#also i am aware these songs are some of the most popular

[chloeseyeliner]

i may have a very complicated relationship with my mother, but the thing is, one part of it i would never change is the fact that she introduced me to some great (and often times not so great for my taste, but still fun and interesting) music.

most important of it all: this woman taught me how to scream queen from the top of my lungs.

i think this in particular says a lot.

like, i was a ten-year-old, just a year into learning english, and i already recognised the first note of i want to break free. i went camping every summer from when i was 12 to when i was 16, and i introduced the kids in the same dorm as me to the euphoria of clapping to the rythm of we will rock you. i danced in the darkness of my room to radio ga-ga during quarantine, because i was scared and confused and ate toast for dinner for two weeks straight since there was nothing else there. i hummed bohemian rhapsody while studying during what i then thought of as the most academically challenging year of my life to keep myself sane in front of calculus. i fell in love for the first time the same year, and i thought of her while listening to good old fashioned lover boy and you're my best friend, because i wasn't able to tell her, so i kept her close to me that way. i went to study in another, unknown city, to live on my own for the very first time, and, inter alia, i put on killer queen, innuendo and don't stop me now, and even i'm in love with my car, to feel like home, a place i never had, because...

i may have a very complicated relationship with my mother, but sometimes my heart thinks that the music we both love will bridge the gap between us. that queen will magically make her arms feel like home, and not somewhere hard and suffocating to be inside of.

[matrixbearer2024]

Can you do something with Vox and the reader and the reader listens to like sus or like nsfw songs (Think like Wheeler Walker Jr. (he’s a country music artist if you didn’t know, be warned)) and/or like morally questionable songs? Idk I’d think it’d just be funny with like the reader listening to a song and it’s just like really explicit😭🙏

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Vox x CollegeStudent!Reader

A/N: I'm making a drabble out of this cuz I don't wanna go through the whole song for now- but this is way too funny of an idea to pass up. PLUS, I've got like the perfect song after the audio just popped up on my YouTube feed yesterday. Like, the song has two versions too- one explicit and one clean. Also, I am aware that the idiom in the title means being more cautious- but it kind of applies to Vox when he actually has to make a valiant effort to stop falling in love with you. He absolutely sucks at it but we're not gonna stop him LMAO.

Despite having prior knowledge to the songs you liked and listened to, Vox was still a bemused mess when guessing your music preferences. Sometimes he couldn't understand why you'd have a certain song in your playlist that just... didn't really fit. He'd even worry that something happened when a depressive song was randomly at the top of your 'most played' tunes for the day. Yet you were completely fine, actually just peachy- which confused him beyond belief.

All the more when he found you at the hotel teaching Angel some popular dance routines from when you were alive. The overlord didn't seem to mind what you were doing, hell- it was a little cute to watch. Even if he had a few qualms about your song choices, a lot of them bordering suggestive, it wasn't anything he hadn't heard before.

That was until the chorus of this specific tune started playing.

You wrap around me and you give me life~ And that's why night after night- I'll be fuckin' you right!

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!

It didn't help that you seemed completely unbothered by it?! Huh?!

Vox hadn't ever heard that song in your playlist before, if he had the lyrics and melody would be familiar- but no! So you had just decided to add this all of a sudden?! WHY??

He didn't realize his claws were digging into the bar top where he was leaning against until Lucifer pointed it out. Even then, he didn't react to the king of hell's teasing or jabs- merely crossing his arms as his brain tried to catch up with what was happening.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday- a week! Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday- Seven days a week!

Were you trying to tell him something?? Wha- how did you even find a song like this?! Much less know enough about the dance of it to teach! He was starting to overheat as his fans whirred loudly. Though at this point, it was mostly embarrassed confusion with a dash of lust.

Husker and Lucifer were sort of having a laugh at Vox's expense where they were standing near him. It had been clear as day ever since that the technology overlord had a thing for you-

This just pretty much confirmed it.

Maybe he totally wished to direct the song at you, if his pink screen was any indication. The guy even had small bolts of blue electricity just running across him, you were seriously sending Vox into overdrive and you had no idea!

Every hour, every minute, every second, you know night after night~ I'll be fuckin' you right, seven days a week!

By the time you had finished dancing with Angel, you picked up on some boisterous laughter by the hotel's bar. Only to see Lucifer and Husker actually losing it because a certain flatscreen companion of yours was bluescreened and sparking where he stood.

What the hell?

You were so confused.

But that just seemed to make a certain king and bartender laugh all the more.

[marvelmaniac715]

The Lords in Black and Webby as content creators (they’re still siblings and they perhaps all lived in one Content House):

Wiggly:

Wiggly is your standard Big YouTuber - think Pewdiepie or MrBeast without the philanthropy. He’s gotten into feuds with EVERYONE and is highly controversial, his fans are mostly Dude Bros who excuse his actions because “Wiggly’s based, dude”. Nobody can quite figure out how he got so popular but any attempts to get his accounts deleted were stopped in their tracks by his loyal fans. He plays a lot of video games.

Pokey:

He’s a cover artist who has a Rachel Berry sized ego. He thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread, and is actually better than that because bread can’t sing. He’s been booked as the opening act for a few bands so that inflated his god complex, but really he’s semi-average at best, the guy with a guitar at a party who’ll say “Anyway, here’s Wonder Wall”. He doesn’t have as many fans because although he’s proud of his voice he doesn’t like being seen, so he always has an avatar on screen to sing through (see what I did there?) alas, he is quite the elusive figure and he’s only ‘famous’ because of his family.

Tinky:

He’s the wacky, zany challenge guy who tries to break world records or play pranks on his siblings, he’s done at least twenty “Calling _blank_ at 3 am” videos and a lot of them are centred around FNAF. He also posts conspiracy theories and has been cancelled numerous times for stalking smaller YouTubers such as the Alpha Male influencer Ted Spankoffski. He’s rarely featured in his family’s videos for many reasons.

Blinky:

Blinky is a commentary YouTuber who reacts to various movies and tv shows. He’s famous in his own right because he picks up on small details in what he watches and is scarily good at figuring out where the plot is going - his viewers have an ongoing challenge amongst themselves to try and make him watch something that he can’t work out the ending of, but they haven’t been successful yet. Overall Blinky is pretty chill, he doesn’t get into controversies and he’s decent enough to anyone he interacts with - he’s genuinely nice to his fans and is a bit confused as to why his videos blew up.

Nibbly:

A Mukbang YouTuber as well as a chef and beauty influencer (on the side). He is just the sweetest ray of sunshine, with his signature bright smile and sign-off of “Remember, friends, spread kindness throughout the world, because we deserve more smiles!” He’s overlooked by his brothers when it comes to making content but he doesn’t mind; people are drawn to his enthusiasm and he’s one of the most popular brothers alongside Blinky because of the chill vibes he emanates - he’s the only one who’ll collaborate with Webby.

Webby:

Webby was kicked out of the Content House in disgrace when she spoke out against Wiggly’s cruel behaviour. She mostly dances but she also does song covers and fashion videos - a lot of her fans see her as an older sister because her videos are very informal, like you’re talking to your best friend over the phone. She also raises awareness for social issues and has launched several successful fundraising campaigns to help as many people as possible. Some people call her the Guardian Angel of YouTube.

[fandomnsfw]

Cherry - James Potter x Barmaid!Reader

Pairing: James Potter x Barmaid!Reader

Prompt: the songs Cherry by Harry Styles and the song Best Friends by Rex Orange County

Warnings: smut basically. (Also first song type fic so go easy on me!)

No Beta today lovelies let me know about spelling errors. ENJOY!!!

***********

You clutched your jacket to your body, running as fast as you could, your heart pounding against your chest as your lungs fought to take in more air. Your hair was whipping in the wind as you sped around the corner straight towards The Three Broomsticks. The second you burst into the pub everyone stared at you in mild shock before going about their evening. 

“Y/N your late!” Rosmerta huffed making you pout. 

“I know I was up late helping my sister with her homework.” You sighed as you slid the denim jacket off your shoulders before wrapping the plain black apron around your waist, putting your notepad and pen in the left pocket then your small tea towel hanging out the right pocket. 

“Be warned The Marauders are playing tonight so it's gonna be packed.” Rosmerta explained as she began ringing someone up. 

“O-Oh. Awesome.” You stuttered as you tried to control your emotions. 

“Don’t tell me you still fancy Ja--

“I am well aware he has Lily you don’t need to remind me.” You glared at her making her eyes widen. 

“Actually, they split up about 6 months ago.” Rosmerta whispered with a smirk. 

“R-Really?” You whispered trying to conceal the small flicker of hope. 

“There was a rumour that she found out one of his songs was about another girl.” You heard Frank whisper behind you making you jump a little. 

“I hate it when you do that. That’s the most stupid rumour I’ve ever heard.” You snorted with an eye roll. 

“It’s Cherry.” Her stated and suddenly you couldn’t breathe.

“I don’t think I’ve heard it.” You muttered with a frown. 

You had gone to school with both the Marauders and The Valkyries. You had been friends with them for the most part but they weren’t people you overly saw outside of school. So, when school finished you never really spoke to them again. When you got a job here, you’d occasionally see them after they performed. However, when they got more popular, they started doing bigger gigs. You had even dated James in year 9 when you were both 13 but you were kids, so it didn’t last. You both thought you were so mature, calling each other baby and kissing cutely behind the side of the science block.

You grinned at the adorable memory before shaking it off just in time to see The Marauders walk through the side door. You looked up to see those same hazel eyes, even to this day you would recognise in a crowd, even after all this time they still made you heart clench. You hadn’t seen him in over a year, it felt surreal. 

“Holy shit! Is that little Y/N Y/L/N?” You heard Sirius shouted excitedly making you tear your eyes away from James who was staring at you liked he’d seen a ghost. 

“We were in the same year, ya’ fuckin’ numpty.” You snorted making Sirius grin. 

“Hey show some respect! I'm a rockstar now!” Sirius laughed causing you to roll your eyes.

“Ha! I don’t give a shit if you're selling out 100,000 tickets love. This is my domain.” You snickered before passing him a beer.

“How’s Evan? You guys have been together since...year 10 right?” Sirius asked excitedly as he sipped his beer. 

“We broke up, about 2 years ago actually.” You muttered awkwardly as you tried to busy yourself drying the rim of a glass with your tea towel. 

“Oh! That sucks.” Remus sighed sadly as his eyes flickered towards James. 

“Right, I'm letting in the crazies so get yourself set up lads!” Rosmerta shouted as she pointed to the small stage in the corner of the pub. 

You watched the set as the boys played happily, they hadn’t changed in the slightest, even now with such a serious fanbase. They were still fun and down to earth. You watched the first few songs with interest as you served the gaggles of girls that were cheering too loudly but you couldn’t blame them. They’re in their element up on stage, like they’d always been. You chuckled as Remus and Peter told the other two they needed a break. 

“We’re gonna play Cherry whilst our Drummer and Bassist take a break.” James muttered breathlessly into the mic.

Sirius began playing a beautiful tune on his acoustic guitar that you instantly felt a connection with. It almost sounded like the first random tune James created when he first learnt to play guitar. You decided to take you break and stand a little closer to the stage. This is the song Frank had said was about someone else. When James started singing you listened to the lyrics intently. 

‘Don't you call him baby. We're not talking lately, Don't you call him what you used to call me.’ He looked at the floor as he sang making you frown in confusion, he usually sang with a lot more confidence, until he finally looked up to meet your eyes.

‘I, I confess I can tell that you are at your best, I'm selfish so I'm hating it.’ His eyes bore into yours and you couldn’t understand why, but you figured maybe the spotlight was obstructing his view.

‘I noticed that there's a piece of you in how I dress, Take it as a compliment. Don't you call him baby We're not talking lately Don't you call him what you used to call me’ You frowned as you realised he was wearing a red plaid shirt over a white T-shirt similar to one you had back in school. Don’t be stupid Y/N it’s not about you, you thought to yourself.

‘I, I just miss I just miss your accent and your friends. Did you know I still talk to them? Does he take you walking round his parents' gallery?’ You instantly felt your heart stop as your eyes widened. This song was about you, Evan’s parents owned an art gallery in the next town over. You looked for an escape spotting the door to the outdoor smoking area and immediately sped out the pub telling Frank you’d be back soon as you shoved past the hordes of girls. 

“You okay Y/N?” You heard someone shout as you got outside. 

“Is that song about me?” You asked blatantly making Remus smile sadly. 

“Its one of them.” Remus answered calmly taking a pull of his fag. 

“THERES MORE?” You shouted, your jaw dropping in shock.

“Yeah, there's also Best Friend that’s an old one though.” Remus laughed calmly, you grabbed the half-smoked fag from his fingertips and took a long drag of it. 

“You were always...the one that got away, I guess. You dated as children, but I think James always wished you guys had waited until later in life.” Remus added making your eyes soften. 

“This isn’t why Lily and James broke up is it?” You asked, guilt swimming in your gut but the question had laughing again. 

“Nah, Lily came out the closet.” Remus chuckled making your eyes widen.

“O-Oh okay.” You chuckled shyly before passing the lit smoke back to Remus which he motion for you to smoke. 

Remus left you to your thoughts as you took drag after drag trying to calm yourself down. Your hands were shaking causing the ash to drop off the cherry-Cherry…why was it called that? You thought curiously your nerves fading into curiosity. Just then you looked up to find those hazel eyes staring at you from the exit of the smoking area.

“Hey.” He muttered like he couldn’t quite believe you were here.

“Why Cherry?” You asked abruptly making his mouth open as if to say something but he paused for a moment before finally speaking.

“You had this red tinted lip gloss…when we dated, it was the girliest thing you owned, and it tasted like Cherry. You wore it everyday for a whole year even after we broke up, then in year 10 you started dating Evan and stopped wearing it.” He answered softly making your heart clench.

“I can’t believe you remember that. That was 12 years ago.” You chuckled in disbelief.

“I remember everything about you…about us. Like how you never used to style your hair because you’d always run your hand through it and ruin it. Or how you didn’t wear much makeup in summer because you have hayfever and are always rubbing your eyes. You used to hate the colour yellow but you think your baby sister looks amazing in it. I remember how you used to love when I’d play with your hair. I also remember the last time we really spoke, it was just after we had finished 6th form and we all went to the pub. You were out having a smoke and Evan had already passed out at the booth. I said to you that I was glad I’d met you and you replied—

—Don’t be such a sap. Just buy me somet nice when yer’ a rockstar.” You finished for him with a laugh which was quickly silenced when you looked at James hand that was holding a box in his hand.

Your eyes widened as you stared at the box like it was about to bite you. He seemed to find this amusing but he swallowed his laugh and opened to box showing you the contents. There sat a white gold chain with a white gold and rose gold cherry pendant hanging off it. He took it out the box, sliding the empty velvet box into his pocket before approaching you. You could feel tears building in your eyes as he came behind you.

“I was jokin’ ya’ fuckin’ sap.” You sniffled so quietly you were sure he heard you.

“I wanna say I forgot how much I love your accent but that would be a lie.” He chuckled happily as he lower the chain around your neck.

His fingers brushed against the skin at the back of your neck causing your body to come alive, goosebumps all over your body, you held your breath, praying this moment would never end. He did the clasp so slowly, you knew it was intentional, but you didn’t care you welcomed it. 

“Can I take you out next week?” He whispered in your ear his hands brushing all the way down your spine over your clothes.

 “Y-Yes.” You stuttered almost breathlessly.

**********

You were just sliding your white strappy heels when the knock on the door came. You brushed off your white satin shirt that was tucked into a grey tight mini skirt that hugged your hips perfectly. You opened the door and instantly saw a bunch of what looked like a bouquet of flowers but when you took a longer glance you realised it was multi coloured chocolate covered fruit made to look like flowers.

“I suggest this be put in your fridge and not a vase.” James joked making you grin.

“Probably for the best. These are awesome, way better than normal flowers.” You giggled as you pulled out two gold dusted white chocolate cover strawberries before placing the ‘bouquet’ into the fridge.

“You’re wearing the lipgloss.” He muttered in shock as you passed him one of the strawberries.

“Well I’m wearing a cherry lipgloss. I don’t think they even sell the brand I had 12 years ago.” You giggled before biting into your own strawberry.

“You look gorgeous.” He muttered happily as he finished his strawberry, popping the stick in the bin before holding out his hand for you.

“I would return the sentiment but you have enough fan girls doing it for me. Where are we going?” You snickered as you slid your hand into his, lacing your fingers together.

“Thought I’d take you to that little Italian place they just opened then maybe dancing?” He muttered nervously making you soften.

“You could’ve said McDonald’s and I’d of been happy cos I’d still be with you.” You replied sweetly making him grin from ear to ear. 

“Careful, you almost sound like a sap.” He teased you playfully.

“I’m not 18 and emotionally stunted. I’m  allowed to be a sap.” You argued with a cute pout on your lips.

“Stop pouting or the only place I’ll be taking you will be the old science block.” He whispered in your ear as you both exited your flat block.

“Mr Potter the scandal!” You exclaimed in a Scottish accent, a clear imitation of the time Ms McGonagall when she’s found you both behind a wall kissing. Though you had joked back your cheek we’re still painted red with James previous ‘threat’.  

“Oh I miss Minnie. I wonder how she’s doing?” James sighed softly with a small smile on his face.

“I see her at Tesco a lot. She seems well. She recently retired lives just at the edge of Hogsmeade in a small cottage.” You answered with a grin.

“I miss living here. Don’t get me wrong I love being able to play music and live with my surrogate brothers but I miss the quiet here. I still come back to see mum and dad but it’s not the same.” James sighed as he looked around at everything around him as you both started walking towards the restaurant hand in hand.

“Could you not live here but still do your gigs?” You asked with a soft frown on your face.

“I never thought so but recently Remus has been talking about being closer to his parents. They moved up here a few years ago when Remus mortgaged them a little cottage with 2 bedrooms. I think he wants to settled down, have some roots. Sirius is a wild card though. He’d rather be in a new city every night. Peter only has his mum so I think he’d be happy to move back here too. So really it’s just Sirius stopping us.” James rambled making you smile at the utter familiarity of it.

“He’s dating that Pop singer right?” You laughed making James roll his eyes.

“I think she really understood him and it freaked him out so he ended it not long before we got here. That’s my guess anyway…he won’t talk to me about it.” James huffed with an eye roll. 

“Idiot.” You snorted as you both saw the restaurant ahead.

James opened the door as you both approached it, his face lighting up when you leaned up to kiss his cheek before walking past him into the restaurant. James stood in front of the host with a polite smile. However when the young woman looked up her face instantly lit up.

“You’re Jame Potter right? The lead singer of the Marauders?” She asked as if trying to keep the excitement out her voice.

“Yeah we have a table booked for 7.” He replied with a smile.

“I love your new song Cherry.” She gushed as she showed him the way your table clearly not even bothering with your presence.

“Thank you! Can we get two glasses of red please? And some menus?” James asked as he pulled out your seat and suddenly the girls eyes were on you. 

She scanned you with a look of mild disgust until she caught sight of something on you that seemed to have her flushing, with anger or embarrassment, you weren’t sure but you looked down and instantly realised you had the Cherry necklace James had given you on.

“Two glasses of red. Got it, here’s your menus.” She stated in a professional tone that made your eyes widen. When she walked away you turned to James with a deadpan look.

“She totally knows.” You whispered nervously.

“Knows what?” He asked with a frown.

“That I’m Cherry.” You hissed as she began coming back towards the table with two glasses of wine.

“Thank you.” You said sweetly making her eyes narrow before turning back to James.

“Can I get a quick picture and an autograph?” She asked in a sickeningly sweet tone that made you laugh behind your wine glass.

“Do you mind?” James asked you sweetly making you smile with rose tinted cheeks.

“Of course not love.” You whispered softly making him grin happily. 

He jumped up, posing for a picture with the girl before grabbing a napkin and signing it for her. She gave him a bright grin before scampering off probably to text her friends. You watched as James sat down with a happily look on his face.

“You’re really in your element aren’t you?” You chuckled softly as he looked up into your eyes, sipping his wine.

“Without our ‘fans’ I really would be no where. Did you know the first record company that approached us was because a young woman who worked there, retweeted a video clip of our gig in a run down underground bar in London. She gushed about it so much a few of the higher ups saw it. Sirius got his first photoshoot because a photographer saw her teenaged daughter liking a bunch of the bands Instagram pictures. Without fans we would probably be washed up nobody’s.” He explained and you felt your heart melt. 

“I’m so glad you stayed the same baby.” You whispered with a cheeky grin.

“I never called Evan baby by the way. Just wanted to clear that up.” You giggled making him flush.

“Good. I-I never called Lily it either.” James replied making you smile a sincere smile.

“Good.” You sassed playfully making him chuckle.

You both finally ordered food, flirting over the dinner table with an alarming amount of ease. It felt natural, like this was a normal everyday date night; and not the first proper date you two had ever been on. You laughed, you both got tearful and nostalgic. Everything was going swimmingly until your ex boyfriend walked in with a blonde girl you knew was his secretary.

When you both locked eyes he seemed to go through a slew of emotions ranging from sadness to love, until he caught sight of James and it all turned to anger. 

“I want to say I’m surprised but I really shouldn’t be should I?” Evan scoffed quietly as he approach your table.

“Evan, how are you mate?” James tried casually making Evan visibly sneer at him. 

“I’m well, thank you Potter. When did you two start dating?” He spat making James’ eyes narrow.

“This is our first date.” He stated as calmly as he could, clearly surprised by his hostility.

“I’m surprised, considering you’re the reason my girlfriend of 7 years said no to my marriage proposal.” Evan spat out and suddenly everything grew silent.

“If I remember her words correctly. She said ‘I’m sorry Evan I can’t marry you. I can’t picture my life in the future with you. I thought I’d give us a chance but I can’t take the next step when I don’t feel it.’ I obviously asked what she meant by it and she said ‘The pull.’ I had no idea what she even meant. I mean I was her first PROPER boyfriend she’d never been with anyone but me. Then I found her secret little—

“Shut up Evan.” You snapped in utter humiliation.

“I found a box full of things from when you two had you 3 month long relationship in year 9. Letters, notes with music notes on them, cute little gifts you gave her. There was even a cutely pressed flower sealed in resin. I mean I’d think that was cute if she had things like that from OUR relationship but nope. Nothing.” Evan finished making tears prick your eyes.

James was never gonna wanna see me again. He’s gonna think I’m some creepy stalker that has been obsessed with him for 12 years. You went to stand up but James reached out and wrapped his hand around your wrist.

“What did you honestly think was going to happen by telling me that she’d been longing for me just like I have for her? I also have a box filled with things from her including the red plaid top she left at mine after a party in year 11.” James snorted out proudly making your jaw drop. 

You wiped the unshed tears away carefully before you glanced at Evan who looked beyond angry. He didn’t say anything else just walked to his own table silently. You turned to James who let out a small sigh making your heart clench in fear. 

“I never understood why you dated that dick.” He huffed with an eye roll.

“Because you started dating Lily.” You whispered brokenly and he looked up at you with a frown.

“I didn’t start dating Lily till you started dating Evan.” He corrected making you frown.

“No I remember seeing you and Lily at Madam P’s on a date. You bought her my favourite cream puffs.” You huffed with an eye roll.

“I bought them for you! Then when I went to give them to you you were making out with Evan!” He argued and suddenly tears pricked your eyes.

“N-No cos then that would mean I wasted 7 years with the wrong person…” You whispered sadly with tears brimming your waterline.

“Oh baby…” He muttered sympathetically before standing up to kneel at the side of your seat.

“We were kids. We didn’t know better. As adults we know it’s easier to talk about things instead of assuming.” He stated gently, his hand caressing your thigh in a soothing manner.

“Come on, I’ll pay for dinner then we can go for a walk instead of dancing?” He offered sweetly making your heart pound heavily in your chest.

You gave a nod and collected your purse as he signalled for the waiter. The waiter came over with the bill which you quickly offered to pay half of, but James looked psychically wounded, so you dropped it. 

He offered you his arm which you took as you both began strolling towards the park. He was quiet until we got to the floral covered entrance of the park. He clutched your hands that were resting around his bicep as he looked down at you.

“I missed you.” He suddenly said making you flush under his gaze.

“I missed you too.” You replied sweetly making him grin happily.

************

You walked into your flat, locking the door behind you and putting the latch on before throwing your keys into the bowl near the front door. You kicking off your shoes before shuffling straight towards your bedroom. When you opened the bedroom door and turned on the light,  you instantly caught sight of your boyfriend making you frown a little before you let out a squeal of happiness.

“Shit…I fell asleep.” James grumbled huskily as he sat up rubbing his eyes. He grinned at you sleepily holding his arms out.

“I thought you weren’t back till next week?” You giggled as you launched yourself into his arms.

“The show in Sheffield got cancelled cos of the rain. So we came back early.” He explained as he nuzzled into your neck.

You and James had been dating for about a month, you’d only given him a key because he was always away so you told him if he ever got back early he was welcome to chill at yours. You guys had yet to take it to the next step, you weren’t sure why he was hesitant, but for the past three days since you’d accidentally given a full view of James naked torso over FaceTime, you’d been insatiable.

“I missed you baby.” You whispered in a rather seductive tone as you settles on his lap and leaned down to kiss him softly.

“Mmm missed you too.” He mumbled as he pulled away from the kiss. 

“Nope m’not done yet.” You grumbled as you brought him in for a more heated kiss.

He gasped against you lips but his hands gripped at the back of your work shirt. You moaned against his lips, your tongue sliding along his bottom lip teasingly before pulling away with a grin.

“I need a shower. You are welcome to join me.” You offered with a wink as you climbed off his lap to strip down to your undies.

“I’ll wait until your out. I’m not making love to you for the first time in the shower.” He chuckled as he stripped off his T-shirt and laid back on your bed with a smirk.

You couldn’t help the way your eyes raked over his now naked torso. It was like he was sculpted by the gods. The only thing you could think of in that moment was, I wanna lick him. He reached down and cupped his package, something that would usually make you roll your eyes but instead you found yourself wanting to drop to your knees and beg him to use you. 

“Ugh it should be illegal how fuckin’ hot you are.” You huffed before stomping off to your bathroom with a pout.

When you got into the shower you sighed happily, you realised you’d thankfully shaved the day before as well as washed your hair so it saved time. You quickly put on a shower cap before stepping into the water to start washing. You used your expensive lush Snow fairy shower gel, smiling at the sweet smell. Once done you got out and dried yourself off before using the matching Snow fairy body mist. 

You took the show cap off and wrapped the towel around you before wandering into your bedroom. When you walked in James looked up and immediately sat up straight. He must’ve been expecting you to come out in clothes because his face flushed softly.

“Why pray tell, are ya’ still dressed?” You smirked making him grin.

“Apologies my lady.” He exclaimed as he very dramatically dropped his pants making you openly laugh.

“Idiot.” You laughed as he threw his jeans and socks across the room leaving him in a pair of tight Calvin Kleins. 

“You look like a fuckin’ Calvin Klein advert.” You groaned deciding to wind him up as much as you felt wound up.

The second the towel dropped so did James’ jaw. You smirked as you sauntered over to the bed, your hips swaying as you went. James seemed in a slight daze as he shuffled after you. You laid down, leaning up on your elbows to raise an amused brow at him.

“Fuck you’re gorgeous baby.” He groaned as he crawled onto the bed admiring you body openly.

“Been wanting this for days.” You whispered as he hovered above you, his arms trapping you against the bed. 

“Oh really?” He teased his index finger trailing up your body slowly, until it reached your chin.

“Mhmm Sirius accidentally pointed the phone at you when you went to change a few days ago…haven’t been able to satisfy myself since.” You pouted playfully making him smile.

“Poor baby.” He whispered huskily in your ear before leaning down to kiss just below your ear making you gasp.

“Please James…” You whispered breathless arching again him as his hand slid downwards until he arrived at your hip.

He said nothing, instead he gave you what you wanted. His hand slid down a little further, his fingers brushing through your already wet folds. He groaned audibly as his finger pulled the wetness to your clit and began massaging in slowly tentative circles. You arched against him your moan long and full of desperation. 

“Feel good love?” He asked sweetly as he began pressing kisses over your chest before taking your left nipple into his mouth, suckling on it gently.

“Mhmm…oh f-fuck…just like that baby.” You moaned as he dipped two fingers into you tight wet heat before dragging them back out putting pressure on your clit before diving back in.

“Need to taste you.” James growled as he backed down the bed until his face was level with your dripping pussy.

You suddenly felt a little panic. Evan had only done this once of twice in the years you’d been together and it was never any good for you. As if James sensed your worry he sat up a little and stared at you with worried eyes.

“I-I’ve never…I’ve only done this twice a-and I-I didn’t really enjoy it..” You whispered shyly your ears and cheeks flushing bright pink.

“I’m sorry… I thought I just heard you just say you’d only had this done twice?” He whispered in disbelief making you shrink a little.

“Fuck that come ‘ere baby. Let me change your mind.” James whispered in a slight daze as he bent your legs back exposing you but before you could feel embarrassed his tongue was on you.

You moaned at the feeling as he began leaving sloppy kisses all over your exposed heat. You keened against him try to change the feeling but you loving accidentally caused his tongue to slip a little further than your pussy. You let out an embarrassing squeak covering your face with your hands as James peered up at you with the dirtiest smirk on his face, if you’d of been feeling more coherent you’d of slapped it off.

“Interesting.” He whispered smugly as he kept eye contact and over down to lick your puckered hole making you gasp loudly which was followed by a long drawn out moan as he did it again.

“Gonna file that but of information away for another day.” James chuckled huskily before moving back to your pussy which he quickly began devouring as he slid two fingers inside your sopping wet heat.

“O-Oh shit…” You moaned loudly as he pressed his fingers into your g-spot.

“Could do this all day.” James groaned, his hips grinding into the bed like a horny teenager which shouldn’t of been as attractive as it was.

“M’Close love.” You cried out as his finger sped up but his tongue stayed gentle and precise. The combination had you clenching around his fingers but you needed something but you couldn’t quite figure it out so you took the initiative.

“Stick your tongue out baby.” You moaned and he looked up at you with a hint of surprise before he looked at you lustfully and did what you asked.

You hands slid into his hair as you began grinding against his tongue. He groaned at the sight of you using him for pleasure but you couldn’t focus. You threw your head back in pure ecstasy as you thrust against his tongue.

“Fuck yes. That’s it baby…gonna cum all over your pretty face.” You moaned as your hand gripped his hair even tighter. Finally you felt yourself tumbling over the edge your thrusts erratic and untimed but you clenched around his fingers coming undone on his tongue.

“Ahhh James.” You cried out as your legs shook with the force of your orgasm. When your body turned to jelly you released his hair letting him sit up as he licked his lips happily.

“That was so fucking hot.” James growled as he leaned down to kiss you heatedly.

“Need you…Need to be inside you baby…please.” James whispered breathlessly as he shimmied out of his boxers.

“How could I say no when you look so pretty begging.” You chuckled seductively as you reached down to guide his rather large cock into your pussy.

He pushed in slowly making your head fling back in pleasure. You’d never felt this full, it was like you could feel him everywhere. You let out a long drawn out moan, your heat clenching around him as he bottomed out. He let out a husky groan, burying his head in the crook of your neck.

“Fuck your so tight.” He growled against your neck making you chuckle.

“That because the only person I slept with was barely 5 inches.” You snorted and James let out a surprised laugh.

“That is the only time talking about an ex is acceptable in our love nest.” He laughed as he leaned up to kiss you passionately making you instantly forget what you’d even been talking about.

When he began thrusting inside you wet heat you let out an embarrassingly high-pitched moan that had you flushing as you attempted to bite your lip to contain anymore.

“Ah ah. Don’t you dare cover your moans. Wanna hear you.” James growled as he gently freed your lower lip from your teeth.

“James.” You moaned as he sped up his pace.

You flung your arms around him, your nails digging into his back as you lost yourself in the feeling of him inside you. You pulled him into a messy heated kiss, your hands sliding into his hair to grip it tightly.

“Fuck…harder p-please.”  You so yes as you pushed your hips up to meet his thrusts.

“We’re supposed to be making love baby.” He teased as he refused to speed up.

“James if you don’t fuck me like a whore I’m gonna get myself off while you get to sit there with blue balls.” You growled threateningly making his eyes widen.

“You my love have got a dirty little mouth on you.— he gave a deep thrust to punctuate his words.— Such— thrust—An—thrust—impatient—thrust—little—thrust—slut.” He growled before he began pounding into you.

“Fuck yes! M’ yer’ little slut though.” You moaned loudly making him groan, his cock twitching inside you as he began thrusting at an animalistic pace.

“S-Shit so tight and wet for me.” He moaned huskily against your neck, his hand squeezing your arse cheeks roughly.

You clung to his muscular body unable to do more than lay there and let him fuck into you like his own personal fuck toy. You could feel yourself building up again so you reached down to circle your clit but James slapped your hand away before leaning up to spit on your pussy, the whole scene was something you’d thought would disgust you but it only had you moaning as he brought his fingers to your clit. 

He began circling the swollen bud as he contained fucking into you roughly. You felt yourself teeter towards the edge until he began drilling straight into your g-spot knocking your orgasm out of you like a punch. You came around his cock which triggered his own orgasm, growling through gritted teeth as he came inside you. 

“F-Fuck Y/N!” He groaned deeply as his came, his thrust begin to slow down until they came to a stop. Your legs were shaking and you felt limp everywhere but you’d never felt so satisfied.

“Wow.” Was all you managed to say as James moved your left leg to lay over your right one before laying down behind you making sure he didn’t slip out.

You flushed a little at the intimacy of the whole thing but as he left soft kisses on your spine and shoulders, you closed you eyes and basked in the feeling. Usually you’d jump straight up, pee and get dressed but this felt right. 

“I—

The sound of James phone ringing broke the moment and he rolled his eyes before sliding out of your pussy causing you to let out a breathless gasp. He smirked down at you as he grabbed his phone and answered the call.

“What do you mean your outside ay/N flat?” James sighed as you passed him his boxers. He slid them on after hanging up on his best friend and walking towards the front door of your flat. 

“Sorry to interrupt you screw sesh but this is important!” Sirius exclaimed as he pulled out the bands shared tablet and slapped it into James hand.

“Your ex girlfriend posted a new single?” James questioned with a frown as you finally came into the room dress in James t-shirt.  

The second the song finished you burst out laughing. You knew you shouldn’t of but the fact was, it WAS fucking hilarious in your eyes. 

“You finally pissed off the wrong girl.” You snorted through your laughter.

“What the fuck do I do now! Everyone knows this is about me!” Sirius growled as he began pacing.

“It’s a good song?” James tried as he tried to hold back his own laughter.

“Are you serious?” Sirius screamed making you fall into another round of laughter.

“Karma. Am I right?” You smirked before plugging the tablet into you speaker with the aux cable before blasting out the song.

“I don’t speak boy shit!” You cheered as you did a little dance making James burst out laughing. 

[powerpolyculeshowdown]

Do you have recommendations for shows/books/whatever with canon/basically canon polyamory?

ok the only media w officially canon polyam i personally consumed are Iron Widow and Hades.

Iron Widow is a mecha scifi/chinese fantasy book, it has pacific rim mechanics, so it takes 2 ppl to pilot the mecha but its more dystopian in that the pilot (male) usually drains the life force of his concubine (female). the mc has a guy shes interested in from the start but she pushes him aside to seek her goals to become a concubine pilot (theres a very good reason for this but i dont wanna give too much away) ends up being forced to work w the most dangerous pilot (spoilers hes actually a misunderstood sweetheart and i love him), her first love somehow finds his way back into her life so he can be their ally and its very clear from the first time he meets the other guy that this bitch is bi af. At one point he literslly saves their lives and i wont elaborate on that cause again spoilers but someone mentioned it in a propaganda ask. They canonically fall in live w each other and start dating. Please look up the trigger warnings first cause theres some heavy subjects addressed in this book. The book itself has trigger warnings listed at the start so if u find it at a book store u can check them this was too.

Hades is a roguelike videogame w dating sim mechanics (ish) -you give gifts to characters to learn more about them, and theres two romance options but you can romance both at once, they're both aware of and okay with it, hinting that they mightve had a past even before zagreus was born (its greek gods one is death incarnate the other is one of the furies, they've basically existed since forever)

From the submissions I got:

ive been told Leverage is like the korrasami of polyam, as in they were as polyam as they could be in a show from 2010, so it sounds like its canon but not explicit because they couldnt get away with that.

The girls from Amphibia are apparently in a similar situation, heavily implied canon, someone told me it was confirmed by people who worked on the show, but i dont think its explicitly stated.

The Kane Chronicles apparently also has canon polyam, although its 2 bodies, cause I think one of them has a god in him or something? I never read the books, but I was told Sadie (i think thats her name? The girl) is in love w both of them, and kinda dating both too i think?

I dont know if Singing in the Rain is canon but theres that kiss gif that got prrtty popular on tumblr where kathy kisses one of the guys then the other, so it looks canon? or at least implied canon?

Sense8 as some people have mentioned has 1 officially confirmed to be canon throuple, 1 that has a lot of hints to confirm but a lot of ppl see it as a gay couple w a very supportive friend ig and someone else said in general because of the plot u could kind of see the 8 of them as a big polycule, although that one isnt canon

HoneyWorks/Heroine Tarumono is one of those songs turned novel turned anime. i dont think its confirmed canon but theres a lot of stuff pointing to the possibility, you mightve see @non-fantasy telling me about them in a few asks. im obsessed and ive yet to watch anything

Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel has Rilla/Sir Damien/Lord Arum, i also haven't listened to this one but a lot of people told me rilla and damien were in a pre-established relstionship, both got crushed on lord arum separately, talked about it and worked things out to now be a canon polycule

im She-Ra (netflix) theres a trio that is implied to be a polycule at the end, a lot of ppl called them canon in the notes but i dont personally ember it being confirmed? i am very forgetful tho. It's Rogelio/Kyle/Lonnie, unfortunately they lost the prelim round

I believe people submitted some others that were canon but im very forgetful so i cant remember right now

[foolishlyzephyrus]

———

This was a very silly goofy post I enjoyed but it also sparked genuine curiosity: how accurate is this? I’m a data hound, so I did some fact checking. Please be aware I am by no means an expert and this was simply a result of some cursory investigating and inputting stuff into a calculator.

For RTD, I took it to mean any episode title that was singular. Only eight out of the sixty episodes of RTD’s run have one word titles, with six having two syllables (Dalek, Doomsday, Gridlock, 42, Utopia, and Midnight) and the other two being monosyllabic (Rose and Blink). That’s roughly 13% of his episodes. Definitely a trend but he was actually quite creative with his titles. Here’s some other fun statistical stuff: the most popular words in episode titles appear to be ‘dead’ (The Unquiet Dead, Forest of the Dead and Planet of The Dead), ‘planet’ (Impossible Planet, Planet of the Ood, Planet of the Dead) and ‘time’ (Last of the Time Lords, End of Time Part 1 and End of Time Part 2) occurring at about 5% each, with ‘earth’ and ‘doctor’ occurring twice each respectively.

For Moffat, I went a little more broad, considering any episode that used the naming convention ‘of’/‘of the’ or featured ‘doctor’ in any capacity. Out of the eighty-four episodes in his run, twenty six filled the criteria, that’s about 31%. Eighteen adhered to the ‘of’ requirement (Victory of the Daleks, The Time of Angels, The Vampires of Venice, Day of the Moon, Curse of the Black Spot, The Wedding of River Song, Asylum of the Daleks, The Power of Three, The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten, Journey to the Center of the TARDIS, Robot of Sherwood, In the Forest of the Night, The Husbands of River Song, The Pyramid at the End of the World, The Lie of the Land, The Empress of Mars, and The Eaters of Light), four contained the word ‘doctor’ (Vincent and the Doctor, The Doctor’s Wife, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, and The Doctor Falls), and four fit into both categories (The Name of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor and The Return of Doctor Mysterio; it’s funny once you realize that Name, Day and Time were all released sequentially). The claim is thereby substantiated, the man loves his ‘of’s’.

Chibnall’s criteria was difficult to discern but I decided on anything that contained the name of a Who monster classic or otherwise, was a part, or similarly used ‘of’/‘of the’. My findings were quite interesting as there was bunch of overlap between my selected categories. As a whole, out of the thirty-one episodes in Chibnall’s run, eighteen fit the criteria. That’s an overwhelming 58%, so it is most definitely correct assumption. In terms of part episodes, there were eight as there are two proper parted episodes (Spyfall, Part 1 and Spyfall, Part 2) and the serialized six-episode Flux series. Thirteen episodes contain ‘of’/‘of the’ with six exclusively using ‘of’/‘of the’ (The Demons of the Punjab, The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror, The Haunting of Villa Diodati, Chapter Five: Survivors of the Flux, Power of The Doctor). This is where it gets interesting, as the remaining seven episodes containing ‘of’ are all the Who monster episodes (Ascension of the Cybermen, Revolution of the Daleks, Fugitive of the Judoon, Chapter Two: War of the Sontarans, Chapter Four: Village of the Angels, Eve of the Daleks, Legend of the Sea Devils). It would appear that Chibnall is an equal fiend for ‘of’s’, especially considering the monsters. So, very on brand for classic who naming conventions as well.

To conclude, it was a largely factual silly goofy post (props to @fanonical) and I enjoyed my little data collection exercise.

[thedrunkenreadersreviews]

Alastor's Villain Era ...

EDIT: It has been confirmed on Alastor's official Hazbin Hotel Wiki page that he was, indeed, having a panic attack.

Fireball seemed fitting.

*Long sip, sip*

Okay, I have had some time to calm down and think about things. I rewatched it all and thought long and hard.

*Sip, sip*

What the heck was going on with Alastor in the finale? Well, I think it is tremendously complicated.

To be honest, I know the popular theory is that via his deal he HAS to be at the hotel probably to defend it. While I want to agree with this theory, I can't put my full faith in it. It is a good theory, a great one, one that I held onto for most of season one. Now I'm not saying I'm dismissing it, rather, I am having doubts.

Because he left after he was hit. And who in their right mind would send Alastor, a deal-making demon, to where Charlie is?

But for the sake of this post, I'm going with the popular theory that he is there because of the deal he made.

*Sip, sip*

But let's look at episode 7 and episode 8 as sort of a package. Viv is the most detailed animator I have ever seen. She puts the smallest details in everything; from the news crawls to Vox's blue screen, Alastor's coffee mug, Adam eating ribs, the pictures in the background of everyone's rooms, like there are so many things that give you more information than what the characters could give you themselves. Nothing is in there just to be there; it is all connected.

*Sip, sip*

Alastor's microphone is an extension of himself and that is made exceptionally clear in episode 8.

In episode 7, he gives Charlie his microphone.

He's slipping. And by that "fuck" moment in episode 8, he knows he is slipping.

I am of the mind that Alastor made that deal with Charlie for future plans regarding breaking his contract. He didn't ask for her soul (not entirely sure, but I have some theories as to why), and then took her to see Rosie.

Rosie, who he considers to be one of his only few friends. And while Charlie, who is going through a rough spot that Alastor is completely aware of, is trying to speak to the crowd, Alastor offers her his microphone---an extension of himself. He gives her a small thumbs up (such a dad move), and builds her up throughout the number.

And when he is alone with Rosie, watching Charlie sing about her stepping up to be the Princess of Hell, this is what they tell each other:

Rosie: They're marching along. They're singing her song!

Alastor: Surprised? Why, I knew she could do it all along!

Both: She's bound to pass the test as Princess of Hell! Like her daddy, she is madly powerful!

Alastor: She's filled with potential that I could guide.

Rosie: I concur!

Both: Stick with her and you'll be on the winning side!

Now let's look at episode 8 and what he says to Niffty, his other close friend:

Alastor: It's been a surprising thrill to witness these wayward souls find connection. It almost makes one sentimental, ay, Niffty?

Niffty: I really like them, Alastor. They let me put on roach puppet shows without booing.

Alastor: Ah, an enjoyable collective to be around. I admit, one could become accustomed.

It should be noted, that he is looking at them from above with his face in his hands, leaning on the rail of a balcony, as if he doesn't feel like he belongs among them ... but almost wants to be.

*Sip, sip*

While I think his verse with Rosie is more about being on Charlie's side for power, he didn't need to give her his microphone. And he was alone with Niffty, he didn't have to put on a front or say anything like that but he did.

*Sip, sip*

It is obvious that they talked battle strategy prior to the fight. Charlie, without question, is the strongest person in the hotel. Even Alastor knows this as he also knows Charlie does not know how to use her powers in such circumstances. So it is decided that he, the second strongest who knows how to use his powers in a battle-way, would go onto the roof of the hotel. It is decided that Alastor will cast the forcefield.

But more than that. After the "fuck" moment, when Charlie sees Adam return to the main melee, she says, "But Alastor was supposed to ..."

Meaning they agreed that Alastor was going to SOLO fight ADAM! That was the arrangement. And Alastor seemed all too happy to agree to it. But this is how he handles beings he knows have superior powers to him.

With Lucifer, he finds something he knows will get under Lucifer's skin.

With Adam, he openly mocks him and for a while, he may think that Adam is too sloppy to really do any damage.

*Sip, sip*

And then ... "ffffffuuck."

And he nearly dies. That wound is not small. Alastor is cut. Bad. And in that moment, when he is on the ground, looking around, manic eyes, that is pure prey behavior. That is pure terror.

Alastor is terrified. Because he got hit. Bad. And he is on the threshold of death.

In the stream before the premier, Amir refused to answer the question of what scares Alastor, saying it would be too much of a spoiler and Viv agreed with him.

Alastor is terrified of dying. He retreats to heal up; granted, after a blow like that, I am not sure he would have been any help should he have lingered. Was it cowardly? Yes. Did it make sense? Absolutely. He is terrified and too badly wounded to push on after that.

*Sip, sip*

And then we hear his verse in the song. And these lyrics, coupled with Amir's fantastic ability to convey so much emotion into Alastor's voice (who needs it the most on account of his permanent grin), and the eyes, the hand placements, his body language, even his smile is off.

Alastor is having a mental breakdown. He is having the mother of all panic attacks. He is on the brink of foaming at the mouth in madness.

Because he knows he is slipping, and this deal is going to get him killed.

He defended that hotel (probably because he was forced to) but also in part because he cares to some extent for the hazbins. At least, he is rather fond of them, as we see when he speaks to Niffty.

And the thought that he is slipping, starting to have emotions, is forced to be there (possibly), and cannot access all of his powers (as is implied in the lyrics of his verse) because of the deal he made, he cannot fathom it. He cannot accept it. It is mentally destroying him.

I got hurt. I got hurt bad. I almost died. I barely escaped. All because of this damn hotel and my damn deal!

The visuals of that scene, from the background and the accompanying music---which is much darker for Alastor's than any of the other character's verses---compounded spectacularly by Alastor's movements show us that he is slipping into madness. He is becoming desperate to be free of his deal, he wants not power per se but security. If enough people are afraid of him, if he has enough power and influence (which is where I think Charlie comes in) then others won't try to hurt him.

*sip, sip*

Alastor's verse starts off somber, him reflecting on the fact that he almost got killed. And then it is shifts into his own mocking.

I do not think he sings, "Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends," seriously. He says it like it is a headline in a newspaper. And his expression! His eyes are wide and wild, his smile large and somber, his brows are furrowed, he's dragging a hand down his face. He is distraught at the thought of this. Me? Dying for them? No! Not going to happen! I won't let that happen!

And he immediately corrects us and himself for thinking that that is the case. "Sorry to disappoint [us, those watching]. That is not where this ends!" Here, he is angry. He slams his fist into the control panel, draws his claws through it, and emphasizes that not. He is telling us as much as himself that he will not die for such a noble reason. And he is certainly not done in Hell yet, as obvious by his very next line.

"I'm hungry for freedom like never before." His hands are around him---around where he got cut---before spreading outwards. His eyes, the whole time, are on his hands. This deal is suppressing his powers. And this deal probably put him into the hotel. He is looking at his hands as if willing his freedom and his power to come back to him, because if he had them, he wouldn't have nearly gotten killed.

*Sip, sip*

Now is where we truly start to see him slipping into madness.

This deal, this oppression of my powers, and the people I have met because of those two things nearly got me killed! No way in Hell can I accept that.

Alastor is now more desperate than ever.

"The constraints of my deal surely have a back door."

The animators zoom in on his face. His eyes are going all over the place, his hands are approximately covering his ears, his smile is more clenched teeth than anything. It is the purest expression of a panic attack I have ever seen (and as someone who has suffered from panic attacks so severe I had to be hospitalized on numerous occasions), it is spot on. Everything just seems so loud when you are in that bout of excessive worry. You look all over the place for possible dangers, it is difficult to stand up straight (Alastor has been slouching this entire scene when he usually has perfect posture) and you hunt for an answer with such eagerness that your mind runs a million miles a minute trying to find one while also sifting through every possibility of what could go wrong. That is Alastor's expression at that moment. I have seen myself having attacks. It looks exactly like that.

"Once I figure out how to unclip my wings ..."

You don't even see his face anymore. It's a back shot and he's walking toward an ominous green light, the color of his power when it is manifesting. And he is still slouched slightly, still unsteady.

*Sip, sip*

Now here is the tumble.

"Guess [his "ears" are down in airplane mode, guess who is tormenting me right now] who will [now his ears go up and he fully turns around to face us, but I won't be leashed to them for long] be pulling all the strings!"

This is when we see his face again, back to its more calm appearance. That is him telling himself that he will never be put in such a situation again. He is going to be the one moving the pieces, not the other way around. And he slowly comes out of that slouching position as this line progresses. And he lifts his arms up while emerging from the green light is his shadow---his powers---rising with his voice, his body, his eyes too.

*sip, sip*

And what seals it for me is that laugh. That is not the laugh we have heard from Alastor all season. Alastor starts with like a giggle in his throat that bubbles up into something louder and more sadistic. The laugh that we hear at the end of episode 2 is very similar to the one in episode 5 just before he goes on his rampage.

This laugh is manic. It doesn't start as a low giggle in the throat. It is in full volume from the get-go. The only way I can describe it is sort of like a Joker laugh. He is gone.

*Sip, sip*

It is a treat, a true treasure, to see an evil character again. Every time Alastor is on the screen, you really don't know what he is going to do next. Even though he said he is at the hotel to see people fail, I call BS as I think most people do. Sure, that may be just a perk to him, but that is not the main reason. At the end of season 1, we still do not know for sure what Alastor's motivation is. We still don't know beyond getting himself free what is his goal.

That is why he is so incredible to watch. He can go anywhere, he could do anything, and it will surprise us.

I don't think he is leashed to Lilith but there is certainly something there. As for being gone for 7 years, I have a few theories. Lilith apparently made a deal with Adam or Lute or someone, as when Lute tells her that Adam is dead she mentions that their deal is off now. I want to think more on my theories before I post them but the main one is, for whatever reason, I think Alastor was in purgatory for 7 years.

"How to unclip my wings." That's a very interesting choice of lyric and if there is one thing we know for sure about this show, every lyrical line is chosen very carefully.

*Sip, sip*

Well, I think this post is long enough. I see Alastor soon going into a manic rampage. What I wanted most since the trailer for season 1 dropped (based on some of the scenes that were in it) was for Adam and Alastor to fight on the roof of the hotel. And man, even though Alastor lost, I still loved it! It showed us so much about Alastor's character and why he thought he could handle Adam alone. Going into season 2, I want to see Alastor unleashed. Fully unhinged, manic out of his mind, unleashed.

And please, let me know what you guys think! I love reading your comments. It helps me develop new theories too.

As the King Roach himself said in the Pilot:

Stay tuned!

*Sip, sip*

[itscherrylipsforme]

Did not expect: Rodrick Heffley x fem!reader

Blurb. Reader is a "gold star" student and a good influence for him, but also a hardcore rock lover. Slightly spicy at the end so +16. Incredibly self-indulgent

Masterlist Characters I write for

If someone had asked Rodrick what type of girl he was into he would have answered that any groupie nice and enthusiastic about him enough would play the part. After all he was sure that thousands of them would be after him the moment Löded Dipper became a smash. What certainly did not expect was... Well, falling for you instead.

And he did not mean that to sound rude. It's just that you were not in his plans (he barely knew if he had one most of the time, but if he had it you were definitely not in it). He couldn't find the way to put it in better words. You were not his type, wait no... That wasn't the truth actually. You were, but not in the way he had expected.

In one of his meeting with his bandmates they started to talk about their "dream girl". Among other less innocent requirements Rodrick added this two: "Great music taste" and "must copy with my humour". You had both, nevertheless he still believed himself to be out of his mind when he realized he had caught feelings for you.

He had seen you around in High School, it was weird to someone not to know your name. Popular was not the word he would use to describe you. Surely you were not among the people in the top of the social pyramid. Known, that was what you were. Perfect student. Nice most of the time, sarcastic and witty when needed. Most of the teachers relayed on you if they required a tutor for some of their students. That's how you started to properly talk with him.

He did not expect you to find him sitting in the library with his black headphones on. He hadn't planed that you would be his last opportunity to pass literature this year. Yet you were, so he waited for you to come. Same way he wasn't aware that his headphones weren't fully connected to his mp3. He did not expect that the drums' beat coming from there was quiet enough not to anyone else in the library to notice, but you.

"Hawkins is the best drummer ever, just after Roger Taylor of course" He did not expect that you would say that as you left your books by his side of the table.

"What?" A small confused smile appeared in his lips.

"Taylor Hawkins I mean" You shrugged "You have a great taste, I love Foo Fighters too. The Mp3 was unplugged, that's why I heard it. I thought it could be a good icebreaker to start with. Y/n by the way"

He wanted to come up with an intelligent remark, ask more about which groups you like it. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it, your words had surprised him more than you had expected. A whispered "I am Rodrick" and a nod was all you received as an answer. Books were opened, and you decided to start working.

Surprisingly, in the following weeks Rodrick did not only manage to learn more about the subject he was struggling with, but also about you. A strong bond was created with the time. Gifted CDs with songs he thought you would like. Singing 18 by Harbour in the front passenger seat of his van. Shared glances and jokes. Being one of the few people allowed to his band practices and that he really feel comfortable talking to... Beautiful things and memories that only made you closer. Feelings that neither of you was ready to stay out loud until one day he did.

At his house. You were trying to teach him how to do his eyeliner properly, as he still needed more practice. Eyes glued to each others, your hand resting in his face to keep him in place, your focused expression too cute to resist... So he just did it, kissed you out of the blue like his life depended on it. And instead of pushing him away as he had predicted, you wrapped your arms around his neck. Hands tangled in his messy hair. The eyeliner pen long forgotten, and the make-up scattered around his face, but neither of you cared about it.

Yeah, Rodrick Heffley did not expect to fall for you. He did not foresee that you would be the one he introduced to his parents. He did not anticipate that his first official girlfriend would be called a "good influence" by his mother. Neither would he have guessed that he would end up dating the nerdiest and prettiest girl in High School to his eyes. It was astonishing that he actually smiled when you played with Manny and told him tales. And that he was not so annoyed with Greg when you were the one listening to his multiple complaints about High School. He was not prepared to giggle like he was crazy every time "Walking after you" came on the radio, and he daydream of having you on his arms.

And yet, you had a few surprises left for him to find. Late at night, coming home from a small gig his band had had. The house just for the two of you as the rest of his family was visiting his grandfather. He had to deal with a serious "Use protection" coming from his father so they could finally let you stay with him.

A trail of kisses from his lips and cheeks to his neck, too messy and sweet to ever forget them. Muttered "I love you"s. He was playing with the hem of your shirt until you nodded giving him permission to toss it aside. He certainly did contemplated the idea of finding a lacy pinky bra below the leather jacket you had borrowed from him. Furthermore, he wasn't prepared to find it so hot and cute at the same time.

"You know what, pretty girl?" He whispered as he started kissing your collarbone "You were unexpected. But what a wonderful surprise you are"

[too-antigonish]

Hmmm....Which version of Endeavour am I watching?

Cut scenes? Different music? Turns out there are actually up to 4 different versions of every episode of Endeavour! 

What are they you ask?

Here you go...

UK Initial Broadcast version: What went out over the airwaves when the episode premiered. In most cases this does not differ from other UK versions of the episode. However, certain pieces of music—such as Dean Martin’s song Sway in the S2E3 episode of the same title—were so expensive to license that the production was only able to afford the original song for that first broadcast. Repeats had to make do with a substitute piece of music composed to replace the original.  In the case of Sway, the replacement piece was at least specifically commissioned and written for the episode. It was not purchased as a generic composition from a production music library, which is usually what happen in this situation.

This version is only available if you recorded it at the time or know someone who did.

UK Version (Repeats and DVDs): The UK Repeats and DVDs are the definitive versions. Nothing is cut from the original broadcast and they have the soundtrack from the original broadcast—with a few exceptions, like the one mentioned above.

International Version with Cuts (PBS Masterpiece Theater version, both streaming and some DVDs): This version is what I would consider the “worst” option. First, each episode is cut for length by 5 to 8 minutes so that it will fit into the PBS time slot. Second, this version also uses the international version of the soundtrack. Most of the classical music from the UK version remains the same. However, most of the popular music (i.e. Rolling Stones, Kinks, Velvet Underground, etc.) was too expensive to license internationally and was replaced with generic production music. It’s a standard practice in the industry because music licensing is incredibly complicated and pricey, but it still sucks.

International Full-Length Version (Amazon Streaming, iTunes, etc.): These are at least the complete episode. None of the content is cut. The current exception to this may be S9, which is still only available on Amazon via the PBS streaming service. However, at this point, I’m not sure if PBS made the usual cuts to S9. For all other seasons, however, I know for sure that the version on Amazon is complete. It does, however, have the international and not the UK soundtrack.

Other stuff:

If you are looking to purchase physical DVDs, it’s important to be aware of 1) which version you want and 2) which version you can actually access. Most of the DVDs for sale in the US will only play in US DVD players and most for sale in the UK will only play in UK DVD players. If you want to be able to play DVDs from anywhere, you need to purchase a region-free DVD player. 

Even then, however, you need to be careful about which version of the show is on any given DVD set. In the US, at least, it can be very difficult to tell from the packaging or purchasing information whether or not a particular set is the full-length version or the one with cuts. The good news is that most of the DVDs are full-length. The bad news is that there are a few sets that are not and I haven’t gone through one-by-one to identify which ones those are—so just be careful.

As far as I know, the DVDs for sale in the US all have the international soundtrack. If you want to hear the UK soundtrack, you’ll have to get that region-free DVD player and the UK versions.

I think that’s it. If anyone knows of something I’ve missed or if I’ve made any errors, please let me know!

[bananaproved]

Top 6 shelved dramas that I would still really like to see

Ranked in no particular order, selection based on my personal tastes.

1) The Prisoner of Beauty

Plot : Adapted from the novel "Zhe Yao" by Peng Lai Ke, it tells the story of the arranged marriage between Wei Shao (Liu Yuning) and Qiao Man (Song Zuer). The fun thing about this marriage is that they both hate each other for complicated family reasons (in the novel Qiao Man's family is directly responsible for the death of Wei Shao's father), so they start they relationship by trying to make the life of the other a living hell. Ultimately, their relationship will develop as they are impressed by each other's ingenuity and discover common interests. There is also an important "let's protect the empire and the common people" plot behind the romance.

Why I wish I could see it : It looks good !! The main duo of actors are both really good looking, but the production in general looks really high budget, with good costumes and sets. I would love to see that. Just look at this trailer !

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Song Zuer :/ bestie :/ tax evasion is bad !!

Can we have some hope ? : Not really, at this point of time, no c-actors caught for tax evasion managed to make an actual comeback in the industry (even really popular ones like Deng Lun or Fan Bing Bing). Song Zuer is still being investigated, so maybe we can hope to see her name cleared but it's a little unlikely because they don't investigate people just for fun. However Song Zuer was involved in a lot of high budget projects so I am sure a lot of people are really motivated to try to airdrop at least some of her projects if they have the possibility.

2) The Fated General

Plot : Classic high-budget historical drama telling the story of real life historical figure Huo Qubing (Zhang Ruoyun) during the Western Han Dynasty. It follows his military feats that got him the reputation of being one of the best military generals in the history of China.

Why I wish I could see it : First, the cast is incredible. We have Zhang Ruoyun (famous for being really good at choosing his scripts), Mao Xiao Tong, Bai Yu, Li Hongyi, Xu Yue, and others. It's really an all star cast except the drama was shot in 2016, before some of them became really famous, so it can be really interesting to watch ! Plus it's a really high budget drama, most of the outdoor scenes are shot in real landscape and not in a studio and it globally looks really good. For a better impression, look at this nice looking MV based on the different trailers of the show :

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : In 2019 (I think ?) the censorship rules changed concerning historical dramas and established the fact that dramas were forbidden to "distort" certain historical facts. This kind of put an end to traditional historical dramas as they became a way more risky investments, and stopped this one from airing as it already took some liberties in terms of storytelling. Huo Qubing is also a semi-controversial historical figure so it is not helping.

Can we have some hope ? : It's been 7 or 8 years and the regulations concerning historical fiction only got more restrictives in China so I would say no.

3) Immortality

Plot : I'm sure everybody knows the plot of Erha so I don't need to write it but just in case the important tags are : xianxia, dangai, shizunfuckers, reincarnation, blood spitting, stairs, ...

Why I wish I could see it : Outside of the obvious reasons (gay people on my screen, Luo Yunxi spitting blood), it's also produced by the same people involved in the production of Till the End of the Moon and Shui Long Yin, so I have I hopes for the artistic direction of the drama. Also for dmbj fans : did you know Liu Chang played a guest role in this drama ? Idk what he is doing here but I would love to see it.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : We are all aware of the famous 2021 dangai ban, but in general the chinese government is not a big fan of massive and really agitated fandoms (in the way The Untamed fandom was), so Immortality is in a pretty bad position.

Can we have some hope ? : Yeah !!!!! Hyx TOMORROW !!! Believe in your dreams !!!

For real : Two options. 1) On a random morning of the year 20XX you wake up to danmei fans in your tl losing their marbles bc the 6 first episodes of hyx were randomly airdropped during the night with no promotion and no warnings. You cry some tears of joy and immediately go watch Luo Yunxi spit some blood on screen. 2) After many years hyx is still not out but there were so many leaks that the fans managed to recreate the entire series from scraps and now you can watch it in full. Look, they already started :

4) Night Wanderer

Plot : Zong Yin (Ni Ni) is a forensic expert living in Shanghai in 2021. She met, in her own apartment, a man, called Sheng Qing Rang (Deng Lun), claiming to be the owner of this apartment but in 1937. Together they discover that they can travel to their respective time periods through their shared apartment and start to develop a strong relationship, first as confidence and progressively as lovers. However, the situation get complicated as the Battle of Shanghai broke out in 1937 putting both of their lives in danger.

Why I wish I could see it : First, for lesbian reasons as I would never miss an occasion to stare at Ni Ni for 36 episodes (Wang Yuwen also has a supporting role here and I really like her ! Double win !). Second, it's actually a really nice and original plot for a CDrama and I have full confidence in both actors' capacity to pull off a really good performance to go with it. Look at this trailer ! It looks so promising !

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Deng Lun !!! Tax evasion is bad !!

Can we have some hope ? : Even less than for The Prisoner of Beauty as Deng Lun is 100% proved to have committed tax evasion. There is often rumors about him coming back to acting but it's unlikely.

5) Winner is King

Plot : Based on the novel "Sha Po Lang" by Priest, set in a steampunk version of the Liang Dynasty. It tells the story of Chang Geng (Chen Zhe Yuan), a young man living in a random countryside village, who discovers after a raid on their village that the closest people around him were hiding a big secret about his identity. He also discovers that the people around him are not who they pretend to be, especially his yifu (adoptive father, played by Tan Jianci), and realizes that his life will never be the same.

Why I wish I could see it : Outside of the reasons already mentioned in hyx's case, Winner is King is also directed by the same director as Guardian and a Journey to Love. I really like his work and he proved that he was able to do really good things even with a really low budget, so now imagine with a decent amount of money ? It could be great. Also I really like the idea of an ancient china steampunk but I am too lazy to read the book.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Same reason as hyx and all the other dangais </3 Also I am not sure of how advanced the production was when it was stopped, because I feel like there are not as many content leaks.

Can we have some hope ? : If we can manifest hard enough the end of the ban, it is possible.

6) The Love of Hypnosis

Plot : During the end of Qing Dynasty, a (patriotic) young man named Yen Shen (Jing Boran) meets a fragrance shop owner named Lu Man Sheng (Liu Yifei). Man Sheng has the special ability/ mission to relieve the hearts of people suffering because of love, but it does not mean that her own romantic life is easier to deal with. Together they fall in love and have to navigate the really troubled times of the end of Qing Dynasty.

Why I wish I could see it : If you are familiar with Liu Yifei and Jing Boran acting I'm sure you can see the potential of this pairing ??? Just the poster has more on screen chemistry than some pairings have in 40 episodes. At this point the plot could be written by a cat walking on a keyboard and I would still have hope for a good chemistry. Also the drama has Liu Mintao in a supporting role and I am in love with her so it's a plus.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : First, there are some copyright issues with the original manhwa author. Second, the second male lead, Zhao Lixin, got more or less canceled a few years back for political reasons (sorry I don't have the details).

Can we have some hope ? : I would say maybe a little. Copyright issues can be solved and I've heard that Zhao Lixin is still shooting in dramas, meaning that there is hope for some of his stuff still being released.

That's all <3

Sorry for depressing information maybe ? Next time I promise I will make a post about dramas I am looking forward to and that are likely to be released sooner or later. 

[sageistrii]

https://www.tumblr.com/sageistrii/749080074375086080/i-am-not-gonna-lie-i-find-it-a-tad-bit-funny-that?source=share

But do you think that because of jk's songs like seven, snty and 3D which were like gp friendly jk's popularity in sk might have increased? See i know that the sk industry or gp does challenges that fit the tiktok kinda vibes and even jisoo's flower was done by many many ppl (it actually reached my country too where i didn't just see the kpop fans doing the trend but even some celebs who never does anything related kpop doing the challenge or using the song) and jk's all these three songs were are actually pretty popular in sk. alot of idols has mentioned him as their fav/role model and even has recommended other songs from his album too. isn't it like being popular and having strong fb a different case? So do you think jk is more popular?? I'm just talking about it based on how much ppl i have seen doing his challenge/mention his songs/mention him as their fav etc. If there's other criteria through which this get's calculated then I'm not well aware. I actually saw someone asking this question so i was wondering too.

Seven did well in SK because it did well all over the world. 3d and snty not so much, like crazy did better than both those songs in all major aspects. If a song's acclaim and chart placement lies on how many people joined it's challenges, then I luv it by Kamila cabello would be number 1 on the hot 100 right now. Some people just join these challenges for fun, doesn't mean they're listening to the song. Like we can all see the chart placements of both songs

Also this man has been everywhere since 2022, Hybe made sure of that and you're surprised he's being name dropped by every kpop idol. That's literally how idols move, they name drop songs or artists that are trending at that particular moment. If this year some other soloist that isn't jk gets the same coverage and success that jk got in 2023, they're going to ignore him and talk about that person. You think none of those idols listen to other BTS members especially jimin? Or have y'all deluded yourself into thinking jk's album was the only one these idols listened to and liked? I guarantee you that they're also tons of idols who listen to rapline and love their music.

But they're going to mention the one member that was being shoved down their throat because that's how they also get publicity for themselves. And it's one reason why unlike some pjms I will never hype these random name droppings from idols because I know how it goes. Next year they're going to focus on the next trending idol or group and not even acknowledge your fave. It's like how idols jump on TikTok trends, it's not because they like the song or the singer, it's for visibility.

Let me use le sserafim as an example (no shade to them), during their promotions last year they danced to flowers by Miley because it was popular when they probably don't even listen to it but what they got in return was publicity because Miley posted them on her Instagram. They mentioned Taylor repeatedly during the time when her name was all over the media for the release of her re-recordings, they've name-dropped Beyonce in a song they teased in Coachella which makes sense because she's been the most talked about person on social media this year and has one of the most popular songs of the year so far, now they've also been linked to Sabrina carpenter in Light of her new found chart success. That's how the industry works. Name dropping or joining challenges doesn't necessarily mean they're listening because those idols could drop their 2023 Spotify wrapped, and you probably wouldn't find any Jungkook song.

Jimin has spent a long time at the top of Spotify Korea and like crazy got almost 200k unique listeners on melon, just a 100k+ below seven, you think none of those listens came from idols? But why would they name drop him after all the shit that happened with his debut and also when bang and scooter made sure all jk's achievements stifled his?

[pienhime]

10 female vtubers who are popular with ryousangata and jirai girls!

Two important things to know before you read any further: I am NOT alleging any of these vtubers to be jirai kei. That'd be incredibly inappropriate for me to do, as I don't know any of them well enough to know if they are a part of the jirai kei subculture. I am simply listing vtubers who seem to be the most popular within the ryousanjirai crowd, that is those whose female fanbase seems to have a higher proportion of ryousanjirai girls than most.

The other thing I'd like to get out of the way is that some vtubers on this list are known for using "menhera" as an insult. Sadly, thats grown popular in the vtuber scene and online spaces in japan. For vtuber fans reading this who think that's a weird thing to say, the word "menhera" has been around since 2001 and was the name given to an internet subculture revolving around mental health safe spaces, awareness, and vent art. Even tho it was literally created to help erase the "mental illness makes you dangerous" thing, the stigma took over once the term went mainstream, so its often used to mean "yandere psycho". The subculture still exists if you know where to look, but barely ever uses the name it gave itself anymore because it attracts trolls, edgelords, and fetishists.

One last thing- a few of these girls fit the "loli" archetype, and consider it a part of their appeal, but no minors will be featured on this list.

absolutely zero past-life discussion

I'll do my best to summarize what the vtuber is known for and the reasons i think are likely why their female fanbase has a larger proportion of ryousanjirai girls.

1. Sakamata Chloe (Hololive HoloX)

Given that she recently got a new outfit that looks a lot like a dark girly kei coord, you've probably seen Chloe on your feed recently. Despite her yamikawaii punk-ish look, she's so cute and probably couldn't survive in the wild if she were a real orca. The "pon" is unreal. Her original songs talk about her own inner pain in a way that may be relatable to jirai girls, and she's covered a lot of songs popular with us too (such as Cute Loving and Devil Janai Mon). Between her cutesiness, choice in fashion, and her songs, it's easy to see why she's loved by jirai kei girls.

2. Minato Aqua (Hololive Gen. 2)

You probably know about Aqua if you follow me, since I just posted a link to one of her more recent song covers. It's one about a ryousangata girl falling in love with a host, and knowing his affection is fake but wanting it anyway. She covers a lot of songs about topics that are familiar to ryousan and jirai girls, like kyuukurarin, darling dance, goodbye declaration, and internet overdose to name a few. Her original songs are also hits with the ryousangata crowd, with "aqua iro palette" being the choice of song in so many tiktoks and reels of ryousan wotas showing off their lavish birthday celebrations for their oshis. She's also a cosplayer, frequently wearing maid outfits, making her relatable to a lot of girls who work at concept cafes. She also did a duet with Shion, a cover of "menhera janai mon", which is a song i often see misinterpreted outside of japan because of the need for cultural context on jirai kei, ryousangata, and menhera both as a subculture and insult. Should I do a post explaining the lyrics and overall themes?

3. Makaino Ririmu (Nijisanji Gamers Generation 3)

Listen. If you're in the jirai kei subculture, I guarantee you've seen Ririmu. This girl's fanart is probably on every jirai kei blog known to man. If you don't recognize this model, you'd recognize the maid outfit with bondage elements thats paired with a coat that looks suspiciously like REFLEM's bunny ears coat (the one that took yamikawa lovers by storm a while back). Ririmu's popularity with jirai kei girls isn't just because she likes similar fashions to most of us. Ririmu has been open about her past suffering with agorophobia, suicidal ideation, and being a NEET. She's shared bits and pieces of her recovery with her fans! Of course, she also does yandere bit that might be more than a bit, and covers a lot of songs popular with ryousan and jirai girls, like more kyun, chuupuri, and vampire.

4. Mikeneko (Indie)

Mikeneko isn't new to the scene at all, but has recently come out of a partly mental health related hiatus to a much larger following than before. Mikeneko collects models like they're pokemon cards, going thru four in total now, two of which have been in one year. She wears tons of yamikawa fashions, and plays up her chuunibyou for streams. Aside from her on-and-off NEETdom, Mikeneko is open about a lot of her health issues, including bipolar, and about her medication and trips to the psychiatric hospital. She calls herself menhera, often in the secondary meaning, but she's also rumored to have been a part of the actual subculture for a long time. Her original songs, drop and you&me ring really true for a lot of jirai and menhera girls such as myself.

5. Meloco Kyoran (Nijisanji EN Generation 7)

Meloco is the only vtuber on this list to be a part of an company's EN (english-speaking) branch. She's included on the list because she's also big in japan- because she's japanese. She's almost fluent in english and was accepted for the english branch, but frequently slips into japanese and appeals to her japanese fans. Her outfit is gothic lolita inspired with bondage elements and plenty of edge, to fit her overall spooky exorcist theming. Her creepy-cute nature and cool alternative onee-san demeanor have attracted her many jirai kei fans, and inspired a lot of ryousan girls' oshi nails.

6. Sukoya Kana (Nijisanji Tulip-gumi Unit)

Admittedly, Kana's probably got more menhera (as in the subculture) fans than jirai or ryousan, but she still has enough that I wanted to include her. Her nurse theming isn't just a gimmick, her actual "day job" is as a nurse. As in, when she's not streaming, she works in a hospital as staff after passing her qualifying exams in 2022! She must be super busy! Her morbid interests and fetishes, as well as her medical themed design, have no doubt appealed to many jirai girls too. Besides that, she's covered a lot of songs, including quite a few beloved by landmines such as lavie, nainai girls pride, and godish.

7. Natori Sana (Indie)

Listen, I just know you've seen her figures by now. Every menhera, yamikawaii, and "cutecore" account in the west has at least one of this nurse girl's figures. She's ultra cute, with a sickeningly sweet smile and design. Her lore is interesting- she claims to work at a sanitarium, but has hinted very heavily many times that she is in fact not a nurse, but a patient in denial. Whether this is just lore for fun and appeal or is a dramatized reflection of Sana's own feelings and mental health is up for speculation.

8. La+ (Laplus) Darkness (HoloX)

Remember that disclaimer regarding using menhera derogatorily earlier? Yeah that's 90% because of Laplus's inclusion on the list. It feels like she accuses someone of being menhera (derogatory) like every other VOD. Apart from that, Laplus is a grade A kusogaki, complete with constant angry outburst when things don't go her way. She's a demon whos intelligence was... "sealed away"... sure. Her gothic appearance and explosive personality seem to be what's gained her such a large jirai kei following.

9. Houshou Marine (Hololive Gen. 3)

Dear god. Alright, so you've definitely heard at least two of her songs if you're on japanese jirai kei SNS at all. This cosplaying pirate is so horny that it's literally considered her catchphrase. Her original songs about wanting to be seen as desirable and be... pleasured seem to be especially popular with landmine girls (which is maybe related to how many jirai girls are in a certain profession). She enjoys gothic lolita fashion, girls love/yuri, and enough fetishes to lose track of if you're counting.

10. Shigure Ui (Indie)

Did you really think I could make this list without including hololive star Oozora Subaru's mom and voice of the song that's plaguing japanese social media, ESPECIALLY landmine social media rn? Sure, it's everywhere, but go check every insta kaiwai dedicated to jirai subculture and see how many of their reels have this song. Even though she's just now broken out to this degree of fame, she's been around a while, and is the "mama" (artist) to several other vtubers. She often collabs with hololive members! She loves taboo fiction, which is also especially popular amongst jirai girls.

Last but not least, I want to add three honorable mentions from Hololive that are also popular with ryousanjirai girls. Tokoyami Towa is a super popular choice of cosplay amongst jirai girls specifically. She has a cute-but-cool look, and lots of her outfits definitely have subcultural influences from japanese ゴスパンク (gothic x punk) and general "egirl"-type styles. Murasaki Shion is a very popular choice of profile pic for ryousanjirai girls, and it's easy to see why. Her "kusogaki" appeal and lolita outfits, as well as her "Menhera Janai Mon" duet with Aqua all appeal to that demographic. Finally, last honorable mention is Amane Kanata, purely because of how popular she is with lovers of Tenshi Kaiwai, which has a lot of overlap with the jirai subculture. She basically predicted the trend before the magazine that popularized it even existed. Mizuiro x white cybercore outfits, a nurse cosplay, and angel theming make her a spot-on icon in that scene.

That's it! Now I have to stop procrastinating on the pien kei characters post...

[desmorotu]

morgan’s playlist 🌑 (a glimpse)

i’m just going to flat-out say that i am totally aware that he has only three videos and that it’s kinda silly to suddenly just know his vibe BUT i did get a vibe and now i need to share it because he is everything that i want in a character and more 💔 his recent audio was so cute. playlist stuff is below :)

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

☆ nocturne in c-sharp minor - frédéric chopin (classical music is a way to quiet the noise. prefers piano, but most lyric-less music will work if it’s in a minor key and has a moving melody. as his outside world is messy and frantic, he uses the precision and accuracy of an artist’s fingers to simulate that solace in his mind. enjoys listening to it while writing or reading, both hobbies that he’s recently picked up on.)

☆ piano concerto no. 21 in c major, k. 467: II. andante - mozart (i imagine him wearing a black turtleneck, having dark hair and rounder glasses, and some grey plaid pajama pants with a warm cup of tea; caffeine free, of course. when he says Seeing is like music, this song is what comes to mind for him. it can truly be a gift, just as he’s said, but it can quickly tip-toe the line into tragedy if you’re not careful. it’s all about balance.)

☆ the heart - david celeste (strangely, i imagine that morgan looks similar to seokjin from bts…those are just the visuals i get when i hear this song? longer, slimmer face shape, full lips, broad shoulders, soft cheek bones and jawline, etc. etc. it’s not exactly him, there are some differences in his eyes and nose that i can’t place yet, but no matter what i try to change or picture differently, seokjin is my point of reference for what morgan looks like. this song just brought out his appearance for me and i have no clue why. i don’t even keep up with kpop anymore and haven’t for a while now. if you totally disagree with me then i am so sorry 😭)

☆ prelude in e minor, op. 28, no. 4 - frédéric chopin (plays mostly classical because it’s what he prefers. he partakes in playing the piano on occasion and understands music theory, which is why he uses music to refer to his Sight. it makes sense to him. he knows it; he’s comfortable in it. he believes that music is the closest thing that the unempowered will ever have to magic, and he believes that to be a beautiful tragedy.)

☆ catwoman - michael giacchino (he’s the type if person to pay acute attention to the soundtrack of a movie over the movie itself, though he’s not much of a movie person to begin with. he was interested in batman as a child and decided to go see its 2022 release—and he absolutely fell in love with the soundtrack. it pulled the right kinds of emotion from him at the right times, and it added a perfect effect to each scene. it’s one of the few movies that he actually watches back.)

☆ clair de lune - claude debussy (a simple, sweet, popular classic. he likes to pay attention to the rippling pattern of the right hand and allows it to envelope him in a comforting “brain hug.” it was one of the first pieces he heard when he was younger and it inspired him to delve deeper into music as a whole. his mother played piano, and he sits and recalls the amount of times that it’s lulled him to sleep in his younger years.)

refer to morgan’s playlist cover at the bottom :) i associate him with the color purple so i’m just rolling with it

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

this one was so relaxing omg. i feel like morgan is a super calming presence as a whole—i mean, he relaxed me really effectively in his recent audio. he’s a sweet, awkward music nerd (imo) that also happens to see the future. i’m so excited to see how his character is developed further in his story :).

as for his appearance being seokjin and associating him with the color purple, i have absolutely no clue. call it a vibe check. it just felt correct 😭 i will def be doing more of these when the inspo arises :p

can i be the unofficial official morgan guy? thanks

k bye 💟

[jmdbjk]

BTS: Beyond the Story

These are just my personal thoughts and opinions after finishing the book. I don't quote the book in this blog post. I don't talk about specific topics so I don't really give any spoilers. But I do talk about my thoughts on what I've read. If you don’t want to know ANYTHING about the book, keep scrolling.

My overall impression: Wow. Amazing.

I have learned so much. If you've been with me a while on this blog, you may already know that my BTS journey began right before the release of Map of the Soul:7.

My journey could be described as: if you will, visualize opening a Google map and dragging that little Street View dude/dudette to the middle of a huge city and dropping him/her/them there and then just moving along in street view as you explore. I was that little guy going this way and that trying to consume BTS content and trying to make sense of it all but I was zig zagging backwards and forwards in time with no view from above to see where I was going or where I had been. I'd watch something that would lead me this way and then the next thing I watched would propel me back in time and then I'd have to stop and watch the current Run BTS (show) as it dropped and I was ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. consuming content back and forth chronologically and it was difficult to put it all in order because there is so much content available on so many different platforms.

But this book lays it out all nice in a straight line with the visual, musical and information references to go with everything. I LOVE IT! I feel like I graduated from Bangtan Academy with an undergrad degree in BTSology.

And now in their own words I have a much better understanding of their process as they worked on specific albums and songs, what their motivations, fears, happiness and goals were. And what the songs, albums and concepts were about, what the lyrics meant to them.

My personal takeaways:

• The members struggled with imposter syndrome as they experienced success and the more popular they became. A lot of times they were unsure if they deserved the success they were achieving. Each success made them work hard for the next goal but the sudden overwhelming global recognition was hard to handle.

• They consider this their job. They understand its a business that exists to make money. And most of the time, they love this job. And they work very hard at it.

• At the same time, they also define themselves strongly as members of BTS. They are a team who know each others strengths and weaknesses.

• Their bond with each other is rare in the entertainment world.

• They each describe themselves very clearly.

• I am seeing JM and JK in a new light here. Jimin and Jungkook's words and thoughts impressed me. Their poise and awareness and eloquence even when they were explaining how they were struggling and wondering if what they were doing was right and going to work. Their determination can be felt in their words as they explain how they wondered if they would make it, and once they did, how would they survive the pressure. Jimin was always tuned in emotionally to what was going on.

• Jungkook is wise beyond his years. His baby image is not real. Many are not giving him the credit he deserves when it comes to knowing what he’s doing. He grew up fast in a world we know nothing about because we don't live in it.

• The fact that Jimin and Jungkook's trip to Tokyo has its own section under the title "Real" Love is mind blowing.

• The relationship of the group and the company working together to make it all happen was one of the reasons they made it. Their mentor Bang Si-Hyuk, nurtured their art and pushed them until they soared. And every one of them speaks highly of Bang PD.

• The haters, the amount of hate and the types of hate aimed at them was unbelievable. I always thought there was a little exaggeration in regards to that but no. Some form of hate/backlash/bullying/efforts to discredit them, was there from the beginning, from all sides. It is a fucking miracle they are still with us. I am in awe of their ability to walk through that fire.

• I feel like my habit of looking at the "big picture" gained a wider scope into their world.

I will re-read and refer to some of my favorite content not included in the QR codes in the book so I can see if what I know now changes how I feel. Hopefully I will come away with a post-grad degree in BTSology after that.

The vernacular in translating Korean to English is not a smooth word for word translation so I think some of the passion and emotion in what the members were trying to convey does not easily come across with as much emphasis as it probably was said during their interviews but it does not diminish the meaning of what they said. When I re-read I am going to really concentrate on hearing their own voices as I read the member's words again.

The only real issue I had and it is very minor: the method of using italicized all-caps for the lengthy album titles became burdensome to read. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE: PT. 1; THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE: PT. 2 and THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN LIFE: YOUNG FOREVER were a lot for my eyeballs and brain to handle when they were repeated again and again in paragraph after paragraph.

[poopyballz28]

Some Baki characters as middle school kids

wrote this a long while ago, but i tweaked it and now im ready to show it off

remember to like and subscribe

Kozue

• She's a pretty quiet and timid girl, she doesn't have many friends, and she's usually seen alone with her iPod and headphones in (listening to Vocaloid songs i just know i am the writer here i make the decisions)

• Some girls are definitely envious of her beauty, like she is PRETTY pretty. I wonder what hair products she uses...knowing her though, it'd be silly if she just had naturally flowy, beautiful hair.

• Probably has been asked out by boys several times, she's really cute and has an adorable personality, it's pretty inevitable. She never understands why they like her so much though.

• Always randomly zoning off in the middle of class, looking out the window. Her few friends are a bit concerned but are aware of her lost in the clouds type attitude.

• Forgets to do her homework a lot. Her grades and performance are very good, and that's a definite, but she's just incredibly forgetful. She just gets home and doesn't remember if she has anything to do. She just immediately turns on some anime or pulls out some Shonen Jump when she gets home.

• These hc's are just...my normal hc's for her. Curses. Whatever, it still applies here, DO NOT DEFY ME

Jack

• Really reserved and quiet, most of the class is really intimidated by him. Just the way he talks and looks at you with a death glare. It freaks everyone out.

• He's kind of a target for bullying because of how to himself and a bit scary he is, but he doesn't care and doesn't plan to do anything about it. They're always too daunted to insult him to his face. Jack focuses his time on getting stronger, not some losers making fun of him.

• Often scolded for never doing or turning in his work. He just feels he has better things to do. When he does do his work though, he's not exactly the best. His worksheets are surprisingly (or perhaps, unsurprisingly) filled with scribbles and rough little doodles.

• He doesn't really have many "friends", but one immune to his flaws is Kureha. He acts as if Jack is a friend he's known for ages, despite them only meeting during the current school year. He tends to hang out with him and help him out with his homework as well, because lets be real, Jack's grades are not looking too hot.

• The whole class thinks it's strange how out of everyone in the class, those two are the ones who are closest.

• Kureha definitely insists he do some small science experiments on Jack, Jack only complying if it leads to the growth of him getting stronger. It's like a mad scientist and his test subject, except two 12 year olds.

Katsumi

• He's a really popular student. He's attractive (in middle school standards), strong, leader of his own karate club and his dad's the principal of the school. He's almost always surrounded by people wanting to talk or hang out with him.

• Many girls have huge crushes on him, he usually has to let them down though. He's really focused on his karate and fighting and just doesn't particularly want any kind of lover. He's much more interested in running his club than young love. He values friendship more than anything.

• Always urging strong kids to join the karate club. He wants to expand his club as far as possible and spar with anyone worthy. He focuses so much on his club and karate his grades unfortunately suffer. You can't blame him though, everyone in the karate club is really close with each other and it's really endearing how its almost like a big family of middle schoolers in there.

• He's a really smart kid, and is able to excel in a lot of subjects, but he gets the most significant grades in PE class specifically.

• Hangs out with Hector quite a bit, they are almost polar opposites of each other, but hang out anyway. They're always seen doing homework or eating lunch together. He's one of Hector's only friends.

• Also really looks up to Kiyosumi, he thinks his strength and confidence is super admirable. Currently in the middle of trying to get him to join the karate club. He's somewhat becoming more of a delinquent because of how much Kiyosumi is rubbing off on him.

Kiyosumi

• He's 100% a delinquent who chills at the back of the school and likes to skip his classes. He's well liked by his delinquent disciples who think his fighting is radical.

• He has been suspended multiple times for starting fights and beating up kids for looking at him wrong. He wants any excuse to hurt someone or show off his fighting.

• He's avoided by normal kids in the school but swarmed by other delinquents and juveniles. He's a super cool figure for them. He's just popular enough for Katsumi to take notice.

• Despite the fact there are always students who praise him, he's a very lonely kid. He acknowledges the fact that the people who swarm him don't care about him as a person at all, they just like the idea of a leader with cool fighting abilities. As much as they make his ego swell, they wont be able to purge his hatred for others or even aid his loneliness. No matter how much euphoria will course through his veins and throughout his mind after defeating somebody, that empty feeling will always come barreling back in the end. He would never let anyone know that though. Never.

• That got deep. Wait till you guys find out that was also just a general headcanon for him. Anyway, Kiyosumi fucking LOVES workshop class. He will not skip that shit. This kid has a passion for cars and motorcycles (go figure)

• Katsumi decided to duel with Kiyosumi behind the school, but ended up getting his shit rocked and went flying into some garbage cans. Kiyosumi, (trying to be cool) hits him with a "Beat it, kid." but Katsumi stood up and immediately ushered him to join the karate club after falling victim to his strength.

• Surprisingly, Kiyosumi's grades aren't all that bad. His downfall is just that he always skips or doesn't do his work at all even though he's strangely intelligent (to an extent, of course)

Retsu

• He's a really quiet kid who's undoubtedly diligent at his work. He doesn't know many people besides Katsumi and a few others.

• You can easily find him in the back of the class studying or reading a book. People look up to how smart he is, he's top of his class. Although he does tend to burn himself out a bit.

• Really passionate in cooking class, he loves making some Chinese dishes with the few ingredients he's provided. Tends to ignore teacher directions so he can make what he wants to.

• A member of the karate club (by Katsumi's request) even though he uses a whole different fighting style. After Katsumi sparred with Retsu and lost, they've been friends and have been training together ever since.

• It's quite shocking to other students how this quiet kid who is usually just reading in the back of the class is such a strong and confident fighter. I imagine many kids watched the fight between Katsumi and him, and he's gained unwanted notoriety for his win. He tried to keep his fighting life on the down low and focus on grades.

• He definitely gets rebellious and immature sometimes, don't get me wrong. Katsumi had him open up a little, and now he's more free with his fighting (even though real battles aren't allowed on school grounds) He isn't afraid to spar with someone if they initiate it, school grounds or not. This kid just really wants to kick some tail.

Hector

• Quite the mysterious kid, usually just sitting and watching the view from outside the classroom windows with a blank expression. He's not at all unfamiliar with others talking behind his back or bullying him.

• Stays quiet when he's bullied in somewhere public but if he's ever assaulted alone or off of school grounds, that bully will probably be found with some pretty gnarly knife wounds.

• He doesn't seem to be interested in many things, or even passionate in his grades at all. It's almost like he's there because he has to be.

• He's always showing up to school with nicks or bruises. It's not entirely clear how he gets them or why they appear so frequently, but they certainly don't go unnoticed by others. They don't seem to bother him very much though.

• What I can say for certain though is that this kid is pretty fucking disturbed. Brought a pocket knife to school and shanked someone pretty badly. He was suspended soon after and rumors started to multiply and spread across the playground.

• Tends to run into Retsu by accident and gets partner assignments with him by pure chance. It was extremely awkward the first few times but they both realized they probably need to get used to each others company. They've surprisingly gotten close, Retsu wanting to understand the mystery behind Hector and why he's alone all of the time. Although some of Retsu's prying or questions make Hector a bit nervous. (definitely some home issues going on)

• He also likes being around Katsumi as well. Though, "like" is a strong word, for him at least. Like Retsu, Katsumi also wants to understand Hector. He thinks he's just misunderstood and makes an effort to talk to him even if some of their views on things are vastly different.

Kosho

• Trademark emo/edgy nervous kid who keeps to himself. He's a little bit of a crybaby, frankly.

• He really likes to draw, you may be able to catch him doodling some cool vkei clothing designs in his notebook. He's pretty embarrassed about them though, he always covers the pages when he thinks someones looking.

• Throughout all of his seemingly timid nature, its clear that some deep issues and hate are slowly brewing inside of him. The overshadowing from his brother and the teasing over his interests are not helping him in that regard either.

• Sometimes gets into small altercations with kids who like to poke fun at him. Kosho really struggles to stand up for himself but whenever he happens to find the courage to, his brother is always a step ahead and ready to protect him. After he deals with that, he proceeds to lecture Kosho about getting into fights and how he should go study for his math quiz next week.

• As much as Kosho loves his brother he wishes he would just...leave him alone sometimes.

• Was able to make friends with Katsumi due to their liking of karate and Katsumi's overall kindness after seeing Kosho sitting alone all of the time. The two have gotten pretty close.

[absolutebl]

Kpop end of 2022 shows

In which I mostly slam 4th gen boy groups, so if you’re a stan skip this post or go in prepared to be offended. I am aware that this is off brand for this blog. But I’m also aware that I have a number of followers who are as deeply into Kpop as me, and...

who probably will unfollow me after reading this. Oh well, I’m gonna do it anyway. This is my tiny corner of the internet. MINE I tell you!  

Look, there was no Between Us airing today, and so nothing for me to get my watch-along snark out on except for the 2 Kpop shows that Viki popped into my feed. So skip this post if that’s not your thing. 

2022 Gayo Daejeon (stadium event) 

OMG! Either mic them properly or don’t mic them at all! This is a music concert, right? Why can’t Korea ever fucking get the sound right in these goddamn bonanza shows? I had this problem with Kingdom (arguably more of an issue since that was supposedly made for TV) but it’s 100 times worse with this show. It’s so frustrating. 

For example, with NCT, why is Johnny’s the only hot mic in the group? Sound tech on stuff out of Korea is mind numbingly confusing and ear wrenchingly annoying. I am reminded why I never watch the live shows and never go to Kpop concerts.

And now, here’s some offensive thoughts and unpopular opinions:

Yeonjun of TXT is one of the best 4th gen dancers ever fielded, and one of the better all rounders. But Kpop stylists gotta learn how to dress a dancer so that they can be properly watched, ya know, WHEN THEY ARE DANCING. No puffer vests, you brainless fashionista numb-nuts. Poor thing kept having to do wardrobe adjustments. Honestly, this plus their red carpet looks this year? 

TXT desperately needs a new stylist.

Stray Kids

As a group? They really can’t sing very well or consistently, their strength is in their performance and rapping. And their rappers MUST to be micced hot for live - just KILL 3racha's backup recording, okay? They can handle it. Otherwise please just let them all lip-synch so we can watch them perform. It’s a much better experience.

NCT

Yuta has more charisma in his little finger than Taeyong has in his whole entire body. Doyoung is an incredibly underrated vocalist. Their’s was some of the worst miccing and sound of the night (which is saying a lot considering how terrible it was the whole time). Fantastic use of the stage tho. One the best stadium performance I’ve seen since GOT7. Also, 2 Baddies is an objectively terrible song - which is probably why it’s so popular.

The Boyz

Definitely the prettiest, how are they consistently so glorious on their visuals? Sunwoo keeps getting hotter, it’s patently unfair. But, oh my god, if you are going to have a group sing ballads, then bring 2nd (Highlight) or 3rd (BTOB) gens up there don’t use The Boyz (or SK for that matter). No one wants to hear unstable vocals, even if it’s a CNBLUE cover. Is it weird that The Boyz make me miss Seventeen? Same vibe... better syncopation. 17 is not as pretty tho.

Who is? 

Well, UNIQ of course. But I don’t wanna talk about that. 

Ateez

Jongho is the only 4th gen idol in existence who doesn’t need a mic even in a goddamn stadium. He is insane. But there is a reason the boy likes a handheld mic, because he takes his vocals seriously. And still the sound tech didn’t trust him enough to leave that mic hot? Frankly, it’s a crime that Jongho’s voice is wasted on a performance group. (Yes, I said it.) But Ateez did give the best stage of the night. They really are one of the industry’s hardest working groups at the moment. I’m a little worried they’re being pushed too much.

Enhyphen

Actually singing for a change *gasp* what will they do without auto tune? Ooof, I’m hella mean tonight. And... they seem to have been practicing their vocals since last time. Honestly? They lack the stage presence of some of the more experienced 4th gens. NCT fucking EATS up a stadium. Enhyphen looked a little sad up there by comparison.

MBC 2022 (New Year's showcase) 

Much better sound (mostly lip-synching) and most groups handle a showcase stage better than a stadium. 

The MC team was better on this one. 

Any time the Boyz and Ateez would like to dance together, I will be happy to watch it happen.

I’m not particularly interested in either of them, but Tempest and Kepler covering Pretty U was pretty damn cute. But younger boy groups + younger girl groups intermixing on stage always comes off as awkward. Dancers should be dancing together when they share a stage together. It’s weird when they are clearly afraid to touch each other. 

Hanbin is such sunshine, so pleased to see a Vietnamese idol at last.

As expected the bands doing live Krock had the best music performances. Well and the opera singers, of course. 

NCT’s Jungwoo is Taemin’s little brother, they look too much alike, you cannot persuade me otherwise. 

It’s a sin that Jeahyun hasn’t has a break away acting role yet. No babies, he really isn’t going to do us a BL. 

It’s always great when the surfeit of music shows at the end of the year forces a group like NCT to divide and conquer, because we get to see some of the lesser publicized members do some killer performing. 

NCT’s choreographer is phenomenal. Best in the biz? 

A sexy cover of Love Killa is fine but if you can’t go hard on Monsta X’s raps then why bother? This only made me want to go watch the original. Which I did. 

I’d like to see SK cover Monsta X but that’s about it. Maybe P1H.

Speaking of MX. Why did they cover a song where Kihyun (one of the most consistent voices in Kpop) mostly has to sing falsetto? What a damn waste. 

Fun to see IM getting more confident in his vocals but I’d still rather see the MX maknae line rap. 

And… thank you for doing an end of year stage Monsta X! Holding onto my beloved 3rd gens by the skin of my teeth here. Look I just love them, okay? Even down 2 members Monsta X goes harder than other groups, but effortlessly. They gave the best performance of my whole night, both shows, 6 hours of content and I’m just left wanting to watch MX comeback stages.  

Am I 3rd gen biased? 

Probably. 

Bite me. But only if you can do it as hard as Monsta X would.