#it? cringe. also. one of my fave songs ever and my top listened song of 2022 is a pretty unknown song but it is also like so. power pop

[nugulover69]

have any boyfriend (the kpop group) fun facts for me? they were my fave for a while there but i never like super mega got into them (although i want to know who's letting official sites lie so much. min woo is FOUR INCHES SHORTER THAN THE TWINS??)

Not facts so much as assorted Things I know abt them bc they aren't a group I care much abt outside of their music. like if you held a gun to my head rn and asked me to name the 3 members that aren't the Jo twins or Minwoo I'd say pull the trigger piglet

I can recc Minwoo's youtube channel. he hasn't posted to it in years and only some of the videos have eng subs but honestly you only need to watch this one

Its basically just him and the Jo twins cringing over their cutesy debut and out loud pondering why the fuck anyone would like this lmao

Its also home to the funniest thing ever said by a kpop idol thank you Kwangmin

OH THIS CLIP I HAVE AN EXCUSE TO SHARE IT NOW HEHE (its also from a video on Minwoo's channel but its not eng subbed)

Kwangmin, reading a message from a fan: swear at Starship plz (Starship being the company they used to work under) Youngmin, who's been waiting his entire life for this moment: STARSHIT Kwangmin: O_O Youngmin: ovo

Side note: only Youngmin was officially listed as the visual [designated fan attractor/ideal korean beauty position] for the longest time but not Kwangmin. despite being his literal identical twin. my guess is that since Kwangmin was a rapper, that inherently made him uglier ig??? no idea. if you check kprofiles now it list both of them as the visual and that is a lie and blatant rewriting of history

Boyfriend also famously disowned hard by Starship after they sent them to promote in japan and were only mildly successful (and their shitcanning was kinda inevitable bc Starship's subsequent boy group, Monsta X, was ten times as successful as Boyfriend, both in Korea and abroad). they reunited a couple years after getting disowned and are currently promoting in japan as BF btw

Also everyone listen to Love Style NAOW. ez top 10 kpop songs of all time

[coquelicoq]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

i was tagged by @littleragondin! mci mon ami.e !

3 Ships You Like: in a kim dojka & yoo sangah platonic life partners phase rn. god. they would get married but not because they particularly care about marriage, just to bypass the hoops the government makes single people jump through in order to adopt kids, but kim dokja would seriously hesitate for the sole reason that him marrying yoo sangah would make all three of his parents very happy in a way that he would find incredibly annoying.

ok i'm doing another platonic one: moon & ember! i have read the few existing moon & ember fics so many times i can no longer separate them from canon. their dynamic is everything 2 me. bodyguard & anger translator. damaged hottie with trust issues & naive little pretty boy who just wants to go home. moon sees ember as not just a romantic rival but also a threat to his place in the colony, and of course being moon, his reaction to that is not to challenge ember but just to assume that he's been replaced and that he has to start over again alone. ember is everything that moon is not, everything he's convinced he's supposed to be, but ACTUALLY they're both perfect the way they are and there's room enough in this court for the both of them. they are so powerful when they combine their complementary skillsets for the good of the colony. plus i love that every time he interacts with anyone moon is probably thinking, "ugh, i bet EMBER wouldn't be fucking this up"…but also he's defending ember when stone makes fun of him and offering to challenge the reigning queen on ember's behalf! he's protective of ember even as ember embodies everything that makes him insecure. meanwhile ember thinks moon is the coolest person to ever exist and also. extremely cringe. probably 25% of his pillow talk is him subtly trying to convince pearl that moon is just a little birthday boy who should be allowed to be a hugely oversensitive weirdo, as a treat.

people have been rbing some of my cherry magic posts recently so i've been thinking about kurodachi again. i miss them! they're so well matched, so complementary in the ways that they need to grow, and it's lovely to watch them help each other do that. the way that adachi is inspired to make an effort by kurosawa's continuous striving for things he thinks he'll never get, and the way that adachi's apathy for perfection frees kurosawa from his need to be worthy…like ok fine whatever i am listening!!!

First Ship Ever: i have been sitting here trying to think of an earlier ship so i can avoid embarrassing myself, but if i'm honest it's probably ron/hermione. moving right along.

Last Song You Heard: one week by barenaked ladies! what a banger.

Favorite Childhood Book: when i was a kid i had meticulously curated my top ten favorite books, but now i can only remember half of them: island of the blue dolphins, the witch of blackbird pond, ella enchanted, walk two moons, and mrs. frisby and the rats of nimh. can you tell i had one of those bookmarks that listed all the newberry award winners and was working my way through it? lol.

Currently Reading: i just finished my reread of maskerade, the discworld book about the opera, which i had put on hold after reading le fantôme de l'opéra. it wasn't one of my fave discworlds as a teen but i think i'm now in the right headspace for it. enjoyed it quite a bit!

i'm near the end of both the traitor baru cormorant by seth dickinson and par amour by valérie tong cuong. the latter is about a family in le havre during wwii and is very hard to put down. i have honestly no idea what will happen in the remaining two chapters except the nazis are going to lose the war. the traitor baru cormorant is well done, but i don't think i like it enough to read the sequel. (i still am pathologically unable to stop a book that i've started, but i've just discovered that i am capable of stopping after book 1 of a series. life hack!!)

Currently watching: natsume season 4 dub! i just watched the moon-splitting festival arc and the baby nanase episode yesterday. next up is the one about natsume's picture of his parents which. like. let's just say i am marshaling my emotional forces for that one.

also it is about to be march madness! selection sunday tomorrow babey!!!

Currently consuming: the great thing (sarcastic) about living alone is that you spend four hours making this quinoa black bean dish and then have to somehow eat all of it before it goes bad. luckily my neighbor and i have been doing this cute thing for the last ~6 months where we share whatever food we make with each other. this has been working out extremely well for me, because when he cooks i get to eat without having to do anything whatsoever, and when i cook i don't have to worry as much about quantity. i feel like i tricked him into it somehow even though he is getting exactly the same thing out of it as i am.

Currently craving: a baked good i made for the first time recently and then made again two times in rapid succession because i (and my neighbor lol) liked it so much: gingies! okay technically the recipe calls them gingerbread cookie bars, and i just looked up "gingies" (to make sure it's not an offensive term for redheads that i don't know about) and apparently it's frequently used for gingersnaps, but MY use of "gingies" is right and correct and all these other people are idiots. the reason is that they're basically brownies (texture/structure/technique-wise) but with the gingerbread flavor profile instead of chocolate. and "gingeries" sounds stupid, so gingies it is!

tagging @treecakes, @joelletwo, @qserasera, @defeateddetectives, @ctl-yuejie, @deimos-the-wolf, @stupid-lemon-eater, @loreofcardigan, and @dangerliesbeforeyou if you feel like it! no pressure obvi!!

[seospicybin]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

And happy Alentine's Ay to to anyone who didn't get any V or D on this special day. Eitherway, I have just the 8 fics to make your heart fluttering. (Also, as an effort to beat the allegations that I only write sad fics!)

I curated a playlist of my favorite love songs here 💘

THINNING. Bangchan x reader. (s,f)

It's a classic friends-to-lovers. I surprised myself because I personally thought Chan wouldn't fit that trope. Why? Because I would catch feelings right away without being his friend first. fyi, this fic is inspired by a Reddit thread.

Fave quote: "But people oftentimes hide behind the 'actions speak louder than words' and that makes them okay with love left unsaid. No one is a mind reader. If you love someone, they want you to verbalize how you feel. This is real life, not a chess game."

PEACH. Lee Know x reader. (s, a whole lot of f)

The idea was born from the fact that Minho likes strange smells (e.g gasoline, concrete, etc) and he likes them because they hold certain memories for him. It's a one-shot with a sprinkle of breeding kink. One of my favorite old works of mine and there's a cameo from Soonie.

Fave quote: “You are one ripe, juicy peach,” he said against your lips, “and everybody wants a taste.”

PIED PIPER. Changbin x reader. (s,f)

I think I created a dangerous Changbin in this fic but do I regret it? Not at all. Think of campus bad boy Changbin who knows how to seduce you just right. Seductive and a little messy, just how I like it.

Fave quote: "One more look in the mirror and he gets the assurance that he doesn't need to be insecure about his body, he knows he'll never fit into everyone's standard but he feels good about himself. That's why girls are crazy for him. He is so sure of himself and it shows."

ONE DANCE. Hyunjin x reader. (s,f)

I never wrote a fic this fast. It's smut with a simple plot and not going to lie, I loved it so much. I'm writing the full fic on this from the mc pov, hope I'll be able to release it soon. And oh I recommend listening to Frank Ocean's Pyramid as you read it.

Fave quote: "His worry replaced with the guilt of ever doubting your feelings for him, but on top of that, he feels the happiest to know that you are his. He's indeed so lucky to have your love for free."

DOTING. Han x reader. (s,f)

It's dorky, awkward, and bizarrely cute (?) I got inspired by an episode of Black Mirror that I come back to from time to time. I promise you it has no grim ending, but you'll learn a lot of new random facts from reading it.

Fave quote: "If humans truly are made of star stuff, he believes you are made from the brightest star in the universe because he refuses to believe that he is made of the same thing. As he stares at your body he changes his mind almost immediately, he believes you are made of outer space and he wants to explore."

GODSPEED. Felix x reader. (s,f,a)

It tells about a relationship that forces one to be out of its comfort zone. I tried to capture every bit of Felix in it and it's my favorite Felix fic second close to Twin Flame. I know there's angst in it but trust me, the pain is worth it in the end.

Fave quote: "You can’t stay stagnant in a relationship just because it feels comfortable. You were too comfortable and that was why the space scared you both."

ONE PROPOSITION. Seungmin x reader. (s,f)

Do you also think that love is just... yuck??? If yes, then let Seungmin change your mind. It's cute but not on the cringe side (or I hope so) it's rom-com worthy and Seungmin is so Seungmin in it with his square shoulders and he's a good kisser and and and...

Fave quote: "Love is some hocus pocus shit, got you completely bewitched."

MILK. I.N x reader. (s,f)

Just like the title itself, a love story that is so simple and sweet. It doesn't have, let's say, 'the happiest of ending' but I like it how it is. A love that asks nothing, it's as pure as milk.

Fave quote: "They remind me that there are still some innocence and purity in this world. And the way they see the world with so much curiosity and full of wonder, I wish I could relive that again,” he said with a sigh.

“To experience everything for the first time all over again,” you added while looking up at the blue sky."

-

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Remember that the greatest love of all is the love you have for yourself, or that's what the one Celine Dion song taught me. ily 🤟🏻💘

[popstarryeyed]

my midnights song ranking, according to this sorter:

explanations below:

1. The Great War

i love the imagery, the historical references and the different florals and the overarching war metaphor, and i'm a sucker for on-the-nose production choices - like, say, using military-esque drums in a song called "the great war". and i love songs about coming through hardship to peace. it's catnip to me.

fave lyric: "my hand was the one you reached for / all throughout the great war"

2. Would've, Could've, Should've

taylor just seems so righteously pissed, and i can totally believe she's still hung up on it because that's the kind of thing that affects you years down the line. can't wait for speak now taylor's version

fave lyric: "give me back my girlhood / it was mine first"

3. Anti-Hero

is it cringe? yeah. do i relate, and is the inherent cringiness of being vulnerable about your insecurities kind of the point and the entire appeal? also yeah.

fave lyric: "sometimes, i feel like everybody is a sexy baby / and i'm a monster on the hill"

4. Bejeweled

again, i'm a sucker for on-the-nose production choices. of course it sounds twinkly! it's about ~sparkling~! i also like how it's a song about not being afraid to outshine the shitty guy you're dating. it's about the guys who feel threatened when their gilfriends make more money than them or are taller than them, and how you're not gonna put yourself down to make them feel better.

(also me and my vintage costume jewelry collection appreciate a song about being shiny. i polish up real NICE!)

fave lyrics:  "i made you my world, have you heard? / i can reclaim the land"

5. Mastermind

as an autistic person, i feel like i've had to consciously learn how to be a person, like i have put effort and planning into things that happen easily and spontaneously for other people. i'm not saying taylor is autistic but i resonate with this song for that reason.

fave lyrics: "no one wanted to play with me as a little kid / so i've been scheming like a criminal ever since / to make them love me and make it seem effortless"

6. You’re on Your Own, Kid

6-8 on this list could go in any order. i think this one came out on top bc it was kind of a slow grower for me and i wanted to rectify my initial meh impression. ultimately i really like the look at taylor's life and the pursuit of stardom and how lonely it is

7. Bigger Than The Whole Sky

a lot of songs on this album are very wordy, packed with imagery and easter eggs and references, and i appreciate that this song is just a direct and simple sad breakup song.

8. Glitch

on-the-nose production choices my beloved <3

9. High Infidelity

i imagine this is the morning after bejeweled, when she's breaking up with the guy after having a great night. it's main weakness is that it does that jam-packed thing that "bigger than the whole sky" doesn't do. i love details and imagery but when a song starts to feel like a list and not a narrative it's time to dial it back

10. Question...?

i enjoy how the chorus is this really pointed interrogation and then at the end she's like "it's just a question". the arrogance of asking if everything felt second-best after her - it really captures the resentment around unresolved relationships, how you want those answers so badly but also you hate them for leaving you wondering and have decided they probably weren't worth it. its main flaw is the same list problem as "high infidelity". which is not always a flaw, to be clear. the bridge of "death by a thousand cuts" does it well.

11. Karma

lovely and breezy sonically, but i don't really believe in karma. taylor's belief that good things will come to her and bad things will come to her enemies is far too simple for me. happy for her though.

13. Labyrinth

12. Dear Reader

listing off a bunch of advice and then giving a disclaimer not to listen to anything she says is a really funny thing to do

pretty and gentle. a little bit forgettable.

14. Midnight Rain

the lyrics and concept are so good but all the pitch-shifted vocals are distracting. it's a solid song that didn't need all the bells and whistles and i find it frustrating to listen to

15. Lavender Haze

pretty, but i've heard the "my reputation's bad but you don't care" song before. many times.

16. Maroon

"so scarlet it was maroon" "the burgundy on my t-shirt" those are 3 different shades of red taylor.

17. Hits Different

"movin' on was always easy for me to do" taylor you have a song on this album about a relationship you had over ten years ago

18. Paris

ooh me and my boyfriend don't care about the world it's like we're in a city that is part of the world

19. Snow on the Beach ft. Lana Del Rey

probably doesn't deserve to be this low but the metric i used when deciding was "which would i rather listen to?" and if i listened to this, i'd just be thinking the entire time about how lana isn't on it.

20. Sweet Nothing

i'm sure she just meant to say that her partner doesn't expect as much out of her as the world but unfortunately it ends up feeling like an anthem for those women who act like feminism ruined their lives bc they're expected to like, participate in the world and have thoughts instead of just being a housewife. all he wants from you is sweet nothing - so, for you to be pretty and empty? and you're "too soft" to deal with people asking you to take a stand on social issues? wow.

like with that line specifically she was probably just talking about the pressure on social media for her to be everything to everybody (thus, "nothing" being comforting). but i only say that because i know taylor swift and what she sings about.

i think celebrities writing songs about escaping the world with their partners can easily come off a little tone-deaf. obviously everyone needs time away from the relentless news cycle and as someone who works in a nonprofit i know people need breaks from doing social justice work, but sometimes with celebrities it can seem like they've decided to just ignore the problems of the world, because they can afford to. that's the vibe i get off this song, even though i don't think she intended it.

21. Vigilante Shit

cringe. "cat eye sharp enough to kill a man" in the year of our lord 2022? please don't. this song is so style over substance. all about how she's dressed and the general idea of revenge than an actual story about doing revenge. just listen to no body no crime or mad woman instead

[avulleonastick]

Top five songs?

Oh God, I wrote up basically a whole response to this and tumblr ate it 😭

(Update: Tumblr ate it *again*. Kill meeee.)

Anyways, onto the list!

5:

me, to me: kill the part your that cringes, kill the part of you that cringes.

In my opinion, the kpop is the height of pop, and GFRIEND was (rest in peace) the height of kpop. I realize they're very much... *that* (their name in Korean is literally just the Korean name for girlfriend), but god, they're so good. I love basically every song they've ever made. Although they did sucker me with the classic parasocial whatevermans (sinb my beloved), I loved them before I could distinguish any of them from each other. I have other, less embarassing faves (Dreamcatcher and Blackpink), but I never liked them as much as I liked GFRIEND.

This song is... probably my favorite, but I loved basically all of their songs. (Including a song that is like, 200% less embarrassing, so I deserve to be congratulated for not wimping out and picking that one.)

4:

Once upon a time (see: in high school), this was my favorite song, by my favorite band. If I was to pick my favorite song now, it would probably be something off of Hybrid Theory, or maybe the album with Jay-Z, but I'll keep this out of a respect for history.

3:

After Linkin Park, my favorite band in high school, we have Battle Beast, which is probably my favorite band right now. I love Battle Beast—they exemplify so much of everything I love about metal. Which is to say, the just raw earnestness of it all. It might be lame and silly but there is not a trace of irony to be found here.

I love basically all of Battle Beast's songs on all the albums that have Noora as the vocalist (aka all albums but the first), but this song is probably my favorite.

Also, I love Noora with my entire heart. I love the way she sings so much. The way I've described it before is that she sings like a male lead vocalist, except like, better, which is just so :just right emoji:.

2:

(Read "soba ni iru ne", meaning something like "I'm by your side".)

This is probably my favorite Japanese song. I actually fell in love with it way back when—when I was in high school, and knew roughly zero Japanese. I learned the song phonetically by singing along to it over and over again, which was a very bizarre surprise when I finally knew enough Japanese to understand it, and played it again, because I found myself speaking words and understanding them for the first time *as they were coming out of my mouth*. A truly bizarre experience, would recommend.

Also, this song. I still love it. Alas, none of Aoyama Teruma's songs really grabbed me, which is a bit of a shame and also kind of sort of my experience with most pop.

1:

(Specifically this version: the chanmina remix.)

This song the soundtrack of my trans realization. It's not trans (like, at all), but it was the song I was playing on repeat when I drove down to Santa Barbara and first seriously considered that I was trans, and for that, I will always love it. Listening to it really takes me back to that point in my life (which is good, because it was a very happy time—the misery came later).

Pay Attention To Me!

[drthrvn]

i gotta be honest guys, the more i think about it, the more concerned i am about new Muse album. (warning: incoming music/Muse rant)

2022 is a shit year for sure but it's also the year when my top 4 favourite bands - Muse, White Lies, The Wombats, Editors - have released/are releasing new albums.

The Wombats' "Fix Yourself, Not the World", released in January, did not disappoint, as it's a really solid record (my faves: "If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming With You", "Method to the Madness", "Worry", "Wildfire").

White Lies' "As I Try Not to Fall Apart", released a month later, gotta be one of their best albums to date (my faves: "Am I Really Going to Die", "Step Outside", "I Don't Want to Go to Mars", "The End").

Editors are releasing their new record ("EBM") in September but i really love both of the singles that have been released so far (especially "Karma Climb", though i really enjoy "Heart Attack" as well). if the rest of the album is on par with these singles, i'll like it for sure.

and what about Muse, my very favourite band, my numero uno for past 13 years? i'm like one of the 5 people out here who loved "Compliance". "Won't stand down" is good, though not a song i listen to often (especially comparing to the singles released by the bands mentioned earlier). i'm literally ALLERGIC to "Will of the people", even though i enjoyed it at first. "Kill or be killed" sounds amazing, i admit, i won't be surprised if that's the best song on the record. but like.... idk, i wish i was more excited? i've literally just realized that we're getting new album in about a month while i was writing this post. i see songs titles like "We Are Fucking Fucked" or "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween" and i'm expecting cringe. don't get me wrong, i want this album to succeed (OBVIOUSLY), i want to like it and i'm aware that quite often Muse don't release their best songs as singles (uhm "Blockades", anyone ?? although we got "The Dark Side" at least). i just feel like, not only i'm expecting a lot from them (they're still my favourite band after all) but also, White Lies and The Wombats with their albums and Editors with their singles set the bar so high, i'm afraid i won't be able to enjoy new Muse content as much as i wish to. and that just makes me sad

[tractorbeamofwoe]

Top ten favorite bands, feel free to vent about it

TEN?!? Oh god I’m not sure I even like ten bands 😭😭

okay so

1. Catfish

2. Inhaler (I’m scared cause I feel like I’m going off them slightly 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️)

3. Symphonic Pictures. I know I literally talk ALL THE TIME about how much I love them but I do really love them both musically and yk...I have a big fat musical crush on Johnny bond but yeah as a musician I can really sort of pick apart their songs and think “yeah that’s what they were trying to do with this part and that’s what they were trying to do with that part”. Although they’re a mysterious little band and no matter how hard I try i don’t think I’ll ever truly understand their minds but it’s genius and it’s comforting to me. Their lyrics are so genuinely beautiful I’m obsessed with them. I adore the EP I could listen to it over and over and over and it’ll always be one of my favourites. They had so much potential with their unreleased ones as well but of course Van had to swoop in and put a stop to it all 😅 I still get really excited when I see Bondy and Dale hanging out together tho

4. Them Things. Another band that I would’ve liked to hear more from 💔💔 the Good Weird EP is another one of my all time favourites that I listen to a lot because it brings me a lot of comfort. The harmonies are so lush and the guitar riffs and Lou’s vocals are so brilliant oml he’s such a great frontman and even better live. I really hope I get to go see Chintzy Stetson in the near future cause the vibes are immaculate 👌🏻👌🏻 Out in the Rain is my fave Them Things unreleased and I’m so gutted we’ll never get a studio version but cause me and Lou are like twitter besties maybe I can ask him nicely for it ALSO LOU IS SUCH A LOVELY GUY LIKE HE’S UNHINGED BUT IF YOU TALK TO HIM HE’S SO FUCKING SWEET I LOVE THAT MAN 😭

5. Jango Flash. JACK’S ALSO A LOVELY MAN (as expected, he used to be in Them Things and everyone who was in Them Things is the certified nicest man in the world™️) And his vibes are so funky like his music videos are so creative 😭 Not one of my favourite live bands but tbf this is like their first tour practically so they can only get better from here 😁

6. This is where it gets a little fuzzy so hold on 😭😭 I guess I’d say The 1975? Haven’t listened to every single one of their songs but I went through a massive phase a couple years ago. Plus I just put them on when I need a bit of motivation and I need to get up and dance. I think at one point I was a very Matty type front woman but obvs now it’s Van lol. Also can’t forget they’re besties with Catfish.

7. Blossoms. Can’t say I’ve listened to all their songs either yet buttt they’re lovely lads and they absolutely send me especially on the podcast 😭 They’re also one of my music teacher’s favourite bands so we sort of talk about Blossoms a lot haha. And we’re covering Charlemagne this month so I’m very excited for that!!

8. The Native. PLUGGING MY HOMETOWN BAND!!! I’m yet to listen to all their songs but from what I’ve heard so far they‘ve deffo got potential. But I listened to an interview they did at Boardmasters the other day and OHMYGOD they said everything I’ve been thinking about the music scene down here and I’m so relieved. (e.g Artists never play down here, the furthest they go is Bristol or Exeter, there aren’t any bands to come out of here, the music scene down here is just generally pretty DIY). Another honourable mention from down here is Holloway, bunch of kids my age doing music stuff is very nice to see.

9. 5 Seconds of Summer. Hopefully going to see them next year lol. Only really sort of got into them just after Youngblood came out (So again, haven’t listened to their whole discography lol). I also love Luke’s solo stuff and if I ever experience Place In Me live I will lose. my. nut.

10. The Vamps. I hate saying it cause people think I’m cringe but they were essentially the first band I liked when I started really getting into music and I discovered so many other bands through them. Unfortunately I don’t really listen to them as much anymore cause I’m not a fan of their new album but anything from Meet The Vamps-Day Edition is like a massive part of my life from age like 12-14. They were the second concert I ever went to as well and Brad gave me a lil half peace sign half wave I am so in love with that man.

[1dcraftawards]

November Author of the Month...

Drumroll please.... our November Author of the Month is none other than the incredibly talented...

@all-things-fic ! 

Congratulations to a wonderful author, Liz! You can check out our interview with her below!

1.Did you start writing fanfiction for One Direction, or was there another fandom that you wrote fanfiction for before this?

I have one fic that I wrote for One Direction Fanfic Archive, that will never see the light of day. It was really awful, but everyone starts somewhere. I’ve shared it with two people on Tumblr and we just laughed about it.

I’ve also written a Niall Horan fic which has been flagged for how explicit it is, which is quite laughable as it’s tame in comparison to the Harry stuff (eek!)

2. How old were you when you started writing fanfiction?

I was a teenager when I first started writing fics. I don’t know if I would consider it “proper” fanfic though as it was riddled with cliches.

3. What’s been your favorite fic that you’ve written to work on so far?

For the longest time I was proud of the second part of Divorce Harry and specifically the second part. It just felt real to write. I can’t even explain what it is about that piece.

I think at the time it stemmed from an ask I received where I was asked if I was a parent - I’m not - but this someone said I portrayed aspects of a marriage and how children can tip the balance really well.

The sheer bitterness of two people in love and the juxtaposed feeling it brings was an interesting dynamic. Being bitter and in love? How? It happens. You love someone, but bloody hell don’t you hate at the same time.

And I think on the hand Quarantine Harry is the opposite side of the same coin. I love it because it’s so happy. When you’re smitten and basking. Your baby waking you up at 3am and meeting your husband on the landing with the freshly made bottle is a time to enjoy because you’re doing it together.

But soon enough the third child is sprawled out in your kingsize bed and their foot is pressed against your ribs and you're tired. This isn’t me saying the two stories are linked (I do get those theories quite a lot haha)

4. Do you prefer AU or OU?

Definitely more of an OU gal. I’m massively into writing things “realistically” because I think it’s so relatable and helps draw readers in more so. Especially if the writing uses and references visuals that readers are aware of.

5. What’s your favorite trope to write?

Would we call a long-term relationship / established relationship a trope? If so then this is my favourite. Writing characters who know how to push each other’s buttons, knowing what they can and can’t say to get the other going. Being able to write two people who can share as little as a glance and know what the other is feeling.

Sprinkle a bit of angst on the top for good measure.

That’s my kryptonite.

6. What’s your ideal space to write in?

I tend to write when I’m in bed quite a bit, usually really late at night and on my phone rather than my laptop. Often lying in the dark. Sometimes first thing in a morning.

7. How do you get motivation to write?

This one made me laugh considering I’m unable to finish a single piece of writing at the minute.

Pictures are quite inspiring. New images of Harry can usually start something in me. The images of him in the whacky joggers for example from set have inspired a scene in Quarantine Harry (who knows for which part just yet!).

8. Do you typically like to listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?

Very rarely listen to anything when I write, I tend to like silence really. Sometimes this is so I can dictate into my phone.

9. Your dialogue is some of the best I’ve ever read on tumblr, how do you plan conversations in your fics?

Thank you for the compliment, it’s really nice to read that you think so highly of my dialogue. I don’t really plan them - conversations or my fics. I’m quite visual in how I write, so anything that you’ve read I’ve most likely had it play out in my mind and typed it as it’s moved. For dialogue I tend to speak out loud as I’m typing to try and get the pacing right for the conversation.

No, I don’t try to do a Manc accent… Just in case anyone is wondering haha!

10. What is your writing process like?

I write what I see and then hope it fits. Honestly it’s pretty chaotic. The only time I tend to plan is when I’ve got a lot of different scenes written and I need to know if they’re suitable for an update or what order to place them.

Then I read through them and think about the characters and how they would be a certain time and move the documents into another document. Then I close all the tabs and cry cause my motivation is nonexistent.

11. What’s been your favorite scene to write from Quarantine Harry?

One that hasn’t been shared haha! I’m joking (maybe).

From part one my favourite bit has to be the part where she makes up with him by taking him a cuppa and he gets a dig in about how she hasn’t brought any biscuits with her. Also the bit where he says “come an’ love me” meaning he wants to cuddle. I’m quite conscious I don’t really ever write soppy fics, so when I’m writing “fluffy” aspects they’re more so everyday affections. Like, you know someone is properly in love with you when they’re doing the washing up cause you’re busy, or they’re taking out the bins on bin day. That kinda thing.

From part two absolutely the entirety of the morning where she takes the pregnancy test. That was the part I had as clear as day and I worked backwards to the opening scene. I really loved the idea of Harry knowing his partner is pregnant before said partner knows. Him knowing his lovers body like the back of his hand so much so that he’s able to pick up on the smallest of things.  I knew I had to write it.

And how he casually suggested she took the test, by pressing a kiss into her back. His face finding that test and then being an insufferable sod and pleased with himself cause he’s in the know about the outcome before the MC.

12. Is there a schedule you follow in terms of when you write? Or are you more impulsive and just write where and when you can?

So impulsive it’s actually embarrassing. I cringe at myself. I know I’ve mentioned this loads but I really write what I see. So if I’m not seeing anything, I’m not writing. It’s quite frustrating.

13. What is one thing you wish you would’ve known before you started writing?

To not talk about your writing before you’ve finished it. I feel like I massively let people down when I post sneak peeks and then I can’t deliver because life gets on top of me!

14. What do you prefer writing, multi-chaptered fics or one shots?

One shots and then if they develop into something more that can be exciting!

15. What's your secret to portraying such a complex and interesting relationship between your main characters??

Personal trauma…… *tumbleweed at another one of my poorly thought out jokes*

I’m a bit stumped on how to answer this one. I think being well read(ish) helps you create complex characters and relationships, not saying that I am but I’ve read a fair few books. Life in general helps too, sometimes personal relationships. Just growing up. My fic when I was younger was nowhere near the type of things I’m writing now but I’ve got a couple (okay, more than a couple!) of years on myself since then.

I think just apply your own lived experiences and call upon emotions you may have felt through certain times that you’re writing should you have experience it.

Partly I also think so many of us are a little bit nosy. Sometimes we all kinda want to be the fly on the wall in the home of couples to see if everything is a rosy as it seems or as intimate. Or whether it is just raw passion with a couple of arguments thrown in for good measure.

16. What Harry era/mood/look/vibe/song/etc. do you get most inspired by?

What’s weird is my favourite era of Harry is 2014, but I wouldn’t want to write him like that. The current Harry is quite marvellous. I’ve never known anyone like him, he really is fine wine (the real album title…. ‘we’ll be a fine wine’)

If you’re asking what mood I like to see him in, it’s either when he's pensive and looks a touch pissed off with a crease to his brow or when you watch his joke his eyes before he’s even said it and he’s amused/pleased with himself.

His current look, mainly late 2019/2020 is quite something (hence the quarantine fics)

I tend not to get inspired by his songs but my two faves if I had to pick would be Woman and TBSL. I think they’re massive Scorpio energy and would make great premises for a one shot sometime!

I’m not sure if I even answered this how you wanted it answer but hopefully it was something haha!

17. Who or what inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always loved writing, I think it’s because I do a lot of it with my line of work. The person that gave me the push on this site was actually an account called @meetyourmouths. The lovely Iz is no longer on tumblr but she wrote a Harry piece that just made me think ‘fuck it’ and I posted Practicing. If you go to that piece the authors note makes mention to Iz.

I would also say @stylishmuser was one of the first people to reach out to me and be encouraging which has always stuck with me. Massive love for, P and still talk to her all these years on.

I’m now sat here thinking about listing all the lovely lovely people who have been so nice to me both in regards to writing and outside of it and I’m conscious I’m not mentioning them. The troubles of being a bit of a people pleaser. Hopefully those people know I love ‘em… You know?

18. Some readers are wary of leaving feedback because they're unsure how the writer will take it, how do you personally like to receive feedback? Do you want to be critiqued, or would you like to just know if they did or didn't enjoy what they've read?

First thing I’d say is please don’t ever think as readers you can’t be negative. Sure there is a way to present the feedback to the author cause writing can be quite personal, but everyone has room for growth.

Just come chat to me. Can be about anything and everything. A simple ‘loved the update’ to ‘this bit was rubbish’. I’m open to all feedback.

One thing to remember is there are a lot of writers out there so there is something for everybody. If a fic isn’t for you there are tons out there waiting for you to go and grab ‘em!

19. Is writing a hobby or do you have aspirations of writing professionally outside of fanfiction?

I used to think it was mainly more so a hobby, and I do still lean towards this. However, now I’m not so sure. My problem is I tend to have long spells of not being able to find balance in my ‘real life’ job and the extra-curricular stuff.

I’m dragging myself here but I don’t think my fics have much plot to them. I’m more so about writing the everyday life and I don’t think there is a market for that really (unless you have something explosive happen somewhere).

20. And finally, What's your purpose for writing? What do you hope to accomplish?

For a while I wanted to write Harry being insufferably British. I found it quite hard to find writings that I thought wrote him using Britsh-isms (is this even a thing?) and types of phrases that are common over this side of the pond. I wanted to put that out there for someone who may have once felt like me.

Mostly,  I just want to put pieces out that take people elsewhere, even if only for a couple of minutes. A lot of the world is a bleak place, if you find my little corner on tumblr and it makes you smile, that’s achieved something, hasn't it?

[residentraccoon]

Fave 2021 national finals songs

Since I don't have anything better to do with my life at the moment I decided to ramble about stuff. Okay, here are my thoughts about my fave songs from the national finals of 2021, in no particular order!

Norsk Melodi Grand Prix

• Monument was my absolute favourite and I still can't believe to this day that it didn't win :( Keiino are fking fantastic and they killed the stage (though I kind of preffered the black outfits from the 1st heat over the final ones, they suited the song's athmosphere better). I cried real tears when I saw they lost, for real. Heartbreak 💔

• Hero was such a nice throwback to 80s music style, the staging was also really neat. Would love to see Raylee come back next year in the selection, she has a cool stage presence

• Okay but Vi er Norge was a banger and I'm still listening to this one, a real shame it didn't even qualify nor win the 2nd chance round. As you already knew before, I have a weakness for violins because yes. The performance was so energetic and fun, should have def qualified. Underrated.

• Ut av mørket/Fallen angel was really good too. I wanted it to be kept in norwegian for esc but oh well. The stage show was just a tad messy but memorable.

• I can't escape was something I'd hear from Roxen ngl, the style matches her perfectly, even her cursive singing, everything. Either way I loved this one too, this song feels like a hug.

• Pages was so magical, I'm glad we got another joik song, sadly this didn't qualify 😥

• World on fire was kind of generic but puts me in a good mood everytime I listen to it, it's really catchy.

• Let loose is so g r o o v y and cool, it was my fave from the 1st heat when I got to listen to the songs. I'm lowkey happy it advanced to the final instead of Elevate, I'm sorry but I saw everyone praising that one in youtube comments, I never saw the hype, it was too regular and plain for me.

• Own yourself was so cute and funky, loved how it showed her ethnic background a lil with that disco sound.

• Witch woods...ehhh...While it's funny and unique, I think it's suited more for a witch Disney musical than Eurovision. But I like it anyway.

• Faith Bloody Faith oh yes I needed a rock song in this nf. Relieved it won the 2nd chance. Oh and I just realized, the superfinalists in mgp were literally the ones from the 1st heat. Crazy huh?

• Nordlyset is something I'd listen to near a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate in hands watching the snow fall in my cottage located in a forest far away from civillization. So soothing and beautiful <3

• Eyes wide open was epic just like his 2020 viking schlager song (i prefer his 2020 song over this one but that's another story)

Melodifestivalen

• Little tot was amazing but def not as good as Bulletproof. It's still catchy asf and one of my favs from this selection.

• Dandi Dansa aka a banger, again another catchy song.

• Every minute sounds like a summer hit, it's awesome. It's also the spawner of all those haha eric on a kitchen tile memes I've seen around during that time.

• The world and especially Sweden wasn't ready for the masterpiece called Rena Rama Ding Dong. They should tone down their preference for safe pop songs and choose meme worthy songs like this one in the future tbh. They didn't even qualify, Sweden = coward.

• One Touch is a fun club track, I can see this as a summer hit as well. But her stage show...go girl give us nothing

• In the middle, once again The Mamas delivered.

• And finally Voices, which its nf staging was superior to the esc one. We are so sorry Tusse 😔

Festivali i Këngës

• Zjarri Im a total banger, it wasn't even in the top 5 ffs Era Rusi queen.

• Njësoj has such a nice party vibe, should have qualified.

• Haven't paid any attention to Karma until it won, then I said hey this isn't so bad, it's traditional and ethnic, I can actually see Albania in the final with this.

Dora

• Rijeka was the only one I thought it will win by a landslide and I was surprised it didn't. The staging was a bit too over the top, though

• Tick Tock grew on me after it won and quickly became one of my faves of this year's esc. I'm still sad it didn't qualify 😔

• She's like a dream is super uplifting and also sounds like an 80s song.

• Colors is something I heard a million times before but for some reason I'm jamming to this? Also I heard she's blind, is it true?

Eesti Laul

• Took me a while to have a fave from this nf but after some listens Magus Melanhoolia stole my heart 🧡 it's so different from the others and the staging looked so proffesional.

• Lost in a dance had me d a n c i n, I noticed we had a lot of 80s throwbacks in this nf season, this included. The live was so dissapointing though 😔

• Not so keen on 6 at first but now I absolutely love it, she has such a nice style and the song's athmosphere is so magical.

• Time was amazing, surprised it came 2nd!

• I actually liked The lucky one lmao, I found it much better than his previous entry.

• Heaven's not that far tonight was the party 80s bop we didn't knew we needed

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix

• Probably my biggest letdown of this nf season but I actually managed to like Står lige her, digging the electro 80s (again) sound

• I also liked Øve os på hinanden as well, this one really feels like a legit 80s track rather than a throwback.

• Silver Bullet was interesting as well, it was the early frontrunner when the songs first came out from what I remember.

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu

• I love you is so wacky and catchy, and in finnish! I'd hear this as a soundtrack in an old video game.

• Dark Side was the definite winner ever since I heard it, and they even got a top 10 finish for Finland for the first time in years! Couldn't be more proud 😭

• Hurt was also one of my favs, Aksel needs to come back to esc, maybe in 2022 methinks 🤔

• Wait what is Laura Põldvere, an estonian singer tm doing in finnish nf? While I liked Play, I knew it wasn't strong enough to win, and she even came last. Do you get any flashbacks from another estonian entry with the same name that came last? 👀

C'est vous qui decidez

• Voila was the clear winner and that's about it, she deserved the win, it's just too beautiful for this world 😭

• Alleluia was an interesting sound of afrobeat, too bad their chances were killed because of messy staging :(

• Amour fou was so catchy and I loved the horse head thing lmao

Pabandom iš naujo

• Discoteque all day any day. The Roop world domination 💛

• Where'd you wanna go is so calming. I listen to this when I'm stressed and it works wonders, this was really beautiful.

• Open is so unique and soothing, a total contrast from her 2014 entry.

• Never fall for you again is a total earworm, even now as I'm writing this...even if I haven't listened to it since February.

Sanremo

• Zitti e Buoni was my instant fave, it simply stood out from the others by a lot.

Festival da Canção

• Por um triz is a beautiful ballad, was my fave.

• Saudade was the early favourite, reminds me of Telemoveis with its weird but artsy style.

Israel NF

• ...I really only liked Set me free tbh.

• La la love had a good potential but I can't not cringe at the corona reference like...ugh. Such a fun party song killed by one lyric, such a shame.

Russia's NF

• Just Russian Woman was the only one who deserved to win.

Spain's NF

• Yeah, they were both good but I liked Voy a Quedarme more.

[secretradiobrooklyn]

Secret Radio | 7.24.21, 8.7.21 & etc.

“Better, Better, Back” Secret Radio | 7.24.21, 8.7.21 & etc. | Hear it here.

- Mort Garson - “Plantasia”

1. Jean-Pierre Djeukam - “Africa Iyo” - “Cameroon Garage Funk”

The main musician I think of from Cameroon is Beti-Beti, and this is a whole different thing. Endless props to Analog Africa for providing fiery track after track. This is the sweat from their newest collection!

2. Eyedress - “Jealous”

Paige hears something in this and when I unfocus my eyes I do too. (Literal?) high school skate kids gettin in their shallow feels. I will admit that the chorus “time-time” is killer.

3. Nahid Akthar & Tafo - “Takra We Gutt Bhar Le” (I think)

Nahid Akthar’s voice is so completely bewitching that the amazing arrangements almost sneak by. Tafo is the producer of this track I believe, and the narrative structure of the music is just so confident and encompassing. But then also: man, that VOICE. She’s right up there with Ros Serey Sothea in expressiveness and character.

4. Oruã - “Escola das Roas” - “Sem Bênção / Sem Crença”

My thanks to you, Marc, for pointing this band to us. I have fallen in love with this particular recording, it just gets more thoroughly better with every listen. Calvin Johnson mentioned this band in a recent K newsletter — they’re a Brazilian band who corresponded with Doug Martsch as mutual fans until at some point Doug decided his own band needed replacing and he brought them out as Built to Spill and also as Oruã. This track also has shades of Sonic Youth’s “Master-Dik,” one of my all-time ultra faves. It really hits me in the ’90s, and I rilly want to see how some of this music is performed live.

5. Jacques Dutronc - “Le Responsable”

I’m so thankful to have Jacques Dutronc in my life. His rock songs knock me into gear like nothing else — and the whole band has its own very specific flavor. It kicks!

6. Sleepy Kitty - “Alceste in Silverlake”

At very long last, there is a new Sleepy Kitty album on the way! It’s in line at the record plant as I type this. And this is a song from the perspective of a musician-seeking drummer in LA, crossed with the most brutally honest man in all of France.

7. Sakuran Zensen - “錯乱前戦 ロッキンロール” (I Wanna Rock & Roll)

We only knew one song by this band (that we’ve played here) because the video was rad, but I looked to see what else was there and this song is just freakin great with me. The chords are really cool and his vocal delivery is just so over the top it’s impossible not to love. And the guitar solo is basically a full-on tonefest, which I appreciate more than a bunch of flying fingers. The video helps fill in the picture nicely too, I think, though I like the song while not looking at it even more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPCqT3e89SU

- Mort Garson - “Concerto for Philodendron & Pothos”

8. Clothilde - “Fallait pas ècraser la queue du chat”

All hail the French instinct for chamber music instruments as pop instruments, and then as a kind of technicolor weirdness. The orchestration of this song is a work of art in itself, and that doesn’t even account for her self-harmonizing melody. If you haven’t already, picture a brunette bob and deep mascara.

9. Public Service Broadcasting - “Spitfire”

I can’t remember now how I found this music, though I think it might’ve been from Josh’s playlist? This is from 2012, but they have a new album coming out almost exactly a month from now. In Bound Stems Tim and I got really into interlacing snatches of other people’s words into the music we were making, and this is very congruent with that interest. I feel like this song passes tests as it goes.

10. Shocking Blue - “Send Me a Postcard”

I first heard of this band when I was learning everything I could about Nirvana, and I’d heard both versions of “Love Buzz” and knew they were both great, but we only recently caught this track. It’s the bridge between “White Rabbit” and “Territorial Pissings.” 

11. Metak - “Tetrapak”

Our favorite Croatian band! Everything about this song is delightful. I feel like if this song was in English I’d probably cringe at the lyrics, but in this format I can only hear how much fun the song is to play. I am one-quarter Croatian, which means I can’t understand any of the lyrics either but I do see little ghosts of myself in the pictures of the band somehow. It’s weird.

12. Katerine - “Louxor J’adore”

-Anything I could say about this song is eclipsed by this excerpt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD7QuV6f_MA

The performance to the cemetery knocks me out

13. Erkin Koray - “Seni Her Gördügümde”

Whenever we’re listening to Anatolian psych, the songs with the most creative ideas and satisfying riffs and great vocal passages are always Erkin Koray. The four-piece arrangements are so good, and then he doesn’t hesitate to step up with his guitar to narrate a passage. Also, I really like how Turkish rock sounds so Indian and also Arabic and also French.

14. WITCH - “Chifundo”

Zambian prog rock! I haven’t heard anything like this track anywhere else in Africa yet. The thing is, this version of prog includes the exact flavor that Yes totally lacks, and thus I really love listening to this track in a way most prog rock doesn’t hit me. The time switches and the lead part over the top are just so smooth!

15. Ezra Furman - “Psalm 151”

We’ve been listening to a lot of Ezra Furman’s music lately, and it’s only getting better and more engrossing with every listen. We toured with Ezra Furman’s band about 5 years ago and every night was a pleasure. They’re finishing up a new album, which makes this a great time to listen to the others. This entire album, “Transangelic Exodus,” is a masterpiece as far as we’re concerned, and I find myself thinking the whole time too about Tim Sandusky’s production. Tim’s such a home town for us, and to hear his full attention on this album is just such a pleasure.

16. Ralph Stanley - “White Light, White Heat”

It was one of my favorite musical influence moments ever when my dad’s bluegrass band, The Prozac Mtn Boys, played VU’s “What Goes On.” Knowing that there is a recording of one of my dad’s true banjo heroes playing “White Light White Heat” is just an endless blessing. And actually hearing it is even better.

17. Kim Jung Mi - “Ganadaramabasa”

I know basically nothing about this track except that she’s Korean and this is from 1973. She’s got a real Diana Ross thing going on, and her band has a real Supremes vibe too… but it doesn’t sound like one of their songs.

18. Penny Penny - “Yogo Yogo”

We just got this record recently, and based on this track I wouldn’t’ve necessarily pictured the remarkable-looking guy who actually made this music. This is from the album “Shaka Bundu.” I’m sure it’s been cranked up and sent through some great house remixes — how could this not be? — but I like how this tempo operates at its own pace. It’s so truly and thoroughly ’80s, very 20th century. In the 21st century this tempo is practically cerebral.

19. Baris Manço - “Binboganin Kizi”

More Anatolian action. It’s really interesting to me how Turkish stuff was always associated with psych music but I didn’t really know how except for the opium thing, and I now understand that it’s in the chord relationships, well, and a lot of the vocal melody and delivery. In that way, Turkish rock pretty much defines what psych music sounds like. Wow. And check out that keyboard solo, so next level!

20. The Velvet Underground - “Countess from Hong Kong”

People are always asking Beatles or Stones and the answer is Velvet Underground. (And the Beatles, and the Stones.) They were just operating along a different balance beam than those other guys — performing different tricks for a different audience. While the Beatles were defining pop music, the VU were destroying it… but then later, they reveal their deep affinity for Western music, even as they never drop in to the blues-centric reading of it. It’s truly punk. I guess they are to punk what the Beatles are to pop — the definition of pop is whatever flows to or from the Beatles; punk is whatever flows to or from the Velvet Underground. Certainly more than any single band in 1976 or 7 or whatever.

21. Bella Bellow - “Denyigban”

The piano phrase that kicks this song off is surprisingly close to the opening of Bound Stems’ “Appreciation Night.” We got that phrase from the demo mode of Radz’s keyboard, and it’s surreal to hear a high-overlap version in a song from Togo. Her voice is so clean in tone and pitch, and what’s strangest to me is that I register the instrumentation in an almost Disney mode — but then realize that’s because Disney will draw on Caribbean and African elements at times as they establish characters and settings. Such an elegant song though!

22. Rail Band - “Mouodilo”

One of the first insights that got us into WBFF was the realization that James Brown had even more fundamental influence on the music of the world than the Beatles did — certainly in Africa. Hearing how his delivery interrelates with so many bands from all across Africa is such a revelation. This track just keeps winding around you til you can’t hardly live without it.

- Asha Bhosle - “Salma Jarir Jhalak”

All I know about this is that it’s in Bangla and it’s from a movie.

23. Unknown - “Chemirocha” - from “Love Is Love”

Several years ago, when African records looked interesting but we literally didn’t know anything about them, we bought a record called Love Is Love, in part because it was a beautiful cover and in part because the music seemed mysterious and full of possibility. Now, when I go to look for it online, I see no sign — I think it’s just a really small pressing from a… pirate group, I guess one could say? But really I think just hardcore music lovers. Anyway, it has this song “Chemirocha” on it, and there’s a story about this song that is really probably just best to link to because it’s so amazing. I guarantee you will find the information in this article worth your read:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/chemirocha-how-an-american-country-singer-became-a-kenyan-star

24. Sparks - “Do-Re-Mi”

We’ve known about Sparks, but we’re late to a close listen. We’ve been listening a lot in anticipation of — not the band bio pic but “Annette,” the new film by Carax, one of our favorite directors ever. For that matter: make sure to watch “Holy Motors” by Carax. It’s probably best if you watch “Lovers on a Bridge” before that, but if you have to go straight to “Holy Motors,” dive right in. It’s amazing.

Meanwhile: This take on the Mary Poppins classic is TOO MUCH — I can’t stop smiling at the end, when the bells start tolling over the crashing drums and crescendoing vocal waves as their third finale fades away. How can anyone make this song, the very definition of not-rock, rock so fully?

- Mort Garson - “Ode to an African Violet”

25. Bob Reuter’s Alley Ghost - “She Brought Me to the Wire”

I will forever be glad that we not only landed in a city where we could find out about the person and the works of Bob Reuter, but that we got to know and work with him. Bob Reuter was one of the definitions of St. Louis to us, and when he passed, so did some of that city. But also, he left music and photos and stories in Eleven and chapbooks that I truly hope last forever. He was the hard-living romantic that you hope lives in the heart of every hard-luck case… and in his one instance, it was true. Bless your soul, Bob Reuter.

photos by Bob Reuter from The Pageant and El Leñador

[gorgxoxus]

rank blaines solos babe

Ok I just remembered I have definitely posted this before but I had 50 followers or something so here it is again.

Ranking all Blaine solos:

1. All you need is love:

Firstly, this is the Blaine solo I listen to the most and honestly one of my favourite Glee songs. Add to the fact it’s such a big exciting number and he’s proposing to Kurt - this great song comes alive.

2. It’s time

This is another Blaine solo I listen to all the time and this one is also paired with a very fun and meaningful scene. This song tells a story as well as being sung very well and personally it’s one of my faves.

3. Bills, bills, bills

This is my favourite Warblers number (what a controversial opinion!!) It’s fun to listen to and watch and that’s all I want.

4. My dark side

This is sooo angsty and kinda random but it just sounds soooooo good. It also perfectly explains Blaine’s mental space at this time in the show - personally I would love Kurt listening to Blaine sing this song (but not in the canon time of their early breakup).

5. Hopelessly devoted to you

This one Blaine solo that has creeped up the list. I don’t necessarily agree with Blaine singing this song after cheating on Kurt (often people cheat because they are not devoted to their partner anymore).

Anyway, this song sounds great and I love the loose choreography of it - to make it character and emotion driven.

6. Cough Syrup

This is the quintessential Blaine number, probably after Teenage Dream. I wish we got a Klaine conversation after Blaine sung this song, because Kurt was there watching and then they did nothing with that. It did not reach its potential in canon with Blaine’s story but it still sounds amazing (id definitely prefer listening to the studio version over watching Karofsky try to commit suicide).

7. Somewhere only we know

I’m so very glad this number exists and even though I find the song a little awkward, it is a masterpiece. It honestly sounds great and together with Blaine singing to Kurt with the Warblers and even the Furt hug it goes into top tier. Love, love it.

8. Everybody wants to rule the world

Ok I just have an infinity for pop and season 4. I love watching the scene that accompanies this song.

9. Against all odds (take a look at me now)

This song is actually quite awkward to watch and starts the classic debate of ‘he was singing this for Sam’ and ‘he was singing this for Kurt.’ If people are interested, I’m in the boat that he was singing this song for Kurt and looked at Sam during the number because he’s the one who had been through the season 4 break up with him in Lima. It does sound amazing and I’d prefer to listen to the studio version than watch the scene.

10. When I get you alone

It took me forever to finally watch the scene with this song but I finally did a few months ago. It is actually quite hilarious if you push through all the awkward. Also when listening to the song, it sounds really good.

11. Don’t stop me now

This is a song that I don’t often listen to or watch the scene in the episode, but when I do it does sound AMAZING. Blaine does this song very well and Darren said he did the scene with a bad cold, so congrats to him to own the choir room while so sick.

12. Beauty school drop out

I love Blaine’s outfit and the recreation of the Grease scene. It also sounds great, highlights how well Blaine can morph his voice to fit different genres because it sounds so different to HDTY which was in the previous episode. (Even though from my theatre experience you cannot see the audience when you are on the stage the eye contact between Kurt and Blaine gives me all the feels).

13. Last Friday night

With my hatred for season 3, I have not watched the scene in ages but the song does sound great and of course Blaine sang Katy Perry to try to find his place in the New Directions. (Also we get a bit of fun Klaine, so no complaints there).

14. Misery

I love the scene in 2x16 with this song but I don’t rate it as a song to casually listen to.

15. Silly love songs

I will always wish this was a Klaine duet, and I actually don’t rate this as a song to listen to the studio recording. I love the flirty Blaine, the scene with the New Directions and the Warblers and it fits very well with the episode. It’s actually one of the few Warblers songs that makes sense in the context of Glee.

16. I’m not going to teach your boyfriend how to dance with you

This song is not one of my personal favourites and the scene is destroyed by Jesse and Finn singing.

17. Teenage dream

I know it’s a crime to have this song so low on this list, but personally I don’t like how the song sounds, or the original Katy Perry song. The fact it’s such a big moment for Kurt and is the introduction of Blaine is the reason it’s not lower than it already is.

18. You’re my best friend

This song is so strange to watch, but it actually sounds really good. The way it was shot with the puppets and my general distaste for ‘The Puppet Episode’ is why it’s down to low.

19. It’s not unusual

Idk not a vibe and not something I would choose to listen to.

20. Piano man

It’s not bad, I just don’t care for the song and the scene is kinda a snore.

21. Teenage dream (acoustic)

I find the whole scene soo awkward and cringe, plus in my humble opinion I don’t like the way it sounds. (I know I’m committing crimes by saying this). This also goes back to my point when I wrote about original ‘Teenage Dream’ - I’m just generally not a fan of the song.

22. Wanna be starting something

A very repetitive song and often a scene I skip over when I watch ‘Micheal.’

23. Fighter

A lot of people love this song, but I don’t like the way it sounds or how it’s shot. Plus, I don’t like the whole episode of ‘Big Brother.’

24. It’s not right but its okay

I don’t understand why personal relationship feuds have to become a public spectacle in the Glee Club. The only way I can enjoy this song is if I take it out of the context of Glee, because otherwise it’s too dramatic and not something I’d ever agree on (airing private relationship matters to a group of people). It is kinda funny when everyone is singing about being cheated on, because most of them had both been cheated on and cheated on someone else.

25. Raise your glass

Not a fan of the Warblers version of Raise Your Glass. I like the choreography but not the way it sounds.

26. Something’s coming

I have a personal distaste for this song. If Blaine did not want to be Tony for the production, why sing a Tony song??? I find that really annoying but I blame the writers more than Blaine for that (but I do not like the context of the song at all and don’t listen to the song).

27. All of me

I don’t like the scene and unfortunately I don’t like the way Blaine sounds when he sings this song. There are better things I could be doing with my life over listening to Blaine sing ‘All of me’. (Maybe my personal distaste for this song comes from not liking the original).

28. Hey soul sister

Another song where I don’t like the original and think the performance of it on Glee just fell flat.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #404

“death doesn’t answer when i cried for help”

The person you had the strongest feelings for dies, do you care? I'd be fucking devastated. It wouldn't feel real. Is there something you’re happy about at the moment? A few things. I'm still on that high of my APAP mask working, like I'm actually getting some fucking quality sleep, and I think I'm noticing the effects of my TMS therapy finally, too. My PTSD has most notably been much more bearable, and my interests are beginning to spread again. Do you want someone dead? No. Do you ever wonder what your ex is up to? I mean yeah, I think that's pretty normal, even for someone without my issues. Have you ever fed or taken care of a stray animal? Oh, many times. What is something you tend to worry about? My health and future. What is something you do that is unhealthy? Sit at the computer for way too long. I'm absolutely certain my vision is as poor as it is partially because of me endlessly staring at screens. What is something you do that is good for you? I'm not afraid to prioritize my mental health. What last caused you to force a smile? I was watching a Mark video for the first time in a while and was just reminded of how much I love and appreciate that moron. What was the last video game you played? Was it fun? Because you said "video" game, I guess I'll exclude computer ones, in which case I'm pretty sure it was Silent Hill 2. Given it's one of my all-time favorite games, of course I think it's fun. It's one hell of an emotional ride. What is something not many people know about you? The fact I was a dancer for many years would probably surprise people once they have a good idea of me and what I like. What word describes your basic style? Lazy, honestly. I dress for comfort, and given that's usually just pj pants and a tank top... yeah, I don't put much effort into my clothing when I'm going most places. Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? She kinda beat around the bush, but yes. Have you ever wanted to kill yourself? On more than one occasion. If yes, what convinced you not to go through with it? Well, I did OD once, but on the other occasions, it was the fear of the unknown that deterred me. Have you ever rejected a guy, only to have him push the issue by asking “why?” and insisting that you just need to get to know him better? Omg no, thank god. I would NOT handle that well. Is there something that you believe everyone should do and you can’t believe that some people don’t do it (e.g., recycle or go to the dentist regularly)? I didn't know 'til a survey question asked it that there are people who don't brush their tongue when brushing their teeth. Like holy shit dude, there are SO many germs on your tongue, clean that shit. Regarding the last good choice (healthy choice, kind choice, selfless choice, etc.) you made, what was your real motivation behind it? Ummmm the nearest that comes to mind is I guess taking my meds? I mean I do that every single day, but it's still a healthy choice for me. The motivation was because I am very serious about doing what I can for my mental wellbeing. What is something that you have had to practice at to get the hang of it? If you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, what’s something you are currently practicing at and trying to master? I really can't think of something for the first half of the question, but I can tell you that right now I'm attempting to force a routine of applying a therapy technique called "opposite action" into my daily life, where you, well, do the exact opposite of what your depression tells you to not do. It is WAY harder than it sounds, but I'm doing it with reading 30 minutes a day! Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, like a video game, when it came out at midnight? Not to my recollection, no. Regarding the last novel you read, was there a romance included? If so, was it central to the plot? The last novel I finished, yes. It wasn't central to the plot. Have you ever done relaxation meditations or listened to relaxation guides or positive-thinking/healing recordings? No, except in therapy when different therapists wanted me to experiment with it during a session. They just don't work for me. Do you have any interests that are also often shared by children? Yeah. Those are the one I'm especially self-conscious about. there something that could be a solitary activity but you really only like to do it with other people (e.g., watching movies, playing video games, etc.)? Watching movies or TV. Are you satisfied with the interior design or decoration in your home? Or do you think it needs a total home makeover? A makeover would be nice... Is there something that you’d like to own but you can’t find it anywhere? If not, can you a remember a time when you wanted something? Did you ever end up finding it or did you eventually stop wanting it? OKAY SO I actually have seen this custom-made once long after deciding I wanted it, but it was RIDICULOUSLY expensive. There's a location in the Silent Hill games called Heaven's Night, and I'd love love LOVE to commission someone to duplicate the neon pink sign of it to hang in my room. Hopefully one day I could still do it. Who makes you smile the most? Probably my cat, honestly. What piercings do you want/have? I've talked about the piercings I have, but I'll talk about those I want. My #1 is absolutely collarbone dermals, but as I've explained a billion times, I want to lose weight so the bones are more prominent for the sake of contrast; you can't really see my collarbones now, so I just think it'd look pretty dumb and random to just have random piercings somewhere around there with no dimension. I also want way more in my ears, dermals in my back dimples also once I've lost weight, my right nostril for the dozenth time (but this time I'll wear a hoop), and while I'd absolutely adore an undereye microdermal as well, it'd be pointless with glasses. :/ What's your favorite website? KM is my pride and joy and really feels like my online home, so despite using sites like YouTube more, that 'ole RP site has to be my fave. Do you own a fish tank with fish? No. I had fish bowls (AWFUL idea) as a kid, but never tanks Do you like the movie 300? Never seen it. Do you pop your knuckles? NOOOOOOOOOOO. I absolutely hate the sound. It makes me cringe and shiver. Do you have Photoshop? Yes. It comes in the Adobe CC photography bundle I have. Do you use tinypic or photobucket? I used Photobucket back in the day. Now I just upload to imgur. What’s your favourite song from the 1980s? You're talking to someone who adores classic rock/metal, haha. How about the 1990s? There are way too many songs to choose from. Have you won anything recently? No. How often do you make Excel tables? What for? Never. What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild? There was a poor fawn as roadkill on the highway recently. :/ Are you always available or online? Preeeetty much. Do you have dietary restrictions? Or do you just eat what you like? I can eat whatever. Do you prefer gold, silver or steel jewelry? Or no jewelry at all? Steel. I'm allergic to silver, and I think steel is more subtle than gold. Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what? No. If you dye your hair, do you do it yourself or go to a salon? I do it at a salon. If you have any, do you like your in-laws? I don’t have any. Would it bother you, if your partner had cut contact with their parents? If they had a good reason, no. Have you ever wondered whether you were adopted? As a kid I did because I thought Mom was meaner to me than my siblings, lol. What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe? ........... This question is a setup lmfao. Have you ever grown a berry bush? No. Have you done something new to your hair recently? No. It's been the same for quite a while. I wanna dye it badly. Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? I'm diagnosed with generalized and social anxiety, so yeah. I take Klonopin once and day and Ativan as needed for attacks. One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have? HA, the first thing to come to mind was being noticed by Mark by making a viral (in the community, anyway) gif of he and his doggy. I shit you not, I couldn't sleep for three days lmfao. What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head? That I gained fucking seven pounds in two months at my last doctor appointment. I wanted to scream. How often do you have late nights out? Never. I'm a homebody. If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? No. It would absolutely make me less productive. If you had the ability to change the weather, what would you change it to right now? Cool with a nice breeze, mostly clear skies, crisp air... That'd be nice right now. Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it? I say it all the time: finish decorating my room. It's funny, because I KNOW I'll feel more at home and cozy with my bedroom more personalized. Most disturbing movie you have ever seen? Paranormal Entity. The ending was... a lot. Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it? Not that I can think of. .-. I hope I can achieve some... Have you ever had food poisoning? No, thank God. What are you listening to? "The Man Who Made a Monster" by Dance With the Dead. Do you think there will be a WWIII? I find it inevitable at some point down humanity's future. People are too hateful for it not to eventually. Has anyone ever asked you if you were emo? Yeah. Has someone ever liked you that you never thought would? Maybe? Idk. In all honesty, can a person be too nice? Yes, in some instances. Has one of your friend’s boyfriends ever tried to cheat on them with you? Yes, when I was around 12. And I let it happen. It's one of my biggest regrets. Is mental abuse really as bad as physical abuse? Of course it is. Emotional abuse can cut just as deep as some physical blows, or even deeper. Do you shop at Sephora for make-up? No. Zelda: Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time? I'm actually not into TLoZ. Do you own a rosary? I did as a kid growing up in a Catholic Sunday school. If you were homeless, how would you cope? If I had no loved ones in my life and no sign of things getting better, I'm honestly preeetty sure I'd end my life.

[herbleol]

Tag game

I got tagged by @shawn-and-aiden-frost-9 ( thank u so much!! ^ ^) so uh here we go lads

1. What do you prefer to be called name wise?

Jude! that is my name :) but some people also call me witchy cause thats my instagram username (witchy.png)

2. When is you birthday?

November 19th babeyyy

3. Where do you live? (You don’t have to give city, you can give the state if your USA or country if you are overseas)

England, kinda close to london but its pretty rural where i am i guess

4. Three things you are doing right now?

Well before this i was playing the new xenoblade game (its so good i am so emotional) but now I’m tryna do my media studies homework and I’m listening to music

5. Four Fandoms that have your peak interest right now?

Inazuma eleven (,,of course), Xenoblade Chronicles, and Fire Emblem (even tho ive never played any of the games). I uh.. dont have a fourth one, I usually only stick to one or two fandoms at a time cause i get very invested in them

6. How has this pandemic been treating you?

It’s been fine for me i guess? I’m very greatful that no one I know has been too greatly effected, but man this quarantine is kinda getting to me. My dysphorias been pretty bad recently, especially with my transphobic parents (oof) but it’s cool, speaking to my friends always makes me feel better :)

7. A song you can’t stop listening to right now?

I can’t choose just one,, recently I’ve been listening to the remastered xenoblade soundtrack, especially the battle themes, but I’ve been switching between that and The GazettE’s NIL album.. too many good songs.

8. Recommend a movie.

Rango.

9. How old are you?

I am 15 i am baby

10. School, University, Occupation, Other?

Secondary school babeyyy

11. Do you prefer heat or cold?

Cold definitely! I can’t stand the heat and I get super warm really easily :( but i love the cold so much, playing football in the woods during winter and coming back freezzzinggg is my absolute favourite thing

12. Name one fact about you that others may find unusual.

Uh i have a hole in my skull thats kinda unusual (dw i was born with it, it goes from the roof of my mouth to my nose and i can suck air through it and make a pretty loud squeaking noise)

13. Are you shy?

Well, shyness as a personality trait? no, but I have selective mutism so most people think I am hjghjffhgjjh

14. Do you have preferred pronouns?

Yeah, He/Him

15. Biggest pet peeve?

I’m not really sure, but i guess cringe cultures a pretty big one? just let people live man

16. What is your fave ‘dere’ type?

I don’t know the dere types well enough to have a favourite lmao

17. Rate your life 1-10, 1 being really crappy and 10 being best it could ever be.

Hmm, i’d say about 5/6? could be worse but man i am yearning for top surgery so hard

18. What is your main blog?

This :)

19. List your side blogs and what they are used for.

I don’t have any idk how tumblr works

20. Is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends with you?

It might take me weirdly long to respond to a message sometimes but i just get kinda nervous and jittery and have to take a while to arrange my thoughts, no matter how simple But i really really love talking to other people online I swear im not scary please be my friend

I tag: @kenya-narukami @mechaseraph @thekingofkeepers @chu-nakahara @swaggyrapp3r @inaphasehalp @kallutoiii @segataryuuichirou @masahikass if any of you guys want to do this~

[yoongehs]

rules: answer 10 questions, write your own, and tag 10 people

i was tagged by the lovely @prodagustd ! !

♡ do you use pinterest? if you do, share one of ur boards for us to see~

i keep a lot of my boards private. my biggest one? outfit inspo. she thicc lmao. not sharing due to privacy reasons.

♡ what non kpop artists/groups are your favorite atm?

i’ve been really vibing with yumi zouma, rina sawayama, halsey, and hayley williams. all of them have new albums out, and i was actually gonna see all of them this summer before rona hit. 😔

♡ what’s one hairstyle/make up/outfit you’d put in your bias(es) right now if you had free reign over their style?

i was gonna say an undercut for yoongi but HE ALREADY GOT ONE!!! i’d like to see sunmi in a lot more punky/gothy outfits. that pic she posted on her instagram in the big t-shirt and the thigh highs KILLED ME.

♡ if you could pick a place to take your mutuals on a date where would you pick and with who?

hmm, i’d like to go to a cute cafe and get chai lattes! there’s a lot of cute ones in my city, but my favorite cafe closed this past winter. 😭 they had THE BEST lemon ricotta pancakes 🍋🥞💕💕 i’ve been there with @drinking-thestars before, but i wish i could have taken @greenmetalroof when she was visiting!

♡ have you played any of the bts apps? if so how much do u hate bts world be honest

i’ve only ever played bts world, and i actually really liked it lmaooooo. i used to play it every day until i got animal crossing. been thinking about getting into it again. i just thought it was adorable that they were putting so much effort into something like that for the fans.

♡ what social media do u use the most outside of tumblr?

instagram! i’m a bit hesitant to share my username, as i’m worried about people irl finding some of the cringe fucking shit i’ve said on the 9 years i’ve had this stupid blog, but if y’all want it i can give it to you individually. also i’m on stan twitter as @ yoongibiitch

♡ top 3 songs, movies, and events u witnessed in 2020?

songs: alanis’ interlude - halsey, love me 4 me - rina sawayama, kazino - bibi

movies: apocalypse now (i hate war movies but i had to watch it for school), hiroshima mon amour, parasite

events: me probably having the fuckin’ rona, the entire bts on comeback season, YOONGIS UNDERCUT (listen it’s been a slow year so these were the best i could do lmao)

♡ do you like true crime and conspiracy theory videos? if yes what are ur faves?

i do! there’s a couple of channels i follow regularly.

Bailey Sarian - i love her murder, mystery, & makeup monday videos.

That Chapter - thicc accent! covers a lot of messed up cases.

bonus: Nexpo - not exactly true crime but discusses and debunks online anomalies that make your skin crawl. thought i’d throw that in there for anyone who wants to freak themselves out a bit lol. if y’all want more spoopy shit i can give it to y’all.

♡ who’s an artist you want to see collab w bts?

RINA OMG. GIVE ME RINA AND BTS PLS. i really love the music she makes and i think she and the boys could really make something cool together.

♡ if you *had* to dress like a character from ur fav show/movie for the rest of ur life who would it be?

probably envy adams from scott pilgrim vs. the world. that black dress with the blonde baby pigtails is such a fucking look.

questions from me:

♡ what made you get into kpop? was it a friend, the internet, stans on twitter, etc.? (if you’re not into kpop what are you into now and how did you get into it?)

♡ what are you most excited to do once the pandemic is over and it’s actually safe to do things?

♡ do you believe in ghosts/spirits? why or why not?

♡ what’s your favorite aesthetic going around the internet right now?

♡ do you have any hobbies? especially ones within the arts? (my dumb art school ass can’t withhold her curiosity lmao)

♡ do you have any food combinations that seem strange/disgusting to others? what are they?

♡ are you in school? if so, what do you study/plan to study? if not, what do you do/plan to do in terms of jobs, trades, etc.?

♡ name every one of your biases from every group you stan. do it. (tell me a random fact about yourself if you’re not into kpop)

♡ what are your favorite youtube channels to watch? (if ur not into youtube then tell me your fave tv shows)

♡ how are you feeling today? have you taken care of yourself at all today? i know the world is in a really volatile state right now and how stressful that can be in many ways depending on the facets of your identity and privilege/lack of privilege. please feel free to talk to me if you need to. i might not always understand your struggles like you do, but i can empathize and be a listening ear. no pressure, i just want you and everyone else who follows me that i’m here for you.

people who are tagged and can participate if they wanna:

@drinking-thestars @greenmetalroof @www-modcloth-com @gingerale-addict @haogoodau @bangtanger @softesthobi @yoonmochiiii @yoongikook @byunvoyage

[orodrethsgeek]

tagged by @veliseraptor--thank you! This is fun

AO3 Name: OrodrethsMichiru

Fandoms: I did a lot more fandom hopping in my youth, attempted at various points to plant myself in a singular fandom (failed), and have since accepted that I have eclectic tastes, lol. I’d say my main fandoms at this point though at The Silmarillion, the Dragon Age series, and most recently The Untamed. I’ve become extremely terrible at actually creating since I graduated college in 2014 (and lbr my productivity suffered majorly during the Looming Mental Health Crisis I pretended wasn’t happening my junior and senior years, so not a lot happened on the publishing front then anyway). I’ve got a lot of unpublished WIPs in various other fandoms, too—Supernatural, Dominion, and Half-Life are probably the most significant, i.e., most likely to be picked back up and fiddled with. Spare me from my own ineptitude lol.

Fic you spent the most time on: Oh gosh, I mean… all of them? I’ve had several WIPs on-going since at least 2014 that I still pull out from time to time and beat my brains against. Uh, if we’re going finished, published fic, though, I began writing The Line of Kings in 2011 and didn’t finish uploading it until 2014… for which I had no excuse because the first drafts from top to bottom were fully written when I first started uploading it. (… Oh, perhaps there was a bit of an excuse; one of my professors died shortly after I uploaded the first few chapters.)

Fic you spent the least amount of time on: Hmmm. I wrote Whom They Fear in my head while emptying the dishwasher, ran back to my room, typed it out, and published it the same day. I distinctly remember that happening, so, probably that one? (Lol I was so confident back then.)

Longest fic: Certainly The Line of Kings (word count according to The Silmarillion Writer’s Guild is 29,189). 

Shortest fic: Mmmmm, I’ve posted a literal drabble-fic, Unrequited, so that probably takes the cake (100).

Most hits: Following Lise’s example to rule out multi-chapter fics, if I total the hits/read counts from the various platforms I’ve actually posted fic on, I’m left with Whom They Fear as the most hits. Out of my (lol woefully insubstantial) AO3 portfolio, it would be Insomnia.

Most kudos: Drawing solely from AO3 for this stat (as neither fanfiction.net nor the SWG have a kudos function [… that I’m aware of; it’s been A WHILE guys]), it would be Wait Until The Light Breaks.

Most comment threads: The AO3 contenders are dead even here, but tallying up across platforms, it’s Wait Until The Light Breaks.

Fave fic you wrote: I mean, I have a lot of incomplete stuff that I’m very proud of the word craft I managed to achieve. But if we’re going strictly completed (or at least uploaded) fic… Wait Until The Light Breaks, definitely. A lot of things came together brilliantly for that fic (not least of which being my discovery of Sara Berkeley Tolchin’s poem "What Just Happened?" as I was wrapping the fic itself up, which… okay, so, the fic itself features Maeglin right after his parents’ deaths, and the poem, broadly, deals with reacting to a major emotional upheaval/event, featuring miners as a metaphor. I couldn’t write a coincidence like that in a story without feeling like it strained suspension of disbelief), and I’m still fairly proud of how the prose holds up. Of course, if I ever manage to finish other fics again, that’ll be subject to change, lol.

Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: hahaaaaaahaaaaha, listen, I’ve been rewriting Line of Kings since I started it, I am still rewriting it, and that’s why it hasn’t migrated to AO3, because I have no idea if I want the original published version to still exist online or if I want to torch it and pretend I didn’t write some of the absolute cringe in it. Eugh. Also, I’ve been writing its new opening chapter for five years now, so… yeah, absolutely I would rewrite Line of Kings. 

Although, having said that, Insomnia has absolutely inspired a mini-series of sorts featuring Maglor and Curufin (… and the theme of not being able to sleep) throughout three points in their lives, so I supposed that counts as an expansion?

Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning: So I’ve got two main WIPs I’m focused on right now; one of them is the penultimate part of the aforementioned (currently unnamed) Maglor-Curufin trilogy; the other is a Lise-inspired Untamed AU featuring Xue Yang if he’d been adopted into Baixue Temple and grown up alongside Song Lan (it fails to be a fix it fic whoops). Soooooooo since I have no self control and crave validation, I’ll do excerpts from both.

Silm-fic Excerpt:

“Off to catch up on your beauty sleep,” he observes mildly. Then he straightens out of his lounging posture and makes as if to stride past me, down the hall. Toward Nelyo’s room. “Time for a changing of the guard, wouldn’t you say?”

I catch his wrist as it brushes past, tight enough to feel the delicate bones beneath the skin. Atarinkë stops. “Leave him be, Curvo.” He pulls against my grip, testing it; I squeeze until I feel his bones grind together and dredge up echoes of our father’s voice. “I mean it.” This time Atarinkë goes entirely still, stiff in my grasp, and despite myself I feel a thrill of satisfaction.

I should know better, of course. Like an animal, Atarinkë is most dangerous when wounded.

 And Untamed AU Excerpt:

The orphan—Xue Yang—is still bruised the first time they meet properly, the marks faded to sickly yellow. He watches Song Lan from across Chen Daozhang’s tea table as if Song Lan is a tiger waiting to spring. He ignores the tea steaming gently in front of him, and seems to ignore Chen Daozhang’s attempts to get him to introduce himself to Song Lan. Every so often, he snakes an arm—his right arm, Song Lan notices—out to grab a clumsy handful of peanuts from the bowl on the table. He doesn’t eat them, but drops them into the pile growing in his lap, his brow furrowed, as though daring Chen Daozhang to say something of it. 

I tag—oh goodness, I don’t actually know. Any of my writeblr friends who see this and wanna hop in? Tag me if you do, I wanna see your stuff <3 but I also don’t want to pressure anybody

[kdramaxoxo]

What kdramas have great soundtracks in your opinion?

I love this ask anon!

I happen to buy a LOT of songs from OSTs so that I can feel the feels again, but usually they are one song instead of a whole soundtrack (still valid tho!)

I admit that it’s rare for me to like an ENTIRE soundtrack simply because most OST’s have a ton of different song styles and I’m a little picky BUT below are the ones that I own multiple songs from and love the best.

Great K-Drama Soundtracks according to me:

Shopping King Louie

Navigation 내비게이션 by Kim So Hee is super fun and I adore The Tiger Moth (부나비) by Monsta X. In fact, I think that song was the first boy group song I admitted to liking (when really I’m obviously trash for all of it). There are also a few ballads on it that I like too.

The Best Hit / Hit The Top

I love this soundtrack! I think because the show is all about the K-pop industry it has a bunch of songs that are my kind of vibe. There’s a really good one rapped by Kim Min Jae (why is this boy NOT a rapper IRL his voice is just-) and I love I always by Changmo. Star and Tonight are also so good. If you like rap and hip hop, you’ll like this soundtrack.

Goblin: The Lonely and Great God

I liked this soundtrack so much that someone bought me the physical cd (maybe the last actual cd I ever received?). I’m always in the mood to hear Round and Round which is super unique and haunting, and stay with me is also really good. I like a bunch of songs on this OST and even though I cringe inside by the cheesiness of a few, I still love em’. When I hear the song they play when Kim Shin dissolves I wanna cry.

Super Cheesy Soundtrack Alert but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it: Boys Over Flowers. 

This is probably just due to it being an important drama TO ME, but it’s still true that when I’m stressed, I’ll let it play in the background. “Almost PARADIIIIIIIIIIISEEEEE!”

Other notable Soundtracks

Search: WWW

I just bought this and like at least 4 songs on it, but I’m not sure if it’s in my faves because I haven’t had time to really listen all of the way through? There are a few REALLY silly sounding ones I skip but it’s still got some great songs like WOW by Mamamoo and Search by Elaine. Maybe listen to the songs before you buy the whole thing (unlike me;-)

Angel’s Last Mission: Love

Pray by Klang and Oh My Angel by Chai are both beautiful, tho some others I fast forward through. Each song will remind you of all of the feels from the K-drama. I haven’t bought this OST yet though because I’m waiting for one that has Pray on it. 

I’ll need to make a list of my favorite singles from OST’s sometime because I like so many!