#and that may or may not actually reflect the music said person wants to write; is good at writing; OR will profit from writing

[wishluc]

How about a Yan Solomon (Obey me) who uses the fact that he’s a human like the reader, as some kind of leverage to garner readers favour? Like, Solomon always reminds reader that he is always here for you and that no one else—especially those demon brothers, even Simeon (despite being an angel)—will understand you the way he does. Because, would you rather trust a demon to a human? Trust him, he knows how Devildom works, he knows of the dangers that lurks beneath the shadows. And plus, you ought to stick together. It’s easier that way. Solomon will protect you from everyone else. If you stay with him, he’ll guarantee your safety and happiness.

I don't know why yandere Solomon hadn't occurred to me yet...he's really fun to write for 'ヮ'

✧ CW: yandere character, manipulation

✧ PAIRING: Solomon x GN! reader

Seeing how comfortable you were with him now, it would be unbelievable to anyone else that there was a time you found Solomon intimidating.

Asmo, naturally, was the first to insist that you try talking to him. Despite his assurances that the sorcerer would be delighted to finally talk to you, when you thought back to Solomon and the haughty way his lips curled when he greeted you for the first time, you weren't quite sure about it. After all, what would an infamous magician like Solomon have to talk to you about? You weren't particularly well-versed in magic or anything else that may catch his interest. In comparison, you must look like a foolish little human.

Though Asmo insisted that Solomon wouldn't look down on you for such a thing, just the thought of approaching him without having any qualifications under your belt made you feel uneasy. There should be some form of solidarity between two humans in the Devildom—at least, you hoped so—but with everything the other brothers told you and the mysterious air that shrouded your human counterpart, you didn't really know if he felt the same. You could use a human friend in the unfamiliar world you were thrown into, but Solomon had clearly already made a name for himself here, without your help.

It was during a class that you actually start talking to Solomon.

In retrospect, there was no reason for him to be in that class with you. It was a beginner-level magic class, and Solomon was widely known for his aptitude in magic. You chalked it up to Lord Diavolo intervening with your schedules to make sure you had a chance to befriend Solomon. Having the exchange students be unfamiliar with each other probably wouldn't reflect well on his program.

"So, we finally get to talk," Solomon said, spryly sliding into the seat beside you, "you should know that I've been trying quite hard to reach you, but the brothers have been...determined to not let me drop by and say hello." You instantly thought back to the obscure warnings you had received from your dormmates about the now perfectly ordinary-looking student in front of you. "I hope they haven't frightened you already. From what I've heard, they like telling you all sorts of exaggerated rumors about me." "I wasn't scared," you said, and then regretted it immediately, "I just didn't get a chance to say hello since my first day here." "Well," the smile on his face was almost wicked, tinged with just enough mischief to reassure you, "now you have one."

As you quickly learned, Solomon was everything you were missing in Devildom. He understood your yearning for human realm delicacies that weren't found in the Devildom, going as far as to try and recreate the recipe for you. He found ways to bring you all the music and films you wanted to see again, took you out when you were exhausted from studying, and—it was impossible for you to not grow to like him as much as you did.

Things that felt too personal—too intimate—for you to talk about with the demon brothers, you could tell Solomon. He assured you that even though you couldn't trust the demon brothers, because of their nature, you could trust him ; after all, why would a fellow human ever hold your insecurities and weaknesses against you? When you couldn't even walk around the Devildom without feeling like some devil was going to try and attack you, it was Solomon who kindly taught you some protective magic—though he promised you that he'd ensure you'll never have to use it.

One thing that wasn't developing was your relationship with the brothers. Apart from Asmo, who was content with sharing—his words—you with Solomon as long as you didn't play favorites, your other dorm mates didn't seem to share the same feelings. Lucifer was particularly vocal about his disapproval, claiming that Solomon was dangerous, even for a human, especially because of how powerful he was. (Solomon rolls his eyes when you relay his sentiments, muttering loud enough for you to hear that the brothers had put you in harm's way more than anyone else thus far). Levi was peeved when you told him you were watching the TSL DVDs with Solomon, ("Envy," Solomon chuckles, "typical."), and even Satan scowled at the mention of Solomon helping you with your studies.

"It's in their inherent nature," the sorcerer tells you, "as avatars of their respective sins. You can't really trust a demon, because they would feel no guilt about lying to you for their own gain. Remember when they refused to let us meet when you first came here?"

You nod, but a little voice inside you wants to protest. Solomon could be awfully cynical; surely, the brothers weren't that bad...?

He sighs, "it was expected that they'd become possessive of you. I have no idea why Lord Diavolo didn't plan for you to room in Purgotary Hall instead..."

"In any case, be careful around them," Solomon sounds uncharacteristically stern, "knowing them, they'll just toss you aside once they lose interest."

You had expected the conversation to end in this conclusion, but actually hearing him say those words makes your heart stop, hot tears stinging your eyes. You desperately hoped that the brothers, who you were starting to grow fond of, would also warm up to you. At least you assumed them starting to seek you out was proof of that, but you may have been blindsided; Solomon clearly had a more impartial view of your situation.

Now you were glad you heeded his earlier advice to not make any pacts with the brothers. His reasons were that it would be too risky, and hardly worth all the trouble. Solomon, with his many pacts, could confidently tell you that making pacts with demons was no easy task and that you could completely lose yourself in the process since the demon's feelings would affect you to an extent. Making one with an avatar would only make the effects worse.

"Why are you so insistent on making pacts with them, anyway? If it's leverage against them you're seeking, there's no need to worry. I'm confident I can provide something just as effective."

"You're always ready to mess with others, Solomon," you smile, despite the sorrow weighing you down, "I hope I'll never be on the receiving end of that."

"No, not you," he says, nonchalantly, "you're the only one who's safe."

"Not even Simeon and Luke?"

Solomon shrugs, "Only time will tell if they'll make an enemy of me. It's not that they wish to harm us, but they've got their own motives." You frown, "I can't imagine angels having ulterior motives." His lips quirk upwards, "You know how the demon brothers are loyal to Lord Diavolo? Similarly, the angels have their own loyalties, and I can't say for sure that your well-being is always their priority." "I guess...that makes sense," the realization does sting a little, "the brothers and Lord Diavolo will do anything to make sure I stay here and finish my year, so it's only expected that Simeon and Luke also want to make sure the exchange program is a success." "Don't be too disheartened," that teasing smile, typical of the sorcerer, had returned to Solomon's face again, instantly lightening the mood, "you know I'll always be by your side, right? We humans have to stick together in treacherous territories." You can't help the laugh that follows his dramatic statement, and you absentmindedly move down the couch to make space for him, instantly feeling relaxed when his familiar warmth filled your side. "Aren't you just so lucky to have me?"

all works © wishluc. do not copy, steal or repost my works on other platforms. (including translations)

#[This may be my longest piece yet (Ｔ▽Ｔ)] #[Ah manipulative Solomon has my heart] #obey me x reader #yandere obey me x reader #yandere obey me shall we date #yandere obey me #obey me #obey me solomon #yandere solomon #solomon x reader #solomon x mc #yandere obey me solomon #yandere x reader #yandere drabble #cw yandere #cw manipulation #asa.writes 🌀 #obey me. 🌀 #solomon. 🌀 #anon mail. 🌀 #mail. 🌀 #drabble request v01. 🌀 #requested work. 🌀

[mrs-monaghan]

Hello Shaz

I would love to hear your opinion on 3D and all the talk around it

My thoughts on the talk around it is; "wow, well this is a load of garbage" (no offence to any friends I may have who don't like the song I just disagree that its a terrible song)

Alright. 3D. Let's talk. My thoughts. First, what's with the fucking homeless trousers??

I hate rich people 😭😭😭😭 if I wear this people will wonder why I didn't go back home to change after I fell in mud 😪

Anyhu, before i even say a thing. We should probably all try to remember that JK said this

(Thanks @chicknbunny13)

Yeah sure, even if he doesn't write a song, he may resonate with it. But not everything he does is a reflection of his actual life. This one, is for the Jikook antis btw. This is why my anons are still off. People, I dont have the energy for antis rn. JK sang 'girl' so what? This topic is super old and tired and consider it officially retired from this blog. I'm sooooo over it 🥱🥱🥱🥱

Now that we have that out of the way let's tackle the fact that our JK is a grown, grown adult. I don't need to bring back the live where he told people he's an adult and he is almost 30 and he will do what he wants to do. And if he wants to sing about this, that's exactly what he will sing about.

Oh my,

Even Jimin knows all about it

Tweet

BAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!

Let is be known i am choosing to take that sentence literally. I think JK just means him, the girl, with champagne and confetti. I really don't think it means anything else here. But, seeing as this is another sex song, I won't put it past him.

Anyone else notice a recurring theme here?

Okay then. 😳

Also shout out to this random kid with the horse

I can't be the only one who has no clue what his point was 😂😂😂

While we are on the champagne topic,

I mean....

Make no mistake, SEVEN and 3D are singing about the same thing. If SEVEN was in your face, 3D is subtle. But they are both just talking about sex here. Which is why it doesn't make sense to me why people are so upset??? As a person who likes Harlow and has heard his songs before, this did not shock me one bit. There is nothing wrong with this song. It is meaningless and shallow but guess what, thats the type of music the GP is listening to rn. I understand why Asians have an issue with this line

And I can respect that. I don't have to understand it, but if Asians say its offensive, then its offensive. In which case I think that's just ignorance on Harlow's part. The people behind the song and JK himself are not going to okay something degrading. So it is of my opinion that people are reading too much, way too much into something that aint even meant to be deep.

It's a song, about sex. The only thing deep about it, is the holes that will be getting penetrated.

This song doesn't require to be analysed. Okay, maybe when trying to decipher the analogies being used but that's it. JK has one agenda and one agenda only; release music that the general public will devour, get his name out there and be a huge pop star. And it is working.

Cue Boracity's new video about each member and who their target audience are for each solo project

JK did not write these songs. If he did I'm sure they would have more meaning. But that's not what he's aiming for rn. Right now the man just wants to put out something that he knows will sell. Wants to put out something that will be a hit. And 3D is exactly that. Just like SEVEN. Mans was asked for the meaning of the song and by his answer, I'm not sure even he knows.

What??

Did anyone understand that???? If you did, break it down for me coz I did NOT understand that 😂😂

This song has no meaning. Its shallow, catchy, easy to remember and move to. Enough with trying to complicate shit! It ain't that deep. Period.

JK cared more about the choreo.

While Jack is calling himself a whore for wanting 4 women, JK is busy dancing throughout. So I will listen to JK and enjoy the song and choreo. Because there is nothing in the lyrics and there was never intended to be.

Idk why y'all mad when we stan a consent king:

Personally I dont have time to be angry because 1) i see no reason to be, and 2) i am too busy admiring JK's body proportions 🤤🤤

Damn, Jimin's man is hot!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

#jungkook thirst trap #3d jungkook #3d jk #jungkook 3d #ask shaz #bts ask #jungkook #jeon j #bts #jikook #kookmin

[boujeeceo]

Stop holding back. Be ambitious.

One time goals

Finish my personal website asap

Stockpile collagen pills/powder for the rest of the year

Stockpile skincare

Ask my boss about putting my products in his store. HE SAID YES

Save 5K (Finally)

Get new business cards (serial business owner)

Buy

SMILE eye correction surgery 5,500$ October 2022!!!!!

Buy a violin!!! (A gift to myself, I'm looking for a specific type)

Braces 3,325$

Find a gel nail machine that I actually like

Buy new clothes and foundation/concealer/mascara (I'm going through a VS model bimbo phase 💖)

Plans/Creations

Write up a Partnership agreement for bookstores and small businesses

Create a presentation for partnerships (May need to take 2 business trips to secure my spot in my home town.)

Write up a consignment agreement

Update 5 and 10 year goals. Renew those plans and redo my 2.5 year plan to be more reflective of what I CAN do rather than WANT to do.

Create a Freestyling/networking stationary set

All my long term businesses planned out and set for 3-5 years.

Execute my 5K a day plan (aka start) YAY

Update my resume

Continue 4hrs a day!

Language (Start learning, buy a course or make a course myself)

Music (Start learning)

Career (1 textbook on my own time, 3 online courses, 2 certifications then Harvard)

Habits

Gallon water a day

Eat Fruit salad, Salad, or a Smoothie (1 per each meal)

Eat 3 meals a day

Workout daily (3x active, 4x rest day)

Follow my skincare routine

Once I've moved

Actually be at one business event per month: 100$ a month budget

Go freestyling weekly (50$ limit)

#corporate barbie #inspo #corporate baddie #motivation #pinned post

[myobsessionsspace]

Jungkook’s BE-hind Story

Though filmed in 2021, I find it still relevant.

It’s a really good watch for those that may not have seen this, or may have but have forgotten about it.

His thoughts on songs with no relation to him personally.

His music process, how he can do songs within a day or work on a song over and over, delete and never release.

Watch full video here

🐰“From now on, although songs with sincerity is also important, but…there are so many different types of people, who think differently and come from different backgrounds.

I want to become an artist who can create various different stories by creating imaginary scenarios and situations and coming up with imaginary characters.

That’s my ultimate motive.”

🐿️ “It’s very unique. I usually find it much easier to write about my own experiences, but what you’re trying to do is putting yourself in an imaginary scenario, which is actually very difficult.”

🐰 “Right, it’s difficult. So, although it’s very difficult, like how I want to try new things but unable to express it right now. If I keep doing it I’ll get accustomed to it, so I should keep challenging myself.”

🐿️ “I think it’s wonderful and I believe all challenges are good. I hope you could try out as much as possible”

Weverse Live

July 2023

What really stuck out to me:

🐰“but there's still this idea called image. And many people love that. Let's say that people love it, and so I keep following only that path. In that case, what is it that I can change? With my own hands? When this is my own life. I've gotta be the one to make change, you know. I have to tell the people who love me "this is how I am," and I have to-- not coerce them, but I have to make it so that they can accept/recognize me.”

When will he be allowed to control his image? When will he be allowed to not fit the idea that has been created by fans from content that doesn’t reflect his stage in life anymore? When can he expand on that image, add dimension, flaws, normal human traits to it?

🐰“I mean, like, there are so many things. How should I say it, so... Even if I were to figure out [the audience's] needs and satisfy those... Would ARMYS and I be truly happy? Till the end. When there's nothing that changes.”

You can’t please everyone all of the time. To please the majority he has to sacrifice himself? His change from the image people hold of him can never be? Who is that fair to? Is it fair to him? Is it fair to the fans who want to love him for him?

🐰“Ok, if I'm being honest: that's right, before, I used to have a lot of fears, including fear of trying something new. And I used to not really feel up to doing things that are new. But this is something that you guys created for me as well. It is from you all. Because I gained so much courage from you guys. Truly. (drinks water)

& I said this in a recent live, too. Asking why you guys give your support and love to me. Because even back then, I didn't know the answer, which is why I kept asking again and again. But now, I don't want to show that vulnerable side of me to you guys. I gained confidence, and using this as a foundation, I want to keep building myself.”

Army time and time again showed him they loved all of him and trusts what he wants to do, so they gave him the confidence to try new things.

Trusting that he wants to do it and he’s spoken before about the want for these types of songs, these challenges.

They aren’t army’s challenges but his challenges.

I don’t know about you, but being a singer from a 7 piece group who for years has worked with the same people in their mother tongue, to now work with an array of people from a different country, to sing a full album in a different language and do each song with different musical genres, phew! I’m tired just *thinking about it*!

Watch the whole weverse live

GOLDEN BY JUNG KOOK

Out November 3rd 2023!

Pre-Save & Pre-Order

💜

#Jungkook #BE-hind Story #BE-hind Interview #Golden by Jungkook #Kookmin #Jikook #the last tag just because…

[markdelonge]

. . . .

title: "never let you go"

req: no

pairing: travis barker x fem!reader

warnings: age gap (not that bad), cussing, she/her prns

blink masterlist

. . . .

track 2: blazed

look at you, love, you are the same. you have a light you cannot hide. yes, you may have a different face, but your soul is the same inside. i don't care who is listening because they be making fun of this on tv. they wouldn't laugh if they were inside my past life with you and they were me

. . . .

nobody .. and i repeat, nobody liked it when your relationship with travis hit the internet.

you weren't famous yourself. you actually lived a pretty normal life. you had just so happened to run into one of the biggest drummers in the world and fell for him.

people didn't like the relationship because of the age gap .. i mean, you were 36, and he was 47. most people assumed that it was a 'sugar daddy' situation or you had only wanted him for his money, which wasn't the truth. you truly loved that man with everything in you.

and for travis .. it was a loss for words when he first met you. for him, it was like looking into a mirror, but the reflection was more vibrant and alive than he ever thought possible. you were almost the same height as him, had many tattoos, and even had the same love for music as he did. it was like he had found his other half.

he loved how you understood him in a way that no one else ever had. you finished each other's sentences, laughed at the same jokes, and shared the same passions. It was like your souls were connected in some way.

when you and him officially started dating, it was like a dream come true. he did everything with you, from writing music to traveling the world. you were each other's best friend and soulmate.

you sat on the bed you shared with travis, scrolling through the comments people had left on your most recent instagram post. you had no idea how they found your account, but God, were they mean.

you had spent almost an hour reading article after article, tweet after tweet, comment after comment. people were not taking the announcement well. the picture travis had posted on his account were filled with comments like:

"i can tell this isn't gonna last long"

"wtf dude she's like 15 years younger than you"

" oh, she's definitely after his money"

how could those people talk badly on you when they don't even know who you are?

you sighed, the feeling of your heart aching bringing your mood down.

"they're so mean, trav" you said as you turned off your phone and threw it somewhere on the bed.

"didn't i tell you not to read the comments?" he asked as he grabbed your phone and unlocked it, reading some of the comments himself.

"it's kinda hard to ignore them when there's literally thousands of them" you whined, laying down on the bed.

"maybe it was a bad idea for us to go public, we should've waited a while longer" you thought out loud

"babe, the media is the media. it wouldn't of mattered if we went public two years from now. they'll always act this way." the drummer explained, sitting next to you.

"and they don't know you the way i know you. i bet if they knew the kind of person you really are, they wouldn't say shit about you. " travis said, looking down at you.

"you just gotta learn how to ignore it, baby" he said

"how though? how do you do it?" you asked

travis shrugged before answering

"i'm kinda just used to it. no matter what i do, there's gonna be someone talking shit about me. i just ignore it" he explained, laying next to you.

"i aspire to be like you." you turned to face him, only halfly-joking

the two of you laid in silence for a few seconds

"i love you" you and him said in sync, which caused you and your boyfriend to share a surprised look.

"jinx." travis spoke soon after

"you owe me a new pair of sticks." he joked

"whatever, travis" you laughed

#travis barker #travis barker gifs #travis barker x reader #travis barker imagines #travis barker imagine #blink 182 #tom delonge #mark hoppus #punk rock #slay #90s #punk #machine gun kelly #mgk #machine gun kelly imagines #machine gun kelly x reader #mgk imagines #mgk x reader #mgk imagine

[groovesnjams]

2 / 50

"Not Strong Enough" by boygenius

MG:

Writing about boygenius, at this point, feels impossible. I have an urge to defend them, to shout down some anonymous but not entirely imagined comment section* (it felt like everywhere I turned on the internet just fucking hated this group and it always always always boiled down to some projected misogyny) and a world that just couldn’t…quite…admit this was the greatest song of the year. Even in the places where boygenius unequivocally ruled there was this little whiff of embarrassment like they’re great but, ok, not that great. Well, they are that great! They don’t have to do something wholly original or reflect everyone’s personal identity back to them to be great! 

But we don’t need more of that, it’s a stupid feedback loop, I have to be the change I want to see in the world and that change is to write about this song without defending it! To do that, however, would not be entirely honest because, to be entirely honest, I was very much that person I outlined above for most of the year. I put “A&W” at the top of my dopey playlist and felt very vibey about it and even had a period where I got into Father John Misty a little bit because that made sense. And then when it got closer to calling it, as I was listening through that playlist a whole bunch to make cuts and remember things I’d forgotten, I listened to “Not Strong Enough” for the first time on headphones and it fucking ripped. It ripped my brain right open! This song is gorgeously produced, full of rich instrumentation that colors neatly in-between the wavy lines of the storytelling. It’s the kind of thing I want to choreograph a dance to, I want it to soundtrack a movie about an aimless, broken person who surrenders to life’s enduring beauty and awakens to their own possibility, I want to watch a music video where boygenius play in a barn with vaulted ceilings. Every detail of this song feels so specific and fully realized that I can’t help but play along. It speaks to some half-remembered, half-imagined past but it’s also coming to, in the front seat, still happening, still going somewhere. 

I get it, what I said about Chappell Roan, about being unlikable and thus lovable, applies here, too. I can’t make you like this song, it is unlikable and it got better every time I heard it (a lot, it was blessed and highly favored by Sirius XMU, who chose to make Mitski’s TikTok hit “My Love, Mine All Mine” their song of the year) and I love “Not Strong Enough.” It is my favorite song of the year.

*(To my complete and total amusement, shortly after I finished my first draft of this post, the comment section I was thinking of voted "Not Strong Enough" their song of the year. I'm not sure if there's a significant disconnect between commenting members and voting members or if I'm a woman of the people, charting the course of lukewarm acceptance to full on wholehearted embrace of this song. But, either way, good for all of us!)

DV:

Wow it's really tough to talk about "Not Strong Enough" without talking about boygenius and parasociality and fandom in 2023, huh? This may also be true of a lot of this year's list, but with the rest of the lot it's relatively easy to find other angles into the song. With boygenius the angles all lead back to the band, their dynamic, their process, their relationships. It's a little gauche isn't it? I don't feel like boygenius meant for the story of their 2023 to be about themselves but here they are at the end of the year where they went viral for Halloween costumes and they're winning gendered awards like Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation, and we just have to hope things age better in reality than in fiction. But also, boygenius made "Not Strong Enough", which some days felt like it might actually be my favorite song of the year (a distinction shared by many others on this list, but one this song got more than most.) It's a song built out of climaxes, rolling and building, with hooks to spare and a secret weapon in the drummer, whose name is weirdly difficult to find but whose fills do more to make the song than even the jangliest guitar. So on one hand, I know more about this band's lore than I do about any other artist who I can't name a second song by. But on the other: "Not Strong Enough" is straightforwardly a gorgeous, propulsive power pop banger, delivered beautifully. When you have a Lucy Dacus and can hold her in reserve for a climax like this one, taking fully a minute and a half but never losing momentum, you're simply operating at a level that few other artists are capable of.

#gnjsoty2k23 #boygenius #not strong enough #music #phoebe bridgers #julien baker #lucy dacus

[doriandrifting]

I need to state my piece with canon v. fanon, and like forewarning this is just my personal perspective because ultimately you can create whatever you want and that’s a good thing!

So like I don’t mind fanon—obviously any hc, fic, artwork, etc. is going to have elements or be entirely fanon. When people are complaining about “fanon” —or at least I’ll speak for myself—it’s not about the actual fanon itself but moreso the culture around it?

I’ll use Byler as an example (but I see the same stuff being said about other ships and fandoms lol). People will take traits that Mike or Will have in canon and slowly turn up the dial until they’re basically a caricature of themselves or turn them into an OC via projection. And if you want to do that it’s your business! But the problem comes in when people will literally start to fight you for side eyeing something or not acting like this interpretation is the One True Interpretation™️.

I’m gonna use an extreme example just to make my point a little clearer: a few people took the rain fight’s “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls,” removed all the nuance, and turned that into fics with Mike hurling slurs or being aggressively homophobic. Now, we know very well that in S1, Mike was Will’s #1 defender against homophobic bullies—couldn’t even stand them calling him a “fairy.” But whatever, again, you can write whatever you want. The problem for me was so many people were being like “WHAT?? You didn’t read XYZ!? It’s basically canon!” or some of the fics were tagged canon compliant, and basically nothing to suggest that anyone is acting OOC. I saw people push back on this being Mike’s canon personality, and dude people in the fandom were tearing into them. It was wild.

A less extreme example is when people project their music interest onto Will. Personally I’m definitely mutuals with some people who do that and read fics from people who do that because a lot of them are great and it doesn’t inherently bother me! What frustrates me is when people insist that if you have a different view—one that aligns with canon—that he listens to alternative music, people act like you’re weird or deluded.

Anyway, the best thing to do is just protect your peace and curate a fandom space that caters to what you’re looking to get out of it. Like everyone I follow has various interpretations and theories, a lot that are different to mine, but I’ve made a point not to follow people whose interpretations are super ooc and super insistent because I know myself and I know that I don’t like that. I personally don’t have any problems with my dash, so maybe some of this comes from the whole “did you see what was in the tag” thing, because yes, the tagging system is meant to enable you to search all of tumblr, but it’s primary function is to sort posts on people’s blogs. The general tag is gonna have a lot of different opinions, some canon compliant, some not. It’s also gonna have fans at varying levels of maturity whose interpretations may reflect that. You’re going to have fans who have watched the show once, and fans who have rewatched a million times. So find out what you like and ignore rest. You’ll have a better time. I promise!

#also this wasn’t about one person or one fic #I just keep seeing a lot of discourse about fanon and thought I would explain where I think some people and myself are coming from #can you tell I have adhd from how all over the place this is or did it make sense LMAO #byler #stranger things #canon v fanon #fandom discourse

[septembercfawkes]

Balancing Out Your Cast of Characters

It's no secret that side characters can be amazing in their own right. Great side characters feel like real people--even if the focus isn't on them. They have lives that exist beyond the scope of the protagonist. When they seem to exist only to help or exacerbate the protagonist, they lack authenticity.

With that said, untamed side characters can water down a strong story, or worse, steal the story. While we don't want our characters to be exact copies of each other (unless, of course, you're writing a story about characters being exact copies), it can be helpful to examine the main character and his or her journey to bring balance, depth, and meaning to your cast. After all, side characters are also called supporting characters, which means they are meant to support the protagonist's journey, not take away from it.

In her book, Story Genius, Lisa Cron explains that while we need to develop secondary characters that have their own driving agendas, realizations, and often, own arcs, we also need to create them with this purpose in mind: "to help facilitate the protagonist's story."

She writes, "This means that although each one of them could stand alone as a full-fledged human being . . . you'll create them and their beliefs so they will naturally facilitate your protagonist's story."

Consider what role the character plays in the protagonist's journey, and develop the character with that in mind. What kind of qualities and attitudes are going to challenge your protagonist? What does your protagonist need to learn from this person? Who would uncover a new side of your protagonist? It's possible to fully brainstorm a side character who actually doesn't interact well with your protagonist. But when you consider these questions and similar ones, you're more likely to create a side character who offers meaningful exchanges.

If the character is an ally, some writers feel compelled to make him or her too similar to the protagonist. In reality, it's often more interesting if the ally contrasts the protagonist. In Pixar's Soul, the protagonist, Joe Gardner, has a thirst for life (jazz, specifically), but he is allied with 22, who has no desire to even be born. This contrast brings each character into sharper focus, balances out the story, and provides more opportunities for meaningful discussions.

Similarly, if the character is an opponent, it's often more effective to emphasize a likeness between that character and the protagonist. In Soul, Terry functions as the antagonist, trying to bring Joe to the Great Beyond. Like Joe, Terry is so obsessed with fulfilling his purpose (to count the dead), that he's blind to the inspiring things happening around him: Joe helping 22 finally find her spark. Like Joe, Terry is also aspiring to a moment of recognition--he wants the Jerries to recognize him with an award for him doing his job.

It may be helpful to consider much of the side characters as foils and mirrors of the protagonist and his situation. We can see how this balances out in Soul. Joe's mom foils him by pressuring him to take a practical job. On the other hand, Dorothea Williams reflects what Joe wants to become. Dez foils Joe by letting go of his veterinarian dreams and becoming a barber. Connie reflects his passion for music. Paul foils by being someone who never went after his dreams. . . .

In a sense, each of these characters represents a different moment of, or outcome to, the journey Joe, the protagonist, is on. In his book, The Structure of Story, Ross Hartmann refers to these characters as clones (a term that comes from award-winning screenwriter Brian McDonald). Hartmann writes, "a clone character . . . is a way for us to show what could, should, or might happen to a character if they take a particular path. . . . [We can] use a clone character to convey information about where the character is headed or might be headed either philosophically, emotionally, or physically."

The supporting cast is also more balanced when it contains different types of arcs, which tap into the protagonist's journey. A character may change positively or negatively, or hold steadfast (remaining more or less the same) positively or negatively. In the film, Marley & Me, the protagonist, John, changes positively as he learns to embrace the adventures of domestic life. Marley, who already embraces the adventures of domestic life, remains the same, positively, throughout the film. John's friend Sebastian dismisses domestic life to go on career-driven adventures instead, remaining the same negatively. Had the filmmakers wanted to, they could have added a fourth character who leaves the adventures of domestic life to fully focus on her career, which would have been a negative change character (within the context of the story).

Because the protagonist's journey also plays into a story's theme, balancing out your cast with your protagonist in mind, can help keep your side characters thematically relevant. For more on that topic, I suggest reading Amanda Rawson Hill's post "Use Theme to Determine Subplots, Supporting Characters, and Tension."

In any case, creating your supporting characters with your protagonist in mind, will likely lead to a more meaningful, balanced cast, and story.

#Let's Write #writing tips #writing tips and tricks #writeblr #writing help #writer problems #writing advice #nanowrimo

[thebreakfastgenie]

1, 3, 8, 12, 13

And i may come back later to hand you an even bigger spoon with which to stir the pot

1. the character everyone gets wrong

Trapper John McIntyre is not a himbo. Yes he's bad at card games up to and including solitaire. But he's an extremely talented surgeon (there are more episodes that say "those two are the best" about Hawkeye and Trapper than Hawkeye and BJ) and episodes like the one where he writes his daughter or Ceasefire show him as a thoughtful, reflective person.

I'm giving this one a double because also, Henry Blake. When people say "how did they survive Henry being in command?" it upsets me. Henry's incompetence is deliberate and occasionally implied to be deliberate in-universe. It's an act of rebellion from a guy who doesn't belong in the army and doesn't want to be there. His laziness is the same. He's also not a bad leader. Henry is there for Hawkeye in both Sticky Wicket and Sometimes You Hear the Bullet. He admits that he's not comfortable with the kind of command decisions he's expected to make. And the thing is, most of the time he doesn't have to. The unit does a pretty good job of running itself, because everyone cares about doing the medical stuff right, Radar handles the paperwork, and no (except Frank and Margaret) cares about the military stuff anyway. The 4077th achieves its high efficiency rating under Henry Blake's command.

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

There are so many contenders for this but honestly I think the worst take I've seen is the variations on the thing BJ loses in GFA being Hawkeye, or Hawkeye and BJ losing each other. The actual worst one was the one in a ten minute tiktok that said "the thing Hawkeye loses is the war" and then also said if you see him as a queer man, he's leaving a "safe space" (??????)? in "the middle of the lavender scare." But I've seen so many versions of it on tumblr, too.

It's so wildly against the point of GFA it makes me wonder if the people saying it watched the episode at all. I think fandom takes "everyone loses something" way too literally; I don't think it was ever intended as listing some tangible thing each of them lost, which is why no one from the show ever does that. Alan Alda also frequently describes it as "everyone is changed in some way" which is a lot less rigid and fits the story a lot better. 

Hawkeye and BJ only have each other because of the war and the idea that none of these relationships, including that one, can survive outside the war is also brought up. But the things everyone loses, the ways everyone is changed, are not things they only gained because of the war. If they were, it wouldn't work. The only exception is Potter and Sophie and I think there's a bit of symbolism there that makes it work when you consider Potter's backstory of getting into the army as an idealistic kid in the cavalry. Mulcahy's hearing, Charles's love of music, Margaret's unwavering faith in the army/her father (which are the same to her), Klinger's home, these are all things these characters came with. 

Hawkeye's loss, too, which Mike Farrell kindly summarized for us as Hawkeye loses his sanity." Hawkeye also arguably lost surgery, or at least his love for it. BJ's loss, of course, is the thing he spends the entire episode obsessing over: his daughter. There's a reason there is so much focus on her birthday. He left shortly after she was born; her second birthday means he's missed two full years of her life. Like Charles's music, Margaret's belief in the army, Hawkeye's love for his work, Mulcahy's hearing as a part of his work, Klinger's hometown... being a father is foundational to BJ. 

I don't care if a take is shippy or not, if it says Hawkeye and BJ's loss is each other, it fundamentally misunderstands GFA and it's not worth anything to me. 

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Basically everything as far as BJ Hunnicutt is concerned. He doesn't have layers. Every "layer" is just headcanon and headcanons are fine, but they're not layers that are in the show. BJ in the show is a straightforward family man who loves his wife and child and can't wait to go home to them. That's how he's written and that's how he's played. That's his character's one big thing to the point of him getting boring sometimes. The writers struggled with him; this is confirmed. He's also not a liar; there is no evidence of him telling lies the way fandom describes. He's not particularly manipulative, either. He has his day in the sun in practical joke episodes, as does nearly every character (Hawkeye and Trapper in A Smattering of Intelligence, Charles in a Eye for a Tooth, Potter in April Fools...). To suggest this is a BJ trait is incorrect. BJ is also not an unusually jealous person and he doesn't have any issues with Trapper. The idea that BJ is "putting up a front"... sorry, but that's just who he is. MASH isn't an especially subtle show; when a character is putting up a front (e.g. Frank talking a big game while being a dirty coward) this is made obvious to even the most casual viewer.

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

I don't know if he's unpopular but Luther Rizzo has haters and I can't understand why! He's lazy and likes making the army pay him for sleeping on the clock. Iconic! He's also one of the most loving and dedicated family men we meet. We never see him with or even talking about another woman and he seems to genuinely love Zola and their son Billy Bubba. He never does anything offensive. I don't understand it! He's great and I want to read more backstory about him.

13. worst blorboficiation

Hawkeye for sure. I love to blorbofy Hawkeye, but it gets taken way too far. Hawkeye pre-war was a successful surgeon living on his own and I think people forget that. I think a lot of people project their own issues onto Hawkeye which is fine if you know that's what you're doing, but the line gets blurred a lot. Just look at his TVTropes page (don't). There is no canon evidence that Hawkeye has a lot of the issues that are popular to give him. I also think this ties in with the mischaracterization of him as a sad sack love martyr who waits around to be swept off his feet. That isn't Hawkeye. I also think people really like to project their own politics onto him. Hawkeye is progressive, yes, but he doesn't talk like a tumblr post. He doesn't agree with your exact politics.

#mashposting

[hadeantaiga]

I'm watching Twin Peaks for the first time.

Pilot episode spoiler free thoughts: I am hooked. The characters are all really interesting and I want to know more and to watch all of them like ants. I want to put them in a jar and shake it up.

Pilot episode - liveblogging, full of spoilers.

----

Lots of machinery ASMR and nature porn. Not sure what the show's about though.

Who is this sad person making sad eyes at the camera.

Hello fisher guy. Oh, a thing. Oh it's early spring, those tulips aren't up yet. Oh that's a whole body.

Lucy's gonna tell everyone. Oh boy he gets to use the siren!

Andy's got a big heart huh. Ope, they know her.

Hi lady (mom?), Laura's not coming down.

That kitchen is red.

Does David Lynch have a foot fetish?

Gross, don't spit dude.

"We're businessy businessmen doing business"

Is this Mr. Palmer? Yup. Also, there's the sheriff. Sarah knows what's up. Glad to see he cares about his kid tho. So often the businessy businessmen don't care about their kids.

Oh, I know this music! Now I know where it's from.

Ow, my ears.

Ah, Bobby. Here you are. You're a greaser huh? Ah, smoking and drinking, it's what Teens Do.

Idk if the acting is good or bad but I do believe Laura's dad's character is genuinely sad.

No really, does David Lynch have a foot fetish?

Bobby I want to hate you but you are very charismatic. Random screaming student. Everyone just seems to instinctively know Laura is dead.

Bobby was driving his third girlfriend home, he wasn't murdering anyone. Hey whoever this guy is, he's actually ensuring Bobby gets his rights, to a degree.

Everyone also seems to have really loved Laura. Like. It's almost creepy how much they all love her.

Oh, it's the music again.

Don't be sad, just get some drugs.

Oh, sad lady owns the mill. Josie Packard. Why is the other woman so mad?

Oh, that doesn't look like a good time, girl. Oh, she escaped.

It's Flattop greaser guy. He was in love with Laura too??

Hello eyepatch lady.

IT'S OUR GUY, RIGHT? The detective??? That's some sleazy music, he's gotta be a detective. He's very cheery.

Dale Cooper, FBI.

Huh. Dale, you're a bit of a snob. Also, you're annoying. Am I supposed to like you?

What is in this psych's ears?? Also, creepy, yuck.

Ew, Dale's going really far up there under that nail. Oh shit, a letter. Dale your face disturbs me.

Hey blonde boy, you don't tell Donna what to do. Heh, Ed's alright though.

Yeah, I'd also break the diary open, it's not like she's gonna write in it again. Hm, "J" is not Bobby. Day 26? Cocaine? Lockbox key? Mysteries abound. Also, chocolate bunnies.

I kinda love this cop who can't stop crying. Andy.

I don't think Bobby killed her. Wait, how was she studying at Bobby's house at 9:30 if her mom said she came home at 9? Lol using a calculator to type messages. "She wouldn't do that to me" hmm, do what? See "J"?

Audrey does what Audrey wants. *snort*. Audrey, you're great. Terrible, but I love you anyway.

Ooh, who said that line about the picnic earlier in the episode???

I guessed there'd be a reflection in her eyes.

Oh - it's flatop kid. He's the biker? But is he THE biker? And just cause he was the person behind the camera doesn't mean he killed or hurt them.

Oh, I've seen/heard "Fire walk with me" online before, didn't know it was from Twin Peaks!

Flattop has the other heart piece...

Seems that whole family is a bit... in need of help.

Ronette, who escaped, was a sex worker or something? In a skeezy magazine. Also a photo of trucker guy?

Ok Leo, your acting is kinda bad.

Oooh, Ed's getting it on with diner lady? Don't blame him. But meeting at the Roadhouse at 9:30? That's when flattop is gonna meet whatshername!.

Oooh she was his sister. That's why sawmill lady was so angry.

"Who's the lady with the log?" "We call her the log lady"

Mayor is senile, apparently. Dale, don't scare them all by saying the killer may be among them and then tell them not to start a witch hunt.

~oooh nighttime scary~

Hi, old man. Oh, Donna's relative of some kind. At least her sister(?) is gonna cover for her. Harriet. The bros are here to grab Donna but she's not there hehe. Blondie is Mike, got it. Heh. Harriet, that wasn't much of a cover. But Dad? Grandpa? I wouldn't have told THOSE losers she was missing, I would've said "She doesn't want to see your sorry asses".

Are you really gonna leave Hank? For Ed? Are you? Love this singer though. Ah, so the other bikers? greasers? don't like Mike and Bobby huh?

Oooh Joe's taking her to "James".

I'd turn off your lights if you're tailing, that's just me.

I do like how like, not-glorified this bar fight is. It's kinda lame actually.

So here's James.... oh, it's flattop. Oooh, so Laura WAS into sketchy stuff. And maybe Bobby killed someone? Aw, James. I don't think you killed her either. I might be super wrong, but hey. And it's the music again. It's fine, you can trauma bond and kiss to the music. Eey, Donna, that's a good plan to hide the necklace actually. If he's innocent.

Oh, I like that Dale already believes James didn't do anything.

Bobby that's a hell of a look on your face.

Aw, Donna's dad is a sweetie.

Bobby, you're so fucking weird. But apparently so is Mike, so whatever. Two peas in a pod. Also I don't like you anymore.

Ooh Mill owner lady and the sheriff are together, and the mill sister is planning some murder perhaps?

Uh, what? Was Laura's mom dreaming? Having a vision? Screaming for an unrelated reason?

(end of episode)

#Twin Peaks #liveblogging

[bandomgay]

THE ZANE LOWE INTERVIEW THOUGHTS ...

ALEX BEING CHEEKY ABOUT THE COMPLEMENTS PLS HES SO ❤️❤️❤️

zane is literally so sweet about how he approaches questions so differently from other ppl to Alex like I love the way he's adapting to Alex's personality and he makes Alex comfortable

Mirrorball and do I wanna know being the ones that set the stage for the album really shows and that really makes me think about Alexs love for the aesthetics of music and whether consciously or not and it kinda goes back to all am albums are essentially a place that you go to not only musically even though that's the art medium you r using to get there it's also visually a place and Alex knows that and he sees that actively while writing and reflecting

Zane pointing out JUST how sad mirrorball is AND RADIO WANTED TO CUT THE INITIAL INTRODUCTION and we learn (if you haven't already by inferring) that theres a relationship between the intro and "don't get emotional" like....that's fucking amazing like I was thinking it but him saying it blew my mind like reacting to music within music...and how it's represented in the video somehow gave me even MORE astounding love for mirrorball and what it means to me, genuinely a breathtaking detail

More speak of the unrealeased song!!!! Hopefully we get a b side maybe but usually it's released under singles so maybe not but we can hope since they're actively expressing interest in it

This may be way to opinionated sorry lol but Alex saying the end of the tbhc tour made him want to get back out there so like wildly getting that energy in and it sounds like he may have been going for a big studio stadium sound ("let's do summat BIG" , "all down strokes") it reminds me of Halsey if you guys keep up with them about their decision to go with the softer sounds of "If I can't have love" after realizing they were to caught up in their angst or the negativity of their life in a bad way which made it's way into their single "nightmare" and it reminds me of the end of the tbhc tour and it hurts to think about but I'm glad, even though all these songs are gut wrenching it's being put out in a healthy way now after reflection and there's a lot of talk of that in this interview sometimes subtle sometimes not

Also I think adding on the fact that Zane said it sounds like the band is fighting there way out of the songs but are not,if this isn't to far fetched kinda way reminds me of how reserved (prone to very outlandish/lh levels of self editing/self control)Alex is and how he's trying to combat that more recently (in interviews and in song) though they are small changes they make quite mighty strides in the long run

Love the ideas of the band itself being an instrument for something grander on this album it's like it's supporting an idea or a feeling and thats just how large that feeling is that the band itself is serving the songs and emotion

LOVE THE TALK OF BAND DYNAMICS LOVE THAT JAMIE IS STILL THE RASCAL DJJCJCJJDJCJDJJC them supporting Alex when he's doubtful about his ideas :')))) COOKIE MAKING THE BIG DECISIONS SINCE THE BEGINNING IS SO :)

Them talking about how crazy it was when it all first began even eluding to how stressful (even using the word traumatic which I agree with) that was being so young and having that much fame already Alex talking about how he literally doesn't remember playing the reading tent which is so :'(

ALEXS DEAD PAN "I think that were the intention" (or something along those lines) and Zane dying like u literally can tell if Alex is like being for real

ZANE BASICALLY TELLING HIM NOT TO BASICALLY RETREAT INTO HIMSELF WHEN ASKING HIM ABT MEMORIES IN A CAR ....Zane you bloody mindreader he knows fr (one of us! one of us one of us!)

MR SCHWARTZ STAYING STRONG FOR THE CREW.....love that Zane straight up asks who this is and Alex gives and very great metaphor that I actually got when I listened to it!!! Like I literally saw the same thing mentally like I imagined the crew putting the king's theater stage together when listening to it if that's weird idk (definitely something hidden in this metaphor)

THE RITZ TO THE RUBBLE BIT IS EVERYTHING TO ME..........OH MY GOD....A BIT BROADWAY ON THAT SONG HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!

And that concludes my mini analysis I hope u guys enjoyed reading that and have ur own thoughts u wanna send me or comment, sorry! if this post is too long I'm just :')

#arctic monkeys #Alex Turner #zane lowe #the car #!!!! #music analysis

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Rays! Not sure if you’ve talked about this already, but it’s always a great time to talk about HitsuHina. This time HitsuHina and music! I love how in the Bleach Musicals, there’s so much HitsuHina (and GinRan) content! Especially in the last of the original musicals/cast Bleach Code:003. I mean Bengara Koushi is a given (an actual love duet between HitsuHina and GinRan) and is almost always sung in all the versions, but I also love how in Code 003 Hitsugaya and Renji sing about their childhood friends in Hajimari no Hi (Those Beginning Days). When Hitsugaya sings about how his heart was enclosed in ice, and how Hinamori gave her days and was like a spring breeze, it’s just so sweet (especially with how he goes back to calling her Bedwetter Momo since he was miffed she didn’t like his glasses, li’l bit of KiraHina there too when Kira was jealous of Hanatarou with Hinamori). “This Light I See” is also obviously a HH song, but I was intrigued with some interpretations that “Momoiro no Hana” could be one too! See in the beginning, Momo sings about being in front of someone she wants to protect (so I’m assuming she’s talking about Aizen), but later on she sings about how she “dimly watches over someone’s valiant back” and how “the scattered flower petals fall on that person’s courageous back” which makes me think she’s singing about Hitsugaya now. My personal interpretation was always how the strong rainstorm referred to Aizen while the frozen winds referred to Hitsugaya, but while the scattered flower petals could refer to her (being that her name and zanpakuto’s name refer to flowers), it could also refer to Hitsugaya’s bankai. I personally think that the line “dimly watching your valiant back” refers to when she nearly died after being stabbed by Aizen and Hitsugaya was in front of her raging against the former. What do you think?

It's outrageous that this has been in my inbox for as long as it has and I have yet to answer it. For that, I deeply apologize! >_<

All of what you said is top-notch! As it's been a long time since I last saw the musicals, I'll just give my thoughts on the character songs. This will probably end up becoming more an appreciation post for the songs rather than an analysis, as you've pretty much covered that part, but here we go!

There's something I want acknowledge upfront: like any piece of media in a language that's foreign to the listen/viewer, it can hard to know about the nuances in said language. The translator for Momoiro no Hana even acknowledges that some of the lyrics may not be as literal as they were translated. Because of this, I'm giving my interpretation as an English speaker looking at the translated lyrics. If anyone can tell me any nuances they see in the Japanese lyrics that might be key to understanding the songs, please feel free to share.

With that said, let's get to it!

This Light I See

Ah, this one takes me back. I come back and listen to it every now and then, particularly for writing fics. I wholeheartedly agree that This Light I See is a hitsuhina song, but I can also understand some saying it's actually about Hyourinmaru too.

Throughout the song, Toshiro is reflecting on a figure who 'believes in everyone' but is also lonely. He also brings up an 'unwavering light', and how it both inspires him to be stronger while also expressing, pleading, for it comfort him in his confusion. He also refers to this light as being 'lonely', calling it a 'lonely light' in the second chorus. He also asks for different things based on the quality he gives the light:

1st Chorus:

I'm believing this light I see Unwavering light, Please guide me as I call out to you

2nd Chorus:

I'm believing this light I see Lonely light, Please embrace me in my confusion

For the first chorus is retty straight forward: the unwavering light is strong and steady, and is thus able to act as a guide to Toshiro when he calls out to it.

In the second chorus, has asks the lonely like to 'embrace [him] in his ] confusion'. First off, loneliness needs company, so hence wanting to embrace the light. But what is this confusion? Is it about what to do with his powers (we'll get more into that below) or about the situation he's in right now (Momo heartbroken by Aizen's betrayal, Toshiro going through his own turmoil and angry at the effect Aizen had on Momo)? I'd love to know your and anyone else's thoughts on this.

There's also lyrics pertaining to his inner workings, with verses such as:

The cold night breeze gets caught in my eyes As meaningless memories flow over me Shouting harsh words to the sky I still have the taste of blood on my tongue

Gradually believing in a daily life founded only on strength I know that this time the only thing I win is emptiness From my tiny heart I laugh aloud Please let me get a little stronger

I'll go over these verses first before diving into whether he is speaking about Hyourinmaru or Momo. The first verse expresses Toshiro being ponderous, but also frustrated, shouting 'harsh words to the sky' while having 'the taste of blood on [his] tongue'. For me, it suggests a battle he recently engaged in and his anger (rage, even) at having lost.

'Meaningless memories' is a hard one honestly, because I remember I had this out-there interpretation once that it was him recalling memories of Aizen (ie remember memories of the Aizen he once knew, before he revealed his entire persona to have been fake, hence any memories of him become 'meaningless') and combined with the fresh loss to the traitor, it enrages him. I'd love to know your thoughts or anyone else's thoughts on what it could mean.

The second speaks to his view on himself, at how he believes himself to be weak and wants desperately to get stronger. Him winning emptiness could again express his loss to Aizen, but I'm think it's that he's saying he isn't strong enough, that the strength he wants and needs just isn't here, or maybe it's both. Him laughing aloud is his way of trying to show external this [perceived] lack of strength doesn't affect him, but the next lyric betrays this by showing on the inside he pleads to get stronger. It could also be a reference to chapter 224, where Toshiro teases Momo and tries to take her mind off Aizen, deflecting away from how he truly feels upon seeing her.

Now, Momo is undoubtedly mentioned in this song (we'll get to the lyrics pertaining to her in a minute), but I've seen a few people say the song is actually about Toshiro and relationship with Hyourinmaru. For the Hyourinmaru argument, we have the fact that he came to Toshiro as a piercing like in his dreams. He is often seen as a guide for Toshiro, as the being who tried to guide him towards his potential and powers. With Toshiro asking the 'unwavering light' to 'guide [Toshiro] as [he calls] out to [the unwavering light]', it's easy to see this as Hyourinmaru. There's aslo the fact that this song is about Toshiro himself, and Hyourinmaru is a manifestation of Toshiro's soul, intrinsically connected to him and who he is.

Now on to the Momo argument. Without a doubt, Toshiro states again and again throughout the song that he wants to protect her; but what do the lyrics have to say about Momo (or at least, how Toshiro views Momo here)?:

'The one who had a habit of saying "Believe in everyone" Is saddened from the depths of her heart Having power that should protect her can hurt her What should I do with these hands?

When I had a habit of saying "I'll live alone" She smiled at me with a lonely looking smile Having power to understand her can forsake her What should I do with these hands?

For the first verse, Toshiro reflects on who Momo is as a person, and how her once happy-go-lucky attitude towards others has been replaced by sadness, to the point that it's to heart now. He laments that having the power to protect her also has the potential to harm her, speaking of the enormity of Hyourinmaru's powers (and acting as foreshadowing maybe?? Or a self fulfilling prophecy??). Here his intention is clear: he wants to protect her, but he fear harming her further with that same power.

Then there's the second verse, and oh boy! Again Toshiro tries to hide how he truly feels, saying 'I'll live alone' to hide his loneliness and the low self esteem he's harboured sine the children and residents in the Junrinan treated him differently. Momo's lonely looking smile could be a show of her own loneliness, or of mayeb feeling rejected by Toshiro when says he'll 'live alone'. However, I personally think Toshiro doesn't realise it, but Momo can see through his bravado; she can see he is a lonely boy who is trying to appear tougher than he actually is, and her lonely smile is a reflection of sympathy or empathy for him.

Now what about having the power to understand her? I admit, I don't really know for this one and I'd love to know anyone's thoughts on it. If I had to take a guess, it's his worry that if he understood her, he might somehow harm her further.

Then there's the lyric that gets repeated in both verses: What do I do with these hands? Toshiro has always been a practical person. He has a lot of emotions running through him, and his emotional immaturity makes it that his temper flies off the handle and he has a hard time expressing himself for most of the series. Because of this, I wouldn't feel surprised if he struggles to comfort or show his others through words (though he definitely has his moments, thank you for pointing this out @troius). As a result, he likely shows his care for Momo by vowing to protect her, using the powers he has and through more practical means. When Toshiro is wondering what to do with his hands, I think he's unsure about how be can protect her, how he can show he cares with harming her somehow.

To him, her physical protection guarantees her mental and emotional protection. He knows how to fight, and he lacks the confidence to console her through words, so he will use these powers, as deadly as they may be and with the potential to harm her, to protect her and understand her.

Another thing to note is, the song is structured as such:

Verse about Toshiro's internal workings and how he's feeling Verse about Momo Unwavering light chorus Verse about Toshiro's internal workings and how he's feeling Verse about Momo (where he mentions her lonely looking smile) Lonely light chorus Chant about releasing his powers and believing in the light Final chorus featuring the unwavering and lonely lights

It's with this structure in we could make the argument that the song is about both Hyourinmaru and Momo. In various materials they are connected in certain ways. On track 8 of the drama CD, Toshiro learns the name of his zanpakuto because of his wish to protect Momo. He strengthened Hyourinmaru to better protect Momo. Heck, we even have this lyric which basically says Momo is the key to unleashing his powers:

The weakest part of me releases the most powerful prayer Up to the place where the heavens end

The weakest part of me releases the most powerful emotions To the place before the darkness

I mean, there aren't many character that release Toshiro's 'most powerful emotions', and the instants we have seen of this are with Momo, soooo...

There's also the fact Toshiro frets that Hyourinmaru's power, his power, can harm her. In the end, without him knowing, it does. But what does he do in response to harming her with Hyourinmaru's power? He reaffirms his will to protect her, trains to have better control of his bankai and strengthen it, and the Completed form is now a thing. The weakest part of him ended up releasing the most powerful prayer indeed.

Momoiro no Hana

I must admit, I rarely go back and listen to Momoiro no Hana. It almost feels sacrilegious as a Momo fan, but I don't know, I don't think the song is my cup of tea. But we're not here to discuss tastes in music!

I very much agree with your interpretation of the song, but I'll elaborate on why.

Momo's song is her incarnate; it can be a heartbreaker to read, but there's hope there and a will to overcome things that harm her. We see moments of her self sacrificing nature and caring for other before herself:

[I'll] Tenderly and graciously bloom with pride With a smile as high as the sky Even if I get all the power And lose it while I protect

Here she is likely referring to Aizen, as [if I'm not mistaken] at the time this song came out, she was still in deep denial about her ex-captain's truly self, so she would still want to protect him, or at least the image she has of him. However, there's also just enough evidence in the manga to show that when push comes to shove, Momo would've protected Aizen from danger.

But there's also this vow to herself that she will get stronger:

Tenderly and graciously blooming with pride With a smile as high as the sky I will always be one step in front of you Because I want to protect you

I want to bloom without fail Even in those overly rainy days Even in those frozen windy days The pink flower petals sway

Throughout the song, Momo goes from saying that the petals 'fall' or 'scatter' to saying they 'sway' indicating that aren't getting caught in the wind of being forced away from the flower. It shows strength and resilience, that she's learning to stand on her own and not get caught up in the turmoil she is going through.

Then there's her use of rain and frozen winds. I definitely see her has being the flower (related to her zanpakuto name and also because she says she wants to 'bloom without fail'), the rain is Aizen (also based on his zanpakuto name Kyoka Suigetsu, 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon'), and the frozen winds is Toshiro (because, you know, ice-type zanpakuto and just him in general). The petals are where it gets interesting, because as you said, we can interpret this as being either Momo and her getting caught up in the turmoil around her, or Toshiro because of his bankai. I peronally think it's used for both at different.

The lyrics I always come back to are these ones:

Inside the strong rainstorm Inside the frozen winds I dimly watch your valiant back The scattered flower petals pass forth

Amidst the strong rainstorm Amidst the frozen winds The scattered flower petals fall on Your courageous back

Since I first read these lyrics, chapter 170 always comes to mind. In this moment, Momo is dying, and all she can do is 'dimly watch' as Toshiro confronts Aizen, his back facing her. Toshiro's bankai has also been translated as 'Crimson Lotus' (so, ya know, petals), and his transformation involved frozen winds. What I find interesting is the petals at first 'pass forth', but in the second verse, they 'fall on' someone. I remember another my out-there takes on this being Momo is giving Toshiro her support, seeing that he too is going hard times and believes in him.

Some commonalities?

What I find fascinating is that both songs start with Toshiro and Momo reflecting on memories, and they aren't really happy ones:

This Light I See: The cold night breeze gets caught in my eyes / As meaningless memories flow over me

Momoiro no Hana: In that quiet moment I remember the times / Wonderful times, regretful times

It shows both of them are reflective, thinking about the past and and as we see the songs go on, trying to come to terms with the present. Both of their songs reveal their weaknesses, and their determination to get stronger.

These songs are about what it means to be stronger and what it takes from them to overcome their trials. Throughout, Toshiro talks about an 'unwavering light', while Momo talks about wanting to 'bloom without fail'. However, Toshiro also brings up a 'lonely light' while Momo mentions 'looking at the sky all alone' and 'scattered petals', showing the moments of turmoil in their journeys to become stronger.

We've also got them both having similar moments involving the sky:

This Light I See: Shouting harsh words to the sky / I still have the taste of blood on my tongue

Momoiro no Hana: Looking up at the sky all alone / Feeling my heart break It shows their reactions to the trauma that's happened to them: Toshiro got angry, Momo was heartbroken.

And that's all I have to say on the songs. I'd love to know other people's interpretations of either song, or just your thoughts in general about the songs.

Thanks for sending this in!

#toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #hitsuhina #bleach #asks #alexiethymia #sorry it wasn't an elaborate answer considering how long it took me to finally answer this T_T

[standardlovers]

I want to hear about castor acklys

HI BEST FRIENDS I LOVE U BEST FRIENDS <33

castor is my oc who was invented when one time i was listening to preachers daughter and decided i wanted to make a plot that had an album style set up (i am not involved in music and do not make music), the main character dying & a complex sibling dynamic! it started off by outlining 2 albums which are the canon timeline (Saviour's Secret & Brother Of The Sky (Extended)) and then added 2 more for a lighter alternate ending (Husband & Keeper's Lover) but then there was a 3rd alternate ending created (Something Like God) and a final conclusion to castor's story in an album created at the same time as SLG (Gravesite)

it is supposed to have the vibes of southern gothic but its not southern! this all actually happening in britain! but still. GOTHIC, its dark, it has unpleasant themes

HERE ARE SOME WARNINGS BEFORE GOING FORWARD: THIS CONTAINS BRIER DISCUSSION OF KIDNAPPING, DEATH/MURDER, CULTS AND MENTIONS OF ABUSE

the album order is SS (aka C1), BOTS(E), H (aka C3), KL, Gravesite, then SLG and the album titles are all reflective or Castor's "identity"/viewing himself through the connections he has with other people, its not until Castor is dead that he defines himself by anything other than his connection to someone else (or he joins a cult and believes he is Something like God bc thats how cults can be sometimes)

as shown below there is one timeline that doesnt have an album ! there is an album i dont have written (and honestly dont intend to write atm) about castors life if he ran away AND found The Star again

these are also all of the tracks for the first 4 albums (im on mobile so i dont have the other 2 album tracklist available rn until i go home tomorrow night)

i can and will go into each song but probably not in this post bc it is 10+ tracks on 4 albums which will be a lot of me talking but heres what you should know !

NAMES:

i took a long time deciding character names so i will be explaining them (hyperlinked w the characters tag)

Castor Acklys is a star name (which i very much wanted for symbolic connections to other characters specifically The Star & Nova) + Acklys (from Achlys) is the blindness over someones eyes when they die + (from Achley) being the mythological personification of sorrow

The Star does have a name but that information is on lockdown you arent supposed to know their name and i personally do not even know their gender , but there is symbolism in BOTS(E) abt Castor seeing "The Stars" when he dies, he however dies at 2pm so there are no stars in the sky, he is hallucinating both the night sky and his sibling being present

Charles Mercy Charles is shortened to Chuck then Chuckle (as in laugh) and Mercy bc he is supposed to be the saviour (bonus tag Mercklys)

Abram is from Abam which is a feminine name meaning the second in a pair of twins and also i did just read AFTG when i started working on this project so i may have been influenced there (bonus tag CAbram)

Nova is an astrological name + means New (bonus tag CastorNova)

Dalilah Fare comes from Dalil which means guide but also means witness and Fare to represent the fare paid to ride into the underworld

Victor E. Casement bc Victor means conqueror and Casement means God's protector (bonus tag Victonna)

Donna Casement is supposed to be overwhelmingly normal and Donna was a very popular name for i think the 1960s when she would have been born, Casement is her married name and smth she carries from Victor

Irma means whole/complete

Winifred means holy/blessed reconciliations and is the patron saint of virgins

Calamity bc when i googled it, it said that "despite meaning disaster most people take Calamity from Calamity Jane meaning someome good to have in troubled times (idk if i have a calamity tag)

Alice was similar to Donna where its just a popular name from the time she would have been born

Simon just felt like a 1934 name

Angie , same as above

Kory genuinely bc I liked the name and it suited how i picture her in my head

THE TIMELINES:

the acklysverse is split into 3 timelines

1934

Dalilah Fare runs away to marry her lover Simon, she is sadly kidnapped and killed. This leaves behind her lover Simon and her younger sister Angie, who get married! (dw, Dalilah is very happy for them!)

1984: 50 years later,

Castor is the younger sibling after his sibling (The Star) runs away and is presumed dead. C1 & BOTS(E) (canon timeline) are following Castor's life before and leading up to The Star leaving, including Castor falling in love with Charles Mercy (the leading romance in C1!), Charles is very sweet and charming but has a bit of a saviour complex. He believes everything will always be okay because, for him, it always has been, and Castor's life issues (abusive family, flight risk sibling, confusing sexuality crisis, etc, etc.) will eventually just stop, he genuinely believes he can save Castor but the thing is he cant. Castor knows this and wants to cut his losses early but feels torn abt hurting Charles since Charles has not yet come to terms with not being able to help Castor. C1 ends with their break up after Castor has known for a while that it is not going to work out and Charles finally realises the same.

This is the first album bc its the first time Castor uses the song/album set up to explore his emotions on the situation. So BOTS(E) reflects on Castor's life as whole. I like to call it The Life and Death of Castor Acklys. This explores Castor realising his home life is unhealthy and then he loses The Star bc they run away which causes even more fall out. Living in an abusive household he decides he can not stay in and realising this is probably what drove The Star to leave, so he also runs away less than a year later and is also sadly, kidnapped from a bus stop and killed. The Extended of this album is one of my favourite ways the albums communicate anything bc BOTS is Castor's life and (E) is Castor's death, all extended tracks are post mortem.

Skipping forward a few albums bc the others are Alt84 (see below) we get to Gravesite ! This is the return of Dalilah <3 and the reveal that Dalilah's ghost has been here the whole time. Dalilah's death is cosmicly interconnected to Castor's (more on this later) and she has been watching his life happen since Castor was 13 when the events began that would lead to his death began being set into play by the universe. Gravesite is Castor's death and welcoming to the afterlife from Dalilah's perspective of trying to stop this all from happening! We also learn that Dalilah's death is almost a perfect mirror of Castor's, in the same location, by the same cause of death, same last words, same final regrets. They are soulmates in the most intimate but tragic sense.

Alternate 1984

Alt 1: C3 + KL,

Alternately, Castor never runs away. In a different time in a different life, Castor stays and gets married before he's 20 to Abram. Abram is amazing and perfect and Castor is deeply unhappy bc he doesn't want Abram as a husband but marrying him got Castor away from his home and into a life that was 100% his own. Abram loves Castor deeply and romantically and without any strings attached and Castor cant understand why he cant just love Abram back when all he wants is a friend (and maybe a little bit still trying to fill in the hole The Star left when they left) but will take Abram as a lover to avoid losing yet another person he loves. During their marriage, Castor meets Nova <3 a shopkeeper he begins to fall for and have an affair with. C3 ends with Castor and Abram's divorce and Castor trying to process a lot of things he has to deal with. KL then explores Castor's first 100% healthy and reciprocated relationship and unpacking and reevaluating everything he has come to know bc he lacked those healthy relationships !

ALT 2: SLG

Instead of being killed, Castor still runs away but chooses to walk to a different more active bus stop hoping it will delay his family who may look for him from actually knowing where he went. At this bus stop he meets Victor E. Casement, a current cult leader but ex professor. He slowly warms to Victor over a few weeks and ends up diving head first into said cult, where we see the inner workings of this cult through Castor's eyes as he becomes friends with Donna, Victor's wife.

2004

You may be thinking "hey if everyones dead and 2004 follows canon how could there be anything to happen next? is this another alternative?" well! 2004 does follow canon! in a morbid way! 2004 follows canon in terms of the fact that Castor was only the main character of his timeline!

THERES A BACKGROUND PLOT WITH THE MURDERERS!

The man who killed Dalilah is in fact the great uncle (grandmothers brother) of the man who killed Castor! This information about a family history of murder was not passed along but was found in Dalilah's killers old jounrals and then replicated by Castor's killer. The time jump is much smaller now bc that information has been passed on directly, Castor's killer talks to his child about his crimes and it is replicated in 2004 with the next in line, Kory. Kory is also cosmicly interconnected to Dalilah and Castor who are doomed to repeat the cycle of trying and failing to save the next victim. And its almost identical again, another soulmate !

SIDE CHARACTERS:

Irma : Castor's best friend who dies shortly after The Star leaves, the cause of death is never specified but her absense is smth he feels strongly about

Winifred : Castor's mother *was maternal grandmother for a while but that was altered as the plot developed

Alice : A cult member and Victor's friend since before they were a cult

Angie Fare : Dalilah's sister and Nova's grandmother

Simon : Dalilah's ex lover & brother in law, and Nova's grandfather

Calamity : Castor's maternal cousin

#asks #castor acklys #anon #long post #sorry this took so long after begging to be asked abt it i am in london this week and have plans that are very based on the moment #kidnapping tw #death tw #cults tw #abuse mention

[rainbowramsalt]

Tw Antisemitism Tw White Supremacy Tw Homophobia

Ohhh boy Wilbur Soot.

So to start this off I am not Jewish, and I'm not a person of color. I'm just writing my own thoughts, do not take this for anything as I am not a member of the affected groups. I am also not linking the thread as it was made by a member of leaktwt (a subtwt dedicated to digging up personal info of content creators).

(in case you don't know what's going on a thread on Twitter was posted exposing a lot of antisemitic, white supremacy, and homophobic things that Wilbur and his friend's from his group channel Soothouse had engaged with when he was 19/20. So 2016ish)

Sorry if this is messy. I'm writing this at 4:45am, running on 30 mins of sleep, on my phone, and I have ADHD.

I think the thing that confuses me the most is why people brought it up. Wilbur has been very transparent with us that he was a shitty person years ago. He never went into specifics, I can't say I blame him now knowing the actual content, but he has been extremely transparent. Now I can't say the same for the rest of Soothouse given I don't watch them but I know Wilbur has been transparent.

I'm not defending him! Not even close, this shit is disgusting and literally awful, and Wilbur does need to talk about it and properly apologize.

But all this does is expose his audience, especially people effected by the rhetoric Wilbur was engaging with. Something he has stated time and time again he no longer engages with, and that he's extremely embarrassed he engaged with. To the type of person he USED to be.

That's going to be in their minds everytime they watch a stream, video, listen to his music, see him on someone else's stream, or even just see his name.

This happened to me with a (former) content creator I watched. He was deplatformed but every time I see his first name I associate it with that person. I can't even watch his friends (all good people and I wish the best for them) anymore because of that association.

So even though he's clearly changed, those people are going to always have what he said/did/promoted 6 to 7 years ago in the back of their minds. And due to that they may stop watching him, which they are entirely entitled to do so, again I'm not a member of the group effected.

And the people who dug up the information are Stranger Things stans which has its own antisemitic problem (the best word I could think of sorry), so pot calling the kettle black much? As well as literally going through Steam's code to find this information.

And it was 2016. They were young white men in Britain during the height of neo-nazism and fascism humor and groups on the internet. Particularly in predominately white-cishet-male gaming environments. I myself am found guilty of finding a few of the "jokes" during that time funny (I was 13 growing up in the conservative Midwest. And do not reflect how I feel now.) And while this isn't an excuse for that, it was the humor for that group at the time.

Again, I'm not defending Wilbur at all. And I definitely don't want to speak over Jewish people or people of color. I'm just saying something that may help to quell the sense of immediate panic people may be going through. As well as bringing up some points I'm too scared to post on Twitter.

Jewish people and people of color feel free to add anything you'd like to add! I'm not trying to take away from what you guys need to say! And I'm definitely not trying to tell you how to feel or anything of that sort.

Edit: Would also like to say he wasn't like actively promoting anything. He was making incredibly antisemitic "jokes", and interacting with sootJacks when he had the f slur in his username.

As far for the "jokes" we have proof of him naming a factory Auchwitz in Factorio which is a factory building game, making a swastika in ultimate chicken horse, and interacting with people who had pepe (yes the frog, it used to be a nazi dogwhistle. And I'm not sure if it still is) pfps.

#Wilbur Soot #Im not defending him or any thing but maybe this can get you to take a step back and look at this in a bigger picture

[nhidalgo9]

June 20th Osaka Day trip (last day)

Well this is it the last blog post of my time here in Japan. To my adoring fans reading every post thank you, to those that I met on this trip and are going back to campus I hope to see you guys there don’t be strangers, I’ve spent more time with you guys than I have with my parents this summer. To those that I met that will not be returning to campus (I actually have no idea who that is other than Uncle Sebastian), it was an honor learning from you, talking about life, and hanging out with you in a completely foreign country. We’ll keep in touch I’ll make sure of it plus those wedding invitations will arrive in the mail one day. Delving into our daily activities I’ll admit it was a little hard to concentrate knowing that this was our last group excursion, I instead decided to take in the moment, look at everyones faces think about our memories as a group and focus. On the train we used Spotify’s wonky UI to share music so we all listened to the same song at the same time with a playlist curated by all of us. This was super important to me as some of you may know that music is an important aspect of my life, it helps me connect to people, express myself, and is just a part of who I am so it was nice to share that experience with friends. 

After heading to Osaka castle which was almost begging me to climb it ( only professor Smith could stop me from doing it) we headed to the main part of our trip; Dotonbori and its many street markets and vendors. As Professor Smith said goodbye to us for the last time some of us had tears in our eyes (these names shall remain anonymous) it was bittersweet, anywayyyy a group of maybe eight of us went to thrift shopping and thrift shop we did. You could almost see the excitement burst forth from Casey’s body (you really couldn’t she has yet to give me a strong emotion). I actually ended up buying things with help from my personal stylists Unc Sebastian and Aulora. They helped give me that extra push to pull the trigger and buy the items when I usually wouldn’t. After we went to teamlab Osaka which was a little interesting and definitely beautiful and ethereal but for my last blog post I don’t want to bore you with some details. When going home our group cut off into two different groups, those that ate dinner and those who did not. Eventually it was me Unc Sebastian and Eliza heading to the train station. It was a very fun walk, we played music out loud, sang with it and they put me on songs I would not have checked out normally, proof that music can unite any party. 

Laying down in my silly little bed, writing this final blogpost  my one goal with this is to be able to look back on this at anytime (probably while studying for orgo or physics) and instantly put a smile on my face as all the memories come flooding in. The laughs, the misses, the food, the sights, just everything about this trip all at once. To serve as a constant reminder that hard work is rewarded and the temporary struggles one faces are exactly that, temporary. I hope that both in this blog and in this trip I have made people laugh and have a good time because I have been shown all of these things by my peers. I don’t know how many times I can say goodbye but here goes, See you Space Cowboy… 

Academic reflection 

To be honest the academic reflection for this day may be a little challenging because there was no threat of a quiz, and without that threat what will motivate us to do the readings. All we did was talk about our opinions on the trip what could’ve been better or worse. For the sake of the assignment I’ll try my best anyway. Ironcially this reading was all about urban planning again only this time mentioning Osaka. They mentioned various high rise buildings and skyscrapers that drastically contrast the type of buildings you see in Kyoto. This was made apparent when I walked into the “Times square” area of Osaka and all I could see were billboards and advertisements with one of them even dating back to the 1950’s. 

Another interesting point is that Japan has less strict zoning regulations which allows there to be all types of buildings around each other like restaurants next to apartment buildings next to hairsalons. Some may argue that this is better because it allows for there to be a greater diversity among buildings that are closest to the city. Seeing a store that sells yakisoba next to a thrift store was honestly a little mindblowing but thats Japan for ya!