#the lyrics fit!!!!!!! there is No challengers character i hate

[bellamysgriffin]

Why don't you spare their world a traitor? Take your wager back and leave before you lose

[lynzishell]

The Past 💛 Atlas

I’ve finally reached a point where I can sit down and do some work on Ash’s game on my own. It took a lot longer than I thought it would. Not only because his workflow is incredibly chaotic, but also his design is incredibly complex, far more complex than anything we work on at Rainy Day, but it’s fun to feel challenged again.

I’ve spent every night this week in Ash’s living room while he walks me through everything he has so far, sorting out the design and the mechanics, his ideas for the worlds, characters, storylines, objectives, and so on. Yet, it feels like we’ve only scratched the surface.

We work well together, but we’re also easily distracted, often going off on random tangents and talking about everything from our families to school years and childhood friends to experiences we’ve had or want to have; we talk about how fun it would be to have our own indie gaming company one day, if only we could focus on the actual game for longer than an hour at a time.

Last night a song came on that inspired a whole conversation about music and all the songs we used to sing the wrong lyrics to, and some he still sings wrong just to annoy Lex. We started playing a game where we’d give each other a random word or category and the other would have to play a song they liked that fit. At one point I asked him what his guilty pleasure song is.

“Oh, I have dozens of those,” he said, “uh, but the first one that comes to mind is The Boys of Summer.”

“Your guilty pleasure song is an 80’s song?” I was shocked considering the amount of shit he gives me for the majority of my playlist.

“No no no no,” he shook his head, “I should clarify. The original sucks.”

“Of course you think so.”

“Obviously. Okay, but the one I’m talking about is the cover of The Boys of Summer by The Ataris.

“I like the name, but I have no idea who that is,” I admitted.

He laughed as he pulled up the song and told me, “You’re either going to love this or hate it. I’m not sure which.” When he pressed play, all I could do was watch in awe as he shamelessly enjoyed the song, complete with hand motions, air guitar and lip syncing. At one point he leaned in and sang directly to me, “But I don’t understand what happened to our love. But baby when I get you back, I’m gonna show you what I’m made of!” And then he spun away and started dancing to the chorus.  

Before I had a chance to think too hard about whether he was trying to tell me something through the lyrics, he pulled me off the couch to join him. We sang and danced with everything we had until we collapsed onto the couch, out of breath and wiping tears from our eyes.

When we finally calmed down, he pointed at me, “Your turn. What’s your guilty pleasure song?”

“Oh god,” I covered my face, “I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this.”

“Tell me.” He demanded.

“Dancing With Myself by Generation X. I can’t hear it and not sing and dance around my apartment like an idiot.”

“Oh, I have got to see this!” He sat up excitedly to find the song and turn it on… and then cheered when I began clapping my hands to the beat… and then completely lost it and fell over laughing when I sang along with my eerily accurate Billy Idol impersonation.

It’s become one of my favorite things, making him laugh. He has about a dozen different laughs from a rush of air through his teeth, to an infectious giggle, to a loud belly laugh… but my favorite is when he’s laughing so hard that no sound comes out aside from a series of clicks until he finally catches his breath.

It’s so easy with him, to get out of my head, to just relax and be myself.

Not everything is easy, though. I keep telling myself that eventually my feelings will fade, that it will get easier to just be his friend and nothing more, but if anything, it’s getting more difficult. Sometimes when we’re together, all I can think about is sliding my hand over to rest it on his leg, or to pick up his hand and interlace our fingers, or to reach up and hold his face, turning it toward me so I can kiss him. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about kissing him, his lips, his neck, that inch skin above his waistband that sometimes shows when his shirt rides up just enough, every part of him. Sometimes I let my eye contact linger just a little, desperate for him to give me a sign that he still feels the same way, but he never does. On some level, I’m grateful. It’s better this way. I’d only end up hurting him again.

I hear the front door open and close, bringing me out of my daydream and back to my computer screen. I look over what I’ve done so far to make sure I didn’t screw anything up while I drifted away.

A second later, I hear Dawn enter the room and flop onto my bed behind me and I glance at the clock, it’s only two.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Finished early. What are you doing? I thought you weren’t working on Fridays anymore.”

“I’m not. It’s just a side project I’m working on with Ash.”

“Ooooh I see.”

I roll my eyes and change the subject before she can inquire further. “So, why are you on my bed? What do you want?” As I say the words, I’m overcome by the feeling that we’ve done this before.

“For you to take a break and go do something with me." I'm antsy. "I’m antsy.” Her words come out like an echo from my own mind and my whole body feels fuzzy for a moment.

“Have we had this conversation before?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Hm. I’m having the weirdest déjà vu.”

“Maybe you’ve been staring at that screen too long. We should get out and do something.”

“What do you have in mind?”

I’m open to suggestions. “I’m open to suggestions.”

Weird. This conversation, the song playing through my speaker, Dawn laying on my bed, me at my computer… everything feels so familiar. “Where’s your boyfriend? Why aren’t you dragging him out?” Even as I ask the question, I know I’ve asked it before.

“He’s busy…” Having coffee with his ex-girlfriend. “Having coffee with his ex-girlfriend.”

Okay, I clearly need some fresh air, and she clearly needs my support right now, so I save my work, lock my computer, and spin around to face her. “Oh, that’s why you’re antsy. Okay, I can take a break, but let’s go outside. We can go for a jog, that’ll get your energy out.”

“Fine, I’ll go change.”

Prev // Deja vu // Next

[roosterforme]

roosterforme's '80s Rocktober Playlist fic challenge

For those about to rock, we salute you!

Let's rock 'n' roll the Top Gun way! Choose an '80s rock song (or pop or country or rap...), and write a fic about one or more of our favorite Top Gun characters! Just make sure the songs are from Rooster's favorite decade, the 1980s!

Or create a banner or mood board! Go with an '80s vibe or a specific song to inspire you and run wild.

Banner credit to @mak-32. Rock on, Mak.

Rules for fics:

Please use the #top gun rocktober hashtag!!!

Once you have your song selected (first come, first served, no duplicates), please send me an ask letting me know which song and character(s) you want to write about. If your song is not listed below, just let me know what you want with your ask and I’ll add it (as long as it fits the decade). If your song has been claimed already, I'll let you know so you can choose another one.

You can use the song in the fic however you would like. Use it as the title, use some lyrics, have the song playing in the background, use it as inspiration, anything you want!

There is no real time limit, but please try to post in September or October.

Please make sure you tag me (or send me a message) when you post your story so I don’t miss it. I can’t wait to read and reblog!

Please reblog and share this with anyone who may want to participate. And reblogging fics is always a treat for writers!

If you’re under 18, do not submit or read smut.

Rules for banners and mood boards:

Please use the #top gun rocktober hashtag!!!

If you want to use a specific song, please send me an ask letting me know which song. If you want to participate with the '80s vibe and no specific song, just send me an ask and let me know you'll be submitting an image or images.

Please make sure you tag me (or send me a message) when you post so I don’t miss it. I can’t wait to reblog!

Please reblog and share this with anyone who may want to participate.

Songs and fics we are rocking out to:

1 @roosterforme What's Your Name by New Order (Bradley)

2 @beyondthesefourwalls Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper (Bradley)

3 @sylviebell Faithfully by Journey (Natasha)

4 @wkndwlff Love Walks In by Van Halen (Bob)

5 @desert-fern Jump by Van Halen (Bradley)

6 @yanna-banana Like a Prayer by Madonna (Jake)

7 @fanboyswhore9 Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer (Mickey)

8 @cherrycola27 Born to Be My Baby by Bon Jovi (Bradley)

9 @trickphotography2 Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones (Bradley)

10 @blue-aconite Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police (Jake)

11 @roosterforme Do You Wanna Touch Me? by Joan Jett (Bradley)

12 @startrekfangirl2233 Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! (Mickey)

13 @bradshawsbitch Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen (Bradley)

14 @bellaireland1981 Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon (Bradley)

15 @wkndwlff Lay Your Hands On Me by Bon Jovi (Bob)

16 @beyondthesefourwalls Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield (Javy)

17 @thedroneranger Boys of Summer by Don Henley (Bradley)

18 @cottagecori Dancing With Myself by Generation X (Bob)

19 @sweetwhispersofchaos I Hate Myself For Loving You by Joan Jett (Natasha and Jake)

20 @sometimesanalice Straight Up by Paula Abdul (Bradley)

21 @lovinglyeternal Call Me by Blondie (Jake)

22 @roosterforme Adult Education by Hall & Oates (Jake)

23 @beyondthesefourwalls Your Love by Outfield (Bradley)

24 @mayhemmanaged You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC (Jake)

25 @topherwrites Love Shack by The B-52's (Bradley)

26 @ficsilike-reblogged Take On Me by A-ha (Bob)

27 @cottagecori Rock You Like a Hurricane by Scorpions (Bradley)

28 @jupitercomet Kissing a Fool by George Michael (Bradley)

29 @startrekfangirl2233 Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds (Jake and Bradley)

30 @topherwrites Just Like Heaven by The Cure (Jake)

31 @sweetwhispersofchaos As the World Falls Down by David Bowie (Natasha and Bob)

32 @inmyloveworld Open Arms by Journey (Bradley)

33 @thedroneranger Centerfold by J. Geils Band (Jake)

34 @gretagerwigsmuse Can't Hardly Wait by The Replacements (Bradley)

35 @bellaireland1981 Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar (Jake)

36 @blurredcolour Push It by Salt-N-Pepa (Jake and Bradley)

37 @blackwidownat2814 White Wedding by Billy Idol (Jake)

38 @keep-on-burnin The Look by Roxette (Bradley)

39 @cherrycola27 Secret Lovers by Atlantic Starr (Natasha and Javy)

40 @topherwrites Uptown Girl by Billy Joel (Bradley)

41 @jynxmirage If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher (Jake)

42 @notroosterbradshaw Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks (Bradley)

43 @ficsilike-reblogged Hungry for Heaven by Dio (Beau)

44 @callsign-magnolia Who's Crying Now by Journey (Bradley)

45 @trickphotography2 Every Breath You Take by The Police (Bob)

46 @sarahsmi13s Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard (Jake)

47 @roosterforme Cover Girl by New Kids on the Block (Natasha)

48 @bobfloydsbabe Alone by Heart (Jake)

49 @ughthisisntright The Stroke by Billy Squier (Bradley)

50 @wkndwlff Special Secret Song Inside by The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Jake)

51 @sylviebell Thriller by Michael Jackson (Natasha and Javy)

52 @xoxabs88xox Why’d You Come in Here Lookin' Like That by Dolly Parton (Jake)

53 @paigewinchester67 I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen (Bradley and Jake)

54 @sarahsmi13s Fishin' In the Dark by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Bob)

55 @callsign-joyride Need You Tonight by INXS (Bradley)

56 @foreverrandomwritings Paradise City by Guns N' Roses (Beau)

57 @cherrycola27 Whoever's In New England by Reba McEntire (Bob)

58 @1234-angelika The Bluest Eyes in Texas by Restless Heart (Jake)

59 @decantedenchanted Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx (Mav)

60 @the-authoress-writes Black Velvet by Alannah Myles (Jake)

61 @withahappyrefrain Somebody to Love by Queen (Bradley)

62 @valhallaas Hold on Loosely by 38 Special (Javy)

63 @talktomegooseman The Chair by George Strait (Jake)

64 @foreverrandomwritings Master of Puppets by Metallica (Mickey and Bob)

65 @poetrieshouse Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran (Mav)

66 @tongue-like-a-razor Poison by Alice Cooper (Jake)

67 @1234-angelika Real Love by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (Bradley)

68 @the-authoress-writes The Flame by Cheap Trick (Ice)

69 @hangmanstigerlily Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon (Jake)

70 @samsgoddess Hysteria by Def Leppard (Bradley)

71 @eternalsams Cherry Pie by Warrant (Jake)

72 @love-in-light Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi (Bradley)

73 @thatdammchickennugget Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams (Bradley)

74 @whatislovevavy Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears (Jake)

Totally rad cover art:

@ryebecca She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals

@bettycooper Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush (Bradley)

@ryebecca The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News (Bob)

@mak-32 Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car by Billy Ocean (Bradley)

@laracrofted I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett (Bob)

@sebsxphia Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners (Bob)

Need some song inspiration? Check out these bangers:

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police

Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones 

Livin’ On A Prayer - Bon Jovi 

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

Shout - Tears for Fears

You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi 

Every Breath You Take - The Police 

The Final Countdown - Europe

Angel - Aerosmith

Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks

Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

Call Me - Blondie

Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money 

Free Fallin’ - Tom Petty 

Hysteria - Def Leppard 

I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 

Just like Heaven - The Cure 

I Won’t Back Down - Tom Petty 

Magic - The Cars

Love Is A Battlefield - Pat Benatar 

Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer

Love Shack - The B-52’s 

Without You - Motley Crue 

Material Girl - Madonna

Legs - ZZ Top

Paradise City - Guns N’ Roses 

Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon 

Cum on Feel the Noize - Quiet Riot 

[apprenticestanheight]

Apple Picking - Eggsy Unwin x reader

all right! I decided on a random monday night a couple of days too late that I was going to challenge myself to write and publish one fic for each week of October. Had I thought of the idea earlier this one would've come out on the 6th, but I thought of it when writing this last night so it's coming out today instead.

The goal with this event is to write for characters and pairings I don't write for often and like my account to a certain extent, this event is multifandom! Eggsy Unwin is kicking it off because I love him wholeheartedly and don't write for him as often as I should.

This fic was written while I was listening to the Boygenius song Leonard Cohen and directly uses the lyric 'I never thought you'd happen to me' twice because I love Boygenius and I couldn't help myself.

Fic type- fluff

Warnings- none

There was not a day that surpassed the both of you wherein Eggsy Unwin did not second guess himself. He wondered why, out of all of the people you could've chosen, you chose him.

You were the best person Eggsy could've met in the beginnings of his career as a Kingsman. You liked to read, you loved to write, you didn't hate dogs and you loved the autumn.

Eggsy had met you while waiting for Harry at a coffee place. You'd bumped into him while taking an idle step backwards, you'd chatted in line, he'd made you laugh, and you'd exchanged numbers and then it was like that was it. He was in your life, you were in his, and things would probably stay that way.

Still, four years later, you were thirty-two and had been sharing an apartment since just a bit before Eggsys 30th birthday. It was near the Kingsman tailors and near where you worked, so it was a good fit.

He was grinning to himself as he parked his car into one of the two parking spots that was included in the rent, Harry on the phone with him as he talked animatedly about plans you'd made for the upcoming and extremely rare weekend Eggsy had off.

As Eggsy turned the car off, he took Harry off speaker, pressing the phone to his ear. He opened the door just enough to hear the sound of rain and pocketed his car keys.

"Yeah! It's gonna be great--late morning, we're going to order in, I think? Once that's done with we're going to take JB and we're going to go apple picking. They do it with JB every season so that they can use the apples for apple butter, but I have the weekend off so we're turning it into a staycation type thing."

"Staycation?" Harry asked as Eggsy ran from his parking spot to the front door of the flat complex, barely dodging the rain in the process. "The closest apple picking place is three hours out of the city. That's not staying in."

"Close enough, innit?" Eggsy said, swiping the fob and grinning as he approached the elevator. The thought of seeing you had turned the exhaustion he felt into something more content, something happy.

"I suppose," Harry said as Eggsy pressed the button. The doors promptly opened and in Eggsy stepped, pressing the button for your floor and shaking his head as though to focus. "Are you staying at a hotel?"

"Only decent one we could find doesn't allow pets," Eggsy said. "We're going to drive thirty minutes back around so that he can stay at a pet hotel, I think. Bit of extra work, but he'll be happy with the hordes of attention he'll get. I'll be happy because--it's not like opportunities like this come often."

Despite the fact that he couldn't see him, Eggsy knew that the expression Harry wore was a sad smile on the other end of the phone line.

"Have you proposed yet?"

"I'm working on it," Eggsy said as the elevator doors opened. He stepped into the hallway and approached your door, grabbing his keys from his pocket. "Just bought the ring yesterday. The secret of it might bloody well eat me alive, Harry."

Harry laughed halfheartedly. "You have a good night, Eggsy."

"You too, mate," and the call was done.

Eggsy put his key into the lock and turned, sighing with relief and pressing his head against the door as it opened slightly. It didn't take him long to hear the sound of JBs claws scraping against the floor and your gentle discipline, telling him to wait until Eggsy had gotten a foot through the door to bide for his attention.

Eggsy laughed and proceeded inward, heart heavy with how happy he felt.

-

A day later, it was six, you'd just ordered McDonalds to your hotel room and the hotel mini fridge was full of ten pounds of apples from the time you and Eggsy had spent picking them while JB found his soulmate in a pug owned by a couple in their sixties.

Eggsy had just gotten out of the shower where you'd showered beforehand, and you were sitting in the chair that had been placed by the window, using it for what seemed to be it's purpose as you read something.

Eggsy said nothing, leaning slightly against the door frame in his Kingsman sweatpants and a baggier shirt that smelled a little like you, indicating you'd stolen it in recent, then washed it and sprayed it with some of the scent you liked before placing it in one of the clean clothes baskets that Eggsy would later sort and fold.

You were reading a book, and Eggsy was looking at you, and it just--everything kind of just hit him.

He'd bought the ring. He could've proposed to you right then if it really, truly seemed like the right time as he always kept it in one of his pockets. He could've proposed at the apple orchard but it just didn't seem like the right time then.

All that Eggsy could think of was that first time you'd met in the coffeeshop. You'd bumped into him while taking a step back, and you'd chatted, and he'd made you laugh and it felt like it was perfect.

Four years gone, four of the best years he'd experienced, and he found himself leaning against a bathroom door frame and looking at you, and it just--woah.

"This is going to seem so random," he said, one hand idly going to his pocket, where he'd slipped the ring out of what had managed to become a habit after only three days. "But it just--we've been together for four years now, and it's all kind of just hitting me."

You turned to look at him, grinning as your gaze met his.

"Yeah?" You asked. "What is it?"

"I never thought that--well--you see, I'm not really known for my smarts," Eggsy sighed. "Roxy and Merlin and Harry--and, well, everyone, realistically--would make a case for the fact that I don't really know much at all, but I do know that I know you."

You were looking at him like he was the love of your life. Eggsy knew that you were his without a doubt in his mind.

"I never thought that when you bumped into me, we'd find ourselves here. I never thought that I would be using one of the only weekends off I've gotten since I started working for the Kingsmen to propose to you in some hotel, but this where we are and I am so grateful for it."

You stood, approached him. Eggsy pulled the ring out of his pocket and presented it to you, shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Harry, the guy who had a love for romantics somewhere deep down, was going to kill him for proposing in the hotel rather than at the orchard.

"I never thought you'd happen to me," Eggsy said. "Seriously. I didn't, and I don't know how I've managed to get so lucky but I am so happy I have."

"You realize that marrying me means your stuck with me forever, right?" You asked, pressing a quick peck to his lips. "Like, no escape. In sickness and in health, in every single moment where I choose to annoy you because it's funny, in every single time you come home from a mission at seven in the morning because the mission ran long or you got called in late, and discover I've made brownies or butter tarts or peanut butter cookies. You're stuck with me even then."

"I never thought you'd happen to me," Eggsy said again. "So yeah. I realize it means I'll be stuck with you when you annoy me and that it means I'll come home to brownies, or butter tarts, or peanut butter cookies. I realize it means I'll be stuck with you when we're both drunk and we can't stop laughing. In sickness and in health, Y/N. Sunny days, and the rainy ones, too."

Eggsy loved you so much and often found that it was impossible to put it into words.

"Will you marry me?" He asked.

"I'd be an idiot not to," you grinned.

Eggsy slipped the ring onto your finger and made a note to call Harry before the two of you went to bed as your arms wrapped around his shoulders, his around your waist, and the two of you hugged.

You couldn't believe your luck, and Eggsy couldn't believe his.

[goldyluna]

Ask time ✨

Can you assign your favourite song(s) to your favourite character(s)? And, if you want, say why do you think that song is them? (vibe and style can be enough, you don't have to worry about the lyrics :3 So if there's a song that reminds you of a certain character, but the lyrics don't suit them, then don't worry about it :3 I know that sometimes the melody suits someone but the lyrics not always, so please feel free to go with your feelings <3)

Ohhh shit, a killer of a question. A challenge I shall try my best to do

I will go with my current Top 6 (because I want to talk about a lot of my favs but I am lazy at the same time). If you don't want any spoilers, don't read my reasons why I picked the songs!

Shin Tsukimi from Your Time To Die – I would pick Not My Turn To Die by Micki Robyns-P. But is it cheating if I choose a fansong made about the character? Well, I think about this song when I think about him. But another song that I would give him is King of a Tragedy by Isak Danielson. The vibes and lyrics are pretty what I would is him. Shin Tsukimi, a King of a Tragedy. Doesn't is sound right? If we analize it more, lyrics tell about destructive relationships but you want to still be with that person and you hate yourself because of that. Shin's relation with Midori wasn't great but it was his only friendship then. This relationship influenced Shin even later in life, when Midori dissapeared on him. It affected his reactions and behavior during the death game.

Jinx from Arcane – Gasoline by Halsey is one of the one I can think of. (The other one is Get Jinxed made just for her of course, but I'm gonna pick some not related songs). I think she would cry and scream to this song. The lyrics hit hard and can be connected to her. I can imagine her tearing her throat raw with her singing, feeling it. Pouring this motherfucking champagne down the drain. That she feels like a hurricane destroying everything, jinxing exerything. The melody could be more agressive and chaotic, but it is nothing that Jinx wouldn't fix with her tinkering lol

Sans from Undertale – Kagerou Days by Jin. This song alawys reminds me about Undertale. I love it so much with the time loops and I know other people think this song fits Sans too. On youtube can be found a "cover" or more like reinterpretation of the song with Sans and Papyrus as the main characters. The desperation to save but not being able, even if the days are reapeting. I know Sans doesn't remember exactly the new resets and only has a feeling and is aware of it. But still living in a deja vu is horrible. He knows monsters are dying. And I also am a fan of the theory that Papyrus is aware too so the song is perfect for this.

Miles Morales form Spiderverse – Mother by Ina Wroldsen. This song makes me cry. And connecting it with Miles? Heart destroyed, emotions in shambles. He is so far, so away from his home, his world. The danger is so near and everyone tells him he should let it happen. It is hard to be a Spider-man, especially if you want to do things your way. If you want to save everyone you love and you try so hard, but things aren't always going the right way. I just know that he would love to see and talk to his mother. To tell her everything. So she could console him and make him feel better. So she could hug him and say him he is home.

Tenma Tsukasa from Project Sekai – Beat Me by Davina Michelle. Maybe it is my angsty side talking (I mean, every song I gave is kinda angsty), but I really think this song suit him! Tenma always will stand up and do better! Because he will be a Star! He will show everyone his worth with how bright he shines✨

Fluttershy from My Little Pony – Are You Happy In Paris? by SOLARIA and CharM-P. Another song really hitting close to home so maybe why I want to give it to Fluttershy. The vibe is so right. The melody words so well with her in my opinion. Lyrics kinda too. It is what I imagine would go throug her head after she fell from the clouds, thinking about Rainbow Dash as she was her only friend. But Rainbow Dash had dreams that were so different than Fluttershy's. This song also is perfect for my little AU I have only in my head <33

[beanieman]

I decided to put YTTD characters to some songs that I think the lyrics match earlier. Now I’m ‘forcing’ this duty onto you since I want to see whether our opinions match on some of them.

•Abnormality Dancing Girl

•Meltdown

•ECHO

•Appetite Of A People Pleaser

•Kakakuri Pierrot

Now some of my own-

•BETTER OFF WORSE

•Non-Breath Oblige

•Bug

•HIBANA

•Fixer

•Orthodoxia (ignoring the meaning of the actual song here)

•Bocca Della Verita

Anyways. Have fun.

Oh a bit of a challenge! I'll gladly take it since I'm always happy to indulge in YTTD related stuff!

Abnormality Dancing Girl - This is such a Shin song. It's about changing who you are and feeling as if you're going crazy while doing so! I think the lyrics that most back up my choice to pair this song with him is: "I can't go on like this. Constantly being manipulated by useless measures of worth. I've already come to hate this life. So, I think I'll restart my life.

The Rest Undercut

Meltdown - I'm going with Sara for this one! I interpret this song to be about haunting grief, which is something Sara has felt since the death of Joe. She feels guilty like she caused it, which how the lyrics "In my dream I strangled you. In the languid afternoon light. I watched your throat, thin and twitching. I watched your throat, thin and twitching." could come into play.

ECHO - This is so Maple core. The lyrics "What the hell's going on?! Can someone tell me please? Why I'm switching faster than the channels on TV? I'm black, then I'm white. No! Something isn't right! My enemy's invisible, I don't know how to fight!" match so well to when she's freaking out in the pink room.

Appetite Of A People Pleaser - Maybe Ranmaru for this one? The song could be about his need to make Sara happy despite how self destructive it is to himself. The lyrics I think most back up my choice are: "Maybe if I try a little harder, it will be okay. One day. Keep on eating more and more. Divide my life away into servings. And go beyond the point of no return."

Kakakuri Pierrot - This is another Sara mourning Joe song to me! Mostly because of the multiple references to being a clown, and I consider the Joesara theme of the game to be "Clown Song." The lyrics I think most back up my idea are: "It's so easy, and yet so difficult, for I can move on as soon as I accept reality. Unable to believe it, not wanting to believe it, I must be a clown inside your mind, aren't I?"

BETTER OFF WORSE - This gives me Alice during the band era vibes. The song is more overdramatic then what he probably felt about the situation, but I do think it has some basis! The lyrics that make me think this are: "Bleed out for audience approval Tragic, but perfectly on schedule. You think by now that we would have learned. Behind every piece of art is a human to be heard. Rejecting change to keep you there."

Non-Breath Oblige - I think this fits Shin the most since the lyrics all seem like a long winded rant he'd go on! For example: "I'll raise the white flag to the tyranny of the majority. Suppress my ill feelings and say cheese." Plus the chorus has Shin written all over it: "I want to live but I'm told to die."

Bug - This song feels like a panic attack so I'm assigning it to Shin. The lyrics that make me think this are: "Well! It's a desperate situation, I'm doomed to fall no matter what I do! Surely, surely sinking, no, no, NO!"

HIBANA - Another song that I think is Maple and Midori coated! Mostly about their messed up "romance" that Maple was forced to feel despite how poorly Midori treated her. The lyrics that make me think this is: "Come, come, mute the complaints. Hesitating over stupid things. You're kidding, huh? Ahaha!. Seems like unbreakable walls are being pressed for a kiss."

Fixer - Again, I think this is a Shin song! He really fits Vocaloid tunes! The lyrics that make me think this are: "With this shoddy excuse for a smile, I let time fly by, acting as if I know what I’m talking about. I never wanted to end up like this."

Orthodoxia - I know you said ignore the meaning but the song seems to fit ASU-NARO as a whole considering we hear that it may have some basis in religion in Kai's mini episode. The lyrics that I think back up my point are: "I take people’s lives away, devouring even their wishes. I’ve been living by trampling on the misfortune of others. The world was not such a wonderful place after all! If you flatter your idol, then your life will be saved. There is no such thing as correct teachings!"

Bocca Della Verita - I think this fits Maple and Midori since I could see it playing over the scene where she attacks him. The lyrics I think back up this idea the most are: "I-I-I quite hate you, w-w-w-w-what is wrong? You're still so frivolous, while I'm noble. I drag you across the dry floor. If you weren't around, I would be a goddess by now!"

[spaceyaceface]

Ace's HL Writing Challenge

Well folks, we did it!!! After five long years, this blog has reached 1,100 followers, which is amazing!!! As a thank you, I wanted to celebrate your talent by doing a Hogwarts Legacy writing challenge! More inforamation under the cut :)

How it will work:

I'm keeping it pretty simple. The rules are down below. To sign up, simply send me an ask with the prompt number and character/ship you'll be writing for. For now, we'll do just one person per a prompt, but that may change depending on how much participation there is.

When you've written your work, just post here on tumblr and tag me! I'll be reblogging each of the works that are submitted and giving positive feedback!

The rules:

Must be focused on characters from Hogwarts Legacy. AUs, adding OCs, etc, is more than welcome, but make sure that it involves characters from the game.

That being said, it can be ANY characters from the game! It can be x reader/MC, ships of two characters from the game, or not have any romance and just the dynamics of different characters. Whatever tickles your fancy!

Please, no NSFW or smut. Keep things PG-13 for this one :)

No word limits---just have fun!

You don't need to use the exact prompt in your work. You can do so if you choose, or rephrase it, or just go off of vibes alone lol.

The Prompts:

I will keep this updated for what prompts are/aren't available. All of these are song lyrics, and a playlist of all the songs used is available down below :)

"I was never one for short endings or cheap goodbyes." @shiinzhon

2. "I still don't know how to get to you." @talesofesther Sebastian x Reader

3. "I hear a storm is coming in--My dear, is it all we've ever been?"

4. "You go to find another place for your sun to shine."

5. "For the record, I've made my hell."

6. "I will wait for you, though I can't wait forever."

7. "Let's dance until the sun aches, love until our bones break." @shadowtriovibes Sebastian x MC

8. "Expectation is the currency of fools, and I spent it on you." @boomingsmile

9. "Now I feel like I'm finally me."

10. "I pretended I could read your thoughts, now it's just the truth."

11. "I'm in love when you're around."

12. "Can you hold on just for a little while longer?"

13. "I lost you when I lost me."

14. "I've done so many things wrong, I don't know if I can do right."

15. "A man can never dream these kinds of things."

16. "If I shut my eyes, will you appear? Because I'm not me without you here."

17. "Lonely are the ones who fall from love."

18. "One look and it all falls down."

19. "Even while you hold me as I cry on the floor, I still don't know how to be yours."

20. "If you're leaving I gotta know why."

21. "All my emotions feel like explosions when you're around."

22. "I want to find a home and I want to share it with you." @shadowtriovibes MC x TBD

23. "I like you, say it back."

24. "How can I be the boy you dream about?” @ravenelyx Sebastian x MC

25. "Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms."

26. "I hope I'm not the last of what the world gave you.”

27. "We thought love was something we weren't meant to find."

28. “I was afraid to let it happen, but now I cannot forget it.”

29. "I could cut my hands on your edges, but I won't pull away."

30. "I swore that I'd become a better man for you and I tried." @sallow-tales Sebastian x MC

31. "I usually hate these cliches, but loving you feels that way." @eggymf

32. "The funny thing about love is it makes you wait."

33. "It's hard to find an end to something that you keep beginning." @localravenclaw - Sebastian x f!MC

34. "It happened when I least expected it." @finalgirllx

35. "And we wait until one of us caves." @emptycauldron

Playlist link

[accirax]

initial thoughts on DCAS episode 6

THIS EPISODE WAS SO GOOD!!! the fact that it was a musical episode is totally the cherry on top; i love it when series come with their own music (cough cough me @ project sekai). but overall it was also really funny, and had some great character moments, too.

i'll save my thoughts on strategy and where the season might be headed for my next power ranking post (whenever that is :,( ), but were some of my other thoughts/highlights.

specifically the phrase "fuck my life" and Yul saying it made me cackle. seems like Emily ISN'T Yul's manager, but she might still kinda take on that role this season? we'll see. the lack of phones is really having an effect on the plot.

they hate her so fucking bad

okay, i guess i forgot to consider this angle when i was saying it would've made more sense for them to vote out Fiore. however, having started with 18 participants, the merge will probably happen at, what, 10 people? (modern Survivor describes the merge as "at least 11," but obviously this isn't survivor.) sure, Hunter is a bit of a challenge beast, but he can't protect all three of them every episode. if this trio is only 3/10 of the votes, you could literally split the votes on Ally and Tess in a 3-3-4 if you can get everyone else to unite against them. you know what you should be worried about? THE VILLAINS ALLIANCE HAVING 6/"10" VOTES AT THE MERGE!!! sigh. why am i relying on Jake to be smart (/j)

i'm more impressed that there was hot water in the first place. this thing is in the middle of a field, no?

i'm finally starting to see how Yul can be a hilarious "love to hate him" kind of villain. he had some of the best lines this episode hands down.

TREVEK BECOME CANON???

there was absolutely no reason to put the apple on the stick other than to fit in. love this for her.

idk if this is a winner's cut moment or not. glad that the money would go towards schools and NOT the police force, though.

man, now i want to go back and check the other episodes to see if Tess has had the "Cyan Team narrator" role the whole time. in Survivor, that's indicative of a deep run. ...i really need to stop applying Survivor logic to everything.

and why are you thinking about what would make Oliver laugh, Kristal? ',:)

i appreciate the s1 callback, but Trevor doing this dance move gives me so much second hand embarrassment that i keep inadvertently closing my eyes every time i have to "see" it again. anyways, given how most of the episode songs had lyrics related to the Team's emotional state, it's interesting to see that Trevor is singing a romance song. trevek become canon pt 2?

this was an interesting parallel. with Kristal laughing at Derek's joke, it seems like they were trying to show how she's growing closer to Derek, in a way which Trevor might fear is romantic. were there supposed to be romantic undertones to Alec being the only one to laugh at Connor's joke? and, if there were, was that just a fun nod to the aleconnor shippers, or will it actually be canon/relevant to later in the season?

NOT a surprise. i need to see the "i want you died" poetry he wrote about Fiore after last season.

of course you were, you fucking fruit (affectionate)

the anguish: i love my gf :D let's frolick through a field together

"trust me dude i'm the divorce man"

GABBY?????

mood but also damn is Ellie really leaning into the villain thing this season. this doesn't even help her win the season, she JUST wants to see him suffer.

i forgot that the s1 contestants didn't know that Nina was her own separate being yet

they were NOT lying, Aiden's VA is a great singer! Tom's backing vocals and Ellie and Gabby's harmonies(?) were also really nice too, though. this was probably my favorite song of the episode just bc i think Cyan had the strongest singers. all of the rocking, shoulder-moving dances are also impossible not to imitate.

well, there's the thumbnail. their choice of thumbnail made me laugh bc i remember, back when i was watching s1, seeing all the thumbnails of Aiden kissing both James and Hunter and thinking that Aiden was going to be some sort of troublemaking flirty antagonistic character only to be blindsided by his actual characterization. i'm sure the s1 watching me would have only added this to her arsenal of evidence, although hilariously idk if i would have been able to tell the other character was Tom at the time. anyways, i was pretty certain from the start that this must be part of the performance. although, while i'm happy that Aiden seems to think that James will be okay with the performance, i wish we could have cut to James somehow just to confirm that that was true. i don't want the next time we see James, whether in the finale or some other time, to show that he was actually really jealous and upset at Aiden for kissing another man while in a committed relationship. also gabbielle(?) super cute in the bg :D

he's so fucking stupid... (/pos)

bold of you to say this to Ashley, who has been in a two year relationship with the guy who went home in episode 2.

i also really liked this song :D i understand why they made Jake and Ally the main singers, because they best encompassed what the theme of the song was about, but i think i actually liked Ashley's vocals the best. i wish she'd gotten to sing more. also for a moment i thought Marcus had a trans flag on his hat. it's still close enough. trans Marcus canon.

this was probably my least favorite performance of the episode, although idk how much of that was just how much i hate Alec's outfit. glassesless Alec scares me so bad... no hate to the VAs, obviously, i think they have nice voices! it's actually the way that they didn't sound like they had confidence in their singing abilities that made the performance feel a little shakier to me. i do think that this song had the best lyrics in terms of encapsulating each member of their team, though. i really like how Yul and Riya are the ones to sing "i'm going to chase it" as a duo, because they're the ones chasing fame and the limelight, and then Grett sings that she can't ignore it, because eventually she's going to have to realize that her entire relationship with Yul was a result of him clout chasing. Connor only singing "live in the moment until i die" is also very fitting given his placement... in both seasons. L.

really surprised that Riya (or anyone else) didn't even mention Yul's foot injury as part of this equation. Riya just said that she didn't want to lose any more challenges, and Yul's bad foot could totally lead to a loss. maybe i'm just overestimating the extent to which that foot injury will stick around, though.

season 2 characters are REALLY suffering out here.

HELP??????

love to see Alec and Fiore's kinda sorta dual redemptions. i have high hopes for them.

and those were my initial thoughts, which got way longer than i expected. thanks if you wound up reading towards all the way down here. i have no idea who the leakers are, obviously, but i really hope that they stop acting up soon so that the series can continue. i would hate to have the artists have to take a pay hit and/or stop making the series just because of some people's impatience and delusions of power, or have the honest patrons lose out on being able to watch the episodes early to protect from others' immaturity. see ya!

[esther-dot]

What do you think about song Bear and the Maiden Fair? While the bear is described as brown and black with hairs while the maid described as honey in her hair and pure. Many think that song is about Hound and Sansa because he saved her when other knights couldn't but the bear in song didn't seems to saver as it tastes the honey of maid when she was shrieking and kicking. Seems like forced touching just like Hound forcing on Sansa. Tyrion, Penny and Jorah had played the characters in Meereen.

I also received this ask about the song:

(These are so old, neither of you may be around anymore, but I finally typed up some thoughts on this. Sorry for how belated this is! 😬)

I would assume that the reason so many relationships have a connection to the song is that Martin has an interest in developing relationships between extremes. At one point or another, he’s formed a relationship between youth/age, brother/enemy, beauty/ugliness, life/death, love/hate and I totally forgot the big one and had to circle back to add: ice and fire! Lmao). “Beauty and the Beast” is based on the interest in the juxtaposition of extremes, The Bear and the Maiden Fair offers something similar, so it makes sense to me that he repeatedly utilizes it.

The placement of extremes in relation to each other is an aesthetic thing some find compelling (created via The Hound’s size and scars against Sansa’s remarkable beauty and youth, Dany’s size, eye and hair color contrasted with Drogo or Jorah’s…), but more importantly, a thematic thing. We see the contrast vividly with Brienne and Jaime as well as Sansa and the Hound. Their appearance is at odds, of course, but what really matters are how their values are contrasted. Sansa’s beliefs and her nature are entirely opposed to the Hound’s, and if you think of Jorah as the knight exiled for being a slaver and the shame of his house helping the woman who attempts to end slavery (until she needs it) and restore her house…well, you get a version of that there too.

Being that Martin has stated he played with the Beauty and the Beast angle with Sansa and the Hound, but was surprised people shipped it, we should accept that Martin uses tropes/references for different purposes, not necessarily to signal an endgame romance or mutual interest even if that is the initial thought by the reader. Martin likes the inside/outside view of things, likes to examine ideas from multiple perspectives, and a character occupying different roles throughout the story allows him to extract a lot of meaning. Fans like to focus on how Sansa is wrong about a certain character, but the main intent behind all of this is the author challenging his reader when he forces us to examine and re-examine who characters are and what he is saying with them. The lyrics of the song twists our perception of things, so, even if I reject how it’s often applied, I agree that the concept behind the song is being discussed in these relationships.

We see the same beast/knight ideas with the Hound and Sansa as with Jorah and Dany. Both Dany and Sansa have these guys who are associated with specific animals (bear, hound), who function as protectors at some point even though they also betray them. Jorah’s betrayal is labeled as such in the book, but the Hound going from rescuing Sansa to assaulting her is a betrayal as well. Both men develop loyalty to the girls, they offer some protection, both have a sexual interest in the girls and both sexually harass them (Jorah kisses Dany without permission, the Hound assaults Sansa). I suppose Sansa and the Hound fit a little better with parts of the song because the girl is initially frightened by the bear while Jorah presents quite differently despite all the bear references. The bear-ish description of Jorah isn’t just the bear sigil, we also get all the hair stuff:

"I shall wish to speak with Ser Jorah before the night is done," her brother said. Dany found herself looking at the knight curiously. He was an older man, past forty and balding, but still strong and fit. Instead of silks and cottons, he wore wool and leather. His tunic was a dark green, embroidered with the likeness of a black bear standing on two legs. (AGOT, Daenerys I)

“He had a neck and shoulders like a bull, and coarse black hair covered his arms and chest so thickly that there was none left for his head.” (AGOT, Daenerys III)

and of course, he is referenced as a bear pretty often:

“Ser Jorah, her gruff old bear” (ADWD, Daenerys VI) and he’s referred to as her “bear knight” (ADWD, Daenerys III) and “My bear, she thought, my old sweet bear” (ADWD, Daenerys X).

I selected those from ADWD because to me, that’s when it for sure was deliberately connecting back to the song as Tyrion puts Jorah in the role of the bear:

"That one is part of our show. The bear and the maiden fair. Jorah is the bear, Penny is the maiden, I am the brave knight who rescues her. I dance about and hit him in the balls. Very funny." (ADWD, Tyrion X)

So, we begin the story knowing Jorah is a bear (Mormont), that he’s described as bear/beast, called a bear/bear knight, and then eventually, he’s playacting the bear from the song. Interestingly, the "knight" who fights the bear is acted by someone Martin has called a villain. I could never argue that the author isn’t being intentionally self-referential, he clearly is. However, we do have the fact that Jorah betrayed/molested Dany, and this:

Jorah Mormont's face was dark with anger, but he answered. "To serve her. Defend her. Die for her, if need be."

That made the widow laugh. "You want to rescue her, is that the way of it? From more enemies than I can name, with swords beyond count … this is what you'd have the poor widow believe? That you are a true and chivalrous Westerosi knight crossing half the world to come to the aid of this … well, she is no maiden, though she may still be fair." (ADWD, Tyrion VII)

I’m uncomfortable with the emphasis placed on virginity in the books and hate to use that (or beauty) as a determining factor in which couple the song is “really” about, but we have this line which I see as direct guidance from Martin about interpreting the Dany and Jorah relationship as a straight up version of The Bear and the Maiden Fair. The way it’s presented and challenged indicates that while in a particular dynamic or in a specific scene a character fulfills a certain role, that isn’t necessarily their overall role. To me, looking at the story as a whole, Brienne’s role is true knight, more so than maiden. Just as the idea that Dany is the maiden/damsel is present in her interactions with Jorah, but that isn’t her role in the story as a whole, no more than Jorah is the true knight. (He’s a slaver ffs).

As for the Jaime and Brienne of it, Jaime protecting Breinne from a bear slots him into the knight role, but as they struggle over who is fighting the bear, there’s a play on who is in the knight role and who is in the “maiden” role. Also, Brienne is mockingly called beauty and Jaime is described as a beast, and while those characters are being cruel to Brienne, to the reader, we know Jaime has done horrible things (attempted kid killing = monstrous), and we know Brienne is the purist soul (goodness=beauty), so taking a step away from the superficial, we are getting a layered play on the trope. And yes, Brienne is a virgin and Jaime a knight, we can leave it there, but Brienne is a knight in the truest sense and Jaime is beautiful, so I think the best way to look at this question of who this song is “about” is to accept that the trope being discussed is getting a rotisserie chicken treatment. We’re allowed to see it from every juicy angle, not limited to one. After all, Jorah is a knight and a bear.

Of course, as I already said, since the author likes to reference things without implementing them the way people expect, this doesn’t necessarily mean romantic endgame, but saying that doesn’t mean I’m dismissing Braime because I do think Martin wrote in the romantic stuff deliberately. The whole knights/fools etc is at play in that scene too:

"What are you doing here?"

"Something stupid. Get behind me." He circled toward her, putting himself between Brienne and the bear. (ASOS, Jaime VI)

Brienne is referenced as the maid in this scene, but later she reads like a knight on a quest to save the fair maiden --Sansa. We even get some “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” singing there. If they ever meet, I would expect some beauty/beast discussion to crop up just as part of this continuing conversation about roles, part of the characters revolving through them to allow the author to thoroughly analyze the ideas and evolve what fairytales are/say. In their pairing, Brienne would be the knight to Sansa’s maiden to allow for Martin to contrast Brienne with all of our failed knights.

We get a lot of duality with these characters/their roles which means we can ask, who is the knight/who is the bear and come up with many, many answers. All of them true in a certain light, only to then turn them on their head. Sometimes, a failed knight rises to the occasion, and sometimes the maiden saves the knight, and sometimes, the knights are evil, sometimes the knight isn’t a true knight. Sometimes salvation comes from where you least expect it, and sometimes, rescuers are also a threat. The roles are there, but Martin is playing with them, challenging them, so the multiple ways we can read these characters and dynamics is very much intentional. All of that being said, it’s undeniable that there is one maiden for whom the song is particularly relevant.

Sansa fits the maiden role in a much more overarching way than our other contenders. Not only because she’s a virgin, not simply because of her interest in romance or because so much of her story has been driven by various people’s sexual/political interest in her/marrying her, but because she represents certain attributes, foremost of them, mercy. We get in trouble when talking about how beautiful she is, but it can’t be disregarded because she represents hope, innocence, compassion, peace. Martin made her beautiful not just as a physical thing, rather, because she is representative of ideas; she is the beauty of certain ideals.

The Hound who laughs at killing children is moved to protect her, can’t follow through on his own desire to harm her. Dontos tells her,

"A knight?" Joffrey had decreed that he was to be a knight no longer, only a fool, lower even than Moon Boy. "I prayed to the gods for a knight to come save me," she said. "I prayed and prayed. Why would they send me a drunken old fool?"

"I deserve that, though . . . I know it's queer, but . . . all those years I was a knight, I was truly a fool, and now that I am a fool I think . . . I think I may find it in me to be a knight again, sweet lady. And all because of you . . . your grace, your courage. You saved me, not only from Joffrey, but from myself." (ACOK, Sansa II)

Personification is a thing and even though she is a multidimensional character, I think the way Martin has written Sansa makes it clear that he is calling back to old archetypes here which is why, when you hear “maiden fair,” Sansa is the referenced character in an overarching way, not just in a specific dynamic, not just in a specific chapter or one book, but in the series, this is who she is in a way that no other character is.

Her role in the story is notably the tropey damsel in distress/princess in the tower (in a way that Dany and Brienne are not), and even with the revision of what that means by a modern author, even with the idea growing and evolving into something new, with the girl having far more agency and inner life than in older stories, it’s so clear this is who she is that even her haters know it. They call her a princess in a tower to show their disdain, but all they’re doing is admitting that even they recognize who she is in the story.

And of course, there is the fact that Sansa is referred to as a fair maiden, even in her TWOW chapter, that her beauty is often remarked upon, and that she has some parallels with Persephone which seems pertinent due to the Beauty and the Beast/Hades and Persephone/Death and the Maiden connection:

Petyr cut a pomegranate in two with his dagger, offering half to Sansa. "You should try and eat, my lady."

"Thank you, my lord." Pomegranate seeds were so messy; Sansa chose a pear instead, and took a small delicate bite. It was very ripe. The juice ran down her chin. (ASOS,

LF is her uncle (by marriage), he spirits her away from KL and is clearly intent on making her his, and as we know, he’s orchestrated destruction for her family/the realm, so he fits in here as a kind of Hades (death) to Sansa’s maiden which is relevant considering how loosely related death and the maiden is to the beauty and the beast idea.

However, the thing that feels the most like the author directing us to a specific conclusion must be reading her first chapter in ASOS which might as well be called “the Bear and the Maiden Fair chapter” because we finally get the lyrics to the song, and it’s interspersed into a scenario that is kinda telling a similar story. Sansa wants a beautiful knight (Loras), but is offered a stranger instead (Willas). We’ve also just read a speedrun through all the fake knights/bears/suitors/“love interests” Sansa (or fans) have selected for her:

Sansa wondered if Joffrey knew of this supper. For all she knew, it might be his doing. That thought made her fearful. If Joff was behind the invitation, he would have some cruel jape planned to shame her in the older girl's eyes. Would he command his Kingsguard to strip her naked once again? The last time he had done that his uncle Tyrion had stopped him, but the Imp could not save her now.

No one can save me but my Florian. Ser Dontos had promised he would help her escape, but not until the night of Joffrey's wedding. The plans had been well laid, her dear devoted knight-turned-fool assured her; there was nothing to do until then but endure, and count the days.

[…]

Even so, she must accept. She was nothing now, the discarded daughter of a traitor and disgraced sister of a rebel lord. She could scarcely refuse Joffrey's queen-to-be.

I wish the Hound were here. The night of the battle, Sandor Clegane had come to her chambers to take her from the city, but Sansa had refused. Sometimes she lay awake at night, wondering if she'd been wise. She had his stained white cloak hidden in a cedar chest beneath her summer silks. She could not say why she'd kept it. (ASOS, Sansa I)

So, we have the prince who turned out to be a monster (Joffrey), the guy everyone thinks of as a monster who protects her (Tyrion), a knight who she saved but sexually harasses her (Dontos), a man who threatens her but ended up saving her only to then turn around and be a threat himself (The Hound). See what I mean about multiple roles? My gosh, it’s almost like the author has intentionally been writing variations of the song into Sansa’s story all along, or even, dare I say it, he's written Sansa’s story into a song, only, none of these match up perfectly, so we are still waiting for the true(est) incarnation of this song to manifest into her story.

Or, all of that shorter:

"I CALLED FOR A KNIGHT, BUT YOU'RE A BEAR! (ASOS, Sansa I)

"I prayed to the gods for a knight to come save me," she said. "I prayed and prayed. Why would they send me a drunken old fool?" (ACOK, Sansa II)

So, if Sansa is the maiden of the song, the maiden fair of A Song of Ice and Fire, who is the bear, who’s the knight? More importantly, where is this poor girl’s hero?

Y’all, this is getting ridiculously long. Now, I’ve never not done something for a silly reason like not wanting to appear ridiculous, but I can’t post seven thousand words all at once. tumblr staff will deactivate my account to save me from myself! I will get to Jon and the Jonsa of it all in part two.

[skzinka]

👜 ... ⃕ STAY ! NEW INKA CONTENT JUST DROPPED !

# ASK INKA : what's in my bag?

inka : hello guys ! i'm inka from stray kids and i will do the what's in my bag challenge. i always have it with me because i tend to always leave my stuff lying around.. so as soon as i find something that belongs to me, i put it in to store it later. handy, right? my bag is like mary poppins'.

inka : okay so.. let's start !

airpods, charger & phone.

inka : most important things, if you ask me. i really can't live without my phone, as i tend to write a lot in my notes. i must have like over 300 notes in there.. bits of songs, moments of my life that i don't want to forget, feelings.. that sort of thing. and my charger obviously, essential given the rate at which my phone loses its battery.

inka : i also have my airpods, with my super cool box with the effigy of this monster & cie's character, bob razowski. i wanted boo's version, but i was afraid it would be too big.. so i chose this one which i also love.

👤 : what is your song of the moment?

inka : my song of the moment? mhh.. lemme think about it.. i think it's i'm good by bebe rexha and david guetta.

perfume and makeup.

inka : another thing i can't live without, my perfume. i'm completely obsessed with this one. i am used to putting some very often, which makes my bottles empty quickly, but it's nothing because i love the smell of these.

inka took the opportunity to apply two strokes of perfume on her neck, feeling the good smell of the latter invade the room.

inka : ahhh, i really like it.

inka : i know that we have our makeup artists who always do an impeccable job without imperfections, but i like to have minimal makeup with me, just on principle. you never know.. maybe one day something will happen that will make me have to do my makeup alone, i have to be prepared for this situation !

songs notebook.

inka : ah yea. my private notebook. in fact, i have had this notebook for years, it's a bit like my secret diary you know. the pages are filled with song lyrics, song ideas, or little doodles. they sometimes help me to find inspiration and not to forget any of my ideas. speaking of ideas, as they often appear at any time and without warning, i try as much as possible to always have my notebook handy to write them down, otherwise i tend to forget them and regret it later.

wallet and card holder.

inka : my wallet is cute, right? it's kuromi. jeongin gave it to me on my birthday, since then, it hasn't left my bag. it is quite wide, so very practical. plus, i don't like going out without coins and all, so i put the cash in.

inka : and of course my card holder, because one day i lost my credit card by putting it in the pocket of my jeans, so i decided to pay more attention to it and always put it in my bag so i don't lose it again. a very tiring experience.

hand cream and hand sanitizer.

inka : if there must be one thing in all the bags in the world, it's hand sanitizer who never goes out without it's hand cream. with the hard time we've had, and the virus that is still running around, it's important to be careful and disinfect your hands regularly. but the disinfectant often dehydrates your skin much faster, especially with the cold weather, so it is very important to hydrate your skin regularly to avoid any damaged skin. that's what i do, anyway. i hate having sore hands.

inka took the opportunity to do a little booster shot, showing to the camera how to properly apply the cream on the hands.

medications, bandages & pack of tissues.

inka : i'm the type of person who regularly has migraines, and therefore unbearable headaches. it takes me often and it is extremely unpleasant, that's why i always have pills with me to help me feel better. i also have vitamins that i take daily, that help me to keep myself fit and energetic. and finally, regular pills to be able to cure my insomnia, i must not forget to take them, they are extremely important.

inka : bandages are very important, because sometimes when we get hurt outside the dorm, we don't necessarily have what it takes to heal yourselves, so i make sure to always have bandages to treat wounds that do not require medical treatment.

inka : i often blow my nose, really. i feel like i have a cold every day of the year. so i always have a pack of tissues with me, it has become essential.

itzy's ryujin polaroid.

inka : ahh.. one of my most precious treasures. this polaroid of ryujin is very important to me, because she personally wrote me a message on the back. a message of encouragement to be more precise, she gave it to me during a rather complicated period of my life, and i must admit that i consider it a bit like a lucky charm.

👤 : do you want to say a little word to ryujin?

inka : ryujin if you see this video, thank you for all your support, thank you for being such a precious friend ! you're the best.

a small stuffed cat.

inka : oh it's my little meow's turn ! it's a gift from ateez's lua. as many know, lua is my best friend, and she gave me this stuffed cat shortly after my debut in stray kids. i literally take him everywhere, i take great care of him, oh and funny fact, he has the particularity of smelling like vanilla. so my bag is always scented with a vanilla smell.

inka approached the little stuffed cat to her cheek, pretending to cuddle it tenderly for a few seconds.

👤 : do you want to say a little word to lua?

inka : bestie ! how are you? i can't wait to see you again soon, i hope we will have many more good times together. i miss you.. take care, okay? i send you all my support for your future projects. and don't forget, i will always be your biggest fan. *🫶🏻*

kitkat and other snacks.

inka : kitkat are my favorite snacks, it's nothing new, honestly. i buy these regularly and always have a few in my bag, just in case my stomach gets a little peckish.. you know, to avoid awkward gurgling in the middle of an interview.

obviously, she takes the opportunity to unwrap one and quickly eat it in front of everyone, triggering the laughter of some members of the staff.

inka : but ! i also have other snacks for the kids. those who ask me most often are obviously changbin and jisung. once, i caught them rummaging through my bag to find some, unbelievable.

yellow nintendo switch lite.

inka : my precious. she is always here for me. i really love video games, i often spend all my free time playing. i love playing animal crossing, fire emblem, trials of mana.. i have a large collection of video games at home. i often play with felix by the way. but i am more often playing genshin impact on my playstation..

👤 : which characters are in your genshin impact's main team?

inka : i change quite often honestly, because i love playing with lots of different characters. but right actually, my mains are mona – the only character who never leaves my team, scaramouche, tighnari and fischl.

a few words to end this interview.

inka : what i remember is that i should definitely organize my bag better, but i still think i have most of what i need inside. unfortunately, there will always be little extra things that will be added from time to time.. next time i'll take a backpack !

inka : thank you so much for this interview, it was fun to film and share all this with you, and above all, to show you a little of my life in this bag.

inka : aaand.. cut !

✧⠁taglist : @writerblock-sucks

[tokuvivor]

DuckTales Character Songs! (Part 3)

Okay, you should hopefully know the drill by now. So today, I’ll be highlighting characters that debuted in Season 2, and choosing songs that I think best fit them.

For whatever reason, I did not think of doing this last week, but if you want to look back at my previous songs, here are the links to the first two parts:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 2, continued

And again, shout-out to @glowyjellyfish for brainstorming help.

Fethry Duck

Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin

What better song to match with Donald’s marine biology-loving cousin? Even though Fethry has his head in the clouds most of the time, his heart belongs to the ocean. Even if living in an underwater research lab isn’t the most ideal of conditions, Fethry makes it work.

Zan Owlson

Woman by Kesha (feat. The Dap-Kings Horns)

As the old adage goes, Owlson is a strong, independent woman who don’t need no man. She took over Glomgold’s company for him after he was stricken with amnesia. She probably makes plenty of money out of it. She works hard, and she’s good at what she does.

José Carioca and Panchito Pistoles

The Three Caballeros by Clarence Nash, José Oliveira, and Joaquin Garay from The Three Caballeros

Because of course.

The Three Ghosts of Christmas

Past, Present and Future by Emility

The lyrics do a good job of summing up what each of the three ghosts traditionally represent.

Lieutenant Penumbra

Power by Little Mix

This song is big, badass, bombastic, and screams female empowerment. It’s absolutely perfect for Penny.

General Lunaris

Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival

It’s not just because the song has the word “moon” in the title. It’s also kind of a metaphor for Lunaris being basically a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and for the invasion that he enacted that led to the final battle of Season 2.

Violet Sabrewing

Killer Queen by Queen

Violet is an absolute enigma of a character. She’s smart, serious, intense, has a couple major hyperfixations, and is super blunt; she can be hard to read, but whoever she lets into her inner circle, she is steadfast loyal and supportive of them, as we’ve seen in episodes like Friendship Hates Magic! or Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks! (even though we totally should’ve gotten more elaboration from the latter episode on her relationship with Huey). Okay, getting off track. The point is, this song kind of explains how with Violet, there is more than meets the eye. There’s more complexity to her than the casual fan might think.

John D. Rockerduck

Money, Money, Money by ABBA

We don’t know a whole lot about Rockerduck in the show, other than that he’s a super rich capitalist. So…money.

Gandra Dee

No Roots by Alice Merton

I think the tone and lyrics of the song really fit Gandra’s rebellious nature. Gandra doesn’t like being tied down to one place. She’s mysterious, with a complicated past. And I think this song sums that up well.

Drake Mallard

Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

“If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.” Drake’s a down-on-his-luck actor, trying to make an impact. But Launchpad ultimately taught him that the biggest possible impact that he could make in life is helping others. And that inspired him to take up the mantle of his childhood hero and become the terror that flaps in the night, the combination lock on the vaults of justice, Darkwing Duck. And this classic MJ track mails the point home beautifully.

[vamptastic]

I've come to enjoy listening to Black Parade as more of an anthology of different stories about death than a linear narrative. War (Mama), sickness (Cancer), suicide (Sleep), addiction & overdose (This Is How I Disappear), murder (Teenagers-school shootings imo), sudden death (Dead!). And with each of these stories we're presented with a very familiar narrative on death that is then given a double meaning and flipped around on us.

Cancer is definitely the best example, the title leads you to think of cancer, but the song itself has lyrics meant to evoke AIDs, and therefore challenge the way people think of AIDs (as something that is the person's 'fault') vs cancer. There's a bunch of people who have made this observation way better than me, I just think it's really genius.

Sleep also does something similar with suicide, where the lyrics encapsulate the sort of anger and rage at the world that often motivates suicidal ideation rather than the more palpable sadness and desire to stop suffering ("don't you cry for me/cause i don't feel bad about it", "the hardest part's/the awful things i've seen", "letting go of your dreams). He's angry, bitter, and doesn't care about what people are going to have to go through when he's gone, which is pretty fucking relatable if you've ever dealt with suicidal ideation, but there's still a profound misery and he's still trying to escape something (his nightmares).

Mama does this by flipping the idea of a sad letter written by a dying soldier. He's not telling her how he's fighting hard but can't wait to get home, he's screaming about war is horrible and she raised a monster who's going to hell. It's a good subversion of how that trope is usually evoked, and the music video for Ghost of You shows a similar narrative, I think. I also really like the Mother War character as a sort of parallel/foil to Death.

Anyway, just an idea. I think I like listening to my favorite songs off the album this way instead of trying to jam everything into a narrative, because even though the mess that is the story of Three Cheers makes perfect sense to me I just can't get the pieces to fit in an interesting way.

I mean, there's definitely a sense of a journey throughout the album, but I think of it more as Death walking the Patient through different versions of the afterlife and different types of death, trying to help him accept his own death, and then at the end he decides to remain in this world as a ghost. There's hints of this in The End and Disappear too, where he's taking an outside view and commenting on his own life, but it's not consistent within the album, which is why I think we're seeing glimpses of other characters and stories in the more tonally dissonant songs.

I also just really like the idea of Death as an escort to the dead, like the Dickinson poem, responsible for delivering them to their own personal afterlife, who has to deal with somebody who's not ready to leave. (The Grim and I is a great text game with a similar concept, slow start but the 'true' ending is incredible). Death as a figure who kind of hates its job but is bound by its nature is very interesting.

[urban-hart]

mkay, chattiness restored

i wanted to share some old TTS-related arts that were actually very formative for my original characters (because I felt mildly nostalgic, and don't hate all my old stuff right now)

(warning: full of rubbish and half-baked thoughts)

(another warning: this will take up a lot of real-estate--esp on mobile--and it feels worth noting this was supposed to be warning 1)

(final warning: it's seriously old art, pls turn back before it assaults your eyes)

--

>8O YOU LOOK ANYWAY?! fine. can't say I didn't warn you. because i did. thrice.

The other half of that Hubert piece was--you guessed it!--actually Caspar (which I was too embarrassed to share at the time-- kinda still am, but my like for the composition outweighs that atm). I am very tempted to redo this one, and try some show-style rendering, just for kicks

I wanted this Cass-Cas nickname mixup peppered throughout their Road Trip saga, in both casual or perilous contexts. Because the best jokes are the most ill-timed ones. right?

For TTS Lyall, Ben Platt is a fairly certain voice claim. Which led to this short scene idea wherein he pointedly sings Billy Joel's 'Vienna' at Varian (the lyrics fit, I think). He's definitely the sort to boldly serenade a friend in such a way, and the concept scratches my 'if my characters were in a musical' brain itch

i lowkey shipped these two, and that might have been because I originally built up Caspar's character so specifically to compliment her traits and sometimes challenge her approach to things. their military backgrounds were their biggest bonding point, and there were Cass-Cas-Sass-offs which I enjoyed more than I ought to have

TTS Hugo turned into a reindeer. felt much better, only I don't know how he'd have handled Corona's sunny climates. would he have been okay?? :( also lookit how baby Lyall's face is, I'm love him

[aheartshapedgun]

2, 11, 18, THIRTY NINE DESPERATELY, 42, and 60 for the get to your writer game :)

2) Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

I try to have an outline of what should be in the chapter, but my brain keeps spitting out ideas as I write so it rarely checks out xD

Created a doc for my bodyguard AU where I structured every little thing... We'll see how that'll go :s

11) Link your three favorite fics right now

I honestly don't like the idea of favorites because I feel like it belittles other authors and I think everyone who contributes to a fandom with their work (if it's in character and not some disgusting shit) deserves to be given a shoutout, but since I've been asked...

invisible string [ilsaethan]

cherish all these simple things (wherever we may be)

Serendipity [marina]

I skipped some of the new ilsaethan stuff and feel like it has some possible favorites, but like I said, I'm grateful for any content.

18) Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Whenever I thought of a title before writing it almost never stuck lol so I tend to do that when I'm done. Sometimes there's a line that I see fit, sometimes it's just some thing popping into my head, and sometimes it's lyrics. I hate titling a fic less than summarizing it, but both give me a headache lmao

39) Share a snippet from a WIP

Nodding hello to her colleagues, most of whom showed her a smile, Ilsa made her way to the weightlifting area, where she began to warm up with some light stretches. She then moved on to the bench press, loading up the bar with enough weight to challenge her strength.

“You sure you can handle that, Faust?” Rufus teased, cocking an eyebrow at her as she lay down on the bench, her hands gripping the bar tightly.

He was in his twenties, relatively new to the IMF, and somehow always around when Ilsa sought peace and quiet. Usually, he was very kind and polite to everyone, but he had a little quirk that could be quite annoying. She figured it was no coincidence that his name rhymed with “doofus.”

42) What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

Couldn't even remember, but it was easy to find because it was ilsaethan and pre-Dead Reckoning and I always leave a comment.

So, apparently the last time I was actually in the right headspace to read was two months ago, wow... It was Perfectly Broken by @ilsafausts and yes, I do recommend all of her stuff <3

60) Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?

Yes, and it's the best feeling! It was simple really, they just said, "seeing the pairing so well executed as you‘ve written them (including their adorable off-spring) is such a wonderful thing to read!" but it made me tear up and I couldn't stop grinning for hours lol

[filledwithair]

for your infamous mc!: manager, besties, and development!

First of all thank you so much for asking, i loved thinking about this

Manager: Do they get along with Orion? What do they think of him as their band manager?

I like to think they get along quite well, Gia is a professional, she likes things well done and after deciding to continue with her music career she got pretty serious about keeping deadlines, turning her work in time, polishing the songs, being in good shape for the gigs, continue learning…

But Orion hates her smoking even if she doesn’t do it too much.

Gia loves Orion as their manager. The man has the experience and the balls to shut down the band’s antics if needed. He knows what he is doing, and it feels nice having someone to watch your back. She is thankful he believe so much in the band to be willing to drop everything and manage them.

Besties: What’s their friendship with Rowan like? What are some things only he knows about them?

Gia is the common sense of that friendship she is chill and nice and complements quite well Rowan’s personality. On the other hand, Rowan takes Gia out of her comfort zone, he challenges her to explore new sounds, new experiences without being overbearing

I like to headcanon that Rowan was the only one to come close to know how Gia was taking the fight with Seven and the break up. It hit her hard, so hard she barely left her room. Rowan gave her space but was there for here, called out her nonsense and even dragged her out of bed.

I imagine Rowan dusting off Gia’s piano, picking up her journal and putting it next to the instrument, careful to not damaged the torn notebook. He would say something like “will be here if you need to end it”, kissed her head and leave the room to crash on Gia’s sofa. I think he would more about his friend wellbeing than her quitting the band or taking some time off.

Development: How did you come up with your character? Is their design still evolving? How do you think they might develop through the story?

I usually play with characters that charming, sarcastic and stubborn, quite outgoing and confident. When I came across the game and saw that we could play the MC stage persona and the real one I decided to try it, I want to explore the conflict of being different people.

I thought it fitted Gia to be nice and a bit not confrontational, I also thought it worked well with the band dynamic. And if Gia was going to e the nice, professional girl, Maze had to be the confident, flirty and hyperactive one.

At the end of the day they are the same person, the are behaviours that are appear I both Gia and Maze. I want to see how Gia’s character is going to evolve. Maybe she’ll take Maze confident mask or Gia’s openness will appear when singing an emotional song. I can’t wait to see how it goes.

And yes, Gia’s design is changing. I’ve got pinterest board and I’m putting the vibes that I think could fit but I’m still working on her sound, how metaphorical she is with the lyrics, what things happened to her to make her who she is now.

I’m having way too much fun

Ask game

[dollsandmasks]

I remember seeing someone on Reddit post a scanned love letter his sister received from a classmate, and it was ridiculed to hell and back, the author called every name under the Sun, because it contained amateur poetics and anime references.

My little brother got clowned on and berated online for posting his first anime art at age 10, on Deviantart of all places.

I have gotten violent messages online for my own art, because my art style was unpolished (a huge sin for a 13 year old) and my writing contained queer themes, which was not as accepted in fandom culture back then as it is now.

I've seen people call many things "cringe". Cat ears and cosplay in public are "cringe". Public displays of affection are "cringe". Writing fanfiction is "cringe". Having crushes on fictional characters is "cringe'" Dyeing your hair a certain colour, wearing certain clothes, reading certain books, listening to certain music, playing certain games and using certain apps... It's all "cringe", all of it.

Because you can't argue with "cringe".

When someone says that you should not be enjoying this book because it touches on a complex topic in a one-sided and unfair way, you can read up on analysis, discover something new about the topic, come to your own conclusion and choose whether or not to continue enjoying the book. When someone tells you that the music you are listening to was written by a person who has a recorded history of misdeeds, you can look into it, analyze the lyrics from a different perspective and make an informed decision on whether or not you want to continue to interact with this artist's work. If the social media app you are using has a security and hate speech problem, and someone informs you about it, you can stop for a moment and consider all the risks versus the benefits of using it.

All this criticism will make you think, and you might agree or disagree, but whatever conclusion you come to, you have thought. You have analyzed. You have enriched your mind, one way or another.

But when you hear something called "cringe", how do you rebuff it? What kind of deeper analysis do you have to perform to see the underlying reasons the work is not fit for consumption? What do you learn? You learn nothing, but now you feel bad about the thing you like, so you either abandon it or continue engaging with it out of spite, your relationship with your source of joy tampered with.

"Cringe" is not critique. "Cringe" is not analysis. "Cringe" is a subjective reaction that should never be forced on other people.

To cringe is to shiver and to back off from something that scares you. It's a reaction of rejection that you cannot quite explain. If something makes you uncomfortable, provokes a gut reaction, you don't necessarily have to reflect long and deep on a reason. You may, though, no one's stopping you. Maybe that thing you just saw in media or in someone's appearance reminded you of a negative experience from the past. Maybe it clashes with your aesthetic taste. Maybe it unearthed a deep-seated bias you did not know was taught to you when you were very young. Maybe it challenged a prejudice, or maybe it played into prejudice you have once been a victim of. Maybe it just wasn't made for you.

Anyway, you cringe from it.

To you, it's "cringe".

But for a reaction that is so personal, many people are sure as hell trying to force it on others. They are trying to make "cringe" an objective term. A thing cannot be "cringe" to some and "based" to others, it's either always "cringe" or always "based", and so are all the people who interact with it.

And thus, instead of confronting their own biases or just curating their spaces to not subject themselves to "cringe", they are trying to shame people who participate in what they have deemed to be "cringe".

But sometimes, "cringe" is a 10 year old boy posting his first art online. Sometimes, "cringe" is two girls with brightly-coloured hair kissing. Sometimes, "cringe" is a love letter someone sent to your sister.

All of these things can make you have this reaction, for whatever reason, and punishing someone for feeling a negative emotion when they see something would be akin to punishing a thought crime. But think hard. Is your negative emotion really warranted? Was your negative emotion rational? And, most importantly, is your negative emotion worth it to take someone's hard-earned happiness away?

There is nothing wrong with feeling negative things. There is nothing wrong with not liking media simply because it lacks appeal to you. It doesn't have to be that deep. Sometimes, the book is boring because it has too much romance and not enough dragons in it, and the girl with pink hair pisses you off because your ex had the same hairstyle. These things happen. It's okay to feel this cringe.

But always take context and value of your words and actions into consideration. Calling a book boring is okay; making fun of people for liking it is not. Not liking and not using Tiktok is okay; hating on kids and young teens who do, without attempting to educate them on dangers of algorithms and influencer culture, is not. Not liking someone's drawing is okay; attacking the artist without offering any constructive criticism is not.

And, most importantly, when it comes to marginalized communities you don't belong to, keep a simple thing in mind: these are real people, with real struggles, and they are facing hardships you are not even closely acquainted with. They look weird to you? You don't like the look of their clothes, the sound of their language? You don't feel comfortable seeing them on the streets for a reason you cannot quite put your finger on?

It's your bias to unpack, not theirs.

It's your comfort versus their quality of life and freedom of self-expression.

It's your "cringe" versus them getting to enjoy life and celebrate their culture in unique ways.

What I'm getting at, "cringe" is not an objective criteria. "Cringe" is a feeling, and a very personal one at that. Like most personal feelings, it's subjective, and often brought by something that falls outside the realm of what you are used to - because it's the new and the weird and the unknown that elicits the strongest emotional responses, be it positive or negative.

You can either ignore the thing that makes you cringe, or get educated on it to figure out where your discomfort stems from and whether or not there are objective faults with the source of said discomfort.

If there aren't any, and it's all just subjective emotional response? Leave the love letter, the 10 year old's anime drawing and the kissing couple alone.

Because you validating your feeling of cringe is not worthy of ruining someone's day, or month, or life.

it's not even cringe; it's just personal and unpolished and you've been taught to flinch away from vulnerability which doesn't mock itself