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smallraindrops-blog · 2 years

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Hello 👋 Would I be able to request a mini AU fic for wmftd (and I think you mentioned about writing this before but I could be wrong) where y/n is a god and Hypnos is a mortal? If not, that's completely alright. Ty!

WMFTD!Y/N X Hypnos

Word count: 4.4

Warnings: dark, possessiveness, violence, pining, ambiguous ending, no beta

Notes: 👋 hello! Thanks for the request and I hope you like it! <3 It was fun to write. and yeah, I have brought it up before. This is one of the ideas I had.

Also person who requesting pining! Hypnos, I am working on that fic and should be out soon.

For context:

This takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. There was a war between the greek gods and the new gods (y/n’s family and others), and the new gods won.

I had several people ask me about mortal!Hypnos’ skin tone. I went back and forward, so while I leave it up to the reader, I imagine his skin tone would look similar to Thanatos’ in-game skin tone if that makes sense.

Enjoy!

Olympus was empty. Its halls were filled with silence and blood.

You followed Achilles as he walked down the steps. His footprints were marked by golden blood, glittering in the light of day. You knew you were leaving similar footsteps along your father.

Patroclus stood below, marked by gold and red blood. He offered a weak smile when you both got close enough.

From annihilation, from love; a new world was born.

Morals called you many things but in the end, they appointed you as Justice. God of the righteous men, of warriors and… Order.

As you stood alone on the top of mountain Olympus, the world in your palm, you wondered if maybe none of this should have happened.

You collapsed in a field of wildflowers, exhaustion and pain winning. You panted, staring at the little red poppy by your head. You saw your blood, golden and bright in the afternoon sunlight, spilled onto the ground.

At least, Pyrrhus didn’t walk away from this fight. Your mouth twitched into a faint smile, it will take him a long time to free himself from under the ocean without his limbs.

Then you heard movements, the bleating of sheeps. You didn’t move, no longer caring if some unfortunate mortal saw you. You closed your eyes, wishing that your Pa was here.

“Oh!” You heard a mortal cry then stumbled back, falling on their behind. It took some effort but you opened your eyes.

Only for the world to spin before you and you close them again with a groan, letting the dark pull you down.

You jerked awake, staring up into twilight, stars just starting to peek out. You saw the very, very faint outline of Patroclus and Achilles, finally at rest. Could they see you?

You shifted your head and frowned. You felt something rough under your head and you reached up and touched bundled up fabric. You became aware of someone sitting next to you, and you saw slender limbs from the corner of your eyes.

“Oh you’re awake. Good, I was getting worried.” You turned your head to the voice, and saw the mortal staring down at you with bright golden eyes. Soft curls fell around his face, white as snow and he waved a delicate hand at you. A nervous smile grew on his lips, soft and wide.

You took a sharp breath. Mortals didn’t look like this.

You had seen beauty, Ganymede and Aphrodite both, yet you had remained cold and unmoved. Even when Ganymede had tried to seduce you, bare and soft and pretty with his dark eyes and full lips.

The moral reached over and after a moment of his hand hovering, he patted your shoulder, “It’s not everyday I find a god in my fields. I don’t know what tried to take a bite of you but you might try avoiding whatever it was.”

You swallowed, your heart racing and sat up, not quite able to look away. He blinked in surprise at your height, and his smile turned to a cheerful one. He was lovely, even in his simple white tunic and bare feet. He wasn’t even wearing jewelry or even a laurel.

“You are not afraid?” You spoke. Your voice was rough from disuse, but it didn’t seem to faze him. He shook his head with a warm laugh, “Hard to be scared of a guy who passed out even if he is a god.”

“Ah.” You said quietly. He tapped the side of his temple, “You were bleeding- I think?- but all of your wounds just closed up in your sleep. So I just used my cloak as a pillow.”

You reached up and brushed your fingers along your head, then you glanced at your arms. There as no more wounds but you saw flakes of dried blood on your body, your and Pyrrhus’.

You moved and stood with a grunt, he followed along after he grabbed the cloak, still marked by spatter of golden blood. When you looked down at him, you saw the wooden shepherd hook in his hand.

He leaned against it, his head tilted up at you. The fading light of the sunset made his golden eyes glimmer and you almost reached out to touch him, to know that he was actually real and not something you dreamt of.

“Thank you.” You told him. Then because you needed to know, “Do you have a name, mortal?”

“Hypnos.” He said with a chuckle. “Not exactly common but I think it suits me.”

It did.

The sweetness of his smile followed you even as you returned home, the white marble halls quiet and bright with moonlight. You wondered if Hypnos ever saw anything like this before.

You stood in the entrance of the great hall, staring at your parents’ empty thrones until the sun rose.

You should stay away, for both your sake and Hypnos’. You may be the God of Justice- even if you sometimes wonder if maybe your father had given you the wrong title- but you still had to attend to your duties.

So you gave guidance to the kings and queens, gave the warriors your blessings and hoped they would find some kind of peace unlike you, and your mind wandered back to Hypnos.

It took two weeks for your will to break and you found yourself among Hypnos' flock. The sheeps moved with no urgency, only giving you lazy glances with their black eyes.

You looked around, wondering where the little shepherd was. You spied him among the wildflowers and your heart stopped for a second before you saw the slow rise and fall of his chest.

You let out a breath, sleep. Of course. You had forgotten mortals needed that as well.

You went over to him and he slept on, unaware of your presence. You stared down at him, his face tucked into his arms and legs curled under him. His cloak, thin and worn, was a pathetic blanket.

A gust of wind flew past and he shuddered. With only a moment of hesitation, you joined him on the soft grass. With quick movements, you remove your cloak and place it on him.

Like how you remembered Patroclus did for you as a child, you tucked it around his shoulders then you pulled your hands away a frown, wondering if you had overstepped.

Hypnos let out a sigh, slow and deep as he curled under your cloak. He didn't wake up. He looked peaceful, the fan of his white lashes flush against his cheeks. You wanted to reach out and touch his curls to see if they were soft as they looked.

But you didn't. Even you knew that was inappropriate.

You sat next to him as fat, lazy clouds passed over, casting long shadows. The winds ran through the grass, swaying the wildflowers gently as it passed. Your eyes caught on the little dots of red poppies, brighter than any other flower.

Somehow this little patch of nowhere brought more peace than the halls of Olympus.

When he stirred, he frowned at your cloak, his fingers curling into it.

“You looked cold.” You said, and he blinked sleepy eyes at you. Even with mussed hair and a crease in his skin, he looked breathtaking. And you wondered how this mortal was somehow more beautiful than Ganymede.

If the old gods had sent Hypnos instead, you might have not been able to say no.

With a yawn, he sat up and nuzzled your cloak against his cheek. You stared, something possessive growing in you at the sight.

Your colors suited him.

“I didn’t know fabric could be this soft.” He said then he blinked and pulled away. He laughed, a dark blush on his face. “Sorry, I forgot my manners. If my mother knew I was treating a god like this…” he trailed off as he folded up your cloak carefully.

“Consider it as a favor returned. For letting me sleep on yours.” You said as he handed it back. You wanted to give it back to him, to tell him to keep it. To wear it. You kept it on your lap, your hand curling into the fabric.

It would be so easy to take him away from here and keep him for yourself. He would look right at home in the halls of Olympus, in your bed-

You weren’t like the others, you reminded yourself firmly.

Zeus and Pyrrhus had both taken mortals away from their home and hid their beauty from the world. You wouldn’t do that to Hypnos, especially with how trusting he was. Any other mortal would have hid away or bowed in submission and fear.

Hypnos stood up, and stretched. His simple tunic moved up with his movements and you caught a glimpse of his bare thighs. You tore your eyes away and stared blankly at the grazing sheeps.

“Do gods get hungry?” Hypnos asked, dropping his arms down. He picked up his shepherd hook and grinned down at you. “I’m not much of a cook, but I know where to get some figs if you want some.”

You nodded in agreement before you realized it. Just this once, you would allow yourself the pleasure of spending time with this pretty little mortal. And once the day was over, you won’t return.

Even now, there were remains of the old world.

You stared at the ruined temple, Aphrodite’s if you remembered right. Earth had laid it’s claim over the building and the rest of the town, plant life filled in the gaps and cracks of the buildings.

Sometimes you wondered if the new world would ever go back to how it was in the past. It was one of the costs of the war, the fall of human civilization. The survivors were still slowly rebuilding but so much had been lost and it would take them centuries to heal.

You walked away from the ruins, guilt settling itself on your shoulder once again. And wondered not for the first time, if you were supposed to be justice and order personified, why couldn’t you fix this?

Hypnos’ cheerful smile flashed in your mind and you ached. Not even from lust but you just wanted to see him, to hear his laugh. You sighed, you already risked too much with the short afternoon you spent with him yet a part of you didn’t care.

You wanted him, mind, soul and body. The ugly part of you felt entitled to the lovely mortal, that Hypnos was yours and no one else.

You turned your eyes skyward, to find your parents’ constellations. It took no time, you knew their place in the stars like you knew your own heartbeat.

“Your son is a damn fool.” You told them, knowing you won’t get a response.

You weren’t planning on returning.

Yet you stood in the field, in a staring contest with a very fat sheep. The sheep slowly chewed on the grass in its mouth, unimpressed by the god before it.

“Be nice to our guest, Monie. Go join the others.” Hypnos said with a laugh, shooing the sheep away. It took a moment but the sheep obeyed, slowly walking away. Hypnos beamed up at you, his curls falling away from the front of his eyes and fates help you, he got lovelier by the day.

There was dirt on his nose and you wished you could reach out and touch him. You might not be able to stop yourself once you start so you stay back, both hands on your spear.

“Pardon me for my surprise visit.” You told him but he waved off your words, and gestured to you to follow him along and his herd. You obeyed him. Foolish, a god obeying a mortal’s wordless command yet you did.

“I don’t mind a visit from a friend.” Hypnos repiled, glancing up at you. The wind was gentle, making his curls bounce. “Especially if that friend is you.”

“Friend?” You said with a confused frown. He paused in his steps and bit his bottom lip. You stared, would his lips be soft or chapped from all the biting?

“Maybe I should be the one asking for a pardon but yes, if you like.” He said finally. “I don’t know if that is something gods do, we mortals do though. I’m pretty much friends with everyone, even when they don’t want to be.” He finished with a laugh but you saw the flicker of shadow in his eyes.

He glanced away, his hand tight on his shepherd hook.

Your hand moved before you could stop yourself. You used a curled finger under his chin to lift his face back up to meet your gaze. His breath hitched but he said nothing. His cheeks pinked and you tried to memorize his face, of how the sunlight looked in his golden eyes and how the gentle wind brushed his curls.

“No need for pardons between friends.” You told him softly.

You stood alone in your bedchambers, dim save for a single candle and curled a hand over your heart, your nails digging into your tunic. You thought of him, of his slender body, of how he would arch under your touch and golden eyes dark with lust and you thought, madness. Sheer madness that a moral caused this.

Achilles had only talked about it once, the first time he laid eyes on Patroclus when the moral had come to him for help. Of how he had just known that Patroclus was meant to be his. And how Zeus always kept a hand on Graymann’s back, not willing to let anyone else get close to his cupbearer. Of how even some morals could drive Pyrrhus mad with a single look.

You wondered if being drove to insanity by a moral was the cost of godhood.

You stared down at the town from your place on the hill, hidden from mortals’ eyes, the festival in full swing. The moon was full and her stars gleamed in the void. The sounds of laughter and singing filled the cool spring air.

It was a celebration of Achilles and Patroclus and the downfall of the old gods. It was also a celebration for you. You saw the town’s sacrifice, a powerful black bull with long horns.

It was suitable, even if that wasn’t what you came for. You scanned the town, hoping for a glimpse of a mortal with white curls. You wondered if Hypnos enjoys such things or if he would rather spend the night at home.

Your eyes caught on a couple seeking into the nearby woods and your gut twisted. You hoped he wasn’t in there. The idea of another mortal touching him, holding him or even kissing him made your hands tightened into fists.

You let go a breath, Hypnos wasn’t yours. You have no right to him, no matter how badly you may want him.

Then you heard your name, but it wasn’t from the town nor its leaders. You listened for it, even as the wind picked up, making the trees rustle.

You heard it again, Hypnos and he was calling for you. You immediately abandoned your spot, and went to him. The town will be fine without your watchful eyes for a little bit.

You appeared on the edge of the field, eyes landing on a surprised Hypnos. He blinked at you then his smile came out in full force, beautiful and cheerful. You returned the smile, your heart softening just for him.

“You came.” Hypnos said as he joined you. He wasn’t dressed up, he still wore his simple white tunic but you saw his eyes were lined with kohl, making the gold of his eyes appear bright even in the moonlight.

“A friend had called for me, so of course I came.” You replied, willing yourself to be calm. “Why are you not with the rest of the town?”

“It was odd to be at a party meant for you and not have you there.” He said with a shrug and pulled something from his belt. A pouch that smelt of honey. Hypnos held it out to you in both hands, his head bowed. An offering. “I got you something I thought you might like.”

His hand stayed steady and you saw the hopeful peek he gave you. This was an offering from friendship, not for worship or for blessings.

You stared at him for a long moment, not able to take a breath. You shouldn’t. The mortal didn’t know better. He had no clue how mad he drove you, just from a single look.

But it was wrong to see him bow his head toward you. Especially since you would much rather see his lovely face. So with one hand you reached past his offering and used a curled finger to gently lift his face up. He blinked at you and lowered his arms.

“There is no need for that, not between us.” You told him. He opened his mouth then shut it. He nervously bit his lip, “Okay. It’s not much but I thought you might like it.”

“I’m sure whatever it is, I will like it.” You said, and made yourself pull away. You held out a hand toward him and took his gift. Hypnos rocked on his heels, watching you carefully.

You opened the bag and pulled out a very sticky puff. You tilted your head at the food, this was one you weren’t familiar with but you took a bite. Sweetness and softness burst in your mouth and you gave a low pleased hum.

“They are loukoumades. My mom used to make these all the time when I was young.” Hypnos said quickly, his shoulders relaxing. He grinned at you, “These were my favorite things in the world.”

“Did you make these?” You asked and he nodded, “Yeah, like I said I’m not a good cook, but I made sure to know how to make these.”

You didn’t expect the tenderness that almost overwhelmed you. Somehow this simple treat mattered more than any festival or any sacrifices. Forget kings and their gold, forget the riches of Olympus.

You would give it all up for this little mortal and the simple gift of food. “Thank you.” You told him and he blushed and ducked his head away.

“Would you like to join me?” You asked hopefully, “I know a good spot to watch the festival.”

“Yes, of course.”

You paced back and forward, your hair was a mess from running your hand though your hair.

You shouldn’t. He didn’t know what he was doing to you. He was just a normal mortal. Except Hypnos wasn’t normal. Any other mortal wouldn’t call you a friend.

Guiltily, you glanced over to your desk. You went over and pulled a small bottle out. The liquid was golden and you knew how it tasted. The sweetness of it.

Ambrosia, the food of the gods and the key to immortality. Just one drop would do.

You took a breath and placed it back and away from your sight. You weren’t like the others, you were a god of justice, of order. You were supposed to be better than Zeus. Better than your own father, damn it.

It was pure selfishness at this point. You seeked Hypnos out regularly now, the moral’s bright smile was the only thing that smoothed you these days. You didn’t talk of the greedy kings, of the wars between mortals that were coming or Pyrrhus and his never ending hate for you.

You wanted to keep this little peace for yourself, the outside world wasn’t welcome.

One day, Hypnos asked you something unexpected.

“I heard that the old world had their own stories for the stars, is that true?” Hypnos spoke quietly, as if unsure he should even ask you that. He leaned on his shepherd hook as he often did.

You blinked, surprised that morals even remembered such things. But maybe you shouldn’t be. The war had set humanity so far back, but they always had their tales and myths.

“They did. I know all of them.” You replied, then without meaning to, you said “Would you like to learn?” Hypnos nodded excitedly and you smiled at his simple joy.

Later, with the rest of the world asleep, you and Hypnos were alone under the void. You made sure to find a good spot, a little hill tucked away past the fields. Hypnos tightened his cloak around himself, grinning widely as he sat down on the soft grass.

You joined him, almost close enough to touch. His eyes were golden even in the moonlight. He pointed up to the brightest star, “What did you guys call that one?”

“The North Star.” You said, “Morals of the old would use it for navigation. It’s a part of the Ursa Minor or the little bear.”

“Ursa Minor?” Hypnos blinked at the name, lowering his arm. “Is there a bear up there?”

You laughed softly, amused at his innocent question. “Not quite.”

You used a finger to trace Ursa Minor’ outline. When you saw his confused frown, you reached down and took his hand, “Here, point again.” He obeyed you and pointed his finger again.

You leaned closer to him, his curls brushing against your chin and you wanted to gasp at the softness but you bit it back.

You slowly used his finger to show him the outline, tracing the stars’ form. “Oh, I see it.” Hypnos said in surprise. There was a moment of silence, then he pressed in closer against your side, his body tense. You swallowed and moved his hand to the Ursa Major, “Does the story of Callisto sound familiar?”

At the shake of his head, you told the story of Callisto and her son Arcas. You kept your voice low, almost rumbling against him. You wanted these to belong to Hypnos, you wanted to give him all the stars and their truth to him and him alone.

You showed him Draco, Leo and Orion. As you spoke, he relaxed against you with a gentle sigh. Eventually, you lowered his hand but didn’t let go. And he didn’t pull away. With your other hand, you pointed up.

“See the one that looks like a lyre?” You asked. Hypnos nodded and whispered. “I know this one. Achilles and Patroclus, your parents.”

You dropped your hand, staring up your parents’ constellations. Then you felt him shift and placed his head on your shoulder. “Is it true?” He asked as he interlaced his fingers with you.

“It is. My father never loved anyone else like he did Pa. Zeus and the others called him a fool for loving a moral so much.” You said. You knew this story by heart. “All they wanted was to be together. And now they are. Never to be apart again.”

“Why didn’t you join them?” Hypnos whispered, and you rested your cheek on his head, closing your eyes. How was he so soft, so warm and so, so perfect?

“They fought hard and for a long time. Most of the old gods were corrupt, and all my parents wanted was peace. So that is why I am here, to make sure the world is for mortals, and not for the whims of gods.”

Hypnos said nothing for a long moment, then shyly, “I’m glad you stayed.”

You opened your eyes and looked down at him. He looked up at you and gave you a small grin. His cheeks were flushed and he looked like belonged there, in your arms.

You leaned down and caught his mouth in a kiss.

He gasped against your mouth but he didn’t pull away. You shifted, cupping the back of his head, your hands tangling in his soft curls and tilted his head back to deepen the kiss. His hand grabbed your cloak and he whimpered as he returned the kiss.

You thought you ached for him before but it was nothing compared to this. Before the kiss, you didn’t know how soft and warm his lips were, you didn’t know about the little sounds he made or that he would fit against you so perfectly.

You thought before you were going mad for this little mortal but now you knew you would go mad if you never got to touch or hold him ever again. You wanted to make him yours, to steal him away from the world. You feared he just did that to you and you wanted it. You wanted to belong to him.

The kiss broke and you pressed your forehead against his. You felt his hands cupped your face and you blinked down at him. Wordlessly, you and him met in another kiss. It started slow but it builded on itself, the fire between you and him threatened to swallow you both alive.

“Come with me.” You begged against his lips, groaning when he kissed you again. “I will give you everything you ever wanted. Please say yes.”

You pulled away and caught his hands and held them in yours. Hypnos stared at you, his golden eyes wide and you saw the warring thoughts in them. You kissed him again, wanting to push those doubts of his mind.

Hypnos broke the kiss, shame on his flushed face. “My family, I can’t leave them.”

You felt something in you broke, and he looked ready to cry. Then you remembered the small bottle of ambrosia, just as golden as he was. Something dark and determined blossomed in your chest.

“You won’t, Hypnos.” You promised. You wouldn’t let him escape, not now. Hypnos was just as much yours as you were his.

You brushed a curl of his face, and smiled down at him. “Come with me for the night, and I will return you by the sunrise.” You said, and you weren’t lying. You would return him but he will be tied to you forevermore.

Hypnos bit his lip as he searched your face. You didn’t know what he saw, but you let him take his time.

“Okay, I will come with you.” He said then he held up a finger, “But you have to return me to my family.”

You smiled and pressed your forehead against his. “I will, you can trust me.” You told him. Hypnos smiled at you, soft and trusting.

He was beautiful.

He was yours.

#hades hypnos #wake me from this dreaming #fanfic

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austencello · 6 years

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Arrow Music Notes - Season Six Soundtrack Review

Each year the soundtrack for Arrow is released. This year was a bit unusual in that it is currently available only in cd form. Rumors have it that the Digital album will be released some point in January...but we shall see! I was going to do this review a month ago but life got a little busy.

Here is my rundown of the soundtrack: the good, the bad, and where it ranks with the other Arrow soundtracks.

A little disclaimer: usually during the weekly reviews, I generally try to interpret what we are given and focus less on what I liked or not. So this will be much more subjective than normal. Add to that the fact that I had a wrist accident last fall, making writing difficult (I wrote 3-4 reviews with one hand and voice dictation) so my memory and notes are not great regarding 6A.

A soundtrack usually covers a few criteria: the musical highlights that represent the big moments of a movie or show, Character themes or the setting of the place, as well as an overview of the movie or TV season. When looking at a TV show, there is more plot and music moments to cover. The tricky part is to pick music that encompasses the big moments, the feel of the season, and doesn’t seem monotonous. When I buy a soundtrack, it is because I want relive moments through the music and the feelings from that show or it is so good musically that it doesn’t matter (John Williams often falls in the later category).

Since Arrow relies less on sweeping melodies and timbre changes, the danger is that the soundtracks can be a bit monotonous in color. This has been true since Season 1 and why I like Seasons 3 and 4 the most. Those provided the most interesting variety and remind me musically of heart-break and joyful moments during those seasons. As the years progress, new variations of older melodies are used which is great in telling a long story over seasons and tying them to the previous seasons but having new melodies are important as well. At this point, I want Arrow to balance emotional melodies from the past, intense action music and new memorable melodies and motifs. While each track is nice as a whole (it has grown on me listening to it several times), I walk away with very few tracks that are memorable and new.

The Arrow soundtracks focus the most on the first and last episodes as musical bookends. Here, the first four tracks are from 6x01 which is a little more than usual but then covers music from almost every episode. Almost every track has at least two moments from an individual episode (which does happen pretty frequently) but happens chronologically instead of thematically. This means that the titles sometimes seem to apply better to one moment instead of both. “I killed my daughter” (6x01) has Quentin dealing with shooting Black Siren but also Oliver finding Samantha and promising to take care of William before she dies. While that has happened a bit in the past, it seemed a bit more extreme than normal in this soundtrack which gives it a less cohesive whole.

The bad:

Season 6 was probably the weakest musically and that is reflected in the soundtrack. Quite honestly, I think a lot had to do with story. The storyline was a bit weak in many areas, not providing new exciting music opportunities. The new themes were often used for characters or scenes that people did not resonate with or care about. The tricky part about music is that it should help you feel grief or joy or excitement but it should also feel earned and not forced. Unfortunately, the two most heart-wrenching new themes felt forced and regarding characters that the audience did not care about as much: Dinah and Vince’s love theme “Dinah Identifies Vincent” and Cayden James’ son dying: “The Devil’s Greatest Trick.” The second one was heart-wrenching, matching Season 3 level of angst and beauty but was used for the wrong characters, trying to make the audience sympathetic towards the villain as he lost his son. I want to hear a theme and remember the heart-breaking or joyful moments of the story for the heroes I care about: Oliver, Felicity, Thea, Diggle, William, Quentin, Team Arrow. I think Blake may have been overcompensating for the story, trying to give more emotion in moments that did not earn them story-wise or character-wise.

Along those lines, a lot of themes were repeated for better or worse. For interpretation, this makes things generally exciting for me to hear old themes and see what Blake is saying. However, if the season relies on that too heavily, then the soundtrack is a rehash of previous themes because there were not enough new ones to balance it out. As much as I love “Not Black or White” from Season 4 and how it were used in this season with Diggle becoming Green Arrow “You Could be Greater” and Felicity’s speech to William about Oliver being a hero “What Your Dad is” having it twice in the same soundtrack felt a bit much. Interestingly enough, there were not as many action tracks in the soundtrack compared to previous seasons (excepting Season 1 which was a little unbalanced with too many action moments) which also gives it a little more mellow feeling but then everything start to blend into together and sound the same if you can’t remember when the individual tracks happened throughout the season. Once I looked things up as to when and where they happened, that helped me to enjoy it much better but that shouldn’t have to be the case for the more casual listener.

There were a one or two times when the use of a specific theme didn’t match what was happening on the screen or felt like they should have left it in the past. Most particularly “Promise Kept” when Moira died in 2x20. For that to be used in Slade’s journey with his son and Oliver made me super mad (“Like Father, Like Son.”). I get that Deathstroke’s music is one of Blake Neely’s favorites to write and he got to use it a lot in 6x05 and 6x06 (”Deathstroke Extracts Revenge”) but that particular track should have been reserved for Moira’s death and the later effect it had on the Queen siblings. Not with Slade dealing with the relationship and trying to find his son while Oliver is there. It tried to raise sympathy and instead hardened my heart reminding me that Slade killed Moira and in that light, it made no sense for Oliver to be helping him to that degree. (I didn't write about those two episodes so I had to vent it out.)

The good:

On the flip side of bringing back themes, I love how certain tracks give an evolution and new instrumentation to older themes as the story and characters evolve like the goodbye scene for Thea “Take Good Care of Her” having a new version of “I forgot who I was” which was a beautiful use of this family theme for Oliver and Thea, as well as “What Your Dad Is” for the evolution of Oliver as a hero (first “Not Black or White” - 4x23).

There were several music moments that stood out to me during the season that were included: “I know you’re the Green Arrow” (6x02) with a scene between Oliver and Rene about being fathers and in the field, “Why do they all leave?”(6x18) when Oliver asks Quentin why everyone leaves while he was under Vertigo, “Team Divided” (6x10) terrible moment but memorable sad music, and the use of the Olicity oboe as Oliver is Overwatch helping Felicity in “Inside the Internet.” (6x04). That is the only version of the Olicity theme on this soundtrack but if you want more, then check out “Crisis for Earth-X” because that has a lot of Olicity music in it and the best of all the crossovers for music.

The most memorable track of the whole soundtrack is “Final Showdown with Diaz” (6x23) which was also used in the SDCC teaser trailer for Season 7. Personally I think it worked better for the trailer! (Thanks to @ah-maa-zing for reminding me that it was used in that capacity)

My favorite is the last track “At What Cost?” (6x23) combining “Scars” (1x01) and “The Essence of Heroism” (2x22) with a new theme in the harp for Felicity as Oliver and Felicity talk before Oliver goes to prison. It is the quintessential Arrow track: emotional use of old and new themes leading to the epic use of the main Arrow title motives for the end of the series.

Having the cd means lots of pretty pictures which is fun...especially two cute Olicity pictures and lots of Team Arrow pictures. I find the pictures don’t match what music is in the album but still encapsulates the season well.

Having listened to the cd 4 times, it is growing on me but it did not wow me. In fact, I would rank this with Season 1 as the weakest albums. I think part of that is due to the lack of connection with many of the story lines represented on the soundtrack. I also wanted more new exciting music to balance the new versions of ones that I love. I will say that Season 7 is already looking much more promising in that direction. However, I am aware that we are very lucky in the Arrowverse world to be getting soundtracks for every season as that is rare in the TV world. So, I am very grateful that we have this soundtrack despite my nit-pickings!

Brief overview of characters on specific tracks:

If you are interested in listening, the cd is available through LaLa Land Records and is also posted on YouTube.

Quentin/Laurel: I killed my daughter (6x01)

Thea and Oliver: Been Mad at You Before/Oliver is Back (Purest Heart theme), Take Good Care of Her

Dinah and Vince: Dinah Identifies Vincent, Right Before Her Eyes

Diggle and Oliver: You Could Be Greater, Been Mad at You Before, Brothers in Arms

Black Siren: Fallout, Siren Storms the Lair, Team Meets Cayden/Inside the Internet

Ricardo Diaz: The Dragon, Love is a King Killer, Final Showdown with Diaz

Team Disintegration: I Need Someone, Team Divided, Right Before Her Eyes

Oliver, William, and Felicity: I know you’re the Green Arrow, You Could be Greater, Inside the Internet (Olicity), What Your Dad is, Why do they all Leave?, Never a Normal Life, Love is a King Killer, At What Cost?

Happy Listening!

@academyofshipping @smoakmonster @ah-maa-zing @herskirtsarentthatshort @scu11y22 @mel-loves-all @pulpklatura @withgraceandlight99 @green-arrows-of-karamel @dmichellewrites @almondblossomme

Special thanks to @jorahandal who was my sounding board as I was processing my feelings and observations of this soundtrack.

#arrow season 6 #arrow music notes #arrow soundtrack #blake neely

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megah0tvajjxxxpiimp1n · 6 years

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Top 100 albums 2018

1. Ryan Porter - The Optimist (jazz fusion) 2. Blocks & Escher - Something Blue (d'n'b, experimental) 3. Equip - I dreamed of a place in the sky (post-vaporwave, new-age, ambient) 4. Vein - Errorzone (hardcore glitch punk) 5. Charles Mingus - Jazz in Detroit / Strata Concert Gallery / 46 Selden (1973) 6. Quelle Chris & Jean Grae - Everything's Fine (indie rap) 7. Galcher lustwerk - 200 % Galcher (hip house, deep house) 8. Christine and the Queen - Chris (pop funk) 9. Ray Fuego - Zwart (pop rap, cloud rap) 10. Robyn - Honey (dream pop) 11 Children of zeus - Travel light (r&b, jazz, rap) 12. Noname - Room 25 (conscious rap, neo soul) 13. JPEGMAFIA - Veteran (avant-garde, lo-fi trap) 14. Ken Mode - Loved (hardcore punk) 15. Camp Cope - How to Socialise & Make Friends (alternative rock, indie) 16. Jesus Piece - Only Self (metal) 17. Skee Mask - Compro (ambient techno, d'n'b) 18. Witch Prophet - Golden Octave (r'n'b, neo soul, conscious rap) 19. Maxo Kream - Punken (trap, cloud rap) 20. Eastman - Red, White & Zero (grime) 21. Tirzah - Devotion (alternative r'n'b, indie pop) 22. The Beths - Future Hates Me (pop rock, indie) 23. DJ Rum - Portrait with Fireroom (lo-fi house, d'n'b) 24. Jonathan Joestar - (vaportrap, gamewave) 25. Melody Echo Chamber - bon voyage (psychedelic, indie, folk, r'n'b, bossanova) 26. John Coltrane - Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (jazz) 27. Vanjess - Silk Canvas (r'n'b, neo soul) 28. Eli Keszler - Stadium (avant-garde jazz) 29. DJ Taye - Still Trippin (Footwork, jungle, hip house, trap) 30. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth (jazz) 31. Tuamie - Emergency Raps vol. 3 32. Playboi Carti - Die Lit (trap) 33. ZULI - Terminal (ambient techno, experimental hip-hop, deconstructed club) 34. Bernice - Puff: in the air wihout a shape (indie pop, alternative r'n'b) 35. Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload (r'n'b, neo soul) 36. SOPHIE - Oil of every pearl's UN-INSIDES (avant-garde pop) 37. Ty Dolla $ign & Jeremih - MihTy (gangsta r'n'b, trap) 38. Fire-Toolz - Skinless X-1 (post-vaporwave, experimental) 39. Soccer Mommy - Clean (pop rock, indie) 40. Koran Streets - Late 20s (rap) 41. Kero Kero Bonito - Time 'n' Place (dream pop, indie rock) 42. Pigs x7 - King of Cowards (metal) 43. Father - Awful Swim (rap, trap) 44. Shampoogod - Venture (vaportrap, gamewave) 45. Aphex Twin - Collapse EP (IDM) 46. Peel Dream Magazine - Modern Meta Physic (indie, psychedelic) 47. Chris Crack - Just gimme a Minute (mall soft, cloud rap) 48. Daughters - You won't get what you want (industrial rock, noise rock) 49. Blood Orange - Negro Swan (r&b) 50. Julia Holter - Aviary (experimental pop, ambient pop) 51. Beta Librae - Sanguine Bond (techno, experimental) 52. Earl Sweatshirt - Some rap songs (rap) 53. Kryptonyte - KRYPTONYTE (dirty south, gangsta rap, lo-fi, soul rap) 54. Ski Mask the Slump God - BEWARE THE BOOK OF ELI (trap, soundcloud rap) 55. Kamaal Washington & Henry Wu - The Return (acid jazz) 56. Helena Hauff - Qualm (acid, experimental footwork, techno) 57. Chelsea Jade - Personal Best (indie pop) 58. Xavier Wulf - East Memphis Maniac (trap, cloud rap) 59. Makaya McCraven - Universal Beings (jazz fusion) 60. Miss Red - K.O. (avant-garde dancehall) 61. Bjarki - Oli Gumm (experimental industrial techno) 62. Snail Mail - Pristine (indie) 63. Kamiyada+ - Deathtrap 64. Innumerable Forms - Punishment in Flesh (metal) 65. Don Christian - Where There's Smoke (pop rap, deconstructed club) 66. Pig Destroyer - Head Cage (grindcore) 67. Smerz - Have Fun (deconstructed club, glitch pop) 68. Laurel Halo - Raw Silk Uncut Wood (experimental ambient) 69. Cupcakke - Ephorize (rap) 70. Gazelle Twin - Pastoral (experimental) 71. Boygenius - Boygenius (alternative rock, indie) 72. Little Jinder - Hejdå (dream pop) 73. S4U - Heart 2 say (alternative r'n'b) 74. Scott Xylo - Find us when u get there (alternative r'n'b, neo-soul, acid jazz) 75. Xavier Wulf - Greatest Hits, Pt. 1 (dirty south, trap, cloud rap) 76. Demdike Stare - Passion (IDM) 77. Mick Jenkins - Pieces of a man (jazz rap, abstract hip hop) 78. Bali Baby - Baylor Swift (emo, pop punk, rap) 79. Charlie XCX - Pop 2 80. ICYTWAT - Fubu vs TWAT (vaportrap, hip-hop) 81. Marie Davidson - Working Class Woman (art-house, avant-garde techno) 82. Skyline Divine - Tuesday at noon (post-vaporwave, smooth jazz, mallsoft) 83. David Lord - Forest standards vol. 1 (jizz-jazz, yacht rock) 84. Pink Siifu - Ensley (lo-fi rap) 85. Joe Armon-Jones - Starting Today (jazz fusion) 86. Kodie Shane - Young HeartThrob (r'n'b, trap, rap) 87. Alxndr London - 2023 EP (neo soul, nu-jazz) 88. Bbymutha - BbyShoe ep (trap, rap) 89. Kilo Kish - Mothe (neo psychedelic, art-pop, experimental hip hop) 90. Riley Walker - The Lillywhite Sessions (jizz-jazz, yacht rock, pop-folk) 91. Dedekind Cut - Tahoe (ambient) 92. Candy - Good to Feel (metal) 93. Confidence Man - Confident Music for Confident People (electropop) 94. Nao - Saturn (r'n'b) 95. Masayoshi Fujita - Book of Life (ambient) 96. Tina Snow - Megan thee Stallion (rap, trap) 97. Chai - PINK (indie, dance pop, post punk) 98. Polychrome - KOAN Sound (dance, electro) 99. Dizzy Fae - Free form mixtape (avant-garde pop, experimental r&b) 100. Queen Key - Eat My Pussy (trap, r'n'b)

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digitalmark18-blog · 6 years

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6 Great Examples of Brands Using Twitter Effectively by @osbennn

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/6-great-examples-of-brands-using-twitter-effectively-by-osbennn/

6 Great Examples of Brands Using Twitter Effectively by @osbennn

Twitter may not be the flashiest or trendiest social network the past few years.

It’s not as sexy as Snapchat, doesn’t change as quickly as Instagram, and isn’t in the news as often as Facebook.

There’s significantly less “keeping up” to do with Twitter than with its alternatives.

While that should be a good thing, it also means we don’t need to talk about it as much. Because of that, it can easily be overlooked or forgotten about as the powerful marketing tool that it is.

And yes, Twitter is still powerful for brands.

With 46 percent of its American users accessing the app daily and 74 percent of them using the app to get news and information, it remains one of the quickest ways to reach and engage your target audience in real time.

So how can you keep your Twitter marketing strategy interesting these days?

Pull some inspiration from the following brands that are really nailing it.

1. Netflix’s Culture-Making Content

Netflix is in a fairly unique position as a brand when it comes to content. They’re estimated to have budgeted up to $13 billion on original content this year, for example.

Their business model relies on content more than most, but you don’t need to have Netflix’s brand or budget to learn from aspects of their marketing strategy.

Netflix uses its Twitter account to create original moments and commentary within pop culture.

Aside from relevant news and retweeting customers, which are still presented in an on-brand way, the account almost exclusively shares memes and other trends in internet culture.

How can they get away with so many memes without feeling redundant?

By creating their own moments instead of just following already popular trends and memes.

What can you learn from this?

Never underestimate the power of entertainment.

Netflix is definitely at a unique advantage in terms of entertainment content, but an important takeaway is how they’ve leveraged it.

What they did was find an element of their business that best fit the “culture” of Twitter – an often lighthearted, pop culture-focused platform where short and witty copy thrives.

Then they made their Twitter marketing strategy almost entirely about that.

Dig into your own brand and social media audiences and see what parallels you can find.

2. Merriam-Webster’s Newsjacking Mastery

Merriam-Webster’s social media team has become infamous over the past several years for its scathingly amusing subtweeting and trolling.

The brand’s content strategy has even attracted attention from mainstream publications like TIME, Vice, and The Shorty Awards.

Again, it’s entertainment at its finest, although for a much less obvious brand.

The account’s aim is to make a dry topic, spelling, and grammar, interesting and fun for anyone by tying it to other topics.

In this, they’ve become a master of newsjacking and using proprietary data to do so.

For example, they regularly share the top searches and lookups influenced by current events and other trending topics.

Take their reaction to the Yanny/Laurel debate earlier this year.

This brand voice and attitude also contribute to why Merriam-Webster’s followers find it so endearing.

It’s friendly, but with a strong opinion and a touch of snark. Especially since so much of their content relates to politics and world news, maintaining that respectful tone is key.

Information is largely presented without comment, for you to add your own inflection and opinions into – which also makes it great material for retweets and quote tweets.

How can you tie your own brand to current events or use proprietary data like research or statistics to guide your content?

These are fantastic ways to put a unique spin on a dry topic.

3. Oberlo’s Inspirational Empathy

Even though the above ideas can influence any type of business, the brands behind them admittedly have big budgets and lots of content to work with, and not all of us do.

Most of us have simply our blogs, marketing properties, and social media channels to use in our content marketing, as opposed to endless TV shows or dictionary definitions.

In that case, you can look to brands like dropshipping platform Oberlo.

A B2B company targeting new entrepreneurs and small businesses, their content is a healthy mix of education and motivation.

It makes sense that these would be two key elements that a struggling solopreneur is after.

So while they do have a fair amount of what you’d expect from B2B content, like sharing blog posts, ebooks, and other lead magnets, they also tap into more personal inspiration you might expect on a health or personal development account.

Their Twitter content is truly meant to serve all of the topics and frustrations their audience is struggling with – not just those that directly relate to their product.

4. Greenhouse’s Ad Targeting

While engaging your audience and growing a following is important on social media, never forget the end goals it needs to accomplish.

You want that audience to eventually engage with you further, but so many of us put insufficient effort into moving social followers further into the buyer’s journey.

Greenhouse keeps advertising costs down by focusing paid social campaigns on retargeting people who have already engaged in them on social or expressed interest in their business.

Since their audience is so warm, more than half of those who viewed one recently promoted landing page opted into the newsletter and entered further into the brand’s sales funnel.

Whether you’re using paid social or strictly organic shares, make sure you’re giving your existing social audience opportunities to engage further with you.

An engaged audience is full of warm, interested prospective customers who can be easy to convert, but so many social media managers are too afraid of direct promotion to make that next step well-seen.

5. ShineText’s Content Repurposing

A 2018 content strategy usually includes plans for growing presences on multiple social networks, a blog, maybe email marketing, and the list goes on.

Feeding the publishing machine for all of these channels with purely original content is unsustainable for most brands. Instead, the smart ones reuse and repurpose content to use in multiple ways and places.

ShineText is a motivational app and daily messaging service, so the product itself requires creating a lot of content around mindset, motivation, and mental health.

But with so many daily messages to write, you can be sure they pop up elsewhere too.

They alternate between sharing previews as a way to promote that day’s message and recycling larger portions of old content for new use on social media.

This type of tweeting can help prevent a profile dominated by link shares, while still taking advantage of content you already have.

6. Close.io’s Place as the Cool Teacher

Finally, we have Close.io, a sales CRM for startups and small businesses.

A B2B company that mostly sticks to serious content topics, they stand out by pairing their smart industry education with a fun voice that startup salespeople can relate to.

This twist starts as soon as you land on their profile: the big, bold header image is a simple mockup animation of their product, but with the fictional Bluth Company from cult TV hit “Arrested Development” as the company using their tool.

It continues as you scroll. While they’re talking about dry business and sales, they do so with an ultra-casual and startup-friendly voice topped with gifs and emojis.

They promote their product with the same tone, usually choosing to retweet fun, playful praise over sharing product updates or positive but dry reviews.

Any brand can easily do this without creating lots of content, running a big campaign, or bringing in topics parallel to your niche.

It’s simply talking about what any basic content strategy would dictate, just in a voice that maximizes differentiation.

Plan Your Next 280 Characters

From original content empires to repurposing pros, and neutral-looking subtweets to voices full of sass, any type of marketing and voice can work on Twitter when combined with the right ingredients for the right target.

The best Twitter strategies play to your brand’s strengths and talk to their audience naturally.

Is your own Twitter plan this thought-out? If not, now you have ideas to revisit it with.

More Twitter Marketing Resources:

Image Credits

All screenshots taken by author, October 2018

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