#it's so. it's such a perfect capsule of teenage love

[the-truest-believers]

i need to reread henry and violet by michelle zink. it needs to be a ritual for me.

[twsthc]

twst character playlists 🎧☆

⚠️ warnings: i have bad music taste. also a lot of nightcore. sorry.

last updated: october 10, 2023

🌹 🎼

Riddle: Bôa - Twilight , Laufey - Let You Break My Heart Again , Nakaniwano Shoujyotachi - SHISHAMO

i was thinking about putting in regal classical music or something, but its like, the whole point of riddle is hes a KID and that was taken from him

this is what he sounds like on the inside; a sad teenager lmao

Ace: Estelle - American Boy , Pharrell williams - Hug me , Bruno Mars & Cardi B - Finesse

teenage boy pilled

HUG ME! BRING IT IN! WOOO!!

Deuce: Beastie Boys - Fight for Your Right , Childish Gambino - Girls Look Better , ROAR - Christmas Kids , Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

2 people simultaneously agreed hed listen to the Beastie Boys in my discord so here we are!!

Cater: Azelia Banks - ANNA WINTOUR , Magdalena Bay - How to Get Physical , Katy Perry - California Gurls , Mitski - Washing Machine Heart

Azelia and Beyonce are in there cuz pop culture and cater and blah blah blah

i personally think hes a nightcore avril lavigne kid

Trey: BTS - 134340 , Sion - lies , Hyeln Joo - Hair Cut (미장원)

i would give you some super deep and understandable reason for these but.

idk!!! it just sounds like trey. this is what he sounds like.

🥩🎶

Leona: A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation , MF DOOM - Hoe Cakes , Sade - Smooth Operator , Kendrick Lamar - We Cry Together

i had to consult the african council (my dad) for this one

ATCQ of course, and Sade because my dad asked politely

Ruggie: GROOVY - Jersey Luv , Tay-K I <3 My Choppa , Lil Gnar - Sticky Rice , Odetari x 9lives - I LOVE YOU HOE

i dont have to explain myself to you

(hes african american boy coded)

Jack: Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day , Micheal Jackson - Rock With You , Bell Biv Devoe - Poison , De La Soul - Me Myself and I

i think he would be into oldies and ruggie would tease him for it

micheal jackson stan

🫧🎵

Azul: ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! , Dalida - Love In Portofino , Caravan Palace - Lone Digger , Caro Emerald - Tangled Up (Lokee Remix)

old sounding music for the "nostalgia" (he wasn't even born during these eras)

the songs that play at the lounge and it kinda got stuck in his head

he fantasizes about preforming these songs in drag btw

Jade: Antonia Carlos Jobim - Girl From Ipanema , Laufey - From the Start , CAPSULE - TICTAC

songs he listens to on long hikes while thinking about violence

Floyd: 41 minutes of Roblox music , Megurine Luka - Tako Luka Maguro Fever , Euday L. Bowman - Twelfth Street Rag , ₳С₴łĐ₳ - PRIVET PRIVET 2009 ST

haha get it spongebob music because hes a fish

(gets booed off stage)

🌞🎼

Kalim: Serani Poji -Pipo Pipo , 레드벨벳 - Day 1 , takeshi abo - LEASE , MAXIMUM THE HORMONE - ChuChu Lovely...

cutie patootie happy-go-lucky songs

i feel like Takeshi Abo - LEASE is what goes through his head on loop 24/7

Jamil: Paramore - Renegade , Bôa - Duvet , beabadoobee - the perfect pair , LeTigreWorld - Deceptacon , Mitski - Washing Machine Heart

Paramore - Renegade was actually a recommendation! thank you yorick :3

otherwise i think rock/soft heartbroken songs go well with him

👑🎶

Vil: Lana Del Rey - Doin' Time , Magdalena Bay - Killshot , Kitty Kallen - It's Been a Long, Long Time , Mitski - Liquid Smooth

queen. flawless. stilettos. category: bad bitch.

too classy for this world, forever that girl

Epel: KYLE - Don't Wanna Fall In Love , Ram Jam - Black Betty , WHAM! - Everything She Wants , Hot Freaks - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

a mix of older and newer songs i guess

i hc he works on a family farm (for fun and allowance). hed be blasting Black Betty in his left airpod while wrestling a sheep in the mud

music taste slightly influenced by deuce and jack methinks

Rook: Vendredi sur Mer - Écoute chérie , Camille - Le Festin , ラムのラブソング , Shelly Duvall - He Needs Me

you know i had to do it to em

okay but these songs unironically fit rook to me idk

☠🎵

Idia: 【らき☆すた】スーパーアハアハデラックス , 初音PV新作くるみ☆ぽんちお.flv , Caramella Girls - Caramelldansen , 6arelyhuman - Hands up!

the first one represents how i hc he listens to those 16 year old anime tohou remixes on a daily. he injects them into his veins.

nico nico douga war veteran. u u uma uma...

Ortho: Nanoray - DesktopBuddy , METAROOM - S.N.U.F.F.Y

cute and electronic sounding songs!!

🐉🎼

Malleus: Malice Mizer - Ma Chérie , this entire playlist , Yoko Kanno - Green Bird , NASTYONA - My September ,

being honest idk much about malleus

all i know is he would listen to malice mizer and he is gay

Silver: The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable now , Burn The Ballroom - Kiss Me You Animal , Wienners - GOD SAVE THE MUSIC

lilia influenced his music taste a lot

Sebek: deaf, doesn't listen to music

Lilia: Mothy - ヴェノマニア公の狂気 , MASA WORKS DESIGN - 狐の嫁入り , Kenshi Yonezu - KICK BACK

trying to stay true to his war general roots while also remembering hes a gamer otaku thing now...

also hes in the "light" music club so

[db-gochifan]

Dragon Ball Ships Week 2023 (2) - Day 3: Games/Activities

Days: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Title: Spin The Bottle Pairing: Marron/Trunks; Bulla/Goten Characters: Bulla Briefs, Trunks Briefs, Son Goten, Pan and Marron Summary: Trunks and Bulla are hosting a party at CC for their friends. Warning: Swearing words/inappropriate language Do not repost, claim to be your own work or use it without perrmission. Cross-posted on AO3

Trunks Briefs walked down the hall at Capsule Corporation in a very casual way. It would be a familiar sight, had it not been the fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt and he had a towel wrapped on his neck.

“Geez, sometimes you behave like a teenager.” Bulla, his twenty-year old sister, scolded him for his lack of good manners. “You better not greet our guests like this.”

“Must you always be so annoying?” He said with annoyance and rolled his eyes at her. “Of course I’m not.”

“Good. You don’t want to make a fool out of yourself in front of Marron.”

“Please, I don’t make a fool out of myself in front of her or anyone for that matter.”

“Sure you don’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” She went back to her room to get ready for the party.

“You’re the one to talk.” He wasn’t about to let it go like that.

“Excuse me?” Bulla came back to the hall. “I don’t think I understand what you’re implying.”

“You say I make a fool out of myself in front of Marron and that may be true, but you’re not any different than me.”

“You’re out of your mind, Trunks.”

“I’ve seen the way you act around Goten. You’re so in love with him.”

“What have you been drinking?!”

“I haven’t been drinking anything yet. And don’t play dumb with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Fine, so maybe I have a crush on Goten.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “And your point is…?”

“I have a proposal to make.”

“A proposal?” She raised her eyebrows at him.

“We’ll confess to them tonight.”

“Okay, smart ass. How are we going to do that?”

“You can leave that to me. I have the perfect plan.”

And just like that, he left for his own bedroom.

****

Bulla was fixing one of the pillows in the living room when the doorbell rang. She looked up, but didn’t move. Her heart was pounding really hard on her chest for her to move. Luckily for her, Trunks came running from the kitchen to answer it.

“It must be Goten.”

And indeed it was. Bulla could recognize his voice anywhere, and her heart started beating even faster.

“You made it!” Trunks’ voice echoed all over the living room, in the usual cheerful way he speaks whenever his best friend is around.

“Like I would miss this party.”

“This party or the chance to see someone?” He nudged Goten in the ribs and winked at him.

“I… I have no idea what you are talking about.” The brunette replied, though he was fully aware his blushing cheeks gave him away.

“I can’t tell which one is the worst, you or Bulla. It’s clear as it can be that you have feelings for each other.”

“Okay, that’s not…” Goten immediately stopped talking and his eyes went wide when he spotted Bulla in the living room, staring right back at him. The look on her face told him she had heard everything, and he was... well, screwed. “Bulla, that’s not…”

But she walked past him without saying a word and not bothering to look at him. The half-Saiyan dropped his head in frustration. He had some big making up to do later that night.

“Sucks to be you.” Trunks didn’t let the opportunity to tease his best friend pass, so he patted him on the shoulder.

“Fuck you.”

“Well, well. Who would’ve thought Kakarot’s son knew how to swear.” A very familiar husky echoed behind the two hybrids, and Goten shivered for a moment. “V-Vegeta.”

“Maybe I should tell him about it.”

“He probably won’t have a clue what it means.”

“Ugh, you…”

“Let’s go, Goten.” Trunks pushed him towards the yard before things got uglier. “Don’t mind my dad, he doesn’t know when to stop sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” Goten looked at him, who rolled his eyes.

“Fine, most of the time.” The lavender-haired Saiyan started laughing and was immediately joined by his best friend.

****

About half an hour later, Marron and Pan had already arrived and they were ready to start partying. Bulla was making her way to the kitchen to grab some drinks for her best friends, and bumped into Trunks and Goten doing the same.

“Oh, sorry.” She stopped almost immediately when she spotted them. “I can come back soon.”

“That’s okay, Bulla.” Trunks said. “We were just leaving, right, Goten?”

“Uh…” The brunette half-Saiyan looked from his best friend to his love interest. “Actually, I…”

“I’m just here to grab a few energy drinks. I should be quick.” She refused to make eye contact with Goten, but seemed shaken when he grabbed her elbow. That only lasted a couple of seconds, cause he immediately let go of her when he saw the death glare in her eyes. And she left as fast as she came in.

“Don’t worry about it.” The lavender-haired man put his hand on Goten’s shoulder in a reassuring way. “She’s just angry, but she will come around eventually. She has a lot from our father.”

“She really does.” Goten looked around, to make sure she wasn’t anywhere near enough to hear them.

“She’ll be talking to you again within time, trust me.”

“Why are you saying this?” He raised his eyebrow. “You’re up to something.”

“I’m not up to anything.”

“Of course you are. I’ve known you since we were babies. You can fool yourself all you want, but you can’t fool me.”

“Let’s just go.” Trunks talked it off. “The girls are probably waiting for us to start partying.”

****

“We are playing spin the bottle.” Bulla announced as she put an empty bottle in the center of the circle.

“Really, Bulla?” Pan complained with a frown. “That’s such a fifth-grade game. Don’t you think, Marron?”

“I… I…” The blonde was taken by surprise. “I guess.”

“Pan, stop making her uncomfortable. It’s annoying.”

“Defending your girlfriend, that’s so cute!”

“Stop it, Panny.”

“Ah come on, uncle Goten. I hate it when you call me that.”

“I know.”

“So should we start?” Bulla ignored the uncle and nephew friendly bickering.

“Who wants to be the first?” Bulla asked, looking at all four faces.

“I think you should start it.” Marron replied after drinking a sip of her drink. “You had the idea.”

“Alright.” She leaned forward and spun the bottle, that stopped in front of Trunks.

“Truth or dare, sister?”

“Truth.”

“Okay. Is it true that you are in love with Goten?”

There was a complete silence in the living room, and both Pan and Marron looked at the blue haired woman. Goten was blushing as heavily as her and looked away.

“What kind of question is this, Trunks?”

“You said truth. So…?”

“I… I…” Bulla absolutely hated feeling ambushed, so she tried to think of a way out as fast as she could. “I want dare.”

“What the hell, Bulla?” Pan protested loudly. “You can’t switch like that.”

“There was no rule on that.” She argued back. “So I want dare.”

“Fine.” Trunks replied, rolling his eyes and a smirk appeared on his lips. “I dare you to kiss Goten. In front of everyone here.”

“What the hell, dude?”

“Eww, gross!” The brunette woman looked like she was about to throw up. “I do not want to see my uncle kissing one of my best friends.”

“I’m not kissing anyone.”

“You have to, it’s in the rules of the game you wanted to play.”

“Ugh!” Bulla shot a death glare at her brother. She had no option but to do this. So she stood on her knees and looked at Goten. “We might as well just get over with it.”

Pan closed her eyes and covered them with her hands when the blue haired woman started crawling towards her uncle. She stopped in front of him and looked right into his dark eyes. He found it the perfect opportunity to work things out with her – or at least, begin to. Goten held her chin in her hands and looked back at her before leaning towards her and pressing his lips against hers.

It was only meant to be a brief kiss, and Pan started hearing her friends complaining about it taking too long. She peeked through her fingers and was glad and relieved they had already pulled away from each other.

“I don’t want to play this game anymore.” She stood up and went to sit on the couch.

“Ah, come on, Pan. We’ve just begun.”

“But if we ask questions or choose dares about kissing or confessing, there’s no point in me playing.”

“She has a point.” Marron stood up as well, joining her. “I don’t want to play it like this too.”

“I’m sorry.” Bulla said genuinely. “I didn’t realize it wouldn’t be cool for you.”

“That’s okay, Bulla.” She smiled kindly at her. “We know you meant well.”

“Thanks, Marron.”

****

The wind gently disheveled Marron’s blond hair when she walked into the balcony at Capsule Corp. The weather was really nice that night, and she leaned over to look at the scenario below her. She was so focused on it that barely seemed to register the door opening behind her.

“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.” Trunks said apologetically when he walked in too. “If you want to be alone, I can come back another time.”

“That’s fine.” She replied as she turned around to look at him. “This balcony is large enough for both of us. I don’t mind it. Are you drinking in secret now? Will your parents get angry at you if they catch you drinking?”

“Not quite.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “But I did want to drink in peace. I would’ve brought you one if I knew you were here.”

“That’s fine.” She gave him a soft smile. “I’ve had enough drinking for one night.”

“Right.” Trunks walked to her. “Would you mind if I…”

“Absolutely not. Be my guest.”

“Thanks.” He sat down and drank a long sip from the bottle. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to play our game earlier.”

“That’s fine.” Marron assured him. “Spin the bottle isn’t my favorite game to play anyway. Can I…?”

“Huh?” He glanced down at the bottle he was holding and handed it to her. “I didn’t know you drank.”

“I don’t do it very often. Only when I feel overwhelmed or I’ve had enough. Or when I want to be brave.”

“Brave?” Trunks raised his eyebrow at her. “Marron, you’re one of the bravest women I know.”

“You really think so?” She turned to look at him after putting the bottle beside her. She held her chin in her hands and looked into his eyes, just as blue as hers.

“I know so.” He didn’t know how he managed to say, with her proximity and his heart beating faster because of that.

Everything happened so fast he barely had time to process. All he knew was that her lips were pressed against his and her hand slid to the back of his neck, after wrapping his arm around her waist. It didn’t take him long to tighten it around her and bring her close to him. Marron slightly parted her lips and let her tongue slid inside his mouth, momentarily catching him by surprise. But being skilled as he is sometimes, he quickly turned things around and their kiss grew hotter and more urgent.

****

Bulla had a large grin on her face. She had been hiding behind a wall and watched the whole scene in the balcony happening. She wanted to scream, but didn’t want anyone to know she was there.

“Spying on your brother, princess?” Goten’s voice echoed in her ears, causing her to shiver and blush before she turned to face him.

“No. Who do you think I am? I’m not Trunks’ babysitter.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Shut up!”

“How long have they been there?”

“Who knows? They were already sitting there when I came. I wanted to go outside, but they started making out and ruined my plan.”

“Can’t say I don’t feel jealous of them.”

Bulla felt her face become red again and began to walk away, but the half-Saiyan man was faster and grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing?” She looked from his hand wrapped around her wrist to his black eyes.

“I want to talk to you.”

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“Will you please let me explain myself to you and apologize?”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and started tapping with annoyance; her blue eyes locked in his. “You have a minute.”

“What?” He was caught by surprise. “Are you serious?”

“Fifty seconds.”

“Bulla, w-… Okay.” He shook his head and started talking. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier.”

“Thirty seconds.”

“Uh… I didn’t mean to say that. Obviously I feel something about you, but I just…”

“You just what?” She looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

“Please forgive me.”

“Your time is up.” Her tone was as hurtful as it could be. “See you around, Goten.”

“Dare.”

“What?” Bulla turned around and once again stared into his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“I chose dare. Come on, give me a dare.”

“Goten, we’re not playing it anymore.”

“That’s fine, I’ll just give it myself then.” He gave a few steps towards her; his heart beating faster by each step he took. Or maybe it was hers, he couldn’t tell. “I dare myself to…”

“You know, you can’t give yourself a dare.” She spoke after she realized what he was doing. “It’s against the rules.”

“We’re not playing the real spin the bottle game, so I can make up any rule I want.”

“That’s fair.”

“So you want to give me a dare?”

“Uh… sure. I dare you to kiss me.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Isn’t it what you wanted me to dare you to do?”

“It was.”

“So I don’t understand the big deal. Are you going to kiss me or what?”

“Right.”

Goten began walking towards her again, but she surprised him by jumping on his arms and wrapping hers around his neck. He held her closer to him after he recovered from his shock and their kiss became deeper and more passionate.

“I take it means you’ve forgiven me.” He said after they pulled away from each other.

“That’s right.” She let their foreheads touch; her arms still around his neck.

“Thought so.”

[rimouskis]

Hi this is a manifesto about a band, their albums, and what love can mean in music. It's long. You have been warned!

X Ambassadors' new album Townie is such a delightful, welcome return to form for them as a band. Prior to Townie, their album The Beautiful Liar didn't land with me and sounded like a departure from their raw sound -- it was overproduced and packed full of sounds and beats and instrumentals that didn't sound like the organic band I knew and liked.

But it wasn't until I heard Townie that I realized it wasn't just the sonic experience I was missing... it was the lyrical throughlines of the rest of X Ambassadors' work, which were totally absent in The Beautiful Liar and come ROARING BACK in Townie.

Since their 2013 and 2015 EPs Love Songs Drug Songs and The Reason and first album VHS, X Ambassadors' story as a band has been about hometowns and what it means to outgrow them, leave them, hate them, and miss them. From the sound of a car turn signal in "Giants" (which laments the last of the hometown heroes) to the lyrics I hope we stay / thick as thieves / butter and bread / pillars of colonial homes in "Unconsolable", they were firmly situated in their suburban listlessness.

They integrated a literal Y2K time capsule into VHS, an album named for millennial childhood nostalgia. They begged for success and a way to escape where they grew up (boring, small, conventional) and they got it by the time they released Orion on 2019, which wrestles with them growing up and settling into adult problems but their home is still buried in the heart of them. I maintain that "WASTELAND" is their best song of all time because of how it captures the way their hometown has their hooks in them, and how they seek comfort in its hollowness. Like...

It's an acknowledgement that even after two EPs and an album about wanting to escape where you're from, you will always, forever be from there, and sometimes that's where you belong, even at your lowest.

The Beautiful Liar in 2021 was X Ambassadors' attempt at a concept album, and while I appreciate them having a vision and going for it, I simply don't think they're good at telling stories about fictional worlds and people. Even when they draw inspiration from their own lives (like the story of the blind girl), it isn't THEIR story, and their story is what makes them sound like X Ambassadors.

Townie is, as its name implies, is an unfiltered, echo-y, lament of failing and going back home. The production sometimes makes it sound like it was recorded in a garage, with ugly reverb and warbling sound levels. If VHS is the story of a hometown garage band trying to make it, Townie IS the album that band puts out. It's a distillation of the band's identity into sound. It IS them.

The lyrics of Townie are heartbreaking. They're about a 30something looking into the mirror and seeing his teenage self again. "Women's Jeans" aches about losing yourself. "Start a Band" is reaching a hand out and inviting your teenage self to do the thing that will save you: music. There's so much tenderness for oneself in the album, seeing the child within and wanting to save them, both back then and now. "Your Town" is a demand to remember your hometown, while "Sunoco" is that same teenage boy saying he's going to die in this town, and this godforsaken town will be what kills him (from "Smoke on the Highway"):

I hope I've made my case. The album bleeds this band's blood. It's perfect.

And, additionally, it unlocked something I've always been fussing at with this band but never really put words to until now: this band is about their hometown, but they're also about two brothers loving each other.

For context, the band's lead singer is Sam, and the keyboardist is his brother Casey, who has been blind since birth. Brotherhood and blindness have always been mainstays in their music, from the obviously titled "Brother," which references a lack of sight...

...to "Unconsolable" with its cane and hoping to stay thick as thieves, as the columns holding a house up...

...through the use of braille when talking about their album ORION, chiefly it's song "HOLD YOU DOWN," which remains one of my favorite love songs of all time:

[a tweet which translates directly to "i’ll hold y d{n”]

I've always understood the song to be a proclamation from Sam to Casey (the braille, the "holding" [he walks Casey onstage at their shows], the lights "going out," the "faceless" crowd, the fact that the music video for this song is just Sam and Casey on a piano as old home videos of their childhood play). But it wasn't until I listened to "Follow the Sound of My Voice" on Townie that I realized what makes this band X Ambassadors is the love songs on every album from Sam to Casey.

Forgive me for pasting half the lyrics here, but you NEED to see them:

It's a love song.

This is a love song from a brother to another. So many of their songs are purely love songs from Sam to Casey. It's beautiful. It's why their hometown matters. It's where they're from, where they grew up, what made them.

As someone with siblings, their stories hit me in a critical space that isn't touched upon by a lot of other music. Love songs aren't just about lovers. They're about the people you need, and sometimes, if you get lucky, that's your family.

Anyways, this is to say that you should give Townie a listen. I think you should start with this song, but really just start anywhere. Listen. Be held.

[denimbex1986]

'Have you experienced a strange kind of delirium right before waking up from a dream? Especially when a dream is so lucid and visceral that it feels real. There’s even a stretch when one is simultaneously aware they’re dreaming, but also immersed in it like it’s really happening. A majority of Andrew Haigh’s All Of Us Strangers takes place in a delirium like this.

Adam (Andrew Scott), a lonely screenwriter residing in a ghostly apartment building in London where he’s one of the two occupants, spends a large part of his day gazing into a distance. He’s either staring at a blank word document on his laptop whose blinking cursor is measuring his time wasted, or mindlessly watching TV while chomping snacks. It doesn’t seem like he has friends (not nearby, at least) and he looks accustomed to microwave dinners and leftovers.

His solitude is threatened when his only neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal) shows up at the door, visibly inebriated and slightly on edge. He asks Adam how he copes with the silence of their area, without throwing himself off the balcony. When Harry invites himself in, Adam turns him away politely, almost instantly regretting it. Adam is battling writer’s block, and it seems like he’s also spent a lifetime running away from relationships. A spot decision to look at his childhood things (for inspiration) causes him to visit his parents’ home in the suburbs. While walking around in the neighbourhood, he bumps into his father (Jamie Bell), who invites him to come pay his mother (Claire Foy) a visit. What makes this meeting out of the ordinary is – Adam’s parents died when he was 12. “A car crash,” Adam tells Harry, the writer in him groaning at the cliche.

Haigh’s film is an adaptation of a 1987 Japanese novel by Taichi Yamada called Strangers. As much as it traverses the supernatural/magic-realism path, the grief and longing here is deeply personal. Having missed out on living his teenage years with his parents, Adam becomes a recurring visitor at his parents’ home. Note the obedience in Scott’s eyes, like he suddenly transformed into the shy, awkward adolescent they left behind.

He comes out to them as a gay man – resulting in two exceptionally touching scenes. Foy is exquisite as a mother grappling with memories of unconditional love for Adam’s 12-year-old version, her ‘80s mindset clashing with contemporary progressive values, while still concerned for her son’s loneliness and health. Her immediate question is around a disease she heard about on TV. Similarly, Bell is measured as the ‘alpha’ Dad, who smokes like it’s a fashion statement. But who also surprises his son with his generosity and introspection. It’s almost like Adam is concocting his own revisionist version of his growing up years, to overcome the pain of growing up isolated – which probably played a part in making him an even more isolated adult.

The more he reconnects with his parents, the more Adam finds himself opening up to Harry. Haigh’s film creates the perfect time capsule, as the 80s music becomes more and more prominent (Pet Shop Boys, Frankie Goes to Hollywood), almost as a way of indicating that telling his parents about his unspoken desires, might have freed him enough to profess being attracted to another man. Mescal, in another haunted performance (after last year’s Aftersun) of a man putting up the confident, assertive act while being completely shattered within, is a sight to behold. As Adam’s young lover, Harry brings a recklessness to the dynamic, which the former never allowed himself. Haigh films the sex scenes between Adam and Harry with a directness, as they explore each other’s bodies without the shame that’s been conditioned into them from a young age.

Haigh, who made the similarly devastating 45 Years (his economy could be mistaken for him being distant), brings his fleeting touch here too. He maintains the plot’s ambiguity till the end – is Adam’s writing assignment resulting in him visualising these hyper-real conversations? Is he ‘healing’ through these conversations? Or is he losing his mind? Will these visits take a toll on his relationship with Harry – who, in one scene, realises he will have to step up as the caregiver.

All of Us Strangers is brimming with great performances, but it’s best described as an Andrew Scott showcase. Best known for playing Moriarty in Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock and a priest in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag – Scott brings his most pared-down version for the part of Adam. He almost physically contracts himself around his parents, and gets comfortable in his own body beside his lover. It’s the best example of body-language acting I’ve seen in the last year.

Haigh knows exactly how to leverage the school-boy kindness in Scott’s eyes, and tip him over during the film’s eerie scenes. And yet, a certain kind of love and longing permeate through a majority of the film’s 100-minute runtime, even when it turns into a fever dream. Would you lose your mind to speak to your dead parents for a few more minutes? What does unconditional love really mean – would you embrace a partner consumed by their loneliness? Would you lie beside them and offer them comfort when there’s little to no chance of this effort being reciprocated? All of Us Strangers marinates in these questions, not pretending to fully know the answers.'

[golbrocklovely]

What would be the soundtrack to your life? Pick 3 songs for each stage of your life (child, preteen, teen, young adult, adult).

wow this is such a fun question, i love this :)

this was also very difficult to choose but i think i got it down. anything with a * is a song i personally related to at the time/still relate to.

childhood stage

hero by mariah carey

believe by cher

you're still the one by shain twain

bonus track: i hope you dance by lee ann womack

so when i was four years old, i decided i wanted to be a singer. and these songs were the reasons why i wanted to be. i remember distinctively listening to the radio with my mom, and these songs played all the time. the station we listened to was b101 - philly's soft rock station (at the time). i have such vivid memories of this time period, it's crazy. i also have a whole playlist of songs that i remember playing on this station, so if yall want me to share it, lemme know.

preteen stage

tangled up in me by skye sweetnam

love me for me by ashlee simpson

*underneath this smile by hilary duff

the preteen era of life, especially the tail end of it, was when i started getting more angsty, which led me into ppl like ashlee and skye, which then led me into the emo music. but i was also secretly a HUGE hilary duff fan. but since she wasn't cool anymore, i had to hide my love for her lol

also fun fact, i performed love me for me in a talent show in fourth grade. i didn't win, but it was one of the only times i've ever perform solo, especially that young.

teenage stage

take a breath by the jonas brothers

*alibis by marianas trench

*what a catch, donnie by fall out boy

bonus track: *stars by switchfoot

the jonas brothers are the reason i'm still alive today, honest to god. even tho i fell in love with them when i was 12ish, i'm gonna count them for my teenage years since that's when i was active in the fandom and constantly paying attention to them. i also found marianas trench around my early teenage years too, technically even before that, but they became major in my life as a teen. same with fob.

the album what a catch, donnie is on, folie a deux, i didn't like at the time it came out (2009). cut to me in junior year of hs, so 2013ish, i was IN LOVE with that album. so much so ppl knew i listened to that album on repeat all the time. to this day that album fucking slaps.

young adult stage

*caught in the middle by paramore

*that green gentleman by panic! at the disco

*astoria by marianas trench

bonus track: good day by dnce

i know that panic are problematic now, but back when i was in college, the drive up to my university, i would listen to the entirety of pretty odd the whole way. it was the only thing that genuinely calmed me down and centered me before school. i think hearing "things have changed for me, and that's okay" really helped me. bc this was such a dark time for me, since two out of the four years i went to college i was suicidal.

caught in the middle, i remember when that album came out, and hearing that song on vacation with my family and just immediately feeling connected to that song. and astoria was such a good time capsule of my life at the time and how it felt to me. and good day… me and my mom, any time we were in the car, would listen to dnce's album, and we loved this song lol still to this day too

adult stage

*the grudge by olivia rodrigo

*so much for stardust by fall out boy

*crave by paramore

bonus track: anything but me by muna

these were a bit harder to pick, bc i feel like i'm only just starting to feel like an adult. but i'm thinking anything from 25 thru to now counts. and that's when a lot of things started changing for me. i've also been reflecting a lot more, which is how i relate to songs like crave. so much for stardust really feels like what the last couple years have felt on me in a way; thinking life was so much harder before but now realizing no - this is hard. and the grudge is just the perfect embodiment of my ten year friend with my ex best friend ending.

but not all is lost. bc anything but me really is how i feel now. i would also like to add another bonus bonus track: the art of starting over by demi lovato. that song also kinda encompasses me beginning a new, and trying to figure everything out. i'm hopeful, but not sure yet of what to do.

[kingofangst]

I have been tagged by the dear @thiamsxbitch, Thank you so much💙💙. I did not see this until now. So I will honor it and show what I have.

Rules: Post the first lines of your last 10 fanfics posted on AO3. (Sorted by date posted) If you have less than 10 fics, posted what you have.

Honestly and sadly, I have 8 fanfics of different fandoms. 1 discontinued and the others are on hold due to life being a pain. But I am invested in Teen Wolf, Cobra Kai/Karate Kid, Kimetsu No Yaiba, etc. I have been interested in DC universe but I have never gotten to write for it so I have some WIPs for DCU and many, many WIPs for Teen Wolf and others.

Coup De Grace (Chemin D'Aconit series/Teen Wolf AU)

This is my Teen Wolf AU fanfic that follows the canon divergence but with some changes and altering of the canon events. A rewrite series with OC characters and world building of the supernatural world. Currently 2 chapters, working on chapter 3.

The town of Beacon Hills to any outsider seems to be just your ordinary and hospitable town in California.

At least that is what they assume. But Beacon Hills is not your ordinary town. Not to the eyes of the supernatural that reside in Beacon Hills, or those who know of the supernatural. A dead body split in half by an unknown serial killer, a burned down estate in the preserve that used to belong to a prominent family, the arrival of a powerful hunter clan trying to eradicate the ominous threat, and finally, a sophomore teenager who is bitten by a wolf.

Some Stranger Things have happened in Beacon Hills, one that will shape the lives of Florence and Cassian Saint-Claire, along with their loved ones.

Not a Bully

This is a Cobra Kai oneshot I made regarding a "What If" AU for Anthony and Kenny. The change and path it would have been for the both of them or rather Anthony's behavior.

What if Anthony didn't try to fight Kenny that night? What if he stood up to Zack and his fake friends? What if he helped Kenny instead of bullying him?

Vulnerable (Season 1)

This is a Cobra Kai AU canon divergence fanfic I have and while I haven't update it in a while, it is a fanfic that is still ongoing with 3 chapters and I am drafting the 4th chapter.

Cameron Collins; a privileged, wealthy, socialite teenager who lives in Encino and attends West Valley High. He has what others envy. Perfect grades, a large house, immense wealth, exotic party planner, a famous plastic surgeon father and a brand ambassador for Giorgio Armani. Despite how amazing his lifestyle is, he's not those privileged encino brats who hurt or judge others. He places himself as a normal human being like the rest. But when a new dojo by the name of Cobra Kai opens in The Valley, what will this do to impact Cameron's curiosity and mysterious wonder of the dojo that was banned since 1985?

Awaken

This is actually my first fanfic ever written and the one with the most chapters. While it has been 2 years since updated, I have it's next chapters in drafts .

The mysterious kid who was put in the orphanage as an abandoned child, later to make friends with two others named Kaneda and Tetsuo. The lone kid's name is Hasegawa Nimura but prefers to be called by his first name as he isn't one for formalities. He joins Kaneda's new gang called The Capsules in their juvenile years and Nimura was fine with the situation he was in. But there's alot of things that neither Kaneda or Tetsuo know about their childhood friend. Does Nimura know what he's hiding or is he clueless as the rest of the pack? How long will this air of content keep up with him until it all collapses?

Ominous

A fanfic I based off from Crazy Rich Asians. A combination of thr novel and the movie. I have a thing for old money family and aesthetics regarding upper class status within a aristocracy system. On 2 chapters currently.

The Young Family, a well known family only known by Singapore's elite, as well as Singapore's powerful and meritocratic aristocrat family run it's reins between it's conglomerate corporation and investments. The Shining heir, Nicholas Young was expected to return to Singapore after his 6 months abroad after he graduated from Oxford University. Instead he remained away from home beyond the 6 months. Now Andrew Young, younger brother of Nick Young, is doing many steps in keeping the family business strong, as well as being the COO of the giant corporation empire and chairman of his own investment firm while helping his CEO and engineer father be able to take some time for himself. Yet, he still faces issues of reality, and is often overlooked in society. Yet what could be keeping Nicky away from home? And what issues could Andrew be facing that he refuses to bring up?

Collison

During my Ajin Phase when I was reading the Manga. I created an OC being the son of a Japanese government minister who is in between the war of Ajins and Humans.

The world is currently on the topic of Ajins. 46 identified Ajins around the world and two in Japan. The 2 Ajins are under surveillance by the Japanese government and away from society. But what happens when the truth comes out? How long will humanity continue to play chess until it takes one bad day to reverse the board on them?

How is Tokui Ishino, son of the Japanese Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare willing to break through the dystopian chaos that will run amok?

Unravel

I have a passion for Demon Slayer (Kimetsu No Yaiba), it is one of my favorite anime/manga series. While it has been a while since I last updated it, that doesn't mean it is discontinued.

As leaders of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Ubuyashiki clan is known to lead the demon slayers with benevolence, composure, skill, pride, and determination to protect the lives of the innocent from the monstrous creatures called demons. And while this tradition has continued for century after century, what happens when one Ubuyashiki member, Kazuya, follows a different path? A path of his own agenda.

Toxic Revenge (Discontinued)

This is a BNHA fanfic that I have discontinued. No longer working on the series due to getting writers block on constructing the next chapters and phase for this story. May get a rewrite.

Suzumebachi Ronin, a underground villain who works as a spy and informant of Japan's most powerful villain with a terrifying quirk. With Sensei choosing his successor and the rise of the League of Villains, Suzumebachi now stands with his leader to bring the hero society down to it's knees and create a new era.

But Suzumebachi also has a few agendas of his own as a loyal villain to sensei.

Ho Pressure Tags! @rhyslahey @ksbbb @amatchinwater @thiamblogger @chasing-chimeras @ahscotty

[noloveforned]

no love for ned is back on wlur tonight from 8pm until midnight. i took last week off to catch a couple of my favorites bands from the nineties live in dc- velocity girl and tuscadero!

speaking of the nineties, two weeks ago i did a best of 1993 show that's now on mixcloud. as always i played a couple songs that turned out to be a year off due to the damn copyright dates listed on the cd. i know the sdre was actually 1994 and the portastatic might be too! we'll still be doing a 'best of 2003' show in a couple weeks!

no love for ned on wlur – november 24th, 2023 from 8pm-midnight

artist // track // album // label the lemonheads // down about it // come on feel the lemonheads // atlantic the juliana hatfield three // spin the bottle // become what you are // mammoth teenage fanclub // the cabbage // thirteen // dgc belly // dusted // star // sire the posies // dream all day // frosting on the beater // dgc liz phair // never said // exile in guyville // matador cracker // get off this // kerosene hat // virgin the boo radleys // there she goes // so i married an axe murderer soundtrack // chaos the cranberries // dreams // everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? // island unrest // make out club // perfect teeth // 4ad velocity girl // crazy town // copacetic // sub pop tiger trap // puzzle pieces // tiger trap // k the apples in stereo // tidal wave // tidal wave 7" ep // elephant six even as we speak // love is the answer // feral pop frenzy // sarah the pastels // thank you for being you // truckload of trouble // seed dqe // twister // but me, i fell down // feel good all over crayon // the snap-tight wars // the snap-tight wars 7" // harriet bratmobile // cool schmool // pottymouth // kill rock stars guided by voices // shocker in gloomtown // the grand hour 7" ep // scat the breeders // divine hammer // last splash // 4ad the flaming lips // be my head // transmissions from the satellite heart // warner bros. letters to cleo // here and now // aurora gory alice // cherrydisc catherine wheel // crank // chrome // fontana ned's atomic dustbin // saturday night // so i married an axe murderer soundtrack // chaos the smashing pumpkins // hello kitty kat // today ep // hut dig // believe // dig // radioactive moth macabre // two days // moth macabre // interscope eve's plum // i want it all // envy // epic sand rubies // your life story // sand rubies // atlas drop nineteens // all swimmers are brothers // national coma // caroline radiohead // ripcord // pablo honey // capitol walt mink // subway // bareback ride // caroline dinosaur jr. // start choppin // where you been // sire thrush hermit // marya // marya 7" // genius the spinanes // spitfire // manos // sub pop the afghan whigs // what jail is like // gentlemen // elektra morphine // candy // cure for pain // rykodisc evan dando // frying pan // sweet relief- a benefit for victoria williams tribute // columbia barbara manning // joed out // no alternative compilation // arista matthew sweet // time capsule // altered beast // zoo entertainment mazzy star // fade into you // so tonight that i might see // capitol east river pipe // make a deal with the city // goodbye california // sarah portastatic // naked pilseners // i hope your heart is not brittle // merge witch hazel // just don't try // just don't try 7" // bubblegum smile his name is alive // drink, dress, and ink // mouth by mouth // 4ad yo la tengo // sudden organ // painful // matador suede // animal nitrate // suede // columbia u2 // stay (faraway, so close!) // zooropa // island red house painters // new jersey // red house painters ii // 4ad grant lee buffalo // fuzzy // fuzzy // slash godstar // forgotten night // sleeper // half a cow buffalo tom // sodajerk // big red letter day // beggars banquet james // laid // laid // fontana the lucksmiths // adolescent song of mindless devotion // the lucksmiths cassette // banana noise addict // i wish i was him // i wish i was him 7" // fellaheen lambchop // nine // nine 7" // merge sunny day real estate // seven // diary // sub pop shudder to think // animal wild // sweet relief- a benefit for victoria williams tribute // columbia sugar // feeling better // beaster ep // rykodisc superchunk // precision auto // on the mouth // matador archers of loaf // web in front // icky mettle // alias seaweed // kid in candy // four // sub pop bikini kill // rebel girl // pussy whipped // kill rock stars fastbacks // hung on a bad peg // zücker // sub pop pavement // unseen power of the picket fence // no alternative compilation // arista neutral milk hotel // everything is // everything is 7" // cher doll

[sostrangerous]

i love rereading fics from when i was a teen... often they're not as good as i remember. this fic in particular, lemme type out my thoughts (note: this fic contains graphic depictions of CSA and death, that trauma is the core of the fic)

There's some really compelling and interesting moments in this fic, which i think are valuable. But the overarching story itself is extremely limited in how it deals with these things. Like, the whole story is a power fantasy, and I think power fantasies are a very specific type of story that's really bad at nuance. in this story kirk is deeply traumatized and abused and his history of abuse leads to him suffering as he grows up, but nothing actually sticks. he went to juvie several times, he was homeless, hes an alcoholic, he's had multiple concussions.... and yet once in a structured, academic environment he's basically superfunctional. like, he takes a quantum mechanics class despite apparently never having any kind of formal math training past the age of 15. he does double the work of anyone else in the program. he is absurdly high functioning depressed, but he never burns out, either.

to be clear I'm not saying this fic is terrible. it's just interesting to reread a trope i liked when i was a teenager, where the main guy is in a lot of pain but ultimately he's totally competent and badass and everyone is forced to admit how undeniably special he is. it feels good to read, power fantasies are fun for a reason. (i used to read this type of power fantasy about Edward elric specifically lol)

this story is most compelling when he's younger. the question of how to 'resolve' his trauma is unanswered, and I think that ambiguity is a lot more interesting and emotionally difficult than the conclusion the story comes to. the beginning is when he's allowed to truly be self destructive and have ugly feelings that come out and hurt people. kirk does remain basically morally unimpeachable throughout this fic which isn't a problem exactly but I found it a lot more interesting when he was getting in arguments with his mother about his dead brother and father, and she was saying some unspeakably cruel things to him, and he was lashing out in return (the mom in this fic is an unforgivably bad parent which, again, is more interesting in the beginning than the end of the fic)

honestly endings are really really hard to write well 😕 unfortunately.

i do find it charming how this fic has the most fanfiction-y prose I've ever read. I'm not sure if fanfic sounds exactly like this anymore, so it's kind of a perfect 2015ish millennial-author time capsule. it literally uses the word *derp* (which is yet more evidence for my theory that you should never include memes in writing)

anyway! why am i talking about a star trek fic that came out 8 years ago? because i can. clearly the fic speaks to a lot of people bc it's very popular. it used to speak to me, and i think it's interesting to go back over how and why. if it's novel length why shouldn't I analyze it like a novel ykwim

[thesims4blogger]

Official BLOG: Class is in Session in The Sims 4 High School Years

Maxis has released the official blog for The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion Pack!

[The PA system crackles as it turns on and the principal starts their morning announcement.]

Good morning, students and faculty of Copperdale High! Welcome back to another adventure-filled school year. For those of you that are new to our school and town, we’re excited to have you joining our dear community! Once renowned for its booming mining industry, Copperdale is a small town nestled on the banks of Lake LaSuli where you can truly live out your teenage dreams, explore your identity, and test boundaries through choices and growth.

We are so proud of our community creators and the seven lots they built in Copperdale, including MsGryphi, who built ThrifTea–the thrift store and local boba hangout, xfreezerbunnyx, who built the library, and JOL1990, who built the high school principal’s old money mansion.

We’ll be giving tours of the school and town after the final bell today, and all are welcome to join.

Here’s to all the memories we’ll be making together this school year.

Go Copperdale Womp Womps!

Carving Your Own Path in High School

Copperdale High is the center of your teen Sims’ world. Inside these halls, Sims participate in everything that makes high school such a formative time in life, from building lifelong friendships, to selecting our favorite extracurricular activities and graduating into adulthood.

During school hours, Sims attend class, hang out with friends, have lunch in the cafeteria, take weekly exams, and hopefully avoid being scolded by the principal who patrols the halls! After school, students can participate in activities like football, cheerleading, chess, and computer clubs, go to events like the science fair, or head home to their poster-filled bedroom to complete their homework.

In terms of extracurriculars, teen Sims can join an after-school club or team like football or cheer, practice these skill related activities, participate in competitions, and experience the highs and lows of winning and losing alongside your teammates.

You’ll even have the opportunity to navigate through the challenges and joys of young love, whether it’s the blissfulness of the crush stage, or the woes of a teenage breakup. A word of advice: Plumbite Pier is the perfect date spot! There is an amusement park with a haunted house, tunnel of love, a ferris wheel, and a photobooth for memories!

Explore Your Teen Identity

Teen years and high school are the launching points for self-discovery. Creating even more ways for Sims to explore their identities, a free base game update will go live alongside the release of High School Years, introducing an additional new feature that will add more choice and opportunity for discovery to your Sims’ lives.

The free base game update will also introduce body hair. For those with the High School Years Expansion Pack, Sims will be able to groom and trim their body hair’s natural growth over time, celebrating that transition through puberty.

You can learn more about the new base game updates coming to The Sims 4 on Friday, July 15, 2022 at 11am PDT on Twitch and YouTube.

Express Your Creativity With Pranks and Style!

What is high school without a little mischief? In High School Years, discover an all new mischievous side to your teen Sims as they pull pranks. Mark up the whiteboard, leave a stink capsule in your classmate’s locker, or mess with the school’s PA system, but don’t get caught! Successfully pranking other Sims will increase your mischief skill, but being discovered will have consequences on relationships, as well as lead to trust issues.

Back at home, you can make your teen Sim’s bedroom an oasis that fully reflects their personality and style, as unique as they are. Teen Sims can hang out in the bedrooms, with Sims now able to sit crossed-legged on the bed together and have pillow fights. Need to sneak out of the house after curfew? Sims can exit the house via The E window and trellis ladder, and climb down the side of a house.

Fashion is the ultimate form of self-expression, and has always been a huge part of The Sims. As part of The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion Pack, your Sim’s fashion options are growing even larger via a collaboration with Depop, the circular fashion marketplace app where the next generation comes to discover unique items. Sims can discover clothing items designed by real-world Depop sellers Jeremy Salazar, Sha’an D’Antes, Lapoze McTribouy, Selena Williams and Bella McFadden in-game at the local thrift store and boba hangout, ThrifTea, and earn Simoleons by selling outfits they curate and hype on the new in-game Trendi app and become a “Simfluencer” in the process.

Take pictures of your Sims’ new outfits at the mural from artist Monica Ahanonu, displayed on the side of ThrifTea, drawing inspiration from The Sims x Depop collaboration.

Star Quarterbacks, Prom Queens and Valedictorians

It wouldn’t be a true high school adventure without prom and graduation.

Perhaps the most nerve-wracking yet exciting night of a teen Sims’ high school years is prom. You’ll be able to customize every aspect of your Sim’s prom, beginning with prom preparation and the event itself. Sims can go solo, ask someone to the prom,  go with friends, or skip out altogether. From there, players can dive into the details including creating and presenting a promposal sign, selecting outfits, having friends over to get ready, and voting for prom royalty. Players can also plan out their dance routines, music, snacks, and more. How a Sim prepares for and participates in prom will impact their relationships going forward!

And then, of course, the high school experience culminates with graduation, the ceremony bookending a Sim’s time at Copperdale High. It’s a chance to celebrate with friends and family, and welcome in the next stage of life. Sims can prepare before the main event by inviting guests, deciding their outfit, and acquiring gifts for friends and teachers. All the decisions your Sim has made throughout their high school journey will impact how their graduation plays out. Sims can choose whether or not they attend, but they won’t be invited to graduate if their grades don’t meet the mark!

No matter how you choose to live out your High School Years in The Sims 4, there are no wrong answers. Unless it’s a test you forgot to study for.

Join us for a deep dive of High School Years and learn more about the new base game updates coming to The Sims 4 on Friday, July 15, 2022 at 11am PDT on Twitch and YouTube.

Preorder* The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion Pack now to start playing immediately when it launches on July 28, 2022 for Mac/PC on Origin and Steam, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5.

[charactersoverkisses]

I love coming back to tumblr like three times a year because its like a time capsule of when I was seventeen and all my favorite things (being emo and soulcrushing YA books) are all still relevant. We had a wee dry patch there guys im ngl when there was nada, but this is great, why grow up when i can revert to 17 year old me

I’ve started reading again

the dreamer trilogy is finally published and officially on my christmas list

mcr is a touring band again and ive SEEN them this year

FOB is still going strong and i saw pete wentz in a cape this summer and the flames from the stage almost melted my skin off

I’ve been to not one but two pale waves gigs this year

its winter so its the perfect time of year to occasionally read a couple of chapters of all the young dudes and reblog marauder’s fanart 

im going home for the first time in three years this christmas

and i’m aggressively ignoring my work due tomorrow in favor of updating my tumblr blog

its like nothing has changed. My inner teenager is at peace. The world is healing

[krillin-fanfic]

Chestnut Fest 2022 Week 2: 50 Cents In Store Credit

Here we go, Week 2! This week's theme was "Gamers", so I opted for a little bit of a slice-of-life-y story with some new characters! Bonus points for anyone who notices the naming convention and what their names are derived from. And yes, Dragon Quest is the only franchise mentioned by name, for obvious reasons. :) Let's get right into it! Links: AO3 FF.net 

Android 18 had a job.

She hadn't planned on it, honestly. When she and Krillin had dropped Marron off for the summer to spend time on her uncle's preserve, helping with the animals, 18 had originally planned on taking the time for some relaxation time. After all, having a daughter approaching her teen years could be taxing.

But that's when the realization hit her. Her daughter was almost a teenager. In a few years, she'd be an adult. Off to college. And a good college wasn't cheap. Granted, she and Krillin had long ago started a college fund for their daughter, but 18 wasn't terribly fond of the rate they'd been able to fill it up recently. And with tuition prices going up and up, a little padding certainly couldn't hurt.

The search hadn't been easy. She wanted something not super intensive and part-time, so she still had time for herself. Krillin, bless his heart, had offered to put in a good word for her at the station or see if Bulma could find something for her at Capsule Corp, but clerical work wasn't something she had the patience for, and she wasn't really willing to be a guinea pig or whatever else Bulma would try to use her for. So when she found an ad in the paper seeking a clerk at a video game store, she jumped at the opportunity. It was no secret that 18 enjoyed gaming, and this seemed like a perfect fit; money, video games, employee discount, what wasn't to love, right? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, it turned out, the manager, for one.

He was a tall, bony, middle-aged man with tight brown curls and thick glasses. A prototypical nerd, she thought. And, unfortunately, it seemed he had some of the stereotypical behaviors to match.

"No job history, no education, no sales experience at all..." he tapped his pen on his clipboard and glared at her over the black rims of his glasses. "Do you even know anything about video games?"

18 had rolled her eyes, and placed an elbow on the desk, propping up her chin. "I can name most major game publishers, some you've probably never even heard of, I can list of the award-winners for the last 17 years, I can even identify rare peripherals and controllers without having to look them up online..."

The manager waved a long, bony finger under her nose. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. No idea if you're feeding me a line of bull here or not," he smirked, "But you're cute. And if there's one thing customers in this business like, it's cute girls behind the counter, ya feel me?"

She'd scoffed and wanted to protest but held it in. The job was the job, and it's not as if she was being asked to flirt with anyone. She could handle working for a jerk for a while. "Fine. But I'm putting my foot down on a few things." She held up fingers as she counted off. "One: no weird revealing costumes. I'm a married lady and I refuse to be objectified like that. Two: If I catch you trying to perv on me at all..."

The manager guffawed. "OH boy, lady... look, you're barking up entirely the wrong tree there, I'll leave it at that."

She blinked. "Huh. Didn't see that one coming."

He chuckled again. "I just don't consort with other people at all, myself. Don't see the appeal." He stood and sauntered over to a small wardrobe in the corner of his office and opened it, revealing a rack of what she'd guessed was a rack of uniforms. Dark pink shirts with the store logo and black pants. "Now then... what's your size?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now, about a month later, she found herself behind the counter, nails rhythmically tapping on its surface as she waited for the next customer. Not quite as fun as she'd hoped, she had to admit; part of her had assumed she's at least be allowed to go mess around on the game demo stations on the shop floor during the slower hours, but the manager was quite clear about store protocol and forbade it. (He'd at least made a concession on reading the store's magazine behind the counter but really, one could only read the same articles so many times before exhausting it as an option.)

Thankfully, she didn't need to wait much longer, as the familiar ringing of the doorbell heralded customers. 18 looked over and smiled at the trio who approached. "Oh, hey there guys. I figured you'd be in today."

"Heya, Miss 18!" A shorter, chubby man greeted her with a grin. He was in his late 20s, blonde and bearded with brown eyes, wearing a red shirt emblazoned with the familiar visage of a posing Great Saiyaman. He was flanked on the right by an older, tall brown-skinned man with long, dark hair, darker, narrow eyes and a leather jacket; to his left, a younger, redheaded man with green eyes and a blue button-up dress shirt tucked neatly into his khaki pants.

"Hey, Gesa. So... did you finally talk to her?"

Gesa grinned wide and thrust a fist into the air. "Yes! I was so nervous to talk to her at first but I did what you said. Stayed calm, approached her about our mutual interests," he thrust a thumb at his Saiyaman shirt proudly. "And now, we're going to see the new Saiyaman movie together this weekend! This is the one where he teams up with Raiden and Captain Fusion!"

18 smiled. "See, what'd I tell you? Remember now, just keep it cool, be respectful, and don't try to push things along, k?"

"Oh yeah!" He grinned and trotted off toward the collectibles on the shelves. "I need something to commemorate the occasion first though!"

She shifted her gaze toward the tall man, his lips curling into a smile. "Hello, Tari. Looking for the new minifigs for your game, I'm guessing?" He nodded and she tapped the tabletop.

"Well unfortunately, they already sold out. There was actually a line this morning when we opened." She shrugged. "Who knew the little space marines were so popular?"

The tall man frowned, his shoulders slumped a bit. "Buuut.." she reached under her counter and produced a small box. "I may have accidentally purchased a full set for myself in all the confusion that I have no real use for. And if someone were to, say, reimburse me for the expense..." Tari gasped, narrow eyes widening with glee. He quickly pulled out his wallet, wad of zeni in hand.

18 smirked and took the cash, handing the giant the box of mini-figures. He grinned widely. "Thank you, ma'am!"

18 turned to the last man, the youngest of the three. "And that just leaves Geo."

The redhead's fists were balled in front of him in excitement. "Is it here? Did it come in today?!"

18 turned to the back shelf and scanned the items they kept in reserve. "I'm pretty sure... ah! Here it is." She turned back and placed a game case on the counter. "The new Dragon Quest." Geo picked it up and squealed with delight.

"YES! Weekend sorted!" He looked back to 18, tears of joy in his eyes. "Thank you so much for making sure there was one left for me!"

She chuckled. "Well I figured you guys come in here so often, I figured you ought to be a priority. That's just good business, right?"

"Well, it's certainly gonna keep me coming back! Thank you so much!" He hugged the case to his chest as if he were afraid it might disappear.

"You know, you have very similar taste to my husband. I think you and he might have a lot to talk about, at least as far as games go."

Gesa piped up from the back of the store. "Oh yeah, you've mentioned him a lot." He smirked. "For being married to the guy, you sure do act like you're crushing on him."

18 felt her face turn beat red and she lowered her head, hoping her hair might help hide the embarrassment she felt at being teased. "Watch it, buster. Or no more relationship advice."

Gesa chuckled nervously. "Sorry, sorry. Just playing is all..." He set a robot figurine box on the counter. "But are we ever gonna get to meet him? He seems pretty cool."

She smiled. "He's a massive dork, but I think he's pretty cool." She scanned the box, only faintly hearing the door chime as another group entered behind her customers. "Ok, you know the drill, rewards card, magazine sub, yadda yadda..."

He presented her with the card. "I'm good on the magazine, but here's this."

18 scanned the barcode and handed it back. "Ok, so with your discount this is gonna come to-"

"Get outta my way, virgin." Gesa was shoved roughly to the side, his cash nearly flying out of his hand as he hit the floor. 18's face immediately fell, her smile gone.

The men in front of her were sadly no strangers. The aggressor smirked at her, leering over his overpriced sunglasses, sandy blonde har and blue dyed fringe half covering one eye. "Hey, babe. You got an answer for me yet?"

18 stared stone-faced. This persistent douche had been harassing her since her first week on this job, always implying she knew nothing about games or her job, yet always very unsubtly asking her to let him teach her. Over a weekend. At his place. And always in that same white tank top and camo shorts.

And worse: socks with sandals.

"I've already told you, I'm not interested in manchildren. And I'm married." She jabbed a thumb at the security camera pointed at them. "And if you keep shoving my patrons, I'm gonna have to report this to the police, so maybe consider not being an idiot and stopping that?"

The frat boy scoffed and turned to his friend, a large, stocky green-haired man in a Hawaiian-print shirt who was currently amusing himself with intimidating Geo."Do you hear the way she talks to customers, Ubi?"

Ubi guffawed loudly. "Sure did, Vacti! This broad needs a lesson in customer service!"

18 crossed her arms and glared. "Being customers implies you're here to actually buy something."

"Oh, we are." Vacti raised his hands. "True story. We're actually here to find something to kill some time before the next Corona and Call to Honor drop."

Ubi leered at her. "Yeah, and since the help is apparently an ice queen not interested in a good time, I guess it's gotta be a game! Haha!"

18 growled, her nails digging into her arm. It was taking her every ounce of willpower not to toss these clowns right out on their asses. "Alright then. Tell me what games you're looking for so I can help you get out of my hair as soon as possible."

Vacti and Ubi sputtered and laughed loudly. "Haha! That's rich!" Vacti caught his breath. "Look, no offense but, uh... I'm looking for the input of someone a bit more... versed in this field, you feel me?"

"Yeah! And chicks don't know games!" Ubi piped up, grabbing Geo by the collar. "So we'll just borrow this nerd here-" A deep growl from behind wiped the grin from his face. He turned slowly to see Tari towering over him, glaring."

"You let go. Now."

The stockier man sized Tari up for a moment, wondering if he could take him. Something about his aura though made him reconsider. "Heh... sure man. I was just foolin' with the little guy, y'know?" He loosened his grip on Geo. "See? All good."

Vacti facepalmed. "Good one, tough guy, we're all impressed."

Another chime from the door caught 18's attention and she found herself smiling, despite the going's on, at the new arrival.

A police officer, helmet in hand, bald head reflecting the store's lights.

"Heya, 18. Did I come at a bad time?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. "No, I'd say you were right on time."

The short man sauntered up to the counter and stood off to the side setting his helmet down and stretching. He looked down and noticed a patron still on the floor, staring, seemingly scared. "Hey fella, you ok?" He reached out his hand and helped the man to his feet. "Ahhh! There ya go."

Gesa, more confident with a police officer there, finally let himself relax a bit, slumping against the counter. "Th-thanks. I-" He glanced over at Vacti and Ubi. "...tripped, I guess. Shoelaces and all."

The officer noticed Gesa's gaze and stole a quick look at the two of them, eyes narrowed. After a moment, he looked back at 18 and grinned. "I was just in the neighborhood and break time came around, so I figured I'd stop in and see how my favorite gal was doing at work."

18 smiled, her cheeks tinged a bit red. "Heh. Well, I appreciate the thought."

Vacti's eyebrows shot up. Was Store Chick... blushing? At this weirdo? He was shrimpy! He didn't even have a nose, for crying out loud.

He thrust an accusatory finger at 18. "Hey, what gives? You into this weird guy but not me?"

18 raised an eyebrow before her eyes narrowed and a devious grin found its way onto her face. She reached over and traced her fingers around the officer's head. "So what if I do? Does that upset you?"

Vacti grabbed his sunglasses off his face and tossed them to the ground. "But why?" He thrust his finger at the officer. "Dude is so old! He's gotta be at least 30!"

"You think 30 is old?"

Vacti ranted on. "What, is it a cop fetish, or just a thing for gremlins with no nose?"

A loud screech echoed through the store as all the patrons covered their ears. 18's eyes were narrowed, her nails digging strips across the countertop glass. "What did you just say about my husband, you little worm?"

Vacti froze, eyes wide, the color drained from his face. "Y-your... husband? I... I thought you were like, in college..."

18 sighed internally. Between this nonsense and her own daughter starting to pass more for her little sister, she was going to have to do something to look more her age.

Krillin rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Well... I feel like there's a lot of backstory here that I'm missing out on, I'll say that much." He turned back to 18. "Oh hey, are there any copies of the new Dragon Quest left? I hope I'm not too late."

"Don't worry, hon, I saved you one too." 18 turned around and snagged a copy from the back shelf. "Already paid for and everything so you can take it with you."

Krillin smiled and took 18's hand. "You're the best, babe."

Vacti's hand balled into a fist as he shook, embarrassment and anger welling up inside him. "No... that's it... I've had it..." He raised his fist to the sky and bellowed. "I'M NOT GONNA LET THIS STAND."

He glared daggers at Krillin. "YOU!" Krillin pointed at himself in confusion as Vacti pointed at the kiosk in the middle of the shop floor. "We're going to settle this the way real gamers do! I challenge you to a deathmatch in Call to Honor!"

Krillin raised an eyebrow in amusement and chuckled. "Well far be it from me to make fun of someone taking their passions seriously but uh... I'll pass."

Vacti smirked. "What's wrong, old man? Scared? Worried I'll impress your wife more than you? Scared of being a cuck?"

"PFFT!"

Vacti looked to 18, barely suppressing her laughter, and growled again.

"Well the truth is.." Krillin chuckled. "I just have nothing to prove against an insecure kid." He held up his game and laughed. "And honestly, those sorts of online games just aren't my thing." He jabbed a thumb back at 18, who was cracking her knuckles. "But they are hers."

Vacti gulped. "F-fine... but the challenge stands! If I win..." He grinned wickedly. "If I win, she has to give me a kiss. Right in front of you."

18 growled. "Now we get to name terms, huh?" She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Fine... but if I win..." she smirked. "You two leave me and these guys alone and don't come back."

Vacti cracked his knuckles and returned the smirk. "Deal. But I warn you... I'm a regional champion here in Satan City. Three years running."

18 raised an eyebrow as she grabbed one of the controllers. "Am I supposed to be impressed, or...?"

Vacti growled and grabbed his, setting up the match.

Geo, Gesa, and Tari all crowded around Krillin, who sat at a table behind his wife. "So..." Gesa spoke up. "Aren't you a little bit worried? I mean, if your wife loses, she has to-"

"Nah, I'm not worried at all." Krillin smiled. "I've watched 18 play for years. She's... well, you'll see."

The trio gazed up at the screen and gulped. "I sure hope you're right, sir."

Vacti sat down hard with a thud, a look of shock plastered on his face. Ubi joined him soon after, his jaw hanging loose.

"I- I lost?!"

18 dusted her hands and crossed her arms, smirking. "You lost 2 to 14, actually. And that's with me granting you extra rounds for your 'comeback'."

The Trio hooted wildly behind her and Krillin chuckled. "I told you this was her kind of game."

Vacti and Ubi stood quickly, growling. "No, that's not possible. This was rigged!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Vacti! Rigged!"

18 rolled her eyes. "The consoles are locked in the kiosks, you moron, and you picked them. Stop trying to weasel out of it and just take the L."

Vacti took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. "We'll see who takes an L, bi-"

Before he could even finish, Vacti found himself flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him, and a police officer's boot in his gut. Krillin glared down at the man beneath him. "Watch how you talk about my wife, buddy. Now, I know I got here late, but I couldn't help but notice the very unpleasant atmosphere when I arrived, or the way everyone was intimidated by you." He jammed a thumb at the cameras. "And while I'm sure 18 would rather this not be a whole thing, I'm sure that if I were to take a look at the footage from those things, I'd find a whole lot of material that could make things... unpleasant for you." He removed his foot from the man's gut and pulled him up, tossing him toward his friend. "So how about you guys just keep your word and we'll pretend this never happened, huh?" He smiled at the two and waved. "Be careful on your way home now, look both ways and all that."

The two men grimaced and hurried out the door, booking it down the street in front of them.

18 was speechless. She felt her cheeks flush and that old nervous stutter threatening to come back. Her husband, that little dork of a man...

She smiled. 'The coolest dork of a man I know.'

Krillin dusted his hands off. "Welp! That's that." He checked his watch. "Oh shoot, I gotta get back on patrol!" He leaned over and pecked 18's cheek. "I'll see you later hon."

18 quickly grabbed his arm and leaned forward, breathing into his ear. "Tonight, you and I are gonna... have a special dinner."

Now it was Krillin's turn to blush a bit as his eyebrows raised. Trying to be discrete, he wrapped his arm around 18 for a quick hug. "Sounds like a plan," he whispered back. He waved at the trio. "It was nice finally meeting you guys, by the way! 18 talks about her friends at work sometimes. We'll have to catch up sometime!" He trotted out the door. "Laters!"

Gesa, Tari, and Geo all looked at 18, confused. "You... consider us friends?" Tari asked, tears in his eyes.

18 smiled. "Yeah... guess I do. Just don't let it go to your heads. OOP!" She found herself lifted off her feet as the giant of a man picked her up for a hug. "Okay fella... personal space now." He apologized and set her down quickly.

Geo jumped up and down. "Oh my GOD you were so COOL!" He gestured toward the door. " AND YOUR HUSBAND WAS SO COOL!" He glanced at the game in his hands again. "...best day ever. No contest."

Gesa grinned and rubbed his chin. "I gotta take some notes. Maybe I can be that smooth on date night."

18 felt a soft rumble in her pocked and pulled out her phone. She rolled her eyes and chuckled when she saw Krillin's text.

"Hey babe. About tonight's 'plans'. Any chance you can-uh... bring that uniform home with you? For reasons? :) "

18 chuckled. "You little perv."

"Hmm... we'll see. ;)"

"Alright fellas. Time to close up. See you next time."

[zalrb]

OTH 2x15 Rewatch

1. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII DON’T WANNA BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYNA BE LATELYYYYYYYYYYYYY

2.

3. And it’s not that I don’t understand what Nathan’s mindset is and it’s not that I’m unsympathetic it’s that James’ acting isn’t good so rarely does it seem like he’s going through something, it just seems like general teenage angst and in the back of my head I’m screaming, enough already. Which is my issue with a lot of the acting and/or writing on this show, it lacks nuance and makes a lot of the characters insufferable a lot of the time.

4. “In 1955, students at Tree Hill High School created a time capsule which was to be opened in 50 years. They were simply asked to talk about their lives. Isn’t it interesting how things haven’t changed much?” Yes, except, you know, civil rights. But, details. Amirite?

5. Imagine giving THIS up

for LEYTON.

6. HA.

7. Keith buying Jules a house, men stay buying houses for their love interests in shows.

8. Jules, WHAT is your endgame here? Like how did you see this life going?

9. She didn’t even know your middle name, Lucas.

10. This makes me laugh

You couldn’t just take the picture down, Nathan? BUT IT WOULDN’T BE A STATEMENT.

11. Karen is annoying, but I just don’t like Moira Kelly as an actress, I was happy when they got rid of her on The West Wing.

12. Tim!

13. “Don’t be a dick and drive drunk!” “I’m not even buzzed!” “IT’S STILL AN OPEN CONTAINER!” I think the message here, kids, is that it’s wrong to drive drunk.

14. Jake saying he had to call in a few favours for the breeze and the stars to be perfect for Peyton would be insufferably corny if Bryan and Hilarie didn’t have chemistry and if Bryan’s delivery didn’t hit the right note of banter and casualness, so instead it’s just charming.

15. LMAO you couldn’t even move to the side! EVERYONE WALK AROUND THE TWO TEENAGERS MAKING OUT

16. If this was a basketball town, they would not be arrested. In FNL, Tim goes to a beer store and his fake ID straight up says Sgt. Tim Riggins and the owner is like “Have a nice night, Mr. Riggins” knowing FULL WELL who he is.

17. “Wow, your own mom can’t stand you.” Lol, Nathan.

18. LMAO it took me a minute to get this when I was younger

19. OTH’s favourite word is threatened. “Were you with Chris?” “Why are you threatened by him?” “You’ve been spending time with Taylor.” “Why, are you threatened by her?” “You’re chasing after a father who doesn’t even want you and I’m pathetic?” “Would you just let it go? Why are you so threatened by that?”

20. It bothered me so much that they changed Brooke’s confessional to her showing her boobs.

21. But iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’m flying so hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh

22. Hilarie’s face is priceless

23. I also like this scene because in the commentary Bryan was talking about how Mark wrote this really poetic, long speech for Jake to say about how they should wait and Bryan was like that’s not really who Jake is, why doesn’t he just say “let’s go slow” and Mark doesn’t change the script for anyone but he changed it this time because Bryan was right.

24. I also like this scene because Bryan was like you have this whole “let’s go slow” thing and we’re going at it like rabbits in the next episode!

25. I’M NOT ONE OF THOSE GIRLS. WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? BROOKE???

26. I like how Jake having a daughter means that he’s “way more experienced”, you only have to have sex once to make a baby, guys.

27. BUT THEY’RE SO CUTE

28.

I might lose cool points for listening to your concerns and making you feel safe and comfortable and not pressuring you at all. This is how you know a man wrote this episode, jesus christ.

29. Where is Hilarie Burton from? I always thought I heard an accent in this scene.

30. Ah, Virginia.

31. They’re super lusty though

32. I just wanted Relationship Brucas and Relationship Jeyton AT THE SAME TIME.

33. So, what happened Jules? You were like, Dan, meet me at church? OK.

34. I mean, it’s not like a service is happening and it’s not like anyone else is here, Jules. It’s a conveniently empty church for you two to have this conversation and for the imagery, calm down.

35. “I just ended up here, back in the closet.” WORDPLAY.

36.

I swear, Lucas is the only one who appreciates how funny Brooke actually is 

37. Maybe Julian does, idk.

38. Nathan, these are all your family members, it’s your dad, your uncle, and your mother.

39. I think what it is, is Nathan should be like Connor when Wes died in HTGAWM, like Connor was an asshole during that period and he said some pretty unforgivable things but Jack’s acting made it so clear that Connor was drowning, he was lost, he was sad, guilty

and i’m just getting

40. This is my favourite Nathan/Lucas moment (and when they play basketball later) though because Lucas actually says something REAL as Peyton would say

41. OTH also does something that works with Brooke/Lucas/Felix. When Brooke runs her campaign, Felix tells her to go negative

while Lucas tells her to be honest,

she goes Lucas’ route and it works for her.

He also helps her with her speech by showing her a book with a speech and telling her to just be who she is

At the beginning of this episode, Lucas gives Brooke a book of quotations that has the same speech in there,

while Felix decides to throw her a party.

Brooke gets to the party and realizes that at this moment she’s outgrown that aspect of her life

and when Felix visits her in her room, she’s reading the book that Lucas got her,

which furthers her individual development while also linking it with Lucas. She even starts quoting obnoxiously like he does

This is much stronger writing than Criminal Minds-esque webcam stalking. But Lucas didn’t say ‘your art matters’ so idk.

42. Legit, the only time I feel like they’re brothers.

43. The ending reveal with Whitey would mean something to me if I liked his character.

[wonderwomemes]

I am rambling but whatever

We haven't finished The Last of Us yet because i need a break after every Episode. And really want to sit with it. So i have 2 more Episodes to go.

I have only played like half an hour and then decided that i couldn't keep up with the horror of it all, so i have no idea how it even ends or What is happening.

I really like post apocalyptic worlds and their stories, but the Las of Us put the finger directly into my weak spot and i couldn't deal with it. Honestly i can not poay horror games and if there are zombies i need a big gun with unlimited ammo lol

But anyway, fucking hell those last 5 minutes of "Left Behind" are stabbing me in the heart repeatedly.

I loved the entire Episode and it does an amazing job in putting 2 teenagers in a fucked up and unfair situation through even more drama, and i can not remember if i've ever seen the post apocalyptic world represented like this. Like.. the Mall is such a perfect time capsule and woröd building device and while they are in there i feel so sad for them because it's just one slap in the face after another to remind them that they missed so much only by a few years. It's so unfair. They could be on a normal date but it's all death and destruction. They can never have it. The world ended. They never had a chance and now they have to survive and try to find the happiness in eachother. So fucking bittersweet.

And all of it as a flashback we see right after Joel tells her to leave and let him bleed to death. She found family and he tells her to leave him behind.

You know, part of me sometimes wondered if i should have tried playing the game again, but being able to watch this show and having no clue is amazing.

I basically knew the first episode and because i sometimes watched my boyfriend play (usually i would leave because even watching it stressed me out) i knew about those last 5 minutes with Henry.

I am having so many feelings. I love when this happens. Give me pain when the pain is so well done.

Anyway, after i've seen the show i already know i need the Beach episode fix it fic to recover from the emotional damage this is going to inflict on me

[shrutim12]

Navigating Emotions Through The Tapestry Of Music

Ever found yourself swaying to a melody without realizing it? That's the magic of music, weaving into the very fabric of our emotions. Let's explore the fascinating impact that music has on our emotional landscape.

The Rhythmic Ride Of Emotions

Music is more than just organized sound; it's an emotional rollercoaster. From the upbeat tempo of a pop song to the soothing tones of classical compositions, each note can tug at the strings of our feelings. Imagine a life without music – dull, monotonous, and devoid of emotional depth.

Also Read: Boost Your Workouts With These Music Apps

The Science Behind The Sounds

While it might seem like magic, there's science behind the emotional grip music has on us. Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are released when we listen to music, inducing feelings of pleasure, happiness, and even connection. It's no wonder that a well-timed playlist can turn a mundane day into a memorable one.

Setting The Mood

Ever noticed how the atmosphere changes when you play different genres? Picture this: a lively gathering with friends and the beats of a peppy tune setting the stage for laughter and chatter. On the flip side, a quiet evening with a melancholic melody can be the perfect companion for introspection. Music is the unseen orchestrator of our moods, seamlessly blending the vivacity of social gatherings with the serenity of music and meditation.

The Power Of Lyrics

Beyond the melody, lyrics carry a unique potency. They can resonate with our experiences, serving as a mirror to our emotions. A heartbreak anthem might feel like a personal story, and a motivational track can be the push we need. It's a lyrical dance that mirrors the rhythm of our lives.

Therapeutic Harmony

In the chaos of life, music offers a therapeutic escape. Whether it's the strumming of a guitar or the soulful resonance of a violin, the vibrations speak to our souls. It's no surprise that music therapy is gaining recognition for its ability to alleviate stress, anxiety, and even contribute to overall well-being.

Also Read: Make Your Commute Fun with These Music Apps

A Personal Playlist

Each of us has a soundtrack to our lives, a collection of songs that narrate our stories. From the teenage anthem that defined our rebellious years to the ballad that echoes the pain of lost love, our personal playlist, often curated using the best music downloader, is a time capsule of emotions. Music, in this sense, becomes a part of our identity.

Cultural Cadence

In the diverse tapestry of India, music is not just a universal language; it's a cultural cadence. From the vibrant beats of Bollywood to the classical ragas that have stood the test of time, music is interwoven with our traditions. It's a thread that connects generations, creating a harmonious bridge between the past and present.

The Influence On Productivity

Need a productivity boost? Music has your back. Research suggests that the right tunes can enhance focus and cognitive performance. So, the next time you're tackling a mountain of tasks, consider creating a playlist that syncs with your workflow. Your efficiency might just hit a high note.

Also Read: Find Your Next Favorite Podcasts With These Apps

Conclusion

In the symphony of life, music is the conductor of emotions. From the highs of joy to the lows of sorrow, it's a companion that walks with us, one beat at a time. So, the next time you press play, remember that you're not just listening to music – you're embracing a kaleidoscope of emotions, one melody at a time. Let the harmonies linger, and let the heartbeats follow suit.

[mandyjane-lifedesign]

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDES: a diverse range of gifts to suit all your friends and family

If you’re working on your Christmas gift guides, we have a range of suggestions that should help you choose the perfect gift: FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING / THE RUM LOVER A delicious Agricole rum from Harold & Hansa. Harold & Hansa, specialists in Madeira Rum, brings lesser-known, premium quality rums from Madeira to the UK. Using exceptional varieties of sugarcane and a meticulous production process, Madeira creates some of the best Agricole rums in the world. From a very affordable £26 for RumcoMel, which is a traditional Madeiran rum with honey, to the very decadent limited edition 15-year-old 970 Cask Strength Edition Rum, there is bound to be a gift for your favourite “pirate”. Price: From £26 for 1 litre Website: https://www.haroldandhansa.co.uk Images: https://passionfortheplanet.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/EozPJf1TmjBLl_lPBU6n6hgBUgt7JEixb7lMccAix8dreg?e=0GeWF0 FOR THE WOMAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING A stylish, super versatile dress from POLKO, that can be worn 14 different ways POLKO really is a unique gift for your favourite lady and perfect for those who are both style- and eco-conscious. POLKO’s gorgeous, innovative, one-of-a-kind design offers 14 different outfits from one single dress. So, you can wear it whenever you want, however you want, as many times as you want – enabling you to do a lot more with less. It’s your entire capsule wardrobe in one intelligent and convertible design, decluttering your space and mind. Price: £280 Website: www.polko.co.uk Images: https://passionfortheplanet.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/Eg6eFPDifFxDkRwzrvyTUlwBbHBGss0vDVSL-uxdeTsoRA?e=ZQaQog FOR FOODIE KIDS 3-15 A cookery lesson for budding chefs and children who love to create En Cuisine Cookery School is on a mission to teach children from 3-15 to cook delicious healthy, seasonal food.  Founder, Florence Rebattet, has been passionate about food and cooking since her childhood, and was inspired by her son to build a cooking school designed specifically for children and teenagers. Treat your little chef to an after-school club, a holiday camp, a personalised private lesson, or book a cookery party to enjoy with their friends. Gift vouchers are available. Price: From £60 per child. 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Website: www.fittolast.co.uk Images: https://passionfortheplanet.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/EYw3eue6gDJIqhJJcvMtvV8BaKD2ug7n0undgYD7ilYNmA?e=4mgCNI FOR THE BUDDING PROPERTY DEVELOPER Teach them everything they need to know to make money as a property developer propertyCEO – This is a nationwide property development training company that specialises in training new, small-scale developers. So, if your loved one has always dreamt of buying somewhere dilapidated and restoring it to its former glory or converting an old industrial property into residential, and you are looking to get a BIG present, you could treat them to a three-day Fast Track Small-Scale Property Development workshop (held via Zoom), for £1497 +VAT. If that’s a bit outside your budget, you may want to opt for one or more of their three books on the subject: ‘Industrial to residential conversions: The essential guide to converting industrial buildings for profit’, ‘Your own personal time machine’ or ‘The guide to small-scale property development: and the rise of the landlord developer’. Website: https://propertyceo.co.uk/ https://pceofasttrack.co.uk/infopage/ https://propertyceo.co.uk/books/ Images:  https://passionfortheplanet.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/EizFR_5hKYhFj3CvyGg5cMIB0F73ai_HK00pMdJpknhVnQ?e=XWSbaB FOR BIG THINKERS, READERS, AND ANIMAL LOVERS A choice of books to challenge traditional thinking about animals If you have a loved one that likes an insightful and challenging book to get their teeth into, where better to turn than the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. The Centre has a wide range of books covering a variety of topics related to animals, animal protection and animals place in society, including: Animal Theologians looks at the relationship between religion and animals. It delves into the writings of theologians, of numerous religions, who have looked at the relationship between God and animals. Price: £25.99 Website: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/animal-theologians-9780197655559?cc=gb&lang=en& Images for all the books:  https://passionfortheplanet.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/Ep1dg7OcCXVHpjihG0WE8ioB9LIgpLWmi1E4c-lzH2flUg?e=Lqc0va Get 30% off with discount code: AAFLYG6 Animal Ethics and Animal Law has contributions from academics world-wide, exploring ethics and law in relation to animals and how law can (and can’t) protect animals from cruelty and abuse. Price: £92.00 hardback / £35.00 e-book Website:  https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666924145/Animal-Ethics-and-Animal-Law Get 30% off with the code: LXFANDF30 An Ethical Critique of Fur Factory Farming looks at the multimillion-pound fur trade worldwide, which kills over 100 million animals in fur farms annually. The book examines the assurances that the industry gives about why this is acceptable and takes them apart one by one. Price: £23.99 Website: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-10621-7 / Why Animal Suffering Matters argues that the rational case for extending moral solicitude to all sentient beings (i.e., to include non-human animals) is much stronger than many suppose. Price: £23.49 Website: https://academic.oup.com/book/3603 Get 30% off with code: AAFLYG6 Ethical Vegetarianism and Veganism argues in terms of our relations with animals, it is difficult to think of a more urgent moral problem than the fate of billions of animals killed for human consumption. The protest against meat eating may turn out to be one of the most significant movements of our age. Price: £29.59 Website: https://www.routledge.com/Ethical-Vegetarianism-and-Veganism/Linzey-Linzey/p/book/9781138590991 Get 25% off with code: OCAE25 Images for all the books: https://passionfortheplanet.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/Ep1dg7OcCXVHpjihG0WE8ioB9LIgpLWmi1E4c-lzH2flUg?e=Lqc0va So, from academics to lawyers, ethicists to theologians and idealists to the vegan-curious, there is bound to be a book in this collection for the smart one in your family. Photo by Lore Schodts on Unsplash Read the full article