#Niche lyric choice too but I like it

[coconut530]

Vengeance, as it were

#Lavender Jack #Lavender Jack Webtoon #Webtoon #AFWP version got me going again #IT’S SO PRETTY #Literally I was Ascending (TM) like you do for the beginning of it and then this image popped into my head #I just felt like using the Lord Huron emerald bc the LJ one is like a puny circle or oval #Need that intricate shape #Niche lyric choice too but I like it #Fits with Mimley’s attitude #Anyway I’m just like rambling but uhh yeah art like it #Oh wait #Lord Huron #6 #ok we’re done

[gaystan]

PRESENTING ME AND @11x13kyle's FIRESIDE CHATS WITH KYLE AND ERIC AKA NICHE INTERNET MICROCELEBRITY AU:

cartman and kyle host a podcast called fireside chats with kyle and eric that’s basically just red scare, cartman is dasha and kyle is anna

they're constantly beefing with each other on twitter and some people are convinced it's staged to promote the show but kyle just hates cartman That Much

a majority of their listeners are just there for the occasional mention of their batshit childhood experiences amongst all the terrible political takes

like "umm i don't wanna hear this insane opinion on al gore i want to know more about how you guys swear that he tried to get you to help him kill manbearpig when you were 8"

fans wonder if these events are true or if they're enabling each other's schizophrenia

cartman is always saying the worst reactionary things while kyle's takes are deceptively normal until he hits them with one that makes listeners go hey WHAT?

kyle resents being called a reactionary but cartman LOVES it, wears the label like a badge of pride

there is CONSTANT discourse about whether or not cartman's antisemitism is ironic or not, with the reasoning "why would kyle be friends with him if it was genuine," and kyle regularly takes to twitter to say "IT IS NOT IRONIC."

kyle peaks the mic multiple times an ep yelling at cartman, says they'll edit it out in post, never gets cut because neither of them can edit

reddit posts go up are after every episode giving timestamp warnings for when kyle gets super loud

cartman has a christian music era, gets tradcath allegations and does little to discourage them

there are people who rpf ship kyman. cartman knows about this and tweets at fans asking them to send him fic recs

secretly jacks off to them

has a bit where he gives a shout out to his favorite kyman fic of the week and kyle breaks the mic every single time screaming at him

he posts unbelievably cringy "ironic" thirst traps to his instagram story at night and "ironic" drag pictures but the outfits and makeup are too good to be a joke

he also posts pictures of butters in bed with like bites on his neck to brag about getting hot tail but it's also just as unsexy

this is how he accidentally comes out, he was so distracted by the need to flex that he forgot he's still trying to beat the gay allegations

the "ironic" kyman fic jokes stop being funny

butters is adam friedland and kenny is the girl he cheated with

the butters show is cohosted with dougie and part of the alt right pipeline

stan is kyle's offline boyfriend in a B list rock band and wears fireside merch on stage sometimes

this includes the isis shirts which he swears up and down he didn't know were isis shirts

deeply apolitical by choice so whenever kyle talks to him about podcast stuff he nods along like whatever you say honey

he still listens to it he just tunes out of the political talk

the day his fans find out he's gay is the biggest day for them since his 2021 single hit the hot 100

everyone analyzing his old lyrics like oh my god. this was about a MAN. it all makes sense.

kenny is a twitter microceleb and socialite, much like with cartman controversy is part of the brand

gained thousands of followers over the butters cheating discourse

thirst tweets about kyle and they're secretly unironic

comes on fireside and rates youtubers he's slept with, kyle is disgusted and cartman is delighted

chapo trap house is craig and those guys

#it was so hard to narrow my favorites down like i said this went on for hours #south park #more cartman centric than i expected but i mean. Come On #suggestive #jic #a personal favorite #microceleb au

[splashink-games]

Cassette Beasts?

Cassette Beasts is a creature-collecting game by Bytten Studio! Record monsters on tapes, become a Ranger, and find the way off of New Wirral in this amazing adventure!

Spoilers below the cut!!

So I had a plan to write this review before I even finished the game. It was just that good. But! I managed to hold off until I at least finished the main game. Next goal: 100% and DLC! And also buying the OST when I have the chance.

Now, I'm not putting this off until the middle of the review: every musical track in this game is a certified banger. I absolutely loved the music of the game. As one person put it (while I was looking for the OST), I just didn't get tired of the music. And that's a pretty big win for a game where you have so, so many encounters and only a handful of tracks to play.

The way they implement the music is also impressive because it's narratively important. The lyrics work their way in when a fusion happens and during big story battles. The town theme's music plays when you're indoors. Plus the lyrics just feel right with its tones and atmosphere. Also the difference between the few main battle themes is just enough for one to feel more tense/exciting than the others. Just an overall great thing they have going on with the audio.

Okay with that out of the way!

Cassette Beasts is a solid game, actually pretty high tier.

Mechanically, I've seen people compare it to Pokemon. I feel like it's like a mix of Pokemon and Persona. You can record the monsters, remaster (evolve) them at five stars, with some having having special evolution requirements. Monsters can show up as bootlegs, where they're a type other than its base type, which is just like shiny hunting but more (cause there's like 12 types). And I've already killed a plastic bootleg by accident...

The moves (stickers) are mix and match, mostly according to typing. I'm pretty into it cause I love giving my party members all sorts of type coverage. I haven't particularly gone into finding weird strategies yet other than AP Refund, but I can see some cool ones thanks to needing to battle all 12 Ranger Captains.

And then you can fuse! Which I thought was interesting, and it adds an ace to go to when you're in a pinch. But you fusing means that wild monsters (and other rangers) can fuse too. Those provide some fun challenges and opportunities to find bootlegs, plus progression in post-game.

Did I mention that this game is also like a Metroidvania? Capturing certain monsters gives up to 6 overworld movement abilities and I think that's pretty neat. All of them have their uses and none of them are niche, which is a win.

The story was pretty interesting! Dropping in onto a mysterious island and trying to find a way back home is nice and simple and all the detail added around it make it engaging. The Archangels are wildly uncomfortable which I didn't expect and I loved it. Despite loving it, it still did come out of nowhere but greatly forgiven because it was right at the start (and not some random turn in the middle).

The pacing was a bit off for me though because I got like 5 out of 8 song pieces before I even defeated 4 captains or even met all the partner characters. I also don't know how relationship progress works other than fight things and rest. Thinking about it now, there's probably a reason why there a speedrun timer in that you don't have to play through all the content (8/9 archangels, no captains?), I guess.

I liked the references to all sorts of topics throughout the story and I think it's pretty interesting for the characters to be from different timelines. It makes it easy to explain weird inconsistencies.

Funny thing I did by accident for end game's story: I switched out Meredith's Regensea with an Aeroboros cause I wanted her starter in my party. And boy did that choice bite back later lol.

Graphics are also solid. The 3D world with 2D sprites reminds me of Octopath Traveller. I appreciate the non-pixel portrait art for the characters, but I would've liked it either way. The designs of the monsters and the characters are all great! Honestly, I should take some notes from them since even if there's 15+ characters, they still all have very specific designs and personalities to match.

The detail in the world is great too, like the light reflecting off the puddle or the fog that rolls in and the rain. So like weather in general.

Also, as a note just for me, I liked the fonts and font effects that they used. Very cool.

Cassette Beasts is a quality creature-collecting game! If you need another Pokemon/Digimon/Persona, here's a game for you. Or if you just want a cool turn-based RPG with cool music, that's cool too.

As always,

Enjoy gaming!

#ink reviews #game review #video games #gaming #Cassette Beasts #love that you could see exactly when in my playthrough I took these screenshots cause the speedrun timer is on

[emblemxeno]

Apologies if something like this has been asked before, but what would you say are your favorite things about Fates? I’m curious because I actually like the games quite a bit, and I also enjoy hearing what other people like about them.

No worries, anon!

1-The Characters

Fates, imo, has a very stellar cast. Characters like Corrin, Xander and Takumi I've gone over already in how much I adore them, but honestly the vast majority of the cast is great! There's a few I'm only neutral towards, and only one I actively really dislike, the rest I'm at least pretty fond of. The first gen cast in particular I think does a good job at having strong character interactions, especially cross kingdom supports; the big differences between how citizens of Nohr and Hoshido respectively go about their lives is crafted with a very deliberate dichotomy that is initially platformed as something forever incompatible, but is then subverted in various points in all three routes.

2-The Gameplay and Content

The mechanics and game flow introduced in Awakening I think was finely tuned in Fates. Pair up being more player controlled leads to satisfying strategies, and reclassing and skills are less centered around grinding. I like how the cast more often than not have min-maxed stat lines with clear strengths and weaknesses, as to me, that supplements an already important aspect of how FE plays regarding it's classes. That being said, classes like bow users and Armor Knights got very good niches that were very needed to not be completely outclassed. Class sets being varied by supports not just for the children but also the first gen cast was a fantastic choice as well, as it encourages other combinations beyond just getting extra stats in pair up. Dragon Veins were an amazing interactive gameplay element, and added an extra way to interact with the maps beyond navigating around terrain. Lastly, each route has a bevy of unique content, mostly maps, but Revelation has lots of exclusive supports as well!

3 The Music

The game's ost is phenomenal. An underrated aspect of the FE series is how its music is used to convey the games' stories through sound. With map themes alone, there's progression and intent. Birthright, for example starts with the light and spirited "Past Light" track, before shifting to "Justice RIP" and "No Justice", both signifying that things are getting more serious and dangerous, the latter being notable in that it's a Nohrian track to go along with how you're now in Nohrian territory. Then the triumphic "Alight" only starts when you're in the homestretch, facing familiar enemies whom were beaten before and can be beaten again. And, again, that's just four tracks! The entire ost paints a picture, be it in gameplay, story, or supports. There's even an entire track that only plays when a character's about to die in gameplay, and only gets brought in cutscenes to show how dangerous a particular foe has gotten! It's immaculate. And of course, Lost in Thoughts All Alone is an amazing lyrical track.

4 The Art style and Designs

People can rag on how certain characters or classes are designed in this game, but one thing that I think can't-or shouldn't-be denied is that the cast and setting have presence; they're recognizeable and give a taste of what's what. Besides Hoshido and Nohr being the typical "white" and "black" kingdoms, Hoshido has more spiritual or outside the box classes; they have the resources to experiment and hyper-specialize in certain crafts, even having religious classes, merchants, and blacksmiths available for options. Nohr, meanwhile, has more armor and mounts; it's a kingdom trained to be effective at competition and warfare in order to survive, and must forgo experimentation for practicality. The game is also just very pleasing to look at, where the muted but varied color palette makes characters and locales visually distinct without being too loud. There's also a lot of neat animations that characters do in battle, many that lots probably didn't notice or haven't even seen, which to me showcases a deep care and passion put into the little things.

5 The Story

While of course, not everyon'e cup of tea, I'm extremely fond of Fates' narrative. Mostly because, in storytelling media, there's always more than just words to convey a story. It's why I listed the other points before this one, because they all contribute to Fates' narrative construction. Pull from map music to hear what the story wants you to take from it from that point in the campaign, pull from character designs and portraits to see what to expect from a character's personality at a glance, see stats, classes, and personal skills to see and put into action how that unit plays and interacts with the map they join in, take a moment to really examine the terrain of maps both for strategy and to take in the kinds of environments in the game's world. Fates has a lot to say-probably too much for its own good-and so efforts were made to say things without words being necessary.

Beyond that, I think the story itself is gripping and involves themes and symbolism very easy to get lost in though (tee-hee) about. Individuality and authenticity, rejecting status quo, pacifism, the cycle of hatred/vengeance, commonality and understanding amongst opposites, etc. Hell, I tend to get into my own head about how characters are written or how moments are utilized in the story to tie back into a theme of some kind, because there's just that much to unpack.

So yeah. That's that.

#queue #fire emblem fates #not to say Fates is perfect though #i think there's still could be some kinks ironed out #change around forging and weapon debuffs for example #and the some plot aspects can be a little cheap #but overall what works in the game I find REALLY works and I'm satisfied with that

[ramayantika]

I just remembered something. Now like most lower middle class children, I was also the one brought up with hindi movies, songs and ofc hindi serials. Now, I was all 12 when for the first time i was studying in one of those posh schools in kolkata. The area where the school wasn't that posh but the children definitely were. Bmws, businessmen, surgeons doctors, club owners, ameeron ke bache.

So i have met showoff kids who show their money and status discreetly like they will be your friends, give you notes, share tiffin but also in a way show you that you aren't rich. And i also met some realy rich kids who could afford partying at expensive hotels, but God they were so humble and down to earth.

That was when I had learnt how to fit in. Now my friends were the ones who from the start watched English comedies, knew the lyrics to English pop songs and watched web series.

For me the concept of web series, Netflix etc started in kolkata when I was 13-14. I would see the photos of their colonies and all and would go damn I want to live like them too.

Now to fit in I began watching those English movies and songs I trained my ears to understand the words because for the first time when you hear them it feels like a rap song at least that's what it was for me. Soon after a couple of months I learnt how to understand those lyrics without captions and stuff and could sing that. In free periods in my old schools we used to sing hindi songs retro to modern, here it went bieber, ed Sheeran, Taylor and all those. I went with the same now. I remember ny 8th grad winter vacation where I was learning their lyrics.

Now my friend had invited me to her birthday party. My brother was anyway angrez from rhe start so everyone consented to watch some old English comedy series

And boy I felt so awkward because I saw them clutching their stomach and laughing while there was me trying to find where was the joke -

I only focused on having 2 pieces of pizza for that entire show lol. I trained how to pick up English songs but not the jokes.

Somehow I ended up liking no loving 1d which started out again as a way to fit in with the others and now I have fell out of it.

You know being with them around them I too wanted to live their kinda lifestyle. Rich homes, big rooms, parties and events, those clothes and stuff, money outings. I was young and kehte hai na bahar ka dekh ke chaka chaundh hona?

But now I have lost all that interest I once had. Sure I want money and a good lifestyle but not that. Now that I am growing I see how many of them are shallow on the inside. With money clothes parties they don't see anything beyond it it's like a glittery cover on the outside.

And once again I found myself after I was separated from the school and the community. I can't enjoy Friends Or The Office. I cannot understand those sit coms shows like they must be good but not something for me. Taylor and other pop singers and other ones I do find them interesting and ofc talented in their respective fields, but yeah that's not for me.

I actually like this lower middle class life. I have been brought up living with uncertainty and maybe that's why I was taught to live in the present. For some time it was good in those bright rich homes, rich friends, shine and sparkles, but I feel much at home with niche baith ke khana, local dukano mein shopping aur hindi serials ka mazak bannate huye bhi aage ke episodes pe hooked rehna. Many of my friends ask me why are you so devi dharmik types because you talk about gods, wear Indian clothes and are all traditional when the world is advancing india too.

Bhai these are my roots my values and the way I was brought up. There's nothing wrong in either of those lifestyles. Mera gaon kahin andar odisha mein hai papa mere jis gaon school se the vahan ab tak bijli nahi aati. I like this simplicity that we live with. And dharmik devi stuff isn't my entire personality meri choice hai I don't like going out to parties and clubs and go around calling every boy and girl my bestie, babes, darling when I see them only once.

And middle class vale bich ke phasse hote hai ameer bhi gareeb bhi dono inme hai. You learn many things while growing up in a middle class family.

Bahut gyan de diya mein jaati ab padhne

#samridhi speaks #desiblr #just some middle class things

[fun-under-the-sun]

Fun hobbies/activities

Make bracelets

Making bracelets n other jewelry is sooo much fun!! I love making colorful rainbows and being able to wear them with ur outfits is the bestest!!

(some bracelets I’ve made!!)

Singing

in the shower, while doing chores, humming, etc. just sing your heart out! There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, because it’s not about what you sound like, what matters is whether or not you’re enjoying yourself!

Swimming

I love feeling like a mermaid or fish!! And if you don’t know how to swim, you could always wear floaties!! There’s nothing wrong with learning late. <3

Workout

I know a lot of people might not have the energy too, and I once dreaded the idea too, but I seriously recommend trying to work some exercise into your routine! It’s very rewarding and it does get easier!! Make sure to do a warm up before you start and a cool down once you’ve finished!

Adding on to that: Gymnastics/acrobatics

Jumps, flips, splits, and stretches! But please stay safe!

Final addition to exercise: Dancing

Do you like Vocaloid? Try to copy the dances from the videos! Or maybe you like some other genre, like pop! YouTube surely has lots of choreography videos you can practice! (And remember to warm up)

Crochet

You may be thinking it’s only for grannies, but crocheting is actually super duper fun and you can make bunches of wonderful and colorful things with some practice!!

Make outfits

You could coordinate some outfits for the future!! And remember to stay true to yourself and not let others negatively impact your choice of clothing, wear what *you* want to!

Pick up a new instrument

Maybe you want to learn the keyboard, or the piano, or the guitar, or something more niche like a lyre! This is your sign to start!! It can be so rewarding to play ur very first song~

Read manga or watch anime

There’s some really cute series out there!! My recommendations areee:

Bocchi the Rock (anime), K-on! (anime), Asagao to Kase-san (manga), Chi’s Sweet Home (manga), and Sailor Moon

(all of these have both an anime and a manga, these are just my personal recommendations!!)

Explore!

If possible, maybe you could try to explore in your backyard, safe buildings, or even your own house! Maybe you’ll even make a cool discovery!!

Roller-skate

Sure, riding a bicycle or scooter is exciting, but have you tried roller skating? I can promise you it’s tons of fun! But please be careful if you decide to learn, and remember to put ur safety first!!!

Make up new words

Scruffleruffle, chrumpchi, wuzzle… maybe others won’t understand you, but it sure can be fun to make special additions to your vocabulary! (Just… make sure that they aren’t actual words with different meanings first!!)

Coloring

You can make your own line art, you can get a coloring book, or you can even print out coloring sheets!! Keep in-touch with ur inner child. <3

Music

Listen to music! Make a new playlist or dance to an old one, there’s lots of opportunities!!

Paint/trim nails

You could file or trim yours nails, clean them, and paint them or ask someone to paint them for you! Or maybe you could even paint someone else’s nails! Practice makes perfect.

Collecting

Start collecting something you love! Recently, I started collecting plushies and Teto merch because I love them!!

Decorate your room!

(Some inspiration!!)

Name your plushies!!

You can come up with special names, make up some names, or even look to your search engine for some names/nicknames for your stuffies!! Maybe you could even write them some “lore”/stories!!

Bake

Bake a cake, or just make yourself a tasty treat! You deserve it.

Journaling

Writing out your feelings or just putting down whatever makes you happy, whether that be doodles, song lyrics, memories, etc.

Take care of yourself!

Do your skincare, take a shower, change your clothes or your bedsheets, brush your teeth, eat, or even just taking a sip of water! Please remember that even if you don’t feel like it now, you’re worth it. I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times already, but I understand. There were times I wished to never wake up, and now that I’m better, I’m happy that I pushed through and kept looking for the better future everyone promised me!

#cutesy shit #kidcore #emucore #safe space #comfort #better tomorrow #self love #fun and cute #fun activities #hobbies #colorful #wishing you the very best

[bloodstained-ballgowns]

Constantly thinking about the consistently prophetic nature of so many of the songs in DJATS.

Billy and Daisy write 'Honeycomb' ('we could make a good thing bad...how did we get here? how do we get out? we used to be something to see, oh baby look at us now') as their first song and then, three years later, those lyrics coming to fruition at the Chicago concert and everything really has unravelled, which is the most obvious cyclical narrative choice. Daisy writes 'Type of Guy' ('you're the type of guy who doesn't wanna talk about it anymore...what can make you laugh can make you cry, and I'm that same type of guy'), a song seemingly about seeing so much of yourself in another person, right after performing on stage with Billy for the first time (she barely knows him and yet already recognises parts of herself in him like??), linking to Daisy's confession to Nicky in episode 7 ('I think I thought we were soulmates') and Billy's to Camila in episode 10 ('she just sees me, the all of me').

Again, Daisy and Billy writing 'Let Me Down Easy' in their first sonngwriting session together which encapsulates sentiments so intrinsically linked to the push and pull of their relationship that they haven't truly experienced yet, Daisy asking him not to string her along if he's not going to choose her, Billy pining after her even though he knows he shouldn't ('don't leave me broken and free') and it can never be ('like a mirage on sand'). Billy writing 'more fun to kiss, than to be with' when he hadn't done that at all and then making up for it while (attempting) recording. Hell, even even Daisy's song in episode 1 ('By Myself') is a bit of a foreshadow to episode 8, and the choice of song playing in the background at Teddy's house in episode 5 ('it's too late to turn back now...i believe i'm falling in love') is also cool.

Not an especially niche observation or unique narrative tool, but it's nice when all parts of the production are used to tell the story.

#listened to a podcast episode recently with scott neustadter because i am a Nerd and was happy to hear that this was intentional #and discussed in the writers' room and the studio #as well as the noticeable evolution in both daisy and billy's styles after they start collaborating #and i just love when production is detail-oriented #daisy jones and the six #daisy/billy

[thegoldenavenger]

[first] [prev]

part three of the Swiftening where i listen to all of Taylor’s albums so i can better connect with my swifty friends and also because i just spent like 7 days sick and would now like to not remember that

We are still on Taylor Swift’s self titlet album from 2006.  Last time we listened to A Place in this World, Cold as You, and The Outside.  I really liked A Place in this World and The Outside as songs that aren’t necessarily romantic! Even if The Outside was a little confusing with some of the phrases used as lyrics.

The next song up to bat is Tied Together With A Smile

oh the violin intro is back that’s nice!

Ahh it’s a 2nd person pov that’s so cool! My good friend sapphicscience let me know she interpreted The Outside as a kind of Not-Fitting-In-With-Others(girls) kind of song, which, in retrospect makes a lot of sense. luckily i fit in with my eclectic friend group so i didn’t relate much to that reading BUT i like that the theme is carried on here because this feels like a classic kind of “you don’t know you’re beautiful” kind of song except instead of an unattainable boy telling you that it’s taylor swift! that’s fun!

okay not a second person pov but still cool because she’s doing that like, uh, this is an incredibly niche example but chara-as-narrator-theory where taylor is narrating your experience but is still a character in the narrative. it’s actually really fitting with Teardrops on my Guitar, where she is pining from afar and not really noticed AND the previous track The Outside where she is set (physically?) a part from being able to reach out and communicate. She is separate from the subject of the songs narratively and here she is separate from the subject of the song through her choice of POV. it’s a nice theme and reflection on the album!

so because sappicscience let me in on the highschool-ness-of-it-all i’m gonna go ahead and say this is, like, either taylor talking about herself but removing the perceived closeness of personal pronouns by singing in a semi-2nd person pov, OR she is dedicating this to the other Weird Girls by commiserating with these experiences?

i said before but high school and teenagerdom is a liminal space where everything feels super intense all the time probably, so it makes sense using language like “jumping into [high water]” and it be a metaphor for, like, diving head first into experiences you’re unsure about. (retroactively, those lines about ‘not caring if she’d died for you’ and ‘you should’ve noticed now it’s too late’ does make sense in a dramatic teenage feelings way? it was just jarring at the time) it definitely isn’t my first instinct to interpret it this way because i think Taylor Swift’s high school experience was very unlike my own but that’s okay.

i think she might be just singing about herself but from a removed perspective creating a narrative that can be projected on if you’re so inclined.  I could definitely see this being about stress about her first album and singles and be worried about her performance, but it could also easily be about that quote unquote gifted kid burnout and such

where elementary school and/or middle school you’re doing great (and it doesn’t have to be academically, it could be socially or physically) and then graduating to higher grades starts stress testing your ability to continue being good at things.  gifted kids can burn out academically, jocks grow out of their sports, social cliques start rearranging, etc. so “the golden one” could be a metaphor for anything when your a teenager, honestly, so anyone could theoretically relate to this song, especially because feeling unseen and like you’re showing a brave face but feel badly enough that other should be able to see that you need help is a really relatable feeling. OH that’s what The Outside meant, okay I see it now.

ooooh i love this line.  It couples nicely with A Place in this World’s “I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve” but adding a more jaded angle. giving away love like extra change is an awesome metaphor.  like, the images it implies.  giving away love as charity? throwing away this major piece of yourself like it’s insignificant. sharing a part of yourself in a way that’s not detrimental to your own life to help someone else in an impactful way. from the context i think it’s more like, tossing a coin in a wishing fountain hoping to attract more (love) as opposed to like, giving your change to someone begging or busking as an act of charity or appreciation, because i... wouldnt want the almost disparaging tone to reflect on her views about giving as charity?

the way it’s phrased is like, “you’re naive to think you would get back what you’ve given” which isn’t the point of charity so i hope that’s not the metaphor.

ohhhh so yes most definitely like throwing change in a wishing well, or blowing on dandelion fuzz. 

okay, lyrically, i really LOVE this extended metaphor. “it’s not his price to pay, it’s not his price to pay” is so good. this really gives off, again, that investment in a relationship where both parties are not getting the same that they put into it. IE taylor is giving and is not receiving enough, if anything, back. penny in the rain is a good way to phrase it, and it ties that weather theme from previous songs back into this one. 

the outro is repeated chorus

i do like a lot of the world play in this one, not just the change metaphor but “you’re tied together with a smile” is extremely good.  it’s a four minute song but i wish we got another verse instead of two choruses. i think it’s some of the best writing so far in the album. definitely a sleeper favorite.

that’s a way to end the song.

Now onto Stay Beautiful!

Cory! who’s cory? i’m so glad i don’t know a cory or this would be a Teardrops on my Guitar song all over again.

so normally I would say, i don’t understand how you can compare a smile to a radio but since we’ve established in A Place In This World that radios (and blue jeans) are comfort items for Taylor we can appreciate these lines!

Cory’s eyes may or may not be green but they’re definitely wild and enticing possibly hot and his smile is nostalgic and comforting like turning the radio on in your own beat up truck (about to take the road less traveled by)

this isn’t fair because i’ve listened to Our Song already (of course) but my first thought was the “tappin’ on your window” as a thematic couple with this. i think Our Song is near the end of the album or the end of the album so i wonder if there’s continued window-themes in the intervening songs?  The Outside has windows as an implied theme, i think. Outside-looking-in often evokes window images even if they aren’t in the lyrics explicitly. 

this is interesting! i wonder if it’s another “you better cherish him because i would if i had him” song like Teardrops on my Guitar but from a slightly different perspective? it looks like taylor is already with Cory, because he’s whispering songs into her window and the other pretty girls are jealous.

oh no, that’s really cute? so the pretty girls on every corner are telling Taylor that she’s beautiful and she’s gonna be someone?

wait, so azlyrics has the quote around “does he know?” end quote and then it leaps into what i’m assuming is the chorus so is, taylor telling the pretty girls they’re beautiful and gonna be someone and that she wants them to come back to her?

she bounces back to cory now, so maybe the chorus was about cory?  i guess she was meaning it that way because she goes back to the chorus without any other characters intervening in the story.  that’s totally fine but a pretty interesting way to phrase it, since it really gives off pining vibes instead of together vibes. which, i thought taylor and cory were together since he is, once again, whispering songs into her window.

oh it is a pining song, they aren’t together i guess. ahhhh the potentiality of it all. potentiality / potential energy is my FAVORITE trope in relationships. i love that pause before the actual moment. the suspense, the build up. the spaces between my fingers could be filled with yours, but we don’t know if they will be! it’s just a possibility!! nice

so i guess she’s waiting for him to live his life and everything before realising that what he was looking for was right there all along. another very classic country vibe. i do like the positivity of it all. there’s so much well-wishing here, it’s very wholesome content.  less melancholic than Teardrops on my Guitar.  again, the same theme of not speaking up and telling him she likes him.  at least with drew it was understandable because he was already dating someone, but cory seems like he’s unattached?

interesting the communication barriers in taylor’s music.

i do want to say that this bit in the chorus is healing after the change metaphor last track.  having so much love is beautiful! it’s not naive or childish. :>

Should’ve Said No

the title is concerning, i’m concerned

The opening is familiar, but i think it’s the country instruments being played in a country song instead of subverted or replaced or remixed is pinging my nostalgia cortex

oooh break up song! i really liked the relatively hopeful streak of songs we had about commiserating and well-wishing, but this sounds like it’ll be cathartic! still concerned about the song title.

this is NOT helping my amount of concerned with the song title...

obviously datemate has done something terrible and shouldn’t have so what is it. nothing done (directly) to taylor since she had to find out about it.

it’s about cheating! okay. much less concerned about the title. and i was right! this is a bop of a chorus!! very, like, carrie underwood-esque i’m about to tear up your nice car. can definitely imagine this on a karaoke roster. i hope she gets a little vengeful about it!!! one of my favorite country genres is the woman-scorned-revenge song!!

good to see she is carrying on the theme of sticking to her guns from Cold as You.  do not let him back! good job! back into the chorus and i will say

this flows so nicely. rhyming word with her’d is hilarious but work and it feels very “i heard through the grapevine” i really like how punchy it is too. really gels with the tone and mood of the song.

oh NO

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

im ending this here im having EMOTIONS

#the swiftening #long post #taylor swift live blog #taylor swift 2006 #im very sorry for the ending my url is the goldenavenger what did you expect #i cant believe im going to be doing a st/ony edit to taylor swift music in 2022

[oddishblossom]

Tag People You Wanna Get to Know Better

Tagged by the wonderful and lovely @lans-rabbit-glade 😊💖! Thanks for tagging me izzy! I loved reading your answers :)

Relationship Status: It’s just me here (single pringle)

Favorite Colors: Pink & Red

Song Stuck in My Head: Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys… I’ve listened to that song probably a million times and I’m still not tired of it nor will I ever be 💖. I’m definitely not looping it for writing inspiration or anything (also izzy I see your song choice and I am tempted to roast you for being a mobile gamer 😜)

Last Thing You Googled: “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball.” I was looking up song lyrics (I listen to other artists besides arctic monkeys, I swear 😅)

Time: 11:47 PM when I’m writing this. But I usually queue most of my posts so it’ll be 10 AM when I’m posting this :3

Dream Trip: Hmmm, idk. I’m not much of an explorer lol. Maybe Japan or New Zealand? Just to say that I’ve been there before. Honestly, as long as I can go either shopping or to an amusement park I’ll be happy as a clam.

Last Thing You Read: It’s rare, but sometimes I want to read a cute high school AU with a love triangle. So the last thing I read was a tyrus fanfic called Of Course by CaithyCat & imnotanauthor. I’ve been rewatching Andi Mack, an old comfort show of mine. I know it’s a disney show “for kids” but sometimes I just feel like watching disney or nickelodeon shows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also this one in particular I started watching when I was bedridden for a month so it’s very dear to me :)

Last Book You Enjoyed Reading: Believe it or not, I actually read a paperback book last week. I was looking for a quote, so I opened my volume 2 of *cough* Scum Villain’s Self Saving System *cough*. And then I found the quote. And then I just kept reading until I was halfway through volume 3 and it was like 3 in the morning. Seriously, that book makes my brain go a little bonkers. The scene where Shen Qingqiu tries to hide Luo Binghe from Zhuzhi Lang nearly made me cry from laughing too hard.

Last Book You Hated Reading: Excluding fanfics, I can’t think of one… Maybe Tokyo Ghoul/:re back in 2017? I remember really hating that manga. Honestly, I’m really picky when choosing something to read so the stories I end up disliking I tend to just drop them and then completely forget they ever existed.

Favorite Thing to Cook/Bake: I’m kind of a terrible chef ngl. But the reviews are in and I make a pretty stellar spaghetti. Whenever my niece visits, she always asks me if I can make her my spaghetti because it’s way better than any she’s ever had. Getting that kid to eat anything is a struggle, so I’m really glad that she not only eats my food, she asks for seconds.

Favorite Craft to Do in Your Free Time: When I think of the word “crafts”, I imagine, like, art projects made by hand, so I’m not sure I can include writing and gif-making on this one. So excluding those, does drawing count? Even before I got a drawing tablet, I used to doodle all the time even on scraps of paper. I’m not really good at it, but it’s always been something I do just to kinda get my brain to chill.

Most Niche Dislike: Hmm. You know, it’s funny that you mentioned nail polish, izzy, because the first thing that popped into my head was long nails. I have tried to be that girl who gets a full set at the nail salon and I never did it again because the sound of my nails clacking against things bugged me. Like, I can’t even stand the feel of my own natural nails when they’re the slightest bit too long lol.

Opinion on Circuses: Never been to one. But, clowns slightly freak me out so I don’t have the best opinion of their home turfs.

Do You Have Any Sense of Direction: I’d say I do. Or maybe I think I do by association? My parents both have a pretty bad sense of direction and I used to help them a lot by printing out maps and searching for streets in relation to where we were. One of my older brothers used to always assign me as designated navigator because I’m good at keeping an eye on where we are and how to get back on track should we get lost

I liked this tag game! It was fun and refreshing. Gonna tag a couple of you, but please no pressure to respond! Only if you feel like making one 😊 @bioerin @kimievii @koujaaku @ashinlae @wallynorthbynorthwest @fluffyrabbitofdoom @apocalyptickoala @theraincanttouchus @mdzs-rabbithole + anyone who sees this and wants to make one 💖

#tag game #oops that was long #guess i felt like oversharing 😅

[mystiika]

jamie is, objectively, a bit of a strange guy. now, its not that his music taste itself is odd, but rather his choice of playlist names. he won't knock other people's preferences but he personally believes that life is too short for boring playlist names. the ones he comes up with are just so incredibly niche but make perfect sense to him. his playlists i've come up with so far ( except 2 & 3 which i saw & stole ) are as follows:

chugging 5hr energies in the campus library is his study/focus playlist

neon green troll living under the golden gate bridge is songs that have big trickster energy, do with this info what you will

is this a wedding or the apocalypse is pretty much entirely optimistic nihilism if that makes any sense. sorta just nothing matters so do what makes you happy

songs that taste good is songs that have really satisfying sounds or lyrics that are just objectively fun to say/sing

ruh roh raggy ( got any scooby snacks ) is his late night driving playlist

arthur's fist is based on the meme & is basically just a rage playlist of songs that are both angry & aggressive

lets commit a felony & tweet about it is for when he's either feeling like the main characte or needs a confidence boost

white noise 10hrs is still just music but its what jamie categorises as having a noisy sound. i'm not sure how else to describe it tbh

call me austin powers the way i be groovin' is songs that have a fun bass line or are a lil funky

my frisbee is got in a tree again is just sort of his generic feel good happy music, the type of thing you want to listen to if you go on a park picnic on a nice day

sometimes violence IS the answer ( untitled goose game ) is his work out or training session playlist all really high energy & intense, very hype

how to channel your inner pomona sprout is his stoner playlist because weed → herb → herbology → professor of herbology

brb gotta level up real quick is just video game songs or soundtracks he enjoys

please don't sue i have a family to feed is copyright-free music he can safely play while streaming

welcome to the chum bucket is just metal music

got that dr suess flow is just rap music

hot sauce classics is for all the old school iconic rap

tongue stained from all the pop rocks is his favourite b-side tracks

call my dentist is bubblegum pop

little berry richard & chuck ( in them we trust ) is exclusively rock & roll

rock paper scissors winner gets an autographed picture of jack black in a bowser onesie is inspired by this tik tok but basically the concept is songs that evoke the feeling of jack black while being from other artists. no particular genre or subgenre either, they are truly all over the place but all have the jack black vibe to them. one of the comments also referred to this as wizard music which, yeah 100%

& his sex playlist is titled yo yo yo & a bottle of cum but was previously called shake n bake

jamie also is v much the type to make people playlists or mixtapes that have equally strange names bc its his brand <3 hits such as: two needles in a haystack or made this you in a fever dream & the songs were actually good. or from when he was feeling Romantic: i'd join a pyramid scheme for you

that is all, ty 4 ur time

#j. lincoln. character study — nothing is ever so mischievous in its own place as it is out of it #queued. #in case the tiktok vid ever goes down it listed a few examples #songs like war pigs or holy diver and bands like skull fist or iron maiden #and specifically the guitar riff in fog machine by white reaper

[thebreakfastgenie]

18, 41, 42 ! :)

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Usually during or after, but sometimes an idea comes with a title baked in. I come up with titles either when a bolt of divine inspiration hits me or by wanting to die for a very long time. Sometimes I try to think of quotes that would make good titles, but I don't always go that route. A good title is very important to me! I've actually judged fics for having bad titles (I still read them but it does affect my opinion). My one word titles are usually because I couldn't think of anything better, although some are that way by choice. I got very upset one time because someone said I preferred one word titles over song lyrics. This is not true, I simply need a lyrical title to fit and they're hard to find. Most of the time I come up with a title during the writing process and it actually helps me somehow so it kind of stresses me when I don't have one.

41. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

Usually one-and-done but the ones I really like I reread! Or if there are very few for a niche thing I like. I'm bad at remembering to bookmark so I often don't reread because it's too much work to find something. I also just read very little fic in general.

42. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

A Taste of Korea by @antimonyantigone and YES!!!!

[princeyarthur]

Traitor's Lament of Innocence

did you ever think of me the way you thought about yourself?

It's here, it's real: the most self indulgent, niche playlist ever conceived - a Castlevania: Lament of Innocence playlist, using ONLY songs by the hit Blaseball inspired band, The Garages. Except instead of being all of Lament of Innocence it ended up being just about Leon and Mathias, but you know how it is.

I. Talking to the Parasite || II. outfield || III. And I Mean, All Gods || IV. Lang Gang || V. Precognition/Magmatic || VI. traitor's lament || VII. Estimation || VIII. Blessings (Shove 'Em) || IX. Eclipse || X. CONSUMERIST - live @ UNDERGROUND || XI. Pathetic/Spineless || XII. Get Normal (Neon Ver.) || XIII. dickerson's remorse || XIV. Ashes || XV. Ruby Tuesday || XVI. feedbacked feelings || XVII. past mistakes || XVIII. we've got history

some general thoughts and choice lyrics that made me add these songs to the playlist under cut:

Originally this playlist was genuinely going to cover all of Lament of Innocence!! unfortunately I was not good at bridging the gap between Mathias deciding "fuck god" and Leon finding out that Mathias went "fuck god". in the end I decided that that was what I was most invested in anyways, and there were enough good Garages songs to fit that alone, so... rip to the Leon/Sara In the Feedback, which was the only in-between song I really had.

I wanted to lean into the blaseball theming here, so I decided I was going to assign them teams and everything. I actually did not assign based on team colors!! Just team vibes. I simply lucked out. Hades Tigers Mathias was such an obvious choice that I kept doubting myself on to the point that his uniform was one of the very last things finished... I think him going on the team whose fanlore notes them as anti-necromancy is great irony. Yeah Mathias YOU might not ever try to raise your wife from the dead. But Watch Out.

I thought Leon would be much harder to assign, or that no team would really fit, but then it was noted that the Lovers have a whole Knight/Arthurian theme going on, due in part to their founder. And that sealed the deal.

Anyways. Choice lyrics. Whose pov it is. And some track commentary where I think it needs it.

I. Talking to the Parasite | Mathias I know what it is I have to do/A truth I think I always knew/A sacrifice must be made before we're through/And I'll do whatever it takes just to see You

(while I don't think Mathias is personally inclined to necromancy, the vibes on this song? impeccable)

II. outfield | Mathias Like They Burned you/Like They stole you/like They Took You away/hate the damn gods/They’re abusing their power/Nearly every single hour/They took you too soon

III. And I Mean, All Gods | Mathias and i'm going to engage in rational discourse/but god will not listen to my rational discourse/so now i'm punching god, and i'm punching him with force/cause he will not listen to my rational discourse/no gods/yeah, we're killing all gods/and don't tell me the odds/cause we're killing all gods

(this one is a little silly and by this point you probably Get It. however I think it's worth it for this bit alone)

IV. Lang Gang | About Mathias and then the Blood Drain gurgled (yeah)/and he took his little sippy (yeah)/but it tastes so dirty (yeah)/yeah the Blood Drain killed his vibe

(This one was perhaps the silliest one to include, and the abrupt tone shift between this and the next songs is jaw dropping. However. how could I not include Mathias' little sippy? yeah, becoming a vampire really did kill his vibe.)

V. Precognition/Magmatic | Leon "Please tell me how I can trust again/with no one left?/Please tell me how I can bat again/how can I not break?"

VI. traitor's lament | Mathias i've made a grave mistake, i knew that from the onset/but petty traitors like me have no room for any regret/with me and you there, singing what will be our last duet

VII. Estimation | Leon You thought you did the math/Balanced things with care/You’d filled the sky with all your debts/But everything was square

VIII. Blessings (Shove 'Em) | Leon i don't want your blessings/i want you to shove them, shove them, yeah/it's a pathetic gesture/a spineless kind of nod/you're just a wooden idol/a counterfeited god

(The Pathetic/Spineless reference? [chef's kiss]. also calling Mathias a counterfeited god would probably sting given his obvious complexes)

IX. Eclipse | Leon Why so quiet now?/Go ahead, we’re waiting/Have you forgotten how?/Or is your courage fading?/I paint my stripes on/I name each scar/'Cause now I see you for the coward that you are/Go on and take a swing/I’ll be right here, ready/You’ve taken everything/So why not take just one more swing

(the one problem with Hades Tigers!Mathias is that this Hades Tigers song is very much a Leon one. Sorry for any confusion.)

X. CONSUMERIST - live @ UNDERGROUND | Leon So take a pound of flesh/If you think it would help/I can promise you this:/nothing else will/Yeah, you sharpen your teeth/Come on and take a bite/I can promise you this:/I will survive.

XI. Pathetic/Spineless | Leon when i look you in the eyes/i will start to realise/you're pathetic, in the worst ways/you're spineless, like on most days/when i look you in the eyes/i will start to realise/you're not going anywhere, going anywhere/when you go to fight gods/but none of them live up to it/and all of them give up, does that/make you feel better?/when you go to fight gods/but none of them meet your eyeline/does that make you feel fine,/or are you disappointed?

XII. Get Normal (Neon Ver.) | Leon can we get back to normal?/can we get normal after this?/it feels like my world is crumbling/it feels like the world is crumbling down

XIII. dickerson's remorse | Leon The time has come to bury my love, future, present and past/This time I’ve got nothing left, this time I’ve loved my last

XIV. Ashes | Leon I thought it would be us forever/Together against the world/But here I am standing alone/As the sun sets on the dream we shared/Memories is all I have left/And all our regrets, all we left unsaid/Now Ashes is all that remains

XV. Ruby Tuesday | Leon Are you listening?/Is this to a broken address?/I’ve been wondering/Did you ever think of me/Like you thought about yourself/I never asked, and you never asked/And now I’m living/With no benefit of the doubt/I wonder if this’ll ever let me go/When will it let me go?

(this song is the reason this playlist exists.)

XVI. feedbacked feelings | Leon I like you but you don't like me/I try to move on eventually/Then you like me when I don't like you/Tell me what are we to do

(this song nearly got cut, as it's the only one (other than we've got history, which fits too well to cut) with... pretty much explicitly romantic connotations. but I wanted a nice even number and didn't really have anything else I wanted to cut, so it stayed. I also love the ending of this song in a post LOI context; I love it when Leon has complicated feelings about Mathias after everything and still like... likes him. feels fondly about him, despite everything and despite being very hurt. This is a lot of analysis for a silly little song .)

XVII. past mistakes | Mathias I'm a profit I'm non-profit and I always end up down/I made others riches way back when/I'm a coward I'm a bastard I'm a murderer/I'd give anything to do it all again

XVIII. we've got history | Leon & Mathias It’s funny the stories we tell ourselves/between the numbers./We’re always running around/running after each other.

No matter the words we tell ourselves/We’re just repeating an endless cycle./Trading my heart for a force field./Never asking how I feel.

#leon belmont #mathias cronqvist #lament of innocence #castlevania #the garages #playlist

[reviewsbykarla]

my favorite albums of 2019

it's december 30th and you thought i forgot!! here are my favorite albums of 2019 organized by time of year they were significant in my life, with a few choice words on each. I spent a large part of the year listening back to older stuff and not particularly into anything new, but with fall came albums that defined the rest of my year. 2019 was a year of positive change for me and reaffirmed to me that with tragedy comes growth. don't forget it!

find an extensive playlist of my favorite songs from 2019 here: open.spotify.com/playlist/0ZgjOmyLpLFAp1xxEa0e5j

Assume Form by James Blake (January-March)

The song "I'll Come Too" was a topic of discussion for a while amongst me and my best music nerd friend. He thinks it's about someone finding true, lasting love. I think it's about the intensity of orgasm with someone you truly love. Thoughts?

Purple Mountains by Purple Mountains (July-August, December)

David Berman has always been an influential songwriter in my life. When I first heard this album, I felt so sad; It sounded like he had given up on life. When he committed suicide soon after its release, I couldn't bring myself to listen to this album again for months. It's so tragic, that sometimes death is the only thing that can give you life.

Immunity by Clairo (August-October)

I had low expectations for this album and I was completely surprised. The production quality is so high and the style of the album overall felt very original. Clairo is a really great lyricist able to write relatable songs and working with Rostam was a really good move on her part. While I loved the album and had it on non-stop repeat, her live show was the worst show I have ever seen in my entire life. I'm sorry.

Essentials by Erika de Casier (August-September)

This album is SO good. It slaps in all the right places and is reminiscent of 90s hip-hop r&b, but better. Listening to this is like walking through a candy shop and getting all of your favorite things.

House of Sugar by Alex G (September-December)

I love Alex G. Always have, always will. I genuinely think he is one of the greatest artists of my lifetime. This is his best album yet hands down. I can't even begin to tell you why, but please listen to it. Go birds.

Pang by Caroline Polachek (October-December)

Wow! Pang is a masterpiece. If I had to pick a #1 album of the year, it's Pang. Caroline Polachek wrote Pang coming out of her divorce. Each song hits hard lyrically, both simple and complex at the same time. The production is incredible and the album is as niche as it is accessible. The perfect album.

Iowa dream by Arthur Russell (November-December)

Arthur Russell was a genius. Towards the end of 2019 I was reverting back to my old folk-rock sensibilities, Iowa Dream coming out at the exact right time. I felt nostalgic, content, excited. Every song on this album is beautiful and touching. I hope there is more to come from Russell's thousands of unreleased recordings.

Information by Galcher Lustwerk (December)

This album is hot. Every track is thick with beats that make me feel like jello. Play this at the club and get close with that cutie you want to dance with.

Zdenka 2080 by Salami Rose Joe Louis (December)

I only recently found this album and I immediately fell in love with it. It's so beautiful, minimalist and slightly haunting. An experimental album of this variety always tugs at my heart strings, reinforces butterflies in my stomach, makes me want to swim in a lake at midnight under a starry sky with the person I love.

#music #music review #music reviews #review #reviews #album reviews #year ender 2019 #year ender list #end of year list #Youtube

[axemetaphor]

Everybody Loves a Mystery reached 50 hits on ao3 yesterday! I’m fuckin’ thrilled ‘cause I loved it a lot but was worried it’d be too niche for anybody else to give a shit. To celebrate, here’s the fic playlist. [YT] / [S] 

Since I tried to approach this fic like a movie, I decided the theme playlist for it works best as a soundtrack.

Here’s a breakdown of why I picked each song, under the cut.

Overall Theme: Werewolves of London Werewolves of London is everything I wanted this AU to be— fun, jaunty, surprisingly dark. It's cheesy and goofy and also talks about a little old lady getting mutilated by a werewolf with great hair. It just works! It's the perfect cheesy 80s werewolf movie song. I’d want a sample of this over the opening credits, if it were a movie.

First-Arc Theme: Renegade Renegade to me perfectly captures the opening tone: Amy’s journal entries about the dead dogs are a little dark, but once she actually reaches Undisclosed, she’s really kinda viewing it like a vacation. The lyrics themselves remind me of how John might feel—They haven’t actually had someone come in to monster-hunt before, but it’s not like he’s gonna take it seriously. The word is out, the jig is up, they’ve finally found me / The renegade who had it made, retrieved for a bounty is pretty dark, but sung in such a bright cheery tone. Putting it through the lens of perception that is John here, I’d call it mocking, even.

John's Parties: Dead Man's Party, Love Shack, Ballroom Blitz, When the Lights Go Out, Welcome To My Nightmare 

Dead Man's Party Dead Man's Party is the most cheery ominous bop I've ever fucking heard. If Amy weren't so single minded maybe she would've noticed how truly strange John's house parties were. She got a bit of a clue towards the end, with how pushy everyone was, but she never really got a grasp of how … lifeless other people around her really could be. When John didn't want them to act up, that is. 

Love Shack Alright, I'll confess, I'm guilty: this is just a for-fun add. I consider this one to be just the kind of song I'd want playing in the background during a party scene. It’s also a song that, I guess, if you held me at gunpoint, I’d remove from the soundtrack. But I wouldn’t be happy about it.

Ballroom Blitz Okay, I'm guilty again. I just fucking love this song. John's parties aren't violent scenes at all so it doesn't really fit, but it has that energy of being a fun party on the surface, while being very threatening underneath. It's another one I'd just want playing in the background of a party scene. 

When the Lights Go Out I can and will force you to listen to two Oingo Boingo songs on this "soundtrack." You have no choice. Fuck you.  When the Lights Go Out is the most ominous song in this section and that's on purpose. This is how John's parties really are— Kinda fucked up, ethereal, liminal not like the inside of a grocery store but like an acid trip. You don't know how long you've been in this, you don't know when it started, and you can't imagine it ending, let alone anytime soon. Despite that though the speaker, who I consider kind of a John-analogue in this case, seems to utterly love the place. 

Welcome To My Nightmare Welcome to my Nightmare is… equal parts suave and playful. Kind of. To me it feels like a clunky kind of suave but yaknow, maybe I don't know what suave means. Either way the lyrics feel like a pretty direct parallel; Amy’s stepping into John’s world here, and it’s a place that’s pretty fucked up but pretty fun. 

John Songs: Master of Puppets, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Dude Looks Like A Lady

Master of Puppets Alright, let's get this out of the way first. No, I did not pick this song because of Stranger Things. Yes, Stranger Things reminded me of how much this song fucks. My dad was always more of an Iron Maiden kind of guy, but I grew up listening to a little Metallica too. This song fits John's whole shit— they are the puppet master of Undisclosed. They're running the whole show. This is the kind of thing I’d want as a credits song, as well as maybe a background song in an earlier scene, for foreshadowing purposes. 

Everybody Wants To Rule The World Beyond the fact it's an absolute bop, this is another obvious, on-the-nose pick for John. They do want to rule the world! Preferably with David as their right-hand man. Or lapdog. Whichever he'd prefer. Right now, though, they'll settle for ruling Undisclosed with Dave. 

Dude Looks Like A Lady This is another obvious pick for John here, to me anyway. If this shit were a real movie I'd picture it playing when Amy meets John at the post office. It's just the nonbinary energies John has. Also I think if you read into the lyrics it's about a trans woman who, I don't know, commits some crimes? It sounds to me like she rubs some place at gunpoint and the lead singer thinks she's so hot doing it he wants her to rail him. More power to him, honestly. 

Dave Songs: Hungry Like The Wolf, Werewolf

Hungry Like the Wolf This song honestly is more sexual than I always thought it was as a kid, which is kind of hilarious, but it's also, in a sort of a way, how Amy at first views Dave. He's dangerous and scary and kind of attractive but she's for sure frightened of him. He's absolutely not that scary in reality, but many things get filtered through her perception.

Werewolf If you've seen the poster for this fic then you know this is the song that started it all— It was part of what kicked off the ideation ghost-wannabe had before handing this project to my dumbass. It's not 80's whatsofuckingever, it’s brand-new at the time of posting this, but it does contain references to 80's songs, and it seems to have been written with the same kind of intentions as this AU. My reading of it is a man in love with his werewolf half, which … Dave isn't that self-loving but… well, I'll talk more about his relationship with his werewolf self in later works.

Amy Songs: Under Pressure, Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), Bad Moon Rising

Under Pressure I have to be honest, this one is the least “thought-through” choice on here. Not like I’ve just slapped it on here, but because I can’t articulate the ways my brain is insisting it fits. It just does. Maybe something about how this AU’s Amy sounds similar to the friends being sung about in the song, maybe just because it’s a really good song, maybe it’s just that this Amy loves Queen. It’s in the second half of the soundtrack because it feels more “thematic” than “accurate to events in the work,” so it could be something like a credits song. “Axel, how long would these credits be?” Well, I can’t decide if this would be animated (so that I have an excuse to try and draw an entire fucking movie myself,) or live-action, so maybe they’d be some damned long credits. 

Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) This one feels almost like a John-and-Amy kind of song, in the sense that John would see her as similar to the woman spoken about in this song— naïvely opening doors she can't close, exposing herself to things that drive her mad. There’s a little pity in them for her, because of that. Also I wanted to put some Bowie on this soundtrack, is that a crime? This is another song I’d think of being played in the background of one of John’s parties

Bad Moon Rising Bad Moon Rising is another one that nearly perfectly captures this AU's whole shit. It's got an upbeat tune and it's a song all about disaster and how shit's about to fall to pieces. There's something great about applying it to this Amy's almost clueless self-confidence— things continue to escalate, but she's still so sure she can fix it, handle it no problem. And to her credit she is very capable! Nobody could possibly have been prepared to handle what was really happening in Undisclosed. Maybe if things had just been a little different…

#jdate #jdate au #john dies at the end #everybody loves a mystery #elam #my au #my writing #not sonic

[morganaseren]

Tag 10 People You’d Like to Know Better

Tagged by: @illusivesoul Thanks!

Tagging: @alessandramortt, @spectralhero, @noeldressari, @this-is-something-idk-what No pressure if you don’t want to, of course!

I'll leave the template here and leave my own answers under the cut.

Relationship status:

Favourite colour:

Favourite food:

Song stuck in your head:

Last thing you Googled:

Time:

Dream trip:

Last book you read:

Last book you enjoyed reading:

Last book you hated reading:

Bonus:

Favourite thing to cook/bake:

Favourite craft to do in your spare time:

Most niche dislike:

Opinion on circus(es) now and in history:

Do you have a sense of direction and if not what is the worst way you ever got lost:

Relationship status: Single although I have this perpetual crush on someone at work, and I’m annoyed/exasperated at myself because I revert into a tongue-tied, useless lesbian every time I’m around her. HELP!

Favourite colour: Red

Favourite food: Sushi

Song stuck in your head: In My Veins by Andrew Belle (I had sudden feelz about my Warden Niamh/Morrigan AU... 😭 )

Last thing you Googled: Lonely Together Sofia Karlberg lyrics (I heard it on Spotify, and now I have ongoing ideas for one of my Niamh/Leliana AUs... 😅)

Time: 5:15PM

Dream trip: I’d love to travel to Europe some day; I’ve never been overseas before. 

Last book you read: Forever Theirs by Anna Stone. It came up as a recommendation. Not my usual cup of tea, but it was a great read.

Last book you enjoyed reading: Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan. If you ever wanted a female Hades meeting Persephone story with BDSM elements, then consider checking this one out!

Last book you hated reading: Deadly Kiss by Ariel Marie. Well, the recommendation algorithm can’t get it right all the time. 😒 This book reminded me why I don’t normally look for smut when it comes to my leisure reading... Maybe it’s because I’m ace, but I just prefer some measure of substance before we jump into the sexy bits, y’know? 😂

Bonus: Bonus fact? Uh, I’m terribly near-sighted, I guess?

Favourite thing to cook/bake: Cookies.

Favourite craft to do in your spare time: Writing’s considered a craft, right? I think that’s the only thing I’m really crafty with. 🤣

Most niche dislike: This is mostly just related to video games, but there are just certain characters I genuinely dislike, and I can’t understand what people find enjoyable about them even when given evidence of said characters’ canonically-terrible histories and toxic behaviors. Along that same vein, there are in-game choices that people make that I will never agree with.

Opinion on circus(es) now and in history: I’ve been to a circus once in my life, and I was really too young to really process much of it. I think that had to do with the fact that I couldn’t see anything too well. If I recall correctly, I was more fascinated by the glowstick necklace I got prior to the show starting. 😂 I personally don’t really like the idea of animals being made to do tricks for an audience’s enjoyment, especially if we have performers willing to entertain them instead.

Do you have a sense of direction and if not what is the worst way you ever got lost: Ironically enough, my sense of direction is better in video games than it is in real life. 🤣 I live out in the suburbs of a major city, and when I had to attend university in the downtown area, I ended up getting lost for over an hour, and by that time, class had already started, so I ended up missing my first day of class.

#tag meme

[tassri]

Hi, this is the niche rant website, right? I need somewhere to scream into the void about how utterly baffling the new Apocalyptica single is. For the record, I'm a huge metal fan, but far from an expert on either Apocalyptica or Metallica, so everything I'm about to say is like... 25% verified.

Brief history, experimental Finnish metal band Apocalyptica started in 1996 as a gimmick. An extremely well done gimmick in which they covered Metallica songs using 4 cellos. This pretty unambiguously ruled, and they really took off as a result.

Over their next few albums, they gradually switched from Metallica (and occasional other artists) covers to their own original works. They started attracting huge names in metal and hard rock to do guest vocals (Till Lindemann, Corey Taylor, they had a massive radio hit with Adam Gontier of 3 Days Grace fame) and really became a staple of mainstream hard rock music. It was around this time I personally started losing interest, although their 2010 album rules, especially the song they did with Joseph Duplantier of Gojira. Still, it felt like they drifted pretty far from their original vision. No hard feelings, it rules to see some classical musicians make it huge in metal and I recognize I've been a metalhead too long and the elitism creeps in if I'm not careful.

And now the year is 2024. They haven't released a Metallica cover in 8 years since they rereleased their first album with some bonus tracks. Pretty sure the last cover they did before that was Until it Sleeps in 2000. And Spotify is telling me they have a single! With two Metallica songs! Which two you ask?

The Unforgiven II and The Four Horseman with Robert fucking Trujillo.

Let's start with The Unforgiven II. This is a weird choice, but not totally out there. They covered The Unforgiven, it's kind of an obvious choice given it has such a heavy melodic component, and it's wildly popular as the "4th track" (historically significant for Metallica) on The Black Album, the album that brought Metallica massive mainstream success. That album is also considered one of the last "great" albums before their precipitous decline. Which is why The Unforgiven II, from 1997's Reload, isn't really considered... Great? It's ok? Kind of unnecessary? It has the agonizing line, "Because I'm Unforgiven too" in it and I'm not even kidding. But whatever, new Metallica gets a lot of hate but some people love it, maybe someone in Apocalyptica is a hardcore Reload fan.

And then there's The Four Horseman, from Metallica's first album, Kill 'Em All. Great song, but pretty notable as the song that no member of Metallica has the rights to? Ex-Metallica member and notorious shitheel Dave Mustaine wrote that one, and felt sufficiently possessive of it to rerelease it with a different title/lyrics in Megadeth's first album.

And then there's the guest musician. Robert Trujillo has been the bassist of Metallica since 2003. The lineup of Metallica has stayed remarkably stable over their 40 (!) year career since the 80s, with the exception of their bassist. Some fans (unfairly, imo) attribute their decline to the death of their bassist Cliff Burton in a 1986 tour bus accident, and 1992-2003 is easily Metallica's weakest era, culminating in the widely reviled St Anger album. So Robert Trujillo had massive shoes to fill, partially with the pressure to be the impetus that brought Metallica "back". His first album with them, Death Magnetic, was appreciated as a step in the right direction. Can you hear the bass in that album? No, not really, thanks to Rick Rubin butchering it in post, but that's fine. I know next to nothing about Robert Trujillo, but from what I can tell he's pretty widely accepted as a force for good in Metallica's muddy history. He's released 3 full studio albums with Metallica, and an experimental shock horror project known as Lulu in which Metallica and Lou Reed explored an alternate universe in which listening to music did not inspire joy, but rather abject despair.

It's honestly pretty rad for a member of Metallica to do a song with Apocalyptica. And it's not even Lars! But specifically a song, arguably not even owned by Metallica, with the one current member of Metallica who was not there when it was recorded. They could have chosen any song out of the 3 albums and 1 war crime that Robert Trujillo contributed to! He helped write The Unforgiven III!!!!

So we have a single that's Apocalyptica seemingly nodding to their roots, with two songs that come from drastically different eras of Metallica, with a huge guest star that comes from neither era on genuinely the strangest song they could have chosen for him.

Anyways, that was the whirlwind of bewilderment I encountered this morning on being told there are new Apocalyptica covers of Metallica, and I promise they are not the two you would guess.

Pretty sure the next song they're doing is To Live is to Die with no lyrics and James Hettfield on drums.

#metal #Apocalyptica #Metallica #rant