#also yes I did pretty much write all the lyrics in this post

[dani-ya-dig]

Tourniquet by Zach Bryan is literally Sam and Darlin at each other in case you guys were wondering

Like???

“You’ve been stabbed in the back and the rest of your body. Won’t you tell me where you’re bleeding from? If you need a Tourniquet or if you wanna turn and quit, know that I’ll be by your side. You bled your whole soul into things you can’t control. In a world you’ll never satisfy. I’ll bandage up your body and your bones and your bad days too. Take care of the blood that your love runs through. I know all the damage that some days in the dark world does. You were laughing last week at somethin’ I dreamed of”

“When you finally feel the blood you spill into everybody else, I’ll tourniquet your toes to the ground. Pull you in and hold you tight. Love you through the heart of night”

YOURE TELLING ME THESE LYRICS ARENT SAM AND DARLIN

[midnightsslut]

So was taylor really cancelled in 2016 or was it more that she wasn't as popular as she was/would like to be?

oh she was absolutely canceled. buckle up because I have a lot of thoughts on this djsjsj.

if you were around in the fandom at all, you knew. things were BAD. that level of hate towards a celebrity is honestly rare these days. i would say the only thing that comes close in recent memory is like… idk, it’s actually hard to think of any because it was a combination of a few factors. it’s not that the general public decided to quietly boycott her and stop consuming her music. it’s that there were viral tweets hating on her pretty much every week. if she did anything in 2016-18, it was met with an absolutely asinine amount of criticism. twitter had a field day with things as innocent as her september cover and her post about having a good year in 2017. a lot of celebrities decided to distance themselves and take kanye’s side. there were numerous articles written about how she was finally going down and should apologize for being problematic. people were famously convinced the tour would flop and absolutely celebrated it. people literally told her she was dead. it’s genuinely difficult to explain the scope of this hate train to people who weren’t around at the time, especially because the news cycle is very different now. people get over news stories a lot quicker than they used to.

now, the main argument people use to prove that she wasn’t canceled is the first-week sales of reputation, which is sort of funny to me because all the coverage in 2017 focused on how its performance was lackluster compared to 1989. of course it still sold well compared to other artists’ albums in the first week, because there was still hype around her comeback, and most importantly, she has a huge fan base. none of the singles had longevity except delicate, which fans genuinely worked their asses off to campaign for. the radio did not play her singles like it used to, though this is due to other factors as well. sure, rep was not actually a flop, but it was nowhere near how TS6, the follow-up to one of the biggest pop eras of the decade, could’ve performed without the cancellation. it also got the worst reviews of her career, most of which generally didn’t focus on the music or the lyricism and were just mad at her as a person. yes, this sounds dramatic, considering the fact that it still got a lot of glowing reviews. the media made sure to focus on a lot of the negative stuff, although they were surprised that critics generally seemed to like it.

what’s funny is that, when she spoke about the kanye controversy in interviews in 2019, no one told her she wasn’t ‘really’ canceled, because a lot of people still hated her. they just told her to get over it. the level of hate was nowhere near pre-rep tour levels anymore, but she was still one of the most criticized celebrities, and it was widely believed that her peak had passed (people love to write revisionist history about the lover album and its performance that does not actually reflect the numbers, but that’s another story). now that more time has passed, and she’s even higher than she was pre-2016, people want to convince her that she’s actually wrong.

it’s almost insane to me to chalk up that level of hate to anything other than a cancellation. seeing articles like ‘was taylor swift REALLY canceled?’ and essays on why that’s just in her head will infuriate ANYONE who was online and didn’t hate her. none of the articles I linked here really convey the scope of that hate. taylor really played the long game and came out the other side of it, but she WAS canceled.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

would you ever consider translating sasara and rosho’s new duet? i’m sure it would be a real undertaking what with all the manzai, but i’ve always loved your style of localizing jokes! hope you’re having a great day!

You're very kind. Just for you, anon, I'll brave the horror of Dotsuhon lyrics translation. Under a cut for length. This post is so long Tumblr won't save all of it, so it'll have to be done in two goes.

Notes about style: No attempt to preserve rhyme or rhythm. Likewise, no attempt to match the vocal tone/line delivery/line length of the voice actors. (Ie, I'm not writing subtitles, so it might sound odd if you try to listen to the song at the same time as reading this.) The primary focus is on written tone, including wordplay, so strict adherence to literal meaning is not observed. In particular, since this is supposed to sound like a (radio?) comedy sketch, I'm trying to write it with the generally jocular tone such a performance would have in English. Some notes on jokes to follow for those curious. Sasara and Roshou: Hey, folks! Sasara: You're listening to the one and only Dotsuitare Hompo from Osaka. Roshou: Thanks for having us tonight! Sasara: We're Sasara Nurude and... Roshou: ...Roshou Tsutstujimori. Sasara: We usually have a third guy with us, our older buddy Rei Amayado, but he wasn't able to make it for some reason or another. So, you're stuck with the two of us today. Roshou: Sorry, sorry, and thanks again for having us. Sasara: Anyway, things sure are tough out there these days, huh? Roshou: You're telling me. Sasara: So I'd like to get on the mic and say a couple of jokes, cheer folks up a little bit in this whole mess. Roshou: You? You're the biggest mess there is. [1] But you're right. All anyone needs is a good, hot meal and a couple of laughs, and they're set. Sasara: Yeah! A good, hot banquet or three and a personal comedian. All a person needs in life! Roshou: A tad more expensive than I'd intended, but sure. Sasara: And then if you get a good night's sleep with a warm futon riiiight on the floor, then you're in heaven! Roshou: Wait, hold on. You'll catch a cold sleeping like that! You need a quilt or something at least. Sasara: But then what if I overheat? I'd rather quilt while I'm in bed. Roshou: ...Wait, you messed that up. It's supposed to be "quilt while I'm ah--" whatever, let's move on. [2] [Chorus] Sasara and Roshou: We'll keep our chins up and get through this bad time. And we'll set the whole city laughing until even Tsuutenkaku cracks up. [3] Sasara: Don't worry, everybody. I know things are pretty turbulent right now, but it won't last forever. And hey, at least the state of the world right now is like okonomiyaki, and we all know how much I love that! [4] Roshou: In what sense? Sasara: It keeps getting flipped upside down! [5] Roshou: Oh my god, Sasara. Well, at times like this, it never hurts to have seafood... Sasara: I see food, I eat it! Roshou: ...or anything fried... Sasara: After all this chaos, I know I'm fried. Roshou: ...not to mention smothered in sauce. Sasara: You getting saucy with me, mister? [6] But now you're talking my language! And also, the other day I sewed a--wait, did someone say soda? [7] Roshou: Yes, yes, we all know you love cream soda, but you don't need to bring it into every conversation! Sasara: OK(nomiyaki), that's fair. [8] Roshou: Same goes for okonomiyaki! Sasara: Geez, Roshou, what's your problem? Work with me here; commit to the bit. Roshou: Bit of what? [9] Sasara: The routine! That's my motto: always commit to the bit. Roshou: Well, maybe you'd finally get somewhere in life if you tried committing to the whole thing. [10] Sasara: Hey, low blow. We don't all come with your level of ginger. Roshou: No, but you know what does? Okonomiyaki! [11]

[didoldacc]

(english is not my first language, sorry)

soo, thinking about the demo of tinnitus, imagine them saying the lyrics right in your ear while having sex, the demo is all about sex, I-

I really love your post, love u😿

MDNI!

hehe dw it is not my native language either i just learned it from the internet too. and i am glad that you like my posts it means a lot and also sorry for the late reply the inspo didn't come so i waited 🕴 also studied for midterms(everyone is having their finals and we just started midterms wtf) so i hope it is worth the wait. and i choose taehyun to write the fic since tinnitus is just his song in the album imo. (you did not member specify so picked tyun and he just owns the song) AND THE DEMO HAD ME CHOKING IN SHOCK LIKE I- I MEAN I PREFER THE THE MISERY LYRICS BUT IMAGINE THEY SANG A SONG LIKE THAT- anyways here's the drabble love you too so much

warnings: basically lyrics of tinnitus demo version, dirty talk, slightly dom!taehyun, taehyun is wicked but soft, petnames(baby, pretty), reader having a tiny bit insecurity(not body related don't worry), no one is virgin but it's their first time, manhandling, cunnilingus, no essence of good writing (let me know if there is any that i've missed)

taehyun smiled to your pleas. you had no idea what you were asking for. you kept insisting that he let you listen the demo version of your favorite song. you knew it wasn't going to be innocent since you heard him saying that all the members were shirtless while recording. and the song had that vibe about it even with the sad lyrics they came up with.

taehyun knew better than letting his pretty girl down so he agreed. while he was opening his laptop, you patiently waited. you were so going to make fun of it for the rest of your life, you thought.

after bringing his laptop to the table, he gave you his headset. you gently took it from his hands and positioned the headset to your ears. he gave you a look that implied if he could start playing after you nodded, he started to play the song. it took you while to give a reaction to it and he couldn't wait to witness it. but you were trying your best to keep it cool. it was supposed to be a song about sex, you expected that. yet the whole song straight up felt like dirty talk rather than a song. you just gulped when the song finished. you avoided looking his face and gave a little laughter.

"so this is the demo, huh?" he nodded with disappointment. he was expecting more. his wishes of you being turned into red from embarrassment did not come true. but little did he know that you were struggling to keep your poker face.

you decided to end your stubbornness and blurted out the fact that you wished he had a recording of him singing the demo version and right there you had fallen into his trap. "well, maybe you can hear it in other ways, not necessarily singing." he said while grinning.

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

the next thing you know, your naked form was laying in his bed. him not letting go his risus just made you want to hide under the duvet. just when you were going to cover your face with your hands, he stopped you and instead kept your hands above your head.

he leaned towards your ear "baby can't you give it to me right now?" you low-key cringed but couldn't help but get aroused with the action. "pretty, i got no time to waste, give me answer." the minute you whined a yes, you felt his lips devouring yours.

"do what i say, if you want to learn more. is that okay?" you just nod and let him take control. "i wasted enough time with preparing you but you don't look ready for me yet. what a shame. but lucky for you you can sit on my face." your eyes went wider with his demand. you weren't sure about that since it was your first time with taehyun. it was not like neither of you lacked experience but you did not want your first time with him to be an experience where you chased your own pleasure. what if it would make him not want to do it again with you?

your concerns were nonsense in his eyes and he did not hesitate to let you know. he clawed a hold of your hips and positioned you where he wated. "i want you to keep repeating 'want it', is that clear?" you wasted no time to answer.

when he heard your yes, he started to give small kisses to your clit. every time you felt the sensation little whimpers left your mouth. "want it. i want it" you repeated which made taehyun pleased. his tongue knew exactly what to do to make you cry from pleasure. you were about to cum from slight stimulation yet he was going to let you. "just hang in there a little baby, we are not done." he said. but there was no way you could hold it any longer.

you shut your eyes from the pleasure and couldn't open it and put your hands to nearest surface to keep yourself stable. his making out with your pussy got rougher. and all you could do was to curse. "fuck, tae. please baby i can't anymore" you managed to say before your orgasm hit you. his grip on your tights got more stern. and when you came undone he lifted you up. he gave you a warm smile before getting up to kiss you.

"can you return the favor?"

[foxes-that-run]

Sorry if this question has been answered a thousand times! But yes, I do really want to know where T was April 29th!!! Can you give more information on this story?

There are previous posts on it in 2016 timeline, song analysis' for I did something bad, and @tameimpala222's post on Calvin Harris' Ole.

Do you really want to know where I was April 29? 

This high infidelity line could be as much to fans as to Calvin. Like Dear Reader, it says to fans how some see Taylor in a narrow idealised way

OK, but what happened?

Set up:

Taylor and Calvin had been on pretty rocky ground. There has been rumours that he had been unfaithful, that Taylor was jealous of yachtgate and that Calvin was jealous of that jealousy.

Taylor won Album of the Year on 16 February and in Miss Americana said she felt alone and had no one she could call. (21 Minutes)

Harry and Kendall started the year with Yachtgate 6 January. Kendall was in Europe and didn’t go to Harry’s birthday party on the 21st and they arrived and left separately Jeff’s birthday 23 January so hendall was over then. They weren’t seen together for months apart from a pap walk that promoted KUWTK.

Harry was in LA at the same time. He wore this blue Hawaii st Laurent shirt on his 22nd birthday, also the day of the feeling 22 tweet which went viral, Taylor was in LA but not seen. 2 weeks later he wrote Sweet Creature which is a love song, but also references seeding doubt in a love interests' partners mind.

At this time, Calvin also started writing a diss track (Ole) about a guy (Harry) who ignores his GF (Kendall) for someone else (Taylor) who is a fake girlfriend to the subject (Calvin), the video shades Hendall and Haylor.

28 February - 29 April

Harry and Taylor then started hinting at hooking up, or wanting to. On 28 February Taylor looks stunning and alone at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Harry tweets Elvis lyrics about not being over an ex and posted a colour photo to instagram (it had been B&W since OOTW came out unless he saw Taylor).

Taylor and Calvin posted about the 1 year anniversary a week later and spent 3 days with backgrid in the Bahamas. Harry went back to London and looked grumpy getting a parking ticket that week. :/

But then it seemed back on 25 March when Taylor and Harry return to LA the same day 👀 and are seen around LA separately.

On the 3rd April Taylor and Calvin are hostile at the iHeartRadio awards, blinds they fought in the pap walk.

The end for Tayvin was at Coachella/Bleachella/TIWYCF when Calvin didn't give Taylor credit for This is What you Came for. A year later there was a blind item that TIWYCF was about who Taylor was having an affair with (in hindsight it’s really Haylor), to me this helps explain why it went so bad over it.

Harry again tweeted Cars lyrics about being with an ex that you love no matter what And then finally, as well known Taylor went to Gigi's birthday party on the 28th, and did not show up for promo for TIWYCF, neither Harry or Taylor are seen on the 29th.

The next Day Harry is still in LA in a walk of shame to a Gym and Calvin goes on Radio to say she isn't working.

Alas it didn't work out for either couple, Tayvis imploded. Harry went to Europe to shoot Dunkirk then record HS1 and Taylor was looking for someone to be with her all the time and publicly move on from the Tayvin disaster. You know the rest.

For bonus the promo Taylor was a no show was possible this interview with Calvin had Nick Grimshaw, AKA Harry's close friend and long term maker of lighthearted Haylor jokes, in Calvins house on April 29 2016!

Later references

What makes this and interesting comment on Taylors fans thinking they know everything is that it wasn't known.... Were it not for Ole and Kiwi's videos that is!

Later in 2016 Calvin released Ole that references outfits Taylor, Kendall and Harry all wore in this period and Calvin posted to instagram wearing Harry's exact shirt from February.

Harry recreated Taylors look from this party in the protagonist of the Kiwi music video, which refers to when Taylor said at 2015 Oscar’s she was “going home to the cats” and Calvin (prick) "When she's alone, she goes home to a cactus (Uh) In a black dress, she's such an actress"

And finally, for irony and lols:

On 29 April 2017 (the 1 year anniversary of this high infidelity) Harry got papped wearing the same shirt.

In September Capital FM used the photo Calvin's used to troll Harry and Taylor in an article calling him a 'baller'. Harry has a leaked song from this era, Super Pretty with the line "Said you're happier with that big baller that we both knew growing up"

And it still continues in when Harry's friend Roman Kemp presented Calvin with Harry Styles Bathwater at the 2024 Brits.

Joe Alwyn, the Bowery Gastropub & Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk "reshoots"

A Reddit and Toe-Tumber version of this story is:

Joe was in LA for BLLHW reshoots and was with co-star Garrett Hedlund, who's friends with Caleb Followill who is married to Lily Aldridge who was at Gigi's party where we know Taylor was. There is a pub named the Bowery Gastropub on Sunset and Vine so of course Taylor met Joe there because 6 degrees of separation. It somehow makes sense that Tayvin continued and Hiddleswift happened and that she wrote in the lover journal that Toe started dating 3 months before January.

Issues with this story:

This story hinges on a screenshot from an office assistants LinkedIn claiming to have worked freelance on reshoots for the film for 2 months March and April 2016. If you search the words in the screenshot the Linkedin profile does say that. However if you look at profiles for editors, videographers and producers on the film they all ended mid-2015. Perhaps the freelance office assistant was working on a different film, or listed the wrong task.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk had no reshoots. They had no budget for them and shot specifically to avoid them. It was also not shot in LA.

Footage for the film had already been debuted on 16 April 2016. They were definitely not still shooting a low budget film 2 weeks later when it was being screened and was released in November

Joe was in London on 20 March 2016. There is no reason to think Joe was in LA.

Joe and Garrett Hedlund did attend the Met Gala - however as a C/B lister Garrett would not have a plus one, more likely he was Lily's plus one!

Caleb Followill, and his brother and bandmate Nathan Followill go way back with Harry - Nathan has a matching tattoo of the other half of Harry's broken heart tattoo! Harry (and Taylor) were at a Calab Followill's 2015 birthday party when they were last seen together. If the Followill connect/ Bowery gastropub is true at all, it was not a no-name friend of a friend who was in London! 😂 It was a BFF who was in LA and flirting with his ex-GF.

This mental gymnastics to fit Joe into a story that three artists have described is a good example of how swifties want to keep Taylor in a defined perfect box, which she wants out of. It reminds me of this quote she gave Rolling Stone in 2014, about the snowboarding accident and OOTW:

"People think they know the whole narrative of my life, I think maybe that line is there to remind people that there are really big things they don’t know about."

[porcupine-girl]

Did you enjoy Yibo's NYE performances?

Sure, we were all psyched for him to perform Observer, but did you like the surprise duet he did earlier in the show?

If so, I am here to tell you about the guy he was singing with - because Yibo loves him, and so should you!

That! Is Da Zhangwei!

He wrote that song! He was one of Yibo's cohosts on Tiantian Xiang Shang (also known by the terrible translation Day Day Up), and you know Yibo's TTXS cohosts were his family. His big brothers. It's how he got his reputation as a ge collector.

This is DZW's other NYE performance, which is a bit more representative of his usual aesthetic:

If you like either of those songs/performances, read on to learn more about why you should definitely be paying attention to this guy.

(Sorry most of these videos don't have English subs. But most are music so at least you can find the lyrics online.)

First off, DZW didn't just write this song and then perform it with Yibo (and give Han-ge a shoutout afterward). He then posted this video, basically shouting "I wrote this song because I miss my TTXS bros!" (The lyric being repeated here is "I will miss you")

I mean, I don't know for a fact that he wrote it about them. But I do know that he literally DID write a song about Yibo once. This is a thing he has done before. It's called Cool Guy:

But the fact that he and Yibo are on each other's lists of favorite people is only the beginning, and definitely not why I became obsessed with him.

Da Zhangwei fun facts:

You'll find him on English-language sites like Spotify and iTunes under his English stage name, Wowkie Da. People also often refer to him as DLS or Da-Laoshi, showing how respected he is in the music industry.

He started a band (花兒樂隊, The Flowers), wrote all the music for said band, and had his first hit, 静止 (Static), in 1999 - when he was 16 years old. Like all his music, it's catchy as fuck. (To go back to Yibo for just a second, I'm guessing they bonded over having to deal with fame from a really young age.)

(Yes, the guy sticking his tongue out at the camera up there is 40 years old.)

Da Zhangwei is actually a stage name, too. His real name is Zhang Wei (so you'll occasionally find him as Wowkie Zhang), but that's such a common name that when he started his career he started going by "Big Zhangwei" - which is hilarious given that he was a scrawny teenager.

He continued to write pretty much all the band's music for the next decade. (Here's a whole concert from probably 2007ish). Then when they broke up in 2009 he started his solo career, also writing all his own music.

静止 was an angsty teenage anthem, but since then his aesthetic, both songwriting-wise and visually, has tended toward upbeat and cute.

I think it's safe to say he's leaned into this even more since going solo. Some of his recent hits: 撒花/Scatter Flowers, 一个Nice, 满怀可爱所向披靡 / Full of Cuteness and Invincible, and 万物盛开法则 / Law of All Things Blooming, from above.

However, don't be fooled! This just means that when he writes something sad, it's absolutely heartbreaking. Examples include 永远唱不完的歌/The Song That Doesn't End (above) and 我的深情就是个笑话/My Affection Is Just A Joke.

In addition to hosting TTXS, he has become a staple on all sorts of variety shows, both for music and comedy.

I found him via Season 3 of Our Song, where some of his accomplishments included creating a mashup of 12 different songs, from traditional Chinese folk music and opera to his own 撒花, and turning "your team will do 3 songs" into an entire 3-act musical (link is to the whole episode, since the 3 songs are alternating with the other team, but the other team is AMAZING with people you should get to know too). ETA I forgot about this compilation I did of clips from some of his Our Song performances!

He got to meet the Rolling Stones earlier this year! There's a translator but he's so excited he keeps breaking in while she's trying to ask his questions. His English is really good (if heavily accented), and he has a tendency to throw it in completely unnecessarily to both his performances and random conversation.

He's been on this show for a few seasons called Who's the Murderer? - basically, the same cast plays out a different murder mystery improv each episode. I haven't watched it yet but I've been meaning to - the latest season is on YT with English subs.

His birthday is the day after mine.

Want to see more? His tag is not very busy, but I try to reblog most things to @da-zhangwei. Feel free to contact me by any standard Tumblr method if you want more links!

Tagging people who said they'd be open to getting pulled into my Cpop fandoms, even though I don't have the edited Our Song episodes yet (consider this a preview): @json-derulo @poetry-protest-pornography @emmajanereading @percy-persephone @nuttysaladtree @thelima-aka-chickwriter @writergamermom @oneringtorulethem @trickybonmot @lovebird17 @erza155hasleftthebuilding

[nogenderbee]

I have seen your recent post (composer s/o) and I'm immediately love it💕

So, can you do one but with fantasista squad?

Hello, I'm so glad you liked it! And yes, of course I can do that! Also I don't know if you wanted KAITO too so if you did feel free to tell me that! But anyway, I hope you enjoy <3

Akito, Toya, Tsukasa, Rui with composer!reader

TagList: @bleachtheidiot @vodka-glrl @yulikesminori @kuzui5201314 @miya-akane @alicewinterway18 @indi-has-fallen

⊱ when Akito discovered you're a composer, he at first chuckled as he's glad to see you being passionate about something for much, of course he makes a bit of fun about you but it's obvious he cares

⊱ he's pretty impressed when he hears you play but his reaction is something like "oh, alright, that's alright" but ask him more and more about it and he'll give win sooner or later

⊱ honestly, he probably told about you to many of his friends but he'll never admit it

⊱ if you publish your works and also add lyrics to them, he'll definitely sing it when he's alone and hum then when he's in public or if they don't have lyrics

⊱ although if you catch him humming, he'll try to convince you that it's some other song but c'mon, you can recognize song you made

⊱ if you ever make a song for him, he'll blush before giving him out quick "thanks" and act like he doesn't care but it's obvious he likes it once he asks you to don't stop or to play it again

⊱ also, he'll definitely be more affectionate and more eager to give you gifts after you show him song that's just for him

"Alright, that's fine I guess. You should do what makes you happy. And if you really want to know my opinion then let's say it was... okey..."

⊱ you coule literally see how Toyas eyes shine when he discovered you're a composer

⊱ if you play on piano or so like, he couldn't be anymore happier

⊱ but even if you don't, he'll still do his best to convert you song onto piano version so he can play them whenever he likes and maybe you two will even do duo one day

⊱ unlike certain ginger, he's not afraid to tell you how proud he is from you and not afraid to admit that he talks about you to his friend either

⊱ he probably even asks you himself if you'd like to do a duo although he won't if your instruments clearly don't match...

⊱ but if they so and you agree to do duo then he'll be smiling all th time as he's just enjoying the moment

⊱ if you ever happen to make a song for him then let me just tell you that he's th happiest boy on earth and also probably biggest blushing mess

⊱ but after he's over with it, he literally spoils you with compliments and all the affections he can offer to you

"That's amazing, love... I'm truly happy that I got to hear this song from you. To be honest, now I'm definitely even more amazed with your talent."

⊱ Tsukasa is also the type to be impressed by fact that you're a composer but I think it won't be a surprise that he's a little mor dramatic with it

⊱ you can be sure he'll talk to his friends about you, pfft he even can tell some random stranger about how wonderful and talented you are

⊱ don't be surprised if some of the Wonderland x Showtime performances will be based on your songs because he just really likes to write scripts while listening to you play

⊱ honestly he's probably also the type to randomly stary learning how to play your songs on piano so he can play then whenever he wishes

⊱ if you happen to make a song just for him then you can be sure he'll cherish it untill the very end

⊱ one day Nene had enough snd came to you asking to make your boyfriend keep it quiet because he's been rambling about you for 2 weeks straight and she just wants a break

⊱ so you can only imagine how happy and loud he was when you first showed him your song

"It's for me?!!! Oh my dear star... you truly know the best way to surprise your beloved! Well then let the futuee star spoil you this day as his thanks!!"

⊱ so when Rui discovered that you're a composer, he immidietly started teasing you about how you should make song about your relationship but when you do he's literally so shocked and flushed oh look how the tables have turned~ but that's for later!

⊱ honestly, despite his teasing, he's just really supportive and proud of you and he shows it

⊱ also, the more time he spends around you playing on something, more often her catches himself humming one of melodies you played

⊱ if your songs also include lyrics then it's very possible that you'll receive mini robot based on your song on the next day

⊱ and finally once you show him your song, he's absolutely moved by it, maybe you'd even be able to see couple tears of joy but he's quick to change into his flirty and teasing self

⊱ 2nd time you play it, he's ready and he'll record it so he can hear it any time be wants which is basically all the time

"Fufu~ won't you look at that~ Well it seems like someone loves me so much they have to make me a song! But don't worry, I truly appreciate this gift~"

❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

omg since you’re taking off todya from studying can we hear some of your beatle hottakes?

ughhhhhhh sorry, these are so hard to come up with these days

meta take: I sort of wish we could have a genuine conversation about the blurry line between wishful thinking/headcanon and more objective (or, aspiring to be objective) historical analysis – I get the headcanons, I really do! but just in the past year, there's been several instances of people in good faith asking about sources or questioning "fan favourite" anecdotes and being shouted down for "ruining people's fun". If you want to engage with this stuff in a more lighthearted way, that's fine! but accept that that's what you're doing. Being rude to people trying to get to the truth is not a good look. Your imagination can withstand it, I promise.

more people need to jump on the Day Tripper tinhatting train. shit's crazy up here

the more I listen to Double Fantasy the more I'm offended that a certain brand of John fan basically only names songs from 1970/71 as his best. ditto with Walls and Bridges…

Again And Again And Again: best Denny solo-written Wings song ( it's hard to gauge how much is him and how much is Paul for their collabs. Anyways, No Words my beloved)

Sexy Sadie is kind of perfect… The lyrics, the chords, the distorted doo-wop it all embodies that DISAPPOINTMENT so well. The guitar solo is great, the high-pitched oooooooooohs. No notes, underrated song for sure.

the Mind Games album cover is soooooo deranged but so fucking good. That and Ram might be the best post-Beatles album covers.

this isn't exactly a take but the SADDEST part of Hey Jude is when John harmonizes with Paul. I can't not hear all the unspoken pain.

I kind of hope we get versions of Free As A Bird and Real Love with cleaned up John vocals like Now And Then. I don't want to erase those originals because the audio quality tells a story of its own, but Real Love especially suffers so much from it. I listened to it earlier today and nearly got teary. "No need to be alone" kind of gives me goosebumps. There's something so raw and emotional about all three of these songs…

This is almost the opposite of a hottake, but it kind of Doesn't Matter To Me who Now And Then is about. It could be about Paul, it could pretty easily be about Yoko too, and a few people I've seen say they think it's about May, which could be too! It perhaps not being directed at Paul doesn't take away from the song for me, because the song feels bigger than just its direct inspiration.

On that note, I sort of think that sometimes people could stand to.... Die on fewer hills? Like, the notion that Now And Then could be about Yoko doesn't negate John and Paul's relationship or most things people theorize they may have gotten up to. Now And Then Release Week bonus round, cause it's been long enough to talk about it a bit:

Paul (and Ringo and George! they also have a writing credit, guys!) making editorial choices about John's unfinished song with the blessing of his widow is literally fine. "But John might not have approved–" yes, this is how death works. John also might have found the song embarrassing and not wanted it released at all. It wasn't on Double Fantasy after all! Or maybe he would have specifically wanted to remove the same bit! (which I maintain is musically strange and unfitting at worst and at best a still really rough idea that would probably require a lot of work in of itself – echoing the chord progression in the instrumental bit is the best compromise I could imagine)

I actually really get the George girls who were a bit bummed out by the rollout of the song. He DID get the short end in this situation! but… what would have been better? I saw some people say Paul isn't nearly as good a slide guitarist at George. Okay well then… So Paul should've hired a session musician? How does that makes sense? Paul should've asked Dhani to find some random guitar bit George recorded 25 years ago and frankensteined it onto this song? I'm asking this honestly: what should have been done instead? Because… I sort of got the feeling from some of the criticism that the only acceptable solution was to not release this song at all. And TBH I don't think George "getting the short end" is worse than not allowing Paul and Ringo the closure of completing this song. This wasn't perfect but again: yes, this is how death works.

[souryogurt64]

I loved your essay on the rise and fall of patd, so I'd give my left arm for you to psychoanalyze brendon urie

I don't actually think Brendon is a monster, I think there is something really wrong with Panic! as an entity, and I think Brendon being the singer and also his personality resulted in him being the last one standing.

As a disclaimer to the above points:

Ryan was also behaving in ways that were pretty bad. I have a lot of sympathy for Ryan because he was so young and his home situation was so terrible, but he was cheating on his girlfriend, neglecting his dog, hanging out with really questionable people, et cetera.

Similarly, I do not think Dallon is a hero or a victim. I'm not going to go too far into this but I think it's clear to me that, while I have more sympathy for Dallon, whatever was going on there seemed to be all of them addicted to drama. But then again, aren't we all.

Anyway, here we go.

Brendon seems to have issues playing well with others. After they wrote Fever, he claimed he did 100% of Brent's share. On Pretty Odd, he wanted to write lyrics but didn't think Ryan should sing. He said for vices they "Didn't have any ideas from Ryan or Jon sitting around" but Ryan is credited on Nearly Witches. He says Spencer didn't do anything for Too Weird. He says Panic's videographer stole $120k from him. I would believe Brendon is in the right on some of it, but not all of it.

I also think Brendon is someone who cannot stop trying to get a reaction out of people, which is part of why he's famous. I'm not naive and I know a lot of band guys probably laugh at un-PC jokes in private, but Brendon seems to completely lack awareness about there being a time and a place. Eg, it was not enough for Brendon and Zack to laugh at a photo of an overweight fan to themselves. They just ABSOLUTELY HAD to post her photo on social media for 1.2 million people to see. Et cetera. Every time someone made an offensive joke, Brendon had to turn on Periscope and beg them to repeat it because it was just sooo funnnyyyy.

Anyway, Brendon was on social media trying to get reactions out of people way too much. He was constantly posting vines, Tweeting, posting on Instagram, and constantly livestreaming and responding to everything people asked him about every political issue. I feel like he just loves attention, which is fine when you're famous, but he can't just post gym selfies and smugly read thirst comments. He has to broadcast himself talking about "the liberals" and "cancel culture" to a bunch of obsessive teens so he can see them react in real time. He does stuff like call Fiona Apple a bitch in public and it's like. Just stop. Like I know you think you're being funny but it's just not a good idea.

I'm losing steam here but Anyway in close I just think Brendon can't get along well with other people, loves being the center of attention, wants to give incredibly detailed accounts of his opinion on everything, and loves getting a reaction out of people. Combining this with a situation like Panic where there were other factors that led to Brendon being the only one, it just became easy for him to surround himself with yes-men and no one told him to Just Stop and so he Kept Going until he literally couldn't anymore.

[esc-is-holding-me-hostage]

Okay, I'm finally done with the annual quick reviews. Overall opinion: it's 2020 all over again but the lows are not so low (and the highs are not as high either). The competition is very open, which is refreshing after last year's one-horse race disguised as a two-horse race. There are no songs I would listen to after the contest but as a Eurovision lineup it's pretty entertaining and varied. Also, the girl-bopocalypse of 2021 was much better. Albania The decision of translating the song into English is already questionable but did we really need a fucking dance beat in the last chorus?

Armenia I love how fun it is, but I wish there were, you know, lyrics in the chorus

Australia You couldn't have made a more unsettling music video if you've tried.

Austria I don't know why they've decided to go with bloody eurodance this year. It does not feel updated for the modern times, it's not a cheeky pastiche either. We Will Rave feels like it's been lying around in a vault for the past 20+ years and then the Austrian delegation accidentally stumbled upon it and decided that yes, it will be a perfect Eurovision pick. I still don't hate it though? It might become my guilty pleasure of the year even.

Azerbaijan Why would you bring a guy with such a charismatic moustache just to do a little 10-second chant near the end? He deserves better!

Belgium I should love it. It should've been my number 1, it's Belgium going back to Dark and Moody™, it's what I always want from them. And yet I only like it. The last minute or so is great, but the lead up to that is whatever and doesn't do anything for me.

Croatia The chorus is weak and kinda generic, but the verses are so good they make up for it. The "please meow back" line receives the award for the best lyric of the year.

Cyprus For a twice (or possibly thrice) recycled song it's surprisingly okay. Nothing groundbreaking, it's still a dance-pop song from Kontopoulos, but it's fine.

Czechia I have a complex love-hate relationship with this one. The melody is great, it's exactly the kind of music I listen to outside of ESC. But good lord, do I hate the repetitive self-empowerment lyrics in the chorus.

Denmark Ehhh... She's a good singer I guess.

Estonia I think it's my favorite song of the year? Similarly to Trenulețul it just activates some primal dance spirit in me. Suit jackets on the naked body are still a crime against humanity tho.

Finland Yeah, I'm sorry, but if you hate No Rules, then you hate fun.

France France keeps trying to hide from us what's actually popular in their country.

Georgia It's another generic girl-bop ESC song, we've got half-a-dozen of these this year, but goddamn Nutsa is a fucking powerhouse.

Germany Imagine Dragons-ass production aside, the elephant sounds are such a bizarre choice.

Greece ... I'm sorry but Zari sounds like a bunch of noises with no melody to me, I'm very much not the target audience for this one and I don't get why everyone seems to love it so much.

Iceland Yeah, it's dated and kinda lame but in a very charming way.

Ireland Doomsday Blues is great, but because of all the layering and vocal distortions the live version will always be very different from the studio one. What I'm trying to say is that the live version sounds like an off-off-Broadway villain song.

Israel It's boring as fuck.

Italy It's nice but similarly to Greece I have no idea why is it so beloved by the fandom.

Latvia The song is so boring, that the most talked about part of Latvia's entry is Dons' lack of hair.

Lithuania After I've reassured myself that no, Luktelk does NOT sound like a Ruki Vverkh song it became pretty good.

Luxembourg So much potential in Luxembourg's comeback and yet they went with the most mid(tempo) song ever.

Malta Another generic girl-bop, and the closest we've gotten to an actual SloMo copycat, but it's okay I guess.

Moldova I almost forgot to write anything about Moldova before posting it, which is all you need to know about my opinion on In The Middle.

Netherlands I hate to say it, but I kinda love it? Yeah, Joost has the most punchable face in the history of humanity and I've made several references to my comedically exaggerated hatred of 90s dance music, but Europapa just keeps getting better the more I listen to it.

Norway I like it, but can't really say anything about it other than that.

Poland Very "topped at number 37 in Billboard hot 100 in 2019 and then was featured in a couple ads"-coded

Portugal One of the Portuguese entries of all time (i still like it tho)

San Marino Not as good as Arcadia but I'm happy Megara have made it to Eurovision anyway :)

Serbia It's fine.

Slovenia Similarly to Belgium, I wish I loved it more than I do.

Spain Really fun entry, iconic journey to ESC, but the weak vocals will be the reason the juries will murder Zorra in the Grand Final.

Sweden Not as forgettable as everyone says it is but it's still polished Swedish pop entry #569328

Switzerland From testing the limits of my attention span two years ago to making the most ADHD song of the year, huh. The Code is so many things at once and yet it works without feeling like a disjointed mess.

Ukraine I miss the times when Jerry was making funny meme songs, now we're stuck with her religious awakening era. Alyona's verse is the highlight of the song, everything else is good if you don't think about the lyrics too much.

United Kingdom I don't know how, but the UK has managed to make a decent song that I kind of hate yet again. The production in Dizzy annoys me to no end, I fucking hate the bells and the synths in the chorus, why are they so fucking annoying.

[writebackatya]

Was tagged by @justaboot in a post with a lot of questions, let's do this!

how many fics do you have on ao3?

14

what's your total ao3 word count?

159,641 words. but let's be real, a good chunk of them are song lyrics.

what fandoms do you write for?

DuckTales (2017)

what are your top five fics by kudos?

Indi-Quack!

Rainbow Connections

Home for the Holidays!

Moon with a View!

Let's All Go to the Movies!

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

For the most part, yes. I try my best to get back to people's comments, especially if they have questions. But sometimes I just don't have the energy when I wish I did

what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'd say the ending to F.O.W.L. Play! from Indi-Quack! might be the angstiest. Nothing like ending a story where you go through the morning routine of one FOWL employee and finding out she keeps her sanity by getting high with another underpaid employee who works her ass off a minimum wage and is also not happy where she is in life

what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

hard to choose since I almost always go for the happy ending route. I think any of the stories for Home for the Holidays! could be the answer to this one cause those stories are nothing but holiday and winter fluff.

do you get hate on your fics?

it happens but not often. the first time I ever got hate was from a Della hater troll and they seem to be the only one who leaves hate on my fics

do you write smut?

no, but I've thought about it before. I don't mind sex in a story, but I don't know if I'm the right person to write that kind of stuff in a story. Honestly, the only reason why I wanna write smut is because I've plenty of jokes that I think are funny that would only work in a smut story

do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've ever written?

kinda??? would you consider having characters from various Duck media that never appeared in DuckTales 2017 crossover stuff? Heck I've got a couple of Della Duck stories in the works where she interacts with Mickey and Friends and I don't know if that should be considered a crossover

have you ever had a fic stolen?

no. thanks guys!

have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but that'd be neat!

have you ever cowritten a fic before?

no, but that is something I wouldn't mind doing some day

what's your all time favorite ship?

Of all time!? I don’t know. I love love

what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oh so many: An Act of Murder!, Back in the Game!, F.O.W.L. Play!, The Iron Duck of Steel: The Gizmoduck Movie, Part I!, The Spear of Selene, and Thanks for the Memories!. I've just been working on these for so long that it feels like I'll never finish any of them

what are your writing strengths?

when I'm in the mood to write I can really write, I like to think my dialogue is interesting, characterization, and I'd say my rapid fire humor

what are your writing weaknesses?

I'm a terrible planner, I don't write stuff down, I keep stuff in my head like it's the best storage place, I underestimate how big some stuff will be, I don't allow myself to just write

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've mainly used Google Translate for other languages such as Jose and Panchito's dialogue in The Three Cabablleros (and Della)!. But for Let's All Go to the Movies! I got my buddy @tokuvivor to translate a conversation between Fenton and Gosalyn. Honestly, one of my favorite parts of that story and I think tokuvivor translating it himself adds to the joke. Both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Stephanie Beatriz both know Spanish, so having someone who can help me translate my dialogue so that it can sound natural and be a bonus to bilingual speakers just makes me happy beyond comprehension

I will say I did use Google Translate for that story, but for English! So for the Fight Fighters game I wanted to get that badly translated English feel for the dialogue so for pretty much every dialogue in the game was translated to Japanese and then back to English. Except the line "Now I will kill you until you die from it!", that comes from the movie Hot Shots! Part Deux

first fandom you wrote for?

...Sonic. it was a phase, i have no strong opinions about that blue hedgehog these days I mean I guess his games are...fine? The cast of characters are...pretty cool, I like Tails I guess.

favorite fic you've ever written?

hard to say, but I think I'd put Indi-Quack!, Rainbow Connections, Let's All go to the Movies! in the top spot

I choose to tag: @tokuvivor, @imjustusingthistolikeartists, if they choose to answer these questions

[ineffable-snowman]

Fic Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @dark--whisperings!

How many works do you have on ao3?

fifteen

2. What's your Ao3 word count?

400,883 (holy shit)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

right now switching between Star Wars and Good Omens

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Maybe Someday - 841 kudos, most of them thanks to @plumbum-art's wonderful comic Date Night, which "resurrected" this little fic of mine.

and then my four MCU (sambucky) fics:

Trouble Man - 841 kudos, too!

Pet Psychopath - 712 kudos

Partners, Accidentally - 561 kudos

Co-Workers with Benefits - 509 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes. Because if I write a comment, I like to hear from the author. It doesn't have to be much but it just makes me happy to hear that my comment made the author happy. And I think interaction is important to keep a fandom "alive" (even if often I don't know what to say but I try).

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't write angsty endings. But I'm a little worried that people won't agree with me that Match Made on Earth has a happy ending.

7. What's the fic your write with the happiest ending?

As I said, they all have happy endings, but the ending of Four Chord Songs and Sentimental Lyrics is particularly sappy. I was wondering if that love song in the last chapter was *too much*, but then I thought: nope, it's Anakin, *too much* is his personality trait.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

This year I got two very rude anon comments on one of my Obikin fics accusing me of horrible things. The accusations felt pretty generic and did not fit to that particular story at all, but they still left me a little shaken. Fortunately, the people in the Obikin discord were really kind about it and helped to cheer me up.

Back on FFNET I received the occasional "ew, they're not gay, why would you write that?" Also there were some people who were angry at the way I wrote Obi-Wan, saying things like "how can you say he's your favourite character and then characterise him as weak/flawed/incompetent... and make so many bad things happen to him?"

BUT, all in all, fandom has been a positive experience and the many good interactions far outweigh the odd rude comment.

9. Do you write smut? What kind?

Does one awkward sex scene per multi chapter fic count? (No.)

10. Do you write cross-overs?

No.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so, not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, a long time ago on FFNET when I still wrote Harry Potter fic.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes.

14. What's your all time favourite ship?

I feel like Obikin is the "correct" answer because I always come back to them.

15. What's your WIP you like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Step into Christmas with me. So far, I've managed to add two chapters every season. If I continue at that pace, I might finish it in two more years...

16. What are your writing strength?

Beginnings and endings.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

The long middle parts that always become too long and repetitive.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Okay, I have Opinions on this!

I don't like it and don't see the merits of it. It often just feels like the author wants to show off their language skills. But as a reader it takes me out of a story. I don't want to check footnotes or use google translate in the middle of reading.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Just for myself: Harry Potter. Posting online: Star Wars.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Servants of the Force is definitely not my best writing but it's still my favourite fic anyway because I've never put so much effort into a fic before and I'm proud that I finished it.

---

I'm not sure who has already done it. tagging (no pressure!): @underacalicosky, @demonghost, @somethingsteff, @ineffableobikin, @fulcrum843, @howlbrooklyn, @kingdomvel

[longtallglasses]

Heaven (Let My Love Open The Door) fic mixtape songs

Mike’s sappy cheesy lovey valentine’s mixtape he made for Will and all the lyrics and reasons why I think he added them and enjoys them. I feel absolutely insane for writing all this and posting it. I don’t think you have had to read the fic to get the vibes and the gist, it’s pretty much just byler through songs, but I do recommend. 

Let My Love Open The Door by Pete Townshend (1980) - 

A song that when Mike first heard it when he was younger thought it was just a fun song, but now it feels like everything he wants to say to Will. 

When people keep repeating that you’ll never fall in love, when everybody keeps retreating, but you can’t seem to get enough. 

He feels this about himself - you can’t fall in love with a boy - and feeling like he’s at arms length with everyone because of how he feels so different. But also about Will, knowing that he turned on him in some way. 

When everything feels all over, Everybody seems unkind, I’ll give you a Four Leaf Clover, Take all worry out of your mind. 

Growing up in Hawkins has not been the best, especially for Will (his Dad, bullies), Mike wants to make that all better, better for both of them.

Take My Breath Away by Berlin (1986) - 

On this endless ocean finally lovers know no shame, turning and returning to some secret place inside - 

through everything they’ve been through, all the unimaginable horrible things they’ve experienced, falling in love with your best friend can’t be the worst thing now can it? Maybe they can return to how close they used to be, and maybe it won’t turn out wrong.

Through the hourglass I saw you, in time you slipped away, when the mirror crashed I called you, and turned to hear you say, If only for today I am unafraid.

Losing Will in the way he did, all at once and then slowly over time, because he was scared of what he felt. Now after everything, he feels maybe he can finally be— maybe not brave—but at least not be afraid of what he feels for Will.

Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon (1984) - 

Is there ANY song more them ?? (yes, there is, because I will say this numerous times throughout this list) 

What started out as friendship has grown stronger, I only wish I had the strength to let it show. Tell me Mike didn’t combust when he listened to that. 

I said there is no reason for my fear, ‘Cause I feel so secure when we’re together, You give my life direction, you make everything so clear.

It’s so clear and seems so simple to be with Will but it’s scary!! 

And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might. The months leading up to this Valentine’s day they’ve been closer than ever, more than Mike could ever think he would let himself.

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) by James Taylor (1975) -

This song is just so sweet and I imagine this also being a song that Mike heard on the radio growing up and thinking, hm I wonder if I’ll ever feel like this when/if I fall in love and now the song holds a whole new meaning. 

I needed someone to understand my ups and down, There you were, with sweet love and devotion, deeply touching my emotion. You were better to me than I was to myself, For me there’s you and there ain’t nobody else. 

Somewhere I hear Mike groan at these words, tossing and turning, Called Out!!

Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears (1985) - 

Is there ANY song more them??? No actually this is the most them song I’ve ever heard. Turn it up, and scream and cry bc my god there is no cure, no chance for recovery.

I wanted to be with you alone, and talk about the weather, But tradition I can trace AGAINST THE CHILD IN YOUR FACE, WON’T ESCAPE MY ATTENTION. YOU KEEP YOUR DISTANCE VIA THE SYSTEM OF TOUCH I’M LOST IN ADMIRATION, COULD I NEED YOU THIS MUCH?  Let That Sink In. Tears for fears is so underrated (or maybe so overexposed that they’ve become so) the poetry that haunts me.

And the most Mike Wheeler string of lyrics ever uttered, 

Something happens and I’m head over heels, I never find out until I’m head over heels. And this is my Four Leaf Clover, I’m on the line, one open mind, This is my four leaf clover. He is MAKING that wish.

You’re the Inspiration by Chicago (1984) - 

This is that song, that if Mike and Will were some cheesy rom com, when Will walks through the door and everything starts going in slow-mo, stars in their eyes when they lock eyes, this song would play, the chorus 

You’re the meaning in my life, you’re the inspiration, You bring feeling to my life, You’re the inspiration. 

A line that makes Mike feel very called out, And I know, yes I know that it’s plain to see, So in love when we’re together, Now I know (Now I know) that I need you here with me, From tonight until the end of time. 

And my favorite part of this song, just the little added nuance with the phrase YOU SHOULD KNOW, everywhere I go, always on my mind, you’re in my heart added at every bridge and then at The Culmination, Wanna have you near me, I wanna have YOU HEAR ME SAYIN’. Mike knows Will deserves to hear it, he’s scared to tell him, but that doesn’t matter as much when Will deserves to know that someone loves him that much.

Space Age Love Song by A Flock Of Seagulls (1982) - 

I saw your eyes, and you made me smile, for a little while, I was falling in love

I saw your eyes, and you touched my mind, although it took a while, I was falling in love

I saw your eyes, and you made cry, and for a little while, I was falling in love

I don’t think it needs any explanation. Will’s a snobby hater and when he listens to it he won’t think a flock of seagulls are that bad. ;) 

Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen (1987) - 

I’ve been meaning to tell you, I‘ve got this feeling that won’t subside

One look at you and I can’t disguise, I’ve got hungry eyes

I feel the magic between you and I

He’s been meaning to say, he’s been MEANING TO. He CANNOT disguise this desire!!!! It will Not go away. He’s fantasizing he’s fantasizing :) 

Open Arms by Journey (1981) - 

How could our love be so blind? We sailed on together, we drifted apart, and here you are by my side. I meannn. But now that you’ve come back, turned night into day, I need you to stay. With open arms, nothing to hide, BELIEVE WHAT I SAY… Hoping you’ll see what your love means to me. 

Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac (1987) - 

this song just makes me blush when I hear it, the vibe of this song has never been topped. Can you hear me calling out your name? You know that I’m falling and I don't know what to say. You know that I’m proud and I can’t get the words out. Will’s been picking up on his weird signals, he thinks he knows what’s going on but he’s not sure. and Mike just wants to be with him everywhere :’)

Father Figure by George Michael (1987) - 

This song is now officially in my byler multi-verse of madness. In every universe I see Will loving this song, for what it represents and also bc he has a crush on George Michael. Like in my blair witch fic I see this as Will playing this song and album all the time and Mike being like, “ugh, why? girls like him, it’s so cheesy and weird,” but on close reinspection he discovers a lot to love about it and wants to let Will know that he gets it now. 

That’s all I wanted, something special, something sacred in your eyes. For just one moment to be bold and naked at your side. 

They’ve toed this line for so long, being so special to each other, but erring just on that side of caution, not fully letting their guards down to be completely uninhibited in their desire and be able to lay it all out on the table. But something tells me together we’d be happy. 

This is one of George Michael’s most “controversial” songs because of the lines I will be your father figure, put your tiny hand in mind (it apparently is about a relationship between an older/younger person) wanting to teach them things, guide them, 

I will be your preacher teacher, anything you had in mind.

I think Mike and Will both want to teach each other things, learn things together, learn and grow into whatever they want to be together. 

I will be your father figure, I have had enough of crime… That’s all I wanted, but sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime. currently shedding my skin. 

Historically Mike and Will have not been shown that who they love/being gay is a good thing. The aids crisis at this point in time is in the trenches, they are told good things do not happen to gay people, bad things, death, suffering that’s what this kind of love means but, If we have faith in each other, we can be strong… I will be your father figure… I will be the one who loves you ‘til the end of time. 

Society might not like it, parents might not like it, but I’ll be that person for you, that unconditional support you need, if you so need it. And just another line to kick you down So when you remember the ones who have lied, Who said that they cared but then laughed as you cried, beautiful darling don't think of me…because all I ever wanted it’s in your eyes… 

Mike may have run away, maybe Will thought he lied when he said they’d always be friends, but Mike doesn’t want Will to think of him that way, he wants to change that, tell him the real truth.

Everything I Own by Bread (1971) - 

Another song from the childhood years, so I’m projecting onto Mike saying this was one of his favorite albums growing up because it was one of mine, every song on this album, it’s just so good (Bread was my jam, no pun intended sry). I imagine it playing in the Wheeler living room, it’s just classic rock sounding enough and in-offensive (besides that one government song, but I believe ted would purposefully misunderstand what it means) that I think it would be acceptable for the whole family to find something they liked on it. 

And THIS SONG, again is there ANY song more them???

The finest years I ever knew, Were all the years I had with you

You taught me how to love, What it’s of, what it’s of, You never said too much, 

But still, you showed me the way. 

Mike didn’t know what loving someone felt like before Will. He learned what it meant to really care for someone, because of how he wanted to care for Will. He learned this through the rest of the party as well, all his values, “friends don’t lie,” “a friend is someone you would do anything for,” “you tell them stuff you don’t tell your parents,” Those innocent years were the best he’s ever known because he let himself practice those, and he just wants to get that back!

And I knew from watching you, Nobody else could ever know, The part of me that can’t let go

he just can’t let him go, and no one can know :( 

And he would Give anything I own, Would give up my life, my heart, my home, Just to have you back again. FUCK OFF!

In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel (1986) - 

I get so lost sometimes, days pass, and this emptiness fills my heart. 

All the time Mike spent running away, feeling so lost. 

When I want to run away, I drive off in my car, but whichever way I go I come back to the place you are. 

He tried to fight it, but he can’t help that he feels most at peace with Will. 

All my instincts, they return. The grand facade, so soon will burn. 

When he’s with Will he can’t help but be himself, Will lets him be himself. It feels so good not to pretend!! 

I get so tired, working so hard for our survival, I look to the time with you, to keep me awake and alive. 

I mean Come On! Mike might as well have written this song, facing the possibility of the end of the world, always looking to each other to help keep them going.

The Lady in My Life by Michael Jackson (1982) - 

It’s on the biggest selling album of all time, almost every household had a copy in the 80s. And Mike is BOLD for including it. He likes it for reasons. He knows it's a sexy song but he thinks the sweet aspects of the song overpower all of that. 

Let me fill you with my dreams, I can make you feel alright

And baby through the years, (even when we’re old and gray) gonna love you more each day

So I’ll promise you tonight, that you will always be the lady in my life.

I also think Mike would enjoy the ‘nighttime’ aspect of this song, so much of their bonding recently being sleeping together, as well as when Will’s (and his) nightmares come.

There’ll be no darkness tonight…Our love will shine, lighting the night…And I will keep you warm through the shadows of the night… 

Forever Young by Alphaville (1984) - 

I feel like I could write a paper on this one. Not just about Mike and Will, but the whole party growing up, the time period they live in (cold war, reagan, aids) it’s just…

But for Mike, Will is so tied to his childhood, and so tied to his dreams of the future.

Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Are you gonna drop the bomb or not? 

Again this song is about the cold war, referring to an actual bomb, but I see Mike thinking of wondering if he’s gonna take that plunge, dropping this bomb onto Will (and also perhaps in the future having to do the same with his family and friends), going back and forth on whether that’s going to be received well.

Let us die young or let us live forever, We don’t have the power but we never say never.

Silence = Death. I have to wonder if part of Mike thinks that accepting that he’s gay, or that living a gay lifestyle he might have to accept a young death if he’s unlucky. I assume he knows as much as what most of middle america knew about aids at the time (which wasn’t the full breadth of the situation and definitely wasn’t all true, they were still discovering new things at the time) - and should he let himself do that or should he continue on as he is, even if maybe he’s not strong enough.

It’s so hard to live without a cause, I don’t want to perish like a fading horse.

Nope that’s why he can’t continue on as is. How could he when he knows what it is to live to fight for something, for someone, for all the people he’s cared about.

Heaven by Bryan Adams (1984) - 

Ok whew back to the sappy shit. Is there ANY song more them???? NO! This is The One!!

Oh thinkin’ about all our younger years, there was only you and me, we were young and wild and free

Now nothing can take you away from me, we’ve been down that road before, but that’s over now.

They had it all, but lost it over and over again. All the things that had taken Will away are gone, now the only thing in their way is them.

Yeah nothing can change what you mean to me, Oh there’s lots that I could say, but just hold me now.

Oh does Mike have things to say, oh does he have things to share, so much, finding those words are hard for him though, that’s why he’s saying it through all these songs. They can say it all in time, he just wants them to come together now.

And love is all that I need, and I found it there in your heart, 

isn’t too hard to see, we’re in heaven.

:) :) 

AAAHHH thank you for your time.

[ms-cartoon]

Hello! I like your HB takes and art. They are really good.

To me, I just get mad at Stolitz for Stolas because of how he sexually coerces Blitzø. I mean I don’t condone Blitzø using him to get the book at first, but the fact from the rest of that point onwards that he has to do once a month sex in order to keep using it even though Stolas could have just taken the book back. I just have difficult time viewing their relationship as anything involving love given with how season one started. With how he demeans Blitzø.

If they wanted him to find happiness away from his wife and to heal, then I don’t mind that. It’s just that they don’t write it that way sometimes and it shows. I can’t tell if they want him to be happy or if they want to make him exploring how abused people can become abusive or toxic too, which can happen, but from fandoms I’ve been in most fans don’t like that because it negatively portrays abuse victims. That many prefer them to have happy endings. Even if this is an adult oriented show, I doubt most are interested in watching toxic characters not help themselves. If that’s the case, can’t he at least acknowledge what he did to Blitzø and figure himself out first? Can he finally sit down and calmly explain to his daughter that he was never really happy with Stella? Because anything is better than these two family members having to go through the same arc several times. It’s exhausting.

I hope you didn’t mind me asking. Have a good day/evening.

Alrighty, first off, I don't mind at all! Thank you!! I try my best!

And yes, while Blitzo is an ass for the things he pulls, even I'll admit that you can't really help but feel for the guy sometimes. One of the main reasons why some folks mainly feel for Blitzo and not Stolas is mainly because... well, pretty much all that I pointed out in my rant post about Stolas. Stolas had been taking advantage of him quite a lot, more so than Blitzo, and its a bit more complicated in his situation. Stolas knows Blitzo can't do anything without the book and he also knows that Blitzo doesn't even like him, so he uses that to his advantage. Since he liked that one-night stand with Blitzo so much, he agreed that he'll let Blitzo have the book in exchange for sex. Blitzo knows that the grimoire is the only access to the living world (as far as he is concerned anyway I guess. If he knows that a grimoire can pull that off, how does he NOT know that Asmodean crystals exist? The story would've changed entirely if he did. No need for a book and no need for sex each month. Done deal... or no deal.) and since he feels his business can't go on without the book and Stolas could take it back and secure any time he pleases, he decided to just roll with it and agree to this deal. So now Stolas pretty much got what he wanted; he made Blitzo do something he doesn't wanna do, making his job much harder for him. Not only is it hard for Blitzo, its hard for Stolas too since he's not even allowed to lend Blitzo the book. But who cares?! He gets laid and he finds it pleasurable. Is it really that worth it man.

Also, while we're on the topic of love, there's something I'm confused about. On Stolas's part, this deal was much easier to make, because he knew Blitzo didn't like him and didn't want to get involved with him romantically, let alone sexually. I mean, he must have given the obvious signs of disgust Blitzo displayed. Yet, several episodes later, the show makes it seem like Stolas was under the assumption Blitzo had always returned his feelings??? Not to mention one of the lyrics in his songs said "Was what we had all a lie?", which definitely implies as much. How is Stolas gonna act like Blitzo loved him all along??? Why else would he make a deal like this?? The only way he would is if he knew Blitzo doesn't like him, cuz he's making him do something he doesn't wanna do with him. It doesn't make any sense. If Stolas was under the impression that Blitzo loved him all along, he wouldn't have made that deal? So, which is it, Viv???

Yeah, with a show like this, most fans don't care for the build-up or the story. As long as Stolitz becomes a thing, that's the only happy ending that matters. Stolas could actually have a chance to take responsibility for his actions and acknowledge the sh*t he pulls, but screw that! Ms. Vivziepop is gonna continue to have us take pity and baby him as always, letting him continue to be a less-than-potential horny bag of feathers. Cuz she just loves to favor some of her characters over anyone else. And while that's not a problem, you can't just ignore other characters and you can't have your favorite character be toxic while acting like the victim who did nothing wrong! Like, to this day, Viv STILL won't even have Stolas acknowledge he's a selfish idiot and that he took advantage of Blitzo while seeing him as a walking dildo.

About Octavia, I do get what you're saying. I don't know why Stolas didn't just say what he said. I get that it's not easy for a parent to tell their child they never loved the other or they just stopped loving each other, but bro, Octavia is 17. She should be grown enough to understand something

"Via, you're mother and I weren't.... She hasn't been... I haven't been... I-... I don't know. I don't have the words."

Just say you and Stella were arranged to get married and didn't really love each other like that!!! Come one, man!! I honestly don't believe she needs to be explained anything anyway. How could she NOT know her parents didn't love each other! They always fight in front of her! She should've gotten the idea! We didn't even see her feel all the bad about the divorce!! Are you kidding me!!???

[earlgreytea68]

Coming Soon: Some Swan Song Books You Can Actually Buy!

A while ago, I stood at a crossroads with writing. I had gotten rid of my agent, who I was pretty sure didn’t really understand the stuff I wanted to work on, and also found myself out of contract with previous publishers. I spent the past few years just really enjoying myself, writing whatever I wanted, not worrying about what would and wouldn’t sell, what I could and couldn’t pitch. I just...wrote. I love writing, it is my absolute favorite thing to do with my time, and I just wrote and wrote and wrote a lot of words I loved a lot, and I shared them all with all of you.

But then eventually, after a while of doing this, I began to have this little itch inside of me. I would (sometimes) read the books of others, and (sometimes) watch a movie or television show, and I would think, “...I could have done this better.” (Or, sometimes, “I *have* done this better.”) In the time that I spent just enjoying my hobby, the market shifted to be more open and welcoming to ficcy properties -- the types of story I kept pitching to my agent that she kept saying the market wouldn’t know what to do with.

So I thought: Maybe it’s time. Maybe it’s time to try again with the whole publishing thing. Like, I hadn’t been thrilled with any of my publication experiences before but maybe the market had shifted to be more amenable to the type of stuff I write. Maybe I would feel less twisted-around now than I did last time. So I started jotting down agents who seemed to represent authors who wrote stories the way I did, who might be a better fit for me than my original agent was, and I got to thinking about starting the whole process again, and then I thought, “...Why am I doing this?” lol

I wrote a little bit about this earlier, about debating whether to find an agent or just self-publish, and I decided at the time to give both a try, but then later I changed my mind again. I just didn’t have a whole lot of interest in doing something I’d already done, which was the traditional publishing route. The more I thought about it, the more I dreaded it. The more I thought about letting someone else into my stories again, letting them thrash around in there to make them more like something else, the less and less I wanted to undertake the effort. It’s a lot of work to find an agent; why would I do it if I was ambivalent about what the result would be? I kept thinking of that Pete Wentz lyric: I became such a strange shape, trying to fit in. Publication messed with me. It messed with my relationship with writing. It messed with the stories I wanted to tell. It messed with my creativity and enthusiasm and process. I’m many years older than I was and the “reward” of publication just didn’t seem worth it to me anymore.

So I thought again: Now we live in a world where you can easily self-publish. This world didn’t exist even ten years ago when I was first getting my agent, etc. Why am I trying to do things in this old-fashioned way I know I don’t like, when I could just publish things myself? Like, yes, now I have to teach myself publishing, so this is a lot, but I’m untangling it!

Which brings me to my announcement! I’ve been working behind the scenes for months now, EDITING. If you know me at all you know I NEVER WILLINGLY EDIT. But I’ve been doing it! I sat down with Swan Song and chopped it up into five novellas (it was too long for one novel, and the novella thing works well for self-publishing, or so I’ve been told Idk). I started editing them, a part of the process I always dreaded, and you know what? It turns out I really like editing when I think it’s genuinely making the story better! Who knew! I have had a blast editing this story! I actually think it’s much better than it was in fic form! I’ve added tens of thousands of words and you’re probably sitting there like, “Did Swan Song need to be longer?” and the answer is YES, IT TURNS OUT IT DID. (Editing, incidentally, was what I was supposed to be doing while I was posting “I Prefer Our Love,” and I did! I really did! And then I got bored and started writing “Next Christmas,” so just in case you thought I was going to turn into a dedicated editor, I suspect not lololol)

So! There are going to be Swan Song novellas! Five of them! In ebook and physical format! My plan right now is the first one will go on sale on February 14 (just in time for Valentine’s Day!). I’m hoping to get it up for pre-sales on February 1. And then, hopefully, there will be a new novella each month after that, until I run out of them. The pen name is Ainsley North and she has a Tumblr, if you’re so inclined to follow for waaaay more updates on all of this. And, in the meantime, if you read the original Swan Song as it was posted on AO3 (where it’s staying, incidentally) and want to provide some kind of blurb I can use in marketing, lmk!

[evilwriter37]

Ao3 Wrapped Writer Edition

Questions from this post.

I wanted to answer these questions to take a look back at what I've accomplished this year. And you know? Very glad I did it. This made me feel pretty good. (And yes, there is shameless self promotion coming up.) Here we go!

How many words have you written this year?

307,418

How many works did you publish this year?

I think 176? My counting could be off.

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Honestly, any of my stories to do with Heather this year. I wrote about her quite a lot and really got to explore her trauma and characterization. I love her so much, and those fics really stand out to me.

What work of yours has the most hits?

An Heir and a Throne with 8,976 hits. I don’t know if I’d count it though, because I didn’t start it this year. 

If we’re going with stories I wrote this year, that would be Reliant with 2,224 hits.

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

“I Don’t Know What You Mean”. It was a one-shot at first that I started last year for a whump event. Then I added more chapters, and I was stunned by how many people liked it.

Favorite title you used

Freedom Comes on Violet Wings

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

N/A

Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Don’t even have to look to know that it’s Viggo/Hiccup.

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

Sorry, I can’t pick just one! I’ll do my top 3!

Viggo/Hiccup, Dagur/Hiccup, Viggo/Astrid

What work was the quickest to write?

I have so many to comb through that it would be hard to say. I wrote Lovers’ Eve in a one hour sitting, but there are shorter fics that definitely took less time.

What work took you the longest to write?

As far as one-shots go, I remember Power Sick taking me a while. It’s 6,547 words.

How many WIPs do you have in your docs for next year?

Let’s see. There’s Getting a Scar Out of It (HTTYD Dagcup Soulmate AU), An Heir and a Throne (HTTYD), Our Time Together (HTTYD), Adapt (Thrawn, not posted), Kintsugi (Teen Wolf), and What Question Can You Never Say Yes To? (Teen Wolf)

So that’s 6 multichapter fics. Whoopsie.

What’s your longest work of the year?

An Heir and a Throne with 48,981 words. Almost novel length!

What’s your shortest work of the year?

For HTTYD: Heather Lost with 253 words

But I think Good Omens takes the cake for my shortest fic. That would be He Tasted Like Coffee with only 137 words.

What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

See above.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

Whump. Are we even surprised?

Your favorite character to write this year?

I write a lot of Hiccup and Viggo, but you know, I’m really enjoying the writing I’ve been doing with Dagur and Heather that I started later this year. Also really been enjoying Astrid. 

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Aziraphale. Writing from his perspective is kind of difficult. I find Crowley much easier to write. His dialogue flows better for me.

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

Get the pitchforks, but probably more Dagur/Heather. They’re a fucked up pair and I want more of it.

Also, maybe more Viggo/Astrid.

Very tentatively thinking of Jack Frost/Hiccup.

Which works of yours have you reread the most?

Vigcup Week, probably. I think those were fantastic.

How many kudos in total did you get this year?

6,889

Which work has the most comments?

An Heir and a Throne followed by Our Time Together.

Did you do any collaborative works this year?

No, sadly, but I maybe want to try next year.

Did you write any gifts this year?

Not really, but I did do a lot of requests and some commissions!

Did you receive any gifts this year?

Yes! I’ve received 7 of them! I am guilty of not having read them all though. 

What’s your most common category?

Gen fic, followed by m/m

What do you listen to while writing?

Cinematic alternative, modern orchestra, rock, metal

Favorite work you wrote this year?

No idea. There are just too many!

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

*stares at everything I wrote* Yeah, um, I’ll pass on this one.

Biggest surprise while writing this year?

I’m starting to get the hang of m/f and f/f couples!!! This is huge for me, because as an AFAB nonbinary trans guy with debilitating endometriosis, I can have a lot of trouble writing those types of pairings. I associate those body parts with pain, not pleasure, but I’m learning. I’m figuring out how to take my association out and just write the characters, or write the characters in new ways where I can still work around my pain. It's been so cool and incredible to me, as well as therapeutic. Writing is great, you guys.