#lots of b sides and lesser known ones this time

[absolutebl]

Tagged by @pose4photoml Thanks doll!

spell your url with song titles and then tag as many people as there are letters

A - Amnesia by VIXX

B - Back to Me by The Rose

S - She's the One by Monsta X

O - On My Way by Epik High +

L - Lonely Street by Stray Kids

U - Unfamiliar by H&D (BAE173)

T - Trap by Henry +

E - Eoeo by Uniq

B - Bad Love by Hynn

L - Love Poem the Kingdom Cover (BTOB, Ateez, Stray Kids)

[everlasting-yuna]

⎯⎯ All of Me

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Heimdall prides himself in his presentability — refined, composed and tidy — but he can't always be like that...and you're so glad you get to see that side of him

contents: gn! reader; mornings with heimdall; hair braiding; lots of affection; soft heimdall...like insanely soft; reader teases him; maybe a little too intimate in one scene??; FLUFF

word count: 800+

a/n: here to give u some fluff, heimdall fans ♡♡♡ it took me awhile but it's finally finished ( ‘́⌣’̀)

reblogs and comments appreciated! ♡

"Seems you're finally awake, sunshine."

His lips kiss your forehead, trying to coax you out of slumber whilst the cold nipping at your skin's dragging you back in. The warmth of the covers is all the welcoming, and you're convinced to drift back to sleep until a chilled knuckle grazes your cheek. It's Heimdall's failed attempt of waking you up that only gravitates you to the warmth of his bare chest — which he laughs at. 

You're sure it's the drowsiness in your lids, but Heimdall looks more breathtaking today. 

Perhaps it's the way his head is propped against his palm, like he's splayed out to be painted. Or the way his dewy skin radiates greater than the candles scattered around the room. Maybe it's because his usual tidy braids are replaced with flowing, tousled locks. Your hand curiously caresses his face, his stubble brushing against your fingertips. 

He's so unkempt, so vulnerable, so not Heimdall.

"You don’t look too good yourself, love.” he scoffs. 

He'd usually savor the adoration seeping from your gaze, but it seems more overwhelming today. His pounding heart makes him feel too vulnerable, and he didn't want to give you another reason to gawk over this rare side of him. 

"Make yourself useful, come braid my hair.” 

His weak attempt at diversion seems to work. You scramble out of the covers to reach for the comb residing on his nightstand, promptly following him to the edge of the bed as his back faces you. 

You gently work the teeth between his locks, releasing the knots as you work up to his roots. Your fingers indulge in the silkiness of it, letting the strands linger between your fingertips. Leisurely yet meticulously, you weave the middle section of his hair, softly humming to yourself. 

“Don’t be long now. The All-Father requires my presence.”

His tone's impatient, but his body seems at peace. With slacked shoulders, his back's leaning into you, welcoming your fingers into areas they can't quite reach; and the faint sigh that escapes him doesn't go unnoticed. His usual antics would satiate you, but today was different. 

And he knows it too. He knows you're scheming something, but your mind won't let him on the finer details. He knows what you want, just not how you'll get it. 

So he waits.

And he waits.

And nothing happens. 

Minutes pass while you braid his hair, and he knows you're deliberately avoiding the topic. He's rummaging through your mind, but nothing's useful. The gentle pull on his scalp tells him you're tying the braid near his pierced ear — that the moment you share is almost over. But the moment your arms snake around his torso, jaw planted in the crook of his shoulder, he knows it's far from over.

“Finished, dear,” you sweetly whisper. Your hand inches upwards, wondering how far you could go — see how far you could pull out the lesser known parts of him. 

The hot breath against his ear makes his nerves tense, while the sweet nothings you coo tinge his cheeks pink. He knows what you want and how you'll get it, but he still turns into putty as you teasingly kiss along the cuff on his ear, greedy hands wanting, needing to feel every inch of him.  

He doesn’t have to look into your eyes to know what you're asking, especially when your fingers seize and splay themselves over his heart.

How much could you have of him? 

“All of me,” he answers fondly, “I'm forever yours to keep.”

He guides your palm to his lips, kissing it with so much adoration it flusters you. It's the first time he's been honest this morning. 

The first time he's said and shown you. 

The first time he's laid his heart bare for you.

You’re not sure whether your heart flutters more from his gesture or from this newer, softer side of him, but it didn't matter. It only mattered that you're leaning over his shoulder to connect your lips with his, showing you were his to keep too.

You detangle yourself from him, gaze trailing his every movement as he parts from the bed, getting himself ready, resembling more and more of the Heimdall others saw. 

Before he departs, he looks at you with a blank face; but when your eyes meet, you realize there's much more brewing in those fuschia orbs. 

He wants you to say it.

He wants to hear how badly you want him to stay, how badly you need his loving embrace to help you drift back to sleep. Like the thread that holds you together while you're apart makes your yearning increase tenfold. He needs you to say how much you love him, because he can't say it himself. 

The words are on the tip of his tongue, yet, he refrains — and you were fine with that.

He was learning to love, anyway. 

"Don't miss me too much," he jests, turning his heels to reach for the door. 

"I'll try not to," you smile.

The door opens and shuts, leaving the silence to keep you company. You pull the covers flush against your body, indulging in the lingering scent of him. 

You ruminate over his words, and can't help but laugh — wondering if they were meant more for you or him.

[storiesfromafan]

Dandelion

A/N: Back with Part 2! If you haven’t read Traitor, please do :) Hope this one lives up to what I wish it too. Haha. There will be a Part 3, just not sure when it will be up. As I haven’t started writing it yet. Been in a bit of a writers burnout.

Feel free to comment/message me with idea’s or anything.

Pairing: Mattheo x Fem!Reader Ravenclaw

Out of all the season’s Spring had always been your favourite, Mattheo recalled as he found himself out in a small field of wildflowers, that was a reasonable distance from the castle. It was a spot you both had spent every free moment at in Spring together. But now he was here alone, no you by his side. And it was his own responsibility you weren’t, for he ended it with you over four months ago. He had done it for the right reason, saving you from his father. From getting hurt because of him. Saving you from his darkness. Yet he missed the light you brought to his life. He missed who he was with you.

Brushing his fingers over various wildflowers that surrounded him, Mattheo recalled their individual names. Such as oxeye daisy, lesser celandine, cow parsley, dandelion. The last one being a mix of yellow flowers and the seed heads, most commonly picked and blown, its white sprouts flying off into the sky. A past time you enjoyed, claiming to make a wish with everyone. Nearly everything in his everyday routine and life reminded him of you.

When someone would say his name. Mattheo recalled how you would say his name; be it when you were happy, sad, angry, scared, breathless, sleepy, laughing. Or when he flirted with Anna. He remembered the first time he flirted with you, you had either been oblivious to it or playing hard to get. Because he knew you liked him, as he liked you too. You’d been a bit of a challenge, but in the end you both won when you got together. He hadn’t known anyone like you, still didn’t. He knew there would never be another you. He was glad about that. There was no one like his Y/N…or rather was his Y/N, he had to remind himself of that a lot.

Maybe, it's the way you say my name

Maybe, it's the way you play your game

But it's so good, I've never known anybody like you

But it's so good, I've never dreamed of nobody like you

You had come into his life during a hard time. His father and the Death Eater’s had been plotting and planning their next move and possible future moves. His father had been continuously hard on him, and only getting worse. The expectations he had to live up to were great, greater than anyone his age. But then there was you.

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime

And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

Meeting you at a Ministry party that he attended with Lucius and Draco. Your father putting the three of you together. You all knew each other, or rather knew of each other, rarely your path’s crossed. There were a few classes together, but Mattheo had never talked to you. But he was glad he had been placed with you, for talking to you was a breath of fresh air. You treated him and Draco like any other student. You tried to make conversation, and he tried to return it, which you were grateful for. And from there it only became more. Once back at school he seeked you out, making time to chat with you. Talking turned to flirting, and flirting led to dating. Then you became his Ravenclaw beauty, then Ravenclaw Princess after you helped him through so many spiraling moments because his father.

Mattheo picked one of the dandelions with the fuzzy white seed heads, bringing it up and examining it. He never saw the fascination you had in the weed. It didn’t hold any real beauty like a rose, but it had a unique quality.

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

He recalled the first time you’d both came to this spot. You had named the wildflowers before laying down on the grass, the wildflowers surrounding you. He thought you look breathtakingly beautiful; you were made for wildflowers. From how your soft locks sprawled out around you, to the content smile that graced your tempting lips.

Then there were your eyes. Your bright E/C orbs staring up at him, a warmth and admiration shining in your eyes as you looked at him. It brought a soft smile to his lips, as you returned his smile. In that moment Mattheo felt comfortable, at ease from how your warmth brought him happiness.

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Mattheo slowly twirled the dandelion between his fingers, as the memories crossing his mind of you reminded him of what he missed. Silently praying he had kept you by his side. Anger slowly began to build, anger at himself for hurting you. But he slowly let it go, reminding himself over and over it was to save you.

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

I think that you are the one for me

You. The brightness in that darkness of his life. The tether that kept him grounded. The one who showed him compassion and love, knowingly or unknowingly. You were everything to him. You were the one for him...but he couldn’t allow that.

The memory of the Yule Ball came to Mattheo’s mind. The first time he’d seen you dressed like the Princess you were. The dress you’d had chosen to wear was the perfect shade of F/C, fitted your frame perfectly with a skirt that flowed to the floor like water. The neckline was tasteful and the straps just thick enough and perfectly adjusted against your skin. Your neck and shoulders were on display, as your hair was up.

'Cause it gets so hard to breathe

When you're looking at me, I've never felt so alive and free

When you're looking at me, I've never felt so happy

Mattheo, watching you walk towards him, left him speechless. And with some tempting thoughts. Upon coming to stand before the Slytherin male, the bright smile you gave him caused his heart to skip a beat. This beauty before him had chosen him. You took his arm, while greeting him. The happiness and pride Mattheo felt as he led you into The Great Hall, eyes looking at you both, had him standing taller and confident.

That night you had both danced the night away; be it a formal dance or when the Weird Sisters took over the stage, and you both just let go. Mattheo was able to let go, a night to be free. You were just as free. Laughing, dancing and showing Mattheo attention. From dancing together, holding hands or little kisses. He had wished that moment could have been forever.

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime

And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

Being the gentleman that he was, and wanting every possible moment with you, Mattheo had walked you back to the Ravenclaw house door. During the walk you had both tried to take as long as possible. First taking a long route to the door, walking slowly, taking moments to appreciate paintings or sculptures on the walk. Anything and everything to make this moment together last.

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay, when I see you smile, smile

Eventually you made it to your destination. You both looked at each other, neither wanting to unlock your hands from the other. Mattheo brought his hand up to brush some of your framing hair behind your ear, before cupping your cheek with that hand.

“You look so beautiful tonight” he said softly, eyes locked with your own.

“Yes...you already told me that” you replied just as softly, scared if you were any louder it would break the moment.

Mattheo smiled. “I know, but you deserve to be told every minute of every day how beautiful you are”.

Those words of his made your breath hitch, before shakily exhaling. These were the moments you treasured. The reassurance of Mattheo’s feelings. He might not speak of his feelings for you, but words like this, with the looks he gave you, spoke louder than anything.

Moving closer, Mattheo finally dipped his head down and captured your lips with his. The peck was soft, testing the waters. Pulling back, he looked to your eyes, and seeing the joy and restlessness in them, he went in again. This time he was firmer, tongue coming out to run along your bottom lip for permission. You didn’t waste time, opening your mouth to him. Mattheo took the lead, his tongue dancing with your own, in a breathtaking kiss. You both could feel how the other felt.

Pulling back when air was needed, you both watched the other with a blissful smile on your faces. Mattheo continued to caress your cheek as you watched each other. But time was fleeting, and you both had to part ways. With one final peck to your lips, Mattheo stepped back, his hand leaving your cheek.

“Goodnight Princess” he said softly. “Till the morning”.

You nodded your head, “goodnight, Theo”.

Reluctantly you turned from him and stepped up to the Ravenclaw door. Briefly you stopped and looked over your shoulder at him. He gave you a cheeky smile and a final goodnight, and you then passed through the door. It closed with a small noise. And Mattheo was left alone, but he felt on top of the world.

Tossing the dandelion from his hands, Mattheo scrunched up his face at the weed. How silly it was the believe making a wish on the weed would come true. It was childish. Yet you did it. You believed in it. You had confided in him that once you’d made a wish on the weed, asking to do well in Snape's class once, for the potion you’d be making was tricky. And you had managed to not ruin it. So, it became almost a ritual of yours, making wishes on weeds.

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

Looking at the dandelions around him, Mattheo contemplated taking a page from your book. But then the rational side of him told him too not be stupid. So, he turned from the weed and back to the school in the distance. But the curiosity of making a wish crept up, and with a sigh Mattheo picked another dandelion.

He glared at the weed, silently telling it to work. Drawing in a breath, he blew the white fuzzy seeds from the weed, and thinking ‘I wish my father doesn’t hurt her...’

Dandelion, into the wind you go

Won't you let my darling know?

Dandelion, into the wind you go

Won't you let my darling know that?

Mattheo put everything into that wish. He didn’t want anything to happen to you. He wanted to keep you safe, from his father...and from him. With what was to come, he would wish on every weed on the grounds if he had too. If anything happened to you, Mattheo wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

Picking another dandelion, he intended to make the same wish, hoping to make it come true. But before he blew the fuzzy white seeds, you came to mind clearly. And as he released his breath, freeing the seeds, he found himself wishing to see you right then.

He watched the seeds float up in the sky, dancing from the breeze before floating off back towards the castle. For a moment he watched them float before disappearing, and an approaching form came into his line of vision. As they got closer, Mattheo’s breath caught in his throat, as he saw who it was. You. If his wish had been answered so soon, would his first wish come true too?

When you drew closer you finally realized your spot had been taken. For sitting there among the wildflowers was the last person you wanted to see; Mattheo. The look that crossed your face was sour, which Mattheo saw. You went to turn around and head back to the castle before he got up quickly, calling your name.

“Y/N! Wait” Mattheo called standing a meter behind you.

You looked over your shoulder, “what?” You spat.

Mattheo sighed. “You...you can have the spot” he said softly, looking down at the ground. “I was going to leave anyways”.

He walked around you slowly, and once he was five steps from you, Mattheo stopped before turning back to you. You had been watching him the whole time, studying him closely. You noted the sullen look upon his face, how his eyes lack any shine and how he seemed to have no fight. He was a shell of himself, like you had seen time and time before.

“Are you alright?” You found yourself asking, not thinking. For he was meant to be the bad guy.

Your question caused his heart to ache. Even after all he had done you still asked if he was alright. You may not entirely care, but still took time to ask him. Sighing Mattheo looked away from you. Unsure how to answer you. He didn’t want to lie, nor did he want to upset you. Damned if he do, damned if he didn’t.

“I’m...okay” he breathed, trying to convince himself. “Things have been...hard lately, with home”.

You nodded. “Understandable” you said softly, watching his every movement. Not fully believing his words. For there was truth but also a bit of skirting around it.

Silence took over after that, the spring breeze picking up in that moment. You watched as the breeze tossed Mattheo’s curls around. How you had missed combing your hands through those curls. It was something Mattheo had enjoyed; it soothed his mind and relaxed him. The temptation to do it now growing strong, for the boy before you were in turmoil. You shook your head at the thought of being close to the one who broke your heart.

You had thought it was the breeze playing tricks, but seeing his moving lips showed it was Mattheo who spoke. “I’m sorry” was what he said softly, almost missed by your ears.

At first you were shocked by his apology, followed by a small warm feeling in your chest. Before it died and a slow burn of anger began to take hold of you. How could his words make up for everything? How could he so bluntly say sorry.

“Excuse me?” You questioned, tone a little sharp.

Mattheo looked to you, and seeing your reaction to his words, he was shocked. He had hoped it would have helped. “I’m sorry” he repeated turning to face you. “I didn’t mean to hurt you like I did”.

You blinked a few times, blood slowly coming to a boil. “How can you just say that?” You questioned a little loudly. “How does apologizing make up for what I’ve been through?”

Valid questions Mattheo noted. “It doesn’t. But I want you to know that I am sorry-”

You scoffed. “Yeah right. The Mattheo Riddle I know would never say sorry. He might show it, but never openly apologize”.

He frowned. “That is true, but I wanted to put it into words. I at least owe you that”.

“You owe me nothing! Nor do I want it!” you yelled, hands clenching. “You hurt me. Simple as that. And for that I don’t want your apology. So, keep it”.

Mattheo nodded his head. “I deserve that”. His face fell, eyes looking at the ground. He looked so weak.

You took a step back. Taking in his demeanor. You could see cracks of how effected Mattheo was. You wondered how long before it would shatter. The want to hold him, run your fingers through his curls while telling him that he was alright, was strong. And though you didn’t want to, you decided to say the next words.

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

“It’s alright” you sighed. “I don’t entirely forgive you, but I half accept it” you said watching his face.

Hearing your words, Mattheo’s eyes snapped to you. His dull brown eyes, now shinning with confusion, looked right into your E/C orbs. He could see how unsure you were in their reflection. But with it was a small familiar look; admiration. After all he’d done, you still admired him. Part of you wanted him to apologize but majority of you wanted to punch his pretty face.

“You do?” He choked out. “Why?”

Your face softened, thinking over his words. “I won’t lie. I was hurt. I was angry” you looked him dead in the eyes. “But what has it gotten me? Where has it gotten me? It has left me bitter, and it’s gotten me no where”.

He nodded his head slowly.

“So, I’d rather accept some of it than nothing. Because I look back at our time together and I know I was happy” you said fondly, memories coming to mind. “You made me happy Theo. And I would love to see you in as much agony as me, but part of me still hates to see it”.

“Just part?” Mattheo said with a small smirk, trying to lighten the moment. Which you softly smile at.

There might be so much, good and bad between you both, but some familiarity was there. As well as some closure. He said sorry, and you believed me meant it. You had half accepted his apology, which lightened Mattheo’s worries.

You both continued to stare at the other. Unsure what to say, or what to do. But you were the one to break eye contact when you turned, planning to take the spot Mattheo had been occupying. He looked at you, mind thinking so many things. But the one thought screaming to him was your safety. He had to make sure you were safe.

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

“Would it be strange if I asked you to stay away from Hogwarts next year...to not come back?” Mattheo was unsure but voice a little panicky.

You turned back to him, confusion on your face. “Huh? What are getting at?”

Mattheo moved from foot to foot. “Next year, don’t come back to Hogwarts. I can’t say anything...but I need you to be safe”.

You studied the Slytherin, unsure if he was pulling your leg. But his eyes told you he was serious. “Answer me this; will you be safe here next year?”

He shook his head. “Probably not”.

You gave a short nod. “Then I can’t promise you anything. I will be here next year, no matter what”.

Mattheo’s heart ached at your words. Not what he had hopped. But you were honest. And he didn’t give you a reason why not to return to school. He just hopped you wouldn’t be in the cross fire of what’s to come.

With that, you took your spot amongst the wildflowers while Mattheo took a moment watching you. He was taking in the sight before him, putting it to memory. With it all said and done, Mattheo turned from you and started to head back to the castle.

He wasn’t sure what was to exactly come. But he would make sure, as best to his abilities, that you would be safe from it all. Mattheo needed you to be safe, for no harm to come to you. Be it his father or him, you would be safe.

Tags: @iheqrtaustin @ash-whimsicalfanfic

I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

[jacksprostate]

One of the lesser known side effects of your condo getting blown up and a lamp lancing through your car like a bullfighter's verduguillo is that when you move to the outskirts of a city and have to rely on the failing public transport system, your commute to work starts to take two hours if you're lucky. Most of the time, I'm not lucky. I leave for work an hour before sunrise and still arrive a half hour late. Coming home is worse.

Public transit could be good. Everyone says it. Tyler tells me, in the future where we've burnt civilization to the ground, we won't need transit at all since the suburban dream will have died and everything you could ever need will live right with you in the nestled bosom of a ruined city. Kudzu vines will let you climb the exposed concrete and rebar until you're twenty stories tall. Stations of gliders, made with the skins of the cattle we keep. We'll need nothing beyond flight radius. There will be streams, broken back out of the pavement and basements, rivulets to ride back home to the shore. The world will close again, small and destroyed and hurting. A seedling.

For now, I ride the bus home.

The later it takes for the bus to show up, the worse the crowd gets. A man with his hand in his pants. The growing smell of piss from another. Someone laid out along the back bench seats, two stops from death. Of course, the fifteen-odd witnesses who won't move a muscle. Avert your eyes and thoughts and path.

Sometimes, when the buses are running especially thin, mid-route the driver will get a call on his radio instructing him to take the B route through another section of downtown. There, we pick up worse.

College students. Young couples. Those nights, this night, I have plenty of young hot things sliming into each other's mouths for the rest of my trip. It's unavoidable. Surround sound. The crinkle of hands gripping through jackets and all the wet smacks mix together with the creaking and squeaking of the bus like it's a roadside motel. I am forced to look at these fresh, vacant twenty year olds and I wonder — how much could one person want to disappear?

You could bring an Armalite AR-180 carbine gas-operated semiautomatic on here. Open carry. Maybe that would make everyone stop. Sit in your seats quietly. Legs together. Follow the implicit rules. Walk home quickly and don't react to any calling. Switch sides of the street as needed to avoid the footsteps behind you, but not so much that the chase is interesting. Ignore how they speed up, you speed up, and you hear two laughs. Oh, the power of a rifle.

When I get to Paper Street, we've entered eternal twilight. The smog crests over us like a dome, blotting out the stars and lowering the atmosphere within reach. Industrial lot lights shine their way to the edges like the stars of the Truman show. Everything smells like ass.

If I called it home, Tyler would probably light it on fire. Between the asbestos and the gallons of water soaked into the house, it'd smolder for months. Our yard is littered with glass, tetanus, and leptospirosis. I've got this ache carving away at my insides, like I took Tyler to work with me and she's been tunneling out.

I open the door, set down my briefcase, and think about the fact that I have to do this tomorrow and the day after and until I die.

She's in the kitchen, in her robe. Tyler has her sunglasses on, she has to barely be able to see me with that gaze. Lit up by the lamps littered through the room like electric storm candles. She's smoking.

Tyler says, "Take off your skirt. I'm tired of seeing that thing."

Vertigo can be associated with presyncope. It feels like you're falling. It feels like you're going to vomit as the failing floorboards split apart and swallow you up.

Tyler says, "I don't know why you bother. We both know how you feel about this." She steps closer, blows smoke in my bloodless face. I wish I could take it on, I wish I could lock us both in an old fridge and infuse us with her breath. With all the soap Tyler makes, she still smells like shit. If she died I'd sleep in her corpse until it faded.

"You flatter me sometimes, psycho girl." Tyler reaches a hand past me, cages me to the door. On the other side, there's the edges of our little set, with the door closed you can't see the dollhouse way the world gives up past a hundred feet. The other hand, it trails down my side like it's made of fire, unbearable and intense. She's looking down, cigarette tugging at her lip, hooded eyes probably tracking how I twitch and jump under her fingers. I can't not look at her. The chip in her tooth. The intensity to her eyes. Her mouth. I'm too loose, I'm going to slip out of her arms and under the door and down the street.

She finds the zipper. Tugs it down, my skirt falls around me like the goddamned Berlin wall. It lies in a limp pile around my legs; she can see my tights. My underwear. She's exposed me. The cavern in me is massive. Yawning.

Tyler stubs out her cigarette on the door and presses me into it, too.

Right by my ear, she murmurs, "You always make me take what you want." Her hands slip around me — gripping my shirt at my shoulder, slipping around to my lower back, my ass — I don't know what to do with mine. I've got them splayed out. I'm staring at the ceiling, her hair half-obscuring it.

Her lips, against my cheek. Brushing, she's making her way back and I know and I'm not ready.

Tyler bites at my lip, pulls it soft and gentle between hers with the same sincerity and focus that she's used to fracture my jaw. My heart at the derby. It's one of those horses running so hard their lungs fill with blood and their organs explode. I open my eyes, I didn't know I closed them, the lights blind me.

Her hand slides up my shoulder, my neck. She's got to feel my pulse. Pile driving. She cups my face, right where she broke it. Tyler directs me into her kiss.

She says, into my mouth she breathes and says, "Let yourself do something, why don't you?"

I know she's looking at me. My eyes fell shut again, I'm trapped in the feeling of her lips on mine but I know she's looking at me, close, half-lidded and intense. Trembling, I ache and creak and try. I try.

Tyler could be eating me, I would still try to feed myself to her.

I'm rewarded with her tongue. On my lips, in my pliant, confused mouth. Volcanic hot springs. Earthquakes, fractures, overflowing. I imagine Tyler and her tongue elsewhere. I make a noise, it's so pitiful you could take it out back and shoot it.

She leans on me, puts her whole body weight on me and the rotten wood miracle holding us up. Her hand slithers out from behind me to grab my wrist. Caught red handed, stricken, full of nothing and twitching.

Tyler slips her thigh between mine, it's pressure so impossibly hard I could cry. I am crying. I'm such a hopeless participant that when she kisses her way to the corner of my mouth and drinks up my tears, I welcome her back all the same. My thighs open up and hug her all the same. I am perpetually the beaten dog, fleeing and running back to its owner.

My other hand, my left, free hand finds its home on her nape. Tangled in her short, greasy hair. Tyler needs to kiss me until the world caves in.

She brings my hand down. A ventriloquist, she kisses me deep and my wooden fingers slip through her bathrobe. The edge of her boxers. I am crying, I am kissing Tyler Durden as she flattens me so I cannot escape this perfect misery as she brings my wooden fingers to her folds and I feel. Wet.

My fingers twitch. It's impulse. It's inverse familiarity. It's feeling, labia minora. Something more. Tyler would have the words for this. She pushes my hand against herself, the meat of my palm against her pubic mound as she devours me. She could do it all herself.

The way it feels, sliding, warm. Warm like my whole body is trapped in between Tyler's thighs. It could be my head. My tongue. My tongue curling around her clit. These images flash through me like full-body phantoms. On my knees, my hands on the sensitive meat of her inner thighs. Like I'm getting buckshot to the chest point blank. Our positions reversed. My tongue in her mouth. My leg between hers. Reload. Her hand, held by mine.

I push my hand against her.

Tyler moans into my mouth.

I push my hand against her, and slide my palm over her clit, her chest flutters against mine. God would kill for this. Tyler is all around me, my index finger is slick and wet with her and it's easy. It's pressing into melted butter.

Tyler's falling apart, Mona Lisa, she's saying nothing and burying me in her lust. There's new tears and they aren't mine. I'm tugging at her hair, she's forcing me into a single point. Singularity.

I have two fingers in Tyler, she's holding me there and I'm arching up into her when she cracks, splitting apart and all over me like an egg. Everywhere. She shoves her face into mine, foreheads together, noses, her shades are off and her mouth is open as she shudders and mixes my breath with hers.

Her other hand lets go, finds its way up to the other side of my face, she's still leaning on me. I'm still keeping my hand on her. I want her to drown it. I feel every shiver. She presses, synchronous, hands down my neck, my shoulders, Tyler buries her face in my hair. Right next to my ear. She bites my earlobe. She lets a hand slip up my shirt. Her hand cups me, I haven't worn a bra since moving in with her, her thumb slides over my nipple. She slips her fingers into my tights.

Her fingers on my bare skin. Tyler puts a palm on me, over the wet patch soaking through my underwear, and her fingers are stuck between my clit and her thigh.

And I wake up.

I'm on the bus.

I'm on the bus, and I'm surrounded by young couples giving each other 9-hour anniversary STDs, and I've soaked through my underwear.

When I arrive at my stop, I walk for fifteen minutes to get to Paper Street. There's a hot, heavy mist beading on my skin. Thickening my breath. It's fat with the fart smell of paper processing and rich in heavy metals.

I open our door. It barely stays in its frame, sort of opening like a twice-hinged, fully-sized, single-doored saloon.

Tyler's in the kitchen, in her robe. She's smoking.

She stares at me through her sunglasses.

I set down my briefcase. I stand there, and she still smokes.

She's looking through me. She's seeing all my stains.

Tyler expects something of me.

Her eyes track me, all the way up the stairs. all the way to my room, to my moldy mattress. They see me shower in brown-red water and scrubbing furiously on my clothes. They see me wide awake, waiting for the bus the next morning.

I am always failing Tyler.

[again-and-then]

Random Pride, Envy, Wrath Headcanons

just gonna do the main girls for this one, a few quick thoughts I've had on their personality as I've been working

Lute:

All Exorcists are given a purpose when they are created, which is usually just ‘to be an Exorcist’ but Lute and Vaggie were given unique purposes which is why they tend to be more impressive specimen. Lute's purpose was to be ‘The Perfect Soldier', a concept which defined much of her personality and skills.

Lute is by far the most physically capable of all known Exorcists with physical strength and durability to rival a lesser Overlord, though she is considered rather slow in terms of dexterity and flight speed

As part of being the perfect soldier, Lute is very quick to pick up new forms of combat and can become a master of any weapon or fighting style with minimal training time

In contrast, Lute is incredibly slow to pick up non-combat skills but her stubborn nature means she will dedicate years or even decades to master specific skills. Most of the skills she has cultivated were to suit Adam's interests as such she is a good singer, can play several varieties of string instruments and is unbeatable at the Royal Game of Ur (though she mostly lets Adam win)

Cooking is Lute's ultimate bane, in 256 years of life she has only mastered a single recipe 

Lute is not afraid of fire but grows increasingly uncomfortable around open flames for reasons she doesn't understand 

A good soldier should be especially perceptive in order to recognize threats, Lute has hawk like vision and is very good at picking up even the smallest details in the rush of combat. 

Despite her repeated insistence that she is not French, Lute does enjoy French cuisine. Her favorite type of cheese is Brie and though she's not particularly big on sweets she will fight someone over a Creme Brulee.

Her favorite kind of meat is venison, just not in the gross roadkill way Alastor eats it.

Charlie:

It's been touched on in the fic but Charlie actually has a pretty volatile temper that she struggles to control, which is why it's pretty common to see her true form poking through whenever she's upset.

Because of this temper, it's not unheard of for Charlie to get into fights if she gets really, really angry but she prefers to remain a pacifist as much as she can due to the fact that Charlie is deathly afraid of actually hurting or possibly killing someone if she loses control of her powers.

Charlie's primary form is what she believes to be the perfect blend of ‘almost human but not quite’ she wants Sinners to be comfortable around her and believes showing too much of her demonic traits would put them off. She is capable of looking fully human, but thinks it would remind Sinners too much of their past mortal lives.

Charlie adores human fantasy books and collects them. She finds the weird and unique ways that humans interpret magic and myth to be utterly fascinating and especially loves anything with a hopeful and uplifting tone, contrary wise she thinks Grimdark books are boring and dumb (she already live in Hell). She really wants to start a book club in the hotel.

Charlie was definitely a lot more of a spoiled princess in her late teen years, spending most of her time in the lower rings, enjoying the luxury of her family's wealth and position, partying with Demon nobility, and occasionally getting into trouble… definitely didn't have anything to do with her parents often being too busy with politics or personal projects and Charlie acting out to get attention or anything. These days Charlie dislikes this period of her past and regrets not becoming involved with trying to help the Sinners earlier.

Seviathan definitely encouraged this former side of Charlie and often brought out the worst in her.

Incredibly physically affectionate, Charlie loves giving and receiving public displays of affection and tends to try to spoil Vaggie with gifts whenever Vaggie let's her.

Vaggie 

At her creation, she was given the purpose ‘to be a Tactician’ because while Lute was an absolute machine in combat, even Adam had to admit her ability to organize the Exorcist Army was dogshit.

Vaggie is naturally inclined towards organization, can process information quickly and has excellent memory retention.

Vaggie is definitely the smart one

The duty of a tactician isn't to take the lead but rather to inform and advise. She rarely takes the initiative on projects and tends to gravitate towards the position of second in command.

Grade A nerd, but she hides it fairly well. Vaggie discovered Anime when it first came to be and has been an avid fan of the art form ever since. She used to watch it with Lute (who mostly just liked to watch the fights) and has since managed to convince Charlie to join her.

Used to really enjoyed Real Time Strategy games but now playing them makes her feel guilty about her role in the Exorcists, so she has managed to fill the void with City builders and business sim games

After her encounter with Carmilla, she learned that her natural dexterity translates really well into dance and visits the Overlord once a week for lessons.

In terms of strength, Vaggie is solidly average by Exorcist standards, making her only a bit stronger than a normal human but she makes up for this by being one of the fastest and most dexterous. Especially in terms of flight, Vaggie held records for her speed and maneuverability. This is why it was such a tragedy that Vaggie lost her wings, though with her new wings she is rapidly regaining her speed and actually thinks she might be able to surpass her top speed given some time and practice.

Very easily embarrassed by public affection, won’t say no but she blushes so hard you could use her like a flashlight

[toskarin]

while I'm on a STGposting kick, here's some lesser-known Hellsinker. soundtrack trivia that I couldn't justify putting in their own posts, pulled partially from old blog entries and also just the game itself (dude trust me)

stuff below the break is written without trying to avoid spoilers, because otherwise it'd mostly just be a huge block of censored text

see below list for bonus notes on certain points

in at least one instance, hiranyon (the name TONNOR was using at the time) played with the idea of having the boss themes start in mono and then explode outwards into stereo after the boss entered the stage. in the end, he opted for the music to make use of hard L/R panning instead, to represent the boss entering through the centre

Segment 1L Boss (F. Rex Cavalier) was titled Keep your dignity, and if that phrase being the title didn't give it away, hiranyon outright confirmed the foreshadowing to be intentional in a blog post talking about writing the song

Segment 4 Boss (Rusted Dragon) was titled Fade away. apostate with an added explanation of the intentional ambiguity in the title, with the apostate (the translation he gives is 背信者) being decided by the outcome of the battle

there was an old track called shrine.ogg which notably didn't sound even a little bit like a stage theme, especially not a stage theme like Shrine of Farewell. the pre-release song which has the most in common with the Shrine theme proper is actually titled boss3.ogg. if you think about the Shrine in the context of being a boss (which makes a weird amount of sense, it just doesn't register as one because it's kind of free-floating), I guess it could come third?

people used to theorise about Aozora/Aoxola, the final boss from Radio Zonde, being Lost Property 771. I don't really believe this is true, but it's worth pointing out that Aozora/Aoxola's hidden phase theme is incredibly similar to Shrine of Farewell, to the point where I wouldn't blame someone for thinking the Shrine theme is a direct arrangement. I'm actually still kind of suspicious, myself

speaking of Radio Zonde callbacks that imply... something? the string section in Fade Away. apostate appears to be an arrange of Opaque Heart from Radio Zonde

there are cat sounds in a startling number of songs. the earlier in the game the song is, the more distorted the cats will be, but they're still almost omnipresent. the most obvious are in the second to last phase of the GARLAND theme where there's a constant choir of cats singing the melody, but you can also hear them in Segment 4 and 5 (both sides, stage and boss theme) if you listen carefully. hiranyon likes to bury them in sections with lots of other instruments

there are, generally speaking, two kinds of cat sounds that I've noticed pop up in the soundtrack. I'm going to call them the "cat piano" and the "meow pad" because hiranyon uses both of them pretty extensively, and it's really obvious what he's doing because he uses them most in songs directly associated with Lost Property 771

most people know this by now and I almost wasn't going to include it, but it feels weird to have a list of Hellsinker soundtrack trivia without mentioning that Past Rising Again (reprised as PAST RISINGS AGAIN) is an arrangement of the boss theme for early bosses in Radio Zonde. it's a distorted version of that theme because you're fighting a duo boss that's meant to resemble the old players, now having been distorted into prayers

the cat screaming in The Great Majority isn't a sound effect playing from one of the enemies. it's actually baked into the song. this probably isn't trivia to anyone who got into the game through the soundtrack, but I felt insane when I listened to the soundtrack and realised this

The Way of All Flesh, being the finale, reprises the game in reverse order. as an aside, all of Hellsinker is synced to the soundtrack (and hiranyon prides himself on this), but it really stands out here more than anywhere else. there's one especially notable bit where the screen flickers, displaying the text "Wherever did you put?" before

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[1] hiranyon: 盛り上がる前のトコ　公開当初の時点では。音が中央に寄る（圧迫感）→ステレオに戻る（開放感）という　絵に同期した仕掛けを意図したものでしたが。後期のものは音を限界まで横に広げ中央を空けて、ちょうど画面上では音の逃げた跡の。真中手前にボスが迫る、という演出構造にしたつもりでした。

[2] hiranyon: 満身創痍になりながらもそれを気にかけず進む者・それに相対する敵。強くありたいが周囲に押し流されそうな危うさや　そうなりきれずともそうあろうとする姿

[3] hiranyon: そう言われている時点では、その場に居るどちらがapostate（背信者）かは不確定です。恐らくどちらかが膝を折った時、それは決まるのでしょう。

[4] shrine.ogg is REALLY short, almost like it was only expected to loop for a single input screen. this seems to imply that the Shrine of Farewell might have gotten its name from originally being something at the end of a run or stage, like the results screen theme in Radio Zonde, but afaik there's no actual information on this at all and I just like to draw conjecture.

[5] hiranyon being someone who likes motifs and also someone who has specific flourishes that he keeps unconsciously using when writing melodies makes it really hard to say anything like this for sure. he actually complained about his tendency to over-write organ sections in his blog post about about rewriting Fade away. apostate lol

[8] the first instance of the cat piano I can think of occurs in Segment 2b, although it's heavily filtered so you almost have to know what it sounds like in the final boss to pick it out here. the first instance of the meow pad, however, is in the first menu theme

[fromtenthousandfeet]

https://x.com/97901_sue/status/1837382052729311473?t=AkNYU_IdWzar_rrDeie5Ew&s=19

Idk if he's achieved the money they were hoping his album would bring but he definitely got more fans than any other members. The songs that were chosen were of general public taste more than any other members'. Of course we know the Maknae line is already more Famous than others but he definitely gained a lot more fans like at least they succeeded in this. There's always some idols or other celebrities mentioning his songs and it's not just seven or not they do mention the b-sides as well. One thing i can say is that if currently there's one idol who's most popular then that's definitely him in general not talking about specific parts. The songs from Golden are known. I know the company pushing him helped A LOT but it's still about his vocal ability that i think attracts more ppl plus the choreo for those songs were also something that gp would love not too complicated not too easy. He Especially gained a lot more in sk cause so many idols mention him.

And i really hope someone won't say that I'm a jjk in disguise cause I'm not. Just saying what i saw. Would have said the same if it was any other member instead of him.

I'm really not convinced Jungkook picked up a ton of fans due to SEVEN or his album. Don't confuse successful marketing with actual committed fans.

Marketing exists for a reason - because it works! HYBE spent an INSANE amount of money marketing SEVEN, and Golden to a lesser extent. SEVEN was basically unavoidable if you were on TikTok. And if you weren't on that platform, you got hit by auto play on Spotify, or forced ads on YouTube. Hearing something enough times makes it familiar. Recognizing a song is kind of comforting. You may sing along even if you don't really love the song.

I get so many asks about Jungkook. Why me??? Stop, I beg you!

Here are my honest opinions about JK:

He's overhyped. At the end of the day, he's just a typical Gen Z dude in an extraordinary situation.

The songs I've heard from Golden sound dated and dull.

His voice is nothing special. I don't care how much training he's had. It's nasal and devoid of emotion. He sounds better when he sings in his lower register, but that doesn't work well in pop music, where almost all the male singers are tenors. His falsetto is unlistenable.

He's a mockingbird. He can mimic famous singers, but he himself has no signature sound or artistic point of view.

I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift. I don't hate her, but I don't actively search out her music. I'm fine listening to her songs when I hear them in public or on the radio. I think it's great that she's so successful. I'm totally fine with her enormous fandom. This is where I'm trying to get with Jungkook. It would be easy to feel indifferent to him and his potential success if all members of BTS were given equal treatment by the company. I would simply say, "congratulations on your success as a solo artist and good luck in your future endeavors." The problem, of course, is the fact that BigHit/HYBE openly sabotages Jimin, copies Jimin, and gives him the bare minimum of tools for success. They aren't really doing any favors for the remaining five members, either.

Jimin has something Jungkook doesn't have, and that's the most dedicated global fandom imaginable. It's an organized fandom who keep him on the charts despite the odds. Jungkook just has lots of tools, including basic pop songs specifically written for a western audience, infinite versions, covers, and remixes, and an unfathomable marketing budget, all of which almost guarantee his success. You just can't compare the two.

Yikes. I'm long winded as usual, but here's what I'd like to end with. I hope Jimin will continue to write his own music. I hope he will continue to dazzle us with his own style of dance, incorporating contemporary and street style. I hope he pushes boundaries. Jungkook can have the huge global pop star title. I am in no way obligated to consume his music or content. Equally, I won't mind if others do.

[angel-of-hunky-doryness]

The Conflicts of Disney's Hercules (Part 1): Meg vs Hades

Long post y'all.

I promised my diva of a sponsor to get to this and since my last post gained steam, I thought I'd finally talk about one of my favorite Villain vs Heroine conflicts in Disney's canon. This will be a bit of a mini series as I break down and explore the conflicts in the movie, think Hades vs Zeus vs Hercules, Hercules/Hades vs the Fates, etc. As I continue the series if you have a suggestion for one you want me to deep dive I would love to hear it!

That's the fun part about Tumblr, the opportunity to hear voices and begin discussion about little things no one mentions in a 20+ old film. Also, bare in mind I will be exploring other Disney films eventually, but I've just spent too long digging in the Hercules trenches i can't help but gush about it even if it is far from my favorite Disney film.

Also fair warning ahead of time but there is a CW in one section of this post that can be easily circumvented if you so wish. There will be a space and *** symbols to indicate when it starts and when it ends as we discuss some dark themes and symbolism.

Now on to the evening's entertainment!

The history of Disney hero(ine) vs villain goes all the way back to Disney's very first animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this film, we are treated to a classic clash between good vs evil with well-established background that fully explains the animosity the Queen has towards Snow White and to a lesser known extent of myself when I was 3. However, keep in mind, the Queen interacts with Snow White through indirect sources like the Huntsman and when the Queen disguises herself as a hag.

To summarize in case you haven't seen the movie, Snow White finally gets to the ripe old age where a person can finally be considered fair, which I suppose is 14 years old. The queen gets so frazzled her hair falls out and turns white and ages about seventy years or something.

Anxiety, hits at every age y'all. Even for the wickedly beautiful.

And so ensues the assassination plot of an abused princess who manages to escape and finally gets the love and life she dreamed about for so, so long.

The reason I'm using Snow White as a jumping off point is because we have the very first example in Disney's canon of a deal being offered to an otherwise naïve young girl.

And that naïve young girl accepts out of her own volition, no forcing, no pressuring, at the end of the day, taking a bite of a poisoned apple or in Meg's case taking Hades' hand sealing both Heroine's fate.

Now, while Disney's Hercules touches on how Meg got ensnared in Hades' plans, let's review what we do know:

Meg was at the end of her rope when her ex died. So much so that she was willing to do anything to get him back, and she meant it. While we do not know exactly how healthy Meg and her ex's relationship was before his untimely demise, the fact that her Ex ran off with another girl soon after tells me a lot on what the relationship was really like. It wasn't as steadfast or true as Meg had previously believed.

Oh yeah, weird side note, but we're completely ignoring Twisted tales: Go the Distance. Yeah, way to go. You took away Meg's chance to shine and connect with an unspoken minority in the audience. Do you know how many friends of mine found so much connection with Meg because she had been in a prior abusive relationship and still found love despite all the trauma she went through? Meg's iconic. Having Hades be the reason her ex took off is such a dumb move. I don't think he was that invested in her personal life to ruin it even further just to mess with her. He could care less, he's focused on taking over Olympus rn.

Anyway, tangent over.

So Meg's whole life revolved around her ex, and she was willing to put in the sacrifice and effort to be with him, but he snubbed her. The movie is very clear that the reason Meg is so cynical when we meet her is b/c she used to be a very openly sweet and loving person back when everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. And in that period, when she was so enamored with this Joe Schmo, she was probably starry eyed and saw everything in rose-colored glasses and thus didn't see the red flags of this chump. But she grew up and learned from her mistakes, but in a path that stopped her from ever trusting or loving someone else.

It's interesting, but Meg's ex comes up again at least referenced in I won't Say(I'm in Love), in the line:

"I thought my heart had learned its lesson..."

But when Meg sings that line, do you know what part of the garden she's in?

***CONTENT WARNING: R*pe. We will be discussing the setting of where I won't say (I'm in Love) takes place and picking apart at the various statues littered about in the Greek courtyard.

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Now the garden is filled with statues of lovers and other symbols of love, but some that are not examples of love, specifically ones that revolve around scenes of r*pe.

The reference to her ex by the aforementioned lyric is when Meg's surrounded by scenes of r*pe: We have a centaur carrying off a lady and a satyr chasing after a girl. A common theme in greek myths, and I can't help but feel this was intentional on the writer's part. They are shouting and screaming at us that Meg's ex was a bad dude. Why would the only reference to her past dating life be when she's surrounded by the only sexually perverse imagery in this entire scene? Of males taking advantage of women? Carrying them off when they are not at all interested based on their body language?

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***

I think that's why when Meg and Hades talk after her fake dating AU with Hercules their whole conversation is filled with so much substance. The song pushes so much character development for Meg that it enables her to face her trauma head-on and accept the past and still have the courage to move forward and try again with this budding new relationship now that the Muses helped support her- as her back-up chorus and her conscience lol.

But there's still one problem. One overhanging problem that's give or take 7 feet tall of abandonment and anger issues, permeating with the stench of sulfur and brimstone.

When the song ends, Hades almost immediately appears in the most on the nose way. By ripping apart a pair of young lovers as he emerges from the Underworld like the extra edgelord he is.

Thus begins my favorite scene of the movie. Songs don't count.

Now we've seen Meg and Hades interacting before and I will touch upon the scene after Zero to Hero later, but its poignant to get to the only time they really have a true clash first. The garden scene is the first time Meg is facing Hades as a heroine and not a reluctant minion.

Gosh, I love it when a girl goes feral, and Meg goes all out here. The interchange between Meg and Hades is written so tightly and neatly, everyone is dripping with so much character I just adore it.

But the most ironic part that isn't given much thought is why Hades says his most iconic and memeable line:

You bet this line is hilarious, but look at Hades' expression in the gif before. The exaggerated eyeroll, the sagging shoulders of disbelief as Meg is full of so much love and hope she almost forgets who's she's saying all this to.

The irony of Meg gushing about Hercules to Hades is this: Meg and Hades have had this exact conversation before. But now the guy in questions isn't her ex, it's Hercules.

And this time around, Hades is done beating around the bush and pretending everything is hunky-dory. Last time, he was fine with her going on about her ex and gushing about how "great" of a guy he was b/c he just wanted to take her soul. Hades probably had to fish her Ex out and knew what kinda guy he was once he read his record. In fact, I'm willing to wager, Hades has had multiple women similar to Meg who had done the same as her for some deadbeat.

And that's why Hades comes across as so annoyed by her being back in the same position.

Didn't she learn her lesson? Hell, even Hades knows guys can be pigs. And a small part of me has always wondered if his annoyance is also springing up b/c he knows that Hercules is a son of Zeus. While I don't think Hades ever had a soft spot for Meg- went lenient with her, etc, I can't help but wonder if Hades saw Hercules as someone who got around like Zeus and had a reputation like Zeus' other sons, ie, Apollo, Hephaestus, and even Hermes(yes Hermes had a lot of kids with tons of women). So Hades might legitimately be trying to warn her. I mean he's about to set her free, he's trying to pass on some good advice here before he disappears from her life

Btw, Ares is the only son of Zeus and the only god in Greek mythology who ever had a 100% confirmation rating of consensual relationships.

Be like Ares.

As the scene continues to play out, we start to see that as Meg continues to resist Hades' attempts for her to spill about Hercules' weakness, we see Hades for the first time lose it at Meg instead of his imps.

What little control Meg thought she had in her servitude comes crashing down and I think it's at that moment she realizes how much Hades had been holding back or really how good he was at pretending. He had been manipulating her into thinking she had a platform/control in her life. When Hades takes off his mask and Meg realizes when he had "convinced" her to seduce Hercules in a classic Samson and Delilah situation, it was never her choice. And now she's second guessing if Hades really intended to free her for the information she was undercover for.

He has all the leverage in the world after all.

That's why despite the threat Hades made on her life, she doesn't budge one bit. B/c she loves Hercules more than her own safety. And Meg triumphantly declares to Hades that he lost b/c Hercules can't be beaten b/c of his lack of weaknesses.

Only to realize too late that Hades possesses far more emotional intelligence to understand what's going on. Villains who understand that love is a motivator for people and don't dismiss it as a stupid chemical imbalance are some of my favorite. Not only does Hades understand that if someone like Meg had fallen so quickly then the other party had to have been a genuine person who sought her in the same way she wanted to seek him. Sure, he's taking advantage of it, but he's been around enough to know how much love can be used against people.

And I think that's why when Hades finally meets Hercules, old flame head decides to spill the beans to Hercules about Meg and her role in Hercules' downfall.

Yes, he wanted to hurt Hercules and taunt him and torment him with thoughts on how deep Hades and Meg's relationship went, but he did so to hurt Meg too.

Her show of loyalty to Herc was the last straw and Hades wanted to make sure she could never salvage a relationship with him for her slight against him. But also doing it in a way that broke her spirit and put her in a terribly guilty position that she would feel so undeserving of being with Hercules right as she is freed by him. And ensuring that she never faces Hercules again- maybe split town so she could avoid being harmed, idk.

And that makes Hades revealing Meg's complicity all the more personal. Bc Hades knows how much Meg wants to love and be loved again.

So when a powerless Hercules crumbles beneath Pain and Panic's taunting we see the first time this stubborn, hard-hearted girl cries. Not for her sake, but his.

We have seen throughout this movie that Meg and Hades have the most conflict, the most interactions, and the most character heavy scenes in the movie. They are very similar characters. Both are awfully cynical and sarcastic, both want to be free from some higher power's hold on them, and they're both bitter, bitter people who hate how their lives fell apart at the hands of someone who didn't care for them: Zeus and Joe Schmo.

Now, I'm going to backtrack and move to the Hades scene right after Zero to Hero.

Here, we get another facet of their relationship.

Hades finally realizes that he'd been sending so many beasts after Hercules, so to not be labeled insane, this time around he decides to send in a beauty. *Insert Susan Egan played Belle on Broadway joke here*

Which let's be real, should've been his first approach based on who Herc's daddy is.

But Hades doesn't try to convince Meg with yelling and screaming like he does with the boys, instead, he levels with her. Homeboy puts all his cards on the table, but does so by first empathizing with her and reminding her who helped put her in this situation.

For one second of this film, Hades shows some degree of humanity. And that is super scary. Out of the disney villains, Hades displays a huge, huge depth of emotional intelligence. I don't think any other villains compare and that's what makes him such a compelling villain. Most villains don't have that, and his ability to read the room and know how ppl work that really explains how he's able to manipulate ppl so easily. Even someone like Meg who's been putting up with him for quite a while was persuaded by him. And he does it by turning off the used car salesman persona and acting like an empathetic human being, albeit a flamed hair one.

Maybe that's why he doesn't bark orders to her, he has to appeal to her to let her be more agreeable for a better success rate. Or maybe Hades really is one of the few gods who uses consent.

When I first watched this movie as a kid I never saw the implications of Meg and Hades' relationship until I got older and watched the movie Casino (1995). James Woods, the voice actor for Hades, plays a pimp and that had a kind of whiplash for me when I realized why his role in Casino felt eerily familiar. In Meg's first scene, Hades had sent her out to recruit a centaur knowing full-well that centaur's really dig chicks. We all remember a certain statue in Meg's iconic song, I'm pretty sure the writers knew what was going on.

And that has some super dark implications right there about what Hades expected the scenario to come to and why he sent HER of all people to recruit Nessus without some kind of backup. Whether you agree on my analysis about this is something I really won't argue about. I don't personally see Hades as a pimp, but he does take on characteristics of one mostly b/c of his conman persona since they are rather similar in their manipulation tactics.

Just thought I'd put it here to give some food for thought and since I don't want to make a post on it.

In the end, after reviewing the most important scenes between Meg and Hades you can start to understand my perspective of why the conflict, the clash, and the antagonism feels the most vivid when its centered on Meg vs Hades. Far, far more so than Hercules and Hades ever had. And dare I say it? Even more than Zeus and Hades.

We only get the implications of Hades and Zeus, we don't see them at the forefront.

Everything boils down to Meg. In fact, b/c Hades drags her in, b/c she saves Hercules when he was powerless that Hades ever had the slightest chance of winning, but on the flipside, so did Hercules. If Hercules had remained a deity, he would've been lounging about too along with his parents and unprepared for the oncoming attack.

Throughout this film, Meg grows from being an unwilling participant to someone who's willing to risk it all, overcoming her fear and trauma to get the band back together to save Hercules and ends up helping him get his powers back. So it wasn't so much Hercules' actions that save the day, but Meg's.

At the end of the day, the conflict between Meg and Hades has always felt like the central conflict in Hercules more than what Hades vs Hercules was ever like. Every scene, every biting interchange, its quite obvious the two had a heated past and I can see why some ppl have shipped them even if I personally never did.

It's why I really don't see Hercules as the main character. After zero to hero, we start to lose focus on him since he has no bearing on the overall plot of stopping Hades. To me, Meg has the most growth, the most courage, and the best development in the film and that is because of how well she works as a foil to Hades, the film's antagonist.

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking around.

It's been a real slice.

[mackmp3]

Aotearoa Music Month

It's almost the end of NZ Music Month, here are my personal favourite Aotearoa artists and a few song recommendations :)

(If you listen to one song from the list make it Old Peel)

Aldous Harding. Words cannot explain the sheer bonkersness of Aldous Harding. One of her earliest songs shares the name but seemingly little else with Titus Groan, the gothic-fantasy novel by Mervyn Peake, and the music video for 'Lawn' features her in a prosthetic lizard tail. Performing live, she often stares straight ahead as though she is not quite sure why you're all looking at her. Her songs, sometimes joyous (The Barrel, Fever, Lawn), and sometimes yearning (Pilot, Party) sometimes just bored (Ennui), are all unmistakably her. Her last few albums have been produced by PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, and her band includes multi-instrumentalist H. Hawkline (Cate Le Bon collaborator). 2022's Warm Chris was my favourite album of the year, I listened to it almost everyday for two months, the standout line (from 'Fever' being 'the weather/opened up like a birthday card' which is just beautiful. Her best song, though, I think is 'Old Peel', a 2021 single in which the percussion is Harding banging on a coffee mug with a stick. And she does this live as well.

2. The Beths. The Beths are one of those wonderful indie bands whose music all sounds so cheerful but the songs are all about the crushing weight of your insecurities. They've released 3 studios albums and an EP, but I reckon their debut, Future Me Hates Me, is their best one - standout tracks are the title track, 'Happy Unhappy' and 'Uptown Girl'. Their sounds is a mix of contemporary indie pop (lots of chirpy backup vocals) and classic indie rock dirt, especially on 'Future Me Hates Me', though their new stuff is pretty heavy live. They also use a lot of the old NZ made amps and gear that was made here in the 60s and 70s when it was too expensive to import stuff( ask any adult who was in a band here when they were younger and they'll probably have one). 'I Want to Listen' from last years' 'Expert In A Dying Field' is really lovely, if you aren't in the mood for songs about not knowing if you're lovable cos they've got a fair few of those.

3. Voom. Voom are probably on the lesser known side, but their 2006 album 'Hello, Are You There' is right up there with Grandaddy and Built to Spill. It's one of those albums with like 17 songs but some of them are less than a minute long. Beautiful indie rock, full of classic stuff like 'Jimmy's Got A Boner' 'My Friend Satan' and 'I'm Leaving Forever'. The best song on the album is 'B Your Boy', which I could listen to for a very long time, and we're going to cover it in my band and I'm so excited. It's just a perfect song.

Those are my top three (at the moment) honourable mentions are -

Reb Fountain - I saw her live. It was scary. I loved it.

Marlon Williams - last year he invented a genre, Māori disco pop, wrote the most danceable song of the year (My Boy), and played bongos on 'Come To Me' (Björk cover) live.

Vera Ellen - Some nice pissed off indie rock. 'I Want 2 B Boy' is very cool.

Pickle Darling - very vibey bedroom pop, lots of delightful little tunes. Also they work at a record store in my hometown and is always really friendly when I'm in there :)

Tiny Ruins - I'm not the most familiar with their stuff but one of my friends tells me to listen to them all the time so they must be good. Indie folk.

The Clean - Dunedin sound band, not super familiar with them but they have a song called 'Point That Thing Somewhere Else' which sounds like Sonic Youth but somehow even cooler.

Dimmer - 'I Believe You Are A Star' sort of like Portishead, by ex-Straightjacket Fits musician Shanye Carter. loudest show I've ever been to.

This one song called 'Gaskrankinstation' by the Headless Chickens, it's hella dark but pretty damn cool. post-punk.

Special Mention to Flying Nun Records, the actual coolest record label.

[girlreviews]

Review #112: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John

There are a bunch of songs on this album that we probably all know and love. If you don’t, you’ve been living under a rock or something and there’s not a lot of hope for you. They’re great. But have you ever listened to Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding? The double opener of this record. Half instrumental before leading into its vocal second half. It’s intense. Gotta wonder whose funeral this was and what their wishes were in being remembered. They weren’t messing around.

Bennie and the Jets, a damn classic, recorded in the studio but sort of made to sound as if was recorded live by adding in crowd sounds from different live shows – including that of a 1970 Jimi Hendrix show on the Isle of Wight (???). This song slaps. It’s so ridiculous. The delivery of the vocals is absurd, and it’s just really made for drunk people at a bar to shriek it over and over. I’ve lost my voice a couple of times this way.

A hit, but an underrated one (since there are so many to choose from in Elton John’s repertoire), is the album’s title track, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I’ve always been enamored with this song and how it tells a bleak tale of someone with big dreams being faced with a harsh reality. People are all too willing to take advantage of naïve, eager, people like them. You can have everything you want – at a price. It has such stark imagery in it:

“What do you think you’ll do then?

I bet they shoot down the plane

It’ll take you a couple of vodka and tonics

To set you on your feet again

Maybe you’ll get a replacement

There’s plenty like me to be found

Mongrels, who ain’t got a penny

Sniffin’ for tidbits like you

On the ground”

It’s too short and I’m always disappointed when it’s over because I think, man, I could hear that chorus a few more times. The harmonies and production of it are just really striking and really deliver feeling like, “this life isn’t for me”. It’s not sad exactly. It’s maybe like a disappointment and acceptance. A moving on. A hard lesson learned.

What I love about this record is that it’s the original material for a 2011 album that made its way into my all-time favorites, and I felt got massively overlooked by just about everyone and that’s really just to their detriment. In 2011, Elton John and Pnau released Good Morning to the Night, which was essentially Pnau (one half of Empire of the Sun) remixing Elton’s lesser-known B-sides or album tracks into new material. A lot of them came from the album tracks of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It. Was. Out. Standing. Pure joy to listen to. I have met approximately one other human being who gives a fuck about it. Anyway, shit was good. For example, in the title track Good Morning to the Night, they take the organ from Funeral for a Friend, and fuckin’ turn that shit into a heavenly ascent that you do not come down from. It’s no funeral. You’re alive.

My favorite track, however, is Phoenix, which lifts its lyrics exclusively from the 1973 record's Grey Seal. While the music in Phoenix is beautiful, uplifting, inspiring, and has encouraged me to run more miles than I can count – it’s the words. When I first moved to the US I spent the first few months of my time here in a very particular way. I slept a lot. A LOT. I got up every day. Made tea, in the microwave (if you know me, you know this pains me to admit), and then I ran three miles on a treadmill to get my feelings out. Then I cried. Then I watched as much Breaking Bad as one human can reasonably consume without crawling up the walls with anxiety. Rinse. Repeat. Eventually, I got a job. But this was my job for a bit while I worked out some shit in my nugget and got some rest. I had a playlist. I still have it, and I still use it when I run. It’s batshit to be honest, if anyone ever listened in on me at the gym, they’d be like what weird shit makes this girl run? Anyway. Phoenix is on there as an up-tempo feet mover, but really, as I maintain, it’s the message, which is really the verses from Grey Seal, that made me go-go-go:

“Why's it never light on my lawn

Why does it rain

And never say good-day to the new-born

On the big screen they showed us the sun

But not as bright in life as the real one

It's never quite the same as the real one

I never learned why meteors were formed

I only farmed in schools

That were so warn and torn

If anyone can cry then so can I

I read books and draw life from the eye

All my life is drawings from the eye

Your mission bells were wrought by ancient men

The roots were formed by twisted roots

Your roots were twisted then

I was re-born before all life could die

The Phoenix bird will leave this world to fly

If the Phoenix bird can fly then so can I”

This song has always made me dig deep and keep going. Whether on a stupid treadmill or in a really hard time. He asks the grey seal “How does it feel to be so wise? To see through eyes that only see what’s real?”. It makes me think of the story of The White Seal, by Rudyard Kipling. A young blue-eyed seal went against his elder's advice to seek a safe place for them all and found it, gaining a lot of wisdom on the way. Striking out on one’s own to avoid a fate that seems completely inevitable, against all the naysayers, and fucking making it happen. Anyway. One version of the song has a seal (and a phoenix) and one version of the song has a phoenix only, both versions are remarkable. Only one is on the Rolling Stones's Top 500 Albums of All Time, and that is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

[birlwrites]

I would love to know what would be going through Evan head considering we don't see much from regulu's pov

I also just love reading about your thoughts on ttdl

OKAY so this ask arrived on august 30 which was when i posted chapter 61 so i'm going to assume you meant in that chapter - but what's going through evan's head is always fun aghslgksdhjkf

so, like, chapter 61 is a big chapter for him - there really is a moment when he's bracing to spill The Big Secret, Part 1. once regulus veers off course with the narcissa problem, he feels like he's managed to delay the inevitable - so that relief informs a lot of how much he throws himself into the Everything about the rest of the chapter. he has this chance to move on (and this chance to reaffirm how useful and On Regulus's Side he is) and he's going to take it with everything he has

but other Notable Things going through evan's head:

when regulus is like 'wouldn't people have their most important secret conversations in the gardens' evan is amused, not because regulus is half right, but because ONLY REGULUS would look at the most Romantic™ place in rosier manor and go 'ah yes. the perfect venue for war conversations. let us stroll among the roses hand in hand under the moonlight and plot our propaganda campaign'

he has such a one track mind. evan adores him

and then evan is fighting for his LIFE to avoid rambling the whole time regulus is trying to work on the roses - he needs to avoid being a distraction and it's K I L L I N G him. evan excels at being a distraction. he has so much fun being a distraction. regulus is rIGHT THERE. he is suffering. (but also he's stressed about The Big Secret and pulling this off)

and then of course regulus hands him a flawless duplication and he is a) awestruck and b) absolutely determined to carry out his part of the plan equally flawlessly. when he says "It's impressive. Thank you," that's an intentional direct mirror of what regulus says to him in the wardrobe with the truffles in chapter 43 (i think it's chapter 43?) - interpret that however you like re: evan drawing parallels between The Dumbledore Situation and this

evan is also growing increasingly offended by how little pride regulus takes in his own achievements. he and barty should start a club

as soon as they go back to the ballroom, evan is in Mission Mode, which is unfortunate for regulus, who is already missing having evan's undivided attention. the rosier-malfoy rivalry is something that brings me joy so i'm determined to work it into everything ajfslkhgkjdf. the rest of evan's rambling is calculated to make mulciber and warrington (and, to a lesser extent, amycus carrow) feel as excluded and outclassed as possible - mentioning things they're not invited to, telling mulciber outright that he's not one of them, bringing up things he wouldn't know about (alphard black yay!!!!), and so on

evan is pretty effortlessly mean when he wants to be - good thing he's on regulus's side ajflskghsjdkf

and then taking regulus back to his room to give him the rose!!! this is absolutely 100% a flirting maneuver, but it's also an attempt at speaking regulus's language - regulus always gets *him* presents

and "You're not going to crush it. It's not as delicate as it looks." is a reference on my part (not evan's) to regulus handing evan the snitch after the quidditch cup!

the rest of the chapter is evan wanting to say something but feeling like it's not the time or place. he knows regulus likes him - he's known that much for some time afjshgkdjf - but that's different from knowing what regulus wants, and he also feels like there is a substantial risk that regulus will get spooked and retreat and everything will be shitty and awkward forever. evan is constantly trying to test the waters without driving regulus away by coming on too strong. but also he just likes flustering him shgjlshdjkf

[boysplanetrecaps]

Build Up Episode 2: Decalcomanie

Welcome back to another recap in my Build Up recap series! In the previous one, I covered Sum (Breath). In this one, I’ll cover Decalcomanie, a song originally performed by Mamamoo. This will be an interesting one, so let’s go!

Ok, before we dive in, I thought I might tell you a bit about the song itself! It was released by Mamamoo in October of 2016. It was a huge hit, kind of part of their launch from lesser known girl group to big time. It was part of the 1-2-3-4 hit string of Um Oh Ah Yeh, You’re the Best, Decalcomanie, and Yes I Am. 

So decalcomanie (French term, decalcomania in English) is a technique by which engravings and prints may be transferred to pottery or other materials. What does that mean? Well, would it help if I pointed out that a shortened version of the word is “decal”? Basically, it’s kind of like screen printing, or stencils, or iron on transfers -- in that vein. You might be wondering, “Ok, so… wut?” Especially if you’ve noticed that there are lots of other kpop songs with the word in it. What’s that all about?

Well, basically, in Korea, the word decalcomanie has come to mean the idea of a mirror image or doppleganger. The song by Mamamoo is about this idea of two people who are coming together like two faces on either side of a mirror -- finding a connection that’s impossible to break. In other words, it’s about sex. Ok, great, that’s solved. 

And, fun fact, apparently Mamamoo avoid singing this song when they can because it’s so hard to sing.

Fun Korean word of the day: 위험한, wiheomhan (sound like “wee-oh-may” when they say it fast), which means dangerous. You hear it many, many times in Decalcomanie, but you’ll also hear it in a million other kpop songs. Heartburn by Sunmi, Venom by Stray Kids, Wee-oo wee-ooh by Pristin, Overdose by EXO, and a lot more. Plus there’s some EXO song where Chanyeol goes “Danger, wiheomhan” and I can’t remember which one it is. Brain is broken. Ok! That’s enough of that.

Let’s get back to the episode. 

We see that the guys are super nervous, because they have to sing the song in front of the original singer. 

Dahee says that this is her personal favorite song. When the song is revealed, the other judges applaud for Solar, I guess for being part of this song in the first place.

She’s excited that her song is being used.

Solar tries to put on a serious face, but I think she’s just happy about it.

The guys approach!

LTR: Bitsaeon from M.O.N.T., Ji Yeon Woo, Sunyoul from Up10tion, and Choi Su Hwan

Bitsaeon introduces himself as a chameleon who can do any genre. 

Yeonwoo seems pretty nervous, then introduces himself as a trainee from RBW, which is Solar’s agency. Solar says she didn’t know he was going to be on the show, but she has actually evaluated him before because she does the evaluations at her agency. They aks him how it went, and he says she was scary, telling him he wasn’t good enough. 

Suhwan says he wants to be remembered as an outstanding singer. Vocal Coach Guy (VCG) says that he remembers Suhwan from Produce 101, and that he’s very good. Suhwan is so happy. 

Then Sunyoul says “I want to be a beautiful melody on stage. I’m the main vocal of Up10tion, Sunyoul.” You’re already a beautiful melody, Sunyoul. The judges know his voice and approve of it. 

We flash back to the first episode and see 8th place Sunyoul running immediately to Decalcomanie. He says he feels confident with his high notes. This is as good a time as any to remind you that Sunyoul sang multiple songs on King of Masked Singer dressed as a woman, and convinced his listeners that he was female. That’s the kind of voice he has! 

So Sunyoul joined first, then 14th placed Bitsaeon and 19th placed Ji Yeonwoo (in the suspenders) joined while all options were still open. Bitseaon said he wanted a song with ryhtm and groove, and like, same. When Yeonwoo joins, they ask him, “wait, aren’t you at RBW?” and he’s like, yeah, but it wasn’t so much that he wanted to sing a song by his sunbaes as that he wanted a faster, less depressing song.

Suhwan was in 33rd place, and when he joined, four of the songs (Ditto, Tomboy, Shall I Love You Again, and Beautiful) were all closed. But Decalcomanie was his top choice, so he could show his high notes, even though he wasn’t sure he wanted to be compared to Sunyoul. 

Suhwan tries to laugh about it with Sunyoul, but kind of can’t. 

They do the part distribution, and there’s a part no one wants. Sunyoul thinks that Yeonwoo, the trainee, might do well with that part, and then says “but you can be honest about what you want.” 

Yeonwoo voice-overs, “There were a lot of cameras….”

. … and they show us this amazing shot. There are in fact a LOT of cameras and people watching and listening. “It was my first time on TV,” Yeonwoo explains, so I was extremely nervous. People I’m working with have years of experience. I was discouraged.”  (Side note: My spy network had told me that Yeonwoo had gone on another show called Wild Idol, so I wonder what’s going on with that.)

Sunyoul seems cognizant of all this, and the age gap between the rest of them and Yeonwoo. I’m not sure how old Yeonwoo is, but Bitseon is 28, Sunyoul is 27, and Suhwan is 22. “This is his first survival show,” Sunyoul says. “I was worried that he might be hesitating to speak up.” Aww! Sunyoul! Sweet Sunyoul!! 

We see a brief montage of the others helping Yeonwoo a bit, showing him how the in-ear monitors work, and offering him shoulder squeezes. He interviews that he’s feeling a lot better from all the support from the others.

And the performance begins! 

Here’s the link to the version without all the reactions. 

The guys approach!

LTR: Bitsaeon from M.O.N.T., Ji Yeon Woo, Sunyoul from Up10tion, and Choi Su Hwan

My thoughts:

First off, this is a cool arrangement. It’s really fun to listen to. And who doesn’t like this song? It’s just so catchy. As for the performances, well, mostly pretty great -- good enough to end up on my playlist. But no one here made me go “ahhhh” the way I did when Taehwan, or Neon, or any member of Breath sang. It was all really really good, just not extraordinary for me. I hope you understand what I mean. 

Next thing I have to note is that my opinion of the performance seems to be very different from the judges’, so in editing this write up, I’ve had to think about things I’ve missed, opinions I might change, and in the end I have to stick to my guns and disagree with the judges. You’ve been warned!

Poor Yeonwoo forgot the words right at the beginning. Oh noooooo. He sounded sooo nervous, but pretty nice, and I was cheering for him, and then I heard a “nanana” where there should have been other sounds. Oh nooooooooooooooooooooo. Thank dog, he did a lot better later, but he never seemed to totally relax and get back into the song, except for the part where he was trading “I feel good!”s with Bitsaeon.  I think the guys really didn’t know who the judges would be, so when Yeonwoo found out it would be Solar, he panicked a little. Poor guy. I bet he did it perfectly in practice dozens of times. I really liked his teaser performance, and I think he has a ton of talent, so I hope he can figure out how to get over his nerves. Even nervous and unsure, I could see glimmers of his talent and technique, and I overall enjoyed his performance.

Man, I love Bitsaeon. I love his fuzzy sweaters, I love his energy and swag, I loved his “Whoo!!” at the beginning and his “yeah yeah yeahs” at the end, and I love his voice in general. He has impeccable pitch and a big open sound that manages to be both clean and textured at the same time. I was surprised that the rap part was included, but he did a good job with that too. 

On the negative end, he was a tiny bit ahead of the beat in his first chorus, but I didn’t notice that problem later in the song. Also, his highest harmonies were a little thin and nasal, and he had to go into his falsetto and I’m not quite sure if that was his plan. 

Choi Suhwan sounded so great for the first section he sang. He has just the right amount of vibrato to give texture to his voice, and a nice natural color. If I judged his whole performance by those four lines, I’d give him the win. Also, he carried a lot of the rapping and he did really great with that, bringing a Moonbyul-esque tone to it. 

Then partway through he started to sound more and more strained, almost like he had to swallow or clear his throat or something, or like he was getting a bit hoarse. It made my throat hurt listening to how strained he was. He still hit that great high note in the “wiheomhan, wiheomhan , WEEheomhan” part, perfectly on pitch. He wasn’t as nasal sounding as he was in some other performances of his, but the problems I noticed with his upper mix were still there. He still sounded good, though, overall. All four of them did, for the most part. 

Sunyoul’s voice is really lovely, with varied dynamics and little growls for texture, and I loved the energy he brought. He even did a little of the choreo, almost like it was reflexive. Sunyoul himself is so cute and loveable that I wish I loved his voice a little bit more than I do. It’s just a tiny bit too high pitched naturally to tickle my ears. But I adore Sunyoul. I don’t understand how their agency fucked Up10tion over so badly, when it seems like they have so many talented and lovable members who only seem to get noticed when they go on reality shows. 

In terms of what the four of them brought to the arrangement, I think other teams did a bit more to arrange their songs, but what these guys did was good. Something I liked about their harmony is that they sort of took turns taking the lead with it, so when they were in harmony sometimes Bitsaeon’s voice would come through strongest, or sometimes Yeonwoo, etc. That’s a subtle thing to work through and they did it! But the harmonies weren’t quite as complex or interesting as some done by the other teams. They were still good, just not anything that made me say, “oh, hmm, that was cool.” 

Also, I liked that they did the rap as rap. I think not enough people view rapping as a vocal skill, and of course it is. There’s a musicality to rap, where you find the right tone to rap on. It’s almost like you’re using your voice as a drum instead of a piano, but drums and pianos are both instruments, if you feel me. Oh, and I was wondering if they rewrote the rap at all, but no, they didn’t, it’s the original rap. The only change was instead of “Mamamoo is coming back for you” it’s “Build up is coming back for you.” (That’s perfectly fine, it’s not a rap competition, but I was curious.) 

If I had to pick a top tier member, I think it’d be Sunyoul. I’d almost say Bitsaeon, but I think his problems with the tempo might disqualify him. Sunyoul sang well, performed well, and led the group, and I think he deserved top tier. 

The MNET edit starts with Dahee reacting to the “whoo, let’s go!”

When Yeonwoo forgets the words…

… of course it deserves an instant replay. In the MNET edit, we can clearly see Sunyoul looking over to Yeonwoo to nod at him after the mistake, as if to say it’s ok, keep going. Sweet Sunyoul! 

Raise your hand if you love Sunyoul! Ok you can lower it again, you need it to scroll.

Link to the judging.

The judges applaud, but they also say “Aigoo!”  Backstage, the guys are still sad on Yeonwoo’s behalf. He has a nice voice, so it’s a real bummer that he forgot the words. 

Solar leads off the critique, saying the song isn’t easy to sing. As an expert on this song, she was a bit disappointed with their version. And Yeonwoo forgot the words.

“Here it doesn’t matter how experienced you are,” Solar says. “You need to do well now in this moment. What you do affects other people. You should take this opportunity to improve yourself.” 

Eunkwang jumps onto the dogpile saying, “You shouldn’t have given up. It sounds like you gave up. From now on you should train yourself to get your act together even after making a mistake.”

Just to pour a little salt on the wound, Solar mentions that the words he forgot were in the section of the song that Solar usually sings!  

“Oh god, it wasn’t just Solar’s song, it was Solar’s part, I am actually in hell, what if I could just implode into a puff of smoke and blow away to another galaxy?” -- Yeonwoo, probably

“OMG, he messed up Solar’s part? Oh god, the pain, the pain, the cringe, the cringe, I am so so so glad I am not Yeonwoo.” -- Everyone, probably 

Some of the guys backstage are like, “He’s not going to be able to sleep tonight,” and truer words were never spoken. 

Then Eunkwang tells Bitsaeon about his rhythm/tempo issue, which is fair. 

Solar praises Suhwan for starting off the song so well, which is fair. Those first few lines were really great. 

Baekho praises Sunyoul, which is also fair and accurate. Thank you, Baekho, for staying my unproblematic fave! Others join in praising Sunyoul.

The judges reveal their votes:

Baekho, my darling, chooses Sunyoul, but everyone else chooses Choi Suhwan. VCG says his voice would suit all genres and he thanks them. But then..

… then Eunkwang has to make Suhwan feel awful by saying that his jacket is too short. I think it’s meant to be cropped, but he’s got a short torso, so instead of looking cropped, it looks just a bit too short. So now even though Suhwan won, he gets to feel terrible. Thanks, Eunkwang. Thunkwang. 

I stand by what I said -- I still think that Suhwan’s later singing in this song wasn’t as fabulous as those first four lines. But I don’t hate that he won. Like everyone on the show, he is a really good singer. 

As the boys walk off stage together, they try to comfort Yeonwoo, and you can hear Sunyoul promising to buy Yeonwoo some chicken.

Protect Sunyoul at all costs, fam.

Ok, one more song to go! I’ll see you in the next one, my loves, and thanks as always for reading!

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Chess Blues Guitar: Two Decades of Killer Fretwork, 1949-1969 1998 Blues / Rock & Roll

Y'know, when I first started this ridiculous music collecting hobby of mine a buncha years ago, one of the first genres that I built with was the blues. But ever since that initial year, I haven't really dove back into them all that much. This nice double-disc from the legendary Chess Records—widely hailed as one of the most important labels in the history of blues music altogether, while also simultaneously serving integral roles in shaping both the sounds and histories of rock & roll and R&B as well—provides a much-needed shot in the arm, though.

Here we have a set of tunes that showcases some of the greatest guitarists that the blues genre has ever known, all of whom at one time or another recorded something for Chess during its quarter-century of existence; we're talking unanimous first ballot Blues Hall of Famers here, like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Albert King. And we've got some lesser known bluesmen too, along with some early rock & roll pioneers as well, like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley.

Now, I'll say that, without a doubt, every single one of these songs on this release is good. But for the truly *exceptional* tunes here, for me, personally, it's not so much the 'killer fretwork' that I find to be most dazzling; moreso, it's the striking voices that accompany all of that instrumentation; those impassioned yowls, howls, and scratchy, gravel-raspy quivers that'll really have you reacting viscerally with all sorts of satisfied face-scrunches and eye squints. This comp is littered with plenty of dexterous guitar work, but only a handful of voices seem capable of taking some of these songs to a whole 'nother level.

And among the tunes that do deploy *those* remarkable voices, it's hard to pick a total favorite, but one that stands out especially is "When I Am Gone," by one-man band Joe Hill Louis (credited as Lewis on this release), a song with pretty amazing acoustics for something that was released all the way back in 1952. Louis' career was tragically cut short by a fatal bout of tetanus in 1957, and so, for a recording career that only began in 1949, we were robbed of a whole lot of his potential. But fortunately, he left us with this song, which when compared to other blues tunes from 1952 that I'm familiar with, sounds far more advanced in the way that it was recorded and mixed. Louis sounds like he's singing directly into his mic, but his guitar has that thick, wet, and sort of distant sound to it, like it's being played out in the hallway or something. And this song would've been great no matter which year it was recorded in, but the fact that it's from the early 50s really makes it all the more impressive to me.

Another excellent cut on this album is Buddy Guy's "Broken Hearted Blues." Plenty of accomplished bluesmen tend to sport voices that are rough, rugged, and either mid-range or deep, but Buddy seems to be singing in a much higher key than most on this brilliant tune of his that was merely a B-side in 1960. Singing in notes as high as he was wasn't a *completely* unique thing to the blues, of course, but once his voice enters at around the 16-second mark, you'll understand just how devastatingly effective he can be at it 👍.

In all honesty, I probably could've done with just a single disc here, but a solid portion of this album still has some phenomenal stuff on it, especially if you're searching for songs that bring both gifted blues guitar and voices in tandem. I'm certainly not the biggest blues junkie in the world, but the songs that I've listed in the highlights below really managed to pierce my soul 😌.

Highlights:

CD1:

Johnny Shines - "So Glad That I Found You" Joe Hill Lewis - "When I Am Gone"

CD2:

Muddy Waters - "Walking Thru the Park" Buddy Guy - "Broken Hearted Blues" Elmore James - "Talk to Me Baby (I Can't Hold Out)" Howlin' Wolf - "Killing Floor" Buddy Guy - "Leave My Girl Alone" Little Milton - "I Can't Quit You Baby" Johnny Littlejohn - "She's Too Much"

[songsfordustmites]

i was tagged by @wormdream to shuffle my music and share the first ten songs that appear. i am doing this from my computer which has some stuff that i don't listen to anymore on it and also has a bunch of live bootlegs and b-side/compilation/unofficial stuff that i'll probably skip for this. thank you, anyways! <3

everything that could have been - kittie. from the album funeral for yesterday. i think there's too much repetition in this song at the end. could have been either condensed down or added some more words to it. i am excited for the new kittie album though!

put your hand inside the puppet head - they might be giants. from their album they might be giants. i love the music video for this song.

a man alone - aaron freeman. i did say i was going to skip the unofficial stuff, but this stopped me in my tracks. i only went through aaron's music once and should totally revisit it again. i have two versions of this on my computer, one is thirty seconds longer than the other. i got the shorter one. very sweet, very somber.

gioco d'azzardo - paolo conte. from his album appunti di viaggio. the instrumentals are great in this. conte is just really good at writing music. i still haven't heard all of his albums though.

paloma - tall juan. my beloved tall juan!!! i got into him in high school whilst looking for free stuff on bandcamp. he is also friends with mac demarco who i used to listen to all the time. i think it's funny how the lesser known artist that i found out about through a bigger artist stuck with me and the larger artist didn't. i was so happy to have seen him in february. he was so nice and very funny.

town to town - hello the band. one of flansburgh's side projects. it's a good song. i think it's interesting to see what they make without the other john.

mad (feat. lil wayne) - solange. from a seat at the table. i haven't listened to this album in a long time. i listened to this a lot in high school. her voice is sooooo beautiful! this is still the only album i have heard by her. i should take the time to listen to her other albums some day. ALSO she had the best song in yo gabba gabba.

the last song - sleater-kinney. from their self titled album. i am still on the fence about them. this is the only album i heard from them, i found it at a thrift store. maybe i'll enjoy their other albums more or maybe i just need to listen to this one more. sometimes whenever i finally listen to an album by a band that is influential within a specific scene, i get the opinion of this is something i would have liked more when i was an angsty teenager and was being introduced to punk with the more well known stuff. like i am at a place where i don't need the introductory stuff, i already have bands that are deeper into that genre that i can jam out to. does that make any sense? they're not bad like listening to ramones or some shit. like why would you waste your time with ramones or sex pistols or some other shitty popular punk band? sleater-kinney i can appreciate and would have loved as a kid when i needed more female fronted bands that were really cool and were more of my style. kittie is another example of this. i do love kittie a lot, but i wish i knew about them before as a kid. we should revisit this topic later.

tender situation - ween. from the album pure guava. ween is another band where i wish i got into when i was a kid. same with tmbg. i think i would have had the opinion that their early stuff was better unfortunately, however, they would have been perfect for fourteen year old me. i could have been burning their stuff onto cds for friends and making them listen to it like i did with daniel johnston. i love ween. i got into them after listening to most of the flaming lips' albums and was so disappointed by their stuff and ween ended up being exactly how i was hoping the flaming lips would sound.

(system)control - bleed the pigs. from the mortis fatum ep. FANTASTIC BAND! exactly what i needed after listening to so much boring indie rock. i neeeeeed to listen to more bands like them. the mixing is exactly what i like with the vocals not being too high up which i find is a problem in a lot of metal and punk and just rock in general. everything about them is just perfect!

well...i won't tag anyone for this. the commentary wasn't even part of the tag game, i just like to talk about music.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1099: Double Beach Date Day! (Super Smash Bros Ultimate X Street Fighter)

1:56 p.m. at Smash Beach.........

Luigi: (Sighs in Relaxation as He Sits Next to Chun-Li Under the Umbrella Together) Summer has finally arrived~ And today is a perfect day for it too.

Chun-Li: (Giggles Softly) We still have a few more weeks aheads before Summer actually starts.

Luigi: We do?

Chun-Li: Yeah. The 21st I believe?-

?????: PREPARE TO EAT MY DUST, SAMMY!

Luigi and Chun-Li turns to see they're significant other, Daisy and Samus, quickly running side by side one another.

Samus: ('Scoffs') Please. As if I'd lose to a Mayflower like you.

Daisy: (Gives Samus a Comical Glare) I told you not to call me that anymore!!

Samus: Oh, right. Forgive me, Ms. Sunflower Daffodil Mayflower. (Forms a Competitive, Wise Cracking Smirk on her Face) I'll do better in calling your name right next time.

Daisy let's out an loud, irriated groan as she and the Bounty Hunter continues to race one another through the beach barefooted.

Chun-Li: Are they racing? In the middle of the beach?

Luigi: ('Sigh') Looks like it. Samus must've said something to triggered Daisy into challenging her again....

Chun-Li: (Turns to Luigi) Were they always competitive to one another?

Luigi: Kind of. Daisy would usually try to one up Samus by challenging her to a lot of things: arm wrestling, push-ups, sparring, twerk-offs-

Chun-Li: (Snickers a Bit) Twerk-offs?

Luigi: Yes. Even twerk-offs. And Sammy managed to beat her in all of them, without even trying most of the time!

Chun-Li: Can't say that's too surprising considering the years of training and being a Bounty Hunter did for her.

Luigi: True, but Daisy's no slouch either. One time, I saw her carried Dedede all the way back to the mansion from the park.

Chun-Li: Impressive. Say, is it also true that she sent Bowser flying to the moon once? I remembered Sammy telling me that a while back.

Luigi: (Happily and Proudly Nodded) Oh yeah. With one slap across the face! (Takes his Phone Out From his Swimming Trunks' Pocket and Shows Chun-Li a Video of Daisy Bitch Slapping Bowser to the Blue Skies) See?

Chun-Li: (Amazed by the Clip Shown to her) Incredible.....(Looks Up at Luigi) How was she able to do that with someone as big as Bowser o-or Dedede even?

Luigi: None of us seem know how that's possible actually. (Smiles Brightly) All I know that it was more than enough to get Bowser scared of her 24/7 and I couldn't be any more proud of her!~

Chun-Li: (Giggles Softly) I can see that!~ You got yourself a pretty strong princess if I do say so myself~

Luigi: ('Sighs Dreamingly') Yeah~ She's amazing compared to me.....

Chun-Li: (Frowns a Bit Worryingly) What do you mean by that?

Luigi: (Shrugs) Well, I mean....She's so strong, brave, and confident at everything she does. (Frowns a Bit) Meanwhile, I'm still the wimpy, lesser known Mario Brother who gets scared easily.

A beach sudden fell over to the duo's sitting spot which causes Luigi to let out a shriek before quickly jumping onto Chun-Li's arms.

Yoshi: I'll get the ball, Li-Fen! (Runs Over to Luigi and Chun-Li) Sorry about that. (Picks the Ball Up From the Sandy Ground) The ball got you scared there, dad?

Luigi: ('Sigh') It did.... (Smiles Sheepishly) B-But I'll be okay!

Chun-Li: (Smiles as Well) Now thar I'm here. Your dad's in good hands.

Yoshi: (Smiles Brightly) Neat. (Rubs Back to Li-Fen With the Ball in his Hands) Thanks, Ms. Chun-Li!

Luigi: (Turbs to Chun-Li While Frowning Again) You see what I mean?

Chun-Li: (Puts Luigi Back Down to his Seat Next to her) There's nothing inherently wrong with getting startled and scared from time to time. You just can't let it be too frequent.

Luigi: (Nodded in Agreement) You're right. That's one of the few things I'm still working on admittedly.

Chun-Li: I could help you ease your nerves s bit by inviting you to meditation session with Foxy and I, someday this week.

Luigi: You'd.....do that for me?

Chun-Li: (Happily Nodded) Of course!~ Not only you're a dear friend of mine, but I see a whole lot of potential in you that has yet to be fully realized and I and everyone else of group of friends, wanna dp whatever we can to help you reach it.

Luigi: (Almost at a Loss For Words) Ms. Chun-Li....

Chun-Li: (Giggles Softly) Just call me Chun-Li, Weegie!~ Like I said, we're friends, aren't we? It's high time we start treating each other as such.

Luigi: (Stares at Chun-Li For a Brief Second Before Nodding in Agreement and Determination) R-Right! I'll give your meditation session a go, Chun-Li. Just.....don't tell Daisy about the comparison talk, okay? The last thing I want is for her get worried about me all day.

Chun-Li: (Simply Nodded) I will. But ONLY if you promise me to start believing in yourself more often. You have people in your life who loves you and are proud of what you've accomplished thus far and that's more important than what anyone else thinks.

Luigi: (Heart Begins to Melt in Genuine Happiness) You're absolutely right. (Gives Chun-Li a Hug) Thank you, Chun-Li.

Chun-Li: (Happily Hugs Luigi Back) Bù kèqì~

Samus: (Starts Panting a Bit as She Finally Arrives at Luigi and Chun-Li's Seat Spot) Looks like......I beat you.....yet again, Mayflower!......(Let's Out a Satisfied Sigh as She Sits Down Next to Chun-Li and Wipes the Sweat Off From her Forehead) Ohhh I'm awesome.....

Chun-Li: (Giggles Softly) Indeed you are, 'hon~ (Gives Samus a Kiss on the Cheek)

Daisy: (Crawls her Way to LuigI. While Panting More Than Samus Does) I.....told....your....cheating butt....not....to CALL ME THAT! (Let's Out a Sigh of Utter Defeat as She Looks Up at Luigi While Laying on his Legs) Hi, sweetie.....

Luigi: (Smiles Softly at his Princess) Hi, dear~ Sammy won again, didn't you?

Daisy: As in she cheated? Then yes. Yes, she did.

Samus: (Smirks Teasingly at Daisy) Oh don't be such a sore loser, Mayflower. I beat your ass fair and square.

Daisy: (Angrily Shakes her Fist at Samus) Quit calling- (Puts her Fist Down in Defeat and Exhaustion) Ah screw it. I'm too tired to be mad right now........

Luigi: (Gives Daisy a Reassuring Smile) At you're still a winner in my heart.

Daisy: (Heart Melts in Pure Happiness) Thanks, sweetie~ (Happily Hugs and Snuggles Onto her Man in Green) You're a winner in my heart too, in the sweetest way possible!~

Luigi: (Chuckles Lightly) Don't I know it~ Thabk.you for everything you've done for me so far. (Turns Samus) You too, Sammy.

Samus: (Smiles Brightly at Luigi) No problem, Weeg. So what you and Chuns here been talking about while I was whipping your loser Girlfriend's butt as usual?

Daisy: (Comically Glares at Samus) I get it, you're victorious! Get over ittttt!!!

Luigi: (Chuckles Some More) It was nothing too special.

Chun-Li: (Smiles Brightly) Just how cool you girls are is all!~

@keyenuta

@albion-93

@cyber-wildcat

@ma-lemons

@caleb13frede

[tixuctoad]

Owl house ocs, headcannons, and lore; Of bilesacks and magic

Finally writing my own hcs and lore for my owl house ocs, since I've been busting out their designs and tired of pulling "*doesnt elaborate on their lore*" joke everytime I post them. So, now I'm swallowing my shame, and posting this! There's a lot... of stuff.. and I think one of the main reasons I was scared that some of them may not... fit as owl house ocs... idk yk? Like that's dumb because they're all witches and abide the owl house stuff

Also theres oc x canon stuff

Real nervous about sharing that

Wahoo

However before I get into the actual characters, I need to explain this little concept that I made a few months back! Its fairly self indulgent and self.. projected..? Basically the "authors health stuff meets their love of magic and shape shifters"

Anyways

Onto this post's topic, which is a bilesack condition? Disorder? Disease? Imma be real I'm *very* bad with remembering the differences and how to label so bare with me

The reason I'm talking about this before any characters is because well. Some of the ocs in question have this, and for some, it's a large part of their lore

Now I'm probably not the first person to come up with this tbh, but, at least I can have my own spin on it.

We all know that a witch's magic comes from their bilesack, a sack-like organ that's attatched to the heart. It makes fluids that, in some way, can be used to cast spells

But what if the bilesack cannot produce magic properly? What if the fluids were different? What if it produced too much? Too little? And what would be the effects of that?

Well, if you give that concept to someone like me; a little goober with issues with my own organs and a lover of magic, and having some stronk escapism stuff; this is my personal answer

And yes, I admit, for one of the types ot behaves similarly to Eda's curse. But that's gonna be elaborated on later.

There are three types of this bilesack condition, as references to the questions above; and there are various different tools and treatments for.. at least two of the three types. I'm still thinking of a name for all this so, yeah.

These conditions are typically life long, and can vary from witch to witch. It also effects demons, as we know that they also have bilesacks.

There are different symptoms, side effects, and warning signs each type uniquely have, and some each type shares. It is typically genetic, and can hide in families unnoticed for years before becoming active; it can show up at any time in the witch's life. Unfortunately this is a lesser known condition, and it's not uncommon for it to be mistaken for a curse, especially in the case of Type B

Type A

Type A refers to when the bilesack does not produce enough fluids. Of course, the magic a witch has relies on said fluids; and this is possibly the most tame and... mild... of the three types. This is because it impairs and limits the witch's ability to cast spells. Witches with Type A tend to have weaker or less potent magic, and in worse cases no magic. The main way to aid witches with Type A is through staffs; both real palismen and artificial staffs, as it acts as an outside source of power. Obviously, the witch can also use Glyphs, if they know of them and how they work.

Type B

Type B is the opposite of Type A, but can have more dire affects and really gives off the "this is vaguely based off edas curse" energy. Type B happens when the bilesack produces too much magic fluid. So their magic can sometimes be too much to control, depending on the severity. In worse cases one of two things happen;

Either the witch's body will be wrecked from the inside out if the bile gets out of control, the amount of raw power burning their bodies. Very nasty stuff.

Or, in an attempt to save their body and burn the magic, their body will shift and transform into a large beast. It's a horrible but swift transformation that buys the witch some time to stabilize themselves. If they cannot stabilize, then the above will happen. Similarly to Eda's curse, they lose themselves when they change. Unfortunately, due to the fact the witch transforms, it's comminly mistaken as a curse. As elixirs have magic inside them, and the witch already has too much magic, it'll be like throwing water on a grease fire; disastrous.

In worst cases where a witch has transformed but stabilized, the beast-like form can be permanent. In even rarer cases witches have gotten stuck as they changed between forms.

It should also be noted that the transformation is involuntary, and the witch cannot control it. It has also been noted that stress, anxiety, adrenaline, and other similar.. stimulants... can push the bilesack to produce fluid, raising the chance for a transformation to occur.

Common ways to keep control of Type B is to find ways to regulate magic, and eliminate potential triggers. Common ways of regulation include:

1; increasing spell casting, effectively expelling the extra fluid

2; using outside tools that suck and drain magic when it begins to rise in level. We know that draining magic is possible; through basilisks and the draining spell. So, I've combined this idea (albeit at a smaller scale) with the concealment stones. Usually these tools are hidden as jewelry; from rings to earrings to necklaces and bracelets. The actual thing that drains the magic are these removable stones that can be replaced and reused. When dry, or empty, they are dull and colorless. When they collected the magic and hit their max capacity, they gain color and can glow (usually in the color of the witch's magic).

A cool thing about a filled stone is that it can also be used as a small power source! ....surely this won't be used to weave in some extra messed up belos bits should I make an au where this stuff exists in TOH universe and I interweave it into the au..

Type C

Type C refers to when the fluids inside the bilesack have a different composition compared to other bilesack fluids. While this typically is paired with a Type A or B, it can exist in it's own. It needs to also be said that types A and B can also exist on their own with C. However A and B cannot be seen in the same witch at the same time; hoping that makes sense.

Back to Type C, because the fluids in the sack are different it can lead to magic mishaps where spells can be corrupted or mixed up. Similar to Type A, this one can be more tame and calm. But also, similarly to Type B, it can be just as disastrous based on severity. For some witches it can be harmless mixups, and for others it can be dire. Although, to be fair, even a small mistake can be dangerous depending on the situation.

It can approached like the other types; through staffs and draining stones. But it can also be worked through with the witch learning how their magic works and "correcting" their casting methods.

Basically: if the recipe for a smoothie makes a smushie, then you use the recipe when you want the slushie.

If the spell to make light makes ice, then you use that spell to make ice when you need it

Though it should be noted that this isn't a perfect solution for all spell castings or for all witch's

Characteristics of each type

A common trait each type has is that the witch who actively has the condition has delays in their magic development. They're late bloomers. However not all late bloomers have this condition; but all who have this condition are late bloomers. Usually their magic can be delayed until as old as 11, before coming in as normal. Depending on genetics and severity will dictate how their body will react when the condition becomes active. It should also be said that it's genetic, and can be "dormant" in a witch, sometimes never becoming active. That's another reason it's not too well known in canon or seen as common; while a witch may carry the genetics for it to occur, it doesn't always actually happen and show

Type A doesn't have many physical/visible bits, but those with it have chronic fatigue. This is due to, well, the fact they don't have much magic. I base this one on the conditions of those attacked by the basilisks in "The First Day". On top of that they tend to have hypersomnia, and moderate pain

Type C follows similar patterns to A, but generally does not have any unique characteristics outside of the magic mixups

Type B, however, is very different from the other two types, especially when the witch has experienced a beast transformation. Before we get to that; Type B is also commonly associated with sleep issues, arthritis, fatigue. Those who have transformed before tend to have these issues amplified, especially immediately following a transformation. They also show physical traits from their beast form in their normal form after they've shifted. Think of them as "scars". It can be anything from:

Horns and/or antlers

Tails

Claws

Fangs

Fins

In VERY rare cases, wings

Discolored patches of skin

Discolored hair (commonly white)

Patches of fur, scales, or feathers, depending on their beast form

Discolored eyes

Usually they start out with few and minor traits, but it can build up if they continue to transform and revert. Discolored patches of skin or eyes can be just about any color, but usually (not always) reflect the witch's magic color in varying levels of brightness and saturation

That's really about it, but this will probably be changed and edited as I develop this idea more, but! Yeah! I really want to talk about my owl house ocs, but I know none of it will make sense if I don't tackle this stuff first! So! When I do finally get to talking about the actual characters, you guys can refer back to this when it's relevant