#myth lyric game

[whoopseydaisy]

COME SING WITH ME is a lyric game setting, a divinatory map, and a secret third thing. Inspired by (and made to explore) the album MYTH by @narcissistcookbook

It contains a map of St. Sasha; a stolen songbook full of lyrics, curated by instinct; game tokens, with little instructions for their use; and the other stolen songbook scrawling with handwritten notes.

Created for the Tiny World TTRPG Jam.

[asteriasfallingstarsandtears]

Man, I'd love to do a gpose of something like this.

This scene in particular always just gets me.

Bonus:

Ascians whispering in an Azem Shard's ears that sometimes killing is a must

[humanjarvis]

caleb music headcanons

i'm receiving word about possible pirate caleb x siren reader myth and although that was not in my long and detailed plans for him (i've been playing this game for 2 months) it made me actually write these

caleb doesn’t pay much attention to his music taste. to him, music is mostly background noise—something to help pass the time while he’s studying or cooking

he isn’t very picky about genre; he’ll listen to anything, but low-stress indie songs bring him comfort. he finds new ones by shuffling a 12-hour playlist that updates weekly, but he has two or three bands that he checks up on every few months to see if they’ve released anything new 

has an undiscovered love for techno instrumentals, though

he seems disinterested in music on the surface, but it’s honestly because he cares about your taste in music more than his own

he would listen to the songs you liked when he’d drive you home from school, letting you practically use his dashboard as a punching bag while you impulsively switched between your top playlists. if his infotainment system had been sentient, it would’ve sighed every time you got into the car 

he takes note of your most played artists, looking them up to feel closer to you (and to see if they’re playing a show near you anytime soon—if so, he saves up to surprise you with tickets once or twice a year) ((two tickets. you’re going with him. together.)) 

his research comes in handy when you quiz him on boyband trivia, and the playful grin on his face hides his twitching eye when you gush over how cute you think the leader is 

caleb comes to truly appreciate music when he realizes how much it means to you. he comes home late one night to find you dancing and singing around the living room, bathed in the color-changing mood lights from your floor lamp and wearing the noise-cancelling headphones he got you a few months back 

he’d walked in on one of your frequent “music nights,” as you called them, and he was so enamored by the sight that he rarely missed one after that 

every music night since then, you switched out your headphones for a speaker in the corner of the room and welcomed caleb into your mini-raves. he seemed to have missed the “rave” part of the memo, though; he mostly remained idle on these nights, perfectly content to sit on the couch just watching you, outside of the rare times you managed to pull him up to dance with you 

you, on the other hand, were all over the place—sometimes you’d stand looking forlornly out the window, pretending to be in a sad music video; sometimes you’d make up your own choreography in the middle of the room; and sometimes, during the most energetic songs, you’d crawl all over him in excitement

caleb’s favorite music nights are the ones where you sing for him. don’t get him wrong—he loves having you use him as a jungle gym when a hype song is playing—but he can’t hold back his anticipation whenever a slow song comes on shuffle. each time, you collapse onto the couch next to him, turning your face into his shoulder

while your pulse slows, you begin reciting the lyrics you know by heart, the vibrations going straight into caleb’s chest. he pulls you closer to him and thinks this is an intimacy he’d like to live in forever, you crooning with your fingers in his hair 

pressed flush against caleb’s body, you eventually drift off to the rhythmic beating of his heart, and music night is over, for you at least 

but the night goes on a bit longer for caleb, who’d memorized lines from the ballads you sang to him and secretly downloads the songs after, so that the next time he’s away, he can listen to them and pretend it’s you 

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Mood & Motif

MOOD (from Anglo-Saxon, mod "heart" or "spirit"): In literature, a feeling, emotional state, or disposition of mind—especially the predominating atmosphere or tone of a literary work. Most pieces of literature have a prevailing mood, but shifts in this prevailing mood may function as a counterpoint, provide comic relief, or echo the changing events in the plot. The term mood is often used synonymously with atmosphere and ambiance. Students and critics who wish to discuss mood in their essays should be able to point to specific diction, description, setting, and characterization to illustrate what sets the mood.

MOTIF: A conspicuous recurring element, such as a type of incident, a device, a reference, or verbal formula, which appears frequently in works of literature. For instance, the "loathly lady" who turns out to be a beautiful princess is a common motif in folklore, and the man fatally bewitched by a fairy lady is a common folkloric motif appearing in Keats' "La Belle Dame sans Merci." In medieval Latin lyrics, the "Ubi sunt?" [where are . . .?] motif is common, in which a speaker mourns the lost past by repeatedly asking, what happened to the good-old days? ("Where are the snows of yesteryear?" asks Francois Villon.) The motif of the "beheading game" is common in Celtic myth, and so on. Frequently, critics use the word motif interchangeably with theme and leit-motif.

Source ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[thehydraethereal]

𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒'𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 - ˏ͛⑅　 ‧̥̥͙‧̥̥ ̥ ̮ ̥ ⊹ ‧̫‧ ⋆ ⊹ ̥ ̮ ̥ ‧̥̥‧̥̥͙　 ✦ ⑅ˏ͛ -

espresso red wine ribbon bambi cal. bitch

๛ You are not here by accident. You like it when it hurts a little. Or a lot. Either way, come and revendicate your shade. How do you know which shade is yours? Well, below you wil find the types of readers I write for. And bleed for. Find out which one you are and let me know დ

๛ Remember: you are much beloved and cherished by me. ✦

๛ Find out more about your author (me) here.

ESPRESSO.ᐟreader

₁ Fast-scrolling, and emotionally masochistic ₂ Has trauma AND a superiority complex ₃ Obsessed with mind games ₄ Would genuinely punch the character back if she would get hit ₅ Sharp-tongued ₆ Gets off on power imbalance scenes and calls it “character development” ₇ Favorite color is black. Or rust. Nothing pastel. ₈ Rage buried under control ₉ Keeps her brightness on the lowest setting. Reads the worst parts twice. ₁₀ Guilt is a second skin for her. ₁₁ She’s been through shit she’ll never type out, but my fics? They speak in her language. ₁₂ Addicted to the ache. Can’t stop chasing the darker scenes ₁₃ Eyes that haven’t slept properly in weeks ₁₄ If she doesn’t feel something brutal, she doesn’t feel at all ₁₅ One hand gripping the laptop, the other ready to throw it

RED WINE.ᐟreader

₁ Elegant but unhinged ₂ Reads slowly and feels everything deeply—quotes passages religiously. ₃ Trauma romanticizer with a soft spot for broken men who lie well ₄ Loves candlelit danger, men with blood on their hands, and slow psychological decay ₅ She notices everything. ₆ Leaves long, emotional tags in reblogs ₇ Closet sadist. Emotional devastation is foreplay. ₈ Never acts while angry or sad, admirable strenght and great posture. ₉ Has old voicemails saved she’ll never play again. ₁₀ Reads in silence, like it’s a funeral. ₁₁ Violent scenes do not shock her. Gentle ones do. ₁₂ Knows how to make excuses for people who hurt her. ₁₃ A little bitter, a little romantic, a little exhausted ₁₄ Doesn’t cry often, but when she does it’s ugly and quiet and late ₁₅ Comes to dark fiction to find something she can’t say out loud: “It’s not okay, and I’m not over it.”

RIBBON.ᐟreader

Craves pretty words and brutal truths in the same breath Was told she was too emotional—so now she bleeds in private Her playlists sound like drowning in a flower field Stares at one sentence for ten minutes like it owes her something Sees love as a tragic myth but still hopes for it Too gentle for this world, too self-aware to leave it Romanticizes her pain because it’s the only way it makes sense Sews herself back together with lyrics, dialogue, and soft terror Doesn’t want to be rescued—just understood Finds beauty in characters falling apart gracefully She’s never yelled, but her silence is deafening She wants to be hurt gently. To be ruined with care. NO ONE would guess she reads fics this dark. Reads not to escape, but to understand the ache in her ribs.

BAMBI.ᐟreader

She tells people she’s okay. She even tells herself. But she seeks out fiction that makes her heart race for all the wrong reasons. She wants to be seen, but never found. She grew up too fast and too quietly. Sleeps with a light on, but only reads in the dark. Baby face, brutal tastes Soft voice, sensitive soul but dirty imagination Carries everyone else’s weight. Fiction is where she drops it. Trauma survivor in disguise. Nobody knows what she’s seen. Reads victim-coded fics because she just understands. Wants the monster to love her just a little. She thinks if she can handle it on screen, she can handle it in real life Afraid of him, but keeps reading Flinches when voices get too loud Sleeps with the door locked Kind because no one was to her Doesn't trust happy endings

CALIFORNIA BITCH.ᐟreader

Fucks instead of crying Doesn't read warnings. Loves lollipops. Will literally not be ashamed of what she wants and supports, in fact, she would scream them from a microphone and a stage Heart of the party Requests five fics, and constantly refreshes the page to see if they got posted Gets needy and wet by just imagining the character Built like a femme fatale Looks mean, but is actually sweet. Kind of a bimbo.

[wistfulpoltergeist]

And while you're looking at the pics of my upcoming curly hairstyle, I'm doing the...

TAG GAME!

Дякую @swallowprettybird за тег! Це принесло трохи тепла в мої спекотні, але сірі будні^^

Last song listened to: Enya - The Humming. You must hear the lyrics. It's AWESOME!

Favorite places: Ukraine. Yes. Since the full scale invasion started I finally realized how much I love everything here. Every damn bit of this land. My land. All Ukraine is my favorite places.

Favorite books: All by Carlos Castaneda, Florinda Donner and Taisha Abelar. But probably "Being-in-Dreaming: An Initiation into the Sorcerers" by Florinda Donner and "The Art of Dreaming" by Castaneda are my the most favorite.

Currently reading: "Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Favorite TV show(s): Um... "Our Flag Means Death" I fancied a lot recently. So sad there will be no more than 2 Seasons. But my top of the top is "And Then There Were None" (2015) it soothes me all the time I need to relax :D

Favorite food: I'd say my mom's potato pie;3 Also homemade pizza and varenyky with 4 cheeses. Borsch if it's Winter or Autumn. A glass of milk for drink!

I tag: @goamazons, @kitkat4sims, @lupuspluvio, @issygoing, @thestartome, @hamsterbellbelle, @aniraklova, @ethelgodehel, @puppycheesecake, @happylifesims, @simstrouble, @mwvwv-sims, @kuroashims, @bastardtrait, @suratan-zir, @sim4areason, @retrotrait

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. This coming-of-age true story is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever been in middle school, and especially those who have ever had a bit of their own dental drama.

Arc of a Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Six unforgettable kids — with no families, no homes — are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind — or destroy it.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort - she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly because he was a miser and would have money.

Claudia was a good organizer and Jamie had some ideas, too; so the two took up residence at the museum right on schedule. But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the Museum so beautiful she could not go home until she had discovered its maker, a question that baffled the experts, too.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

For more than a century, The Wind in the Willows and its endearing protagonists—Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and, of course, the incorrigible Toad—have enchanted children of all ages. Whether the four friends are setting forth on an exciting adventure, engaging in a comic caper, or simply relaxing by the River Thames, their stories will surprise and captivate you.

Hailed as one of the most enduringly popular works of the twentieth century, this story is a classic of magical fancy and enchanting wit. Penned in lyrical prose, the adventures and misadventures of the book’s intrepid quartet of heroes raise fantasy to the level of myth. Reflecting the freshness of childhood wonder, it still offers adults endless sophistication, substance, and depth.

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead ... but that won't stop him from playing one last game!

Gone by Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.

There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Little orphan Heidi goes to live high in the Alps with her gruff grandfather and brings happiness to all who know her on the mountain. When Heidi goes to Frankfurt to work in a wealthy household, she dreams of returning to the mountains and meadows, her friend Peter, and her beloved grandfather.

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The story begins with a lonely boy named Bastian and the strange book that draws him into the beautiful but doomed world of Fantastica. Only a human can save this enchanted place by giving its ruler, the Childlike Empress, a new name. But the journey to her tower leads through lands of dragons, giants, monsters, and magic, and once Bastian begins his quest, he may never return. As he is drawn deeper into Fantastica, he must find the courage to face unspeakable foes and the mysteries of his own heart.

[the-banks-of-lethe]

Hypnos and the myth of Endymion

As voted on on Wednesday, today's topic is the myth of Endymion! If any of you have suggestions for next weeks poll, or anything you want me to talk about / research!

Apologies for any spelling, grammar, or general sentence fulidity errors. I've been tired and mentally / emotionally drained recently due to some personal happenings; but I still wanted to get this out on time. Let me know if there was anything you wanted me to elaborate on more or anthing I missed and I can try and get back to you as soon as possible! << Post under the cut >>

So, Who was Endymion?

ENDYMION was a handsome shepherd-prince loved by the moon-goddess Selene. When Zeus offered him his choice of destinies, Endymion chose immortality and youth in eternal slumber. He was laid out in a cave on Mount Latmus in Karia (Caria) where his lunar lover would visit him each night. In another myth--which contradicts the first--Endymion was a king of Elis in the Greek Peloponesse who founded the kingdom with a group of Aiolian (Aeolian) colonists from Thessalia (Thessaly). Zeus granted him foreknowledge of his own death and, when his time had come, he set up a racecourse at Olympia and commanded his sons compete for the throne. Endymion was afterwards entombed beside the starting gate. - theoi.com

There are many different variations of the myth of Prince Endymion, but they all hold the same basics; Endymion was a prince / king renowned for his beauty, so much so that he caught the eyes of various (due to differing sources) gods, and he, by one way or another, was succumb to eternal slumber with his eyes open.

Front of a Sarcophagus with the Myth of Endymion ^^

Variations of myth

In most myths, Endymion was beloved by Selene, the moon goddess. She was so enamored by his beauty, that she begged Zeus to make him and his beauty immortal in slumber - with his eyes open so that she may peer into them and bask in his beauty. Zeus agreed and let him lay upon Mt Latmos for eternity, allowing Selene to gaze at her lover each night.

In another retelling of the myth, it was Zeus who gave the King a choice to have anything he [Endymion] may desire; Endymion chosing to be cast into an everlasting sleep so that he might remain youthful forever. Then after he was bound to sleep forever did Selene fall in love. In both versions of these myths, Selene laid with Endymion one night and concieved 50 lunar nymphs called the Menae, whose number was said to represent the fifty lunar months of the Olympiad (the four years between each Olympic games). No sources tend to say whether the conception happened before Endymions eteneral sleep or after / during.

Again, in another version, the eternal sleep of Endymion was a punishment given to him by Zeus for falling in love with and attempting to have sexual relations with Hera - Zeus' wife.

However, in the earlier accounts of the myth by Licymnius (as shown below) it was Hypnos who had fallen in love with the beauty of the Prince. And some recounts say that both Selene and Hypnos fell in love with him.

Licymnius, Fragment 771 (from Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric V) (Greek lyric C4th B.C.) : "[Endymion was a handsome youth loved by the moon-goddess Selene. He was granted immortality in a state of eternal slumber :] Likymnios of Khios (Licymnius of Chios) says the Hypnos (Sleep) loves Endymion and does not close they eyes of his beloved boy even while he is asleep, but lulls him to rest with eyes wide open so that he may without interruption enjoy the pleasure of gazing at them. His words are ‘And Hypnos (Sleep), rejoicing in the rays of his eyes, would lull the boy to rest with eyes wide open.’" - theoi.com

There are technically more versions of this myth, however that would be too many for this post to cover. Some are also just combinations of the different myths listed, in an attempt to fit all the variations into one.

How do people view the myth?

Despite the variations of the myth; the metaphors that it proposes largely all stay the same. One may view the myth as the ancients giving a reason for being comatose state; however most interpretations from what I could find, see the story of Selene / Hypnos and Endymion as a divine love story; showing how great of lengths one is willing to go for love. In Selene / Hypnos' case, casting their lover into eternal slumber, something many would consider selfish, but is a true testiment to what lengths one will go in order for them to feel love.

Little disclaimer!: This story, as all myths, can be interpreted in different ways - yours may be different to mine and that's okay. As mythic literalism does not occur in Hellenic Polytheism, the myths are open to interpretation from person to person; although their may be a consensus or a majority that interprets it one way, does not mean you must follow. That being said you can find truth / believe in multiple interpretation / variations. They are myths, not history bound by fact.

Photos / Art:

Sources used;

(not including the knowledge I previously had of this myth)

Khaire friends, and sweet dreams 💙

[taesanluv3r]

well, soulmate.

han taesan x reader

soulmates au ♡*

wc: 2,510

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖

taesan remembers his first encounter with yn all too well. i mean how could he not? the day that changed the whole trajectory of his life, the day it all came together, the day he found his soulmate.

and it went like this...

"c'mon dude, let's go out! get your mind off of things"

taesan sighs at his friend's endless bugging. to be honest, this past week had been absolutely awful to the young boy. he can't seem to write the right lyrics for his songs, his outfits never seem to go the way he planned and on top of all that he hasn't had proper sleep in days! luckily for him, he's got a roommate like leehan, who's always pushing him to get out more and be alive every once in a while.

"ugh fine. where are we going?" the tall guy's voice dragged as he stretched himself off of his gaming chair- the one he bought just because it was advertised as the most comfortable chair in the world but was actually just an extra hundred dollars down the drain for a regular chair. "i'm thinking we head out to that new shopping strip down the road, i heard they have a massive record store there..." leehan raised the pitch of his voice a bit towards the end, to ignite somewhat of excitement from his otherwise stoic best friend. "maybe you could go get a new record of that nirvana one or whatever you broke last time" he continues, leaning against the frame of the door and waiting patiently as the other boy began to throw on his jean jacket. "you mean the one YOU broke" taesan repeats, raising an eyebrow sternly at his friend while spritzing his signature scent against his slim wrists and near his neck. "whatever" leehan says, rolling his eyes back in annoyance. "you focus too much on the facts. now hurry up!"

and with that they were out the door, strolling down to just the edge of their street where they had opened up a brand new shopping strip to liven up their boring neighbourhood a little bit. "huh, this place is a lot nicer than i thought" leehan says, pushing the glasses he wore up the bridge of his nose as they walked through the pillared entrance. "yeah...it's pretty neat" taesan agrees, taking in his surroundings and admiring the stylistic architecture for himself. there were all sorts of shops around there; a pretty little flower shop which stood beside a french pattiserie, a bright yellow pet shop with the cutest array of cats, dogs and even fishes! and then there was the long line of clothing stores, from higher end to locally sourced small brands as well. "wait bro can you take a pic of me real quick, i like this wall" leehan says, stopping them right beside a grunge-y women's clothing store. the han guy chuckles lightly, grabbing the phone he was being handed. he rolls his eyes as his roommate begins to strike multiple poses, finding his attempts at looking candid and nonchalant absolutely stupid. "okay wait one more" his friend says, but just as he was about to click the white button the boy felt some sort of a tingle on his neck, as if he had just been zapped by a ray of electricity.

"ah!" he jumps in shock, a hand going up to caress the spot behind his neck that began to feel a bit sore. "yo dude, you okay?" leehan asks as he walks back towards him. he just nods, "yeah, it's probably nothing- just like, a tingle on my neck" his friend looks confused, maybe just as confused as he was. "maybe it's one of those sparks you know, like when you're near your soulmate or whatever" taesan scoffs at the suggestion, "yeah right, and that's just a myth- i don't believe it" the kim guy let's out a laugh, "what if it's me?" to which his friend just glared, "if you were my soulmate i think i'd just give up on love for the rest of my life" leehan shoots somewhat of a hurt expression towards him, a hand moving to clutch his heart. "ouch" he says, earning a half-assed slap from the other boy on the back of his head. "shut up, let's go find that record store and get outta here, i'm getting bored"

ding!

the bell that hung above the door rang softly as the pair entered the large record store. taesan's mouth fell open wide as he basked in what he would call, music heaven. the store was fully equipped with floor to ceiling shelves, all decked out with thousands and thousands of records upon records. at every corner stood rows and rows of CDs and vinyls of just about any artist from every genre possible. leehan was amazed as well, though it was more so because of the fancy chandeliers that lit up the place than by the outstanding variety of music. almost like a moth to the light, taesan found himself unconsciously wandering over to the very back of the store, a large section at one of the corners with a giant sign that read:

old rock & alternative

his eyes glimmered as he spotted all his favourite artists' works, almost crying at the sight of the organised mess of music. "leehan check this out! they've even gotten a limited edition- ah!" he cut himself off, bending over his knees as another sharp pain hit the back of his neck like a storm. "dude!" his friend called out, ushering over to make sure he was alright. he wasn't sure if it was just the ringing of his ear or if he had just heard a female voice yelp the same way he did from the section behind him. "you okay bro? this has happened like twice already, what's going on?" leehan sounded worried, his voice shifting from the genuine concern he had for his friend. "yeah...i don't know what's wrong either..." the tall boy sighs, catching his breath as he stood up straight again. "let's just find that nirvana vinyl and go home" he says, receiving a hum in agreement from the other.

"it should be...over...here."

his arm reaches out above his head to grab a copy of nirvana's in utero album but his hand is met with the flesh of another's instead. a gasp escapes his lips as another zap of electricity ran through his body at the contact. it's different this time though, it felt ten times stronger than the other two he had experienced before, yet it was painless. and unlike the other two times the sensation of this shock felt like a split second, but it left some sort of an unfamiliar warmth in his chest and a tornado-like feeling in his stomach. he stood there frozen for a second, just a moment before he began to turn his head around to find the source of it all. and that's when he makes eyes contact with her.

he gasps again. not because of another zap or anything, but just purely out of shock. he'd never ever laid his eyes on someone so enticing as she before. she had just the same blank expression on her own face, like she had been stunned out of her mind. simultaneously, they began to pull their arms away from where they were still touching one another against the nirvana record. their movements were slow, like whatever happened just now had taken their breaths away, leaving them in some sort of a bubble and drowning out the rest of the world around them in that shop.

"did...did you feel that too?" he asks suddenly, breaking the silence that was all too evident. she nods, her words not seeming to come out of her mouth that remained opened. "sorry" she manages to say, though her words came out with a slight stutter. he shakes his head, as if to let her know it was okay, but he didn't even really know what she was apologising for. "for what?" he decides to ask, the burning sensation in his heart seeping through his tongue urging him to keep going in the conversation with this stranger. "i don't know. i've been getting these random shocks since i stepped out of that grunge store today" she says, her eyebrows furrowing as she recalls. taesan's eyes grow wide, "me too!" he exclaims, almost too excited that it made her jump a little. "it started when i was taking pictures of my friend...at..the..." he dragged out until he became quiet, a look washing over his complexion as if he had just pieced a thousand piece puzzle together.

"at the what?" she asks, a hint of impatience in her tone as she did so. "at the cool wall next to the grunge clothing store" he says, in a way that made her believe there was something she wasn't getting. "and...?" she questions, head tilting to the side to show her confusion. "okay, it's gonna sound crazy but...you know that myth about soulmates?" the boy's inquiry has her eyes going wide. "you know like when you're near your soulmate you get all those shocks and-" she cuts him off, "so you're saying you're my soulmate then?" her tone is different now, like she had just unlocked a new sense of confidence. her aura had changed as well, from blank and lost to, witty and strong. it catches him off guard, the boy suddenly losing his ability to generate literate sentences. "well i mean i don't know but i'm just like putting it out there you know" he rambles and she smiles. a smile he knew he would never be able to forget. the way her eyes melted away, and the skin around her cheeks dipped into dimples, it almost turned the poor boy into liquid! "i'm just kidding" she says, popping the metaphorical bubble they had just been sitting in and allowing the sounds from inside the store back into their ears. taesan suddenly feels at ease, like there was just something about her that made him comfortable.

"well soulmate," she teased, the nickname turning his ears a pretty dark shade of red. "care to tell me your name?" she asks, that same smile still painted against her rosy lips. "i'm um i'm taesan" he replies, a hand moving up to stroke away the hair that fell against his forehead. "nice to meet you, i'm yn"

yn, a pretty name for what he would definitely call a pretty lady. she reaches a hand out for him to shake and he did so, hesitantly, in fear that it might send their bodies into another shock. to his surprise however, it was just the opposite. instead, a fluttery feeling had surrounded the two, like they were just transported to their own la la land and were being swarmed by a billion butterflies. he smiles at her for the first time- teeth and all, and she giggles softly. their moment of bliss lasts another second before the staring into each other's eyes became a little too awkward. taesan clears his throat as they finally turn away from each other, eyes floating back to where they were originally set. his long arm reaches up to grab at the vinyl once again, grabbing two this time.

"so..." he begins, looking down as he passes one over to her. yn thanks him as she retrieves the record, tilting her head once again so as to tell him to continue. the boy smiles gleefully, suddenly feeling shy when she makes direct eye contact with him.

"you like nirvana too?"

the girl smirks, "only more than anyone else in the world!" he scoffs, "that means you like them more than me, and i highly doubt that" and then she laughs, "listen, i'd love to argue over who loves nirvana more with you but i need to head home soon so let's cut this short" taesan nods, but a slight somber feeling began to seep into his heart, almost like he was disappointed she had to leave so soon. "i'll see you around?" yn asks, earning a hum in response before she begins to walk away to the front of the store where the register was.

"dude what're you doing?!" the voice of his friend, who he totally forgot was there the whole time, snapped him out of his trance. "huh?" he asks, almost stupidly, causing leehan to smack him upside his head. "go ask her out! that could be your soulmate right there!" his friend's statement makes him go wide-eyed once more.

"hey yn, wait!" taesan calls out, running to catch her before she gets to the counter. "hm?" she turns on her heels to be met with him again. "yes?" the girl asks the now out of breath boy, waiting patiently in amusement as he tries to speak while catching his breath. "i was- woo hold on- ah okay um" he inhales before letting out one last big exhale. "i was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime? you know...so i can prove that i'm a way bigger nirvana fan than you are, duh" the boy tries his best to sound confident, like he wasn't freaking out about asking this pretty stranger he just met out. yn lets out a sigh, a sigh that made his heart drop down to the bottom of his lungs for a moment. "listen taesan...you're sweet and all...and i know we might be soulmates...but..." the words almost make him drop down and cry like a baby. his eyes were about to water and his hopeful smile had simmered down to an uncertain frown.

"but i just don't think you can out-stan me when it comes to nirvana, sorry!" she chuckles, finding his reaction to her little menacing joke priceless. "yn, i know we just met but you CANNOT just do that to me, please" he sounds like he just lost his mind, but he laughs it off along with her. "you're pretty cute, taesan. i guess i wouldn't mind going out with you. i mean, you are my like soulmate or something" the girl says, reviving that sparkle in his eyes once more. "you think i'm cute?" now he was getting cocky, his chest puffed out like he just won a nobel prize. "mhm, but don't get too cocky or i might just change my mind about that date" taesan shoots her a slight nod in worry, slight fear of losing someone like her taking over his previous pride.

"so..." he says, following behind her in line to pay for the record he was here to buy.

"how does friday sound?"

and the rest was history.

the end.

i dreamt of this last night 🤓 hope u enjoyed this!!! ALSO tysm for all the sweet comments on my last fic 🥹 means a lot to me u guys r motivating me to write more often again <3 tytyty LOVE U MWAH

[whoopseydaisy]

updates include doing another cull of lyrics pieces, painting a game board draft that will have a version 2, and sketching out some of the location pieces on my lunch break today for the board!

hmmmm. something something a lyric game based on moving pieces of text on a game board based on non-linear concept albums like ghost quartet or myth. hold on. hold. on. hold on. hmm.

[microwavesaferat]

This is a different topic than my usual stuff, but I was relistening to Epic: The Musical and wanted to talk about my personal interpretation of Calypso's character both within and out with the musical.

So a couple things to consider when going into this:

The original material and the biases/lense that it was created through

The long game of telephone that has moulded the current view of her character

The changes made from the Odyssey to Epic

In the original material, Calypso is trapped on the island of Ogygia for supporting her father, Atlas, in the battle between the Titans and the Gods. When Odysseus washed up on her shore, she took a fancy to him and proceeded to attempt to court him. She did not take no for an answer and in fact cast spells on him through song to force herself onto him. It is noted that, later in his stay on the island, Odysseus would spend most of the day crying on the shore before being forced into bed at night.

TLDR: in Greek Myth, Calypso is a horrible person.

In Epic, some liberties are taken for a multitude of reasons:

Dramatic effect

Narrative flow

Thematic storytelling

Making it more 'PG'

The big one here is the last point, although Epic covers a lot of violent acts and tough topics, but some aspects do need to be cut in order to not make the musical too graphic. For example, in the original myth, Odysseus and Circe definitely have sex, in fact, she has a child with him. So Jorge trimmed down the complicated relationship Odysseus has with Calypso, that is perfectly fine, in fact, it probably works better in the medium than being 100% accurate.

To talk about the version of Calypso in Epic; she was cast away as a child and naively fell in love with the first person she saw. My interpretation lies somewhere in-between these versions. I believe she was isolated on the island (something present in both), but I do not believe she was entirely well meaning yet harmful.

Calypso, at least in my eyes, became obsessed with the first contact she has had in a century and did, like a school-child, gain a naïve crush. But I believe she was cruel and manipulative to Odysseus and is not free of blame for what she did.

Based on the lyrics present in Paradise, she does not reveal her Godly nature until after Odysseus threatens violence if she does not leave him alone, this is a threat to him. She will play nice as long as he does, but she always has the upper hand. She also uses his friends' words against him to manipulate him (open arms), plus she almost completely ignores everything he says during the song to continue her fantasy of a perfect couple.

In Not Sorry for Loving You, she sings a very half-hearted apology that sounds like a YouTuber apology video where she apologises for how he interpreted her behaviour (I'm sorry if my actions offended some people), she blames her actions on her own problems (I've been having a real hard time you guys and wasn't thinking straight). My interpretation is that, she is (as she says) not sorry and is fully aware of what she did, just hoping he would believe that she was simply trying her best and that he would choose to stay.

An important factor that stops Calypso from being 100% awful is that she is a goddess with a skewed interpretation of mortality and of human emotions. She doesn't understand why this is such a big deal to Odysseus to be faithful and get home soon, they have all the time in the world. 7 years is merely a moment in her lifetime. It is also important to note the general reception to Calypso's actions at the time of the Odyssey. It was common for mythological characters to take war brides and the like in many Epics, even Achilles has a bride given to him as a spoil of war. The use of an action like sex in the Odyssey is to demonstrate a power imbalance and a sense of ownership. Calypso takes Odysseus like a spoil of war because he has lost and the Gods have won. In the Odyssey, Calypso does not do this because she is a horrible person, but because Homer wanted to demonstrate the loss Odysseus has faced.

I also find it weird that Calypso is brought up so much surrounding the topic of consent when, in the original myth, Circe does the same exact thing. In fact, it's like her main thing. She turns Scylla into a monster for being with a man she likes, she turns a king into a beast for noting accepting her courtship and has sex with Odysseus in exchange for help home, giving him a child.

The changes for Circe in Epic work because Circe's job in the story is to demonstrate Odysseus's wit and his devotion to Penelope, so she can still help him after he proves he's 'not like other men' (he's a monster rah rah rah). With Calypso, you cannot make it so that she respects his choice, or that would make for a pretty chill 7 years.

TLDR: In both the Odyssey and Epic, Calypso is more important as an idea than as a character. She serves to show how far Odysseus has sunk, lost the war and has been taken as a spoil, defeated and broken.

[thesweetnessofspring]

Why do you hate epic? I've recently heard it and I don't like it also, especially when I googled his story. But why do you hate it?

First, no hate to the creator. Like, I heard he's a college kid doing a creative project and a lot of people like it which is great. And concept albums get tweaked. Maybe it's something he can salvage or rework in the future, but as it is, I just don't like Epic at all.

I'd listened to what was out about....six months ago maybe? And I wasn't particularly taken with it, but then back in like July I relistened to it and I just got so tired listening to it. I think a spin on that line from The Incredibles sums up that part of it well:

If all of the music is epic, none of it will be.

Even in big megamusicals like Les Mis, there's a variety of songs. You have the love songs, the reflective songs, the "party" songs, the exposition songs, and just a variety of tone and pace. In listening to what is now the most recent release, I got weary of listening to the same old video game music set to bad lyrics (we'll get to that). There's no variety, which makes the whole album flat. Halfway through I wanted to scream GIVE ME SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS!!! I don't think the idea of video game music works for musicals. They're completely different mediums and the narrative structure of video games (at least as he's presented them) also leads to a static story. If I sit down and play a video game with different bosses, then it makes sense. I complete a level and then take a break/live my life until I come back and work on the next level. There doesn't feel to be any forward momentum in the story because it's just "boss" after "boss" with a highly intense video game music soundtrack. It's static, it's flat, it's tiring. I cannot imagine sitting through a stage show of this. I'd be leaving early after intermission.

It is painfully obvious this is a TikTok musical, because the music can be good in short spurts but as a 2.5 hour stage musical? I wouldn't be able to do it. I barely did it when I broke it up over a few car rides.

Also the lyrics are mostly just bad, particularly in the rhymes. Like I said, I've listened to it I guess 1.5 times as the first time I listened they didn't have as many songs out as there are now. So I can't quote any, but it wasn't just a couple times. There were whole songs where I was internally (as I was driving) rolling my eyes at the awkward, hokey rhymes.

And look, I haven't read The Odyssey since high school, so I'm not going to pretend to be a scholar. I have read Odysseus as a character in other retellings of Greek myths, though, and he's a much more dynamic and interesting character than the boring, predictable hero of Epic. I remember when first being exposed to The Odyssey, it was my first foray into more complicated dynamics of Greek mythology instead of the more digestable/cleaned-up versions I'd heard as a younger kid, and part of that was Odysseus. He made decisions I just couldn't understand at the time. A big thing for me as a 15-year-old kid was I was so mad at all of Odysseus's affairs. Now I know that in Greece that wasn't so much a big deal for men to sleep around and was expected. Yet (at least with Circe) he's noble and fighting her off and it gives the impression that Odysseus hasn't had any sex in like 12 years. I'm sorry, but WHAT??? Odysseus loves his wife and he's a slut. C'mon. Epic Odysseus is so predictable and boring I'm not drawn into the story at all for him, either. When I finally got to the more recent releases, I was thinking, "Oh, wow what a surprise. Before he didn't want to kill people and now he's fed up and will kill people so he can get home. Ohhhh noooooo what will ever happen in the next part of the musical?? Is it possible he will learn that vengeance is bad???" To be fair this part hasn't come out yet so maybe I'll be wrong but ugh, it's not looking good.

To balance things out, I do think the opening number is good and I like the one with the winds "keep your friends close/and your enemies closer" is an earworm, and because it changed up the usual "video game epic music" thing. And like, as a student project it is impressive. But it's not a student project anymore, it's a concept album. Idk if he's planning on staging it at some point, but if he does, it has a lot of work still to do.

Anyway vote Hadestown. ✌️

[emby-m]

Seventh in the Putting Alice into Norton's Skin Lines series

Mining Director/Plutone/Plutocrat & New Bride/Eurydice/Auloniad

Design and backstory under the cut:

Setting/text notes:

The skin line is based of L’Orfeo, the Monteverdi opera, which is………… remarkable. For an asymmetrical horror game with dollies as the characters to use.

It pretty straightforwardly follows the usual myth of Orpheus, but in this skinline version, the love Eurydice has for Orpheus is so overwhelming that Plutone becomes jealous that Orpheus could bring out that kind of devotion in this pretty bride and distracts Orpheus with a commotion behind him so she has to stay in the Underworld. Eurydice becomes a treasure he passed over, but one he now wants to own.

Did my best with the text – this set of lyrics was taken from Early Music Vancouver’s copy and translation and edited; the Italian is a bit stilted but I tried to make it rhyme. 

Norton’s design:

The longer I look at this design the more I’m convinced whoever designed it was quite smart and operating more within Nort’s character than you’d expect

I’m a little sad they didn’t go with “Plutocrat” as the name for this skin – a Plutocrat is a person who buys societal power with wealth, and also contains “Pluto,” the god of the underworld!

If his ideal self is a white mining director, then it makes perfect sense for the waistcoat and jodhpurs – he would likely see his “betters” in the mining camps in their sportswear and in a state of casualness other situations would not allow for. Then you just bling that out because that’s wealth, right? He wouldn’t know the subtle, great-renunciation sartorial cues that would’ve been present.

I had to change surprisingly little tbh… it’s definitely discordant but it works well that way.

Alice’s design:

Eurydice’s (Little Girl’s) skin is, to my eyes, based on a christening gown and a first communion gown, so I figured the next logical sacrament would be a wedding dress… Eurydice also dies (in myth) during their wedding party, so having Eurydice be a new bride makes some sense.

The dress is based on ~1905-1910 style wedding dresses with a high, arched sash at the back and a long veil with orange blossoms (orange blossoms, real or wax replicas, were common for bridal headdresses up until maybe the 1930s)

Would Eurydice be surprised that she was the object of the God of the Underworld's affections? Would she be pleased? All interesting questions...

[ai-the-broccoli]

lawlight, told through taylor swift songs: a non-exhaustive list

no really, why do so many taylor swift songs fit Death Note (and sometimes especially Light and lawlight) so perfectly?

many others have already made pretty good posts on this topic before, but the parallels are truly kinda crazy, so here's my take on it. the rankings within each tier are not super fixed or meaningful, like honestly everything within each tier is pretty much the same degree of fitting to me.

(yes, I double-checked basically her entire discography for this. no, I still don't think this is a fully comprehensive list.)

Tier S - every single line is a fit

1. my tears ricochet (<- category C: "I Knew You'd Miss Me Once The Thrill Expired")

post L's death lawlight, from L's perspective: the song. nearly every line fits what the hell man. one of my favourites here

-> Full Lyrics

2. hoax (<- category C: "I Knew You'd Miss Me Once The Thrill Expired")

@kiyomitakada pointed this out and... yeah, every single line does fit! it's very lawlight from Light's perspective.

-> Full Lyrics

Tier A - the whole song fits well

3. Blank Space (<- category A: "Let the Games Begin")

we probably all know this one lol. while the idea that it was actually written as inspired by DN is a myth, it very much does fit.

-> Full Lyrics

and GOD did the MV imagery not help. like, I mean...

the MV uses a colour scheme of red/blue/black/white/green-ish, I think, which doesn't NOT look like the first OP of Death Note anime to say the least.

apple imagery. yeah. the above is literally something Light does in said OP. both song videos have close-up shot of biting a very red apple.

the character Taylor Swift plays in this video (who is supposed to be a satirical caricature based on media perception of her as a crazy obsessive jealous 'serial dater' women iirc) is depicted doing a lot of voodoo to torture her lover.

in one scene she seems to be in a great and dramatic frenzy with mixed emotions (sadness, desperation, manic, anger, hate, etc.) over the boyfriend character's... unconscious body? I'm not super sure if it's supposed to be unconscious. but it's like this:

and then after a while of this, we see a shot of her sneakily winking at the camera. but anyway so yeah this entire part weirdly actually reminded me of L's death scene for some reason lol

at the end of the MV there's a short B-T-S trivia clip. there's a freaking black notebook there:

it's titled "My True Loves" and the content has nothing to do with lawlight, because it just contains pictures of her cats... is what I'd say, but actually, if you stretch it a bit, there's a comparison to be made about the fact that J-Drama Light Yagami's actor is a cat lover who actually has a cat named L

anyway this isn't exactly a T-pose but it's not too far from one either

I think I've made my point.

4. Getaway Car (<- category B: ''Now This is An Open/Shut Case")

this is very the end of the Yotsuba arc to me, specifically from while they are catching Higuchi to after they catch him and Light regains his memories. man...

-> Full Lyrics

Tier B - largely/mostly fitting

category A: "Let the Games Begin"

the mind games begin.

1. Ready For It

Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him Wondered how many girls he had loved and left haunted But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom Holdin' him for ransom, some Some boys are tryin' too hard, he don't try at all though Younger than my exes, but he act like such a man, so I see nothing better, I keep him forever Like a vendetta-ta

and

Knew I was a robber first time that he saw me Stealing hearts and running off and never sayin' sorry But if I'm a thief, then he can join the heist, and We'll move to an island, and And he can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor Every love I've known in comparison is a failure I forget their names now, I'm so very tame now Never be the same now, now

+ the repetition of "Let the games begin". pretty self-explanatory

2. LWYMMD

I've got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!

...and more. also you know how she T-poses at the end of the bridge in the MV, as she stands over many many other past version of herself?

very lightcore pose. (and this isn't even to mention how she kicks off other, "weaker" versions of herself off the giant T in the same scene, which is... arguably also a symbolic parallel to when Light screams in the helicopter as he regains his memory, if you see it that way.)

3. cowboy like me

And the tennis court was covered up With some tent-like thing And you asked me to dance But I said, "Dancin' is a dangerous game."

Oh, I thought This is gonna be one of those things Now I know I'm never gonna love again

I've got some tricks up my sleeve Takes one to know one You're a cowboy like me

this one even has the freaking tennis mention of all things it could've included

4. Mastermind

So I told you none of it was accidental And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me I laid the groundwork and then saw a wide smirk On your face, you knew the entire time You knew that I'm a mastermind And now you're mine Yeah, all you did was smile 'Cause I'm a mastermind

honestly though, this one is more like the perfect Kaguya-sama Love is War Kaguya/Miyuki song. every single line fits them perfectly. but since lawlight also do mind games and all, the song also can be seen through a lawlight lens, although I maintain that it is still the perfect kaguprez song instead of a fully lawlight one.

5. Suburban Legends

I had the fantasy that maybe our mismatched star signs Would surprise the whole school When I ended up back at our class reunion Walking in with you You'd be more than a chapter in my old diaries With the pages ripped out I am standing in a 1950s gymnasium And I can still see you now

I didn't come here to make friends We were born to be suburban legends When you hold me, it holds me together And you kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever

I know that you still remember We were born to be national treasures When you told me we'd get back together And you kissed me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever

idk the vibes here kind of make me think of the entrance ceremony scene lol

category B: ''Now This is An Open/Shut Case"

the Kira investigation.

1. I Can See You

I can see you in your suit and your necktie Passed me a note saying, "Meet me tonight" Then we kissed and you know I won't ever tell, yeah And I could see you being my addiction You can see me as a secret mission Hide away and I will start behaving myself

the MV is important context here again, because actually, the official video for this love song depicts one person watching/"seeing" another person through - guess what - surveillance cameras. in reference to the title which is also a line repeated in the chorus. so that explains it I think. also it's implied to be about a workplace relationship

2. I Think He Knows

He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans It's like I'm 17, nobody understands No one understands

[...]

He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans He's so obsessed with me and, boy, I understand Boy, I understand

Light's pov. the title line "I think he knows" keeps getting repeated in the song which if you view it through a lawlight lens that might be about Kira lol

3. willow

Now this is an open/shut case I guess I should've known from the look on your face Every bait-and-switch was a work of art

The more that you say, the less I know Wherever you stray, I follow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans, that's my man You know that my train could take you home Anywhere else is hollow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans, that's my man

L pov-ish.

4. The Tortured Poets Department

You're in self-sabotage mode, throwing spikes down on the road But I've seen this episode and still loved the show Who else decodes you?

And who's gonna hold you like me? And who's gonna know you, if not me?

and also:

Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be 'Cause we're crazy So tell me Who else is gonna know me?

...as well as more lines in the song that expresses the same sentiments, like: Who's gonna hold you? Gonna know you? Gonna troll you?

in any case, "who else decodes you?" is definitely a lawlight thesis. imo. in fact I may have even actually started an essay on it in fic format with that thesis. or not? who knows! maybe one day you'll see...

anyway, this song is post-Yotsuba arc-ish to me, sort of.

category C: "I Knew You'd Miss Me Once The Thrill Expired"

L's death and Light's grieving, eventually.

5. Haunted

from Light's pov, especially in anime canon probably.

12. My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys

My boy only breaks his favorite toys, toys, oh I'm queen of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh 'Cause it fit too right Puzzle pieces in the dead of night I should've known it was a matter of time Oh, oh, my boy only breaks his favorite toys, oh, oh-oh-oh

[...]

My boy only breaks his favorite toys, toys, oh I'm queen of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh 'Cause I knew too much There was danger in the heat of my touch He saw forever so he smashed it up Oh, oh, my boy only breaks his favorite toys, oh, oh-oh-oh

which is quite fitting. moreover, there's this...

He was my best friend Down at the sandlot I felt more when we played pretend Than with all the Kens

...as well as the the original version below:

He was my best friend and that was the worst part I felt more then, in brief moments Than with all the Kens

L's pov. the "Kens" mention here is kinda like Light apparently having like 6 girlfriends in college and not caring about any of them despite being significantly bad at getting over L etc etc I think

8. Hits Different

I actually didn't think of this song in association with lawlight at all before I saw @selfdigestion bringing up the connection, and.... YEAH this is pretty lawlight-coded as well

I trace the evidence, make it make some sense Why the wound is still bleedin' You were the one that I loved Don't need another metaphor, it's simple enough A wrinkle in time like the crease by your eyes This is why they shouldn't kill off the main guy Dreams of your hair and your stare and sense of belief In the good in the world, you once believed in me And I felt you and I held you for a while Bet I could still melt your world Argumentative, antithetical dream girl

and also:

I used to switch out these Kens, I'd just ghost Rip the band-aid off and skip town like an asshole outlaw Freedom felt like summer then on the coast Now the sun burns my heart and the sand hurts my feelings

which is what the song is overall about. (there sure are a lot of Light pov songs in this category man)

and on the topic of "Kens", as it is with the previous time song, in Light's case it makes me again think of all his college girlfriends that he doesn't care about. I'm not going to comment too much on the gender-reverse implications this has for the narrator "I" in the song, but I would think that the original lyrics "bet I could still melt your world / argumentative, antithetical dream girl" with echoing repetitions on the phrase "dream girl" should've already done it for me. anyway. moving on.

10. Would've, Could've, Should've

If you never touched me I would've Gone along with the righteous If I never blushed then they could've Never whispered about this And if you never saved me from boredom I could've gone on as I was

[...]

God rest my soul I miss who I used to be The tomb won't close Stained glass windows in my mind I regret you all the time I can't let this go I fight with you in my sleep The wound won't close I keep on waiting for a sign I regret you all the time

I don't know how to explain this one, but it's... something. I think it only makes more sense as a lawlight song if you want to place emphasis on the age/maturity difference angle, although even without that it would still partly fit.

17. Guilty as Sin?

My boredom's bone-deep This cage was once just fine Am I allowed to cry?

I dream of cracking locks Throwing my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks Crashing into him tonight, he's a paradox I'm seeing visions, am I bad? Or mad? Or wise?

This, plus the fact that it uses similar imagery (dying in a hedge maze, crashing over graves, etc.) as Saltburn (2023), which... has that infamous grave scene that reminded every Death Note fan watching it of Light Yagami on L's grave.

13. cardigan

A friend to all is a friend to none Chase two girls, lose the one When you are young, they assume you know nothing

[...]

But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs The smell of smoke would hang around this long 'Cause I knew everything when I was young I knew I'd curse you for the longest time Chasing shadows in the grocery line I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired And you'd be standing in my front porch light And I knew you'd come back to me You'd come back to me And you'd come back to me And you'd come back

yet another post-L's death lawlight song, this time with L+Light switching povs. with the final line I think of the anime scene when Light sees a vision/ghost/whatever it is of L on the stairs:

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed You put me on and said I was your favorite

Tier D - honourable mentions

The Prophecy

I got cursed like Eve got bitten Oh, was it punishment?

lightcoreTM

False God

self-explanatory title

You Are In Love

You kiss on sidewalks, you fight then you talk One night, he wakes, strange look on his face Pauses, then says, "You're my best friend" And you knew what it was, he is in love

Mr. Perfectly Fine

So dignified in your well-pressed suit So strategized, all the eyes on you Sashay away to your seat It's the best seat, in the best room Oh, he's so smug, Mr. "Always wins" So far above me in every sense So far above feeling anything

lightcore #2

You're Losing Me

doesn't fit that well lyric-wise, but it sure has got a heartbeat sound effect (sampled with her own I believe) in it referencing the stopping of a heart that sounds a lot like the one used to signal cardiac arrest in Death Note anime.

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

Were you sent by someone Who wanted me dead? Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed? Were you writing a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy? In fifty years will all this be declassified? And you'll confess why you did it And I'll say, "Good riddance" 'Cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden I would've died for your sins Instead I just died inside And you deserve prison, but you won't get time You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars You crashed my party and your rental car You said normal girls were "boring" But you were gone by the morning You kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing And in plain sight you hid But you are what you did And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive The smallest man who ever lived

lightcore #3

Anti-Hero

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror

lightcore #4

Clara Bow

"The crown is stained, but you're the real queen Flesh and blood amongst war machines You're the new God we're worshipping Promise to be dazzling"

there is a joke I can make here about how "dazzling" is "kira-kira" in Japanese

lightcore #5

(man that's a lot of lightcore songs)

Other songs

...that grieve the loss of a lover,

or mentions a lover being a friend/not a friend;

songs with ghost/death/grave/tomb/cemetery imagery,

songs where the self or the lover is compared to God or a god,

songs that mention a difference in age or has the lover looking down on the narrator's maturity (e.g. illicit affairs, All Too Well),

songs where love is characterized as a game of cat and mouse;

and so on.

taylor swift seems to write about those motifs a lot, so there really are a lot of other examples to pull.

and that concludes my list, I think. there may actually be even more comparisons if you look into her album liner notes and such, but this is what I've got for now

[seoulciology]

korean media makes incredible criticisms of capitalism

this reminds me a lot about the "if i had a nickel every time... i'd have two nickels" because not only does k-media have multiple occasions of this happening but it goes insanely mainstream.

some people prefer to gatekeep, but personally, i think that this mainstream situation is actually an advantage, for 2 reasons. the obvious one being that it pushes non-western media forward, and often opens doors not just to lessen racism but to foster a feeling of cross-cultural connection. the other is the irony, and for that squid game makes a great example. (more on that later)

chapter 1: squid game

this miniseries launched korea into the spotlight in late 2021. i found it a bit gory then, but after revisiting it later i really appreciate it. not just for its meaning, but because even the use of gore is intentional: extreme poverty and having to fight for your life when you're in this kind of economic position is violent, and as we sit in the comfort of our homes watching netflix, that needs to be transmitted powerfully. still, i cannot summarise the miniseries and do it justice simultaneously.

the children's games and bright colors fool the players at first into thinking it's easy to win, and the aesthetic also tricked viewers! i'm sure many people understood the deeper meaning pretty easily, but on the internet you see children's games based on squid game or toys and kid's halloween costumes.

this is what i mean when i referenced irony in the intro. not only is squid game a metaphor within the series, but the reaction the world had towards it is metaphor on its own. turning it into something sellable, a toy, a game, a costume, is exactly the consumeristic capitalist direction that the series warns us about; the dystopian thriller mirrors our reactions towards the media.

delving deeper into sociology, this is literally althusser's theory of ideological state apparatus. we get fooled into thinking this is super memeable and capitalism becomes normalised. when children become consumers (robertson, 2001) and toys like these come into the home, they are socialised into class ideology (zaretsky, 1976). this makes it seem a lot more dystopian so if this is stressing you out go touch grass before reading the second chapter (lovingly)

p.s: the second season was amazing, but seemed to expand on more topics outisde of just class struggles, hence why it has no mention in this section (still worth watching tho)

chapter 2: parasite

if there's one thing i would recommend you watch after reading this article, it is 100% this movie. it is a very enjoyable watch and has less gore than squid game. it sits at 2 hours and 12 minutes (though you will spend an extra 30 minutes processing and researching because of how amazing it is). thank you to my boyfriend for forever changing my life by enlightening me with the knowledge of the existence of this work of art.

i love bong joon ho. his artistry in this film, particularly with the neverending symbolism is spectacular. especially the altitudes, lines and the rock (watch it, seriously).

in 2020, this beautiful motion picture made history by being the first foreign film to win best picture at the oscars. it's amazing due to its strength in delivering a powerful message about the "myth of social movement" (for sociology nerds it's vertical social movement, between economy classes). it is also a nice snapshot of korean culture. between collectivism which increases as you go down the social ladder and the importance of academic achievement which increases as you go up, this film shows not only korean culture but class culture (once again, sociology at its finest)

chapter 3: gangnam style

maybe i'm a little young for this, but gangnam style was a global sensation when i was at my prime (5 years old). i still listen to it nostalgically, but a few months ago i decided to translate the lyrics out of curiosity and found it is incredible.

i won't be surprised if you doubt me, it does seem like a meme song at its finest, but it this occasion, that is very intentional.

for non-korean speakers, i'll summarise my takeaway: the song is parodying the rich.

breaking it down, the main line "오빠는 강감 스타일" (romanised: oppaneun gangnam seuta-il) uses the third person. "oppa" meaning older brother (from a woman's perspective). this is a term for older men/boys often used playfully or flirtatiously. "gangnam" is a seoul district, the "beverly hills of korea", according to rotten mango. "seuta-il" is simply the hangeul for "style". so psy is says, directly, "older brother is gangnam style" or indirectly, "girls say i look hip/rich"

the rest of the song continues painting the picture of a man who is full of himself and wants to be seen for his high status, particularly among women.

personally, i believe this parodies the "new rich" and the expectation for popstars to have high class status and be draped in women, which leads me to add this to my list of critiques of capitalism.

closing thoughts

this post meant to primarily highlight these awesome pieces of media, so i don't know if there is a legitimate link/explanation between korea and anti-capitalism. my main guesses would be the work environment (which is irrelevant in this case since none of these pieces focus on the middle class) or perhaps a better assumption, it's in late-stage capitalism and the dependency index/situation for those in the sandwich generation is horrendous (in simple terms: there are very few workers, too many pensioners and not enough babies.)

i hope you enjoyed my first passion project!

[yuri-is-online]

Do the timeline post!!

Right so before I get cracking on this I want to make a few things clear:

This is all speculation and should not be taken as fact, due to how XP and stamina gain work in this game I will probably re-vist this post once I am finally able to work on Zayne's myths card (i am prioritizing Xavier since I have both of his as opposed to just one of Zayne)

For simplicity's sake this post is just going to be focused on Zayne, though I will reference things from the other boy's lore where applicable. He ironically seems to have the easiest timeline to understand, which is saying something.

I will gladly make a post for Xavier later this week when I am able to unlock his last anecdote, but if you are more interested in Rafayel I will have to direct you to this post by u/joonmin on the love and deepspace subreddit as I don't have a lot of Rafayel cards and lack the information they posted. I will say that he seems to have the most complicated timeline out of all three of the love interests, and that a lot of the information on that thread won't make sense if you have not read chapter 7.

Ok? Ok. Here is my best attempt at a timeline for Love and Deepspace Zayne: SPOILERS FOR ALL IN GAME CONTENT UP TO CHAPTER 7, VARIOUS MOMENTS, AND ANECDOTES, PROCEED WITH CARE.

I lied I have one more thing I want to clarify: yes there is a timeloop/alternate reality thing going on in this game. That is not really something that I think needs debating because that's kind of the genre this developer does, and the game starts off telling you that the deepspace tunnel is a spacetime anomaly. It isn't subtext, it is just text.

Current Timeline

The current timeline where the main story of LAD takes place is set in the year 2048 in a place called Linkon City. We are told that the Deepspace Tunnel opened 14 years prior and that is when wanderers started invading earth. There is a lack of understanding about why this has happened, and it has sparked an interest in space exploration in the hopes of finding a solution.

The hunters association is sort of like an adventurers guild? It's supervised by the government, and is sort of split between Hunters like MC and researchers attempting to understand what makes the wanderers tick.

This includes researching protocores, currently the only thing the hunter's association knows for sure is that they contain a great deal of energy, and that they can cause disease in humans based off of which category the protocore falls into. This is confirmed to be what is wrong with MC.

It is also mentioned that protocore energy is used for lots of things, in technology I assume. This will be important later so keep it in mind.

The "arctic" that chapter 5 is set in appears to be referring to the Northern arctic circle. The in game "spacepedia" says there are lots of energy fluctuations (and therefore wanderer attacks) due to its close proximity to the earth's magnetic pole. The epicenter of these fluctuations appears to be Mt. Eternal, where most of the research institutions in the arctic are based.

There seem to be sort of "fixed points" that repeat themselves within Zayne and Rafayel's timelines, and a theme of MC forgetting things. The lyrics to the opening theme even say "Time goes by but memories rewind" and while Zayne doesn't say MC has forgotten anything to do with him specifically, she has forgotten something about both Xavier and Rafayel. For Rafayel, the thing she forgets also seems to be his "fixed point": he and MC always meet when they are younger. For Zayne, he always hurts someone with his evol at age 12.

While there are technically three versions of Zayne and two of them seem to be aware of each other: current/Dr. Zayne and Dawnbreaker Zayne. They both started dreaming of each other at 12. It is unclear if either version dreams about Forseer Zayne, or if he is aware of them, but all three versions of Zayne are fond of jasmine. I haven't made much progress with Zayne's myths card, but it is clear that this like has something to do with MC, just from the little bit I have been able to read.

Dr. Zayne dislikes talking about the incident when he was 12, simply telling his friend Will that he lost control of his evol and hurt someone. He refers to this someone as a friend, and I might be a smidge delusional... but I think that friend was probably MC. If she's forgotten about it, Dr. Zayne might see that as "for the best" and not wish to remind her of it.

It would also explain why Grandma trusted him with MC's care and those secret documents. He has gone very far out of his way to try and not be someone who hurts people, and is obsessed with working himself to the bone to save as many people as possible. Grandma might seem like a sweet old lady... but we know she has some questionable morals so I could see someone like her thinking that since Dr. Zayne feels like he owes MC he is a good choice to protect her since he won't betray her.

The Fragmented Dreams moment is typically pointed to when talking about Dr. Zayne and Dawnbreaker's dream connection, but after reading the Never Ending Winter anecdote I don't really think it is. Look at what the nightmare actually says:

I think this moment starts out with Dr. Zayne dreaming about MC coming to visit him at work and bring him lunch, but devolves into him dreaming about what he did when he was 12. Dr. Zayne's dreams of Dawnbreaker as depicted in the anecdote are almost always related to his mercy kills, he doesn't seem to see the finer details I'll get into when discussing Dawnbreaker's timeline. The anncedote makes me think that Dr. Zayne sees Dawnbreaker as a sort of manifestation of his fears for himself; he fears becoming a killer, he fears hurting people, the only things Dr. Zayne wants is to save lives. That wish applies to more people than just the MC, he genuinely enjoys being a doctor and is very popular with his patients.

Beyond Dr. Zayne seeing his friend turn into a wanderer and being forced to kill him, we don't know much about his relationship with his teacher or the arctic. We do know that he still visits the arctic from time to time to help Dr. Noah with his research, and we can only assume it has something to do with protocores. I think it might specifically have something to do with humans being transformed into wanderers, but that's wild speculation on my part.

Dawnbreaker Timeline

The concept of Dawnbreaker Zayne is introduced in the annecdote Still In Dark. It is set in an unknown time and place, but it is confirmed to not be Linkon as Dawnbreaker mentions wanting to visit there, but that it was destroyed a long time ago.

In this timeline in this unknown city, wanderer attacks are so common that people don't really leave their homes. Most menial jobs (such as staffing convenience stores) are done by robots and most people find their entertainment through VR.

It is known by the government of this unknown place that prolonged exposure to protocores and their energy transforms people into wanderers. These infected can then kill and infect other humans. When Dawnbreaker Zayne was 12 years old, he watched his adopted father transform into a wanderer and turn his mother. He used his evol to kill them both to save himself. This is also when he begins dreaming of Dr. Zayne, though he is much more interested in MC.

In the anecdote he is under investigation by the police as a suspected serial killer, as he has been mercy killing infected people as they transform so they can't turn more people. This includes children, which is what Dr. Zayne ends up dreaming of in Never Ending Winter.

The police officer investigating Dawnbreaker ends up learning about the infected, and destroys his investigative files after realizing his superiors know about these wanderers. He wishes Dawnbreaker Zayne luck in finding a solution before things get too far gone.

This anecdote does two very important things. First and foremost it confirms/introduces the concept that some wanderers used to be human, and that this transformation is caused by prolonged exposure to protocores. The second is that it suggests that MC is not a part of that world's timeline. Why is not clear, but Dawnbreaker doesn't know who she is, just that from what he can see in his dreams he wishes to be loved by her. I mentioned that Dr. Zayne hates Dawnbreaker, but it doesn't seem that Dawnbreaker hates him at all. He likes to watch medical dramas, and seems to genuinely want to be his other self even if he is aware that's impossible in his current reality.

Forseer Timleine

I haven't made much progress on this one, so we are going straight to bullet points on things I think are relevant.

Each of the myths cards take place in a world called Philos. It is unclear if this place is a planet, a country, or just a city as each Myths card seems to have a distinct cultural feel and history to it. I am leaning towards planet as Xavier is an alien and refers to earth as if he is foreign to it.

Xavier and MC also talk about how Philos is dying in his Myths card because of the wanderers, and that the wanderers will eventually leave Philos and make there way somewhere else.

It is a commonly liked head cannon that Dr. Zayne became a cardiologist because of MC's heart condition, and while that still might be true I think it might be a sort of residual desire to help her from his Forseer self, as MC breaks into his prison to try and cure her heart condition, which is slowly turning her into ice.

... forseer's MC is a little out there tbh. Kind of out of pocket and honestly I love that for her. If I was told I only had 3 years left to live my reaction wouldn't be to break into the Vatican to see if the Pope had any reliquaries that could prove my doctor wrong but I guess we all deal with grief differently.

I talked in the original timeline about the fact that all versions of Zayne like jasmine, but I am noting it here again as he agrees to not kill MC if she can convince his houseplant to bloom. Did I mention she broke into his house? Did I mention she did this practically claiming to be a government official? Of course Zayne is just going to shrug off her antics, even if he doesn't remember it he has seen worse.

My last sort of point I want to make here is that Xavier has a bit of throw away dialogue in battle asking whether or not something is "immortal or undying." Forseer Zayne refers to himself as undying, and has an issue with controlling his ice evol to the point it should be killing him, but isn't for some reason. It is also implied in MC's dialogue he is being used as a tool by Philos, which is something she can't stand. As for why this distinction is important, as of this point in time, I don't think Zayne is aware of his life as the Forseer because he is not immortal, unlike Rafayel or Xavier. When the Forseer dies, his memory of his life will go with him while Rafayel keeps his and Xavier- Well he just hasn't died yet.

Dr. Zayne and Dawnbreaker Zayne might be aware of each other because they still posses the same gift that the Forseeer (allegedly) does, or it might just be because of their connection to the MC, or because of the rift in spacetime above Linkon. It might even be a combination of all three. Whatever it is, it's a lot less complicated to understand than whatever the hell Rafayel has going on and makes me wonder how exactly all of these various timelines fit into place.

When I get more familiar with the rest of the lore I will make a very pretty diagram on my white board complete with color coding because this story has me in a chokehold for no good reason.

Final Thoughts

While I was thinking about all this, an idle thought came to mind that maybe the three current ROs sort of represent the past (Rafayel), the present (Zayne), and the future (Xavier) even though all three arguably have some sort of past with the MC in their Myths cards. The mystery fourth RO would then represent an alternate reality in my deluded mind, maybe a split timeline created by MC's current actions???

I am doubtful that the events in Linkon city we are currently experiencing are meant to be MC's "origin point" (or whatever timeline she originally came from), but that just makes me wonder what the hell is. I want to know who or what caused the deepspace tunnel to appear. I said on another post that it probably has something to do with the destruction of Philos, and while I do sort of still think that I have no real reason to beyond a hunch.