#it’s also an EXCELLENT game for music lovers

[peaches2217]

I DID IT

I BEAT WONDER AND I’M CRYING BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD

Still got plenty left to do! I haven’t even TOUCHED the Special Worlds yet. Wanted to save those 😌 but uuuuuuugh my heart! The final battle was legit the most fun I’ve ever had in a Bowser fight. (And I actually cleared it without dying once, which means maybe I don’t suck as hard as I used to!)

Oh my God, 11/10 game. I can’t even BEGIN to describe how perfect it is.

[angelkiyo]

haikyuu characters as romance tropes + songs in my playlist ❀

a/n - this was a thought i needed to get out..! i love music n i love haikyuu soooo. i also did a series similar to this but w actual one shots but tbh compiling them is smarter ngl. totally fw the spotify linked in my nav btw :0 — unedited drabble/thought piece

——“ they just can't reach her, princesita inalcanzable / le rompieron el cora, pero nunca se la perdió" (igual que un angel, 2023) - after years being your friend, getting friend-zoned for so long and finally getting a chance to date you, they're whipped and put you on a pedestal. they know all that you've gone through regarding relationships and would want nothing but your happiness. they're the immense green flag you need and would treat you with nothing but respect, sending you notes in class, and making you little bento boxes filled with their cooking, sending small poems that remind them of you but then again, you deserve it. you're as sweet as sugar and in their eyes, you're an angel on earth. they don't know when their feelings for you started, but when they finally confessed to you, it was the happiest they've felt. you've been their “other half” for so long that all your mutual friends have been telling you to get together, so imagine your friends' reaction when they see you and them on a date one random day, hand in hand and with your head on their shoulder as the two of you sat waiting for the bus back to your place.

best friends to lovers : kageyama tobio, BOKUTO KOTARO, ojiro aran, IWAIZUMI HAJIME, SHIMIZU KIYOKO

——"only like myself when im with you / nobody gets me like you” (nobody gets me, 2022) - both of you strive for excellence, only really wanting to achieve the best academically and on the court during gym class. it's obvious how strong your rivalry with him is, that even your friends jokingly tell you "just kiss already" when you already do. the two of you would be taking little secret rendezvous when you're supposed to be studying to be at the top of your class and staying up after his volleyball practice when everyone leaves. it felt thrilling as no one knew about your relationship (after constantly bragging that you didn't need a significant other). but once your grades began to slip, you couldn't risk losing the source of validation you've gotten to know for so long. you still had your ego and your pride to maintain, and he understood. he understood more than anyone which is why you felt yourself so emotionally attached to him. leading the both of you to enter an almost endless cycle of attempting a secret relationship while also trying to achieve validation from academic success.

rivals to lovers (and rivals again) : shirabu kenjiro, KITA SHINSUKE, tsukishima kei, sakusa kiyoomi, KUROO TETSURO

——"i burn for you / and you don't even know my name" (close to you, 2024) - after accidentally adding them on social media from quick add (due to mutuals from school), you find yourself in a predicament. you're from the same school and know of them, but know that you have never talked to them. you've never even interacted with them at all in real life. though, for the past few weeks, they're earned themselves the title of a talking stage, staying up until 3 in the morning sometimes, just to talk to you. you two would play valorant or whatever video game you’ve been wanting to play and last hours on video call, sharing playlists and being mutuals on everything. although, talking for so long caused him to be a little bold, flirting with you a bit. you're in different classes yet every time you have a break in class, you talk to them, sending snaps of what you do and so does he. so when you finally have your first date in person, you panic and in all honesty, he does too. what if you two don't get along? what if you thought he was weird? your first thought was that he's very handsome, that's for sure. though, it felt that all you really needed was to just talk as you've gotten past the digital barrier and had natural chemistry in real life.

online love : kozume kenma, SUNA RINTARO, miya atsumu, TENDO SATORI, terushima yuji

——"no one's ever good enough / i want a love like i've seen in the movies" (like the movies, 2021) - you met them at a barnes and noble during a regular day after school. you’ve always been a hopeless romantic, longing for love between the pages of a romantic comedy book or film. so when you bumped into them, books in hand, it felt like a spark between you two. the two of you ended up exchanging numbers to talk more, then meeting up and talking / hanging out in person (a date in your opinion). being in a relationship with someone else who also understood the want to fall in love “romantically” felt amazing. every time your school would have a game, you’d go and cheer them on from the sidelines, wearing his spare jersey. good morning texts, gift baskets for monthaversaries, huge love letters, and frequent dates felt too good to be true, and it was. you can always expect them to have heart eyes and only for you, as well as listening to your rants and theories surrounding different romance novels and films. especially your thoughts on the concept of the meet cute.

meet cute : AKAASHI KEIJI, yamaguchi tadashi, sugawara koshi, OIKAWA TORŪ, miya osamu, SEMI EITA

[cottonlemonade]

A Clumsy Couple Makes Out

word count: 746 || avg. reading time: 3 mins.

pairing: University!AU Koganegawa x chubby!Reader

genre: suggestive fluff, touching™

warnings: mdni, strong suggestiveness, lightning-quick mentions of insecurities

At first you weren‘t quite sure if studying with Kanji was such a good idea. Having only recently confessed to you after a game, his proximity, especially if you two were alone, always kind of fried your brain which wasn‘t ideal when trying to retain knowledge. He was laying on your bed while you sat on the floor, back leaning against the frame. Whenever he sighed in frustration his breath brushed your neck, very rudely distracting you, but much to your surprise you got through your notes pretty quickly.

As you closed your eyes trying to memorize a certain date, you felt his lips on the back of your neck, letting goosebumps run all over your body. You drew in a sharp breath.

“It’s so nice to study with you… but also…”, another kiss on your shoulder and mumbling cutely against your skin he said, “you’re really pretty when you’re so focused.”

For a second you contemplated whether to pull him down onto the fluffy carpet or to climb up to him on the small bed, but he, now very eager apparently, was already slithering down to you. Pushing the notes out of harm’s way you pressed yourself closer to him. He supported your head when he carefully moved in, so that you lay back on the carpet with him on top. You never realized how incredibly comfortable this rug was until now. A truly excellent purchase. The soft music from the stereo directed the movements of your bodies.

Kanji really was an amazing kisser. Firm, but tender and his big hands were always where they needed to be. Whenever you found yourself in his arms, all your insecurities seemed to be brushed away by his hands, lips and words. Kanji made it very clear that he loved your tummy chub, your fleshy thighs and generous butt. Besides thinking that they were adorable and cuddly, it made him more confident in his advances, knowing he couldn’t hurt you so easily.

So for all his usual endearing clumsiness he changed completely as soon as his lips were on your skin. His hands now moved up to your breasts, first softly caressing them as if by accident, but when you didn’t object, he became more confident, deepening the kiss and finally cupping your breast. You gave a small gasp and arched into his touch. He smiled brightly into the kiss and squeezed again and again, finding great pleasure in your responses.

When you breathed his name, however, he got carried away. So carried away in fact that you jumped at a particularly harsh squeeze.

“Ow!”

He backed off immediately, sitting up with his back against a wall, trying to hide his obvious excitement with strategic hand placements.

“Oh my god, are you okay? I’m so sorry!”

You sat up as well, rubbing your stinging breast with a pained smile.

“A bit softer, please.”, you laughed and his cheeks turned as pink as never before. It was truly remarkable how he could flip the switch from playful lover to shy baby bean like that.

“I’m really sorry.”, he stammered again, looking down at the floor.

“It’s alright.”, you smiled and moved over to kneel in front of him, taking one of his large hands from his lap.

With a sweet smile you brought it to your breast again, closing your own much smaller hand around his to provide an example of an appropriate use of strength.

His lips parted, his eyes met yours and his breathing became very shallow.

“Just like so.”, you said innocently.

He leaned forward to catch your lips again, his kisses much hungrier now than before.

Your original plan was to casually straddle him like it was a normal Tuesday. Maybe run your fingers through his two-toned hair and then kiss him until your lips went numb.

What you did not plan on doing was kneeing him in the crotch.

He winced loudly and crumpled a bit forward.

“Oh no! Oh my god! Kanji, are you okay?! I am so so sorry!”

He dramatically fell over to the side, making a noise between grunt and a whine, which quickly turned into a hollow chuckle.

“I am so sorry.”, you repeated, patting his back, but you couldn’t help but join his laughter.

“Maybe we could watch a movie for now. Six feet apart on the couch.”, you suggested and he nodded, still grimacing a little, but agreeing to let you help him to the living room.

[toubledrouble]

More quick pjo/hoo headcanons

(most of these are cabin 6) (also, if I accidentally stole your headcanon, definitely let me know so I can either delete it or credit you)

Listen, I'm tired of Athena kids being only the architecture/math kids. Give me Athena kids who excel in humanities. Athena kids who know everything about their latest hyperfixation, that's it. Athena kids who are craftsmen or artists of any sort to the extent where you could mistake them for Hephaestus or Apollo kids

Generally just. Different cabins discussing someone's godly parent, because really, if you take a closer look, many gods have common traits. Like Apollo being the God of logic, music and poetry while Athena is the goddess of wisdom and art/craftsmanship. Plus Hephaestus being a blacksmith - also a craft. Dionysius, Athena, Hermes and Apollo are all associated with theatre. Hades and Hecate are both associated with magic. Is it a Demeter kid, or an Athena kid that really likes botany? You may never know. It's like Frank thinking he was a son of Apollo only to discover he is actually a son of Mars - you can have a tip and there is quite the chance you will be proven wrong.

Also. The deal with Athena kids and chess. Listen, I love you, but as a strategy lover with adhd, I have to tell you that I keep losing because I just can't focus on it. Just. Nope. Not working.

Similar goes for word games - do you think a bunch of dyslexic kids is going to love them? Maybe if it was in Greek, lmao.

I cannot get over this one: Athena kids playing instruments. Obviously, not with such an ease as many Apollo kids, but Athena kids are still pretty decent at it. Also, Athena is after all the creator of the flute. That's right. Musical talent runs in the family xd

I am once again here with my sacred animals headcanon. Gods sending their sacred animals to check on their kids. Kids being able to talk to those animals, or just being surrounded by them. Cabins having them as pets (yes, give me a cabin with a whole damn lion on a gigant dog bed)

All of the art god kids™ team up and try to convince Cheiron to let them see different musicals. So far, they have succeeded only with Hamilton, but that doesn't mean they'll give up.

Tyche, Nike and Hermes kids have bets that get out of hand very often, but they're unstoppable. Also, along with Athena and Ares kids, they take competitions to a next level, none of them willing to lose

Actually, genuenly: I'm cancelling the blond Athena kids thing. I'm moving it over to the Apollo cabin and establishing that if anything like this should work there, it should be with brunettes, because Athena herself is most commonly depicted as a brunette. Case closed.

You know that paint that basically turns everything you paint it with into a chalkboard? Or those gigantic stripes of blackboard that you can stick on your wall, mostly made for little kids to draw on? The Athena cabin has that.

Or you know what? Had. It had to be removed and replaced with whiteboards because the cabin was filled with chalk dust, which covers everything and also isn't very comfortable to breathe in.

The cabin smells like lemon and peppermint, both of which repel spiders

It also has automatic floor heating because everyone knows that the floor is the most comfortable place to study

Oh, and there is a ton of creative projects in various stages of progress

The Athena cabin sends out a messenger (animal or a person) to bring a literal olive branch when they seriously want to settle things - it's both a clever reference and a symbol of Athena. Ares cabin is the only exception because last time, they set it on fire.

You've heard all about the language headcanons, but what about Demeter kids understanding the language of flowers?

Apollo kids are either extremely afraid of snakes (because of Python) or they love them (like Asclepius), no in-between. I'm convinced that at one point, a kid determined to get their siblings to love snakes as well got one and named it William Snakespeare. That is officially the only snake liked by every cabin 7 resident

Apollo kids actually love their godly sibling, Aristaeus - God of shepherds, beekeeping, cheesemaking, stuff related to that, medicinal herbs, olive growing, oil milling and the winds that provide respite from the heat of midsummer, aka the chillest guy I've ever heard of. I'm convinced he visits the camp once in a while and brings them the good stuff. Asclepius probably visits sometimes too, but as the God od medicine, he's a busy guy. He still loves helping his sibling when it comes to his area of expertise.

All Athena kids have a gift directly received from their mother (and most of the time, it's sending a mixed message)

A cool gift concept - a weapon in the style of Jason's, except it turns into a weapon the user needs the most at the moment. It's also great because Athena kids easily adapt to any weapon with little to no training and obviously, this is a very strategic weapon to have. I also think that unlike Riptide, it could be lost very easily - Athena would definitely want to teach her kids a lesson about keeping an eye on their stuff.

You aren't allowed to ask the Athena cabin about their favourite philosophers because it always turns into a fight

Since Athena only needs a mental connection of sort to have children, there are definitely Athena kids with mortal moms or infertile parents

One time, an actual child of Minerva shows up to Camp Jupiter. Needless to say, the Romans aren't taking it well. Children of Athena are probably called to explain the circumstances of their birth, which results in a discussion uncomfortable for both sides

Since Apollo stays basically the same in Roman mythology, it can be kind of hard to tell if his kid is roman or greek. I think many children would be relieved to know that both options exist and they aren't just weird

Have I talked about how different regions worshipped gods a bit differently? Yeah. I want that to be a thing noticeable in demigods. I think I mentioned this in some of my earlier posts.

Poseidon kids instinctively know the international code of signals (a flag code used for communication between ships)

Hera's (goddess of family) and Hestia's (goddess of home) cabins can be used by unclaimed demigods

[boizdocry]

Nnoitra headcanon and stuff?

*_*

I'm more the canon-compliant type and do not have big headcanon a part from few things.

1) I think Nnoitra is a very immediate kind of person. I read many hc and fics where he is super tormented behind his grim and sadistic facade... btw, I think he is rather matter-of-factly in his drives and decisions. He likes to win, he doesn't mind to cheat to gain the upper hand, he is arrogant but upfront. If you ever read von Clausewitz, he is that crystal clear, cruel and unapologetic kind of "upfront". The real desperation comes from accepting and embracing the nonsensical violence that comes with the strive for survival. I respect that in him.

2) I think he doesn't obsess that much about sex and speaks about it more than he actually practices it. Btw, he likes his sex torrid and dirty, and clearly revolving around dynamics of submission-control, exactly because he is fine with violence and brutality and accepts them as part of the game.

Also, dirty talker af, likes to see how much he can arouse his partner.

3) I have this idiotic hc that he is the only Espada capable of sexual reproduction, exactly because of the desperate self-assertiveness of his personality.

4) I don't think his mysoginy is real. Yammy Yargo's is. When he says Neliel and Tesla Lindocruz he detests women fighting, I think he is being tranchant and over-semplifying feelings he simply doesn't care to explore.

5) I think he truly detests two things about women: a) women can bring life in their womb. This is how much opposite to despair as you might think. b) Women generally get protected and their lovers tend to fight for them: this is despicable, in Nnoitra's view, as he doesn't accept or either stand the "optimistic" implication of love and protection. If you are bereaved of all hopes, you will likely despise and spurn anything people generally hope for or that gives them strenght to thrive.

6) I have this headcanon he is too thin and someone sooner or later will try to feed him, the granny "Are you eating enough, son?" kind of feeding, you know. I'm Italian, food is love, feeding is caring.

7) I think he is fine with his nudity, perhaps a bit of an exhibitionist, too.

8) Everything about him is big. Yes, that thing too.

9) He has a strong but not unpleasant scent, like... salty, you know, like wet seasand.

10) Seems like he would listen a lot of low-quality rap music and probably delve into trashy whatever.

11) He is the guy sending you pics of ghastly and/or offensive/blasphemous things just for the sake of ruining your day.

12) His car would be big, noisy and annoying, an old bull-barred Jeep or so.

13) I see him more like a cat person. Perhaps he could even show a decent behaviour to his pet.

14) Seems a rather unexpensive dude, not minding to have costy dresses or such.

15) Has a taste for bitter stuff like 99% cocoa.

16) Good with hands. Yeah, in that sense too but I meant more like fixing stuff, tinkering, ecc.

17) Cannot sing decently or even play ant instrument, but is an excellent dancer.

18) Loves kids toys, they fascinate him.

[nixtape-foryou]

✿ SHOP WARATAHS

Waratahs are an excellent choice when you are wanting to symbolize a wish for health and longevity. This flower is also referenced in a number of Australian aboriginal dreaming stories and is used to symbolize both the positive and tragic sides of love.

Bouquets = Series | Stems = Oneshots | Seeds = Drabbles | In Shipment = Ongoing

BOUQUETS

Breathe, and Live by blossom-hwa (14.9k) || Single Parents AU || You and Chan learn, together, to care for the little boys you love.

A Love That Lasts by staywritten ☆ (18.2k) || Single Parent AU, Neighbors to Lovers || You’ve spent the last two years, helping your very handsome next door neighbor raise his adorable daughter. The two of you fell into a routine before you knew it. And now you had this little family. You couldn’t help but fall for him

Mamihlapinatapai by sunnyville36 (25.0k) || Royalty AU -  Servant/Prince AU || Mamihlapinatapai - (noun, Yagán origin) a silent acknowledgement and understanding between two people, who are both wishing or thinking the same thing (and are both unwilling to initiate)

STEMS

Wounded Hearts by scxrlettwxtches (2.3k) || Historical AU || When Chan saw caught you sneaking back into battle after he had specifically told you not to, he was less than pleased. Why couldn’t you just understand that he wanted nothing more than for you to be safe? 

My House by formidxble ★ (13.0k) || Mature, Workplace AU || Fixing ties is a part of your job, so why is your boss acting like it isn’t?

Three Steps Back by formidxble (5.8k) || Workplace AU || The 2 times bang chan tried to confess and the 1 time he almost did.

The Chance of Love by maatryoshkaa ☆ (13.8k) || High School AU || The one where you’re determined to find one flaw about your seemingly picture-perfect class president, and he’s determined to make sure you pass the class—no matter how hard you’re trying to fail.

Enemies-to-lovers! by taelme ☆ (21.0k) || Workplace AU || Enemies to lovers slow burn with Bang Chan where you don't like each other but there's undeniable chemistry

Between the Lines by straylightdream (12.5k) || Lightly Mature, Arranged Marriage AU || After being used a nothing more then a pawn to gain the upper hand on Chan. They’re left in a strained marriage and only one way out.

Ease by fizzydrink698 ★ (2.5k) || Historical Fantasy AU || "He didn’t take long to melt under your gentle attentions, letting out a small sigh as you massaged his scalp, fingers occasionally sliding down to his temples to slowly ease away the tension built up there."

Drown by neo-shitty (3.0k) || High School AU, Hurt/Comfort | In which the music wasn’t enough to drown out the thoughts inside his head anymore

The First First Date by jl-micasea-fics (5.0k) || Mature || A dinner date, a single dad, an almost certainly taboo relationship. A brazen, explicit proposition whispered amongst oblivious teachers and occupied parents. Honestly? You never stood a chance of resisting.

Continuation of Introduction presented by Kinktober - Day 29 (3.0k) || Single Dad x Teacher

Wolfsbane by healinghyunjin ☆ (16.7k) || Mature, Historical AU, Arranged Marriage to Lovers || You took a deep breath before lifting your head, staring right at Chan. “I can be your collateral – as your wife.”

The Diamond Support by fantastic-bby (8.2k) || Streamer AU, Strangers to Lovers || When Chan gets extremely drunk during a college party, he ends up playing a game of League of Legends with a girl he doesn’t know. He wakes up the next morning hungover and with almost no recollection of what happened the night before. He only realises that there’s a new summoner name in his friends’ list while he’s doing a stream and he’s determined to find out who ‘The Diamond Support’ is

Burn by fizzydrink698 (4.9k) || Royalty AU || Just once, you’d like to see Chan get his hands dirty. To fight an opponent he hasn’t already chained and locked away. You picture it for a moment, wrapping these chains around his neck, pinning him to that throne and watching the first flickers of fear alight in his eyes.

Bad Habit by hwan-g (4.8k) || NSFW | Friends(?) to Lovers || Chris has never asked or needed anyone’s help—except yours.

IN SHIPMENT

The Warmth in Brightness by braemjeorn || Regency Era AU, Strangers to Lovers || Commodore Bang is coping after his loss, in the best way he is capable. Son Mari could barely recall that she was merely employed help—he can do better for his boys, and she will insist upon it.

[dustedmagazine]

Jonathan Shaw's Year in Review: Another year of pissed-off music (and some that’s somehow not so pissed), for the freaks, and the lovers, and the ghosts

2023 threatened for some months to be a marginally less awful mess than the several years before it, but then came autumn, and the Cop28 Conference turned into a massive lobbying event for the fossil fuels industry; and Geert Wilders pulled off his dismaying political success in the Netherlands; and the paranoid style in American politics was further entrenched (witness MTG’s juice as a figure of national political import and Mike Johnson holding the House gavel); and Gaza was reduced to blood-soaked rubble; and there is the ever-increasing, mind-flaying certainty that yes, 2024 will be dominated in the States by a presidential race between two completely unacceptable choices: a frail Boomer largely coasting on the fact that he is not his principal rival for the office, and that principal rival, whose absurdity increases in direct proportion to the hazard of his petulant, narcissistic rage.

No wonder much of the music on this list is so steeped in fury, contempt and sorrow for the continuing idiocy and grinding horror of the human condition. Some of that music is memorably grim, or ferocious, or both. See the records below by Gravesend, Lucifixion and Spirit Possession, all of which cut viscerally violent paths through your senses. Eardrums are subjected to scorched-earth treatment. I dig it.

But those aren’t the only feeling tones available on records I listened to a lot this year (still the dominant metric for how records get on this list: How often did I play them?). On “Bananas,” a great song from Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You, Will Oldham’s gentle strumming and the song’s duet of hushed vocals dramatize lovemaking, to achingly gorgeous effect. On “Quiet World,” the best track on Home Front’s excellent Games of Power, the band commits to the sad-boy, New Romantic postpunk that some of their other songs flirt with a good deal less certainly. And while no one would ever wish to accuse the Sleaford Mods of anything other than sardonic smarts, “The Rhythms of Class” may be as close to pop music as the band has ever gotten, and it’s a terrific tune.

So maybe that’s why Gel’s Only Constant got so much play in my world this year: it’s “hardcore for fucking freaks,” as the band likes to insist, and it rips. But that’s not its only tone. The songs are also affirming, like the hand on your back at the edge of the pit that doesn’t shove but seeks to steady you on your pins. You can hear plenty of anger in the songs, but it’s not the sort that sends you out to score coke or oxy (more likely it'll mostly be fentanyl—careful out there, kids) or prompts you to set fire to random objects in the public square. It’s music to dance to, along with the other freaks, and to gather and sing in support of something you believe in. And thank goodness there is still great punk rock that wants us to feel that.

So Only Constant is presented below, first, as the album I am most grateful for this year, and all the other records are alphabetical by artist.

Gel—Only Constant (Convulse Records)

What’s better than those first 50 seconds of “Honed Blade”? To my ears, this year, nothing.

BIG|BRAVE—nature morte (Thrill Jockey)

Noisy, beautiful and idiosyncratic songs of love, desperation and death. The band finds new ways to create shapes with sound, and tunes out of those shapes.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy—Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You (Drag City)

Simultaneously spare and lush, poetical and direct, wooden and fleshed. It’s the best record he’s made in some years.

Gravesend—Gowanus Death Stomp (20 Buck Spin)

Like a dip in the Gowanus Canal, this record is cold, corrosive and really, really bad for you. Not all of Brooklyn is for hipsters.

Home Front—Games of Power (La Vida Es un Mus)

Synth-rich postpunk meets the macho multi-voiced choruses of Oi! and the unthinkable happens: the songs are really, really good.

Lucifixion—Trisect Joys of Pierced Hearts (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

Icy, satanic black metal that’ll strip you down to the bones, and it’ll grin while doing so. Weirdly, you may grin, too.

Retirement—Buyer’s Remorse (Iron Lung Records)

Overly adventurous consumers might have some buyer’s remorse if this record slips impulsively into their carts on a Bandcamp Friday, but smart punks sure won’t. Fast, nasty, hammering, anti-capitalist hardcore.

Sleaford Mods—UK Grim (Rough Trade)

More songs slagging Idles, Brexit, Tories and Labour, but as ever, the Mods make it all sound fresh. Angry, exhausted and jaded, but still fresh. Neat trick. Good record.

Spectral Lore—11 Days (I, Voidhanger)

Originally released as a straight-to-digital charity fundraiser, 11 Days has been packaged as a CD by I, Voidhanger and put back into circulation. Unusually political for Spectral Lore, the record sonically represents the journey thousands of migrants have taken across the Mediterranean, only to face the current racism and ethno-nationalisms proliferating through Europe. It’s harrowing stuff.

Spirit Possession—…Of the Sign (Profound Lore)

Utterly nutty, memorably antic, acid-drenched black metal. Like a bad trip, but you’ll be sort of disappointed when it ends.

Special shout-out to Mitski for “My Love Mine All Mine,” a great song that is, as a friend pointed out to me, both pop and the real thing—in spite of which the broader culture has embraced it. And also this:

They’re both gone now, but we still have their songs, and memories of them like this one. O’Connor’s weird, inbent charisma is hugely effective here, and she is so, so lovely. But it’s MacGowan’s song, and while he wrote it a bit earlier (when he and Cait O’Riordan were both still in the Pogues; she sings on the excellent version of the tune that made it onto Sid and Nancy’s soundtrack), it’s bittersweet that the last great song he ever recorded and released was a love song. A song in which the power of love is registered by the extent to which one is “haunted” by its “ghost,” and hence also by its death—that’s MacGowan to the core, and we’ll never get another songwriter like him.

Down with fascism, smash all nationalisms, turn the music up.

Jonathan Shaw

[m34gs]

Put your Fave playlist on shuffle and post the first five songs that come up!

Ok so I was tagged by @voxofthevoid in this post! I also prefer tag games to inbox chain games, so I will be treating it like a tag game as well! 🥰💜

My current favourite playlist is Villain Core (I don't have spotify so no link to the actual playlist), and it's made up of songs that give vibes of either villains, victims, or a backstory that could make what society would call a villain...because motive and character development is everything to me when I write 🥰🥰🥰

Alright, so:

Nameless by Stevie Howie (warnings: this song is about a man wanting revenge on the guy who assaulted his lover) I like the rage in this one, the utter desire to Destroy. And it feels like an excellent motive for murder in a story.

I'm Not a Vampire (Revamped) by Falling in Reverse. I love vampires and eternal damnation and desperation. Also the choir and orchestral music in the background slaps so hard and gives such a lovely, eerie feeling to it.

God Complex by VIOLENT VIRA. There aren't enough words to describe how much I love this one. "I'm gonna be where you are, doesn't matter how far, because we are meant to be. I'm gonna be what you need, Darling please worship me unless you prefer to bleed" *HELLO?* Ugh, I love me some yandere shit. And the desperate sound of the refrain? The attempt to pin the blame on the person being sung to? Top Tier villain shit. Love it.

Blood//Water by grandson. This one just really fuels my inner "eat the rich"; and gives me that "you made me what I am" kind of villain vibes and I love it. Tortured soul who finally unleashes damnation on the ones who wronged them? Then to only be portrayed as the villain for lashing out at the people who taunted and provoked them in the first place? So thirsty they don't care anymore if they drink water or blood? And nothing can stop the rage inside them? One of my favourite kinds of villains to write.

Give and Take by Poor Man's Poison. I really enjoy this song, very similar to Feed the Machine by the same group. It's about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer until they've had enough and snap. Not only does this song help inspire me for writing greedy, selfish villains, but it is yet another one that inspires me to write victims pushed so far past their breaking point that society would rather label them a villain than actually identify and solve the issues that led them to that path. One of my favourite types of conflicts to explore in writing!

Hope you enjoyed the answers, my friend! I had to include little blurbs about the songs because I just love them so much. Lol, it's a good thing the limit was 5 songs because if given the opportunity I would talk endlessly about music I love and the themes and how it inspires me to write different villains and conflicts 🥰🥰🥰

Tagging: @kimium, @kamikazequail, @backwardshirt, @sithmonarch, @thedevilsfamiliar

[groenendaelfic]

ˏˋ°*♡➷ get to know me ༊*·˚

Thank you @sflow-er for the tag!

The aim of this tag game was to take your favorite movie, character, animal, drink, song, season, book, color and hobby and create a mood board.

I apologize for the super long delay. Was there a common tag everyone used? I was on a grief retreat mountain wondering about the meaning of life and so missed everyone's entries and I'd love to catch up.

Movie: Enter the Phoenix (2004) this movie is full of my favorite tropes. Secret & mistaken identity, power dynamics, competence kink, enemies to lovers friends, swords, loyalty. It also has a well written and portrayed out and proud queer lead. It didn't age super well, but it makes me nostalgic of the Hong Kong that once was, especially from a queer perspective, and remains my favorite comfort comedy.

Character: Methos from Highlander the Series. Wilhelm is my precious and my baby and I love him, but Methos has had an almost thirty year head start, okay? Maybe after season 3 and with some time to digest things will change, but for now it's still Methos all the way.

Animal: Elephant. I also like cats and guinea pigs but elephants always made me feel safe (as a kid elephants where about as real to me as dinosaurs)

Drink: Assam tea. Never come near me with Darjeeling. In a pinch a strong espresso macchiato will do. Bonus points if there's some vanilla in there as well. (Ostfriesen Sonntagstee ftw, even if it's kinda tricky to get here)

Song: Sogno di Volare by Christopher Tin. I've had musical anhedonia since I was eleven so I don't really listen to music, but hearing this always brings be joy because it means I have hours of playing Civ ahead of me. Also the lyrics are cool.

Season: Summer all the way. You can be outside, the days are long and I've always associated that time with freedom and carefreeness.

Book: 琅琊榜 by 海晏. I adore this book. All the tropes from above (except not explicitly queer) and with bonus historical low fantasy elements and lots of elaborate politics. Also all the idioms and very well written. Better known by the title of the excellent tv series it inspired and which I never have the time to rewatch called Nirvana in Fire. (won because it's great and because the three defining book (series) of my youth turned out to be written by authors of varying degrees of horridness)

Color: light turquoise green. Is that what it's called? Anyway that color.

Hobbies: writing about power dynamics Wilmon fic

[kiwicopia]

Hey! I saw the valentine matchup thing and thought it would be fun. The fandoms I’m requesting are Genshin impact and what in hell is bad. (If ur concerned abt me not having any posts, I promise I’m not a bot, I just don’t post on here at all😭)

My pronouns are she/they and I’m 20 years old

To start, my mbti is ISTP. I’d say I’m a pretty nice person but I like to tell it how it is (brutally honest I guess lol) I’ve been told that im very mature and polite as well but that’s mainly when I’m around adults. When I’m with my friends, I love to joke around and act stupid. I am pretty smart though but I have a huge procrastination problem. I like to sleep, shop, hang out with my friends, listen to music (mainly kpop), and play with my pet cats. My hobbies include sewing, drawing, cosplay, and gaming. I’d like someone that could listen to my problems and comfort me and I could do the same with them. :)

For Valentine’s Day, I like to just stay at home and eat chocolate. Maybe go out and eat with my partner but I like staying at home most of the time.

Tysm! I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day🫶🏽

Baizhu's gentle nature makes him the ideal partner to tell any and all of your worries to. He'll hold your hand and listen to you, gently stroking it as he hums softly with each nod. He's a gentle soul that is also very simple and straightforward, sometimes. He loves that you're so honest with him, because it makes choosing what to do on this special day that much easier. Baizhu would probably want to cook for you, insisting he be the one to make a special meal for you that will end the lovely day. Is also prone to kissing your hand at every opportunity, at least until he can let his lips greet your own at the end of the day.

Zagan is such a gentle and quiet devil. Being one of very, very few words, he makes for an excellent listener. His eyes hold a lot of emotion, and he makes sure that you know it right away. He's very good at going with the flow, and he doesn't mind at all if you make all the decisions on Valentine's Day. He just wants you to be happy and smiling. At least until he gets his large hands on you when arriving home. This devil is a gentle lover, opting to take things at your pace to bring out your pleasure. He's a good boy that follows orders very well, so don't forget to praise him when he's making you feel oh so good tonight.

[vmkbiased]

SunaOsa | Rivals to lovers vibes | no beta

Rintarou and Osamu have a history of intense academic competition. They both excel in their classes, vying for the top grades, but as college resident fuckboys, they also like to spar on grounds other than intellectual ones.

Parties constitute the perfect battleground for that.

“Yer staring, ya know?”

“Yeah, it’s hard to look away from your tits. And with that shirt?” Suna teases, his gaze roaming over Osamu’s body as a smirk blooms on his lips. “So tight. Can you really blame me? I don’t think so.”

Suna leans with one shoulder on the wall beside Osamu, eyes gleaming with mischief from above the rim of his plastic cup as he takes a sip of his drink. Osamu finally diverts his attention from the people crowded in his brother’s living room to look at Rintarou.

“Maybe if ya focused more on yer studies than my tits, ya could actually get better grades than me for once,” Osamu says, lifting an eyebrow just to be cockier.

“And deprive myself of such a view?” Suna mimics his action, raising an eyebrow back at him with fake shock coloring his expression, “I think not.”

“Hm,” Osamu murmurs, leaning closer so that he doesn’t need to raise his voice to speak over the music pumping in the room. “Maybe I should start charging ya for staring then.”

Rintarou doesn’t back away from him– if anything, he brings their faces even closer.

“How about I pay you with a date instead?”

Osamu can’t help but laugh, shoving Rintarou away playfully. His long-time rival doesn’t stumble back, he barely shifts on his feet, but part of his drink splashes out of the cup and lands on the floor as a result of Osamu’s show. Neither of them cares.

“Is this how ya deal with the competition?”

Rintarou smiles, straightening from his leaning position to walk in front of Osamu.

He is so used to seeing Rintarou’s casual, half-slumping posture that he forgets the man is actually taller than him. It fits, considering that Rintarou is a volleyball player. And sure, Rintarou’s fans scream loud during his matches, but not as loud as Osamu’s fans during his football games.

Rintarou always reasoned that it’s only because football is more popular than volleyball.

“You know how it goes.” Rintarou shrugs nonchalantly, a hint of a challenge in his voice as he casually places a hand beside Osamu’s head on the wall behind him. “Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.”

Osamu hums, arm sliding around Rintarou’s waist. “How close were ya thinkin’?”

“I’d start by taking this shirt off of you.”

Osamu’s fingers sneak inside Rintarou’s shirt, warm skin meeting warm skin as he teases Rintarou’s lower back with feather-like touches. “What happened to that date?”

“Fuck first, date later.” Rintarou wraps both of his arms around Osamu’s neck, flushing their bodies together. Osamu eyes Rintarou’s lips, then he meets his gaze.

“Ya’ve got a deal.”

BONUS:

“Oi, Samu!” His brother screams as they walk up the stairs to a more private area. “Don’t fuck in my room!!”

“Gotta test the competition!”

[pretentiouswreckingball]

being the game guy, having excellent taste in music, sea lover (!!) and also being the sweetest most loveliest person ever <33

you’re the first to mention sea lover and ily for it 😭 I am a sea lover first human second ‼️ thank you milove<3

what is my trademark™️

[beta-adjacent]

Playlist Makes Brain Go Brrrrr

First off, the playlist in question here was created by the amazing @softomegaposting. They did and excellent job I'd highly recommend listening to it first, especially if you weren't familiar with the songs like me!

Vibe Assessment

I was really struggling to describe the tone of this playlist. To solve that, I....may or may not have roped in some of my irl music-loving friends.

I challenged myself to describe this playlist without mentioning omegaverse. These are the phrases I came up with: "utopian domesticity and All its vile implications", "calming your lover down like they're a feral animal", "you've been reduced to your body and pray you will transcend physicality", "bawling your eyes out as the credits of an indie romcom roll", and "healing a debutante of her tuberculosis despite knowing her illness is prized".

After many listen-throughs, I still stand by these descriptions, except for the tuberculosis one (though it has great potential to be for another dynamic).

I think it's interesting how you found songs that have shockingly great parallels to omegas. "Froot", "Calm Me Down", and "One Day Robots Will Cry" FLOORED me when I first heard them because of this. I thought the religious aspect to some of the songs was interesting; not only were they good portrayals of that nuanced worship, but it also fit into the late 20th century domesticity theme?? I don't know, it's just *chef's kiss*

Song Reccs

Dicslaimer

What this is: Chai trying their best at using their and their friends' knowledge to find songs that Chai would include if this were their playlist. Chai is heavily biased by their musical background, and tries their best to explain the issues they have with each recc What this is NOT: Chai stating that these songs should actually be added, that these are the perfect/most-fitting songs for the playlist, or that these songs were chosen purely through an objective pattern-seeking lens

Friend's picks:

"Video Games" by Lana del Rey, "Abandoned" by Alexander Ryback,

Putting this category first because it's the shortest and also incomplete since I'm still waiting on another friend's reccs. To be fair, my friends had way more suggestions than this, but these were the only two I felt really fit the themes described? But they're, naturally, missing the canine edge

My picks:

"Sweet Nothing" by Taylor Swift, "Grenadine" by Dreadlight, "Impostor Syndrome" by Sidney Gish, "Los Angeles" by Sugarcult,

"Sweet Nothing" hurts the most if it's played directly after "Hey Good Lookin", which is what took it out of the Honorable Mentions category tbh. It is the only song I believe actively captures one of the listed descriptors

"Grenadine" feels like it has the most on-the-nose for feral animal energy, but I also feel like it doesn't nail the theme 100%? It has more of a 'man-eater' vibe than anything

"Impostor Syndrome" is just a personal favorite of mine, omegaverse aside. Content-wise, a song about feeling disturbingly different/lesser than others feels very omega-coded, at least by many verses' standards. Lines like "these sweet instincts/ruin my life" and "for canine/grossly overqualified" are just icing on the cake

LISTEN!!! “Los Angeles” is THE typical omegean heat story. This is the hardest song to place in the descriptors, since it's describing a common trope instead of the psyche of an omega, but I've thought about this song for too long to not mention it. There's something very omega in struggling between intimacy and just getting through the day, especially as you try to fight against the "heat".

Honorable mentions:

"Summertime" by Dutch Criminal Records, "Sirens" by Elefant, "Sanctuary" by Utada, "The Detail" by Delta Sleep, "Self Defense" by Paul Westerberg, "The Garden" by the Crane Wives

Out of all of these, I think "The Garden" is the strongest, but I couldn't sit down and explain why to you if I tried :')

"Sanctuary" is here because I listened to FOB's "Church" and heard the singular word 'santcuary'. And then I read the lyrics and debated for 20 minutes on if this was a good addition, so I compromised and put it here

"Self Defense" first entered the scene for the 'cheekbones and hormones' line, and remained because it felt on-theme in its somberness

"Summertime", "Sirens", and "the Detail" were just ones that stood out when I was pilfering through Spotify, and fit the musical themes enough for me to say "fuck it, someone could reasonably interpolate this probably"

A few other artists I listened to on the quest for suitable reccs: Owl City, The Smith's, Crystal Castles, The Pierces, Melanie Martinez, the Front Bottoms, and the Barbie album (haven't seen the movie yet either oops). I wish I could've gone through so much more, but life really caught up to me

[arcplaysgames]

It is FUCKING BONKERS to me that deep down Kamoshida thinks it's Ann's fault that Shiho is in the hospital. Also, after Ann blew Kamoshida off, he called in Shiho instead.

EXHALES LOUDLY

MY GOD SHE HAS THE BEST PERSONA YET. HELLO.

So far I am Meh on most of these characters except Ann. Ann is pretty fucking cool and I like her.

Excellent question, Ann! I got a bunch of DLC costumes, I'll see what I can do for ya.

Back int he Real World, Ann's arcana pops and of course it's Lovers. Listen, both Yukari and Rise had fucking great Lovers arcs that fit perfectly with the arcana. Excited for how Ann's works out. I frankly don't know enough about her to even speculate.

I noticed she talks about modeling so I hope it isn't Rise But Blonde Now. I doubt it though.

WELL HELLO THERE, LOVE THE FIT

omg and she's a doctor? ma'am do you need a housewife, I am available.

Morgana is going to be living with Reverie from now own. FINALLY, A PERSONA GAME WHERE WE GET A CAT. This feels overdue.

oh okay so this is our in with Sojiro, he is also a cat guy. This is great news. Maybe he will stop being an absolute fucking prick to us 24/7 if we have a cat. Morgana is paying dividends already.

AND MORGANA IS THE MAGICIAN

I don't have an opinion on this one yet except that Morgana is extremely active and a good teacher. They are in tune to the environment around them, so on a surface level, they're better than Yosuke was that's for certain.

Also haha the little joke. The first ability is tools. Because the Magician is the card of having tools. That's cute.

Reverie is living the fucking LIFE, he has a CAT IN HIS DESK, this is amazing. I want this for myself.

I COULDN'T GET A SCREENCAP BUT THE TEACHER FUCKING THREW SOMETHING AND HIT REVERIE IN THE HEAD

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SCHOOL'S PROBLEM

Met cool punk doctor lady and oh my god what is this menu

Met the weapon shop guy and does anyone know how to design a fucking menu in this game. Christ.

However, I will forgive his terrible menu for this. Reverie you are adorable.

ALSO AS SOON AS I WALKED INTO THIS SHOP I WAS LIKE "this place better have some MegaTen-ass popping shop music" AND I WAS FUCKING RIGHT, IT DOES

oh so he's the Hermit

that's about as subtle as a brick fired from a cannon

please god release me from the tutorial period of this game, untie my handddddds

[heyjude19-writing]

Also I had a musing I would hope you could share your own opinion on.

I'm so glad you find him as interesting and intriguing as I do C! 🌈

I'm a sucker for Greek mythos and I cannot wait to see how ur Draco’s journey will unfold. His aesthetic lends itself to the classics, lends itself to the analogy which is why I think I often make this connection. On top of his character being simply compelling, he has an air of timeless and competitiveness that reminds me of the age old Herculean hero that stand the test of time.

I don't like to prophesies too much bc I love to go in reading things blind (I avoid conspiracies and teasers like the plague!) but I cannot help myself in getting excited to see how he will confront and face crossroads and compare them to the great ancients.

If our golden boy will be more likely to pull an Apollo or become Achilles. The thing that makes characters interesting imo is how the deal 'in the complicated'. When they are taken away something they want, or confronted with a problem, do they go red or do they mourn in the quiet and peace? And I think from what little we know of in Draco from the chapters of what we've seen, he is a character that has more than what meets the eye. which makes him all the more compelling to see what happens when he splits.

We all know the well told romance of Achilles and Patroclus on how they were lovers/friends but also fellows competitors and Patroclus went to the Trojan war just bc his lover was destined for greatness there. He was a supportive bf haha. Achilles was very much following (up until the death of Patroclus) a very, 'healthy' doctrine to war. He fell in line and was excellent.

But when Patroclus was killed nameless grief took over Achilles and went genuinely insane with his screams of cry and revenge. He cried so horribly that even his mother Thetis could hear in the depths of the sea and went up to comfort his son. He kept the corpse of his lover in his tent for the entirety of the war as he extracted his revenge that was so bloody it was feral. He slept with Patroclus's corpse, delusional kept it, and threatened anyone who suggested to remove it. He wanted to be buried with him by the time the war was done and made Odysseus swear that he would see this happen. Obv as we know he killed Hector.

I remember shivering in class when I was a teen remembering the poem in the Iliad Book 18, that, he said, 'neither food nor drink shall glide down my throat, for as long as he [Patroclus] is mangled in my tent I only crave murder and blood and the rattling of dying'.

So does Draco follow the same blood wounded vengeful fate like Achilles? Will he move heaven and earth to go on his own Taylor swift reputation era tour? Or will he be a different drum, one of peace and calm like the story of Apollo?

The story of Apollo, as the God of music and dance, prophecies and healing (also God of the Sun, queue the analogy of why I think of Draco for obvious blonde hero reasons :P) fell in love with a mortal man named Hyacinthus who was as well a Spartan warrior prince famous for his beauty and everyone wanted him. men and women, the whole lot!

Include the God of the West wind Zephyrus. But Hyacinthus chose Apollo among his many admirers and they had the best romance dude. They would do all kinds of things together like music, dance, archery, they were both extremely sporty (as Leo is!!).

But Zephyrus was rotting with jealousy of their romance, that while they were playing archery, he blew Zephyrus's arrow off course and it hit him in the head and killed him.

Apollo was obviously inconsolable and mourned his lover and tried to commit su**ide many times hoping to join his lover in death. And bc he was inconsolable, he decided to always remember Hyacinthus by naming the famous flower by him and made music and games after him. And Hyacinthus bloom every spring now.

So it will be interesting to see whether Draco will be the type to be bloodthirsty, angry for his Harry or if he is a blonde hero that's more of a mourner?

These are the kind of musings I catch myself thinking of Draco and would love to know where ur heads at when it comes to it :)

oh wow, lots of theories here. so i read the greek classics much too long ago and most of what i remember is related to the web comic Lore Olympus tbh 😅. i'd say i don't really see a hero vs mourner dichotomy in the drarry story im writing as it's not one of war and violence, but more one of two people trying to find their way back to one another. they've moved past the bloodthirsty, angry part of their lives and it's more a question of coming at a relationship from two different perspectives with the same end goal and trying not to destroy each other in the process.

[duckingwriting]

Summer Reading/Writing/Arting

Thanks to @eponymoussquared for the tag! 

I’ve had so much going on recently and I’m behind my tag games but I’m hoping to catch up.

Rules: Follow the directions in bold.

No pressure tagging: @rachaellawrites, @ghost-town-story,  @late-to-the-fandom, @jowritesfanfiction, @author-a-holmes, @raevenlywrites and anyone else who'd like to do this.

Describe one creative WIP project you’re planning to work on over the summer.

Oh blippity bloppity pretending I don’t curse like a sailor the summer is like half way done fuck. The WIP I’m working on the most during this summer is the western fantasy gay retelling of Robin Hood. It still needs a title. I’m going to pretend that I’m not going to put that off to the last second. It came about as a stray thought of one scene that made a less than sober me giggle. And has sense grown. It follows a Phil, the sheriff, and his outlaw lover, Robin, as they try to find out who killed their friend. There are griffins and hippogriffs, shootouts, murder, fist fights, and make up sex.

Recommend a book

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. I came to this book for a fun fantasy story. It is part of a series(I have not read the second or third book) but it has excellent story telling and some very nice spicey scenes. I could not put this book down, I was reading it like I was a teenager trying to escape from the abusive relationship I had with my family again. Strokes that need for the Alpha-hole while he also gets to learn that maybe he can not be a dick head. Love the characters so much. Biggest reason I haven’t read the sequel is I’m not ready to risk any change in tones. Will there be? i don’t know for sure but it’s always that fear in the back of my mind.

Recommend a fic

Oh god...just one? I feel this is cruel and unusual punishment. After some consideration, and highly considering breaking the rules and just doing a screenshot of my recent history, I decided to go with Issues by g33kg1rl. It’s on AO3(I’m not sure if it’s on any of the other fanfiction sites, I haven’t looked). It is for a small fandom, Loonatics Unleashed(only 116 fics total in that fandom, and IDK how many of those are actually crossovers). Shipping Rev and Tech(OTP). I am not a fan of OCs in stories, But the OCs in this story are amazing. I’ve been a fan of the show for years and was not convinced they were not cannon characters until I consulted google because they are integrated so damn well.

Recommend music 

Okay, okay....trust me for a moment...Good Lookin’ by Dixon Dallas. My wife sent it to me and I was like “okay just a country song...I don’t understand what...wait...what did he say?” It’s gay. Very...very gay. And I love it. The phrase “Bouncing off my booty cheeks” will live rent free in my mind for eternity.