#i’m living like jim morrison

[lilabearr]

[cherryangeles]

[dstryvampres]

Come On Baby(Light My Fire) - Neil Lewis x Reader

MINORS DNI !!!!!

inspired by this song.(Light my fire by the doors)

Pairing: Neil Lewis x Reader

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: weed use, smut, p in v, unprotected sex, sex while high, reader likes the doors sorry I forced that on you

Summary: Neil always comes after his shift to visit you on your late night shift, today he decides to bite the bullet and finally buy a CD from the store, and also ask you out I guess.

A/N: I've been on a huge doors kick recently and I really just wanted to force it onto you guys, and also neil because I love him. love my two male wives neil lewis and Jim Morrison xoxo

Exactly on time, 9:06pm, is when Neil Lewis prances into your store. The ding of the bell on top of the store’s door, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, close to the exact same time of 9:00pm to 9:10pm, was always Neil Lewis. He got off earlier on those days, having one of his friends and co-workers able to cover the last three hours until midnight that Gumshoe was open. You, unfortunately, were stuck until past midnight at your family owned music store, which Neil seemed to take advantage of as much as possible.

“Hello,” Neil greeted you coyly, walking up to the cash register where you stationed yourself for the night.

“Can I help you with anything?” You ask Neil, knowing you absolutely cannot.

“Nope.” Same answer as always.

Neil seemed to have no interest in music at all. Possibly only ever coming in here for a brief chat with you, then a quick stop by the soundtrack area of the store, then the discount area, all while still trying to hold a conversation with you. He would leave around 10 to 10:30pm, only to be back again the next day he could. Sometimes, you enjoyed his company, the jokes he cracked were funny, and he understood your struggles of working at a very niche sector of business. Other times, you wanted to beg him to get out of the store as soon as he came in. Possibly the latter is the case tonight, his big ass head is blocking your view of The Doors: Live at the Bowl ‘68 currently playing on the TV.

“How’s work been going for you?” Neil asks.

“Slow.” Tonight you’ll entertain his presence.

“Really? It was quite busy for a Monday at Gumshoe,” Neil gloats, smiling to himself, far too pleased that his store was doing better than yours.

“Oh yeah? All five of the movie nerds in the city came over today?” You tease, rolling your eyes at Neil’s gloating.

“Actually, it was mostly new people today,” Neil says, turning around to look at the TV now.

“Oh great, just what this world needs, more Gumshoe regulars.”

“You say that like anyone who frequents this store is any better. All that TV plays is music for pretentious losers, like yourself.” Neil glares at you from the corner of his eye, annoyed, but the smile on his face makes his expression more teasing.

“Atleast people know The Doors. Everytime I walk into your store the TV’s always playing something no one’s heard about,” you retort, going back to focusing on the performance instead of Neil.

“I’ll have you know every movie I play at Gumshoe holds importance, and is something everyone should know, even if they don’t,” Neil sighs, “I’m looking to educate the public.”

“How noble.”

Neil scoffs at your comment before walking off to the discount section of the store, leaving you to watch the TV alone. Even on your busier days the store seemed to slow down at this time. Usually it is just you and Neil when he comes in, maybe an additional straggler present who came into the store knowing what they wanted already. Now that Neil’s at the discount section, you know he’ll be busy for a little bit and decide to step out from the cash register to do some cleaning for the night. Mindless work to help you go home quicker when the store finally closes its doors to the public at 12am. Your boots thump on the concrete floor as you walk around the store to put everything back to normal. Letting Neil do his rounds around the store.

Ding.

Turning around to the noise, you find Neil smiling in front of the cash register. Tonight, he’s finally buying something. You never thought the day would come. Neil, a paying customer, and not just a window shopper. You rush over to the cash register to ring him up, excited to see what he finally thought was good enough to buy here.

“Woah! Slow down, you’re acting like I’m robbing you instead of buying from you,” Neil laughs, putting the CD down onto the counter.

It’s The Doors self titled album. You look at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“The performance on the TV persuaded me,” he smiles, looking away from your gaze.

“You always striked me as a vinyl guy,” you take the CD in your hands and open it, making sure the CD isn’t scratched before scanning it.

“I am, I just wanted to listen to it in my car. I was actually hoping that – uh – you’d come listen to it with me after your shift ends,” Neil gulps, wringing his hands out.

“Sure. Why not?” You hand him the CD, “That’ll be 20 dollars and 65 cents by the way.”

“Really? I mean– great. What time do you get off?” Neil slides you the money, you can feel how sweaty his palms are just from the money.

“12:30am, sorry for the wait,” you respond, now leaving the change on the counter to avoid another sweaty palmed encounter with Neil.

“No problem at all! I’ll see you at 12:30 then!” Neil exclaimed, waving a quick goodbye to you, CD and change in hand, before exiting with a huge smile on his face.

୨ৎ

The last three hours of your shift went quite smoothly, a lack of customers allowing you to do most of your closing tasks before the store actually closed and at your own pace. You couldn’t tell if you it was because closing was so easy today or because you were seeing Neil after your shift, but your body felt weirdly tingly with excitement. Neil’s car was parked right outside of the front door of the shop, it was hard to miss because of this, and also because Neil rolled down his window and as soon as you stepped out of the shop he yelled your name and then motioned over. Quickly you lock the door to the shop and open the door to Neil’s car, sliding into the front passenger seat.

“Thanks again for coming out tonight,” Neil said, giving you a soft smile. He then reaches over to the glove box to pull out the CD he just bought and hands it to you. “Will you do the honours?”

“Of course,” you open up the CD’s jewel case and carefully slide the CD into the cars slot.

Neil started driving as the CD whirled around without any noise, before finally the sound of the soft percussion started the album off. You let the song settle into the car staring out the window as Neil drives around, seeming to drive around aimlessly.

“You want to go anywhere in specific?” Neil asks. He had let it get to the second song of the album before saying anything.

“Not really no…” you muse, biting your lip in thought for a couple seconds, “you know for my first time experiencing this album fully, I was high. If you’re not into that it’s no big deal, but, if you are, I have some pot back at home.”

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Neil sighs out, “Lead me there.”

You lead Neil through a stream of winding roads and suburb strips until you guys reach your apartment complex. Allowing Neil to park in a guest spot, he pops out the CD and puts it back into the jewel case. You lead him into the building, and up the elevator. Fiddling around with your keys at your door, before pushing it into the lock and letting the both of you in.

“It’s a little messy, didn’t know I’d have a visiter tonight,” you apologized, closing the front door behind you with your foot and putting the keys on the wall.

“Oh, it’s no worries. You should see my place,” Neil jokes, kickings off his shoes waiting for you to lead the way.

After working off your shoes you lead Neil to your kitchen. Squating down and rummaging through the back of a bottom cupboard until you find your stash in an air tight container. You pull it out of the cupboard, a couple prerolls and some edibles sit in the clear container. Good enough for tonight.

“Shall we?” you ask, standing up and grabbing your lighter.

“Take me away,” Neil says, you take his hand and lead him out to your small balcony.

Your CD player is still out here from last night, you were in a rush to get to the store after sleeping in and forgot to put it back inside. Luckily it didn’t rain and the player is in the same condition it was as before. Neil hands you the CD and you pop it into the player, in return you hand him a joint.

“Let me tell you, this album is amazing sober, but I dare say it’s even better high.” You light his blunt before lighting your own.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Neil says, settling into the lawn chair.

The album starts up once again, ringing out between the two nof you. This time, you feel ths silence is less awkward.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a while,” Neil admits, out of the blue.

“Really? How long?” You look over at him, a blunt in his hand as he stares out into the city.

“Yeah, about half a year now. I don’t come into that store because I like music, y’know?” Neil looks at you now, only you.

The lighting from inside your apartment behind him lights up his beautiful bone structure, the light of the fire of the blunt lights up his eyes, and the brief light from the city allows you to catch all the high points of his face. You didn’t realise just how beautiful Neil was until now.

“I mean I could tell you didn’t care for the music, but I just thought you were bored,” you take another hit.

“I mean the first couple of times sure, but I don’t know, there was just something about you that intrigued me. You’re funny, and hot, and so unique,” Neil admits, his eyes not leaving yours.

“Thank you.”

“I mean it,” he blinks slowly and then looks bacl out at the city, continuing, “What don you like about this album?”

“I don’t know,” you admit, laughing, “I had a weird Doors phase at some point in highschool and, I guess, the album stuck through even afterwards. What, do you not like it?”

“No, it’s great. I just want to get to know you better,” Neil says, shaking his head.

“Well, what music do you like?” you ask.

“Soundtracks, but you know that one. I really liked grunge in high school, I guess that stuck with me too a little bit,” Neil purses his lips together, coughing a little.

“Never pegged you as a grunge fan,” you say, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m full of surprises,” Neil jokes, sending you both into a fit of laughter. Something like that usually wouldn’t set you off like that, but for some reason, it was the funniest thing tonight.

The winding chords to Light My Fire started to hit when you both calmed down from the laughter, and when you’ve both started to reach the end of the rolls.

Neil reaches out his hand to you, “Want to dance?”

You nod and take his hand, putting out your blunt as you stand. You both push the chairs off to the side, before setting off into a weird unnatural dance together. It was barely together, the only thing connecting you is the brief stints in which you guys hold hands, maybe Neil spins you around when your hands come together. At some point you guys get so close that when you look up to Neil your face to face with him. He looks at you for a couple seconds before slowly kissing you on the lips, it’s soft and welcoming, allowing for you to reciprocate. Both of you break away quite quickly, another beat, your lips are pressed together again with his. This time the kiss is hungrier, you bite at his lips softly, and he slips his tongue into your mouth. 

“Do you, uh– Want to take this further?” Neil asks, breaking away from the kiss. His pupils are huge, and his hair is messy.

“Yeah,” you respond, before going back into the kiss.

Both of you stumble through the apartment and into your bedroom while kissing. You feel the back of your knees hit your mattress before Neil gently pushes you backwards onto the bed. You look up at him, he’s breathing heavily, blue eyes scanning over your body hungerily. His lips are on yours again, tongue searching your mouth, he fondles your breasts through your shirt. You could feel wetness pool in your panties as Neil started to drag his kisses down to your neck. His fingers grazed your clothed stomach before coming to toy with the hem of your shirt teasing pushing it up slowly, fingers ghosting over your stomach making you whine out. You lightly grab at his hair, tugging it to edge him on to take off your shirt already. Neil takes the hint and pushes you shirt upwards exposing your breasts to him.

Neil smiles looking up at you before taking a nipple into his mouth, sucking the bud and rolling his tongue over it. You moan out at the sensation, staring up at the ceiling, focusing on the pleasure Neil is providing you at the moment. Your body is hot, you want him to hurry up and fuck you. Alas, Neil takes his time with your breasts, toying with both of them using his mouth and fingers. It’s both agonizing and feels so good. He watches you the whole time, taking pleasure in watching your face contort in pleasure and frustration. 

Finally, Neil captures you in a heated kiss again, before breaking off and taking his own shirt off. He places your hands on his chest, allowing you to feel his body’s heat as well as his heartbeat. His heartbeat is fast, mimicking the rise and fall of his chest. You run your hands over his chest and down his arms to his hands, placing them at the top of your jeans, basically begging him to take them off. He unbuttons your jeans, slowly, like he’s done almost everything tonight. Pulling them down with your help to expose your panties, soiled with you wetness. He stares at the wet patch on your panties for a second. Grinning the whole time.

“You flatter me,” Neil says, sliding his own pants down his legs, erection glaringly present. He lets them fall into the pool of pants at the edge of them bed.

Sliding a finger up and down your clothed heat, Neil climbs back into bed with you. Diving back in to kiss you. You wrap your legs around his waist and your arms are his neck. His erection presses up against your heat, and he grinds against you. He only lasts about a minute teasing you this way before he’s discarding your panties and positioning his fingers outside your cunt.

“Please,” you whimper out, and within the same breathe his fingers have entered you.

It’s slow at first, a rhythmic in and out pace, stretching you out as best and he can, but your moans fuel him to move his fingers faster. Soon enough your gripping the sheets just at his fingers as they push on your gummy walls deliciously and feverishly. His other hand rubs up and down your thigh, watching as you twitch and moan on his fingers, watching as your pussy takes his fingers in so easily. You clench around his fingers, back arching at his work, and all the sudde his fingers are gone. You look at him with a look of betrayal, which is quickly settled when you see him slide his underwear off, exposing his cock.

“Can I fuck you?” Neil asks, like his swollen tip isn’t already pressed against your entrance.

“Yes please.”

It’s all Neil needs before he’s sliding into you, stretching you out so nicely as he pushes in. When he bottoms out he’s pressed up against that sweet spot inside of you, almost like his cock is made just for you. Both of you sigh of as Neil stays still for a few seconds before pulling out of you slowly. 

“Oh baby, your pussy ‘s so good,” Neil slurs, pushing back into you.

His hands find your waist as he pushes in and out of your pussy. With each thrust Neil’s speed increases, his once calculated and rhythmic thrusts becoming wild and irregular as he continues to fuck you. You scratch his back as he fucks into, moaning as your eyes roll back.

Who knew movie nerds were such good fucks?

“Can I flip you around baby?” Neil pants out, his grip on your waist tightened.

You nod and he slips out of you, allowing you to get on all fours before pushing back into you. He’s hitting further back in this position, stretching out and reaching parts of you that you forgot felt so good.

“Fuck, baby, you look so good, you feel so good,” Neil babbles as he resumes his pace.

You don’t think you can last much longer in this position, with Neil fucking a specific spot in you consistently. He reaches over a hand and starts toying with your nipple again, and thats when you feel the slip happening.

“I’m gon’ cum, Neil, gonna cum,” you whine, arms giving out and face getting shoved into a pillow by Neil’s thrusts.

“Oh– fuck, me neither, cum all over my cock for me, fuck please baby, god please, cum all over my cock,” Neil speeds up his thrusts, reaching his hand down from your boob to your clit.

Neil rubs quick fast circles into your clit. Steadily, but roughly fucking you into your own mattress.

For a moment everything goes black as all you can feel is the knot in your stomach come undone and a shiver run up your body. 

When you return Neil is slumped over beside you, both of you laying down beside eachother. He strokes your hair softly before kissing your forehead.

“Thank you,” Neil whispers, bringing you into his chest.

You decide to stay like this for the night, too tired to move. Neil covers up the both of you letting you fall asleep in his arms.

[jgroffdaily]

The complete text of Jonathan’s Tony Awards speech:

Thank you.

I grew up in a house surrounded by cornfields in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

I was raised by my parents Jim and Julie Groff and my brother David and the three of them are sitting right there.

Thank you for letting me dress up like Mary Poppins when I was 3. Thank you for letting me act out scenes from ‘I Love Lucy’ on my 10th birthday. Thank you for always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it.

Even if they didn't always understand me, my family knew the life-saving power of fanning the flame of a young person's passions without judgment. I walk through life with an open heart because you let me know that I could.

Thank you to all of my teachers back in Pennsylvania especially Sue Fisher, who told me I could do this for a living.

I moved to New York exactly 20 years ago this year and I got a job waiting tables and became a volunteer for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and all I wanted was to be a part of this community.

Thank you to everyone involved in Spring Awakening who not only made that dream come true but inspired him to come out of the closet when I was 23.

I’m now 39, and musical theater is still saving my soul.

Maria Friedman, thank you for letting me be your Franklin Shepard in this production of Merrily and allowing me the chance to accept, respect and express both the lightest and darkest parts of myself.

Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, you are more than old friends; you are soulmates and I’m looking forward to watching each other change for the rest of our lives.

Thank you to every member of the extraordinary cast for lifting this Merrily into the spiritual stratosphere.

Thank you to every person working inside the Hudson Theatre. Thank you New York Theatre Workshop.

Thank you Jim, Lonny, Ann and the original creative team of Merrily.

A special thank you to Sonia Friedman, Jim Carnahan, Tom Broecker, Hayley King, Joe Machota and Jenny Tversky. Happy birthday to Rick and Max.

And finally, I just want to say that when I was a kid in Pennsylvania, I used to record the Tony Awards on a VHS tape and watch the performances over and over again.

To actually be able to be a part of making theater in this city and just as much to be able to watch the work of this incredible, incredible community has been the greatest gift and pleasure of my life.

And I thank you, and thank you so much for this honour.

Credits:

Sonia Friedman (lead producer and Maria’s sister), Jim Carnahan (casting director), Tom Broecker (costume consultant), Hayley King (dresser), Joe Machota (CAA agent), Jenny Tversky (publicist), (happy birthday to) Max (Rackenberg, one of the Frank Jr’s in the show).

Jim Walton, Lonny Price and Ann Morrison were the original leads of Merrily on Broadway.

[thesharktanksdriver]

People are strange (platonic)

Basically the vamp boys had a kid they just now learned about.

This is entirely platonic and there’s a section for each of them individually as the father in this situation. beginning Half is just kinda context takes place two years before the film

Your mother always warned you of monsters when you were younger

Ones that would hide within the shadows

Glowing red eyes

Gnashing pointed teeth that shine in moonlight

Hissing and growling like wild animals

Ones that looked like you and I

Who seemed impossibly beautiful, like carved statues of cherubs and angels Who were really the devil himself in disguise

She taught you to be wary of the world

To trust your gut and never brush off the chill that goes down your spine when you feel something was wrong

Many called your mama a paranoid woman

One who was skittish and afraid of the slightest bump in the dark

But you knew there was always something more to her fear

A reason as to why she’s deathly afraid of the clock chiming midnight

You trusted her for she was your mother

You never complained from her working long hours to make ends meet or about not getting the latest toy

Her getting home late and locking the door, shaking hands and uneven breaths was enough to always keep you from making a pep

Especially as it all melted away at the sight of you waiting patiently to greet her despite how late it was

She was tough as nails despite how people gave her looks for raising you on her own

Yet another reason you respected her more than just being your mom

So despite how you had to move yet again you didn’t complain

Especially as she said that in this place the two of you would be staying in a bigger home

So she packs up yet again

And the two of you load up into her car, putting the limited amount of items into the trunk before making the trip to Santa Carla

The so called “murder capital of the world” via the back of a billboard advertising the place

The sun is up and as she drives through the town you see all kinds of people

People from different backgrounds and subgroups

It was all fascinating to your 12 year old mind

Especially since you’d only see leather clad and studded jackets on tv

Never up front and in person

You peered out in wonder at a few of the leather wearing people, even getting a few small waves or smiles from them

It made you wave back as your mom drove past a boardwalk

One that piqued your interest without much effort

Perhaps it was the sight of carnival games that were likely rigged

Stuffed Prizes as big as you were

Sugary sweets and greasy delicacies

Flashing lights from stomach churning rides

The sound and smell of the salty water of the sea crashing into the shore

But something drew you there

It was like a call in your mind

Beckoning you to go

Like Alice following the white rabbit into wonderland

Your mother sees your stare and chuckles a little

Hands gripping the steering wheel as she turns it

“Did you know that I used to live here?”

“Really?!”

“Yep. The house we’re gonna live in is where I used to live when I was a teenager”

“But…I thought grandpa and grandma didn’t like you because of me?”

“Grandma and grandpa…are in a retirement home. We got the house in return”

At that you nod

It sounded like it made sense

“Mommy actually used to go the board walk quite a bit. Maybe you’ll have fun there”

“I’m allowed to go there?”

“Yeah but…remember what I said about following your gut. Alright?”

“Ok!”

Moving in is relatively quick

The place is old and furnished in antique furniture

It’s better that what the two of you had before except for the old person smell

But that would go away with time…and fabreeze

You traverse through the place finding what you assumed to be your mom’s old room

It’s untouched

Remnants of the 60’s turning into what you think to be the 70’s

Posters hang on the walls, Janet Joplin and Jim Morrison are two you can clearly recognize

Their music played on the way to this very house

The covers of the bed are soft as you flop down onto the duvet spread of swirls and sunflowers

Your bag following suit as it spills open to let your stuff tumble out onto the bed

By the time night hits your surging with energy as your mom gets ready to go to her new work

It was weird but for some reason you always felt more energetic at night

Your mom always said you got that from your dad which made you giggle

You never knew him

Only heard bits and pieces about him from your mother who guarded it to her heart

Naturally you were curious about the man since he WAS your father

But by how hesitant she seemed you eventually brushed that curiosity away for her sake

Your mom gives you twenty dollars and a kiss on the cheek after handing you a sweater just in case

The rule was to be back by 10 which you’d definitely abide by lest you have this privilege taken away

So your off

Into the boardwalk you go as the last bits of sunlight die

The sun slowly going down in the horizon signalling night to take reign

Your a bit overwhelmed since this is the first time having such a big sense of freedom

Plus there are so many people here

For awhile you end up laying a few games, winning cheaply stuffed prizes before ending up getting some ice cream

You end up sitting by the steps going down into the beach

It was quieter there and less busy making it relaxing as you listened to the waves

And then you heard the sound of moter cycles roaring

Your eyes turn to see 4 boys, all teenagers around 18 or 19 coming to a stop

Their all laughing to themselves

Two blonds seemingly play fighting as another watches with a tall dark haired man

You get up from your spot, whipping of stray bits of sand sticking to you and approach the group who’d yet to notice you

“I like your jackets”

Their eyes search around for a moment before trailing down to you

Staring up at them with interest

You notice how whatever they were gonna respond with dies in their throats

You miss how momentarily their eyes flash to an cat-like yellow hue from being distracted from the detailing of their leather coats

Specifically the one with all the patches and dangly bits

The one in the centre responds first, thanking you before kneeling down a bit to be at a better height

Up till then you had to crane your neck up to look at the 4 of them

He introduces himself and then the others

There’s a noticeable intrigue in them that doesn’t go unnoticed by you

The one named Paul chimes in asking if your here with some friends

You respond with the truth that your here alone, your first night in your new home

“Must be pretty brave coming here all alone” the one named Marko comments with a wild smile

“Mom says the same thing. She also always says trust your gut”

“What does your gut say about us?”

“That your cool”

That gets a good laugh out of them

The rest of the night you spend it with the rowdy group of bikers

Paul and Marko showing you the best hacks for winning the carney games

David buying you a burger that you snack on as the night progresses

Dwayne placing you on his shoulders when you mention your feet starting to hurt

It’s fun

Possible the most fun you had in a long while

At a lot of your old schools you never really made friends

Partially due to the fact you knew you’d move but also cause you could never really click with other kids your age

But it seems that within minutes of meeting these delinquent bikers you’d made the friends you had so longed for

But eventually the night comes to an end the minutes to 10 are ticking down and you have to head home

You notice how distinctly upset one of them are compared to the rest

And how in your own way you feel the same

Almost as if you were about to leave a part of your soul if you left

“I’ll be back tomorrow night. We can meet by the same spot if you’d all like”

Immediately the mood is lightened

David nodding as the others smile and wave you off as you take the path home

Despite how dark the streets were and how afraid you probably should be when walking home in a new town

Let alone one named the murder capital of the world

You feel at ease

Safe beneath the starlit skies as the moon lead your way home

At some points you could’ve sworn you felt eyes on you but there was no feeling of danger

You could even dare say you felt protected as the wind howled last you

When you get home your mom is there to greet you with a smile

One that seemed less stressed than normal

“How was it?”

“It was fun!. I made some friends I think”

“You think?”

“Yeah…well this older than me but super cool”

She nods with a smile, sending you to bed with a spark of familiarity in her eyes as she stares out a window

The next night you keep your word, going to the same spot you met them when the light died

Letting night take it’s place

They arrive like they did last time but instead of laughing amongst themselves they immediately head to greet you

It repeats like this for your night times

Their always filled with fun and laughter as the group quickly welcomes you to its metaphorical ranks

There is an unknown sentiment shared between them

One that it takes awhile for your young child brain to catch onto

Eyes sending silent sentences as they ruffled your hair

The way how there’s an unspoken rule between them that at least one is with you at all times

How out of the bunch one specifically seems to linger near you more than the others

An unknown emotion filling their eyes as they have to say goodbye once the clock chimes 10

And then joy when they see you the next night at the boardwalk

How that one of the group is always the first to find you and greet you

It’s odd

But perhaps not in a bad way

It makes you feel happy and comfortable

Almost as if you greeting your dad after a long day of work or saying goodbye to him

It’s a feeling you enjoy especially as the nights are filled with joy

But with that also comes the odd feeling you have with them

A sense of kinship beyond just regular friendship

Something more alike to being part of a family

Along with that is also the odd smell your sometimes find lingering near them

It’s faint but there, an irony twang that isn’t from the studded boots or moter cycles

It hangs from them in an essence that only you seem to notice

For some reason you imagine the smell as an almost red mist

Something that also lingers around the video store that they avoid as best they can

Not like you can blame them though

Something in you tells you that danger lies there so you never go near it

There a noticeable change in you as you spend time with them

A sense of energy when the sun sets that leaves you somewhat confused since it wasn’t to this extent before

Now you felt as if you were more alive at night

Sometimes taking hours to even try to force yourself to sleep when your supposed to

And despite that you feel energetic as usual during the day but especially at night

It becomes an ongoing cycle you endure

Because if it meant being able to spend time with the boys you’d befriended then you’d bare it

David like the others can instantly tell that your his kid

They all can

It’s safe to say your now his number one priority

For a long while David feels clueless as to how he should handle this

Cause on one hand he wants to just take that step into fatherhood

To be there for you as best he could without up and saying he’s your dad

But at the same time he doesn’t know if that’s what you want or need

And that leaves him more scared than he’d like to admit

He doesn’t want to be like Max, someone who’d come into your life uninvited and decide that he’s now your dad

It’s fucked up and they know all about it from now being his “sons”

So for awhile he’d keep the relationship as being a big brother figure until he gets hints that he’d think it would be ok to take a more fatherly role

It’s odd for him to feel so…soft

He’s normally composed and at times gruff

The complete opposite of how he is when your tugging him to booth to win a prize

For the first in a long time David allows himself to let his guard down

To let the walls guarding his heart topple down and be vulnerable

It’s something he doesn’t do often even with the others

So it means a lot to him that he can do so without worry

He takes to hovering around you a lot

he’s not really affectionate like Paul or Marko but likes to just silently be near your presence

Watching you smile at a dumb joke

It comforts him that your not afraid of them, of him

That despite the looks and the scared glances from other people on the boardwalk you always come back

That also leads to him worrying for you

Especially since there are monsters in Santa Clara that may not be vampires but in his opinion much worse than they are

It’s cause of that he ends up personally watching and making sure your ok

That you get home safe to your mother

Speaking of which he may or may not be a bit bitter she kept you a secret from him

He partially understands her reasoning but it still hurts

What matters though is that he can be there for you now

Your a smart kid and it makes him proud especially as you begin taking after him in small ways

Sometimes it’s with how you walk as if you owned the place

Or how you went about a situation

He can’t help but chuckle a bit when thinking about it especially when he gifts you a coat similar to his own

The sight of which makes his crack a smile as you add it to your daily attire

It makes him feel a stroke of pride as you parade around like a mini him

Everyone knows that he’s something akin to a paternal figure to you and with that comes no one on the boardwalk messing with you

Unless they want him and the boys on their asses with a potential of ending up on a missing poster

But once again with that comes Max

Shit grinning Max who just had to stick his head into what didn’t involve him

David won’t admit it but he’s always on pins and needles when around the older vampire

For someone who is normally in control and the most powerful in a room he feels weak when the other vampire is around

All grip on the situation slipping out his fingers like sand in an hour glass

An sturdy object now cracked and moments away from breaking under the pressure of a fake smile and yellow eyes

Unsurprisingly Max is happy with this development

David dare even say ecstatic which leaves him uneasy

It’s better than him being mad but he can see the gears turning in his sire’s head

The prospect of his fucked up family dream coming one more step into fruition

Max makes one demand that David hesitantly agrees to which is bribing you in to meet him

So despite his clear hesitation David begrudgingly does so after exposing his…dad wanted to meet you

None of the boys are happy either but they put up some practices smiles and are able to convince you to help them pick out a video to watch

During this encounter you stick by David who is more than eager to shield you away from Max’s view as subtly he can

The older vampire peering down at you with intrigue

Despite nothing being amiss with the man behind the counter you feel uncomfortable

Something about him was wrong

The kind smile feeling almost Artificial as it hides something malicious behind it

You put up with that feeling though

Instead giving a shy but cordial greeting as Paul picks a film with Marko

Dwayne watching not too far away as David grasps your hand

The sight of which makes Max grin

After that the group takes you to their small hangout after you had gotten permission from your mom to stay longer

It’s something akin to a dream-like cave

Sea glass and beer bottle strung up to create blobs of coloured light

A large poster of Jim Morrison hanging on the wall just like your mom’s room that became your own

This places feels magical

“You like it?”

“Yeah!. Mom has a poster of Jim as well”

“Really?, well she must have good taste”

There’s a hidden amusement in his voice as he brings forth a wheelchair that he offers you to sit down in

It’s reminiscent of a throne as you sit down

David wheeling it closer to where the others sit as you giggle in delight

His eyes drift over to the bejewelled bottle every once in awhile as everyone watches the film

A part of him wants to offer it

That sweet golden ticket of immortality

But he holds back knowing it would be cruel

Though they may be sadistic he can’t bring himself to tricking you into turning

Can’t rip away your humanity and tear you away from your mother

He can’t find himself going to betray your trust

Perhaps later on in your life he’d offer it but for now he’ll lock those thoughts away

Despite how some part of his wishes to keep you forever young

Forever his child

His eyes trail back down to you dozing off

The others can’t help but laugh as the big bad David gentle picks you up with a certain soft look in his eyes

He glares but it only makes Paul and Marko’s giggles louder

Dwayne just smirks and nods

Getting the silent message of making sure the other two bozo’s didn’t burn down the cave as he left

And so he takes off into the sky with you in hand

Your smaller form fast asleep amongst the stars of the midnight sky

He can’t help but think about how fragile you are compared to him

A monster of the night

When he knocks on the door to your home he’s met by your mother whom stares with nostalgia

He asks if he can enter and she lets him

His jacket seems to flutter from a breeze coming in behind him

The next morning you wake up tucked into bed with the strangest dream of soaring the night skies

Your new friends Edgar and Allen say that you’d been reading too many superman comics

Dwayne feels his now unbeating heart stop as he stares down at you looking up towards them

Round innocent eyes that almost make him crumble and lose his usual stoic shield

He had always had a soft spot for children

And with you he absolutely melts like butter left in the Californian sun

The giant of a man accompanying you as you held onto his hand or the edge of his jacket

Out of them all he definitely takes to the role of dad the fastest

The quiet giant becoming the epitome of a gentle giant for you exclusively

It’s funny to the others how Dwayne will go from stoic badass to holding your hand when there’s a crowd so you don’t get lost

Honestly their all especially happy for him considering they all knew he once had a desire to have a family

It was initially what Max played on into initiating the brunette

Only for him to realize that those dreams were manipulated and played on

It’s due to that he is especially protective when he realizes you can be used as tool by Max

Like David he looms nearby but secretly loves giving you any affection that your comfortable with

Whether that be holding his hand or being placed on his shoulder is up to you but he never complains

In fact he only gently smiles, the edges of his eyes crinkling as a look of calm appears in his eyes

Dwayne (unlike the others) loves talking about historical events they had lived through

Of course he framed the stories as from relatives or now dead family members but there’s a certain look in his eyes that tells he’s talking of personal experience

Dwayne is a pro at the carnival games since he often times had to win them for Marko or Paul

He uses this to his advantage by winning you any and every prize you’d ever want

Whether that be the big ones or small your getting it

Thing is as well is that you don’t even need to ask him, he already seems to know which one you want and the next night or hour he returns with it in hand for you

The others now laugh cause now he stocks up on the cheaply stuffed toys and trinkets at the cave

Their in a neat pile away from the mud and grime

Plus Marko’s nabby hands for when he needs supplies for a new art project

Speaking of which he basically looms over Marko’s shoulder as he’s making you your own coat to match his

Jaguar and all

Marko knows he’s just excited but he has to shoo him off since having a giant looking over your shoulder while you work is kinda distracting

In the quiet moments where he sits with you and have ice cream by the beach he tells you of tales

How each constellation has a story

How flowers have certain meaning in Victorian and various cultures

Along with that he reads to you books of old

Ones with flowery language long forgotten to the modern world yet he holds an appreciation for

During when he reads he lets your read aloud with him, taking turns voice characters as he helps you sound out harder words

It makes him more happy than you can imagine that has someone (let alone his own child) to read along with

He likes Shakespeare and stuff considered to be classics but he has a soft spot for fantasy novels like Tolkien

Once considered reading to you Dracula but held back thinking that it maybe too on the nose and give you suspicions

It’s at this point he would also explain to you in detail his heritage of indigenous origin

Stories passed on from his people that he now shares to you

When he does so theirs a certain gentleness and vulnerability he has in his tone

It had been once again something he had dreamed of doing, passing down stories just as his parents and grandparents before him

One that was yet again something he didn’t think he’d get to do

But here he is, beneath the starry night sky retelling stories generations old as you look to him with pure amazement and interest

Something that makes him a bit more teary eyed than he’d like to admit

He often worries about your sleep schedule and about your health in general partially due to the fact none of them know what a half-vampire entails

Nor do they want to ask Max out of fear of sounding too suspicious

So he kinda has to wing it

Through the night he constantly makes sure to get you snacks and drinks to keep you hydrated

The other joke that he’s a mother hen but he takes that in pride

Pride that he can care for his own flesh and blood

But of course nothing can last forever and Max catches on when you accidentally stumble into his shop on night with Dwayne behind you

Safe to say it’s a bit of an awkward talk that has implications you don’t catch onto as the two “talk”

Well it’s more like Max is talking as Dwayne gave short answers and silent messages through his glare

Meanwhile your peaking out from behind the movie selection as the man behind the counter stares at you with interest

When the two of you leave after that you notice how for a long while he gets more protective

His hand gripping yours a bit tighter than usual or how his eyes scour through the crowds when your on his shoulder

When he brings you to the cave (after your moms permission to stay out later than usual) you ride with him on his bike

Unlike the others (cough Marko and Paul cough) he drives safely

He also makes sure that your comfortable enough

Once there he carefully guides you down into their base

Being sure so that you don’t trip over any stray jutting stones or debris laying around

It comes to no surprise that he talks of the history of this place

From how it sunk to how stalactites now begin to form

You sit down with him at the old fountain and he pulls out an old copy of Hamlet

He reads as the others do their own thing nearby, casually listening or throwing in a quip from time to time

It’s fun especially as Paul makes a remark that their all to dramatic

That gets a rock thrown at him by David

When your getting tired though he takes you home on his own

The hum of the motor cycle making it really easy to fall asleep as the very early hours of the morning

Your mother can only smile at the sight of him walking you to the door hand in hand

The next while that becomes a tradition

One in which that has you always happy at the end of the night from the fun memories and how easy it was to fall asleep

Dwayne’s new favourite activity though is teaching you to dance since you randomly asked one day

The tune of a song from the smiths or echo and the bunny people filling the cavern

Bouncing off it’s old walls as you stand on his feet following his lead

He fells at peace, purely content and happy in a way he hadn’t experienced yet in his undead life

“Am I doing this right?”

“You are, just follow my lead”

Edgar and Allen say he’s unfortunately not allowed in their shop cause he refuses to still wear a shirt so you can’t introduce them yet

No shirt no service as they say

Paul is freaking the fuck out internally cause out of all of them he was a dad

Him

The smooth talking ladies man who was as high a kite almost every night

Is he upset by this revelation? Fuck no

Is up surprised and unprepared? Hell yeah

Unsurprisingly the others tease him about this quite a bit but he doesn’t bite back since he’s too distracted wrapping his head around how he should act around you

Like the others he’s had a particular bad home life back when he was alive so he doesn’t really know how to be a good dad

Part of him fears that he’ll end up like his father

Controlling and often times would hurt him for acting out

It leaves him fearful that he could become him for he is already a monster of the night

There’s no telling if he’d fall as far as his dad

The others remind him he would never but a part of him still worries

During his time with you he is always cracking jokes and quips to hear you laugh

It’s perhaps his new favourite thing to hear as a smirk spreads across your face

A sight in which he does his best to be a constant expression on your face

The so called “twisted sister look alike” likes indulging in games with you

Along with spinning you around in the air or running with you sitting on his shoulders

Marko helps him with a lot of the these endeavours

The other golden hair vampire helping in the schemes he makes to make your nights all that more enjoyable

Several of which are stopped by Dwayne of David cause their apparently “dangerous” and “could blow our cover you dumb blonds”

The dumbass duo now becomes a trio cause your dragged along with them

The only braincell on the group as David and Dwayne desperately hope you don’t lose said braincell with hanging out with the two

Paul is very affectionate and shows this both verbally and physically

He’s constantly telling you how cool you look and patting your head

It’s his way of making sure you know your always loved

You can definitely bet he sneaks you into concerts that you maybe shouldn’t be at

And then at said concert he parades you on his shoulders so you get a good view

Wild hair flying everywhere as he bops to the tune with you doing the same

With you now taking up most of his attention he focuses less on woman since he’d rather spend time with someone who he knows won’t leave

Even when he does talk to woman though it isn’t like it was before

What started off as flirting derails when he starts talking about how proud he is of you and-

And the woman has now left and he hadn’t noticed

David jokes that he’s lost his skills but he doesn’t really mind as much as he initially thought

He just laughs it off with a “whatever you say man” before taking you to yet another booth where he wins you something

And steals a few extra prizes

He steals you quite a bit of stuff

Like you were looking at something for a millisecond?, he’s mentally notes that down to yoink later

Bit of a kleptomaniac so he has a shit ton of old concert merch and collectibles that he gifts to you

David been complaining that it’s piling up in the cave anyways so he’s happy it’s going to a good home

Still a bit sad cause he’s emotionally attached to those items but feels a sense of happiness when he sees you wear the old band shirts he’s collected

Speaking of which he had a ton of unused patches Marko has been unable to touch that he has added to your coat

All the way from Jimi Hendrix and the doors to Motley crew and black sabbath

He tries to hold back smoking near you but there are the times where he ends up high and is around you

You actually find Paul to be really funny when he’s high

The others disapprove cause it’s not exactly a respoible thing to do in front of a kid and cause he gets chatty and on several occasions almost blew their cover

He does try to tone it down for your sake though

Which is more than David could ever convince him to do

It probably doesn’t take long for Max to catch on that’s something going on that he hasn’t been let on to

Doesn’t fucking except Paul of people to have a kid

Well…maybe that’s a lie, he does know that he is quite good with women but still

Like the others Paul doesn’t really like Max but he at least tries to hide his discomfort with a lazy smile

Don’t be fooled though cause his foot is bouncing anxiously

Max is of course all smiles as you place a movie you’d like onto the counter

Paul holding your hand as you feel sweat begin to form on his

Max greets and talks with him but you can sense something is odd

The encounter ends fast and leads with Paul putting you on his shoulders and running off into the crowds

You still feel the other man’s eyes watching the two of you disappear into the sea of people

Eventually your able to get permission to go with them to their cave on the condition they drop you off back home

In an instant Paul is showing you his area of the cave

His figurative treasure trove that your allowed to touch without the worry of having a rabid Paul set loose for touching his stuff

You sit on a pile of old shirts as he shows off some trinkets that he thought were particularly cool

It’s there he also plays some of his favourite albums from the mixtapes Marko made

At some point he begins singing along with you following suit

Laughter and giggles every few verses as you mess up words and only remember the chorus

It’s the most fun thing he’s done

It’s so mundane yet it seems to ingrain itself into his memory

Something he’d hold close when he felt particularly lonely

When he takes you home he decides to park his motorcycle at the board walk and take you the rest of the way by foot

You laugh and joke with him and it warms his undead heart

You talk of your dreams and he makes you promise to never doubt your ability to accomplish them

Something his dad never did

Your mother already awaits at the door when he drops you off

He smiles and shoots her a flirty remark she giggles at as she shoo’s you to bed

As he’s about to leave she says he and the others always welcome to stay if the sun is too close

He nods and disappears into the night

Edgar and Allen say Paul isn’t allowed in the store after once catching him stealing several comics

Along with the fact their concerned his dumbassery will end up with the shop in flames

Marko is dumbfounded but also jumping with fucking joy

HE HAS A KID!!!

Oh my god- ow

Yeah definitely excited but then realizes that means he has a tiny human he’s now responsible for

A tiny human who is more fragile than regular humans

In an area infested with creepo’s and surf nazi’s

He’s now internally screaming and Dwayne is doing his best to help cause they all can hear it through their mind link

Definitely anxious about now having a kid who doesn’t know he’s their dad but simultaneously he knows their his kid

David is so close to sometimes snack him on the head

Marko is personally good with affection and dishes it out quite often but his favourite is gifts

Me makes (and steals) you sooo much stuff

Like if Paul was bad for snatching shit then Marko is going to a new level for you

Out of the bunch he’s the most artistic

And he’s very passionate about it

Me makes you bracelets, handmade pins out of bottle caps, patches and doodles

All of which end up being kept safe in your room or added to your clothes

He’d absolutely love to take you “shopping” around the boardwalk for supplies before starting an art project with you

Hunched near the beach as the two of you paint some random shit with patterns and drawings

It’s due to this the fights in the boardwalk has gone down 50%

David has almost staked himself several times for the countless times Marko and Paul end up in stupid situations as they dragged you along

It’s nothing too bad, just some light mischief that leaves you giggling as he runs with you clinging to him

He only wins at the carnival games cause he cheats via vampire powers

Like he could’ve learned to do it properly over the years

But using an ability is sooo much easier

Plus somehow miraculously winning every time to watch the hope drain from a vendors eyes is satisfying to him

As is reaping the rewards of giving you a giant plush and getting a bright smile

One time you surprised him with something you won him and he still cherishes it

He even gave the plush a name and refuses to let anyone but him touch it

That goes along with any drawings or small artwork you give him

It could be something as small as a post it note with a smiley face and he’d be asking David to frame it on a wall

He decides to make a scrapbook to keep it all in

Certain drawings he really likes end up becoming custom patches that he adds to his coat

Unlike the others who want to give you a jacket that relatively matches their own

Marko goes off the wall in creating something similar to his but at the same time different

He’s an artist, he ain’t making the same thing again

Do you know how that hurts his soul?…if he still had one!

…plus Dwayne would probably strangle him if your jacket had a half naked woman like his own

Your jacket becomes his main project he works on

Yours is customized to your liking with patches of bands you like

To Italian tapestries much like his own

He adds charms and beads and-

David has to stop him before it becomes too heavy for your small form to carry

They once had to stop Marko from committing a art heist cause you offhandedly mentioned you like one of the paintings a local museum had

He verbally torn apart by Dwayne but it was so worth it in his eyes since he was able to raid the gift shop for prints instead

(Still sucks he couldn’t get the original)

Sometimes when he’d feeling nostalgic he takes you around the area and shows you works of art he may or may not have made

Their all anonymous works so he can just tell you his “interpretation” of what it’s supposed to mean

He loves hearing your input though

Hearing your own version of how you view the message of a piece as he looks on

Marko has been breeding and training pigeons for generations so he definitely introduces you to his feathered friends

He shows you how to tell if their happily coo’ing and where to pet them

His favourite of the bunch is one he named “Legosi” after the actor

Legosi now ends up being a messenger pigeon that he uses during the daytime to send you little motivational messages or small charms

Like Paul it doesn’t take long for Max to catch onto something being amuck

And Marko is fucking terrified as he attempts to act like his normal self as the man behind the counter of the video store looks down at you with a smile

It feels almost like a predator smiling down at prey

When he takes you to the cave he shows you all his projects and artwork that is found around

The fountain and the pigeons

It’s fun especially since he shows you all the random supplies he’s collected over the years

Including weird ass paints that aren’t in production due to them using dangerous materials like arsenic

The others watch on as the usually chaotic blond becomes calm as the two of you finger paint

Or he teaches you to sew

It’s probably the most content they’ve seen him in a long while

He won’t tell you it but he has a habit of accidentally just divulging in Italian as he talks about amazing you are to the others without even noticing he’s switched languages

Yet again not allowed into the comic shop for stealing plus Edgar and Allen swear he’s cut out panels when their not looking

You can confirm after seeing his collage’s with comic strips that he probably cut out from the pages

For someone often considered paranoid many people find it odd how your mother moved back to her hometown of Santa Clara

Even with the inheritance of her parents home it still felt like a departure from how she normally was

The woman who’s jump at the slightest of sounds

Or insisted on having at heart 3 locks on a door

But perhaps what’s more strange is her response as to why she lets you, a 12 year old, out at night

Something that normally would seem like a decision only made by negligent parents in this town polluted by missing posters

“Their probably the person with the most safety in this town. Cause I’m this case their the metaphorical princess with a group of dragons there to protect them”

Most would write off this statement

But it’s more true than anyone would initially think

For the monsters who lurk the night don’t hurt one of their own

[deancasforcutie]

While we’re I’llJustWaitHereThen.mp3 for Act Two of The Winchesters -or rather thee reboot, which should be known for the extra high bar it’s gained this year- I’d like us to round off 2023 considering a song choice from the finale I haven’t seen discussed, but illuminates Dean’s path going forward.

The moment Dean, Jack, Bobby, and Baby disappear, “One of These Things First” by Nick Drake plays. For the curious, Nick Drake is ingrained in the cultural consciousness as a precursor to the likes of Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith for his musical talent, melancholic lyrics drawn from a troubled life, and (at 26, one year too young for the original 27 Club of Jimi Janis Jim Morrison) untimely tragic death.

Such allusions seem all too pertinent to our not-so-Mystery Man who’d also sooner burn out than fade away, huh? But first and foremost, “One of These Things First” here evokes the multiverse reveal - playing over scenes of Lata helping restore Ada’s soul and Mary and Samuel parting. The characters could be any number of things, but as Mary says of her possible alternate selves, “I’m gonna make my own”; with the meta knowledge that Dean is “picking the music” non-diegetically, this track’s relevance to his own life (and death) becomes apparent.

I could have been a sailor, could have been a cook A real live lover, could have been a book

From the start we see well-chosen lyrics for thee episode of Dean “Hello Sailor” Winchester; it goes without saying, here and in the series’ deafeningly loud negative space, how Dean’s desire to be “a real live lover” drives his search for happy endings in this Supernatural Romance. Genius.com notes that “a book” in Nick Drake’s metaphor means “someone who spent their time gaining knowledge about the world”; leaving them his own book, evidently a record of Supernatural’s main events and likely intended as a setup for revelations about his postseries shenanigans, Dean becomes their absent guide opposite John’s original series role through his journal.

I could have been a signpost, could have been a clock As simple as a kettle, steady as a rock

Following lyrics about metaphorical objects also evoke Dean’s role as a guide - but given his view that “I think I did” find a model for his found family’s happiness in them, it goes both ways (and so does he).

I could be here and now I would be, I should be, but how?

These last few lyrics played in the episode call to mind the final undying core of Dean’s self-doubt: his inability to move on, like so many restless spirits parallel him. Dean’s sensation that he is not “here and now,” being unstuck in time and lamenting that he’s “already dead,” highlights his distance from the lead characters and their sense of closure - as does his use of the James Hetfield alias as a false name, dodging the central question of Who You Are. For all his heroism, Dean’s role as the central mystery never fully solved implicates him as the haunting force derailing another story into his own as much as any reality-warping trauma parasites.

Minding all these exhortations to mind the gap, it’s absolutely relevant that the episode omits a second verse centering on romantic longings. (It wouldn’t be the first time - “So on your woman and your child/You release your bitterness,” anyone?)

I could have been your pillar, could have been your door I could have stayed beside you, could have stayed for more I could have been your statue, could have been your friend A whole long lifetime could have been the end

Mary and Samuel’s exchange (“Be safe out there” “I love you too, kiddo”) continues the theme of Just Saying It before any goodbye - acknowledging you can say “I love you” without saying it and be understood. But apropos of everything, the romantic pair never exchanges what they promise they will on reuniting - at once begging the same question as Dean’s aborted love confession(s) to Cas (indicting the heteronormative double standard that makes the answer “obvious” here) and keeping their promise of no goodbyes, meaning “Ramble On” with its tale of a romantic reunion can only refer to one yet to come.

So with Dean left to learn that death is no goodbye for him either, The Winchesters reaffirms Supernatural’s humanistic heart: the conviction that -whether for great artists we romanticize or fictional characters representing our values- we need not mythologize and bemoan death as “robbing” the world of someone’s promise at the expense of affirming the intrinsically worthy human life as they are now and forever (we will all live forever no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be). A life cut tragically short was still a life worth living, and its legacy one worth carrying on. And I can think of no truth more apt from the series cut short at 13 traxx we will nevertheless replay and remix and resonate with for years to come.

As we ramble on to future installments, I reiterate: “If you had the chance to do it all over again, would you?” “I followed my heart. I don’t think that’s ever a mistake.”

[kulturegroupie]

Jimmy Page’s opinion on The Doors

JP: Actually, I was surprised after hearing a lot about The Doors and we got a lot of advance publicity in England about how sexy Jim M. was, how virile and whatever. I was surprised to see how static he was live on stage. I admire his writing ability and when he gets it together in a studio, he really does. But on stage, he’s not really for me.

He doesn’t really come across in any way I’d like to see. Being dressed in black leather can only go so far but standing there like my father would on stage doesn’t really come across for me.

I: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE OPINION THAT ROBERT PLANT COPIES JIM?

JP: How could he have done? They’re completely different. If you want to relate Robert to a sexual image, and a lot of people are doing that, he’s all those things one would associate with it. He’s good looking (I’m not saying Jim isn’t), he’s got the virile image, he moves very well on stage and he looks right and he sings well — his whole thing is total sexual aggression.

As far as I could see, the Morrison thing is just an embarassment towards the audience. He would actually insult them and swear at them and his sexual thing is more of an introvert thing — it isn’t so extroverted as Robert’s.

— Ritchie Yorke for NME, April 25, 1970

[omgthatdress]

I have a lot of feelings about Julie’s collection. After the election of Richard Nixon, the deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, and then the Manson murders, the peace and love happy hippie 60s had given way to the dirty, strung-out scumbag 70s. Even though Julie is living in San Francisco, the hippie era had long since passed by 1974. As Hunter S. Thompson beautifully put it in Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas:

“There was madness in any direction, at any hour. If not across the Bay, then up the Golden Gate or down 101 to Los Altos or La Honda. . . . You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. . . . And that, I think, was the handle—that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. . . . So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.””

I love the hippie aesthetic. I get that AG would want to have a doll that reflects that. A lot of Julie’s story revolves around her fighting for environmentalism, which is one of the aspects of hippie culture that managed to stick around, largely because of backlash to the consumerism of the 50s. But in Julie’s collection there’s plenty of times when her looks lean too far into the 60s and miss the mark of the 70s. As much as I appreciate AG doing the hippie thing, an accurate collection for the 70s would drag us to polyester hell and never let go. The 70s are one of those special eras in fashion where everything is ugly as fuck. The fashion of the 60s was much more aesthetically pleasing, but the fashion of the 70s is ironically appealing. It’s so ugly you love it. It’s ridiculous. It’s camp.

Granted, the fridge that was 1974 fashion still had plenty of hippie leftovers in it, and her original meet look with its crochet cap, embroidered tunic, and fringe belt feel true to the era.

Hand crafts like knitting and crochet had a resurgence in popularity, so I’m glad that both collections have a knitted accessory.

Part of the history lesson Julie gives is that Title IX meant schools could no longer forbid girls from wearing pants, so that’s why Julie is in jeans.

Julie’s BeForever look is straight 60s hippie. The inspiration seems to be Janis Joplin, who had been dead for four years:

AG seems to be wanting to have it both ways with Julie, and I honestly wish they’d just commit to the 70s:

On another note, the 70s would have been a great chance to have another doll of color (American Indian Movement, much?), but they went with a White girl with blonde hair. Which honestly I kiiind of get. Like if I were going to select ONE decade of the 20th century to have a blonde doll, it would be the 70s. I cannot emphasize enough how ubiquitous long blonde hair was to 70s pop culture.

For an era that still claimed to be progressive, the 70s were whitebread as hell. Outwardly there was women’s lib, civil rights, and the sexual revolution, but inwardly, the 70s were an extremely conservative decade when Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority were just starting to lay their slimy hooks into the American political system. It’s a decade of contradictions and extremes that I wish AG would fully commit to.

[man-moth-hook-hand]

Welcome to My Nightmare Ch. 6

Spoiler! I took a bit of liberty when it came to the boys rampage and turning (Y/N). I wanted to make them savage animals and for (Y/N) to be the same way. I hope you enjoy!

Masterlist

Chapter Six: Come to Me

I had been gently forced into their disgusting cave they called “their place.” I felt worse. A pit had opened up in my stomach and swallowed me whole. I felt suffocated. The earth smell and musk mixed with gasoline infiltrating my nose was nauseating. I stood in one of the few open spaces. I studied the hideout these boys owned. Did they live here? It seemed like it. There were a few gathering places, two small bedrooms, and various other livable arrangements. How did they get beds and furniture down here? Where they homeless? They couldn't. The bedrooms looked like they belonged to a girl and a little boy. No way they all crammed themselves into them. On the wall was graffiti, posters, and a Jim Morrison shrine. These boys had made an attempt to spruce up the place, but after all, they were boys. 

It was almost comfortable. 

“What happened to Michael?” I asked.

“I don’t know, what did happen?” David roughly sat down on a raggedy wheelchair. 

“I don’t know. I went home by myself.” I said. They were playing games with me. 

David casted a sly glance at Dwayne. “So, who's your other boyfriend?” he joked.

“I don’t have one.” I stated.

“Ya know,” Paul nudged me in the ribs, “the other one. He kinda looks like Michael, he was with a girl that looked like him.”

“Adam? He’s not my boyfriend.” I failed to back away from Paul. He scooted closer, entraping me.

“Woah,” Dwayne blocked me from behind. “Listen, we just want to talk.'' He gently brought his large, meaty hands to my shoulders.

I felt trapped. I wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into. I wondered if maybe hitchhiking that sweltering day was such a good option after all. 

“Listen,” Marko came up to right of me. “We just want to show you something. We have something to offer-” he joked. He stared at my lips. My heart fluttered. I winced in disgust. 

Dwayne shoved him in response. They exchanged knowing glances at each other. 

“Want some booze?” David quipped. He held up the same decorated bottle that Michael must’ve drank from a couple of nights ago. He swung it in a circle. The liquid attached to the bottle’s sides. It seemed. . . thick and questionable at best. I hadn’t seen any “booze” like that before. Poison. I thought. 

“I think I’m ok.” I shot him a suspicious glance. He seemed dissatisfied. 

“Relax, it’s not poison,” David said as if he read my mind. David took a swig from the bottle, “See?” he taunted the container at me. It felt like he was trying to invade my thoughts. 

“I said I think I’ll pass.” Getting roofied with four men that kidnapped me wasn’t a smart idea. Coming here wasn’t a smart idea. Asking for a ride the day I met the Emerson’s wasn’t a smart idea. 

“Listen babe, it’s not like that.” Paul tried to convince me. “We just want to have a good time.” 

“I don’t.” I demanded they let me go. David just stared at me, like he knew something I didn’t.

“You want to really know what happened to Michael?” He asked seriously. The bottle was placed on a table next to him. The sound of his footsteps crunching on the dirt covered cave floor was deafening. I couldn’t even hear the boys breathing, only mine. “We’ll show you.” David outstretched his gloved hand.

I felt like a deer in headlights. I couldn’t move, fear had swallowed me alive. I felt something wet fall down the side of my cheek. Oh my God, I’m crying. I couldn’t believe that I was crying like a little girl in front of these men. They slowly backed away from me, I couldn’t tell if it was because they felt bad for me or they were disgusted.

David’s face didn’t change. He just stared at me with a blank expression. “Seriously, do you want to know what happened to Michael?”

“Yes.”

-break-

The group brought me to the middle of the woods, near a cliff side. A few people stood out next to a car near us. I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Something was wrong. I think. 

“If you drink from this,” David handed me the bottle, “I will show you what happened to Michael that night.” 

I held it in my hands. It was heavy. My heart pounded in my chest. I brought the bottle to my lips. Was I really doing this? I thought. I guessed so. I closed my eyes and took a generous swig of the thick, murky, liquid. It burned, I gagged and coughed. I handed the bottle back to them. I felt drunk. Only from one swig? Well, I felt more hazy and delirious than anything. The boys began to quietly congratulate me. Paul even hugged me. 

“Now, follow us. We’ll show you what’s happened to Michael.” David started walking over to the people. 

“And you too.” Paul laughed. Marko jabbed him in the ribs. 

The boys told me to hide in the bushes. I was afraid. Afraid of what might be going on. Did they know these people? What brought me out of my thoughts was horrifying. Someone was screaming. No, two people. Three? I couldn’t tell. One scream was already too many. I mustered up the courage, or curiosity, to look up at the scene that lay before me. 

People were screaming for their life, begging to live. Chunks of flesh and limbs where slung off of them. It was like watching a dog play with its toy. I looked at the boys, their faces where contorted and mostorus. Like the devil. The crunch of bones drowned out their screams. . . well, what was left of their mangled vocal chords. I was so horrified I couldn’t do anything. 

Something in me felt different. My heart. It hurt. It hurt. I felt like I was dying. I crumpled over in pain. Sweat dripped over me, I felt everything too much. It was like going through puberty too fast. My bones felt like they were snapping and contorting, then gluing themselves in a new order. Muscled ripped, teeth gnawed at me, too much of me was changing. I screamed horsley. The boys noticed. 

They didn’t help, instead bringing something over to me. Someone was crying. Did I know them? It took me over, whatever it was. A sense to kill, to devour. . . to rip apart and consume every living thing and absorb its essence. 

A ritual begun. The boys chanted my name. Marko held me up, I was too weak to stand on my own. Dwayne took some blood from the person and smeared it on my lips. My body convulsed. It possessed every inch of me, even my soul. I pounced upon my prey. I ripped at his flesh, ligaments, muscle, . . . bones. . . anything I could destroy and devour with my claws. 

After my delirious rampage I came too. What had I done? What had I become? The boys began to shout at my success, except one. David was watching a little ways behind them, shrouded by the dark. The only part of him illuminated by the car lights was his fanged teeth and eyes. David was terrifying. All the boys were. Was I like this now?

I noticed a wallet discarded a few feet away. I walked towards it. The boys stopped cheering, silently following me. I picked up the faded leather that someone cherished. I opened it, determined to see who I mauled like some savage animal.  To see how much of a monster I had become. 

Adam Brown.

[lilabearr]

You can be the boss daddy you can be the boss

[starlahuskyz]

Chances - Chapter 15

Summary: Jordan finally visits the boy's cave and they create plans to have some fun.

I really meant it when I said I'd try to stay consistent.

Chapter 14 <<< >>> Chapter 16

TW// None

-------------------------

After leaving the boardwalk and making a quick snack out of a poor unfortunate drunk guy, the boys decided to take Jordan back to their place. Upon arriving at the cliff that led to their place Jordan was confused, she was expecting a house, or some kind of structure with a roof. Instead she saw old wooden steps leading into a cave entrance on the side of the cliff.

“You guys live there?” She pointed to the cave and Marko nodded.

“It’s our wonderful abode, perfect for a bunch of vampires like us.” He headed for the steps and held out a hand for Jordan. She didn’t quite make a move, then she saw how Laddie and Paul were already happily bounding down the steps into the cave entrance. She steadied herself and thought “Okay, if a kid can go down then I should have no problem getting down.” She took Marko’s and as he helped guide her down the old rickety steps into their home. And upon finally making it inside, she was not prepared for what she saw.

The cave was full of all kinds of broken structures and a variety of objects, it looked like it used to be some kind of hotel of sorts. Some string lights hung upon the roof of the place and trash cans full of fire lit the place up. Other random things she noticed were, a large poster of Jim Morrison which reminded her of Michael, she also took note of the fountain and how there seemed to be some kind of sculpture made of bones and a little plastic skeleton most likely stolen from some poor grandma’s lawn on Halloween. She was pretty impressed by the display, but at the same time was curious as to how the hell they slept in a place like this. There were beds and couches but they looked old and like they could be housing diseases. Marko finally asked “So, what do you think? This place used to be an old resort before the earthquake of ‘06, it fell right into the earth cuz they built it on the fault. So we took it over.” 

“Wow…you guys live like this?” Jordan brushed some random dirt and dust that accumulated on her shoulder.

“Well vampires don’t tend to live in fancy houses like you do.” David poured himself a glass of wine while making the remark.

“I guess, but I mean look at all this crap laying around. You have a tool chest, an old wheelchair, and…” She pulled back a sheet covering an unknown object “A traffic light?” She looked at the boys incredulously. 

“You can thank Paul for that one.” Dwayne said as he got out the boombox. “He stole it during a car accident.

“Yep, I just slipped in and took it. Like a ghost.” He slapped it proudly.

“Wonderful, are there any other cool objects you wanna show me?” Jordan sat on the lip of the fountain and before she knew it, a pigeon came flying over to her lap. “A pigeon…it just keeps going doesn’t it?” She scratched at its head, surprised with how chill it was. Marko came over holding three more pigeons.

“That’s Polo, I have three more. Their names are Elio, Luca, and…Sir Paulington.” He looked at Paul when giving the last name and Paul swooped over and took Sir Paulington from him.

“Let me guess, he named that one?” Jordan pointed to Paul.

“Yes, I take great pride in Sir Paulington.” He stroked the pigeon’s head gently.

“I’m surprised you’re allowed to keep a pigeon…let alone any living creature.” Jordan continues looking around taking in her surroundings, when she notices a small alcove with two beds. “Who sleeps here?” She calls out to the boys before she’s interrupted by little Laddie who takes her hand dragging her to one of the beds.

“This is where I sleep! Star sometimes sleeps on the other bed with Michael.” He looks happy, but Jordan can’t help but feel somewhat conflicted. He seems happy, but she couldn’t shake the thought of wondering why a kid would want to sleep in a place like this. Not to mention where the hell he came from, he surely doesn't look like any of the boys. She’s pulled from her thoughts when Laddie shows her a teddy bear, it’s about half his size and its poor fur looks a little dirty. “This is my bear, his name is Ted. Marko got it for me on the boardwalk.“ Jordan took the bear into her own hands and smiled. She had already taken note of its relatively dirty state, but she still felt a sense of love stored in the bear.

“That’s great bud.” She handed him his bear back and made her way towards Marko who had been staring the whole time. She stood in front of him while he stood from his spot on the lip of the fountain. “And here I thought you were a tough guy, you’re really just a big ole softie.” She grabbed a hold of his cheek and pinched it.

“The hell, I’m not! I do ONE nice thing and then you jump to calling me a softie?” He grabs her hand and pulls it from his face feigning a look of hurt. “You haven’t even seen my tough side, I could be so much worse for you….” He leaned into her face and whispered that last part, making her shiver. 

“I won’t believe it until I see it for myself.” She pulls away from him, and before he can give chase to her David calls for him. He gives Jordan a quick peck on the cheek before going to check on David. Jordan felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach, she had a good feeling about him.

“You know, he’s right. He’s even rivaled me when it comes to causing chaos here in Santa Carla. I mean, they don’t call us the terror twins for no reason…” Paul suddenly says while nodding at her reassuringly. Jordan only looks at him puzzled.

“...What are you talking about?” Paul swings an arm over her shoulders pulling her in a different direction.

“I’m talking about your man being an anarchist! Causer of trouble, a real menace to society.” Jordan pushes his arm away.

“Okay that’s great and all, but what’s your point?” 

“Simple, you don’t believe he’s a tough guy? Then I’m gonna prove it to you…tonight! I’m taking you, Marko, and Dwayne with me to go have some fun.” He looks over at Dwayne who is braiding Laddie’s hair “Whaddya say Dwayne? You with us?” 

He looks up from his work and shrugs. Paul claps “I’ll take that as a yes!” Marko comes over to the others and whispers something into Paul’s ear and he nods giggling while looking at Jordan.

A bad feeling arose within her and she started getting worried. “Well, um to be honest, I don’t think I’m quite down to do whatever you guys consider fun.” She took a few steps back and was ready to run, that is until Dwayne popped up behind her and stopped her.

“What’s the matter with you Jordan? Stop being such a stick in the mud, it’ll be fun!” Paul pushes it.

“Well you guys are giving me a bad feeling, how do I know you’re not trying to set me up for some kind of humiliation?” Paul crosses his arms giving a look.

“Okay then…I guess Jordan is allergic to fun. Or she’s afraid, like a real chicken!” He starts making chicken noises and Jordan perks up.

“Now hold on, I never said I was afraid. I know how to have fun, I just know how to do it right!” She shoves Paul before and he laughs.

“There is no such thing as having fun the wrong way! What exactly do you think we plan on doing?” He raises an eyebrow and Jordan thinks for a moment.

“I don’t know, something involving jumping off of a bridge?” Jordan made a guess.

The boys gave each other a look and smirked, Jordan felt a sinking feeling which was only amplified as she could hear David cackling on the other side of the cave.

--------------------------

Taglist (If you wanna be tagged, just ask ^ ^)

@blog4horror @ria-coolgirl @oceansrose2002 @hypocriticaltypwriter @deliciousfestsalad

[bl00dhearts]

i’m living like jim morrison

[thegentlesurvive]

The Albatross, wise men, Elton John, dead poets, and the destruction of reputation

Whenever someone says “Wise men once said,” I feel the need to look up who wrote it first. If Google search results and the absence of it in Bartlet’s Familiar Quotations (fifteenth edition, at least) are to be believed, Taylor is probably the wise men in “The Albatross.” The closest thing I’ve found to “Wild winds are death to the candle,” is “Candle in the Wind” by Bernie Taupin (lyrics) and Elton John (music), originally written about Marilyn Monroe (and in later versions, Princess Diana), who died young after she “lived your life like a candle in the wind […] Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did.”

It is

1) funny that Taylor calls herself a wise man while essentially talking shit about herself from the perspective of her detractors, and

2) interesting to me because, in the warnings, our narrator is being described as the wind, not the candle being burned out. By the end of the song, however, the albatross metaphor is subverted, and the albatross is the hero. If we reverse that first warning, too, it turns the narrator/Taylor back to the candle, at risk of being extinguished by the wind (in “Candle in the Wind,” that is to say, extinguished by the pressures of fame and the way we treat celebrities).

There’s also a loose (undoubtedly unintentional, but fun) connection to some historical tortured poets.

In Elton John: The Making of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (2001), Bernie Taupin said:

“I think the biggest misconception about ‘Candle In The Wind’ is that I was this rabid Marilyn Monroe fanatic, which really couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not that I didn’t have a respect for her. It’s just that the song could just as easily have been about James Dean or Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain. I mean, it could have been about Sylvia Plath or Virginia Woolf. I mean, basically, anybody, any writer, actor, actress, or musician who died young and sort of became this iconic picture of Dorian Gray, that thing where they simply stopped ageing. It’s a beauty frozen in time. In a way, I’m fascinated with that concept. So it’s really about how fame affects the man or woman in the street, that whole adulation thing and the fanaticism of fandom. It’s pretty freaky how people really believe these people are somehow different from us.”

Lyricist Tim Rice added:

“It’s not just the fact that it’s about Marilyn Monroe, because Marilyn died about forty years ago now nearly, yet the song’s still—well obviously it’s got the Diana connotations now—but it’s about all people who were misjudged in their lives. It’s a song about unfairness and the destruction of reputation. And a lot of people, I think, can—even if they haven’t been through that themselves—they can understand it in their heroes.”

[cigarretteluvr]

i want to lay with you in a place a little inland from santa monica, maybe even marina del rey. it’ll be hot in los angeles and we’ll be blasting fans straight onto us because our apartment doesn't have AC. it doesn't have a whole lot (and neither do we), but it’s next to the liquor store and the shop we get our flowers. we've made friends with the people who work at the market.

it’s one of those kitschy, almost-dingbat apartments with only one bedroom, but we make the most of it. it’s painted peach on the outside and a few palm trees line the sidewalk. it smells faintly of cigarettes. we have orange juice in the fridge and plums on the table.

nfr is playing on vinyl, where it usually summers, and we are miserably hot but we’re together. you love to hate los angeles and i get a high being in the city that loves me with the boy i love. we listen to poetry, you play shows, i’m in the crowd, we read books together and go to new restaurants when they open. living is easy. we don’t work, we dont do anything. we just live day-by-day in the heavenly smog and indulge in the sloth necessary to be here.

i drag you around town sometimes and tell you the tales of jim morrison and sharon tate. we go to the beach whenever we want to, sometimes driving down to Newport and Laguna just because we can. basking in sun and history and architecture, we are so boringly happy here. i find beauty and joy in the spotted sidewalks and traffic, you enjoy the occasional chaos and unpredictability that comes with the lifestyle. we both take pictures of vintage cars we like when we’re out. as awful as the heat is, i think it's beautiful sitting in it with you.

you call me miss southern california herself when i ask what you want to do. everything is slow here but something is always happening and i love the way the city’s pace matches ours.

there’s always so much to do and nothing but time to do it.

- summertime, and the living's easy

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

hi lemon! for nice ask day i wanted to know if you could suggest five books that everyone should read, what would they be, and why?

Hi Neha! Thank you for this lovely ask. I’m sorry if my answer is a little more in depth than you were expecting 🤓

1. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion - I’ve heard it said that Joan Didion is to certain young women as Taylor Swift is to others. Now, I’m no Swifty so I don’t 100% understand the comparison, but I believe there is truth that one of the reasons for Didion’s enduring relevance and almost-universal adoration is because she reminds us of who we used to be — the girl we were when we read our first Didion essay. I remember it vividly. But she’s also just an incredible writer, she inspired an entire generation of journalists. Her perspective is so sharp in her writing, she’s witty without trying to be funny, her prose is cool and aloof, but you feel like you’re right there with her. In the Haight Ashbury, in the studio with Jim Morrison, at Joan Baez’s school for enlightenment. Slouching Towards Bethlehem is her most popular book of essays, for good reason, but I’ve read them all and you really can’t go wrong.

2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez - Gabriel García Márquez basically invented magical realism. His descriptions of Colombia — the almond trees, the rivers, the lush greenery of the jungles— really sparked my desire to travel there. One Hundred Years of Solitude is widely accepted as one of the greatest novels ever written, and I agree!! The book spans generations of the Buendía family in the riverside town founded by their patriarch. One of the things I love most about Márquez’s writing is the way he plays with time. He doesn’t necessarily follow a straight timeline, and in this story he really explores the ways history repeats through generations, and how much our present is controlled by our pasts. Also it contains possibly one of the best quotes in literature: Cease, cows! Life is short!

3. White Teeth by Zadie Smith - One thing Zadie Smith does really well is tell stories of life in London and England in a way that don’t necessarily get told in movies. She explores the intersection of race, culture and class, poking holes in austerity and political norms. And she does it with a sharp wit and detailed imagery. This beautifully expansive story follows two men who served in the military together, who reunite in London and form a friendship that unites their two families. We watch their kids grow up, and observe The real differences in their lives growing up, two in London and one in Iran.

4. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende - Here we follow three generations of the Trueba family living in a South American country (based on Chile), from the patriarch Esteban who is a vicious landowner to his daughter who falls in love with a man Esteban hates through his granddaughter, who he adores. In her young adulthood she joins the rebellion against the brutal military dictatorship, and he has …feelings about that. It’s just a really beautiful, sweeping story that, again, plays with the complexity of time and idea of the past influencing our present and future, and no matter how badly we want to control it sometimes the future is inevitable.

5. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by As Told to Alex Haley - I learned so much from this book! They don’t teach us this perspective in school, guys! This man taught himself to read in prison, he has some really wild stories about life in Harlem in the 40s (spoiler alert: not great), he goes into great detail of the cost, time and pain of having his hair straightened as was expected of black people in that time. Just getting into his head and understanding the psyche, why so many young Black people were drawn to the Nation of Islam, his experience going on a pilgrimage. I think Malcom X has been really misrepresented in history, to this day Black people who speak up are labeled as angry and violent. So this book is really important in that it gives us a chance to see America from his perspective, and really understand his philosophy. A lot of it is, unfortunately, still very relevant.

[meme-streets]

omg what’s your personal ranking of the doors albums i’m so curious on your take

ok sorry this was so late! i realized i hadn’t actually listened to the live album yet (which i wanted to rank as well) and then i didn’t get the chance for several days. for the sake of ease i’m only going to do the ones released while morrison was alive. these are based on my preferences, not judgements of quality.

1. morrison hotel. ironically has the highest volume of doors songs i don’t really like (which i like…2), but it’s the album i listen to straight through the most, i own it on CD, and as an overall whole i think coheres incredibly well. the callbacks to “roadhouse blues” in “the spy” and “maggie m’gill”, the callback to “waiting for the sun” the album in “waiting for the sun” the song, just in general the way the whole thing flows.

2. strange days. i expect this is an uncontroversial pick, given as it’s generally accepted to be a great album. “love me two times” and “people are strange” are of course iconic, “strange days” and “moonlight drive” are incredibly cool songs, and of course “my eyes have seen you” is probably my all-time favorite doors song. the album has a really cool sound overall and i think it holds together very well; another album i’m inclined to listen to all the way through and the one that got me into them as a whole. some of manzarek’s best keyboard work is on here imo, or at least my favorite. the fact it feels like a slightly more cohesive concept album also gives it a slight boost over the self titled.

3. the doors. a killer first album with an abundance of favorite songs of mine–“soul kitchen” (an old favorite of mine from childhood), “back door man” (makes me want to dance in ways that are not physically possible), “break on through”, “take it as it comes” (genuinely haunting), “light my fire”, “i looked at you”…honestly every single song on here is a complete banger. “the end” is an incredible finale. literally just a bunch of really fucking good songs so i gotta put it high up on the list.

4. absolutely live. their energy is incredible live, it flows super well, the mixed in spoken word poetry is fantastic, and also...jim morrison noises. the slight lyrical alterations to soul kitchen and how perfect of a closer it made. the emotions i experienced listening to this sure were something!!

5. waiting for the sun. maybe a strange pick, but despite being one of their lesser-appreciated albums i think it’s cool as hell with a really unique sound. “five to one” is a favorite of mine, “hello, i love you” is iconic, “not to touch the earth” is genuinely kind of terrifying (sounds like getting murdered in a funhouse imo), “the unknown soldier” and “yes, the river knows” are great, and despite it being a weird song, i have a particular soft spot for “my wild love”. i’m a sucker for sort of…campfire songs, almost. overall an incredibly cool album that doesn’t get appreciated enough.

6. the soft parade. another underrated one; between this and waiting for the sun i had to give the latter a slight edge just for how many songs on it i really like, but i love the orchestral sound of this album. “touch me” has been a favorite since i was a kid, and “runnin’ blue” is a weird but fantastic song featuring bluegrass breakdowns and what seems to be jim morrison’s surprisingly on point bob dylan impression. and of course, the final and titular track has the iconic “you cannot petition the lord with prayer” bit.

7. l.a. woman. ok, don’t eat me alive for putting this last–i feel insane for it–but despite it being an iconic album and having a couple songs i really really like (“the changeling” and “been down so long”)…it’s just not my favorite? i don’t find myself listening to it as much, though it was the last one i listened to out of the main 6 so that probably had an impact. i will say, their cover of “crawling king snake” is really cool, one of my higher rated ones (though nothing will ever top junior kimbrough for me), and overall it’s still a fantastic album.

this was incredibly hard oh my god. as obnoxious as i am about how hot i find morrison, i fell in love with the music first, and i adore (heh) most of the doors’ discography. even the songs i’m not as big on i don’t dislike.