#i know there's already a dedicated ep for them

[starsoftheeye]

TMAGP Live Reaction - Ep 13

This probably won't be a regular thing since I usually listen to the new episodes on my way home from school, but I wanted to do it today and no-one can stop me

Pre-Episode

Aw this dedication is so nice, reminds me of how I used to sign off on social media when I was younger

Pre-Statement

omg samcelia date samcelia date

they're so cute omg

"she also said that you dont know how cute you are" alice dyer youre not fooling anyone

i wanna hear what this interaction sounded like between alice and celia

"nobody, i'm mysterious" this isnt gonna come back to haunt us im sure

omg samcelia dating reveal already

JACKS HER SON OMG

"wild couple of years after i moved here" does this mean that celias way of coping with being dropped in a different universe was to just fuck... iconic

either that or jack got brought along with her and shes just covering it up. or jack has some mysterious origins that we dont know about

omg a horror protagonists with loving, alive parents wow

i was not expecting sam to be this relatable oh no

sam :(

oh no an "incident"

alice :(

i love celia just being "i know we're on a date and thats great and all but what do you think about the Horrors"

ofc you know theyre real you lived through the apocalypse

ah hello lena and gwen

ah gwen is learning about the consequences of delivering a random address to a living mr blobby knockoff

ooh are we gonna get some exposition

yes we are

these are our Fears i presume

you work in the government responsible for discarding peoples experiences and traumas gwen you werent exactly one of the good guys to begin with

guys i dont think shes gonna sort it

Statement

hold music?? hello?? do we recognise this voice?? needles??

i cannot understand what the name of this company is but i do not like them

the autoresponder sounds so cunty who are they i must know

oooh a scottish guy we love a scottish guy

"i pay your wages" sounding ass. telling the autoresponder that youre the highest investor in a gambling app isnt the flex you think it is dude

i think if a website that directly involves the handling of your money does "weird background checks" and has a "janky interface", staying is less of a feat of loyalty and more a feat of stupidity

oh this guy does nfts for sure

are you allowed to blame the warning you didnt listen to for the consequences?

oh his friends suck too

damn all jokes aside i feel bad for this dude

ohhh so is this like the dice where things can only get so good before they go terribly? or is it like a "when your life gets bad your money goes up" thing

ah its the second option

tbf if its not against the law its not against the law

this guy is the definition of "20 pounds is 20 pounds"

suddenly i dont feel as sorry for this guy

i have a sneaking suspicion that this guy did not get his money

oh nevermind

OOOOOOH NEVERMIND THAT NEVERMIND

huh

HUH

DID THEY SEND A CREATURE TO GET HIM WHAT

Post-Statement

Alice!!

Ooooh he got pished

Alice really out here dissing every kind of date I've ever been on

oh no :(

sam no :(

sam apologise please

shes right tho youre in the wrong place if you don't want weird

alice :(

this is why a polycule would fix everything

alice i love you

sam i love you but you deserved that

[mebssann]

can't keep her warm, but they cling to each other anyway

[goldsainz]

GUESS WHO’S BACK? — one shot.

pairing: daniel ricciardo x reader

MASTERLIST.

NOTE: first of i wanna say that this is not meant to diminish the treatment nyck got bc it is undoubtedly shitty (helmut marko you will pay for your crimes), i am just happy one of my fav drivers is back. this is eminem!daughter!reader an idea @lorarri let me use, all the lyrics and song she came up with are fantastic, i couldn’t have made this without them, so thank you lola!!!!

liked by danielricciardo, eminem and 3,082,719 others

yourusername i am so excited to announce my newest album “BADGER BEWARE”!! this project has been in the making for quite some time, it has the help of people i am very close with. and inspirations behind a lot of impacting moments in my life. which is why i am so happy that it is finally here and you can all enjoy it july 13th

view all 46,251 comments

ynfan1 oh this is so about daniel

ynfan2 NEW MUSIC FINALLY😭😭

danielricciardo 💛💛💛

liked by yourusername and 96,053 others

⤷ danielfan1 acting as if the album isn’t gonna be dedicated to him

icespice gonna be bomb 🔥

scottyjames31 Claiming track 3 right now

⤷ danielricciardo No, it’s already claimed. Pick another.

ynfan3 july 13th cannot come any sooner

danielfan2 i hope y/n knows that she just sent me into cardiac arrest

danielfan3 MONZA MASH??? YOU’RE TELLING ME SHE MADE A SONG FOR HIS WIN IN MONZA

ynfan4 thank you eminem for the blessing that is y/n🙏

liked by charles_leclerc, bellahadid and 3,950,416 others

yourusername “BADGER BEWARE” is out now in all streaming platforms! i wanna take a moment to thank all the people who made this album possible, to the man who inspired this project and sat with me until sunrise writing down lyrics, to my friends who participated and helped me push through, but especially to all my fans who waited patiently for me to release my music in my own time. have fun and pls don’t take what i talk about too seriously (or do 😉)

view all 59,246 comments

danielricciardo I would sit until sunrise every day with you

⤷ yourusername love the sentiment but you were asleep 90% of the time

⤷ danielricciardo But I was still there!

ynfan21 RED WINGS IS WILD

ynfan22 album of the year!!!

danielfan21 oh so this is a diss track to mclaren…

redbullracing Our playlist has been updated!

liked by yourusername and 107,368 others

ynfan23 when we needed her most she appeared🙏

ynfan24 damn she did not hold back

danielfan22 DANIEL AND Y/N BEST COUPLE ON THE GRID

“Show-stopping” is the expression Y/N wants to convey each time she sits down and starts to write her songs. It is a “big word”, as she puts it, but there is no other word that would fit the feeling she hopes to transmit through her music.

“I started writing “BADGER BEWARE” back in 2021, I think around august, and by the end of that year I had written 3 songs. I stopped writing because I thought of either scrapping the whole project or making a 4-5 song EP. Obviously that didn’t end up happening because now there are 10 songs, 1 intro and 1 outro. All those songs hold a different place in my heart and while they all form part of the genre of Rap, they’re heartfelt in their own special way.”

Rap is a genre Y/N is all too familiar with. With her father being Eminem, an icon to the genre and the 2000s — even now. She says that the choice is not arbitrary, that there is an influence she cannot deny, but chooses to embrace it rather than push it away.

She dedicated the album to her boyfriend of 3 years, Daniel Ricciardo, who was the initial inspiration behind it. “Danny listened to me rant about my ideas for hours, sat in different studios with me and suggested different things that made the whole experience different than anything I’d ever done before. He also introduced me to — now one of my good friends — Charles Leclerc, who plays piano and is the one that composed the music for both the intro and outro.”

When asked about her favourite songs she picked a couple because “there is no way I could choose just one”. There is an evident passion to her craft when it comes to Y/N, something not everyone in her field possesses quite as well as she does.

“HONEY, RED WINGS and SUMMER SMILE are probably my top 3. They were all written at such drastically different points of my life, about things that have practically nothing to do with each other but that are tied by a little string. Some people think I pick my singles because they’re my favourite, which is true because all my songs are my favourites! But most of all I pick them because they’re the ones that I felt most comfortable publicising, all the other songs in the album are like a little secret between my fandom and me.

“There are also songs which are more personal. MONZA MASH, for example, it’s a very hyper song but it still is about an event that was very emotional. TEARS OF THE SUN, is also an obvious one. My songs are about something, and if it makes you feel anything at all then I did my job right.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!

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yourusername 2 THE MAX MV IS HERE!! i heard it was a fan favourite and had to deliver… there is no way to express my gratitude to you all for the support the album has gotten, so i guess this is my way!

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ynfan31 MY FAV SONG YES

⤷ danielfan31 “i turn up the heat to the max and watch them bitches squirm” ATE THAT SHIT UPPP

ynfan32 y/n mathers?? MORE LIKE Y/N MOTHER

danielricciardo She’s wearing red, next question!

⤷ yourusername LMAO??

⤷ maxverstappen1 Let him be, he’s a bit jet-lagged

ynfan33 literally fell down the stairs bc of this announcement

danielfan32 forget daniel… I WANT HER

ynfan34 as a y/n fan i am more than amazed at the amount of content we’re getting😭

ynfan35 it suddenly got real hot

⤷ ynfan36 we call that “the y/n effect”

ynfan37 LITERALLY RUN ME OVER!!!!!!

[leilakisakabiri]

could u to a gavi x singer reader? she’s more outgoing and not as shy as he is and writes songs about him // dedicates them to him during her concerts and he’s just a super proud bf 💗💗

Number One (PG6)

Summary: Gavi being your biggest supporter.

A/N: Quick one! Miss him on the field already :(

Word count: 700+

Masterlist

“I can’t tell you all how much it means to me that you’re here – I love you. Thank you so much for your support!” You exclaimed, in awe of the crowd chanting your name.

“I wanna dedicate this song,” you continued smiling as the cheering intensified, “to a special someone who’s basically my muse for this whole EP, thanks for getting me famous,” you joked, “Oh, and also for making me feel loved.”

The beginning beats of your most popular song began to play and if you thought the crowd was loud before they went even crazier, screaming when they saw the camera pan over to Gavi in the VIP section, a proud smile on his face while he cheered along with your fans.

You had just confirmed the rumors that had been circulating for weeks – you were together.

You couldn’t keep the grin off your face as you sang the chorus, hearing the crowd sing along, the camera once again panning to Gavi, showing him scream-singing the lyrics with his sister, his grin mirroring your own.

You bowed once you had finished your set, thanking your audience once again. You looked over to the VIP section and made eye contact with Gavi, he immediately put his hands into a heart shape, lifting it above his head for you to see.

You felt your heart swell, usually, you would be the one doing that at his games, and it meant so much to you that he had come to support you and had done the same thing.

Without a second thought, you copied his actions, taking a final bow as you exited the stage.

Your heart was pounding, adrenaline racing through your veins.

You couldn’t believe it. You had just played your first big festival and everyone had seemed to love it.

You were in the middle of taking off your earpiece when you saw Gavi and Aurora walking towards you.

You finished unhooking yourself before you met them in the middle pulling them into a group hug.

“You were amazing Y/n!” Aurora praised you.

You let out a laugh, “Thank you! And thank you guys for coming!”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Gavi replied.

Aurora huffed, “He’s definitely not lying about that.”

You gave her a questioning look.

She sighed, giving Gavi a glare, “Gavi was so annoying, he kept rushing me. He was so worried we wouldn’t make it in time that we left an hour and a half earlier than we needed to, and he wouldn’t even let me walk around, scared that we would miss your performance, so we stood in that tent for like three hours.”

You turned to face a blushing Pablo, who was desperately trying to avoid eye contact with you, embarrassed at having been called out.

You reached out, wrapping your arms around his waist as you peered up at him, “Awh Pablo! Thank you, you didn’t have to do all that.”

He finally looked at you, hands coming to rest against your shoulders, as his fingers absentmindedly played with the ends of your hair.

“Couldn’t miss your first performance. Especially since it was dedicated to me.”

You rolled your eyes at him, “Mhm how do you know I wasn’t talking about another guy?”

He gave you an offended look, “Please Y/n. We both know that no one makes you feel the way I do.”

You felt your stomach fill with butterflies at his words, you wanted him, and he knew it.

“Am I wrong?” He asked, face inching closer to yours.

Your eyes stayed fixed on his as he moved closer, a mischievous grin adoring his features.

“Ugh enough coupley shit.” Aurora groaned from beside you.

You laughed, pulling yourself back to reality and separating yourself from Gavi even as he tried to bring you back.

“Sorry! It’s all friendly here.” You declared.

Aurora smiled, grabbing your hand, “Perfect. Well, in that case, Gavi we’ll meet you by the food carts, I have to show Y/n this stand.”

You giggled as she pulled you along, looking back to see Gavi with an annoyed expression on his face as he watched his sister pull you away.

“I’ll be back!” You yelled.

“Not soon enough.” He shook his head smiling.

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 1

We're SO Back

School is back in session y’all!!!!

Fantasy High has returned to us after a long break and I am thrilled to come out of my recapping hiatus to bring back the Report Card for Junior Year! You know I could let my favorite chaotic high schoolers go un-analyzed! 

This episode wastes no time in getting started so neither will I. Brennan makes what I think is a very strong narrative choice by starting us in media res at the end of a classic Bad Kids adventure. It is the summer between Sophomore and Junior Year and the party has spent the last four months hot on the trail of the dreaded Night Yorb.

We catch up to our Intrepid Heroes in the Red Waste and they’re trying to catch up to the Night Yorb which is a big, eldritch, manta ray like monster who threatens to plunge the entire world into darkness, creating a very slow (but still effective!) apocalypse! The Night Yorb is flanked by its groupies, made up of members of the many cults dedicated to it (collectively known as “Yorbies”).

As I said, the Bad Kids are hot on its trail, in (and on) the Hangvan. Gorgug (who has been leaning more into his Artificer vibes lately) has outfitted the top of the Hangvan with a solar lasso that can be used to capture and reel in the Night Yorb so that Fig and Adaine can defeat it with a magical sigil. I’m gonna quickly run down where everyone is and what they’re doing:

Adaine and Fig are both standing on top of the Hangvan in order to spring the sigil when the time comes. Adaine is also joined by Boggy and a new addition, Moggy the Doggy (aka, Mordekainen’s Faithful Hound), which is a very round, very cute, very invisible Pomeranian looking dog. 

Gorgug is also up top with them because he’s manning the solar lasso. 

Fabian is inside the Hangvan along with Baby (aka Wretchrot, aka Fig’s screeching blood imp who has no mechanical benefit unless she takes another level of Warlock as Brenan keeping reminding us) and Ecaf, a mirror with a sultry voice that Fabian is *heavily* flirting with, much to everyone’s discomfort. It’s tres Narcissus. (Also, ha, Face backwards. I see you Brennan).

Kristen is in the back with Fabian and Riz is driving, even though he is WAY too small to effectively be driving a Gorgug sized van. 

The Hangman–Fabian’s trusty motorcycle/hellhound–is out in front of the Hangvan.

Also Squeem is on the roof with the others! Beloved, fan favorite Squeem!

Yeah, so this episode does a thing of pretending like we’re jumping into the last episode of an arc that we’ve seen every episode of and introducing characters in a very Sam Reich, “He’s been there this whole time” way even though it’s their first appearance. I think it’s very funny and it reminds me of that Community episode where they’re all flashing back to episodes that never aired. But anyway, I mention this so that if I mention a name and you’re like “Whomst?” it’s probably just a bit, you’re not forgetting a major character.

Anyway, we’re joining this chase already in progress which means our kids are hurt and down spell slots but their opponents are as well. The distribution is pretty uneven–Adaine is way less hurt than Fabian and Kristen for instance, which honestly checks out (curious how they decided on that though). 

Because this episode is just one big battle sequence for the most part, I’m going to follow the precedent I set in the recaps for The Seven and just give the highlights in bullets and then do an analysis on where all the Bad Kids are right now at the end:

Murph comes in hot, using his first action of the new season to shoot his gun and doing 30 points of damage with a 27 to hit. New year, new Murph! 

Siobhan invokes the corn cuties debacle from fight one and all the falling off the tables that happened. Clearly, a bit of Adaine’s oracle energy is rubbing off on her because the next thing that happens in that Fabian decides to jump on top of the Hangvan to cast Faerie Fire on the Night Yorb (which has shrouded itself in magical darkness), rolls the first Nat 1 of the season, absolutely eats it, and gets run over by Riz–narrowly avoiding going down. He’s ultimately fine–The Hangman comes and picks him up–but it’s not a very auspicious star from Master Fabian. 

Emily and Murph have a cute moment of womping Brennan back to back by using Silvery Barbs to make him reroll two attacks on the Hangvan–one of which is a crit–and then giving each other the advantage on the next roll.

Kristen is a real pillar in this encounter–holding up the Circle of Power spell that allows her friends to ignore big chunks of damage that absolutely would have dropped them. But throughout the entire fight, her patron goddess, Cassandra, keeps trying to talk to her and Kristen keeps leaving her on read–we’ll get more into that in a bit. 

Adaine comes in clutch with a Nat 1 portent roll to stop the NIght Yorb from resisting Gorgug’s attempt to reel it in further. Truly, the best time to roll a Nat 1 in this game. Divination Wizards are awesome!

We learn that “Don’t Speak of the Night Yorb” is more than just a silly bit when Fig realizes that saying its name makes it heal up which isn’t great because they’ve been *very* cavalier about invoking its name. 

Squeem gets a big emotional goodbye with Gorgug on top of the Hangvan, heroically leaps off to fend off some Yorbies…and then rolls a 2 and totally faceplants. No! Squeem! Beloved fan favorite Squeem! They already had to revivify you once! 

On the Night Yorb’s turn, Brennan does an attack and shakes so many dice that it sounds like maracas. It’s 61 points of damage and squishy wizard Adaine goes down, but everyone else stays up–large in part due to Kristen’s aforementioned Circle of Power. (Siobhan, describing how bad her saving rolls were zings two separate friends saying, “It was Fabian level nasty. I fucking Murph’d it.”)

Luckily, Fig and Gorgug are up on the roof with Adaine so she does not go sliding off the van when she goes down. They catch her before she can fall. 

At this point the Van has sustained a lot of damage so Murph reminds the teacher that they have homework/Brennan that they have to roll for a mishap. That turns out to be the breaks blowing out. Now, all the Van can do is accelerate! It’s just like the movie Speed!

Two more characters who we totally know and have been here this whole time show up to help–Balthazar and Duggan McCann! A cool grizzled veteran and a centaur cowboy. Riz immediately starts doing cool guy banter with them because he’s somehow convinced them that he’s cool (which he is for the record, just in a completely different way lol). Unfortch, Baz almost right away gets eaten by the NIght Yorb. Who’s gonna take care of his litter (?) of parrots?????

 At this point in the fight, everyone gets a ping on their crystals, reminding them that school starts in three days. This stresses everyone out more than the fight that they’re currently in. 

Fig brings up Adaine with a Healing Word but she immediately has to do Wis save with the rest of the party. She and Fabian fail, but once again Fabian is saved by fear negating effects of his dad’s eyepatch. So Adaine starts to have a panic attack about the fact that she’s fighting the Night Yorb while standing on the roof of a moving vehicle which, real talk, very normal and valid reaction. In fact, probably concerning that she’s reached a point in her life where that *isn’t* the default reaction. 

The Hangvan is coming up on a jump it’ll have to make to continue following the Night Yorb (and it can’t even try to stop because the brakes are cut). Riz fails the roll which means that the van is probably going to fall on its side. Adding insult to injury, a pillar of rock falls and is going to crash into the van, doing even more major damage. 

Fig watches this, and almost dissociates, feeling the weight of the entire summer taken from them to do this quest. Feeling so so tired. Feeling the fact that even if they win, they’re just gonna have to go back to school and adventure some more. A piece of magic she’s been holding inside of for a long time flickers and she hears an enticing voice whisper in her ears. “If you would take me, you know what you would save.” She smells a sour, curdled scent and she knows that if she says yes, she can save her friends. Maybe there’s another way, but she just wants this to be over. “I’m yours,” Fig says. 

There’s a flash of “lemony, yellow, creamy” light (hmmmm) and the rock stops falling. The Hangvan starts righting itself.

And then there’s a sick gurgle from Fig’s stomach. 

Uh-oh, gang. 

For those of you who are new to these recaps, every week, I give one PC Detention and put one on the Honor Roll for their in-game actions. We’re starting off hot this semester with:

Detention 

Kristen Applebees for Being a BAD Friend to Cassandra 

Like, OK. Faith is complicated. Kristen’s relationship with religion is complicated. Being a cleric is complicated. But notice that I didn’t say being a bad *cleric*. I said being a bad *friend*. To be clear, she’s also being a bad cleric, and I’ll talk about that later. But having understandably conflicted views on religion doesn’t make sliding in your Fantasy Airpods while the being who is essentially a lonely teen girl and who is keeping you and all your friends alive tries to talk to you NOT seem like a giant dick move. Come on girl, get it together. 

Honor Roll

Brennan Lee Mulligan for Being a Great DM!

I realized as I was writing this that I’ve given Brennan Detention but never Honor Roll so he’s getting it today. It feels so good to have him back in the dome with the kids and he drew me back into the world, right away. I’m so psyched that we have a full season of this ahead of us! 

CHARACTER CHECK-INS

Like I said earlier, because this is the first episode back, I want to really quickly check in with all of the Bad Kids and where they are, character-wise. I’m going to do this roughly from least concerning to me to most concerning to me. 

-Adaine: Adaine seems like she’s living her best life. She has her frog! She has her dog! Her character art is so much more chill and she’s coming into her own. This season, I’m hoping we get to see more of her relationship with her sister (yes, I’m a predictable bitch. Sue me) and with Zayn (who is also living at Mordred in her tower) who I think has a lot of potential to be an interesting supporting character with more spotlight. But yeah, go Adaine! 

-Gorgug: Gorgug is making his parents proud (not that they ever weren’t) by taking another artificer level. He’s not a 7/3 Barb/Art split. I love that he’s gone from calling himself dumb to taking on this very technical skill. He also apparently has a homunculus? Fascinated to see what that looks like. 

-Riz: Now that his big investigation is over and he knows his dad is a cool secret agent, Riz has switched his subclass from Inquisitor to Arcane Trickster which means he’s got tons of gadgets and that he’s a ring guy now. Love that for him. He’s very much not a chill person though so I’m very curious to know what the next thing he’ll latch onto is. He the kind of guy who always need something going on, you know? 

-Fabian: Fabian is a fancy, dance boy now (6/4 Fighter/Bard)! But that doesn’t mean he’s any less athletic. I mean, have you ever seen a male ballerina? He still is, however, a total disaster. And I mean that affectionately. I mean, his current love interest (?) is a mirror that is showing a fuzzy reflection of his own face. My guy, what are you doing? Although I will say, idk if that’s more or less toxic than him dating Aelwyn. 

-Kristen: Kristen. GIRL. 

OK, so first of all. There is nothing inherently wrong with getting super jacked and like, respect. But in this context it feels like a red flag. Like the kind of thing you do because you’re on the rocks with your girlfriend or if you’ve recently broken up. I will be *very* interested to know what Tracker is up to as she’d not mentioned in this episode. Last we heard, she was out doing cleric stuff for the Moon Goddess, right? Long distance can be hell on a relationship. (Also, idk how seriously we’re supposed to take this but Ally mentioned the one shot it happened in in this episode so Kristen was also totally trying to flirt with a college girl in that college visit oneshot. Brennan shut it down pretty quick, but it very much did happen). 

Also, speaking of cleric stuff, Cass. I feel SO bad for Cass. Like, a god isn’t owed followers, but Kristen chose that role. She CHOSE it. This isn’t like a Helio situation. Cass wasn’t pushy. She specifically says in this episode that she doesn’t want to be pushy. Hell, she says in the episode where she’s introduced that if people don’t want her around she’ll go away. But Kristen chose to be her follower, knowing what the implications of being the sole follower of a goddess is. Cass is made in her image. That’s how deeply entwined they are. Her goddess is made in her image. In The Seven, we learn that Ost’s god hasn’t talked to anyone in years. Kristen has Cass coming in like a mom offering snacks mid battle and Kristen is leaving her on read! It’s honestly kinda hard to watch her be so blithely dismissive of someone so dependent on her even though it’s played off as kind of a joke. I felt like I was watching a loyal puppy get kicked every time they interacted. 

And like, I said this before, Cassandra is made in Kristen’s image. But specifically, she looks like Sophomore year Kristen. Still all skinny and still in her tie-die shirt and shorts. There is a definite vibe of almost wanting to kill the part of yourself that embarasses you, you know? It feels like she's being mean to Cass but also to herself. 

Also, mechanically speaking, it’s wild to be just ignoring the person you’re getting your powers from like this. Like, this is real Wizard behavior. You don’t have to answer to anyone if you studied for your magic but you absolutely do as a cleric. Does Kristen even want to be a cleric? It honestly doesn’t seem like it. She’s shown a pattern of behavior of chafing at every god put in her path, even the ones she literally made up. I thought Cass might be the end of her searching, but we’re right back on the Merry Go Round. The party absolutely needs a healer though so idk how she deals with that. 

I saw the snipped clip of Ally’s interview about Kristen’s arc this season involving what happens when chaos stops being cute, and I can def see seeds being planted. Fascinated to see how they explore that because this feels like a real ticking time bomb of a situation. 

Oh also, her Dex went DOWN????? GIRL!

Fig: I had a lot more to say about Kristen but Fig has to be last on the list for making a deal with a literal devil lol. Like, classic Fig though, right? This WOULD happen. Emily talked about potentially retiring Fig and getting reeled in by some enticing plot hook from Brennan and it feels like we might be about to find out what that is. I won’t speculate on it too much right now because we’re presumably about to find out but there were a LOT of yogurt themed adjectives when that magic activated which has me very split on whether this is about to be deeply concerning or deeply silly. Or both! It could be both! 

Random Thoughts

I LOVE that we have a proper theme song now. It feels so fitting and I love the opening art and it’s all so cool. The show’s so profesh now!

Also, shout out to @caitmayart for making the new art! It has the quality of a professional and the extra love of a fan. It’s my fave D20 official art so far. 

I don’t know when this feature was added but I love that there is a full transcript you can pull up and search and jump to that time in the video now. That’s gonna be SO useful for me. 

One of my favorite things about Adaine is that she’s generally polite but occasionally she’ll just absolutely verbally decimate someone so casually and this episode she said to the Solesian Yorbie they encountered, “What movie theater were you assistant managing before you decided to become a Yorbie?” Brutal. 

Also love how vehement she was about the fact that Brennan couldn’t touch Moggy, even when she went down. You are absolutely NOT gonna kill that dog Brennan.  

“Object interaction, touch Gorgug’s foot.”

Fig asks Gorgug how they can heal a van and he says, “Take it to a shop for 3-4 days.” Zac, underrated comic genius. 

I really can’t overstate how funny it is that Fabian spends most of this episode flirting with his own reflection. I’ve said this many times but something I love about Lou is that he’s not afraid to make Fabian deeply uncool, even though Fabian’s whole thing is being as cool as possible. 

Kristen says she needs to have an intense conversation with Cassandra when the fight is over and what does that mean? Like a breakup conversation? Which I guess would kill her because then she’d have no followers again? I am, como se dice, concerned. 

Also, just looking ahead, Tracker is also a cleric. A pretty faithful one from what I can tell. I have to wonder what her take on Kristen completely neglecting her goddess and church is. 

I think it’s so funny that Emily was thinking about retiring Fig so she could just ride off into the sunset with her cool rockstar life and awesome girlfriend because Riz’s big thing last year was being worried all his friend would pair up and leave him so for him to accept it and then have his fears validated right away would be like, welp. 

At a certain point, Murph has to roll damage and he rolls 45 out of a possible 50 damage. That’s crazy. Let’s see how long that luck holds.

[wilbursoot-updates]

Interview: Lovejoy Are Taking the World by Storm, One Show at a Time

Lovejoy is in this article!

Lovejoy kicked off their highly anticipated Across The Pond Tour in May. The British rock band, who recently released their third EP “Wake Up & It’s Over,” played shows to adoring fans throughout the U.S. and Canada—wowing audiences with their rambunctious guitars and tell-all lyrics. Before their show at Boston’s Royale on June 2nd, Staff Writer, Elle Dickson sat down with the band to discuss new music and the highs and lows of tour.

SO HOW ARE Y’ALL DOING TODAY? 

Ash Kabosu: Doing good. We’re just plotting world domination at the moment. 

THAT FEELS RIGHT. HOW EXCITED ARE Y’ALL TO BE IN BOSTON?

Mark Boardman: We’ve never been.

AK: Joe loves Boston.

Wilbur Soot: It’s his favorite place in the world. 

AK: Which is why he’s not here, he’s off enjoying Boston. 

LOVELY, SO HOW HAS THE TOUR BEEN SO FAR FOR YOU GUYS?

WS: Very good. Very tiring.

AK: Wild. Yeah, really cool. Just like every end of the spectrum—it’s been amazing, but it’s also been awful at times. Yeah, it’s just been a big mixed bag.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF THE TOUR SO FAR? 

AK: I really liked San Francisco! I think it gets a bad rap because everywhere else we went in the country, we’ve been telling people where we’ve been going, and they say, “Oh, be careful in San Francisco!” and we got there and it couldn’t be finer. There was nothing wrong—it was very pleasant, very green, a lot of fun, and there were lots of cool places to eat. I had a great time! 

MB: I think mine was [San Francisco] too. We have a good friend that lives out there, so it was nice to see them again.

AK: They showed us around, showed us some good food, and we got to see the sunset in a field overlooking the city.

MB: Then, the next day, they secretly opened for us—did an amazing show. They absolutely smashed it!

AK: Yeah, that show was great. It was a really good crowd... Austin, Texas was really cool. I think that was maybe my favorite show, just in terms of crowd and energy and everything. Yeah, it was huge. 

WS: It was daunting. 

AK: I had loads of fun in Nashville as well. That’s where we first went. We were there for a few days. We just went out to Broadway and went to a bunch of bars to listen to the country bands play. They were all just incredible—like it made me aware of the caliber of musicians and it made me nervous. I was like, “Fuck, we really gotta prove ourselves.” 

WS: Yeah, Nashville was really cool. 

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO KEEP THINGS FUN ON TOUR? 

WS: I attack Mark. 

MB: He’s been doing that since before tour. 

AK: Let the record show that I’m actually sitting between them now to prevent Will from harming Mark any further.

YOU GOTTA KEEP HIM SAFE BEFORE THE SHOW!

AK: Just his legs, he could probably beat the drum with your head. 

MB: I don’t know. I feel like I’d get brain damage first. 

THE EP IS STILL PRETTY YOUNG. HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED THE TOUR? 

AK: I’m very impressed with how the crowds have already learned the songs. I did not expect that. I thought there would be one or two stand-out songs or choruses that really resonate with people, but they’re singing every word and that's nuts. Like, that’s dedication that we don’t even deserve, and that's wonderful. 

WS: Yeah, it’s crazy. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE ONE OF YOUR SHOWS TO SOMEONE WHO’S NEVER BEEN TO ONE?

MB: Loud.

WS: Yeah. Very loud. It’s not even the sound system or the music—it’s literally just how loud the fans scream. 

AK: Our record was 120 decibels I think, in Texas, which is the equivalent of standing next to a jet engine. We have molded in-ears that we wear for playback while we perform, and if at any point I take mine out, it’s almost deafening.

WS: Every crew member that works in the venue has no idea what to expect then our sound guy tries to tell us–

AK: He tries to tell them, “It’s gonna be loud,” and they’re like “Okay.” Then they go, “Oh fuck, my ears!”

WS: They all put their earplugs in as well. It's ridiculous. 

WHAT ARE Y’ALLS FAVORITE SONGS TO PLAY?

MB: It’s gotta be “Portrait of a Blank Slate” for me. I think it’s really fun.

AK: Yeah, I really like playing “Portrait of a Blank Slate,” but it’s really hard for me to play, so the chances of me playing it well are low—but when I do, it feels really good. “Scum” is also really fun. It has our biggest build. The crowd also always goes wild for “Sex Sells,” so that’s really cool.

WS: “Call Me What You Like” is my favorite because I get to do a fun thing where I just talk.

[joshym]

Lilac Moon: Chapter 5

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x f!Reader

Word Count: 9.5k+

Warnings: 18+ ONLY. mentions of anxiety and depression, mentions of death of a parent, brief recollection of childhood trauma, angst, illness. SMUT. oral f & m receiving, fingering, unprotected sex, a little voice kink, some cock warming, & of course fluff because i can't help myself. (pls let me know if i missed anything)

Masterlist

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(ps. yes, there's a new moodboard. 😉🤍)

Amongst a sea of people, the stage is your vessel and you are the captain. 

The music starts; you’re home.

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

The morning of the opening show

Everything is prepared. Your stage outfits hang in the closet of your dressing room. Your makeup is spread out on the vanity, ready to be used. The setlist has been narrowed down and perfected. The only thing left to do: perform.

You and Ivy are the first ones to arrive at the venue. You’re exhausted as you had hardly slept last night, the nerves and anxiety clouding any other thought that dared enter your mind. 

You couldn’t even bring yourself to think much about Josh, about last night and the song you shared with him on the stage that you’ll step foot on tonight. You let your guard down with him, yet again. But, that’s the last thing on your mind. 

Tonight begins the expedition that will lead Lilac Moon to waters never explored. 

You want it to be perfect. You need it to be perfect. 

You open the door to the dressing room you and Ivy will share. It’s dark, so you turn on the lights. You scan the room, looking at all of the gifts left for you from the venue. T-shirts, snacks, drinks, but the thing that catches your eye is a large bouquet of white roses sitting on the makeup vanity. The fragrance they carry fills the entire room with their floral notes. As you come closer, you see a handwritten note attached.

“A few adoring fans will receive one of these from me tonight, but no one is as deserving of a full bouquet as you. -Josh”

They’re beautiful. They’re in full bloom and so perfect that they nearly resemble satin. You can’t help but wonder just how much he spent on them, but you’re not sure you want to know.

“Where did those come from?”

You look towards the door as Ivy’s walking through the threshold. 

“I’ll give you one guess.” you say through a smile.

She laughs, “That man is a damn fool for you.”

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

10:32 am

8 hours and 58 minutes until showtime

You and Ivy are the only ones at the venue, save for a few employees, so you take the opportunity to walk around, exploring the halls and watching as merchandise tables are being set up. Amongst the endless choices of Greta Van Fleet merch are a few Lilac Moon t-shirts that you designed and a few copies of your ep’s on cd and vinyl. You weren’t able to do much, only as much as your funds would allow. But, nonetheless, seeing your band's t-shirts next to Greta Van Fleet’s is a surreal sight.

You’re shocked as you look out the window to see a few hundred dedicated fans already lined up for the show that’s still over eight hours away. The venue didn’t allow camping, so these people made it here as soon as the Bridgestone arena would allow to ensure the best spots.

It suddenly hits you. As you stare out at the hundreds of fans, you realize that you’ve never even performed in front of an audience as big as these early birds, let alone the nearly 20,000 others that will soon join them. 

You’re hit with a wave of uncertainty, of meekness.

Ivy must sense it as she moves closer to you, grabbing your hand as you continue to stare outside.

“What are you thinking?” Ivy says. “Your mind has wandered. Tell me where it’s gone.”

“Look at this, Ivy. All of these people. It seems like so many. This isn’t even close to the number of people that will be here tonight. I know they aren’t here for us but they'll see us. They’ll hear us. What if they hate us? What if they just count down the minutes until we leave the stage? I’m terrified, Ivy.”

“But what if they love us, y/n? Don’t do this. We’re here for a reason. Don’t let your stupid brain tell you otherwise.”

“Stupid? Gee, thanks so much.” you say with a smile.

Ivy puts her arm around you as you both watch the waiting fans. “Sometimes I wish your brain would fuck off and let you live in peace.”

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

11:56 am

7 hours and 34 minutes until showtime

The nerves haven’t let up. In fact, they’re beginning to become worse as the show draws nearer. Anxiety is not something new for you, but there are moments where it becomes particularly debilitating, and right now is one of those moments. 

Jay and Julien are here now, talking with Joe and Ivy as you sit in silence, stewing in your worry. You get up and leave the room in search of somewhere to be alone for a few moments.

You walk into the bathroom down the hall and lock the door behind you. You sit on the floor, head plopped in your hands as you begin to cry.

The fear of it all is setting in. You’ve never been one to handle criticism well, and by doing this tour, you’re opening yourself up to a host of critics who will point out your every flaw. 

You’re excited for this new chapter, but you’re terrified all at once. You’re ashamed of your ambivalence, but you can’t shake these feelings of inadequacy. 

Your mother never shied away from telling you that you weren’t good enough, that everything you’d ever done was wrong. 

You lost your biggest support when your dad died. He took all the love with him when he passed. 

Your mom only got worse. Without him there to defend you and love you, she took advantage of it and tore you down as often as she could.

Maybe she was just trying to save me from getting hurt. She saw something my dad and I couldn’t see; she saw failure. I wasn’t enough for her, I wasn’t enough for Jay, and I’m certainly not enough for Josh.

Your cries become louder when suddenly the doorknob to the bathroom starts to jiggle. 

You hear a muffled voice from outside, “I’m not sure who’s in there but I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Do I need to call someone?”

You immediately recognize the voice that belongs to Danny. 

“Yeah, I’m fine! I just need a minute.” Your voice is shaky but you’re doing your best to sound composed. 

“Is that you, y/n? I’m not leaving until you open the door.”

Dammit. 

You quickly get up to check yourself in the mirror. Your eyes are swollen and puffy. There’s not much you can do right now to fix it, but you splash a little cold water on your face anyway before opening the door. 

“Hi, Danny.” you say as you try to dart past him quickly.

He puts his hand lightly on your shoulder to stop you while he softly says, “You’re not getting out of this that easily.”

You look at him to see a sweet, concerned smile across his face. “What’s going on, y/n? I could hear you crying from my dressing room at the end of the hall.”

Of course.

“God, was I that loud? Please tell me none of the other guys heard.”

He quietly laughs, “No, I’m the only one here so far. Those fuckers are never on time. They probably won’t show up until the curtain is down.” This makes you smile, and you’re grateful for it.

“Seriously, though. Are you okay?”

“Just a case of the pre-show jitters.”

“Must be a pretty serious case.” he says as he grins. “I know that can’t be all of it.”

You know deep down you can trust him. Danny is one of the last people on this earth who’d judge you, but the thought of opening up to him right now is something you’re just not ready for yet. It’s rare that you reveal this part of yourself to people. 

“There’s a little more to it, I guess. But it’s really not that important. I’m fine, I promise.”

“I won’t pry. You tell me when you want to. I’m here for you whenever the time feels right.”

He holds his arms out for a hug and you happily embrace it. Danny's hugs are so warm and reassuring; you desperately needed it. 

As you make your way back to the room, you see Joe out in the hall, bracing himself up against the wall with one hand while he’s struggling through a coughing fit.

You run up to him to help him stabilize himself. “Are you okay?” you ask.

He can’t answer you as he’s coughing too much. He’s holding a tissue tightly in his hand as he coughs into it. You notice it’s stained red.

“Shit. Come on, let's get you to the hospital.” You try to help him down the hall but he stops you. 

“No.” he says in his weak voice. “I’m fine, kid. It’s just a little cough. Nothing to fret over. It’ll pass. But do me a favor, hun.” He shoves the stained tissue in his shirt pocket, ensuring it’s concealed. “Don’t mention this, alright? I don’t want everyone in a tizzy over me.”

Your self-centered feelings have quickly switched to worry for Joe’s health.

He pats your back before walking away, seemingly fine. 

But you know he’s not fine. He’ll do everything to convince you otherwise, but you know deep down something is seriously wrong. 

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

4:59 pm

2 hours and 31 minutes until showtime

“I can’t see fuckin’ shit out of these things.” 

You hear Josh’s voice ring throughout the arena as they’re working through a final soundcheck. He’s wearing his giant bejeweled sunglasses that serve no practical use as he’s tripping all over himself trying to navigate the stage. 

“Seriously, I can’t see a fuckin’ thing.”

“Take them off, you dumbass.” Sam says in his mic perched on his piano.

“Obviously that would ruin my look, Samuel.” He’s already dressed in his ensemble for tonight, looking wonderfully angelic. You’re doing your best to avert your gaze, but damn. He makes it difficult.

The two go back and forth with each other until finally Danny slams his cymbals and Jake plays an aggressive chord to get them to shut up.

You, Ivy and Julien are sitting in the audience seats watching the whole thing, cracking up laughing at their brotherly banter.

They finally manage to run through a few songs and you’re in awe over how easily it comes to them. Within seconds of bitching at each other, they play a song to perfection as if nothing had happened. 

They don’t bother running through the whole show, opting to just ‘wing it’ when it’s showtime. 

You can’t imagine that kind of mindset. You figure it’s because of how long they’ve been in the game. It comes so naturally for them, so authentically. Too much rehearsal might take away some of that authenticity for them. Aside from that, they just don’t need it. They are so in tune with each other that practice seems like a waste of time.

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

5:33 pm

1 hour and 57 minutes until showtime

You had some intent behind choosing your stage outfit. You wanted something that felt like you, felt like Lilac Moon, and something with a little meaning behind it. 

A month ago, you had all finally narrowed down stage looks. 

“Why don’t we wear purple?” you had suggested after hours of trying to agree on something.

“Why the fuck would we do that?” Jay asked.

“Think about it, man.” said Julien.

“Oh my god, why the hell haven’t we thought of this before? You’re a genius, y/n.” said Ivy.

Not only is purple an obvious choice for a band with the color in its name, but it also made you think of a sweet memory with Josh, when he recalled a show of theirs you’d attended a few years ago and you wore a lilac colored dress with puffy sleeves. He loved it so much that he locked it away in his memory.

You wanted to mimic that look for nostalgic reasons.

You chose a purple skirt paired with a black top with sleeves almost identical to the ones on the dress you wore that Josh remembered every detail of. 

As you’re putting it on, you feel all the emotions you’d felt the day you talked with him about that memory. It’s a bit of a full circle moment for you as an artist and as a person, and it’s also a reminder of the sweetness of Josh. Regardless of everything over the last few months, he’s as warm as sunshine that never dims. He’s made a dent on your heart, and that is something you’ll never be able to deny, no matter how hard you try.

You sit next to Ivy at the vanity to finish your hair and makeup, talking and joking with her when you hear a knock at the door. 

“Come in.” you yell.

“Our hands are a bit full.” Josh says.

You get up to open the door to find Josh and Jake, each holding two drinks.

“Damn.” Jake mumbles as Ivy joins you at the door, adorned in her black sequined black crop top and purple velvet bell bottoms that accentuate her body perfectly. 

“What was that, Jacob?” she says slyly. 

“You look quite dashing.” he says as he walks through the doorway.

“Y/n you look absolutely, I mean you really look… well I haven’t the proper words.” Josh says to you as his eyes follow a path up and down your body.

“Fucking finally.” Jake jokes, making Ivy laugh.

“Thank you, Josh. Or, at least I think I should thank you. Is rendering Josh speechless a good thing?”

He smiles at you, “In this case, undoubtedly.” 

“We weren’t sure what you ladies liked to drink so we have options,” Jake says as they both set their drinks down on the coffee table. “We’ve got a tequila sunrise, a vodka lemonade, a salty dog and a bloody mary. Take your pick.” 

Ivy instantly grabs the bloody mary, a favorite of hers. 

“Ah, a woman of class. Good choice, Ivy.” says Jake. She thanks him as she takes a sip of her tomato drink.

You go for the vodka lemonade, to which Josh says “You don’t want the salty dog?”

“Absolutely not. Grapefruit makes me want to vomit.” 

Josh scoffs, “A salty dog is the perfect fruity and salty fusion that is both refreshing and intoxicating. To not enjoy it is to not enjoy happiness.” 

The twins hangout with the two of you as you add the final touches to your makeup and hair, finishing off all four drinks.

Jake decides to head back to the bar to grab a few more. Ivy joins him, leaving you and Josh alone.

“You know what you could use?” Josh asks.

“What’s that?”

“I’ll be right back.”

He runs full speed out of the room, returning almost as quickly as he left with a tote bag in his hand. He digs inside of it and pulls out a small box and a tube of eyelash glue.

He pulls a chair up to sit in front of you at the vanity, putting both of his legs on either side of yours as he takes a seat and scoots as close to you as he can.

“One thing I’ve learned since the last tour is you can never have enough sparkle.”

He opens the box containing a slew of rhinestones.

“Should I consider this my very own entry to the rhinestoned diaries?” you say with a little sarcasm.

He rolls his eyes and laughs, “Those are a work of pure art and you know it. Now, let’s see.” He tucks his bottom lip in his teeth, eyebrows furrowed as takes in the structure of your face. 

He holds your chin between his thumb and index finger, maneuvering you a bit to really get a good look at your features.

“We want to accentuate these lovely cheekbones of yours.” He runs a finger along your right cheek, the contact causing your breathing to stutter a bit. 

His tongue peeks out of the corner of his mouth as he strategically places dots of eyelash glue along the high points of your face.

He dumps out a few gems on the table, picking each one up with a pair of tweezers to place them over the dots of glue.

You can’t help but watch him, the way his nose twitches slightly as he meticulously places each stone, the way he pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, his tongue gliding over his mouth every so often. He’s just so pretty.

He looks up into your eyes, catching your stare. He doesn’t say a word, just smiles. His beautiful, warm smile that demands a smile from you in return.

“Not that perfection needs any improvement.” he says as he places the final rhinestone. He stands up and turns your chair around so you’re facing the mirror. “Look at that. Just gorgeous.”

You smile at your reflection. As silly as you initially thought it was, you actually feel really beautiful.

And he’s right, you can never have enough sparkle.

He sits back down next to you, gathering up his things to take back to his room.

“You truly look stunning.” He says. “I’m not sure I want you going out there like that, might cause a bit of chaos from the crowd once they see you.” He laughs a little, smiling at you once again.

The all too familiar Josh-induced blush starts creeping up your rhinestoned cheeks.

“I doubt that. It’s not me everyones here to see, anyway.”

“After tonight you will be. I just know it.”

He moves closer to you, staring into your eyes with a look that speaks a thousand words. You start to lean into it, feeling drawn to him.

No, y/n. Don’t let him lead you on again. The roses, the rhinestones…he’s doing it again. This isn’t why you’re here. He’s just distracting you yet again from the only thing that matters.

You suddenly break eye contact and stand up, moving away from him. 

“We agreed to keep this professional, Josh. You need to stop.” You can’t bring yourself to look at him. This is hurting you, and you know looking at him will only make this so much worse. “I told you, my career is the most important thing. You don’t need to be leaving me roses or helping with my makeup. It's inappropriate.”

“I was just trying to be nice, y/n. I give roses to everyone, doesn’t mean anything more than a friendly gesture. It was just my way of welcoming you on tour. That’s all. Don’t read too much into it.”

His voice is much more stern than you had anticipated it would be, and you noted a bit of sarcasm. You can tell you struck a nerve but you decide to ignore it. It's almost time for the show and you can’t be bothered with this right now.

“Well, thank you for welcoming me. ” you say as you walk out of the door to head to the stage. You’re pissed that this happened minutes before your show. As if you’re not nervous enough.

You set it in the back of your mind, shaking it off and pulling yourself together so you’re able to give this performance your all. 

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

7:30 pm

Showtime

The four of you walk out on stage together, all holding hands. You look behind you to see Josh, Jake, Sam and Danny standing in a hidden spot behind the stage to watch. 

You’re struck still for a moment as you look out to the filled space that was barren just hours ago. Every seat is filled. Every spot is taken. They’re screaming, screaming for Lilac Moon. 

The stage lights shine brighter than the sun against your face on a hot summer afternoon. The vibrations of the screaming fans felt beneath your feet like a ship rocking against harsh waves.

The stage serves as your vessel and you the captain as you navigate the sea of 20,000 people.

It’s time.

You walk to your mic stand, Ivy situates her bass, Jay tucks his guitar strap under his arm just the way he likes and Julien takes his seat at his throne.

You can do this.

“How are we doing tonight, Nashville?”

There’s excitement painted on their faces as their eyes are fixed on you. You know you’ll tuck this image away in the depths of your memory to cherish as long as you live.

“It’s an honor to be here. Let’s do this!”

The music starts; you’re home.

Every fear you’d had has dissipated. 

You make use of the biggest stage your band has ever played on, moving all over it, letting the music guide your body.

You watch as their faces light up with each song, as their heads nod to the beat. Some start making hearts with their hands, a few even singing along with you.

After the fourth song, you hear a faint “I love you!” coming from the crowd, to which you respond with “I love you, too!”

Everyone screams, and you couldn’t pry your smile away if you tried. 

“We’ve got just a few more songs for you all, then we’ll make way for the star attraction.” 

The crowd gets even louder at the mention of the headliners. You realize you haven’t introduced the band yet, so you take a few moments before the next song to do so.

“We’re Nashville-born Lilac Moon, and I don’t know if you know this, but you’re the largest crowd we’ve ever stood before.” You pull the mic away as you take in the roar of the audience. “You’ve welcomed us with so much love and we can’t thank you enough for making us feel at home on this stage. This is the first night of the Starcatcher world tour, and it’s definitely one for the books.”

You move to the center of the stage and take a seat on the ledge. Jay grabs his acoustic while Ivy comes to sit on your right, sans bass with her mic in hand. Julien takes his cajón and sits on the left side of you.

“We’re going to play a little acoustic number, if that’s okay. I’m sure you’ll recognize this one. If you do, please sing along.”

One of the first songs you’d ever played together as a band was Imagine by John Lennon. It was the song that helped you find your sound; the sound of Lilac Moon. You’d incorporated it in shows as often as you could, always acoustically as that’s how you played it together the very first time.

It’s been a while since you brought this one to the stage. You had all agreed that tonight felt like the perfect opportunity to bring it back. 

Jay plays the first few chords and it seems the crowd recognizes the song almost instantly. You and Ivy switch back and forth singing the verses while harmonizing together with Julien during the chorus as he taps a subtle beat on his cajón. 

The crowd glows with twinkling lights coming from their phones, swaying back and forth and singing the lyrics to the beloved tune.

This moment feels like the most intimate experience you’ve ever shared with an audience, though this is the largest one you’ve ever played for. 

This right here, this is what it’s all about. The music, the unity, the love. It feels as though every obstacle in your life has led you to this very moment. It suddenly all feels worth it.

________________________

The last song has come to an end. As you take a bow with your bandmates, tears threaten to flee your eyes. 

It had all gone so beautifully, better than you could’ve imagined. 

You take out one of your in-ears to finally be met with the true sound of the audience that’s been muffled by the ear monitor. 

You take it all in, the boisterous, beautiful sounds of 20,000 people cheering for Lilac Moon.

“Thank you, Nashville!” is all you can manage to say before heading off the stage just in time to avoid going over your 45 minute time slot.

You leave the stage to Sammy, Danny and Jake all congratulating you, giving you hugs and kisses on your cheeks, but you can’t help but notice that Josh is no longer here.

Seriously? He couldn’t even stay for the whole thing?

You start to head back towards the hallway your dressing rooms are in to find him when you’re stopped by Julien grabbing you, Ivy and Jay in a massive group hug.

“I love you guys, dammit. I’m so proud to do this with the three of you.” he says through choked back tears.

Joe comes up to join you all. He’s absolutely elated, so proud of you all that he can’t stop praising you. 

It’s an emotional moment, and you’re angry. 

You’re angry that your only thought right now is Josh. He’s taken over so drastically that you can’t even be present right now with your band, your family, after undeniably the best performance you’ve ever put on.

All you can think about is him.

While everyone is hugging and cheering for each other, you manage to slip away, unable to free him from your mind. You have to know where he is, you need to find him.

You quickly make your way down the hall, stopping first at his dressing room. No luck.

You check each of their rooms that are all empty.

You decide as a last ditch effort to check your room. 

You open the door and as you walk in, you see Josh sitting at your vanity.

“Josh, what are you doing in here?”

His head is in his hands, his leg bouncing wildly as he has yet to look at you.

You ask him if he’s okay before he sighs loudly while finally standing up. 

“No, I’m not okay, y/n.” he says as he walks up to you.

His hands quickly find your waist, squeezing you with his fingertips.

There’s a fire igniting in the pit of your stomach. His touch is much more heated than ever before. You're fighting against the trembles of your body. 

“I know that we decided not to take things any further,” he says as his eyes are fixed on where his hands rest, “but I can’t watch you out there and not want you.”

He darts his eyes to yours. “I want you, y/n. I need you. Like I need the air in my lungs. Watching you out there, so mystifying, so goddamn beautiful. I can’t take it. I won’t be able to do this every night.”

You can’t fight your body much longer. His words are like sugar laced with honey. 

You don’t speak, and before you can think twice about it, your lips crash hard with his.

“You…” he says between attacking your lips “...are so fucking incredible.”

He shuts the door before pushing your body up against it. 

You lift your leg to wrap it around his waist, his hand kneading the flesh of your thigh.

You grab hold of his curls, forcing his body to press harder against yours.

As close as he is, you need him even closer. You need to feel him everywhere. 

He licks and sucks on your neck, his breath leaving goosebumps on the wet skin.

“Josh…”

He groans in your ear, not relenting a bit.

“Josh…it’s almost time for you to get out there. I don’t want…” he pulls your skin between his teeth, sucking and nibbling as you lose all inhibition. 

The moan that escapes you is louder than you would have liked, you’re almost sure someone heard. You simply can’t bring yourself to care.

He pulls tighter on your thigh, moving his hand up to your hip under your skirt. He grips you tighter, his thumb brushing dangerously close to the hem of your thong.

He pulls you closer until you’re pressed against him, feeling his cock harden against you. 

You start grinding yourself on him, his hand on your hip helping to move you just right against him. 

“Fuck…” he whispers in your ear. His jaw is beautifully clenched, his eyes squeezed shut as he moves his body along with yours.

Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door that you're leaned up against.

“Josh? Are you in there? Come on we have to fucking go! The curtains about to drop!” Jake yells.

“Josh, go.” you say with heavy reluctance.

“You can’t expect me to go out there like this.”

You look down and notice his massive erection straining against his skin tight pants.

“You don’t have a choice, Joshy.” you say as you kiss his cheek and he lightly slaps your ass before opening the door.

“God, I can’t wait to get off that stage.”

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

You and Ivy stand by Jake’s side of the stage near the crowd, enjoying their magnetic performance. 

It’s like you’re back in 2018, traveling all over together to catch their shows and having the absolute time of your lives. 

So much has changed since then, but somehow it all feels the same still yet.

You catch Josh looking over in your direction often, eliciting screams from the fans you’re standing close to.

After Josh throws out his signature white roses, the show comes to an extravagant end. Of no surprise to you, the crowd is going absolutely crazy over them. 

They rush off the stage and instantly their crew is tearing the set down to pack up for the next show. You and Ivy are caught by fans asking for photos and autographs and giving you their bracelets they had made for the show. You stay back and talk with them for a while, answering all of their questions about your band and how you made it here. They’re all so sweet and excited to be talking with you, and it warms your heart.

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

He’s covered in sweat, the sheen on his skin giving him the most glorious glow.

He rips his jacket off and throws it across the room. 

You walk up to him, putting your hands on his bare chest. His pecks are so hard and hot under your touch as you skim your fingers over him, brushing against his nipples as you wander down a little further to his stomach that’s clenching against your fingertips.

“I’m so sweaty, y/n. Why don’t you let me get cleaned up?”

You put your fingers to his mouth, dragging his bottom lip down. “No. I want you. Now. Just like this.”

A smirk graces his lips, his eyes heavy and full of lust as he watches your hands explore his body. 

You tug on the button of his pants until it’s free from the loop it was secured in. 

You slowly pull his fly down, noticing that he’s stopped breathing entirely.

“Breathe, Josh. It’s just me.”

He huffs a nervous laugh. “Yeah, just you. I’ve imagined this more times than I’ll admit.”

“What have you imagined?” you say as you continue pulling his fly down at an agonizingly slow pace.

You finally pull it down completely, pulling his pants open a little before your hands make their way back to his sweat covered chest. 

You’re still high from the show, adrenaline running wild as you get the nerve to speak to him and touch him this way.

“I’ve imagined how you’d feel, how you’d sound…full of my cock…your pretty mouth wrapped around it…” he plants the gentlest kiss to your lips, holding the pulse point of your neck, “…that beautiful voice of yours singing my name…” his hands have found your breasts, still covered by your top, “…a sweet song only for me. I can’t wait to learn every pretty sound you make.”

You reach your hand through the open fly of his satin pants. You run your fingers lightly over his shaft, shocked over his size and how he’s throbbing against your gentle touch. His eyes roll in the back of his head as he lets out a high pitched, beautiful whimper.

“I’m excited to hear all of your pretty sounds, Josh.”

He giggles breathlessly as you plant kisses all over his chest and neck, still running your fingers along his length, toying with him a bit. You relish in this moment of control, how he’s crumbling under the slightest contact from you. The sounds he’s making, the labored breathing. It’s as though he could melt at any moment.

You reach your hand down further, taking his entire cock in your hand. The sound he lets out reverberates through the dressing room.

You slowly make your way down to your knees, looking up at his sleepy grin, when suddenly…

Why the fuck didn’t I lock the door.

You’re both too shocked to move as Ivy walks in completely oblivious to what’s happening.

“OH! Holy shit, oh fuck!” she yells when she realizes, dramatically slamming the door shut. 

As embarrassed as you are right now, you’re thanking every god in the universe that it was just Ivy who walked in and not anyone else. 

You stand up immediately, still reeling with humiliation as Josh starts zipping his pants back up. 

“So much for right now, huh?” He laughs nervously. “I’m thinking maybe we should put this on hold.”

You put your face in your hands. “I’m so sorry, Josh.” 

He laughs as he grabs you in a hug. “Don’t you dare be sorry.”

“We’ll finish where we left off soon, I promise.” you say quietly in his ear.

“I’m holding you to that.” he says as he kisses your forehead before opening the door to leave. 

Ivy is still standing on the other side of it, shielding her face as he walks out. He looks at her with a smug grin. “Sup?” he says with a nod of his head while he walks past her. 

“What the hell did I just walk in on?” she says. “Were you giving him head or were you helping him tie his fucking loafers?” 

“Well, I was going to give him head until the world's biggest cock block barged in.” 

You’re both caught in a fit of laughter trying to pack everything up. You only have about 20 minutes until you have to leave the venue so you’re in a bit of a rush.

“Are you still staying with me tonight?” you ask.

“Well, that’s what I was going to talk to you about.” 

You stop to look at her, waiting for whatever it is she’s gearing up to tell you.

“Jake was telling me about his custom Fender jazz bass, and I told him I’d love to see it but it’s at his house so…I’m going over there tonight.”

You look at her with wide eyes and a huge smile. “You’re going over to see his super cool bass, huh?”

She giggles maniacally, “Yes, y/n. Just to see his super cool bass.”

“Also,” she continues, “we’re taking my car, so I guess you’ll just have to have Josh take you home.” she says with a wink as she zips her makeup bag shut.

♪°•°∞♬°•°♪°•°∞♬°•°♪

You had asked Josh for a ride, and of course he couldn’t turn you down. 

He asked if you wanted to come to his place for a bit and without hesitation you said yes. 

You’re in his room, sitting on his bed as he insisted on taking a shower as soon as he walked in the door of his home.

“I usually try to take showers at the venues before we have to leave,” he says as he opens the glass shower door. “but for some reason I just didn’t have time for that tonight.” he says through  a laugh.

There’s a small opening in the master bathroom door, just enough for you to be able to see him in the mist. You try to keep from staring at him but he makes it impossible. He’s stunning. His sculpted, wet body is far too enticing.

He’s still talking, saying whatever pops in his mind as the bathroom begins to fill with steam. You hear his voice, but your mind has stopped comprehending his words. 

Without much thought, you stand up and make your way to the bathroom. He’s facing away from the shower door so he’s oblivious to the fact that you’re here.

You start removing your clothing. Feeling the most courageous you’ve ever felt, you open the shower door and slowly make your way inside.

Josh stops what he’s doing, his back still facing you, as it seems he’s noticed your arrival. He turns around, eyes locked in on your nude figure.

“I was wondering when you’d give in.” he says through a smile. 

You step into the water, letting it drench your skin in warmth and soak your hair as you make you way closer to him. His hands trace up and down your now wet body as you reach up to slick his hair back. He moves closer, pressing his body against yours as his hands move to cup your face. His eyes dart back and forth between yours and your lips before he slowly leans in, kissing you gently before stepping away.

He grabs a bottle of body wash, opens it and begins pouring it over your chest. He massages it into your breasts, tweaking your nipples with his slick fingers. With the same bottle, you follow suit, pouring it over him and watching the suds cascade down his toned frame. You run your hands over him, just as he did you, rubbing the sandalwood scented lather into his chest and flexed torso. 

You both go without saying a word to each other. The intimacy of this moment is one that should only be spoken with touch, lips only moving to embrace the other. 

He then washes your hair as you do the same for him, silence still lingering as your lips leave willful kisses on one another.

He moves his hands to the small of your back, then reaches down to squeeze the supple flesh of your ass as he licks and kisses along your neck. His nearly throbbing cock rests between your thighs, gently nudging at your hardened bud. You reach your hand down to stoke it, pushing his head against your clit. 

You pump him against you a few times before sinking down to your knees. 

You look up at him, noting that same sleepy grin from earlier in the dressing room. “Just keeping my promise.”

You kiss the tip of his cock, leaving kitten licks along the underside of his head before slowly sinking him all the way in your mouth.  

You bob your head as you swallow as much of him as you can, his hand buried in your wet hair as he lets you take the lead. 

“Look at me baby, look at me.” You do as he says, keeping your eyes on him as you take him deeper and deeper down your throat. “So beautiful like that. So fucking beautiful taking it all.” 

He bucks his hips a little, shoving himself in further. The moan that escapes him echoes off the shower walls. Such a pretty sound and all you want is to make him sound like that over and over again. 

“Fuck. Come here, sweet girl.” He leans down to pick you up. You wrap your legs around him as he holds you with one hand and pushes the shower door open with the other. 

Without even bothering to turn off the water, he takes you into his bedroom and lays you down on your back and leans over you with his arm propping him up. You’re both still soaking wet, his body dripping all over yours, his hair still slicked back from the water with only a few wet curls hanging over his face.

He looks into your eyes, lips pouting and eyes heavy.

“Josh, I…I need to tell you something.” Your voice is shaky, his face now full of concern and worry.

“Are you okay, y/n? Oh shit. I’m taking this too far, you’re not ready. Fuck. I’m so sorry, we can sto-” you shush him by placing your fingers over his wet lips.

“No, it’s not that. I don’t want to stop. I just…I’m embarrassed to tell you this, but I feel like I need to.” 

“Tell me. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s just me.”

“Well, I’ve never…” you take in a long breath, regretting even bringing it up but knowing that you’re too far into it and you have to say something. “I’ve never finished before. Not with a partner, anyway.”

Josh is silent. He moves back to sit on his heels at the end of the bed. 

You panic, thinking you’ve just ruined everything as you quickly sit up to meet him.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I said that. That was so stupid of me, I-” 

Now he’s the one placing his finger on your lip to stop you in your nervous rambling.

He grins at you, “Is that a challenge, sweet girl?” 

He presses his palm against your chest to lay you back down. His fingers drag across your hardened nipples as he leans down to place open mouthed kisses down your belly.

“You know,” he says, lips hovering over you, “one of the main reasons women don’t experience orgasms from a partner” his tongue dances around your belly button as water droplets from his hair paint your skin, “is because their partner doesn’t take the time to learn their body.” 

He moves back up to your face, cupping your jaw with one hand as the other moves to the side of your head to hold him up.

“This body deserves pleasure. This body should be worshiped, and that’s what I intend to do.”

You whimper at his sentiment. Never has anyone wanted to dedicate time to your body, to your satisfaction. You’ve always been the giver in bed, but you somehow knew Josh would be different. That’s why you felt you could tell him about never having been pleasured fully.

Now, your body is vibrating with need and want, ready for whatever this beautiful man has planned for you.

His hand moves from you face down to your inner thigh, massaging it as he moves closer and closer to your desperate core.

“Is this okay?” he says softly. “Is it okay if I touch you?”

“Yes, Josh. Please touch me.”

His fingers dip between your folds. His index rubs slow and intentional circles over your clit. 

With hardly a touch, he’s already bringing you closer than you’ve ever been with anyone. You’re unsure if it’s his presence, or if he truly is just that skilled. 

“Oh, Josh…”

“Yeah? Feel good, sweet girl?”

“God, it feels damn good.” 

“Can I put one inside?”

“Ple-please, Josh…” you whisper.

He gently slides his middle finger inside, all the way to the knuckle before sliding it back out and pushing in again. 

“Another?” His voice is a quiet groan, a pitch you’ve never heard from him.

“Yes Josh, please.” 

He pulls all the way out, then adds his index finger alongside, both gliding in together. You gasp and cry out at the feeling. You had never noticed the size of fingers until they became buried in your throbbing cunt. 

“Tell me, y/n.” His fingers pick up their pace as your pussy sucks them in, creating the most delicious and obscene sounds. “Tell me how you make yourself cum.” 

You’re suddenly hit with a wave of shyness. You’ve never been one to vocalize much in bed.

“Don’t get shy on me now, sweet girl. Tell me. I want to hear how you make this pretty pussy feel good.”

His fingers come to a still. He curls them inside and pushes against a newly discovered spot with his fingertips. A strangled cry breaks from you. No one has ever found this spot within you, and it took him only a matter of minutes.

“I…” high pitched whispers are all you can manage as speaking is near impossible. “I like to put my fingers inside, as far as I can. And I use my vibrator on my clit…feels so good.” 

He groans, leaning down to drop a kiss to your chest. “I bet you look so beautiful when you cum.”

His fingers begin moving in and out again, brushing against your hidden spot over and over. The only word you are capable of is his name as it leaves your mouth in a melody of whimpers and moans. It builds up inside of you, threatening to burst at any second. 

All of a sudden you feel yourself become nervous, tensing up, fearful of letting your body give in. 

“Hey, don’t do that. Get out of your head, just let go. Let go, y/n.” His voice is soft as velvet, acting as both a comfort and a catalyst in bringing your body back to the brink.

It’s building up again, this time quicker and more intense. You let yourself submit fully to his touch. 

“There you go, there you go…I can feel it. You’ll give it to me, yeah?” His deep voice pulls it from you, and suddenly you’re enveloped in a wave of ecstasy so intense. Every cell in your body alight; every part of you in the flames of a brand new pleasure. 

You sing a chorus of obscenities mixed with his name, your new favorite word to lay on your tongue.

“The most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. You��re a fucking angel.”

He works you through it, slowing his fingers before pulling them out. He brings his hand up, fingers glistening. A mark of your pleasure. 

He licks along his coated digits, humming and rolling his eyes in the back of his head. “God…I need to taste you…s’that okay? Can I taste your sweet pussy?” 

You’re still coming down from the most glorious high as you can only nod your head, desperate to feel his mouth on you. 

He dips down between your thighs. His wet hair rests against your heated skin as he licks a long, slow stripe between your folds. He’s drinking you up, kissing and lapping at your juices from your climax. 

“Mm, sweet as honey.” He flicks your tingling bud with the tip of his tongue before closing his lips around it, sucking it into his warm mouth. 

You’ve watched this man sing for years. You’ve always been intrigued by the way his mouth moves, the way he uses his tongue to reach the most beautiful high notes. His mouth is moving on you in the same ways it does on stage, only this time, you’re his microphone as he hums an erotic melody into you.

With two fingers, he spreads your lips open wider, sucking and kissing every inch. You start to writhe beneath him while you’re on the verge of overstimulation. He drops one last kiss to your clit before coming up to meet your face. 

“How was it?” he asks, his nose nudging against your cheek while leaving wet kisses along its path.

“Oh my fucking god, Josh…I had no idea what I had been missing, christ..”

He softly laughs in your ear, “I hope you’re not just trying to boost my ego.”

His lips find yours, his tongue dancing inside your mouth as you taste yourself on him.

“Sweet girl, are you ready for me?”

You smile at the pet name that he’s repeated over and over tonight, loving the way it sounds when he says it. 

“Please, baby.” you say.

“Gonna go slow, okay? I just need to feel you a little bit.”

He nudges the tip in just slightly, pushing in slowly and checking on you each time he pushes in further.

He’s big. The stretch from him is one you’ve never felt before, but one you want to feel again and again. 

He’s finally filled you up completely, giving you a moment to adjust to him.

“Josh, please baby. Fuck me..”

He pulls out almost all the way before slowly pushing back inside of you, holding your face with one hand as the other reaches down to rub soft circles on your aching clit.

He fucks you just like this for a moment, with slow and long thrusts. You feel every inch of him inside of you as he slides in and out. 

“Faster baby, please fuck me faster.” You move your hips into his, desperate to chase even more him.

He smiles at you, eyes heavy and dark. “Slow down, sweet girl. Just feel me, okay?”

He thrusts himself all the way inside of you, all the way to the hilt. He looks down to where you two are connected, admiring how your body looks completely full of his cock.

“I don’t just fuck. I make love.” 

His words send a flood to your core as you’re nearing another wave with him tucked all the way inside of you. His tip is nudging perfectly against that hidden spot from within you that his fingers helped you discover. 

“Talk to me, y/n. Tell me how it feels.” 

He starts sliding in and out of you again, picking up his pace just a little.

“Feels full,” you say through the whines and whimpers that you can’t conceal. “feels like I’m being filled all the way. You feel so good, Josh. So fucking good.” He sends a harder thrust into you, forcing a yelp from your throat.

“I will never get tired of hearing that pretty voice of yours.” 

He lifts your legs to rest on his shoulders, finally picking up his pace as he fucks himself harder and faster into you. 

“Give me another one, sweet girl.”

Within an instant you’re thrown back into the precipice of bliss as he pulls it from you, this one even more consuming than the first one. 

You cry out his name again, nearly screaming it at the top of your lungs as the pleasure is so intense and powerful.

He finishes right alongside you. He paints the inside of you, filling you even more. 

“My god,” he says, panting his breath. “you’re a fucking goddess. This body…this body deserves every praise.” 

You grab his face and pull it towards yours, tangling your fingers in his still wet hair as you kiss his lips. 

You stay just like this for a while. Him still tucked inside of you as you enjoy each other, kissing and giggling against each other's skin.

“I’m going to pull out now, okay?” 

He carefully pulls out of you as you hiss at the slight sting. 

He lays down beside you, caressing your face and body as you’re relaxed nearly to sleep.

Suddenly, you hear your phone vibrating in your bag that’s sitting in the chair across his bedroom. 

You start to lift up to go get it when he stops you. “You stay put.” he says as he walks over to get your bag for you.

You pull out your phone to see you have 12 missed calls, all from Jay. 

You’re not sure what he could possibly want from you at this hour, but you figure it’s important if he’s being this persistent. 

Just as you’re about to text him, he’s calling again.

“Hello?”

“Where the fuck are you, y/n? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you forever!”

He sounds frantic, completely out of it.

“What's going on, Jay?”

Josh hears Jay yelling on the phone and moves closer to you, trying as hard as you are to figure out what is going on.

“It’s Joe, y/n. He collapsed when we were leaving the venue.  He’s in the hospital and it doesn’t fucking look good.”

To be continued…

taglist:

@jakeyt @fwzco @jessicafg03 @blissfulbellss @jakekiszkapunchmeintheface @arsonkween @sicksadandrad @gretavansara @witchofendora @andtherestishistory13 @madneedshelp @myleftsock @aintthatapity @itsdannysworld @gvfmarge @sierrahhh @gvf-ficreads @surfgreensam @joshstambo @thetroublegetssoloud71 @psychedelicsprinkles @jjwasneverhere @stardustcordzz @notthedroidz @sinarainbows @kiszkashousee @jaaakeeey @tamboswife @kiszkatwinflame @slaythelightfantastic

here's a little playlist i put together of what, to me, lilac moon would sound like. enjoy. 🤍

a/n: lilac moon will be put on a brief hiatus after this chapter. it won't be long, i promise. 🤍

please don't ever hesitate to let me know what you think. your feedback means the world to me. love you all SO much.

[tmagpposting]

So, about TMAGP Ep 4

Some theories based on this newest episode. Major spoilers under the cut, so please go listen to it first.

I know there have been a lot of popular theories up to this point that Augustus would be Jonah Magnus, and episode 4 puts a lot more evidence out there that would seem to support this idea.

Here's what I thought was relevant to this theory after listening through the episode twice this morning:

Augustus is voiced by an older man who I don't think we've ever heard before, and we've never heard Jonah's actual voice either, since he's using Elias's voice throughout all of TMA as far as I'm aware. He sounded vaguely like Jurgen Leitner to me, although I think this is just on account of the fact that the VAs sound similar and not indicative of them being the same person or being meant to voice the same character (I didn't catch who voiced him in the credits and I couldn't find it online, if you all know please tell me and I'll update this)*

The incident report is a very old document, with a writing style and tone reminiscent of the old statements/letters to Jonah in the early days of the institute. It seems like it'd be right up Jonah's alley.

The episode revolves around a man succumbing to a dark power and eventually dedicating himself to it (the freaky bloodlust violin vs the Eye) and recruiting a younger man, in this case his relative, to serve this violent power (though probably after his death in this case, unlike with Jonah), which has some parallels to Jonah's recruitment of Jon and the rest of the staff in TMA.

We don't know much about the universe of TMAGP yet, but we know there is a Magnus institute that has aldready been linked to Eye-esque characteristics like paranoia, suspicion, (fatal) curiosity, and eyes as of Ep 1. It is possible that Augustus could be a version of Jonah from the TMAGP universe, rather than the same Jonah we dealt with in TMA.

.JMJ error could stand for some combination of Jon, Martin, and Jonah's initials, given that Chester and Norris also have Jon and Martin's voices.

In the TMA finale, Jon, Martin, and Jonah (though I assumed he was dead at that time) were close to where the fears were sucked out of the world and sent somewhere else, and Jon and Martin may also have ended up in the OIAR's computers in some form.

On the other hand, here's some evidence against Jonah being Augustus:

The other Jonah theory I've seen posits that Jonah took over RedCanary's body when they went down to investigate the ruins of the magnus institute, assuming that "canaries should stay above ground" and the gory photo of eyes was meant to represent RedCanary's eyes having been ripped out and presumably replaced with Jonah's. If you interpret things this way, it makes it less likely that Jonah is in the computers, unless you think both TMA Jonah and a hypothetical TMAGP Jonah are both around at the same time, though this theory is also a little shaky itself since it seems to be based on only a couple pieces of evidence so far. I first saw a post about this from @thermodynamic-comedian though that post says she saw other people discussing it, so please lmk if you know any major contributors to this theory and I will add them in here too.**

The fact that, to take over as the Eye's pupil, it was implied that Jon had to actually kill Jonah, and he was seemingly dead as of the TMA finale. Death was usually a very hard line in TMA except for a few avatars of the End and near-deaths where characters lost some of their agency (and/or humanity depending on your interpretation) to become an avatar instead (which Jonah already was), so him being back after seemingly already having been killed off isn't super plausible unless it's revealed that he didn't actually die in the first place.

It seems like there's enough evidence at this point that this theory definitely feels viable, though there is nothing definitive that I'm aware of, and there are some things that point to other explanations.

I personally (this is now entering pure opinion territory, tread lightly) don't love the idea of Augustus being Jonah, because I'd prefer it to be someone or something new to the series or something otherwise more surprising, rather than the same central antagonist as last time. There certainly are ways they could pull this off well, and bringing him back definitely doesn't tarnish the story on its own, especially since he was a pretty great villain with a lot of his character left more or less ambiguous or untouched by TMA, but it still feels a bit like relying on nostalgia for TMA to flesh out TMAGP's plot and conflict, at least to me. However, all the evidence pointing to it being Jonah could be some kind of red herring to specifically mislead past fans of TMA and set up for a later twist, or we could just be running our minds in circles and drawing conclusions that won't turn out to be relevant to TMAGP so early on. Only time will actually tell, and regardless, I'm really eager to see what happens.

* UPDATE: Augustus is voiced by Tim Fearon, thank you to @lokicat5 for finding that out! We haven't heard him before on this podcast, so he could be either Jonah Magnus's original voice, or a new character entirely.

** UPDATE: I found and reblogged what seems to be the original theory that Jonah killed and took over RedCanary, it's by @vertigala and @doomatix, check out their post it's pretty cool.

[matan4il]

Buddie 606 meta

This meta is about Buddie, but please let me state how much I love Henren. I adore this ship, I can’t even explain how much as a queer person myself, and this ep dedicated to them was fantastic. It did them justice. And I have to take a sec to point out how much this isn’t to be taken for granted. They are a couple of older gay women of color, four identities that have been largely marginalized in TV land. A lot of shows would barely include them, let alone dedicate a whole ep to them, trusting that the audience will love and embrace it. More than that, they allowed Henren to be sexual, too. This is such an important choice when it would have been easier to show every other wonderful moment between them, but keep them sanitized for the viewers who are less accepting. This is why I have so much faith in 911. I guess that’s also why I believe in the show when it comes to Buddie, that it can be brave enough to let them become canon. ~~

Speaking of Henren’s sexy times (I can’t emphasize enough how much I loved it, kudos to the gay musical choice), when Karen said to Hen, “I don’t have to be serious,” it hit me that she’s saying it with the exact same sort of playful intonation while taking a step in Hen's direction that Buck used when he uttered at Eddie that oh so suggestive, “You wanna go for the title?” in 309 while getting physically closer (kitchen scene, my ‘no het explanation’ beloved). ~~

I loved that Henren’s story does not begin smoothly, they start out antagonistic. Karen has that “are you even worth my time?” attitude, while Hen’s very blunt about calling her out. But the confrontation is full of that sexual tension of two people who, while riled up by the other person, they also realize they have met their match, someone who intrigues and attracts them, challenges them and can help them better themselves, so they very quickly move past the initial friction. Tell me that’s not Buddie in 201, giving each other attitude only to swear eternal loyalty as battlefield boyfriends before the ep's over. Enemies to soulmates who will choose each other again and again, through thick and thin, is why we (in addition to Buddie and Henren) are the ones who never really stood a chance. ~~

Then we have the fact that in both cases, someone from the team was responsible for the match. Chim was very blunt about it with Henren (our short KING!) and I know that Bobby-the-matchmaker is not canon, but it’s hovering so close to that. You can see it in the way Bobby watches Buck’s reaction to Eddie in 201, in the way he pushes them towards each other during that ep, and of course in that classic moment when he “presides” over Buddie’s union when the match proves to be a success (as I tried to show in my humor edit, in cinematographic terms, that moment was staged to look very similar to a wedding, the couple exchanging vows with an officiant in the background, a staging sometimes used to implicitly point to a ship not yet recognizing their own feelings/commitment for each other). It becomes even more of a parallel if you consider that in both cases, the “matchmaker” brings in a newcomer to make things better precisely when a member of the 118 they’re close to has to deal with letting go of a romantic relationship that ended up toxic... ~~

I wrote in my 605 meta that the Henren and Buddie parallels were already on in that ep, and I expected to see lots more this week, but I gotta admit, I thought it would be mainly between Henren’s call vs Buddie during the shooting arc in 413 and 414. So you can already tell I was surprised by how much broader the parallels were. Another one I did not anticipate was Karen’s aggravated reaction to Hen doing the decent thing (hearing Eva out regarding Denny) and how similar it was to Eddie’s reaction over Abby re-appearing in 318 (Buck doing the decent thing and helping her with her new fiance). If you ask me, jealously worried Eddie is confirmed real through this parallel (this is the one gif I made for this post myself, ‘coz I am a dumbass who forgot to type this when I was sending my meta gif requests). ~~

Everything about the call at the lab was exquisite, even the way it kicked off, with Bobby as the voice of the 118 reassuring Hen they will get her wife back to her. It's so much like the scene in 315 where the team had to reassure Buck that they're not giving up on Eddie and that they will save him. *quietly hyperventilates because what even is this parallel* ~~

Don’t get me started on Hen having to watch as Karen collapsed after coming out of the building. Like I said, I knew we’d probably be looking at a lot of parallels with the shooting story arc, but SERIOUSLY. 911, this was SO rude of you. Each one of these scenes separately just ripped my heart out, but the parallel also did me in, ‘coz it emphasized the fact that when Buck is the one to witness Eddie collapsing there, it’s because the show knows it has the same impact as for Hen to watch her (legally married!) romantic partner and co-parent to her child going through the same thing. The insane thing is Eddie officially had a romantic partner at the time! Someone who was supposed to occupy the closest space in his life to what Karen is to Hen, and yet 911 still chose to have Buck there, punching us all collectively in our guts as he watched in muted horror the love of his life collapsing. Utter, gay madness. ~~

Not only did Hen have to watch Karen collapse, she also had to try and revive her, which is so very similar to what Buck had to do for Eddie after physically getting him out of the line of fire in 414. It’s that mixture of love and desperation and hope and teetering on the edge of despair for me that makes the ambulance scenes in both of these storylines so poignant, and the parallel impossible to ignore. ~~

We also have the fact that when Hen watches Karen being carried into the hospital on a gurney, much like Buck watched Eddie being taken in during 414, the next moment when she knows Karen is more or less safe, she can barely hold herself up without help. It’s that combined exhaustion from everything she did to save her loved one, and relief, and the deeply terrifying realization of what was so close to be, all of these suddenly released together into her bloodstream become too much. So Bobby and Chim have to help and physically support her. This just came and slapped me across my face (911 really chose violence this ep, didn’t they?) because it’s exactly how Buck reacted in 303, when he sees Chris safe in Eddie’s arms, and he can’t take everything he’s feeling in that moment, so he has to be physically supported by Bobby and Hen… ~~

Karen refusing to leave when she was supposed to reminded me of Eddie doing the same by cutting his own cord in order to continue helping in 315. I was ready for the shooting arc parallels, I was not for the Eddie Begins ones and my insides are decimated. To be technical, this also parallels David refusing to leave the operation room in 508, subtly linking all the stubborn gays risking themselves when they’re not supposed to while their partners are nearby, yet separated from them and going insane with worry. ~~

I mentioned Henren parallels Buddie in both the shooting arc and Eddie Begins, and nowhere is it more evident IMO than in that moment when Chim lies to Karen, telling her Hen had died, and for one terrible moment, she believes it and you can see her whole world is shaken up and close to imploding. This feels so much like Buck’s reaction in both those storylines, when for a moment there he has to consider that maybe he lost Eddie for good, and the look he gets of utter disbelief, on the verge of devastation, is so like Karen’s. ~~

But if that’s not enough, we also have another theme that connects the three storylines, the one about how an event like that can make people recognize what matters in their lives and consolidate what their dreams are, or in other words, what’s the family that they fight for, which they now fully embrace. For Karen, thinking she lost Hen made helped her accept Denny into their lives, while Eddie, who realized in 315 that he’s fighting to come back to his family, and that Buck IS a huge part of that family, together with Chris, decided to change his will to make them all legally bound together, a fact he discloses to Buck in 414, as the conclusion to the shooting arc. ~~

Something that further reinforces the family-consolidation parallels between the two eps is Karen telling Hen she has to go be with Denny because he comes first, just like Buck stayed with Chris in 414. And again Ana, the actual gf, is right there, but it’s Buck who’s taking care of what matters the most to Eddie, what constitutes his heart: his son. ~~

I have to mention that moment at the hospital where Buck was asking about living without a spleen. With all of his experience as a firefighter responding to many medical emergencies, as well as his love of bizarre trivia including from the anatomical realm, I’m sure he knew the answer to that. What he’s really asking for is reassurance that Karen will be okay. Eddie picks up on that and offers precisely that, which is not just ridiculously tender, it’s also so domestic that it’s their connection that brings about that comfort. ~~

Lastly, the conclusion of this ep parallels Henren and Buddie as well. Hen’s insight from this experience of helping her significant other during a call is that the job she should be doing, that she was born to do, is be a paramedic with the 118. That’s also exactly Eddie’s conclusion in 511, after he helps Buck during a call. Even when he wasn’t physically there, even when it wasn’t Buck’s own life on the line, simply helping Buck on a dangerous call reminded Eddie of where he wanted to be. With his battlefield boyfriend. Canon “Buddie Begins” when, 911?

~~ If you like this content and would like to see more of it, please consider giving this a reblog! Thank you in advance for any show of support. A massive thank you to the astounding @whosoldherout​, who tackles my gif requests every week and creates such perfect and beautiful gifs to demonstrate my thoughts. xoxox

[lookismstuff]

Reaction to Ep 463

SPOILERS ALERT

TW: trauma, possible sexual assault

This is an episode dedicated to friendships. In one friendship, a character promised a friend to kill a common enemy, while in another, a character was faced with the bitter reality of a friend's changed self.

Before the D-Day of the Grimm Asylum attack, Vin (Hobin) came to see Mary (Miru). Since he cryptically said that he had to say something to her face, she was mortified that he'd probably confess his feelings for her or something. But he laughed it off (I always drift in between shipping and not shipping them but I just love LOVE this banter).

Vin proceeded to tell Mary that Taejin was still alive. Mary was enraged, so much that she insisted on killing Taejin.

But Vin told her that she didn't need to kill people. Vin's hands were already dirtied by murdering another person before, so he said that he'd be the one who killed Taejin this time. (So he did take a life? Who was the victim? Was it an accident? Was it a righteous murder? Was it a moment of rage?)

Taejin was proven to be too strong for Vin, however, and he taunted Vin that pinning Vin down made him remember the "good memories" of Cheonliang and "that bitch who I also caught like this"... And we got the panel of a dead young girl, said to be Hobin's little sister (Her clothes were loosened? Was it both a sexual and a physical assault? OMG NO NO NOOO) .

Vin was in shocked disbelief to realize that Taejin had grown monstrously strong. Apparently Taejin was the sole survivor of the Endless Hell experiment era of the asylum. Aw hell nah.

(No you're not gonna cosplay as Gun (Jonggun) or D.G. in that red panel, Taejin. Dream on.)

Zack (Jinsung) wasn't held back much by Yisoo, who baited him to open a door that led to...

....Johan. (Welcome back, Johan!!)

As predicted, Johan came back, but came back all wrong. Jinyoung and Hangyeol had tweaked his brain to only dwell on rage. (Is he some kind of Frankenstein's creature now? Is this it?)

And it seems that there was "method in Taejin's madness", to quote a line in Shakespeare's Hamlet, since he seemed to be calm enough to be in the know of the nefarious plan to let Allied members met their own separate matches.

My guess is Daniel (Hyungseok) will have to fight his other self (*shudders*), maybe either together with Jay or alone, while Jake (Gimyung) will have to fight Sammy (Seongeun)...

[writingforatwistedworld]

Uh h, happy birthday to me fjkekebrvjf-- u ye u said I could request so I will bfoenebbf,, thank u once again for that oml ilysm u the best <3<3<3<3

Anyway, what about Malleus, Azul and Vil reacting to the mc's birthday??? How would they celebrate it? Would they do anything special?? I've personally never had a birthday party dedicated to me myself n my friends tell me it's really sad- would they hold one for the MC on their birthday?? Would they give gifts?? (Self aware au btw pleas--)

To maybe summarise it, uhm, would the characters do a birthday party or anything else special to the MC if it was their bday?? Please I'm 18 now I want a birthday party dedicated to myself for once... thank u once again u made my day Veil fblenevfv--

Happy birthday! I wish you the best for the coming year! I'm sure that one day you can celebrate your birthday properly. Never give up on hope!

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, obsession, possessiveness, unhealthy relationship, death, murder, religion

Azul Ashengrotto/Vil Schoenheit/Malleus Draconia-Players birthday

No matter where you look the Overseers birthday was a worldwide event

And believe it or not but *gasp* he doesn't use this to earn money

Azul always loved it. Even when he was a child

The palace would always prepare a huge concert with a lot of good and way too expensive food people usually couldn't afford on a normal basis (which led to his early love for the day)

His mother, father and he would always bake a cake for you, putting it on the window still

Sadly they had to take it down since... well cake is made out of material which deteriorates you know...

Did he stop though when he was in Night Raven College?

Nope. Nu-uh. I would even dare to say that it's even more grand

Baking isn't exactly what he is best at but cooking... I think his food is better than anything the gods of Olympus could have whipped up

Well, from a darker perspective it is a lot of food waste but hey! Your birthday is only once a year so screw that

Jade and Floyd know that they should, no, have to make a wide circle around the desk those delicacies are standing on

Why? Well, there was once that first-year snatching something. It wasn't even much but... you remember those transformed merpeople in Urulas cave? Mhm and the rest is up to your imagination

And also a small hope is connected to this

He is doing so much for you. Doesn't that mean that he is worthy of you? Doesn't that mean he could have a chance? Please tell him!

When you logged in on your birthday he was saying his line calmly but on the inside he wanted to grasp through the threats which held him in place and hold you properly, tell you properly how happy he was

Members of the Octavinelle dorm know to get a present for you even if they have to sell a kidney

Wouldn't want to end up like the brother of the fool who snatched some of the food

Mhm Ursulas cave again but at least they have each other so that the neverending pain and taunting voice of their oh-so-generous dorm leader isn't too bad. Just bad enough to drive them insane of course

And if you were already in TWST then please, indulge a bit in what he prepared

Otherwise even I don't know what he would do

I think Snow White and the Fairest Queen have switched roles

Why? Well the sun rises, the birds are singing and Vil is opening the windows like some Disney princess, saying in a elated voice that today is the day of perfection

Vils morning routine is already taking (in my opinion) way too long and is way too polishing even for a model like him

But today? Ohboyohboyohboy....

All I am saying is that he went to bed the day before and woke up up three hours earlier than he usually would

The whole dorm looks like it's a mirror, that's how intense they scrubbed it to prepare for this day

Vil even paid Epel and allowed him to be a bit laxer in his skincare routine in exchange if the first year would use his apple carving skills for decorative purposes (jokes on us Epel still looks like he is ready to compete with a beginners model because this is the day and he wants to be good for you as well)

But what has he planned for the day?

Of course a celebration and when I say that those are real diamonds on that present over there's as mere decoration for the wrapping then I'm serious

The entire day Pomfiore is doing nothing else but praising your perfection and how wonderful you are that you allow them to celebrate this day as well

Not so low-key offended when he sees someone not celebrating your birthday

Well, suddenly he is using his special magic to make sure that they are celebrating or the poison will... shorten their life at midnight

But this isn't about him

This is about the perfect being from another world who was even capable of making the Fairest Queen bow in front of their perfection

Rook knows not to hunt today or rather not animals

You see Vil can poison as much as he wants but even a dorm leader runs out of juice for their magic sooner or later

And this is where Rook enters under the order of his Faires Queen

Now let's say you are already in their world

You are rich (if you weren't from Malleus before) is all I'm saying

This man has money and he will make sure to use it wisely (aka bury you in a mountain of stuff which would cost a normal person two hears of their payment)

But please don't deny him the joy of celebrating your birthday or greeting you on your birthday!

Otherwise he might think you have been dirtied somewhere and need some... polishing...

It's the Overseer birthday! Offer the presents to the church, pray so that they feel your well wishes and burn all the traitors!!!

And this, my dear friends, is how the Valley of Thorns celebrates your birthday

Malleus started to love this day very early in his life which leads to him putting it over his very own birthday

It was one of the few days he was able to have a proper meeting with his grandmother (even though they only ate dinner together and chatted about how great you are)

This was also the day he would hold a grand speech about your wisdom, your perfection and most of all how mighty you were

So, a hundred years later and they are sitting as students in a place filled with little children (in their eyes at least)

Well now they have a way smaller budget and also they are far away from home so they need to tome do-no

Malleus would rather stab himself in the heart with a sword than making any cuts on this day

Even though he can't just waltz up to a church here but that doesn't mean you will be any less praised

Finest silk, jewelry made from gold and much, much more are being bought by him only to be sent back home to the church

And the dorm? Well the dorm is... how do I say this without disturbing you?

Well they are... celebrating... not like the other dorm though...

You see, the other ones were already extra but this is Diasomnia we are talking about

Even if there would have been school on that day (which isn't because it's a holiday)they wouldn't have gone to class

Heck, they would have probably ripped of the Headmages head if that would have been the case

And when he was done saying his well wishes on his day he fell over like a Disney princess in those dramatic scenes

So now that we know how special they are let's talk about you being in their world on that certain day

If you really, really need to see what they have prepared for you then do it in a bush whilst watching from the distance

That's because they would take you and send you straight to the Valley because the celebration over there is, in their words, “more fitting for you”

Safe to say you won't return after that happened

Just enjoy the other dorms, smell the flowers and stay away from the green

Malleus isn't even angry because it's your wish not to participate in their celebration

“Lilia, is that Overseer in the bush? It is, right? Maybe they are just too shy to come to us. We could show them Briar Valley after making sure that they haven't been scratched from the twigs, right?”

[formerheroeswhoquittoolate]

why I'm unhappy with secret invasion: an accidental essay that turned out WAY more aggressive than I wanted it to (sorry about that)

I'm furious about how Secret Invasion is going. It feels like Marvel just went ahead with a Samuel L. Jackson vanity project, but and it's barely interesting and it's fucking with canon characterization. And it's fucking Secret Invasion! This could be meaningful! But instead it feels like it's trying to redo what TFATWS already did and did better. We already HAD a show about a global terrorist movement and the evils of white privilege, and it was actually really good, so what is this show supposed to be again? Oh. I see. It's different because Nick Fury is in it. Gotcha.

Oh, and [spoilers for ep 1 and 2]

They killed Maria Hill in the first episode. Not only did they kill her (which is bad enough from this studio, considering they've also killed Gamora, Natasha, and Wanda), but they fridged her. And not even kind-of-fridged, like with the aforementioned characters, where the death was required and mostly reasonable by in-universe circumstances, even if it was an easy out. No. Maria was literally, actually, to-the-letter fridged. They even confirm that in the dialogue of the second episode. Fury actually says that Gravik killed her to hurt him. She didn't have to die -- hell, if she wasn't going to be relevant to the rest of the show, she didn't even need to be in it in the first place! (More on that in a minute.)

And the thing is. The thing is. I would be so much happier with the show if the roles were reversed. Canon Fury is all "I still believe in heroes! There's good in people! Befriend the aliens!" He's a badass spymaster, yeah, sure, but he's also pretty optimistic about people. And then there's Maria Hill.

[Image description: Maria Hill, saying "Best advice you'll ever get from me, a dedicated law enforcement officer, to you, an amateur looking to go pro: 'Assume everyone is a broken, nightmare, garbage person and then be pleasantly surprised if it ends up not the case.' It'll save you a lifetime of disappointments."] [Image credits: Bendis and Pichelli's Spider-Man #12 (2017)]

That seems to have carried over into the MCU fairly well. And to see her? Struggling to fulfill Fury's goal after his death, operating without her mentor for the first time, trying to figure out how to reconcile his faith in the Skrulls with her natural instinct that everyone is lying all the time? To see her actually doing the work, speaking to the security committee and telling them to piss off, because Fury was in Moscow to do a hero's work and he died a hero, no further questions? To see her, the character who has long been reduced to the sidekick of male characters with a much shorter stint in Marvel's canon, fully come into her own as the protagonist of this series? It would have been perfect. We could have actually gotten a show full of espionage and intrigue instead of a hamfisted... racism metaphor? I'm not even sure at this point. This could have actually been something besides a Samuel L. Jackson vanity project. I know I said that already, but I am going to say it again. This show is here so Jackson can look cool and badass and also be a funny old man. And I wouldn't care if they weren't reducing every other meaningful character in the series to a Skrull, a corpse, or a realpolitik adversary. Like, fuck this false advertising. Maria Hill, Everett Ross, and Rhodey were all in the trailer like they were going to be relevant. As if this was going to be an interesting web of an ensemble cast. Instead, it's the Nick Fury show with a few redeeming scenes from the terrifyingly cheery British spymaster lady.

It's almost like Marvel knew no one would want to watch the show if they just straight-up said it was going to be all Nick Fury. And I haven't even started on the bullshit that was the train conversation (a whole monologue about sitting in the colored section on trains and then straight-up telling Talos there's not enough room for his people on the train? Was I the only one thrown off by that?) or the dialogue between him and Rhodey in the bar ("even when I'm out, I'm in.") or the Skrull wife reveal (which felt like it wanted to be some big important twist but it also had exactly zero setup) or... whatever is happening with Talos and Gaea. The next episode comes out in two days, and I'm still crossing my fingers that a miracle of plot will happen and it will get better. But it's going to take a miracle.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

So, I started writing a completely different post about the Heart confrontation scene and was gonna start it with "[Episode 5] was just so well done and they laid everything out on a platter for me to digest that I don't really feel the need to wax poetic about colors in this episode" but uhhhh, haha oops, I played myself. I was looking back through part 4/4 to talk about Heart's confrontation scene, and uh...

IT'S COLOR TIME.

Fuck you @respectthepetty! you created this monster.

So we already have Wen = Blue and Jim = Red but I've given the internet too many analyses about Wen and Jim and because once again the side couple strikes, all I care about is supporting this precious first love between Li Ming and Heart so that's what I'm gonna write.

Like father-figure uncle like nephew, Li Ming is red, and his love interest, Heart is blue. But because Wen and Jim are also red and blue I think there needs to be something else tying Li Ming and Heart together visually and that is stripes. (shhh, yes, I know Wen had a shirt with stripes on in it episode 4 but that served a very specific purpose of being red/blue color coded for the purposes of being caught between Alan and Jim) THIS however:

stripes.

stripes.

stripes.

stripes

stripes

stripes

STRIPESSSSSSS

Is exclusively a dedicated HeartLiMing motif.

And stripes makes sense as the connecting factor between the two of them. The plot line for Heart and Li Ming centers so much around how trapped they both feel in their respective lives. Li Ming trapped by poverty, Heart trapped at home. Li Ming trapped on the cusp of adulthood and independence, having a difficult time being understood by his uncle (despite Jim's best efforts), Heart trapped in his own body and mind, because his parents refuse to learn how to understand him. Their plot is about being teenagers, teenagers testing boundaries, breaking boundaries, rebelling against the authority they have known their whole lives in order to better understand who they are as people. In order to be able to make their own mistakes and start learning how to navigate the world without a "true adult" there to make decisions for them. It's about breaking free of the barriers your family has always placed around you to keep you safe.

Horizontal stripes of course, also make me think a bit about paper, and writing is a crucial, vital, and important part of how Heart and Li Ming started getting to know each other. If you want to get even more abstract about it, lines in relation to Heart and Li Ming make me think of hands, of fingers (the vertical lines especially) in reference to sign language and its importance in allowing these two to communicate and understand one another.

Okay I said it was color time, I lied again, sorry, it actually was stripe time.

NOW IT'S COLOR TIME.

We've seen a lot in this show, in my opinion, with blue lighting around the Red Rascals, both Jim and Li Ming. Especially Li Ming because all of his interactions with Heart until the middle of Episode 4 have been immersed completely in Heart's home.

and what I love about blue lighting is that it makes red pop so Li Ming is still the most central and eye catching presence on the screen, despite the fact that he is bathed in blue. Despite the fact that he is in Heart's room, in Heart's house, he is the center of attention for viewers in this moment, but also for Heart as a whole.

And even in Ep. 4 once they finally leave Heart's home, Li Ming is still constantly covered in blue because he is doing all of this for Heart.

And when they go to the church where Heart is introduced to other Deaf people for the first time, Li Ming is still immersed in blue because, once again, he is in Hearts's world. The world that Heart should have always had access to from the minute that he became deaf. The world he's been deprived of by his parents for three years.

Also notice, by nature of Li Ming wearing a red shirt in these scenes that the white and amber lights that act as the secondary wash in these scenes casts far more red tinted light on to Li Ming than it does to Heart. For the majority of episode 4, Heart's lighting pallet is blue or white, blue or amber. Li Ming's has a bit more red to his. AND AND AND AND it speaks to the talent of the lighting designers and directors and just general film crew in this show that they are able to use so much blue in this show and have it signify so many different things. Alan's blue lighting is colder than Wen's, Heart's blue lighting is colder at home than it is when he is outside. It's more of a blue green outside because they are mixing it with more reds/oranges and less white, you can even see it in these screen caps how much bluer and colder the first picture in Heart's room (and even when they are in his driveway) looks compared to the pictures outside where they are also lit with warm tones.

We know already that Heart cares about Li Ming, because he is his friend, because he finally has a life line, because he finally has someone to talk to, who treats him like a normal fucking human being, and trusts him, and and and...and we know that Heart is attracted to Li Ming because we got that scene where Heart pretty obviously checks out and is flustered by Li Ming without his shirt on. But I don't know if Heart fully has a crush on Li Ming at either of those points. And my argument for that is the lighting, because until Heart is standing in front of the speaker at the church with Li Ming, we don't see Heart in any objectively warm light.

I think this is the moment that is supposed to indicate that Heart is fully leaning in to having a crush on Li Ming, because this is finally the moment where his face is warm not blue, not bright, not cold, and not in white light. And I'm asking you to compare this image with the ones above it, at the street vendor, the secondary light wash on Heart is not amber, it's white. The back lighting on Heart's neck in the picture of him and Li Ming talking to the Father at church is definitely warmer, but it is not as warm as the light on Li Ming's face. But at the speaker scene, he is fully bathed in warm light. But the warm light isn't red light either, it's not objectively or definitively Li Ming's color, though it is his emotions.

You know what is objectively, definitively red light?

This is.

And like yeah, we can talk about the red bag on Heart's side, or the fact that in this lighting the blue square of the American flag on Li Ming's sweater matches close enough to the blue in Heart's shirt. We could talk about getting on each other's level by swapping colors through their clothes or their accessories. But I don't want to do that this time, because I am a slut for lighting and this lighting this definitively red lighting on Heart's face is what this episode is about for me. I think this is the point Heart realizes that he is in love with Li Ming, and Heart is fully ready to accept Li Ming as part of his world. Probably the most important part of his world.

Anyway, off to go take a million more screen shots of the confrontation scene so I can shout expletives about Heart and Li Ming's reactions to everything going on in that scene. Talk about a side track of epic proportions.

[beesmygod]

what do u think are the top 5 stand fights in jojo

this is very hard. at first i thought it was bc there were so many to choose from but when you narrow them down it's a pretty short list of bangers. the problem is the short list is extremely good. here is my best attempt at what ive read so far

READER BEWARE: SPOILERS ARE THERE

star platinum vs the world

example: oh? you're approaching me?

like, obviously, you have to put this one up really high. its The Fight of All Time. it has everything:

a dramatic character death that is NOT in vein......rip to kakyoin the sickest little boy in all of egypt

the apparent death of beloved bastard joseph joestar, in which he gives the longest dying speech since hamlet that sounds like "jotaro! press the A button to punch dio really fast and reffill your meter!" only to be returned to full health at the end so he can do the single greatest prank of all time.

jotaro finally says something so cool it makes you want to stand up and scream for him in sheer rapturous joy

polnareff gets a good hit in.

dio becoming subject to the exact same torment that he inflicts upon others right before a death that definitively underscores that he is lesser than he knew himself to be is perfection. honestly an incredible end to one of the greatest villains of all time. it feels very, very earned and satisfying

killer queen: bite ze dusto vs. the entirety of the town of morioh

example: yoshikage kira traumadumps about getting a boner to a stranger

i actually think this one is my absolute favorite of them all. the communal effort to take out yoshikage kira is a monumental undertaking; he is an absolute bastard with a seemingly endless string of luck. living members of the community who have good hearts, his victims who have been waiting for justice, strangers from far away dedicated to righting wrongs, and a completely powerless 10 year old powered entirely by the raw energy of a child's pure conscience band together to end a literal cycle of violence. how the fuck do you defeat a man who has already killed you and you don't even know it?? how do you stop someone who can turn back time?? it truly fucking seems like hes going to get away with it at the end. and then AGAIN you're like "oh no oh my god hes going to-" and then the single greatest villain death in the history of manga happens lol. ohhhhh its so fucking good.

its another battle thats made all the better by the sum of its parts. the entire yoshikage kira arc is near perfection. the set ups, pay offs, and who it chooses to celebrate as the heroes in the end creates a very satisfying cap to a great series.

osiris vs the stardust crusaders

example: jotaro loses a hand, and increases his bet

i love the stand fights that barely end up being stand fights. star platinum throws i think a single punch in this fight and its to light jotaro's cigarette, a mere taste of the sheer, near impossible speed of star platinum. how fast IS star platinum anyway....would you.....bet your life on it...??!!!!

a friend online told me about the "jotaro has autism" fan theory, and i was like "hm. whatever" until this episode, when i fully 100% believe that jotaro not only has autism but has figured out how to hone and weaponize it against his enemies. all these morons have to do is win a game of chance against a professional gambler who also openly cheats. i love this shit. this is the part of the story where jotaro really, really starts to shine and his unique strengths as a little badass piece of shit start to come through. i think he really starts to solidify his personality here when he finally gets a win that isnt based on "punch something really fast".

oingo and boingo/hol horse and boingo vs themselves

example: hol horse, noted woman respecter, does a flying jump kick on a random rich woman and she's so grateful she pays him in jewels

im counting these as one because i can and i want to. these episodes are fucking tops. easily top 5 eps of the entirety of stardust crusaders. i dont think anyone involved in the anti-dio squad had any idea oingo or boingo existed. bringing back that stupid asshole hol horse is literally always going to be appreciated as he's one of the best recurring villains even though his stand fucking sucks lmfao. boingo's too actually. his stand is he has a book but the book is an asshole. great goofy shit. what is fucking wrong with polnareff and joseph

da morioh boyz vs rohan kishibe

example: rohan makes every comic artist in the world mad

speaking of "whats wrong with him", ive posted a lot about rohan so i'll spare you it again but it's all highlighted best in his first ep. the one where he eats a spider, tears a child's face off for artistic inspiration, and tells another he has a whack ass haircut.

~honorable mentions~

jotaro vs literally two rats: the man who defeated dio and all of his minions almost gets completely smoked by jerry the mouse of tom and jerry fame.

koichi hirose vs yoshikage kira: aka the sheer heart attack fight. clever solution, funny jotaro moments, explosions, koichi levels up, THREE FREEZE, etc

joseph joestar and avdol vs bastet: a rare comedy stand where the joke is good. mariah is a fun antagonist. its also a rare pair up that turned out to be a lot of fun. they play off each other well (badly)

yoshikage kira vs stray cat: foil ep to jotaro's rat episode. weird perspective, fun to see kira play the hero briefly.

team bucciarati vs pesci and prosciutto: aka fighting old lol. the twist on how araki keeps prosciutto's power going while making him inaccessible is twisted. beach boy is also a skin crawling stand. very dangerous boys.

[allwaswell16]

- my new podcast! -

Okay, so if you know me you already know I have a fan fic podcast called Fanfictional that I've been doing monthly since 2019 (four years!)

But something you might not know about me is my obsession with documentaries. History, crime, religion/cults, music, sports, nature...I love watching all of them! And when I couldn't find a podcast that was dedicated to talking about documentaries, I did what I often do in fandom...I do it myself lol

Let's Docu 'Bout It is a weekly podcast that I'll post new episodes of every Tuesday, and I've already recorded the first four weeks (because I'm a planner like that). Just as a sneak peak for you all, here are the first four episode titles:

Ep 1 - Pamela, a love story Ep 2 - God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty Ep 3 - Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Part 1 Ep 4 - Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Part 2

I made a tumblr for the new podcast, and you can find the intro post here and the post for episode 1 here!