#they were my generation like I literally grow up with their songs and their paths seemed never cross

[duahauuoplanh]

SM TOWN naver update

[guessimjoiningthespidermanfandom]

Sativa

Elliot x fem!reader

Elliot x black!reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Requested: no

"I say we sound better than you or me,"- Mac Miller in We (ft. Ceelo Green)

Warnings: underage alcohol consumption, mentions of weed, partial nudity

A/N: Literally a work in progress from 2 school years ago I read the beginning and thought it was cute so here it is.

Masterlist

“You taste like champagne.” You giggled, face not even inches away from his. 

“So do you,” Elliot replied, placing another cold sticky kiss on your lips. His fingers tugged at a ruche on your satin purple dress. “You look so pretty.” 

When you received the invitation to the end-of-the-year dance team banquet you’d felt melancholy. 

However standing (leaning most of your weight on) by your boyfriend, near a wall as an R&B song played under the dim lightning you couldn’t be happier. It wasn’t just the weed or the champagne making you feel fuzzy inside. 

You hummed at his compliment, shoving your face into his dress shirt. 

He wove the hand that wasn’t resting on your hip into your hair pulling you back gently 

“Gonna mess up your makeup, baby.” He leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. 

Dramatic sparks of hurt flew through you at the way he denied your affections. Your less-than-sober mind clouding your actions. 

“You don’t love me anymore.”

He laughed at the pout on your face before pulling you closer to him by your waist, you sunk into his warmth.

 Growing up you never thought you’d be able to love or be loved by someone as much as you love him. 

“ ‘M sorry.” He whispered, pecking your nose. 

“Good, better be.” You claimed beaming, leaning up to connect his lips with yours. 

When he pulled away you chased him, not letting him go. Kissing him harder than before you wrapped your arms around his neck. He pulled you closer to him, gripping your hips. 

You sighed into his mouth when he deepened the kiss tugging on his hair.  

You pulled away for air and were about to go back in when your friend interrupted you. 

“Just because it’s the end of the year doesn’t mean the PDA rule doesn’t exist,” Chantelle teased. 

You turned around to face her, connecting your back with Elliot’s chest. He buried his face into your hair with a smile. 

“Leave us alone,” You bemoaned morphing into a giggle. 

“Need to borrow her, we’re taking pictures.” Elliot let go of you and watched you falter away in your heels as Chantelle pulled you by the arm. 

A picture with your team turned into 5, which turned into a “Wait that’s my song” and everyone headed straight for the dance floor. 

Every time you tried to find your way back to your table, another one of your teammates stopped to talk to you and offered you some of whatever was in their cup. 

You accepted and made conversation but now you were teetering on the line between tipsy and actually drunk. 

Seeing as the party was dying down Elliot began to search for you until someone was able to point him in your direction. 

Spouting loudly at your friend you stumbled backward in the general direction of your table. 

You grunted as you collided with something along your path. Familiar hands caught you around your waist, you spun around. 

“Elliot!” You called out with a goofy smile. 

“Y/N!” He said back in the same tone. 

“‘Missed you,” You slurred, resting your full weight on him. 

“Yeah?” He asked, readjusting you to his side. 

“Mhm,” You confirmed 

“Ready to go?” He looked down at you wrapped around his arm. 

“Uh huh,” You tiredly nodded before dropping your head against his bicep. 

“Where are your shoes?” He slipped the strap of your dress back up your shoulder from where it had fallen. 

You whined letting out a muffled noise sounding a bit like “I dunno”. 

Elliot reshuffled your body weight to lie right in front of him. He slid a chiffon bow-wrapped chair in front of the two of you before placing you down softly. 

“Stay here,” He warned. 

He waited until you lazily blinked up at him, recognizing a glimpse of understanding in your eyes to place a kiss on your forehead, setting off to find your heels. 

As he made his return with your various miscellaneous items he found you slumped into the chair he left you in. 

He tossed your phone into his front pocket, flinging the straps of your heels around his wrist. 

“C’mon we’re going,” He shook your arm to pull you out of your reprieve. 

You whined at being stolen from your almost sleep, glancing around the room you saw the population dwindling as people left and found their rides. With Elliot’s help, you hoisted yourself out of the chair. 

Whining out an “M’ feet hurt,” and complaining about the dirty ground Elliot picked you up and carried you to his car. 

He knew he couldn’t take you back to your house drunk, your parents would kill him and then you. 

Getting you to stay in the passenger seat was the hard part, but once he got you buckled in the second pulled out of the parking lot you were out cold. 

He was miraculously able to get you through the front door and into his room with no complaints. 

The problems arose when he tried to get you to drink a bottle of water. 

You threw yourself backward from the edge of his bed. Sprawling out with your arms above your head. 

“No ‘m tired,” You ignored him curling your limbs around a spare pillow and shutting your eyes. 

Placing the water bottle next to you on his bed just in case, he left his bedroom door open as he ventured into his cousin’s bathroom for her makeup wipes. 

When he returned you were fully asleep, chest rising slowly, and deeply. 

The bed dipped as he climbed on next to you. As softly as possible he wiped your makeup off. You roused from the cold wetness on your face, blinking your sleep away, you sat straight up like you were never asleep. 

Elliot just continued to remove your makeup. As he moved to the lower half of your face you began to swat at his arms. 

You tried to bite the hand holding the wipe and when we wouldn’t let you, you trapped his hand under your chin. 

“Stop, I’m trying to help you,” He told you. 

You pouted as if you were gearing up to cry. “Are you mad at me?” 

He exhaled heavily before answering. “I’m not, just need you to stay still,”

You nodded valiantly before allowing him to smooth over the rest of your skin. 

As your eyes began to droop again he used both of your arms to pull you towards the edge of the bed. It’d be much easier to assist you while you were still awake. 

He gestured for you to stand up and turn around so he could unzip your dress and slip it down your shoulders. 

Using his shoulder as support you stepped out of the dress and kicked it off your ankle letting it pool on the floor. 

As you stood there in your underwear, Elliot scoured through his dresser for a clean shirt for you to wear to bed. 

He tossed the large graphic tee he came up with next to you. You slipped the shirt around your head before realizing the neck was too tight to pull down the rest of the way. 

“ ‘Need help,” You huffed, pulling Elliot from his search for your bonnet. 

He came to your rescue by using both hands to bunch up the top enough for you to be able to slip your arms through. 

He knew you’d be mad at him when you woke up if you found out he let you go to sleep without a bonnet, so he took the time to find the one you left here a while ago. 

He stretched the satin fabric over your hair and pulled it over your forehead. The bonnet slipped into your eyes obscuring your vision. 

Titling your chin up towards him, Elliot shifted the elastic band to rest on your forehead, placing a kiss to the same spot. 

He was finally able to slip under the covers beside you. 

Now that you’d been wholly woken up, the both of you knew you weren’t going to be able to fall back asleep anytime soon. Which wasn’t a problem because you had nothing to do for the rest of the weekend. Elliot however had to be up by 7 a.m. 

Reaching over his head he grabbed his laptop off his windowsill. He opened Netflix and handed it to you. He turned over onto his side just as you scooched up into the pillows resting at his headboard. 

Sitting the laptop on your lap you opened your joint profile. 

Scrolling through the streaming services limited catalog. You went back to the homepage and something caught your eye. 

“Elliot,” You called testing if he had already fallen asleep. 

He answered without moving. “Hmm?” 

“You watched an episode of Money Heist without me?”

©guessimjoiningthespidermanfandom

[diivineray]

Hello!

I couldn't help but notice that you seem to share the same braincell as me about Break! Such a pleasure to see someone like that on here! 💖

If I'm not mistaken, you're a Breakbert shipper? If so, please!!!!! For the love of everything, can you share your thoughts about them and or any headcanons??

Or just any thoughts about Break in general, I really wanna hear what other people think about him, why they like him and their favourite thing about him!

Thank yew! ✨️

THIS BOY IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. Seriously though, I've been loving him and writing him since 2011? give or take? he has remained my favorite character through so many years. Reading along when the chapters were still being released monthly was a time and following along with him and his part in the story has really made me love him the way that I do.

and yes I am !! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Gosh I don't even know where to begin I could literally talk about him and them forever. I will say though they are my favorite dynamic in the series. I think they are a perfect blend, and for Break, Gil is like the spitting image of him and all his past mistakes. Break brings Gil in on their plan because they plan to use him. It was always supposed to be business transaction them working together. Break training him to be the killer he was going to have to be if he was going to get Oz back. He had no choice but to be hard on him. And throughout their ten years together, break made the mistake of caring for gilbert. I think part of it is Break needing gil to stay focused so their plan doesn't get ruined, but also because he sees similarities between himself and Gil. Break also had a deep loyalty for his previous master. his grief, his failure to protect the people he cared for lead him down such an awful path and he lost a lot because of it.

He warns Gilbert several times, and when Vincent basically poisons his mind, Break is the first person to notice. There's where they are silly for the comedic relief and Break is always making fun of him, but I really feel Break is the one who really sees Gil for Gil. There was a fic I read, that I loved how they depicted Break and Gil. Gil had gotten drunk, and wasn't the first time but this was before they got Oz back, and Break is once again calling him pathetic as he's lifting him up on his feet and Gil goes 'Are you really surprised?' and Break any other day would have teased him, but he just sees the reality of everything weighing down on Gil's shoulders and he just answers 'no.'

AND UGH IT HURTS. Also just the parallels between them?? Like when Break finds Gil in the rain, he's carrying Gil on his back and then grown up, Gil is the one carrying Break ;-; LIKE COME ON

and even tho break is horrible to him on a daily basis, he still CARES very much for Break. When everyone was in the room after he passes out at Sablier, Gil looks awful and he's wanting to be sentimental before Break shoves Emily in his face cuz FEELINGS.

Or how he was uspet Break hadn't trusted him enough with that fact he was an illegal contractor. He was like '10 years I've known you!' he's hurt break still doesn't consider him someone he can trust.

As a ship they are not healthy, I very much enjoy the 'this is just business' kind of relationship where they both use each other for different things they are looking for, but still both unable to really act on their feelings for each other because #complicated

Nicotine by Panic! At the Disco is a song I really love for them because I think it really shows Gil's perspective of how this is bad for me but I can't quite stop. 'Just one more hit and then we're through cuz you could never love me back' its very much onesided. also i think it works perfectly with how Break tricked Gil into basically being addicted to smoking NNFDKLNDS

but they both really grow throughout the series, and when Gil comes back for Oz, minus an arm, Break overhearing everything and saying how he doesn't have to worry about Gilbert anymore just GOD IT MAKES MY HEART REALLY ACHE. i love them.

also this was before we had more info on the children of misfortune, and break is a very special case, but we love Gilbert being like Glen and sending Break to the abyss. ITS GOOD AND HURTFUL FOOD. GAHH. okay like I said I could talk about them forever. and I wish the rp side of the fandom was more alive cuz I reaaaaaallly miss writing him and just, being able to talk about him. So if you ever have stuff you wanna ask please do !!! I seriously love it and I will happily ramble about him with you.

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Re the dazed interview, I've been struggling with connecting to jungkook because sometimes he has ended up coming off kind of fame-hungry in a non substantive way, but the way he framed his ambitions in this interview didn't come off that way to me so it's easier for me to understand where he's coming from. I'm still not totally sure what he's imagining for himself or if that end point is something I'll personally vibe with, but either way I hope he gets that clarity and can achieve it. I am really hoping that he takes his album in a different direction from seven genre-wise, and I thought maybe he was hinting at that! Which would be super exciting

As an aside, I thought it was kind of funny how jungkook got that gut-feeling about both I Need U and Seven, bc they are such totally different songs quality-wise (imo, but seven wasn't my thing)

Regarding the Dazed interview, he said a lot of insightful stuff about confidence, being patient with himself, following his instincts, being okay with not having a plan, etc., but it was the part about his general ambitions as an artist that I couldn't really understand. Jungkook himself acknowledged that he's not quite sure what he's supposed to be, only that he isn't the singer he dreamed of being yet.

The thing is, we want BTS to be the biggest stars on the planet, to be loved and known by everyone, and we stream and promote them to help them achieve that goal. We do so because we believe that their music is superior, that their performances are superior, that they have a message everyone needs to hear, that they're hardworking and kind, that they love their fans, that being Army can save lives, etc. If BTS themselves talk about climbing higher and getting bigger, we don't think they're being fame-hungry, because what else are idol groups supposed to aim for? We want them to break down the walls that exist for Asian artists, and poc and non-English speaking artists in general. There's this understanding that, as long as their artistry remains intact, BTS deserve to take over the planet - that's the only path for them. This last point is important because it's precisely why the English trilogy was so poorly received, even among Army. Some fans felt that they had compromised their artistry, which made them no better than the countless artists who are super famous even if their music is nothing special. BTS deserves fame because, unlike a lot of famous people, their talent, quality of music, and personalities match their success. However, Jungkook, by releasing a mediocre song like Seven to achieve success in the West, is pulling a Dynamite, and being equally criticized. His ambition, which is really the same ambition BTS have when they release music - to grow bigger, chart better, sell better, please as many fans as possible - comes across as greedy when he seemingly puts success first, music second. It's okay to want success, as long as you don't compromise the quality of your work. But BTS have indicated many times that there's no such thing as "quality music" - there's successful music and music that is less successful. DNA, BWL, Dynamite, Butter, PTD, My Universe were successful in their books, although these are some of the most critiqued BTS songs. But it doesn't matter, because the success of the songs literally speaks for itself and indicates that releasing them was the right thing to do. They gained more fans and fans seem to love the songs. BTS's main goal is to please the fans they love and who love them back. What Jungkook describes with Seven is the same thing. He wanted a song that would do well commercially, like all BTS title tracks in particular are supposed to do. The fact that there wasn't some bigger meaning to the lyrics and the he wasn't involved in the production were negatives in the fans' eyes though.

What Jungkook is doing isn't all that different from what BTS do, except that BTS's music is overall perceived as superior, meaningful, and unique, whereas Jungkook is more or less following a formula and emulating people like Bieber or CP, whom we don't like. Still, recent BTS music is criticized the same way as Jungkook's.

Your comment comparing Seven to INU encapsulates what I'm trying to say perfectly. INU was released because BTS were struggling to gain fans and didn't even know if they had a future as a group. Thus, they abandoned their rougher and rap heavy sound and lyricism, and went for something softer and more romantic that appealed to their female fans and to the GP in general. They quite literally "sold out". But no one sees it that way because the song is so well liked. Seven is just like INU - a song made to appeal to a broad audience and to give Jungkook more exposure and a certain image and reputation. It's a rebranding of Jungkook, like INU was for BTS.

Regarding Jungkook's ambitions, it's hard to understand what he means by becoming "bigger" or "cooler", or why he wants to become a big pop star when he already is one by everyone's definition. This interview did clear up the confusion a bit. I think it's like I suspected. Jungkook grew up admiring people like Bieber - he likes his music, but I imagine that what he likes the most is his reach. Bieber's songs speak to a very broad audience, are catchy and easy listens. Making simple music that speaks to the biggest amount of listeners is, to Jungkook, a huge achievement. It's not about money or records, but more about him measuring success as a singer by the amount of people his music and voice reach and speak to. He wants to reach as much audience as possible, and songs like Seven allow him to.

Jungkook loved Seven from the beginning. He loved how catchy it was and how he didn't grow tired of it. To him, that meant the song was perfect - catchy, fun, accessible, bright, "timeless". Jungkook's standards for good pop music are these. The song being "basic" or having meaningless lyrics was inconsequential. He doesn't see the song as basic and he likes the lyrics as they are. Jungkook, at least for now, doesn't want to make "unique" music per se (that's probably a bonus). He wants to make music for everyone. Imo, this is obviously in conflict with what Army wants. We want meaningful music that stands out from most pop music. That's why we like BTS and why a lot of us like kpop. Furthermore, Jungkook is the only member (Jin hasn't truly debuted as a soloist yet) who isn't taking chapter 2 as an opportunity to try something different (ie. not easy pop) and worry less about how appealing to the GP.

Hobi released old school hip hop, RM did everything he wanted music wise and his promos were all about combining his love for art with his love for music (he said he cared about charts, but he still released Wild Flower as a tt), Suga also cares about charts but D-Day is not easily digestible regardless of softer tracks and he went all out in creating a powerful narrative that connects the album and the trilogy as a whole, Jimin wrote Face to heal from the pandemic and Like Crazy and Letter are the only easy listens in the album, which was quite dark, V promoted Layover like an idol, but the album itself is catered to V specifically and not the GP or even Army. Meanwhile, Jungkook released something with the GP in mind and promoted more like a pop artist and less like an idol. His approach to his solo career is different. He didn't try to release music BTS wouldn't release as a group (though BTS wouldn't release Seven with those lyrics), or to cater to the fans with his promo like Jimin (by that I mean that Jimin really went ouf of his way to create content for Army). He didn't try to find his own color as an artist either, though he's inevitably doing so. Jungkook's trying to reinvent himself somewhat - at least, our perception of him - not as a soloist, but as Jungkook of BTS. Imo, he isn't telling us "this is Jung Kook, soloist", but "this is Jungkook, soloist, and Jungkook of BTS. This is just Jungkook". He's not trying to explore his musical interests per se, but more like trying out what he likes to prove he has range and show people, and himself, he can do anything. He's challenging himself like the other members, but it's less about the music and more about what the music can do for him, if that makes sense? Jimin also shares that motivation of proving himself and growing as an artist, but he seems to be more focused on specific skills - singing, dancing, songwriting - whereas Jungkook is more focused on versatility, creating a specific image of himself, surprising people. He's always trying to get better at singing and dancing, but his biggest priority seems to be broadening the range of styles he can cover and adapting his performance so it looks "cooler", more relaxed. He's growing as an artist this way.

I don't know how else to put it. I think Jungkook's motivations in this chapter aren't that aligned with the other members' motivations or Army's expectations, and that is creating this disconnect between some of us and Jungkook.

Lastly, on the topic of the change in genre... I think his next single might be a different shade of pop, or even more RnB, but imo it will likely be relatively conventional, easy listening, and maybe also have explicit, sexual lyrics like many RnB songs. I don't have much faith that he will surprise us lyrically or put out something less GP friendly. He's rumored to be working with the Seven producers too, so how different can it be? Less Seven and more Unholy? That would be cool, but, yet again, we would get meaningless lyrics and no writing, composing or producing credits from him. I just hope there is no feature this time. I don't even know what he'll do for the MV. I feel like he's just going to take everything up a notch, to shock us even more, but, apart from making out with a woman in the next MV and appear shirtless, what else can he do?

Sorry this got so fucking long... I wanted to get that out of my chest. Thanks for the ask! Would love your take on this!

[rughydrangea]

After 81 glorious episodes, I have finished Jumong. I started it in July, pretty soon after it appeared on Viki (now please add more old long sageuks pretty please Viki!), and have been watching fairly steadily since then, mostly with my mum when we're in the same place (my dad at a certain point started watching with her but only managed to stay awake through episodes starting in the 60s, meaning he had no idea who half the characters were...). And I have some thoughts!

--I loved it! It didn't get me in the gut like a QSD or a SFD or even The Legend, but it really kept up my interest across 81 episodes, with a great mixture of action, intrigue, melodrama, and silliness (there was the intentional silliness like my man Mo Pal Mo, but also stuff like the oracle being struck by lightning when she tried to curse Jumong, which made me howl with laughter). I really wish we still got sagueks like this--long, deliberate, with no interest in being cool or youthful, give or take a backflip (though the fact that I now get to start Goryeo-Khitan War really does make me happy and excited).

--I started watching kdramas seriously in 2014. At that time, I was familiar with Song Il Gook--but only because I couldn't avoid endless gifs of him and his patriotically-named triplets. I vaguely understood that he had been a big-deal actor, but his main dramas were older and less accessible (and when he did Jang Yeong Shil in 2016 it wasn't available to stream legally anywhere), so I had never seen him in anything until this. And now... I would very much like for him to come back to dramas! He is honestly incredible here: so charismatic, so compelling to watch, SO handsome, and most importantly he really nails the incredibly long journey Jumong goes on, from callow loser to impetuous guy figuring it out to determined general to gravitas-laden king. Every step of the way I was with him, and though the show boasts a huge cast, he really was the reason for the season; the show isn't called Jumong for nothing. There are two episodes he isn't in when everyone thinks Jumong is dead, and it's like a punch to the viewer's gut as well, you just can't imagine this world without him in it! And did I mention that he's handsome?

--Speaking of handsome, shoutout to the 3-year time-jump around episode 50 when all of a sudden it seemed like all the men of the show had spent the weeks leading up to that growing out their hair and all their manes of glory were flowing in the breeze. Your efforts did not go unappreciated, gentlemen! (Also 2006 lace-front wigs are rough to watch in HD!)

--Speaking of compelling journeys, even though this was the Jumong show (literally!) Soseono also really went through it, and Han Hye Jin made every stage of her transformation from bold, overconfident young woman to burdened mother and queen believable and interesting. And these parallel journeys of the leads really do provide the emotional heart of the show: as they grow up and make difficult decisions and go down paths they never anticipated (particularly their marriages to different people), on the one hand they are fulfilling their dreams and destinies, but on the other they are basically guaranteeing that the beautiful time of their youth, when they were in love and saw a whole life together unfolding before them, could never be recaptured. Even when Soseono and Jumong finally marry, it is out of duty and obligation--not that there isn't a part of them that still loves the other, but that part has been entirely subordinated to the other projects that they dedicated their lives to. Soseono leaving does make sense (though Biryu's rebellion was so dumb that it made it impossible for me to have sympathy for him), but it was genuinely sad to see both her and Jumong realize that the thing they lost all those years ago could never be returned, not even by 15 years of marriage.

--And speaking of marriage... I feel really bad for Yesoya, a character who basically exists to abnegate herself and also give Jumong a baby. But I found their relationship weirdly fascinating (and though sageuks like Jumong have a reputation for being stodgy, I do want to highlight that both leads in this drama marry people they explicitly don't romantically love and almost immediately get pregnant. Sexuality exists in stodgy sageuks! (also Jumong got very frisky with those tavern girls after Haemosoo died)). By the end, when Yesoya comes back, Jumong looks at her with such warmth, it's as though feeling really really guilty ended up making him actually fall in love with her.

--Shout out to the casting director, Yuri really did look like he was Jumong's son.

--Imagine my surprise and delight that there is an honest-to-God gay couple in this 81-long episode sageuk from 2006 that is obvious, unambiguous, and deeply deeply sweet. Though my inability to makes heads or tails of Bae Soo Bin as an actor continues. I have seen him be very good (as he is here)! I have seen him be VERY bad. Where is the truth?????

I guess that's it for now. Come back to us, Song Il Gook!

[jungwnies]

hello maeby baby! <3<3

last weekend I went to the movies with my sister and my best friend that i haven’t seen in 4 years and girl-

we watched three movies, THREE

-the little mermaid

-spider-man

-guardians of the galaxy

omg i was crying so much, like i already knew i was going to cry with the little mermaid cause it’s one of my fave Disney movies and also since the first trailer dropped i cried when halley sang so i knEW i was gonna be bawling and yup. movie started, literally the title appeared and i cried like im pretty sure the rare moments were the ones where i wasn’t crying (loved it 🫶🏻)

spiderman was sooooo cool, i already loved the first one but man this was soooo good and the soundtrack? slay

and to finish, guardians of the galaxy FUCKED ME UP like, i’ve seen clips of people just saying that you cry a lot and in general it’s one of the best marvel movies recently and i was very excited about this cause I’ve been a big big MCU/MARVEL fan since the beginning but after end game i only watched a couple of them and honestly only loved a few but this one seriously it’s amazing, a masterpiece and i refuse to watch it a second time cause it’s just going to mentally hurt me even more, but seriously it did not disappoint

i also made my friend watch both taylor swift movies and it was awesome, he also listened to folklore for the first time and his favorite was mirrorball (mines are august, illicit affairs and the lakes)

right now im actually home alone for the weekend, one of my sisters friend from high school graduated an she invited her to the ceremony and after party and even though it was okay for me to come i decided to stay home and just have “me time” which has been mostly watching films and YouTube videos lol

also there’s this asmr creator that i love, ediyasmr and this week she did two tarot reading and omg i never felt so “seen” or “heard” with a reading 🥹💓 it was very reassuring and a wholesome time for me haha

i feel like it’s a time for change in my life and path so a lot of craziness and also tranquility in my life going on ( i hope it’s not weirding you out lol) but the good one of craziness I guess ^^

now the questions for you hehe:

have you watched any movies recently? when was the last time you went to the movies? do you like taylor? (if yes what’s your favorite song/album) do you believe in tarot readings and all that stuff? very excited to hear all your answers and what you’ve been up to ^^

take lots of care and please receive all my hugs and kisses that im sending all the way from my room in my pijamas cozy in my bed 🤎🤎

also take care of that ankle!! until a couple of months ago i also still felt some pain so I tried to not put a lot of pressure on it (but also life sometimes doesn’t give me an option ://)

mwa mwa mwa 🤧❤️❤️

- 🧸 anon

omgomgomg anonnieeee!!!

to be honest... i have a really hard time getting into MCU movies, i think the only time i actually watch them is in my myth class because we rarely do anything and all we do is analyze MCU movies because they usually have that hero timeline that we study LMFAO. i have been meaning to watch the little mermaid though it was one of my favorite disney movies growing up (despite the fact that i didn't even know there was a 2nd one...) one thing i will give to MCU movies is though are the cinematic, they are so good, i applaud!!! - i haven't watched any taylor swift movies but i do love her music, it's so good & it always gets me in my feelings to be completely honest with you >.> - me time is super extremely important so i'm super glad that you get to catch up on it, i spend a lot of my time with my sister even when i'm at school but i do enjoy my free time a lot ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ⎯⎯ now to answer your questions!!! (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭

have you watched any movies recently? when was the last time you went to the movies? - i've honestly been meaning to go to the movies but i'm either 1. too lazy or 2. too busy 💔 however i'm planning to watch a few movies over the summer since i'm finally more free ugh but i just haven't found the right time. however, over the summer i do plan on watching some movies, honorable mentions being: the little mermaid, barbie, no hard feelings, and evil dead rise (i love horror omgomgomg)

do you like taylor? (if yes what’s your favorite song/album) - yes, i do like taylor. i think some of my favorite albums by her are speak now, fearless, and of course midnights is so good!! i also loved folklore. my favorite song by her is definitely enchanted or love story but also lavender haze is so good!!

do you believe in tarot readings and all that stuff? - i believe in all of it, there was a time where i spent a lot of time practicing tarot and learning astrology (i'm still big on astrology but not so much tarot, i still have the cards though!) i really enjoy watching readings and doing my own, i feel like it resonates with me extremely well, and i'm glad you were able to relate to one on youtube!

⎯⎯ thank you for always leaving me the sweetest messages & take care as well! i wish you nothing but the best and i'm sending all my love and affection to you 🩷 mwamwamwa!

[thegoddessprose]

Tag Game

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better. I was tagged by @caesarflickermans (Thank you for giving me something to do for today :p)

Three Ships

I'm also honestly "meh" about a lot of ships lately but surely I could pull a few out.

I guess I'll stay on theme the lovely person who tagged me and list an OC/Canon... Not only that, but my own Plutarch/OC ship:

Plutarch/Chiasa: This was not a planned ship, like at all, I even thought of it as crack in the very beginning because these two seemed so different without any deep dives, but now it's a comfort ship for me. I guess because it is centered around them giving one another hope (For her, that there are people brave enough to fight against the status quo and for him, that there are still a handful of people who are good without an ulterior motive), and that they are each other's safe space in a hellish time. It develops over a fairly short time, but at the risk of sounding cliché, they ended up being what the other lacked and needed in life. I do have an AU where she's actually part of the rebels, and thus they're together for a longer time, but I'll stick to the main story in a nutshell, otherwise we'd be here all day.

Now for some others:

Bensler: I love a good ride-or-die, and Benson and Stabler were it for the first 12 seasons of Law & Order SVU. I loved their relationship, I loved their chemistry, I loved how comfortable they could be with each other, what they were willing to do for one another, like, get someone like that. I was devastated when he left the show, and honestly, it hadn't really been the same since then. I was so hyped when I heard he was coming back, and that they were going to cross paths again. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of Organized Crime, and killing off Kathy was unnecessary (Like, there were a bunch of ways it could have opened... And they could have just been split up, it's happened before), but it was amazing to see Olivia and Elliot back in the same circle and I'm very excited to see if they get together for real. (I'm behind, don't spoil me)

Hayffie: Honestly, I can't really explain this one. Maybe it was their chemistry in the movies? Or maybe it's the dynamic in general that's interesting to me? Or how hilarious Katniss's reaction to them would be? I don't know, I just like these two together. I guess a few things need to be acknowledged, like Effie's line of work literally being to escort innocent kids to a death match and her being okay with it for who knows how long, but it's hard for to vilify her for it for the same reason it's hard to vilify a good amount of Capitolites; this is all they knew, having propaganda thrown at them left and right, and most were kept unaware about what the Districts were really like. The more Effie learned, it seemed the more she turned to the rebels' side, so in my eyes, maybe it could work, whether it's right after Mockingjay or even a few years ahead.

First Ever Ship

I'd have to say Kataang. This was before I knew what shipping was or even the word for it. I think back then, I just thought it was cute, they meshed together pretty well, and not much else.

The first ship I really got into after finding out what it was had to be TamaHaru. I loved the way they snarked at each other, I loved how they genuinely cared about one another despite poking at each other. It was funny how Tamaki had all this wonder surrounding Haruhi's "commoner" life, and Haruhi growing to like a few things about the bizarre world of rich people. I love how they form a genuine relationship despite their clashing backgrounds and personalities and bring out the best in each other; her bringing him back down to earth for a bit, and him teaching her there's a life outside of the grind and she's allowed to have a joie de vivre. Hell, I love them so much, I have an OC/OC pair that's pretty similar to them.

Last Song

Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag by Renee Zellweger

Last Movie

At the time of this writing, I literally just finished watching Chicago

Currently Reading

Katheryn Howard: The Scandalous Queen by Alison Weir. I wouldn't give it points for historical accuracy, but I like a lot of content relating to the six wives and all around just the way these books are written. I also like how Katheryn is portrayed as naive rather than oversexualized like she seems to be everywhere else... There more than likely was some truth to that, at least.

Currently Watching

Ghosts (CBS). I don't really have the energy for a lot of heavy stuff right now, so I decided to start something a little more lighthearted. I have seen the BBC version, which I enjoyed. I wondered how this would go, what kind of ghosts there would be since the US is a much younger country, and I wasn't disappointed. There are a few things I like better, such as deeper lore on how being a ghost works, the husband not being completely useless, and overall a little bit more character growth. Overall, it's a nice show if you want to laugh and like the idea of historical figures discovering the modern world.

Currently Consuming

I had some chips (Or crisps for the Europeans) a little bit ago, will start dinner in a bit.

Currently Craving

Happiness, at the very least some hype. If we're talking food, seasoned fries and a chocolate shake from Red Robin. The one nearby closed a while ago... Maybe that's why I want it so bad.

Tagging: Whoever wants to do this because most of the people I want to tag have already been tagged :p

[ferrocyan]

@i-got-fluff-in-your-grimdark dude i love your tags!! this is why i say i don't play bard, i never even got through archer so my impressions on the job is very limited.

but i absolutely agree with what you say here about reeq and emotional honesty. like if you look at the lv 74 quest, he visits his parents to ask for support. not just monetary support but probably emotional, too, considering he just got trounced by a former friend right before that. and of course we know it goes to shit, but then remember what he tells the wol at the end of that quest: he's doing this hunt for a cardinal virtue because he's bored.

buddy. my man. people who do things bc they're bored don't beg for validation like that.

he literally cannot admit his feelings if his life depends on it! when he apologizes to the wol for dismissing them, reeq says "i don't know why i did that"! what insight we have into him comes from ms olvara. she has to be the one to tell us that reeq fears abandonment.

but it is as you say. people grow, and change. by the time you reach the last quest, reeq is willing to be vulnerable. he admits that he's been posturing this whole time pretending to be your equal; he laments that he's dehumanized renda-rae for his own convenience, and asks the wol to share what they know of the warriors of light before they died; he tells you how much this quest has meant to him, that adventuring with the wol makes him feel more alive than he has ever been; and. he admits that despite wanting to continue this adventure more than anything, he's incapable of walking a path like the wol's.

i would say that i agree, reeq can make for a good bard after his growth in this quest. but my association with bard is more general, like as the person who spreads stories to inspire others. and if it's stories, reeq absolutely would be a good bard! he started on his path as a hunter because he was inspired by ms olvara's stories, and it is his stated goal at the end of the quest too, that the story of renda-rae and the warriors of light should be known to the world and remembered as they really were in life. but ffxiv's bard seems to be associated with songs, specifically, and that's uncharted territory for me. since i don't see reeq being associated w music or songs at all within the quest, and also bc i don't play bard ww

(also if i may get into pure conjecture, this is just my personal reading that can't be backed up, but i think like. his post role quest dialogue gives me the impression that reeq has learned to be emotionally honest enough to admit his feelings of inadequacy and nothing else. like he just hands thing over to the wol and leaves? when he said before that he wants to do more?? kinda disappointing tbh, but i make room in my canon for him to develop even further past 5.3. other people who aren't obsessed w shipping reeq w their wol like me may have a different reading altogether though! you sure can say that he's just gotten better at emotional honesty, period. that's the beauty of interpretation. i do so thirst for others' take on post-rq reeq www)

anyway thank you for your input! i love to think about my boy and you've made my day!!

lue-reeq is an archer but he is in no way a bard. if i had to assign him a job it would be machinist for sure

[tarotwithdanise]

Get to know more, Danise's.

Spend some of your free your time by reading the details & facts about me!

꒰ about me.

Danise. 9teen. asian baby. pronouns are she/they. life path number is 8. literal lovebot. tarot enthusiast. mbti personality is infj - a.

My name is Danise a mixed name from my given name "Danielle Serene". Yeah, that's my biological name, i just felt that's a very ugly name, it's very odd from other people or girls that is around my age. I mean who would like to name your child like this? Unless you were my Mom. It seems like it came from a book character lol.

Has a habit of rbf that's why people first impression and perceive me someone who is cold, snobbish, cruel, mean and quiet. but the quiet one is the only legit, lmao. However, if you will really get to know me more and we've become more close. I am someone who is funny and likes to joke around, this part that only introverted people knows and can relate about what i am writing here.

꒰ byi

I don't frequently post anymore since i am that person who have a very busy lifestyle now not unlike before. However, i'm glad you've found my account. You have free access 24/7 in my account, so you can read them silently without even interacting to me.

꒰ dni

If you are someone who likes to spread hate and negativity on other people please kindly don't interact with me. It's not only affecting me but the people who truly love my works as well my mutual bf's. I believe, we all have different views and perspectives, hate me as long as you want. Who am i to dictate your feelings and tl stop hating me right? It's your feelings feel free to feel what you wanted to feel about me. But if you hate or dislike me just kindly don't engage with me anymore so you won't see my posts, that's just very simple to do right? We experiencing lots of pains so please be kind with your words when it comes to others, we are fragile humans. Call me oa or whatever but one hurtful word has a strong effect into someone else daily life, believe me.

꒰ likes to do.

Reading Books - Watching Yt ASMR videos / Kpop Related Shorts - Painting - Watching Animes - Eating - Calligraphy Lettering - Journaling - Listening To Songs And Podcasts - Reading Tarot And Oracle - Studying something - and My new like to do is reading article news.(idk, maybe adulthood things.)

꒰ dislikes.

Fake people ( duh! i really hate the idea of the being plastic and bad to others.) Being rude to other person without any valid reasons. Spreading negativity that can affect others or harm others in general. Ruining someone reputation because of jealousy.

꒰ favorites

Colors : green, brown, neutral and pastels ones. More into green.

Anything sweet. I am a sweet tooth person. I don't like spicy foods either.

Drinks : coffee & water.

Singers/ musician / artist : anything about kpop, jpop, taylor swift, lana del rey, melanie martinez and little mix. 🫶

◠⋆i. kpop groups i stan

%!old and new : twice, bts, red velvet, mamamoo, blackpink, txt, stray kids, seventeen, itzy, enhyphen, le sserafim, nmixx, aespa, stayc, g-idle.

◠⋆ii. my favorite era of little mix vs favorite album.

%! this is hard but, my favorite era was power era and so the best album belongs to LM5. I love all of their album btw.

[ 5. ] In love the ideas of greek mythology, moon, stars, night, darkness, rain, medical, god, angels, clouds, heaven, worshipping, being kind to others, writing, intuitive, tarot, cooking, baking, astrology, playing guitar, going to church, playing chess, surfboarding, taking swimming lessons, skating, driving late night, counting how many hours will i going to sleep before going to sleep, riding a horse, helping others, future, praying before going to sleep and after waking up, being in love but don't want to be in a relationship, singing, psychology, being alone, dyeing hair, big shirts,success, staying late at night, ballet dancer, learning basketball, playing golf and bowling, maturing, growing up, peaceful & quite places.

꒰ hidden talents.

my hidden talents should be kept hidden.

꒰ skin care routine

new skin cares unlocked version.

peace of mind - 8 hours of sleep - washing your face ; morning and night - using the ordinary glycolic acid 4x a week.

꒰ others.

danise's current motto

"sometimes our great efforts will bring us more rewards."

꒰ best song motivation for me.

looking for you by kirk franklin.

STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE. ALSO DON'T FORGET TO BE KIND TO OTHERS, GIVE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE!!

꒰ do you experiences something bad about your mental health?

I don't intend to harm or hurt your feelings with any of my pac works. Perhaps, I understand that not everyone experiencing the same warning signs of depression and other mental health related. If you think you have one i suggest you to rely on a mental health professional — so assess your own risk. You may view the findahelpline.com website for suicide prevention and crisis support helpline, It's free and available worldwide! If you are shy, my ask box or dm is open. I'm not really good about uplifting someone else mood but I'll try my best to understand your situation so please don't be afraid to talk about your problems, I'm all ears for you if no else did.

— 🦢 ꒰ danise update's [ 03/20/2023. ]

ʚ oopsie you already reached the end. ɞ

[teeztheflag]

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Mafia!Ateez reaction to their child telling them that a member is flirting with you

trigger warnings ⚠️ mafia themes, flirting, mentions of cheating, possessive behavior, murder, alcohol, sexual harassment (slight)

general taglist: @latte-fairytaekwoon @little-precious-baby @yunhobabygurl @multidreams-and-desires @purplelady85 @smallfrye​

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k i m  h o n g  j o o n g

„Where’s mommy?“ Your little son ran up to Hong Joong to be picked up by the mafia leader.

His eyes wander over the crowd at the garden gathering and when he’s not spotting you he flashes a little smile at his son.

„Mommy is talking to a man.“

Hong Joong nudges the little boy to whereas he points into a direction. Following the path around the house he sees you talking to none other than Kang Yeo Sang. His rival.

When Yeo Sang places his palm on your cheek you take a step back and frown at the boy. Hearing a cough behind you a smile escapes your form. The rival on the other hand rolls with his eyes and lets out a huff.

You’re quick to stand next to your husband and take your son into your arms leaving the two mafia leaders behind.

„You’re getting on my nerves, Kang.“

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p a r k  s e o n g  h w a

„(y/n)...“

You stood stiff in Seong Hwa‘s lavish office. Your gaze trained to the ground and your heart sinking to the bottom when he neared your form. He placed his cold fingers under your chin to raise your head. Locking his eyes with you a sigh escapes him.

„You know you belong to me. Why are you still resisting?“

„I don’t know what you are talking about.“

Seong Hwa engulfs you into his embrace leaning your head on his shoulder.

„Even our princess doesn’t like you betraying me. I will make sure you are not seeing him again.“

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j e o n g  y u n  h o

„And what did he say after that?“

Yun Ho caressed his daughters soft hair while she sat on his lap in their livingroom.

„That he will hurt her. I don’t remember so much... He was really scary daddy!“

With big glossy eyes Yun Ho feels his heart shattering. His daughter being so afraid for his light of the world.

He wouldn’t let Choi San get away with this.

After bringing his angel to bed he visits your shared bedroom to see you being asleep. You’re stirring and he can only guess that your nightmares are back.

With a gun and a sharp knife hidden in his suit he drives fast through the night. His team is already ready to blow up the place.

And with the final hit Yun Ho grabs the ex lover of his wife by his collar.

„I told you to stay away from us. That she is not your business anymore. What were you thinking?“

San struggles in his grip but manages to bring out his probably last words. „Kill me, but, live with the knowledge that she will never love you.“

He dropped to the ground and Yun Ho grasps his shaking hands together rage filling his body.

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k a n g  y e o  s a n g

When your son repeatedly told Yeo Sang that he really liked the guy that was around you since a few weeks he was relieved. It was good Woo Young seemed to do his job right. After the last attack he wanted the both of you safe all the time. That’s why he send one of his best men that he trusted with all of his might.

It was only when he tucked him into bed that he stopped in his tracks being deep in thoughts. He goes downstairs and pours himself a glass of wine. He jolts a little bit when you embrace him from behind and he turns around to eye you with a sharp gaze. Tilting his head you step back and flash him a small smile.

„What’s up?“

„Woo Young‘s taking good care of you, right?“

You frown and immediately know by the tone he uses that something‘s not to his liking, and, Kang Yeo Sang not liking something was bad.

„He is, he is doing a good job. I guess.“

„Hyun Jin likes him, too. But you know what he just told me?“

You absentmindedly reach out to him to probably cool down his anger.

„He told me that uncle Woo Young was really close to you. Close like ‚daddy‘, when I asked him what he meant with that.”

“Yeo Sang, he’s not. He is just friendly. Hugging me as a greeting nothing more.“

„You think our three year old son is lying to me? (y/n), I warn you, I know him. Don’t take his flirting attempts light hearted.“

You nod at him knowing he wouldn’t take any arguing.

„If you can’t stop him I will give him a different job.“ With a last sip he finishes his glass and roughly pulls you into him to place a delicate and territorial kiss on your forehead.

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c h o i  s a n

„Dad, I don’t know how to say this but... I am really worried for your marriage. I mean is everything fine?“

San takes his cup of coffee sitting down on the breakfast table in front of your fourteen year-old daughter. He really needed a moment to register So Ra‘s words.

„What? Of course everything‘s fine! Or what are you even talking about?“

So Ra‘s gaze is trained on the buttered toast in front of her a deep frown taking place on her forehead.

„Yesterday at the gala... and I don’t know if I am mistaking things, but, I feel like she was flirting with this CEO named Song.“

San‘s eyes widened and he quickly takes a another sip from his coffee. „Oh, ehm, believe me your mother has always had her effect on...men.“

„Yeah, but, dad - the guy was literally stripping her naked with his eyes - “

„Choi So Ra! Your words!“ So Ra gestures a sorry with her hands but she didn’t want her mother to be so close to other men. She loved her parents dearly and she wanted to have a marriage like them in the future.

„Really, anyways, don’t worry. Everything‘s perfect. If there’s a problem we would never lie to you, promise!“ He holds his pinky for So Ra and with a relieved sigh she links it like she and her dad always did.

„Good morning!“ You place a kiss on your daughter‘s cheek and send a smirk to San being proud you got the right information last night.

San looks at his two princesses and has to hold back a laugh. If their daughter only knew their jobs things would be more dangerous but in many ways easier, too.

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s o n g  m i n  g i

„What means ‚sexy‘?“

You nearly caugh at your son‘s words quickly drinking something. Min Gi also nearly doubles over laughing while typing away a text for his members for their mission.

„Dong In! I thought we talked about this already.“

Your son was a persistent person eyeing you suspiciously.

Min Gi places his device on the table continuing to eat the soup for their shared dinner. „It means beautiful, but, it’s not a really polite word, Dong In.“

„Ah, so Mr. Kim is not polite to you Mum?“ That indeed catches your husband‘s attention.

„What is he talking about, (y/n)?“ A sly smile leaves him.

You groan out knowing sooner or later your son would’ve told him. „Well, Dong In‘s teacher just seems to need a talk with me about our son occasionally. And today he told me that he thinks I am ‚beautiful‘. Right, Dong In?“ Your son wasn’t paying attention anymore but with a naive sigh he slurped the rest of his soup.

„He said mommy‘s a sexy thing.“

„Dong In!“ Min Gi slowly sits back flexing his arm‘s muscles. He eyes you with a hungry gaze while he nudges Dong In.

„Next time Mr. Kim is telling your mother that she’s beautiful you say that your dad thinks so, too. Alright buddy?“ Min Gi fist bumps with your son.

„Got it!“

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j u n g  w o o  y o u n g

Woo Young wasn’t really a jelous man. He knew his worth and he also tend to be proud of the woman at his sight. Your auro caught the gazes of many men and that only boosted the mafia‘s ego.

When a man was flirting with you it was for you to play by the game. Being raised into the mafia business yourself you knew how to handle those greedy bastards.

Woo Young only smirked in the back of a booth when someone sneaked into the seat next to you at the bar. His men ready at any given chance to beat up the poor soul that tried to take what was Jung‘s.

But - he also loved your sneaky site.

It was only a button that you pushed too far when your daughter went up to his daddy to cry about how you were not giving her enough attention at the big gathering. Like the father himself their princess needed the recognition from her beloved ones.

Woo Young‘s gaze darkened when he saw you being corned by the one and only mafia leader of the west - Choi Jong Ho.

„That b - “

„Daddy! You didn’t want to swear! Mommy told you not to swear!“

„Ahhh, you’re right darling.“ He turned around to give his daughter into Seong Hwa‘s arms - one of his members.

With confident steps he emerges your form at the end of the room where Jong Ho was busy playing with your hair while talking about his latest wins in the business.

„Choi. Would you mind keeping your hands to yourself?“ Woo Young was raging by now. You didn’t stop the rival from touching you and the naive smile you send to your lover only angered him more.

„Let’s ask the lady what she wants.“ Jong Ho wiggles his eyebrows at Woo Young and you mentally facepalmed knowing Mr. Jung would scream bloody murder in a few seconds.

„I am sorry Mr. Choi.“ You gracefully step into Woo Young‘s arms giving him the satisfaction of winning this little debate with his rival. Jong Ho laughs out loud and turns around to leave the two of you.

„If you want attention ask for it. Don’t make me mad, baby.“

You lock eyes with him putting on a pout. „This way it is much more fun!“

─────────────────────

c h o i  j o n g  h o

It was the final day your son got introduced to the mafia world. A big party was held for him after he was prepared for everything over months. It was also his 16th birthday party and you had tears in your eyes knowing he was growing into a man so quickly really assembling his father in many ways.

It has been Park Seong Hwa‘s presence that put you off. He was an acquaintance of your clan for a long time but you didn’t really like the guy. When he approached you after dinner, when you were ushering your son to dance with a girl on the dancefloor, you immediately knew he was going to get on your nerves again.

He made jokes, touched you and clearly invaded your personal space. For the sake of your peaceful agreement you played his game hoping someone would come to help you out of your misery.

„Dad, I will literally kick this guy‘s balls if - “

„I already know about it.“ Jong Ho‘s gaze is fixed on your figure across the room. He turns to his son and tells him to have fun. He would take care of the matter.

Jong Ho soundlessly leans into your side leading Seong Hwa to roll with his eyes. He places a meaningful and strong kiss on your trembling lips catching your weight with his arms to steady you.

Playfully he turns around to the mafia a smile adoring his features. „Mr. Park. I didn’t even see you there!“ You’re quick to leave the duo to get to the toilet knowing by the squeeze Jong Ho just gave you a few seconds ago.

„Still so possessive I see. Let us leave this by complimenting you on your still beautiful wife.“ He let’s out a giggle while eying the crowd.

„Thank you, Seong Hwa. Seems to be running in my family.“

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↺ back to navi

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[kirric-the-fan]

Yo, forget about Bruno, can we talk about the MAJORLY foreshadowing song that is Waiting On A Miracle? They really doubled down on all the imagery and word choice, and I am here for it.

'I can't/would move the mountains': the cracks that appear when the casita falls break open the mountains of the encanto.

'Make new trees and flowers grow': encourages her sister to discover and grow new flowers and trees

'Someone please just let me know where do I go': they show the house literally regrowing at this point. Y'know, the exact thing she needs to go and do and ends up doing.

'I would heal what's broken': casita, family. Family. The entire family is right there (sans Bruno ofc). Need I say more? It's an absolute kicker on rewatches bc it seems so obvious.

'Show this family something new': again, she's by Isabela and Luisa at this point- she shows Isabela how to let go and make new plants, and she shows Luisa she can take a break.

'I am inside' noticeably she's with Abuela, and her parents at this point- who she has literally come from.

And uh, hard not to notice the incredibly proud looks she gives everyone where she conjured them around her. She really wants to make them proud and oof my bones.

This brings us to the fireworks: firstly they reflect Isabel's plants and trees again, but also the way they're breaking apart behind Mirabel could symbolise the cracks (a little bit). Someone else has also pointed out the noticably green firework behind her- green just like Bruno's vision, again, mimicking the cracks, and where she needs to go to restore the miracle. Foreshadowing aplenty.

OK, delving into it a bit more for general imagery: slo-mo. Obvious and wonderfully done to show her disconnect with all of this. 'Always walking alone'

I think I saw something somewhere that they were using the imagery of the lights a lot in this song too, and to great effect. There's the flash of the photo to highlight Mirabel being in the shadows whilst the rest of her family are in the limelight, to the more subtle butterfly wings around Mirabel from the sparklers on the stairs. That's on top of the fireworks and all the candle/miracle glow effects. Shining against the dark it brings a wonderful spark to the song where it's needed.

'All I need is a change, all I need is a chance': more foreshadowing. This addressed to the door at this point, the casita and Abuela. Noticeably she's right back where it started, the long path up to the door she never got. She wants to restart it all, have another go, get her chance to put it right.

'Open your eyes open your eyes': Abuela needs to wake up and see what she's doing. Bonus oof points at this moment because her eyeline is over Mirabel's head even as she's trying to stretch up into view.

It's a wonderfully done song that I feel is somewhat underappreciated still, packing in a lot of foreshadowing. And through the film Mirabel works through everything she says she would do to impress her family and prove herself.

In fact, the only thing Mirabel can't or hasn't done by the end of the film is 'control the morning rain, or a hurricane', and that's a pretty tricky one to cover.

[tf2-headcanons-and-scenarios]

Hewwo! Can I request some headcanons on how each mercenary would raise their daughter from childhood to adulthood? Thanksies!! Also, I adore your writing 😘💞

A/N: A nice short and sweet thing I hope you lot enjoy! My desire to have children when I’m older and married is strong so it fueled this for me :)

Scout:

- Honestly this man has no clue how to raise a daughter

- He knows how to raise boys, but knows nothing about raising girls, so you help him out more times than he wants to admit

- He definitely wants to make sure his daughter stays healthy and active, so growing up he introduces her to various sports

- Baseball, Softball and American Football are among the 3 most played sports between Scout and his daughter

- Early morning runs became a tradition between Scout and his girl growing up. Unless one was injured or sick, they would ALWAYS run in the morning

- Scout looks to you for giving your daughter life advice because try as he might he just can’t seem to give the right advice to her

- Overprotective? Nah, so long as his daughter doesn’t do something incredibly stupid or brings home a very dangerous partner

- When Scout’s daughter reaches adulthood, they continue with their morning jogs and start to play aggressively against each other in sport

Soldier:

- This man goes from hardcore drill seargent to hardcore softie in a matter of SECONDS after meeting his daughter for the first time

- This man is about discipline and self-routine. He’d try to make sure his daughter can look after herself properly in case anything was to happen

- He would definitely give in to the tea parties, he so would

- When she’s old enough, he’d teach her how to shoot a gun for self defence

- He leaves the stuff about school and girl-based advice to you

- He is literally the dad holding a shotgun when his daughter brings home a romantic partner, and he will intimidate them and their loyalty to his daughter

- Soldier will reward good behaviour and actions, often taking his daughter out to see a movie or get some ice cream

- When Soldier’s little girl becomes a woman, he’ll teach her how to use explosives and basically drop in with a packet of bread and stories to tell

Pyro:

- Pyro is just excited about having a daughter, that’s another person to host tea parties with!

- Dear god where they afraid of hurting her, especially since they worked with dangerous amounts of fire 24/7

- Cute clothes for the baby girl? FUCK YES!!!

- Stuffed toys? YOU BET!!!

- You enjoy watching Pyro play with your little girl, and you loved to join in

- All three of you celebrate the holidays like there is no tomorrow, and you absolutely love it

- Pyro surprisingly teaches your daughter how to be safe around fire. The last they want is to see their little girl covered in burn marks

- They are generally good with giving advice, but stuff like puberty is a zone Pyro does not go to, often leaving those questions with you

- When your daughter grows up, Pyro loves dropping in for tea, and definitely loves bringing up baby photos of your little girl

Demoman:

- Demoman is over the moon when he first met his daughter. He forever counts himself lucky he had the eyesight to see her

- Babyproofed the house and never laid a finger on explosives when she was around

- You never thought you’d see the day Demo would stop drinking, but ever since your daughter was born he didn’t touch a single drop

- He never consistently bagged your child about becoming a demolitions expert, but he always had fun making small and safe explosions in the yard every now and then

- He is the parent who sneaks their child a sip of Whiskey on the rocks. You were certainly not impressed when you caught him

- He did return to drinking as his daughter grew older, but he never drinks to the amounts he drank before she was born

- He is really good with life advice (thanks to his own mother), and is the dad that tries to guide his child along the straight and narrow path

- When she grows up he takes her down to the bar to drink responsibly, and he loves telling her stories of his days working as a mercenary

- You bet he tests the romantic partner with hardcore shots of Rum containing 90% Alcohol

- FYI such alcohol exists

Heavy:

- Heavy helped his mother raise his sisters for years, so having to look after a baby girl was easy for him

- Soft lullabies and fairytale stories at night were Heavy’s favourite moments of the day when your daughter was young

- Great with advice and puberty questions, though he sometimes turned to you to ask if he was answering them properly or not

- Definitely teaches his daughter fluent Russian and boxing

- As she gets older he starts talking more about his past as a mercenary and former life in a Russian gulag

- He definitely teaches his daughter the history of Russia and how bad things can be if a bad person was left in power

- When she grows up he is the loving father who loves talking as often as he can with his daughter. No matter how old she is, he would always call her by her childhood nicknames

Engineer:

- Engi wrote down lullabies on his guitar for her even before she was born

- Baby furniture was all assembled by hand by this Texan man

- He loves giving the infant girl cuddles and tries to get her to speak as early as humanly possible

- As she gets older he allows her into the workshop so long as she promises not to touch or break anything important or dangerous

- The amount of times this daughter of his has broken that rule is enough times to give him chronic back pains at the ripe old age of not-even-50-yet and you so very close to banning her from entering his workshop

- He is great with advice and even greater with schoolwork. He loves having discussions with her about subjects she doesn’t know too well. He will leave you with some personal questions if he can’t find the words for it

- He will encourage her to pursue her passions no matter what they were, even if society deemed it inappropriate. If she wanted to be a nurse or a lawyer or even the fucking Queen of England she can damn well strive to be just that!

- He invents various toys and items for her whenever an idea strikes him fancy, and he will teach her how to handle a wrench and a sink at least

- When she grows up he will continue making things for her and send them her way at random times. He will also be the aged father who loves playing the guitar for her

Medic:

- Local medical man knows you were pregnant with a girl before you were 3 months pregnant

- Said medical man was over the moon he had a daughter to look forward to (you found it surprising that he wanted to dress her up in a lot of cute outfits)

- Medic would always take charge with making sure you and your unborn daughter were healthy and happy throughout the pregnancy

- He would also be the one to deliver the baby! The amount of happy tears he shed holding her for the first time was the most happy you had seen him in a long time

- Having a baby kept Medic in his toes. No child of his, daughter or son, was going to go through the night with a cold!

- He is the one who always patches up his daughter’s scratches with bandaids and song-like words that cheer her up

- God forbid him even let her into the Medbay in the middle of an experiment

- Medic would let his child feed the birds, and Archimedes loves hanging around your daughter

- Medic would go to you for help when he needed advice on how to take care of his little girl properly, but otherwise the both of you were just fine

- When your daughter grew up the first thing she did was go to Medical school inspired by her father’s career, and he would help support her as much as he could

- She would also take care of her own brood of doves

- She promised to keep away from experimenting for your sake

Spy:

- THIS MAN WAS A NERVOUS WRECK WHEN HE FOUND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT

- He already failed to raise one child, so why did fate give him another?!

- He promised himself he wouldn’t run like he did with his first child, and stuck with you throughout the pregnancy

- He would not let you mention how much he cried holding your daughter for the first time to anyone else

- He was a very cautious man once your daughter arrived. He even stopped smoking inside buildings to avoid ruining her lungs

- Taught her how to speak French as early as she could understand it. This may have lead her to develop his accent over time but you love it

- Advice was something Spy trusted you to do more than himself. He would never shake the fear he was going to fail at his second attempt at being a father

- You always found your heart melting whenever you caught your daughter and Spy resting with one another after reading a bedtime story

- Even after growing up, Spy always looked out for his daughter, and wouldn’t hesitate to protect her from any of his enemies that try to harm her or you

- He is forever grateful he was given a second chance at fatherhood, and did his best to not let it go to waste

A/N: So I’m back! Hope ya didn’t miss me too much. Thanks for being patient with me!! 💕💕

[ag3ntl3vi]

Hoodie X GN! Reader X Masky | “Rock Paper Sisscors” |☁️

This struck me at like, 3AM while listening to Devil in Diguise. I’ll probably write more parts to this tonight if im being honest. 

!Gender-Neutral reader!

Trigger Warnings: Sexual mentions. 

Word Count: 2,317

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"Can you go any slower?" You laughed, stopping to allow your friend to catch up. Sweat dotted her chocolatey forehead as she panted. 

"Yes! I can." She wheezed. "You're just too fast!" Taylor whined loudly, bending herself in half to try and catch her breath. You rolled your eyes and pulled her up, raising her arms over her head. 

"You'll breathe better this way," You told her, taking a step back and taking a long sip of your icy water. Taylor nodded her thanks and slowed her breathing gradually. 

        "Wanna keep going?" You asked as you wiped your mouth on your wrist. Taylor feriously shook her head. "I'll pass, (Y/n)." She whimpered. You put yout arms behind your head as you began to walk down the worn dirt bath. 

"That sucks," You murmered. "We were only 1/4th of the way done."

Taylor gaped at your cocky smirk. "And you do this everyday?"

You nodded. "Twice a day if I'm feelin' lucky," You winked and giggled. Taylor shook her head in disbelief. 

"You're a machine," She grumbled, jogging to your side. You could tell she was tired, but she was the one who asked to join you in your near-night run. She said she needed the exercise to get the perfect "summer body", even though it was fall. 

You hummed. "I didn't know they made sexy machines now." Taylor pushed away the urge to roll her eyes, though she desperately wanted to. She chose not to answer your stupid comment. You both started to walk back to your dorm and planned a junk food movie night. You had the feeling she wouldn't last, but you couldn't say no to her puppy face. You had to admit, you were a sucker for your best friend.          Taylor ended up chugging the rest of her and your water bottles greedily, but you didn't blame her. She was pretty out of shape. The darker skinned girl took a large gasp of fresh oxygen after finishing off your beverage. 

"Learn to breathe, my God," You snorted. She glared.

"I just ran a mile, you can shut your mouth, you fucking monster," She hissed playfully. 

School campus soon came into view after your bickering. Taylor grumbled about how badly her feet ached and how she was never running ever again. You parted ways at the dorm. Taylor wanted to get the living room set up for the movie and sent you out for snacks and drinks. You easily migrated to the everything store. That wasn't its actual name, you couldn't care to remember what it was, but the everything store seemed to suit the run down shop better. 

        You pushed thr glass double doors open, a cute bell ringing to announce your presence to the cashire, Michael. 

"(Y/n)!" He greeted with a smile. You returned the facial gester with a small wave of your own.          "What're you here for this time?" He leaned his head on his open palm, his eyes trained on your figure. You had your back turned to him as you read the movie names on the rack. 

"What does it look like?" You chuckles, plucking a familar title from the shelf. 'Kiki's Delivery Service', a childhood favorite of yours. Michael didn't verbally answer, he was too busy allowing his eyes to roam your every curve. 

His eyes snapped to the side when you turned around to wonder down the candy isle. You shoved a KitKat , snickers, and (f/c) into your arm (allowing an extra of your favored one into your pocket, shh) before you turned the corner, finding the energy drinks. With a childish grin you grabbed a few of the better Monster flavors. You knew you had popcorn at the dorm so you didn't bother trying to find a box here. 

        You decided to check out as quickly as possible, avoiding as much conversation with Michael as you could. He gave you the creeps. He always tended to make sexual remarks regarding your running outfit, like how your shorts made your ass look plump or how cute you looked with a flushed, tired expression. In general, he didn't seem like a good guy or influence, though Taylor took an odd interest in him. She always had shitty tastes in men. 

It was getting late, you noticed. The sun started to darken as students scrambled to their respected dorms or apartments off campus. You made your way to your room. The illuminated cobblestone path gave you the worst horror movie vibes, so to say you booked it was an understatement. As soon as you were inside the safe confindments of your dorms living area, you released a loud sigh of relief. You thought about taking the elevator up, but decided on the stairs to the third story. You were very grateful you were on a higher floor, to you it served as a lesser chance of being robbed or murdered. 

"I brought a movie, candy and monsters, come on, you filthy goblin." you called into the freakishly neat room. Taylor was a very, very messy person so you tended to pick up after her more than you'd happily admit. It didn't take long for you to set positions for certain objects in specific places. Example, your shoes stayed in a small, plastic, blue bin by the door. They didn't ever make it to the carpeted floor of the living room. You had a key rack by the door so your keys were never lost or misplaced and Taylor had insisted you needed a coat rack, so your bookbags and Taylor's purses hung there. Any extra blankets, pillows, and sheets were placed neatly in the spare closet. 

        "Monsters..?" Her brown head popped out from around the corner. 

-----------------------------------------------

Taylor had passed out halfway through the movie, not that you were surprised. You pouted. You were very well use to it, but it wasn't any less disappointing when it happened. You carefully laid her on the couch, not bothering to wake her. She was a literal demon when she was woken up. You covered her body in a large, fluffy blanket before standing, pacing for a moment. 

You wondered back to your organized room and grabbed your large spray bottle you kept on your dresser. You stared down your mass of plants in your window seal and the few on your night stand and hanging from the ceiling before watering the ones that needed it, leaving your Rainbow Bush succulent alone. Satisfied, you grabbed your school jacket and your earbuds and phone before slipping your shoes on at the door. 

It was almost 1 before Taylor and you had finally settled enough to sit and watch the movie, so it was fairly late now. But, regretfully, your body was still pumped from the sugary drinks you consumed not long ago. You made a quick choice to go on a short run to tire yourself out a bit before retiring for the night. Sure, wasn't the best idea to go out at night, alone and defenceless, but you prided yourself in your speed if needed. Besides, you've done it before and you were obviously still alive!

You made your way to the dirt path you ran earlier in the day, struggling to remember a stupid songs name. You grinned when you figured it out and hurriedly played it. The opening played through your earbuds as you gently bobbed your head to the beat.

"There are boulders on my shoulders, collar bones begin to crack, there is very little left of me and it's never coming back," You sung softly along with 'Be nice to me'. An old, but greatly loved song from your middle school years. You began to run.

Your lips parted in a content smile as a phrase slipped past your teeth.

"You're a killer, and i'm your best friend. I think it's unfair, your situation," 

You began to bounce on the balls of your feet excitedly. "You say i'm changing! I'm sorry I didn't know I had to stay the same!" You jumped as your legs moved, your voice growing louder and bolder with every word thoughtlessly spilling out your mouth. You became unaware of the eyes watching your movements, head tilted in confusion. 

"Your voice is driving me insane!" You shouted, hopping more as you swished your head side to side, getting louder everytime the phrase was repeated. The last note rang through your ears and you let out a joyful that was quickly cut off. The overbearing feeling of being watched dawned on you. 

You jerked around and scanned the treeline, your eyes falling on a tall male facing you with a tilted head. You stared at him, confused before your gaze fell on the bloodied pipe dangling by his side. You fearfully and turned around, bolting in the direction the path led you to. You didn't have much time to understand why he was watching you, but you could hear his heavy footsteps crushing dead leaves as he raced after you. 

'Molly' blasted into your ears loudly, making you jerk in surprise. If you were going to die tonight, you were glad this was the song you'd die to. 

You could hear him distantly still chasing after you. Not to brag, but you could run a mile amd keep going onto the next without breaking too much of a sweat, though you'd be fairly tired.          Speaking of tired, you could feel the drousiness spreading to your head and deep down you knew that you couldn't keep the pace up for much longer. 

Sucking in a deep breath, you turned into the woods, lifting your feet high so you wouldn't be the stupid one to trip on a root and be killed first. That would be an embarrassing way to die and not even Molly could make it better, you concluded. 

So you did the most logical thing your sleepy brain could think of.

You climbed a fucking tree.

The man was a far enough distance for you to get a good amount of height between the two of you. You panted, your palms itching with needle-like pain from the rough and merciless bark, but pulled yourself up another branch and looked down. The man was panting heavily, bent over as he struggled to force air into his most likely burning lungs.  He stood up after a quick second, glaring up the tree at you.

Childishly, but overcome with a sense of acomplishment, you stuck your tongue out at him. 

Bad idea, you concluded when the guy's gloved fists clenched by his sides and he started to climb. 

You squealed. "No! Fuck off!" You shouted. "Pick another goddamn tree, you humanoid orange!" A growl ripped through your teeth as you glared fearfully at him.          To your surprise, he got down. He moved his head to stare at you before sitting indian style, his face pointed to you.

For the first time you had a proper look at him, and you weren't surprised. He looked like he came from a shitty horror movie. He wore an orange hoodie with a ski mask hiding his facial features, a red frowny face sitched into it. He had dark blue, wore out jeans and black boots that looked to be kept as clean as Taylor would keep her living space. 

'Best friend' Began to play quietly through your (f/c) earbuds and you forced down a snort at the timing. You were hoddled up in a tree while a guy who most likely wanted you dead watched from below. You shook your head and glanced at the dark sky.

'The stars are out' You thought as you spotted the little dipper, the big one wasn't far away from it's child. 

It only took about ten minutes for your easily distracted mind to get bored. You stared down at the hooded man as he drew in the dirt with his pipe. An idea struck you, a bad one, but an idea nevertheless. And it wasn't going to kill you, with a lot of hope, it may allow you to live another day. 

"Yo, tangerine!" He flinched at your loud voice, moving his head to stare at you. 

You held up a fist with your dominate hand, your opposite going under it, palm up and open.

"Wanna play rock, paper, sisscors before I die?" 

The man stilled before very, and I mean very slowly nodded. You allowed yourself to snort. Now you were going to play a childs game with a murderer. 

"Do you know how to play?" You called down. He nodded again and held up his hands. "Cool," You said.

The orange-clad killer was absolute shit at rock, paper, sisscors. He was even worse than your nephew, who was six and had the attention span of a squirell. Sometime in your game playing, you had moved yourself a few branches down to see him better in the dark woods. You now sat a branch above his head.          He didn't move much, but his shoulders seemed to slump.

You threw rock, again, and he threw sisscors. You gave an evil victory crackle whiele he glared gloomily at his open fingers.          "That was fun," You stretched your arms over your head, yawning. "Can I go now?" You calmly asked. 

He didn't move for a long while, looking between you and his gloved hands, the, back to you. Finally, he nodded. You hopped down, smiling widely. 

"Thanks," You said nervously. He was trying to kill you earlier, so you wouldn't be completely off guard around him. You started to shuffle around him cautiously. His arm shot out, grabbing your upper arm roughly. You flinched hard, looking up at him with wide eyes. 

This is it, You thought He changed his mind and wants to eat me!

Instead, you heard a deep voice whisper.

"You can leave if we can play again soon."

[cardentist]

I know this is Beyond late to the party, it’s been years since I first started simmering on it, but I was reminded of it a bit ago and I think it’s gonna chew a hole in my brain if I don’t find a way to do something with it

the broadway version of be more chill is an adaptation of an adaptation, the rework of the script and the music and the differences in performance choice gives it a Very different tone despite largely being the same story on paper. and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing ! I’d say it’s mostly a give and take, with some things working better and some things working worse between versions and your mileage with both mostly being down to taste.

I loved the passion that clearly went into it, I was interested in the new way the dynamics played off of each other, and I was drawn into the new additions to the score and how it explored and expanded upon a different side of jeremy. I was waiting for the new version to grow on me, to give me the same inspiration that the new jersey production gave me (or rather, a different flavor that I could treasure just as much), and it just. never happened.

I’ve sat on this for a Very long time, I want to like the broadway version, I was Happy to see it given another chance. but my problem isn’t with the music or even with it being Different, my problem is that I think they fundamentally changed the protagonist Without changing the story around him, which creates problems with how the story comes across and sits with you.

the new jersey version worked, for me, because jeremy was fundamentally a good person before the squip influenced him, and he never really stopped being that person. he’d hurt people and he made mistakes, but when you see him make up with christine and michael by the end you’re left with the impression that they’re already set on the path to a healthy relationship with each other. they have things to work on, conversations that need to be had, but you can Believe in the happy ending that it wants you to buy into.

and part of this is achieved by leaving things up to the imagination, by keeping jeremy Simple but implying more by presenting him as a real person. jeremy doesn’t Want to be popular he wants to be happy, but he trusts the authority figure that tells him that it knows what’s best for him more than he does. it’s this level of innocence that makes him genuinely likeable despite what he ends up doing.

the broadway version sought to explore jeremy in more depth, to explore the feelings of self hatred and isolation, the themes of depression and anxiety, in more explicit terms, they complicated jeremy heere. this isn’t in itself a bad thing, I really like “loser geek whatever” as a song, but it shifted the balance in what made the ending work. a moment that used to be jeremy asserting to the audience that he’s never Wanted to be important, that he never wanted popularity or fame, but that he’s giving in to the lead of something else because he’s been convinced that it’s what’ll make him happy is now a ballad that asserts that it’s what jeremy thinks he Deserves.

don’t get me wrong, this new version of jeremy isn’t an inherently bad person, he isn’t even necessarily a fundamentally Different person. they’re both steeped in self hatred and isolation, broadway jeremy Is new jersey jeremy at his core, but broadway jeremy has pointed that inward turmoil Outward. he thinks of himself as the problem, that there’s something wrong with him and always has been, but at the same time he’s actively trying to convince himself that he wants what the squip is offering him because he’s Owed it.

this isn’t a problem on its own, I really vibe with “loser geek or whatever,” it has some Very poignant lines that gel with what jeremy’s always been even with the shift happening with his mindset here, but it’s unfortunately not a change that exists in a vacuum.

I could pick apart the whole musical and lay out all of the differences, but the change that’s prevented me from being able to enjoy the broadway version is “the pitiful children,” on a musical level but most importantly on a story and characterization level.

jeremy’s change in mindset in the broadway version Very Unfortunately leans into the entitled nerd boy trope, which didn’t necessarily have to detract from it (in my opinion, the charm of be more chill in general is how its characters are all tropes presented as real people, who are likeable because of how Human they are. you slowly grow into them the more you realize this), but the pitiful children just shifts jeremy Too Far into that trope in a way that the story never really recovers from.

the original version was the squip’s villain song where he took jeremy pointing out flaws with his actions (letting people get hurt despite having been able to help them and meddling in jeremy’s life in a way that made his relationships Worse) and convinced him that the problem was other people’s free will. he did this not by appealing to jeremy’s own desires, but by presenting other people the way that the squip had been presenting jeremy to Himself this entire time.

jeremy is a character that hates himself, that was so eager to find a way to “get better” because he sees everything that’s happened to him as being tied to some inherent flaw with who he is. the squip took this and reinforced it, convinced jeremy that he’s completely worthless without him, all while presenting himself as a savior figure to jeremy that was going to “fix” him. the pitiful children is the squip insisting that all people are like that, that all people are fundamentally broken and unhappy but that they can be Saved. jeremy going along with the squip here is presented as being tied to both his own self hatred And his desire to help people. the squip took advantage of his Kindness and that colors our interpretation of him as a person.

the broadway version of this scene is, a shell. it’s a mistake. in some ways it’s built on that same basis, it exists On Top Of what it used to be, but it paints jeremy completely differently. it is, quite literally, jeremy putting christine’s agency under his own desires. Now instead of the squip playing at jeremy’s self hatred, it’s convincing jeremy that christine doesn’t want to date him because there’s something wrong with Her Specifically, and the rest of the school is just kind of tacked onto it. it’s jeremy choosing his own desire to date christine Over her freewill while pushing everyone else’s fate to the side (when he knows that they’re Also going to get zombiefied in the process).

it’s a weaker villain song in general, the storybeat of convincing someone that humanity is fundamentally flawed but can be “fixed” is far more chilling than convincing someone that the girl they like is fundamentally flawed because they won’t date them. but it also just changes jeremy’s relationship to christine in a way that can Never be addressed because Jeremy’s the only character that knows it happened and it’s never a conversation that they have together.

it’s even worse in the live version (as opposed to the cast recording) because jeremy is an Active role in the broadway version when he’d had a passive role in the original. in the new jersey version jenna approaches jeremy, opening up about her own unhappiness after he asks her how she feels, the squip tells him that he can help her and Then jeremy gives her a squip. jeremy Watches her immediately become more lively and happy, with her joining the song and dance to convince him that this is the right thing. in the broadway performance jeremy approaches Her, he offers her a squip of his own accord and he brushes her off after she opens up to him in response. it’s no longer a beat reinforcing that the squip is taking advantage of his kindness, but him Openly Dismissing someone else’s suffering while he’s focused on getting what he wants. he’s dancing and singing along with the squip.

both versions of jeremy were manipulated, both versions of jeremy were stripped of their agency, but only one of them had a true villain arc. but their endings are the same. broadway jeremy isn’t an unsalvageable person, he Can grow and get better and I do think that he’s in the right direction for it. but he and christine are Not ready for a relationship, he’s Not at an ending point for his character growth. he did choose her agency in the end, but the fact that it was ever a question for him makes the saccharine tone of the ending feel Wrong in a way that I’ve never been able to move on from. 

broadway jeremy was complicated in a way that made him less likeable as a person but the Ending wasn’t made to accommodate this. the big flashy showdown Worked in the original Because it never convinced us that jeremy wasn’t a kind person. he needed a wake up call and time to heal, broadway jeremy needs therapy. (granted, new jersey jeremy Also needs therapy for the Definite ptsd that he has, but that’s a separate issue).

the broadway version opens a conversation that it wasn’t interested in closing, they left their happy storybook ending for a story that Needed a serious confrontation that challenged their protagonist not just on the fact that they were Wrong but on the fundamental flaws with how they treated and thought of other people. it wasn’t necessarily jeremy’s Fault but he needed more solid character growth than what he was given and it’s a weaker story for it.

I think if the pitiful children had been left largely the same I might’ve been able to grow to like the broadway version and all of its differences, but it’s just the Weaker version as is and it Needed to push the changes harder than it did if it was really committed to this change in direction.

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

The Threesomers

(Jack x Rin x Roland)

Word Count- 4600

Warnings- language, oral sex (m/f receiving), masturbation (m/f), penetrative sex (anal and vaginal), slight alcohol use, use of special abilities (empathic, telepathic, symphokinesis)

A/N- Jack and Rin had everything they could want, especially in each other. A surprise visit from Roland shows them that's not exactly the case. Original Robert GIFs by @vousnavezrienvu new one by @neuroticpuppy love of my life

Rin was giggling as she linked arms with Jack and Roland as they headed back to the cottage. There was a feeling in the air that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

One that emanated from both men equally. That caused her to continuously lock her lips with Jack’s. To dip her tongue far in his mouth while he emitted noises of shock. Roland was left to tap out a nervous rhythm on his pint glass.

Then, as she remembered he was there, Rin would face forward with a secret smile. Jack, distracted by pleasurable discomfort, wouldn't notice as she had reached into Roland’s lap. Her small hand surreptitiously squeezed his cock until it hardened. Her boyfriend was sitting right there, oblivious.

Now she drowned out their banter as they fumbled along the cobblestones. Jack's hand pinched Rin’s ass and she squealed. The atmosphere felt topsy-turvy just to spite Roland’s sullen demeanor. He remained cryptic over his break up with Keevy, citing creative differences.

“That's because she makes music, mate. You just fuck about like you’re wanking a radio antenna. I want to Gaelic folk songs mashed in with glam rock. Not some bloke dressed like a funeral director making a racket that sounds like murdering a baby.”

Jack took the piss most of the night. Including now. The tequila emboldened him. Made him relentless in his pursuit. Roland was, to put it mildly, vexed. It wafted from him. Rin felt the steady growing timpani drums that lined his blood as it boiled.

“Says the homeless schizophrenic who pretends to speak with the dead and terrorizes families at their loved ones' gravesites.”

The air grew thick just then. Jack clenched his jaw and squeezed a handful of Rin. She grimaced. His only response was to yank her away from the other man and to give Roland a wide berth. He started to speed up while yanking his girlfriend along.

Rin was overwhelmed with embarrassment coming from both men. That flirtation in the pub. Her sexual urges were inclinations that she siphoned right from Jack into Roland and vice versa. Under the weird jealousy (from the medium more than the musician), was desire. A confused one, but there all the same, from her partner and best mate.

Jack spun around to face Roland.

“You made decisions for a woman you barely knew and THEN insisted that you loved her after MAYBE about a week together in THREE years. Like what the fuck, mate? You put a woman in a situation where she says no and is ungrateful or says yes and she's stuck with you.”

“JACK!!” Rin cried in shock.

“Aint ye the one who took advantage of a woman in a clear manic state post suicide attempt!?”

Jack stepped to Roland. His fists balled his sides. Rin didn't think either of them could fight. Even knew how. She stifled a laugh at the image of gangly limbs and thin bodies rolling on the ground. Then she flushed as that fight turned into something more in her mind.

The Irishman started yelling. A feat Rin never knew him capable of. His anger was often quiet and simmering. But whatever was going on was being filtered through their common ground. The empathic woman they both loved.

Roland persisted, “THEN YE SHAGGED HER AND CONVENIENTLY PRETENDED YE COULDN'T REMEMBER HER!! WHO COULD FORGET WREN?! I'VE FECKIN TRIED!!”

“ROLAND!”

“You're an insufferable cunt,” Jack seethed.

To Rin’s surprise Roland unfurled. His shoulders sagged. He pushed the heels of his palms into his temples.

“The music inside my head that ye play is so sad. It has this weird,” he waved his arms around, “fake happy harmony. That makes ye a selfish bastard. You've got a home and a family and love. That's it mate love. How can ye take advantage of it? That's all I want is someone to lo-”

Roland’s words were cut off by Jack all but smashing his mouth into the musician’s. He had the Irishman by the lapel of his leather coat while the kiss deepened.

Roland’s hands searched for anything to do so they settled on Jack's hips. One found its way to the back of the medium’s head. Then their mouths parted leaving the men to stare at each other on the poorly lit path.

Rin let out a strangled sound of both desire and envy. She longed to be between the two men. All hands and mouths and tongues and bodies sharing each other. So a thought came to mind.

“Boys,” she took each man by the hand. She plugged herself back into their lascivious feelings. “Let's play a game.”

---

“What do ye mean you've never danced with anyone?” Roland looked at Jack, incredulous.

Jack sat on the couch with Rin at his feet. She was, for a lack of anything else to do, painting the fingernails on his right hand. She had all but given up on the threesome she had proposed when they came home.

There had been more kissing, but Jack let his nerves take over. He wasn't quite as eager with Roland as he had Rin back when he was new to her. Both the musician and the empath knew it was because Jack was just awakening to it. The feelings he might have for another man, other men in general. This was literally his first experience.

Roland could tell as easily as Rin that Jack enjoyed it. Not only physically by the stiffening in his jeans, but the music around him became lighter. Roland had taken that to match the music coming from the radio they had found inspecting the living room. Their kisses followed suit: soft and sweet.

Now as they sat opposite ends of the couch, Rin literally had him in her hands. She sent tendrils of calm from herself into Jack. Reassurance that it was alright. The knowledge that Roland had done this before with other men. That her partner could be sexually attracted to more than just her gender.

“Nothing ever comes up when I'm called for dancing with Birdie,” Jack's moniker for Rin. “We aren't exactly crawling with wedding invites, Rolo.”

Roland stood up and held his hand out to Jack, “Right on then; I'm an expert.”

Jack’s shoulders had relaxed but his fuzzy eyebrows were now lost in his bangs. “Whot? Dance with you? Don't you reckon we’ll look like two scarecrows?” There was a smile in his question though, and he took the proffered hand.

Roland pulled Jack off the couch and into his arms. “Of course it won't exactly be like dancing with Wren, but we’ll make due. Yeah?”

The music changed to Regina Spektor while the men figured out positioning. There was nervous giggling, a sound that was like a shot to Rin’s veins. Better than any street drug or anti-psychotic she had been prescribed by shrinks who believed she was broken. That Jack was broken. Roland could easily hide his gift, to funnel it into a career or teaching.

“It's musical empathy and kinesis,” he answered before Jack had a moment to ask. They had settled with their hands on each other's waists. The music bending into something with a steadier beat.

“How does it work?” Jack allowed Roland to sway them both back and forth. Their hips found a rhythm with ease.

“I hear music in everyt’ing. Every living t’ing has a melody. I can use music like Wren can manipulate emotions. I also give it to other people.” Roland’s voice trailed off as he pressed his forehead to Jack's, “Can we kiss again?”

Rin was overwhelmed as she watched the two of them. Her heart raced whole she saw their tongues dart back and forth. She felt a pulse take up between her legs. It was like she couldn't control herself as she began to create a friction against the cotton of her panties while the two men switched to more of a grind than a sway.

Roland grabbed Jack's ass so that he was forced to feel the erection he had created beneath the Irishman’s pants. A moan escaped Jack before he did likewise to the other man. Their kisses grew more aggressive with tongues that delved as far as they could.

Rin fingered herself now. She matched the zeal of their mouths. She let out a loud gasp mixed with a squeak that startled the men. Men who forgot she was there who now watched as she masturbated with her head back. Lost in herself now more than them.

“Care t’ join us, love?” Roland asked. His voice was thick.

Rin opened her eyes and flushed while she got to her feet. Joining them, the woman opted for standing behind Jack. She remained silent as she reached around to lift his shirt up. Jack raised his arms so she could remove it completely.

Then she ran her hands down Jack's raised arms and over his sides to his lower half. She undid the button on his jeans and unzipped him. Rin tugged them and his boxers to the ground so that he was naked.

Jack's breathing grew heavier and more ragged. He had no way of hiding his erection now as it twitched and came alive in Rin’s small hand.

Roland’s gaze lowered so he could watch as she let her grip lazily pass up and down the shaft of Jack's cock. He bit his lip and shifted on his feet as Jack reached around to hold on to his girlfriend. His head hung back like hers had been while she touched herself.

She stopped and took his hand in her own. Together, they repeated what Rin had done to Jack but with Roland’s clothes this time. Except she let her boyfriend do most of the undressing. Let him take off Roland’s shirt. Rin undid Roland’s pants, but Jack removed them and his underwear.

Only Rin remained clothed as she pushed herself in the space that had opened. She took each of them by the cock and started her strokes once more. Her fingers tightened around their erections equally. Rin twisted down the length to their balls where she squeezed and moved back to the heads. Her thumbs both pass circles around their foreskin and the slits underneath.

Jack and Roland shuddered and groaned. Above Rin, who continued to knead them nimbly, they began to kiss again. Moans of pleasure passed between them as their hips bucked under her hands. The friction she created became unbearable in the most delicious way.

The young woman felt her cunt grow slick over the sounds the men were making. The power she felt with a cock in each hand. The way she poured a bit of herself into Jack and Roland. Then each one into the other. Like mixing drinks or candy from the pick n mix. They were Whiskey and rum and tequila. Perhaps wine gums and Maltesers and fairy floss.

It had been so long since Rin had felt Jack overtaken by insatiable hunger. It wasn't that he didn't crave her sexually, he had found a way to keep it at bay. This was new. A part of himself that had been deprived through no one's fault.

Rin was growing bored of no honest inclusion. She let go of the men and turned her back to Roland. Her warm lips found Jack's chest and stomach. Soft pink tongue carved a path in the indentation from his navel up to his sternum. Rin let it flick at one of his nipples before she bit it. Her grip on Jack's shoulders to push him to his knees.

Jack gazed up at Rin while she stepped out of her panties. His large hand around her thigh got lost under her dress. His fingers explored deep inside her walls. Pumped in and out a few times while making a hook. Jack's middle finger probed Rin’s clit in fluid circles. It went unspoken how pleased he was with her wetness.

Roland meanwhile was slowly unzipping Rin’s dress. The sensation of his light touch on her bare skin up the course he had just followed down. He kissed her shoulders and her neck while she reached out for Jack's head to hold.

The Englishman pumped away at her as the Irishman massaged her breasts. His calloused fingers took in handfuls; tugged at Rin’s nipples until they hardened like his cock in her back. She leaned into Roland now that his thumbs began to trace wildly over her nipples. His motions matched the way Jack attacked that bud of nerves just inside the hood of her cunt.

Almost as quickly as they began, they stopped. Roland looked down at his friend and her partner on his knees. “Jack. Why not have a lie down? You take care of Little Bird,” Roland turned her face towards him so he could kiss her briefly, “let her sit on your face?”

The musician clipped Rin lightly on the chin. She smirked. Both she and Roland glared at Jack in such a way either indicating a desire to kill or fuck. Roland reached to palm Rin’s cunt with his hand, eyes never left Jack's who was biting his lip at the two of them.

“Roland will suck your cock,” Rin promised. A girlish grin came to her face as she bit the tip of her manicured nail. “It'll be fun.”

Jack obeyed without hesitation. He laid down on the shag carpeting. His cock at full attention; he was eager. He was filled more with the anticipation you get at the top of a roller coaster. He trusted Rin, loved her unconditionally. He couldn't believe it, but Jack trusted Roland too.

“You alright, love?” the empath asked.

Jack nodded enthusiastically, “Buzzin’.” They both laughed.

Rin was kneeling beside her boyfriend. She let her lips mingle with his. Their tongues danced ever so slightly before she crawled over Jack's face. Her fingers gripped his head again and pulled it upwards.

Instinct took over and Jack's tongue ran along Rin’s slit. He lapped at her a dozen times: long strokes and then small ones over her clit. She started to rock her hips into his face. Her grasp tighter as Jack's tongue worked deftly. He created a vacuum on the outside then dove his tongue further inside than ever before. A back and forth began that switched from sucking on Rin’s cunt and her clit.

Roland took to straddling Jack's shins so he could lower himself forward. His mouth found the medium’s stomach. He let his tongue trail along Jack's skin that quivered each time Roland exhaled. The man under him breathed in and held it when the musician finally licked the head of his cock.

Jack’s reflexes took over. He held on to Rin’s hips helping. His own body lifted off the floor. Roland allowed for the entirety of the cock to hit the back of his throat. He sucked hard as he raised his head back to release the shaft. Switching to take long licks along the length. Then he made swift little swirls around the tip.

There was a dance the two men found themselves in. Rin had a fleeting thought that she wasn't doing enough. That she could take turns between her touch and Roland’s mouth. Which was absurd to think as she felt herself begin to orgasm. She did well to not tighten her thighs around Jack as a reaction to the pleasing convulsion that started to course through her.

Just as Rin was about to cum completely, Jack's mouth stopped. He pushed her back from his face so that she was situated on his chest. He sat up and interrupted Roland as well. He knew, knew if the Irishman kept going he would explode too soon in his mouth.

“What's wrong?” Roland was confused. “Was it too much? You alright, love?” He used the same affection with both his friend and her partner.

“Our little bird is feeling a bit left out.”

“Crikey, left out? Any further north in her twat ye could've seen Scotland.” Roland winked.

“Steady on, Music Man. I mean left out from being with you.”

Jack sat up so that Rin was again positioned between the two men. Roland took to showering her shoulders with kisses. His facial hair tickled her skin until goose pimples raised up along her arms.

The medium followed suit with Rin’s breasts. His lips treated each nipple like her clit. Teeth teased them erect as his tongue went ‘round them at a dizzying speed.

“Fuck!” Rin cried out. Her one arm embraced Jack as she hooked her other backwards around Roland. Her small fingers caught in his curls.

“Would you be alright shaggin me a little. Just to the edge like I did you? Then you want to give Roland a go?”

Jack searched Rin’s eyes. She nodded with enthusiasm. “But are you sure? About Rol and me? You’re not gonna go all weird after?”

She held Jack's cock and taunted him with her slit. Her pelvis rolled painfully slow until he was fully inside of her. Rin started to grind back on Jack.

“You can fuck me too, Jax,” Roland had Rin by the waist to guide her motions.

He pulled her back so that he knew Jack was buried into her up to the hilt. Then forward and back. Now the rhythm, the dance, was the two of them. But Jack joined in by lacing his fingers with Roland's so the two of them could manipulate Rin’s body with total control.

The empath cried out as the men built a friction between her cunt and Jack's cock. His body shook, but his eyes never left hers or Roland’s.

Roland, who kissed her while Jack watched. Their fingers still linked with one hand as Roland’s other found its way around Jack's neck so that he could be pulled into a kiss as well. The three alternating tongues between them. Jack's body bucked wildly; Rin knew he was at that proverbial edge.

“Fuck me,” she exhaled in Roland’s mouth. Her neck craned at weird angles like her body to accommodate each man’s mouth.

“Go on then,” Jack instructed, “fuck her.”

Rin was bewitched by the smell of sex and the taste of herself on Jack's lips and the tribal bass of whatever Roland projected into the air around them. She was drunk on the heightened emotions as she arranged herself on all fours in front of her friend.

Roland knelt behind Rin with his cock in hand. The his free hand firm on the curve of her body. He teased her cunt with the tip as if it was his finger. Felt her grow even more wet under his touch as he lost himself inch by inch. He twisted his fingers cautiously in Rin’s hair before plowing into her. All the while Jack underneath sat back on his elbows to observe.

Rin let Roland bang her. He always loved control. Not in the dominant way. In the Type A personality way. She let him do that now, control her. Ram against her ass with his pelvis. Release all that frustration he had giving himself up for Keevey. The compromise he made to do what she wanted which triggered his self preservation. He was fucking that pain away.

She was an instrument for him to play. Aggressively so as he slammed into her with the same fury he played that stupid theremin. His grip an inch thick in the fat that cushioned her. His cock slid in and out of her with ease the way his fingers flew up and down the antenna. Fluid. Without hesitation.

Jack was in awe. His own cock remained stiff while he studied the way Roland rutted like a wild animal. Rin’s breasts as they swayed back and forth. Her teeth biting her bottom lip so hard it might bleed as she panted and cried out. The way she struggled to remain upright.

Jack was fascinated by it all. He absently reached down and yanked on his erection while watching the concentration on that Irish face. The twisted rapture on that feminine Welsh one. Their bodies made an audible slapping sound over the music. The Englishman’s wanking joined that chorus.

It wasn't very long. The theremin player was so boisterous Rin knew it would happen soon. That she would make herself cum knowing what Jack and Roland longed to do. Her cunt ached at the thought. Between Roland’s sudden explosion inside of her as he growled with satisfaction and the picture she created of the two of them in her mind.

Rin removed herself from the situation and climbed, drunk on overstimulation, to her feet.

“Why don't you lot snog a little? I’m just gonna pop off and get us a wonderful potion my beautiful broken man will need. I've got some tucked away for special occasions!” Rin giggled and stumbled towards the stairs.

“What?” Jack laughed.

“She means lube,” Roland informed him.

He cupped Jack's face and kissed him. Their tongues lingered together long enough for one to nip at the other’s. An eagerness started inside of the medium. One to learn and please as he remembered that first time with Rin.

Jack laid Roland back on the carpet and crawled on top of him. Their mouths never break as their tongues continue their strange tango. Uncertain what to do as he now let his tongue glide down over the Irishman’s neck, Jack reached for this cock.

Roland had been flaccid, still recovering from getting off with Rin. Now he shuddered and came to life in Jack's hand as his collarbone became showered with kisses. He exhaled a heavy moan when that hand rubbed quickly over his shaft. There was nothing for Jack to learn with Roland. A cock was a cock.

Rin came back in time to see the men on the floor. Jack settled between Roland’s legs that were bent at the knee. His hand expertly jerks off the musician whose hands were splayed across Jack's back.

That hot mouth and soft lips Rin knew well were moving down towards Roland’s stomach. She sat down beside them just as Jack swiped his tongue now over the head of the cock in his hands.

He was testing the waters. Rin was sending him images, feelings from each time she gave him head. From her view so he could mimic her. Jack lapped at Roland’s erection like he had Rin’s cunt, which swelled yet again as she bent to kiss her friend. Her tongue and Jack's worked in unison.

Roland started to spasm, his hips had a mind of their own as they reacted to Jack taking more of his cock in.

“Jack,” Rin said, full of love and lust, “love he's gonna cum. Are you ready for that?”

Jack looked up at her and shook his head. He raised up on his arms so he could kiss Rin. Then he looked down at Roland, “You’ll both have to show me how to do this.”

Rin opened the little tube she held and requested Jack give her his fingers. She added some of the jelly to them and gestured at Roland. “You’ll have to get him ready like you do me. Think of it like fingering a twat only..”

“Tighter,” Roland finished for her. He bent his legs in a sort of frog position. Rin was impressed by his flexibility.

“That's debatable,” she teased. “Go on love, one finger and then the other.” Rin laid down and propped up on her elbow.

Jack reached to find the hole. Roland gasped but happily not out of shock as Jack slid his finger inside. In and out a few times, hypnotized by how quickly he treated it like Rin’s body. It wasn't much different he thought to himself as he added the second finger.

He pumped his fingers at a constant tempo. Further each time with Roland encouraging him. Jack went quicker, deeper as he locked eyes with Rin. There was a fire in her he hadn't seen that spurned him on.

“A bit more,” Roland groaned.

Jack obeyed and watched as the Irishman shivered and contorted like Rin when he managed her GSpot. Was this it? Men had one too? No wonder they liked getting fucked here. Why would women?

“Now lube your cock, and do the same.” Rin found a way to kiss Jack. Then Roland. Her own fingers followed along with her boyfriend’s as she played with her clit.

Jack sat up on his knees and took a generous handful from the bottle. Rin smirked beside Roland who could only bite his lip and stare at Jack's cock as he stroked it harder. He pushed down on Roland’s knee so that he was spread further apart. The young woman flicked at herself faster, her fingers getting lost inside of herself.

“Steady on, sweetheart.” Roland could only moan and anchor himself on the medium’s thin hips.

Jack started to deliberately thrust his shaft inch by inch inside of Roland. Rin was right, it was tighter. But that didn't stop Roland from encouraging Jack to go further. He was alright. More than alright he cried out.

“To the hilt, Jack,” he whinged.

So he complied. His hands under Roland’s ass to lift it upwards as he dove in. Jack's pelvis met Roland’s body and he rolled his hips so that he was nearly out of the other man. Then slowly inside of him one more.

The medium was gentle. Soft and careful like he had been with Rin, or so he thought. Well, at first. Until Roland took to begging him to fuck harder. Faster. So Jack pumped at him until their bodies made that symphonic sound of bone and skin and cock and ass.

Rin fucked herself harder. Her fingers worked her clit at the same wavelength as Jack fucked Roland. She knew it was happening for all of them. Her back arched off the carpet and her cunt contracted around her fingers.

“FUCK!” she squealed.

That white hot volcanic explosion tore through her and Jack and Roland. The three of them connected in an endless cyclical orgasm. Rin sent out those tendrils, the filaments of experience so that the men she loved knew what it was like to cum as a woman.

The same, as whatever song crescendoed in their heads, for Rin. That salty liquid that spilled from her men, her Irishman and Englishman, felt like it was pouring from her walls too.

“Blimey, Aderyn!” Roland laughed as Jack collapsed on top of him. He scooped both of them up in his arms and held them to his chest. A kiss on each of their foreheads before nuzzling his own into Jack's.

Rin and Jack shared breathless little kisses. They locked fingers, and he lifted her small hand to brush his lips across the back of it. The light reflected something shiny and gold.

“Birdie, where’d ya get that ring?”

Rin held her hand up and flexed her manicured fingers. “Isn't it DIVINE?! I found it on the floor in our things. I think someone left it here, but we can ask Mrs Barrow. It's such a lovely little diamond at the center of this gold flower.”

“It's not too small?” Jack propped up on his elbow.

“No! Look at the two hearts beside the beautiful daisy. Whoever it was loved this ring and his partner very much.”

Roland had the biggest grin on his face, “Go on then Jax. Do it proper. One knee and all.”

“Jack?”

“I had a question to ask."

[james-joyces-right-eyeball]

Absolute Favorite Books I’d Recommend to Anyone

This is a list of my top-tier favorite books that I would recommend/talk about endlessly to pretty much anyone (in no particular order). I know people probably don’t care but I just like talking about books I love so here we are.

Beloved - Toni Morrison

~ Based off the real story of Margaret Garner, a slave woman who escaped slavery and when captured killed her child in order to prevent them from ever being enslaved again, Beloved tells the story of a mother named Sethe, born in slavery who eventually escaped and is haunted by the figurative demons of her trauma and the literal (arguably) ghost of her dead daughter, who she herself killed. It is an excellent exploration of the horrors of slavery and of the haunting legacy of the institution for those who were subjected to it.

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

~ If you’ve been on Tumblr for a while, you probably know what Lolita is. The story of the predatory Humbert Humbert who lusts after, rapes, and kidnaps the “nymphet” Dolores Haze. An excellent construction of how predators, unreliable narrators in their own right, hide behind fabrications, almost-believable excuses, and pretty words to make their actions seem maybe not so bad. In the words of the book itself, “You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style.”

Ulysses - James Joyce

~ Notoriously one of the most difficult books in the English language, Ulysses lifts its structure from Homer’s Odyssey to tell the story of a common man, Leopold Bloom, as he goes about his day. Yes, this book takes place over the course of only one day. We follow Bloom as well as Joyce’s literary counterpart Stephen Daedalus through their thoughts and actions, gathering details of their lives previous throughout. It’s a book that, in my own words, “is life”. It is sad, funny, strange, vulgar, disgusting, beautiful, revelatory, sensual, and nonsensical all at once. Joyce aimed to create a reflection of life through his stream-of-consciousness style which some people might find confusing, but I personally find absolutely beautiful and honest and realistic. The prose is also gorgeous, but that could be applied to everything Joyce wrote. 

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

~ The classic gothic book that tells the tale of Heathcliff and his ultimately destructive love of Catherine Earnshaw, whose eventual marriage to someone else and the general mistreatment of him by her family drives Heathcliff insane and he spends the rest of his life trying to take revenge by abusing and torturing the next Earnshaw and Linton (the family into which Catherine marries) generations. If I’m being honest, I like this book mostly because of how wild and dark it is, but the writing is also genius and beautiful. I think the book also carries an interesting view of the destructive nature of revenge, overzealous love, and othering.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

~ A coming-of-age story at the turn of the century that tells the story of Francie Nolan, a young bookish girl growing up in a lower class family in New York City. It tells about her father’s struggles with alcoholism as well as her mother’s struggles to deal with that and at the same time raise Francie and her brother. Francie is confronted with a strange, uncertain world as a young girl, but tries to face it with bravery throughout childhood

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

~ Another coming-of-age story, this time about four young sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. You are probably familiar with this book already; it’s had more movie adaptations then I can possibly remember off the top of my head. It’s the story of four sisters as they try to navigate growing up, love, and loss during the mid to late 1800s.

The Color Purple - Alice Walker

~ A novel that tells the story of Celie, a young black woman who is raped and then married young to a man who will go on to use and abuse her, through her letters to God. Throughout the novel she meets Shug Avery, a woman with whom she eventually falls in love and begins a relationship with. Through this and her eventual freedom from her abusive husband, she is able to gain at last her own sense of self and take back control over her life, a life no longer ruled by the abusive men around her.

The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison

~ The tragic story of young black girl Pecola Breedlove, who wants nothing more than to have blonde hair and blue eyes just like the women she sees in the movies. Both a deconstruction of the whiteness of beauty standards as well as how these standards can utterly destroy vulnerable young girls, it is also an exploration of the people who allow these sorts of things to happen, including Pecola’s mother and father. The Bluest Eye, I think, showcases one of the aspects of Toni Morrison that I like the most, that I aspire to the most: her ability to enter the minds of all people, even people who you might despise at first. Her characters, especially Cholly in The Bluest Eye, are ones you might not entirely sympathize with, but they will always be ones you understand.

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

~ Based off of the author’s own experiences as a young college student, The Bell Jar tells the story of Esther Greenwood, whose depression over her place as a woman in a patriarchal society as well as her inability to choose a life path for herself leads to a suicide attempt and a subsequent stay in a mental hospital. A very nuanced portrayal of mental illness, especially anxiety and depression, The Bell Jar is an extremely moving and relatable story for me and clearly is as well for others. It is a classic for a reason.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

~ A memoir of Angelou’s childhood, this book tells the story of her experiences living as a black girl in the south with her grandmother and brother as well as her later years living with her mother. It also tells of how she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend when she was around eight or nine, and how she struggled to live with that and find her voice, both literally and figuratively. A wonderful book about overcoming struggles and the power of words and literature in such times.

Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

~ Ellison’s novel tells the story of a young black man, never getting a name in the text, and his feelings of invisibility and his struggles to find a place in society to belong. His struggles only lead him further into despair, until he decides to “become invisible” as people seem not to see him as a person anyway. Invisible Man is an exploration of American mid-century racism and the isolation it causes to those subjected to it. Not only that, but it is surprisingly relevant to our times now, especially on the subject of police violence. (Personal anecdote: When I first read this book, when I got to the aforementioned police violence part it was right in the middle of the BLM resurgence last summer and I cried for a good twenty minutes while reading that chapter over how nothing had changed and it still hurts me to think about it. Embarrassingly, my dad walked in on me while I was crying, and I had to quickly explain it away.)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce

~ The title basically says it all lol. This book tells of the coming-of-age of Stephen Daedalus (the same one from the later-written Ulysses). His sensitive childhood, his awkward and lustful adolescence, his feelings of Irish nationality and Catholic guilt, and his struggles to fully realize himself, both as an artist and a human being. It is a very hopeful story, and one that I love mostly because I relate so much to Stephen Daedalus as an artist and as a person.

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

~ A magical-realist intergenerational family drama, Marquez’s book traces the various lives and loves of the Buendia family over the course of (you guessed it!) one hundred years. A beautifully written, at times extremely emotionally moving and chilling masterpiece, Marquez in a way retells the history of Colombia, of its colonization and exploitation.  

Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

~ A classic Russian novel of society and love, Tolstoy tells the story of Anna Karenina, married, wealthy woman with a child she adores. However, she falls in love with another man, Count Vronsky, and comes to a tragic end for her love. The parallel story of the novel is that of Konstantin Levin, a wealthy landowner who also struggles to find fulfillment in his life and understand his place in society.

The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner

~ A novel that features an entire family of unreliable narrators, The Sound and the Fury details the fall of a once-prominent southern Compson family and always-present place of the past. There are four different narratives: Benjy Compson, a mentally disabled man who is unsure of his surroundings and of time and only knows that he misses his older sister Caddy; Quintin Compson, the eldest son and a Harvard man both obsessed with his sister retaining her “purity” and the fact that she failed to do so and had a baby out of wedlock, going as far to claim it is his baby in an attempt to preserve something of the family reputation; Jason Compson, who is the caretaker of Caddy’s daughter and believes her to be going down her mother’s “sinful” path; and Dilsey, the black maid of the Compson’s who unlike the people she cares for is not weighed down by their history. The narratives take place in different time periods and is in a stream-of-consciousness style. It’s a deeply dark and disturbing novel about the haunting nature of the past, a common theme in Faulkner’s work (see Absalom, Absalom! for more of this).

Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison

~ It is the story of Milkman Dead, a young black man growing up in the south and his relationship with his very complicated family. To say anymore would be to spoil the novel, but I will say that it is an excellent book about family, self-fulfillment in a world that tries to deny you that, and, like The Bluest Eye, exhibits Morrison’s excellent character work.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams

~ A play which takes place on the patriarch of a family’s birthday in the oppressive heat of the midsummer south, Williams’ play explores lies, secrets, and how repression only results in anger, frustration, and sadness. It’s a tragic but brilliant play that I think was very ahead of its time. If you’ve read it (or do read it) then you know what I mean.

Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin

~ This book tells the story of a young man and his love of another man named Giovanni while he is in Paris. It is a book about love, queer guilt, and has what I would call an ambiguous ending. There is uncertainty at the end, but there does seem to be some kind of acceptance. It is a bit of a coming-out story, but more than that it is a story of personal acceptance and at the same time a sad, tragic love story.

HERmione - H.D.

~ An underrated modernist masterpiece, HERmione is a somewhat fictionalized account of the author, Hilda Doolittle’s, experience as a young aspiring poet dating another poet (in real life Ezra Pound in this book named George Lowndes) who is a threat to her both physically and emotionally. It explores her own mental state, as she considers herself a failure and falls in love with a woman for the first time (Fayne Rabb in the book, Frances Gregg in real life). 

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

~ People think about going to a lighthouse. They do not. A couple years and a war passes then they do. That may seem like a boring plot, and you may be right. However, To the Lighthouse is not much about plot. It is more about the inner lives of its characters, a family and their friends, on two different occasions of their lives: one before WWI and one after WWI. Woolf explores in this novel the trauma that results from such a massive loss of life and security. Not only that, she also explores the nature of art (especially in female artists) in the character of Lily Briscoe and her struggles to complete a painting. It’s a short novel, but it contains so much about life, love, and loss within these few pages.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers

~ A southern gothic novel about isolation and loneliness in a small town. Every character has something to separate them from wider society, and often find solace and companionship in a deaf man, John Singer, who himself experiences a loneliness that they cannot understand. There are various forms of social isolation explored in this novel: by race, disability, age, gender, etc. A wonderful, heart-wrenching book about loneliness and the depths it can potentially drag people to.

The Waste Land - T.S. Eliot

~ A modernist masterpiece of a poem, Eliot describes feeling emptiness and isolation. The brilliance of it can only be shown by an excerpt:

“Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, Looking into the heart of light, the silence.”

“The river’s tent is broken: the last fingers of leaf Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed. Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song. The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers, Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends Or other testimony of summer nights. The nymphs are departed. And their friends, the loitering heirs of city directors; Departed, have left no addresses. By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept . . . Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song, Sweet Thames, run softly, for I speak not loud or long. But at my back in a cold blast I hear The rattle of the bones, and chuckle spread from ear to ear. “

(My personal favorite line from this poem is, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”)

The Trial - Franz Kafka

~ The protagonist of the novel, Josef K., wakes up one morning to find that he has been placed under arrest for reasons that are kept from him. Kafka creates throughout the novel a scathing satire of bureaucracy, as K. tries to find out more about his case, more about his trial, but only becomes more confused as he digs deeper. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the world he lives in, and the more tries to explain it the further the more that proves to be the case. An excellently constructed novel and a great one to read if you would like to be depressed about the state of the world because, though Kafka’s work is a satire, like a lot of his other work, it manages to strike a strangely real note.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard

~ An absurdist play that is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet from the perspective of minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who in the broad overview of the original play, do not matter. Throughout the play, they question their existence and the purpose of it and through that Stoppard dissects not only the absurdity of life, but how fiction and theater reflect that absurdity inadvertently.

As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner

~ The novel details the journey the Bundren family makes after the death of the family matriarch, Addie, to bury her. Each chapter offers a different narrative from the family members and those who surround them, revealing some ulterior motives to them “going to town” to bury Addie. The patriarch Anse desires a pair of false teeth, and the daughter Dewey Dell is pregnant and needs an abortion, as there is no way for her or her family to support it. It’s about the powerlessness of people in the impoverished south. The Bundrens are constantly subject to forces beyond their control, struggles which would be easily solved if they had the money to spare for it. There is more to the book, but that is my favorite reading of it, that of class. Faulkner’s ability to create distinct voices for every one of his characters shines through here.

And, last but not least:

The Collected Poems - Sylvia Plath

~ All the poems Plath wrote during her tragically short lifetime. The best way to demonstrate or summarize the book’s brilliance is just to show you. This is her poem “Edge”, which appears in the book:

“The woman is perfected.   Her dead Body wears the smile of accomplishment,   The illusion of a Greek necessity Flows in the scrolls of her toga,   Her bare Feet seem to be saying: We have come so far, it is over. Each dead child coiled, a white serpent,   One at each little Pitcher of milk, now empty.   She has folded Them back into her body as petals   Of a rose close when the garden Stiffens and odors bleed From the sweet, deep throats of the night flower. The moon has nothing to be sad about,   Staring from her hood of bone. She is used to this sort of thing. Her blacks crackle and drag.”

HOPE YOU ENJOYED! HAPPY READING TO ALL!