#i LOVED last seasons song it was the best in my opinion but oh these visuals are beautiful

[haute-couture-yuzuriha]

the dr stone endings are gorgeous as always

[thedemonknownasbilly]

Weekends in Soho - Chapter One

Masterlist

Word Count: 726

Ineffable Husbands x GN!College!Reader

Warnings: season 2 spoilers (ish)

Final 15 never happened. They kissed and stayed together.

Two hours was a relatively short tube ride to you, coming from America and all, where going to the shops could take an hour even in the same city. So really, you couldn’t complain for a two hour ride to another city. You were certainly desperate now, class work was falling behind and you couldn’t afford that. Yet everywhere in Oxford seemed to be a distraction. The Starbucks turned into a flirting disaster between you and the barista who was five years older. The library was wrecked with familiar faces, classmates, friends, all people who were looking for their own excuse to not complete an assignment. Your home, even, was too distracting. The dishes needed doing, there was a new episode of your favorite show just aired, you always did say you’d dust later. Too many distractions. Too many things to do. So in a last minute effort to gain control, you bought a hotel and fares to Soho, London. Maybe a weekend away was what you needed.

You did your best to balance your laptop on your legs, keeping the volume of the device off, earbuds in as your phone played your favorite song on repeat, repetition meant you could tune it out, but the music kept the outside world out.

“Paddington Station.” The announcement blared, you had barely heard it, only looking up to the sign and seeing it. “Shit!” You murmured, gathering your things quickly and hectic like, jumping out onto the platform just in time, only realizing you had left your umbrella behind. “Oh, fuck me!” You huffed, noticing a man looking at you questioningly. “Not literally, twat.” You scoffed, carefully putting your things into your bag to protect them from the light drizzle, looking down at your phone and putting in the coordinates to your hotel, which luckily wasn’t too far, but without an umbrella, you really couldn’t walk around the neighborhood to look for dinner options or even a library.

“Oh, that smarts.” You had winced when you saw a couple get drenched by an awning suddenly tearing, out of the corner of your eye you could have sworn you saw someone in the bookshop across the street, watching the same scene with a similar pained expression. Wait. Bookshop! You scurried over quickly, doing your best to protect your belongings as you entered the door and nearly slammed it behind you.

“We’re closed, piss off.” The man from the window said, walking around carrying a pile of books. Another man, older, looking towards you sympathetically.

“It’s pouring like crazy out there, and I left my umbrella on the tube, can’t I just wait the rain out?” You had asked, shivering and drenched, but soon feeling a warm towel engulf you, looking behind you to see the older man putting it around your shoulder. “Thank you…”

“Jim.” The man answered with a grin, “would you like a hot chocolate?”

“I’d love that, if it’s no trouble.” You accepted, noticing the red haired man seemed to be scowling at Jim. You stuck close to Jim, he was much more friendly, making sure the hot chocolate was to your liking.

“Oh, fancy that, rain’s gone.” The red haired man, Crowley as Jim told you, said. “Bugger off.”

“I’ll visit another day,” you promised Jim, patting his hand kindly as you handed him back the now empty mug.

“I like them.” Jim announced when you had closed the door.

“You like everyone. I doubt your opinion here matters much.” Crowley rolled his eyes, looking down to see one of your bags remained, groaning as he picked it up. “Probably would lose their head if it weren’t attached.” He mumbled, looking at the travel tag and humming your name to himself, safely tucking the bag under Aziraphale’s desk.

“Please, tell me you didn’t sell any of my books?!” Aziraphale yelled out as he rushed in, eyes wide with worry. So the angel did see you leave his shop.

“And what if I did?” Crowley tried to tease, but immediately backtracking when his husband’s eyes threatened to fill with tears.

“No, no, no, I’m sorry.” Crowley rushed over to Aziraphale. “I didn’t sell any books, they just wanted to get out of the rain.”

“Trying to create another Maggie and Nina moment?” The angel jested.

“It would work if that bloody shop would buy a quality awning.”

“I’m sure it would, dear.”

[no-one-fuck-a-man]

Berry Blues

Season Two

Part Sixteen - (Original Song) Trouty Mouth!

Quinn Fabray x Reader

Summary: Against what you considered your teams better judgement, the New Directions were convinced to write original songs for the upcoming competition, that could seal your hopes and dreams of -temporarily- getting out of the small town you called home. If only drama didnt follow the club like a plague.

Word Count: 5,352

WARNINGS: Maths, argument, yearning, that’s mostly it

-----

"Guys, I've got some bad news."

"Oh, just what I want to hear on a morning," you sassed from your seat beside Artie, the boy helping you finish your calculus homework last minute.

"No one does, Y/N," Mr Schue drawled, "You know how we decided on 'Sing' by My Chemical Romance for Regionals? Well, I hold in my hand a cease and desist letter from the band. We can't do it."

Puckerman scoffed from the back of the choir room, "It was the perfect anthem."

At the Spanish teacher's statement, you pulled your attention where you were scribbling a -probably wrong- equation onto the paper in your lap, looking at him with furrowed brows.

"That really doesn't sound like something the band would do."

"How much do you wanna bet Coach Sylvester has something to do with this?" Mercedes asked, shaking her head.

"One step ahead of you."

"So, what are we gonna do now?" she continued.

Before Mr Schue could begin to offer up some words of confidence, whilst he secretly worried inside, Rachel voiced her opinion.

"I think we should write original songs for Regionals."

"Oh, nope. That's still a bad idea." You shook your head, turning back to your homework.

You hate to admit it because you loved your sister dearly, but your hand was one of the firsts that rose into the air after Santana's declaration.

"All those in favour of voting Rachel down a second time?"

However, what came next shocked you to your very core.

"No, I think Rachel is right."

With horrified eyes, you turned to look over your shoulder at the blonde sitting behind you.

"Who are you, and what the hell have you done with Quinn Fabray?"

The girl rolled her eyes at you.

"This team works best when we push ourselves and do something a little different."

At Quinn's defence for your sister, everyone with their hands raised slowly started to lower them, listening to her reasonings intently.

"That's true, but if the all the other teams are doing amazing songs, we're not gonna be so good."

"You're right. We're not gonna be as good. We're gonna be better," Quinn countered Mercedes, "We won't be using other people's words or music. It'll be our own. Our own heart, soul, not just our voices. We have a really talented songwriter in our midst. Rachel, I was thinking maybe you and I could write a song together."

Okay, now something was definitely up.

Not only was Quinn Fabray volunteering to spend time with your sister, working on a project, when you knew full well that she could barely stand the shorter diva Berry.

But she also called her a "talented songwriter", when if she was forced to hear any of the drafts you had been, you knew she would not be saying that. Nor would she be jumping -creating- the opportunity to work with her.

"I'm with Quinn and Rachel," Finn spoke, looking between the two teenagers he had dated, making you roll your eyes at him, "I mean, if these two can agree on something, it's probably an idea worth considering."

"Well, I still think it's a bad one."

"Wait a minute. So suddenly, you two are writing music for Regionals?" Santana asked, almost affronted, "No way. I think that everyone should get a chance to write a song."

Sam was quick to agree with his girlfriend.

"Santana's right. We can do this."

"What do you think, Mr Schue?" Mercedes asked the man standing in the centre of the room, cease and desist letter still within his grasp.

The curly-haired man shrugged, giving a tight-lipped but pleased smile.

"I think we're doing original songs for Regionals."

After the short applause, both young Berrys turned to gander at the blonde behind them.

Rachel with a thankful smile.

And yourself, with a snappy comment.

"Seriously, who are you?"

---

Early the next day, before your first class, you meandered the halls, looking for one of your friends to chat with for the short time before the bell rang.

And that's exactly what you found.

Only, they didn't look how you expected.

"Oh, what the hell happened to you two?" you asked the two ex-cheerleaders, whose clothes were caked in soil, mouths also coated in the stuff, looking as if they had been eating it.

"Sue put dirt in our lockers," Santana explained as Brittany spat the stuff from her mouth, trying to pluck it away with her just-as-covered fingers. Her statement made your eyes drag behind them to where their lockers sat, filled with dirt.

"That's insane. Why'd she do it?"

"She's still pissed at us for not going to the Cheerios Nationals and the fact that she's not a cheer coach anymore."

"She is the prettiest person I have ever met, and I live with my sister." Gesturing them towards you, you said, "Okay, let's uh... let's get you two a change of clothes. Unless you wanna look like you just dug yourselves out of shallow graves."

Hours later, you had escorted the -now changed- girls into the choir room, dispersing throughout. A lot of club members with open notepads on their laps and pens in hand, just waiting for the director to enter the room so that they could start their lesson.

With a tall stack of yellow books in his arms, the man said, "All right, guys, let's hear it for our first songwriting seminar."

You still thought it was a bad idea, but you had decided to go with it nonetheless. It's better for you to try and fail than to not try at all.

"While Quinn and Rachel are hard at work, we're gonna try to write an anthem of our own," Mr Schue told, as he handed out the thick books, "Now, these are rhyming dictionaries for all of you."

"Mr Schue, Tina, and I have been uh already working on a song that I wrote," Santana offered.

"Really? That's amazing. Well, can we hear it?"

The Latina gave a small nod before moving to stand in the centre of the room, Tina making her way to the heys of the piano.

"This is a song that I wrote for Am. It's called 'Trouty Mouth'."

The blonde boy's sweet smile fell at that.

"Wait. What's it called?"

Only for Mike to lean over and whisper, "'Trouty Mouth'."

You didn't know a song could make you this happy.

Every one of Santana's lyrics was better than the last.

That was until Sam had to go and ruin it for you.

"Okay, can we stop?" he asked, outraged, as he jumped to his feet, "Stop with the mouth jokes."

"No, no, no!" you whined, aghast, once the music was abruptly cut off.

"Sit down. I'm not finished."

"Yes, you are." The boy then turned to the seated teacher, "Mr Schue, we're not doing a song at Regionals called 'Trouty Mouth'."

The man stuttered, rising from his own seat as he gestured to the blonde, "You know what? I have to agree with Sam on this one."

"Oh, I disagree." You shook your head with a bright smile tugging at your lips. "'Trouty Mouth' has got to be an iconic anthem. Really a song for generations."

"Y/N," Mr Schuester scolded you before turning back to Santana, "But such a good first effort. I just don't think it's got the epic feel we need for Regionals."

"I do." Your hand shot into the air, playfully being shoved by Sam as he manoeuvred back to his seat.

It seems Santana wasn't the only eager participant in the room, as Puckerman soon voiced his own involvement with a raise of his hand.

"Mr Schue, I wrote a song too. I wrote it for Lauren." The girl looked away awkwardly at that, spurring the boy into manoeuvering further into her line of sight. "I know that when I sang 'Fat Bottomed Girls', it might have hurt your feelings a little bit, but... I think this makes up for it." The delinquent continued down to replace a disgruntled Santana. It's got a bit of a rockabilly feel, so it could give us an edge this weekend."

"I'm inclined to agree with you there," you admitted as your teacher nodded the boy on.

"All right. Show us what you've got."

You couldn't help but laugh as Santana walked by Mr Schue, muttering to the man, "Don't touch me. Don't touch me."

"It's called 'Big Ass... Heart'."

"Why was that good?" you asked once the boy's short performance was over, "Stop making things that I like."

Mr Schuester, it seems, didn't share your same opinions, 'cause as soon as he could, he popped up out of his seat, hoping to get the boy off of the floor.

"All right, guys, let's make Puck's song a contender, but I don't totally think we're there yet. Everyone look at your rhyming dictionaries, and let's work on banging out some songs that rock."

---

"I have to talk with you."

With a short yell, you startled back, slamming your locker door in reaction. Snapping your head to the side, you spotted your sister, an almost conspiring look upon her features.

"Hey. Why do you always have to scare me? How was your songwriting session with blondie?" you asked, beginning to make your way down the hall, forcing a trailing Rachel to jog to catch up, to be by your side.

"It was fine. Quinn lacks my vision and years of studying lyrics and the meaning behind songs, but with some more work, I'm sure she could help me."

You rolled your eyes in reaction to her grandiose words while she quickly shook her head. "But that's not what I want to talk to you about."

"Aha. And what's on your mind?"

"I think Finn is dating Quinn again."

A familiar weight sunk in your chest. Cold and heavy. Something close to hopeless despair.

But you couldn't let your sister know that.

And you couldn't tell her that you knew they had been fooling around, even with no proof of that fact, considering she had flat-out believed Quinn's lie in the last celibacy club session you had attended. It would destroy her, and even though you knew you should tell her the truth, it would be the right thing to do, but you just didn't want to see her hurt.

"What makes you say that?"

"They were talking, and they were really close."

You gasped sarcastically, "I'll call the Pope!"

"Y/N, would you take this seriously?"

"And why the hell should I do that?" you asked, talking with a hand whilst the other held onto the strap of your backpack, "They were just taking, Rach. They can do that."

"Yeah, but it seemed... different."

"'Different' how?"

"Like they were talking about their relationship."

"And how does that look?" you almost laughed, "Look, Rach, at the end of the day, it's none of our business what they were talking about, no matter if he's your ex or not- If anything, you have less of a right to know."

Before she could reply, you were literally saved by the bell ringing overhead, signalling the start of your next class.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." You pointed over your shoulder with your thumb. "I have to go get a 'C+' on my calculus homework... with any luck," you finished to yourself as you walked away from her,

Thoughts of Quinn and Finn swam through your mind as that sinking feeling continued to grow.

---

It was a relief when Mercedes pulled you away from the rhyming dictionary before you with the incredible song she wrote and performed for everyone in the choir room.

"Yeah. Mercedes," Mr Schuester applauded with the club, speaking over everyone's cheers, "Really, really good."

"Thank you." The girl beamed.

"But, um..."

Mercedes' smile dropped at that.

"'But' my butt, Mr Schue. That song was amazing." She pointed a finger in the man's face as to get her point across.

"No, I agree. I'm just not sure that it's Regionals material."

The girl sighed softly, making her way over to the seats.

"Mr Schue, I wrote another verse of 'Trouty Mouth'," Santana voiced, bringing the attention to her, spurring Sam to raise the sign he had scribbled onto his notepad in support of Mercedes' song, reading 'hell no'.

Nodding along with the Latina from your seat beside her at the piano, you said, "I helped."

"No, no, no. Guys- Guys, just think about it. What's your favourite song of all time?"

"'My Headband'," Brittany spoke instantly.

"I'll let Rachel know that one person likes the song she's been torturing me with for weeks now."

"Allina Morissette's 'You Oughta Know'," Santana offered next.

Puckerman was Next. "'What's going on', Marvin Gaye."

"Puckerman, you're on a roll." Zizes complimented from where she stood, leaning against the side of the piano closest to you.

Taking the time to think on it while Santana and Puck had offered their favourite songs, you wracked your brain to find one of the songs that you loved.

"'Piano Man' by Billy Joel." You nodded, playing with the pen between your fingers.

"Okay, and what are all those songs about?" the teacher questioned.

"Headbands?" Brittany shrugged behind him.

Deciding to ignore the dirty blonde's answer, the man continued, "All these songs come from a place of pain. Look, the greatest songs are about hurt. And that's the side of yourself I want you to get in touch with."

"That should be easy," Artie stated, "Coach Sylvester tortures us for no reason and tries to get the entire school to hate us."

"Not that they didn't already." You shrugged. "At this point, it's just beating a dead horse with a stick."

"Yesterday, she filled Britt's and my lockers with dirt."

Mr Schuester rushed up to the whiteboard to begin listing Sue Sylvester's verbal abuse to the club.

"Okay, okay. Slow down."

"Literally no one else was talking," you uttered.

Mercedes voiced her own complaint about the blonde coach next, "Well, she literally throws sticks at me."

"Okay, what else? What else?"

"She called the Ohio Secretary of State saying she was me and that I wanna legally change my name to Tina Cohen-Loser."

You couldn't help but snort at that as everyone looked on in shock.

"She...?"

"Mean. Mean."

"I'm sorry," you told the girl, "I just wasn't expecting that."

"Okay, and how does that make you feel?"

"That she shouldn't be around children."

Fin had something else to say, however.

"Well... at first it hurts, but... then it mostly makes you wanna win."

"Guys..." the teacher smiled. "I think you may have just found your song."

"And that song is 'Trouty Mouth'." You pointed.

"No!" Mr Schue and Sam called out at the same time. Disappointing both you and the Latina who created the song.

"Now let's get to writing," the curly-haired man psyched everyone up as the title 'Loser Like Me' sat on the board behind him.

With a deep, grunted sigh, you dropped your head onto Santana's shoulder, preparing yourself for the only lesson to go.

By the end of the Glee Club meeting, your brain was fried by the number of words that ran through it. You were pretty sure you wouldn't be able to string together a sentence if your life depended on it.

To come to your sister's aid, however? That was a whole other thing entirely.

It was the end of the school day, and you knew Rachel would be working overtime on her songwriting, dragging Quinn along with her.

And considering you would rather not have a murdered sister, you were on your way to the auditorium, fully intent on dragging her kicking and screaming from the school if you had to. 'Cause, there was no way in hell that you were coming back to pick her up.

Only, you didn't have to do anything of the sort.

You were stunned in place just before you could reach the backstage door of the auditorium when your sister strode out, tears spilling from her eyes, trying to keep her sobs at bay.

"I'll be waiting in the car," she whimpered, rushing past you, trying to get out of the school as quick as possible but knowing that you weren't about to let her state slide.

So, as you watched her leave down the hall, your face grew hard, anger boiling up within you, face turning into a snarl as you span on your heel, slammed the door open, and strode over to where the blonde was sitting at the piano on the stage.

"Hey, what the hell did you say to her?!" you asked, pointing behind you.

Quinn sniffed, blinking back the wetness building up in her red eyes.

Maybe if you weren't so angry at her, you would have noticed apparent distress of her own.

"I just gave her a dose of reality," she said primly, straightening out the papers scattered along the grand piano.

"Reality that makes her cry?"

"Life sucks, sometimes, Y/N," she snapped, "She needs to get used to it- The rest of us have."

You scoffed at that, shaking your head in reaction.

"You know, though last year you were pregnant and had all of those demon hormones, so that if I said, "Hey, I don't like this flavour of gum," you would go into an eternal rage. But at least you weren't such a heinous bitch all the time!"

The blonde was gobsmacked by your sudden snapped reaction, gasping and pointing to her chest as she repeated your words, in offence, "You think I'm a heinous bitch?"

"Oh no, I know you are!"

"And what?" she challenged, "You want me to go back to being that sad, pregnant girl? Just so that you will like me?"

"No." You shook your head, obviously. "I want you to go back to that girl who cared about people other than herself."

"You think I don't care?"

"Do you call this caring?!" you argued, gesturing to the space around you wildly, "Really? So, what was this "dose of reality" you gave her that you consider caring?" you asked, utilising air quotes as you did.

"I told her that she didn't belong here, in this town. She was going to get out of here, and I was just sending her on her way." She almost sneered, confusing you, as you thought she had insulted your sister and not told her exactly what she wanted to hear. "That I was going to get married to Finn and start a family, he was going to get Burt's tire shop, and I would become a successful real estate agent, and she-" Quinn had to take in a sharp breath to gear herself up for what she was about to say. "She knows that she's going to get everything she has ever dreamed of... just not the boy she loved in high school."

The blonde had a hard time reading you as you stood there, silently evaluating her.

"Is that really what you think of yourself?" you asked finally, confusing her.

"What?"

"You think you're gonna be stuck here for the rest of your life?"

"That's my dose of reality. I've gotten used to it."

Suddenly, your dwindling anger spurred back to life.

"After- After everything I told you, you still believe that?"

"What do you mean?"

"How many times have I told you you can do anything, Quinn Fabray?" you stepped up to her now, unknowingly mirroring her and Rachel's positions from only minutes ago, only flipped in your favour.

But still, the girl was stubborn. Looking up at you with a hard pour, not backing down.

"You're amazing, and you don't fucking see it. You once told me that you wanted to help change the word, make it a better place-"

"That was just a silly dream!" She yelled, flinging her arms out by her sides.

"No, it's not! It's not silly, and it's less a dream and more of a plan. Being a real estate agent is all well and good, but you are destined for far better things- Greater things."

It was only then that you noticed the hopeless look in her eyes, the way they shone with tears, reddened and burning as she fought them off tooth and nail.

"Quinn," you breathed, "Is... is this about-?"

"Don't." She sneered. "Just... just don't, Y/N. I don't want to hear this right now."

She turned, trying to walk away before you could confront her truth when it was too hard for her to do so herself.

"You don't need to hide yourself like this."

"What do you know?!" she yelled, spinning back to face you, tears fully built up in her eyes, but still, none fell, as she stormed back over to you, "You've never had to do it! You've never had to be someone you're not. You're lucky enough to have a family that accepted you the second you were born. Not only that, but your parents relate to you on that!"

"Yeah, you're right." You nodded after a few moments of silence. "I don't understand exactly what you're going through. But I do know that you don't have to throw yourself into a life you truly don't want just because you're too scared to be you. Look, I'm not telling you to come out or lead the fucking pride parade. That's up to you. It's your choice. You can still live the life you want without doing all that. Don't throw your dreams away because you're scared of how other people will perceive you."

And with that, you left the blonde alone to her thoughts, heading off to comfort your crying sister as best you could.

You couldn't get anything out of her during the whole car ride back home, which was abnormal for her when she was in a state such as ones like this.

Even when you arrived home, Rachel rushed straight up to her pastel yellow room, leaving you to watch from her doorway as she cried and scribbled lyrics onto her notepad, surrounded by multiple drafts crumpled up around her.

With a deep sigh and a droop of your shoulders, you knew there was nothing you could do to help her at that moment. She didn't want any help nor did she want comfort, so there was no likelihood that she would accept it.

Stepping foot into your own room, your eyes travelled to where your own pad of paper sat at your desk, infesting your brain with thoughts of writing your own song.

Shaking your head, you quickly decided, "absolutely not." Instead, you pulled out your textbook to work on your homework, your brain was broken enough from songwriting today, and you needed to finish your history for tomorrow. Even if you wanted to lay down and nap for the next four hours.

---

The next few days passed in a blur and yet dwindled along slowly, at the same time, mainly when you and your sister had to be around the blonde and her boyfriend.

But the day had finally arrived.

Regionals.

You had to admit that you weren't that hopeful, with your songs being original and all that, but you were still gonna give it your all. If not for yourself or your team, but for your sister.

As usual, your club was late arriving at the competition, so as the announcer introduced the first competitors over the PA, you scooted your way through the rows to your designated seats.

"-Let's have a warm welcome for Aural Intensity!"

"Still sounds like a stupid term for going down on someone," you mumbled over to Mike, who had to stifle his laugh into his shoulder.

The expression you wore was one of disgusted astonishment, watching Sue's clear attempt at pandering to the judges, which only further grew with the cheering crowd.

You just hoped that Kurt and the Warbler's performance was far better than what you were just forced to sit through.

That hope was quickly proved true, as to your utter surprise, your friend began the setlist for his Glee Club, which made you beam out of pure happiness for this chance for him to shine in front of an audience.

Both Berry's in the crowd found their eyes trailing over to the couple that was Quinn and Finn, noticing the way that their hands were linked. Rachel and yourself yearning for opposite people in said couple. How two people could captivate a pair of siblings and be together like it was nothing, effortlessly crushing both Berry's hearts, was beyond you. It just seemed like a sick joke the world was playing.

Tearing your eyes away from them, you focused back on your friend and his boyfriend.

You suppose that is why he didn't let you know that he would be singing front and centre for this competition. He was far too excited to gush about the boy he had been harbouring feelings for, for months now, who had become his boyfriend. And not only that, he had had his first real kiss, that wasn't with Brittany. Or, unknowingly to you, taking from him by Karofsky.

After their duet and Blane's rendition of 'Raise Your Glass', that got the whole crowd jumping on their feet, it was the New Direction's turn to perform.

Walking through the backstage area with Santana by your side, you overheard Finn talking to your sister.

"I really like your song."

"It sure is better than 'My Headband'." You threw over your shoulder, gaining a soft glare from Rachel before she swiftly turned back to talk to her ex-boyfriend.

"I still think I should have sung 'Trouty Mouth' as the solo."

Breathing out a laugh, you threw your arm over the girl's shoulder. "Oh, I agree with you there."

From across the way, almost as if his ears had been attuned to the two words so that he would be able to hear them strung together within a five-mile radius, Sam yelled, "Stop talking about 'Trouty Mouth'!" Harbouring laughs from the club in reaction.

"And now, from William McKinley High in Lima, Ohio, the New Directions!"

You were by Finn's side during the entirety of your sister's performance, arms folded across your chest, all the while he listened to the lyrics intently, with an awestruck look on his face.

"She was crying while she wrote this."

"Why?" he breathed back as if speaking any louder would disrupt the performance. Unable to take his eyes off of his singing ex.

You could have told him about her and Quinn's argument, but you thought it best to give him the whole, blaring, obvious truth.

"Because she's still in the love with you."

His breath shortened then, while you glanced behind him, spotting his girlfriend, who had obviously heard your statement, staring into your soul with a look you couldn't quite decipher. She was frustrated and annoyed you could tell that much, even though she hid it well. But there was also a hopelessness and longing emitted from her.

But there wasn't long for you to dwell on it, as a few moments later, she and the rest of the girls were marching out. Followed by the boys and yourself after Rachel had introduced your team. Which quickly lead into your next and final song for the competition.

You were glad that it wasn't another slow number, where you had to be careful and intricate with your dance moves, but instead was one where you could end it off by dousing the audience with shiny red confetti, masquerading in slushie cups along with a cart. A reference, which only people who knew about and attended your school would know of.

After the judges had taken a short amount of time in their deliberation, the three Glee Clubs and their directors were gathered on stage to hear the results of the competition.

"And now, to announce our winner, Lieutenant Governor Stevens' wife, Carla Turlington Stevens."

"Who are these random-ass people they get for these things?" you whispered, once again to Mike, as you joined everyone else to applaud for the woman.

"Do you think they would be able to get anyone else to do it?" he countered.

"Touché, I supposed not."

Once the woman took the stage, she felt that to be the ideal time to get her troubles off of her chest.

"My husband is verbally abusive, and I have been drinking since noon." Feedback from the microphone was the only thing that filled the awkward silence her confession had garnered. "I'm bored. Let's just see who won, huh?" Suspense filled the three hopeful teams as the drunk woman opened the first-place envelope. "The New Directions, you're going to Nationals in New York."

The celebrations with your team were cut short, thanks to Sue Sylvester's outburst, where she strode up to the Governor's wife and knocked her out cold.

Talk about being a sore loser.

---

You were sat beside your sister when Mr Schuester walked into the choir room, carrying a small trophy, busy talking on the phone.

"I'll show you the video when you get home. Have fun at the sweat lodge." You cringed at the next words he cooed down the line, trying -and failing- to hide it from his students. "Namaste to you too. Okay, bye."

Leaning closer to Rachel you muttered, "She could do so much better than him." Knowing that he and Holly Holliday had been seeing each other since she came in to teach everyone about sex, because they were so bad at hiding it.

Only she wasn't the only person who had heard your comment.

Quinn Fabray, who was seated in front of your sister, peered at you from the corner of her eye, a ghost of a smile shadowing her lips. Sending a hopeful rush through you, even though your mind was screaming at you that it was worthless to even feel.

"Miss Holliday sends her best," he turned to tell the team, "And can't wait to congratulate you all in person when she gets back from her meditation retreat. Now, we all know that winning Regionals was a team effort, and Nationals isn't going to be any different. But... like in sports, every winning team has a player that rises above to help carry their teammates to victory. The M.V.P.." He pointed before bringing the gold star trophy into view. "And I would like to start a tradition of honouring that player after every one of our competitions. So, per a unanimous vote by all of you... our Regionals M.V.P. is... Miss Rachel Berry."

The club applauded for your sister as the director waved her down to accept her award.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you." She beamed. "If I could just say a few words?"

"Sure."

"And here she goes, making me regret voting for her," Santana said dryly.

"Same." You nodded, smiling down at Rachel playfully. Please don't start singing."

She rolled her brown eyes at you.

"Well, first of all, I just wanna say how amazing the song you guys wrote was. I-I was so inspired. You know, it's funny. I've won a lot of trophies before for singing competitions, and dancing competitions but... I've always felt like the girl who never gets the brass ring... and maybe I never will." She shrugged. "But today a-and at Regionals... the way you guys believed in me and... took a chance with me... all I've ever wanted was to feel special... and to feel chosen. And... I just, um... I wanted to thank you guys so much for giving me that. So, that's all."

After your sister's tearful speech, you lead the charge in giving her a hug, a proud look on your face, at her -not arrogant- speech.

So maybe doing original songs wasn't the worst idea ever.

You still thought it was pretty dumb, though.

However, there was no way you were gonna let Rachel know that anytime soon.

After all, you were far too excited for one thing and one thing alone.

New York City.

-----

Prev Part | Next Part

[andichoseyou]

THE ERAS TOUR ASK GAME!

💗Miss Americana And The Heartbreak Prince: it's been a long time coming... what was your opinion on the Lover album when it first came out, and what are your opinions on it now?

💗Cruel Summer: fever dream high... can you remember the best or worst summer of your life? if yes, can you explain why it was the best/worst?

💗The Man: i'm so sick of running as fast as i can... can you name some songs, movies, poems, etc that make you feel powerful? like you could do anything?

💗You Need To Calm Down: we've all got crowns... name 5 female artists (besides Taylor!) that you love!

💗Lover: can i go where you go... what are, in your opinion, the most romantic songs of all time?

💗The Archer: you could stay... at the end of the day, who do you choose? who is your person? your other half?

💗THE LOVER ERA: if you could add one Lover song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🌟Fearless: i don't know how it gets better than this... what was something that you were afraid to do, but did anyway? how did doing that make you feel?

🌟You Belong With Me: been here all along... what are your go-to karaoke songs?

🌟Love Story: we were both young when i first saw you... what were your favorite books/fairytales when you were younger?

🌟THE FEARLESS ERA: if you could add one Fearless song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🍂'Tis The Damn Season: it always leads to you and my hometown... what is your favorite spot in the town you grew up in? was it a restaurant? your childhood friend's house? the school you went to? someplace else?

🍂Willow: i come back stronger than a 90s trend... favorite 90s song?

🍂Marjorie: you're alive in my head... if you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

🍂Champagne Problems: i dropped your hand while dancing... what was the last movie/show that made you cry?

🍂Tolerate It: tell me i've got it wrong somehow... rank every taylor swift track 5!

🍂THE EVERMORE ERA: if you could add one Evermore song to the setlist, which one would it be?

♟️...Ready For It?: in the middle of the night... what is the last dream that you can remember? what was it about?

♟️Delicate: isn't it?... what is your favorite taylor swift "question" lyric? (ex: "can i go where you go?" or "remember when you hit the brakes too soon?")

♟️Don't Blame Me: oh lord save me... all time favorite live taylor performance?

♟️Look What You Made Me Do: the old taylor can't come to the phone... what are your top 5 favorite taylor swift music videos?

♟️THE REPUTATION ERA: if you could add one Reputation song to the setlist, which one would it be?

💟Enchanted: this night is sparkling... favorite dress that taylor has worn? it can be on stage, on the red carpet, or just out and about... but it must be a dress!

💟Long Live: we will be remembered... what is your favorite Taylor related memory?

💟THE SPEAK NOW ERA: if you could add one Speak Now song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🧣22: it feels like one of those nights... when is your birthday? how old are you turning? what is something you want to do for it? do you have any birthday traditions?

🧣We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: like, ever... best way to get over a break up? (romantic or platonic)

🧣I Knew You Were Trouble: so shame on me now... name 5 songs to scream-sing in the car with the windows down

🧣All Too Well (Ten Minute Version): i know it's long gone... what song(s) by taylor would you want a ten minute version of?

🧣THE RED ERA: if you could add one Red song to the setlist, which one would it be?

☕️The 1: i guess you never know... do you prefer The 1 or Invisible String?

☕️Betty: i know i miss you... what taylor swift song do you feel like she wrote just for you? a song that you relate to so much that it feels like she got inside your brain?

☕️The Last Great American Dynasty: 50 years is a long time... if you could write an essay/book/song/etc about any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

☕️August: you were never mine... favorite month of the year? why is it your favorite?

☕️Illicit Affairs: don't call me kid, don't call me baby... top 3 favorite taylor swift bridges?

☕️My Tears Ricochet: why are you at the wake... what are your go-to songs for when you need a good cry? (doesn't just have to be taylor songs!)

☕️Cardigan: i knew you... what is your favorite piece of clothing that you own?

☕️THE FOLKLORE ERA: if you could add one Folklore song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🦋Style: take me home... if you could ask taylor to cover one song, which song would you choose?

🦋Blank Space: if the high was worth the pain... what was the first taylor song you ever heard?

🦋Shake It Off: it's gonna be alright... list ten things that make you happy!!!

🦋Wildest Dreams: i bet these memories follow you around... would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

🦋Bad Blood: blood runs cold... all time favorite taylor collab? who do you want to see her collab with next?

🦋THE 1989 ERA: if you could add one 1989 song to the setlist, which one would it be?

🍀Surprise Songs: what are your two dream surprise songs that you want to see live?

🌌Lavender Haze: i just need this love spiral... what is the funniest/stupidest rumor about taylor swift that you have seen/heard?

🌌Anti-Hero: too big to hang out... are you a sexy baby or a monster on the hill?

🌌Midnight Rain: all of me changed... do you prefer sunshine or the rain?

🌌Vigilante Shit: don't get sad, get even... post your favorite taylor pictures from the eras tour!!

🌌Bejeweled: a diamond's gotta shine... out of the 4 music videos from midnights that we have, which one is your favorite? which one is your least favorite?

🌌Mastermind: none of it was accidental... what is your favorite "big word" that taylor has used in a song? (ex: Machiavellian, incandescent)

🌌Karma: sweet like honey... karma is cat for taylor, but what is karma to you?

🌌THE MIDNIGHTS ERA: if you could add one Midnights song to the setlist, which one would it be?

[moldybonessmell]

Okay, but can we talk about this one Christmas scene in BBC Sherlock S2E2?

Let's take a look at this one dialog that occured when John needs to stay with Sherlock to comfort him after Irene's death and his girlfriend is upset:

"You're a great boyfriend!" "Okay, that's good. I mean, I always thought I was great-" "And Sherlock Holmes is a very lucky man." "Oh, Jeanette please"

John has his priorities and it's very obvious to everyone involved (even tho I do think that staying with your best friend after the death of a person who was important to him is a valid reason to miss a celebration) I suppose it just was the last straw for her

"No, I mean it. It's heartwarming. You'll do anything for him. And he can't even tell your girlfriends apart!"

The fact that John's love is so unconditional he doesn't even care if Sherlock returns it reminds me so much of this one episode of Doctor Who where River Song compared loving Doctor to loving sun: "You don't expect the sun to love you back!" or something like this, I don't remember the quote and it breaks my heart so much.

(Yes I did a wholock reference, what are you gonna do about it?)

And I also see here how much he tries to move on knowing that sun will not love him back but he just can't.

"No, I'll do anything for you, just tell me what it is, I'm not doing, tell me!" "Don't make me compete with Sherlock Holmes!"

This quote is so important because even Jeanette knows and understands the entirety of the situation John's in.

Compete with Sherlock Holmes is something nobody can do (all his enemies get defeated as we know) but not only villians are a threat, even loved ones will always be on a second place for John. The first place is forever taken by this one nerd not knowing the Earth is moving around the Sun (even tho he's the sun himself).

"I'll walk your dog for you. There, I've said it now, I'll even walk your dog." "I don't have a dog!" "No, because that was the last one- Okay."

Even John himself admits his defeat and realises what he got himself into.

(He did marry Mary eventually, and even tho I love her character, I can't help but see her being another one of "escapes" for John.)

Please don't witchhunt me for "hating on straight ships" or whatever, complain at the directors and writers who made John so unbearably closeted any other of his ships just doesn't sail (pun fully intended).

All I see here is a man desperately stuck in his one-sided feelings and fear of being out, he goes through the struggle a lot of queer people experienced in their life.

Yes, it's been done many times before, but I can't help but say that the production crew are cowards for not making John canonically queer when his writing is so authentic it makes me experience almost physical pain.

Coming back to the topic of Mary btw, I think it was fucking lame in the way her destiny turned out to be. She deserved to have a good life with loving husband and a child, but writers put her in the story just to make John not so openly queer coded (bi and pan people exist btw but it's a topic for another conversation unfortunately) and they just killed her off to "sail" the johnlock ship in the end because they are cowards to actually follow through with queerbaiting (that's what the quotes for, because they haven't actually sailed it). I hate, and I mean HATE when a woman is added to a story just for a man's character development and gets killed off and BBC's Sherlock situation is exactly like this. Why even add her to the story if you don't plan on making her stay with John? The last season makes no sense and makes me so angry I often pretend it doesn't exist "BOO TOMATOES TOMATOES-" (it's the reason I don't want any new Sherlock seasons tbh)

Okay, this post is all over the place, at this point I'm more just ranting instead of doing a proper topic analysis but I hope you liked it anyway. Share your opinion if you have any, ig the Sherlock tag is too full at this point I don't really see people taking about stuff while checking the tag (saying this as if the first season didn't come out like 13 years ago)

Have a good day :)

[smoooothoperator]

The Winner Takes It All

(C.L.)

She was feeling bad. Not bad because she was sick or because she did something wrong. She felt empty.

Nicole Gasly, little sister of the Alpha Tauri diver Pierre Gasly and his manager, feels like if her days are grey. It has been a month feeling that way, maybe it is because she started receiving invitations for the weddings of her friends. Maybe it is because she walks around the paddock and recognizes all the girlfriends of the drivers. Maybe it's the constant anxiety she feels when she has to get out of her apartment, of her comfort zone, and walk on the street feeling the gazes of everyone on her, scared of catching someone laughing at how stupid she was.

She feels like if she's being a spectator of her own life, being something like a ghost out of her body that looks how she makes mistakes every minute of every hour of her life.

Nicole used to smile all the time, everyone loved that smile, saying that hswhen she liked her lips looked like if she was a cat. That's why her nickname around the paddock was 'kitty', but the last time someone called her like that the last day of the season.

The only one that knew was him, Charles Leclerc. Not even her brother Pierre.

He knows everything about her. Knowing her since she was a little girl that played with her Barbies while him and her brother had kart races, he can tell that he knows Nicola like the back of his hand, better than Pierre. He was her person, the one she can call when she needs someone to talk with, or to spend their sick days together. He was the one she walked to when something bad happened to her. He knew how many break ups she had because his shoulder was there for her.

The worst thing is that he was in love with her since her first break up, back in 2013. He realized that when he saw her crying because a stupid guy broke her heart, and promised to himself that if he had the chance he would never ever do something like that to her.

"Okay, tell me what's wrong with you" Pierre asked her, tired of seeing his little sister emotionless and working like if she was a robot, not smiling and doing what everyone asked her to do without giving her opinion about it.

"Nothing is wrong with me" she said frowning, knowing she's lying. "I'm tired, that's it. I want the day to finish because here is kinda hot and I really want to go back to my hotel room so I can take off my bra and lay on the bed with only a shirt, okay?"

Her answer surprised him, not what she said but more how she said it. The Nicole of months ago would say the exact same thing with a little or irony and a smirk on her lips. But the Nicola he has in front of him right now said it mad, annoyed, upset.

"Okay, okay" be sighed. "You can go to the hotel, I can do what's left by my own".

He sighed and looked how she walked away, putting her backpack on both of her shoulders. Once she was away enough he went to the Ferrari motorhome, knocking on the door and opening it hoping Charles was inside.

"Dude" he sighed looking at his best friend. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with Nicola? She's acting weird and I'm a little tired of her attitude".

Oh, he knows. He knows about her last break up. About how she found out that her "boyfriend" was at the same time dating another woman for soany years.

It was the middle of January. She was making lunch, knowing that Theo would be arriving soon from his work trip. He went away for a week, saying something that the company wanted him to go to another country to make a deal with a sponsor. And because it wasn't the first time something like that happened, she never suspected anything.

Her favourite song was playing on the back when she heard the doorbell, making her jump a little and frown, walking towards the main door. Theo grabbed his keys and he didn't went with a big luggage that couldn't let him open the door with his our keys.

But when she saw the mailman in front of the door with a letter for her she just sighed, looking at the clock of her left wrist and closed the door while she opened the envelope.

A wedding invitation.

Opening the card she smiled softly when her eyes scanned the golden details on the card, util her eyes fell on the names of the couple.

'Theo Murphy & Marina Connirs'

"No" she gasped. Theo. Theo Murphy. Her boyfriend.

"No" he lied. "Maybe you should talk with her"

Pierre doesn't know about what happened with Theo. He didn't like a lot that guy, and when he discovered that he disappered from her life, he was happy. But he couldn't see how that affected her, why they broke up, why she threw to the trash all his things.

But Charles was with her all the time. After she received that letter he was by her side, holding her close and rubbing her back while she cried her lungs out, opening the bags while she grabbed all his clothes out of the wardrobe, breaking his things. The next she refused leaving her bed, and he was on her house helping her on everything. He saw how her eyes recovered her light slowly, but the smile never came back. Instead of that, she changed completely, being someone he couldn't recognize.

Weeks turned on months. That January day was the past, and even if the date of that wedding of her now ex boyfriend was getting closer, she was getting worse. Her routine was always the same: waking up and cry, eat, get a shower and cry, go to work and fight the need of cry and then going back to her bed to breakdown. Until Charles got tired of that. After hearing Pierre complaining because his sister was unrecognizable he went to her house and stood in the middle of her bedroom looking at her.

"Get ready, we're going shopping" he said looking at her frowning, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I don't want to" she groaned ignoring him. "And why the hell are you here?"

"I'm going to take you shopping" he said like if the question she made was stupid. "So change your clothes, we're going to a fancy place".

"What? No!" she exclaimed making him roll his eyes and walk to the wardrobe, grabbing something elegant he knew she has and threw it to her. "Why the hell are you making me dress this fancy? Where are we going? Charles!"

He ignored her and grabbed the blankets our of her body, not minding at all if she was naked or not.

"We're going to buy you a dress" he simply said. "You are going to the wedding of that idiot with me. I already sent the invitation back to that asshole and saved the address on my phone. It will be next week, once the summer break started".

That made her speechless. What? Was she dreaming? Her best friend saying he will be her plus one to the wedding of her ex boyfriend?

"I won't go to that stupid wedding" she said groaning. "People will laugh at me. His family, his friends. Even that Marina. He played with me and I let him play".

"No one will laugh at you because you are going to be the most wonderful woman on that wedding" he said holiday her hand, sitting on her bed in front of her and then smirked "And your plus one is Charles Leclerc. Who is that dude next to me? No one!"

That made her heart stop, making her nod slowly. Maybe he's right, maybe showing up on that wedding with someone else will make drama. But she doesn't have enough confidence to look like if she already forgot Theo.

"Then, come on, I know a boutique that has amazing dresses" he smirked, holding her hand and pulling her out of the bed, giving her privacy on her bathroom so she can change the clothes.

She never expected to be wearing that dress a few hours later, a baby blue Versace Atelier dress that hugged her body perfectly. A little confidence booster, not much, but the fact that he was standing next to her looking at her reflection with his cheeks burning, made something change inside of her.

"You look so beautiful, Nicole" he smiled looking at her.

She didn't say anything, just stared at him and after sighing and touching the material of the expensive dress, she walked to the changing room, taking off that dress and putting her clothes again.

Charles was waiting for her, his heart beating so fast that he thought she could hear it. It was so obvious his feelings towards her, everyone knows, of course except Pierre. But deeply inside of him he knows that her brother wants him to be with her, make her happy. He's not blind, he can see the way she's with him, the way she smiles and how she closes her eyes everytime he hugs her.

"Alright, now let's buy you shoes"

Some days after, and already waiting on the door only her house with his Ferrari,the wedding day came. It wasn't easy for her to get out of the bed, but the dress that was hanging on the door of her bedroom made her stand up, get a shower and get herself ready for the day.

"Oh, wow" he gasped when he saw her walking out of the door, turning around quickly to lock the door.

"Hi" she smiled weakly, her red lips turning slowly on that smile everyone missed.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Nic" he said hypnotized by her beauty.

"Thank you" she whispered blushing, clearing her throat and looking at the front after he started to drive to the place of the wedding.

She saw all the people there, and when she recognized a few of them, she panicked and wanted to walk back to the car. But he held her close to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and went with her inside the church. They sat at the end of it, his hand on her thigh squeezing it softly to calm her.

"Look, we're going to do this" he whispered rubbing his thumb on the material of the dress, leaning close to her ear. "We'll be just the two of us, forget about that dude. It's just you and me. And if someone recognizes you just act like if he doesn't exist, yeah? You came here to show him you are better without him".

"But I'm not" she whispered looking down at her thigh. "Look what he did to me. Look how I was the last few months. I barely recognize myself".

"I know, love" he sighed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to him, kissing her temple. "But now I'm here".

He saw Theo. And saw the way his face went pale when they crossed their gazes.

"You are here" she whispered making him look down at her and smile, kissing her temple again.

She was strong during all the ceremony, while the bride that she never knew walked inside the church with that white dress, while they said the "I do", while they exchanged the rings and when the groom kissed the bride. She was so strong and started to realize that it was because of the man that was holding her.

Out of the church she saw his parents and friends, and how their eyes opened wide when they saw her with Charles. Somehow she enjoyed that feeling. She left everyone speechless while walking past them, like if she was something threatening.

Her confidence started to come back to her when she heard them whispering her name. How she was in mouth of everyone.

"Isn't that Nicole?"

"Oh god, Nicole is here!"

"Have you seen Nicole? My God, she looks so beautiful, better than the wife. She did it on purpose"

"Who invited Nicole?"

It made her smile. Even smirk. And Charles just melted with every thing she made, how her essence started to came back with every step she made inside the hotel where the lunch was taking place, how her eyes scanned every person, how she said "I'm here" with her body language.

They sat on a table with people they didn't know, apparently friends of the bride. After all, she was the one that invited her thinking that she was just a friend of Theo. His wrong was she.

"Well, congratulations to the married couple" she smiled fakely, not letting go Charles' hand when they walked to the table.

"Oh, thanks" she smiled happy, looking at her now husband. "And thank you for coming, I didn't know if you were going to come, Theo told me you were busy working. Now it's amazing that he's friends with someone that works on Formula 1 and that dares one of the drivers"

"Yeah" she said looking at Theo, smiling when she saw how he chocked with the wine he was drinking. "Yeah, I was really busy that it was a surprise receiving the invitation. But thank you for sending it, Marina. I couldn't miss the wedding of a friend, right Theo?"

Charles was simply speechless, hearing how she talked to them. Is this the same Nicole that just nodded and looked down while working? No. And she didn't even corrected the bride when she saw she was dating him.

"Anyway, have fun" she said squeezing his hand softly and wrapping her hand on his arm. "I hope he makes you happy. After all, he was a truly asshole with his ex".

Charles chocked a laugh and wrapped his arm on her shoulders, walking away to the balcony.

"What was that?" he laughed.

"I don't really know, but I'm shaking" she laughed too, making him smile warmly and look at her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him until their bodies were presses against each other. Nicole smiles looking up at him, her arms resting on his shoulders while she looked into his eyes, smiling.

"Thank you" she whispered, feeling how she got lost in his eyes. "For being here with me"

"You don't need to thank me, Nic" he whispered smiling, kissing her forehead. "I will always be there for you".

"I know" she smiled, leaning dangerously closer. "I realized a few hours ago. When you pushed me to the church and placed your hand on my thigh. When you kissed my temple and hugged my shoulders. When you held my hand all this time. I realized you were always there".

He smiled, feeling his heart exploding on his heart. That's what he wanted to hear for all this years. He knows she knows, but the thought of her confessing it, makes him want more.

"And I'm so sorry I never saw it" she said with a sad smile, rubbing the tip of her nose with his. "I'm sorry I always cried on your shoulder and never saw that you were the one that was holding my broken pieces together".

"It's okay" he whispered smiling, his breath hitting softly her lips making her have shivers running up her spine. "It's okay, because I never complained. I wanted to be that person that held you while you were sad, the one you cried with. I did that and would do that over and over again".

"You won't need to" she whisper, brushing her lips on his. "Because you won't make me cry".

He closed his eyes when she pressed her lips on his, making him smile and sigh. This is all he wanted, her lips, her hugs, her heart. Her. Nicole. His Nicole.

"I love you" she whispered. "And I'm sorry I realized it late".

"It's never too late, love" he said smiling, pulling away slowly and looking at her. "Because I always have love you and always will".

[fategoflatass]

final thoughts · fall 2022

since i know there're people who like to read my opinions on the different seasons, here you have my thoughts on this (HOLY SHIT OMG WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???????????) season.

akiba meido sensou (7.5/10)

so, i never meant to watch this show. i thought it would be just another CGDCT slice of life where maids do their maid stuff, and they have fun... I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS THO. this series is crazy, like, the first ep starts with a maid being shot in the head like ??????? and then ranko (best girl imo) starts shooting this rival maid group along with a cutsie song like ??????????????? i was both confused and charmed. this anime is such a blast, it's filled with twists and turns, random shit that it's bizarre but it also makes so much sense. i can't fully explain it, you need to watch it.

akuyaku reijou nano de last boss wo kattemimashita (4/10)

dear lord the toxicity here is astronomical. the way i was looking for a hamefura replacement and i ended up getting this... i feel scammed. this was meant to be a fantasy romance story, but it ended up being a contest to see who's the most toxic person in the relationship. between throwing someone out of a flying carriage just to see them cry and almost stabbing someone on the crotch because they want to break off their engagement with you... i don't know who's worse. they totally deserve each other.

blue lock (8.5-8/10)

i cannot decide myself on what rating i should give to it. while i do love bllk and think is one of the best sports series i've ever read, 8-bit's adaptation is... interesting. while i did think the first episode was amazing, the visual level just started dropping. some of the hand-drawn animation looks weird, and the cgi sometimes looks like it has been taken from a mobile game. i have mixed feelings with these series; while it's still fun and interesting, it just doesn't kick me as much in the chest as the manga does. if you wanna start bllk, please read the manga first.

bocchi the rock! (6.5/10)

as i said before, i'm not a big fan of CGDCT, and this series is just that. i was into the music part of the series and bocchi's social phobia (which, as someone who went through it, i think it's a pretty good representation), but it's still not my cup of tea. it bores me at times, and i'm the one to blame. it's not bad, it's just not my thing. if you're into this kinda stuff, i fully recommend it.

boku no hero academia 6 (8/10)

NOW THAT IS A GOOD SEASON. this one's adapting one of (if not the) best arcs in the series and hell yeah i'm hyped. in case someone hasn't started it, i won't spoil anything. i'll just tell you to please not worry about the quality: the art, animation and everything in general is being tretaed with so much thought and love. i'm just so happy to see all of them back!

boku no roboco (4/10)

(at this point, i've only watched two eps. my opinion on the series may change) i know the manga is popular, i know it makes a lot of anime references. i wanted to try giving it a chance and oh lord. first, it's difficult to find. second, it isn't even funny. if i'm not dropping it is because the episodes are short and fuck it. but not because you make a shit tone of anime references means that you're gonna be funny.

c danchi (1/10)

chainsaw man (9/10)

i'll just leave this here and go on with my life.

GUYS. GUYS. IT'S FINALLY HERE. BABE'S FINALLY HERE. AND OH LORD SHE'S LOOKING AMAZING. i've been waiting for this series for so long, (since it first got announced like holy fuck the feels). i have the entire part one on my bookshelf and it brings me so much joy (and tears and trauma and—) to finally see it animated. the animation, the art, the music, the voices— everything is just fantastic, perfect even. the op is a banger and each and every ed is just so good (some better than others imo). i'm so happy mappa were the ones that took the project like omg thanks mappa but fr fr. if i'm not giving it a higher note is because i'm afraid that would be my inner fangirl speaking so yeah. my children look perfect, that's enough for me. and fuck those who complain about the cgi istg—

cool doji danshi (7/10)

just a pretty chill slice of life short series about a bunch of dorks trying to survive in the wild. they're all so relatable and idk what to think about it. babe's also pretty absent-minded, so this is pretty comfy to me... is this how #representation feels like? besides that, there's not much to say about it since it's just... that. they exist, and i'm happy they do.

do it yourself!! (5/10)

how many times have i said i don't like CGDCT series? many times, but i still go and watch them. why? because i'm dumb ig. it's just a series about a bunch of girls doing bricolage, that's pretty much it.

fumetsu no anata e 2 (8/10)

second season of "don't get attached to the cast because they're all going to die". at this rate, i think i'm made of stone because i haven't shead a tear in the entire series. i'm also getting use to the show's formula (introduce new character → make you feel attached to them → kill them), so ig that's also why i don't feel that sad anymore? idk, i do feel sad but not that sad yk. anyway, is as good as the first season so you should give it a try.

fuufu ijou, koibito miman. (6.5/10)

i started not liking the series (the male mc was annoying to me and i felt like he would only see the girls by their "personality"), but i ended up getting attached in some sort of way? it's an easy to watch, funny romcom that, even if it's nothing special, will entertain you for the time being.

kage no jitsuryokusha ni naritakute! (5.5/10)

i like the idea, but not the execution. i mean, kinda. it started being a parody of isekai series, but i feel like isekai is slowly but surely eating the show alive. i'm not that interested on the plot and the ecchi scenes and comments are... something. to give you some example: there was this scene where these girls would pose in ways others could check their breasts better and perceive them as bigger than their opponent's. or maybe the many comments they do about the protagonist's dick being a fricking sword????? umm not thank you.

koukyuu no karasu (7/10)

a historical fantasy shoujo series with interesting plot points and a cute romance?? hell yeah, count me in! each and every character is lovable af and trust me when i tell you you'll never get bored. the art is so cute and comfortable (idk how to explain it), and the romance is just... i just want them to date already, am i asking too much? definitely give it a chance.

mairimashita! iruma-kun 3 (8/10)

new iruma season and the first one i'm watching as it's coming out. the children are back and more chaotic than ever in this new arc (the best one yet, from what i heard). i just can't stress enough how this series makes me feel, how comfy it makes me feel. i've connected with the characters in such a way it just makes me smile every time each and every single one of them just appears on the screen. i'm so excited to see who'll win! (no spoilers please)

mob psycho 100 III (8.5/10)

this isn't the last season. no, i refuse to accept it. even though many characters are getting their closures and all this chaos is going on and every wish of them to have a happy life has turned to ash. this is not the end. and that never happened. no. just. leave me alone.

mushikaburi-hime (6/10)

so, they're trying to bring historical shoujos back and while we did get some interesting results (koukuuu no karasu), we also got series like mushikaburi-hime. the series is about a girl who is obssesed with books and a dude that isn't, but because he likes her he's up to deal with that little trait of hers. and... that's pretty much it. the series revolves around their relationship (which sometimes turns a bit toxic due to the male mc). the female mc hasn't progressed in over ten episodes, she won't progress now. if you're interested, there it is. but it's not a series i would recommend.

renai flops (7/10)

i said it before: i love shitshows. this one seemed to be a parody on ecchi, harem series which caught my eye. i mean, the first ep involves the dog scene which is one of the most bizarre scenes i've seen on any romcom. at first, i was gonna watch it for the laughs from how bad it all was, but then the second half happened and it changed my view on the series. from a parody that makes things absurd on purpose to something else. i would recommend anyone who's interested to watch it and please, do not spoil yourself.

shinobi no itokki (4/10)

this show is about a dude who goes to high school and he gets confessed to by a girl he doesn't know. only that it wasn't a confession but a trap, because that girl was a ninja and was trying to kidnap him. but he's able to runaway because he has all these ninja abilities that his mother forced him to learn and never questioned why. and then his mum tell him they're actually ninjas and now he has to go to this ninja school that's literally a high school building in the middle of nowhere like ????? i thought ninjas were discreet???? except no one cares about the school because then someone (don't ask, don't remember) gets betrayed and blames the dude's clan and shit happens and wth is going on????

spy x family part 2 (8.5/10)

part two of this very wholesome but also very fake family! their shenanigans are as crazy as they were in part one, and we got introduced to our queen, fiona. also, the main fake couple are growing closer due to the mission and i think that's pretty cool now get married for real this time.

tensei shitara ken deshita (6/10)

just your average isekai with better than average animation and a wholesome bond between both leads. besides that, i have no much to say about it. i absolutely adore fran and amanda, but the whole idea of fran being op almost from the start is frustrating. i wanna see her grow, but this left me kinda cold.

urusei yatsura (6.5/10)

many people were hyping this show, and i do understand why. after all, it's pretty rough fighting against nostalgia. still, even though the visuals are so cute and the op and ed are pretty good, it just shows the series it's an old one. the comedy falls flat at times along with some characters, although it's still enjoyable. i don't know if i'll keep on watching the second season, but for now i don't feel like dropping it.

uzaki-chan wa asobitai! ω (6/10)

so, uzaki is back. the first season has never been one of my favorites, but i decided to give the second season a try and watch it as it was coming out and... well, it's uzaki. for some of y'all it may be hilarious, but to me it's just fine. it's boring most of the time, although i do like the idea of the mcs dating (please do so for fuck's sake). if you're into this kind of comedy, you should give it a try.

[unforeseen-idiot]

Shovelwarewolf Season 1 Review

Ah, Season 1. It’s definitely the weakest season of the show, but there’s a certain charm to the low budget and short episodes. For these reviews I’m just gonna break it up into categories and than give it an overall score.

Episodes:

Horrorland: Solid opener, had some weird quirks like SWW biting the tv. It takes a little while for Ivan to turn which is nice, helps introduce the character.

Nat Geo: Not much to say, the narrator slays me.

Ski Doo: Not much else to say, I love his description of the buttrock. That guy with the banana befuddles me to this day.

Six Flags: Pretty funny. The lil Donald Trump joke was funny (never stop making fun of him). I like his rant about moving the Wiimote. Also it ties into the next episode which is neat.

Duck Dynasty: Ah yes the mega shovelwarewolf everyone thought would come back at some point. Duck Dynasty the game is one of the funniest games of all time in my opinion. “John Luke, FORGIVE ME!!” Also the “Oh That’s Not Good” track sounds a lot like Stranger Things (probably the synth).

Rudolph: I love this episode. Santa has the greatest villain arc. SWW mimicking the Abominable Snowman gives me life. I also like the the little Carol of the Bells at the beginning.

Music rating: I also figured I’d rate the music used in each season since AJ wrote some pretty good tracks for this series. Plus I have strong opinions on the different variations of the opening and transformation themes.

Season 1 opening: I love it, very subdued compared to later ones. But this is a great composition of music that works any way you do it. Specifically I love the piano in this variation.

Season 1 transformation: Again like the last one, very subdued, I like this one fine it goes a little fast but uses the piano similarly to how the opening did which works really well.

Oh That’s Not Good: Like mentioned above it sounds a lot like Stranger Things in the best ways. I love how it’s used in the scene transition to show Ivan’s hopelessness. Great piece.

Trepak: Not an original piece, just a public domain song used in the Rudolph episode. It works for the scene but I don’t have much to say.

Couch Gag: This season’s couch gag was very simple, just SWW drawing on the whiteboard (on his stomach I guess?) I love it for its simplicity and just thinking of Ivan trying to pass the time in any way possible. I wish we could’ve seen what he would’ve drawn for Duck Dynasty.

Overall: This season was alright. It’s only the weakest since it hasn’t been thought as through as the later ones were and the production value is just a little bit lower. I think it works and provided a great platform for the amazing seasons we got down the line.

[mirohtron]

HEY GIRL

Watched / read anything good recently?

was watching dungeon meshi but then that gay ahh bath scene came on and my moms in the room w me so like 💀💀💀💀 reading 1984 rn bcs assignment, im ten pages in bcs i keep fawking playing honkai star rail 😭😭😭 omg, but i was in the midst of watching dil se before i realised i was getting distracted too easily and it was keeping me from enjoying it properly. was only watching it bcs i couldnt find bombay (1995, not the city 💀💀) anywhere. probs bcs nobody gaf abt archiving desi movies 😭😭😭😭 its tough out here, but like for dil se honestly i rlly liked the screenplay and the way it was directed even tho like . i literally only got to the first song of the film 💀💀 even then. also oh my god srk has not a SINGLE dancing bone in his body like ive bitched abt it before but oml hrithik roshan and tiger shroff are actually carrying the reputation of bollywood's male actor's dancing abilities on their back....now if only theyd stop FAWKING taking up propaganda films 😭😭😭

i actually kinda need to leave a separate paragraph for how bad srk dances like its not just when he was young...in chaiyya chaiyya literally EVERYBODY is on beat except him....and it KEELS me because ure telling me u cant keep tempo ??? brother 😭😭😭😭😭 but ok even in the present like, he stays on beat (barely) but hes SO STIFF?? i like saw some clip of him dancing with an actress, it mightve been deepika padukone in happy new year ??? oh my god it was SO bad. he was SO stiff. it KILLED me. bollywood actress go through HELL but sanjay dutt srk and a bunch of other male actors get away with not being able to dance well 😭😭😭😭 my queen kareena kapoor took dance classes before filming k3g yet srk and amitabh bacchan got away w shava shava....Sick and Twisted world we live in like....anyway i actually dk if thalapthy vijay is a bhakt but this is y he solos even tho i have verithanam trauma....sings n dances well etc, this is y bollywood flops consistently actually

pls take that paragraph lightheartedly if ure desi 💔 ok anyway

the god of small things by arundhati roy is good....i only read like 20 pages tho but ik plot 💀💀💀💀 i think the seven moons of maali almeida might also b good, its by shehan karunatilaka

ok last unfinished thing im gna recommend....Hot Tkae but....i liked saltburn...i still have the 2nd half of the movie to finish (stopped some time after the reveal) but again, ik the plot 😭 i still have some problems w it tho but its not rlly abt the hypersexuality. cinematography fucked. 4:3 aspect ratio choice? ATE. SO BADD. but ill also need to finish the film. but tbh its obsessed boy x rich boy trope wasnt rlly handled well in my opinion, micah nemerever's these violent delights solos in that area. and i think the story is flawed

ok NOW. i liked fleabag. actually i LOVED fleabag. think its a masterpiece. both seasons but esp the 2nd one (felt more refined but compared to other shows, s1 SOLOS). the boys s4 is dropping!! invincible s2 was alr i bet the animation studio suffered hard tho bcs wtf was that style change mid season 😭😭😭. and i don't rlly think the direction in which Nolan's character arc is gna go to will turn out that great? also, i loved gerta gerwig's ladybug! its actually crazy how she made ladybug and barbie both . one is amazing. the other is well uhm.

oh also i liked inglourious basterds and pulp fiction . quentin tarantino kinda looks like a walking talking serial killer mugshot tho i saw an interview where he was asked why kill bill had so much violence and was honestly surprised by how girlypop he was. not forgetting him choking diane kruger on set tho !

watched batman begins. it was aight 😭 rewatched matt reeves' batman right after. liked it betterr. i LOVEDDD heartbreak high, s1 and s2 !! usually with shows i only like s1 best, but w heartbreak high i literally ADOREDDD s2, the finale was so good !!! im also watching the gentlemen (the show) rn, and i rllyyy like it hehe. tried watching tick tick boom again bcs I'd actually dropped it midway when it had first released bcs that one scene where she was like "you're thinking of a song rn aren't you" was so stress inducing that I had 2 click away 💀💀 n then i forgot abt it. picked it up again and omg it's actually so good how did I miss it the first time 😭😭😭

oh yeah I also liked the fall of the house of usher . also ! another incompleted thing but im also in the midst of watching the three of us (film). its so good !! i loved the atmosphere and cast performances can't wait 2 see how it turns out :))

[this-is-krikkit]

Hi Krikkit! How's your day going?

For the character game *drum roll*: LESLIE KNOPE

Thought I'd change things up a bit to explore some of our other shared fandoms 😅

xoxo

hey Alice, thanks for suggesting this one! i miss parks badly these days (tlou and nick offerman starring in it might have a lil to do with that) and i love that we share that fandom too, so kudos to you for that idea 🤗

favorite thing about her: her determination!!! she's so fucking stubborn when she wants to get something done, and she'll find a way to reach her goal no matter what! we have chosen to stan forever.

least favorite thing about them: how aware i am that i would not be able to stand her energy irl lmao like i love her a lot but anyone who tries to wake me up early the one time a month i get to sleep in WILL be killed

favorite line: "the only thing i will be waving is your decapitated head on a stick in front of your weeping mother!!" bc i love an overcompetitive drama queen who struggle to bury her feelings so deep that they end up sounding like over the top death threat during model UN ♥️♥️

brOTP: leslie x ron were always my fave friendship of the show, even before their epic scene in the last season

OTP: benslie is love, benslie is life. it's the healthiest relationship i've ever seen depicted on a TV show, and it's refreshing that they didn't destroy that for the sake of comedy like it happens so often (monica x chandler in friends, barney x robin in himym... i could go on)

nOTP: i guess anything that's not leslie x ben? i didn't like her with the cop dude, although he was funny. they never felt half as genuine and soft and perfect as benslie did from the very beginning

random headcanon: she tried being a supportive spouse and reading ben's star trek fanfiction once, thought it was cool but whatever yk, until ben joked that there probably were fanfic authors who wrote US historical figures fics out there. it was the beginning of a VERY long summer where leslie posted about 30 historically accurate M to E rated works on ao3, 2 of which were over 100k words multichapters. ben, half horrified and half impressed, commented dutifully on each chapter, even getting into virtual fights with rightists (is that a word?) who called leslie names bc they disagreed with the politics aspects of her fics, and even though nothing beats that actual real life punch he once threw to defend her honor, his internet chivalry effectively turned her on still. they had a short but intense reign as ao3's most productive power couple before the triplets came back from chris and ann's for school and they had to focus on their parenting roles + her presidential campaign again.

unpopular opinion: idk how unpopular it is, but there was never a doubt in my mind that she's the president at the very end of the series?? like ik they left a doubt there on purpose, but seriously, does anyone really think leslie's story ends with her being the first lady and not the fucking president when it's been her dream forever?? how rude can the universe be

song i associate with her: sadly, the get on your feet and make it happen campaign song x) anytime i hear her name that's what i think about and it's horrible bc it won't leave my headdd

favorite picture of her: leslie in a suit!!!!!!!!?????? 😍🥰🥵 that hair length and color suited her best too imo, oh god i miss her now 😭

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 09/12/2023 (Christmas Garbage, Taylor Swift)

Content warning: It’s beginning to look a lot like…

Merry Christmas! It’s not like it’s barely December or anything. “Last Christmas” by Wham! is #1, again, and in fact most of the top five is Christmas. Mariah’s at #2, and “Fairytale of New York”, undoubtedly boosted by the tragic passing of the Pogues’ lead singer Shane MacGowan, is at #4. Otherwise, Jack Harlow’s at #3 with “Lovin’ on Me” and Noah Kahan of all people is at #5 with “Stick Season”. Yeah, it’s holiday season, the structure’s out the window, it’s REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

In fact, it’s the holidays, let’s get that stuff out of the way first. Entering the UK Top 75 - which is what I cover - for the first week this year, we have some absolute classics, some of my personal favourites, like “What Christmas Means to Me” by Stevie Wonder at #75, “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders at #70, “Stop the Cavalry” by Jona Lewie at #68 and “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay at #50. These are some of the earliest highest positions these songs have ever had, and I am so thankful for that because these are, in my opinion, the best ones. Oh, and there’s also… the rest, with “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley at #73, “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby at #67, “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives at #61, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by The Jackson 5 at #52 (for some reason, the Official Charts Company credits MJ here separately as well), “Let it Snow, Let it Snow!” by Frank Sinatra at #45 (OCC adds an extra “Let it Snow” here for some reason), “The Christmas Song (A Merry Christmas to You)” by Nat King Cole at #43 and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love at #42. In the top 40, we don’t see any returns but it is chock-full of holiday tunes, some of which re-peaked or reached a new peak. Those are Jorja Smith’s cover of “Stay Another Day” at #26 and Sam Ryder’s “You’re Christmas to Me” at #12 of course thanks to Amazon, but this is also the highest “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me” by Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande has been at #23, with Ari also hitching a re-peak for “Santa Tell Me” at #11. Michael Bublé’s butchered “Holly Jolly Christmas” is at #21 for the first time and Dean Martin’s “Let it Snow” (this time, correctly said three times) peaks at #17. Like I said last week, this is a strong Christmas year and we may see even more of these for older tracks.

Given we obviously don’t have any non-Christmas gains, let’s take a look at what dropped out this week to make room, or at least the notable ones which, you should know the jist of by now. We bid a temporary farewell to “Selecta” by Chase & Status featuring Stefflon Don, “Won’t Forget You” by Jax Jones, D.O.D and Ina Wroldsen featuring The Blackout Crew, “Now that We Don’t Talk” (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) by Taylor Swift, “ten” by Fred again.. and Jozzy, “One of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan, “IDGAF” by Drake featuring Yeat, “Me & U” by Tems, “Would You (go to bed with me?)” by Campbell and Alcemist, assisted by a remix with Caity Baser, “Black Friday” by Tom Odell, “Disconnect” by Chase & Status and Becky Hill, “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa from Barbie, “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus from… the year 2000 and finally, “Pompeii” by Bastille.

That’s a really mixed bag when it comes to quality but I feel like the same actually can’t be said for our debuts, which should be a short little romp but honestly also promise quality out of the gate.

NEW ARRIVALS

#72 - “Everywhere, Everything” - Noah Kahan

Produced by Gabe Simon and Noah Kahan

This is actually a deep cut from Stick Season but of course, it recently got a duet version released so here it is charting, alas in its original version because… that’s OCC for you. How is the original song? Well, Kahan’s been a bit hit or miss for me but this one’s definitely quite Christmassy so it’s a fitting week to debut, especially the opening line of “it’s been a long time” and shaking percussion that is bothersomely in the centre of the mix but still sounds like sleigh bells over the otherwise pretty bare acoustic guitar balladeering, until of course, you get the expected crash into stomp-rock melodrama and, sorry, I just think this formula has been done better, and the chorus here is actually kind of insufferable with the inflections. I suppose the loving-you-until-the-end conceit is cute and well done, but it also doesn’t really fit with the stop-and-start rhythm. I don’t know, it’s really an awkward one, one that I don’t feel makes much of a lasting impact, and adding Gracie Abrams of all people is decidedly not going to help it out at least for me. It’s still alright though, and there is a level of quality here in the songwriting that sometimes you don’t even get on a chart week so I’m not complaining.

#63 - “Jingle Bells” - Meghan Trainor

Produced by a scumbag, a maggot and a cheap lousy…

Listen, even if this wasn’t an Amazon original, I don’t think I’d review this. It’s like cactus repellant. Naturally I went into my batch of song suggestions and this time picked out “Lights” by Charlotte Plank and Hybrid Minds. Plank is a UK singer who hit the top 10 this year with “Dancing is Healing”, and she’s working with yet another drum and bass act, Hybrid Minds being active in liquid funk since around 2012, though they’ve mostly avoided charting. Released in September, I’m honestly kind of surprised this didn’t chart with Plank’s low-register… terribly-mixed vocals, amidst the clashing mix of reggae piano chords, lowly guitars and overwhelming multi-tracking that sadly lessens the impact of that drop into heavy breakbeats a bit… but when it does come in, I mean, it’s a cheat code to drop in some Amen breaks. I could care less about the lyrics here, but it is a shame that outside of that drop, I don’t find much to like, mostly because for a song in this genre, there’s just not much actually there. I think there’s a secretly great atmospheric drum and bass track here, it just needs more layers and less focus on the hyperactive drop. Still a decent song though, and I appreciate the suggestion. I just don’t think this particular one is for me, though I may find songs I like in both catalogues here so I’ll definitely check out more when I get the chance.

#56 - “MY HOUSE” - Beyoncé

Produced by The-Dream and Beyoncé

You can kind of tell that this is a concert film leftover. I’m sure that the film itself is actually brilliant even if self-indulgent because, I mean, it’s Beyoncé and RENAISSANCE is my favourite album of hers by far, but I can’t exactly expect the same budget for vintage sample collage and hard-hitting, dynamic dance tracks for what is essentially a B-side penned solely by Bey and The-Dream. That doesn’t mean it’s not good though because it absolutely is. That smug chuckle that starts the song before the crowd vocal against triumphant horns set this up to be a killer at a live show, so it’s fitting it was for the concert film. Bey also has a violent rasp to her yelling delivery here, not sliding on the beat but instead spitting all over those strings and military drums, and if that’s The-Dream on backing vocals in her verse, God, I’ve never heard him like that. It doesn’t settle for that victory lap though because you know the Queen has to start riffing her way into a completely new song with an even tighter techno groove and wiry, almost neurotic bass synth that just goes crazy, especially with the shifting industrial percussion and Bey holding it down so effortlessly, to the point where it sounds kind of weird when she actually does put in effort, delivering an inspirational spoken word piece that sounds like a sample over another layered harmony vocal that sounds like another sample, but it’s all Bey. It’s actually kind of brilliant in that regard, and I can sigh at her touting her album as anywhere close to “revolutionary”, but If I did, I’d be complaining about pretty much the fabric of the entire album… and that amount of eye-rolling may be better fit for another time because this is a very solid diva house track, even for just a loosie release.

#44 - “Winter Wonderland” (Spotify Singles Holiday) - Laufey

Produced by Laufey and Spencer Stewart

I mean, it’s immediately better than what Amazon churns out because I can actually hear it. Anyway, our story for this one begins all the way back in 1934, when American composers Felix Bernard and Richard Bernhard Smith - yes, both Bernards - wrote this song that’s really just about romance in the Winter, not necessarily Christmas. First recorded by jazz bandleader Richard Himber and his orchestra, it’s been covered a barely countable number of times since, with new arrangements, compositions and added lyrics showing up from time to time. It makes complete sense for Laufey, who mostly dabbles in a vintage kind of jazz-pop, to cover this, and yeah, it sounds good, of course it is. The classy mix is actually less subtle than I’d perhaps want for such an easy-going song but it’s a pretty clean arrangement outside of that, and Laufey, though I feel she struggles to be all that convincing of a performer, has a warm, rich undertone and definitely some little nuances of personality that make this a worthwhile edition to this catalogue of covers. Whilst we’re here, I may as well give a brief history of the song on the UK Singles Chart, as this is the sixth version. Whilst composed in the 1930s, the charts didn’t exist then and it didn’t appear until 1958, with somehow-still-alive Johnny Mathis’ version that, whilst short-lived, did peak at #17, becoming the highest-charting “Winter Wonderland”, though I barely see it floating on streaming these days. It really started picking up in the 90s, as the late Doris Day’s version, originally released in 1964, was doubled with her version of “The Christmas Song” for a 1990 re-release that peaked at #87. Dream pop band Cocteau Twins released an EP called Snow in 1993 that of course charted on the Singles Chart at #58, doubling their version up with a cover of “Frosty the Snowman”. Macy Gray’s 1999 version resurged and peaked at #76 in 2008, and then the several renditions by the late Tony Bennett, both the solo version from 1968 and the Lady Gaga duet from 2014, probably helped him land a chart placement with his version in 2019. It re-charted and peaked at #94 last year and given he sadly passed this year, I imagine we may see a new peak, possibly in the top 75. This little chart history anecdote may be my favourite part of writing this series, so just for funsies, when the versions of “Winter Wonderland” hit their peak, these songs were #1: “It’s Only Make Believe” by Conway Twitty, “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice (also a pretty cold song), “Babe” by Take That (dethroning Mr. Blobby, may I add), Alexandra Burke’s cover of “Hallelujah”, “Merry Christmas” by Ed Sheeran and Elton John and of course, “Last Christmas”. It just goes to show you the longevity of this composition.

#20 - “You’re Losing Me” (From the Vault) - Taylor Swift

Produced by Jack Antonoff

You know you’re in the dregs of 2023 when several songs on your new entries list have subtitles. Jokes aside, this is one of Taylor Swift’s best songs: about her deteriorating relationship with Joe Alwyn, the track lyrically focuses on what may be the saddest ending to a relationship, that being gradual disconnect, especially when one person doesn’t even notice that something is wrong. The song acts as both a desperate plea to Alwyn to just rip the band-aid and end the relationship as well as a plea to herself to be the brave one and put an end to something that seemed perfect and is now far off the deep end, and not because of volatility or a toxic, abusive relationship, but instead, it just… doesn’t click into place the way it looked like it was going to. It’s a profoundly sad song, especially with the bridge demonstrating all the value and hard work Taylor is putting into this relationship only to see it not crumble, but fade in a tedious loss, and the production exemplifies this excellently, with the stray, pulsing synth bass - a killer detail considering that chorus - and the dynamic mix of airy synths from Jack Antonoff, as well as the production on Taylor’s voice, accentuating the human sighs whilst drowning some of her faded platitudes in Auto-Tune and multi-tracking, as she ends up on the opposite side of the room to her ex-partner. The strings are rushed against the quick yet oddly despondent drums, that feel like card just barely carrying the song on its shoulders. The harmonies and riffs in the second pre-chorus just sound so disconnected and sad; there are a lot of voices but none of them particularly stand out in how detailed yet scarce the song really is, thickening the air with indecision as she sings. The way the strings careen in the start of that bridge is one of my favourite moments in pop music this year, it’s an absolutely brilliant song, probably a perfect one in all honesty, and whilst I know it won’t stick around, it doesn’t mean it’s not a quality song. “My face was grey but you couldn’t admit we were sick” is a devastating line, gives me chills honestly. It took… nearly all year, but the Swifties have won me over big-time with this one. Christmas miracle.

Conclusion

Yeah, I mean Taylor Swift gets Best of the Week for “You’re Losing Me” and pretty handedly, but I should say that Beyoncé doesn’t trail far behind with the Honourable Mention for “MY HOUSE”. As for the worst, it goes to Noah Kahan by default for “Everywhere, Everything” but I really do think the song is okay, teetering on pretty decent, so take it with a grain of salt. We may actually get some competition amidst the festive onslaught with Nicki Minaj and Tate McRae, but part of me doubts they’ll end up too high. As for now, thank you for reading, rest in power to Benjamin Zephaniah, and I’ll see you next week!

[liauditore]

is there any voicaloid songs you think capture bigB pretty well‽

OH MY GOD THANK YOU FOR ASKING... MY SAVIOUR I CAN FINALLY RAMBLE ABT MY STUPID PLAYLISTS. ANON I LOVE YOU.

so first off bouquet garni ofc . i did a whole drawing abt it so i won't go into detail here but yeah it's so him.

in general he's very inabakumori-coded imo but especially float play i mean just. i mean come on.

A pacifist till yesterday had dawned

and lost umbrella too. this specific remix i think adds kind of a chaoticness that suits last life bigb and his whole thing with cleo rlly well.

Leaving soon, pleading with you Right before the rain will soak me through They could still try to kill me while I have no view, and there’s nothing at all I can do Letting go never came, my hands stay dripping with rain Never gained a sense of things I had to face What I’d end up dropping someday

and lagtrain. cus it's lagtrain.

this is maybe getting a bit into unhinged headcanons territory but i really like associating Like a Dog with his relationship with Ren specifically (i mayhaps have Too Many thoughts about those two). I don't expect anyone else to see what I see but um yeah something about the passive aggression Bigb has towards him in Double Life, how they always end up together every season, something about how Ren will always drag Bigb into his murderous plans etc. etc.

deathly loneliness attacks tends to be either a bigb or a jimmy song depending on the day for me. specifically mercAU!bigb but i havent even drawn him yet so i cant rlly say anything.

that nameless kisaragi station song is another one i relate to my very obscure headcanons lmao but if you squint i think the clown to clown communication might get through a little bit?? 😭😭

something something the evo players having more awareness of the time loop than the others. plus his relationship with grian. idk if u see it u see it im not a cop.

I only wanted to go meet a friend tonight But it’s over now so good night

None can see me even if they try Where the hell am I? Doomed to never truly die I tried my best to keep you safe and sound But that wasn’t quite enough to stop it was it?

but yeah!! i hope at least one of these tickled ur brain??

i feel like with bigb there's like.. this distinct flavour of angst that's not quite edgy enough to be people allergy and not quite self-loathing enough to be nonsense speaker (although if your headcanons for him land more in that territory i highly recommend those songs).

there's like this specific flavour of dulled acceptance he has with his own shortcomings that i don't see talked about often. it's not like he doesn't care, he just goes with whatever happens to him like his opinion doesn't really matter and no one listens anyway so what's the point in trying to fight it. he's like the quiet middle child who doesn't 'cause trouble' so he gets overlooked as a result even if he's technically doing everything right lol

(and he's on the edge of snapping as a result. constantly. but he would never. like im gonna do something bad-- im gonna do something REALLY bad-- and then he never does)

and sometimes that ends in disaster (him and cleo) or bottled up resentment (him and ren) and other times it provides some much-needed stability (him and grian or pearl).

i think uh 'resigned' is a good word for it. yeah he's resigned to it all.

but yeah so uh i like bigb

[daydreamreality]

Gilmore Girls Season 1 Thoughts

The ending scene and needle drop gave me chills, what a lovely note to end on. Even though I’m not personally excited about what the girls are, it’s so nice to see them in unbridled enthusiasm together. I just love them so much. 

In the past, I’ve viewed this season as kind of blah, just waiting through it to get to the juicier stories and more interesting romantic interests. This isn’t completely untrue now, but it doesn’t feel as boring to me in this rewatch. It’ll probably move up in my season ranking. This has mostly to do with how well the show sets up the familial conflict of the Gilmores, and at this point in my life that’s the most interesting part of the show to me (all of the family dynamics). Maybe I’ve also become [slightly] less cynical as well, and Stars Hollow doesn’t feel as much of a hellscape as it did before. Starting the rewatch in dreary fall and enjoying the warmth, fun and comfort and wanting to look at this show with positivity instead of getting frustrated with it (which tbh is part of the fun for me) probably helps as well. Under the cut is some evolving opinions from many years of watching this show.

The Gilmores: Not much has changed. My admiration for Kelly Bishop continues to grow. I’ve got this idea floating around in my head that the core of Emily and Lorelai’s relationship and why I don’t see much hope in it ever improving is that they both have each other’s number and neither party is comfortable with that.

Tristan: He’s awful and I will always feel that way, but I actually enjoyed having him around this time for Rory’s characterization. Also, in future seasons Chilton gets a lot more screen time and those stories are generally not as interesting; I think this season balanced it well.

At first, she’s overwhelmed by his bullying and doesn’t know how to react but once she’s had enough…oh boy. Watching her verbally dress him down and not let him get away with his attempts to break her will and “just go out with meeeee whine” is so satisfying. She doesn’t let him push her around or try to “out-logic” her; he’s not as skilled at this misdirection as Logan, probably due to age on his part and she’s a lot more grounded and less perpetually stressed out like when she’s at Yale. And yet, she attempts to be his friend and is empathetic towards him. She cares about being truthful and not hurting his feelings about the kiss. (“I think someone is recovering from their heartbreak just fine.” This right here is what I’m saying about ABs acting skill! Perfect tone.) But even despite her empathy, she doesn’t let his mistreatment make her forget her boundaries. This is the Rory I know and love and who she is at the core. Strong. Understanding. Empathic. Sees the best in people. But knows what’s best for her.

Dean: As a teenager: “yawn, I guess the lead has to have a romantic interest, whatever.”

Last rewatch: seeing and getting angry about his toxicity, probably a bit too early if I’m being honest. The early scenes, not my thing but I don’t need to pick apart every little thing. Now I’ve got a concise way to express what I don’t like about the relationship, put into words after hearing Rory’s outburst at the town meeting: he doesn’t let Rory talk.

Because sometimes you have something you need to say but you can't because the words won't come out or you get scared or you feel stupid, so if you could write a song and sing it then you could say what you need to say…and people would listen…

The “I love you” scene in the car has been discussed ad nauseam but the fact he wouldn’t give her any space to explain herself is what angers me the most. I get that he’s a teenager and it hurts to feel like you’re more into the relationship than the other party, but if he let her talk and listened I could forgive a little easier the impromptu breakup or it could have gone better. But I don’t know, I don’t think he was emotionally mature enough to understand how her upbringing could make her tentative about saying “I love you.” She wanted to be certain in her feelings and knew it meant a lot, and with her voracious reading habit, probably has an idea of what love may feel like and needed time to assess. Him mocking her for that pisses me off. My criticism of him is similar to how I feel about Max: both of these guys don’t know their respective Gilmore girl and have made them into shiny objects to admire but not treat as full human beings. Maybe a bit harsh, but I’m dramatic.

I have no tolerance for angry jealousy which affects how I see this character. If Dean was played in a way that showed more confusion, sadness, or vulnerability, I could have more compassion for the character. But his hair-trigger anger, I just can’t with it.

Max: Alright, this guy is where most of my opinions have changed. Before it was just “yawn, okay whatever, of course she’s going to date other people before Luke.” Now? I do not trust this guy to make good relational decisions. This is my in-the-moment reaction, but it basically sums it up. Good chemistry does not necessarily lead to a real connection. That’s really all this relationship was - an attraction - which is fine if it didn’t involve Rory so heavily, especially since I don’t think Lorelai was seriously considering lifelong commitment to him - maybe as a fantasy, a “what if?”, but not for real. Neither of them really knew the other. Lorelai at this point in her life should have some fun and get back in the dating game to figure out what she’s looking for in a relationship if that’s what she wants, but at the expense of her daughter’s boundaries especially at a new school where she’s having a tough time…it’s rough.

It’s hard for me to be mad at Lorelai. 1) I love her. Just to get that out of the way. 2) The way she gets into this relationship and talks about Max highlights her optimistic outlook, desire to explore and wanting something better for herself - I don’t know if he is the one, but he could be. These are good traits but unfortunately, she’s blinded by them. 3) She was thinking about how this would affect Rory! I hated the moment where Max proposes that, like he’s got this amazing idea he totally came up with himself, they should take a break to figure things out when she was the one advocating for that from the beginning?? 

The scene where Max talks to Rory about Dean at school was so uncomfortable and inappropriate. I don’t necessarily get controlling vibes from Max or that he was trying to worm his way into their lives, but he was so out of line here. Him and Lorelai hadn’t seriously discussed expectations and boundaries in their relationship (which honestly, when does anyone in this show). And then he thought it would be a good idea to get married?? Giant flaming wtf.

[mg549]

tagged by @graveyardrabbit 👍!

last song: mama by mcr <3

currently watching: nothing 😔✊idk its hard to get me to watch tv shows. oh i did jst remember like 2 years ago or sth i started watching Every X-Files Ever with a big excel sheet of all my opinions and shit. but its been hard to get thru bc the later seasons have not been very enjoyable and also ive been Busy with work n putting out consistent art n shit that its hard to justify sitting down and not doing anything for that long ig. ive also slowly been getting thru various slasher franchises&watching iconic horror movies since i love horror but havent watched a lot of the movies, &its easier for me to get thru an hour and a half of sth Complete than 45 mins of a Part of a larger story. the original scream is def the cream of the crop of what ive seen so far, meanwhile i watched the first saw last night and it was incredibly stupid and frustrating to watch. 9/11 rly took its toll on media

currently reading: 😶 even harder than videos bc i absolutely cannot multitask while reading. recently finished frankenstein (which i started literally almost 3 years prior (its not that long or difficult i jst struggle to justify spending time on things that i dont consider “work” in my brain) (also it was p good but you could literally cut out the second part and the story would benefit imo it jst rly slogs down the pace and axes any tension for a lot of details that could be conveyed much quicker if they were explained in less detail)) and the communist manifesto (didnt take nearly as long bc its like pamphlet length gbdkjd) edit everyone go read izroulia actually a new series came out today&i haven't been able to read it yet but its been keeping me going fr i love how earnest it is in being itself its such a good piece of safe media for me if that makes sense

current obsession: ughhhhhhhhh ive been in between obsessions for a lil bit i feel like. idk this is sth i struggle w/ bc the last thing i felt fully like Enveloped in was the adventure zone (orig. arc) which ended. 5 years ago. lemon demon&lemonville came shortly after but it was hard to feel it was on the same scale bc it was actively in creation as i was there and associated #Drama also lessened its grip faster than it would’ve had it been like an existing show or sth. plus theres less ppl obvs. had a brief good omens phase but it burned out pretty quick bc i had so thoroughly dissected it very quickly. &since then ive kind of jst been cycling between existing interests (monster high/fashion dolls in general, mercreatures, creepypasta/slenderman/horror in general) plus the occasional mcr blast but it doesnt quite Grip the same bc there arent like Characters i can rotate. the best ive gotten is obsessing over my own ocverses but its not the same.... idk i rly rly Want to feel the Passion that fandom brings but none of the media thats blown up interests me enough to consider consuming the media or i take a peak&dont like it cause im picky...idk my fundamental problem is that im picky and hard to please bc i can deconstruct things so easily to see its Bones and if a story is more surface level and straightforward and easy to understand its hard for me to keep my attention on it at the stage of my life im in. that being said aquamarine is my fave movie tho so. but then again i think ppl jst write it off cause its a chick flick. idk recommend me things but dont be surprised if its not my vibe ig

ummmmmmmmmmm idk who to tag u can do this if u want to&say i tagged u but i think i was kinda a bummer w/ these answers so 😔✊

[myladyofmercy]

I got tagged by @tessabennet to do a

8 shows to get to know me

list and she did it as a kind of watch history and I loved that method so I am copying it

1. h2o: just add water

this show defined my childhood. i was obsessed. i remember only being allowed to watch the rewatches on saturday mornings but not the premieres that came mondays through thursdays. when s3 came around my parents allowed me to record the episodes on vhs and then watch the episode the next day. when the finale aired i had a friend come over after school the next day and we watched the last two episodes even tho she already watched them the night before. in the scene where lewis walks down the stairs in slow mo she pulled out her flip phone and recorded the scene because she thought he looked so cute.

also rikki made me gay and i was always her when we played mermaids in the pool.

2. glee

my first big teenage obsession. i think i started watching when season 2 was airing. the last two seasons took so fucking long to come out dubbed that it was the first time i streamed an episode right after it aired in the us even tho my english wasn't that good yet. i also got my mom and my aunt to watch it. my aunts favorite was finn and when i read that cory had died i called her right before bed to tell her and she told me later she couldn't sleep that night.

my favorite characters were quinn and kurt. quinn made me gay(er)

also i wasn't in fandom spaces back then so i managed to escape all the crazy shit that went on in the fandom back then but i have met some new friends recently who were in it and told me some horror stories and i really feel like I dodged a bullet.

3. gossip girl

i only watched this show after it aired but it's so messy and a definite guily pleasure.

also unpopular opinion but my favorite character was jenny (i am also obsessed with her band and their music and covered two of their songs in my school rockband)

4. the originals

i always preferred the originals over the vampire diaries because i just liked klaus and the other mikaelsons more than elena and co. i also became obsessed with the soundtrack of the show and used to listen to the tracks on youtube and would then convert my faves. that's how i discovered my love for ruelle.

5. shameless

another big obsession I discovered between s4 and s5 airing. i remember crying real tears when ian and mickey broke up in s5. i think gallavich was the first pairing i watched fanedits on youtube for and also how i discovered twenty one pilots and my ultimate beloved florence and the machine. i also had a fan account on instagram at one point that got some likes from emma kenney.

6. supernatural

oh supernatural.

i discovered the show at a very low point in my life and bingewatched 10 seasons back to back while staying home from school. destiel was the first ship i ever read fic for (twist and shout anyone?) and even tho this show went on for wayyyy to long and made some very questionable choices it still has a place in my heart.

7. 911

at this point in time this show is probably my biggest obsession right now (probably because a new season is airing right now) i saw gifs of buck and abby on tumblr when the first season was airing in 2018 but only started watching when the spin off started and i rediscovered it via tumblr during s3. i have done multiple rewatches at this point and this show can truly make you laugh, cry, look away in disgust and believe in humanity at the same time.

also either buddie is the best slow burn of all time or the biggest queerbait since destiel and i am down for the ride.

8. young royals

where do i even begin with this show. it showed up on tumblr in july of 2021 and then i watched it the second weekend of the month and my life changed. since then i have started being truly active on tumblr, creating content myself, reading fanfic earnestly and by some great writers who i can call friends now, learning swedish (even tho the bird scares me), found a bunch of friends from all over the world and flew to fucking canada all on my own to visit people i met through this show. like what the fuck. even tho my obsession is a bit dormant right now they have just started filming the third and last season and as the amount of content will grow my obsession will too. i know it.

-

okay so this was a fucking essay but i really enjoyed this little deep dive into my watch history and even tho i don't expect anyone to do this I'm gonna tag some of my lovely friends (who i may or may not have found through that small swedish show at 8.)

@tooindecisivetopickaurl @i-love-semicolons @prince-simon @angelbabysimon @cloudywilmon @royalwilmon @oatmilkovich @ungaroyals @aro-of-artemis @little---versailles @cantputitintowords

[golden--doodler]

Hey there it's me :D! Just gotta ask you back your, hmm, favorite bobs burgers episodes?

Omg, thank you so muchhhhh this question is too good (and also too hard ahhhhhhhhhh there are just so many and too many good episodes). This show, I swear, so thank you for giving me an excuse to ramble about it. I shall try to make a Top Ten or Top Eleven episodes, depending on how I feel right now:

--First of all, I gotta mention Season 3, Episode 7 "Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks" because of that iconic opening scene alone, oh my lord, Tina (Tina, you're kinda gonna hit the only other car in the parking lot. TINA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD EITHER TURN AWAY OR STOP YOU'RE GONNA, HIT THE BRAKES--). Also, that freaking scene of Bob and Linda pretending their kids drowned because of the dark humor alone and Bob just ripping his shirt and shouting, I can't.

--Season 3, Episode 16 "Topsy" also keeps coming back as one of my favorites because Gene's song "Electric Love" is just so--how did he write this, it's such a beautiful masterpiece, it plays on repeat in my head, it's the best love song ever. Also, Louise just having beef with the teacher, Mr. Dinkler, is quite entertaining. And Gayle and Mr. Fischoeder having a romance that only lasts this episode is pretty great.

--Season 4, Episode 3 "Seaplane!" is great as well just because of how loyal Linda is to Bob ("Yeah, I'm married, you idiot!"). And also her headbutting Kurt and saying "I was gonna punch you, but I'm holding wine" is hilarious. Plus, it's great seeing Bob and Linda each have an awesome moment with Bob cutting the rope and Linda navigating the plane upwards at the last moment. And Tina having her moment fantasizing about kissing a bunch of people on the island, hahaha.

--The Wharf Horse Season 4 two-part finale is a masterpiece and no one can tell me otherwise, God, why does this two-part finale continuously live rent-free in my bed (it has ever since I watched it for the first time, and I vividly remember watching it for the first time). "Nice Things Are Nice" and "Bad Things Are Bad" are a couple of my absolute FAVORITE numbers of the show, they're just structured so perfectly and satisfyingly, it's almost hard to put into words why I love them so much ("Ooh, I love this dress, does it come in size three?"). And the outro for part one is incredible, shout out to John Roberts because yes. I just love the little things in this episode--in my opinion, this two-parter is a better introduction to Felix Fischoeder than his actual introduction (yes, I do enjoy that episode, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone, and I do love how he changes up the bathroom and the new design is kept for the rest of the series) but he's just so deliciously malicious in this two-parter before eventually having a change of heart, only for Fanny to swoop in. These were definitely the biggest stakes the show had before the movie swooped in with Grover Fischoeder and Cotton Candy Dan's murder, and I love the family reaffirming their love for each other when they think they're gonna die. And the detail that Bob was told about Linda being pregnant with Louise on the Ferris Wheel and screaming. Also shoutout to Tina for at least trying to save Mr. Goiter and being absolutely adorable as a toddler.

--I also really like Season 5, Episode 5 "Best Burger" and I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion or not. I love that it's one of the first big Gene and Bob moments we get, with Bob telling Gene that he loves Gene, faults and all, it's adorable (I could talk all day about why I love Bob and Gene's relationship in particular). Also the gag with the kids telling the storeowner they ban him when he tries to ban them, hahahahah. And then the judges hating Jimmy Pesto Sr.'s burger at the end is so satisfying.

--Also love Season 6, Episode 1 "Sliding Bobs" simply because it told the story of how Bob and Linda met (Boblin forever--I could also talk all day about why I love them). The rest of the episode I might not rank as high, only because it mainly just consists of the kids telling random "What-If" stories, but Tina's "What-If" story with Linda marrying Hugo instead is actually hilarious, especially Louise calling Tina a monster for making Charlize so sweet.

--Season 7, Episode 5 "Large Brother, Where Fart Thou?" because Gene actually being a big brother and standing up for Louise is just the best and sweetest thing ever. Also, Bob and Linda tripping out on weed cookies together is amazing ("We're old! We have kids!" :O).

--Season 7, Episode 18 "The Laser-Inth" because Bob is at his best in this episode as a Father. His comforting Gene after Gene has sensory overload while watching the show is incredible, poor Gene, honestly, just because of how excited he was before they got there. And then Gene actually enjoying the song when Bob just plays it in the car, and then them figuring out a way to sneak back in. Oh yes, this episode also contains one of my favorite inappropriate Gene lines (still have no idea if he knew what he was doing or not with this line): "Just imagine being in there, having an incredible climax!" And also when Bob mishears Gene at the end "I love you too son! :D" awwwwwwww. The side plot is kinda fun, too, but admittedly not as memorable as the main plot. I do love seeing Gretchen again, and Louise actually getting attached to her dinner doll, and Tina, despite her fear of the dolls, wants to give Louise a chance to sneak it out and keep it. It's nice but pretty simple.

--Season 8, Episode 21 "Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters For You" just has my whole heart because of how freaking sweet it is the entire time, it's almost like a cupcake in episode form. Linda comforting Bob and trying to remind him that he does make a difference making burgers, and then her realization that the couple they're catering for DO care about each other and lot and WILL make it after all is just great, and the fact that a couple fell in love in the restaurant in the first place is so, so heartwarming. The kids' subplot is pretty simple, but actually pretty sweet as well because they're just hanging out and having a contest to photobomb as many pictures as they can, it's great. And Louise actually upholds her word at the end when she loses. Also good lord, what was Bob looking up that had Linda so impressed and even slightly turned on? Hahaha.

--Season 3, Episode 10 "Mother Daughter Laser Razor", because Louise affirming the fact that she does, in fact, care about Linda is just very nice. Also, the flashback with Linda and Louise as a baby had me in stitches. Also, that scene where Louise punches Logan for liking "Freaky Friday". Ooh, ooh, and the "Where is Harry Truman" song. Wonderful. Plus, I love how much Gene wants to get his legs shaved like Tina and Bob.

--And finally, after a lot of deliberation, the last episode on the main list is Season 5, Episode 17 "The Itty Bitty Ditty Committee". I love seeing how Gene's band came to be and just learning that he only knows one chord is hilarious. It was interesting seeing him question if music was the right path for him, only for Tina and Louise to sweep in and remind him why he loves it so much in the first place.

Here are some Honorable Mentions (episodes I also love but didn't quite make the full cut):

--I gotta mention Season 4 Episode 17 "The Equestranauts" real quick for giving Bob a tattoo which they kept for the rest of the series, and the lengths he went to for Tina in this episode. Also, her wanting to stop playing with toys after everything Bob went through and him getting super mad and forcing her to play with Chariot at the end pffffffffft.

--I have to mention Season 4, Episode 5 "Turkey in a Can" because of Bob's line "I'm straight. I mean... I'm mostly straight". Yes. Perfection. One of the best lines. And him remembering potty-training Tina is just so sweet, I love it.

--Season 7, Episode 9 "Bob Actually" because it's adorable all around, I love the Louise/Rudy kiss in particular and Louise slapping him, hahaha. Also, Bob learning breakdancing for Linda is incredible, he needs to do it more in the show.

--Season 10, Episode 1 "The Ring (But Not Scary)" deserves a mention because it seriously shows just how dedicated Bob is to Linda, getting her the engagement ring for her that he was never able to when they actually got engaged (made me very emotional). Also, Linda's speech to Bob about their love not being in a ring but in everything they built together is one of the most beautiful things ever. It just loses a few points because of the fact that dang it, I just wanted Linda to get the darn ring because even though she doesn't need it, she does deserve it. At least the kids were genuinely remorseful about losing it and seeing Nat the Limo Driver is always a treat.

--Season 11, Episode 6 "Bob Belcher and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Kids" is one I'm mentioning literally just because of the song in this episode. God, why do I love it so much??? Why is it so catchy??? I particularly love when Louise is just like "It's nice to get to blame someone else" when it's revealed Hugo started the fire. Is it kind of a copout having Hugo start it? Eh, maybe, but I still like the reveal because it absolves the kids from guilt after they've been completely wracked with it the entire episode. Also, it's just kinda funny, because he acts like an angry kid when Ron forces him to confess.

--I gotta mention Season 11, Episode 11 "Romancing the Beef" because of Hugo finally finding love (I have to admit I was convinced the entire episode that he didn't have anyone coming to meet up with him, but he actually did--good for him) and Bob and Linda saying some of the things they love about each other is the softest, most domestic thing ever, God, everything they do during the Valentine's Day episodes is the best. Also, the outro is hilarious and wonderful.

--Season 11, Episode 12 "Die Card, or Card Trying". Am I just mentioning this because of the outro? Yes. Yes, I am. "Candy Cane Moose" is a masterpiece. And it's always lovely seeing the kids when they were younger in family photos. Plus, I loved seeing Bob get so excited about a juicer Linda got him.

--The "Some Like it Bot" two-parter, Season 12, Episodes 21-22. I really, really dig the musical numbers in both of these episodes that make up the two-parter, especially the one in the second part ("This JPEG is amazing!"). It really does hurt seeing Tina be made fun of so harshly, and her trying to get revenge in such a harsh manner is almost hard to watch. But I love it for that. Also, the fantasy sequences that take place in the "Blade Runner"-inspired world Tina makes up are super fun as well. Also poor Bob--glad they never showed who wrote the graffiti, but I also can't help but be super curious as to who did. It's also interesting seeing Tina actually making some peace with Tammy, even though it doesn't last for that long.

--Season 13, Episode 10 "The Plight Before Christmas" simply because the ending of this episode was EVERYTHING, easily one of the best in the series. It might even be my favorite Christmas episode. I love seeing Louise show her softer side again, her poem legitimately had me in tears. Also, Gene saving the show the sixth graders are putting on was absolutely glorious, and showing him telling Ms. Merkin the entire story during the dialogue-less montage was so sweet. Plus, the outro is just really nice, another one of my favorite outros I didn't mention in my ask to you.

--I gotta mention Season 3, Episode 14 "Lindapendent Woman", because of Linda and Bob's song together and their meeting up again in the store only to get interrupted by a shrimp, I can't with these two. Also, Teddy saying that Linda controls the thermostat masterfully is hilarious, and getting upset that Bob can't do it right. Also, it's extremely impressive that Linda has such a complex monetary system to keep the restaurant from going under. She's so dedicated, it's amazing.

--Season 9, Episode 16 "Roamin' Bobiday", literally just because that ending musical number made me cry, it's so freaking beautiful. Bob's passion is so palpable. Also, seeing the flashback to when he first got burnout is terrifying and hilarious.

--Season 11, Episode 7 "Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid", because I love "Turkey I Need You Beside Me" with all of my heart, and Bob's whole speech about loving to feed Gene is adorable, and just them bonding over turkey/other food during the outro, I love. The stories everyone tells are fun, but unfortunately not nearly memorable enough to be put on the regular list. Plus, I just have to say it's not an actual Thanksgiving episode like all the others.

--Finally, I must mention Season 5, Episode 1 "Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl" because that song is so glorious. Gene is somehow so incredible at writing music in this universe. Also love seeing Courtney back, and her and Gene working together.

I could list so many more episodes (tbh, I want to list them all, but that would defeat the purpose). I'm sure there were so many more I wanted to mention but these were all the definite highlights (also, the initial list wasn't in any particular order, I just wrote them as I remembered them). Did I put more episodes in the Honorable Mentions than in the actual list? Yes, yes I did.

I really loved doing this, actually!