my predictions were appropriate to the characters at least in my opinion.

My predictions and current thoughts are as followed:

Ruggie is 100% into some popular punk bands but he calls them underground and niche. He probably heard some bands play live, he wasn't anywhere near them though, just camping outside of the stadiums and other places where the events were held. We know that Ruggieboy is a person who is rather wise when it comes to the streets. Therefore it's easy to assume he hung out around the more popular kinds of people (in and out of the groups) and spent lots of time outside. So he definitely heard a lot of rap and street musicians. Most people who tend to be popular listen to rock and rap due to how compatible and flexible these genre's can be. I can see him knowing pop songs and DEFINITELY knowing some k-pop.

Jack is a tough one. I feel like he's the type of a person to say he listens to everything that catches and just... Clicks yk? Most of it would seem like phonk, though it irks me to think that it would be just that. Jack would be the type of a guy who'd have a CD collection (perhaps even a record collection of he's feeling fancy) with like... Songs and music his friends like. He doesn't have much of the stuff he likes there, preferring to just listen to whatever his friends would listen to. He heard multiple songs that people said are like him... He's tired of hearing "let's get down to business" as the first words to said song. Damn I wanna rewatch Mulan now.

I feel like Leona wouldn't listen to much music. Like occasionally on a good day he would, other than that he seems like the type of a guy who finds music too distracting. My best friend suggested "He would probably listen to probably Disney/Kids movies songs because of his nephew." I can't argue with that one honestly, some of those are total earworms. Though it opens another worm of cans, would that mean in some way that he'd listen to Disney on ice too? That's basically theater, which would make him a theater kid therefore he'd know Hamilton... My mind is rotting. I cannot imagine him listening to much music.

Npcs from this dorm would listen to the most random shit ever. Like you 'd pull up the logs of the most listened songs and it would be like... Korn and then Babymetal followed by Sparta remixes idk. Also jack deffo had a Sparta remix phase, like I used to run a lot and I know that Sparta remixes were the BEST to run to. Omw to rewatch Mulan now.

[wisteria-lodge]

Do you have any songs or playlist that make you think of Prison of the Phoenix or snupin in general?

"Wolf" - First Aid Kit ~ This song is just Remus. Of course he has to be indie folk rock, no surprises there. And it's just this nice mix of tired and badass that I think really suits him.

"The Unwinding Cable Car" - Anberlin ~ A Severus song. Very contemplative, internal, and... stuck. With a through line of hope.

"18th Floor Balcony" - Blue October ~ Great song for the tone of their relationship. We've got some overwhelmed and disbelieving hesitance, and it's all very soft and subtle and low key - while also being very intense (the way they are).

"Young and Beautiful" - Lana Del Rey ~ Slightly melancholy yet triumphant summer romance, with lots of self-doubt in there.

"Prelude 12/21" - AFI" ~ This is actually my Severus + Dumbledore song. It's got a lot of power behind it, but it's also a creepy lullaby, which speaks to the insidiousness, condescension, but also overwhelming nature of this relationship.

"Diary of Jane" - Breaking Benjamin ~ Severus/Lily needs to be feel very intense, but very young. So this is like bleak, angry Severus who just doesn't care what happens next (but thinks he's being very tragic and noble.)

"Breaking Inside - Shinedown" ~ A Severus angst song - all about being trapped (by your past, by circumstances, by yourself) and just very angry about it.

"Antihero" - Taylor Swift" ~ My song for getting inside Sirius' head. A little self hating, but a little self mythologizing, and like... he's just starting to get a more objective view of his relationships.

"Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" - Todrick Hall ~ @niche-pastiche said I had to put this one in for Lucius.

"Look What You Made Me Do" ~ Taylor Swift" - ANOTher diva song for Lucius, but this one is an angry diva... and it kinda works for me as a Lucius + Voldemort song.

[heymacy]

hello friends ✨ and welcome back to Weekly Tag Game Wednesday! i'm your host (this week), macy, and today we're getting Back to Basics with a good old-fashioned getting-to-know-you tag game!

(disclaimer: there is presently a glitch with tumblr that only allows you to tag 5 people per line in your text posts. to remedy that, you can separate your tags into different lines as i have at the bottom of this post to ensure that everyone that's tagged knows they've been tagged!)

let's get started!

**

name: macy

age: i am flirty and thriving

your time zone: CDT, or UTC-5

what do you do for work? i'm a supervisor at a major coffee chain

do you have any pets? three cats: penelope, winston, and julius pepperwood

what first drew you to this fandom? it was quarantine. a friend sent me a youtube video (a compilation of gallavich scenes) and said i think you would like this show, but fair warning, it's heavy. i'd given it a try in the past but only made it to 1x06 (a tragedy) and decided to give it another go. three and a half years later, here we are.

are you a morning person or a night owl? primarily a morning person, sometimes both

what are your hobbies? writing, reading, fandom-ing, making super niche playlists

how tall are you? 5' 5" or 165cm

if you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? ireland, probably. or that one greek island with all the cats

favorite color? green

favorite book? ask me again when i've made a better dent in my TBR

favorite movie? some like it hot

favorite fic? Love is a Ballfield, TIPDIG, or Old Rules

favorite musical artist: billie eilish + chappell roan

what is your average screen time so far this week? 3hrs 57min

what's the first app you open in the morning? discord (good morning pals!)

how long have you been on tumblr? 13 years

finally (and i know this one is hard) tell me a fun fact about yourself: i'm amazing at parallel parking. like, i am stupid good at it. and i taught myself how to do it because my parents refused to teach me how to drive when i was 15 because it was "too stressful" lmao

tags below the cut!

i'm tagging @gardenerian, @palepinkgoat, @deedala, @mybrainismelted, @jrooc,

@blue-disco-lights, @energievie, @michellemisfit, @tanktopgallavich, @vintagelacerosette,

@sickness-health-all-that-shit, @sleepyfacetoughguy, @whatthebodygraspsnot, @whatwouldmickeydo, @metalheadmickey,

@heymrspatel, @7x10mickey, @gallawitchxx, @howlinchickhowl, @the-rat-wins,

@mmmichyyy, @doshiart, @transmickey, @lee-ow, @callivich,

@deathclassic, @stocious, @too-schoolforcool, @darlingian, @sxltburn,

@sluttymickey, @thisdivorce, @grumble-fish, @xninetiestrendx, @creepkinginc,

@crossmydna, @y0itsbri, @captainjowl, @astaraels, @ardent-fox

@wehangout, @arrowflier, @iansw0rld

love you guyyyyys! 🌟

[randomvarious]

Louisiana Soul Playlist

Added a few sweet southern gems to this Louisiana soul playlist that I haven't done anything with in years. A couple of them come from the deeply underappreciated Shreveport native, Eddie Giles, who never once charted on either of Billboard's Hot 100 or R&B charts, but made it to Cashbox in '66/'67 with his solo secular debut, "Losin' Boy," which unexpectedly proved fortuitous for him when it moved 2,000 units in Shreveport, 10,000 in Dallas, and 70,000 in Chicago. Giles would end up touring with Ike & Tina Turner, had a young Jimi Hendrix open for him and his band for his Chicago dates, and in '68, he'd turn in the great and much lesser-known "Ain't Gonna Worry No More" too. And while Giles was Louisiana born-and-bred, he didn't fit into that famously swampy mold; he opted for a sound that had potential to be broadly mass-appealing rather than confined to a specific sonic niche and character. Plus, despite the fact that "Losin' Boy" would prove as the most commercially successful song of his career, it's only currently sitting at ~5.6K plays on Spotify, which is way too low. And "Ain't Gonna Worry No More" has significantly less than that, at under 1K, so give 'em both spins so we can do right by this guy and celebrate his career as a terrific soul artist!

Bobby Powell - "C.C. Rider" Eddie Giles - "Losin' Boy" Eddie Giles - "Ain't Gonna Worry No More"

And then for the YouTube version of the playlist, I was able to add "Ain't Gonna Worry No More" too ("Losin' Boy" was already on there), plus a deeply obscure late 80s/early 90s street soul/hip hop cover kinda thing of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," which has this goofily light and bright sound to it that's definitely of its time and has gone extinct, but I find to be very lovable. I don't know if anyone's ever defined this vibe before, but it sounds like the type of music that might've played over some very shitty ceiling speakers in a department store in or around 1990. And if no one's ever coined a term for it, I say we just call it 'department store' 🤷.

Anyway, this "I Can See Clearly Now" cover is by a guy named Ric Harris, who I've never been able to find a single fucking thing about, but this only song of his seems to've only exclusively appeared on a compilation that was put out in the early 90s by the Shreveport-based Paula Records called Super Soul Blues Vol. III. So if Paula was willing to record some guy who'd evidently never put out another song in his entire life, my best guess is that he was local and that's why I've included this song of his on this Louisiana Soul playlist here, which currently stands at just 88 plays. I also have no idea if he's the rapper or the singer, or perhaps both, on this song either 😅.

Ric Harris - "I Can See Clearly Now"

And this playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So this update now brings us up to 14 songs on Spotify that clock in at 41 minutes, but over on YouTube, we're now up to 16 songs that clock in at 50 minutes; so if you want that Ric Harris song or something like the great high-pitched Ted Taylor's "Cummin Prison Farm," give the YouTube one a listen.

And for a more specific type of Louisiana soul, I've also got enough songs to comprise a Shreveport playlist too:

Shreveport Soul: YouTube / YouTube Music

Back to electronic music next week!

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

Like what you hear? Follow me on Spotify and YouTube for more cool playlists and uploads!

[copperbadge]

The Pompeii exhibit at the MSI, as with many temporary exhibits there, is split across two galleries. I like how they handled that this time; the first half presents artworks and artifacts recovered from Pompeii, and uses them to teach about ancient Roman life. I studied classical fresco and mosaic arts in grad school, so I got to see some stuff in person that I’d only ever seen before in books. The mosaic of the anchor, for example, has never left Italy before. 

The winged-phallus windchime I’d seen before but also not in person, and I was very amused by the fact that it was off in a niche with a warning sign about artifacts of an adult nature. Which was mostly a lot of dicks, and a couple of (I thought) tasteful frescoes of people having sex or looking like they’d like to. I also wrote a paper on the penis as a magical amulet in classical history in grad school, so I was delighted by all the penis amulets I got to see. A hundred years ago you had to Know A Guy At The British Museum to get a look at stuff like this. 

The last image comes from the more serious second half of the exhibit, which I have another post queued about, but I thought one of the cooler elements they introduced was the screen showing a gladiatorial fight, with the two smaller screens showing images of the fighters. I love that they basically gave this gladiator a D&D character stat set. 

There were some aspects of the exhibit I didn’t love -- some scientific/historic exhibits in the past ten years have made heavy use of video, which I don’t hate intrinsically, but a lot of the time there will be several video exhibits in one room. It’s extremely unpleasant to try and watch one -- or even look at non-video exhibits -- when three separate video narrations are audible at once. I had planned to leave my headphones off, because I’ve realized that I’m rarely in public without my headphones in and that might be contributing to a certain level of alienation, but I had to get them out of my pocket and put them back in because at least I could pump the volume on my playlist and only hear Robbie Williams instead of three separate people pontificating about ancient history. 

But overall as a Roman history and an art history nerd I very much enjoyed the exhibit, and I might go again before it closes. 

[ID: Four photos; the first shows the entry atrium to the exhibit, a pair of old-fashioned wooden doors above which is a video screen with the title “One Day In Pompeii” waiting to show us an introductory film. Middle left, a mosaic showing an anchor, two swimming men, and two dolphins or whales, is mounted on a wall; middle right is a windchime made of a bronze winged penis-creature with a penis-shaped tail, each of its limbs clutching a chain that holds a small bell. Bottom, a large video screen with two glass panels in front of it; the screen shows a shield and sword in a gladiatorial arena, while the panels show the warrior on the right and his “stats” and name, Murmillo, on the left.]

[darlingpoppet]

WIP Wednesday

I got tagged by @johaerys-writes & @baejax-the-great … tysm guys! <3 I’m currently putting the finishing touches on the next chapter of Liminal Spaces, and we’ve made it to the part of the story where I have given the blorbos my own incredibly cringe-but-free niche internet interests. I’m considering even making direct links in the fic text to make the whole thing a bit more interactive, hmm… thoughts? Anyways I’m tagging @calyxcurl @zorthania @elemmacil @sonderlivra & @levislattes in case there’s anything you wanna share! <3

“Lifetime by Surfing,” Achilles says suddenly to Patroclus when the song in question appears in the playlist rotation. “Tell me which song it is sampling and by whom, or pay the penalty.”

Patroclus closes his eyes to listen, brow furrowed with concentration.

“That has to be Eugene Wilde,” he says after a while. “The song is called ‘Personality’.”

Achilles clicks his tongue, perhaps lamenting the missed opportunity to playfully torment Patroclus for a bit. “I thought for sure that would get you… it was a modest hit only in the UK in nineteen eighty-four.”

“Who is Eugene Wilde?” Zagreus asks. “I’ve never heard of him.”

“He had a couple of number one hits in the eighties,” Patroclus says.

“On the R&B charts,” Achilles clarifies. “He never charted above seventy-sixth place on the US pop charts.”

“Oh, interesting,” says Zagreus, who can only nod along. He listens as another song begins to play: Boot, by Macintosh Plus. “I have to admit, I don’t really understand the appeal of this music. They just slow down old random pop songs to make them sound distorted and creepy, and anyone can do that. It takes no effort or imagination whatsoever.”

“What do you mean!?” Achilles exclaims, once again so loudly that it makes Zagreus jolt with the shock of it. “So by that logic, do you think a literal toilet bowl with a couple of words scribbled on the side couldn’t become one of the most influential and thought-provoking works of art of the twentieth century just because ‘anyone could do it’?” Achilles taps pointedly at his temple. “It’s the ideas behind the art that make them brilliant. If everyone could do it then someone else would have done it first, and then it wouldn’t have meant anything!”

Even frivolous arguments like these between Zagreus and his father had always felt like life-or-death—fraught with tension, fear, and anger, a thing that he had to survive. But despite his passion, there is no anger in Achilles’ tone or expression—his wide, toothy grin flashes with amusement—this argument is a game to him, and even if he wants to win, the stakes are low. It helps Zagreus to relax, to meet such friendly sparring in kind.

“All right then, tell me,” he scoffs back. “What sort of ideas are they trying to get across?”

[loonarii]

Ari's K-Pop Roundup: March 2024 (ILLIT, ARTMS, CHUNGHA, VCHA + MORE)

Check out last months installment here :) sidenote: sorry about this episode being a bit heavy on the smaller reviews - have been experiencing a cruel and unusual combination of illness and exam season lol - next month will hopefully be slightly better

Magnetic - ILLIT (SUPER REAL ME)

Whether you watched HYBE's 2023 idol survival show 'R U Next?' or you had the self preservation to skip it, if you were into k-pop at that time, you definitely heard about it. The show gained attention from the community originally because it was from HYBE, the newest, and arguably currently the most influential k-pop company goliath, and because HYBE's girl groups (notably Le Sserafim and NewJeans) are famous for influencing the kpop scene instantly upon debut, and maintaining their spots in the top 10s of the charts for many months. This was HYBE giving us a look behind the curtain at the making of the next big girl group, and letting us call a lot of the shots along the way. Or at least that's what it was supposed to be. Rigging in these type of idol shows is practically expected, but HYBE was a new offender, and their crimes weren't only frequent, but pretty obvious. The fans protested, but nothing changed. ILLIT, the group that emerged on the other side, was a group that was hardly a showcase of the talent on display on the show, nor a reflection of the fans and their biases. It was a reflection of who the producers felt fit their pre-established concept for the group, an influencing factor that wasn't made clear to the fans watching, nor potentially, to the idols participating. Ironically, since the whole point of a survival show is to drum up support and build a fanbase for a group's upcoming debut, ILLIT has arguably started off on a worse foot than if they had just dropped 'Magnetic' on YouTube out of nowhere, NewJeans 'Attention' style.

However, regardless of their rocky start, ILLIT is here, with their debut mini album 'SUPER REAL ME', featuring the title track 'Magnetic' - let's talk about it. 'Magnetic' capitalizes on that glitchy, 8-bit, distorted, bedroom pop sound that's been blowing up recently, both in the k-pop industry by NewJeans, LOONA, and tripleS, and in the western space by Pinkpantheress. It's easily catchy, and highly danceable, and the members sound amazing on it - I felt especially drawn to Minju's delivery, her vocal tone is beautifully unique, and Wonhee did a stellar job as the centric member of the choruses. Magnetic's allusions to NewJeans are undeniable, if only lacking that certain NewJeans je ne sais quoi. I don't really have a problem with this, if I get more fun songs out of groups allegedly 'copying' NewJeans then it's a win for me, my only fear is that if ILLIT doesn't find their own niche they will be called knock-off NewJeans for the rest of their careers, which isn't fair to the girls. TripleS got accused of something similar back with AAA's 'Generation', but since then they have carved out a space for themselves in the industry, making music and exploring aesthetics others aren't.

As for the b-sides, I was kind of obsessed with 'My World', even though it is functionally an intro; it's such an unexpected earworm. 'Midnight Fiction' is cute, even if I think it needed another hook or layer of production to elevate it more. 'Lucky Girl Syndrome' is slightly better than 'Midnight Fiction', but a bit worse than 'Magnetic'. It's very obvious that the title came before the track, and it bizarrely sounds kind of like 'Sensitive' by Loossemble? The chorus is slightly weak, but I am obsessed with the instrumentation and the production choices - this song sounds nothing like NewJeans, I really hope they draw from this vibe in their future releases.

Overall, a pretty decent debut. You will definitely catch me streaming 'Magnetic' over the next few weeks, whether it will have the longevity to stick around in my playlist for longer remains to be seen. Good luck ILLIT, you've had a rough start in the industry, but it's clear that they have a big career ahead of them, and I for one, am seated.

Pre1: Birth - ARTMS [LOONA] (Dall)

After an iconic run of Haseul and Heejin's solo projects, as well as ODD EYE CIRCLE's first release out of BBC, 5/12 of the LOONA girls are here as ARTMS. 'Birth' is a song that operates outside of the conventions of kpop formulae; its experimental, confrontational, melancholy and bears an undercurrent of rage. Tonally and structurally it is unique from anything being released right now, and lyrically its compelling and mysterious. If this is a taste of what the upcoming album is going to sound like, I am extremely excited.

The music video is one of the best kpop has to offer - its so unlike anything else I have seen. I heavily encourage you all to go check out the theories the orbits/ouriis have been cooking up because LOONA LORE IS BACK!! I am very curious if the loossemble lore will link to this in any way, but that remains to be seen.

EENIE MEENIE - CHUNG HA, feat. HONGJOONG

Chungha is back, with a new company and an old concept. I'm not sure how to feel about this track, its clear she feels very confident in this style and it does suit her more than 'Sparkling', but I think 'Sparkling' was overall a better song. The production of 'Eenie Meenie' is very high quality and I especially loved that guitar layer in the chorus, and bringing Hongjoong in for a verse was a great call, he fits the song and matches Chungha's vibe perfectly. Unfortunately however, I don't find the chorus to be very catchy, which is clearly what the song is banking on in order to chart. The whole 'eenie meenie minie mo' thing is odd, but honestly could have been worse if this song had been given to anyone other than Chungha, the real death sentence for this song was the lack of interesting melody. I'm happy that Chungha is now making the kind of music she wants to, I just hope that the quality of releases go up in the future.

Only One - VCHA

Who knew that when Fifty Fifty crumbled due to their (allegedly) god awful company, it would be VCHA of all groups to successfully pick up the retro girlpop gauntlet?? 'Only One' is genuinely so fun, that post chorus is a killer, and even the mildly awkward writing clears up after the first verse. The girls have such great chemistry, and they are all genuinely improving their skills every comeback, and although I may have questioned JYP's decision to debut girls who had barely been in training, seeing the girls improve in real time is lowkey actually a selling point - like now I want to pay attention to them to see how good they are going to get?? JYP making an intelligent marketing decision?? In this economy?? Congratulations VCHA, you have officially established yourself as a force to be reckoned with, KATSEYE had better bring the heat when they debut to compete with this.

MINI REVIEWS:

Get Goin' - aespa: did you know this song existed? no! Is it surprisingly really fun? well yes! not sure what aespa has to do with fraggle rock, but if it takes Apple TV spamming SM Entertianment's dms to get aespa to release more music, then that's what must be done.

The knight who can't die and the silk cradle - LUCY: (req. by @a-moth-to-the-light) I've always been mildly aware of LUCY, but until my moot requested I review their latest release, I had never heard any of their songs. Needless to say, I was severely impressed. This song is so cinematic and heartfelt - to my knowledge it isn't part of an OST to a particularly cinematic kdrama, but it might as well be. I heavily encourage you all to go watch the mv with subtitles on, or read the translation, because lyrically this is a masterpiece. LUCY, you have officially caught my attention, I will be checking out future releases.

Paths to home - 문채원, HOWUS: The music video for this song, at time of writing, currently has 147 views, I have no clue how I stumbled across it, but I am so glad I did. 'Paths to home' is a beautifully constructed and performed citypop inspired track that to me evokes LOONA's early discography, especially those from Hyunjin's solo project. It is so perfectly constructed to my tastes, I love it to death. I have no idea how 'HOWUS' as a project works, I don't know if it's a group, a company, a subunit, or apparently even when it was released because according to some websites it came out in 2022 (the struggles of extremely nugu kpop cannot be understated), but what I do know is that this song deserves more attention, and I adore it. This is one for the NewJeans, LOONA yyxy, tripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes girlies.

Wish You Hell - WENDY (Red Velvet): SM finally gave Wendy a song that isn't a ballad!!! This song is pretty fun, but I wish it bit more oomph. The lyrics leave much to be desired, but Wendy's vocal performance is naturally very high quality, although I wish she went a bit harder in some sections - she's singing about wishing someone hell, but tonally it sounds like she's serenading them lol. A fun song, could have been better with another few drafts. Seulgi's 'best Red Velvet solo project' crown is yet to slip.

BBB - Purple Kiss: I will never shut the fuck up about how good 'Zombie' is, so seeing them explore similar sounds is so exciting for me!! 'BBB' is a very easy going listen, never awkward, never unpleasant, and although I think it needed a little something more to elevate it, it's a fun song I could easily see myself loving this summer. Swan absolutely ate up this comeback btw.

XXL - YOUNG POSSE: Bizarre sfx aside, I am very glad young posse is attempting to bring back 2000s hip hop into kpop, even if the execution is mildly clunky.

[ja-khajay]

Tagged by @ervona to post about 5 songs I've been listening to lately! Making a little mix and match playlist based on the half dozen tracks on my phone and songs I've recently discovered. I will detail a bit about each under the cut :)

Nouar - Cheika Rimitti (rai)

Twilight of the Thunder god - Amon Amarth (metal)

What's Golden - Jurassic 5 (hiphop)

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel (pop)

Potions - Puscifer (? rock ?)

NOUAR

A few months ago, the combination of discovering a rai playlist on Spotify based on an artist I listen to with friends and another discovery of a radio station that exclusively plays north african and middle eastern music, the latter which became my go-to listen on the way from work for a while, I discovered this specific track. It's a huge niche hit, unknown to the general public but racking up in the millions of views online among fans of the genre and it's easy to see why! This is an absolutely hypnotic track which cleverly layers it's intrument with a catchy sung melody, periodically cut by the rythmic choir repeating its title. The main singer in the dialog has an outstanding voice and this all makes for a looping, hooking listening experience that makes you want to play it forever.

Twilight of the Thunder God

In a very different vibe, we have a track that perfectly matches it's overdesigned, historically based (yet inaccurate) cheesy madness of an album cover. This is the only song if this band I'm familiar with as a big hit. Power metal is among some of my favorite genres of music of all time, especially in it's overbearing energy and gratuitous use of double-pedals on the kick drum, fast bass and general theatrics. While I'm not a fan of growled vocals, this track compensates in my mind with one of THE catchiest hooks I know of in the genre. When I listen to TofTG, it's because I suddently remember it one day and get instantly compelled to download it on my phone and scream its lyrics at the sky until it leaves my head where it's stuck. This can take weeks...

What's Golden

Yet another radio discovery! I'm shamefully bad at hiphop, despite liking the genre a lot, no-one around me listened to it for ages so I don't have similar backlog as in other genres and as such as a grown adult am discovering it all with enthusiasm. This song sums up so many aspects I love in the genre which i'll definitly be using to nail what specific sub-genres are my favorite some day... catchy with a great flow and an instrumental that hooks you, it's impossible to not nod along to the beat and drop what I'm doing to listen to the full thing when it comes up on my playlist.

Sledgehammer

Yeah yeah it's a classic you all know it. And for a reason! This is one of, if not the only song I know which I can't separate from it's music video. I typically dislike MVs and prefer listening to music in pure audio format, but Sledgehammer comes with such a well crafted, wlel synched and creative film attached that it's always playing in my head when I hear it. This song was introduced to me by a mutual a few years ago which I'll be tagging in this post later as a thank you! I don't get its appeal as a dancey song, but it's definitly a track to dramatically walk to, which is probably the appeal the rest of this site sees in Once in a Lifetime...

Potions

For the nerds in the audience, this is a Reznor and Maynard collab so you know what you're getting into. The first thing that strikes me in this track is how loud the bass is - it turns the classic rock instrumental it's made from into something else that's just slightly overwhelming. And on top of that, very delicate vocals detail a raw, simple story of love and addiction. Where I chose this song above the many others of the band I'd been listening to a lot last month is this particular theme it has fits very well with a book series I'm reading right now, and it was easy for me to let my mind fly away with it on...:)

***

Runner ups: The Shame Of Life - Butthole Surfers / Ai vist to Lop - Mont-Jòia / Feuer Frei! - Rammstein / For me, Formidable - Charles Aznavour / It Mek - Desmond Dekker & the Aces

***

Tagging, your turn! @steamclouds @prolibytherium @internationalspacehobo @paristonhilll

[martsonmars]

Fic writers self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass it on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have already done it). Spread the self love ❤

Omg I hoped I'd get this ask, and the timing is perfect because I get to be sappy! Thank you. (Note: as always I drafted this post immediately and then let it die in my drafts 🤣)

Picking only five was really hard (and in fact I'm cheating). But I tried to focus on complete stories, because I am obsessed with stories yet to be finished but it doesn't make much sense to rec them. It was also difficult to separate the fics that I want to rec from the fic that I felt like I should mention because they're more popular or more liked, but I think I managed it.

5. I Know What You Are [T, 17k]

This fic is the first fic that made me feel like I had done it. Like I had written the kind of story I'd always wanted to since starting to write fanfiction in this fandom — a getting together fic that wasn't a short one shot but felt complete and well developed and satisfying. I also loved world building it, and sharing the behind the scenes content, and I am looking forward to, one day, writing another story set in this universe. I'm just really proud of it, and of the role it played in my journey as a writer.

4. The Dragon, the Sword, and the Knight [T, 3.3k]

This story holds a special spot in my heart. I love the format — I love that there's a story within the story, I love the fairytale vibes and I'm hoping to turn the fairytale into a short story one day, maybe a picture book. I also love it for the creative energy that surrounds it and that makes it a perfect example of why I love this fandom: it was inspired by art by @letraspal, who then made art for this fic; @sillyunicorn wrote a song about it and @jbrrring made art for the song. It feels so good to be part of something that involves so many creative lovely people.

3. sapore di sale, sapore di mare [T, 13k]

This is my first fic, and it deserves a spot here. Before Any Way The Wind Blows, I never thought I'd write canon compliant or established relationship. They're still not my favourite kind of fic, I strongly prefer getting togethers and AUs/canon divergences, but back then I was so sure I had nothing to say. And then AWTWB came out and I had SO MUCH to say. This fic is about food and about love and about the connection between food and love which is extremely important to me.

2. unfair [M, 9k]

I love this fic because it's different and because it's unique. It was a challenge to write something not only different from my usual Snowbaz but also different from many things I've written. I had a very specific vibe in mind and a very specific style to maintain and it worked out pretty well, but it wasn't easy. For the same reason I have to give a honourable mention to The Vampire and the Boy in the Tower, I worked a lot on the vibe and the style and I'm incredibly proud of it. unfair is an exploration of womanhood and motherhood that I managed to pull off better than I thought, and I'm glad I followed my heart to write something so niche.

1. Anti-seduction [T, 25k]

I don't know if this is my favourite fic I've written, but I've been thinking about it a lot recently. I love AUs so much, and this was so easy and fun to write. I loved the alternate timelines and the emails and the fun and the pining and the silly playlists I included. And this is the fic I wrote while I was falling in love, which made the experience different from any other fics I've written. Writing romance hits differently when you have someone to think about, and I really felt it with this fic (and with Coup de Coeur, later, too). I should write more just to feel it again. 💙.