#slowly thinking up an OP verse....

[rockinrpmemes]

Some things NEW RP blogs need to understand about tumblr rpc etiquette:

It's good to see the RPC slowly reseeding itself after tumblr went all "scorched earth" on the writing community a few years ago. However, with a new crop RP'ers, comes a few issues that need to be addressed...Again.

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If you are underage and approach a RP blog that clearly states: "NO ONE UNDER 18/21" Move on. We will not follow back, in fact, many of us surviving RP'ers since the 2015 RPC exodus are well over 30 now, and we will not be caught in some sick trap because a child thinks it's not a big deal to RP mature content with us. Go find someone your own age, and don't ruin our lives (literally, it's illegal and gross) because you have no impulse control.

Please, always reblog aesthetic pics, art, etc. from SOURCE, not the RP blog you're following. It's great if you like the photo or drawing we posted for our muse/s too, and want it as aesthetic for your muse/s, but understand you are clogging up the our Activity Feed. We don't see it as a compliment, rather, we see it as someone that is using our blog as a "resource" to siphon from, and nothing else. You will learn, as you RP more, even if you use some kind of thread tracker app, we ALL rely on Activity to see what exactly is going on with our threads and headcanons. Reblogging art, gifs, photosets, and text posts directly from us is a breach of RPC etiquette.

Same for memes...if you reblog a meme from us, and not the OP or another meme blog in the reblog roll, this looks like you're only following the RP blog as a resource, and not as a potential partner. Some RP'ers on here practice "meme/reblog karma" which means, if you take a meme, send a meme. But generally, 99% of the RPC frown deeply on RP'ers that reblog memes from them instead of source. Use the search bar and look up: "RP MEMES", many will pop up, often from Meme blogs like this one.

Some RP'ers do NOT feel comfortable with duplicates of our muses following them. Please read their guidelines or ask the mun privately if you are unsure. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but in the tumblr RPC, we have often seen duplicates of our muses stealing from us, so it raises a red flag across the board. Be it headcanons, plot arcs, ship-mates, etc. True, we can't steal partners/ship-mates. They can go write with whomever they please. But understand, if a duplicate starts to reblog ALL our stuff for their blog, and copy our plot lines and hound our main partners in order to replace us, it's very suspect, and you deserve the hard block you get. Where it gets confusing, is that some of us have no problem writing with duplicates, because we impliment "multi verse/ multi ship" law. Again, if you are unsure, READ THE BLOG'S GUIDELINES OR ASK the MUN.

If you send a meme or IC ask to RP blog to break the ice, be sure you actually know who and what their muse is. IE: If someone has a very canonly sweet and gentle muse, and you send them a confrontational, "down-to-fight" meme from your muse, I don't care if your muse is a textbook asshole. Use better judgement, because I can bet 9/10 times, the mun won't answer, because they will be baffled on how to reply. Same in reverse; if your muse is an innocent sweetheart, and you approach a chainsaw wielding murder demon from hell, while playing the cutiepie card, you will not get a good response. Know the type of muse you are approaching! We are not responsible for your muse's experience. We will answer In Character, or not at all. Don't complain about it later.

Never join in on a thread or verse that you are not invited to join. Again, I don't know where anyone allows this intrusive behavior, but if you see 2 or 3 people deeply embroiled in their own threading, you sticking your head into their thread and reblogging it to your blog "to keep" as a fanfiction or to "join in," is beyond rude and invasive. THREADS ARE NOT FANFICTION. You can "like" a thread, or do dash commentary, even message the authors on your compliments, but you never ever put yourself or your muse/s in their world without plotting or asking first.

[randomfandoms234]

Transformers au- I had this idea a bit ago of a bumblebee au it’s essentially all the bumblebees are the same bumblebee it starts with g1 bumblebee dying and waking up in cybertron recently coming from the allspark (either idw or bay verse first ) I thought about making in Optimus….but I feel like having g1 bumblebee slowly relive his life in different universes leaves more room for character growth. As bumblebee is more childish and kind….while the way this would go Optimus would already went through a lot of character growth. by the war for cybertron trilogy he’s just done and wants to stay as far away from the war as possible…what makes this funny is that after idw ,idw star screams ghost follows him between universes and now there’s two starscreams… I just love their dynamic and couldn’t keep it to just idw series and starscream will often make snarky comments about his other selves….mostly prime starscream in season three. He also talks smack about alot of the other Autobots particularly animated Sentinal whom is paying for bayverse Sentinal and idw Sentinal’s actions in the form of a ghost and a mini bot bullying him.

G1 goes pretty much the same , idw is bumblebee trying to figure out what the heck happened while slowly becoming wary of humans (why are these ones so mean?! The ones from my original timeline were nice ) becoming a ghost and being seen by only starscream will be explored more as I feel like in this he will be the first to find out. And unfortunately will still become a ghost :(.

Bayverse is bumblebee waking up in the middle of a war with starscream screaming at him to figure what the heck happened to which when bumblebee learns how to talk as he was just found as a sparkling in some rubble (I love the idea of bayverse Optimus finding Bumblebee in some rubble and adopting him really adorable) just looks at him like “yes I can see you and two this isn’t the first time this happened which just has ghostscream shouting “what do you mean?!” They still friends and the autobots just think bumblebee made an imaginary friend this arc is pretty much just Starscream or now dubbed ghostscream adjusting to being dragged along on bumblebees adventures….even though his best friend is now a sparkling heck he’s in the body of a sparkling. Yeah…the whole voice box either getting ripped out or damaged beyond repair trend has got him screaming out in fear but always to late to warn bumblebee. Magic changes to this is bumblebee being absolutely done.in the second movie he be thinking when Sam tries to convince him to go back to Optimus is ‘no please I don’t want to be dragged back into that shit again.’ He and ghostscream do eventually learn to use sign language in this. Ghostscream be seeing these decepticons just being evil for no reason and is like “atleast we had a reason what the heck?!” Ghostscream also hates the humans and will absolutely shout “Finally! We can show them a thing or to for constantly picking fight with autobots who knew if you pushed hard enough they’d fight back-oh wait I did!”

Animated has the most changes just from bumblebees personality alone. Bumblebee in this would be quiet calm, kind and diplomatic….but also an absolute menace when it comes to Sari. He would be more adept in the boot camp (which I feel in he would be dragged into) and would leave with Bulkhead when he was kicked out of the boot camp. He wouldn’t suspect Wasp for being a Decepticon spy because in IDW he was a part of spec ops. Leaving because he wanted a break from all the drama (which ghostscream wholeheartedly agrees with after the whole Bayverse drama ) only to be screaming in his head when he finds out he’s apart of Optimus’s team he now knows things will end up going to sh*t soon but he decides to enjoy a break while he can. Him being more calm despite his young age changes most of the character dynamics. (I feel like the older bot’s would think something bad happened in his sparklinghood that made him the way he is ) This would also have a heavy hit on the plot as one of the Allspark shards makes ghost scream semi-visible and able to be heard but still not able to be touched. Yea…that will be alot of explaining to do. You know that black stuff that shows Bumblebee didn’t leave his prison dimension fine and dandy that most likely killed Omega Suprime yea that shows up when he’s angry and longarm/shockwave notices that won't be good…

Primverse has ghostscream hating on Megatron even more (he followed his other self to the nemesis only to see Megatron jab a Chrystal into his spark chamber with no care on how it would effect him he is screeching his head off at how unsafe that was to bumblebee later whom started using sign language again. Cue more bullying and Unicon stating something about bumblebees weird death touch thing. I also feel during out of his head Meagtron finds out about Ghost scream. Due to Ghostscream telling him to get out of bee’s f*king head. He then reveals the other being that resides around bumblebee which then in turn allows the rest of the team to figure it out.. The kids end up asking ghostscream a lot of questions and bumblebee would translate for star scream and Raf will translate for bee. Will also cover robt and the games when I come up for ideas for this

The war for cybertron trilogy is just a bunch of misadventurss of bee and ghost scream avoiding the factions and attempting to stay neutral (then the alpha trion protocol happens and bee has another voice in his head telling him to go be Optimus’s friend which is another time of Ghostscream screaming in the background )

Cyber verse is a trip because bee losing his voice but also because wind blade is there. And bumblebee loses his memorys which the first arc of this would be ghostscream desperately trying to find out how to help him. I think it would be funny if Starscream got dragged into bees he's as well during those sections, just for the giggles of wind blades reaction. Starscream would also find out about ghost him hilarity ensues. Bumblebee probably tried a lot for the revolution to still happen but not the war. Cheetor also knows cause he can weirdly sense ghost screams spark

The new movie verse also is. a trip because bumblebees Coma Sector 7 is horrible to Bee and ghost scream knowing his ‘friend’ is alive but in a coma….he likes Charlie because they were kind and weren't like…most of the other humans. Bee has to get used to the name change till he can find a valid way to change it with weird looks on what the heck a bumblebee is. Rotb is a trip due to Mirage ( they aren't used to middle-child Mirage) and Bumblebee dying..again. This universe is going to give Ghostscream a panic attack

Earth spark is just. Bumblebee doesn't care anymore eye just wants to live with his new family in peace so whenever a Decepticon shows up around him it's more of a “you can stay at my place but if you do anything to harm my kids I will end you” :) He’s…… just indifferent at this point There's probably going to be a bit which is just Bee and the kids (and ghoatscream) hiding the Decepticons from Megs and Optimus when asked why he's doing this he just says “I agreed with a lot of the stuff the Decepticons said at the start of the war but a lot of stuff happened and I ended up siding with the Autobots and being on earth has taught me the difference between nice organisations and shady and most likely are evil ones and Ghost isas shady as they come”. He seen how most organizations treat their kind and he sees the signs in ghost. Surprisingly this makes him a lot of new friends and the kids just look at bee and find themselves agreeing with him. They eventually meet ghostscream via science experiments and ghostscream is like “you kids are cool” because he is also indifferent at this point

Might make this story to help get rid of my writers block :)

[bananaactivity]

i saw the "ask me abt my descendants au" ask button and so i simply HAD to ask about your au--carlos is my fave, with harry being my second favorite (while morgie is my favorite from RoR), so i guess, if anything, i wanna ask abt carlos. whats he like in your au? what exactly happens--and do his cousins exist? love the way you draw him op!!

and abt your morgie and james verse--i'm curious, do harriet and cj exist ? does harry remember morgie at all? does hook ever even talk about him?

sorry if this was a lot!

Naw it’s all good, I’ve been waiting on an ask for forever 🙃 I will say I only consumed the movies back in elementary school (WILD IM SAYING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND NOW IM 18 LIKE TIME GOES BY SO FAST) The only books I read was Mals spell book. Not to say I don’t like reading, I read Ever After high books and The School for Good and Evil, I could just never get my hands on the Descendents ones. And I watched one episode of wicked world… and said fuc no never again.

All that to say I just found out three weeks ago that Harry had siblings, and that Carlos had any hench men or other stuff not specifically in the main movies. I had already figured out a lot of James and Harry’s story and suddenly the timeline was fucked because there was no way for Harriet or Cj or Jane Darling to exist in context. Harry is born as an accident in Neverland and Hook has to return home so he can grow and his mother is a random someone who wasn’t going to come back to take care of her son. Her existence is already shaky but then adding Harriet she’d have to be born first with Jane Darling who I didn’t account for in the slightest either. She’s Wendy’s daughter so now a lot more time will have to pass so she can grow up and come to neverland, which is gross and not in a campy Disney way… and I was having a hard time wrapping my head around it 🥲

That was until I gave Hook a younger brother who can get with Jane at an appropriate age 😈 He’s unarmed rn but he’s a Hook so Harriet and Cj will be Harry’s cousins who he’s estranged from until some events happen…

Harry does NOT remember Morgie especially not with him looking so scary and tryna kill his Stylist and sparing partner. ( Carlos and Jay) Hook only talks about him to Maleficent and Uliana ( Hades still thinks he’s a spoiled rich boy, and Hook still thinks it was dumb for a “god” to attend a four year University with mortals, also At this time Maleficent and Hades are in that bad argue stage right before a divorce) He was okay leaving them all because time is different in Neverland, even tho from his side he’s been gone 12 years, Morgie only missed him for one year and time melds together on Neverland since you don’t age so it was basically nothing. ( that’s why Peter Pan is so unhinged, he’s been there forever and he refuses to keep track) Morgies in the same time zone as them so he’s been gone a good ten years, Harry and his friends are 14-12 now,So everyone is feeling the effects, and Camelot is on lockdown due to Morgie terrorizing them so Hook can’t check up on him. ( I dunno if I mentioned on tumblr but in my au Auradon is the place that’s locked up so the poor and Villians can’t come in on their “superior” society, the rest of the world is made up of lands from other Fairy tales and Folklore) So Hook is worried but he keeps on and Harry’s memory of Morgie comes back after a month of getting used to him being back.

Sad part but I have to share, Morgie and Hook never officially unionize… Morgie knows he’ll outlive Hook by a VERY long time (till the end of time) and he can’t bring himself to finalize anything, his grief about Hooks mortality is slowly consuming him🫠 (also Hook has issues with living forever due to his trauma from Neverland and won’t entertain any sort of immortality shenanigans)

On another note Carlos is also my favorite! I’ve had him down in my notes (before I could brave the internet) as soon as the inspiration from the 1996 101 Dalmatians live action film staring Glenn Close hit me I knew what had to be done. ( and descendents of the sparrow inspired me 😙) Carlos is a very smart man, he’s the analyst, ranged weapons specialist, stylist and bestest member of my Core four. (Jay is a wreck, Mal is a wreck, and Evie is still slay but she has to get wrapped up in Mals mess because she loves her 🙄 damn you Evies demi-god/dragon gf ) but I’d say my Carlos is a little more disciplined then the Og. He hates gross things and hates getting dirty or messy. Hes dorm mates with Chad now because the fairy god mother doesn’t want the four to conspire together so easily ( like they do in the movies 😅) He threatens Chads and his forest friends a lot because Carlos also hates any animal that he isn’t wearing. He grows out of that eventually, but it takes the longest out of all of his flaws because… like did you see him in that tiger skin outfit!?? How could he give up furs?!?

Carlos story intertwines with Harry’s a lot, in a brotherly love way. I was having Carlos love his mom in my first posts about Carlos but since then I’ve changed it. Cruella Hates Hook and Carlos hates his mom for being abusive, so he makes Harry swear that Carlos can style him when he’s older to get back at his mom. It becomes more than that and now Carlos gets even more clients, enough to move out on his own but he ends up staying with Mal and Co. This separates him a little from Harry, Uma, and Gil who he grew close with because Harry’s home was his safe place from his mother. She not only hated Hook but also the sea and its smells and the hustle of the costal territory present on that side of the isle. He still sees them when he goes for meetings with Harry, to Mals agitation. Mal Hates Uma and is kinda scared of Harry. ( Maleficent, Uliana and Hook think they accidentally bestied to close to the sun and made their kids and niece hate each other on accident)

Jay is jealous of Carlos due to his obsession with beating Harry and stuff. I’m not a hundred percent sure if I wanna go Huma or Jarry for this one… leaning towards Huma as Jerry is really toxic and I already have a bunch of other toxic couples I don’t want a million of them fr. For Carlos I’m thinking Aro/Ace like bro just wants to chill and design cool shit. I could see people having him be with Chad based on the context of my au, close proximity/enemie’s to lovers/hhimbo and smart guy, but I’m just not feeling it and Jaylos felt forced during the movies so I don’t want that 🫠

I have more but this is basically a fic chapter all on its own, if you have anymore askes I’ll gladly answer them!! I don’t mind spoiling my story like this, I find my fic interests in the specific conversations characters have and details. So this isn’t something I’m against doing…

Edit: I’m also having trouble on what I want the themes of these fics to be. I want a little bit more then “cool alternative universe!!!” I’m love this au but I’m also using this story to help warm me up for developing a story with my own characters that I’ve had swimming in my mind for years 😭

[chiyeko-kurea]

one of my favorite poems + my analysis

i wanted to share it with you guys:)

(VERY poorly translated, sadly never as good as the original)

« Je vis, je meurs » Louise Labé, Sonnets, 1555

« I live, I die: I drown and I burn,

I endure at once extreme heat and cold;

Life is at once too soft and too hard,

I feel boredom mingled with joys.

At the same time, I laugh and I cry,

And I endure many torments of pleasures,

My fortune fades away, and lasts forever,

At the same time, I wither and I Bloom.

Thus I suffer love’s inconstancies

And when I believe I will suffer more,

Without knowing, I find myself at peace.

Then, when I feel my joy is certain,

And I am on top of what I could wish right now,

Love casts me back into my former grief. »

.

So there’s a few things i would translate differently.

1) I would write « I drown and burn » without the other « I » because in the original poem, the idea conveyed is really that the feeling of drowning constantly is parallel to the one of burning, happening in the same time in the author’s mind while being completely opposite.

The idea of drowning constantly (that I personally really relate to) = therefore maybe also feeling like suffocating/ choking constantly, not being able to breathe and a constant weigh inside the chest.

+ sinking further and further until one day reaching rock bottom -> the idea of giving up on ourselves?

Or you could also interpret the word ‘drowning’ as fighting to stay above water, to gasp for air, being between sanity and trying to stay there because if you give up you will drown into insanity and darkness that is trying to pull you in. With that interpretation you also get the idea of tiredness and eventually having to give up if you know you’re doomed to drown anyway, but you can’t stop trying to survive.

But i think in this case ‘drown’ is more that achingly slow, constant, oppressive feeling of slowly sinking opposed to the complete chaos of burning fire and being actively consumed alive/ having a fire inside ur mind.

2) Second verse is also poorly translated. It would be more like ‘i burn while enduring chilblain’ which is completely different from the original verse but closer in terms of meaning, to me. Same idea of opposite feelings, i think everyone interprets differently.

3) 3rd verse IS JUST SHIT!! WHAT IS THAT TRANSLATION?? It’s so lameeeee! Ugh. The idea that i felt in the OP (original poem) was like ‘Life is to me too listless/ limp/ (=basically ‘soft’ but in a pejorative way. Life is boring, tasteless, nothing worth much, nothing that excites her mind.) Also she says ‘TO ME’. To her. Her life, not life in general. Basically, how life is to her, « towards » her. But at the same time, life is too hard to her (not « for » her!) to the point it’s like torture.

4) The next verse is kind of a résumé of her whole fucking life. That i would translate as ‘i have great ennuis intertwined with joys’. « Ennuis » could be, indeed, translated as ‘boredom’, (the way i understood it) but also as ‘problems’/‘worries’. Basically either a long, dull, boring, worthless road with sometimes great joys/ or if you got for the different meaning of ‘ennuis’: lots of terrible problems and disasters in your life but sometimes also great joys, both mingled.

5) « love’s inconsistencies » -> Love is written in the OP with a capital letter. I don’t really think it’s necessarily romantic love, but love in general: what you experience, live, feel, discover, which is basically essential to life. Imagine a life where you don’t love any type of music, book, movie, food, weather, people, feeling, taste, smell… But primarily, I think she means that Love (as an entity rather than a simple feeling) kinda throws her around; and she is a ‘victim’ of it, she suffers from it and its intensity, unpredictability, force. She is condemned, as a human, to be a subject/ slave of love. She is not, and never will be, in control of that -and therefore her life.

6) The two last verses are so poorly translated it should be a crime. The idea behind them is really interesting!

« And I am on top of what I could wish right now » -> when she has everything she could wish for, she has obtained and achieved everything she ever dreamed off, longed for, ached for, when she has reached what is the ultimate completion of her desires that would grant her happiness; and finally everything that bothered her and kept her from tasting a freedom and peace of the soul is gone; when there’s nothing more she could possibly need or even wish for; she doesn’t. Feel. Happy. Anymore. She loses it. She feels the same as she used to before. It’s a never-ending cycle. She thinks she finally has it all, but it all crumbles, again and again and she can never keep it. She can taste it for a bit, but then it vanishes and she is right back in her ‘primary misery’.

She feels joy, she feels happy, she thinks it’s gonna last forever: it never does. For me, it really convey the idea of relapse. You get clean, you feel great, life is good, but then, how could you even think it was gonna last anyway? You relapse, fall right back in your misery.

I haven’t analyzed (corrected) the 2nd quatrain and the first tercet because this post is already very long (so i just corrected the most important ones)

and i don’t wanna bore you😭 but if you like poetry we could discuss it together if you want🫶

[haphazardlyannotated]

The Locked Tomb/Steven Universe Crossover

This crossover was inspired months ago by the random thought "Hey, Pearl would definitely want to be Rose's cavalier" and hasn't left me alone since. So here you go, niche audience of one! (It's me. I am the audience)

First of all, yes, Pearl has to be Rose's cavalier. Not only does it neatly align with Pearl's knightly devotion and the institutional power imbalance they're both trying to ignore, Pearl absolutely is the kind of person who would take "my not-wife refuses to kill me and eat my soul in order to attain immortality" as a terrible rejection.

She's so insane about Rose, she'd fit right in in this universe (pun not intended). Also, the cavalier-necromancer romance taboo works excellently for Pearlrose. For one, of course, the forbidden romance. Cav!Pearl confessing to necro!Rose that she's been dreaming about running away from the Houses together to live in domestic bliss on a nice moon somewhere has the exact same vibes as su!Pearl's confession in Now We're Only Falling Apart. But more importantly, cav!Pearl giving Rose's suitors a "You may have caught her eye, but I am her cavalier; she swore an oath to me; our fates are entwined till death do us part" speech only to go to her rooms and wallow in how the very position that ensures she'll be by Rose's side forever is what will forever keep her from pursuing her true feelings is too good.

Meanwhile Rose is in the next room going "Oh woe is me, for I am a cruel, selfish woman, to keep the love of my life from the glory she deserves! Alas, I can't bear to let her go, even though I know in my heart that her care for me is only the rightful, proper care of a cavalier for her necromancer! The least I owe her is not to take advantage of our pure, sacred bond, so I shall go and drown my sorrows in another fleeting affair!"

Writer's choice whether they miraculously manage to communicate before Rose gets herself killed in one way or another, but ironically the dystopian 50% character death rate tlt verse is much more likely to give them a second chance than pastel redemption arcs su, because Steven Universe is a story about healing from trauma with the power of a supportive network of loved ones while The Locked Tomb endorses attacking the cold unfeeling universe with teeth and fingernails until it returns your girlfriend, and both of them are so valid for this.

In this case however it means, that instead of slowly healing, Pearl absolutely refuses to accept Rose's death to a Harrow and Camilla extent. Does she threaten to stab whoever takes Jod's role in this AU? Does she try to break into the Locked Tomb because to hell with the Houses, she's getting her wife back? Both? In any case, tlt rules demand that she succeeds.

Anyway, I put them in the Seventh House because roses.

As for the supporting cast:

Ruby and Sapphire are the Fifth House wholesome married couple who make Pearl and Rose stare in longing for what they cannot have.

Garnet is Paul. Obviously. Cue another, different kind of yearning for what could have been from Pearl. Poor Garnet has just come into existence. She doesn't deserve having to be everyone's emotional support already.

I struggled with figuring out a role for Amethyst for a while until it hit me: Wasn't it fun when Amethyst experienced self hatred over how the life was drained out of her planet to make her? Try being the result of two hundred child murders! Don't the inadequacy issues gain a delightful new dimension when your entire generation has been killed off in anticipation of your abilities? Guys, I think Amethyst is Harrow Nova.

I have no idea what plot has to happen for Rose to end up with Jod's baby, but that is the only role for Steven I will tolerate. And Connie is his cavalier. Obviously.

Peridot is sciency, Lapis is the quiet OP lady, and they're in a QPR. There was no way I wasn't going to make them the Sixth. HOWEVER. Due to how extremely OP Lapis is with an element manipulating power specifically. I decided that she's the necromancer and Peridot is her incredibly academically talented BFF who they're pretending is the necromancer so she can be along for the ride. This would be plot relevant if this crossover had an actual plot instead of self indulgent vibes only.

Jasper gets Judith's role. Completely loyal to the ethically dubious regime, absolutely convinced that she's the only one who is doing the right thing and everyone else is just not strong enough, ends up corrupted possessed by a Resurrection Beast.

Bismuth is a Blood of Eden commander. She would like to fist fight every single Uppercrust zombie, however, just like su!Bismuth, she is easily won over when a former Homeworld gem House zombie shows up on her planet and announces her intent to fight the Diamonds Jod and his Lyctors and/or bust into the Locked Tomb.

[meetinginsamarra]

My Fave Sherlock BBC tropes - teen/unilock

Around mid-month I’ll do a fic rec list with my fave AU genres or tropes. Summaries are taken from OP on AO3.

“Roommates are for little people” by alexxphoenix42 @alexxphoenix42

John was looking forward to seeing his friends back at uni, but a new year brings new complications, not the least of which is a dorm room with only one bed, and a stroppy roommate with an utterly spectacular arse. God, John doesn't need the headache.

“Saving Sherlock Holmes” by earlgreytea68 @earlgreytea68

Sherlock Holmes, schoolboy. Yeah, that basically sums it up.

“A flawed design” by thewriterofperfectdisasters

After two months in rehab, Sherlock comes back to school to find he has a roommate. Sherlock has never had a roommate, nor has he wished for one. This will either go badly or... Well. Badly. At least for someone.

“Can’t Rewind-Verse” (10 fics) by Basser

Stories related to my overarching headcanon concerning Sherlock's past and the origin of his history with drug abuse.

“And all we need of hell” by 4getwhatisaid

Typical high school Teenlock fic where John is a BAMF and Sherlock is an alluring, intriguing, mysterious character with a haunted past. The more John tries to get close to Sherlock, however, the more Sherlock's past prevents him from letting John in. Still, John is patient and tries to help Sherlock work through it.

“It yet remains to see” by 4getwhatisaid (part two to the one above)

Teenage Sherlock and John deal with the aftermath of their encounter with Moriarty, but more troubles arise when Sherlock becomes involved in the villain's court case.

“Not as lonely as you think you are” by SailorChibi

Being a teacher wasn't exactly what John had in mind when he was sent home after being shot. Falling in love with a student who has a difficult and possibly abusive home life wasn't even supposed to be a part of it, and yet here he is.

“The Burning Life” by Morwen_Maranwe

After being shot and invalided from the Army, John is living a despondent life with a wife who has no respect and no love for him any longer, yet he is desperate to make their marriage work. In a last ditch effort to save their marriage, he moves them out of London and to some small, nameless town where his good friend, Mike Stamford, has been able to get him a job as a teacher at a secondary school. There he meets a teenage boy who he has an undeniable connection to, and who has the ability to make his life seem less meaningless. Though he knows that it’s wrong, John just can’t stop the relationship he is developing with Sherlock from growing. It slowly begins to spiral out of control, consuming his entire life like a wild fire and changing him in ways he didn’t think were possible anymore.

“Autumn Rain” by MooshSmoosh @mooshsmoosh

John has to move to a boarding school in London when a big tragedy hits his family hard. the last few years have been hard and John expects this one to be the same. After some time he gets a new, slightly peculiar roommate who goes by the name, Sherlock Holmes. Things start to change rapidly and strange things happens at their school. How will it all end?

“Nine and a Half Weeks” by cumbercurlygirl/Kameo (Brainygiirl) @cumbercurlygirl

Sherlock Holmes is about to graduate from high school in midwestern America. Despite his intelligence, his prospects are bleak due to poverty, an indifferent, alcoholic father and poor choices. One day, at work, he sells a riding crop to a handsome blonde Brit and his life is changed. He doesn't know what hit him - until he does.

This is a story of a journey to love and self-acceptance and explores many themes along the way: drug abuse, grief, coming out, age difference, consent. Lots of sex but so much more.

“Caffeine and Courage-series” (4 fics) by StarlightAndFireflies

(summary from part one only) John is pulling his fourth all-nighter of the past fortnight. At around two in the morning, he receives an unexpected visitor, who walks in uninvited with an unusual demand of him..."I need all your coffee." "Pardon...?" "I'm out of coffee. I need yours." Little does John know this is just the beginning.

AU in which Sherlock lives in the flat above John during university, and the two form an unexpected bond over everyone's favorite wake-up beverage.

“Feel the Tide” by positivelymeteoric

Things John Watson doesn't expect to do when he transfers to a new school: A) Befriend his (possibly) mad roommate. B) Investigate a particularly nasty streak of murders with his (most likely) mad roommate. C) Fall slightly (or not so slightly) in love with his (definitely) mad roommate. D) All of the above.

“Imaginary pictures” by crossroads

There's a new boy in class and everybody likes him. Not that Sherlock would care, as long as 'John' leaves him alone...

“Starry Eyed” by twistedthicket1 (orphan_account)

Whe sixteen year old John Watson escapes from his poor and abusive home and manages to get into a private school, he can't believe his luck. However, the other students in this school aren't your average kind. When he runs into a bad-boy Sherlock who's known to be unpredictable as he is passionate about everything he does, sparks fly. However, Sherlock's never actually shown interest in anyone before, and his goof-off attitude hides a genuine brilliance about him. There's no denying that both of them spending a semester together will get a result. The question is, will it be good or bad for the two of them?

“Coup der Foudre” by prettysailorsoildier @prettysherlocksoldier​

When John and his friends decide to blow off some steam after finals with a holiday to the Swiss Alps, he's expecting a week of roaring fires, hot chocolate, and snow as far as the eye can see. He is not expecting to fall head over heels for a fellow guest--a young Frenchman known only as "Blue Scarf"--but John's not one to let a little language barrier get in the way, and, with the help of Google Translate, it might just be a Christmas to remember after all.

“See you in class” by BakerTumblings

John Watson has agreed to teach a section of advanced biology. I'm fairly certain he is not expecting to find a rather challenging student in his class.

[samuelroukin]

First, genuinely surprised you haven't seen Dog Soldiers (2002) bc it's soldiers vs werewolves in Scotland with a Scottish protag and special forces based fuckery. You would like it a lot! Second, and spoilers for a 20+ year old film I suppose, you can A) be infected w lycanthropy in this verse and B) the I suppose "native" Scottish werewolves live their life as an ordinary multigenerational family and they aren't being overtaken by the Change they are very much thinking and are eating people and shit on purpose. It's implied one character was uh, turned for the purpose of being a bride to the family's young male wolf and that they do also reproduce normally (aka they have werewolf babies, they are not dependent on needing to bite people to have kids/make more wolves) There is a really cool short vid speculating on them that I can share when you watch the movie.

But anyway in my head it def turned into one of Soap's sisters went up to the highlands for studies or whatever and became the new Mrs. Wolf up there which could lead to plenty of juicy storylines. Esp depending on how. Accomodating the family might or might not be. Bc you could go with the 141 is given the Dog Soldiers mission and he realizes his sister is one of them? Or after an op gone bad he runs off to hide out at his sister's place and slowly realizes what the fuck is happening. My personal fave though is his sister appeared to abruptly cut ties with the fam:

Back in the day their Good Catholic Daughter just up and called like "hi I'm actually abandoning my enviromental engineering degree that I came up here to do field work for also I'm getting married right now immediately also he's not Catholic okay bye" and became estranged esp since the fam assumed she was GASP pregnant out of wedlock. While she was actually werewolf'd to be a bride. But she does have children clearly, and Soap just after a fucky op, and maybe at a weird juncture with Ghost (maybe he got too close talking about family/Christmas and Ghost snapped at him and so on) just suddenly goes FUCK IT I AM GOING TO FIND HER bc he's like I miss her and also wtf and also our fam cut her off and if they find out I like men- anyway! To find her!

But showing up on the doorstep of a family of murderous werewolves with messy family dynamics to possibly "steal" her away since. Like even without the werewolf stuff it def reads like an abusive situation and she was turned to be a bride so. Shit goes sideways fast, his nephews are bitey but also kind of wondering about the wider world and the 141 has to go off books to rescue Soap from wolf death up North or similar.

lssjkhkhgst well i think i can count the werewolf movies i've seen on one hand but it does sound interesting so i will def check it out!

and you're right that is Juicy and ripe with possibilities 👀

[rosesgardenshenanigans]

Here's a fun little tidbit; I used to have an Undertale Multiverse goober myself back then. With so many OP Sanses going around, little me found themselves asking the question - what about Papyrus and the others?

Rhythmrus came to be not too long after I found Ink Sans (made by the lovely comyet), and was heavily inspired by them. The concept was simple; if we have a Sans that protects the WRITTEN and DRAWN concepts of universes, what about a Papyrus that protects the MUSICAL aspects of the Multiverse instead?

I never really got around to making his backstory, but here's some fun little facts about this goober that I had back then that I'd love to keep. 1) He has a somewhat autotuned voice that speaks in the tune of various songs, as he cannot say anything that isn't a verse of a song. Think of the people who have that voice changer that autotunes what they say to the tetris theme - that. If he has to splice lyrics together, he briefly lets out a record screech or radio static before citing the next set.

2) The bottoms of his shoes have outlets. So long as there is electricity or music in the AU he's in, he can use his powers. His shoes act as his means to charge up.

3) The aux chord on his scarf, if plugged in, has some fun effects. You know the scene from Lilo and Stitch where Lilo puts Stitch's claws on the record player and then has him open his mouth and music comes out? Same thing. If Rhythmrus opens his mouth while his aux chord is plugged in, he starts loudly playing whatever audio is being transferred. Papyrus Speaker.

4) His fighting style changes from genre to genre. Classical is more elegant and ballet-like, hip-hop is more of a boxing style, heavy metal is more like wrestling, and so on and so forth. Tempo also effects how he fights. He'll attack more slowly and go on defense with a slower tempo as he'll more slower, and he'll make quick jabs and move quicker if the tempo is speedier.

I might do more with him in the future, but I'm not sure. I'm really happy I get to share this lil goober with y'all!

[authorangelita]

Happy Saturday! I had this scene pop into my head a couple of days ago, and I don't quite know what to do with it, so I'm posting it here for now. This is in the Reunited verse where Jack was captive for 5 years because Kovacs and Mac and Riley have a son named Jay.

~~

Jack let himself into Mac and Riley's house and quietly closed the door.  He'd heard from Matty that Mac took the day off because Jay was sick, and Riley was out on an op with one of the other teams, so he'd high-tailed over to the house. 

Rounding the corner into the living room gave him his first glimpse of the situation.  The TV was quietly playing an episode of Spongebob – a show he'd become familiar with recently while looking after Jay – and the couch was occupied by a MacGyver men blob. 

Mac was lying on his side with his back pressed against the back of the couch, and Jay was curled up in front of him with his back to Mac's chest.  They were still in their PJs and sharing a blanket.  Jay was clutching the plush horse that Jack had gifted him, but he barely looked over at Jack when he sat in the chair by the couch. 

"Mornin'," Jack said softly.  He eyed the bucket he'd just noticed was set in easy reach by the couch, but it was empty when he craned his neck to peek inside.  "Rough night?"

Mac looked over at him with bleary eyes and nodded slowly.  "Jay caught a stomach virus, but I think he's getting better.  He's kept down some meds and Pedialyte this morning."

Jack spotted the half-empty Pedialyte bottle and a sippy cup on the table and nodded.  "And you?"

"I'm not sick, just tired."

Jack raised an eyebrow, but Mac met his gaze calmly, if a little sleepily.  He seemed to be telling the truth.  "Do you guys need anything?"

"Coffee?" Mac asked hopefully. 

Grinning, Jack stood and headed into the kitchen, where he started a pot of coffee.  He made it strong, and Mac usually hated that, but if he'd been up all night with Jay, he needed the caffeine boost.  He also dropped a couple slices of bread into the toaster and poked around in the fridge to see if there were omelet ingredients. 

He was debating how much sugar to add to Mac's mug when Mac walked into the room, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.  He grabbed the cup and downed it black, which was very unlike him.

"How long have you been up, bud?"

Mac glanced at the clock and grimaced.  "Twelve hours, give or take."

"I can stay with him if you want to go and get some actual sleep in a bed."

Mac looked over his shoulder to where Jay was sleeping on the couch.  "I might take you up on that for an hour or so.  If he feels worse or his fever spikes, just wake me up.  There's a thermometer on the coffee table."

"One that you haven't taken apart?"

Mac rolled his eyes but replied, "Riley says the child thermometer is off limits.  Always off limits."

Jack narrowed his eyes and stared Mac down for a moment.  "And how many have you replaced?"

"About five, but don't tell her."

"Secret's safe with me.  And don't worry.  Jay and I will be out here, watching TV and drinking our breakfast beverages of choice.  Do you want me to try and get some food in him?"  Jack grabbed a piece of toast that had just popped up.

"If he asks for something, you can give him some banana or applesauce.  He doesn't like plain toast."  Mac grabbed the toast from Jack's hand and took a bite as he headed toward the master bedroom.  "Thanks, man."

Jack took a minute to fix himself a cup of coffee before heading into the living room to sit back in the chair beside the couch.  Jay, now awake, looked over at him and waved with the hand that didn't have a death grip on the plush horse. 

"Hey, cowboy.  Are you feeling a little better?"

Jay nodded.

"Good.  That's real good.  You want some more of this?" He leaned forward to grab the sippy cup next to the Pedialyte bottle.  It was about half-full, which Jack decided was good enough for now. 

Jay nodded again.  This time he moved, sliding off the couch, walking to Jack, and climbing into his lap.

Setting his coffee on the side table, Jack helped Jay get settled in the crook of his arm.  He could feel the heat of the little boy's fever and worriedly pressed the back of his hand to Jay's forehead.  He was warm but not as bad as Jack first thought he was.  He handed Jay the sippy cup and picked his coffee back up.

Jack stared at the TV, not really paying attention to it, while he thought about how good Mac was with his son.  Jay adored Mac, and Mac cherished every moment with Jay. 

Jack figured that losing his parents at such young ages made Mac acutely aware that time was a precious commodity with kids.  As an adult, he'd gotten his father back for a little while, but Mac knew what it was like to long for a parent, so he spent as much time as he could with Jay.  It was something that everyone encouraged, right down to Matty giving the whole family time off whenever possible.  Jack was so glad that he got to be a part of that family and that he got to watch the little boy in his arms grow up. 

[ddelline]

You encouraged people to ask away when it comes to your JJK fic, and I'm taking the invitation to ask if you've got a 5k essay about the way Gojo perceives the world with Six Eyes? Also any more thoughts on how jujutsu society functions, especially now that it's fallen apart? So much of your fic has me curious (I mean this as such a compliment, I want to live in the world you're building)

omggg my first ask. this feels like a special day ngl (I'm serious lol this made me happy). also crying in the club at the last sentence, thank u so much, I can't believe I get to talk at length about making up a bunch of headcanon shit it's been my dream since I started writing fic 🥺❤️‍🩹

ok enough of that, let's talk jjk *cue inhaling seagull meme* cut be here bc this really did become a f*king novel

so, the six eyes + gojō seeing through them is something I haven't put much (of my own) thought(s) into: gege has, for once, explained a phenomena we encounter in-verse quite well, lol. the six eyes are, as explained by gege, "eyes that can see cursed energy extremely clearly; even when covering his eyes, it's like he has high definition infrared vision" (fanbook pg 43, for the curious). since most living things generate CE (tōdō in yūji + tōdō v hanami; one notable exception being plants (hanami in the same fight)), that means seeing all CE traces/active output at all times. extrapolating from this, then, is being able to comprehend also surroundings made up of 'dead CE space', such as buildings and whatnot, since living organisms outputting CE move in/around/above them, etc. furthermore, the amount of information uptake + processing that 6E + limitless gives is insane; we know that the 6E allows satoru to see CE extremely clearly, which one would assume amounts to sight, ergo being able to make sense of something's shape through processing a cursory amount of information in the way we do when we see things as humans. but the 6E supplies information on a molecular level: as satoru explains in ch76, he's not just automatically sorting objects by CE amount at that point, but also by mass, shape, and speed; something he did manually before, implying that said information, now processed, digested, and understood per auto, is: 1) density x 2) volume = mass; 3) shape (speaks for itself); 4) speed = distance/time I think (lmao I'm not good at math), the latter of which also require a sophisticated level of processing + understanding of the object itself. the more I get into this the more I stray from the topic, I think. sry lol, I wasn't joking about that 5k essay. I also have ADD, in case that wasn't blatantly obvious through how incoherent this probs is.

ANYWAY, I think seeing w/o glasses/blindfold is basically like if you turn your 5k retina powerbook/sophisticated media editing computer up to max in both intensity and contrast (like a post-ironic ugly meme), AND THEN you add being abso-fucking-lutely bombarded with information, on top of this. it's like seeing a thing so clearly it's not even seeing that thing anymore. however, satoru's most likely so able to sort through and process information, that it sorts itself out: a very brief scene in S1E20 did give us somewhat of a look through his pov (veil is down and he's looking at yūji), and it's vaguely normal looking, save for the bright blue flame of CE bursting out from yūji. (by comparison, limitless is explained as a normal brain having all of that above subatomic comprehension thrust upon you an infinite amount of times, all at the same time, which makes you process things infinite times, making you seem as though you're comprehending things infinitely slowly.)

QUESTION NR 2 lmao my god this is already so long. this is something I've thought about A Lot. on the one hand I imagine, since it's highly unlikely that a US breach of jp borders in a large scale military op would go unnoticed - esp considering that a lot of people seem to live vaguely standard lives in as well as around the culling game barriers - that it'd cause global mass panic. it's stated that it's out there (source is some or several manga chapters I can't remember off the top of my head), as in out there out there, which ofc means all the world's top leaders gathering at a bunch of useless symposiums to talk crisis management, military intervention, and whatnot. on the other hand - and this is me talking as a EU citizen - I'd also imagine that a lot of the world would attempt to erect literal and figurative walls around japan, and leave it to its devices; the EU is useless in the EU; they're extremely unlikely to march in to what is essentially an apocalyptic warzone in which outcome can't be predicted, like at all. a bunch of industries are sure to topple, and the world economy is in fucking shambles, I imagine (and we're also kind of supposed to imagine, since the culling games open to a panicked jp government talking about plummeting stock + evacuating citizens). there'll be a lot of talking around it, but I think in the end, since sorcery/jujutsu is nearly strictly confined to jp land (w the exception of some diasporic tribes, as seen in the movie + prequel manga), I'd think much of the world is trying to contain it to japan, take what defensive measures they can, and just wait it out. all supply + import/export routes are most likely cut off by now, and most of Important People evacuated to allies, soooo. zombie apocalypse!world state impending, is what I sort of imagine. considering all of shibuya is fucking dead by dec 24th, this seems marginally supported canonically as well. well ok, not all of the above, but somewhat, anyway.

EDIT + ADD TO QUESTION 2 bc in my excitement I actually did not read this properly at all, lmao OTL ok so on jujutsu society: I'm still a lil hazy on exactly when it's implied that power couple okkotsu & inumaki massacred the jujutsu council; whether it's closer to shibuya or to the culling games/satoru's unboxing, it's likely to have either the one or the other effect. however, I think that it kind of is as I broached in adsr 6: jujutsu society has declared a state of martial law; it's kind of "you should follow protocol as usual", but also "we technically can't force you to do that bc anything you do, if tried in a court of law, will just default to "I did what I had to under martial law yr honor". I think it's interesting to think about curses actually being fucking invisible, like completely, to normal people; there's not much point, really, to jujutsu sorcerers or curse users suddenly being super obvious with what they're doing; it's not like normal people can comprehend it, anyway. there's bound to be a ton more 'unexplained' property destruction, lol, but also, that's already likely to happen with normal people out and about in a city that's been abandoned by its authorities and government. I think there'll be a bunch of frenetically working techies + scientists who'll work around the clock at supplying foreign military with the capabilities to see curses, so that people with time are able to see curses as well. what that means for jujutsu society... well, they'll have to survive sukuna/kenjaku/satoru/culling game mayhem first. I could imagine a bunch of new gen sorcerers reaching across the aisle to attempt to broker something with 'normal' society though, since it is out there, and they'll have to adapt to that. that said, bc of the above 'curses are invisible anyway, so what's the point' I also think that a lot of sorcerers (not curse users) kind of feel honor/duty bound to keep doing exactly what they're doing, which is protecting the general populace from curses: this should mean that they'll likely continue working as covertly as possible, since mass panic = likely to lead to outbreak of mass curses, when you consider curses = negative emotions experienced by many in specific spaces

THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK, I'm sincerely sorry to have subjected u to this much of my brain, lol. EVEN MORESO NOW (ffs lol). if you (+possible others) made it this far holy shit. I hope u got something out of it. thx u for coming to my TED talk, I'm sad to report it's likely to be more of them

[theliarshart]

//Since we're dragging this thing back outta semi-retirement, figure it ain't gonna hurt anything for me to give a little bit of an introduction to who and what Cypher is. We got a post here about why he's designed the way he is, but some things are a little outta date.

Cypher is a sinner demon, first off. He's an AU version of a muse from a wildly different show. He's the Hellaverse version of Danny Holt from the BBC's London Spy miniseries. (That's why he's got a real person - Ben Whishaw - as a faceclaim.) Danny was a guy with a real bad past who was trying to put his life back together and got dragged into the seedy underbelly of the shadow world of espionage. He's damaged. Like... real fucking deep issues. But he's trying.

Cypher's a sinner demon who died in 2021. He's a roe deer demon. He ain't based on Alastor, though. Completely unrelated, actually. His demon form's based on his daemon from a HDM-fusion 'verse we had for him on an old canon blog we ran for him. He looks largely human, though. But he's got antlers, deer ears, deer legs, a deer tail, and numbers carved around his wrists and neck. That has to do with his backstory, too.

As for abilities, he can run and jump really well and he's a walking lie detector. He can tell when anyone is lying to him. We nerfed his ability when we first made this AU, but we've decided he's not OP with it as it was originally meant. He died 'cause of a whole thing with a guy he was dating creating a lie detector that actually worked. Danny died protecting it from falling into the hands of any sorta government or intelligence agency. He was trying to do good there. And it killed him.

Cypher tried to get better in life. He ended up homeless as a teenager and got swept up into addiction and prostution. But when he was 19, he hit rock bottom and started trying to claw his way out of the pit he'd ended up in. Before the whole lie detector mess, he had a job in a warehouse and a flat he shared with a roommate. He still did drugs sometimes and he still went out and partied. He wasn't perfect, but he was trying to get his shit together.

After everything that happened to him in life, he's got walls like fucking Fort Knox. He's real fucking guarded and he can be abrasive. But underneath the prickly exterior, he's a gentle soul. He's had to build walls, 'cause if he'd let himself be soft, he would've died in his teens. And he's paranoid as fuck 'cause of everything, but especially being hunted by the global intelligence forces for the last 7 years of his life while MI6 killed him slowly and painfully.

But he takes the hotel 100% seriously. He's there 'cause he wants to improve. It started off as a safe place, 'cause he's always looking for that. But he wants to be better. All he ever wanted was to be better. The universe is just fucked up and cruel. So if he thinks he's got a shot at getting better, he'll take it.

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Biweekly Media Roundup

- Across the Spider Verse (Movie) - I pretty much already knew this movie was going to be amazing given how Industry-changingly Incredible the first one was, but wow man-What a spectacle. Visually I think it’s even more impressive than it’s predecessor and honestly the best looking thing I’ve seen all year, with the different animation styles for each character and dimension being a joy to behold every time. Gwen’s watercolor dimension was my favorite location and I loved how the colors would shift with the characters emotions and bleed down the screen. Spider-Punk was a standout as well with his paper-craft style and fantastic design making him steal every scene that he was in. I also really liked Miles as a protagonist in this one, he really got to shine here. I don’t really have a lot to complain about, the writing was tight, both villains where fantastic, the soundtrack slapped, the only thing I’m mad about is that I have to wait a year to see the story resolved-but that’s a feature, not a complaint.  As a side note I do find it pretty funny how horny everyone is for Miguel btw, like don’t get me wrong I get it, he’s a big tiddied well designed tragic backstory vampire cringe fail DILF, he’s lab tested to be popular on the internet, it’s just pretty funny that I can’t scroll for 5 minutes without seeing his thiqq ass plastered on my screen, y’all are thirsty. 

- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Video Game) - Progressing a bit slowly due to some other stuff I’ve got going on, but still greatly enjoying it! I beat the water temple and now ghost Sidon follows me everywhere which is cute, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the memories play out. I wish it was a bit easier to make money given how much I spend, but maybe that’ll change once I do more story stuff or spend more time in the Abyss, we’ll see. 

- Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Movie) - I’m surprised with how much I enjoyed this, given how little I’ve heard about it. It’s a really cute and fun little found family story in a classic fantasy world. The movie is accessible to any audience (As my parents loved it with no knowledge of DnD), but you can tell that the creators had a lot of love for the game in how the characters and dynamics are depicted. I love that the two main characters are a completely platonic male female pair who are best friends and raise a child together without any hint of romance? Incredible. I love how there’s a character with huge “OP NPC the DM created for lore purposes who despite the players protests the DM won’t let join the party because that would make the game to easy” vibes. There’s a lot of creative and funny scenes, and while I wish there were more explicitly queer characters, it’s nice to see familiar DnD conventions in a well-made product. I would love if they made more of these and would recommend it to basically anyone as a fun family film. 

- Stalker (Movie) - My dad wanted to watch this old indie Russian film after reading an article about it being a formative sci fi film, so we watched it and. well. It certainly was a film. I will give it credit in that the idea of a location that miraculously grants ones deepest desires being portrayed as sinister not due to a monkey’s paw style twisting of how the wish is granted but due to the self-reflective horror of having to face what your deepest desire truly is and what that says about you as a person is pretty rad, but outside of that cool idea this movie was kind of a mess. There were a lot of self indulgent “Auter” style rants on art criticism and faith which honestly just came off as more complaining than anything else, and while I can respect the unique shots they were able to get the majority of the time I was just thinking “Man, it looks like they are straight up filming at an worn out/ abandoned sewage tunnel, it can’t possible be safe to have the actors crawling around in all this rancid water can it?”. Turns out I was even more right than I thought as they were in fact filming on an abandoned nuclear waste facility and just a few years after this film the director, his wife, and several members of the crew died from cancer that was heavily speculated to be the result of the radiation poisoning from filming this movie. Insane. Anyway my main take away from this film is thank god we have OSHA now.

- Kill the Lights (Webcomic) - Read this as a quick self indulgent relaxing one, and I enjoyed it for what it was. I have a soft spot for Skip Beat! style actor-based narratives where you get to see the actors thought process on how to enhance/ play out a scene, so that aspect was fun. Actually, I kind of wish the story was way more about that, I was getting into those scenes and found myself disappointed whenever it switched back to the romance stuff, despite that being the reason I came here in the first place. Aw well, I wouldn’t exactly say this is memorable enough to recommend to anyone outside the BL genre, but I liked the protagonist, side characters, and art. Also, how weird is it that with this, Mo Dao Zu Shi, and End of the Road, there are 3 completely unrelated stories in which an asian man who’s ruffian background made him adept at combat dies young and is then reincarnated into the existing body of a rich twink with a reputation for sleeping around who then runs into an even richer man from their past who turns out to have secretly been harboring a borderline obsessive crush on the protagonist and is now the sole person able to recognize them in their new body? Like, 3 isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened thrice right?

- Heavenly Delusion (Anime) - Genuinely impressed by how often this mystery show will pull the rug out from under you, lulling you into a false sense of security in which you think you have the plot figured out and then hitting you with a reveal that leaves you with more questions than answers - Good work.

- Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (Video Game) - I think I took a long enough break, I’m ready to finish the Ace Attorney series now. The Dual Destinies DLC case was too long for my liking but at least had decent characters, and I do like both Athena and Blackquill, I wish they didn't have to share time with the previous leads and just got to do their own thing though. 

- Crazy Ex Girlfriend (TV) - How does this show have so many straight up bangers. My Spotify playlist is wrecked now. 

- The S Classes That I Raised (Webcomic) - Some interesting revelations in recent chapters that shed Han Yoohyun’s motivations in a new light. I’ll admit, while I did quite like him as a character, this new information is helping to retroactively fix some of my complaints about his actions towards Han Yoojin in the first timeline, making me like him even more- The brothers are just very cute honestly I love how much they care about each other. Also adding a Yoo Myeongwoo photo here because I miss him. 

Listening to: A bunch of Crazy Ex Girlfriend songs, including After Everything You Made Me Do, A Diagnosis, and Remember That We Suffered, Eat Your Young by Hozier, LosT by Bring Me the Horizon, Let’s Get This Over With by They Might Be Giants, Read Between the Lines and Hey I Don’t Work Here by Tom Cardy, That’s What I Want by Lil Nas X, He Mele No Lilo by Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu, Stalkers Tango and Lent by Autoheart, Across the Spiderverse OST.

[yostresswritinggirl]

it seems boredom has taken over me due to the fact i have nothing to do but make up hcs of your universe reversal au, so here you go:

(im sorry if this is bothersome)

• if [y/n]'s va tries making a song cover of a romantic/love song with the character's voice, albedo would go overdrive and make an animatic centered around either: [y/n] x traveler or [y/n] x viewer (the other simps would also go crazy over both the cover and godly animatic ngl)

• childe would be the type to show and brag to his younger siblings about his genshin waifu/husbando/lover. teucer is usually his main listener, and he would feel prideful if teucer ever asks something about you out of curiosity or interest. definitely would go on a rant and word-vomit about how awesome and perfect you are.

• xiao's a famous and anonymous [y/n] x reader fanfic writer on tumblr/ao3/wattpad whose stories get very popular with the simps desperate for content

• zhongli bought a keychain displaying your chibi self from the official merch store. he keeps it dangling from his wallet's keychain holder (?) and is the prime reason why he remembers to actually bring his wallet sometimes. like, he's about to go outside to eat with a friend at mcdonald's or something; but he catches sight of your chibi self at the corner of his peripheral vision before he could so — and he's like: "oh hey it's my [y/n] keychain— oops, i also forgot my wallet again"

• venti would listen to [y/n] x listener videos on youtube. he might even go and commission someone for it (he might sometimes commission nsfw) (inspiration was taken from a past ask you received. thank you to the anon who gave me this idea).

• kaeya's a little shit in co-op and absolutely refuses to adjust/change his character (aka you). he's devoted to you and only you, even if your attacks aren't very effective on a particular boss/enemy (and even if said boss is immune to your attacks).

• though diluc isn't very involved with the fandom, he does occasionally look and scroll fanart of you (albedo's art usually). he may or may not have read and got hooked onto a [y/n] x reader fic (xiao's). he checks for updates once a week

• i hc that ganyu kind of has a hard time sleeping (she's overworked :(( ) since she usually pulls all-nighters, working on reports for her job. her body soon got used and adjusted to her terrible sleep schedule, so oftentimes during her day-offs; she has a hard time taking a well-deserved rest. sooooo, i think she listens to your theme song/voicelines (more specifically, the ones where you're all doting on the traveler or where you tell them to have a good night/rest). even better if your va has a relaxing song cover she could listen to and slowly fall asleep to. overall, GIVE THIS GIRL A BREAK.

-🐞

Okay, okay, ladybug anon I love you so much aldbaoakkw I love Universe Reversal brainrot so much and you're all so clever over it sksksksk

The VA thingy reminds me of either the ones Mihoyo made where Barbara or Amber interacts with the audience awww, or or they did a similar thing with Let The Wind Tell You collab with fanartists sodbksnso

I just imagined Childe bragging his imaginary waifu/husbando to a fuckin kid like a lonely degenerate omayghad

It's funny how if in this verse he is the top writer, it's divergent to the fact that @xiaowhore is the current top writer

THE ZHONGLI ONE IS THE ABSOLUTE CUTEST AND MOST ENDEARING TOO HFNBNF HE'S A GROWN MAN WITH AAN ANIME KEYCHAIN BUT THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM LOVE HIM TOO MUCH TO SHAME HIM

Venti VENTI would definitely be the type of person to buy Patreon subscription for those VA thingies and gives so much for their kofi account because they love it so much

I can definitely see Kaeya do this but but physical damage can do its work, and Kaeya can miraculously build (y/n) like 17k base attack, food buff, and then Bennett damage multiplier- he's a metaslave for his waifu/husbando

Diluc defo has an ao3 account that he keeps an absolute secret, but if you see his subscriptions, he has double digits of series and authors following

Ganyu bb :(( (Y/N)'s trailer music is much calmer than the demo so tnbee for example made a remix of it which has some of the nice dialogue mixed in, or someone made a 1 hour loop of the official stellar moment release. It's so effective that sometimes Ganyu really can't rest unless she's listening to it full blast.

Ah I love this, I love this all, this must be placed in both masterlists for everyone to see

[mach-speed-spin]

Mayblade day 10: song (reminder that Nickelback was once featured on official Beyblade merch)

Nelvana and Hasbro decided they wanted to make Beyblade be more than just spinning tops with a tie-in anime series. After several attempts, I think they kinda gave up because non of them were successful. Beywheelz, Beyraiderz, and Beywarriors all flopped (despite some cool ideas). Their trading card game back in the og series is so obscure that I can’t get any info on it besides “it existed” and “it seems poorly thought out.” And at one point they got into music. After finding this YouTube playlist with Beyblade songs (openings, endings, the dub insert songs, etc), I noticed that for some reason it included How You Remind Me by Nickelback, California by Phantom Planet, and an AMV. After some research, I found that those songs were released on official Beyblade CD’s back in 2001-2002. So I’m gonna give some thoughts on every single song in that playlist in the context of Beyblade (also to make up for yesterday’s shorter post since I didn’t have much time)

Normally I'd add a cut here but my laptop's still broken and I don't know enough about the Tumblr app to use it properly

Catch a Cannonball by White Pony: This song is considered lost media and if anyone can find it please DM me or something

Let’s Beyblade by Sick Kid ft Lukas Rossi: The original series English dun opening. It’s very early 2000′s and serves as an opening pretty well. I just wish there was an extended/ full version

Fighting Spirits by System-B: As a standalone opening, it’s pretty good. As far as Beyblade goes, it’s wildly different than any opening we’ve gotten since, which makes it stand out even more

Cheer Song by System-B: Not sure how I feel about the song itself, but if it works for anything, it’s as an ED. Also, it’s so different from Fighting Sprits that I had a hard time believing they were both made by System-B

Beyblade by Giorgio Vanni: The Italian opening for the first season. The combination of rock with what sounds like bells(?) later in the song create a weird but interesting feel to it. Also “Boy-blade” is such a stupid pun that it had to have been made ironically, right. Right?

OFF THE CHAIN by TOSS & TURN: Song is a banger. I have no idea who thought it’d fit Beyblade as an opening. Love how it’s in ALL CAPS. Also I don’t speak a word of Japanese but there’s enough English that I can kinda guess what the song is trying to say

URBAN LOVE by Shiori: Another song in all caps, this time as an ED. While I’m normally not a fan of less energetic songs, this is pretty good

Jet by Fairy Fore: The scream at the beginning of the song makes you think you’re gonna get a much harder song than the first verse. And the it slowly ramps up until by the end, you’re back to the same energy as the beginning. Brilliant

What’s the Answer? by Retro G Style: Like OFF THE CHAIN, there is just enough English for me to get a vague idea of what the song is about. I like it, but wish that they had used the song by Retro G Style in G-Revolution for obvious reasons

Beyblade vforce by Giorgio Vanni: IMO a nice improvement over the first Italian opening, but goddamn “Boy-blade” is still here. Why?

Poroporo by Hana Hana: The ED for the V-Force movie. Every other beat is out of tune but it’s done on purpose so I can’t consider it a flaw. It grew on me over time but the decision to be out of tune on purpose is still weird

Victory by Dynamite SHU: I couldn’t find official information on the artist but someone said Victory was performed by Dynamite SHU so I’m rolling with it for now. Also it may be called Victory or Victoria. It’s unclear. It’s also part of the V-Force movie soundtrack and honestly I think it’d make a better ED than Poroporo, if only because Poroporo isn’t really enjoyable on your first listen (even if it really grown on you later)

Go Ahead by Motoko Kumai: Amazing OP for G-Revolution. Probably my favorite from Bakuten Shoot. It gets you pumped for the episode and it fits the tone of early G-Rev perfectly

Oh Yes!! by Sista with Yuka: As an ED, it’s pretty good. It’s also a great way to conclude the early episodes of G-Rev

Kaze no Fuku Basho by Makiyo: Somehow manages to be an improvement over Oh Yes!! while also fitting the middle portion of G-Rev better

Identified by Springs: Finally we learn that the G in G-Revolution stands for Good. It’s also the perfect OP to end the original series on

Sign of Wish by Makiyo: Like Identified is the perfect OP to end on, Sign of Wish is the perfect ED to conclude the original series. I know that the last episode used Kaze no Fuku Basho for the epilogue, but Sign of Wish was perfect for the BEGA arc, itself a great conclusion to the original story

Never Gonna Take Me Down by Anthony Vanderburgh: I’ve been fighting every night an day. I’m gonna do my best to put you away. It’s perfect for more friendly but intense (like most of the minor battles in tournament arcs). Like most of the dub insert songs, they’re bangers but sadly misused

Round After Round by Jason Dean Bennison: Like Never Gonna Take Me Down, it’s perfect for battles where both bladers want nothing more than to just fight each other

All Across the Nation by The Black Europeans: The fact that this was used for any battle in the season 1 tournaments (you know, the ones with multiple countries) is weird, but the song itself is still good

Let’s Go Beybladers by Krystal Band: The vocals have this strange quality to them, like the musical equivalent of a 2004 homemade video project made by a high school student. Objectively bad but charming in its own way

Swing Low by Jason Dean Bennison: The vocals feel out of place, but damn that bass is epic. Also you can kinda hear samples from Fighting Spirits in the background (that “DORAIGA” scream is hard to miss after a few listens)

Underdog by Mudd: In all honesty it’s a shame Mudd didn’t go one to have more success after Beyblade. Underdog was great

Always Be In the Game by Jason Dean Bennison: Normally I’m not a fan of rap vocals over rock instrumentation but Jason pulled it off. Not sure how or why, but it works

Switchblade by Lenz: Good song but someone messed up when they rereleased it. Also the contrast between the music and the lyrics in the chorus is fairly specific. Maybe it was written to be a character theme?

Hang On by Chris Szczesniak and Mike Dunca: It took 20 years for this song to be released. Amazing bass, amazing vocals, and I can’t think of a song that better fits Kai vs Brooklyn (the time where Kai wins, that is)

Rise Above the Storm by Daniel LeBlanc and Creighton Doane: Oddly uplifting yet very energetic. When I say this is one of the most uplifting songs I’ve ever heard, I am not exaggerating

I’m Not Going Down by Jonathan Evans and Gerard Tevlin: If Hang On fits Kai vs Brooklyn, then I’m Not Going Down fits Tyson vs Brooklyn. It’s just a powerful declaration of victory, being the musical embodiment of that final battle

Start the Circus by Far From Heroes: Good song but I don’t see what it has to do with Beyblade. Still a banger

Cinderella by Adam Crossley with 9 Point Landing: Just like Start the Circus, a banger that is completely unrelated to Beyblade

What the Girls Say by Jennesy: For a show with such a skewed gender ratio for characters, this song feels extremely out of place. It’s good, but manages to feel more “off” than Cinderella

Running Away by Project Wyze: A friend of mine likes to say that early 2000′s music was 80% pop rock and 10% rap metal. Running Away is part of that 10% and it is the perfect example of what rap metal is. If you like rap metal, you’ll like this song. If you don’t like rap metal, you won’t like this song

Let It Rip by Ego Massive: It truly relates to Beyblade and it isn’t an insert song. I’m surprised. The song itself is alright, but pales in comparison to some others

Split the Atom by Edwin and the Pressure: Great song. Unrelated to Beyblade. I’m starting to notice a trend

Pretty Girls by Prozzak: Good song and I have though the glass break sound effect was real and in my house on one occasion

Girls & Boys by Good Charlotte: This song is 50% less out of place than What the Girls Say

Year 3000 by Busted: Possibly a warm take, but the Jonas Brothers’ cover of the song was a downgrade

Buck Rogers by Feeder: I first heard this song playing Gran Turismo and forever associate it with that game. I can’t judge the song on its own because of that

Movies by Alien Ant Farm: Honestly it’s probably the weakest song that released on that CD. It’s not bad per se, but it’s less good than the rest

Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus: Hit early 2000′s song that was shoehorned into Beyblade merch and honestly, it wasn’t a bad idea

Nothing by A: Google “A Nothing” and see if you find this song. Other than that, it’s great. Love it

How You Remind Me by Nickelback: It’s Nickelback. That’s all there is to say. Take that how you will

California by Phantom Planet: If only Beyblade saw the US as more than New York and Las Vegas (and later, Moab, Utah). The west coast isn’t even acknowledged. Had they made one of the characters be from California (like any of the All-Starz), this would’ve been more fitting

Metal Saga by Clifton David: While the English OP for mfb isn’t bad, it feels like a remix of the Japanese OP, but without being different enough to stand out

Metal Fight Beyblade by YU+KI: YU+KI did an amazing job in every season of mfb, and the first opening is no exception

Boys ~To the Radiant Tomorrow~ by MASH: I thought Boys was the artist for far longer than I should. It’s a great ED, and has IMO some of the strongest visuals for a Beyblade ED even though it’s very simple

Beyblade Metal Fusion by unknown artist: I don’t know who made the Italian opening for Fusion but it was pretty good

Galaxy Heart by YU+KI: It takes everything that made Metal Fight Beyblade good an multiplies it tenfold. Absolutely amazing

Oozora wo Koete Yuje by Odoriba Soul: Pretty good ED. It kinda gives me similar vibes as Oh Yes!! but I’m not sure why

Beyblade Metal Masters by unknown artist: An improvement over the Italian Fusion opening, taking it from good to great

Spinning the World by Noa: Love it. Great ED for the Sol Blaze movie. Probably on the same tier as Kaze no Fuku Basho for me

Kokoro no Yuki by YU+KI: the 4d opening slaps even harder than Galaxy Heart

Destiny by YCHRO: Just like Kokoro no Yuki managed to outdo Galaxy Heart, Destiny managed to outdo Oozora wo Koete Yuke. God 4d had great music (if only it wasn’t a shortened season)

Shine On by unknown artist: Absolute banger. That’s all I have to say about it besides that the artist deserves to actually be credited

Let It Rip by The Lodge: I did not expect bars of this level from a song made for a toy commercial. Even though the dub adding rap in anime is usually an unpopular decision, this was good

Game Changer by the Lodge: Another banger

To the Extreme by the Lodge: Why couldn’t the XTS toyline go as hard as this song?

Deploy and Destroy: This song is great and makes Stealth Battlers seem a lot cooler than they were irl

Own the Dome: Somehow a team of people got Hasbro’s worst stadium ever, and made the best commercial out of it. And part of that has to do with this absolute bop of a song

Stunt, Race, Crash by the Lodge: Like To the Extreme, Deploy and Destroy, and Own the Dome, this was a great song that advertised a terrible product

Zero-G Bey! Go! by YU+KI: I’d rank it between Metal Fight Beyblade and Galaxy Heart. It’s good, but not as much as the previous Japanese OPs (granted the bar was pretty damn high)

Looking Up Smiling (We Go!) by YCHRO: It manages to be just barely better than Destiny, which is pretty impressive

Beyblade: Shogun Steel by Sugar High Bunny Punch: Does it fit Beyblade? Not really. Is it good? Maybe not great, but better than I’ve seen people give it credit for

Let the Games Begin by Arunachal: The Beywheelz OP that was used for the English and Japanese versions alike. Like the English OP for Shogun Steel, I think it’s better than given credit for. Although like Beywheelz, it pales in comparison to the other seasons

A Better Place by Jonathan Evans: One of the guys behind I’m Not Going Down makes his return. A Better Place is a pretty good ED< even if it doesn’t stand out

Beyraiderz Theme by iSH and Nicholas Walsh: I’ll be honest the chorus is the only part I like from this. The rest is serviceable as an opening, but I wouldn’t call it good

Come Around by SPACEMAN MUSIC: I like Come Around, and consider it an improvement over A Better Place, but I don’t think it fits Beyraiderz as a season

Beywarriors: Cyborg by unknown artist: A better OP than Beyraiderz, but still a tad below Let the Games Begin

Hold Tight by unknown artist: Like anything relating to Beywarriors, the artist name is hard to find. It’s a strange ED, but I can’t put my finger on why. Like Poroporo, it’s interesting, even if I’m not sure whether I like it

Burst Finish! by Tatsuyuki Kobayashi: A good OP that fits the first season of Burst. It’s great

Believe by SHIKURAMEN: The only Burst ED to get a full version, and it’s certainly deserving of it. Like Burst Finish! it fits the first season of Burst perfectly

Our Time by Steven Allerick Chen: A great opening in par with Burst Finish

Battle Above My League by Fenwick & the Futures: The instrumentation is ok I guess. The vocals have this weird feel to them, like lofi but not really. Like Poroporo and Hold Tight, this song interests me because I don’t quite understand what I’m hearing

Evolution Burst! by unknown artist: The Beyblade Burst God OP is great. I'd call it the best of Japanese Burst openings but Cho-Z exists, making Evolution Burst! a worthy second

Beyxercise by Señor Hanami: If we ignore the visuals in the ED (so no Markiplier dancing), it goes from hilariously good to just regular good. The beat is catchy, but the vocals really make this song. It's performed by Hanami's VA, which makes that last "BASUTO FINISHU" so much better

Beyxercise 2 by Señor Hanami: It's Beyxercuse but again. The beat is different, and a bit of a slightly downgrade, but everything else is as good as the original Beyxercise

Evolution by Dave Vives and Steven Pagano: It's a great opening. Not much to say other than it's really good

Made for This by Vaski and Ian Everson: Amazing. Absolutely amazing. It's hard not to sing along and go "We were made for this"

Chouzetsu Muteki Blader by Ryosuke Sasaki: Easily one of my favorite Beyblade openings ever. Everything about it is fantastic

Bey-Pop! by Shun Kusakawa: Catchy and cheery is the best way to describe this. Lovely song

Bey-Pop Swing! by Shun Kusakawa: It's Bey-Pop bit more energetic. Still catchy and cheery, but with a tad bit more excitement

Turbo by Nate Wants to Battle: Best of the English OP's according to many, and a very close second best in my personal ranking. Nathan Sharp has delivered everything one could ask for from an opening

Gatti'n'Roll by unknown artist: I genuinely dkn't know why anyone though this was a good idea. I guess they thought they couldn't beat Chouzetsu Miteki Blader at its win game and went in the opposite direction, being very cheery rather than adrenaline-pumping. For what it's trying to be, it's pretty good. It just doesn't really work as an OP

Rise by Jonathan Young: IMO the best English opening in all of Beyblade. Jonathan Young made a high-energy OP that gets you pumped for the anime. Also his JJBA OP covers are great

Journey Into Tomorrow by Tony Rodini: I have a hard time deciding between this and Made for This for which is the best eyecatcher theme. Journey Into Tomorrow is just as good as Made for This and Made for This was great

Sparking Revolution by unknown artist: Not a bad OP but it doesn't really stand out. It's good, but it's just "there"

We Got the Spin by Konrad OldMoney and Johnny Gr4ves: Like Gatti'n'Roll, they were trying to go in the opposite direction of the previous opening. However, GT was a more lighthearted and comedic season, while Sparking is more serious than its predecessor. This means that to fit the season, we'd need something as intense as Rise, or at least Evolution, and instead we get this. And unlike the original series or mfb using rap on occasions, We Got the Spin lacks the energy present in songs like Shine On and Always Be In the Game

Clash! Dynamite Battle! by NORISTRY: Great opening. Probably my second favorite Japanese Burst OP behind Muteki Blader

We're Your Rebels by Nate Wants to Battle: Massive step up from We Got the Spin, and it's just what we expected from the guy that made Turbo

[pascalpanic]

Tiny Dancer (Frankie “Catfish” Morales x f!Reader)

Summary: Reader and Frankie are best friends, and both think that their feelings are unrequited… with the help of a little throwback music, that might change. Reader uses she/her pronouns.

Warnings: alcohol use

Word Count: 1.79k

A/N: This is my first published fic! I hope you like it, whoever’s reading this!! Thanks to my beta readers and people who helped me format, @lovetoreader​ @mandoalorian​ and @no-droids-on-sunday​, as well as a couple friends not on tumblr!

gif credit to @amahlfarouk​!

The fire crackles and casts a warm glow across Frankie’s face, highlighting the valleys and ridges of the lines in his skin, the shadow accentuating his pronounced nose. He really is beautiful, you sigh and think to yourself as you look at him. You’ve been friends with Frankie for a long time now, since high school, and the feelings you first had for him upon your introduction never quite faded. He looks completely relaxed, the bonfire, the music, and your presence putting him at ease. 

You tear your eyes from his face as you see him shifting, not wanting him to notice that you were most definitely staring. He picks up his phone and presses a button, shuffling the oldies playlist he chose and allowing John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads to play through his Bluetooth speaker sitting on the table between the two of you. You give a laugh. “Good memories with this one,” you say with an easy smile on your face and look over at him, nudging his leg with your boot-covered foot. 

Frankie definitely agrees as he smiles back at you, his nose scrunching and his dimple showing. “Oh god. You almost got us kicked out of that bar for how loud you screamed this,” he chuckles and nudges your leg back, his strength moving your leg significantly farther than you nudged his. 

The two of you stop your brief chatter and start singing along. Frankie is loud and off-key, his baritone perfectly complimenting your equally out-of-tune voice. Both of you mumble through the first verse, not entirely sure of the words to this part. As it comes to the chorus, however, it’s a completely different story. The two of you start bellowing the words, laughing and grinning at each other. 

-

That night at your local bar was the closest Frankie ever got to kissing you. 

You had both had only enough alcohol to be lightly tipsy, meaning one-and-a-half drinks for you and three for Frankie. The bar had a machine that allowed you to pick the music, and Frankie eagerly used his quarters on song after song that you requested. Your face, flushed from alcohol, was closer to his than normal. He bit down on his lip and looked down as your faces got closer through the laughter, and as he looked up he swore he saw it in your eyes, exactly what he was feeling. 

The song ended and another came on, and an entirely different spark entered your eyes. “Oh my God!” You giggled. “I love this song! This is, like, the best,” you raved as the guitar kicked in. 

“The only song of the night you didn’t request is the best?” He teases you, the moment gone as you lean back to start singing along. “Really, you like John Denver?” He asks over the loud music and chatter. 

Nodding enthusiastically, your grin made him grin back. “Of course, Francisco. I’m a woman of culture,” you tease right back happily and push his shoulder. You knock back the rest of your second drink and slide off your barstool. “Come on, we’re dancing,” you practically shout and drag him off of his and to the small clearing for dancing

Frankie begrudgingly follows. He’s not much of a dancer, but he’d do anything for you. That much was obvious, he thought. As you reach the floor, you start belting the lyrics at the top of your lungs, audible even over the hum of the bar. 

-

As the chorus ends, you two both try to mumble the verse again, neither of you knowing the words. “Good memories,” he says again, a wistful smile on his face as he sits back in his chair a little further. 

“The best. You’re a good dance partner,” you smile along with him. “Even if that song wasn’t really us dancing. It was more standing close to each other while I burst your eardrums with my opera-worthy voice,” you sarcastically grin and elbow him lightly in the forearm. He makes a fake whimper of pain and pouts. “Catfish,” you laugh and shake your head at him softly, “the military veteran, special ops pilot extraordinaire, wounded by my elbow.”

“Just because I was in the military doesn’t mean I don’t feel pain anymore, hermosa,” he frowns at you and elbows you back. You make a similar noise and he grins. “See? Doesn’t feel great, does it?”

The two of you continue on with your playful banter, the way it’s always been for the two of you. You bicker and shove lightly, both of you separately thinking the same thing: that the main reason you love to push and shove isn’t because you see them like a sibling, but because you want any excuse you can to touch them. 

Your bickering continues as the song changes, and a break in the action causes a lull that allows you to notice the new song that came on. Grinning, you grab his phone and turn up the volume before setting it back on the small table between the two of you. “Oh my god, I love Elton John,” you coo as you hear his familiar voice singing Tiny Dancer. 

“I’m well aware,” he shoots back and shakes his head. “Add that song to the list of reasons my eardrums are broken. You know, people would think it’s because of the helicopters that I have hearing damage. What would they think if I told them it was because your tiny ass body has the strongest vocal chords to exist?” He groans, raising an eyebrow at you that rests just below the brim of his classic baseball cap. 

“Tiny?” You say, jokingly aggressive. You don’t consider yourself short; in fact, you’re above average. But with Frankie Morales, you practically look like an elf. He towers over you, and it drives you insane. 

“Just like the song,” he nods then gasps. “You are tiny dancer,” he says with a pleased smile spreading across his cheeks and showing that goddamn dimple. 

Smacking his arm, you shake his head. “Don’t even go there. First of all, we both know I only dance when I’m drunk or you make me,” you laugh. “The only-”

Frankie cuts you off by standing and taking your hand, pulling you to your feet as well. “You’re tiny and now you’re dancing,” he says, smiling down at you as he wraps his free arm around his waist, the other hand still clutching yours. 

“You’re cheesy as hell, Morales, you know that?” You ask and look up at him, the baseball cap shading his chocolate brown eyes. 

Frankie shrugs, starting to sway the two of you along, carefully avoiding the fire but staying close enough that the two of you are warm. “I may have been told that before,” he says and gives you a warm smile. 

Your heart thumps increasingly harder in your chest, which is now pressed to Frankie’s as he pulls you closer and gently sets his chin on your shoulder. You’re sure he can feel it, which makes you panic slightly, which makes your heart race even faster. You rest your head against his shoulder, the position coming naturally. You’ve slow danced before, of course, as the two of you always find yourself on the dance floor, but it’s only been a few times. Rare. Dancing usually consists of you and Frankie, not touching, flailing like complete idiots. Neither of you were known for your coordination when it comes to dancing, and it has always shown. But this is nice. Completely different. 

Humming the lyrics, his throat buzzes and you can feel it where your head rests against the side of his neck. He stops humming and starts singing softly, the smile in his voice evident. 

“Hold me closer tiny dancer… count the headlights on the highway…”

Giggling softly, you break away as Frankie pulls back, making you do a spin. You squeal as you lose your balance and stumble for a moment. Once again, coordination is not your strong suit. Both of you laugh as Frankie protectively pulls you back to his chest, stopping you before you can fall. “Careful,” he chides lovingly. 

“It’s a little late to be careful now, Frankie,” you shoot back sarcastically. “I already tripped.”

You look up at him, taken aback by the tenderness in his eyes. He always looks happy to be around you, but his eyes are painfully soft as he smiles down at you. 

The look makes you inhale sharply. He can’t feel that way about you, can he? You would’ve known sooner, surely, and you’ve been friends for a long time. You’ve always been able to read him like a book, what is this new expression? Or… is it new? You ask yourself all of these questions, biting your lip softly and looking down. 

He tears his gaze away and increases the distance between you, not nearly as close, terrified that he just gave too much away. He clears his throat and takes his hat off, running a hand through his hair before replacing it. He turns away and heads for his chair. “Sorry,” he says bashfully, looking at you. “I-,”

Something emboldens you. You’re not sure what, but it’s probably the fact that you suddenly put the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle together: he likes you too. You grab his wrist and stop him. “Please don’t be sorry,” you tell him and move closer to him, your heaving chests close once again. You reach up and take off his hat, running a hair through his curls, a peace offering. An offering, maybe, for something more.

“Can I kiss you, hermosa?” Frankie asks, voice barely a rasp of a whisper as he pulls you closer with an arm around your waist. 

You nod slightly and Frankie slowly moves in, his other hand moving to your cheek as he allows your lips to meet, soft and perfect. You sigh lightly and bring your free hand to his cheek as well, the other holding his ballcap and dangling at your side. You kiss him back contently, allowing the slow and gentle moment to rest. 

He eventually is the first to break away, his heart in his eyes and your faces close together. “I…” he wants to say something but can’t find the right words. 

“Me too,” you whisper back with a chuckle, brushing his curls from his face. “Me too, Frankie,” you say and blissfully kiss him again, the swell of the music perfectly matching the rhythm of your kiss. 

He breaks away after a few moments, smiling softly at you again. “I told you, you’re her, you’re tiny dancer,” he teases softly. “My tiny dancer?” He asks shyly, taking the hand from the side of his face and lacing your fingers together. 

“Yours,” you breathe in agreement and close the gap between you to kiss him once again. 

[whitleyschn33]

RWBY8 Soundtrack

I did this last volume, might as well keep at it. Still don’t have any qualifications, so take this with a grain of salt, as always.

This is going to be interesting as someone that can’t actually remember any of the vocal tracks used in the show this volume aside from the OP. Let me know if I’m missing any.

1. For Every Life

Honestly... don’t really have a lot to say about this one. The weird beat it chooses for the chorus is still weird, and it hasn’t grown on me at all, feeling too jarring and off kilter to get into - which is a shame, because the normal verses sound good. I find myself half-humming the build up into the chorus under my breath because I genuinely like that section of the song, the tempo picking up slightly for “We failed to stop our own demise” in particular has gotten stuck in my head, and it sucks that the chorus choses to abandon that build up for this off beat music that doesn’t compliment the lyrics but instead makes the entire song feel disjointed. 

The lyrics are... laughably incompatible with the show, especially in the second verse. ”We sacrificed/Pledged our souls and gave up everything” - what exactly did RWBY sacrifice? They were given everything they wanted on a silver platter last volume and then betrayed the trust of those who gave them those things. You can’t call it sacrifice to lose trust that you betrayed. “Our plans of triumph torn apart” - what plans? RWBY never had any plans, Ironwood had plans that they decided to both support and tear down at the same time because for some reason they can’t understand the concept of limited resources but wanted everything. It really feels like the main cast has no self-awareness, painting themselves as purely victims in a way that feels disingenuous to the way things actually unfolded last volume. It’s self-righteous and self-pitying in all the wrong ways, but I can’t really bring myself to care at this point. It doesn’t piss me off like War did, but falls more into the same camp as the V6 opening, where I like it lyrically if I just pretend it’s not actually about RWBY - except “Rising” is a far better song musically to me.

I honestly spent more time looking at the album art and picking apart everything that I didn’t think worked about it. I dunno, I’m bored already, let’s move on.

2. The Sky is Falling

I like this one more than For Every Life - it keeps a constant, steady beat rather than whatever the hell was going on with the OP, and I like the idea of the story that it’s telling; a hellish landscape bathed in death and despair as the sky is literally falling down around you, no escape, no way to wake up from this awful reality. I can’t say we really saw a lot of this in the actual show, though. Atlas doesn’t fall until the last episode, and while we see some of this hellish imagery in the OP, we don’t really get to see this in Mantle as it’s being overrun by Grimm. The emergency lights aren’t on, we don’t see any bodies or any real indications of death beyond that one suitcase - they had the chance to go all in on the destruction a la Beacon but turned up to 11, but they just... didn’t. Still have absolutely no recollection of it being played in the actual show, so I looked it up, and apparently it plays during the bike chase. I almost wish that this had been swapped with the opening instead, since thematically the two feel like they’d fit better in each other’s place - “Sky is Falling Down” for the horror of the invasion, and “For Every Life” for JYR chasing down Oscar, not going to let him go.

I do like the refrain of “Better cover up your eyes, my friends, the sky is falling” and “Hold on now, the sky is falling down”, and again, it really makes me wish we had gotten a more apocalyptic feeling for this volume, maybe taking place over a few more days, Salem just letting her Grimm do the work because why bother when you have all the time in the world to just wait it out and let your army slowly devour the cities, using her centipede Grimm to literally tear Atlas apart from the foundations and have the pieces falling from the sky. Leaving that aside, the song is... fine. None of the lyrics offend me, though some feel a bit clunky and awkward. I wasn’t a fan of the rap section - it didn’t really feel like it fit with the rest of the song and was oddly slow for a rap? But I don’t know much about that genre of music since it’s not one I usually enjoy. 

So overall, serviceable, wish it had taken a draft or two more, but fine.

3. Be Strong and Hit Stuff

Who thought that was a good title, or a good line?

Once again, I feel like I don’t really have much to say. There’s nothing musically wrong with this song, it’s perfectly fine to listen to, but it just doesn’t really do anything for me either. It doesn’t actually feel like a Nora song despite starting out in the more bubbly style they use for her, because it quickly devolves into the usual rock/metal, and then ends with this weird outro that kinda comes out of nowhere? It feels generic in its style rather than a Nora piece if that makes sense. 

And then the lyrics... it really feels like they’re saying, “hey, don’t worry about it, you’re perfect just the way you are, no need to worry about yourself or the person you are right now, of course you’ll grow at some point but there’s nothing wrong with who you are now” which, for a character that’s meant to be feeling lost and unsure of who she is beyond her best friend/romantic interest, that’s not really all that reassuring to her future development. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t feel like a Nora song - because it’s really not. It’s not Nora’s voice, it’s the singer/the writers speaking to Nora, this character-less voice speaking to Nora’s anxieties and telling her not to worry about it or self-reflect too hard. Don’t try to self-reflect and work on yourself as a person, despite the fact that that’s really the only way you can truly grow, just be strong and hit stuff like you always have without thought. You’ll become a better character without having to put any actual work into the process.

4. The Truth

Oh hey, one I actually remember.

....They wasted that instrumental on a song about Cinder doing chores. That’s such a pretty piano piece, building up to a final crescendo and high note to leave you dangling, but the lyrics... uninspired, to say the least. Next.

5. Treasure

The one that the BB shippers were screaming over.

You know, this might have been super sweet and romantic if the show had actually let Blake and Yang have a few healthy talks about their relationship and work through their issues and cement them as finding their relationship worth working through the pain of separation, but as it is, it reads as incredibly unhealthy and creepy. 

They’ve been separated a day, two at most, and Blake (? That’s who everyone is saying this is from, but I don’t believe that’s been confirmed by anyone official and there really isn’t anything in this song that’s specific enough to pin to any specific character, more about that in a bit) is talking about how her life is on pause when “you”/Yang isn’t there, that her life doesn’t have a purpose or she doesn’t really exist unless they’re there, but that’s okay because she’s sure that they’ll be back real soon, but if they’re not, that’s fine, they’re willing to wait forever. I don’t think I need to point out how kinda fucked up that is, to have assigned so much of yourself to the presence of another person that them having left your side for A DAY would leave you feeling like you can’t go on with your own life until they come back. And again, if their relationship had been better defined at this point, if they’d been solidly together for the past couple volumes and had grown as characters, this could have been romantic - Lord knows there’s been plenty of songs about faithfully waiting for your true love to return to you after a long while away that have hit the mark far more effectively. This just isn’t working for me on that front, though, chief, not in the context that it’s been given. In a relationship that’s built largely on a trauma of abandonment, a song like this without any kind of resolution to those issues just comes across as creepy.

However... I do think that that context isn’t really evident in the song. If I hadn’t seen Tumblr blowing up about it being a BB song, I would not have guessed that it was a BB song, and I certainly wouldn’t have pegged it as a Blake song. Blake’s never had any kind of motif with “treasure”, and as far as I can remember she’s never had a theme of loneliness (”all alone in crowded rooms”) - that’s always been Weiss and to a lesser extent, Yang. This just doesn’t feel like a Blake song to me. If you had given me this song completely unattached to the show, I would have - well, honestly, I probably would have said it was a fan song for Merlin about Arthur from the BBC series - but if you had told me this was a song from RWBY and asked me to match the character, I probably would have guessed Taiyang. This feels a lot more like a song from Tai about Summer than a song about Blake to Yang - and I know that makes no sense for a V8 song, but this song doesn’t make sense as a BB song to me. Blake hasn’t ever waited for Yang, they were only separated for a day, Blake hasn’t had to wander through life numb waiting for Yang (especially when it was Blake that left but making this a Yang song would be so much fucking worse), Blake’s never been one to struggle with loneliness as a major part of her character, this just doesn’t fit Blake. Taiyang, though? Taiyang watched Summer walk out for seemingly an ordinary mission and completely vanish from his life, waiting night and day for any sign of her, any hint that she was coming home or that she was alive, and going through a depressive episode when it became apparent that she’d been lost. “Treasure” also just... seems more fitting a motif for Tai? I can’t say why other than “treasure” makes me think “gold” which is very much a Tai color (and there’s apparently a rumor that his allusion is King Midas which... makes absolutely no sense, if I was going to pick an allusion I would have said The Cowherd from The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, but I digress) but that’s honestly more than Blake’s got going for that motif. 

I dunno - just this fails so hard at being a good BB song due to how skeevy that context makes it, but it also fails so hard at explicitly being a BB song that it would honestly work much better as a Seasonal Depression song. Moving on.

6. Friend

I didn’t listen to this one when it came out because I didn’t want to hear it after what they did to Penny, and I’m not looking forward to listening to it now.

....Nope. Nope. Nope. Not a fan. A lot of people have discussed this at length in ways far better than I could, but I really don’t like this swerve that they took from V2 Ruby assuring Penny that she’s just as real and human as anyone else, that what she’s made of doesn’t affect her still being real, to this idea that Penny is real underneath the nuts and bolts, that Penny has to be freed from her body to be human - that she’s made human rather than having already been that from the start. This song tries to retcon it so hard - “ You saw my soul/Through the nuts and bolts”, “ But I found that humanity/It came with sacrifice” - and it honestly just makes me very uncomfortable paired with how RWBY treated prosthetics and Penny this volume. 

Throw in all the call backs to Beacon era that are blatantly trying to pull on your heartstrings like “See? See? Remember how much you loved Penny back then? How good of friends they were and how bright the future looked? How sad is it that it’s all been ripped away for good - again!” and I can’t feel good about it. Also, heh, funny that they have to make callbacks to Beacon rather than anything that happened between Penny and Ruby in V7 or 8... because nothing happened between them in V7 or 8 except Penny dying again. Aside from one line, you could have released this on the V3 soundtrack and no one would have batted an eye. Really shows you how well Penny was utilized for Atlas, right? How much she actually got to do and grow as a character instead of retreading the same ground from Beacon? •◡•

No thank you.

7. Awake

Does this one even count? This isn’t actually written for RWBY, just used in the show. 

Getting some real Evanescence vibes. It’s alright, I guess? Just not leaving much of an impact, and knowing it’s not actually written for the show doesn’t make me want to take the lyrics all that seriously. Although, if you don’t include this track, V8 only has 6 original vocal tracks, and one’s less than a minute long. Not great. I know that with That That Shall Not Be Mentioned, production for the volume and the release of the soundtrack was pushed back and complicated, but... still. It took a half year longer than it usually takes to get the soundtrack released, with two fewer songs than they usually produce (not including acoustic covers, remixes, and instrumentals, V1 had 12 songs, V2-6 had 8, and V7 had 9, for comparison) and only one remix. It feels fairly lackluster that this is all we’re getting out of the volume - and that’s probably why I only remember actually hearing two of these in the actual show, because there weren’t that many vocal tracks to begin with.

And that’s the end. Overall? Nothing about this volume’s soundtrack jumps out at me. I can’t see myself downloading any of these songs to listen to in the future, and while nothing on the list makes me as unreasonably pissed as War did last year, nothing captures my attention like Hero did either. Kind of a straight shot of “meh” with the occasional peak of interest (good or bad) every so often.

I’m kinda tempted to do a ranking for all the volume soundtracks, but I already know what my number one and bottom three picks would be, so it would only really benefit me to see what 2nd through 5th places would end up being. Let me know if any of you would even be interested in that.

And once again, I’d like to reiterate that this is all just my opinion. Music is probably one of the most subjective things out there, and again I have no musical training whatsoever, so my opinion is no more or less valid than yours.

Have a good night, everyone.