#the divorce is gonna be legendary

[hegodamask]

I think he is fascinated with her because of the power that she wields and the control that she wields. At the moment, he sees her and his life does change. His life up until that point was like, “Oh my God, I’ve been sequestered into anonymity in this massive factory plant for human workers, and I’m going to be living at my mom’s for forever.”

And then it progresses into — I would never condone this at all, but as he starts to stalk her, it turns into an obsession because what she represents, the power that she has, he desires. And in a way, he desires to be her, or at least be noticed by her or to be with her. And that gets confusing. Syril, I believe, has never been in love before. He’s never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend before, he’s just so repressed. I feel he’s had experiences like that, but he’s always kept himself very removed from that because he’s spent his energy on trying to become the best possible guard dog for the Empire. He sees everything else is a distraction. 

- Kyle Soller

[biblically-accurate-soup]

“if you are trying to be a phd candidate in a social science field why the fuck are you studying math for fun” because i’m quirky and hot. next question.

[wildflowercryptid]

juliana, arven, and nemona : sweet little romances with little to no real interpersonal conflict with their prospective partner in the lead-up to their relationship

florian :

[coco-loco-nut]

loml

pairing: max verstappen x reader

summary: a journey through your relationship with max

a/n: so for a little background... my ex (he wasn't an F1 fan, it was never gonna work, let's be real) broke up with me the night before this album was released, so writing this series has been very healing; however, this one was extremely difficult to write bc it's the only song i can't analytically listen to and find the deeper meanings yet, especially after losing your first love. sorry for the rant and making this short🙃

tw: emotional abuse, manipulation

masterlist ttpd masterlist part two

________

You and Max were fan favorites, it was evident to anyone with eyes who had eyes. But they say you never know what happens behind closed doors.

“She’s the love of my life,” Max would always say about you, looking at you like you held the universe in the palm of your hand. His fans could recite your love story by heart from how much he loved to talk about you. It only made sense that he could shatter that public opinion.

“Y/n and I have divorced, I would like to ask for privacy as we navigate the changes,” Max posted one day, his socials wiped of everything. Your accounts remained the same, your last post being from the fateful race months ago. You haven’t posted since. The fans should’ve realized when the WAGs and George unfollowed Max.

Your apartment was full of things that reminded you of Max, every time you walked in it reminded you of every memory. He was embroidered in everything. You look at a printed photo of when you first met him. Despite it being six months later, you couldn’t get rid of him.

~~~

All it took was locking eyes with him across the pier for you to fall in love on that breezy summer day. He walked up to you and asked you to join him, and you did. You kissed him at the top of the ferris wheel later that night, and you didn’t even know he was famous all you knew was that he made you feel safe. The breeze reminded you of the warm ocean breeze from that day, one you called the winds of fate.

Despite being young, you married him after a year of being together. Things weren’t perfect even then, he could be incredibly mean, but he was also a standup guy when it mattered. That erased any wrongdoing of his.

“You have made me a better man, you reformed me, the love of my life,” Max had said that fall evening, repeating the one line that brought you back to him every time.

You believed his words, his lies spun to make you believe the hell you were living in was actually heaven. When he takes his anger out at you, doesn’t defend you against his father, you start to second guess him but he calls you those four words.

“I’ll never leave you, Schatje,” Max holds you in his arms, your back against his chest as you both look at a tv in the Paddock. The fans loved that photo, calling your love legendary. They didn’t know about the growing hole in your heart.

Your marriage was looking like one of those black and white movies you and Max watch on snowy winter afternoons. You and Max had been talking about starting a family, but you couldn’t get pregnant and you were watching everything you loved slip away.

“God, Max, you are like a con-man. I feel like I’ve been sold a get-love-quick scheme. What happened to you?” you ask, voice laced with hurt, during an argument about it. Max just ignored you, pushing past to stream with some friend. He ignored the sobs coming from your bedroom. He told the chat that you are the love of his life when asked about you.

“Y/n, we need to talk,” some of the WAGs pulled you aside during a race. They told you how Max was shit talking you to other drivers, saying you were a waste of a wife for your inability to get pregnant, saying he should’ve never married you, pointing out every flaw he told you was beautiful when he was lying to your face. You stand up and leave, not saying a word even when the girls try to stop you. Max is confused but simply responds to your text saying you were sick with an okay.

You are laying in your bed sobbing when Max gets back from the race. You face the terrace, where you and Max would dance under the stars. You can see the ghosts of it through your tears, and you wished you could un-recall when you thought you had everything.

“Please get out of bed,” Max says, his concerned tone laced with venom. Maybe the ghosts of your relationship are embarrassed by the scene on the other side of the glass.

“No,” you cry, mourning the loss of your counterfeit relationship.

“I’ll be back in a few hours,” Max sighs leaving the room. You sent a text to the WAG group chat who helped you remove all your belongings from Max’s apartment into George’s apartment that he wasn’t using at the moment.

Your phone is flooded with messages from Max, so you turn it off unless you are talking to your lawyer. Max finds a divorce petition and your apartment key on the dining room table when he comes home from training a few days later. The relationship that had such a valiant roar ended with the blandest goodbye.

You sit in George’s apartment with Carmen and Lily drinking wine. You took over George’s lease after they insisted that you did.

“For someone who claims to be a lion, he sure is a manipulative coward,” Carmen says as the three of you comb through the years of lies he spun.

You took the dreams that you thought you and Max wanted and lit the match to destroy them with your divorce papers. Despite your somber eyes, you seem more at peace, even with the sadness you will carry with you until you die.

“He’s the loss of my life.”

part two

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

wait fuck ok i’m back to being sad about it now

like the thing is that ed doesn’t really hang out with anyone but stede in season one, not really. and whenever he is talking to other ppl on the crew, stede is right there. the only exception to this is in episode 8 when jack brings the party energy and everyone is getting drunk and rowdy together specifically as part of jack’s efforts to exclude stede.

and as a fandom we always make jokes and theorize about what the relationship between ed and stede must look like from the outside, if they were all placing bets for when they’d finally hook up or if they had zero belief in stede’s ability to pull THEE blackbeard

but now i’m thinking about the crew’s perception of Ed Himself. of the crew’s perceptions of The Legendary Blackbeard and how that must’ve changed over the course of the first season. because when they first meet him they’re all impressed and starstruck bc yeah, duh, this is Pirate Beyoncé we’re talking about. they’re also in varying degrees “worried he’s gonna kill them.”

but they quickly see that the real pirate beyonce isn’t all leather and murder and head made of smoke. blackbeard swaps clothes with their cringefail (derogatory) boss for fun. he dresses up and goes to a fancy party just because he wants to—he’s not even trying to get anything out of it, doesn’t have an angle the way frenchie does, he genuinely just wants to go to a very un-Blackbeardy party and have fun. he tells them scary stories. he shows them some of his trade blackbeard secrets. he hypes them all up after their first fuckery (and i will never get over how cute that is exchange is, “scared the pants off me” and “i thought blackbeard didn’t feel fear” and “and i didn’t, until tonight” and the crew’s genuine excitement and pride). he goes on a treasure hunt with their cringefail (affectionate, now) boss and lets him dig in the ground to get it out of his system. they learn that ed isn’t just a scary pirate, he also can be silly and goof off and enjoy things that aren’t exactly compatible’s with the Blackbeard Brand

and beyond just not adhering 24/7 to the Brand, they learn that ed—that blackbeard—is human. is fallible. they see his first plan to escape the spanish fail, and they get to participate in the backup plan that he and stede come up with. frenchie sees ed get hurt at the fancy party in a way that he completely understands. lucius realizes that ed is just as into his cringefail boss as his cringefail boss is into ed, and over the course of giving ed a shovel talk he maybe learns that The Legendary Blackbeard might actually be nervous about a boy liking him back.

and none of this—NONE of this—makes the crew lose any respect for him. even pete never has a moment where his perception of his idol is shattered, where he’s disappointed that blackbeard isn’t all nine guns and zero mercy all the time. instead, pete expands his idea of what The Ideal Pirate (the ideal MAN) looks like.

i think by the time jack rolls around, ed is no longer on that Pirate Beyoncé pedestal to them. he’s still on a pedestal, a bit, but instead of seeing ed as this untouchable badass legend, they see him as like. the coolest guy on the ship. still a badass, still somebody they all respect and admire, but someone they can hang out with. someone they really want to hang out with. they want to impress ed because they want him to like them, they want to be his friend. and yeah, it’s played as a “your father and i are getting a divorce but we still love you very much” joke, but they really are so sad when ed leaves with jack.

and ed showing up with no beard and no stede, ed hiding in his cabin for. a day? multiple days? ed singing a song about his feelings. ed saying he no longer wants to go by blackbeard.

the crew is confused, but they’re on board. they don’t laugh at him for his (bad) singing, they don’t think less of him now that he’s sans iconic beard. ed, to them, is still The Coolest Guy On The Ship, and they want to be his friend. they’re excited to be his friend.

they want to put on a talent show.

and ed, right after getting stabbed in the back by jack and izzy, and then stede, and then izzy again—ed, who was so affected by the jeers of the rich fuckers at that fancy party, who grew up in a culture that doesn’t allow for friendship, a culture of everyone in various stages of fucking each other over—can’t see that. he’s got fresh heartbreak and fresh betrayal that are compounding on years of trauma and he hears them all chanting his name and he can’t trust this crew. he couldn’t trust his first mate, and he couldn’t trust his old shipmate, and he couldn’t trust stede. he cannot, cannot risk vulnerability with the crew. not again.

(and like, cmon, who is ed even kidding? he’s not made for things like softness and friendship and genuine camaraderie. trying to be anything other than blackbeard is like a wolf trying to fit in a sheep’s clothing, but the clothing is too small and everyone can see right through him and they’re all laughing and laughing and he’s the only one who can’t see what a joke he is. ed’s not an idiot, he knows there’s no way the crew is up their chanting his name and asking for another song because they like him. they just want the great clown pagliacci to come out and make them laugh.

so sure, ed’ll give them a show. they think ed’s funny? well he’s about to be fucking hilarious.)

EDIT: those of y’all seeing this in the ofmd tags are missing the additions where it gets even sadder

[theteapotofdoom]

It’s so funny when your blorbos cross wires … like right now I’m deep into One Piece and VERY deep into shuggy, but also OFMD just returned so I’m immediately deeply back into my Stede x Ed madness … but the two ships co existing in my mind … it got me thinking …

Because like: legendary powerful menacing pirate captain falls deeply in love with a pathetic little meow meow who really wants to be a legendary pirate captain as well but kind of sucks at it … and everyone is making fun of the silly captain who wears colorful clothes because he is kind of cringe but the powerful legendary captain looks at him with heart eyes like "he is the love of my life you guys don’t get it"

BUT THEN … these two pirates love each other deeply but they absolutely suck at communicating their feelings properly … and they go through a super messy divorce because one of them felt betrayed by the other but deep down it’s all a misunderstanding rooted in these two guys’ insecurities and traumas … and you just know that they’re gonna find their way back together in the end … IN FACT one of these two pirates really wants to sail with his boyfriend again, but the other is still very hurt and goes crazy whenever he hears his ex’s name …

DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT IM SAYING? DO YOU ALL SEE THE VISION??? ARE YOU ALL CONNECTING THE DOTS WITH ME HERE??????

[herblay]

(some) BNHA characters as Charli XCX songs

Before you say anything shut the fuck up let me set the scene for you: I'm blasting Charli, I'm high as sin, my friend is Tired of hearing about BNHA but sitting there making some exceedingly homosexual earrings, and I'm thinking about my next tattoo. This post is therefore incontrovertible truth. I'm 100% correct. Why THESE characters specifically? Idk they came to me. Also it's a disproportionate amount of Brat bc that's what the fucking shuffle feature on her entire discography playlist decided I would listen to.

Hawks– Vroom Vroom. I'm sorry but he would have the time of his life. He thinks this is about him. He is pretty, fast, and it's not that deep. I like this for him.

Todoroki (any of them kids)– Apple. I mean. Look. It's all of the Todorokis. Like all of them. Lowkey. Though this fucks so hard for Dabi and Shouto. But also Natsuo. It's all of them. I know they blasted this shit.

Midoriya– Boom Clap. He's not in love or anything, though this is 100% the boy nerding out about quirks, it's just a wholeheartedly earnest pop song. It's joyous. It's wonderful. I think this is a good one for him. The really fucking sad one for him would be So I about All Might. but like I ugly cry to that song so let's not get into that.

Bakugou– Sympathy is a knife. AIGHT HEAR ME OUT. This is 100% the early part where he's just irrationally a hater of his Deku because why the fuck does this boy get all this power and why is he inadequate in that way fuck him. Anyway. Love.

Toga– Break the Rules. Justice for Toga man just let the poor kid have fun.

Sir Nighteye– White Mercedes. My divorced queen still idolizing All Might. STILL. "Like a white Mercedes always been running too fast... Hurting you feels like I'm hurting as well, All I know is I don't deserve you" LIKE COME ON "One day I'll pull through, And I'll be good enough" I'm so normal about them.

All Might– 360. Like back in his prime. It's so "I'm a fucking celebrity and I earned it bitch" and I'm aware All Might is a good lil man but like come on there had to be that period of his life. And you know what! Real! He's so Julia!

Uraraka– Unlock It. Literally just for "You're on my mind, The feeling like an astronaut" Like come on. Also she's million dollar babe! I love her! I just want her and Toga to be happy man I'm so sad

Shigaraki– Crash. "I'm about to crash into the water gonna take you with me I'm high voltage self-destructive end it all so legendary" same bestie.

Finally enemy is literally just bakudeku I don't make the rules.

[girlreviews]

Review #7: Rumours, Fleetwood Mac

I might have met a person who hasn’t listened to Rumours, but I’ve never met a person who has listened to it and was like “no thanks”. Never. If anyone hates this record get in touch, I just want to talk.

So interesting that such an incredible piece of work that holds up decade after decade, represents a band that during its creation was a damn hot mess. It’s not just a breakup record. It’s a double breakup record. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had called it quits, and John and Christine McVie were circling the drain, divorcing while they toured Rumours. Hoo-boy can you feel it all. Never has such an overall cheery and upbeat record been so deeply filled with resentment, anger, heartbreak, defeat and getting the fuck over it. You’re just trying to keep up with which song is a fuck you from which band member to the other. Except you can’t, because you end up just getting lost in the music.

Never mind that before all of that, the drummer had an affair with Mick Fleetwood’s wife and all hell broke loose. Line up changes and whatnot. They started as a blues band, y’know? Yet, here we are, with this gorgeous thirty nine minutes of music and a group of people that arguably should seek therapy, rehab, and probably never see each other again. If David Attenborough is a Fleetwood Mac fan — and let’s assume that he is — he would say, “life… finds a way”.

As is often the case I had actually heard covers of a few of the songs as a young’un before ever hearing the originals or ever hearing the full album. Eva Cassidy covered Songbird. It was my childhood friend’s favorite song, and makes me think of her every time I hear it. The Corrs, Irish sibling band, covered Dreams in the late 90s. Their whole thing was a little weird. Jack Dee used to have a bit about the “odd” Corr brother that wasn’t invited to be in the band, Pat Corr. It was pretty funny. That old boss of mine used to say disparaging things about Andrea Corr as if she’d ever have given him the time of day. It makes me want to punch things, even now. I realize in hindsight he used to tear down any Irish woman musician that saw more success than him (see also: Sinéad O’Connor, Delores O’Riordan). They all did see more success, and they all deserved it, with two of them leaving legendary musical legacies even after death. He never made it past a breakfast show that had two knockoff muppets as presenters. I’m not joking.

Let’s talk about Second Hand News, what a charming and odd way to open an album. Buckingham wrote this and he’s generally acknowledged to be a real piece of work (allegedly, John McVie threw a glass of vodka in his face during the making of the record), even now. He insists he “ain’t gonna miss” Nicks when she goes, and that he’s been “tossed around enough”, but it’s pretty clear he ain’t over it. Boohoo, Lindsey. Such light acoustic riffs, luscious harmonies and hefty rhythm throughout with some outro guitar solo just to really make its point.

Dreams is a Stevie Nicks led classic. Let’s talk about Stevie. She’s been my hair inspiration for most of my life. She put out solo shit that was every bit as good as this record. Her voice sounds like that of a woman who has lived a thousand lives. An old, witchy, wise, woman, living in a young, exuberant, beautiful woman’s body. Like smoke on water. She warns Buckingham of his inevitable loneliness… “when the rain washes you clean, you’ll know”. Oof. For as tough and witchy as she is, there’s a real tenderness to her. I’ve always admired her ability to show the world all of her sides, the badass and the vulnerable. Pretty recently she showed us that vulnerable side when we lost Christine McVie. Stevie let her deep grief be known to the world. Whatever had gone on with that band, that was her best friend, and they’ll never sing together again.

This really is one of those where all of the tracks are amazing, but they’re all really different. Some are like standing in an open field of sunflowers, while some are like that part on a rollercoaster where you’re climbing slowly up the incline just waiting for the chaos. The Chain, I think, has to be my favorite for that reason. What I find so interesting is that they’re all credited as writers on this one, so it was an actual team effort, it would seem. First and foremost, the four (five?!) part harmonies in this are so incredible. It’s no softy squishy Simon and Garfunkel shit. These people are pissed, in different keys. It’s POWERFUL. But each instrument also has a voice of its own, the bass line, the guitar solo, the simple drum beat that evolves into a sprint. Whoever was on the tambourine even was going really fucking hard. It takes you on a damn journey. That rollercoaster was wild, let’s go again. And again. And again.

I used to have this record on vinyl and it sadly was one that got lost along the way between the UK and the US. I’ll say, it sounds mighty fine in that format. For a while in and after college, I lived in a shitty house in East London (it’s definitely fancy now but it was a rathole when I called it home). The kitchen ceiling literally caved in once. Anyway, it was me, my then boyfriend, my best girlfriend, and four other dudes. Sometimes we had just one rotating roommate. The point being it was some chaos, not unlike Fleetwood Mac in the making of Rumours. We were all a damn mess. But we were united any time I stuck this record on my turntable, or any time I was doing the dishes and one of the singles came on my absolutely adorable digital radio that looked like a teeny tiny Marshall Amp (add to list of things I wish I still had). I think of the good times in those kinda bad times when I hear Rumours, which is sort of the point of the album, as pointed out by Stevie in 2002:

“If you took out all the bad stuff in the band, the songs wouldn’t have happened. There simply wouldn’t have been a Rumours if everything had been fabulous.”

I’ll take her at her word, anyone with bangs that effortless can really do no wrong.

[loversys-x3]

My Midas and his snapshots headcanons

(I try to keep my inclusion to a minimum)

OG Midas - Midas in his prime. I'd put him in anywhere from late 20s to later 30s, perhaps pushing 40 even. Got his shit figured out. Fully transitioned. Had a wife. Divorced said wife. Had a daughter, an equally bad relationship with her, but deep down he cares. (I have to bully him sometimes to make him admit it). Is a lot better with his curse now, avid collector and still a renounced criminal. Had established Ghost and Shadow. Flooded the island.

Midas Rex - I'd like to say this is post loot-shark attack Midas. But hear me out, I say that because I genuinely like to imagine there is absolute jack shit under that armor of his. His entire armor is just pressurized circuitry with the remains of a human head strapped in. I do not like to think he's canon to the current timeline of Fortnite, but he did exist in an older version of the timeline

Shadow Midas - I've seen so many theories about why Shadow Midas canonically exists. My take? He's a dead version of the OG Midas that didn't somehow save himself with the Rex armor post island flood/shark attack. Which means he exists in his own separate timeline as well. His golden touch shifts to the shadow touch (name pending because idk what it's actually called), which has been shown to modify the genetic makeup of organics and the appearances of non-organic objects. He's also like 80% corporeal, but phases through stuff when it's deemed funny.

Marigold - Alright this makes no sense by any means, but I'm gonna take a stretch and say that this is Midas' second daughter. Probably a bit older than Jules, but I feel like she actually comes from a separate timeline that merged with the main one at the time where she was canon. (I don't remember how long ago it's been since she was on the island as an NPC.) I get it, she's female Midas, but. Bird brain and a few interesting tidbits make me feel like they overlap as something other than just snapshots of each other. (And I'm not saying lover because fuck that shit. Midas has tattoos to reference his other daughter, I don't see how this is different.)

Midsummer Midas - I'd like to think he's canon to the main timeline. Where Midas survives and heals from the shark attack. But. He's gone into hiding. And this is probably the last public appearance we see of OG Midas. He's just here to like. Try and be a good father. And try to eat his ice cream, play with a beachball, etc. This is also the variation I stared at to learn about the Marigold's name tattoo on his leg.

Icebound - There's not a lot of documentation on him. I'd like to think he's yet another alternative timeline version of Midas. What significance does he have? I dunno.

Golden Gear Midas - Objectively younger Midas. Probably in the 18 to early 20s range. Vault cracker, criminal for the stacks, street punk in the best way, a bit wreckless, did not have the greatest control of his golden touch (hence the gold patch on his cheek), didn't have his daughter yet nor established GHOST or SHADOW as organizations yet. Personal touch? Pre-transitioned Ftm.

Midas Flopper - Uh. Nonverbal. How he ended up as a thing that exists in the Fortnite universe is a mystery to the loop itself. Unknown why upon consumption it causes a looper to barf up a legendary gun.

There was like two more potential Midas snapshots that were supposed to be counted, but idk what to write about that bony fuck Oro. (I'm 90% sure that's the origin of the golden touch?) Cyclo is also an iffy write for me too because it has the same body mold, but I don't have a clue what his lore actually is. (I think he has to do with zero point or the eye of the storm experiments, but don't hold me to that.)

[strawberrycriisiis]

[ also its 2:30am and im still thinking about DLC SPOILERS involving the parallels between fresa and kieran and the fact that no matter what happens. if kieran has a thousand fans shes one of them if keiran has one fan she's that one if kieran has no fans she's dead

also this is gonna get long ]

[ yes he went to the deep end yes he became awful and rude and toxic and yes what the fuck was that thing with the masterball. but also consider.

he's just like her fr.

she was the one who didn't speak much to others -- even if it was more a matter of anger issues and divorce-related trauma than insecurity in herself as a kid; when she came back in Paldea she had an okay year where she usually stayed by herself and then Cereza arrived. Cereza, who defeated her in every single battle, who was the daughter of an important figure in Paldea, who immediately got asked by Arven and Nemona to join her Treasure hunt, who could do anything. and she really think that the difference between her and Kieran is that she had people who supported her, offered a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to her woes, someone who when she yelled yelled back and yet still stayed by her side, learned to know her, and eventually she learned to know them, properly, lower her walls and be actually accepted in the friend group by the time Reza starting creating the Avengers to go to Area Zero. Her aggressiveness was met with criticism, but never with mocking or with brushing her aside.

Kieran wasn't that lucky.

Carmine got much better in the time they spent away, but. I'm sorry, but the other Elites never seem to truly talk to Kieran, despite the fact that at least ONE of them clearly cares about him. It's partially because of the rules, partially because he's being as toxic as he could be, and maybe there have been attempts at talking about his change like a civil person but, as I always say? If we don't see it, it didn't happen. We're met with an angry, ANGRY kid who, in a matter of three days, was pushed aside by his new friend, his sister and his grandpa, and then later on by the one Legendary he always believed in -- when he was the ONLY one who was always on Ogrepon's side. He was ignored, he was pushed away, he was yelled at and mistreated, and when he turned into his worst self for everyone else, but someone who's finally going to be HEARD, to be ADMIRED--

the person he had to defeat to reach the top stabs him in his back.

like, look. Yes, sure, the end justifies the means, but at least in Fresa's eyes Drayton manipulated her and Reza to become Champions to take him down, without telling anything to anyone, not even HER until the very last moment. and when Kieran was down, when Fresa was ready to rush in to finally talk, check on him, Drayton was there to pour salt in the open wound.

and that, she can't forgive. She won't forgive. Because all she could see is. Herself.

Herself, in a world where Cereza rushed in the Star bases and closed the door before she could enter. Herself, in a world where Nemona focused her compliments in battle only to the one who defeated her, without even looking at her. Herself, in a world where Arven saw her struggling during a Titan battle, fighting against her phobias for him and Mabostiff, and said that was why he didn't want her around. Herself, in a world where someone else found Miraidon. Herself, in a world where she found the courage to try and prove everyone that she was more than an angry girl and offered to join them in Area Zero, and was rejected.

And he was wrong, in the same way she was wrong. And he did something awful without thinking, in the same way she did. And he just wanted to prove the world - HIMSELF - that he wasn't a failure, just like she did. And the world kept telling him that, no, everyone else was right.

She saw Kieran as a brother ever since her first vacation in Kitakami, when she defended him after Carmine yelled at him, and no matter how abusive he was she just kept seeing the same kid who just wanted to belong.

She won't change her mind about it. She never will.

[socialfilter]

I’m very (read: very) high rn so read all my burning (lol) questions/random thoughts about horizon that you can all answer in your own headcanons:

do you think you ever get people in tribes who defect from said tribe to go into another one? aside from fashav, jaxx (I guess) and fuck me, slaves, I wanna know if there’s like, an Oseram who talked his way into Carja nobility or something.

How successful is the fishing/farming economy in Horizon like…there’s obviously that boar farm and I’ve spotted a few fishing Carja outlanders by Kestrel’s Perch…but I wanna know if people are making livings out of that. We can’t all be machine hunters.

Do you think anyone has ever been squished by a Tallneck?

Do you think Tallnecks can run? (please god I hope they can’t - I would cry)

Not a question. Advice: Don’t try and override a Tideripper underwater. (I tried to do this when I was a little drunk and I’ve never been so frightened in all my life)

Is divorce a thing in this world?

I want to know who the Picasso is amongst the Tenakth. (it’s my golden boy Kotallo)

Give me Red Raid flashbacks.

I won’t lie, I had a dream where Meridian got razed and it gave me excellent hawk and thrush ideas (let’s burn Meridian DOWN!)

I want to know how far children in various tribes are allowed to wonder from their settlements. Obviously we had the whole situation with Yarra/Drakka where a kid went missing so I imagine not far but I wanna know if they’ve got some level of freedom.

On children, do tribes have midwives?

Give me more children’s tales (the Banuk and the Utaru gave me some but I must have MORE)

Let Erend find more Old Ones music. Let him find Taylor Swift. (Personally I think Kotallo would like Radiohead, but that’s jus’ me).

Seyka and Alva interact. Now.

I really want a quest where Aloy helps the wrong person, i.e she doesn’t get the full story and ends up complicit in somebody important’s murder.

somebody (me) needs to kidnap aloy.

I also need a proper red-light-full-alarm-fuck-me-she’s-gonna-blow scene where aloy needs to hoof it outta there (I need more intensity than thebes, much as I love thebes).

bring me more main quests like thebes. I love dropping into some big old place and being HORRIFIED (read: author had nightmares about GAIA Prime).

What do we think the bloodiest Aloy has ever gotten? That would be interesting.

Conscientious objectors must’ve been a thing during the Red Raids, right? (I suppose this is already proven but my question still stands).

Also may be already proven, what was the Oseram role in the Red Raids?

Why is everybody a cousin of Avad?

Let Ikrie be the unhinged Banuk that’s in the Forbidden West.

What does Ikrie do when Banuk who will obviously know who she is pitch up at the Hunting Grounds? Mighty awkward is it not?

Do we think, aside from the racing squads, a tribe might figure out how to ‘tame’ machines? we’re mighty fucking lucky that the machine racers are the good guys cos christ, they could wipe out some settlements with that kinda power.

Let Morlund fly in H3.

Let Talanah Khane Padish have a Sunwing in H3.

Do we think there’s some renowned legendary heroes for tribes that are not the Old Ones? Thinking along the lines of The Enduring, people like that…

I wanna know what certain tribes do with people with disabilities. With the Tenakth it’s certainly less than ideal 😐 and the Utaru are seemingly a little more humane about it. I imagine with the Banuk it’s probably death-related (that whole Survive, Prevail, bollocks). I wanna know what the Quen, the Oseram, the Carja and the Nora do.

Regarding a deaf character (which I won’t lie I was really hoping Seyka was bc I couldn’t find her VA until the day before BS came out), I want to know if their signing is similar to ours. When will we have deaf characters?

Why are there not more musicians amongst the tribes like…Korreh is currently the Hozier of the Utaru. You could easily have drummers from the Oseram. I know the Nora have got some kickass war songs (plus it’s proven they sing, as do the Utaru).

Why is it, on every quest that involves looking for somebody, they’re fucking dead?

Why does everybody have sisters?

I think Aloy has fantastic taste in music.

Do we think twins are seen as blessings or curses in different tribes?

Can H3 please send us to some more rural ruins? Author wants to be nosy in ancient houses.

Are there jewellers in Meridian?

What are some yearly festivals amongst tribes? Zo touched on Utaru ones but I must know more.

I want to know what warriors with allergies do? (I would be said soldier with allergies)

I want to know how many children in the Sundom/anywhere have been abducted by the Tenakth…or I at least wanna know what the hell Ullia was getting up to…

Piggybacking off that, surely there must be Tenakth soldiers/tribespeople that were born into different tribes and taken away…? That’s only if Ullia’s claim was true I guess.

Where did the cannibal rumour come from? (Obviously the Carja but who thought that up?)

Tell me more about the HZD and HFW prisons…

I want to know more about bandit motives. Obviously you stumble across small ambushes but then there’s whole camps like what are they doing there?

I would like to know more about Sunfall. They have wholeass slaves there. I imagine the whole slave situation is relative to the deal Vezreh had going on with the kidnapped Utaru.

Give me a character that’s deaf and travels with a hearing/signing companion please.

Do tribespeople have pets? (Surely it can’t just be Yarra)

What’s the deal with Yarra and Meat? Please tell me she found Meat as an abandoned baby or something…

I want to know if people are naming their weapons.

Do you think there’s like, a Banuk/any tribe shaman (besides Ourea) who is weirdly knowledgeable about Old Ones shit? Guy has no Focus but could tell you a whole lot about Ted Faro (I’m aware of who I’m describing but not That guy)

Where the fuck did Lel go?

I love that some settlements/campfires have little gossips that’ll give you a quest of some sort. Yes, give me the drama you saucy little minx.

Do you think people believe in ghosts? I think it’d be pretty cool if you heard the voices of the Old Ones as you were walking through valleys or rivers.

Less wrecked planes in H3 please. I love the idea but it just makes me uncomfortable.

More old battlefields in H3 please.

I think there should be some sort of ‘crawl’ effort going on. Aloy crouching is simply not enough.

Bring Furahni and/or the cool Sun-Priest back.

I love that some machines disappear. Like where’d you go? 😈

How do we think Beta is going to adapt to this new world?

Will anybody ever move Verbena’s body? Because it is literally…exactly where we left it.

Speaking of which: I want a closer look at Tenakth tags and Utaru seed pouches. I want to know what other tribes have.

Are sports (that are not hunting) a thing? I reckon the Carja are javelin throwers (it’s hunting related but ygm), the Oseram are most definitely boxers.

If Tenakth are painters, does that make the Quen the scribes or something?

What is the education system in the Horizon world? Obviously different to our time but like,,,,what would a parent do with a child that showed no aptitude for stitching or hunting or literally anything? Nothing good but I must know.

How common is disease in terms of death amongst tribes?

I loved Garokkah’s ‘In The Fog’ quest. Guess it shows that the Tenakth, despite their policies seemingly regarding the disabled, aren’t totally heartless when it comes to helping people within their tribe. That being said, it’s implied his daughters were trying to hide his illness. I wonder what happens to him?

I want to know more about the Odyssey.

I want to know more about Beta’s actual upbringing like…I know it was cold and horrible and heartless but I just want to know more about her.

Who the fuck piloted the Odyssey?

What happens to orphans in different tribes?

Give me more dumbass Tenakth teenagers.

I think the Utaru smoke their own brand of weed. The Carja definitely have a special spice. Tenakth? Paint-sniffers.

Do you think there’s tree surgeons?

WHAT ABOUT THE FREE REAL ESTATE?

Give me a Hunting Party kinda option like…i imagine this’ll happen in the Horizon Multiplayer but I wanna take out a little squad of Lowlanders and go and fuck that goddamn bear up

Holy shit, picture it. Sun-Nuns.

[animehouse-moe]

Best Anime Openings Spring 2023

With the Spring season winding down, I thought it might be a fun time to share my favorite openings from this season (may or may not do an endings one as well). Initially I had thought about doing a tier list, but that's far too arbitrary for my tastes at this point, so we're gonna stick with the ones that stood out. I'll just go ahead and get started.

Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers - Magical Destroyer

I don't really need to say much about this one, I already wrote about it in depth once. But yeah, damn good opening that has the perfect mix of everything Inagawa, and tells a self-contained story about the journey of these magical girls and Otaku Hero. It's a wildly impressive affair from start to finish, though not quite for the faint of heart as the music choice may be abrasive to some (personally, I love it).

Heavenly Delusion - Innocent Arrogance

Really, this and MAD are interchangeable as my openings of the season/year. In most cases though I give the edge to MAD for the insane style of the latter half, but Innocent Arrogance is far tighter affair. Its themes and stories are more apparent and accessible to fans of the series, and it has a more unique style throughout with the harsh highlights and lighter/softer color palette through most scenes.

Hells Paradise - Work

I might avoid the anime like it's the plague, but you do have to give credit for the opening. Solid on all fronts, it has a unique style that sells the characters and world incredibly well, all tied together by very fluid and dynamic camera movements. Plus, Millenium Parade on an opening is always appreciated. I would still say it's comfortably below the first two in terms of quality though. The stories told through visuals in the above are just out of this world.

Skip and Loafer - Mellow

The song title for this one is very fitting. It's an incredibly comfortable, fun, and warm opening that does a lot with how little it shows. As expected, the color design is wonderful and has the perfect vibe for being a slice of life. The icing on the cake though is the dance sequence. Full of energy and joy, it tops off the wonderfully full feeling that this opening gives viewers.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury - Slash

Potentially hot take for this one, but while the opening is solid, it's how it teases the story that allows it to be superior. The pieces that are placed in plain view that we're only able to understand in hindsight is where the appreciation for this one comes from. The pieces that aren't directly tied to that comparison are solid, but I wouldn't say they're amazing. The best non-teaser though has to be the scenes of Miorine underwater and in a fractured crystal, as they reflect her mental state without placing anything in front of the viewer to compare it to.

The Legendary Hero Is Dead - Shinda!

This one really surprised me, between Masayoshi Ooishi performing divorced from the other half of OxT and a relatively unknown pair of directors for the opening, a very impressive effort was given for something incredibly memorable. Aggressive colors and storyboarding, a campy feel that plays right into the spiraling shots and lower quality CGI. It presents something incredibly memorable but without an incredible amount of effort expended in pursuit of it. Great example of a solid OP on a (resource) budget.

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Gold

There's not much to say here other than the geniuses over at WIT did it again. A wonderfully executed opening that chronicles the journeys of our various characters as they join Bojji on his adventures. It's incredibly cute and heartwarming, and one of these days I'd love to break down how perfectly it rehashes the story of Season 1 into an energetic and hopeful opening that punctuates the intermediate stories of this season. Also, WIT is yet to miss on song choices for these openings.

Dead Mount Death Play - Nero

I think this opening is the one with the most wasted potential out of the ones I've seen this season. There's some really incredible shots and ideas through it with stuff like looking through the eyes of characters and what they see, but at the same time there's quite a few bog standard pieces that fill out the build up to the crescendo of this OP. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed as I wasn't expecting anything out of this world, but I think if the team pushed themselves a little more they could have had a huge creative breakthrough.

Also, you should 100% go watch the MV that was made the song itself. It's animated by a single person and is entirely out of this world in execution. Amazing work.

And that's about all the very notable ones I have to talk about. There's some I was disappointed with like MahoYome's new OP that was rather restrictive, or the unremarkable nature of Demon Slayer (Zankyou Zanka >>> Akeboshi >> Gurenge >>>> Kizuna no Kiseki ) or Dr. Stone's latest openings. While there was certainly let downs and disinteresting openings, there was also evidently quite a few surprises and dark horses that appeared through the season. Overall, it's really enjoyable seeing how much a lot of newer shows are finding inventive ways to deliver creative and memorable openings.

[smthleon]

your kuros are literally so smart by the way.

Im gonna assume youre talking about how I see Hilbert and Cheren HAHAH but yeah no, I like the idea of Hilbert remaining short and stubby while Cherens this oversized bean pole.. Hilberts gonna grab that poor man like a beanpole... His man wife guys...

Anyways, A more updated idea of how I see them(older. Btw,) I imagine Cheren stays suuuper skinny and tall. I am on team Cherens wasian(american and Korean):3c. I imagine that due to his job as a college professor and an elite four member, he doesn't really get much him time. By all means that boy is more stressed out than his students are about tests. I also have to give the biggest shout out to the Cheren community for the idea of him having long hair. Long haired Cheren 2 me is like an angel w wings... He is very beautiful to me. But anyways. In terms of dressing, I like to imagine that bw&bw2 took place mid 80s. so he dresses suuuper old school. He's wearing vests n shit. Maybe suspenders. Who knows. But I like to imagine that due 2 all his stress he doesn't each much :—(, hes got too much going on in that big foreheaded head of his guys... But he's okay^_^!! Hes been getting better! But he still remains the most unhygenic and messy neat freak ever. he drives himself crazy. He hates messes but his desk is a mess... But in the short run, in my eyes. older Cheren is nottt laid back. His ass worries about everything.

Now for Hilbert, I will forever see him as this short tempered guy who's like 5'6. He stopped growing at 12 so now he's forever tiny. Biancas a few inches taller than him but aside from that. He did NOT get the height from his parents. And this guy is definitely a redneck. I imagine his parents are divorced, but his dads clay, if that holds any logic. Idk, they seem related 2 me... Anyways, in terms of body types, I feel like hes a little pudgy and fatty, definitely a foodie. I don't think he really shaves much, I imagine his side burns are a lot more trimmed than Cherens how ever. But despite his temper. He's very laid back to Cheren. I also imagine he's a sorta druggie. Idk, I think he's a mellow pot head. Cheren probably hates the smell. But onto how I see Hilberts work! I imagine after he found N, he went to sinnoh for a bit for a degree in Pokemon research, so now he'll travel around and take pictures/get information on different Pokemon, meaning sometimes he's not really home. Which is good for Cheren! Because he only has to make dinner for one(and speaking of cooking. Hilbert cannot cook.) And in sense of fashion? I'd say Hilberts definitely Western grunge. He probably patches up his own clothes n stuff. Despite Cheren being an e4 member, they kinda have money problems. Idk. Im being realistic... OH and Hilbert has scars EVERYWHERE. Homeboy is NOT safe. His ass even popped a top surgery stitch! Cheren beats him w the broom tho. Its okay^_^

In terms of relationships. I'd say Cherens more affectionate in body language and doing small favors while Hilberts definitely affectionate in words/touch and gift giving. This man would definitely bring Cheren home a legendary. If he asked. Hes very hard headed. But I feel like they're very affectionate w each other, they definitely butt heads. 100%. I do not believe they are always agreeing. Cheren would definitely go "man I hate that stupid brute. Im gonna kiss him on the lips." Which is exactly what happened. And in terms of marriage, Hilbert proposed, they had a nice little wedding, the cake was dropped but they improvised w something else. Idk.

Anyways yeah no, this is definitely the longest post ever on kuroshipping. Im normal about them. Anyways, here r my hcs & thoughts!!!

[wily-one24]

For the character break down, either Emma Swan or Regina Mills

Well, this is not a fair ask. Because we all know if given the choice I'm going to choose my lady love, Emma. Like, I know who usually gets the most attention in fandom, but my heart lies with the socially awkward goof with Disney Princess curls.

I am who I am and ain't nothin' gonna change me.

Onto the questions!!!

--> How I feel about this character:

I mean, other than that I love her? I think she started out strong (like most of the OUaT women). She was fully fledged, she had character and weakness and vulnerabilities and strength. She said the wrong thing, but she tried to do right always. She didn't care what anyone thought and was desperate for everyone to love her.

She wanted family her entire life and, ultimately, she let them destroy her.

Emma started strong, like most OUaT women, and then the show... changed. It was less strong female characters and character driven, it began focusing on developing and introducing male characters, often at the expense of character growth and development.

The show was made in the liminal space of female/female shipping becoming more popular, but the industry shying away from it. When it became very clear very early on that Swan Queen was a thing, they overcorrected, tripping over themselves to introduce very male love interests. ("Look how much dick these ladies love!").

And it became less about the women we love. Emma's lifelong search for family and the struggle she had with giving up everything for them, to become the saviour they wanted, and STILL never being good enough, because ALL they wanted was a saviour and they rejected her as a daughter... all of that, became lessening herself, making herself palatable, for Hook.

From this:

To this:

It's barely even the same character.

I want heartbroken little girl who longs for a family, who so desperately wants to believe Henry's tales because it gives her a family, but she cannot dare. Life has kicked her down so many times that even the thought of believing in hope was a terrifying thing.

Only to find love and acceptance in a small town and later finding that they were family.

The woman who gives everything, who becomes their saviour and sacrifices everything, only to be told it's not enough and her mother wants a real child.

I want the woman who laughed and loved and joked and played and broke the law to uphold it. Who threw fistfights in a cemetery. Who took apart kettles in her apartment. Who left her life to follow a small child who claimed to be her son without any shred of proof whatsoever. Who thew herself down a mine. And took up a sword to fight a dragon she didn't believe in.

Okay, wow, that was question one? Let's move on.

--> All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Regina Mills, obviously. I mean, their story was legendary. It was more of a Disney story than Snow White and Prince Charming. Divorced parents that were never married. Enemies to lust. Enemies in lust. Two lost little girls. Emma internalised her pain. Regina externalised it. But it was the same. They taught each other, they supported each other, they knew each other more than anyone else.

With all my fandom lady loves, I am quite generous and liberal with my Emma shipping. Emma/Regina, Emma/Ruby, Emma/anyone, basically. I tend to stay away from Emma/Hook, because I find that side of fandom a little toxic, but that's just my preference. I didn't mind her with Graham. Throw in a little Emma/Regina/Ruby, or Emma/Regina/Graham, or even Emma/Regina/Evil Queen for some fun. But basically Emma/anyone is my jam.

My preference is Regina, though.

--> My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Emma/Henry?

Emma/Mary Margaret (before she became Snow ful time).

Emma/David.

--> My unpopular opinion regarding this character:

Unpopular? That's subjective.

One side of fandom would not like that I think she deserved a lot better than Hook.

The other side of fandom would not like that I believe she's more Bisexual than full on Lesbian (in the closet).

--> One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character?

It would be too easy to say I wish that her and Regina had found happiness ever after.

But... honestly... I wish she had been able to stand on her own two feet at the end, instead of playing Polyester Bride with Hook.

I wish she had been accepted at the very start as the daughter she'd always wanted to be, instead of having to fight for approval and give up all the "unpalatable" sides of herself to please those around her.

I wish she had kept the light that shone out of her in the first two seasons.

If she hadn't ended up with a woman (which, I get why it wouldn't have happened then), then at least with someone who respected her, who didn't ridicule her, who didn't attack or demean her every chance he got, who put himself first in most everything he did.

She deserved better.

They all did.

[sasukeprime]

(ALL CHEERING) I don't know if you guys are aware, but the Uchiha are simply responsible for one of the most epic police weapons in history.

(CHEERING CONTINUES) Everyone take a look at the wall. Travel back in time with me to 930.

(930s MUSIC PLAYING) The Uchiha puts on a production of Julius Caesar. A girl in the audience unexpectedly hands one of our brothers a lightning bolt and he explodes. And after that one fateful zap, the tenet of power is born! wherein the higher the voltage the deeper the gamage, itaboy. as in great damage.

(ALL CHEERING) The year is 971.

(970s ROCK MUSIC PLAYING) The US challenges Red Japan in archery. Meanwhile, back at the Uchiha Police Academy, our brothers play a couple rounds of darts their own. An brother's errant arrow hit the narrow mark mellow so blatant exact it almost felt flagrant of this arr'gant fellow. And he just blinks.

(WHOOPING) (ALL CHEERING) I give you the tenet of precision!

(CHEERING CONTINUES) The year is 985!

(980s POP MUSIC PLAYING) Cruthan Asia Uchiha and his brothers are at the police academy school pep rally pre-game. They've been drinking since the butt-crack of dawn. Crutan-Asia knows he has to throw up, but he wants to keep partying. What does he do? Does he puke, or does he drink? Neither. He does speed instead (?). Because why not. I give you the motherfucking tenet of speed.

(ALL CHEERING) So many core cop values So many more cop statues. did i say statues no cashews you thought that i would blast you? no statutes.

How are we supposed to stand on the shoulders of giants?

Tell 'em, Fugakgak. I'll tell you how. Do you see that empty space in between belt loops? Let's fill it with guns. We are gonna end the year with the most legendary weapon of all time. I'm talking even bigger than last year's pocket knife.

Presenting... an original concept by me that I personally came up with (by myself): a chidorigun. a gun that shoots high voltage electricity with major laser sharp precision within a given distance. with the three tenets of speed, power, and precision, and the oxford comma, I give you... the tri-laser... the TASER!

ALL: No, no, no! Stick to the stuff you know. Well if Troy can tell his secret then I can tell mine. I bake. Wait nvm what I just said. Seems like an impossible feat. But when we do it, we will get our faces on that wall, amidst the rest of these legends!

(ALL CHEERING) Yes!

Itachi, my only son I care about, do you want to tell us about your first summer as a full fledged adult when you were 42 months old?

My parents got divorced.

And where did you go?

Right here.

And what happened?

I cried.

Why did you cry?

Because I felt safe. Because I was surrounded by my brothers. Brothers have a bond that goes beyond friendship. We are the family you get to choose, and we don't get divorced!

[rabbitechoes]

wanted to post more over here and had the idea to do lil reviews for albums from years past. i'm gonna try to post a review for this series, as the name suggests, every thursday!! this week we're looking at a long overdue return to form for one of the greatest songwriters of all time: Oh Mercy by Bob Dylan!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

Oh Mercy - Bob Dylan

◇ release year: 1989 ◇ genres: singer-songwriter, pop rock, folk rock

The 80s were not kind to Bob Dylan at all, neither were the late 70s for that matter. There was a massive dip in quality after the relative comeback albums that were 1975’s Blood on the Tracks and 1976’s Desire. Following divorce proceedings with his wife in 1977, Dylan shifted his sound away from folk and into a more pop-rock direction for Street-Legal, one of his most uneventful records. Leading into the 80s, he had a born-again Christian phase and released a trilogy of terrible faith-based albums. His 1983 album Infidels was his return back to secular music, but it’s also not very great in the grand scheme of his catalog besides the opener “Jokerman.” Empire Burlesque, Knocked Out Loaded, and Down in the Groove were also some of his worst records and borderline embarrassing for an artist of his caliber. There are very few bright spots in that run aside from “Brownsville Girl” off of Knocked Out Loaded, but to get to that you gotta sit through his version of Kris Kristofferson’s “They Killed Him” which is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. Things were looking pretty bad for the once-iconic artist. His music was either terrible, boring, a parody of his best work, or all three in one. The deck was stacked against him, but in 1988 something special would happen. Bono would introduce Dylan to producer Daniel Lanois known for his work with Brian Eno, U2, and longtime Dylan collaborator Robbie Robertson. Dylan seemed determined to finally make a good album again and Lanois’ production work was exactly what he needed to refresh his sound.

Bob Dylan, 1989

You can hear that right away in the opener “Political World.” Despite it being one of Dylan’s clunkier songs from a lyrical perspective, that instrumentation is just perfect for him. That warm, jaunty sound provided by Dylan and a backing band consisting of various musicians from New Orleans. Many of which Lanois was working with at the time. These musicians match the anxious and chaotic themes of the song perfectly. Dylan sings about it being a hostile, political world and even touches on themes of spirituality in two lines towards the end. In those two lines alone, he provides a more interesting perspective on religion than he ever did on his spiritual albums. In the grand scheme of things, “Political World” doesn’t rank among the best Dylan songs, but it’s such a massive breath of fresh air from what he had been doing at the time. The next track cools things down with the waltzy, schmaltzy cut “Where Teardrops Fall.” Again, this isn’t a classic Dylan masterpiece, but it just sounds so good. Massive shoutout to John Hart’s saxophone on the outro. “Everything is Broken” kind of harkens back lyrically and musically to something Dylan might’ve written in decades past, but it’s given this fresh new coat of paint thanks to Lanois’ production. I love Brian Stoltz’s guitar work here. It’s never in your face, but it’s always present underneath everything. It creates this really cool dynamic with the rhythm section. The next track “Ring Them Bells” is one of the many times here where Dylan slows things down. This is where the album is at its best. The warm production not only brings out the best in the instrumentation but also in Dylan’s voice. This is the first album where he sounds like the weathered, legendary songwriter he was. The arrangement is sparse, with only guitar and keyboards accompanying Dylan’s voice and piano. It’s one of my favorite-sounding Dylan songs. As is the next track, “Man In the Long Black Coat.” What a triumph this song is. It’s simultaneously amazing and infuriating. He still had it in him to write an incredible, compelling song. Like the last track, the sound here is pretty sparse besides some ambiance setting keyboards from Malcolm Burn and Dylan’s guitar. His voice is in a lower register and it makes you just hang on to his every word. It helps that the melody is so memorable also. The song ends on such a mysterious note and it’s the most engaging he had sounded since Desire. 

“Most of the Time” builds upon that more weathered sound except this time with more layers to it instrumentally. This is another one of my favorite Dylan songs. It’s a heartbreak ballad that has such a simple structure and premise, but it’s so impactful. I love the way the electric guitar washes over the track. Every time it enters, it lingers for the perfect amount of time. It’s mixed so perfectly. “What Good Am I?” and “Disease of Conceit” are lulls in the tracklist, but they’re not bad. They just lack that energy of the three tracks prior. The latter is another clunky writing moment from Dylan on the record. His best moments on here lyrically are the songs about love, heartbreak, and other more personal topics. He’s made some iconic songs built around his ruminations on the world, but none of them are found here. Fortunately, the last two tracks are a step up. “What Was It You Wanted” might have the most tasteful implementation of a harmonica on any Bob Dylan record. I love Dylan’s usually harsh harmonica, but it’s hard to deny it can get a bit much. The music here is very subtle and it accompanies what seems to be Dylan’s meditations on his art up to that point. Perhaps the years of critical failures catching up to him as he asks the public “what was it you wanted?” If I was a fan of his during this time, the answer would be songs like this! “Shooting Star” is another ballad and another favorite of mine. Some have interpreted this song as being about Dylan’s disillusionment with spirituality and I think that’s an interesting read, but it could also just be a simple bittersweet ballad about love. Either way, this is a strong closer to the album.

Bob Dylan, 1988

Oh Mercy was an incredible return to form for Dylan and Lanois’ production brought out the best in these songs. It sounded like Dylan was writing with a purpose again, he was inspired. While overall this isn’t his strongest crop of songs from a lyrical standpoint, the execution here takes these songs to the next level. Ideally, this would be the start of a career renaissance for the legendary singer-songwriter, but seeing as how his next album would be the dreadful Under the Red Sky that wasn’t the case. Thankfully, Lanois would collaborate with Dylan again 8 years later for Time Out of Mind, yet another one of his comeback albums.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━���━━━━━━━ thanks for reading <3