#I ain’t no musical genius

[lemonlinelights]

OKAY SO I LISTENED TO THE ORIGINAL EVERYTHING IS A LOT ALBUM (before this I had only heard the 2020 remaster) AND IM LOSING MY MIND

[kimberlyeab]

Undertale Yellow - Thoughts

Do you ever touch a piece of media and it hits you so hard that you just decide to drop all your artistic responsibilities for a day and write something to get your thoughts down into a single coherent place.

Well, uh… let’s talk about Undertale Yellow.

Please avoid if you intend to play and do not want spoilers as this delves heavily into topics laid down in the pacifist route. Also please note this contains content warnings for child death, so don’t touch if that ain’t your cup of tea. Like all Youtubers would say, please play the game before you read this, because this experience is best enjoyed in its original form.

The first issue i am struck with before getting too deep into this topic is that this is a fan project. While i, as a fan creator, enjoy feedback on my work; even if it is a little biting at times, i don’t know the pulse of the team in this regard. After all, this had no price tag and was purely a labour of love with seven hard years of development behind it.

i also don’t know how the development of this project was handled and if it was a collaborative effort from start to finish or different teams worked on different sections with an overarching goal. All i have is my own experience of modding for Hearts of Iron IV where my efforts were focused on singular nations and not overarching plots. If different sections were handled by different teams, please don’t take a critique or praise of any singular section as a slight against your work, it was all fantastic just some areas were more fantastic than others.

i enjoyed the mod, immensely, it stuck with me to the point that i had to come here and discuss it for what seems to be close to 2000 words. This project is something truly special, not only in terms of a fan game, but as a piece of media in general. It managed to make me feel that sense of magic I felt two years ago when i first played Undertale. And i can’t think of a higher praise than saying that.

The sprite work was amazing. The battles were fun and just the right amount of challenging… except Axis… fuck Axis. The music was a genuine banger to the point where i even liked some of the songs better than some of Toby’s work (i’m looking at you, the person who composed A Mother’s Love, that Hopes and Dreams drop ruined me emotionally for the rest of the run and i hold you and the writing team responsible for that).

And the story, gosh the story was just a real treat.

The mod in general is a bit slow to start, i’ll be honest, i did enjoy the tease at the beginning with Toriel and i think it was genius to cut us off from her entirely at that point. To me, a Undertale mod doing the ruins is like a Batman movie watching Bruce’s parents get gunned down. So, getting something refreshing here was a great foot forward.  Actually, I think that the fact that this mod does not use the OG cast as a crutch is an all-around strong point that i really appreciate and helps set it aside as its own independent thing, different from Undertale. Even though I did find myself craving at least a cameo at times.

On my first day of playing, i witnessed everything that the ruins and Snowdin had to offer. i enjoyed Dalv and Martlet immensely. As I went into the start of the Wild East, I was having a lot of fun. Yet, something felt off, something wasn’t quite sparking the magic i felt with Undertale. So, I left off my first session in the Oasis, having beaten the third boss. All in all, an enjoyable time but not quite clicking.

i couldn’t describe why the game felt off up to this point. Until i watched a friend stream xeyre own first run of the game.

Xey said something during it which made me realize what the issue with these first three areas was. They felt safe, they felt fangamey. These were fun experiences with great atmosphere and enemies but Dlav and Martlet (up to that point) were not characters who grabbed me and made me feel as invested in them as say Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, and Undyne (all characters we would’ve met at a similar point in OG Undertale). Sure, they were nice, and were immensely fun, but i didn’t feel that drive to get to know them better and care about their greater story. These were not the characters of ask blogs and video essays.

At this point, i went to bed, content to get back to it tomorrow but still very much feeling like “this is a fangame.”

Then i woke up…

And let me telling you about Starlo and the town on the edge of the Wild East.

This is where Undertale Yellow grabbed me, this is where the story became something special. This wonderful cast of six unique characters who left me wanting to consume every piece of dialog they had available. These six characters managed to crackle to life that little fanfiction voice in the back of my brain. It was these characters that planted the seed of this sprawling text i am currently writing.

Starlo, himself, is a wonderful character, very fun, very well written, just a treat to experience and spend time with. His missions were comedic gold to a degree where I was cackling in VC because of how good they were. And the fights, oh jeez, the two fights in that area are where the mod really showed off what it could do when it came to combining fun gameplay, great music, and just top tier sprite work that helped give these characters so much substance and life.

And it was also in this section where i started to get invested in the characters. This is where the fangame vibes withered away and gave birth to that same experience i had playing Undertale for that very first time.

It was hinted at with Starlo, a monster putting on a façade to hide from the cold reality of being a member of a broken species living in an equally broken land. His reasoning is so tragic, yet through the tragedy, he is just trying to distract people and bring them whatever joy he can manage. His methods are faulty but his goal is good.

And Ceroba is just amazing, as well, hinting at something darker in the narrative, weaving her story into OG Undertale by experiencing loss to the same experiments that would haunt Alphys. She is something familiar, a mother in pain like Toriel, but also someone who didn’t let that pain keep her in hiding. She uses that pain to try and help this world. And it plays on me so well, making me genuinely ache as my mind idly wonders which amalgamation in the lab was once this monster’s little girl. I wanted to know her story and experience it.

Then the game was all high points from here.

The adventure in the Steamworks where we see the remains of a shattered legacy and the pain that Ceroba goes through when she realizes that her husband was never respected in life. It resonates as we learn how much he just wanted to help Monsterkind and his legacy was just thrown away and left to rot. It made me hate Asgore.

And then comes the plot twist, the moment the shoe drop, as we approach Hotlands and Starlo confronts us. He knows Ceroba’s secret and is there to keep us safe. I had never been so invested in finding out what any of this meant, craving to know what could possibly bring these two into conflict with one another after being so close just two sections prior.

And that’s when we go to Ceroba’s home. That’s where we experience the empty abode that used to house a family. It’s where we learn how this tormented world of captivity that broke them, one by one, killing father, daughter, and yes, even the mother. It’s where we learn about Chujin, a figure of mythos, this mod’s Asgore in a way. A man who knew that escaping the Underground wasn’t the end goal unless Monsterkind could assert itself and prove that it had a right to exist upon the surface. This moment was so compelling, asking questions that fans have had for years and answering them in a way that felt downright satisfying.

And it put a fire in my breast going forward. i feel bad for the individuals who wrote dialog for optional areas after this reveal because i was a woman on a mission at this point. There was no endearing encounter, no fun moment that would distract me from finally finishing this with Ceroba.

And as we reach New Home and face the enemy, a mother who has lost everything, with our friends by our side, that’s when we play the best boss fight, I’ve had the privilege of enjoying in a very long time. It was the right amount of difficult with perfect music, amazing phases and forms, and a wonderful use of the yellow soul to its full capacity. It was long and slogged out, fought tooth and fucking nail, all while the music perfectly weaves together Ceroba’s struggle with the adventure we’ve been on and also a little nostalgia just to remind you what’s at stake. i have slept and i still remember her piano bits combined with those little western twangs, bringing together two childhood friends before dropping Hopes and Dreams just to show you how epic it is. It is… HOLY SHIT… it is something.

And with every phase we see a little more of what this monster lost. We watch her husband wither away, we see her risk her daughter and fail, and we see every last thing this obsession has cost her. And we know that this is a family broken by a collective scar left upon a whole species. We know that humanity is at fault, subjecting a whole race to torment for something that’s generations old. This family is just one of many who our species has wronged, just one trauma on a whole ledger.

And as we finally dispatch her and feel victorious, the reality of the situation slowly settles in.

This is a prologue… we know how this ends.

Asgore has five souls right now. Yet, by the events of Undertale, he has six.

i knew on a logical level that this would happen but the mod still managed to destroy me with the reality. As our friends try and figure out a way to keep us safe, we, the Spirit of Justice, a child with a pure heart, know that we can’t let this slide. We saw what humanities punishment has done to this species and we know that we can help them.

So, Clover sacrifices their Soul. And its at this moment that i started bawling like a child, watching their friends bargain with them, then plead, then seeing them slowly come to terms with it. And the game slowly ends from there, watching our hero make this sacrifice and then send away their friends so they don’t have to see them die. It’s just us, alone, knowing that we did the right thing and it cost us everything. It’s beautiful and tragic, the perfect ending that still chokes me up thinking about it.

And it pays off as the credits role and we get an epilogue that shows all the monsters we’ve touched and made their lives better.

It was special.

This was the special that i felt after Undertale.

And like Undertale, i will never touch it again (unless i speedrun it). The story was completed and the sacrifice was beautiful. It would be wrong of me to erase the deeds that i’ve done to better these lives. i don’t want to erase their happy ending just to tinker around and extract every ounce of life from this game.

So uh, yeah, sorry to the people who worked on geno-run. i’m sure you did a great job but i can’t bring myself to hurt these characters.

All-in-all, sitting there in a VC, bawling at 3:30 in the morning, i knew this was unique and I knew that i wanted to share my thoughts with the fandom and maybe even the developers if they get around to reading this.

Dear devs, if you read this, you created something out of this world, thank you.

Sincerely, thank you.

Would I recommend this mod?

Let me tell you what I said after the credits rolled.

“Fuck this mod.”

Err… text kind of loses the translation of those words being spoken through the warble of a tear-stricken voice that was fresh from sobbing for ten minutes straight.

So, uh…

Yeah, it was alright!

Hey, y'all should join my Discord! It's multifandom and queer as fuck (Please be 18+ though).

Visit my website to see where else you can find my work, follow my socials, or support me!

[coatedinhoney]

City Girls

Months have passed and the twins are finally living out their dreams in the bustling city of SanMy. Determined to make it big and leave their respective marks on the world the girls worked hard to get an apartment in the Arts District. Will their coming-of-age story unfold like their wildest dreams?

Beginning | Next

Transcript and Generation Goals Under The Cut

Transcript

Amaya: I still can’t believe we live here now.

Kenya: Surreal huh?

Amaya: Like you said the world is our oyster.

Kenya: They ain’t ready for us twin.

Generation Goals

Kenya Reyes (Heir)

Traits - Self Assured, Green Fiend, High Confidence, Idea Person & Muse

Aspirations - Musical Genius - Completed - Creative Genius

Goals To Complete

1. Max Singing Skill

2. Max Two Instrument Skills

3. “Date” Three Sims Whilst A Teen

4. Graduate Highschool

5. Max Music Production Skill

6. Get Signed

7. Move To San Myshuno

7. Fall In Love With Your Boss

8. Move To Del Sol Valley

9. Adopt A Pet

10. Gain Fame

11. Have One or Two Kids

12. Accept A Job Offer

13. Catch Your Partner Cheating

14. Have A Messy Separation

15. Fall In Love For The Second Time

16. Max Job

17. Have More Kids

18. Complete Aspiration

Amaya Reyes

Traits - Outgoing, Goofball, High Self Esteem, Pack (Aspiration Trait), Alluring

Aspirations - Soulmate - Completed - Playtime Captian

Goals To Compete

1. Have A Boyfriend and go on dates

2. Graduate Highschool

3. Attend University Off Campus

4. Enjoy University Life

5. Max Writing Skill

6. Break Up With Boyfriend

7. Graduate University

8. Join The Writer Career

9. Become A Journalist

10. Fall In Love and Get Married

11. Publish A Book

12. Have Children

13. Retire

[weaselle]

actually after adding this story to another post i got so mad i'm making it a separate post

when i was a kid in a musical production of Peter Pan I got a largish role which was awesome, but i was already self conscious about my voice and during rehearsals for one of the songs the director came up onto the stage squinting like he had a mouth full of lemon juice and stalked up and down in front of us until finally he zeroed in on me and had us all stop singing and then had just me alone sing a couple lines and nodded and said "yeah, you don't sing anymore, just mouth the words silently" and then told the kids on either side of me to sing a little louder to cover it...

and no amount of knowing logically that he was wrong for doing that has helped me overcome my fear of singing in front of people after that

and there have been some other times people (looking at you, mother) have said things to similar effect

the real hell of it is, i'm like... i have a lot of songs in me. i'm constantly writing original songs that i'm too afraid to sing for anyone

here are a few. they each have a specific melody.. I wish you could hear them

i don't feel like complainin' 'bout my life today and i ain't got a lot to brag about so i'm just usin' this music to keep movin' and i don't mind if i'm a part of your show so look at life all over and it can be rough if gettin' is your goal you won't get enough but i got me and i'm free an' warm spinnin' and grinnin' in the eye of the storm

i don't need to be winnin' while i'm gamin' and i don't feel like a losin' man no winnin' or losin' i guess that leaves playin' and i don't mind if i'm a part of your band

they say this race of rats is crazy it's dog eat dog they need a sheep to be a workhorse and go whole hog well i'm no genius most of the time but at least i can be nobody's fool but mine

at least i can be! nobody's fool but mine

---------------------------------------

I don’t care … I don’t care if this minute is our last you can bet I’ll be living it before I let it past

(repeat)

Plan in command like a band with a marching tune, dooming our duo when you go embarking soon, damn I’m just glad that we had this hot interlude, hoping we’ll pause and not stop ‘cause I’m into you! checking the phone when alone for the text – that gives me this feeling I’m reeling I’m blessed – the sex is appealing for real but the rest of the sum of your parts makes my heart beat its chest

I don’t care … I don’t care if this minute is our last you can bet I’ll be loving it before I let it past

(repeat)

a decade ago we met lost and were friends christened our roads and then crossed them again we played and we dated like it ain’t a thing but lately our hook-up is more than a fling the two of us truly unduly effected - direction of goals that we hold gonna wreck it but check it I’m with it I’m livin’ it reckless to be where you’re breathin’ is leavin’ me breathless

I don’t care … I don’t care if this minute is our last you can bet I’ll be loving you before I let it past

------------------------------------------

I went to bed lonely, found waking I’d only held dreams of you… In Dreamland I dwelt, but those feelings I felt still seem so true… I dreamt you still wanted me, that’s what’s still haunting me deep in my heart… though awake I believe in the many good reasons we’re keeping apart…

I cry diamonds! I weep songs of may never be I cry gemstones! each one a good memory each action taken, all of the fine bad and more I’d never trade them, these tears are my dragon’s hoard

I’m happy to see you, I knew that would be true our love never could end… I would swear an oath, this is best for us both and you’re still my good friend… but some nights my soul just doesn’t feel whole when I’m not by your side… so I add to and hold, all the jewels and the gold that I’ve already cried…

I cry diamonds! I weep songs of may never be I cry gemstones! each one a good memory each action taken, all of the fine bad and more I’d never trade them, these tears are my dragon’s hoard

So I’ll seek out adventure, eventually enter a time. when. I… leave this treasure heap, spread my wings and leap into the sky… I’ve dreams I believe in but please know that even when I. reach. them… I’ll visit these memories, loving and tenderly holding each gem..

I cry diamonds! I weep songs of may never be I cry gemstones! each one a good memory each action taken, all of the fine bad and more I’d never trade them…

these tears are my dragon’s hoard

---------------------------------------

i wanna go off… i’ll go on the run- i wanna go big… go off like a gun they tell me come on just do as i’m told stop dreaming of hot find joy in this cold but i want the heat (oh yes) i want to feel warm! don’t want to repeat (this mess) don’t want to conform

still i pay my taxes i jump through the hoops it never relaxes: life lived in a loop

I want to go off… go off like a gun! a bright shooting star- as hot as the sun

---------------------------

my best my best is what i give i never rest i never live but i don’t die i try to grip this liquid life inside my fist is this a test what must i learn if this is hell oh well i’ll burn and use my body as a meal is this what godly beings feel?

so come the worst i’ll curse and taaaake it if i don’t try this life is waaaaasted I’ll struggle puzzled cold and naaaaaaked and hold to hope that i will maaaake it and if i don’t then may my bones out in the garden over-grown be turned into some little home for those as lost and as alone

the stars all wheel over head it’s always heal or be dead i must i know let go of dread and trust my questing steps instead

the day will play and i will daaaance it i’ll set my bet down and i’ll chaaaaance it with danger hurtful flirt romaaaaaaantic make my own wish, insist i graaaaant it

my best my best is what i give i never rest but do i live still i don’t die i try to grip this liquid life inside my fist…

--------------------------------------

i said i'm a tramp hobo and bum an' one mean son an' that's okay i said i'm a tramp i know but lovin' keeps on comin' my-y way

some times i'm just a drifter who's down on his luck but a smile from the Lady tips my own lips up!

down and out i ain't got nothin' but my laugh and my tough an' my-y name down and out my main skill bluffin' it's enough in thi-is game

my rhymes are just a whistle i'm hummin' along but with some help from the Lady i can sing this song!

-----------------------------

maybe i'll find a singer or some musicians to partner up with

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Random Facts About Marie

Bayverse!Donatello x reader

All Children Galileo Dorothy

A/N: It’s finally Marie’s time in the spotlight! She has been waiting patiently, ngl. Also, I know I’ve mentioned the most basic K-dramas. I’m still learning😭😂 Also, I’m planning on writing something for Marie in the future. So for that I have to ask; who do you think Marie’s celebrity crush is?🤔 I will honestly be surprised if anybody guess it

Warnings: None💜

The youngest of you and Donnie’s children, and the younger half of your twin girls, your daughter of course had to follow your theme of being named after a well known scientist. You and Donnie decided on the name Marie, after Marie Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, also known as simply Marie Curie.

While Dorothy was the stereotypical girly girl, Marie was the biggest tomboy, both in clothing and in interests. Is her brother or one of her male cousins cleaning out their closets, Marie is the first to look through their old stuff. They have a skateboard they didn’t want anymore? It’s Marie’s now. Console and games they got tired of? Marie already had a spot for it in her room. And somehow, she always manages to make better use of it then they ever would. It is almost impressive.

Just like her father and siblings, Marie would show great intellect from a young age. Though she showed a great interest in Donnie’s lab work, to the point where she would fight her siblings to be the one that would help him the most, her true passion was in music. With a knowledge and understanding of music theory, as if it was just a different way of writing English, Marie could best be described as a musical genius. Plus she could play several instruments, always picking up a knew one to challenge herself with.

When Marie and her twin sister turned 15, she was more than ecstatic to see what weapon her grandfather had picked for her. And when she was given a pair of kama, she was more than happy, not touching her instruments for a whole month, so that she could practice with her new weapons. Both you and Donnie knew that was a big deal, and was surprised that such a thing could even happen.

Just like some of her cousins, Marie was a prankster. But while Luis and Gerardo would stick to minor pranks that only would cause mild annoyance or maybe even joy to their targets, Marie took it a step further. Her pranks didn’t occur as often, but when they did, you knew it was her’s. Often involving water or something that would have to be cleaned up afterwards, Marie had a tendency to target her siblings. And yes, her pranks have ruined and broken quite a few things.

While Dorothy could get a new celebrity crush every other day, Marie is stuck on the same celebrity, and has been so ever since she first discovered him. Other than the time back when she was 4 years old, where she had a small crush on Casey and April’s kid, this is the only time she has had a crush. But there ain’t no way she will ever tell who it is. Not even Dorothy knew.

Marie likes to watch K-dramas. Or, some K-dramas. She’s not very much into the romantic comedies or all that cute stuff, but the action and horror ones? She’s sold. Squid Game is an obvious one, Kingdom and now The Silent Sea. Her favorite movies are Parasite, Midnight and Train To Busan. However, there was the time Dorothy caught Marie watching Goblin, seeming fully invested into the plot. However Marie would deny it.

[pluckysidekick]

It’s Wednesday, my fellow Drewds! Going into the holidays I can’t help thinking about how our favorite Crew are celebrating the holidays. Can’t wait for all of the @secretsleuthexchange fics, gifsets, and fanvids we’re going to get!

In the meantime, I was inspired by a poll from @burningblake about which classic “standard” song best represents Nace (all excellent choices). I wound up making a Season 4 playlist of standards from the Great American Songbook, and a few other classic tracks, that represent their Season 4 journey for me. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, here we go!

I’ll be linking the Spotify tracks, but you should be able to find them all on Apple Music or YouTube. If you want a link to the full playlist, just hit me up here or on Discord.

1. The Nearness of You - This Hoagy Carmichael classic brings to mind Nancy and Ace’s inability to stay apart every time they’re near each other in Episode 401 🥺. I love the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duet, but I picked Norah Jones’ version from her 2002 debut album because it’s just so perfectly wistful.

2. Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby - this so so cool track was written by Louis Jordan, but I first heard it on Tom and Jerry (that’s the fighting cat and mouse cartoon in case you’re too young to remember them). I immediately envision the back and forth argument Nancy and Ace have throughout Episode 402 in the lyrics of this song. Ace just wants to know! I adore Joe Jackson’s version, but I went with Dinah Washington and Quincy Jones from 1956 because it is absolutely perfect.

3. Night and Day - I like to imagine that Nancy and Ace stayed up all night talking at the end of 402. This song perfectly embodies their relationship at this stage 🥹. It was written by Cole Porter for Fred Astaire to sing in the original ‘The Gay Divorce’ Broadway musical (catch the film, a classic Fred and Ginger madcap musical romcom with such amazing dancing🕺🏼). But I had to go with Frank Sinatra from 1957’s ‘A Swingin Affair’ because it’s such a classic swing tune.

4. April in Paris - I’m not crying, you’re crying. Warning, there’s going to be a lot of crying in this playlist. Nancy telling Ace the story of her parents’ honeymoon in Paris in Episode 403, that shy smile when she tells him she always wanted to recreate it with someone, GAH. I had to pick the wonderful Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown on trumpet, simply exquisite. I’m going to have to take a break to sob quietly in the corner. “What have you done to my heart” indeed.

5. Fever - There was only one song, and only one version of this song, that matches the heat Nancy and Ace generated in the infamous Sigil scene. Peggy Lee burned the house down in 1958 with this track. “What a lovely way to burn” - Nancy can relate.

6. So in Love - Another genius Cole Porter song, written originally for Kiss Me Kate, but sung here by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald (my personal hero). I had to pick it for THE KISS. They are just so in love 😭. A beautiful song and a beautiful rendition worthy of Nancy and Ace’s love. The fact that Kiss Me Kate is a musical about bickering exes who eventually find love again makes it even more perfect.

7. Crying - Roy Orbison, 1962. Need I say more? I may never recover from the final scene of 403. This song at least helps a little with the pain by naming it. Roy hits some insane notes in this song—the intensity matches both Nancy and Ace’s misery in that moment.

8. Good Morning, Heartache - More like Good Morning, Sorbet. In Episode 404, Nancy drowns her sorrows in her favorite frozen dessert to deal with the heartache of gaining and losing Ace. And no one does heartache like Billie Holiday, who recorded this song in 1946. Heartache haunts Nancy all throughout S4, and this track represents it perfectly.

9. I had two contenders for the Nace scenes in Episode 405, both from the early 60’s. I Fall to Pieces, released by Patsy Cline and The Jordanaires in 1961, was a country crossover and Patsy’s number one hit—an incredible track that embodies Nancy’s emotions on seeing Ace again. She can’t even look him the eye at the beginning of the episode. Which brings me to my other choice, Walk on By, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, and famously sung by Dionne Warwick in 1964. Nancy puts up a brave front for most of this episode, but inside she wants to break down and cry.

10. Episode 405’s speed dating montage is one of my favorite scenes of Season 4. Again I have two contenders—why should I have to choose? Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s One For My Baby (and One More for the Road), as sung by Ella Fitzgerald (again ‘cause she’s the best), is an ideal soundtrack for Nancy’s increasingly desperate descent as she spends every would-be speed date talking about Ace and THAT KISS. Equally appropriate is Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life—velvet-voiced Johnny Hartman and saxophonist John Coltrane’s 1963 track positively drips with ennui, elegantly over cocktails, of course. If you’ve never heard this one, please give it a listen. There’s even a mention of a week in Paris 🥺.

11. Episode 406, with the infamous Spider Prom, is Ace’s episode IMO—we finally get to see how he’s dealing with the loss of the love of his life and his best friend. He so desperately wants to somehow get back to being friends with Nancy, he resorts to spending countless hours with the help of S4 MVP Nick trying to catch Chunky Velez for her. Can’t We Be Friends? is the perfect song for him in this episode, gorgeously sung by Ella and Louis. That is, until he spies Nancy and Tristan dancing, and realizes what he can never have. Etta James’ blistering track I’d Rather Go Blind captures Ace’s feelings in that moment. He may have been the one to halt their attempts to brake the curse, but he’s hurting just as much as Nancy is.

12. I’ve got two seminal songs to represent Episode 407. When Nancy realizes that Ace let Chunky go, and hears his admission that seeing her with Tristan hurt, it positively screams Cry Me a River. No, not the Justin Timberlake song 😅. This epic torch song was famously sung by Julie London in 1955, and expresses beautifully Nancy’s scorn at Ace’s hypocrisy even as she admits that he broke her heart.

Their fight, and Nancy’s subsequent dashed hopes that Ace would call her bluff and come back, makes me think of Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye. Another Cole Porter masterpiece sung by Ella. What can I say? You can’t top perfection:

Every time we say goodbye, I die a little Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little Why the gods above me, who must be in the know Think so little of me, they allow you to go

I dare you to listen to this track without weeping over the Nace of it all. Enjoy!

Well, Drewds, we’re just past the halfway mark of Season 4 and this post is already a novel, so I’m going to stop here for now. What did you think of my picks? Any you think I missed?

I’ll do a Part 2 as long as I get a few notes on this one 😂 . It will feature more classic songs that represent Nancy and Ace as they head into the back half of the season. I know it’s going to get rough ahead, but I promise the music will be sweet.

Update: Part 2 is here!

[in-death-we-fall]

Slipknot

The Tightest Knots Never Fray

Metal Edge 48-11, March 2003

By Roger Lotring

(google drive link) Murderdolls interview here – Stone Sour interview here

“Someone has to bring down the whore, dude,” says Shawn Crahan, determinedly addressing the soulless gluttony that has devoured integrity from contemporary music. “I’ve been all over the place,” he admits, readily likening his foregone ranting as being “almost schizophrenic, man.” But for #6—the Clown percussionist of Slipknot—the corporate impurity that desecrates his sacred rock ‘n’ roll art form pits him as the proverbial David in the face of a Goliath. “People always say Clown’s a fuckin’ retard genius,” he exhilarates. “And I say, ‘You’re right.’ I’ve taken an oath, spilled a lot of blood, and I’m part of an organization that is going to do nothing but bring down the pig.”

The challenge of Disasterpieces is the first of the slings and arrows. A turbulently intense package, the very first Slipknot DVD is largely centered around a February 2002 live performance filmed at the London Arena. A fast-paced style of editing moves conjunctively with 5.1 surround sound to overwhelm both the aural and visual senses, making for an extreme Slipknot experience. An accompanying second disc features a video history of the band, including the banned clip for “Spit It Out,” plus a previously unreleased animated version of “Wait And Bleed.” Enhanced bonus material and an exclusive audio track—”Purity”—make this DVD the gauntlet of a challenge to sedentary bands reigning over hard rock popularity. “I’ve kind of made the DVD like, ‘Look, if you’re not this good, and you don’t know what the fuck’s going on, why don’t you quit and do us all a favor?’” Moreover, Disasterpieces is an architectural draft by which metal fans can judge what to expect from their music. Nothing less will suffice anymore in a landscape of media saturated mediocrity.

“It’s the cattle thing,” Clown defines, a cultural popularity branded by lethargy. “If you’re not at the back of the pack, something in life forced you to be at the front,” he says, intimating music fans as an order of natural selection. “There’s probably a chance for everyone, but it means we’re going to have to go, ‘Hey, you guys at the back of the pack, they’re going to eat you, do you understand?’” It’s what he calls an education. “That’s what Disasterpieces is,” he says by comparison, something by which metal fans can decipher the natural order of musical innovation.

Metal Edge sat down on a Saturday afternoon for an intense conversation with Clown about Disasterpieces, as well as his perspective on the Stone Sour and Murderdolls branches of the Slipknot family tree. “I used to talk about unity and pushing forward,” he concedes, noting that, “I think Slipknot did that to the point that we don’t need to anymore. Now, it’s obvious all of us are looking for our insides. We are trying to evolve Slipknot. All of us need to fuckin’ find some stuff for ourselves,” he explains, assuring diehard Slipknot fans that “they ain’t got nothing to worry about. Let the Maggots know it’s all coming for ‘em. We’re not getting older, we’re getting better.”

METAL EDGE: Is the Disasterpieces DVD meant as a means of focusing attention on Slipknot in the interim before a new album? SHAWN CRAHAN: Most people in the world have to realize that we, the band, have been doing this for seven years. We’ve been doing it professionally, nonstop, for four years. We just got to the point where we understand what home is. So, everybody’s kind of doing their own thing right now—which is totally cool with everybody in the band—because we need time. The third album is coming, right around the corner, and we know it’s going to be different. No one has to be worried about anything drastically changing, ‘cause we’re pretty focused on what we need to be. However, the third one, I think it’s gonna be a really crazy, weird, all-out war. Every member is gonna bring who he is to the table, with all the experience he’s downloaded for the last seven years. This DVD was never intended to let people know that we were alright or whatever. It’ll run its course for two or three months, and we’re starting to write the new album in January—not all of us, but people are gonna fall into place as need be. But, like I said, man, this new album’s gonna be completely insane, as far as I’m concerned.

ME: Would it be fair to say that this DVD almost closes a chapter of Slipknot? SC: I’ve been getting into a lot of trouble lately, because I’ve been telling people that it ends an era. And I don't care what anyone says about it, it ends an era. I’m not interested—the Clown is not interested—in using goats anymore. I’m not interested in half the shit that’s on our stage. Have I talked about this with everyone else? No. But I do a lot of that stuff, and I’m just not interested in the Iowa show no more. I mean, I’m done, I’m bored, and it’s over with. The DVD captured it as best as we could. There were over ten thousand people, over twenty-one cameras, and it was just pure mayhem. You got the most of the show that we could do, that we did for Iowa for over a year.

ME: But isn’t that the point? Why continue doing the Iowa show? It wasn’t meant to be forever, it was meant to be that album. SC: Right, I think people just think that we’re breaking up, or something stupid like that. But no, it’s absolutely the end of an era, get fucking used to it! People change. Fourteen-year-old fans that were there [when] we came out, they’re eighteen now. We’re changing, too, and if no one likes it, fuck off.

ME: You mentioned that this project consisted of a multiple camera shoot, comprising a double DVD. When the idea was first conceived, was it readily apparent that it was going to be so intensive? SC: I knew what was going to happen. I came up with the idea of so many cameras, and the reason was, before, we had only a couple that would film the band. I would just pretty much almost shoot myself, every time we got something in, ‘cause I was so disappointed. Great, you got footage of Sid jumping in the crowd, but what about Joey’s excellent footwork? Where’s all the angles? So, I knew we were going to have a monster. They were talking about one disc, but I knew it would be literally impossible. There’s over four thousand edits in the show itself, and that just takes a lot of information for a computer to recognize.

ME: But with a band like Slipknot, and what it does onstage, you almost have to do it the way Disasterpieces was done, because if you’re at the show, visually, there’s so much going on. SC: That’s how I edited the whole thing with Phil [Richardson]. We edited it like we were in the front row. The reason why I was so excited about being able to do this project was, just like you said, yes, it moves very fast. But how is it moving? Is it moving out-of-control, or is it literally going Clown… Chris… joey… Mick… Sid… Paul… Jim… Mick… Clown… Sid—Ya’ know what I mean? That’s what it’s doing. You’re literally getting to see the chaos as it’s being done. Yeah, it moves very quick, but so does Slipknot. [Laughing] This is for kids to identify with what the fuck exactly goes on at a Slipknot show—Who starts what, who’s playing where, and what they’re doing while they’re doing it. This is all about cues, and the only way to do it right is to do it quickly. Plus, I don’t make anything for the weak, dude. I am here to cleanse the weak away from the idea known as Slipknot. I only want people that understand, because after they take it all in, they’re teachers. And they’ll go out and start molding the future. I’ve kind of made this DVD like, ‘Look, if you’re not this good, why don’t you quit now and do us all a favor?’ That’s how angry I am at the music scene. I understand music has to move, but I’ve never felt so sorry for people listening to music right now, ‘cause it’s fucking crap! Nu Metal? Garbage! It’s garbage, dude! It is! If you know you’re a nu metal band, you’re fucking garbage, end of story. This DVD is about real music, real players—there’s not one musical overdub in the whole thing. What you hear is what happened that night. The only thing that was done, I believe, was in the beginning of “Purity,” because the pyro blew up a couple of the mics. I don’t know any bands that can go through an hour-and-a-half of intensive, dead-on musicianship as we do. I pride myself very, very much to be honored in a band in such good company, ‘cause we’re all incredible musicians, and we make it fly.

ME: So it’s fair to say that this DVD is a challenge to any other band out there right now? If you can’t live up to this… SC: …If you can’t live up to this, why are you even bullshitting? I’ve been on tour with bands that suck. And I’m looking at 'em like, ‘You got a record deal? You’re getting a chance to change the world? Who signed you, some fuckin’ dork? Some idiot over at some big company that knows the formula?’ Man, they’re all losers, dude. Record people get a formula of something that works—Just take Slipknot, for example. Look at all the little fashion statements that have been started, because a band like Slipknot works. Most of the idiots that sign bands because of us are people that said no to Slipknot. I could call four people out from every label. The industry’s a fuckin’ joke, dude! I’m in rock ‘n’ roll, and I’ve never been so embarrassed to be a part of something in my entire life. But it doesn’t matter, dude, ‘cause Slipknot’s there. That’s what we stand for, and that’s what we break down.

ME: Isn’t that a cue, then, with your band being a leader within the rock genre, to throw a monkey wrench into it and make a total left turn? SC: I think so. I never sit here and intend to break the rules. I go, ‘This is the band I’m in.’ The whole time I was editing the DVD, I said, ‘Oh my God, I’m in that band! Yeah, I’m getting to design this, and the whole idea of the DVD is mine, but holy fuck, that’s me in the band! I’m in this band!’

ME: It’s a little surreal, isn’t it? SC: Oh, it’s completely surreal, man! I am so honored to be in the company of eight dudes that fuckin’ throw down. We throw down, man, and I’m proud of it. And I’m not gonna sit back like other people in the band—Everybody would be humble. I don’t care anymore! If your band isn’t this good, then you suck! I’m tired of all the political bullshit, all the bands making fun of us, talking shit. Well, guess what? All your bands suck. None of you could do what we do. I’ve watched all of you, and it doesn’t happen. You come short.

ME: It’s like the early days of KISS, when they would be ridiculed, and then blow other bands off the stage. Nobody would be laughing afterward. SC: We’re actually now managed by KISS’ manager. And we’ve talked a couple stories, ‘cause I play music because of KISS. That was my introduction to music. In the early stages, no one knew what they looked like, and people used to flip out. And I was thinking, goddamn, that sounds a lot like Slipknot!

ME: Watching Disasterpieces, everybody’s faces have been carefully obscured to preserve that mystique. But is the marketing necessity of Murderdolls and Stone Sour detrimental to Slipknot? Joey, Corey and Jim have all been unmasked. SC: I don’t know how to answer that, man. I love Joey, Corey and Jim—As I love everybody in the band. However, things have changed now, and they’re the only ones that have to live with that. And they’re the ones that have to be responsible for that. It is what it is, man, but I don’t think it matters. Joey and Corey and Jim have found another extension of themselves, okay, and I want to clear it up. Corey is a genius. He writes all the time, all day long. I got notebooks that he’s just left laying around, full of conceptual pieces. Some belong to Slipknot, some belong to Corey Taylor. There’s things he won’t even bring to Slipknot, because it’s not the ‘Knot. And no one knows that better than Corey. Think about what he did, man. I mean, he takes the mask off—You know how hard that was? And he did it, and he’s succeeding. And I say, good for him, because that’s what Slipknot stands for. Recently, I said we’re the biggest punk band in the world. I didn’t mean like we’re a punk band, [but] I mean we live the punk feeling. We’re the biggest metal band in the world, and I got three dudes trouncing around the world without masks, succeeding, okay? That’s exactly what Slipknot is.

ME: Meaning that Slipknot is at the point where it can fly in the face of convention and do whatever it likes. SC: I think what we’ve always preached, if we’ve preached anything, is to thyself be true. Don’t ever judge me, just let me do my fucking thing. We’re Slipknot. We stand up and teach kids to stand up! Fight for who you are! Be who you are, don’t worry about it. And now, my own members are like, ‘I gotta do this.’ They go up against all odds and break down all the fuckin’ walls. And they look everybody in the face with their real face, after relying on rubber masks for fucking years? People need to shut up. Fucking ignorance, man! I don’t care what any of ‘em say, we do what we want.

ME: Isn’t that the fundamental basis of being in rock ‘n’ roll to begin with? SC: Yeah! You got Slipknot, now you got the Murderdolls, you got Stone Sour—I will bet my left testicle, there will be other things. Who knows? Every member of the band might have its own entity, and then get together as Slipknot. Oh, some might suck, some might be good. But the point is, what do you do with your life? Most people that have an opinion, aren’t you just cattle being programmed with the imprint? I’m ready for this whole thing to change, man. I’m ready for the pictures in your magazine to change color; I’m ready for people to start talking about things they want, instead of their editors. I’m ready for bands to start telling the truth and lift the veil of rock ‘n’ roll, instead of all this bullshit.

ME: Have you listened to either the Stone Sour or Murderdolls albums yet? SC: Oh, yeah. I listened to the Murderdolls by myself—Joey gave me the copy. When we’re on the road, we’re both very, very busy, and we don’t have a lot of Shawn and Joe time. But Corey, when we were in Europe last time, we both happened to be up very early in the morning, and we were on a long drive. I got to listen to the whole Stone Sour album with Corey. Sitting there with the creator of it, somehow I understood all of it and knew where he was going. I even told him what his next single after “Bother” would be.

ME: Their exploration of musical direction will be invigorating when working on a new Slipknot album. That’s going to be the most positive effect on what the band comes up with, creatively. SC: Yeah. I would have used to have told you that I’d have my people take your head off with that explanation, but I agree with you now. I mean, dude, we’ve been going for four fucking years. Only now can I say thank you to the rest of the guys for allowing ourselves to be home and figure it out. And let me tell you, the three years before being signed—Pure hell. You want to see the evolvement of Slipknot? It took fuckin’ years. I used to wear a Barney outfit. One weekend, I’d be Barney, the next, I’d be a priest. Mick would be Little Bo Peep—Look at Mick, almost seven foot tall, in a Little Bo Peep outfit, slamming with a bonnet on.

ME: But that makes sense, because it wouldn’t have worked if it was something formulated. SC: No! I’ll be honest, man, I hurt some feelings when those guys did that. I hurt some serious feelings. I think people are still angry at me, ya’ know? And that’s cool. I don’t give a fuck. So what? [Laughing] But I take the responsibility of Slipknot hardcore, man. We gave these kids with nothing, something. They were the ones that were so far gone, they were like, I’m outta here, I’m gonna kill myself. Boom—Slipknot comes alone. I’ve had kids wear Slipknot shirts—you know how they are when they wear Slipknot shirts—it’s like a fucking army. They’ll wash it every day, to wear it every day. It lets other kids now (sic) what kind of kid they are. It’s a mentality. That kid is basically telling us where he’s at, by wearing that statement. That’s why I get so nuts, [and] why people are mad at me. Slipknot’s come to a point where—we know we’re a band, dude—but we’ve become icons of responsibility in the world we live in. I try to live my words, man. I try to be really, really responsible.

[hopelessdelusional]

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

labyrinth

EDIT: i fucked up and forgot to add a pic and it won’t let me so. yeah. also i fixed the out of order mistake i’m so sorry😭

ONCE AGAIN THE OC JORDAN IS NOT MINE‼️‼️‼️ it’s the dearest @kotoprincesa !!

hey…life…am i right?

yeah hopefully you saw the post LMFAO ya boy has had a weird week

i’m sorry this is a short one but like i said shit is crazy

i rlly hope i’ll have time to write tomorrow 😭

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

AND SINCE THIS IS LATE IM GONNA FINALLY TELL U HOW EVERYONE GOT THEIR NICKNAMES FROM BKG MWAHAHA YES:

Sero-tape arms/soy sauce:

1. tape arms is from when it was their freshmen year of high school, and sero once got RLLY drunk at some senior’s party….anyways he got tied up by a bunch of girls. with tape. (yes he did cry as the gang ripped off the tape) fun fact!! Jordan was actually at that party (their cousin was the hostess) and was the one who told the bakusquad abt him getting taped up!

2. soy sauce is from the very first prank Kaminari did on the channel where he gave sero a glass of soy sauce but told him it was coke (sero didn’t speak to him for three days afterwards)

Mina-pinky/raccoon eyes:

pinky is like rlly obvious she has pink hair, BUT raccoon eyes is a much more funny story! you see, just like her lover; kirishima, she too had a sort of…alt-y phase. in her case, she experimented with black clothing but more importantly, black eyeshadow. like. a LOT. kirishima thought it was the CUTEST thing ever and was low key upset when she stopped doing it💀

Kirishima-weird hair/shitty hair/spiky:

he just had a rlly bad haircut when they came back to school for their sophomore year, it was legit like how teen guys had it in the early 2000s-gelled up into spikes 🫥

Kaminari-Sparky:

he tried rewiring their broken fan in college. got electrocuted. went to the hospital. yeah.

Hitoshi-eyebags:

he may not get sleep now, but it was RLLY bad their jr year of high school dear GOD. everyone would have to FIGHT him to get him to go to sleep, even putting that powder melatonin in his drinks 😭😭 (it was actually kats’ idea :(( such a sweetie)

Shoto-IcyHot:

shoto had this…phase…half way thru sophomore year of high school where he would over work himself with sports/work that he would literally put on icyhot every. single. day. (it drove EVERYONE crazy but no one dared to say anything)

Jirou-headphones:

ALL throughout high school jirou always had her headphones in. there wasn’t one time where she wasn’t listening to music and bkg being the old man he is thought it was “incredibly rude” and “disrespectful” (karma is a bitch tho bc after this HIS nickname was old man)

Momo-ponytail:

yeah the gang wasn’t kidding when momo went thru an INTENSE ponytail phase like she would gel it and everything😭😭😭the girls would be begging for momo just to keep it down or else she’ll keep getting called jojo siwa by the freshmen

Iida-four eyes/glasses:

….uh it’s kinda obvious LMFAO

Ochako-pink cheeks:

so bkg and ochako were actually #besties after they put their differences aside (after bkg apologized to izuku) and she would ALWAYS go to him and rant abt her crush on Iida. so, as “revenge” he would call her pink cheeks whenever she was talking to Iida. HOWEVER that so backfired on him bc the nickname made iida think bkg liked ochako (he also noticed their newest infatuation w/each other) and iida one day went to bkg to tell him HE liked ochako and was like “i see that you and ochako have made a new relationship, but i just need to tell you i have feelings for ochako.” anyways. bkg was going thru new anger management stuff and he had to take VERY deep breaths in order not to lose his shit LMFAO

Izuku-Nerd:

….do i really need to say anything? 🤨🤨

hope you enjoyed that! thank you for the wait i love u guys 🫶🫶🫶

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

fun facts! ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

- you know it’s bad when kats is up at 1AM

- ain’t i a genius for that thomas the train gossip account? huh? hm?

- Jordan keeps their man in CHECK (they love each other) and Sero is half scared, and the other half find it very sexy

- also when i wrote that part all i could think of is that one song “walk him like a dog sis” because toshi and Jordan got that covered

- do u like mina and kiri’s users😇😇 idk if i do but whatever

- that gc has…some stuff in it. mainly just all the things of bakugou’s the gang has taken, broken, or lost LMFAO

- toshi and kam are just so cute i’m throwing up sobbing rn

- kiri always scowls at “unnecessary” language but then cusses too… double standards (he has never once called out mina tho HA)

- i feel like i’ve said this before but i need to say it again; i just KNOW in my SOUL kiri uses the laughing emoji

- sero and kam are mina’s ultimate hype men

- kacchan and deku-bed friends forever!

←Prev┊˚✧ ┊Next→

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ updates every wednesday and sunday! happy wildest dreams wednesday ✧.*

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ TAGLIST IS OPEN just message or comment: @lovelytayy @0anodite0 @bakugouswh0r3 @amethyst123 @nijirosz @dabis-vigilnate-girl @allnamesredacted @ch3rryhaze @ectoplasmictoast @cathwritestragediesnotsins @tati-the-fangirl @autumnfay @call-me-prodigy @chuugarettes @sammyam @kotoprincesa @bubblewordsofsodapop @biggestbeequeen @tqnk @el-hart @i-simp-for-mha-men

[arpmemething2]

Loony Tunes Sentence Starters

Send one for my muse’s reaction.  Feel free to change pronouns as needed.

“It’s supply and demand! They supply the ghost, and I demand the money!”

“And remember, 'mud' spelled backwards is 'dum'.”

"Go ahead! I’d love to see the audience boo you off the stage!”

“Consider yourself as lucky because you are getting another chance from me to draw a gun.”

“Go on! Shoot me again! I enjoy it! I love the smell of burnt feathers and gunpowder and cordite!”

“Jumpin' without a parachute? Kinda dangerous, ain't it?”

“Don’t think it hasn’t been a little slice of heaven…’cause it hasn’t!”

“I do so enjoy observing the flora and fauna of that tiny planet.”

“I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque!”

“You know, sometimes me conscience bothers me… but not this time.”

“It just goes to show ya that a one-eyed jack rabbit can beat a king.”

“I didn’t say I would be nice. I said I would try. It was too hard.”

"He’s about as sharp as a bowling ball."

"What's up doc?"

“Oh dear, now I shall suppose I have to use force.”

“Help me, please. I’m too moist and tender to retire.”

“Okay Okay I'm shuttin' up. Why should I continue to keep yappin' when I'm told to shut up. I'm not the kind that don't know when to stop.”

“Ho! Ha-ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!”

“I wonder what the poor bunnies are doing this season?”

“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive!”

"What a perfect time for me to go on a diet."

“When I say whoa, I mean whoa!”

“Brace yourself for immediate disintegration.”

“I don't want to be grown up anymore.”

"You wasted a wish! I wish that burrito was stuck on your big dumb nose!"

“Carrots are devine… You get a dozen for a dime, It’s maaaa-gic!”

“The way I run this thing you'd think I knew something about it.”

"Sssshh... Be vewwy quiet.  I'm hunting wabbit!"

"Champagne nights, tropical music and a heavy bank account!"

"Thufferin' thuccotash!"

“I’m in my own little word. But it’s okay, they know me here.”

"You rack'n frack'n varmint!"

“Oh, drat these computers. They’re so naughty and so complex. I could pinch them.”

"Well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere."

“Do you happen to know what the penalty is for shooting a fricaseeing rabbit without a fricaseeing rabbit license?”

“Wait! I haven’t tried toadying, kowtowing and butt-kissing yet! I’m still begging here!”

"Cats don't lay eggs. There's something screwy here."

"Of course you realize, this means war."

"His muscles are as soggy as a used teabag."

“I know this defies the law of gravity, but I never studied law!”

"Looks like the boy genius is tryin' to show me up."

"It was a terrible storm, the boat wocked and worked up one wave and down the other."

"You're despicable."

"If you're gonna be two-faced sweetie, then atleast make one of them pretty!"

"F-f-first they told me to lose the stutter now they tell me Im not funny anymore. "

“Well, what did you expect in an opera? A happy ending?”

"That's all folks!"

"I don’t know the meaning of the word fear!"

"Beep beep!"

"I don't ask questions, I just have fun."

"Hungry!"

“Just when I’m getting used to the voices in my head, one of them starts stuttering.”

"Say your prayers!"

“Me? Normal? How dare you insult me like that?”

"You know, it is possible to be too attractive."

"I am positive, I am mental and I know I have attitude.”

“I’m not like other people, I can’t stand pain, it hurts me.”

"I tawt I taw a puddy tat!"

“Well, what do you know … there’s the little Wiener Schnitzel now.”

“If you’re happy and you know it, you're probably annoying someone who isn’t.”

"This is gonna cause more confusion than a mouse in a burlesque show!"

"Who's responsible for this unwarranted attack on my person?"

“I'll be scared later. Right now I'm too mad.”

“If an interesting monster can’t have an interesting hairdo I don’t know what this world is coming to.”

“You say the Loch Ness Monster is living in your jacuzzi? Well, call Roto-Rooter!”

“I hate it when people are at you house and ask, ‘hey do you have a bathroom?’ No not at all...”

[torturedcoveydepartment]

I’ve noticed you’re a fan of both Taylor Swift and tbosas, so what songs do you think radiate Lucy Gray Baird vibes?

IS THIS REALLY THE REPUTATION I HAVE ON HERE? LOVE IT. I have a burning passion for both of these!! This will by all means become a fangirling moment of mine, but that’s the thrill ain’t it? No but really. Here’s my list of songs that could have been written by Ms Lucy Gray Baird, originally from the musical genius and cat lady Taylor Alison Swift <3

Should’ve said no is definitely a song that she would’ve written as discovering that Billy Taupe went behind her back, messed up badly and became a total asshole.

“It’s strange to think the songs we used to sing. The smiles, the flowers. Everything gone // You shouldn’t be begging for forgiveness at my feet. You should’ve said no, baby and you might still have me”

Mean walks the same path. I’d like to imagine her singing it wherever she went after Coriolanus went crazy, whether that’s up north or in the afterlife. Also something after Billy Taupe’s fuckery.

“I bet you got pushed around, somebody made you cold. But the cycle ends right now cause you can’t lead me down that road and you don’t know what you don’t know // Some day I’ll be living in a big old city, and all you’re ever gonna be is mean”

Never grow up fits as something the covey would cook together about Maude Ivory and Clerk Carmine. Potentially also about Lucy Gray. Though I feel like she could have written it about her younger cousins - especially after the games, wishing they’ll never have to go through the capitol’s sick entertainment game.

“Your little eyelids flutter cause you’re dreaming. So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite nightlight. To you everything is funny, you have nothing to regret // Don’t you ever grow up, it could stay this simple”

Haunted feels like a Lucy Gray written song right after witnessing Coriolanus shooting Mayfair. Especially something she came up with after he lied to her about “his old self”. We know the covey claims Lucy Gray to be the poet in their family, so she could easily have came up with it even in the moments of doubt and fear.

“You and I walk a fragile line, I have known it all this time, but I never thought I’d live to see it break. It’s getting dark and it’s all so quiet and I can’t trust anything now. And it’s coming over you like it’s all a big mistake // Something made your eyes go cold”

Sad beautiful tragic makes me think of Lucy Gray right before the games as she gets to the point where maybe? just maybe she’s falling for Coriolanus.

“I meet you in warm conversations. We both wake in lonely beds. In different cities and time. Is taking its sweet time erasing you, and you’ve got your demons and darlin’ they all look like me. Cause we had, a beautiful magic love there. What a sad, beautiful tragic love affair”

Before the reaping a part of her still missed Billy, so Better man could possibly fit into those mixed feelings of disappointment, longing, grief and aggression.

“Sometimes in the middle of the night I can feel you again. And I just miss you and I just wish you were a better man”

I bet you think about me as she watched Coriolanus continuing torturing and kill children because of a relationship that ended on bad feet.

“I bet you think about me, in your organic shoes and your million dollar couch. I bet you think about me when they say oh my god she’s insane, she wrote a song about me”

Bad blood. Utter disappointment and anger. When Coriolanus “chased” her down the woods.

“Cause baby now we got bad blood. You know it used to be mad love. So take a look what you’ve done. Cause baby now we got bad blood. Did you have to do this? I was thinking that you could be trusted”

Look what you made me do gives me vague vibes of hate towards Coral and her pack. Trying to poison them (succeeding with one of em!! Too bad Dill died)

“I don’t like your little games. Don’t like your tilted stage // I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red underlined // I don’t trust nobody and nobody trust me. I’ll be the actress staring in your bad dreams”

MY TEARS RICOCHET. UGH MY ALL TIME FAV SONG. ISNT IT OBVIOUS? The bridge is SO Coriolanus and Lucy Gray coded after they fell apart. Lullabies stolen by death.

“And I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want just not home. And you can aim for my heart, go for blood. But you would still miss me in your bones. And I still talk to you, when I’m screaming at the sky. And when you can’t sleep at night - you hear my stolen lullabies”

Mad woman. No one really accepted her for who she was. Not district 12. Definitely not the capitol. In the book the hanging tree got banned to perform due to its real upbringing on unfair and cruel practices.

“No one likes a mad woman, you made her like that // I’m taking my time, taking my time cause you took everything from me. Watching you climb, watching you climb over people like me”

The lakes. OBVIOUS. AGAIN. Song she wrote during their visit at the lake, her, Coriolanus and the others of the covey. Planning on running away with him to live in the wilderness, catching their own food and never looking back.

“What should be over burrowed under my skin, in heartstopping ways of hurt. I’ve come to far to watch some namedropping sleaze tell me what are my words worth. Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die - I don’t belong, and my beloved neither do you”

There is something about Cowboy like me that gives off Lucy Gray energy, especially right before the games. Her job is practically putting on a charm and performing (not to mention she’s REAL GOOD at it. Accustomed to tricking others by feigning love, probably like coryo and her as they tried to gain affection out of one other.

“I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve, takes on to know one // You’re a cowboy like me, perched in the dark, telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear // Now you hang from my lips like the garden of babylon. With your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con”

Anti-hero, SHE’S DEFINITELY NOT ONE. But when first speaking to Coriolanus again she claims herself to be a murderer when in reality, she’s just a girl with willingness to survive. Lucy Gray is a confident and determined girl, but there’s a not a doubt her mind is playing tricks on her from time to time - especially after the games.

“It’s me. Hi! I’m the problem it’s me. At tea time everybody agrees. I stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror. It must be exhausting always rooting for the antihero. // Did you hear my covert narcissism. I disguise as altruism? Like I’m some kind of congressman. Tale as old as time”

Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve. None of her past lovers have stayed true, besides her life never treated her fairly either. Coriolanus and the capitol really did steal her childhood, even if it was hers first.

“And now that I’ve grown, I’m scared of ghosts. Memories feel like weapons // God rest my soul. I miss who I used to be, the tomb won’t close // Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts. Give me back my girlhood it was mine first”

Carolina from where the crawdads sings is such a covey tale song!!

Safe & Sound is pretty self explanatory, ain’t it?

[devotedtosadpoetry]

every now and then i remember friends on the other side from princess and the frog exists and i have to go to listen to it or watch it and appreciate it AND LET ME TELL YOU WHYYYYY

the instruments perfectly match every vibe they got going on— Dr. Facilier is a slippery eel and the horns slide up and down with him, and when he leads them into his parlor the horns start hopping with him, bouncing and giddy for what’s about to come. when he talks about voodoo you got some funky instrument that almost sounds like it’s going “ooooohh!!” when he’s talking to the prince and his life you hear another horn that sounds like the trumpet you hear to announce the royal is coming and you should bow. the music sounds so hopeful yet mysterious when he holds out his hands to them, then is immediately interrupted by the BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMS WHICH IS THE MOST DELICIOUS VIBE SWITCH IN EXISTENCE and the whole time it sounds like a sweet Louisiana song

the lyrics DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE LYRICS okay okay okay Dr. Facilier got that sweet charm, the lyrics must match his speech patterns which is why he says “you need to marry a lil’ honey whose daddy got dough” AND DID YOU HEAR THAT SOUND????? “marry a lil’ honey” that sweet eeee sound from the y’s and then the d’s in “daddy got dough” IS DELICIOUS that’s such a good line

BUT THE BEST LINE THEY SAVE AT THE END like this entire time he’s talking about his friends on the other side, which you know aren’t his actual friends as soon as he says “i hope you’re satisfied, but if you ain’t don’t blame me, you can blame my friends on the other side” is such a sick end BUT THEN THEY GO EVEN FURTHER WITH THE BACKUP SINGERS just belting “you got what you wanted but you lost what you had” ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEEE SCREEEEEEEEE ending the song with a “hush” is such a sweet notion like he’s saying to not tell anyone what happened in here.

the genius of the vibes make me drool. neon lighting for villains always makes me kick my legs like a little girl it brings SO MUCH JOY. his parlor is full of so much detail, and LET ME TELL YOU THISSSS: often in villain songs they have their minions sing back at them (think be prepared or in the dark of the night or savages) but it’s just dr facilier out here by himself. so what do you do? have the voodoo chilling with him join in on it, then go ham when the lighting changes to bright neon.

it’s like another world inside that parlor, and it’s a genius song for a genius villain: dr. facilier has a sick design, being tall and lanky he TOWERS over everyone, not only that, but he has a shadow that moves on its own and is at his service. his walking stick makes an excellent prop for him to flip around and make dramatic motions.

they do him justice by giving him a SICK DEATH literally those friends on the other side betraying him and sliding him down to hell by HIS SHADOW WAAHHHHHH

and pulling it all together is the divine voice of Keith David. his voice was made for this role. so charming, easily draws you into that parlor then turns dark and slippery and slimy and harsh ready to take your soul for his own to feed to his friends like WAHHHHHHHH so so so so good and forever my favorite disney villain.

[unfoldingrose]

Datura’s Daughter

Reading Key 🔑

OPEN & LISTEN/READ ALL LINKS. THIS IS FOR UNDERSTANDING.

ALL LINKS ARE UNDERLINED RED

I had briefly read about Datura as a late teen/20-year-old. The plant intrigued me and was always in the background of my walk (studies). She wasn’t of utmost importance to me regardless of Her ever presence. I simply wasn’t ready...until I was.

My stumbling upon Datura in real life was serendipitous and so so unexpected.  

August 2019, I was having a full moon stroll with a beloved musical genius. We will call him FireBird.

FireBird and I were discussing the Andromedin star system, and the Arch(acnid)s of Time. He and I tended to get deeply esoteric with each other. He kept up with me AND expounded upon conversation to the point where I found myself having to keep up with him. Despite the craziness of our connection, he and I were kin in that way. Hearts that sincerely sought to be One with Mystery.

Selene in Her fullness beamed down on us. Crickets sang their song, and East Atlanta’s humidity cloaked our skin.

We’d came across his neighbor’s house like we did a million times before, but I guess this night the neighbor’s Datura blooms were at peak ripeness just for us to see.

The flowers held their faces up towards the moon. Their sentient, Gramophone petals bellowing out Her intoxicatingly quiescent aroma. I gasped. Literally. In awe.

FireBird was off put, but I told him it was Sacred Datura, and he trusted my giddy response. Omg FireBird, I read about that plant before, see! Come on!

I innocently went over to the neighbor’s yard and inhaled with my whole lung. I picked a flower and nectar spilled over my fingertips. I eagerly put the flower in his face for him to inhale and experience Her as well.

I was ignorant that an inhale + nectar absorbed through skin alone will send you on a trip- though not nearly as deadly as ingesting the seed. Things got creepy, crawly, hilarious, scary, and <<*~FreaQQy~*>> (freaky::frequency), to say the least. An unplanned Datura encounter is an initiation in and of itself. This animalistic plant tends to stay with you. Your shadow is the humectant, and Datura is the moisture. I have learned that it is possible to come across certain plants and be inside their vortex…indefinitely.

Four years have passed, and I have been inside Datura’s Fib0nacci ever since- with less intensity as time goes on.

Here is some of what She’s revealed to me…

Vision Quest & Flying Ointment 

Datura (Thorn Apple, Jimsonweed, etc.) belongs to the Solanaceae family- the same family as tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. She is a weedy perennial, with large trumpet blooms, and stanky, menacing leaves. Solanaceae is unique in that several species contain the presence of strong alkaloids. Alkaloids are multifaceted organic plant compounds, and can be toxic to humans in even low amounts. Within Datura are three tropane alkaloids: atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine. Of the tropanes in Datura, hyoscyamine tends to have higher concentration; however, depending on the species + time & place of harvest, tropane concentration may vary. Datura’s alkaloids (as with all Solanas) effect the body in a host of ways, but the most common are pupil dilation; reduced secretions from respiratory, urinogenital, salivary, and other mucosal glands; effects on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system; rapid increase or decrease in heart rate. 

Datura is a deliriant under the hallucinogen umbrella. In the offshoots of reddit, one can find the r/Datura community where users describe their Datura horror stories. Deliriants (aka derailments) trigger erratic behaviors that can endanger others or self, strong hallucinations, hysteria, an inability to realize that one *is* hallucinating, vivid dreams, memory loss, true dysphoria, and more. Unfortunately for most...Datura’s hallucinations are that of a waking nightmare. Ain’t nothing cute and lighthearted about Her. 

Despite Datura’s terrifying association, She has been recorded for medicinal and spiritual purposes amongst various groups throughout the world. I find, as with most toxins and venoms, that the cure is hidden within the poison. It is painfully clear that earlier generations were aware of this knowledge when compared to modern people’s haphazard use of Datura. It seems as though, for the same effects tropane alkaloids cause, they can also relieve them as well.

 Datura (+ Her other tropane containing sister flowers) assist with: easing migraines, pain, & muscle spasms; curbing mucosal excess; rectifying cognitive problems stemming from spine injury; settling motion sickness & nausea; regulating cardiac arrythmia; unraveling violent PTSD and sexual traumas; and even calming asthmatic fits (when smoked). Speaking of smoke, ain’t it funny how Datura is in the same family as Tobacco? A common hallucination people report is that cigarettes appear out of thin air- and they have a smoke. Once they’re done smoking, the cigarette reappears again, and they are compelled to do it over again. Is it that during this hallucination, the body is attempting to regain control over respiratory function? Who knows...

 According to Kymia Arts, fire neutralizes tropane alkaloids, and ol plant lady Emma Dupree states here (@ minute 13:13) that dried Datura leaves “help em get they breath.”

In homeopathic practices, specialists name those who could benefit from Datura as a Stramonium person.  In extreme cases, this person has a deep fear of the dark, fear of danger, homicidal tendencies, an aversion to water, reflective surfaces, and being alone. They can be epileptic, manic, rageful, and schizophrenic. In mild cases, they can be dyslexic, have poor speech, or muscle ticks. I intuit that Datura heals these ailments because spiritually, this person is already in Her realm...and only She can reclaim & set you free.  She allows one to overcome their fears by *leaving* it at Her doorstep. For She eats fear and all arcane things for dinner...

On the inverse, Datura intoxication causes extreme dry mouth/throat, extreme thirst, speaking in tongues/babble, auditory phantoms, incoherence, loss of motor function, inability to read, inability to *perceive* danger, and (hopefully) temporary madness...

As I said before, Datura has been used worldwide by a wide range of groups. According to Pharmako Gnosis, the Tsonga of South Africa “use Datura fatuosa in girls’ initiation ceremonies for exorcism. After the ingestion of a decoction of Datura root, the ceremony is marked by dancing, rapid drumming, disrobing, and the invocation of a blue-green pattern of the ancestor spirits” (p. 248). 

One of Kalifornia’s indigenous tribe Chumash were known to use Datura ritualistically as well. For them, the main purpose of Datura consumption was to receive the gift of a dream helper. The Chumash chose the female Datura plant, dried Her root, and chewed the dried root during winter [Saturn’s season::Datura’s planetary ruler]. It is reported that their ceremonies with Datura were called Vision Quest (in Chumash Mother Tongue of course). One can even find the term Vision Quest in modern media; a prime example is in the suspense-horror film “Us” directed by Jordan Peele. There is a reoccurring scene where small girl is sent to a creepy mirror filled “funhouse” with the banner Vision Quest over the top. That “funhouse” is akin to a Datura trip...

In India, the powdered seeds were mixed with butter and taken internally for impotence as well as being applied to genitalia to obtain sexual vigor (Lewis 1977:330). Referred to as the tuft of Shiva, the god of destruction, Datura was also used in the form of a liquid extract by thugs - worshipers of Kali, the goddess of fertility and death - to stupefy sacrificial victims. The plant was also given to young girls in India to bring them Into prostitution as well as on their clients (Siegel 1989:21). The leaves were smoked as well in that country to relieve asthma (Lewis 1977:395).

Datura metel. Phytognosis.

In European traditions, plant women were known to create flying ointments containing Datura or another tropane containing Solanas. It is possible that the creation of flying ointments are a part of why women during that time were accusing of “flying on brooms.” It is said witches would apply flying ointments to their brooms, or even to their vuvlas for aphrodisiac effects. 

“All of the tropane plants were major ingredients in various “flying ointments,” along with sundry other dangerous and nefarious substances such as water hemlock (Cicuta virosa), hemlock (Conium maculatum), monkshood (Aconitum napellus), opium poppy (Papver somniferum), soot, baby’s fat, bat’s blood and poplar (Populus spp.) Pharmako Gnosis. (245).

Another hallucination people have reported is a feeling of flying, or the sight of levitating beings. I attribute the flying sensation to an increase in heart rate. Interestingly, I have a hunch that users may also be experiencing the essence/spirit Datura’s primary polliantor, the nocturnal Sphinxmoth. 

Now I want you to take the time to read this. Below is an instagram caption from artist and chemist Bryan Lehto of Bio Temple Hawaii.

This amino acid (Tropane) plays a critical role in a variety of biological processes, from the formation of bird feathers to the synthesis of tropane alkaloids and the production of polyamine spermidine. The presence of ornithine in nature is a reminder of the intricate connections. Birds are perhaps the most well-known source of ornithine in nature. This amino acid is a critical component of the keratin that makes up bird feathers. Ornithine is an important precursor to the synthesis of the amino acid arginine, which is used to make the keratin that forms feathers. Without ornithine, birds would not be able to maintain their distinctive plumage and would be unable to fly or regulate their body temperature. Interestingly, ornithine is also a precursor to the synthesis of tropane alkaloids. These are a class of organic compounds found in a variety of plants, including belladonna, henbane, and jimson weed (Datura). Tropane alkaloids are known for their psychoactive properties and have been used for medicinal and ritual purposes such as flying ointments for centuries. The presence of ornithine in these plants that underlie their pharmacological effects. Their poisonous berries are spread by birds. Ornithine is a precursor to the synthesis of the polyamine spermidine. This compound is found in all living cells and plays a crucial role in a variety of cellular processes, including DNA replication, protein synthesis, and cell division. Spermidine is involved in the growth and development of plants, as well as the maturation of sperm cells in animals. An intermediate in the biosynthetic pathways of both tropane alkaloids and spermidine are the compounds of putrescene and cadaverine, the odors of death. If we look at the metaphors present in the biological processes of the amino acid ornithine, we see not only the metaphor of flight but the leitmotif of death, the underworld, and the resurrection of new life.”

Cool rite? 

Let’s keep going...

Vampire Squid from Hell

When Datura (or any other powerful plant) takes you into its vortex, intel about its occulted aspects finds its way to you without overt searching. She made it clear soon after our encounter that She is a land-dwelling expression of a cephalopod named Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, or Vampire Squid from Hell.  Vampyroteuthis Infernalis hasn’t had many extreme changes over the course of its 350-299 million year existence. It is considered a living relic, which means the genetic wisdom of this creature is still intact for us to observe and understand. 

One can detect the energetics of Datura in the location, and physiology of Vampire Squid. 

Vampire Squid dwells in the Mesopelagic Zone of the Ocean where oxygen becomes sparce. This deepening end of the Ocean is coined the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The Mesopelagic is also attributed the phenomena of twilight. Lingering sunlight wanes rapidly into darkness, and temperature sharply declines as depth increases. The lines between the surface waters and the abysmal deep begin to transition here. Let’s consider the Ocean’s surface, or Epipelagic Zone as Datura’s inviting flower, and the abysmal home of Vampyroteuthis (OMZ) as Datura’s Lethal Alkaloids. Dawn. Dusk. Twilight.

Organisms that live in this level begin to display bioluminescence. Their eyes & physical form take on an…alien, strange appearance. 

Vampire Squid reportedly has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, an adaptation needed to capture any glimpse of light in the endless black seas. It’s 8 arms are webbed and tipped with bioluminescent photophores. The underside of its webbing is decorated with fleshy spikes. When irritated, Vampire Squid will cloak itself in its arms, exposing these spikes. It not only takes on the shape of Datura’s inflorescence, but also Datura’s radical seed pod. 

[Photo Credit: Pinterest; Bing Images]

This blue-blooded cephalopod lives primarily in a resting state. Due to such low oxygen levels, it must maintain a low metabolism to conserve energy, and even possesses certain enzymes associated with anaerobic metabolism. The likelihood of Vampire Squid coming across live prey is rare- and so it feasts on detritus (decay, feces, mucus, “marine snow”) that sink from the Ocean’s surface. 

When reading about Vampire Squid, one fact that stood out to me is that they have “weak musculature but maintain agility and buoyancy (in the OMZ) with little effort due to sophisticated statocysts (balancing organs akin to a human's inner ear)(Wikipedia). Recall Datura’s aforementioned Gramophone petals? And Vampire Squid’s webbed arms? Don’t they look like triplets? What’s the connection?

Here are some field notes:

Oxygen Minimum Zone::OMZ::Ohms::Ω::OM:: H0me:: The Highly Contagious Viral Realm of Shadows:: Consequence of Datura’s toxic alkaloid scopolamine that causes respiratory failure [OXYGEN IS SPARCE]. Alchemist Kymia Arts states that the plant can cause one to suffocate themselves, as they drift off unconsciously into delirium. You won’t realize you’re drowning.

Gramophone::Grandma Phone::Recordings of the Crone [Saturn; ruling plant of Datura]. Hell’s Record Keeper.

Download:: Datura somehow has a mechanism on the human inner ear (statocyst, Vampire Squid buoyancy) causing auditory hallucinations… the intoxicated victim is finally able to hear the sounds of their own inner hell. Their internal Oxygen Minimum Zone.

Datura’s Daughter Short Materia Medica

Planetary Ruler: Saturn, Venus, and Mars

Energetics: Extremely Drying & Bitter; Drying action Causes Heat 

Z0diac: Capricorn, Scorpio, Libra

Organ Systems: Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Nerves, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Neuromuscular, Urinogenital 

Properties: Deliriant, Hallucinogen, Shamanic, Poison, Anodyne, Antispasmodic

Associations: Death, Rot, Blood, The Devil, Decay, Madness, Hysteria, Fear, Trauma, OMZ, Gramophone, Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, Flight, Levitation, Sphinx Moths, Animalistic Urges, Indigenous, Folklore Traditions, Thugges of India (Datura shows who Thugs *really* are), Queen Toloache, Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts, Smoking, Lord Shiva, Chumash (California Condors), Initiatory Practices of men & the young. 

WARNING: Datura no longer respects or trusts 99.9% of humans. This is why so many Datura abusers don’t learn any lessons from Her as they would Psilocybin. Approach Datura with the utmost respect, sincerity, and innocence and you *might* be spared...

One night, a long time since that East Atlanta evening, I was tending to my garden. I had my playlist on shuffle. The song Throw Yo Sets in Da Air by Three 6 Mafia came on. I peeped my little Jimsonweed Datura dancing to it, specifically to the first verse given to us by the late Gangsta Boo, the Devil’s Daughter, and my inspiration for Datura’s Daughter. She gave me a wink and said She liked that verse! Haha. And so, from that day, Gangsta Boo’s verse has become what I call Datura’s Chanting Prayer. Linked below. 

RIP Gangsta Boo 

The Devil’s Daughter::Datura’s Daughter Chant Prayer

I think I finally have located the Gates of Death

Lie awake at Night to hatch my Evil plots I find Myself

Stumbling thru the Dark up against the f*ckin Verge of Sins

Bodies in my yard- Oh My God the Demons came again

People don’t you worry cus Datura’s Daughter got a plan

Ho, eternal burning you will have if you don’t comprehend

Understand this sh*t a Gangsta Bitch is sayin to ya Dawg

Lock you in the trunk mob thru the Night within a Mist of Fog

Never Fear a Nigga callin himself a Killer- wassup Bitch?

Boy you claim you so gahdamn Buck Wild wit that weak ass sh*t

Chillin at the hideout, smokin out, not worried bout a thang

Ballin through Black Haven deep as hell in that Suburban mane

Always watchin my back cus Niggas will jack you for your f*ckin sh*t

Female I am but don’t give a damn if I split some bustas bitch’s wig

Three 6 Mafia Niggas including one Female that’s bumping so Hard on you hoes

The only one talking that shit is these jealous ass niggas && all playa hatas you kno...

DISCLAIMER: I do not promote or recommend ingesting Datura AT ALL. Datura CAN and WILL kill you. Datura can cause PERMANENT psychosis/schizophrenia, blindness, and damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys. If ingested/applied topically, it must be done with the assistance an EXPERIENCED plant professional in THERAPEUTIC DOSES ONLY. Therapeutic doses are EXTREMELY diluted or combined with other alkaloid balancing compounds. 

DO NOT INGEST DATURA. She is not a psychedelic. She is a DELIRANT in even moderate doses. For experiences similar to mine, sincere and respectful communing with a live Datura plant is all that is necessary. You can still be impacted (spiritually) by Datura without taking that risk...

DO NOT work with Datura if you are not ready to mature and deal with the recesses of your unconscious mind, the places you don’t touch...where oxygen is low...and detritus is nourishment. 

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Runaway - Chapter Twelve.

You guys! You’re really loving this, aren’t you? That makes me so happy! If you ever want to slow the note count down, that’s absolutely fine. The story will end on chapter twenty four, so there’s your end point to keep in mind. Thank you so much for your continued interest, you’re all so lovely! 

Previous chapters - Prologue  One  Two  Three  Four  Five  Six  Seven  Eight  Nine  Ten  Eleven

Taglist - In the comments, please DM to be added/removed

Words - 2,490

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

“Little mamas, what’s the beef now, huh?”

Reaching down, Manny lifted his howling daughter into his arms, bouncing her gently as her mother had said often worked in placating her. No such luck that night, Lola adamant that she was not to be soothed for more than half an hour as a time. “Imma need to get mommy to spray her perfume on a toy or blanket, aren’t I? Because I think that’s the issue, you miss her, don’t you?”

It was bound to be a little bewildering for her, Lola suddenly being in a new place with new people, her very tired daddy someone she’d only spent time with twice before staying there. Manny understood it, but god, it was hard, having his sleep broken every half hour or so by a crying baby. Taking her out to the lounge and closing the door to try and put a buffer between the noise and Carmen, he wondered how the hell Hannah had coped, doing this all by herself for the first three months of Lola’s life.  

Of course, she’d had the help of her parents here and there, so she’d revealed, but mostly it had just been her. He really wished she’d told him sooner, as soon as the DNA test proved Michael not to be Lola’s father. He would have been there in a heartbeat, but lord, he wouldn’t try and deny it. Parenting was tough, especially when there was no real reason for a baby to be squealing loudly at 3am, Manny feeling himself becoming a little stressed out by it.  

Nobody said fatherhood would be easy, though.  

“Come on, baby cakes. You’re just gonna be a cute little husk soon, all these tears you’re crying,” he spoke softly, kissing her cheek and resting her to his chest, the living room door suddenly flung open.  

“Manny, I have to be up for work in three hours. You’ve gotta stop that baby from crying!” Carmen fumed, folding her arms after storming over to stand in front of him.  

He looked up at her incredulously. “Wanna keep it down? She don’t need your shouting adding to the fact she’s stressing without her mama here. I’m trying to soothe her, but god damnit, she’s fourteen weeks old. It’s to be expected.” He had thought she might’ve gentled to the idea, actually saying hello to Lola when he’d brought her in that afternoon, saying she was very cute and agreeing how much she resembled him, Manny breathing a sigh of relief. Her thaw had not lasted, though, it seemed.

He was met with a huff and a snort at his request for her to hush, his fiancée turning and storming out. “Try harder!”

“Oh yeah, she saltier than the dead sea, ain’t she?” he complained lightly, picking up his phone and doing a little research for anything he could try out to soothe a howling baby, since he was all out of ideas. Cuddles didn’t work, neither did her favourite blanket or cuddly elephant that she’d fallen in love with since he placed it in her hands the week before.  

Reading through a few parenting forums, he found there were a large number of formerly sleep deprived parents all advising using sounds of nature to calm their little ones, one mommy listing a few links to the YouTube playlists that worked for her baby in calming him down, Manny clicking on the first to be taken to an eight hour long video of night ambience music, that particular one listed as enchanted forest.  

Pressing play, he rested his cell against his chest next to Lola, and after a few minutes, as if by magic, he had an enchanted baby.  

“Would you look at that? Daddy is a damned genius.” He whispered softly, Lola settling, the sounds of her sleepy snuffles replacing the screaming. He waited until he was sure she was deeply asleep before taking her back to her room, resting her down in her crib and stopping the video. As soon as he did, though...

“Oh, lord have fucking mercy.” He didn’t have Google home or Amazon Alexa (although made a mental note to get one of them in light of this) so instead, switched calls to silent, cancelled his alarm and left his phone on the dresser, luckily the sounds settling his screaming daughter once the video had been resumed, Manny leaving her to sleep, heading back into bed with Carmen. He got a whole two hours before Lola made her demands known again, this time because she was hungry.  

While he was dealing with daddy duties on two and a half hours of sleep, a well-rested Hannah was meeting with Shonda for breakfast before they both began their working days, Shonda at the insurance firm she was an underwriter for, and Hannah back at home in her office area. Since Lola’s arrival, she no longer had a room to sit within and work, but luckily her spacious lounge had meant she could easily shift her desk out there and work facing the window. Manny would be dropping Lola back at midday, so she’d get at least three hours in completely undisturbed.

“Pumpkin, you’re looking fresh!” Shonda greeted her with, rising from her seat to kiss her cheek, Hannah taking a seat and a grateful swig of the coffee waiting for her.

“Yeah, I slept for a blissful seven hours last night, with Lola over at her daddy’s place,” she revealed, pulling up the sleeves on her light sweater and getting comfortable. “Poor Manny, he texted me this morning to say that she howled most of last night, but he found an ambient music playlist or something that seemed to settle her down.”

“I was just about to ask how he coped with her first stop over! Man, that’s a good guy right there, living up to his word and being a hands-on daddy. You got so lucky, sugar.”

Boy, how Hannah knew that. She counted her blessings daily that it wasn’t Michael who had fathered her child.  

“I really did. He’s just been so good about it all. I think it stems from the fact his own dad walked out on him when he was five, it’s stuck with him as something that he’d never do to a child of his own,” she shared, Shonda nodding.  

“I wanna meet this man! When can I? I feel like I should, you know, being the auntie of his child!”  

Hannah laughed softly, casting her eyes down at the menu before her. “Soon, I’ll arrange a meet up or something. He’s quite busy and his hours aren’t regular.” She excused herself then when her phone chimed, taking a look to see she’d received yet another reply to her post on a parenting forum, one she sighed over. “And with that, I’m deleting my fucking account.”

Shonda’s confused face prompted her further explanation. “So, you know how I mentioned that I stopped breastfeeding, because of the nipple issue? Well, I posted about it on the mommy forum, and so many women were supportive and said they did exactly the same, that the pain of cracked nipples and no longer enjoying the bonding experience because of such made them choose the formula route too. But then, oh my god, the barrage of hatred I’ve been getting! I swear, new mothers are some of the most judgmental people on earth!”

“Oh, don’t even listen to them, pumpkin. I mean, I know I’ve decided that my ovaries are only ever gonna be purely ornamental, but for real, it’s your choice and she’s your child. You decide what’s best. These forums, as I can guess are likely a good resource, but with that comes the judgement you mention, so yeah. I think you’re best ignoring them and letting your poor little nips heal up all nice!” She paused then, sipping her coffee as their server arrived with them, giving their order. “Besides, isn’t formula just as good in this day and age?”

“Yeah, the better-quality ones are, and yes, you’re correct, too. Account now deleted, and nipples healing nicely under a slather of cocoa butter. All nice and soft again, and no one other than me to appreciate them!”

Shonda snorted softly with laughter. “Still horny as hell?”

“Oh, god!” Hannah exclaimed, the look on her face hysterical. “Since I healed and started getting a little more sleep, it has not gone away! If anything, it’s gotten worse!”

“So, do you think you might be dipping your toe into the dating pool again soon?”

Hannah was thoughtful for a few moments before shaking her head. “I don’t really want to just yet, not with Lola so little. It’s just something else I have to put energy I don’t have into, but a fuck buddy might be nice.”

Shonda’s eyes widened a fraction as her shoulders bobbed in a half-shrug. “Shame baby daddy is off the market. You could have hopped on any time you liked.”

“Don’t remind me!” she wailed quietly, covering her face with her hands. “That man is entirely too attractive for his own good.”  

She was reminded of such later that morning, Manny texting to say he’d be a little late to drop her back if that was okay with Hannah, taking Lola to meet her granny Val. It was just coming up to 2pm when they arrived, Hannah piling the pasta she’d cooked for lunch into a bowl, of which she’d made entirely too much of.  

“What the hell smells so amazing, and please can I have some?” Manny announced, passing Lola in her car seat to Hannah, who placed it down and fetched her out, beaming widely at her happy looking baby.  

“That is blackened Cajun chicken pasta, and yes you may. I made too much as usual, but I can freeze what we don’t eat,” she spoke, following him into the kitchen area and pulling another bowl from the cupboard. “Here,” she spoke, passing him the bowl, “help yourself.”  

He peered into the pot; the smell heavenly. “Hannah banana, do I see actual vegetables in here?”

“You do,” she confirmed, adding black pepper to her own bowl. “Zucchini, green peppers and sweetcorn. I had to be somewhat healthy while I was pregnant, rather living on junk food. Vegetables aren’t too bad either, I have to somewhat concede.”  

She gestured with the pepper grinder, Manny holding his bowl forward before taking a huge first mouthful. “How is it?”

Her question was met by a blissful face and hummed noise of approval, Manny planting a huge kiss on her cheek. “Amazing, HB.”

“Oh, I’m abbreviated now?” she teased, moving to the couch with him, placing her bowl down and putting Lola beneath her baby gym before settling beside him.  

“You are when I have too much food in my mouth to call you Hannah banana.”  

While they ate, they mainly discussed the baby before moving on to catch up with one another, Manny revealing that Carmen was still being quite difficult about it all, Hannah sympathising. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit that the thought of discontent in their relationship didn’t give her a little bit of a happy flutter within, internally scolding herself that it was awful, to feel that when Manny was obviously pissed off about it.

“I mean, I dunno what I can do to make it better for her, you know? It almost feels like if I said I’d decided to have nothing to do with Lola, then she’d be perfectly fine with it. She can be selfish and bad tempered, but before all of this, she was sweet, you know? That’s why I got with her, because she was a nice girl, fun to be around, made me laugh.”

He paused for a moment, his frown deepening. “She’s been more tense with the wedding organising, and to begin with I was really involved in it all with her. I wanted to be, it’s my wedding too. However, if I inputted any ideas she didn’t like, I just got stonewalled, so I left the choices to her. Apparently now that means I ain’t interested, so I’m stuck and she’s mad when she don’t need to be. It’s amped up triple fold since Lola arrived in our lives,” he continued, sighing. “You got any advice for me there?”

Hannah liked that, that she was a person he felt he could share with intimately. Then again, back when they’d first met, it had been frighteningly easy between them. They were very much in tune.  

“Other than offer her the reassurance that Lola being in your life doesn’t change how you feel about her, then you’re doing all you can already, Manny. It’s up to Carmen to get her head around now,” she advised. “I should think that when the wedding has happened, and she’s had all those months to get used to Lola being around, then she’ll settle more. Weddings are stressful things; I remember from organising my own. I’m sure she’ll calm down again eventually.”

Manny bit the inside of his cheek, but not enough to prevent the noise of doubt that sounded deep in his throat. “Hm, yeah.”

“You don’t sound so sure there,” she observed, forking the last pieces of pasta from the bowl and shovelling them into her mouth.  

“Truth?”

She reached to pat his thigh supportively. “Yeah, go on.”

“I’m wondering if she ever will, with how she’s acting. I mean, I get that this landed on us out of the blue, but if she’s still at the same level of annoyed over it as she was when she found out, and she’s had just shy of three weeks to deal with this, then I gotta wonder if she’ll ever accept it.”

“Ahh, give her time! Like you say, it’s only been three weeks. I mean, if you’re comparing her to you, then of course you’ll settle faster, since Lola is your blood. Carmen doesn’t have a link to her like that. All she sees is the fact that suddenly, there’s a little less room for her, even though I know you told me you’re reassuring her that’s not the case.”  

He rested his empty bowl down on the table, turning to her. “You’re fucking awesome, you know that? I swear, I wish everyone was as easy to talk things over with as you are. You’re all chill and reasonable.”  

“I try.” she shrugged.  

He left her to it shortly after, kissing Lola goodbye and being glad to receive some big, happy smiles, Hannah walking him to the door.  

“Thanks for the eats, and the chat. See you Thursday, HB.” Reaching for her, his thumb skimmed a soft circle at the apple of her cheek, Hannah smiling, the action making her heart flutter. What she had no way of knowing, of course, was that as he walked away from her door, so did his.

[sloelimbs]

Babe I'm gonna give you total creative freedom bc I trust you completely, BUT if you want a prompt, let's go with 'pineapple.'

since i'm down to my last two requests (i know it's taking me forever, i'm sorry, i have medical shit going down) i'm just going to pop in here that my askbox is open and i take requests! now, the story:

The line comes to him with the same kind of flash of inspiration as a riff, or a brilliant lyric, several years into his employment at the Hideout. He still plays on Tuesdays, because he and the guys could never give up on the double Cs, but more or less every other night of the week he’s in there serving drinks and cleaning glasses. It’s not without resentment that Eddie acknowledges he’s met more girls with a cocktail shaker in his hand (because Fridays are ladies nights, so cocktails are on the menu) than with his guitar.

Of course, that was before Chrissy Cunningham started working with him. Okay, so she doesn’t exactly work with him but she’s in the goddamn bar, ain’t she? It doesn’t matter that she’s also, you know, on the bar. He wouldn’t let anyone actually touch her (and nor would the other girls, for that matter) but God what do they do to the cheerleaders in this town to make them so consistently hot? It’s clearly not the uniform (he’d been worried about that), so what? The natural rhythm she has, moving so that her skin lights up like she’s covered in scales, hipbones glowing beneath low riding shorts, and how (even covered in sweat with her hair dark and curling from it) beautifully alive she is with the music replacing the blood in her veins? He knows she feels that too. Music is a living thing that takes a person over; this he knows because he makes it. Eddie suspects Chrissy was born with it.

Anyway, the line he comes up with smacks him clear between the eyes - a chord progression, a bridge appearing from nowhere - just as the last stragglers are being shooed out of the door and Chrissy is drying her hair perched on a table. It’s beyond fucking genius, he just knows it. He’s about to pick her up with the smoothest shit that’ll ever leave his mouth and he’s extra fucking cocky about swaggering up to her with a towel over his shoulder and his arms crossed over his chest. He’s always grateful that his work clothes are flattering but tonight he’s seriously considering thanking a God he doesn’t really believe in for his luck. She looks up at him quizzically, then smiles a smile so big that actually he thinks his smoothness might have a little pulp in it after all. Shit. Fuck. It’s too late, he’s already opening his mouth, and what falls out of it is;

“If you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple.” What that fuck was that, Munson, you enormous fucking clowncar of a man? Smooth his fucking foot oh God he’s going to run his own head over with his van. The fuck is he talking about? What is this nonsense?

Why can’t Chrissy be as easy to talk to as the bimbos that come in here with their bachelorette parties?

“Wow.” But she’s laughing! That’s a good sign! It’s not even polite laughter - it’s a hideous little giggle that he immediately wants to find again, grin immediate on his mouth, watching the gaps between her teeth. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Normally I’m much better than this.”

“You realise that makes you sound like a womanising jerk, right?” Chrissy crosses one long bare leg over the other and brushes the rhinestones hanging against her collarbone over her shoulder, raises her eyebrows and puckers her mouth at him. Sweet baby Jesus. That’s not true, not really, not from his perspective but if this is a game and this is how she wants the rules to be then he can do that. He sits at the table and folds his arms on the top.

“Maybe you should make an honest man of me, Cunningham. What time do you get off?”

“Same time as you, obviously.”

“I have some kush back at my trailer, if you felt like joining me.” The smile on her face grows, and her eyes flick from his own to his mouth, and it doesn’t matter that the pick up line ended up being the most embarrassing thing he could ever say because she leans down over him and slots her fingers along the bone of his jaw. Now he knows how all the heroines feel when the hero finally catches up with them. It’s a very strange place to be. Worth it, though. Oh God, so worth it, because she parts her lips against his and her tongue is coated in sugar and cinnamon from shots of cherry sours and Big Red bubblegum. When she pulls back, that tongue lingers for a second between his teeth and with a shiver he starts to laugh. He can’t help it. “It’s pineapple. The kush.”

“Wow. I can’t believe I’m going home with you and you’re this much of an idiot.”

“Chrissy, what can I say? I’m a talented guy.”

[abbygrabska]

Evolution of the Daleks

“These… humans will become like me.”

The Doctor and I slip behind some machinery

“Prepare them for hybridization.”

‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ begins playing and everyone stops.

“What is that sound?”

The Doctor and I step out, a radio in his hands, “That would be us.” He sets the radio down, “Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera.”

“Doctor.” “The enemy of the Daleks.” “Exterminate!” “Wait.” Dalek sec stops them.

“Well, then. A new form of Dalek.” He walks forward, “Fascinating and very clever.”

“The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter.” “How did you end up in 1930?” I ask.

“Emergency Temporal Shift.”

The Doctor scoffs, “Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?” He strides away, looking about, “Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead your skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting.” He takes a deep breath, “All of which results in you.”

“I am Dalek in human form.”

“What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn’t it? That’s your name? You’ve got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you’re thinking right now.” “I…. feel… everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such… a genius for war.” “No.” I shake my head, “That’s not what humanity means.” “I think it does. At heart, this species is so very… Dalek.” “All right, so what have you achieved then? With the Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! ‘Cause I can show you what you’re missing with this thing.” The Doctor points at the radio, “Simple little radio.” He pats it.

“What is the purpose of that device?” “Well, exactly. It plays music. What’s the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you’re a Dalek of course. Then it’s just noise.” The Doctor aims his sonic at the radio and a high pitch wail emanates from it.

Sec holds his head in pain while the other Daleks act erratically.

The Doctor turns to us, “Run!”

Martha and I lead everyone through the sewers until we reach a point we don’t recognize.

“Come on! Move, move, move, move, move!” The Doctor rushes past us.

We run down a tunnel and find Tallulah, “And you, Tallulah! Run!” She starts running, “What’s happened to Laszlo?” The Doctor leads everyone to a ladder, “C’mon! Everyone up!” We are all gathered around a fire in Hooverville.

“These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they wanna breed?” “They’re splicing themselves into human bodies. If I’m right, they’ve got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We’ve got to get everyone out.”

“Hooverville’s the lowest place a man can fall. There’s nowhere else to go.” Solomon argues. “I’m sorry, Solomon. You’ve got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state, just get out of New York.”

“There’s got to be a way to reason with these things.” I wince, “No chance.”

“You ain’t seen ‘em boss.”

“Daleks are bad enough at any time, but right now they’re vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever.”

A whistle is heard and someone comes running, “They’re coming! They’re coming!”

“A sentry. Must’ve seen something.”

“They’re here! I seen ‘em! Monsters! They’re monsters!”

“It’s started.”

“We’re under attack! Everyone to arms!” Solomon orders.

The men start passing out the guns and other weapons they have.

“I’m ready, boss, but all o’you! Find a weapon! Use anything!” Frank says. Some of the residents run off.

“Come back! We gotta stick together! It’s not safe out there! It’s not safe out there! Come back!” Solomon calls to them.

The pig slaves invade Hooverville, attacking those who try to escape.

“We need to get out of the park.” Martha tells us.

“We can’t! They’re on all sides. They’re driving people back towards us.” “We’re trapped.” “Then we stand together. Gather ‘round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together.” The pig soldiers have forced everyone into a tight circle by the fire.

“They can’t take all of us.” Solomon starts firing.

“If we can just hold them off till daylight.” I look at the sky, “They’re just the foot soldiers.” Everyone turns and looks up.

“Oh, my God.” A Dalek is flying above, heading towards us.

“What in this world…” “It’s the devil! A devil in the sky! God save us all! It’s damnation!”

“Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that!” Frank fires at the Dalek but the bullets do nothing.

The Doctor pushes his rifle down, “That’s not gonna work.

“There’s more than one of them!” 

The Daleks begin to attack, firing upon the settlement causing explosions and starting fires.

“The humans will surrender.”

“Leave them alone! They’ve done nothing to you!”

“We have located the Doctor!” Solomon steps forward and the Doctor grabs him by the arm, “No, Solomon. Stay back.” “I’m told that I’m adressin’ the Daleks, is that right? From what I hear, you’re outcasts too.” “Solomon, don’t.” I tell him. “Abby, this is my township, you will respect my authority. Just let me try.”

Solomon pushes the Doctor away. The Doctor steps back, shaking his head.

“Daleks… ain’t we all the same? Underneath, ain’t we all kin?” Solomon sets his rifle on the ground, “‘Cause, see, I’ve just discovered this past day God’s universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah. Terrifies me. Right down to the bone. But it’s got to give me hope… hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I… I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts then you’ll meet with us and stop this fight. Well… what do you say?” The Dalek fires upon Solomon, killing him, “Exterminate!” “Oh, no!” The inhabitants of Hooverville scream. 

Frank rushes to Solomon’s side, “No! Solomon!”

“They killed him. They just shot him on the spot.” The Doctor moves forward, “Daleks!” Arms out to his side, he confronts them, “All right, so it’s my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it’ll stop you attacking these people!” “I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy.” “Then do it! Do it! Just do it!” He beats on his chest, “Do it!”

My heart drops to my stomach.

There is a small conversation that we can’t hear before the Dalek speaks, “I… obey.” “What’s going on?” He asks.

“You will follow.” “No! You can’t go!” Martha cries out.

“I’ve got to go. The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds.” “But what about us?” I ask.

The Doctor looks back at the people of Hooverville before facing the Dalek.

“One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?” “The humans will be spared. Doctor… follow.” I take his hand before he can follow, “You better come back alive, you hear me?” I take a shaky breath, “I can’t lose you to them.”

He nods, gripping my hand with both of his, and winks.

As he walks off, I see the psychic paper in my hands.

Martha is applying a bandage to a man’s arm when Tallulah walks in with a pot of water.

“Here you go. I got some more on the boil.” “Thanks.” Martha looks to the man, “You’ll be all right. It’s just a cut. Try and keep it clean.”

The man thanks her before leaving.

Tallulah leans against the wall, “So, what about us? What do we do now?”

“The Doctor gave me the psychic paper. He must’ve had a reason.” I pull out the psychic paper and show Tallulah.

“What’s that for?”

“Gets you into places. But where? He must want me to go somewhere, but I’m not sure where.”

Tallulah and Martha are searching through papers, while I pace.

“Wait a minute. Down in the sewers the Daleks mentioned this… energy conductor. Like a lightning conductor or… Dalekanuim! They said the Dalekanium was in place. But where?” I wonder. “Frank might know?” Martha suggests.

We exit the tent, and find Frank.

“Frank? That Mr. Diagoras, he was some sort of foreman? Got you jobs all over town right?”

“Yeah. he could find a profit anywhere.” “But where, though? What sort of things?” “You name it. We’re all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work. That pays the best.”

I turn my head to look at the Empire State Building.

We enter a service elevator of the Empire State Building.

“I always wanted to go here. Never imagined it quite like this, though.” Martha says.

“Where are we headed anyway?” Frank asks.

“To the top, where they’re still building.” I tell them.

“How come those guys just let us through? How’s that thing work?” Tallulah asks.

“It’s psychic. Shows them whatever I want them to think. According to this, we’re three engineers and an architect.” Frank takes the psychic paper and flips the empty paper over in his hands.

We enter the top floor.

“Look at this place. Top of the world.” I spot the architectural plans, “That looks promising.”

Frank walks over with me, “Hey, look at the date. These designs were issued today. They must’ve changed something last minute.”

“Daleks changing something? Seems impossible. We need to check this one against the others from before, find the difference.” “The height of this place! This is amazing!” “Careful, we’re a hundred floors up. Don’t go wandering off.” Martha tells her.

“I just wanna see.” Tallulah walks to the open area overlooking the city.

I spread the plans out on the floor side by side, studying them.

“I’ll go and keep an eye out, make sure we’re safe up here. Don’t want nobody buttin’ in.” Frank walks out a side door.

“There’s a hell of a storm movin’ in.” “I wish the Doctor was here. He’d know what we’re looking for.” Martha laments.

“So tell me, where did you and the Doctor first hook up?” Tallulah directs her question at me.

“Well, it was two years ago actually. And he looked a lot different back then. Big ears, big nose, affinity for leather jackets. He actually blew up my job, that’s how we met.” I smile sadly, “We had a couple months break before we met Martha. Our friend had to go away, it really upset both of us, so we went our separate ways for a bit.”

I suddenly realize what they did, “Gotcha! Look!” I point near the top, “There, on the mast. Those little lines? They’re new. They’ve added something, see?” “Added what?” Martha and I look at each other, “Dalekanium!”

The elevator doors open, I turn to see the Doctor and Laszlo, “Doctor!”

I lead him over to the plans, “We worked it out. There’s Dalekanium on the mast.” The Doctor grabs me and pulls me into a kiss, pulling away abruptly as the bell dings and the elevator doors close.

He runs to try and stop it, using his sonic on the panel, “It’s a deadlock seal. I can’t stop it.” “Where’s it going?” Martha asks.

“Daleks, and I doubt they’re gonna leave us alone up here.” I tell her.

“What’s the time?” The Doctor asks.

Frank checks his watch, “11:15.” “Six minutes to go. I’ve got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits.” I lead everyone outside.

The Doctor looks out on the city, “Oh, that’s high. That’s very… Blimey, that’s high.”

“And we’ve got to go even higher. That’s the mast up there, look.” I point up, “There’s three pieces of Dalekanium at the base. We gotta get ‘em off.” “That’s not ‘we’. That’s just me.” I look at him distraught, “Why not?”

“I need you to fight.”

We all are holding makeshift weapons.

“The elevator’s coming up.” “I shoulda brought that gun.” Frank laments.

“Tallulah, stay back. You too, Abby, Martha. If they send pig slaves, they’re trained to kill.” “The Doctor needs us to fight, we’re not going anywhere.” “They’re savages. I should know. They’re trained to slit your throat with their teeth.” Laszlo collapses to the floor.

Tallulah fusses over him.

“One man down and we ain’t even started yet.”

I hear the storm through the open end of the room.

“Wait a minute. Lightning.” I run to the other end of the room.

We start to arrange long metal rods from the outside across the room to the elevator, making sure they don’t touch the floor.

Tallulah speaks to us, “What the hell are you three clowns doin’?” “Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still gonna get hit. Great big bolt of lightning, electricity all down this building. Connect this to the elevator, they get zapped.” “Oh my God, that could work.”

“Then give us a hand.”

Once we finish Tallulah asks, “Is that gonna work?”

“We’ve got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside.” “Come here, sit in the middle, and don’t touch anything metal.”

We huddle in the corner of the room.

The elevator arrives and the doors open right as the lightning strikes.

We all open our eyes, seeing the pig slaves dead.

“You did it!” “They used to be like Laszlo. They were people and we killed them.” Martha whimpers.

“No, the Daleks killed them. Long ago.” I rush outside, “What about the Doctor?”

I find the Doctor lying unconscious up by the mast, “Doctor!” I rush over to him and kneel beside him.

He groans, “Oh, my head.” “Hi.” I smile at him.

“Hi.” He smiles back, “You survived then.” “So did you, just about. We found your sonic halfway down.” I hand it to him, “Though I can’t help noticing… there’s Dalekanium still attached.” He gets up, “The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They’ll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan.” “How do we stop them?” Laszlo asks.

“There’s only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping through me first.” I furrow my brows in confusion, before realizing with a gasp, “Oh, you clever man.”

He smiles at me before turning to the others, “We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!” 

“That’s me. Three L’s and an H.” “The theatre! It’s right above them, and, what, it’s past midnight? Can you get us inside?”

“Don’t see why not.” She shrugs.

“Is there another lift?”

“We came up in the service elevator.” I tell him.

“That’ll do. Allons-y!”

We arrive to the darkened theatre.

“This should do it. Here we go.” The Doctor switches on his sonic.

“There ain’t nothin’ more creepy than a theatre in the dark.” Laszlo falls into one of the chairs beside her.

“Laszlo, what’s wrong?” Tallulah sits next to him.

“Nothing. It’s just so hot.” “But… it’s freezing in here. Doctor, what’s happening to him?” The Doctor is listening to his sonic, checking it’s frequency, “Not now, Tallulah. Sorry.” “What are you doing?” Martha asks.

“Drawing them to us. If the Daleks are going to war, they’ll wanna find enemy number one.” I tell her.

He holds up his sonic and turns it on.

“I’m telling you to go. Frank can take you back to Hooverville.” “And I’m telling you, no.” I argue.

“Abby, that’s an order.”

The doors to the theatre burst open and the human Daleks arrive, flanking us. “Oh, my god! Well, I guess that’s them then, hunh?”

“Humans… with Dalek DNA.” Frank moves to attack them but I pull him back.

“It’s all right. Just stay calm. Don’t antagonize them.” I tell him. “But what about the Dalek masters? Where are they?” Laszlo asks.

There is an explosion on stage and we all duck behind the seats for cover.

The Doctor stands slowly as we all peek over the chairs.

“The Doctor will stand before the Daleks.” The Doctor steps over a chair and walks forward on the backs of rows until he reaches the front.

“You will die, Doctor. It is the beginning of a new age.” “Planet Earth will become New Skaro.” “Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That’s Dalek Sec. don’t you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you’ve done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?” The Doctor asks. “My Daleks… just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you.” Dalek Sec tells them. “Incorrect. We will always survive.” “Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor.” “But he can help you.” Dalek Sec argues.

“The Doctor must die.” “No, I beg you, don’t.” Dalek Sec crawls in front of one of the Daleks.

“Exterminate!” Dalek Sec stands just as the Dalek fires.

The Doctor speaks, “Your own leader. The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him.” He turns to the human Daleks, “Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?”

“Warning. Dalek-Humans show increased levels of serotonin.” “If I’m gonna die, let’s give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them.” The Doctor holds his arms out to his sides.

“Dalek-Humans, take aim.” The Dalek-Humans cock their weapons and aim at the Doctor.

“What are you waiting for? Give the command!”

“Exterminate!” The Doctor closes his eyes. Nothing happens. “Exterminate!”

Still nothing happens.

“Obey. Dalek-Humas will obey.” “Not firing.” Martha looks to the Doctor, “What have you done?”

“You will obey. Exterminate.”

“Why?”

The Doctor looks at the former human. “Daleks do not question orders.” “But why?” “You will stop this.” “But… why?” “You must not question.” “But you are not our master. And we… we are not Daleks.”

“No, you’re not, and you never will be.” The Doctor speaks to the Daleks, “Sorry, I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom.” “If they will not obey, then they must die.” The Dalek shoots the man.

“Get down!”

We all duck behind the seats and both factions fire on each other.

“Destroy the hybrids. Destroy!”

The third Dalek is blown up.

The first Dalek is blown up. The Human-Daleks stop firing. We all stand up.

The Doctor goes over to one of the hybrids, “It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s all right. You did it. You’re free.”

All the hybrids grip their heads and scream in pain. “NO!” The Human-Daleks crumble to the ground.

“They can’t! They can’t! They can’t!” The Doctor kneels beside one of the bodies.

Martha and I join him.

“What happened? What was that?” Martha asks.

“They killed them. Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide.” I whisper. “Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of them must still be alive.” The Doctor stands, “Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one.”

We enter the room, Tallulah and Martha helping to support Laszlo.

“Doctor! Doctor! He’s sick.” Laszlo is breathing, heavily, wheezing. They lower him to the floor, Tallulah cradling him on her lap.

“It’s okay. You’re all right.” Martha soothes him.

The Doctor approaches us and kneels.

“It’s his heart. It’s racing like mad. I’ve never seen anything like it.” “What is it, Doctor? What’s the matter with him? He says he can’t breathe. What is it?” “It’s time, sweetheart.” Laszlo tells her. “What do you mean ‘time’? What are you talking about?” “None of the slaves… survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on ‘cause I had you. But now… I’m dyin’, Tallulah.” “No, you’re not. Not now, after all this. Doctor, can’t you do somethin’?” “Oh, Tallulah with three L’s and an H… just you watch me.” The Doctor stands and takes off his coat, “what do I need? Oh, I don’t know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I’ve got one. Laszlo, just you hold on.” He runs about the lab, mixing up a solution, “There’s been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I’m tellin’ you, I’m telling you right now, I am not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way.” He takes a stethoscope out of his pocket and puts it on, “The Doctor is in.”

The Doctor, Martha, Tallulah and I are waiting by a park bench with Laszlo bundled in an overcoat and hat.

Frank joins us, “Well I talked to ‘em and I told ‘em what Solomon would’ve said and I reckon I shamed one or two of ‘em.” “What did they say?” I ask.

“They said yes.” Tallulah hugs Laszlo. “They’ll give you a home, Laszlo. I mean, uh, don’t imagine people ain’t gonna stare. I can’t promise you’ll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for, people who ain’t got nowhere else.” “Thank you. I… I can’t thank you enough.” Back on Liberty Island, we look out at the Manhattan skyline.

“Do you reckon it’s gonna work, those two?” “I don’t know. Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that’s what this city’s good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too.” Martha laughs, “The pig and the showgirl.” I smile, “The pig and the showgirl. Just proves it, I suppose. There’s someone for everyone.” The Doctor’s smile disappears.

He walks to the tardis and we follow.

“Meant to say… sorry.” Martha sighs.

“What for.” “Just ‘cause that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. Think you’ll ever see it again?” He unlocks the door, “Oh yes.”We enter and the Doctor pauses in the doorway, “One day.” He comes inside and closes the door.

[hermitcraft-playlists]

Songs for Helsknight perhaps? (I was only planning to send like three songs but he kinda lives rent free in my head so-)

Hallelujah (I’m not Dead) - Citizen Soldier

Blood Upon the Snow, Take me to Church - Hozier

Broken Crown, Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons

Until the Wolves Come Out, Sandcastle Kingdoms, Live Long Enough to Become the Hero, Count the Teeth - NateWantsToBattle

Rule #4 Fish in a Birdcage - Fish in a Birdcage

Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths

Tongues & Teeth, Curses - Crane Wives

The Nowhere King - Centaurworld

Lonely King -CG5

My Demons - STARSET

Send my Regards - Juniper

Bleeding Out, Warriors, I’m so Sorry, Monster - Imagine Dragons

Call Them Brothers - Regina Spektor

King for a Day - Pierce the Veil

The Wolf - SIAMES

Star a War - Klergy

The Horror and the Wild, Charlie’s Inferno - The Amazing Devil

Hell’s Comin’ With Me, The Gallows, C’mon Down, Providence, Give and Take, Feed the Machine - Poor Man’s Poison

This is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars

Legends Never Die - League of Legends

A Sadness Runs Through Him - The Hoosiers

Unstoppable, Revolution, Born for This - The Score

You’re Gonna go Far, Kid - The Offspring

Turn the Lights Off, Ruler of Everything, &, The Bidding - Tally Hall

Scum, Taunt - Lovejoy

Ain’t it Fun?, Interlude: I’m not Angry Anymore - Paramore

Hayloft, Hayloft II, Burning Pile, Wrecking Ball, It’s Alright, Arms Tonite - Mother Mother

I think I’m OKAY - Machine Gun Kelly

I Can’t Decide - Scissor Sisters

Hell of a Ride - Bo Burnham

Cradles - Sub Urban

This is Love - Air Traffic Controller

Middle Finger - Bohnes

Old Enough 2 Die - Heart Attack Man

The Pitiful Children - Be More Chill

Gasoline - Halsey

Oh No!, Hermit the Frog - MARINA

The Main Character - Will Wood

Devil Town - Cavetown

This is Gospel, House of Memories, Crazy = Genius, Let’s Kill Tonight - Panic! At the Disco

MSKWYDITD (Light em up), Thnks fr th Mmrs, Hum Hallelujah, Immortals - Fall Out Boy

Just a Man, Remember Them, Survive, My Goodbye - Epic: the Musical

You’re not Welcome - Naethan Apollo

Happy Face - Jaguar Twin

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, Duality, I’d Rather Drown - Set It Off

Twisted - MISSIO

100 Bad Days, Finale - AJR

Underground, I hear a Symphony - Cody Fry

American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Basket Case - Green Day

Battle Scars - Paradise Fears

We Raise our Cups - Hadestown

Innocently Annoying - Elysewood

Confrontation - Jekyll and Hyde

Brother, The Red Means I Love You - Madds Buckley

A Million Gruesome Ways to Die - Billie Bust Up

Breaking the Habit, What I’ve done, Numb, Crawling - Linkin Park

Wooooooahhhhhh okay nonny you just shot your blorbo straight up to the top of the ranking of longest playlist Helsknight's playlist is now 132 (!!!!) songs long