#tip of the new music iceberg

[jpnnewmusicdaily]

僕は一寸 (Boku wa Chotto) by Haruomi Hosono / 細野晴臣

Album: Hosono House Year: 1973 Label: Bellwood Records Lyrics & Music: Haruomi Hosono / 細野晴臣

[yandereforme]

Yan Batfam x Singer! Single mom! Martha lookalike! Reader

( I know it’s a lot but they are all important to the plot)

Part 1:Beginnings and first encounters

You are Bruce’s bio daughter. Your mom, who didn’t know who the father of her kid was, gave you up to your aunt to be raised by them, but you didn’t know until your adoptive parent’s funeral that you weren’t their biological daughter. You had twins recently with a shitty ex of yours who you broke up with not long before the funeral after he tried to hurt your daughter for crying.

After the funeral, where you learn that your bio mom wasn’t sure who your bio dad was, but that she knew he lived in Gotham, you decide to move to Gotham. In part due to your biological father, in part due to avoiding your ex(who had refused to be listed on the birth certificate since you gave birth during a break in your relationship), and in part due to the basically free house your bio mom had owned in Gotham. So, you moved with the twins to an abandoned, slightly dilapidated house just outside of Crime Alley, and got yourself to work.

You got a job at the Ice berg Lounge, in part due to there being an opening, and in part due to you helping two women who worked there who apparently worked right under Mr. Cobblepot?

You quickly got a reputation as a singer with a knack for knowing just what song fit a customer. It was a bit of a game between you and the other workers, where they would point out a person and you would sing a song based on their vibes. You always managed your hit home with your songs, leading to you becoming one of the most popular performers at the Iceberg Lounge.

That’s what leads to Red Hood coming in one night. He had heard about you from a few of his men, and wanted to know what all the hype was about.(This take place after the Red Hood arc, where he has already been established as a crime boss and the Batfamily know his identity, but he hasn’t made up with any of them)

Cobblepot asked you to sing a song for Red, and pointed him out to you. You knew who he was, you were just outside his area, and honestly you kind of liked what he was doing for the community, so you were willing to preform, even offering to sing two songs about him(something you had only done a few times with regulars who you really liked.

Jason accepted. You started off with You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring. You didn’t usually do a lot of rock songs, but that song resonated with you when you looked at him.(Jason loved the song. It was angry but fighting music, and your voice was really good. He understood why so many of his men praised your music(he just couldn’t understand why you looked so familiar))

The next song was different. You didn’t usually sing two songs, and the few times you did, people tended to vary reactions, from shock to anger to accidentally setting off a break down. But you had promised. You just hoped Red Hood wouldn’t hate you for the next song(you didn’t understand why it felt so right to sing the next song, when it didn’t seem like a Red Hood song, but you didn’t want to question it now.)

Then, you sang Good for you by Olivia Rodrigo, and everyone froze. (Jason didn’t know how you knew this anger of his. How did you know how he felt about Bruce replacing him? How did you know?) No one understood the song, especially when the recipient was a murderous crime boss, but they didn’t interrupt.

After you finished the song, you looked at Red Hood. He was sitting ramrod straight. You couldn’t see his face, but his posture was very tense. Slowly, he stood up, and walked to the stage. You didn’t know what you expected, but it wasn’t for him to drop $200 in your tip jar, and leave without a word.(Jason’s head was spinning. The green wasn’t invading, but it surrounded the edges of his vision. He needed to leave. He had to come back again, probably as a civilian, but for now, he needed to leave.)

After that, you got even more visitors, and a raise in your salary. You even made a new friend, Jason, and you were even starting to consider sending your kids to daycare instead of a baby sitter(you wouldn’t do that. You liked your arrangement with the street kids, where you would pay them in food and cash to watch your kids during the day. You liked taking care of them, but they needed to feel like they were doing stuff for you, so you didn’t make a fuss.)

Then, the Joker got out of Arkham.

Edit: I hope you guys enjoy this. This will probably be a series. I’ve had this idea for ages but never got around to it before now. This isn’t related to my Bruce or Jason series, which I will do, but I just wanted to finally put the on here. Please comment any suggestions for the kids names, or what you want to see next!

[theprice-if]

DEMO (TBA)

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Roaring stadiums, filled to the max with screaming fans, as you stand with a microphone in hand. Your heart pounds against your chest as you get ready to perform. Shouts of adoration filter past your ear as the lights finally turn on; the show truly begins. With you in the center of it all.

Except… that isn’t you. You’re to the side, watching it all, with a clipboard pressed to your chest. Making sure that nothing was out of place.

You’re just an assistant, an assistant to the biggest star gracing the stage in the past decade, but still just an assistant.

That is until you woke up alone in a room that was way above your pay grade; with a shiny ring on your finger. Your new spouse? The very star that you have been working for, for the last two years. The same star that many believed would never settle down— until you came along.

These rapid-fire events thrust you into the spotlight. Rocketing you towards the twinkling lights of stardom as you desperately try to figure out how to come to terms with everything.

The media and tabloids are just the tip of the iceberg. The very star you’re married to offers you the deal of a lifetime.

Stay married to them for a year and get a record deal; the biggest reason you moved to L.A.... All of your dreams will come true after twelve months.

If only you had known what the price of stardom truly brought.

The Price is rated 18+ for explicit language, sexual themes, alcohol/drug use, questionable behavior, and more!

★ Features ★

Customizable MC: name, gender, appearance, facets of your personality, hobbies, and more!

Get into the studio and start preparing for what will come when the year is up. Find the voice that you have always wanted to showcase in the industry!

Create your own music! Cultivate your debut album and show the world what it's been missing!

Interact with your fans and the music industry as a whole through social media! Will you become an upcoming star that the media loves or a black sheep that'll keep them returning for more?

Engage in romance with a variety of characters. Will the fake one become real with your pretend spouse? Or perhaps you'll find passion building with the less complicated-- and fun-loving-- photographer?

Discover what truly happened the night of your marriage. Or, if you choose to do so, leave it as the hazy fog in the recesses of your mind.

And much more as the story continues forward!

Are you willing to pay the price for your dream? Will that dream change over time?

★ The ROs ★

Adrian/Ariana Ocean ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 28 ★

Your boss, and also your spouse, the most sought-after star in the entertainment industry. With a reputation as spotty as one would expect with someone at the top. However, with the news of your marriage, people seem to be seeing them in a new light; something that they’ve been wanting for a very long time. Let’s hope it’ll last.

Blake Turner ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 28 ★

A Hollywood starlet that’s coming off their recent Oscar win; who also happens to be your ex from college. An ex that dumped you when they dropped out of college to become a star. A story that you never truly got to hear the entirety of. And suddenly, just like that, they’re back in your life with the same smirk from before. The one that made you fall in love with them, to begin with.

Liam/Leah Shaw ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 29 ★

Your newly assigned bodyguard, you still have to get used to that, who is supposed to protect you whenever your spouse can’t be with you. You just weren’t expecting them to start affecting you the way that they have. Their warm smile is like a beacon in this unfamiliar world.

Isaac/Isabel Carnell ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 27 ★

The photographer who is tasked with taking lovely shots of the newly wed couple. One of the only people, besides management, that actually knows what the hell is actually going on. Their general cheerfulness does wonders to lighten your spirits. Not to mention the pictures they take are absolutely divine.

Carson/Cara Madden ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 33 ★

The lawyer that is making sure everything goes smoothly; while also trying to not get gray hairs throughout. An aloof individual that only cracks a smile around a select few people. However, they’re good at their job and that’s what should matter most to you. Even though you sort of wish they’d smile at you. At least just once.

[moonstonerain]

I somewhat recovered from the devastating news of YoI Ice Ado cancellation, so to celebrate Yuri on Ice brings me joy day (which should be everyday) I'm writing down my headcanons.

The pets in the YoI universe have the general lifespan of their humans. Pets tend to die days before or after their owners died. Unless they have an accident, or a sickness (poor Vicchan). So essentially Makkachin is in fact immortal.

The YoI universe is kinder: there is no homophobia. I understand that sometimes exploring topics like these in fiction is important, but personally I think there is enough of that in the real world. So I want to believe in at least one universe where people are kinder. Viktor and Yuuri can get married anywhere in the world and it would be recognized. Nobody is bothered by the two being men.

Yuuri Katsuki is not a Viktor Nikiforov fan. He is THE Viktor Nikiforov fan. I'm talking fan accounts where he's protecting Viktor. The posters in his room are just the tip of the iceberg. He has hand fans, body pillows, limited edition bottle of water where Viktor did some promotion. One time he ordered a limited edition, signed poster from a "fan". (The person was thinking of ripping him of. And then he got an email. The only text read: his name, his address, his age, his social security number. Man was so scared he payed triple for ice show tickets, just to get the signed poster. Incidentally he also got invested in ice skating and found Yuuri Katsuki, Japan's ace. He's been a fan ever since.) After Viktor cut his long hair, Yuuri mourned for a few days and then layed waste on everyone on the internet who dared to complain about Viktor's decision.

All of Yuuri's fans, as well as all of Japan knows that Yuuri Katsuki is THE Viktor Nikiforov fan. Journalists that are usually ignored by Yuuri know that they only need to mention Viktor before Yuuri goes on a 30 minute tangent about his newest programs, his music, his outfits, that obscure program he did only once six years ago. If the journalist is brave, and willing to risk life and limb, they'll even add some sort of critiscism "Viktor's landing was a bit wobbly" Yuuri Avoider of Anything that Risks Conflict Katsuki: "First of all how dare you." 40 minutes later "I'm done! I'm done! ... And another thing!"

Yeah Yuri Plisetsky admires Viktor Nikiforov. He's ugh Viktor. But Yuri is a fan of one skater and one skater only and that is Yuuri Katsuki. I'm talking posters, hand fans, body pillows, limited edition sports drink Yuuri did some promotion for. He came to Hasetsu with one luggage, left with three filled to the brim with Katsuki merch. And a giant poster from the train station. When Viktor discovers Yuri's collection he is incredibly jealous.

Phicit, Yuuri, Leo, Guang-Hong Ji, Otabek, Emil, Michele, J.J., and Seung Gil have a group chat for gossip. While the group chat is used pretty frequently Seung Gil will only wildly appear once every blue moon, leave a devastating one liner and dissapear once again. Once Viktor goes to coach Yuuri the group has front rows to live updates: "omg Viktor just showed up buck naked at my parents' onsen" "ok so he asked if I want him to be my boyfriend. do you think this is code for something?" "He sure likes to be very touchy with me. very touchy. hmm silly europeans" "he just wants us to be close friends" the despair the others are feeling. after the live kiss, seung gil: "just friends huh. never lie to my face again bitch"

minami and yuri have beef. minami has a limited edition photo card that he brought with him to the juniors. yuri has another limited edition card that he also brought to juniros. they saw each others limited edition cards, argued which was superior, both incredibly jealous of the other. loathed each other since then.

yuuri was the first to give Viktor his blue roses crown. One time when Viktor was assigned to NHK Trophy Yuuri busted his entire allowance and some odd jobs to buy him the crown, to an exhorbitant price because roses are expensive, blue roses even more so, and a flower crown?! Yuuri was standing near the rink when Viktor saw him holding the crown. Viktor's heart melted, and he let Yuuri put the crown on him. ever since then Viktor was associated with blue roses. Years later a skating fan uncovered an old photo of yuuri putting the crown on viktor and posted it online. the skating world collectively lost their minds. at their wedding they each put a flower crown on top of each others heads.

[heyftinally]

I avoid her music at all costs yet I somehow seem to learn about a new songs of hers every day? There's so many and half of them are only known to the hardcore fans? So many get beaten to death on the radio but the other 700 get shuffled under the rug. What do you mean "the man" is basically "if I were a man I'd treat women like shit then get away with it"??? As if that's not already her life. I knew I hated the ones that play in retail settings, I had no idea the lesser known songs are so. Much. Worse.

The irony of "The Man" vs "If I Were A Boy" by Beyonce.

Just compare these two chunks of lyrics:

So if given the opportunity to be a mam, Beyonce would set an example for others, and Taylor Swift would...be a massive dickwad? Yeah, okay, that's a weird ass "flex", Taylor.

But I'm honestly not surprised, because Taylor's entire song is GROSSLY out of touch. Where is she trying to get "quicker"? Because there are male artists who have been around just as long or longer than her that have put in twice the work for half the profit/fame. She's already taken seriously by too many people as a businesswoman. She wouldn't magically stop getting roasted for all of her stupid actions because as a man. She wouldn't stop getting criticized. I sure as hell wouldn't stop criticizing her.

But yeah, her music is terrible, and the stuff we're subjected to on the radio is only the tip of the iceberg.

[random-dragon-exe]

Alright, but can everyone just imagine the antics we could've got if there was more time for the Covenheads to interact?

Dana said they backstab each other all the time, which means they don't generally get along well.

Like we could've gotten some really entertaining antics between them.

I'd imagine it'd be like a twisted version of The Offfice, but with queer witches and one puritanical leader.

So now have a few ideas I've come up with.

-----

Belos: Can you all just conduct yourselves accordingly for one meeting?!

The covenheads in question:

Raine is trying to keep whatever is left of their sanity while trying to separate Adrian from Darius while they're fighting with each other. (They're fighting over who has better fashion sense)

Cue Eberwolf biting Adrian’s tail as he screams in pain from the bite.

Terra and Hettie are watching, amused.

Hettie has enough of it and summons one of her scalpels and throws it, nearly missing Adrian as a warning.

Vitimir throws a sleeping mist potion at Adrian (minecraft style) only for him to teleport away and it hits Darius instead, instantly knocking him out.

Mason and Raine hover over Darius, making sure he's okay and not hurt.

Osran's recording everything on his Penstagram only to save it for himself to watch later for shits and giggles. (Along with rest of the antics he's saved)

Belos: (internally face-palming) "We'll continue the meeting, someone just get Headwitch Deamonne and prop him up."

Wait I got some more ideas! This time a few without Belos.

(All the Covenheads are walking to the main room early for a meeting)

Hettie: (whispering to Vitimir) "Is it just me or is Adrian a little less annoying right now?"

Vitimir: "I bet you 20 snails it's an illusion of him."

Hettie: "I bet 20 it's not."

Vitimir: "Fine then, prove it."

(Cue Hettie throwing one of her scalpels at Adrian only for it to go through and the illusion of Adrian dissappears)

Hettie: "What no, Titan dangit!"

Vitimir: "Pay up Cutburn."

Hettie: (annoyed) "Fine." (Hands him the snails)

("Vitimir" poofs away only for Adrian to be revealed to have been masquerading as Vitimir via illusion)

Adrian: "Thanks, I wanted a few extra snails!"

Hettie: (seething mad) "You'll pay for that Graye!" (About to attack him)

Adrian (draws a spell circle to make multiple illusions of himself which all run off in different directions so it was impossible to tell who the real one was which confuses and further enrages Hettie)

(Vitimir finally speedwalks in the main hallway)

Vitimir:" Sorry, I was busy experimenting with my latest potion, what'd I miss?"

---

(Hettie stares daggers at Adrian throughout the meeting then when Belos isn't looking throws a scalpel at him)

"Adrian": "Ow!" (Poofs away to reveal Mason hidden under an Illusion of Adrian) "What was that for?"

Okay, last one:

(Vitimir gets bored so he starts testing out a new deadly potion on himself)

(Hettie notices)

Hettie: Do you mind sharing that?

Vitimir: "No I'm not sharing, besides what do you need it for?"

Hettie: "I have my reasons." (Sadisticly smiles)

Vitimir: (slightly creeped out and sighs) "Alright fine, meet me at my door after the meeting."

Some more ideas/HCs but they're in a general sense;

Osran uses the videos he recorded over time as blackmail for each Covenhead.

Vitimir stays up late mixing potions and tests them on himself.

Vitimir acts like a shady drug dealer when the Covenheads want a potion from him.

When Raine is fed up with Adrian, they'll play their music to make him fall asleep right then and there.

Terra threatens the Covenheads when she's in a bad mood that she'll feed them to her large carnivorous plants. (Everyone is terrified of it, but never admit it to her)

If anyone of the Covenheads gets hurt, they'll never go to Hettie to get healed (she has terrible bedside manner)

This is just the tip of the iceberg, hope you enjoy my ideas.

[mauesartetc]

Regarding art asks

From this point forward, anyone with a character design or general art ask for me will need to present a screenshot (in the ask or in DMs, either is fine) proving you've donated at least 5 of whatever currency is required to one of the fundraisers listed here. No proof, no answer. Simple as that. Thus far I've been content to answer these for free, and they really are fun for me. But people's lives are at stake, and I feel especially responsible for the folks who have contacted me directly. This policy will continue until all the listed fundraisers have reached their goals. Thanks for understanding. (And if you submitted an ask before I made this post, the answers are coming soon.)

If you're new here and you'd like some examples of past questions I've answered, here they are (after the cut because holy hell, this got long):

How to design a non-generic jester

Critique of a Stolas design

Critique of the Helluva Boss poster

Check out these character designers!

Critique of Owl House posters

"It's been hell." (Character consistency and structure)

"What's your favorite part of the character design process?"

Model sheet tips

Designing a father character

What artists and writers can learn from Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel (sorry fans, I'm a bit hard on both here)

Asmodeus redline

How to draw dynamic poses

The respectable assassin

Turtle iceberg!

Showing personality through poses

"How do you find inspiration?"

Scientist, magician, mechanic (avoiding generic-looking characters)

Critique of Angel Dust's design

How many sketches to improve line art?

Fizzarolli art critique

Character size accuracy

Critique of "Allison" designs

When animation backgrounds upstage characters

Critique of Vaggie's design (If you're not familiar with Hazbin Hotel, yes, that really is her name. I hate it too.)

Making a cohesive team outfit

"How do you design an androgynous character?"

Visual reference and making colors look less "off"

The rules ain't set in stone

Thoughts on character outfits

Shape language and symbolism

Creating a unique candy character

The flexibility of color symbolism

Challenge: Random combinations

Drawings look too dirty?

Uniformed henchmen with unique identities

Brother and sister redline

Showing a character's past in her design

Critique of Niffty's design

How to make a character stand out from the cast

Critique of period outfits

Too many colors?

Characters with animal symbolism (Edwardian doggos!)

Redesign redlines

Showing personality through poses (Doctor turned construction worker)

How to create without any kind of inspiration (Spoiler: You can't.)

Stolas redesign critique

Cherri Bomb's official "redesign"

Finding the right colors through research

Drawing robot characters

Stolas redline 2

Verosika Mayday redesign redline

Clarity in fantasy prop design

"Holy crap, Lois!" (animation lip sync overview)

Spider Lamb! (research and face structure for creature design)

Character design questions to ask before you start

My least favorite Helluva Boss design

Mask design for a demon music nerd

Critique of Lucifer's design (Hazbin Hotel)

How to differentiate a character from their inspiration (Homage vs ripoff)

On characters who act the opposite of how they look

Designing a character based on a photo

Color theory and Helluva Boss

A request to "fix" Tinkerbell's design (because it's too sexual, I guess??)

Artistic pet peeves

Useful creative resources

A new outfit for Lady Kryptina

Mixing animal species in a believable way

Redesigning Miraculous Ladybug

When do a character's details become too much to animate?

The balance between characters looking related and identical

Critique of Adam and Lute

On body structure and clothing

Analyzing art style to make a fan character fit in the universe

"What's your favorite art, writing, and character design advice?"

(Cries in former art student)

Wilma and Betty time travel to ancient Greece

Linking a transforming character's two forms together

Streamlining detail on a character

Critique of Hazbin Hotel redesigns

Simplifying a statue for animation

Too many hues on characters

The planet Venus, personified

Making a character recognizable in her alternate form

Puss in Boots vs. Wish

Creature design with a human base

On AI in art and writing

How to make a plain design not look boring

What outfit would go with this headdress?

On four-fingered hands in cartoons

Making a character's fiery hair look like fire

Posing characters with props

The characters of Doll Eye (Holy tangents, Batman!)

..."Brawny"?

"Do you think a god should look human?"

The characters of Drawn to Life (How are these supposed to be foxes?)

How to make drawing humans more fun

I learn what Frutiger Aero is

Showing personality in teen vampires

Thoughts regarding human hair on anthro characters

I tried to add more but it kept breaking the post. Now do the math on how much money I could have raised to help people escape genocide if all these askers donated just five bucks each.

[leikeliscomet]

No, Ncuti Gatwa's Casting Isn't Regressive

Chapter 3 - Dancing Queen/Conclusion

‘I’ve experienced racism my whole life, and while I always believed in myself, always knew [racists] were stupid and uneducated, I guess it did misinform my view of how the world works. It makes you think everyone has that opinion and you’ll constantly have to fight through life – then you learn that you don’t: you can find a tribe, you can find your people.’ - Ncuti Gatwa for Elle

So with the treatment of Who’s Black men and the neglect of Black women in its representations of womanhood, consider the Fifteenth Doctor. A dark-skinned Black queer man, wearing a kilt and a bold smile, spinning to his heart’s content on the dancefloor. This is an image of Blackness, an image of queerness and an image of manhood and masculinity the show has never seen before. Gatwa is fully aware of this and has gone in depth in his interviews. He’s also addressed his Rwandan heritage and his family fleeing genocide against the Tutsi. Gatwa knows the feeling of being an outsider, heavily mirroring the revelation of the Timeless Child. Black Britishness is already a form of representation mainstream British media has only recently acknowledged and in this case, Black Scottishness is taking the forefront. Despite being a British cultural stape, Doctor Who’s been shy about representing Black Britishness specifically. We’ve had three Black companions, but little references to the culture (minus Ryan’s mention of grime music in Arachnids). We know Yaz is Pakistani. But is Ryan African? If yes, is he Nigerian, Ghanaian etc.? Is Ryan West Indian? If so, is he Trini, Bajan etc.? Is he both? What was Martha and Bill’s heritage? Many Black people in the British Isles are 2nd and 3rd gen immigrants, some of us are African, some are West Indian and some of us are both. Black British identity is complex as it is a melting pot of different African and West Indian cultures blended to create something new. Gatwa’s Black Scottishness provides this insight to Fifteen. Gatwa’s Rwandan heritage is included in Fifteen’s sonic too, with Gallifreyan symbols translating the phrase ‘the sharpness of the tongue always defeats the sharpness of the warrior’. Other Black cultural references have appeared for Fifteen too, with Gatwa noting his wardrobe is inspired by Black American HBCU fits. Even though it isn’t yet confirmed (and unlikely for series 14/season 1 seeing as there are no Black writers… yay!), Gatwa has shown interest in a Nigerian historical stating he’d love for the Doctor to meet the Orishas, goddesses of West African folklore. Again, with many different Black cultures not only is this an opportunity for representation but also new stories, new locations and new concepts the show has yet to discover. To fit in so many spaces but none at all is a perfect summary of the Black British experience and other Black experiences in Western countries.

“We choose our families. And the Doctor is a lonely wanderer, looking for their next adventure … I know many a gay man, MANY a gay man, I could describe that way!” - Ncuti Gatwa for the Guardian

Queer Black manhood and masculinity is rich and diverse and with this new era, we could see the tip of its iceberg. There have already been representations of this before in media such as Moonlight and Noah’s Arc so for a mainstream British show like Doctor Who to feature a queer Black man as the lead, we have the opportunity to show something special. With Nine and Jack’s kiss and Fourteen’s cosign of Isaac Newton already showing this potential, we could see a canon longer term mlm pairing involving the Doctor for the first time. And not only that but with a Black doctor for the first time. A queer Black man showing love and being loved is a reminder for queer Black people that universe-defying romance includes us too and that our DoctorRiver or TenRose moments can exist.

There is so much to look forward to in this new era and even more potential for the type of representation it can bring. So with that in mind, I hope the greater fandom at large can see this and that newer fans will get to experience that same joy we did when we first fell in love with this show.

‘This person survived a genocide. This person fits in everywhere and nowhere. I am the Doctor. The Doctor is me. I decided that I had to get this role’ - Ncuti Gatwa for Rolling Stone

<- Chapter 2

[thinkingfandoms]

An accurate list of the best movies I've ever seen

This list also includes reasons that are all too objective and nonsensical. Avoid asking too many questions. And share what you think in the comments!

Hercules

Hercules is probably my favourite Disney movie. And I also think that's where my interest in Greek mythology started. Hades is my favorite villain from this company and he's such a mood.

The Prince of Egypt

Oh dear you don't know how much I love this movie. I know every song by heart and was lucky enough to sing them with my choir. I'm a big fan of animation and despite how old is this movie, I think it remains one of the best ever produced. I cried more times over this movie than over all the others on this list combined.

Friends & Family

I only discovered this film this year but it quickly became one of my favorites. I have never laughed for so many consecutive minutes at a movie. I approached it because it's unusual to see a gay mob-themed movie, but I immediately fell in love with all the characters and the final scene remains one of the most comic I have ever seen.

Treasure Planet

I have a soft spot for animated films about great adventures and self-discovery. Jim has been my only animated crush for years, and his story has always resonated with something inside of me (maybe the desire for adventure and his recklessness, idk). Plus, of course, "'I'm Still Here" is one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever created.

Howl's Moving Castle

One of the first films I saw by Studio Ghibli and my absolute favourite. The love stories created by this Studio are always wonderful, and this one is no different. Plus I always saw myself in Sophie (especially about the crush on Howl) and, well, there's Calcifer, what more do you want?

Les Choristes

Another thing I love: movies about music. It may be that I've been playing an instrument for years and singing in choirs, but I've always cried watching kids rediscover a new side of themselves through music and songs. And these songs are composition's masterpieces. I still remember them all by heart even though French isn't my native language.

A Christmas Carol

I'm slightly obsessed with this story, with Charles Dickens and with Christmas. I was born on Christmas Eve so you can imagine how close this theme is to my heart. I have seen several versions of this story though, and for some reason, this one remains my favourite. It may be that it's different from other more colourful versions and really shows the darkness behind the original story, idk.

How to Train Your Dragon

I literally grew up with this saga: I was 8 years old at the first film, 12 at the second and 17 at the third. I watched Hiccup grow up with me as a friend and Toothless as a fellow adventurer. I'll forever be grateful to Dreamworks for creating the best-animated saga that cinema has ever seen.

The Three Musketeers

This movie is so random that it's perfect. I watched it again recently (after like 8 years) and realized that maybe my daddy issues come from this movie: Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom and the freaking Mads Mikkelsen together, seriously? I'm not surprised it was one of my favourite movies growing up.

A Monster in Paris

The love I have for this film is enormous. I could never get over the beauty of the songs in it. The characters are so well written and Francœur will always be in my top animated characters. It's too amazing to be real.

Rise of the Guardians

I could talk for hours about this film and have not even touched the tip of the iceberg. I have an insane obsession with all the characters, starting with and especially Jack, my top animated crush for years. It's all so perfect that I don't see how people never nominate it when it comes to top animated movies.

The Hobbit

Again, I have serious problems with films about fantasy adventures. I have always preferred The Hobbit saga to its sequel because the story has always fascinated me more. And the main character especially: for me Bilbo >>>> Frodo. And then there's Thorin and Luke Evans. You know, daddy issues.

Mune: Guardian of the Moon

Another French animated movie, another obsession, another adventure, another animated character in my top. This is an example of how to do good animation. There isn't a colour out of place. The settings are authentic, the characters are original, and the adventure they make gets me every time.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I'm maybe a Muggle, but I prefer Fantastic Beasts to the Harry Potter saga. That's not to say it's better, mind you, but it reflects me more. We all know how we Hufflepuffs (and Ravenclaws) have no real representation in the HP movies, so to be able to have at least one prequel saga starring a Hufflepuff (in which I also find myself far too much) as the protagonist is wonderful. And I have an unhealthy urge to become a magizoologist.

The Greatest Showman

It's the movie I have watched the most of these. I know every song by heart and every line too. It always manages to be a roller coaster of emotions. And it has Hugh Jackman in it.

The Boy Foretold By The Stars

I'm a big supporter of the Philippine's film company. This is one movie is gentle, funny, and not based on the usual drama between Christianity and LGBT+ people (which is what I thought when reading the plot at first). Moreover, another underrated thing, the Philippines' music company here has thrown in masterpiece after masterpiece of songs, perfect for this movie.

Bros

This is my top comfort film in the last year. It's like watching a Hallmark movie but hotter, much more sincere and gay. Very gay. And the relationship between the two main characters is so cute and sweet. And funny.

Top Gun: Maverick

I love this saga but especially love this particular chapter. I love Maverick and his relationship with Rooster, and all the other characters are so well-written. And don't get me started on the story... I LOVE it. There isn't much else to say except that Cruise is a great actor (and a terrible person).

Glass Onion - Knives Out

I love my silly little gay detective. And I have a little passion for movies and mystery series. I found this saga's chapter more compelling than the first one, and the characters gripped me more. Also I fell in love with the setting. Oh and then there are Daniel Craig and Hugh Grant.

[jpnnewmusicdaily]

綱渡り (Tsunawatari) by Minako Yoshida / 吉田美奈子

Album: 扉の冬 Year: 1973 Label: Showboat Lyrics & Music: Minako Yoshida / 吉田美奈子

[nonsensical-ramblings]

The Stranger Things OST is something we haven't been paying nearly enough attention to, because I think I've just found something monumental.

We all know these two scenes feature the same music:

But what we haven't been talking about is how the tracks in these four scenes all share the exact same melody-

Or that the tracks from these two scenes sync up perfectly to create an entirely new piece of music

But what if I told you this is only the very tip of the iceberg, because I've been sifting through evidence for quite a while now, and we are far past the point of this all just being a coincidence?

ahem.

Welcome to Soundtrackgate.

(AKA: The wild, wacky world where connections go way, way deeper than you could've possibly imagined, and it all still manages to lead back to byler in the end)

So, just by themselves, those three instances of matching soundtracks creating parallels between different scenes are pretty cool, and worthy of analysis. That's all well and good. But it gets a whole lot more complicated when I tell you that across those three examples, all the songs from those eight scenes I've pointed out match with each other too. The music playing during the J/ancy kiss syncs with the music from the R/ockie scene at the gun shop. The M/ileven kiss has music that syncs with the "It was a seven" scene. R/ockie making sandwiches has music in the background that syncs with the Byler van scene. They're all in the same key, B flat major.

I can prove that I'm not making this up in the form of some amazing mashups between four important OST songs. But before I show you those, let me take a step back and introduce you to the songs individually: Being Different, The First Lie, The First I love You, and Kids.

(I slowed them down so they're all the same speed). And I thought to myself, golly, these all sound pretty similar, they all have a pretty consistent pattern of eight quarter notes that get repeated over and over. (Listen closely, can you hear it?) I sure bet it would sound nice if someone combined them. So. I figured out how to edit audio and I did it myself XD

When I said they synced, I wasn't kidding. When I did my initial little experiment, I was not expecting the songs to, in no uncertain terms, match up perfectly, as if they were all variations of the same track, because the only thing I'd done was change the tempo a little bit between each of them. No splicing, no extra editing, no looping, no nothing. And they sound beautiful together!!! Here are my three favorites:

Putting all four together pushes my limits a bit and it comes out a tad messy, but I love it anyways. It's overwhelmingly clear that these four songs are meant to fit together.

So... what does this mean? The tracks are undeniably connected, and some of the scenes in which they occur are clearly parallels too. I mean, we've been ENDLESSLY analyzing parallels between R/ockie, Byler, and J/ancy, and this discovery lends more credit to the theory that those aren't just coincidences. But especially for major motifs like Kids, there are a lot more scenes where these songs play!! It's not just the few I mentioned at the beginning of the post that are pretty obvious in how they're similar to one another. Haha, but wouldn't it be crazy if ALL the scenes that these songs (and their variations) appear in followed the exact same narrative pattern; a pattern which would just so happen to offer extremely compelling evidence to the fact that Byler has been endgame since season 1?

Ha ha... ha... um.

They do.

All of them.

I'm not fucking joking. Out of the 22 scenes I've been able to track down which feature any of these four songs or variations of them, I've identified a pattern which every single one follows. Some definitely better than others... but it is un-fucking-deniable that this pattern exists and it has to be deliberate, because all of this being a coincidence must be some sort of statistical impossibility with the sheer amount of evidence I've amassed.

The pattern I'm referring to is a collection of four themes:

A misassumption / some form of dishonesty

Love. Often romantic, but sometimes platonic or familial

A subversion of expectations

An atypical relationship between two people

Often in that order.

So basically, we have a collection of scenes throughout all four seasons that are very strongly linked to each other, through both the music that plays during them, and the narrative pattern they follow. And theoretically, if we now know for a fact that each of these scenes follows the same pattern, we can use it to support our interpretations of moments like the van scene or "It was a seven"! (A pattern which, I'll remind you, will fall perfectly in line with Byler endgame)

Okay. So here, we get to the main chunk of the analysis. The hard data. I've gone through every relevant scene and listed how each of them fit the pattern, to prove that it's legit, and to use it to demonstrate how this discovery supports our theories! I've also added whether I think the scene matches well (✅), moderately well (🤔) , or poorly (❌) with the interpretation. (Keep in mind that even the ones that match poorly still relate to the themes in some way!) I sorted everything by motif, then into individual music pieces, then into scenes that feature that music. So scenes that have the same track playing in the background are grouped together.

Obviously, it's pretty long. I did my best to organize it well and make it as concise as possible. But that's why I'm adding a star (⭐️) next to all the scenes that explicitly support the Byler agenda, in case you want to scroll past the rest and only focus on what you came here for!

Without further ado, let's start out with...

The First Lie motif

The dominating melody in these tracks is: D D# D A# C F A# C

Track 1: The First Lie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S5-J7BLoIY)

Scene A: Jonathan And Nancy get together (S2E6) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/Dishonesty: Both of them are denying their feelings for each other • Love: And those feelings are romantic in nature • Subversion of expectations: They discover that their feelings are requited! • Atypical Relationship: Nancy, a popular and conventionally attractive character, ends up with Jonathan, the outcast

Track 2: The First I love You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y68LnSZ_j3M)

Scene A: Robin and Steve talk in the Bathroom (S4E7) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/Dishonesty: Steve believes he has a chance with Robin, Robin hasn’t told him the whole truth about her sexuality • Love: Steve has feelings for her, she has feelings for Tammy, the two of them love each other as best friends • Subversion of expectations: Robin wants to kiss girls!!! And Steve is surprised, but wholly accepts her, even as a straight guy in the 80s • Atypical Relationship: Platonic soulmates <3

⭐️ Scene B: El Tells Mike she loves him and says goodbye (S4E8) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/Dishonesty: Their relationship had been damaged by the fact that Mike lied in order to avoid seeing her / getting into trouble with Hopper • Love: El forgives Mike, says that she loves him, and tries to repair their relationship • Subversion of expectations: El admits to having heard Mike when he said that he loved her, back in episode 6 • Atypical Relationship: It wouldn’t be very atypical for a straight guy to get back with his straight girlfriend after a brief break-up, would it? So maybe this relationship isn't as hetero as it- [gunshots]

Scene C: Joyce and Hopper Kiss (S4E9) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/Dishonesty: Up until this moment they’ve been dancing around each other since season 1, not quite being honest or upfront about how they feel • Love: But now they finally have their moment and make it official! • Subversion of expectations: We’ve seen it coming for years, sure, but considering where they started, their relationship was an unlikely one • Atypical Relationship: Joyce, the high-strung, divorced, single mom, and Hopper, the troubled, divorced, adoptive dad, certainly make a unique pair together

Kids motif

The dominating melody in these tracks is: G A# F A# G A# F A#, and/or F G F D C A# C A#

Track 1: Kids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha2OcL_0gtM)

⭐️ Scene A: The party finishes up their D&D game, “It was a seven” (S1E1) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Lucas urges Will to lie to Mike about his roll • Love: Little Will cares about his friendship with Mike too much to lie to him • Subversion of expectations: He’s honest, and admits that he only rolled a seven, even if it means he lost the campaign • Atypical relationship: Oh, you know. :)

Scene B: The kids disguise El so she can go out in public (S1E5) This scene doesn’t match very well ❌ • Misassumption/dishonesty: The kids are disguising El’s true identity so they can bring her to their school • Love: The four of them are beginning to trust one another; the boys trust El to help them find Will, they're bonding as friends • Subversion of expectations: The boys (but Mike specifically) are surprised with the degree of El's glowup • Atypical relationship: Mike thinks El is pretty, even though the rest of the party is still a little apprehensive towards her

Scene C: Mike, Lucas, and El make up after their fight in the previous episode (S1E7) This scene matches moderately well 🤔 • Misassumption/dishonesty: El had been misleading the boys to keep them away from the lab • Love: The friends are all sorry for what they did, and care too much about each other to stay mad • Subversion of expectations: They’re able to reconcile • Atypical relationship: Even after a pretty serious fight, the friends are back together again, stronger than ever

Scene D: The party finally gets to play D&D again at the end of season 1 (S1E8) This scene doesn’t match very well ❌ (But, it’s excusable because the main purpose it serves here is to parallel the first scene from episode 1- matching this narrative pattern is probably a secondary concern) • Misassumption/dishonesty: The campaign is over too soon, the kids feel like it’s not a truthful finale; there are loose ends left to be resolved in the story • Love: The friends are finally back together again, having fun, enjoying each others’ company, healing • Subversion of expectations: Will is able to defeat the monster this time • Atypical relationship: Even after everything they went through, they made it out OK and are still the best of friends

Scene E: Dustin reminds Mike to look for some change before going to the arcade (S2E1) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Mike avoids Dustin’s questions of why he’s on an unusual channel on the walkie talkie, and why he hasn’t been looking for quarters to bring to the arcade • Love: Mike is still grieving El • Subversion of expectations: He hadn’t been looking for quarters because he was busy trying to contact her • Atypical relationship: He still feels guilty for having lost her, more so than the rest of his friends. He believes she’s out there, even after a year has passed

Scene F: The kids work together to assemble Cerebro (S3E1) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: The kids don’t quite believe Dustin is being honest about actually having a girlfriend  • Love: But he does! He actually is in a relationship • Subversion of expectations: Suzie doesn’t answer • Atypical relationship: A nerdy mormon and an agnostic with no collarbone; an unlikely pair!

Track 2: Kids Two (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PydvdEdGwE)

Scene A: El and Max spy on the boys (S3E3) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: The girls are secretly spying on the guys • Love: They’re talking about their relationship troubles • Subversion of expectations: They’re doing a terrible job of trying to win El and Max back; putting all the blame on the girls, talking about how they're a "different species", all while eating chips and generally being gross • Atypical relationship: Elmax bonds over having dumb ex-boyfriends, even after their friendship's rocky start in the previous season :3

Scene B: Robin sees Vickie at Warzone (S1E8) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Robin thinks she has a chance with Vickie  • Love: She’s about to make a move and talk to her crush… • Subversion of expectations: …but Vickie has a boyfriend. • Atypical relationship: Queerness!! And the fact that Vickie gets distracted by Robin, probably has a bit of a crush on her too, even though she's currently in a relationship

Scene C: Robin & Vickie make sandwiches (S4E9) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Robin is initially fairly certain now that she DOESN’T have a chance with Vickie • Love: But unbeknownst to her, they're almost definitely endgame • Subversion of expectations: Vickie admits that she ended things with her boyfriend  • Atypical relationship: Imminent 80s Lesbians!!!!!!!!

Track 3: Teens (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3JICAZAEBs)

Scene A: Suzie changes Dustin’s Latin grade (S4E1) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Suzie and Dustin are cheating his Latin grade by hacking into the school’s computer system  • Love: The two of them are still together :3 • Subversion of expectations: Suzie decides that her relationship with Dustin is worth more than being entirely morally virtuous, so she changes the grade for him • Atypical relationship: The unlikely pair of the mormon and the agnostic strike again!

Track 4: In The Closet (At Rink O Mania) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwl-HPNQFLc)

⭐️ Scene A: Mike and Will argue at the roller rink (S4E1) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Mike’s upset that Will and El haven’t been honest about the bullying • Love: Will just misses his best friend and is upset that their relationship / communication over the past year has been strained. And he’s in love. • Subversion of expectations: “We’re friends! We’re friends.”(AKA, Mike has been struggling with his feelings just as much as Will has) • Atypical relationship: Queerness!! We can be fairly certain now that they totally feel the same way about each other, even if neither will admit it.  

Scene B: …but also El hides in the closet at the roller rink (S4E1) This scene matches moderately well 🤔 • Misassumption/dishonesty: El had been hiding the fact that she was being bullied • Love: This lie has has driven a wedge even deeper between her and her boyfriend • Subversion of expectations: She decides to go confront Angela • Atypical relationship: El, the humiliated victim, decides to stand up to her bully, Angela, instead of letting her get the final word

Track 5: Home (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdcV1u6RUh4)

Scene A: Hopper takes El in (S2E3) This scene matches moderately well 🤔 • Misassumption/dishonesty: Hopper wants to give El a place to stay where she can hide from the people looking for her / Hopper discreetly puts away a box labeled “Sarah”, hinting at a more personal reason for taking her in than he lets on • Love: He cares about El like he’d care for his own daughter  • Subversion of expectations: Even though he's a supposedly hardened and lazy police chief, he cares about El enough to go through the effort of fixing up the cabin to give her a place to stay • Atypical relationship: Found family :’)

Scene B: This song also plays during the scene where Robin sees Vickie at Warzone (S4E8) This scene matches well! ✅ • [See Kids Two, scene B]

Track 6: What’s The Internet? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqx4idF4ObE)

Scene A: The Hellfire Club and Lucas’ team celebrate their victories (S4E1) This scene matches moderately well 🤔 • Misassumption/dishonesty: The basketball team and the Hellfire club both thought they were screwed • Love: Despite the looming potential for failure, everyone’s having fun and feeling included within their groups, they love their hobbies and their friends • Subversion of expectations: Both teams won their respective games despite the odds! • Atypical relationship: Lucas still hangs in the balance between the two teams, feeling unsure about which of his friend groups he should prioritize

Track 7: [Unreleased song, but the Kids motif is faintly audible towards the end]

⭐️ Scene A: El and Mike argue over Mike not being able to say “I love you” (S4E2) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/dishonesty: Mike’s refusing to acknowledge that he can’t say the words, he’s lying about how he really feels • Love: Their relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend is finally starting to show cracks, as its fundamental flaws are presented front and center • Subversion of expectations: Their relationship isn’t as perfect as we’d been led to believe • Atypical relationship: They’re on the verge of a breakup, but that's really what's best for the two of them

and finally...

Being Different Motif

The dominating melody in these tracks is: A# D F D A# D D# D, and/or A# D F A# D F A F

Track 1: Being Different (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o29YLtS_NA)

⭐️ Scene A: Mike and Will talk in the van (S4E8) This scene matches well! ✅ • Misassumption/Dishonesty: Will lies, using El’s name to hide his own feelings • Love: And those feelings are his love for Mike :’( • Subversion of expectations: It’s now overwhelmingly clear that Will is canonically gay and in love with Mike  • Atypical Relationship: Well, it doesn’t sound all that atypical for the sad gay boy to have fallen for his straight best friend (who is obviously straight because he’s in a relationship with a girl), so what if Mike- [gunshots]

Track 2: I Like Presents Too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trSjkqM0VT4) (I’m not positive about this one, but I swear I hear similarities between Being Different and this song? Especially between 1:52 - 2:05 in Being Different, and 0:38 - 1:00 in this song)

⭐️Scene A: This song also plays during the scene where El Tells Mike she loves him and says goodbye (S4E8) This scene matches well! ✅ • [See The First I love You, scene B]

Okay. And that's all of them! I hope I've made my point. The fact that every single one of these 11 songs and the 22 scenes they appear in are connected both musically and thematically cannot be a coincidence. And by simply tracing the pattern, it's pretty easy to see that these connections hint at the fact that there's something more that we're not explicitly seeing between Mike, El, and Will's relationships, which has no other explanation besides Byler endgame. Let's review- by applying what we know about the pattern to Byler and M/ileven scenes, we can infer that:

When El kisses Mike at the end of season 3, it isn't meant to be taken at face-value. There's something atypical about their relationship, and it's the fact that despite saying the words, it doesn't change the fact that neither of them are in love with each other, not romantically, even if they think they should be.

When Will tells Mike he rolled a seven and lost the battle in the first episode of season 1, it's more than just Will being a good friend. There's a deeper connection- something atypical compared to Will's relationships with his other friends, because this is Will being in love with Mike before he even understood what those feelings meant.

During their fight at Rink O Mania in season 4, they're not just arguing about Will being dishonest or Mike not staying in touch. There's something deeper under the surface that they're dancing around, unaddressed feelings on both ends, something more atypical than just two friends who drifted apart. At the root of their frustration is the fact that they both believe the other doesn't feel the same.

Mike said it himself- when he and El argue over the fact that he can't say "I love you" to her, this was a fight they can't come back from. Because it's been made clear to them that their relationship isn't romantic anymore, it's atypical in the sense that they realize this whole thing between them has just been a heteronormative charade they were pressured into, rather than something they really wanted or needed.

When Will delivers his veiled love confession in the back of the van in season 4, we're led to believe that this is him ripping off the bandaid, because Mike is supposedly happiest with El and he'll never see Will the way Will sees him. But this interpretation is incorrect, because there's something very very atypical about the way Mike stares longingly into Will's eyes, completely mesmerized, in a way that he's never looked at his own girlfriend despite allegedly being so in love with her. Mike is in love, but there's no denying anymore that the love he feels is for Will, not El.

Of course, none of these interpretations of these scenes are new or anything. But the fact that we now have solid proof that all of them are actually intentionally connected? They all share linked music and follow the same pattern?? That, I think, is revolutionary.

But of course we're not done yet.

Because as lengthy as it is, this isn't a finished analysis. Now, if you've made it this far into my mad and delusional (yet strongly supported by evidence) rantings and ravings, you're probably just as excited about this breakthrough as I am. So if you're thinking about exploring the theory yourself, I have a few suggestions on where to start, because there's a good number of things that I haven't fully looked into yet! Most notably, there are several tracks that sound like they almost fit with the ones I already identified as being part of soundtrackgate, or they have similar vibes, but just aren't similar enough to make it into the list. Some of them I've tried to mix with The First Lie, Kids, etc, but came up empty-handed. There songs are:

Journalistic Instinct

Boys and Girls

Feel Safe

First Kiss

Presumptuous

My BOOBS Hurt

A Kiss

I wouldn't remember me either

Eight Fifteen

Walkin in Hawkins (i really really really hate this song for no justifiable reason please don't make me listen to it any more than I had to this is my one exception)

This Isn't You

Blank Makes You Crazy

Weirdly enough, out of these twelve, there are exactly three tracks from each season. Does that mean anything? No clue. Odd, though.

For all you eightfifteengate truthers, I tried really, really hard to mix the track Eight Fifteen with any of the established songs... but all I got was a pretty resounding muddy mess of a failure. Which sucks, because it sounds like it should work! Unfortunately, I don't think Eight Fifteen is part of soundtrackgate. However! I did notice that it sounds very very similar to the track Presumptuous, which is interesting. Here's the best I got, for what it's worth:

If you want to take another look at these songs and try to prove me wrong, please do!! Maybe there's a pattern within them that I didn't catch. And if you ask, I'll be happy to try my hand at combining any tracks you think would work together!

Other than that, there are a few interesting little details I noticed while perusing the OST. Maybe they mean something, maybe they don't, but I thought they were worth mentioning! Feel free to investigate if any of these pique your interest:

Like I mentioned earlier, Eight Fifteen and Presumptuous both contain the same melody

Blank Makes You Crazy and I Need You to Trust Me are both songs tied to scenes where we see evidence of the stained relationship between Mike and El, and they’re both in the same key; F Major

Not Kids Anymore plays during the Byler rain fight in s3, AND when Dustin and Mike refuse to go to Lucas’ game in s4

As far as I can tell, the song Destroying The Castle only plays one time other than when Will takes a bat to Castle Byers- it also plays in S4E9 when Hopper is about to use himself as bait for the demodogs, but assures Joyce that he’ll be alright 

On The Bus almost definitely does not match with any of the other songs, but I feel like this particular track is important and worth looking into regardless, so I’m mentioning it here.

You’re The Heart does not sound similar, mix well with, or parallel Being Different, let alone ANY of the established soundtrackgate songs. I just don’t hear it, sorry.

Eulogy and Letter to Willy sound very very similar

Journalistic Instinct and Boys and Girls sound very very similar

Still Pretty, the song that plays in season 1 when Mike reassures El that she looks pretty without the wig, also plays in season 4 while they talk in the pizza shop, right before they get interrupted by Argyle.

Okay. I think that covers it, for now. Thank you so much for reading, seriously, I poured my soul into this so it means a lot!!! I hope it all made enough sense. MASSIVE shoutout to what-song.com for its list of all the songs that appear in each ST episode, in order, complete with listing what minute each song appears in, providing a 30-second sample of each song, and a description of the scene that occurs during it. It SAVED MY LIFE no joke. Also big shoutout to bilibili.tv, my platform of choice for sailing the seven seas of content of questionable legality; I used it liberally to pull up all the scenes I had to analyze lol

[inamindfarfaraway]

So I saw your post here [https://www.tumblr.com/inamindfarfaraway/690058488775327745/batfamily-fanworks-that-purport-to-be-set-in-the] and oh my gosh YOU ARE SO RIGHT!

As much as I enjoy it, Hush is definitely to blame for this as it is held as THE end-all-be-all of all BatFam stories yet Cass (who an acclaimed ongoing series as Batgirl around the same time) was suspiciously missing from it along with Steph. Yet we only ever get flashbacks to Bab's time as Batgirl so that storyline also ended up cementing Bab's legacy as "the one and only Batgirl". Methinks a certain editor in charge at the time mandated for Cass and Steph to not appear in Hush because they-according to him-"were way too toxic" for said storyline. Because you see, as soon as he became a leading editor, his number one priority was getting rid of Steph and stripping Cass of her Batgirl role.

And so the age of darkness began...

First, there was War Games that solely existed to torture Steph in the most vile, most voyeuristic ways before killing her off. Then there was Robin: One Year Later, one of the worst, horrific character-assassination storylines since Spider-Man's One More Day, where Cass was suddenly turned into an over-the-top Saturday Morning cartoon villain obsessed with killing everyone, giving long-winded "together we can rule the world" speeches and being able to speak and write in fluent Navajo. ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGES IN THE WORLD. Then there was Redemption Road which, despite its good moments and happy ending, did even more damage to Cass's character. And finally, we have Battle For The Cowl which ended up pushing Cass and Steph so far into the background, they were basically erased from the BatFamily altogether.

Yet despite Steph's well-received run as Batgirl, DC's poor marketing and the lead up to the New 52 prevented the series from becoming a proper bestseller and it was cancelled without any fanfare whatsoever. Still, all those horrible decisions and storylines (like War Games and Robin: One Year Later) did such massive, long term damage to the characters that, even despite all the small good things (Steph's Batgirl series to the excellent Gates Of Gotham mini-series starring Cass), they were buried from public consciousness. As for Duke (another character, I'm a fan of), I think its just a case of him being a very recent character, a lack of marketing and higher-ups not knowing what to do with him.

As for the asshole editor who everything to burry the Batgirls, he was eventually fired for creating an "unsafe working environment". And yes, his name rhymes with "Ban Video".

As for the people who keep erasing Cass, Steph and Duke from fan works, I know it sounds depressing but hear me out: Fandom, be it comics, video games, films, cartoons, TV shows, ect, has an unconscious bias of white male favouritism. (Yes, I know Dick is Romani, Damien half-Arabic/Asian yet they're still quite white-passing)

YES! THANK YOU! ALL OF THIS!

It is so sad and frustrating that these bias persist even in communities that are meant to be about joy and love; but of course the Batfam fandom has issues with sexism and racism when the canon also has for so long. I'm sure most fans don't try to be prejudiced, but male and white-passing characters are so much more popular than others. The unfair treatment of Steph as Robin and both her and Barbara in making Babs Batgirl again for no reason is one of the things I wrote Robins: The Musical to vent about, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks for the explanation! I was already familiar with most of the context you generously provided, but I still really appreciate it as a specific comics shame/recommendation guide and education for others. I wasn't aware of Gates of Gotham and will read it! Black Bat my beloved. Dan Didio when I catch you...

(My original post is here)

[lovesosweeet]

KNOW IT ALL x THE BAND CAMINO

part 2

a calum hood songfic

read part 1

Calum didn’t want Tillie to be all he thought about, but she was. She littered his social media feeds, his camera roll, his playlists, his conversations… she was literally everywhere. Fuck, she somehow managed to be at nearly every party or event that he went to. 

Tonight was no exception. 

It was the night of the VMAs, an event both he and Tillie had been to before. They’d never been to it together, but then again, they had never actually been together. He hadn’t seen her intentionally in over a year. Their only interactions had been awkward, fleeting glances from across a crowded room or merely scrolling past photos of each other on Twitter or Instagram. 

He knew she’d be here tonight. She just released a new single — a collaboration with The 1975 — and her sophomore album was up for a handful of awards. It was a great PR opportunity and surely she’d win something, so of course she would show up to an important event in the music industry. 

He didn’t expect that she would be right next to his band on the red carpet where he could practically smell her. Tillie’s scent always brought memories flooding back. It was a mix of marijuana, Valentino Born in Roma Intense perfume, and, oddly, garlic. She always smelled like garlic. And he loved it. 

He loved her.

The weird smell was just the tip of the iceberg for his discomfort. Not only was Tillie there, right next to them, but she had also brought a date. He knew she was dating someone new; the information was everywhere and he’d heard about him via Michael, who’d met him on a few occasions that Calum could barely stand to listen to stories about. The jealousy was gnawing at his stomach and threatened to creep up his throat. 

She looked hot. She always did, but she put extra time into her appearance tonight and it paid off. She had chunky glitter highlighting the inner corners of her eyes, something she always did when she wanted a little extra spice for a special occasion.

Tillie was wearing an oversized white button up shirt that could’ve come from her date’s closet for all Calum knew, and the hint of a hem from a tiny black mini skirt peeked out the bottom of it. Her short legs were elongated by a pair of high heeled, knee high boots. In lieu of a tie, she wore a large satin bow on her collar that matched her bright red lipstick. Her long, currently black hair was straightened and tied back in a half updo, a matching red bow knotted around the ponytail. 

He could tell that she wasn’t wearing a bra, and that, coupled with her plush red lips and exposed thighs, had his mouth going dry. She hadn’t even glanced at him and he’s already sweating at being so close to her again. 

Her date, some ridiculously tall guy that plays for some basketball team somewhere in the country, matches her outfit with a nearly identical shirt, a red bow around his neck, but he’s wearing dark slacks that are patchworked from a mix of fabrics, some pinstriped, some dark gray, some black, and a few pops of navy blue, with platform Doc Martens on his feet.

Tillie dressed him, and he’s sure of it, and he’s jealous. He knows he is and he’s not in denial about it. He doesn’t even try to hide the fact that he’s staring at her, either. He’s totally zoned out of the interview he’s currently a part of until Michael says Tillie’s name.

“I know that I’m stoked to see Tillie’s performance tonight,” Michael says, reminding Calum that Tillie will be performing her new single tonight.

The interviewer seems almost too excited at the mention of the petite girl standing a maximum of 10 feet away. “Understandable, I’m excited too! You guys and Tillie go way back, right? She opened for you a few years ago. Are you all still good friends?” 

Calum clenches his jaw in frustration, breaking his gaze from being focused on Tillie to now staring at his own feet. He’s wearing Docs tonight, too. 

“Oh, yeah, we love Tills. She actually helped write some of my new solo stuff that’s been in the works for a while,” Ashton says. 

“She comes over to my house a few times a month unannounced,” Michael mentions with laughter.

“And how do you feel about that?” The interviewer asks. Once more, they seem almost too eager about the information the boys are giving. 

“Like Ash said, we love her. She’s usually coming over to hang with the dogs and to binge some reality show with my wife or to challenge me to a Guitar Hero duel,” Michael says. “She has her own key. She’s totally welcome whenever she wants.”

“Why don’t we invite her to join your interview! A reunion of old friends. Looks like she’s on deck to be our next guest anyways,” the interviewer waves at Tillie and her new man to join the band. Tillie lights up when she realizes who’s next to her.

“Oh my god, if it isn’t my four little boys!” She cheers, scurrying over to wrap herself around Michael, squeezing between him and Luke. Her boyfriend — or whatever she’s calling him — stands off to the side, looking mildly uncomfortable due to being left out suddenly.

“Hi mum,” Michael says, grinning down at one of his very best friends. 

“Tillie, thanks for coming over,” the interviewer says. She looks very excited by the fact that two artists are engaging on her account. It’s always great for engagement when artists and celebrities interact and she knows her boss will be pleased later on. 

“Of course! I’ll take any excuse to see these dorks.” 

“The boys have said they’re excited for your performance later. Any sneak peeks about what it’ll look like? It’s your first time performing it live, right?” 

Tillie grins. She’s proud of herself. She’s always loved doing collabs, but The 1975 has seemed like an unattainable one until she ran into them at a festival a few months ago and she hung out with them for the day. Between all the alcohol the two parties consumed and Tillie’s loud, unfiltered nature, she brought it up and the band was instantly on board. 

“Yes, it’s the first time,” she starts. “But, no sneak peeks! You know me better than to give that info away early, Angela!” 

“Boys, is this your first time meeting Nick?” Angela asks. Calum has to hold back a snort as he learns the guy’s name. Of course, he has some douchey name like Nick. 

“Mike got to meet him a few weeks ago, but the rest of them haven’t yet,” Tillie answers.

You haven’t spoken to me in a year, Calum thinks. Of course I haven’t met him.

“Michael, do you approve?”

Mike laughs. “No pressure, he’s only right there,” he says and motions to the tall man who’s standing about two meters away from them. “But yeah, I think he’s great. He and Matilda here are great together.” 

Tillie glares at the mention of her full name and digs her elbow into Michael’s rib cage, making him glare back at her. 

“So Tillie, your album just dropped. And boys, you’ve got one on the way, right?”

“Yeah, we’re stoked,” Luke says with a lopsided grin.

“You’re also performing tonight. Do I get any sneak peeks from you?” 

“Think we’re gonna have to follow Tillie’s lead and say no sneak peeks, sorry!” Ashton apologizes. 

“Well, I can’t wait to see what the five of you get up to on the stage. Thanks for chatting, but I think we’re out of time now.” Angela’s camera man gives her a signal that must mean that she’s low on time. 

“Thanks for having us, Angie. Hope you enjoy the show,” Tillie says while offering her mischievous smile that has haunted Calum for far too long. 

As the five of them step out of the camera’s frame, Tillie goes straight for Nick, craning her neck to stare up at him. He doesn’t even bat an eye before he bends down to kiss her. Calum is shocked that she lets him. She’s wearing red lipstick, which, when he and Tillie were whatever they were, she never let him do. 

Ashton comes up behind Calum and smacks him between his shoulder blades. “C’mon, let’s go inside. I’m sure we can find more friendly faces to mingle with besides your old situationship and her new man.”

Calum grits his teeth and narrows his eyes at Ashton, but doesn’t say anything. He starts walking toward the entrance, grateful that that was their last press interview before the show itself starts. 

Calum heads straight for the bar, ordering a whiskey on the rocks to sip on. He needs something strong if he’s going to be in the same room as Tillie for the whole night. While his bandmates chat with some of their long term industry friends and stop to chat with a few non-famous audience members, he sulks and sips his whiskey, sitting in his seat by himself.

His eyes are glued on a certain black-haired woman that he despises his love for. He wishes he didn’t love her, but how could he not? Even now, he’s watching her be the sarcastic, dry-humored girl that won him over years ago. She’s flirting and teasing, and he can tell by the look in her eyes that he could see a mile away. Her lips are tugged to the side while she smirks at whatever she’s saying, reaching out and touching the arms of none other than Maisie Peters and Taylor Swift, the three of them all giggling together. Nick is a few steps behind her, chatting with Niall Horan.

He almost wishes Nick could see him stare at his girl. He wants Nick to go to Tillie later and ask what the deal is with Calum. He wants him to have to feel uncomfortable about him, for some reason. Tillie is the only girl he’s ever really loved, and he thought that she felt similarly, but the fact that she never said she loved him echoes and flashes and ricochets around his brain all the time. He hates it but it’s true. She never said those three words that his heart ached to hear.

He wonders how long it will be before Tillie drops Nick. She’d dated a long list of people in the span of time that’s passed since Tillie cut off their… whatever you want to call their arrangement. The tabloids have shown her disheveled, doing what some would call a walk of shame every few weeks, blurry paparazzi photos from random dates and kissing a number of different people in dark corners of bars and clubs.

Michael comes to sit next to Calum after he’s chatted with a few fellow musicians and random actors who were invited. 

“You good?” Michael asks, even though he knows what’s going through Calum’s head. He’s just trying to show he cares.

“Fucking fantastic,” Calum mutters at a volume that’s nearly a whisper. 

Tillie is laughing at something Taylor said and is nearly doubled over. He used to love that she was such a people person and so easy to get along with. She’d never met a stranger, although she repelled some people with her deprecating humor that could easily offend anyone who was too sensitive. Now, he hates that she’s able to laugh with practically anyone except for him. 

“Cal, she’s happy. Isn’t that what you want?” Mike asks.

No, Calum thinks. I want her.

Calum sighs frustratedly, his eyes still trained on the tiny woman he used to have latched to him for hours at a time. She was a touchy feely person, and he missed her touch as much as he missed her smile.

“What does that numbskull have that I don’t?” Cal sighs, his gaze moving to stare at Nick. He’s not laughing like Tillie. He’s just nodding along to the conversation he’s in with Niall and Blake Shelton who appeared out of nowhere. 

Michael huffs. “This is Tillie we’re talking about, dude. I odn’t know. She wants what she wants and does exactly what she wants when she wants to. She’s happy. They’re talking about moving in together.”

Cal huffs. “She’s happy. Whatever the fuck that means.”

“If you give any ounce of a shit about her, you should be happy for her. Stop focusing on yourself.”

“We were happy. She left me, saying she needed time and space. Next thing I know she’s wrapped around some other girl. She can’t stand to be alone.”

Michael chuckles. “Yeah, because you’re so great at being alone. Don’t act like you haven’t been fucking anything with legs that looks even remotely like her.”

read part 3

my masterlist! :)

[vipsonly]

Venus moves into Scorpio.

In Vedic Astrology, Venus just moved into Scorpio! Now is a time of deep passionate love. Although it may not always be said, it is constantly felt. It is unconditional love OR can be extremely toxic and terrible. Remember: If it hurts, it isn't love. Check below to know how it effects you individually.

Venus transits 1h / Scorpio Ascendant

You are entering a time of feeling good about yourself and the way you look. You also are feeling really good about who you are. Many people are taking notice of your attributes and you may receives lots of compliments. People are highly attracted to you during this time and may flirt with you. Old friends reach out and want to make plans. Distant friends contact you more to create deeper bonds. Love is coming in! Abundance comes in from your outer world.

Venus transits 2h / Libra Ascendant

Money and financial abundance is coming you. You are feeling secure financially and in concern to material possessions. This is a good time to acknowledge how you feel emotionally and if you're secure in that area. How do you feel about yourself? Where do you feel insecure? You are going to be working hard diligently and silently. You're making big moves.

Venus transits 3h / Virgo Ascendant

You are getting more involved in your community! Maybe you are helping out neighbors, or maybe you're taking on a position in your local organization. Or maybe you're just hanging out with your siblings more. Now is a good time for short travels and quick trips, be spontaneous. Also be open to communications and confessions of love... <3

Venus transits 4h / Leo Ascendant

Happiness and love in your family and home life. Your mother or other maternal figure may be going through a great period right now that is attributing to your good feelings. It's possible there's some sort of fertility in the family, but that's only for some. You may spend more time at home right now, it's okay to relax. You're eating more and drinking more. Indulge in the finer things in life!

Venus transits 5h / Cancer Ascendant

Possible new love interests coming in! If in a committed relationship then look out for some romantic gestures <3. You may be indulging in different forms of entertainment like films, movies, videos, songs, plays, music, etc. Enjoy it, follow your curiosity.

Venus transits 6h / Gemini Ascendant

You are developing new routines! Everyday was getting boring so you're switching it up a bit to create a more comfortable routine. The way you were living before just wasn't realistic or sustainable. Also you may be getting a new pet or pet-sitting during this time :)

Venus transits 7h / Taurus Ascendant

Watch out! Love is in the air! Love from the past may return, new love may be found, or seeds may be planted for a later love. Beware of triggers and past emotions resurfacing. It's likely to happen. Take a deep breath in and out. Instead of worrying about if they like you, ask yourself if you even like them. Get to know them. If you are in a committed relationship, it is becoming deeper. Superficiality is being cut out OR the surface/tip of the iceberg is being embraced. With Scorpio it's all or nothing. Your connections are about to be boring as hell or completely alter the course of your life.

Venus transits 8h / Aries Ascendant

You are changing habits and going through a transformation. You are asking yourself: How can I nurture myself more? You are giving yourself more life and more love. This is a beautiful energy actually! You may lose some relations and reconsider the way you feel about people in your life. Embrace the change you're going through. Embrace this mini-death. It'll be okay, you've been through more.

Venus transits 9h / Pisces Ascendant

Your curiosity is guiding you! You may be studying something right now. Maybe this is formally through schooling or just on your own time. You're investigating and further discovering. This is also higher knowledge so you may be learning more about religion or spirituality. You are feeling good and taking a light journey. You are aware that there is no rush and you're eager to be a student of life.

Venus transits 10h / Aquarius Ascendant

This is an amazing time for your career! You're making huge moves and it'll pay off! You may get a new job, a new promotion, or some sort of new opportunity. If you have interviews scheduled, trust they'll go well! Embrace opportunities that come your way! This is a great time to expand your public image :)

Venus transits 11h / Capricorn Ascendant

You are deepening your connections with your community, organizations, and friends! You are also further deepening your vision of the future. Where you see yourself in 5 years? What's your plan for next year to work toward that vision? Your friends are supporting you right now and your aspirations. Dream big, imagine reaching your highest potential!

Venus transits 12h / Sagittarius Ascendant

Past loves and connections may resurface. They may pop up in the 3D-Physically OR they may haunt you mentally. Now is a time to do shadow work and ground yourself. You will feel really good some times but awful other times. This is going to be a hard but extremely healing time. If you hold a lot of grief in your heart this is going to be painful. Now is a time to feel, release, then heal. Come to terms with who you have let go, who has walked away from you, and who has made you angry or hurt you. Acknowledge all the feelings you hold and forgive yourself too. Take time everyday to silence your mind and tune into the knowledge within.

[not-goldy]

Hi!!

To me JK is queer. He would always be queer but to see him embody that so overtly by leaning into this queer for show practice in Kpop makes me uncomfortable 😅

He's always been the gender bending queer hailing captain of our little team here- but looking at him now it's like seeing your favorite song writer suddenly get in front of the mic. Not only are they writing, they singing too. That makes you wonder a lot.

And now I'm plagued with questions like was he always a singer? Did he always want to sing the songs he writes? Does he really love music or is he just looking to cash out?

I'm a bit confused on what you are trying to say here, and I don't want to rush to get upset over something I could be just reading wrong.

So if you could please expand on what you meant, that's be great!

Damn you slow😭😭😭😭😭😭

Here, keep up.

We talking about the way JK dresses in shoots these days right?

Notice anything different about those shoots?

Here's for context

And a myriad other moments like this I can't be care to put up here for illustration.

Question was whether or not he's copying Jimin or anyone else.

My response no.

Because A, there's a whole team behind his wardrobe and a whole visuals coordinating crew and brand sponsors and what not.

So we can't say well this is him copying anyone.

Besides, Jimin explained that their similar and complementary outfits are usually a deliberate choice by staff and he said "he knows the reason why" to suggest there was more to it.

Since JK is a SOLO ARTIST NOW, and is possibly working with a whole new crew, it's possible he's just doing WHATEVER SUITS HIM. Although these crew members may be picking out his outfit I'm pretty sure he wouldn't wear anything that didn't feel like him or that he wasn't comfortable with.

Now, my point is, it's a bit strange seeing him being so openly expressive seeing him express himself through fashion in a totally different way.

While in BTS he was assigned a role within the group and the out fit they often choose for him spoke to that identity they had carved out for him- which is to present him as the quintessential straight masculine dude( in my opinion.)

They did the opposite with Jimin, pushing this very queer very soft almost feminine image onto him. Jimin addressed it when he did a shoot some years ago and wore a simple jeans and tshirt with as less make up as possible and said it was a sharp contrast to his usual looks but he liked it because it showed his masculine side more.

With JK, every now and then he would go off script and show us a tip of his personal fashion choices iceberge.

Not saying they were coerced to look a certain way or that they didn't act all enjoy the process- please see the nuances here cos I can't explain this anymore further.

The singer writer analogy is saying as a writer- when producers put you in a box of writer that's all they expect from you. And sometimes you can sing and want to sing. And sometimes you do crave things outside the box they put you.

Thus, I think the Kook we are seeing is Kook. It's him expressing himself without regard to whatever expectations we have of him and his gender.

He could wear a heel if he wants to and that wouldn't be because he is queer, or copying anyone. It would be because he enjoys it.

METAPHOR PEOPLE.

MET TUH FOUR😩

Also, jx so you know, even if you were upset I wouldn't give a fuck😹😹😹😹😹😹