#and those of you thinking this equivocates turning him childish

[engagemythrusters]

yknow. I'm gonna say it.

What is so wrong about Wrecker potentially not being smart? What is so wrong about someone being "dumb?" Every single goddamn post I have seen about this just... looks down on people who aren't conventionally smart. Like. What in fucks name is that about?

I'm not saying turn him into a goddamn baby like some people do. But I'm saying it's just fucking fine if he's ""dumb."" He doesn't have to be intelligent.

Also. Some of these posts just come across really fucking ableist btw. It's not a bad thing to have an intellectual disability... why are you all acting like it's such a crime if he did have one? Christ almighty you all are just as bad as people who fucking baby him. You don't fucking HAVE to put down intellecutal disabilities just because you don't like one idea.

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

All the duos saying they hate each other makes me scoff, like you two are rarely seen apart but sure you hate each other. I think there's a love hate scale Vim and Colin are at one end they seem to have the most hate in their love-hate relationship. I think Ratflap are the ones I disbelieve the most about hating each other like there's no reason for you two to live together just admit you're boyfriends! Dangerous Brothers are firmly on the love side. Trash Couple and Rivyan more the hate side.

Ooh that's a good point. Lemme see what I think of the scale. Okay, from hate to love (or from most hostile to most friendly):

*Colin and Vim - see: one of the best Rik and Ade fights, but it's full on vicious, no surreal slapstick; snobbery VS inverted snobbery; lot of sneering and contempt... BUUUUT Colin does still try to talk to Vim when Den has pissed him off; they do apologise to each other in the hotel room before everything goes to shit.

Then I think there's a bit of a gap, as the others don't quite reach those levels of hostility.

*Rick and Vyvyan - see: near constant childish bickering and fighting, that very quickly turns destructive for the house; Vyvyan especially likes provoking Rick... BUUUUT they do often team up against Neil; Rick definitely prefers Vyvyan to Neil (proof of this is in an article "written" by him); they live together in squalid conditions and are both immature bastards, so what do we expect to happen; a lot of the violence is very surreal.

*Richie and Eddie (of Bottom) - see: they have at least one physical fight per episode, albeit always very slapstick; Eddie is basically a parasite; they confess their disliking of one another quite easily... BUUUUT they also express their liking of one another quite easily; "You and me together, from here to eternity!" and "Great mates!"; they are actually capable of having semi normal conversations together without any violence; married couple vibes through the roof; it's canon that Richie at least wants to fuck Eddie.

*Richard Dangerous and Sir Adrian Dangerous - see: Richard often putting Adrian through lots of violent mishaps for the lolz; they like besting one another, violently... BUUUUT violence doesn't necessarily equivocate to hatred for them, it's just their language; they have pet names; they will always team up against any outside aggressor; a whole bunch of comments about being attracted to one another and being in a sexual relationship; they live together and share a bedroom.

*Richie and Eddie (of FR&C) - see: will openly express disliking of one another; find the other very irritating at times; take the piss out of each other... BUUUUT they live together and don't really have to; sometimes they sleep in the same bed; they do everything together, even though that isn't really necessary; they are very much the duo of the show; no understanding of personal space.

I did um and ah about the Bottom boys VS the Dangerous Brothers for a bit, but there's a take. The Richies and Eddies spend a lot of time talking to one another, so it's easier to gauge their feelings - this is because they are undeniably the duos of their respective shows and have many scenes alone together. Rick and Vyv have Mike and Neil to interact with too, so there is less pure Rick and Vyv time. Plus, a whole lot more is going on in TYO anyway so their relationship isn't usually a focal point (though sometimes it is). The Dangerous Brothers are performers, so they're attempting to put on an act anyway, and they both genuinely seem to be comfortable with their violent version of normal. Colin and Vim grow more hostile over time, but I think there is still a little part of them that has time for the other. They maybe deep down want the other's approval, though they'd never admit that.

Thanks for the ask!

[abyssiniana]

«Royal Blood»

Here’s my little contribution for @jonadioweek !

Title: «Royal Blood». Prompt: Reverse Bang (imagined after BlueyBlues’ wonderful piece) Rating: +13PG Summary: For one who has it all, what’s left to wish for? Word count: 1628 words. Warnings/Tags: ;) AO3 Link:  http://archiveofourown.org/works/12028038

There was something about big castles with golden carvings, velvet curtains, marble sculptures, endless hallways, gigantic rooms, and colossal staircases that fascinated Dio.

Being born in such a blessed environment, surrounded by all the riches in the world, would make one grow numb and indifferent to it. But for him? Dionysios Brando had been born in the gutter, fighting and prostituting himself for scraps of lousy food, paying rent by regularly being beat by his own family.

Had his scumbag of a father not fallen in favor for the late King George over a big misunderstanding, he could very well be dead by now, and not have been taken into the Royal family as a young teenager.

A one in a million chance and Dio had taken it. Seven years later he had washed the crap off his feet. He came as dirt but had risen to gold, pacing across riches, fame, and wealth he was only partially entitled to.

But that was the problem; partial royalty was not… good enough. He, who had nothing from the start, craved for more. He DESERVED more.

The solution to this equivocal situation was so very simple, and the fake prince knew it too well. It wasn't a “thing”, nor was it purchasable. It wasn't some fancy painting from a famous foreign artist, or a fine piece of Oriental fabric, not an exotic ingredient, not a rare pet, and not a book, or anything lifeless.

It was someone. A very specific someone, in fact.

Greedy? Perhaps. Selfish? Certainly. But who was going to say "no" to him? Throw the first stone, the poor soul who would dare to.

With a rather sly smirk across his peachy lips, Dio observed, through the large window of the second floor, the horse-driven carriage that returned from the neighboring kingdom. The authoritarian male figure who exited the barouche and walked in front of a line of men, ordering them, commanding them as was his new duty…

Yes. That one, with the crazy curly hair and shiny, aurelian crown adorning it.

Jonathan “JoJo” Joestar, was his name, “King” added as a prefix as of very recently. Truth be told, he didn't feel much for the boy he had shared his childhood with. He only wanted what JoJo unquestionably had taken for granted and now he had a way of attaining such. Seeing as his "prey", so to say, turned his back to his loyal soldiers and walked towards the castle – undoubtedly retiring to his chambers – the Prince decided to run into him. A casual encounter, or so he would make it seem.

Moving along the hallway, his back straight and chin up, as he had been taught to eloquently walk, the Brando heard the heavy footsteps in the distance and associated them to Jonathan. He had less than a few seconds to interrupt the younger male's path, and in a quick thought, he took a hasted step towards the corner, making them bump and nearly trip to the red carpet.

“Dear brother.”

“D-Dio.”, the King stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m… glad to see you.”

There was a certain reluctance coming from the Joestar, but Dio pretended not to notice. They weren’t on the best terms, they never had been. Jonathan was lazy, childish, foolish… While Dio was the archetype of a Prince: smart, logical, he knew back and forth all those stupid prayers to a God he didn’t believe in, and he even treated everyone below him – from maids to commoners – with some theatrical respect. He was loved and looked highly to, while Jonathan had to be handled with care due to his incongruous and inconvenient personality. If not for that law of birthright… Should it be up for debate, he would’ve been chosen to rule the land, rather than that incompetent twat.

Regarding Jonathan’s usual attitude, however, Dio had noticed a sudden maturity he couldn’t deny. It happened as suddenly as King George had passed away, as if his disappearance had taken some of the boy within Jonathan and replaced him with a little bit of a man.

Good. This wouldn’t be fair, otherwise.

“If you’d excuse me, Dio...”, Jonathan began, only to be interrupted by Dio’s hand on his chest, making him cease his attempt to walk around the blond.

“Wait. You must be exhausted from your trip, but… I’m curious about it. Allow me to walk with you.”

To those harmless words, Jonathan couldn’t think of a reason to say no. He even sketched a silly smile with a hint of surprise; wondering why Dio was suddenly so nice to him, no doubt. After a nod and a mumbled “please do”, the brunet resumed his walking, to which Dio kept up to, and spoke of the encounter with the Queen from the other kingdom, who gave him his condolences, followed by a sudden offer of marriage arrangement.

Not a surprise; for those playing the royal game, death was an opportunity, rather than a misfortune. To conjoin two profitable lands via matrimony would be a wise thing to do from the point of view of the throne.

“It is something you could take into consideration.”, he commented, lowering his head slightly to a passing-by handmaiden, who nearly dropped the towels she carried, her face becoming unhealthily red.

Girls. Eye roll.

“Well, I… Erina is a lovely lady, we had a silly children’s crush on each other, but… about that… I actually wanted to talk to you first.”, the monarch’s face darkened with something untold, thick eyebrows almost uniting in a heavy frown. With a gracious gesture that still needed a little practice on the “gracious” part, Dio was invited into Jonathan’s bedroom.

“Oh?”

There was no hesitation on his feet, as it could be understood as suspicion. Dio stepped into the luxury of the division, casually crossing his arms and leaning his hip on the stone edge of the fireplace, leaving the sumptuous arm chair for JoJo to sit on.

“So tell me.”, the older one demanded after a few moments spent in uncomfortable silence. Seeing that Jonathan bit his lip, fiddled with his thumbs, refused to look him in the eye… He decided to give him more time to fathom his words as he prepared them both a glass of wine.

With… a special sweetener, to put it as a euphemism. One the late king George had tasted last. The white dust faded into the liquid quicker than Dio could notice and soon he turned to face his brother, who had gotten up and now looked him dead in the eye.

“I love you.”

For once, Dio’s eyes widened in astonishment, lips parting slightly; it wasn’t often that someone was able to surprise him but those words resounded in the back of the blond’s mind, echoing as he seemed to fail to attach them to a meaning. He shook them off with a chuckle after being met with the determined blue of Jonathan’s eyes.

“… I love you too, brother--”, he ended up saying, only to be silenced by a loud “no”.

“It’s not like THAT! I said no to the Queen. I cannot deliver my heart to a woman I no longer love, or maybe never did love at all.”, he insisted very clearly, words being backed up with the promise of tears in the corner of his eyes.

From up close, Jonathan could spot some cute little freckles and beauty marks spread across Dio’s cheeks, ellipses of words untold and secrets kept too tight within his heart. He wanted to break that secrecy, transform the end of those unspoken sentences into warm confessions, he wanted to know all there was to know about the man in front of him. The past that had been silenced, the reasons that forced Dio’s evil acts towards JoJo as kids… There was so much about Dio, so much that he had yet to discover… and as an aspiring archeologist, discovery was what fascinated the Joestar the most.

“If I’m not fit to rule alone and must marry to fulfill my duty, then I’ll have a King instead of a Queen. I’ll have you, Dio.”

For a few seconds, the Brando saw that stubborn brat again, transparent through the largely built man, the one that could never, ever be a good King.

Which brought him back to his mission. His plan. His success. His kingdom, his place in history! A door that had been forced open by implanting the poison on George Joestar’s wine, the equal faith that awaited Jonathan… And the crown that was only fit to decorate his already golden locks. “JoJo…”

“Dio.”

The Brando saw himself trapped between the tray containing the two golden glasses of wine and the exuberantly expensive fabric of Jonathan’s clothing. His strong jaw and cheekbones sculpted his face so intensely, and even more excessive with the expression of his eyebrows. The blue eyes were sapphires with “guilt” written all over them, and his big hands were cautious to approach Dio’s face. “Just… consider this, please...”

They were way too close, closer than they had ever been, even in Jonathan’s occult fantasies. The King gulped and licked his lip, but did no more than that.

He doesn’t have balls to do any more than this, Dio amusingly thought, head tilting to the side as his amber colored eyes cast an involuntary spell JoJo couldn’t see himself rid of. What a coward.

“Consider yourself… As MY King.”

Instead of sealing his words with the kiss that weighed in the little space between their lips, Jonathan reached for one of the glasses of wine behind Dio, only to have it slapped away from his veiny hand.

Dio’s lips were the only poison King Jonathan would consume tonight. 

[concertcollector-blog]

“Harry Styles” by Harry Styles (Review)

Guess who’s bringing rock n’ roll back to the 2010s? That’s right, ladies. Harry Styles.

After a rocky last few years and worrisome hiatus, Harry Styles has officially begun his much awaited solo project with the release of his self-titled debut album, Harry Styles. The 10-track record, ranging from simple acoustic songs to jaw-dropping ballads, completely blew me out of the water and took me on a journey through the sides of him that I went 6 years without truly understanding. 

Going into this, I knew this wasn’t going to be a biased review. Although I was a massive One Direction fan a few years ago, I eventually grew out of them when I found other bands that suited my music taste a little more than what they were producing. I am not afraid to admit that Made In the AM was a not a good album in my opinion, nor was FOUR a home-run for me either. But, that was One Direction. This is Harry Styles, and my respect for him has skyrocketed as his new album exceeded every expectation I had for it. 

So, let’s dive into this iconic masterpiece, shall we?

Track 1: Meet Me In The Hallway.

The 10-track album opens up with “Meet Me in The Hallway”, a dreamy and lethargic taste of what’s to come later on in the record. The song starts off with Styles murmuring some numbers under his breath, and then transcends into a funky melody of faded vocals and fingers picking the strings on a finely tuned guitar. If the musical elements of this song weren’t already ambiguous enough, the lyrics only push my curiosity further. The repetitive line “Gotta get better” was mysterious; What could this possibly mean? Was his meaning shallow, or was he really in a dark place throughout the writing process of this record? It made me, the listener, wonder how deep this album could go, or how equivocal it could remain.

Overall, “Meet Me In The Hallway” was the perfect song to open Harry Styles up with, and I will explain why more towards the end of this review. 

Song rating: 8/10

Track 2: Sign Of The Times.

Styles’ infamous debut single, “Sign Of The Times”, follows after the album’s whimsical introduction. My initial reaction to this song when it first dropped back in April was nothing but positive: although the first verse of the song was questionable for my taste, I fell in love with the song the second the chorus began. From that moment on, I’ve been a huge fan of it.

“Sign Of The Times”, in my opinion, is a successful attempt at modernizing classic rock. It has certain elements to it that remind me of a lot of artists from the Classic Rock age, and it doesn’t make Styles seem like a “poser” at all. The song altogether - from the lyrics to the melody - is extremely mysterious and I’m sure it generated a lot of excitement to hear the rest of the album beyond just my own curiosity.

Song rating: 8.5/10

Track 3: Carolina.

In Harry Styles’ 3rd track, titled “Carolina”, Styles’ smooth voice tells a cheeky story of a girl from the South who immerses herself into the superficial world of the Los Angeles, California. The chorus of “Carolina” is fun, upbeat, and sexy in the most classy way possible. The constant La la la la’s in the background put a grin on my face every time I listen to the song. 

Although I feel like some parts of this track are childish, that is not a negative observation. They’re childish in a way that still works extremely well and keeps the song fun and current.

Song rating: 8.5/10

Track 4:  Two Ghosts.

I must admit that I hit a small bump in the road after “Carolina”. The next two songs on the album, titled “Two Ghosts” and “Sweet Creature”, are probably my least favorite songs on Harry Styles. This may come as a shock for some people, because I’ve gotten the sense that these are some fans’ absolute favorite songs from the whole album. Just hear me out you guys, I promise I have a rational reason.

The thing I dislike about “Two Ghosts” is that it is musically forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, the lyrics are magnificent; They are powerful and poetically heartbreaking. It’s plain to see that Styles was describing a low time in his life, and I respect him for opening up. But the tune of the song, in my opinion, just doesn’t do the words justice. From a musical perspective, “Two Ghosts” wasn’t as unique as the other songs off the album, which causes me to skip it most of the times it comes on. 

Song rating: 5.5/10

Track 5: Sweet Creature.

Similarly, “Sweet Creature” has lovely lyrics, but with just a simple guitar and a few backing vocals behind it all, I feel like it is not enough to truly wow me. 

Personally, I love when songs have a lot of production in them. I like songs that don’t rely solely on the lyrics to entice people, but use instruments to help create a masterpiece as well. “Sweet Creature”, from a musical standpoint, needs some more instruments to help bring it to life. 

But, then again, there are a lot of people who like simple songs like that. So, to turn this bump in the road into a positive pit-stop, at least this album has diversity. 

Song rating: 5/10

And then, we are brought to the 6th track on the album, and a huge transition is made. We leave this calm and gentle side of Harry Styles and enter a whole new world of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Literally.

Track 6: Only Angel.

“Only Angel” begins with an almost minute-long introduction consisting of a gods singing and a soft piano and in the distance. The intro sounds as if we’re all being lifted into heaven aboard a bedazzled spaceship with Styles behind the wheel. Everything is calm and euphoric until we are immediately thrown back down into a 1970s rock concert at the 53-second mark, and the song truly begins.

“Only Angel” is a lyrically and musically genius song. ‘I'm just happy getting you stuck in between my teeth’ and ‘She’s gonna be an angel ... when it turns out she's a devil in between the sheets’ are just a few lines that I found to be not only surprising, but clever as well. 

Song rating: 9/10

Track 7: Kiwi.

Don’t even get me started on this song. This was the first track I listened to off Harry Styles, and to say I was shocked is an understatement. I was shocked in a good way, of course.

Being one of my favorite songs on the record, “Kiwi” is yet another bold and daring taste of Harry’s rock n’ roll side. The melody of the song is sassy, very sexual, and probably takes a lot of parents back a few decades to what they often refer to as “simpler times”. 

The lyrics show that Styles knows what he’s doing. Some phrases that stick out to me are ‘She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes, hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect’ and ‘It's New York, baby, always jacked up, Holland Tunnel for a nose, it's always backed up’. One particular line in the bridge that I think is pure lyrical genius is “She sits beside me like a silhouette. Hard candy dripping on me 'til my feet are wet”. 

Whenever “Kiwi” comes on, there is no way I can get myself to skip it. In combination with “Only Angel”, these two songs are proof that Harry is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone and say the things he never could when he was in a boyband.

Song rating: 10/10

Track 8: Ever Since New York.

“Ever Since New York”, with it’s charming lyrics and soothing guitar riffs, is a nice cool-down from “Kiwi” and “Only Angel”. I feel like this song is very visual. Something about it will take your mind back to a particular memory or time in your life… or, if you’re me, it’ll take you back to a scene from your favorite movie. 

Whenever I listen to this song, for some reason my mind visualizes that scene from Almost Famous where they're all piled in the tour bus, driving across the country and singing Tiny Dancer together. Everything about that scene is graceful and heartwarming, as is this song, although it is rather sad. 

One negative thing I have to point out about “Ever Since New York” is that it get’s pretty repetitive after a while. I feel like the phrase ‘Tell me something I don’t already know’ is used too many times, and Styles could’ve incorporated other lyrics in those spaces. With just a little more variation, this song could’ve been a huge hit.

Song rating: 7/10

Track 9: Woman.

The 9th track on Harry Styles is yet another song that I refuse to skip whenever it comes on. “Woman” is one of the best songs on this record, and I’m sure many Harry Styles fans can agree with me. 

The beginning is one of the most unique introductions on Harry Styles. The random man asking about romantic comedies throws you off at first, but then the piano transcends into the enticing guitar riff and you are brought back into reality, as the song truly begins.

The chorus is short, sweet, to the point, and catchy as hell. It makes me wonder how this concept came to Styles’ mind and why he decided to take a plain word and fuze it into the song in such an elementary way. All he’s got to say is ‘woman’ over and over again and poof! It’s a masterpiece.

He took the word ‘woman’ and truly transformed it into a work of art. Because, let’s face it: Women are beautiful, and sometimes all we need is a simple, charming song like this to prove it. As Styles sings about this mysterious woman (or perhaps all women in general) he does it in a way that is sexy and fun, yes, but he doesn’t objectify us. I give him mad kudos for this one.

Song rating: 10/10

Track 10: From The Dining Table.

The final track on Harry Styles is “From The Dining Table”, a soothingly sad song that brings the album to a satisfying close. This song explores the final side of Styles that is a little bit more raw and truthful than the others portrayed on this record. The guitar and edited vocals create a chill, almost Jack Johnson-like sound while the mature lyrics show that he is finally able to grow up after certain expectations prevented him from doing so. 

For example, I’m sure the line in the first verse that goes ‘played with myself, where were you?’ came as a shock to some fans, but in an exciting way. The song is simple but powerful, and just as mysterious as the beginning of the album. I feel like this song and “Meet Me In The Hallway” are very similar to each other in a lot of ways, and they both work together to bring the album around into a full circle, with an interesting beginning and successful ending.

Song rating: 8.5/10

Overall, I think this album was amazing and something that the music industry was in need of. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that every so often, the radio runs dry and repetitive. Harry Styles, still in its rightful place at the top of the charts, is something new and different, a breath of fresh air for us all after we’ve been drowning in generic pop songs that all sound the same for so long. 

I didn’t know what I was expecting Harry Styles’ first solo album to sound like, but it wasn’t what I got. Everything about this record, from the melodies to the lyrics, completely exceeded my expectations and impressed me beyond belief. 

I wish there were more than just 10 songs on this album, but perhaps that means that Styles will be back relatively soon with another masterpiece to share with the world. I’ve got mad respect for Harry Styles after hearing this album, and I hope that those who once judged him or ignored his talents because he was in a “boyband” can eventually come around with an open mind, and appreciate what he has been able to do on his own. 

Overall Album Rating: 8.7/10