#who else had been listening to epic the musical because I'm OBSESSED

[that-girl-glader]

Spot the difference games getting harder and harder....

[genericpuff]

Thoughts on Epic the musical?

It's pretty good so far! I'm still a sucker for Hadestown over everything else but uh, funny story, actually...

So recently my husband and I had to make a trip out of town to pick up a marketplace item. Basically an hour drive there, an hour back, fun little afternoon trip. And while we were driving, I made a joke about how he shouldn't "sass me" because I'm in charge of the music and I could, y'know, force us to listen to musicals for the entire trip.

In all my hubris, I forgot that my husband likes musicals. He really likes musicals.

So when he called "bet" I was like "welp shit... guess I'll put on Epic because at least I haven't listened to it a million times like I have already with Hadestown."

Y'all. That was like... three weeks ago? Going on a month? He is obsessed with Epic now. He has been listening to it on repeat, watching the animatics, gushing about the plot threads and character development, and he was the first one to tell me "hey the next part of Epic is up, please go listen to it so we can talk about it!!!"

So yeah, Epic is great and while it's not my personal favorite, it's definitely struck a chord with him 😆 And that makes me really happy to see ngl because he tends to get stuck in ruts a lot with the media he consumes, new and exciting things are hard to come by for him (plus we're both judgy bitches so it's also a matter of finding stuff that actually delivers on the hype LOL), so when he DOES find something he connects with so deeply, it just... idk it makes me happy to see him happy :' ) <3 He's up to his neck in the thrill of a shiny new hyperfixation (•̀ᴗ•́)و

So yeah, Epic is very good so far, if you haven't listened to it yet you should definitely check it out (just note that it's an ongoing project so get used to cliffhangers LMAO) and if you don't believe me, believe my husband who's way smarter about musicals than I am, he's given it his 10/10 stamp of approval and that's a pretty big honor ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

[thepatchycat]

Tag Game

Tagged by @cocotter! Finally able to get around to one of these, haha.

Rules: Answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to get to know better or catch up with!

Favorite color? Blue! Especially dark blues like navy and sapphire. I've also grown fond of warm yellows, though, mostly because of the Commander Cody obsession but also because I've been getting familiar with some neat yellow native plants~

Last song? Currently playing on my YouTube tab is a piano collection of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon music. I've also been listening to a lot of Skylords from FFXIV in the car.

Currently reading? Nothing at the moment. But I've also been addicted to Epic: The Musical recently, so I've been meaning to reread the Iliad (though Epic covers the Odyssey, not the Iliad) because I didn't have time to appreciate it as much as I should have when I read it for college.

Currently watching? Dungeon Meshi!

Currently craving? I'm waiting for some cookie dough to set in the fridge so I can make chocolate chip cookies, so looking forward to that :3 Trying out a non-dairy version because one of my co-workers can't do much dairy, and if I ever make some to bring to work--I may hoard this first batch for family and friends--I want everyone to be able to eat 'em!

Ask me almost any other day though and I'd say Thai food, because I'm always craving the food from a Thai place pretty near us. We had some this week and I'm already drooling at the thought of more, haha.

Coffee or tea? Tea, though I really don't drink much of either. My beverage of choice is milk xD

No pressure tags: @squirrelwriter, @good-beans, @karliahs, @stolentomcat, @junryou, and anyone else who wants to play~

[kyndaris]

Coffee Shop AU

Most first dates, or meet-ups as I like to call them (especially with a stranger), that I've gone to have involved lunch or coffee at a local cafe. Thankfully, in the city of Sydney, there are plenty of cafes (of varying quality) one can visit. And all of them come with a decent brunch menu (though some will close by 2:30 or 3 PM at the latest). Enter Edition Roasters. While it has a few branches in and around the CBD (Australian shorthand for Central Business District), my date and I picked the one in Darling Quater.

But I've jumped forward to our date and failed to introduce the person behind it all!

Although I've gone on a date before with a woman, Eivor, which didn't end up as well as I had hoped, I wasn't quite willing to quite throw in the towel. After all, how many dates have I gone with men? And while the men in my life have failed to make my heart flutter, who was to say I wasn't an asexual lesbian?

Especially with the so-called 'squishes'/ brief flirtations of attraction I've had with a few women I've met over the years? THough now that I think on it, do fictional men count in terms of romantic attraction? Am I still clutching at straws?

No, I couldn't yet label myself as aromantic just yet!

I mean, Dikottir isn't bad! It's just...I don't feel a sense of romantic attraction to him. Even though we've gone on five dates and have technically 'known' each other for a year now.

Alas, I have once more been distracted. Where was I? Ah yes, my so-called 'date.' So, yes, this trip out to Edition Roasters was my second meet-up with a woman.

From the very start on Hinge, we struck up a conversation on musicals including one that has yet to grace the stage - Epic: The Troy Saga by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. As a frequenter of Tiktok, she had heard the songs being performed whilst I had the good fortune for my Spotify shuffle list to insert a few of the songs whenever I chose to listen to songs from musicals.

Though not a frequent replier, we were both able to share our passion for musicals and also touched a little on their second passion: fanfiction. Given the obsession of my fellow classmates back in Year 8 and 9 for all things anime, and to stretch our writing skills, I was no stranger to fanfiction.

Back in my heyday, I used to frequent ones for Kingdom Hearts, Naruto, Shugo Chara! Even now, trying to ween myself off fanfiction, I still can't quite kick the bucket as I continue to lurk among the Harry Potter fandom, while occasionally experimenting with Far Cry 5 (yes, I'm a gosh darn sinner), She-Ra and a host of Disney ones as well.

It was because of her heartfelt passion for Epic, and how we did initially chat about mythology, that I've given my date the code name: Athena. Unlike Eivor before her, she was keen to arrange a meet-up sooner rather than later. So, after some discussion - with a variety of choice between multiple places to eat at - we finally settled on Darling Square.

I was the first to arrive. Shivering in the cold Australian winter, I put my name down on the paper sheet out front and waited for our number to be called out. Athena joined me shortly afterwards and we chatted a little about our week and our lives. Before too long, our number was called and we were directed to a table out in the wind (perhaps not the best choice but given how busy the place was, it made nabbing a table easier). Despite not having much sun, there was a heater purposely positioned close by to offer some warmth. Although, if I'm being honest, it was the hot chocolate I ordered, more than anything else, which served to defrost me.

Then it was time for the main meal. Athena ordered a miso salmon ochazuke after crunching the numbers on online reviews regarding the cafe's signature dishes, while I settled for a miso wagyu bolognese. As we ate, we talked a little of the work we did, our family composition, and the reason why we were dating. We even reminisced on many a bad date we've had - with her recounting one where the man hailed Hitler.

And though this is the second time someone I know has gone on a date with a seeming Nazi sympathiser, it's a bit strange that it's happened twice. I honestly have to wonder if they went on the date with the same man.

After lunch, we walked around Darling Harbour before heading up towards Town Hall station. It was, in my eyes, a wonderful day out. While I wouldn't have called it love at first sight, I certainly didn't feel as intimidated as my meet-up with Eivor at the ice-rink. Nor did I feel like Athena fail to meet the expectations I'd set up in my head.

I wouldn't say we clicked immediately but it definitely felt like we had a strong connection and understanding of the other.

Now, I wouldn't call that love but I'd say it went far more swimmingly than I'd feared. Yes, I was probably still putting up a front, but I didn't feel either one of us dominated the conversation. It flowed well, like having a good deep and meaningful natter with a good friend (rather than an acquaintance).

Is this a good sign?

But Athena did say to hit her up for another outing.

The only problem, of course, is that I'm not so much a foodie as someone who simply tags along and enjoys the food on offer (as long as it's not spicy). Does make me wonder if the two are related, though...

Are all asexuals bad with spice? Or is it just me with a low tolerance for both? Probably just me. And the smut fanfictions I read simply represents my ability to enjoy wasabi (to a degree). It's not the perfect analogy but I'll have to make do. This is, after all, coming down from spending an entire Saturday out and about at the Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!) and then finishing off all the chores I needed to do in preparation for the week ahead.

Give a 31, who will be 32 when this post goes up, woman a break! It ain't easy trying to juggle care for an elderly grandparent, work, hobbies, dating and what else when it comes to the adulting life. It's not like there's a manual!

[randomfoggytiger]

React: "Return to Me" (from the POV of Someone Averse to RomComs, Part II): I Become a Bonnie Hunt Fangirl

Continued from Part I (see here)

Minnie is saved!

Um... Bob's not doing too well. He wants to walk the dog. Charlie has already walked Dog (my muse from Part I.)

"Okay. Thanks."

Charlie's following him around but he respects Bob's unspoken need for distance.

Charlie's really taking it hard, but I know Bob's going to have an epic meltdown once the ice thaws (to loosely quote Grace Kelly's boyfriend-character Mark in Dial M for Murder: "Later, you're going to have a beautiful cry.")

Ohhhhhhhhh, got it. The dog (Mel? ...still better than Bob) waits by the door for Jane Bennett every time.

They kicked up the 90s slow memory sequence.

And Bob's crying.

Okay, he's really crying.

Okay, I dig this.

Bob, you've endeared me to Bob. I shall lay "the bit" to rest in peace. ...With Elizabeth.

Look, I know that was a low blow, Bob, but it had to be done.

Old grandfather prays to his favorite battle saint for Minnie's heart.

Bonnie? the mom friend is an actual mom wrangling her entire family, including the older generations.

Old grandpa Marty is devoted to his candle and prayers.

More 90s slow mo--

I was going to say this reminds me of the 90s slow dance slow mo sequences I typically think are in romcoms and now it's back to Bob while he continues to sob on the floor as Mel (who is no longer my stand-in, I suppose, you can't come back from a name like Mel) sits there, unfazed.

Oooh, look--

beautiful shot.

Grandpa is the only one awake-- prayed that heart back to life.

And the camera goes back to Bob when the heart starts beating again, waking him up.

Coincidence? With Tuscany and vacations and romance to be had???

Minnie Driver's painting. Good for her representing the artistic girlies.

Old men bonding over music while grandpa keeps an eye on his granddaughter. Is this how we and our mutuals sound?

Methinks he will sniff out the jig and bring all the pieces together by the end (because there's got to be a 3/4 misunderstanding, right?)

I like how casual Bonnie Hunt's style is-- it's a gentle, lived-in world.

Grace, as we shall now call her, bikes in the street with kids-- not, as her grandfather cautioned, on the side of the road.

Doctor's appointment!

"Oh, of course I'm happy. What else am I going to be?"

..................Yeahhhhhhhhhh, you're not happy.

Grace: saved from death, still insecure about her scar, and slowly bumping herself back to life. An imperfect survivor, a normal human.

A mood.

"I'm alive and someone else is dead." A mild form of survivor's guilt, I see, I see.

"He's a great listener" was a great joke.

Bob is grumpy and determined and driven I see.

Two morbid souls will collide at the zoo over the rubber monkey enclosure, I reckon.

Another girl, another mood:

It's been a year and friend Bonnie finally convinces her to mail the "thank you for your heart" letter.

"Okay, everyone clap for Auntie Grace, she just mailed a very important letter." Amazing.

Bonnie shoving everyone past the construction workers was also amazing.

Bonnie's a fave (and love that she gave herself-- if this is the same Bonnie-- a great role that doesn't outshine the main leads. It's respectful and kind.)

Bob still obsessively guards Jane Bennett's memory.

The heart's pumping again. Pumpity pump pump.

Bow chicka-- nope, they missed each other.

But Grace felt something and highlighted that her heart beating didn't hurt (hmmmmmmmmmmm foreshadowing.)

I CALLED IT the gorilla's doing the hand thing that he used to do with Jane Bennett aka Elizabeth... lastnamehere, ahem ahem.

Bob's mad and tells off a board room.

"I'm here because of my wife. You got it?"

Thank you for that shot, Bonnie.

I'm becoming a big Bonnie fan, as you can tell.

Charlie is setting his man up with a date only a year later, right after he tore apart a board room AND is working his men overtime for his late wife??? ...Charlie, my man, you're going to have to work miracles. You should meet Minnie Driver's Catholic grandpa, he'd adore you.

Wait, Charlie's a vet? Oh, wait, yeah, he works at the zoo.

Introducing new kid on skates.

"Look at you! Where are you going?"

"I don't know!"

This is the quality content I hoped for.

Skates boy holds down the fort-- a valuable guy.

"C'mon, pal," Bob chastises because Mel won't kick the "wait for Elizabeth" habit. (In the first part I likened the dog to be my self-insert. This dog is nothing like me, and I am immeasurably disappointed.)

Subtle touch of immense irritation at someone knocking on the door.

Is it time to reenact how happy he was compared to how mad he'll get at Mel now? The set up and payoff?

Here we go.

"Eat back here like a normal person--"

Chuckle worthy, but also.

He softens up; but the dog doesn't budge too much.

"You made it halfway."

That's the theme, I'll bet.

"You gotta snap out of it, buddy."

This makes Bob reflect, and he decides to kick some of his own Pavlovian responses-- and ends up on a truly horrendous date.

At least, I know that part's coming up and I'm pumped.

The old men's song convo comes back: they were selecting music for their restaurant. Nice touch.

Grandpa surprises her with tickets to Italy to paint cuz he was staring earlier at her painting earlier and it's these little moments that make me repeat words like "earlier" too frequently.

The waitress lady missed Grace's initial reaction and is put out. The banter is epic.

And Angelo talked the grandpa into it and Minnie knows this and thanks them all in a way that reflects their separate bonds. Good storytelling.

Angelo set her up with a hair transplant man (reminds me of a joke Bill Burr? told about stapling ants to your head for vanity's sake.)

Angelo's taste in vacations? Top tier.

Angelo's taste in men? Absolute bottom tier... though the guy's cheerful, so there's that.

I love this.

I don't even need a romance at this point I just want to watch the two live their separate, slowly recovering lives.

Enjoy!

[estrogenboyfriend]

some questions i won't answer yet

expand read more to find out the answers:

19

masc enby femboy (he/him/any)

around 5'6? i don't remember

murica

i don't know or care

you can figure it out from my UID in genshin screenshots if you want

for now i'll only say english

turquoise

rice with soy sauce

idk currently

(possibly) coding OR playing video games

idk, i listen to obscure japanese stuff

don't have one currently

i can't choose

i don't have a favorite movie cuz i don't watch movies anymore

GENSHIN IMPACT!!!! it has become my new hyperfixation

i don't watch TV shows anymore either. but there are a few i wanna watch including toilet bound hanako kun which I have watched a bit of, and hazbin hotel which i've only seen the pilot of

i'm not into sports

same as favorite activity

my favorite article of clothing are DEFINITELY my pink femboy shorts. they are SOOOOOOO COMFYYYYYYY and cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love wearing them so muchhh

pansexual demiromantic with a VERY strong preference for guys

single (& recently broken up too) 😢

never had one

any guy(optional) who is bonded with me (i.e. i am hyper attached to them) and also sexually compatible with me (i.e. it's possible for me to adapt to what satisfies them)

any irl meetup with someone from whom i don't have to hide my identity

online: probably. irl: no

satisfying someone else, being appreciated (mostly just people liking/complimenting my body), and praise (call me a good boy PLEASE)

excessive misgendering, "sissy" stuff (please don't EVER call me that🤢), nipple/genital piercings (sorry), excessive bondage, strain on the genitals (done by certain contraptions i've seen and it looks super disturbing), catheters, and any phobia that i have (needles and sharp objects near "veiny" areas, insects, excessive gore, etc). a lot of those are not just turn offs, but also triggers

not rn, no

not that i'm aware of

not yet

around 5? maybe more...

only reddit, discord, and tumblr

u/xhydrochaeris, xhydrochaeris (i don't accept friend requests unless i know you), and @estrogenboyfriend

no, i don't like NSFW subreddits/pages and don't really find them appealing

discord > tumblr > reddit (????)

none lol, i'm a fucking lonely ass nobody everywhere

yes, all of them

uhm i don't know? probably very little compared to average for the actual functions of social media, but a LOT to communicate with others

idk lol probably some 冰淇淋 shit that i got obsessed with ages ago

black/very dark brown

black/very dark brown

no i don't, I'm pretty enough without makeup

uhm medium for a girl, long for a boy. i am a boy but girl standards apply more to me since i present femininely

kinda fat but fem (i am working on my body, eating disorder fucked me up tho)

extremely messy, naturally curly, so it just is a constant mess

usually a t-shirt, hoodie/sweater, and sweatpants.

no

no

online: yes, if you mean me with a boy. but it doesn't really happen anymore....

idk i forgot (memories are not sorted and i'm not gonna bother sorting them)

idk i ACTUALLY forgot, like forgetting on demand which is apparently something that i can do if i try hard enough...

no bruh eww lung cancer

nope

no

does pirating music and video games count? oh and also hacking(homebrewing) my new nintendo 2DS XL

uh probably not, im a good kid

YES... A LOT. i have sleep issues.....

anything that has been within 0.5m of an onion/garlic. those fuckers are NASTY, they smell horrible, taste horrible, and their smell and taste LINGERS in your fucking mouth for DAYS.... YYYYYUUUUUUUCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes

not sure if i've met any famous people

i kinda forgot ... i have a bunch of japanese CDs/records that i like but those haven't seen the light of day ever since I got burnout months ago

baizhu in genshin impact because i WHALED for him 😢 I was so desperate but hey at least i got him now :3

GTA V on epic games cuz it was on sale

probably my phone or laptop or smth idk

my homebrewed new nintendo 2DS XL which is so fucking cool because nintendo wants it to die but i am keeping it alive against their will and i really need to start playing with it again.

奥村チヨ - 恋の奴隷 / 眠くなるまで (vinyl 7" single, jun 1 1969) https://www.discogs.com/release/3249405-%E5%A5%A5%E6%9D%91%E3%83%81%E3%83%A8-Chiyo-Okumura-%E6%81%8B%E3%81%AE%E5%A5%B4%E9%9A%B7-%E7%9C%A0%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E3%81%BE%E3%81%A7

i mean, the sega genesis model 1 that i have qualifies as futuristic, doesn't it? in fact i think it's way more futuristic that a LOT of stuff that have come out recently. being "futuristic" isn't about features, it's about aesthetic, and those designers in 1989 LARPed futurism WAY better than whoever the fuck is in charge of the capitalist machine nowadays

idk, check my weird shit drawer. i once had a massive dick-shaped crumpled up paper object but i think it's been recycled now.

phone and laptop. couldn't even do basic shit without them.

i said this before, my favorite article of clothing are DEFINITELY my pink femboy shorts. they are SOOOOOOO COMFYYYYYYY and cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love wearing them so muchhh

my hard drive. don't worry, there's nothing sussy on there, just 8+ TB of illegally downloaded music

money

some clothes for men just sitting in my closet... they disturb me so much and i fucking hate them

yes

BOTH. i place equal value on both yellow and purple. on light backgrounds, it's purple, on dark backgrounds, it's yellow.

i don't like either, but i dislike taylor swift a TINY bit less

neither, the nerds can fight over this without me

sour. i have terrible spice tolerance

i guess i'd prefer cold cuz i could cover up more. hot weather would require me to show off my body even when i'm under the most dysphoria...

this kinda contradicts the last question, but summer because more free time

i am masculine in a feminine way 💙

video games

PC, but for proprietary media, nintendo

uhm i really don't know honestly

idk...but i have a pet dog

whichever has the least rules and strategizing involved. i am NOT gonna spend thousands of spoons on a game i have to learn for months and years before i can even enjoy it slightly

....what?

.......what??

...don't know

neither

lemon juice probably

if i'm in the US, neither. if i'm in europe, then mcdonalds (there is a MASSIVE difference because of capitalism which makes sure that all murican fast food and processed foods SUCK ASS and are filled with unhealthy AND un-tasty junk, and the government can't do shit to regulate the hypergigacorporations that are doing this bullshit)

uhhh depends on my mood really. maybe horror?

MAYBE alternative rock, idk..... it's hard to pick

not gonna lie, lotr is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get into and it takes 50 million spoons, but i won't pick harry potter any time soon because jk rowling is a prick, so if i'm FORCED to, it's gonna be lotr. FYI i don't enjoy any nerd media at all due to the sheer amount of effort it takes to get into them and keep up with them. it's like i'm almost completely incompatibility with them

again, i don't fucking know.

i don't want either, please leave me alone

invisibility.

i haven't listened to either so i don't know

soccer, because i don't understand baseball at all, and i kiiiinda understand soccer very little

yep a pet dog

question 33

i'm about to go to university

a B in a particularly shitty class (the professor was a prick)

As in literally all except 1 class

most programming classes

no

no

i am ABOUT to start working out. not at a gym tho, just gonna do some workouts at home and see how it goes.

probably not

maybe? idk?

[silverbrume]

MI6 Cafe Creators Tag Game

(Thanks for the tag, @3nigm4art!)

We’d love for people to keep getting to know each other after this year’s 007 Fest, so we’re starting this tag game!

Rules: Answer the questions, then tag 3 new people to complete this. Also, tag the person who tagged you and @mi6-cafe so we can reblog your response.

Note that when we say ‘fanwork’ in the questions below, that could mean a fanfic, gif, fanart, headcanon, cosplay, crocheted work---any kind of fancreation counts!

1. What work of yours challenged you when you were creating it?  

This 00Q piece inspired by @dixkens Did I Fall Asleep? The whole time I was making it, I kept thinking, why did I make my life hard and choose a scene with four people?? I'd never drawn more than two people in a scene before this, so it was a lot of figures to finish. In addition, I wasn't sure how to keep the focus on Bond and Q when there were other characters around. Finally, Q isn't wearing glasses in this scene, so I couldn't lean on that salient feature. All good challenges!

2. What is a fanwork you’ve seen which gave you a new headcanon about a character?    

This amazing Bond/Felix/Della headcanon post by wehaveacavetroll. I hadn't seen either of the Dalton Bond movies, so this ship was not on my radar at all, nor was ace!Dalton!Bond. Both were delightful revelations :)

3. Is there a fanwork that you really want to make, but you haven’t started yet?

There's a Dalton!Bond and friends piece I have in mind that I need to level up a bit more to accomplish. I'm imagining Pam flying the small plane from the end of Licence while Kara plays the cello balanced on top, with Bond dangling from the plane and Q dangling from Bond's hand and talking into his broom walkie-talkie :D

There are also a lot of fanfics I'd potentially like to illustrate as well!

4. What fanwork of yours surprised you, and how? 

It surprised me when I made my first sketch of Dalton!Bond and it came out in a realistic style, because I'd only been doing cartoons/chibis for months before that. Maybe I needed to sketch him using realistic proportions before I felt ready to experiment with a cartoon version. Or maybe I needed to do cartoons for a few months before I was ready to try a realistic style!

5. What themes/styles/subjects are common across many of your fanworks? 

Perhaps music and musicians? I'm still early in my art journey, so it remains to be seen.

6. What other fandoms do you create for, if any?

Inception!

7. Is there an artist that you like to listen to while you create? Or one whose work always inspires you?

I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks, video game soundtracks, and classical music. I go through phases of obsession as I discover new games and movies--currently, I'm really into the NTTD and OHMSS soundtracks. Otherwise, John Williams is the soundtrack composer I listen to the most, since I grew up on that music.

8. Share a fanwork that you’ve found yourself thinking about weeks after reading/seeing it.

The first fanwork that rearranged my brain was an epic Glee fic called All the Other Ghosts by rainjoyswriting. It made me realize that fanfiction had the power to tell stories that no one else would, stories that might resonate more deeply with me. It was the gateway to another world!

9. Finally, share where you post your works! 

My tumblr fanart tag

Next I’ll tag: @mr-iskender @samanthahirr @dixkens

[notasapleasure]

10 songs meme

10 song I am currently obsessed with. I got tagged a little while ago by @invite-me-to-your-memories, thanks!

Ok ok here goes. I do not care for genres or popular mores. We go from mid-C19th folk music to early 90s Eurovision without a second thought. Enjoy. Or flee.

1 and 2. Lord Franklin aka Lady Franklin's Lament - multiple versions

I know it's a bit of a cop-out, but I can't pick just one. I think I like Martin Carthy's best, but Pentangle's gets stuck in my head easiest. Lady Jane Franklin is not my favourite historical person. I admire her determination to find out what happened to her husband, but she was quite happy to quash anyone who threatened her eulogised portrait of Franklin, and the repeated expeditions she urged don't seem to have gained much — and of course, she didn't want to hear about it when John Rae brought back news of cannibalism. This ballad, whether it was commissioned by her or not, is a perfect summary of all I respect and also dislike about her, and all that is attractive - misleadingly so - about the expeditions to the Passage. It is a gorgeous, manipulative, evocative ballad that romanticises the doomed expedition, but in the right hands it really is heart-wrenching, as those horrible deaths were, whoever they happened to.

3. Bubbi Morthens - Rómeó og Júlía

Ah melodramatic Icelandic pop about drug addicts. I only twigged the latter bit when I had to look up the lyrics because I worked out it wasn't a straight retelling of the Shakespeare play... Anyway, I couldn't get it out of my head, at least it was 'language preparation' for Iceland last month.

4. Eyjólfur Kristjánsson - Enginn veit

Uhhh @mardymaid has asked me many times about guilty pleasures and I can safely now say that this is one. Early 90s Icelandic Eurovision entrants! Derivative pop music that sounds at least a decade older! But... I love this track. I was legitimately sad not to hear him played in any Rvk clubs, but I did recognise him on the radio in a café in Stykkishólmur, so win, I guess?

5. Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure

At any given time it is a fact that I will be obsessed with at least one MP song. This is the current one, a classic, because I got to dance to it with my mate at her wedding the other week. Banging.

6. Manic Street Preachers - Hold me Like a Heaven

Best track on the new album, hands down. "I hate the world more than I hate myself / I can't pretend that it's a cry for help."

7. LCD Soundsystem - how do you sleep?

I came to this album absurdly late (and to This is Happening if I'm honest). But I finally caught up this summer because I love pop-epics-as-existential-crises, and the drums on this are also HUGE and it came on while I was making eyes at the sea last night which was so perfect, just as the sun dipped low enough to kiss the horizon.

8. Johnny Flynn - Detectorists

I long for season 3 to come on Netflix! Why didn't I listen to everyone sooner, then I could have watched it when it aired! I love Johnny Flynn anyway, and this is such a perfect, gentle accompaniment to a gentle show. It gets stuck in my head A Lot.

9. Mélusine - Le meurtre dans le bois

Look, my kind of gigs are the kind where the band quietly announces with an awkward laugh 'this is a murder ballad' and the audience cheers. If it's in archaic French, so much the better.

10. Tori Amos - Suede

I don't know how I missed this album for so long either, it's so goooood. This is one of my favourite tracks on it, lyrically and musically, and I love that ending.

This was actually a bit harder because I've been travelling and listening to music less than normal, but I'm always so happy to be tagged in these things! I tag anyone who wants to do it: @ladytharen , @jimtheviking, @dolorosa, @mardymaid, @donnaimmaculata if you like, and anyone else who wants to get involved

[asriels]

Okay. Now that I know your in the fandom I need sow of your next gen headcanons (sorry I'm just obsessed with your headcanons. I am also here for Slytherin!Lily!)

I have a large collection of Next Gen headcanons, carefullycurated over the years I’ve been in this fandom. They go on for days so I’mreally sorry. I almost entirely reject CursedChild, just so you know (the only bit I like is the rumours that Scorpiusis Voldemort’s kid, because that makes Astoria fascinating).

As a whole, the kids are more disparate than people thoughtthey would be. Few of them count their closest friends within the family, mostmake their best friends outside of it. The exceptions to this rule are:Dominique, Molly and Teddy; Fred and Lucy. They all love each other and arefirst in line to defend each other, obviously, and will usually hang out andhave a smashing time, but when it comes to who they gravitate towards they’reusually found outside the family.

Other Weasley family things as a whole: divorce rates seethe same rise in the wizarding world as in the Muggle one. George and Angelinaamicably call it quits when Fred is seven and Roxanne is three. Ron andHermione separate for a good few years after Rose is born but end up backtogether, and Hugo follows. (Unknowingly these two have a half-sister: Ron’sdaughter with Daphne Greengrass, product of an ill-judged fling, who iseighteen months younger than Rose.)

Molly and Lucy lose their mother Audrey when Molly isthirteen and Lucy is ten. To almost everybody’s surprise, Percy does anexcellent job raising them alone. They’re still mad as a bag of cats butthen—they’re Weasleys.

I could bang on about inter-family dynamics forever but I’llgo on to the individual kids now.

Teddy—Hufflepuff. Really tall (like 6′3″) and has got a real Black family look to him, which he hates. I’m writing a Teddy fic at the moment that has turned into a sprawling monsterand contains most of my Teddy headcanons. In short: bit of a loser, butcharming and hapless so makes friends wherever he goes. Directionless. Happy tolive off the money his parents left him and the benefits he gets from theMinistry as a war orphan. He’s a fine artist, but he never puts the effort intoactually getting his name and work out there. He’s best friends with Dominique(two years younger than him) and Molly (four years younger than him). They windeach other up a lot but ultimately adore one another. He has a finely honedsense of the ridiculous and a hugely empathetic nature, which he mostly triesto keep hidden. He’ll be fine, in the end.

Victoire—Ravenclaw.A hugely difficult act to follow for most of her cousins. Beautiful, caring, atalented witch—but also bullish, one-track-minded, with a tendency to set asidethe feelings and concerns of others if she gets fixated on a goal. Mostly thisgets called ‘ambition’ and praised, but her sister thinks of it more asselfishness. She has huge aspirations for her life and damn if she doesn’t getthere. Of course, being Victoire, she does it despite getting accidentallypregnant much earlier than she wanted to, and ends up with a similarly brilliantson as well as the career she wanted. Nobody can quite figure out how she’sdone it.

Dominique—Gryffindor.Dominique is pure fire. She’s quite aggressive, but her temper burns itself outquickly and she forgives as hastily as she runs to fury. Her affection is hardto win but once you’ve done it her loyalty is unyielding. She’s prickly,brusque, funny, and has a kinder heart than you would believe underneath itall. Not much patience, but lots and lots of laughter.

Louis—Gryffindor.So laid back he’s horizontal. He has a grand total of two interests in theworld: computers and celebrity gossip. He’s beautiful in a way that makespeople stumble over their words around him which he actually doesn’t much likeso he tries to dress it down. He wears oversized 80s glasses and his hair long,like his dad used to. He floats through life seeming almost untouchable untilhe gets into a very messy drama concerning Lily at 19 and he ends up a lot morephilosophical and altruistic.

Molly—Gryffindor.Known as ‘Young Molly’ to differentiate her from her grandmother within thefamily, but it kind of spreads until everybody calls her that. Hapless. Honestlythe character I think she’s most like is Isla Fisher’s character inBachelorette but without the hard drugs (not that she’s never done that, but it’snot like—a regular thing). She seems kind of oblivious a lot of the time. She’ssoft and easily hurt, and inspires protectiveness/caring instinct in others.Honestly she could take care of herself if she had to but she’s always hadDominique and/or Teddy and Lucy looking out for her so she’s never had to try.

Lucy—Ravenclaw.Conspiracy nut. She’s absolutely convinced the Founders weren’t real and arejust a convenient story made up later in Hogwarts’ history. She’s very bold andserious and intense, and jokes tend to go over her head quite a lot. She’s alsoabsolutely fascinated by space (mostly because of aliens and alienconspiracies) and ends up going to Muggle university to study Astrophysics. She’skind of off-the-wall, but once you get to know her you can’t help liking herbecause she’s so unapologetic about who she is.

Fred—Gryffindor.Pretty much the opposite of the uncle he was named for except for his lovelymerry sense of humour and his resolute bravery. He’s Prefect and then Head Boy,the one everybody knows they can go to with their problems for his ability tolisten, offer sensible advice, and then make you laugh. He’s calm, solid,unyielding. 90% of the girls in younger years (and a few of the boys) arecompletely in love with him. He’s the friendly face of the Weasley family. Therest tend to be a zany, prickly bunch—but Fred is pure warmth, and he’s open togetting to know anybody.

Roxanne—Hufflepuff.During her teenage years she’s pretty EdgyTM and gets into a lot ofindie Muggle bands and spends a lot of time yelling at people about theenvironment and the bees. She’s a bit of an inventing whizz and has inheritedher paternal grandfather’s fascination with Muggle technology, and spends a lotof her free time tinkering with Muggle things like iPods to make them work withmagic. Roxanne’s main problem is that she cares far too much, so much it hurtsher, and she has to focus on something to give her an outlet for all thatcompassion. Her cousins know that she’s not going to be first in line to seekthem out, but if somebody’s hurting them she will be the first one into the ensuingfistfight.

Rose—Gryffindor.Nobody quite expected Rose to turn out the way she did. She has her father’shapless charm and tendency to put his foot in his mouth, but this is pairedwith her mother’s ruthless pragmatism. She believes very strongly in thingsbeing Sensible and Explicable, and fights a lot with both Lucy (who she feelsis wasting everybody’s time) and Lily (who will espouse inexplicable thingsjust to frustrate her). Rose faces a deep conflict inside herself, one thatmakes her quite a reflective and irritable person: she has the gift of Sight,but has absorbed her mother’s derisive attitude towards Seers. She tries toignore her visions, but they will not leave her alone.

Hugo—Ravenclaw.Hugo just wants to be left alone. He’s quiet, frightening clever, and with amind for strategy that you wouldn’t believe. Really, he belongs in somesweeping epic high fantasy where he could lead people and fight battles andprove himself. Instead he’s stuck in a life where he’s overshadowed by hislouder family members. He retreats into books and music, and ultimatelyretreats from the wizarding world altogether. He gets a flat with three Muggleguys, all into music, and they end up forming a band that becomes world famous.Hugo turns his intelligence to songwriting and strikes a chord with the publicthat nobody would have believed possible.

James—Gryffindor.James thinks he is a Bad Boy, and by virtue of getting tattoos, smoking,partying, and wearing a leather jacket everywhere has mostly managed toconvince everybody else he really is Bad. His family see right through him. Hepretends not to care about anything but he has internalised a huge amount offrustration and an inferiority complex about his father’s legacy which makeshim prone to acts of aggression. He will act out simply to prove he is not hisfather. The only people that can calm him are his younger siblings and, later,the person he will eventually marry. James mellowed out is a much nicer person,but it takes him a while to get there.

Albus—Gryffindor.Albus has the same inferiority complex about his dad as James, but his goesdeeper because he asked the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor, and spendsthe next couple of decades wondering where he’d be if he hadn’t. He doesn’tfeel he deserves to be Harry Potter’s son. Inside he is the angriest andscariest of all the Potter siblings, but he has covered this up with suchlayers of cool that most people overlook his quiet fury in favour of hissiblings’ volatile attitudes to everything. He is cutting and snide, ready toback up his taunts with fists/hexes if he needs to, and generally is cut of asharper cloth than most people in his family. Lily and James have softer heartsinside than anybody realises. Albus is the opposite.

Lily—Slytherin. Lilyis my favourite next gen character and also the one I struggle to get a grip onmost. She’s prickly and resentful, prone to lashing out, and wants to punishthe world for heaping all this expectation on her as the daughter of HarryPotter. Mostly this results in her damaging herself more than anybody else. She’sa party animal from the age of fourteen, into alcohol and drugs, anddeliberately gets pregnant at 15 in a skewed attempt to punish her parents.Actually being pregnant makes her stop and re-evaluate, however. Her attitudedoesn’t change massively, but she does take steps to dealing with her anger.She reconnects with Teddy over the whole issue and he encourages her to talk tosomebody. She’ll never be okay, exactly, but she refocuses her intense emotionsinto other pursuits instead of on herself and her parents. She gets taken outof Hogwarts to be homeschooled between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, andreturns a more together and confident person. She still goes hard as fuck, but it comes from a desire to havefun rather than a deep insecurity.

Scorpius—Gryffindor.Kind of an asshole, which is why he gets on so well with Albus, but he’sinherited from his mother a sense of the ridiculous that makes him great fun.He can find the funny side in almost anything. He went into Gryffindor mostlybecause he thought it would be hilarious and piss off his dad, who he feels treatshis mum badly. He’s prone to do anything he thinks will get a rise out ofpeople, which makes him a menace if you’re the subject of his needling buthilarious if you’re not.

Lysander and Lorcanare much younger than the rest of the Potter-Weasley kids and don’t mix muchwith them as a result. They’re brought up travelling the world and studyingmagical creatures, and have an incredibly piecemeal education up until they goto Hogwarts as a result. Their basic understanding of the world is almostnon-existent (neither of them can do much more mathematics than basic additionand subtraction, cannot conceptualise the solar system, and wouldn’t believeyou if you told them humans have been to the Moon), but they each speak severallanguages, have exceptional control of their wandless magic, and an encyclopaedicknowledge of magical creatures. Their relationship with each other is almostsymbiotic, and being separated at Hogwarts is highly traumatic for both ofthem. When they are seventeen they witness their father being brutally killedby a rogue magical creature, and end up putting their abilities to use huntingdown and containing any magical creature known to pose a threat to human life.

Lysander—Gryffindor.Taciturn and prone to moodiness. Braver than you would believe. Relies onlyupon himself and his brother (as a result of distracted, occasionallyneglectful but loving parents) and is never willing to allow anybody else intohis business. His control of wandless magic is unmatched in the last twocenturies, and a couple of his teachers keep a careful eye on him as he fitsthe profile of somebody who could end up turning very dark and being immenselydestructive. Lysander would never even dream it, though. He’s selfish,introverted and a loner but his intentions are wholly good and he couldn’t turndark if he tried.

Lorcan—Ravenclaw.Lorcan is almost painfully shy and struggles with great social anxiety. Despitethis, he makes some friends in his house and, though he still depends onLysander, can function apart from him. He’s incredibly clever and can retaininformation so well it’s almost unbelievable. He’s never the first to speak upin class but—depending on the subject—he almost always has the right answerwhen called upon. His grades are fairly poor despite this. His knowledge andpractical ability is enormous, but his essays and exam answers are rambling andirrelevant, veering off down pathways that interest him but that have no basisin the question asked.

Okay and because this is long already I might as well makeit longer, right? So here are my thoughts about other non-canon kids and justquick sketches of them.

Leonora Greengrass—Slytherin.Known as Lo. Ron’s daughter with Daphne. She has a terrible relationship withher mother as both are selfish and fickle, and is the sort of person for whom everythingis someone else’s fault. She doesn’t know who her dad is until she’s eighteen,since Daphne has kept her concealed from Ron, and when she finds out she blameshim for not being part of her life and sets out to try to destroy him. She endsup getting along very well with him and they become incredibly positiveinfluences on one another. Ron feels he can be there for her in a way he thinkshe couldn’t be for his own kids, and she thrives with a positive male rolemodel in her life.

Longbottom kids—Daisy(Hufflepuff), Poppy (Gryffindor) and Euan (Slytherin). Daisy is adorable inevery way, very maternal and giving. Poppy is sociable, out-going and a massivedrama queen. Florian is good friends with Lily Potter—sarcastic, unnecessarilyrude, and generally a much more unpleasant person than you’d think it waspossible for Neville and Hannah to produce.

Astynome Nott—Slytherin.James’ best friend. Known as Asta. Terrifying, irrepressible, takes noprisoners and no bullshit. Frightens most of James’ family apart from Lily andAlbus, who think she’s awesome.

Eirnin McLaggen—Hufflepuff.Possibly the purest soul on the planet. James’ future husband. Introverted,soft-spoken, deeply kind and patient. Finds it easier spending time withanimals than with people. Struggles deeply with the division between hisCatholic faith and his magic and his sexuality.

McLaggen kids—apartfrom Eirnin we have Eithne (Hufflepuff, dates Teddy for a while, very merry andgiving), Faolan (Gryffindor, James’ arch-nemesis, braggart and brawler), thentwo much younger sisters I haven’t fully developed yet. They grow up in thewizarding village of Tullyaghan, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, on the landwhere their father breeds and trains Kelpies for a dangerous wizarding versionof polo. They are all fearless, rough-and-ready, and incredibly proud of anancestry that has fought the English at every turn.

Lily’s best friends—allSlytherin. Yelena Nott (Asta’s younger sister, the leader of the crew. Type Aice queen with a ruthless competent streak and absolutely no patience foranything), Ophelia Yaxley (sweet and easily-led, attaches herself to thenearest mean girl like silly string, helplessly in love with Albus Potter andconstantly messed around by him), Sophie Parkinson (unafraid, irresponsible,loves to party more than anybody else), and Beth Zabini (she and Lily actuallykind of hate each other, but they’re still…best friends….nobody else gets iteither).

Okay I’m done, Ipromise. I promise. Sorry about this.