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bunnywand · 19 days ago

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ellie's top albums of 2024 - year of the pop girlies ?

i was waiting for one last album to come out b4 i put this year's list together (lauren mayberry's new solo album) bcos i was considering including it in the list based of the strength of the singles that had been coming out beforehand.. but i finally decided that as good as it is, and altho i could excuse putting 2 albums from 2023 in this year's list, i just didn't feel right putting an album that only came out yesterday on my ~end of year~ list 😅 but w/ that decision out the way, i can finally post this!! 😁

it's been a rly gr8 year for music, w/ 2 albums i'd been anticipating for literal Years finally coming out (los campesinos!' first album since 2017, and the cure's first album since 2008 😳) ..but i don't think anyone can deny that this year was absolutely Dominated by the pop girlies, i guess probably due to the confluence of "brat" becoming such a phenomenon, taylor swift's ongoing eras tour, And the explosions of both chappell and sabrina's careers 🤔

b4 i get into my picks proper tho, i just wanted to add that i decided to do s/t a bit different this year w/ my rankings of ~diy and the punk scene~ releases.. so if anyone's wondering where fightmilk's 3rd album or the problem patterns club remix album are, they're coming on a list later 😎

so anyways, probably time to actually get into the list 😳

billie eilish - hit me hard and soft: i already rly liked her first 2 albums, but i think this is now her best one by Far 😳 just a rly fucking phenomenal album!!

chappell roan - the rise and fall of a midwest princess: the first album in my list that's actually from last year.. but like a lot of ppl, i only discovered her this year, so i think it can be forgiven 🫣 but it's been v exciting to see her blow up, and i'm rly excited for whatever she does next 😁

charli xcx - brat / brat and it's completely different but also still brat: maybe The defining album of the year?? but i think i actually prefer the remix version tho, it's rly fascinating and cool to me how some of the remixed songs are like. in conversation w/ the original versions?? 😧 and they're all absolute bops, ofc 😌

the cure - songs of a lost world: robert smith first mentioned this album back in 2019, and after so many years of saying it was on it's way, i'd started to kind of doubt it.. but this year was the year it finally came out, and tbf i think it's good enough that it was worth the wait 😁

the linda lindas - no obligation: i'd been into the linda lindas since their first ep.. but then i'd kind of neglected listening to them since 😅 so when i saw this had come out i gave it a listen and was like "oh shit, they're actually Really good now?! 😳" and then had to go back and listen to the other stuff they'd released that i'd missed 😭

los campesinos! - all hell: i was soooo excited when this one was announced too, bcos it was my first time experiencing a new los campesinos! album as a fan, and like the cure's album it was also worth the wait!! also finally got to see them for the 2nd time, which was also another awesome experience 🥹

olivia rodrigo - guts: another album from last year.. but i got Rly into it when the spilled edition came out earlier in the year and finally realised how fucking Good it actaully was 😳 and then i felt bad for snubbing it in my 2023 list, so seeing as it's ended up one of my most played albums of this year, i don't feel too bad including it either 😝

sabrina carpenter - short n' sweet: i don't think i'd ever heard of her before this year, but i'm rly glad i got into her cos this album is sooo catchy, and it's ended up being one of my Fav favs of the year 😌

taylor swift - the tortured poets department: the anthology: despite the cure finally releasing "songs of a lost world," i think the tortured poets department still has to be my Album Of The Year 🥳 just such an interesting and ~sprawling~ album, i've listened to it So fucking much that it's the one out of all these that i rly feel has Defined my year, so much so that it's already become one of my most played albums of all time.. oops 🫣

and so there's my list!! 😌 but before i finish the post, i just wanted to shout out a few more honourable mentions..

green day - saviors: this came out p early in the year and i listened to + loved it a tonne, probably more than any new green day album since like.. uno?? 😧 but i kind of fell off listening to it as the year went on, and then a bunch of these rly gr8 albums came out too and sort of.. bumped it off the list 😅

haley heynderickx - seed of a seed: i'd been wondering for a couple of years when a new haley heynderickx album would be coming, after her first one came out in 2018, so i was v excited when i saw this had come out!! it's rly rly good too, but unfortunately it only came out last month and i haven't had a chance to listen to it as much as i'd have liked (partly bcos it came out the same day as the cure's album 🫣) 😔

lauren mayberry - vicious creatures: an album that v nrly made this list bcos it fucking rules, but i just didn't feel right including an album that only came out yesterday 😭 i'd been anticipating this one since the first couple of singles came out towards the end of 2023, and as more singles continued to come out over this year, i got even more excited for it!! so i'm so glad it's finally here, even if it just didn't quite make my list 😁

and there u have it!! this has ended up far longer than any other kind of post like this i've made before, so thank u for reading!! 🥰 and keep an eye out for my top ~diy / punk~ releases of the year too, which will hopefully be coming shortly 😉

#ellie's top albums

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obsesssedblerd · 27 days ago

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what are some of your favorite songs? [bonus if you use any of them for writing.] love your work sm! 🩷

this one has been on repeat lately. a lot of pts 4 and 5 of my recent smau series were written while listening to this.

i love so many songs by megan thee stallion. she's mostly who i listen to when working out.

literally anything by mellina tey. she's soooo underrated. i love her so much. (watching me, lights camera, and breathe while you can are my FAVORITES oh my god. scratches my brain so good.) 💓 she also just released an ep today and it's AMAZING. i listen to her songs everyday and i'm not even kidding.

black mambo by glass animals 🖤

bare wit me - teyana taylor (using this song to help me write a certain xreader fic 🤭)

can't think of anything else rn! really loved this question 💓💓

#this was so fun #asks answered #get to know rey <3

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thesimulacrasimp · 11 months ago

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OMG THOSE EPS--- I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS I CANT---

HAZBIN HOTEL EP 7-8 SPOILERS WARNING‼️

Okay so Charlie actually didnt forget Vaggie for lying for that long, which is understandable, really.

So Charlie ACTUALLY MADE A DEAL WITH ALASTOR NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIMES VAGGIE TOLD HER NOT TO.

Rosie is really sweet lady, but im not really vibing her voice

But i really DO vibe the cannibals. They all have this cool aesthetic n i really love that!

Carmillas n Vaggies song was also really good!

Also when Vaggies wings SUDDENLY N OUT OF NOWHERE came out i was like: OKAAAAAYY... IM NOT SURE WHY BUT GO OFF IG!!

ALSO OMG THIS SONG WHERE CHARLIE IS TRYING TO BRING CANNIBALS ON HER SIDE WAS SO COOL, ESPECIALLY THE END PART THAT WAS IN DA TRAILER, ITS SO COOL JSHSBSJSJ

Also they so cute n silly, I love em

AND AWWW THEY ALL GOT ALONG N BECOME FRIENDS 😭😭😭😭 I JUST KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT EP N THIS MAKES IT LOOK SO SAD 😭😭😭😭😭😭

the 8th ep...

OMG VOX IS BACK HIIIIIII!!!!!!! I MISSED U SO MUCHHH

AWWW NIFTY DID THIS LIL THINGY FOR ALASTOR ITS SO CUTE

Also can we talk bout how Charlie n Vaggie FINALLY KISSED??? I CANT IMMA JUST----

Im really so glad that Alastor is actually protecting the hotel and all people in it, hes probably doing it just because he have no choice, but i really hope that he do care about Charlie n everyone else. Also their fighting outfits is really cool. AND THE ANIMATIONS WHEN HE TOOK HIS DEMON FORM WAS SOOOO COOL, IT WAS LIKE IN 3D (maybe it actually was in 3d idk-)

Okay yknow.. When Adam blasted (idk if thats a correct word for that) at Alastor n broke his michrophone and Als voice became so clear, like, without any radio effects, I actually thought that he lost all his abilities, cuz Adam is clearly stronger than Al, and i got so scared becuz that would mean that he wont be able to protect the hotel anymore and maybe even die... But it didnt happen so its all good!!

Also Vox watching this whole fight being so exited for Als death was kinda funny to watch.

Okay.... I dont wanna cry again so can i not talk about sir Pentious? Thank you. All i gotta say, I really happy he managed to confess his feelings to Cherri before he... yknow...

Also Charlie FINALLY TOOK HER FULL DEMON FORM. N I ACTUALLY WAS NOT EXPECTIN RAZZLE N DAZZLE TO BE A GIANT DRAGONS THAT WAS SO COOL without thinking that one of them died...

Also i immediatly thought that sparing Lute was a mistake. Guess what? IT WAS!! :DDDDDD

ALSO I THROUGH THIS WHOLE FIGHT WAS REALLY HOPING THAT LUCI WILL COME OUT N SLAUGHT ALL THOSE BITHES FOR GOOD. N HE DID!!! I LITERALLY, ALL IN TEARS AFTER SR PENTIOUS' DEATH, WAS SO HAPPY I WAS LIKE: FUCKING FUCK YESSS!!! KILL THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS!!! '!!'! '! ₽!! 3!&!& ALSO I ADORE THE FACT THAT EVEN IN A FIGHT HES SUCH A SILLY CUTIE PATOOTIE.

And we saw his demon form n its really cool!

ALSO I WAS SO ANGRY WHEN CHARLIE MADE LUCI SPARE ADAM LIKE-- PLS LUCI KILL HIM N LUTE, THEY CLEARLY DONT DESERVE TO LIVE. Also we saw Adams real face which is kinda cool.

ADN MY GIRL NIFFTY DID ALL THE JOB HERSELF, LIKE GOOD JOB GURL! I KHEW WE CAN COUNT ON U.

Okay, at 1st ep i was not sure bout Katies new voice, cuz it clearly was hearable that its a mans voice, but in this ep its actually working! I absolutely loved this: «Nobody gives a shit about you, Tom!» xd

Ok so.... Ill try not to scream... khem- THEYRE CANNON!!!! THEYRE!!! FUCKING!!! CANNON!!!!! IM SO HAPPY U CANT EVEN UNDERSTAND!!!!!!! I FUCKING KHEW THAT THEYLL BE CANNON, IM A FUCKING GENIUS IDC. IK THERE WILL BE SOME PPL THAT WILL BE LIKE: "nOoO tHeY rE nOt cAnNoN iTs pRoBaBlY mIsAnDerStOoDinG....." YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK YOU. THEY ARE CANNON, I DONT GIVE A SHIT!!!! FUCK U IF U THINK THEYRE NOT TOGETHER

JUST LOOK AT THEM THEYRE SO CUTE AAAAAA

Also this last part of the song with Alastor was so strange. Yk english is not my first language so i probably missed alot what he said in that, but i clearly remember that he said something bout his wings n i was like WHAAAAT????? I know i probably just heard it wrong, cuz HE JUST CANT BE AN ANGEL RIGHT?... RIGHT??? He also said smt bout his freedom, so yeah, I think the wings was just a metaphor. But overall he looked really scared for some reason, which is actually so weird. Its so weird to see Alastor actually being scared..

ALSO WE FINALLY SAW LILITH, but sadly didnt hear her voice. N what is weird, it looked like she was on sorta vacathion, and Lute talked with her bout Adam being Killed AND THATS SO WEIRD AHHH I CANT WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HER ROLE IN ALL HERE!!

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT CHARLIE WAS RIGHT?? SINNERS CAN BE REDEEMED. CUZ PENTIOUS APPEARED IN HEAVEN AFTER HIS DEATH (n im really-really happy for him actually, im so glad that he didnt dissapear from the show, cuz he actually was my fav character in the pilot)

aoisjdjdjndndnns i cant wait for season 2!!!! Ig that the main antogonists in this season will finally be VEES?? OHHH IM SO EXITEDDDD

My review/thoughts on eps 1-2

My review/thoughts on eps 3-4

My review/thoughts on eps 5-6

#hazbin hotel #hazbin husk #hazbin angel dust #hazbin charlie #hazbin alastor #lucifer #my post

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twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat · 7 months ago

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oooof ask for hozier recs and i shall deliver!! i've been obsessed with him i fear...

my personal rn is probably Too Sweet, but my most played song of 2023 was All Things End. beautifully moving (as in i was sobbing for the entire song the first time i heard it), i just adore the way he describes love.

more personal favorites: Through Me (this song is insane actually!! can't describe it with words.), From Eden (one of the best love songs i've ever heard), Angel of Small Death (soo insanely addictive, his voice in this one ugh) and Movement (soft and beautiful and the very first song of his that I heard). The Eat Your Young EP is a wonder in itself but tbh so is everything else,,,,

now for some specifically sugu coded songs: Through Me and All Things End, Who We Are from his last album (the lyrics... my days the lyrics are so beautiful), Blood Upon the Snow!! (written for God of War Ragnarok, it's so good ??), Almost (Sweet Music) (be still my foolish heart, don't ruin this on me ✊😔)

but like i said, every time i hear a Hozier song it's sugu coded in my head... the lyrics always make sense to me. the way they're always so poetically romantic, yet in many of them there's a lingering pain underneath, wether it's because the love is already gone or because the love is simply way too much for just one heart to handle... i'm not okay.

fun fact, i once fell asleep listening to him and dreamt that it was suguru singing... and you know what it makes so much sense, i'll take it.

this got kinda long i'm sorry :(( anyways i hope you have a great day/night

(perhaps i shall write a lil' sugu thing inspired by too sweet)

NOE !!!! finally getting to this……. thank you so much for the recs!!! 🥺🥺 i appreciate it sm…… putting some of my thoughts under the cut hehe

I LOVE TOO SWEET . SO MUCH. it was the first song of his i listened to and wowwwwwww does it go hard….. so catchy and good and just. augh. IT’S SO SUGUCODED TO ME…. esp depression era sugu….. the lyrics are just gorgeous and so him. “but while in this world // i think i’ll take my whiskey neat // my coffee black and my bed at three // you’re too sweet for me”…. :’3 my baby

FROM EDEN IS SUCH A BOP . i loveee the instrumental ……. AND THE LYRICS . ”honey you’re familiar like my mirror years ago // idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword” <- BANGERRRR I CRIED . i am thinking many knight sugu thoughts ngl…. “i slithered here from eden just to sit outside your door” THINKING MORE SUGU THOUGHTS but specifically cult leader sugu …. aughhh 😔😔

angel of small death & the codeine scene……… tell me why this one made me so insane . such a tasty title and instrumental and lyrics i’m just????? i feel this way abt all of these but this one is so sugucoded too 😭 “freshly disowned in some frozen devotion”…. that’s our guy <333

EAT YOUR YOUNG IS SO CRAZY GOOD OUGHH….. i love love loveeee the “seven new ways that you can eat your young” part 😵‍💫😵‍💫 soso addicting. the lyrics are great and his voice is just soooo……. i don’t even know . i’m a little obsessed . “it’s quicker and easier to eat your young”…….. hhhhhhhhHH very sugucoded too ofc . any mention of eating is automatically a sugu reference 🙏

movement is super catchy !!!!! kinda relaxing too…… very soft. i rlly like the chorus :33 gives me waltz vibes…… kinda haunting…….

all things end + through me are soso pretty!!!! goshhhh his voice is nice……. i love the final part of all things end!!! w the synchronized clapping!!!!! so good …. and the lyrics for through me are so tasty . “with each grave, i think of loss // and i can only think of you // and i couldn’t measure it”…….. nomnom

ohhhhhh who we are is so beautiful :(((( his voice sounds so tender ….. i def get the sugu vibes here too!!!!! the feeling of something important slipping through your fingers …. “this phantom life, it sharpens like an image // but it sharpens like a knife” 😵‍💫😵‍💫 vert tasty . very sugu.

I’VE HEARD BLOOD UPON THE SNOW BEFORE BC OF RAGNAROK….. godddd it’s so. chillingly beautiful. the instrumental scratches my brain just right …… and the LYRICS . “too all things housed in her silence // nature offers a violence”….. “the parent forced to eat its young before i grows”…… it’s very . Raw . i like it a lot :3

AND FINALLY….. almost (sweet music). SO GOOD. i adore this instrumental and vibe so much + the lyrics are obv super pretty….. “i laugh like me again — she laughs like you”…… i love how light this one sounds in comparison to some of the other ones!!! a summer song for sure… a lil bittersweet….. and the chorus is literally SO addicting i can’t stand it……. BUT YES THIS ONE IS SO VERY SUGU. NOE. IM TEARING UP 😭😭 “be still my foolish heart // don’t ruin this on me”…. the idea of sugu thinking this…. maybe an au where he slowly recovers after his almost-defection….. or a childhood friends to lovers au…… i dunno. but my brain is spinning. i love him :(((((((

PHEWWW THOSE WERE GOOD . i love his voice sm….. i think my favs out of these options are too sweet, almost (sweet song), from eden and maybeeee angel of sweet death/eat your young…. but they were all super catchy :’3 thank you sm for these recs noe… sugu has invaded my brain

#OUGHHHH IDK WHY BUT #sugu with . almost (sweet song) in particular…. gets me so emotional……..#im so abnormal abt him #BUT YES THANK YOU SM NOE 🥺🥺 i rlly rlly appreciate it!!!!! very sorry for the wait :’3 #ily !!!!!#ask tag ✩#noe !! ✩

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silverraes · 1 year ago

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My Top 9 albums of 2023

tagged by @mysterygrl20 tysm <3

my taste in music is kind of all over the place so prepare yourself for a wild ride, although I also listen to a lot of kpop (I've kinda been slacking on keeping up with releases over the past year tho oops) and we definitely have some overlap in favorite albums

I apologize in advance for how long this post is going to become but you're really opening the floodgates by letting me talk about music lol

(it's been a very dry year for my favorite metal bands or this list would've been even more chaotic lmao)

1) Dear Insanity... by DPR Ian

while I struggled to rank most of these, there was absolutely no question about my #1 album of the year. I only just discovered DPR Ian in 2023 and he very quickly became my favorite artist ever. you might have even seen me talk about this album an unhealthy amount of times already lol. he's just such an insanely good artist and every single song on this album is just soooo damn good.

part of why I love him so much is also the story he tells throughout his music videos and just how insanely good all of his MVs look and how well the visuals fit the music so I feel obligated to link the MV to my favorite song off this album:

(some flashing lights in this one, folks, be warned)

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2) The World Ep.2: Outlaw by Ateez

everything Ateez releases is immediately getting added to my favorites, what can I say. I didn't have the money to go to their 2023 tour but I did see them live in 2022... absolutely worth the one and only time I ever caught corona. not a single bad song on this album, they're all absolute bangers.

3) Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token

I only just discovered Sleep Token in 2023 but I absolutely fell in love with this entire album and their style in general. almost got to see them live but then I ended up getting surgery on the exact day of their concert... :')

4) OO-LI by Woodz

I am a Woodz stan first and a human second. I'm convinced this man is incapable of releasing bad music, everything he does is just so damn good and I love how he explores a bunch of different genres while still making all of his music just sound like him y'know

also honorable mention to Amnesia which is only a single album so it didn't make the list but if you like more eerie stuff and the general vibe of his music, definitely check it out, I love it so much

5) On My Youth by WayV

WayV will forever have me in a chokehold. they've been my favorite NCT unit since their debut and honestly also the only unit I managed to properly keep up with over the last year ashgasj. I just really love their style of music and how they've actually been sticking to it

6) The Name Chapter: Temptation by TXT

It's truly been a TXT kinda year for me, I've been listening to them a lot. there aren't many songs on this album but I still love it so so much, all of the songs are great and Sugar Rush Ride is such a unique title track

7) Dark Blood by Enhypen

honestly Enhypen are part of the reason why I might have to update my top 3 kpop groups to a top 5 lol. all of their albums so far have been great and this one was no different, I still listen to a lot of the songs on it on repeat

8) RUSH! (Are U Coming?) by Måneskin

well what can I say, Måneskin have had me in a chokehold ever since they won the Eurovision and I actually got to see them live in 2023! drove all the way over to Berlin for them and everything, great album with great songs. I love both their more rock-ish songs and their slower songs and this album has a great mix of both (although I wish there would've been some more Italian songs on here)

9) MONO by K.Flay

K.Flay has been one of my more underrated faves for a couple years by now and I'll take any chance to gush about her music. there's just something very unique about K.Flay's music and this album certainly didn't disappoint. honestly, the only reason why I ended up putting this one on the "last" place is that I haven't listened to it as much as the other albums on this list

Honorable mentions!

bc once I start talking about music, I just simply can not stop at only 9 albums and this list isn't quite chaotic enough yet to properly describe my taste in music lmao

ODD-VENTURE by MCND

this is a rather recent one so I haven't listened to it enough for it to make the list, but I love everything MCND put out and this is definitely also a great album! (plus the title track is yeehaw kpop which is incredibly creative of them and I didn't know I needed that in my life)

HAPPYPILLS by Utsu-P

and this is where I expose the true chaotic nature of my taste in music lmao. Utsu-P's music is the perfect clash of world's between teen-me's obession with vocaloid and current-me's love for metal. I didn't include this album bc I still haven't gotten around to listening to all of it, but the songs that I did listen to, I absolutely loved

Phantomime by Ghost

oh you thought you made it through an entire post of me talking about music without mentioning Ghost? Hah, fool. jokes aside, this is an album full of cover songs so I didn't include it but it's still full of bangers. I reached audio cap now but I'll include their Jesus He Knows Me cover bc this was an absolute treat to witness live:

youtube

if you've made it this far without getting whiplash: congrats!

tagging (as always, no pressure, feel free to ignore this): @negrowhat @fallsouthwinter @spicypussywave @thisisworsethanitlookslike @supanuts @buddhamethods @alienwlw and anyone else who wants to do it!

#the lack of skz is only bc i still have not managed to listen to the full albums i'm-#i've been slacking on kpop releases so bad this past year it's ridiculous lol #tag game #tagged #music #rae's music rambles #Youtube #Spotify

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strngehorizons · 3 months ago

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Lover, Leaver

Soooo I've had this story in my drafts folder since before DIG started... it's taken me an embarrassingly long time to finish/get the courage to post, so please be kind!

I'm planning to post it in chunks, probably 3-4 chapters at a time. The whole thing is about 80k words, so bear with me!

This story is Sam x OC, but some things happen at the beginning... There will be NSFW content in this story, so minors please DNI!

Chapter 1: 4.3k words

Warnings: None

ONE

__________________________________________________________

I reached out to the car stereo, turning the volume knob down as if it would help me to see better. I’d been driving for about five hours straight at this point, only just passing underneath the town gates that read “Welcome to Frankenmuth” while I breathed a sigh of relief that we had finally made it.

“Do you want to go to the hotel first?” I shook out of my thoughts as I looked at my best friend, Violet, who was asking the question from the passenger seat.

“That’s probably a good idea,” I answered. After sitting in a car for so many hours, I was in desperate need of a shower to freshen up. I put my blinker on to turn right, heeding the GPS directions, and followed the small residential street to the next turn.

“Ugh, I could use about five margaritas right now,” Violet blurted. She pulled her legs down from the dashboard and placed both feet on the floor, turning to look at me. “Okay so after the hotel….what’s the plan?”

I pondered for a moment, collecting my thoughts and trying to keep my excitement in check. This whole weekend trip had been my idea, so naturally Violet was asking me for a plan. I knew that she wanted to go to Bronner’s, the giant Christmas store in town, and she knew that I wanted to visit some of the sights that the guys were fond of in their hometown.

‘The guys’, as I so affectionately called them in my head, were the members of the band Greta Van Fleet. Three brothers - Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka - and their childhood friend Danny Wagner formed the band, and I had been a fan for about a year. So far, they had released an EP and one studio album - not a ton of material to listen to, but I played those songs on repeat pretty consistently. Consistently enough for Violet to complain on the trip to Frankenmuth, that was for sure.

“Hmm… Well, we could hit up Bronner’s first or just do some shopping in town,” I suggested. “There’s a restaurant I want to try for dinner that the guys have mentioned a few times in interviews, but that’s about it for today.” I knew we were both pretty wiped out from the drive and could probably use an early night of drinking together in the hotel room.

“Sounds good to me! You know I’m down to go to Bronner’s right away,” Violet said with a devious smile. This girl loved Christmas more than anyone else I had ever met, so it was no surprise that she was eager to accompany me on this trip.

We finally pulled into the parking lot of the Frankenmuth Motel, sighing in unison as I turned off the car and peeled myself out of the driver’s seat. Sitting for so long had left my legs incredibly stiff, so I relished in the feeling of stretching in the parking lot. We gathered our bags from the backseat of the car and trudged towards the blinking sign on the side of the building that read ‘Office’.

After checking in, freshening up, and a glass of wine, we headed out to Bronner’s where we wandered in a Christmas wonderland for about two hours. Violet was completely in her element, frolicking through the fake snow (as if we didn’t get enough real snow at home in Canada) and purchasing ornaments for everyone that she had ever known. By the time we left the store, it was closing in on 6 o’clock and I was more than ready to sit down with some food.

Back in the car, I plugged in the directions for a restaurant called ‘Prost’ - Sam had talked about it in multiple interviews, so I figured that it must be pretty good. We pulled up out front as I graciously slid into a spot normally reserved for parallel parking, thankful that I didn’t have to put my parking skills to the test. As I stepped out and locked the car, I took in a deep breath of fresh November air. The breeze that caught my long hair was quite cold, making me reach up to fold my arms into myself. I pointed my nose to the sky as I took another deep breath, closing my eyes temporarily. When I opened them again, I peered down the other end of the street, taking in the sight of trees wrapped in twinkling lights and shoppers bustling down the sidewalk. I had to admit, it really was a beautiful little town.

I heard a whistle to my right, and was snapped out of my observations by a shivering Violet. “Oh please, take your time… I would love to freeze out here all night!” she said with a sassy smile. “Let’s fucking go!” she exclaimed as she jumped up and down to warm up.

I walked around the back of the car and joined her on the sidewalk as we made our way towards the door.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was warm and inviting, with dim lights and plenty of small tables that created an intimate experience. We were greeted by the hostess, who explained that we were welcome to have a drink at the bar while we waited for a table to become available. We happily meandered to the bar straight across the large room, taking a seat on two velvet covered stools at the end of the hightop. True to our typical form, I ordered a vodka cranberry with a lime wedge while Violet ordered a margarita. I rolled my eyes - this girl just couldn’t stay away from tequila, no matter how many times it came back to bite her in the ass.

The two of us sat sipping our drinks and chatting about the adventures of the day, barely paying any mind to the two girls that had dropped onto the stools next to us until one of them reached over to touch my arm.

“Sorry to interrupt you ladies, but I just HAVE to know where you got your bracelet from!” the girl closest to me exclaimed.

“Oh, no worries!” I replied as I turned in my seat to face her. I looked down at her hand connected to my arm, and began to explain, “It’s actually a moonstone, I picked it up as a raw stone and made it into this bracelet myself. I love moonstones, they signify - “

"New beginnings, right?” The girl finished for me.

“Yeah, exactly,” I said. My eyes finally flickered up to the girl’s face, and my mouth dropped open when I was met with familiar eyes and cheekbones. I had stared at those same features in countless photos over the past year, although the sharp angles seen in the photos were softer on this girl’s face. I quickly snapped my mouth shut to mask my surprise.

“Well, it’s really beautiful,” the girl continued. “I’m Veronica by the way. My friends call me Ronnie!”

“Penelope,” I said as I shook her hand. “But my friends call me Penny. Speaking of friends, this is my best friend Violet. We’re visiting from out of town,” I explained.

Violet reached across me to shake Ronnie’s hand. Ronnie gestured to the girl sitting quietly beside her before explaining, “This is Kenzi!”

After the four of us exchanged pleasantries, the hostess approached Ronnie in a whisper that I could hear from my position beside her. “Ms. Kiszka, your table is ready. Sorry about the wait.”

Ronnie and Kenzi stood up, about to make their way across the restaurant on the heels of the hostess. Ronnie turned towards Violet and I, extending her hand for me to take. “Please, join us! I’m getting such a good feeling and I believe this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

As she turned and led us away from the bar, my stomach did a somersault. We were about to have dinner with Veronica Kiszka… the distance between the band and myself was unintentionally shrinking with every step I took towards the table, but who was I to argue with the twisted hands of fate? Violet cluelessly followed behind me, not recognizing anything alarming about the situation - including the panic that was plastered on my face.

We sat down at the secluded table, Kenzi and Ronnie on one side with Violet and I on the other. The hostess handed out four menus and promised to return with fresh refills of our drinks, for which I was immensely grateful. I wiped my sweaty palms on the legs of my pants, trying to will myself to act somewhat normal.

“So you’re here from out of town, right? Where are you from?” Ronnie asked while we sipped the remnants of our first cocktails.

“Yeah, we just wanted a little getaway before the holidays. We’re from a city just outside of Toronto,” Violet answered.

“Oh my gosh, no way! Canada? My family loves Canada!” Ronnie exclaimed as Kenzi nodded with a smile.

“It’s pretty great,” Violet agreed, “But we don’t have any huge Christmas stores up there…”

“Ah, so you’ve been to Bronner’s? A classic,” Ronnie replied as she took a sip of her gin and tonic. “What else are you planning to do while you’re here?”

“Well,” Violet started. My stomach flipped once again as I realized what she was going to say. “Penny really loves this - ow!” Violet exclaimed. I had kicked her leg under the table, admittedly pretty violently, to keep her from continuing her sentence. She frowned at me, taking in my wide eyes, and somehow understood what I was getting at. “Penny really loves this part of the state.” A lame recovery, but it was the best she could do with short notice and no context.

“Really? Middle of nowhere, Michigan? Whatever does it for you, I guess!” Ronnie said as she and Kenzi laughed. I blushed and looked down at my drink, shooting a sideways glance to Violet to let her know that I would explain everything later.

Before the conversation could take a more awkward turn, a waiter showed up with our drink refills. After distributing the drinks, he stood with his notepad ready to take our orders.

“Do you guys mind if I order for the table?” Ronnie asked. “I come here all the time, and they have this amazing thing where you can build your own charcuterie board…”

“Please, go right ahead,” I answered.

“We’ll trust your judgment,” Violet nodded in agreement as Ronnie began rhyming off a multitude of things to include in a massive charcuterie board.

Once our order was taken, the conversation progressed quite naturally. The four of us discussed things that we love about the holiday season, told some stories about exes, and even had a spirited debate about the merits of hockey versus football. As Ronnie had said when we were heading to the table, there was a good feeling between all of us. It felt as though we had known each other for years.

As we sat digesting our food, there was a lull in the conversation.

“So, how did you guys meet? Tell us your friendship story!” Kenzi said.

I looked at Violet to see if she would answer, but she simply gestured towards me. “Well, we actually went to the same high school and the same university but we didn’t actually cross paths until we started working the same crappy summer job a couple of years ago,” I explained. “We like to say that the universe knew we didn’t need each other back then, but we need each other now.”

“Guys… That’s fucking beautiful,” Ronnie replied. “The power of the universe is incredibly strong. Nothing is coincidental,” she continued.

“I completely agree,” I said as I sipped my drink. “How about you guys? What’s your friendship story?” I already had an idea of the answer, but I was working to keep up appearances of being clueless.

“Well, Kenzi is dating my brother’s best friend. We’re all super close, so she and I became really good friends over the past year,” Ronnie explained. “We’re the only girls that consistently hang around those dorks - it’s exhausting,” she continued.

I tried to keep my expression even as I processed the information that she was casually spouting.

“That’s so nice,” said Violet, cluelessly. “I can hardly stand my brothers, so good for you for being so close with yours!”

Kenzi and Ronnie shared a smile, and Ronnie raised her eyebrows as if to ask Kenzi a question. Kenzi bowed her head in a small nod, and they both turned to look excitedly at us.

“So, we have an idea,” Ronnie started. “My brothers, and her boyfriend,” she jerked her thumb towards Kenzi, “are in a band. They’ve been touring lately, but they’re playing a local show tonight at a bar called Jan’s - they used to play there all the time before they signed to a label. Do you guys want to come with us?”

I could see the lightbulb flick on in Violet’s mind as she finally understood who Ronnie was. Before she could say a word, I replied, “That sounds so fun! Of course we’ll come along.”

“Great! We have a car service coming to pick us up to take us there, why don’t you just ride with us? Our driver can take you where you need to go after the show, and then you can Uber back here to pick up your car in the morning!” Ronnie said excitedly, seeming to have already worked out a whole plan.

I looked at Violet, who was trying to hide a smirk as she stood up from the table to put her jacket on. “Sounds like a perfect plan,” I reasoned. “I’m just going to use the bathroom first. Violet, want to come?”

Violet rolled her eyes as she followed me towards the back of the restaurant to the bathrooms. Once we were shielded by the privacy of the room, I stood with my back pressed against the door and pulled Violet in close to me so that we could whisper.

“Why are you keeping it a secret that you know what band her brothers are in?” Violet asked in a hushed voice.

“Because,” I whispered back, “I don’t want to seem like a crazy stalker fan. And, if I want to have a chance of meeting the boys, then I have to play dumb and act like this is the first time I’m hearing about them. Obsessed fan-girl is not a good look in a situation like this,” I reasoned.

“You know this is not going to end well, right?” she whispered back.

“Look, all I want is one night of fun with these guys. It will just become a story I can tell at dinner parties when I’m older, or when they make it really big,” I replied.

“Fine, I’ll go along with it. But you owe me!” Violet whisper-shouted.

“I promise, Christmas tunes all the way home,” I said, holding out my pinky for a pinky swear. Violet took it in her pinky, and the bond was set. “Now let’s fucking go!”

We turned and left the bathroom, making our way to the table where Kenzi and Ronnie were waiting with their jackets on.

“Let’s bounce!” said Ronnie while checking the time on her phone. “We might be slightly late for this gig… oh well, you guys can meet everyone after the show instead.”

“Can’t wait!” I replied enthusiastically. Inside, my nerves were on high alert and I felt extremely nauseous. As Ronnie had said earlier, the power of the universe is incredibly strong, and nothing is coincidental… I just hoped that I was a good enough actress to cover my tracks for the evening.

The drive over to the bar hadn’t taken long at all, especially since the four of us were hitting it off so well. The more we chatted, the more horrible I felt for essentially using Ronnie and Kenzi to get close to the band. I tried my best to shove those thoughts out of my mind, reminding myself that nothing in this world happens by accident and that they were the ones that had invited us to tag along.

The driver pulled up out front of Jan’s bar to let us out. He and Ronnie confirmed details for the ride home, and the four of us quickly ventured inside to escape the cold November air. As I ducked through the open door, my eyes scanned the intimate space. We had seemingly entered from the side of the room, so the bar was on my right against a back wall and the stage - if you could even call it that - was on my left side. There were hightop tables scattered throughout the room with stools pulled up at awkward angles in order to fit the vast number of people that had packed into the space. My eyes fell to Ronnie who was standing just in front of me, and I watched her raise her arm up to wave across the room. She turned around and motioned for us to follow, which we did.

Music was thumping through the speakers that were hung around the room, which made it difficult to hear when Ronnie stopped at a hightop table right in front of the stage and began gesturing at the people sitting there.

“Guys,” she leaned towards Violet and I, “these are my parents, Karen and Kelly, and these are the Wagners, Danny’s parents. Danny is the drummer and Kenzi’s boyfriend!” She leaned down to have a close conversation with her mother, who presumably wanted to know about the two strangers Ronnie had brought to an intimate performance.

Violet and I each reached forward to greet both sets of parents as Ronnie and Kenzi scouted for available stools. They eventually found four empty ones, and they were brought to our table as the boys were taking the makeshift stage. It took everything in me not to freak out as I watched them file in, taking their spots at their instruments. The people watching the show tonight had relationships with the boys that went way back, and the feelings of love, respect, and admiration in the room were almost palpable.

I watched in awe, my eyes wide, as Jake took the portion of the stage right in front of our table. He had his dark eyes down, focusing on something to do with his guitar, and his long wavy hair was falling in front of his face. I knew that underneath the hair, he had the same high cheekbones and chiseled features as Ronnie. Those Kiszka genes were certainly strong.

Jake lifted his head slightly and shook some of the hair out of his eyes, hitting a pedal on the floor with his foot. When his eyes finally flickered upwards, they landed squarely on my own. In that moment, it seemed as if time had slowed down. The people around us were moving in slow motion - the sounds of the bar had faded, replaced by the thumping of my own heart. After what felt like five minutes, which was probably more like five seconds, I lost my nerve and looked down at the floor while I tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear. I kept my eyes down for a few seconds longer, picking at some lint on my pants, until I heard the opening chords of Safari Song playing and I knew that Jake would be too preoccupied with the show to bother looking at me. Instead, I focused my energy on following Josh’s movements around the space as he belted song after song.

In the middle of the sixth song in the set, I felt Violet’s hand graze my arm as she leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“The one in front of us keeps looking at you, you know that right?” she asked. “Which one is he again?”

I leaned towards her, hiding behind a curtain of my hair. “That’s Jake,” I explained. “And no, I didn’t know he was still looking at me. I’m avoiding his eye contact. I’m too intimidated!”

Violet sat back up in her stool and rolled her eyes at me as the guys continued to play.

***

“Okay, that was amazing!” Violet squealed, turning in her seat to face the rest of the table. She slapped her hands down on the surface. “Those guys can rock!”

Everyone laughed, nodding their heads in agreement as they pulled their stools in slightly closer in order to make a closed circle. Karen and I made eye contact across the table, her welcoming smile beaming towards me as brightly as an afternoon sun catching the ripples on a lake. I smiled back sheepishly, blushing even deeper when I watched Josh march up behind his mother and place a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey mama, thanks for coming,” he said as he planted a kiss on her cheek. Karen pulled his arm around her and turned to reply.

“Joshua, we drove you here. We had no choice,” she replied, her laughter beginning to bloom before she had finished her sentence.

I watched with wide eyes as Danny appeared from behind Josh, walking over to wrap his arms around Kenzi while placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. He rested his chin there while he looked around the room, smiling with satisfaction at the people who had shown up.

“Hey sis,” Josh waved to Ronnie from across the table, catching sight of Violet and I next to her. “Well, well...now who are these lovely young ladies?”

Josh let go of his mother and began to move around the table, getting closer to where we were sitting. He casually draped one arm over Ronnie and one arm over me, placing his head down in between our ears. Before he could speak, Kelly’s booming voice carried across the table.

“Fantastic job, son!” Kelly exclaimed. I looked down to where Kelly had extended his hand, and the one that took it in greeting was capped with a white sailor’s knot bracelet on the wrist. I knew that bracelet, and therefore that hand, belonged to Jake. I took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in my throat as my eyes traced up the hand, catching onto a stare that was already holding my own. I couldn’t hear what Jake said back to his father, as Ronnie began to introduce Violet and I to Josh, Jake, and Danny.

I held Jake’s gaze from across the table as Ronnie and Josh continued to talk. Jake’s eyes shifted to where Josh’s arm was placed around my shoulder, transitioning to a slightly darker shade of brown as they narrowed at the contact. I pulled my eyes away from Jake to return to the conversations happening around me.

“Where’s my baby? Did you leave him backstage again?” Karen was asking the boys, most likely referring to Sam. He was the youngest Kiszka sibling and she knew that he could sometimes get lost in his own little world.

“He ran into one of his old teachers,” Danny spoke up. “I think they went out to have a smoke together.”

“I really wish he would kick that habit,” Karen said. “You too, mister. I know it’s not just Sammy out there in the early morning hours…” She jabbed her pointer finger into Jake’s side, looking at him sideways and raising her eyebrows.

As Jake smiled sheepishly at his mother, I blushed and looked down at my feet. The fact that Jake smoked was new information for me - I tried to imagine how he would look in the middle of the night, face lit up by moonlight and a cloud of smoke circling his face on its way up to the sky. My stomach flipped at the beautiful image.

“Speaking of…” Jake said quietly, backing away from the group slowly. “I’m going to head outside for a minute. See where Sammy is…”

He turned on the heel of his chelsea boot, weaving through the crowd and walking out of a door on the opposite side of the room. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my chest as I watched him exit the bar.

“Well, shall we rock and roll? I’m exhausted,” Josh said, still standing next to me.

Karen nodded her head as the Wagners began to put on their jackets. “Where are you ladies staying?” she asked.

“The Frankenmuth Motel,” I replied after looking over at Violet.

“Oh, honey, no,” Karen shook her head. “I love the town with all my heart, but that motel is a dump! You’re more than welcome to come to our place. We have plenty of space, and I’m sure Ronnie’s clothes will fit you no problem,” she continued to ramble as she stood to put her jacket on.

Violet and I shot each other a nervous look. She puffed out her bottom lip and shrugged, leaving the decision up to me.

“Uh, sure, that would be great,” I replied. I looked over at Ronnie. “Is that okay with you?”

“Uh, of course!” she exclaimed. “Any time we can balance the masculine energy in our house is a good time for me.”

The plan was settled. Kelly and Karen had driven the boys to the bar in their SUV, and we had Ronnie’s car service returning to pick us up. Our group made its way to the front door of the bar where we said goodnight to Kenzi and the Wagners, then went our separate ways to our respective vehicles. As I made my way towards the car, I caught sight of a few silhouettes outlined on the corner of the building with puffs of smoke rising into the air around them. I took a deep breath of the chilly night air and ducked down into my seat to begin the journey to the Kiszka compound.

#greta van fleet #greta van fic #sam kiszka #jake kiszka

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stylecouncil · 4 months ago

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you've made me want to get into the libertines/doherty solo music more!!! please give us recs!!! give wisdom

what have you listened to so far? those first two libertines albums are untouchable in my eyes in terms of what was going on during that period. I also think they’ve made a very good showing with their releases after coming back as well (even if I’ve had some qualms with production at times). in terms of like individual tracks, a song like you’re my waterloo (but I prefer the unreleased demo version, give it a listen) or death on the stairs, tell the king, time for heroes, what a waster, the good old days, music when the lights go out, etc etc truly some of my favorite songs of all time. and peter’s solo work/babyshambles I also love so so dearly (in some ways maybe even a little more than the libertines, don’t nail me to the cross).

new love grows on trees is one of the greatest songs of all time to me. I love grace/wastelands in general, I think it’s a great album. I also love the puta madres album peter did (so many good songs there but the kind of surprise little ride into the sun/don’t look bad in anger mash up with his own spin on it called somewhere else to be makes me insane, it’s so perfect) and the album he did with frederic lo (you can’t keep it from me forever!).

as far as babyshambles goes I really love all three albums (the first two have so many all timers for me, albion, the lost are of murder, killamangiro, loyalty song, back from the dead, fuck forever, unbilotitled, you talk etc etc the list goes on and on and the third release, sequel to the prequel, has fall from grace and picture me in a hospital and maybeline like I almost forget sometimes how highly I also rate it) and think their are gems on every single one (<- see previous digression lol). I also love the blinding ep (I love you but you’re green! beg steal or borrow!) so be sure to check that one out. I know this just sounds like “I love it all” but I really rate peter as a songwriter and think even at his most messy there’s so much charm and wit to be had (he’s a poet! iykyk).

also peter is just such a character always. oscar wilde (or maybe a rent boy oscar wilde stole lines from) by way of lou reed. you know to sort of paint a rough little picture. and his dynamic/crazy torrid star crossed relationship with carl really is one for the ages. so I would suggest diving into someone of his writing like the books of albion. or maybe picking up a book about them like bound together if you’re interested in that, maybe watching some interviews etc. I also think there are no innocent bystanders is great and something I watched a lot when I first got into the libertines. it’s all truly soooo interesting and magical and heartbreaking and tragic and funny and sad all at the same time.

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theaethernetconnection · 7 months ago

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For all the reblogging of hazbin hotel I've done I've never actually watched it...

So tonight I started it, I watched the first episode ANDDDD

It's basically everything I thought it would be from the fanart LMAO. Except for like, actual plot, forgot that would be here wasn't expecting it. Cool tho love me some religious rewriting of the beginning

Alastors "this face was made for radio" I was like !!!! It's realll and it's awesome unrelatedly wonder if he has dysmorphia or smth

Adam (who I've never heard of before) is really the original dick like REALLY the *original* DICK WJAT AN ASSHOLE I EANT TO KILL HIM HOW DARE YOU TALK OVER MY SWEET LOVE FOR LIFE MAIN CHARACTER

also that song she sang (forgot her name) what a Broadway entrance song Fr like Rapunzel levels of optimism even though she's lived in hell all her life fucking crazy /pos

There's so many famous actors in this show??? What's going on it's like professional out here

Alastors got smth funky going on why is he so powerful does no one else have his powers? Why does he not want to be videoed? Like yeah yeah I get it radio the superior medium but no one normal freaks out at themselves being videoed by burning the person's hand to get them to stop like bro what's up

The angel designs are amazing they've got as little features as possible and I think that's perfect

OH ANGEL THE PORN STAR they're fucking awesome I love their whole thing like they're sooo into it and it's somehow wholesome to me. Also the "tufts people think are boobs" line got me as a nonbinary person I was like soooo real GENDER

And the grumpy guy making drinks love his thing too he's so character

The main characters best friend is probably one of the best best friends I've seen in a show. Very qpr vibes but the MC is the clueless one lmaooo esp with that whole "I love your theatrics line" wow she's so 100% supportive of her. Made a whole commercial and deal with a devil just for her, peak lesbianism what who said that

On that note alastor and angel hitting on him was so funny they should get together I think

I also have no idea of the fandom ships yet so bear with me lol

This is such a ramble omg anyway I'm enjoying this show lol first EP down

#now that i have time im finally making my way thro my mutuals hyperfixations #checking them out #gonna do dungeon meshi (WHICH I ALSO HAVEN'T SEEN AT ALL LOL) next #hazbin hotel #aethtalks #alastor #hazbin alastor #I DONT KNOW ANYONE ELSES NAMES HELP LOL #angel hazbin hotel #hazbin adam #hazbin hotel adam

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akajustmerry · 1 year ago

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merry! hope you're well ❤️ random doctor who question of the day that you are more than welcome to ignore: what are some of your favourite songs from the doctor who soundtracks? (this ask was brought to you by me listening to The Majestic Tale (Of A Madman In a Box))

hiiii I love a random dw question of the day 🥺 and oh boy I have soooo many. I'M SO HAPPY MURRAY'S BACK. mr murray gold has had me in a choke hold since the age of 14!! I loveee majestic tale too! but other than that one my faves are:

Clara In The TARDIS (track from The Snowmen when Clara follows the Doctor up the ladder to the tardis). I listen to this all the time it just gently strokes the happy receptors in my brain idk why

hello twelve - this is 47 seconds and goes so fucking hard murray is such a lunatic I love him.

this is gallifrey, our childhood, our home - this is Murray's magnum opus imo (this and all the strange creatures). needs no intro. I don't even know if the season 3 finale would have been good without this piece of music

hidden treasures - from Vincent and the Doctor, pretty much every track for that episode is dear to my heart but I adore this one. The last 15 seconds makes me cry.

my tardis - this is the little piece that plays when the Doctor meets idris when she's locked in the cage hehe it's just cute. used to be a favourite track to study to

tell me who you are - I genuinely think this scene (where river finally explains she's amy and Rory's kid) is one of the most dramatic scenes ever and I think part of why it goes so hard apart from everyone Acting™ is this track. This comes on shuffle I'm like fuck yeah

same old day - honestly I feel like my fave tracks are just reflective of my favourite eps. These ones from heaven sent + Peter's performance. what TV is all about innit

Murray's instrumental of 'Don't Stop Me Now' from mummy on the orient express is so fucking good. Makes that shit ep worthwhile.

just generally adore all of season 5 and 6 score as a general rule cos I love elevens main themes. fave special score is a Christmas Carol but of course it is cos that ep is about music so it has to be amazing.

I actually....don't really vibe the season 1-2 scores I don't think murray had found his groove yet but season 3 through 6 imo was his best work on the show which isn't to say the rest is Bad I just think he was really on a roll.

I wish the BBC would release season 10's score cos I love Bill's theme so much and it's been 6 whole years and it's not been released and idk why ://

#murray gold #doctor who

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cyberdragoninfinity · 2 years ago

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For the character meme I'd love to know your thoughts on Shark!

SHARRRK,,,,, OK LAST ONE OF THESE FOR REAL i do. adore shark and would love to talk about him but that'll be the last of this meme for now.....thank u all

again preface: im only half way through Zexal im up to like episode 83 or so <3 Shark Watch is still developing.

favorite thing about them: i absolutely Adore what is going on with shark's little character arc, especially in Zexal I...it is so so cool seeing a yugioh rival who's just a surly mean 14 year old (who outside of his sister probably did not have many friends growing up) become more open to friendship and kindness because of yuma's exuberant relentless warmth so now hes just like "if you mess with my friends i will fucking kill you >:(" i love it SO SO MUCH. I LOVE THAT HES STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A JACKASS BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL HE DOESNT KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE FRIENDSHIP VERY WELL hes just such a kid!! i love him

least favorite thing about them: i dont know if i have one for him yet!! maybe after i finish the series i'll have more quibbles...

favorite line: there was this line in an ep i watched recently where yuma's dueling mizar/mizael and shark's there and he's like "i'd love to jump in and sink my teeth into this guy for yuma"...i love ALL his lines like that, where he repeatedly expresses concern or care for yuma...it's like. Uh huh, is that right, tough guy? Does somebody care about his friends, Mr. Cool?? Huh? Huh????

brOTP: HIM AND YUMA FOR REAL. already one of my favorite ygo friendships their dynamic is SO sweet AND SO SO FUNNY. the most annoying kid in the world also has the world's biggest heart and he's your best friend now. Shark literally will beat the shit out of 10+ people to defend him. They're the best!! Also really wanna see more of his dynamic with Rio....we all know I love them yugioh siblings....

OTP: dont really know if i have one. yuma/shark as a ship is cute but, again, i dont particular care too much about shipping middle schoolers i have better things to do.

nOTP: if you ship him with his sister i will rip you in half like a paper towel.

random headcanon: This kid is such a Freshly Out Nonbinary Kid of all time to me. The he/they ever. Dubverse exclusive but I hc his rich ass parents were like "ok but you need a Real name for polite company you Cannot JUST be Shark" and thats how 'Reginald' came about. Also you know his special interest is sharks and sea predators but thats barely a headcanon I think. he just came like that.

unpopular opinion: i dont even know what the unpopular shark opinions are!!! again maybe once i finish the series (i know he has. Some Plot Shit coming) i will have something more concrete.

song i associate with them: gotta be Shark Serenade by Vermillion Lies....it's just soooo "im unknowable im scary im MEAN dont come CLOSE TO ME" middle schooler angst AND it's shark flavored!!! "I'll try to spare you the pain of my jaws/But it's just in my nature to rip and to shred" like ok buddy youre 14 it'll be ok!!!

favorite picture of them: this one where he's so embarrassed about his little sister eating lunch with yuma & co (you might could say...shark's, "friends" 😏) that he sits on the roof 20 yards away from everyone.

#I REALLY LIKE HIM every shark ep makes my fondness grow. hes a good kid #ygo posting #asks #anonymous

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lesbians4kurt · 1 year ago

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tag game: get to know me!!!

tagged by the lovely @luckynumber4 <33

name: sabina

pronouns: she or he :)

star sign: leo ♌️

# of siblings and fun facts about them (if you have any): i’m actually the youngest of 9 kids! which is a lot so no room for fun facts i’m afraid

# of pets & their names: 1 kitten named oppie :D

fandoms: hbo war, hunger games, and doctor who are the main ones rn but i have a tonnn of dormant ones, the most notable being naruto, dragon age, elder scrolls, and pkmn

fav color: dark orange or forest green

fav song: i have soooo many but i usually answer this question with teenage wildlife by david bowie

fav authors: for fics i’d have to say getmean and ijustlookatpictures on ao3, and ofc u merrilou :3 for books, evelyn waugh, jane austen, ruth rendell, and suzanne collins

fav fic type: slow burn!!!!!, fix it, canon divergence, a good modern au

fav holiday: hmm i don’t generally love holidays but ig halloween, new years, or mardi gras

do u have a partner: not rn!

hobbies?: hmm all my hobbies kinda died when i started working full time, but i used to read and play video games. now i mostly just watch movies

fun facts: i can quote the entire okinawa ep of the pacific from start to finish almost! some of the lines are slightly off but the gist is there (yes i’m insane)

#thanku for tagging me!!!!!#mutuals #tag game

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deng-yi-deng · 1 year ago

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Drama round-up 2023

This is one of the best drama years I've had since I started watching in 2019. I think I've finally learned when to drop and when to say - maybe another time.

there were some standouts, but for me the top three were:

Oh no! Here comes trouble

Ripe Town

Till the End of the Moon

reviews (in the order I watched things) under the cut

The Blood of Youth 少年歌行 (3.75/5)

2023 started off on an unexpectedly good note with a really fun well-done wuxia. It had lots of what I enjoy in a drama: ensemble cast of friends, good pacing, some humor, lots of fighting, and a fairly logical plot. Sure, there was a little bit of over-the-top silliness, but it's a wuxia, not a historical drama, so I enjoyed it. What it did not have a lot of was romance - which is fine - though there was a really sweet angsty sub-plot with two minor characters, one played by cutie Cao Yuchen, if that's your jam. Besides that sub-plot I personally didn't find any of the (many) other CPs had chemistry or added anything to the overall drama, and yes I am including those folks who ship the MLs.* Costumes, effects, and visuals were all great, and acting was ok. There was a mix of younger and more seasoned actors which I think helps. Ngl I immediately fell for Liu Xueyi as Wu Xin, and will be watching more of his dramas.

Weak points were the dubbing and (some) acting. VA was done by the donghua VAs, and it took me until 3/4 of the way through to get used to their voices with the actor's looks. Many didn't fit well, especially Xiao Se (Li Hongyi). Which brings me to the #1 weak point - Li Hongyi. His character should have been interesting, and thus was chosen as the main ML, but the man's face does not move. It really detracted from the whole drama, especially when the plot moved to revolving entirely around him and who would inherit the throne. I started to groan every time the camera focused on him and his unmoving upper lip and vacant expression. There were so many more interesting side characters - from the 'older generation' as well as the younger, that I wish we had spent time on instead of focusing on the imperial family power struggles.

*it is impossible to have chemistry with an inert substance

League of Nobleman - dropped

Grammar aside (yes, the English title annoyed the crap out of me) the production value and look of this drama was really good. The plot was fairly interesting but for some reason overall it didn't grab me and I dropped it around ep 10. I think this was because I had just soldiered through one lackluster male lead, and had to deal with one again in Song Weilong. Everyone else was good, and I heard that it got better towards the end, but I'll never know. The real problems for me were two fold: the lazy plot device of the water-hypnotism thing (this is supposed to be historical, not wuxia, so I am less tolerant of vaguely magical/occulty things that just happen to make solving the crime easier) and the fact that the drama was trying soooo hard to pretend to be a dangai and get you to ship absolutely everyone with the ML. If that's your thing, then you might enjoy it.

Under the Microscope 4/5

Dubious at first because of the slightly 'Rain man' treatment they were giving the ML. You also have to give it lots of drama leeway in terms of historical accuracy (w/r/t the role of the lawyer) which was done for obvious dramatic reasons.

If you can overlook those two things, it was satisfying - well paced, and well plotted. The look was much more realistic than typical costume dramas, and joy of joys, large portions of it used live audio (not dubbed) which gave it even more of a realistic feel. I wasn't completely sold on Zhang Ruoyun's performance, though I do think he's a good actor - it might have been the writing or direction, difficult to know. I'm fairly sensitive to portraying neurodivergent characters. All the supporting characters and their performers were really good which is what eventually won me over.

Till the End of the Moon 4.5/5

This should probably rate it's own post. I've defended the ending once, and will do forever - it is not a BE. It fit the themes of the drama perfectly. This drama will either continue to be divisive, or everyone will move on with their lives. It won't leave me though, I'm scarred for life. (the personal emotional damage is what earned it the extra .5 in my rating. I've never cried this hard over a drama ending.)

So far this is the only xianxia I've seen that manages to be about more than romantic love. Though it stuck to some familiar plot devices - the three arcs, destiny/fate, multiple cps - it was about so much more than the main cp and I hope paves the way for more like it, turning away from tired tropes and towards a literal xianxia - the story of Immortal Heroes - not just fairy-tale love.

The biggest flaws (outside of Xixi's inconsistent heavy makeup and an overuse of sparkly effects that obscured the action during fight scenes) can be blamed pretty squarely on the NRTA rules. Tantai Jin was a bit too whitewashed. Li Susu's character arc was difficult to follow because of all the many many cuts. I was very frustrated towards the end as the majority of really brutal editing seemed to be done in the last arc - it made the plot confusing and character motivations - especially for Li Susu - unclear. Overall, it was good but could have been even better if we had all the episodes and production had gone even further with the Dunhuang aesthetic and farther from typical xianxia/wuxia tropes.

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble 5+/5

I was worried I'd need to give up cdramas forever after the emotional beating I took watching TTEOTM. Luckily tumblr came through and kept putting gifs of this on my dash. An absolute gem. Funny and heartfelt drama about paranormal investigation, friendship, family relationships, death and grief, high school bullying - it really had it all. Twelve episodes were not enough!!! It's rare that I can literally say "I laughed, I cried" about any show but it was true for this one (and maybe the Good Place.) The friendship among the characters, and their really supportive families was so heartwarming. Which was needed since there were also lots of dark themes about isolation and loneliness, abuse, and death. The attention to detail in the sets and character names and backstories were so clever, it was obvious how much love the production had for the show. My only quibbles are that the first couple eps that set the characters were a little long to get through, other than that a practically perfect drama in every regard.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook - on indefinite hold

Not as good mystery-wise as Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty but mostly fun. Decent acting (this is the first time I've watched CY and he's OK, if not particularly compelling for me.) I should have liked this more because as a wuxia/mystery it's absolutely 100% up my alley but found myself falling asleep during some episodes - there is way too much exposition and not enough 'show' when it comes to the mystery solving aspect. I most definitely skipped all the tender scenes between CY and CDL's characters (🤮).

I ended up putting it on hold, but I might pick it up again for Xiao Shunyao's character. I think the main reason people went bonkers for this drama on tumblr was because they loved shipping the MLs, which - whatever.

Hikaru no Go 5/5

Finally watched this after having it on the list for a couple years and it was absolutely as good as people said it was. Touching and sweet without being overly sentimental. The child actors were fabulous - I was almost sad to see them grow up and be replaced by the main actors. Each character really feels like they're a complete person, their motivations and actions are individual and understandable. Who knew I'd love a drama based on a manga about Go?

Ripe Town 5/5

Everything about this short drama was absolutely top notch. It was like watching a prestige western drama or mini-series. I want more of these, please! Luckily I've heard that Tencent is making a series (like iQiyi's "light on") that will specialize in these shorter dramas.

The cinematography was gorgeous and set the mood so well. Acting was excellent from everyone. The plot was TIGHT. The pacing was ON. Direction was so good. Audio was live, not dubbed for most of it (aaaaaaaah my beloved ambient audio.) I looked forward to each new episode and lamented that there were only 12. The suspense built with every episode as we learned the backstories of our characters and what happened 20 years ago. There was even humor - dark, adult humor, not slapstick. The only slight failing for me was the very very end - there's an unnecessarily twist that, while it didn't ruin the drama, didn't really help it either, and in fact muddied some of the character motivations somewhat. Aside for that would have been the best cdrama I've ever seen.

Love is Panacea - dropped

Yet another modern drama starring my favorite actor that I simply could not get through. Sorry Xixi. He and Zhang Ruonan were both good (though her stiff faced kiss scenes were not) but the plot was a melodramatic mess that overshadowed a really sweet message about facing adversity. The direction made it look like a cheesy idol drama in spots, and the secondary characters (Dr. Gu's family) were beyond annoying. Please let him stop acting in these sub-par modern dramas. I have no idea why it did so well on CCTV8 other than the fact that he looked stunning through most of it.

The Story of Kunning Palace 3.75/5

Honestly not entirely sure how to rate this, but out of all similar dramas I've ever watched this was pretty well paced and generally well acted. I definitely looked forward to each episode but did eventually find myself 2x'ing through some of the slower scenes and romantic longing looks with the OST in the background (yawn.) The revenge plot was well done, and more interesting than the 'who will she pick' romance plot, though even I found myself rooting for one of our MLs more than the other (even though it was obvious who would get the girl).

The biggest downside for me was the directing - the spins, the terrible backlight - it was so dated and so noticeable that it took me out of the drama. Though Bai Lu did a good job, I won't say it was her strongest performance. Zhang Linghe was criticized for his performance and at first I disagreed strongly. His character was a little exaggerated but it's a costume drama, come on. Around ep 32 though I understood what people meant. His character was too unhinged to be taken very seriously - I mean, how many times can you stab yourself without the audience thinking you're nuts? His shouting and throat grabbing was just a bit over the top and was more like deranged stalker behavior than hopelessly obsessed lover. How much of that was direction (see my earlier criticism) I don't know, but at the end...he's all fine. Gets the girl, loves kitties, etc. etc. Ngl, I did not expect such a pat HE and it kind of didn't fit. Folks who love HE loved it though.

#what I watched this year #cdrama review #cdrama roundup 2023 #posting this early since I don't think I'll start and finish another drama before the end of the year

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