#and also thinking about it in an entirely new way in regards to the Narrative™ of it all

[inocennt]

in your own words, describe the story suburban legends is trying to convey

aaaa i'm so sorry it's taken me literal months to answer this 😭 this is just such a Fascinating song and i realized i did not have many pointed thoughts on it at the time, so i wanted to properly sit down and try dissecting it and put as many thoughts as i could into it

On its own, I think Suburban Legends tells a story sort of similar to imgonnagetyouback: this sort of undefined, on-again off again relationship that is sort of romanticized within the narrator's mind as being a "quest" to conquer. imgonnagetyouback feels like it has more history to its story, while Suburban Legends feels a bit newer and rawer, but ultimately, I think the gist of their arcs is similar.

I will admit, I don't particularly find this general interpretation of Suburban Legends to be all that interesting to me just on its own. However, I am extremely obsessed with how many lyrical and thematic parallels there are to other songs--especially to ones written after 1989. A few days before TTPD came out, I made a playlist chronicling a narrative that (at the time lol) I felt might be relevant to fathoming what we might hear about in TTPD. I also wrote up a breakdown of said playlist, because even though it included like 4 hours worth of songs, I made it in large part because I could not stop thinking about the sheer amount of parallels between Suburban Legends. I break them all down there, but some of my favorite ones are:

"You were so magnetic, it was almost obnoxious" vs "your magnetic field" and "it's gravity keeping you with me," in addition to this general idea of magnetism in the first verse also paralleling the themes of songs like Invisible String, Glitch, and Willow

"I didn't come here to make friends" vs "I don't want you like a best friend" and other friends-to-lovers type lyrics that tie into the magnetism theme ("I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this," "We were supposed to be just friends")

"I broke my own heart cause you were too polite to do it" vs "I broke his heart cause he was nice" and "I pushed you to the edge, but you were too polite to leave me"

The second verse using the setting of high school as a metaphor for becoming a public power couple trying vs the high school metaphors/setting of Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince and the Folklore trilogy

These parallels (among many of the others that are a bit too intertwined in the playlist to break down here lol) are a big part of what compels me about Suburban Legends in the context of her discography post-1989. It feels like it slots perfectly into the relationship breakdown that preludes TTPD, specifically in how it echoes the same sort of nature of how the relationship came together in Reputation and Lover. This sort of cat and mouse, will we or won't we undertone of behavior, coupled with an underlying sense of this inevitable, fated pull. We were born to be suburban legends. Our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school. You were so magnetic it was almost obnoxious. Somehow, this was always destined to happen.

And that makes considering the ending of this song all the more interesting.

Because there's a sort of Cardigan-like premonition running throughout the entire song. You kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever. I broke my own heart cause you were too polite to do it. You don't knock anymore, and I always knew it, that my life would be ruined. All of these feel very "I knew everything when I was young" to me. Which is definitely apt for this song; "suburban legends" as a concept in and of itself plays on the idea of an "urban legend," a form of modern folklore. They are propagated via word of mouth and the waves of popular culture, not tangible, scientific proof--which again highlights the inevitability of the central relationship. (Small additional side note about "urban legends;" though not all of them are inherently based around horror and the supernatural, those are still very common themes of many well-known urban legends. Which, taken in conjunction with how she is positing her relationship with this person as being a "suburban" legend, draws an implicit line between the gossip regarding their relationship, and the horror undertones of urban legends, indicating that there is some sort of component about the relationship which is to be feared. Which just! Food for thought next to songs like The Albatross, Blank Space, Slut, etc)

Ultimately, that Cardigan-like premonition isn't enough to deter the narrator from pursuing this relationship. Despite this story ending with her leaving, despite this only being a temporary moment in time and not something that would last forever, she still sought to pursue it. Because as depicted in the second verse, her fantasies about what could be consume her so fully, she is incapable of letting it go, even though she is well aware that she will likely be "screwed up forever." She simply cannot let any "what if?" come to pass. Which is just the quintessential theme of so much her discography, truly, and why TTPD ultimately became the powder keg that it is.

And if I may go on a bit of a self-indulgent diversion for a moment.... I once again must highlight how this feels like an evolution of the aftermath of the Speak Now narrative, and how the impact of those experiences affect the narrator's choices and behavior in the aftermath. Though I've been going insane about how well you can use Suburban Legends to analyze and enhance that storyline of Reputation through TTPD, I also think there's room for interpreting it in the opposite direction, and seeing how it reflects the mindset of the narrator at the time of Speak Now/Red:

"You had people who called you on unmarked numbers in my peripheral vision. I let it slide like a hose on slippery plastic summer, all was quickly forgiven" vs songs like Foolish One, Superman, Babe, Girl At Home; calling back to themes of infidelity/lack of commitment on the part of the muse, and the narrator's tendency to forgive and forget in the face of being personally hurt (you could also thematically tie Innocent into this, of course).

"You were so magnetic it was almost obnoxious, flushed with the currency of cool. I was always turning out my empty pockets." vs songs like Dear John, The Story of Us, Foolish One, Treacherous, All Too Well, I Almost Do; connecting directly to the prior themes of forgiveness and calling back to that running theme of being so completely taken in by someone that it feels like fate, or a gravitational pull. Comparing the muse to something rich and out of reach ("flush with the currency of cool") in opposition to her ("my empty pockets") in order to highlight how unaligned they are vs the age/experience/maturity gap explored in Dear John, Foolish One, and All Too Well.

The entire second verse being her living in a fantasy of being able to be a public relationship with this person, specifically in part because she gets to spite everyone who doubted her ("our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school") vs Ours.

"You'd be more than a chapter in my old diaries with the pages ripped out" vs Foolish One and Superman, and the distance she depicts between her and the subject of those songs in contrast to the relationship she wants with them; the way the reality of the diary in Suburban Legends contrasts with the fantasy of the class reunion, and also how the association of a diary with childhood contrasts with the association of a class reunion as something attended by adults later in life. The way this yearning for a fantasy out of reach and pairing childhood with the yearning for adulthood is simultaneously depicted in Foolish One (and later, The Manuscript): "Maybe someday when we're older, this is something we'll laugh about over coffee every morning while you're watching the news."

"I know that you still remember [...] when you told me we'd get back together, and you kissed me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever" vs, once again Foolish One. And also the implications of "I know that you still remember" vs All Too Well.

This was a very broad spiel because I am completely incapable of ever doing anything succinctly, lmao. But ultimately, I think that Suburban Legends' story is generally straightforward on its surface. To me, it's a song about being consumed by the best possible fantasies presented to you by a relationship and indulging in them despite the shaky foundation of the dynamic. To me, it's shaking hands with songs like Treacherous, IKYWT, I Can Fix Him, etc. in how it depicts a scenario of someone seeing the red flags in a relationship, but choosing to pursue it anyway, because being haunted by the "what if" would hurt more than the actual pain of the relationship ending.

Because at least that's something she knows will happen. At least that's something she's in control of. This time.

[moonchild-in-blue]

I need everyone to watch Kaos (from Netflix) right now, please and thank you. Quite possibly my favourite modern retelling of the Greek myths / Olympic pantheon.

The story revolves mainly around Orpheus and Eurydice (Riddy), and around Zeus and a certain not-so-great prophecy. Dionysus is one of our main stars and he's great and amazing and hot and absolutely babygirl.

Yes there are a LOT of references and myths and characters beyond the main Olympians (Zeus' famous kids don't even appear). Yes you see Prometheus having his liver pecked. Yes, we do get to see the Minotaur & Co. Hades and Persephone too, obviously. Yes, there is A TON of great poc and queer rep. Yes, there is blood and sex and violence and poignant society AND religious commentary. Yes, you do get old man yaoi. Yes, Jeff Goldblum as Zeus is incredible and no joke my new favourite portrayal of him (Zeus). Yes, they are faithful to the "doomed from the start" narrative of Orpheus and Eurydice. Yes, Hera does have her peacocks.

Please please please go watch it please it's so great and visually beautiful and amazing. Pirate that thang if you must.

My thoughts whilst watching the show - no plot spoilers but be warned for mild thematic/ character/ setting commentary. Generally safe to read if you haven't watched it yet and don't mind a little preview:

SOUNDTRACK IS WOW. Don't Fear The Reaper? On episode one?? The song I've been listening over and over because of a certain beloved band has made a cover of it???

Love how they portray the worship of gods as something that is part of their daily lives and culture without seeming too "gimmicky".

There are clear parallels to Catholicism in the way they conduct themselves (either in favour or against the gods; all the little rituals and traditions), and it's quite interesting to see how would modern society function if Hellenism (or rather the ancient practices. pls correct me if I'm wrong) were the primary (and as far as I got it only) established religion in the world.

The "Vero" declaration with the hand gesture as part of Olympian liturgy? Amazing. Interesting choice in using Latin rather than Ancient Greek, but very cool nonetheless.

A significant amount of casual mentions of horrifying violent acts by the gods, and even some healthy dose of violence/ blood. Thought it was very interesting to see Zeus discussing infanticide and natural catastrophes the way we discuss the weather or grocery prices. They really leaned heavily into the whole grandeur and arrogance of gods in regards to human life which I super appreciate. I'm tired of seeing passive, Cool and Hip and Benevolent Zeus & Co.

Also the amount of criticism by the god-haters (Blasphemes? Non-sympathisers?) feels very refreshing (and on the nose concerning irl organised religions), especially in contrast with the more devout and how they put their life in second place in lieu of worship (yes I'm thinking about the Tacitas AND the Celebration Ritual™ iykwim).

The subversion of the "doomed from the start" narrative surrounding Orpheus and Eurydice is done so beautifully it hurts. Right from the first moment they appear, you know how it'll go. And yet!!

You know what happens, of course. Their story was never meant have a happy ending. But the way they took that and put a modern spin on it it's just!!!! My heart !!!!

I was rooting for Orpheus the entire time, knowing damn well it was a lost cause. I can't blame Riddy, but my God is it painful to watch. LOVED the actor who played him, he just the right amount of earnest love and rockstar flair. Riddy is SO cool - there's not much I can say beyond that that isn't a spoiler but. Yeah. We love complex female characters.

I'm gonna be really petty and pedantic here, but for a show revolving GREEK mythology, set in Olympia / Krete, with sooo many little references to the myths, it is CRIMINAL that they insist on calling Heracles by his roman name (Hercules), and that they refer to Hades as God "Of Death" instead of God "Of The Dead" / King Of The Dead. There's a major difference there - Thanatos would like a word.

Troytown? Where the Trojan refugees (displaced war victims really) are *literally* segregated to (their exact words, segregation), and even use those nose lines/tattoos as way to identify them? Where they face scrutiny and police brutality and prejudice from the Kreteans? As a clear reference to minority poc urban areas and how they are unfairly mistreated and deemed as "others" by the same governments who put them there in the first place??? YES YES YES.

A lot of queer and poc rep. And I mean A LOT. The Fates alone are a whole vibe.

Again, it doesn't feel gimmicky at all, nor does it fall under the "okay they're definitely trying to hit all the quotas so everybody is gay and ethnic and uses neo-pronouns" trend some media are starting to follow, which really just end up falling flat rather than significant (looking at you Sex Ed 4). An actual diversity win.

If you're familiar with the story of Caeneus, you'll love how they portrayed him here.

Dionysus is everything and some more. I love him. Prometheus is incredible. Jeff Goldblum as Zeus goes above and beyond expectations - he brings that Goldblum Flair™ but with an intense violence and paranoia you could only pull off as King of the Gods. Hera is just wow, truly a queen.

Hades and Persephone have an *interesting* dynamic - have never seen him being portrayed like that before. Usually Hades and Persie are the "dom goth Mommy and Daddy" of mythology retellings, and yet here it's completely different. Certainly *A Choice*. I don't mind Hades, but would've liked to see "goddess of spring & dreaded" Persephone.

I understood the vision, but I don't think it worked *quite* as well as the other ones. She's still super cool nonetheless - that sandwich scene was incredible.

Also - VERY COOL how diverse the actors are. With the exception of Dionysus who is objectively Young and Hot, pretty much all the other gods (and adjacent) are middle-aged or up, with visible signs of aging (grey hairs, wrinkles, sagging skin, belly fat, etc), which is cool cus usually the gods are made to be a specific flavour of "hot".

The Furies, who could've been all snatched and sexy and token Femme Fatale characters, are actually older butch women with mean lesbian energy and I think that's very cool and awesome and wonderful.

Even the human cast is so diverse and interesting and REAL, rather than yet another yassified ensemble - it's great to see. Not everyone is conventionally hot and attractive, and THAT is sexy af.

All the little Easter eggs and references to the myths and general ancient Greece culture are SO nice to see. I giggled when Polyphemus first appeared. That first scene on the cereal aisle was very funny. Gagged at Cassandra.

Stylistic choice of the Underworld environment and on-camera portrayal is chef's kiss. That's all I'll say.

LABYRINTH AND DAEDALUS YES. Would smash the Minotaur, 1000%. That Scene™ was. Hmmmmm yeah.

Overall I loved it and high key might re-watch it again. What an amazing show. This was a win for all of us Greek Myth nerds, and I'll be truly devastated if Netflix doesn't renew it for a second season.

[wisteriainslumber]

Seeing is Believing - Breakdown

Welcome alll!! I am starting a new series for my fics, where I basically throw in some trivia, reveal a few of my reoccurring writing themes/motifs, and walk through my fics!

I'll only be going through a few specific scenes at my leisure or upon request, so this post will be the first and last time we walk through an entire fic together. Now, let's get started wooo

This contains spoilers and all tags applicable to seeing is believing!

*Note: the original fic is still very open to interpretation. this post plucks out hints that may assist in your interpretation of it

Names

The presence of names are so important in my fics. The importance of the names lies less in the meaning but more in their appearance. Names gives someone an identity, and being named hints at someone's reappearance or their significance in the plot!

Ortho regards BeBe and Pabby with importance, treating them like they are alive. Later on, Ortho's attachment to them serves as a pivotal point in the climax of the plot.

And who can forget Moirai, the Fates, Idia's favourite idol group? Their name appearance is a subtle foreshadow, as Atropos is the Fate that cuts the thread of life ^^

(This exchange right at the start with the headmaster hints about why Atropos is Idia's 'bias'. Get it? cause he wants to di-)

Here's another appearance of a name! 'Persie' is the name of a cat Cater & Idia own in another work of mine. Remember when Idia and Mal talked about multiple universes? Readers who recognize this cameo can catch that it is from a different universe! But readers who do not can think of it as 'Persie' being named off 'Persephone', the Lady who now lives between the over and underworlds.

The second paragraph also details another work of mine, untitled and unreleased as of now, but the appearance of both of these paragraphs supports that the magical collision of both Malleus and Idia combined managed to tear its way into new universes (or, Idia got hit hard enough he saw through the multiple universes the two talked about earlier!)

And if the appearance of names marks someone's significance, then the lack of a name marks.. well :)

A brief intermission for an interesting fact :D Remember when Idia brushed off BeBe and Pabby as stiches and fabric?

Later on, Ortho echoes his words. It is due to a bunch of reasons, with a prominent one being that Idia unintentionally programmed his own thought process into Ortho.

Idia's relationship with Malleus

Malleus is constantly belittling or treating Idia like a toddler, which reflects in Idia's internal monologue, a 'conscience' that was fed to him. He'll find a way to reassure himself, saying that things were because of iron deficiency, or eye strain, and barely questions why he can't see anything clearly anymore.

When Idia is revealing the hidden messages in his room, there is a mention that a 'Marionette brings false hope' along with an onimous message to 'Believe in One'

We know these messages were fed to him via Malleus because they refer to Ortho as a doll/puppet (and is basically puppeteering everyone). Mal likes to play God™, and there's a conversation that follows where Malleus tells Idia,

Idia is on constant surveillance from Malleus, since Ortho is not asleep at all, Malleus doesn't know how to portray the Ortho Idia knows! So Malleus always chatting to Idia, prying information from him.

From Mal's POV, they're only doing research in order to provide Idia the sweetest of dreams, and that Idia's rebellion is trivial or a phase.

They even get on a nickname basis later, a sign of 'close friends', in order for Idia to let down his guard. The way that Idia immediately dials up Malleus' number hints to how many times it has been done :)

There is a constant mention of birthdays for a reason! There are themes of rebirth and death, and it may assist you in cracking these codes :)

This is left open in the narrative, but the way everything is so messy and cryptic is actually because Malleus is seriously monitoring everything! These fragments of writing that Idia doesn't remember are his own way of helping himself, because he'd (and Ortho) could possibly be the only ones to understand!

These bold dialogue choices are Mal's overblot voice showing, a break in Idia's reality if you will.

get it bc this is what a parent would do

We know the Ortho that Idia speaks to on the phone is an illusion, but Malleus spies on Idia through Ortho. A few slips ups being that he recalls memories differently and even encourages Idia to put on a lullaby.

+ this is the second mention of comets in the fic!

And at the end, we do eventually find out Ortho was being puppeteered by the blot/Malleus all along. rip to those sweet dreams

Stars, Time, and Death(?)

I use the star dividers to indicate a new dream cycle or timeline. Idia will constantly mix up dates, if it was the start of the semester, someone's birthday, etc. He also mixes up technical language and personal language when referring to Ortho. It goes to show how many times the universe had to be reset because of Idia 'waking up' or questioning his faith in Malleus haha

Comets appear whenever Idia thinks of Ortho. We are led to believe that it is because Idia recalls the Starsending event, even Idia directly comparing Ortho to a shooting star in the narrative. However, in our fourth mention of the comets they are referred to in a negative connotation.

Comets are notoriously bad luck because when people first saw them they thought the world was ending LMAOOO. So, now it is revealed that the comets were a 'bad sign', and who else would be trying to send a bad signs coincidentally when Ortho is mentioned.. hmmm..

A few working titles for this fic was 'samsara' and 'comet sighting', but were scrapped because I liked how the final title was a fun nod to the Orpheus and Eurydice story as well as how Idia never actually does see Ortho (Remember, Malleus is the only one Idia sees clearly). A new branch or loop begins when Idia recognizes Ortho.

The hand in the mirror, the horses that pull the carriage, and of course, the students being 'reborn' from a coffin are some nods to how Yuu was transported to Night Raven College.

Before the Yuu emerges from the coffin, they hear horses (presumably taking them to the school). So basically we end with hearing the horses and the story basically starts again with Idia coming out from the coffin. Time loop!! (or he's dead, who knows).

This story was always meant to be read multiple times! The first for the shock factor, the second to digest, and the other times to analyze or enjoy it however you'd like. These texts support the death/rebirth motif of the game as well as the circumstances of this fic!

And that's the end, thanks for reading! I hope you found this a little bit interesting and if you'd like to see more then let me know! Maybe some time in the future, I'll reveal some of my favourite drafts and deleted scenes.