#not sure how Youtube premieres work but we're gonna try it with this one - i'll hop in a bit before the video launches

[animatedjen]

Traitor Inquisitorius: Ghost Premieres 3pm EST / 12pm PST

[acaplaya-musings]

VoicePlay 2024 Recap

It's time for a recap of everything that VoicePlay has been up to over this year!

If you somehow missed my recap post for Geoff's channel, you can find it HERE. This post will overall have the same format/structure, but of course I have more videos to talk about, so I'll try not to talk too much. I'll link relevant posts of mine just like in my Geoff recap, but I won't link any of the VoicePlay Visuals - just go to my masterpost here!

Okay, first let's give some love to the Minis! VP released 21 Minis to YouTube and other social media platforms this year, (though by the time the year is fully done, it may be 22 or 23, shhh), so I'm not gonna list them all, but some of my favourites were The Last Shanty (absolute earworm!), Pure Imagination (on my sleep playlist), Baby On Board (very cute and also catchy!), and Jump In The Line/Shake Senora (a bop, a banger, and super fun!). And we got cooking challenges too! (And you didn't hear this from me, but you might be getting a new one sooner or later - early January at latest).

Now time for video summaries! (Or my attempt at "summaries" at least, lol)

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The Lion Sleeps Tonight - released January 19th

So when the video premiere schedule thing for this dropped on YouTube, I gotta say that I honestly wasn't sure what to expect! I guess you could say that I was still "settling into the Rabbit Hole", still working my way down, and so I was almost maybe a little uncertain about this song? Like I knew it wouldn't be bad, but I was like "eh well the original is fairly simple in composition and I don't really know what VoicePlay are gonna do with it", but anyway, Never Doubt VoicePlay Ever, because I really really enjoyed this! It's a warm hug in musical form, while also being a really fun/silly video, and it's the first of VP's 2024 stuff to hit a million views!

Favourite music moment: Getting to hear Layne on lead vocals, followed by a little bit of Geoff on lead, followed by that cool backing vocals "stack" of "tonight- tonight- tonight!" MAN it's so good!

Favourite visual moment: The appearance of Violayne! Totally took me by surprise the first time but it was totally delightful, and Layne looked so happy and pleased when playing his violin! <3

Sleeping In The Cold Below - released February 16th

Just like with Geoff's channel, I was keeping mental notes over this year about what VoicePlay release was my favourite of 2024, and just like with Geoff's solo stuff, it was VP's second release this year that easily jumped to First Place in my mind and stayed there for a good while!

Seriously I was not prepared for how freaking incredible this music video is! Every part of it! I've never heard the original song before, but I absolutely adore this cover (and so did the Warframe devs/creators themselves, apparently, but more on that further down). Also I ended up doing fanart of Geoff from this video (he looked hella good in this video let's be real), which you can find HERE!

Favourite music moment: That ending!!! The way Geoff descends on his "we're all bound down to the deep and we'll all be sleeping in the cold below" line while Eli, Omar, and Cesar take off into the rafters??? (Contrary motion is the proper technical term, apparently). Utter perfection! A shot of adrenaline right to the veins!

Favourite visual moment: The ending shot of them all back in the mask things and motionless is of course quite cool, but I also love the opening shots of each of them removing the face mask armour(?) things one-by-one (like the shot of Layne removing his as he stares right down the camera with those violet contacts while beatboxing? Dang!)

Black Hole Sun - released April 19th

From one kinda futuristic cyberpunk video to another!

I don't really have a ton to say about the video, but that's fine, this is gonna be a long post anyway - might as well embrace any chance to make it a little shorter!

Favourite music moment: Geoff casually dropping in a C#1 subharmonic like it's nothing on "wash away the R A I N N N N N" (also Layne doing snake sounds after the line "sometimes far too long for snakes")

Favourite visual moment: Not really a "moment", but respect to the set design! It's pretty cool how the set looks like they're singing on top of like an apartment building or something! (That short 'brick' wall (not real bricks) behind them was actually made by Eli, with the help of his wife and some other person whose name I don't recognize in the description)

Classical Chaos - released June 28th

This was the first video I got early access to after joining VoicePlay's Patreon! It had released there just a couple or so days before I joined, but for whatever reason it would be more or less a whole four weeks before this video hit YouTube!

Not only did this video make me go and finally watch VoicePlay's "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" video, but then this ended up being unexpectedly amazing? Like my brain was able to look past the initial "weirdness" of the costumes and really enjoy it! And in fact for this video I did a "running commentary" on my first watch, where I paused to type up thoughts as I went, and you can find the post for it HERE! Additionally, I ended up making a comparison post between the "Grundel" characters in Mountain King vs how they appear in Classical Chaos, which you can look at HERE.

Favourite music moment: The return of "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" but with that random syllabic chanting behind it, was honestly pretty epic. Also that kinda "EDM/club remix" of Fur Elise was fire ngl.

Favourite visual moment: All of it? The can-can bit, Geoff's eyeroll during the romance bit, the cool fire effects, that skull thing? Yeah there's a reason why I needed to split my VoicePlay Visuals into 2 posts for this!

The Way You Make Me Feel - released July 19th

To make up for the super long wait for Classical Chaos, this video released only three weeks later, instead of the average four!

Not a lot to say on this one - I feel like I don't know enough music theory to give it the full appreciation it deserves, but I know a lot of more music-knowledgeable people really loved it, and in fact it's become VoicePlay's second video of 2024 to hit a million views!

Favourite music moment: When the song is slowly building and then we get the vocal percussion and the song really kicks into gear for the final section. Love it!

Favourite visual moment: Layne and Cesar looking over at each other during their two-part harmony bit. It's cute!

Total Eclipse Of The Heart - released August 16th

Honestly this is an underrated VoicePlay song imo - released four months ago and hasn't even quite reached 200k views as I'm typing this? (EDIT: it is at 200k now as of the 19th, finally!) Bruh it's a well-known song! Was the algorithm just not on their side for this one?

I think I've gotten a little more "confident" with doing music thoughts/commentary posts, because had this released more recently, or last month or whatever, I probably would have made a post with at least a few notes on cool stuff I liked in the arrangement! And I'm kinda sad that I didn't do it for this one!

Favourite music moment: Does the entire Spanish section count? It's either that or the chorus right afterwards where the vocal percussion kicks in (like in TWYMMF kinda) and when Ashley starts going off with the vocals!

Favourite visual moment: The whole "B-roll footage" part of the video with Cesar and Ashley portraying a couple (each having memory flashbacks?) was a cool addition! Something a little bit novel that definitely worked! (Also I really do love the styling/'costuming' in this one)

Be Prepared - released September 27th

This dropped to Patreon at roughly 11:45PM for me on a Saturday night. I was actually in the middle of watching some YouTube video, and I just happened to check Discord (ADHD be like-), and saw someone had just posted about the Patreon notification and I was like hang on WHAT?

Honestly it took me a red hot minute to force myself to make it past even the first ten seconds of this video, like ohhhh my god. VoicePlay doing "Be Prepared", one of the best Disney Villain songs ever, with Geoff as Scar, having most of the vocals, with hair on point, that awesome jacket, and eyeliner?!!?!! I literally cannot be normal about this video (and yeah Sleeping In The Cold Below was my favourite of 2024, until this came along and overtook it without a second glance).

You can find my thoughts on the song/arrangement HERE, a visual comparison between this video and VP's Oogie Boogie's Song HERE, and a fanart I did of Geoff from this video HERE!

Favourite music moment: The mid-song dialogue part that got turned into a kind of rhythmic "rap" thing was utterly brilliant! Also every single thing that Geoff does in this video, obviously. <3

Favourite visual moment: Don't! Make! Me! Choose! I'm just gonna say I love all the stuff that got replicated from the original scene - the replication of "the lights are not all on upstairs", the thumb/digit across the neck for "take Certain Duties on board", the lighting changing at the same moments as in the original scene and being the same colours as well, it's all perfect!

Thriller - released October 11th

In terms of classic/iconic Halloween songs, VoicePlay have more or less done them all, and so of course they had to get around to doing this song sooner or later! In fact I had the idea myself earlier in the year (like May or June even?), and so did a lot of the other Patrons, as it turned out.

This is only sitting on 370K views as I type this (it deserves way more!) but this was a HIT with reactors! The VP Patreon Discord server has a thread for sharing reaction video links and I swear this video got so many people doing reactions for it! I won't say too much about my own thoughts, because you can read my thoughts/commentary on the song cover itself HERE, and you can go find my 2-part Voiceplay Visuals (again!) for this video via my Masterpost link at the top of this post! Oh and also I shared this picture of Geoff in the video as its own post and people really seemed to like it, so I might as well put that link here as well.

Favourite music moment: I mean like the arrangement is freaking amazing and everyone brought their A-game with the vocals, but like c'mon, I had one main hope for this cover, and they delivered! Geoff doing Vincent Price's spooky monologue is everything I wished for and more, and I love it.

Favourite visual moment: Again, this is a case where it's really hard to choose, but I think I'm just gonna have to hand the whole dang award to Geoff. The shot of him rising up (almost vampire-like) after the first transformation part, the shoulder movements during the monologue, the way he never blinks once after getting zombified, like he absolutely crushed it! Came, ate, left no crumbs!

Stand By Me - released November 15th

This one was filmed around the same time as Be Prepared was (like I think the following day or the day after that?), and honestly given the two super amazing full-production music videos we got for the previous two months, VoicePlay more than deserved to have their next video be a bit more "simple" and relaxed! Plus it's a gorgeous arrangement, with gorgeous vocals, and it deserves more views! (Seriously the portrait video format didn't seem to affect The Lion Sleeps Tonight in terms of getting noticed!) You can find my thoughts/commentary post about it HERE!

Favourite music moment: I mean Layne's lead vocal line was of course absolutely lovely (and followed by Geoff getting lead vocals no less!) but I did also enjoy Mykal's 'ad-libs' of "you don't have to do it alone, you don't have to stand up on your own!"

Favourite visual moment: Cesar smiling down at Mykal and Eli and then smiling up at Geoff and Layne during his main lead part early in the song <3

Zat You Santa Claus? - released December 6th

This is a song that I would've been totally unfamiliar with had I not gone and listened to all of VoicePlay's 2012 Peppermint Winter album like a week or two before this dropped to Patreon! And even then I wasn't really sure what to expect from this, because obviously the lineup is a little different here to what it was 12 years ago, and the arrangement of this is different to the album version as well! But I really loved this, it's so jazzy, and in case you missed my thoughts/commentary post about it, then you can find it HERE.

I also ended up making a post comparing the lyrics of VoicePlay's version to the lyrics of the original, which you can find HERE, and although I didn't make a proper Voiceplay Visuals for this one, I still ended up doing a mini "screenshot compilation", which you can find HERE.

Favourite music moment: Layne's lead vocal part was obviously very cool, but so was J's scatting, and the harmonies were great - it's just a fun awesome arrangement!

Favourite visual moment: The build-up on "he's coming to get yaaa...." with the quick switches of everyone leaning in "spookily" towards whoever was sitting in the middle was great, as well as J handing off the gift to Cesar (who accepted it delightedly and then used it like a shaker instrument), while Geoff and Eli were definitely looking uncertain/sus about it.

Party Of Your Lifetime - released December 13th

Man I did not see this one coming, but I certainly ain't complaining about it!

Yeah so the Warframe creators liked VoicePlay's cover of Sleeping In The Cold Below so much that they asked to do an official collaboration thing with the group, and the result is this freaking awesome video and freaking awesome song cover! Seriously between the makeup and costuming, and the dancing, and the whole 90s boy band energy (but with a sci fi twist!) it's honestly just a great time, as I knew it would be! (And if you haven't seen my thoughts on the vocals/music/song arrangement, go HERE!)

Favourite music moment: I mean imo it has to be the "join us embrace us, don't ever erase us" breakdown section, like the way it slowly builds, just starting with Geoff and then having Cesar come in, and then Eli and Layne and stuff, like it's just very cool (but I also enjoy the key change for the final chorus!)

Favourite visual moment: The whole video is great, and the dancing and jumping around looked very fun, but honestly I think I'm gonna have to also hand this one to the "join us embrace us..." section. Like maybe I'm suffering from a bit of recency bias and I might have a different answer if you were to ask me in like a month, but everything about that part was just *chefs kiss*

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So yeah, there's my VoicePlay recap for 2024!

I know this post is already quite long, but if you'll just allow me to talk a little more, I just want to say thank you. When I started this blog in late January, I wasn't sure if there were any VoicePlay fans much active on Tumblr at all (or at least anymore). I got used to it - this blog was made for my own entertainment, not for trying to become popular or anything - but y'all came, and y'all found me! (Or maybe I found you!)

I was looking at one of my older mini comparison posts I did, between High And Dry and Wicked Game, and it currently has zero notes on it (as of me typing this). But if I were to post it now? I know it'd at least get a few likes, and maybe even a comment, and/or a reblog or two! Heck, I can post a 'random' picture of Geoff now and have it get 18 likes! And I take not a single one for granted!

I remember and recognize many of your usernames, and even if I have never talked to you or interacted with you or followed you, I still see you! If you have ever liked or reblogged or commented on any of my posts, I appreciate you so much! (But also to my beloved mutuals: I love you a whole lot, you know who you are <3). Thank you for making my fan creator experience extra fun and enjoyable, and see you all in 2025!

(But also see some of you tomorrow for more fic posting!)

[mary-is-writing]

End of the Year Recap – 2022

This has certainly been a year, hasn't it?

In the spirit of this being the last month of the year, I thought about doing a small recap of what this year has been for me in here and my writing. I have famously bad memory (thanks adhd) so I'm probably gonna miss some things here and there, but I'll try my best to remember as much as I can. So, let's go on a trip down memory lane!!

In the beginning - Starting 2022

I had a good start of the year, followed by the breath of fresh air that 2021 was for me. We we're still in quarantine but around March/April we went back to in-person interactions, so there was a lot of moving during those months. Around that time is where the first very important thing of the year happened: I finished draft 2 of The Monsters Only We See, my standalone wip, as well as starting to look for more beta readers. I have to admit, I haven't followed o the whole beta-ing of the wip as I should, but I want to continue it, specially with me continuing the English translation.

I also started said translation roughly after finishing draft 2, and like I said, I haven't been the best at keeping up with it. But I still have time while I look up how to get the money to register it and where/how to share it, mainly digitally but also maybe physically.

A very special month - June 2022

This year's main highlight for sure: on June 9th I finished the first draft of Book 1 of Where Camellias Blossom, my fantasy trilogy. Man I was so happy. This was my second time experiencing finishing a draft (the first one being TMOWS) and there really is something so special to watch a project's phase be complete. It's a mix of the ecstasy of "holy crap I did it!!", a nostalgia for the journey walked and the comfort of a path in the back for finishing it. I think the experience of writing the first draft is unique, it doesn't compare to doing the 2nd or the 3rd.

I started the first draft for Book 2 and I already have notes for changes to draft 2 of Book 1 in order to keep the continuity 😅 so I'm looking forward to both continuing the draft of Book 2 and coming back to work on Book 1.

Guys I think we're getting burnout - July to October 2022

Y'know, in retrospective think I might have wasted all of my energy on finishing the first draft of WCB Book 1. There isn't a lot to say about this months because I didn't do a lot. Most of what I did here was continuing the work with the wips I had, throw there are two important things that happened on October:

1) I finished the 3rd draft of TMOWS. It was easier and I'm very happy with this as the last version. Maybe I'll do some tweaks here and there if I get to have a few more beta readers, but I like the structure and the plot the way they are now.

2) I started Little Shadows, my horror podcast!! I had the idea for it since months ago and decided to do it just in time for spooky season, with it premiering on Halloween. I've been wanting to do something with YouTube for the longest time, and free realizing video essays would take a lot of work that I wasn't willing to put into them, I decided something like this, short format and focused on writing, would be the best option. I'm very happy that I'm doing it and I wanna keep it up, since I have ideas for where the overarching story will go later.

Hoo boi - November 2022

I was very excited for Nanowrimo this year since I wanted to use it to write the 1st draft of Book 2 of WCB, but in the end I barely wrote +4K words. Guys, I was not feeling it at all. It was like all the stress and work for the semester in college suddenly hit me and wouldn't stop hitting me until the month was over, a few days ago. Sadly, Nano was a miss, but not everything was lost:

I finished the first volume of my comic, The Demon in My House. At 129 pages, this little hobby of mine is now long enough to fill a complete volume if I ever printed it, and that makes me so, so proud. I've tried making comics before, short and long format, and this is the first one I feel I can really commit to. I've never done so much for one, and I'm only getting started. The story I have planned for this is really long, so we'll see how many volumes I end up filling, haha. But it also makes me happy and proud cause it shows I can do what I set my mind into, and I hope I get to finish it one day and reread it from begining to end to see the story completed. For now, it's all baby steps towards the next plot point.

And now, at the end - December 2022

If I'm honest, I don't think I'll write a lot this month either. I'll continue drawing for TDIMH, sure, but as for advancing my writing wips... yeah, not happening. This semester was weird and we're gonna finish it on January next year instead of this month, which means I'm gonna have homework for vacations 😩 Plus, I wanna rest. I just. I really wanna rest. And this being the last month of the year is the perfect excuse for it.

Overall, this has been a good year for my writing. A lot of highs and lows, but very much productive. I also wanna appreciate all of you who remained with me this year or that came here for the first time and have decided to walk alongside me. Thank you!! Your interactions and interest have been helping me a lot in not giving up midway with my writing.

Happy holidays, happy soon-to-be new year and happy writing!!

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Love On-Set (Pt. 10 of 10)

Pairing: Dacre Montgomery X Reader

Word count: 1.2 K

Summary: You knew acting on Stranger Things season 3 would be a challenge, and you also knew, from the start, you'd have to work closely with Dacre Montgomery. But is wasn't a big deal for you, since this is your job and you're determined to act professionally. You had it all figured out, or so you thought, until the moment you were out face to face with Dacre. Then, this job became a lot harder than it was supposed to be, since you can't seem to focus whenever you're around Dacre. And you'll have to be around him a lot until the end of production.

<- Previous part (09)

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

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What Comes Next...

The last three months have been hectic, in between shooting the last scenes of season three, the premiere, and the interviews that always follow. The Internet is going insane because not only Billy, one of the villains from season 2 changed and got a love interest, but you and Dacre, outside of the cameras, are together. The fans absolutely love it. But after the events and all the talk shows and YouTube channels wanting you both for a meeting, you had to call it out eventually and head back home.

It's not that you don't like it, the attention and the fans all rooting for your relationship, but you also like the private life, the one you get to share with Dacre alone, as well as your friends and families. But not everything is broadcasted. This moment is an example of that.

Seated on the sand, you watch the sun rising, casting its light on LA, lighting up the blue sky, mixed with the ocean ahead of you. Both your cellphones were left at your place, and the beach is empty. This moment belongs to you alone. Well, to you and the paparazzi that took a few pictures of you some minutes ago, but he's gone now.

“What are your plans after season four?” Dacre asks, his deep, strong voice being carried by the fresh morning wind.

Billy and Amy survived, unlike Hopper and Heather. It was a pleasant surprise you only found the day before shooting the last scenes of the Battle of Starcourt. And of course, you're already down for the next season, and everything you know so far is that Billy and Amy left with the Byers, and are now in an established relationship. The rest will only come when you get the script, which will take several months. “Uhm... Season five if the characters make it that far.”

“Uhm... And after that?”

Giving Dacre a glance, you wonder where he's going with this. Season four is only due to next year, and the production won't start in at least five or six months. “I don't know. Some studios are calling me but I'm not interested in the roles they have. What about you?”

“I'm thinking of holding to Stranger Things only.” He shrugs his shoulders, leaning closer to place a quick kiss on your lips. “Then I want to make a pause. Settle down, focus on my personal life.”

“Sounds good.” Raising an eyebrow, you can't help but ask. “And am I on this personal life thing?”

“Only if you want to.”

Blushing, you bite your lip. “Only if I want to.” You repeat, the wind suddenly stronger, messing with your hair. “I think I do, Mr. Montgomery.”

“There's something else I've been meaning to ask you.” His voice gets serious, and he pulls away so he can stare into your eyes.

“What is it?”

“I was thinking about going to Australia.” Dacre starts, holding your hand in his. “My family still lives there and I want to formally introduce you to them, not only through video calls. And there's a lot of places I'd love to show you.”

Oh... That's something. “I'd absolutely love to go, Dacre. Just tell me when and for how long.”

“That's the thing...”

“What's the thing?”

“I was thinking about staying there... Until the shooting for the next season starts.” There's insecurity in his voice and you know why. Dacre was only renting this house in LA because of the show, but his home is in Australia. “But honestly, going back there, and staying literally half a world apart from you is too much.”

“Yeah, I'd hate it too...” Holding your hair so it'll stay away from your face, you look at the ocean. “But this is... Something. I mean, I could rent a place near yours and–”

“We literally shared the hotel room, and now I either spend the days here or you stay at my place, so I guess that would go on for a few weeks until you decide to just stay with me.” Dacre has this cocky tone and a smirk, so you playfully punch his arm.

“Oh, don't tease me!” A small fight, filled with giggles start, as you try to slap him. But Dacre easily holds your arms, and suddenly, he pushes you down until you're lying down on the sand with him hovering above you. “I'll go with you.” You burst out because the possibility of not going didn't even cross your mind. “But only if you give me that amazing massage in the back after the flight because I know it takes like 48 hours to get there.”

“If we're lucky we can find a 24 hours flight.” When the wind pushes some hair over your face, Dacre moves it away before leaning down to kiss you, slow and passionate. “But yes, I'll give you all the massages you want when we get there.”

“You should really be more careful with the things you promise, sweetheart.” You tease, pushing him off of you. “So. When do we leave?”

“What about next week? Enough time to buy the tickets, pack everything, and to enjoy LA a little longer.”

“Speaking about enjoying LA...” Smiling, you stand up, taking off your shoes. “I'll go for a swim.”

“Babe... You can't swim.” Dacre keeps the half-smile as you walk backwards, eyes on him as you move closer to the water.

“Yes. I really wish I had a strong boyfriend to help me out but apparently–” You stop talking when he stands up, walking fast until he reaches you, and in a swift motion, he lifts you up, parting your legs so they'll be around his waist.

“You were saying..?”

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you giggle when the waves start hitting your back, soaking your clothes. “I was saying I do have a strong boyfriend.”

“Interesting how you change your mind so quickly.” You feel when his feet stop reaching the bottom, and the two of you just stand there, floating, and despite knowing you could die here, you feel safe with Dacre.

“It's gonna be amazing, you know... Australia. The two of us.” You mumble, a hand caressing his cheek. “I am quite scared of the wild animals they have there, but I know you'll protect me.”

“I sure will. I did save you from a freaking Mind Flayer, didn't I?”

Giggling, you nod. “That you did.”

With the calming waves surrounding you, you kiss him, deep and sweet. It tastes salty from the water, but soon enough the taste of his lips overcome everything. And it also tastes like promises, spoken and unspoken. And you know that wherever you are, here or on the other side of the world, you will be fine, and happy, and safe. With Dacre, you don't have to be afraid of what you feel anymore, you can just let it out. You can trust him with your whole heart.

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@baker151910 @shinydixon @dreamin-of-dacre @hanoi15 @lickmymelaninn @foccus @multific @uncookspaget @kellysimagines @peakascum @thisbreakableheaven @nope-thanks