#i can highly recommend every single song on this list

[schnaf]

shuffle your ON REPEAT playlist and list the first 10 songs that play, tag 10 people.

thanks for the tag @blueside-hobi ♥ once again, i'll twist the rules a bit and use my youtube recap.

CODE MISTAKE - CORPSE x Bring Me The Horizon

FAKE LOVE - BTS

Hellevator - Xdinary Heroes

Like a Villain - Bad Omens

Concrete Jungle - Bad Omens

Gaon's solo

Agust D - Agust D

Tomboy - Xdinary Heroes

Chokehold - Sleep Token

Cypher 4 - BTS

I'm tagging @mondfahrt, @setsailtomorrow, @loveyouhomex, @soulminyg and @odeblr ♥

[declanlikesmusic]

never got into vaporwave probably, what projects should i listen to for an introduction??

I always love this question. Finding the best primers to the whole of the vaporwave landscape and introducing new people to them is one of the many things with this genre that I just find so fun. I'm going to try to be as succinct as I can, but I am going to shoutout a lot, specifically twelve, so go ahead and take your time with these.

Macintosh Plus – Floral Shoppe (2011)

The biggest vaporwave album of all time. I will tell you now that this album is by no means perfect, it has quite a mixed reputation among fans & outsiders of the genre, but this is the album to single-handedly define the genre's core ethos in such a highly-concentrated way. If nothing else, this should give you a taste of what inspires and influences the genre most.

Chuck Person's Eccojams Vol. 1 (2010)

By all accounts, this is the very first vaporwave album and to this day, nothing sounds quite like it. A classic array of disorienting, hazy & psychedelic loops of old popular songs that still sound fresh and wholly enveloping.

猫 シ Corp. – HIRAETH (2014)

This one here is to help people gain a better understanding of what your typical standard vaporwave album often sounds like. It's quite varied in a number of subtly different styles & approaches to traditional vaporwave with some ambiance sprinkled in as well.

SAINT PEPSI – Hit Vibes (2013)

Now we're getting into the individual subgenres of vaporwave and while there's a few traditional vaporwave tunes sprinkled in here for variety, this album birthed & defined the genre of future funk with some of the best dance bangers you'll find in the scene. Lots of classy tunes on here, it's an absolute jam.

Blank Banshee – Blank Banshee 0 (2012)

Up to this point, every album I've shared has been intensely sample-based. This album still carries some samples, but it has original beats & synths to establish another subgenre known as vaportrap. It's a great beat tape with some classic tunes and I also recommend its sequel too, which is my favourite vapor album of all time.

ESPRIT 空想 – virtua.zip (2014)

Carrying on from the last album, this one almost doesn't use samples at all and when it does, it's usually an extra sound or instrument at most. I'm putting this here to establish that even basic vaporwave can be crafted from original compositions and the results are short but great.

t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 – 現実を超えて (2014)

What makes vaporwave the way it is and not like any other genre adjacent to it is its intensely heavy focuses on atmosphere more than anything else. So naturally, you're going to see a lot of bridges to ambient music. This first example is the subgenre of slushwave, which crafts the same excellent vaporwave tunes, but additionally filters them through such a wash of effects that transform them into psychedelic & blissful dreamscapes.

식료품groceries – 슈퍼마켓Yes! We're Open (2014)

The next subgenre in this vein is mallsoft, which answers the question of vaporwave being set in the tall & wide spaces of shopping centres by placing relaxing tunes in pools of reverb and letting them sprawl from the loudspeakers of the area's corners. This album is the first big one to establish that with a unique setting and gorgeous sample choices.

2814 – 新しい日の誕生 (2015)

The last of these ambient subgenres is dreampunk, which is a lot like vaportrap in that it heavily relies on its own compositions with very few samples while still retaining the genre's focus on nostalgia, this time set in the melancholic & rainy nights of the urban city through what is at least the second biggest album in the entire genre.

death's dynamic shroud – I'll Try Living Like This (2015)

I'm gonna end this list with a few of the genre's weirdest corners. Vaporwave is constantly wide open to new & unique ways of experimentation and this album stands as the best example of that. Wholly unique aesthetic choices, completely innovative sampling techniques and an overall opus of incredibly strange, surreal & psydchedelic soundscapes.

Infinity Frequencies – Computer Death (2013)

After that, I'll close this list with two examples of an abstract subgenre known by two names. They're synonymous to the greater community & world of music, but I see them as two different approaches. They're both defined by the creation of intensely haunting, isolated & loops of mysterious soundbites extracted from the likes of television & radio. Signalwave is what I use to describe the more accessible & musical end of that sound and this start of a trilogy is the best example for it.

░▒▓新しいデラックスライフ▓▒░ – ▣世界から解放され▣ (2012)

On the other hand, I will leave you with what I consider to be the most divisive vaporwave record of all time. This album defines what is more commonly known as broken transmission and it is much more obtuse, glitchy, dark & surreal to listen to depending on the album. You're going to listen to this and either love it, hate it or sit inbetween. People have taken it as a joke while others view it as a work of art. Approach this one at your own discretion.

That's it! Those are the first 12 vaporwave albums that I will almost always recommend every single one of you to check out first. The greater landscape of vaporwave doesn't start & end with these albums, but instead, they give you the best surface level primer to help dip your toes in to such an amazing genre of music.

[brabblesblog]

Dancing with your ghost

As the final struggle with the Absolute approaches, The Vampire Ascendant can feel his consort slowly becoming more distant.

"He remembers bedding her every single night after the ascension, desperately trying to use what he knew best to regain what was lost, even though he wasn't exactly sure what it was." (Chapter 9)

This is a small character study I made in preparation for chapter 15 of "Whither is thy beloved gone?"

Smut, with a heavy dose of angst. Can be read as a one-shot.

The title and inspiration for this piece comes from this song. I highly recommend listening to it.

Read on AO3.

Masterlist.

Ban closes the door to their room, readjusting her sleeping tunic. She silently makes her way to the communal area, finding a plush chair by the fireplace to sit in.

What a day.

The Wyrm had not been the salvation they were hoping for. Frankly, she didn’t know what to expect, but an undead dragon with a bone to pick with the Emperor was definitely not on the list.

Astarion, of course, had taken everything in stride.

Ban closes her eyes, recalling what happened earlier in the night.

“-exciting, don’t you think, pet?”

His voice, low and sultry as he stands behind her, undoing her armor. The usual nightly routine: undressing her, bathing her, and then fucking her, his hands fisting in her hair and his cock slamming inside her, again and again and again.

“Ban.”

She hears the last of her armor dropping unceremoniously onto the floor. He’s irritated. She moves to face him, and he cups her cheek.

Astarion stares into her eyes, boring into them, willing himself to see something there that isn’t just emptiness for once.

“Did you hear anything I’ve said for the past five minutes?”

She considers the question. “Sure. Ansur, the Emperor.”

She’s fibbing, and he notices. His eyes narrow.

“I said fighting a dragon, undead as it was, is exciting.” He moves forward, his bare torso coming within inches of her own. “But it won’t be exciting as this is, will it?”

He moves his hand to grasp her chin between thumb and forefinger, tilting her face to the side to inspect her neck - where he had bit her the day he changed her, took her for his own for eternity.

And yet he had been losing her, slowly but irrevocably, like sand sifting through his fingers…

He refuses to let that happen.

“Of course,” Ban says, smiling falsely up at him. His eyes are fierce, glowing with simmering rage and something… else, that she cannot figure out. “What would you like to do for tonight?”

She still enjoys it. Sex, carnal pleasure - the only part of him that was still him, the only part that responded as he did then.

Even if it wasn’t exactly the same. Her Astarion hadn’t been quite ready for this. Back then they had touched each other in all the ways that mattered, save one, and the future had looked bright.

At least she could look at him, let the fire in her loins take over, and pretend.

Ban snaps back to the present, distracted by the sensation of someone watching her.

Wyll offers her a wry grin. “Sleepless night?”

“Sort of.” Ban shifts forward as he sits in the chair opposite her. “I assume you’re thinking about the Wyrm.”

The grin falters at those words. Wyll’s gaze moves off to the distance for a second. “I don’t know what my father thought would happen, but I do wish that Ansur could have helped.”

Ban reaches out, grasping Wyll’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. “Nothing’s changed. It’s always been down to us, no? To our little group.”

He nods. “Not a reassuring thought, leaving the fate of so many to us.”

“And why not?” She tries to cheer him up. “We have the Blade of Frontiers! The archmage of Waterdeep. The fury of Avernus. We have the V-”

Her voice catches, and Wyll looks at her. “The Vampire Ascendant,” he finishes for her.

They’re in the tub, her hands scrubbing Astarion’s scalp. He purrs, leaning into her touch. As she finishes, he turns to face her.

“Very good, pet.” He runs a hand through his wet locks, pushing them away from his eyes. His face works at some unbidden expression before he reins it in, and it settles into his usual confident smirk.

“Now be a good girl and sit up there,” he says, nodding at the lip of the tub.

Ban does so, automatically spreading her thighs apart. Their nightly dance begins.

The Ascendant’s eyes are half-lidded and hungry, and he moves his head between her legs, tongue finding her cunt.

“Yes,” Ban nods. “Him too.”

It is Wyll’s turn to squeeze her hand. “I don’t want to pry, Ban, but… I worry. We all do.”

She stiffens. She considers telling them that she’s trapped, pinned between her love for Astarion and her hatred for what he’s become.

Choose for me. Make that choice for me. Save me.

But she doesn’t.

Not when she still loves him.

��We’re fine,” she says with a laugh that’s so obviously hollow that Wyll raises an eyebrow.

“He’s happy, I’m happy, and -” seeing the look on Wyll’s face makes her scramble for something, anything, “- you do hear us at night, don’t you?”

Wyll flushes. “Unfortunately.”

Astarion pummels into her, hips snapping with almost savage ferocity as he buries himself to the hilt with every thrust. He has her bent over the bed, his hands holding onto her hips for dear life, nails digging into her flesh. He fucks her without restraint, the bed creaking with every move. He wants it that way, wants to mark what’s his, wants everyone to know it.

Her cunt felt incredible, warm and tight and squeezing all around his cock - making him weep for her, just throbbing and aching for that sweet bliss of relief.

Fucking her like this, with her back to him and her face hidden away, is a blessing. He can avoid seeing those eyes - eyes that haunt him, who look at him as if he's already gone.

“You want this, don’t you? You want me, all of me, deep inside you.” he snaps his hips once, hard and punishing. She whimpers in response, the need evident in her voice and in the way her cunt clenches all around him.

He almost comes right there, but manages to hold off. Not quite yet.

“Say it, Ban.”

He is met with silence and thrusts in again, cock hitting her spot. He takes in a shaky breath, realizing just how close he is to the edge. He reaches forward with a hand and tugs on her hair.

“Say it.”

Say it. I need it. I need it to come. I need it to live.

Ban is fully aware of what he wants. Without fail he asks for it every night. She feels the tension on her scalp and her head follows suit, tilting backwards.

“I love you, Astarion.”

A low, rough exhale escapes him as she says it, the words shooting straight to his groin. He begins rolling his hips, gentler this time, skating ever closer to his climax.

“Again.”

“I love you. I love you so much. I won’t ever leave.”

Gods, yes. He can believe it, if only for this moment. His hips increase its pace, and he looks down to watch his own cock pulling out of her, its length glistening with their combined wetness, before he pushes it back in. He makes sure to angle himself, to make every stroke hit her spot; he is rewarded by the feeling of her cunt clenching all around him with every pass.

He’s not going to last. But he wants to hear it one more time. Please, he thinks.

Instead he growls, the hand fisted in her hair tightening, a command she understands only too well. She gives in.

“Astarion, I love you,” she breathes as her own climax threatens to overwhelm her.

For now, this is enough.

“Then come for me, my love.” Purred, his velvety voice dropping an octave.

He can feel her reach her climax, her walls clenching tightly around his cock, a feeling so intensely pleasurable he bares his fangs reflexively in response as he keeps thrusting. One hand moves to grab her ass. He moans, his hips losing its rhythm as he finally comes as well. His eyes fly shut, his entire existence narrowing down to only one thing: the feeling of his cock pulsing inside her, spurting his seed within her, giving her everything.

Ban gives him what he asks, says the words he so longs to hear. She feels the pleasure, feels the girth of his cock stretching her with every thrust, feels his head leaking slickness within her. She can sense him getting close in the way his hips change their pace, in his rough, ragged breathing, and in the way his cock swells ever larger inside her as it drags along her walls.

“Then come for me, my love.”

Those words uttered from that voice in that insistent tone never fail. She comes, legs twitching as her cunt squeezes his cock inside her, moaning his name. She feels ropes of come hit her walls, feels the sudden rush of warmth inside with every spurt, and for a moment things feel at least good, if not right.

Wyll offers her another smile, and then leaves her to her thoughts.

Alone, she thinks, yet again.

She stays in the common area longer, until she feels cold hands grasp her shoulders.

“Time for bed,” Astarion murmurs, his grip on her shoulders soft.

She stands, stretching her tired muscles before facing her lover.

Was he still that? After all this? Her eyes meet his face, and the fireplace bathes them both in firelight.

He offers her a hand, and she lets herself be pulled against his chest. Cupping her cheek, he leans in to kiss her; warm, fervent lips meet hers.

Astarion smiles. Whether it is genuine or not, Ban cannot tell.

In the light of the flickering flames, he looks like he used to.

In the light of their campfire, smiling. Happy. Hers.

If only. She would give everything to have him again.

For now, she can only dance with his ghost.

Taglist: @elora-the-slutty-songstress @tragedybunny @spacebarbarianweird @ayselluna @enterthedreams @coltaire @qiific3 @misscrissfemmefatale @vixstarria @eatyourheartoutmylove @linllewellyn @ battisonsgf @micropoe10 @thegoodwitchs-blog @akirahime @velcyrptrr @i-cant-get-into-my-other-account @babblebrain-blog @asterordinary @last-but-not-the-least @artist4theworld @gracemisconduct @decadentcoffeewizard @rootin-tootin-n-kind@pursuitseternal@youngtacobanana @krispeenuggiez @the0ldmann @vinegarjello @pursuitseternal

[jakes3resin]

Well, it's still Friday for me so I thought I'd do a MOTA Fic Rec Friday!

The links take you to AO3, though I know some of these authors have cross posted their works here as well, so I'll try to link them later :)

Also, most of these are Clegan fics, sorry (they're the ones I reread the most, which was the criteria I used for this fic rec)

Moonlight Serenade by Anonymous

Listen folks, this is The Clegan A/B/O fic for me. I post about every new chapter. I adore every line and will happily discuss how I've become a Jamie Truther, while still hoping Gale gets off his ass and treats Bucky right. Bucky has so many secrets in this fic, and you'll be on the edge of your seat waiting to unravel them all. There's also so much to be said about Bucky's emotions and how he feels so so much, often to his own detriment, and how it's presented in this fic.

an image of disquietude by bruce_the_shark

This was actually I think the first MOTA fic I ever read. I'd been watching the show, but I hadn't yet joined the fandom, so to speak. It's outsider POV with Benny and Brady building off of each other watching the infamous baseball scene in the stalag. This fic made me look up who Brady was on tumblr, and it got me into the fandom. Highly recommend. The dynamics between the copilots and the Majors draws you in as each person has a different way of showing their fear and concern.

A Kiss with a Fist by Perpetual Motion

I won't lie I recommend every single thing written by this writer. If you haven't gone on a reading binge of their stuff, what is stopping you? This fic twists canon just a bit so it's Buck fighting the RAF guys not Curt. It's honestly a love letter from Buck to Bucky and his touch, for me it is at least. It's also where I fully drank the Kool Aid that Buck is feral and protective of Bucky.

Ghost of You by BeeMaya

I once described this fic as Crosby's version of the Les Mis song 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' because it's just as heartbreaking to me as that song. Harry being the last man to remember the light that used to exist on base now that the officer's club feels darkened, and when you're the last one all you see are ghosts and what once was. There's a profound sadness to telling stories about the departed even when they're good stories, even when you laughed once at those stories. It's sad because you miss them and know you can never go back.

don't take that sinner away from me by cloudystars

Another author I can't recommend enough. I love a Gale POV, and I love a Western AU. So if you're like me you'll love this fic. Gale is so tender with John in this as the pair of them try to piece themselves together after the traumas they both went through.

I'll stop there, I guess! Short but these fics are really so amazing! I love reading other people's fic recs, so I thought I'd list a few I adore 🧡

[4ragon]

Can I convince you to play Octopath Traveler 2?

Hello my lovely followers! I have recently run into a problem where I have fallen in love with another video game and do not have enough people to talk about it with. I have therefore decided I’m going to do what I do best and talk WAY too much about the subject for an unreasonable amount of time. 

So! Why should you, dear followers of mine, play this hip new rpg called Octopath Traveler 2?

Well, to put it simply, this game was the most genuine fun I’ve had playing a video game in a very long time!

What is Octopath Traveler 2?

Octopath Traveler 2 is a new turn based action rpg by Square Enix, combining the charm of old school pixel art with modern graphical capabilities to create one of the most beautiful-looking 2D games out there. Like. It’s so pretty! Look at this shit!

It’s so good! Look at that presentation! Great graphics, full voice acting, orchestrated music, just. The presentation, guys!

The Gameplay

Now. Here’s the deal. I am not the most crazy about turn-based rpgs. I like them fine, but they can get very repetitive! Pokemon is a prime example. Rival sends out a Charizard? Well, better go get my Vaporeon and wreck his shit! And yes, I know there’s more strategy behind it, but like. I have never once bothered. At a certain point, the game is just “water beats fire, grind levels until you win” and that’s kind of as much as you need to bother with.

BUT

BUT BUT BUT

Here’s the deal. Octopath (both 1 and 2) is SO much fun. It is the greatest turn based rpg I have ever played. Because it’s no longer about elemental damage and sending out the right Pokemon that a lot of other turn based games use.

In each fight, the enemy has an unknown list of weaknesses, which you can discover as you fight. Each successful attack chips away at their “shield points,” until you can knock the enemy out for one round, weakening their defenses and stopping them from mercilessly beating your ass. (At least until they wake up in the next round and get to attack first.)

There are also boost points which build up each turn, just as long as you don’t use them up. Those either boost the damage on your single attack OR, and here’s the kicker, allows you do use a regular melee attack up to four times.

These two things in tandem open up a HUGE amount of strategizing! Suddenly, it’s not “will my Vaporeon be able to use hydro pump before Charizard uses fly,” it’s “do I use my turn to heal, or do I boost my attacks so I can knock this boss out before he kills me? Do I knock him out now, or do I save my boost points to do one massive attack once he’s weaker? Do I knock all of the enemies out at the same time, or should I stagger it so they don’t all Kick My Teeth In next round?”

It’s about timing! It’s about strategy! It’s like one huge puzzle combined with all of the terror of a normal action rpg! And it’s!!! So fucking fun!!!!

Just. I know most of the people following me are following me for my love of murder mystery visual novels like Ace Attorney, so this may be a bit of a harder sell than if I was trying to convince you all to play Murder By Numbers or Return of the Obra Dinn, but still! It’s not too terribly difficult to get into the game, and hey, it’s turn based! Reaction speed not required.

(Important note: Octopath Traveler OG is also just as fun to play. They added some cool mechanics in 2, and tweaked certain characters’ movesets, but overall, both are just as much fun. Try 8path 1 too! I highly recommend it.)

The Music

I have a running list of games with the greatest soundtracks of all time. We got Zelda of course, we got Kingdom Hearts, Ace Attorney, but Octopath is quickly clobbering its way into my favorites. Every single track in both games slaps so hard. Boss fights? Town music? CHARACTER MUSIC? I mean. Come on.

Come on.

Every song is gorgeous. Fully orchestrated, incredibly well done. I don't know shit about music theory, but 8-Bit Music Theory did a cool video on game one that I think holds up pretty well.

AND, because this game added a Day/Night cycle, most of the songs have multiple arrangements. Even the character themes have multiple arrangements. And I won’t spoil any of them here, but I swear, when Agnea’s final battle track started playing, I had the biggest, goofiest grin on my face. It’s just. It’s so good you guys.

The Story and Characters

Okay. Alright. Here’s where Octopath Traveler 2 goes from good to great. And here’s also where Octopath 2 edges out the first Octopath game. Now, this is not a dig at the original game. Play the original game! I love it so much! The characters are so much fun! The story is wonderful! But Octopath Traveler 2 does everything I wanted the original Octopath to do and more! More character interactions! More story! An endgame that isn’t deeply anticlimactic and actually involves the characters I care about! It’s so good.

Octopath Traveler 2, of course, stars 8 wildly different characters, each with completely different motivations and completely different skillsets, both in and out of battles. Different weapons, different spells, and different ways to interact with the NPCs around you.

And man, I love every single one of these characters so much. I feel like there’s a character for everybody, I’ve seen so much art of basically all of the main cast because every one of them is so different and interesting.

There's a favorite for everyone! We’ve got the dark, broody character, the pure-of-heart character, the character struggling with a dark curse. We’ve got revenge, chosen ones, amnesia, cowboys, one asshole detective who I am a little bit in love with. (Murder mysteries, guys! Come on! That’s my jam!) Often times, there’s usually one character that falls a little flat to me, but I just find all of them so much fun, even the ones with less going on in their backstories. They're fun! They're charming! I love it!

None of these stories are particularly complicated, of course. It’s no Tales game, where the stories twist and turn and build on each other constantly. In fact, by the very nature of this conceit, where no player character is the true main character, they can’t really build the sort of story other RPGs would usually have. Each character’s story is simple, even if they branch into different routes and do slowly start to tie into each other in subtle ways. Sure, there were surprises (and like holy shit to a few of these surprises) but overall, the stories are simple and straightforward.

And yet, even with 8 relatively simple stories, the characters absolutely shine. Sure, I took one look at the character who secretly did that murder in chapter one and went, “Ah. It was absolutely you.” And sure, we had an evil king who was so cartoonishly evil to the point of becoming farcical. But still, these stories didn’t have to be these huge, sprawling, mindblowing paths. They’re about the leads growing and meeting new people and bettering themselves. Each route has its own eclectic bunch of NPCs that bring so much life and color to the world, from the put-upon knight being dragged around by the world’s shittiest cleric to the happy-go-lucky scrivener looking for her big scoop to whatever the FUCK is happening with the Blacksnakes holy shit jesus christ what the actual fu

These stories made me laugh. They’ve made me cheer. They made me sob like a baby. They made me rage so fucking hard that I had to put down the computer for several hours and lay on the ground, which to be fair was absolutely the intended effect but I’m also still so fucking mad about it I swear to god.

PLUS

PLUS PLUS PLUS

Okay, I always say a jrpg with a huge cast rides or dies on their character interaction. Love is found in the found family y’all. And, again, it’s certainly no Tales game, in part because the game isn’t quite as scripted, but there’s still so much. Each chapter has a set number of side conversations between whoever is in your party (which if you miss them you can go back to that chapter in your menu and watch them anyway thank god). Several pairs of characters get to go on fun little side quests together throughout the story. Characters talk to each other during battles, which doesn’t feel like a ton but it really does add so much charm. They feel like friends, and even if they don’t tend to interact during story cutscenes, it feels like their relationships grow and develop over the course of oh holy shit I played 90 hours? Oops. Well. Whatever. That’s fine.

Anyway. That’s my pitch. Play this game. Join me in hell. Come on. You know you want to.

[annathesillyfriend]

August slipped away like a bottle of wine which mean it's time for another rec list! Marvel? Who's she? Tom Holland? We don't know him. As you will see, Top Gun men have taken over my life this past month along with Steve Harringtion (still haven't seen Stranger things but let's not talk about it). I hope you're gonna enjoy all these wonderful stories just as much as I did 💕 Have a beautiful September 😌😌

To all the writers - I love you and I appreciate you so much!

To all the readers - please, share the fics you read and love. The reblog really makes the change! It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude.

Also, please, mind the writers’ warnings!

🌞 BRADLEY 'ROOSTER' BRADSHAW🌞

the actress and the aviator blurbs by @greenorangevioletgrass

↳ collection of wonderful stories all about my favourite duo written by my favourite person ✨ i love every single one of them with my whole stupid heart :')

ocean in a seashell by @seasonsbloom

↳ one shot, 18+, what a stunning story it is, i am at a loss of words, please read it!

this fic by @bradshawsbaby

↳ one shot, 18+, mr bradshaw makes pregnant!wife feel good while making me lose all my marbles 🥵 i also highly recommend the whole rooster masterlist!

🌞JAKE 'HANGMAN' SERESIN🌞

silk by @siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, i've read so many jake fics this month (like SO many) but this one has decided to implant itself in my mind and never leave, i think about it at all times

and the truth of the matter is (i'll never let you go) by @fidogo

↳ one shot, 18+, definetly in my top jake fics, loved this with my whole being

king of my heart by @kyber-crystal

↳ one shot, jake really is the kind of my heart (body and soul)

butterflies by @almightyellie

↳ one shot, this makes me go AGHHH 😫😫😫 but like in the best way possible

do not disturb by @callsign-valley

↳ one shot, 18+, every single cell of my body is in love this with one

it's not me, it's you by @phoenixsbby

↳ one shot, I LOVED THIS!!!!!!

the last word by @sunlightmurdock

↳ one shot, 18+, don't we just love mouthy boys 👀

tommorow never comes by @purplevortexx

↳ one shot, i enjoyed this one so much!

i drive your truck by @wombtotombx

↳ one shot, this shit hurted 😫 but it's also so good!!

dime store cowboy by @//seasonsbloom

↳ two shot, 18+, a big yeehaw moment 🤠🤠

this fic by @seasonsbloom

↳ one shot, i just love that man so much

🌞ROBERT 'BOB' FLOYD🌞

of gym buddies and overlapping schedules by @priceof-freedom

↳ one shot, i loved this so much!!!

about time by @lovecraft

↳ one shot, 18+, the summary of this fic is 'bob gives you a compliment, you nearly give him an aneurysm' and if that doesn't make you wanna read it, then something's wrong with you 😬 SO GOOD

my love, forever by @robertcallsignbobfloyd

↳ series, i am loving this series so much 💕

sunscreen by @siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, dad!bob owns me

hair by @//siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, see above 👆👆

this fic by @//siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, i might be a little bit obssesed with bob and Kristi's work 👀

🌞MICKEY 'FANBOY' GARCIA🌞

take me by the heart, take me by the hand by @ae-gar-targaryen

↳ one shot, danny ramirez and all of his characters are meant to be somebody's boyfriend i swear

🌞BUCKY BARNES🌞

twisty by @musingsinmoonlightlibrary

↳ one shot, 18+, the summary alone has me losing it but the fic itself is even better 💕

for the first time by @jobean12-blog

↳ one shot, 18+, Jo, you bloody legend, this is so BLOODY GOOD

i need him like water by @pellucid-constellations

↳ one shot, get your tissues ready :')

drunk in love by @bethdutten

↳ one shot, 18+, reader can't keep her hands to herself and i can't really blame her

delicate by @mediocre-daydreams

↳ one shot, i loved this as much as i love the song it was inspired by 😌

🌞SAM WILSON🌞

i've got time, i've got love by @rodrikstark

↳ one shot, mannn i love this

🌞STEVE ROGERS🌞

...and i'm wearing tights by @ronearoundblindly

↳ one shot, 18+, no thoughts brain empty 🤤

🌞MATT MURDOCK🌞

neogenesis by @murdock-and-the-sea

↳ one shot, Vidra's back at it again making my heart melt :')

🌞PETER PARKER🌞

the favourite by @softspideys

↳ one shot, stark!reader, i don't know what is says about me but i live for stories likes this one 😅

🌞JOAQUIN TORRES🌞

middle by @fluffyprettykitty

↳ one shot, boyfriend!joaquin is just a dream

🌞TOM HOLLAND🌞

bound to you by @vendettaparker

↳ series, royal!au, the best word for this story is a masterpiece, stunning work!!

no shoes, no shirt, no problem by @heyhihellowhatsup0

↳ series, 18+, another banger of a story from Nicole, tom + a lovely island sound like a dream 🥰

this fic by @//sunshinehollandd

↳ one shot, the softest thing ever 🥺🥺

i see you by @luciwritesstuff

↳ series, social media au, this was so fun, i loved it 😁😁

🌞STEVE HARRINGTON🌞

i love you by @collecting-stories

↳ one shot, FHJSKGHJSRGKJHDHGLDFKJLIFJG

fools by @spencerrxids

↳ series, i just love stories that make my heart hurt

hidden keepsakes and i don't hate you, i just don't like you by @hellhue

↳ two shot, 18+, yes, that's all i have to say

dirty dancing by @nexusnyx

↳ one shot, biker!reader, this made me yell 😁

this fic by @sunshinehollandd

↳ one shot, dad!steve, i can't even 😫😫

wash day by @//sunshinehollandd

↳ one shot, 18+, okay when is my turn to wash his hair???

chain reaction by @custardcrazy

↳ one shot, so lovely 🥰

power trip by @silkscream

↳ one shot, 18+, yes yes yes

and i get this feeling in my chest by @upsidedownwithsteve

↳ one shot, jealous steve and some soft times 😌

🌞EDDE MUNSON🌞

june baby by @luveline

↳ two shot, single mum!reader, i haven't read part 2 yet but i am looking forward to do so, incredible story!!

[cilil]

🌿 for ask game. thank you!

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

Now I may be both a good and bad person to ask about that because I've been inspired and writing almost every day for 2 1/2 years straight now and, while there certainly were unproductive episodes in terms of output or low motivation or stress and anxiety keeping me away from writing itself, I always had inspiration in my head at least; I suppose you could say I've been somewhat "blessed" with keeping this up without putting in real conscious effort. I don't think there's a secret recipe either, but I'll try to give some helpful (?) ideas :)

So a good chunk of this is sadly, or at least I suspect it might be so, dependent on how prone to hyperfixation and how attached to an individual thing you are on a personal level. Speaking for myself, I'm the kind of person who always has their "one main thing" and sticks with it for several years at least (I was tenacious enough to spend 5 years doing my own thing in a dead fandom) and slowly digs deeper and deeper as time goes on. Others may change interests more frequently, be in several fandoms at once or experience greater fluctuations with high and low creativity. That leads us to my first point: Know who you are and work with that, don't try to be anyone else.

The second thing I think is important is to find a good balance between trying to be reliable and finish your stuff and give yourself some space to do whatever you feel like and fuck around. You may have heard creativity being compared to a river before and it's true: Too much human interference - for example straightening a river - can impact the environment around it negatively, and too much scheduling and deadlines and forcing yourself to be creative will impact your creativity negatively. Make sure you have the space to at least occasionally do what comes to mind. You should be working on project A, but you're feeling project B? Work on B for a while. The muses are moody.

Another thing that may seem a little contradictory at first, but I think is helpful: Keep at it. If you do whatever is your creative thing regularly, it's less of a "big deal" and threshold to cross every time, it becomes natural and a comforting part of your routine. For writers, drabble challenges and prompt events are examples for good tools to ensure you write at least semi-regularly. But again, please don't feel like you have to force yourself to create every single day, especially if you're someone who experiences periods of little to no creative energy. That's fine. Let yourself recharge. We're all different (in general what works for me doesn't have to work for everyone else).

Now if you do find yourself in a bit of a creative slump or lose passion for a project you used to enjoy a lot, here are some things you can try:

Take a break and do something else. Scratch a different itch. Have fun!

Put yourself in the right mood/mindset by looking for media that evokes the feelings/vibes needed for your project (note that this will work better for people who are highly sensitive or otherwise react/connect to media on an emotional level more strongly). Examples: A playlist, a specific song you associate with your work, a movie/book/game/etc that inspired you, artwork of a character

Talk about it with someone else. Be excited together. Ask for advice if needed. Or just talk through whatever block you have; you may not even consciously realize it, but just to have someone listening will help with explaining the situation to both them and yourself and clearing it up

Write a project list (I recommend either a spreadsheet or a handwritten one). Sometimes the crux with a project is simply all the disorganized noise around it and you begin to feel anxious which causes writer's block and/or kills your creativity. Writing a list can clear that up, make you feel more calm and collected and show you a clear way forward. Note: This applies to other situations in life too. Try it and I promise things will become easier to handle

That's all I can think of right now. Again I can't promise any of this is "the secret sauce, but maybe some of it can help someone :)

[curio-queries]

FRI(END)S : THE SONG

This post is part of a series of my thoughts on this release. It's time to finally get these out of drafts and posted before Hobi's release. Here are links to the other posts:

QUICKCOMBO: Continuation

QUICKCOMBO: Termination

The Song (this post)

The Music Video

The Promo

First, if you haven't heard the song yet, please give it a listen and make your own impressions.

Initial Thoughts

The night this was released, I was having some sudden internet issues and was slightly panicking about being able to work the next day so I was admittedly a little stressed by the time I got to listen even though I stayed up specifically for it.

Usually I would listen to it first on Spotify before watching the music video but I was able to get the mv to load first for some reason. My first impression on the song itself was actually a little bit of confusion as to how long the track actually would be given all the 'non-song' space in the mv.

When I did finally get Spotify to work, I definitely thought it was too short but I was so excited that I was vibing with it as much as I did. V's solo work is very hit or miss for me, with most of LayoVer being a miss. I don't think the album was bad, I just had a hard time with it since none of the tracks really appeal to me. But Fri(end)s? I liked on the first few listens. Which is kinda funny because I was actually wondering pretty early on if Fri(end)s would work as part of LayoVer...more on that later in this post.

I still think the song is too short. I realize that's the trend these days as it's more of a marketing tactic but that doesn't mean I have to like the trend. Especially with the extremely clear folding of the song into two parts, it's pretty obvious to even some casual listeners that there's something missing. Not enough to make it a bad song but it just feels slightly unfinished.

Performance

If you haven't already watched the Live Film, I highly recommend it.

I know it's kinda a flex in music communities to value live versions over studio releases but I rarely fall into that camp. (I honestly think it has something to do with a sensory issue I have and extra noise that is often present in such recordings...anyway back to V). This performance is so great! It perfectly embodies both Tae's personality and the energy needed for a song like this. I honestly just felt so good listening to him sing this because he did it in the exact same way I do when I sing along to music; adding extra little rifs and bits just for the fun of it and avoiding the typical notes that all of the members leave out of most performances.

I'm not qualified to comment on the musical technique needed for this song but there are definitely some fun challenges that make for a satisfying singalong once you've nailed them!

LayoVer

If you haven't listened to the complete album in a while, here's a link. Always a good idea to give an album a complete top-to-bottom listen every once in a while, especially this one with how Tae agonized over track sequence of his solo work as mentioned during Festa 2022.

So, if you just list the key words of the lyrical themes and musical elements of both Fri(end)s and LayoVer, you'd think they'd be an easy match but the more I investigated, the less I think so.

First, I'm not really a music researcher when it comes to credits or following specific contributors but from what I can tell, there weren't any of the same individuals listed between the two projects except Tae himself. Which honestly surprised me.

Just going off of memory, I thought it'd fit in smoothly either before or after Slow Dancing but after trying it out, it just doesn't land for me. It absolutely deserves to be its own single and I'd initially wondered if it had been ripped out of the album as the track to tide us over during this chunk of ms but I really don't feel that way at all.

It honestly reminds me a little of how JK released 3D as a separate track. That song (as much as I don't love it) does stand on its own without the support of an album. Maybe Fri(end)s was one of the other songs Tae found during his search for LayoVer but that team didn't have enough material for a cohesive album? He didn't want to lose it so kept it as a single to release later.

I want you all to know that I wrote the above before seeing this video...thanks for proving me right V!! 😆

More thoughts on some of the meaning(s) of the song in my mv post!

(Sidenote, if you haven't seen the full set of the gif at the top of this post, I highly recommend checking it out. It's gorgeous! Absolutely astonishing work @kimtaegis 😍)

[firethekitty]

okay you reblog a lot of albums ive never heard of and am curious about but it’s hard to get myself to sit down and listen to a whole album so please please, Top Ten-ish Songs To Get To Know You kind of list? pretty please?

i literally daydream about people asking me stuff like this LOL. so this is hardly a comprehensive list of all my favorite songs ever but here are some songs that are really important to me!!! this got REALLY long so i put it under a read more

1. meet me in the woods by lord huron

my absolute favorite song Ever like of all time. means everything to me. i could listen to this every single day and never get tired of it. INSANELY fun, incredible vibes, makes me want to go outside and shoot a beam into somebody. lord huron is an Experience. all their albums are concept albums and there’s actually a fair amount of lore going on. on the physical CD for strange trails it actually has the characters’ names next to their respective songs

for meet me in the woods, it sounds very upbeat and happy, but listen closely and you’ll realize it’s not quite as it seems… in-universe, it’s narrated by a woman named francine lu, and the song has the same chords as the first track of the album (and another of her songs) “love like ghosts”. she also narrates “the night we met”, easily LH’s most famous song. francine lu is not having a normal one. what’s her problem? listen to find out…..

2. crystals by of monsters and men

this was my favorite song ever for about 6 years until meet me in the woods ranked just a tiny bit higher. sooo fucking fun, itches a part of my brain that’s only accessible via icelandic stomp & holler. makes me very happy and always cheers me up! of monsters and men was the first new (at the time) band i ever really discovered on my own without hearing about from my parents or other people, and i’ve been listening to them ever since (almost 13 years!!) they are incredibly important to me and i highly recommend all of their albums

3. sunblind by fleet foxes

relatively new but became a favorite as soon as i heard it. this is also one of the most Me songs i can think of on top of just being so fucking gorgeous and raw and heartfelt. this song is a tribute to deceased musicians who influenced robin pecknold (the lead singer and songwriter for fleet foxes) and how their music is pretty much the reason he’s even alive today. my favorite lines are “only way that i made it for a long time / but i’m loud and alive, singing you all night”. this entire album is sincerely a masterpiece and i highly recommend listening to it all. fleet foxes have really beautiful and unique lyrics, they remind me of mitski’s lyrics in that they’re very poetic and personal and emotional but still subjective enough that you can connect them to your own life

4. this must be the place by talking heads

specifically the stop making sense live recording, which i still half-refuse to believe is a live recording because it’s just THAT fucking good. whenever someone says david byrne can’t sing i direct them here, because he does sincerely have an incredible voice and he simply Chooses to sing weirdly bc he’s a quirked up white boy with autistic swag.

this is just a really sweet and romantic song from a band that otherwise stays far away from love songs and it works extremely well. this entire album is fucking incredible and easily the best live album of all time. half of them are BETTER than the studio recordings, and you can also watch david byrne leap straight up backwards like a full 4 feet

highly recommend watching stop making sense just the entire film

5. vein of stars by the flaming lips

back in 2014, i watched a very beloved streamer play a game called “space engine”, in which you explore as much of the universe as we’ve theorized to exist. this was a little before copyright laws got so fucking strict on youtube and twitch, so mr. vinny vinesauce could play any music he wanted while planet-hopping. one of those songs was vein of stars, and it’s been one of my absolute favorites ever since.

the flaming lips are definitely an acquired taste. wayne coyne does Not have a very good voice and it can get extremely grating, especially to someone who hasn't heard them before. but when it works, god it works. this song is so pretty and nostalgic to me, always calms me down whenever i’m In A Mood. it’s nihilistic but not in a depressing way, more like “yeah maybe we aren’t here for any particular reason, maybe there’s nothing after this life. there’s nothing we can do about that, so why worry?”. very peaceful. REQUIRED listening when stargazing

6. good old-fashioned lover boy by queen

one of the first songs i ever truly hyperfixated on. unfortunately i listened to it SO fucking much it kind of ruined it for me, but i still do really love it. i may not listen to it that often anymore but i felt obligated to put it here bc it had a Profound Effect on my developing brain

7. too much time by john vanderslice

the year is 2012 and you're halfway through the newest episode of the hit podcast welcome to nightvale. cecil announces the weather. little do you know that you will carry the next 3 and a half minutes with you for the rest of your life. this one is just absurdly nostalgic to me (and not to mention incredibly vash the stampede coded). beloved song!!!

8. waltz for zizi & the real folk blues by the seatbelts & mai yamane

well it’s no secret that i think cowboy bebop has the greatest anime soundtrack of all time and one of THE greatest soundtracks of all time Ever. this is just an objective fact actually.

i believe this is because the seatbelts and specifically the composer yoko kanno studied real jazz, blues, and bebop to make the ost. like it's not just "jazz-flavored", there is genuine, deep respect and you can hear it in every single track. waltz for zizi gives me physical goosebumps every single time i listen to it, it's absolutely perfect. i've made it a ritual to listen to every time i visit the shore at night and go stargazing. sincerely transcendent experience

9. cuckoo song by cosmo sheldrake

hhhhhrrr this entire fucking albummmm hhhhhhhrhhhhrhhhaauuuuUUUUOOOGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

back during my final semesters of college, i had to take a course for art degree seniors. we’d pick something we were passionate about, make art for it, and it would be hung up for a week in the exhibition room. i chose birds of course, but wake-up calls inspired me to shift that choice to something more important than just random funny bird drawings. i focused on bird species that have gone extinct within the last 60 years because wake-up calls is made almost entirely out of endangered bird songs.

i’ll be honest i can barely listen to this song or anything on the album because i WILL literally start sobbing like in real life. cuckoo song in particular just makes me start crying every single time i listen to it, it’s like a magic spell. it’s not even necessarily sad but just viscerally bittersweet. the art for the album is made by flora wallace. here’s the spotify canvas i made a gif just for you 👍

10. take you back by orville peck

and finally………….. the song that made me realize that i actually DO love real country music a lot, and that the derivative “bro country” sub-genre that developed in the early 2000s has absolutely destroyed any positive opinion of country music in society. we NEED to go back, and orville peck is more than doing his part. this is the first song i ever heard by him and it's just so goddamn fun. i am completely unable to not sing along to this when it comes on

not only do i highly recommend orville peck but also any country music from the 50s and 60s, especially marty robbins, charley pride, conway twitty, and of course mrs. dolly parton. and later country rock/folk rock bands like america and creedence clearwater revival. it’s SO good i’m so serious

orville peck is the only modern country singer i can think of who's not afraid to bring back the harmonicas and whistling and steel guitars and whip cracks and yeehaws. it's fantastic. he's also gay and an outspoken trans ally. i believe this gives him the power to revive country music from the dead 🙏

[naranjapetrificada]

For the writers' ask game: 11, 18, 37, please?

Thanks for asking ♥️

Answers behind the cut to spare your dashboards. If you want to play the "get to know your fic writers" game, just pick your question(s) from this list!

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

I always have so many favorites but three recent favorites that I cannot recommend highly enough are:

The Tolling Bells by @edsbacktattoo, which was recently completed and an incredible experience to follow. As a writer, I will never have enough praise for what was accomplished here. As a reader, let me just say that if you like visceral longing and existential overwhelm that still has a happy ending, you've gotta give it a try.

As We Go Hand in Hand by @petrichorca, which is such a sweet, poignant, healing one-shot about Ed's post-canon headspace as he reckons with the size of his love for Stede, how badly he wants to marry him, and how unworthy he still feels of it. Ends with them in a believable but secure place.

The recently resumed Prevailing Winds by holograms. Not sure if they're on tumblr. Anyway, it's an alternate timeline AU, in which Blackbeard and The Gentleman Pirate die the deaths that happened IRL after having a completely different love story, but Ed comes back to do it all over again in the canon timeline. He seems to be the only one who knows what's going on and is desperate to protect Stede and himself from the fates they met before, and his new story is interspersed with flashbacks to the other one, where we get to see them fall in love and what ends up going wrong. It's fascinating as both a reader and a writer, and I'm so impressed with how they're handling telling such a complex story while managing to make every character believable in both timelines.

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Titling usually happens like 2/3 of the way through? If it's a one-shot I usually figure out something that's relevant to what's been written so far that a) sounds good and b) sparks some curiosity. Although sometimes the titles are also just very prosaic.

That 2/3 rule applies for my current longfic as in I was 2/3 of my way through Chapter 1. The thing the title comes from is probably not going to actually come up in the fic until chapter 4 or 5, but the timing still works.

For the chapter titles I'm using songs, but I'm using them completely free of context. The content of the songs has mattered significantly less than their titles, and I have a whole doc full of song titles that I think I'm gonna use for future chapters. The exception, so far, might be Chapter 3. I had a non-song title for Chapter 2, then everything relevant to it got pushed back to 3. So there's a chance that anything could happen, really!

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Oh my goodness this is such A Question for Chapter 2. With Chapter 1, I knew down to the exact line I wanted to end on, which meant I knew which scene it would be, which meant I just had to figure out what came before. For a first chapter I think that can work because that's when you're sort of presenting your thesis statement (if not to readers then at least to yourself). I don't think that will be viable going forward.

I had some idea of where I thought Chapter 2 could end, but these chucklefucks are so verbose (especially in their heads) that every single possibility I'd previously thought of ended up being wrong. All of those scenes got pushed back to Chapter 3 at least. I knew I didn't want chapter 2 to get too long or the trend of ever increasing chapter length would absolutely paralyze me and o would never get anything else written.

The end of Chapter 2 is literally, literally the first part of it that could have worked as a stopping point for me, and the whole chapter still ended up being ~1500 words longer than the previous one. I have a feeling that "finally a good stopping point!" might be the way it gets decided in the future, although I guess what makes a good stopping point is stuff like the end of a pivotal scene, the reveal of an important bit of information, a character resolving to do something, etc. We'll see!

[kimium]

Top 5 books you’ve read💜

(From this ask HERE)

Thank you so much for this ask! I love it so much!

My Top Five Books

5. What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum Ucci

I had to go with a childhood book to start this list. What I like about this story is the overall message underneath it: be kind to strangers and don't judge others for how they appear/look. Yes, there is a bit of wish-fulfillment in terms of "bad karma" happening to the awful people at the end but I can live with it.

I also love how Lani Garver can be read as a gender-fluid/non-binary character, though never outright stated due to the time period of publishing.

Overall, this story holds a special place in my heart and is an easy reread if I'm feeling nostalgic.

4. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

I don't want to talk about this book too much due to spoilers, but if you enjoy murder mysteries and time loops, this book is for you. I highly recommend this book as well as the author's other book The Devil and the Dark Water.

3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My favourite part about this book are the descriptions. I am in love with how Morgenstern vividly describes the aesthetic of the setting, characters, and world around them. The story's entire premise is amazing too. I highly recommend checking it out!

2. The King of Infinite Spaces by Lyndsay Faye

I think this story is the one that give me my Literature Nerd credit as it's a modern retelling of Hamlet. I am in love with this story and how the author recreates (yet still retains) the spirit and characterization of the play/characters.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

This is tumblr. Is there anything about this book I can say that hasn't already been said here? I can't go five meters away from a Tragic Gay Couple in media without seeing a quote from this novel edited along side.

I cannot tell you how every single time I read this, a bubbling of emotions fills me up: happiness, elation, love, bitterness, sorrow, overwhelming melancholy, all wrapped into one package. This novel isn't just a retelling of a Greek myth: it's a classic. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favour and do it.

[ocpdzim]

WEIRD! NICHE! DIFFICULT TO ENJOY!

In honor of my dismay over Grubstep not being a real album, I'm recommending some of my favorite WEIRD, NICHE, and DIFFICULT TO ENJOY music to you all. I get to be weird and pretentious as a treat. Noise warning for basically all these.

The Shaggs - "Philosophy of the World" : I'm starting off with a doozy here but since discovering it from a "worst song" poll I have been obsessed w this. It's an album written and performed entirely by a group of teenage sisters with 0 musical training - they even developed their own system for writing down and reading music, since they never were taught the usual one. It's actually been fairly influential, apparently... It's certainly unique, you can tell it's very meticulously put together but in a way that you would never expect someone to do on purpose. The songs all have a very mournful undertone to them even when the lyrics are ostensibly cheerful. My favorite song on the album is "My Pal Foot Foot," about the girls' cat that got away from home.

The Magnetic Fields - Various Songs : The Magnetic Fields is a band that's always worth listening to but not always weird, niche, or difficult to enjoy. Every now and then, though, they'll put out a more experimental number that knocks you right on your ass when you try to listen to it in the middle of an otherwise fairly accessible album. I think this is a highly respectable thing for a band to do. Examples of these unusual songs are "The Day I Finally...," "The 1989 Musical Marching Zoo," "How Fucking Romantic," "Love Is Like Jazz," and "Experimental Music Love."

Captain Beefheart - "Trout Mask Replica" : It's difficult to describe what's happening in this album and I'm really not going to try. Less harsh noise than a lot of the stuff on this list but just as discordant. Fair disclaimer that I haven't looked up all the lyrics yet because it's really long and I mostly can't understand what he's saying, though. My favorite on this album is "Ella Guru."

Le Butcherettes - "Mr. Tolstoi" : This is just one song. Le Butcherettes' other songs are also awesome but not particularly weird or difficult to enjoy. This one specific song rules so hard though that it deserves a spot on this list despite being only 1 song. It's very frenetic and high energy and she's doing like, a bad fake Russian accent. It rules.

Ada Rook - "UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE I LOVE YOU" : This is one of the more accessible albums on this list (?) and I debated whether to include it at all because I was thinking it is very well thought out and polished and therefore might not be weird or difficult to enjoy enough, but then I thought, I probably have a higher bar for weird and difficult to enjoy than most people, I don't think I'd hear it on the radio, and it is such a good album that I hate to ever not include it while making music recommendations. It's one of my all time favorites. It's hard to pick favorite songs off this album because every single song is a strong contender, but I guess I'd say my favorites are "Tru U" and "Gravity Weapon."

Clown Core - "Van" : Recommended to me very recently by @gr3y-heron, this one is instrumental aside from possibly some heavily distorted yelling. Lots of different instruments thrown together in really cool ways. They use clown squeaky horns sometimes. Pretty great.

Machine Girl - "Wlfgrl" : Not sure how niche Machine Girl is but I do think it's weird and difficult to enjoy. Instrumental aside from some samples of movies and things, very cut up electronic. I think it's breakcore but there are so many different names for music subgenres please don't kill me if I'm wrong. I just listen to them I'm not up on the information.

Dorian Electra - "My Agenda" : This is a lot more out there than Dorian Electra's first album, and is like, a concept album based on toxic masculinity and incel culture. This is another I'm not 100% sure is actually niche but I don't really know how to tell, to be honest. It gets pretty explicit so watch out for that. My favorite song on this album is "Ram It Down."

Cardiacs - "Sing To God" : A CLASSIC weird album. So much is happening in this album. "Dirty Boy" is apparently considered the best song on the album by a large number of people, and I do like it, but my personal favorite by a long shot is "Fiery Gun Hand."

Is my music not WEIRD, NICHE, and DIFFICULT TO ENJOY enough for you? Well, if you can do better, I'd love to see it. No, seriously. Please show me if you have any weirder, more niche, and/or more difficult to enjoy music. I like that stuff but it's super hard to find and I'm dissatisfied with my collection.

[softlystarstruck]

✩ softly reading: may 2022 ✩

welcome to softly reading, in which i list every single drarry fic i’ve read this month in hopes that you, dear reader, find a fic you like too!

✩ - a fave | 🔥 - hot | 🌼 - gentle read

longer reads

✩ As the Lights Lift Around Us by @zeziliazink [M, 25k] 🌼

In which our heroes become reacquainted in a pub, spend a whole day together that turns into night, and then...? Featuring a minor freakout (Draco), a brand new song (Harry), and affectionate exasperation (all of their friends). Will Draco figure his shit out before Harry gives up? Will Harry survive the Venomous Tentacula? Will Draco ever decide which tea he wants? Will Harry's HooTube commenters ever forgive him for falling in love? Recced to me by @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm

Vale Sanare by RurouniHime [M, 23k]

Draco’s world gains a new component just when he thought he’d sorted everything out.

be my breath (through the deep, deep water) by GammaRey [M, 13k]

Draco just wanted to make it through his eighth year. Having Harry Potter as his potions partner was complicated enough, but when their potion decides it has its own agenda, his life only gets deeper in the weeds.

✩ facedown on my bed (thinking of you) by @onbeinganangel [M, 10k] 🌼

Sometimes the feelings you have for your enemy-turned-roommate-turned-bff are not as platonic as you think. Sometimes you're the last person to realise it.

Home County by orphan account [G, 10k] 🌼

Harry is an architect and the reluctant part-owner of his own firm. Malfoy works at The Ministry but doesn’t actually have a proper job title even though what he does sounds as though it’s pretty important. It would probably be harder not to become friends, when they have to sit through endless, dull meetings with each other, and skirt around some truly terrible weather, and deal with Harry’s irrational hatred of his assistant, and build thirty whole houses from the ground up in a wet field outside of London.

short & sweet (< 10k)

Just a trial run by @tenthousandyearsx [E, 9.1k] 🔥

In which Harry wants to get into sex work and Draco would prefer to keep him for himself.

In the Ways That Matter by FleetofShippyShips [T, 9k]

Falling asleep with Harry Potter mid-argument, while completely pissed, was something Draco could never have predicted happening when he returned for his repeat seventh-year at Hogwarts. But it happened. And then it happened again. And again. At some point the alcohol was gone, and they were just falling asleep side by side night after night, escaping nightmares together. It isn't anything more than that, even if sometimes it really feels like it is. [H/D Consent Fest 2018]

Making a Politician Shut Up: A Lover’s Guide by Lokifan [E, 7.5k] 🔥

Draco is the youngest member of the Wizengamot; being a politician has not made him less likely to run his mouth. Harry would just like one damn shag - evening - without Draco running his mouth.

✩ Not Nineteen Forever by @sorrybutblog [E, 5.9k] 🔥

A rogue charm hits on a mission and suddenly, Draco is nineteen again. Harry is still thirty-five and doing his best to look after his de-aged Auror partner (and forget about his long unrequited crush) until St. Mungo’s can brew the antidote. Only, Draco insists on wandering around Harry’s flat wearing nothing but Harry’s pants, flirting like his life depends on it and in the end, Harry’s only human after all.

✩ Of Mirrors, Myths, and Men by @the-starryknight [E, 5.4k] 🔥

After years of renovations on the Manor, Draco has one room left: the Ballroom. Harry Potter’s repair skills come highly recommended. But from the moment Potter stepped foot in the Manor, something burned between them, far more compelling than Draco could have ever anticipated. [H/D Remix 2021]

Only the sun (only the sun) by @sky-is-torn [G, 4.2k]

A terrible curse was placed on Prince Draco when he was still in his crib. Anyone unworthy who touches him will die instantly. On his twentieth birthday, he sets out after the sorcerer who cursed him... but fate has other plans for him.

✩ The Room by loverloverlover [T, 3.4k] 🌼

It’s eighth year, and Harry and Draco are spending hours together in the Room of Requirement. What will happen when they decide to make amends? Tap-tap-tap-tap. A story told in five parts.

Hung Parliament by Lokifan [E, 1.7k] 🔥

Politics make Harry want to smack someone. Luckily, he has Draco there to be smacked.

✩ Midnight Madness by @novembersnowflake [T, 1.6k]

"You're drunk," Harry said. / The corner of Malfoy's mouth curled wryly. "Just enough to make me brave."

✩ Baby, make me a new blank page by @achillesangst [E, 917 words] 🔥🏳️‍⚧️

After the war, Harry wants to let go. Draco craves control. It works, messily.

art gallery

✩ revealing history by @t4tdrarry [G] 🌼🏳️‍⚧️

an exploration of harry potter and draco malfoy's scars. [HP Trans Fest 2022]

previous softly reading lists

[stormyoceans]

5 Songs Tag - QL Shows Edition

tagged by cassi @seatawinans and vish @morkofday. thank you both for thinking of me!!!!! 💜💙

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL media that you actually listen to.

🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series.

🎶Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages!

🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating.

🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

tried not to put only vice versa related songs in this. still ended up finding a way to sneak them in because im biased ;;;;;;

follow by ロス [utsukushii kare/my beautiful man OST]. ABSOLUTE BOP OF ALL TIME i've never skipped this song ONCE since the first time i listened to it. also embarrassed to admit i always (badly) sing the ousama ka? kamisama ka?/suuhai suuhai/bakamitai da part out loud ;;;; bitter always by ロスfrom utsukushii kare: eternal is also really good.

我怎能留下你 (how can i leave you behind) by ezu [history 3: trapped OST]. THIS IS YOUR DAILY REMINDER TO WATCH HISTORY 3: TRAPPED IF YOU HAVEN'T YET (and then come talk to me about it PLEASE). this was the very first QL related song i ever put on repeat for days and it's still one of my most played songs because it's just THAT good (exactly like the show IM JUST SAYING).

ใครคลั่งรักกว่ากัน (madly in love) by jimmy jitaraphol and sea tawinan [our skyy vice versa OST]. LOVE HOW THERE ISN'T A SINGLE VICE VERSA ENJOYER WHO'S NORMAL ABOUT THIS SONG AND I MAKE NO EXCEPTION. i picked this one because i think it's the kind of song that the more you listen to it the more you find yourself humming it absentmindedly throughout the day, but honestly i could have put the entire vice versa OST here. it's another thing about this show that's absolutely incredible and it actually introduced me to a lot of songs i now listen to on the daily (ผ่านตา (everyday) and ข้างกัน (city) by three man down???? เรื่องมหัศจรรย์ (miracle) by sofa???? love by paradox???? INCREDIBLE SHOW STOPPING SPECTACULAR).

ร้อยล้านวิว (million views) by stamp [last twilight pilot trailer]. SHIVERS ALL OVER MY BODY EVERY TIME I LISTEN TO IT. and like im the first person to admit im biased as hell but this is genuinely such a beautiful song!!!! there are no words to express the amount of feelings it evokes in me, and then you read the lyrics and it's like.. emotional devastation to the highest degree but you're somehow glad for it.

หยุดหัวใจ (stop the heart) by three man down [my ride the series OST]. much like the show itself, this song feels like a warm soft blanket on a rainy day. i can't explain why, but every time im sad and listen to this song i instantly feel comforted. it's cheerful and light and it's like it's telling me that things are gonna be okay. the show is now on youtube btw and i highly recommend it!!!!

tagging @puentalay @blmpff @stickymoonsoul @petrichoraline @abstractelysium @clandestinegardenias @vera9 and whoever wants to do it!!!!

[amethystpath-writes]

Amethyst Makes Snazzy Playlists:

@save-the-villainous-cat was asking for recs, and I figured I’d share what random playlists I have. Most are appropriately named to fit their theme.

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KZz0gN6OPUpRRIFUBm6YP?si=2901b5160c17421f

“I’m Sleeping in the Forest Tonight” -Indie music. Very chill vibes- like sitting by a campfire with your woodsy friends who all wear Earthy tones and have cute beanies. (Gregory Alan Isakov, Sufjan Stevens, Lord Huron...just to name a few)

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0O4KcLNi3QbHhUCDMnXmhv?si=cd0465be7f3c4944

“Art”- Indie. I use this one for writing a lot. Music that tells a story, or part of one, or just makes you feel good. (Hozier, Gang of Youths, The Amazing Devil)

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27v4om9UpCKS3Uf08ikWP6?si=1ced1fa8d3224aed

“For Villains of Every Era”- Em? Envision a- uh- villain from the 1920s in the US. Some of it gives a little bit of an old western days vibe. Idk, it’s immaculate and I guarantee it will satisfy your villainistic means. (Mother Mother, Shayfer James, Rob Cantor, The Crane Wives, Dirt Poor Robins)

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1iZAmsjJB9EBNLhaWb0OQB?si=63cbd9d2bde74533

“Is this the end?”- end of the world, slightly badass (Adele, Rihanna, Woodkid, SYML, Fall Out Boy). Very minimal use of metal bands, you can always hide the songs you don’t like!

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rpo8LAnoEEVjIW4PDVToH?si=b08ad86ec703492f

“Alter Ego” -mad alternative/skater vibes. (Fall Out Boy, Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys, The Neighborhood, Foster The People, Greenday, Paramore...I don’t think I need to list more)

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4v89AQklsPm9KiJZK6CB28?si=b9ba1956ff7746b8

“POV: you’re a vampire and you lost your mortal lover”- Indie. Can you tell I really like indie music? Anyway...this one sounds cliché, but it’s really sweet and I think the title gives it a good perspective. (Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, Lord Huron, SYML, Kodaline, Keaton Henson)

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0DX9PlXnX6BOmGMiNXdFyz?si=b0db012a970f4210

“you are dying and this is all which you cannot portray”- Metal/rock. Similar to the vampire playlist, but make it a different genre. (Seether- mostly this band, Breaking Benjamin, Staind)

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1cJGrxj8FtVWrDI7wsXIr9?si=e30fa6391d6d4f39

“Amethyst Maties”- every genre honestly. This is just every single song my followers (you guys) have recommended to me!

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/47Z4dmqpAQDq77ZWkw4a6U?si=0ee0dca94a0d4a0e

“Sea Shanties”- mostly self-explanatory. There is also some sweet viking shit in here, too. Highly recommend.

***

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/17Bgh9zDILySwxSqVgcsfo?si=401bb1e509674771

“105.5 before it was country”- local radio station that had alternative/folksy music. They abruptly stopped broadcasting and the country folk took over. (Fitz and The Tantrums, Neon Trees, Florence + The Machine, Cold War Kids, Of Monsters and Men, Train, OneRepublic, fun.) This was my FAVORITE type of music when I was in middle school...ten-ish years ago?

***

There are others on my page, but they’re more personal playlists and don’t really have themes. Some of them are just chaotic playlists that I use at the gym 😂

[smileyyoungchan]

White Queen - Choi SeungCheol

Inspired by: White Queen - Queen

Genre: ANGST

Warning: mention of death (but nothing too specific actually)

(I highly recommend to liste to the song while reading)(this is actually my favourite Queen song, hope you’ll like it) (parts in italics are lyrics from the song that inspired me the most)

What’s White Queen about?: The song details the story of the speaker’s lost love, (The White Queen) for whom he continues to wait for in agony.

This story is a part of a project, and you can find the other ones here 🥰

It was the 5th of January.

Two months before Seungcheol’s life had completely changed.

Everyone kept saying to him ‘don’t worry, the pain will eventually stop, in the meantime, if you need someone, I’m here for you’.

But he learned that no one was, actually, there for him.

And upon that, he couldn’t really stand all the gloomy eyes everyone had when they talked to him.

His eyes were sad too. How couldn’t they be? But he always tried to bottle the emotions in the back of his heart.

So sad, my eyes she cannot see.

The thing he always regretted more was that little box, that he kept inside the pocket of his jacket.

It was a ring, and engagement ring, he had planned to give her on their last date.

Problem is: he didn’t knew that was the last one, and his coward heart wasn’t ready yet to ask her to be his wife.

Many question marks floated in his mind, as he though ‘what if?’.

What if he had asked her that night? Would her still be alive?

What if I drove her home that stupid night?

And so on.

But it was too late.

My goddess hear my darkest fear I speak too late It's forevermore that I wait

That bench was all that left.

He liked to sit there, every single night, even in winter, waiting for he to show up one more time.

The cold weather kept pestering him, and he tried to sit and squish his limbs closer, to keep the warm from running away.

But he hated to put his hands inside the pockets, cause he always had to face with the remorse of that little box he kept.

When the snow finally started to fall from the sky he decided to get up from the bench, instantly regretting it, cause the cold air found a way inside his jacket.

One step that was followed from another one, and another one, and another one…

The night felt breathless.

No one was around, and honestly he couldn’t blame them for preferring the warm inside the house. He would have chose that too if he still had his other half. But he didn’t. Not anymore.

On such a breathless night as this Upon my brow, the lightest kiss I walked alone

If he could only had one more chance…

But he couldn’t.