#where words fail; music speaks — music & media

[wethotcrazy]

CAN'T CONTROL IT

pairing: Franco Colapinto x Fem! Driver! Reader

word count: 739

just something a little short and sweet for franco colapinto. also i think the can't control their mouth and can't control their face would suit him well?! idk bro

The F1 social media team had a new favorite hobby: catching YN's reactions to everything Franco Colapinto did.

It started during pre-season testing in Bahrain. Franco, fresh in his Williams racing suit, had spun on his installation lap – a rookie mistake that had the paddock chuckling. The TV director, whether by instinct or divine intervention, cut immediately to YN in the Alpine garage.

Her expression was poetry in motion: eyes rolling skyward, lips pressed together to suppress a smile, followed by a head shake that somehow conveyed both "I can't believe this" and "that's my idiot" in one fluid movement.

The clip went viral within hours.

"Have you seen this?" Franco bounded into the Alpine hospitality area, phone already extended. "'Every Time YN Dies Inside Watching Franco Colapinto: Testing Edition' – they even put sad violin music over your faces!"

YN didn't need to look. She'd already seen the compilation – a masterfully edited collection of her various reactions to Franco's testing adventures. Her personal favorite was the slow-motion zoom on her face when he'd described his first F1 car as "spicy."

"I'm starting to think you do these things on purpose," she muttered, but her treacherous face was already softening at his enthusiasm.

"Maybe I just like seeing your reactions," he winked, dropping into the seat beside her. "Remember in F3 when you said your face wasn't that expressive?"

"Remember in F2 when you said you'd learned to think before speaking?"

His laugh echoed through the hospitality area. "Some things never change, no?"

The Australian GP brought new material for the ever-growing collection of "YN Can't Control Her Face" content. As Alpine's reserve driver, she was in the garage when Franco scored his first F1 points – a remarkable P8 in a chaotic race.

His radio message was pure, unfiltered Franco: "P8! P8! YN, are you watching? Better than that time in F2 when you said I'd never score points because I was too busy talking!"

The cameras found her instantly: pride blooming across her features before she could school them into professional neutrality.

"Every time they show your face, the comments explode," Esteban teased later. "I think you've got more screen time than some of the actual drivers."

YN groaned. "Don't remind me. Someone made a TikTok trend out of my different 'Franco Reactions.'"

"At least you're not 'Can't Control His Mouth' Colapinto," Pierre chimed in. "Did you hear him in the press pen? He spent five minutes explaining how you once bet him he couldn't qualify top 10 without talking on team radio."

"Did he mention he lost that bet?"

"No, but your face when they asked you about it said everything."

Monaco was where things reached new heights. Franco, running in P6 during practice, had been providing commentary that somehow always circled back to YN:

"YN's watching, no? Tell her this is how you take the hairpin properly—" Franco spoke through team radio confidently before scraping through the hairpin.  "Ah. Maybe not like that."

The camera cuts to YN's perfect face-palm, followed by a head shake that somehow conveyed both "I knew it" and "why am I even surprised" in one swift motion.

The resulting clip went viral on Tiktok and became F1's most-watched social media post of the weekend.

"You know what I think?" Franco asked one evening, as they shared takeaway in the quiet of the paddock after everyone else had left. The cameras were finally off, but YN's face was as expressive as ever in the dim light.

"That's a dangerous start to any conversation with you."

He grinned, nudging her shoulder. "I think you like that I can't control my mouth."

"And what makes you say that?" she asked, trying and failing to keep her expression neutral.

"Because every time I talk about you, you make this face – like you're trying not to smile but can't help it. It's my favorite one."

"I do not have a special face for when you talk about me."

"Si, you do! You're making it right now!"

She threw a napkin at him, but her smile – soft and genuine and completely uncontrolled – gave her away.

The next day, during the drivers' briefing, Alex caught Franco staring at YN with an expression that mirrored all of hers – soft and fond and entirely unguarded.

The photo went viral with the caption: "Looks like neither of them can control anything anymore 💕"

[kararisa]

darling, starling ✧

pairing: scaramouche x gn!reader

genre: social media au, modern/celebrity au, friends to lovers, fake dating

summary: being the world-famous singer-songwriter "zenith", the limelight has been on you ever since the start of your career. however, the media becomes relentless when leaks of music you never meant to release begin to circulate. your friend scaramouche, meanwhile, seems to have gotten stuck while writing his second book. with a deadline fast approaching, he comes to you with a deal: act as if you're dating him so he can gather reference material and, in turn, he'll help keep the press' eyes off of your leaks until you release your next album. a win-win in your book, so why not help a friend out?

side ships: venti x xiao; thoma x ayato

warnings: swearing, crack, slight angst (?), alcohol consumption, yn wears makeup sometimes, depictions of online hate; specific chapter warnings will be listed at the beginning of each chapter — will be updated as the series continues

status: ongoing

author's notes:

did some minor reworking so if you've seen this for the second time, you're not hallucinating dw

yes this is my second smau. yes I still don't know what I'm doing haha. timestamps don't matter unless I say they do

apologies in advance if i miss any grammar mistakes, english isn't my first language ^^

written chapters are marked with (★)

pre-concert party !!

0.1 - lost hearts • 0.2 - welcome back, shithead

profiles:

clown central™ ([name]'s friends)

the waffle house (scara's friends)

1st verse — for future reference || playlist

1 - is this real? • 2 - enjoying yourself: a guide

3 - bitchless since birth • 4 - attention

5 - unwritten rules (★) • 6 - we're doing couple things

7 - safe with my indifference • 8 - when's the wedding

9 - iridescence (★) • 10 - worst date ever

11 - then beg • 12 - a little bit scandalous (★)

13 - not too late • 14 - only here for you

15 - i can fight • 16 - wine-stained lips (★)

2nd verse — where words fail, music speaks || playlist

17 - it's so joever • 18 - famefucker

19 - i miss my parents • 20 - none of your business

21 - child of divorce • 22 - don't text and drive

23 - neon escape (★) • 24 - this can't be real

25 - zenith • 26 - home (★)

27 - through it all (★) • bonus - promise

tba

3rd verse — hate to be lame || playlist

tba

encore !!

tba

— the taglist is currently CLOSED!

[janovavalen]

taste like the fourth of july .°୭̥ ❁ ˎˊ˗ tom glynn carney x fem!reader

summary: it’s the fourth of july and tom finds it a great opportunity to introduce his new fiancé, y/n l/n to his non-family, family.

warnings: drinking, smoking, and the cast being themselves.

𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘🇺🇸🎆 !

word count; 1k

sitting in the car as the radio played music from y/n’s playlist that was connected to the car, her hand fiddling with the silver ring on her finger.

tom with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his lap to rest, he noticed how y/n failed to speak the whole car ride to the park where he and his friends planned to meet for the fireworks. turning to look at her he smiled sweetly and reached over to place his hand on hers.

gaining her attention, she turned to look at him. his eyes speaking words, she threw her head back a little and spoke—‘i’m sorry, okay? i’m just so nervous.’ she revealed tom laughed a bit at this.

‘about what? there’s no need to be nervous about meeting them, they’re all very nice’ he told her while squeezing her hand then then placing his hand on her thigh.

‘i know that’s why im so scared! some people are nice to people they secretly hate, i know it because i do it on a daily at work’ y/n and tom met through mutual acting in movies, the two playing love interests in their top two platforms of , the king and domina.

the media placed two and two together to see how close they’ve gotten which led to the two revealing their relationship and years later their engagement.

they loved each other both, endlessly. even if in their show they had to fake hate each other which tom had commented on a interview that—‘it’s actually hard to hate my fiancé, but i think i do pretty well’

as they pull up y/n let’s out a shaky breath and looked at his friend as they laughed, a faint shadow of the smoke belonging to someone who smoked, she looked at tom who busted out a laugh at how nervous she was.

‘your not serious.’ she deadpanned while watching tom laugh endlessly and loud.

‘i am! i’ve seen you play scenes that anyone would be nervous to do and your not but you're nervous to meet my friends?’ she rolled her eyes as he laughed and placed his head on her shoulder, her own smile cracking out.

‘stop tom!’ she yelled as he held her after she tried to push him—‘okay okay, i’m sorry. just come on, they’re nice and will love you as much as i do, come on.’ he told her, giving her a kiss on the lips which reciprocated.

walking out of the car and shutting it behind them she and tom met half way, placing his hand on the bottom of her back close to her bottom, right above her blue jeans.

y/n thought it would be cute to dress with blue shorts and her white shorts with tom’s cowboy boots. her wore a hat that’s he got him a bit ago when they went to coachella together.

‘hey!’ one of his friends yelled, a cigarette in his mouth as he held a beer can in his other hand, tom recimpocater the excitement as he went and greeted his friends before stopping—‘oh, this is y/n, my fiancé’ he cheesed as they all awed and made their way over to y/n who smiled at them, nervous

‘hey guys’ she said.

‘awh she’s sweet isn’t she?’ one with dark red and long hair the other next to her nodding, they had shorter hair.

olivia and emma. tom gave a run down on everyone before they arrived.

the two giving her a hug as phia ran up—‘your just a beauty aren’t you? oh my gosh’ she gushed, leaning in to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek which y/n gave back on hers.

‘oh stop, your beautiful’ y/n told her as phia smiled sweetly and leaned in, turning around to her other friends, edwan, emily, milly, and harry following the other bunch catching up.

‘what a crowd, i’m so nervous’ y/n placed a hand on her chest as they laughed, matt inhaling his smoke before dropping it in the grass.

they all spoke and talked amongst themselves, tom watching as y/n talked and laughed to his friends. he was beyond happy with the outcome of this, he was happy she was able to fit in with the crowd .

y/n talked with phia and harry while she ate the rocket shaped ice pop that tom handed her out of the cooler. he stood next to her as he spoke to matt and milly, emma and olivia talking not to far as they smoked their shrinking cigarettes.

‘wait! so when is the wedding?’ olivia asked, walking over to the tow as they turned and shrugged—‘we actually don’t know yet, but we were thinking something small like a bar or something? i don’t want too much going into it, so we wanted it small’ y/n nodded as tom did as well at her words.

‘oh that’s great, i hope to get a invite?’ she laughed while y/n nodded—‘obviously!’

‘guys! it’s starting!’ milly yelled with a smile as they heard a boom being them. turning to see fireworks shooting into the air, everyone watched and laughed, leaning into each other where they stood.

y/n who leaned into the american flag like a blanket with phia which she got before arriving.

tom pulled out his camera recorder and filmed the entire thing, turning to show y/n and zooming into her as, her hand holding her can of her drink and a cigarette, seeing the camera she blew a kiss at the camera, him making a kissing sound behind it to give her a air kiss which she laughed at.

sipping their drinks, inhaling their smokes and enjoying the view. tom pulling walked over and grabbed y/n by her waist, looking down at her lips and smiling—‘are you having fun?’ he asked, keeping their close proximity .

she smiled and leaned in, giving him a sweet kiss on his lips which he hummed into—‘get a room!’ phia yelled as she laughed when the two separated but not letting go.

[dewdropdinosaur]

Smutmas Day 2 - Merry and Right

Alastor x Reader

(Third Person POV) Summary: Pt 2 of Transparent Heart, Alastor's ghostly gal requires some assistance. Maybe he gets a Christmas miracle as well. Warnings: P in V sex, sex with a non-living being(ghost), pet names, etc. MDNI, 18+. You're responsible for your own media consumption.

Requested by the wonderful and creative @minkdelovely

The dim glow of Mimzy's bar cast long shadows across the smoky room, its usual patrons laughing and chattering, oblivious to the spectral presence that lingered in its corners. Alastor’s sharp, polished shoes clicked against the worn wooden floor as he strode purposefully toward the back of the establishment.  

He knew she was here—she always was. Y/N, the ghostly fixture of Mimzy’s domain, was a presence he had come to know all too well. She had been avoiding him for months, slipping away whenever he appeared, her shimmering form vanishing into the walls like mist. They had spent the night together. Cherished each other in the grim ways of the flesh and now she has decided to ignore his insatiable curiosity? It was infuriating. How dare she ignore him?

Tonight, he was determined.  

He paused near the old piano, where the music had faltered into silence, eyes scanning the room. He tilted his head, a predatory grin spreading across his face as he caught the faint shimmer of her translucent figure near the bar’s edge. She was watching the patrons, her expression wistful. He noticed this odd habit of hers, watching the living while dead. Musing over how certain habits have changed or wanting to see if a glass of champagne would still feel cool in her hand; or would she still feel nothing at all?

“Y/N, my dear!” he called, his voice cutting through the lively hum of conversation.  

She stiffened, her ghostly form flickering faintly, but she didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she drifted further into the shadows.  

“Now, now, don’t be rude,” he cooed, following her. “After all, it’s hardly polite to ignore a friend. And I’ve gone to such great lengths to visit you, haven’t I?”  

She finally stopped, turning to glare at him. Her eyes glowed faintly, a mix of annoyance and something softer, something guarded. “What do you want, Alastor?”  

“Oh, many things,” he replied, leaning casually against the wall. His grin widened, sharp and unrelenting. “But at the moment, I’d settle for your company. You’ve been rather... elusive lately. Why the cold shoulder, hmm? Have I done something to offend?”  

Y/N crossed her arms, her form shimmering faintly as if caught between dimensions. “It’s not you. Not entirely.”  

“Not entirely?” He arched a brow, stepping closer. “You wound me, darling. What’s the matter, then? Surely it’s not the season putting you in such a ghastly mood.”  

Her expression shifted, her gaze dropping to the floor. She hesitated before speaking, her voice quiet. “It’s... Christmas.”  

Alastor blinked, tilting his head in curiosity. “Christmas? My, my. What a peculiar reason for avoidance. Do explain.”  

She turned away, leaning against the wall, her translucent form blending into its texture. Y/N exhaled, the sound echoing like wind through a tomb. “The veil between the living and the dead weakens on Christmas Eve. Ghosts like me... we get one chance to sever the chains holding us to this world. If we succeed, we pass on. If we fail...”

His grin faltered, curiosity sharpening into something more intense. “And if you don’t succeed?”  

Her reply came soft and cold, a whisper that could freeze blood. “Then I remain. Trapped in this limbo. Another year of wandering among shadows.” 

The room felt colder, even for someone as accustomed to the macabre as Alastor. He studied her, his crimson eyes narrowing. “And you don’t know what’s keeping you here?”  

She shook her head, her form flickering. “No. I’ve been stuck for centuries, Alastor. I don’t remember much of my life, or why I died, or what I’m supposed to do to finally move on.”  

Her words hung heavy in the air, and for a rare moment, Alastor was silent. His grin returned, though it was softer, less mocking. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”  

She frowned, looking at him warily. “What do you mean?”  

“I mean,” he said, stepping closer, his voice dropping to an almost soothing tone, “that I’ll help you. Consider it my Christmas gift to you. We’ll unravel this little mystery together, and by the time Christmas Eve comes, you’ll be ready.”  

Her flickering form hesitated, her glowing eyes narrowing in suspicion. But she did not vanish into the walls this time. “Why…why would you do that?”

“Because,” he said with a shrug, his grin sharpening just a bit, “I’m not particularly fond of mysteries I can’t solve. And besides...” He leaned in closer, his crimson gaze locking onto hers. “It would be a terrible shame for you to disappear before I’ve had my fill of your company.”  

She blinked, her form flickering faintly, but she didn’t pull away. For the first time in months, she didn’t disappear into the walls.  

“Fine,” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.  

“Oh, my dear,” he said with a chuckle, his grin widening. “You’ll thank me when we succeed. And succeed we shall.”  

As the hum of the bar resumed around them, Y/N couldn’t shake the feeling that, for better or worse, she’d just made an undead deal with the devil. 

————————————————————

The radio hummed softly in the background of Alastor's apartment, a crooning tune from the era filling the space. It was warm, and cozy even, though the mismatched furniture and dim lighting gave it an eccentric edge befitting its host. Alasto stood near the window, twirling a pen idly. His hazel eyes flickered to the clock. Almost midnight. 

He wasn’t one for patience, especially when it came to matters that tugged at his curiosity—or his heart, as reluctant as he was to admit it. She would be arriving soon.  

Y/N was an enigma, a phantom tethered to the mortal plane by a mystery even she couldn’t unravel. He was shocked that she had accepted his ‘Christmas present’.

When he first extended the invitation to his apartment, she had hesitated. He had seen it, even when her grey eyes spoke nothing more than emptiness. The notion of spending Christmas Eve with him, pouring over fragments of her forgotten past, clearly unsettled her. But something in her had softened when he reassured her, in his own peculiar way, that he wouldn’t rest until her mystery was solved.  

The door creaked open without a knock, and there she was—her translucent form shimmering faintly like frost on a windowpane. Tonight, though, there was something different about her. She looked more... solid.  

“Ah, fashionably late, my dear,” Alastor teased, his grin spreading unnaturally wide. “I was beginning to think you’d finally succeeded in banishing me from your thoughts!”  

Y/N rolled her eyes but stepped further in, the heels of her spectral shoes tapping against the floor. “You wouldn’t be the first mortal to haunt a ghost, Alastor. I figured I should humor you with your tendencies.”  

“Who, me? Why, my dear, my tendencies could inflict no harm on you.” He gestured for her to sit.  

“You mortals always find a way to beat death, Al. I do not want to be the next example.”

For hours, they pored over papers and records he had gathered. Birth certificates, journal entries, death records—all faded and fragmented pieces of her former life. They combed through her memories, trying to find the event or unresolved emotion that kept her tethered to the mortal plane. Dead mother issues? Or the fact she never married? But with every turn and twist, with every new scrap of information hesitantly given, Alastor found zilch. 

Nothing.  

Y/N sighed, her shoulders sagging. “Maybe there’s no score to settle. No resolution for me.”  

She sank to the floor beside him, her weight surprisingly tangible as she leaned her head on his lap. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.”  

Alastor froze, his sharp grin faltering. Her presence was... warm. Solid. She felt human.  

He hesitated, his hand hovering over her hair before giving in to a strange impulse. He began to stroke her hair gently, his fingers running through the soft, ghostly strands.  

She let out a contented sigh, her form seeming to shimmer more vibrantly under his touch. “This feels…interesting,” she murmured, her voice laced with something that tugged at his usually icy core.  

He said nothing at first, focusing instead on the soothing motion of his hand. Her weight, her warmth—it was intoxicating in a way he hadn’t anticipated. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer, devoid of its usual mocking lilt.  

“Have you always been such a marvel of imagination, my dear?”

“I am afriad I don’t know what you mean…”

Taking his hand from her hair to slowly drift down her neck, to her collarbone, resting right above the peak of her chest; Alastor heaved a shaky breath. It was like he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, the veil between mortal and spiritual fading every second. She had a heartbeat, faint but still there. And pumping, rushing, delicious blood. Dusting her cheeks in a soft blush. There she lay, a smooth silhouette against his rumpled slacks, bathed in the pale moonlight that streamed through the cracked window. Hair cascaded over the pillow, framing her serene face despite its lack of life. She looked almost good enough to devour. 

And that’s what he would do. 

——————————————————————————————————

Taking a hand, he traced the outline of her curves. Admiring how the moonlight accentuated all her features writhing beneath him, casting an otherworldly glow about the room. 

The heat from his breath left Y/N soaked with desire, cunt clenching around nothing as she imagined all the things that were about to happen. How nice it would feel to be taken like this, by someone so dangerous yet soft in this moment. To feel the heat of another being if only for a little while. Hoisting her legs up on his shoulders, Alastor massaged the tip of his weeping cock against her hole. Not allowing a moment of reprieve, sheathing his heady member into her cunt with one stroke, he then bit the corner of her collarbone to distract from his actions. Y/N let out a quiet gasp at the stretch, gripping the fringe of the carpet below with each strong rut. The velvet of her walls squeezed Alastor so tight that he could have been convinced she was a mortal woman whimpering under his touch. 

Her body felt fuzzy and her brain was close to numb, all Y/N could think about was how fucking good it felt to finally be fucked. To finally be touched after centuries of neglect. And now, here she lies. On a half-worn carpet, bare before a man of sin and transgression. Dark marks marring her once soft and clean skin with the clearest sign of his possession. It felt ethereal, his gentle and languid strokes. Treasuring her, healing everything inside. 

Alastor’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, his thrusts becoming short and sloppy as his release fast approached. 

“Can I, cher?”

“Yes, please—“

Soft grunts left his lips and with one final stroke, spilled hot ropes of cum into, barreling Y/N into her own peak of pleasure as well. 

“Fuck, cher—“

Alastor then collapsed, chest pressing on top of her as his cock twitched, the amount of his release too great for her body to hold; Y/N marveled as it spilled past his member and out her greedy hole. The room was filled with silence, other than the sound of labored breaths. Sweat and sex filled the room, covering it like a blanket as Alastor slowly made the move to remove himself. Pulling out was the hardest part, relishing in the way her warm and inviting pussy felt around his cock for a moment longer before finally pulling away. 

Dazed and staring at the ceiling, Y/N felt as peace. Blissfully fucked and loved, like a precious gem only Alastor could touch and care for. It felt like her body was floating, though not in the normal way. As if ever nerve ending was alight with a soft flame, a delicate heat that she wished to bask in for the rest of her eternity. 

“My dear, are you alright?”

“Right as rain, Al.”

“Are you quite sure? You’re…glowing—”

For a moment, Y/N was puzzled till she looked down at her body. It was true, a soft golden light bathed her body in an ethereal glow. Shining from her heart out like a beacon that shrouded the room in a sense of peace. Soon, Y/N started to float, her body once again becoming that of transparency and spectator. The veil had a few more hours, so why was this happening? 

Suddenly, a large wind blew threw the room though no windows were open. With a roll of thunder and a crack of lightning, what seemed to be the heavens opened above them. Y/N tried to reach out for Alastor, her hand flying to capture his, only for it to slip and pass through his body in a futile effort. With a flash of light and an attempt at explanation, Y/N disappeared in a moment leaving Alastor to stare dumbfounded at his ceiling and nude. 

After a moment, he numbly walked to his cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Pouring himself a glass, only to down it at once, he resumed his sitting on the couch. The mess of newspaper clippings of a random girl's life sprawled across his apartment in abhorrent disarray 

Maybe this was all a dream? 

[paper-mario-wiki]

What is your favorite bar from the myriad of good bars from Kendrick Lamar involving drake, i.e. Euphoria, Meet the Grahams, & Not Like Us?

note: when I say "Drake" I mean the constructed pop star. when I say "Aubrey" I mean the human being and actor behind the narrative that is "Drake".

Euphoria my favorite bar from this track is the whole "I'm the biggest hater" refrain. i like it because that singular section alone completely obliterated Taylor Made Freestyle. by paraphrasing the late DMX's famous quote about Drake, he is demonstrating how you can respectfully and powerfully use words from the mouths of dead predecessors to discredit your opponent, further showing how much of a stupid tactless clown-show popstar-turned-con-artist Aubrey Graham is in using the AI mockery of Tupac's voice to taunt Kendrick, the current voice of the West Coast and-- to many-- the people's successor to Pac.

6:16 in LA with a slightly lighter tone than the other disses, i consider this song to be a person to person sit-down and final warning to Aubrey that Kendrick is willing to provide. he explains that OVO is full of moles and wires, Aubrey is being hustled with nobody on his side, and going as far as saying "you can't sleep, these images trouble you" hinting at the fact that he would be going after Drake's personal failings that he thinks about when he goes home at night and stops being Drake. which he totally did in meet the grahams. also, bonus points to my favorite rhyme scheme in the song, just cuz it's so much fun to say:

Your lil memes is losin' steam, they figured you out The forced opinions is not convincin', y'all need a new route

like, what a perfect little two-bar rhyme scheme.

meet the grahams in this song, the most powerful lyrics to me (and the ones that usually make me start tearing up) are the ones where Kendrick stops being sorrowful and starts being angry.

You a body shamer, you gon' hide them baby mamas, ain't ya? You embarrassed of 'em, that's not right, that ain't how mama raised us Take that mask off, I wanna see what's under them achievements, Why believe you? You never gave us nothin' to believe in

this reminds me of every traumatic scolding i ever received as a child. i think that the word "disappointed" isn't strong enough to convey the feeling here. something closer would be "let down", because Kendrick's whole thing recently has been peace and uplifting people. he was willing to tolerate the competition for the game, but there were so many times that he warned Drake to not mention Kendrick's family. ultimately, in this stage of their careers, what they were fighting for was not fame or power, it was their legacy. they were fighting over how they were going to be remembered, and Kendrick was not about to let his pacifism make him passive in watching someone pretending to be a part of his culture stain how he will be written about in the records of Hip-Hop history. in specific, i love the line "take that mask off, i wanna see what's under them achievements" because he is BEGGING Audrey to respond honestly, as himself. he is begging him to cast off the facade of "Drake" and speak with any amount of dignity, because at this point there was no more room to speculate on whether or not he actually was who he claimed to be with regards to his music. at this point, the consensus was pretty thoroughly in the camp of "the actor Audrey Graham has been co-opting the image of the American Rapper for his career".

Not Like Us i think i love the bar "he has all eyes on me and imma send it up to Pac" because it goes back to the core of what this is about to Kendrick in fighting for legacy. the media, specifically the white dominated media, sucks the culture (that is to say, Black culture) dry for all it's worth monetarily, and in the process there have been many twisted caricatures or unfair narratives left in the wake of black creatives who are no longer alive to defend their own names. there's an entire tangent about how tabloids disproportionately affect black creatives due to the very fact that white supremacy discounts the respect these names have to the (largely un-melinated) higherups in hollywood, and as a result there is less PR dedicated to keeping their image clean, but i think im not qualified to go off on it. the point is, Drake disrespected Pac's legacy (and continues to do so by owning his ring, really, instead of having it be in the possession of someone who's at least from the west coast), and Kendrick wanted to put some honor on his name. he made sure that he was not just mentioned in the shameful (Taylor Made) and angry (euphoria) parts of this beef, but also its most triumphant moment.

[balkanradfem]

So I wrote about my fun with fall chores, but left out another important aspect of my life; losing my mind without laptop or internet. Even though I'm usually not online a lot, I would at least have all my nancy drew games, stardew valley, and a whole lot of podcasts and audiobooks to listen to at my disposal. Now, nothing.

I had a song stuck in my head and couldn't listen to it. It was devastating. Then I remembered, my ancient little phone actually could function as a radio, if I put headphones in. And the song I wanted, sometimes played on the radio. So off I went to listen to the radio!

Radio music is awful and horrible. I fail to understand how anyone can listen to so many aggressively heterosexual songs. I was dying by the time Chappell Roan came on. At one point, I kid you not, Blurred lines played! I yelled and shut down the radio and then continued yelling. In 2024???

It took me a day to realize that my phone actually had a record button. Which meant I could record music and then just have it permanently saved on it. I was both delighted and hit with nostalgia. I haven't pirated a song by recording it from the radio in 20 years. I remember doing it on my cassette player as a kid! And now my phone had the pre-installed ancient piracy tool. They used to make such good stuff.

I had to listen to radio for 2 days to get my two lesbian songs and to finally get the song stuck in my head (it was Too Sweet. I'm basic shut up). I made a playlist and called it gay and was finally free from the radio. Even though wanting to listen to a song and then waiting for 2 days for it to come on on the radio is such a pre-internet struggle, the joy when it finally came on was incredible. I was squealing jumping woooing laughing. It was almost like a quest in a video game; the more effort it takes, the stronger the satisfaction. 

I realized how isolated and small I felt without the internet, just listening to the radio. Every person I know here is heterosexual, and I found myself cut off from community, it became difficult to feel normal. Listening to a lesbian song on the radio was all I had; I knew other gay people were listening, it was a joint activity. I wasn't all alone.

I sometimes wonder if the straight people are hearing it and if they understand what its about. I remember when 'Take me to church' played in the car, I would scan everyone's faces carefully, to see if they understood, if they agreed, if they knew that was anti homophobia playing on the radio. But there was never a reaction. I would then remember that most people here don't speak english, and even if they understood a few words, they don't bother to understand a song from the radio. It's fully possible they're listening 'Hot to go' imagining its a heterosexual song, regardless of how funny that is. Imagine a woman writing a song to get a guy to sleep with her. In what world. 

Looking back, most of my internet endeavors were about finding gay stuff online, first it was gay anime, then fanfiction, and then I got drawn to tumblr in the era where gayness was celebrated and strongly encouraged. I felt safe here! And that was all before I even knew I was a lesbian. And now I wonder, is it endlessly painful and unsurvivable to be a lone gay person without any community? If I waited two days next to a radio to get a gay song, if I used any access to information just to find the writings and media made by gay people, it must be vital like the air to me. When I'm here I feel normal only because I'm exposed to the thoughts and feelings of other gay people, and I know you're reading mine. Without you I'd be lost.

[rosehippiefield]

I love that no character is one-dimensional:

Sara is not goody two shoes protagonist with unwavering hope (I like Makoto it's not his slander I really promise I love kind guys), she has the highest chance of winning. It can't happen to ultimate cinammon roll. The balance between her caring side that wants to protect everybody and using charisma to her advantage is so tricky and yet it works (though I am a bit baffled at how she changes without Joe in AI simulations).

Joe is not only cheery cheesy best friend that dies just so you can cry about it (even if it's true as well). Joe is distrustful, he is scared and he kind of wants to escape with sacrifice card knowing what it entails. So he came up with a plan where good people being majority would live, and if not he can feel less guilt. Amazing idea! And we all know how he returns in second chapter. A sing of ungrounded guilt that doesn't correspond to reality whatsoever but can't be combated with logic alone. In best case scenario it is defeated with reminder of how real Joe behaved, showing how faulty our perception can get from trauma.

Keiji is not just sexy detective that supports Sara, oh no. This guy gets close to our heroine on purpose and I dare say kind of uses her for own gain. Then, his trauma doesn't equal all of his character nor it magically justifies killing Megumi, it simply explains his current actions. And of course I really want to believe that he is not some creep flirting with people in most suspicious way. He just needs excuse for evading akward questions. This man, deprived of sleep because of his sins, is both cunning and kind, capable of cruelty and striving to be like his idol.

Kanna and Gin are not annoying children that constantly need saving or exist to evoke sympathy. In Kanna's case sympathy is natural, but it is not the only thing going for her. Kanna is about giving a chance, letting go regrets, making thought-out sacrifice and when it fails moving on to make sure it doesn't have to happen. She develops constantly, bringing ideas to the table and trying to get all group stay united. Kanna makes conscious choice to spend time with Shin to get information, so while she can be manipulated it's not always the case and she's not all naїveness. Her arc of overcoming trauma and insecurity may seem familiar to characters from other media, but it is unique and distinctive.

Gin is autism representation without making him vilain or weird. He has some pecularities, for example, wearing animal-like clothes and repeating animal sounds, and yet nobody bats an eye, so surely he's no outcast or useless (on the contrary, he is quite useful remembering names in the bar, using scent, helping morally etc). Gin's the least morally gray of the cast, but it doesn't mean he is cardboard nice support kid either: he has his dislikes or his own thoughts (he is quite distrustful toward Kanna because he's younger and doesn't use age as justification for her actions).

Reko seems simple enough, a hot-tempered rock star, emo/punk lady many would like to date. Strict to the strong, kind to the weak. She had a lot of changing in the past and it continues here, she is becoming softer. But it's not her only trait: she's a talented singer that was interested purely in music and it's perfection. She ignored to some degree her happiness, her band, her beloved brother for the sake of art. She wasn't indifferent, but appeared as such. And now, finally having a better understanding of what's important and bright future ahead she ends up in a death game with Alice. Their plotline is prominent in second chapter and is devastatingly tragic.

Alice looks like comic relief with his exaggerated reactions and bizzare choice of words (personally I love this type of speaking it's cool). But he is actually not only a scaredy cat: he is a person without a purpose. He searched for it in a path with sister, but no happiness came, only murder of Midori. Alice hides his soft side to not be hurt, he on purpose builds a wall and appears so arrogant because when he was openly kind the close ones were indifferent (not to mention prison, I admire how Alice kept his sanity at all).

Shin is a prime example of morally gray character done right (majority here are morally gray but with him being antagonist it's far more prominent). I have seen various post about fandom interpreting him either as "totally evil manipulator", "Kokichi/Nagito kinnie", "cinnamon roll he did nothing wrong" or "what a loser". But he's not just good or bad, him having antagonist status doesn't make him Ouma copycat or Komaeda's successor, and while I get him being a loser is funny it's not the only thing to define him (though it's more of a joke than serious interpretation). Shin is very insecure and distrustful guy who "sees shadows where there aren't any" (quoting Sara) due to 0% and wants to live, using all methods... until he gets attached. He plots mainly against people he considers his enemies (to tell the truth, with 0% anybody could be classified as enemy), and I think he wouldn't abandon those close to him like Kanna, perhaps partly due to guilt of using her. In general, his actions, while obviously not the best (and he knows it perfectly well), come from fear of death and paranoia rather than pure malice or craziness.

Nao may appear as mentally weak girl you constantly have to help and can't rely on. Yes, Nao has problems with dependance on other, but she has her own aces up her sleeves. She's creative, smart, open-minded. For me her advantage lies in unexpectedness: who knew she saw through AI's lies? For her own sake and for the group Nao is capable of difficult actions like puching fake Reko. This girl is about growing more responsible, learning to trust your own judgement (she has great intuition by the way) and becoming independent.

Kai is quite too unique for stereotypes in my mind, a mysterious but awfully suspicious man. He looks so feminine but don't let that deceive you: he's assasin. Assasin that doesn't kill. Kai is the person escaping from his bloodied, horrible, traumatic past into right, calm, tranquil future with only householding chores and not killing attempts to protect... wrong people (Sara is not bad person, but her father is likely to be tied to Asunaro). So poor househusband is leaping from one abusive enviroment into another, but now being genuinely loyal and unaware of all skeletons kept in closet.

Q-Taro is certainly not only kindhearted big muscular guy (that dies in certain chapter) or stupid. Yes, he looks like parody on American, yes, all his accents make his speech a bit silly and stereotypical. No, he's not dumb. In fact, many plot twists involve him in some way (especially the banquet). Also, he could sacrifice his life for somebody, but he is equally capable of doing the opposite. Q-Taro is quite honest but not above tricks to leave this place, he cares for th group (taking into accout his team-spirited profession) but prioritises himself until later; he knows how sinful people are including him and that allows him to forgive quickly.

Finally, Mishima dies so early you don't hope to see him after 1.1. But if you think he's the shock value first victim that dissapears after, you are not quite right. Mishima, being dead, yet has influence on story as well, either through mystery of his head or AI that appear three times (maybe something is really up with him). Not to mention Ytts where his character shines and not burns. Him being almost perfect doesn't ruin anything, it motivates to become better as well because he wasn't always like this. Plus, he's no ideal, Mishima understands how world works but is passionate to a fault, not to mention his suspicious behavior. He is example of a person that matured, overcame his main faults and inspires the same in others.

Of course, everyone can interpret these characters differently and it's great, those perseptions can be true all at once. They are so interesting and captivating thanks to many layers of depth where everybody can see something unique.

[jmdbjk]

My head is spinning...

Let's spend the next two weeks (or however long) arguing about who, what, when, where, when we could be enjoying content or music.

Yes, it's all over the news media and social media: RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook will enlist December 11 and 12.

Buzzwords being used: companion enlistment and battalion, company, barracks, training center... etc.

The more information is reposted and quoted, the more it gets twisted because words get left out, translations aren't clear and people generally misinterpret what they are reading because most social media posts are not complete sentences (omg the internet is ruining language writing and reading comprehension skills).

The initial report was RM and V would be going to a training center together (or at least at the same time/same date) in the "rear" and Jimin and Jungkook were going to one on the "front" and this base is organized so that it is considered on the "frontline." The initial report implied all 4 would be at the same location, 2 going to the front training center, 2 going to the rear training center.

Then reports began to surface that Jimin and Jungkook had chosen "companion enlistment." Which is a thing and they very well could have done. Siblings, relatives, friends, can request this but only for those whose birthday is 1995 or after.

After all of that, somehow, now we have Jimin and Jungkook going to the training center where Jin is located. Which may or may not be true.

You might even start seeing stuff about men with tattoos that are visible if they wore a singlet (tank top) or short pants are not eligible for training instructor assistant positions and therefore that's why they chose companion enlistment. (??!! eh?) That one is all over the place, I'm not sure what the accurate explanation is.

It's a frenzy of confusion. We don't know for sure. We won't know for sure until the day of, when I'm POSITIVE the media will be camped out along the roads into those military boot camp facilities with their cameras set up on tripods waiting for the black KIA Carnivals to show up.

Just me typing this and posting it will add to the never-ending confusion. I would rather talk about Jungkook explaining how the buttons failed him onstage during Fake Love or the quantity of naked Jimin we've seen in the last few days...

One thing I will say with conviction is that they were committed to this plan. They tried to tell us that. They did their best to remind us that 2025 was the target. Yes, they had some things to wrap up, some important things to finalize this year and some stuff that was hard to pin down. But in their minds and on paper, they had the general plan.

And I will also say that when they are all discharged, they will hit the ground running. They didn't do all of this extensive planning to be discharged and sit on their ass for a while to get used to being a civilian again. They're gonna kick ass as soon as they land, shoot some footage for an MV and get the show on the road.

Next year (which is a month away) there will be a ramp up when its time for Jin to be back with us, then Hobi, and then we'll be on the downhill side of all of this enlistment business and the wheels will start turning to get us all whipped up again. Stadiums will have been booked years in advance (as we speak they are being booked). They've got this plan in motion already.

All that being said, I hope our men do well, stay healthy, safe and without drama until June 2025 when they will be discharged from active military duty.

[shokobuns]

ch 1. – sweet nothing

ch 0. – sunday morning / masterlist / ch. 2 — jumpscare!

note: this chapter contains mixed media (written + texts), 1.2k wc! it’s also about a year timeskip from chapter 0!

synopsis: writing songs about the fling that broke your heart catapults your band into fame. unfortunately, his bedroom won't be the last place you see him

ALTERNATIVELY — you and atsumu learn to get along for the sake of your best friends.

warnings: suggestive ish jokes

ABOUT 1 YEAR LATER

There's a big smile plastered on your face as you look down at the crowd of jumping fans. The venue is crowded and you’re glad your manager booked one with AC as you feel the cool air from above. You hum the rest of the tone into the mic as Iori starts her solo. compared to everyone else, she’s not as flashy. In fact, she looks like she’s at peace with every strum, almost as if she’s about to sleep. Utahime observes her from behind the drumset with pride while you and Suguru admire her.

As she finishes, you notice a poster with the words ‘MOMMY UTAHIME!’ surrounded by hearts. Iori catches her breath, oblivious to the bouquet of flowers being passed to the front. You grab them for her, speaking into the mic.

“Uta, I think you have some admirers.” 

The crowd cheers and she looks up, carefully grabbing the pink and white bouquet. It's gorgeous, big pink roses blooming over the baby’s breath all wrapped in brown paper. “Looks like someone paid attention to last week’s interview, huh?”

One section of the crowd cheers as you notice a fan jumping with joy. “You gave these to her, didn’t you?”

The girl nods her head. “You have anything to say, Iori?”

You hold the mic up to his mouth. “Thank you,” she responds breathily, “I love and appreciate you!”

Another cheer erupts from the crowd and it fills you with adrenaline. You’re tired. You’ve been tired from the months you’ve been traveling, but this is the last song of the night on the last show of the tour. All of you want to end with a good performance.

“This is the last ever performance for Across the Sea. It's been a great year and I'm really thankful for everyone who’s come out to see us,” you pause, the rush of mixed emotions overtaking your body. You’re going to miss your little adventures, but it also feels nice to be home. “Does anyone have a guess on what our last song is?”

From what you can hear, the crowd chants “Easy Talk,” the song that had gotten your band into the spotlight. Utahime starts playing the beginning guitar riff as Suguru follows with the bassline. Ieiri comes in next, then you.

When you first started performing, you were anxious and noticeably awkward, but with each show, you became more and more explosive. Walking across the stage, singing with your hand on your chest for every line that came from your heart. Talking casually in between songs as if you were with a group of friends–it wasn’t easy as the crowds progressively got bigger. There’s beads of sweat forming on your forehead and falling down your face. Your mascara and your eyeliner were smudged, lipstick faded into a red stain, but you don’t care. Ever since you’ve gained confidence, your performances are raw and natural. It’s the whole appeal of your band.

You’re swaying with them as the music calms, each instrument gradually coming to a close as you continue to sing.

“Thank you for coming, fishies! I love y’all and goodnight!”

All of you wave goodbye before heading backstage where Mika runs up to you with open arms, “I'm sweaty! Stay back!”

“I don't care! You did amazing and I'm so so so proud of you!”

You give into her touch, wrapping your arms around her. on the other hand, Satoru grabs the rest of the band in a big group hug. Iori and Ieiri fail to dodge it, but Suguru doesn’t try, embracing his best friend. “My pookies did so good tonight,” Satoru tears up, “You guys are so talented.”

“For the love of god, stop calling us your pookie bears, Toru!” Iori slaps his arm, “You’re annoying!”

“Well, I guess you’re uninvited to dinner.”

“Don’t be so mean, Satoru,” you grab his arm, pulling him in for a hug, “We’re finally home.”

“Mean? She’s the one being mean to me!”

“Shhh…”

When you look back at the past two years, it’s almost insane when you remember that you graduated with a degree in chemical engineering about a year ago. It’s not that you weren’t exactly disinterested, but more so that you preferred to make music with your friends. 

It just so happened that the right people were at an open mic. And while all of you had decided not to officially sign to a label just yet, Fairy Fishes just… kind of blew up, thanks to the internet. From there, little singles would be released and after a few months of writing and experimentation led by Utahime you had your first album ready by your last semester. It was draining, but also convenient for her assignments in her composition classes. 

A few months before graduation, Fairy Fishes had recognition as an upcoming band. And while everyone could have started working after graduation, going on tour sounded way more fun. The team of newly graduated college students didn’t do too bad in terms of organization and marketing. 

“I missed you, Mika,” you hold her hand, her other on the steering wheel, “And I’m also really fucking hungry.”

“I missed you, too. And I’m also really fucking hungry.”

“So did you invite him?” You squeeze her hand, the side conversation in the backseat immediately coming to a halt.

“Girl, we haven’t even gotten home yet.”

“You’ve been updating us on this mystery guy every week we’ve started on this tour,” Satoru reaches to grab her shoulder, “You know how nosey we are.”

“Plus, we literally told you to invite him to dinner with us once we got back. This is probably the most appropriate time to bring it up.”

“Yes, I invited him to dinner!”

Much to Mika’s annoyance, the van cheers.

Heads turn when everyone walks into the restaurant and it feels… odd. 

Suguru and Satoru love the attention. After all, Satoru models part time and Suguru was a hit on the promotional pictures that Kenma and Tetsu had helped design for the tour. You and the girls, on the other hand, don’t know how to handle it except to follow along with the pair. 

“Don’t worry. My boyfriend reserved a private area for us.”

“Your boyfriend, huh?” 

“Yes, Sho. My boyfriend.”

“We’re excited. Can you blame us?”

Soon enough, the group is seated and all there is left to do is wait for Mika's boyfriend who was kind enough to arrange the whole dinner in the first place. From the window, you see a fancy sports car park in front of the building. That's not him, is it?

When he gets out of the car, you squint at the tall figure walking towards the entrance and while you haven’t formally met him, you do know him. Except, he’s not in his usual uniform. Instead, he’s wearing a graphic tee and a pair of baggy jeans. Still, your mouth is agape as you slowly turn to Mika. Her sly smile lets you know exactly why she’s kept his identity a secret.

“Rin?” Tetsu stands up to greet his old friend, “What are you doing here?”

“I'm here to meet my girl’s friends.”

Everyone collectively turns to a giggling Mika as Rin bends down to kiss her forehead, “You okay?”

“Yes. I'm very okay, baby.”

“She fell in love with you because of the student center banner, by the way!”

“Shut up, Satoru!”

“Really? I hate that picture.”

“Don’t worry, baby, you look good in every picture.”

As the dinner progresses, you decide that you like Rintarou. 

He's definitely head over heels for your best friend, which is exactly what she deserves, but he’s also very respectful. In fact, he seems even a little scared of you, which is even better. But overall, he seems equally as starstruck by everyone at the table. Specifically, you’ve noticed his behavior towards Kenma. It was the slight excitement in his voice whenever they started their own side conversation, the little glances he would steal. At the same time, you could tell he’s holding back a little bit of enthusiasm.

“Rin watches a lot of the Kodzuken streams,” Mika whispers, “He’s a big fan, but he’s scared of everyone thinking he’s a big weirdo.”

“Makes sense.”

By the time dinner is over, Mika has successfully won the fight against Satoru and Rintarou for the check, leaving both men pouting in their seats. Being the PR manager for EJP Raijin was not an easy job, but it definitely pays well. You could tell by the amount of times you’ve seen Rintarou and Komori modeling for a clothing brand, the amount of times they’re mentioned in a sports magazine with their teammates, and their social media presences. In college, Rintarou was everywhere on campus and now, he’s just everywhere in general.

fishy facts!

— satoru has a lot of pr experience via observation since his family's status has turned him into a little microcelebrity (#1 nepo baby). his family's pr manager was losing her shit the week that his bare ass cheeks were trending on twitter.

— tetsu handled a good deal of the fairy fish promotionals! after seeing them gain a ton of streams over time, he knew that doing their marketing could be a temporary job for him. which is why he went on tour with them.

— satoru and kenma saw the tour as a graduation vacation. satoru was already rich and kenma wanted to have fun. he posted a lot of vlogs throughout the summer and still streamed, but the games he streamed were not the usual ones since he preferred to play intense ones at home. instead, it was roblox and phone games (subway surfers was actually a hit).

— shoko was looking for possible proposal and honeymoon spots. she took notes of utahime's opinions in each city that they went to.

— satoru and suguru shared a bed even though they totally did not need to. whenever everyone visited their room, it was always one big bed instead of two twins. everyone thinks that they're secretly dating, but no one wants to bring it up, yet.

tags. @ris-krispie

[elviraaxen]

im new here, so im sorry if this is a question youve answered before but tumblr's search bar failed me in finding this to be previous answered but.. uhmmm

c... can we make ocs/personas for Felt World? or would you rather we not or we hold off until further in?? bc i would love to make a puppet give our cowboy a smooch before he is, i assume bc he is a fucking catch and a half, taken off the market in canon lol i assume he wont still be single by the end. im a tad bit too embarrassed to ever post such drawings, but i wanted to know in case i ever did become brave enough to make them public if such you would be welcome to be tagged in or if that would make you feel uncomfortable

and also, for that purpose: as someone with disabilities, im really curious how disabilities are translated into Felt World? obviously not all of them, that'd take forever. but i was curious if they use mobility aids just like ours or if they use ones we could not have (an example of what i mean could be like "seal-chairs" in "Witch Hat Atelier"? they are chairs with hooves that run and jump, as opposed to wheels). and i know you said music is really powerful in this world, in both singing and instruments, but i wanted to also ask how in a world with so much focus on sound are the deaf/hard of hearing accomadated? deaf/HoH people can still play instruments, obviously (the most famous example being Beethoven), but i meant other than that

(also, if i recall accurately you once said that "the puppets have to speak to be considered sentient beings"? i was wondering if in the future could that be amended to "have to be able to communicate"? because i assume nonverbal puppets would still exist, as well as puppets who just dont speak much (whether thats a facet of deafness or nonspeaking shutdown or just a quiet personality). or would that break Felt World's world-building's logic in some way? that's a genuine question. i wasnt sure how to word it in a way that would minimize the risk of one being put on their back-foot, but i tried my best, it really is a genuine question)

(also, because i never like to assume fluency in disability-knowledge: if you need a resource on media portrayals of disability at any point, i highly recommend the youtuber, Oakwyrm. they do a lot of really cool analysis videos on disability. i do apologize if i am overstepping, and you are already largely fluent in disabled portrayals in media and/or already aware of Oakwyrm's existence. i just like to shout at least one resource out because i know many people have no idea where to look to learn more about general disability representation advice and whatnot. you do not have to watch their videos if you do not want to ♡)

also a bit of a tangent, idk if this is just a "for now" aspect of Donna due to her adjusting or if this is a core pillar of her personality but... just, thank you for making a feminine character who cries a lot and is emotional with Big Feelings. ive always felt more connected to the Dorthy Gales, Cinderellas, Clarisse de Cagliostros kind of heroines who are a bit of a "damsel in distress" (tho i do think that term reduces a lot of their agency and bravery) and i feel a bit lonely that we dont see many emotional-vitality-driven heroines who need some help as much as badass heroines or sassy heroines, both of whom are fully capable of getting shit sone alone. makes my cry-baby disabled ass feel a little pathetic (im very physically weak because of my chronic health issues, and am the type of Autistic ADHDer who is very sensitive to getting big feelings), even tho i know those types of heroines are valid and needed. i resonate a lot with AJR's lyric about "But I'm weak. And what's wrong with that?" even though i know im taking it out of context

and im sure Donna will prove herself capable of being on her own and having her own agency, same as all the heroines ive listed, i dont assume she will be stagnant, but i just wanted to really thank you for making a character that i relate to. i dont get that often. it makes me feel a bit abnormal and strange, and i mean moreso than the "well youre neurodivergent and sickly" kind of abnormal that would be implied. like. Weird Kid sitting alone at lunch kind of strange. so its really cool to see Donna and feel less lonely, is what im saying. i wish there were more heroines like her for people like me nowadays, rather than the archetype being reduced to "archiac stereotypes" (which i both do and dont understand the logic of. it depends on context and the example given) and therefore shelving a type of heroine we dont see in a lot of contemporary media (in exchange for a heroine we didnt get to see often (if at all) in past media, the sassy and badass ones, i do get it, and im glad theyre being used more as they should have always been. there are a select few of both camps that feel like "women have to be as stereotypically masculine as possible to be worthy of being called 'a strong character'" when i think strong characters have less to do with personality and more to do with "do they direct the narrative's plot? do they have agency?". but i could be wrong about that and i am getting off-topic)

but yeah. just. overall: thank you for introducing Donna to be like she is. it means a lot to me to see a heroine like her in contemporary media. im really excited to see what youll do next ♡ but yeah, i know im babbling a lot here and you dont need to reply to this half, i just really wanted to stress my thanks and WHY you have my thanks ♡♡♡ i really appreciate having Donna sit at my metaphorical lunch-table with me, even if she has to go sit somewhere else later. its been really nice to be beside her

thank you ♡

ps. i wasnt sure how to format this Ask because i know some people like to have each section have their own Ask for compartmentalizing/tag-organization reasons, but others like it all to be together so they know its all from one person as opposed to the anxiety of "ahh why did i get so many Asks all at once, did i do something wrong, do people hate me-- oh. its fine. i went through that rollercoaster for nothing. dear lord, am i drained now". so i tend to rather assume the latter, just in case; but do feel free to screenshot and section these out into their own posts if you are the former, i wont mind if youd rather do that ♡ have a nice day!!

Oh my goodness what a long message!!! 0.0!!

I had to take a few hours to think about everything to make sure I answered everything. But I should start off by showing my gratitude for the amount of time and effort you put into formulating this! So thank you, this was a really cool ask to receive <3

As for OCs, absolutely you can! I've already had a few who've made theirs, and I have no rules at all when it comes to shipping or self inserts or anything, as long as everyone is being respectful towards each other ^^

As for the disability aspect, I have a few key points that I want to explore in regards to especially deafness and muteness (is it called that? muteness?), but that's further along the story and will be introduced later! Also how song vs instruments work in this world is a part of the lore itself that'll be explained further down the line too, so no need to worry about our fellow mute or deaf/hoh peeps!

I have of course thought about mobility aids and other disability accommodations (because they can be born with defect, illnesses, and be injured pretty much like us, their bodies are a bit more fantastical but there are still rules) but i must admit didn't think further other than to give them similar mobility aids that we use. But clearly it would make more sense to make something more fantastical! I'll give it a thought! That's probably gonna be a fun design exercise ^^

I'm not sure if I can answer the entire ask in a way that does it justice, it's quite frankly the coolest message I've gotten, I'm gonna try and not let it get to my head (lol),

but i'm so glad you and seemingly many others seem to like Donna and appreciate her specifically for being sensitive and reacting strongly. It shouldn't be but it's really daunting to write female leads because as we know people just don't like women in media generally, but I eventually just got over it because I realized I was starting to write a character that demanded the audience cared and respected, rather than showing a story that I had fun telling, in a world worth exploring.

And not to spoil but I've already decided I do not want Donna to go through an arc where she's forced to abandon her emotions or go through something physically traumatic in order to "become tough" to be respected, that's not only overdone but lame and harmful wish fulfillment. So no worries in that department!

But anyways, I don't think I can properly say how appreciative I am of this ask!!! It really warms my heart that you and other people are going out of your way to send me asks about my little story that I came up with on a whim!!! It's truly the best compliment as a creator.

<3

[gracebutitsasecret]

It’s strange, living in the times we do, when what you want to do is to make art.

I make music, but have wanted to make art in various disciplines since I was very small. I’ve always looked up to artists, especially ones making art with explicitly political implications, because on some level I believed art was important and powerful enough to effect change. So self-expression has kind of become the process around which I’ve built my understanding of myself, such that making art (self-expression’s most pretentious form) has become my reason for living.

But in trying to make my art I’ve realized that art, even speaking truth to power, won’t save us. No album, no art, no truth, no matter how good or well expressed, will ever actually change anything by itself. Because I think while I was right that art that speaks truth to power is important, it doesn’t actually *possess* power. Cause art doesn’t have power, people do, and people don’t do things because art tells them to, they do what they can when they think it will benefit them.

I’ve seen too many examples of good words and good ideas failing to reach, and failing to fundamentally change anything. I think our society’s (and my own personal) obsession with self-expression is simply a reflection of the deeply rooted western fixation on the self over the society. I think the reason why art is limited, is the same reason why its creation is especially promoted under capitalist hegemony:

because it’s passive.

Cause art is something they can package, market, and sell; a product for you to consume. But the only avenue that art can give you is to go make art for yourself. But when expressing yourself is the only praxis you have, when words are all you got, you can only move in a space that the physical world can’t touch. But the world is where the people live, and the people must sum their power in the world if it is to change. I think this obsession with self-expression is holding us back, because the focus on ideas bleeds focus from the acts. It’s the difference between artists and activists; between armchairs and armed resistance: that latter can change the world and the other can only at best describe it. So if they can they’ll keep you on websites like this one, they say publish more words, make more media, create more “content” because if we’re doing that than we aren’t in the streets making changes. And I know this is true because we all call it rightly ridiculous when conservatives on nightly news complain about rap (they’re just racist). Because we all know that art reflects the world not the other way around. Life only imitates art because living beings wrote art down.

So I gotta ask: what is a kid to do? When art is your love and your passion but is ultimately so limited? Should I burn my guitars, and start bombing pipelines? (I mean yeah probably but lemme finish)

I think after some consideration that art does have its place, but only as its own kinda comfort, not an actual agent of change. Cause I know music saved my life, and I know it’s saved so many others cause people will tell you so. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you a story about what art has meant to them personally. Cause I think the *personal* nature of art is both its limitation and its purpose. Cause my music will never change the world, but it’ll be there when you need it. When life is chaotic and insane, when people are cruel and cowardly, when systems keep you underfoot, and when you feel like an alien in our own skin, the right words could keep you going, could make you feel less alone in your feelings. Maybe this is my cop out, my excuse for why I keep doing it, but I think art ain’t something to die for, it’s something you live to experience.

[dk-thrive]

I think I heard divine intervention

Do people still see God’s face in their oatmeal or do we only worship money now? Either way, as corny and impossible as it might be, I wish I could reach out from these keystrokes, set my hands on your shoulders, gaze deep into your retinas and tell you that when Joni Mitchell sang George Gershwin’s “Summertime” at DAR Constitution Hall earlier this month, something like God entered in the room.

The circumstances were strange. Mitchell was in Washington to accept the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and in the moment I’m describing, to headline at a tribute concert being filmed by PBS. Accepting her award in a satiny frock the color of the ocean and a beret the color of gold bullion, the 79-year-old colossus of song seemed a little out of sorts. Was it the implicit awkwardness of a televised exaltation or something worse? Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her unable to speak or walk, and has since made an astonishing recovery, but as she sidled up next to the grand piano, the room held its breath.

Then, clutching a shiny golden microphone in her right hand, she exhaled that opening verse, her phrasing patient and exact, her tone heavy with color and feeling. “Hush little baby,” she sang with a finesse that can only be measured in metric tons. “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Failing to connect those words to the sopping wetness that had instantaneously materialized on my face, Mitchell was halfway through the song before I noticed that my lungs had also chosen to relocate to my throat, which technically qualifies as an out-of-body experience, which is where the whole God thing comes in. Cumulatively, this moment felt greater than life, greater than everyone in the room, maybe even greater than Joni Mitchell, unless she’s God, which I suppose is no longer out of the question.

Normally, I’d worry about sounding hyperbolic here (greatness feels cheap in the social media age), or even worse, sentimental (hooray for a fragile older person doing an incredibly powerful thing), but I’ve been too busy spending the past few weeks trying to figure out how a song so delicate managed to collide into my sensorium with such annihilating, tidal force. Maybe the secret of Mitchell’s entire songbook is tucked away in that paradox — all of those drumless ballads from “Clouds” and “Blue” crashing against our collective consciousness like rogue waves. Maybe we can trace it all back to Mitchell’s lifelong affinity for dancing. There’s a tremendous amount of movement in her music, even when the gestures feel stark and the mood feels serene.

And then there’s all of Mitchell’s unambiguous greatness: Her singular ability as a songwriter to speak to our experiences and imaginations through characters we may or may not know (Carey, Edith and the Kingpin) and settings we may or may not have visited (the autonomous Champs-Élysées, ex-paradise parking lots). Singing about all of this stuff with the intricacy and insistence of a pen scratching paper, she matches unexpected words with unexpected melodies, simultaneously possessing them in ways that feel deeply inventive and allergic to cliche.

But how all of this felt so abundantly clear as Mitchell gently moved another songwriter’s words around in time, as if placing them into their most perfect position, I’m still not sure about. Something profound, and complete, and deeply life-affirming had suddenly sprung into reality, and it was hard to understand exactly how or why.

“You had to be there” is a cruel phrase, isn’t it? We’re a storytelling species, and we spend our lives trying to share “there” with those who weren’t. We search for it in novels and “How was your day?” at dinnertime. But on a Joni Mitchell album, “there” feels like “here.” The visceral experience of hearing her most vivid songs always seems to supersede the detailed stories they’re recounting.

This is all to say that you can watch Mitchell sing “Summertime” in full on television tonight, and while I can’t promise God will visit your living room, try listening with all of your being and see who shows up.

—  Chris Richards, from "Joni Mitchell sang Gershwin. I think I heard divine intervention" in The Washington Post · by Chris Richards · March 31, 2023

[fair-dinkum-mechanic]

I'm going to try and put this into words again but I always fail because it's so overwhelming and makes no sense to try and intellectualise such an innate feeling of dread that has been with me since I was a small child.

If anyone has an input on this (bc it's been a thing latent in my brain ever since I can remember) please dm me. I need to know what this is bc I believe it's where a significant chunk of my mental illness lies.

So ever since I was a young kid I NEVER felt I fit in. At first I thought I was just weird in general, but then I started to realise I didn't fit in with "masculine" things. I remember even was I was 2-6 years old adults commenting that I wasn't like the other boys, I was interested in reading and making my own little worlds and not running around or kicking a ball or anything like that. Now I know most queer men experience this in childhood, but what I mean extends further than that I feel. I truly felt like I was defective. Something was deeply, deeply wrong with me for not enjoying the things i was supposed to enjoy. From a VERY early age I was friends with girls. Some boys sure but I always thought the girls were nicer, cooler, something to aspire to. But I didn't grow out of that. I never saw myself as a "male" I just kinda... existed? But of course masculine things were FORCED on me every day and the anxiety I used to get going into school, or going home, or picking out clothes to wear, was terrifying. I remember being called a poof by my family in a joking way but I could see that deep down they were terrified that I was gay. It was not an acceptable thing to be in my family, it was explicitly stated by all members several times. But I never, ever related to anything masculine. I am spiritually estranged from my dad and my brother, where I can't even stand to speak to them because they were both so aggressively value and prioritise masculine views and ways. I would have "crushes" on girls but all that was, was me imagining cuddling with them or hugging them or going on cute dates and if I ever imagined it getting sexual, or even a kiss that was too passionate I was repulsed. So clearly, I was gay from a young age but didn't know it.

But now in my life, almost at 30, I still don't relate to masculinity. I don't know what's wrong with me. So many gay men, most of them I see actually, have been able to embrace it. Especially as someone who is older, and mostly a "top" there's a certain role I'm expected to fulfil, in order to be worthy of a relationship or anything like that. I did go to the gym every secondd day for a few years, and even then I wasn't lifting hard or monitoring my gains or doing ANYTHING like that because I can't think of anything worse, but that's what these men do. And on the other end of the spectrum, I'm not a feminine guy either. I'm put off by long nails and long hair on men (sexually, honestly do whatever you want with your body and slay), but like I don't find interest in makeup or fashion or any of those traditionally "feminine" things. Though I do see more merit in those than the opposite.

But I still have this internal view of what I need to be to be worthy of living in this world. I'm a man. I'm not trans, I've had that debate years ago in myself and found that out. But I'm not a man. But living as one there are certain things I need to be, certain ways I'm expected to behave, ways I'm supposed to look and things I'm supposed to want. Sure I may align with very few of them but I don't even HOLD myself like other men I see. I can't grow a beard like every other man I see. Like every man I see plastered over social media and commercials and in movies and in music. I actually hate and am deeply unsettled by masculinity. Deeply. But I feel like because I'm not that I'm destined to die alone, and I put that as a personal failure on my part. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough? Maybe I'm too weak? No self discipline? And I can't help but believe that this lack of masculinity in looks, in behaviour, in drive, is why other men are offput by me. Why I'm so disposable. Not in an incel way bc I don't blame anyone else in the end I blame myself. I don't have trouble hooking up, bc that's the most masculine thing about me. But I don't want that. I've done that. I want... peace. I want comfort. I want love and light and warmth and I want to feel like I'm worthy of that but I don't. I don't feel worthy of that. Because I'm wrong. There's something wrong with me. I'm broken and that's why I'm feeling so alone.

[cazort]

Learning words is great but one additional tip I would have for learning a new language is to learn every word in the context of a sentence that has been written or spoken by a native speaker.

Languages are idiomatic and words don't have one-to-one correspondences, but rather, complex, partly-overlapping meanings.

For example, in Spanish, "bomba" can mean "bomb" like an explosive, but it can also mean "pump", like a gas station pump or bike pump, or it can be slang for a sexy woman. And "Bomba" is also a genre of music and dance. And think about how in English, you can say something is "the bomb" and it means it is really awesome, but if you say something "bombed" it means that it was really bad and failed to achieve its goals (like bombing a test = failing or flunking, or a movie that bombs means it was unpopular and made very little money.)

So basically, understanding the literal / core meaning of a word is important, but you need to expose yourself to a lot of different sentences involving that word to pick up the different idiomatic uses. A great way to get this meaning when you look something up is to type the word into google image search when having the settings set for the language in question. This often captures alternate meanings or connotation differences that you might not catch from a dictionary translation.

It's not just the meaning too, it's a connotation of who would say it and where / when you would say it. For example, "poop", "take a shit", and "defecate" all mean the same thing. But say "poop" and you sound like a little kid, "take a shit" and you are being more vulgar, so something an adult or older teen would say only amongst friends in a casual setting, whereas "defecate" sounds formal and stodgy like you would see in a medical textbook or legal proceedings.

When you learn a word, don't just learn the meaning, learn the cultural context.

A lot of Americans find Japanese hard and I think a huge part of it is that Japanese carries relatively more meaning in connotation of "who is speaking" and "what context am I speaking in" and this context includes more information about your relationship to the listener. So for example you can humble yourself or alternatively, insult someone, by using different word choice. We do it in English too, but different languages vary in the degree to which we are able to do this and Japanese for instance does it more. So be aware of the different ways the languages use words differently from each other, and keep this in mind when learning the words. Learn the words in a cultural context, and expose yourself to a variety of contexts. For example, try to converse casually with peers in the language, but also listen to news broadcasts, a children's TV show, and a regular TV drama. Interact on social media in the language, but also take a book out that is on a more dry, nonfiction topic so you can span the range of reading casual, slang-rich text, with formal, precisely-written text.

If you pick material you already know a lot about, it will be easier to read or listen to, because your brain will fill in a lot of things from context. For example, because I know a lot about plants and birds, I can pick up field guides to plants and birds in other languages I only know some of (like Spanish, German, and Portuguese) and read them just fine, only having to look up an occasional word here or there, but I don't know these languages well enough to read a novel written for a typical adult audience of native speakers. If you start by exposing yourself to the material more accessible to you, it gives you a "way in" to the language that is easier and then you can start filling in the gaps and exploring the more general aspects of the language from there.

Tips to learn a new language

The 75 most common words make up 40% of occurrences The 200 most common words make up 50% of occurrences The 524 most common words make up 60% of occurrences The 1257 most common words make up 70% of occurrences The 2925 most common words make up 80% of occurrences The 7444 most common words make up 90% of occurrences The 13374 most common words make up 95% of occurrences The 25508 most common words make up 99% of occurrences

(Source: 5 Steps to Speak a New Language by Hung Quang Pham)

This article has an excellent summary on how to rapidly learn a new language within 90 days.

We can begin with studying the first 600 words. Of course chucking is an effective way to memorize words readily. Here’s a list to translate into the language you desire to learn that Derek Roger suggested! :)

EXPRESSIONS OF POLITENESS (about 50 expressions)      

‘Yes’ and ‘no’: yes, no, absolutely, no way, exactly.    

Question words: when? where? how? how much? how many? why? what? who? which? whose?    

Apologizing: excuse me, sorry to interrupt, well now, I’m afraid so, I’m afraid not.    

Meeting and parting: good morning, good afternoon, good evening, hello, goodbye, cheers, see you later, pleased to meet you, nice to have met.    

Interjections: please, thank you, don’t mention it, sorry, it’ll be done, I agree, congratulations, thank heavens, nonsense.    

NOUNS (about 120 words)

Time: morning, afternoon, evening, night; Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; spring, summer, autumn, winter; time, occasion, minute, half-hour, hour, day, week, month, year.    

People: family, relative, mother, father, son, daughter, sister, brother, husband, wife; colleague, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend; people, person, human being, man, woman, lady, gentleman, boy, girl, child.    

Objects: address, bag, book, car, clothes, key, letter (=to post), light (=lamp), money, name, newspaper, pen, pencil, picture, suitcase, thing, ticket.    

Places: place, world, country, town, street, road, school, shop, house, apartment, room, ground; Britain, name of the foreign country, British town-names, foreign town-names.    

Abstract: accident, beginning, change, color, damage, fun, half, help, joke, journey, language, English, name of the foreign language, letter (of alphabet), life, love, mistake, news, page, pain, part, question, reason, sort, surprise, way (=method), weather, work.    

Other: hand, foot, head, eye, mouth, voice; the left, the right; the top, the bottom, the side; air, water, sun, bread, food, paper, noise.    

PREPOSITIONS (about 40 words)    

General: of, to, at, for, from, in, on.    

Logical: about, according-to, except, like, against, with, without, by, despite, instead of.    

Space: into, out of, outside, towards, away from, behind, in front of, beside, next to, between, above, on top of, below, under, underneath, near to, a long way from, through.    

Time: after, ago, before, during, since, until.    

DETERMINERS (about 80 words)  

Articles and numbers: a, the; nos. 0–20; nos. 30–100; nos. 200–1000; last, next, 1st–12th.    

Demonstrative: this, that.    

Possessive: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.    

Quantifiers: all, some, no, any, many, much, more, less, a few, several, whole, a little, a lot of.    

Comparators: both, neither, each, every, other, another, same, different, such.    

ADJECTIVES (about 80 words)    

Color: black, blue, green, red, white, yellow.    

Evaluative: bad, good, terrible; important, urgent, necessary; possible, impossible; right, wrong, true.    

General: big, little, small, heavy; high, low; hot, cold, warm; easy, difficult; cheap, expensive; clean, dirty; beautiful, funny (=comical), funny (=odd), usual, common (=shared), nice, pretty, wonderful; boring, interesting, dangerous, safe; short, tall, long; new, old; calm, clear, dry; fast, slow; finished, free, full, light (=not dark), open, quiet, ready, strong.    

Personal: afraid, alone, angry, certain, cheerful, dead, famous, glad, happy, ill, kind, married, pleased, sorry, stupid, surprised, tired, well, worried, young.    

VERBS (about 100 words)    

arrive, ask, be, be able to, become, begin, believe, borrow, bring, buy, can, change, check, collect, come, continue, cry, do, drop, eat, fall, feel, find, finish, forget, give, going to, have, have to, hear, help, hold, hope, hurt (oneself), hurt (someone else), keep, know, laugh, learn, leave, lend, let (=allow), lie down, like, listen, live (=be alive), live (=reside), look (at), look for, lose, love, make, may (=permission), may (=possibility), mean, meet, must, need, obtain, open, ought to, pay, play, put, read, remember, say, see, sell, send, should, show, shut, sing, sleep, speak, stand, stay, stop, suggest, take, talk, teach, think, travel, try, understand, use, used to, wait for, walk, want, watch, will, work (=operate), work (=toil), worry, would, write.    

PRONOUNS (about 40 words)

Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, one; myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.    

Possessive: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.    

Demonstrative: this, that.    

Universal: everyone, everybody, everything, each, both, all, one, another.

Indefinite: someone, somebody, something, some, a few, a little, more, less; anyone, anybody, anything, any, either, much, many.    

Negative: no-one, nobody, nothing, none, neither.    

ADVERBS (about 60 words)

Place: here, there, above, over, below, in front, behind, nearby, a long way away, inside, outside, to the right, to the left, somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, home, upstairs, downstairs.    

Time: now, soon, immediately, quickly, finally, again, once, for a long time, today, generally, sometimes, always, often, before, after, early, late, never, not yet, still, already, then (=at that time), then (=next), yesterday, tomorrow, tonight.    

Quantifiers: a little, about (=approximately), almost, at least, completely, very, enough, exactly, just, not, too much, more, less.    

Manner: also, especially, gradually, of course, only, otherwise, perhaps, probably, quite, so, then (=therefore), too (=also), unfortunately, very much, well.    

CONJUNCTIONS (about 30 words)

Coordinating: and, but, or; as, than, like.    

Time & Place: when, while, before, after, since (=time), until; where.    

Manner & Logic: how, why, because, since (=because), although, if; what, who, whom, whose, which, that.   

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2024 - Day 8 - Halloween (1978)

Better late than never...

Well, that's another October in the books (in the pocket, out of sight) and I'm afraid to say it's been another sub par showing from myself. Technically a very slight improvement from last year but still a far cry from years previous where I was getting within touching distance of the full 31 most years. Must try harder. But what better way to round out the month and celebrate All Hallows Eve (now someway removed at time of writing but who's counting) than with our customary look at the Halloween franchise itself. But wait, didn't we just wrap this up last year with Halloween Ends? The movie franchise is dormant for now and that TV show is still just in development so what are we to do? In the words of the Average White Band; let's go round again.

Not all of them, obviously, just the ones I skipped over at points when I was being lazy. Which is namely Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20 and Halloween Resurrection. Though, those first two were ones that I had watched alongside Season of the Witch during 'year zero' before the start of this blog so I had continued on to 4 during year one in the interest of furthering my own journey through the history of horror. At our usual rate that will last us until 2027 at which point someone is sure to have pumped out another new Michael Myers related media. Failing that, there's probably a documentary or something that can fill a gap. Something in the vein of Crystal Lake Memories, though hopefully not as long because 6 hrs 40 minutes? Sheesh. Speaking of Friday the 13th and TV show adaptations, I didn't know they were doing a prequel series at the camp. Presumably it would culminate with Jason drowning? It's a novel way of keeping within the universe but not going the standard slasher route, at least I assume it wouldn't be. I'd picture more of a teen dramedy thing that maybe leans more into the horror later on. But to the business at hand and, as the title card above would suggest it's the grandaddy of them all, the original Halloween from all the way back in 1978. To think we'll be celebrating 50 years of this movie in just a few years time, crazy. Right from the word go here even through something as simple as the opening credits we're establishing the creepy atmosphere as that iconic theme plays the names of our various stars and a jack o'lantern on which we slowly zoom in until it almost envelops the entire screen. It's a theme that has to go down as one of the greatest pieces of music in the history of cinema, so itense, forboding and it envokes this feeling of urgency, not unlike what many of Michael's victims feel over the course of the franchise as they try to flee from him. It's becomes so versatile during the movie as well, whether it's being slowed down to fit a slighty different tone or being used as a Michael alarm of sorts to indicate he's nearby, or as a red herring when the movie is trying to trick you into thinking that he is just so it can mess with you. The use of sound adds so much to the movie, right down to the very end when think Loomis has banished this great evil forever but little does he know that this is just the start of a phenomenon that will last for decades to come, with Michael's heavy breathing just before the credits reminding us all that he's still out there, lurking in the darkness waiting to strike again.

Much like Peeping Tom that we looked out earlier in this marathon, this film too starts out with a unique POV shot, this time from the clown mask of young Michael as he butchers his sister to death. It's probably for the best that he went with something more subtle in his choice of mask upon reaching adulthood, I'm not sure if the character would have been quite as iconic in a clown mask.

That shot and the follow up of an almost catatonic Michael in his clown costume would be re-visited in Part 4 with Jamie Lloyd, Laurie's daughter and Michael's niece (in that parralell universe at least), when she stabs her foster mother to death.

A less obvious Michael trope his how adept he apparently is at driving cars despite logically never spending a second behind the wheel of one considering he's been in an asylum most of his life. Much like he would commit a little GTA in Part 5, he does so again here when Loomis goes to collect him ahead of a court hearing, only for Michael to jump in the car and speed off.

From here he makes his way back home to Haddonfield where we slowly piece together the stops he's made along the way that have been helping him create his signature look, whether that's robbing the local hardware store for his Shatner mask, rope and knives or the blue collar worker he kills by the side of the road before making off with his coveralls.

Michael seems to spend most of his time stalking Laurie, such as when she's in class and he's just standing conspicuously across the street gawking through the window. Laurie is discussing the idea of fate and destiny here which is almost certainly coincidental considering they couldn't possibly have forseen how succesful the movie would become but it feels apt that the two of them were destined to do this forever. Well, until Michael gets thrown into the wood chipper of course. Or maybe it's a subtle way of the filmmakers of aluding to a connection between the two characters. We wouldn't know about their family connection until the next movie so I'm curious as to whether this was planned at this point or if I'm just reading into this too much. Going back to sound, the movie isn't afraid to be quiet when it needs to in order to let a moment sink in or build some tension. It's something that makes seeing this again very interesting in having that comparison against something like Terrifier 2 which is very much in your face all the time, or even some of the later movies where Michael takes on this much more supernatural element given how invulnerable he seems to become. Everything feels much more grounded in reality, this mix of paranoia as we see Michael stalk his way through the town spying on Laurie and her friends, and Loomis raving to anyone who will listen about the danger that is being visited upon Haddonfield.

That's not to say Michael doesn't display some of that freakish strength he becomes known for when he impales one of the teens with a butcher knife. That's a strong knife if it can hold up a near grown ass man, you could sell that on late night TV like when they show them cutting shoes with knives. Whilst not as overt as some others in the genre, the subtext of horror movies advocating for abstinence makes an apperance whilst Laurie's friends are trying to arrange a place to meet up and bang during their baby sitting duties. Michael offs one of them when he goes for a beer and takes his place back upstairs whilst under heavy disguise. I'm very torn on this because you take one look at it and it's completely out of tone with the rest of the movie, not to mention the rest of the franchise. But then again, that's me using existing knowledge of the character and how he plays out over the dozen or so movies to make judgments towards this particular depiction. There would have been nothing to go on that this point so if Michael wants to dress up as a ghost, well maybe that's just his thing. Plus, as a young man he would have the same sort of urges as any other so maybe this was just his twisted idea of trying to get some. Disguise himself as the boyfriend and then make his move. He arguablly only snaps because the girl becomes annoyed in him not saying anything so she decides to phone Laurie instead, who knows what his next move would have been if she hadn't done that.

I've touched upon Loomis a few times so far but I'd like to take a moment to really stress my appreciation for him not only here but throughout his run in the franchise. He really does elevate some of those later movies whilst the series was on a decline and Donald Pleasance just generally brings a certain gravatas to proceedings that you don't get in things like Friday the 13th. You get to see how proceedings really take a tole on Loomis, both mentally and physically, as the movies progress as desperation takes hold and he's willingly to go to extremes to try and stop Michael once and for all. Whilst he's not at that level just yet, he really helps to sell just what we're dealing with in Michael when delivers that famous, haunting monologue about meeting Michael at a young age and coming to learn this was someone incapable of feeling, incapable of understanding right and wrong, and knowing that the only right thing to do was to keep that boy locked up because what was living behind that's boy's eyes was pure evil.

I'd also like to show my appreciation to this particular shot following Laurie's discovery of her friends bodies. As she backs into a corner, unable to properly comprehend what she's found, something sinister looks in the darkness as Michael's mask slowly fades into view before he lunges from the shadows.What could have easily been a jump scare instead lends an extra layer of sympathy from the viewer towards Laurie and just ramps up the tension further. For a brief moment we realise that he is there but Laurie remains oblivious, leaving us as helpless bystanders as we await Michael's next attack. It really is a joy to re-visit this and see from what humble beginnings this horror juggernaut spawned. Even down to the kills, where later entries would find themselves engaging in a never ending game of oneupsmanship with other movies trying to see who could come up with the most goriest, extreme and over the top moments, there are several cases here where Michael is more than willing to get his hands dirty the old fashioned way and simply choke the life out of his victims.

And as the movie reaches builds to it's crescendo and Loomis makes his showstopping apperance at the last second to save the day, you are left with a choice. Do you choose to believe that Michael has perished, treat this as a self contained story and move on with your life? Or do you follow Michael down the rabbit hole that will span the next 40+ years? As if there was any choice…Michael Myers will return next year in Halloween II. We can only hope there will be a full compliment of 30 movies before we get there.

[cheepuppp]

Fandom: More Than Just Obsession

When you hear the word “fandom,” what comes to mind? Elaborate cosplay? Passionate debates over favorite characters? Maybe the occasional Twitter meltdown over an unexpected plot twist? While these are all part of fandom culture, there’s so much more beneath the surface. Fandoms have evolved into powerful communities that not only celebrate shared passions but also drive social change and advocate for better representation. They’re about connection, creativity, and sometimes, a whole lot of chaos.

Fandom as a Digital Community

Fandoms are the OG online communities, and they’ve only grown stronger with platforms like Tumblr, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Gray et al. describe fandoms as places where people come together to build identities and share a sense of belonging. Platforms like Tumblr have taken this to the next level, turning fandoms into hubs for creativity, critique, and collaboration.

On Tumblr, fans aren’t just geeking out over their favorite shows or characters. They’re holding media creators accountable, challenging stereotypes, and calling for more inclusive representation. McCracken points out that Tumblr fosters a unique culture where fandom merges with activism, making it a space where fans can connect their passions to real-world issues.

Jenkins adds that fandoms often act as “alternative publics,” where fans feel free to challenge the mainstream. Whether it’s debating character development or discussing the lack of diversity in a popular TV show, fandoms create spaces where fans feel empowered to speak up.

Fan Activism: When Passion Fuels Change

Fandoms are not just spaces for entertainment. They’re powerful engines for social activism. Jenkins and Shrestova coined the term “fan activism” to describe how fans use their organizational skills and collective power to champion causes they care about. One of the best examples of this is K-pop fandoms, especially the BTS ARMY.

In 2020, BTS fans rallied together for the Black Lives Matter movement, raising over $1 million to match the group’s own donation. Using the hashtag #MatchAMillion, they mobilized fans worldwide to contribute. This wasn’t just about money; it was a show of solidarity, proving that fandoms can be powerful agents for social change.

This kind of activism goes beyond petitions or protests. It’s about using the tools fandoms are already good at spreading messages, building connections, and amplifying voices to make a difference.

Representation and Media Ethics

Fandoms have also become critical voices in conversations about representation and media ethics. When a TV show, book, or movie fails to represent marginalized groups fairly, you can bet fans will call it out. Liew’s research on WhatsApp fan groups highlights how these spaces foster intimate, thoughtful discussions about representation and inclusivity.

This dynamic isn’t just about critique; it’s about influencing change. Fans push creators to do better, and their voices are being heard. Whether it’s demanding LGBTQ+ representation or better treatment of women in media, fandoms are driving conversations that reshape how stories are told.

Personal Reflection

Being part of fandoms has always been a mix of joy and learning for me. They’re not just about celebrating what you love they’re about connecting with others who feel the same. I’ve seen fandoms rally around important causes, like the #MatchAMillion campaign, and it’s honestly inspiring to see how a shared love for music can spark global activism.

That said, fandoms aren’t perfect. I’ve seen toxic behaviors like gatekeeping and infighting overshadow the sense of community they’re supposed to represent. It’s a reminder that even the most passionate spaces need to stay inclusive and open to everyone.

Conclusion

Fandoms are much more than spaces for obsessing over favorite shows or artists. They are vibrant communities that foster creativity, connection, and even activism. From pushing for better representation in media to raising millions for social justice causes, fandoms show that passion can lead to real change.

At their best, fandoms remind us that being a fan isn’t just about loving a story or a character. It’s about finding your people, sharing your values, and using collective energy to make the world a little brighter. These communities aren’t just shaping pop culture—they’re reshaping how we think about community, activism, and belonging.

References

Cho, M. (2018). 3 Ways that BTS and its Fans are Redefining Liveness. Flow: A Critical Forum on Media and Culture, 24. http://www.flowjournal.org/2018/05/bts-and-its-fans/

Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C.L. (2007). Introduction: Fandom as Community and Identity. In Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World, NYU Press, New York, pp. 1-16. https://dokumen.pub/fandom-identities-and-communities-in-a-mediated-world-9780814743713.html

Jenkins, H. (2007, March 22). Transmedia storytelling 101. Confessions of an Aca-Fan. The Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins. http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html

Jenkins, H., & Shrestova, S. (2012). Up, up and away! The Potential of Fan Activism. Transformative Works and Cultures, 10. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2012.0435

Liew, H. (2020). Fandom in My Pocket: Mobile Social Intimacies in WhatsApp Fan Groups. In Mobile Media and Social Intimacies in Asia, Springer, pp. 77-91. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-024-1790-6_6