#do they listen to the second verse of wonderland and think oh now it makes sense

[calsvoid]

so i’ve made it clear in the past that i think 1989 is seblaine’s album, but also, part of that is because it has sad breakup songs that match their story and like ignoring the fact 1989 came out in 2014, i’m just thinking about them transitioning from saying “it’s our album except the sad songs those don’t match us” to realizing that yeah the sad songs do match them now

[tryintoputitintowords]

so I went to a listening party (meaning I couldn't hear Taylor very well) so I got home and listened to the album and. well. here's how that went in pure, unfiltered thoughts.

Welcome To New York - the intro melody sounds so much better oh my god. And the voices sound so much more distinct from each other in the chorus!! Especially the melodies. Oh and the lower “welcome to new york” in the second verse oh my god. The way the bridge fades into the chorus is so superior here. AND HER “WELCOME TO NEW YORK!” IS SO CUTE

Blank Space - the mastering on this is amazing?? Makes it feel like she’s singing this in a big ass room. THE DRUMS IN BOTH EARS?? It sounds like starbucks lovers even more now I’ll be so real. DARLING I’M A NIGHTMARE DRESSED LIKE A DAYDREAM. DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOUUUU. The ad libs are superior.

Style - oh I LOVE that guitar so much. Did they give the echo on Style to Blank Space?? Not mad about it though, the harmonies are so clear here. OUT. OF. STYLE! I’ve been there too a few times…ah. Her vocals are just so good on the ad libs guys. JUST TAKE ME HOME!!

Out Of The Woods - THE DRUMS?? HELLO??? THERE’S A HIGHER VOICE IN THE CHORUS IT ADDS DESPERATION OH MY GOSHHH THEY’VE ADDED DRUMS TO THE TRANSITION FROM CHORUS TO VERSE 2. AND I REMEMBER THINKING!! THE AD LIBS OH MY GOD. THE BRIDGE HAS CLEARER HARMONIES OH MY GOD. OH I REMEMBER!!

All You Had To Do Was Stay - The STAY is so nice and the drums sound so crisp man. WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE!! The two versions do sound quite similar but the mastering is definitely better. The drums are just so niceeee.

Shake It Off - Once again the drums are just so good on this album. Her little chuckle!! THE CLAPS HAVE ECHO. ooh ooh ooh!! The harmony clarity on this album is SO superior. THE LOUDER SHAKE IT OFFS IN THE BACKGROUND?? THE LAUGH IN THE BRIDGE AND THE HEY IN THE LAST CHORUS

I Wish You Would - THE CLARITY OF THAT INTRO TOOK ME OUT THE FUCK. THE LITTLE HARMONIES AT THE END OF THE LAST CHORUS. Still sounds like stand back wasted :) THOSE BACKGROUND AAAHS ARE NEW AREN’T THEY OH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH.

Bad Blood - She sounds so much angrier?? (also the fade in intro was nice) Once again the drums on this sound so good. The vocal improvement really shows with this one. Oooh and the drums that fade in are so much better too. HEY!

Wildest Dreams - okay we’ve heard this one we all know it’s a banger

How You Get The Girl - THE OHS AT THE BEGINNING.THE TRANSITION TO THE CHORUS WAS SO GOOD WHAT KINDA CRACK DID SHE PUT IN IT. THE YEAH SQUEAK?? THE ELECTRONIC HIGH PITCHED NOISES! THE DRUMS INTO THE LAST CHORUS?? I. WANT. YOU. FOREVER. AND. EVER!! AHHHHH THIS IS PERFECT

This Love - once again already heard it but it’s superior it just sounds so much clearer than the original

I Know Places - the Is sound much more menacing oh wow. THE IS IN THE CHORUS TOO. AND WE RUN!! HOLY SHIT. Once again the drums have been done justice in this album. Overall sounds a lot more anxious and menacing than the stolen version

Clean - the intro has some new sounds!! Oh and she sounds so much clearer and so does the background instruments it’s nice. I love how clear the harmonies are in this whole album. It sounds so much fuller now!! I can’t pinpoint why honestly but I love it. Louder drums in the bridge. OHHHH THE RAINNNNN. OH IT’S BUILDING!! THIS CHORUS IS SO MUCH FULLER OH I LOVE IT WHEN A SONG BUILDS.

Wonderland - I AM A SLUT FOR THE DRUMS IN THIS ALBUM THE FUCK DID SHE PUT IN THEM!! IN WONDERLAAAAAAND it sounds so much more echoy I love it. Slight change to the way she sings the second chorus, almost more hesitant. OH!. we both went mad… OHHHHHHHH- GO OFF QUEEN. ONCE AGAIN THE HARMONIES ARE SO GOOD. ad libs are flawless. Added drums to the last chorus?? Yo??

You Are In Love - are you ready to die. the intro is already so good. AH THE DRUMS IN THE BACKGROUND ON JUST ONE EAR OH MY GOD. OH THE CHORUS HAS EXTRA ECHOES AND SO IT SOUNDS SO WHIMSICAL I AM TEARING UP. he is in love!! The so it goes!! The harmony is so clear in this bridge. THE BIT BEFORE THE LAST CHORUS I AM DYING I DIED DEAD. AND THE AHHHS HAVE HARMONIES??? BRO I AM BEING FED

New Romantics - the intro is so girly pop. the extra echo on the drums too. AND on the harmonies?? Oh the ah’s make me a little sad but the chorus goes super hard. Okay the ah’s grew on me like the WANEGBT weeeE! It is okay. This whole thing just sounds so much more girly pop I love it so much. FLAWLESS AD LIBS GO OFF MOTHER.

VAULT TIME!! Second round :)) 

“Slut!” - the fact that this is a love song is so shocking and yet so fitting. It might blow up in your pretty face?? Her little SLUT! Is so good. DRUNK IN LOVE is a very good line by the way I am objectively right. The idea of love being so good that it makes every bad thing worth it?? It’s so good. Like being called a SLUT is worth it for this guy who we totally don’t know

Say Don’t Go - it sounds like clean which is funny. Anyway the chorus does NOT and it is superior. The SAY sounds like STAY (AYHTWS reference??) I SAID I LOVE YOU!! The silence after you say nothing back :(( 

Now That We Don’t Talk - she looked into brain for this one fr. ONCE AGAIN THE DRUMS ARE DRUGS. This song feels like a RANT and I love that energy. It lacks a straightforward structure.

Suburban Legends - YOU KISS ME IN A WAY THAT’S GONNA SCREW ME UP FOREVER!! Storytelling in the second verse is so good. And the bridge!! The lyricism in this entire vault has me dead on my bed right now. BROKE MY OWN HEART!! NOOOO DON’T END

Is It Over Now - goofy intro hi labyrinth. ONCE AGAIN THE DRUMS ARE DRUGS. Does capture the feeling of a love you’re not sure is ever really done like most of these songs. OOTW REFERENCE??? AND IS IT OVER NOW!! (just take me home!) OH THE LAST CHORUS TRANSITION!! Jumping off very high somethings :)) 

I WILL post something more coherent soon but this was just too much fun.

[yan-twst]

could u write a scenario of yan malleus comforting (preferably fem but gn is ok) mc bc she doesnt have the best home life and thinking abt how hes gonna shower her in (unhealthy) affections

warnings: general yandere behaviour, implied familial abuse (it’s pretty much stated the mc has a bad family life, but i don’t go into details about it)

He’d never have imagined his nightly walks on the once-abandoned Ramshackle dorm would ever end up like this. He’d always liked old, abandoned buildings: they brought by a sense of peace and nostalgia (despite the fact “old” buildings by today’s standards were sometimes built around the time he’d been born), somewhere he didn’t have to worry about his guards constantly stepping on his heels or over students pointing and whispering.

Befriending the odd magicless prefect had been coincidence, as well. He’d just been amused by their naivety at first; trusting him, a complete stranger, not even knowing his true name. He’d found amusement in thinking how they’d cower and fear if they knew who he was, if they knew what people thought of him: although that interest quickly became... Genuine interest. He didn’t have many friends- and as much as he hated to think of it, he did feel lonesome at times. Finding someone who he could just talk to as a person, not having to worry about his title as the crown prince or the perception of his power was so oddly relaxing he found himself seeking out those nightly walks more than ever.

When had he gone from his usual self to caring so much for a mere human? They were a magicless, lost little thing, someone accidentally brought into this world and having none of the knowledge needed to survive here. And yet, he’d found himself growing more and more attached to them. He could still remember when Lilia was so amused by the fact he’d sent a holiday card to the magicless prefect, and that had only been the tip of his infatuation. They were just... So weak, so... Alone. In a world they weren’t familiar, he was one of their friends, and the thought made his heart speed up just a little. 

Lilia said he was “in love”, sighing about how adorable young love was whenever Malleus mentioned the Ramshackle dorm leader. Love... Malleus had to agree, he’d put that name on his emotions. When he saw the prefect, he was overwhelmed with a desire to take them into his grasp; to keep them safe, to embrace them, to hold them close... His mood soured when he saw them messing about with other students, and his heart soared when he got to talk to them during the night. He’d grown to treasure every little word that came from their mouth: he listened, remembering every detail of what they liked and disliked, of stories about their life and their world. He’d even taken to watching them during the day, observing how they maneuvered around a magic school without having a drop of magic in their body- watching them interact with others, how they shone so brightly, watching them when he talked with them and when they weren’t even aware they were being watched. He wanted to get closer to them in every way he could.

Perhaps that was how he’d found himself holding them as they cried, late at night.

They’d invited him into the dorm, since the weather outside was cold. He’d accepted, despite not really minding the chilly air; humans got sick easily, didn’t they? Still, he’d found himself warming up inside, not because of the terrible insulation or the candles the prefect had lit, but mostly by sitting down on the tiny loveseat right next to them. He hadn’t meant to say anything to make them uncomfortable, really: somehow the topic of his kingdom came up, and he’d asked them about their home in return. It was just a simple question, he’d thought, a way to get to know them better- and yet they’d tensed at the question. He shouldn’t press, he knew that much despite not being well versed in reading cues, but... The look in their face made worry seep into his gut. And so he’d asked. 

He marveled at how easy it was to wrap his arms around them. They were shaking slightly as they cried into his chest, hiccuping apologies about their little outburst. Malleus shut down every apology, rubbing their back soothingly- he’d asked them to talk, hadn’t he? It wasn’t hard to tell their home life was a sore spot, not by how hard they’d been sobbing into his chest, struggling to even get words out. Truly, they hadn’t even talked much about what was wrong, but Malleus could infer. He’d dug enough, and he knew better than to repeat his question. His uniform shirt was soaked in tears, and more than that, his heart ached at the thought of bringing them more pain.

They kept talking, words cut off by sobs and hiccups. If it had been anyone else- another weak human crying so loudly- he’d probably have gotten frustrated and left, but their tears didn’t bring any sort of ire in him. In fact, all he could think of was of comforting them. Oh, he’d known they were weak compared to him before, but now... All he could think of was to protect them. Clearly, nobody back in their home was doing so, not if they could drive them to this state.

Still rubbing circles in their back, Malleus found himself spacing out for a second. Clearly, they needed someone to protect them and give them the care they deserved- he couldn’t possibly just toss them back to where they came from. Their warm body pressed into his, their embrace... Truly, wouldn’t it be better for them to stay in such a way? Safe, warm, cared for? Thoughts of the future filled his mind: it’d be so easy to take them to his dorm, to the unused towers- yes, he’d ask Lilia to furnish them and make them suitable for a human... Or perhaps he’d let them into his room: his bed was big, and they could entertain themselves with books or games while he left, couldn’t they...? After all, there wasn’t any need for them to go to class. Not being magicless as they were, really. They could wait for him, to go and provide the care and warmth only he could give them.

His grip tightened as his fantasies ran. He could take them along his fourth year, to whatever travels or internships he was sent to. Yes, that would be ideal. Malleus’ heart sped up at the thought of returning to them every night, returning to this comfort and warmth. Thoughts of bringing them back to the castle in his kingdom; marriage, making them his. They could rule the kingdom by his side, surely. Yes, they were kind and smart; they’d make a good ruler, a good spouse for a king... They didn’t need to suffer anymore. He’d make sure of it; he’d never let anyone talk down to them, he’d make them the most important person in the castle. He’d dress them in fine clothes, make sure they had a comfortable life...

“Tsunotarou...? I- um, I... can’t breathe...” their hoarse voice quickly brough Malleus back to reality. Right- reality. They weren’t his quite yet, weren’t his partner and his spouse, not yet. For now, he was still Tsunotarou and they were still stuck in this torn-down dorm, with Crowley trying to send them home. “... Sorry for crying like that. I got your shirt all wet- I’m sorry. You... were probably very uncomfortable.”

“Don’t apologize over this, child of man. You were clearly distressed.” said Malleus, letting them go. His heart protested at the action, as the warmth of their body departed as he let go of the embrace. 

“I... yeah. Sorry. It’s just- you know. Home. It’s... Complicated.” they said, rubbing one of their eyes. Their face was red and irritated from crying, but even so, Malleus couldn’t help but think of how precious they were. How could anyone ever hurt them? He truly couldn’t understand. 

“It’s ok now. You’re far away from that place.” said Malleus. Far away from there, they were now here. Perhaps it was fate that brought them here into Twisted Wonderland; fate had brought this human into his grasp, and it was now his task to take them and protect them, wasn’t it? “As long as I’m here, I won’t let harm befall you.”

At the moment, they smiled at his words; how tragic, really, that the biggest danger to them was Malleus himself.

[senchoubutter]

Twisted Wonderland Guys As Kpop Songs I Listen To Too Much + Why

i’ma just say it now, i primarily listen to girl groups since I cover songs and they are in my range and i find them fun to cover most so expect a lot of those.

All songs are linked!!

Scarabia

Jamil

- Lucifer by SHINee || First and foremost I can see him performing this, easily. Aside from that, the song is tasty and classic. Jamil is a smart attractive man that is incredibly talented despite flying under the radar. People know of him but don’t take note until they know him, similarly to this song. It goes hard and you’ve probs heard it mentioned but you haven’t experienced until you played it at 3 am, screaming your heart out. Get to know Jamil and he ain’t just “some guy”

Kalim

- Um Oh Ah Yeh by MAMAMOO || This song reminds me of the 90s/2000s and there’s something about Kalim that also does that for me. Maybe it’s the not a care in the world disposition. I can see and feel in the second verse’s rap, Kalim’s warm smile. I can imagine him grabbing my hand, telling me to chin up. The choruses make me think of simpler times. Finally, Kalim seems like he’s always having a good time just like this song

Ignihyde

Ortho

- Candy Pop by TWICE (yes i know its jp) || This song always puts me in a good mood. It makes me feel warm inside and like everything will work out. When I see Ortho, I feel the need to protect him but also can’t help but feel like everything will be okay. Something about him brings a happy, warm peace to my heart that reminds me to just take a moment and find the good in life. The peppy beat of it just makes me think about how he almost always is smiling!

Idia

- Fairy of Shampoo by TOMORROW X TOGETHER || the song starts an I feel as if I’ve awoken floating in the deep sea, but i’m not scared. I feel at peace and as if I’ve been here before. The song tastes like iced tea and feels like nostalgia. When I look at Idia I see my past self and even present self. I’m afraid, I want to hide. The feelings the verses gives me reminds me of laying in bed, curled up in a jacket that hides my whole body, similarly to Idia’s. The song and Idia’s character call out to a nostalgic but soft side to a distant past I can’t recall. I want to stay with them until I can remember

Savanaclaw

Leona

- gogobebe by MAMAMOO || It’s got a lazy but sexy sound that Leona emboides. When the song picks up in the choruses it’s like it takes over your body, drowning the listener in an ocean of sensuality and playful teasing. It’s got a lil edge though too that caters to the gruff “fuck off” expression he has. I see the noise Hwasa makes at the end as the wanton but confused noise fans make as the man leaves, tail swinging after teasing them

Ruggie 

- BAAM by Momoland || BAAM has such a sassy hyped up beat that screams a bitch that gets shit done, owns who they are, and lives life having fun. And it embodies everything I feel upon seeing Ruggie's smug smile. Even the rap bit during the second chorus has the sass and done-ness of “Leona-san! Get up!!”

Jack

- Bomb by AleXa || This song kicks your ass and so does Jack. Don’t for four seconds think he won’t beat the shit outta ya for underestimating him, similarly to AleXa and her music. The energy and the “I’ll show you” vibes remind me of this big dweeb. I would fear this man but turn to love him much like how I felt about this song as it was this artist’s first song. How do I say they just embody each other in my opinion lol

Pomefiore

Vil

- DUN DUN by Everglow || The sass. This song screams THAT BITCH, just like Vil’s everything. The way he carries himself is personified in this song. The power the song holds reminds me of his unique magic and how intense it is. Finally, the slower bridge is mythical and light as if giving the listener a feeling like they are walking on air and plays to the softer and more feminine side of Vil

Rook

- FINGERTIP by GFriend || Everything about this song is exciting. It’s suspenseful and alluring. If this song was a person, I could clear as day see it winking, whispering “chase me.” And that is exactly Rook’s brand of teasing and games. He’s a hunter but he’s got a charming aura to him still. This song wraps both of those things into it. The dance break is Rook’s darker senses personified. Umji’s lil “OW!” is he’s cute lil remarks in french, throwing you off now and then. But by the end of the song, you’re used to them and adore them

Epel

- Crossroads by GFriend || This song feels like a long lost friend that visits you in dreams. You can practically reach out to them but just as you do, you wake up. But you’re determined. That alone reminds me of Epel’s character as a whole. He doesn’t let his cute appearance push aside his wants and needs to be this tough guy. He, like Yuju’s strong vocals at the last chorus, presses on, determined each time he gets knocked down

Diasomnia

Lilia

- Deja Vu by Dreamcatcher || Maybe I’m biased cause I’ve covered this but this song is breathtaking. The melody speaks of a long road and the fight to keep on which I feel rings true for Lilia. We don’t know his true age but it’s clear he’s been around for quite a wild and the pain he’s probably gone through is unspeakable. He has stories galore and so much experience in life. I feel this song encapsulates a lot of what can only be speculated about him

Silver

- Crème Brûlée by GFriend || the soft, sweet song is addictive and cutesy. I feel Silver gets written off or ignored often, similarly to this song on the album. Sure he may not be god or a bad bad bitch, but he has his own warmth to him. Like this song, Silver makes me wanna curl up under a tree on an August evening and just take in life, making sure to breathe for once, releasing unnecessary tension and stress.

Sebek

- Black Dress by CLC || Sebek is very interesting to me and when he blushes, my whole heart stops for a second. It’s similar to how when they build up to the chorus‘s first Black Dress and the music stops for like a split second. Sebek isn’t my favorite but isn’t my least favorite. I like him more than some though, I’d say. I’d say the same goes for this song. I love CLC, this isn’t my top song of theirs but I still like it a lot. There’s something uniform about the beat that resounds with Sebek as getting shit done in mind also. Sometimes a song just makes you think of a character and you can’t perfectly explain it

Malleus

- Pretty Savage by BLACKPINK || Yes i know t’s only recently come out as i post this, but this bad boy on replay. The beat isn’t crazy upbeat but it’s interesting. Malleus intidimates me in general cause of his aura, and while I love this song a lot rn, it was very intimidating at first. It still has some “don’t come near me” energy. The slower bridge bit calls to his stoic expression, melodic and pretty

Heartslabyul

Cater

- ICY by ITZY || I’ll be honest both Cater as well as this song were things I thought at first were just meh, okay. But as time went on both grew on me. Now that’s not the only reason though I associate this with him. The, no pun intended, ice shattering sound of the song gives me friendly popular girl that seems to be buds with 80% of the school. This is the very vibe Cater always gives me. He wants to just have a good, happy life. Also the song is a “so what? I’m hot. Get over it.” vibe like Cater

Ace

- Drama by TOMORROW X TOGETHER || Ace reminds me the guy you fall in love with in high school and you no it’s not going to last but you let yourself get taken away with. Drama feels like a soundtrack of every fun adventure Ace goes on, no matter the trouble that he may get on. It’s fun beat just brings me back to skipping school, running to my car and trying to sneak away without getting caught. The thought of Ace at my side, would shoot my adrenaline through the roof just like the high note of the song

Deuce

- God’s Menu by Stray Kids || Deuce is just ready to go swinging and that’s exactly what this song is. Elbows up and out, head down, swinging without a clue. The intensity and fire of it speaks to that fire in him. Meanwhile the prechoruses are soft and pleasant almost like it’s not the same song, alluding to that cute lil smile he has got

Trey

- REALLY REALLY by WINNER || Similarly to Ace, this song reminds me of a guy you fall for, but in college rather than high school. Everything about the song and Trey just feels right. The choruses hold your hand and fits perfectly in yours. They know what to say to make everything okay. It may not last, but you sure hope it does and will love them like it will. And while Trey isn’t my number one boy, those are the exact feelings I have about him too. Finally, the rap part reminds me of Trey’s more sadistic side, it bites and you may not think it fits entirely but the more familiar you get with them, the more both fit and you don’t mind it entirely

Riddle

- Wonderland by ATEEZ || The demanding nature of the song makes me think of Riddle immediately. It’s intense and doesn’t mess around; it wants what it wants. Riddle is a rule based person and this song is rather militaristic aesthetically. The bridge though, is so regal and breathtaking. It could stop time. Riddle, despite the kind of guy he is, is the same way. The power he holds is impressive and admirable. This description may seem kinda like I’m shitting on him and see him solely as a rule boy, but like this song, I have made respect for him and wouldn’t want to cross him

Octavinelle

Azul

- Love Battery by Hong Jin Young but performed by LOONA on Immortal Songs || This arrangement of the song has a certain magic to it that I melt in. At the very beginning as the build up singing ‘dangsineun’ i feel like I’m being submerged in a wave, reaching to shake Azul’s hand, signing a contract. The choruses remind me of his smile, how distant but inviting it is. Daring me to fall for him. The dance break bridge reminds me of the intense eyes behind those glasses

Jade

- Love Shot by EXO || This song and Jade are both things I am fearful of but greatly intrigued by. They share a scary beat and energy that says I fear you more when you’re smiling. Please stop slowly walking towards me, you’re scaring me. But at the very same time, the choruses keep me around like how pretty I find this twin. The combo of put together, intellectual friend but could kill easily and without remorse sends shivers down my spine if I think about it for too long. The chorus of this song make me shake my shoulders that suppress a shiver each time

Floyd

- WEE WOO by Pristin || I love both Floyd and WEE WOO. The song is the feeling you get going 85 down the highway. Both song and Floyd, get me excited. They feel like the weekend. That feeling of coming home Friday during high school, tossing your bookbag down, and getting ready to hang out with your best friend. It’s a relieving and exciting feeling. It’s a peppy beat that bites during the harmonies a bit. Just like Floyd. Peppy, fun, but ain’t afraid to take a lil nibble

[wickymicky]

my top ten favorite kpop singles of 2021 so far: first quarter edition (january-march)

10. Pixy - Wings: I’m not as into this song as other people, but it’s grown on me, and I think they have a lot of potential. I did not expect a group called “Pixy” to have this dark of a concept haha, I like that. I like the choreo and overall performance of it too, I think that’s the highlight for me

9. G Idle - Hwaa: Not my favorite G Idle title track, but I do think it’s in the top half. It’s interesting to me that they did this song, since it is pretty much all in Korean, there’s no English whatsoever (the only English is a “yeah” at the beginning haha), which for a group like G Idle who has used a lot of English in the past and is very popular internationally is kind of a bold choice, and I’m into it

8. Ateez - Fireworks (I’m The One): I’m still not fully sold on Ateez’s direction post-Wonderland/Answer, with the “end” of their pirate concept (possibly, it seems complicated lol, idk, but you know what I mean anyway), but I do kinda like this song! It sounds kinda like... European lmao. Like I keep thinking I hear accordion in the drop, but idk maybe I’m just imagining things. I mean all that in a good way, btw. Like a good kind of European (if you can imagine such a thing)

7. Shinee - Don’t Call Me: As someone who only got into kpop in 2019, and didn’t even get into a single boy group for like 6 or 7 months (and even then, for a while I just had one single token boy group lol), Shinee isn’t a group that I had checked out much from until fairly recently. I’m still new here, I suppose lol. But yeah idk, this song is good! I love the production and their obvious charisma and talent. Like, I can tell even just from this song that their reputation is earned. It’s just a solid release

6. Purple Kiss - Ponzona: I do prefer Skip Skip, but I decided to limit this to singles and title tracks. I also prefer My Heart Skip a Beat (by a lot, actually), but that came out last year lol. This song has really been growing on me a lot though! Like, a lot actually. I like the violin, I think that’s a really interesting touch haha, I feel like that adds so much to the way the song sounds overall. Yuki’s rapping is impressive too, I like her flow in every song I’ve heard her in so far, especially since she writes her raps herself and Korean isn’t her native language. Honestly that’s one of the most impressive things about Purple Kiss... they seem to be involved in writing all of the things they do! That’s SO RARE for a group to do right from debut, especially for a girl group! I think that’s a great sign that things are changing, and girl groups are being taken more seriously and being allowed more creative freedom than ever before. Ponzona was literally a song written for a monthly evaluation when they were trainees. That’s really impressive. Skip Skip was too, but yeah lol. 

5. Pentagon - Do or Not: I mentioned that for a while I just had one token boy group that I liked, and that was Pentagon haha, they were my first. I like that this is a return to their fun sound, but in a different way... like, this song doesn’t sound anything like Shine or Naughty Boy lol. Pentagon are just really good at conveying passion in their songs and I think that shines through here too! I like the way the bass and percussion sound, that’s just quality mixing lol. I also love that even though it’s this kinda pop-punk-ish-doo-wop-ish kpop song, it still has a bit of sadness underneath the fun, which is something I think is a trademark of Pentagon’s style haha. But mostly, it’s fun

4. Tri.Be - Doom Doom Ta: The main reason I checked this out was because it was written and produced by LE from EXID, and you can really tell haha. In fact, her voice is in the song at certain points, and like... she has a really distinctive voice lol. Anyway this song is like a pretty hard commitment to this Latin/moombahton kind of sound, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that trend in kpop, but either way, I do think this song is a bop. I’ve had it on repeat way more than everything below this point, in fact all the songs in this top 4 I’ve had on repeat like an order of magnitude more than the songs from 5-10 lol. it’s been a slow beginning to the year. I don’t have a lot of specifics to mention here about Doom Doom Ta, I just think it’s an earworm 

3. Weeekly - After School: This was really highly anticipated for me, because I love their previous title tracks. Tag Me especially is a song I consider to be almost perfect, which is not something I say about very many songs at all haha. I personally don’t think After School is quite as good as Tag Me or Zig Zag, but I do really like it! It’s always good to get more fun, exciting, unashamedly catchy songs haha, it’s a breath of fresh air. I love this concept for them too, I think it fits them really well! They’re just a lot of fun. This mini-album, We Play, is my favorite of theirs so far too, though that doesn’t necessarily affect my placement of this song in particular

2. Cherry Bullet - Love So Sweet: God damn, this song is really good. It’s really simple, but that works to it’s advantage imo. I love that the background melody of the instrumental during the verse is the same as the vocal melody in the chorus (or at least very close), that’s just super satisfying. Ending the song with an extended “da da dadada da da” segment was a big risk too lol, that could have been annoying, but idk I think that really is one of the highlights of the song. This song feels like the kind of song where the songwriter came up with that melody and went “YES! this is IT! YESSSSS” and they knew they had come up with something really, really catchy, and they built the rest of the song around showcasing it. And it works!

1. Dreamcatcher - Odd Eye: This probably isn’t much of a surprise lol. But similar to After School... This isn’t my favorite Dreamcatcher comeback, and tbh I think it’s my least favorite of the Dystopia trilogy. But like... that’s still enough to make it my favorite song of the first quarter of 2021. It’s great, I love the way they do the cyberpunk concept and sound without going into the synthwave direction like Everglow La Di Da did. I love La Di Da a ridiculous amount, but I just mean that it’s nice to see variety even within a similar overall concept. Also! Handong is back! And she crushed it! In previous title tracks she and Gahyeon often got the least amount of lines by far, and the least amount of screentime and such, and Gahyeon definitely got times to shine during Scream and Boca and made it clear that she’s leveled up a lot, and I was really hoping that Odd Eye would be able to do the same for Handong (without sacrificing Gahyeon’s screentime and lines)... and yeah, it really was, lol. Handong was all over this song, and her voice reaaaaaally complements this sound. This group has no weak links, and obviously all of us already knew that, but now even the people who only casually listen to them know that without a doubt too.

idk... i’m not totally sure about this list but that feels mostly right to me i guess. I feel like Odd Eye is definitely my favorite so far, but to be honest I don’t feel like it’s the Song of the Year. like, if it had been released in 2020, I don’t think it would have made my top 10. If nothing better than Odd Eye comes out for the rest of the year then sure, it will be my SOTY haha, but idk, I just think that there hasn’t been anything *truly* great so far yet. And that’s okay... I’m very picky about this kind of thing. I don’t give high scores to things that don’t deserve it lol... and like in my opinion there were only 4 songs in 2020 that are the kind of near-perfect instant-soty song I’m talking about, and three of those four came out in the second half of the year. So the fact that I don’t think anything so far has been at that top level isn’t a bad thing, and isn’t really something I’m worried about. I think we definitely have not gotten the best songs of the year yet (unless everything else ends up sucking lol, but idk i hope thats not what happens...)

oh also there was an WJSN comeback today, and that would probably have been on this list, but I havent heard it yet because i was waiting until I finished writing this haha. like, since it came out on March 31st, tbh I’m just gonna count it as an April comeback, so i’m sure it’ll be in my list for the second quarter that i’ll post at the end of June lol. i mean, unless i dont like it. but i’ll probably like it haha.

[jonismitchell]

hey!! i haven’t talked to you in forever i hope you’re doing well. idk if you’ve answered this recently, sorry- top three on every album (totally put why if you want to, i love hearing people’s different opinions on this)

ahhh hey! i’m doing okay (as well as can be considered given the state of the world). i have not answered this question since folklore came out, so here’s a short opinion piece by yours truly. (under the cut because i never learned to shut up)

debut:  - our song: listening to taylor swift sing from the “man’s perspective” for the first time is something that can be so personal. i’m pretty sure that this is also the first taylor song i ever heard (in 2012) so i have some degree of emotional attachment to it.  - invisible: cause i just wanna show you! she don’t even know you! visceral flashbacks of playing this on loop while watching ever after high and harry potter videos in, like, fifth grade. truly describes my pining for every single person i’ve ever liked oops - should’ve said no: she’s so righteously angry and i love it. also the country accent is so strong here and i am absolutely obsessed with that.... legends only. anyway this is your reminder not to get back with your scumbag ex.

fearless: - love story: this is a classic! this is literally a classic. god the forbidden love, the happy ending, this implications of this being one of the biggest hits of her career.... it is The Ultimate Taylor Swift Song and we all just have to respect that. also a healthy dose of “the man’s perspective.” she SAW that film before and she changed the ending!! i cannot :) - come in with the rain: her vocals on this song are so dreamy and the song is really sweet. i think it manages to be lowkey and straddle how fucking dramatic being a teenager is with a lot of class that most of fearless doesn’t access. it’s a good song! - you belong with me: hey it’s the lonely hopeless romantic anthem! yes i know i’m citing the two biggest hits from fearless... they got popular because they’re super good okay! i would argue that the songwriting here is very classic taylor and it’s also super sweet :) 

speak now: - last kiss: ugh this really is an amazing breakup ballad. it’s full of amazing one-liners like “you can plan for a change in the weather and time but i never planned on you changing your mind.” i can’t believe how brilliant the whole song is and it’s even more impressive when you remember she wrote it alone. cannot wait to hear the updated vocals but the shaky breaths in the original are perfection <3 - enchanted: okay this is actually my favourite speak now song but i thought i’d shut up about being a lonely romantic for more than five seconds! anyway i have projected this onto so many people... it’s so relatable and yet it’s super general and YET it makes no sense when you think about it... that’s my style of taylor swift song  - the story of us: i love how blatantly unhinged taylor was while writing speak now it really speaks to me. i didn’t really like this one so much before but i went through a Thing and binge listened and now i am obsessed. love love love the lyrics and i think the production suits it well too 

red:  - holy ground: this is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE taylor swift song. i genuinely think these are the best lyrics she has written in her whole career.... “we blocked the noise with the sound of you and for the first time i had something to lose?” no one is doing it like her they simply aren’t. this song is absolutely perfect.... i don’t really have words to describe it i just need everyone to appreciate my taste for a minute - treacherous: gay little taylor swift. the whole idea of forbidden love crops up again here and i have to say i love it. i swear to god the vibes... the quiet confessional on the verses that explodes into this huge ranting bridge? that’s it that’s it that’s one of the best songs of all time man miss swift is an icon - state of grace: love is like a religion, perhaps. this contains such a wonderful extended metaphor and utilizes a bunch of different writing tactics so well. i sound like a broken record at this point but this is a good song! and yes i project it onto lucas (i’m fine to say that no one is reading this much)

1989:  - wildest dreams: oh just say you’ll remember me! it’s the songs about doomed love that always get me, something forbidden, something you have to keep private for fear of it being destroyed. side note, everyone who thinks a song as good as this is about harry styles can fight me. taylor pulled this out of my personal diary in sixth grade and it hasn’t stopped being relatable since - wonderland: oh you guys know i love a literary reference and wonderland is so good. haven’t you heard what becomes of curious minds is also really gay so the song works well for me. oh and a special shoutout to everyone who removed a tattoo because of this song, i hope you’re doing real well - style: very happy that i never think of anyone in particular when i listen to this banger and instead just enjoy it like a normal person <3 i remember not understanding the hype until binge listening to 1989 one day in eighth grade and being like “oh i get it now” so there’s that (shoutout to this love for nearly being on this list)

reputation: - dancing with our hands tied: this is another one of my all time favourites! the pining, the gay vibes, the love that dies in secrecy... it basically goes through my list of how to be a good song and ticks my requirements off one by one. i love how anxious the production is and her emotion while singing it on rep tour. karlie kloss fucking fight me challenge. - new year’s day: this quiet subtlety of this love ballad gets to me... it was my favourite when i originally listened to reputation and hasn’t fallen out of the top three since. i think it highlights taylor’s songwriting abilities and her ability to make me cry, both very important aspects of music - delicate: this is another hopeless romantic pining song! how many are we up to now? i really think delicate is the essential crush song that describes basically every feeling i’ve ever had. and unfortunately, up to this point, it has all been delicate :/ at least i have the solace of sharing problems with a talented millionaire

lover: - cruel summer: this really is THE fucking song for me... it encapsulated my ninth grade year, it makes my heart hurt, it’s line after line of pain to me personally. i have no idea what miss swift is banging on about here (and i prefer it that way) but it really just means a lot to me! another song that sounds like my diary entry and is also completely inaccessible, i don’t know how she does it. - the archer: i love the moment where taylor swift decided that she was going to give those of us with anxiety a theme song every single album, and i think the archer is a definite highlight of her whole career. the subtle dreampop influences and the confessional vibes make it exactly what i wanted from lover, and also it hurts me emotionally in ways i can’t fully articulate.  - lover: see, i do have a heart! listen, i’m only fifteen years old but i know i want this song to play at my wedding. it is so quietly romantic and perfectly sure of its own goals. it does not seek to accomplish any other goal than being a love song. i started thinking about the lyrics while writing this and now i have to go cry in a corner. (shoutout to cornelia street for nearly being on this list)

folklore: - mirrorball: right on holy ground’s heels for the dubious honour of being my favourite ever taylor swift song, mirrorball describes my Whole Life so unfortunately i’m considering suing miss swift herself. i just think that it speaks to me in ways that would require a whole essay to explain.... let’s just not - august: here’s your mandatory hopeless romantic pining song. did i mention i nearly cried to this on the day of release? i think that she Gets It. i don’t know taylor and i don’t entertain delusions of her knowing me but man she really just plucked the core of my whole love life and said “here’s a song about it, will you shut up now?” back when we were still changing for the better... i need a minute - betty: definitely influenced by the stellar performance at the acms! or maybe i just love listening to taylor openly singing about girls.... i just have a lot of feelings about the emotional resonance about the grand romantic gesture this song builds up to! the key change! the storytelling! kissing on the porch in front of all your stupid friends! this is what taylor swift is all about (shoutout to illicit affairs, my tears ricochet, and this is me trying for nearly being on this list)

[i-like-5sos]

you can tell a lot about someone by the type of music they listen to 🎵🎶

rules: hit shuffle on your media player and write down the first 20 songs, then tag 10 people. no skipping!

thanks for the tag @himbocalum​ :)

If Walls Could Talk- Live // 5 Seconds of Summer - pretty on brand that this is how my playlist starts ~ Luke’s cute ass way of singing the first verse kills me 

Where You Are // Mayday Parade - I wish I was more into the Sunnyland album... this one is pretty sad and soft, love the chorus 

Dead // Real Friends - A great song song to sing after a break up in the car while angry ngl

I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes) // The 1975 -  literally anything by The 1975 is good in my books but this one is a mood lol

Glow // Moose Blood - the chorus of this song always confuses the hell out of me but it’s catchy so like here I am with it downloaded cause the verses are great

Wildfire // Blink 182 - this would be a great song to hear live and I wish they played it last summer. I LOVE the last verse

The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver // All Time Low - literally one of my top 3 favourite songs by them. so iconic and another song to sing while angry in the car lol

Live While We’re Young // One Direction - Literally anything by 1D will be overly praised in my books. You can’t tell me any of their songs aren’t bops. LWWY is a bop.

Dress // Taylor Swift - ummm Reputation isn’t really my favouirte album by Taylor but I can really vibe with the lyrics in the chorus cause I’ve totally done it myself 

Shape Up // State Champs - State Champs are amazing live and any song by them gets me pumped. 

I Walk The Line // Halsey -  God, I love Halsey so much lol. This song is chilled and it’s not on my list of top songs by her but I love the vibe it has to it

Smiling On The Surface // Real Friends - Composure reminds me of meeting the band at the last Warped Tour in Toronto and I miss that all the time ... anyway this some is a mood but also not one of faves by them lol

Walking In The Wind // One Direction - THIS MF SONG goes so hard in the choruses and I will 100% fight a bitch about the beauty of this song, so don’t test me 

Gorgeous // Taylor Swift - YOO this song, I love this damn song. Like I know I said I wasn't a big fan on Reputation but this song bring that whole album up a notch in my books. 100% down to clown with this song cause it’s a mood

Never Sure // Mayday Parade - lol how did we get Sunnyland twice? ... anyway I actually I really like this song cause the lyrics sink into my soul. The chorus? Like yup, right out of my soul lol

Adrenaline // Simple Creature - Simple creatures? amazing. This song? also amazing.

I Think I Want You // Oh, Weatherly - So I saw this band open for.. Mayday Parade I think??? and it was my first time ever hearing about them or their music and when they played this song I fell in love with it. It’s just so relatable and catchy

Paint You Wings // All Time Low - This album is literally my favourite album of all time so like obviously I’m going to praise this song. Love verse 2

The Fault in Our Stars // Troye Sivan - Oh wow okay now I’m sad. I haven’t heard this song in years and now old feelings and emotions are bubbling in chest... ouch lol ...... nonetheless a VERY soft and cute song and I remember loving it but now it just makes me want to cry lol cool cool anyway...

Common // Zayn - fucKING ZAYN what a heartbreaking king. Voice of a mf angel and this song is just so damn cute and I love it so much

if any of y’all want to do this (if you haven’t already) i’m literally tagging like 5 people cause I’m lazy and also can’t think of 10 people atm lol: @ashton-trash @wonderland-irwin @castaway-cashton @talkfastcal @calumhood1

[atinytokki]

Here’s my first impressions.

Warning! a loooong post, squealing, incoherent thoughts smashed together, and crying ahead. A lot of crying.

OH NO. They really started it like this. I’m shivering in bed rn. It’s haunting and beautiful and too short. Is that marching?? That’s marching, are they going to war now omg hold on—

[I didn’t include the audio for Wonderland because I hit the limit and ALSO you should go stream it on the KQ channel instead ;) hehe]

The transition into this was spectacular. The marching just became the beat wooooah! HONGJOONG AHJFKSL YES that’s how you start a song. Seonghwa and Yunho, beautiful. Wooyoung!! sounds amazing!! Seonghwa’s low voice o I was not prepared. San helloooo I love the instrumentation at this part. Jongho, as expected with the high note. Oh OH KAJA!! oooooohhhhh man the chorus goes hard I can’t wait to see the choreo. The production on this is spectacular. FiX oN MiNgiiiiii go off oml 🔥 YEOSANG 👏🏻 GET 👏🏻 THOSE 👏🏻 LINES 👏🏻 this is a head banging song I’m head banging rn. The way they bring it back right before the chorus *chef’s kiss* This is overwhelming man. Jongho with the bridge yussss he and San sound amazing. Wait they were right it is like Hala Hala they added both parts of the chorus together!! It’s almost over isn’t it. Yeah it’s over. Ok I need to breathe,,,

It’s starting kinda like a sad song this isn’t a sad song is it?? SANIIIIEEE! Aw this is cute I like it. Hongjoooooooong! I love this rap it reminds me of something. Ooh prechorus?? It’s so pretty oh No here’s the chorus— oh EDM?!!? OKAY!! Wait do I bop or cry 🙊omg Yeosang!!!! oh my baby you sound amazing. Harmonies 😭 harmonies omg there are harmonies... Mingi! He didn’t say fix on :(( short but slick rap as always. I’m still trying to figure out what they’re saying in this chorus I don’t wanna blast it too loud everyone else is asleep I think... hhhhhh!! Mingi and Hongjoong SINGING IN THE BRIDGE holy cow im gonna lose it they sound beautiful YES THANK U THIS IS WHAT I WANTED. Wowwwww high note 🙌There’s something really really nostalgic about this song,, I am undone. The harmonies omg I can’t take this it’s like they know how much I love harmonies, unfair.

OMG— throwback???????? This sounds so 80s YEEEESSSS ! San!! New beginning fairy?? He sounds heavenly I can’t. Mingi, he’s singing again I can’t stop smiling this is my new fave thing. This prechorus, idk what to say it’s amazing. WOOYOUNG JUNG WOOYOUNG NO NO NO NO HES SINGING THE CHORUS AFHSJLSLE Jongho ur vocals are sweet honey please have mercy it’s only like the 4th song and I’m crying already. Hongjoong my boy, this style of rap holy cow. Did someone tell him this is my fave style of rap, because— oh, he’s still going?? Ah this is going on repeat the rest of today 🥰 Yeosang I couldn’t be happier you sound gorgeous and Yunho woah their voices match well. WOOYOUNG AGAIN!! This part was made for him it has to be. JONGHO! SO PLEASE!! This bridge I’m just a mess of tears now they are really singing their hearts out. Is it too early to have a favourite?

Ugh all these songs are ending so abruptly I’m never ready for the next one. Oh I’ve heard his.. aHA AHAAAAA I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT this is from the teasers. I had the teasers on repeat this bgm alone is. so. cool. Yes the Mingi rap aaaaaaaaahdhsjkdflsl but we can hear it this time lol. woah it’s not over yet. The beginning of Treasure! Hongjoong singing the beginning of Treasure again but different lyrics?? I need to look them up later oh what if it’s like they found their treasure,, no I can’t take it where are the tissues the ending is so sad whyyyyuyyy

Yay there is already a fun flavour in this song! Hongjoong your voice is so rich in the low register daaaaang I need more of this. Seonghwa is that you? I feel like I haven’t heard his voice since Wonderland I’m sorry seonghwa my bff I’m getting whiplash trying to hear everyone’s parts but you killed it. These lyrics!! This is a hype song fs. THE BEAT DROP AAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAH!! “Ayyy we are gonna win” YES YOU ARE BOYS! Oh shoot I said that out loud I hope no one heard. Okay yes this is my new hype song no one is allowed to be discouraged listening to this. Oop “aha” Hongjoong hakdlaplajql I squealed again. Aw the rap verses were short but still slayed. This song is so fast I can’t keep up but I love it I am feeling this. The low voices and then the beat drop I can’t FUNCTION THIS IS SPECTACULAR !!!!! You are gonna wiiiiiin. This reminds me of Pirate King the altered voice and then adding a harmony the second time, anyone feel me? Mingi singing in the bridge again yes I love this. Ooo EDM break aaaahhah go crazy go stupidddd! I want a choreo for this, I need a choreo for this. Woah the instrumental is very unusual here. And it ended like that with the piano, deconstructing the elements of the song. Oh I need a second listen for musical reasons but we gotta move on.

This album is moving way too quickly we’re halfway done ripppp. I love the instrumental here it’s super slick. I’m already enjoying this very much. Oh high notes San!! Vocal line has popped off, exceeds expectations 100% Aww hi Mingi. Ah thank God the chorus is sweet and full of riffs wowowow this is a sharp contrast from last song. YEOSANG!!! My heart jumps every time I hear him, you don’t know how hard I prayed for him to have more lines. Hongjoong! What are these voices in the background?. Adorable, this is adorable aaaaahaha!! Oh it’s “we are one, we stay one” that they spoiled in ANEWZ I seeeee. This chorus ugh this whole song I love I just have the biggest smile on my face while also sobbing yall don’t understand. The bridge ahh idek what to say I’m so happy with this. You boys make me so proud I hope you know that 😭 !! The voices are back! This is literally so cute hELP

Here comes THANK U I’m not ready ok deep breaths. Whaaaa? I’ve never been more caught off guard in my life that guitar... Yeehaw? Is this a yeehaw song what-? Hongjoong’s singing wait I have to go back I missed it. His voice I— digging my grave. Wait why does this sound lowkey country ohhh dear say sike ah no alright the CHORUS mmm I knew it would be a feel good song. That echoing thing after the chorus is cool. Mingiiii! Did he not say fix on again?? This rap is too cute noooooo oml why Mingi why my jaw is on the floor I can’t believe he’s capable of this.. Ok I like it I’ve decided I like this. I was surprised at first bc I’m not a country fan and it sounded like it was about to be a country song 😂 but this is a bop!! “Gomawo” 😭 no gomawo yourself. Thank you for being on my side 🥺 It’s a hands clapping song. Yes Jongho go off!!! Oh I just gasped the biggest gasp the ending riff was beautiful

Sunrise. Okay deep breaths. I’m gonna just listen and try to not think about the fact Hongjoong cried writing this song. Let’s go. .... oh. OH. Oh it’s soft. I’m soft 🥺 ahhh man they sound so good. This— the background music... it’s doing me in. Aww Mingi. Ahh no this sounds sad whyyy I’m afraid to see the lyrics dangit. (0:41) I just dropped my phone. K that scared me but the lyrics just shot me in the heart. !!!!! I gasped again and now I’m coughing hang on I gotta pause. Just keep it up... boys you outdid yourselves. This GUITAR HOLY CHEESE AND CRACKERS ITS AMAZING. *stomp stomp clap* Hongjoong hiiiii wow this rap right here, I only caught half the lyrics but I know exactly what he is saying ah man. We’ve added instruments in the back. Oh Jongho that was such a clear note the vowel was perfect there. This chorus I can’t. Yeah ok I’m crying again something about the guitar I . Cant type. Oh man. Oh OH OH the bridge the BRIDGE THE BRIDGE everything the vocals the background music. Okay here’s our real stomp stomp clap moment. Ah ok wiping the tears now. They sound great. Hongjoong aaaahh what a way to end the song.

That was an experience I hope I get to breathe during this but I already know I won’t. Um.. it’s piano... for like a solid 20 seconds and it’s slightly jazzy are we getting a ballad?? Our first real ballad!! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Seonghwa yessss 🥰 Oh you guys I’ve wanted to hear a ballad from him for so long you don’t even know. Wait everyone sounds so perfect I can’t even describe this. Yunho baby yesss your voice. Wooyoung oml SAN ahhh San your transitions are stunning. Jongho our ballad king it’s like he’s barely even trying and it sounds amazing. Lovely lovely lovely. Mingiiiii he’s singing yet again. Hongjoong too!! Yes oh yes this is it. Their voices all being showcased so perfectly. I’m amazed how well they can all fit this style just as well as they can fit a song like Win. I have one criticism only so far and yall already know what it is. Yeosang still could’ve gotten more lines in this one :_( This is the last song before Beginning of the End oh no. Nooooo I don’t want it to be over. Oh? OH? Yeosang! Yeosangggggg!! Omg I have goosebumps he said NO IM TAKING OVER it’s MY SONG NOW! Wow amazing. The structure of this has been so so interesting I’m definitely going back to analyse. No it’s over...

I’m scared. I’m crying again noo it hasn’t even started jeez pull yourself together. Ok but before I start I really don’t want it to be over and not in a way that implies I want more songs just thinking about how... this is Ep Fin right? The end. Obviously not of ATEEZ (God forbid) it’s only been a year and they’re slaying it I mean absolutely knocking it out of the park each Ep bigger and bolder than the last, they aren’t afraid to try things and when they do they hit the nail on the head. But still this is the end of an era, a storyline too if I’m correct. And it’s just a surreal experience to see it come to a close. ATEEZ, I don’t know where you’re taking us next but I trust you guys and I know it’s going to be amazing.

Ok anyway let’s start the song 🤣 crackling noise? Fire? Ok it’s orchestral. VERY orchestral. “Open your eyes” I felt that San. They were open but I just opened them again. This orchestra is really really moving and cinematic I love it. I see what this is, we’re going Intro: Long Journey except Outro version which is fuller, richer, even more epic and emotional. Oh boy I’m really crying now. Idek what to say again I’m speechless. Oh it swells just like Intro!! Is it the end? Woah???????? What is this? .....SAN?? Wait wait wait it’s over? Like that? No hang on. Waaaait what was that? Seriously that was very strange. I’m not imagining things am I? No does this have something to do with upcoming albums? I’m so confused 😭 it sounded rly cool and spooky whatever it was. Well. Okay! Yeah I guess that’s it. That was the last straw. I should really try to go back to sleep I only have a few hours till I have to get up. But now I’m probably going to go write something, that music was really inspiring. Yeah I think I said what I wanted to honestly! Again I just want to reiterate how proud I am, and remind you to go stream!!!!

KAJAAAAA!

[morallydraconequus]

Gordon in Wonderland, Ch 4:  Percy Sends Phillip to Gordon in the Middle.

After his trial in kangaroo court - even though there weren’t any kangaroos - and a caucus race, Gordon puffed down the dirt path in peace. He thought that when he grew big, he would require rails again. Gordon did feel more secure on rails, but he did not deny that it would be troublesome to need them when he’s somewhere that didn’t have tracks.

“As long as I don’t knock over, I think I’ll be fine.” Gordon mumbled to himself. Or was he talking to himself? Gordon had a feeling that someone was watching him shrink bit by bit as he travelled. His first instinct was to chuff as quickly as possible to lose them but that would be a waste of water. Instead, Gordon went slowly and listened carefully for anyone. He heard faint rustles in the flora and soon, voices that spoke in a familiar, Scottish dialect.

“Tis yer fault ye scared th' rabbit away.” “Na! Tis yer fault! Cause of ye, we have nae company!”

“Donald and Douglas?” whispered Gordon. “They’ve seen the rabbit? Perhaps they could direct me to him.”

Gordon passed through the bushes and saw the Scottish twins arguing. They were in engine form, to Gordon’s relief. What was different about them was that, despite being like Gordon, they were well versed in moving about in this way.

“Excuse me, do you know which way the rabbit went?” Gordon asked.

Surprised but somewhat pleased, the twins stopped their argument with innocent looks on their faces.

“What rabbit? Na rabbit here,” The twins replied in perfect synchronisation, “Who are you?”

At last, Gordon had found residents who referred to him as ‘Who’, not ‘What’.

“My name is Gordon. You two were talking about the rabbit that passed by. You were just arguing about it seconds ago.”

“Why ye ask?” The twins pondered.

“Well, I’m chasing after the rabbit because I have to talk to him about something. He rushed by while I needed a nap and woke me up, so I have to find him in order to complain for an apology.”

“Ah’m Tweedle-Donald.” “An’ Ah’m Tweedle-Douglas. An’ na, we have nae seen the wee rabbit.” “Or was it a big one Douglas?” “Aye, we dinnae know.”

Their answer left Gordon puzzled and annoyed. For certain, they knew about the rabbit who went by in a hurry.

“Fine then,” Gordon huffed, “I’ll try to find him myself. Sorry for bothering you two.”

“Wait! We know where it went. We know about it.” confessed Tweedle-Donald. “If ye stay for a little while, we’ll tell ye which path it went along.” added Tweedle-Douglas.

“I guess I could stay,” agreed Gordon, “But I’m not the kind of engine who gets obsessed with a tree the moment I see it. I prefer sophisticated entertainment.” ‘Unlike Henry.’ He mentally added.

“Well then, how aboot a brawl?” “A fight!” The twins were bashing against each other and Gordon questioned how in the world does that did not hurt. Gordon was a strong engine, but due to his situation he decided to preserve his energy for whatever was awaiting him in the near future.

“Why don’t we just talk about serious things to pass the time? Like gentlemen.” 

The twins were interested in being ‘gentlemen’, as if it was some plaything.

“How aboot a poem?” Tweedle-Douglas suggested. “ ‘The Toad and the Olive tree’. An interesting tale.” said Tweedle-Donald.

“Alright then.” agreed Gordon.

The twins took turns with each verse.

 “The stars all sparkled and twinkled,

Their light upon the moor,

Puck and friends would enjoy,

To dance and sing but what for?

They cheered and sang the tale of,

The characters of the lore,

The sun and moon, day and night,

Though the sun never learned,

Once the sun asked the moon,

‘Why should we have turns?’

So the moon simply said,

‘So creatures won’t wither or burn.’

The lake in the moor barely waved

The moor wearily wuthered,

There was an olive tree,

Because there were no others,

There was a toad,

And it was never bothered,

The Toad and the Olive Tree,

Were very close indeed,

Ever since the Toad was ‘Tadpole’,

And the Olive tree was ‘Olive seed’.

And companions, no matter what,

Was what they both agreed,

The Olive tree obligated to bore,

Poor Toad with tales of bravery,

‘I came through storms and thunder,

I’m a very brave tree, see?’

‘Yes, Mr Olive Tree, I see.’ 

Toad responds politely,

Then one day, a creature,

Alligator came to the moor,

“Name’s Gator, it’s nice to meet you,

Olive Tree’s stories always left me in awe,

Toad, would you like to visit me in the lake,

I too have tales galore,”

Toad, was interested,

In Gator but Toad does mind,

Even though Olive tree’s quite boastful,

Toad shouldn’t leave him behind,

‘Cause if he did, the promise,

Would be broken, were he not kind,

Now when you hear the ‘wuthering’,

It’s the Olive Tree of the moor,

‘If only I was humble.’ he moaned,

Olive Tree withered with grief but what for?

For the Toad visited the Gator,

And didn’t come back anymore!”

“The end!” Announced the twins.

“That was quite an interesting poem,” Gordon admitted.

“Which character did ye like the best?” asked Tweedle-Donald.

“I think I like the Toad the best. Even though he left the Olive tree, he did feel sorry about it.”

“But he still left the Olive tree all sad an’ lonely.” Tweedle-Douglas interrupted, making Gordon changing his mind.

“In that case, I like the Olive tree the best,” Gordon hastily claimed, “He did learn his lesson to be humble at the end, and he did care about the Toad.”

“But tis was his own pride that got him into the mess.” added Tweedle-Donald.

“Alright, I like the Gator the best then. He was friendly after all.”

“But he’s the reason why the Toad left the Olive tree.” Both twins contradicted.

Gordon was left puzzled.

“Fine then! I like them all equally. No more, no less. You two make them sound so contrary!”

“Contrary?” “Yes. Like in the nursery rhyme, ‘Mistress Mary Quite Contrary’.”

The two twin engines were interested in one blink.

“Missus Mary? Never heard that poem.” “Aye Tweedle-Donald. Could ye care to tell us that poem?”

“Mistress Mary,” corrected Gordon, “And sure, it’s a short poem.”

The blue engine drew in a breath before reciting the nursery rhyme which he has heard from the little children at the stations for years

.

‘Mistress Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.’

“The word ‘contrary’ makes Miss Mary sound like lovely lady.”

“Common mistake,” Gordon explained, “‘Contrary’ means that the person is very disagreeable or stubborn. So the true context is, Mistress Mary is very stubborn of how she grows her garden and doesn’t like it when people tell her advice on how she should grow it.”

The twins were in awe of this piece of new knowledge. Not that Gordon minded.

“So, which way did the rabbit go?” Tweedle-Donald and Tweedle-Douglas both stopped talking of the word ‘Contrary’.

“We can say that the wee rabbit went down this path with the marigolds.” The two Scottish engines directed to said path, bound with bright, yellow flora.

“Thank you-” The twins had disappeared, leaving Gordon no choice but to follow the yellow flowered road.

…

“What an odd pair.” Gordon mumbled. “What’s more odd that I’m roughly Thomas’ size! Oh the indignity…”

Soon enough, the path of marigolds stopped in front of what seemed to be a massive cottage, if it wasn’t called a mansion.

“It has a height of one Cranky and a half!” Gordon exclaimed, still proud of his makeshift  measuring unit. This had brought the attention of a certain rushed rabbit.

“Oh dear! Oh my! I’m so behind on time!” Gordon had finally found Percy, bunny ears and all.

“Well, well, well. Here’s the engine I want to speak to-” “No time to talk! I need to find my parchment!”

Percy rushed into what Gordon believed was his cottage. All sorts of fabrics and little bits and bobs were flung out of the door. One ridiculously large sheet of green silk trapped Gordon, taking away his sight. When Percy had puffed out of the cottage, he took the sheet off Gordon. Gordon was more than confused since Percy was an engine like himself, having only buffers to pull the silk off.

“Oh dear, I don’t have time to put this away! Could you do it please?” “What? But I-” “Thank you so much! Put it back in the highest room and in the cupboard!” 

Percy shunted Gordon into the cottage before rushing out again. To Gordon’s disdain, he would have to pull the door to get out; he only knew how to push. 

“I might as well put this away, since I’m stuck in this one and a half Cranky tall ‘cottage’.” Gordon planned. The not-so-big-but-not-tiny blue engine chuffed onwards for what seemed like hours - even though it was about fifteen minutes, for Gordon exaggerated again - until he came upon the last room.

“How am I meant to reach the stairs?” Gordon pondered. There were two glass doors ajar and they lead to what seemed like a balcony in between two windows, decorated with curtains that had a floral pattern of roses and thorns. He came onto the balcony and was stunned by his current height above the ground. A Cranky and a half, to be exact.

“I didn’t even come across any stairs or even a ramp!” Gordon exclaimed, “This is such a bizarre place indeed! I’ve been shrinking and growing, rained on a bird, thrown to win a race and made another bird dive head-first into the ground and now this!” Gordon did not find the poem exchange with the twins strange enough to fit on his list.

“I suppose I’ll just leave this here.” Gordon fumbled with the silk that was dragged along on his tender. He bumped into a dresser which had a jug of water on top of it, and the pitcher conveniently fell on top of his boiler. It filled it up completely with water.

Gordon felt his body shrinking and growing in an abnormal way, but he wasn't too big yet.

“Oh no, not again…” He groaned.  Gordon burst inside the cottage, breaking on what was supposed to be the second floor. His tender crushed the back garden - if there was one - but fortunately, his face did not pop out of the wall, unlike his buffers. Two windows allowed Gordon to see the commotion outside.

Strangely, Percy was nowhere to be seen considering the destruction of his cottage. However, he did see human figures gaping at him or rather at what abomination that caused this sight before them. Seven of them, to be exact. Gordon squinted his eyes and recognised them by colour and the way they interacted.

The men were dressed in lower-class outfits - by Gordon’s definition of lower-class - and wore respective colours and tags displaying their names.

“Would you look at that?” said the carpenter with the tag ‘Rheneas’, “There’s something hiding in that cottage!”

“Ye 'n' yer silly imagination.” grumbled the one labelled ‘Duncan’.

“He’s right, it’s staring at us through those two windows!” argued Rheneas’ companion, ‘Rusty’. “You always have to complain, don't you Duncan?” “Why, I ought to-” “Gentlemen, let’s not fight. We can all agree there’s something in that cottage. The real question is if it’s safe or not.”  ‘Skarloey’ interrupted.

“Agreed.” ‘Sir Handel’ remarked in a nonchalant manner.

“It could be friendly,” muttered ‘Peter Sam’, “Anyways, has anyone seen Luke?”

As if on cue, their fellow carpenter (whom Gordon presumed to be Luke) rushed  onto the scene, out of breath.

“Sorry guys, I got caught up with something,” puffed Luke, “I ran into this little guy getting stuck in a tree.”

Gordon was not intimidated or amused by them. “What is this? ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?”

“We’ll never be able to do one rehearsal of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ at this rate!” Duncan complained. 

“Correction, ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.” Gordon stated. “Might as well be as confusing as ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”

Gordon’s knowledge of Shakespeare’s works came partially from conversations he would overhear at stations. There were a few productions, but obviously Gordon was not able to see them. A Shakespearean actor had often explained the plots of the plays to his mother, who did not understand them. Specifically, the playwright’s wording. That was imprinted into Gordon’s mind instead of the old lady’s.

What Luke ran into appeared to be a small Diesel engine no higher than the fence in front.

“Phillip?” Gordon whispered. Phillip seemed to be more energetic than usual, and that was saying something. Like the Scottish twins Gordon met previously, Phillip was more experienced of movement without tracks.

“Ooh! Is that smoke from that weird chimney?”

Gordon had no idea how Phillip would mistake his funnel for a chimney and the steam clouds for smoke. Then again, this is Phillip.

The group of carpenters had decided to start rehearsing anyway, without supervising the hyperactive Phillip. As Gordon had predicted, there was a carpenter playing ‘Pyramus’, ‘Thisbe’, ‘Wall’, ‘Moonshine’, ‘Lion’ and so on. Everytime they mispronounced ‘Ninus’ tomb’ for ‘Ninny’s tomb’, Gordon kept muttering to correct them and groaned at their poor use of iambic pentameter.

Unaware to the Skarloey carpenters and Gordon, Phillip had somehow got onto the roof with debris above the hole Gordon’s funnel created. The funnel did not peek through the hole, but Gordon’s sudden transformation had been enough to break part of the roof.

“I wonder what will happen if I push all the broken tiles and dust into there?” pondered Phillip. He had pushed all the debris into Gordon’s funnel with a naive smile.

The gigantic blue engine spluttered at the invasive feeling of the debris in his pipes and smokebox. The curious diesel above moved closer to observe through the hole in the roof. Poor Gordon felt the need to sneeze, and worried that the whole cottage would collapse on him.

After numerous attempts to contain it, Gordon sneezed. Stronger than Henry had when he taught those mischievous boys a lesson by sneezing soot on them, the sneeze carried the debris and Phillip up into the air. 

“Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” screeched Phillip. By Gordon’s logic, Phillip should’ve fallen down... but it seemed that Gordon had blasted him out of the atmosphere! This had caught the attention of the Skarloey carpenters, shocked faces plastered on each of them.

“Poor Phillip.” Gordon whispered as if it were an apology. He doubted that the poor thing had even thought about writing a will, unlike Gordon, who had hastily created his during his flight in the caucus race. Gordon made a mental note to develop on the will at a later date.

“Well, that does it! The creature in that house is evil! It blew that innocent young’un into the bloody sky!” Duncan cried. 

“By the looks of it, we’ll have to make a sensible plan.” Skarloey decided. ‘At least one of them is reasonable.’ Gordon thought. “We’ll smoke the beast out!” 

‘What?!?’ Gordon mentally screeched.

The Skarloey Carpenters all agreed on covering the hole with some of the useable debris and using Gordon’s ‘smoke’ against him. The gigantic ‘beast’ engine didn’t even notice the hole being completed in such a short time frame: they had it done in under a minute.

Plumes of polluted steam poured out of any cracks in the cottage, as well as the windows that were Gordon’s only vision. The dust particles that were carried around by the steam made Gordon splutter and wheeze once more. The Carpenters were far away from the cottage in a safe distance to take cover.

This time when Gordon sneezed, the cottage walls and the roof flew away like the frightened critters fleeing nearby, leaving the engine back to his smaller-than-a-toy-engine size.

He saw the frame of the entrance door, with said door missing due to his sneeze and grumpily ignored the Skarloey carpenters celebrating his ‘defeat’. With slight satisfaction but discomfort - Gordon absolutely loathed the feeling of dust and debris in his system, which should be well cleared - chuffed out the door and into the long grass.

“Oh the indignity. Now Henry can actually justify why he feels so horrible when he was a sickly engine, since the whistles and taking my express wasn’t enough for karma.” Gordon moaned.

Author’s Note:

Again, thanks to @mystarsignisno for editing and proofreading and I would also like to give thanks to @butterfrogmantis for checking the dialogue for the Scottish twins.

You can clearly see that I slowly gave up on the accent and I rushed the poem (The original was really long).

[lonelypond]

Jingle Bell Jazz, Chapter 9

Love Live, NicoMaki, 2.4K, 9/?

Summary: Maki should have stayed in bed...on her couch?!?!??!?!

Chapter 9

Maki stretched...she was a little uncomfortable...wait, she sat up, what time, blinking, she stared across the room, 10:30...Nico had said 10, Maki had fallen asleep on the couch outside the music room when she laid down curious if any of Nico’s sweet musky perfume scent had lingered. AND FALLEN ASLEEP. Maki was on her feet, bathroom, coat, door, car, ignore traffic laws, get to the conservatory BEFORE Nico started looking for a new pianist.

###

Nico paced the hallway, her plaid skirt flipping up as her pace quickened. Eli watched anxiously, fussing with her roll collar.. Most of Honoka’s band was assembled inside, although Honoka herself, as usual, was late.

“I’m sure Maki's on her way, Nico. There was probably traffic.” As Nico glared, Eli raised her hands as a shield and to help Nico remember Eli wasn’t the problem.

Nico stayed on practical with a touch of paranoia. “She seemed nervous last night, wanted to practice. You don’t think she’d skip out on us.”

“I’m sure she didn’t, there must be a perfectly reasonable explanation.” Eli squeezed Nico’s hand, “I’m going to go warm up. Just relax. We have the set list. The music’s set up for her. We’ve run through the songs we’re using at least three times. It’ll be fine, Nico.”

Eli bopped into the room, eager to start playing, leaving behind a muttering Nico. “It’ll be fine Nico, it’ll be fine…” Nico stomped, “Nico needs a pianist who can show up on time, not just one who looks cute over french fries…”

“Who looks cute over french fries?” Honoka boomed cheerfully as she turned the corner, followed by Tsubasa in a black and gold skirt and sweater set.

Nico's hiss petered out when she spotted Tsubasa, of course Honoka would bring a Tsubasa surprise , “No one, Honoka. Hi, Tsubasa, thanks for coming. We’re running a little late and things are still a little rough.”

Tsubasa shrugged, “I’m just glad to be listening not leading. It’ll be a vacation.”

Nico nodded and opened the door for them, letting it close before she opened her mouth in a silent scream, forcing herself not to pound or kick the wall. Where was Maki?

Running. Maki was running. Nico turned as a red faced, out of breath redhead stopped at the break in the corridor, staring wildly at Nico.

“You’re late.”

“Sorry.” Maki was bent over, catching her breath.

“No respect for Nico.”

Maki’s brows lowered and her voice snapped. “I’m here, okay. Let’s just get started.”

Nico’s arms were crossed over her chest and her mood was dark. “Nico needs to know she can rely on you.”

Maki strode Nico-ward, “Can we just play.”

“Play…” Nico snorted, ‘That’s all this is.”

Maki stopped, looming over Nico, trying to keep the surge of anger in her voice tamped down. “No it isn’t, But we don’t have time for this, Nico. I’m sorry, okay.”

Nico frowned, red and lavender eyes both unyielding, Maki’s shoulders squared for battle, but Nico could sense nerves jangling. Nico brushed past Maki, opened the door, and swept her arm brusquely to indicate Maki should precede her.

###

It went off the rails from the start...Maki stuttered her way through “Winter Wonderland” which Nico had chosen to start off with because it was something Maki had gotten to a level of comfort with. With that as the beginning, Nico had no hope for a decent run at “Favorite Things” so she pulled the set list away from Maki, tore it in half, winked at a random audience member who turned out to be Umi, who then started glowering at Nico while Kotori whispered something giggly in her ear, the fawn haired flutist petting Umi’s upper arm soothingly. Eli leapt into a solo, leaning into Nozomi on “Sleigh Ride” with Maki tangling her fingers trying to keep up the pace. Nico shook her head at Eli and they got through “Let It Snow” fairly easily, the only distraction being Rin shout singing along with the chorus. Nico just smiled brighter. Enthusiasm in the audience was always encouraged, especially when Tsubasa Kira was sitting there looking interested and amused. Nico could work with that. Disaster happened when they got to “Jingle Bells”. First verse and chorus was fine, but then Nico had worked her way behind Maki and did a visual sweep of the room, everyone was leaning closer to their favorite person, Honoka was bouncing on the edge of her seat, and Tsubasa was in relaxed and alert mode. So Nico was in a good mood, finished the chorus with a flair, put her hand on Maki’s shoulder, and swang into the second verse feeling Maki freeze up as the music skittered into something it took Nico too long to recognize, “Silver Bells.” Nico’s voice trailed off on “Miss Fanny Bright” and Eli’s eyes widened in panic as Maki meshed chords in a way neither saxophonist or vocalist could predict or match. So everyone in the room was agape at Maki, whose piano playing was becoming more and more erratic until there was a crash of chords and then a very brief concluding reversion to Jingle Bells. Honoka was on her feet applauding, Nico was NOT bashing her head into the piano, Eli was getting fidgety and hovering near Nozomi, and Maki was aggressively not making eye contact with anyone. Nico closed her eyes, trying to remember anything Maki had played well from memory....”The Christmas Song…” maybe, Nico was pretty sure she remembered the words. She could always just hum.

With an aggressively charming smile in Tsubasa’s direction, Nico stepped out from the piano with a bow, “To close out this mini concert, we’ll go back to the cozy mood with” and Nico glanced back at Maki, who looked up gloomily, “The Christmas Song.” Maki nodded in defeat and Nico continued, “Nico knows she’s looking forward to a cuddly fireside night sometime.” Nico whirled to the audience as Maki playing the calm, even notes of the harmony met her voice.

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at your nose Yuletide carols being sung by a fire And folks dressed up like Eskimos…”

Maki, all sweat and nerves, the shirt she wore last night clinging to her back, sat slumped at the piano. Nozomi had been the first to her feet, wrapping Eli up in a huge hug and not letting go, as the blonde leaned into her, an almost grin on her face.

Umi, Kotori at her side, extended her hand to Nico, her tone soothing, “Thank you for letting us sit in on your rehearsal. I’m sure Maki will be adapt and your concert will be fine.”

“The three of you together on stage,” Kotori fluttered her hand near her cheek, “are too much. I can’t wait to see what you’re wearing.”

“I’ve got the sweetest silver number. You’ll love it.” Nico was glad to have a topic other than music. Umi, seemed almost on the edge of a rebuke but just steered Kotori toward Honoka as Tsubasa approached Nico and Rin and Hanayo headed to the piano.

“Kind of a train wreck.” Tsubasa’s chuckle was sympathetic.

Nico shrugged and took in a deep breath, looking back over her shoulder at Rin pounding Maki on the back. “The kid’s actually doing amazing, considering she’d barely heard jazz before.”

“That’s some kind of life, isn’t it.” Tsubasa draped an arm around Nico.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Nico turned her full attention to Tsubasa, “Not the life for Nico though.”

“Good to know.” Tsubasa grinned, “I have plans today, but let’s do lunch tomorrow and talk business.” Tsubasa’s eyes had an eager glint and Nico was happy the rehearsal's hiccups hadn’t torpedoed the bandleader’s interest.

But then Nico felt someone behind her and Maki was at her side, twirling a red curl and clearing her throat,  “I’m not a kid.” a pause, then stumbling.”I wasn’t prepared...we didn’t…” Maki shook herself, more confident. “That was a mistake. I can do better.”

Nico bit her lip, not wanting to have this or any conversation about Maki’s performance in front of Tsubasa.

“You have to come hear me play. Tomorrow afternoon.” Maki’s voice trembled, “There’s a charity event. I rehearsed.” Maki’s hand dropped to Nico’s arm. “It’s different.”

“Oh, that’s the symphony fundraiser, isn’t it? My business manager bought me a ticket to that.” Tsubasa smiled, “Maybe we could meet up, sit together, and get dinner after, Nico.”

Maki nearly growled at Tsubasa’s interruption. “The seats are assigned. It’s sold out and everything’s planned to the last detail.”

Nico turned to face the redhead, suspicious. “So where will Nico be sitting?”

Maki hesitated, eyes downcast. “I’m allowed a guest.”

Eli, eavesdropping, caught Nico’s eye from across the room and raised an eyebrow. Even Tsubasa’s cheery cockiness dented in the moment of awkward silence.

“Well, write down the details.” Nico waved a hand, returning to chatting up her potential employer, “But Nico is definitely free for dinner after, Tsubasa.”

“Good.” Tsubasa took Nico’s hand, bowing over it slightly as if to kiss, “I will look forward to it.”

Maki pushed herself away from that and sat at the piano, unclenching her fists to play a few scales. She could feel her temper fraying. Surely Tsubasa would be on her way soon. Surely Nico would want to rehearse after that disaster.

###

Nope, no rehearsal. Nozomi had herded the three members of Bibi out the door and straight to the grubby alley tea shop like an overprotective border collie. So now, they were sitting, Eli between Nico and Maki, a plate of beef and cabbage pirozhki in front of them, strong coffee being poured by Nozomi as she clucked over them.

Nico grabbed her cup, “You can’t mother hen us into being better at this, Nozomi. We need to put in the hours. A whole lot more hours. Which we don’t have.” Nico pointed to the clock. “And Nico needs to get to work.”

“I can drive you.” Maki said automatically.

“Nico is fine.” Nico sounded sullen.

Eli poured cream into her coffee, careful to keep her elbows from bumping either of her boothmates. Nozomi, concerned, couldn't decide who to look at. Nosy concern, Nico thought. Maki just pushed her cup back and forth, mouth crooked in melancholy.

“Why don’t we talk about why you make Maki nervous, Nico-chi?” Nozomi calmly sipped coffee as if she hadn't just dropped a grenade.

“That’s not true.” Maki spluttered, coffee spilling.

Another sip and Nozomi pressed, “Nico touched your shoulder and Jingle Bells magically turned silver. Are you an alchemist, Maki? Or are you just...”

Maki had no idea how to respond, but before panic did more than spark, Nico doused the embers.

“Stop harassing her, Nozomi. She’s not the problem.” Nico sighed, rubbing her eyes,  “Well not really. Coco not being here is the problem, Maki is trying to help...there’s just...there's not enough time.” Nico raised her chin, eyes focused on something on the other side of the window, “We’ll just stick to the sheet music, no improv.”

“Aw, Nico, that’s lame, it's not our sound…” Eli snapped her fingers in a broad gesture that shook the table.

Nico's head was in her hands, her voice muffled. “Eli, we just have to get through this one concert without totally destroying our reputation and then we’re done. Don't make it harder on Nico.”

Eli wondered if Sergey would let her have a shot from the bottle he kept under the counter at the back with the register. Nozomi had been urging her to talk to Nico, but Eli hadn't been feeling bold recently. She knocked back half the super sweet coffee, at least it could qualify as liquid, now Eli had to provide the courage. “Nico, I really think you should stay here, finish school, and keep Bibi going.”

Maki perked up, maybe Eli could convince Nico and then Maki wouldn’t have to say anything. And everything wouldn't be so rushed.

“Nico has practically told Tsubasa yes.” There was a whine in Nico’s voice, a "please be convinced" note.

Maki bit into a bun. Hunger wouldn’t make staying calm easier. And what could she say? Didn’t she tell Nico last night that she wanted to keep exploring jazz? Didn’t Nico feel the...Maki slumped, exhaling, and everyone looked at her...no, Nico wouldn’t have felt any kind of link between them this morning, only Maki being skittish.

“Maki?” Eli sounded so kind, patting Maki awkwardly on the shoulder. “I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle of this.”

Screw it, Maki thought, sitting up, Nico was never going to be definite about this. She just wanted everyone to beg her to be part of their band. Maki was tired of the hanging on the precipice.  “Practically doesn’t mean you said yes, Nico. You don’t want to go. You didn’t even tell your mom. You just want someone…”

There was a hiss, like escaping steam from a tea kettle and Eli was shoved back into the wooden bench as Nico reached across her, fury animating her face as she confronted Maki, “You have no right to say that...you know nothing about Nico's life...Nico makes up her own mind.”

“So do.” Maki didn’t realize she was pushing Eli back even farther as she leaned toward Nico. “Make up your mind.”

“Tsubasa hasn’t asked Nico yet.” Nico’s voice cut, a welder’s blue flame.

“Tell the truth. Nico. You don’t want her to. Then you’d have to choose.” Maki could smell the coffee on Nico’s breath and see the seriousness behind Nico’s fluttering lashes

“Girls, stop crushing Eli.” Nozomi smacked the table. Nico whirled to face her, Maki fell back in her seat, taking a hasty sip of coffee so she had an excuse for silence while her pulse rate slowed. Nico’s eyes had been so close, so full of hidden shades, so fierce.

“Nico is done here.” Nico stood, “I have a job to get to.”

“Nico…” Eli began but Nico waved her off.

Maki was stubbornly staring at the wood grain on the wall. She’d had enough Nico for a day.

A/N: This continues to be a more volatile mix of chemistry...

[getaroomyouheck]

Album Analysis #14: Swans, To Be Kind (2014)

(ayy if you never followed my old blog i sometimes made these album analysis’, where i went down an album track by track and analyzed it, at the end giving it a cohesive rating. it’s been a while since i’ve done one, but here’s the newest one! it’s nearly 5000 words, i hope you enjoy!)

I had never listened to Swans until quite recently. It actually started when I began watching Anthony Fantano’s content, and saw that this was one of the 5 album’s he had ever given a 10/10 to. That plus the general universal praise for this record intrigued me more and more.

The first song I had listened to from this record was Oxygen. And it was a brutal piece, 8 minutes in length, but feeling like 4. Intense, animalistic, primal, and utterly captivating. Michael Gira’s ferocious screams and barks over chugging guitars, blasting drums, and overwhelming brass.

Since this initial listen I have checked out later records like Filth (1983), Children of God (1987) and Soundtracks for the Blind (1997) among others. But this was my first Swans record, so I’d like to review it in that context. Well, let’s begin with the first song, and go from there.

Screen Shot: Starting off with what might be my favorite song from Swans and one of my favorite songs ever, huh? Well, let’s begin. This 9 minute song is an experience in of itself. Starting with this sinister bass riff, it slowly adds in sounds and builds an eclectic soundscape. Each hit of the snare echoes and resonates with this perfect ring to it. Whirling synths build in as Gira begins singing out different aspects of life. These menacing chimes and echoes with Gira begin to layer in and build this sinister energy further. Gira begins again, voice even more detached and sinister. As he finishes his 2nd verse, these absolutely stunning piano arpeggios begin to layer into the song, giving it this urgency. Something’s coming, and you don’t know what, only that it is. This builds further as he sings “No knife, no mind, no hand, no fear”. It’s sinister, but you always feel like there’s something swarming and squirming underneath it. That this isn’t the best to come. That despite how hypnotic and unrelenting it is, even more absolute energy and life affirming power is soon to come.

The final 2 minutes of this song where the build up finally breaks as guitars scream out, drums blast, synths and percussion blair loudly, is one of the most captivating experiences of sound I’ve ever heard in my life. Gira repeatedly screams out “Love, now, breath now.” and his voice is this commanding presence among the chaos. Then it ramps up even further with these hauntingly piercing guitars and synths as he yells “HERE, NOW”. It’s absolutely wonderful in its intensity. It’s a moment that makes me just silent and still, the music hits me with such ferocity and anguish that I can only stay still and absorb it in it’s full majesty. It’s one of the only songs on the album that I can’t even do anything else when listening to it. Every time this hits, my eyes close and roll back into my head and all I can do is just let the music hit me. Even months later and after I’ve listened to this particular song hundreds of times these final 2 minutes hit me with the same overwhelming absolute mind melting cacophony and grand fury that i felt the first time I listened to this song.

Not to downplay the lyricism either, it’s simple yet wonderfully beautiful in the way it captures the modern world. It defines all of reality and the universe into a single still, a “screenshot” if you would. In the 1st verse Gira lists out different aspects of life, things like light, and mind, and kindness, and anger, etc. All aspects of life caught in this still image, this encapsulation of ourselves. Yet in this stillness, there is no joy, yet at the same time there is no anger or hatred. It is quiet, it is nothingness. Hence why Gira repeats lines like “No pain, no death, no fear, no hate. No time, no now, no suffering.” in the 2nd verse. The song is showing how everything is in the present. In one moment, there is no anger, but there is no joy. There is simply existence, and it’s beyond perfect in how it displays this message.I have no complaints, only endless praise. Despite being the first song on the record, it might be my favorite on the album. Maybe one of my favorite songs ever made. It’s definitely fucking up there I’ll tell you what. 11/10

Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett): Unlike the prior song, this one is a far slower burn at 12 minutes. It is also probably the most menacing song on this album. Not as intense as tracks like Screen Shot or Oxygen, but equally as captivating. It starts slow, and sinister. Very subtly, pieces of guitar and drums bleed themselves into this very spacious synth lead. Gira’s voice is lo-fi, and softly sings as these echoing snares slam with intensity, to then dial it back, and repeat. Then Gira gives this honestly scary vocal passage where he snarls “I’m just a little boy” repeatedly as this laugh track shows up and it’s deadass pretty frightening. Gira then repeats these haunting drones as he sings out “I need love”. We go back to the intensity as he screams out “I’m not human!” and the laugh track comes back, even scarier this time. It’s like Gira took old terrifying home movies or abstract Lynch films and decided to make it into a post-rock song. Ending with alternating bouts of intensity and menace, a pushing and pulling as Michael mumbles out “Living in a Wonderland”. It’s hypnotic and unrelenting in it’s sinister edge. Whilst not showing off the grand cacophonous aspect of To Be Kind, it most assuredly shows off the disturbing churning underbelly of life and love that this record revels in     Lyrics are fascinating, Gira speaking about sleeping in the belly of woman and of man, clinging to them for comfort. He screams out “I’m just a little boy” admitting to himself what he actually is. His vocal presence on this one, while not as commanding as Screen Shot, is still incredibly terrifying to me. His insane laughs and screams adding only to the manic atmosphere of the song. To be completely honest it’s these moments I feel in Swans that are the strongest. When Gira forgets the lyricism and babbles, letting the music do the speaking. Moments like these are where I find the power in Swans. Driven by both sound and word, this album showcases the more subdued emotion and raw intensity the record loves to relish in. Leaving multiple lines and interpretations within cryptic lyricism, emotions convey into the sound of the song itself. While I don’t think lyrically it’s as grand or as interesting as the prior song, it’s still a masterpiece in its own right, and worthy of being on this record for sure. It’s terrifying, yet at the same time undoubtedly captivating. Another excellent track for sure. 10/10

A Little God In My Hands: At 7 minutes, this is one of the shorter songs off the album. But don’t mistake that, it’s just as captivating and intense as every other song on this record. Like basically every song on the record it has the hypnotic repetition and overwhelming quality. Not as unsettling as Just a Little Boy perhaps, but easily one of the most cacophonous songs on the entire record. Funnily enough it starts pretty normal, with these groovy guitar riffs and a fairly standard ¾ drum beat. Yet it very quickly descends as Gira gives an incredibly strange vocal performance which while not as commanding like Screen Shot or manic like Just a Little Boy is unsettling and kinda makes my skin crawl a little bit. The relatively simple and groovy sound of the song very quickly descends into what I can only describe as a hellish cacophony of sound. It dials back, beginning to build up again with added chimes and piano chords as Gira gives this very guttural vocal performance. It’s not animalistic like Oxygen or earlier Swans work like Filth or Greed, but it’s still quite intense. These soft background vocals begin to layer into the song, and while I have no idea what the fuck they’re saying, it’s super atmospheric and adds to the soundscape of the song perfectly. It then goes back into that hellish cacophony of sound with blaring brass and galactic synths, it’s horrifically intense. It’s another buildup and release that shows an utter mastery of ebb and flow, minimalism and maximalism, exactly when to push and when to release.

The lyrics themselves are also quite interesting, comparing a god to a child, and the imperfections that arise in both. Phrases like “Pink little lamb on a granite slab” alluding to what may perhaps be a religious sacrifice in name of this little god. The refrain before the 2 walls of sound is “Oh yeah, oh yea. The universal mind.” which could perhaps be in reference to the “word spirit” that’s referenced in the poem The Second Coming by Y.W. Beats. Both pieces make reference to god and have overwhelmingly dark and drab tones to them. It’s another song where Gira seems entranced by the little nothings about life that we never really give thought to. Comparing the power of a god to just human nothing's like bleeding and excretion. Giving this manic joy to the aspects of life and love, yet condemning and revealing the utter meaningless to them all in the same breath. It’s utterly intense, utterly disgusting, and utterly magnificent. 10/10

Bring the Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture: A fucking behemoth of a song at 34 minutes, yet just like Screen Shot, Just a Little Boy, and A Little God In My Hands it’s built and resonates with sublime precision. Offering brutal guttural moments alongside very transcendental, dimension ascending instrumental progressions. It’s home to some of the best moments on the entire record to be completely honest. Some of the best “lay back and just let your eyes roll out of your sockets” moments on the album are here, where the music just hits you full force. From the beginning where it slams in with a repeating guitar and drum crash, pounding and destroying all in its wake, to when it breaks and we enter a intermediate stasis. Carried by drones, light guitars and drums, this small stasis begins transformation, transformation into one of the most overwhelming pieces of instrumentation on the record.  Babbles from Gira transform into chants of “BRING THE SUN!” underneath a chorused chant. Small cymbal taps become a layering, utterly jaw dropping snare pattern, which just becomes smashing cymbals. Bass chords and guitar licks build and become amorphous masses of energy and flame. It feels like Gira is leading a cult, and they are succeeding in bringing the sun down to earth, and the world is being scorched in flame and agony. The earth is ablaze, and its captured by the sonic atmosphere in a way I can only say is just mind melting. You can imagine everything through just the sonic palate and texture alone. And then the sound bursts.

We then travel from Bring the Sun to Toussaint L'Ouverture, and these 4 interstitial minutes are fantastic as well. Floating within pockets of little guitar licks and bell taps, until Gira comes in with his commanding yell of “Freedom”. Following is just an incredible swell of sound, guitar, bells, everything. This then bursts, you’re left in the darkness, wondering what happened. Then you hear the light dings and taps of cymbals, into an electrifying snare hit, into Gira’s scream of “TOUSSAINT! TOUSSAINT, L’OUVERTURE!!”. What follows for the next 10 minutes is a song that, while not mind melting like Bring the Sun, is unsettling and restrained in a way that builds tension and suspense. Even if Gira is giving some of the most unhinged vocal performances on the record. Some vocal passages literally just dissolve into him rolling his R’s, barking like a dog, or actually just screaming gutturally like in the final few minutes or so. And like i mentioned prior, the moments when Gira just descends into babbling or muttering incoherently, letting the songs speak for themselves, are some of the strongest in the entire Swans discography. While not as sonically overwhelming as Bring the Sun, Toussaint L'Ouverture has this sludgey ethereal quality to it. It creeps slowly along, with little sounds and textures coming in between pockets of sound. A sudden blast of snare hits, tiny cymbal taps, a gloriously unsettling jangly keyboard smash. The sound palate is unsettling, sludgy, languorous and creeping. It compliments the smashing crashing sun bursting sound of Bring the Sun near perfectly.

Lyrics aren’t especially as prime a purpose on Bring the Sun, mainly just repetitive chants of said phrase. On Toussaint though, the lyrics have purpose. Sung in both French and Spanish, he repeats certain phrases like “Blood of God. Son of God. Love of God.” and “Liberty. Equality. Fraternity.”, that phrase specifically being the national motto of Haiti. The song itself is titled after the man who lead the Haitian slave revolution, Toussaint L'Ouverture. Gira in past interviews mentions Haiti as a kind of fulcrum for everything both negative and positive in the world. A place wrought with exploitation, from capitalist pigs and from Haitians themselves. It’s a fascinating idea to make into a song, and it does match the themes of the record. The aspects humans do to one another and why we specifically do them, in this case being exploitation and ruin. God, this song is, it’s beyond fucking perfect. I have no complaints, lyrics, sound, production, everything is crisp and vibrant and full of color and sound and energy. One of the most overwhelming songs I’ve ever listened to, and a 34 minute song i could repeat until my ears go fucking numb. 11/10

Some Things We Do: The shortest song here at only 5 minutes, and serving as the end of the 1st disc to this album. It’s a slowdown, much needed after the brutal awe-inspiring power of Bring the Sun. In that pure sense of offering a cooldown I think it’s absolutely necessary and placed perfectly, but in regards to the sonic palate I feel it falls somewhat flat. Yes, it’s laced with these beautiful yet creeping strings and waning synths that soar above the rest of the song. And yes, Gira lists out all the different things we do as people. Mainly bringing up the lines “We love” and “We fuck”. It’s similar to Screen Shot in how it lists out the aspects of life and us as people, making them appear vain and without meaning. This song does feel in line with the rest of the album in theme and spirit. It’s beautiful, yet at the same time it feels like, a little bit empty. My only real faults are that it’s probably the most repetitive song on the album, and arguably the least standout song on the record as well. Lacking the buildup and intensity of every other song on here, even songs like Kirsten Supine. In the grand context of the album, I feel Some Things We Do does fall a little flat. Still a fantastic song, but in the face of the other songs here it lacks some power. 9/10

She Loves Us: This track kicks off the 2nd half of the album, and I think it’s one of the most direct and grooving records on the album. Instantly it builds in with this fantastic frenetic bass crunch and drum pattern. Later adding in jangling guitars, a background vocalist going “Nanana, na, naaa” and eventually Gira just coming in babbling mania. I can’t understand anything he’s fucking saying, but damn it sure sounds good haha. Eventually this bursts and we’re lead into another ethereal pocket of sound, floating in interstitial space. This gives way to guitar feedback and slamming tom hits, until it eventually all reduces to a simple bass riff. Once again the buildup begins again, layering in an utterly infectious drum beat and guitar pattern into my head, it’s something you can just jive your head to and have fun with. Gira then comes in with one of his more strange vocal performances on the entire record. Not as brutally intense as Bring the Sun or Oxygen, or creeping as Just a Little Boy, but god he chooses some weird inflections to take with his words. What is undeniable is the aggression and power he places into his words, even if they are phrases as nonsensical as “Your name is fuck!” or “Come to my mouth!”. They blend into the production and crisp instrumentation perfectly, adding this special ingredient that just ties everything together. The groovy drum pattern, the chimes and bells, all of this concocts into a swirling vortex of chaos, energy, passion, and power. A dedication of humanity, of life, of love, of death, of sex.

That specific theme of sex and meaningless in it is abundant heavily with She Loves Us. Specifically the youthful ideas of false love, sex and that intrinsic lack of passion in said meaningless sex. Youthful abandon, seeing these connecting mystifying aspects of love and sex as little more than carnal pleasures in the now. The title itself alludes to it, She Loves Us. The song includes lyrics of people inviting others around houses and gatherings simply for sex, passion and love notwithstanding. Constant references to meaningless and celebration, being most apparent in the repetition of “Your name is fuck. Hallelujah!” in the 2nd half of the track. Contrasting a sentence where a person is reduced to nothing but a sex object to a chant for a godly divine figure. Hell, the title itself alludes to love, an intrinsic contrast to the utter lack of it within the track. In both lyrics and sound, this is a great start to the 2nd disc, and a great follow up to the slow languorousness of Some Things We Do. Not as strong an opener as Screen Shot, but few things are. Still perfect. 10/10

Kirsten Supine: A nice slow down after the kick in the mouth She Loves Us was, another slow languorously creeping track dripping in despair and wallowing sounds. Soft plucks of guitar, a drone that inspires melancholy, a buildup into layered female vocals joining Gira’s, slight drum hits, small chimes, eventually bursting into a huge colossal wall of sound, with crashing cymbals and bells alongside a genuinely frightening droning synth. It’s captivating and churning with power. The lyrics themselves are quite interesting to read, taking imagery and context from the Lars Von Trier film Melancholia. Specifically the scene of the main character (played by Kirsten Dunst) stares naked into the blue planet soon to arrive and turn the world into naught but ash. Specific stanzas and lyrics from Gira mirror this theme, lines like “May moonlight fall upon your breast” and “May planets crash. May God rain ash. To sear our skin. To fold us in” being direct references to the scene within Melancholia. Yet, of all the tracks I’d say this is the least stand out. It’s the only track here besides Some Things We Do where the buildup of intensity and layering isn’t done to pitch-perfection. It’s the only song on here where I feel it can sometimes drag on a bit too long, where the others are the perfect lengths and have utmost precision and intelligence to their cacophony. It is by no stretch awful indeed it is an awe inspiring song. Yet, with the context of the prior 6 songs before it, and the 3 songs to follow it, Kirsten Supine feels a bit empty. Nothing worse scoffing at, but not as strong as it could be. And it is more than made up for by how strong the rest of the record is. 9/10

Oxygen: Probably the most urgent song on To Be Kind, and fuck I love this one so much. Starting off with this absolutely sinister guitar riff, it layers in more sounds as the song progresses. At about 8 minutes, it’s actually quite similar to Screen Shot in structure, yet the execution is far more primal and intense. After about a minute of the riff, these explosive drums come in and I love it. Each hit of the snare sounds like a gunshot, it’s so powerful. Gira isa monster on this track, this is the most animalistic and unhinged he’s sounded in a song since the early no-wave Swans on records like Filth and Cop (1984). It’s primal, and horrifically intense, more than every song on this album. This breaks again when he gives the vocal performance about how he body is hurting as he is denied oxygen, only to scream out “I’LL STEAL ALL THE OXYGEN” and come back in with even more intensity. The final minute of the song is one of the most primal and ferocious pieces of music I’ve ever heard. Drums blast, guitars scream, horns blare, and Gira is just fucking screaming nonsense, completely unhinged and with complete ferocity. You can hear the fucking strain in his vocal cords, the bubbles in his throat, it’s so unhinged and intense that every time I listen to this song it does 1 of 2 things. Either I just sit and absorb it all, or my blood starts pumping so hard I have to go punch something. The final few seconds as everything crashes in between this hit of the drums is compelling, and caps off the song perfectly.

Lyrics are also pretty primal, being written about a time Gira had a particularly bad asthma attack, being conscious but unable to breath. The song itself sounds like a man trying to surface for oxygen, yet being denied. Gira screams out things like “Oxygen! Amen!” hailing the base instinct of animals rather than a higher power. The interlude between the 2 pieces of the song talk about his body and its pain. Lines like “Feed my mind, Dance and spin, cut a hole” among others show the desperation in Michael's body to try and obtain oxygen. It’s primal, it’s ferocious, it’s disgusting and it’s animalistic. And it’s one of the best songs on the album. Just perfection. 10/10

Nathalie Neal: A much needed cool down after the throttling blood pumping intensity of Oxygen, starts in one of the most interesting ways I think any song on here does. An ambient sharp drone kicks on, and subsequently Gira’s babbling low baritone vocals get layered into and meshed with the drone to make a hypnotic interstitial bubble of sound and energy. Actually reminds me of the song A Piece of the Sky from the album prior to this one, The Seer (2012). Little sounds and synths layer into the drone, eventually leading to an audiotape recording of none other than Nathalie Neal herself, an individual Gira cared for and was a close friend too. This sample gives way to a small acoustic guitar pattern, which repeats and layers into one of the more groovy and infectious sounds experimented with on the album. Like She Loves Us, but more commanding. Each hit of the snare sounds like a horse galloping, the song literally sounds like charging into a battlefield with heads held high. Perhaps knowing you may perish, but finding comfort in giving your life for this duty. Gira’s vocals are another key piece to the power of this song, they sound monotone but commanding. Constant repeats of “Hey hey hey Nathalie!” and other lines in reference to Neal herself show his genuine love and compassion he felt for this woman, dedicating the song in her memory.

Unlike the rest of the album which takes dark, synoptic, and unassuming gazes at that which binds us as people, this songs lyrics seem like Gira’s own cries and dedications to Nathalie. Ascribing lyrics like “Love is strong, hate is gone. Live forever in this song.” and “Cut your name on to the sky” show Gira’s genuine compassion he had for her as a friend. Stating that love remains strong, any hatred he has ebbed away, and that she can exist forever within the song. She won't be forgotten after Gira’s death, she’ll forever have a piece dedicated for her, that will exist until infinity’s mouth closes. It’s genuinely kind of charming, seeing a man as untethered and intimidating as Gira can be dedicate a song to a friend he misses is a little warming to see. The song itself is another masterclass of tension and how to perfectly place and build intensity and crescendos of sound and color. A perfect fit right after a song like Oxygen, and another favorite from the album for sure. 10/10

To Be Kind: This is one of the best songs on the record (surprise surprise). It's unyielding in its brutal intensity, yet also calm and precise in the beginning, slicing through with razor sharp accuracy. It begins very folky and acoustically soft, something that could fit on My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (2010). Gira sounds very soft here, as he repeats specific lines with the mantra “To be kind” and “To be loved”. Akin to something like Screen Shot and Some Things We Do with the repetitious aspects of life. What makes it though, are the final 4 minutes of the song that begin with these wailing guitars and echoing cymbal hits. It’s the push and pull, every time you think the cacophony ends it slams back in with even more intensity. Screaming guitars, crashing and punishing drums, whirling synths. Like Screen Shot it’s like a sonic odyssey, yet only even more manic and huge. Every smash of the this sonic wall of sound is louder and louder than the one before. Until it fizzles out and you’re left fucking shaking in your chair or on your couch cause of how utterly manic it is. It’s incredulous.     The best description I can make of this song is that it’s like a post-rock simulation of a newborn child kicking and screaming being born into a world of cruelty and the worst humanity has to offer. At the same time though, I think the final few minutes of the song feel like the sonic equivalent to drowning, being pulled up for air as a false lull, and being re submerged until you drown. It’s overwhelmingly intense, probably the most brutal piece of the entire album. more cacophonous than any prior point on the album I feel. Even cuts like Oxygen or Bring the Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture don't reach this level of brutalism and maximalism. I think the flip interpretation of it being a newborn child/being a simulation of drowning kinda reflects some of the themes of this album. Life, death, and what makes us who we are as people. It’s a fantastic encapsulation of the entire sound and lyrical palate of the entire record. A fantastic cut, and probably the best ending an album like this could have. No issues with it. 10/10

Final thoughts + rating: An album that, in every sense of the word, inspires me. As an artist and an individual placed in this shell of a body, albums like this are what drive me to improve and create that which surpasses me. Bodies of work like this are what motivate me to create art the way I do. Bodies of work like this are what make me understand the wonderment and disgust we can entrap and ensnare ourselves with simple human relative aspects. Bodies of work like this are what show how ideas and energy can be conveyed through sound alone, how to embrace sound as a passage into a life and a place greater than us, into a transcending place where Man is God. Bodies of work like this, are what I feel should be mandatory listens.

Anything lower than a 10 would be criminal for this album, I truly feel that. It is such a commanding, sheer mystifying wondrous monster of a record, that I can’t bring myself to give it anything else besides a 10/10. If you have yet to listen to this album, please, please fucking do so. Let yourself be taken by the overwhelming sound Gira and company have created here. Let yourself be consumed, and see what it really means to be human. To see what lies within us and beyond us. To be vengeful, depressed, obsessed, carnal, joyous. To be kind.

Favorite songs: Screen Shot, Just a Little Boy, A Little God In My Hands, Bring the Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture, She Loves Us, Oxygen, Nathalie Neal, To Be Kind

Least favorite songs: None of them, they’re all fucking fantastic

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday:  As Long As You Love Me -- Back On Track

Hey all, it's this AU again! We're bringing back Holistic Assassin!Alice and her Victor for this week and the next becaaaaause -- drum roll please -- I've completed the two last snippets I had planned for this verse! And since finishing off said snippets was part of my resolutions list for this year, why don't we get 'em posted! Dirk Gently seems to be a bit more of a thing again after the release of a certain comic anyway. :p

We left off in this verse with Victor heading out to rejoin Alice after getting some pretty clear signs from the universe that they're supposed to be together. Through many lucky coincidences, he's made it to the hospital where she's currently being kept, and the universe has led him down a hallway -- where he's encountered a certain someone being held up by a guard. Of course, that's not going to fly, and Victor does have a conveniently heavy bag with him. . .

WHUNK!

To Victor's intense surprise, the guard actually remained standing for a good five seconds – swaying on the spot, yes, but still upright. Then, in comedic slow motion, he toppled forward, collapsing to the floor like a sack of potatoes. "Goodness – I'm impressed," Victor informed the unconscious body, lowering his bag. "I don't think I could have taken a whack from my Casio quite so well."

". . .Victor?"

The word was so soft, it was a marvel he actually heard it. Victor looked up to see Alice standing across from him, clad in a hospital gown, hair tangled and eyes wide. "You're – what are you – how?" she whispered, looking him up and down.

"I – I saw you on the news," Victor said, one hand automatically going for his tie. Part of him kept insisting that he really shouldn't be standing around chatting in a hospital full of armed police, but – everything else had gone right for him today. . . "They said you were here, recovering after. . .you're all right?"

"I've – been better." Alice held up her hands, stepping backward. "Victor, you can't be here. You need to go home, right now."

Victor shook his head. "No, Alice," he said, voice low as he stepped over the guard. "I'm exactly where I need to be."

"No, you're not," Alice insisted. "I drove you back to your parents' house with the explicit instructions that you were go and have a normal life. That you were not to get involved in this – this farce that is my existence. Not my murder buddy, remember?"

Victor winced. "I do," he confirmed. "And I was wrong. Alice, the moment you dropped me off in front of my house, I already felt that something was wrong. That I didn't – I didn't belong there anymore. If I ever did," he added with a sardonic roll of his eyes. "And it just got worse and worse the longer I stayed there. My music failed me, my art failed me. . .I couldn't – it was like I was t-trapped in a cage, and I couldn't find the door." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Until I saw you on the news. Heard about what happened on your latest hit. Had the sheriff look right at me and tell me what had gone wrong." He stepped forward again, the air tight around them. "If you'd had an accomplice, they never would have caught you."

Alice swallowed. "That's just – words. You don't owe me anything. Saving you was just something I had to do. And the universe – it forced you to kill someone while you were with me."

"Someone who very much deserved death," Victor countered. "I'm over that, Alice. I did what I needed to do. And the moment I decided I had to come back to you – everything went my way. Some idiot mistook me for a valet while I was walking to the bus stop and literally handed over his car. I caught not one, but two trains which left and arrived exactly on schedule. A cabbie brought me here for free because a good Samaritan left twenty bucks to help cover the next person's trip, and the meter added up to that exactly! I walked into the waiting room and immediately got called to join a group of visiting medical students!" He nudged the fallen guard with a foot, eliciting a groan. "Hell, the whole reason I came down this corridor is because someone told me the best vending machine was this way and that I should try it!"

Alice bit her trembling lip. "Well – perhaps you were just supposed to take out that guard and help me escape–"

"No," Victor said, shaking his head. "Alice, we're meant to be together. The universe says so! And – and I. . ." He gulped down the sudden swell of emotion. "Alice – I don't think I've e-ever been happier than when we were just d-driving around together. Listening to the radio, buying snacks from the gas stations, waiting for the next message from Wonderland. Even when I was – was trying to make sense of Barkis, it hurt so much to get out of that car. . .to watch you drive away. . ." He reached out, tears brimming in his eyes. "Please – d-don't make me leave you again."

There was a moment of silence that stretched out to eternity. Then Alice ran toward him, flinging herself into his arms. Victor wrapped her in a tight embrace, squeezing her against his chest as he rocked dangerously back and forth –

And then, out of nowhere, her lips were on his. Victor thunked against the wall, breath whooshing out in surprise. Alice went pink as she pulled away. "Sorry," she whispered, looking at him with those gorgeous green eyes. "I just – got carried away."

"It's fine," Victor breathed, shock slowly giving way to warm liquid joy. "Carry me away all you like."

Alice needed no further invitation. This time, Victor was ready, returning her kisses with equal fervor. Oh God – oh God, this is actually happening, he thought, head spinning like he was on the world's most delightful Tilt-A-Whirl. I knew this is where I belonged, but – I didn't quite hope that she – and now we're –

Alice pulled back again, lips bruised pink and stretched in the loveliest smile he'd seen on her yet. "I wasn't sure before, but – hell with it," she said, stroking his cheek. "Wonderland can take it up with my blade if this isn't right. I love you, Victor Van Dort."

Victor giggled, giddy with mingled pleasure and relief. "I love you, Alice Liddell."

And just like that – the world snapped perfectly back into place.

[dreamingbrownie]

Tagging games #6

I’ve been tagged by @fandom-glazed​ again, thank you! Tagging @bloodtroth​ if you haven’t already done this Music asks! FAVORITES 1. what are your favorite bands? Unheilig, Staubkind, Lord of the Lost, Within Temptation, Nightwish, Saltatio Mortis, Blutengel... A lot of german gothic-rock bands with scandinavian symphonic metal in the mix. 2. what are your favorite singers? Der Graf (the Count) of Unheilig, Floor Jansen of Nightwish, Louis of Staubkind, Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation, Scarlet Dorn... You see the pattern. xD 3. what are your favorite albums? Imaginaerum by Nightwish. Always, always, always. The old Unheilig albums Moderne Zeiten and Puppenspiel, Alles was ich bin by Staubkind, Resist by Within Temptation which just came out, but also The Unforgiving from a decade or so ago. Within Temptation were my entire early youth. 4. what are your favorite songs? That’s a mean question, it depends on the type of day and what I’m shipping the most at the moment. I adore The enemy by Oh Fyo, Cinderella by Scarlet Dorn has a special place in my heart, Große Freiheit by Unheilig will make me cry forever and always. 5. what do you think the best popular song of the year is so far? I’ve absolutely no idea of chart music. Pop music isn’t my tea. 6. which genres of music do you tend to like the best? Symphonic metal, gothic rock, hard rock, industrial, alternative in general... Heavy ballads can be really cool too. 7. what is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Staubkind, Cologne, 9.9.2016, Warm-Up for the big farewell concert of Unheilig the next day. Man, I was so done afterwards. Beautiful, wonderful, cried my eyes out, spoke with some of the bandmembers to thank them for everything, got to know people, stayed a friend’s of mine... I’ll never forget those days in September 2016. 8. song of the year? Morningstar by Blutengel. 9. album of the year? Un:Gott by Blutengel. xD 10. what are the best songs your parents have gotten you into? Alice Cooper’s Poison, Nothing else matters by Metallica... 80s rock. 11. how did you first find out about your favorite band/singer? Unheilig got huge in Germany in 2012, just through the radio I think. I found Lord of the Lost through their (then) label which had been the same as Staubkind still have, Within Temptation I discovered through Rhia Eisblume when I was 13 (deep, deep gothic sub-culture)...   12. when/where do you first remember having heard your favorite song? No idea anymore, honestly. I don’t have A Favourite Song, there’s just too uch wonderful music out there. 13. about how many times have you listened to your favorite song? Again, no single favourite, but as music is my life and I seldom stop listening to it, I’ve stopped counting. 14. if someone asks you what music they should check out, what are your go-to recommendations? Lord of the Lost, Nightwish, all of Tuomas Holopainen’s and Chris Harms’ side projects, Scarlet Dorn, Black Briar, 30 seconds to mars, Falloutboy, Panic at the disco... The list is kind of endless.

NOSTALGIA 15. what songs give you the most nostalgia? Nearly everything from Eisblume, Mother Earth, the solemn hour, Stand my ground, Pale, Angels and Memories from Within Temptation, Perfect Girl by Kim Wilde... 16. what kinds of music were you raised on? 80s rock on my fathers side, classical music on my mother’s, Mozart mostly. 17. what are your favorite songs that have ever been popular? Honestly, everything old from Nena, tbh, Hurricane by 30 seconds to mars 18. who were your favorite musicians as a kid? Rhia Eisblume, Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, Nena. 19. how did you feel about music as a kid? I liked it, I guess, and listened to it a lot, especially as I grew up with classical music, but the emotional connections came in my early teens. 20. what was your first concert? If you haven’t been to one, what do you want your first concert to be? Schloss Salem (southern Germany), Unheilig, 24.7.2013.

PERFORMANCE 21. how do live performances, whether they’re from your friends or professionals, tend to make you feel? Like heaven on earth, another place entirely, something more, something greater than myself. Concerts have kept me up for the past six years emotionally and made me feel alive again during my depression. They’re endlessly important to me. Not many a year, but three or four over the course of a year. 22. singing in the shower or singing in the car? Neither 23. if you were to become a musician, what kind of musician would you be? Piano player. 24. if you could pick one instrument to learn how to play, what would it be? As I had to stop playing the piano at age 14 because I was supposed to do more for school, that. I miss it so much. 25. what is your singing voice like? what singers do you remind yourself of? I’m tld that I’ve got a good singing voice and I do love it, I’ve been in choir for five years and played on stage in two musicals during that time. 26. have you ever been involved in any music programs? which ones and for how long? The two aforementioned musicals Stagefever and Alice in Wonderland, choir, a singing contest in early grammar school. 27. which instruments do you know how to play? what’s your skill level? Uuuuh basically none 28. if you took music lessons as a kid, are you glad you did? if not, do you wish you had? Yes, Im glad I took piano lessons and I would have been much more stable mentally if that wouldnt have been taken from me as a ventile from school hell.

SOUNDTRACKS 29. How do you feel about video game soundtracks? Love them. They’re absolutely amazing these days. 30. What soundtracks do you enjoy listening to the most? Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, The Hobbit... 31. Which soundtracks do you think are objectively the best (or what are some that you think deserve appreciation)? Everything from Hans Zimmer, honestly. And the Game of Thrones score is simply amazing too. 32. How do you feel about musicals? Awesome! I’ve seen Tarzan, Aladdin, The Lion King and Kalif Stork (a turkish fairy tale) and loved all of them. 33. Do you have any favorite composers, including classical ones? Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Wagner (don’t come at me, he’s heavy but sometimes I need Tristan and Isolde), Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi. 34. Are there any soundtracks or kinds of soundtracks that you just can’t stand? Can’t think of any right now. I don’t like dubstep and rap, other than that, orchestra music is just amazing. 35. What are your favorite songs/soundtracks from movies? See 30.

LYRICS 36. what are some songs whose lyrics you relate to? Basically everything Staubkind ever did. 37. pick a song and analyse its lyrics. Star Sky by Two steps from hell. Here we are riding the sky Painting the night with sun. You and I mirrors of light twin flames of fire lit in aother time and space I knew your name I knew your face your love and grace Past and present now embrace Worlds collide in inner space Unstoppable the song we play Burn the page for me I cannot erase the time of sleep I cannot be loved so set me free I cannot deliver your love Or caress your soul so turn that page for me I cannot embrace the touch that you give I cannot find solice in your words I cannot deliver you your love or caress your soul Age to age I feel the call Memory of future dreams You and I, riding the sky Keeping the fire bright From another time and placeI know your name I know your face Your touch and grace All of time can not erase What our hearts remember stays Forever on a song we play Burn the page for me I cannot erase the time of sleep I cannot be loved so set me free I cannot deliver your love Or caress your soul so turn that page for me I cannot embrace the touch that you give I cannot find solice in your words I cannot deliver you your love or caress your soul. Okay, one word: GRINDELDORE! There’s a shipping video with young Albus and Gellert to that song too, absolutely brilliant. 38. which songs do you think have the best lyrics? The ones written from the heart, personal stories from the person writing the song, probably (please) the singer. 39. what are some songs whose lyrics you think most people just don’t get? The old Unhelig songs. The lyrics are very complicated and full of metaphors. 40. are there any musicians whose lyrics you particularly tend to like? Alligatoah, a german rap-singer.I adore his lyrics (critical of society in general) but the music isn’t my tea at all. 41. do you prefer songs that have good melodies or songs that have good lyrics? I need to love the music in order to like the song at all, nice lyrics just top it off.

CHALLENGES 42. name five songs you like that were released in the 90s. I’ve no idea of 90s music. 80s a bit, but 90s... uuuh nope. 43. name five songs you like that were released at least 50 years ago. Classical stuff, then. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Mozart’s Kleine Nachtmusik, Vivaldi’s spring, Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, Händel’s Sarabande. 44. write a parody of at least a verse of any song you’d like. 45. name 5 songs you can’t stand. Despacito, The Lemon Tree, Blurred Lines, literally any rap song ever, Bach’s Passion of John. 46. look at your country’s song charts, listen to the first unfamiliar song you can find, and share your opinion on it. Uuuuh nope, nope, nope, nopedinope, go away, nope and nope again. Literally the only name I know is Ariana Grande and I don’t care about her, the rest is totally unfamiliar to me aaand not my tea at all. Sorry guys, if you like pop music, go for it all the way, it’s just not for me. 47. turn a song lyric into a pickup line. Come with me, I’ll come with you, La Bomba Come for me, I’ll come for you, La Bomba... #LotL 48. name the last 5 songs you listened to. Star Sky by Two teps from hell, We were divine by Lord of the Lost, I love the way you say my name, I’m Armageddon and Cinderella by Scarlet Dorn, La Bomba by Lord of the Lost right now.

RANDOM 49. what are your favorite album covers? Thornstar by Lord of the Lost is just wow, Chris Harms and his wife drew that and Un:Gott by Blutengel looks slightly similiar, I like both a lot. 50. any cover versions that you think are better than the original? Literally anything by Sam Tsui. 51. how often do you listen to music? Always. Except for university and sleeping and going out with friends, of course. 52. do you collect vinyls? if so, what have been your best finds? Nope. 53. if you could meet any musician you’d like, who would it be? Der Graf from Unheilig, he has retired two year ago and stopped doing autograph sessions in 2010 because he always served all his fans or none as he didn’t want to prioritise people. I respect him so incredibly much and I’d love to talk to him. 54. how do you feel about classical music? Love it, makes me nostalgic and calms me down, I study to classical music. 55. would you ever want to have a career in music? Nope. 56. if you had a stage name, what would it be? Uuuuh Alexandra something? No idea. 57. on a scale of 1 to 10, how important is music to you? 11? 58. how do you feel about rap music? Nopedinopenope 59. what do you think the best “era” for music was? The 80s must have been pretty rad, but nowadays, there’s also the possibility for everyone to find something they love. 60. how has music affected you as a person? It has changed my life forever, holds me up in difficult times, soothes my nerves, makes me breathe when nothing else is helping anymore. And I’ve got to know so many people through bands who are now dear friends of mine, I’d never in a lifetime miss that.  

[omfgtrump]

No, I won’t Be Going

Watching the drama of The Don’s refusal to concede unfold, I struggled to find a way to organize my thoughts.

We did learn that The Don believed he was the “golden goose” for Fox News and wants to destroy all the eggs he produced for them because they called Arizona for Biden and had the nerve to call the election for Biden. Now that’s a fight I would pay to see. Maybe that’s what the 3rd season of “Succession” (the HBO series based on Rupert Murdoch and his media empire), should be.

I also heard the word non-zero used for the first time in my life in reference to one of The Don’s frivolous lawsuits. The Don’s lawyer was arguing that there weren’t poll workers observing in certain polling places. When the judge pushed the lawyer on that nonsense he actually said: “There were nonzero people in that room,” a tactic that seemed straight out of “Alice in Wonderland.” Was that a planned strategy to confuse the judge? “Of course,” said the judge, “nonzero people, makes perfect sense to me. Your case is uphelddown. “What,” said the lawyer, “do we win or lose?”

We also got to see Rudy G. go so low he now lives in the sewer. Do you see the look in his eyes? Someone should find the rabid dog that bit him (or the dog he bit?) before it finds another victim. There was Rudy pushing the president’s case at a press conference at “The Four Seasons.”

Rumor has it that Rudy was trying to increase the crowd size so he thought if he announced the press conference was taking place at the Four Seasons (the swanky hotel in downtown Philadelphia), reporters would think: That’s kind of posh, maybe they’ll serve martinis and caviar.

Instead they found themselves in a parking lot in North Philadelphia in front of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, which was buttressed by a sex shop, a crematorium, and a jail. When asked why he chose this spot, rumor has it he replied: “I thought it was perfect. Sex sells, there is so much death going around from that annoying virus and well jail, that’s where we are going if we don’t turn these election results around.”

You have to love the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping as they capitalized on the publicity and created t-shirts like Lawn and Order and Make America Rake Again. The Don was so impressed with their capacity to monetize the situation that he called the owner to inquire if he wanted to be part of his Treasury Department during his second term.

But it gets better. The freak show included a passionate plea from Daryl Brooks, who claimed he was a poll worker and wasn’t given access to watch the counting of the votes. Turns out Daryl had a somewhat checkered past as he was incarcerated in the 1990s on charges of sexual assault, lewdnes,s and endangering the welfare of a minor for exposing himself to two girls ages 7 and 11. Frankly, not the kind of guy you want looking too closely at anything.

It would all be deliciously absurd if it wasn’t so devastating and amoral. The attention on The Don’s antics while the pandemic surges makes it feel like we are living in yes, you got it, an alternate reality. ICU’s across the nation reaching capacity, medical staff overworked and traumatized, the number of cases moving toward 200,000/day-a death march of catastrophic proportions. Meanwhile The Don is having a tantrum and Republicans are placating him as usual.

What is The Don thinking. No one knows for sure but here are my thoughts in verse. Hope you enjoy it

No I won’t be going!

No, I won’t be going No I won’t, Those dumb poll workers Don’t know how to count the vote.

Oh my Lord, oh my Lord This election is a fraud, But I have a true North Star His name is William Barr.

Mitch is my bitch And Lindsey is so flimsy, The G.O.P is now the D.J.T they jump at my every whimsy.

70 million know That I am the way am the dope, fuck the Pope, Have more swagger than Mick Jagger.

Democracy, meh, Such hypocrisy it is, I am clever as a cat And will be your beloved autocrat.

So listen MAGA people, It will all be okay, I will find a way out of this mess, I’ve consulted O.J.

Rudy G. will take them down Don’t mind those who say he’s a clown, He is a man of great reason, Don’t mind the sex offender you saw at the Four Seasons.

They say I am brooding, They say I am down, But it’s just a ploy, I’m readying to burn the house down.

So let me say it again, I won’t go, I won’t go, This rodeo is staying Let’s begin the 2nd season of this show.

We got such good ratings We put Fox News on the map  But those losers betrayed me When it is said and done, will see who’s the sap.

We will fight to the finish So give me your last dime, Cause they’re going to defund the police, We are running out of time.

All the proof you need is in their VP She’s black, she’s an immigrant, She’s a minority, A real enemy.

This is our country, The land of the free, Let blacks in your hood You’ll see where you’ll be.

And those cases that are rising, Don’t believe their math, They are fucking with your mind Leading you down a false path.

It’s all a ploy to make me look bad Oh, those poor TV pundits looking so sad They’re all such losers for taking me to task Fuck them, say no when they say wear a mask.

So let me say it again, I won’t go, I won’t go, This rodeo is staying Let’s begin the 2nd season of this show.

And if for some reason, They cancel the 2nd season, I’ll be back with a roar And whip their butts in 2024.

“Who says there is a law that if you have been convicted of a crime you can’t run for president?“

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[verdigrisprowl]

Jan 12 random movie night - Star Trek Discovery Ep 2 & 3

Tarantulas didn’t like it until they finally got to the science in episode 3.

More importantly: Prowl asked Soundwave if he happens to know what a “covenant” possessing historical and scientific data might be, Smokescreen mentioned he has one.

Soundwave.

Is.

Livid.

Naturally, they’re already plotting a way to get it from Smokescreen.

Yesterday ItsyBitsySpyers 9:46 pm *Soundwave's got it all set up again, this time with two cubes of random energon, metal, and crystal slivers at his side. Tarantulas already knows he has a mouth. It won't harm anything to lift his mask up juuuust enough to slip them under it.* Tarantulas 9:52 pm *tarantulas is gonna eye that array of snacks as he gets settled again* *he didn't bring anything, never remembers, never thinks to* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:54 pm *Soundwave points to the bar. Tarantulas is welcome to take some, if he wants.* Tarantulas 9:57 pm *is stuff just sitting out? otherwise he's actually got the politesse not to take* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:58 pm *There are things visible behind the bar itself, and Ravage is there. Besides, he pointed. It's fine.* [[Shall we?]] Tarantulas 9:59 pm *nnnnnnnah tarantulas hasn't ever talked with ravage so he's gonna pass on that* ...Is Prowl not coming? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:00 pm [[He started work today. Might be late. It is the nature of government jobs.]] Tarantulas 10:01 pm Today was his first day? *genuinely didn't know* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:01 pm [[...It should be. He was certain he saw paperwork to that effect...]] Tarantulas 10:02 pm Ah, well - I suppose that makes sense, then. *plans to comm him in like, ten minutes if he's not here* Might as well begin then, since he's seen it already, correct? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:03 pm [[He has. Very well; let us continue.]] Tarantulas 10:04 pm *gently floofs his fur and settles in* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:05 pm *Pats leg. Would Tarantulas care to be a spider or is he fine being himself?* Tarantulas 10:08 pm *brief snicker* Either way. Do /you/ have a preference? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:09 pm [[It /would/ be warmer for both of us. And,]] tiny bobble, [[he suspects he will lose the opportunity to Prowl should Prowl show up.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:12 pm [[The one who resists is a fool. They are fearsome individually. They would be more so together.]] Tarantulas 10:13 pm What opportunity? And *huff* I suppose so. The posturing and politics of all this is... not my favorite part. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:14 pm [[The stage must be set for the long drama to come. There will be science when it is finished.]] Tarantulas 10:16 pm Very well, very well. But they /could/ just give us a summary. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:17 pm [[He supposes so.]] [[He /was/ closer to these decisions for the duration of the war. That may be why it fascinates him more.]] FakeProwl 10:18 pm *appears* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:18 pm [[Ah. There, you see?]] Tarantulas 10:18 pm *jumps, floof* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:18 pm *Is accustomed to that by now. Mostly.* FakeProwl 10:19 pm Sorry I'm late. Work. *oh, that feels so good to say. "Sorry I'm late. Work."* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:19 pm [[It is good to have you. Do join us.]] FakeProwl 10:20 pm *is there room to sit between them?* Tarantulas 10:20 pm *not quite enough, he'll have to nudge them* FakeProwl 10:21 pm *he's not going to be rude and butt in. he'll stare at the not-quite-big-enough space to see if they decide to make it bigger for him. if not, he'll sit on the outside.* Tarantulas 10:22 pm *it's alright, as soon as tarantulas unfluffs he's jumping up to hug prowl anyhow, purring his name* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:22 pm *Soundwave will scoot to make the room* *...Providing Tarantulas doesn't bind him in a little cocoon and hug it all night.* FakeProwl 10:22 pm *oh! okay. hugs back.* *... hugs back very tightly.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:25 pm ((god i love that shot)) Tarantulas 10:25 pm *oh! okay. hugs back tightly also, picks him up a bit* How was work, hmm? *is stepping back and sitting him and prowl down* (( also WAT FakeProwl 10:26 pm *oh! okay. is carried. lifts his knees up to either side of Tarantulas's thighs to make himself easier to carry.* FakeProwl 10:29 pm ((why does klingon always sound like they've got something in their mouths)) Tarantulas 10:29 pm (( marshmallows. too many marshmallows FakeProwl 10:29 pm ((Yes)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm [[Is it classified...?]] *To Prowl.* *Obviously it isn't to him, he's still head of things, but Tarantulas is here, and all.* FakeProwl 10:31 pm Oh—no. Sorry, I was distracted. *he was surrounded by fluff and picked up.* FakeProwl 10:32 pm Just first-day orientation. Touring the headquarters, meeting all the teams. *ugh, second time prowl's seen this scene, and he still hates it.* Tarantulas 10:33 pm (( (whooshing) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:33 pm [[No unpleasant incidents?]] FakeProwl 10:35 pm None of any importance. It's obvious a great many of them don't trust or respect me, but for now they're willing to listen to me. Almost all of them were soldiers, they known how to follow the chain of command and I haven't given them a reason to mutiny. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm [[Good. He trusts you will inform him if that changes.]] Tarantulas 10:36 pm It won't. *happy churr* Prowl's already doing splendidly, I'm sure. FakeProwl 10:37 pm One mech in burglary called me "terrorist." I called him "bloodsucker" and that was the end of that. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:37 pm *Visible shaking. Oh, that is good to hear.* Tarantulas 10:37 pm Bloodsucker...? FakeProwl 10:38 pm He worked at a pink alchemy facility. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm [[Ah. The... meat energon.]] FakeProwl 10:38 pm Yes. Tarantulas 10:39 pm *snort* I see. FakeProwl 10:41 pm ... Upon watching it a second time, I am still convinced that her mutinous actions had absolutely no bearing on the beginning of the war. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:42 pm [[As is he. But scapegoats are handy.]] FakeProwl 10:42 pm Yes. Unfortunately. Tarantulas 10:43 pm *is patiently waiting for when things will actually get interesting for him* FakeProwl 10:44 pm *... wriggles around so he can sit sideways on Tarantulas's lap* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:44 pm [[Note to self. Avoid that species.]] FakeProwl 10:45 pm *okay. good.* Tarantulas 10:45 pm *snuggles in with arms around prowl - however his darling wants, of course* FakeProwl 10:46 pm *puts his feet in soundwave's lap* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:51 pm *Oh? He can do with this. The sensors in these probably map well enough to Prowl's physical legs and feet; he'll work on kneading and flexing what he can reach on the outside and rubbing what cables he can get to with his skinny fingers. Hopefully, a soothing reward for a fine first day.* FakeProwl 10:53 pm *Ooh. He'll take it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:54 pm *See, Tarantulas. You should have taken his lap offer earlier. Now you'll have to wait until tomorrow at least.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:57 pm [[Suspicious Activities, clearly. Capitalized.]] Tarantulas 10:57 pm *is perked up now, ooh* FakeProwl 10:57 pm *long narrow fingers in his legs and fuzz all around his torso. he's going to melt.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:00 pm *If he melts, can he at least notify Soundwave first so he can fetch a bucket? Melted metal's no easy thing to clean up once it dries.* Tarantulas 11:01 pm *silly soundwave, hard light can't melt* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:01 pm *True, true.* FakeProwl 11:02 pm *then prowl will boldly go where no holomatter has gone before* Tarantulas 11:03 pm *squint squint* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:07 pm *As his hands are busy, extrudes his feelers so he can clasp them. He wants to watch the next part a little closer than before.* Tarantulas 11:09 pm (( I LIKE THIS ItsyBitsySpyers 11:09 pm ((thought you might)) FakeProwl 11:09 pm ... He's too obnoxious for his intelligence to be enjoyable. He's arrogant, condescending, and impatient. Tarantulas 11:10 pm Pfft, most scientists are. FakeProwl 11:10 pm Most scientists are tolerably obnoxious. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:10 pm [[He is also angry. Some of it is forgivable.]] FakeProwl 11:10 pm I'll forgive him when and if he stops being intolerably obnoxious. Tarantulas 11:11 pm I must admit I find it strangely charming, hyeh. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:11 pm *Plucks some of the slivers out and slides them beneath the mask. Munch munch.* *And back to clasp.* FakeProwl 11:12 pm *... sssideglance* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:12 pm *Nothing much to see, sorry. There's just a tiny gap at the bottom.* FakeProwl 11:12 pm *hot.* Tarantulas 11:13 pm *mandibles fluttering excitedly* FakeProwl 11:14 pm *... also hot.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:14 pm *Amuses himself while the beast runs by sticking a sliver up near the mandibles to see if they catch it on accident* Tarantulas 11:15 pm *u better believe his chelicerae reach out and snatch it* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:16 pm [[...He should show more of the Alien movies.]] *The scene reminds him of it.*

*Oooh. Fascinating. He'll have to do that again some time.* Tarantulas 11:16 pm *giggling* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:17 pm [[And the Alice human in her Wonderland.]] [[It is fantastically nonsensical.]] FakeProwl 11:17 pm How nonsensical? Tarantulas 11:17 pm It's a lovely and masterful piece of work, that's what. FakeProwl 11:18 pm ... I hope they can reconcile. Tarantulas 11:19 pm I rather like the tension their interactions bring. FakeProwl 11:20 pm *then Tarantulas has never experienced that kind of tension.* Tarantulas 11:20 pm *nnnnnope* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:21 pm [[Quite nonsensical. But intriguing. He suspects he would understand it better if he were more versed in human history.]]

[[...As for the tension, it is good to see it be on someone else's plate.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:22 pm *Watches Tarantulas' reaction to this.* Tarantulas 11:23 pm *the mandibles are still now* Tarantulas 11:25 pm Oh /please/, not the damn fortune cookies. Please tell me that won't become a theme. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm [[It isn't.]] FakeProwl 11:25 pm That's a cookie? Tarantulas 11:25 pm Good. Because they have /much/ better content to focus on now. FakeProwl 11:26 pm I thought it was a nut. Tarantulas 11:26 pm And yes, it's a fairly simple confectionery. (( i've made fortune cookies before heee FakeProwl 11:27 pm ... You can't learn that the "real world" doesn't adhere to logic from a fictional book. Books are not the "real world." And the real world ALWAYS adheres to logic. Tarantulas 11:28 pm *taps claws together* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:29 pm [[We have one more before we are caught up to Bevel's schedule, but we will have to fit it in tomorrow.]]

[[Books can /reflect/ the world.]] ((cause i could squeeze it in and only run 15 over but puff was talking sleep deprivation earlier so i don't wanna do that)) FakeProwl 11:30 pm If a book teaches a lesson of which one cannot find evidence in the real world, then that lesson is highly suspect. Tarantulas 11:30 pm I'm so /pleased/ they kept the specimen. The tissue distortion, it must be - *excited rambling to no one in particular* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:30 pm *Casually recording the rambling* FakeProwl 11:30 pm *same* Tarantulas 11:31 pm *he's off in his own world now, eventually pauses to think of something and just ends up silent, with a clawtip to his mandibles* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:32 pm *Looks to Prowl and bobs his helm, looks at Tarantulas, and back to Prowl. That is oddly precious, no?* FakeProwl 11:32 pm *EXTREMELY.* *do you see. do you see why he's so irresistible.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm *He has been starting to pick up bits and pieces of it. Certain habits are more irritating than the others, but things like the scientific rambling and the lost silence are attractive enough.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:35 pm *Lets go of the leg with one hand to hold one finger up - not high, just above Prowl's leg - and tap the air twice. Perhaps Prowl should conduct an experiment of his own and see what happens if he touches them right now?* FakeProwl 11:36 pm *... what, touch tarantulas's legs? he's already sitting on tarantulas's legs. or is prowl supposed to move his legs?* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:36 pm *Touch his /mandibles/.* *Points carefully in their direction without moving his hand overmuch.* FakeProwl 11:37 pm *yknow what, prowl's been fighting the urge for the past hour. why not?* *caaarefully reaches up. delicately taps.* Tarantulas 11:38 pm *yanno those cartoons where the characters startle and ripple up vertically in waves. that's tarantulas's mandibles and fur right now* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:38 pm *Huffing.* Tarantulas 11:39 pm *grasps at prowl's hand* W-what? Were you saying something? FakeProwl 11:39 pm *his face may be poker but his shoulders are trembling.* Ah—no. Sorry. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm *Pings Prowl gratitude and amusement.* FakeProwl 11:40 pm ... Although, on the subject of interesting specimens—I'm so sorry to hear you never got that snipe you requested. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm *Puts his hand back on the leg all innocent-like while listening. He never encouraged a thing, no sir.* FakeProwl 11:41 pm *... laces fingers through paw fuzz. ahh. good.* Tarantulas 11:41 pm *a split second, then a sudden snort-laugh* How did you even hear about that? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:41 pm [[...What do you want with a sharpshooter?]] Tarantulas 11:41 pm Maybe we ought to have Soundwave retrieve one, since Smokescreen couldn't. FakeProwl 11:42 pm Hff. No, no. He apparently saved your name on my comm frequency. I let him ramble. Tarantulas 11:42 pm *raised visor. wwwwhat else might he have heard* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:42 pm *Retrieve a sniper? Not his usual fare, but he supposes he could dig through his files. He knows a Bluestreak that's... well, they're touchy about his past, but they do owe him from several past favors...* FakeProwl 11:44 pm On a related note—do get that tranquilizer from him. We need the formula and the specifications for the injector. Kindly don't let him know I'm interested, he might just refuse out of spite. Or, worse—call me. Tarantulas 11:45 pm I wouldn't, of course not. Pft. Though I doubt he's about to find the tranquilizer anytime soon based on the state of his quarters. ...I might could... FakeProwl 11:45 pm Oh, he said he's getting Bumblebee to help clean it. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:46 pm [[Tranquilizer? One moment. He thought you were done planning to do things like sedation assassinations.]] FakeProwl 11:46 pm I am. It's formulated to take out Phase Sixers. It's a defense measure, that's all. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:47 pm [[Then the sniper is only on standby?]] Tarantulas 11:47 pm Oh no, a /snipe/. It's for an experiment. FakeProwl 11:47 pm ... The wh... Tarantulas, no! Tarantulas 11:47 pm *copious snickering* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:47 pm *Looking between them, more than a little confused.* FakeProwl 11:48 pm Snipe hunt. Sending someone on a "snipe hunt" means sending them on a fruitless search for something that isn't real. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:48 pm *Helm tilt. Proceeds to display at least a dozen varieties of the Earth bird called a snipe.* FakeProwl 11:48 pm Tarantulas asked Smokescreen to retrieve a creature that doesn't... Huh. Maybe it DOES exist. That's not what the phrase means, though. Tarantulas 11:49 pm That's the irony of it, hyeh. But I wouldn't say snipe hunts are fruitless. They certainly produce hilarity, that counts for something. FakeProwl 11:49 pm Really? Snipes are real? Tarantulas 11:50 pm Would you actually believe me if I said yes? *visor quirk* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:50 pm [[Smokescreen produces hilarity every time he attempts to process so much as a single thought.]] *Fuzzy-thought muttering.* FakeProwl 11:51 pm ... I honestly don't know. Well. One mech's hilarity is another mech's unceasing frustration. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:52 pm [[Oh, it's both.]] FakeProwl 11:52 pm ... Mm. *focuses on Soundwave* He mentioned something else of interest. I didn't recognize it, maybe you will. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:53 pm [[Unrelated to snipes and tranquilizers, he takes it? The latter being something he would like to hear more about soon.]] *Glance at Tarantulas. What are you planning to do with it in the defense preparation sense?* *Your wiggly-legged spidery mind is still somewhat of a mystery at times.* Tarantulas 11:54 pm *good, just as intended* FakeProwl 11:55 pm He's made reference a couple of times now—once to a Constructicon, once to me while he thought he was talking to Tarantulas—to possessing some sort of covenant? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:55 pm *SNAPS BACK TO PROWL*

[[What.]] Tarantulas 11:55 pm Oh, *hff* That. FakeProwl 11:56 pm He thinks it's important enough that it was worth mentioning while trying to convince Scavenger of how absolutely important he was, which is reason enough to think he might have been lying—but he also mentioned it to Tarantulas. Whatever it is, it apparently possesses historical data and something of scientific complexity? Admittedly, scientific complexity beyond Smokescreen's understanding, which likely isn't very complicated at all. He's from a universe like yours, have you heard of it? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:57 pm [[/Has he heard of--!?/]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:58 pm *No. No. Calm the thoughts. Nice and still. Icy cold. Peace and tranquility.*

*Long, long vent. The kind you perform when you are attempting to hold on to your composure under very trying circumstances.* Tarantulas 11:58 pm *tarantulas is highly amused by this for whatever reason* FakeProwl 11:58 pm ... I take it you have. Today ItsyBitsySpyers 12:00 am *Gonna just. Clip his mask down.*

*This thought is slow and as crystal clear as someone else translating them can get.*

[[Do you mean to tell him that /boundlessly idiotic/ mech claims to have gotten his citrus-infested hands on the Covenant of Primus?]] Tarantulas 12:02 am Oh, no, it's not a claim. FakeProwl 12:02 am I take it it /is/ important. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:02 am *Holds a finger up. Hold on, Prowl.*

[[What do you mean, it's not a claim? How do you know?]] Tarantulas 12:03 am You tell me more about it and I'll tell you what I know. *visor smileeee* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:03 am [[Tell him what you know first and he will tell you twice what you would get the other way.]] Tarantulas 12:05 am *snickering* Very well. He's shown it to me and read from it for me upon request, a very small and selective excerpt though. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am *Soundwave carefully extricates his hands from Prowl's legs and settles them on his own knee guards.* Tarantulas 12:06 am I have a raincheck on asking him more about whatever I like at any time, of course. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am *This is good, because they squeak softly in protest seconds later.* FakeProwl 12:06 am *he thinks he should withdraw his legs. soundwave's having a moment.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am [[Please wait. He has recent footage to double-check.]] FakeProwl 12:07 am ... If you need knees to crush that can't actually be injured, mine are available. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:11 am *Places them back on Prowl's legs. He is not /crushing/ the avatar's knees - that would be unnecessarily cruel, what with the sense transfers and all - but they are definitely being held in a high tension grip.*

*Aaaaand now his armor is flared out just a tad.*

[[Smokescreen. Has. A Primal relic. /Smokescreen./]] *Little bit more.* [[The mech who thinks everyone is his friend, defines the word gullible with his presence, and has absolutely /no sense of discretion./]] FakeProwl 12:12 am What's the significance of this relic, exactly? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:12 am *Some days, he finds his oath sorely tested. This is one of the worst.* FakeProwl 12:13 am ... If you need, I can turn off my tactile receptors. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:13 am [[It belonged to Alpha Trion. Here, before his death, and before Shockwave lost it. He does not know the status of theirs. It is--]] *Pause.* [[Yes, please.]] FakeProwl 12:13 am *and off.* Go on. *to both the explaining and the squeezing.* Tarantulas 12:16 am *listening intently and with barely-constrained amusement* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:17 am *CRUNCH.*

[[It /was/ Alpha Trion's duty to act as an--]] *Glance to Tarantulas. Apparently Smokescreen was stupid enough to read to him from it and promise more. Might as well now.* [[As an unparalleled chronicler. Before he became invested in meddling with Orion Pax. The Covenant and Quill were his tools.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 12:19 am [[No ordinary mech may use the Quill and the Covenant is difficult for any mech to read. Shockwave gave him fragments of languages he has never even heard of before, taken from the earliest pages.]] FakeProwl 12:19 am *winces. he's going to just, not look at his legs, at all. he doesn't want to know.* So, it's what—the best history textbook on Cybertron? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:20 am [[You could say that.]]

@Prowl: [[And the best deposit of knowledge of the future.]] FakeProwl 12:21 am @Soundwave «Come again.» ItsyBitsySpyers 12:22 am @Prowl: [[It is a relic of the Primes. It contains information on what has not yet happened. The few segments that could be understood have all since passed.]] FakeProwl 12:22 am *... prowl wants to interface with it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:22 am *WHAT DO YOU THINK /HE/ WANTS TO DO* *...Among other things.* FakeProwl 12:23 am ... Hmm. An extremely valuable repository of knowledge, then. FakeProwl 12:24 am And a /moron's/ got it. Does he have a legal right to it? I'd think that, with something like that, there might be laws in place that declare it property of the public. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:25 am [[He has sought rumors of it and the Quill's locations since its loss.]] *And ached to be responsible for it should it be rediscovered.* [[That /that/ mech should be allowed to--]]

*He's having a realization.*

[[He's had it for weeks. The argument on the datanet--]] Tarantulas 12:25 am *tarantulas is sneaking a peek at prowl's knees, the crushing was distracting for some reason* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:26 am *Those holoknees are Gone, Tarantulas. Strength 8 and small points of pressure because thin fingers.* FakeProwl 12:26 am Argument? *he's kind of. got his head tipped up. so he can't see.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:30 am [[Smokescreen taunted him with claims that he was unworthy of finding or maintaining the Covenant himself and said that he had secret knowledge of the rules surrounding its existence. He thought it was Smokescreen talking out of his aft with the usual immaturity...]] FakeProwl 12:31 am *sneers* It probably still IS talking out of his aft with immaturity. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:31 am [[Smokescreen has been /bringing it to movie nights,/ in fact. Knowing that it would slip under his radar because he didn't believe it possible. More taunting.]]

*More denting.* FakeProwl 12:32 am He worked for Alpha Trion. It was probably phased into one of his doors millions of years ago and he just now figured out how to get it out, and he thinks that this makes him "worthy" of it and privy to deep secrets about its nature. Tarantulas 12:32 am *staring at prowl's legs, but hums* I could steal it, you know. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:32 am *SNAP* *Your turn to be stared at, spide.* FakeProwl 12:33 am ... No. Hold on. Who has a right to it? What laws pertain to its ownership? Tarantulas 12:34 am Primus, I could probably ask him if I could borrow it and he'd lend it to me, laws aside. FakeProwl 12:35 am If he does, then that's fine. That's perfectly legal. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:35 am [[There are none - at least, not here. It was only a rumor until Shockwave acted on his theories, stormed the Hall, and took Alpha Trion prisoner. He only had it a short while, and...]] *Shakes his helm.* [[Nobody else has owned it. What laws could there be?]]

[[It shouldn't have to be borrowed. It shouldn't be given back to that rustbug at all.]] FakeProwl 12:36 am If there are no laws about it—then, as Alpha Trion's last student, he DOES have the strongest legal claim to it. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:37 am *UGH.* FakeProwl 12:37 am He doesn't deserve it, but he's got the right to it. Tarantulas 12:37 am Borrowed and conveniently lost, maybe? That's breaking no rules. FakeProwl 12:37 am That's stealing, Tarantulas. So buy it from him. Trick him into a disadvantageous trade. Whatever. But do it legally. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:38 am [[...The Quill. Does he have the Quill? Has he mentioned it to either of you?]] FakeProwl 12:38 am A moronic legal trade is still a legal trade. He hasn't mentioned a quill. Tarantulas 12:38 am *a shake of his helm* Unfortunately not, hyeh. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:39 am [[That is a small comfort.]]

*But only a small one. Who knows what he's reading to everyone?* FakeProwl 12:40 am *mutters* It's phased up his aft, maybe. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:41 am [[He wouldn't wish the company of Smokescreen's brain module on anyone.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 12:42 am *Vents, harsher this time.*

[[His helm aches.]] *Putting it mildly. He's about to have some kind of aneurysm or something. He knows it. Twenty-five million years of bullshit and this is finally the ruby on the slag cake.* [[He should - recharge.]] FakeProwl 12:43 am ... Do you want company? Tarantulas 12:43 am *if sw's actually gonna recharge tara will eat his... something* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:43 am [[Yes. Yes, he does.]]

*Tara can take the unfinished cube, if he wants it. Soundwave didn't get around to it. Too busy being entertained by Tarantulas' reaction to the Science.* FakeProwl 12:44 am *right. he'd probably better reset his legs, then.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:44 am *Everything else here is off-limits for eating. Ask Bob the Insecticon. And that one Predacon. Chairs are forbidden snacks.* Tarantulas 12:45 am *oh booo. tarantulas was hoping he could snatch prowl up after this* *he'll take that cube, thanks* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:46 am *Moves to pull his hands free of the knees.*

*Does not move far.*

*Looks down.* [[...Hmm.]] FakeProwl 12:46 am *what's soundwave looking at? prowl already fixed his...* Oh! Sorry! *switches to normal hologram. poof, he's a ghost.* Tarantulas 12:47 am *shuddering with hushed snickers* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:47 am [[Thank you. That was... an unpleasant sight.]] *Also shuddering a little.* FakeProwl 12:48 am Sorry. *... now he's incorporeally on tarantulas's lap. he's going to catch some fur in his thighs if he goes back to solid* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:48 am [[He prefers to leave phase shifter messes to mechs who /don't deserve vital relics/.]] *Which is not to say he does, because he's often convinced he doesn't at all. But he damn sure believes Smokescreen doesn't.* FakeProwl 12:49 am *he's going to... just, flicker off and back on standing in front of the couch* Tarantulas 12:49 am You know, I could probably borrow that, too. The phase shifter, I mean. I don't know why I /haven't/ yet, actually. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:50 am *Anyway. He stands and nods to them both.*

[[He will be upstairs. Tarantulas, there is one more tomorrow. And no need to borrow it. Smokescreen owes him a use.]] Tarantulas 12:50 am *stretches out when prowl flickers off* FakeProwl 12:50 am Don't push your luck. By the sound of it, the covenant's more important. And don't borrow the covenant, either, until we come up with a proper plan to ensure he won't have a right to ask for it back. Tarantulas 12:51 am Of course not, I'm not that foolish. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:51 am *Fuzzy thought muttering again.* [[We could go to the Core and question Primus' life choices.]] Tarantulas 12:52 am *gets up and starts to waltz off with the cube* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:52 am *He knows better than that, though. Another nod to each, and a small bow for both for putting up with him - a thank-you ping for Tarantulas' confirmation as well - and he's trudging upstairs.* FakeProwl 12:53 am We have no evidence Primus had anything to do with it. It's more likely terrible luck. *follows after Soundwave* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:53 am *Terrible, horrible, awful, rotten luck of the most forsaken variety.* Tarantulas 12:54 am *bids them goodnight and is out - he'll try to comm prowl later, most likely*

[stripesthesupervillain]

The Mad Hatter’s Guide to Happiness: Chapter 7

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Okay... this one’s a bit tense

Let’s play a little game. At the end of the chapter, something happens. Can’t exactly reveal it to you until you read it. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me where in the chapter Jervis pulls it off. What is “it”? You’ll see.

Summary: Our two psychos have no choice but to talk to one other, but with Jervis’ fragile state of mind and Jonathan’s refusal to open up, thing get understandably tense.

With our condolences,  

The Georgia State Funeral Home

“This is the warehouse you were speaking of?” Jervis inquired, looking up at the large building in front of them. He grabbed his things from the back, humming softly. “It takes up a bit of space, don’t you think? I’m surprised it hasn’t been taken down if it’s been so long since you’ve seen it.”

“It’s sort of an attraction now,” Jonathan sighed, going to the trunk to grab his own things. Jervis handed his things to him instead, closing the trunk quickly once most of it was out. The good doctor looked up at the vandalized exterior of the building, going over to head inside. “Everyone here thinks it to be haunted. Kids used to dare each other to go inside.” He could recall a particularly unpleasant memory of being forced into the building by older kids for laughs and locked inside for the night.

The front doors were locked shut with chains. He cursed and fished in his pockets, pulling out a lock pick and fiddling with the lock holding the chains. “Lock picking? Wherever did you learn that, Hare?” Jervis hummed, watching him open up the lock and undo the chains. “Catwoman,” he said simply. “I helped her in a small robbery in exchange for a small lesson. Only cost me a minute bit of gas. And stop calling me that.” That last part was ignored. He wrenched open the doors with an ear-grating creak.  

The warehouse was a fairly small one, not exactly made for a big company, but it was still roomy. The giant shelves were still in place, all lined up in a neat array. There were rooms off to the side, mostly for other storage or tasks and whatnot.

“Let’s check the building out,” Jonathan said firmly. “We want to make sure this place is secure. I’ll take the east rooms while you take the west. Get setup wherever you like. We have all the room to do so.”

With that, they split up, searching for anything of use and making sure the building had its windows closed, boarded, or blocked. It was dark, that was sure enough, but with a bit of messing with the power box from Jervis, the lights were back on. It being a bit of an attraction, the town supposedly found it alright to keep that specific utility functioning. This allowed for a more thorough inspection. They didn’t want any rude entrances, so they tried their best to be sure the place was fit for them to stay a few nights. While all the important things the warehouse had been built to keep was gone, many of the smaller, luxury items like chairs or break room furnishings were still there. It was good they could find a few supplies here and there. Well, at least that’s what Jonathan did.  

When Crane was finished, he returned to the main storage room to find Jervis, but he was nowhere to be seen. He might as well take this time to do a bit of setting up of his own.

He sat down at a table in what used to be a break room, taking out his bottle of sleeping pills and taking out three this time, just for good measure. He quickly crushed them into a fine powder and scooped it all into a small plastic bag he’d found in one of the drawers in the room. He was sure Jervis would get his usual craving for tea sooner or later. He knew it was a bit early to be drugging his partner in crime, but with how Jervis was beginning to go off the deep end, he knew a good sleep would help get it out of his system for the time being. As of now, he was becoming real sick and tired of the Englishman’s delusions. Wonderland this and Hare that. Whereas before he could tolerate a few ramblings, he now believed the smaller man would attempt to hurt him if given another little shove. Though Jervis was rarely the extremely violent type (his drones did that for him), he was certainly capable of it. He just didn’t want to take any chances anymore. Hell, he’d even thought about ditching him altogether, but that idea was pushed away after a while.

Jonathan did eventually find Jervis in a small room off to the side, though the purpose was unknown to him. To his surprise, the Hatter was waiting for him at a table. He was laid back in a chair at a wooden table for four, his bags tossed to one side and two of the chairs were pushed into the corner where they remained useless. Jonathan could see a few thing spilling from the bag: several cards, his beloved book, a small chess set for the two of them, and his usual Hatter attire. However, the one thing missing from the jumble of miscellaneous things was his hat. That particular article of clothing was set securely on Jervis’ head, his hand fiddling with the rim and the card sticking out from the ribbon keeping it in place.

“Ah, Hare, sit down,” he greeted. “There’s plenty of room.” Ironic, seeing as how there was almost no room the more chairs there were. “Stop calling me that,” Jonathan murmured, hesitantly taking a seat. He watched with caution, making his suspicion clear to the other man. Jervis didn’t comment on it. “We have much to discuss, you know. Now, if Time won’t move for me, I very much doubt he’ll move a second for you with how much you’ve murdered him whilst he was with me. You shouldn’t have any trouble staying here for a good chat.” Jonathan already knew where this was going and didn’t like it one bit, but he didn’t object. If Jervis was already questioning whether or not he was a part of his “tea party”, he had to tread lightly and not upset him.

Jervis stood up and walked over to his back, bulling out two pristine tea cups. “Have some tea, Hare?” he offered. Jonathan grimaced, but nodded. “Yes please, and stop calling me that.” The other nodded, taking out some water and immediately going to the other room, but Jonathan stopped him. “Make it in here.”

Despite the firmness and suspicion in the request, he still agreed, making the tea in front of Jonathan. He grabbed two tea bags from the same box and placed one in each cup, mindlessly muttering “You Are Old, Father William” under his breath. Though that particular poem was enough to get his teeth to grind, Jonathan listened closely. He needed to if he was to get a proper analysis. It went as normal as it could go, until the very last two verses.

“‘You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose 

That your eye was as steady as ever; 

Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose— 

What made you so awfully clever?’”

Jervis giggled to himself, a sound almost like nails in the other’s ears, sitting down and watching the warm tea steep as he intertwined his fingers. Jonathan remained passive despite his thinning patience, only watching him to see what he would try next. Jervis just watched and waited though, finishing his poem.  

“‘I have answered three questions, and that is enough,"

Said his father; "don't give yourself airs!

Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?

Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!’”

Jervis’ hands tightened at the last verse, his voice taking a sharper tone as his knuckles turning white for a brief moment. So he was still angry, Jonathan concluded. That was rather understandable, though. He did lie to the Hatter, but he didn’t regret it. He would kick Jervis down the stairs himself is he could. He did what he needed to, and that was all there was to it.

The tea was soon ready. “It seems that I’ve forgotten the sugar,” Jervis sighed, referring to a small packet of sugar cubes he kept around for tea and secretly snacked on when he thought no one was looking. He promptly stood up, now no longer in his angered state, and moved over to search through his bag. Quickly taking the opportunity he was surprised he didn’t need to create himself, Jonathan poured the small bag of powdered sleeping pills directly into Jervis’s tea, shaking it a bit to stir it around before slumping back into his chair, folding his hands just as the other turned around with the sugar packet. “Would you have one?” he asked politely, sitting down in his own chair and idly moving his cup around on the table. “No thank you,” he replied firmly, and to his light suspicion, Jervis just nodded and pushed the bag away. He hadn’t taken a sip yet.

“Now, let’s talk about the letter,” the Englishman started. “No,” was Jonathan’s reply, shutting him down quickly. Jervis’ light smile instantly turned into a frown. “Oh? And why not?” he huffed, clearly annoyed. “It was not your business to be reading it in the first place. It was private,” Crane replied simply. “Thus, I don’t need to talk about it.”

“Hare, I-“

“Stop calling me that.”

Jervis’ lips tightened into a thin line, his knuckled tuning white as he continued to slowly move his cup around in small circles. “So is that it? You can ask all the questions you desire, and yet I’m not allowed a simple inquiry?” Jonathan didn’t show his displeasure. “The matter is settled, Jervis, I-“

“I’m the Hatter,” Tetch interrupted.

That small interruption caused Jonathan to pause, his mouth hung open mid-scold. He quickly clamped it shut, sitting up a bit straighter. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, the only sound to be hear being the annoying sound of Jervis dragging his cup along the table: Was he a hypocrite? Yes he very much was. Was he to blame for all of this? Debatable, but most likely. But Jonathan would be damned before he ever lost this battle to a man as psychotic as Jervis-mad-as-a-hatter-Tetch. Though it bothered him to no end, he was glad for the out it provided. “We agreed on this, Jervis,” he reminded, opening his eyes to glare at the other and putting emphasis on his name. Seeing the man’s eye twitch brought a spark of satisfaction in his core. “We left all that back at my hideout. No Wonderland. No name calling.”

“Oh you know I could never leave Wonderland behind,” Tetch scoffed, leaning on the table as e grabbed his cup and finally took a sip. Thank god. Jervis picked up his own cup and began to drink as well. “Even so, Hare, you broke my rule when you lied to me about the entire trip. Now, let’s talk about that letter.”

“You are not the Hatter, and I am not the Hare!” Jonathan snapped. “We are done talking about it, and that is final.” He angrily grabbed his cup, downing the rest of his tea as Jervis watched with disdain. “You can say that all you like,” he muttered, “but I am the Mad Hatter. That’s how it always been, but right now, you’re making me question whether or not you’re really the March Hare.”

“Of course I’m not the March Hare,” Jonathan growled, his voice growing more stern my the minute. “I am not the Hare. You are not the Hatter. This is not Wonderland. Why can’t you accept that, Jervis? You’re mot an imbecile, and we both know it. You know these schizophrenic delusions aren’t real, and yet you fall into them anyways. Why do you keep clinging onto these hopeless, idiotic, inane, untrue pieces of fiction? ‘The Hatter’ is not your name, it’s another one of your delusions. They. Are not. Re-“

“Speaking of names!” Jervis suddenly shouted, coming to an brusque stand. “You seem to be obsessed with these names, isn’t that right? Always demanding I call you this or that and whatnot like the hypocrite you are. So, let’s talk about names, shall we?” He slammed his hands down on the table, making the cups shake. “So tell me, Jonathan, who is Karen Keeny?”

That was a blow Jonathan was not prepared for. He was silent for a moment, his mouth clamped shut. Then, he placed both hand on the surface of the table and stood up. The two stared at each other, the tension thick the air. Then, without warning, he punched he Hatter straight across the face. The force of the blow caused Jervis to stumble back, a hand over his stricken cheek.

The doctor was panting, as though he had just run a marathon, staring at Jervis with a fear-inducing gaze only Scarecrow could pull off. The Englishman took a moment, rubbing his cheek and reeling from the shock of it all. He slowly gazed back up at the other, his gaze blank. Any last bit of logic and reasoning completely snapped within him.

Jonathan frowned when he saw Jervis smile, a chuckle leaving his lips as his eyes crinkled with laughter. The chuckle turned into a soft laugh, but went no further. “Jonathan Crane, you are a very, very unhappy man,” he giggled to himself. Jonathan didn’t respond, a grimace expressing his distaste for the man. He wasted no time in turning around and leaving the tittering psycho to his delusions, making into his own designated room and grabbing his things, putting them away safely in the closet.  

He sat down in a chair, pulling out his phone. He was tempted to leave Jervis right then and there, but didn’t want to risk anything at this point. Right now, though, he needed to be in a different room with the door locked, far away from the madman so he wouldn’t be murdered in his sleep. He pulled out his phone, already looking up directions to the next location so he could hurry in, get things over with, and leave as fast as he could. Without Jervis. The man would have him killed if they spent another car ride together.

As Jonathan searched his phone for a good ten minutes, he felt weary from that verbal spat they had. He was surprised Jervis hadn’t tried to come in yet. Perhaps he had knocked a bit of fear into him as well. He smirked at the thought. That would be satisfying to know. He put down his phone for a second, taking a moment to yawn deeply. That was odd; he was more tired than usual right now.

It was probably from the stress of today’s events.