#my ship playlists are always just music i like first and then has to mean something for the ship or one of the characters

[thelaurenshippen]

this month’s mixtape is a ship mix for whiskey/harry from @breakerwhiskey. they might be the slowest burn I've ever written and this soundtrack got me through!

This playlist came together pretty haphazardly at first--initially, I just had a playlist that was my dumping ground for songs that were BW-flavored but didn't belong on the main playlist. This is something I've started to do for projects in the last year or so. It started, as many things do, with creating a "DH Strays" for Desperate Hollow (the queer outlaw story I swear I will get published someday), and then grew from there. For Breaker Whiskey, the playlist is called "delta tune", a reference to the knob on a CB radio that takes you to the off-frequencies. Then I realized a real ship vibe was popping up in a lot of the songs I was choosing and decided to start building this. Why didn't I make a ship playlist to begin with? Well, to be honest, the main Breaker Whiskey playlist sort of was that. Their relationship is so central to the story and Whiskey's journey that I didn't think I needed a separate ship playlist. But, you know, I'm me, so of course I need as many playlists as possible. The thing that really kicked it over the line were the songs that felt like they were from Harry's perspective. 

So pretty soon I had a playlist that was fairly packed full of vibes. I've whittled it down considerably, and created a playlist that I think has a good flow and narrative arc. But that delta tune playlist still has some Whiskey/Harry vibes that are good, even if they didn't fit musically on the playlist: "No Children" by the Mountain Goats, "All Too Well" by Taylor Swift (Taylor's version of course), "When You've Got Trouble" by Liz Longley, "Drive Away With You"  by Jill Andrews, and "Stay" from Lempicka, which I mentioned in a newsletter a while ago - it really is the perfect song for them, but the musical theater vibe just doesn't fit. 

But let's get to the main event! This is a true 8-track mixtape. It is, I think, efficient and satisfying, packing a lot of emotion into 30 minutes of listening. 

1. "Can I Leave Me Too?" - The Greeting Committee 

If you go, can I go with you/if you leave me, can I leave me too?/I'm afraid that I might need you - I mean, this is a perfect song. This was really the song that kicked it off, because this is suuuuuuuuch a Harry song, my LORD. She's the one left behind, but she also doesn't want to fully admit she needs Whiskey and yet she also is trying to morph herself into something that will make Whiskey stay, even if that means withholding information from her. 

I'll never say your name again/if you don't want me - I love this lyric because it works on two levels for me. There's a sense of "if you don't want me I'll forsake you completely" but also a sense of "I don't deserve your name if you don't want me" but THEN, the thing that really gets me is Harry saying "I'll never say your name again if you don't want me to say it", given their whole thing with names and nicknames and the fact that Harry always called her Abigail when she preferred Abi. 

2. "Edge of the Earth" - Beaches 

Again, this song feels like it was written for them. One of them fire, one of them ice, going in circles and never moving forward? It's them.  

Like a race car driving away from the scene/does she want me to stay/does she want me to pack...You push me in circles/to the edge of the earth/where I can't go any further 'till I start coming back to you - I feel insane!! Those lyrics are just too perfect. I also love the imagery of spin me like a globe/and drop your finger on me. I used to love playing that game (but also, in retrospect, why did my parents own a globe?), and there's something about Whiskey and Harry being the ultimate determinants for each other of where they go. 

3. "In My Bones" - 76th Street

This song has just been sitting in my Apple Music for years and years waiting to be put on a playlist. It's in my "rent free" playlist, but was never in an original character or story playlist. And then it popped up on shuffle as I was building this one and it was like, "OH! Here it is!"

Even in the stillest nights you found a way to shake up my life - I love the idea that the two of them were living a pretty peaceful existence in Pennsylvania, quiet and sedate, and yet were STILL torturing each other. 

How do I feel you in my bones, even when I'm alone/the time you spend on my mind, it's like a second home/but I say that I'm doing okay/while I wait to hear a knock at my door/tell me we'll run away

4. "Too Sweet" - Hozier

A late add to this playlist, because it's still a fairly recent song, but come on. I take my whiskey neat? How could I resist. 

I also just love how this is a love song that's sort of...snarky. Like, I don't know that I totally buy that 'you're just too sweet for me!' is the takeaway of the song. To me, the lyrics really describe two very different people who are maybe trying to accommodate each other, or to be some version of themselves they think they should be, but it's not really working. 

You keep tellin' me to live right/To go to bed before the daylight/But then you wake up for the sunrise/You know you don't gotta pretend - both Whiskey and Harry do a degree of pretending around each other, but as they live together, those facades start to wear away. And then the question becomes - are the real versions of each other ones they want?

5. "Any Day Now" - Trousdale

Another great song about trying to live up to someone's expectations. Musically, this song fits here, but narratively, it is to me a very early-days-after-Whiskey-left song for Harry. This idea of "you left and I always let you down but I'm going to be FINE now" even though that's not at all true. And I looove that I know I said is sung by the lead but the accompanying I love you and I need you are sung off to the side like secrets or after thoughts. Because Harry didn't say those things and she just hoped that Whiskey would stay anyway. 

I've been sleeping too much, got a list that I have/yet to cross out, gonna get to it in a while is a perfect contrast to the lyric Since I left I've not been drinking or staying out late/Get up early and I meditate from "Runner's High" on the show playlist, which is very much a Whiskey song. 

But every time I hear your name/it's like somebody hit replay/on all the ways I let you down/I guess I'll be the villain now - I'm normal about Harry listening to all of Whiskey's transmissions and hearing herself be cast as the villain that she absolutely already thought she was. 

6. "Where It Ends" - Hunter Metts

"Ships Passing By" by the same artist is on the main playlist and initially "Threads" by him was on here (I never thought that I could lose you/So I tried/To hallucinate a love that never comes true). But then he came out with this track. 

If this is where it ends/where do I go when you know every part of me - okay, Hunter!!!! Kill us from the opening line!!!! 

Someone that you regret/on the interstate, I felt you getting colder/and I hope you're doing better ever since we were done/I hope you find forever with somebody you love, I guess/but I didn't think it'd cut like this - I think from the beginning - from the moment Whiskey hot-wired a car after killing Billings and drove her and Harry away - Harry felt like any chance she had of something with Whiskey was dead on arrival. I also love the "I guess" here because no, of course you don't really want that person you just broke up with to be happy, not really. 

7. "Everything" - MUNA

This songs makes me fully feral. MUNA is so good at writing universal experiences through laser specificity - the particular mindset of seeing something, anything, and thinking of that one person is such a real and potent thing. This song and the next are two songs that I have listened to on single repeat for quite literally an hour or so. 

Everything's about you to me is really just Whiskey's constant experience in driving around the country. 

'Cause the world could be burning/and all I'd be thinking/is how are you doing, baby? - an insane lyric!!!! Ahhhhh!

I can barely SPEAK about the bridge. I'm only here to tell you that I am eviscerated gets me EVERY time and you are a wildfire and I'm standing in the rain takes my brain completely offline. 

8. "can we start over?" - Charlotte Sands

I'm calling it now, this song is going to be in my top 5 most played songs this year. I think the last three months of this show were written to this song on repeat. And I'm going to do something I rarely do and just...copy out pretty much all the lyrics. Because it does feel like this was written purely to help me write the final act of this story. 

Can we start over?/Can we be strangers?/I could let go of all of my anger/Reintroduce you to all of my secrets/I'll never leave you, this time I'll mean it - UGH. That final line. The promises that Whiskey and Harry have made to each other, the secrets they've withheld. I just love the theme of "let's go back to the beginning, things will be different this time I PROMISE". But, of course, you never can start over, not really. 

We'd be like the movies/Be happy in the end/You wouldn't have to lose me/I wouldn't have to mend/Nothing would be painful/We'd never play pretend/Then maybe I'd be able to let you in again/Don't let me believe in you...I want to believe in you - The contrast between "don't let me believe in you" and "I want to" just kills me. That's really what it comes down to - I can't trust you again, even if you let me, even though I desperately want to. 

Maybe in a different life/Maybe at a different time/What if I was meant to be yours?/What if you were made to be mine? - the constant question. If they had stayed in their primary timeline, if they had gone into a different one, if they're able to get into a different one now, does that make things easier?

I know I've copied out almost the entire song but the lines "I could let go of all of my anger" and "this time I'll mean it" are really soooooo Whiskey. And "Can we be strangers...reintroduce you to all of my secrets?" is very Harry. I could talk about this song forever. My god. 

[hughiecampbelle]

Hi, I’m pretty new to making requests and I’m quite shy about it so I’ve tried making a few here and there recently but I’m still learning how much detail to include and stuff like that so please bear with me!

Firstly, congratulations on your achievement and I hope you are feeling better 😊 I saw on your posts that we can request specific characters for the ship so I would love to request to be shipped with Frenchie as he’s one of my fave characters in anything, not just in The Boys. I’m female (she/her pronouns), have dyed dark red hair, green eyes, only 5ft tall (but I love being short), and I have a lot of tattoos, including both my calves/upper arm/wrists/foot, and many of which I collected while travelling so they have very sentimental meaning. I’m British but not a Cockney like Butcher. My style is all over the place but I have a huge love for jackets and hats, and I love both black and pastel colours.

Hobbies - I write poetry, and have done since I was very young, but I’m still shy about it. I’m an amateur/hobbying archer (barebow recurve) and it’s really becoming a big passion of mine and makes me feel like a badass Robin Hood whenever I practice. I love a lot of media – movies/tv/videogames and co-run a movie club. I also absolutely adore a really diverse amount of music but rock and metal have a particularly special place in my heart and I love rock gigs. Two of my biggest passions are wildlife and travelling, I love all creatures and any time I’m travelling or caring for animals that’s my happy place. I take part in local quizzes and try (not very well) to learn various languages like Spanish, Finnish, Japanese and, yes, a little French as well. I love crafts and photography and try to be creative. My fave place I’ve ever been is southern Africa. Fave movies include Edward Scissorhands, Fight Club, Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Personality – I’m a Libra and naturally super flirty but I struggle with esteem issues so I tone it down because of that. I think my friends would say one of my best assets is being funny, not in a comedian kind of way but in general conversation, I have quite a strong sense of humour. I’m very emotional and sensitive but see these as positives and I have a strong sense of justice as well. I’m a proud nerd and love the family feeling that fandom brings. I think my HP house would be Ravenclaw. My dream job would be running a sanctuary for animals. I always fall for people I’m friends with first, and I love sweetness.

I hope this is all ok and enough/not too much!

The second Frenchie sees you with your bow and arrow, that man swoons. He's a puddle of himself, a mess. For the first time in his life he's speechless. He absolutely adores watching you practice. You laugh at him, saying he has better things to do, but there is no place on Earth he'd rather be than with you

You two do this thing in the car or at the office where you switch off playing songs. Most of his French techno or rap, but there are definitely a few gems you've found because of him. He has an entire playlist of music you show him titled Mon Couer and he is constantly bragging about your perfect taste in rock and metal

Frenchie promises you, when this whole mess is over, when you finally take down Vought and Homelander, you'll travel the world. He makes you make a list of every place you want to see and he assured you, you'll see it all together. You'll be free to explore and travel. You'll never have to come back to this disaster of a city

That man loves your humor. If you can't laugh off the ridiculous and dangerous situations you find yourselves in, what's the point? He has a habit of making wildly inappropriate jokes that you can't help but laugh at. He's quick witted and he appreciates that you can keep up with him

Your sense of justice is what keeps both Frenchie and the team on the ground. It's what keeps everyone level headed in this fight instead of, like Butcher's thought process, an act of revenge. When the team is feeling defeated, you're the one to give him a pick-me-up speech, you're the one to remind them that this is a fight you can't give up on

Hope you like it my love!!!! Xoxoxo💜💜💜💜

Want to request a ship?

[neonscandal]

So I found this around, can I ask for Bakugou/ Midoriya and Sasaki/Miyano ?

♥ Send a ship and I'll give you who:

- Gives nose/forehead kisses

- Gets jealous the most

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive

- Takes care of on sick days

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day

- Gives unprompted massages

- Drives/rides shotgun

- Brings the other lunch at work

- Has the better parental relationship

- Tries to start role-playing in bed

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer

- Still cries watching Titanic

- Firmly believes in couples costumes

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas

- Makes the other eat breakfast

- Remembers anniversaries

- Brings up having kids

Welp, there's a first ask for everything. See below the jump since it'll probably be a bit lengthy. Thanks for the creative question lol

SasaMiya

Gives nose/forehead kisses - Please, Sasaki reigns supreme as the initiator of physical touch. From his advantageous height to also just generally letting his impulsive thoughts spill right out of his mouth (and limbs), there's no contest. If Miyano's being cute, looks cute, or isn't paying him enough attention, he's getting smooched.

Gets jealous the most - Demonstrably, Sasaki. Miyano is forever unaware of how adorable he is and Sasaki is subsequently hella protective of anyone who comes close regardless of gender or orientation. Kuresawa, Tashiro and Hirano are the only people he isn't expressly concerned with.

Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive - Both but Sasaki will carry Miyano because obviously. He doesn't mind him going out but will be on pins and needles until he gets the call that he wants to leave. Miyano won't be bothered by the interruption to his evening, either. In fact, he secretly enjoys that Sasaki is that much more affectionate when they've been separated and he's tipsy.

Takes care of on sick days - Both but the difference is in the acceptance. Sasaki relishes in and craves princess treatment but won't actually feel too terribly. Miyano will have a blood boiling fever and be really bashful about the amount of attention Sasaki is giving him.

Drags the other person out into the water on beach day - Sasaki will have to peal Miyano away from a BL during a beach day (with special care to not leave BL out where it can be seen nor damaged).

Gives unprompted massages - Sasaki and it's an absent touch situation. Not so much that he's trying to create a situation for more, he just always loves to have some sort of physical contact.

Drives/rides shotgun - Miyano is a passenger princess and Sasaki will not only chauffeur but will also have curated playlists for their outings. Forever aware of the precious cargo, he'd still be hyper sensitive to any time Miyano perked up during a song or tried to hum or sing any of the lyrics since he's not really a music person and would make sure that those songs are in heavy rotation. Miyano gets flustered any time Sasaki's hand touches the back of his headrest to reverse, Sasaki absolutely notices this with a grin but doesn't mention it.

Brings the other lunch at work - Sasaki. It's not that Miyano's a disaster in the kitchen (that badly...) but Sasaki is always looking for reasons to drop by and see Miyano. He's also overly considerate and has a wealth of recipes at his disposal from the bakery.

Has the better parental relationship - Miyano. Hands down, Miyano's mom is A1. Supportive, non-judgemental and accommodating, she welcomes Sasaki into their home with loving arms and probably calls him something embarrassing when he's not around like "my son-in-law". She will accidentally say this in front of him, too, but only because she sees the way he looks at her son and knows he means forever. She wants him to know she supports that, too. It makes normally calm, cool and collected Sasaki blush the first time he hears it. He starts saving for a ring shortly after.

Tries to start role-playing in bed - Miyano but not because he wants to. He'll get into his head about how things have been stagnant or he doesn't do enough to keep Sasaki satisfied but it will be so awkward. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sasaki is just happy to be there (in general) and had no need for anything new in the bedroom at all. He ruins the attempt at role play by cooing about how cute Miyano is and it never happens again.

Embarrassingly drunk dancer - Miyano, this is also the only time he will dance. Sasaki is an embarrassingly sober dancer.

Still cries watching Titanic - Miyano, Sasaki loses interest around hour 2 but enjoys the soundtrack.

Firmly believes in couples costumes - Miyano is a cosplayer waiting to happen but I question whether he'd want to push for something so public. He's not ashamed of their relationship but he just generally tries to fade into the background in any given situation, anyway, unless explicitly under duress. Sasaki would think about it but wouldn't push his luck.

Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas - Both. Miyano thinks this is his holiday to really show off since Sasaki always makes chocolates catered to Miyano's palette for Valentine's Day. Sasaki's rule breaking is part accident but part My-Boyfriend-Buys-Himself-All-The-Newest-Manga-Whenever-He-Wants-So-I-Have-To-Be-Creative.

Makes the other eat breakfast - Sasaki is the morning disaster despite working at the bakery and likely needs to be told candy doesn't count as breakfast.

Remembers anniversaries - Both. They may remember different anniversaries. Like Miyano remembers the official ones but Sasaki remembers anniversaries that either, can't be verified, or are from the great Before Miyano Took Sasaki Seriously Era that it drives Miyano crazy. "Remember the first time I asked you out on XXX but you thought I was joking? That could have been our anniversary."

Brings up having kids - Sasaki jokes about it but Miyano has done the research.

BakuDeku

Gives nose/forehead kisses - it takes forever for either of them to be confident to be so cutesy and openly affectionate. They have a lot to overcome and still walk a tightrope while navigating their relationship. Midoriya is the first to do it, kind of by accident because... smol, but after they get over the silliness of it, it sets a precedence between them. Still I think Midoriya would do it more. Bakugo is more likely to pluck his forehead than kiss it but occasionally switches things up much to Midoriya's surprise.

Gets jealous the most - canonically? Both. They're so embarrassing and, honestly, they show it in the opposite way you'd think. Midoriya is loud about "his Kacchan" where Bakugo slinks around whenever he sees anyone sidling up to his nerd and eavesdrops to assess the threat.

Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive - Both. Bakugo would be teasing about it but secretly relieved and elated to get the call. Midoriya would probably affectionately roll his eyes a lot like "water must not have been on the menu, Kacchan..." but is happy to be needed. Especially since Bakugo isn't that vulnerable with anyone else. Baku and Deku squads see the couple off, respectively. Bakusquad wishing Midoriya good luck with the hot mess and Dekusquad hemming and hawing since Deku is always a hair away from disaster.

Takes care of on sick days - Both. Bakugo is very gentle with Midoriya but halfheartedly huffs and tuts at him the whole time. Midoriya chides Bakugo for not resting or saying he doesn't feel well and basically has to force feed him soup and meds or outsmart him into being more compliant (he gets really combative and bratty when he's sick).

Drags the other person out into the water on beach day - neither. They tend to be on the same wavelength as to whether they're there to relax or burn off some excess energy and, if they're at odds, neither will ignore the needs of their partner as they don't want to risk them not being in peak form when they return back to their hero work. Still, they'll try to compromise but are mindful not to force one another to go along with anything.

Gives unprompted massages - Both. Midoriya responds to Bakugo's subtle signs of soreness after long days by gently working through his shoulders where he experiences the brunt of the recoil from his quirk. Any time Bakugo's eyes linger on Midoriya's scarred hands for too long, he absently takes them into his own and slowly kneads into them like clay. It's embarrassingly intimate for both of them but he also thinks it offsets some of the lingering pain of being the vessel for OFA.

Drives/rides shotgun - Bakugo was the first in all of Class 1A to get his license. Subsequently, most of those degenerates avoided getting theirs for as long as possible, preferring instead to hitch a ride in the BakuCab where the insults and profanities were just part of the experience ✨. Midoriya is the last hold out, even after all this time.

Brings the other lunch at work - Bakugo. He cooks it, packs it, and drops it off when Midoriya forgets to grab it before work because he's a walking tornado in the morning.

Has the better parental relationship - Both are a bit yikes to be honest but Midoriya and Inko are obviously a lot closer. Hell, Bakugo and Inko are a lot closer, too. But that's only because Mitsuki can be a bit suffocating after the war. Less explosive, yes, but still just a little too clingy, too. No one blames her. In fact, if anything, Bakugo only shies away from it because the stark difference of their relationship before and after is a reminder of what almost happened on the battlefield and he tries to avoid thinking about what that would have meant for Midoriya, his friends and everyone else.

Tries to start role-playing in bed -

Embarrassingly drunk dancer - Midoriya. No notes.

Still cries watching Titanic - neither. Midoriya is sad about the tragedy and mutters about the heroes and quirks that would have been helpful to the situation had it occurred after the birth of the Golden Baby. Bakugo criticizes the choices of certain characters with a "if I were there, I'd have-" and honestly, neither of them are tuned into what the other is babbling about. They unite their individual streams of thought right around the time Jack gives Rose the whole door because "he doesn't even need a quirk" to survive, he should have just climbed up.

Firmly believes in couples costumes - Midoriya but good fucking luck getting that to fly. Kidding. They just aren't your average couple so their couple's costumes won't be conventional either. Their idea of a couples costume would be matching All Might costumes as cringe as that is. Year over year, they're taunted for their lack of originality. Midoriya explains inexhaustibly that they're "a different All Might this year, just look at the details of the suit." Bakugo feels the same way but is happy Midoriya is the mouthpiece defending their choice because, if you don't think Bakugo is heavily involved in the execution of said costumes, you are woefully mistaken. Still, it's better to let Midoriya explain because his way of explaining might end with a criminal charge.

Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas - Katsuki Bakugo. It's not even so much that he wants to (though he does so, happily), but Midoriya has like... really expensive interests. Not only that, but the little shit preorders most of the stuff he'd want anyway so, if Bakugo is going to plaster a smile on that freckled face, he's gotta go out of his way to find something niche and preferably out of Midoriya's price range (because even Midoriya has rational limits).

Makes the other eat breakfast - Bakugo. Canonically an excruciatingly regimented person, he's probably horrified by Midoriya's lack of well rounded nutrition and is constantly sucking his teeth about it as he piles food on his plate. Midoriya doesn't feel condescended to about it, he knows this is the most palatable way Bakugo knows how to express concern and it brings a small smile to his face.

Remembers anniversaries - Both. Obsessively. In fact, it's a competition to see who will wish the other a happy anniversary first. There are some anniversaries Bakugo keeps to himself, though. He might make it a point to cook something the nerd will love that day or just thank his lucky stars that, in spite of himself, they found their way back to one another. He'll spend the rest of his life grateful.

Brings up having kids - If anyone? Midoriya. Bakugo isn't not receptive but doesn't want to be anything like his mother and the way these MHA lineages are going... it's not looking promising. But Midoriya would be patient. Not in the "eventually, I'll wear him down" way but in the sense of allowing Bakugo space to make a determination on his own after dealing with his insecurities.

[aintgonnatakethis]

9 people you want to know better tag game

Thank you @bagheerita for the tag! ❤️️ Template is at the bottom below the cut.

Three ships: Young/Telford/Rush from SGU. I won't, but I could include other combinations of them and totally cheat this question - these three are the characters that just click with you, that will stick with you for your entire life.

John/Scorpius from Farscape. Me as a wide-eyed 7 year old watching a torturer clad in a leather suit come on screen: 😮😮😮

Sheppard/Todd from SGA. It's not always monsterfucking with them, but when it is... Oh boy! 👀

First ship: Third Doctor/Delgado Master from classic Doctor Who. My mum was involved in the convention scene back then so I grew up surrounded by it and we had a massive wall of every story that had been released on DVD. I hope they all made the move with us. I remember being a young kid and her bringing down a boxset with the faces of the first 7 Doctors; I'd point to one of them and she'd pick us an episode of theirs for us to watch. (Simpler times but not really)

Last song: Currently listening to Hell As Well by We Three, a band I found through @frostysfrenzy. My best songs playlist has 140 songs if you want to know my music taste without being overwhelmed.

Last movie: The Road. I saw a meme that had been made for it on here and remembered it being an excellent book, so gave it a shot. It was better in book form unfortunately. I remember it was the first time I'd seen the sentence structure of 'this happened and this happened and this happened' outside of "bad" or "childish" writing. How it was used to successfully show someone's declining mental and physical state has stuck with me.

Currently watching: Rewatching Being Human (US version) and Firefly. Trying not to let unpleasant people being involved (Mark Pellegrino and Joss Whedon respectively) ruin things I've long-term loved. So I'll engage as long as I'm not providing them financial/social/political influence to harm others. Yes, I am looking at people who still pay for Harry Potter merch.

Currently reading: Here, have a google drive full of SG1 and SGA books. I can't remember which blog linked it originally, but I'm on book 6 of the SGA Legacy series, which is basically the plot of season 6 if they'd been renewed. (Though I do side-eye some things in there, like Sheppard instantly getting together with Teyla and there being a hint to Keller being abusive in her relationship with Rodney. I don't think they would have done the former on TV as even though Teyla isn't military she's still under Sheppard's command so it would reflect poorly on the real life US military - which is the only reason O'Neill and Carter didn't get together properly, if I'm remembering right? The latter... I've seen too much of Keller bashing in fandom. I don't need it in my "official" content too.)

Currently eating: I just finished some garlic and chilly chicken drumsticks and rice. I've been eating good since my boyfriend got into cooking. 😁

Currently craving: Hmm... I think I'm good. Full of food and an extra of my ADHD meds because I'm running on night-mode currently, meaning I'd be going to bed around 6-7am except I need a doctor's appointment so I'm gonna have to stay up and tough it out. Took it at 11pm so should have worn off enough for me to sleep after my appointment. (While the able-to-focus effect only last 8 hours, the you-will-stay-awake part persists for 12. 🙄)

Tagging: @frostysfrenzy @autism-purgatory @froggy-pposto @paeliae-occasionally @the-golden-comet

@dream-i-die @gioiaalbanoart @wyked-ao3 @worlds-tallest-fairy @chaniis-atlantis

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[rewatching-sam-and-dean]

Why this Doesn’t Mean Destiel : Part 1 - Mixed Tape

I may make this a series. I may not. But I’m feeling annoyed by a certain side of fandom, so I’m going to take a look at moments (or things) that are claimed to totally make D and C cannon, and discuss why I disagree. If you like the ship, please just save yourself the annoyance and skip on past this post. If you read this anyway or are not a fan, and have anything to add, I welcome your thoughts.

THE TAPE:

First, and I can’t believe I have to say this, a mixed tape is not actually inherently romantic. Friends make mixes for each other all the time, or used to before you could just share playlists or whatever them kids are doing these days. For example, my friends have ripped me CDs because they had better internet, they gave me a mix for my birthday, we went on a road trip and they left me the mix, or just because. I have done many of these things for my friends in return. A missed-tape or CD is simply a way to share songs we like with people we care about, or even an acquaintance. Can it be romantic? Absolutely! Is it inherently so? No.

Why isn’t this particular tape romantic? Check the name: "Dean's Top 13 Zepp Traxx.” This looks, more than anything, like a tape Dean made for himself ("Dean's"). As in, "I really like these particular songs, so I’m going to put them on one tape, so I don’t have to keep changing tapes over on road trips." Also, note the "Zepp Traxx." This looks more to me like something a teenager would write because it looks "cool" than anything else. I mean, a Dean who is pushing 40 might write "Traxx" on a tape — maybe — but it doesn’t seem that likely. So, it’s more than likely this tape was made decades ago, for himself, thus not a romantically intended (or thought out) mixed-tape. There is nothing about the tape itself to indicate it was made for Cass or that it has any special meaning.

DEAN:

Can we be honest here for one minute, people? Can anyone — anyone who has actually watched the whole show rather than cherry picking certain people's scenes — actually picture Dean Winchester, sitting down with an old boom box, lovingly, tenderly loading tapes into one side and recording onto a blank tape in the other side, thinking, "Sigh! These songs are so special to me because they make me think of my crush, Cass!" Or "I’m going to make Cass a tape of the most romantic Zeppelin songs I can to show him I care!"? If you answered "Yes" to that … this is not the blog for you. Also, I doubt that you know who the canon Dean Winchester is, as opposed to the fanon man-shapedr 14-year-old girl version from Tumblr or AO3. Dean doesn’t have time (or inclination) to sit down and make a mixed tape from scratch at this time in the show, especially when, you know, good luck finding a working tape recorder / cassette player / boom box that still works these days. The MOL bunker was frozen in time just a touch before tape cassettes were invented, so I doubt they have one hanging around the place. So, he went and bought something he could make a tape for Cass with? Really? I’m thinking not.

The most likely scenario for Dean giving Castiel a mixed tape? They are in the impala, maybe Sam is there sitting shotgun, maybe he isn’t. Cass starts talking about how he found merit in music Sam liked, or just some random music, and Dean says, "Come on Cass! That music is crap! Here, listen to this. This is the good stuff!" Then he rummages in his box of tapes one-handed, while driving, and tosses one to Cass. "Keep that one. I have a others," Dean adds. Then Cass says, "I’ll treasure it always, Dean!" No I’m kidding. Cass says, "Okay, Dean." He may or may not intend to actually listen to it at some point. After he finds a tape deck, of course.

So, does the mixed tape mean nothing? No, it’s still a nice gesture to give something you made to someone you care about. Do I think Dean put a lot of soecific thought into it, just for Cass? No. I think it’s actually similar to Sam letting Cass hang out in his room (presumable on his bed) watching Netflix on his TV, doing something nice for a friend and sharing media.

CASTIEL:

Even if Dean had sat sobbing over his mix for hours while he painstakingly crafted it just for Cass, it still wouldn’t equal Destiel. Why? Because Cass clearly didn’t appreciate it since he simply used it as an excuse to enter Dean's room and steal from him. Even if it was intended as an act of love, it was used as a tool for deception and betrayal. Thus, this does not support Destiel, rather it makes a case against it from Cass' POV.

THE WRITER INTENTIONS

Obviously, I can’t speak to these personally, but my thoughts on their possible thought process behind the mixed tape. First, they needed Cass to return something to Dean so he can get into his room, and it has to be something that was given as a nice gesture to heighten the betrayal. A tape makes sense because it’s not something so huge that it would be automatically given a ton of significance, but it also isn’t totally insignificant either. Second, Dean has a lot of tapes and he loves music, it’s very possible for him to give one to Cass off screen without the audience getting sidetracked and wondering why (how is he going to play it BTW? Go sit alone in one of the cars he’s stolen?). Third, do I think the writers were also throwing destiellers a bone? Probably, but throwing fans a bone does not equal queerbaiting because nothing else in Dean and Cass' relationship points to romance (and Dean is not into guys or Supernatural Beings). Throwing fans a small bone also doesn’t meant it’s leading to a romantic endgame. They do it with Wincest all the time, after all.

Overall, to me the purpose of the mixtape was to show Cass throwing something Dean gave him back in his face, so he could go behind his back for supernatural purposes. Again. If someone wants to read the tape as a romantic gift from Dean (it isn’t), that actually only makes what Cass uses it for worse. Thus, the tape does not support Dean and Cass romance.

And because I have to, this is a mixed tape (CD) with clear intent.

[ashes-2-ashes57cba]

The Clone Wars: A Distant Echo

Part 2 of the Clone Wars Bad Batch arc with my OC: Specter! this has been edited *adla'vod: roughly translates to "twin", directly translates to "same brother/sister"

Specter felt surprised and almost betrayed when Crosshair let General Anakin Skywalker inspect his beloved rifle. Usually, he would get fussy if even she touched it. He wouldn’t even let her put her stuff next to his. 

The Bad Batch, Captain Rex, and the Jedi were on board the Batch’s ship—the Marauder—on their way to Skako Minor, following the live signal “Echo” supposedly sent out. Rex watched as Wrecker lifted a gonk droid with one hand and ate with the other. Crosshair observed as the General looked at his gun, and Hunter monitored any planetside activity at the console while Tech flew them to their destination. The female clone sat back, resting and mentally preparing herself for their next mission. 

“So, how many missions has your team been on, Sergeant?” Anakin asked Hunter.

“Honestly, sir, I’ve lost count. All the action sort of blurs together,” he admitted with a shrug.

“I know you work with Cody sometimes, but who exactly do you guys report to?” Rex asked. Hunter hummed in thought.

“Good question. Can’t say I’ve got an answer.”

“Yeah, I’d feel really bad for the one who would have to try and make sense of our reports,” Specter piped up. Wrecker laughed in agreement. “Oh, adla’vod?” The sniper turned to his twin as Anakin handed him his rifle back. “Your taste in music is weird and the songs you suggested are weird, and I love it. I’m adding them to the playlist.”

“I told you,” he said with a smirk. 

“So you’re the first female clone. How does that affect your… dynamic?” Skywalker asked, turning his attention to Specter. She raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re implying what I think you are, don’t worry about it. I’ve heard enough of the whispers. I’ve saved these boys more times than they’d like to admit, so I’m not just a pretty face.”

“What?” Anakin blushed, “N-no, like— gosh how do I say it without sounding crass?” Specter surprised him by laughing. 

“I’m teasing, General, I know what you mean. They’re my brothers and best friends. They respect me and know when to give me my space when I need it. In return, I don’t break their knees. Isn’t that right boys?” she asked aloud to her team.

“Yes, ma’am,” they replied; some enthusiastically, some with disdain. 

“However they don’t always pick up after themselves. Take Tech, for example,” she said loudly, hoping to get his attention.

“What now?” he sighed.

“Just because my bunk was empty and clean, does not mean you get to use it for storage for your projects.”

“You weren’t using it.”

“Because your stuff was on it!” Rex and Anakin snickered at their argument while Crosshair and Hunter rolled their eyes. A thud and the sound of alarms ended their argument.

“We are approaching Skako Minor,” Tech reported. “It looks to be a difficult landing.” The Marauder broke through the thunderous clouds, turbulence rocked the ship. Wrecker went to help Tech man the controls while the others strapped themselves in. 

Once they landed and everything settled, the rest of the team gathered in the cockpit.

“Rex, what do we know about this place?” Anakin asked his captain.

“On this part of Skako, there’s a race of locals, the Poletecs. All we know is that they’re very primitive.”

“‘Primitive’ is being kind. My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles,” Tech chimed in. A thud and screech were heard outside the ship, almost in reply to the Batcher’s remark. A shadow of a creature scurried over the viewport.

“Oh! What the heck was that?” Wrecker exclaimed as the ship rocked and jolted.

“It’s one of those reptiles,” Tech simply answered.

“I want that thing off my ship,” Hunter growled, putting on his helmet. The Batchers followed his lead and prepared to go outside to investigate. 

“Hold on! Hold on! Don’t just run out there,” Rex warned. 

The Bad Batch ignored him, running out to the blowing winds. A creature was on top of the ship, its rider a mere silhouette against the dim golden light peeking through the dust and clouds.

“Hey! Get off of there!” Wrecker yelled, pointing his blaster at them. Anakin ignited his saber but held his arm out to the brute.

“Hey, calm down. We need to talk to them,” he said.

“Why?” Hunter gowled. The Bad Batch wasn’t used to handling confrontations with diplomacy.

“The General’s right,” Rex supported. Two more flying creatures screeched and approached fast, intently flying toward the group. 

“Heads up!” Specter yelled, crouching low. Anakin pushed Rex out of the way as one of them reached out with its claws to grab at the captain. The two flew by, but the one atop the ship jumped down and grabbed Anakin before flying away with the rest of its group. The Jedi’s lightsaber fell from his belt, Rex grabbed it before firing a few potshots at the reptile, hoping to have some sort of effect. Tech looked through his visor, tracking him.

“I have a thermal reading. Point-two-five east, elevation 175,” he reported. 

“Relax,” Crosshair said, readying his rifle and using Tech’s shoulder as a mount, “I’ll handle this.” He fired a grappling line, latching onto the leg of the reptile holding Anakin.

“What are you doing?” Rex asked as Crosshair handed Hunter the base of the line. 

“Going for a ride,” Hunter said, clipping the line to his belt before being yanked away. “Keep the boys out of trouble, Spec.” Specter crossed her arms, and yelled after him.

“Like they listen to me anyway, but sure thing.” 

The group watched as Hunter and the General disappeared into the thick clouds. Silence surrounded the group until Wrecker turned to Specter and asked-

“Should we follow them?”

“Not yet,” she replied. “We can’t be sure of any more of those reptiles hiding among the clouds. Best to trust Hunter to assess the situation before we rush in.” Her fist tightened with anxiety by her side; Hunter often trusted her judgment enough for her to lead the group when he couldn’t, but this time the life of a Jedi General was on the line.

“Tech, I’m with the General. Hone in on my signal,” Hunter’s voice eventually came through the comm. Specter relaxed her shoulders before turning to the others.

“Alright, now we can regroup. Everyone back to the Marauder,” she said, taking charge and gesturing back to the ship, following the others inside just as Tech launched the shuttle and flew to Hunter’s signal. 

They eventually touched down a ways back from the edge of a ridge leading down into the Poletec’s village. Hunter was kneeling down, out of sight, observing the scene. 

“That creature still has a hold of the General,” he reported to Rex, who went to take position beside him. Rex flipped down the antennae on his helmet, looking through the scope to assess Skywalker, Specter mirrored him, tracking each of the villagers.

“We’re going in,” he said, standing up, “but remember what the General said. ‘No casualties, disarm only’.” The reminder was emphasized towards the Batch with a few pointed glances. Wrecker shook his head and slumped in dejection. 

“We’re on it, Captain,” Hunter stood up before giving orders. “Wrecker, Crosshair, rockslide!” The two went to push the large boulder nearby down the ridge and into the village. As it rolled, Wrecker shadowed behind it, using it as cover, while Crosshair stayed behind to take a sniper position. The rest of the team followed suit, shooting to disarm the natives as they scrambled away. Crosshair shot an electric probe at the leg of the creature holding Anakin; it flew off from the shock, allowing the Jedi to roll out of the way of the boulder. Hunter pointed his pistol at the leader of the Poletecs; it spoke its language at him, waving his arms about. “Tech, translate what he said?” 

“He says he does not want our war on his planet. That is why he took our leader,” he relayed, reading the translation off his visor.

“We didn’t bring the war here,” Anakin said, “it was Wat Tambor and the Separatists.” Tech went to translate, doing his best to mimic the Poltec dialect. The chieftain looked between him and Skywalker.

“Tell him we apologize for what’s happened,” Rex stepped forward. “But tell him the enemy is holding one of our men prisoner in Purkoll. As soon as we rescue him, we’ll leave this planet, for good.” Tech nodded, turning to the chieftain and relaying the information. 

Specter couldn’t help but giggle; Rex noticed her shaking shoulders and nudged her side. 

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

“He just sounds so robotic. He’s not even attempting to follow through with the accent,” she explained. 

“Could you do any better?” Rex asked. She scoffed.

“Give me a day and I could even learn the local dialect, Captain. If it helps put things in perspective, I learned Galactic Sign Language in a week.” 

“Wow, Specter, is there anything you can’t do?” Rex wondered.

“Yeah. She can’t reach the high shelves,” Crosshair sneered. His twin stomped on his foot. 

The Poltec leader and Tech continued to speak back and forth in what looked like apologies and negotiations. 

“The chief says he’ll provide us with scouts and lead us to Tambor’s city. From there, we’re on our own,” he reported to Anakin. 

“Any help is better than no help.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two scouts led the team to a rocky outlook with a clear view of the city, or at least the spires hanging down from the clouds. One pointed towards the city and said something in his language; Tech thanked them before they went to return to their village. 

“Hope nobody’s scared of heights,” Anakin said with a smirk. Crosshair, Hunter, and Specter turned to look at Wrecker, who perked up at the attention.

“Well, I’m not scared of nothing!” he assured, unconvincingly. He glanced down the cliff rock, however, noting the height. “I just… when I’m up real high, I got a problem with gravity,” the brute admitted.

“Speaking of problems,” Tech spoke up, “I am no longer picking up Echo’s signal.”

“I don’t understand,” Rex said, surprised, “you said it was coming from this city.”

“I can only speculate, but it is possible there’s a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances,” Tech said, holding up his datapad.

“Or… maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap,” Hunter speculated. “And maybe your friend’s actually dead. Well I can’t be the only one thinking of that.”

“But if a clone can come back from the dead, then nothing could stop me from being completely unhinged,” Specter fantasized.

“Look, every mission could be a trap. This one is no different,” Rex argued against Hunter. “I’m telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He’s alive!”

“I think you’re letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel,” Crosshair sneered, turning his back on the captain. Specter tilted her head back in exasperation. 

“I had no choice. You hear me?” Rex said, his tone dark and on the verge of anger.

“Oh, I don’t blame you. I would’ve left him for dead too. Besides, he’s just another reg.” 

Specter didn’t blame Rex, nor did she try to stop him when he punched Crosshair to the ground. 

“Hey!” Wrecker grabbed the captain by the back of his armor. “Why don’t you pick on someone not your size?” The brute threw him off, but Rex turned right back around and marched up to him.

“You’ll be a whole lot smaller when I’m through with you,” he growled.

“That’s enough!” Anakin ordered, pushing the two men apart. “Sergeant, take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone.” Hunter motioned for the Bad Batch to follow him, Specter helped Crosshair stand up before smacking the back of his helmet, scolding her twin for his insensitive comment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind howled, blowing golden dust. Specter shifted her stance again, trying to ignore the itch of sand up in her armor. The Batch did their best to peer through the sand and guard the entrance of one of the towers leading up to the city while Tech worked on the door panel. Hunter sensed someone coming, holding up his gun in defense. But it was Skywalker and Rex running to meet them.

“We’re in business, General. Tech regained Echo’s signal,” Hunter reported, shouting over the wind and walking him towards the entrance. “It’s coming from this tower. How’s it going, Tech?” The clone had his datapad hooked up to a console, quietly working through algorithms and firewalls to get past the door. After pushing a few buttons, he was able to gain access.

“Sorry it took so long,” he replied with a shrug. 

“Hey, twins, check it out,” Hunter nodded inside. 

“Ah yes, the noble sacrifices,” Specter slumped before holding up her blaster and following Crosshair, sweeping the inner room for any traps or cameras. They found nothing and turned back to the door. 

“Yeah, it’s a lift,” Crosshair deadpanned.

“How magical,” Specter feigned wonder.

“Well, we already knew that,” Rex said, unamused, walking inside with the others. Wrecker nervously looked up at the tower, most of it disappeared behind heavy clouds. 

“Wait, wait, wait. A lift? How far up are we going?” he growled.

“Don’t worry, Wrecker. I’ll hold your hand,” Hunter teased. 

“Hey! Cut it out, Sarge,” Wrecker said, bumping past Hunter’s shoulder, “Just give me some droids to crush.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Remember, this is a stealth mission,” the General said as the lift neared the top, “no blasting, no blowing things up. Nobody knows we’re here.”

“Pff, don’t count on it,” Specter muttered, collapsing her blaster’s stalk and preparing her pistol. The door opened to a group of droids who abandoned their tasks, turned to the intruders, and readied their weapons. Wrecker dashed out, crashing into the ones closest, throwing one at another group near the back and swinging another at a few near the opening. They fell with robotic screams.

“I told you!” Specter said before running out to the fight with her squadmates. Anakin could only shake his head with a smirk. She fired alongside Tech, covering the corridor that led inside the facility. A pair of droids snuck up behind them, separating her and Tech. Specter let them corner her against some crates; once they were right where she wanted, she jumped up and pushed off against the crates—over the droids’ line of fire—knocking them down with a split kick. A shot flew past her shoulder, striking a lone droid attempting to charge at her; Specter looked up to find Crosshair fired the shot, she returned the favor by blasting a droid approaching behind him.

 Wrecker charged at the remaining droids, firing relentlessly and cheering from the adrenaline once they were victorious. Everyone simply looked at him.

“Uh… sorry. I just got excited.” Specter came around and patted his shoulder while Tech checked his scanner.

“I’ve still got a lock on Echo’s signal.” 

“All right, men.” Hunter readied his blaster and led the way to the corridor. “Let’s hunt some droids.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Droids on patrol marched through the hall, though they didn’t detect the door opening and Hunter peeking out. He motioned Specter forward and nodded; they stepped out, he shot the droids entering the area while she destroyed the ones that passed, clearing the way for Skywalker to step into the hallway. 

“Where exactly is Echo’s signal coming from?” he asked Tech. The clone adjusted his goggles as he looked at his datapad.

“Strange. I just lost the signal.”

“What? How can that be?” Rex asked, removing his helmet. “There’s no ‘atmospheric disturbances’ up here.”

“Well, I have a new theory. I’m surprised I did not consider it earlier,” Tech shook his head. “The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal.”

“Okay, we’re splitting up. Search every door,” the General began to order, “If someone finds Echo, contact the others. We go in together, just in case there’s trouble.” Specter and Crosshair split with the General while the others went down the other way. She found nothing in the doors she checked, only storage containers and maintenance supplies. 

Specter had a very hard time believing a clone like Echo could have survived the attack on the citadel, but she knew if it was one of her squadmates, she would be just as adamant to rescue them as Rex was. But like Tech, she was logical enough to know that the chances of Echo actually being alive were low. But not zero. 

A commotion caught her attention: muffled blaster fire and a lightsaber. The clone ran towards Anakin, configuring her blaster into a sniper rifle; she got there just in time, shooting down the droids before they could attack again. The Jedi stood up, calmly walking towards her.

“Thanks for the backup.”

“No problem, General,” she said, giving a two-fingered salute.

“Hey, where did you get that weapon? I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it,” he asked as they walked down the hall.

“I doubt you would’ve. Tech and Crosshair designed and built it after I saved them on a mission from Corellia… and took care of them when they caught Corellian fever,” she snickered.

“You didn’t have to mention that,” Crosshair hissed, coming up beside them.

“Too late, Cross,” she teased, patting the side of his helmet. He swatted her hand away. “But I was the one who helped engineer the reconfiguring mechanism.”

“Clever,” the Jedi complimented. 

“Don’t let it get to her head,” Crosshair warned.

“Hey, how about when you— did you guys hear something?” Specter stopped herself, suddenly perking up. The others heard it too; sounds of droids and blasters being fired. 

“Sounds like trouble. Let’s move,” the General ordered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed the three had arrived just in time to even the odds against the droids attacking the rest of the team. Anakin used the Force to push a group out of his way, swinging his lightsaber to cut them and deflect their shots. Hunter took the opportunity to go on the offensive, Wrecker, Tech, and Rex joined in. The Sergeant held up a droid by the neck, ready to punch its head off, but Crosshair came in and shot it off for him. A whistle sounded, Specter came running in, taking a position by Wrecker.

“Hey, swing me around,” she said.

“Like on Mon Cala?” he asked, shooting a few droids.

“What? No, like on Ryloth.” They hooked their arms around each other and he spun, swinging Specter around to shoot and kick at the rest of the droids near them. The Jedi stabbed the last one. “Mon Cala… you didn’t swing me, you threw me. Underwater,” Specter mumbled. More blaster fire filled the hallway, even more droids were coming. The team took defensive positions in the side of the room. 

“Tech, open that door for Rex!” Anakin ordered over the noise. 

“Yes, sir!” Tech nodded and ran to take care of the door.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Captain,” Hunter said, turning to acknowledge him. “Specter, you’re with them.” Rex and Specter ran to meet Tech who was able to get the door open and enter the room. It was filled with dimly lit panels and other controls. 

“I don’t like the look of this,” Specter heard Rex say— her back was turned, keeping an eye on the door and their other surroundings. 

“I’m definitely picking up a life-form in there,” Tech said, his scanner beeping in rapid succession. He investigated the controls, “It seems to be a stasis chamber. I think I can get it open.” Specter looked over her shoulder, Tech worked at the control panel and got the chamber open. 

The door hissed open and a form fell forward, only caught by the wires attached to—him. It was a body. Malnourished, disfigured, but a clone’s body nonetheless. Specter stifled a gasp at the sight. 

“Echo,” Rex breathed. “Tech, we’ve got to get him out of here. Figure out how to…  unplug him from… from this mess.” Rex frantically undid the line around his torso, laying the body down onto the floor, cables were still attached to Echo’s head. “What have they done to you?” Specter abandoned watching the door and turned to go help Rex, who had taken off his helmet.

“We… we have to get to the shuttle to escape the Citadel,” the soldier muttered. His eyes were open but unseeing, skin sickly and pale, body emaciated and drawn. Both his legs and his right arm were replaced by cybernetic parts.

“He’s stable, but blood sugar is low,” Specter reported, removing her helmet and taking out a small flashlight. She shined it in his eyes, they were dilated and unfocused. “He’s in there but barely. Hallucinating. Oxygen in his brain must be low too, his heartbeat is irregular.” She felt his pulse on his wrist and by his neck.

“No! I’ll go first,” Echo continued in his hallucination, reaching out. Rex gently shook him.

“Echo,” he pleaded. “Echo, it’s Rex. I’m here.” The pale clone calmed down, his eyes came into focus.

“Rex? You, you came back for me,” he breathed, reaching to touch Rex.

“Yes. Yes, I did,” Rex assured. 

“What? What happened? Where am I?” Echo looked around.

“Yeah, he’s coming around alright. It’s okay, soldier. You’re safe now,” she assured.

“Just sit tight, Echo,” Rex said, “You’re going home.”

[bonesandthebees]

Internship is certainly going. I want to say going okay… I could be doing better but I kinda got unlucky with my internship spot and workload. This would be much easier to explain if I could just say what kinda of internship it is, but that kinda feels like too much details both for my current degree and the job I’ll be doing after. (Internet safety and all that). Anyway, what I can say is that anyone in the field irl pulls a face when they hear about my internship. The workload feels impossible, but somehow I’m doing it and I’m about half way through so *aggressively knocks on wood* it should be fine.

I do have a different internship in like a month or so and some other projects but those feel like child’s play compared to the current hell incarnate. So moral of the story: sometimes you just get to have a few mental breakdowns, pick yourself back up and go again the next day (again and again and again and again). It’s like that quote: [“It gets a little bit easier every day, but you have to keep doing it.”] or what’s the other one? [the only way out is through]. And then take plenty of breaks and do fun things even if it feels like you don’t have the time because that’s the only thing that’ll keep you going. The world is always more manageable after a good meal or a power nam or a 15 minute music break.

I’ve been blasting a lot of music based on moods, getting back into Dutch music because girl, I need to learn how to spell properly and every internship I have a song that gets me through. This one it’s ‘secret for the mad’ by Dodie. I’ve had to loop it over and over to get the motivation to try at times, to really let the words sink in, but it helps. So find a song to get you through when you need it.

Lastly, I’ve been meaning to say something about Him, but I just haven’t had the time and energy to write something coherent (aka I’m not using my 30 minutes of evening downtime that are just for me for this negative energy). Best thing is can say is that this is a good opportunity to get into new creators. Just have fun with it (hermitcraft season 10 has been getting be through this). Listen to new music. Try new things to fill the void. I’ve pruned all my playlists and social media follows and such and it felt like a fresh start. (Oh and learned your red flags people. People who don’t respect your boundaries (no matter how small) can be(come) very dangerous.)

My only issue now is that I can play since I saw Vienna and La Jolla on guitar (the picking patterns always smooth me), but now I’m not sure if I can keep doing that. I haven’t tried playing them. I feel like I should look at the lyrics first then decide. But I haven’t found any picking songs with the same soothing vibe, so I’ve been playing a bunch of my classical pieces and I really like playing the ‘romantic’ ones and for some reason the polkas and the blues? So again filling the void.

Anyway, thanks for all the well wishes. I’ve been missing you guys. This has been chaotic life updates with Spruce. I really need to start being productive now. So, bye!

-🌲

yeah of course don't say any details that would reveal too much info about you, but man that sounds stressful :( at least you'll switch to something else in a month?? I'm so sorry you're stuck in hell rn I hope you get through it alright!! make sure to take it easy when you can!! you're so right the world is so much easier to deal with after a power nap or a snack

oooo I haven't heard secret for the mad in a long time but I used to listen to dodie from time to time. I used to think of such angsty scenarios with my ships while listening to 'sick of losing soulmates'

also it's so real to have a song to help you get through shit like that. I'd say rn for me one of those songs is all american bitch by olivia rodrigo because I just have a lot of fun screaming it in the car. tested waters by loupe is a calmer one I've been listening to on repeat lately

you're right this is a great opportunity to get into new creators. I was already drifting to watching qsmp creators more often besides just phil and tubbo, but now I've been trying to tune into bagi and tina's streams if I have the time

definitely look at the lyrics first, but I feel like out of most of the ycgma songs since I saw vienna and la jolla are two of the 'safest' options you could pick for something like that. at least compared to your sister was right and losing face...

la jolla and since i saw vienna are both such pretty songs though. there's nothing wrong with playing those on your own guitar I'd say? it's not giving any money to him. but of course it's up to your own personal comfort.

good luck spruce!!! ty for checking in we all miss you over here!! <33

[orime-stories]

3, 10, 18, 23, if you like :D

Thank you! <3 Ask list here, previous answers (including for 3 and 10) here, here, here and here.

Do you have specific music that makes you think about your OCs relationship?

I absolutely do! Aurelle and Tesalya both have songs for their relationships on their playlists (full spotify playlist links here and here, all the links for individual songs below being for youtube).

Aurelle/Aymeric

All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World - Quiet as the Snow (Nightwish)

(Aurelle falling in love with Ishgard, which includes Haurchefant feels, general House Fortemps feels, and the first moments of her relationship with Aymeric)

Safe & Sound (Sam Tsui & Kurt Hugo Schneider)

(Aurelle and Aymeric snatching quiet moments together in the evenings and finding steadiness and safety in that in amongst all of the Plot Happenings)

all i need (the distance song) (Avery Lynch)

(Aurelle homesick and missing Aymeric when she's called away so often, especially when she's trapped on the First for ages)

AymEric's Song (Vienna Teng)

(At a point of being deeply comfortable and established in the relationship and deciding to go public and get married about it post-shadowbringers)

Come Back to Me (Les Friction)

(A prayer that is relevant for so many characters in so many directions throughout this story, and that gives me a lot of ship feels for Aurelle and Aymeric both praying and pleading that they'll be back together again soon despite all the odds that constantly need to be overcome)

Tesalya/Astarion

Wolves Without Teeth (Of Monsters and Men)

(Recognising the hurt and the messiness in each other and growing close from it despite themselves, even as that closeness has its own hurts and messiness)

Pretending (HIM)

(Falling bad for each other and not knowing what to do with that or how to fully believe and trust in it)

Blinding (Florence + The Machine)

(Astarion destroys her, in the aftermath of her enabling him to destroy himself)

Various Storms & Saints (Florence + The Machine)

(This story does not have a happy ending)

What is something you feel you have improved at in terms of portraying sexual or romantic relationships?

Gosh, I don't know? I mean, I definitely feel like my writing as a whole is always improving over time as I continue practicing at it and just continue growing as a human and in my understanding of the way other humans can be both in and of themselves and in relation to each other. I'm struggling to think of something specific to say about how I portray sexual and romantic relationships though...

[kahvilahuhut]

wip questions tag

thank you @sunset-a-story for tagging me!!!!!!! (and sorry it took me a while sjfjfjfjfj)

tagging @void-botanist @avi-why @televisionjester and anyone else who wants to do this :3

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

Worldbuilding!!! I've always loved Mars (influenced by Doom probably? i just think it's neat :]) and the idea of a whole society on Mars is just very cool for me. All the possibilities and things that can go wrong. And the political debates.......

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the intro song be?

HMMMMM this one is hard bc i absolutely su k at picking music for story playlists and this is waaaaaay harder. I think I would love it to be instrumental or smth tho!

That said I would soooo much rather have it become a video game, and and if I were to pick a song for a trailer I'd go with either Black Mambo by Glass Animals or something from Depeche Mode. My brain is currently telling me to go with "Pain That I'm Used To" but I wouldn't say it fits Cynosure that well KFKKFFKFKFK

3. Who are your favourite character(s) and why?

Tobyyyyyyy <3 I love him so much he is such a...guy. He's some guy. A chemist who has spent a bit too much reading his dad's books about social theory and stuff since he was a child. All he wants is that people would be happy and he has so much love to give for the world, which mostly means him helping people a lot (people pleaser guy). Tobias isn't really that special, he wants to do something he likes, he's scared of guns (for a reason) and just wants a calm new life. Too bad that's not happening for a while.

To think he started as a copy of Nathan I made for a The Outer Worlds playthrough and then it all kinda turned into a bigger thing and he became his own self and I just decided to pull him + Klara & others out of being fandom ocs and put them into Cynosure.

putting the rest of questions under read more <3

4. What other pieces of media could share a fan base with your WIP?

HMMMM I'd say basically any kind of scifi book that has some societal themes in it + has some comedy and stuff. Same for video games maybe?

5. What has been your biggest struggle while writing your WIP?

I'm going to be honest I haven't really started writing Cynosure yet JFBBFBFFKF

My biggest struggle is having a job and being a master's student basically hehe

6. Are there any animals in your story?

Haven't really figured out if I'd want to showcase Mars wildlife in it + what kind of wildlife would it be, BUUUUT!!! There's definitely Klara & Toby's cat, Melody. She's a lil tabby cat :3

7. How do your characters get around?

I'm a public transport fan so I'm putting public transport into my wip!!!! I'd say Mars has lots of fancy trains and the ocean area has ships. Buses, too, though probably not what Cynosure characters will end up using.

There's also cars and motorcycles, though they're hovering instead of having wheels. Mars terrain sucks for wheels.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

Figuring out the plot + finishing up worldbuilding <3

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

Hmmmm! I'd love to say worldbuilding or like, whatever is going on in Mars power struggles. Making fun of capitalism too (i'm a social scientist), maybe even the characters? Who knows :^)

[thoughtsformtheuniverse]

tagged by @booksandchainmail to shuffle my general listening music and post the first 10 songs. I chose my 'music' playlist rather just my full library to avoid the two (2) podcast episodes and random audiobook chapters in there.

1. Songs for Lonely Giants by The Mountain Goats ⁃ I mean. it’s The Mountain Goats. it’s slow, it’s sad, it’s pretty weird. I found this one on a character playlist for Jack from E. Jade Lomax’s Beanstalk series (read it for free here!) it’s very good!

2. Moving On by Oysterband ⁃ not blue oyster cult, but a much weirder band that mostly sings songs about working man’s politics in England in during the last century. this song has both the lines "we asked the man for justice, well he handed us a stone" and "the way to hell is straight and sure/the way to heaven is long/the way to your heart is never-ending/so I just keep moving on" and I adore it

3. Four Hours by The Longest Johns ⁃ I found The Longest Johns late in college (and felt deeply smug when their Wellerman was a hit a year later. I found them first), but I do just listen to a lot of sea shanties. This one is a big ass mood for getting off a ship again and trying to adjust to Land and Not a Watch Schedule. Also, like most sea shanties, great to do chores and lab work too

4. Theseus by The Oh Hellos ⁃ god but I always love The Oh Hellos; this is a song about the importance of maintenance and I treasure it. all of the Zephyrus album is good

5. Loves Me Like a Rock by The Wailin’ Jennys ⁃ turns out The Wailin’ Jennys, usually a folk band, did a cover of Paul Simon’s Love Me a Rock. it’s pretty good. (I actually downloaded this earlier today; I have no sophisticated thoughts yet)

6. I Don’t Want You Now by KT Tunstall ⁃ If Only is probably my actual favorite song off this album, but KT Tunstall is always a good time

7. Angels of the River by Oysterband ⁃ aaand the other stuff Oysterband does is odd, folky, kinda wifty stuff like this. Genuinely no idea what this one is about, any more than I know what Milford Haven is about. I like it though

8. Now I am an Arsonist by Jonathon Colton (ft Suzanne Vega) ⁃ to me, this is a very unlikely combination of artists; Colton usually does deeply nerdy fare, while Suzanne Vega soft and strange. this song is on my thieves playlist, and I could not really describe why

9. Heavy Horses by Jethro Tull ⁃ most of the Jethro Tull songs I like best are songs about industrialization with some of the weirdest flute solos I have ever heard, and Heavy Horses is no exception. This song is nearly 9 minutes long and about the arrival of tractors. it’s great. (Stormwatch is actually my favorite Jethro Tull album, and Weathercock or Acres Wild are more favorite songs from this one, but do I really like Heavy Horses)

10. Falling For The First Time by The Barenaked Ladies ⁃ This is the kind of overlapping wordplay I’m here for, the whole chorus delights me; "Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost/Anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost/What if I lost my direction? What if I lost sense of time?". And the way it comes back in the final chorus, but tweaked a little. it’s just a good time.

I’m deeply surprised that there’s no They Might Be Giants, Great Big Sea, or songs from my highschool acapella group, but other than that, this is pretty representative.

@epsilon-delta do you play tag games?

[fabdante]

Not sure if you'd like my taste in music, but on the off chance you find something you like, here's some songs for the reboot, both for the lads and just the general vibe of Limbo City:

-The Protomen (the band). A couple of their albums, namely "The Protomen", "Act II: The Father of Death", and "This City Made Us".

Songs I liked specifically:

1. "The Hounds" from the Act II album. I know for the reboot it'd probably fit best for Bob Barbas, since he's the big information demon, but personally, I always liked it as Vergil's villain song instead- if he ever came back and decided to just wreck Dante's life after the events of the game, I mean. It's got a nice personal element to it that Dante and Bob just don't have, but Vergil and Dante do/could. That and it's catchy as hell and if Vergil ever decides to try and set himself up as the new demon king of the human world, my dude deserves a good villain song for it.

"There is a flame that I've been fanning

There is a fire waiting to catch

There is a hell that has been building from the moment we first met

If there ever was a time

If there ever was a chance

To undo the things I've done

And wash these bloodstains from my hands

It has passed and been forgotten

These are the paths that we must take

Cause you and I, Tom, we are men

And we can bend and we can break

If you think that you can run

If you think that you can stand

Well, you forget who turned this city on

You forget who plugged this city in!"

2. "Keep Quiet" (Act II), "Light Up the Night" (Act II), and "Hold Back the Night" (This City Made Us album) for Kat and Dante and the Order. The first two are more hopeful, the last one not so much, but it could fit, depending on what you want to write. Gonna throw in "This City Made Us" song from the album of the same name, too, just for the general vibe of Limbo City under Mundus. And maybe even after him, tbh, again, depending on how you wanna do things.

3. "II B: Unrest in the House of Light", "III: the Will of One", "IV: Vengeance" from "The Protomen" album, for general Sparda family drama vibes, specifically their beef with Mundus and, eventually, each other.

Songs for reboot Dante specifically:

-"Lost Boys" by the 69 Eyes. It fits better with the Lost Boys (1987) movie, but fuck it. I like the general Goth rock vibe for Dante. Mostly because of that costume of his that looks like it's inspired by Eric Draven from The Crow (1994), because I love that movie and that costume (it looks good on him!), so he can have this, as a treat.

-"Remedy" by Cold.

-"T-Rex" by K.Flay.

-"You're Not Alone" by Kissin' Dynamite.

-"Dead Inside" by Younger Hunger.

Oh I'm a big fan of music! Incase you are interested, here's some links to my Way Too Many DmC Playlists (also here's my main playlist tag) This is a compilation of what I call my 'essentials' playlists for the reboot trio, they're sort of a sampler platter for their larger playlists. And this is a compilation of all of my playlists for the Reboot Trio (I'm almost done with a set of playlists for a general DmC Reboot Vibe as well)

Anywho carrying on, I haven't heard any of these before so I'll need to check these out more in depth! On cursory listen I'm liking these so far! I also support more villian songs for Vergil (my favorite for him is Flickers by Son Lux )

I also love the Dante/Crow parallels, it's a little detail I love in the costumes but also just kinda like Dantes whole vibe.

My personal all time favorite song for Dante is Sleep Patterns by Merchant Ships which I realize is an odd choice (it doesn't even really sound like most of my Dante playlists or even the rest of Merchant Ships discography) but something about it is very quintessentially reboot Dante to me

[thelaurenshippen]

this month's mixtape is Desperate Hollow! I write notes to all of my playlists and this month, I also wrote a ton about the process of working on this story, so if y'all are interested in that too, I'm happy to post that writing here! just let me know. but for now, music and rivals-to-friend-to-enemies-to-lovers feelings.

here are the basics that you need to know: Tex Bullock (a name he chose at 11) joined the notorious Barlowe Boys after he was orphaned at 8 years old, with Barlowe taking him under his wing. Sawyer Watson was similarly orphaned years later and fell in with the gang when he and Tex were both 14. they did not like each other at first. but fast forward thirteen years and they've become the best of friends, with feelings beyond friendship buried in both their hearts, when a confrontation with Barlowe leads to Sawyer shooting Tex in the chest and leaving him for dead. 

fast forward again, seven years this time, and Sawyer has been living in a dead-end town (Desperate Hollow, of course) when who should roll into town, horseless and clearly running from something, but Tex. 

that is, more or less, everything you need to know that happens in the first few chapters. okay, let's get into it: 

1. "Bottom of the River" - Delta Rae

This playlist was started so long ago, in 2019, and since then I've honed so much about the story, even though I haven't touched this playlist. As a result, a lot of the songs are seeking a vibe that I hadn't quite clicked into - this is definitely a vibe song. It sounds to me like dragging yourself across dusty plains, hoping that salvation will come find you soon, either in the sight of civilization or in death. Essentially: where Tex begins.

2. "Born This Way" - Bear and a Banjo

Though both Sawyer and Tex have their own playlists (which I'll be sharing over the next two months) as well as several different ship mixes, there are certain songs that are more one or the other on this playlist. Sawyer's life before joining the Barlowe Boys was fairly peaceful - as a Black man living in Montana, he didn't exactly have it easy, but he had parents who loved each other and loved him. That sense of family is something he never quite gets back with the gang.

What happened to my freedom, separated my family/Bringing me to the foreign place/Now I'm focused on surviving in the midst of evil/Don't think it's ever gonna be the same

Fun fact! This song is actually from a fiction podcast about a fictional musical collaboration. 

3. "Devil's Backbone" - The Civil Wars

Meanwhile, Tex was raised by a criminal father, his mother having died when he was eighteen months old. So when Barlowe found him and showed him the kind of affection and guidance his father never did, it was easy for Tex to fall into line on the criminality side. Sawyer is a lot more moral than Tex in a lot of ways - he's never killed anyone, whereas Tex has earned himself a pretty fearsome reputation. Sawyer doesn't always approve of what Tex does but...that doesn't mean he doesn't have a weakness for him all the same. 

Don't care if he's guilty, don't care if he's not/He's good and he's bad and he's all that I've got

Also, Sawyer was raised in the church whereas Tex's dad was probably? Irish Catholic but I don't think he ever talked about God with Tex. Neither one of them is very religious anymore, but I love the line Oh Lord, oh Lord, what do I do?/I've fallen for someone who's nothing like you

4. "Tell That Devil" - Jill Andrews

I found this song because it's the theme for  Wynonna Earp, a delightful supernatural Western with lots of queerness. 

I gave you all I got to give/I know that ain't no way to live/so I told that devil to take you back - so much of the conflict between Tex and Sawyer is about loyalty, to each other and to Barlowe. I think this could work in multiple ways--either one of them saying it to Barlowe, or Sawyer saying it to Tex. 

5. "I'm a Wanted Man" - Royal Deluxe

This is a Tex song - both how the world sees him and the way he sees himself. 

I would kill again to keep from doing time is more or less a plot point, and you should never ever trust my kind is a central conflict within him. 

If you asked me to change/I don't know if I can/I'll always be who I am

Royal Deluxe is all over these playlists - they make "outlaw rock" which in my view, is essentially cowboy-outlaw roleplaying fanfic. I'm so glad it exists. 

6. "I'm Bad" - The Last Vegas

More of a vibe song, but I do think this is a little bit how Tex sees himself sometimes. He doesn't relish violence, doesn't actually really want to be an outlaw, but it's pretty much all he's ever known -- this is my note from 2019 or whenever I first wrote the notes and I don't have much to add to it (other than to say I'm not sure Tex doesn't relish violence. It's complicated. I did tell you the story got darker). Hindsight being 20/20, if I were to remake these playlists now, this would go on the Barlowe playlist. But this and the Tex and Sawyer playlists have been so baked for so long, I can't conceive of any other song placement. 

7. "Raise Hell" - Brandi Carlile 

If Tex has an anthem this is it. For some reason, I didn't end up putting it on his personal playlist, because I think it fits the ~vibes~ better.

I've been down with a broken heart/Since the day I learned to speak/The devil gave me a crooked start/When he gave me crooked feet - This is sort of the companion to "Born This Way". Tex's father took a lot more shape since I wrote this initial note, but it applies even more now. Tex was never going to walk straight (dual meaning intended). 

I dug a hole inside my heart/To put you in your grave/At this point it was you or me/And mama didn't raise no slave/You took my face in both your hands/And looked me in the eye/And I went down with such a force/That in your grave I lie - I was coy with my notes on these lyrics previously, but it does work on multiple levels - Tex and Sawyer both have to bury each other in their hearts after that deadly confrontation and, for seven years, Sawyer thinks he put Tex in his actual grave. Which, from his perspective, might as well be his own grave for as much as he wants to exist in a world without Tex. Anyway, yeah, graves are a thing in the book. 

8. "Dangerous" - Royal Deluxe

Mostly a vibes song - I like to think of this as a theme song of sorts, for when Sawyer and Tex were in their early twenties, perfect partners, taking the West by storm and becoming figures of legend. 

9. "Blood on My Name" - The Brothers Bright

As I said, Sawyer is the less violent of the two, doesn't like being an outlaw at all really but that doesn't mean he isn't deadly. Tex wears his anger like a well-worn coat, but Sawyer's rage is buried deep.

Yes, Sawyer's rage is buried deep, but it's also different from Tex's - it's a simplification, but Tex spends most of his life angry at himself, Sawyer spends that time angry at the world. After Sawyer shoots Tex, those positions switch. Tex is the one who has blood all over his reputation, his name, but Sawyer's one kill (so he thinks) haunts him in a way killing never bothered Tex. 

There's a reckoning a-coming/And it burns beyond the grave/With lead inside my belly/'Cause my soul has lost its way/Oh, Lazarus, how did your debts get paid? - brain goes brrrrr at this re: Sawyer, but I've got to save some thoughts for the actual book. 

10. "Gun in My Hand" - Dorothy

Why did love put a gun in my hand...Why did love put a knife in my heart - I mean, that really says it all.

All the talk of redemption, revenge, opening up scars...delicious. 

Was it for the thrill of pushin' my hope to the edge - if I think about this too long I'll spontaneously combust. 

11. "Desperado" - Rihanna*

Okay, okay, okay - this is the keystone song of both this playlist and their relationship. I love it. It's modern and cool but has that old West swag and, okay, look, this might be a stretch, but "Desperado" sort of sounds like "Desperate Hollow" said with a drawl and GAH. I love this song.

I'm not tryna go against you/Actually, I'm going withcha/Gotta get up out of here and/You ain't leaving me behind/I know you won't, 'cause we share common interests/You need me, there ain't no leaving me behind - the premise of this story initially really hinged on one fact: that Tex and Sawyer needed each other to get out of Desperate Hollow.

There ain't nothing here for me anymore/But I don't wanna be alone - I have so much to say about this lyric but I don't think I can without writing an essay that gives away the whole book, so I'll shut up.

If you want we could runaways/running from any sight of love - again, if I speak--

12. "Heaven and Back" - Emily West

I don't know, I just wanted to end this playlist on a kinda romantic song! this is one of those songs that just feels like them and I can't describe why.

A big reason this song is on the playlist is that, back in 2019, I was building a pitch for a big studio that ended up going nowhere, but the exec I was working with sent me this song at the same moment I was putting the final touches on this playlist and it just clicked in my brain. 

I want you to be my man/I want you to be more than a friend/I dare you to break our plans

[articskele]

SPEAKING of playlist analysis! Here is my Meta Knight playlist, my favoritest playlist, my pride and joy-

Plus all of the explanations and meanings and stuff under the cut, in case you wanna go in blind first ouo!!

This Will Be The Day: This is Meta Knight joining the GSA and meeting Jecra and Garlude and stuff! He's young and reckless and doesn't yet realize just how serious and dire the war is- So this song is a pure representation of Meta’s current outlook! This is an adventure, a challenge, a revolution, an epic anime fight scene just waiting to happen! And the mention of fairytales and legends refers to Arthur and the knights (Falspar, Dragato, and Nonsurat) and how Meta idolizes them!

Eleanor Rigby (feat. Dream Jumpscare): OHOHOHOHO THIS ONE- And here the bright outlook is shattered as the reality of war sets in!! This one has the most animatic ideas bouncing around- Basically Jecra’s been missing for weeks but he comes back possessed, ambushing a GSA camp in the middle of the night and Meta’s forced to kill him-

AAAAAUGHH THESE LINES THIS IS JECRA AND META KNIGHT IT’S LITERALLY THEM- THE GSA NEVER HELD A FUNERAL FOR JECRA BC HE WAS POSSESSED AND THERE WAS THIS UNSPOKEN WARINESS ABOUT IT- SO META HAD TO DIG HIS GRAVE AND OUGHHHHH AGONIES

And that part at the end where the music slowly builds up is Meta alone on a rocky ledge (the whole thing takes place in like a mesa desert) looking through a journal with photos of him and Jecra- Tears fall onto the pages and it just cuts to him with his mask off just crying as the sun rises over the horizon-

Experience: The fall of the GSA. It becomes more and more obvious that this is a fight they just can’t win. Meta’s forced to watch as ships crash and troops are obliterated around him. Just utter destruction as the few survivors left are scattered across the galaxy. It’s over… What do we do now?

Hush: The start of Meta’s crew, and maybe also his plans to take over Dreamland? Super intimidating, almost secret society vibes as the group grows and they begin construction of the Halberd. This one reminds me of Smash Bros Meta Knight’s almost regal aesthetic with the frilled cape and the detailed armor- I imagine the ending is the crew taking in a young Sailor Dee, like they’re trying to be comforting but it just comes off as menacing lol-

Settle It With a Swordfight: Tonal whiplash time! The other side of Meta's crew and a representation of Revenge of Meta Knight!! Note the more energetic electronic vibe and the guitar, as a callback to the first song and representing Meta’s readiness for a challenge!

Take Off: Meta learning to Chill Out after Revenge of MK, just being with his crew bc the Knightmares are a FAMILY and they LIVE ON THE HALBERD together and they do KARAOKE ON FRIDAYS

Awoken: META KNIGHT IN PLANET ROBOBOT- Both the effects of getting cyborg-ified and all of the guilt and angst involved, and breaking out of it through sheer willpower and Kirby's help! It's very electronic but there's no guitar, like trying to emulate Meta Knight's power but it's noticeably forced and artificial

Pain: OK I KNOW THIS IS LIKE. THE EDGY SONG EVER. But the way I saw it, it represents Meta Knight's will to fight and struggle and improve and keep going and live! There's the full on heavy guitar this time, just the very essence of those burning feelings!! I imagine the "take my hand" parts are him in the New World saving a Waddle Dee from an abandoned building full of beasts

Sword of the Surviving Guardian: Ok this theme was just too much of a bop not to include- But it also shows just how far Meta Knight’s come! As a warrior, as a friend, as a legend. This is a testament to his growth and a toast to his future!

Legends Never Die: OK I ALWAYS IMAGINE THIS SONG IN 3 PARTS FOR EACH CHORUS AND EACH GENERATION; Arthur and his knights (plus Galacta Knight), Meta Knight, and Kirby with the Ultra Sword- OUGHHH it’s so cool and gives me chills every time- Legacies written in the stars and the immortal call of heroism, to protect and persevere and stand up for what’s right

AND THAT'S IT :D The autism was STRONG when I made this as you can probably tell lmao- But for real, I'm extremely proud of this! It tells Meta Knight's story through the music, every song plays a role, I even took the instruments into account, it's great ouo!!

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy Tender Tuesday!!!

Out of all your character's romances which is the most complicated? How do the different emotional intensities of your characters affected theif relationship? Who is more protective of the other and who is the most chill?

Hi! Happy Tender Tuesday!

Thanks for the ask. This is an interesting question.

I love to put a bit of romance into my writing (even if it’s a minor subplot or something), just because I love a good love story. 💖

In my main WIP, there are two main romantic pairings (which come with their own playlists lol. I make them for my characters sometimes because I love my music… it’s fun to think of a potential soundtrack for your stories):

Stephanie and Ben

Bret and Elise

I love writing for both! Probably because they are both really different and give different vibes.

Stephanie and Ben are already an established relationship from the start. They’re like the long term couple in the story (I don’t think I ever stated how long they’ve been together for, but I’d like to think it has been at least a year). So they are really comfortable together and enjoy each other’s company.

They also live together - after Steph ran away from her foster home, she moved in with Ben (he’s older, so he has his own place. I know it kind of sounds weird since she’s still in high school, but she’s 18, so it’s not like it’s illegal). Stephanie and Ben protect and support each other. They need each other. Stephanie has lived a life full of instability, and Ben is like her safe haven from all of that (because of this, I kind of characterise him as the “chill” one, but that doesn’t automatically mean that he isn’t protective of his lady).

They know each other really, really well because of this. They have this deep connection and understanding that is unique to them - Stephanie’s always talking about how she never truly felt understood or close to anyone before she met him. It’s cute… but it does have its flaws/downsides.

Steph lowkey becomes codependent in her relationship with Ben. She’s a strong independent young woman, but she’s also super attached to her boyfriend and she’s just used to him being there for her all the time. Which makes their long distance relationship even more of a struggle for her. Ben gets a work opportunity out of the country, leaving Stephanie behind for a year. She’s living alone for the first time in her whole life, and she gets really sad and lonely. She also worries that things will change between them while he’s away (and has nightmares about him cheating). She’s not doing so well… and this even affects the way she acts around her friends.

(More below)

Now let’s discuss the other main ship: Bret and Elise. These two are serving the “friends to lovers” vibes lol. Well, more like “childhood friends to lovers” vibes - they’ve known each other since primary school, and they’ve been close friends for years. Because they’ve essentially grown up together, they know each other quite well, too (not the same exact way as Ben and Steph, tho. Since they don’t live together. But they’ve known each other for a way longer duration than Ben and Steph have).

I think I might actually enjoy writing for them a little more (just a LITTLE bit. I still love Steph and Ben’s storyline), just because it’s that classic high school love story, you know? Like, it’s the story of two characters getting to know one another, seeing each other in a new light, and then falling in love. It’s beautiful. 😍

They are also really interesting characters together. They are very different (opposites attract and all that), and their dynamic is fun and engaging because of this. This also means that they argue quite a bit. 😅

They also just have a strong connection even before they start falling for each other - aside from the fact that El has had a minor crush on Bret for years, we see them reaching out to each other when they need support, and trusting each other with things that they probably wouldn’t share with the other members of the group.

Something about their relationship that I feel like I should probably mention, though, is their storyline is… a lot. The main gist of it is that Bret is a chaotic slacker troublemaking mess, and he decides after a while that he doesn’t want to be that person anymore. So he goes to Elise (his kind, agreeable, responsible model student friend) for some help with changing. She agrees to support him on his journey, and it goes smoothly at first, but he just can’t stay focused. He relapses into his old habits, frustrating her more and more, until he does something that upsets her so much that she just can’t take this whole “let’s fix Bret” mission anymore. And that’s not even half of it.

I don’t think this is the best way to start a relationship in real life. Bret becomes super dependent on Elise to become her coach at life, essentially, which is a lot of pressure to put on a person (especially someone that’s a teenager like you, who you also consider a friend, or someone you care about a lot). Add that to the fact that he never really followed her advice, either - not most of the time, anyways. And when you take all his trauma and emotional baggage into account as well… it’s a lot of stress for just one person. It’s understandable that Elise eventually snapped.

Something I just wanted to say here is that I don’t believe that a romantic relationship (or any relationship, for that matter) is a solution to your life problems. It’s not a substitute for therapy. It’s not the job or responsibility of your partner to “fix” you, despite what many romance stories and movies tell us nowadays lol. I just came up with this plot for them as a starting point because I wanted to set up these two (both together, and separately) and their overall dynamic and vibes.

It’s not healthy to completely depend on someone else to give you stability, especially in this case (teenagers figuring out who they are while also dealing with the challenges of student life and all… towards the end of their final year of high school). Fortunately, that’s part of what Bret’s arc is about! Learning to build discipline and changing his life for himself, instead of depending on external factors. This definitely improves his relationship with El.

At least I’m trying to be self aware with things lol. 😂

But yeah. Both romantic subplots are great, in my opinion. I’m biased, but still.

Stephanie and Ben bring a lot of drama to the table, while Bret and Elise are a fun high school romance (with its fair share of drama as well, tbh).

And I think I’ll end it here, since I’ve been going on forever.😆

Man, this was a good ask. Thank you so much! I love talking about ships. 💕

I hope this is a good answer. And I hope that you enjoy the playlists!

[winderlylandchime]

Hi, me again. But this time I come with questions for you from my brother.

He was talking about your fic and then asked me if i could ask you some questions, i said yes and then accidentally forgot about it, sent you that last message, told him about it because i took his phone for his playlist, he found out that I didn’t ask you his questions even tho he never told me what to ask and got annoyed with me.

So here they are:

-Your favorite fic that you have written?

-Favorite part and chapter from the new fic you wrote and -which part of the new fic came to you in the best way? This question is because a friend of his makes comic strips for his niece and one day his group of friends were all drunk and while my brother was on one of those mechanical bulls, his friend came up with an idea after my brother flew off of that bull. And till this day it’s my brothers favorite comic strip. And the last question which he said it was almost the most important one, what music did you listen to while writing? He knows you made a playlist with your last fic which btw he loves, so he’s wondering if you listened to any new music during the writing of the new fic.

And he is making me to tell you that his first date playlist worked on one girl he went on a date with. And they dated for almost a year, so he calls it a success. He is sure that it would’ve worked on another date as well but he played the playlist and immediately she asked him if he could change the song because she actually can’t stand the Shrek movies or the songs in it. And he turned off the playlist, walked to the table, blew out the candles and went ‘i think its best if you leave.’

PS. He has his check up tomorrow to do all his tests again and then on Wednesday he has a check up with his surgeon to go through the tests. So he’s extra nervous which is why he is bothering you with his questions. If it makes you feel better, he bothered our mom so much she blocked his number for an hour :)

Hello dear sweet anon and brother anon!

I totally get feeling anxious about medical tests so I’m happy to provide distraction.

My favorite fic? It’s probably a toss up between You’re Like a Tattoo and Clothes Mean Nothing Until Someone Lives in Them Tattoo because it took a lot of planning and thinking through as my first full AU in this fandom. And Clothes just because I love it - it’s short and sweet and is a bit of speed run through canon.

Favorite part and favorite chapter of the new fic I wrote? Beautiful Like the Darkness Between the Fireflies isn’t done yet (yikes, sorry y’all) but I think my most favorite part is the conversation with Gus in the first chapter. I love aged up non-binary Gus and I adore soft dad Brian. The first chapter is so far my favorite. And that’s the part that came to me in the best way. I had been thinking of present day middle aged (or nearly so for Justin) Britin after reading a bunch of fic in Good Omens (a fandom that does middle aged ships proud) and I’ve also read some really good exes-to-lovers fics as well. I was driving to work and the beginning of the fic - the scene with Brian and Cynthia came to me fully formed so I voice-to-texted that opening scene. (While driving, bad idea, I am a terrible driver to start with… sorry everyone on the road that day!) and sent it to @kiranerysed who always supports my best-worst inclinations and the rest is history. I wanted to get it all completed before I started posting so I’m not in the situation with the last chapter that I’m in now but alas.

I have been listening to the song that the title comes from, which I tend to do. The song that the title of Tattoo comes from was my number one most played song in 2023 according to Spotify. So for Fireflies it’s the song by Mason Jennings Darkness Between the Fireflies and then yesterday I re-listened to his song Butterfly off the same album and it’s so Brian-coded (character, not the cat, but maybe the cat too!) just change the “woman” to “man” in the lyric “you’re the [man] I should run from, where the fuck did you come from” So those two songs predominantly.

I believe that a playlist with the song Accidentally In Love could work for a very specific type of person and clearly the person this would work for is someone who is a good fit for your brother. I admire the balls it takes to blow out the candles and invite someone to leave if they do not share your music taste. Brandi Carlile (my all-time favorite musician in case somehow that was lost in presence of her songs as fic titles or throughout fic playlist) spent time with her now-wife when they first started dating to see if this thing between them had any future. (In Michigan which is only relevant because my spouse is from Michigan.) Anyway Catherine mentioned Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Brandi said she found Joni cheesy and didn’t get the appeal. Catherine (rightly) invited Brandi to leave this fledgling relationship unless and until Brandi could come around and recognize the brilliance of Joni Mitchell. Well, a marriage (with three weddings!) and two adorable kiddos later… Brandi is now in a jam band with Joni and has performed Blue in its entirety and also brought Joni back to the stage at Hollywood Bowl this fall which I got to see. All to say that there is a good history of using music as a line in the sand for a potential romantic relationship.

[kiawren]

Hi hi ! for the F/O and S/I emoji ask game --

🔎 for something f/o-related in my room (or something that makes me think about them).

🎧 for a song that reminds me of us.

for kiawren :D

🔍: Kiawe has like close to No merch so I don't have any of him 😭 the closest thing that reminds me of him then, would be the art I have of him! Apart from digital art, I have a notebook on my desk that I doodle in when procrastinating LOL, and I often flip through it and it reminds me of our love and I get happy hehe. Here are some of them :3

🎧: YAAAY I LOVE this question! I love listening to music. I have 3 kiawren playlists LOL, one with slightly more indie music made in 2022, one with only hawaiian songs (becuz kiawe is hawaiian), and one with 80s music + pierce the veil which is my more current music taste, I have them linked in the text! (answer continued under cut, sorry its so longg)

The song that embodied our ship when it was first developing is Strawberry skies by Kid Travis, its on the first playlist.

It gave me so many butterflies imagining us on Kiawe's charizard flying though the skies LOL and sunsets mean a lot to me so this gave me a perfect scenario to imagine

A hawaiian song would be Nightbird by Kalapana

Because it reminded me that we love each other even when apart. songs describing the sun, moon, stars always get to me, and here there's "moonlight", and like arrghh becuz we love to stargaze together and we're like under the same moon yknow !! And also I love birds, so using a bird to represent our love is awesome

And for the third playlist, Heat Of the Moment by Asia.

Firstly "heat of the moment" itself makes me think of Kiawe, becuz he's a fire type trainer but more important his fiery spirt, how his passion influences mine and how I love him so much for it. And "heat of the moment" also embodies the love I feel when with him, especially with "telling me what my heart meant" aaaaghhh

"you catch a pearl and ride the dragon's wings" once again reminds me of him and his charizard!! "you can concern yourself with bigger things"— when I listen to this I get a feeling of freedom and ambition, and I know Kiawe would want me to chase them :]

Bedless by Pierce the Veil is more angsty than typical kiawren fluff but I love it a lot

Self inserting into alola is so carefree for me, it has wonderful beaches and reminds one of summer. The lyrics represent my grounding to reality and the parting with the place and kiawe LOL

"foolish am I for the times I come and go" reminds me of my fluctuating waves of selfshipping with kiawe. "these stars defy love"—stargazing is a very kiawren thing to do, and to "defy love", (even if the songs intention is different) to me is stargazing from worlds apart, and how we love each and defy this distance

Sorry I couldn't just choose One song LOL

TYSM FOR THE ASK!!!