#it just...felt. the musical i always felt like they were the audience insert for the cringe we were feeling

[vintageshanny]

Seeing Red

I haven’t been able to get this suit off my mind, so I had to write this one-shot about it. Even though I’m the one that brought it up, I blame these lovely ladies for fueling my fantasies. 😆 @lookingforrainbows @whositmcwhatsit @thatbanditqueen @ellie-24 @be-my-ally @missmaywemeetagain @powerofelvis @peskybedtime @shakerattlescroll @from-memphis-with-love

Content: Backstage hanky-panky, 18+

Tia felt like she might pass out. Even in just a skimpy sundress, it felt so hot in the arena. Or maybe it was the man on stage making her feel hot. And lightheaded. In her 21 years of life, she had never experienced this sensation just from looking at a man. She bit down on her lower lip, forcing herself to stay focused, not wanting to miss a millisecond of this experience. She couldn’t believe her good fortune to win front-row tickets and a backstage pass to meet thee Elvis Presley from the local Richmond radio station.

His performance was so dynamic, she couldn’t tear her eyes away for a second. His playful banter with the audience felt like a private conversation just for her. She tried to sing along to the songs, but it was like her brain was short-circuiting as she watched him lay down on the floor of the stage. He crossed one ankle over his opposite knee and rocked his hips gently in time with the music. Tia could hear the gentle clanking of his gold belt against the stage as he continued singing “Polk Salad Annie,” his long fingers playing with the microphone cord.

Suddenly all the moisture in Tia’s mouth had disappeared as she stared at him, slack-jawed. From her perch in the front row, she could see the way his tight red jumpsuit molded completely to every part of his body. She’d never wanted to reach out and grab a man’s butt this badly, but he was just asking for it, with the way his perfectly sculpted glutes rolled back and forth on the stage as he finished the song and started joking around about being crushed under one of the ceiling fixtures. Elvis turned his head and locked eyes with Tia right as she was staring at his butt and licking her lips like a wild animal locked in on its prey. His voice broke just the slightest bit as he laughed and turned his gaze back toward the ceiling. Before climbing up off the floor, though, he turned back to Tia and gave a little wink. Tia gasped, feeling a throbbing in between her legs. All she could think the rest of the show was, “Elvis winked at me!”

After the finale of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Tia made her way backstage, clutching her pass tightly in her hand. She nervously looked around, hoping to find Elvis before he was mobbed by other fans and his entourage. Too late. There were several girls smushed up close to him already. She sighed and hung back, too nervous to insert herself into the conversation, but unable to stop looking him up and down. She grabbed a bottle of Coke from a table of refreshments and turned back to ogle him some more. He was still in the bright red jumpsuit, and now that she was so close to him, she could see that it was soaked with sweat. That pulsing feeling came back as she clenched her thighs together, trying to stay calm. As she dragged her eyes up from his muscular thighs and a not insignificant bulge, she saw that he had caught her staring again. His full pouty lips pulled up on one side as he left the harem and made his way over to Tia.

“Ya here by yourself, darlin’?” he asked, his honey-coated accent making her heart skip a beat. “Well, I won two tickets and my best friend was supposed to join me, but she got sick at the last minute. It was an amazing show, but I was nervous to come alone,” Tia rambled on in a strange stream of consciousness that she couldn’t seem to stop. Elvis smirked with a twinkle in his eye. “Yeah, it’s always better to come with someone else.” Tia felt her face heat up at his obvious innuendo and lowered her gaze. “Sweetheart, if you’re gonna keep starin’ like that, ya could’ve at least come over right away ta say hi,” he teased as he grabbed the Coke from her hand and took a big swig before handing it back to her with a grin. Tia blushed and looked down at where his lips had just been on her bottle. “I’m sorry, Mr. Presley, I was nervous to interrupt your conversation,” she said, running her hand through her thick curly hair, her voice barely above a whisper. Elvis looked at her with a tenderness that caught her off guard and leaned in close to her ear. “Honey, jus’ call me Elvis. And I know a place we can sneak off and talk, jus’ the two of us.” Tia looked up in surprise but nodded. She was nervous, but not about to pass up an opportunity to talk privately with the sexiest man she’d ever seen.

With a glance around to make sure no one was following, Elvis grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly around the corner and into his temporary dressing room. He closed the door behind them and turned to smile at Tia again, his nose and eyes crinkling the slightest bit in a way that made her heart flutter. “Now that we’re alone,” Elvis said in a soft, low voice, “can I stare at you the way you’ve been starin’ at me?” His eyes wandered over her entire body, and although Tia felt herself flush under the scrutiny, his gaze held nothing but admiration. As he looked back into her deep brown eyes, he made an exaggerated motion of licking his lips. Tia finally loosened up, giggling and swatting at him playfully. “I did not do that when I looked at you!” she exclaimed. “Baby, ya can’t lie to me. I saw ya from the stage,” Elvis teased back. “Like a horny wolf on the prowl,” he laughed. Tia smiled but her breath caught in her throat as Elvis lifted a hand to her neck and gently traced his fingers over her caramel-colored skin. She couldn’t stop the involuntary shiver that ran through her body.

“Ya okay?” Elvis whispered as he gently pushed the strap of her dress over her shoulder, leaning in and pressing a soft warm kiss to her upper chest. Tia nodded and ran her fingers through his still-sweaty hair, eliciting a small moan from him as she gently scratched his scalp. He pushed his face down further into her cleavage, and she could feel his warm wet tongue dragging across her skin. “Let’s get more comfortable,” he whispered as he grabbed the hem of her sundress and pulled it up over her head, leaving her in just her simple cotton bra and panties. “I’m sorry,” Tia whispered with a hint of embarrassment. “I would have worn something sexier if I would have known…” “Naw, baby, ya look perfect jus’ like this,” Elvis said with a soft smile.

Tia blushed as she reached to help him get undressed. She unfastened his gold belt, which came off pretty easily but almost clanged to the floor with its weight. “Woah,” she said in surprise. “This is pretty heavy. Doesn’t this hurt to wear?” Elvis smiled at her sweet concern and said, “I’m pretty strong, honey, I can handle it.” Tia moved her hands to help him out of his jumpsuit and then paused. “Whatsa matter, baby?” he asked, studying her face. “Um, before we take this off, can I do something?” Tia whispered shyly. “Sure, doll, what is it?” Tia’s face turned red as she wrapped her arms around his torso. “When I was staring at you on the stage,” she said softly, “it’s because your butt looks so good in this suit.” Her hands wandered down and cupped his ass, giving it a gentle squeeze. Elvis’ face turned as red as the jumpsuit, but he let out a big laugh. “I just needed to feel it,” she explained as she buried her head in his sweaty chest and then pulled back to help him out of the suit.

It was so tight and sweaty that Tia had to basically peel it off of his body. She took the opportunity to press kisses to his salty skin as she moved down his torso. When he was standing there in just his white briefs, she could see that he was trembling the slightest bit. He pulled her in close and kissed her tenderly, slipping his tongue softly into her mouth as he reached around and unhooked her bra. Her nipples hardened instantly in the cool air, and Elvis leaned down to lavish each one with the attention of his warm wet mouth. When he straightened up, she could see how much it aroused him to make her feel good. His briefs could barely contain the erection he now had. She gently pulled at his waistband and reached her hand inside. He jerked forward slightly as she carefully massaged his heavy balls and then moved her hand up to stroke his length, rolling the foreskin back and forth.

As Elvis stood there with his eyes closed, softly moaning, she pulled his briefs down to his ankles so she could get a full view of him. She sucked in her breath a little bit at the sight of him standing before her fully exposed. “Wh-wh-what is it?” he asked, and Tia smiled at his sweet nervous stutter. “I’ve just never seen such a beautiful sight,” she said as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the warm tip of his cock, tasting the salty precum. Elvis smiled at that and guided her toward the couch. Instead of removing her panties, he laid his body on top of hers, humping against her passionately, his bare cock rubbing her clit right through the fabric with each stroke. Tia couldn’t believe how good he could make her feel without even entering inside her. As he continued kissing her and gently rolling one of her nipples between his fingertips, her orgasm caught her completely off guard. She tried to call his name but it stuck in the back of her throat as her legs squeezed around him. Elvis’ body shook as he thrust against her and then pulled back quickly, using his hand to finish himself off on her stomach as she watched in amazement.

“Wow,” Tia whispered as her heart tried to find its normal rhythm again. “That was…something.” Elvis looked at her as he grabbed an extra scarf to wipe off her stomach. “Disappointed?” he asked, only half-joking. “I-I-I know ya probably were expectin’ somethin’ more, but I w-w-wanted to show ya what I enjoy,” he explained nervously. “If it wasn’t enough for ya, ‘m sorry,” he rambled on, and Tia grabbed his hand. “Disappointed?” she asked in surprise. “No, Elvis, I was amazed. That you could make me feel that good just from, I mean without even, well, feel for yourself,” she stumbled over her explanation, moving his hand to the center of her panties, which were soaked with her own sticky cum. Elvis looked a little bit surprised and she added, “I think you underestimate your power to satisfy.”

After they got dressed and Elvis wrapped her in a warm affectionate hug, Tia looked up into his face and said, “Plus, you made me feel good tonight in a way that goes way beyond something sexual. I will remember the magic of this night for the rest of my life.” As Elvis looked down at her, she knew his sweet, sincere, lop-sided grin would be seared into her brain forever.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: December 2024

I'm not one to rank stuff at the end of the year cause I'm easily swayed by recency bias. Anyway here's how I spent this final month of the year two thousand and twenty-four.

……….FILM……….

Josie and the Pussycats (2001) Some of my favourite art is both joyful and scathing. It's such a fine line to walk and a miracle when it works. Having never seen this before, it took me about three scenes saturated with product placements to realize that Josie and the Pussycats walks that line perfectly. Instant top film for me.

The Holiday (2006) This is a movie that I enjoy every time I watch it, but for different reasons. Sometimes I love how unique it was to cast Jack Black in this role, and sometimes I feel like he sticks out like a sore thumb. This time what really stood out was FedEx's sponsorship.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970) There's something really zen about defeating the villain by outliving them. No better way to succeed than by continuing to live your best life.

Akira (1988) Got to see this in the theatre for the first time and it was such a wildly different experience. The surround sound was cranked, the imagery filled my entire field of vision, and the audience was dialed in. It was incredible.

Die Hard (1988) I know it's cliché but this is a holiday staple. Every year I think about why the scene of Sergeant Al shooting Karl sits wrong. I know it completes his arch and maybe saving John and Holly redeems him, but is it necessary? It's the ONE scene that keeps this from being a perfect movie in my books. Anyway I love it.

Midsommar (2019) Still isn't the movie for me. I know horror, by default, tends to be mean-spirited, but I still don't get why the London couple was murdered. They seemed pretty chill and nice and had a natural response to the cliff-jumping. Glad Dani found a family though!

……….TELEVISION……….

Skeleton Crew (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) Slow to check this out simply because the recent Star Wars shows haven't really inspired much hope. Happy to be proven wrong as the show, so far, is a delight! My only fear is that it'll all tie into some legacy character in the last episode. Please I just want a show that exists in this world but does its own thing.

Columbo (Episode 2.01 to 2.05) Consistently fun and I always appreciate how the crimes allow a little more of Columbo's character/personality to be revealed (the London episode's final particularly stands out).

Arcane (Episode 2.04 to 2.09) Continuously stunning but ultimately not where I thought it was heading. Season one spent so much time on the class disparity but that's mostly ignored in the second season in favour of a big battle that ultimately wasn't impacted by the majority of the main characters.

Dan Da Dan (Episode 1.10 to 1.12) I didn't realize the season ended at 12 episodes (and at such a strange point, narratively) but I'm really enjoying this world and its weird cast of characters. Again: if you check it out and find the alien probing scene of the first episode to be too much, know that I felt the same way and feel like the series hasn't hit that same low point in the remaining 11 episodes.

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter Of the current era's popstars, I know the least about Carpenter and her music. The writing was sharper than I was expecting but the audience insert shots reminded me more of a modern comedy special than a classic variety show. Just give me some low wide shots of the audience watching the show, otherwise I assume the B roll is staged. Merry Christmas!

The Chair (Episode 1.01 to 1.06) A great lil series of television. Loved the setting and characters, but admit I found the ending to be a mixed bag (some threads were tied up in a really smart way while others seemed to be totally forgotten) but overall satisfying. It looks at these complex issues complexly and I respect that.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Why every restaurant has the same desserts by Vox I love dessert but this explains why I almost never order it when I'm out for dinner. VIDEO

Josie and the Pussycats is the Greatest Film Ever Made | Essay on Film | Amber Flannery Field by Amber Flannery Field Essays A concise expression of why Josie and the Pussycats is so great. VIDEO

……….READING……….

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (Complete) Perfect holiday read though I didn't realize it was a collection of short stories. Some were more fun to read than others, but that's on me as I have trouble keeping characters straight if they aren't given much more than a name and description.

The Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Moorcock (Complete) These old pulp fantasy novels are always an interesting read. The characters are little more than names and descriptions, and the plots feel familiar (probably because of how influential they were on what came after) but what I enjoy most Moorcock's breakneck pace. Some of the books from this era are one concept stretched out beyond its limits, but this is full of concepts that could fill out an entire book yet get a couple of chapters before moving onto the next cool thing.

Hawkeye by Matt Fraction, David Aja, and many more (Complete) I frequently choose to reread this around the holidays. Even before the loosely-adapted show stuck with the Christmas timing, it's just felt like a winter read. Can't recommend this enough for really highlighting what comics can be.

Reckless by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Complete) The art is great but after reading a couple of Brubaker books, I now realize I do not like his writing style. I wish Brubaker would let some of the storytelling happen through the visuals but that's not his approach and honestly I think I'd prefer reading his work if it was strictly a novella or full length book.

……….AUDIO……….

Brat by Charli XCX (2024) Hey have you heard of this album? Pretty good.

……….GAMING……….

Spot it! (Blue Orange Games) I won't be swayed on the fact that this is one of the best party games. Good for most ages and player count, easy to drop in and out of the game, and (most importantly) very quick to explain and easy to grasp the premise. Every card has 8 symbols on it. Every card matches with every other card via 1 symbol. The matching symbol is different on each card. There are different games to play based on this fact but most tend to involve finding the matching symbols first to get rid of your cards. It's frantic and fun and rounds take just a few minutes. Super fun.

And that's it. See you in 2025!

[fast-moon]

I am so glad Russell T. Davies is back

No spoilers for the Doctor Who special, just general comments on writing differences.

I got into Doctor Who probably when Season 5 of the reboot was airing, and started from the beginning of the reboot with Eccleston's 9th Doctor. That first season was kind of hit-and-miss, but I stayed invested because even if stories about farting aliens or talking pieces of skin didn't always hit the mark, the human element of being exposed to those situations still did. And as the Davies run went on, the stories became less cringe and the human element still remained.

In those stories, the companion was always made to be the audience insert character. "There is this cool person who can take you anywhere in time and space, and you get to experience all these neat things."

Then in Season 5 the writing switched to Steven Moffat. And to me something felt... off. No longer did the companion seem to be the audience insert character, but rather the Doctor was who the audience was supposed to relate to. "Look at this person, he's so cool. Don't you wish you were cool and smart and important like him? Look at how impressed everyone is with him!"

Now, Moffat could do impressive monster action stories fine. It's just that the human element to them was gone. The characters were mostly there to move the story from cool scene to cool scene without any time to let it actually affect them in any meaningful way.

Then we moved on to Chris Chibnall, who had the opposite problem as Moffat. He knew how to humanize characters, but had a hard time putting them into crazy, over-the-top situations. So we had a cast of actual people again, but they weren't doing anything interesting.

And now with the 60th anniversary specials, Davies is back (and holy crap, so is Murray Gold on music which is even better). And let's just say... the human element is back, and so is the zaniness. And I so happy.

[fangbangerghoul]

its SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUUUNDAAY!!!!!

As usual we got your snippets here come and get them! (insert some newsies reference or something)

Tagging: @staticpallour, @bearlytolerant, @silurisanguine, @atonalginger, @eridanidreams, @lisa-and-shadow, @aislingdmdt, @a-cosmic-elf, @toxiclizardwrites, @aro-pancake, @spookyspecterino, @thatsgoodsquishy0, @booburry, @5oh5, @therealgchu, @order-of-the-eye

(if i missed you feel free to yell at me maybe I'll enjoy it) (also tag me so I can see your work and share it)

As usual it's under the cut! This will be a snippet from the future chapter in Ghoul Files! (cause I am dragging my feet on writing chapter 10 lately even though I have all the parts of my Frankenstein waiting to be sewn together and edited with lightning)

(ok maybe not I have been swamped with work, but I like to be hard on myself, okay?)

The Astral Lounge was dimly lit aside from the center of the dance floor that held a level specifically for their hired dancers of the night. Ghoul was already three drinks in and two vials of aurora as she melded herself in with the crowd of bodies to continue dancing throughout the night. Her outfit of choice left very little to the imagination as the deep red dress hugged her body and the mesh that was fused with the straps that laced across her hips and her chest teased the audience around her. Her vibrant green hair was down allowing her curls to bounce as she moved with the base and drums that echoed throughout the molecules of her physical form.

Her golden eyes were dilated and the whites of her eyes faintly red from the level of intoxication she was at within this point of time. Ghoul’s thoughts barely formed coherent sentences but her body was able to maintain clear communication with the others that danced vigorously around her. It had been long months of traveling, doing mercenary work, and getting half cut on a few missions due to her inability to keep the target alive once or twice. She was pent up with aggression and frustration and without having to run further by going on a rampage Ghoul thought dancing and getting extremely intoxicated was the next best thing.

There were a few hands that graced her skin but with her dexterity she was able to always slip away before someone became grabby enough to ensure their arm or hand got broken. Time faded way song after song and her feet and hips never stopped to take a break. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since she joined the cycling crowd of people but she didn’t plan to stop just yet. The aurora was still strong in her veins intensifying the vibrations from the music around and letting her feel every beat of her heart. The rhythm she was dancing to soon switched as the beat became heavier and more industrial she felt large hands come into contact with her hips. Their body pressed upon hers and as if by instinct she felt herself fall back into them without a second thought. Their hot breath was caressing her left ear and a soothing enduring voice spoke to her.

[daydreamgoddess14]

Landslide pt. 2

MASTERLIST here

Chapter 1 here

Summary: Jason approaches a singer/songwriter about a request for Ted Lasso Season 3.

Jason Sudeikis/Reader Insert (OFC, no use of y,n/l,n)

Rating: General for now... we'll see how it goes ��

Disclaimer: I absolutely own none of these songs, I also don’t want to diminish Sam Ryder’s contribution in creating Fought and Lost. This is all completely fictional. I also know nothing about the music industry so this is drowning in artistic license! 

Playlist Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1crFZfdqL1fspNXb80u5sK?si=e90f5f8f357b4647

It leans very Swift heavy but also has songs that I feel fit the main character and her style. I've never created a playlist for a fic before but it seemed appropriate given the main character's profession.

Songs used in Chapter 2:

Lover of the Light - Mumford and Sons (https://open.spotify.com/track/2rjOBgZ6vmRhzf4AbQbbvZ?si=3cdfe7ca63294533)

I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons (cover by Matt Johnson & Amber Leigh Irish: https://open.spotify.com/track/6pZ37H5lrW2v26D9Sbx6Yo?si=0fb2b5b84b0a4c92)

Chapter 2

The blue carpet was packed full of people, you weren't entirely sure where you needed to go but followed the other guests towards the doors of the auditorium, it was one of those situations where your fame came in useful, crowds parted and support staff were always happy to make sure you were going in the right direction. 

"Why do you always look like a deer in the headlights at these things? You need a better poker face." A voice chastised behind you. You whipped round to see Marcus and Carey. Insanely grateful for familiar faces you hugged them both happily, over the moon to see them. 

"I fucking hate these things. I always feel like an imposter."

"You sold out an arena tour in a day, what the hell are you on about?!" Carey laughed. You shrugged, 

"It could all come crashing down, you never know!"

"Alright doom and gloom, here the kids wanted you to see this." Marcus handed you his phone so you could see the picture of their kids dressed up as Spiderman and Thor, wielding a ukulele and a keytar. 

"Ohhhh!" You shriek, bubbling with laughter. "They are the cutest! Clearly they take after Carey." Between the two of you, Marcus paused to wave further up the carpet, your laughter had caught the attention of some photographers. You looked over to see who he was greeting and locked eyes with the man of the hour, Jason. You managed to raise a shy smile which he returned. It felt like an eternity but was probably only about 5 seconds before you were back talking to Carey as if nothing had happened. Something had definitely happened though, your skin felt tingly, you could feel the blood in your veins heating up, and your legs felt like jelly. It was like meeting at the studio again except instead of poor Tom being the gooseberry, half of Los Angeles were. 

"We're doing a little set tonight." Marcus explained. 

"Oh nice, I haven't heard you guys for ages." You brought yourself back down to earth. 

"You could," he cooked his head with a wink, "y'know… join us?"

"No way, I'm not remotely prepared, I haven't sang live for weeks. I don't even remember half the words to your stuff!"

"Thanks mate."

"You know what I mean, It's too much pressure."

"As opposed to every other time you perform. Go onnn! It'll be fun!"

"For who?!" You try to counter, but he's winning you over. It really had been quite a few weeks since you'd last performed to an audience and you were feeling the pull. There was also that intoxicating way Jason had looked at you - the urge to do something unexpected and surprise him was pretty strong. "OK, say I said yes, who would we be pissing off - apart from my entire management team?"

"Nah, no one. No one even needs to know, we'll just tell the floor manager to get an extra mic set up and everyone else will be none the wiser. It'll be a good surprise for Tom and Jason to hear you properly live with a band." Yeah… you couldn't argue with that. 

"OK, OK, let's do it." He whooped and the three of you started moving a little quicker to the doors. You passed by a handful of the cast still having photos taken, a couple of them recognised you and a buzz went up from the photography area. You hesitated before stopping for some pictures, it was a premiere after all and you had dressed up for it in a dress which was the visual representation of exuding confidence. Confidence which you were absolutely winging at the moment in an ultimate ‘fake it til you make it’ strategy.

"How come you're here tonight?" One of the photographers shouted, “What do you think of your ex’s new girl?”

"Just a fan of the show." You smiled and posed, ignoring the second question. Once inside, Carey waved you off with a grin while you went backstage with Marcus.

~~~~~~~

"So we're doing the theme song - you don't have to do that - then in between the two episodes we're doing 2 or 3 songs while everyone has a break, then I think we'll do one after the screening as well. Happy with that?" You nod, "I'll come back to watch the first episode so you come back with me just before that ends. I'll go out as planned, introduce you and you can join us. Bit of backing, bit of melody. It doesn't matter if you really have forgotten all the words." You thank him gratefully. Back with Carey, you cheer for Marcus as he performs the theme song. At the other end of the same row, you can't help but steal a glance at Jason. He looked across to you just as your attention was drawn back to the stage. You managed to sneak out just before the end of the episode to wait for Marcus to introduce you. As expected, with only a few people knowing that you were there and no one at all expecting you to join the band on stage, the screening audience went crazy when you were introduced. 

"Hey everyone, thanks for letting me crash the party. Hope you're playing something I remember, Marmar." You tease lightly. He puts a hand to his heart, 

"Some of you may have seen us in the early 2010s on tour with my good friend here. You might remember that she used to join us for a banging version of Lover of the Light?" He looked to you for confirmation that you remembered enough to get by, and then you brought the fucking house down. With the first couple of songs under your belt, you were much more relaxed watching the second episode. It had been such a rush performing live on a total whim, it had been years since you'd done something so reckless and unpredictable regarding your music. Your phone was already blowing up in your bag with Twitter notifications - your management team would have a field day again, you still weren't exactly in the good books. Marcus had saved your favourite of his songs for last - I Will Wait. Similarly to Lover of the Light, the pair of you used to do a storming version together many, many years ago and you loved it so much that you'd recorded an acoustic version for one of your albums and you had been known to wheel it out during live shows as well. It wasn't until you were back up on the stage though that Marcus pretty much reduced his own role to backing singer and had gently nudged you to front the band. It was a damn good job you'd known them all for the better part of 15 years. Your unrehearsed, pared down version was a winner. You kept your eyes in the general direction of Carey and didn't let them stray to the opposite end of the row until the very end when you couldn't resist stealing a look at Jason any longer. He looked happy - fortunately - really happy, and you could feel your stomach tighten at the vaguely familiar notion of genuine attraction to someone. With the impromptu mini gig over, you had a quick 5 minutes with the band before heading off with the intention of finding a bar and a very alcoholic drink prior to catching up with Jason and Tom. Dutch courage was very much on the agenda. You ordered a whiskey and watched from the bar as the cast and creative team started making their way in, stopping every few seconds to be welcomed and congratulated by guests, media and family. You'd gotten talking to a couple of the writers who'd recognised you. 

"I was at your last gig in New York, it was so much fun!"

"I love shows in New York," You grinned, "I get to sleep in my own bed for a change!" 

"Ugh hotel beds are a menace. I either sleep like the dead or not at all."

"Tell me about it, buses are the worst though - be so glad you don't have to sleep on a bus! I did a week of shows in the UK last year and we were so tight on time that I'd finish a gig, go to sleep on the bus and wake up in a new city. I don't even think we bothered with hotel rooms, just drove through the night." You grimaced. Your back still hadn't forgiven you for that, and your tour manager was under strict instructions to avoid that debacle for future shows.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, congrats guys!" Jason reached in to say hello to his writing team first.

"You too boss! Have you guys met?" They gestured to you, "I had no idea Marcus was going to bring her, did you?" 

"I did know. Thanks for coming." Jason finally turned to you with a smile that made you forget your own name. 

"Thanks for the invite. And sorry for the surprise set. It was Marcus's idea." You looked up while the writers filtered away to see other people, leaving the two of you alone. You took a long drink, buying you time to compose yourself because holy shit he looked so good. You wondered if it would be better to hold the meeting at separate ends of the room and communicate via smoke signals to save your blushes.

"Oh no, I loved it! Instant validation for the request I sent to Tom and Marcus, as if hearing you in the studio wasn't enough. You sounded amazing." You wave the compliment away,

"I'm way under rehearsed, I'm still under strict instructions to lay low for a while so I haven't been in front of a big audience for ages."

"It didn't show, really, you were great. Better than Marcus."

"Stop, he'll never forgive me!" You nudged him, laughing. 

"Can we sit?" You nod and his hand brushes the small of your back, guiding you to a booth. It’s warm through the thin fabric of your dress and you could curse when your treacherous body shivers in response. 

"Congrats on tonight, it looks like it's been a huge success."

"Ahh we'll see, it's a long way to go till the end of May. How's your week been?"

"Pretty good thanks, a few meetings. Plenty of writing."

"Anything you'd like to share?" He asked curiously. 

"Not just yet,” you tease lightly, “give it another day or so and maybe. Also it might be wildly different to what Tom's expecting so I don't want to get in trouble."

“You don’t strike me as a troublemaker.”

“I’m on my best behaviour. Unfortunately. One more bad headline and-” you draw your finger across your throat.

“No way? Those headlines are not your fault - you defended yourself.”

“Hmm but there are a lot of people out there who don’t believe that I’m defending myself. They believe that I’m the problem.” He looks at your hand resting on the table near his and you think he’s about to take it, but he moves his own away at the last second. “So… troublemaker, that’s me.” You smile ruefully. 

“Well I think I’ll reserve judgment.” He does move his hand then, but not to take yours, instead it goes around you to rest on your hip furthest from him, the action sliding you across the seat a few inches closer to him. He holds your gaze, an unspoken request for permission/forgiveness. You can’t help but feel a little unsure, automatically defensive. You’d spent three years being belittled, gaslit, shamed and manipulated in every aspect of your personal life, and now you were trying to recover from that whilst simultaneously trying to prove that those things were really happening to you and that you’re not a cold, calculating and manipulative bitch. You had no idea who you could really trust, who was supporting you or who was in the pocket of your ex. It was draining trying to mentally vet every reaction, conversation and person before letting your guard down. Something in his warm eyes lets you think you can trust him though, so you lean into that and into his hand just a little. Your eyes flash down to his mouth and back again and you hope you were quick enough that he didn't notice because you hadn't meant to do it. Well, not exactly. Your time alone is cut short though when Tom comes over with more drinks. 

"So that was unexpected." He said, handing you a glass. "Brilliant, but unexpected." Jason moves his hand from behind you to take his drink from Tom. 

"Told you." 

"Hush, you. Thank you, Tom. I caved to peer pressure. Marcus bullied me into it."

"I should get him a drink then." You unlock your phone and slide it across the table, the notes app open. As it passes him, Jason tries to sneak a look but Tom grabs up the phone and reads. "Keep going, you're nearly there." He advises firmly. "Though I want to hear it, I'm in meetings all day tomorrow but record a quick voice note, give me an idea of pace and melody and I’ll think on it." 

"Can you send it to me too?" Jason asked. 

"Nope." You reply with a smirk, for a moment he looks confused. "I don't have your number. But also, I’m not about to send you a half arsed voice note just yet." You shrug. He's about to reply when a few people start milling around looking like they need him. He excuses himself and you and Tom compare some notes on the start you’ve made to the song. He next finds you back at the same table catching up with Carey.

“-I’m just saying I would pay good money to see you recreate that Tom Holland Lip Sync Battle rain dance!” Carey giggled.

“Oh god, I’d fall over and break something! Besides, I’m not built for dancing - especially not dirty rain dancing!” You reply gleefully, the giggles getting the better of you both.

“Who’s doing dirty rain dancing?” Jason grins, handing both of you a drink, “Saw you both from the bar.”

“Ahh I’ll never convince her. Maybe Marcus will do it instead.” She takes a sip of her drink, “I’m going to be so hungover on the school run tomorrow.”

“Same.” he agrees.

“I’ll come with you, I want to see the kiddos and I’ll bring the biggest coffees I can find.”

“Thanks, love. If I’m already going to be hungover I might as well finish this drink as well! Thanks Jason, and congratulations!” As the party slows and people drift off, including Tom, you talk Carey into staying for another drink, not quite willing to leave Jason’s company just yet. He’s been sitting next to you again, not so close that it would make Carey uncomfortable or would seem rude. Close enough that when he talks with his hands they brush against your arm or hand. When they’re finally still and he puts them on the seat between you both, his fingertips can catch against yours or (very bravely) ghost over the hem of your dress. Meanwhile, you’re trying to look casual, trying to act unruffled but there’s a marching band inside your body banging your heart like a bloody big drum and it might as well be bursting out of your chest like a cartoon. When Carey gets up to track down Marcus so you can share an Uber with them, he turns on the seat to face you. 

“Can I give you my number?” He asks, watching your eyes widen in surprise. “For the voice note you're going to send me,” he teases.

“I’m not sending you the bloody song over WhatsApp. Tom can show you whatever he chooses, but you’ll get nothing from me until I say so.”

“Nothing at all huh?” He moves closer on the seat. You smile shyly,

“I’d strongly advise against whatever it is you think you’d like to do right now.”

“There’s a lot that I’d like to do, you might need to be more specific?” You shake your head in exasperation.

“My life is a fucking mess.”

“So is mine.”

“So you wouldn’t want to make it worse.”

“I really think I might actually want to. Might make it better.”

“The paps are-”

“Intense, rude, intrusive?”

“My ex-”

“Is a dick.” 

“Can we be serious for one minute? One minute. I don’t want you to drag you into this shitshow, my name is mud everywhere at the moment - I might as well be public enemy number one. No matter how… brief this might end up being, it’s still not fair on you, or your family, that you get associated with it all.”

“I don’t need to be, we don’t have to broadcast it.”

“I’m pretty sure they know my diary better than I do.” You counter, then pause, taking in the hat, the custom made tracksuit, the dimples. “But… I can avoid them most of the time. I try to… protect myself.”

“We could try that? Because I’d really like to kiss you before Carey gets back and you have to leave.” You can’t help the smile that tugs at the corner of your mouth at that. The hint of a smile is enough for him to lean in and press a soft kiss to your lips making you hum happily. “Wanna come to a basketball game?”

“And sit about 10 seats away from you pretending I’m not checking you out?”

“Amazing coincidence, that’s exactly what I’d be doing too.”

“I’d love to. Especially the checking you out part.” You grin. Out of the corner of your eye you can see Marcus and Carey coming back for you. “Looks like my time is up.” He slips his phone out of his pocket and opens the screen before handing it to you to add your number.

~~~~~~~~

Over the next couple of days, the tabloids seemed to wake up to your arrival in L.A, though they did at least leave you alone and keep their distance. A handful of pictures cropped up on Twitter and Instagram - you holding hands with one of Marcus and Carey’s kids, giving them a piggyback after school, some of you from the Ted Lasso premiere and one of you collecting takeout the evening after the premiere. You knew there would be photographers at the basketball game you were attending so you’d planned to go with an old friend. Despite Jason being the one to ask you to go, you knew that you’d be unlikely to even be able to say more than hello to him with so many eyes around. You sat one row back from the courtside and about 10-15 seats further along the row than Jason sat with his castmates and son. He’d sent you a message before you’d even pulled up at your apartment after the premiere, you’d replied of course and the message pingpong had been pretty regular in the run up to the game. He’d seen you arrive, he’d been loitering at the edge of the court talking while the seats began to fill up. You’d smiled and held your beer up in greeting.

You look great, I’m glad you came

Thanks, you too. This doesn’t count as a first date though.

That’s fair, I’ve got to get O home after this, but we could hang out later in the week?

Sounds good, enjoy the game

After the game, someone had pushed a ball into his hands while people were milling around the court. He’d been laughing and joking with Toheeb and Kola and you’d been perfectly happy just watching him have a good time. He took his cap off and turned it around on his head so he could better line up his shot. You had been halfway through a conversation but god fucking damn your jaw near hit the floor when he bounced a little and the ball had travelled near half the length of the court and straight into the basket. Someone had been filming it and Kola had excitedly told him to tell the camera that it had been one take. By this point, you’d long given up on talking with your friend and she watched in amusement while your words had trailed off. She followed your gaze to the scenes on the court.

“That’s emmm… that’s pretty hot.”

“I’m not usually a men doing sports type of person. In that it normally doesn’t affect me in any kind of way.”

“How you feeling now?”

“Pretty fucking affected. Jesus.” You reached for your phone while the image and the thoughts were still fresh in your mind - though there was no doubt that the visual would be there for a very long time to come. 

That was insane. I truly hope you know how hot that was because I… I’m speechless.

With the rest of the court clearing out, you took your empty beer glasses and took one last look at Jason. He spotted you so you gave a quick glance around for potential photographers before very obviously fanning yourself with your hand. He laughed and winked.

~~~~~~~~~

[clonebrainrot]

Decommissioned

Okay next episode we are so back

Decommissioned you know what’s funny going on I don’t remember this episode whatsoever

I could not tell you what happens so let’s start

Omega learning how to shoot is so cute

That’s luck Omega not skill

Ah cid my favorite character

Oh this is the Martez sister episode

Cid is always the worst

I like how omega acts as the audience insert for people that don’t know Star Wars that well like her asking about the tactical droid and what it did.

I forgot how often they mentioned Wreckers fear of heights.

This episode has some underrated pieces of music. Lol Rafa literally fighting a child

Whoever is playing these background workers on the factory put their all into it. “Blaster fire on the floor! Lock it down!” They put their all into that one line lol.

This music is a bop

Yes Hunter you should have let the droid shoot her.

I love Omega in these last two episodes

More wrecker being afraid of heights.

Honestly the acting this episode all around has been top notch probably my favorite since the premier in that regard

Oh boy Wreckers headaches

Good soldiers…. Wrecker gets shot for a 3rd time (I think in total he gets shot 4 times throughout the series)

Bum bum bum this track is a bop I need to look it up later

This is fucking intense

Also Omega should be being burned alive on that metal that shit is hot.

Omega is so cute all the time. I love her.

Lol Rafa just falling into the scene.

Fine but I still don’t like it. We don’t either.

Wrecker is trying to fight it. He keeps saying no. I love wrecker.

Is there an echo in here may be peak Star Wars

Seperatist theme kicks in and just makes it all the better.

Tech working his magic

Oh…oh…what gets wrecker out of his order 66 stuper is Omega telling him she needs his help. I think I am going to cry now.

I don’t know did we win. I felt that. I felt that

Lol at Rafa saying isn’t that what you clones do? Bruh you work for Rex.

Isn’t that part of Ord Mantell Seedy? Yes and it’s great. I love her. She is the best.

Lol remember when people were wondering who this was? People thought it was Bail, Ahsoka Rex, Glup shitto

[ankimodaisukiq]

Special Chapter: Detailed Commentary on Unlucky Morpheus' New Album "Unfinished" by Shiren

from note ummm I forgot where but I think from around the gekijin tanbou interview with shiren 😭

As a special chapter, let's delve into the full commentary by Shiren on "Unfinished," the 4th full album by Unlucky Morpheus, which was just released on July 29th.

Symbolizing Unlucky Morpheus' aggressive stance this year, "Unfinished" has been crafted in the band's heaviest and most aggressive style to date. Originally planned as an album titled "Unfinished," where all tracks were supposed to be played live as a pre-recording session to absorb the feedback and response before actual recording—a process that could be seen as innovative in today's context—the "Unfinished" live event had to be canceled due to current world circumstances.

Nonetheless, with plans originally for a live preview, elements that make the live performance standout have been scattered throughout the album unlike anything seen in Unlucky Morpheus before. Featuring breakdown-like grooves that could also be seen as moshy, sing-along parts for the entire audience, and danceable 4/4 beats, the album is filled with tracks that allow both the members and the audience to physically enjoy the live experience together, making it a work that makes you want to attend their concerts more and more as you listen.

Shiren consciously decided to actively use beats (rhythms) in this album that were unlike anything seen in Unlucky Morpheus before, showcasing a musical extent that cannot simply be labeled as melodic speed metal, hinting at the band's new potential.

This time, we're thinking of having Shiren explain the entire album "Unfinished," which opened up new horizons for Unlucky Morpheus. By reading the commentary, you might discover new ways to enjoy and new findings. All Ankimo fans should definitely read this!

#1. Unfinished

Shiren: This song has an intro-like SE, with the structure starting with drums first, followed by bass, violin, guitar, and vocals, each member gradually joining in. This song was created with the idea that each member would initially spotlight during live performances. Although we've been making live DVDs quite often, I'm always troubled by what to show in the intro SE (laughs). In "Lunatic East," I managed to ride on the idea of inserting highlights of each member playing in an insert, but I always think, "What should I do next?" (laughs). Therefore, when I wanted a cool SE that would look good on a live DVD, I came up with the idea of ​​each member increasing one by one, and this song was created.

#2. Unending Sorceress

Shiren: This song is a remake of a song I played in a visual-kei band era, and while creating it, I thought, "Is this an MV song?" The original form has changed considerably, but it's a good song, so I wanted to resurrect it in progress. When creating this album, I decided from the beginning to put in a lot of death voices, so it's a song where I sing a lot. It's like "aggressive melospi" or "melodic speed metal" with symphonic elements and heavy elements. Also, this song was inspired by the lyrics I wrote based on "FF8" (Translator's note: Final Fantasy 8), and I want people who understand it to think "This is FF8!" and "Nyah!" and "I also want to make it an MV because I can read the lyrics easily in MV."

#3. Near The End

This song was inspired by playing the game "NieR" about two years ago, which was incredibly fun and moving. I felt that excitement fresh within me and composed this song in one go.

I wanted to create a song in a 3/4 time signature metal style, which seemed like an interesting idea.

I thought it would fit well musically, and I felt like it should work, so I gave it a try. Interestingly, this kind of song might be my unique style after all.

In death metal, 3/4 time signatures are quite common, but in melodic metal, there aren't many others like this.

#4. Kago no Tori

Shiren: This song was created in response to a request for a theme song for a spin-off or comic adaptation featuring the character "Cie." There are quite a few works based on this "Cie" character, but I read a novel called "Brain-Engineered Paradise" as a reference, and it was so fascinating that I composed this song based on that feeling.

Around the time I composed this song, I wanted to expand the variety of beats in my music. This song has a generally heavy beat.

Since there were already quite a few songs with beats typical of melodic speed metal (which I like, haha), I wanted to create songs with various types of beats, so I tried making this song with a heavier beat, which is unusual for Ankimo.

#5. Salome

Shiren: This is a remake of a song I used to perform during my visual kei days. I thought it would feel great to perform live again, and I always liked the melody, so I wanted to revive it.

I've always liked the 4/4 beat in the B section, and while in the past I might have thought, "Is this really Ankimo?" nowadays, I felt it was okay to perform.

For the intro phrase, traditionally in metal, it would be a twin guitar harmonization part, but instead of that, I challenged myself to harmonize with guitar and violin to bring out Ankimo's color, deviating from the usual theory, but surprisingly, it fit well.

Quite a few listeners have remarked that the violin is distinctive, so I think the experiment went well.

#6. Make your choice

Shiren: Originally, I've always liked songs with a 4/4 beat, but I found it challenging to try my hand at them, like, "Is it okay to perform beats like this?" (lol)

But I still love them, and I wanted to expand the range of my music, so I decided to give it a shot this time.

It's a new territory for me, but I'm glad that many people have accepted it well since its release.

I quite like club music as well, and I've been thinking about what would happen if I translated those ideas into metal. So, I tried forcibly inserting triplets into the intro and the song ended up having influences from my own sort of club music.

With a different arrangement, someone might think it's a song that could be played at "ULTRA" (lol).

I wanted to incorporate such elements of societal trends if I liked them, so I tried challenging myself this time with that mindset.

#7. Top of the "M"

Shiren: This song was consciously created to be a simple tune that gets people hyped up at festivals, something that catches on even upon first hearing. The chorus has a slightly "pop" or anime song-like vibe, and since I'm quite adept at such songs as well, I wanted to make this type of song a part of Anki Mo's future identity, not just sticking to melodic speed metal.

I wrote the lyrics for this song, and the "M" stands for M League in M League players and Mahjong terms into the lyrics, and while it's a bit of a word game, I wrote it consciously trying to make the chorus sound like an anime song, with a lot of words like "M". It's also an "M" in "Music", and aiming to reach the top with Ankimo, like "Let's go even higher!" I hope people can interpret it in that double-meaning way.

#9. Carry on singing to the sky

Shiren: Last year, my favorite vocalist from the original ANGRA, Andre Matos, passed away. If you ask me whether melodic speed metal music is "hot" right now, it's hard to say. But within that, this song expresses the sentiment that we, the younger generation, are carrying forward the history he created.

There are now quite a few "new" bands playing melodic speed metal, and I think that the veterans have basically kept going with their bands, but that there are still people in Japan who like that kind of music, so we felt that we wanted to convey that message. It might be presumptuous of me, but I found myself pondering various things like, "How did he feel when he passed away?" Even though I had no personal interaction with him, I felt a sense of responsibility or determination, like, "I will carry on your legacy!"

The song is filled with various parodies, including references to Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony," which ANGRA also performed, as well as X Japan's "Art of Life." These are bands that are important to me, and they've all used this "Unfinished Symphony" in their music. I've always thought, "One day I should perform it too," and now, after a long time, I finally did.

There are also classical phrases that Andre Matos referenced in various other bands apart from ANGRA, so fans who like him will find plenty of interesting ideas in the song. It's sort of an "Andre Matos tribute song," or rather, "a song where I've summarized the melodic speed metal music he created."

So, this isn't just "a song I made," but more like a "song of history." I feel strongly about this, and if I can express it in the form of a song, then I think I should. That's why I made this song.

[taikk0]

I COMPLETELY FORGOT MY LITTLE PARK EXISTED NOW I'M REWRITING THE ENTIRE FIRST EPISODE OF MLP FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC BUT WITH CUSS WORDS AND SOUTH PARK-ESQUE HUMOR PURELY BECAUSE THE OBSESSION IS EATING ME ALIVE (any batshit crazy/insanely funny jokes you recommend for me to insert, since you are the og My Little Park fan? :))) )

OH I MIGHT HAVE A FEW...

Randy (Celestia) gaslights the audience, lying about why his wife (Sharon takes the role of Luna) got banished to the moon in the intro, turns out the reason she got sent to the moon was all his fault, and not because she's actually evil, and he's just an asshole of a princess and a really shit ruler. No one has any idea how Equestria is still standing

THIS JOKE during the scene where Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette invite Twilight to Moondancer's party and she declines. I have no idea who the other three are in the AU but this is just so in character for Stan imo

the creator of the AU mentioned that Stan, Randy, and Sharon have never met in person before, and Randy and Stan have only communicated through letters. I think it would be really funny to have an emotional moment where Sharon and Randy are revealed to be his parents "you saved me... I'm so proud of you, my son..." and everyone gasps but disingenuously, like a "WWHAAT!! NO WAY!! 😱😱" like they were played by bad actors since it's been so obvious since the very beginning, where the audience knows that the rulers of Equestria are Randy and Sharon and end up making the connection early on, but the characters don't. And I find it so funny if their reaction was genuine for the characters but not in the delivery to make a jab at the "twist" everyone saw coming. "you've grown so much since I last saw you I almost didn't recognize you! I love you so much... I-I'm sorry" "no no, it's okay Mom! you tried to murder me because you felt alone and unloved, isolated... [MY LITTLE PONY THEME STARTS TO PLAY IN THE BACKGROUND] Without friendship and without the love in your heart, you turned into something monstrous. The envy and hatred you must have felt for the princess was too much! because she was always a better leader, and let everyone in Equestria do what they wanted! so you decided to use your gift for selfishness and misdeeds that-" "wait what?! what are you talking about?! I wasn't banished to the moon because I was jealous of Celestia!" "you... weren't..?" "I was banished to the moon because SHE thought I was a nagging bitch for wanting her to be a better ruler!! she kept forgetting to lower the sun. and when she wasn't, she said she needed some extra time for her pot farm to get more sunlight! like for christ's sake Randy these people haven't gotten any sleep for almost a month now and all you do is sit on your ass in the throne room doing fuck all while everyone in the kingdom went hysterical!! and-" "Randy?? wait. if you're my mom, then does that mean that the princess...?" "That's right my faithful student!" Randy descends from the heavens like a dove with an evangelical light beaming behind him "I... am your father." and shit happens I guess idk I'm not a writer this is probably so very very terrible but hope I got the point across, but after this, I want stans whole takeaway to be: "holy shit princess, you're my dad?!" to "oh. this is the princess...? AND my dad?"

Craig introducing the Tucker family but most of them are just stripes. going from photos of stripe #1 to #11 sliding to each photo that all look exactly the same, but skipping #4. later introducing #4 along with Thomas, Laura, and Tricia. this makes absolutely no sense, I just found it funny to have a ridiculous replacement for the Apple family scene because there's no way we can naturally replace it. "Why are there so many stripes?" "That's his extended side of the family."

Something about flutter-butters and these birds

Just Cartman in this au. he is so uncharacteristically nice and fun and loveable that I think every scene he's in he needs to be so sickeningly sweet and all of South Park loves him that he makes the audience uncomfortable by being the complete opposite of who he actually is. like rabbi cartman but cranked up to the max.

"The true meaning of friendship isn't to face your hardships alone, it's to drag other people down with you <3" and everyone celebrates like there's absolutely nothing wrong with that friendship lesson Kyle steps out from the crowd "Y'now, I learned something today too, and it's that-" and the camera pans to Randy, Sharon, and Stan having their own conversation that moves the story along. You can still hear Kyle in the background, and you can still hear him talking and doing hand gestures out of focus. No one is paying attention to Kyle.

Something about Craig being the element of honesty but sounding like he's lying all the time but it's literally just how he talks and it never changes

Not really a joke idea, but the thought of Cartman singing the laughter song, especially with his voice and weird accent is so funny to me that I really wish someone could make an ai cover of it..................

BALD KENNY?????? I'M REWATCHING THE EPISODES RIGHT NOW AND THE THOUGHT OF KENNY JUST SPENDING HALF THE EPISODE BALD IS SO FUNNY PLEASE LET HIM BE BALD

Something I really want to see in this rewrite personally (and My Little Park content in general) is the way you can parody MLP when it's mixed in with a show like South Park, and how ridiculous it is to see South Park mixed in with a show like MLP. Make it a self-aware Steven Universe but it's the version of Steven Universe that the Steven Universe haters think it is. And make the Disney Junior version of Family Guy.

anddddddd that's it for me LOL not really much of a writer. good luck on the rewrite though, hope you have fun!! ^^ To be honest, I'm not really that funny either, and the thought of writing my own south park jokes, especially with the jokes that are IN South Park?? YEAH NO SORRY I AM STAYING SO FAR AWAY 💀 That's what I like about My Little Park, I get to enjoy South Park without enjoying South Park. I have such a love-hate relationship with SP it's RIDICULOUS. I like South Park but only version of it I made up in my head <3

[catharsis-in-a-bottle]

so i ummmmmm really liked andor. like, a lot. holy shit. i need to make a list of Things I Enjoyed

FINALLY, A STAR WARS SHOW WITH GOOD FUCKING DIALOGUE. THE WORDS FEEL LIKE WORDS REAL PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY SAY. CONGRATULATIONS.

ON THAT NOTE: a star wars show that DOESN'T try to cover up bad writing with cgi and nostalgia grabs!!!!! the writing is quite good and they didn't throw in fight scenes just for shits and giggles, they all had meaning!!! huzzah!!!

(like. i am floored that i have enjoyed a disney show. what can i say. i have been disappointed in the past because of their incessant desire to Churn Out Content which results in underpaid workers and Loads Of Hot Shit. i am slandering up in this house tonight)

alright let's talk about the SOUNDTRACK. upon my first listen of the main theme, i was like, huh, kind of boring... by my fifth listen i was like, This Theme Is Going To Kill Me, and So Is The Rest Of The Whole Damn Soundtrack. orchestral swells AND weird and fucked up electronic sounds!!!! they were not afraid of a little out-of-tune synth wobbling, and that i can RESPECT!!!!! also not to music theory on main but IV to VI chords in a minor key, which is in the theme, is just a fucking beautiful progression and i will always love it in any context except for pop music. OKAY MOVING ON

this is the first star wars media i've encountered that i felt had something actually substantial to say about imperialism. like a lot of the other shows and the movies themselves have felt idealistic about rebellion against fascism, and then andor walks in and is like, hey, you know how we fight imperialism? Armed Revolt!! you know what enables fascism! a lot of nuanced factors that we're going to delve into with some Rich Character Development!! and obviously the rebellion in all other star wars media is like, openly an armed revolt, but this show puts that into greater context w/ police brutality, prison systems, and colonization, which makes the politics not more obvious per se, but more impactful and in greater dialogue with its audience. in my opinion. okay moving on again:

let's talk about some characters baby!!! cassian andor was bound to join my blorbo library from the moment i began this show. i absolutely fucking love his development from passive victim of empire to "kill me, or take me in [to your violent rebellion]", AND i love his haircut, AND emotionally repressed characters will forever remain fixtures of my heart. he's so!!!!! you know!!!!! i swear to god the writers did SO well on this one

i am not going to pretend that i remembered most of the character's names. my family did not watch this with subtitles and my auditory processing is quirky and elusive. so anyway i really liked [insert name of Guy Behind Major Acts Of Rebellion - you know, stellan skarsgård] because of his take no shit, give all the fucks attitude, and gravelly voice, and stellan in general as an actor (i am totally not biased because of the chernobyl miniseries). GREAT fucking complicated character.

i did find the writing of vel and cinta so fucking hilarious though. like if you google "vel and cinta", there are questions about if they are a romantic pairing. i appreciate the effort here, and i appreciate the glimpse of an actual nuanced lesbian dynamic in a mainstream company, but star wars is still very wimpy about gay people on the surface. we still have the beneath the surface homoeroticism though so we're good

mon mothma and tay [insert last name] only straight people i can get behind

THE FUCKING PRISON. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE PRISON ARC. first of all: what a fucking physical and psychological horror show. i mean, my god, electrified floors, no escape, nobody ever leaves. all the rest of the horror comes directly from real life, of course - prison slave labor, unfair sentences, shit living conditions.... i don't know the name of andy serkis's character so i will just call him andy serkis. what an EXCELLENT turnaround! from complacent hopelessness to violent hopelessness, and we know which one is more useful!!! FUCK YEAH!!! ALSO: "ONE WAY OUT" OHHH MY GOD!!!! JUST WOW!!!!! and "i can't swim"........ at least he got to see the sunlight... god this is a side comment but i think it's a crime to have to be stuck somewhere where you can't see the fucking sun this INCLUDES places of work UM ANYWAY

i am Tired so i will now sculpt my concluding remarks: i am pleasantly surprised!! i am delighted, even!!! i have gained another character to rotate in my head!!! that is all good night/day/insert time here

[bee-the-whovian]

My thoughts on "The Artful Dodger"

1st, I haven't read Oliver Twist or know anything about the story except the very surface level.

2nd, this isn't going to be HEAVY spoilers, but also not spoiler free so if you are wary... ok

So I just finished it, 3 sittings or so to get through 8 episodes. I was *iffy* after the first but each subsequent episode I did get more invested.

The Good:

The vibes are good. Victorian Era Australia, very nice. Medical drama, Crime/heist show, bit of a romance

Thomas Brody-Sangster is a gem (he's the reason I watched it in the first place, sue me. I have a thing, ok?)

Jack and Fagin's relationship is very interesting

As is Belle and Jack's dynamic

They are actually very cute on several occasions

I thought the story issue from the first episode was going to be the entire plot and it wasn't and the show was so much better for it. TIME PASSED and that's so important for character growth

All of the characters were good or pretty good in their developedness, even/especially the side characters. I understood nearly everyone and they feel like people and I understand their motivations, which is quite the task for a show with this size supporting cast

Good through line story without feeling like "this is a very long movie." Each episode was its own story, but they did all tie together well

The foreshadowing about Belle was well done

The... something

The gore is a lot so if you have gore issues, definitely not the show for you. It didn't bother me since it was plot-relevant. Victorian surgery, yes it's a bloody mess. It wasn't slasher movie gory. But if you're messed up by any blood, period. Yeah not it fam.

I don't know much about Oliver Twist, as I said, but I do know he was the protagonist of the original book. I intend to go and read it. In any case, pretty sure this was a disservice to him. In a few ways. You can have a story that focuses on a former antagonist, and show their redemption without making their former adversary an idiot or worse.

The costuming was kinda strange. The gentleman looked really nice most of the time, but varied, (Jack was a whole vibe, and I liked Fagin too with his fun patterns) but the lasses were weirdly distracting. I liked some of Belle's dresses but a good few looked like costumes. They looked fake. Outrageous colors and patterns. The colors, ok, maybe, but a lot of the patterns were just, lol, no. Fanny... her costumes seemed relatively era-appropriate, from what I know, but them being so gaudy on purpose... thanks, I hate it. Insert the same for that one suitor and for Oliver Twist. That collar the mother always had... oof.

Its streaming on Hulu only so if you don't have Hulu, you're up a creek. I've got access through a friend, with ads, and the ads along with my initial misgivings made me almost give it up.

The music is fine. Not bad. But nothing stand out. I read something about Australian rock and... cool. The music sure is there. I'm willing to give it another go, but good music makes a name and I just didn't feel anything here

A couple episodes end in the middle or right before something crazy happens, and the next episode just cuts to later and... ok I might have liked to see that, at least a bit (notable, Red in the cemetery)

The Bad

As most television has now-a-days, quite a bit of language and innuendo. Sometimes it's tolerable, sometimes it's completely uncalled for.

2 scenes I had to skip through, one very bad (episode 3? I think)... at least the main characters waited until... no, no it was just bad, and took away some of the importance of their conversation in the previous episode. The "not just the last in a long line" thing. It felt pandering and disrespectful to Belle as a character, and to the audience... well, me. I know the creators know there is an audience for that, which is a problem in itself.

The feminism was... weird. Fanny and Belle are talking and it's just... they are not from the same century. Their dialogue is a Frankenstein of two wildly different scripts. There is nothing wrong with women who fight for things but the way they show us in ep 1 that "look Belle is a strong woman" felt so gross and hamfisted. The misogyny was pretty heavy-handed too, not that I believe it's far from realistic for that time (people are the worst and have been for a long time) it was also very weirdly implemented.

Everyone was cheating. All over the place. Not one health relationship in the whole show. Just... rough. Also, very few if any of the characters are good or nice people. They have their moments (Belle is actually not terrible past the 1st episode and Jack is pretty inconsistent, which when it comes to wibbly morality is actually a blessing rather than a curse) but in general, yeah not really any straight up role models. Is that too much to ask? Character don't need to be perfect, in fact they shouldn't. They'd be rubbish characters. But having clear cut flaws and labeling them as flaws is important. I think the best arc in the show is actually Fagin (not to say Belle's and Jack's are useless, they're just not GREAT. I actually also liked what seemed to be a bit of an arc for the governor... it had a bit of hope.)

The depiction of religion was upsetting, though not surprising par for the course. It was catholicism so... ok, understandable, but the frequency of faith being the butt of a joke irked me

So, overall....

There is enough ill in here that if I knew what I was getting into, personally, I might have skipped it. I know my triggers and issues and this isn't great. But, since I did watch it, I will acknowledge it's good parts. I am glad I watched it. I'll probably watch a 2nd season if it comes out since I'm already invested in these characters. But at the same time, I wouldn't recommend it to friends without heavy warnings. I have plenty of friends who would deal fine with this content, but personally... it's a very caveoted recommendation, if that. More of a, I watched it and it won't kill ya or anything. There is stuff to enjoy. But bad stuff up to your ankles to wade through, too.

Thanks for reading all that if ya did. Cheers.

[djmossback]

Third Space Saturday 11/18/2023

Spacebar Downtown Boise

Tasting Notes

I got stuck in the elevator again. As always, I could have been on site earlier, but I was lucky and found a decent parking place, and I felt like I was on a roll, and getting there early. [Insert buzzer sound here.] After a few texts, Zach came and rescued me, and I rolled up on the booth, got my gear situated, and got ready to go. I noticed the cue sounded funny, but I wanted to get going as quickly as I could. So, off we go on the S-Express! The sound in the house was out of whack, too, so I checked the mixer and discovered that the left channel cord was disconnected from the turntable, and my attempts to reconnect it resulted in some jarring hum, so I just switched the mixer to monophonic until I could move to the other turntable. I’m not stressed out by all of the technical miscues, because I’m not there early enough to be prepared. That’s on me to remedy.

The sound was horribly unbalanced in the bar – super loud by the booth, no sound on the dance floor, and no Jules to straighten it out. I try to change some settings, but I have a lot to do and I’m kind of out of my depth on the PA mixing board, even though I’m getting better with the DJ mixer. More study is needed.

My only plan for the night is to try and bring some different sounds in the mix. I’ve been lucky enough to acquire some choice 12” records lately, and I’m kind of obsessed with their sound. They are engineered expressly for the purpose that I’m using them for. But I’m not just playing them to play them. The music has to work, too, and fit in with what I’m trying to create. A vibe, familiar and unfamiliar songs and sound. Twists and turns. Flow. I felt like my flow was fine, but I was kind of riding on top of something I was not in control of. Like a detached observer. I even borrowed a record to play, a loan from my friend DJ Jesse. It was a hopped-up mix of “Gloria” by Laura Branigan. It had crazy sound effects and jarring jumps and cuts. Very clever. Almost too clever for Mossback.

I played a block of 7” records, not by plan, it was just what each record led to. I indulged myself with an Exile record, and an Eddie Rabbitt, both records were ones I “hated” upon their initial release. Just goes to show you: hard to escape the shadow.

As a matter of fact, nothing was designed, between the headache I was dealing with and the varying house sound. Jules showed up and straightened out the PA. I got some pain reliever from my friend Geneva, who had shown up alone pretty early on. Grace and Mustard came, too. So having people to key on made things go better for me; even though I was still feeling detached, having beloved friends there helped my focus. I don’t expect people to show up, but I’m glad when it happens.

I kind of got mixed up on the track list, because I was lax in entering them into the running list, so I’m not sure about the order of the songs on wide swaths of the set. Maybe 85 to 90 percent accurate.

The crowds that circulated through were interesting, even though it was kind of slow at times. I try to do a good job no matter what, but I feel better when the bar is making money and there’s an audience there to see Tavis shaking drinks and throwing cups.

There’s a lot going on in BOISE Downtown right now, and I’m amazed to be a part of it. I feel honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of this gig, Third Space Saturday. I’m getting better at it, I enjoy doing it, but I still feel astonished sometimes that I get to be there, doing this thing until late at night. I probably shouldn’t overthink it. Just doing it is enough. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong, but I didn’t feel particularly connected tonight.

Maybe that’s just who I am, and maybe that’s just what I am, and I will just continue to show up until they tell me to stay home. Or, until the elevator doesn’t work.

Next Third Space Saturday is 16 December 2023. I will be there, and I promise I will play Band Aid “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” On 12-inch. 45rpm. UK IMPORT! Other than that, no guarantees!

TRACK LIST

Theme From S-Express, S-Express (12” single)

Ring Of Fire, Wall Of Voodoo (LP CUT)

You Spin Me Round (Like A Record,) Dead Or Alive (12” single)

Talk To Me,  Michael Mauro (12” single)

Keep Your Fingers Out The Jam,  Fatback (LP CUT)

Helena Beat, Foster The People (LP CUT)

In The Bush, Musique (LP CUT)

Pick Up The Pieces, Average White Band (LP CUT)

Walking The Dog, Rufus Thomas (7” single 45)

Couldn’t Get It Right, Climax Blues Band (7” single 45)

Drivin’ My Life Away, Eddie Rabbit (7” single 45)

Trash, New York Dolls (LP CUT)

Saturday Night,  Bay City Rollers (7” single 45)

Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart (12” Single)

Magnificent 7, The Clash (7” single 45)

That’s Not My Name, Ting-Tings (LP CUT)

Gloria 3D, Laura Branigan (Greg Merriman mix)(12” single)

Word Up, Cameo (12” single)

My Perogative, Bobby Brown (7” single 45)

Let It Whip, Dazz Band (7” single 45)

Whip It, DEVO (7” single 45)

Kiss You All Over, Exile (7” single 45)

Abracadabra, Steve Miller (7” single 45)

Groove Line, Heatwave (7” single 45)

Penthouse And Pavement,  Heaven 17 (LP CUT)

War Ina Babylon, Max Romeo (LP CUT)

You’re  No Good, E.S.G. (7” single 33)

Forget Me Nots, Patrice Rushen (7” single 45)

Jive Talkin’, Bee-Gees (7” single 45)

Roxanne, Police (7” single 45)

Mama Used To Say, Junior (12” single)

Genius Of Love, Tom Tom Club (12” single)

DNA, Kendrick Lamar (LP CUT)

America’s Most Blunted, Madvillain (12” single)

Can’t Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head, Kylie Minogue (12” single)

Gimme Some Slack, The Cars (LP CUT)

Follow The Leaders, Killing Joke (LP CUT)

Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go, Soft Cell (12” single)

Early In The Morning, Gap Band (LP CUT)

Cars That Go Boom, L’Trimm (12” single)

M.E., Gary Numan (LP CUT)

Sunset People, Donna Summer (LP CUT)

Meaning Of Love, Depeche Mode (12” single)

Pump Up The Volume, M|A|R|R|S (12” single)

Peek•A•Boo, Siouxsie & The Banshees (12” single)

Don’t Knock My Love, Idris Mohammed (LP CUT)

I Love The Nightlife (Disco Round,) Alicia Bridges (12” single)

Come On Eileen, Dexy’s Midnight Runners (12” single)

Little Fluffy Clouds, The Orb (12” single)

I Heard A Rumour, Bananarama (12” single)

Boogie Town, FLB (12” single)

No More Killing, Althea and Donna (LP CUT)

You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real,) Sylvester (12” single) 

Open Your Heart, Madonna (12” single)

No Peace, Max Romeo (LP CUT)

World Destruction, Time Zone (12” single) 

[allylikethecat]

Totally unrelated to most of the stuff you post but on the topic of your Taylor explanation just and your comment about not rlly buying the variants anymore-

I’m a fan of her music for sure but the way they sell variants just really gets me. I mean there is absolutely NO NEED. The way they release the original on presale first so everyone gets it and then they release each variant individually with a different song on it saying it’s “exclusive” and “only going to be available for 70 hours” or something like that, only for them to be repeatedly restocked and then eventually made widely available in indie record stores. Like it’s just straight up lying for money??? That they don’t need. And THEN releasing the same vinyl records with signed inserts so that people buy the SAME record. Again. It’s so incredibly tone deaf and exploitative idk Ik it’s a choice to variant collect but it’s just milking people for no reason. And I know so many other labels do it but none do it NEARLY as bad as it is done for Taylor swift. And Ik it’s not like it’s under her control or whatever but she has so much money and influence that she ABSOLUTELY could do something about it if she wanted to or cared in the slightest ygwim?? I am a vinyl collector but I honestly find it hard to even bring myself to get one version of her albums bc of this. And like considering a lot of her audience is so young as well idk it rlly rubs me up the wrong way. And each one gets posted on the Instagram with love hearts and a cute picture and it’s just like 🥳🩷🤩buy this too!😂😇💕. Idk Ik so many artists do it but like influence wise she’s not really at the mercy of her label ig?? At least not to the extent that she couldn’t make moves to combat it if she wanted?? Anyways that rlly put me off ig (I’m still a fan though can’t help myself). Also Ik this is soo unrelated to your account and you ABSOLUTELY don’t have to respond to this if you don’t want to. I just saw that other post and it made me think about it.

Alsoooo any clues on the fic being posted tomorrow 🫢?? 🥹🥹 I ask like I have a favourite but I will very much be excited at ANY update I won’t lie

AND I’m dying at the fact we are HALF WAY through all the kings horses??!? Idk if I can handle not having a new chapter each Friday. But also excited for fictional Matty and George to get together and possibly be happy even (crazy thought Ik)??

Oh my gosh thank you for sending me this super long ask! This is another one I debated answering because I don't want to start any kind of fights or cause any kind of issues or drama. Also, as always I do want to say that these opinions are my OWN and are based on how I feel and I am not saying that I am *right* or that someone else is *wrong*. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, just tossing in my two cents / my perspective.

Even though I'm not a *huge* fan of Taylor anymore, and have felt like I have outgrown Taylor Swift the Brand, I do still enjoy her music (for the most part) but I 100% get the million variations thing from a marketing / sales prospective? Like it sucks but that's business and if people are going to keep buying them they're going to keep making them. As a businesswoman these days I would expect nothing less. Let get that money!

HOWEVER, I know Billie Eilish got a lot of flack for her comments about vinyl variations and then also having a billion of them for her new album, and while I'm not really a fan of her music (I think she's talented she's just not really my vibe) I did think it was cool that regardless of how her comments were misinterpreted she put all her variations on sale at the same time and the track listings were all the same, therefore giving fans the opportunity to just choose and purchase their favorite colors instead of scrambling because something is "limited edition" but not really. Maybe not as good for the seller since the panicked demand isn't there, but that does make for a more pleasant experience as the buyer. Also yay bundled shipping!

Even though it was probably a let down, I hope you enjoyed the sick fic I posted today - I don't think anyone guessed that would be the fic updated so maybe I can still be surprising haha

Hehe I'm so happy that you're enjoying All the King's Horses! That is currently my favorite fic and I am so absolutely obsessed with it and having so much fun working on it! I love horses and the boys SO MUCH and I am so excited to continue sharing their story 🩵 We're roughly halfway through- a few chapters might get added because I don't know if I'll be ready to leave the yet when the time comes haha I'm very excited Fictional!George is going to take Fictional!Matty on a date soon, it's going to be very sweet and very them.

Thank you so much for sending me this ask and for reading and your continued support! I hope I answered it in a satisfactory way that doesn't ruffle anyones feathers too badly! I want to keep my blog a happy positive space when possible! (Heartbreak fanfic not included in that happy statement haha) I hope your Tuesday is going well and that you have a great week!

❤️Ally

[cinemacentral666]

The House That Jack Built (2018)

Movie #1,082 • Ranking Lars von Trier #10

For the sake of changing shit up, I decided to watch the Lars von Trier filmography out of order. I formulated the order somewhat randomly, keeping the trilogies intact but otherwise jumping from era to era. Having completed his most recent work, 2018's The House That Jack Built, I can definitively say that this was a terrible idea.

[Ed. Note: In fact, it was such a bad idea that I quickly reverted to a mostly chronological viewing schedule.]

For starters, similarly to Peter Greenaway's later work, the director specifically references his own earlier work in this, inserting actual clips of films I've yet to see in the middle of the chaos. This is self-indulgence in its purest form and I am here for it, but damn if I could do it over again.

That being said, just as the enigmatic UK post-punk combo The Fall were famously described by DJ John Peel, I already feel you could ascribe the saying "always different, always the same" to Mr. Sunshine Lars von Trier as well. There are seemingly no parallels to his earlier work–aside from his devotion to utterly bleak and unending human pain — until, that is, you start seeing them everywhere: the handheld camerawork, his stark and repetitive use of non-diegetic pop music, period pieces that somehow feel like they don't belong to any timeframe, and so on and so on...

The House That Jack Built is actually the third major motion picture to have that title, The House That Jack Built. The first, a short silent drama film from England in the year 1900 clocking in at 54 seconds long, and the second, an 8-minute Canadian animated movie, are both direct adaptations of the nursery rhyme "This Is the House That Jack Built." The House That Jack Built (2018), if you can believe it, is not.

This is a 2.5-hour film about a serial killer played by Matt Dylan recounting his crimes to Roman poet Virgil as he descends the layers of hell. It's absurd by design but what's even more audacious are the sheer amount of themes LVT attempts to hit on here. Art, life, gender, death, just to name a few. Every pathway isn't a winner, but damn I kind of loved this for the effort alone. For as barebones as Dogma 95 attempted to be, the bulk of his career has been full-on maximalism. I've yet to feel bored watching any of his films.

From the opening of the New York Times feature piece, "Is Lars von Trier Trolling Us?"...

Near the end of my interview with Lars von Trier, I asked if he was trolling women in his latest, “The House That Jack Built.” He said he didn’t know what trolling meant, so I explained, even as I wondered if he was feigning ignorance and actually trolling me.

As if you couldn't take a man who looks like this at face value?!

This question is certainly related to the thread in The House That Jack Built about how only men are the ones who are born guilty. And it is 100% a troll move. The troll is that he's baiting people into wanting to think that this is also, somehow, an idealization of that sentiment. But I don't know how you could watch this and actually think that men are innocent? Matt Dylan is LITERALLY a serial killer. I never felt a shred of sympathy towards him. That some ideas are offensive does not mean that you need feel offended by their existence.

On some level, I might agree with you that Trier is a master pilot… who can't land the plane. I think he excels in the ultra longform because he needs the room to try. There are so many big ideas at play and so many different styles, risks and tactics that there's nearly no chance of it all coming together. The beauty, in my eyes, is in the attempt. And if his films are filled with hate, it seems like a self-hate, for having the audience soldier on in the face of all these miserable thoughts and compulsions which he's brought to life. I can kinda relate. Life is confusing and weird and full of sadness. That checks out.

SCORE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ll be counting down all of Lars Von Trier’s movies right here at @cinemacentral666 every Thursday through September 2023

[grapesnolives]

@midnightinwales good call on the relocation-I was getting lost trying to navigate the posts and felt bad at railroading the topic too! 😅

Yeah,be cool to hear your thoughts on that rehearsal stuff once you've had chance to give it a listen. It may resurface some of the emotions you had first listening to STH. I'd also recommend these NQ sessions that I talked about in an earlier post https://youtu.be/qfkSpK7QLrc?si=yXugGRl2lrGcdaSP

I don't know why I love all their 'behind the scenes' stuff so much. It could be cos as a band, there's a kind of aura of mystery round them due to the lack of media in general. That and the fact their run was pretty short compared to the likes of the Stones who go on (and on ...and on!) but it's fascinating to hear their creative process. How I would love to see some footage of them at work like fans of the Beatles have with the Let It Be sessions.

Gosh, that info about Robert was actually quite saddening to read. I didn't know he had that opinion of himself. It makes so much sense about the vocal theatrics that he adopted around 73 (was it?) but it's kind of heartbreaking to think he considered himself irrelevant compared to the instrumental solos. I always thought the drum solo/guitar solo/NQ key solo/acoustic section were practical inserts to ensure all members had a chance to rest during what were often really long, exhausting shows.

As is often said, LZ in its purest form wouldn't exist if any of the members were removed and that most certainly includes the vocals too. In addition to singing, he was the ultimate MC at gigs, injecting some genuinely witty interludes and comments while things were being set up for the next songs as well as diplomatically warning audiences when they were rowdy or throwing those firecrackers.

I think Plant was almost too self-aware and intelligent for the standard 'frontman' role. It's like the hair, tight jeans, teeny blouses etc was a character he played but deep down began to despise in a way. The change in his appearance from say, the Denmark video to TSRTS was massive. Even at RAH, although the mane of hair was growing, his clothing and presence didn't so much stand out as neatly incorporate itself within the band allowing his voice to be the 4th instrument.

"He knew not to make Jimmy the centre of attention that he might not see as entirely friendly. "/" Not least because Jimmy Page can't take a joke imo. "These are great points and make a lot of sense, ironically, cos I feel that Jimmy LOVED the spotlight on stage as long as he was playing his 'elusive, mysterious, enigmatic artist' role as Jimmy the Guitar God. Just to state, I love the whole band with all my heart, but as someone who doesn't idolize Jimmy above all others, I do find some of the extended bow, guitar solo, theremin segments a tad self-indulgent. Don't get me wrong, the drum solos were often too long too and even as a Bonzo girl, I rarely just listen to them (although I do enjoy watching the paltry few that were filmed) In addition, they were only in one segment of the show rather than scattered throughout, so are easy enough to skip;)

Both your answers to how you discovered both LZ as a band and J + R as a....couple? 😜 are fine. Thank goodness the youtube algorithm bestowed you with that gift when it was your time to receive it.

I can't remember exactly how long I've been listening to them, but in most music I listen to, my ears do tend to notice the drums first. (I ADORE Ringo's performance in Tomorrow Never Knows, for example) Having said that, I think a lot of music just has drums in a perfunctory role whereas Bonzo's were truly musical and, to me, anyway, sometimes the most exhilarating part of the song. One example, imo where the studio wins out, is IMTOD. Here, the album completely showcases the drums and it's one of the highlights of PG. But the Earl's Court version has always been a bit of a disappointment on one level-the drums seem muted and pushed aside and all focus is ( most deservedly) on the slide guitar. Another example of Jimmy's domination on the stage although it's a superb ensemble performance overall.

Are there any tracks where you prefer the studio to live?

Sorry for 'rambling on'. It's just so nice to have an outlay for my LZ love. 🎤🎹🎸🥁🪕

@grapesnolives thank you for the link, I'll check it out during the weekend. I agree that their experimentation is always beautiful and fascinating to hear. They had singular sensitivity to the emotion – sound axis. And you can never be bored with it.

I've moved us to a new post, since our conversation is veering off the topic of the original post and I think we've hijacked enough of that already ;)

Unfortunately, I don't have the source for that quote about Robert, as I have been consuming a lot (and I mean A LOT) about LZ in the past few months, but in quite a chaotic manner and I haven't been taking notes. But If I come across it again, I'll send it to you. I was also surprised by it, but I guess it makes sense, since it was originally Jimmy's band and I believe that as time went by and Jimmy was losing his grip on reality more and more, Robert might have felt constricted a bit or started to develop a need for more independence. Nothing unusual in that, it happens in pretty much any band. He might have also been genuinely annoyed at the endless solos, quite like Bonzo, and JPJ probably too. I mean, to make a six and a half minutes long song into 45 minutes is both amazing and unnecessary lol. And Robert did have a bit of an imposter syndrome, still has, actually. He often spoke about them as 'three musicians and me'. 'I'm just a wedding singer who sang with musicians', and how his elaborate singing style developed as a method to stay in the song, cause the long musical intervals made him feel irrelevant. He definitely wanted to impress Jimmy and there was a lot of reverence for him as the worldly, knowledgeable, experienced musician who created his own band. But that began to disappear when Jimmy got heavily into heroin imo and definitely lost after 1977. Robert's priorities changed. His view of life changed. The love was still there, but Jimmy was no longer someone that Robert had to live up to, so to speak. Now he was someone to protect (and, in a way, someone to mourn). But the initial experiences formed Robert as a singer, set his standards and informed his view of musical expression.

I've also noticed that he makes fun of Bonzo (the diarrhea jokes will live with me forever, thanks Bob :/ ) and JPJ (and himself, occasionally), but not of Jimmy. IMO that's because he and Bonzo were 'bros', mates, and that's typical friendly behaviour in this kind of relation. JPJ was also a guy in the band and concert is entertainment, so it's only fair to make people laugh. It created a sense of dynamics, each band member had his quirks and image to play with. But with Jimmy he is only ever sweet and attentive. Not least because Jimmy Page can't take a joke imo. He's quite fragile and Robert knew it very, very well. But this doesn't read to me as reverential, but rather as caring. He knew not to make Jimmy the centre of attention that he might not see as entirely friendly. And his mysterious image had to be uphold too. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but whenever Robert speaks to Jimmy his tone of voice slightly changes. It becomes softer and warmer. ‘is it alright, love?’ kind of thing. He definitely wanted to be in Jimmy’s good books and for more than one reason.

I’m not surprised you thought they were a duet, seeing the photos. I recall seeing photos of LZ throughout my life and they’ve always been focused on J and R. I didn’t know what the other band members looked like before I started listening to the band. I knew Bonzo’s name because of his tragic death, like I do many other musicians’ who met their ends way too early, and knew that he is recognised as one of the, if not the greatest rock drummer of all times. But that was about it. IMO, he is the greatest of them all and he’s the only one whose drumming makes me genuinely tear up. There is as much emotion in Bonzo’s drumming as there is in Robert’s singing. Astonishing.

If you’re asking how I got into the story of J and R, it was quite simple really. I remembered the photos I’ve mentioned (mostly the WLL mic in the hair singing) which have always looked very suggestive to me and had heard before that part of the magic of LZ was the interplay between the two, and so when I finally got into their music I started doing my research to see if my initial impression was correct. And found plenty of evidence to confirm it, some of it much more straightforward then expected. But if you’re asking how I got into LZ then I’d say it was time for them to come into my life. One night on YT they appeared on my list and the journey began. I knew some of their songs before (STH, WLL, Dazed, a couple of others) and I had quite an emotional experience listening to Stairway as a young teenager, but that was the extent of it. I firmly believe that music comes to us at the right time and there’s no point in forcing it. It will find you if it’s meant to. And it will be a journey you’ll never forget.

Have you always been interested in drumming or is it the first time when it has captured your attention so much? Have you been into LZ for a long time?

[brittle-doughie]

Face the Music! (B.A.D 4)

Requested by: @lil345 Insert bad guy vibes

“The name’s T.N.T! You’re looking at B.A.D 5’S main vocalist and explosive leader!”

“Call me HellHound, for I am the gatekeeper to HELL! I’m in charge of B.A.D 5’s choreography… that will change you FOREVER!”

“M-my name is ZZ Skull…! Make sure you pronounce the Z! I am the lead vocalist who fills the songs of B.A.D 5 with power!”

“Yaaay! Nice to meet you all! My name is MUSHY P.! My specialty is super fast rap! Hope you like our performance!”

Wizard was a little confused with their name of B.A.D 5…when there was only four of them onstage. So where was the last member-oh my god was you popping up from behind T.N.T a surprise to many. Gingerbrave and the others were completely flabbergasted at the sight of you being alongside the bad guys for this occasion! Strawberry was freaking out a little, did they corrupt you to the side of darkness?!

You gave your best devious laugh as you pulled out your instrument and played a quick tune!

You were Siren Serenade (or you can pick your own name :] ), the composer who makes sure the music is stuck within the heads of cookies until the end of their days. With the help of your fellow band mates, may the power of your music compel the audience!

The objective on the kingdom cookies were clear, save the BTS concert from getting thrashed and rescuing you from the grasp of darkness before it’s too late! Oh how you came to be in the band was told to them outright.

———————————————————————

Hearing about the BTS Cookies coming into the kingdom, you and your cookies wanted to make preparations for their arrival! You chuckled to yourself as you see just how excited the others were at getting to see them, they were pretty big fans if Wizard says tickets being sold out pretty quickly was any indication.

You were receiving the last few items off the train when you felt your vision go dark as you felt yourself getting dragged off from the loading area, the feeling of the stone beneath your feet become grass indicating the change in locale. You let out an oof as you felt something hit the back of your leg!

“Watch it, we can’t let a single bruise be left on their dough!”

“Pomegranate might get mad…”

“Hurry, before those cookies realize they’re gone!”

“She won’t be once Y/N Cookie joins us!”

Once you felt like the dragging came to a stop, you pulled off the sack over your head and wouldn’t you know it, it was the Cookies of Darkness of Werehound Brute, Red Velvet, Licorice, and Poison Mushroom Cookie.

They pretty much pleaded with you to join this little band they were creating and since you were quite the popular cookie, they figured that with your help, they can upstage the BTS Cookies and use the power of music to take over the world! Werehound was hyping up this idea so much as Mushroom tried to persuade you by having a lot of shroomies if you did this for them! Red Velvet did say it would make Dark Enchantress and Pomegranate happy if you took this offer, they’d have a lot of explaining to do if they fail. Seeing their faces in anticipation to your answer, even Red Velvet staring intently into your eyes, you let out a sigh.

God damn it, you always were a people’s pleaser

———————————————————————

Here you are with the B.A.D 5 in a competition against the BTS Cookies as you clashed with them throughout the concert. While your fellow members did the singing, you played your instrument to your heart’s content.

Brave and the audience felt bad about your defeats every time the BTS Cookies have bested you in musical combat, your talents were cool but to be stuck on the bad side meant unintentionally getting defeated onstage time and time again. You will admit that you were bummed out by the constant defeats, but you never gave up on the group, you guys had to win at some point!

Pomegranate was your manager and you will admit she pulled off the look quite well~ Pomegranate reminded you of the plan and stay focused, but..thanked you for the compliment with a red tint to her face.

When it came to failures, she was very clearly more light with you compared to the others, you did wonderfully with music, it’s just a shame the others couldn’t match the quality with their efforts, what a disappointment. She would make this apparent by directing her gaze towards your other BAD members and motioning you to the side for a second.

She found herself nodding off to your music as she watched on your performances. She wonders if you’ll sell your music on albums later. She needs to get herself and DE a copy.

Being the leader of the group, TNT was headstrong in the effort to upstage the BTS Cookies, you were all for it to make the big guy happy.

When he sprained his hand around the first duel, you tried to alleviate the pain by massaging it. He tried to shrug it off and say he was fine! He didn’t need no massage for his hand…but since you were offering…

When he needed the killer beats, he turned to you to do just that. TNT hearing your music made him pumped to just duke it out with the BTS Cookies already!

You comforted him after Pomegranate leaves after a cold exchange with her, telling him that it was all good, you guys might have mucked up this one, but he’ll emerge victorious in the end with his cool vocal skills! It did the trick into cheering him up right away!

When he couldn’t hold back his emotions after the song that he wrote himself, you quickly stopped playing to rush to his side as you tried to soothe him, ignoring the grumbling from the others. The resulting crushing hug from him as we weeped wasn’t comfortable, but if it made him feel better enough to continue, you gotta do what you gotta do!

Hellhound appreciated that you valued the efforts he and his cake hounds have done to give the performance they did. He in return complimented your musical talent, it was just the right tone he needed to really bring out the rhythm and passion of him and the cake hounds!

You cared for the Cake Hounds behind the scenes and after the performance with Hellhound, they did their best but you suppose it just wasn’t up to par in comparison to the BTS Cookies. Hellhound seeing you place a caring pet onto the hounds made him have a small smile to himself.

He does hope you join them after his whole concert thing, you’d make a great caretaker for the cake hounds.

He will not tolerate any backlash towards you as you were playing your role just fine, it was just the others that couldn’t keep up with your playing!

Don’t overexert yourself, Mushy P. Here have some water to help out with the strained rapping!

Constantly asks after every performance if you liked their rapping. The little cookie was quite good at it actually that..yes! You did find their skills as a fast singing rapper remarkable! It’s cute to see them joyous from your compliments.

You took up their offers for shroomies whenever they did after playing your tunes, they…actually sparked you to play more enthusiastically! Man, what were they putting in them?!

You headpatted the little one after a rough performance to help them out in any way. They were tired, but they let their appreciation be known by resting in your lap. After a duel with the BTS Cookies that ended in defeat, you could say Mushy earned it.

You had to reel him in whenever he got into arguments with the other BAD members over the defeats by the BTS. It took hugging him close to make him stutter like crazy and drop the fuss.

He wasn’t really sure of his stage name, ZZ Skull, but you thought it was a pretty cool name. Alright, ZZ wasn’t such a bad name after all if you liked it.

He practices his singing backstage, you just happened to be recording one of his sessions. It got really interesting when you noticed that the lyrics to this particular song was in reference to you. He chased after you and pleaded to delete the video as he bawled in embarrassment.

He valued your opinion on his performance, so once he finishes, he would lowkey ask if you enjoyed his singing. He pretends to casually accept your compliments, but on the inside, ZZ was hyped! You liked his singing, you liked it!

———————————————————————

Producer D.K.E.C announcement to the group to return back to headquarters only served to bring disarray to the 4 cookies. She ordered Pomegranate to do so and “bring Y/N Cookie with you” and she’ll excuse this utterly pathetic display of failure.

Now it was the audience’s turn to be brought into an uproar, those who thought it was just part of the performance were now doubting that if a direct threat to Y/N Cookie being taken from them was made known. Thank god the BTS Cookies were able to turn the tables on the situation around by telling your band mates to forget about the Producer or your manager! Forget about world domination and all that fancy stuff and just sing what you want to say!

That was your cue! You played your instrument and this time, your crew opened their hearts and sang from within!

ZZ Skull: Gettin’ this power wasn’t a breeze… Wrote a diary with my own tears… Misery and DISGRACE!

HellHound: Ya ain’t never seen a Cookie like me! Am I Cake Monster or Cookie! Naw!

MUSHY P.: Have some shroomies, have some shroomies! Why won’t y’all try some shroomies…

Siren Serenade (you): Go ahead and try to test us, we are never backing down, never letting up!

T.N.T: Stop pointin’ your fingers and dumpin’ the hate… I’m bad to the core, evil’s my fate!

T.N.T: I’m BORN TO BE BAD, VILLAIN 4 LIFE

To have the crowd actually enjoy the performance this time brought relief to you as you smiled to your fellow B.A.D members. It looks like your job here was done-

OOF! You were suddenly grabbed up into a hug by TNT as he swung you around joyous that you were able to settle the crowd with music that came from the heart. The others joined in shortly after, it was getting incredibly hard to breathe, but they were in the moment you guess. Pomegranate was grumbling in the background, how rude of them to just rush at you at once.

You’re taking a little break when you’re free…once you’re able to sneak off from your fellow band members…as well as the cheering audience who will likely flood you with asks for autographs.

What can you say, you’ve got your work cut out for you hehe.

[inkyquince]

I rise briefly from my coma to bring you...

Assholes sticking a fleshlight inside of your holes and fucking that as a punishment.

content warning. Abuse, Harper being a really bad doctor, sexual conditioning, punishment via object insertion, general discomfort from said object, forced prostitution, Landry being emotionally distant, humiliation.

Bailey would def do it if you keep on seducing them for that extra day you keep fucking whining for. They're pissed and they're horny and usually they just drag you under them to fuck you until you are a crying drooling mess, but this time, it's only for him. If you want to be fucked by them so bad, endure this. You think he needs to let off some steam, well let them use you like this. Fucking dumbass. They will plunge it into your ass and fuck into the fleshlight like a bitch possessed. Teases you, this way there's less clean up. Or do you like my cum inside of you? Dirty slut.

Harper does it for reverse psychology in the asylum. Tucks the fleshlight inside of you, cooing to you that you're taking it so well before unzipping their trousers and getting their cock out, stroking it a bit more till they're fully hard. Presses into the fleshlight, gripping your hips and trying to maintain their composure as their breath quickens and they already begin to sweat. Fucks into it as they pant into your ear. This doesn't feel as good, does it? Don't you want a proper cock inside of you? To think, all those times you fought against being fucked when actually it's exactly what you need.

Whitney would when slutting you out to randoms and their friends. Either does it before or after they've had their turn with you, either when you're barely lubed up enough or when you're stuffed with their cum. Either uses the excuse that they're the only one who can make a mess of your slutty little hole, that they want to keep it nice and clean for them, or that they want to keep you stuffed with only their cum. Watching your face as someone you barely know ruts into the toy while panting into your neck has them so fucking turned on. And you can't even fucking say anything! If you want Whitney to take it out, they laugh and call you a cockwhore. They do call you a proper fuck toy for a long time afterwards.

Landry does it to maintain their "professional distance" from you. Has been dying to fuck you for ages, ages, and they finally break down. But you're one of their thieves, their contacts, and it always gets so fucking messy so before they get their cock out, they demand a few things from you to make sure they can feel like they've maintained proper conduct with you. Blindfold, loud music, a gag for both of you and of course, the fleshlight tucked inside of you. Landry is surprised when you still cum from them fucking into a fleshlight and fights against themselves to instigate a round 2. Professional distance, they remind themselves, as they watch their cum drip out the toy and down your thighs. I can maintain professional distance and they slipped their saliva sodden gag from their lips to lick up their mess from your body.

Briar does it to humiliate you. Because that's what you are. A fucking sex toy for their patrons. You've pissed them off and your Friday show has you stuffed full of toys, ring gag and a fleshlight in your hole as a variety of their workers take turns with you as the audience cheers them on. Mutliple rounds as you drooling and cum dumb and dazed. Briar watched it all, leaning against the wall and sipping their wine when they made a decision. Orders one of the workers to take you to their office after the show, laying you down on your stomach on their desk. Softly praises you for the show before tugging the fleshlight out of you, admiring how you were clearly aroused despite how uncomfortable it felt inside of you. They felt their breath quicken. They knew you were tainted goods, that you've worked there too long to be a virgin, but knowing that you had been fucked into, without being properly tainted by cocks and strap ons... Briar tugs off their belt and presses their cock against your puffy hole, enjoying the squeak you made. Yes, they did believe in showing their workers some appreciation. And from the way you practically sucked them in, you should be the one thanking them.

Masterlist

AO3

Kofi