#expand my music horizons so to speak

[nani-nonny]

Whispers of Distant Souls - Ch.14 sneak peek (#1)

Blue’s and Purple’s faces immediately light up with a growing smile, holding each other’s hands in silent awe. Yellow’s, Red’s, and Orange’s faces drop in shock and awe as they stand silently watching Draxum rub his cheek. Splinter points and laughs where Leonardo left him, nudging Casey to look at the pained yokai.

“This is what I receive after stabilizing your mystic energy for over eight hours?” Draxum asks grouchy as he motions for Orange and Red to help him to his feet again.

“You didn’t tell me it would hurt, I felt like I was dying,” Leonardo answered sharply.

Draxum waves off Leonardo’s retort and says, “It is nothing you can’t handle.”

Raphael’s voice echoes, “Forgot he used to be an ass.”

Leonardo snorts in response, a smile crawling up his cheeks before he realizes how it might look to the others in the room.

Purple leans in Yellow’s direction to whisper aloud, “Oh my sweet gardenias, he’s lost it.”

*mischievous cackle* It has begun, bring in the wall!

But seriously, my mind is doing flips and tricks trying to keep up with all the people in this one room. It hasn’t been easy hahaha (that and I’m restraining myself from jumping to the “fun” part (restrain is actually code for stop making it angsty this is not the vibe you’re going for))

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt future leo #rottmnt fanfiction #whispers of distant souls #future leo au #future leo returns to the past with casey au #labs have been kicking my ass this past week lol #whose bright idea was it to take three labs? #one of them isn’t even required I’m taking it bc it sounded fun #all I do is class work lab report forms pass out on accident try to check out socials pass out and start over #at least I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately #maybe the songs will give some inspiration to break this burnout #maybe it’ll give me the motivation to throw hands with my professors /j #I am going insane #anyways I keep listening to kermit covers of musicals courtesy of fm radio #send me songs that you like I want to hear more #expand my music horizons so to speak

[scattered-winter]

sorry can't talk right now i'm listening to classical music. yeah no it's gonna be all night <3

#^^ this is a joke btw please continue sending asks and dming me and shit #i just saw the opportunity for a joke and took it <333 #anyway im putting together a playlist of all my favs so if anyone has any recs...i am in the market... #im always down for expanding my horizons. as it were. <3 #winter speaks #the thing abt classical music is that theyre at LEAST 40 minutes long which is why its an all night thing to just listen to a few lmao #and thus why i saw the opportunity for the joke. ty ty i'll be here all night

[sadlynojellybeans]

So I am re-reading TOA and i have decided to write some things i noticed now that I know what is going to happen next.

THE HIDDEN ORACLE

Meg was about do develop a crush on Percy, and Apollo noticed. It was immediatly curbed by Percy mentioning his girlfriend. He did not even notice XD

Apollo actually got out of the three legged death race unscathed O.o Scared to death but unharmed

Lester is being surprisingly not pathetic??? I mean, he can't remember shit and has the constutution of a limp noodle, but he has not fainted in several chapters!!! Maybe it's because Camp Half Blood is a relatively safe space for them...

THE FORESHADOWING IN CHAPTER 26 IS DEVASTATING - he gets confirmation it is the emperors behind everything and he thinks "i would have rather tangled with Tartarus or Ouranos or Primordial Chaos" APOLLO PLEASE

Speaking of foreshadowing, Rhea?!??!? "Find your center. Enlightenment has to come from within" HELLO??!?!??

Apollo mentioning he caused an earthquake that wiped out most of Sparta and that he never liked the Spartans much??? What about HYACINTHUS???????

"I busted out some footwork the Nine Muses and I had been working on" please I want so bad to see Apollo dance. Especially Apollo as Lester

Apollo being absolutely convinced that he will never have a proper partner is tragic. "It was not in my destiny" bro

The Germani appear and the absolute first thing Apollo does is move in front of Meg. "Instinctively". This is the same guy that at the beginning of the book was evaluating which demigods would be best to keep on hand to throw at quests. I can't. Just how much exactly did he repress his protective instincts through the years and centuries?

I find so fascinating that Apollo wants to strike Nero down immediately after meeting him. Like, yes. Apollo is a god. And he would not allow anyone to threaten what he cares about. Even after his trials, he might be kinder and more attentive to demigods, but I think that anybody who crosses him (really crosses him) will have to start praying for mercy.

If there is one thing I can say about TOA is that it is certainly expanding my musical horizons, with all the songs I have to check out on youtube just to have an idea of what Apollo is singing about.

He did not suck during the confrontation with Nero?! Burst of godly strength saved the day and his dignity

"Just because she had lied about being my friend did not mean I wasn't hers. She was in danger. I was not going to leave her" man. He cares so fucking much. No wonder he never let anybody get close to him in the last years.

Didn't they say a sonnet was worse than a limerick in the next book?

"BLESS HIS CONNIVING LITTLE HEART". "Children of Hermes cannot rap". "[Cecil] was demoted to dancer" skjsjskansnkzbsnsmmsnzm

It's kind of ... sad? How happy Apollo is when flying on the giant ants. He is used to being a god who can fly whenever he wants, and a part of him is usually in the sky every day as he drives the sun chariot. And instead he has been stranded on earth, away from what is both his duty and something he greatly enjoys. "It felt so good to fly again. [...] For two or three seconds I was exhilarated".

AND THE ARROW OF DODONA IS FINALLY HERE AND TALKING FRIENDS!!!!

I cannot believe I am so happy because of a talking arrow

The arrow QUIVERED kjsnsksjsnsnzjxndnsk i love them so much

Not Apollo asking where Jason Grace is 💀

I genuinely cannot understand if this is foreshadowing or really lucky wording on Riordan's part. Rachel asks about Meg and Apollo thinks "She might as well have plunged the Arrow of Dodona into my chest". RICK. RICK DID YOU KNOW? HAD YOU ALREADY THOUGTH ABOUT THAT SCENE IN TBM OR WAS IT PURE CHANCE????

WE WERE ROBBED. I have been wondering for a few days if in TOA we ever see Apollo sing for fun (not to confuse enemies, not to open doors, not for any practical purpose. Just for the fun of it). The depressing answer seems to be no, although I might have forgotten. At the end of THO it is implied that Apollo, Leo and Calypso join the sing-along at CHB, but the fact that the books end before we actually see him sing is a travesty.

#trials of apollo #toa #toa apollo #lester papadopoulos #meg mccaffrey #the hidden oracle

[ladamedusoif]

Visiting - Chapter 5: This Must Be The Place

(Moodboard by the wonderful @cutesyscreenname)

Pairing: Professor!Ben (College AU) x OFC Lydia/fem!Reader (reader POV/2nd POV)

Summary: Seeking a change of scenery after her life falls apart, Lydia crosses the Atlantic and arrives in a small New England town, to spend a year expanding her intellectual horizons as a visiting professor of art history at a small liberal arts college. Her growing friendship with Ben Morales, professor of Hispanic literature, forces Lydia to confront the fallout from her past - and raises unexpected questions about the future.

Chapter summary: Lydia turns 42, parties with her colleagues - and now she knows for sure.

Word Count: 4.9k

Rating: Mature, will be Explicit in future chapters

Content (chapter specific): Professor Ben College AU; smaller-than-usual-for-this-fandom age gap (Lydia turns 42, and Ben is 47); canon is not a thing here; slow burn; strong language; alcohol consumption; weight and body insecurity; self-confidence issues; a little bit of angst; a lot of yearn.

A/N: Title of the chapter is taken from 'This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)' by Talking Heads, which features in the chapter. Further A/Ns after the chapter to avoid spoilers.

See the Series Masterlist for an outline of Lydia's story and background.

Thanks, as ever, to @lunapascal and @julesonrecord for screaming along about these Beloved Dorky Idiots and approving important fashion and music choices.

Taglist: @lunapascal, @julesonrecord, @cutesyscreenname, @tessa-quayle, @vermillionwinter, @iamskyereads, @tieronecrush, @perennialdoll247, @love-the-abyss, @imaswellkid, @intheorangebedroom, @javierisms, @fuckyeahdindjarin, @littlemisspascal, @khindahra, @pedrostories, @readingiskeepingmegoing

You knew for sure on your 42nd birthday. 

It wasn’t anything dramatic that confirmed it. No great thunderclap or parting of the clouds to bathe him in a divine light. No diving in front of an errant student frisbee to protect you as you gazed up at him in adoration. 

Then again, you were old enough to know that such dramatic realisations only existed in the movies, on TV, in books. The truth was that, though you felt (and sometimes acted on) immediate physical attraction, it was more usually a case of a small, glowing ember finding kindling in order to become a steady flame. 

He was in your office for one of your routine afternoon coffees, and feeling a bit stressed and disheartened over a particularly poor batch of student assignments. He reached over for another butter cookie. 

“It might be that mid-semester slump, but no matter how long I do this job I always feel like this is my fault.” He sighs. “Like I didn’t do enough with the preparation, or with tutorials, or that I made the assessment too difficult. You know what I mean?”

His soft, dark eyes look at you, seeking acknowledgment that he wasn’t alone - and a kind of reassurance. 

“You have to know it’s not your fault, Ben. I know how many tutorials you did with them - and, if you’ll recall, how you were worried about the lack of uptake for the one-to-one sessions. That’s not on you.”

“I just wish I could shake the feeling that I could have done more.” He shakes his head and takes another bite of his cookie. 

“I do know how you feel, you know? I do this too - it’s automatically my fault, no one else’s, I need to fix this, etc.” You smile at him. “In your case I think it’s because you’re a very good and conscientious tutor. And a good person.”

You feel your face heat a little, noticing that the tips of Ben’s ears have turned pink. He breaks away from your gaze for a moment. 

“Thank you, Lyd. So are you.”

There’s a little crackle in the air. You speak before it becomes too strong. 

“Anyway, this’ll cheer you up. Today, a student came into my office and just looked at me and said, ‘Alan??’”

His eyes widen and he starts to giggle. “Alan?!”

“ALAN.” You recount the rest of the story, recreating your confused facial expressions and the student’s mounting annoyance that you are not, in fact, Alan.

“So then I said: what’s Alan’s surname, I could look like them up? And the student says: I dunno?”

At this, Ben laughs so hard that he sends his glasses flying off his face, landing somewhere at the bottom of your desk. He doesn’t seem to notice at first, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. 

“Fuck, Lyddie, I definitely didn’t laugh this much at work before.”

You do a little bow from your desk chair and sip your coffee triumphantly. “Said it would cheer you up. Uh - since when did the staff lounge coffee taste this good?”

He sits back down, having recovered his glasses from the floor. His expression is a little hesitant. 

“Well, the thing is - it’s not staff lounge coffee. I - god, I’m a cliche - I bought an Aeropress. And this is the first batch I’ve made in work, and I thought…” He looks at you and half-smiles, a little twinkle in his eyes. “I thought you shouldn’t have shitty staff lounge coffee on your birthday.”

Oh, wow. This soft, kind man. 

“That’s such a nice thing to do. And - how did you know it was my birthday?”

Ben’s eyes widen and his expression shifts to one of panic. “Ohhhh, shit.”

“You better not tell me you track our birthdays.”

He huffs a laugh. “Do you think I’m organised enough for that?? No, it’s - shit. I shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t tell Evan.”

“Tell Evan what, exactly?”

“He’s planning to bring you out for birthday drinks at the weekend. Nothing fancy!” He holds up a hand, as if to reassure you. “Just some drinks at Murphy’s, maybe some dancing? You know their jukebox is pretty good.”

You widen your eyes and nod in agreement. “They’ve got the tunes, alright.” 

He grins. “Well, that’s the plan. But I think Evan wants to surprise you with the invite. So… maybe work on that, reaction-wise?”

You do your best “surprised and touched” face. Ben chuckles. 

“Perfect.”

He’s got a class to get to, so he says his goodbyes and heads off down the hallway, greeting a group of students with a little wave.

The glass panel in your office door frames his broad body as he walks away, an empty coffee mug in each hand. You watch the way his navy pullover fits just so over his shoulders, the way his rolled-up sleeves make visible the muscles of his forearms, flexing as he carries the mugs. You smile involuntarily when he reaches his office door and turns to open it: if you were being honest with yourself, you’d been quietly admiring that handsome profile for a while now, ever since you really noticed it for the first time that day at the beach.

It would be easy to insist to yourself that Ben Morales was simply a good friend who happened to be nice to look at, and nothing more. 

The problem, though, was the way you were suffused with warmth and affection when you looked at him - and the yearning ache in your chest that occurred simultaneously. 

So now, you knew. 42 years old, far from home, and trying to deal with having the kind of feelings for someone you swore you’d never have again.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Now let us in, we’re jonesing for some champagne.”

Evan is first through your apartment door, brandishing a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and wearing a leather jacket over a wildly patterned shirt. David and Ani follow close behind, both embracing you in turn.

“Cass was hoping to get up this weekend but she’s stuck in work,” Ani explains, looking around your apartment. “Where’s Ben?”

You feel the familiar twinge in your chest. “Virtual conference,” you explain as you head into the kitchen to retrieve some glasses. “Said he’ll meet us at Murphy’s once he’s done.”

Evan opens the champagne with a dramatic flourish, taking off his leather jacket as he pours the fizz into the crappy wine glasses that came with the apartment. He eyes them up with disdain. “Feels wrong to put Veuve Clicquot in these.”

You raise an eyebrow accusingly. “I have vintage champagne coupes at home. In any case - I won’t take advice from a man wearing that shirt.” 

“This is an exact replica of the shirt Leo wore in Romeo + Juliet and you will respect that,” Evan whips back as he hands you a glass of champagne. “Happy birthday love youuuuuu!”

David and Ani join in the toast. “To Lyd, queen of obscure film facts, tote bags, and the messiest office I’ve ever seen,” Ani pronounces. “Happy forty-fucking-second birthday.”

You roll your eyes and grimace. “And I’m looking every single one of those years. Cheers.” 

David shakes his head while Ani tells you off. “You shut the fuck up, you beautiful baby-faced creature.”

You take a sip, and close your eyes as the bubbles of the champagne burst deliciously on your tongue. 

Murphy’s is a pretty standard small-town dive bar with a distinctly above-average jukebox and playlist. It’s the preferred drinking hole for staff, mostly because the majority of the student body have deemed its usual crowd “too old”. Evan has extended a pretty open invitation, by the looks of things - most of the clientele that Saturday night are colleagues from the faculty. Some wave cheerfully in your direction, mouthing “Happy birthday!”; others come over to say hi and offer to buy you a birthday drink. It’s a nice reminder of the warmth of the welcome you’ve had here.

You are having a nice time: sipping your vodka tonic, bopping gently to the eclectic mix of everything from classic 50s rock and roll to indie and grunge hits from the 1990s that’s playing on the bar’s sound system, chatting to colleagues. It’s nice. But you keep watching the door, waiting for him, wondering at times if he’ll show at all. 

He doesn’t owe you anything. Conferences are tiring. Maybe he needed an early night. 

Maybe you miss him when he’s not around. 

You’re talking animatedly to Jen’s wife, Rachel (who is as stunning as Ani had insisted), when you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! Panels ran over and then I couldn’t get a cab and then I took my bike and - anyway. Here now. Happy birthday, Lyddie.”

Ben pulls you in for a warm embrace. You fight to suppress the urge to really lean in: to hold your cheek a little longer against the softness of the check flannel he’s wearing, to linger in the comforting warmth emanating from his solid frame. 

But you pull away. “No worries! I’m just really glad you’re here.”

Bit much?

He tilts his head slightly to the side and smiles at you. “Wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Not when I’ve got the chance to see your moves out there.” He nods in the direction of the ‘dancefloor’, a small, cleared space located near the back of the bar, before turning back and winking at you.

Fuck.

“Dude, it’s been a long time. I suspect I don’t have any moves any more.”

He looks sceptical. “Hmm. Let’s see about that. But first - let me buy you a birthday drink.”

You stare in the bathroom mirror at your reflection as you tidy your hair a little and reapply your favourite lipstick, the vivid red of MAC’s Lady Danger popping against your skin. 

Forty-fucking-two. It’s probably the vodka and tonics, or maybe just the buzz of the bar and your colleagues and friends having a good time, but - for once in your life - you find yourself thinking you might look…not bad? You’re wearing a soft blue denim blouse and black jeans, teamed with a pair of bright red cowboy-style ankle boots that exactly match your lipstick. Red drop earrings and a bright necklace complete the look. 

As long as you didn’t concentrate on the greying strands of hair, or the perpetually tired look on your face, of course. And you couldn’t see all of your body in the small mirror - a bonus. 

But that was for Tomorrow Lydia to deal with. For now, you were enjoying yourself. 

As you blot your lipstick, you hear the opening chords of an upbeat, familiar slice of power pop:

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

“Fucking Cheap Trick! YES!”

You fling open the door to the bathroom, already bopping slightly in time to the music. Nothing could have prepared you for the sight that greets you on the tiny ‘dancefloor’.

It’s Ben. 

Ben, dancing, with Susan, the usually no-nonsense faculty administrator. 

And not just the half-hearted shuffling or pogoing you’ve usually witnessed from men of your generation, either. He’s pretty good: moving with Susan in a sort of loose jive, perfectly in time, occasionally twirling her under as she giggles like a teenager rather than a woman in her late fifties. And he’s clearly having a whale of a time, too, his unmistakable grin wide and enthusiastic as he mouths along to the song. 

It’s all you can do not to let your mouth drop open in astonishment as you hustle over to the bar to join Evan, David, and Ani.

“Um…what the fuck is happening??” You ask, tilting your head towards the dancefloor.

Evan chuckles. “Oh, that. Yeah, Ben has some moves, believe it or not.”

Ani nods in agreement. “Susan’s husband is a sweet man but he fuckin’ hates dancing. So he fully endorses the idea of our Benjamin Button over there getting Susan’s dance fever out of her system, so he never has to bother.”

Evan leans his head to one side, thinking for a moment. “Normally we only see this kind of dancing at the holiday social at the end of the semester, and even then after a wine or two - and he’s not drinking at all tonight. So something’s put him in a really good mood.”

“He’s not drinking?” you ask, curious in spite of yourself.

“He said something about ‘being in charge of a vehicle’,” David explains. “His bike, I think.” 

Ani sips their drink. “You’re right, though, Ev. He’s always been a happy sort of guy but of late? He’s sunshine personified. He’s even less stressed when the copier eats his handouts.” They suck at the inside of their cheek. “I don’t know what’s changed.”

You become conscious of a petite blonde woman standing on the fringes of the group but who’s clearly been listening attentively to the conversation. It’s not that you don’t like Amy, Susan’s second-in-command in the faculty administration office. She’s just…a lot. And her penchant for gossip, however wildly inaccurate, was notorious.

She turns to face the rest of you, a look in her eyes that screams “gossip incoming”. 

“Ooooh, guys… what if he’s finally met someone?? Makes sense, right??”

David’s eyebrows shoot up over the frames of his glasses and he takes a large sip of his whiskey soda.

Ani scoffs. “Bit of a fucking leap, Amy, no? All the time we’ve been here and never known there to be the slightest suggestion of him seeing anyone seriously - he’s like the ‘married to the job’ cliche. And now you think that’s why he’s so happy lately? Some mystery new person?”

Amy looks put out. “Think about that statement, Ani. It’s been ages, there’s no other obvious explanation, therefore I call Benny’s getting coupled up!!!!!” She sucks at her rum and coke gleefully, eyes wide and excited. “Oh my GOD I wonder who it is? Do you think it’s someone on campus? I mean, where else do you guys meet anyone, hahaha! And he’s so hard-working and committed. Maybe I can ask Susan and find out if she’s seen him hanging out with anyone in particular. Or maybe if he’s been out of town more, y’know? Oooh, exciting! I love a good romance!”

She swans off in the direction of her table as the song winds to a close. 

Fuck. Too late, as usual, Lyd. As if you ever stood a chance to begin with. 

You notice David trying to catch your eye, but you turn to the bar and signal to the bartender. “Hey, who wants tequila shots?”

You down a shot with Evan and Ani, eyes scrunching up as you suck the lime wedge and try to halt your crazy train of thought. It’s a familiar melody of guitar, bass, and keyboard that eventually distracts you, though, as the opening bars of “This Must Be The Place” by Talking Heads float from the bar’s sound system.

You gleefully tap Evan on the arm and start to shimmy in place, still facing the bar. “Fuuuuuck, man! I love this song! C’mon, let’s go dance.”

Evan’s gaze is trained on the dancefloor. “Much as I’d like to, babygirl, I think your dance card has already been filled for this one.” He nods and points behind you.

All you can do is laugh. Ben, having clearly noticed your excited reaction to the song, is moving towards you, hips swaying in time to the music, and making a cheesy “reeling you in” gesture with the dorkiest of smiles on his face. 

“Time to see those moves, birthday girl!”

Evan gives you a shove, sending you almost colliding with Ben’s broad chest. You force the awkward thoughts and feelings down deep inside you.

“Well, seeing as I’ve just learned that you have moves, sir, I guess I should see them up close.”

He grins and pulls you to the floor proper.

Even with the help of the cheap tequila, you are a little stiff for the first few moments, exposed and unsure of yourself as you try to keep moving in time to the rhythm without giving away everything that was racing through your mind. 

Ben’s dark eyes are warm and bright as he mouths along to the lyrics and takes your hand, gently encouraging you to let go and relax a little more:

Feet on the ground, head in the sky

It’s okay, I know nothing’s wrong

You feel your body locking into the rhythm with his. A genuine smile creeps over your face as the song enters the first chorus and you both join in with David Byrne’s vocal. He takes both your hands during the next instrumental, pulling you in a little more. 

You lean in close to his ear, keeping up the rhythm but not letting go of his big, warm hands. “I love this song so much, but I’ve never actually got to dance to it before - this is so cool!”

He smiles softly and leans close in turn. “Well, now I’m really glad I got to make that happen.” He lets go of one hand and puts his arm around your waist, bringing you into a more traditional dance hold. “Happy birthday, Lyddie.”

Deep down, there’s a tiny voice inside you that wonders whether he’d do this - dance with you, like this - if he was actually dating anyone else. But then you remember how open he can be with friends, and you tell yourself it’s just one friend dancing with another. 

He twirls you in and out as the song enters the final chorus. For a moment, you let yourself slip into an unspoken, unrequited romantic fantasy as you sing along together, smiling and eyes shining:

And you love me til my heart stops

Love me til I’m dead

In that moment, where you allow yourself to imagine this as real, as something that could be, you feel happier than you have in years.

Closing time rolls around. Ani and Evan are tapping on their phones to arrange cabs, and you’re pulling your coat on and chatting to David when Ben approaches, bike helmet in one hand and a little kraft paper gift bag in the other. 

“Lyddie, can I -”

“BENJAMIN!” He’s interrupted by the arrival of Amy, three sheets to the wind, and clearly hellbent on proving her theory right. “I need to talk to YOU about your secret.”

Ben’s eyes widen as he stutters in response. You make an executive decision. Dumb and all as this might be, you are not going to hang around to hear him say the words, to confirm that he’s taken.

“Oh man, really need to go to the bathroom before I go okay yeah see you in a few?”

You lock yourself in a cubicle and try really hard not to cry.

“Amy, I was in the middle of talking to Lydia and -”

Amy rolls her eyes dramatically. “Pfffft. This is more important. Now: who are they?”

David closes his eyes, pinches the bridge of his nose, and exhales. Ben looks completely confused.

“Who’s who, Amy?” His eyes continue to search the back of the bar, trying to spot you when you’ll eventually emerge from the bathroom.

“Don’t play coy with me, Professor Morales. You’re like a new man lately. So - who’s responsible? Who’s the lucky person?”

The penny finally drops. “Amy, do you… are you asking me… do you think I’m seeing someone?”

Amy jabs a finger at his chest triumphantly. “Aha!”

“I’m not… seeing anyone. Okay?” He tries to break away from Amy and nabs Ani as they’re walking past. “Where the fuck is Lyd, Ani?”

“Jeez, calm down, dude. What the fuck? Give her a Benjaminute. She’s in the bathroom.”

Amy reappears at Ben’s side. “I don’t believe you.”

He’s a patient man, usually. But this shit, coupled with the way you disappeared all of a sudden? He’s done.

“Amy - so help me god, I’m not with anyone or fucking seeing anyone. Okay? I’ll send a newsletter update if it ever happens. Now, please - where the hell did she go?”

He finally gets you alone - kind of - outside the bar, while you’re waiting for cabs to show up. 

Your imagination ran riot while you were on your own in the bathroom stall. But you’d concluded that this was for the best, one way or another. Better that he wasn’t available. Better that he wasn’t interested. Better that you just resisted what you felt. Better that you were just here for the year.

Everything you ever touched, relationship-wise, turned to shit. You couldn’t do that to Ben - even if a man like him would ever want a woman like you.

“Lyd?” He’s quiet, eyes searching yours for an explanation as to why you fled when he approached earlier. 

You smile up at him, hoping the redness around your eyes doesn’t show too much. “Hey. Sorry about earlier, I just - didn’t want to get stuck on the way home.” You pull a goofy face to try to lighten the mood, and he smiles gently, but can’t help but shake the feeling you’re being a little stand-offish with him. 

“Just wanted to give you this.” He hands you the little gift bag. “Don’t get excited, it’s a really small gift! But I saw it and thought of you.”

In a rom-com, he’d meet your gaze, trail a thumb across your cheek, and lean in for a soft, chaste kiss. Or you’d catch his hand, look up at him through your lashes, and press your lips to his.

On a cold November night in New England, though, it’s just you smiling and thanking him profusely while trying not to cry. Or to kiss him in front of everyone. 

“You okay, Lyddie?” 

You nod. “I probably shouldn’t have done the tequila shots earlier. Just a bit woozy and tired now, I guess.” You look down at the pavement, and back up to his handsome face. “Thank you so much. This means a lot.”

He leans forward and for a split second you dare to hope. To no avail. A tiny, soft kiss to the cheek. 

“Happy birthday.”

Ben cycles off, bike lights bright in the darkness, and you hop in a cab with Evan and David. Evan sits up front, while David sits in the back with you. He sees the way that you hold the little gift bag in your lap, and notices the pervasive sadness in your body language and expression.

“Hey, Evan?” he prompts his boyfriend. “Who was that crazy blonde lady that kept harassing Ben about his personal life?”

You can almost hear Evan rolling his eyes. “Fucking Amy. She’s fine, most of the time, but once she’s convinced of something - hoo, boy. Dog with a bone.”

David turns to you, a somewhat knowing look on his face. “When you were in the bathroom she accosted Ben about her conviction that he’s got some sort of secret partner and that’s why he's been so cheery lately.”

You fight to keep your expression neutral. Does he suspect something?

“Oh, okay. I heard her theorising it earlier on.”

Evan continues ranting. “He TOLD her, he wasn’t with anyone? Like, if he was seeing anyone or interested in anyone I would know. I would be able to tell.”

David reaffirms the key detail. “So he did say he wasn’t seeing anyone?”

Evan scoffs. “Babe, you were there. He said he wasn’t and then he got pissed off because he couldn’t find Lyd.”

David turns to you with a little smile on his face, and shrugs gently, as if to say: “See?”

You wipe off your makeup in the harsh light of your tiny bathroom, the fluorescent glare seeming designed to highlight every grey hair, every wrinkle, every trace of ageing. The confident woman in her bright red lipstick has been replaced by someone else entirely.

You put on a fresh pair of pyjamas, and climb into bed. In many ways, it had been a really great night. It’s just that you had to go catching feelings for him, and now everything was being filtered through that lens. 

David had been trying to make it clear to you that Amy’s fantasy was bullshit, that much was obvious. But if Ben wasn’t seeing anyone, and if he was so keen to dance with you and laugh at your jokes and give you gifts, then why didn’t he try even the slightest thing with you? There was only one conclusion: he wasn’t interested. 

It’s better this way.

The little brown gift bag catches your eye, sitting patiently on the nightstand for you to finally open it. You take a deep breath and reach over for it.

The bag contains two packages and a card, addressed to “Lyddie” in Ben’s distinctive handwriting. Card first.

“Fuck me, you’re such a dork.”

The card features a Venn diagram of three intersecting circles, one marked ‘Life’, the other ‘Universe’, and the third ‘Everything’. Little drawings of a potted plant, a whale, and the planets surround the number ‘42’ at the centre of the diagram. 

You giggle in spite of yourself. You could have bet that Ben Morales would give you a Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy-themed card for being 42. 

To Lyddie

Wishing you a very happy birthday - now, you are the answer to the Ultimate Question.

B

PS Explanatory post-its on gifts

“Explanatory post-its? Such a dork,” you whisper to yourself as you reach for the little packages. 

The first parcel’s note reads: 

I saw that you had a few of these in your office. Thought you might like a memento from here. Can also provide useful symbolic film prop. Rosebud!

You open the wrapping paper carefully to reveal a small cardboard box. Inside, there’s a miniature snow globe in lurid colours, a kitschy souvenir of the fading resort town near the Barrow College beach house on the coast. 

You turn it upside down, gently, and watch the light catching the glitter as it settles slowly over the old boardwalk and ferris wheel inside.

The second package is, unmistakably, a DVD. This time, the note reads: 

If you get inspired and make a timpano sometime, I’ll be there. 

It’s a copy of Big Night.

Ben Morales cycles up to his garage door and wheels his bike inside, carefully removing the front and rear lights (two each - he knows one isn’t enough at this time of year) and placing them on a shelf along with his bike helmet and reflective armbands.

The garage is separate to his house, which he bought a year or two after he got the job in Barrow. His siblings were surprised at the time, expecting him to just buy a decently-sized apartment rather than an entire house, but once he’d seen it he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. 

He’s lived alone for a very long time, so he’s used to returning to an empty home. It feels emptier than usual tonight, though: the quiet weighs heavier, and the fact that he’s on his own seems more obvious. Must be after the bar, he guesses. All that noise and music and conversation. Of course the house would seem lonely after that.

He thinks about putting on a movie, but - unusually for him - he can’t think of anything he’d like to watch. He pours himself a small glass of whiskey, sipping from it as he scans his shelves of records until he finds the one he’s looking for. He slips the vinyl from the cover and places it on the turntable, propping up the record’s brightly-coloured slipcase against the wall. 

He’s about to drop the needle on the final track on side 2 when his phone buzzes on the dining table. It’s a message from Ani, sent to a group chat you’d set up for your closest work friends, and they’ve attached some photos from tonight.

Ben starts the record going and gently drops the needle in the right place. As the familiar melody plays from his speakers, he settles himself and his glass of whiskey in a chair and opens up the pictures. 

You, sipping champagne at home while making a face at Evan’s lurid shirt. David and Ani sticking their fingers up to the camera, evidently caught unawares by Evan. Evan reenacting various poses from Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (Ben knew the shirt seemed familiar). Ani and you dancing, back to back, arms flung in the air and joy written all over your faces.

One of you, big eyes shining and red lipstick immaculate, wearing a hairband that proclaims “IT IS MY BIRTHDAY” and holding a cupcake with a single candle in it. He can tell you’re trying not to laugh. He wonders if it would be weird of him to save it.

Him, “reeling you in” for a dance. “Fuuuuuck,” he grimaces, sipping more whiskey as he cringes at himself. And then you and him, dancing, first at a slight distance, then hand in hand, then -

The music triggers the memory of his hand in yours, an arm around you, and the smile on your face. 

I can’t tell one from the other

Did I find you, or you find me?

Maybe he should say something to you.

Another message. You, this time. A photo of what he presumes is your nightstand, with the snow globe, Big Night DVD, and card on display.

LYDIA: I LOVE them so much. I don’t know how you remembered the movie and the snow globe is perfect. I promise not to drop it unless for dramatic and cinematic purposes as determined by Orson Welles. 

Another message.

LYDIA: Really, such thoughtful gifts. I’m so touched. L. 

The song ends. Ben takes a last sip of his whiskey. 

Maybe he should just tell you.

(bookshelf divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more; other dividers by @cafekitsune)

Further A/Ns: For those unfamiliar with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to the "ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything."

This is the card Ben gets for Lydia.

#visiting fic #visiting masterlist #mr ben snl #professor ben x OFC #mr ben #professor!ben x ofc #pedro pascal character fanfic #professor!ben #mr ben x ofc #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #Spotify

[ecargmura]

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 1 Review - Love At First Sight

This is the first time I’m watching and reviewing an actual yuri anime. While I do prefer BL more, I do want to expand my horizons and try out different genres. The first episode of Whisper Me A Love Song was actually really cute.

The story is about first year Himari Kino who starts her first day in high school and falls for the cool third year Yori Asanagi when she plays for the opening ceremony’s live band. Himari cannot get Yori out of her mind and when she manages to see her at the shoe lockers, she confesses to her. After her confession, Yori starts becoming interested in her. However, it turns out that Himari’s love and Yori’s love aren’t the same! Uh-oh.

The premiere was super cute! I loved the colors and the animation! I just think this will be a sweet and pure love story between two girls. I do like how it’s similar to other romance animes that are pure and sweet like Sasaki and Miyano or My Love Story With Yamada. To be honest, it does kind of remind me of Given with the music theme and with the way the leads have the same hair and eye colors as Uenoyama and Mafuyu. Heck, even Yori, the black-haired and blue-eyed lead, finds inspiration in her cuter, red-haired love interest like how Uenoyama finds motivation to love music again after meeting Mafuyu who is also cute and has red hair. It’s like a happier version of Given but with lesbians.

I think the first episode really does solidify Yori and Himari as characters. Yori has never fallen in love before and despite misunderstanding Himari’s love, decides that she wants her to feel the same way. The fact that she’s motivated by cat merchandise is hilariously cute. Himari is super adorable. She’s like a puppy! I do like how straight forward she is when it comes to her feelings. While she isn’t exactly feeling romantic love right now, the way she’s able to express herself so well is a good trait. I do hope to see a scene where Himari realizes she’s in love with Yori.

The side characters are fun! I quite liked the red-haired rich girl. The way she was like “Go fall in love with someone” after hearing Yori struggling with making a love song was hilarious. Like, that’s a tall order, girl. Then there’s the tall ditzy girl who clings onto her. Then there’s Miki, Himari’s friend and Aki’s sister. Aki herself seems interesting as she is shown prominently in the opening, meaning that she’ll have her own love story.

The voice acting is good! Fun fact: Yori’s singing voice and her speaking voice are two different people. Her voice actress for regular dialogue is Asami Seto, who voiced Kasane Randall from Scarlet Nexus and Nobara from Jujutsu Kaiser. Her singing voice is done by Kana Sasakura, who is a singer. I think this is rather interesting because music animes usually have the singing done by their respective voice actors. To see Yori have two different voices is a rather unique concept. I’m not sure if Seto can sing, but I do wonder what the thought process behind this was. Do they want to promote a lesser known musician? Regardless, this is cool! Sasakura’s voice is good! I think that this is a good way to promote a musician! I honestly quite like Asami Seto as a voice actress so to hear her voice an awkward girl will be a treat for my ears!

Himari is voiced by Hana Shimano. This is the first time Shimano is voicing a lead and her voice is extremely adorable. It’s high-pitched but not like ear-gratingly high. There’s a right amount of high tone that doesn’t seem like she’s straining herself. There’s also a softness to it. It’s really nice to listen to! It’s something I’d definitely listen to constantly!

The side cast is actually stacked. Holy cow. First, there’s Miki who’s voiced by Aoi Koga. I know her from Hirogaru Sky Precure as Ellee and I couldn’t recognize her voice at all! Dang, she’s versatile! Is that her normal voice? If it is, it’s great! Then there’s Mikako Komatsu who voices her sister Aki. I think Komatsu is super versatile and is also a voice actress I really like listening to! Heck, I didn’t even realize Aki was voiced by Komatsu until the credits rolled and I usually can recognize her voice by ear! Good job passing through my good ears! The red-haired rich girl is Mari and she’s voiced by Konomi Kohara. I like her character and her voice so I’m keeping an eye out for her. The tall ditzy girl is Tachibana and she’s voiced by Ai Kakuma who voiced Mashiro from Hirogaru Sky Precure. There are so many Precure voice actors here!

Though, if there is one thing I am worried about, it’s mainly the state of the future episodes. The first episode is good, but, after doing some research, I saw that this anime was delayed from its previous Winter 2024 broadcasting due to a change in directors. I’ve honestly never heard of an anime where the director was changed in the middle of production. Will this ruin the state of the anime? Who knows. I like what I saw so far, so please don’t let this anime become a train wreck—I’m an anime-only, by the way.

I feel like my Saturdays are going to be great thanks to this show. I hope it’ll be the start for me to try more yuri anime. Are there any yuri recommendations you want me to take a look at? Let me know!

#whisper me a love song #sasayaku you ni koi wo utau #Yori asanagi #Himari kino #miki mizuguchi #aki mizuguchi #Kaori tachibana #mari tsutsui #review #anime #anime review #yuri #yuri anime #girls love #ecargmura #arum journal

[the-empress-7]

But what could she possibly have said that got him so angry??

I don't remember the detail, but apparently this happened when they were still "dating"

Here’s the excerpt:

Reunited. A quiet night at Nott Cott, preparing dinner together.

December 2016.

Meg and I had discovered that we shared the same favorite food: roast chicken.

I didn’t know how to cook it, so that night she was teaching me.

I remember the warmth of the kitchen, the wonderful smells. Lemon wedges on the cutting board, garlic and rosemary, gravy bubbling in a saucepan.

I remember rubbing salt on the skin of the bird, then opening a bottle of wine.

Meg put on music. She was expanding my horizons, teaching me about folk music and soul, James Taylor and Nina Simone.

It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day.

Maybe the wine went to my head. Maybe the weeks of battling the press had worn me down. For some reason, when the conversation took an unexpected turn, I became touchy.

Then angry. Disproportionately, sloppily angry.

Meg said something I took the wrong way. It was partly a cultural difference, partly a language barrier, but I was also just over-sensitive that night. I thought: Why’s she having a go at me?

I snapped at her, spoke to her harshly—cruelly. As the words left my mouth, I could feel everything in the room come to a stop. The gravy stopped bubbling, the molecules of air stopped orbiting. Even Nina Simone seemed to pause. Meg walked out of the room, disappearing for a full fifteen minutes.

I went and found her upstairs. She was sitting in the bedroom. She was calm, but said in a quiet, level tone that she would never stand for being spoken to like that.

I nodded.

She wanted to know where it came from.

I don’t know.

Where did you ever hear a man speak like that to a woman? Did you overhear adults speak that way when you were growing up?

I cleared my throat, looked away. Yes.

She wasn’t going to tolerate that kind of partner. Or co-parent. That kind of life. She wasn’t going to raise children in an atmosphere of anger or disrespect. She laid it all out, super-clear. We both knew my anger hadn’t been caused by anything to do with our conversation. It came from somewhere deep inside, somewhere that needed to be excavated, and it was obvious that I could use some help with the job.

I’ve tried therapy, I told her. Willy told me to go. Never found the right person. Didn’t work.

No, she said softly. Try again.

Me again — I think this was the visit where they did the junkie papwalk and later the Christmas tree papwalk.

Thanks so much anon!

So Harry is allowed to use cultural difference as a defense upon pissing off Meghan, but her UK staff wasn't?

Yeah, that tracks 🙄

[mcu-coworkers]

I’ve Gotcha

Summary: Hal gets his girl back and makes up for lost time.

Pairings: Hal Jordan X reader

Word count: 3,698

A/n:  In favor of a friend  I   have expanded my writer horizons and made it to the land of DC, DCAU to be more specific. You might see more of this right now. I am just  fully going with what my brain decides to give me lol. As always  I   hope you guys enjoy my work!xx

(Not my gif)

It was a beautiful day in Star City, the perfect day for a picnic.

Hal had been away on a mission for some time but he was finally back home, with you.

He wanted to make the most of the day he already missed you so much.

As you both sat down under a tree you were laughing at something he said, all he could do was admire you.

Your laugh was music to his ears, that smile the most beautiful thing on the planet and your eyes.

So full of happiness and love for him, “Hal?” you said as he laid his head on your lap.

Not speaking, he just raised his eyebrows and waited for you to continue.

“Why did you let me go?” you asked, caught off guard he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

He wanted to say what but the weight on his chest stopped him from being able to speak.

Opening his eyes he realized you were gone.

“Hal!” you screamed out again.

Sitting up he looked for you but the park was gone, he was back in Gotham where the portal closed and he was a second too late.

Suddenly he jumps awake, once again trying to catch his breath as the sheer coat of sweat begins to form on his body.

Yanking off the covers he dangles his feet over the bed and rubs his eyes.

It had been six months since he lost you.

His phone began to buzz, it was barry. He called everyday but never this many times. Twenty two missed calls and it was four in the morning.

Hal was ready to ignore it when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Walking to the door he opened it to reveal Barry.

“Wow you're not naked.” he said, last time he barged in Hal was down to his boxers. That was almost a year ago.

“Rooms cold,” he said as he walked back into the house. He became accustomed to only leaving the house for green lantern duties and groceries; everything else didn't matter to him.

“How have you been bud?” Barry was truly worried for his best friend; he hadn't been the same since he lost you.

“Oh you know, work, home, work, home.” Hal said, truly he wished Barry would leave him alone so he could go back to dreaming about you.

“ I   uh  I   have some news for you Hal.” Barry said, looking at him cautiously as he stepped closer.

“Oh yeah? And what would that be?” he said, taking a seat on the couch.

“We wanted to wait until we were sure but, we really think she's not gone.” Barry said, and for the first time Hal looked at him for longer than a second.

Barry took that as a sign to keep going, “It's a long shot, but Zatana has been reaching out searching for her, and she thinks she found her.” he finished.

Hal stood up quickly as tears began to build up in his eyes, “Please don’t, Please don't give me hope.” he said as the tears began to fall.

“We need you to bring her back buddy, she needs you.” Barry said as he embraced his friend and let him cry on his shoulder.

“So what do you say?” Barry asked.

“I'm in.” Hal whispered as he pulled away and for the first time in months he smiled at Barry.

Hugging him once more it was Barry’s turn to shed a tear, Hal deserved this and he’d make sure he got it.

“First you gotta shave, and shower. You cannot greet your girl like that.” Barry said, chuckling.

By the time they both made it to the watchtower Hal was wide awake.

Everyone turned to the boom tube upon their arrival. For the first time Batman smiled at the sight of Hal.

“It’s nice to have you back Hal.” he said as he put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s nice to be back bats, so what's the plan?” Hal asked, looking around the room.

Many familiar faces, mostly people who specialized in the magic area, made sense.

That's when Zatanna began to speak, “well for starters  I  ‘ll explain and then ask some questions okay?” she asked before starting.

Giving her a simple nod she began.

“We all know that the only things that can open boom tubes are mother or father boxes, the only human capable being cyborg.” she said looking around for people to agree.

She continued, “ Before the light attacked us, Y/n was learning new spells. She didn't tell me much other than the fact that these spells would come in handy when we needed to get somewhere.” she said, pulling up images of a book.

“She said the book was dangerous, but it had what she needed. Then the light attacked and she was gone but there was no body so she's not dead. She's in  another universe kind of gone and I know at the start it sounds like a long shot but here me out.” she said looking at Hal.

“The first month  I   would hear her calling me randomly throughout the day,  I   thought  I   was going crazy, then the dreams began and  I   started seeing her, not as a memory we had never been to these places before she had never looked like this.” she said, trying to grasp for words to explain.

Leaning forward in his seat, Hal's heart began racing out of his chest, “So what are you saying Z?” he knew Barry said there was a chance but Zatanna makes it sound like it's definite.

“ I‘m saying that she’s stuck in another universe and  I   have proof that she is but  I   just can’t reach her alone. We tried, for the past three months we tried,  I   can see her but she can’t see or hear me so we’re hoping that the missing piece to the puzzle is you.” she said to him.

“So what do we do now?” he asked, he was prepared to do anything to bring you back.

“Well first we test the theory, she thinks its over that she’s stuck in there for good so maybe if you call out to her it’ll be enough to bring her strength back.” M’gann said standing.

“Well then what are we waiting for?” Hal said standing up.

Quickly they went to a lab where he laid down and got ready.

“ I  ‘m gonna mind link all of us as an anchor and Z will take you where you need to go.” M’gann said before beginning to focus.

“Good luck.” Zatanna said before beginning her spell.

Closing his eyes Hal focused on the images of you as he fell into a daze, it felt as if his soul was leaving his body as he searched through spheres full of life, finally he eyes landed on a red one and he knew it had to be you.

Entering the sphere he went back to his regular form and took in the scene before him.

The ground was water, a red horizon surrounded him, the perfect sunset.

At the center of it all was a bench and there was you. Sitting perfectly still with your back facing him.

He could hardly believe it, until then he was frozen in place, then he remembered he need to reach out to you.

“Y/n?” he asked barely above a whisper.

Turning your head you quickly stood up, “Hal.” you said as your eyes began brimming with tears.

“Baby-” he didn't even finish as he opened his arms waiting for you to run into them and when you did he held on tighter than he possibly could.

“Wha- what are you doing here?” you asked, breathing in his scent and taking him in all his glory.

“ I   came to bring you home, we’re gonna get you out of here doll.” he said smiling, suddenly yours dropped.

“Z needs you to open a portal here and she’ll connect to one of ours so you can come home.” he said, making sure not to forget a single detail.

Backing away from him, “ I   can’t.” you said, dropping his hands. “ I  didn't open this portal on accident Hal, If  I   try to leave he’ll come for me.”

“ I ‘ll protect you, you know that.” he said pleadingly, reaching for you again, he stopped when you took another step back.

“He won’t let me go back, Hal.” you whispered, the fear was evident in your eyes.

“Who? Where is he? Tell me what universe this is and  I‘ll come get you.” he asked, anger was beginning to run through his veins.

“It's not another universe,  It's another dimension, Apokolips. Hal you have to go, please.” you said as the water began to rise.

“ I‘m getting you out of here.” he yelled, vines began appearing and tying your legs and hands.

“It’s too late for me,  I   love you Hal.” was all you got to say before the darkness took you away and Hal was pushed out.

Waking up from the trance Hal sat up immediately, scaring Zatanna and M’gann in the process.

“Did you see her?”  they both asked.

“She's in another dimension, Apokolips, someone has her trapped there.” he said getting up from the medical bed. The whole team was there now.

“Wait, where are you going?” Barry asked, following him out of the room.

“To bring her back,  I‘m not leaving her there.” he said as he was about to take off Barry held him down.

“Wait Hal, remember the test run? Tell us what you saw and what she said and we can work through it together.” Barry said, hoping it would calm him down.

“You didn't see her Barry,” he said, his eyes pooling with tears, “the fear in her eyes, she was scared to even come near me, scared that whatever got her was gonna get me too.” he said the image of your fearful eyes trapped in his head.

“ I need to save her from whoever did this to her but she’s too scared to open the portal.” Hal said, shaking his head.

“So then we open the portal from our side and get ready to fight, at least until we can find her and bring her back.” Zatanna said entering the room.

“She’s raised me like a sister since my dad gave himself to Fate.  I‘ll be damned if  I   lose her too.” Zatanna said.

“Okay great, so we all agree it's all or nothing?” Barry said, looking at them as they both nodded.

“Open the portal Z.” Hal said as he prepared himself for whatever happened next.

Walking back into the meeting room Hal was met with Dr.Fate, and constantine.

“There you are now, let's get this show on the road.” Constantine said, bringing out a book of spells.

Slowly the three of them began chanting while everyone else used memories of you to call your attention from the other side of the portal.

Slowly the portal began to open, it was almost like what Hal had seen when he went looking for you.

But this looked a lot less peaceful.

“We have to go in.” he said, quickly Barry stopped him.

“We can't if we do that's a one way ticket and you won't be able to help her. We have to stick to the plan dude.” Barry said as he squeezed his friend's shoulder.

Looking back at the portal it began to become more clear and he could finally see you, but you were being held by those black vines the same way he last saw you.

In Front of you was a tall thing, it was nowhere near a man, he was a monster with red glowing eyes floating off the ground.

“Y/n!” Hal yelled out, making both of you turn your heads in the direction of the portal.

“She’s got to hurry it up, we can't hold it open for long.” Constantine said, trying to focus on the spell.

Hope ran through your veins as you saw Hal standing on the other side waiting for you, this was your chance it was all or nothing.

“They can’t save you, not from me, not from yourself.” he said looking back at you, you’d learned his name to be Darkseid.

Slowly the vines holding you down began tightening around your neck.

Turning back to look at Hal one last time, enough was enough.

Focusing all your strength you forced a blast strong enough to destroy the vines and blast Darksied in the process.

Dropping to the floor you tried to balance yourself as you looked at the portal once more and started running.

“That’s my girl.” Hal whispered, his heart was racing almost as fast as Barry could run the closer you got.

From where he stood Darkseid sent parademons to try and stop you.

Dodging their attacks you kept running as fast as you could, one of them managed to throw a boulder your way knocking you over.

Feeling the blood rush out of your head and a pain in your leg you looked up again, you were close.

Standing up once more you began limping as fast as you could, the closer you got the more you could see Hal's arms opening for you.

Tears began forming in your eyes as you took one last leap and finally felt the comfort of his arms as he pulled you as far away from the portal as he could.

“It’s okay baby, you’re okay now, I've gotcha.” he said as he pulled your face into his hands.

Turning your head back to the portal you realized the parademons stopped all movement, Darkseid at the center.

“Close the portal.” you said, Darkseid didn't say a word he just raised his arm and pointed directly at you with a smirk.

Slowly the portal closed.

Finally you felt as if you could actually breathe.

Looking back at Hal you smiled, he was wearing his suit but he had taken his mask off to see you better.

His hair was grown out, he had bags under his eyes and you could tell he hadn't shaved until recently.

He was just as handsome as ever, Your Hal.

“We need to get that checked out.” Barry said, interjecting in your little moment.

Hal turned to his best friend with slight annoyance, when was he not a cock block? But he was right.

Hesitantly Hal let go of you and let Batman take you to a lab.

Z followed behind closely.

Before you Batman started you hugged her tightly, “ I   knew you could do it, thank you Z.” you said, she hugged you back tightly as she too tried to hold back her own tears.

“ I   couldn't have done it without you, you’ll still be my teacher right?” she asked, she always worried you’d step down after this.

“Of course,  I   wouldn't miss seeing you become the best of us.” you said as you finally took a seat.

“So how did you end up in that place?” Bats asked, you weren't surprised the best detective never stopped.

“ I   was practicing some new spells and then suddenly  I   was pulled into the portal and  I   ended up on Apokolips and he wanted to use what  I   knew. He kept me trapped in a prison saying the right moment would come so  I   tried reaching out to Z when he was gone and it worked.” you said smiling at you apprentice.

“What was his name?” Batman asked as he patched up your wounds.

“Darkseid.” you whispered, chills going up your spine as you remembered his last words to you.

“Alright, are you all done here? I think it's time we go home.” Hal said, coming up behind you and leaning over your shoulder.

Smiling you turned your head to see his side profile while he looked at bats, his mask was back on but there was still a whole lot to admire.

“Fine, we can pick this up tomorrow.” Batman said as both him and Z walked out of the room.

Stepping off the table Hal brought his hand to your side as the two of you walked side by side towards the boom tube.

By now everyone was gone, Hal kind of insinuated that he wanted some alone time with you and of course everyone understood.

Once you made it home you made it a priority to shower first, the warm water relaxed you after six months without it.

Stepping out you grabbed one of Hal's white shirts and put it on smiling at his familiar scent.

His shirt went past your thighs and laid right on top of the cut Batman patched up it lightly grazed it as you walked back into your bedroom.

Walking in you chuckled at the unmade bed, “ I   swear  I make it everyday.” Hal said, walking in with a cup of cocoa.

“Oh yeah? And what else did you do while  I   was gone?” you said as he put the hot drink down on the nightstand.

Reaching for you again on instinct your arms went to the back of his head and his went to your waist.

“Missed you.” he said as he lightly pecked your lips, resting his head on your shoulder after taking in the smell of your shampoo.

You could feel him smiling into your neck, “Show me.” you whispered into his ear sending shivers down his spine.

Standing up straight he looked at you with a worried face, “Are you sure?  I   don’t wanna hurt-” he tried to say but you cut him off pulling you down into a deep kiss.

Any hesitation Hal had before immediately disappeared as he picked you up deepening the kiss.

Moving to the bed Hal laid you down gently pulling away to take off his shirt, impatiently you pulled him down by his dog tags for another kiss as your hands moved down to his belt.

Getting his pants off you moaned when you massaged his bulge through his boxers.

“Told ya.” Hal said breathlessly as he smiled down as he took his shirt off of you to reveal your naked body beneath him.

“So damn perfect and just for me.” he said as he pushed you further up the bed and began kissing your neck moving down to your chest.

“Hal.” you moaned when he reached one your breast.

“Tell me what you want baby.” he said as he looked up at you.

“ I   want you to fuck me, hard.” you said bringing his face back up to yours and pumping his member in your hand.

Kissing you to muffle his groans Hal didn't take a second longer to comply with you.

Slowly he pushed himself in letting you adjust to his size as he bowed his head into your shoulder.

Giving one last push he was fully in and you moaned into his ear, “Good girl, you take me so well baby.” he said smiling as he began pumping himself into you slowly.

Arching your back you gripped his biceps not knowing what else to do with the amount of pleasure Hal was giving you.

“Faster Hal.” you moaned, gasping when he pulled your legs up to his shoulder picking up his pace and going deeper all at once making you see stars as your moans grew louder and louder.

“That's it baby let yourself go for me.” he groaned as he took one of your breasts in his hands massaging your nipple.

Quickly you began to feel yourself building up under his touch, “Hal  I‘m so close.” you moaned, pulling at the ends of his hair.

“Me too baby, fuck.” he said as you tightened around him encouraging him to go faster.

And just like that you felt euphoric as you came undone and he fucked you mercilessly through your high.

He was beginning to lose his pattern and you could tell he was close too.

Kissing the side of his neck all the way up to his earlobe you whispered, “ Come on baby, do it for me.”

And just like that Hal filled you up pumping into you slowly switching from fucking to wrapping your legs around his waist and making love to you.

Pulling himself up he looked at your face and admired every single feature that was being lit by the moon.

Until then he hadn’t noticed it got dark out.

Opening your eyes you massaged the back of his head and met his eyes.

Smiling you bit your lip to muffle your own moans as he leaned in to lay soft kisses all over your face.

“ I   love you so much Hal.” you said as you felt him smiling into his kisses.

“ I   love you so much more baby.” he said back as he felt you tightening around him once more.

“Mmmmmh debatable.” you replied as you felt yourself coming undone again.

Chuckling at your response Hal just held down your hips with one hand and put the other beside your head.

Just looking at your state brought him close to the edge.

“You gonna cum again for me baby?” he asked, holding your hips tighter.

“Yes.” you moaned, closing your eyes, your head going deeper into the pillow.

“Look at me.” he said softly.

You moaned at his request, feeling yourself get closer and closer.

“Look. At. Me” he said again this time you did, your lust filled eyes met his and this time you both came undone together your soft moans being the only sound in the room.

You kept your legs wrapped around him as you both rode out your highs together Hal leaning his forehead against yours.

“Guess you really did miss me after all.” you whispered, smiling making him open his eyes with a grin.

“ I‘m gonna have to go warm up that cocoa again.” he said as he kissed your forehead and got up from the bed, dressed himself and going back to the kitchen.

Smiling to yourself, you put his shirt back on and waited for him to come back, walking was not an option your legs offered thanks to Hal Jordan.

#hal jordan #green lantern #hal jordan x reader #hal jordan x y/n #dc comics #dceu #dceu x reader #dc #harold jordan

[writingmochi]

what do ur moots remind you of?! (ex. places, color, song, etc)

lissie: hey anon! sorry for the late reply! I'll try my best to answer your question because this will be long...

@kookthief : the setting summer sun that is a body of ocean away going down beyond the horizon from where you can see from the beach. maybe because ellie has mentioned the summer i turn pretty tons of times, seeing photos of the sunset by a beach reminds me of her!

@ujunxverse: the strobing lights in a small concert venue where an alternative rock band is playing. viv's music taste and little mentions of music she listens to give me recommendations for more artists to listen to in the future. i also realize that our music taste venn diagram is more connected than i realized (cassiopea, have a nice life, radiohead, etc)

@heartandfangs: the narrow aisle of a warm-colored old bookstore. i think because of how amazingly P writes her stories it makes me think of that. one shelf is apocalyptic (the world ends with you) and another is erotica (i owe you and not if it's you)

@euphor1a: the smell of freshly baked vanilla cake in a pastel bakery on the corner of the street block. i mentioned to aleyna how she reminded me of sugar cookies before. with this, i'm expanding what i said before to the whole bakery :D

@jeongwins: an aesthetic-looking list on letterboxd. i know it seems random, but the way lin writes reviews for fics they recommend is how a film critic writes a review for a movie. in a way, it also shows the people what kind of fics they like and how others can expect from the fics by their reviews, just like how people on letterboxd make list for movies they like aesthetically or story wise

@s-ngh8n: open parasols on the sandy beach with the glittering waves in the distance. kinda like their name, lemon has a sense of freshness that i can't fully articulate using adjectives. so, here i am using a description to fully said what i meant

@boba-beom: xing fu tang's brown sugar boba milk tea. other than the boba theme being similar, smiles to me seems very refreshing and warm in the way she speaks and interacts with yours truly

@dim-sun: a cottagecore-themed pixel art. probably because zu had one of them for their banner one time, but every time i found a forest pixel art, it always reminds me of them...

@it-rains-blue: a rupi kaur-style book full of short stories. condensed yet emotionally rich, that is what the vibe of yerin's writing feels like for me. her range also contributes to it as short stories in one book can make you feel so many emotions; throwing the book against the wall or seeing tears fell on the pages from how it got you to feel.

@heart2beom: the smell of salted popcorn as you sit inside the cinema seats. another random one but jazmine makes me feel that way. i haven't read much of her work but i know that it'll give me a good time just like a good movie does.

@tyunlatte: a litter of kittens walking towards you as you sit on the carpeted floor of a cat cafe. seeing illustrations of cats reminds me of alex so much + the cafe aspect is definitely the kind of vibe if i open her blog. you're always in for a treat!

@lovejoshua: the colors: rose quartz and serenity. iykyk ;) but in all seriousness, i'm happy to see svt's content in my timeline from time to time because of ilem (literally every time i wake up and check the blr, it's gonna be either josh or seungcheol gifs. and i am in for that)

@junniieesbby: an emoji of a heart. as her previous moniker for her time as anon, every time i see a heart of any kind, both the symbol heart or a heart that looks accurate anatomically, it reminds me of angie!

@hanniejie: the song "can you feel the sunshine?" from the video game sonic r. using the sol as their aesthetic, lex gives of a very warm and optimistic vibe whenever i see their name or username, kinda like this song whenever i play them.

@txt-yaomi: ateez's yunho. ever since i learned that sof ults him, i kinda feel almost the same vibe between the two of them. both can be calm and excitedly chaotic at any time >.<

@talesofyuan: a shelf full of multi-volume manga series. remembering yuan's dream as a mangaka, every time i see a manga illustration, it always reminds me of her.

@choistick: the words "Musik" and "Kunst" . knowing where she comes from, thinking about saph really makes me want to revive my knowledge of the german language after not using it since i graduated high school lmao guten tag saph!

@robin-obsessed: txt's hueningkai being the ningdungie that she is, lee gives off the same vibe as hyuka whenever i think of her + her tumblr banner and discord username don't help either in making me think that she and kai are connected in some way...

#message to the moon #messenger: anonymous #games with the moon

[underoospeterparker]

Hello! Congrats on 300 followers!! :D

🍩 DOUGHNUT (for marauders pls!)

- I am 5’1, I have wavy black hair, and a 70s type layered haircut

- i am a very shy person but also pretty headstrong and sure of myself/my opinions. I also love people and talking, so it's pretty contradictory

- love to be comfy at home. Either reading or listening to music. Or movies!! I love movies!!! Movies are more for me to just sit and enjoy, but books I like to actually analyze.

- I like writing of any kind. Poetry I recently got into since it’s much less time consuming. I never had an emo phase so that’s how I make up for it

- I would describe my ideal style as a mix of 70s and the early 2000s. Do I accomplish that?? No, I usually dress like grandma (I looove cardigans)

- I really like sociology. Gay history!

welcome to my 300 celebration!

I ship you with james potter! (you are anon 2)

a. listening to music with james:

he sat down next to you on the bleachers, grabbing one of your earphones as he exclaimed, "not this song again!" "what?" you asked, all sheepish. "it's my all-time favourite." he leaned his head on your shoulder, hair tickling your nose as he laughed under his breath. "maybe you need to expand your music horizons," he said, grinning as he pulled away from you slightly. "how about-" "nope." "but you haven't even-" you interrupted him. "still a strong no." you leaned into him instead this time, and he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. "you're lucky i love you."

b. showing your poetry to him:

"jamie," you said as you sat down next to him in the common room, suddenly shy. "iwantyoutoreadmypoem," you mumbled quietly, incomprehensible to your boyfriend's ears. "sorry baby, i didn't hear you," he laughed, fumbling for your hand. "you're gonna have to speak a bit louder than that." you glared at him and took a deep breath. "i want you to read my poem." he smiled, already holding a hand out for you to pass it to him. you held it above him as you said, "but you can't make fun of me, okay?" your face was so sad that james just had to cup it in his palms, a small comfort. "I would never," he whispered, rubbing a thumb over your cheekbone. you let out a small smile and passed over your notebook.

c. james after reading your poetry:

a few minutes later, he looked up from your poem with a look of awe on his face. "you wrote this?" you giggled, a sound that made his heart tingle in his chest. "of course i did!" after a hesitation, you murmured, "it's about you." his heart almost jumped out of his chest upon the realisation that you, his favourite person in the world, had written a poem about him. his cheeks turned pink as he gave you the world's most perfect kiss. it was broken apart too soon when he couldn't stop smiling. "i love it."

#james potter x you #james potter fluff #james potter fic #james potter x reader #james potter fanfiction #james potter #the marauders #300 celebration #300 followers #marauders era

[fastigiums]

[OP-ED: This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of allkpop.] 

If you haven't spent the past year living under a rock, then you've probably heard of Boys Planet. And if you're gay or an Mnet stan, you've probably seen it. And if you've seen it, then you've heard of a certain Hwang Jaesun.

For the uninitiated (feel free to skip this paragraph if you saw the show), Jaesun competed as an independent trainee specializing in dance. He's a former Cube Entertainment trainee, presumably having brushed shoulders with Sung Hanbin and Seok Matthew before BP. After the show, he signed with Zenith Entertainment (best known for so-called cultural representatives Fable, but that's a different story) and debuted almost immediately.

Now, onto the point. Jaesun's second mini album released last week. It's a bastardized, commercialized, watered down excuse of a punk/rock album. The pop-punk-ification of kpop was a mistake. We need to put back whatever Olivia Rodrigo released into society. As if it couldn't get worse, Jaesun's album was supported by an NME cover and the worst interview I've ever read. Every sentence was physically painful, like the author had shown up to my doorstep to stab me with her pen. 

In the interview, it becomes very, very obvious that Jaesun is playing at being an idol. He speaks about his veteran actor parents in a way Lam (the author of the piece) refers to as "refreshing." It is not. She refuses to call it what it is. Nepotism. Jaesun is an idol because his parents pay for it. (That's also Zenith Entertainment's biggest issue, but again, a different story.) What happened to sheer grit and determination? Plain old good luck? Working a part-time job to finance your dream? It’s unlikely Jaesun has ever worked a day in his life.

Every word out of his mouth about his music reeks of inauthenticity. He sounds robotic and spoon-fed. He names Bring Me the Horizon, My Chemical Romance, and Paramore as his favorite bands. Anyone who’s listened to music in the past year could name the three of them. Jaesun never offers anything more concrete. There’s no “That’s the Spirit made me fall in love with rock” or “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge inspired me to make music” or “Brand New Eyes was the first CD I bought.” Why? Because I doubt Jaesun could name any of these albums on his own.

In an era of kpop that puts so much emphasis on artistry and self-production, it’s shocking to see him succeed when so many other talented musicians remain unheard of. For all his faults, Jaesun is surprisingly open about his reliance on his producer, who wrote both of his albums. Lam describes his debut mini as "distinctly kpop" which could mean any number of things. It's average pop? Every song is three at once? The boundaries of music as we know it are being expanded upon? If it’s anything like his second album, it’s the first category (but I haven’t heard it, so you’ll have to let me know).

One thing remains obvious: Hwang Jaesun has no idea what he’s doing.

[+71, -3] not olivia and fable catching strays 💀💀

[+51, -8] if you’ve listened to his new album you’d know jaesun has writing credits. wtf are you talking about.

[+49, -3] there are other nepo babies in kpop. why is he the problem?

[+15, -10] you're not missing anything... this new album is better than his debut

[+14, -26] I agree. K-pop is so oversaturated recently. Anyone with a lot of money or the slightest interest is an idol nowadays. We still need plumbers and electricians.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE A COMMENT HERE.

#( ☆ ) ⸻ here i am : [ news. ] #fictional idol community #idol oc #kpop oc #idolverse #kpop addition

[cartoonemotion]

(guy wearing a hat that says PRESS on it holding an old timey flashbulb camera voice) sofa! sofa! if you had to make a class of 3000 reboot for 2024, how would you go about it??

EEP !!! oh my goodness, what a tall order....

reboots are hard for me i think because i have a particular philosophy about them i suppose. while nobody can really stop you from just making the same thing again, but more/maybe slightly modernized, its really rather boring and frankly gouache to do in my opinion; yes, even in the case of things that were cancelled prematurely. however being fully honest my own limits to this get tested when its something i really like and thought was super well executed, only for it to get cancelled prematurely, and class of 3000 might be the ultimate test for this for me because i think just 28 episodes is unreasonably short even by today's standards, not just mid-2000s standards. i feel like it would be really hard to fight the impulse to just be like "just pretend the show was never cancelled, lets just pick it back up from where it was left off" for the most part, with some elements of modernization clearly but overall not much

class of 3000 also almost feels like a time capsule not because its particularly dated, i actually think a lot of the humor and gags still hold up really well by todays standards, and some other elements also feel even a little ahead of their time, but you know. it was still made for a mid-2000s audience, and one of the biggest aspects of that is sunny, who is. i mean yes hes pretty much intended to be a fictionalized andre 3000 stand in, but that sort of developed later on in the process of the show as andre 3000 became more and more intrinsic to the process (he didnt want it to just be something he licensed but was otherwise mostly uninvolved in), as initially he was also directly inspired by/based on sonny rollins, so to me with these two compounding inspirations he exists as a kind of interesting element of celebrity culture at the time which is soooooo so deeply different than the celebrity culture of today. like, to the point where sunny bridges being a world-renowned musical legend is almost kind of just set dressing, after the pilot episode it just kind of becomes an element of what makes sunny So Cool and maybe helps establish a plot or some kind of series of hijinks for an episode or two, i just dont think you could really approach it in such an almost understated and whimsical way today given the ubiquitous social media nightmare we all exist under

i also definitely wouldnt want to change the art and animation style. there was a BTS interview i saw where somebody on the team said "nothing out there today looks like this" and to be quite frank i think that still holds true, class of 3000 draws from a lot of both visual and musical inspirations that i dont think you see get utilized very much in animation (probably other things but we're focusing on animation !) even still to this day, it just really kind of exists in its own niche and it does so well. like i shudder to think of them trying to adapt this to a 3D animation style of some kind not to sound like a hater because i definitely think theres gorgeous 3D animation out there (and examples where both styles are utilized together to enhance the elements of both !!!!!) maybe for like a guest animated music video it could work i think mixing mediums would align well with the ethos of class of 3000 but for the whole show ??? noooooo fucking wayyyyy

this is a lot of preamble to say maybe i would take a Modernization-But-Not kind of approach to it. maybe keep the setting in atlanta in the mid-2000s but use it to still speak to more modern ideas and messages because i feel like a lot of the stuff class of 3000 was trying to introduce (understanding and appreciating diversity, expanding your creative horizons, getting kids invested in music and especially the presence and history of genres and instruments they may not be more familiar with) is still very relevant to today ! maybe again i would beef up some of the explorations of celebrity culture and its pitfalls and shortcomings because again in the influencer era thats become even more topical and complicated than it was in the mid-aughts. i mean as long as theres been a concept of celebrity there have been little kids who want to grow up to be famous so thats not new but the sort of, idk, hyper-visibility of it and the way other people market it to children i think is something worth exploring; and also i think keeping it to 2007 type mediums and technology would serve as a good shield against making to obvious, self-referential, and preachy. also just take out the more distasteful 2000s era jokes centering transmisogyny and letting a white guy do a bad impression of a latino man that would probably be good

oh and also this joke i made in discord since andre 3000 being involved would absolutely be a gimmie. non-negotiable

#class of 3000

[dustedmagazine]

Blue Ocean — Fertile State (Slumberland)

On three previous releases, Oakland, California’s Blue Ocean busted out rollicking lo-fi guitar jams, chugged through chilly post-punk and occasionally clanked and warbled out something a little haunting and more experimental. The sense one got was a band with wide-ranging tastes and the chops to pull them together. Listening back to their 2021 self-titled compilation of EPs, the ability to shift from one reference to another — say Joy Division to Black Tambourine — without sounding derivative is notable. Their proper debut album, Fertile State, takes that dexterity with musical dialects and expands its horizons while retaining a great deal of raw exuberance and, if anything, turning up the volume. Songs alternately rollick, chug and warble here, too, and they’re given the space and higher fidelity to explore an even wider pool of precedents.

But whether they’re rendering scythes of guitar opulent enough to recall Stereolab on the opener, “Ode,” or bringing to mind the buzzy romanticism of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart on songs like “Fertile State” and “Syncnine,” there’s a consistent emphasis on melody under the roar. Knowing how thickly to layer the fuzz over your pop song is not a groundbreaking skill, but it’s no less impressive when musicians successfully pair the beauty and the noise. Fertile State doesn’t lack for examples of this marriage, but two songs stand out. First, “Take a Care,” a jangly guitar gem that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Dick Diver record with its wistful sing-song harmonies and classic Flying Nun-style strumming, and then immediately after on “The Radiant Edge,” which doesn’t match “Take a Care” for catchiness, but outstrips it in grandiose, fist-raising catharsis.

What makes Fertile State not just a satisfying record but an interesting one, however, is that the band doesn’t stop at bright, driving, or even just loud. Scattered across the album’s 41 minutes are several examples of their experimental side. Tracks like “Neutron Mob,” “Sulfur Jacket” and “Deorbit” divert the stream of guitars into post-rock tributaries. Alternately jazzy or industrial bursts of drumming run into rhythmic amp feedback and synth blips. When lyrics do appear, the vocals lurch and gurgle in contrast to the more straightforward songs, where the voice is steady if often shrouded in echo. It’s to Blue Ocean’s credit that these odder excursions weren’t lost in the move to a more generous recording environment and amid a generally more accessible set of songs.

Load Fertile State into your music app of choice and the given genre is “Shoegaze.” With the muted vocals, big opaque drums and waves of dramatic guitar, the shoe fits, so to speak, but a band that has the breadth to convincingly approximate Panda Bear (“Ion Drift”), U2 (“Elude”) or The Jesus & Mary Chain (“Elated Prose”) track-to-track reminds me more, spiritually speaking, of Yo La Tengo than My Bloody Valentine. While that may not bear out sonically (though there are moments, like “Present” where the taut beat, wavering guitar squawks, and sense of loping melancholy sound plucked from Painful) Blue Ocean have a similarly eclectic appetite and a rare aptitude to incorporate the music that seems to inform them into a unique and vibrant sound. Fertile, indeed.

Alex Johnson

#blue ocean #fertile state #slumberland #alex johnson #albumreview #dusted magazine #Bandcamp

[changterhune]

FRONTIERS CHAT

On Monday Sept. 4 I did a livechat on Bandcamp during the FRONTIERS listening party. I’ve edited it for coherence. I hope it sheds some light on the music and me the music maker.

I will talk a little bit about what FRONTIERS is about. I'll split it into the meaning, then the music, then the recording unless it's still just me. Okay, so about the music itself. What I wanted to do was gather newer music I've been working on. My last 2 releases were of older - but still balls out awesome! - tracks. Since Jan '23 I've been working on both my recording and composing skills. Both have improved I believe.

I guess FRONTIERS is about 2 things: expanding your horizons and letting yourself groove. By that I mean allow yourself to explore and learn, educate and illuminate yourself. FRONTIERS for me encapsulates one of the few resolutions I've made at New Year's Eve and kept. And that was to get out of my own way. So that I could explore the frontiers.

With SUBTLE DISTINCTIONS I created something a bit lighter and peppier than my usual stuff. I hope. I think that's what the EP is about to be honest. HOPE. It's something I've not had a lot of lately. But over the course of this year things improved immensely and it seems like maybe there's some sunlight up ahead. What the songs on FRONTIERS have in common is they're all pretty upbeat, brighter in sound. I've been working on more space in my recordings and FRONTIERS is the newest and best example of that.

My tracks have always had a lot going on tho I came to realize they were sometimes muddy and unclear. I actually discovered that driving back from my sister-in-law's funeral in February. I was playing tracks for my wife on the drive back and half of them sounded muddy with a lot of the highs lost.

Of course a 2018 Subaru Forester isn't a great listening environment but it still sounded blech. When I got home I listened on my studio monitors and read up online and came to realize that I needed to up my recording game. So I did and I'm happy to say that not only I think they sound better but my beta listeners all agree they do. "Modal Auxiliary" is a great example of a lot of soundscaping and sound bed taking up space while the actual melodic/harmonic/ percussive stuff is up front. It was fun to craft it to mix the more ambient soundscape parts with the melodic ones. I reeeeeaaaaallly love how the last half of the song is pretty much just audio sludge.

SOMETIMES I do wonder if my outros are too long but that's what my beta listeners are for. They'll tell me if it is too long. And you can blame Autechre for that. After decades of their long, deconstructed endings it's one of my favorite things to do. Oh man that ambience at the end always gets me. "So CRT what's up with your titles?" Great question! OUTPATIENT is sort of about my time in an outpatient program. hence the name. Now that was a fun one, too, because the main synth parts are almost all Arturia plugins. The Buchla Music Easel is especially wild. 

This and INSECURITY can best be summed up as inspired by Meat Beat Manifesto. I got sick of A/B comparing my songs to MBM songs. I thought I was doing everything right but they still sounded weak. So I went to the woodshed so to speak (the real one is full of spiders), studied and I think this track and INSECURITY both slap about 60% as much as an MBM track. Okay 50% but still I just want to make big bangers sometimes ya know? Boom bapp beats, dub delays, noisey shit! What's funny to me is how all it takes is a little extra time and a little tweaking and then BOOM the track just opens up! Long ago a friend said it's all about panning & EQing which I came to find is 2 out of 3. I'd say the 3rd part of that is gain staging. It's more technical than I want to get into now but it's made all teh difference in my mind. About 1/2 way through OUTPATIENT there's a big long ambient part that I sometimes wondered was too long. Now I think it works as a break between the two parts. A… frontier if you will.  After 6 minutes in the track is basically a long slow fadeout lol I love how it all combines into this weird, glitchy thing where all the loops go in and out then come together. The noise gets big and brash then slowly washes out. The last 2 minutes are a nice bit of ambience themselves. I even thought about breaking it into 2 tracks but they don't work either alone or as a shorter track. You need to hear the whole damn thing to get the entire idea. Imagine being only shown one square foot of the Sistine Chapel at a time? Okay my work isn't on the par of Michelangelo but you get what I mean.

Now INSECURITY was actually never supposed to be on an album. It's a track I started then used as my guineau pig for teaching myself about recording. And in the end it ended up sounding pretty dope. When I sequenced this ep I was surprised how well it worked with the other tracks. And that beat is straight up MBM. Boom boom bapp! Well kinda.  I have become obsessed with one section of this song at about 4:15. This break came out so smooth. Last for almost a minute. Almost as funky as Funky Drummer! And the buildup after works nice too I think. I will say I'm considering 2 followups to FRONTIERS. One will be a remix and the other will be an ep exploring what separates frontiers... Well I hope I've enjoyed learning a bit more about FRONTIERS and my methods. Or madness. 

- CRT

#musicianlife #music #musician #cathode ray tube eps #cathode ray tube

[time-to-write-and-suffer]

Sometimes I want to make like ... a series of giant posts promoting/recapping old Soviet musical dramas/comedies.

Not only was the music on point and the costumes amazing (in terms of quality, idk anything abt hostircal accuracy<3), not only were they filled with hot people, but some storylines would absolutely drive the girlies insane.

One of my faves is the one where a woman dresses up as her dead brother in order to find her lover, who's on the run because he's suspected to have killed said brother in a duel, and then she ends up "betrothed" to a girl who was supposed to marry her brother, except because ppl thought he was dead, the girl got engaged to another dude, who's super pissed that apparently his girlfriend's former fiance is still alive somehow. And they have a big fight and she fucking ... beats his ass in a really fun musical number. And yeah modern sensibilities would have the disguised woman end up with her lil new girlfriend, but actually her lover is the one I had a crush on as a kid and has the sexiest song and is 100% a wife guy who DIDN'T murder her brother and loves this insane-ass bitch who can and will kill for fun. Also it's set in like ... 18th century Venice. So everyone looks like this:

There's another one with a similar vibe where a countess finds out that her secretary is getting married to her servant and is immediately jealous and realizes she Has Feelings For Him. But she can't admit it because she's above him in station and it would be inappropriate, so she's like girlbossing him around all hot and cold, refusing to let him marry but not admitting her own feelings either.

And she looks like this:

And the whole movie is spoken in rhyme? You'll miss that if you don't speak Russian but the effort! You'll also miss out on some of the humor and delivery but like ... I feel like they're worth the watch anyway.

Both of these are based on old-ass plays? Specifically The Servant of Two Masters and The Dog in the Manger. Expand one's horizons etc.

Like yeah they aren't the Wokest thing ever, because they're Soviet movies based on old-ass plays, but like ... Idk man. Foreign films good sometimes. I have friends who can't watch older movies cuz they're janky but like. Cmon. Old foreign movies are a blessing actually <3

[your-sweet-cookie]

What is your preferred name?

What are your pronouns?

How old are you?

What is your zodiac sign?

How would you describe your aesthetic?

What are your favorite hobbies besides roleplaying/writing?

How many languages do you speak?

How long have you been roleplaying?

What is your favorite band/music genre?

What is your favorite food?

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Who is your celebrity crush?

Munday Questions Meme

1. What is your preferred name?

Answer from Mun: I won't go on to disclose my actual name (since we are on the internet after all), but I usually go by the nickname that's the shortened, cute form of my name: Sabi (sometimes with the variation of Saby with the "y" at the end because it adds a little something extra to it).

2. What are your pronouns?

Answer from Mun: She/her.

3. How old are you?

Answer from Mun: 22 years and 9 months old. I'll be turning 23 this October.

4. What is your zodiac sign?

Answer from Mun: I'm a Libra. Should've been a Scorpio, but my doctor decided it was a better idea for me to be born one week earlier than the original due date.

9. How would you describe your aesthetic?

Answer from Mun: I guess something chill, classic, cute and zen. I usually gravitate towards pastel colors when formatting/editing stuff, because I find them more easy on the eye and pleasing to look at and I do incorporate a lot of cutesy and 'kawaii' elements into my things, so that's something too.

11. What are your favorite hobbies besides roleplaying/writing?

Answer from Mun: Drawing and coloring, listening to music, watching shows and movies, reading, going out for walks and chit-chatting with my friends.

13. How many languages do you speak?

Answer from Mun: 4 including my native language. In terms of foreign languages, I can speak English fluently and partly French (since I studied both of these during my formative school years, but French didn't really stuck much with me) and aside from these two, I know a bit of Japanese too (studied like 1 year of it in middle school as an optional class).

14. How long have you been roleplaying?

Answer from Mun: I've been roleplaying online since age 11 (okay, the first time I ever RP-ed I didn't even know that's what it was called, but I enjoyed writing stories with my friends on one of these gaming sites for kids and it stuck with me). So it'll be 12 years this year since I've started roleplaying.

16. What is your favorite band/music genre?

Answer from Mun: My favorite music genres are pop and rock and I've had many favorite bands over the years: One Direction, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Green Day and Three Days Grace and now more recently I've got into Black Pink, BTS and Stray kidz (expanding my horizons to the beautiful world of k-pop).

17. What is your favorite food?

Answer from Mun: I don't have a favorite food, but I do enjoy pizza and pasta a lot.

18. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Answer from Mun: Probably New Zeeland. It has some of the most variety in landscapes of all sorts and it was the place where the LOTR and Hobbit sagas were filmed (to give you an idea of how vast its geographic variety is, so you wouldn't get bored easily).

20. Who is your celebrity crush?

Answer from Mun: When I was little, my celebrity crush was Johnny Deep. But now as an adult I don't really have any celebrity crushes.

#ask mun #munday asks #ooc interactions #ooc post #twentyfourhourtitts

[rekhasrealm]

Re: July 27th 98 - also totally happy to receive a general reading and not specific to my question/problem 😅 I’m very thankful for so much in my life in general, just feeling a bit lost.

July 27th - Ace of Clubs, age 24

I think a short year reading may be most helpful for you.

In the cardology system, there are 7 yearly cycles that occur. For each cycle, you have two cards that indicate what's happening during that time period. Each cycle is also ruled by a planet.

These are your cycles:

July 27 - September 17 Mercury Deals with communication, information, short trips, education, writing, speaking, mental processes & siblings. Things can happen suddenly or quickly under this influence. Communicate your wishes and set your boundaries for the year. This is the time to write it out! Put your ideas on motion. Write down & burn what's no longer needed. This is a fast-paced period, where things are short-lived.

September 18 - November 8 Venus Relationships, family, the home, money, possessions, social matters, craft, art, beauty, music, women. The next 52 days are alive with love and beauty. You want to relate to others & express feelings of love & pleasure. Venus softens what it touches. You may find that you are avoiding confrontations. Find comfort in your home; connect with your tribe, women in particular. Reconnect with yourself with an emphasis on outward appearance, socializing, romance/sex.

November 9 - December 30 Mars Work, energy, drive, aggression, taxes, legal matters concerning other people's money, conflict, passion & sexual & physical activities. This influence also signifies dealing with men in general. You should always try & focus the energy of Mars in a positive way. Mars governs primal instincts. You are ready for action! There is lots of energy. Your courage is building & you're accomplishing aims & objectives. Make a stand for your convictions. Your will to survive is high.

December 31 - February 21 Jupiter Expansion, business, legal matters overall, travel, blessings, things of a foreign nature, philosophy & religion. The cards that fall in this position, even if difficult, can greatly expand you in some way & be a blessing in your life. This is considered a very beneficial influence. These days are for you to expand. Reach beyond your present horizon & look at the bigger picture. Discover. Open yourself up to new ideas & ways of thinking. Your faith & wisdom will be tested.

February 22 - April 14 Saturn Discipline, restrictions, hard work, responsibility, authority, older persons, things long lasting & possibly health matters. Things done under Saturn's influence should be geared for the long term. A time of lessons and learning. That which you sow, you reap. You may second guess your plans. Definition, form & structure are needed now. Keep your feet firmly planted in the ground. Do not let fears distract you. What keeps you grounded?

April 15 - June 5 Uranus Deals with real estate, labour concerns, things unusual or unexpected, technology, computers, the Internet, freedom, friends & breaking up old structures to rebuild them better. Uranus also governs Astrology & things exciting or sometimes unsure. Sit quietly & reflect on your year so far. Leave space for the unexpected to occur. Open your intuition. This is the time to let go of what you don't want to take into the next year with you. Also the time to goal plan & manifest for your next year. A lot of people tend to do that around the New Year, or right before their birthday, but actually the most beneficial time is during your Uranus period.

June 6 - July 26 Neptune Dreams, long distance travel, illusion, fantasy, escape, psychic experiences, spiritual matters, drugs, alcohol, the hospital, things that are hidden & dealings with or around the water. This can be a very dreamy, romantic period; however, if you have any important dealings or matters during this period, it may be better to wait until it is over. You may not be seeing things clearly under this influence. This is the planet of fantasies & illusions. You may feel like you're in a fog, not seeing clearly. This is a great time to rest up before the next year. It's also why goals are best made in Uranus - you're clear about what you want, now you can rest & gather some energy before you work towards those things.

So you've been in your Mars period for almost two months now, with the 3 of Hearts & the Ace of Hearts influencing you. It makes sense you've been feeling indecisive & frustrated. Getting physically active will help you burn off some of this stimulating energy.

Things will calm down once you enter your Jupiter period. The most influential card during this time for you is the Queen of Spades. She represents spiritual self-mastery; the idea that the external is a reflection of the internal. You asked if there's something wrong with the external factors in your life - I would say no. It's your perception & the meaning you've made out of things that has created your circumstances.

#ace of clubs #cardology