#you guys want more characters in the juli-verse? i got a couple more in the tank. haven't checked in on justus in a minute 🤔

[the-writer-nerd-ro]

Happy Julius round up! I got some little stamp pens I wanted to try out on Julius and Emmett and they do NOT show up well lol

[pinejayy]

How about a Reverse! Wally (where the personalities are reversed). Well what if the reverse wally went to the original universe, now there are 2 wallys? And as a bonus, his girlfriend the reader came with him. But what if in the original world of Welcome there was no reader. Now the poor reader has 2 wallys fighting for his attention and love? If possible could the reader be human?

If my order is too complicated, forget it, I don't want to burden you.

[ I was thinking about the theory if a character didn't exist in a certain universe how would that affect? ​​As long as it existed in another.. In this case it would be the READER. ]

Two Wally's, at the same time!! It's a dream come true!! It's like a Wally Verse, just imagine how many more different versions of Wally's there are

And I love this request! I hope you have a lovely day Darling~ <3 I hope this is good!! uwu

OBSESSION! (Wally Darling x Reader x Reverse! Wally Darling)

Trigger Warnings: Maybe like two curse words, knife and rope mention. Normal Wally is going to be Wally Darling and the Reverse Wally is going to be referred as R!Wally Darling uwu

What a lovely day. Well it was a lovely day. You were hanging out with your boyfriend Wally Darling and all of the sudden both of you were sucked into a portal, you thought you died but ended up at the Neighborhood, but it seemed different that your neighborhood. How strange, you looked at your boyfriend. "What's this place? Do you know Sweetheart?" Asking your puppet boyfriend.

R!Wally looked at you and he just shrugs. "Maybe we walk around and ask these people." He told you, to which you just nod grabbing him by the hand. Feeling safe around him. He smiled at you, you really loved your boyfriend. He was a sweet and a calm person. And he was so gentle towards you, and caring.

As you guys walked around this new place, everything looked the same but different. When you guys were walking around you ran into the neighbors that were from here. And they looked like the neighbors back from your world. How strange... Sally was Sassy and a brat but here she's sweet and fun, Julie was mean and harsh and here she was filled with joy. Both Poppy and Barnaby were really sweet here and in your world they kept to their selves. And here both Frank and Eddie were a couple! And Howdy was very helpful! Everyone was sure different here.

"Hello Wally! I love your new outfit!!" Sally said, as she ran towards you guys and looked at you and tilted her head to the side as she looked at you. She's never seen you before.

R!Wally looked at her, new outfit? His outfit was a Rainbow stripe shirt. With Khaki pants as he was wearing a small red scarf around his neck. "This is my significant other...my lover."

Sally gasped and started to jump around. She looked like she was a little kid on a sugar rush. Then she ran off yelling. "WALLY HAS A LOVER!"

How odd? You both look at each other and shrug as you guys were about to walk off a voice stopped you. "Hello, are you guys new Neighbors!"

You turn around and gasped. It was Wally! Well not your Wally. He looked exactly the same. Besides the outfit, it honestly freaked you out. You quickly hid behind your Wally.

Both of the Wally's looked at each other as they studied each other. R!Wally spoke up. "It seems like we're in the wrong Neighborhood. We were leaving."

But Wally looked at him, and chuckled. "Non Sense! I'll help you guys! Come follow me." He said in a firm but friendly tone. As you guys had no choice, you followed this Wally. This Wally walked you over to his house. Hmm..His house is also alive. As he invited you guys in he looked at both of you. Well especially at you.

His eyes never left you. It was honestly kinda creepy. As you guys sat down on his living room.

You were sitting by your Wally. You looked down as you still felt uneasy around the other Wally. You don't know but something about him seems really creepy and uneasy.

"So, do you guys care to explain how you guys got here?" Wally said. As he narrows his eyes at his other self. "And if you don't mind explaining who this is." He said pointing at you.

R!Wally grabbed your hand. He smiled at you assuring you everything is going to be okay. And then he looked over at the other Wally. "First off we don't know how we got here. We kinda just showed up. And second this is my lovely significant other Y/N."

Wally growled to himself, why didn't he have someone like you. He had to win you over, he didn't know you but he does know that you belong to him and HIM ONLY!

"Hmm how interesting...I don't have a Y/N for myself." Wally said as he looked at you. His pupils dilated. He was smiling big. He wanted you...he needed you.

You look away, as you try to hide from him. Using your Wally as a protective wall. He noticed this and placed an arm over your shoulder. "Shh it's okay sweetheart, well get back to our neighborhood soon."

You just nodded and smile. This made Wally angry but then he smirked to himself. As he stood up walking closer to you guys. "Why don't I help you guys out."

You and Your Wally look at each other as you guys had no choice and nodded. He smiled at both of you "Wonderful! Now new friends! Follow me, I think I might have an idea where you guys came from!"

Wally took you and R!Wally out for a walk. He walked you guys away from the neighborhood. He was ahead of you guys, you just followed behind. Holding onto R! Wally's hand. You didn't trust the other Wally. Something about him was off, some evil...

As you guys continue to follow him there was a loud "THUD"

You turn around and see R!Wally on the floor holding onto his head. And seeing Wally holding a piece of wood. Wait where did he get that? And wasn't he in front of you guys! How did he appear behind you guys?! As you were about to help R! Wally up Wally grabbed you quite quickly. As he held you close.

"You're mine now, and only mine! Why didn't I get a Y/N! Why didn't I get a sweetheart!" He began saying, as his grip tighten against you.

You whimper out, trying to get away from him. R! Wally looked at you and at the other Wally. Something inside of him snapped, seeing you being held like that made him feel something. Something he's never felt before. Jealously.

Your Wally quickly got up and charged towards the other Wally. "LEAVE MY SWEETHEART ALONE!"

Wally laughed and pushed you to the side as he walked towards the other Wally. "Oh? Didn't like that? Well what are you going to do about that ha ha ha ha!"

"Glad you asked!" R!Wally hissed and punched the other Wally in the face, causing him to stumble.

Soon after both Wally's were on each other. Throwing punches and kicks. You just stood there in horrors, you didn't know how to help. But you've never seen your Wally act like this. It was something new.

"Please! STOP!" You yell out, crying out. As you tried to pull off Wally off of your R!Wally an elbow came in contact with your face.

Wally accidentally elbowed your face. This made R!Wally even angrier. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He yelled out, giving Wally a final punch before running to you.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" R!Wally asked you, as he checked on you. Thank God there was no cut or blood. But you looked at him and tear up not paying attention to what happened to you. You just saw how best up he was and broke.

"Oh baby, are you okay?" You asked him. To which he just nodded and smiled. "Yes I'm alright sweetheart just worried about you."

Wally couldn't help but growl softly as you looked at both of you. He was envy that he didn't have a lover, why did this faker have one. Was the world against him? He just kept looking at you guys. He needed to win you over somehow.

As you guys started to get up, you looked over at the other Wally. Scoffing at his direction. "Thanks for the help asshole."

Walking away from him, you held onto R!Wally's arms as you both walk hopefully you guys find a way back to your neighborhood. As you guys walked off leaving behind Wally. He ran back to you guys.

This time he appeared in front of you guys. Holding flowers in his hands. You guys stopped in your tracks and R!Wally put a hand in front of your body, protecting you. As you were behind him, you stare at Wally. What does he need now?

"Haven't you done enough?" R!Wally said. Stopping in his tracks as he saw the flowers. Is he really trying to win you over? How funny! "It's funny how you're trying to win over my sweetheart."

Wally didn't pay attention to him but he looked at you, you just hid behind your Wally more. Whimpering.

"Please....Y/N I know we are meant to be together! Please I need you, the second I saw you it was love at first sight. You'll be my light to my darkness... you'll be my candy apple." Wally said, as he held up the flowers. As he started to walk towards you guys.

Both you and R!Wally started to back backwards. He held both his arms up. Protecting you. "I don't think my Sweetheart wants nothing to do with you."

Wally didn't pay attention to him, his words just went into one ear and out the other. Wally just kept holding on the flowers, hoping you'll give him a chance.

You were getting overwhelmed, as you heard his words. You didn't know how to feel. He wasn't your Wally but he looked like yours. And that's what really got you.

Then all of the sudden both of them were looking at you. You were about to tear up. "Are you okay Sweetheart?" R!Wally asked you.

You nodded "I don't know how to feel. It just hurts seeing him talk to me like that. I know he's not you but he looks like you." You say, feeling ashamed.

This made Wally smile. he had hope. "I'll give you the best life my Candy Apple!" He said taking a few steps towards you guys. "Why don's you choose instead?" He stood in front of R!Wally smirking.

R!Wally looked at you and at him was he really saying that? Why would you choose this Wally over your actual Boyfriend? He felt it again.... Jealously fill his body. He then pushed Wally quite hard.

Wally was taken back a bit, as they were about to throw a punch at each other you got in the way. Specifically you in front of one of them, holding your hands up. Protecting him. Both of them stopped.

Now you have to choice who it was....

Now if choose your Sweetheart R!Wally

He smiled at you, he knew you would never let him down. He was happy that you protected him. "I love you Sweetheart, I knew you wouldn't leave me for him."

To which you just smiled and nod, both looking at Wally now. He was sad, you could see the tears starting to form in his eyes. It hurt you honestly but that's only because he looked like your Wally.

Wally just stood there he was going to get you no matter what. He just dropped the flowers and walked off.

Both you and your Sweetheart shared a kiss. Today was a crazy day. And you guys started to walk off. Hopefully you guys make it back to your own neighborhood.

Little did you guys know was that Wally would soon follow you with a knife and rope...you belong to him and choosing him over him was your first mistake. Wally was going to show you that your his, that your his Candy Apple.

Now if you Choose Wally Darling

R!Wally just stood there, shocked that you picked him! His eyes started to fill up with tears. He didn't expect you to leave him like this. "Sweetheart.....Don't tell me you're picking him over me?"

You didn't know why you picked him over your actual boyfriend. Maybe it was the guilt or maybe not. As you didn't know what to say so you just looked down and stood by Wally's side. Making Wally smile big, wrapping an arm around your waist.

He brought you close to himself and placed a big kiss against your lips. Making R!Wally whimper. his heart breaking. "Fine, then this is it. farewell my Sweetheart, I'll always keep a place in my heart for you. Maybe in the next lifetime we will be back together."

And with that R!Wally left, leaving you guys alone. Did you make the correct choice? A few tears slipped from your eyes.

Wally wiped them away and smiled. "Shh don't cry my Candy Apple. Come let's go back to the neighborhood. You have a new life ahead of you."

Damn I was tearing up writing that last part! But I hope you enjoy this uwu

[bowieexaminprogress]

Have you watched every Skam version? Which are your faves? (Ranking or just like opinions on each of them)

Hello nonnie!

Sorry for taking so much time to answer your question but it got lost in between notifications.

I am indeed a lover of the SkamUniverse as a whole. I have watched each remake. I watch as a viewer but for me because of my filmmaking background it is more interesting as a piece of a television artistic piece that was taken by different productions, changed slightly to fit a culture and then produced in a certain way. I see them from a marketing point of view, as well as a production point of view, filmmaking, writing, style etc. I will not go into those technical issues here but just so understand my pov regarding the verse as a whole.

I can’t rank them against each other (as in like which one is the best) exactly because I understand that it is like comparing apples and oranges. When budgeting is different from one remake to another and production strategy is not the same, it is unfair to compare different remakes to each other. So I can only compare each remake to itself. But if we are talking about preference well of course I have some seasons that I prefer more than others as a whole.

But again the rankings don’t matter to me so much because there are different things I love in each and everyone of the remakes.

Druck’s subtlety is unmatched. Their writing team is strong. Probably the most cohesive of all the remakes. They are never in your face. It requires talent to be able to captivate audiences with subtlety.

But I know how to appreciate some good drama as well. So Wtfock’s ability to keep me on edge through their twists and turns is appreciated. Also I find myself loving more characters as a whole in Wtfock. They have my favourite Evak couple. My favourite William. My favourite Eskil. I will not talk about their Sana season yet but let’s say that Elias and Yasmina are in a pretty high place in my heart so far but it is way to early to say. But also I despise extremely some of their other characters. So yeah there is no middle ground with them.

Skam France is the drama queen of the remakes but I have to say their casting ability is mindblowing. From the protagonists to the supporting characters to the people that appear once on screen, Skam France knows casting. Collectively they have the biggest pool of acting talent. For example their Sonya character that isn’t actually a big role, for me is probably one of the strongest actresses in the verse. That says a lot about the thought that goes into their casting process.

Skam Italia for me is the fun friend of the group. Italians know the perfect balance between comedy and drama. They don’t take themselves too seriously. It makes you feel good. Their drama is beautifully wrapped in comedy. Also they are the strongest as a whole from a cinematography point of view. They have my favourite boy squad. I want to be friends with those guys.

Skam NL was very strong from a directorial point of view but unfortunately we have only 2 seasons to watch. Also they have probably my favourite girl squad.

Skam España has a very strong girlsquad as well. They have one of my favourite Evens. Loved that they are the first ones to introduce the concept of parallel storylines within a season. It didn’t work always but as an idea it has to be appreciated how they tried to break away from the OG restrictions.

Skam Austin knows female diversity. And that should be recognised. Again we only have 2 seasons to talk about. And it is the first one to move away from the European continent.

And then you have the OG that started it all. You have to understand the format, the social media aspect, the idea everything started from there. Everything began with Julie. So she is the creative initiator behind everyone. And that has to be respected. The verse wouldn’t have been possible without the OG. Everyone goes back to the OG in their remake seasons. And they include a lot of aspects of it in their original seasons as well. The marketing of all the remakes is based on the OG concept.

Long story short I love and respect them all for different reasons. I think the beauty of the verse lies in the things that connect it and not the things that separate it. Each and everyone of the remakes is adding a different piece to the puzzle that is equally necessary. And I mean the fact that they showcase different cultures alone is enough and should be celebrated by everyone.

[oimeunacosa]

Canciones pequeñas,  grandes antiheroínas  - nuestros brazos son todo lo que tenemos / Little songs, big antiheroines - our arms are all we’ve got

Fotografía/Photograph: Julia Russo Martínez

eng ↓

Lavo los platos de anoche, la mano derecha agarra el detergente ala amarillo, la mano izquierda sostiene la esponja, abajo en la bacha los platos me esperan, de fondo suena:

What can I give that is all for you? My heart's no good 'cause it's split in two What can I give that is all for you? These arms are all I have *

Y la verdad que la tengo dando vueltas hace unas semanas ya. Estos brazos son todo lo que tengo. Desde el amor hasta el trabajo, la frase aplica a todo. Porque una puede besar, tocar, acompañar, compartir con y a mucha gente, pero ¿entregar los brazos? Eso no es tan sencillo, mi ciela. Y no hablo sólo del amor romántico, porque como dije antes, lo pienso en relación al trabajo y 'estos brazos son todo lo que tengo' me dispara una catarata de ideas que no me alcanzarían los caracteres para desglosar.

En febrero en un hostel en el que trabajaba conocí a una de mis actuales amigas, y las primeras cosas que me dijo fue que ella no es de abrazar. El otro día (ya estamos en agosto) vino a mi cuarto sólo para abrazarme. “hace mil no nos abrazamos, boluda” y se fue. De esto hablo. My heart is no good 'cause it's split in two, entonces me quedan estos brazos, son todo lo que tengo.

Reescucho la canción en loop. Ya son las seis y media y salí a caminar, la cocina quedó impecable después de que -con estos brazos- haya refregado un rato largo. Cómo me gusta que este tema tenga tan pocos versos, que esté tan concentrada la información. Necesito caminar y escuchar, concentrarme en esas dos acciones. La síntesis me ayuda a no distraerme. But I'll hold you like I do love you y pensé dos traducciones: 'Pero te voy a sostener tanto como lo que te amo' es una, y me armé una que me gusta más a mí, que no es exactamente la que dice la canción, pero yo quiero que la canción diga esto: 'Pero te voy a sostener como si de verdad te amara'. Porque otra cosa que me hace pensar es en esa vez que salí con este pibe de tinder, y le conté mi vida, y me contó la suya, y a las 2 a.m. en Bustillo y Furman nos despedimos con un abrazo de esos que le das el peso de tu cuerpo a la otra persona y la otra persona hace lo mismo con vos entonces se equilibra. Y la verdad que no lo amo a este pibe - de hecho no lo vi nunca más - pero lo sostuve como si lo amara... qué se yo.

Vuelvo a pensar en la arquitectura del tema, y esto no es ningún tipo de información demasiado objetiva, sino lisa y llanamente gusto. Me liquida la economía de recursos. Si todo esto estuviese acompañado de una bandaza no sería tan potente el mensaje. Lxs que me conocen saben que soy fan de los temas a guitarra y voz (mi hermano da fe de eso) y pienso en un colador: una vez que se larga toda la información, es necesario colar y que quede lo sólido. Claramente el colador acá fue preciso y precioso: la canción es una patada en el pecho que se agradece.

Venir sola a otra provincia, empezar de cero sin casa ni amigues, y construir con lo poco que se tiene un plan que entusiasme. Mi corazón no sirve porque está partido en dos. De a poco abrir los brazos, darlos , que otras personas te den los suyos. La continuación del heroico “quién dijo que todo esta perdido? Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón”**¿Qué pasa cuando ese corazón está partido en dos? ¿Cuando ese corazón no sirve? Acá te doy mis brazos, y te voy a sostener tan fuerte como lo que te quiero, como si de verdad te quisiera, seas mi mejor amiga o uno de tinder que recién conozco.

Canciones: Arms – The paper kites (2018) – Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón – Fito Páez (1985)

Si te gustó esta nota, podés invitarme un cafecito en www.cafecito.app/agoslesz

*¿Qué podría darte que signifique todo para vos? / Mi corazón ya no sirve porque está partido en dos/ ¿qué podría darte que sea todo para vos? / estos brazos son todo lo que tengo **El tema de Fito es mucho más heroico, y creo, por eso trasciende generaciones. Hay un punto en donde me cuesta identificarme con eso tan grande “Y hablo de países y de esperanzas / hablo por la vida, hablo por la nada /hablo por cambiar esta, nuestra casa “ Ahora pienso que me faltan años de vida para entender esta canción. Quizás sea lo que las nuevas generaciones vengamos a darle al repertorio de los clásicos: canciones no heroicas. El cansancio, la frustración y el intento constante y claramente fallido de alcanzar esos ideales tan grandes ¿nos estará haciendo entrenar la economía de recursos? ¿Las canciones pequeñas serán el legado que dejemos a las generaciones venideras, en caso de que no explote el mundo antes? ¿Derribaremos la figura del héroe a fuerza de canciones pequeñas?

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I wash last night's dishes, my right hand grabs the yellow ala detergent, the left hand holds the sponge, below in the sink, the plates await for me while a melody plays in the background:

What can I give that is all for you? My heart's no good 'cause it's split in two What can I give that is all for you? These arms are all I have

And, to be honest, I can't stop thinking about it since a couple of weeks ago. These arms are all I have, from love to work, this phrase can be used for anything. Because we may kiss, touch, escort and share moments with a lot of people but, to give our arms? Is not that easy, baby. And I'm not only speaking about romantic love, because, as I've said before, If I think about it related to work, the phrase 'these arms are all I have' triggers me a bunch of ideas that this document's characters would never be enough to elaborate.

Last February, while I was working in a hostel, I met one of my current best friends and one of the first thigs that she told me was that she's not that kind of person who likes to hug people here and there. Some days ago (we're already in July) she came to my room just to hug me: “It's been a long time since we last hug each other, boluda” and she left. This is what I'm talking about, My heart is no good 'cause it's split in two, so these arms are really all I have.

I listen again to the song in a never-ending loop. It's half past six and the kitchen is now spotless after – with my arms – I've scrubbed for a while. How I like that this song has just a few verses, that the information is super condensed. I just need to walk and listen, just to stay focused in these two actions. The syntesis helps me not to get distracted. “But I'll hold you like I do love you” and I thought of two possible Spanish translations: 'Pero te voy a sostener tanto como lo que te amo' is the first one, and I've made another one that I like better, that's not exactly what the song really says, but, who cares? This is my blog. I really want the song to say this: 'Pero te voy a sostener como si de verdad te amara'*, because another thing that came to my mind was that time that I went on a date with that tinder guy who told me everything about his life and I told him everything about mine, and at 2 a.m. In the corner of Bustillo and Furman avenue we said goodbye with a hug, with that kind of hug in which you let your body weight to the other person, and the other person do the same, so you both reach a sort of body balance. And I don't really love this guy – in fact, I've never seen him again – but that night I held him as if I truly loved him.

I'm still thinking about the song's architecture, and this is not a particular kind of objective analysis, just my taste: The lack of elements thrills me. If the song had been played by a grand band, the message wouldn't have been that powerful. Those who really know me already know that I'm a big fan of guitar-and-voice- songs (my brother vouch for that) and I can only think of a strainer: once that the information was freed, it's necesary to strain and keep the solid part. The strainer here was clearly precised and precious: The song is a kick in the chest that we are thanked for.

Coming to a new provice alone and starting from scratch without a house or friends was a risk taken just to build with the few things that one's got a thrilling plan. My heart is no good 'cause it's split in two. Bit by bit,  I've started to open my arms, to give them, and to recieve other people's arms. The follow-up of the heroic “quién dijo que todo esta perdido? Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón” **** What happens when that heart is split in two? When that heart is now useless? Here you have my arms, and I'll hold you like I do love you, as if I really love you, even though you're my best friend or a random tinder guy that I've just met.

Songs: Arms – the paper kites (2018) – Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón – Fito Páez (1985)

***But I'll hold you as if I truly love you

****Who said that everything's lost? I've came here to offer you my heart. Fito Paez's song is much more heroic than The paper kites' song, that's why it goes beyond generations. Somehow it's difficult for me to empathise with such a big deal. “Y hablo de países y de esperanzas / hablo por la vida, hablo por la nada /hablo por cambiar esta, nuestra casa“* now I think that I don't have enough years lived to understand this song. Maybe that's what we -new generations- will contribute to classic's repertoire: non-heroic songs. Are tiredness, frustration and the constant -and clearly failed- attempt to reach those big ideals training us in saving resources? Will little songs be the legacy that we are leaving to coming generations, if the world do not explode before? Will we tear down the hero's figure by dint of little songs?

[wh-wh-whu]

Whumpmas in July 2021 Day 1 - (Re-)Introduce yourself and/or your creations!

Hi! I don’t think I ever made an actual intro post so I’m using this chance!

I am C, 25, and I have been into whump ever since I can remember (though I only learned this word much more recently, and even then I thought it was only about sickfics and stuff for a long time but that’s a story for another day). English is not my first language but I have been reading stuff in English online for over 10 years, and writing for almost as long (though not well, back then) so it’s a language I’m very comfortable using for my writing hobby (it’s even more comfortable than my mother language when it’s spicy stuff).

This blog is probably not older than a few months. I have written and published mildly whumpy stuff for fandoms I’m in before but I felt the need for content that is focused on the tropes rather than on particular characters, and on the way I found some very talented writers and their amazing OC stories. Unfortunately I can’t follow from here as this is a side blog to my fandom account and having a “messy” dash is a nightmare for me, but I check the whump main tag and the blogs of my fav creators + the people on my notes almost daily.

My masterlist is pinned, if anyone is interested. I usually write for a single fandom at a time, so now that I am dividing my time between my main fandom and whumpy stuff, I am still figuring out how to post often in both (how do you multifandom guys do it???), and it doesn’t help that this is a busy year. So my masterlist is currently short, but I hope to expand it soon.

Under the cut I rant about my works that I post here and talk a bit about my fav whump tropes

I am into slavery whump and dehumanization and this sort of thing. I’m not particularly into the “pet aesthetic” part of pet whump but I don’t mind, it and pet whump has a lot of Good Stuff so it’s probably what I have the most of in my reblogs. The part I am the most into is the whumpee having their whole life in someone else’s hand (be it a whumper or caretaker), and being unable to seek help because the whole thing is legal and socially accepted. I’m a big fan of non human whumpees (aliens, robots, clones, fantasy creatures, etc) as long as they look human, like, I want them to mostly look like a regular person but have the added angst bonus of not being one. I think the only whumpee species that is not fully humanoid that I actively search for is merpeople (all because one day I stumbled upon this art and got obsessed with the concept - I have a whole verse based on it that I hope to write soon).

As for my creations, when I was very young I would come up with whumpy scenarios but they were always random, with unrelated original characters I didn’t care much about. One day I got tired of having to come up with world rules every time, and so I made up a verse with well defined rules that I could use for all my scenarios from then on. As time passed, this verse evolved and I grew attached, I started making characters and plots and changing the rules to fit in with my new tastes. I actually started writing this story back in high school (and showed it to people, rip me) and got stuck when I realized making it more whumpy and making the characters be decent people were conflicting goals. I am currently focusing on making it whumpy and posting snippets of it on tumblr since now I know there are people who are into this stuff like I am, bless you guys (both my stories “Ni and Jay and Jane” and “Joy and Henry” come from it, focusing on different characters)

My other story that I post here is focused on my OC Violet, which I made in high school when I was learning to deal with my teen angst. She started as a self insert, but then I made it whumpy and sci fi and gave her self healing abilities and a creepy evil doctor to torture her so I guess it doesn’t even count as self insert anymore. I have three short chapters written of it that I am currently rewriting and translating, but I have a bunch of ideas, old and new, to try.

I also have in my future plans the mer verse I mentioned earlier, other characters from my big whumpy verse that I would like to write about, and a couple of fics from back when I read catboy AUs in fandoms I’m not in anymore that I want to rewrite and make whumpier. I’m basically dumping here a lot of old stuff that I see in a new light since I learned what whump is and that never reached its full potential back then because I thought no one would want to read a story only about a character suffering lol

[lanternburning19]

My (Romantic) Interpretation of Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince

First, we should introduce the characters of the story.

Miss Americana: Taylor. From the very beginning of her career, Taylor was dubbed America's Sweetheart and was branded to be a role model. She avoided talking about sex, showing off her body, and was not shown drinking or partying. She loved (and still loves) being a role model. She is kind, polite, charismatic and has an air of dignity about her. She also is not shy about her love for her country. Her 4th of July parties were highly publicized and has been a big advocate for exercising the right to vote ever since 2008. She is Miss Americana.

But then 2016 happened. And her reputation did a 180. She went from the friendly girl next door to the calculative mean girl. People were routing for her career to die. She went from America's Sweetheart to America's Most Hated.

The Heartbreak Prince: Joe. Rumors say that Joe used to be a huge playboy and never had a serious relationship until Taylor. This is echoed in Taylor's lyrics.

"Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down"

"Do the girls back home touch you like I do?"

"I don't want to be just another ex-love you don't want to see"

It's interesting to me that Joe gets the royal title of "Prince" but Taylor is just "Miss". This alludes to Joe being British and being under a representative monarchy government, where America is not.

Now into the story:

You know I adore you

The song starts out with a declaration of Taylor's love. This ties in with the theme of the Lover album.

Crazier for you

Than I was at sixteen

Lost in a film scene

I believe this is referring to when Taylor first started her career. She was 16 when her first single dropped. While she wasn't in the acting business, she was still in the world of celebrity. Realizing her dreams with her first single and album doing well, she must've felt as if she was walking a cloud, or "lost in a film scene".

Waving homecoming queens

Marching band playing

These lines do two things at once for me. First, they remind me of the You Belong With Me music video in which Taylor plays a high schooler in marching band. Second, these lines evoke a feeling of victory. Homecoming queens usually wave to the student body after being crowned. Marching bands strike up when their team scores. YBWM was a huge hit for Taylor early in her career, and continuing from the previous lines, her early successes probably made her feel victorious.

I'm lost in the lights

The very last line of the first verse takes a sudden turn. The way Taylor sings this is very different from how she sings "lost in a film scene". When she sings "I'm lost in the lights" she sounds breathless and scared. She is no longer feeling the joy of being crowned homecoming queen or the excitement of your team earning a touchdown. She's not lost in the wonderment of it all, she's lost and scared. She got lost in the fame.

American glory

Faded before me

In this verse, we learn that Taylor is scared because her shining moments, her victories, her happiness is slipping away from her. She did not purposely push it away. It faded like a ghost, slipped out of her grasp.

It is interesting that Taylor links homecoming and football games to "American glory". While homecoming may seem like a tradition, it is distinctly an American high school thing.

Now I'm feeling hopeless

Ripped up my prom dress

Running through rose thorns

This is imagery of Taylor wearing a prom dress, and this immediately takes me back to earlier in her career when she used to wear princess-y dresses on tour. She also wore a prom dress in the YBWM music video. And that very same dress was repurposed for the Fearless Tour's performance of Love Story (calling back to the Lover theme).

Taylor ripped up her prom dress. How is unclear to me, because of the lack of punctuation in song lyrics. Is it "Ripped up my prom dress. Running through rose thorns..." Or is it "Ripped up my prom dress running through rose thorns". Did she purposely rip it herself or did it get accidentally torn by the roses?

If she ripped it up herself, it could be symbolic of her wanting to distance herself from the music business, from the fame, from the plastic Party-City homecoming queen crowns. But I don't think that's the case.

It is more likely the dress was ripped unintentionally. The rose thorns seems to be a call back to the line "Rose garden filled with thorns" in Blank Space. This line means that nothing is as it seems. What looks nice and pretty can actually hurt you. The life of celebrity looked pretty to Taylor at first. She wanted to be "lost in the film scene" with all the glory that a homecoming football game brings. But the industry ended up hurting her.

I am, of course, talking about 2016 when Taylor's reputation went from America's Sweetheart to a "snake". She was on top of the world with a hugely successful album and world tour, but became overexposed because of that success. Suddenly, people who posed as her "squad" on the red carpet started turning against her. Ex-friends and ex-lovers who usually kept to themselves started bashing Taylor all over social media. Longtime fans who had bought every album couldn't stop saying bad things about her. Her social media accounts were flooded with hate comments. The media thrived off of using her downfall as a headline.

I saw the score board

And ran for my life

Shortly after this chaos started, Taylor took a step back from the spotlight. She stopped posting of social media, releasing new music, doing interviews, attending award shows. She disappeared.

No cameras catch my pageant smile

With her avoiding the media, the paparazzi couldn't take new pictures of her "pageant" or fake smile.

I counted days

I counted miles

To see you there

To see you there

It's been a long time coming but

It's you and me

That's my whole world

The "you" here is the Heartbreak Prince, or her love. Taylor went through many hard days before she was able to find love.

They whisper in the hallway "she's a bad, bad girl"

This line evokes an image of teenagers gossiping in a high school hallway. So we're back to the high school theme.

The "bad girl" is referencing Taylor's bad reputation that was mentioned earlier. But it also could be referencing her dating life. Taylor was mocked for years for having a rocky dating life. People would joke that men should stay away from Taylor. Taylor is comparing people who spread rumors to immature teenagers.

The whole school is rolling fake dice

The "school" is Hollywood. People obsessed with fame are fake.

You play stupid games

You win stupid prizes

The students at this metaphorical school are focused on the wrong thing. They risk cheating (fake dice) to win a game that in the end, doesn't yield you a fulfilling prize.

It's you and me

There's nothing like this

Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince

But Taylor isn't focused on those "little games" (Look What You Made Me Do) anymore. She's focused on someone that really matters to her.

It's so sad

We paint the town blue

Instead of painting the town red in celebration, they paint the town blue. This line reminds me of how Taylor and Joe painted Patrick's room blue together.

Voted most likely to run away with you

To me, this line is referring to how Taylor has jetted off to different parts of the world to be with Joe.

My team is losing

Battered and bruising

I see the high fives

Between the bad guys

Again, we get another visual of a high school football game. Taylor's team is down and others are celebrating her defeat. This reminds me of the Taylor Swift is Over Party, where people were celebrating the end of her career.

Leave with my head hung

You are the only one

Who seems to care

With the whole world seemingly against Taylor, it must've been a relief to meet someone who actually cared about her feelings.

American stories

Burning before me

This feels to me like a reference to Fahrenheit 451, which is about a dystopian society and the effects of mass media. Miss Americana has crumbled. Her glory days have been burned to the ground without any hope of recovery. Mass media and social media played a part in this.

Instead of just repeating "American glory" Taylor chooses to use "American stories" instead. Perhaps it's because no one wanted to believe her side of the story of things. Her truth was ignored.

I'm feeling helpless

The damsels are distressed

If boys will be boys

Then where are the wise men

Darling, I'm scared

The "damsels in distress" reference flows nicely after the mention of stories. Taylor is feeling like a damsel in distress, but no one is coming to save her.

"Boys will be boys" is an expression often said when a young boy acts reckless to excuse their behavior. Perhaps Taylor is waiting for her knight in shining armor, but he has abandoned her to go do something else. Everyone is excusing his behavior but blaming Taylor.

"If boys will be boys, then where are the wise men?" Is one of my favorite lines Taylor's ever written. If men are all off doing stupid shit, then who's the smart one around here? Where are all the men when it's their time to save the damsel in distress?

No cameras catch

My muffled cries

I counted days

I counted miles

To see you there

This could be referring to a long distance relationship. Miss Americana is going through some hard times, as described in the last 2 verses. But her Prince is not there to comfort her. So she has to hold out for a while.

And now the storm is coming but

It's you and me...

There are much more difficulties that lie ahead of the couple. I love how the last word of the verse is "but". and then it leads in to the romantic chorus. It's going to be hard, BUT, we have each other.

And I don't want you to go

I don't really wanna fight

Because nobody's gonna win

The last words of these lines are a standard cheer for high school football teams. The cheerleaders will yell "Go! Fight! Win!" to encourage the team.

Fighting is mentioned a few times in Lover, in songs like Afterglow, ME!, and The Archer. But in each song, Taylor sings about fighting with remorse. She doesn't want to fight with her loved ones or turn against them. Nobody's going to win in the end of the fight because they'll both be without each other.

And I'll never let you go

Because I know this is a fight

That someday we're gonna win

The last part of the bridge keeps the "Go! Fight! Win!" motif but changed the lyrics so that instead of fighting against each other, it's about fighting for each other. They might face some hardships but they'll be alright if they stick together. This song is an encouragement of their relationship.

In the end, Miss Americana became America's Most Hated and The Heartbreak Prince settled down with someone to love.

[hellyeahsupermanandwonderwoman]

What are your thoughts on the WonderBat pairing seeing how many comic book fans preferring them over Superwonder?

I am not sure where you get the impression many people prefer them more because when it comes to the crunch Batman comic fans generally prefer Selina Kyle aka Catwoman and many Wonder Woman comic fans do not care for Wonderbat because it is a left field , forced coupling based on a kids’ cartoon. That show had Diana, an AMAZON,  chasing after Batman like a teenage girl hot for a date. Batman never reciprocated nor did he ever date her to commit to her.  They had no relationship. So to even call a little bit of flirting a relationship is pretty laughable. 

Batman has romanced, flirted and kissed tons of women.Wonder Woman was never anything special. I get the kids of that time like it but then they knew very little of comics and Diana herself was never fleshed out well in that show. She was mainly used as the one to give Batman the eye.  What the Justice League cartoon did was nothing new. In fact Batman dated Lois in that Timm verse. He and Zatanna had a thing. In comics he and Zatanna actually had something deeper that him and Diana.  He also dated Barbara Gordon and got her pregnant in that same cartoon verse the JL/U is set. 

There has even been interludes with Ivy, Harley in animation, Black Canary in comics, he has a son with Talia, he fell in love with many other women like Vicky   Vale, Silver St Cloud, Julie Madison ...in fact on the whole Batman is a playboy who generally kisses alot of women..  His true love was always Selina. Wonder Woman is a minor distraction in the grand scheme of things. 

There is a reason why you will always see SuperWonder getting page time in books and stories with them rather than WonderBat. DC knows WonderBat does not work on any permanent level. DC knows Diana’s original love interest is Steve Trevor but Superman has played a big role in her life and in many alternate universes and even canon in the new 52 , it will always be Clark paired with her rather than Bruce. Because Clark is a better fit and actually has always had a closer relationship with her than Batman ever had. I am sure some Batman fans love the idea of Diana as a trophy for Batman. The guy has done nothing in the comics to support why they work, other than he is Batman and he somehow deserves her. No one ever thinks what Diana as a woman, and Amazon needs or wants. Wonderbat is the stuff of fans who imo do not understand the characters and their history and this is evidenced by the fact that SuperWonder and Batcat will always have more in the source material and have official merchandising.   We even had romance in the new 52 animated, Lego and Justice League Action. 

Some Bat centric people will try to push the WonderBat agenda...hell even Zack Snyder tried and it flopped. Even the recent Batman/Wonder Woman limited comic by Liam Sharp did not sell well. People are free to ship whatever but “comic fans” do not in any way prefer Wonderbat. DC is hyping up BatCat and their love story and wedding  for a reason because they know Batman fans want that. So I think you need to examine your evidence when you make such a hyperbolic and incorrect statement. 

[layesica]

2019: It was a year that ends tonight.

2018 was rough, right? Well, so was 2019!

I did not feel like writing this, but it’s a tradition now, so for the fifth year in a row, here’s what I did all year with some of the crappy crap that made it not the greatest. I can’t promise an unwavering sense of optimism, but it’s okay. I’m okay. Here we go!

JANUARY Went to The Not Inappropriate Show at UCB curated by the Odenkirks, then Spent New Years Eve at Dynasty Typewriter with Ian & Emily. It was fun, but... eh. Home is better, y’all. Home is always better. Did a couple performances of a show at Second City – A Fonzie Scheme. It was fun. I was in an improv class at The Pack. I think it was Improv 4. The last weekend of January, Very Famous went to Sketchfest, which was super amazing. That’s, like, a goal. And even though it had pretty much nothing to do with anything I did, it was cool. And it was fun. And I was at a party with Neil Patrick Harris and I was SUPER cool about it.

Went to stuff: LA Times screening of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. It was free, and I would have never seen it otherwise. I enjoyed it. It was good.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Toasted Coconut Milk & Cookies (V)

FEBRUARY Made a return trip with Ian & Emily to San Francisco. Well, Oakland with an SF jaunt. I don’t have any cool stories, but Emily fought a seagull for her cookie and won, and that was pretty badass. On the drive back, there was a ton of snow just on the other side of the Angeles National Forest. I wasn’t excited enough to get out of the car, but snow is nice to look at. Oh, I had lunch with one of the head writers on my dream show that my old roommate met at the gym. I am terrible at networking.

Went to stuff: LA Times screening of VICE. It was free, and I would have seen it... eventually. It was... a bit... self-indulgent.

Salt & Straw Flavor: “The Chocolatier Series” = Jeni’s Coffee & Sweet Cream

MARCH Auditioned for a house improv team at The Pack. I didn’t mention working with a practice group all of February & March to prep for that. The biggest bummer about not getting on a team may have been the loss of that practice group. It was fun while it lasted.

Went to stuff: Saw comedy dads, Bob & David, at Largo. They asked for volunteers, and I almost passed just thinking about it. Ian & Emily jumped up there. Good for them!

Salt & Straw Flavor: Smoked Sea Salt & Chocolate Crack

APRIL Interviewed for a new job at one of the guilds. HEY! I owe the government $3700. That’s fun! I went ahead and added a good purse to my new 0 APR card.

Went to stuff: Dana Gould Podcast at Dynasty Typewriter. Panel with Conan Writers at Lyric Hyperion. For some reason, I saw Avengers: Endgame. I dunno. I feel like I should see it through for some reason. Deadline did their day-long FYC event, The Contenders, at Paramount, so I spent all day seeing so many people from TV and eating so much yummy food in between. Amazon FYC at Hollywood Athletic Club – went mostly for the building. Prime seat at Conan taping.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Wildflower Honey with Ricotta Walnut Lace Cookies – I wait all year for this to roll around again!

MAY We were supposed to have a call for a travel show on Buzzfeed, but they ghosted us. I went camping with a huge group at Idyllwild, which would have been fun, but it was FREEZING and I got SUPER sick on the second day. After a few days, I got better and got the guild job. Free insurance, baby! (More on that later.) Bought a Universal pass.

Went to stuff: A UCB show with people from Chicago. Free Booksmart screening with Q&A. Such a good movie! LA Times panel for Broad City. I never really watched it, but I would love to have a partnership like that! Netflix FYSee for Nanette. Guys, people are like vultures for the passed trays. Adam Sandler at Dynasty Typewriter. Attended the actual red carpet, fancy-pants premiere of Amazon’s Late Night. It was enjoyable and not at all realistic, and I could not stop staring at John Early in the theater. He glows!

Salt & Straw Flavor: Pear & Blue Cheese

JUNE Went to stuff: FYSee for Dead To Me. I had not seen it yet, but then I watched it and it’s good. JV show at UCB with Paul F Tompkins. Did a lap at the AT&T Shape event that is always free. I only go to be on the WB lot where I would like to be more often. Like, 40+ hours a week more often. That’s it. I just went to stuff.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Campfire S’mores (with Brian)

JULY SO. MANY. EARTHQUAKES. After the third one, it stopped being cute. Went for a drive to the Angeles Forest and hiked to a waterfall. Did a sketch with Very Famous at Packcon. It was a small group, so I got a part! Huzzah!

Went to stuff: Saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the Cinerama dome. (First visit!) Not a great idea because I kept trying to pick out the scenery and got a bit of motion sickness. Shirtless Brad Pitt on a roof in the ‘70s is nice.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero (2x)

AUGUST Went on a random overnight to San Jose. Time to get panicky about Pack Sketch Teams! I did what I should have done last year and requested to be moved. I loved the people on my team, but I wasn’t getting a return on investment for myself. And that’s no fun. Did a show called Gibberish with Duckboi as Sharon Osborne and wore a great wig. Sketch is fun. Fell off my bike & got bruised legs.

Went to stuff: Mike O’Brien & Friends at Lyric Hyperion. Saw some Pack shows to be a supportive. Put up a sketch at GSY.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Green Fennel & Maple

SEPTEMBER Started working tech at UCB. It’s pretty easy. I get to see new faces... and old faces, too. I have no more comedy theaters to work at. Well, unless someone is going to pay me real money. My vision has been getting blurrier, so I went to the eye doctor to get new glasses. Ended up getting referred to a specialist for a “freckle” in my eyeball, but had to wait a month to go. Submitted a character video for Pack Sketch performer auditions. Got a callback! That’s one step further than last years attempt, and I actually came up with characters and I was pretty proud of it. Came up with more characters, then faced the fear of being on a stage all by myself while trying to be funny. I felt good about it. It used to take a day to find out, but not this time...

Link to Character Audition Video

Went to stuff: Got an AMAZING ticket (location & price) to see Skintight at the Geffen with friggin’ Idina Menzel. She is a queen! It’s a cute theater I should go to more stuff at. Saw Scott Thompson as Buddy Cole at the Lyric Hyperion. So good! I think I’ve seen the evolving show every year I’ve lived here. My face hurts for several days after. Lyndsey got a fancy job and invited me to the Dreamworks Friends & Family screening of Abominable. Would not have seen it. It was cute. Thanks, Lyndsey!

Salt & Straw Flavor: Forgettable

OCTOBER Flew to Denver for my cousin’s wedding. I almost typed, “weeding.” That’s Colorado for you. It was my first time to see my family all year. The time just got away from me. I got a late flight out and spent the day walking around Denver on my own. Went to a good bookstore. Ate some Giordano’s. Left my luggage in a van. Found out I got cut from Very Famous – also, Very Famous got cut from sketch night – and I didn’t make a new team. Started watching new season of Mr. Robot and felt so lost, so started it from the beginning. The new Almodóvar came out, so I bought one of those expensive Arclight tickets. It was very, very good. Maybe my favorite Almodóvar film. Worth it! Saw the specialist about my eye. They dilated it, took a bunch of pictures, did a closed-eye ultrasound (Yeah, they use jelly for that!), and refereed me to another specialist. Hunter picked me up, and I ate at Canter’s for the first time. The specialist’s office made the appointment for me at an oncologist. Guys, I just wanted new glasses and now can’t stop Googling some pretty scary stuff! Lyndsey took me to USC & hung out with me for a while. They dilated my eye, took a bunch of pictures of it with a bunch of different machines, performed an OPEN EYE ultrasound, saw two trainees and then the doctor. She said she is not diagnosing me with melanoma. BUT it has the orange color and a sliver of the fluid that are “concerning.” The pictures of the tumor weren’t as large at the ophthalmologist’s pictures made it look. So... bright side, I guess. I go back in January to check for changes. Margot scooped me up and brought me home. Baby’s first root canal! 

For our very last Very Famous show, everyone got to put up a sketch they wrote. My favorite had too much production, so I did a black out. It turned out great, and I felt loved. It was a very nice way to go out.

Went to stuff: Two weeks after the Arclight screening, the LA Times invited me to see Pain & Glory with a Q&A, so I finally got to be in a room with my favorite director. I may have cried... slightly more than I did just seeing the film.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Black Cat Licorice & Lavender (2 cones, 1 pint)

NOVEMBER It was time for Penelope’s annual visit to the vet, so I rented a car for the weekend and took her. She had lost quite a bit of weight. I sprung for all the tests, and she has kidney disease. Her numbers aren’t terrible, but there’s not really treatment for it. We switched to a new kind of prescription food. All I can do is be good to her and try to keep her hydrated & happy. So... yeah... September – November have been... uh... not so great. On the bright side, I got invited to be in the Night Cap with Stacy Rumaker show as a character! I love this show so much - and when you read a thing in December, this show is the exception to that. I was so nervous, but I pulled it together and think it went very well. It felt good! Also, I am so emotionally invested in Mr. Robot! Mom & Dad came to visit for Thanksgiving and that was a nice relief. It rained most of the time, but we got out at about a bit.

Went to stuff: Vulture Fest screening of MacGruber with Will Forte & John Solomon.

Salt & Straw Flavor: Spiced Goat Cheese & Pumpkin Pie (with Mom & Dad)

DECEMBER Fell off my bike, bruised my legs, and scraped a chunk of skin off my hand. Finally: I left my mark on this town! I was not in the mood to plan a birthday thing, but rented a car to take Penelope for her health certificate she might need to fly home with me, then went on a showtune-belting drive on my birthday. Not the best drive ever, but it was nice to just drive aimlessly. Margot went with me to dinner at an Italian place in Los Feliz. In other news, Penelope gained some weight. Then I flew home for Christmas. I’ve just been sitting around with Mom & Dad, and it has been great. I had lunch with Justin & traditional margaritas & Tex-Mex with Lindsey. I finally did an entire month of morning pages after 4 years, so I may be done with that. Oh, and I (temporarily) quit comedy.

Went to stuff: Saw CATS (can’t hate on a bad movie with bad source material) & Little Women (I cried so much!)

Salt & Straw Flavor: Apple Brandy & Pecan Pie (with Brian), but I’m in Texas now, so I’m ending the year with some Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. Do better, Tyler!

So, that’s it. I was not looking forward to this, but it did make me feel a little better since the crap at the end has just felt like it has beaten me down. I’m not a quitter, but a breaker is maybe a good idea for a bit. I don’t have any resolutions for 2020.

If you’re still here, THANK YOU for reading my yearly download. I hope that you are doing well.

You’re great!

I love you!

Have a great 2020!

[doomedandstoned]

Meet Corey G. Lewis, The Dude Who’s Bringing Grunge Back

~By Jamie LaRose~

Art by Ben House

With the new album sinking into our consciousness, 'Deathspiration' (2018) by The Misery Men invokes the necessity to dig a bit deeper into the creative processes behind its craft. I had the chance to follow-up with Corey G. Lewis, mastermind of the music, and take a glimpse at the band's evolution as portrayed by sound. Deathspiration was recorded and mixed by Steve Jones of Ancient Warlocks at Big Sound Productions in Seattle, and features Jones as drummer.

Deathspiration by The Misery Men

Deathspiration by The Misery Men

The intro track is reminiscent of reflections, leading into a blasting presence of a second track. This album seems to tell a diverse story, can you explain some of the inspiration behind Deathspiration?

Well the intro track is sort of an homage to Neil Young’s Dead Man soundtrack. I’m also really into Dylan Carlson and EARTH. Before I discovered Earth, I’d always described The Misery Men as, Western Doom Noir. That’s evolved into me describing it as Stone Drone. Nevertheless it’s reminiscent of the space between the notes, and the chaos that occurs. The song Sughrue is about C.W. Sughrue, a character from the book Last Good Kiss by the late great James Crumley, also an old friend. Sughrue is a Private Dick that goes off looking for missing woman. “Like a train” barreling down the highway, from Montana to Mexico.

Oh, most importantly, the inspiration behind Deathspiration is the evolution of me as a human. The cathartic shedding of skin. "Harnessing the Darkness" and riding the waves. Sometimes I feel we might be desperate to reach death, to know the truths, while we attempt to be inspired to live life, as we pass through all the adversity, and perspiring blood, sweat, and tears in these moments of our existence.

Deathspiration by The Misery Men

Do you have any secrets of sound to share? What types of techniques present The Misery Men persona?

My secret sound really is simplicity, and the ghost of Leo Fender haunting my amp. I run a 70’s Music Man 112 RP 65-watt amp with an EV bass speaker, through a 2x12 THD Cab, with a phaser pedal, and a Little Big Muff. A wall of fuzz, that is grizzly, meaty, and punchy. I don’t really try to be the tone guy, but I get more compliments about my tone than anything else.

Deathspiration by The Misery Men

"Night Creeps In" presents itself to me as the vertex of the Deathspiration story, it feels ritualistic and defining. Are there any rituals you perform while in the writing process?

This song in particular was written after a girl I was dating for only a week, told me she was going to kill herself. It was pretty heavy, and at the time she texted me, I was walking past Lone Fir Cemetery and wrote her, “sometimes the night creeps in, looking wretched weak and thin. Smiling with its meathook grin.” It was a very heavy experience. When I wrote this song about seven years ago, I was just really getting deep into Dax Riggs of Acid Bath. He’s definitely had a big impact on my music writing since moving to Portland.

Deathspiration by The Misery Men

Aside from the release of Deathspiration, are there any other exciting current happenings with The Misery Men?

We played at Dante’s not long ago with Chris Newman Deluxe Combo. Chris is quintessential to the Portland rock scene and to the whole Pacific Northwest in general. He is famous for his band Napalm Beach, who released their first album in 1981. Without Napalm Beach, The Wipers, and Dead Moon, well Seattle “Grunge” just wouldn’t sound the same. We might all still be playing Hair Metal!

Officially, Deathspiration has been out since last December, but this week it will launch on all digital platforms worldwide. This fall around September or October, expect a new two-part album to drop digitally, recorded by Witch Mountain and The Skull’s own Rob Wrong! It’ll feature 3-4 different local bass players and a couple local drummers, all guitars and vocals have been recorded, and bass/drums will be done by July/August. So far, we've got interest from bass players Billy Anderson (yes, the famous Sleep producer), Matt Howl (Mammoth Salmon), Wayne Boucher (Troll), and Jaden Mcginiss (Legendary Peavy owner, Doorman, Boudicca). All of this will be recorded in Rob’s basement, the same basement Elliott Smith practiced in.

I decided that my second album needed to be done sooner than later, after the 1st was seven years in the making. Deathspiration was recorded in Seattle with Ancient Warlocks drummer Steve Jones, I’m very happy with the way it turned out, it was analog with no filters, no frills, just my raw intensity. The second though I feel needs to be done here in Portland, it is after all according to Greg Sage, DoomTown. Unlike the first one, it’ll be all digital, but still raw and real, capturing my live performance sound. I’m also likely going to have a variety of drummers on the album playing different songs, perhaps even some legendary Portland drummers!

This week I begin practicing with a new drummer for two upcoming gigs. On Saturday, July 6th, we'll be playing with Chronoclops and Stereo Creeps from Seattle at Misdemeanor Meadows in Portland. It's a free show. Then on Friday, July 26th, The Misery Men will be rocking Gil's Speakeasy for a $5 show that includes The Sleer and Breath. I'm Working on gigs for August on through the Fall.

Do you have any memories of childhood that are notably similar to your current state of mind? What type of things about your childhood self were spot-on about who you become? What was your favorite toy?

I knew I’d always wanted to be a Rock n’ Roller or an actor in films. Like pretty much as long as I could remember. I dressed up almost every Halloween as a Punk Rocker in the '80s. My first concert of grand scale was Poison and Warrant 1989, in Bozeman, Montana -- I was in 5th grade. That show changed my life. I also dug rocks in my grandparent’s backyard, but not for pleasure -- my grandfather took advantage of child labor! I’m a rocker through and through. I think I’ve followed my dreams pretty spot on.

Favorite toys were probably GI Joe’s, Star Wars, or my SEGA Genesis. I also built wood swords from fence posts and painted them with finger nail polish as a kid. Think I may have accidentally got high!

What was the moment when you could feel music has become a part of your life? How has writing music helped you, and those around you?

Well, ever since I could remember music was a part of my life. Listening to my mom’s old tapes and records as a kid really impacted me. I was always surrounded by music, my grandparents owned a Rock n’ Roll bar I’m the ‘60s, '70s, and '80s, called The Wrangler Bar in Livingston, MT. It’s featured in the film Rancho Deluxe about some wild young cattle rustlers, starring Jeff Bridges, and Sam Waterson. There’s a scene with Jimmy Buffett playing "Livingston Saturday Night" while Jeff and Sam play Pong. I’ve played that same machine as a kid! There was always a jukebox, I loved playing Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City," Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n’ Roll," Ozzy's "Bark at the Moon," Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "Hell Is For Children," and Billy Squire's "The Stroke"!

In 7th and 8th grades, I really was into The Doors, The Beatles, Hendrix, and I was in a English class for kids who couldn’t really focus on reading Lord Of The Rings. In this class our teacher would have us listen to our favorite music at home, then with the feelings we got, write our own poetry. I often listened to Hendrix, especially Axis: Bold As Love and Electric LadyLand, so there were plenty of references to fantasy in my early lyrics. This really helped me learn to become a lyricist, and take an interest in poetry. Most importantly, it gave me an outlet. Around the same time, I got heavy into Henry Rollins. When I saw the video for "Liar" with Hank all painted red, I thought, “I wanna be that guy!” I bought Get in The Van and it became my Bible. All the while I was into Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden.

Is there a way to describe when you feel most productive or most relaxed? How is your state of mind best explained while writing music?

I’m most productive when I feel inspired. Or when the Sun is out and I’m well rested. I like the Sun, except in extreme heat, then I wanna murder the Sun. I was born at night, so I’m a Moon child. I definitely get more inspired and productive writing at night. A few years ago when I was reworking an old song that turned out to be Harness The Darkness, I took a wee bit of LSD or mushrooms -- I’m more of a microdose kind of guy -- found myself going down some deep wormholes to connect a lot of dots that would go on to make up the six verses of the song, that I eventually dropped into four, because it was the most exhausting song to play! I’m a Beatnik kid. I got into the Beat style of writing early on. So, letting the stream of consciousness come flowing out seems to work well for me. I can keep a pretty decent rhyme or off rhyme too.

What is the most peculiar thing that anyone has ever said to you?

Hmmmm. Can you keep a secret? From experience, always tell them no, because sometimes people will lay some heavy shit on you, and maybe you didn’t want to be that person to carry their burden. I’m not a Priest, or a therapist, sometimes it’s fine to listen to friends, but there’s some things you can’t unhear or unsee!

Do you have a message for the universe?

I call it the "Megaverse," as coined by quantum physicist Leonard Susskind -- but my message is to be real, be compassionate, be loving, be forgiving, be understanding, be courageous, be ever evolving, and in the words of E.T.: “Beeeeee Gooooooddd.”

The Great Misery Men Giveaway!

Don't miss your chance to add the gritty album Deathspiration to your library! Grab one of the Bandcamp codes below (first come, first served) and redeem it right here.

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2018 Book Recap!

If you follow me on twitter you saw this already, but here’s my favorites I read this year.

They weren’t all 2018 releases, but they’re what hit my kindle/bookshelf and stood out! In reverse order, basically, of when I read them. Check out the list below - it’s a little eclectic.

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Works of Fred Rogers (Maxwell King) - My toddler is ALL ABOUT Mr. Rogers. Turns out he was just as wonderful in life as he was on TV. If you’ve got a small person in your life who loves him (or you were one), I recommend this deep dive into his life and legacy.

Blackfish City (Sam J. Miller) - This sat on my kindle for months before I opened it, but once I passed the first few chapters and got into the world, I blew through 90% in a day. Beautifully woven storytelling, deep worldbuilding. Infrastructure, plague, and culture clash: three things that win me instantly. PLUS a nonbinary POV character!!

A Conspiracy of Truths (Alex Rowland) - I hate unreliable narrators, and yet, here I am, in love with this book. I finished the audiobook (which is BEAUTIFULLY narrated!!) and actually yelled out loud when there wasn’t any more. WHAT A WORLD. Economics, legal drama, and grumpy characters: three more things I can’t resist in a novel.

A Duke by Default/A Princess in Theory (Alyssa Cole) - I hadn’t read much romance until this year, and I don’t know why because turns out I love it. Or at least, I love Alyssa Cole’s work. Both of these had great heroines and super fun supporting casts. I loved both of them equally. I want the next one immediately.

Witchmark (C.L. Polk) - Everyone said I’d love this. EVERYONE WAS RIGHT. Magic! Bikes! Social class based on a false meritocracy! MURDER! MAGIC-SCIENCE BLEND! REALLY FREAKY PAYOFF! Read it. You’re missing out if you don’t.

Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik) - Now, I’ve loved Naomi Novik’s work for about fifteen years. I knew I’d like this one. What I didn’t expect was to have to lie down for a few hours to contemplate it after reading it in one go. I love a main character who ISN’T traditionally sympathetic but you love anyway. Beautifully woven folklore and feeling.

Legend (and sequels) (Marie Lu) - I love YA dystopias with all my heart. This was such a great one. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I loved seeing the broader world than is usually seen in a post-apocalyptic setting (how DO other governments handle the end of the old way??) Just a delightful read.

Fuzzy Nation (John Scalzi) - I tried to minimize my white men on my reading list this year, but Scalzi is always an exception. I LOVE the original work, and this is a beautiful update. But then, legal battles in space will always win me over. Love it just as much as HBP’s, which is a pretty high bar to cross.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Julie C Dao) - This took me a while to get through, because it was so, I don’t know, filled with impending doom? This little book had such a dark, blood-soaked voice, and I love a fairytale retelling that DOESN’T go how you expect. Absolutely worth reading. Lush setting, high body count.

The Poet X (Elizabeth Acevedo) - If I had known this was all in verse, I wouldn’t have picked it up. So I’m really glad I didn’t know that. If that turns you off, listen to the audiobook. A phenomenal performance. What an immersive experience this book was. It’s stuck with me for months after reading.

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (Meg Elison) - I love post-apocalyptic stories. This was a brutal one. Explores how different communities deal in the face of disaster, and not for the weak of stomach. But one of my favorite PA books of the year for sure. Bought the sequel and finished both in one day.

An Extraordinary Union/A Hope Divided (Alyssa Cole) - The other set of her books I devoured this year. The first slavery-era US romance I’ve read that didn’t leave a sour taste in my mouth. The way she builds her characters and their bonds is just SO #goals.

Orientalism (Edward Said) - I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, and I finally made it through this year. A little dated, maybe, but a dense brick of really interesting thinking and history. A classic for a reason!! The audiobook is GREAT.

Americanah (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) - I love a character who is lying to herself! And I love a book where the backstory is meted out in drips and dabs. A dive into communities I know very little about, some of which are right around the corner from me. Ifemelu is a completely solid character, one that feels ABSOLUTELY real.

Trail of Lightning (Rebecca Roanhorse) - If you’ve read her short fiction, you know she’s a master. This lived up to it. Post-apocalyptic Navajo monsterhunters? Exactly as awesome as promised. The mythology and worldbuilding are perfection.

The Calculating Stars/The Fated Sky (Mary Robinette Kowal) - THESE BOOKS! I love alternate history, I love space, I love characters who confront prejudice within themselves and without! Every character makes SENSE, even when they’re awful! All the science feels absolutely real! I WANT TO GO TO SPACE

The Book of M (Peng Shepherd) - My goodness, I read a lot of post apocalyptic novels this year? This one has one of my personal fears - memory loss that can’t be stopped. Another great blend of science and maybe-magic and spirituality (?) and how humans cope with weird, horrifying, tragic things.

Alexander Hamilton (Ron Chernow) - I figured before seeing Hamilton I needed to read the book, and I’m really glad I did. Super engaging, with just the right blend of anecdote and data. After reading this I definitely annoyed my mother and my spouse during the whole musical by whispering trivia at them.

War Against All Puerto Ricans (Nelson Denis) - I’m ashamed to say I knew very little about the history of Puerto Rico. After reading this book, that really pisses me off. The US really did PR wrong, and continues to do so. A vital read for anyone interested in US history.

Cinder/Scarlet/Winter/Cress (Marissa Meyer) - Apparently people have been into these for years and I’m just hitting them now. Fun YA, a genre I’ve missed (I like all this hard-hitting, serious YA, but sometimes over the top silly is absolutely necessary!). Spouse and I enjoyed pointing out all the absurd fairy tale tropes.

Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel) - !!! I’m ALL ABOUT books that weave together multiple stories that you KNOW how to intersect somehow but you don’t know HOW IT WILL HAPPEN! Post apocalyptic, weaving stories over fifteen years, all connecting to the life of one guy as the apocalypse hits. GREAT.

All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes (Maya Angelou) - Yes, I’m well past missing the boat here. But I’m catching up. My goodness, she’s a beautiful writer. And the period covered in the book is spellbinding and brutal and painful and gorgeous.

Cooking is Terrible (Misha Fletcher) - Okay, do you have like twelve minutes and four dollars to cook dinner every night? THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. Easy recipes in non-threatening form, with going off-script absolutely encouraged. I read this start to finish and have been referring back FREQUENTLY as I cook.

Front Desk (Kelly Yang) - THE MIDDLE GRADE BOOK I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED. Oh, this was wonderful. I want to give this to every ten year old I know (which is actually none?). Mysteries! Racism! Badass middle schoolers! Intra-community problems! Three-dimensional characters! YES!

Edge of Nowhere (Felicia Davin) - SPACE ROMANCE! Teleportation! Cafe-owning lesbians! Sweet big stoic guy/small angry disaster guy romance (my FAVORITE KIND)! SPACE SPORTS! Space HEIST!!!! Alternate dimensions! YES.

Everything I Never Told You (Celeste Ng) - This one hurt. What real, beautiful, flawed, horrible characters. All their choices made sense in context, all their pain felt real, and I didn’t want to leave them when the book ended. Content warnings for child death. The 1970s have never felt so close.

Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng) - I usually hate books that start at the end, but this one earned it. Disaster rich people are kind of my jam, especially when they have consequences. And again the characters were the stars. I felt like I knew everyone, and I loved them even when they were awful.

Into the Drowning Deep (Mira Grant) - I’m never going in the ocean again. Mermaids have been ruined forever. Terrifying. Great characters, some of whom die horribly. Scary scary unending horrorshow. But oh, what a way to go. Gory fun filled with great representation.

Uprooted (Naomi Novik) - I was so delighted by Spinning Silver I almost forgot that I loved this one NEARLY as much! Scary forest, plenty of fantasy/fairytale tropes turned on their heads. Disaster love interest. Competent, frustrated main character. A+.

The Beauty that Remains - There were a lot of dead friends books this year, and this was my favorite in the not-police-related category of those. Strangers whose lives weave together around the deaths of three people close to them all, and the band that brought them all closer. Gorgeous.

An Indigenous People’s History of the US (Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz) - Another one that’s absolutely vital in filling gaps in the history I’ve learned of this country. Engaging writing and strong voice. Didn’t give me any warm patriotic fuzzies, that is for sure.

Company Town (Madeline Ashby) - Floating future town! Unions! Murder! Loved it.

The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) - I know the boat on this was a couple years ago, but what a chilling, brutal, beautiful book. The slight speculative element was just the perfect touch to give it a flavor of myth, if that makes sense. Steel yourself before reading.

River of Teeth (Sarah Gailey) - HIPPOS! IN THE MISSISSIPPI! This was a DELIGHT from start to finish. Leverage on HIPPOS in the Wild West?! YES PLEASE.

The Wanderers (Meg Howrey) - Astronauts on a simulated mission to Mars basically all break down, as does everyone around them. I adored this book. I loved the thousand POVs because each one was its own distinct voice. I loved the different ways everybody fell apart!

Infomocracy (Malka Older) - WORLDBUILDING!!!!!! Future elections, future political system, future tech, all brilliantly built. I need to read the sequels, but I haven’t managed to work up the brainpower I know they deserve!!! READ THIS if you like scifi political minutiae (I DO)

The Poppy War (RF Kuang) - The first half is Tamora Pierce, the second half is George RR Martin, but better. This was nothing like what I expected. Absolutely staggeringly, brutally beautiful. What a bold novel. Will buy anything else she ever writes sight unseen.

Warcross (Marie Lu) - This is what I wanted Ready Player One to be. Virtual reality gaming with real life consequences. References and fantastic characters. The sequel is just as good.

Zeroboxer (Fonda Lee) - BOXING IN SPACE! Secret science!! MYSTERIES!! All things I love.

Dread Nation (Justina Ireland) - GREAT. Zombies during the Civil War. A heroine who takes no shit and instead takes zombie heads off. COMBAT SCHOOLS. SUPER GREAT.

An Ember in the Ashes (Sabaa Tahir) - I didn’t expect to love this the way I did, but I devoured it, and the two sequels, each in about a day. This felt like all the best parts of old-school fantasy novels, the thick kind you shoved in your backpack in seventh grade, but BETTER. And I love a good Evil Roman!

Space Opera (Catherynne Valente) - Queen meets Hitchhiker’s Guide! This was a JOURNEY from start to finish, a glorious, absurd, delightful meditation on fame and Eurovision and what it means to be worthwhile and human and a person. YES.

The Broken Earth (NK Jemisin) - More like the BROKEN ME after reading these. Periapocalyptic fiction, absolutely 100% deserving every award and more. Content warning for very small child death brutally described, and more horrors. NK Jemisin goes HARD.

American Islamophobia (Khaled A Beydoun) - Could not put this down. I learned an astonishing amount, especially about the historical place of Islam, Muslims, and Islamophobia in the US. A hard read, but worth the work.

All the Birds in the Sky (Charlie Jane Anders) - Okay, I have to admit it, I have no idea what was going on in this book. But that didn’t stop me from loving it!! Witches and technology and animals and weird apocalyptic nonsense! DELIGHTFUL

Anger is a Gift (Mark Oshiro) - Another YA book that pulled no punches. What a phenomenal look into the way kids and communities of color move through the world, and how the world moves against them.

History is All You Left Me (Adam Silvera) - SO MANY DEAD FRIEND BOOKS THIS YEAR. A great use of the start at the middle, work both directions format, it covers both the time before the death of the MC’s ex and the fallout. I wept through most of it.

White Tears (Hari Kunzru) - Horror, and the villain is essentially appropriation. Very satisfying! The author’s love of music comes through. A nerdy, scary, millennial read.

Love, Hate and Other Filters (Samira Ahmed) - Loved this. Melded teen interpersonal drama, family expectations vs. dreams, and confronting the world and the way they see you all at once, woven together in a beautiful way.

A People’s History of the US (Howard Zinn) - Obviously this is great. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by his son. Sobbed through the child labor chapters. Cheered at the union chapters. Loved it.

Thornfruit/Nightvine/Shadebloom (Felicia Davin) - I LOVE WORLDBUILDING. This is a fantasy on a world that doesn’t turn, so night and day are DIRECTIONS, not times. SO COOL. And I adore the main character. Small Angry/Large Shy is the BEST ROMANCE TROPE. The magic and language is beautifully developed.

Tempests and Slaughter (Tamora Pierce) - Look. I’ll read a gonorrhea brochure if Tamora Pierce writes it. So you knew this would be on the list. But it earned its spot! I love Numair in the Daine series, and he’s a tiny ball of feelings in this. I need more.

Unfamiliar Fishes (Sara Vowell) - I’ve always been interested in Hawaiian history, and though this was a little light and memoir-y for my taste, it contained a shocking amount of information that went down easy in her light, friendly style. Absolutely worth the couple hours it’ll take you.

The Only Harmless Great Thing (Brooke Bolander) - Elephants! Memory! What it means to have value! What we owe other beings! Radium! Sharp and dark and deeper than it has any right to be.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 28th July 2019

This is going to be pretty short and rushed I imagine, but we’ll see.

Top 10

Now, we have a funny top four, similarly to last week, full of Ed Sheeran, but not at our top spot, as “Senorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello is back at #1 for a second week after our number-two took it last week.

Our number-two, by the way, down one spot from last week, is “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid. Now, the rest of the top four is Ed Sheeran.

First of all, at number-three, we have “I Don’t Care” featuring Justin Bieber returning at number-three, which, due to nonsensical chart rules, must be some kind of record for highest re-entry ever on the chart. We’ll talk about this more in the dropouts section.

Oh, yeah, and to my surprise, “Cross Me”, also by Ed Sheeran, featuring Chance the Rapper and PNB Rock is not moving at number-four. I figured this one would be in freefall.

Thanks to a Justin Bieber remix, and well, not much else, Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” is up eleven spaces to number-five? I’m puzzled about this one, honestly, if anyone could tell me what happened here I’d appreciate it; this should be floundering in the top 30 right now.

Thanks to the rise of “bad guy”, however, Lewis Capaldi’s “Hold Me While You Wait” is down a spot to number-six. Please drop off quicker, I’m begging you.

Also down a single spot on the chart is AJ Tracey’s “Ladbroke Grove” at number-seven.

Eilish claims another victim as MIST and Fredo’s “So High” is also down one spot to number-eight. Don’t worry, all of these songs will rebound.

Oh, and “Wish You Well” by Sigala and Becky Hill is also down a space to number-nine, but I’m still disputing the fact that song exists.

The #10 spot is, once again, held by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, Young Thug, Mason Ramsey and now that guy from BTS. Congratulations on a record-breaking 17th week at #1 in the US, but here in Britain, it seems oddly stable at #10, I expect streaming cuts to kill it any time now.

Climbers

Freya Ridings’ “Castles” is up eight more spaces off the debut two or so weeks ago, entering the top 20 at #18 and becoming her second ever single to chart there. I’m not complaining, it’s a pretty good song. Outside of the top 20, we have only one other gain here, and that’s “Ritual” by Tiesto, Jonas Blue and Rita Ora gaining more traction than I expected 12 spaces up to #28. I hope this doesn’t reach the top 20, it’s pretty trite and honestly would make an awful fit for Ora’s next album whenever in the next decade that comes out.

Fallers

We have plenty of these, however. First of all, “Goodbyes”  by Post Malone and Young Thug continues its unfortunate slow-burning dive down five spots to #17, with “Someone You Loved” close in front by Lewis Capaldi at #19, thankfully down five spaces from last week. It’s not fast enough, but I’m just glad this is on its way out. D-Block Europe’s “Home” is down five to #25 after surprisingly staying pretty stable on its second week. The biggest surprise here, yet at the same time not a surprise to me at all, is Krept & Konan’s “I Spy” with Headie One and K-Trap collapsing down 14 positions to #32. While most British trap has a pretty short chart run, I at least expected this to last longer than any given D-Block Europe song. Oh, and “One Touch” by Jess Glynne and Jax Jones is on its way out down seven spots to #35 after pretty much flopping, especially considering it’s a Glynne lead single.

Dropouts & Returning Entries

Thanks to a nonsensical UK chart rule that to be fair made sense for situations like an Ed Sheeran album bomb, “Take Me Back to London” featuring Stormzy disappears entirely from its number-three debuts last week, and was replaced by “I Don’t Care”, which dropped out from #2 last week. It must be really confusing for those who don’t know all the chart rules to see stuff like this. Elsewhere, we have a couple dropouts so the new arrivals can move in, with “Bounce Back” by Little Mix proving that the damage control single doesn’t work, after dropping out of the top 40 in its sixth week from #34. Miley Cyrus’ “Mother’s Daughter” is out from #36, which isn’t a surprise, and neither is “Love of My Life” by Remedee, Not3s and Young Adz dropping out off the debut at #37. Young Thug’s “The London” with J. Cole and Travis Scott is also out from #38 and since we have no returning entries, let’s get straight to the new arrivals.

NEW ARRIVALS

#40 – “RAN$OM” – Lil Tecca

Produced by Nick Mira and Taz Taylor – Peaked at #11 in Canada and #19 in the US

I really did not want to talk about this song. This is... “Lil Tecca”’s first UK Top 40 hit (Yes, that is his name, it’s dreadful) and the 16-year-old’s first major-label single. He has like eight songs out and he’s essentially a younger, less interesting or even convincing A Boogie wit da Hoodie clone. A Boogie even has a song called “Ransom” that sparked a lot of buzz in him back when he started out. Some may say it’s the melodic New York trap scene repeating itself, I say it’s a clear “Homage” (Read: trend-hopping and copying another rapper for the sake of this complete nobody getting a lot bigger, especially now he has a label behind him). Nobody is talking about how he’s probably some kind of industry plant because nobody cares about the person, Lil Tecca, they care about the song, “Ransom”. This guy has no star power at all or even any potential as a legitimately interesting artist. Okay, let’s stop stalling and get to the meat and potatoes of this song, which are that hook and that video. The video, while uninteresting, was directed by Cole Bennett of Lyrical Lemonade and hence propelled the song to, you know, any sense of popularity, which it wouldn’t have gathered before at all, at least not to the heights of a worldwide smash and top 20 hit in the US. God, this guy infuriates me. I’m definitely going to talk about this song a bit more in January, if you catch my drift, but essentially, this song is melodic trap boiled down to its essence, with a Lil Tjay type beat carrying a Juice WRLD type rapper. There’s one barely-a-verse which lasts about 24 seconds, but the issue is the song is two minutes and 11 seconds long, and, yes, that chorus is infectious but not nearly as powerful as he thinks it is to carry the song for this long, especially since he has no charisma. It sounds like a Python programme wrote and performed a rap song, it really is some of the most monotonous, non-descript garbage to come out of SoundCloud rap. I hate this, it’s definitely on my worst list for 2019, and next!

#38 – “Sorry” – Joel Corry

Produced by Joel Corry

Is it bad that my first observation about this song is that some rapper is going to mention this in a sappy out-of-character love ballad? I mean, think about it, “Sorry” and Joel Corry rhyme. It’s going to happen. Anyway, who’s Joel Corry, you ask? Good question. His Wikipedia page or lack thereof redirects me to a record label called Ostereo which seems pretty successful, and they have a tiny paragraph on Corry. Apparently, he started establishing himself as a DJ on the MTV reality show Jersey Shore. This isn’t looking great, I know, but bear with me, he’s also a body-builder and now presents a radio show on KISS FM. Okay, so, really, much like Lil Tecca, he’s a complete nobody who got picked up by some big label who couldn’t care less about artistic intent, except this is a little more intriguing, considering Ostereo is an independent label and Joel Corry is a DJ, so I’m assuming it’s EDM and I’m right, but it seems snipped from a DJ set. You can tell in the intro, it sounds like the end of a song and an abrupt bleep transition, maybe that’s just for artistic effect but it doesn’t sound great. This is pretty standard deep pop-house, with an unnamed female vocalist singing over a lot of snare and keys, with plenty orchestral stabs to remind you a song is playing. Albeit oddly-mixed at times, the build-up is pretty affective, the drums sound cheap as hell though, as does that drop, it’s really anti-climactic and doesn’t really work at all. The final build-up and drop is admittedly pretty epic though, it gets rid of the anti-climactic minimalism and leaves just a club-ready synth melody over a lot of strings, it sounds really cool is what I’m saying. The build-up itself is manic as well, very interesting, and the singer seems to be a sample from Monsta Boy’s “Sorry! (I Didn’t Know)” featuring Denzie, and, yes, I know samples aren’t typically considered guest spots but the female vocalist is instrumental to this song and its success so surely a featured credit wouldn’t hurt. It’s not Denzie, and by the way, this is so much better than that Monsta Boy song thanks to how Denzie is one of the most incompetent singers known to man, and this female vocalist is actually pretty talented despite singing the exact same lyrics, and referencing Brandy, as in “The Boy is Mine” Brandy, which was unexpected. I’ve searched it up and I can’t find her anywhere, not even on the Genius page, so to me this is just a bit of a douche move.

Edit: I’ve done some extra research and the vocalist is Hayley May. It’s also from the Love Island soundtrack apparently, which makes me like the song a lot less on principle. I’d love to see more from May though, she doesn’t even have a writing credit on this song.

#36 – “Hate Me” – Ellie Goulding and Juice WRLD

Produced by Jason Evigan and The Monsterz & the Strangerz – Peaked at #18 in Hungary and #82 in the US

Oh, Ellie Goulding exists. Yeah, I forgot about that. Listen, I don’t hate Ellie Goulding, far from it, I think she’s fine, but at least lately after about 2015 or so, she has not been nearly as interesting as I want her to be, especially because the songwriting chops are definitely there. When I saw her collaborate with emo-rapper Juice WRLD of all people, I knew this would be far from interesting or good so I’m honestly starting to lose hope in that upcoming album, especially since her other singles “Sixteen” and “Close to Me” were far from special. This is Goulding’s 22nd(!) UK Top 40 hit and Juice WRLD’s third, and, yeah, this isn’t great. That hook is really desperate and this would work if her delivery wasn’t bratty and the lyrics really don’t fit and it feels very cluttered and rushed, like they’re just trying to get it over with... which makes sense, I mean that’s the topic of the song but it’s not convincing, because she wants an answer and she wants it quick, so she’d stop at nothing, surely, but the song’s really short and doesn’t really have any lasting impact. Juice WRLD doesn’t freaking exist, gladly, he doesn’t even join in with the chorus really, which by the third repetition gets really aggravating. The production is an airy mess with trap percussion and cloudy synths that cover Juice WRLD’s vocoder-fuelled performance to the point of not being able to recognise him. It’s not good at all, but I feel it’s just tolerable and bland enough for me to not dislike it. I never thought I’d say this, but Lil Peep did it better.

#12 – “How Do You Sleep?” – Sam Smith

Produced by Ilya – Peaked at #4 in Singapore and #29 in the US

Sam Smith’s second single from this upcoming new album and era, after the success of “Dancing with a Stranger” with Normani, seems to be a lot more energetic especially in comparison with his other two albums he’s released. He seems to have ditched the shoddy pop-soul and has gone straight into more danceable territory, which I’m not complaining about. I loved him on “Latch” and “La La La”, and thought “Dancing with a Stranger” was pretty cool, but other than that there’s not a single song by Smith that I like. Anyway, this is his 14th UK Top 40 hit, and you know what, it’s not bad at all. I love the twinkling synths that carry the song’s main melody, they’re cute but paired with trap percussion and intense sub bass can come off as both oddly sinister as well as infatuated, fitting with the content and subject matter of this song, in which Smith questions how his partner sleeps when he has Smith tangled in a toxic relationship which he can’t get out of, and that “love will keep them up tonight”. I love the second verse, where Smith admits he’s lost himself in his relationship through his subtly Auto-Tuned vocals that are still pretty impressive. The chorus is incredibly catchy while still being powerful and despite all this, that drop kind of sucks. After a great vocoder vocal bridge, the drop is really weak and squeaky, especially with that screechy synth tone, which doesn’t sound as melodramatic or pained as the rest of the song, and instead sounds incredibly lazy. It might grow on me, as the weeping of the drop is kind of humorous right now but could easily fit in with the song’s overall tone and mood, but we’ll see. Overall, this song surprised me, it’s actually really good bar from the trap and EDM elements possibly bogging it down a bit, I think Smith’s songwriting is definitely what shines here instead of Ilya’s production, which is disappointing since I usually love his production.

Conclusion

Yeah, I’m shocked too, but Best of the Week goes to Sam Smith for “How Do You Sleep?”, and Honourable Mention is reluctantly going to “Love Island anthem”, “Sorry” by Joel Corry featuring Hayley May, even if it’s not all that good, only decent. Dishonourable Mention is going to Ellie Goulding and Juice WRLD for “Hate Me” because of course it is, and Worst of the Week should be pretty damn obvious, it’s Lil Tecca’s for “RAN$OM”. Follow me on Twitter @cactusinthebank for more musical ramblings and I’ll see you next week.

hideu

[furederiko]

The third and final 'Lucky Seven' date of the month (07.27.17, right?)! And the final Random-News-Digest for July! Today's R-N-D is also Part 2 (of 2) of the San Diego Comic Con International 2017 related coverage. This time around, they are all things Marvel-ous. Excelsior...!!!

NOTE: Since the whole page will be entirely Marvel related, it will be written chronologically to their SDCC schedule. Each title will also be assigned in its own category, not grouped into 'Marvel Studios' and 'Marvel TV' like I've always done. Oh, and the images used above are obviously courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter and Marvel Studios Visual Development Team (that one's Ryan Meinerding's art to be precise). All credits goes to their respective owners! Long story short, I suffered a blackout TWO times when I was writing this. Forcing me to start over and over again all day. That's why I haven't had time to actually proofread it (as well as the 1st Part). I'll try to do that as soon as possible, but please pardon for any tipo or grammatical error if you happen to stumble into any. Thanks in advance!

Marvel's Inhumans

Marvel TV and ABC Studios led Marvel's SDCC 2017 big panel on July 20th, by headlining "LEGION", their collaboration with FX Network. A bit odd if you ask me, considering that's a FOX product... but never mind that. Marvel TV Head Jeph Loeb then continued the presentation on 06:15 PM PST, by bringing the cast of the upcoming "Inhumans" series to same venue, Ballroom 20.

Loeb reentered while wearing that hideous Medusa's wig, a clear but hopefully unintentional attempt to spite those fans who have been criticizing it. To be honest, that was NOT a cool thing to do, especially for someone who would received an award by the SDCC commitee the day after. He welcomed showrunner the almighty Scott Buck, drector Roel Reine, and actors Anson Mount, Iwan Rheon, Serinda Swan, Eme Ikwuakor, Isabelle Cornish, Ken Leung, Ellen Woglom, Sonya Balmores, and Mike Moh, who were all holding a stuffed Lockjaw doll in their hand. The panel then showed several exclusive footage from the first couple of episodes. Some bits of those would later be released online via Marvel Entertainment's channel as a new trailer. Now about that new trailer...

Seriously?!! For the love of Lockjaw, it was indeed better with the VFX, but worse with all the ridiculous corniness and campiness that made me feel... embarassed as I seen it. And here I thought The CW's Arrowverse were already somewhat corny. And THAT song choice? Others might... like it, but it was totally NOT my cup of tea. Clearly, it was an attempt to emulate the style of James Gunn and the retro tune aspect of "Guardians of the Galaxy". But... one that failed miserably in my dictionary. It was grating so much on my nerves all through the trailer, that I had to put it on MUTE the second time I played it again (with the intention to get some screengrab, but decided to lose that thought and rinse it out of my head right away). Not only Scott Buck is faulty as a showrunner, I do think he has poor taste in style and music.

Fans got what they wanted, as in to see the VFX effects on Medusa's hair in action. Unfortunately, I have a weird STROOONG feeling that those effects, as well as the others' abilities, will be most of the VFX we'll see in the show. Why? Remember "Iron Fist"? That series had waaay too many chit-chat and dialogues, that all the cool scenes were already spoiled in its trailers. I'm concerned the same thing is happening with this show too. Since we're speaking about VFX, I wonder if this is the final product? For some reason, this felt cheap and fake. I'd be VERY surprised if Mark Kolpac and his team are the one behind this, considering the ones he developed for Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." looked way sophisticated and believable. I'd gladly take Robbie Reyes' Ghost Rider transformation scene or Daisy Johnson's quaking anytime, over what this series had shown me so far.

Apparently, this extended trailer would be played alongside Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" screenings on IMAX theatres. Personally? I'm not sure if that's even a wise decision, considering this didn't even scream IMAX-worthy. Then again, IMAX is paying for this show, so of course, the studio has to deliver one, right? But if you ask me to pay to see it? I'll totally pass. Once again, no disregard, but... just not my cup of tea. Marvel's "Inhumans" will debut on September 1st, 2017 on IMAX Theatre for two weeks. The same footage will then premiere with additional scenes on September 29th, 2017 on ABC.

Marvel's Runaways

This one didn't actually arrived on SDCC 2017, but the news hit the market the same day the "Inhumans" panel took place. Coincidence much? I doubt. "Runaways", the show that was once reported to be released in 2018, will be arriving MUCH sooner than expected. Hulu unveiled the Fall Premiere dates for their exclusive shows, and guess what? "Runaway" is among them, set to be released in November! Of course, it's a good news, even if I won't be able to see it. From the looks of it, this series will be even more faithful to the source material than say, "Inhumans", notable because the comic writer himself is involved directly in it. So assuming the worse happens, that "Inhumans" turns out to be a bad show, Marvel TV already has something to counter the possible negative impact by delivering this in just two months after. Who knows, this might be the show that Marvel TV and Marvel fans in general has been waiting for. I think it's safe to say we can expect that (once leaked) trailer to officially arrive very soon. All (?) 10 episodes of "Runaways" Season 1 will premiere on November 21st, 2017.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Let's take a quick detour to the game zone now. This time, for Marvel's popular crossover fighting game with CAPCOM. Yes, the highly anticipated but sadly much criticized franchise had its own dedicated panel on July 21st, 11:15 AM PST at Room 6BCF. CAPCOM used the opportunity to announce four more playable character to the core launch roster. Friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man as representative from Marvel, while Frank West of "Dead Rising", Nemesis of "Resident Evil", and Mike Haggar of "Final Fight" entered the arena from the CAPCOM side. A gameplay video featuring these characters was later debuted through the game's official channel.

It's actually a bit ironic that only ONE Marvel character was revealed in this event. Not to mention, one that is partially a SONY property. I would've expected Marvel to ask CAPCOM to at least, deliver more Marvel characters, particularly new ones that hasn't been part of the franchise like Gamora or Black Panther. Instead, all four of these characters are known to be 'veterans' in the franchise, having been featured in at least one iteration in the past. So yeah, not really a wise decision if you ask me. But who am I to argue, right? "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 19th, 2017.

Marvel's The Defenders

Netflix held their 2nd grand Hall H presentation on July 21st, 05:15 PM PST, and of course, it's for one of their most popular series: the Marvel Netflix-verse. Before the panel got to its big event, Loeb became the star of show as he was awarded with "Inkpot Award" for his excellence in comics and television. I'm not too keen on the guy anymore, but it was a good moving moment, and I'm happy for him.

It didn't take long for the spotlight to be taken away from him though, because actor Jon Bernthal showed up, stealing all attention as the panel's first surprise. He also delivered the first exclusive footage from his upcoming series, Marvel's "The Punisher" (is it... this one?). From what I've read online, the team behind this show had successfully and also faithfully continued Frank Castle's arc from Marvel's "Daredevil" Season 2. I got the feeling, that they have managed to create an amazing balance to Castle's dual emotional struggle. One of his loneliness and grieve over losing his beloved family, and one that is anger and vengeance and he mercilessly track down those who are responsible for it. Sure, the big boss of said violent operation was already executed in "Daredevil", but he DID bring an army to do the crime. That means more people for Castle to hunt!

I still think it's a fatal mistake that he's not included as a fifth member of "The Defenders". He could have added an entirely new dark and gritty color to the team, especially because everyone knows he's waaaay more welcomed than one of its core members. I can't help but wonder though, was Bernthal's presence in the panel, served as a subtle confirmation that he would be in it after all? Not to mention, that recent Netflix Korea featurette (that felt special because it's personally narrated by the great Stan Lee) also included his character. I think he'll be a great addition to the team-up mini-series, and I'd be pretty disappointed if he doesn't even show up... at least for a minor supporting role. Oh well, fans of Castle can still wait for "The Punisher" when it arrives in November.

Cast for "The Defenders" then reclaimed their stage, alongside showrunner Marco Ramirez. All four lead actors, Charlie Cox of "Daredevil", Krysten Ritter of Marvel's "Jessica Jones", Mike Colter of Marvel's "Luke Cage", and Finn Jones of Marvel's "Iron Fist" were obviously present. Deborah Ann Woll from "Daredevil", and Jessica Henwick from "Iron Fist" represented the supporting cast. And Elodie Yung of "Daredevil" was there with Sigourney Weaver as the mini-series antagonists. They teased some bits of the plot, but more importantly debuted a new official second trailer for attendees to see. This one felt more clearer, as Weaver's Alexandra dished out her goal and intention to New York. It showed more ass-kicking action, and more importantly, the characters bouncing off one another in their personal quirks. That's actually the highlight of this trailer, IMHO. By the way, the trailer's already available on Netflix's official channel, in case you've missed it somehow.

But this is Marvel, and even if it's a TV divison, it's not their habit to not show exclusive footage for attendees. So they did, but rather than showing a clip or two, they actually screened the entirety of the first episode for the audience! This wasn't a new thing for Marvel TV, but THAT's what I call exclusive. Several sites have since published their early review for the mini-series after SDCC 2017 ended. These journalist have been allowed access to the first half, or first 4 episodes in advance. In general, they praised the chemistry between the heroes, one that rivaled even the Avengers. But they also unanimously pointed out that Marvel TV hasn't really learned from their mistake: it took TOO LONG to see them finally teaming up. Apparently, it will take a while to catch up with what they are doing after their respective series, which is a bit odd, since the benefit of Netflix is anyone can always re-watched those previous series anytime they want. Oh, and that Jones' Danny Rand is the weakest link and lamest part of the series.

Aaaah, yes, speaking of Rand, the panel delivered a news that I found to be... quite unbelieveable. "Iron Fist" is getting a Season 2. Yay... I guess? I'm quite shocked to see that Netflix actually has faith for this show, even if it's among the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for a TV show. And particularly, when other Netflix-exclusive shows with higher scores were getting cancelled one after another. It's pretty much the most hated entry of the Marvel Netflix-verse, and it... actually shows.

On the bright side (or... is it? Hmmmm), since the Unparalleled-Talent Scott Buck is busy ruini... I mean, messing aroun... er, WORKING with "The Inhumans", Raven Metzner of the recently cancelled (oh... no...) "Sleepy Hollow" has been assigned to take over as the new showrunner. That means we can at least expect some drastic improvement to the series. Perhaps, we'll be seeing the actual DRAGON (not bulbs) form of Shou-Lao? Lest we forget, "Sleepy Hollow" is an actual SUPERNATURAL show! Simone Missick's Misty Knight has even been hinted to be part of it, and hopefully form "Daughters of the Dragon" with Henwick's Colleen Wing. That fact alone is enough to make me rethink my decision to not give it a HUGE PASS prematurely.

On the down side? There goes my wish for a "Heroes for Hire" team-up. Even if it MIGHT end up happening in the future, perhaps as a direct continuation of both 2nd Seasons of "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist", the soonest it would arrive is in 2019. I'm not even sure I'm still onboard with this Netflixverse when the time comes. Oh well, let's just worry and rant about that later. For now, we can anticipate to see Danny, along with the other Defenders very soon. All 8 episodes of "The Defenders" arrives on August 18th, 2017.

Avengers: Black Panther Quest

I actually didn't planned to venture into the Marvel Animation category, but since it has an interesting news, I've decided to include a quick one. Yes, the animation division took the Room 6A's stage on July 22nd, 12:30 PM PST, to talk about their future works. One of it, was of course the upcoming Marvel's "Spider-Man" series (premiered the next day, on July 23rd), that's clearly heavily inspired by "Spider-Man: Homecoming". What I didn't expect though, is that they've already announced a renewal the "Avengers Assemble" series! The current 4th Season entitled "Avengers: Secret Wars" had only started airing last month!

And yes, if the new announced subtitle wasn't clear enough for your, the 5th Season will be focused on T'Challa. Does this mean, he will be the leader of the New Avengers in the series? Or this new season will take place entirely in Wakanda, you know, as a synergy to the live action movie that will be premiered in the same year? I can't really tell. I even wonder why they aren't focusing with the Avengers, to coincide with "Avengers: Infinity War". Curious indeed...

LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes 2

One more side mission before we move on to the movies (which is arguably the best categories of all Marvel's participation in SDCC 2017, of course). It's... video game time again! The gang from TT Games this time, as they took over a July 22nd stage at Room 6A, on 01:45 PM PST. In their pannel, they delivered a brand new trailer that featured... Kang the Conqueror. Does this mean, the time-travelling super villain is the culprit behind the game's reality and timeline mash-up? Very likely. Can he top the menace of Galactus from the first game, though? We'll see. "LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes 2" will be released on November 14th, 2017.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Pheww, now we've arrived on the main menu, as Marvel Studios completed the July 22nd Marvel ride with their grand Hall H presentation starting on 05:30 PM PST. It started 15 minutes late though, due to previous panel running off schedule.

Sequel to 2015's beloved "Ant-Man" got the privilege to kickstart Marvel Studios' panel this year! And yes, that's the official title now. It's no longer "Ant-Man & the Wasp" like was shown in the Disney D23 Expo. Turns out that's merely a placeholder title. Unfortunately, the cast couldn't make it to SDCC 2017, because they are busy in Atlanta filming the movie. Actress Evangeline Lilly had already confirmed this via twitter when SDCC began. But that doesn't mean, it didn't bring anything to the panel. Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige himself delivered a humorous video by Paul Rudd and Michael Peña, to make up for their absence.

Rudd is a natural-born comedic (not to mention, charmingly adorable) actor, and Peña also has been hiding a bonafide comedic talent all these time (not to mention, equally adorable LOL). So obviously, this exclusive video that has them narrating Marvel Studios' movies since the first "Iron Man" was an easy crowd-pleasing hoot. You've really got to hand it to these guys, because reading the description (via ComingSoon live blog) alone was already making me giggling like crazy. All those meta jokes! Seriously, if there's any exclusive footage from this panel I ever want Marvel to release online, it's definitely THIS one.

But best of all, just like any Marvel Studios' movie, even this footage brought a twist of its own. Because it was later revealed that the duo was NOT dishing out this Marvel Cinematic Universe 'recap' to the SDCC audience (of course they are, but you know the drill). Nope, apparently they were 'educating' a third person in front of them, which was... Michelle Pfeiffer!!! ...Who was officially unveiled to be playing Janet van Dyne. SAY WHAAAT??!!! Dang, this was definitely the coolest casting reveal that the studio ever pulled off. Nope, make that 'yet another cool reveal', because remember when Chadwick Boseman was announced as T'Challa? Or Josh Brolin as Thanos? Last year's Brie Larson? Yessss... Marvel Studios is indeed the king of showmanship. No wonder their Hall H panel is always highly anticipated. In case you're not Marvel educated, Janet is the wife of Michael Douglas' Hank Pym, and the mother of Lilly's Hope van Dyne/Pym. Similar to Pym, she was the original Wasp before the suit was naturally passed down to Hope. She was absent in the first movie, because she was lost in the Quantum Realm, and the subplot between Hank and Hope in that movie was the side-effect to that incident. In the comics, her Wasp was the actual founder of the Avengers! Getting Pfeiffer to portray her is a dream come true for fans, and also the actors. Marvel Studios had truly done it again!

That's not all. There's another surprise from this movie. Feige confirmed that both Hannah John-Kamen and Walton Goggins are in the movie, and they are playing comic book character. The former is a famous Marvel antagonist called the Ghost (who as far as I know of, is never unmasked in the comics), while the latter plays Sonny Burch, a CEO of Cross Corporation with connection to... Obadiah Stane. Ouucch!! He already screams antagonist for me. But wait, there's another one, and it's the famous... Laurence Fishburne! Guess who he's playing? Dr. William Foster, a.k.a the superhero Black Goliath. I know that Foster's name has come up in the rumor circuit prior to SDCC, but who would've imagined Marvel Studios would be getting Fishburne to play him. After "Doctor Strange", and then "Black Panther" with their stellar casting, now this movie joined the parade with its truly giant cast!

According to Feige, MCU's Foster will be Michael Douglas' Hank Pym associate. Easy money says that he's the one responsible for Rudd's Scott Lang's Giant-Man ability in "Captain America: Civil War". Perhaps, that stunt displeased Foster, and caused a rift between him and Pym? Goodness, the potential for drama is exciting! And speaking of Pym, could we be seeing him donning the shrinking suit into action? Recent behind the scene reports seem to be hinting that direction. Imagine how great it would be, if he's using Darren Cross' Yellowjacket costume. That would be a neat faithful nod to the source material! Beside, the movie can even debut their own size-shifting Avengers team, assuming Foster gets to suit up as Goliath as well.

The first official concept art poster courtesy of Andy Park, was later released on the Marvel booth. And it was amazing! Lang is clearly Giant-Man, adding further connection to Foster's inclusion in the movie, while Lilly's Hope van Dyne shows her moxie as the fierce superheroine Wasp. Gotta love that new hairdo too! I personally loved the first movie, and I'm totally crossing my fingers that this sequel will more amazing. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" arrives on July 6th, 2018.

Captain Marvel

"Captain Marvel" was up next, and boy... this one sure unleashed its own might. Still flying solo without the accompaniment of any cast members (since only one has been cast), Feige unveiled a few concept arts from the movie, starting with one of Brie Larson's costume. It was faithful to the modern comics' version, but has some tactical elements that resemble those of Captain America's suit. That fan-artist rendition that hit the internet long ago? That was almost accurate.

He then confirmed the report that Samuel L. Jackson will be reprising his role as Nick Fury in the movie... but with both eyes open. Wait, how? Does he get an eye implant or something? Courtesy of Tony Stark, perhaps? Nope. Because the movie will be set in... the 1990s. This reveal undoubtedly sent tidal wave of surprise throughout the audience, as well as the internet. But it got even better, when Feige unveiled that Larson's Carol Danvers will be dealing with... the Skrulls. This namedropping was purely unexpected, because many (including yours truly) thought that the shape-shifting alien-race belongs to FOX, having been heavily associated with their Fantastic Four franchise. And Feige was not lying, because a concept art of the antagonistic species was then shown to the attendees. It IS indeed the Skrulls! Feige later hinted that the movie will address why this alien race hasn't been seen until now.

Fans of the comics would easily understand the connection to Skrulls and Captain Marvel. Danvers received her powers from Mar-Vell, who is a Kree alien. And the Kree and Skrulls have been fighting wars against each other for centuries. Interestingly, this whole reveal has raised numerous questions among the fanbase. Like: Why the Skrulls? Does this mean, the origin story secretly serves like a pseudo-"Secret Invasion" movie? Does this mean, among the characters we've seen until now, some of them might NOT be the real ones, and purely Skrull disguises? Or does this serve as a hint, that the 2019 Avengers movie will in fact be... "Avengers: Secret Invasion"? More importantly, if Carol Danvers has been active since the 90s, WITH her cosmic powers and all... why hasn't she been around? What has she been doing in almost 30 years? Why didn't Fury call her when Loki rained down Chitauri in 2009 (Fun Fact: "The Avengers" was set a year after "Iron Man")? And also... why is she NOT part of "Infinity War"? Or... she is? Hmmmm...

So many questions, and still 1,5 years for answers. If you ask me, then my personal speculation is... Danvers is basically NOT on Earth. Perhaps, in the aftermath of her solo movie, she was given a mission deep in space? Perhaps she joins the Kree and help fight the Skrulls... in their home planet? Or perhaps... captured? Or... have fun and funky galactic adventures? The temporal differences between Earth and other planet, will provide a valid science that she's aging slower. Perhaps, one hour there, is one year on Earth? Through this scenario, she'll work as the second Captain America figure, being 'lost in time'. Even better, she could have lost her powers all these years, which has happened before in the comics, and Fury helps her to regain her power in "Avengers 4". What I'm trying to say is, this fascinating choice of setting just opens up worlds of possibilities. "Captain Marvel" is set to start production early next year in California, and will arrive on March 8th, 2019. And just be honest, we are all intrigued about it, right? *grins*

There's a quick break following this part of the panel, because SDCC director of programming Eddie Ibrahim arrived on stage to deliver a surprise. Yes, just like Jeph Loeb, Kevin Feige was awarded an "Inkpot Award" for achievements in movies. No offense to the other guy, but this one is far more appropriate IMHO. Not only Feige has delivered the first fully-working Cinematic Universe in Hollywood, producing beloved critically-acclaimed movies every year, his move has inspired other studios to... create their own Cinematic Universe. That's a massive accomplishment, if you ask me, and he clearly deserves it. So bravo, Feige, hope you'll keep on working in the MCU for more many years to come.

Thor: Ragnarok

After the dust had settled, and cheering crowd had subsided, Feige and moderator Chris Hardwick continued the presentation by summoning... the Asgardians to the stage. Director Taika Waititi arrived with lead actor Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and surprise addition in Rachel House. By the way, this was likely just a small set of core cast members, because there might be more actors having brief supporting roles in the movie. Considering Waititi is famous for his eccentric style of comedy, this part of the panel... was another round of hoot. Hemsworth said that he's bored after playing the same character five times, and wanted to... push himself. Either that's the truth or a joke, is rather unclear. Waititi then replied that he decided to tackle this movie, to help 'a friend in need', which was a fun jab towards Hemsworth. Blanchett added, that she also got the part because she lives in the same continent to Waititi. LOL. Then came Urban, who's a fellow New Zealander to Waititi, with another Australian neighbour joke.

Ruffalo revealed that his green giant persona Hulk prefers to stays that way, and not return into puny Bruce Banner in this movie. Hiddleston said that ever since the ending of "Thor: The Dark World", his Loki has been masquerading as the All Father Odin. That proved to ignite problem, particularly with Blanchett's Hela. Goldblum confirmed that his character The Grandmaster, is the brother of Benicio del Toro's The Collector. They are the oldest being of the universe. His tournament on Planet Sakaar? It is called... "Contest of Champions". Hulk is his champion, and Thor will be called "Lord of Thunder" in the ring. House, also a New Zealander (she voiced Gramma Tala in Disney's "Moana", in case her name sounds familiar) is a frequent collaborator of Waititi. In this movie, she played the assistant of The Grandmaster, named Topaz. Apparently, her character has some hidden beef with the other assistant, who is Thompson's Valkyrie. Thompson also teased the enigmatic nature of her character.

The cast kept bouncing off one another. So suffice to say, it sounded like a fun and warm set of people, that you totally want to hang out with. Just look at the photos of them on stage, and one can easily tell that seeing Hemsworth bromancing with Ruffalo and Waititi was indeed a delight. And the chemistry between these cast members easily infected the movie itself, as proven by several exclusive footages from the movie, exclusively shown for the attendees. The first showed Thor's first meeting with The Grandmaster. He then was tossed into a holding cell, where he encountered Korg, a rock-shaped character with a gentle voice, who was played by Waititi himself. The last footage, showed Thor's first encounter with Hulk in the arena. That last one then transitioned into a new trailer, that has since been made available online via Marvel Entertainment.

That trailer was pure amazing, it brought Hall H to their feet. It confirmed the appearance of both Fenris Wolf and Surtur, as both of them will be dealt by Ruffalo's Hulk. If in "Spider-Man: Homecoming", Michael Keaton had his Adrian Toomes so grounded that he felt like that ordinary neighbour you occasionally ran into every now and then, Cate Blanchett gets to hamm it up with so much sass and slurr for Hela, to the point of turning her into genuine scary and intimidating. The bromancing rivalry between Thor and Hulk, would easily be the gem of the movie. But what I truly love about this trailer, is the vibrant vivid colors that made your eyes glare in awe. Yes, not unlike that psychedelic new official poster. Thor might have had a rough time with his first two solo movies, but this time around, he (and Team Thor) seems to be having lots of fun and a blast. Even Variety has included this panel as one of their best highlight of this year's SDCC.

One last thing, Collider caught up with Waititi after the panel, and asked some bits about the movie. It was there that Waititi revealed, that "Thor: Ragnarok" might be... the SHORTEST MCU movie to date. He stated that "The cut right now, I reckon it’s about 100 minutes. It’s not gonna be a very, very long film. I think that stories are better when you leave them wanting more, and this film moves at a clip, it’s got stuff happening all the time. I think people are still gonna feel exhausted by the end, they’ve been on this big journey and stuff, so I don’t think we need the film to be three hours.". But rest assured, because he said that there would be plenty of "Great scenes. Funny, funny moments" that will go as 'Deleted Scenes' in the home video version. For now, look forward to the movie itself in theatres, November 3rd, 2017.

Black Panther

As the Asgardians exited stage right, a horde of Wakandan claimed their land!

Ryan Coogler brought his A-list stars to the stage. Lead actor Chadwick Boseman lead the pack of Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and two veteran actors in Andy Serkis, and Forest Whitaker. Coogler opened up about his first experience with the character Black Panther, admitting that he's usually on the other side of the panel, sitting as audience (he did, he was present during WB's panel). Similar to the "Thor: Ragnarok" side, each actor shared their experience in the movie, as well as tidbits of their character. Jordan in particular, revealed that his Erik Killmonger returned to Wakanda, to reclaim her role as a Prince. And why is that? Because the movie will be set directly after the fallout of "Captain America: Civil War". So in a way, similar in timeline to "Spider-Man: Homecoming". With King T'Chaka gone, turmoils began to grow from the inside, as Boseman's T'Challa isn't deemed ready to be a king. Perhaps, a consequence of to his avenging stint in "Civil War"?

Coogler then delivered a completely exclusive footage, that was only shown for the SDCC 2017 attendees. The first one featured a James Bond-esque operation, where T'Challa, escorted by Nyong'o's Nakia and Gurira's Okoye, attempted to take down Serkis' Ulyssess Klaue who has been smuggling Vibranium from Wakanda. Clearly, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" was the solid proof to that. As well as Klaue's prosthetic hand, of course. Martin Freeman's Everett Ross was involved in this scene, as he hillariously screamed himself into hiding. Another footage showed T'Challa, suited up as the Black Panther, in an epic car chase. Wright's Shuri was also seen designing and perhaps weaponizing the Panther suit. Killmonger, was also seen donning his own black/gold color battle suit.

The entire footage had the audience floored, as they immediately jumped to their feet to praise and cheer as soon as it ended. Not just them, the cast hasn't had the chance to see it either. So the stage equally erupted in joy and thrills, as each cast members began embracing one another, celebrating the massive work they've just witnessed. The reaction was magical if you ask me, but also completely real that it actually moved me the first time I saw it. The expression of joy and achievement was genuine! Suffice to say, it was special, and the movie IS going to be special. Not unlike that grand looking poster that was handed out for each attendees.

Obviously, I couldn't commented more since that footage was exclusive for SDCC audience. Yet it's more than clear, that Coogler, his actors, and Marvel Studios weren't playing around. Having long standing ovation was a true sign of greatness, and I hope this movie is as worthy as T'Challa to be the king. Let's cross our fingers, with the hopes that that truly will be the case. "Black Panther" arrives in February 16th, 2018.

Avengers: Infinity War

After a brief teasing by Feige, director Joe Russo appeared on stage to wrap up the panel. He delivered the official trailer for "Infinity War", that had previously been screened to the D23 Expo audience. Remember, the attendees of SDCC 2017 Hall H might not be the same 6500-7000 people. I believe only a very a small portion of those audience showed up in both events, and they are mostly journalists. The reaction on Hall H, was pretty much the same, as everyone got carried away emotionally. It was a perfect way to end the successful panel.

On the other hand, the reaction online was... somewhat opposite. Some fans immediately began complaining because unlike another studio (like... WB?), Marvel Studios did not release this trailer online. A leaked trailer has even surfaced for a few span of time on social media! Yes, this IS the internet we're talking about, so I'm not even surprised. But honestly? I think this was still NOT a good attitude. A bit unfair, even. When you think about the effort and hardship the SDCC attendees had to endure, spending all those long hours lining up, just to be a part of a giant panel like Marvel Studios'? It would make sense that they are given an exclusive first look for the trailer, right? And that's precisely what Marvel Studios was doing. HAS been doing for years, to be precise.

Unlike other studio that instantly released the footage online, Feige and his team were treating their guests as VIP customers. Thus allowing them to experience exclusive footages first hand, meeting the cast, and receiving official posters. Logically speaking, that was actually something to be applauded for. Beside, as I said last week... I'm not sure my heart is literally ready to see "Infinity War" trailer just yet. I did check out that poor-quality leak, but immediately stopped halfway because I couldn't handle it. This movie might signal an end of an era, and it might also be the final time we'll be seeing some of our favorite characters in the big screen. So yeah, to be completely honest... I'm VERY anxious about it instead. I would rather see that comedic Rudd x Peña video over such suspense!

Regardless, there was one thing that I actually felt disappointed about. In a way, I was half-expecting some if not all of cast to show up, just like what happened in Disney D23 Expo (that was just 1/3 of them all, apparently). Perhaps, the then-absent actors like Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and more would take turn and showed up this time. Especially when we realize the fact that "Infinity War" will be released a few months BEFORE the next SDCC next year. Such a wasted of opportunity, right? Alas, that's not the case, so my wish of seeing another massive photoshoot of the cast like last year was too good to be true. Oh well, I guess I'll have to make do with the Asgardians meet Wakandans family photo above. Can't help but wonder though, is Marvel Studios going to held an exclusive private event prior to the movie's release? Next year's the studio's official 10-Year Anniversary celebration, so it would be cool to see all the cast reunited in one huge gala. That might be a bit of tall order, eh? LOL.

Anyways, we did get a few bits and teases about the movie after the panel. That's because the directors and cast members had a quick interview session with the journalists, as has always been the case. Boseman said, that Black Panther will be an important factor in the movie. According to Joe, the movie's final act will be so massive, that he considered it to be a staggering level of scale. He also revealed the necessity of the Black Order, as they serve as some sort of mini-bosses prior to Thanos. At the same time, he's also hoping Thanos would be the new Darth Vader for the modern era.

Oh and yeah, the movie might be among the longest MCU movie to date. "The current cut is over 2 ½, yes. Most of it is a movie you can show. Still a lot of work left to be done... It's certainly going to be a film that lives in the two and a half, two and a half plus range", he said. Make perfect sense really, since it will be dealing with soooo many characters. Even that special SDCC interconnected posters (courtesy of Ryan Meinerding) felt jammed-packed with characters (I didn't see Ant-Man though, I wonder why). We can even expect "Avengers 4" to be the same, since it will also be packed with LOTS of characters. Wow, I need to take a deep breath just hearing that! "Avengers: Infinity War" will be released on May 4th, 2018. I hope when the time comes, my heart would be ready... *sigh*

[fourteenacross]

hamilton chicago: friday, may 19

 AS PROMISED! Show notes! About the Eliza Company!

(Previous Ham show notes: May ‘16, July ‘16, October ‘16)

Pre-show notes:

There were so many stairs! Which wouldn’t have been a problem except they didn’t sell all the merch upstairs and didn’t SAY THAT until we were already up there, so I ran a marathon to get a gd hoodie. idk how those Great Comet kids do that every night, jesus

The stage is smaller or at least SEEMS smaller--more narrow. Thus, some of the choreography seemed different.

This will be the bougiest thing I type in this review, so brace yourselves: they had different signature cocktails and they did NOT have a gin cocktail and while their Hennessy cocktail was FINE, I was a little bummed.

In overview: I LOVED this cast and most of them are now my second favorites after the OBC. They were PHENOMENAL. I’m so jealous of all my buddies in Chicago who are so close to this cast.

Cast: Alexander Hamilton: Miguel Cervantes Aaron Burr: Daniel Breaker Eliza Hamilton: Ari Afsar Angelica Schulyer: Karen Olivo George Washington: Jonathan Kirkland Lafayette/Jefferson: Chris De'Sean Lee Mulligan/Madison: Jean Godsend Floradin Laurens/Philip: Jose Ramos Peggy/Maria: Samantha Marie Ware and the rest of the cast

Song-by-Song

Alexander Hamilton: It was weird not having the wild applause after each actor’s entrance, not even for A.Ham. There was nothing wrong with that, it just threw me. I could tell IMMEDIATELY that Daniel Breaker’s Burr was going to be unique. There wasn’t as much emphasis on my FAVORITE DUMB DETAIL of this song, the coat-books-bag hand-off.

Aaron Burr, Sir: Daniel plays Burr as a little more irreverent, and a little closer to ~*~historical Burr~*~ rather than Leslie’s more sleek and refined Burr. His “talk less, smile more” was almost sarcastic, and that really set the tone for him. The whole time that AHam is ranting and babbling, he looked more and more like he was trying to keep his distance, like he was already exasperated. The intros for the gang were PERFECT. They were different from the OBC, but still in the same style.

My Shot: THIS WAS SO GOOD. The moment I knew this cast was going to be something else. This song was a perfect encapsulation of Hamilvantes--frantic and desperate and defensive and ready for shit. José was a perfect hype-man, his Laurens’ recklessness really shone through, like this was what he was always primed to do and he finally found someone willing to encourage it. Chris Lee was SO funny and his accent was PERF. I’d say better than Daveed’s, but I’ll get to the issues with that later. We had an understudy for Mull/Mad, Jean Godsend Floradin, and he was SO AMAZING--he was small and somehow had all that big Hercules Mulligan personality inside of him all the same.

Story of Tonight: I will admit that this song was not as queer as I’m used to/wanted it to be. AHam did a lot more hanging off of everyone as opposed to just Laurens. Of course, no one will ever gay this up as much as Lin and Anthony.

Schuyler Sisters: SAMANTHA WARE THO. Peggy is so frustrated and angry with her big sisters at the start and that was perfect. Karen is AMAZING she brings a very different energy to Angelica in this song, more...I don’t know, like she’s rushing out there to learn, whereas Renee played it more like she already KNEW these things, but was bringing her sisters out to see it for themselves. Also, Daniel’s Burr is so full of himself and such a smarmy asshole and I LOVED IT.

Farmer Refuted: Seabury was so tiny! José Amor was just swallowed by the costume. He played the character younger and less condescending than Thayne does. Miguel had an almost angry edge to his delivery, or maybe more sarcastically vindictive. Whatever he did, it was super funny.

You’ll Be Back: This was funny? idk, I’m not into these songs as much as other people, they’re funny, but it’s kind of just one joke?

There were audible gasps during the transition, which furthers my conviction that it’s one of the three best things in the show that you don’t know about if you haven’t seen it.

Right Hand Man: Jonathan Kirkland as GWash was really good, but it took me a couple minutes to decide that/connect with him.Very commanding and frustrated in a very different way than Chris Jackson. Older seeming. I noticed for the first time the very specific desertion choreography leading up to “are these the men with which...etc.” I LOVED Daniel’s delivery of Burr’s lines in GWash’s office, particularly “from a distance.” “We keep meeting” was played for laughs explicitly, whereas on b’way I always feel like people laugh at it even though it isn’t necessarily delivered as a joke. (This line always scans as more creepy than funny to me on the cast recording.)

Winter’s Ball: Weirdly, this was the gayest number in the show? AHam and Laurens are hanging off each other basically up to the second the “ladies!” bit starts and did not seem like, totally convinced this was something worth their time? It was an interesting choice.

Helpless: My party was divided on their feelings on this song and Ari, but I came down strongly on LOVED HER. I wrote a little heart next to this number in the notes in my bullet journal. She was so cute and I loved her voice and she was perfectly bubbly and in love. Karen’s delivery of “I’m just saying...etc” was AMAZING and totally new and I loooooooved it.

Satisfied: I WOULD KILL A MAN FOR KAREN OLIVO. Her performance is basically like she’s having a conversation with herself, posing a question/problem and trying to come up with any possible solution where she wins. Like she’s working through this problem and realizing she’ll never win. It was much more...idk, interactive than Renee or Mandy? There was a lot of her delivery and face that was more animated. Her “so this is what it feels like...etc” was AMAZING, incredible, genuinely amazed and shocked that she was stymied by this guy’s brain. It’s definitely my favorite performance of this song ever. Worth the whole goddamn Chicago vacation on its own.

Story of Tonight (Reprise): Cute. “She’s married” was SO good. They were both so into it--Burr was smug and knew exactly what he as getting away with and AHam was almost proud of him for it XD

Wait For It: Daniel’s more rakish, funny Burr makes this song even more poignant, like a look into what’s beyond his jokey exterior. I connected with it SO deeply.

Stay Alive: Lee was pretty funny. I’m pretty sure Lafayette gave him the finger as he ran off, which made me laugh.

Ten Duel Commandments: Again with the “not as queer as it could be.” (Sorry, my gay, depressed, stressed out self over-relates to historical Laurens’ gay, depressed, stressed out self, so Laurens’ subtextual gayness is important to me.) (And a lot of feelings about the decision to make it subtextual in the libretto, if not in the OBC’s performance, but I won’t get into that.) (Altho I will say something about the letter hand-off at the “note for your next of kin” made it seem like the letter was specifically intended for AHam? Something in the look they exchanged on the hand-over.) José was SO tiny next to Robert Walters as Lee??? And, surprise, I loved Daniel’s delivery of E V E R Y  O N E of his lines. 

Meet Me Inside: GWASH WAS SO BIG AND AHAM IS SO LITTLE. Like, one of the few things I knew about this cast going in was that Miguel is the tiny!Ham, but Jonathan Kirkland is SO TALL! I loved AHam losing his shit, but given how scrappy and defensive Miguel plays the character for the rest of act one, I kind of expected more? GWash played it almost as if he wasn’t firing AHam, just sending him home to think about what he’d done and see his wife and cool off.

That Would Be Enough: Ari has a great voice and I love how physically affectionate she is with AHam. It felt so natural and really added to their chemistry.

Guns and Ships: Burr’s intro is SO EXCITED like he couldn’t wait to tell us about Lafayette. Like I said earlier, Chris Lee’s accent was better than Daveed’s, BUT because it was so good, I have a feeling some of the lines were indecipherable to people who didn’t know the words, despite the fact that his rapping was very crisp.

History Has Its Eyes on You: I never really noticed the signifigance of Washington handing over the sword before. It definitely felt like Washington was making sure AHam really thought long and hard about his new responsibilities before giving it to him.

Yorktown: INCREDIBLE. Mulligan’s verse was SO GOOD. This number always gives me chills and this was no exception. I always want to jump up and cheer and they def fueled that today. Also, the “immigrants” line got applause and cheers, even though a lot of the other applause/cheer lines didn’t not.

What Comes Next: This was fine.

Dear Theodosia: Very sweet on both their parts. Their voices really sound wonderful together.

Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us: The cramped staging of this really threw me. AHam could have reached out and touched dead!Laurens. José played it kind of wistfully smiley which didn’t 100% work for me, which is probably good in the long run considering how wrecked I was watching Anthony.

Non-Stop: SO GOOD. At the beginning-- “after the war” etc--it was like AHam was trying to show up Burr in all his line deliveries. At the start of the courtroom bit, Burr looked at the audience like he was looking into the camera on the Office and it was amazing. “Constitutional convention” was adorbs--he started normal and went full on squeal by the end. “You’re a better lawyer than me” was SO GOOD, like he showed up just to announce that after steeling himself and Burr was so over it and I LOVED IT. The end was so perf and intense, specifically the “isn’t this enough”/”he will never be satisfied.” And AHam’s “look around, look around” is always one of my favorite lines.

Intermission: I am SO GOOD at bathrooms, guys, I was in the ladies room before the lights even came up all the way and out in time to grab a drink before dissecting the show with my buddies.

What’d I Miss?: Good, but not as good as I wanted it to be? Lots of little flourishes that made it his own, but not over the top enough for my preferences. (I’ve previously seen Daveed and Chappelle, so my preferences really err on the side of VERY OVER THE TOP). He kept poking Madison with his cane to get his attention, which was cute. His “I can’t believe that we are free” hit particularly hard for some reason--it might have been the angle I was sitting at and how the slaves were framed in the view from that side. 

Cabinet Battle #1: GOOD ALL AROUND A+ EVERYONE.

Take a Break: I really liked José’s approach to this number more than Anthony’s. Anthony hangs a lampshade on it, José leaned into playing a nine year old, and that works better for me. The audience LOVED Eliza’s beatboxing. And Karen and Ari are SO. GOOD. TOGETHER.

Say No To This: Samantha Ware definitely plays Maria as more complicit in the blackmail. You can tell she LIKES AHam, but she’s also an adult who knows what she’s doing the whole time. I LOVED that play on it--very different from Jasmine, but equally nuanced and interesting.

Room Where It Happens: SO GOOD. I know I keep typing that in all caps but IT’S TRUE especially when it comes to Daniel’s Burr. It’s like he so genuinely was shocked and needed to figure this out. There was so much energy at the end and his final verse with slightly different choreography was sooooooo great.

Schuyler Defeated: Good job everyone.

Cabinet Battle #2: “France” was so good, like Madison wasn’t sure if he was supposed to reply once the mic was in his face. He almost missed it. A+.

Washington On Your Side: THIS WAS GREAT. I loved TJeff’s fast verse in the middle, his realization that he needed to resign made him wide-eyed and bowled over. Madison directed his “which I wrote!” at TJeffs and Burr, when he’s directed it off stage the last few times I’ve seen it, like he was finishing an argument with people and then wandering into this song. Burr was def stirring shit at the start when he went up to TJeffs.

One Last Time: ALSO SO GOOD EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD SORRY. I loooooved GWash’s “talk less” which was much more sarcastic/bemused than Chris’ frustration on that line. His GWash overall had that much more fatherly feeling to him. His riffs at the end were amazing--he went full gospel and he def had a powerful enough voice for it.

I Know Him: Good, etc.

The Adams Administration: King George is much more involved in this number than he’s been any other time I saw it. I didn’t dislike that? I’m neutral on it.

We Know: Good. One of my other fave lines is in this song and I wasn’t super into the delivery of it, but overall it was suitably foreboding.

Hurricane: Beautiful. I really felt it on the heels of AHam’s desperation/defensiveness in Act 1. I totally get why he would do this, even more so than usual. And there was def a little spite thrown in with his other reasons, just for good measure, which is #relatablecontent.

The Reynolds’ Pamphlet: Samantha Ware’s forced “haha NOTHING TO SEE HERE” smile added to the “she’s complicit” vibe. José was great, King George and TJeffs were HILARIOUS.

Burn: SO FUCKING GOOD. SHE WAS SO ANGRY AND UPSET. I LOVED IT. Her “I hope that you BURN” at the end gave me chills and seemed ten times more vengeful and furious than any other performance I’ve seen, which I am INTO. Give me more furious, vengeful Eliza.

Blow Us All Away: mostly fine. Philip could have been a little suaver. “Everything is legal in New Jersey” was great, I have yet to hear a bad delivery of that line, though I may be biased.

Stay Alive (Reprise): SHE SCREAMED A LITTLE! Not the full on shriek, but a tiny anguished scream and that is ALL I WANT. It totally worked for me and was one of the two things I REALLY missed from Lexi’s performance.

Quiet Uptown: Not as emotional, and not in a bad way. Everyone was a little more in control, which is a legit way to play it--more numb than hysterical. As a result, I stayed more together than usual. Karen has a great voice, obvs.

Election of 1800: Burr was all exhausted for the whole thing and I loved it. I loved his eavesdropping on the voters. Madison’s delivery of “you worked on the same staff” was great. I kind of wanted more from Burr’s face after he lost b/c he was SO EXPRESSIVE for the rest of the show. The “because I’m the President” bit was good overall, though no one will ever beat Chappelle’s delivery of that line. Burr sucking up to TJeffs and the way TJeffs and Madison broke away to have that conversation like Burr wasn’t right there. Loved it!

Your Obedient Servant: FUNNY esp because Burr is SO MAD and then so sweet on that closing lines. His "Sweet Jesus" was great. 

Best of Wives, Best of Women: I teared up. Ari and Miguel had such lovely, loving chemistry.

The World Was Wide Enough: Very good on all sides--Daniel killed it. I teared up on “Eliza!” as usual, which started tears #1. Tears #2 is “They say Angelica and Eliza.” I never noticed before how everyone gathers around Burr at the end. The end of the song was so painful and emotional, I lost it again on “The world was wide enough...” it was SO full of emotion.

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: I BURST into tears on “Eliza!” here too. and then just sobbed through the end. Karen was SO angry at the start of the song and that worked so well. And Ari did the look and the gasp and I am CRYING AGAIN JUST THINKING ABOUT IT (Lexi also didn’t do the gasp when I saw her and I’m slightly bitter). Then I cried for like, five solid more minutes.

Cast

Miguel Cervantes: He’s SO TINY? SO. TINY. His Hamilton is SO angry and scrappy. He def plays Ham as defensive of everything. He was incredible. He had amazing chemistry with Ari and Karen and José and a great rapport with Burr and Washington. He was SUPER flirty with the girls. His delivery of “I’m not stupid” was fab, said very plainly and directly. He had SO MUCH emotion during things like “Yorktown” and “Non-Stop.” The way he taunted Burr in “Room Where It Happens” was great--you could see his slow slide from “I want to be this guy’s friend!” to “my asshole frenemy.”

Daniel Breaker: I would kill a man for Daniel Breaker? Holy shit, I loved him so much. Like I said, his Burr is more sarcastic and funny, more personable, more goofy, using sarcasm to keep everyone at arm’s length. He was definitely invested in AHam and the gang, but kept himself at a distance. His face was AMAZING, his facial expressions were worth the price of admission. He really connected with Burr in “Wait For It.” He was so angry and betrayed at the end, and watching that drift into regret was beautiful. His “WAIT!” was chilling.

Ari Afsar: I LOVED HER. Great transition from innocent and excited and enthusiastic and lovestruck to more mature to stoic and angry. She was very physically affectionate with Ham and their love was very believable and sweet. She did the scream and the gasp, which, as I said, are so important to me. During the finale, she perfectly melded the innocence and joy of act 1 with the maturity and determination of act 2. Eliza is a kind of thankless role and it’s difficult to put enough into it to shine, I think, but she nailed it.

Karen Olivo: I WOULD KILL A MAN FOR KAREN OLIVO. She’s maybe my favorite Angelica? I liked her better than Mandy, whom I LOVED, and maybe even more than Renee. I need to listen to/watch Renee again. But. WOW. Her “Satisfied” is so different--her whole interpretation of the character is so different! Her Angelica is much more animated and nosy and involved. She had amazing chemistry with Miguel and with Ari. “Schuyler Sisters” was WILD and ENERGIZED and excited. When she came out for WLWDWTYS, I was honestly shocked by how fierce she was.

Jonathan Kirkland: I was a little unsure of him when he first came out, but he totally sold me. His GWash was incredibly paternal, something Chris flirted with, but there was definitely a delineation there between family and duty. Jonathan plays it much more familial, which was really cool and obvs hit my found family buttons like whoa. You could tell how genuinely he cared for AHam as a person. He was more amused than annoyed by a lot of AHam’s shit. He also felt OLDER than the rest of the cast, but in a different way than Chris did.

Chris De’Sean Lee: SO GREAT. His French accent was so good--better than Daveed’s--and his rapping was A+. He’s definitely my second favorite Lafayette. He was very playful. His Jefferson was very good, but not as good as I wanted it to be? There was a little something missing in comparison to Daveed and Chappelle.

Jean Godsend Floradin: He was an understudy and I was SO SURPRISED because he really owned the role! He was tinier than the traditional Oak!sized Mull/Mad in my head, but just a fierce and scrappy. His verse in “Yorktown” was intense and he was so funny as Madison. He had great partner-in-crime chemistry with Laf/Jeff.

José Ramos: His rapping voice was incongruously deep! But he really established the angry shit-stirring recklessness of Laurens. His Laurens was FIRED UP to kick ass and take names. He was also SO SMALL compared to everyone but AHam, but ESPECIALLY compared to Lee. “Ten Duel Commandments” was so funny when they were back to back. He was fierce, though. His death scenes were a little too wistfully smiley to me, but still better than Thayne’s Musical Theatre Smile death scenes. Philip was GREAT--he leaned into the tininess at the start of the act. He was great during “The Reynolds Pamphlet” and his interactions with AHam were great.

Samantha Marie Ware: REALLY GREAT. I saw Sasha Hutchings as Peggy/Maria and was not so impressed. It’s a tough, thankless role and hard to make something of it, I think. Jasmine, of course, completely turns the role into a highlight of the show, but it’s not easy. Samantha NAILED IT. Her Peggy was almost argumentative in “Schuyler Sisters” and her Act 1 interactions with everyone, esp the sisters, were great. Her Maria was AMAZING. She played Maria as at least partially complicit, but with mixed feelings and it worked SO WELL for me. 

AND THAT’S THAT. We didn’t stage door because we literally forgot that was a thing, we were so pumped from the show. Let me know if you have any questions, I am HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM to the best of my ability! 

[mobius-prime]

183. Sonic the Hedgehog #115

Meanie in a Bottle

Writer: Benny Lee Pencils: Art Mawhinney Colors: Jason Jensen

So I haven't really been mentioning them, but in lieu of the intro pages that older issues had, lately most issues have begun instead with a full-page illustration relevant to the story content. This one is no different, except that instead of depicting something that actually happens within the issue, it reimagines Sonic as Aladdin, which is honestly very cute. The actual plot of the main story does involve a genie, but it's a very silly story, a rare thing nowadays. Fittingly, Art Mawhinney is the artist, since his style is very cartoony, but weirdly enough, we've actually got ourselves a new colorist for this issue, one Jason Jensen. I have to say, his coloring style is probably the most interesting and dynamic we've seen so far, and while it looks lovely with its more complex shading and somewhat more realistic colors, the style ultimately kind of suffers from being paired with Art's pencils. Don't get me wrong, Art isn't a bad artist by any means - how could he be, with a name like that? - but his style just clashes weirdly with Jason's colors, making for kind of a jarring combination. But enough of that, onto the story! Sonic is playing fetch with the roboticized Muttski near a lake when he accidentally throws the stick into the water. Muttski obediently jumps in after it, and Sonic, worried for his dog's safety, leaps in after him.

I find it a little interesting, his comment about hating water and the implication that he can't swim. After all, throughout the entirety of the comic 'verse so far, Sonic's and Knuckles' swimming skills have kind of been swapped, with Sonic being a decent swimmer who enjoys a nice dip in the summer, and Knuckles being the one who can't swim and is afraid of water. It seems they're finally trying to align Sonic's swimming skills with that of his game counterpart, but after so many issues depicting him swimming without a problem, it's kind of a weird, sudden loss of ability. Anyway, as soon as he grabs the bottle, it shoots him and his dog safely to the surface of the water. Upon opening the bottle, a genie shoots out, and Sonic excitedly asks if this means he gets three wishes. The genie seems annoyed by this question, and decides to give him a little "present" anyway before flying away, zapping both him and Muttski at the same time.

Sonic realizes in shock that he has quickly run out of energy while Muttski bounds ahead, and gets a checkup from Dr. Quack, who confirms his worst fears - the genie straight up swapped his and Muttski's speeds, making Sonic an ordinary runner and Muttski a supersonic robot dog. Man, what is it about this comic loving to take away Sonic's speed through random happenstance? You'd think he'd kind of be used to it by now. He dejectedly, over the next few days, tries to figure out how to control his dog, who is now racing all across Knothole at ridiculous speeds and even offering some speedy help to people in need. After a few days of these shenanigans, Sonic and Muttski are once again playing a game of fetch in the forest, when Sonic spots the same genie floating around nearby and sics Muttski on him. Muttski swallows the genie whole, because it's the best way to keep him from running (flying?) away, and Sonic promises to let the genie back out if he gets his three wishes, to which the genie irritably agrees.

Wait, Sonic! Are you serious? That's your final wish? First of all I actually kind of find it funny that his wishes in this issue were very similar to the ones at the end of Secret Rings, in that he basically uses the first two as a fix-it for all the stuff that's happened over the course of the story and uses the final one to re-trap the offending genie back into its prison, but second of all, don't you think that third and final wish could be better used on, say, world peace or something? Maybe a guaranteed defeat of Egg… man… hey, wait a second, guys! Has anyone noticed the conspicuous lack of Eggman in the past few issues? I mean, I know his city got blown up pretty hard back in StH#110, but this is a Robotnik we're talking about. He's kind of known for coming back from seemingly certain death to torment the world time and time again. No one seems concerned at all with making absolutely sure that he's gone, but I have a feeling that the destruction of Robotropolis isn't the end of Eggman's story…

The Spaz Sketchbook

Writer/Pencils: Spaz

So here we've got something quite interesting! This isn't actually a story, but rather a collection of concept art by Patrick Spaziante, for various characters and machines of issues past, scrapped concepts that never made it into print, and even a few sketches for some upcoming stories! Unfortunately I can't just post every page here - that would be way too many pictures - but they're free to look at on the Archie Sonic wiki for those who are interested in viewing the full thing. I've decided to only include a couple things here, being sketches that I found the most interesting. First up we have a concept for Rob o' the Hedge that was ultimately scrapped in favor of making him look… well… exactly like Sonic.

Seriously, this design is so much more interesting! I mean, sure he kind of still looks like a recolored Sonic OC with a few details changed to make him stand out, but let's face it, that's what basically every hedgehog looks like in the Archieverse. As it stands, this design is way more unique-looking, and has much more visual interest than just making him a slightly lighter-colored Sonic clone.

A few pages in, we have what looks like a large, segmented train of sorts, which has its description box blocked out with a large "CAUTION: SPOILER INFO" sticker plastered over it. There's obviously relevant text behind it, but only a couple of words at the beginning and end show through, giving us a tantalizing glimpse at something that might come up here in a few issues. There's some references to a scrapped arc that takes place on Mobius twenty years in the future that depicts an older, redesigned Knuckles and Julie-Su - hmm, wonder if we'll ever see anything come of that eventually? - and then some pages devoted to plans for a manga-style alternate universe that never saw the light of day, due to the Sonic Super Special series being cancelled.

I include these mostly because they're really cute! I mean, the series has already been going in a much more anime-inspired direction with its art as of late, so it's interesting to see how that has been an inspiration for the art team for quite a while, even before Ron Lim and Steven Butler started really Nihon-ing it up. We conclude with a final page in which every sketch's text is completely spoilered out, but we can take our best guess at what the art depicts just from looking at it.

Two of those designs are pretty obviously Mecha Sonic and a new Mecha Tails, meaning we might be seeing those two get roboticized sometime in the near future. As for the other robots, given their unique designs, we can safely assume that we're looking at roboticized versions of Flying Frog, Lightning Lynx, and Predator Hawk. The top left robot is a little more ambiguous, but I just cheated and looked at the wiki, which informed me that it's a roboticized Drago. Man, how did this big ol' string of roboticizations happen, huh? It's almost like Eggman might not be truly gone…

Ultimate Power (Part Two)

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Dawn Best Colors: Jensen

So, we can pretty safely assume that Mammoth Mogul is up to no good. Harry drops him off at the hospital in Echidnaopolis just as Lien-Da leaves the building, and he walks in, gloating in the doorway over his former enemy lying so helplessly in the middle of all the life support gear.

It's kind of amazing how in the span of barely over a dozen issues, Penders has managed to take Dimitri from a hated villain that we're certain wants to conquer the world, and rebrand him as a tired, ancient old man just trying to do the best for his people using the only means he knows. These issues have really given a much different perspective on Dimitri that we've never seen before, painting him in a much more sympathetic light and even making us root for him in some respects. After all, I know I certainly don't want him to die here, and more and more it seems like the real danger within the modern Legion is Lien-Da, with a whole hidden agenda of her own.

Unaware of the brewing catastrophe, Knuckles, Julie-Su, and the Chaotix are hanging out in a park, generally enjoying the time they have together. Knuckles explains to everyone how his fur color changed from Rad Red to Gross Green, and demonstrates some of his newfound powers by producing a bouquet of flowers from thin air, much to Julie-Su's delight. I can't say she's the type of girl who I would have expected to be so happy with flowers, but hey, I can see her maybe being touched by a gesture that's so normal, in contrast to her messed-up past. Knuckles sobers the mood up, however, by saying that he really needs to go see his father about his powers, which begs the question of why he hasn't done so before now, and leads everyone away to the Brotherhood's new, temporary place of residence, what with Haven being wrecked and all. In the Legion's own secret base within Echidnaopolis, Lien-Da converses with what appears to be her assistant, Gae-Na, about Dimitri's state of being. The base appears to be small-time, something Lien-Da has had recently set up by a few loyal underlings of her own without Dimitri's knowledge, as she discusses that if the echidna's main council votes to not go through with reunification she's ready to go through with her "backup plan." Knuckles and co. enter the temporary Brotherhood base, noting how run-down it seems in comparison, but upon heading into the main room they're met with a nasty shock on screen…

Well, I'm sure nothing but good things will come of this…

[keuncats]

Rare by Selena Gomez os (mostly) Our Characters, Ships & More.

Hello, here i am again. still very weird. but also i said our characters in the title but as those songs is about empowering women and you have a lot of more than i am, which i love all of them and that’s just me praising them, so i will try my best to speak from my heart and as you advise me too: you just gonna have to take it. and even a spoiler: theres a lot of gays couples in here too.  but here we go.

Rare

Okay, first, i’m gonna be honest with you that i already listen to this song like last week because someone leaked but was with that alvin and the squirrels voice?you know those from youtube right?so when i was listening anyways cause it was a good song and i put in repeat and i was thinking who was this song. first i was like this could be nayoung or jihu or even danbi because she had a lot of fucked up relationships. but then my mind light up and i was like: oH MY GOD THIS IS MILK!!

Baby You've been so distant from me lately And lately Don’t even wanna call you "baby"

okay because i’m talking about your character and i’m not tried to godmodding in anyways, however, as my mind imagine those scenes as a telenovela of six pm from globo tv,  and as i watch a video one time about arranged marriage i think that at least in the beginning, as a young girl minkyung must at least had this figure in her head that in the end she would fall for this great guy who would treat like a princess or something, but it was not it and turn out really awful and triggered to see as she was cheating on and other more awful things she had going through

Saw us gettin' older (Older) Burnin' toast in the toaster My ambitions were too high Waiting up for you upstairs (Upstairs) Why you act like I’m not there? Baby, right now it feels like

you probably didn’t expect for the first track going in this direction, but this song is totally about minkyung in her marriage with the lee guy i always forget the name. and the way she literally left everything to go live and marry this man and she tried her best to make that marriage and family work, which as you said once it was at the begging when their son born, but still that man after all treat her like garbage.

It feels like you don't care Why don't you recognize I'm so rare? Always there You don't do the same for me, that's not fair

even if she didn’t care to go through hell with all those spank and betrays because it was better when it was suffering than her own son, she must feel awful or even worst she felt like this was okay to happen because this was, as you said once, the only world she knew was that one where she sort of locked in a house just to take care of her son and house and plants or even as she had to get permission for him to do stuff like her degree in biology. is even sadder to think as a jeju people, minkyung was the only person in that island even if a fucked situation she was not kissed by the sun and ended being great as she got older.

I'm not gonna beg for you I'm not gonna let you make me cry (Ah, nah nah, make me cry) Not getting enough from you (No-oh) Didn't you know I'm hard to find? (Find, hard to find)

well this part is when sanchan is already a grown-up living in another place and she finally decided to divorce that motherfuck pf her husband.

I don't have it all (I don't have it all) I'm not claiming to (I'm not claiming to) But I know that I'm special (So special), yeah And I'll bet there's somebody else out there To tell me I'm rare To make me feel rare (Ooh yeah)

in the end of the day, she is and has every aspect of a jeju person: she is strong, kind-hearted in every ways possible and well still smile that can save people. her ex-husband didn’t appreciate her but as myself there other people like her son and her grandson who both made her their safe place, theres also seulgi who well try to avoid her but thats just because of the trauma she loves her grandma, who couldn’t? even bonghu considered minkyung her mother because she acted like one more than her mother itself. and well, even getting into 60 she found lian, who became her good friend who was someone who understood her, however, he is lian even old he flirt with her just as a joke but also not because she is great and beautiful in every aspect.

Dance Again

As you can see by the title of the song is gonna be about a dancer and we have a lot of that, huh? At first when i didn’t read the lyrics just the song i was thinking this was linlin theme song, but actually turns out as julie. like this is literally julie. genius still doesn’t have a lot of description of the song but i search for what selena said about all of the tracks of the song and she said that:  “The purpose and the meaning of this song is that you can be vulnerable, you can have all these feelings, … but now I’m ready to let loose and it’s so cheesy, but I’ve gone my step back … and it feels good.”, and this reminded me of what you said in julie’s set for perfect. and this is a song that describes her even more.

Happiness Ain't something you sit back and you wait for Mmm, ah Confidence Is throwing your heart through every brick wall Mmm, ah

this is just lyric speaking of that chandler’s quote: if i’m going down i’m gonna bring everyone with me! because well, she didn’t regret getting that dick as we saw her when dispatch exposed them and when she was going against her father and saying she got married to him. she found a guy who was more crazy and wilder than her, c’mon.

Vulnerable Ain't easy, believe me, but I go there Mmm, ah It's like I'm ten feet tall I'm high off the weight off of my shoulders Mmm, ah

and this is about after 7sins disband and her fans like: fuck she is jobless, will she ever return again? and then she made a contract with keun and became a solo artist and believer was a huge success because everyone was wondering what the fuck she is doing and she turn out the tables even if there still people who hate her and others who workship her (myself included) she still the hot topic everyone likes to talk.

I kickstart the rhythm All the trauma's in remission No, I don't need permission

and this right here i could see julie since living in the states and had to got to korea with her father, and when she enter ong how her father made her get out of there to put in another agency and she uses valak to break up with kaili,  as  in general, she was getting older, and got that attitude of her that she don’t need permission to do anything from anyone even if she was kinda of scared if her father would kill her boyfriend.

Feels so, feels so, feels so good to dance again With my emotions undressed, I'm going in (Go in) With everything (Everything) To dance again Feels so, feels so, feels so good

and with that, i rest my case.

Look At Her Now

Well, as a said before that personally this could be Kuen song but being truthful this could every woman who was betrayed and how she stronger after all just as Nayoung, Kim Yura and i’m realizing now how this also totally about Soonyi and Jihu. I take responsibility for all of those.

They fell in love one summer A little too wild for each other Shiny 'til it wasn't Feels good 'til it doesn't It was her first real lover His too 'til he had another Oh, God, when she found out Trust levels went way down

I mean you can totally see that guy is nameless and how he abused of nayoung who was still young and didn’t realize this was abuse itself because she found him a good friend as she was working in dramas and made her feel good so she fell for him more than anything and would do anything for him to like her no matter what always until she discovers he was hooking up with Kim Yura too which i don’t know but as a male predator that he is he made her feel the same way even she was a lesbian and i don’t know about her other relationships but i know she fell for a lot of wrong people so that part of first real lover could be her crush on nayoung. And well, Kuen also had a nameless not exactly as nayoung, he was just a singer from a band that she mad in love with she even stop talking with her family and friends because she wanted to be with this dude and him well cheated on her but she did too but it was a back and forth toxic relationship. As Soonyi and Jihu both being about Sanghee but in different aspects, because Sanghee in the begging was like her best friend who would have sex with and with another person until a baby came and even she wanted to get an abortion, Sanghee assure her to not to that because he would take care of the baby with her so she did it and accepted to marry him because since college she had sort of feeling for him, she truly loved him and there a lot of good times in their marriage thats why she was not just sad but very much angry at him for had another one because he could at least talk to her about that as when they were going and she would be cool with that but no she went against her back and was with Soonyi, and this other is not a saint she knew exactly what she was doing but she got pregnant and well trust levels went down with Sanghee too she didn’t obligate him doing nothing that was main part of him.

Fast nights that got him That new life was his problem Not saying she was perfect Still regrets that moment Like that night Wasn't wrong, wasn't right, yeah What a thing to be human (What a thing to be human) Made her more of a woman (Made her more of a woman)

This give me flashbacks of that thread of Keun and Nayoung in the club when it was born the: Kim Yura i thought you moved to Japan. Also flashbacks of Kim Yura having sex with nameless. But i think this verse speak more for Soonyi than anyone, those nights she would have sex with Sanghee in the hospital and everything

She knows she'll find love (She knows) Only if she wants it She knows she'll find love (She knows) She knows she'll find love (She knows) Only if she wants it She knows she'll find love (She knows) On the up from the way down Look at her now, watch her go

And to finish this up. As i am the partner of those women, i’m happy of them being extremely strong and being a better a person and deserved to in the end deserve true love. yes, i was speaking this mostly to Nayoung and Kim Yura but also for Kuen. Soonyi, well, you made him sortar of a good man.

Lose You To Love Me

This is again a song about Nayoung. I don’t know if you want me to explain this, we know her history, you more than me since you wait to show me Dear John to speak more about her relationship with nameless. UPDATE: Hansol and Nayoung about her dear mother too.

You promised the world and I fell for it I put you first and you adored it Set fires to my forest And you let it burn Sang off-key in my chorus 'Cause it wasn't yours I saw the signs and I ignored it Rose-colored glasses all distorted Set fire to my purpose And I let it burn You got off on the hurtin' When it wasn't yours, yeah

Again this is about her and nameless and how she was so over hills to him to the point to make diets just because he told her she was fat. she did everything for him because it was the first person who showed affection to her (or it was what she was thinking it was)

We'd always go into it blindly I needed to lose you to find me This dancing was killing me softly I needed to hate you to love me, yeah

And this is more about Keun than Nameless. Well, maybe the part of hate you more of being from Nameless but also how she used that to have the strength to broke up with Keun in that day.

To love, love, yeah To love, love, yeah To love, yeah I needed to lose you to love me, yeah To love, love, yeah To love, love, yeah To love, yeah I needed to lose you to love me

Again more about Keun and well how she went to therapy after they broke up and she discovers her more about herself in there to become the person better much version of her we know.

I gave my all and they all know it Then you tore me down and now it's showing In two months, you replaced us Like it was easy Made me think I deserved it In the thick of healing, yeah

There’s no men who are worth it. I said this because both Nameless and Keun went out there giving their dicks out. Of course Nameless did it worst, but Keun attitude of making a whole album made her that bitch was maybe at the same level of make her think she deserve everything bad when she was just trying to healing.

And now the chapter is closed and done To love, love, yeah To love, love, yeah To love, yeah And now it's goodbye, it's goodbye for us

period.

Ring

Oh FINALLY not a heartbreak song. so anyways, this song i will not talk to much (i believe) but when i listen to the song this could be any bad bitch but because this song remembers me of Kyungri solo when WNDR debut i’m gonna be selfish and say this is her song. She is your ultimate bias, so take it.

You all in your feelings, baby, all into me I'm one in a billion, baby, don't you agree?

Obviously, you know, I'm aware of that I'm breakin' hearts like a heart attack Got him right where the carats at

As Selena Gomez said:   “Ring is sassy. I don’t know if I can say the real meaning behind it [on here]. … The point of it is it’s a confidence. … It’s all about feeling good about myself and being able to kind of be intimidating to guys”, which is speak to me of Kyungri. It just made me remember how every male trainee was afraid of going into her even if all agreed she was hot.

Wrapped 'round my finger like a ring, ring, ring They just like puppets on a string, string, string I put it down, they call me up They doin' way too much So I'll just let it ring, ring, ring (Oh-oh)

THIS APPLIED ALSO FOR SULJI WOw that whore. Wait My miND REMINDE me of jinhyung going to ask her out and he was like: “i’m korean”. but this is about every guy ever kyungri messed with just because she was thinking how men are stupid and it was so funny. thats why not just jinhyung, but every guy who her mom made going to a date with or a random guy she met and she had fun with them, not names mention cause they really are that random of the universe even linlin and wndr didnt knew much about them imagine us. but we know even dating she made a pact with her boyfriend to flirt with other just for fun and not getting anything because it was fun to mess around with people. 

Yeah, I received your message, all twenty-three (Twenty-three)

You know I'm Jordan with it, G-O-A-T (G-O-A-T)

and this is about her birthday when jinhyung send those messages. it was funny. and sulji with dino probably.

Circlin' me, they just like satellites (Ooh) Circlin' me all day and every night (Ooh, yeah) Circlin' me, I'm sure you sympathize (Ooh) A-la-la-la-la-la-la-la (Ooh) Oh, na-na

i believe this is also the song you thought sulji would listen to it, imma right? i just imagine she is the shit. which she is because well even stupid she made seth, dino, nurse guy and as you once said she made out with jack.

Vulnerable

This song was the hardest to think of someone else. First, because i’m trying to find one for Linlin. Second, i was like: no, okay, this song is about Danbi. But in the very end i realized this about Minhye.

If I give you every piece of me, I know that you could drop it Give you the chance, I know that you could take advantage once you got it If I open up my heart to you, I know that you could lock it Throw away the key, and keep it there forever in your pocket If I give the opportunity to you, then would you blow it? If I was the greatest thing to happen to you, would you know it? If my love was like a flower, would you plant it? Would you grow it? I'ma give you all my body, are you strong enough to hold it?

As far from Danbi, i tought of her because, again, she had a lot of relationships and not very good one, especially that one who took her money, so it understandable of how she was one step back of being with Daehyun at the beginning because she had been through a lot since her family problems and her taking care of her dad and her sisters and already getting another guy who wouldn’t help her out with converted or at least easying her mind, it was worth? she needed it, maybe it was daehyun but she needs to take care of herself first.

If I show you all my demons, and we dive into the deep end Would we crash and burn like every time before? I would tell you all my secrets, wrap your arms around my weakness If the only other option's letting go

and about minhye, this is more her to jukan after college or any guy ever, as she could look bad at his point of view for just had sex with for two times and move on but still because she is got through a lot with her mom suicide and her whole life is a mystery but it is a fucked life she went so sharing those stuff is a hard and well jukan don’t look like the exact caring type of guy because he was an idiot back then but somehow him just love her helped and also how she overcome being this successful influencer with her business.

If I hand you my emotions, would you even wanna take it? (Would you even wanna take it? Yeah) If I give you all my trust, then would you fumble it and break it? (Mm, mm, mm, mm) If I let you cross my finish line, then would you wanna make it? (What you wanna make it, what you wanna make it?) I think I'm ready, won't you come and flip the switch and activate it? (Ooh)

Now this also could be Jinah because she is also someone who went trough some shit and we didn’t see her crying about even once. she is also someone who was very much strong and how she was a prostitute as object for a lot of men to find love even that person was bokyum was beautiful and also she gave up this life to go to college and became a psychology.

If the only other option's letting go I'll stay vulnerable

People You Know.

This song can have a lot of meanings, not just as lovers but as friends or even family too. Thats one of the reasons even if the song looks to me about Hansol and Chan-u, Anna and Kuen, this is mostly about Chihye and Inna and could be even also about Eleanor and her sister. Let me show you.

You were runnin' through me like water Now the feeling's leavin' me dry These days, we couldn't be farther So how’s it feel to be on the other side?

This is where i thought of the couples because well one of them got to move or travel to other places and the other just was there moving with life also but coming back and seeing how things changed.

So many wasted (Wasted) Nights with (Nights with) you (You) I still can taste it (Taste it) I hate it, wish I could take it back 'cause

This couls be Chihye over Inna seeing that she stop being friends with her when she got poor. This is also gonna become more Eleanor centered. Because those lyrics i believe was when she was fighting a lot with her sister or sort of when their dad died but also i think more when her sister decided to take those pictures of her and zeev making sex in the bathtub and show to the internet to make money from it.

We used to be close, but people can go From people you know to people you don't And what hurts the most is people can go From people you know to people you don't We used to be close, but people can go From people you know to people you don't And what hurts the most is people can go From people you know to people you don't

this is inna point of view i believe, when she discovers chihye ended up marrying the guy she liked and that person who runs away with her daughter and also the one who she loved was too and even put a detective to find her, isn't? woW

When it was good, we were on fire Now I'm breathin' ashes and dust I always wanna get higher I never know when enough is enough

This look to me Hansol and Chanu so, let me just add here.

We used to be close, but people can go From people you know to people you don't And what hurts the most is people can go From people you know to people you don't We used to be close, but people can go From people you know to people you don't And what hurts the most is people can go From people you know to people you don't

Personally, as i have an older sister myself i can assure that idolizing them and want to become like them is very real thats why i feel for eleanor when she asked keun to not made her sister going to jail. because even she tried to screw up her relationship, she was her family, she was one of the first people she interacts in the world with, she was her first best friend and how they went crazy drunk parties it happened with them. i actually don’t know much, because my vision is the same as zeev’s of it, i can just feel empathy from it and just think how much it felt for eleanor to have this big figure she loved to do something very mean. Thats it.

Let Me Get Me.

Okay, so as this song selena sings about overcoming her mental illness and feeling a sense of freedom of the thoughts of her heard. this could be also about Linlin? yes, but because the rhythm of the song i believe this song speaks more about Seulgi.

Like a prayer surroundin' us, movin' effortlessly Every word is relief I'm in dance floor therapy, all my babies and me But tonight, it's for free No self-sabotage, no letting my thoughts run Me and this spiral are done Burn this camouflage I've been wearing for months Tryna let a little happy in for once

This is much more about last year, which theoretically speaking in our minds was the year that her brother basically tried to killed himself, also days after she kissed her best friend out nowhere and even she ignored it looked like it was gonna be a horrible year for this girl especially with her depression but it was also the year of a lot of comebacks, and tour, and syrch. so it ended up being an amazing time for seulgi because not only she got the money, she got new friends, she got even the girl, she got to go to new places who wouldn’t made think of the tragedy part of her life, which made her try to be her she thought it went away.

Diving in ferociously, dancing intimately I'm so connected to me In the dark, I'm letting go, so anonymously I guess this is what it feels like to be free

this is you making badgalseulgi ans saying you were the most close to the real seulgi then ever before. but also i belive those lyrics hits harder if you think this is about moving on aside from wndr and her relationship with hailey and her archive what she wants more for her.

Don't get me down, I won't let me get me (Ooh) Don't get me down, I won't let me get me (Ooh) I'm good right now, I won't let me get me Take that tired heart and go and turn it inside-out

this is literally her fighting her depression and grow of it each day because she knows theres much more that the world can afford her and this is what her parents would be happy she would do. which they are but not just them or me but also every person she is close it cheers for her and is proud of her. even herself because of how depression sometimes can appear even in your best days but seulgi was strong and turn it inside-out.

Crowded Room

Is gonna start being a lot more romantic as now. At first, i try not to think of men but this song sounds to me like Clay and Allen, but this is also about Yura and Chiyo and oh my GOD now after i was saying about seulgi this is also the girlfriends. Before i think of other people let me explain those three gays couples.

Baby, it's just me and you Baby, it's just me and you Just us two Even in a crowded room Baby, it's just me and you, yeah

This makes me remember of that party of when clay and allen met, actually the whole song remembers me of the day. plus, also them living together and being goofy idk. and how this song is repetitive this will gonna explain the others couples later.

It started polite, out on thin ice 'Til you came over to break it I threw you a line and you were mine

for me this is literally them texting each other and allen like: wanna sext xD. but this is also yura in japan and having this instant connection with chiyo and she just trying play cool but also flirting and chiyo doing the same. as from the girlfriends, this could be about when they were just friends and then the kiss happened and you know what went next.

Yeah, I was afraid, but you made it safe I guess that is our combination Said you feel lost, well, so do I

this right here i think its very much seulgi and hailey, its like their march band, you know? but this is also allen and clay’s march band and how they went dating and how clay was so in love with him even if has his first experience with a boy and felt so good with him that made thinking about himself and how he wanted to do with his future and with allen on it. and yura and chiyo because of how much homophobia they had to go through for those other gays can be free to love.

So won't you call me in the morning? I think that you should call me in the morning If you feel the same 'cause

exactly, in wich couple in there theres at least one foreign that live away or had to go to another place. so,,, this is mostly allen and chiyo after met and talking with their lovers and just wanted more because they like them. seulgi and hailey well because they miss each other even just as friends, isn't?

Baby, it's just me and you Baby, it's just me and you Just us two Even in a crowded room Baby, it's just me and you, yeah Baby, it's just me and you Baby, it's just me and you Just us two Even in a crowded room Baby, it's just me and you, yeah

so now i  will explain more because for me this is also Yura and Chiyo, well they had to face a lot together because its a  new decade now but people are not open-minded as we thought they would, but it was worth getting to it and fighting for their rights because they were together in this, the two of them and didn't matter of anything. i'm not just talking about marriage or adoption but everything

Engulfed in the flames Engulfed in the shame Betrayed by your imagination In over my head, but that's alright

oh, this is hailey getting through stuff after the kiss but also seulgi when she figured out she was gay, same as kim yura, and this is clay in the dorm thinking about the harvad boy.

Baby, it's just me and you Baby, it's just me and you Just us two Even in a crowded room Baby, it's just me and you, yeah Baby, it's just me and you Baby, it's just me and you Just us two Even in a crowded room (Oh) Baby, it's just me and you

and now as for the girlfriends. i can totally imagine sonders making those videos with this song on twitter with all their moments together in the tour, in wndr tv, fansign or even just walking in the airport.  even if they were the couple that had more people surround them, they also were the last couple to have like the opportunity to be  open to the media, but they didn't care or even wanted that because the thing that matters was just that they would stick together.

The world keeps on spinning, but I ain't dizzy yet, yeah The more that you give, give, give, give, the more that you get

you know, all those three couples made each other feel like what they have couldn't be real because it felt so good and this could really happen to people like them (your muses mostly)? all of them feel free but also both of those three couples facing up stuff together in the relationship and thats beautiful.

You make the whole room feel slow-motion You make me feel like I'm drowning in a potion Closed off, tryna get a little open The more that I give, the more that I get So baby, I'ma call you in the AM You're down for my love, honey, say when I be waitin' on my time 'cause I'm patient

again, you can see how easy-going they made feel to each other, but this rap i believe is more my characters to you?? chiyo was there even facing nameless, she was with yura for everything and yura deserved somebody who would stick with her and love her, thats why theres the part of i'm patient. and this is hailey didn't care if they were together as friends or girlfriends but in the end she knew they would be together again because its their connection. and this is allen moving to south korea just to be more close to lay and date him for real.

Kinda Crazy

Another who was hard to think about but them it come to mind: This is Anna and Kuen, yes i warn you theres just gays in here. But also Linlin and Mingyu

Hey, you started out sweeter than hard candy Words were like licorice to the taste But slowly, all the sugar, it went to waste Went to waste Oh, you started getting funny with no jokes I started seein' through you like a ghost And now I'm pretty sure I can't take no more I can't take no more-ore

This is literally Kuen in the other side of the world had to be point out to be the person Anna was talking in her songs, such as Bbibbi, which was not very much lovable ones. Which i said that she could had feel sorry for messing with her but also she was very much angry with her because she didn't exactly talk to her she just decided her songs as she sings about her experiences. And this is clearly Mingyu and Linlin because of all the fights they had and Mingyu couldn't a lot with Linlin ways sometimes

I think you're kind of crazy And not the good kind, baby 'Cause you're actin' super shady You know it, you know it Been dodgin' phone calls lately But still textin' me, "Baby" Yeah, I think you're kind of crazy You know it, you know it You've been lyin' just for fun Luckily, no damage done But now I see you're kind of crazy You know it, you know it

This is about every chat of mingyu and linlin we had but also kuen still angry but both of those would still text each other like nothing happen ,,,, until,,,

Hey, you're the one who started talkin' to me Made the move, asked me to be your babe And now you're treatin' me like I'm insane You're insane

THIS IS ANNA PAYBACK IN THis song and how she had to take kuen changing her to those white dudes but still would play with her heart and going but you are my oldest friend :-(( and she had enough as she should #goanna. AnD ALSO LINLIN'S BECAUSE mingyu acting like mister right but always would come to her place still or even going to another country, yes men sucks my men are the same as the real ones.

I think you're kind of crazy And not the good kind, baby 'Cause you're actin' super shady You know it, you know it Been dodgin' phone calls lately But still textin' me, "Baby" Yeah, I think you're kind of crazy You know it, you know it You've been lyin' just for fun Luckily, no damage done But now I see you're kind of crazy You know it, you know it

they ended up marrying each other.

Fun

This is totally Chan-u and Hansol but i'm gonna be bold here and put one of the newest ships since i talk a lot about lesbians in here so this is also Gigi and Park.

This is just what the doctor ordered (Yeah) Put a gold star on my disorder Yeah, we've talked around every corner If I'm lookin' at you and me, we're on some kind of symmetry

Because you said Gigi took some medicine because she had some kinda of problem but she took and have cool parents i thought this is hit more than the bipolar of Chan-u.

I'm a sensitive situation (Mmm) You're a hot and cold combination Oh, we both know we got complications (Mmm)

No need to explain about chanu and hansol in here. and i know we have seven more new ships ver much new and stuff to think about it. i don't know if park has complications, she just a crazy chick who likes to do stuff and doesn't care about much, she is very much like chihye when she was young and rich, you know? she just reckless.

I try not to bother, not to bother you (Ah) But my kind of trouble likes your trouble too (Ah)

and this is just Gigi, because  Chanu is a brat he doesn't care if would bother or not, same as Hansol. Oh my god i realized now he is chihye's son too.

Can we keep it on a first name basis? (Ah) We could overcrowd each other's spaces You get me higher than my medication Take me to different places, let's face it, I'm gettin' impatient (Ah)

again, as you said about gigi having problems with her mental health it made me think, park wouldn't be like: stop doing, party, fuck, blabla, you know? i don't know even if she even knew but if she knows she would respect her as the same, she is very much feeling and just wanted to have a good time. ANd YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GAYS.

Cut You Off

Now, finally, as the album is ending, this is about Haneul and her breakup with Hyuntae but more specific when she decided to stop shadying him

Pull up to the mirror, staring at my face Gotta chop-chop all the extra weight I've been carrying for fourteen-hundred-sixty days Gotta, gotta, gotta clean my slate

Is a song about moving on and feeling better by yourself, which haneul did eventually after stage of crying, denying, songwriting, hate, all of that after one sex with john. i think thats is incredible. just kidding eventually she would do that.

And I might as well just tell you while I'm drunk, yeah The truth is that I think I've had enough Professionally messin' with my trust How could I confuse that shit for love?

and this is about that day hyuntae tried to talk to her and said he loved her and she throw champgne in his face, as she had a lot of reasons to react like that because she was heartbroken over a text message, his long-time friend who became her first real love doing this way? she deserves more respect for that. this also is about the date she got drunk in chinese with seth.

So I gotta get You out my head now I just cut you off You out my head now I just cut you off When I'm without you I don't overthink it, I just carry on, get You out my head now I just cut you off

this was written by haneul. haneul worked with selena.

Sweeter Place

OH MY FUCKIN GOD I WAS WATING FOR A SONG ABOUT THIS WOMAN AND IT WAS THE LAST TRACK? CRIST SAKEs. If you don't know i'm talking about Linlin and this song talks about Selena's struggle with anxiety, so yeah.

Is there a place where I can hide away? Red lips, french kiss my worries all away There must be a sweeter place We can sugarcoat the taste Sweeter place There must be a sweeter—

this is very much about i believe when she is alone in her own thoughts after a fight with mingyu maybe or someone else but anyways how her life is a lot of times upside down.

So lemme tell ya Ooh, got two feet on the ground and felt what real is like What it was like Livin' out of the scene, out in the wild Learnin' to breathe Up in the clouds, far from the crowds I can't believe I can be loud Holdin' hands with the darkness and knowin' my heart is allowed Allowed

This is again her and her discovering her anxiety in the medical field of her agency. i can't talk much about that because you know. but this is selena accepting it and being unapologetic about it and thats much very linlin.

As I fantasize So much to see, I'm in paradise, oh, I Always seems I'm new inside Deep, deep down in me, I go now, baby, born to fly, oh, I Now see, how could it be? We will find our way, we'll find the things we seek, ooh-ee You see, I'm mesmerized This is just for me and I am cuttin' ties, goodbye Ooh, no, no, no, no

oh this also could be feat chanu, cause this is the rapper part and the rapper also had struggles with even got into rehab for it? anyways, chanu and linlin are very much a like thats why they are friends and sometimes they could even talk about those stuff idk what i'm saying now. love those motherfuckers

[espelho-the-wayward-writer-blog]

Hi Again, Please Take Me Back? :)

Um. Hi, writeblr? *waves awkwardly*

I know it was... um... weird of me to make this account, start interacting and promise to be active only to disappear almost immediately for like 3 months. In my dubious defense I can say that I had a very difficult period in terms of mental health first, and then money problems, and then my dog got terribly sick, which led to more money problems and more mental health stuff, and idk, it was just a very tough end of spring and first half of summer. So I had very little energy to do things, and when I did have energy, I tried to put it into writing first and foremost, because writing at times seemed like the one thing that gave me a sense of control and purpose.

But things are better now, and while I won't promise to be consistently here, for fear of breaking that promise, I do hope to be here a lot more. You all wonderful writers were so welcoming and friendly when I made this blog. I hope you'll be able to welcome me back once more. :)

For a better sense of perspective why I didn't have the energy for anything but writing, just for my own reference and for anyone who might be interested, I put a list of my current WIPs below.

First Drafts in Progress

1) Tales from the Witch House This used to be my main project back when I made this Tumblr, and it still remains such, more or less. It's a future web serial that I hope to start posting online some time this autumn. It’s a story about a number of witches, shapeshifters, vampires, friendly neighborhood lovecraftian monsters and other supernatural beings squatting in a semi-abandoned house together. It’s new adult slice of life urban fantasy, very queer, very character-driven, and unapologetically full of all my favorite tropes: a lot of found family goodness, a poly relationship that combines friends to lovers with enemies to lovers, and more  It’s also a story of growing up, searching for independence, getting to know yourself, other people and the world around you, and the perils of sharing a kitchen with a werejaguar who is a total slob.

Tag: Tales from the Witch House

2) All The Roads that Led Us Here (working title) My current Camp NaNoWriMo project for July. It's a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers m/m romance masquerading as a high fantasy spy novel, full of tragic misunderstandings, bold attempts on political intrigues, and all of my favorite tropes I could think of. It's the story of Elthani Daicel, a mage working for a spy organization that serves the crown. He is sent undercover into a group of magically gifted rebels threatening to disrupt order in the empire and usurp the throne. The leader of the rebels is Elthani's former best friend, a traitor to the spy organization Elthani's working for.

Tag: The Fantasy Spy Romance

3) One Pill to Make You A weird horror/urban fantasy story where cults achieve powers and recruit new members by using pills made of demon blood and bone. Allen, the MC, doesn't know the first thing about this and if he did know, he wouldn't care, because he generally isn't into the habit of caring about anything other than himself. However, when after a night out his roommate Paul starts exhibiting weird powers and making weird friends, it disrupts the rhythm of Allen's own life and thus leads him to investigate. Which is, of course, why he accidentally travels far down the rabbit hole and into the depths of the demonic occult underground.

Tag: One Pill to Make You

WIPs in Revision, First Drafts Complete

4) The Untitled "Superpunk" Novel The setting is a classical bleak cyberpunk corporate dystopia, but with superheroes. Or, well, with mostly morally grey superpowered individuals. Some of them work for the corporations. Others are freelancers, also known as criminals, also known as villains, also known as rebels and liberators. Oh, and there are also people who refuse to use that serum that can either give you superpowers or kill you, but who still work closely with the not-quite-heroes. In this world, three young women learn that a very dangerous man who once held all of them hostage isn't quite as dead as they thought. Which means it's time to team up and get ot him before he gets to them.

Tag: The Main Superpunk Novel

5) The Mask You Wear (very working title). Side-story to the previous untitled one, set in the same "Superpunk" 'verse. Keith has spent most of his adult life defending the innocents of Delta-City as a proud member of HeroCorps. Or so the representatives of the HeroCorps told him two years ago, when he woke up in the hospital with amnesia after a very bad fight with a very bad guy. Keith sees no reason no to believe them. He likes his life. He likes helping people. He likes being a superhero. His aversion to the very idea of getting his memories back is completely normal; the doctors told him so. And HeroCorps employs only the best doctors, so everything`s definitely fine. Except now there's a new supervillain in town, and his very existence causes Keith to start asking questions he didn't know he had and looking for answers he isn't going to like.

Tag: The Secondary Superpunk Novel

6) [Still Searching for a Title] This is a really weird one that needs to be not so much revised as completely rewritten. I finished the first draft/draft zero a couple of years ago when I was in a really dark state of mind, and it shows both in the very dubious quality of writing and in the plot. It's an urban fantasy where going through severe trauma and developing mental problems as a result also might give a person magical powers. The powers fade if the mind is healed, so a lot of the magicians who grow used to depending on their powers are always searching for the delicate balance between being sane enough and powerful enough. I'm not sure this story could pass all the sensitivity checks and not offend anyone by its existence. For me, though, it's kind of really therapeutic, and I also love the three characters it focuses on, and I really want to make something coherent and hopefully coherent out of it one day.

Tag: The Untitled Urban Fantasy

WIPs in the Very Early Stage

7) My People's Keeper This is still more of a plot bunny than an actual WIP, although I do have a handful of scenes written for it and a rough outline. Theoretically, it's the first book in a trilogy full of characters I already love, my favorite magic system I've created to date, and lots of worldbuilding bits and plot points I'm very excited about. But I'm really wary of actually writing it, because, well, the plot revolves around an empire colonizing smaller countries and sort of expects the reader to empathize with the main characters from that empire, and once again, I'm not certain if the result wouldn't turn out offensive for a number of future potential readers, so I have a lot of doubts.

Tag: My People's Keeper

8) Sunlight in Shadow / The City of Gods and Monsters (two working titles I'm trying to choose between) It's currently in that stage where I have a lot of ideas, a lot of worldbuilding and a number of characters, but no real actual story. Once I have one, it's going to be about a continent-sprawling post-apocalyptic fantasy city, lots of religious tension and gods reincarnated as not-quite-mortals, searching for each other in the dark.

Tag: The City of Gods and Monsters

9) Burning Things Based on an old NaNoWriMo project that had some good stuff in it, but it got buried under lots and lots of boring and making less than enough sense stuff that somehow seemed exciting at that time, and then I kind of lost the story underneath it all. Once I figure it out properly, it's going to be a young adult novel about very troubled teens in a magical school and all the awful things teens do to themselves and each other just because they're hurting. Especially when you give them magic.

Tag: Burning Things

10) The Untitled Little Mermaid Retelling What it says on the tin. Once I figure the plot out entirely, it's going to be very political, sort of "a cold war story in a fantasy kingdom," and with a queer romance at the center, because who needs Prince Charming for the mermaid when you can have Princess Sarcastic instead?

Tag: The Little Mermaid Retelling

11) The Race Against the Prophecy (very working title) Something I'm developing in collaboration with Val, my friend who's not currently on Tumblr as far as I know. When a family learns their adopted is the Chosen One destined to fight and kill the Fallen God (who needs a better name/title) when she turns sixteen, all three of them are appropriately horrified. Because honestly, who'd want a fate like that for their kid? So, of course, they gather some friends and head to get rid of the Fallen God themselves.

Tag: Against the Prophecy

Yeah, I know. That's a lot of WIPs. Which is exactly why, when life leaves me with little free time, I have no time at all for anything other than writing. :D