#my worst one is specifically classic rock

[before-what-god]

having music as a special interest is so embarrassing like what do you MEAN i have 4 alice cooper albums. what do you mean i have hundreds of dollars worth of physical music i could just play on spotify

[cerusee]

I've never watched any Chinese dramas but I really enjoy your posts/gifs about them and it's got me interested in trying some! Do you have any recommendations for somebody who's totally new to them? Any tropes/background context I should be aware of? The historical/fantastical ones seem the most appealing to me.

Oooooh! My first thought on reading this ask was, “oh, I’m hardly qualified”; I’m only on my *stops to count on fingers* eighth cdrama, not counting the one episode I watched of the Wang Zhuocheng xianxia where he falls in love with a rock. (Long story.) There’s a lot of cdramas out there, and I myself have not even scratched the surface of what’s out there! That said, if you’re interested in historical/fantastical dramas, those ARE the ones I’ve been watching, so I still have some opinions despite being a total noob myself.

Do not start with The Untamed/Chen Qing Ling. Twas my first cdrama, like a lot of western fans, who were drawn to it in part because of the big censored-but-still-very-evident gay love story between the male leads, but honestly, as much fun as it is for the slash fans, it’s not a great jumping off point for either Chinese television in general, or even for its own wuxia-inspired genre setting. I say this as some who is still deep in the fandom four years later, and has immense love for the show: the first two episodes are flat-out bad, the overall pacing is bad (episodes frequently stop MIDSCENE), the worldbuilding is thin (a carryover from the novel it was based on), and without a larger context for why it’s made the way it’s made (stylistic choices, industry conventions, government censorship, genre conventions) a lot about it is confusing as hell to cdrama newbies, which is…so evident…a lot…in fandom wank I mean in the discourse about what story this story is trying to tell. Like, if you came to me and asked specifically, “I’m thinking of watching CQL. Should I watch CQL?” I would say yes, absolutely! It’s so much fun! I’m obsessed with the characters! I’ve written a lot of fanfic about the purple guy! But it’s not a good first cdrama, nor it is the best example of what the Chinese TV industry has to offer.

A MUCH better first cdrama especially if you like the historical/fantastical: The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017), which not coincidentally was my second cdrama. It’s one of about a dozen television adaptations of the classic 1957 Chinese novel of the same name by Jin Yong, generally considered to be the inventor of the genre known as wuxia, which is a blend of history, fantasy, and martial arts. (One of the most well-known examples of wuxia in the west is Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which you have probably at least heard of.)

Legend of the Condor Heroes (hereafter known as LOCH) has it all: romance, revenge, evil plots and daring deeds, people jumping off a burning mountain and being rescued by the worst CGIed eagles known to television or cinema, boat adventures, mountain adventures, grasslands adventures, a weird cult leader who lives on a spooky flower island (there will be math), murder, baby kidnapping, more murder, one guy inadvertently racking up a ridiculous number of martial arts teachers, sworn brotherhoods which invariably end with one guy stabbing the other, lots of VERY good martial arts fights, and, of course, Genghis Khan. Technically there are no magic/supernatural elements in this show—no ghosts, ghouls, magic, angels, devils, gods, etc—although the martial artists do have l33t skillz that might qualify as superhuman depending on how you slice your genre conventions, and are awfully fun to watch.

I’ve actually seen two LOCH adaptations (there was one in 2024 I liked a lot, with my favorite Guo Jing so far), but 2017 is a much better adaptation for newcomers as it tells a fuller version of the story and doesn’t skimp on or rush through or rewrite as many elements of the plot as other versions do; it’s meant to be a LOCH for people who haven’t seen half a dozen versions of LOCH already. It has a WONDERFUL cast, including my one of my favorite cdrama leading men, Chen Xingxu,* as the lead antagonist, Yang Kang, who is a trash fire of a person you just can’t root for, but he also can’t help it because he was raised by Wanyin Honglie. You can catch it on YouTube (I recall that there are couple of missing episodes from that playlist, but you can search on YT for those when you get there, to find them subtitled from other channels.)

*If you, like me, come away from LOCH 2017 with your mouth slightly ajar at how great CXX is, I have wonderful news for you! He’s been a lead in at least two other very good cdramas: the 2023 xianxia** The Starry Love, where he gets to play, like, five different characters (huge acting flex, and he’s great, although I would rush to stress I loved a ton of things about this show besides CXX himself), and the 2019 semi-historical drama Goodbye My Princess, which might actually be my favorite cdrama I have seen to date, and arguably THEE best well-made on a technical level, with phenomenal acting, a great script, and editing and directing I am constantly swooning over, but I am not entirely sure I can recommend to you unless you are a Tragedy Enjoyer.

(If you are a Tragedy Enjoyer, please stop whatever you’re doing and just start watching Goodbye My Princess right now, it is phenomenal. It is also available on YouTube. Watch the Director’s Cut, not the regular one! This is important. In its haste to get the main leads on screen together ASAP, the regular version does a Reader’s Digest version of stuff the Director’s Cut spends like five episodes carefully setting up, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense, nor does it flow well.)

**Speaking of xianxia! Xianxia is the high fantasy genre, full of magic and gods and demons and people dying and living multiple lives and whatnot. Important to note: xianxias are soap operas (complimentary). They tend to feature female protagonists, sweeping, epic romances, and put enormous emphasis on exploring the nuances of relationships and emotions. I have watched three that I loved (Love Between Fairy and Devil, The Starry Love, and Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms), and while technically I could recommend all three, if you were going to watch just one, especially as a cdrama intro, I have to recommend Eternal Love, which really is the quintessential xianxia, the one all other xianxias are kind of shaping themselves around. I have watched it 1.5 times and I can say that it does not properly take off until like, episode 10, or whenever it is that the main couple finally, properly meet. IT IS WORTH THE INVESTMENT. This show made me want to spit blood. I cried multiple times watching it. It made me feel things. It has a wonderful immersive quality that’s hard to describe except to say that the entire show sort of vibrates on its own frequency. The casting is just kind of…perfect? Props to Maggie Huang for portraying the most perfectly hatable xianxia villainess of all time. Absolutely no one is doing it like Su Jin. No one should try. I believe this is available on YouTube, but after an abortive start, I realized it was on US Netflix, and watched it there.

As for tropes and background context: ehhhhhh. I mean, it’s an entire industry? I know substantially less about how it functions than I do about, like, American TV and film. I know government censorship is a not-inconsiderable factor, but I don’t know much of the nuance of how that plays out in terms of filming and airing. Tropes will vary according to subject. Idol dramas (shows built to showcase media personalities regardless of their ability to act) are a thing. Most cdrama audio is still dubbed (this one surprised me!), usually by professional voice actors and not by the original cast, for a confluence of reasons, some of which historically make sense (noisy filming lots rendering original audio useless), and some of which are really stupid (fans throwing hissy fits if lead actors don’t have the “right” kinds of voices for their characters).

Anyway! My recommendations are this: try The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017) to start with, UNLESS you would prefer having your heart ripped out of your chest, in which case watch Goodbye My Princess (Director’s Cut, 2019), or UNLESS you love soap operas as much as I do, in which case watch Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (2017). All three are great shows, but they all hit differently/scratch a different itch.

Oh! Lastly! @dangermousie is a great source of cdrama recs. I should note she prefers dramas and tragedies and mostly does not vibe with xianxias. But she watches like eight million hours of dramas a week and reports her findings to us because she is a river to her people.

[gloriousmonsters]

ok listen. listen. hear me out. what if Angel was the one to propose the contract

like.... the intensification of heartbreak and guilt when Val tells him 'I own you, or have you forgotten that?' as Angel looks at his signature, the heart he drew next to it. the extra layer in 'what's the worst part of this hell? I can only blame myself'. and above all it plays well with my observation that their contract had to have been composed with some level of input from Angel, because... why on earth/in hell would Val have given him control of his life outside of the studio; and while Val invokes the contract to put Angel back in 'his place', Angel invokes it to remind Valentino that he can defy him. It's actually similar in composition to a kink contract/agreement--if I'm in this specific place, you hold all the power and call the shots; but outside of it, I don't give you that level of control. Angel can straight up tell Val to fuck off in front of a crowd and all Val can do is say he'll make Angel regret it next time he's in the studio (and isn't that an extremely dark variation of the classic kinky romance beat of 'sub misbehaves when they're in public and can get away with it, dom promises they'll pay for it later'?)

so like. all of that about the contract also works if Val proposed it, but I love headcanoning that their relationship was on the rocks around the time it was signed, and one of the factors was Vox coming onto the scene... and so now i'm just thinking about Angel in his peak era of both-sides-ing their relationship problems, knowing his 'commitment issues' (partly real, partly consisting of val's 'you know other men??' issues) are a major cause, furious and disconcerted at someone else drawing so much of Val's attention, wanting to make a stupid desperate Hail Mary pass to save their relationship but devoid of the usual options of 'have kid' or 'impulsively propose marriage' or 'move to a new house that's inevitably haunted' i watch too much horror, going for the option of '...hey do you want to make the kind of binding contract that is accessible to us?'

and surely it's not that stupid! he's only really giving Val a formal version of the power he gives him already, right? Val's his dom and his director and manager, and maybe there's... problems but it's mostly been great for Angel so far, so if having it on (magic eternally binding) paper would make Val happy and make him understand that Angel really wants him, wants them, the risk is toooootally worth it. just, best not to tell Cherri about it she'd definitely think it was insane.

(and when, much later, she learns about the contract and berates him for being an idiot and not telling her when Val brought it up, maybe don't correct her assumption. just keep it to yourself and feel even worse.)

[rosypenguins]

Day 19! Music Club Headcanons! (Music Edition!)

I’ve already shared most of my Music Club headcanons, so I’ll be keeping this post pretty simple. Just kinda want to share my thoughts regarding their music tastes, because why not?

🩵Hailey mostly listens to country music. Woman’s country specifically. Like, the songs about killing your exes for cheating. If it weren’t for her kindness and strong moral code, she probably would’ve slashed Drew’s tires and bashed in his windshield to one of these songs by now. He may not be an ex, but she hates him all the same.

💜Zander mostly listens to stuff from the 80’s and 90’s. Pop music specifically. He’s one of those people who claims music is getting worse, and hates about 90% of modern artists. (TikTok would be his worst nightmare.) But I do imagine he’d really like Conan Gray. He’s definitely cried to several of his songs. (Also Luke definitely got him tickets to one of his concerts and he cried for like a solid 5 minutes.)

🧡Luke doesn’t really have much of a music preference. He’ll enjoy whatever anyone else is listening to. But on his own, he’d probably listen to a lot of classic rock. (Like something someone’s dad would listen to.) (Also I could totally see him listening to Arctic Monkeys.)

🩷Milly would mostly listen to punk-rock and metal music. Something she can blast late at night. (I have so many artists I think she’d listen to but that’ll take too long to list lol.) Most of these songs are either about how much the government sucks or how much life in general sucks.

💙Similar to Jake, Sean will listen to just about anything. However, instead of having all his songs in one playlists, he’s created countless, all with very specific vibes. (And he definitely has a shared playlist with each member of the Music Club.) His only ‘disorganized’ playlists are his recent faves list, and his vent list. Anyways, despite being down to listen to anything, I feel like he leans more towards EDM. Or anything loud. Anything to drown out his thoughts. (I refuse to stop with the Sean angst headcanons.)

🖤Bonus! I feel like one of the only artists the Jomies (including Zoey and Lia) can agree on is Kesha. I could totally see Drew driving them all somewhere with Joyride blasting out the speakers. Everyone except Drew’s singing along and Drew’s this close to driving the car off a cliff. (Not actually though he loves these idiots.)

@31days-of-freakblr

[shiveringgroovy]

Got any RITHOTD headcanons?

YES SIR/MA'AM/ENTITY OF THE SLOP I DO!!!!!! spoiler they're all autistic and i'm gonna project onto fyodor like nobody's business

Fyodor

Class 2 Autism with debilitating executive dysfunction (no i don't take criticism i know damn well that weirdboy can't get shit done. sincerely someone with class 1 autism and debilitating executive dysfunction)

Paranoid Schizophrenia with religious delusions

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

REALLY picky about sensory stimuli

Can't Stand: spicy food, mushy textures, dried mud and paint, velcro, hot environments, having dry hands, overwhelmingly sweet scents/tastes, the smell, texture, and taste of blood

Really Likes: soft/long hair, smooth textures, wood smells, carbonated drinks (listen idk why but i think as soon as shit like monster energy was released he was INSANE)

REALLY loves nature, but doesn't interact with it often

Favorite Animals: Rats, Spiders, Roaches, Tardigrades, Cats

Really poor eyesight, needs glasses but hates having things on his face

Pushkin

Class 1 Autism

ADHD with major executive dysfunction

Major Depressive Disorder

Arthritis

Also really picky about sensory stimuli

Hates loud noises and scraping sounds in specific. wears earplugs/covers his ears with his coat hood to block out some noise

Not a huge nature fan, but likes most rodents and canines

Had a service dog for a while, probably a boxer or a doberman

Uses a cane, but would prefer crutches

Listens to classic rock like a fucking NERD. probably has a last.fm account too. someone introduce him to goreshit

he's my babygirl.

Ivan

Class 2 Autism

Epilepsy

Psychosis

UGGGHGHHHHH I WANT THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS WITH SEVERAL DISORDERS SO BAD I'M GONNA [gets crushed by a rock]

World's most normal Throbbing Gristle fan (the band)

Loves nature, especially invertebrates

Favorite Animals: Roaches, Beetles, Isopods, Centipedes

Stims by blinking rapidly, cracking his joints, and throwing rocks around like a cat toy for himself

Stands with his feet crossed and twisted to keep his balance

Often manipulates the ground below him to keep his balance as well, it pisses Pushkin off because he ends up falling

Mushitaro

people seem to forget this guy (was) in the rats blehhhhh (i like him :3)

Class 1 Autism

Owns exotic animals (macaws, old-world tarantulas, axolotls, etc)

Music taste varies. He'll listen to "whatever" but still skip through a ton of songs to get to one he likes

The worst backseat driver of all time

Has trouble regulating his voice volume, normally very loud

Has kept hundreds of diaries, this guy doesn't play about journalling.

Loves brightly-colored things

Hawthorne

Borderline Personality Disorder

Really good at baking and cooking

He literally CANNOT stand up after a fight because fym he intentionally loses that blood????

I'm ngl I was never interested in this guy

Cat and dog lover, hates invertebrates and considers them "dirty"

He's a total lightweight trust me. has one drink and starts sobbing

[ambrossart]

Hello, my question is about the Bowers gang and the music. I simply found it curious and fun and since Victor also seems to be a music fan and invited Evelyn next time to listen to music, my question is about her musical tastes, if she has a group. favorite or what genre of music do they listen to or if they have a favorite singer since Belch is a character who is characterized by the fact that he loves Metallica, so he asks me what type of music would each one listen to, Belch, well, he listens to metallica and anthrax (he has a band t-shirt and it appears in a movie if I remember correctly) Victor in one of the chapters says that he likes an Aerosmith song but from there I don't have an idea of ​​the bands or singers I heard, much less Henry or Patrick, I feel Patrick would be the strangest, he doesn't even seem like a person who listened to music or is a fan of someone and Henry doesn't seem that way to me either, and also it's from the 80's so it's even more interesting because I love the music of the 80's. 80s and 70s.

First of all, I absolutely love questions like this! I’ve had the worst week, so this was a very welcome mental vacation. Thank you for this.

Anyway, let’s discuss everyone’s music preferences! I’m just gonna break this down character by character to make my life easier.

— Evelyn

Evelyn likes whatever songs catch her ear on the radio. Music isn’t a huge part of her life, so she doesn’t really have a favorite song or artist. She has songs she likes (a lot of those classic 80s pop hits), sure, but I doubt she knows the names of most of them. So far, I think the only artists I’ve specifically mentioned her liking are Olivia Newton-John, the B-52s (literally just for “Love Shack” probably), and The Beach Boys, but we’ll discover more of her interests later. It’s not a major storyline by any means, but it does get explored.

— Vic

This may be a departure from canon, but in my mind, Victor Criss is an early adopter of the whole 90s grunge aesthetic. Messy hair. Ripped jeans. Flannel. Oversized shirts. Drinking coffee and smoking weed. If this story took place in the 90s, Vic would be all up in that grunge scene. I’m honestly super bummed I couldn’t go that route with him, but mark my words, that boy will go full grunge in college. He will.

Since this story doesn’t take place in the 90s, a lot of people (and by “people” I mean the characters in the story) probably assume Vic’s into heavy metal like Belch, but that’s not necessarily true. See, Vic is very picky about his music, and I don’t mean that in a snobby way at all (although Vic can be a little snobby about it). For him, music is therapy. Vic just wants to get really high, listen to some music, and escape himself for a while. And the wrong kind of music can be painfully grating to him, like to the point where it would cause him intense physical discomfort. That’s why he’s so picky.

So what kind of music does Vic like? I dunno… I could see him being into psychedelic rock, artists like Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Byrds, The Beatles, stuff like that. Vic is very private about his music, though. There’s a reason Christie Gibson can’t seem to figure him out.

It's also a pretty big deal that Vic has invited Evelyn to listen to music with him. Just saying.

— Belch

Next to Victor, Belch is probably the most serious about music. As we all know from the movie, heavy metal is his preference and his passion, but he’s also the kind of guy who can (secretly) appreciate a well-composed song regardless of its genre. That being said, Belch does tend to steer clear of the mainstream pop music scene… unless, of course, Christie Gibson is with him. Yeah, when those two are together, he pretty much lets her play whatever music she wants (because Belch is a good boyfriend).

— Henry

Yeah, I don’t think Henry is that serious about music. He listens to it, sure, everyone does, but it doesn’t impact his life significantly. Despite that, Henry’s tastes are probably very similar to Belch’s, simply because that’s how Henry gets exposed to most of his music: he listens to whatever Belch plays in the car. Apart from that, I could also see him being into bands like Led Zeppelin, Blue Öyster Cult, Deep Purple, Kansas, etc. But would he consider any of them his favorite band? Probably not, because Henry doesn’t have a favorite band.

Honestly, I think Henry has a very negative relationship with music in general. Anything that tries to tap into his emotions or influence his emotions, yeah Henry doesn’t like that. At all. He doesn’t wanna feel things. He doesn’t wanna think about his parents or his childhood. He wants all that shit to stay buried real deep.

— Patrick

For Patrick, all music sounds the same—and by that, I mean it’s all just “noise” to him. He doesn’t connect to it on any level, least of all emotionally.

In Chapter 5 (I think?) we saw Patrick using the radio kind of like a weapon. He purposefully messed with the knob to create the most annoying sounds his possibly could, hoping that it would drive the other guys in the car crazy. And it worked. Belch almost crashed the damn car. That pretty much sums up Patrick’s relationship with music. It’s just something else for him to manipulate and use for his entertainment.

So yeah, I could see Patrick listening to some really weird shit, like music that isn’t really music, but more like a bunch of random creepy/disturbing sounds put together. Patrick’s a weirdo. There’s no way he listens to traditional music.

___________

Okay, that's all I have to say on the subject. Thanks again for this ask! It was a lot of fun to think about. ❤️

[lavend-ler]

oooh what are your Normaler headcanons

anon, I mean this in the nicest way possible but,, u gotta be a little more specific 😅 I have soooo so many headcanons. most of them I share via my fics! if u wanna hear some abt a specific topic/time/anything else I will gladly give them to u! here are some of my general ones I remembered for a good start:

they remind me of sunny golden spring afternoons when the weather is just right to spend time outside. I imagine them going around the Valley in the early summer sun, holding hands, picking Truffula fruit, being happy and in love. Norma's draw and long curls sway on the wind, while Once-ler with one hand holds hers and with other he hangs onto his hat

their most "usual" date is having a picnic in the Valley! Once-ler brings the snacks and Norma brings all the equipment. Once shares his songs and Norma plays with animals

they love to spend time simply talking with each other. Once tells stories of success and hope, while Norma shares stories of her everyday life

actually, that's the point, they're opposites, perfectly working together. Once-ler is a dreamer, head in the clouds, wishing of the brightest future. Norma is down to Earth, collected but with that wild spark within her. he values dreams, she values stability. that's what enamoured them abt each other - with Once, Norma gets away from her everyday life so that silly lanky guy would make her fantasies come true. with Norma, Once steadies down, becomes more perceptive and values the little things in life more

Norma is an extravert and Once-ler is an introvert. sometimes, when Once feels too drained, Norma simply holds him down, not expecting he'd say anything to her. and Once loves being wrapped around her, face buried in her curls. yes, he's a chatterbox but sometimes Norma's presence and the sound of her breathing means everything to him.

Once picked up reading bc of Norma (he likes romances, fantasy novels and memoirs), while Norma branched out with her music more bc of Once (before she liked solely heavy music like SOAD or Death Grips but now she listens to variety of things Once recommends like classic rock, jazz and even some classical!)

sometimes Norma talks all the way, venting her day out. Once never stops her, in fact, he loves listening to her talk, no matter the topic and supports her however he can

Norma fell first. Once fell harder

Norma is great at games of all kinds! she's just very slow at getting her point. Once often gets impatient ESP since no matter what, she always wins. their Mario Kart nights are the worst

when Once-ler found out Norma loves gardening, he started buying her various flowers to the point she had to say "listen, I love these but u're flooding my apartment"

Once is a total lightweight so whenever they go out partying it mostly ends with Norma draggings those overgrown limbs home

if life ended up differently, they would love to have more than 1 child

I don't thin they ever considered each other a "fling". in my hc Once-ler is demisexual so it took him time to realize his feelings and Yeah, he knew she was Important. so did Norma actually, she started liking Once so much, she knew no matter what, she simply wanted him in her life

if I had to describe them in 1 song it'd be either A Dustland Fairytale by The Killers or their cover of Romeo and Juliet or Whistle For The Choir by The Fratellis (the line "so if u're crazy, I don't care u amaze me" is SO them)

[superfallingstars]

Hey, for the playlist ask thingy, what about:

What Peter would listen to

Remus trying to find a job

What you think the weird sisters would sound like if they existed

send me a playlist prompt!

Omg sorry it took me a billion years to get to this. The problem with making playlists is that there is basically an infinite number of songs in the world and I'm always like, well maybe there's a better song out there that I haven't heard yet and I should listen to just one more song/album/artist/etc. But that's the devil speaking. Anyway these prompts were so fun and I really really enjoyed them :-) also I wrote SO much

First up is Peter! I already have a Peter playlist (it's kinda on the silly side, aka it's rat-themed), but for this, I tried to focus more on what he would listen to, rather than songs that describe him (or rats). Since Peter is evidently very impressed by showy, tasteless displays of masculinity (aka James and Sirius), I imagined he would listen to – PROGRESSIVE ROCK! Prog rock at its best is like, really incredible musicianship and composition, and if you can buy into the drama it can be really good. But at its worst, it's just tasteless and pretentious and you're like, wow these musicians are so far up their own asses that they can't even tell that their extremely technically impressive guitar solo sounds like garbage, and also did they even listen to these lyrics, cuz they suck. And I went for specifically, like, late-70s-early-80s prog rock, when it started to get really overproduced and bad. Sorry I just kind of reamed prog rock in this paragraph I swear I legitimately like it… You can only hate something this much if you're intimately familiar with it. I should also note that I chose some of these songs for their lyrics ("The Logical Song" and "The Very Last Time" both are REALLY great songs for Peter's personality and friendship with James, respectively) and some of them are even good. They're not all bad. But they're mostly bad. Anyway! Please enjoy my garbage! 

Track list:

Supertramp - The Logical Song: "The questions run too deep / For such a simple man / Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned / I know it sounds absurd / Please tell me who I aaaam!!!"

Utopia - The Very Last Time: I love you Todd Rundgren. "Nobody sees how you treat me like dirt / Nobody knows just how badly a man can hurt [....] It's the very last time you will get on my case / It's the very last time 'cause I won't be a fool no more!"

Yes - Roundabout: this song is literally good

Rush - New World Man: man I hate Rush. But this is rather tolerable. "He's old enough to know what's right / But young enough not to choose it / He's noble enough to win the world / But weak enough to lose it / He's a new world man"

Yes - Parallels: sucks

Kansas - Point of Know Return: sucks

Asia - Heat of the Moment: sucks but it's a classic

Yes - Leave It: sucks even more than the last Yes song, which is really saying something

Electric Light Orchestra - The Way Life's Meant to Be: We're ending on a good note imo. They don't make concept albums about time travel like they used to! But really I put this on here because it made me giggle. "...I wish I was back in 1981 / Just to see your face instead of this place / Now I know what you mean to me / Ooh, and I wonder, yes I wonder / Is this the way life's meant to be?" lol. lmao even

Ok onto music that is good!

Next prompt was Remus trying to find a job! Gah I adored this prompt! That being said I kind of just made the saddest playlist ever LOL. I'm really fascinated by the time in Remus's life between the Potters' deaths and his employment at Hogwarts. Wtf did he do all those years? How did he get by? Since this playlist is about that time in his life, it's full of songs about the meaninglessness of life and just generally feeling lonely and empty and disconnected. And also working. FUN. Again I admittedly poached a lot of songs on here from my (very bloated and unfinished) Remus playlist. As far as genre goes, I like the idea of Remus having a pretty eclectic taste. But I tend to lean towards things that are lo-fi, scrappy, and less polished, as well as things that are a little jangly or jazzy (basically what I'm saying is that The Cleaners from Venus are theeee Remus band of all time). I'm going to try to restrain myself with the commentary this time

Track list:

Yo La Tengo - Everyday: One of the most depressing songs of all time imo. "Looking to forget tomorrow, looking everyday." Yeowch!

The Cleaners from Venus - Wivenhoe Bells (II): Like I said the Remus band of all time to me. Jangly, jazzy, lo-fi, + incredibly catchy songs about everyday English life

Even As We Speak - Nothing Ever Happens

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Pavement - Here: "I was dressed for success / But success, it never comes" 👍

The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now: obviously

Nick Drake - Been Smoking Too Long

Galaxie 500 - Cold Night

The Dismemberment Plan - Come Home: The more I listen to these guys, the more I'm convinced that they're one of the best bands ever, as well as being the rare math rock band with good lyrics. Very literary.

Mount Eerie - Moon, I Already Know: I can recite this whole thing like some devastating prayer. Remus song of all time. Moon, I already know I'm small on the ground I roll around and feel menacing mountains And all depths of sorrow dwarf me All towering terrors are mine to cower below I know, I know, I know already So don't look at me like that and then Duck behind clouds I know I'm small and that I have no idea I know, I know, I know Let me be dumb again Let food drip off my chin Let me think you're a light Please please let me sleep through the night unknowing Let me close eyes. Ok I'm gonna throw up and die

Ok this was probably the most difficult prompt for me – I really had no idea what The Weird Sisters would sound like. But if there's any area of music that I'm familiar with, it's mediocre 90s alternative rock, so let's get to it. In the movie, The Weird Sisters are made up of members of Pulp (hi, Jarvis Cocker) and Radiohead, so I decided to start there. And I think Britpop is a natural place to start for a UK band that was big in the 90s. But I wasn't really feeling it with the usual culprits – Pulp was too sweeping and dramatic... I thought Oasis would be more "rock," but frankly, they were just too annoying. I wanted something a little more power pop (a genre that I can only describe as sounding like Disney TV show theme songs. Or, like, Stacy's Mom). And while tapping through related artists for small Britpop bands I've never heard of, I came across the song "1 Time, 2 Times Devastated," and I was like – THIS IS IT. Exactly the kind of mediocre 90s rock/power pop that I was looking for. (Also sorry that I keep saying mediocre I just can't imagine that The Weird Sisters are very good LMFAO! Idk wizards have not convinced me that they have a cool youth culture! Sorry bout it!) Other than that, I thought "Girl From Mars" by Ash was also a good fit. The rest of the playlist is mostly early Radiohead songs (they've got that Britpop feel, but they're a little messier and unpolished. And solidly mediocre) and the more up-tempo Supergrass songs (there's this sort of bouncy piano + drum thing they do that I quite like).

Track list:

DM3 - 1 Time, 2 Times Devastated

Ash - Girl from Mars

Radiohead - Just

Cud - Robinson Crusoe

Supergrass - Tonight

Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar

Supergrass - Moving

The Stems - At First Sight

Radiohead - Thinking About You

Supergrass - Richard III

Anyway this was probably more specific than anyone would ever want but idk man. What I lack in media taste (what with my enjoyment of Harry Potter and other mediocre children's media) I make up for in, um, media taste (pretentious music nerd).

Thank you so much for the ask. Please send me more music asks I beg. There's like a 20 business day turnaround but like, I love making playlists, and getting to infodump about music is literally my dream. I hope you enjoy the playlists :-)

[msperfectsheep-posts]

top 5 folk dances ? ^^

ROBIN DON'T MAKE ME PICK THIS IS LIKE PICKING A FAVORITE CHILD

Anyways. My top 5 Folk Dances: 1. Vjalla E Pllanes (Albania) This dance is so good. It has everything. It has scarves, it has a bunch of very unique figures that stand out from one another, there's a section where you just fucking SPIN for eight counts as much as you can, and the double-headed eagle is a classic. I love this dance so so much and it looks great.

2. Dance of Ikaria (Greece) EXACTLY THE SAME FOOTWORK as the Serbian dance Biserka/Bojarka and Romanian Boiereasca but I really love the Greek music specifically that was chosen for it. This dance is made to mimic the sound and feeling of waves crashing against the rocks of the islands old Greek monastaries were located on, including Ikaria! It's a dance where you intentionall mimic the feeling of being off balance, and the entire circle of dances sort of rocks back and forth like the barrel of a washing machine. In a small circle, the energy and feeling is so great that I literally feel like I am back in the Indian/Pacific ocean.

3. Ördög Útja (Drumul Dracului) (Csango Peoples, Romania/Moldova) Okay so I didn't credit Romania/Moldova alone here because there is a really important distinction to be made with the Csango Peoples: they are Not Romanian. They're of Hungarian descent and speak a Hungarian dialect, they just live In Romania. It's kind of like Opsa (below) where it's an immigrant group's work, but crediting Hungary entirely feels a little disingenuous, so there we go. Anyways, rant aside, this is the worst fucking dance I have ever danced (/aff). My folk dance group lovingly calls it the Fitness Gram Pacer Test of dances. You think you are done but you are Never Done. The footwork is actually pretty simple, but the real catch with this fucking dance is that it keeps getting faster and the songs can easily go one for over 5 minutes. Traditionally, this dance is done to hype everyone up for the big hunt, and they can easily do it for over twenty minutes straight. Me? I'll just die. We like to haze newcomers to our folk dance classes by having them go into this dance with no warning whatsoever and everyone hates us for it. It's one of our most popularly requested dances. The feeling is universal.

4. Opsa (Croatia/Serbian/USA) The thing with Opsa is that it is so stupidly simple. You just chat with your friends while you dance it! You hold hands, you chat, and whenever it's time to shout "OPSA!", you shout "OPSA!" I do not know what opsa means, and at this point I'm scared to ask. It's great. This dance is a great dance to start off the day, to end the day, or just for when you want to chat.

5. Sicilian Tarantella (Sicily) I was taught the Neapolitan Tarantella (Italy) first, and By God. That's definitely the harder but more "authentic" tarantella, but if you do not know how to dance in a ballroom position, then it is Hell. And let me tell you, most people do not know how to dance in ballroom position. However, the tambourines are always a delight, and the Sicilian Tarantella still retains a lot of the charm of the Neapolitan Tarantella while making it a lot more accessible to beginners. In a dance that relies on the fact that you at bare minimum have a partner, but ideally four people, you should either get a group of people who know how to dance or dance an easier version so people can still have fun. Anyways, that's my spiel.

Special mentions to: Das Fenster (Germany), T'smidje (Beligium), Eastbourne Rover (England), High Green Mountain (Taiwan), Istanbul Bar (Turkey/USA), Udarata Kandukara (Sri Lanka), and Fado Português de Nos (Portugal)

[unovaascollectionoftrinkets]

Code: Glycerine

Since I put up a poll for the fic i'm gonna focus on, I thought I’d go ahead and share some excerpts from the two fics I haven’t shared anything from yet!

The one for code:fish will come soon! Here's my spin on bring your parents to school day ! (This will focus on darker themes/have graphic depictions of violence)

“Students! Don’t forget that this upcoming Tuesday is Bring-Your-Parents-to-School Day! Attendance is required for all parents unless otherwise excused by me—your principal! Thank you for joining me in upholding this exciting new tradition, one that I’m sure will become a cherished event for years to come. That concludes today’s announcements. And remember—PLUS ULTRA!”

The tinny buzz of the PA system died with a click, leaving the room eerily still. Katsuki clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to let out a very loud, very public groan. Of course, this was Nezu’s latest bright idea—one of his many elaborate ploys to salvage UA’s battered reputation.

“Bring-Your-Parents-to-School-Day.”

God. The words alone made him feel like throwing something. Ever since UA’s reputation took a nosedive, thanks to villains treating students like appetizers at an all-you-can-eat buffet, Nezu had been working overtime to make the school seem invincible again. Rebuilding UA’s prestige wasn’t just his mission—it was an obsession. 

And this latest stunt? 

A PR exercise wrapped up in a neat little bow of so-called "parent-child bonding.” How typical.

The official excuse was painfully wholesome: It’s a chance for parents to see firsthand the amazing young heroes their children are blossoming into!

Gross.

Parents. 

At UA. 

Watching him and his classmates. 

Katsuki could already hear the awkward murmurs, see the invasive camera flashes, feel the judgment of it all—and he hated it with every fiber of his being. More specifically, he hated the thought of her coming.

Mitsuki Bakugo.

He had stumbled across the announcement a week ago, pinned to some dumb school newsletter in the common area. His brain had barely managed to register the words before his vision tunneled, his ears ringing. By the time the red haze cleared, he’d bolted back to his room, slammed the door, and let the freak-out commence.

He cranked the volume on his speakers to near-apocalyptic levels, and drowned the world in thrashing guitars and drumbeats sharp enough to shred his spiraling thoughts. Normally, he liked his music calculated and refined—classical pieces that let him sort through his mess of a brain. 

But anything involving Mitsuki Bakugo required chaos.

The music—mostly heavy rock and screamo, the angriest stuff he could find—did what it could. It wasn’t perfect. It couldn’t be. Memories and dread crawled out of the deepest, ugliest corners of his mind, uninvited. Mitsuki, cutting him down with one snide comment after another. Mitsuki, yelling with her wine glass in hand. Mitsuki, dismissing every shred of effort he’d poured into himself as if it didn’t even matter. But most prevalent was memories of that night. 

It always circled back to Mitsuki.

And that was when Iida had materialized.

Like some sort of overzealous apparition, Iida barged into Katsuki’s rapidly imploding bubble, clearly summoned by the earth-rattling music reverberating through the walls. “Bakugo!” he had shouted, surly gesturing wildly like a poorly done marathon runner impersonation. His muffled voice barely cut through the sonic onslaught, and honestly, Katsuki hadn’t even tried to make sense of it. Not because he didn’t care—well, okay, mostly because he didn’t care—but also because his mind was far too busy spiraling into every worst-case scenario this whole parent day debacle might bring.

When Katsuki ignored him, Iida made the bold (and stupid) decision to enter the room. He didn’t just crack the door open to be annoying—no, the idiot strode in like this was some life-or-death safety drill and not Katsuki’s business. Katsuki whirled to face him, armed and ready to fling a biting remark. But then came the kicker, the absolute icing on the catastrophe cake:

“Bakugo… have you been.. crying?”

It hit like a sucker punch to the gut.

Katsuki froze, the flames of indignation choking him in his chest. Crying? Since when the hell did he cry? Never. And why the hell would he be crying now? Sure, his chest might’ve been tight and his breathing a little uneven, but that was just because—because of… well, anything else, okay?

The nerve. The audacity.

Katsuki reverted back to his middle school self.

“You think I cry? Are you fucking stupid? Were you dropped on your fucking head as a baby?” Katsuki barked, cutting through both the blaring music and Iida’s holier-than-thou concern. 

He shoved past the taller boy, fists clenched tightly at his sides. “Get the fuck out of my room before I blow your stupid ass glasses off your fucking face!”

And so, Iida had left, likely muttering something self-righteous under his breath about boundaries or proper coping mechanisms. 

Katsuki didn’t care. 

Not about him, not about his classmates, and sure as hell not about this stupid Bring-Your-Parents day.

[proxythe]

What kind of music can you see the P3 cast listening too? Your latest post just made me wonder that. Also just curious, what music do you listen to normally? I ask everyone this lol

im kind of unbelievably horrible at knowing music genres, let alone trying to assign specific genres to characters but i’ll try my best 😭 guys plz dont cook me if its bad im not that big of a musichead plz plz

Anyways. firstly, since minato and kotone both canonically listen to the p3 ost, i can assign them hip hop/rap/pop off rip. if it’s in their playlist, i think we can gather that they enjoy it.

minato - alt rock, pop punk, gothwave, video game osts. i say video game osts bc i yhink minato would like sitting around in a video game afk just to listen to the background music. i dont think minato is a goth but i feel as if gothwave has a sound he’d find enjoyable

kotone - alt rock, hip hop/rap, pop rock. she loves to lip sync to it and u can hear the song she’s lip syncing to bc i also know kotone probably turns her volume to max so loud you’d think she’ll damage her ears someday if not soon

yukari - dance pop, new wave, pop. she’s one of those people who hates country and sucks at listening to music outside her preferred genre. secretly likes a few alt songs but she’d never put them on her main playlist

junpei - hip hop, r&b. probably also a pop enjoyer, but honestly he’d like anything if it were catchy. he loves to dance and it sucks bc he’s really good at it so nobody can make fun of him

fuuka - alt/indie, pop. she’d also enjoy video game music, like minecraft ost and she cries to it. i think she mostly likes slower music. music that makes her feel like her soul is leaving her body and ascending to a different plane of existence

mitsuru - classical. rich girl… but i also think the girls would influence her taste to expand more and she’d find herself enjoying the worst songs you’ve ever heard in your life. it’s ok tho since it’s her first time branching out. she’ll grow…

akihiko - whatever’s on the radio, mostly enjoys upbeat faster paced music that can easily hype someone up. he’s kinda that one pic that’s like “Gym Beast Playlist” and the first song is hi high by loona

shinjiro - death metal, old school hip hop. death metal came to me bc i was thinking about casual outfits for shinjiro and i really wanted to put him in a death metal shirt bc of the font lmfaoo. but i prefer more old school hip hop for him and occasionally other things like old school rock music. he hates that new shit

ken - pop, alt/indie. ken is a kid so his taste is just beginning to form. he only knows pop radio. i also think ken’s music taste is music where you’d hear it and be like “god how does anyone like this” but he’s a child so he’s allowed to get away with it. and i say indie bc i also think ken is the type of person to be sad so he listens to more sad music as if it won’t make his mood worse. he goes on youtube and types “sad music playlist” when he’s in a bad mood

aigis - feel like she focuses more on the lyrics than the sound 😭 it’s her first day on earth she hasn’t yet learned that u can listen to music for the vibe instead of the lyricism. even then, i think aigis would probably enjoy almost any kind of music bc she thinks the creativity is beautiful

koromaru - adding him bc i think he’d have shinjiro’s taste from how much he loves him. he hears death metal and it puts him right to sleep…

ryoji - similar to aigis, but he’d probably heavily prefer whatever music the protagonist also enjoys. he has his own thing for classical music as well. he plays the piano and stuff …

+ thanks for asking what my taste is. i personally prefer to listen to a lot of rock, punk, metal, etc. if my cutesy art doesn’t make it so incredibly obvious BUT i enjoy anything as long as it sounds pleasant to my ears ✌️

[thenamelessentity]

Name: Crimson Bellerose

Gender: Male (he/him)

Age:  28

Height: 6′5″ (even taller in heels)

Singing Voice claim: Somewhere between Steve Perry (Journey) and  Damiano David (Maneskin) with a hell of a range

Music genre: Self-proclaimed “Slutrock” (think Maneskin) with some disco/alt undertones at times (fairly eclectic)

Inspiration: Peter Allen (specifically the Boy from Oz), Freddie Mercury

Random facts:

Triple threat (can sing, act, and dance)

A classically trained pianist with a love for musicals (would probably be on Broadway if he wasn’t so flighty)

Surprisingly good cook and loves making food for the band

English is his second language, French is his first

Fully aware of the way he dresses but loves the absurdism of it

Absolutely loves rock/disco from the 60s, 70s, and some 80s

Would be more coordinated if he payed more attention (has gotten tied up chords and stuck in objects many a time)

Would rather laugh something off than get angry but some things can push him over the edge

Though he’s big and bombastic on stage, he can actually be pretty insecure about his music

Fastest way to this man’s heart is to complement his music (fell unbelievably hard when Orion left his job for them)

Highly promiscuous but a hopeless romantic at heart

The worst at professional communication (will send Orion snapchats through email if he has to)

Still has the tattoo from when he was dating Seven but is planning to get a cover up (has been on the fence about it for a while)

Has the vibe of a big dog that thinks it’s small and will wedge himself in seats/situations that are way to small for the giant that he his

Though he does have flights of fancy, he shockingly doesn’t fall for people very often, and because of this it takes him a long time to get over someone he actually has feelings for

Playlist: 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PwyaGFnQOlEl2tiN9QGZR?si=3b18c229a727491a

I’ve been seeing all the great bios people have been putting together so I decided to make one for my boy since I can not stop thinking about this character. Also figured this was a great chance to show off some of his horrendous (and amazing) outfits. 

So fucking hyped!! @infamous-if

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Can't Beat the Music Vol. 2 1992 Pop / Adult Contemporary / Pop-Rock / Techno

This is such an incisive window into just how utterly strange the early 90s were in multiple parts of the world when it came to popular music writ large. Like, this is a very Australian comp here, but it deals with the same exact dynamic that was present throughout the US at the same time too, which was this very apparent, herky-jerky push-and-pull between soft and anodyne adult contemporary traditions of pop and rock, and brasher, newfangled, upstart sounds that were appreciated by and targeted more directly at the youth. Last year, when I wrote about Technotronic's pretty goofy, yet deeply important dance classic, "Pump Up the Jam," which managed to hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January of 1990, I mentioned that the only song that had kept it from the top back then was Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," which meant that all throughout America, nearly thirty-five years ago, people were getting bludgeoned by this literal one-two punch in the dead of winter on their local contemporary hit radio stations—a slow and sappy, mom-aimed pop ballad, followed by the first house tune to ever break big in the country's history. Pretty fucking absurd if you think about it.

And it appears that the *same exact* thing was happening in Australia at the same time too, as the sequencing on this album ends up yielding such strange and sudden vibe-shifts that rock from an entirely instrumental version of 2 Unlimited's silly arena Eurodance-techno-raver, "Get Ready for This," to a special 1992 duetted edition of Tina Turner's "The Best" that features Aussie adult rocker Jimmy Barnes, in order to promote the then-latest season of the New South Wales Rugby League 😵‍💫.

And there are two other songs that I think are worth highlighting here as well—one that I think is remarkably terrible and cringe and another that I think is pretty neat for what it is if you can appreciate early 90s radio pop.

So today I discovered one of the single-worst songs that I think I may have heard in my entire life: "Kickin' to the Undersound" by the Sound Unlimited Posse, which if you couldn't tell by that awful title, is a hip hop tune by Australia's first ever rap act to get signed to a major label. Feast your eyes and ears upon this early 90s monstrosity that does its very best to outdo all the embarrassment that was brought upon by people and acts like Marky Mark, Vanilla Ice, and C&C Music Factory:

Good grief; I would gladly take every single weirdly aggro Eurodance rap verse that was about sweat over 96% of whatever this was. The only thing worth saving about this song is its breaks-infused, instrumental bridge. Everything else, including the super tacky and very unsubtle sampling of Aussie new wave heroes' Men At Work's "Down Under" on the chorus, can be hauled off the side of an ocean liner for all I care 🤮.

But OK, let's now wash that down with something far less grating, with a song from Australian pop group Indecent Obsession called "Kiss Me." If you like legendary Swedish synthpop duo Roxette, then I think you'll like this tune too, because this has the same softcore, heavy breath throbbiness of Roxette's sound, a surging and extended contemporaneous radio ad-jingle-type chorus like lots of Roxette singles do, and a bridge that sounds a whole lot like the catchy 'na-na-na' part of Roxette's own "The Look" as well. Cross all that with someone who sounds a little like George Michael and you've got this pretty well-made pop tune that is very much of its early 90s time, with a hollow and compressed sound to it that makes it feel like it was solely made to be played on FM radio back then, which I don't really think is a bad thing!

So sometime in the latter part of the 90s, the adult contemporary wing of the pop music landscape began to get relegated off of contemporary hit radio stations and onto its own specific adult-oriented formats. And in AC's absence then came much more youth-oriented music, but before that gradual and significant shift ended up occurring, the top commercial pop stations appeared to have been suffering through an identity crisis; one that forsook any sense of fluidity in their playlists for trying to simultaneously appeal to both oil-and-water youth and adult demos alike. I'm not sure which thing happened first between AC not selling as much as it once did and then that causing it to get less rotation overall on top-40 radio, or if a decision was made by top-40 radio programmers to cut back on the AC, which then caused AC sales to sag; but what I do know is this: contemporary hit radio and popular music were insane in the early 90s, and it wasn't just in America, as this very strange Aussie comp so clearly proves. Maybe it felt more banal and normal while it was happening, but looking back on it now, the idea of hearing some maximally cheesy, high-powered commercial techno-rave tune lined up back-to-back with, like, a heart-poured Bette Midler ballad, is a very ridiculous and surreal thing to have ever happened, and yet it did, on both radio and comps like this one, without any discernible hint of irony.

Highlights:

2 Unlimited - "Get Ready for This" Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes - "The Best" Baby Animals - "Ain't Gonna Get" Indecent Obsession - "Kiss Me" The KLF - "What Time Is Love" R. Kelly feat. Public Announcement - "She's Got That Vibe"

[bl4z33467]

As i said, id do that question list for my ocs. So first, Sir Blaze

Are they a human, ghoul, synth, or something else?

Human

Are they a canon main character? (Lone Wander, Courier Six, etc.)

Sole Survivor

What is their SPECIAL?

7,6,3,5,10,3,4

What perks or tagged skills do they have?

Robotics Expert, Science!, Armourer, Strong back, Lead Belly, Animal Friend

What is their highest skill? Lowest?

Animal Friend is highest

Were they born pre-war or post-war?

Pre-war

Do they wish they lived before the war / could go back to life before the war?

He is conflicted. But probably if he could, take all his friends and family back before

Did they live in a vault? If not, have they been inside of one?

Straight outta 111

Where did they grow up? Where do they currently reside?

Grew up in concorde, now live in Sanctuary

What languages do they speak?

English, a bit of Hindi (does robco termalink count??)

What type of education have they received?

Highschool, studied robotics on his own time

Can they read, write, and/or do math?

Very good at math, can read, can write but handwriting is TERRIBLE

What is the most frightening experience they have endured?

Having to leave his best friend Jake to die in a fire

What is their fondest memory?

Getting married (but it seems its was better in the moment)

What is their proudest moment/accomplishment?

He doesnt know ;-;

What is their biggest regret

Leaving Jake Behind, close second is marrying Nora

Do they have a job? How do they make a living?

Once a computer engineer, us solider, and an sales keeper of sorts, now general of the minutemen

Do they have any disabilities, mutations, or implants / enhancements? Do they have any chronic illnesses?

PTSD, undiagnosed autism and chronically ugly /j

Who (or what) are they emotionally closest to?

His best friend Pickle

Who do they consider to be their family?

Piper (his gf) and Nat (like a daughter to him) and eventually synth shaun

Do they travel alone or with a companion?

Usually with Piper or Codsworth

Do they have any pets?

Dogmeat and a Gary (sort of, he shares with Pickle)

How do they feel about physical touch / affection?

Hes a bit of a hugger :3

Do they have a romantic partner or partners?

Piper

Are they quick to trust others?

Wayyyyy to quick. But can see a person is bad

How would others describe them / their disposition?

Too cheery for the wasteland. A bit weird, friendly, sometimes mischievous and

What faction(s) are they a member of / allied with?

Minutemen, chill with the railroad

What faction(s) do they despise?

Institute and Technically the legion for pickle's sake

What is their moral alignment / karma?

Good

What decisions have they made or actions have they done that affect their canon wasteland? (Did they blow up Megaton, have they killed/spared any major characters, etc.)

Eventually blows up the institute

What is their goal in life? What impact would they like to leave when they're gone?

Be a good person :3

What is their go-to weapon or weapon class?

Institute laser (hes hates the institute but uuuu the laser)

What is their fight-or-flight response?

Fight

What armor / clothing do they typically wear?

Vault 111 jumpsuit to show off the cake

Do they have power armor training?

Yeeees his go to is the t-50 with some flames but has a huge collection

Have they ever saved someone's life? Have they ever killed someone?

He usually tries to save people but will kill (none specifically i can think of, minus pickle whom he saves from their own fauly)

What is the worst injury they have?

That massive gash on his face probably from the cram can (softy smh)

What is their favorite radio station?

Diamond city radio but he hates the broadcaster and the city. Just likes the tunes

What is their favorite song?

In game, probably civilization, out of game, he likes classic rock and scenecore

What is their favorite type of weather?

Sunny

What is their favorite time of the day?

Evening

What is their favorite wasteland creature?

Deathclaw

What is their favorite meal and drink?

Blamco mac and cheese and nuka cherry

What is their favorite smell?

Clean air

Do they have any specific hobbies or talents?

FURRY LMAO (costume/armour making and drawing) Video games, interior design, tinkering with computer programs

Do they play any sports? How about board games or card games?

His fatass isnt playing a sport. He would probably get bored playing long or complex games but you bet your ass he's counting cards while playing go fish with nat and pickle

Do they enjoy reading?

Not really

Do they collect anything?

Animal bits

What items do they always have on their person?

Extra food and explosives

Do they travel by foot or by other means?

Foot usually. Likes his power armour

Do they own a Pip-boy? If so, how did they get it?

Stole it from a dead guy while leaving 111

Can they swim?

He can float

What do they think of the ocean?

Doesnt pay too much mind to it. He likes orcas though

Do they prefer showers or baths?

Nice warm shower

Are they past, present, or future oriented?

Present

How do they feel about robots? (Eyebots, Mister Handys, Sentry Bots, etc.)

They took his first job!! But they are cool

What is a sensation / texture they cannot stand?

Cold tiles

Do they believe in luck? Do they have a good luck charm?

No. Look at his luck stat

What is a sensation / texture they cannot stand?

Do they believe in luck? Do they have a good luck charm?

Do they idolize anything / anyone?

Not really

Are they religious? Spiritual?

He is curious about it. His parents hated religion but he hated them

What are their thoughts on chems and alcohol?

He is hypocritical on chems, as he struggles with pyscho addiction but is critical to others who use it. He doesn't care abour alcohol as long as your an adult

Do they have any weaknesses or struggle with any vices?

Pyscho addiction, and when not on pyscho its eating

Do they need / wear glasses?

Nope

How / where do they generally sleep?

On a mattress with a bed frame in his house, sometimes with piper when she comes to visit

Describe their living space. (How do they decorate it? Does it have running water and/or electricity? Etc.)

It has pictures he drew, photos of him and his friends, family, and pets, animal bits he's collected like skulls, scales, skin, generally neat and orderly.

Describe their eyes.

Orange. Im not one for detailed eyes.

[twinklecupcake]

For the ship questions, how about 10, 11, and 12 with FreeNoodles and......... StrongSmoothie!

FreeNoodles

Who drives and who picks out the music?

Pigsy drives. Never a question, this is not up for negotiation. Pigsy is the dad who says "My vehicle, I'm driving" and refuses to ever be a passenger.

Meanwhile, nobody touches Tang's radio. He doesn't play it often, I see him as more of a 'listen to an audiobook or podcast with earbuds' kind of guy, but when he does feel like listening to music, he has a very specific setting the radio is set on and nobody is allowed to touch it. Even if they drive too far out and his radio station turns to static, he just goes "Eh, we'll pick up another station later."

What’s a song that describes their relationship? Or, what’s the song that they’ve deemed “their” song?

They've totally picked an 80's classic rock song as "theirs." The kids have no idea why it even applies or how; these two gay old men aren't telling.

But also I recently found this one where the singer compares their love to food and it's perfect:

Who gets up the earliest? Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest?

Okay, so I headcanon that Tang is a teacher, so both of them get up early. Pigsy has to get up at the crack of dawn to get ready to open his noodle shop, and Tang has to get up roughly at the same time so he can get to his classes on time. Both of them also stay up late; Pigsy to finish closing up and prepping for the next day, and Tang because he's gotta finish grading or preparing a lesson plan. That said, Tang stays up a little later - moreso during exam season. Usually when Pigsy goes to bed, he'll put a drink and a snack next to him, mutter a "g'night, hon" and shuffle to bed. "Go to bed before sunrise." "Uh-huh."

Pigsy always wakes up just enough to know when Tang goes to bed, then drops right back to sleep. Both of them sleep like rocks til their alarms go off.

StrongSmoothie

Who drives and who picks out the music?

Neither of them drives very much - Goliath doesn't in general (he's fast enough on his own) and Meiyun will ccasionally drive a little moped or motorized scooter for her job, but she prefers to walk. That said, both of them will beg for control of the radio when they're passengers (usually when Synax drives).

They both unironically like girl group songs.

What’s a song that describes their relationship? Or, what’s the song that they’ve deemed “their” song?

coughBeautyandtheBeastcough

Okay no but they'd absolutely pick a cute R&B song they can dance together to.

Who gets up the earliest? Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest?

Goliath gets up early, is a big night owl, and is easiest to wake up.

I imagine all the spiders are early-risers, both from instinct and from habit, honestly. And he's so used to staying up late and needing to be alert in an instant. He doesn't have a terrible sleep schedule, he does get enough for himself, but most people would look at him and wonder "HOW???"

Meiyun is probably the most 'normal' about sleeping, though she does have a system. Wake up at six am precisely and prepare for the day; go to bed at ten on work nights and eleven-thirty on weekends. The extra hour and a half is for unwinding with game videos and recordings of her favorite shows. She's not a light sleeper, but she's also not a heavy sleeper either… she's pretty average, honestly.

[marinaratrench05]

(I apologize in advance for the long ask)

About your little fairy Trolls AU, I'm no entomologist but I do know that there are a huge variety of bugs out there that have many different ways of life that you can pick from. I only know a few off the top of my head (and from what I remember from college biology classes).

You have Pollinators (butterflies, bees, flies etc.): Those that pollinate plants and help them bear food for other animals. (Also known as one of the most important rolls in nature.)

Decomposers (pillbugs, millipedes, termites, etc.): those that eat decaying plant matter to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Pest Control (spiders, ladybugs, mantises, etc.): those that eat other bugs that could naturally cause harm or unbalance to the ecosystem.

Hive Minds (ants, wasps, etc.): those that are apart of a colony that have their own hierarchy with many different designated jobs that work as one unit.

Course you also have the pests (Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, any invasive species, etc.): Mostly parasites or those that can cause a great deal of damage to an ecosystem or to a specific plant(s) and/or animal(s) in it.

I don't know what you're looking for specifically, like putting one genre of trolls into a group like these (for example I can totally see the classic trolls being pollinators with how they move and act), or just looking for bugs that you can slap trolls together with (I can personally see rock trolls being spider-like or any of the 'scarier' types of bugs), but hope this helps either way.

No problem! The longer the ask, the more read!

Thanks for all this; I knew the basics of a lot of bug things, but it was a useful reminder. Especially decomposes and pest control.

I'm still tweaking some stuff, but I'll be using a mix bug/fish/mammal attributes. They'll also be related to the ecosystem with a magical twist, like the fairies in Tinkerbell being seasonal helpers. I'll be making individual posts with art for each race, but here's what I've got:

Pop Trolls would be pollinators, mostly butterflies or anything close. They handle spring, and represent similar themes of hope, happiness and rebirth.

Techno Trolls would still be fish, but with more variation and resembling flying fish/ornamental ones. They live in all kinds of bodies of water, but wherever they reside will be more lively. They handle currents and tides, and all things related to it, like storms and rain.

Country Trolls were a toughie for me, but I settled on a sort of centaur form with Hippogrifs (half horse/bird). They handle autumn, relating to decay, harvest and change.

Classical Trolls are bees, more so for the hive vibe they give off, and their importance on harmony and following their conductor/Queen. They handle pollution too, more so in summer.

Funk Trolls were also tricky, but I've thought of a mix between night creatures, like fireflies, some beetles and moths. They're that cool, mysterious vibe you get in the night, with glowing bodies and homes that shine so prettily in the dark.

Finally, we got Rock Trolls, which are a mix of the "scary" bugs and beasts of nature: mosquitoes, bat's, spiders, scorpions, etc. Where most Trolls represent pretty positive outlooks on nature, if complex at worst, Rock Trolls represent chaos, destruction and "breaking the peace" or such. They're that necessary part of life where things need to be torn up and thrown around, if just a little.

This is just my outline for these races, not touching on the other, bigger ones (Bergens and such) which I think I'd keep to the fairy tail vibe for. Until then, have fun with this little taste, and I'll try to answer any questions.