#lol i will probably crumble to the temptation of the deal

[incomingalbatross]

Sooo... I just watched Labyrinth, and I remember seeing some posts of yours talking about how it's good and similar to other stories (like OTGW). And in some ways, I see that? But also like.... I need a little help making any sense of it, lol

Sorry, I know this is super random, but I was just curious to find out why you like it and what you see in it, so I thought I'd ask!

Of course, I'm happy to talk about Labyrinth! :) Thank you for the ask!

(Disclaimer that I haven't watched it in a year or two, but I still remember it fairly well.)

In terms of similarity to OTGW: both stories center on a teenage protagonist who is a dreamer, but too caught up in themselves, and to some extent running away from their life. This manifests PARTICULARLY in their neglected and/or rejected responsibility to their younger half-brother. They end up in a liminal, otherworldly space that operates on much more narrative logic than they're used to, and can only save their lives/souls and make it home again by saving said younger brothers first.

Sarah rejects her brother at the beginning of her story, while Wirt abandons his care for Greg near the end, but you can see the similar beats there, right? They're both dealing with normal teenage stress + the stress of parental divorce (probably) and remarriage, and seeing their younger brothers as an emblem of Everything Wrong In Their Lives. In reality, their younger brothers are forcing them to live in reality, where they have duties and connections to other people, and can only find maturity/fulfillment through embracing that.

Jareth and the Beast are also very similar figures, I think; Jareth is a more seductive tempter figure, playing to Sarah's ego and to romance tropes, while the Beast plays with hope and despair. But they are both trickster figures who use bargains -- seeming windows of hope -- to entrap vulnerable mortals (Wirt and Greg, in the Beast's case).

AND. Both Jareth and the Beast are defeated by someone calling them out as empty and powerless! Wirt says, "this is dumb," and demolishes the Beast's entire facade -- he's not keeping souls in the lantern, he's the one dependent on the lantern, and he can't keep Wirt or Greg if they're ready to go home. Sarah's "You have no power over me" has the exact same weight -- it's wrapped up in theatrics of these being Specific Magic Words, but it's the meaning of them that shatters Jareth's power and sends her and Toby home.

In both stories, evil tries very, very hard to convince these kids that they need it. Jareth wraps it up in a lot more complicated temptations -- I'll make you happy, I'll make you powerful, I'll give you glamorous parties and material comfort and everything you ever wanted if you fall down and worship me -- while the Beast sticks to a brute-force message of despair, with the crumbs he offers as all that there is -- "There is only my way." But in both cases, the message is: you need me.

And in both stories the protagonists go: No. I don't need you. I don't need anything from you. In fact, you have nothing to give.

At which point it's revealed that evil needed them. Needed them to buy into its strength, its ability, its substance -- or it doesn't have any. It crumbles away, and they go home.

...So! Those are the big similarities between them, I think, for me? I like Labyrinth, as its own movie, because I like the classic fairy-tale structure of "the fairies/goblins/elves took my loved one because I messed up, and now I gotta get them back the hard way." I love the atmosphere of the Labyrinth and Sarah's friends (though your mileage may definitely vary on this movie, depending on your tolerance for Henson Creations ;P). I love Sarah, who messes up, but who is still plucky and brave and kind through most of her trials! The friendship between her and Hoggle (...a Woodsman parallel?) is my favorite. And while I'm very much in the minority of this fandom in not really feeling Jareth's appeal, as a villain I think David Bowie does an excellent, glittery job. And we get music.

[irwlns]

even though my phone contract’s up next week i was gonna be good and just upgrade my sim and keep my iphone 5s ... but OH BOY i’ve just seen the deals on a refurbished jet black 128gb iphone 7 and ..... the devil is tempting me

[serenheist]

What Jimin is like in a relationship/ Jimin as a boyfriend Tarot reading

Idk what to title this. Also send requests or interesting ideas for readings.

How fast does it take jimin to get into a relationship? 7 of swords, the high priestess, knight of wands

So for this I intended that swords and wands would represent getting into a relationship quickly and cups/pentacles would be taking a longer time to get into a relationship with someone. I think he definitely tends to get into relationships very quick. When he sees someone he likes he doesn’t waste time waiting for them to approach him or try beating around the bush. This dude just jumps right in and will introduce himself to anyone he finds attractive lmao. He doesn’t have time for the bs games of playing it cool.

Does he prefer long or short term relationships? 8 of swords, queen of wands

I asked again just to make sure and yeahhh lol he really does not care for long term relationships. He hates the feeling of being trapped in a relationship but also hates being alone but alsoooo gets bored very easily. It’s not that he’s actually trapped when he’s in a relationship but it’s moreso he feels trapped in his own mind and feels the need to move onto someone else before the person tries to force all these expectations on him. When he’s in a relationship what you see is what you get basically.

I think past partners got jealous because he’s openly affectionate with a lot of people and a lot of people can’t really deal with dating someone in the spotlight who gets all the adoration. They try to make him commit and lock him into something long term when he already told them upfront this is just casual. Listen ffs this guy doesn’t wanna settle down he wants to have passionate love affairs dudes legit a modern day Casanova. At least not right now I’m not picking up on him wanting to settle down long term. He’s a young rich attractive guy in a boy band so this is to be expected tbh.

Past present future relationships. For the future I phrased it in a way to ask what HE wants his future relationship to be like. Not necessarily what it’ll be. 5 of wands, 5 of cups, princess of fire

His past relationships had a lot of conflict and people misunderstanding and a lot of people trying to grab onto him. I feel like he had a lot of people that he dated that were trying to compete for his attention or again lock him down into what they want him to be. His present love life is him still feeling the lingering regrets and self pitying. He’s so disturbed by the events that happened in his past relationships that he feels like he can’t move on at all. Even when the right person is literally right there he’s too busy hanging on to past hurts and has gotten a little jaded. What he wants for a future relationship is with someone who can match his energy of passion. Someone who enjoys having fun and is open to doing new things. Kinda like thrill seekers. And doesn’t want to settle down immediately and have babies or something.

What is he like in a relationship? 9 of cups, 7 of cups reversed, 3 of swords reversed, unity, the magician

He spoils the heck out of the person he dates. I can see him giving expensive luxury gifts, backstage passes, 5 star hotel rooms, etc. He kinda likes showing off everything he has though because he likes to get praised for it. Again I’m seeing that even though he gives people everything he still falls into temptation even when he knows going for someone else won’t be the best idea.

It’s so bizarre because it looks like he flip flops from extreme confidence to self hate and a lot of self negative talk. Like extreme mood swings. Even when he’s with someone new he still holds grudges from past shit or words that people said in past relationships. Buttttt surprisingly I see that he actually knows that he can intentionally manifest a healthy Union into his life with someone who can match his wavelength. He knows that everything and everyone is one. And that all the shit he’s been through and mistakes he’s made don’t have to keep dragging along with him into other relationships. He knows he can reach out to others around him and get help through anything he’s going and that he doesn’t have to bottle up everything by himself just the problem is is that he doesn’t always like to verbalize when he’s going through shit. He wants people to intuitively know what he wants. I literally went off on a tangent but the last thing is that when he’s with someone he will fuck you up if you try to mess with his partner lmao no joke. He’s very nurturing and loving but he will also f someone up if they mess with someone he loves.

What type of person does Jimin usually look for in a relationship? The moon, justice, undressing of a salad 31, death, Jeanne the maid

I’m seeing he likes someone who can handle anything really. Someone who can handle a hectic lifestyle because he’s literally everywhere. Since his career is insane he looks for someone who can handle that kind of chaos and still be calm about it. Very intuitive too. Maybe someone important too or just a strong personality because there’s a lot of major arcana. This isn’t some easy person this person can handle their own weight and is strong on their own.

They can juggle a lot of things without crumbling. They aren’t easily swayed by anyone’s bs. It’s interesting that balance shows up in 2 different cards from 2 different decks. It seems like balance is a big thing for him. Someone who will transform him and the relationship forces you to grow and open your eyes to new beliefs. He looks for someone who isn’t an attention seeker and gives without expecting something in return. Giving selflessly because they’re a good person and not because they want the world to know how good of a person they are.

What is his love language? Wheel of fortune, 9 of wands reversed, the chariot reversed

Gifts and probably quality time since there’s Egyptian Sphinx and Sagittarius energy so he loves traveling to exotic places with his partner for sure. I’m also getting acts of service for the chariot and 9 of wands reversed. Because he has a lot of moments where he’s exhausted and feels like he lacks the drive to complete things so he could really benefit from someone who can take over for a bit and help him out with other practical things. But again knows to do this intuitively and can pick up on when he’s in one of his moods. I guess that also explains the need for wanting someone who’s more balanced in comparison. Cause in a life full of chaos you’re going to want someone who doesn’t bring more of it.

Uhhh some spice Not really vulgar though, very brief Physical aspects sex/intimacy

Jesus lord more moodiness. He has moments where he’ll be clingy af but also where he’s totally aloof and wants to be alone so good luck. He kinda likes to be a little shit in the intimacy department and degrade his partner instead of praise lol. Possessive energy wanting to own someone. Yeah bye.

[serialkillerinthemaking]

below the cut is my insanely long analysis of sa and its metaphors its bad but i did in an hour with a headache so it is what it is

analyzing sa even though it's been said so much it's redundant I just need a place to collect it all ya know

note: none of this is chronological to the story and its probably just going to be the song lyrics

there are many run-on sentences and grammar problems sorry. I'm writing this off the idea that everyone has a decent understanding of sa and its plot.

obviously, mama who bore is about Wendla’s mom not telling her about sex. mwbmr is the same thing except it shows none of the girl's mom tells them about sex.

all that's known starts with the boys robotically repeating Virgil's Aeneid before Melchior breaks out and starts singing. He explains that science and facts are pushed aside in favor of religion and his parents wanting him to fall in line and not question what is taught. that's the general theme of the song. he is determined not to become part of the hivemind and question what is taught. he wants to find and see and experience more than what they know of and are teaching in terms of the world and he himself.

He mentions the stars and them being sort of all-knowing. stars are brought up again in those you've known sort of being a metaphor for society and the children of his generation and the ones to come. In those youve known, he vows to read Moritz and Wendla's dreams to the stars because they are dead and can really communicate with him and therefore rely on him to spread the word of their thoughts and ideas and stories. this being a cautionary tale, those stories must be told.

he mentions the repression of free thought. children are naturally curious of the world around them but as they grow up the adults push them not to be and only to accept what we know now. he doesn't want to lose this and stop eternally searching for more. this is sort of put into the term "purple summer". meaning the story, the cause, the prevention, and the tragic beauty of the story. we'll come back to the meaning of purple summer itself.

he says one day all will know generally meaning what is happening beneath the surface and societies refusal to talk about it and explore it. in purple summer this comes back more concrete. instead of one day, more like a distant hope, he says all shall know. they will know now, soon, not one day in the distant future. In the end, his journey is complete and it goes from one day all will know to all shall know. 

tbol and my junk are pretty straight forward you guys don't need me for those.

touch me is basically about the yearning for sex and to know what is. there are some metaphors but they are pretty self-contained within the song itself and don't really have enough grasp on them to go too deep. either that or they're really not actually that deep lol.

woyb is basically about Melchior and Wendla wanting to be with each other and trying to resist the temptation because of oppression

The dark I know well is about the rape and sexual assault of Martha and Ilse at the hands of her father and artist friends, respectively. Again the song uses one central self-contained metaphor that is never brought up again in the context of the show and is pretty easy to understand. 

and then there were none has frau Gabor intermittently reading a letter she wrote in response to Moritz asking for money to escape. Moritz jumps in and sings his thoughts as he reads the letter and basically watches his last hope fall through. he feels she tries to sugarcoat the point of the letter. he is mad for saying things in an attempt to make him feel better and to try her best to help, such as writing a letter to his parents. she tells him she still cares for him but can't help him. he feels he has no other option left after failing his tests. you all know the plot you don't need me to explain it.

mirror blue night Melchior is horny blah blah blah I hate this song moving on

I believe while they disobey the church and its a church song irony yeah

(it's so late I'm sorry)

don't do sadness blue wind ohoho lets goooo

Moritz wishes to be a butterfly, no longer having to deal with life, and happily flying. he says he doesn't do sadness because he just can't handle it anymore. the failing the test hurt him and frau Gabor refusing to help was the straw that broke the camel's back. he can't take it anymore. Ilse comes in and sees he's sad. it's cold and dark outside symbolizing his current mood so she sings about the happiness of spring and summer to cheer him up. fall and winter are analogies for sadness and pessimism, spring and summer are happiness and optimism, hence spring awakening, the happiness coming back after the sad times. purple summer also references that but that's for later. she talks about when they were kids happily playing in the sun. wind, a cold sad month thing always comes back but it always goes away. happiness will always come and sadness will always go just like the seasons. Moritz is only living in fall and autumn, not seeing the spring and summer ahead. Ilse gets through her life through optimism relying on the blue wind never taking when it creeps up and always going away once again. and then it just kinda repeats you get the rest.

left behind. he never got to grow up and be an adult and its his parent's (mostly his dad's) fault. metaphor once again fully in the song not really brought up again.

you guys got the rest (more than sufficient critical conjecture on woybr) until WHISPERING whooo

she hears the ghosts because throughout she alive and dead. sort of. everyone is sad. she describes her family's grief at her funeral. the preacher uses her as a cautionary tale and warns others of her fate. they say she did bad things and this how she ended up. such a shame, such a sin. she feels powerless, like she didn't have a voice and only could do what was told of her. she didn't know any better despite her best efforts. she mentions summer longing in the wind. happiness being swept up by sadness was pretty much her whole "relationship" with Melchior.

👏those👏you've👏known

there is so much I'm just gonna analyze it line by line (i consider this the pinnacle of metaphors in theatre considering the buildup)

MORITZ

Those you’ve known

And lost, still walk behind you

All alone

They linger till they find you

self explanatory pretty much

Without them

The world grows dark around you

And nothing is the same until you know that they have found you

Melchior's world has crumbled, he feels like it never going to be the same without them, but he found them.

WENDLA

Those you’ve pained

May carry that still with them

All the same

They whisper: “All forgiven.”

He hurt her, and she's still hurting but she forgives him because there is love in heaven, all will be forgiven.

Still your heart says

The shadows bring the starlight

And everything you’ve ever been is still there in the dark night

everything she was was left behind, but she still finds it here.

WENDLA

When the northern wind blows

The sorrows your heart holds

There are those who still know –

They’re still home

We’re still home

he's still hurting, they're still there.

MORITZ (Sung In Counterpart)

Though you know

You’ve left them far behind

You walk on by yourself, and not with them –

Still you know

They will fill your heart and mind

When they say there’s a way through this

he's living and must continue without them but they are still there in his heart.

MELCHIOR, MORITZ AND WENDLA

Those you’ve known

And lost, still walk behind you

All alone

Their song still seems to find you

They call you

As if you knew their longing –

They whistle through the lonely wind, the long blue shadows falling

they are still there! 

MELCHIOR

All alone

But still I hear their yearning

Through the dark, the moon, alone there, burning

The stars too

They tell of spring returning –

And summer with another wind that no one yet has known

The stars are back! they are all knowing and tell of the sadness passing, the happiness returning, with something new.

(MORITZ and WENDLA Join with Counterparts)

They call me –

Through all things –

Night’s falling

But somehow I go on

You watch me

Just watch me –

I’m calling

From longing

a call back to all thats known

WENDLA (Sung in Counterpart)

When the northern wind blows

The sorrows your heart’s known –

I believe…

she still believes in forgiveness.

MORITZ (Sung in Counterpart)

Still you known

There’s so much more to find –

Another dream, another love you’ll hold

he doesn't have to be stuck on them and they are giving him permission to move on and find happiness again.

Still you know

To trust your own true mind

On your way – you are not alone

There are those who still know

a call back to all that's known, 

MELCHIOR (Sung Alone)

Now they’ll walk on my arm through the distant night

And I won’t let them stray from my heart

Through the wind, through the dark, through the winter light

I will read all their dreams to the stars

i dissected this line back in all thats known but STARS! they back

I'll walk now with them

I’ll call on their names

I’ll see their thoughts are known

they know now! all will know he knows and know they know! their story will be told!

WENDLA

Not gone –

Not gone –

they are still there!

MELCHIOR

They walk with my heart –

And I'll never let them go

they are still there!

I’ll never let them go

I’ll never let them go

You watch me

Just watch me

I’m calling

I’m calling –

And one day all will know

ALL👏WILL👏KNOW👏

P U R P L E  S U M M E R

purple has historically represented freedom, the kids now have freedom and summer here means happiness. so now they have both. purple summer is just yeah knowledge and freedom of oppression and the hivemind because this Germany 1890 bad (its a john Mulaney reference I'm so sorry im losing my mind)

And all shall know the wonder

I will sing the song of purple summer

All thats known, all will know all shall know. They will know because we will tell them.

And still, I wait

The swallow brings

A song of what's to follow -

The glory of the spring

The happiness! The knowledge! The freedom! Its coming! It waking it up! SPRING IS AWAKENING! ahhhhhhhhhh