#she’s my 21 year long best friend and she is absolutely the one thing I’m prioritizing

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 21 - A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

I honestly entirely forget who recommended this to me, but I owe them a thank you. Absolutely not something I would have ever picked up on my own, but a really enjoyable read. My exposure to Novik’s work is extremely limited, which is to say I’ve read Spinning Silver, but I’ve been vaguely meaning to give more of her stuff a try for a while. Didn’t enjoy this as much as that on a few levels, but that’s just the YA/adult genre jump as much as anything, probably.

It is very much a YA book, more than anything I’ve read this year (even more than Iron Widow, probably). From the entire plot being about making friends in high school being a literal life or death struggle to El “most powerful mage ever but only for evil things she tries to avoid so only a half dozen people ever realize how special she is’ Higgins to the booklength awkward teenage ‘literally unclear whether we are dating or not’ romance. So! Broadening my genre horizons some, I suppose.

El’s internal monologue was a bit of a trial for the first half of the book or so, I’ll admit. Not to say that it didn’t ring true to life, but she was just so incredibly fifteen, you know? Generally became significantly more tolerable once she started actually acting and coming out of her shell instead of devoting herself entirely to angsting about how much everyone hated her and trying to convince herself that she was a machievellian villain in waiting.

Though, to pick a nit that probably annoyed absolutely no one but me – I’m willing to accept El’s magical savant-ness as the price of admission, but the whole gradual reveal with her mom actually being world famous felt...odd? Cheap? Like in the beginning she’s very firmly characterized as this kind of head-in-the-clouds well meaning but not particularly perceptive or effectual hippie type, and then it’s gradually revealed that she’s actually the best healer in the UK and has set the global standard for a lot of spells and-. And it’s not like the reveal was actually doing anything dramatically, except making early book El’s isolation and lack of friends even more self-imposed, which was hardly necessary at that point. (Honestly ‘supporting cast go from being nobodies to retroactively being world-famous in their fields’ is the sort of decay I tend to associate with long running serial fiction. Weird to see it happen over the course of one book.) But that’s really just a minor pet peeve.

Orion was a great character, or at least a well-done example of an archetype I adore. ‘Selfless, heroic and dedicated to the point of it being kind of offputting/creepy Chosen One type who is (and I can’t emphasize this enough) not the protagonist. Partially because ‘there’s a much more conventionally heroic adventure story happening 5 degrees to the left’ just makes most stories a little bit more amusing, but also because someone really earnestly believing ‘my entire life is a means to a higher end, a fine tool set to a magnificent or at least a necessary purpose’ reliably drives me absolutely insane about them. That said the only reason I’m not absolutely certain he turns out to be either secretly evil or destined-to-be-the-antichrist is because the end of book cliffhanger makes that almost too obvious and on-the-nose.

Taking a bit of a step back, it’s interesting that the book didn’t really have any individual villain? Like, some other students are antagonists at times, sure, and there are plenty of horrible gribbly monsters (I adored basically all the horrible gribbly monsters), but none that really last as antagonists? Either defused or convinced to step aside/help or brutally murdered with magic. The entire finale was basically extreme high stakes facility maintenance. So yeah, interesting, not my usual expectation of YA.

I mean more broadly the actual villain is of course the entire fucked up system, both social and metaphysical, underlying the school. The role of a brutally competitive education system as recruitment method allowing particularly competent or promising immigrants and members of the lower classes to join a ‘meritocratic’ elite while also filtering out the most troublesome or incompetent children of that elite and using their failure to legitimize the easy inheritance of all the others is, perhaps, a slightly on the nose analogy. But, again, kind of the price of admission.

#book review #the scholomance #a deadly education #naomi novik #sff #YA

[gurugirl]

i feel like it’s less about fae being an adult and more about ‘he could easily do to y/n and their child what he’s doing to fae and his current wife’. like him having no problem losing fae should be a massive red flag to y/n if she’s thinking about having kids with him. he seems to only want a kid with y/n for his breeding kink (all the hot unprotected sex and to see her pregnant).

i know it’s all fictional!! lol but it’s staring me in the face whenever he mentions getting her pregnant. maybe fae can point this out to y/n, like “he’s gonna leave you and have no problem losing his relationship with your kids - i should know, he’s doing it to me and my mom right now with you” and that can make y/n think and he proves to her that he’s in it for the long haul with her idk

Oh you’re absolutely not wrong at all. I’m familiar with men doing this to women. My dad cheated on my mom with someone who was only 19 (I was 5 so the best friend thing didn’t apply). He got her pregnant a few years later (my half brother) and then when I was 21 he started dating a girl who was 20 that I knew (she was not my friend but I knew of her) - he cheated on the woman he cheated on my mom with so there’s a clear pattern. So while my dad didn’t “abandon” me he did whatever the fuck he wanted and I hated him for it (still do).

Anyway… yes. What you’re saying is all valid. And we all know it’s fiction - sometimes I write these things because it’s cathartic to me to take control of the narrative. I do it with a lot of my stories.

However it happens when Harry and Yn face Fae and her mother it will be angsty and dramatic. We know that in real life a man like Harry would very likely just cheat on yn one day but this is fiction and it’s my little escape so I’ve already determined how all this goes down.

I do like the idea of Fae saying that to Yn though. I can see her telling Yn as a warning but also to give her a reality check.

I appreciate you reading and your thoughts here! I know there’s a lot of ick if we compare this to real life so your take is absolutely accurate.

Xoxo

#ask #bfd!harry

[pjthedaft]

GoFundMe:  Help Me Leave an Unsafe Living Situation

Hello everyone, I have decided to go forwards with seeking help here given that this is my only social media account not linked to my real life.  I have set up a GoFundMe, I hope photos of my cat will suffice, it’s important to me that I remain as anonymous as possible since I don’t know who might see this or how long I might be stuck here.  Again, I’m really sorry for asking for help in this way, I would never do this if I wasn’t really afraid.  Any amount of money helps, please don’t feel pressured to make any large donations, even $1 is helpful.

Here is the link: https://gofund.me/63078cd5

I’ll copy and paste the description from my GoFundMe page because I think I described my situation best there:

Hello, my name is PJ. I am a 21-year-old mixed indigenous transmasc. I am physically disabled and autistic, because of this I am unable to work. This GoFundMe is to help me raise enough money to move out of my unsafe living situation and into an apartment with my partner. This goal will cover first and last months rent (required to move into most apartments where I am), and moving fees. If we go above the goal, all extra donations will be used to replace important things that have been broken due to my situation. I've added pictures of my cat instead of myself for safety reasons, since I don't know how long I will be here or how much reach this will get, I must remain as anonymous as possible.

8 months ago, I was forced to move into an apartment with no toilet and a man I did not know. Early this winter, our shower also broke. I have been living with no toilet and no shower, forced to use doggy bags and bathe in the sink. All because my roommate (who is the only one with the necessary contact information) refuses to have the landlord or a plumber over. My living situation has gone from bad, to completely unsafe. My roommate regularly grabs my face, neck, and pins me against walls. As well, he is currently going through a court case for groping someone.

Last night, when he threw a party and got blackout drunk, was my breaking point. Our friend came over because she was going through something bad and needed to be away from her house. My roommate entered my room uninvited, he got aggressive and yelled at our friend because she had told him repeatedly not to grope her or grab her throat (this is not a new boundary, she has told him this since they met). My partner and I had to confiscate and hide all the alcohol. We spent at least 6 hours repeatedly having to talk him down, manage his emotions, and keep him and our friend separated and monitored until she could leave and go somewhere safer. She was incredibly anxious, she left in tears and is now afraid of my roommate. All she wanted was a safe place to go, and she ended up in an even worse situation.

When my roommate and I were alone together, he grabbed my face and said something about taking out sexual tension towards me. To me, this was completely out of nowhere. My roommate has been my friend for the past 8 months, and now I am too anxious to even leave my room. I am alone in the house with him most of the time, and I don't have anywhere else to go. Last night, when I finally fell asleep, I had night terrors reliving my CSA, SA, abuse, and childhood trauma of managing my alcoholic parents. I woke in the middle of the night having a panic attack, and my partner had to stay awake with me for an hour because I felt so unsafe. I am afraid that, because my roommate grabs my face and neck, pins me against walls, and has now confirmed sexual attraction towards me, that he may assault me as well.

I need to move out of this apartment as soon as possible, but living off of government support leaves me with absolutely no money to save after all my necessities are paid for. My partner works a full-time job, but for them alone to save enough money would take at least 6 months. The thought of being here for that long, most of the time alone with my roommate, is incredibly anxiety inducing. After my roommates behavior, I don't feel safe.

If you have even a share to spare, anything helps.

#gofundme #help #trans #transgender #transmasc #ftm #bisexual #bi #lgbtq #disabled #disability #autistic #autism

[aspookybitchesthoughts]

Kenny Rant

This got really long. I’m sorry.

I wanna talk about Kenny because he’s my favourite. And he’s a silly little guy. I may be projecting a teensy bit but Im just going to scream into the void and you can listen if you want.

Kenny is Cartman’s best friend. Kenny is Butters’ best friend. These can coexist.

Kenny is not saving Butters from Cartman. 2 Reasons:

1. Butters is not an uwu boi who needs protecting. He’s an asshole who’s a little too trusting sometimes.

2. Kenny is not some flirty strong dude-bro. He’s an asshole and a quiet kid who’s just happy to be included.

That’s not to say that I don’t ship Bunny. I do (sue me). but more like a teacher who seats two kids next to each other because they’d be cute together, than as an actual canon ship.

Another thing real quick is Kenjorine. I do wish people would give Marjorine more of Butters’ personality, but someone’s take was that in the episode “Marjorine” Butters never wanted to be Marjorine, therefore she’s just used as a love interest for Kenny, is objectively wrong. Yes Marjorine was Cartman’s idea. Yes Butters was hesitant. But no one can deny how happy Butters looked as Marjorine and the fun she had. Is Marjorine hyperfeminized? Yes absolutely, and it is annoying. But headcanons are okay! Transfem Butters who goes by Marjorine, Genderfluid Butters who can go by Marjorine, etc, yes go for it! But claiming Marjorine is NOT Butters and JUST a love interest for Kenny? :/ Its all fun and games here. Let people have fun and games.

Anyway, back to Kenny because no one understands him like I do.😔

(again, yelling into the void these are my opinions. you can characterize him however you want he’s not real)

KENNY IS NOT A FLIRTY WHORE. He is kind of a pervert who probably had unrestricted internet access and found porn waaaaayyyy to early. But that does not mean he’s a total slut who will sleep around with anyone and everyone. On a similar note, he’s also not mr. popular either. He’s a quiet kid. He doesn’t talk a lot and often fades into the background. He enjoys hanging out with Stan, Kyle, and Cartman. I can only think of one time he willing chose not to hangout with Cartman. He enjoys it! He loves going along with they’re crazy shenanigans! He loves to be included. Because if he’s not included, he’s forgotten about. He dies all the time and no one remembers. He misses out on so much. I’m sure he feels really left out sometimes. (If you like the someone remembers headcanon), does anyone ever catch him up on what happened after he dies?

Imma leave that question there and move on. Kenny is obviously a wonderful brother who cares deeply about his family. However I really wish the show touched more on his relationship with Kevin. Do they bond over shared trauma? Or grow apart because of how similar Kevin is to their father? I like to think that they’re close. But they likely aren’t.

Slight switch. Another characterization I see a lot is that Kenny is a crackhead or similar. I really don’t think Kenny would do a lot of drugs. He lived in a household that had a meth lab in the back yard and his parents were almost always drunk or high. I don’t think he would want that for himself. I know there’s that one episode where he gets high on cat piss and daffodils or something. That’s there. It exists. I know. I would like to think he would have some character development between 8 years old and the typical 16-21 years he’s usually aged up to. I don’t know though, it was never mentioned again. You’re entitled to your own opinion but I just don’t think he’d stick with it.

I think imma stop here. Theres more I could say and I could probably make a whole other post on Mysterion alone but I’ll only do that if it’s asked for.

#kenny mccormick #sp kenny #south park #spooky thoughts #idk how to tag this #idk how to end a post lol #sp cartman #sp butters #sp marjorine #eric cartman #leopold butters stotch #kyle brovlofski #stan marsh

[alisonscotlock]

TAG GAME: EIGHT SHOWS TO GET TO KNOW ME

tagged by @sarahlancashire 💖

scott & bailey - this is the show that got me into fandom and fanfiction (reading and writing) and basically without it i would never have met any of my internet friends. aside from that, i am not immune to fictional middle-aged female detectives with wine-red nail varnish - gill murray and julie dodson i’m looking at you both. special mention to any and all episodes written by amelia bullmore bc gdi the woman is a comedic genius

home fires - i don’t really go for war stuff usually, but this cast drew me in and thank the gods it did bc this was gorgeous. this is the show that gave me my username bc alison scotlock is the loml. it has it all - great stories, beautiful cinematography, excellent acting, a great soundtrack, plentiful pretty ladies for the milf lovers amongst us...

yonderland - only wanted to choose one show by the six idiots and honestly it could have been any of them, but yonderland won because it’s just so CLEVER while being utterly silly, which is absolutely my kind of thing. negatus is supposed to be the baddie but is just... silly and incompetent, which makes him adorable. lots of wise elder vex’s lines became lil echolalia things for me for months after i watched it

call the midwife - this is the show that has been with me for the longest time. it started when i was 15 and it’s seen me through so much and it’s my annual ‘let’s have a big cry every sunday in january and february’ comfort show with a side order of intense emotions. i have loved and/or appreciated 99% of the storylines, midwives and nuns. phyllis crane and sister julienne are my LOVES

dinnerladies - victoria wood. need i say more? this show is like an old friend to me. i can’t remember the first time i watched it but i must have seen it over 15 times. victoria’s writing is incredible and all of the cast are VERY good at bringing her characters to life. this is a get to know me and also my family kind of show - it’s the one we will all sit and watch and laugh along to and we quote it every day

last tango in halifax - look, i’m not saying some of these shows to get to know me aren’t mildly to extremely traumatising, they’re just the shows that have had the most impact on my life. sally i will never forgive you for THAT and also series 5 was so weird, but this was the first show with wlw in it that i watched after i came out and also caroline elliot is another loml (ok i have a lot...)

mum - sitcoms with added pulling hard on the heartstrings are where it’s AT. this is SO well-written and i’m a sucker for that realism. if you think it’s slow and boring then you’re watching it wrong. cathy walker, i love you. she’s so gentle. you know this show is good bc there’s a het relationship that i cry about. it’s the yearninggggg

holby city (series 14 - series 21) - again, this is not The Best by a LONG shot, but berena was my whole life when i was not great mentally and had very little else. they are my ultimate ship and bernie wolfe has my whole entire heart and basically the ik they’re fictional but if the two of them can go through the most traumatising shit and still be “happier than i ever thought possible” finding the love of their life at over 50 years of age, that gives me boundless hope <3

not tagging anyone, but if you see this and would like to be tagged, consider yourself tagged!

#special mentions to grace and frankie and miranda #this is one of those posts i'll disagree with immediately after posting #like how was i suppsed to choose between horrible histories; yonderland; and ghosts #scott and bailey #home fires #yonderland #call the midwife #dinnerladies #last tango in halifax #mum #mum bbc #holby city #mine #tv #a propos de moi #i've compiled this over THREE days so i'm hoping i've not missed anything stupidly obvious that i adore!!

[euelios]

the way i say “(oh) brother” now instead of just shouting swear words

so weird to be—on the other end of “should i apologize?” usually i’m sitting here hoping for an apology or at least yk. “are you ok”

(i’m always ok. nothing is ever that bad or that real. it’s all drama)

i told my mom off about (inadvertently) making me feel like an incompetent shit every time i discussed moving out, like i wasn’t uncertain enough on my own. and she just went “that’s not what i meant and you know it” and like

jesus. no i know that. trust me i know. but that’s what happened. like that hurt then and it hurts now and i want you to take note of it for later when we have this conversation again

“why didn’t you just say what you meant why did you go on and on” uhh bc i didn’t know what the issue was and i was trying to work it out? because YOU go on and on and i don’t try to cut you off?? and also it’s not the moving that’s the issue it’s how you kind of keep reminding me of how bad i am at things???

(please just believe in me, and SAY so. you aren’t too harsh on me anymore but i don’t think i ever left that weird little kid behind. i didn’t always want to Be Better. i just wanted to be okay.)

and i could see her getting upset. by something i did. like that’s never happened before. me being the one upsetting her instead of the other way around. no one cried this time thank god. i’m the crier and it always makes her angry but this time she started getting defensive and i started getting angry and like—we’re just turning into each other

(not really. i don’t think i ever learned to defend myself against anyone. easier to just be wrong. john mulaney vc you could pour soup in my lap and i’d probably apologize to you)

but i could kind of see it. the connections. i’ve long since lost the whole “and my parents know everything” sheen but like on her end: yeah dude. i’m 21 years old. i’ll tell you lots but not everything. i’m absolutely going to get mad at you if you make me uncomfortable. you might not have ever had reason to think about how you get angry but boy howdy did i learn from the best—

(we talked about this one night. did i plan on kids? i’ll have them or i won’t, but only if i’m dead certain i’ll be a good parent. “i don’t think there’s a parent in the world who doesn’t love their kid,” she says and i feel charitable so i agree. but there are just too many ways to love someone wrong.)

this is kind of like, the parallel of those “would you be friends with your siblings if you weren’t siblings” “oh your parents are human too” like. no we wouldn’t be friends so i guess it’s good that we’re related. i love you and you make me so angry, and i’ll never have the guts to tell you how much of either.

(apparently none of my mom’s side ever got mad at their parents growing up. she says this like she’s proud of it but none of them speak to their parents now either. in that light i think i’ll call whatever we’ve got going on progress.)

#yum yum auden venting #auden.txt #just—off stuff. early 20s shit #with a little ✨artsy flair✨ i guess. #and by that i mean parenthetical interludes. what is this a fall out boy song #i need to get a therapist or SOMEONE i cannot just keep shouting into the void about this expecting it to help me #i don’t stan greta gerwig the way the internet does but maybe lady bird/little women/barbie back to back will fix me

[pop-punklouis]

I posted 21,171 times in 2022

5,484 posts created (26%)

15,687 posts reblogged (74%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@polkadotmotmot

@dailytomlinson

@ladychlo

@holyshit

@himboniall

I tagged 14,789 of my posts in 2022

Only 30% of my posts had no tags

#grey - 3,313 posts

#pop punk!louis - 391 posts

#weird uncle - 168 posts

#gimme - 163 posts

#*palpatine voice* queue it - 126 posts

#tessa - 122 posts

#🤍 - 114 posts

#god me - 91 posts

#the maine - 88 posts

#remember - 84 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#also some happy updates since i’ve been gone 💕: 1) i registered for graduation last week and it still hasn’t hit me that in dec i’ll have

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

i’m sorry but seeing that tiny pride flag in one of the boxes backstage regardless of who took it and knowing louis performs a song every night that resonates with his queer audience just makes me think about how much has changed since 2013. how unfathomable this would’ve been just two years ago actually. it’s really nice to take a step back and look at these things and notice the progression that’s been had in his image with something that has been isolated from him for so long. so so excited for him.

860 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

#4

all the pride flags made me incredibly emotional

932 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

#3

hiiiiiiii so i wanted to tell my closest friends before talking about it publicly but uh i won a radio contest yesterday. i’m meeting louis next week :( i’m eating lunch with louis next week :( it still doesn’t feel real, but i’ve been an emotional mess since i found out. i don’t know how to comprehend it honestly like!!!! i can’t believe it’s happening after all these years?? i’ve been thinking about 16 year old me and how much i gravitated towards him as i grew older. how much solace i found in him as i grew older. how out of touch the thought of meeting him even was back then and :( i really needed this news right now and i’m just really happy and grateful and yeah 🥺✨🕯 i cant even process it.

965 notes - Posted September 13, 2022

#2

See the full post

1,020 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i’ll write a more in-depth post later but:

written all over your face: a mixture between grunge-rock and pop-punk. the guitars were absolutely insane. such a fast heat. you guys are not ready for this song in particular. she’s the main character of this era 1000% pop punk princess

face the music: think early 2000s pop punk. very similar to written all over your face, but much more condensed. the bridge was phenomenal. a chanting “WHOA WHOA WHOA” that is definitely a crowd moment. we were racing around each other during that part. reminiscent of reliant k, cartel, jimmy eat world.

Saturday: A sadder track. it’s one of the best ballads he’s ever written. his vocals were incredible. the bridge of saturdays has such a soaring quality to it, and it builds to his high vocal moment.

all this time: very tame impala 2015 very fuzzy synths. very driving down the highway at night. it’s just a steady alt-club hit.

the departure of sound from walls when it comes to FITF is insane like i know he said it was different, but it truly feels like FITF is it’s own animal. it feels entirely louis. it just exudes such a punkier edge both in sound and in feel. this is his record

1,095 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #false #i love how all of my top posts are just about louis DJDJDKFKF #also the pop punk!louis tag being my second most used tag yeah blessed

[petruchio]

what if i’m turning 21? my birthday’s in a few days it feels so weird

to be honest i think the advice to just have a little snack and sit in the sun for a while is probably the best thing to remember at any age. but 21 is a weird year! my 21st year was characterized by the extreme uncertainty and confusion that was 2020, so it was hardly normal, but here’s some of my tips for your early early 20s (i say… as a 23 year old) (but hey. maybe my advice still has merit!)

you’re fine. literally it’s fine. whatever you’re worrying about probably either a) doesn’t matter or b) will work itself out in a way you can’t even begin to predict right now. i spent so much of age 21 in a state of absolute despair over not having an internship for the summer of 2020 and was completely convinced that i would never get a job and fail at life forever and ever the end. spoiler alert none of that happened, i have a job now, and i wasted a lot of time beating myself up over a future that wasn’t even real!! so really. it’s going to be fine. i promise.

if you’re in college, try to embrace the process of learning, not just the result. this is such a special time in your life and education, when you are (mostly) free to just *learn* and nothing else!! take advantage of it! but don’t let that take away from making meaningful friendships. skip your readings and drive to the beach at 2am sometimes because you can. try to find a good balance of studying and spending time with friends. inevitably fail to strike the right balance and fall behind in class. try again next week. work too hard and feel like your friends are forgetting you. try again next week. don’t get too down on yourself about it. remember that all your friends are trying too.

the person you are crushing on is probably not your soulmate. but honestly, it’s ok to let yourself think they might be. daydream your whole life with them. gossip about them to your friends. pin all your hopes and dreams on a fantasy version of this person you’ve talked to three times. go ahead. do it. you have my permission. it’s not hurting anyone.

move your body every day. go for a walk and listen to a comically upbeat playlist or call your friend who lives far away. have a dance party with just yourself and your reflection in the mirror. join a dance class or do yoga or find a gym that you like. sometimes the best way to get out of your head is to get into your body. try to get enough sleep and drink enough water. notice what makes you feel good and try to do it again. then do it again until it becomes a habit.

call your mom (or your grandma, your sibling, your best older friend. whoever is important to you). she probably misses you and hey, she actually has some pretty good advice sometimes. take some of it. don’t take the rest of it. learn from your mistakes and get annoyed thinking about how your mom was right. call her again and tell her she was right. remember that while you have youth and boundless energy and possibility on your side, sometimes it helps to talk it out with someone who’s been through it. intergenerational friendships will enrich your life and help you to build a solid network of people who love and support you in many different ways.

eat a vegetable. no seriously please eat vegetables. and fruit. if you have access to a kitchen, try to learn a few quick and healthy meals that you can throw together with whatever you have in the house. this will save you lots of time and money in the long run and you will also feel better

fall in love. fall out of love. get your heart broken. feel everything and write terrible poetry and decide you want to learn the guitar so you can write sad, sad songs about getting your heart broken. meet someone new and forget all about the guitar and the bad poems. read them back to yourself in a year and laugh. read that one line and say to yourself “no, that’s pretty good, actually.” embrace the messiness. have fun with it. take a look inside your brain and turn it into art. it’s all worthwhile.

go outside. watch the seasons change. take pictures of sunsets and clouds. wear good spf and dip your feet in a creek. buy a new coat for fall. on the coldest, darkest evenings, marvel at the fact that you can remember winter happening last year, and how it feels different than winter when you were five, ten, fifteen. when the flowers bloom again in the spring, relish in the fact that you’ve somehow become an entirely different person than you were at this time last year. smile, laugh, and bloom with them.

#answered #dancewyou #i wrote this at 3am and i got sentimental abt it SORRY #advice tag

[altair-interactive-fiction]

ROs ever been in a relationship? What are their romantic and erotic experiences?

So, bearing in mind that Façade takes place during the late 19th century so the way relationships both romantic and physical were viewed and handled back then was different; and once again I’ve done my best to do accurate research on the subject (results may vary because I was always awful at research).

Anyway thank you for the ask :D, and even if I gave the most un-detailed and vagueish response, I don’t think it needs to be tagged as NSFW but let me know if I’m wrong about that.

Gabriel Joan Utterson 

Okay so Utterson has been in two semi-serious romantic relationships; the first was with a hall-boy in her mid-teens, and the second was during her time studying, she became friendly with one of her professor’s daughters, and developed a relationship with her (both were kept very private). Between the ages of 18-21, she did have a few brief courtships with a few gentlemen (more out of politeness than anything else), most coming from the same social standing as her, but a few upper-class families with wealth but not as many social connections. Basically, in the second relationship was when she realized, she had very little interest in the physical side of a relationship.

Hastie Lanyon

When Lanyon was much younger, he had a few relationships but none he personally would deem serious now as an adult, considering it to be more of the infatuation teenagers have when they are certain that they are made for each other (his just like funny how I met my “true” soulmate every other summer). If the Doctor and Lanyon had a thing in college while they were studying, it was kept absolutely secret, but was also probably the most serious Lanyon has had, which is what made knowing that it was going to probably have to end once they finished their studies particularly hard for him. Lanyon never bothered with pursuing a courtship after it. A few instances here and there when it comes to the physical side but it’s all mainly before graduating and doing his research full time.

Monroe T. Newcomen

For Newcomen, the main relationship of their life was between them and one of their childhood friends, in their early twenties they began courting after realizing something else had developed between them over time. After some while of courting, they became engaged to one another and did plan to marry but called it off as their lifestyles wouldn’t work together as a married couple. It was an amicable break between the two of them and they remain friends. Newcomen hasn’t really had the time to focus on a relationship with their lofty career ambitions. Hasn’t had all that much experience physically speaking.

Alice Leigh 

Leigh probably had a ton of crushes when she was a kid, gifting the person a flower that reminded her of them. Leigh’s most serious relationship would be with her deceased husband, the two of them met when they were sixteen at a market, and they would keep coincidently running into each other for the next few months, developing feelings for one another over these brief meetings. He was extremely supportive and encouraging of her desire to be an actress. They married when they were both twenty after a very brief engagement and he passed away three years before the start of Façade. Basically, all her physical experience comes from the relationship with her husband, so experienced and knows what she’s doing.

Janus

With Janus, the least serious relationships out of everyone basically never having any serious long-term relationships, he always attempted to enter any relationship with the mutual understanding that we can do this while it’s fun but the moment it stops being fun, we call it quits (also my work keeps me busy so don’t expect me to drop everything, I got shit to do). There are a few where he has moments of wonder of if that person could have been someone to stay by his side, then promptly shoves that thought out of his head. Janus probably has the most experience when it comes to the physical side of relationships, also having had the widest variety of experiences.

#Thank you I really appreciate ask like this these were originally just a dot point for each character but now it’s a bit more fleshed out #Also I'm sorry it took so long to reply #I wrote this at 3.00am so I have no idea how much sense it makes #IF Facade: Answered #IF Facade: Queue #IF Facade: Gabriel J. Utterson #IF Facade: Hastie Lanyon #IF Facade: Monroe T. Newcomen #IF Facade: Alice Leigh #IF Facade: Janus

[neon-jackalope]

Was requested to do all the numbers by @nicothepico

1. selfie

2. what would you name your future kids?

Hypothetically i like Athena, Gülben, Reza

3. do you miss anyone?

Some of my siblings

4. what are you looking forward to?

My trip to Washington this summer

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

My coworker nate

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?

Used to be. Now i just move forward

7. what was your life like last year?

Stressful

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

Annoyed no

9. who did you last see in person?

My boss

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?

Very good

11. are you listening to music right now?

Yep, tan dun compositions

12. what is something you want right now?

To get railed and some kosher pizza

13. how do you feel right now?

Deeply and woefully depressed 😘

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

Uhhhh a couple months ago my mom hugged me when my dad died

15. personality description

Rolf from ed,edd and eddy but make him spooky and jewish

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

Yes. Its a daily struggle

17. opinion on insecurities.

Its normal but you should work past them

18. do you miss how things were a year ago?

Absolutely not

19. have you ever been to New York?

Used to live there

20. what is your favourite song at the moment?

Cruel by tori amos

21. age and birthday?

Gregorian july,1st 1992. Hebrew 30th of sivan 5752. Age 30

22. description of crush.

Truthfully like my uncle anush

23. fear(s)

The ocean, jellyfish, arachnids, christmas nutcrackers

24. height

5’10” / 177.8 cm

25. role model

Che guevara

26. idol(s)

Uhhhhh none?

27. things i hate

Cauliflower. Texas

28. i’ll love you if…

You let me info dump and actually take an interest in what im going on about

29. favourite film(s)

10 things I hate about you, the craft, fiddler on the roof, yentl, umma

30. favourite tv show(s)

Inuyasha, naruto, uhh various documentary shows

31. 3 random facts

I assume about me so..

1. I have marfan syndrome

2. Im multilingual

3. I have 14 siblings

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?

Mostly equal mix at this point, though most of my close friends are neither

33. something you want to learn

How to sing

34. most embarrassing moment

Thats hard because im a fool. Probably when i out of habit from my job, i met newbies in my synagogue and i reached to shake the wifes hand and i forgot she already told me she was shomer negiah

35. favourite subject

Geography

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

Spiders crawling out of my mouth

Going back to school and my hebrew teacher speaking to me backwards

Becoming an artist

37. favourite actor/actress

Michelle yeo, melina kanakaredes , parminder nagra.

38. favourite comedian(s)

Kathleen madigan, margaret cho,

39. favourite sport(s)

Soccer/futball. Hockey

40. favourite memory

My summers in cloudcroft

41. relationship status

Classified

42. favourite book(s)

The black tide of heaven by neon yang

43. favourite song ever

Impossible to narrow down to one.

44. age you get mistaken for

I was once told i looked 37 when i was 24 at the time so do with that what you will

45. how you found out about your idol

I dont think I have one

46. what my last text message says

“Also long. And emotional” (recent death stuff)

47. turn ons

Very long list.

48. turn offs

Being conceited. No weird sense of humor. Toe jam.

49. where i want to be right now

British Columbia

50. favourite picture of your idol

Again????

51. starsign

Gregorian cancer, hebrew gemini

52. something i’m talented at

Track and field

53. 5 things that make me happy

Japanese food

Travel

Art

My friends

Lizards

54. something thats worrying me at the moment

Whether or not im about to snap and sling myself off this mortal coul

55. tumblr friends

So many. Just check who i reblog from lol

56. favourite food(s)

Baklava, gözleme, litteh torshi, lamb

57. favourite animal(s)

Bats n lizards

58. description of my best friend

Ethereal, we are not worthy. German

59. why i joined tumblr

Porn and witches

60. ask me anything you want

Well whats your question????

#ask meme #a face nobody asked for

[simplysummers]

fanfic ones:

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36

21: what’s your shortest fanfic?

Inconclusive! Most of them are unfinished right now so I can’t give a definitive answer right now!

22) Do you listen to music during your writing process? What music do you listen to while you're writing?

Not usually, sometimes I do listen to white/background noise though, especially if a certain scene is set somewhere specific, like a hospital or a theme park.

23. Long chapters or short chapters?

Looooong chapters. My chapters are at least 8000 words, no less otherwise I’ve not done my job properly.

24. How many WIPs (work-in-progress) have you got?

14 fics, 59 documents! All glee 🥲.

25. How many WIPs will you finish?

Hopefully all 14 of the fics!

26. First-person-narrative or third-person-narrative?

Third-person when I write! I prefer to read third-person too, but I’m not totally against reading first-person, if a fic is enticing enough I’ll keep going.

29. What's more difficult? Fanfics or original work?

Definitely fanfics. You have to abide by so many different rules in order for it to fit the fanfic narrative, while maintaining the characteristics of the character you’re actually writing.

30. What writing software do you use?

I write in Google docs and upload on AO3

31. Do you use beta/sensitivity readers?

Yes and no. I don’t have a beta reader specifically, but sometimes I’ll have Hannah or Jamie read through things just to make sure I haven’t missed a grammatical error.

32. Past or present tense?

Past-tense writer, but I read both frequently!

33. Do friends and family know that you write fanfics?

My whole family know that I write original stuff, but only my mom knows I write fanfic. My best friend from school knows about it too.

34. How did you find the magical world of fanfics?

I was nine years old and I’d gotten my first iPod. I was really into Star Wars at the time and I somehow came across fanfiction.net when googling niche things about Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’d be reading short Star Wars stories for a year by that point, and I didn’t realise that this was something that people did internationally. I didn’t start posting until I was 13, mainly because at 9 I was too young to understand the internet properly (my internet use was never monitored now that I think about it), but I’ve been reading for 10 years now.

35. What is your favorite review?

I have a bunch- I couldn’t just pick one!

Also Hannah creates full on documents covering what she likes about my fics, and I love all of them.

36. Did you ever delete a work of yours?

I’ve deleted every single one of my cringe Star Wars fanfics from the age of 13-15. I remember they used to have so many supporters on FF.Net, but they were absolutely horrific. I’m ashamed.

Thanks again for these asks Ve!! (I’m sorry it’s taken me over a year to answer them!)

#sevval 💚 #ask bea #fanfic #fanfic ask #bea’s beloved besties

[katnisscarter]

Self image and self worth and self love blah blah blah man I’m tired of that shit. Honestly. Time is an illusion that seems to make sense to other people and never to me. I think the same thoughts I did at 15. I avoid the mirror when I’m naked just like I did at 16. And 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. You get the point. I look at my side profile and have to blink back tears. every. Single. Time.

I can’t handle other people taking my picture it absolutely sends me into a fucking panic attack. I never look right.

I stare at my face so long I don’t understand what I’m looking at anymore. Which, to be fair, I don’t really recognize her anyways. All I know is the same thoughts that plagued me then ruminate in my head making cozy homes of the corners.

I could tell you 100 things wrong with my body before I could tell you one thing right. And I get it. It’s not about me if you want to lose weight and work on yourself. I know that logically. You tell me the way you talk about yourself doesn’t apply to me. But I hear the way you say fat. I hear the way you say worthless. I hear the way you say ugly. How does that not apply to me too? I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life right now and you can’t seem to escape the feeling of fat fast enough. How does that not affect me. You can work out. I fucking pull my shoulder at work six months ago and it’s still injured. My fucking wrist stops working if I do repetative motion too long. I can’t even hand write very fucking long anymore because it hurts. If I fucking sit for too long it hurts. If I stand for too long it hurts. It literally hurts to just walk the first time after sleeping a normal 8hrs like everyone else.

I remember the first time I cried in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet, begging myself to just throw up the food. I was 14. It sounds silly though, doesn’t it? That’s a kid. She’s just a baby. Why do I find myself 11 years later doing the same fucking thing. Even though it’s been years I still find myself staring at my naked body in the mirror and my eyes glance to the razor sitting in the shower. Force of habit I guess.

Like listen I understand that men have body issues too. I’m not denying that. I’m not saying hey you weren’t bullied too. But why is being thin so tied into being a woman. Like I don’t want to minimize your feelings but because im not skinny or slim in the right areas it’s like I’m less of a woman.

I guess maybe that’s what I’m struggling with. Feeling like a woman. I picked a pretty womanly profession though. Being a nurse is traditionally seen as a woman’s job. It includes being a nurse, a waitress, a maid, a therapist. It includes getting screamed at by patients and told you’re a fucking idiot. It includes being pinched or spit on or bit or called fat bitch but you just stand there because they’re confused, they don’t mean it.

Were those girls confused when they’d run away from me at 8 years old on the playground because I couldn’t keep up? Were those boys confused when they got their friend to ask me out as a prank in middle school? Was the girl who was my best friend who later wasn’t just confused when she told me I should kill myself because the world would be better off? Or that I was a cow. Was the 17 year old boy I let see me naked for the first time just confused when he turned away and left the room like I was too hideous to look at?

Maybe it’s because I spent so long picking myself apart when he cheated on me. I spent months trying to figure it out. What was wrong with me? A question I’d been asking for years. Was I not pretty enough? Were my boobs too small? Was my tummy too big? Was my laugh too loud? Was I too stupid? Was I too mentally ill? Was I crazy? I can’t seem to find the answer. No matter how hard I look.

Even now, with a partner who loves me so much. I still don’t feel right. There IS something wrong with me. Just no one in my life sees it right now. But other people have. She did. He did. He saw every ugly cracked piece of me and it was too much. Too much. Too much.

I just feel like I’m waiting for the day he comes home and tells me it’s too much. I’m too much. I’m too fat. I’m too ugly. I’m too stupid. I’m too sick. I’m too mentally ill. I’m too anxious. I’m too depressed. I’m too self conscious. I’m too sad. I’m too loud. I’m too weird. I’m too much to take care of. The day will come and I don’t think I can survive it. So I just don’t let anyone in anymore. It’s like I locked the door and threw away the key. I opened myself up to you completely and you ripped everything off the walls telling me it’s not enough, so now no one gets to see.

I look at old pictures sometimes. She has the prettiest smile. Shes so beautiful. She’s so happy. There’s a naivety in her youth. She doesn’t know what will happen. I yearn to be her again. To not know those things. To not feel entirely disconnected from myself. To feel like I can connect with people around me again. She looks so happy. She was happy to be with you. You look happy too you know. Your smile looks genuine. Bright. It travels all the way to your eyes. It’s like I can hear them laughing just in the other room. It’s warm.

But they’re not. Youre not here. She’s not here. It’s not what happened. And I guess that’s hard to explain to anyone in my life now. How that not being the reality hurts me so much. Not one fucking person understands it. I’ve just stopped talking about it. All anyone does is talk about the bad stuff. Or just tell me about how great my relationship now is. Which it is, i love him very much. But I can’t help to not look back. I can’t help to not look behind me. To wonder what that would have been. To wonder how they’d be living.

Everyone says to give it time. Time heals all wounds or whatever bullshit is in the self help books. Which I guess it does in some things. But it’s like there’s such a clear before and after. Before everything went to shit. And so much of what happened shook every single thing I knew about myself. Every single thing I was, just taken away from me. So that loss of innocence and loss of my first love is so intertwined I can’t help but feel like i want to go back sometimes. But I don’t know if I want you back so much as I want myself back. Because after you left I was so awful to myself it was new lows I didn’t know I could go. I want the naivety back. I want the belief that everything will be okay in the end back. I guess I just want hope back.

I just wish someone understood me. I just want someone to understand me like you did. To not get mad or judge me.

I just want someone to understand.

[jovalencia]

hiii 10 12 19 21 26 31 43 44 47 oh dear i hope im remembering the right ones have fun <3

hiiii thank you🫶

10 - would you slaughter the rich?

without hesitation

12 - what kind of day is it?

you know when days don’t feel real? not in a particularly good or bad way. yeah I’m having one of those.

19 - imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

yes of course. will they look good? absolutely not but I can paint them yassss green from the sally hansen pride collection

21 - something you’ve kept since childhood?

I’ve kept a fuck ton of things from childhood because I have a um. really hard time getting rid of things. I’ve gotta work through that but I love had the same wooden frog displayed in my room for as long as I can remember. my hello kitty alarm clock too. my mom has every art project I’ve ever done still. I have teddy the teddy bear of course. and my baby blankets I still sleep with. lots more things I can’t remember but trust me there are Lots

26 - a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

I’m not really sure what this question is asking so I’m just gonna talk about a recent regret. I literally can’t stop thinking about the estate sale I went to recently and I saw one of those singing fish wall hanging things. okay it didn’t sing but it was a hanging fish on a plaque. and I’ve been wanting a singing one for years and it was only $2 but I didn’t pick it up and I was like “I’ll get it on the way out” but on the way out it was GONE very sad

31 - what type of music keeps you grounded?

there’s really no specific type of music but generally I think it’s just. songs that remind me so much of a specific moment in my life. like hey mickey by baby tate reminds me so much of reading the secret history in the science building and moneytalks reminds me of sophomore year ap european history class and house of memories by panic reminds me of sitting on my bedroom floor and talking with one of my oldest and best friends and fire in the twilight reminds me of driving back from my choir trip. yeah idk

43 - what’s your take on spicy foods?

I mean. I’m white. like very white (is a quarter mexican). and I really don’t like spicy food. I can’t stand much spice to begin with but even little takes away from the food for  me

44 - you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

my roommate I know you’re not supposed to say this but when I blew out my birthday candles I wished she would die

47 - what was the last message you sent?

“$25” to my mom :)

cactus - something you’re currently learning (about)?

I wouldn’t say I’m learning About anything right now I think I’m mostly just learning how to be a person

chia - what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

my mom sister and I have had a running joke for like. man it’s gotta be ten years at this point. one time we were in a gift shop in some tourist town and there was a sign on a fountain thing that said “do not tough” instead of “do not touch” and now whenever we say tough instead of touch. funny? well, no but it’s been going on for so long we can’t stop it

edelweiss - how’d you think of your url/username? what’s it associated with to you?

jo!!!! when I first watched skam cris was my fav character and she really resonated with me then I watched skam austin and i thought jo was hysterical like she’s one of my fav characters ever. weird teenage girls just act like that

camellia - what were you like when you were younger? do you think you’ve changed a lot?

well when I was a really little kid I was stubborn as hell like I quit swim lessons because I didn’t like being told what to do. in mid to late middle school I was a cuuuuunt and not in a fun way. I was just a dick and I loved picking fights with authority figures because I didn’t respect them. and honestly it was deserved they sucked. I had an era in the middle where I was like Very innocent and sweet. and sensitive I have  a lot of memories of crying in public and at school. but all throughout all of that I was such a loser. not in a bad way. I have a whole journal entry about this that I wrote in december but I would say I’ve changed a lot but also not at all. like I look back and I don’t recognize myself but that the same time it’s still Me and I only know how different I am because I know what I’m thinking and the intentions behind what I’m saying and doing and can’t only judge the actions and words itself. it’s complicated. and this isn’t me just making fun of my younger self I love her she is me I am her etc

aloe vera - what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life?

#abby💌 #I fucked it up now they’re combined into one

[winniecouturebg]

Taylor Lautner and Taylor Dome Married at Sunset on a Vineyard Estate in California

In 2017, actor Taylor Lautner was hosting a game night at his home, when he was introduced to Taylor Dome—a registered nurse, mental health advocate, and founder of the blog Lemons by Tay and the non-profit The Lemons Foundation—by his sister. Before the event, she told her brother: “I’m bringing your future wife!”

The two Taylors were engaged on November 11, 2021, with the teen heartthrob (and Twilight star) proposing in the couple’s L.A. kitchen. “Tay always told me she didn’t want anything big or elaborate; she preferred something intimate,” Lautner says. “One night, she suggested I just do it in the kitchen over dinner and a glass of wine. So I ended up doing it in the kitchen, but I did it big in the kitchen.”

Numerology has always been important to Dome, so Lautner quickly identified 11/11/21 as the perfect proposal date. “With our friend and assistant’s help, I had an event arranged for her to go to so we could transform the kitchen while she was gone,” Lautner explains. “We covered the kitchen with hundreds of roses and candles, and it was hardly recognizable. When she got home from her event, she was in for quite the surprise. Later that night, I suggested to her that we get married exactly one year from today on Friday, November 11, 2022—and we did!”

The couple worked with Josiah Carr and Justin McGregor of Samkoma, who conceptualized and executed everything for their Friday night wedding in California, at Epoch Estate Winery outside of Paso Robles. “Planning a wedding is a lot of work and obviously has its highs and lows but the whole process was pretty smooth and the end product exceeded all of the expectations we had!” Dome says. “When I tried my dress on for the first time, it had these beautiful lace capes coming off the shoulders, and I was in awe,” she remembers of her Winnie Couture dress. “I didn’t think I wanted a wedding dress like I ended up picking, but I felt like a princess when I put it on and that’s how I knew it was the one.”

Butterflies hold a deeper meaning for Dome, so she added butterfly appliqués to the bridal dress and veil to make them even more personal. “Aside from the growth, transformation, and comfort that butterflies symbolize. My nana and I have always had a deep love for butterflies,” the bride explains. “My nana’s mom passed away at a young age, and she always told my nana she would come back as a white butterfly to watch over and protect her. To this day, my nana and I always have white butterflies around. The day before the wedding, I was out at lunch and a white butterfly literally landed on me. I was blown away and felt so comforted.” Butterfly earrings from Susan Saffron and an engagement ring and wedding band from Ring Concierge completed the bride’s ceremony look.

On the day of the wedding, 100 family and friends were shuttled to the ceremony location within the vineyard, and instrumental music was playing as they took their seats. The bride  walked down the aisle to “Touching Heaven” by Johnnyswim; soon after, the bride and her father followed, making their grand entrance to “Heaven’s Knife” by Aodhan King.

Dome and Lautner’s pastor and dear friend Judah Smith officiated the ceremony. The couple exchanged handwritten vows—and after being pronounced “Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Lautner,” the newlyweds walked down the aisle to “Born to Love You” by LANCO as guests through white rose petals.

“I felt like I was in a fairytale,” Dome says. “Everything was so beautiful—I was absolutely blown away. I remember looking around during the ceremony and just being in awe of everything. As we exchanged rings, I just kept thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe we are actually doing this!’ We have dreamt of this day for so long, and it was so beyond perfect.” 

For Lautner, the sentiment was the same. “It couldn’t have been more perfect,” he says. “I could’ve been anywhere marrying my best friend and the love of my life but the setting of the ceremony definitely made the whole thing feel surreal. The sunset over the mountains exactly when we said our ‘I dos’ made it feel like a dream.”

Afterwards, guests toasted the happy couple with Casamigos cocktails named after their dogs Remi and Lily, and a variety of wines from the vineyard. Live music was played on a grand piano covered in flowers, and painter Alyssa Simpson illustrated bottles of Epoch’s rosé for guests to take home at the end of the night.

On their way to the reception area, where a three-course dinner was about to be served, guests walked through a butterfly garden filled with greenery. There, butterflies flitted around guests while a harpist played in the background. Once inside, there were candles from Snif burning a custom scent called “Sweet Ash” and leather menu books embossed with a custom TT logo at each place setting.

The Lautners’ first dance was to Justin Bieber’s “Lifetime” sung by friend Aodhan King. After that, Aodhan and Benjamin Hastings continued to sing, and the couple changed into their second looks of the night. Once Dome was in her Retrofete dress, “Mrs. Lautner” high top shoes, and a tennis necklace for the Ring Concierge—and Lautner had made the switch into a velvet shirt and pants by Dolce & Gabbana—it was time for the dance party.

“[Looking back on it,] having an intimate wedding was so perfect,” Dome says. “We got to talk with everyone there and just enjoy our time with our guests. Our wedding day was the most special day of my life! But, we are big believers in [the fact that] marriage is about all the days after the one wedding day. And that’s what I’m most excited for—for forever!”

#Wedding Dress #Wedding Dresses #unique wedding dress #designer wedding dresses #unique wedding dresses #designer wedding dress #couture wedding dresses

[concerthopperblog]

Review: A-ha Find Inspiration at Home with 'True North'

A-ha is the best-selling band ever to come out of Norway. Their studio albums have never gone below #2 in that country, nor outside the Top 20 in Germany. Yet as soon as you read that name, you likely thought of “Take on Me.” That's ok. Unlike many bands, A-ha has never run from their 1985 best-seller. But with their 11th studio album, True North, and the accompanying documentary film, A-ha makes its most compelling case to be taken seriously as a band.

Eschewing the normal careful production and studio magic you expect from a synthpop act, A-ha recorded True North live, bringing in Norway's Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra to provide an organically orchestrated sound that is bigger than anything they've done before and is sonically closer to their Summer Solstice MTV Unplugged concert album (also featuring a string section) than to Hunting High and Low. The orchestration, while adding a lot, never covers up that the trio that form the core of A-ha, vocalist Morten Harket, guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen still sound great. Especially Harket. The 63 year old singer is one of the few whose voice has not changed since his younger days. While most of the songs on True North are more subdued than their older work, the “best falsetto in rock and roll” comes out in places and makes you wonder if Harket is some kind of vampire.

Lyrically, True North is spare, the vocals spaced far enough apart to let the music shine. Inspired by the beauty of their native country, the songs spread out like an unspoiled fjord. For example, the album's first single “I'm In” could have sounded simplistic in other hands. The earnestness of “whatever you want from me, whatever it takes to be free, whatever you have to believe, I'm in” aren't exactly subtle. But it's a conversation held by a lot of people during the past couple of years to friends and family whose mental health bottomed out. Simple is best when you're on the ledge and “I'm In” sounds not sophomoric but empathetic.

“Bumblebee” is an enthusiastic endorsement of that very simplicity. An unadorned love song with some of the strongest symphonic elements, it balances the big things (“she's my protector for as long as I remember”) to the little idiosyncrasies that make a friendship (“small bird befriender... bumblebee inspector.”)

“True North” is a nautical-themed tale of wanderlust and home that is Harket's strongest performance. It's the place where that trademark falsetto spends its most time, soaring until it becomes another instrument. “We'll sail to the end of the world. A good sailor always returns. So hold on to hope and always believe in fair winds and following seas.”

Will A-ha ever break into the American market in a big way? I don't know. Their songs are too cerebral for the current pop market, but I could see it making a dent on the album charts as the people who still buy full albums tend to want that kind of depth. Despite almost constantly being surrounded by music, I never got into the vinyl revolution and don't own a record player. True North is the first new release that has made me question that. True North is out Oct. 21 and you should absolutely run to your favorite indie record shop and get your own vinyl copy if you are into vinyl. This is an album made for that extra warmth and more organic sound.

#album review #a-ha #synthpop #review #Concerthopper #new #new music #2022

[dreaminginpastels]

hi lovely!! thank you so much for sending this in, and sorry for the delay in answering (was finishing a dumb assignment) 🥰

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

19. do you have a best friend? how long have you been friends?

I’m actually really lucky, I’d consider my sister to be my bestest friend and I’ve known her for as long as she’s been alive haha, but I have two really wonderful in-person best friends and some lovely online friends I’ve made too that I’m really thankful for. for my in-person best friends, I’ve known them for two and a half years for the first, and 9 months for the second 🥰

20. what/who do you miss?

I miss a lot of things haha, some deep and some shallow. 

for the deeper ones, I’d say family members that have passed away, friends that I’ve lost, and most of all, my childhood. that was a really wonderful time in my life. 

for the shallower, I used to have really lovely thick hair, but now it’s thinned out. also kinda miss having really beautiful natural blonde streaks all through my hair. and I miss living near the beach, my childhood house was so beautiful and I miss it everyday. 

21. how was your day today?

It was actually really nice! had some lovely chats with friends, got an assignment done, laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe, and am about to go to a friend’s house to eat pizza, cuddle her cat, and talk about a play I’m directing later this year!! 

22. how much sleep did you get last night?

I can tell you exactly thanks to my health app, I got 5 hours and 13 minutes last night, which is actually a lot less than I’ve gotten lately. I’ve been so good, I think my weekly average is 7 hours? so pretty happy with that! never really liked sleeping until I have to get up haha

23. do you believe in aliens?

I honestly have zero thoughts about this. I’ve been asked a few times and people are so confused that I don’t have an opinion but like, I don’t know, it doesn’t feel relevant to me? I hope we’re not alone, though, big star trek fan so that would be so cool. I feel like an alien a lot 😅

24. when was the last time you cried? why?

hahahaha literally a couple of hours ago because of my assignment and the stress that I wasn’t going to get it done. turns out it was completely irrational and I smashed it in an hour or so 🙃

but I’m actually really grateful for tears, I’ve found it super hard in the past to access tears even when I feel deep grief, so really excited that they’re coming a bit more naturally now.

25. what’s your favourite decade?

hmmm favourite decade that I’ve been alive? it’s a tough combination between probably the early 2000′s and... the 2020′s, ironically 😅

the first because my childhood is a really cherished time for me (got a pinterest board based on it and everything), and the 2020′s is where I’ve really felt like I’ve gotten to know myself, and I’m starting to like who that is. 

26. what are some seemingly childish things you like?

oh god, so many! my favourite movies are pretty much all animated, I absolutely LOVE the original barbie films, I like playing nostalgic games a lot, I love colouring in (but only if it’s super easy), and just the other day I bought gold scrunchies to look feel like a fairy character from my childhood. 

I’d say I’m really in touch with the things that I used to love as a kid. I also describe my dress sense as “toddler chic” so that probably tells you enough haha

27. what’s your favourite book? or just one you’ve read a few times?

I’m a massive book nerd and always have been so this is a really tough question. my favourite standalone book from my childhood is “the lost island of tamarind” by nadia aguiar, and my favourite standalone books as an adult are “the night circus” by erin morgenstern, and “the charm offensive” by alison cochrun

aaaand also “loveless” by alice oseman (but tough because it hits home hard because I’m a sex-repulsed demi), and the entire “heartstopper” series 💌

28. how are you, really?

thanks for asking this, people really don’t do this enough!

I’m getting better every day. really starting to feel like I like who I am, and I’m finally starting to attract the people around me that make me feel loved, accepted, and supported. there are still really big struggles and I’m nowhere near loving myself, but I’m trying to be as compassionate as possible and let myself enjoy love as it comes to me, because even though for ages I didn’t think so - I do deserve it. 

#lovely mutuals 🥰 #daniella answers asks #⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ lexi ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆