#and like i just said fiona's feels kind of like a repeat of the themes of s4 too

[50cal-fullauto-astarion]

what smiley face would they use the most if they had a phone (changing this to emoji in general)

hobby or interest they are most embarrassed about (PLEASE tell what brings shame to the Durge Boy)

what mundane human job would they have in modern society to pay the bills and do they like it

their top 3 songs on repeat name a toxic trait of theirs that is really just a beige flag at best

THANK YOU BABE EHEHEHHEEH ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 I’m going to answer for both of these smelly bitches bc I can dghj

1. what smiley face would they use the most if they had a phone

Yder’s a definite tie between 🖕 and 😐. Yder is constantly expressing annoyance, whether fondly or genuinely.

Scorpio oh man. I feel like he’s by and large a FaceTime or voice note sort of dude, and his emoji game is fuckin whack and inscrutable fghhd. He’s giving me HUGE 🔫, 🔪, 👊 vibes though, with a dash of 🙇, 🤡, and 🥰. Also maybe a few of these 🐂 bc I feel like he’s got an obsession with the strange ox and he just NEEDS ppl to know he’s thinking about it again.

6. hobby or interest they are most embarrassed about

HUEHUEHUE YESSSS. Oh god this hit me like a ton of bricks, and it’s making me cringe in sympathy embarrassment, but I feel like my poor Durge baby Scorpio has a REALLY pretty voice. Like REALLY pretty, nice and gravelly and deep. Anyway where I’m going with this is smth smth he narrates erotica and/or creates porn ASMR audios. Slaps them on Patreon, makes a mint even though he’s just doing it for fun, but if ANYONE caught him recording whimpering audios, he’d send himself straight to hell. I owe him a formal apology dfhh. He sounds like Ghost Call Of Duty |’:

Real time life update I almost got shit on by a fuckin bird

YDER. So I had to think about this a minute - NOT bc she doesn’t have shame, she has that in spades, but omfg she’s so like Go And Do that she wouldn’t have time for a hobby, let alone an embarrassing one. Oh god no I figured it out. She’s low key kind of a furry/scalie and she’s got sonas for each that she doodles a lot. One’s a water monitor and one’s a mongoose 😭😭 YDER I’M SO SORRY. I’ll give her one redeeming quality, her art Twitter is fucking insane. SECONDARY EMBARRASSMENT: this is the actual one bc it popped in my head but I think the furry thing is funny enough to leave, but she has a huge assortment of romance themed pinboards that she likes to edit and curate and if ANYONE saw them, she’d ruin their life.

15. what mundane human job would they have in modern society to pay the bills and do they like it

Yder’s is boring and immoral, but she’s a computer hardware engineer for fantasy!L*ckheed M*rtin while she’s pursuing her master’s. ): She likes it bc she’s good at it and it pays a lot, but not on its own merits.

Scorpio — my brain IMMEDIATELY said barista and dog walker?? *ETA: also is a bouncer at a shitty dive bar known for violent patrons. I mean he’s probably super married to Gale and living in luxury in Waterdeep like a trophy wife, so he’s just doing both of those to have something to do and some pocket change, even though Gale 8000% gave Scorpio a black card tied to his accounts that he can use freely. Plus he’s got the Patreon audio porn racket going on, he’s just doing shit for a laff at this point lol.

19. their top 3 songs on repeat

THIS ONE IS SO GOOD. All Spotify links!

Yder: Hot Knife - Fiona Apple (gives her Astarion feels, Abs she’ll annoy him by tugging his ear and going, “If I’m butter, if I’m butter, then he’s a hot knife.”) Беспонтовый пирожок - Grazhdanskaya Oborona (THIS SLAPS THANK YOU FOR THE REC WARDS!!). Ederlezi - Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra (this version is so fuckin good it got me to change her name).

Scorpio: Dirty Harry - Gorillaz. Anywhere I Lay My Head - Tom Waits (ANY Tom Waits song lbr, but this one is special and probably the song he associates most with Gale). Coal - Dylan Gossett (he’s my loves-country boy, and this song makes him feel seen).

27. name a toxic trait of theirs that is really just a beige flag at best

THIS one really had me thinking bc they’re both literally decimated with toxic traits, but bending them into beige flags is a trick dghj.

Yder: oh god so her selfishness and manipulative tendencies are omnipresent and bulletproof, but 💀💀 safe really DOES use it to improve the lives of the ppl she cares about. She’s an insular, horrid woman who rarely cares if she has to kill to get her way, but she’ll put that to use to beg, borrow, steal her friends’ ways into better lives. It’s a nice bonus if it sets her up nice, too.

Scorpio: He is EXTREMELY fucking clingy and possessive—whether it’s Gale, his friends, or just someone he considers ‘Mine Mine Mine,’ like the Finding Nemo gulls. But uhhh woof his loyalty is SERIOUSLY unmatched. And you’ll never be lonely if you have his number and want to hang out!

Bonus: they’re both in insanely codependent relationships 🤪🤪 but it makes their partners feel loved, wanted, and secure! That’s kind of like getting an A in relationships, right?

#holler holler get $ #oc: scorpio #oc: yder #THANK YOU WARDS DFHJJF THESE WERE SO GOOD

[librarygf]

anyone else feel like maybe s5 is uh... not that good?

#asdfgh i just #hate gus and hate sean and hate debbie being a rapist and annoying about boys all the time #i hate kev and v's story of fighting about their kids and separating and the rape walker storyline #frank's starting to have storylines not involving anyone else (up until s4 they were at least adjacent to the family) #which means we have to watch scenes of him and other random people all the time #carl's storyline is pretty weak compared to s4 and s6 too tbh #sammi's just feels like a more annoying repeat of s4 #and like i just said fiona's feels kind of like a repeat of the themes of s4 too #and besides the two episodes where he's struggling with tuition money lip barely has anything to do #other than his professor and amanda which is just not that poignant compared to how strong he is in all other seasons #including like 6 and 8 lol #like for real s5 might be his worst season asdghj #obviously i really love ian and appreciate this story about his struggles just like a love all the tender moments with him and mickey #and i'm just happy when mickey's in scenes obviously #but other than that it's really like. kind of not that great asdfjghjk #and then it ends like that... the why of it all #i mean i don't want to be a downer i do appreciate some moments and i do generally actually like the show lol #but like. still #anyway i've finished 5x12 now and i think i'm actually gonna continue to s7 bc i cannot handle more sean or fucking caleb right now #excited to see sierra and franny and ian being an emt <3 #okay that's all bye #m

[sebasticn]

hi guys i’m late as always because i was cleaning but hi!!! i’m fiona, from the pst timezone, n sebastian here is my troublesome child ... i’ve had him for a while but haven’t been able to develop him as much as i’ve wanted to so i’m super excited to do so here!!

[ douglas booth + cismale + he/him ] —— have you met sebastian vanzin? they are a twenty-three year old senior currently studying music composition. they live on farrow house, and word around campus is that this gemini is audacious + charming, as well as rebellious + egocentric. i wonder if they’ll make it out alive. scattered music compositions, pouring a bottle of wine over his head, and snickering behind other’s backs.

HIS BACKGROUND

here’s another little prodigy hoe with family issues into the mix... queue the theme song of succession to play

he comes from a big family, his parents weren’t necessarily looking to raise children or have a family, more so create kids that could one day be of some use to them

he is the oldest kid but literally.... lacks the most responsibility and was not always ‘present’ so to say as the role model of the family.. literally told his younger siblings that their parents don’t love them lmfao

their family life is pretty rigid, parents never said they loved them as kids or that they were proud of them, because it was never good enough for them and they had the most unrealistic expectations for their kids

his parents discouraged his interest in music and pushed him towards fencing and sword fighting so he spent hours upon hours fighting and perfecting it until he started performing in matches etc

he eventually started writing and composing music, he started taking violin. cello, and piano classes with money saved up secretly behind his parents back and met an amazing teacher that taught him everything he knows now this teacher ended up trying to utilize his talents and potential to exploit him for his own good n when seb found that out he felt betrayed and left, accused him of using him and fell into a pit of self pity and teenage angst that everyone around him wanted to benefit off of him in some way 

nothing changed and he went back to sword fighting and piano lessons to the point where his parents just harbored it as eat, sleep, practice, repeat.. he didn’t see his siblings as much as he wanted and this caused a lot of pent up rage and anger towards a lot of people and himself

he got so frustrated during points of his life of feeling trapped and desiring grander things that he started acting out a LOT. he crashed his parents nice ass car when he stole it one night, started sleeping around and essentially ghosting a lot of girls bc he just needed a stress relief! and he didn’t know that if you took a girl’s virginity.. she might call you a lot after! 

started drinking etc and eventually got into trouble way too much in high school he got into a fight w somebody when they provoked him (we love a man with no self control or restraint!) and he sent them to the hospital and eventually into a coma where they didn’t make it.. his parents helped him cover it up and they managed it as self defense but the subject is VERY touchy and it haunts him a lot to this day but let’s not talk about trauma or anything let’s get drunk lmao

eventually his parents got annoyed and shipped him off to boarding school and it was his first time into the world without parental supervision or them breathing down his neck so he went.. total riot club ham and got himself into WAAAY too much trouble freshman year 

HIS PERSONALITY

he’s a smart ass. acts like he knows more than you. incredibly smug. thinks he’s something special bc he’s talented in different aspects and has a love for the arts

spends a lot of time in the library, kind of gatsby esque in his love for big parties and grand things and gestures. very dionysus-like in a way that he’s indulgent and selfish now.. things came full circle and u can blame his parents for that baby!

an instigator for poor choices and bad ideas. he does stupid shit. he gets bored and wants terror..... queue donna tartt “beauty is terror” 

he’s a big family guy.. misses his siblings a lot but always lacked the ability to vocalize his love for them and felt out of place as the eldest child

acts like he’s not a sad boy by distracting himself and drowning himself in dry sarcastic stupid humor when he is in fact a sad boy! think damon salvatore humor at times. maybe even klaus from the umbrella academy

flaunts his money sometimes mostly bc to him money really doesn’t matter despite how shallow he can be sometimes

WANTED CONNECTIONS

fwb, fling!!! something that isn’t serious, just two pals having sex!

a bad influence? somebody he likes to corrupt bc.. finger guns.. that’s his jam! they get into trouble together or he’s always convincing them to do some dumb shitan accomplice!!!!

maybe somebody who knows that he put somebody in a coma and then they passed.. could use it as blackmail against him in some way

he needs friends who will be the ultimate riot club dumbasses and haze other kids and be snooty little posh assholes that wreak havoc and do dumb shit

somebody that he buys drugs from often, they could either not give a fuck about him or maybe sees that he is spiraling into something and is concerned? think maybe fez with rue from euphoria vibes

anyone that hates him.... this is so easy... he’s literally a piece of shit

somebody that he used to train or teach when he was younger? somebody who looked up to him in a way with one of his skills and now knows his personality and is disappointed that they ever looked up to him

#holloway.intro #death tw #drugs tw #alcohol tw #sorry this is long lmao

[anneapocalypse]

RWBY 7.06

Caught up at last! At least until Saturday. :)

It’s election day in Atlas. RWBYJNOR are hard at work on the training floor. Ruby is seeing new developments in her semblance, while Oscar is eager to see his own manifest.

Clover and Ironwood order RWBYJNOR to take the night off. Yang and Blake are going out dancing with FNKI. Ruby, Nora, and Ren are going to Robyn’s election party. Oscar, Jaune, and Weiss decide to go to a movie.

On the way, Ruby, Nora, and Jaune discuss Jinn’s words. Their conversation seems to highlight a potential loophole: perhaps it is only Ozma himself who can’t destroy Salem, but someone else can. They can’t be sure.

Ren’s seeming frustrating with Nora increases, and at this point, his worry seems to mirror that of Blake in volume 2, when she was in such distress over the White Fang that she refused to rest. This does, at least, make it look like he’s not angry at Nora specifically.

Marrow is on security duty with Penny at Robyn’s party. It makes sense that he’d be the one sent there—a lot of the working class of Mantle and Robyn’s supporters are probably Faunus. Maybe this is why Ironwood didn’t want Clover taking him. Nora and Ren then have an argument that is very… on-the-nose. Again, there’s kind of an explicit parallel being drawn her between Blake and Yang’s feelings for each other, and Ren and Nora.

Ruby does not like being a third wheel to other people’s romantic problems, and it’s cute.

Jacques’ apparent come-from-behind victory certain is a bit reminiscent of certain, uh, events in US politics. I don’t want to get too deep into that, because I don’t think these characters are meant to be direct parallels to any real politic figures, and I think that’s for the best. Let’s just say the dynamics are… evocative.

So… that kiss. I’m basically neutral on Renora, I always liked their lifelong friends dynamic and was never really chomping at the bit for romance, but y’know, it’s fine. I’m not wild about the kiss, though? Not because I don’t think Ren returns Nora’s feelings—from the way he responds to the kiss, it seems like he does. But because it doesn’t seem to follow from the build-up. Ren has been acting annoyed with Nora all this volume, and even if that was covering up feelings he didn’t know how to deal with, I don’t feel like Nora saying “fuck it” and just kissing him resolves the conflict that’s been built up, which by Ren’s own admission is that he doesn’t feel like he can focus on a relationship with everything that’s happening.

Since they’re making such a blatant comparison to Blake/Yang… when Blake was struggling in the same way Ren is now, Yang confronted her, yeah, and Yang can be just as forceful a personality as Nora is. And she was a bit forceful with Blake. I think the difference to me is that Yang never made that conversation about her own feelings for Blake; rather, she focused on the fact that Blake was ignoring her own needs and setting herself up for failure.

But Nora isn’t Yang, and Ren isn’t Blake. And we’re only at episode 6, so it’s very possible this conflict will be explored further as the volume progresses. In fact, I hope so, because I don’t see the kiss as a resolution to the conflict that’s been built up, and I’m not sure it speaks well of Ren and Nora’s compatibility, lifelong friends or no.

Anyway, their Moment is interrupted by Watts and Tyrian orchestrating a massacre at the rally and framing Penny for it.

Things are about to get even worse for Ironwood, once Watt’s fabricated video goes viral.

I have a few thoughts and predictions.

I think Yang will believe Penny. Yang specifically knows what it’s liked to be put in a position like this, to know you didn’t do something that everyone seems to believe you did. She knows how their enemies are capable of manipulating public perception to create anger and panic, even if she doesn’t know the specifics. She will support Penny.

I think Tyrian made one critical mistake. During the slaughter in the crowd, I don’t see any sparks of purple from his stinger. He’s using purely slashing damage. But when he attacks Fiona on the stage, his hand glows purple, the color of his aura. I couldn’t find a definitive answer as to what Tyrian’s semblance is, and whether his poison is aura-based or biological. But if he used his semblance on Fiona, the damage he did to her could have left evidence behind—evidence that the assailant was someone other than Penny. This may not be enough to persuade the masses, but it could definitely be enough to convince Robyn and her Huntresses, even bring them to a detente with Ironwood while they face a common enemy.

Whatever happens, Ruby needs to tell Ironwood the truth about Salem before Amity Tower goes up. Ironwood isn’t making great decisions as it is, but letting him go forward with his plan without all the information could have even more disastrous consequences. Ironwood still sees Salem as a problem he can solve by throwing enough military mechs at it. The only way to disabuse him of that notion is to show him history, to show him everything Oz has tried, everything that has not worked.

I do think the key to stopping Salem is going to be Ruby, and I think it’s all going to tie back to that line “victory is in a simple soul.” Salem repeats something similar in her monologue at the end of volume 3: “So you send your guardians, your Huntsmen and Huntresses, and when they fail, and you turn to your smaller soul… know that you send her to the same pitiful demise.”

There could actually be a literal meaning to “smaller soul.” Ozma’s original soul has combined with the many souls of his hosts over generations. Souls manifest in tangible ways in this universe; I don’t know whether they could be said to have volume, per se, but you could read that as Ozpin now being a much larger soul, and perhaps something about that prevents him from destroying Salem.

“Victory is in a simple soul” is a line from the theme song of volume 1. If this is Ruby, and that’s going to be a key part of the story, that’s an idea that has been present from the start, even if the details weren’t there yet, and I suspect that this is why Ruby hasn’t had any kind of a character arc since volume 1. If a “simple soul” is the key to victory, that concept may have boxed the writers into a corner where they felt they couldn’t do anything that might change Ruby too much, and ruin her eventual role in the story. This is kind of a problem when Ruby is our main character.

In volume 5, we started to see a hint of the writers figuring out how to work around this. I fully believe it is possible for Ruby Rose to change, to be challenged, to grow as a person, and still maintain that note of innocence, that “simple soul” that will allow those words come true. I hope the writers are able to achieve it. The writing has grown tremendously in recent volumes, and I am optimistic about its continued growth.

#rwby7 #rwby spoilers #read like roses

[kushamisaru]

all the class 1-a boys for the "send me a character and i’ll list" one ;B

I fear you are going to be very disappointed with this list since I don’t have super strong feelings on a lot of these boys but I will do my best! I’ll be going by seating chart order:

Aoyama:

favorite thing about them- Being an extra person myself, I appreciate a character who also very extra. I’ll admit I found him kind of annoying at first but on this second rewatch he’s grown on me.

least favorite thing about them- I don’t have anything I dislike about him. I guess I think he could have a better quirk?

favorite line- “You like him, don’t you?”

brOTP- Uh idk? Who does he really hang out with?

OTP- himself

nOTP- Any of the adults I guess? (this goes for all of these kids but I’m gonna say it here and only here)

random headcanon- He practices smooth heroic one liners and poses in the mirror. Sometimes he accidently activates his quirk too and temporarily blinds himself.

unpopular opinion- If people overall tend to like him, I guess my unpopular opinion would be that I didn’t originally?

song i associate with them- Diamonds by Rhianna (but only the chorus. It’s on repeat in his head all the time)

Iida

favorite thing about them- He’s got a good heart and he tries his best!

least favorite thing about them- Nothing now, but in the past he was quick to act based on his emotions :/ Glad he seems to have learned from that.

favorite line

brOTP- Him and his brother, him and Midoriya, him and Uraraka

OTP- Idk if it has a ship name (rarepair is hell) but IidaxMomo

nOTP- Iida and his brother, I guess?

random headcanon- Is the kid that complains that they’re totally gonna fail (insert test here) and passes with an A+ every. single. time.

unpopular opinion- Probably my otp for him. They just have a lot in common and I think they’d be cute together!

song i associate with them -  The distance by Cake

Ojiro

favorite thing about them- He’s a very honourable guy, he works hard and doesn’t take what he thinks he doesn’t deserve. ALSO APPARENTLY HIS TAIL WAGS WHEN HE’S HAPPY OR EXCITED WHICH IS SUPER CUTE

least favorite thing about them- The fact that I had to look this character up to get a summary of his personality because I wouldn’t know shit about him besides his looks otherwise

favorite line- … I got nothing…

brOTP-  just on looks and personality alone probably Rikido?

OTP- I mean, I’ve seen art of him and Toru that’s pretty cute but I feel like people started shipping them when she stripped in front of him or w/e and she was like “Don’t look at me!” which is :///// I just think their personalities would be interesting together, him being a humble guy and her wanting to stand in the spotlight

nOTP- I don’t know this character well enough to have an opinion on this.

random headcanon- see above

unpopular opinion- do people have strong opinions on this character? I would need to know what they think

song i associate with them - talespin theme song

Denki

favorite thing about them- The fact that he’s the best boy

least favorite thing about them- He can be kind of gross and he hangs out a lot with the worst boy :/ but at least he’s like. A normal teenage boy amount of gross instead of that being his only character trait.

favorite line- that noise he makes when he short circuts

brOTP- Anybody really.

OTP- Don’t have anyone I super hard ship him with? I guess him and Jirou is a little cute but I don’t really ship it.

nOTP- none

random headcanon- Pichu main

unpopular opinion- I have one but it’s about events the toonami crew hasn’t reached yet so I can’t discuss it

song i associate with them- Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths

Kirishima

favorite thing about them- He’s so friendly! He literally wants to make friends with everyone!

least favorite thing about them- I guess a fandom interpretation? I don’t dislike anything about him as a character

favorite line-

brOTP- Him and everyone in the class (This time reluctantly including M*neta because unfortunately Kirishima is just that magnetic)

OTP- Kiribaku, I suppose. I also think KiriMina is cute but that’s at least partially because those are my boyfriend and my favorite students respectively.

nOTP- none

random headcanon- Would probably be a skater kid if this was a 90′s cartoon

unpopular opinion- I feel like Kirishima is a lot more layered than your average fandom headcanon gives him credit for. Like yeah, my favorite thing about him is that he’s a sweetheart, but he’s not JUST a sweetheart. He’s a rough and tumble kind of guy. He’s insecure, but working on becoming more confident. He’s a stand up guy, but not totally above mischief. He’s just a really interesting character and oh my god is he becoming my new fave boy? What the fuck is happening?

song i associate with them- Gotta Fly Now (theme from Rocky)

Koji

favorite thing about them- A SWEETHEART! GENTLE GIANT!

least favorite thing about them- This is gonna sound so mean but… his face…

favorite line- I don’t remember the exact words but when he conquered his fear of the bugs to pass that exam… that was good.

brOTP- I guess Jirou?

OTP- None

nOTP- None

random headcanon- Dinosaurs are his favorite

unpopular opinion- What are the general opinions on this guy in the first place? Idk.

song i associate with them- You know that scene in Shrek where Fiona sings that duet with that bird and the bird explodes. That. Not the actual song, just that rendition of it, in that scene.

Sato

favorite thing about them- idk why but his quirk strikes me as funny

least favorite thing about them- not a fan of his costume. it’s not the worst costume though… I guess

favorite line- just him explaining his quirk

brOTP- nobody right now but I feel like if someone came along with an eating related quirk, or was just a big eater, they’d get along well

OTP- see above

nOTP- none

random headcanon- so canonically he’s a good baker, especially with deserts, but I bet he sucks at cooking.

unpopular opinion- don’t really have one

song i associate with them- cooking by the book (from lazytown)

Shoji

send me a character and i’ll list:

favorite thing about them- TOL

least favorite thing about them- I’m not a fan of his whole design. It makes me… uncomfortable.

favorite line- not sure

brOTP- I guess just based on personality, Tokoyami? Not sure how much they interact though

OTP- none

nOTP- none

random headcanon- would never lose his earpods but would also never own them

unpopular opinion- idk

song i associate with them- handyman by awolnation

Sero

favorite thing about them- If I’m being perfectly honest, the only reason I like this character as much as I do is because of a mob psycho crossover fic where he and Mob effectively replace M*neta (Mob literally by like taking his spot at UA, and Sero through their similarish quirks). Don’t know much about his canon character traits but if he’s anything like in that story he’s cool by me

least favorite thing about them- that he could replace the bad one mentioned above but does not.

favorite line- none

brOTP- none

OTP- none

nOTP- none

random headcanon- will try to tape anything he can together and call it fixed.

unpopular opinion- I don’t know a lot about how this character is viewed so I couldn’t say

song i associate with them- Tape Song by The Kills

Tokoyami

favorite thing about them- he’s just REALLY funny like he tries to be dark and mysterious but he’s just… not. it’s great.

least favorite thing about them- not something I hate or even dislike so much as something I’m dying to know: what’s up with the head? apparently that’s not part of his quirk so??? what’s going on there???

favorite line- most things that come out of his mouth are gold

brOTP- Tsuyu

OTP- Also Tsuyu! I like them a lot as bffs and bf/gf!

nOTP- none that I can think of.

random headcanon- Meta Knight main

unpopular opinion- I don’t think I have one? I think most people like this character and agree with what I said so…

song i associate with them- Linkin Park’s entire discography.

Todoroki

favorite thing about them- I guess you could say he’s… a pretty cool guy ;^)

least favorite thing about them- HIS HERO NAME IS SO DUMB. SO DUMB. I GET MAD EVERYTIME I THINK ABOUT IT. WHY IS BAKUGOU’S DUMB NICKNAME FOR HIM SO MUCH BETTER. I’M MAD.

favorite line- Not a line, but I liked when he finally used his fire power, reclaiming it from his asshole dad.

brOTP- Him and Momo I guess. Also him and Midoriya.

OTP- If I MUST choose, I guess Tododeku.

nOTP- Notp sounds so harsh but honestly? I don’t ship him with anyone. so kind of sort of everyone applies.

random headcanon- I saw a comic someone made suggesting he likes to do goofy things when only one person is watching because no one will ever believe it happened. I like that.

unpopular opinion- I don’t really like either of Todoroki’s most popular ships. I have a hard time imagining a reason outside of school Momo and Todoroki would ever hang out, and even then I can’t see anything growing there beyond friendship. As for Midoriya and Todoroki… I can see why people ship it I guess, but as someone who came into the fandom knowing that was a fairly popular ship the moment that launched it didn’t even phase me, at least not in that way. It wasn’t until my second watching that I realized that was probably what started the ship and I feel like not a whooole lot has happened between them since? At least not to my knowledge. Todoroki, in my opinion, isn’t close enough to ANYONE yet for romance to be a viable option.

song i associate with them Hot n’ Cold by Katy Perry

Bakugou

favorite thing about them- when he gets bullied

least favorite thing about them- literally told someone to kill themselves

favorite line- DEKUUUU! DID YOU JUST BLINK YOUR EYELIDS?! YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!!

brOTP- I kind of like the concept of the Bakusquad.

OTP- KiriBaku (though I’m fine with Bakugou just being alone too)

nOTP- BkDk

random headcanon- Dark Pit Main

unpopular opinion- Bakugou is not the worst student and I don’t hate him.

song i associate with them- Boom by Black Eyed Peas

Midoriya

favorite thing about them- A sweet boy! Works his ass off all the time!

least favorite thing about them- His heart is in the right place, but he can be very reckless with his own safety.

favorite line- I’m the Deku that always does his best!

brOTP- Iida, Todoroki (ig)

OTP- IzuOcha!

nOTP- BkDk

random headcanon- Since you wanna be cute and shit this one is just for you: Someone once tricked Midoriya into thinking he ate a pot brownie and he cried for an hour (”What will mom think?! What will All Might think?!”)

unpopular opinion- I’ve seen some people say they don’t like Midoriya as a main character because like… his character is boring? Don’t agree with that. Not sure how popular that opinion is though.

song i associate with them- Zero to Hero from Hercules

Ugh… Mineta

favorite thing about them- Nothing.

least favorite thing about them- The fact that he’s still alive

favorite line- none

brOTP- none

OTP- none

nOTP- none

random headcanon- I try not think about Mineta more than absolutely necessary (meaning he’s either in front of me or being discussed) so none.

unpopular opinion- Mineta is infinitely to the infinite power times worse than Bakugou is and/or will ever be, and unlike Bakugou, does not deserve the character development he’s apparently getting. Since Horikoshi is too much of a perv and a coward to literally kill him, the next best thing would be to let him die metaphorically of irrelevance. But I know he won’t do that either.

song i associate with them- none

#skoodledoodledoo #WHEW! THAT TOOK FOREVER #Unfortunately I gave up on pics because that was causeing #too many problems #sorry for the wait!

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 3X06 - Ariel

Who’s ready to hear an amazing TAIL that only slightly FISHY?!

Yeah, yeah. They’re not all winners. Hit me up under the cut to read my thoughts!

Press Release

Back in the Fairy Tale Land that was, when Ariel saves Snow White from drowning in the ocean’s depths, Snow returns the favor by helping her new friend get acquainted with Prince Eric, with whom she has fallen madly in love with. Meanwhile, Emma, Mary Margaret, David and Hook attempt to save Neal, who is imprisoned in one of Pan’s encampments, and Regina and Mr. Gold begrudgingly team up to find a way to take down Pan.

Main Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness

Past

Ariel is the main focus of this segment. Her character introduction is the reason for it.

And honestly, that’s pretty great.

I think that’s pretty evident by how much the fandom loves Ariel as a whole. I’ve never met a single person who doesn’t love her and there’s a good reason why. She’s energetic, kind, has a solid introductory story that gives you everything you’ve ever needed to know about her character. Johanna’s performance is so enjoying to watch as she captures the innocence of the character of Ariel as well as the bubbliness that made the Disney version so memorable.

Present

So, we all agree, the main focus of this segment are the secrets. It’s not to say there isn’t more meat there (Ex. Rumple and Regina), but I cover more of it in other segments and my thoughts on the secrets is what you want to hear.

”The deeper the lie, the more truth in its echo.” I guess that means the more you deny the truth to yourself and others, the more true or big it really is.

And to be experimental and do something different (And because I don’t really feel like delving into the revelations that will come to pass in future seasons), I’m going to just focus my review of the present by tackling these secrets as they are and with that mindset in mind:

Killian: Killian reveals that he kissed Emma and that the kiss exposed that he can move on from Milah and love again. I buy this as a secret. To keep this short as to not get too shippy (You can find THAT bit of shippy goodness in it’s home), it makes perfect sense to me that with Killian’s redemption underway and that he’s at least willing to let Rumple live, the idea of him moving on romantically works as both a story concept and a character concept. I also like how he was apparently fighting it at every step of the way, only being fully convinced with last episode’s kiss.

Snow: Snow reveals that for as much as she loves Emma and their life together, she longs for the firsts that were denied to them and thus, wants another baby. I feel like Snow addresses David more with this secret than she does Emma and for the secret of ‘I want another baby/another chance,’ there are too many instances of “our daughter” and not enough “Emma”s for me. Now, with that out of the way, the secret itself is very in-character for Snow. I like it in terms of enjoying it as something very in-character. It’s a believable desire for her to have and Ginny really sells how badly Snow wants it. It’s also heartbreaking for Emma and that de-emphasis on her (Or rather, de-EMMA-sis -- holy shit, that may have been my best pun ever) as she tells it really sticks out because of it. It sucks that this is never brought back up too because this is sort of another case of Emma being told she’s not enough and by her own parents who she saved.

David: David, of course, reveals that he’s trapped on the island. There’s really nothing else to elaborate on here. I like how the focus is on Snow and her anger at the lie is hard and fast. It builds on what she was saying about secrets and honesty in both segments of the episode.

Emma: Finally, Emma reveals that while she’s never stopped loving Neal, the pain of losing him again caused all of the pain from long ago to return with a vengeance, and that rather than being forced to deal with the pain that their past together caused her, she wished that he’d died. Again, I’ll try not to talk about all of the shippy goodness here (Again, there’s more down below), but some will be delved into, so fair warning. Looks like I’m 4/4 because I like this one too. I get that wanting someone to die as their best self seems better than having to come to terms with the complications in their relationship. When Neal “died,” he had just apologized to Emma and made a heroic sacrifice for her and Henry. That was his last impression and believing him to be dead allows for Emma to close the book on the pain that was between them. Him being alive brings those problems to the present and makes them active again and Emma would rather that pain not be the thing that ultimately impacts her memory of Neal the most. I also love Neal’s response and fast forgiveness. For a few episodes now, Neal has been discussing all of his regrets concerning Emma and how he felt about her and that hug really says a lot about just how sorry he is.

Insights - Stream of Consciousness

-”Did you really think you could hide from The Evil Queen?” “Actually, yes.” This line never fails to crack me up! The shrug and surprise in Ginny’s voice really sells it.

-Look at the synchronized swords on those guards! How long do you think they practiced that?

-Damn, the water here is beautiful. The way the lighting is done paints something mystical and yet deadly af!

-”No. There has to be a way without going dark.” No, Emma. Anger does not necessitate going dark. Anger is an emotion that everyone’s entitled to feeling and it’s one that can be a force for good. The way Regina’s teaching you at the moment doesn’t go against that. Coming right after the stellar subplot in “Good Form,” this really is a disappointment to hear from Emma. Emma knows righteous fury better than anyone. That said, I completely agree with this scene for framing Regina as in the right because it’s completely warranted.

-YASSSS! Thank you, Killian for telling the truth about Neal!

-I’m fully with David and Killian here. Emotionally and strategically, it made the most sense to keep Emma in the dark about Neal being alive until they could confirm it.

-”Can you keep a secret?” Fuck no, she can’t!

-”Sorry. She deserved to know.” THEY WERE GOING TO TELL HER THE TRUTH, SNOW! PATIENCE. IT’S A REAL THING.

-Rumple, while trying to look into the future, looks like he’s either trying to summon a Final Flash from DBZ or the Doctor Strange magic hands.

-I spend a lot of time thinking about Rumple and his future telling abilities and why they never came up after this season. Like, I honestly don’t care that much about plot holes, but they can matter when they’re character-based. When a character has a power like that (One that’s been established since the pilot), there needs to be a reason for them not to use it, and Rumple, who has an over-reliance on magic as a major character trait, would use that as often as he could. In Neverland, Pan made it clear why he couldn't. But why not afterwards? Is the power just that vague that we can infer that he was using it? My personal HC is that they just went away after his first death.

-Okay, Pan is the one hell of a villain, but he’s also one hell of a chef, too! No wonder Fiona loved him!

-”You’ve lost your son Neal. Again.” You’re such an asshole, Pan, but it is like the greatest thing to watch.

-Okay, so real talk: I have misophonia and loud chewing and talking with one’s mouthful often enrages me. And Pan didn’t! I was ready to cringe when he picked up that egg in a basket, but he was fine. Pan, you may be the villain of this arc, but you’re the Savior to my ears! Thank you, Robbie Kay for enunciating properly as you eat!

-”That by killing you, all our troubles end?” Rumple: Sass Master Extraordinaire.

-Okay, so it looks like Rumple specifically has to die to kill Pan. Da fuq?

-”Have you forgiven YOUR father?” Wow, the writers of this show were just milking that twist with everything they had, didn’t they?

-”She looks fertile.” I repeat: Da fuq?

-I feel like I’d hate Snow a lot more in this episode if it weren’t for her tracking abilities finally being put to good use.

-I like Regina’s decision to leave the group from a character perspective. While the group should definitely try to save Neal, Regina, who doesn’t care about him would have no interest and after the second stop in their journey AND after talking to Henry, I can understand how all that frustration would just explode at the thought of another deviation.

-”It [the fork] is really not that valuable.” I don’t know. That is a really well made fork. XD

-”I may be heartbroken, but I’ll understand.” People, I give you Prince Eric: The only true unproblematic fave.

-Ooh! That mirror transition effect from the party to Regina’s castle was amazing!

-”Come home to Storybrooke.” Rumple, that’s as big of a red flag as there can be that that’s not Belle!

-”Are you really going to fall for this?” My sentiments exactly, Regina!

-You know, this is some great acting on Emilie’s part! She has to pull off a suffocation scene as the victim with no physical help from another actor. She really sells fake Belle’s desperation and panic!

-Speaking of good acting, look at Robert’s face when he discovers that Pan’s shadow was fake Belle. For the first time, we see a full display of the true fear Rumple has for his father!

-For as much as I’m apprehensive about Snow in the present segments, I’m LOVING her in the past. She’s so kind and supportive.

-”Thanks. For nothin’.” A little ungrateful there, aren’t you, Ariel?

-I giggled for a good twenty seconds at Regina saying “Ah-riel!”

-”You’re not gonna die at anyone’s hands but my own.” Honestly, Rumple dies at EVERYONE’S hands but your own!

-”Because I came here to kill him and die in the process!” Rumple, you are so fucking extra! Still bring the freakin’ weapon! You are so gloriously extra!

-Lana is having such a fun time playing Regina playing Ursula and I’m loving it! XD

-I took another five second giggle at “Dil-EMMA.”

-”I lost half my crew inside those rock walls.” Wow. This has gotta hurt.

-”He believes once we do [Reveal our secrets], we’ll destroy each other.” I love how this just doesn’t happen. It threatens to happen, but the strength of the group is strong enough to overcome them.

-Okay, so Snow’s a total boss during this Regina confrontation! Not only is she once again completely supportive of Ariel, BUT she decides to egg on Regina as much as she can before dying at her hands by saying that she’ll never be happy. For this point in Regina’s life, it’s an incredibly satisfying sight to see.

-SAME GOES FOR ARIEL! She fucking stabs Regina in the neck! WITH A FORK! Not even Snow or Charming could do that with a sword!

-”I don’t know the particulars. Only what I’ve been told.” So Killian didn’t go in?

-I love the video game that is the Echo Caves!

-”You know that’s not how this works.” Emma’s reaction to this line is just the best, her body screaming “can’t blame me for trying.”

-Anyone feel like if they were trapped in the Echo Cave that they wouldn’t know their own deepest secrets?

-REGINA! FUCK YOU! It’s an amazing evil plan and as a viewer, I’m loving this, but for breaking Ariel’s spirit, FUCK YOU!

-Real Ursula. Both powerful and kinky as all hell. <3

-”Storybrooke.” Regina’s so proud of the name, and to be fair, quite rightly!

Arcs - How Are These Storylines Progressing?

The Mission to Save Henry - We have a way of defeating Pan! XD Once again, the main plot focuses on something else than this mission, but I don’t think it was a bad idea. The subplot keeps the momentum going quite nicely.  

Killian’s Redemption - GREAT on Killian for telling the truth about Neal! That’s really the biggest point here, but it’s an important one nonetheless that speaks to how seriously he’s taking his redemption. He doesn’t hesitate telling her family and only keeps Emma in the dark temporarily as to spare her further pain.

Regina’s Redemption - Regina gets some great moments here! First, how she teaches Emma is fantastic! Like, I’m so glad that she showed the value of anger and how it and darkness are not necessarily one and the same! Second, she saves Rumple’s ass! Third, “maybe we can find another way.” The third way has been the heroes philosophy for a while and to see Regina trying that outlook rather than sacrificing Rumple is a nice bit of foreshadowing to her eventual fates and abilities! I actually think Regina may be in her best form this season! She’s still snippy and hates everyone, but she’s focused on doing right by her son. Because of that, she’ll use the darkness for the noble cause of saving him, and rather than waste time (As she puts it), she’ll look for faster means when working with those that are good isn’t making what she deems as acceptable progress.

Rumple’s Redemption - Despite Neal’s betrayal and his doubts from “Nasty Habits,” Rumple is still sincerely all in for his redemption, as much as he can be, at least. His self preservation habit is still eating at him, making him trust more in Shadow Belle, and it really works!

Favorite Dynamic

Regina and Rumple. Regina came to Rumple at just the right time. She dragged him fighting and screaming away from danger and self loathing and back to reality and the point of this mission. It’s actually a great relief to see Rumple again with someone who won’t take any of his shit. Characters like that challenge Rumple and with Regina, it allows for us to see just what happens when they combine their dark magic and few fucks together for a good cause. It’s as Regina says: “We’re the two most powerful practitioners of magic who have ever lived. The Evil Queen and The Dark One joining forces? I’d say we can find another way of handling some smug teenager.” And together, they’re effective at coming up with a real strategy to defeat that smug teenager!

Writer

Adam and Eddy are “Ariel’s” writers and I really like what they did here. All three stories are balanced well, everyones motivations are really understandable in the present and that fits the framing of everyone being sympathetic, and the material in the past is just engaging.

Rating

10/10. It’s a great episode! Ariel is a compelling character and watching her learn the value of honesty is a nice story that cleanly fits Snow and Regina into it. The present really delves into the further conflicts of the main characters and shows how honesty can be both an aid and a curse. The episode itself is given nuance because of that and the sets of interactions chose for the most part do a lot of good for expanding on the character’s mindsets. Also, as you’ll see below, this episode is FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH SHIPPY GOODNESS!

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - I think it says so much about how Killian cares for Emma that he’s willing to tell her family immediately that Neal’s alive, only holding out on telling Emma herself so that they can confirm it and save her from more pain. Pan said it himself: There is a good chance Emma won’t return his affections after its revealed that Neal’s alive. But he does it anyway because he knows how devastated she was from his loss. Whether you believe he’s completely in love with her or not, that is what caring for another person truly is. Also, look at how Emma looks to Killian to confirm whether or not that’s true when the beans are spilled (Thanks, Snow). She really does trust him now! And on Emma’s side, she actually tells her mom she kissed Hook! “I was feeling good.” And she says it in such a gossipy practically bursting way! It’s not-at-all giddy, but still a little giddy at the same time! And when Snow asks her if it meant anything, she says “i-it was just a kiss,” but everything from her tone to the fact that she actually told someone about this kiss means that it definitely was more! Now let’s talk about the Echo Cave. Killian reveals his secret and Emma’s first response is “It’s just a kiss.” But just look at the vulnerability in her eyes! And the first panel comes roaring out once he reveals what it fully meant to him! Truth! And as Emma goes towards Neal, there’s this dark acceptance in him, but it’s a respectful possible resignation.

Swan Fire - I genuinely adore how soft Neal is with Emma. The entire time he’s in his cage, he gives Emma gentle nudges in the right direction and oodles of comfort. And Emma’s confession to never stop loving Neal was beautiful. Jen’s performance here is just beautiful, soft and tender features all around as she admits that. And even as she’s admitting that she wished Neal was dead, she’s crying, clearly wishing to herself that it wasn’t true because of the love she has for him. And what’s Neal’s response to this when he gets out? An IMMEDIATE hug. It’s a tender, desperate, emotional hug. I actually found myself choked up here. He completely understands what she means. Emma gives this genuine apology for how she feels and Neal just gets it. And he’s still going to fight for her.

Ariel/Eric - Damn, Eric is romantic af! He cares about no one’s thoughts but Ariel’s and it’s really charming. “If I want to dance, I can.” <3 I almost find it a touch too forward for him to ask her to explore the world with her after one date, but given that they’re going full in on the Love at First Sight trope and Ariel says twice that she wanted to see the world, it works! He’s also a full on gentleman, stepping back (Literally) the second he feels she might decline for her comfort and even says” “I’m pressuring you: That’s unfair!” The dude’s an honest-to-goodness heartthrob! And Ariel really cares about him too! She doesn’t want him to be forced to choose between her and his dreams. And together, they’re just a cute, optimistic, lovey-dovey pair!

Millian - Short blurb, but I think it really says something about the depth of Killian’s feelings for Milah that he could NOT move on from her for over a century and when he finally found someone, he had to kiss her to finally push the denial out of his system. Like, that’s some powerful love.

Snowing - “At least not with me.” Okay, so David definitely lied and that sucks, but holy shit. In this one line, David gave his blessing for Snow not only to move on, but to have another child with someone else. And that’s gotta hurt! Like, LOVE! That’s love!

-----

This review was admittedly much shorter than I usually make them, and I’m sorry, but not too sorry because ONCE CON!!!! If you want to keep up with my con adventures, I’ll try posting some pics to my Instagram, protochan44, and hell, maybe I’ll do a live video at some point! And yeah, I’ll probably post some shenanigans on my blog too! But yeah, I am so excited and also pretty relieved that I was able to get through all of these!

Thanks for reading and thank you to the beautiful folks at @watchingfairytales, at least two of whom I’ll be meeting either tonight or tomorrow! Next time, we hit up “Dark Hollow!”

Season 3 Total (59/220)

Writer’s Scores: Adam and Eddy (19/60) Kalinda Vazquez (10/40) Andrew Chambliss (10/50) Jane Espenson (10/30) David Goodman (10/40) Robert Hull (10/40) Christine Boylan (10/20) Daniel Thomsen (10/30)

Operation Rewatch Archives

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 3x06 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat

[musikmusing]

ARRIVING AT ‘THE ALTAR’ WITH BANKS: A TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW

(By Regan Wojick for Atwood Magazine)

The artist known as BANKS started out somewhat of an enigma. The Los Angeles songstress, who drops her first name Jillian when she hits the stage, rarely ever made waves on the black holes that are Twitter and Instagram. It only added to her mystery. Really, social media presence isn’t entirely necessary when your music speaks for itself. In 2013, she released two EPs, Fall Over and London, lighting a widespread fuse for BANKS . Without breaking a sweat, she absolutely lived up to all of the well deserved hype.

Late in 2014, BANKS put out her first full length, Goddess. The album was on everyone’s playlists, whether they were into pop, indie, electronic, R&B, etc. At the same time BANKS was able to isolate her listeners yet reach out to eclectic groups of people by referencing influences like Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, and the Weeknd. Goddess was an in depth look into the pain and passion revolving around love in relationships. Jumping forward two years, after long months of touring and releasing singles here and there, we have arrived at The Altar (released 9/30/2016 via Harvest Records).

In religious terms, the altar is symbolically a place of sacrifice. It may seem like an old-fashioned tradition now, but a majority of weddings have happened at the top of an altar, where the groom awaits his life partner. It raises the important question: Do love and sacrifice go hand in hand?

When BANKS is involved, the answer seems like an absolute yes. Perhaps, it is the sacrifice of giving up independence. However, it is never that simple with the multi-layered singer. With an album like The Altar, you can’t just look inside the thematic box; you need to look around, under, and above the box. It’s possible that the album works as her altar as she bears all in front of the world, when her own timidness could not let her do so before. The Altar is a place where things are front and center. BANKS can be BANKS, with her emotional curtains drawn.

Any fan cannot help but notice the drastic difference between the two albums visually, lyrically, and sonically. On her debut album cover, Goddess, BANKS is almost unrecognizable as she was hiding behind her dark bangs and the deep red album art. Again, running with her mysterious persona. While The Altar’s cover is different in every way possible. The album art is light gray with her au naturale face front and center, embracing her freckles. (What? BANKS has freckles?) Just by the look of the new record, you can sense an aura of change.

She has grown in confidence, and is welcoming it with open arms. With each song, you can hear the gradual evolution of BANKS: from a shy, less controversial singer to an artist with bold lyrics and vocals that are not be messed with. The Altar takes a similar approach following her debut, musically,  but amps it up even more. Each beat hits harder and each synth is striking. Although her last album was entitled Goddess, BANKS has embraced the Goddess she is supposed to be more than ever.

Gemini Feed

The opening track of the album sets the mood for what listeners can expect for the next 12 songs to follow: honest, passionate electronic pop music with indisputable soul. BANKS sings each emotional line in a lower, growling almost frustrated, voice. We can all relate to a time when, no matter how loud we spoke, we couldn’t get through to someone; pride works as a barrier, deflecting anything and everything having to do with feelings.  

“I tried to say I love you but you didn’t hear me And you’re passive aggressive Convinced me other people they don’t care about me”

BANKS reflects on the way she was treated by her passive aggressive ex. While she was only trying to mend their spiraling relationship, he only brought her, and her crushed ego, down.

So, what exactly does being a Gemini entail you might be wondering? With the growing obsession of astrology signs, it’s slightly shocking that you don’t know, but I’ll refresh your memory. The sign represents a pair of twins, so Gemini’s often have dual personalities and you might not know which personality you’re dealing with. Putting two Gemini’s together might not exactly end in harmony.

“When I said I miss you, you never believed me And we were so depressive You and me together we were Gemini feed”

Likeness and differences can make or break a relationship, and in BANKS’ case, they may have been too similar to work their differences out.  

“And to think you would get me to the altar Like I’d follow you around like a dog that needs water But admit it that you wanted me smaller If you woulda let me grow you coulda kept my love”

In the verses, BANKS may have been using a gruff voice, but by the piercing choruses, she was ready to get her point across. Loud and clear. The last chorus is where listeners are properly introduced to The Altar. When she looks back on the relationship she was in, she can hardly believe her love was almost sacrificed to be with a man who made her feel lesser than he.

Fuck With Myself

BANKS gives us a lesson in self-love with the fervent and sexy “Fuck With Myself.” The second track, and the first single released off the album, reeks of imitable confidence. There’s a definite cockiness to song, but it feels more like well deserved self assurance. The song explores different electronic sounds, and uses familiar hip-hop beats making it fall somewhere in the left field pop, R&B region.

The song reiterates, in it’s own unique way, that you need to “fuck with yourself,” or love yourself, before you should step up to the plate to love somebody else. Pushing romance aside, being able to feel and trust yourself is important in all relationships, whether it’s personal or business.

Lovesick

The introduction to “Lovesick” is reminiscent of moments on Goddess, particularly, the heart wrenching ballad “Change.” This time around though, BANKS isn’t recounting the sad moments of a crumbling relationship, nor is it her offering to change herself just to salvage what was left of their love. “Lovesick” is a sweet ode to her love. It narrates the simplicity of an instant love affair; the kind that has a pure, undeniable connection from the start.

This is one of the happier, lighter tunes that BANKS has to offer on the album, which works as a nice contrast to her darker, more intense tracks of heartbreak. The song starts off as a slower piano ballad, but by the end of 3 minute and 20 second track, you’ll undoubtedly be bobbing your head and tapping your foot.

Mind Games

“Mind Games” explores the pain of toxic relationships. As humans, we need confirmation in love; we crave attention and adoration. “Mind Games,” the longest song on the record, brings us into a dark state of mind. It’s heartbreaking to love someone and to know that you can’t, or shouldn’t, be with them. At times, we’re blinded by fond memories, but “Mind Games” focuses on each twisted thing that happened within the relationship.

“I foresee it’s true That you would love me better If I could unscrew All of your moods that make me wanna runaway But I got stuck with faulty legs”

Her ex let let his bad moods get in the way of their own love. Although she knew the kind of man she was partnered with, she could not muster up the courage to leave him. Perhaps, she was afraid she wouldn’t find anyone again.

“You claiming I’m a handful when you show up All empty-handed The way you say you love me like You’ve just been reprimanded Cause I know you like mind games”

It sounds like a war of tug and pull. She had to squeeze the word “love” out of ex’s mouth, and he only ever said it like he was being condemned or forced, which may have been all part of his “game.”

“Do you See me now”

The last line of the song is powerful. She repeats “do you see me now,” and each time it’s uttered out of her mouth, it’s grown stronger. It’s as if she’s saying “look at me, I don’t need you.”

Trainwreck

The fifth track on the record follows behind “Mind Games” with a similar theme, but in a different voice. On “Trainwreck,” BANKS has let her frustration boil over, and she is not being shy about it. The pop, trip-hop track is an absolute banger. We find the songstress practically rapping her biting lyrics over solid electronic beats. BANKS has a unique style of rapping. She speaks each line in a sweeping breathe. She strings words together that just shouldn’t make sense, but of course, they do.

“Talking to ears that have been deaf for as long as I Can remember. A self-medicated handicap so i speak to Myself and i try so hard to get his stupid deaf ears to hear that I’ve become illiterate. I become dumb”

She’s dealing with the same man she’s been dealing with for a long time, and now, she’s over it. Rather than talk to someone who won’t hear her, she’s decided to talk herself out of the mess she’s in. She tried to save him, but realized it was useless when he wasn’t willing.

“And I saved you from your darker days Born to Take care of you Or I thought so Maybe it was just a phase”

Some of us are born as savers: people who so badly want to help those who can’t get up in the morning. BANKS is one of those savers. Some people can’t be helped; if you don’t want the help, then you won’t get it.

“You showed me all your letters that I Should’ve confiscated Both of my eyes were weighted I had to get away”

It’s dangerous to be in a trapped relationship. The walls close in, and there’s no light at the end of a tunnel. BANKS escaped the “trainwreck” that her fate was headed towards and is ready to move on.

Now when people ask me what BANKS is like, this will be the song I play.

This Is Not About Us

BANKS has a smooth way of saying “it’s not me.. It’s you.” In “This Is Not About Us,” she tries to let down a man in her life, who’s been attracted to the idea of a relationship for a long time. Maybe they were short term lovers that didn’t work out. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the memo.

Sonically, this is the most pop she gets on the record. It has a catchy chorus with a radio friendly instrumental.

Weaker Girl

Through the record thus far, we’ve already seen evolution of BANKS not only an artist, but also as a person. She is strong, confident, and candid. Although she didn’t exactly lack candid moments on Goddess, there was some power missing behind some tracks. “Weaker Girl” is a song would have been unfathomable on BANKS’ debut, but on the new record, it makes perfect sense. It echoes the cockiness that we heard previously on “Fuck With Myself” and the self-awareness of “Gemini Feed.”

The dark R&B track is sultry and tempting  with the repetitive chorus “I’ma need a bad motherfucker like me.” No matter how sure she sounds in the track, there was a time when BANKS could never say that. And in such an explicit, this-is-what-I-want attitude. She recalls when she was a “weaker girl” and how her ex still wishes she was that girl. When she grew taller, she was seen as a threat. This song is an ode to her newfound badass-ness.

Mother Earth

The only song transition, which is seamlessly beautiful I might add, is between “Weaker Girl” and “Mother Earth.” It might seem like an odd pairing, but it’s a reminder that she is multi-layered, and that for each time she is rough, she is also warmly tender. BANKS’ entire album is certainly full of soul, but with kind words and gentle vocals, “Mother Earth” stands out as the most soulful tune.

BANKS bears all and takes the role of an older sister, a kind neighborhood, a best friend, or a mother figure. The artist has had her fair share of heartbreaks and pain, so she’s reaching out to anyone who might listen. She’s gotten in touch with her roots and femininity, and she’s offering to be that shoulder to lean on.

Judas

Judas: the notorious biblical figure most famous for his kiss of betrayal. His name is now synonymous with traitor. In “Judas,” BANKS bites back at the treason her ex committed. Traitors always seem to be the closest people to us until… they’re not.  

Too dumb to deal Too numb to feel the knife in my back

As a younger woman, it’s hard to stand up for yourself. Real life, altering situations can be hard to deal with, and hard to realize.

Beggin me for thread, I think you need to change your brain

This line is kind of a reference to BANKS back in her Goddess days. The tables are turned, now she’s the one with the power and control. She’s grown far beyond the timid and guilty woman she was on her debut.

Haunt

I’ve always felt that BANKS had a witch-y side to her, and “Haunt” slightly confirms my suspicions.  The track is spellbinding with tropical beats and experimental production. It sounds like running through a dark, cold forest with crickets and animals of the night.

BANKS holds a steady tempo in an even tone for the duration of the track, almost like she’s hexing her ex. Although her vocals stay in the same range for the majority of the song, there are moments where she channels the lower BANKS growl that I love so much. The tenth track on the album perfectly describes the way we feel “haunted” by people that have left our lives when we most needed them.

Poltergeist

“Poltergeist” and “Haunt” are back to back, making for a sultry pair of songs. “Poltergeist” follows in the same manner, being disturbed by the thought of someone, even when they’re gone. The eerie track’s production does a good job of making the singer sound like she’s, for lack of a better word, possessed in some bits. This song is at the top of my favorites list at the moment because of the crafty lyrics. Again, I can’t stress the importance of her production; each line brings you into BANKS’ dark, twisted little world.

To The Hilt

“To The Hilt” is the only pure piano ballad on the record. BANKS’ vocals pair so beautifully with the piano, I wouldn’t mind a record full of just ballads. Her voice is light and gentle, like she’s trying to get what she has to say out before her emotions take over. Most her songs deal with romantic relationships, but on “To The Hilt” she sings about the pain of a friend leaving her behind in the music industry.

“We backed each other to the hilt Now I live in the house we built”

They’ve built this music, their brand, and now that she’s right where she wants to be, she can’t share with the person who helped her get there. It’s an interesting internal conflict: to be happy with success but be haunted by the person who aided your way there.

“You saw me as a superstar when i was in a cave You helped them to see”

The person she sings of believed in her when no one else did. He made her feel like she was capable of things, maybe when didn’t feel so capable.

“Hated you for leaving me You were my muse for so long Now I’m drained creatively But I miss you on my team”

Artists and muses have beautiful relationships, but sadly, one cannot work without the other. Not only does she miss having someone to help support her creative outlet, she simply misses the friend who’s been with her since the beginning: before BANKS was BANKS.

27 Hours

BANKS ends on a high note, with her voice loud and powerful as ever. By the end of the record, we realize that she isn’t as fragile as she used to be. She’s bold, brave, and sometimes, a little bit mean. The passionate feelings of love or hate that have been prevalent in each and every song are what make humans, human. It’s what makes soulful music honest.

“27 Hours” is her owning up to hurting a man, after telling him to stay away. She does not shy away from the incident. No, instead she’s  open and unafraid to bear all, even if it means revealing her mistakes. It ends the album on a memorable note; it’s the kind of song that echoes through your head at night.

The Altar is the artistic, and personal, evolution of BANKS as she navigates her way through life, pain, and love. She is only human, and as humans we learn from our mistakes with no shame. This is pure BANKS, on her Altar, unafraid and uncensored. You can embrace it or you can leave it.

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