#Fun Fun Fun Fest 2015

[watermelonlicker]

what are your genuine thoughts on zarries? Some are so diehard and to me it just feeds into the “Anyone but L” or “Anyone but H” idea antis have going on.

omg????? zarries were insane and i mean that literally. i think the thing is like towards the end the fandom really divided into the shit hole it is today. a lot of really interesting people (larries and genuinely nice neutrals) were driven out, gave up, and the worst remained like i’m still shook from when i lurked on twitter after liam’s death and saw what a cesspool of bullying and misinformation it was and i was shocked but also not surprised by how awful harries are cos imo those who were his fans before fine line (which isn’t many all those people make up 75% of his fandom and literally know nothing but are loud as hell) but those of his solos who were 1ders were itching to act exactly the way they do now. a lot of them made it known they only ever cared about him during the band no matter how much they try to pretend they’re ot5 and play revisionist history just so “they look better than larries.” like imo it all began on twitter towards the end of 2014 when people started to speculate in their private gcs that something was wrong with zayn. that’s why when he left many zsquad were ready to rip ot4 fans new assholes cos they had already been forming for months. but like before then, especially in 2013, larry was the big ship and everyone had their side ships and it was fine. the fan wars in 2015 were like whiplash. i spent half my time fighting zarries on twitter + having to deal with babygate and running decode on rbb & sbb like we were in the navy. like for me i really enjoyed zayn & harry’s friendship and i know 100% that they have healed but won’t show it publicly bcos of the literal shit fest it would cause between their fandoms like don’t even get me started on how much zsquad hates harry. like all things zarry went from being fun to hell. zarries also had an extremeeeeeee hatred for louis. they were the main ones to label him a jealous/arrogant/bully and talk about how immature and inappropriate he was like it was genuinely so irritating and they’re STILL around.

and i 1000% agree they DEFINITELY fed into the “anyone but louis” mentality and i wouldn’t be suprised if the shippers started out as plants and all the fandom wars were literally caused by management in the first place. like i mean it when i say there was relatively no problem with anyone shipping them or zouis or ziam or lirry hell even narry (lmao niall is the larry captain but okay). there were shippers in every corner of the fandom and zarry wasn’t even that big. it was literally larry and ziam and then those bitches came out of nowhere AND YET none of the side ships had to change how they interacted with each other nor were they separated nor did they ever have to do any denials.

the problem was ALWAYS larry. the separation only happened with larry. the attention was always on larry and its shippers and that should really make you think.

[v-o-i-d-e-d]

I just recently saw Back To The Future again and I had an idea for a request!

Back To The Future

Marty McFly x Gn!Reader

Marty and Y/N decide to take the DeLorean to go back in time for a 70s horror movie fest for Halloween. Y/N thought they can handle the scary movies, but they get freaked out and Marty needs to comfort them.

hope you’re having a wonderful day!

Okay, so it's not a movie fest. But I do like this idea so I made something suuuper similar! I hope you like it and sorry for taking so long!

Warnings: none? I guess really small spoiler for Alien?

Word Count: 1876 (a little on the short side, I know)

Hold My Hand - Marty McFly x gn!reader

  “I don’t know, Marty, this doesn’t seem like a good idea.” (Y/N) said as they cast a wary look at the DeLorean.

         “Come on! It’ll be fun! What better way to watch Alien for the first time than to go to opening night!” Marty grabbed (Y/N)’s hands and pulled them closer. “And if you get scared, I’ll protect you.”

         (Y/N) rolled their eyes and lightly smacked Marty’s chest, “Don’t be a dork. Won’t Doc be mad when he finds out you’re joy-riding around in the DeLorean?”

“Nah, of course not. He gave me special permission,” the boy grinned and pulled the keys to the DeLorean out of his jacket pocket. (Y/N) narrowed their eyes as Marty dangled the keys in their face.

         “So, you stole them from his desk and he has no idea?”

         “Yeah.”

(Y/N) sighed, crossed their arms, and bit the inside of their cheek. they did not want a repeat of the Wild West, or 2015, or another repeat of 1955. That was the strangest week of their life and while they didn’t necessarily regret those adventures, they were understandably wary of another ride in the time machine. However, when their eyes met Marty’s they found their resolve weakening. their resignation must have shown on their face because Marty’s smile turned smug. 

“Fine, but if we end up causing some crazy paradox I have the right to say I told you so.”

Marty laughed and opened the passenger door for them, “Don’t sweat it. Nothing bad is gonna happen.”

(Y/N) and Marty hid the DeLorean on an access road just outside of town. During their walk toward the movie theater, they both noticed that not much was different there in 1979, after all, it was only a few years earlier. 

“You know, somewhere in this town, right now, y ou and I are probably hanging out together,” (Y/N) said. they sneaked a glance at their best friend who chuckled. 

“We’re probably complaining about how we can’t see this movie.”

Both teens laughed at that. “Yeah, if only 10-year-old me and 11-year-old you knew they’d only have to wait about 6 years!” They both continued to laugh at that idea. Amazed at where their lives have ended up. Marty watched (Y/N)’s face as they continued to smile. their bright eyes scanned the familiar street and their hand occasionally brushed his as they swung at their sides. (Y/N) caught him looking and lifted an eyebrow in question. 

“What?” 

“Nothing. Should we get snacks?” 

(Y/N) hummed, “I don’t know if we should spend a lot of 1985 money there. We’re already going to cause enough trouble using our money to get tickets. Spending any extra could cause an even bigger problem dontcha think?” 

Marty stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged, though he couldn’t keep the smug look off of his face. 

“Oh my god! Marty!” The girl lightly rapped their fist against their friend's shoulder a few times, “You stole Doc’s cash too?” (Y/N) could feel their cheeks grow warm as they thought about the consequences of stealing money from Doc. 

“I didn’t steal the money!” Marty defended himself both figuratively and literally as he blocked (Y/N) from hitting him anymore. “I asked Doc for the money. Told him I wanted it as a keepsake. Besides, even if I stole it he would have no idea. He’s off enjoying his life with Clara and the kids.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“What? Do you not trust me, your best friend in the whole world?” Marty looked at his friend with the biggest most pitiful puppy eyes he could manage. Despite (Y/N) visible disapproval, they chose not to say any more about how Marty got the money. Instead, they changed the subject as their eyes left Marty’s to walk up to the ticket booth outside the movie theater. 

“Two tickets for the new Alien movie, please.” 

The guy in the booth couldn’t have been much older than (Y/N) and Marty, though of course, he was much older than them. His focus shifted from the cash register to (Y/N) and his eyes brightened. 

“Of course! I guess you’re a big horror fan?” The guy leaned slightly forward and made no move to grab the tickets (Y/N) had asked for. Marty rolled his eyes at him. 

“Yeah! I’ve been wanting to see this movie since-” (Y/N) paused for a moment after realizing they were in the past, “since it was first announced!” they beamed at their own smooth recovery. 

“Well, I’ll tell you what: how about a deal?” The boy, whose name tag told (Y/N) that he was named Michael, looked around to make sure no one was watching before looking deeply into (Y/N)’s eyes. They decided to play along and leaned forward onto their side of the counter. 

“What’s the deal?” 

“I can get you these tickets for free if you go on a date with me.”

Marty scoffed in disbelief. It’s as if I’m not standing right next to them! He thought to himself as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cash for the tickets. Before (Y/N) could reply, Marty looped his finger into their belt loop and pulled them out of the way then slammed the cash on the counter. 

“C’mon, dude, keep the line movin’!” 

Marty was right. There was a line gathering behind them but that didn’t change how Michael grumbled to himself as he took the cash and handed Marty the tickets. With the tickets in hand, Marty gently led (Y/N) through the crowd by their belt loop. He mumbled under his breath as (Y/N) laughed. 

“Marty, I could have gotten those for free!” 

“Yeah, whatever.” 

(Y/N) continued to giggle to themselves even as their cheeks flushed. Was Marty jealous? 

If (Y/N) had said that they never looked at their best friend that way, they would be telling a lie. Truthfully they had had a crush on Marty since before they had become real friends so the thought of him being jealous over them made their stomach flutter a bit. The two got whatever snacks they required and made their way to the theater to take their seats. Finally settled in, (Y/N) rubbed their hands together and squeaked in excitement. they looked at Marty who was shaking his head at them and smiling. 

“You’re unbelievable.” 

“I’m excited!” 

Before Marty could respond, the lights began to dim and the two teens settled in and waited for the movie to start. 

Though they hated to admit it, The movie had barely begun and (Y/N) had already closed their eyes in fear several times. Any time they even suspected that a xenomorph was about to come on screen, they pushed themselves back into their chair and not-so-subtly covered their eyes with their candy box. Marty, who couldn’t help but glance over at them every few minutes, attempted to suppress his smile as the girl cowered. He leaned toward them so he could whisper in their ear, 

“Are you scared yet? I can’t tell.”

His comment earned him a flimsy smack on the back of his head and a quiet “Shut up, Marty.” He snickered at them as his eyes returned to the screen. 

Dallas was crawling through the vents while Ripley and the crew stood watch over the monitors, keeping a wary eye out for a second heat signature. Briefly, a second dot appeared on the screen heading toward Dallas. 

“Are you sure it’s not in there with you? Look around!” Ripley warned. Dallas denied visual on the creature and the second dot on the screen disappeared 

(Y/N)’s hand moved towards Marty’s as if it were magnetized. Each time Dallas lit the flame thrower into the dark vents they squeezed his hand in fear. 

“It has to be right there with you, you’ve got to get out of there!” 

Dallas climbed down another level despite the protests from his crew members and as he lit the torch-

(Y/N) - along with several other audience members - screamed as the xenomorph appeared in front of Dallas. their hand now gripped the lapel of Marty’s jacket as they hid half of their face in Marty’s shoulder and kept one squinted eye on the movie screen. Heat crept up the nape of Marty’s neck at the close proximity, but he couldn’t say that it was unwelcomed. He moved his arm so that it was wrapped around the girl’s shoulders. 

“Why didn’t he listen to Ripley?” Y/N whispered. Marty chuckled and gave their shoulders a squeeze, 

“The same reason I never listen to you.”

“Because men are stupid?” (Y/N) snickered. Marty scoffed ready to quip back but the reply died in his throat as (Y/N) settled themselves into his side. 

“Oh my god, that was so good!” (Y/N) bounded out of the theater with Marty not too far behind. 

“How would you know? You spent most of the movie with your hands over your eyes,” Marty said. He then mocked them by pretending to cower behind his hands. (Y/N) whacked his shoulder and rolled their eyes. 

“You’re the worst.”

“If I was the worst I wouldn’t have brought you to a movie in the 1970s. I think you owe me.” Marty said. A sly smile pulled on his lips as he wrapped his arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders. (Y/N) leaned into the touch but scoffed, trying desperately to ignore the blush on their cheeks. 

“And what, pray tell, would I owe you, McFly?” 

Marty realized that he had a golden opportunity here. If it worked, he could mark this down as one of the best nights of his life.

“A kiss.”

(Y/N) almost tripped over nothing. The two teens had made it back to the Delorean and (Y/N) heavily considered pretending they didn’t hear him and just getting into the car. 

“What?” They muttered. Their face had faltered into a nervous smile and their hands had suddenly become clammy. 

“What?” Marty mimicked (Y/N)’s reaction and they narrowed their eyes in annoyance, “A kiss would definitely even out the imbalance.” Marty’s arm slid from around (Y/N)’s shoulders to wrap around their waist. He knew that if he eased back now, he’d lose his nerve so he pushed a bit further. Marty was really close to them now. They could feel his breath on their face and their heart was practically beating out of their chest. 

“Well, I guess we can’t leave things unbalanced,” (Y/N) trailed off as they let their hands rest gently on Marty’s shoulders. They closed the distance and pressed their lips against Marty’s. The kiss was soft and sweet. Their lips danced together in a languid dance that both of them had been longing to experience for quite some time. (Y/N) pulled away and Marty chased after their lips, leaving one last peck before backing up a bit. 

“Well? Are we even?” (Y/N) teased. 

“Hm, I don’t know, I think you might have shortchanged me a little,” Marty replied before capturing their lips with his once more.

[aq2003]

archive dive #4: love's labour's lost (2008)

love's labour's lost my favorite little disaster of a play that nobody likes but me. this was one of my most anticipated of the recordings i'd booked to watch in stratford firstly because it was my pestering emails that helped it along the "restore it to be accessible to the public again" process but also more importantly because this is one of the few prominent productions of this play to not whitewash rosaline. obviously it isn't the first production to do this, shoutout to the 1984 rsc production (josette simon was the first Black woman to play a leading role for the rsc!), but still it's pretty disappointing how few and far between these are, even if the play is pretty unpopular. the lines about rosaline's "blackness" are pretty unambiguous and imo the story loses an amount of its thematic edge without them... (dishonorable mention to the 2015 rsc production w/ a blonde, white rosaline that cut those lines entirely). anyway this was a really fun watch; the whole vibe of it here was kinda "yeah we have taken great lengths to intimately understand this work and we came away with the conclusion that it's extremely fucking silly". which like. hell yeah, honestly. anyway nina sosanya rosaline your hand in marriage PLEASE

prev / archive dive tag / next

this is something you can kind of tell more in the official photos of this production rather than the recording but the tree is so fucking good. the colorful shapes on the trees just scratches my brain in all the right ways. whoever designed that tree you have my love and my life

i'm not sure how common the "have an actor in character doing something on stage before the show begins" thing is in rsc productions but every time i've seen it it's so much fun. in the twelfth night production i watched feste is up on a ladder layering paint on the walls and here we have berowne, longaville, and dumaine having a little picnic! (berowne is having a nap and is covering his face with his straw hat)

ferdinand YANKED that pillow from berowne. let my man LIVE ferdinand

berowne successfully threw the hat onto the tree branch <33 good for him <33

also: his hat feels so out of place when he actually wears it. it feels like it's an anachronism even though i'm sure straw hats existed in the 16th-17th centuries

haha yeah shakespeare wrote a bunch of characters 400 years ago for dt to play but he is actually Such a good fit for berowne... he has such a natural talent for comedic timing and berowne's whole thing is that he's quick-witted and smart but makes a joke out of everything and can't take things seriously. also i was somewhat expecting him to be way more self-indulgent and overdramatic (a little bit like his romeo) bc that's somewhat how berowne came across in my head when reading LLL but i think dt's berowne is like. more of a lovable flirtatious dork. charming and romantic and more sincere than he thinks. it helps sell a more genuine connection between him and rosaline, for one!

i do think tho compared to dt's benedick his berowne is more serious and grounded and less of a silly clown man. if him and nina had went on to do ""love's labour's won"" (much ado about nothing) together it def would've been VERY different from the dt/ct version

i love this ferdinand so much. there's this kind of straightforwardness and evenness to how edward bennett says his lines like you can REALLY buy that this man would be insane enough to get his three friends to swear to be cooped up with him for 3 years without the touch of a woman and only having 1 meal a day 6 days a week etc

whoever decided to make moth's whole vibe "armado but small and endlessly sassy" your mind is so huge. they're like a "don't talk to me or my son ever again" deal

the portrayal of armado is biblically accurate. which is to say. this man is down horrendously bad and is so annoying and dramatic about it. applause

nina's rosaline is EXACTLY what i had pictured her sounding when i first read the play. i cannot describe it in words other than "she is so perfect for this role and i'm insane"

the ladies all gasp when boyet tells them that ferdinand is gonna make them stay outside on the grass LMAO

sorry for this commentary being text only but i must point out the cunty little cape that berowne is wearing in this scene. ok thank you

i WISHHHHH i could see berowne and rosaline's expressions when they're having their back-and-forths cuz based off of the line delivery and the pixels i think berowne is grinning like a lovesick lunatic at her and i Need it. I Need To See It. Give It To Me

armado dramatically playing the guitar vs moth unenthusiastically shaking a maraca. Yeah

completely my hypothesis also but i think the part where berowne talks about rosaline to costard is where This DT Image comes from. like the way his head is totally in the clouds just saying her name

[berowne voice] The Boy (derogatory)

several things that dt does during the german clock soliloquy that are so much fun. a) when he says "lord of folded arms" he points to someone in the audience with their arms crossed, b) when he says "king of codpieces" he sort of leans over to look Downwards at (presumably) a man in the audience, and c) when he picks out a woman in the audience to compare to the german clock, he makes a big show of winking at her afterwards. i may be screaming. berowne disaster bisexual!

i realize now that a) i have completely forgotten what the hell holofernes' latin phrases mean and b) the regular person in the audience does not know what holofernes' latin phrases mean either. but that's fine because oliver ford davies delivers these lines like something you'd say "okay grandpa let's get you to bed" to

sick and twisted about the bit where everybody reads out berowne's letter to rosaline aloud because IIIIII think what he wrote was very nice, sweet even, but holofernes is like "what is this fucking garbage smh my head"

hard to tell through the recording but i think berowne straight up chucks his draft of a letter at the beginning of 4.3 into the audience when he sees ferdinand coming

WET BEAST EDWARD BENNETT. HE SHOULD PLAY WET BEASTS FOREVER.

also ferdinand pauses in the middle of crying to take out his love letter again bc he forgot the next line he wrote. Amazing

the chemistry between the four guys is incredible. the most "me and the boys" energy of all time. especially when they sing together

"I, THAT AM HONEST" SUREEEEEE BEROWNE. SUREEEEEEEEEEEE

Chomp

and i mean of course david tennant's berowne would try to eat his love letter to destroy the evidence. i hope this makes sense to anyone who is a big fan of david tennant

i have no clue how the other lords are able to make out his handwriting though. i feel like he kinda did a pretty good job of destroying it

the way david delivers the "your mistresses dare never come in rain / for fear their colors should be washed away" line is so good. A+ no notes. also i'm mentioning this so late but i love the costuming of the production being a nod to this line what w/ berowne and rosaline being the only ones in their respective groups not wearing all white

ok so when i was reading the chapter on love's labour's lost in greg doran's book he mentions having discussions about how they would address the other lords' racism towards rosaline, how much would they keep in, how they would frame it, etc. but he never actually elaborates on what approach they actually took so i was curious to see how they did it. and the best way i can describe it is they attempt to keep in tone with the scene being mostly goofy funny but they keep those lines and have berowne fight back against his friends (longaville and dumaine especially). like for example longaville holds up his foot when he compares rosaline's face to his shoe and berowne grabs him by the leg and drags him around when saying (essentially) that rosaline is too good for him, and the audience laughs at longaville (also bc he looks ridiculous hopping around on one foot). i feel like the execution of it is inherently flawed in that it somewhat reads more as "berowne's friends messing with/getting back at him for lying" more than "berowne's friends are terrible people for saying this" (and that's partially just by virtue of how the scene was written, ig at some point it's impossible to reconcile this w/ the emotional beats and tone of the play). but it is keeping with the characterizations and it's made pretty clear who's in the wrong (dumaine/longaville are basically made into the butt of the joke, and letting berowne retaliate and take control of the argument plays a key role in that). however this is why i'd like to see more productions where rosaline is a black/brown woman, i feel like there are more possible interpretations of this bit that can potentially strike a better balance between sensitivity and tone

(tangentially related: in the most recent production of love's labour's lost by the rsc they set it in the modern day and cast an east asian woman as rosaline and, like, as an east asian person i feel like even though she's a woc that's still inaccurate casting. bc dark hair and eye color aren't traits that ppl look down on us for having, meanwhile rosaline's features are subject to ridicule by multiple characters in the play. also there are plenty of lines alluding to rosaline specifically having a darker skin color ("red paints itself black to imitate her brow" "to look like her are chimney sweepers black" "ethiopes of their sweet complexion crack" etc) and i find it weird that no one cottoned onto that, in 2024?)

this production cuts berowne's "she is born to make black fair" line but they keep in "her favor turns the fashion of the days"; i like the tact in that, like it's giving less of the vibe that berowne thinks rosaline is the first woc to ever be pretty and more "he thinks she's so beautiful she'll change all of society's standards"

yes they cut to intermission on david saying "allons! allons!" while they all run off the stage. haha very funny

there's a moment where holofernes thinks for one hot second that armado is making a pass at him and i can tell from this blurry pixelly recording that holofernes looks like he almost has a stroke at this. like the way that he staggers back and tries to process it. okay grandpa gay people are real but armado is very very cishet don't worry let's get you back to bed

text-wise at the beginning of 5.2 katherine and rosaline have a back-and-forth with a lot of wordplay about "light" and "dark" that plays off of their contrasting appearances (katherine is described as having rosy skin and blonde hair). in this production though they cut a few of katherine's meaner lines in that exchange (she's also played by an actress of color so they cut the lines talking abt her appearance) and frame it as more of a friendly banter. tbh understandable given that showing a camaraderie and friendship between the ladies really helps the humor in the later parts of 5.2

the .........the russian disguises 😭 omfghfgdfdsfhfwfwmfwmfwfdw

also is it bad that i think their russian outfits are so much nicer looking than their normal outfits. minus the comically ridiculous fake beards and eyebrows of course

also x2 i'm imagining the lords trying to practice this dance number together and my eyes start to water. whose idea was this.

BEROWNE WHY DID YOU KICK THAT POOR CHILD OUT OF THE DANCE LINEUP. HE WAS DOING HIS BEST

berowne's fake russian accent is the stupidest thing ive ever heard and i love it so much. he is mangling all his vowels into something vaguely russian sounding but you can hear the scottish fighting to be free and the end result is something you can barely understand. it's so glorious. what the fuck is he saying. also imagine trying to rizz your girl up in the worst most stupid fake accent known to man. you deserve to be single forever. sorry

the boyet hater monologue is so DELIGHTFULLY bitchy. chef's kiss (also this monologue is probably one of my personal favorite shakespeare passages to read to myself. it's just so funny)

the nine worthies bit is very funny but this is another case where i wish the quality of the recording was better because in one of the entries on this blog (by that crazy person that went to see hamlet 27 times and LLL 14 times) they mention how fun it is to watch berowne's expressions/reactions ;___; oh well. i will just have to imagine them in my mind

i really like how berowne and rosaline going off together is juuuuust implied…like they start off following their respective groups off opposite ends of the stage, and then the last image you're left with is how they stop and turn back and look at each other. i don't think they get together in that time (imo the ending of LLL is subversive and interesting bc none of the romantic pursuits are successful despite the men trying so hard. way too hard even. but life goes on anyway) but i do think that rosaline joins berowne in visiting the sick for a year and they begin to form a deeper relationship. (also i'd love to know more of david and nina's thoughts on this and where they imagined the characters would end up)

[doccywhomst]

okay so i understand that daleks are one of the main brand icons of doctor who, and that they represent a certain breed of fascist thought that can never be fully stamped out, but. :/

i think im ready for the daleks to die.

daleks have been central to doctor who from the very beginning (the second ever episode, the daleks, and season 2’s the dalek invasion of earth), embodying fear, hate, imperialism, and the darker sides of our own nature - but it seems that, for a while now, their continued existence has been maintained solely by the doctor’s mercy and/or ineptitude ??? which sucks as a theme imo

a great example is remembrance of the daleks, a seventh doctor story from 1988 - yes, the one where the doctor blows up skaro. or, davros fires a device the doctor boobytrapped at skaro’s sun, which goes supernova and destroys every dalek in that region of space. it’s pretty baller. anyway! davros and a few daleks hop in an escape pod and fuck off, and the doctor just lets them. k.

(skaro’s destruction was later ‘corrected’ by widely-detested EDA author john peel in war of the daleks, which is unhyperbolically the worst book i’ve ever read, and thus disregarded! but this heretical text explains that the planet was a decoy named antalin. it’s awful yeah. i tried to warn you)

exhibit b: evolution of the daleks (2007). ten confronts dalek caan, the sole survivor of the cult of skaro, at the top of the empire state building. the daleks have just created and annihilated a slave race of pig people, and it’s horrible to watch. you get the feeling that they’ve done this millions of times all across the universe, because they canonically have. they are inherently imperialist, racist, and genocidal. the doctor knows this.

and the doctor’s response is basically “killing you would mean that I commit genocide, so let’s just hang out and have a conversation.”

dalek caan gets away.

and you’ll never guess where he goes. that’s right! he hops the time lock and grabs davros, who escaped in remembrance of the daleks!!! and they make a bunch of new dalek babies together, out of davros’ gross old flesh. it’s a tentacle fest.

so he was right. killing dalek caan would’ve been a genocide- but because he didn’t, now there are ten thousand genocides. a clear improvement!

exhibit d: victory of the daleks (2010).

after a couple of false starts, the daleks manage to make more daleks after tricking the doctor into confirming their species to open their own device (??? okay sure)- but then they trick him again with a robot scientist bomb that he failed to detect even after talking to the guy, and it’s just like…. fool the doctor once, shame on you, fool them twice? damn, you must be on the merch.

exhibit e: the witch’s familiar (2015).

the iconic ‘only other chair on skaro’ scene where twelve and davros chat on the rebuilt dalek home world - super fun, so fun i forgot how the doctor folded like a house of cards. davros, the genocidal maniac, wants to live another day to see a pretty sunrise, so the doctor *checks notes* gives him some artron energy? that can’t be right, wh- oh- oh, but it’s fine because it affects all daleks, and through some contrived science magic, they all ‘learn the concept of mercy.’ on accident.

and it changed nothing. later stories retcon this. i’m too tired to even think about resolution, revolution, or eve of the daleks right now, but those episodes only further cemented my malaise regarding the doctor’s apparent complacency.

again and again, the daleks depend on the doctor’s mercy, and they get it, and they WIN- and it feels like the moral is that they should be eliminated like an unthinking, unfeeling virus, but the doctor is just too compassionate or inept for the job. certainly not the first doctor to lose to a virus, but perhaps the first to do so willingly.

beyond a loss in revenue, i can’t imagine why the doctor couldn’t destroy the daleks, or why they wouldn’t want to - there was a point when, allegedly, “the time lord’s continuity could not survive without the daleks” (“neverland” audio), but i think the weight and relevance of that harry potter type threat has long since passed.

so… it might be time to put the daleks away, for now. sure, they can come back as a concession to the persistence of fascist ideology, but watching the doctor lose or win to fascism for seemingly arbitrary (always sentimental) reasons isn’t really satisfying. the show addresses that daleks cause untold suffering, but again and again the only obstacle to no suffering is the doctor, who can’t get their shit together! it’s killing me.

[sunaddicted]

Instead of a 2024 fic review, in honour of 2025 being my 10th year posting my writing on ao3, I thought it would be fun to do a little recap year by year of my most liked fics.

It's fascinating to see which fandoms came and went and which turned out to be there to stay!

If you're as curious as I was and maybe want to (re)discover some of my older fics, some links and stats await you under the "read more" 💛

2015

My resolution for the new year is to go back to my origins and start writing again for the Tolkien fandom!

Enthralling (Silmarillion, Angbang) is hands down one of my best fics to this day, despite the fact that my English wasn't as good as it is now! If you want to read about Mairon seducing the mightiest of the Valar, this is the best take I wrote on it!

~

2016

Sentient Reflection (DCU, Superbat) not only was the first superbat fic I wrote but it also was my first one in the DC fandom and folks, as you very well know, I've been digging this particular hole deeper and deeper with no signs of hitting rock bottom.

One sour note, is seeing Selfish Prayers (James Bond, 00q): I'm sorry to everyone who followed it and was a fan but it will never be finished 😔

~

2017

It was the year of James Bond AUs! Omega!Bond and alien!Q clearly were the favourites, with The Odd One (James Bond, 00q) - the first instalment of the omega!Bond series - being one of my most liked fics ever in the fandom.

Aside note: in 2017 started my descent into the garbage fire that was Gotham (my beloved) and I've been steadily writing for this fandom for years and none of what I think are my best Gotham fics - my best fics in general, actually - ever made it to the top 5 😱

~

2018

Superbat won hands-down that year, what can I say? Not to toot my own horn but I did write some bangers.

*peach emoji* (DCU, Superbat) is all about Bruce's ass - enough said, right?

~

2019

Superbat kept winning 😮‍💨 Whipped (DCU, Superbat) is there for you if you want to have a laugh.

~

2020

My Bond fics showed up (I did participate again in the 007 Fest after many years of absence so, that probably helped)! Alas, as the rare pair gremlin that I am, Everything They Said (DCU, Superwonderbat) came to eat - if you're in the mood for some delicious Trinity angst, all in Bruce's head, you're definitely going to enjoy the fic!

~

2021

Daniel Craig bowed out of the franchise with a movie I absolutely, 💯% despised and if your liking of Unfixable (James Bond, 00q) shows anything, is that a lot of you hated it too 👼🏽

Honourable mention to Between Us, In The Dark (WWDITS, Nandermo) - I wrote like.. 4 fics for this fandom and still one of them made it to the top 5!

~

2022

Finally, some of my Gotham fics got to the top 5! And they're not as good as some real fucking bangers I wrote hahaha

Dancing in Circles (James Bond, 00q) got top spot and with a good reason: old geezers in love, dancing circles around one another? They will pine for forever, sign me up.

~

2023

You can pry my rare pairs from my cold, dead hands 😮‍💨 Three of Cups (DCU, Superwonderbat) is the soft Trinity smut we all deserve.

~

2024

Listen, it was a bad writing year: writer's block has been kicking my ass to hell and back relentlessly.

But you know what? I still write some damn good superbat smut! Fire on Fire (DCU, Superbat) is filthy and loving and a take on alpha/alpha relationships I don't see much of!

I hope you had as much fun reading this little review as I did discovering all of this! 🤩

[sweet-s0rr0w]

day 28 of @hprecfest - a fic over 100k

Any Instrument by @dictacontrion - E, 131k, 2015

Summary: Draco Malfoy wouldn't go back to England for anything less than an exceptional case. Being asked to figure out why Harry Potter can't control his magic might be exceptional enough to qualify.

Excerpt:

Draco reached for a teaspoon, grasped the edge of the saucer, and leaned back against the sofa, stirring gently and resting an ankle on the opposite knee. “Why, and for what, exactly, are you trying to blame the French?”

“As I suspect you know, there have been hordes of Ministry officials trekking through the house all week. Aurors and Unspeakables, all of them. Millie says the East Wing is off limits, and Prippa has had some fairly alarming news about why that is. I can only hope this whole affair is a case of temporary insanity. Now,” she said, stirring her tea, “that can’t be down to your mother, or you’d have gone mad ages ago. The Unspeakables I’ve overheard talk about your technical abilities with a truly disturbing degree of reverence, so I doubt it’s your work. Process of elimination. It must be the French.”

“That would be the why. Is this accusation of temporary insanity the what?”

Greg shifted, curling his body towards an armrest and looking intently into the middle distance with his chin braced in a palm.

“Draco.” Pansy set her saucer down with enough insistence to rattle the whole set. “Even in your altered state, I can’t imagine it’s escaped your notice that Harry Potter has moved into your ancestral home.”

He paused. “It hasn’t. Though that particular detail was supposed to escape yours.”

Some sweet_s0rr0w trivia: I finished reading this fic one morning back in November 2020, and a few hours later I had the idea for my first ever fic (which became Nor All That Glisters)! I don't think the fics are alike at all, but I suspect I found some things I really admired here - the writing is brilliant (I think the author does dialogue and character interactions especially well - I remember a brilliant Pansy very clearly in this one), the development of trust then tentative friendship then more between Drarry feels very natural, and the feels epic in scope; twisty and clever and fun. Draco's a biomagicologist (brilliant lore here), come reluctantly from his home in France to help Harry with his magic. Also, the flower scene is one of my favourite scenes of all time. Big rec from me to anyone who hasn't read it yet!

If you read it, and especially if you love it, please do let me know! And as always, please do take the time to leave the author a kudos/comment <3

day 1 - first fic you remember reading

day 2 - a fic rated G

day 3 - a fic not on ao3

day 4 - a comfort fic

day 5 - a romantic fic

day 6 - a fic for a ship you don’t normally read

day 7 - the best of your OTP

day 8 - a fic that was recced to you

day 9 - a WIP

day 10 - a fest/event fic

day 11 - an underrated fic

day 12 - a fic from your favourite author

day 13 - a rare pair

day 14 - a fic rated T

day 15 - a fic over 50k

day 16 - a podfic

day 17 - a fic that makes you cry

day 18 - a fic that makes you laugh

day 19 - fanart

day 20 - a fic with fanart

day 21 - a fic rated M

day 22 - a series

day 23 - a crossover or AU fic

day 24 - holiday (vacation)

day 25 - holiday (national holiday)

day 27 - a smokin' hot fic

[mizgnomer]

It's this blog's 10th Birthday!

My how time flies! Thanks Tumblr for providing this place to hang out and share my fandom posts. Thanks to all of my fellow David Tennant/Doctor Who/Good Omens/Broadchurch/etc followers! It's been a fun 10 years. To celebrate, here's a collection of this blog's top posts of all time (as compiled by Tumblr Note Counter). Cheers!

Top original posts

1). David Tennant & Michael Sheen discuss their favorite (and least favorite) costumes from Good Omens - 54,746 notes - Jul 11 2019

2). We're on opposite sides/Crossing the Divide 42,882 notes - Oct 5 2019

3). Crowley's Hairstyles/Looks down through the Ages 42,576 notes - Aug 1 2023

4). Parallels - Good Omens Seasons One and Two 36,095 notes - Sep 2 2023

5). Hippity-Hoppity Crowley 32,441 notes - Sep 7 2023

6). Tenth Doctor in the Fifth Doctor's Coat 31,391 notes - Sep 11 2014

7). Green Screen Special Effects in Good Omens 26,652 notes - Jul 25 2019

8). Crowley's Hairstyles Behind-the-Scenes w/ Stevie Smith 23,846 notes - Aug 30 2019

9). The Good Omens Love Fest Continues 19,416 notes - Oct 8 2018

10). Interview Excerpts with Costume Designer Claire Anderson 17,987 notes - Sep 3 2019

Turning it up to 11) I've Got a New Business 17,734 Aug 16, 2015

Created by Tumblr Note Counter

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss, Rachel Zegler and Broadway's Best Strike a Pose for PEOPLE Backstage at Elsie Fest 2024 (Exclusive)

Darren Criss kicks of Elsie Fest 2024 at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City. Photo:Jenny Anderson/Laurel Hinton/Elsie Fest

Elsie Fest, the theatre-themed music festival created by Emmy-winner Darren Criss, returned to New York City for its seventh installment on Sunday, Sept. 8 with a star-studded panel of performers belting the best of Broadway and beyond to a crowd of eager fans gathered at The Rooftop at Pier 17.

The fun kicked off as the sun set on the city and continued as the lights of Manhattan and Brooklyn lit up the late summer sky.

"It's important for me to keep this distinctly New York, but also distinctly about showcasing the breath of talent and strength of this industry," Criss, 37, tells PEOPLE of the festival, which he first launched in 2015 (it returned this year after a two year absence). "It is a personal investment; not a financial one, but a spiritual and emotional investment in this community that has given me so much."

Criss, who is a veteran of Broadway and will tread the boards again this fall in the upcoming new musical Maybe Happy Ending, shares that he's in "the service industry."

"For me, this is a service to our community of people who love this world, this material, these people, this music, this tradition," Criss says. "So anything I can do to try and give more back to those that I've also been a part of my whole life is also of great importance to me."

Among the performers taking the stage were Rachel Zegler, Jordan Fisher, Joy Woods, John Gallagher Jr., Will Butler, Lizzy McAlpine and RuPaul's Drag Race alum Alaska.

----------

03 Jordan Fisher The Hamilton vet also duetted with Criss on "Dear Theodosia," the ballad from the Lin-Manuel Miranda hit.

----------

06 Darren Criss

[HQ] Darren Criss. PHOTO: Jenny Anderson/Laurel Hinton/Elsie Fest

Criss offered Glee fans plenty to cheer about with five nods to the show that made him a household name, beginning with "Teenage Dream" — the Katy Perry hit he famously covered when his character, Blaine Anderson, was first introduced on the series. He also sang "Cough Syrup" and "Arthur's Theme," two others tunes he covered on the Fox hit.

Later, Criss reunited with "Warblers" Telly Leung and Curt Mega, as well as Max Adler (who played Dave Karofsky on Glee) for a performance of "Sincere" from The Music Man.

The special guests kept coming when former costar Chord Overstreet came out to end Criss' set, reprising another song they duetted on while on Glee: Billy Joel's "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)."

07 JC Chasez Elsewhere in his set, Criss brought out Chasez — who is penning the musical to the upcoming Frankenstein musical, Playing with Fire — for a performance of two *NSYNC hits: "It's Gonna Be Me" and "Bye Bye Bye."

"I’ve known JC Chasez for a long time from my time in Los Angeles," Criss tells PEOPLE. "I met him and we got on really well. We were writing music together and he’s just been such a bench in my life. I’ll ask him to show up for shows that I’ll play, if I’m doing ‘90s songs, he’ll come up and say yes, which is beyond my wildest dreams."

"I have to play it cool as if I think I belong singing his songs with him on stage," Criss adds." I was — I think people say this to be nice in interviews, like, ‘I was such a fan.’ But I was a f---ing fan! I am a f---ing fan of *NSYNC. I know that whole album like the back of my hand, No Strings Attached. And he was always one of my favorite singers so getting to be with him is pretty amazing."

08 Jordan Fisher, Dez Duron, Helen J Shen Other guests in Criss' set included an appearance from his Maybe Happy Ending costars Dez Duron (center) and Helen J Shen (right)

Criss and Shen performed the title track, while Duron sang the ballad, "A Sentimental Person."

09 Dez Duron, Andrew Barth Feldman and Joe Serafini Shen later joined Criss and boyfriend Andrew Barth Feldman (center) for a performance of "Granger Danger" from A Very Potter Musical.

----------

16 Darren Criss and Rachel Zegler

[HQ] Darren Criss and Rachel Zegler. PHOTO: Jenny Anderson/Laurel Hinton/Elsie Fest

Of course, no musical could be complete with a finale. And for Elsie Fest 2024, Criss brought out the full-lineup of performers and guests for a group singalong of "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.

[bookhugers]

What is up with emo bands and summer?

Like i hear about every god damn summer and some fucking emo drama happened LIKE WHY??

Like the list of stuff i rmr (CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG)

Summer of 2001: fob formed

Summer of 2002: bullets is out

Summer of 2003: take this to your grave (peterick 🙏)

Summer of 2004: the starting of gerbert & petekey?? P!atd formed

Summer of 2005: ... summer of like. Amazing new mexico sunset. Also gerbert intensified. A fever u cant sweat out

Summer of 2006: petekey but like way angstier? P!atd tour and im pretty sure that one rlly gay (possibly ryden?) live journal from ryro

Summer of 2007: pro rev. (Frerard u will always be famous). Band the doldrums. Infinity on high. Petekey.

Summer of 2008: pretty odd 🙏 (kinda ryden who knows) also folie a deux ( peterick <3)

Summer of 2009: p!atd breakup (ryden :( ) FOB BREAKUP :(

Summer of 2010: danger days (the trans trans am!!) THE YOUNG VEINS <3 (cape town ryden??)

Summer of 2011: start of the stalker catfishjng ryro :(

Summer of 2012: the end of the stalker catfishjng ryro :(((

Summer of 2013: FOB RETURN!! (Bc pete wanted to hang out w patrick... peterick <3) mcr breakup... the entire ep of drunk patrick singing/screaming abt mikey way...

Summer of 2014: stomachaches & hesitant alien release. (Frerard was real 2 me </3)

Summer of 2015: fourth of july. "Im sorry every song really is about you" to mikey way in the crowd...

Summer of 2016: the downfall of p!atd & the height (i think) of dan & phil. Also the iconic emo era; crank that frank, jessie page ETC (this was so fun to be in as a like middle schooler oml!!!)

Summer of 2017: truly is blocked this year out...

Summer of 2018: mania... the petekey songs... THE PETERICK SONGS ON LAKE EFFECT KID.

Summer of 2019: MYCHEM RETURN. Bob dylan by fob... danger day year!!!

From 2020-2022 smt rlly could've happened (covid!)

Summer of 2023: petekey in 2023... he was on stage. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG FEST ANNOUCEMENT. Also the early 2000s emo revival:3

Okay im def missing A LOT!! I dont know as much i wanna abt cobrastarship n the academy is and ptv and paramore and their like drama and whatnot!! So i didnt wanna include info i was unsure abt!

Also i wanna clarify that i don't genuinely ship petekey or peterick or frerard or ryden or any of those im mainly messing around (but i do think like some stuff MAY have happened im more of truther than shipper if that makes sense!!)

[esc-is-holding-me-hostage]

Annual quick song reviews:

Overall opinion: i would not call this year bad, but i will call it mid. but hey, at least there is one(1) song i'll listen to after the contest, unlike last year.

Albania I... I don't like the spoken word part. It's still my second this year, but that spoken word part prevents me from loving Zjerm. Anyway, this SCREAMS "quirky fandom's darling that people call a shoe-in for the top-10 but then it flops miserably".

Armenia Obligatory "Imagine Dragons-ass song" of the year. Idk, I think it's kinda fun.

Australia If we can't get Tom Cardy at Eurovision this guy will do.

Austria Impressive on the first listen but did not leave an impact in the long run.

Azerbaijan Sounds like a song from an ad but in a good way.

Belgium Sir, could you please not yell at me? Between the flashing lights and the shouty vocals Strobe Lights is just too overstimulating for me.

Croatia We could've had Disco Lizard here if HRT had taste. Anyway, Poison Cake is tryhard and cringe. It wants to be edgy but no one over the age of 11 will think it's cool. The bridge is neat though.

Cyprus Imagine writing a fucking ARG-ass riddle of a song only for another competitor to have the same name as the answer to said riddle. Speaking of.

Czechia And the award for the least necessary dance break goes tooooooo

Denmark Would've been a top-10 entry in, like, 2015.

Estonia Yes, it's underwhelming. Yes, Tommy has the same obnoxious vibe as Joost (and even more punchable face!). Yes, the vocals suck. But. This is just stupid enough for me to be amused. I would've preferred a different entry from a different artist but I'm not even close to actively disliking Espresso Machiatto (yet).

Finland God, Erika is such a joy to watch on stage.

France Good overall, but that child voice at the very end is one of the worst moments of any song this year.

Georgia Why can't all patriotic propaganda songs be as fun as I Love Belarus?

Germany Oh wow, Germany is sending something good, a novel concept.

Greece Welcome back, Yianna Terzi!

Iceland It's alright.

Ireland The worst song Aqua has never written.

Israel Somehow even more boring than last year.

Italy Sounds like a song from some old obscure cartoon.

Latvia The harmonizing parts scratch my brain in the wrong way.

Lithuania Yup, here's my favorite. Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, etc, etc. Tavos do get repetitive in the live performance and the staging needs some improvement, but goddamnit IT'S. SO. FUCKING. GOOD.

Luxembourg They wanted to recreate Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son but accidentally made another Rockfeller Street. Doesn't work nearly as well as a nightcore remix, unfortunately.

Malta Okay, I admit, I like it a lot. It's still very enjoyable even after the main hook got censored.

Montenegro I've never been a fan of Balkan ballads and Dobrodošli isn't convincing me to change my mind.

Netherlands The most competent male bop this year. I still don't care about it.

Norway This song does not warrant a cool chainmail outfit.

Poland Guilty pleasure of the year. There is a lot to love about Gaja unironically but there are so many disaster-bop things about it that just enhance the experience. The fact that it's such a blatant self-copy, the random hanging from the ceiling bit, the violin guy who starts scatting all of a sudden, the gym routine-ass choreo. It's so fucking fun, I love it.

Portugal This is a vibe and y'all are just mean.

San Marino San Marino is never beating the Agent of Chaos allegations and I love it for them.

Serbia The worse Balkan ballad this year.

Slovenia From the man famous for his parodies and political satire songs. Get ready for... an uncomfortably earnest ballad about him nearly losing his wife to cancer. Oof. Look, the song might be boring and clunky but I can't really hate on Klemen for putting it out there.

Spain I was a bit of a Melody apologist after the Benidorm fest, but then the revamp dropped. The revamp feels like the audio version of the "Polish editing": just throw every effect available at it and hope for the best.

Sweden Someone has pointed out that the chorus sounds like Blanka's Solo and I'll never be able to hear Bara Bada Bastu again without thinking about it.

Switzerland Warm hug of a song, even if it's a bit flat.

Ukraine One of my favorite entries Ukraine has ever sent and I will defend Ziferblat till the end of time.

United Kingdom When I first heard the leaked snippet, I thought that the "what 😳 the 👀 hell 😈 just 🙈 HAPPEEEEENED" bit was the song opening and got kinda interested. Then it turned out to be the chorus and oh god this song flows so badly. It's just constant start and stop with no satisfying peaks.

[masquayla-the-splendid]

(Not) small ramble.

This is why I love Tumblr, I can make text posts that aren’t on Twitter.

This whole situation with the Talbert files and the Pinkypills thing made me realize how immature the fnaf fandom has become. Like I thought I felt something change by the time Security Breach came out, but it became glaringly obvious when the Scott Doxx happened a while ago.

As soon as that happened, people were more quick to be angry at Scott's decisions that should not be public in the first place, than at the person who leaked that info "for the lolz." Like okay I understand if you're concerned where your money's going after knowing that, but then that should be the case for all transactions ever.

Then, the "in regards to whether the books are canon or not, yes." And then people got mad at him for not answering directly, or it just went over their heads and now they think the books are canon. Like guys, he's a troll, that's how he always is.

And in 2023, we had all the Fanverse drama, and people getting way too heated over different theories.

The Movie hate I have a theory for.

If you were in the fandom around 2015/2016, you might remember how often fnaf got generalized 'for kids' online, or that a large portion of the fandom were kids, so therefore it was cringe. (This is at cringe culture's peak btw.) Years later, the "fnaf vhs horror" videos introduced a more mature portrayal than the source material. I don't have tiktok, but I imagine clips of these got reposted like crazy. This lead to fans that left a while ago and 'cringe haters' to be like "oOOh what did I miss?👀" They are now in a state of "SEE, FNAF ISNT FOR KIDS, SEE?? SEE???" Cringe denial. Then, when the movie came out, they had their expectations ramped up for a gore fest in a similar style, but failed to realize Fnaf was always campy with little to no gore. This is why the table fort scene is "so controversial." Then, some other people who liked the movie, just not that scene, were coping with, "THEYRE JUST KIDS" or "THEY TRYING TO TRICK ABBY INTO TRUSTING HER." The former is more believable, but you can easily just chalk it up to, "They're entertainer robots. They're built to have fun. The murdery is the twist."

Then VR2 happened, which like a bottle of soda pop, went flat really fast. We were still doing things in VR1 longer when that came out.

And now we're at our second drought. The first one was in 2017 before fnaf 6. And again, people are throwing a fit about Scott "defending" pinkypills, and not at the person pretending to be Scott. It's not as bad as the first time, but it's notable. Which by the way, the way he handles these types of situations is very serious and mature from any other content creator. However, I feel like he just doesn't know where to draw the "okay what in tarnation??" line, because he fired the other artist for doing the same things.

Overall, the fandom has become really whiney about every little thing recently. I think it's because from 2014-2016, we were very centered with fan-creativity, and now, since there is too much content to digest at once for newcomers, we have become very centered with theories and lil blues clues. It also doesn't help that there isn't any new content to dwell on, so we're all stuck with eachother.

Twice in Dawkos interview, Scott says something along the lines of no matter the lore, all he cares about is that is characters are enjoyed.

[marinasdiamand]

Rolling Stone Interview: Marina Reveals New Album, 'Princess of Power': Why She's 'Not Guarding Her Heart So Much'

Marina wants you to meet the Princess of Power, the love-radiating heroine of her new album. The cult-favorite pop queen has revealed full details of her sixth studio album, Princess of Power, out June 6, and released its third single, “Cuntissimo,” ahead of her main stage Coachella performance on Friday, April 11.

“We are meeting a Marina who is not guarding her heart so much anymore,” she tells Rolling Stone. “I think part of why this album has felt so freeing is that I think I’ve really dove into my fear of love. That’s why for me, it’s so powerful that this superheroine’s biggest power is love.”

She adds: “It can sound trite, but the ability to love is so powerful and brave. It’s a courageous thing, particularly if you’ve been hurt in the past. It can be really hard to reprogram yourself, and I’ve finally been able to do that.”

Marina sees Princess of Power, which she recorded with producer CJ Baran, as reflecting something true about her inner self. “Maybe to others, I’ve had a bold energy. Internally, I’ve always struggled to feel like I’m allowed to be my own person,” she says. “The album is about teaching yourself — or re-teaching yourself — how to love.”

The single she dropped along with the album announcement, “Cuntissimo,” is an anthemic pop song inspired by glamorous, brave, confident women “who enjoy life to the max.” As she says this, Marina scrolls through a list of queens who embody “Cuntissimo” on her phone — Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Madonna, and Rihanna among them. 

“That’s really key: pleasure,” Marina says. “Throughout the centuries, it’s been denied us that freedom to be silly and messy. Women have been under such a strict patriarchal power for so long, but this is just like, ‘Fuck you.’”

She pauses before adding: “I want women to not be afraid to age. I think it’s not talked about in pop. Pop pretends it’s not happening. We are getting older. But I don’t want to feel ashamed about it or feel like I have to cling on to youth.”

In some ways, the song recalls themes from her first album, 2010’s Family Jewels, on which she sang about how “girls are not meant to fight dirty/Never look a day past 30.” (The song’s video drops Friday morning.)

On Friday night, Marina will debut “Cuntissimo” live during her Coachella set, 10 years after she last played the fest in 2015. She’ll perform her three Princess of Power singles and play some fan-favorite deep cuts — “Are You Satisfied” and “Oh No!” among them. But ultimately, “People want bangers,” she says. “I want to give that energy.”

Stylistically, the set will reflect the pastels — teals, pinks, baby yellows — that accompany her new album’s aesthetic, as seen on its corset-and-ribbon-adorned album cover, continuing on the album’s themes of female power and fearless love.

“I had no intention to do a pop record. But I found my creative partner CJ Baran who is just so talented and it’s just been such an enjoyable experience,” she says. “I think that’s why the energy of this record feels different: It’s part of my evolution as a human being. it’s a really fun record. It has a lot of energy.

— Rolling Stone, April 10th, 2025.

[chornayadrakoshig]

writing update! needless to say, my attempts for have a consistent writing schedule are not doing well lol

the total wordcount for january is 5228 words (comparing to 5895 words in december). I wrote like crazy over the long weekend on the new year's eve (that one week was the biggest contributor to both months) and the rest of the january was mostly spent on drawing and sewing projects I can't show you yet

the thing I can already share though, is this fic in a format of (screen)play I wrote over that crazy week! It revolves around 4th-wall-breaking scenario, where the characters know they are in a fic and they don't like the plot. The chaos begins ;) I really like that trop in fiction but I've only wrote it once before, and I had a ton of fun writing it again!

this year I finally joined the Fandom Kombat fest (for the winter season - the fest is run biannually), which has been my dream since like 2015 or something. Back then it was run on a different platform with different rules, and I knew that realistically I won't be able to join the team for the fandom I want and go through the whole fest. But last spring I found out they actually moved to ao3 and the rules are a bit more lenient now - and here we are! We already went through 3 quests out of 7 (and alas, I can't post my other works yet, since the fest has about 2 week period when the creators stay anonymous after posting). The shared team account is here, if anybody wants to have a look! We post about Code Lyoko with occasional crossovers - and it's not just the fanfics! What I love about the Fandom Kombat is that it includes all forms of fanworks :) and we've just shared our fanarts and collages on friday!

I'll be busy with this until somewhere around early march - but hopefully I'll have a chance to work on fics for other fandoms a bit earlier... If I'll manage to complete all 5 fucking WIPs I have for this specific fest xD

[ourpickwickclub]

Even though there are still some ML trolls and the patronpatrol/Reen psycho, I have to think on how much worse the trolling used to be for b&g, especially because there used to be so many more ran fans that hadn’t let go yet, and then the Shevine fans who were so horrible to Gwen while Adam was still on The Voice. Sometimes the ML and Shevine fans would even team up on Twitter in their hate fests. I was late to the Shefani party and came along in 2019, and it was still pretty bad even then, when they’d been together 4 years. Now they are about to make 9 years together and they have outlasted so many of those miserable people that were praying for their downfall in the beginning and claiming they were for PR. They got married and continue to thrive and have become more and more open about their family unit with the boys. We are still having fun seeing them release their 6th duet. They looked so amazing and happy in Vegas last night.

I’ve been here since the Halloween 2015 pics, so I feel I’ve seen all the stages, and you are so right. It is much better now. The Gwen and ND fans that hated Blake were also terrible. It’s really amazing they weathered all of that hate. I remember the shock and disbelief of the ran fans when it began to dawn on them that Blake and Gwen really were a thing. ML had just covered Spiderwebs (badly) in public, had called Gwen a total rockstar to the press, and then went on to follow Gwen, only for Gwen to not follow her back. Lololololol. Man, that made them all blow a collective gasket. And our inbox also used to be filled with ND fans who were GR apologists. As bad as the patrolpatrons in many ways because they are literally justifying abusive behavior and wishing Gwen still had a relationship with a horrible person who treated her like dirt.

Oh, and I also remember when Ashley Monroe let it slip that Blake had changed his phone number early on. She was talking about getting a call from an unknown number and it was Blake with a new number. I think it was when they were up for a Grammy together. The ran fans did not like that he changed his number. That was a big explosion of hate also.

- B

[al-mayriti]

BENIDORM FEST 2024 - PARTICIPANTS

Yesterday (november 11) all 16 participants of Benidorm Fest 2024 were revealed - the songs will be revealed on december 14th. I wanted to make this post talking about all the possible representants of Spain in ESC 2024, as a little intro to them and how their songs might sound like. As always, everything will be below the cut :)

ALMÁCOR

Arturo Almarcha Corella, better known as Almácor (Villena, 26) is an urban artist that started his career in 2019. He has released an EP since then, and has collabed with artists like Henry Mendez or Chimbabala. This year he was nominated in the Best New Urban Artist in the Los 40 Music Awards. His most popular song is DE TO', and his last released song is Pop Tech.

ANGY FERNÁNDEZ

Angy Fernández (Palma, 33) is a LEGEND and our very own emo princess, she's an icon. Her leap to fame was being the runner up in the first edition of Spanish X Factor, in 2007, but she became a phenomenon when she starred in iconic teen drama Física o Química (2008-2011) as Paula Blasco. She also released various albums and songs, like the hit and iconic emo bop Sola en el silencio. After the show she has appeared in various TV programs like Tu Cara Me Suena, and has continued making music as well as acting in theatre, cinema and TV shows. Her last released song is Dualidad.

DELLACRUZ

Jorge de la Cruz Correa, better known as Dellacruz (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) is a Canarian urban pop singer that started his own singing career in 2019 after ample experience as a songwriter; he has written songs for artists such as Sergio Dalma, Xuso Jones, or Dvicio, among many others. His most known song is La Trama, whereas his last released song is Tocamos Cielo.

JORGE GONZÁLEZ

Jorge González González (Madrid, 35) first rose to fame after competing in OT 2006, and he since has been in two Spanish preselections for ESC 2009 and 2014. He has also participated in The Voice and in Tu Cara Me Suena, where he won in the 2020 edition. His most famous song is Por Besarte, and his last released song is Agüita.

LÉRICA

Lérica is a duo composed of Tony Mateo (San Fernando, 29) and Juan Carlos Arauzo formed in 2015 that sings pop infused flamenco and urban music, and have collabed with very big artists like Belinda, Gente de Zona, Abraham Mateo (brother of Tony Mateo), Cali y el Dandee or Juan Magán. They have 14 platinum albums and 9 golden ones, and are right now the most listened to Spanish duo in terms of streams. Their most famous song is Flamenkito, and their latest released song is Un Rato pa Siempre.

MANTRA

Mantra is a pop band made out of Carlos Marco (Alacant, 31), Paula Pérez and Charly Weinberg (Madrid, 25), born in 2020 when the three friends decided to start a project together. All three have been in the music industry for a long time; Carlos Marcos is the most-known of them, as he was part of the boyband Auryn (alongside Spain's representant in ESC 2021, Blas Cantó), who participated in the ESC 2011 preselection. They have an up-beat and positive attitude in their songs, and have released their first album in 2023. Their most popular song is No Te Esperaba, and their latest single is ¿Te Acuerdas o No?.

MARÍA PELÁE

María Peláe (Málaga, 33) is an icon and a flamenco singer known for her witty and ironic lyrics, with a modern spin on traditional sounds. She started her career in 2016 after studying Anthropology and Social Work in university, and so her songs usually have a social message. In fact, in 2023 she was awarded the Rainbow Award by the Ministry of Equality for her work in the LGBTQ+ scene. A song I really recommend of hers regarding this is La Niña, a very fun song about wlws (also the music video is soooo). She has released two albums - the second of which won an Odeón to Best Flamenco Album, and has participated in various TV shows like Tu Cara Me Suena. Her most popular song is Por si te vas, and her latest single is Letra Menúa.

MARLENA

MARLENA is an indie pop duo composed by Ana Legazpi (voice) and Carolina Moyano (guitar) that formed a band in 2017 when they decided to participate in X Factor Italy. They became friends with Damiano and Victoria from Maneskin, and decided to name themselves after one of their songs, Torna a Casa, where the name Marlena appears. They even sing some of Maneskin's song in their concerts. In 2021 they were nominated for Best New Artist or Group in the Los 40 Music Awards, and have collabed with Nil Moliner, La Pegatina or Despistados. I listen to their song bailamorena at least once a week (i wish i was joking), tho their most popular song is Me Sabe Mal. Their latest released song is Red Flags.

MISS CAFFEINA

Miss Caffeina, formed by Alberto Jiménez (voice), Sergio Sastre (guitar and keyboard) and Antonio Poza (bass) is definitely the biggest name this edition. They are a staple in the indie rock scene since their inception in 2006, and are especially staples in music festivals all over the country and abroad. They have realeased three albums and an EP, and their most known song is the modern classic Mira Cómo Vuelo, with over 13 m views on youtube. Their last released single is Para toda la vida.

NEBULOSSA

Nebulossa is an electropop band formed by María Bas (voice) and Mark Dasousa (producer, synths). They debuted in 2021, and define their formula as MPYMS (A lot of Pop and a lot of Synths), basing their music on the sounds an rhythms of the 80s. Their most popular song is GLAM, and their latest song is 1N84.

NOAN

Noan (Zarautz, 25) is a pop-rock indie artist that debuted in 2020. He has collabed with zzoilo or El Sueño de Morfeo, and I personally really enjoy his collab with Paula Koops, Odio que te Quiero. His most popular song is ME MATA(S), and his latest song is Zero (which is a cover btw).

QUIQUE NIZA

Quique Niza (Madrid, 20) is a musical theatre actor who has been performing all of his life; some of his notable roles are Kurt von Trapp in The Sound of Music, and Danny Zuko in Grease (I saw him live here, and he's incredible!). He has also appeared in some TV shows, like UPA Next and Días Mejores. He has only released one song so far, Ardo.

ROGER PADRÓS

Roger Padrós (Polinyà, 26) is a Catalan singer and piano player that first rose to fame as a participant in The Voice. He has since released an EP and an album, with songs both in Spanish and Catalan (he has confirmed his song for Benidorm Fest will be in Catalan). He is also the resident musician of Casa Batlló, in Barcelona. His most popular song is Digue'm, and his latest song is El Buit.

SOFIA COLL

Sofia Coll i Benito (Barcelona, 24) is a singer, actress, and dancer who rose to fame as a participant of The Voice Kids when she was 14, although she didn't release music until 2019, with songs that mixed Spanish and English. She was one of the protagonist of the TV show Bany Compartit (I watched the first episode while writing this, it's really fun and I really recommend it! Episodes are around 10 minutes long, and you can find all of them in RTVE Play and Youtube; they're in catalan, but there's Spanish subs available), and she was one of the dancers in Rosalía's mv for Fucking Money Man. Finally, she participated in the Catalan music contest Eufòria this year, ending up 4th. Her most popular song is Tú Mente y Yo Corazón, and her latest song is Génesis: Alive.

ST. PEDRO

Pedro Hernández, better known as st. Pedro (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) is an urban artist, rising to fame due to The Voice, where he participated in 2017. Through the program he met Juanes, his musical godfather. He has know collabed with Alizzz in Miami, where he lives now. His most known song is Cerca del Sol, and his latest song is No es lo que toca.

YOLY SAA

Yoly Saa (Pontevedra) is a Galician singer-songwriter singing in Spanish that has been making music since 2020, although she has also composed for other artists such as Luz Casal o Malú. She has released an EP and a full album, and participated in Dúos Increíbles in 2022. Her most popular song is Todo contigo, and her latest song is Mal de altura.

[ciphers-fr]

ah expulsion day. always fun sifting through all the skin crates, fest chests, and various other miscellanea in my vault to find these things

i wonder if this will be the year that i finally get a phoenix (or even just a sweater it's been since 2015 and yet...)