#originally the people in the stands were just stick figures labelled as the fandom

[xxlegitcookiezxx]

This is what happened right

[snugglyporos]

Rules For Roleplay Blogs

Alright people, this is overdue. But here are my ironclad rules for ensuring that your interactions on tumblr, and really in life in general, are as good as they can possibly be. Follow these rules, and you’ll have fewer problems because of it. Alright, let’s begin. 

1. Roleplay blogs are for roleplaying. 

This might seem obvious, but this isn’t a slight against people who are slow or only want certain things. This doesn’t mean ‘well you have a roleplay blog, so you have to write!’ That’s not what this means. 

What it means is: if you create a blog for something, people are going to come to it for that thing. For example, if you make a blog for a fandom, it is generally understood that people in that fandom are likely to come to your blog and be curious about interacting. If you make a kink blog, then it is likely that other people who are into that are going to come around. If you make an ask blog, people are likely going to send you asks. 

To put it another way, if you make a lemonade stand, and put a sign up that says you’re selling lemonade, do not be surprised that people are coming to you looking to buy lemonade. 

It’s okay if you only want to do asks! It’s okay if you only want threads! It’s okay if you only want to write with certain muses or write certain ships or write with certain fandoms!

It’s not alright to create a roleplay blog, label it as a roleplay blog, and then get mad that roleplayers are curious about interacting with you. I’ll go into setting boundaries and limits for yourself in a bit, but it’s important to note that it’s irrational to be mad at people for thinking you’re interested in the thing that you advertise yourself as. 

In other words, don’t put that you’re open to asks from mutuals or starters or w/e in your rules, and then be mad when people follow your rules accordingly. It’s one thing when people don’t follow your rules. It’s another when you’re mad about things you told them you want. Which brings us to...

2. You are responsible for cultivating your roleplay environment online.

Here’s a big one, and it goes along with the first rule. But it’s important to grasp this from the outset. You, and no one else, are responsible for the environment that you exist in. 

If the people you’re following are toxic? You shouldn’t be following them. If the fandom you’re in makes you anxious or depressed? You shouldn’t be in it. If the people you’re interacting with treat you like shit and you don’t like it, you shouldn’t be interacting with them. 

You, and no one else, are responsible for asserting your autonomy. You have to advocate for yourself. 

The internet is not like real life in one crucial aspect: you are not forced to be in any environment you’re in. You’re not being forced to be in a fandom. You’re not being forced to follow blogs whose content you hate. You’re not being forced to talk to people you don’t want to talk to. 

As a result, it falls to you to create an environment that you are comfortable in, and it falls to you to make sure that other people respect your boundaries and your comfort levels. 

You need to be willing to say so when people do things you don’t want. You need to be willing to walk away if someone isn’t respecting your wishes. You need to be willing to remove yourself from fandoms or situations if they make you uncomfortable or cause you problems. You, and no one else, are responsible for your health and well being. However, there is one major aspect of this that we need to cover, and that is: 

3. You need to be honest with yourself, as well as other people, about your needs and your intentions, as well as your issues and problems. 

People cannot read your mind. People cannot accommodate your needs or stop doing things you do not like if you do not tell them that you have a problem. 

Rule 2 covers outside influences. People who you don’t talk to, or interact with, or engage with. It covers how you, as an individual, create an environment around yourself. 

Rule 3 covers your interactions within the environment you create for yourself. 

Let’s say you’ve followed rules 1 and 2. You’ve set up the blog the way you want to set it up, hopefully attracting the kinds of people you want to interact with. Furthermore, you’ve crafted yourself an environment where the people you’re interacting with are the people you want to be engaging with. That’s good! 

So how does it go wrong? 

Generally, it goes wrong when people don’t maintain their environment. Look at it like this. If you don’t cut the grass, it’s going to get overgrown. If you don’t service your car, it’s going to break down. If you don’t shower, you’re going to smell terrible. Roleplay blogs are the same way. You need to maintain the environment you’re in. 

It’s usually not an intentional thing either. It happens when people begin to make exceptions or are not honest with themselves or others. Maybe someone you thought you wanted to interact with turns out to be a big jerk. Maybe the fandom you’re in takes a turn for the worse. Maybe someone you’re following is posting things that cause you anxiety or trigger you. Maybe someone you’re interacting with is making you uncomfortable. 

It falls to you, and no one else, to handle the situation. It means you need to be honest and clear about the issues you’re having. That might mean taking a friend aside and saying ‘hey, can you not?’ It might mean unfollowing people. It might mean needing to remove yourself from the environment that’s causing you problems. It might mean you need to separate yourself from the people who are causing you problems. 

But another way this happens is when you’re not honest with the people you talk to. 

Let’s say you’re friends with someone. You like them, they like you, you get along, and you write. They ask you to do something, and you don’t want to upset them, so you say yes. But you mean no. But you say yes. And then you hope it’ll just go away. 

But it doesn’t. They ask about it. You tell them you’ll work on it. They might even realize that you’re uncomfortable, or having problems, and they ask how they can compromise or accommodate you. You still say no. It stresses you out, it causes you anxiety, and soon enough you’re so frustrated that they won’t just see what you mean rather than what you say. 

This is your fault. 

It is unreasonable to expect people to not take you at your word. If you say you are fine, if you say you don’t need anything to change, if you say ‘yes I am okay, don’t worry’ then you cannot be mad that people continue on as normal. Unlike in real life, where we can read body language, voice tone, and take cues from people’s actions, online we have only people’s words. 

And so it falls to you to be open and honest about your needs and your problems. People cannot change their behaviors if you do not tell them that they have a behavior that needs changing. 

But what if they refuse? What if you say ‘hey, this upset me/causes me anxiety, can we do something else’ and they refuse? What if when they come to with an idea that you don’t want to do, they get mad when you tell them no? 

This is their fault, not yours.

Part of being a responsible person and cultivating your environment is being open and direct with your needs. If they refuse to respect your wishes, then that tells you that you shouldn’t keep them in your environment. If you do, you’re letting your environment decay around you. No one except you can maintain it. 

But you cannot be mad at others if you tell them that things are fine when they are not. You cannot agree to things and then be upset when people proceed accordingly. You cannot be mad if people try to work with you and compromise, and keep trying because you haven’t told them no, and keep reaffirming that you want to do the thing. 

If you say no, and they don’t respect your wishes, that’s on them. If you say yes, and you’re not being honest, you can’t be upset when people take you at your word. Assuming that you should be allowed to say yes but mean no is an admission that people should take you as a liar, and not listen to you. And that’s no way to exist as a person, online or off. 

Be willing to say no. Be willing to advocate for yourself. Be willing to draw a line. Be willing to stick with what you’re comfortable with if you’re not comfortable with other things. 

Furthermore, be willing to say what you’re looking for. If you want to ship something, if you want to write something, if you want to talk about something, be willing to say so. Be willing to be honest about your intentions and your desires and be honest about what you are looking for. 

4. Callout Culture rarely fixes problems, but often exacerbates them. It is even rarer that it makes your environment less toxic, stressful, or anxiety inducing. 

Let’s be honest. The original purpose of callout culture was to call things as they were. It was a way to democratize outrage. It was a way to level the playing field between the powerful and the weak. 

However, like all things that become democratized, no one was stopped from deploying this WMD of outrage against anyone. What started as a way for victims to alert others to what had happened to them quickly became a way for powerful people to silence their critics, and to deploy their friends and followers against people they didn’t like. A tool for victims became a weapon for victimizers. 

People realized that, most of the time, people didn’t bother to verify facts or evidence. In fact, people realized that you didn’t need evidence or facts at all. People realized that all that was needed was an allegation, and people would naturally separate into stan/anti camps depending on their views. Overtime, powerful people on both sides began to weaponize this to boost themselves. 

People realized that most people, insulated from the wrongdoing itself, would only view it through the prism of their own experiences, biases, and beliefs. And so they would take a cursory look, figure out which side matched them best, and then join the dog pile. 

A lot more people simply decided to keep their heads down, go along with the majority, living in constant fear of being harassed and abused themselves. 

What does this have to do with roleplay? Well in the roleplaying community, this is rampant. 

There’s not just callouts, there are callouts for the callouts, and then callouts for those callouts! Furthermore, people often think that calling out someone is like a pressure release valve; don’t want to say no to someone? Just let them keep at it until you can say they’re harassing you, call them out, and wash your hands of it. 

Obviously, this buries real harassment. It also destroys the purpose of callouts. Even worse, it doesn’t work as intended, because rather than being a way out to avoid being honest with people, it often turns into a giant thing as people see it and begin to take sides. Rather than making your environment better, it often times makes it substantially worse. 

Furthermore, you end up with two very big risks. Risk one is that people around you become inoculated to callouts, and ignore serious patterns of abuse and victimization when you have them. Risk two is that people begin to regard you as a toxic individual, and thus you essentially immolate yourself when you’re looking for a less stressful environment. 

In other words, by abdicating your responsibilities, you’ve made everything worse. 

Callouts exist as a last resort, when people refuse to change their behaviors or victimize people intentionally. They do not exist as a way for you to get out of having to say no to people. Using them as such only harms people who actually need help and support. And at the same time, it often makes your life even worse due to the attention that it brings you. 

5. Be willing to enforce your rules. Be willing to say no. Be willing to stick to your guns. Be willing to block people or anons. Do not feel bad about it.

This isn’t an excuse to be a dick. It is however, a reason to stay the course if you’re not comfortable with something. It is good, virtuous even, to compromise with people, and to accommodate them. But understand that you do not have to do so. It is okay to not be willing to write with certain people or write certain things. It is okay to have things you think are okay and things you are not. 

Understand that you have no right to tell other people what to write. But it works both ways. Other people have no right to tell you want to write or who to write with either. 

Some people aren’t going to accept this. Some people aren’t going to want to interact with you on your terms. Some people are going to say that their own comfort supersedes yours. 

You are not obligated to keep such people in your life. You are not obligated to talk with them or write with them. You are not obligated to interact with them. 

If people refuse to accept your rules, if people refuse to stop when you tell them no, if people refuse to listen to you and treat you as a partner, then you do not have to allow them in your life. 

There will be people who will say this is unfair. There are people who will object being held to any standard of behavior. There will be people, sometimes even people you think are your friends, that will believe that the rules don’t apply to them, or that they should be exempt, or that they deserve and exception. Do not buy it. 

You are responsible for enforcing your rules. Rules that you do not enforce and do not expect to be enforced are as worthless as wet toiletpaper. 

6. None of this is an excuse or a free pass to be a bad person yourself. 

One thing that has been perverted along with callout culture is the notion that enforcing your rules gives you a reason to be a dick. There are people who will demand from you uneven privileges. They will demand things from you and refuse to give anything themselves. They will say that this inequality between you is the price of interacting with them. 

This is wrong, and you shouldn’t be tempted to do it yourself. 

There are lots of people who in the name of their insecurities, their anxieties, their own issues, believe that these things give them a free pass to treat others poorly. It does not. I say this as someone who is autistic, who is a depressive, who has been there himself, your issues do not give you a right to abuse others. 

Your issues should be accommodated, yes. People should understand you, and your needs. People should be understanding when you have problems. 

But nothing that I have said is a free pass to intentionally hurt others or intentionally use or abuse them for yourself. 

Having rules and boundaries shouldn’t make it so you’re free to do whatever you want. They do not exist so that you cannot be held accountable for your actions and deeds. 

The responsible thing is to expect nothing of anyone else that you would not expect from yourself. 

This means if you expect other people to be honest, you need to be honest. If you expect people to be understanding, you should be understanding. If you expect people to respect your rules, you should respect their rules. 

If you expect fairness, then you should also be fair. 

This is not a pass to exploit others. This does not mean that you have to accept others who would not accept you in the name of fairness. It does not mean that you can’t say no to people who won’t say no to you. 

It does mean to treat others as you wish to be treated. It means advocating for yourself. It means holding yourself to a standard of conduct and distancing or removing yourself from people or environments that do not meet them. It means being mature enough and willing to tell someone when you have a problem, and being willing to walk away if they won’t listen. It means respecting other people’s hard boundaries and demanding that people respect yours. It means being willing to be honest about your feelings and you needs. It means treating other people as human beings, just as you demand to be treated as one. 

And if you do all this, you’ll have the best possible time you can have as a roleplay blog. That doesn’t mean that it will always be perfect or fun or good. It doesn’t mean you won’t have problems. But it does mean that you’ll set yourself up to avoid the most obvious pitfalls that makes having a roleplay blog less fun to have. 

[kyouminaine]

Height Discrepancies

I was talking with a friend about the discrepancies between different translations and data over the years on character heights, ages, etc. This is especially prevalent between OG (original game) and 7R (Remake). It’s been stuck to my mind lately, so I decided to ramble on it a little bit.

Frankly it all started with Cloud. I’ve always seen Cloud to be 5′7″ (170cm) but I’ve seen people argue it is 5′8″ instead. When I checked recently, there were some sources that said it was actually 5.7ft. That converts to 173.7cm, which... isn’t 5′8″ (172.7cm). Tbh I hate conversions; there’s no clean way to convert between metric and imperial. 

But I digress. What I’m actually trying to get at is that Sephiroth’s height is definitely wrong. “Officially” - and I use this term warily because that was the height presumed in the initial English guidebook and not solidly confirmed in the original Japanese material; his profile is heavily redacted - his height is labeled as 6′1″ (185.4cm). 

If I use Cloud’s height at 5′7″ (which is a nice even number in centimeters, making it easy for comparison) and Seph at 6′1″ then we get this on a comparison chart: 

That’s definitely not how it is depicted in 7R. Hell, even in the other games this was completely off. Look at Crisis Core. 

Now, if we want a second comparison then let’s choose Aerith. Across the board, her height is labeled as 5′3″ (160cm). Comparing her to Sephiroth at 6′1″, we get this: 

There’s no in-game screenshot of Aerith and Sephiroth standing in any of the other games of the Compilation, and polygons are hardly a good reference from the original game, so here is a screenshot of the two of them in 7R: 

She doesn’t come up to his shoulder. (And no, I’m not going to allow the argument of his giant shoulder pads; use your basic sense of anatomy and figure out where his shoulder actually is.) According to the size chart, she should be able to stand just under his chin. Which once more brings up the question: just how tall is Sephiroth? 

If we compare Aerith to Cloud just to cross reference and say that Cloud is 5′7″ / 170 cm then we have this: 

And if we take one of the cutscenes in 7R of them together with Tifa, that’s about right: 

I found this a convenient screenshot due to the piping in the background that serves as an impromptu means of measuring height. Now once more, a size chart to compare all three. (Tifa is considered to be 5′5″/165cm, though some may say she’s closer to 5′4″ instead. Yet another inconsistency...)

The black line represents the top pipe in the screenshot. At least by this comparison I can comfortably stick with the information stating Cloud is 5 foot seven, not five point seven.

Going back to the issue about Sephiroth’s height, I’m going to compare Cloud and Sephiroth again but at a height that’s probably more accurate than what the Western audiences - and this may possibly be a global issue - have come to accept as “official.” Speaking with a friend on this, it feels fairly reasonable to assign this height to him: 

Yes, 6′5″ is the height we chose, which especially comes through what is seen in 7R. The cutscenes and in-game visuals we get really put an emphasis on Sephiroth’s height, which makes this headcanon feel more grounded. 

As a small disclaimer, when Cloud is in the same scene as Sephiroth, a lot of the angles aren’t level; it’s always from below or above. Lots of close-ups of eyes and lips and hands. Even in in-game scenes, like the final battle, Cloud isn’t standing up completely. He’s got a slight crouch and wider stance due to the Buster Sword. 

I’ve tried to pick a couple shots from cutscenes that give an okay comparison of their heights. They’re not the best, but they’re what I found: 

This last one doesn’t show Sephiroth so much as a piece of his armor, which I’d like to give a quick reference to one of the many scenes focusing on his chest: 

Taking note of the design on the double shoulder pads, and then comparing to the previous screenshots where he stands level with Cloud (or just behind him) then it’s fairly safe to assume that Cloud’s eyes are about level with the bottom edge of the upper shoulder pad. Or, for another reference, just above the center of the X where his suspenders cross.

Looking again at the size chart between 5′7″ vs 6′5″ then it’s a fairly accurate depiction of their height difference.

This screenshot doesn’t have them standing close to each other, but from a wide shot sometimes it’s easier to guestimate their heights: 

Flatting down the top spikes on his hair, Cloud’s head comes level with Sephiroth’s jawline, and this is with Sephiroth’s head titled down slightly. 

If Sephiroth was 6′1″ (185.4cm) then Cloud should reach approximately at Sephiroth’s nose (or just below his ears). This would be especially true if Cloud was 5.7ft, which roughly translates to 5 feet and 8.4 inches. (Like I said, I hate conversions.)

So, because he doesn’t reach Sephiroth’s nose/ears, then it seems more accurate to say Sephiroth has more inches than most of the fandom believes. (Or, at least openly speaks on. Everyone just shrugs about it, same for the multitude of inconsistencies in Zack’s profile. That’s a whole mess that deserves its own post. If it wasn’t for those inconsistencies, I would’ve used him as reference instead of Aerith because Zack gets proper screen time with Sephiroth.) 

I know some people will argue the boots and how they add inches or are “platforms.” Yes, boots can often add height to a person, but I’m going to toss that argument out the window because this is all running the idea that even if they are wearing boots then they have the same sole thickness. Also, since I used her as reference as well, Aerith’s boots have a thick sole too so she has the same “platform” effect as the other characters. (You’re supposed to take measurements barefoot anyway, not with your shoes on.) So even if they are wearing boots, the problem still remains that there’s a bigger gap in heights than originally interpreted. 

Unfortunately, Sephiroth’s bio is full of blanks that likely will never be filled. If it does get stated, I’d probably still be wary of it if it wasn’t near 6′5″ - or even 6′4″ (193cm) - because of how the characters all match up to each other. 

All in all, the miscommunication between heights, conversions, fanons, and all sorts of other data on these characters is a big messy pot. I’ll still stick with Cloud being 5′7″ and I will also accept that Sephiroth is a fucking sequoia tree. 

[writeyourownlifestory]

L-I-G-H-T-S U-P

Chapters: 2/20 Fandom: IT Rating: M Warnings: No warnings at this time Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Beverly Marsh/Ben Hanscom Additional Tags: PunkRocker!Eddie, Writer!Richie, Beveddie!Friendship, No Clown Written by: myself & @ahardlife​ Tag list: @richietoaster, @beproudtozier, @that-weird-girls-blog, @s-onora, @s-s-georgie, @bellarosewrites, @iamcupcakefrosting, @reddieonwheels, @ghostnebula, @madidraw @madi-main, @gazebobullshit, @thoughtfullyyoungduck​

Puff piece writer Richie Tozier is given the chance of a lifetime to interview his celebrity crush: Dr. K, the lead singer of punk rock band, Trashmouth. Dr. K is about to release his first solo album and Richie wants to get all the dirty details. But all is not what it appears to be and the two realize they know each other from a different time, in a different place, when they were both very different people.

Chapter one can be found here

So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings - Caroline Polachek

I get a little lonely Get a little more close to me You're the only one who knows me, babe So hot, you're hurtin' my feelings (woo) Can't deal

Richie had very little idea what he was supposed to be doing.

Okay, correction, he had a decent idea. It was a simple interview. Ask a couple of questions, hopefully, get a couple of answers. It wasn’t being filmed nor were they doing something dumb to pass the time. Just a simple sit down with a punk rock legend in the making.

Richie had written down almost a hundred questions, half of which he wanted to scrape because they just seemed so generic and boring. This might have been just a stereotypical interview but the person of interest was anything but typical.

Dr. K had changed things for the better in the music industry. He didn’t stick to social norms, but he also didn’t jam his uniqueness down your throat. If you wanted to see him, you would see him. If you didn’t want to pay him any mind, that was fine too. Dr. K had said on more than one occasion that he wasn’t there to entertain the small minds of the world. The people who would see him would see him and those who heard him would listen.

Richie listened very clearly. Almost nightly. He wasn’t lying when he told Bill he had seen them sixteen times in the past eight years. From small dingy bars deep in the city to the biggest venues the state had to offer. Richie had been there for it all, cheering on this amazing band and buying up their merch to boot.

Richie thought about wearing one of their shirts, but he didn’t want to come on too strong. He stuck with his regular business attire, making sure that nothing was too wrinkled or had a strange mess to it.

He thought about doing something with his hair until he finally snapped himself out of this little fantasy he had going on inside his head. This wasn’t a blind date; wasn’t some matchmaking at the hands of Bill. This was a serious business and Richie had to take it seriously.

Richie was gangly, with wavy hair and thick glasses. Sure, some guys found him to be cute, but he gave credit to his charming personality. He put on a mask to get by but in reality, he was just a lonely guy who didn’t know where he belonged.

So when the day came, he told himself just to relax because nothing would come from this. There wasn’t going to be a magical spark between the two. He wasn’t going to let go of his career and start touring with Dr. K as his personal assistant slash roadie slash groupie.

He was just a guy interviewing for his place of work and Richie reminded himself that repeatedly as he arrived at the location Bill gave him. Red Balloon records were serious business that only took on the best of the best. Richie gave his name and flashed the pass that he always kept on him from Paper Boats just to show he was legit.

He was sent up automatically and was practically buzzing in the elevator up. When he arrived at the top, a red-headed woman greeted him, offering a polite smile as they walked through the hall. She was dressed smartly in a suit of her own, high up against her neck and tight at the waist. She offered a quick handshake before they got moving.

“Beverly Marsh. You’re a little early, but that’s all right. K likes punctual people.” She revealed.

“Figured it would be better to be early than late.”

“Better late than never as they say,” Beverly commented with a knowing smile. “I hope you have something good to ask him.”

“Way to put the pressure on,” Richie muttered, following close behind her. “I tried to choose questions he hadn’t already been asked before, but there are only so many non-generic questions out there. I’m sure he’ll be asked the same bullshit by the other magazines.”

“Dr. K isn’t doing any other magazine interviews. He’s agreed to only speak to a Paper Boat representative. You, specifically.”

“What? You’re kidding.” It wasn’t unheard of for a celeb to only speak to one news outlet, but for him to choose to only speak to PB when he had so much to release seemed a bit out there. Richie wondered if Bill had worked his magic on Dr. K’s people and convinced them to sell the story to Paper Boat and only Paper Boat.

“You’ll be the only so I certainly hope you make it worth his while.”

“No pressure there,” Richie muttered, adjusting his glasses nervously.

“Don’t be worried. Dr. K is very easy going. Just don’t make this into a big deal.”

Richie snorted, giving the redhead a quick side look. “Right. Speaking to a premature rock God. It's no big deal.”

Beverly chuckled, stopping outside one of the doors. “He isn’t a God. He’s just a guy with a lot of talent.”

“Here I thought the lead singer of a punk rock band would want to surround himself with people who stroke his ego.”

Beverly shrugged, reaching for the doorknob. “He’s not the lead singer of a band anymore. And K doesn’t surround himself with anybody he doesn’t want around. Constantly hearing how wonderful you are can be pretty boring, don’t you think?” Opening the door, Beverly gesturing inside. “He’ll be with you in just a moment.”

The room was empty but set up comfortably. There was a small bar with drinks and a table of snacks set up. Caramel popcorn and peanut M&Ms filled up the bowls. Richie grabbed a couple of candies, tossing them in the air and catching them. He walked around, admiring the room. It had that vintage rock and roll vibe to it. Vinyl along the brick walls and posters of all the bands the record label signed over the year.

Sitting in a cooler were glass soda bottles and Richie lifted one, searching for a bottle opener only to come up empty. Shrugging, he brought the bottle to his mouth, hoping to open it with his teeth the way he used to in college, but that proved futile. He was older and his teeth weren’t as strong as they used to be.

“It’s a twist-off,” A voice from behind him said.

Richie turned and the bottle nearly slipped through his fingers as his eyes settled on the new person in the room.

It was him, his morning glory.

Dr. K.

He looked exactly like Richie hoped he would. Utterly gorgeous.

He wasn’t dolled up in eyeliner or hair gel the way he would if he was on stage or dressed in the best designers for a photoshoot, but he still looked too good to be true. Dark jeans with a dark jacket, a Ramones tee shirt hugging his toned body. His skin was pale, showing off every mark and freckle he had to offer.

His hair was shorter now; another shock vibing out through the music world. First Trashmouth loses their lead and then the lead loses his hair. Richie didn’t mind it though. The shorter cut framed Dr. K’s face ever so perfectly.

He was absolutely gorgeous and Richie felt like he was a six-foot tall garbage can on fire just standing in the same room with him.

Richie watched as Dr. K came forward, going to grab a bottle out of the cooler. He twisted it open with ease, offering it to Richie to switch out with the unopened one he was holding. Richie took it, still not saying a word as he watched the other man open a second bottle for himself and begin to drink it.

“What? Disappointed it’s not beer?” Dr. K asked him curiously.

“It’s ten in the morning,” Richie mentioned.

Dr. K shrugged off, sipping slowly at his drink. “As they say: it’s five o’clock somewhere.” He mentioned, taking another swig of the soda bottle. “So. You’re him, huh?” He asked, looking him up and down slowly.

A tickle of nerves ran along Richie’s back and after nearly spitting out his sip, he placed the bottle down beside him. “Yes. Hi. Richard Tozier; representative of Paper Boat magazine.” He stuck his hand out, offering a shake.

He wanted to be professional, but he wondered if that came off lame. Lame was the last thing he wanted because anything that wasn’t punk or rock and roll was incredibly lame.

And Richie was very sure if he looked lame in front of Dr. K he would throw himself in front of a moving train.

Luckily for him, Dr. K didn’t seem to mind. He offered a polite smile and reached out to shake his hand. His shake was tight and simple, though Dr. K did linger a bit longer than expected.

“So, shall the interview begin?” He offered, gesturing over to the couch across the way.

Richie scrambled to take his seat, wanting to make room for everything that was begging to come out of his mouth.

“First I just want to say thank you for allowing us to do this. I know you aren’t a very public person so to be able to do a one on one with you is truly an honor.”

“People are hungry. Might as well feed them.” Dr. K replied slowly.

“Right. Okay. So a solo album. Why now?”

“Why not now?”

“Right, okay. Great answer.” Richie cliched his pen and began writing that down. “So the album. Do you have a title for it yet?”

“We have a few things bouncing around but nothing has been decided yet.”

“And it’s all original work that you’ve written on your own?”

“Oh, the contrary; my first big solo album will be a complete list of some of my favorite songs already in creation.”

Richie pauses, looking up. “So a cover album?” He questioned, pushing his glasses up. “Why? I only ask because you’re an amazing songwriter! Surely you can make a whole album up on your own.”

“Your flattery is charming. And I have many ideas for songs but there are already so many songs out there and I want to lend my own voice and specific style to them.” Dr. K paused, smiling then. “And don’t call me Shirley.”

“Dr. K gets off with a zinger! Impressive.” Richie scribbled everything down, leaning back in the chair as he grew more comfortable. “Okay so. Cover album. Do I get to know any of the songs?”

“It will be between fifteen and twenty. We’re still narrowing it down.”

“That’s quite a lot. Any particular reason?”

“I’m greedy.” Dr. K shrugged, sipping slowly at his bottle.

Richie focused his eyes on the pad in his hands instead of on the bottle that Dr. K had his mouth wrapped around.

“I will say each song has been chosen by me personally. Little ditties that touched me in one way or another during my life; going all the way back to my childhood to now.”

“Do you have a favorite?”

“I do, though I can’t say without revealing anything.”

“What about in general?” Richie inquires. “Come on. Even a rockstar has to have a favorite song.”

Eddie smiled softly, almost dismissively. Richie thought he was going to ignore the question or request a skip, but instead, Richie would himself getting the answer.

“Clock strikes upon the hour and the sun begins to fade. Still enough time to figure out how to chase my blues away. I've done alright up to now, it's the light of day that shows me how. And when the night falls, loneliness calls….”

Richie blinked, his mind desperately trying to get past the fact that Dr. K just sang to him to recognize the song.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody?” He asked aloud, his eyes squinting behind his glasses. “Your favorite song is by Whitney Houston?”

“Are you not a fan?”

“What? No, it’s not that! Whitney was iconic. Rest In Peace Queen, but I just meant. It’s surprising! Especially for somebody with your record.”

“Even rockstars can have a soft spot for a good pop song,” Eddie told him with a small smile.

Richie, having found himself staring, scrambling to write everything down. He paused, collecting his thoughts so he could wrap this up. He didn’t want to leave yet but he didn’t want to take up any more of Dr. K’s time.

“Why now?” He asked suddenly. “Why go solo now?”

“My bandmates have lives of their own. Wives. Children. I have neither. Besides, I lived my life doing what people expected of me. Thought I’d have fun and throw a wrench in their plan for me.”

A knock on the door came. After a few seconds, Beverly opened, sticking her fiery redhead inside. “K, I’m sorry to interrupt but Stanley is on the phone. Legal mumbo-jumbo.”

“Duty calls.” Dr. K sighed, standing slowly from the couch. Realizing the interview was cover, Richie stood as well, shoving everything back into his bag. Dr. K didn’t move right away. He stood in front of Richie, that same damn smile across his lips.

“Thank you. Really. Having this chance had been a total career changer.” He mentioned to him, pausing just before they could separate.

Richie always took his job seriously but come on, how detailed could you get about something when the story you were writing was on giant chocolate chip cookies or watching celebs balance pies on their heads? This was the first legitimate of Richie’s career and he was incredibly grateful for the chance.

“Do you think I could bother you for a picture? I know it’s super unprofessional, but you’re like my idol.”

Dr. K laughed then. Not mockingly, but rather with surprise. There was a glimmer in his eyes Richie couldn’t recognize, though he didn’t get the chance to question it as Dr. K came to his side in moments.

Richie scrambled to grab his phone, holding it out so he could capture both of them. They smiled wide, standing beside one another closely as the picture was taken. Richie was definitely going to make that his lock screen the moment he got home.

He offered his hand, one final shake and Dr. K took it without question. “It was nice to see you again, Richie.” He said, giving the hand one last squeeze before Beverly ushered him out.

Richie stood there, offering a lame wave as he was left alone in the room. A solid minute passed before Dr. K’s words repeated in his head.

Nice to see you again? What the fuck?

[preserving-ferretbrain]

Not Exactly T.H. White

by Viorica

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Viorica's review of the BBC's cracktastic Merlin.~

After what might be called a bitter breakup with BBC’s Robin Hood, I promised myself that I’d avoid any further TV shows that were more enjoyable for their badness than their quality. So when the majority of my Livejournal friendslist began squeeing over Merlin, I swore I’d avoid the temptation. No matter how shiny and cracky and homoerotic it appeared, I was not going to watch it, because I knew that if I did I’d be sucked into shiny-cracky-homoerotic-bad TV land. But eventually the temptation grew too strong, and I downloaded the first season to watch over Christmas break. I expected bad special effects; I got that. I expected inaccuracy; I got that in droves. I expected mediocre writing and acting, and I got . . . something else.

If you assumed from the title of the show that Merlin is based on Arthurian legends, you’d be better off abandoning that idea right now. The series revolves around a teenage boy named - you guessed it - Merlin who is sent to live at the court of Camelot by his mother, because he’s manifested magical powers, and she has an old friend, Gaius who lives at Camelot and who is better equipped to train Merlin than she is. Unfortunately for Merlin, magic is outlawed in Camelot, and has been since the birth of Prince Arthur about twenty years earlier. Yes, Merlin and Arthur and the same age, and that’s only the beginning of the divergence from the original stories. Merlin manages to land a job as Arthur’s manservant, much to Arthur’s chagrin, as Merlin has a tendency to call Arthur out on his bullshit. From there on in, it’s up to Merlin to protect Arthur from various pissed-off sorcerers (Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon has ordered all magic-users burned at the stake, which has naturally rubbed them up the wrong way) while simultaneously trying to hide his own powers and protect innocent people from Uther’s wrath. He’s helped by Guinevere, aka Gwen, a maid at the castle, and her mistress Morgana, Uther’s ward, who disagrees with his policies. Merlin is also mentored by a dragon being held prisoner under the castle, who has an irritating tendency to intone “Protecting Arthur is your destiny, Merlin!” at least once an episode.

If you think it sounds cheesy, you’re completely right. It’s intended as a kid’s show, and filmed with the audience in mind - despite the rather high amounts of violence (at least one person dies per episode) the camera always cuts away from the nasty stuff. The main conflict is Merlin’s need to hide the fact that he has magical powers, and the fact that this keeps conflicting with his need to protect Arthur, which obviously has no basis whatsoever in Arthurian legend, but then neither does anything else. As the series progresses, Arthur and Merlin’s relationship evolves from that of mutual resentment to comfortable partnership, and eventually friendship (which comes off as very, very very homoerotic, probably due to the fact that it involves a lot of hugging and acts of unwavering devotion. The cynical part of me thinks that the writers are playing to the crowd.) The actors playing Merlin and Arthur are actually quite good, and what they bring to their roles - quiet goodness in Colin Morgan’s case and brash testosterone in Bradley James’s - helps establish the boys as genuinely likeable people, struggling to figure out their place in the world. Angel Coulby is incredibly sweet as shy, blushing Gwen, who spends most of her time trying to make everyone as happy as possible. The weak link in the cast is Katie McGrath, who plays Morgana with a maximum of two facial expressions: smug and perturbed. The older actors are obviously having fun with their roles, and bringing some gravitas to the characters as well - Anthony Stewart Head’s Uther is unlikeable by virtue of his actions (this is, after all, a man who ordered all magicians put to death over a mistake he made) but thanks to Stewart Head’s talent, you can see a bit of humanity shining through from behind the throne. Richard Wilson’s Gaius is your standard mentor/father figure, with a dry sense of humour that managed to make me laugh at least once an episode. John Hurt voiced the Dragon, and there really isn’t much to say about his performance - given the fact that all he gets to do is blather about destiny, there isn’t much room to stretch. The guest stars are touch-and-go - Santiago Cabrera, who played Lancelot, was absolutely awful, while Asa Butterfield was suitably creepy as an eight-year-old Mordred. No one is giving Lawrence Olivier a run for his money, but they’re a very talented bunch, especially considering that most of them haven’t hit thirty yet.

I’m not entirely sure what I expected from the writing. Before watching it, I’d heard the show referred to “crappy tweenager fantasy” so I assumed it’d be a lot of rambling about Destiny and True Love and The Power of Friendship. While that is included (see my note on the Dragon of Destiny) it’s not as wearing as you might expect, mostly because the characters point out the stupidity of doing something because it’s My Destiny at least once an episode. No one wants to watch a show about people who do things because they’re told; most of the struggles come from Merlin and his friends struggling with the expectations they’re being held up to versus their own inherent sense of what’s right. My personal favourite episode revolves around a young boy who Uther wants to execute because he’s a Druid-in-training. Merlin, who obviously takes the stance that killing innocent children is wrong, enlists Morgana’s help to hide the boy, and Arthur’s to smuggle him out of Camelot. For this he is repeatedly chastised by the Dragon, because the boy is eventually going to kill Arthur. Merlin and co say “Screw this” and smuggle the boy away to his own people. At the end of the episode (spoilers, obviously) Arthur asks for his name, and the child replies “Mordred.” It’s a deliciously eerie moment (helped out by Mordred’s creepy stare) and an interesting message about Destiny v. Free Will: the choices of Merlin and his friends will make or break Camelot, but it’s up to them to decide what it’s worth. Fortunately, not all of the destiny-related storylines are that gloomy. For example, one of the show’s most endearing points is the relationship between Merlin and Arthur, which begins with Merlin flat-out chastising Arthur for taunting a servant. Although Merlin is repeatedly pushed towards the prince by the dragon (for this reason, he’s acquired the fandom nickname “Slash Dragon”) their relationship eventually becomes that of friends. When Merlin goes to protect Arthur at the potential expense of his own life, he’s doing it out of affection for the prince rather than a sense of duty, and that - the inherent nobility of the main cast - is a big part of what makes the show so endearing.

There is, of course, the problem of the show’s title, which I’ll have to address or risk this article becoming unadulterated gushing. I’m not especially familiar with Arthurian legend - I know the basics, and I’m about thirty pages into The Once and Future King, but I’m far from an expert - but from what I do know, I honestly can’t understand why they decided to tack the name “Merlin” on it at all. There are references to “canon”, such as it is - in one episode, Arthur is wounded by the Questing Beast - but overall, it plays out like an original story with occasional allusions to Thomas Malory or T.H. White. As I’ve said, it’s good enough to stand on its own, and I think the attempts at labelling it an Arthurian adaptation are going to be detrimental in the long run. Instead of being remembered as a well-written original series, it’s going to end up being dismissed as “that crappy Arthurian adaptation that screwed up the stories”. Actually, the fact that they felt the need to try and slap the name of a pre-existing story on it kind of makes me sad, because it implies that they felt they couldn’t market an original series, and that’s just depressing. Aside from the rage-inducing potential for Arthurian enthusiasts, there’s some holes in the writing - in one episode Morgana says that Gaius has been caring for her since before she can remember, then later claims that she came to live in Camelot when she was ten, implying either than she has long-term memory loss or that someone didn’t proofread closely enough. Still, the small slipups aren’t enough to detract from a genuinely enjoyable show. And if all else fails, you can always hit mute and enjoy the eye candy.Themes:

TV & Movies

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Wardog

at 10:16 on 2009-01-14Hello, welcome - and thank you for this wonderful review. I no longer need feel ashamed of my secret love for Merlin. When it first came on, I dismissed it after about 10 ten minutes (Uther's first 'by the way, this is the backplot' speech didn't help) but a few weeks later my LJ friendslist also exploded with squee and joy, so I gave it another go and, lo, it was simultaneously awesome and awful and utterly utterly watchable.

You're absolutely right about Morganna not being quite up to speed on, y'know, this 'acting' thing ... but she is very, very beautiful, so I don't mind. And the dragon is a bit repetative, despite being voiced by John Hurt.

The weird thing is I don't really get any slashy kind of vibe from Arthur and Merlin, despite the fact that these two boys finding friendship and making sacrifices for each other ought to be very homoerotic. I suppose I find it slashy in principle but there isn't much a spark between the actors (I mean in terms of teh gay) to make it stick. Possibly I am just missing.

As you say in your conclusion I do find Merlin's status as an adaption interesting - I actually rather enjoyed the complete lack of respect with which they treated the mythos, once I got over myself about it. The Arthurian background does give it all a familiarity and a resonance that might have been lacking if it was just Generic Fantasy Story About Friendship and Valour. Although it is a bit dodgy I have come to think the Arthurian dimension does add something - there's always something joyous about watching people play in the paddling pool of literature and start a water fight.

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Rami

at 10:49 on 2009-01-14Yay! I somewhat guiltily enjoyed Merlin myself, including the not-quite-aside allusions to actual canon / legend (the court genealogist appears to be Geoffrey of Monmouth ;-)). Arthurian legend, historically, has been pretty flexible and as far as I know there isn't any real canon — so I'm all in favor of going in a new direction with it, and I'm quite willing to forgive the writers for taking advantage of all the gravitas and popular awareness that Arthur's story gives you. As you said, that moment when the little Druid boy tells Arthur his name is eerie -- but it would have been meaningless if it hadn't been Mordred talking to Arthur, and / or you didn't know who Mordred and Arthur were.

About the cast — Anthony Head and Richard Wilson are brilliant, of course, I can't disagree, but I have to admit I don't share your reservations about Katie McGrath. (But maybe that's because of the eye-candy factor.)

Perhaps it's my lack of slash goggles but I don't see the "very, very homoerotic" between Merlin and Arthur? I wonder if it's just 21st-century cynicism that makes "heartfelt and sincere" have to mean "Twu Wuv"?

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Rami

at 10:52 on 2009-01-14Oh God Kyra and I have just posted very nearly the same comment.

Resistance is futile

I mean, no, FerretBrain doesn't have a "Collective Consciousness" feature...

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Wardog

at 12:06 on 2009-01-14You will be assimilated....

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Viorica

at 22:18 on 2009-01-14I suppose the slash question depends on what you go in expecting. I was told repeatedly before ever watching it that the boys were the slashiest slashy things that were ever slashed, so I went in with slash goggles firmly strapped on. And I suppose there's an interesting study to be done on the way men show affection v. the way women do and how it's interpreted by outside observers . . . but as far as fandom's concernd, it's all about the pretty and the gay.

As for Katie McGrath, she is pretty, but there's always this irritating feeling that I'd like the character so much more if she could emote properly. As it is, she tends to grate.

Apropos of nothing, have you watched the video diaries? They're screamingly hilarious, and both Bradley James and Colin Morgan act uncannily like their characters. It's a little creepy . . .

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Wardog

at 11:35 on 2009-01-15That's the thing, although I'm not a slasher myself, I do occasionally find myself on the outskirts of fandom enough to have some slash goggles of my own. I was prepared for slash, I looked for slash, I saw ... the motions of slash ... but I didn't *feel* the slash. Sometimes there's a genuine spark between actors or something about the way a relationship is portrayed that makes me secretly believe something could conceivably be going on between them. I was re-watching DS9 (sad bastard that I am) recently and, despite knowing not a damn thing about the DS9 fandom, I became immediately and increasingly convinced that Sisko and Dukat were having incredibly hot hatesex... (Dan holds out for Dax/Kira girlsex, however, - they are certainly very giggly together).

I watched some of the video diaries - Bradley James is so adorably silly. I mean this in a maternal way, not a sick way. I particularly liked his musing on the cockatrice.

By the way, I meant to ask, what caused things to sour with Robin Hood? I never watched it so...

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Gina Dhawa

at 16:04 on 2009-01-16

Arthurian legend, historically, has been pretty flexible and as far as I know there isn't any real canon — so I'm all in favor of going in a new direction with it ... that moment when the little Druid boy tells Arthur his name is eerie -- but it would have been meaningless if it hadn't been Mordred talking to Arthur, and / or you didn't know who Mordred and Arthur were.

This is my justification for liking

Merlin

the way it is. T.H. White took some pretty big liberties along the way (though if you're thirty pages in, I won't spoil that), as have any of the people who have written the story down over the years. The trouble is convincing people there's not really a canon to be followed, that if you take the earliest versions of the stories and put them to what you might find in a modern collection, there are so many differences that you might think you weren't reading the same story at all.

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Viorica

at 19:51 on 2009-01-16Well, it could be argued that there are some basic plot foundations- Merlin being Arthur's mentor, Guinevere as his wife (though they still have time to do that), Morgana being his half-sister, etc. I think the reason some people don't like it is because they grew up on "The Sword and the Stone", so the show is effectively stomping on their childhood memories. I don't have any such memories to get stomped on, so it doesn't bug me.

Re: Robin Hood. It started out as silly fun, but it as it went on, you realized that the people running the show didn't know or care what they were doing. There were no efforts at making the costumes or scenery look nice, and virtually none of the characters were likeable, or even tolerable. Their Robin is the kind of guy who whines at an ex-girlfriend for "betraying" him when she's forced into marriage with another man. The urge to punch the title character in the face was stronger than any desire to keep watching.

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Sonia Mitchell

at 22:16 on 2009-01-16Great article. I didn't catch all the episodes, but definitely enjoyed the ones I did see. I like your point about the gravitas the older actors bring, particularly Head (in what could have been a pretty thankless role given his character's lack of humour).

Interesting discussion about the appropriate amount of reverence for the source material, too. I quite like the way Merlin did it, with plenty there for people who do know a bit about Arthurian legend but not so much you know for sure what's going to happen. I never saw Smallville, but I think of Merlin in much the same way - you know what happens down the line, but these are the gaps in between. And knowing what lies ahead is an interesting experience, because you're watching for it and everyone involved in the show knows you are (of the ones I saw, Lancelot's episode was the most willing to play with this).

It's also pretty dangerous, of course, because unless they're willing to go down the rejected destiny road the main young characters all have to live. I think they've got a nice balance - there's plenty of peril, but the real danger is more often disgrace than death (though I missed the last few episodes, so for all I know there was a dramatic and bloody finale).

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Viorica

at 01:30 on 2009-01-17There was *almost* a dramatic and bloody finale, but it was averted. You should really watch to see why, though- that episode actually managed to make me tear up a bit.

"Great article."

Thanks!

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Rami

at 12:44 on 2009-01-17I never saw Smallville, but I think of Merlin in much the same way

Yes! It's not all that different in many ways -- Smallville takes a lot of liberties with Superman canon (Lex Luthor and Clark Kent being friends, for instance), and I guess one of the reasons that it's more or less accepted is that Superman canon has been retconned so many times nobody's sure what *is* canon anymore. I think much the same is true for Arthurian legend ;-)

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Arthur B

at 15:05 on 2009-01-17I think in comics continuity Lex Luthor and Clark Kent

were

friends until Clark mistakes a controlled explosion in Lex's lab for an actual fire, and horribly injures Lex as he tries to put it out.

Six nerd points for me.

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Wardog

at 19:39 on 2009-01-17I have come late to the party...

The trouble is convincing people there's not really a canon to be followed...

I think this really nails the issue; perhaps, for a lot of people T.H.White is "canon", although it's Roger Lancelyn Green for me, personally - I have no idea who that guy is but basically every book available for kids about anything vaguely mythic, Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Celtic, was written, semi-turgidly, by this dude. Anyway, what I've got distracted from saying here is: a lot of those things we associate with the Arthur Legend today have very little in common with the early source material. Guinevere is barely in Malory - he just wasn't into chicks - and there's a sense that a lot of her bad press comes from the fact he decided to situate the fall of his macho martial ideal in damn women with their lack of appreciation for war, dammit, war. There's very little actually 'romantic' about Le Morte.

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Wardog

at 19:43 on 2009-01-17Also I am now definitely avoiding Robin Hood. I heard it was rubbish but fun, but that sounds like it's moved into "just plain rubbish" territory.

[aroworlds]

Aro-Spec Artist Profile: Signe

Today’s awesome aro-spec creator is Signe, better known to aro-spec Tumblr as @fluffyllamacorn!

Signe is a busy aroace writer, visual and textile artist! She writes for the Young Avengers, The Shadowhunter Chronicles/Shadowhunters, Hawkeye Comics and New X-Men: Academy fandoms in addition to developing diverse original fiction. You can find her growing collection of fanworks on AO3 under the name FluffyLlamacorn and her gorgeous art at @llamacorn-productions.

She also posts and reblogs fashion and accessories at @clothing-inspiration, and some of her cosplays can be seen throughout this post!

With us Signe talks about her passion for textile arts and how they allowed her to reclaim her femininity, the importance of non-romantic relationships in creative media, the difficulty of writing kissing scenes, and the need for works and discussions that celebrate our aromanticism. Her love of making, crafting and designing just shines through this post, so please let’s give her all our love, encouragement, gratitude, kudos and follows for taking the time to explore what it is to be aromantic and creative.

Can you share with us your story in being aro-spec?

I just sort of … never cared? I’ve never wanted to get married and have children, and I never really had crushes growing up. I partly figured that was because I was surrounded by assholes who weren’t worth crushing on, but even when I graduated and moved to better schools where I actually had friends, I still didn’t care. I’ve always had a lot of confidence, so I’ve never bothered feeling insecure about not dating. I spent a while identifying as a straight person “who doesn’t care about romance” before eventually identifying with the ace and then aroace identifiers after having known them for a while, but there was never any big moments in the journey that really stand out.

Currently, I see my aromanticism as more important to my identity than my asexuality – being aro is what I do, while being ace is what my body does – but I also don’t really see them as separate. It’s hard to put into words because it requires cementing some stuff that I don’t mind leaving fluid, but while my lack of attraction is a package deal, it’s the lack of romantic attraction that defines my lifestyle the most. I know which I would choose if I had to, but I prefer not having to. That’s the only good thing about the ace discourse: It’s made me very protective of my ace identity again after having let somewhat go of it after I came to identify as aro.

Can you share with us the story behind your creativity?

I’m the type of person who has a thousand different hobbies and therefore doesn’t have time to actually do any of them. The three I care most about are writing, drawing and textile work.

I’ve always told myself a lot of stories. Walking home from school, I would develop my stories, acting out scenes in my mind and developing huge universes. When I decided to share them with the world, it was initially as comics. I drew a lot, so I had developed the characters’ visual identities along with their personalities. While I’ve switched to planning my stories as books, drawing and writing is still pretty linked in my mind and I can’t imagine creating a character that I don’t know how to draw.

I got into textile work through cosplay, but have spread out into knitting, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, weaving, crocheting, bobbin lace… Pretty much everything I can get my hands on, which is why I give it such a broad name. (This is part of my too many hobbies deal!) I love everything about textiles, from the look and feel of it, to how many different things can be created out of one simple material. Looking at clothes and knowing not just how it’s been sewn, but also how the fabric was made, is so cool. Creating things from scratch can make me feel like something akin to a god, recreating this corner of the universe as I see fit. A big part of my love for textile work is also reclaiming my femininity in a way that’s so different from the girly girl image I was taught to look down on as a girl. This is a way to enjoy being feminine that doesn’t force me to embrace things I don’t enjoy.

One thing I’ve realized recently is that I love the freedom to design my own work. My cosplays have moved further and further away from canon, from human versions to characters without a firm design or completely redesigning a canon design. On the other hand, I rarely feel the need to sew completely original things, and without the built in deadline of a con, I’m not very likely to get it done. I tend to rarely do the things I can just do whenever, but I’m getting better at that.

Are there any particular ways your aro-spec experience is expressed in your art?

It’s easy to spot in my stories. I have a lot of a-spec characters. The two main characters who were specifically designed to get most of my heart – Shizuka, the shy girl who didn’t know how to make friends, and Diana, the confident girl who’s never cared what anyone thinks of her – both ended up being a-spec even though I created them long before I started identifying as aroace. Shizuka is demi and I don’t know whether it’s sexually and/or romantically or if it even matters. Diana ended up being aroace because I was thinking about her future and my mind nope’d out of the possibility of her ever dating. I also made a conscious choice not to include much romance until I got interested in queer love stories and that sorta fell by the way side. Even then, I try to keep the love stories from being the only defining feature of the stories and the characters involved in them and never to devalue other types of relationship. You will never hear the term “just friends” in my work unless I’m trying to make a point about the person who uses it.

(This is not to pass a value judgement on anyone who uses that expression, but to help normalize language that doesn’t devalue platonic relationships.)

What challenges do you face as an aro-spec artist?

The recent anti-a-spec discourse has made me worried about posting about aromantic things too publicly, as aphobic comments and opinions seem way to commonly accepted these days.

Also, writing kissing scenes. What the hell. “And then their mouths squished together for a little while, which apparently made fireworks go off in their brains.” Like. What? Why does society think this is the epitome of every relationship?

How do you connect to the aro-spec and a-spec communities as an aro-spec person?

Building communities about a lack of something is always hard. Once you’ve written the first story about being aro, it can be hard to write the next one, unless you consciously try to write about a different way of being aro-spec. It’s also a hard orientation to include quickly as being single isn’t as clear an indicator as having a romantic partner of the same gender. While I follow a bunch of aro-blogs and I have a bunch of a-spec friends, I wouldn’t say I’m strongly integrated in the a-spec communities on Tumblr.

Part of it is that most content I see is validations that every sort of aro is alright. I see a lot of content aimed at people who feel bad. That’s important, definitely, but I don’t need it. I’ve always known I’m amazing, both independently of and intersecting with my aromantic identity. I’m interested in work that celebrates being aro, work that doesn’t say I’ll be happy “even though” I’m aro, but “while” I’m aro, maybe even “because” I’m aro and don’t need to waste my life on amatonormativity. At the very least, work that spends more than a sentence on reassuring me. I see a lot of content that implies the basic state of an aro-spec person is sad, and I object to that idea.

I have also recently seen a whole lot of posts about QPRs and that’s really cool! I’m happy to see they’re becoming more and more accepted, at least in some circles. I’m less happy to see them become so prominent and so expected that they start feeling like a new shape of amatonormativity. It’s not that bad right now, but I definitely got allo aces saying “at least we can still feel love” vibes from some QPR posts earlier this year. Because here’s the thing: I’m aroace. I won the lottery. I don’t need to define myself by relationships to other people.* I refuse to take another label that sounds like I don’t want friends because of people pushing QPRs to be the new norm. Again, I’m super happy QPRs seem to have become more accepted, just please don’t present them as something every aro-spec person is interested in unless we specifically opt out.

There’s also the question of what kind of aro stories should be told. I mean, as many as possible, obviously, but that’s going to take a while. But the whole deal with being aro-spec is to have less interest in romance, so too many stories that focus on the lack of it become … counterproductive? I think the Jughead comics are pretty perfect in that regard. The main character is aroace and there are several stories that’s hella important to, but mainly it’s just about him going on adventures with his friends.

(P.S. I hate Riverdale. I’ve seen two different Jughead cosplays these last two weekends, but I didn’t dare fangirl, because what if they were based on the wrong version?)

Honestly, my main way of interacting with the a-spec community is befriending people at random and later finding out they’re a-spec. It’s … almost a superpower? It’s pretty great.

* No one needs to define themselves by relationships to other people, but I imagine it’s much easier when you don’t feel the desire to.

How do you connect to your creative community as an aro-spec person?

I don’t feel very connected to creative communities, but that’s more because I’m not very good at reaching out and promoting myself unless I know I have exactly what’s being asked for. I mainly stick to one or two people I can bounce ideas off of for my different projects before I post it and hope it finds an audience. It might also be because I’m juggling so many things and don’t spend enough time on the social connections needed to connect with a community.

How can the aro-spec community best help you as a creative?

Feedback, feedback, feedback! I love it! I live on it! Telling me you like X or Y part of my work can keep me floating for days and makes me so much more motivated to keep arting! So please, check out my art and leave a comment and/or share it with your friends/followers, if you like it.

(Also, if anyone has good tips on how to reach a larger audience, let me know.)

Can you share with us something about your current project?

I just finished my newest cosplay, which is Lup from The Adventure Zone in her lich form! I had a lot of fun designing her – the podcast doesn’t have very specific descriptions and the creators encourage fans to come up with their own designs – and got a lot of positive reactions at the con last weekend. I went for a very non-human design, including hiding my face, and added a bunch of fire details to reflect her evocation magic. I would have added more, but then my sewing machine broke in the last second, and I had to finish everything by hand, so I just aimed for the basic version. I’ll be updating her for the next con and will have much more fire with me then. I have yet to finish editing the pictures, but they should be up soon.

Have you any forthcoming works we should look forward to?

My next project, one I’ve alluded to a couple of times in this profile already, in fact combines all three of my passions. I was considering cosplaying Pixie, one of the underrated students from X-Men, relegated to the background since their series ended, but I kept bumping up against the problem that her uniform was just too … generic to be fun. Besides, what’s the point of cosplaying the pink girl, and then not getting to work with pink fabric?

So I just redesigned her and gave her an individual outfit. And then I decided to redesign all of her teammates. I wanted them all to go together, but still keep an individual feeling, and I achieved that by giving them a rainbow theme when they’re together. Obviously, the next stop was figuring out a story for that to take place in, of which I’ve posted the first chapter. The idea is that they get out in their bright colors and visibly help everyday people with everyday problems to stop people from hating and fearing mutants and maybe actually making a positive change, unlike all of the superhero battles that don’t get anyone anywhere.

The project has three parts: Individual drawings for every member where I develop their outfits further, chapters of fic describing their adventures and a cosplay that I aim to finish for Genki in August, the next big con in Denmark.

[jonathantaylorthomas]

Taylor Swift, Entering a New Era, Sticks to a Safe Space: Tumblr

For a megastar approaching the release of her latest blockbuster, Taylor Swift, the human, has been eerily quiet.

Yes, she’s put out four songs and two music videos from “Reputation,” her sixth album, out Friday, and her visage currently adorns a racecar and a promotional fleet of UPS trucks. But Ms. Swift hasn’t given an interview in 18 months, and she has performed in public only once this year, at a pre-Super Bowl event for a corporate partner. (She will be the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend.)

Judging by the relatively reserved rollout for “Reputation,” it’s easy to assume that Ms. Swift is pulling a Beyoncé — communicating only strategically, if at all, and mostly letting the work speak for itself. That is, unless you know where to look.

“The general public has not seen much of Taylor, really, in the last year and a half,” said Caitlin Buckvold, 28, who along with her twin sister, Megan, runs a fan blog dedicated to the singer on Tumblr. “But we’ve seen a lot of Taylor. We interact with her on a daily basis.”

At perhaps the most fraught moment in her storied career — after a tense sexual assault trial and amid ceaseless celebrity beefs and internet dramas that threaten to overwhelm the music — Ms. Swift, 27, has recommitted to engaging with her most faithful followers, known as Swifties, cocooning herself in the vibrant, supportive community they have built on the social-media platform Tumblr.

The artist is far from just an observer: Since taking personal control of her official Tumblr page in 2014, Ms. Swift has “liked” some 27,000 posts, stoking hype for her new songs, registering support for fan theories and lyric interpretations and signaling that she remains an ever-watchful eye to her devoted listeners.

Even in an age of unprecedented connection between stars and their public on social media, Ms. Swift goes beyond typical interaction on Tumblr, a niche blogging platform that, with its multimedia flexibility, including images, GIFs and text posts, is conducive to obsessive fandoms. She follows some 5,000 blogs, where users can upload original creations or “re-blog” the work of others with or without adding their own two cents.

While Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have become largely promotional megaphones for the singer (outside of a few sly surprises), she has posted more than 100 times on her Tumblr since October, often re-blogging content from Swifties and adding her own commentary (typically including their first name and a string of excited emojis).

Ms. Swift also participates in inside jokes (ask a teenager about “no its becky”), dotes on pet cats and monitors the life events of her devotees, sending flowers and making breakup playlists for those in need. There’s even a term for her omnipresence on the platform: #Taylurking.

“This is how she knows the pulse of her fan base,” said Nate Auerbach, the former head of music strategy and outreach at Tumblr, who helped Ms. Swift join the platform ahead of the release of “1989,” her previous, Grammy-winning album.

Tatiana Simonian, the current head of entertainment partnerships at Tumblr, said: “She’s just not using it like a celebrity uses it,” and called Ms. Swift “a star who behaves like a fan on the platform — she’s a fan of her fans.”

By tending to her base with such bespoke dedication — and with the looming possibility of firsthand contact — Ms. Swift can breed loyalty in listeners while focusing on positive vibes only. She plucked hundreds of fans from social media to hear “Reputation” early, at Secret Sessions held at her homes in Rhode Island, Los Angeles, London and Nashville.

“Tumblr allows her to focus on the people who matter to her,” said Megan Chesney, 17, who blogs as ohtaylorswiift. “She gets to talk directly to her fans and eliminates all of that drama and excess hate on Twitter or Instagram.”

Ms. Chesney said she joined Tumblr because Ms. Swift did, and the singer followed her page about two years ago. Like most Swifties, she remembers exactly when and how many times Ms. Swift has interacted with her blog.

“It’s, like, crazily overwhelming because it’s just hard to believe that some iconic superstar celebrity decided to take time out of her day to make someone else’s day, even with a single emoji,” Ms. Chesney said in an interview during her school lunch.

Though the Taylor Swift Tumblr was originally set up as yet another online marketing vehicle, to be run by staffers, it was Ms. Swift’s decision to take the reins herself that made it a valuable resource. “Taylor here. I’m locking myself in my room and not leaving until I figure out how to use my Tumblr,” she wrote in September 2014, following in the footsteps of artists like Lorde and Frank Ocean, who were Tumblr users before they were famous.

“The impact was immediate and didn’t taper off,” Mr. Auerbach said, noting that few stars with Ms. Swift’s reach have really dived in and sustained such a presence. “She was learning about herself in the eyes of the fans,” he added. “No one did it like her. She was incredible at it.”

The generous, loose and jocular version of Ms. Swift that fans get on Tumblr can be a far cry from a public persona that some see as meticulously calculated and overbearing. On Monday, Ms. Swift was criticized in some corners after the ACLU of Northern California pushed back against a letter from Ms. Swift’s attorney demanding the takedown of a small-time blog post that linked the singer’s music to the alt-right and white supremacy.

While the ACLU called out Ms. Swift’s “intimidation tactics,” the topic spurred civil discussion on Tumblr. Wrote one fan: “I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you (not your attorneys) publicly denounce alt-right neo-nazis who take it upon themselves to use you, your lyrics, and the imagery in your music videos to bolster their disgusting beliefs.”

But many Swifties ultimately defended the singer. “Have people out there seriously not caught on to how taylor has decided this era to NOT interact with the media?” another user wrote. “She doesn’t want to give in and tell them where she stands politically. She’s done with them. And if she were to say something, we all know she’d still get torn apart anyway.”

Like Beyoncé’s BeyHive, Swifties can be rabid in their allegiance, especially in the virtual presence of their hands-on queen. (“Taylor always says that she sees everything and knows everyone and exactly what’s going on with her fans,” Ms. Chesney said.) This week, ahead of the release of “Reputation,” fans on Tumblr urged one another to be vigilant about reporting leaked music to the singer’s label and management team.

“They’re doing a lot of work for her in many ways,” said Linda Ryan Bengtsson, an assistant professor of media and communication studies at Karlstad University in Sweden. Ms. Bengtsson is currently conducting research on fan behavior across social media, with a focus on Swifties, whom she called “really loyal” and generally “very friendly and positive.”

She added, “They really lift each other and share each other,” often with the goal of reaching Ms. Swift’s field of vision.

“Everyone’s just helping each other out to get noticed by Taylor,” said Ani, 15, a high school student in Hong Kong who blogs as rosegardensthorns and asked that her last name be withheld because of college admissions.

“She followed me back in February and I freaked out,” Ani said. Months later, when Ms. Swift finally reposted a photo from her page, “I definitely cried in the metro station,” she said. “And then I showed my friend and she cried, too.”

Such gestures, executed in a public but largely unseen ecosystem, allow Ms. Swift to do good-natured brand maintenance and outreach without oversaturating a more skeptical general audience.

“She was very ubiquitous for a while there,” said the man behind the analyzingtaylor Tumblr, who writes under the name Matt to protect his professional prospects. “I just think that she knew it was time to not be as omnipresent as she was with 10 magazine covers and five different interviews.”

After all, Ms. Swift, at her best, has always been both sweet and savvy. “I think in 2017, you’ve got to appeal to your most die-hard fans, because they’re going to to do the promotion for you,” Matt said. “It’s a smarter way to go about business.”

[wingheadshellhead]

So I just read Jonathan Hickman's Avgers, Vol. 1: Avengers World which has that scene about how "it started with two men; one was life and one was death" in reference to Steve and Tony. What really confuses me and kind of makes me angry is why Tony is death? I don't really understand what it's referencing or what he's done to be Death. Like merchant of death and all that I get. But he's past his history now right? Even poetically in an avengers comic why is he still death? Wondering if you know?

i mean,,,,,,, i know fandom was briefly up in arms about this (not really but it was a Thing ppl were mildly salty about) but hickman never specifies who he’s referring to here. (the placement of the captions means nothing lmao, it’s literally just positioned in standard left-to-right reading order.) and actually, many ppl in fandom have taken that exact ambiguity and spun it on its head in edits and fics and especially re: mcu after ca: cw to cast steve as death, and tony as life as an interesting subversion of popular understanding of that quote where 616 tony = death, 616 steve = life. 

hickman’s writing style is very much about intense concept ideas and the big picture, he goes HARD on metaphors that make for great quotes and oneliners taken out of context but doesn’t often attempt to explain or further clarify what they mean. as someone who’s read most of his original comic east of west over at image, i can tell you it’s Classic Hickman to throw out that kind of dramatic ass statement and leave it up in the air as to who’s who just because it was memorable, it sounded fucking good, and it’s going to stick in people’s heads long after they’ve finished reading. and it definitely works bc this one ticks all three boxes.

personally, i don’t think hickman specifically intended one of them to be Life personified or Death personified; that’s hyperbolic even for hickman’s level of drama. and with steve and tony, at least, i think he knows full well that he’s dealing with Humans at the end of the day and not metaphorical embodiments of things. 

so what i think about the quote, specifically: 

1. it’s more useful as an axiomatic representation of tony and steve as polarising forces then as a literal statement where both correlate exactly to life or death; this is the unstoppable force meets immovable object facet of their relationship. 

hickman’s vol. 5 was very much about exploring and interrogating this part of steve and tony’s dynamic and driving it to its very limits. while i don’t know that i was totally satisfied with vol. 5 as an avengers comic bc i like seeing my kids get along and not constantly trying to murder each other, hickman definitely Gets steve and tony. he Gets their dynamic and the drama and tragedy that can come from such an important, intense and deeply profound relationship that’s grounded in so much history and personal stakes and emotions. tony and steve being best friends for over a decade and such important figures in each other’s lives will never negate the fact that they have very different ethical alignments and moral philosophies. and for two people who are absolutely compelled by those things in everything they do, going head to head with someone that happens to land at the polar opposite of them on the spectrum is always going to go down like… well… y’know. civil wars. universes dying. just bc that’s literally how much marvel has invested in them lol.

but i respect people / characters who respect themselves too much to bend just bc someone they love, or people they love, wants them to. i respect characters that will stand their ground and stick to their convictions even though it’d be easier not to, esp. when they’re risking someone they love. and conversely, just because steve and tony can’t agree on everything doesn’t mean their relationship suddenly becomes null and void. they’re too vastly similar but also different people who’d sooner die then stop fighting for the thing(s) they believe need to be fought for; this is something they know in their bones about each other, they know each other too well to expect anything less from the other person.

2. they can both be both. and this is Literal given that steve’s last act in the final moments of the 616 universe ‘as we knew it’ (bc there’s some debate – spoiler alert? – that the all-new all-different universe that marvel is currently set in is not 616 but a completely different universe and the 616 that existed before is legitimately just dead) was to take one of tony’s suits and try to murder him. granted, the ‘tony’ that was tony in the final moments of the 616 universe ‘as we knew it’ was also Not Really Tony, and i fully believe that the influences of Superior Tony were still lingering and tainting his overall Tonyness. in that instance, if you were going to be very simplistic and reductionist abt your interpretation of the quote, steve was definitely death. but Again, they are Both Both. tony spent (spends lbr) pretty much all his time in vol. 5 prophesizing death and destruction like 616′s very own cassandra; as Not Really Tony / still sorta superior iron man he pilots the godkiller to massacre an entire alien race from invading and destroying earth; building bombs, and being fully behind the plan to kill other planets to save earth-616.

you’re right that 616 doesn’t bring up his past as often as mcu does anymore because it’s considered literal ancient history (as in bronze age 60′s history that’s been written to death, although i’m of the opinion any good tony stark writer Can and Will find a way to write his past into modern relevance). tony’s narrative and the nature of his character, however, (sb driven by guilt and accountability and the knowledge that he’s alive bc of the sacrifice of a man who died to save him – i.e. yinsen) will always inevitably feature death, his history, and his subsequent transformation. talking about 616 and specfiically tony’s actions and choices in hickmanvengers doesn’t really help my point but to talk about tony + death in general, regardless of the universe, ‘death’ also doesn’t have to be the BadTM concept it’s usually thought of as. mcu tony canonically refers to himself as a phoenix, and the Afghanistan / Vietnamistan incident is metaphorically a ‘death’ for tony stark the charcter and his rebirth as Iron Man, the Golden Avenger. in any universe, tony’s hero narrative hinges on that rebirth and transformation as a symbol of his capacity for heroism and Goodness, of taking his ugly past and former ignorance and mistakes and transforming it into something wholly and purely driven by bravery and sacrifice. 

i mean, yes, sure, if ppl are going to sit there and only take the label at face-value: death = bad / awful / terrible / only referring to his past as a weapons manufacturer and merchant of death, then yes, that would be a shitty interpretation to swallow as a tony fan. but seeing as how comics is a medium that’s built on constantly evolving and changing characters / worlds / entire universes, death as ‘rebirth’ is a very justifiable and canonically valid reading of tony. 616 tony has died multiple times, literally and figuratively, and every time he’s rebuilt himself bigger and better and stronger. the connotations of death within hickman’s own narrative and world-building is heavily linked to metamorphosis and resurrection. the final act of his avengers run and the centrepiece of the secret war event ended with the revival of the 616 universe. not to get too philosophical and existential here but death isn’t even really an End in the comics medium bc nobody and nothing ever permanently ‘dies’; it’s not possible to associate the concept with a definitive ‘end’, which makes most of the negative imagery surrounding ‘one was death’ redundant. i’m all for intrepretations of ‘death’ that are closely interlinked, if not entirely hand-in-hand, with ideas of rebirth, rebuilding, evolution, etc.

anyway, avengers world is great and i fucking love it so even if i haven’t swayed your opinion, i wouldn’t let the quote override your enjoyment of the overall comic. which, i hope you do enjoy, bc the happiness doesn’t last in hickmanvengers. buckle in for the long haul my guy.

[sassqueenblake]

I was tagged by  @karadanversprince Thanks, doll! So sorry it has taken me so long to get around to this!

Rules:

-Post the rules

-Answer the questions given to you by the tagger

-Write 11 questions of your own

-Tag 11 people.

Originally posted by hellomadelene

1. What is your favorite place in the world?

My favorite place in the world…. Hmmm. I’m assuming the question is referring to places I’ve already been so I’m going to say that it’s a toss up between Tombstone, AZ (I’m a history nerd, what can I say) and Monterey, CA because Monterey Bay is downright gorgeous. If the question is not referring to a place I’ve visited, it would have to be Scotland. That is my number one destination on my bucket list.

2. Which TV show that you loved got cancelled before its time?

The Nine Lives of Chloe King. That show was a cheesy teenage fantasy show, but it had a horrible cliffhanger ending for the first season and then it got cancelled. Thankfully, the writers released the script for the sequel film that was supposed to be made, but the script sufficed and resolved the cliffhanger ending. It would have been nice to see it on TV, though.

3. What book or series do you wish you could force everyone into reading?

Outlander. Without a doubt. It is the best combination of romance, sci-fi, history, comedy, drama, angst, and action all rolled up into 1,000 page books that completely ruin your standards for all other novels you read in the future. Yes, they’re that good.

4. Rain or sunshine?

Total pluviophile here so RAIN. Fall and winter are my bread & butter. I love cold weather, overcast skies, hot tea, and dancing in the rain.

5. What’s your least favorite color?

Chartreuse. Hands down. *vomits* No one can pull that color off, I’m sorry but it’s true. I don’t care what your complexion is, chartreuse is plain and simply ugly.

6. Do you believe in soulmates (romantic or platonic)?

I don’t really believe in soulmates… I believe that there are people that come into our lives at specific times in our lives for specific reasons… Whether that’s fate, destiny, or by the work of a Higher Power, is completely subjective. I believe that there are people that we simply “click” with. It just… works. For example, I have a friend that I met in high school and I call her my “musical soulmate” because we clicked over the keys of an upright piano my junior year of high school in the theatre department. Some peolpe we click with on certain topics, habits, and/or passions that we have in our lives. Personally, I don’t believe that there is a destined “one” that we are to spend our lives with. I think that people are blessed to find the right person for them that they “click” with and are able to stand beside and support through life.

Getting a bit off topic here, but I don’t really care hehe. You guys wanted to get to know me, right? I do believe in true love. Not the fairytale version where they were “meant to be” and everything was perfect and they rode of together into the sunset. I don’t believe in fairytales. I believe that we all create our own happiness, that we are in control of our choices and those choices affect our happiness in life. True love, to me, is demonstrating your love on a daily basis. Not just saying the words, but showing that your love is physically and emotionally true. True to your heart, to his/hers, and to your words & actions. True love is both people proving repeatedly, every day, that their love for the other person is real, valid, alive, and thriving. Love is a choice and an action. Not just an emotion.

Wow that got really deep, really fast. Lol.

7. What’s your comfort food?

I don’t think I really have a comfort food. I get random and weird cravings a lot, but I don’t have a specific comfort food. My cravings can range from Sour Patch Watermelons to donuts to chocolate covered pretzels to mozzarella sticks to ice cream to pickles. Not necessarily in that order or at the same time haha. And that’s just a handful.

8. Favorite villain(s)?

Favorite villain would probably have to be Catherine de Medici from Reign because she was awesome throughout the show, but her villain skills were unparalleled, imo.

9. Show us (or describe) your favorite gif.

I have a lot of gifs in my repertoire, but this one is probably my favorite. Just because it’s amazing and who doesn’t feel like a King after a solid mic drop? 

10. What is your favorite quote?

“The person, be in gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”  - Jane Austen “You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.”  -unknown “She was unraveling into someone stronger.”  -r.h.sin

11. Would you rather be able to read minds or speak to pets?

Speak to pets, absolutely! Do you know how much sleep I would lose because of staying up late just talking over life with my dog?? No one would need therapists anymore because, if everyone had the ability tp speak to their pets, the world would be such a happier place. Like, imagine everyone having their dog to be their listening ear to their problems. “oh, he’s neglecting you, you say? Shred up his shoes, that’ll get his attention.” “Susan’s being mean to you? give her a big ol’ slobbery kiss the next time you see her, that’ll do the trick, alright.”

My questions for you:

1. Who was the author/actor/singer/celebrity/figure that changed your life and why?

2. Tea or coffee? (Or neither? Apple cider? Cocoa?)

3. What is your favorite quote? (I like this question a LOT.)

4. How would you describe yourself? Not necessarily in any “boxes” or labels. Just… you. With as many words as it takes.

5. Writer or reader? (Both?)

6. The one TV show universe you wish that you could exist in? Why?

7. How long have you been on Tumblr? What was/were your initial fandom(s)?

8. One film ending that you were incredibly disappointed with?

9. One film ending that had you ridiculously emotional?

10. Do you keep a journal (daily, writing, artist, etc.)? If so, why? If not, why not?

11. Optimist or Pessimist? (one or the other, no realist business here).

Tags to some of the bestest blogs ever (sorry that there aren’t 11… I’m not super social on tumblr because I never know who is going to be nice or not *shrugs*)  @ileftherbehind @bellamynochillblake @bellamyblake-kru @wellsjahasghost

[deansleather]

I’m Here

 Pairing: Castiel x Reader

Prompt: Campfire for @fandomwritingchallenge ‘s June Fandom Writing Challenge (Supernatural Fandom). Also heavily inspired by this imagine.

Summary: After a draining night out, Castiel swoops in to offer you some much needed support and assurance. 

If you’d like to join any of my tag lists please message/ ask or add yourself to my google doc tag list! Whatever is easiest for you!

Word Count: 1617

Warnings: FLUFF!! Insecure and socially stressed reader, loving+protective Cas, happy times!!

A/N: A very me-infused fic. I tend to be okay socially, but I can get down about myself around others. I hope this provides some comfort and support to anyone who’s felt the same (always know that my ask/message is open). This definitely isn’t to say you need someone to come into your life to fix those things, but we all need a little support from time to time. Of course, FEEDBACK IS SOOOO APPRECIATED! EVEN A LIKE MEANS A LOT!

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“It was as if hope had appeared out of nowhere to settle beside her and it wasn't going anywhere, it wasn't going to desert her now.” ― Alice Hoffman

           You watched the fire flicker to the sky mindlessly. Your face was close to the campfire, almost too close, as you rested your elbows on your knees, holding your head. You just felt so…heavy. You looked around at the smiling faces; everyone was so comfortable. How did they do it? Just communicate so seamlessly; whether it was your own insecurity or their misunderstanding, something always seemed to stand in the way of you enjoying yourself at social gatherings.

           Marshmallows were brought out, it was time for smores. People were happy and laughing, all around you talking about their life and opening up to one another without hesitation. It was so much to swallow; you wanted to be a part of them, yet despised the idea of being like them. With a sigh, you grabbed a stick and a marshmallow, setting it just above the flames to brown. A friend of yours sat next to you, marshmallow and stick in hand.

           “Hey, Y/n, how’re you?” they asked, entirely friendly.

           “I’m doing good, yourself?”

           “Good! Excited about smores.”

           “Yeah, me too,” you nodded. And so it went; conversations about nothing, continuing into no friendship or deeper connection. It was exhausting, and not even for introverted reasons alone. You just wondered if you’d ever find that person who you could have real conversations with.

           You ate your marshmallow, looking around at the other partygoers. They all were engaged with each other, not one person but you sitting silent. It felt wrong to be there, as though you were bringing down the harmony of the night. With a sad smile, you stood up.

           “I think I’m gonna head home,” you announced softly, stretching to feign nonchalance.

           “Aww, why?”

           “It’s so early!”

           “C’mon, Y/n, stay for a bit longer!”

           You faked a laugh. “I would! But I have things to do tomorrow anyway, and I really need some sleep.”

           With that, and a few more boos, you made your way home. It was hard to explain how you felt; they wanted you there, but no matter what you did, you couldn’t really be there. It was strange, but you felt best when you finally made it home. It was cold, so you turned up the heat. You put on the kettle and instantly put on some pajamas. Your hair was pulled back, your makeup off. You felt the most yourself you had all night.          

           Finally, you lied down in bed with some hot tea, closing your eyes in an attempt to calm yourself. You sipped your tea, reveling in the silence for a moment. Just as you set your tea on the night stand, you heard that ever-familiar whooshing sound. You looked up to discover Castiel standing there in all his glory, trench coat and all. You smiled softly.

           “Hey, Cas. What’re you doing here?”

           It was always good to see Cas. You had originally met when you had managed to inadvertently get yourself in the middle of a hunt. It wasn’t too traumatic, just a little shoving around by a demon that they were running after, but the black eyes still haunted you. As Sam and Dean continued after the demon, Cas stayed behind for a moment to check on you, heal all your wounds, and transport you to safety. He left once you were safe to join the boys, but checked on you continually since that day. Despite his many other distractions, he almost became your personal guardian angel, and you were always happy to see him. Though, you couldn’t say it was just for the safety that came with his presence; you weren’t shocked when he first explained his true form, he definitely looked angelic.

           “I came to check on you earlier tonight,” he said gently. “I noticed you left your gathering abruptly; is everything alright?”

           You nodded, curling your legs closer to your body so he had room to sit. Before he sat, he placed his coat on your vanity chair, an action you rarely saw him do. It was nice; maybe he was finally getting as comfortable around you as you were around him.

           “Yeah, everything’s fine. No worries.” You smiled, but you could tell Cas saw right through it. Were you fine?

           “Were the people being mean, Y/n?” Cas pressed, his tone continually gentle, as if he were afraid of breaking you. Tears came to your eyes, but you remained composed.

           “No, no, no…that’s kind of the problem.”

           Cas tilted his head in confusion, his eyes crinkling adorably. You shrugged, sighing softly.

           “It’s hard to explain. It’s really not that big a deal, Cas,” you assured.

           He shook his head. “Your comfort is always important, Y/n. Especially to me.”

           You blushed at the sentiment, continuing reluctantly.

           “Everyone was nice, I just get so caught up in my own head,” you expressed, looking down to your hands self-consciously. “I feel like I’m not funny enough or attractive enough or…just enough, and so I shouldn’t speak or even be there. I know it’s ridiculous. Everyone is usually so nice! That’s why I’m not asking for any sympathy, I know how silly this sounds.”

           Tentatively, you looked back up at Cas after a moment of silence. He looked deep in thought as he stared at you intently. Your blush deepened. You reached up to push a piece of hair from your face, but Cas beat you to it, taking it and placing it softly behind your ear, still clearly pondering something.

           “What?” you finally asked, anxiety building in your stomach at his questionable response.

           “I’m trying to understand,” he admitted.

           “I know, Cas, it really doesn’t make any sense-“

           “Not for the reason you’ve stated.” Cas shakes his head. “If you’re feeling something, it is valid, there is no need to label it. I just can’t understand your reasoning.”

           “For what?” You shook your head, now you becoming the befuddled one.

           “Not funny? Not attractive? I just don’t understand how you’ve come to those conclusions. We’ve spent copious periods of time together, and not one word you’ve spoken has left me disappointed,” Cas spoke, practically to himself. You just started, feeling the pit in your stomach start to fill and ease.

           “I-“ you began, but were quickly cut off once more.

           “And you’re beautiful. Undeniably so. I know Sam and Dean agree.” Somehow, you managed to blush more; you doubted he was supposed to share that piece of information. “I suppose in order for me to help you, you must give me your reasoning for these feelings, because I see no evidence to lead you to these thoughts.”

           Your mouth was open, forming into a large grin as you shook your head.

           “Cas…I don’t know what to say.” You pushed the hair from your face once more, anything to keep your hands busy. All you wanted was to reach out to him. “Thank you.”

           He raised his eyebrows. “Have I helped? I still feel lost.”

           You laughed, finally giving up your restraint and wrapping your arms around him.

           “Oh Cas,” you murmured in his ear. “I’m so glad to have you. I needed to hear what you’ve said more than you know.”

           Slowly, he lifted his arms to return the hug, resting his head in your shoulder.          

           “I’m just glad I could be of assistance,” he assured. “Anytime you need me Y/n, no matter how small the instance, pray for me and I will come to you. I’m here for you, and I always will be.”

           You dabbed the tears from your cheek as the words came from his mouth, finally leaning back from the hug. You were surprised to find his face to be tear covered as well. He smiled sadly, wiping away some of yours with the back of his hand. He breathed deeply.

           “I wish I could make you understand how wonderful I find you, how wonderful everybody finds you, but I can’t. So, you’re just going to have to trust me.” The sincerity in his voice was everything you needed; this was the conversation you had been yearning for.

           “Cas?” you whispered, gathering his tear soaked hand in yours.

           “Yes, Y/n?”

           “Will you stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone; not anymore.”

           He smiled softly. “I’m glad to hear that, because I don’t want to be either.”

           Wordlessly, you pointed to your drawers, and Cas immediately followed your directions. He grabbed out one of your cozily large tees and stepped out of your bedroom for a moment, returning in nothing but the shirt and his underwear. You flushed, but kept your gaze always on his face. You flipped back the blankets beside you, and once more Cas obeyed your instruction. As he settled into bed, you grabbed your tea, placing one of his arms around you as you nestled your back closer to his chest. You closed your eyes, listening to the calming beat of his heart.

           That night, you and Cas talked. It was the most you’d talked to someone in ages, but you couldn’t seem to stop. Being with him was addictive; it was all you’d ever wanted and more. He talked to you about history, telling stories in detail of your favorite historical figures and poets. He was gentle and kind and always loving, sometimes stroking your hair, or holding your hand, or just simply pulling you close. With Cas, talking wasn’t a struggle, but an easy flow. Your smile grew larger as the night wore on, and you talked until your tea was gone and your eyes were barely able to stay open. When you finally drifted to sleep, you were at the most peace you’d been in ages, knowing he’d be right there when you woke up.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever Tags, Michelle’s Cas Tags, Pond’s Cas Tags:

 @jarnesbrnes @spnashley @aprofoundbondwithdean @mrswhozeewhatsis @mysupernaturalfics @waywardlullabies @teamfreewill-imagine  @lucifer-in-leather @sunkissedsam @chaos-and-the-calm67 @purgatoan @stardustsam @secret-stashes @supernatural-jackles @peppermintbisexual @winvhesters @nerdwholikesword @frenchybell @feelmyroarrrr @obsessedwithmisha @wanderingcas @diestiel @kittenofdoomage @fandommaniacx @trinityjadec @hanny-banannyyy  @nothingtoworryaboat @growningupgeek @d-s-winchester @mysteriouslyme81 @jensen-jarpad @deathtonormalcy56 @jpadjackles @mogaruke @satans666thdaughter @bobbysingerismybaby @keepcalmandcarryondean @theficlibrarium @ruprecht0420 @mrswhozeewhatsis @vintagevalentinexx @theficlibrarium @bowtiesandapplepie @itsemmyb @castielspahdehrah @beriala @charliesbackbitches @crzcorgi @ellen-reincarnated1967 @gryffindorable713 @deerlululucy @walkingencyclopediaoffandom @MrsJohnSmith @manawhaat @growleytria @thegleegeneration @samtomydeanwinchester @SinceriouslyAmellPadalecki @i-never-said-a-pilot @supermoonpanda  @sis-tafics @amaranthinecastiel @fandommaniacx @meganwinchester1999 @kittenofdoomage @prettyxwickedxthings @ferferelli @lilyoflothlorien @myfand0msandm0re @olitzisbae @iridianuniverse @the-morning-star-falls  @shortandlongstories @ackleslaugh @noisilyyoungpuppy @fangirling-instead-of-working @roxy-davenport @chrisatplay @bkwrm523 @faith-in-dean @kreborn17 @mamaimpala @for-the-love-of-dean @winchesterfiesta @sleep-silent-angel @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @gadreelsforbiddenfruit @trenchcoats-and-bees @curliesallovertheplace @jencharlan @not-so-natural-spn @skybinx-blog @thebunkerismyhome @feelmyroarrrr @winchesters-princess @beachy2014 @fandom-book-nerd @katnharper @impossible-box @tia58 @castiels-forbidden-angel  @sunriserose1023 @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @winchesterswoonathon @jotink78 @lucifer-in-leather @notnaturalanahi @howmanytuesdaysdidyouhave @babypieandwhiskey @mysaintsasinner @besslincoln-bruh @wheresthekillswitch @shelovesallthethings @revwinchester @klaineaholic @pinknerdpanda @quiddy-writes @inmysparetime0 @hexparker @alangel1895 @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @manawhaat @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @notnaturalanahi @bkwrm523 @whispersandwhiskerburn @roxy-davenport @impala-dreamer @deathtonormalcy56 @samsgoddess @wildfirewinchester @for-the-love-of-dean @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @fiveleaf @deansleather @whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname @mrswhozeewhatsis @idreamofhazel @ilovedean-spn2 @babypieandwhiskey @wi-deangirl77 @deantbh @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki @deanwinchesterforpromqueen @chaos-and-the-calm67 @memariana91 @teamfreewill-imagine @chelsea-winchester @fandommaniacx @writingbeautifulmen @revwinchester @oldfashioncdvillain @your-average-distracted-waffle @drarina1737 @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell @castieltrash1 @supernaturalyobessed @mysaintsasinner @ohwritever @ruined-by-destiel @winchester-writes @deals-with-demons @maraisabellegrey @faith-in-dean @winchestersmolder @clueless-gold @melbelle45 

[floofsta-x]

Monsta X, 아름다워 BEAUTIFUL musical analysis

Writers 별들의 전쟁, 주헌 (Jooheon), 아이엠 (I.M)

Composer 별들의 전쟁

Arrangers 별들의 전쟁, 아테나

Time Signature 4/4 (common time)

Tempo ~150bpm

Key concert D minor

    Hey guys! Sorry this took me so long, school as always has been eating me absolutely alive. Even now as I’m writing this I’m supposed to be catching up on assignments but I have absolutely no motivation at all to do so. Also hey, doing random but important musical analyses is relevant to my music degree....right?

    When I first heard Beautiful, in watching the music video seven seconds after it was posted to Starship’s YouTube channel, I was completely and totally blown away. Heck, I think all of us were! I’ve seen several posts pertaining to how expectations for this comeback were extremely high, but the new album and title track blew them out of the water. The music video, too, showcases the best of the boys’ talents and charms! I have to admit that each of the boys turns my head at least once in it, and ruins me in some cases too. Kings only here. :))

    Now I’m starting to analyze the music itself, and as I get farther and farther into it, I’m starting to see (or rather hear) exactly why this song is already making waves. Some of the things that I’m running into are both confounding me and making me grin in awe and pure joy. In short, this is something that might not be a big challenge to a music theorist but will definitely make them go ‘wow, yeah, this is cool’. 

    I’ve looked at a bunch of K-pop songs over the last couple months, and time and again Monsta X stands out in my head as being the group to listen to, period. All of their songs are very well done.

    But anyway! I’m just laying down facts you already know huh? Let’s see if I can’t blow your mind a little like this has been blowing mine~ 

     As with every song I analyze, I first transcribe the melody only, writing it down on staff paper. I use bar lines as phrase separations and not necessarily to write out rhythm; also all notes are represented by a quarter note with a slanted (or not so slanted, this is all handwritten lol) stem. Main backgrounds are notated and labelled; embellishing harmonies and higher vocal lines are written out above the staff. This is a technique that I originally developed when I was planning to start a series on here called kpop theory, all the way back when i joined the fandom four months ago xD. 

    Okay! now to breaking down this huge hunk of music! I’ll split this into parts so it’s hopefully a little easier to read. Also I’ll put all pitches in concert key; I’m having to transpose from clarinet (in B♭) so if there’s something off, please forgive me.

    Sidenote: the reason that I need to do this is because not all musical instruments sound the same. If one plays a written middle ‘C’ on the clarinet, it is not the same thing as a written middle ‘C’ on a piano; actually, It would sound the same as the ‘B♭’ right underneath that. So, basing everything around this pitch, we say that clarinet is in B♭.

Opening / Verse 1? >>> Jooheon and I.M’s Raps

     I haven’t fully analyzed every little background line, but I can say that for the most part, everything is centered in d minor. Actually the first pitch we hear is a d; it’s hidden in the electronic sounds but there nonetheless. (That’s also why it’s the first note written on my sheet lol.)

    The moment before Jooheon breaks in, the backgrounds hit a low ‘A’ and ascend by half steps--semitones--to d, there is distortion of course but the trained ear can pick out the chromaticism pretty easily. From here the synth riff in the background keeps tension incredibly high while Jooheon and Changkyun are rapping. (I love how they’re getting more comfortable with coordinating their raps! My little heart is weak for our rapper line ❤︎) I haven’t figured it out note for note yet (THERE’S AN INSTRUMENTAL SECTION IN THE MAKING FILM BLESS), but I know that through this section the main notes are f, e, d, a--the fifth scale degree of D minor and a note that is common in all kinds of music-- a♭, a strange little addition that probably has something to do with the last and lowest note, the next f down.

    Jooheon and Changkyun are so great at fast rapping wow. They both break into sixteenth notes (perhaps even faster) during this first section, very quick for the tempo of right around 150 bpm. Try Google searching a metronome, and setting it right around there, then saying “one-ee-and-uh” for every beat. Difficult huh?

    Last but not least, if you’re wondering why I’ve labelled this with a ‘Verse 1?’, that’s simply because I believe it to be the first verse, but I’m not quite used to calling rap, verses as in verses of a song and not just verses on their own.

Pre-Chorus >>> Shownu, Wonho

    The last note of the synth riff, the ‘A’, leads right into Shownu’s line, “niga nal, manjmyeon...”. Whoever wrote the melody is an absolute genius, it’s very flowing, lyrical, and beautiful ;). Compared to Jooheon and Changkyun’s fierceness right before, it really took me aback.

Solfege for this section: ↓ Sol Te Do / Me Re Te / ↓ Sol Sol Le / Me Re Do Te / ↓ Sol Sol Te Do Do ↑ Sol Me Me Fa / Me Re Do [EVERY DAY] / Me Re Do [EVERY NIGHT] / Do Re Me Fa [I CAN FEEL YOU] / ↑ Sol [OH]

    This sequence is very diatonic (moving by steps on the minor scale) so therefore easy to sing, something I am extremely pleased with. I was admittedly was worried, going into this comeback, that in an effort to make their songs more impactful they’d complicate the melodies and make them harder to follow. But they didn’t! Personally, though, Wonho’s ‘oh’ is right around the break between my chest and head voices, so I either have to switch or force my chest voice a little (I go sharp sometimes when I do the latter but I can usually hit it accurately). 

    So I’ll take this opportunity to talk about the key a little more. We’re in concert D Minor (with a key signature of one flat, one sharp for B♭ instruments) and I’m finding that most of the other songs on the album are in a similar key. I’ve mentioned before that I believe that key can affect the listener’s opinion of the song, right? Compared to The Clan part 2, on which close to all the songs were in keys with multiple flats and sharps, this is better. I believe that it’s part of the reason why not as many people like Fighter, the different style contributing as well, of course.

Chorus >>> Kihyun, Minhyuk, Hyungwon

Solfege: Do Do Do Do ↑ Sol Me Fa / Fa Fa Me Re Do (Do Re Me Fa) / Do Do Do Do Sol Me Fa / Me Me Me ↑ Te Do Sol / ↑ Do Te Sol Fa Sol / ↑ Do Te Sol Fa [SO BEAUTIFUL] / ↑ Do Te Sol Fa Sol [SO BEAUTIFUL] / Me Me Do Me Me  / Me Me Me Do Me / Do Me Fa Re / ↓ Te Te Te Te Te Re Do

    Again, most of the chorus is either diatonic or only skipping by thirds in each line. The only exceptions are the Do to Sol (D to A) in the first and third lines, and Me to Te, in Kihyun’s “geot gatado”. HIs falsetto here is quite clear and clean, and I’m in love with it? The note that he hits, that high E, is seen quite frequently in choir soprano lines. I have to use my own head voice to reach it! When Minhyuk sings it in the next phrase, it is a little grainier but not much. The “so beautiful’ theme is just amazing, I love it. Again, master melody writer!

    And then Hyungwon finishes it off with his amazing baritone! This part isn’t as low as some of his other things have been (Interstellar and Hero come particularly to mind) but he handles it beautifully. Like both songs, his lines are kind of a mood shift. Prior to now, we haven’t seen the ‘E’ (Re) in the melody (Wonho sings it in only passing during his “I can feel you”) and it gives more of a major feel to the end of the line, also perhaps to help us into the dance section. 

Dance Break 1 / Rap 2 / Verse 2 Pt 1? >>> Jooheon / IM

    Sometimes I wish that I was a talented dancer; doesn’t the boys’ dance look so cool?? They’re really in sync, I’m sure that they spent countless hours in the practice room rehearsing. My goal in life is to be so passionate about something that I can do that, push myself to the limit for it. 

    Anyways back to the music. Now we see that the backgrounds get changed up, emphasizing the electronic beat. They’re really effective, though simple: I didn’t notate it in my transcription, but it’s mostly chromatic half steps around D with a quarter note triplet rhythm. Here’s a quick mockup I made in MuseScore:

    The lower notes are the true ones, but I put them an octave higher too for anyone who can read music but isn’t necessarily good with lots of ledger lines.

    After eight bars of dance, next comes another rap section. Changkyun still sticks closely to sixteenth note patterns, while Jooheon breaks out into triplets, something that he’s done in other songs of theirs (Stuck comes particularly to mind). To feel this for yourself, say the word ‘blue-ber-ry’ to a beat. 

    This section ends with Jooheon’s ‘You’re so Awesome’. 

EXTENSION / Verse 2 Pt 2? >>> Hyungwon, Minhyuk, Jooheon

Solfege: te te ↑ do / te te te te te ↑ re ↓ te ↑ do / te te ↑ do / te te te te ↑ do re ↓ do te / do ↑ me me ↓ do do ↑ re re ↓ do do ↑ me me ↓ do do ↑ me / [JOOHEON RAP, I DON’T KNOW, 싹 다 ALL IN]

    Jooheon’s little melody there right before his rap is kind of atonal so I’m not sure of the pitches or solfege for sure, but I think what I have written above is correct (and what’s on the transposition sheet is incorrect). Me to Do is a minor third, and this is a very common interval; it’s used a lot in children’s songs and is often one of the first intervals they sing. Over the summer, I babysat two kids, a six year old girl and her four year old brother, and we were outside playing one day and the boy saw a bug on the ground. “roly-poly, roly-poly”, he sang, and bent down to pick it up. Take a wild guess what interval he used. Yep, the minor third.

    I believe this little part to be a melody extension, as it doesn’t seem to link back to either the bridge (forthcoming), the verses, the pre-chorus, or the chorus; it might even be separate all on its own. It shares the darker sound and leads right into the next pre-chorus like the verses, and it’s the same lineup as the chorus (plus Jooheon of course).

    I think that I’ve been getting more comfortable with telling people in my music department about my love for k-pop, so it shouldn’t be too weird to go to a theory professor and ask about this structure, right? I’m thinking that I’m going to pick our accompanist’s brain about it.  

Pre-Chorus 2 >>> Shownu, Wonho

    This is the exact same as it was before, and still just as beautiful. My only regret is that Wonho’s ‘oh’ isn’t accompanied by a full, clear view of that smoky look again (he hasn’t been doing it in performance, either, I’ve noticed--Does Wonho know that he’s missing a chance to maim and kill Monbebe? I’m always watching Monsta X mvs and shouting at the screen “YES Wonho WE KNOW you’re cute and sexy, can you STOP ALREADY” but....I want more of that smoky look....)

Chorus 2 >>> Kihyun, Minhyuk, Hyungwon

    Again, this is the same as the last time, with a few more background vocals added to ramp up the tension. I think Jooheon has some rapped ‘yeah’s and there might be some harmony parts too. 

    Which brings me to another reason why I really love this new album. It seems to me that there’s more of that harmony on Beautiful than on their previous releases, more consistently. I mean I know it’s been there before, I mean come on, 하얀소녀, and also Kihyun’s ever-present last-chorus elaborations???? but now I’m like really starting to hear and enjoy it when these boys back each other up. 

    Ps. If you ever want an experience? Find some instrumental tracks. They’re released with albums sometimes; I’ve found that they’re pretty easily accessible on Spotify. Take a moment to listen to what’s going on without any background vocals. It’s weird sometimes! My personal favorite example is Boys Republic’s Get Down.

Breakdown / Bridge >>> Kihyun, Wonho, Shownu

    Slow it down, we gotta slow it, slow it down~ 

Solfege: (K) Me Me Do Me Me Fa / Me Re Me Re Me Re Do / (W) Me Me Do Me Do Me Fa / Me Re Me Re Sol / (S) Me Me Do Me Re Do / Me Re Me Re Me Re Do / (K) Me Me Do Me Me Do Me Fa Fa / Sol Fa / Te Te Te / Te Re Do

    Breakdowns are often my favorite part of tracks, simply because they give the boys a moment to shine without anything overly complicated or attention-catching in the background. Beautiful is no exception, mainly because the harmonies are really brought out here, especially in the breaks between phrases in the main melody. I’m not quite versed enough to pick out what all the individual vocal lines are, but I’ve written what I heard right off on my transcription :) I’ll do a supplement once I know everything for sure.

    This time there’s no pre-chorus, the Bridge takes its place, so finally we go straight into:

Chorus 3 / Final Chorus >>> Kihyun, Minhyuk, Hyungwon

    And now Kihyun’s high notes are featured behind the band, and boy they are glorious. They don’t go any higher than anything he sings in the chorus, but they might seem so because of how they are presented and their placement in the song. Also, the vocal quality with which he sings them. I’ve noticed that Kihyun tends to stay light on his top notes, and in performances keeps his throat relaxed and his eyebrows up while he sings them. That’s a pretty certain sign that he’s been trained well by a vocal coach or multiple vocal coaches; also a testament to his natural talent and gift. 

    These backgrounds are the final level of tension to an already exciting and amazing song. Our boys are talented, that’s for sure! And I’m very glad that Starship is willing to bring in the best to work and collaborate with them. 

    And I believe that’s about all I have! Monsta X is just getting better and better, aging like a to-be-fine wine. I really hope that they can get their first win with this album, they really deserve it! I can’t stop listening to any of their music, and that is a good part of the reason why they’re my ultimate bias group. I’m working as hard as I have time to to make sure that their win happens. Monbebe! Fighting! 

    Please anticipate my analysis of the rest of the album, too, at some point in the near future. I just need the time, but what is that ;-; Also I’ve been wanting to do a series like this (as I mentioned before) for various other songs (I even have an entire playlist on Youtube devoted to it) but nothing ever came out of it, other than a collection of personal transcriptions that I annoy my friends with by playing all the time. ahha.

    I mean if you liked it give me a nudge? I loved doing this, and I haven’t seen anything like it here on tumblr. Also if you need explanations on things, my ask box is always open!!