#the songs on here are (imho) very very good still

[theragamuffininitiative]

One Song Per Letter URL Tag

hooooooo there! @blatheringblatherskite and I think someone else that I can't find now (I'm so sorry!) tagged me in this a while ago 😅 so here I am. And my url is long oh no lol. I played hard mode and only did NTB songs...and then also did a second one with other artists bc I'm Like That, ok go:

Youtube NTB playlist: I only cheated twice! Once in using a song from Bear's solo project for an extra E, and once for "Let Us Love" for the U. XD

Uh anyways, if you ever want to hear what it's like inside my head, it's basically Needtobreathe/Wilder Woods all the times, so have fun getting to know me in there. 😂

Then! I didn't allow any NTB/WW songs XD. Also I didn't make a new playlist for this post but here's the link to my 365 songs for this year playlist, which is where I got all the songs.

Train Station - The Gray Havens Heaven Knows - Five For Fighting Easter Song - Jess Ray Roses - The Brevet All My Heroes Are Underdogs - Ross King Garden on the Kitchen Floor - Tors Another State - Tigers in the Sky Millstatt - The Arcadian Wild Under the Circus Lights - Owl City Flowers for Strangers - The Nineteen Twenty Flares - The Script Irish Eyes - Rose Betts Not Giving In - The West Coast Feed If it's the Beaches - The Avett Brothers Not Home Yet - The Gray Havens Inkpot Gods - The Amazing Devil This Thing is Not Going to Break You - Christa Wells Into the Unknown - Frozen/P!atD cover As We Ran - The National Parks To the Mountains - Lizzy McAlpine Invisible God - Andrew Peterson Vincent - Don McLean Eagle Bear Buffalo - Passenger

uh editing bc I didn't tag anyone um @wellmanneredthief @slytherinbookwyrm @doctorbluesmanreturns and @ the person reading this going "ohmygosh an excuse to share my music?? pick me!"

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

The Wisdom Saga: My Thoughts

Hey all!!!! Here are my thoughts on the Wisdom Saga from EPIC: The Musical!

Overall it isn’t my favorite (Circe/Thunder my beloveds), but it’s still pretty good imho!

Legendary

Love how upbeat this one is. MICO as Telemachus is VERY good, and I especially liked the little trembles/voice cracks (?) as he sang! Gave Tem a “young” vibe.

also loved that “L-L-L-L-Legendary” lol

ITS THE ANIMATIC FROM THE REFERENCE VIDEO :D

The Suitors’ voices 👌 also ANTINUOUS JUMPSCARE. HOW DARE YOU CALL PENELOPE A TRAMP WHEN YOU’RE THE ONE TRYING TO GET INTO HER BED.

Antinuous’s lines are the perfect ick. The ToA Discord and I were all typing out various amounts of EW, ICKY, GET OUT at his parts.

Fight Little Wolf

This is possibly my favorite from this saga! I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while, and I was really excited for it! Athena coming in was brilliant and I love it :3

We’ll Be Fine

ATHENA CALLED ODYSSEUS FRIEND. OWIE.

Anybody else pick up on a similar melody to Open Arms? Because ow.

Love In Paradise

LOVED the flashbacks at the beginning!

The unhingedness Gigi gave Calypso LMAO Zero social interaction does that to you lol

“Last I checked goddesses can’t die!” Stream gets censored

I PANICKED AT THAT LMAO

all I hear are screams…the ptsd is real

“Stay in my open arms” and then IMMEDIATELY triggering an Open Arms reprise. HOW DARE YOU JAY.

NOT ONLY THAT. BUT ALSO EURYLOCUS REPRISING LUCK RUNS OUT AND ANTICLEA’S WAITING. OUCH.

God Games

This is in battle with Little Wolf for favorite Wisdom Saga song lol

THE INTRODUCTION TO THE GODS SLAPPED. WOLFY YOU WONDERFUL WOLF THAT WAS AWESOME.

APOLLO GIVING A LIL BOW AND CASUALLY WAVING TO (us) HIS ADORING FANS (also us)

don’t mind me fangirling he’s my favorite and he was GORGEOUS

Hephaestus being voiced by Jorge’s dad!!!!

I really liked how Luke Holt delivered Ares’s name. Very gritty and perfect I love <3

APOLLO’S LITTLE SMIRK WHEN HE SAYS “GREAT.” I’M DEAD I’VE DIED RIP ALDER

APOLLOOOOOOOOO

his part was sadly short, but honestly? It makes sense why it would be! Apollo really has no beef with Odysseus, and the Sirens are a little out of pocket, like he was assigned to play the game but is throwing Athena an easy thing to counter so he can get back to Orestes and also Athena owes him a solid so EPIC’s explanation for Athena helping Apollo in the Oresteia? 👀 I’m a nerd connecting the dots leave me be

“If that’s true then release him 🙄💅” Apollo has no time for this bullshit he’s like “come on dad why did you pull ME into this?” Lmaoooo

Hephaestus’s part about trust!! I love. Also the lyricism here and in Apollo’s is very very good <3

APHRODITE. Unlike Apollo and Hephaestus, who were rather quick to support Athena, she’s moments away from going “no ♥️💋”

ARES’S ENTRANCE WAS SPETACULAR NO NOTES I LOVE

DISCO HERA!! ANNIFLAMMA THAT WAS SO GOOD AHHHHHHH THE STYLE THE SWAG THE SASS 100/10

THUNDER BRINGER REPRISE AHHHHHH WITH BEAST MODE ZEUS

Also Athena ain’t dead lol she comes back in King isn’t it? Also she’s a GOD. Who CAN’T DIE.

I’ve seen criticism about Zeus attacking Athena, and about how he wouldn’t do that because she’s a favorite…but the thing is, in The Iliad, he does threaten to blast her and Hera off their chariots at one point…plus Apollo’s a favorite too, and he was nearly thrown into Tartarus by Zeus! Being the favorite doesn’t automatically mean you can get away with anything and everything, so I headcanon that Zeus got a bit more peeved than usual because of just how quickly Athena swayed the others (this can connect to the Odyssey then too, because the majority of the gods already agreed that Odysseus had suffered enough and were quite willing to let him go).

I have additional thoughts on God Games, but that’s for another post since it detracts from the actual livestream, but overall I really enjoyed this one! It’s the first livestream I’ve seen in full, though I do think Thunder Saga was more impactful to watch (I watched that livestream too, but came in at the end of No Longer You).

Two sagas to go!! I’ll be updating my tier list sometime soon as well, so stay tuned for that!!

[the-gayest-show]

Operation Birthday Takeover Review/Analysis

I wanted to include this in the review bomb but decided against it because the episode would take too much yap compared to the others to summarize properly, let's go!

(sorry if these screenshots have the player on them I couldn't find a better way bare with me this is better than the easier route i'd have taken)

HAHAHAHAHAHA SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT HERE!

First of all, PERI! YOU'RE BACK BABY HBUIEBRBFEIBFWiuB

Second of all and most important, this was a MAJOR Dev episode. Well, obviously, since it's his birthday, but we got to see more of him being nice while it lasted anyways, and we also got to see more of Dale's neglect and it's affects on Dev.

You can see he's clearly disappointed about his dad paying no attention to Dev at all, preferring to work on "Project H" instead of his own son. Will throw hands on this man fr.

Throughout the episode we see more hints of this disappointment, like when Vicky gets invited to the party (Dev doesn't even like princesses! DUDE!)

Now that I'm really rewatching as I go, Hazel seems to be very aware of it and very empathetic towards Dev, I like that about her. She's looking out for her friend! Good on her!

On the other hand (to move the plot forward and thus this review), I love seeing the fairy family back in action again!

I love their dynamic even more! Also I swear to God half of the iconic lines come from these interactions I swear to God.

"Time to see what's so secret about this room!....... On second thought never mind" SOBBING LAUGHING

Having the three of them slowly find out that project H is actually Project Hazel is so wild. THEY LITERALLY WROTE DOWN IMPORTANT INFO ON THE BOARD LIKE THE FAIRIES THING. COSMO! WANDA! WHYYYYYYYYY

The sad part of the matter is, Dale was fixated on Dev's friend of all people simply because she was... content? With fairy godparents? It's so sad actually for Dev... he REALLY needs someone to care about him

I wanna get into Vicky though now, and the surprising amounts of references to the OG series that were made in less than 2 minutes apart from each other? Crazy!

First of all, she's back! An interesting character to return for sure, considering she mostly acted as Timmy's babysitter in the OG series, but the continuity of this show never ceases to surprise me!

She's somehow similar looking? Like, correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't she be older now? Significant enough to be changed visually for sure. AJ was 10 in the original series and now he's like 30 something. By that logic shouldn't Vicky be closer to her 40s? Does that age a person significantly from 16? That's what I thought anyways... She's still into the "conning little children for money" thing. She's literally 30+ at least, did she not try to up her game somehow? IMHO she totally could have extreme power like that over adults if she got gullible enough ones, could've been worse, but I guess people of Vicky's personality don't truly change unless there's a major life breakthrough that happens. You know what they say about peaking in high school...

Icky Vicky the song (and thus the episode it was in) is canon to the FOP A New Wish universe. I could swear the song sounded slightly different than it did when it was sung in this episode, but I'll blame that on the song coming out 10+ years ago and voice actors being too specific to nail down (I think the guy from one direction played the Icky Vicky singer? No wonder they couldn't invite him back). The song being referred to as "old" got me cringing a bit. I didn't grow up with the show but I get the feeling people who did felt themselves aging in real time with Jasmine's comment...

TIMMY MENTION! TIMMY HAS BEEN MENTIONED BY NAME IN THE A NEW WISH UNIVERSE AGAIN!

Poor fairy trio though, they're all traumatized by Vicky, even Peri (who thought she was some weird ass dream, dawg I wish 😭) and immediately they're cowering with fear at the sound of her name. They got PTSD or something from all those years in original FOP...

What's funnier is them being able to stand up to Vicky by just. transforming into humans, which works bc that's always worked in FOP canon (when parental figures showed up in the OG), but somehow Wanda and Cosmo didn't fucking know that? Truly, Wanda, it would've been nice for y'all to know that some decades ago.

"That's Vicky for ya! Making Kids Miserable Since 2001!"

Actually it would be 1998 if we count the Oh Yeah Cartoon Pilot and subsequent episodes, but I guess we're only counting actual FOP as canon 😔

-

I wanna really talk about the last scene though, where Dev finds out that Project H was Project Hazel. It REALLY tears him up inside to see just HOW bad his father doesn't give a shit about him.

LOOK. LOOK AT THAT FACE AND TELL ME THAT ISN'T DEVASTATION! Even as he's recounting all the times that his father talked about Project H

The emotional neglect really runs deep with this one.

He lashes out at both Peri and Hazel (her especially since he's under the impression that she faked being his friend or something) and even wishes for Peri to leave him alone. So basically he's closing himself off from the 2 people who cared about him the most, likely as an emotional response. And then he goes and crosses off everything on the board in anger and leaves.

I've noticed Peri's behaviour towards Dev has changed a bit again since the Dimmsonian episode. I think in that episode initially he seemed more tired, and he's probably still tired, but if he is, it's not shown as much here. I think personally Peri seeing more of Dev's life might've changed his attitude towards the child, but he still remains semi optimistic. He cares about this kid. It's shown even in just those few seconds of hesitation before he leaves that Peri was kind of heartbroken/sad at the request to leave Dev's side, but was willing to do so since he asked/wished. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I really do enjoy their dynamic and really wish to see more of it, especially after this.

This is all 100% driven from his dad's actions affecting his emotional state, and I think this is actually a perfect setup for the episode where Dev and Irep take over Fairy World. Especially if Irep finds Dev like not even seconds after this scene, he's more vulnerable now than he's been throughout the whole series thus far, so a manipulator like Irep (if he is a good one, but heck even if he was dogshit at it) could defo make him change his thoughts on things.

Overall this episode was great and there's lots to love about it!

[shamixlour]

The Newsreader - Here we go, at the end.

Okay. I’ve always wanted to make a little analysis of the songs used at the end of each season as I believe there is a very obvious parallel that highlights imho, the state of Dale’s mind regarding his life so here it is. This again might be long so please bare with me~

_Season 1. 

The events in the last episode of S1 are quite dramatic and it all flows so fast that as a watcher, you are left a bit out of breath. Just for some context, we learn that Helen knows about Dale and Tim and we can see Dale being absolutely devastated about it for the entire episode, trying to connect with Helen in so many ways but failing. We also learn that Tim has quit his job and I made a small analysis regarding that scene that you can read here if you are interested. Then, toward the end of the season, there is this moment between Helen and Dale in the “control/edit room” where they finally are truthful with each other. I’ll expand more on that later but first I want to get into the main review! 

So, there is a scene, THE scene that I found quite stunning the first time I watched it and felt even more so upon my rewatch. It is the one in the makeup room with Helen and Dale right after their discussion and ofc the one where “Here we go” by Jon Brion plays. 

Now let’s check out the lyrics and try to put them in echo with the scene. 

You’ve gotta hope there is someone for you As strange as you are  Who can cope with the things you do  Without trying too hard Because you can bend the truth until it is suiting you  These things you are wrapping all around you  You never know what they will amount to  And your life is just going without you It’s the end of the things you know, here we go. 

Striking, isn’t it? This song is very good and even as I write this silly review, I still cannot believe this is what they did. This is genius and the foreshadowing is simply so great yet tragic. Okay, less chat and more analysing. 

The scene starts with Dale and Helen sitting on the chair across the mirror and the lyrics you’ve gotta hope there is someone for you can be heard as the camera focuses on Helen but i like how the moment you is sang, the focus jumps to Dale and the lyrics as strange as you are matches with a side close shot of Dale staring down at himself through the mirror. 

Who can cope with the things you do rings and it cuts to a stunning close up of Dale’s face.

His eyes on the verge of crying, makeup being applied on his cheeks, down his jaw and I simply adore how the instant we can hear the you do, the camera slides back to Helen’s lips, Helen’s hair, Helen’s eyes and her eyelashes… She is getting her makeup done as the lyrics without trying to hard resonate.

Then it is a big light, blinding and the scene moves to the set of News at Six, back to Dale’s tie, to Helen’s heels as they get ready for the desk, all with these lines in the background cause you can bend the truth until it is suiting you. We can see Helen walking confidently toward the desk, the song is still playing, the lyrics these things that you are wrapping all around you, you never know what they will amount to, echoing in the space. If your life is just going on without you and it focuses on the fingers of an audio crew member, then immediately back to Dale heading in a confident demeanour toward the desk, grabbing his jacket and putting it on as the lyrics says it’s the end of these things, you know. The camera focuses on his back, and we hear here we go, Dale sits down.

They fix each other, share a look, a faint smile, the news starts and we glide back to the main office and it opens with a shot of Tim’s back, then quickly slides back on his face and there’s an expression there, a mix of proudness and sorrow that appears in the crook of a small smile and then it is over. 

It is the end of Season 1. 

Now, it’s time to explain a little how I interpreted all of this and first, I want to start by going back to the control/edit room scene and the conversation Dale and Helen had there as for me, it totally echoes with the end of S1 and the song. 

In that specific scene, we have Dale obviously distressed by Helen’s cold shoulder and everything that had happened with Tim. He admits that he did hide things from Helen and says sorry but also declares that the things he hid are things he doesn’t want to exist and she wonders if he’s gay. Dale doesn’t really reply (he kind of comes out as BI there imho) but rather goes on how whenever something happened, he had tried to convince himself that it was the last time, that he had got these things out of his system but then he is real and raw and acknowledges how he has these feelings that simply won’t go away just like the ones he has for Helen herself (my bisexual patootie, you will be FINE). Dale continues and tells her how it feels like being torn apart and that is when Helen is honest with him regarding her 6 months at the mental institute when she was 16 and says, so here we are. Dale is still scared and doesn’t believe he can go out there like this but Helen reassures him, telling he will be fine, that she will be next to him, that she loves him just the way he is and they cry and hug it out. 

Many points are interesting in this exchange as there definitely is some sort of parallel between that scene and the makeup room one. Not only the lyrics and their dialogues are oddly similar but it is almost like they’re meant to embody the same idea, which basically is this link, this special unique relationship Dale and Helen have going on and how they both are "not normal" in their own ways.   

Now, we know Dale has always hoped there was someone for him, as strange as he is, he always craved to fit in and find someone who could cope with all these things he does without trying too hard and that is Helen. 

Right here, right then, it is Helen. For Dale. 

She is the woman who just told him that she went through some rough times in her teenage years and yet, here she is. Here we are, Helen says to Dale. She is the woman who comforts Dale, tells him he will be fine, that she will be right there by his side, wrapping herself around him. Helen is the one that tells him she loves him, as strange as he is, regardless of all of those things he does, she can take it without trying too hard, she’s been coping with much worse in her life. This is fine. This is nothing. I love you. It will be fine. 

It’s quite beautiful in a way, the love they have for each other. It’s a bit foolish though, imho because back to the makeup scene, to the desk and the end of this season and the foreshadowing of it all. 

There is a striking metaphor with certain shots of that scene such as the close ups as he gets ready, as he puts on a layer of makeup, of new clothes, basically wrapping himself with these new things: such as his relationship with Helen, the desk, the newsreader persona. Dale hides a part of his truth under another one. Helen does the same but for some slightly different reasons. She is the one who needs to “cope” with these things, the one who needs to do so without trying too hard or at least showing off that it is not that hard for her at all. 

Either way, what I took from that moment with the music but also by putting that scene in opposition with the rest of the story (that is when the foreshadowing comes up btw) is that Dale (and Helen) can bend the truth all he wants, until it suits him. He can build this image, which don’t get me wrong, is a part of who he is, like I know he loves Helen, I do not doubt that a second and I know being on the desk has always been a dream, but Dale aslo lies about himself. He does not accept a certain part of who he is, he rejects it entirely, refuses to address it properly and so he bends the truth until it suits him BUT he does so unaware of what it actually means, of what it comes up with and so he builds this life with half of himself and he falls into this relationship without the entirety of himself and that is why later, in season 2, it all eventually crumbles down.

Dale’s life literally quite goes without him because as much as he loves Helen AND as much as Helen loves him and seems to accept that part of who he is, really, I think neither of them actually accept it at all or rather engulf what it encompasses.  

Now, here me out. Dale obviously refuses to fully acknowledge his attraction to the same sex and he knows he has those feelings, he knows but he does not really accept their existence either and rather puts them aside so how can Helen accept them if Dale does not do so himself? They both love each other so much and they both know about Dale's things and somewhat admit what they mean but yet they never actually address them. Therefore, as Dale sits there on the desk, next to Helen, ready to deliver the news, he knows it is the end of these things and he just goes for it. 

Here we go. 

And what is GENIUS and till this day I cannot move on by how excellent the line of shots is, is that directly after Dale seems to have made that choice of letting go of all those things or rather surround himself with someone who could take them without trying too hard (Helen), the camera focuses on Tim.

Tim who creates these feelings in Dale, who quite literally belongs to this category of things Dale desperately wants to hide and wishes were not here at all. 

We see Tim looking at Dale and Helen on the screen and his face at that moment was so interesting to me.

He is not super emotional but rather has this odd smile stuck on his lips. He smiles and it is small but extremely honest and I think he is genuinely happy for Dale. I think Tim is glad to see Dale where he always wanted to be, on the desk, working, being the newsreader. I read something else there though as his faint grin almost looks like he is slightly puckering his lips and I think it’s because he knows.

I think Tim is aware of what comes with the desk and in the midst of his true happiness for Dale to see him accomplish his dream, there is a bit of fear/bitterness because being the newreader is hard and eats you alive and Tim is left watching Dale, the man he has a crush on, someone he likes, someone he enjoys spending time with, the man he has a hard complicated relationship with, realise his dream without even being aware of what it all carries with it.

Yeah, I always felt like Tim’s expression was a bit sad and I believe that he knows right then that he lost Dale or rather that Dale lost a part of himself and that is why you can see this lightly morose expression on his traits. 

Because you can bend the truth until it is suiting you  These things you are wrapping all around you  You never know what they will amount to  And your life is just going without you It’s the end of the things you know, here we go 

These lyrics are such a foreshadowing regarding what happens in S2, with the over the top golden couple persona, with the recurrent fights and the incessant questioning of himself, with this life going on without the entirety of who he is and so I really wanted to highlight the incredible work of the Newsreader's team. They are such special people and I appreciate the use of music, of specific shots for storytelling and therefore wanted to put my grain of salt in it so I hope you enjoyed reading this. 

Anyways, this is getting way too long so I will stop there, although I could go for a long time with that scene and what it means. If you read this, thank you so much <3

Also, if you want to check the song analysis for season 2 it is here. AND did yoy know that post prod is over so we're getting season 3 early 2025 and I am BEYOND excited!

[picturemecountingcards]

Do you have any Russian cartoons/series/youtube series you would recommend?

Sure thing!! Although I probably won't be able to find subtitles rn, at least not from my phone, sorry :( I'll link to the videos themselves though.

Not recommending metal family, since you're already on that, but just wanted to mention it bc yk. can't not

Anyway:

1. Смешарики

It's a kids show that gets very existential on a regular basis, but still manages to be goofy and fun for the most part (the passage of time and the melancholy associated with it is a pretty prominent theme). It's got great songs and the writing is genuinely really good. It's also given me some bonkers echolalia, thank god everyone around me understands what i'm quoting

Linking season 1, but the rest are available on the same site. There is an english dub and a german dub somewhere on youtube, but if you're able to find subtitles, I obviously recommend that

2. Падал прошлогодний снег

Not technically Russian, but Soviet, but it's my entire childhood, so i can't not mention it. Once again, fatal echolalia levels. Claymation, very cool looking and a fun ride with quiet existential moments near the end. I might be noticing a theme.

It's a short film, not a series, but i think it fits under the definition of a cartoon? I... might not know the exact definition of cartoons, actually, oops

3. Слова-паразиты

Ok, this one's less of a cartoon, more of a music video, BUT. It was featured in a pretty big indie animation festival when it came out. The band also played there and i'm so so bummed that i couldn't go. This one's probably easier translation vise, since all you need is the song translation

4. Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона

If you haven't seen the Soviet adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, today's your lucky day, it's fully on youtube with English subs (linked above). The best existing adaptation imho, and since it's Holmes, it's obviously very gay :)

5. Ok, this one is more of a fringe suggestion, since they're movies, but I've been really into Майор Гром lately. They're based on comics that I haven't read yet, but I know that once I get around to them, I'll hyperfixate immediately. Both the comics and the movies are extremely gay, I'm honestly not sure how the fuck they're getting away with it. I'm not gonna link them here bc I really want you to see the extended version of the first one (it's gayer. that's the only difference), but i don't think i can find it from my phone, so if you're interested, please dm me, and I'll send you the links from the puter this evening (and maybe infodump a liiiittle bit. with pictures of fanart i bought).

6. Алиса в стране чудес and Алиса в зазеркалье

The Soviet cartoon adaptation of Alice in wonderland, it's trippy and really really fun, the animation looks cool as hell. Also, Alice's design is pretty close to Lewis Carroll's illustrations!

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Theitsa its so incredibly sad to me that many Greeks feel embarrassed of our more balkan or "eastern" music and folklore. That is literally some of the best we have, like the really good stuff! Just how distinct and varied the music is across the different regions. You can instantly tell if a song is from Epirus or Thrakia, from Macedonia, from the islands or from Crete, for example. I used to think my Vlach/Thessalian ancestry was boring and kind of "hillbilly", because it isn´t like a Mamma Mia film or recognizable as Greek to foreigners who mainly see adverts about Santorini and the like. But now I really appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of it, even if foreigners don´t "get" it. I wish we could get out of the mindset that our culture after antiquity is somehow tainted or less than. But I guess those who get it, get it 🫤

I fully agree! As I said in another post many Greeks learn from a young age to only recognise and appreciate the elements of our culture that are palatable to Westerners. It is part of the "job" we have to do to be consider "civilised Europeans" by the European powers. How we look is our "saving grace" and affects our tourist marketability, so we adopted this behaviour as a survival mechanism.

Some Greeks are just not exposed to music from other Greek regions and rush to call it "eastern", as you said. I'm not talking about actual Greek Eastern music (from Asia Minor), or am I denying any influences in our music from Eastern nations ofc. I'm talking about the Greek instruments and rhythm that have been here since antiquity. Archaeological studies show that this "eastern-sounding" music is actually also Greek. Farya Faraji has an excellent YouTube video on ancient Greek music! (And you can find it in my #farya faraji tag)

I'm happy that through artists like Marina Satti people from all around Greece and around the world discover more Greek traditional (and ancient) instruments and tunes.

Also, indeed, the Vlach Greek communities aren't known to foreigners at all. My Macedonian Vlach ancestry is the most influential part of my family hands down! 😂 Resilient, witty, and great relatives throughout! For this reason, I never gave a shit about how foreigners would perceive it, and I was happy to explain some history to them.

Now, about Thessalians (with Vlach ancestry or not), they're also pretty cool! First of all, you got Centaurs and freaking Achilles in your history! Pelion, Phthia, Spercheios = Achilles, and too much ancient folklore! Nowadays things are a bit grim with the economy and natural disasters. Still, the Thessalians worked the land to the best of their ability and - rightfully - earned respectable money from it in the past. I think Thessaly has all the tools to thrive, and the people will, once again, work things to their advantage! It's clear to me how much Thessalians love their topos (be it their town or their village) and there are Thessalians distinguished personalities who pour an insane amount of work into creating great things!

And since we're at it, I know why "Vlach" became a synonym with "hillbilly" but I've observed (in North and Central Greece) that the Vlach mindset for security and growth is very much on par with the urban/capitalist approach. Like, I know its drawbacks, but it keeps you sharp and ensures that you make the necessary sacrifices or take the required risks to survive in The Economy and even thrive. Every Greek "tribe" was in villages at some point, so basically most Greeks descend from "hillbillies", but imho the Vlachs are the most "urban" of all. 😉

(Because of where I lived, such that "hillbilly" or "villager" are not even insults. Hopefully howI used them here doesn't sound condescending on my side.)

[milogreer]

david, obviously

@angelicaether asked: David for the send me a character ask game ^^

thank you both !! let's talk about our beloved alpha 🫶🏼 ↳ send me a character!

My first impression: REALLY REALLY GOOD. really good. immediately felt on top of the world getting to be a little shithead bc i love to push a tsundere’s buttons. i did get so embarrassed listening to one of them that i had to stop listening for the night LMAO that didn’t have anything to do with david himself but it was related to the jealousy audio

My impression now: a new davey audio is like a one way ticket to sleepy town for me, he is such a comforting presence and his voice is like magic. i love him very much and i don’t know if it’s because he’s courtney’s fave or because i’m a milo girl or what, but he’s like a brother in law to me most of the time. and i have like…. object impermanence with him HAHA like i tend to forget just how much i adore him until he comes back around. i can sit here and be like “teehee he’s my BIL!” but if i were to go listen to a davey audio rn i’d get all melty 😭 he’s like a sleeper agent

A favorite thing: nooobodyyyy does family like david. NOBODY. getting the pack in line when they started bullying milo too much. taking milo to the side after the inversion to make sure he knows that no matter what, he’s still going to be part of the pack. sharing stories of gabe with angel. agreeing to a double wedding with his best friend so they can celebrate being with their unempowered mates in a grand, public display of love. everything he did for darlin. he would move hell itself for anyone in the pack

Least favorite thing: doesn’t like minecraft and his go to smash level is final destination with the smash ball only. where is your WHIMSY!

Favorite line/scene: hmm…. i haven’t listened to davey’s playlist in A While so this is hard. i think i’ve gotta go with the lottery ticket scene in the camping audio 💕 him asking angel to scratch it with him sent me into fuckin orbit with all the emotions i was experiencing. i love when david talks about gabe 🥺 it’s always so sweet

Favorite interaction they have with another: THE DAVID/DARLIN HUG MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. i was so glad he was there during that run of audios bc god knows darlin needed all the support they could get and the hug was really the icing on the cake. loveee when characters who don’t typically hug or seem the type to hug do finally get a hug 💖

A character that I wish they would interact with more: sweetheart sweetheart sweetheart oh my god please . PLEASE even with the party audios there is not nearly enough inter-pack mingling !!! those two going head to head in the smash tournament was sooo awesome

A headcanon: this kinda goes with my answer above bc i want them to be friends SO BADLY: i love the thought of davey and sweetheart exchanging horror movie recommendations and having in-depth discussions about them !! 

A song: teeth by aviators 😵‍💫💕 if anyone reading this hasn’t heard it then please listen to it rn it makes me feel feral

An unpopular opinion: JUSTICE FOR THE JEALOUSY AUDIO. i haven’t listened to it in a while but i stand by the opinion that angel was acting shady as hell for no reason and i mean maybe he was a little rough around the edges about it but he handled the situation better than i would’ve expected. i’ve seen people call him toxic and say they never would’ve stuck around but like would you have stuck around if you were in his shoes and the person you loved was acting the way angel did? the jealousy audio rly isn’t as bad as people make it out to be imho

[anakinsafterlife]

Music and Arts for Interview with the Vampire and other French-Enjoyers

I am so genuinely excited to find out that Zachary Richard, the Francophone folk singer from Louisiana, has released a novel! The story addresses the concerns of the American Francophonie with the story of a family wracked by politics and violence in the wakr of the American Civil War.

Friends, this the is the first American novel to be published in French since 1894! Although there is still a Francophone community in Louisiana to this day, they have been dealing with forced Anglicization for well over a hundred years, including the forced Anglophone education of Francophone children.

Zachary Richard remains an outlier in an largely English American cultural landscape. He wrote and recorded the majority of his songs in French and is popular in the international Francophone musical community.

I have been meaning to talk about Richard for a very long time, particular in the context of Interview with the Vampire. There are a good many cultural references in Interview, but unfortunately it seems that the show-runners are not really too informed about historical French arts because there aren't many references to French music or playwriting. Lestat would be more likely to act Moliere than Shakespeare. Louis would be somewhere in between, probably listening to and speaking both French and English songs. Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with Black Creole musicians, of which there were/are indeed plenty in Louisiana. I've been meaning to educate myself in that area and post a selection along with my favourite tracks from Richard, but life has been very pressing indeed these last few years, so that never happened.

Here, then, are a few of my favourite songs from Zachary Richard and a few brief recordings from Black Zydeco artists, as well as the blurb from Richard's novel.

I didn't include translations, because that would make this long post long indeed, but Richard's lyrics are readily available in any search engine.

The novel:

Summary:

In the disarray that fell on southern Louisiana following the Civil War, André Boudreaux, seventeen years old, discovered life with his grandfather Drozin. This southern veteran, who became a rich man thanks to the arrival of the railway, tries to regain his prestige and his political power. But the sordid murder of André's uncle, the turbulent elections of 1882 and the political aims of his daughter-in-law will turn his world upside down. Les Rafales du carême is the first French-language novel published by a Louisiana author since 1894.

The music:

Dans les grands chemins. (On the big roads). A song about personal history and being drawn away from your place of origin to explore the wider world.

Au bord de Lac Bijou (On the shore of Lac Bijou). One of his bigger songs and very basic of me, but it's beautiful.

Le Ballade de Jean Batailleur. Again, one of his big ones, but it's a ballad about an orphan who grows up to be a criminal and dies alone. Depressing but gorgeous.

And this one gives me chills every time. It's a live rendition of Richard's song "La Promesse Cassee," performed with Celine Dion. This is hands down Dion's best performance ever, imho. Her voice is so nuanced and her expression so powerful, without ever once over-singing. The song's content probably has a lot to do with that. Richard wrote it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans was so utterly devastated, and the US federal government promised aid, which, after days of waiting, never came. "The Broken Promise" is a scathing and haunting commentary on that betrayal.

"Laisse le vent souffler" (Let the wind blow) addresses the same issue, but years later. The singer tells the story of the police arriving to evacuate the community as another hurricaine approaches. He refuses to leave because he has already survived other storms and he has seen how the police have failed to support a scattered community in the past.

Can't believe I almost forgot this one:

Reveille--A powerful song addresses the expulsion of the Acadians, the forced removal (by British/English Canadian forces) of the Acadian French from the Canadian east coast and northern USA east coast. Many of the Acadians were shipped further south or "back" to Europe, where most had never been. Plagued by attendant atrocities of starvation, drowning and disease, thousands of Acadians were killed. Those who survived the journey down the American coast eventually became known by the shortened name of "Cajuns."

There are also a few extra things here from Richard's YouTube, where he highlights other Louisiana French singers and musicians. I've only included a couple, but people writing for Interview might want to explore his page more, since there's some Black Zydeco (Louisiana folk and French) musicians there.

J'ai une chanson dans mon coeur:

I couldn't find anything out about this. A young, Black American girl sings this song in an American school. I think, and hope, that she's another member of the French Louisianian musical community. Very sweet.

Zachary Richard talking about his influences and earlier Zydeco music in Louisiana.

[t-n-c]

A Comprehensive List of my Thoughts on Elemental (STILL WITH SPOILERS!)

So here's the rundown I promised of my feelings toward Elemental

SPOILERS BELOW PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

The Good

The music--I found it memorable and unique; the main theme had soft vocalizations that felt almost ethereal, like it was an ancient hymn. I also found the song that played during the montage of Ember and Wade's dates catchy and fun. It was pretty great soundtrack imho.

The design of the world--I really loved how they creators took into account how all these different elements would move and interact in the city. It made the setting feel, for lack of a better term, more "real" to me. It also set up some of Ember's conflict as a Fire element living in a city that wasn't made with her people in mind.

The designs of (most of*) the characters--for the most part, the characters looked unique and, even better, they looked like average people (for lack of a better term) to me; call me a sap or whatever, but I've always preferred characters that have all the "flaws" of average folks than the ones that look like some iteration of "perfect," they just feel more relatable to me I guess. I also found it fun to see how design features such as "hair" were incorporated in the characters and how those same features varied between the elements. If there's one thing I can consistantly praise Pixar for it's for not being afraid to play around with design.

The animation---I loved how the characters moved and interacted in the world. The felt like living things and I appreciated that.

Wade and Ember are adults implied to be in their mid-to-late 20s--This is probably just a me thing, but I find it nice when I see shows where the protagonists aren't adolescents or barely-18 young adults going through some sort of coming-of-age scenario; there's nothing wrong with those kinds of stories of course, I just find them a bit boring and over-done myself. That and whenever I see films like that it always feels like they're insinuating that people over XYZ age can't be protagonists, so I tend to avoid them these days. On a related note, here are some other reasons why I like that Ember and Wade are adults: a) They both still live with their parents but neither of them is shamed or mocked for it--I've seen waaaay too many "comedies" that pick fun at the "25-year-old-living-in-their-mom's-basement" so I found it nice to not have to sit through that kind of "joke" again, b) Neither of them have got their lives "figured out" yet--Wade's gone through multiple jobs, and Ember's just begun to understand what she actually wants for her life--as someone who's gone through multiple jobs, earned 2 bachelor's degrees and is in the process of getting a master’s, and is still trying to make sense of their life, I found their struggles extremely relatable; it's nice to see adult protagonists be allowed to struggle with figuring out who they are and what they want to be, c) They're allowed to have fun and goof off--in a lot of films I've seen, the adult characters are always depicted as being so serious and "boring" it's nice to see adult characters actually have fun and enjoy life.

Ember' relationship with her parents, specifically her father--I found the interactions they had very sweet and moving; it made Ember's conflict between choosing to take over her father's shop or pursue her romance with Wade all the more relatable, imo.

How Ember and Wade's romance developed--it wasn't a love-at-first-sight kind of thing; they actually had to spend time interacting and getting to know each other before they fell in love--and most importantly, they showed us on the actual screen how/when they started to fall for each other. They went on dates, opened up to each other, fought with each other, etc--all the things that normal relationships have; while sure, there's still an aspect of "forbidden romance" to their relationship, it's more subtle and in the background than the trailers implied it would be. It also doesn't end with marriage and kids--they leave together for Ember’s internship and it’s implied that they’ve moved in together but that’s all; idk I thought it was nice that they could just be a couple.

The Bad

1. The blink-and-miss representation LGBTQ+ representation--I've gotten reeeeeeaaaally tired of how LGBTQ+ characters are treated in films; to clarify, there's a scene where Wade introduces Ember to his family and he introduces her to his youngest sibling, Lake (who is described as being nonbinary in supplemental materials) and her/them girlfriend, Ghibli. Lake's identity as nonbinary is a bit ambiguous in the film (Wade does refer to them as his youngest sibling, but that's all we get--without the tie-in material it's to mistake them for being WLW). Further, between them Lake and Ghibli have at most 2-3 lines in the entire movie--like I appreciate that us LGBTQ+ are being recognized and put in films, but I'm tired of all our rep always being the side characters that hold no weight in the story; I think they can start making shows with LGBTQ+ leads now, thank you.

2. Wade's fake death--I'm not a fan of having characters (and the audience) go through huge, life-changing events only to have the events "fixed" and everything be all hunky-dory again--imo, it's a cheap trick to manipulate the audiences' emotions at best, and at worst, it's a disrespectful act that not-to subtly implies that the audience "can't handle" seeing the characters go through heavy stuff. I'm a firm believer that if you're going to have your characters go through something as serious as having one die on screen you need to commit to it--you need to take it seriously, pulling a 180 and undoing all that development is cliche to the point of annoyance. Now, I'm not saying I wanted Wade to die, I'm not even saying that I think he should have stayed dead--what I'm saying is that I don't think there should have ever been a "death" scene in the film at all--there are plenty of other ways they could have had Ember realize her feelings for Wade/be honest with her father.

Mixed Feelings Section

1. Ember and Wade's designs*--it's not that they're terrible or anything, but they are a bit generic imo. In comparison to their family members and the background characters, they both have that "typical protagonist" look that I find a bit cliche

2. Wade's family being 'good' rich people who don't mind that Wade's in love with Ember vs Ember's father who spends most of the film being aggressively anti-water--I'm kind on the fence with this tbh; on the one hand, if both sides had been against Ember and Wade's relationship, I feel it would have put too much emphasis on the romance and taken away Ember's story as the child of immigrants, and it's not like Wade's family weren't bigoted at all--they threw plenty of micro-aggressions at Ember when she first met them; that being said I do have to side-eye how they made the ones more accepting of fire people Wade's rich, probably-descendents-of-the-founders-of-Element-City family and made the one most aggressively against water people Ember's immigrant-built-his-family-a-home-and-business-from-scratch father. Idk, it feels iffy to me.

3. Most of the Wade and Ember's interactions takes place within a week--As much as I felt that their romance was pretty well-paced, I can't deny that they still fell for each other very quickly--I get that the main plot point had set it up that they only had a week to fix the broken water-spill doors, but I don't know why it had to be a week; why couldn't it have been a couple of weeks or a month? It would have made a lot more sense both for the romance and the main plot, but I digress, I still found their relationship adorable.

4. The experiences of immigrants is homogenized--The culture of the fire people draws on a lot of different types of immigrants, the Irish, different Asiatic groups, maybe some Middle Eastern groups, etc--and while I appreciate that the story was about immigrants and experiences they share in common I also felt a bit iffy about taking all these different cultures and merging them together. I feel it would have been better they made the fire people's culture more of a unique entity than a combination of cultures.

Like I said before, I highly recommend this movie; it's cute and tugs at your heart-strings.

[house-of-naga]

The Sound of the Force: A Study on Han Jisung's Perception of the Force as it Relates to the rest of Stray Kids.

Jokes aside, below is a list of what I think the Force might sound like to Hannie in my fic, and some notes on the way I've written it. (note: Art transcends the artists, and the curtains aren't always blue. This music stuff is NOT my forte, so I always welcome other interpretations)(This list will be updated)

Disclaimer: as much as I've attempted to learn, my knowledge of music/music theory/techniques is very limited. I am not musically inclined. Still, I'm going to do my best to find real life examples of some of the stuff I reference.

Before we dive into each member, I wanted to outline some of my reasoning/ideas/thoughts that I have when I choose what instrument someone will sound like:

Does this make sense with their personality/character?

What is the overall purpose of this instrument/sound in a musical setting? Is it meant as a bassline or melody? Is it versatile? Is it meant to evoke a certain emotion?

How does it play/harmonize with the other characters? Are there any duos that stick out?

What does it mean to Han? Is there an IRL element to the choices?

With that out of the way, let's get into it. (I'll be returning to add duos later)

Chan (Piano):

Chan (along with Changbin) was the first one I decided on, and since the piano is one of the most versatile instruments, I thought it would be fitting for him. It's also one of the key instruments for composition with a lot of range and expression of emotion, which I felt fit the leader of SKZ well.

Examples (paired with emotions/chapters when applicable):

Happy/Content: Coffee Jazz (the best music for studying IMHO), or Nocturne op.9 No.2 (Chopin)

Sad/Nostalgic: Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)

Anxious/Angry: Rush E (the meme one)

Minho (Vocals):

Setting aside his beautiful IRL vocals, his Force, I think, is one of the more difficult ones to describe. However, in 1.5 I mentioned that, to Han, vocal accompaniment is special and carries a certain weight. You'll find I have two people in the group (Minho and Jeongin) who both have vocals as their Force. (Will also note that, obviously, any lyrics to these songs are not in his Force. It's more about the sound, notes, and the vibes)

Examples (paired with emotions/chapters when applicable):

Happy/Content: Ode to Joy (specifically the version from Evangelion because I'm a weeb)

Sad/Nostalgic: Haven't found a good one yet 🤷‍♀️

Anxious/Angry (as in the Ord Pardron Interlude or in the Inquisitor fight): Dies Irae Requiem (Verdi) or Duel of the Fates (Williams)

Changbin (Cello):

And here we get to a bit of a problem (not really). Changbin's instrument was formulated more with his personality and role in the group in mind rather than a specific song. There are a few that I've found that may fit, but overall this is more a case of 'he's the glue/he's the one people lean on/he's the one that serves as the team's emotional support'. So, while I'm sure there are cello pieces out there, the instrument is typically focused on the harmony role to let others shine.

Examples (paired with emotions/chapters when applicable):

Contemplative/Content: Cello Suite No.1 in G (Bach)

Sad/Nostalgic: 🤷‍♀️

Anxious/Angry: I haven't found a good solo example yet in a song, but this is typically pizzicato

Hyunjin (Woodwinds):

A little bit of yet another problem - Han has not heard the full range of Hyunjin's Force due to them HATING each other at this point. That will change with time, but for now, Han has only heard the flute/piccolo in his Force. There wasn't much rhyme or reason to this choice other than I needed something high and nasally and generally annoying to start that downwards spiral of the typical 'Rap better, dance better' duo, and woodwinds seemed like a good choice.

Examples (paired with emotions/chapters when applicable):

Annoyed (because this is all he's heard thus far): Baby Elephant Walk (Mancini) (specifically the solo parts at 2:30) and Viva Italia (Rossini and Verdi)

Felix (Percussive Instruments):

Ah, the duality of man. He can go high, he can go low, he can go in the middle, he can go dee- ahem. Like Changbin, Felix just generally seems like an emotional support person, like the glue to their team, and as such, I gave him percussion. There are so, so, SO many different instruments in the percussive category, harmony, melody, and rhythmic alike, and I thought it fit pretty well.

Examples (paired with emotions/chapters when applicable):

Happy/Content: Usually represented as a triangle, chimes, or something else in the higher register. Also, anything jazzy probably.

Nervous: Usually represented by a snare drum, with a snapping noise.

Anxious/Angry: Whiplash Solo or the Percussive section of the 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky)

Seungmin (Guitar):

For now, this is acoustic, but I might branch out into more electric versions. The biggest factor here is specifically Han's affection and admiration for guitars, their versatility, and the fact that I wanted something to connect him to Changbin (both string boys). Was originally thinking about vocals or violins, but I thought this suited him better. Since his was finalized pretty recently, I don't have many examples...

Examples (paired with emotions/chapters when applicable):

Nostalgic: The opening riff of Disenchanted by MCR or Good Riddance by Greenday

Jeongin (Vocals):

And finally the Maknae! Like Minho, his Force sounds like vocals to Han, but unlike Minho and unbeknownst to Han, it sounds like Trot! This was the easiest decision for me to make, and didn't take long because it just makes sense to me. His Force sounding like trot will come up later with a tiny bit of angst and a lot of homesickness, but I digress.

Sad/Nervous: Camellia Girl or Busan Seagull (sung by I.N)

I'm still a little new to trot, so forgive me, but I don't have any other examples OTL

And that's it! I'll keep this updated if I run into anything else that I think would work!

[polaroidcats]

It just hit me. For part 2 of assigning german/austrian songs to the marauders, this time with Remus:

Egoist by Falco.

You know it's true.

(This is the only Remus bashing you will ever get from me, he is my babygirl and he has never done anything wrong in his life ever)

Oh wow okay I didn't know I'd be coming home to Remus bashing in my inbox today but here we are! Why are you calling him an egoist? Just because he abandoned his pregnant (so very straight) wife (so very straightly) and didn't take responsibility for that until a 17 year old kicked his ass? Idk what you're on about, that's a weird AU, Remus would never do that.

I see your Falco and I raise you: Junge Römer. You know Sirius played that song on repeat for like a week and thought he was the funniest person ever because of Remus's name.

Also I should note, I'm a bit tipsy (ON REMUS WINE!) atm so this is NOT the official German Remus playlist, this is the shitpost version of the official German Remus playlist, here we go, no thoughts just vibes:

Okayokay I'm thinking abt austrian music now and since we're pretty much the only 2 people invested in these playlists anyways I won't worry about the musicians being well known or not (though I'd love to know which of these you knew and which you didn't!).

May I sugesst Wolfgang Amrbos' Die Kinettn wo i schlof as homeless Remus Lupin's crying song. I feel a bit bad about putting this on the list because the song is genuinely so good and emotional and it made me cry when I was a child (I grew up listening to Ambros) but yeah. Uhm. No further explanation, also idek if you'll understand the dialect lol

DIALECT! When making the german Sirius list one of my Remus thoughts was what the german equivalent to welsh/scottish remus is and I've come to the conclusion that the obvious answer is Vorarlberg. SO obviously Vo Melo Bis Ge Schoppornou has to be included on the list. No I don't understand much either but it's still german (and imho one of the sexiest german accents, I said what I said).

Ham kummst is toxic wolfstar divorce AU core!!!!

Okay this one is actually a serious (lol) suggestion I think Remus would actually really like and relate to Sie mögen sich by Kätpn Peng! ALso maybe Tier by Käptn Peng?

Meine Sonne by Grossstadtgeflüster as angsty REMUS POV either poa era or first war or sth

Also I know this is officially the inofficial Remus list but i had another galaxy brain idea - Aurélie by Wir sind Helden is a song about french Sirius in an AU of our german marauders AU.

oKAAAY ANYWAYS BACK TO AUSTRIAN MUSIC Ich Lebe by Christl Stürmer is also a Remus/wolfstar song now, because I said so.

sepp haT gesagT wir müssen alles anzünden is just pure chaos marauders vibes tell me I'm wrong.

okayyy back to remus Irgendwann bleib I dann dort by STS is also Remus. ANd Gö, du bleibst heut nacht bei mir is needy Remus in a werid fwb situation with remus or sth idk

ALso since I've given up any pretense of choosing things that make sense I also suggest 1001 Nacht is about wolfstar friends to lovers slowburn. YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE

Okay also I just wanted to add something by AnnenMayKantereit because why not, and I'm sure there are better songs but I decided on 21,22,23 purely because of the youth/death themes and bc Jily died at 21 and Remus and Sirius died in their mid-late thirties.

okay now i made myself sad i need one more nonsense answwer and then i'll post this glorious completely coherent masterpiece

I was going to go with LaFee for a tasteful last song but then spotify suggested Tokio Hotel and who am I to disagree?! you can't tell me angsty early 2000s german teenage werewolf remus lupin DIDN'T listen to them, I'm sorry but he really felt the lyrics of Durch den Monsun.

yeah idek what this is i'm sure it's EXACTLY what you expected (lol) uhm i blame the remus wine. Any thoughts on the playlist??

[amiserableseriesofevents]

Let’s create a “clegan/buckxbucky/buckyxbuck/eganven/whatever we call the buckies” playlist together.

🎶 🛫 When you get this, list 5 songs you like to listen that remind you of Clegan (MOTA) and publish them. Then send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (positivity is cool) (@onyxsboxes so i can add your replies to the playlist) 🛫 🎶

You can include more or fewer songs (as you prefer), I'll collect all the replies and put them together in a playlist that I'll share in a week or so (I'll update it as I receive replies, so no rush and no pressure).

Ohohoh this is my time to shine

This one for me is more 100% John than actually Clegan, I admit it, but the vibes (mostly Paul the real estate novelist who never had time for a wife who's talking with Davy who's still in the navy and probably will be for life) can be read as Clegan so I'm putting this in.

THIS ONE!!!! "And I don't even care if it's just a summer fling, if it's all experimental and you go back to safer things"????? Pure Clegan angst with Marge looming on them (sorry Marge I love you I swear)

Same goes for this one honestly, "And when you think about me all of those years ago you're standing face to face with I told you so" it's soooo them (you're nothing more than her husband Gale!!! Gale!!!!!!!)

This is also very them imho, "there is very little left of me and it's never coming back" is so John to Gale at the Stalag and "I think you're changing, don't worry you don't gotta stay the same" is Gale's response, and the whole song the vibes are them in the Stalag

This is one of my favorite songs ever, a masterpiece on grief, and now I always think of them when I listen to it (you can see why I wrote a Clegan fic with a verse of this as the title eheh). It's heartbreaking but I think it represents perfectly the pain of being the one left behind

This too is Stalag Clegan coded, mostly on Gale trying to keep John from doing stupid shit and getting himself killed – "my white knuckled dying grip holding tight to your quiet resentment" is soooo Gale Cleven coded

Last one to be more hopeful lmao "You're familiar like my mirror years ago" is literally Bucky giving Buck his name, and "I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door" is John again but this time as he gets to the Stalag

I know you didn't ask me to include an explanation for every song but in pure John Egan fashion I am indeed a ✨yapper✨ so there you go! Hope you'll like these songs 🥰

[furious-mango]

Another one crazy AU idea.

What if mphfpc was a feel-good comedy with the elements of musical? No one’s dead, everyone’s happy And the main character isn’t Jacob

Who then? Bentham brothers

[idk where's Alma in this au so feel free to add somethin to the story to fulfill her absence]

I see it so clear because you know what? It’s The Greatest Showman!

Phineas Taylor Barnum [P.T.!!!] Look at this man! He looks like both Jack and Myron imho

They’re like two sides of man actually. The one who wants SHOW and applause and to be looked upon with delight and so on And another, who wants show too but also wants to be with his family / loved ones

The Greatest Show [beginning]

How handsome he is.. i cant handle

In de beningi... ngi... nevermind. In the beginning he appears more calm but clearly enjoys the action. That's Myron's feature

That last part when the lights and music fades away but he keeps quietly singing those words…. im gonna start crying rn

I feel like Myron is lost in himself and in what he's doing but keeps going. Jack, on the other hand, is confident

The Other Side

oh look who's there! So young and yet innocent Percival Murmeow

Jack recruting Percy to quit loop life and join his emo band / circus / rebellious group etc. [underline as appropriate]

and after that they're dancing on tables. we all want to see Jack and almost drunk Percival dancing on tables and then makin the deal of their life.

"Sir, it looks like you have yourself a junior partner" "What I have is an overcompensated apprentice"

[oh shut up. I love them all sooo much]

Actually there's still some kind of rebel happening. But it's the Art rebellion. And they're singing:

Forget the cage, 'cause we know how to make the key Oh, damn! Suddenly we're free to flyyy

Just to rewatch this masterpiece with new perception:

Percy is younger (late teens I think) but soon he’ll become taller and overgrow Jack^^

Aand we're moving on to Myron!

Once again my man is lost and distraught. I want to hug him very tight... But he isn't broken. He has so much strengh inside

From now on These eyes will not be blinded by the lights From now on What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight Tonight

Let this promise in me start Like an anthem in my heart From now on From now on

And he will come back home... Home, again.... *distant sobbing*

The Greatest Show [end]

Jack is basking in the light and glory

I think even in this au Jack might want to gain divine powers. Just to make his show more breathtaking, spektacular, thrilling etc.

[imagined blue-cloud-Caul singing The Greatest Show with many voices…… creepy. but also epic]

Myron is also here! Finally living his best life

the grimbear instead of elephant. Now it's Myron riding PT

aand im done with going insane with characters and songs. or maybe not... Anyway! Thanks for reading! please tell me what do you think about it. i really wanna talk about mphfpc///

[harrowscore]

It’s been some days, but can I ask your opinions about Phantom in Milan?

yes of course!! so, here are the things i enjoyed:

the performances were all very solid. ramin karimloo's voice has grown far better with time - he was never one of my super fav phantoms of all time but i always enjoyed him and it was really a treat to see him live. amelia milo is a lovely christine, and vinny coyle was also good as raoul. ah! and i got to see earl carpenter as andré (he's a superb actor and singer, and acting wise probably my fav erik ever)

the audience was on fire and very enthusiastic. the performers received multiple standing ovations at the curtain call - it was really a magical experience

in general the new staging, costumes, coreography were alright, and tbh far better (for the most part) than the restaged tour lmao. sure, the black angel wings of doom in the graveyard trio scene + the yellow coat/giant hat combo in ponr were a Choice but honestly? i didn't mind it so much, it kinda worked on stage.

in general i obviously prefer the original production but this was still a worthwhile experience. even my dad (who can't understand one word of english but was already vaguely familiar with the plot) absolutely loved it - he even said it was the best thing he saw in milan lmao. now he's a poto fan too sdfghjfjf

so tl;dr: they did a lot of things right. what i disliked instead:

in the graveyard scene... well it really doesn't look like a graveyard, to the point that my brother (who like my dad is familiar with the musical and even read the book many years ago) didn't understand that it was supposed to be a graveyard at all lol. the scenography was very bare ngl (they possibly saved some money for the abovementioned black angel wings of doom lmao)

i thought the staging for aiaoy was a bit... heh. basically raoul and christine don't really touch/hug each other until the end of the song (with the big damn kiss etc.) and it was a weird choice since this is supposed to be a romantic scene; in fact it kinda reminded me of the restaged tour version. same with motn (erik & christine don't have any physical contact until the famous 'touch me, trust me' bit, while in the og there's this interesting thing where he barely touches her at all/she leans into him etc. until the climax) but it makes more sense here. i mean, this is just a pet peeve of mine, both scenes were fine. as you pointed out it's been some days since i saw the show so maybe i'm misremembering it all. if anyone out there has a better memory than i have and wants to correct me you're free to do so lol

in the final lair scene, after erik lets christine & raoul go, she does return to give him back the ring but whereas in the original they face each other here she just. leaves it there (tho she looks emotional) while erik is facing the audience and singing 'i love you'. again, this doesn't ruin the show or anything but i prefer the more intimate scene from the original.

obv there were a lot of changes/additions to the og production and i can't list them all (i suppose other phans already did) but imho it's one of the most 'loyal' non-replicas out there, and while the original brilliant is still. you know. the og brilliant and all in all superior/far more spectacular this did not disappoint 💜

[spidermanifested]

returning to the concept of greed playlists: im actually really proud of the one ive been working on. its not "done" yet, in the sense that i like to make my character playlists go in chronological order and theres still comparatively few songs representing the latter half of his arc, but what ive got so far is very solid in my humble imho. so. heres a big post with all the songs ive got in it so far, particularly relevant lyric excerpts, and explanations for how they fit into my Grand Vision

act i: greed the avaricious

softy by kiltro

there's a boy who stalks these halls, he never leaves and when he talks, he talks a lot always by mistake there's a man who runs the show you never see and where he walks, all our breathing stops, how he quiets things

i figured this was a good one to start off the playlist, it sets up the quiet unease of greeds existence. also starting with a song called "softy" on a playlist about the Ultimate Shield and building everything else on top of that is a move of genius i think

shadow's keeper by black rebel motorcycle club

what is the purpose if you feel so incomplete? what is the reason if it beats you to your knees? what do you keep? your eyes were wide but there's a world that keeps you blind a painted serpent turning water into wine seeking light

hes starting to acknowledge how unfulfilled he feels, and the shadow/light motifs are an extra treat considering he uses the metaphor himself. ive done my best to continue that theme throughout the playlist. especially fun if you take the "painted serpent turning water into wine" as the "world that keeps (him) blind" AND the thing "seeking light", aka father, and combine that with the later verse:

you're begging for the truth but now you've seen too much you're living in your head but never feel their touch and everything was buried by the deep blue sky help me to breathe 'cause I don't wanna see the light just tell me to breathe 'cause I don't wanna be denied

he doesnt want whatever grand plans father has in store, he wants a family that cares about him. truth mentioned also, as well, give it up for the truth

willard! by will wood

i've never understood what humans do and want it's quite confusing to me to try to connect never learned how I should feel, instincts somehow stunted just seem haunted by my stupid urge to protect

replace "humans" with homunculi and you have a whole song about how his chimeras are the only ones who really get him. "being haunted by (his) stupid urge to protect" is also such a greed line

hast thou considered the tetrapod by the mountain goats

and alone in my room i am the last of a lost civilization and i vanish into the dark and rise above my station

he, father and the other homunculi quite literally are the last of a lost civilization. also

held under these smothering waves by your strong and thick-veined hand but one of these days i'm gonna wriggle up on dry land

^these lines make me cry on their own already and when i place them in greedcontext it has an effect

what's a devil to do? by harley poe

oh, when the saints go marching in i won't be there, 'cause I love my sin am i so bad that you hate me? there was a time when i could see my hopes and dreams, they are no more i'm not a rich man, but blessed are the poor oh man, forgive me, i turned away i won't come back, so i'll have to pay

i dont think i have to expound on how this relates to greed very much do i. entire song about your inherently sinful nature making you unfit for your home

act ii: taking on the world

could have been me by the struts

don't wanna live as an untold story rather go out in a blaze of glory i can't hear you, i don't fear you i'll live now 'cause the bad die last dodging bullets with your broken past i can't hear you, i don't fear you now

the tiger! he destroyed his cage! the tiger is out!!!!

i by kendrick lamar

and i love myself (the world is a ghetto with big guns and picket signs) i love myself (but it can do what it want whenever it want, i don't mind) i love myself

hes seen how much pain society has in it at this point, but he still has no regrets about leaving home. for the first time in his life hes starting to fill the void in his soul

i want it all by queen

i'm a man with a one track mind so much to do in one lifetime (people do you hear me) not a man for compromise and where's and why's and living lies so i'm living it all, yes i'm living it all and i'm giving it all, and i'm giving it all

the first of several songs about Wanting Everything because you have to have songs about wanting everything in a greed playlist. but thats not the only reason this one fits, youve got the "not wanting to live a lie" part, as well as talking about giving instead of just taking

raise hell by dorothy

young blood, run like a river young blood, never get chained young blood, heaven need a sinner you can't raise hell with a saint young blood, came to start a riot don't care what your old man say young blood, heaven hate a sinner but we gonna raise hell anyway

hes way past young at this point but theres always room for a Fuck You Dad song

emperor's new clothes by panic! at the disco

welcome to the end of eras ice has melted back to life done my time and served my sentence dress me up and watch me die if it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine

this is maybe The classic greed song. everybody knows its about him. the only difference in opinion with the masses i really have is that even though emperor is in the title it really fits more as a pre-nest wild party era greed song than a greedling era song because at no point during the winter road trip does he get to engage in the songs brand of lavish hedonism. hes too busy being depressed

also its fun that it has the word decapitated in it. when, you know

the man by the killers

i know the score like the back of my hand them other boys, i don't give a damn they kiss on the ring, i carry the crown nothing can break, nothing can break me down

obligatory Toxic Masculinity Song. some of the lines about not taking advice dont really apply here because this is greed "looks to his minions for social advice in the middle of a kidnapping" the avaricious but he does have his weird chivalry thing and also a lot of baggage around his own vulnerability. i also think its funny to put in a song where he brags about his dick

thrift shop by macklemore

imma take your grandpa's style, imma take your grandpa's style no, for real, ask your grandpa, can i have his hand-me-downs?

unfortunately this is definitely a greed song.

mr. pinstripe suit by big bad voodoo daddy

now he strolls through the city like a big ol' alley cat with his pinstripe suit and a big bad voodoo hat i don't believe i ever saw him without a kitten on his hand and no one swings as hard to the big bad voodoo band

the time period doesnt quite line up but the Vibe is there. hes making a name and a reputation for himself and hes looking good doing it

busy earnin' by jungle

you think that all your time is used too busy earnin' you can't get enough

a more uncertain interlude. the melody doesnt falter but the lyrics ask if this is really what he wants out of life. after all, he has a long time, but he doesnt have forever.

everybody loves me by onerepublic

don't need my health got my name and got my wealth, i stare at the sun just for kicks all by myself, i lose track of time, so i might be past my prime, but i'm feelin' oh so good, yeah

this answers the question the previous song posed with a "psssh, ill think about it later"

i want it by viv and the revival

in the stores make it rain 'cause it's wet like a dream (a-wooo) cars, boats, big house, everything in between (a-wooo) i don't know i don't care i don't give but i can share, so i'll make you scream make you believe that you can have anything, anything!

another "i want everything" song that stands out by mentioning wanting someone else to have things too. still not really addressing the uncertainty yet in favor of continuing to fuck around

gimme! gimme! gimme! (a man after midnight) by abba

gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight won't somebody help me chase the shadows away? gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight take me through the darkness to the break of the day

well? give him a man after midnight

i'll rust with you by steam powered giraffe

i'll rust with you i'll rust with every one of you nostalgic nights have got me feelin' its all gone, gone, gone to rust

song about being immortal and watching all your relationships fade away before your eyes as the decades roll past? dont mind if i do

highwayman by the highwaymen

i was a highwayman along the coach roads i did ride with sword and pistol by my side many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade the bastards hung me in the spring of '25 but i am still alive

by this point hes been living among humans long enough to have racked up a considerable number of deaths. but hes still around. he'll always be around. Or Will He

act iii: coming together

red right hand by nick cave & the bad seeds

you don't have no money? he'll get you some you don't have no car? he'll get you one you don't have no self-respect, you feel like an insect well don't you worry buddy 'cause here he comes through the ghettos and the barrio and the bowery and the slum a shadow is cast wherever he stands stacks of green paper in his red right hand

the tone of the song is sinister. within the context of this playlist i am envisioning it as entirely literal. whats up with this weird guy and his red right hand. well he got me a new car so he cant be all that bad. he definitely casts a shadow wherever he stands but you know itd be kind of weird if he didnt

this marks the beginning of his quest to find lasting friends minions. clearly just bribing them wont really work

evil friends by portugal. the man

it's not because the light here is brighter and it's not that I'm evil i just don't like to pretend that i could ever be your friend

return of the light motif and the cataclysmic collision of greeds refusal to lie and his refusal to accept the most basic truth about himself. hes gotten to the point where hes able to recognize that who he is isnt a bad thing, but he still cant connect the dots and understand that he was lied to from the start about who he is at all. so he says shit like this with full confidence

let me bathe in demonic light by the mountain goats

someday the old flesh will give way to the new find a functioning mirror inside and slip right through and there, there i'll be and who, who's coming with me? to show me my one true face when i arrive at my preordained place

the light theme continues, and illustrates the fact that in starting to seek out immortality he's retreading the same ground as father-- making the same mistakes. the hunger, as the lyrics explain, runs "deep in the bloodline". just like father, he cant do it alone, and calls on others to join him, while the lyrics run in direct contrast to the past song by saying the word "friend" multiple times. this will continue

amy aka spent gladiator 1 by the mountain goats

i hide down in my corner because i like my corner i am happy where the vermin play

i might wind up relocating this somewhere else on the playlist at some point but right now the sound fits well in this part so. song about Coping, and not necessarily coping healthily or well. but hes surviving, with his little crimelord hobby

if i lead by kiltro

show me the ways that you talk and all of the places you walk if i lead would you follow? let me at the corners where the light don’t touch colors, figures sway love, they might lift you away from the street to what’s under and everything that scatters by the light of day

weve got light again folks! this ones (very plainly i should think) about recruiting the gang. he asks for their trust and brings them down into the underbelly of dublith.

modern jesus by portugal. the man

don't pray for us we don't need no modern jesus to roll with us the only rule we need is never giving up the only faith we have is faith in us

the Greed Crucifixion jokes are hilarious but this song i think fits very well as a refusal by the nest to treat him as anything but an equal, at least in terms of his being a homunculus. they dont want a god, they want a boss and an ally and a friend.

bourbon street by jeff tuohy

every night we throw this little soiree i'm gonna turn her head until she's mine, all mine every night I breed a new disaster might be right, might be wrong try to get away and i will bring you right along

another party song, this time with hints that being on his side isnt totally safe, and he might not be as in-control as he makes himself out to be. everyones having fun, though. for now!

guys on every corner by the mountain goats

with your tabloid stars and your unmarked cars with your special forces and your inside sources with your radar fields and your riot shields and heavy horses i'm coming to swat you down like flies 'cause i got guys

come at him, government. hes got guys.

act iv: the downfall

alligator teeth by mother falcon

i will turn my friends to gold for the treasury to hold them safely while they dream

a sudden shift in musical style to something way more... i dont quite know how to describe it but its soft at first and then turns frantic and its generally not the kind of music i would typically listen to for Fun but in the context of the events leading up to the raid i think the sound works to illustrate the confusion and fear. immortality, i think, was never just for greed. he wanted to protect his friends too. the lyrics start to repeat "i don't wanna ever dream", and then "'cause all it ever leads me to is bad things, bad things"-- this desire is exactly what gets them all killed.

king rat by modest mouse

we spun like birds on fire right down towards the residence, and i i took all that I desired, even crooks have to pay the rent we swam like rats on fire right, right down the reservoir we took all that we could carry, but we tried to carry more and you know, you know, you know it all went wrong

the musical panic continues into the next song, which describes a burglary gone sideways and perfectly captures the raid. greed tried to bite off more than he could chew and paid the price for it. plenty of the lyrics can be directly associated with the situation-- the "king rat" who "has (greed) on his list again", the "deep water" he's sinking in, the claim that he was "honest even when he cheated them". i dont think id be able to find a more fitting song for this part if i looked for a year

going to hell by the pretty reckless

father did you miss me don't ask me where i've been you know i know, yes, i've been told i redefine a sin i don't know what's driving me to put this in my head maybe i wish i could die, maybe i am dead and he said for the lives that i fake, i'm going to hell for the vows that i break, i'm going to hell

barring any better future options this song has provided the title for the whole playlist-- "redefine a sin". the in-context priest being called father really elevates this one, if the whole premise wasnt enough to begin with. a+ greedsong

heretic pride by the mountain goats

and i start laughing like a child and i mark their faces one by one transfiguration's going to come for me at last and i will burn hotter than the sun

maybe greeds emotional state is a little different from the narrator here, but overall this is a certified Song to Get Put in the Soup To

act v: rebirth

still feel. by half alive

floating in outer space, have i misplaced a part of my soul? lost in the in-between, or so it seems, i'm out of control floating in outer space, have i misplaced a part of my soul? lost in the in-between, but it can't keep me asleep for long 'cause i still feel alive

i can so vividly picture the animatic to this one. greeds little soulface flipping around in the stone. zooming in on fathers weird eyeball as he cries him out and puts him in different guys. the last verse being him coming to life again in lings body. why dont i have 7 million dollars

same man i was before by oingo boingo

i'm not the same boy I was before but I haven't changed my desires i've not extinguished the fires i haven't lost wide-eyed wonder i haven't lost, haven't lost, haven't lost that stupid fear of thunder

AND everyone keeps telling him everything he does is wrong. cut that out

ドーナツホール ft. GUMI by hachi

いつからこんなに大きな | When was it that I got these memories, 思い出せない記憶があったか | These big ones I can't remember? どうにも憶えてないのを | Out of what I just can't recall, ひとつ確かに憶えてるんだな | There's one thing I remember pretty well もう一回何回やったって | Try one more time, a hundred times, 思い出すのはその顔だ | All I remember is your face それでもあなたがなんだか | And yet you yourself, I'm not sure why, 思い出せないままでいるんだな | But I still can't remember you…

this is the bido song. look up the rest of the lyrics its about bido. i searched bido on japanese twitter one time and saw somebody else saying this song reminded them of greed and bido. its about greed and bido

act vi: memories returned

stronger by the score

set me on fire set me on, set me on fire (whoa, whoa-oh) i'm still alive i'm still a- i'm still alive (whoa) bet you didn't think that i'd come back to life

every single line fits him perfectly. youve all seen @humming-fly's animation right you dont need me to explain. if you havent what are you doing

long way down by black rebel motorcycle club

don't you cry to yourself just to feel like someone who's hit bottom? but you can't run away 'cause the hole that remains will follow don't you care just enough? don't you feel your heart stop? but you can't know what you want

after the emotional high of 'stronger', representing the anger overtaking him as he goes to attack bradley, 'long way down' takes us, well, Down. hes is so fucking sad. but he cant know what he wants! now more than ever! because to admit it would mean admitting he lost it!!!

clean slate by the mountain goats

rest until you're rested, climb back onto the caravan remember at your peril, forget the ones you can and then just when you think you've learned how to forget you learn it's just the ones who haven't risen to the surface yet

this is The Roadtrip Song. hes sorting through his memories and struggling the entire time. i owe john "the mountain" goats my life for continuing to make ten million songs about extremely specific situations. ideally id have so many more songs in this category but until i find more this is it for the time being

act vii: final sacrifice

human heart by thao

god damn your crooked mouth and lean your fear is a bullet in the wing is it so brave? tell me, is it so brave? the private posture of the self homemade

with this, we skip ahead to the final fight and the moment when he decides to sacrifice himself. shout out to whoever transcribed "eat and won't you be hungry" as "ethan won't you be hungry" on the spotify lyrics for this one, i dont know who ethan is but i hope he has a good lunch. what was i talking about. oh right

children play with fire by mischief brew

children lead us to the lake of fire (fire!) children lead us to the lake of fire (fire!) and as we drive down into the flames maybe I'll let you hold the reins

change da world... his final message. goodb ye

epilogue

just one more by mad caddies

no necesito la vida rica (i don't need the rich life) estoy contento contigo (i'm happy with you) 'cause in the end we all go the same place, yeah so i'll be happy with what i know

like the title says: just one more. because whatever form it takes, he IS partying it up in that shitty bar in the sky. and all his friends are there too.

like i said i would very much prefer to have more songs in the latter parts so if anybody has recommendations. please rant at me about the songs you associate with greed. and if i can fit them in i will. this post took me all day to make i have got to get some follower interaction out of it

[bisluthq]

Idk if Joe had suspicions 💀 I think he was blissfully oblivious because he wasn’t paying attention or he didn’t really care. He took her for granted I feel and most likely fooling around himself too

lol guys Joe’s many things but lbr here he’s not an idiot. He’s a very intelligent man. If your gf left to play her (much less famous) ex’s concert midday and came back in the early hours of the morning and she was talking to him all the time, you’d have to be genuinely a total idiot not to notice. I would also think it’d be a pretty good reason not to wanna get married at that exact point lol and be… kinda sad and down lmfao which are her two main gripes with him by the end but chicken/egg lol. Guys why are you so determined to have Taylor be a saint lol - Joe didn’t make her trip and fall into Matty’s bed and Matty didn’t trick her (he did technically lie but imho believed that shit when he said it).

also guys Taylor is a super sleuth. If Joe had cheated I’m sure she’d have found out. The best she could come up with is he sees other girls in his dreams which like he might’ve been but come onnnn.

and this shit about Joe not caring also like idk TAYLOR says in Joever songs he says he still loves her and she knows he does but it’s not good enough anymore so like why… why change it from what she’s saying?