#some of the lyrics don't relate to her at all and yet its her song

[bumblingbabooshka]

Talking Heads’ Once in a Lifetime is now exclusively a Tuvok & Janeway song to me and I just have to accept that

[purgemarchlockdown]

What Animal Can Tell Us About Amane: The Purge March Remaster.

(CWs: Cults, Child Abuse) (Note: This is sort of a sequel to this post, you don't need to read it to understand this though as I reiterate and expand on the points I make there due to the new information Purge March provided.)

Purge March is out now and has added and recontextualized a lot of elements in Magic and Amane Momose's story as a whole! So let's talk about it in relation to Amane's cover of Animal!

Cats

As I said in my original post, Animal has a very consistent cat motif. It's present in both the original illustration and the lyrics itself.

When it comes to Cats they tend to be viewed as signs of good luck and protection in Japan. They're also well known as cute, if not a bit lazy, aloof, and mischievous, housepets. Cats are, generally speaking, very well-loved animals

This is not the cat Animal talks about. The cat in animal is wild. A cat so deprived of love that it will do anything to get a taste of it. However it's wild nature and unwillingness to hold back make it lose out of the love it so desperately craves due to the "danger" it presents.

Now, Animal is a very suggestive song, but I'd argue that's actually to it's benefit if were viewing it in context with Amane's story for reasons I'll get to later.

For know, let's talk about the cat that Amane is known for.

Unlike what most of us expected, the Cat in Magic IS an actual cat, and I wanna draw some attention to how Amane gets paralleled with it.

Now Magic is it's own wild animal even before Purge March so we won't talk in great detail about these parallels, however it is important to note that in Purge March, the cat has a collar.

Not only that but its sitting with a bunch of junk, old furniture, tires, and something that looks like a TV, another notable motif in Magic.

This cat was someone's pet, something that was supposed to be taken care of, and yet was abandoned. This cat is ultimately implied to have been killed because someone else took care of it. Since the mere idea of it being shown love and affection was apparently so bad for these people.

Not only that but the injuries shown on the cat in Magic are not the cat's injuries, there Amane's.

Here's the injuries of the Cat in Magic, as you might of noticed the Cat in Purge March has a scratch on it's leg and is breathing well.

Amane is the one with bruises on her face and was shown hyperventilating due to being waterboarded.

It's both a very literal cat and a metaphor, Amane is portraying herself through the cat in Magic. While also downplaying her actually pain in Magic.

But we'll get to that in a bit.

All this to say, Animal's cat motif fits very well into Amane's prestablished parallels with them.

Which means we can move onto:

Vulgarity

The 2nd rule of her cult is this:

’Tis ordained, thou shall discard vulgarity

It's the rule we see Amane mess up at the start, and is the only flag not shown flying in the anticipatory shots.

Now the rule is pretty vague as we don't know what exactly is defined as vulgar, and that might be the point.

Amane, over the course of Milgram, has insisted, very hard, that she does not like frivolous things. That she is a very good girl who is strong in the face of temptations.

However a lot of things hint otherwise, for example a recurring line in Magic is her asking if it's alright to spoil herself.

Dear wise one, Am I worthy? Is it ok to spoil myself?

In the same song she asks if it's okay to be "weak" the weakness most likely being this Want for "vulgarity" (and also escaping pain but we will get to that in a moment.)

Dear wise one, Is this ok? Is it ok to be weak sometimes?

We also have her T1 Interrogation questions, where for Q5 someone asked about Amusement parks.

Q: When you go to an amusement park, what do you like to ride? A: That is a place I should not go to.

Not, "I haven't been to" or "I don't want to" but "I should not" implying a rule.

In same Interrogation we also get Q3 and Q17 which add even more information:

Q3:

Q: If you were allowed to do anything, what would you want to do? A: Nothing really. I am not lacking anything.

Q:17

Q: What would you do if the world ends tomorrow? If everything ends? A: Then, I might do all sorts of things I have never done before.

These seem contradictory at first, but it seems like the condition of the world ending that changes her answer. If the world is ending then the theoretical consequences of her actions aren't as severe. While Q3 doesn't state an ending, meaning that there is Always a risk of Punishment.

This is also very complementary with Q12

Q: What is the meaning of life? A: I think it is something you learn for the first time when you look behind yourself when it ends. I do not want to have regrets then, so I live on with all my might.

Amane doesn't Want to regret anything, so it make sense if she knows everything is going to end she'll do Everything She Wants.

We already know that she wants to eat cake due to this timeline interaction.

21/06/27

Shidou: Amane, I heard it was your birthday today. I asked Es-kun if we could get this cake to give to you…… Amane: I don’t need it. I’ll gratefully accept your well-wishes, but I don’t eat things like that. Also…… Shidou-san, I can’t say I’m especially fond of the way you assume that all children will love frivolous things like this. Shidou: ………… Is that so… I apologise. I’m sure everyone else will be happy to eat it, so don’t worry about it. Sorry for intruding. Amane: ………… ……cake……

Timeline also gives us Amane wanting to pet Jackalope but pretending she doesn't. Which might be because of this and also might be because of what happened to the cat.

But we also have Purge Marge and Magic's visual presentation, which put Amane in cute and pretty costumes with fun props.

Magic especially is very indulgent. With Amane getting a really cute Magical Girl-esqe outfit in it and it being presented like a low-budget kids TV program.

Also, the TV found with the Cat in Purge March is possibly the same TV Amane was using at the end of it since Magic is full of Very Literal Metaphors. It's possible it was thrown out because of this presumed "vulgarity."

I could list examples for days but let's go back to Animal, as these concepts of vulgarity and acceptability is what makes Animal's suggestiveness an asset to it's storytelling. Animal Is a Vulgar Song, undeniably so.

The mask comes off and the beast comes out, I do it wild even if it’s ugly

It's the exact kind of song Amane would never in a million years be allowed to listen to! It might even be touted as an example of the sinfulness of the world, and that's why it works!

Amane is not a good girl, she admits it herself in Magic. She's someone who wants cute outfits and nice food and love and happiness and a bunch of other things as is Denied Them because Wanting in the first place is considered a sin.

Sin and Virtue

Sin and Virtue are a big part of Amane's story.

What is Virtuous?

What is not?

And what can be presented as sinful so you have an excuse to hurt someone?

As a song, Animal also toys with these concepts.

You want me to bite you? Accelerating beat, let’s do both the good and bad

What is acceptable and what is not? The character singing talks a lot about how disobedient they are and how that's undesirable.

The mask comes off and the beast comes out, I do it wild even if it’s ugly I can’t do sit, I can’t even do stay, purr until I go

As said previously, Amane Momose is not a good girl. At least not by the standards of her cult. She is simply too sinful, she is not close enough to god. In a world that wants her to be a dog, she is a cat. She is a horrible sinful person in a righteous world.

She is a bad, bad girl who wants so many sinful things who also wants desperately to be good so she can be cherished and loved and Not Abused.

Even I can say "I'm sorry" Even I have hope I swear! I'm going to be a good girl now! That's it!

She's Treated as someone who is undesirable, treated as someone who is sinful. And as much as she Tries she's unable to change that.

After you cry, repent, and kneel, it’s now your turn to say that hopeless “I’m sorry”

Amane also cares A Lot about having a righteous reason to do things. Why wouldn't she if she's been treated as sinful for her entire life? She needs that approval from god, from her cult, from her parents because if not that means she's evil and sinful and something that should be punished.

She doesn't even call herself a good girl in Magic! She just says she can only become better.

I take an oath! I can only become a better girl!

Amane eliminated her mom because her mom wasn't able to reach her own standards and taught Amane that the appropriate reaction to that was violent punishment.

But she still wants her dad's approval.

Q12:

Q: Who do you want to meet right now? A: My father. I want him to praise me for working hard.

Amane really, really, wants to be saved from her own sinful, horrible self. Because, if you were raised to believe that you or your actions were sinful, having that behavior "corrected," thus "saving your soul." could be considered...love.

Amane's T2 Voice Drama:

Amane: I’m happy that I was born to my parents! It was a bit difficult, and it could feel restrictive sometimes, but I’m really happy that I could grow up on such beautiful teachings! I want to live this way!

The Conflation of Pain and Love.

One of my favorite lines in Animal is this one:

If I could even love pain, I would be so happy

The song gestures towards dissatisfaction and lack of love and care multiple times but it gets stated directly here. If only the singer could love pain, if only they could be okay with a low standard of love, maybe they could actually feel happy and fulfilled.

Let’s get lost in each other, plunge into the gate, high expectations of love is not allowed ---------------------- But it’s not scary at all, because it’s love I can really think it’s great. See isn’t it a great thing?

However, as said above, the concepts of sin and weakness and greed are also conflated with wanting and happiness.

If you can be a little greedy, I want to be happy ----------------------- Dear wise one, Is this ok? Is it ok to be weak sometimes?

We can draw the a connection here, wanting good things for yourself is showcasing greed, wanting to be happy is weakness. This is something that makes sense as her cult is stated to consider pain and suffering trails.

Amane: Both pain and illness are trials. According to our teachings, those who run from them are the worst evil there is. That’s one of the four great principles. No matter who you are, that cannot be forgiven.

This explains so much about Amane's worldview. This is why she keeps on asking if it's okay to be weak, if it's okay to spoil herself in Magic. She is constantly going through these "trials," and she can't get away since running away from them is considered a horrific evil.

Her attempts at self-comfort and coping are considered as a weakness, your supposed to just suck it up and deal with it. Having coping mechanisms to horrific inhuman situations is bad actually because it means your running away from god, apparently.

You could easily imagine a situation where Amane is punished for killing her mom, not because it's murder, but because she "escaped" from her trial of punishment and is thus "evil."

(I talk about this in relation of Amane's idealization of the Milgram system here if you want to check that out.)

Pain is Amane's Way to God, it's Amane's way to Salvation, a glimmer of hope for her horrible sinful self.

Even I can say "I'm sorry" Even I have hope I swear! I'm going to be a good girl now! That's it!

Pain is love, pain is their way of "fixing" Amane, pain is their way of "cleansing" Amane.

Except, as stated previously, it doesn't work, it never will! Amane can't be cleansed, can't be purified, no matter how much she tries to be a good girl she'll ultimately fall short.

Only if, only if, only if I could be a good girl I hope, I hope everyone can be happy and smile Forever, forever together would be a dream

Because as much as you can train a wild animal to be a pet, you cannot train a cat to be a dog.

Inability to Change

Amane is unable to change, not in the sense of unable to improve. Amane definitely can, cult survivors aren't unheard of.

Amane, is however, unable to change who She is.

Because, who can really? I'm autistic and masking even just a bit makes me feel physically weak after an hour or so. I doubt the 12 year old who wants happiness can pretend she's satisfied forever.

Amane is a person, she can't change that about herself, she just can't. The original sins of humankind sits inside her body festering like a disease. Amane is wrong for wanting close and stable connections. Amane is wrong for wanting to help someone. Amane is wrong for wanting things that would make her happy.

Amane is wrong because she's Amane Momose and she was always going to be wrong no matter what she did.

She can try her best to be the perfect animal, one able to follow every rule and command with perfect accuracy. One able to lobotomize themselves and strip away everything they made them, them.

But she can never change the fact that she's a cat in a world that wants her to be dog.

Layers of makeup, the perfect animal, I'm waiting with my eyes wide open I can’t do sit, I can’t even do stay, purr until I go Show your fangs and howl, are you ready? on the count of three let's say "ZUKKYUUUUN♡", once I bite I don’t let go Layers of makeup, the perfect animal, I'm waiting with my eyes wide open

[epickiya722]

If you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top favorite fics that you've written (feel free how much that you want to list)? Why they're special to you? Is there a specific inspiration when you wrote them?

Thanks if you want to answer....

I'll tell you, all my fics are special to me and most of the time, I find myself having fun writing them. Writing isn't just a hobby, but a way for me to release pent up feelings I have or express an idea that came to me.

To name a couple...

Beware of the Bunnies - It's the first fic I wrote for "if Miruko was Midoriya's mentor". It was fun writing that fic, especially when it's a fic for my two #1 faves. I honestly didn't expect the amount of attention I got for it!

Not Red, Black - I sometimes like branching out from writing warm-hearted, funny fics and this is one of those times. Another AU idea I had, but if Miruko and Midoriya were eldritch-like creatures and related. Unlike its prequel, this one stepped more in horror imagery and I think the direction the fic took.

Forbid a Woman from Being Great - Yes, another Miruko fic and one I actually wrote out of spite. When it comes to this fandom (as with any), is how double standard they can get. With Miruko, I have seem people hate her for being "too aggressive" or "too mean", but praise other characters for those same traits or even give excuses for their behavior. Or with fanservice, the same people who complain about it also thirst over the male characters getting bloody and shirtless. I don't hate characters like Dabi, Shigaraki or Hawks but I can't stomach how their fans act when it comes to Miruko or any other character really. It was actually a Hawks fan that irritated me enough to write this fic as well as get me out of the writing funk I was in.

An Absolute Menace - This is a fun little fic. It's part of a series of Class A and occasionally B partaking in antics. With this one, writing Koda as this troll was new, but fun.

Let's SK8 Over the Rainbow - This is actually a SK8 series that I wrote and it's still one of my favorites. It started off as a headcanon (Reki allowing Koyomi to paint his nails) and then spiraled into a collection of short stories themed around colors and I love colors so much. One of the fics, You're Lime Green Jell-O, I dove into expanding a character that only appeared once in SK8. Her name is Miki and she has green hair and I remember seeing her and going "You, you're getting some personality, a story, etc." Best decision ever. I just loved writing Miki and I think it was the first time I wrote a whole story for a character that only had two lines in canon.

Tu es le Moment Auquel J'appartiens - Another series I adore. I wanted to write some jealous Vanitas since I don't think I had seen a lot of Vanoé fics where he was the jealous one while Noé was more oblivious. Not at the time, I don't know about now since I haven't read a VNC fic in a long time. The title translates to "You are the moment I belong to" which is a line of lyrics from the anime's first ending song that I love so much.

It's the Pink Hair, Isn't It? - Do not get me wrong! I do love the AUs I see where Sukuna and Yuji are brothers, but the idea of this fic came from what if they were identical strangers and not related in the slightest. Even funnier, in the fic, Kenjaku and Suguru are siblings that look like twins, but Kenjaku is older. My favorite scenes probably have to be Kenjaku and Yuji interacting and Sukuna and Yuji meeting. I've also been cooking up a sequel so I can write more of Kenjaku and Suguru being siblings and Yuji's brothers and I do mean all nine older brothers. (I relate to Choso so much.)

Your Heartbeat Is My Comfort - Ever see a beautiful piece of fanart and you want to write a fic about it? That's what happened here. I saw this FushiIta art post here and it was like BAM! I had to write a fic. It was also another I didn't write something comedic, but more somber, bit of tragedy yet comfort in there.

Maybe Someday We'll Meet Again - I'm all for the Teacher Geto AU! However, this fic came from a what if scenario had Suguru and Yuji had met when they were younger and I always how Kenjaku was even aware of Suguru's technique. So I put both ideas together and thus this fic was born. It isn't dark, but little less comedic than others and I tried my hand at focusing on more of Yuji's strangeness and innocence here along with Suguru's character before he became a curse user.

You Are My Special - Again, another time I went for less comedy and fluff and tried with something else. I actually don't know how to categorize this one in terms of genre. SPECIALZ was stuck in my head for a long time and it got when I really started thinking about the lyrics and decided why not try writing something from Kenjaku's POV about Yuji? It may have took forever to write, but I'm glad I did. I actually wanted to write a companion piece of sorts but from Sukuna's POV about Yuji.

The Pink Sky and Cherry Blossoms - I actually just posted this fic and I'm glad I waited to answer this ask because of it. I was rereading the manga and came to Uro's fight with Ryu and Yuta and instantly fell in love with her character and thought about how would it have been like if Uro met my other favorite, Yuji? They have some similarities going on there and it was eye-opening writing those into this fic, especially with Uro's character. I wasn't around when that arc came out, so I didn't know how the fandom acted towards her, but for me, I just felt there's more to her than the surface. She's the Miruko of JJK to me as Yuji is the Izuku. Just as I would love for Miruko and Izuku to be a duo in a big sis-lil bro/mentor-mentee way, I love the same for Uro and Yuji.

The Craving That Paints Your Lips Red - The last fic I wrote for 2023 and a sequel to another fic, I wanted to try my hand at the horror again. But more tame, but still "Oh my gosh". I'm writing a post about it, but I have thoughts about Yuji and Sukuna's relationship and sometimes I have this feeling that Sukuna wants to corrupt Yuji, kind of like shape him to be the next him almost. Not for certain, but it's an idea that kind of struck me. For this fic, I wanted to explore a more horror fic side of Yuji housing the King of Curses. The best part of this fic for me is how I unintentionally stuck with the idea that Yuji keeps getting back up no matter how many times Sukuna tries to break him.

That list got longer than intended, but again, I have a lot of fics I have enjoyed writing! I'm glad to have talked about them and I thank you for asking! 💜

[suedeuxnim]

I got tagged in the 10 song by both @vinelark and @burins and I'll be so honest with you: I've been listening to Utada Hikaru on repeat lately, so you're going to get MOSTLY that. But they're the fucking best musician of all time so you're welcome. This is also a plea for everyone to go watch/listen to Nijikan Dake no Vacance. One Last Kiss by Utada Hikaru - super dreamy song, I love the weird reverby piano in this and also they are SO cute in this music video. Literally always forget this was an Eva Rebuild theme but this and Sakura Nagashi are top tier bops by them so why am I surprised. Sakura Drops by Utada Hikaru - An oldie! Their new album is a best hits album and it quickly reminded me that Sakura Drops was the first non-kingdom hearts related music I heard from them and that I became obsessed with it immediately. Very fond of this one. Michi by Utada Hikaru - another one off the Science Fiction compilation album but I just love the weird beats and vocalizations that Utada does - don't know if that's the correct term but their oh oh oh's will get me like no one else and get stuck in my head lmao. Traveling by Utada Hikaru - another old one, this is face paced and I always bop around to it. Also the music video is SO like 00's Britney Spears coded, like just insane cgi weird outfits and choppy editing in the most fun way. Nijikan Dake no Vacance by Utada Hikaru ft Sheena Ringo - my god. This music video literally made me go "wait..... is Utada Hikaru GAY?" They are in fact bisexual and nb, though they hadn't come out as nb at the very least yet. But its a song about neglecting their daily wifely duties to take a secret 2 hour vacation with their secret girlfriend. Sheena Ringo has such a good counterpoint voice to Utada in this, just this scratchy low lounge-y voice and it makes me insane. The music video is also wildly sensual and beautiful. Ore no Kanojo by Utada Hikaru - low slinky voice in this one that only got better once I read the lyrics, its one of the rare sort of downbeat slow songs that I like listening to but Utada always manages to do this for me. About a girlfriend talking about her role in a relationship and inviting her partner to know her more deeply and intimately than the surface.

Idol by Yoasobi - This song made me watch the first episode of Oshi no Ko and some crimes can never be forgiven. But Yoasobi knows how to put together a banger, even a super eclectic one like this. And the animation for the video is just gorgeous too. Hana ni Natte from The Apothecary Diaries - I gotta be so honest I barely remember how the beginning of the song goes but the second it goes HANA NI NAAAAATTEEEEE and goes off I start singing along so, good anime op.

Sleep Walking Orchestra by Bump of Chicken - Bump of Chicken I love you my beloved, And unexpected but fun opening to Dungeon Meshi, I love how folksy it is and the lyrics go along with the show perfectly too.

I'm a Girl Like You from Barbie in Princess and the Pauper - Look I dont know what to tell you, I'm on a girly 00's media kick and this song is a banger AND opens with a girl being like "well at least you're not an indentured servant" to royalty before bursting into song to tell her that they're totally alike because she wants to stop being served hand and foot so she can go read in her personal library. The vibes in this movie are hysterical but the songs are iconic. I don't have 10 people to tag so if you see this and wanna do it you're it!

[daintydongyoung]

what bollywood songs do you think best describe your mutuals?

ohmygosh this ask is a bomb fr i really had to go through my playlist to find the one that suits them the best so here we go, i've added a bit of translations for some friends too 🩷 (i've added the songs below the descriptions for each)

@misschanadlerbong is certainly this i've been saying this for a long time now and idk how to explain this suits her vibe very perfectly and sonam kapoor in the movie again suits my hopeless romantic like yes

@everloving-avenue is the sweetest angel in existence and the words say "i don't know why but my heart knows i'll be alright as long as you are here, the one that makes me laugh even when im crying, it's you" i don't even need to say more ps. i associated this with mark before hence proving again mark and her are the same person, except for the fact that i love her more, sorry mark.

@nightfalls-teddy is this because the vibes match with her par excellent music taste and then the lyrics say "your friendship has me intoxicated like country vine, your sweet and sour talks get me high, this journey of life feels carefree, a friend knows about another friend" and no ash this isn't about you and haechan

@jaehunnyy is literally my precious baby and lyrics go like "my sweetheart how do i explain it to you how adorable i find you, the more im with you the more i wanna tell you" and she's perfectly a pretty woman both on the inside and outside, to me this songs suits her the best fr

@foziee is actually my jigar da tukda (piece of my heart) she's also the youngest moot i have and undoubtedly she's the cutest but at the same time she's a savage literally so chill and so fun but she's also has a soft caring spot and she's cuter than her golden retriever

@onyourhyuck is another beautiful beautiful friend and this song talks about "oh beautiful white dove, flap your wings and fly and reach the heights that no one has reached and keep on moving forward and forward without any fear" the meanings and ryhrms are perfect like herself it's aptly fitting her precious vibes

@partiallyderived is clearly my jaan i know she said she was dilliwali girlfriend before but again idk how to explain it's the very sassy and queen like energy she gives off it's all very very diva like and i know how badly she wishes the guy in the car was phanbin that's why this is her

@whereisahana is again such a queen i can't even explain and she's so chill and so relatable yet so smart and she excludes confidence through texts the first thing i thought of was this naturally

@its-me-satine is an angel undoubtedly and she has the sweetest heart and she feels like she walked out of a novel and this song literally has stand by me mixed with which again feels like her, it says "there's no other word like your name i've read a hundred books a hundred times" i can picture her doing the things she loves while this plays in the background

@maraudersbitchesassemble is this one totally like do you know about her and her many talents and the gorgeous gorgeous vibes she gives off i don't even need to say anything more she seems so artistic to me honestly

@asahix9 is this song and this app won't let me add more than 10 audios so here i am adding the link to the song and this song goes like "this life is in the arms of the sun, breaths are the sunrays and talks are sunshine" and it's honestly such a fun loving and cute song like herself it's about loving more and spreading more love around

🩷✨️

[entomophagouserisian]

Incoming: some weeb shit I've folded one of my favorite math things into (permutations)

So I recently went back to Revolutionary Girl Utena because my girlfriend hadn't seen any of it yet and I hadn't seen much beyond season 1 (I know it's a foundational work of sword lesbianism and regret not having gone harder on it before).

I was kind of laughing with her about how edgy the translated lyrics of Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku (Absolute Destiny: Apocalypse, the song that plays during the scene where Utena climbs up to the arena every episode) and I noticed that there wasn't a translation for a chant at the end of it that hits my ear in a very pleasing way.

The chant in question:

Mokushi Kushimo

Shimoku Kumoshi

Moshiku Shikumo

The reason there is no translation is that it's mostly gibberish. They took the word "Mokushi" (Apocalypse) and rearranged the syllables in all possible ways to create this particular piece of poetry. The repetition of syllables in this way ends up feeling really good to my brain when I hear it and I have therefore been alternating between trying to memorize it and analyzing its structure for the past few days.

Unfortunately in order to present my process for this analysis I'm going to have to teach you some basics of the mathematical conception of permutations.

(The following aside into math is actually wholly unnecessary to my overall analysis, so feel free to skip to the clearly marked conclusion at the end if it feels like too much or you just don't feel like engaging with it)

A permutation is any reordering of a set of objects. Note that it's just reordering, it doesn't include deletions or the introduction of new elements or new copies of old elements. Commonly if we want to analyze permutations directly, and more specifically to talk about the permutation where the first object goes to 2nd position, second object to 3rd, third object to 1st, we use (123) (read as 1 goes to 2, 2 goes to 3, 3 goes to 1). As well, if the 3rd object stays put and the first two swap places, we would use (12) (read as 1 goes to 2, 2 goes to 1) to describe that. If no change is made, we usually just use (1) (read as one goes to one or the identity) to describe that. (This is very much lacking the rigor and generality that I would've preferred, but this post would've been substantially longer if I'd gone into that much detail, so I'm kind of hoping someone can come in with just this much explanation and understand what comes after)

So my first step in my analysis was to try to record how each of the "words" related to the base/actual word Mokushi (this is admittedly where it would be quite useful for me to change over to hiragana, but I don't know it and don't have a keyboard downloaded for it and don't feel like downloading one just for this post or copy/pasting the hiragana repeatedly, sorry to those of you who study/enjoy Japanese)

So, rewriting the chant as the permutations applied to Mo-Ku-Shi (written this way to emphasize the 3 objects being permuted):

(1) (132)

(123) (12)

(23) (13)

It was fun but didn't get me anywhere (other than verifying every possible ordering was present, but I was already pretty certain of that) so I instead chose to look at what permutation is happening at each step in the sequence rather than just how they compared to the original:

* (132)

(132) (13)

(132) (132)

Here, we see a much more obvious pattern. For all but one transformation, we are permuting by taking the first syllable and pushing to the end, moving the other two toward the beginning of the "word". To hear it, it is very easy to recognize the 2-syllable repeats happening throughout that first pulled my attention. However, this one permutation couldn't be done exclusively if they wanted to cover all possible permutations, as applying (132) 3 times brings you back to the original word, so the third Permutation is instead (13) which just reverses the syllables in this case since there's only 3 of them, but this also notably changes them to a "word" not yet seen which can bring us to the two we are still missing by applying (132) two more times.

It was after all of this that I properly noted that that middle step reversed the previous "word" and I mentally zoomed out to notice

~~~~Conclusion~~~~

the chant is set up to mirror itself. The pairs 1&6, 2&5, and 3&4 are all the reverse of one another, ordered such that for all but one pair heard in sequence, there is a 2-syllable repetition when moving from one word to the next. (Yes it took me this long to notice it was mirrored. No all that permutation work was definitely not necessary, but forgive a [likely autistic] math nerd for her indulgences.)

It's just a silly chant in a cartoon but it made me happy to see permutations in it and I am sincerely moved by the poetry of making gibberish out of a dark and serious word like apocalypse by listing off anagrams.

[popchoc]

for the prompts - 08 You and me, babe, how about it?- Marina (was this prompt inspired by the dire straits song romeo and juliette?👀)

Maya Bishop & Carina DeLuca, Station 19

08: You And Me, Babe, How About It

****************************************************

"Buon Natale," Carina beams happily, raising her glass.

Maya mirrors her gesture as well as her cheeky smile. "Merry Christmas," she toasts from the opposite side of the couch, her feet warm underneath Carina's. "Assuming I guessed that one right."

"You did," Carina chuckles, almost spilling her wine, before shaking her head in amusement. "I can't believe you still haven't mastered Italian, after all those lessons. Can you even form a sentence yet?"

"You know I can," Maya cries out, pulling an indignant face. "I'm singing Bella Ciao all the time, beginning to end!"

Her protest only makes Carina laugh harder. "That's because you learned it by heart - phonetically! Which, I admit, is very impressive. But do you have any idea what it's about?"

Maya shrugs - taking Carina by surprise as she already braced herself for Maya taking the bait. "I don't care what it's about," she simply says, "I just like the bella parts. They always remind me of you."

"Really?" Carina's face lights up, and not just by the dancing flames of the fire place. "That's so sweet. A bit weird, considering the other lines, but sweet." She stretches her arm until her hand finds Maya's resting on the back of the couch. "I actually have one of those, too. My own uhm... Maya song."

"You do?" Maya cocks her head, curious to find out more, then suddenly narrows her eyes. "Oh God, don't tell me it's Relight my Fire? Or Sex on Fire... or Girl on Fire... or..."

Snorting with laughter, Carina squeezes Maya's hand, making her stop listing at least two dozen more fire related songs. "Don't worry, it's nothing like that. It's Romeo and Juliet, actually."

"But that doesn't count," Maya sighs somewhat bummed, "That's just because you know how much I love that song."

Carina shakes her head again. "Uh-uh. It's way more than that."

Frowning even deeper now, Maya pulls her hand back to run her fingers through her hair, focusing hard as she recalls the song and its full lyrics. Carina keeps quiet, giving her a moment to work it out, and tries not to laugh again when she catches Maya mumbling the right line without realizing it.

"You don't remember, don't you?" she smiles, saving Maya from some rising frustration over this unexpected riddle.

"I'm afraid not," Maya admits, "But please tell me you don't think of us as this tragic or doomed..."

"Anything but," Carina winks, reaching out again and bopping her head. She doesn't need to say anything for Maya to understand. Swiftly moving towards her, Maya turns around and nestles herself in Carina's embrace.

"Alright, I tell you," Carina goes on when they are both settled and comfy. "It was the night before Christmas—"

"Carina!"

"Okay, okay, it wasn't," Carina laughs, "It was a few days after we met, the day you came looking for me at the hospital."

Maya shifts a little in her arms, mumbling, "I had to start somewhere."

Smiling at the memory, Carina nuzzles her nose in Maya's hair. "You did good. After all, you came over to ask me out. Which is where the song comes in. You still don't remember?"

"I don't," Maya grumbles, hiding behind her palms. "But something tells me it was really embarrassing." She looks up at Carina, slightly peeking through her fingers. "Be honest, did I say something stupid?"

"No, not stupid," Carina giggles, "More like... effective." She takes another sip of her wine, slow and leisurely, and puts her glass aside, deliberately stretching time a little more. "You told me you were thinking about going for another drink. And then you literally said: You and me, babe, how about it?"

"I did not!" If Maya wouldn't be trapped in Carina's tight hug, she would spring to her feet.

"You did!" Carina laughs, "I swear to God, you did!" She presses a kiss onto Maya's cheekbone, then whispers, "And I couldn’t be more glad. 'Cause look at us now!"

Maya opens her mouth, still not completely convinced, and far from ready to let go, but instead of some counter argument, a high-pitched scream falls of her lips as Carina suddenly moves away from behind her and just as easily manages to end up on top of her - captivating her by putting her hands at both sides of her head and locking their eyes.

"Smooth!" Maya grins, quickly catching her breath.

"You’re not the only one with some moves," Carina winks once more, before dipping her head to connect their lips. Their kiss is slow, full of promise, and when their eyes meet again Maya can tell she's up to something.

"It's the night before Christmas..." Carina hums quietly.

"It actually is," Maya titters in anticipation. "So what are you thinking?"

Carina kisses her again, then playfully wiggles her brows. "I'm thinking you and me, babe... how about it?"

****************************************************

3k Celebration Prompts (closed)

[septembersghost]

I saw a comment on reddit that said they love taylor swift the musician and artist, they care about and respect what they know about taylor the person, but they really, really dislike Taylor Swift the Celebrity and that's where I'm at. I can't stand the attention whoring and the pap walks and the constant headlines and her feeding into it on purpose with her dating life and her friends and everything again after years of growth and privacy. it's exhausting. I love her artistry and when we get to see her true self, but I don't like the PR machine and wish she'd give it a rest. She's already the most popular, successful pop star right now. She doesn't have to do this much.

oh this is such an interesting topic, and there's more to unpack in this than i can probably address properly, but the first thing i will say is: you don't have to like the celebrity® stuff to love and enjoy her music, appreciate her artistry, and respect the parts of her true human self that we're aware of (ie: what she has shared herself, what fellow artists/collaborators have said, how she treats others, like workers, her documented kindness to fans, her generosity, her humor, etc).

it's a tricky thing because taylor the artist, taylor the woman, and taylor swift™ the brand are all intertwined, but they're not the same, and the brand aspect - the marketing, the planned photos and arranged articles, the business savvy, the vinyl variants (idc about this but i know some do), is far further away from the real person than the music itself is, which is a much more intimate, vulnerable extension of her. yet they have to exist in tandem, because you cannot gain the massive success she has without selling that, without playing that game and being calculated in the media. this is true of any very famous musician, they have to craft that and market it.

i know i have quoted this a lot by now, but: "the image is one thing and the human being is another. it's very hard to live up to an image."

the celebrity aspect is often uncomfortable, because by nature of its glitz and hugeness (the monster on the hill), it is more devoid of the personhood. (this is actually one of my stumbling blocks with midnights, because it's very much an album of taylor regarding celebrity and fame, as she was clearly grappling with that and how to engage with it, but it's a less accessible topic and generally leaves me feeling that distinct barrier.) the wealth, play-by-plays of her dinners, constant coverage of where she is (when she's not performing or doing something publicly related to her art, it's not actually our business), news outlets using her for clicks, other brands using her for clout, the pap walks, the general fame aura of the whole thing, it is exhausting. i love her, i respect and admire her talent/creativity/dedication/work ethic, i don't need to see her in every news app, and i don't think it's healthy.

taylor the human has certainly made mistakes, because that's the nature of living and having human flaws, but some of those have been in service to the celebrity (a condition which we know has hurt her in the past). taylor the celebrity attends events and plays to the camera, taylor the celebrity knows when to deal with the paparazzi, taylor the celebrity can have google create puzzles to serve taylor the artist and let the fans have fun. taylor the person has given introspective, honest interviews, taylor the person lays herself into those lyrics and the artistry, but that and the image blur together because it's her constant state of existence. lyrics are poetry set to music, so while hers are often diaristic, they also condense, and alter, and take poetic license to turn those experiences into song.

but taylor the very real human being, who wakes up in the morning and brushes her hair and makes her coffee - we do not know her. we do not ever see her, the moment she steps into public view, that shift has to happen. we do not ever interact with her. and she is not for us. she is not our friend, nor our personal property. we have no right to any aspect of her life. taylor who stands onstage and shares her meaningful connection with us and talks about our shared relationship and love, that's the artist, and there is nothing wrong with caring about her and being excited about her and following her work and discussing its content. however, she does not go home in the night to us in her living room, and that's how it's supposed to be! we are not a replacement for her inner circle of loved ones. we cannot provide her support or company in her quiet moments, in the private times when she leans on the people around her. "yas queen"ing her success or her genius strategies or her street style is not real interaction, it's being a fan. that's fine! i certainly do that and it's great! i enjoy seeing her succeed. i will analyze and discuss her music and what it tells us, i will talk anytime about how much her music means to me and how it's helped save me and how dearly close i hold it and how i love her for that, and it's a real form of love, we are perfectly capable of loving someone we don't know and that remaining healthy. don't cross boundaries of idolization, obsession, stalking, it's all good. if we use the dreaded word - parasocial - there are studies about those bonds being positive things and helpful for people! it's not only a negative term, it's all about boundaries and recognition of reality. if we could know the real person, our dynamic towards her would immediately change.

the problem i think you're struggling with (if it's okay for me to say so) is dissonance because we have not experienced this level of bombardment with the celebrity for many years, and it feels a little jarring, even a little false, regardless of intent. she had successfully been much more private for a while (and lessened some of the worse aspects of the media intrusion and fans' invasive bad behavior, which sadly has all ramped up again), and now she's chosen to change that strategy. that's her prerogative, it comes with its benefits and its downsides. hopefully she's finding a new sense of balance and safety with it. my suggestion is to ignore the aspects that are bothering you and prioritize what you love and what feels enriching. you do not have to engage with all facets of the fandom at all times. it's not required, there's no test here in being a fan. you love the music? that's enough. you need to block out gossip and tabloid fodder for a while? that's completely fine. you find yourself annoyed at stuff happening in the fandom? (same. the lack of perspective, media literacy, boundaries, the cruel, immature commentary towards others, i'm over it and disappointed in a lot of people on my dash tbh.) utilize your filters and prioritize whatever you need. those interactions are always up to you.

hang in there, we've got an incredible october coming up with the eras film and 1989 tv. anything else is noise. the art and the music is beautiful and exciting, and we're so lucky to be spoiled with that like we are. look forward to the positive things, i promise that's worth it.

[tierra-paldeana]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN.

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have?

from the moment i saw rika, i fell in love. basically the same experience everyone else had when they saw her in game - thinking she was a boy, and then having your world rocked the moment you discovered she was a girl hahaha. ever since that day she became a very big source of comfort, as someone who considers herself gnc. matter of fact, rika as a character makes me feel so cozy she raises my self esteem and makes me even prouder to be gnc hahah!

but i also had that instinct of mine of 'what if i take her and make up her backstory and give her trauma'... i waited until the DLCs came out to start developing stuff though.

is there anything you don’t like to write?

anything related to non-con. also sorry but netorare and related topics are also a no. i'm prolly missing stuff but those are the things i hate the most off the top of my head-

is there anything you really enjoy writing?

i love shipping of all kinds (platonic, romantic, familial, etc), i love putting my characters through anguish and angst only to get sweet catharsis and comfort by the end, i love fluff a ton, and also character exploration rps (i'm not sure how to describe it tho-)

how do you come up with headcanons? 

i feel them as i go. sometimes i see something that causes a thought to pop into my head and i write it down. other times i'm simply listening to music or doing something else, i start thinking and connecting dots, sometimes even from canon info from the games, and i start making up theories and stuff- however, other times i come up w a hc that i apply to most of my muses by virtue of me already being biased by other things-

like rika being 10% feral? that's because i'm a fucking furry---

do you write in silence or do you play music? 

i got some playlists and random ambiance videos that i pop in and listen to in the bg, especially if i'm writing something that necessitates a specific mood that i have just the right music for. usually they're not songs (as in, sung, with lyrics) otherwise my brain gets distracted and i can't concentrate.

do you plan your replies or wing them?

i try to plan them, but it depends on how i'm feeling most of the time-

do you enjoy shipping? 

i FUCKING LOVE shipping, as i said earlier-

what’s your alias/name? 

akai!

age?

26

birthday? 

may

favorite color?

orange and blue!

favorite song? 

most songs by owl city, i'mma be honest.

last movie you watched?

alice in wonderland, with a friend who hadn't watched it

last show you watched?

currently watching the pokemon anime!

last song you listened to?

a horse with no name, by america!

favorite food? 

pasta, chicken fillets with pepper sauce...

favorite season?

summer!

do you have a tumblr best friend?

not yet- this blog's still in its infancy, i think haha, and i haven't interacted with anyone outside of @laprimera on discord cause i'm super awkward and don't just give my discord away, despite considering myself an ambivert- i might start giving it out more tho once i can get over myself ><

tagging: feel free to steal this lul

[arrow90-art]

9 Ship Songs

Thank you sm for the tag!! @dujour13

For Larksharius & Rimerock! Their love story and lore. :3

I don't have 9 songs yet, and some of these are their character theme songs. I will share the lore with the songs, here we go! ^^

Link to the Playlist (the order of songs follows their story timeline)

1. Lost at Sea - Rob Grant, Lana Del Rey

Pov Lark. Timeline before they met Ri in Lost Chaple again (their second encounter).

Once you told me Look for the North Star Then you'll see Heavenly, I hear Found my way to the beach There were waves over me I was lost at sea 'Til you found me, 'til you found me ... I was found lost at sea

As I mentioned before, Lark falls unconscious when they overused their power and exhaust their soul&body to an extreme. Their soul is forced out of their body to the bank of the River of Souls. They will perish if their soul can't wake up and get back to their body in time.

Lark carries a radiant scale (fallen from Ri when he rescued the sinking ship hundreds of years ago. Lark was a small boy on the boat. It's their first encounter). Whenever Lark is unconscious, the scale glow and radiant coldness to wake them up. It's a North Star, glowing even at the darkest part of the river, guiding the lonely soul back home.

(Their love story is a hundreds years long Lost & Found.)

*My art is still a wip! Lark's soul wanders on the bank of the River of Souls.*

2. Windswept - Crywolf

Pov Ri. Timeline before he met Lark in Lost Chaple.

Ri's gold dragon mentor Mirikshul was killed. He missed her too much, and suffered from severe corruption.

(I only love the loneliness and desperation in this song. Most of the lyrics don't mean anything. Ri never loved Mirik in a romantic way. )

But in my head I am still there I can still feel you Breathing slow I've known this dream for a long time In the air Suspended here With thousands of words we've spoken Can I soar Up through the clouds Leave all of this behind ... All alone I feel your breath I hear your whispers Dark like storms Telling me, "Dear, I'll never leave your mind."

3. The Beach - Wolf Alice

Pov Lark. Timeline when Lark (still a lich) visits the Osirian deity Set in its realm.

Imagine the song starts with the two bargaining.

(1: 55) is the time when Set's scythe cuts through Lark's body and soul. The blade cut off their 50+ years of existence as a lich. The process only took a second, but it feels like actual 50+ years because Lark has to experience these times again and made their way out.

Set and related lore here, for those who haven't seen my Egyptian deity with 2 dog heads. :3

Pressed in my palm Was a stone from the beach The perfect circle Gave a moment of peace Now I'm lying on the floor Like I'm not worth a chair I close my eyes and imagine I'm not there

4. Surrounding - CHPTRS

Pov Ri. Timeline after the two meet again. They built trust and love slowly kicks in.

Lark enchanted the radiant scale and return it back to Ri as a necklace. It helps him maintain a clear mind from corruption madness. (but nothing can cure the corruption, Ri is still dying.)

By now I'd be gone but You found me, you found me I now know the love that's Around me, Around me And the people surrounding me In the face of the worst in me Don't lose hold of me now I'm barely hanging on Don't go far from me now I'm barely holding on somehow

5. Obvious - CHPTRS

Pov Ri. Timeline after the two meet again, Chapter 5. Right before Ri's ritual to become a dracolich (hopefully an arch dracolich, the ritual is special, reinvented by Set).

The two now accepted the fact they love each other. If Ri can make it through the ritual, they will officially be lovers. Lark feeds the Potions of Dracolich Transformation to Ri in a long kiss. This is their first kiss too, Lark is saying please come back to me, don't die, I love you.

If I'm not swinging, then the war is won Caught beforehand Falling forward All in front of us Light bestowed The heavens open Was it obvious? Isn't it obvious? You were right in front of me With the answer

At the end of Windswept, the lyrics are "Are you still my answer/To the question I've asked since I was born". Ri was seeking his answer, and now he found it.

6. End of the Earth - MARINA

Pov, Ri & Lark. Timeline after Ri's successful ritual and the crusade ended. Now the two stick together forever, planar travel everywhere.

(also thanks to Blackstar, Ri ascended. The divine power let his body capable to run almost in the same way as a living dragon. He can eat, sleep, and do whatever he wishes to.)

Lark:

Do you ever think how this life could've been? If you never took the chance A leap of faith and danced with losing it all

Both:

But I'll give my love, I don't care if it hurts 'Cause I'll love you 'til the end If we're torn apart then I won't let go 'Cause wherever we are it feels like home ... 'Cause I'll love you 'til the end of the earth

Anyone who'd like to do this plz consider yourself tagged! ^^

[mooseonahunt]

I’m just here for resident evil but genuinely how the hell does Katy Perry embody the spirit of communism

Not Katy Perry herself, but her song, “Teenage Dream.”

Now, I’m unpacking it using the contents of the Communist Manifesto in mind. My assignment was in relation to Marx and Engles, so I'll be making comments more about the Manifesto than actual communism. My analysis is beneath the cut, but a reminder that not all lyrics are gonna be applicable, so I'll be leaving some out.

So in the first verse we hear about the narrator (I am separating Katy from the voice whose story we're hearing purely as an analytical thing) and their partner's dynamic.

You think I'm pretty without any makeup on

You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong

From the start, there's a sense of understanding between them, but sayings like "you look pretty without makeup" and finding someone funny when they mess up can easily be taken as belittling or degrading. The narrator does acknowledge that their partner gets them, so they "let [their] walls come down, down" around them, but do we ever hear of the partner reciprocating? No. This leads me to the foundation of this analysis. The narrator represents the proletariat while their partner is the bourgeoisie.

Before you met me

I was alright, but things were kinda heavy

Marx claims the bourgeoisie rose from the nobles of the overthrown aristocracy, while the proletariat emerged from the labourers needed to produce the goods the bourgeoisie would profit off of. The narrator was alright before they met their partner, although "things were kinda heavy" as there was much economical and political turmoil after the overthrow of the aristocracy. The narrator, who (again) represents the proletariat, was brought to life by the new rising class distinctions.

Let's go all the way tonight

No regrets, just love

We can dance, until we die

You and I, will be young forever

This, my dear readers, is a call to action. This is the proletariat rising up in violent revolution as Marx believed it would. The narrator wants to go "all the way tonight" in overthrowing the oppressive bourgeoisie. They'll have "no regrets," and describes the revolution as a dance. They'll remain young forever because the revolution will have been immortalised as the beginning of the communist utopia Marx envisioned.

You make me

Feel like I'm livin' a teenage dream

The way you turn me on, I can't sleep

Why a teenage dream? This is a fresh, naive outlook on the future, as we know that we have yet to witness the communist utopia Marx believed in. The narrator being aroused to the point they can't sleep is their excitement to abolish the bourgeoisie. The thought of overthrowing their partner is invigorating. It brings back the energy and optimism of youth.

My heart stops

When you look at me, just one touch

Now, baby, I believe this is real

So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back

The presence of the bourgeoisie in the narrator's life (whether it's a look or a touch) makes the narrator's heart stop. Romantically or in fear? Why not both? The bourgeoisie and the proletariat are so intertwined, it would be remiss to view their relationship as strictly black and white. Even so, the proletariat class will prevail! The narrator believes their cause is real, and so they take that chance to eradicate the bourgeoisie from the face of the Earth.

We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach

Got a motel and built a fort out of sheets

I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece

I'm complete

Why Cali? What's in California? What does California represent? Supposedly, the state of California is a paradisiacal land of sunshine and fame, its beaches the stuff of legend. For ages, California has been seen through rose coloured lenses, but it's not everything it's chalked up to be. The narrator getting drunk on the beach with their partner would make it very hard to remember much of their trip, although it is framed as a positive event. This couldn't possibly be paradise. Not the paradise that the proletariat knows is waiting for them. They rent a motel instead of a high class hotel or any fancy inn, reflecting the class of the narrator. They "built a fort out of sheets," a flimsy, childish construct that would easily fall apart with one wrong move. The fort, therefore, foreshadows the fall of the bourgeoisie, for they've been continuously badgering the working class from the false comfort and safety of their wealth. The narrator finally finds their missing puzzle piece on this trip, thus completing them. Their partner, the bourgeoisie, the representation of all that is corrupt and wrong with society, the root of all their problems- their missing puzzle piece. The narrator finally sees the whole picture, and the time for revolution is upon them.

Anyway that's why Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" embodies communist revolution. I misspoke when I said it represented communism. I didn't think anyone would ask.

[thesinglesjukebox]

ARIANA GRANDE - "YES, AND?"

So there've been a few developments since the last time around...

[5.17]

Rachel Saywitz: Improv Player 1: That new Ariana Grande single is really growing on me. 

Improv Player 2: Yes, and it’s not just because she’s referring to a staple improvisational tool, that I, as someone who was captain of their senior year improv team in high school, relate to. 

Improv Player 1: Yes, and I was sub-captain of my senior year improv team in high school, which does not upset me in any way whatsoever nor do I think about it every night before bed, staring up at the ceiling, my eyes damp and wide, as I consider all that has led me here and whether it was worth it, to be here at this community improv class with you, someone I know nothing about other than the fact that we both paid $20 to list opinions at each other.

Improv Player 2: Yes….and… I think the song is probably one of Max Martin’s most understated tracks he’s written for Ari, which plays really well for her, because I can feel the intensity of her message so clearly—

Improv Player 1: “Yes, and,” we shout past each other, too eager to let our own thoughts be the center of someone else’s world. But it’s only for a split second, because there is always another “yes, and,” from our opposing partner to shoot us in the dark cavities of our mind as we race to snuff out yet another one-uppance. 

Improv Player 2: Yes, um, and, um, I like how she’s obviously speaking about herself while turning the public chatter onto the listener too, even though it gets a bit “Vogue”-y near the end, you can tell she’s kind of pandering to you a bit—

Improv Player 1: “Yes”’s and “and”’s proliferate not just this crusty basement of a down-ridden community center, but in the cross section of mind and heart. The opposing partner, is it not our id rising up against the passive ego to offer more of our body, heart, and soul to the echoing natural plane? How much more can we more before the more is too much?

Improv Player 2: Dude. Are you okay? 

Improv Player 1: Yes. And?  [7]

Edward Okulicz: "Vogue," if written by committee, with an extra dose of pandering and a terrible chorus and the distinct stink of trying too hard. So not actually very much like "Vogue," I suppose. But "Yes, And?" is otherwise so featureless and uninteresting that considering its intent -- probably to hoover up as much discourse as it can like a black hole that lives on the Internet -- is more interesting than trying to tease out any real musical merit. [4]

Leah Isobel: Okay, yeah, "Vogue" interpolation, whatever. "Yes, And?" actually reminds me of teenpop-era Robyn: check the verse chord progression that feels both weightless and constantly inverting, like riding a conveyor belt on the ceiling of an airport terminal. But where Robyn's fur-lined voice warmed up Max Martin's antiseptic interiors, Ariana's silvery perfection only enhances the song's posthuman qualities. That's not to say she doesn't convey emotion, but that the way she does it is so glossy and CGI-smooth that the emotion she conveys seems elevated above actual humanity. (This is why you can plop her voice into a video game, and it makes perfect sense.) She's like a pop fairy godmother or possibly a good witch, entering from another plane of reality to whisper and belt and inspire. I'm sure this is an unbelievably exhausting position to be in -- the very cool and vaguely discomfiting vocal processing on the prickly bridge indicates as such. But "Yes, And?" still seems beholden to that image, its pneumatic airlessness overwhelming. I like it, but I don't know if Ariana does. [6]

Ian Mathers: "Yes, And?" is probably not an improv reference in context, but it's also not the meme I was thinking about (that'd be "And what about it?"). The energy is similar, though, with some weird offshoots. There's one lyric that always makes me think it's the "like their father or their dog just died" bit from Cohen's "Everybody Knows," and on the other hand there's the whole "my tongue is sacred"/energy stuff that kinda lands with a thud. Luckily the production is gently bumping enough and the chorus scans just on the right side of enjoyably enjambed that even if I still find Grande a little indistinct as a performer, I'm not going to be pissed if I start hearing this all the time. [7]

Maddie Lee: It seems inevitable that there was a Madonna follow-up to Beyoncé's Malcolm McLaren. The two-chord progression of "Yes, And?" can be traced back to the "Love Groove" section of MFSB's "Love is the Message," a song that embodied the plush, feminine drama of the pre-Masters at Work ballroom era (as echoed in "Deep in Vogue"). When "Yes, And?" invokes it, it's merely ready-to-wear glamour, much like the image of putting one's lipstick on. I find "Vogue" more fun to listen to than "Deep in Vogue", and I can't deny the instant pleasure of "Yes, And?" If only "And what about it?" scanned better lyrically. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: A familiar-sounding and overly labored slice of diva house that's unremarkable aside from the way that Ariana turns herself into a Vocaloid for the title phrase, which serves the song well as an aural trademark, even as it constantly threatens to float away and attach itself to a different song entirely. [5]

Isabel Cole: It’s punctuated like a question, but I can’t stop hearing it as the improv troupe’s imperative—yes, and!---as though the song is instructing the listener to proceed stumbling through life’s hurdles with little heed for coherence or curveballs. Somehow it works in the song’s favor to take it in the spirit of pretend. The first rule of songs about how you totally don’t care about the haters is, of course, that they are universally released by people who care a lot, but few singers in the genre have sounded less convincingly carefree than Ariana. The bridge in particular descends or erupts, depending on your perspective, into a masterclass in passive-aggression so blatantly delivered with a smile on her face and daggers in her eyes that I have to laugh even though I, like every other human on earth, will never hear this song without thinking about the real-world mess that precipitated it. Kind of annoying, a little bit funny—like I said: improv. [6]

Michael Hong: This is like when your friend does something awful and goes "bye, so done with the drama," then proceeds to log back into Instagram a day later. It's fun to watch! The message of self-love rings a bit hollow, but it's a decent time regardless. [6]

Andrew Karpan: An almost movingly empty pop record that has the peculiar dignity to name itself that, betraying a sense of humor that evokes both the highs and lows of HBO’s The Idol. [3]

Jackie Powell: Ariana Grande catapulted herself into the upper echelon of the pop world by putting out music that addressed and reflected upon her personal plight. This worked beautifully with “Thank U, Next,” where she altered the way artists can reflect upon their relationships without being spiteful and petty. And don’t forget about the music video, where Grande brought Mean Girls back into the cultural zeitgeist years before Reneé Rapp did. Grande attempts to get the same result with “yes, and?” over five years later, but does it work? Not in the same way. There’s a new personal life situation she’s singing about, but this time it's unethical, and there’s no debating that. She sure does try, though, in her own version of Lady Gaga’s “Do What U Want" -- remember, that song where Gaga spoke about the gossip writers and the paparazzi whose criticism felt suffocating? (And yes there was an embarrassing feature on there, but that’s not the point.) What I found insensitive about “yes, and?” was the group of people that Grande vilified in the music video. The intro features people who she deems to be “the critics”: people who are critical of what Grande’s music is like in addition to the person she is. Although Grande’s privacy and personal life are being violated by the gossip media, she conflates music criticism and those who write about music not just for clicks with those who do. Her timing to jab music criticism when it’s in freefall is indicative of how artists have forgotten or don’t care about its purpose: not simply aiming to be critical, but rather to make sense of the next step in Grande's discography. Sonically, "Yes, And?" might be an even catchier single than “Thank U, Next”: Max Martin and ILYA constructed an interpolation of Madonna’s “Vogue” that sounds and feels fresh, rather than completely ripping off the source material. (Yes, I’m looking at you “7 Rings.”) But the whole point of "Vogue" was to encourage self-expression and empowerment. Grande tries to do that with phrases like “be your own fuckin’ best friend,” but the song doesn’t get there because of the people she ices out. It’s ironic, because the first verse of “Yes, And?” is all about how everyone is “healin’ from somebody or somethin’ we don’t see.”  [6]

Mark Sinker: The English actor whining about hummus in the skit at the start of the vid gives me nasty skin-prickle (inventing opposition this gratingly fake is bad pushback against pushback); and yet when the hatas and the critics do gather (my critics which are mine), I too will always put on my mimsiest little flimsiest little voice and tell them “BE YR OWN FKN VEST!” And OK, as advice “turn on your light” isn’t that much of a counter to the advancing Lynchian dark (a Lynch-light always hums and flickers), but what is a counter (underplayed, on a repeat note) is the Madonnoid “ — and — ”… So the pushback won’t stop, no, but we are at a likeable enough dynamic impasse. [7]

Alex Clifton: I was really hoping this would be a cover of the Kelly Clarkson/Ed Sheeran song, but my dreams were dashed. This is "No Tears Left to Cry"-lite, tackling the same topic but in a deeply different context. "No Tears" was born out of the trauma of a terrorist attack; "Yes, And?" stems from a PR crisis painting Grande as a homewrecker. I too get frustrated when tabloids get bogged down in the personal details of female stars' lives, but the SpongeBob affair has been so unabashedly messy that it's really hard to ignore. Something about the IDGAF attitude in this rubs me absolutely the wrong way and somehow magnifies the circumstances rather than sweeping them under the rug. "No Tears" works, in part, because it's blissfully escapist from some of the most horrific stuff on the planet. This song feels more like an unhealthy, willful denial of reality. It's immensely catchy, and usually I'm way more forgiving for catchy, but that can't save Grande this time. [4]

Katherine St. Asaph: When listening to songs like "Yes, And?" I often try to imagine the reaction not by someone plugged into stan culture and fandoms and tabloid drama, but by casual listeners of top 40 radio -- the people once called Local Twitter. Tabloids, fandoms, and stan culture are popular enough even among casual listeners that perhaps this isn't a large group, but surely there must be at least one such person. "Yes, And?" is basically "Vogue" via the unbothered/in my lane/moisturized meme, and shorn of all other context, it could simply be a slinky midtempo confidence-booster about rising above a dark situation, like "No Tears Left to Cry" before it. Except the "dark situation" "Yes, And?" presents itself as panacea and strut-soundtrack for is not experiencing horrifying violence as on "No Tears," or having panic attacks as on "Breathin," or even offending the institutions of patriotism and donut hygiene, but a new relationship that Occam's Razor suggests involved cheating with someone who just had a kid with his ex-wife. I can't say that shit with my chest without the interior of my chest raising some objections. The biographical criticism would be unfair if Ariana didn't bring the situation into the song itself, and my stance remains unchanged: at least own your decisions! Instead, we have a "yes, and?" chorus that is snappy and thought-terminating in a "u mad?" kind of way but that does not actually say the real shit, let alone with one's chest; it's anti-introspection disguised as acceptance. That's the moral critique. The practical critique is that while "Yes, And?" is partly a song about how Ariana doesn't owe the parasocial fixation of hecklers any details of whatever internal reckoning she may or may not be having, it's also a song written as inspirational advice to its listeners. And by dragging in the whole sordid affair, Ariana turns a broad song about any number of dark situations into a narrow song about her own dark situation. Unless you can relate in that specific way, why wouldn't you just listen to Ariana's other songs instead? They sound the same. [5]

Nortey Dowuona: Me: Fam if you willingly go along with 4 guys willing to break up their relationships to be with you, you might need to start picking unattached dudes who are actually loyal. Ari: yes, and? me: ............ok fine you're right. the song is still mid tho. [4]

Jacob Satter: Grande and her team's skill at hitting the big red DISCOURSE button (apparently four notable instances over three years is a trend now?) underlies her considerable, consistent skill at making a silk purse out of half a pop song. Disappointingly, "yes, and?" is more high-quality knockoff than true designer. Rather than teasing her new album, Ariana is shopping a haughtier attitude and a fresh cut facade, leaving "yes" without the burr to merit continued rub.   [6]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The verses are slick, their conversational tone and criss-crossing harmonies filled with a congenial air. For the first single of a new era, it feels expertly non-descript. Grande sounds like the older sister you eagerly look to for inspiration, the kind who casually imparts wisdom while powdering her face. And then the chorus arrives to dilute the message: simplistic in its melodic phrasing, hokey in its lyricism, and not catchy either. It feels, frankly, like she’s trying too hard; even then, a more robust arrangement could’ve made this go down easier. As is, I find it hard to imagine luxuriating in these sounds on the dancefloor. By the time she mentions her current partner, I’ve lost interest. [4]

Dave Moore: I hated Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" for its wan Madonna hijacking, so I suppose, this being even an even wanner wannabe, I should be commensurately less kind. But I have mellowed in my old age -- I can't muster more than a "meh."  [5]

Alfred Soto: A crunchy pop house track with piano clang, "Yes, And?" suits Ariana Grande's insouciant, scratchy tones. I'll dance to it despite verses >>> chorus.  [7]

Kayla Beardslee: Light and floaty vocal performance plus light and floaty instrumental equals nothing to tie the groove to earth. [5]

Harlan Talib Ockey: It’s lifeless. It’s barely recognizable as Ariana Grande. It’s a washed-out house version of “You Need to Calm Down,” equating queer pride to Ariana's audacity during her cheating scandal. What if "Vogue" was beige? [3]

Jibril Yassin: It's baffling to hear an Ariana Grande song that commands so little attention, whether it be the middling verses that speak of nothing, a chorus that fails to jump beyond the uninspiring production, or a bridge that can't seem to muster up more than a send-up of the eyebrows.  [4]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: You know your attempt at some dancefloor anthem catharsis falls flat when the AI RuPaul version sounds more cunt than you. It's a soft chop for me.  [5]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: When she sings here, Ariana is all too vague; her (gorgeous as always) voice is used to deliver platitudes that are less than meaningless ("or something we don't see just right" sounds like a Max Martin x Predictive Text co-write.) When she speaks it's even worse; spending 15 percent of your comeback single giving a state-of-the-notion-of-celebrity address is not only uneconomical, but isn't the kind of excess that awes or excites, either. If there's anything here, it's in the beat; she's always been among our most skilful pop stars at making dance music you can actually dance to, and regardless of the obvious antecedents here I can still get down to this. Pity about everything else, though! [4]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[minggukieology]

Hello, first of all I really love your tweets and posts. Also, my question isn’t related to Minnie or Koo, but Bangtan and Korea?! I remember an RJ mentioning that it was surprising that the song Dope was not censored. Do you know why she’d have said that?

Hi, thanks a lot for your message!

I guess you are aware of the social commentary that even the most upbeat BTS songs include, and Dope is also one of them. For reference I always like to refresh my memory on the clever word play and messages in each lyrics by checking out Doolset's blog.

Dope might on a very superficial level appear as 'Bangtan is so cool' 'We work our ass off' type of a song but when you listen more closely and actually dissect what the lines say (or try to say), they refer to a lot of struggles of the younger generations of Koreans that they are experiencing in their modern society. And the boys come from one of those generations themselves (for more of that try to search for 'sampo' or N-po generation in Korea). Another layer or type of metaphor that can be noticed is that with their outfits worn in the MV and during live performances they are representing different types of occupations, which can be interpreted as them trying to show support towards the working class and highlighting their important yet very struggle-filled role in the society.

With all of this BTS are in a very clever way 'protesting' the way the Korean society operates and provide an additional voice for the struggling generations.

Another point of this conversation then comes to censorship in S. Korea. The tool of censoring media was widely used and misused in Korea especially under oppressive authoritarian regimes before democracy was instilled in Korea in the 20th century. Though SK now functions under a modern fully democratic regime, the remnants of the past are still very much present. One of those is their censorship laws and the role of the government, which basically still has all the power to step in and ban or force alteration of certain media in case it deems it unsafe or harmful towards its society; and art is also subject to this censorship. This of course becomes a powerful political tool in the hands of the ruling party, which tend to frequently apply Korea's censorship laws to any loud voices that undermine their role or express criticism that could reach a wider audience or cause a stir in the public forum. When BTS release songs that include signs of 'revolt' or 'criticism' against the status quo of the country, they have to do it in a very clever way that doesn't directly address the current government, using metaphors and word play that wouldn't rile up any politicians to the extent that would warrant a reaction in the form of censorship.

Dope was released in 2015 during Park Geun-hye's presidency, which was riddled with corruption and massive use of censorship of her and her cabinet's critics. I have to say BTS were very brave for releasing such a song as the promo single in that specific political climate, something that is perhaps not talked about enough. Yet the reason I think they didn't get outright banned (although some lyrics had to be altered for live broadcast if I remember right) is that I don't think anyone in the ruling party considered them important or big enough (at that point) to go after; and their metaphors with the combination of signalling through outfits was just enough to get the message across to the audience that was willing to listen closely without causing any controversy.

(Once again, another very lengthy answer sigh... I am sorry for making you read all of that but I hope I could provide some clear answers to a certain extent.)

[maningrey0204]

for character ask meme, emiya alter ^^

(based on this post)

thank you, anon :D I hope I'm not too late to this ask meme thing in the FGO fandom, because I will happily gush about Emiya Alter to anyone who asks. that man needs more love.

favorite thing about them just one? all right. Emiya Alter's gone through so much-to the point where it clearly had lasting & damaging effects on him-the nihilism, abysmally poor memory, self-destructive tendencies, etc etc. he's symbolic of the "Hero of Justice" role to its furthest ends, a "weapon" meant to be of service whilst his own identity is pretty much an afterthought. but he also dives for Melt, giving her the second chance he never had. he guides Ritsuka out of his own hellish mindscape, and gives them a tow cable-a lifeline-for a Valentine's gift. he assists Voyager in saving Erice, and there's at least one or two lines where he can relate to her being an agent of death. there's hope for him yet, even though he's reached his own tragic ending. his ideas of "help" can be messed up, obviously, but he's going out of his way to try if nothing else. moreover, he needs some peace of mind after basically going through hell and back.

least favorite thing about them his original JPN design, obviously. the racism surrounding it has become indelible and synonymous with his character. obviously we don't know for sure, but it would not surprise me to learn that the reason he's received little attention in Craft Essence art is because of the controversy surrounding his character.

favorite line "Don't apologize. Good intentions are like sandpaper." I've probably analyzed this line to death, but I believe it summarizes Emiya Alter perfectly: a man whose own charity and constant vigilance for justice has eaten away at him. at the same time, he tries to disregard his own state of being as if it's no big deal; however, since he does not perceive himself as human anymore, the outcome is a lot more distressing than perhaps he might expect.

brOTP maybe Assassin Kiritsugu? I know, I know, Kiritsugu's basically a father to Emiya, but Assassin diverged from his own path in Fate/Zero so I'm sure it's fine here. my other brOTP idea is of him secretly thinking Hijikata's swordmanship is cool, even if he can't understand why Hijikata's so hellbent on upholding the Shinsengumi all the time. I can also see Alter putting up with Tamamo Berserker's outrageous behaviour towards him in a "I can't stand this, but she won't stop and it'd be a waste of energy" kind of way, and it developing into a strange but heartwarming bond later on.

OTP Emiya Alter x Yan Qing. I've only seen one (1) piece of content about it on pixiv, but they've got enough similarities (being Shinjuku villain Servants and having identity issues) and differences (Alter's serious and to the point, forging weapons-while Yan Qing is more flippant in a laid-back manner, using his fists & feet as weapons) that I'd love to write a fic shipping the two of them.

nOTP apparently a few people have shipped Alter with Kiara, of all people. I'm also personally not very fond of the Emiya Alter x Jalter pairing.

random headcanon Emiya prefers to eat alone, but he'll tolerate it if other Alters sit at his table. he wishes Nitocris Alter would stop talking about death so evocatively, as if it were a service she were performing upon other people; he sees death as an aid to his toolkit, and nothing more.

unpopular opinion I love his edgelord behaviour. it's incredibly comical how cynical he gets (his brooding over board games in BGA comes too mind), which is part of the reason. but there's something that just hits in how played straight his character usually is, and how genuine the depths of his despair go.

song i associate with them No title by Reol. a fitting song name for someone who's wholly embraced being Nameless. the chorus' lyrics particularly come to mind: Slowly and gently, it crumbles and breaks Wrap it slowly around my neck til I can't breathe And the me from yesterday was killed Slowly and gently, our scattered ennui When I hear you speak so unethically It turns to a voice I don't know

favorite picture of them he doesn't have a lot of FGO art, but I've always loved Emiya Alter's Formal Dress CE. it's sleek, sharp and overall just...so cool-looking. the pinstripe suit brings his self-ascribed mercenary role to a focal point; such suits are typically worn in professional settings, natch. then there's the smaller details, like the gears on his tie and how the tie bar on it has a Chaldean symbol. I also appreciate how his grey polo shirt is strained, emphasizing his muscles and torso.

[seths-wife]

The current interpretation of the song "re_birthday" (part 1 -gathering of clues)

Well, guess which song won the poll. I'm not surprised, as "re_birthday" is one of the most well-known yet mysterious songs in akuno's repertoire.

With this, I will try to give it an interpretation, based on the most recent installments and clues that akuno had dropped here and there over the years.

In this part, I plan to show some clues surrounding the themes and interpretation of the song "re_birthday", using its pv of 2020.

I'm sorry if this first post will sound confusing to you...but you see...this is a song that has deep connections to a lot of different parts of the series.

This is not a song that I can simply "explain away" in a single post or a couple of lines.

The goal here is to reach to a progressive understanding of the song throughout this and the next posts. I prefer to build the concepts bit by bit, instead of trying to throw many claims that will just confuse you at the end of the day.

One of the most prominent clues we get for the interpretation of the song "re_birthday" is the fact that...akuno-p has told us how we should view the song.

I'm talking about the "master of the heavenly yard" album booklet, in which akuno comments about the relation between the song after which the aforementioned booklet is named and the "re_birthday" song.

The subtitle for this song ["master of the heavenly yard"] is “re_birthday truth”.

The circumstances that are abstractly depicted in “re_birthday”’s lyrics are elaborated on here.

(Or perhaps you could treat it as an alternate interpretation of "re_birthday).

Though the original song is quite old, and so the way it’s set up has changed a lot from back then. ("master of the heavenly yard" album booklet).

This is a big clue...at least now we know where to search to obtain the interpretation.

But...here's another question...to which event of the song or novel "master of the heavenly yard" the song in question is referring to?

This is something I've tried to understand by comparing the most recent pv of the "re_birthday" song of 2020 and the pv of the "master of the heavenly yard" song.

This is the layout the pv has for most of its length. From this, we understand two major things:

Allen is the protagonist and singer of the song (as no other character really appears in a prominent way as he does in the pv).

The song is mostly referring to the chapters "the boy's choice" and "re_birthday truth" of both the novel and the song "master of the heavenly yard".

Why do I say that?

Well, if you go look at the "master of the heavenly yard" official song pv, in the chapter "the boy's choice", we see Allen in the same stance as we see him in the "re_birthday" song pv.

This is relevant...and it gets even more relevant as the "master of the heavenly yard" pv goes on...because at one point in the same chapter. the screen changes to the same layout that we see in the "re_birthday" song pv.

Eventually, the screen layout falls off, culminating in the chapter "re_birthday truth", establishing a clear connection between this and the song in question.

All of this makes me think that the meaning of the "re_birthday" song is mostly gathered into those two chapters (even if I also believe we should take the whole context of the events of the "master of the heavenly yard" novel too).

The clues don't end here, though.

In the "re_birthday" song pv, the screen changes in correspondence to those lyrics:

A ghastly, mysterious voice

“sinful boy

from this point on you will never

be brought from this room”, it said. ("re_birthday" song).

As you can see, a peculiar silhouette is shown behind Allen, probably to signify that those lyrics are "voiced" by her.

What is that figure in the pv?

Well...let's go back to the pv of the "master of the heavenly yard", in which we can spot an identical silhouette in the chapter "the princess sets out".

The "master of the heavenly yard" novel shows that the figure in question is Michelle as the "sleep princess", after her contract with Eve Moonlit.

Michelle was working with Gammon to erase the series' "main contractors", at the time, using the "gift drug" as her main weapon, as part of the contract.

“–!? You can’t do that! The ‘sleep princess’—the one who can control the sleep drug ‘gift’–is among your enemies. It’s too dangerous.” ("master of the heavenly yard" novel, chapter 3, scene 4).

 And the girl is Eve…Perhaps you would recognize her better if I called her the ‘demon of sloth’. Michelle made a ‘contract’ with her, and obtained her power as the sleep princess.” ("master of the heavenly yard" novel, chapter 7, scene 5).

Now, the difficult part in this is that Michelle in the "master of the heavenly yard" novel doesn't exactly quote the lines of the "re_birthday" song:

A ghastly, mysterious voice

“sinful boy

from this point on you will never

be brought from this room”, it said. ("re_birthday" song).

So...how Michelle as the "sleep princess" is related to the song "re_birthday"? I'd probably guess that there is some metaphorical meaning going on (as the whole song is metaphorical in nature), in particular...how the "sleep princess" (and the whole "Gammon team") opposes Allen in an ideological way, in the series.

Anyway, this is still a clue:

The lines of the "re_birthday" song

sinful boy

from this point on you will never

be brought from this room

are associated and spoken by Michelle, as the "sleep princess".

Yet another clue about the interpretation of that song is in this other screenshot of the pv.

This change in screen occurs during the instrumental part of the song, after the lyrics in which Allen claims that he had understood the meaning of the "clockwork lullaby".

But what is the change in layout about?

I confess that I'm not 100% sure about this one, but...the screen might be an edited and cropped replica of this other picture of the "master of the heavenly yard" pv.

This is not very apparent from the screenshot that I have put before this, but...in both pictures, the blue gets lighter as we look downwards and the edges from the left of the screen allude to the presence of the highland adjacent to the seashore.

If this is so...why is this picture replicated?

Well, in the "master of the heavenly yard" song pv this picture shows up in the prologue chapter and again, in "the boy's choice" chapter, signaling a connection between (again) the "re_birthday" song and the "boy's choice" chapter in the "master of the heavenly yard" installments and possibly a connection with the prologue chapter therein as well.

There might be even a wider connection with the seashore than just what I've mentioned, though: the "regret message" pv published in 2020 has a similar picture, and also...the same "re_birthday" pv changes again in a peculiar way, showing a glass bottle (mentioned also in the song's lyrics).

The sea shore...the glass bottle...is this familiar?

That connects well with the "regret message", an old song that akuno had always connected to the song "re_birthday", since their inception.

In particular, originally "re_birthday" was meant to be a response song to "regret message".

New song "re_birthday".

If you have listened to it, you may have noticed

It is a compilation of our previous songs.

The title is "birthday" meaning birthday.

Rebirth" means revival

and "Re" in the sense of an answer song to "[Re]regret Message".

I combined these elements in the song. (2008 - blog "the heavenly yard")

This connection is still kept today as akuno confirms those facts in a tweet in the date 27 december of 2020, as the new pvs of the songs "regret message" and "reach for the stars" were released (ask me for the original link of those references, I can't post links due to algorithm problems).

Regret Message," "re_birthday," and "reach for the stars" are all titled starting with "re," which is probably not a coincidence.

Those three songs are all connected: this is another clue.

The song "re_birthday" is still meant to be a "response song" to "regret message" and also to "reach for the stars".

The imagery of the sea shore and of the glass bottle is also found in the "re_birthday truth" chapter in "master of the heavenly yard" pv...but...the message contained in the glass bottle is not the same as the one that shows up in "regret message".

“If only we could be reborn…” (regret message song lyrics).

“Make sure you save me” ("master of the heavenly yard" song lyrics).

The message that is being referenced in the "master of the heavenly yard" song directly references the plot of the events therein, as Riliane got absorbed into "Ma".

So does this mean that the connection to "regret message" is null and to be replaced with the one of the "master of the heavenly yard" song? Not necessarily: those songs can all be connected, albeit in a different way.

So, here is another clue.

The glass bottle in the "re_birthday" song pv references both the one in "regret message" and the one in the "master of the heavenly yard" song.

The end of the "re_birthday" pv shows Allen's side of the album's "master of the heavenly yard" cover.

That album's case has the text "I'll go see you", which directly references the lyrics of the "re_birthday" song.

I’ll go to see you very soon ("re_birthday" song).

Those same lines are referenced both in the novel and song, in regards to Allen wanting to meet Riliane again, after the two were separated by death.

So I will go to see you ("master of the heavenly yard" song).

The "re_birthday" song and the "master of the heavenly yard" installments all share the same "I'll go see you" line, signaling that this is a central theme surrounding all of those.

So...here is a recollection of all the clues I have gathered about the song "re_birthday" using its recent pv of 2020.

Allen is the protagonist and singer of the song (as no other character really appears in a prominent way as he does in the pv).

The song is mostly referring to the chapters "the boy's choice" and "re_birthday truth" of both the novel and the song "master of the heavenly yard" (but also the whole arc on occasion).

The lines of the "re_birthday" song

sinful boy

from this point on you will never

be brought from this room

are associated and spoken by Michelle, as the "sleep princess".

The song "re_birthday" is still meant to be a "response song" to "regret message" and also to "reach for the stars".

The glass bottle in the "re_birthday" song pv references both the one in "regret message" and the one in the "master of the heavenly yard" song.

The "re_birthday" song and the "master of the heavenly yard" installments all share the same "I'll go see you" line, signaling that this is a central theme surrounding all of those.

Last, but not least...the song in question is part of the "clockwork lullaby" series (as "clockwork lullaby 3").

Therefore, the song is also part of the weird "clockwork lullaby chart" of the series, representing the major events of the latter in a "systematic way".

I mention this at the end of this post because this clue is less intuitive than the others.

Notice how the "03" gear (mentioning the song in question) is connected to the gear "01" (the "clockwork lullaby" song) and the "no utopia" box.

[riverofrainbows]

I was gonna make a post that basically says how i don't think Taylor Swift is a genius lyricist because so many people claim she is literally god's gift to earth on that regard, and from the music of hers i hear (its very inescapable) it's honestly not blowing my mind. I also looked up some of her lyrics because i couldn't quote all the ones i remember from tiktok. And i now have a slightly revised position. I still don't think she is particularly great, and she is somehow hell bent on making everything rhyme which leads to some goofy ass lyrics i gotta say, but part of the reason i don't find her lyrics that good is that i cannot relate to what she's singing about at all. Not even just the topics, but also her mindsets and emotions and the type of situation that apparently leads her to create. And also indeed the topics, i have never and will never be so defined by my relationships in this way. Maybe it's the aspec but she apparently experiences nothing but heartbreak and girl boss feminism moments. And circling back to above, i do relate to some breakup songs by how they describe their emotions (the killers comes to mind), but that is not the case here. And I don't doubt (by the amount of fans she has and the odes they write to her prowess) that her lyrics are relatable to some people, and i know her music can be enjoyable from my own experience. Also aside from a handful songs i do like, most of them paint her as the perpetual victim of some guy with the rest being about how, again, she's a girlboss who will go be a vigilante now (there's three songs about this).

Also my frustration is not quite that i don't like her music or her as a person (although i do not like her as Miss CO2 emissions racist dating not actually backing up her proclaimed feminism) but i generally don't care for her and yet cannot escape her music or herself. And i did think for 2½ months that her lyrics went "Connor is my boyfriend, Connor is a god, Connor is my hair on the weekend" and did not question it based on what i know of her music. Apparently it's 'karma'.