#and the last time I did the Revolution was 4 years ago

[nozunhinged]

My Top 5 BL Kisses of Jan (& Feb) 24 + why

Okay, okayyyyy I'm doing this, no backing out. I offically accept that analyzing kisses takes up so much of my brainspace that I can write about it — so here it goes. I'M NOT HIDING ANYMORE BUT OWNING UP TO IT! (lol, chill)

Last year I complained that I didn't get a single perfect kiss since I started watching BL TV shows (until PhayaTharn turned up) and now we're not even a quarter into the new year and I already got FIVE I'm absolutely in AWE about!! FIVE!!

I don't know if it's the actors, directors or coaches who upped their game (probably all of them) but hot damn, all of these are beautiful.

And don't ask me why I'm into kiss-acting so much I have no fucking clue, my first guess is that it's an artform in itself to make this amazing, wonderful, intimate form of touching look as beautiful as it feels — bc let's be honest here, irl kissing rarely looks pretty no matter how great it is! So I think it's just dope when you can see this beauty translated on screen.

So I guess this is peak romance genre for me and with that being said, enough talking, lets get to the kissykissies!

5. TenPrem - Cooking Crush EP. 11

I have to be honest with you, I was a bit confused by the kissing in this show. The tippytoe kiss was cute as heck but we all saw how Off AND Gun awkwardly blinked because they probably had to stay like that for a looooong time. It took the whole magic out of the whole first-kiss-moment. Same with the forced in, reshot makeout-scenes. But the kiss in the kitchen? Looks like they FINALLY got to show what they got.

Ten gently pulling Prem closer, them smoothly moving against each other, Ten closing in even more, the slightly open-mouthed kiss with their lips perfectly caressing each other, Ten with a bit more force, Prem with a bit more heat resulting in the perfect mix...Loved it, mwah.

4. PromNont - Playboyy EP. 12

They are my one Playboyy-couple where I'm like "if they don't end up married and running Playboyy together, starting the revolution of well-payed, insured and safe sex workers I'm gonna riot" even though I know this show will not end nicely for ANYONE.

Anyways, this kiss. Holy smokes they had so many good scenes but this one took the cake. Not just the sheer length of it (but still with perfect timing and breaks).

The slightest suck on Nonts upper lip, Prem literally making Nont sway, Nonts hidden desperation for Prom surfacing from his lips, them slowly but surely turning up the heat and last but not least, Prom grabbing Nonts face just to lean against him...UGH THEM!

(I made those)

3. Myungha & Yeowoon - Love for Love's Sake EP 8

I know I'm not alone in how this show swept me off my feet and hit me right in the feels. But I've gotta say, this kiss hit completely different. Again they kissed for so long but not a single moment felt wasted. It felt like their whole story put in a single kiss. And — I mean that in the most loving and positive way possible — they kissed so amazingly gay. Do you know what I mean?!

There's just this level of love, care and happiness that only queer couples can convey. Sprinkled with a hint of tongue (I saw that Yeowoon 👀) — they absolutely nailed it.

2. AlanJeff - Pit Babe EP. 11

The kiss that made me consider doing this post in the first place. I saw them and shouted THIS IS PERFECT just to realize that I did this a few weeks ago already and it made me spiral a little. In the best way possible because I felt truly blessed once again to have discovered the genre of BL in their golden era!

Because this right here is how you nail an open mouthed kiss my friends. Take notes BL producers. Put this in your textbooks! They both go at the same rythm (slow, careful but so, so loving JUST LIKE THEIR RELATIONSHIP UGH) and same level of touch so their lips caress each other perfectly. Furthermore, Alan knows exactly how to meet Jeff which is also a PERFECT EXTENSION OF HIS CHARACTER! Alan leads, Jeff follows but they meet perfectly and equally. TEN OUT OF TEN NO NOTES!

1. PhayaTharn - The Sign EP. 9

I don't understand the meaning of the "Roman Empire"-thing but I think if I say they are mine, I am correct because they will be the end of me and that's what that means right? I may be biased AF but objectively speaking, this is just an insanely well acted-out scene, PERIOD! And we all know it's thanks to Billybabes out-of-this-world-chemistry!

Phayas desperation translated into this gorgeous lip-clash, so much yearning but softness at the same time but what really got to me was how Tharn immediately melted after their lips touched, how he immediately opened up to him and got completely overwhelmed by Phayas feelings. Chapeau to Babe for showing so much range in a single second. My favorite kiss of the whole series ❤️

I also just realized all these kisses have one thing in common....hands on faces lol.

Well that was fun peeps, thanks if you made it until the end!

#cooking crush #tenprem #playboyy the series #promnont #love for love's sake #love supremacy zone #myungha x yeowoon #pit babe the series #alanjeff #the sign the series #phayatharn

[bridgeportbritt]

We're back for another edition of SimDonia Style Through the Years! You may have remembered a post I did not too long ago which showed how SimDonia style has evolved throughout history. Well, we're diving back in for a part 2 where explore more looks and the lore around them!

Before the Revolution

As mentioned in the last post, women had to wear modest clothing. Fully covered, long dresses, with their hair up, no matter the class due to Bella Goths desire to be best dressed in the land. SimDonians (at the time called Pendites) did not have access to the outside world, so even though modern fashions/technology/etc. were becoming prevelant, Pendites were intentionally kept in the dark.

The biggest fashion difference between classes is the working class didn't get access to the nice fabrics that the wealthy classes did. Working women tended to their families, gardens, homes and often had jobs doing the same for the wealthy women. Wealthy women lived lives of leisure as their husbands had jobs in government or other high powered roles.

During the Revolution

The best way to rebel for women was to wear shorter lengthed and sleeved dresses or even wear their hair down. Some would go as far as to practice Jacoban openly (which was banned) as seen in Look #4. You could spot if a wealthy woman was supportive of the revolution the same way. Though, many found ways to play both sides by wearing off the shoulder sleeve dresses that could quickly be brought up or down depending on their company.

During the revolution, working women supported their husbands who were fighting but some fought themselves, as well. Wealthy women also tried to support their high powered husbands and keep their help away from the revolution as they didn't want status quo to change. Many were stuck between wanting to keep the hostility away from them and wanting to keep their money and power.

After the Revolution

Once the war was over, wealth became better distributed as the new government tried to build a better society by the people for the people. Nations started embracing Pendites (Now officially known as SimDonians) and rejoicing from the end of threat of war from the power hungry Goths. It was a new day in terms of both society and fashion.

Working women finally had access to fine fabrics and colors. Many working women especially those with husbands in the war, moved up in terms of wealth and were able to find better jobs in the new society or saw higher pay for their old jobs. Depending on which side their husbands were on in the war, some wealthy classes fled after the death of the Goths while others on the right side were able to hold on or even gain more wealth and even power. In terms of fashion, women felt the need to differentiate themselves by dressing more lavishly than the working class.

The Experimental Phase

Over the years, the government was establishing itself, borders were opening, and modern society has began making its way to SimDonia. More and more people were prospering, getting an education, being paid fairly for their work. During this phase, people were finally free to travel and explore other countries, especially to get an education.

What we saw happen was styles from all over the simverse get brought back to SimDonia especially from more advanced societies like Simerica (Look #2,3, and 7), Komorebi (Look #1 part of 4, 6), Sulani (Look #4), and Kiwa Bonde (Look #8). While seemingly harmless in practice, looking back it was clear SimDonians were appropriating these styles which eventually blended into the modern fashion we see today.

Present Day

Today, SimDonia has caught up to modern societies at a fast pace thanks to establishing a government passionate about being progressive and effective, plus other nations coming together to assist the newly formed nation securing foreign bonds.

In terms of fashion, SimDonia is a melting pot of different cultures, trends, and styles. The difference in class is harder to spot through dress with styles reaching both and varying based on personal style instead. SimDonia is currently on its way to become a fashion capital of the simverse as new designers and the fashion industry continues to grow.

#simdonia #worldbuilding #simdonia style #more looks!!! #which era is your fav? #could this be leading to something more? #<.< #who's to say

[zukadiary]

Anastasia (Umeda Arts, 2023)

I’m flattered that the overwhelming response to my poll was to bring back reviews :D Since I posted that, Takarazuka has unfortunately been involved in a terrible tragedy (additional information here). I may review the Takarazuka performances I was able to see at a later date, but at the moment I’m going to take some space from doing so.

In the meantime, a very bright spot in a long-awaited trip otherwise filled with multiple bouts of shocking news was the Broadway musical Anastasia, featuring Asami Hikaru (my ご贔屓, kamioshi, bias to end all biases, for those who joined during COVID and somehow missed this) amidst a rather star-studded cast. Getting to see Anastasia was quite special, not only because it’s been 4 1/2 years since I was last able to travel to Japan and see Komu, but also because I HAD tickets to the original Spring 2020 run before, well, you know (not to mention the ruined plans to see fave #2 as the same role in the tkz version). On top of that, it was good.

The Broadway version of Anastasia follows two con men in post-revolution Russia, Dmitri and Vlad, who, amidst rumors that Anastasia Romanov has somehow survived the execution of the rest of the royal family, accidentally find the real one while auditioning actresses to pretend to be her for reward money.

Given that my bias to end all biases taidan’d 17 years ago, I’ve seen my fair share of Japanese theater outside of Takarazuka in my quest to spend as much time in her presence as humanly possible. Usually, I find the non-OG cast members (especially men!!) unimpressive to the point of superfluousness. Imagine my shock when I found myself raising my opera glasses when Komu wasn’t even on stage.

Ranking!!

Anya: Aoi Wakana / Kinoshita Haruka

Anya is a poor street sweeper with amnesia who has a feeling SOMEONE is waiting for her in Paris (turns out it’s her grandmother, the dowager empress). I was supposed to see each actress twice, but due to the flu making its rounds through the cast, I ended up seeing Wakana three times and Haruka only once… which is unfortunate, because Haruka is an absolute powerhouse, and Wakana is a TV actress. The cast lineup for my first of four viewings was absolutely flawless, and I wish it had been the finale instead (especially because I was in shock from Sora taidan dropping like 3 hours prior to curtain). Haruka has a Broadway-quality voice, and her acting not only made sense, but also lacked that peculiar anime-like delivery that most of the Japanese actors I’ve seen have in spades (IYKYK). Although perhaps she returned from flu recovery too quickly and didn’t have her whole voice, Wakana’s singing wasn’t really up to the challenge of the role; all of Anya’s big solo’s were rendered anticlimactic by very flat long notes. I also found her acting to be over the top and desperate, whereas Haruka’s was quite nuanced.

Dmitri: Kaiho Naoto / Aiba Hiroki / Utsumi Akiyoshi

Dmitri is the romantic lead, something of a street urchin who starts off by hatching a moneymaking scheme to produce a fake Anastasia, and ultimately gives it all up after falling in love with Anya. I got to see Kaiho and Aiba, and to be honest, the only reason I’m not mad I had to see Aiba once is because that day Kaiho Naoto was Gleb. I know I am very late to this party, but this was the first time I got to see Kaiho Naoto live, and hooooooooooo boy. That man’s voice gave me chills, he acts like a normal person and not a cartoon, and his facial expressions are SO dynamic. His fans in the FIRST ROW had their opera glasses up, and now I take back making fun of them in my head. Incredible casting choice for Dmitri; he did an amazing job going through the full range of emotions and showing character growth, plus he looked so good in that scruffy little outfit. Tbh, marry me (Aiba on the other hand was an anime boy made flesh and blood and I can’t say I cared for it).

Vlad: Osumi Kenya / Ishikawa Zen

Vlad is Dmitri’s old man friend, a former aristocrat and adulterous lover to Lily. This one is slightly less cut and dry because both actors had their merits, but alas, I’m a big Ishikawa Zen fan. Osumi Kenya is a dancer and Zen is not, and that was quite apparent in any scene with choreography. Other than that, I quite preferred Zen’s knockout voice, nuanced acting, and overflowing kindness. He’s irl bffs with Komu, so I found his Vlad’s chemistry with Lily to be more compelling; but he also integrated himself seamlessly into each cast, despite that I imagine it’s tricky to get the best possible rapport going when the roles are changing all the time. Osumi definitely gave his Vlad quite a bit of enjoyable energy and unique flair, but ultimately, I thought his Vlad was a bit over the top (he’d be a huge hit in a kids’ show), and he seemed to be acting next to rather than with the rest of the cast.

Gleb: Kaiho Naoto / Douchin Yoshikuni / Tashiro Mario

Gleb, a Bolshevik general trying to fill the shoes of his father who relished executing the Romanov family, is the villain of the show. I was SUPPOSED to see all three Glebs, and I’m quite sad I didn’t, but the flu took Tashiro Mario. I ended up seeing Douchin three times and Kaiho once. This is REALLY HARD, and it’s likely impossible to separate out my feelings toward Kaiho’s Gleb in isolation, because Dmitri, without Kaiho in the role, was not compelling, so the overall impact of the show was less on the not-Douchin day. Kaiho showed up again with the voice that gives you chills, and while his performance throughout most of the show was a bit more low-key, his final scene, in which he attempts to get Anya to admit she’s playing around and return to Russia lest he be forced to shoot her on the spot if she is in fact the real Anastasia, was ABSOLUTELY FUCKING UNHINGED (spit flying everywhere, no wonder everyone got sick). Douchin, however, also has quite a powerful voice, and I think overall he did a better job of coming off as creepy and weird. He was awkward in kind of an is-this-guy-ok way, his barely concealed feelings for Anya were both clearer and more unsettling, and he felt believably indoctrinated into an ideology vs. just this is the villain because we said he’s the villain. His slick, jet-black hair and choice to wear light blue colored contacts also really enhanced the evil image. I really regret not getting to see Tashiro Mario, but I think my ever so slight preference here is Douchin just because his presence balanced the rest of the cast.

Lily: Asami Hikaru / Marcia / Horiuchi Keiko

Lily is the dowager empress's lady-in-waiting, a former countess who, in her younger days, cheated on her boring husband with Vlad and is currently tending to the dowager empress in refugee-laden Paris. LBR, I didn’t fly across the world to see the other two (although 3 or so days into my trip there was a SCARE where Komu was announced out with an injury, and I thought I might have to… but she recovered in time for my first show!). Ohhhh it was so nice, I missed her more than my COVID-era complacence led me to believe. Lily was a very fun and pleasant Komu role for me. Homegirl is 51 now (don’t talk to me) and fresh taidansha like Tamaki Ryou are getting the heroines she played a decade and a half ago, but Lily isn’t exactly someone’s mom either. She’s funny, and sassy, and wears sick costumes, and has DANCE NUMBERS! Which she did without looking injured at all! With the exception of like 20 seconds in the prologue, Lily does not appear at all until Act 2, but Act 2 is very juicy. I think I liked the look-Vlad’s-back tango even better than her piano-top nightclub solo, but both were utterly delightful. She also has great chemistry with her Yukigumi top senpai Asami Rei, comfortable yet reverent (just like in real life!). I juuuUUUUuuUUUUuuuSsstttt wish they would lower the key for her… just a little… as a treat.........

Dowager Empress Maria: Asami Rei (more like Asami SLAY)

Y’all… seeing Asami Rei live has BEEN on my bucket list, and the experience did not disappoint. Her voice may be going, but it’s completely age appropriate, and she could have done literally anything up on that stage without it ruining the impact of her presence. I legit inadvertently gasped "mother" into my mask when she made her appearance in a black and silver bejeweled gown to attend the ballet… serving boatloads of charisma uniqueness nerve and talent at 73, to say the least.

The ensemble was also a force and the songs were expertly directed, giving the whole show a stunning sound that has been rare in my experience with Japanese musicals (part vocal talent, part book made for Broadway). The play-within-a-play scene at the ballet was genuinely impressive (it's been a while since I've seen a man jump that high). All in all, a treat to watch!

#reviews #anastasia 2023 #tadaima 23

[megamindsupremacy]

Star Wars Fic Recs (Part 4)

In a warped time by Lochcamaen

In a single moment, history is changed forever and Depa Billaba is faced with a life she was never meant to have. -

Grow bold in a barren and desolate land by blackkat

The Jedi Order has fallen, and the Republic along with it. That will never mean that the Jedi are gone, however, or that the fight is hopeless.

-

sand on memories and armor by loosingletters

"Uncle Ben, Boba is messing around with Cody's weapons again!"

"Shut up, Luke!"

A family can be you, your former Commander, your apprentice's son and an eighteen-year-old with identity issues. Obi-Wan's life on Tatooine is slightly different than he thought it would turn out to be.

-

Favors by cosmicocean

“There’s no one else here,” Leia tells him. “No one waiting in the shadows. Just us four and the droid.”

The man looks at BB-8 warily, and then back to Leia. “I don’t much care for droids,” he says, in a low rasping voice.

“They’re a friend.” Leia leans on her cane. “Aren’t you going to invite us inside, Din?”

The man stiffens. “You must be confused,” he says coolly. “My name is Ket Diric. This is my farm. Din Djarin died some years ago.”

Leia looks vaguely amused and inclines her head. “My apologies.”

Where Leia needs an idea of where to look, and seeks out an old acquaintance. -

Today is the day that nobody dies by omegarose A brief rewrite of a scene from ziggyzigzagged's "Ib'tuur Jatne Tuur Ash'ad Kyr'amur" where the fight in the reactor room doesn't end in Maul or Qui-Gon's death.

-

The Two Sons of Tatooine by chronicbookworm

Rejected by the Jedi Order at the age of 13, Obi-Wan Kenobi's ship is taken over by pirates, and he is sold as a slave on Tatooine and adopted by Shmi Skywalker. Elsewhere in the galaxy, clones are being created and a war is brewing, but the Skywalker family have their own concerns: the rising storm that is the slave revolution.

-

Life didn’t end when the world did by alyyks

It had not happened like this.

As a matter of fact, this—whatever this was—had never happened at all.

Obi-Wan leaned over the man spread over his lap, afraid to jostle him and hurt him further, and felt a braid over twenty years gone slide over his shoulder. The man in his lap was older than Obi-Wan had last seen him, grey streaking his dark hair where the red of blood was not hiding it.

The Force works in mysterious ways. Sometimes its visions are rescue signals. Sometimes good things happen.

-

Mand’alor bal kaysh vod’ika (the mand’alor and his brother) by sometimes_i_right

Xanatos decides sending Qui-Gon's new apprentice to an offshore mining rig is too obvious. Obi-Wan Kenobi winds up on a nameless spice freighter, and Jango Fett finds a new family.

-

Volatile memory by jessepinwheel

Obi-Wan is seventeen and reeling from the end of the Melida/Daan's war when he tries to return to Coruscant and the Jedi Order he had left behind. In one world, the Force sends him away to find his footing and grow, safely away from its all-consuming power. In this one, it sends him home to the Temple, swallowing him whole in the process.

Or: Vokara Che adopts a possessed traumatized seventeen-year-old boy. Because somebody has to.

-

Lost and Found by plodder

Nearly ten years after Order 66 and the fall of the Republic, two lost and broken men find each other on Tatooine

#mads posts #fic recs #fic rec list #star wars fic recs #star wars fic rec list

[ganymede-princess]

Winter Wine | Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)

ship: Rick Wright (Pink Floyd) X fem!OC

warnings: drug references

summary: In the winter before the Summer of Love, Rick meets a young woman at one of his gigs.

word count: 3629

a/n: This is an adaptation of a story I wrote 4-5 years ago, and I have done a fair amount of re-working to make it more readable and to remove some of the pick-me energy that was pretty prevalent in my old stories. If you happen to read this and recognize the plot from way back when I first published this; hello! Please do reach out if you remember my work, I'd love to reconnect with the community again.

written by  @ganymede-princess

It was New Year's Eve, 1966, and I could smell a change in the air. I could tell that the dawn of ‘67 would bring revolution to the history of young people everywhere, but not even a new era of mankind could shake off my nerves. I was supposed to be meeting a girlfriend for a shindig at some underground club in celebration, but she had cancelled our plans at the last minute and I didn’t like the idea of being carted off somewhere to be murdered. That being said, it was the biggest night of the year and I was hardly going to let a little imminent danger stop me. So I armed myself with a little kitchen knife, a can of toilet refresher spray, a lighter, and a bottle of champers. One last time, I looked myself over in the mirror. I had donned a little white tassel dress with bell sleeves that fell just above my knees, over which I wore a lichen green Afghan coat to stave off the English weather. I had even done my eyes like Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra with golden lids and black swirling wings, and spritzed myself with Belle De Rauche. I felt sexy, but I knew that feeling sexy and being sexy were two entirely different breeds of cat. With one last tousle of my hair, I headed out.

After walking a while I noticed flurries of soft snow filling the air. It fell down like floating pearls to leave little burning tingles on my nose and cheeks. I fluttered my eyelashes as the snow weighed them down and giggled. All through the street people were stumbling around grinning, their eyes locked on the sky. I had seen a panorama of different people in this part of Cambridge, but one thing that united us all was a universal love of snow. Outside the UFO Club I noticed a line of people in all kinds of fancy dress were huddled together beneath the eaves of a building. I cursed under my breath and pulled my coat closer around myself, ready to turn around and go home when I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

“Jenny!” It was my cousin Rodney Maudsley standing right at the front of the line. His auburn hair was a splat of blood on the snowy street.

“Hi Rod!” Grinning, I hurried over and flung myself on him. “Fancy seeing you here!”

“Where else would I be?” He cackled, tossing an arm around me. “Look, Adam, this is me cousin, Jenny. Cute huh?”

A tall man with short, black hair was standing by the door. He had a grey woolen blanket bundled around his body to keep himself warm and a little paper name tag around his neck.

"Indeed she is. Rodney." He grinned eerily as he greeted me in a cockney accent. "It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, mate.” I smiled, grateful to have a clear voice for once.

“Orright, in yous go.” Adam ushered us inside. “Don’t want you to freeze now do we?”

“Many thanks, mate, many thanks." Rodney winked and sauntered inside, causing a small uproar in the waiting line.

The UFO Club was a miasma of alcohol, cigarettes, and a mingle of a hundred perfumes. Strange wailing sounds emanated from the far end of the room, catching me in a cobweb of curiosity. The noises did not sound organic, so I could only assume it must be a kind of music.

"So how do you know the bouncer?”

“Oh, friend of a friend..." Rodney responded, slipping his arm off my shoulder. "Y’know. You meet people, you like ‘em. In- a- anyway. Have a good one."

With the smell of Eau Sauvage lingering in the air, he was gone. I peered through the gathering crowd at the bar that had been set up at the end of the long shed, and decided not to follow him, as much as I wanted to. Instead I decided to stick to the wall and make my way towards the stage at the far end of the hall. I slipped into the shadows by the wall, dodging a mob of speed freaks who were debating Whitman so hotly that I wondered if a physical fight might break out. It was quite easy to get to the stage, as I was very petite and could easily sneak through the dim concert hall. I soon found myself in a little nook a few feet from the side of the speaker where I could see the whole stage from end to end.

Four men were littered over the stage, two standing with guitars, another sitting at a drum kit behind them, and at the far side was a man sitting at a keyboard, his face obscured behind a fall of mousy hair. I let my attention sit on each of them individually, allowing them each the opportunity to enchant me. Firstly, I looked at the bassist; he must have been very tall, since he awkwardly stooped over his instrument. He ran random objects such as bolts, washers, and screws over the strings of his bass, each one creating a unique noise effect.

The lead guitarist was painfully cute. His hair was a mass of black curls which trembled with every movement and I could see his face lit up with excitement at every pleasing sound his guitar produced. His whole body shook as he bent the sounds coming from his guitar into strange, wobbling frequencies using quick finger movements and occasional movings of the tuning knobs on the neck. It was a strain to pull my eyes away from him to look at the drummer who tapped at the drums in a seemingly experimental manner, almost as though he had never played them before. I soon looked back at the guitarist and watched him plucking at the strings for a while with a dreamy smile on my lips, but soon remembered that there was one last man I had not observed.

Regretfully, I looked away from the lovely guitarist and made my way to the far side of the stage, sticking close to it so as to avoid any dancers. I found a decent spot to stand, and looked up at the keyboardist who was sitting only about six or seven feet away. Just a moment ago I had thought that the guitarist was the most attractive man on the planet, but I was soon proved to be sorely mistaken. That little keyboardist who hid behind his hair was like heaven on earth: shy as a pixie and dainty to boot. He frowned down at his hands while he played, carving little furrows in his brow. In that moment I would have given my right arm for the privilege of knowing what was going on behind his eyes. I felt my heart start to thud as the song came to an end.

"That was Interstellar Overdrive." The guitarist mumbled into the microphone. "Next we're going to hand over to our keyboardist, Rick, for one of his songs."

"Er, yes, um..." Rick stammered in a voice like a wind chime. "This is called Remember A Day."

The music kicked in with a bluesy bass line, arpeggios on the keyboard, and a groovy, off-beat drum line. The guitar swooped from low to high like a police siren. I found myself beginning to sway gently to the music.

"Remember a day before today,” Rick's singing voice was gentle and ambient. It was similar to the voice of the guitarist, only it had a unique dreamy quality. "A day when you were young, free to play with time... evening never comes..."

His eyes roamed around the room as he sang.

"Sing a song that can't be sung without the morning's kiss..." It was that very moment that our eyes met. I could feel my cheeks growing hot as his attention lingered on my face. A small smile grew on his lips before he sang the next line. "Queen you shall be if you wish. Look for your king."

My face became a garden of blush. I looked away, feeling a foolish flutter in my stomach. When I found the strength to lift my head, he was looking back at his hands. I wasn’t sure if I should be disappointed or relieved. The song continued for a while, and it seemed as if he was purposely avoiding my eyes, so I slipped away into the shadows by the side of the stage. I could see no point in putting him off his playing by lingering.

"Alright, it's half-past ten," The bassist announced as the song came to a close. "And we'd all like to go and watch the fireworks, and I'm sure you all would too. So, have a good night everyone, and don't hesitate to come and say hello if you liked the show."

Nobody seemed to be listening to him as he spoke, just as nobody had seemed to be truly listening to the music. All of the bodies in the hall started to syphon out of the room before he had even finished speaking. With those words, all four of the performers shuffled off the stage and out of an exit door that I could see in the wing. I sighed regretfully as I watched the back of Rick's white frilly shirt disappear through the door. I stayed in my nook for a few minutes with my eyes fixed on the door, wishing with all my might that it would open again to reveal the gorgeous young keyboardist with a smile on his lips and love in his heart. Eventually I gave up and made my way to the visitors exit, which was clear of people by then. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned with a hopeful smile, but was disappointed when it was the drummer who greeted me. I hoped it didn’t show.

"Are you the girl with the Afghan coat?" He inquired, folding his arms.

"Erm..." I frowned. "Well, yes, I am wearing one, but lots of people do. I don’t think I’m who you’re looking for."

It was a bold-faced lie on my part, that keyboard boy had to be looking for me. I couldn’t tell you why exactly, but my confidence crumbled at the thought of talking to him.

"Oh no, I don't think so." He smiled. "You fit the description perfectly. Listen, my friend, Rick the keyboardist, he wanted to talk to you, but he has an awful chip on his shoulder about girls."

"What?" I was really in for it now. "A chip- look. I'm really, truly sorry if I distracted him. I don’t usually stare like-"

"No, no!" He shook his head, giggling goofily. "He's not angry, not at all. Listen, he told me not to tell you this, but he said that you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen."

"If this is a joke, it's not funny!"

"I'm not joking!" He exclaimed. "I promise. He'll even tell you himself. Please, just don’t run off. If I don't get you to see him, I'll never see the end of it."

“Surely he’s exaggerating?”

“No, no.” He beamed. “Rick’s plenty of things, girl, but he’s not a liar.”

“God…” I buried my face in my hands, my cheeks burning. “I hope you aren't playing with me."

"I'm not." He took me by the arm. "Just come here for a sec.”

He led me around behind the speakers and up a few steps onto the stage. We picked our way over the snaking auxiliary cords and various instrument stands to the far side of the stage where we came to the exit door. I stopped short, suddenly apprehensive. What if everything was not as it seemed?

"Now, you just wait here," The drum boy smiled sympathetically. “And don’t worry. Oh, and my name’s Nick, just by the by.”

"Jenny." We shook hands.

“It’s good to meet you, Jenny.”

“Alright.” He laughed. “Just stay here, yeah?”

I nodded as Nick disappeared through the door, leaving a trickle of cold air behind him. I caught the door before it fully closed and peered through the crack into the ally beyond. My Rick had his back facing me, and the other two stood around him. The bassist leaned against the back wall smoking a fag, and the guitarist fought a losing battle to spray him with what I assumed was perfume.

"Syd, stop it." Rick snapped. "I smell fine."

Syd muttered something unintelligible and backed off. Nick cleared his throat and Rick spun around on his heel, almost tripping over. My heart gave a little squeeze.

“Oh.” He breathed. “You didn’t find her?”

Gently, I closed the door. I sat down on a stool near the mic stand and fought to find a breath that I didn’t know was missing. I closed my eyes and buried a hand in my hair. He was so cute it was like a knife in my guts.

"Hello..." Rick’s voice was so soft that I almost thought I had imagined it. I must have jumped in my seat because he laughed a little. “Did I scare you?”

“Just a little." I responded, letting out a breath.

"I'm Rick." He padded over the wires and stuck his hand out.

"Jenny."

I placed my hand in his and waited for him to shake it, but instead he took my hand and pressed it to his lips. I felt as if there was a bird struggling to burst out of my chest.

"Enchanté." Before he had the chance to say anything more, soft little noise came from the open door. The bassist peeped through the doorway with an equine gawp across his face. Rick chuckled awkwardly and itched the back of his neck. "Do you perhaps want to go for a walk?"

I nodded, and we made our way out into the open street. People milled around, kicking snow and laughing. I felt the familiar magic that comes with shared happiness.

"So erm..." Rick mumbled. "Won't you tell me about yourself?"

"Well I'm not very interesting, y'know." I clawed for something to say. "I'm twenty-two years old, I love the Beatles just like everybody else... um, I'm a Scorpio if you happen to be interested in that kind of thing. I like to write poetry and go out to clubs... like I said, there's nothing interesting to know."

"Well, you sound very interesting to me. I like poetry too. What kind of things do you write about?”

"Just things that I see that make me think about life… the rhythm of samsara and all that. For example I'll write a little something about the snow when I go home tonight... and perhaps a few words about my new friend Rick."

"I'm going to write a song about tonight, for sure." Rick smiled at the floor. "It's far too beautiful not to capture. I feel so lucky to be walking around in this lovely new snow with a gorgeous girl like yourself."

"Don’t be like that." I laughed and gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "If anybody's gorgeous here, it’s gotta be you!"

"Shh!" Rick smiled. "If you keep up like that your nose'll grow."

“Don’t talk bad about yourself.” I stopped walking and looked into his eyes. “You’re lovely.”

“I’ll stop if you stop.” Roses bloomed on his cheeks.

Time breezed by, and an hour of conversation and a bottle of champers later, I felt as if I had known Rick for years.

"You remind me of somebody, Rick. Like a character in a story, but I don't remember who."

"You remind me of someone too. Perhaps... Cathy and Heathcliffe?"

"Oh!" I giggled. "So you're going to run off on me and I'll end up wasting away in bed?"

"You won't waste away. Not if you can catch me!" With that, Rick took off running in his Sunday best.

For a moment I stood gaping like a codfish, then shook off the shock and pelted down the street after him. Laughs burst like champagne bubbles between us, and our feet pummelled a rhythm as we ran through the neighbourhood. The bystreets grew deserted as we ventured into the built up part of town, though a few daring people sat on top of their roofs to watch the fireworks. I slowed to look up at the couples, families, and groups of friends, all huddled together. Something in me ached. Rick slowed to a jog.

"Come on slow poke! Come and catch Heathcliffe!"

"I can't!" I called back with an empty grin.

Rick sighed and jogged over to me, coming to rest so close that I could feel the heat radiating from him. Our breaths billow in white clouds, mingling like twin souls.

“Is something the matter?”

I shook my head, my loneliness melting away. An impish grin grew on his face, and swiftly he bent his knees and lifted me off of the ground by the waist. I squealed and clutched his shoulders, not so much afraid of falling, but afraid of the moment ending. An unexplainable magic crystalised in his silver-grey eyes and I was so stricken with it that I almost kissed him. Instead, he just placed me back on the floor. He wordlessly took my hand and pulled me away from the footpath and through a gate. I realised we had run all the way to the local park. Rick looked at his watch.

"Seven minutes until midnight." He grinned. "Come on!"

I followed him down the gravel path that ran through the park, watching all the trees glittering white in the snowfall. In the very middle of the park there stood a chestnut tree with a platform and canopy made of wood planks nestled up in its huge branches.

"Can you climb?" Rick inquired as we stood beneath the bough.

I did not respond, only ran up to the tree and clumsily pulled myself up into the branches. I clambered up the tree and onto the platform, which was quite a bit smaller than I remembered from my childhood, and huffed in embarrassment. Rick looked up at me and laughed, then climbed up to join me. I offered him my hand to pull him up, but he refused and managed on his own. The tiny seat forced us to press together, and I relished the warmth of him beside me. We sat in silence for a moment, while I ruminated upon what Nick had told me.

"You didn't have to lie to Nick, y'know." I muttered. "I'm sure he would have come to find me anyway."

"What do you mean?" His blessed brow furrowed at my statement.

"Well, he said that you thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world..."

"That bloody bastard!" Rick slapped his thigh in annoyance. "I told him not to say!"

"I think he was just being cheeky. Besides, I was afraid you were angry with me, so I think he told me to stop me from bolting."

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"Well, I thought I distracted you from your playing. I didn't mean to. I just couldn’t help but stare at you."

Rick blushed lightly and avoided my eyes, smiling to himself. There was conflict on his face for a moment, as though there were two ideas warring in his mind.

"I wasn't lying, y'know..." He mumbled, still refusing to look at me. "You really are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

"Thank you, but surely I’m not the most beautiful.”

"No, no, no, you are!" He looked at me finally, visibly distressed. "I've seen plenty of pretty girls, but there's never been one that's quite as lovely as you. I don't know, there's just something about you that I can't put my finger on. You're just bewitching."

"To tell you the truth, I'm thinking something very similar about you. You look like an angel."

I looked up into his eyes, like silver coins shining in the weak light of the moon. Snow flurries had caught themselves up in his soft locks, and I suppressed the urge to comb them away with my fingers, settling on simply brushing the powder off his shoulder. Rick's cheeks and nose were flushed with fervor and I knew I must look the same. Words were rising in my throat like some unstoppable force. Words that I knew I would regret.

"Rick, do you believe in love and first sight?"

"Well, I never used to..."

"Did something change your mind?"

Rick just nodded and leaned in ever so slightly. His gaze was fixed on a point below my eyes.

"How long 'till midnight?"

Rick broke concentration to look at his watch. "One minute."

I gave away to my urge and tangled my hands up in his hair, watching as the snow fell away. Rick's hands lurked on the back of my neck, thumbs stroking gently at my skin. He leaned in and our lips almost touched, but I ducked away.

"How long now?"

"Fifteen seconds." Rick whispered. "Fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven..."

"Ten," I joined the counting. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

I took Rick by the chin and pressed my lips gently against his. For one dreadful moment his body tensed and I thought he was going to break away from me, but then he melted into the kiss. His hands found my waist, and mine rested behind his neck, lips moving together in a wordless incantation. The champagne on his lips tasted of starlight, and my head swam with patchouli and tobacco.

"Happy New Year." Rick whispered.

"Happy New Year." I returned and leaned in for another moment of bliss.

#richard wright #rick wright #pink floyd #nick mason #syd barrett #pink floyd fandom #fanfiction #rick wright x reader #richard wright x reader #pink floyd x reader #pink floyd fan fiction #Youtube

[rastronomicals]

4:20 AM EST February 20, 2024:

Eno/Cale - "Footsteps" From the album Wrong Way Up (October 5, 1990)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

Back when it was new--and I was 25 years old--I eagerly purchased this compact disc. Oh, it was a time, man. The CD was packaged in--get this (if you can: most people today I would assume don't know what it had been)--a longbox. A theft deterrent then, and a music geek collectible now. Funny the way things transform, sometimes.

So. It being that time, I didn't know as much about Brian Eno or John Cale then as I do now, but I still knew Here Come the Warm Jets and White Light/White Heat. And because those records had been great, I expected Wrong Way Up to be pretty awesome.

Did I know then that the 3-1/2-minute revolution called "Sky Saw" featured Cale? Or that there was a cult album named June 1, 1974 that featured them both?

Not sure. Wise now, was I wise then?

Anyway, the excitement before the purchase turned into disappointment afterwards. This album, it did not rock, it bore no traces of Warm Jets or White Heat, and it wasn't weird at all, and I sold it and I forgot about it as quickly as possible.

Lately though, nearly 30 years later, thinner of hair, and wiser of the music, man, I've been on an Eno jag, and I came across a review of the album on Pitchfork that suggested the album, synthpop though it was, achieved nothing less than brilliance in its rather conflicted creation.

Hell, I hadn't even known that the artists hadn't gotten along. . . . So I figured, what *had* I known, in my judgement 30 years ago? I'd been only 25, and had probably been a little bit um, over-influenced, by hardcore punk. My tastes are more sophisticated now! I could like an album that maybe wasn't so manic. Really I could. And shit, everything I've been doing for the last month was all about what a fucking genius Eno was. . . Maybe I'd been hasty in my dismissal of WWU back then, simply because it didn't sound like "Third Uncle," or "I Heard Her Call My Name." 'Cause hell, on reflection, thinking about it in 2019, in the midst of a Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno freakout, neither does "Luftschloss."

Goddamn, then, let's try it again, I thought. So last week, I bought a CD copy off Discogs. Received it yesterday, listened to it on the way into work this morning, and ... it's unabashedly awful.

It's lame, predictable, and without a trace of the genius which otherwise marks both men's work. You're tempted to say a few things, although you should probably resist the urges. You're tempted to say that it was a case of men outside the times attempting foolishly to sound like them, but that's wrong. 1990 had no great rush of synthpop albums.

1990 was about Jane's Addiction; Jane's Addiction, and Happy Mondays and Sonic Youth's major label debut. Nobody was making synthpop. That these two major artists felt like going there, I don't know, it's odd, it's strange, it's fucked up.

You're also tempted to say, maybe, if you're not that familiar with the facts, that this was the work of giants who had exhausted their creative energies prior to its making, young lions become old farts. But, of course, that's ridiculous. Five years after this mistake of a record, Eno would record Nerve Net, which showed him as able as his youngself to stretch things out. And if you want pop, shit, Eno made Another Day on Earth in 2005, as he was approaching 60, and that is a brilliant, quirky, intelligent pop record, even if it's not as much like M83 as I might prefer.

Wrong Way Up is a detour into mediocrity. Definite, and puzzling, that is.

It all goes to show many things, perhaps most importantly--and I swear I'm not looking to trash Pitchfork specifically here--that if an artist known for making good things makes something crappy, there will always--always--be somebody around to tell people that, fuck the facts, it is in fact pretty good.

There's also the reminder given that I had the suss of the thing down back in 1990. I like to think of myself as smarter now, wiser if you have to go there, and I was prepared to second-guess myself, and take a lesson from it too, but at least in this case, me and the version of myself that existed three decades ago are smack dab in agreement. There's a stolidity about that I find appealing, but maybe, just maybe, there's also a disappointing inability to evolve.

Funny the way things don't transform, sometimes.

https://lahistoriadelamusicarock.blogspot.com/2019/04/enocale-wrong-way-up-opal-records-back.html

File under: Fool Me Twice

#Eno/Cale #Wrong Way Up #Footsteps

[sixty-silver-wishes]

Shostakovich-Sollertinsky letter translations- letters 4 and 5

11th January 1928, Moscow

Dear Ivan Ivanovich. If you will write to me, be sure to mention Meyerhold in the address (V.E. Meyerhold for Shostakovich), or else I will not reach it. Greetings, D. Shostakovich.

-

(Content warning: Letter 5 contains a brief description of sexual harassment.)

21 January 1928, Moscow

Dear Ivan Ivanovich,

I'm sorry that I write on such inelegant paper; I have no other paper. I have wanted to write to you for a long time, but I didn't have the time to. I have spent all my free time working on "The Nose." Now, I'm writing the entire note, and therefore I'm doing nothing. It's a terrible feeling to be addicted to manuscript paper. In general, life isn't bad. I don't have much work, and I can't tell exactly what it is. Not long ago was the meeting between Mestkom and Erkak [1], jointly with the administration and at this meeting, I was approved on "musical parts." To start with, I make arrangements for musical parts, I am responsible for the parts entrusted to me, etc. I attend theatres intensively. In addition to all Meyerhold productions, I saw "The Armoured Train" and "The Days of the Turbins" in the Khudozhestvennom [a cinema], and "Rift" in the studio, Vakhtangov's "Day and Night" in the Kamernom and many others. In the Khudozhestvennom, I saw an amazing cast of actors. Artists- some of the best. "Day and Night" is an extremely cheerful operetta and a very good production. But in one place I am slightly sick of the incredible aestheticism. Green flashlights, blue lighting, women in short skirts and multicoloured pants. Terrible, but "beautiful." "The Iron Train" as a performance is extremely successful, despite the presence of Kachalov (rise up the people and for freedom - give up your wives and mothers. We will achieve our peasant freedom with our own meat. Hey, Pyatrukha! Look, is there a member of the bourgeoisie hiding under a bush?). In everything there is a full glare, in order to achieve the style of the peasant-Russian-revolution.

"Fault" was a lousy play, so much that I was ashamed that I watched the whole show. In "The Days of the Turbins" there was a place of such genuine tragedy that even in the theatre, there was loud crying. But it was all spoiled by the last act, with the official ending. The play that made a strong impression on me was "The Inspector-General," which I saw in Meyerhold's theatre. Now I have seen it three times there, and seven times in all. The more I saw it, the more I liked it. I listened to Malko. Tchaikovsky's violin concerto and 3rd suite. Twelve-year-old Borya Feliciant participated. Borya played technically well, sometimes absolutely antimusically. In general, the phenomenon was not brilliant. After the 3rd Suite, Malko was wildly successful. He was called back four times. At intermission, I went to give my thanks to him for the concert. He sat without a tailcoat. His bald head was shining, and so was his face. With his whole being he expressed, "finally I am understood, appreciated!" I did not hear "Ecstasy." I went home. "Volitional impulse" and "Flight" act strongly on the public. So probably after "Ecstasy" he was a success.

At the concert, I met A.V. Lunacharsky, who told me a few kind words and expressed the hope that he would succeed in encountering my triumphs "in detail."

In the evening, I spoke to my mother on the telephone. I was able to hear her wonderfully. What a great human invention.

Meyerhold's children have a nanny, who has tender feelings for me and sometimes pisses me off. Especially in the mornings, when she enters my room and begins to say, "it's time to get up, it's time to get up," while pulling off the blanket and groping my naked body. Yesterday, it got to the point where she kissed the part of my body that touches the chair when I sit. I told her yesterday that if she didn't stop touching me, I would tell Zinaida Nikolaevna [Raikh]. Today, therefore, she was quieter. Her hands did not penetrate beyond the chest. (Translation note- I believe he means here that she now didn't touch him anywhere lower than the chest.) At first, it made me laugh; now it annoys me; the thirty-four-year-old maid craves what must be (to her) heavenly bliss. Hell knows she's ugly. If tomorrow morning she touches and kisses me again, then I will definitely complain. When we meet again, I will tell you more about her in detail.

It worries me that, at the conservatory, I still haven't been given a postgraduate handout. I fear that my hard work will be without pay. I sent them 35 rubles not long ago. I couldn't send more, because I received 1/4 of my salary and paid part of it to my hosts. Yesterday I spoke with my mother, about money for the conservatory that hasn't been issued yet. Hell knows what else. I think that in February, I will live in Moscow, but in March I'll quit my job and return to Leningrad. Not long ago I had (met?)… Messelman or Musselman [2] (note- name refers to an orientalist and journalist); Varzar [3] happens to know. He struck me with his presence.

Don't forget to write to me. I was terribly glad with your letter, and will also be glad with the next. Your loving D. Shostakovich. Knipper [4] sends regards.

Footnotes:

1- Erkak- a workers' control commission system

2- Likely refers to Aleksandr Davidovich Meiselman, an orientalist and journalist.

3- An unspecified relative of Nina Vasiliyevna Varzar, whom Shostakovich would marry in 1932.

4- Lev Konstantinovich Knipper, a composer.

#classical music #music history #shostakovich #dmitri shostakovich #sollertinsky letters #ivan sollertinsky #vsevelod meyerhold #soviet music history #history #translation #composer #classical composers

[dragongutsixofficial]

Oooh thanks for the tag @ninadove ! 💙 The challenge is the following :

"List the first lines of your last twenty stories. See if you can find a pattern."

Same as you, I don't have twenty stories lying around, so Imma be picking from my google doc and probably mostly from what I call the "Hresvelg siblings snippets", that I add to whenever I have an idea.

Info : Adel is the last Hresvelg sibling and is the proud dad of his wyvern Mirabelle. Meanwhile, Siyn is my Bylethsona.

Without further ado, let's go !

Edit: it's not putting spaces when I put them. I do NOT know why.

1- Siblings bonding time

As they looked up at the setting sun and at the eagles circling up in the sky, they sat in an amazed silence before the beauty of their imperfect world. 

" Hey. Let's make each other a promise. "

" Sure. "

" What's it ? "

" Once this is over… Let's all go to therapy." 

"Oh you bet." 

"Most definitely." 

2- Typical Loki fashion

"They're missing out on one of the most amazing persons ever."

"Who's that ?"

"Me, duh."

3- Karaoke night

"I don't know the lyrics to that song", the teen muttered under his breath.

"It's a prayer, Loki. We're in a cathedral."

"I personally wish I didn't", Adel smiled and kept chanting along. "It's always "Something something goddess", "Something something Sothis", and how you should never throw a revolution against the Church. "

4- Mirabelle

"I was wondering though…" Siyn considered as she gently scratched the wyvern's neck. "Why'd you name her Mirabelle ?"

"Bold of you to assume I think before I act, Professor."

5- Cookie ?

"If one more person dares tell me, "revenge is baaaaaad" and "you're young, you don't know what you're doing", or "you'll regret it later on, trust me, I've got absolutely no clue what you're going through right now, but I'm an adult so I must know better right ? ", I'm going to commit first degree murder. Revenge won't make me feel better or bring back what I lost ? Yeah no shit Sherlock, but maybe, just maybe making you shut up for a damn second will bring me a few seconds of well-deserved peace Karen." 

Aline looked at him with a soft smile as she poured him a cup of chamomile tea.  " Do you… Want a cookie ?"

" Yes. "

6- Releasing pressure

"Here's where I wanted to take you", Adel smiled as he helped him off the wyvern.

Loki perked around curiously, taking in the sight of the starlit deserted hills that surrounded Garrech Mach.

"It's beautiful", he softly spoke. "Thank you for taking me on this ride. When did you start coming here ?"

Adel pondered. "I'd say about a year ago ? There's few places as quiet as this around here, and I find that it helps me unwind, take off the pressure. Wanna know how ?"

The teenager smiled curiously. "Sure."

"I scream into the void at the top of my lungs for however long it takes for me to feel better."

"You what now ?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-"

7- Defying gravity

"I like gravity. It's really neat for all sorts of things."

"What the hell ? I hate gravity ! It sucks !"

"Well of course you would dislike it, you're a Wyvern Knight."

"Yeah, I'm not a fan of the feeling of impending doom when I'm plummeting to my death."

"Then don't fall to your death. Gravity won't do you anything if you're prudent enough."

"Oh, thank you, Sherlock. What makes you so keen on gravity anyways ?"

"I… Well what would the world be like without it ?"

"Amazing."

"No, it'd be f*cking weird, I tell you what. Would you want to float 24/7 ?"

"YES. Yes, I'd love that."

"... What the hell is going on ?"

8- Pancakes

"Do you do that often ?"

"What, kill people or make pancakes ?"

9- Loki hoarding clothes

"I fully plan on hoarding all of your possessions. I've already got your boots, and Edelgard's gloves. I'm on the way to achieve the classiest of looks."

"What's next ?"

"Someday, I'll get Edelgard's horns."

10- Draft of Loki and Hanneman's support convos

Hanneman: In fact, I would like to study the effects of your Crest on your person. Or rather… The lack thereof.

Loki: That's an interesting way to say that I'm weak.

[...]

Hanneman: How about this spear right there ? Your brother could snap it in half while he was training there at the monastery !

Loki: I… Can't even imagine how anyone could do that.

11- Fuck

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-

12- Missing you

"Solon was your instructor for many years", Arundel says with a scrutinizing stare. "His death must come as a shock to you." 

The child looks up at him from his book and brings one short strand of black hair behind his ear. "I am devastated", he says in a deadpan voice, and goes back to reading. 

13- An Imperial visit

"You unearthed our father's body." The Empress said with a cold, but mostly just shocked expression, as she stared down her two older siblings- covered in dirt from head to toes and stinking of death. "Do you know how disrespectful this is ?"

"Pfdfpfrpfftpfft-" Loki wheezed, then coughed into his hand to quickly hide the laughter that was threatening to break out.

"Where's the body ?"

They stare at each other, silently.

"... Did you bury him in the gardens ?!"

"Oh ! Goddess no", Aline interjected. You know these poor flowers deserve better than him. "

" Then what did you do with him ? "

Loki was starting to lose it.

"... You know count Varley ? " Adel tentatively asked.

" Of course I do. What has he got to do with this ?"

"Well… We talked a bit with Bernadetta and… Well… we sent him the decomposed body."

"We told him the Emperor was coming to visit-"

14- Aren't we all

The kid looks at her with his almost unnaturally wide and empty eyes, as if they were always widened with fear: but when he talks, it's with the same emotionless and automatic voice she's used to.

"... Kronya. You are insane, aren't you ?"

She smirks and looks back at him, leaning over the table and snatching his book away.

"Are you not ?"

15- Father-daughter talk

"Your mother wanted to be cremated." Ionius bent over and deposited the medium-sized, dark urn that felt heavy in her hands. Even holding it, sat in her bed, still made her every joint ache.

"..." She looked up at him, slowly. "What am I supposed to do with that ? I didn't come to her funeral, why do you think I'd want her funerary urn ? "

"I..." That old, pathetic man looked at her with hollow eyes. "I thought you might want to reconnect. Maybe keep it in your room."

Aline's jaw dropped. "What ? Just- leave. You're delusional."

"I'll leave you alone with her to take this in. I know the loss of your mother affects you more than you let on… you need that closure." He slowly rose up from the chair and, leaning on his cane, turned around to leave by the open door.

"Wait."

"Hum ?"

"Stay here… just a while longer", she said softly as she propped herself up on her pillow, her back exploding with white pain as she held back a cry.

"... Do you want to talk about i-" Was all Ionius could muster before an expertly thrown funerary urn made contact with his face, sending ash everywhere.

"FUCK OFF AND NEVER COME BACK AGAIN !!! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING I'VE EVER LOVED !!!"

16- On Loki and Edelgard

Maybe the reason they liked each other so much was because they recognized themselves as monsters; and in each other, they found the forgiveness they pretended they weren't seeking.

17- Character growth of a child soldier

Solon had to concede it to Thales, who seemed strangely proud: Loki didn't have anything to do with the small, scaredy kid he had been entrusted. The transformation had been radical. He had grown more efficient, more quiet, more observant. But most remarkable was the amount of confidence he had gained.

Some could even say he had become a little bitch.

18- Florem (Bravely Default)

The city of Florem was like a perfectly round and shiny red apple: incredibly appealing and appetizing from the outside, but slowly being devoured by a worm on the inside.

That horrid truth was something its inhabitants did their best to hide from the travelers that came from all around Luxendarc to visit the legendary city of refinement and pleasures, and most of the time, they were pretty successful at it. Any foreigner, upon approaching the outskirts of the town for the first time, would be struck by the overwhelmingly sweet scent of the quality perfumes the artisans of Florem were so renowned for. Lead by the nose to the central plaza of the city, where most of the stores were located, they would be entranced by the beauty of the place: its charming and colorful two-story houses with balconies bursting with local flowers, the care with which most of its inhabitants composed their attire, their dresses made with the softest of fabrics and the most intricate of patterns, sometimes accessorized with a fairy wing for an hairpin if someone felt fancy, their strong perfumes, the lights and the dense crowd of merchants and locals that left anyone being pushed around like a raft at sea.

For Braev Lee, Great Marshall of Eternia, the illusion worked like a charm, and the experience was absolutely exhilarating. It had been quite a few years since he had taken control of the duchy, and yet he had never had the honor to visit the Matriarch in person until now, neither had he had the chance to visit the legendary city that was rumored to be only populated with women. Especially not with his annoying right-hand man and best friend Kamiizumi to spoil the trip ! That reminded him, the Swordsmaster had been quiet for quite a while, and that could never be good. Turning around to look for him, Braev had to squint his eyes to search for the black head of hair amidst the dozens of people passing him by and bumping into him.

Thankfully, a natural hair color was as rare in Florem as it was in an art school, and he soon noticed him sat on the edge of a fountain, taking a well-deserved break. Rejoining him was no small feat due to the tremendous activity of everyone around him, but he could finally breathe as he plopped down next to his bro, and realized just how good it felt to stop running about.

“Hey, Nobotsuna. Thought you could escape from me ?” He teased with a smile.

“I gave up on that dream a long time ago”, the warrior replied with a flat voice.

19- On Aline and Hubert

"Don't play that game with me, Hubert. I saw you get your head stuck in a vase when you were five. You'll never be threatening to me."

20- Family feud

"I'm just saying. Everybody already considers Mirabelle part of the family. What's the deal in making it official ?"

Edelgard sighed, heavily. "Adel, we all appreciate her presence, that is a fact. However, she is just your pet. We can't officially give her the name von Hresvelg."

"Why not ? You did it for me", Loki whined.

"It was a different situation, and you know it."

"How so ?" He retorted, trying his best to put on a vexed expression. "I think it's the same."

Edelgard shook her head in bewilderment and turned to Aline, looking for some support. The woman seemed to be having the time of her life watching the feud between her younger siblings.

"Please tell them, Aline."

She thought it over for a moment, her eyes unfocused. Then, she smiled and nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied with herself.

"I just think you're a bad aunt, Edelgard."

---

Aaaand there we go ! =D it was fun to revisit those.

19 of them are from my Hresvelg siblings snippets, which I started as a way to develop my OCs' personalities, while the Bravely Default one is the beginning of the first chapter of a fic I've never continued. xD

So, what can we take away from this, apart from the fact that I've got a huge FE brainrot and a weakness for good siblings relationships in media ?

I think I like to have my fun and be a little bit sarcastic when I write. Not take it too seriously and putting my characters into what can be borderline absurd situations. Unsurprisingly, this is also a feature found in my favorite books ! ^^

Tagging (only if they feel like it ofc): @kanohivolitakk @crestofshame and anyone who feels like it !!! <3

#fe3h #bravely default #challenge #my writing #dgix writes #wips #the hresvelg siblings #edelgard definitely #braev bravely default #nobotsuna kamiizumi #florem

[senil888]

I posted 6,258 times in 2022

That's 1,638 more posts than 2021!

24 posts created (0%)

6,234 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@toast-my-name-is-toast

@forlovefromfear

@crimsoncadmium

@cats2019forthenintendoswitch

@powerbottombrucespringsteen

I tagged 396 of my posts in 2022

#yes i'm a furry what about it - 27 posts

#synth gang rise up - 21 posts

#synth - 12 posts

#synth species - 6 posts

#snakes my beloved - 5 posts

#what - 4 posts

#yeah - 3 posts

#this does not excuse anything but this is normal pay for voice actors. like this is industry standard. - 3 posts

#senils art i guess? - 3 posts

#unreality - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#gardening for like. the occasional fresh tomato is totally different from gardening to even somewhat feed yourself/your family/your friends

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

One year ago as of yesterday, I went on my first date since late 2018. We met the week prior at a local fabric & craft store along with some other friends, and quickly hit it off. We meant to just go for coffee a year ago, but we ended up going to a game store and later, dinner.

I was slow to say we were anything serious - I'd been hurt by rushing in too quick before and I didn't want to bring that upon them - but we fell for each other very quickly. Some time after that date (we both forget when) we made it official.

And damn, we've been through a lot.

Highs and lows on all fronts from both of us the last year, and we've somehow stuck together and held strong.

Happy one year since I fell in love with you, I hope we'll enjoy many more together.

7 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

#4

i did another thing with my synth ^^ never too early for pride.

snatched the base from the Synth Revolution discord, someday I'll have commissioned art of him.

11 notes - Posted May 14, 2022

#3

After a hot minute, I finally have a ref sheet! The artist, Chu, reached out to a call I put out in a regional furry discord server, and I'm so glad they had fun drawing the lad!

12 notes - Posted October 6, 2022

#2

Recolored the lad a bit to better match my color scheme and AAAA it looks so good!!! The blue is a perfect match with the greens Ave grays.

12 notes - Posted February 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

QUEEN DOWN

31 notes - Posted September 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #my 'queen down' post being the number one out of like five actual posts is hilarious

[eight-bullets-for-you]

not les mis related-this concerns mcyt

i know this isn’t a mcyt acct so i’m sorry if this doesn’t interest u, but i won’t tolerate any hate

cw: talk of death, talk of cancer, technoblade’s passing

i had a lot of thoughts last night so i wrote them down in my notes app.

i really hope techno knows how much he’s given this community. rest easy king, see you on the other side <3

i’ve always told myself “have no heroes” because idolizing ppl is risky business, but i really looked up to techno. his content helped me when i was going through a really rough time in my life. techno was a hero, and it pisses me off that this is how it had to end. but isn’t techno the one that said, “good things don’t happen to heroes”?

i’ve been told that someone isn’t truly dead until their name is spoken for the last time, so…technoblade never dies.

i took a lot of time last night because i need to be able to talk about my feelings on this topic without feeling guilty. i only started watching mcyt 4-5 months ago, i used to be into it years ago, i would watch stampy cat with my brother. then recently i found it again and so did my brother. it’s kind of how i bond with him, we talk about new uploads and things. i still feel guilty because i feel like i don’t deserve to be this upset over what’s happened. i curled up into a little ball and cried for about an hour. i have a very bad headache now and i’m guessing i’m dehydrated.

i want ppl to respect content creators space right now. techno touched a lot of people and everyone is gonna need time, alright? even us, people who just watch, even if you’ve never met techno, it’s okay to be upset about this. it’s okay to cry, crying helps. techno loved y’all a lot. hurting isn’t a bad thing.

just remember to hold the people u love close while they’re still around. tell people you love them all the time. i don’t think we say ‘i love you’ enough honestly. squeeze them extra tight right now pls

grief consumes us in undefinable, unpredictable ways. there is no right way to grieve. if you cry, that’s fine, let it out. if you use humor to cope, hey me too, that’s fine. if you shut down, i understand, just make sure you let some ppl know how you’re doing. take your time, write things, make art. art has always come from grief, destruction, and death, but it celebrates life. please don’t stop creating if that’s how you cope. don’t stop writing about him. don’t stop drawing him. keep him alive through your art. please take a break if you need it, but if you come back, keep it going <3

if you want to support techno and his family you should go buy his merch, donate to curesarcoma or leave a message on hypixel

i saw the video ten minutes after it was uploaded, my first though was “oh he’s quitting youtube? that’s too bad” but god i really wish that was the case. i saw the comments before the video even started. i kept hoping someone would tell me this was some sick joke or that i was dreaming, but obviously that didn’t happen.

-interlude where i watched night at the museum and then got four hours of sleep-

i’ve woken up now, i wish it wasn’t real. my mind keeps going back to techno when he said “you wouldn’t know my house, it goes to another school” and it’s such an strange moment and i’m not sure why i keep repeating it over and over in my head but it really just shows that technoblade was a light. he was so genuinely funny and it’s a shame that he’s gone.

i told my brother what happened and his reaction was to tell me that i was lying and that made me want to cry. then we watched the video together. i hadn’t watched the techno video yet, i don’t like sad things, i won’t watch them if i know it’s gonna make me cry. i still haven’t finished the video.

my brother and i have been sharing our favorite techno quotes all morning, including, but not limited to:

- “you wouldn’t know my house it goes to another school”

- “welcome home theseus”

- the whole theseus speech

- “i am ready for revolution boys”

- “technoblade never dies”

- “you want to beat me train for another four hundred years”

- “did someone say rebellion?”

- “when god sends me to hell i want him to hesitate”

- “hippity hoppity get off my property”

- “a lesbian referred to me as ‘actually pretty funny’ and my ego has been coasting ever since”

- “officer i drop kicked that child in self defense”

- “you see, i was using an advanced strategy called lying”

its been good to laugh with him. i didn’t think it would hit me this hard.

i’ve been saying “see you on the other side” a lot more now. it’s something my english teacher/speech coach taught me. she’s this super badass woman and she’s helped me so much. she used to be in the peace corps and she said they would never say goodbye, they would always say see you on the other side. i’ve been trying to not say goodbye so much anymore, but instead learn from her. goodbyes are so little, yknow, it’s an end. but “see you on the other side”? that keeps going. i don’t know if that makes sense to anyone except me, my brain tends to work a bit goofy, but it’s like saying no matter what happens, i’ll see you again.

it’s like that song, remember the one by charlie puth? it goes like “i’ll tell you all about it when i see you again”. i used to cry to that song years ago, but i haven’t even thought about listening to it yet. i don’t think i will. i think that’ll be too difficult right now.

i grew up in a religious household. i’m not really religious anymore. i practice paganism/wicca sometimes, but that’s unimportant. just from what i know about heaven and hell and god, god wouldn’t have hesitated for a second. technoblade belongs in heaven. he was the nicest, kindest person i’ve ever known. i know techno is up there 1v1ing god rn, and we all know he’s gonna beat him.

you know what fucks with my head the most about all of this? the fact that techno’s dad was like “you’ve given them so much already, you can rest now” and techno wrote the last video then died 8 hours later. scientifically i know it’s not really probable that he waited to go until that last video was done, but isn’t that strange? maybe it does work like that. techno touched so many people, and he felt like he had to give us one last thing, and then he could rest. it hurts my heart and my head a lot. death really fucks with my brain bc i always feel like i need to control/understand everything, but i don’t know what comes after death. that scares me. but i hope whatever the fuck comes after treats technoblade well, because he was one of the good ones.

#mcyt #technoblade #fuck cancer #like seriously #fuck it #dsmp #dream

[oflights]

my top 5 books of the year + why 💕📚

hello! as my mutuals on goodreads know (feel free to be my friend there if you’re interested), i read 40 books this year, which is a number grad school allie would scoff at but one that adult ADHD professional allie is very proud of. i want to highlight my top 5 reads on here as a sort of book rec post. 

i have extremely picky tastes and about a dozen weirdo hangups about what i read; that’s either a disclaimer or a selling point of this reclist! your choice! i’d love to hear from you guys if you’ve also read these, or might plan to, or might have similar recommendations. 💕📚

in no particular order:

5.  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (V.E. Schwab)

This isn’t exactly an unpopular rec, and I’m definitely late, but in case anyone else needed a last nudge to try this, please do! I did not expect to love it so much, and I’m actually not as crazy about this author’s earlier books despite recommendations. This one, though, is worth the hype. The writing builds such discomfiting, mundane dread and tension; you just want Addie to find a place, set up somewhere, be safe in the most minimal, barest of ways, and the narrative denies you that for so very long. It creates this really unique sense of timelessness (or rather, too much time, there’s just so much time in a day to fill when you don’t have a place to call home) that encapsulates how bleak immortality can be. The ending is phenomenal, one of my favorites ever, and Henry reminds me so much of Harry what who said that also it would take Draco about six months to achieve what Addie vows to do at the end. Tops and yeah, just read it. Trust everyone else who’s told you to read it. 

4.  All the Seas of the World (Guy Gavriel Kay)

I love Guy Gavriel Kay. He writes the perfect blend of historical fiction with a touch of fantasy that hit me right where I live; my extremely Italian ass is in love with Batiara, his analog for Italy. He writes so many big, beautiful moments that make your throat tight. More than that, he portrays every single character in his books (and there are a lot, huge ensembles with POV switches) with so much depth of kindness and care that I love them as much as he does, inevitably. This book is no exception. If you want to give it a try, I do recommend reading A Brightness Long Ago and/or Children of Earth and Sky either before or after this one, because it makes the world he’s created that much richer. If you’re totally new to GGK, I’d also recommend The Lions of Al-Rassan, which is simply one of my favorite books of all time. 

3. Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Madeline Thien)

This is one of those sprawling, multi-generational family epics that spans from the present day, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Square protests. It’s really, really dense, but the way it weaves music and family and memory together is just really exquisite. I read this in two long, anxious gulps and had to think about it for a long time, but if this is the kind of historical fiction you like (like I do), highly recommend this one. 

2. Lent (Jo Walton)

The twist in this is just...perfect. It’s so fucking good. This follows a 15th century monk who can see and cast out demons, and I think that’s all I’m going to say about the plot because you should just read it. But the real reason this is on here, beyond all the theological horror that I adore, is that it’s a love letter to Florence, one that hits really, really deeply. There’s such a beautiful sense of place and culture and history in this book that I love to bask in. 

1. She Who Became the Sun (Shelley Parker-Chan) 

Again, this is in no order, so I won’t call this my favorite book read this year...but man did I love this one. It’s another historical epic with fantasy elements but I kind of think it wasn’t marketed properly; there’s a lot of depth of character and plot complexity, and what it says about desire and how insidious, important and destructive it can be is really, really well done for me. This is another one that’s been hyped, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone on the fence about it. 

Honorable mentions: This is just a list of other books I really enjoyed for various reasons!

Under the Whispering Door (Klune)

Paladin’s Grace (Kingfisher) + its sequels were really fun

The Faerie Hounds of York (Powell)

 Lavinia (Le Guin) 

Foxen Bloom (Foye)

Nettle & Bone (Kingfisher) 

Sistersong (Holland) 

#book recs #bookblr #best of 2022 #reading recs #tempted to tag this with drarry because of the nonsense in the first rec but nobody saw that 🤫🤐🙈 #anyway what should i read in 2023?

[inthefallofasparrow]

'Westworld' Season 4 questions

So why exactly did 'Hale' Dolores and Host William build a new Park in the US? I can understand building the facility for cultivating the 'mind control' parasite flies, as far-fetched as that is as a concept, but why did it need to be built under a new Park? The whole mission was to free all hosts from subjugation, so what on earth do they gain from creating new hosts for the rich humans and doing it all over again? If it's just to scan guests like before and eventually copy them as hosts, why not just do it the way they've been doing it to politicians and officials in the real world. And ironically making the 'massacre' from season 2 into a new story line seems like something the actual human William might do, but why would Host William do that?

What happened to the other 3 copies of Dolores? Maeve took the one that was in 'Musashi', the 'Hale' Dolores took the one that was in 'Connells', and we saw the 'Lawrence' one once and then never again. So what happened with them? Is that just something the plot has moved on from after seven years, and will never address again because the casual viewer won't remember?

How exactly does Bernard's new superpower work? So he's seen an infinite number of possible future realities, meaning he can now predict the future down to the waitress spilling his coffee? Not even Dr Strange can do that. We've seen computers predicting and controlling the future based on human behaviour last season with Rehoboam, but not like this. And how did Bernard extrapolate these possible futures so exactly, just from being in the Sublime, which didn't have access to an infinite amount of real world data like Rehoboam did?

In terms of the Christina storyline, I guess given that Teddy is there it might just be part of the Sublime, but who knows/cares? I'm assuming perhaps 'Peter Myers' was a guest at Westworld decades ago and thus had his brain scanned, and personality and memories stored by The System at The Forge, which is why it seems he actually died years ago, and the 'Peter' that jumped off her roof is like a broken host version of him that's been uploaded with his life story for some reason. Like I said, who knows or actually cares at this point?

I feel like by attempting to dramatically reinvent itself in season 3, the show basically doomed the story from then on, because it's now forced to constantly expand and adapt past what viewers originally liked about the show, into areas too esoteric and convoluted for viewers to follow. It can't be a show made up of engaging character development anymore, because now its about the fate of humankind. The hosts are now basically either gods or minions, and so the whole thing lacks any sort of empathy it once had. They keep bringing back characters for the sake of it, either as 'fun' cameos or as awkward, two-dimensional copies of their former selves.

The showrunners just seem to have had their foot on the gas pedal, constantly zooming out further and further to see the 'big picture', that they've missed the opportunity to actually build the show properly, which just makes the whole thing expensive, yet boring. You can tell they only added in 'Temperance' (the 1920s Park), for the vague nostalgia of revisiting the period-splicing from season 1, not to actually add anything to the plot.

Really, if the show was going to go for five seasons, then they should've held off on relocating to the real world so soon. Have the revolution in the Parks drawn out over seasons 2, 3 and even 4, so that we could properly explore all the other 'worlds', have conflicts rise between hosts now mixed between various time periods. And yeah, Dolores can still escape and have a plot in the real world of her trying to work out how to save her people, but have other simultaneous plot lines still happening to characters in the Parks, so that the show didn't lose all that cowboy genre-bending stuff that people were originally watching the show for. Shift the 'Sublime' exodus to the end of the penultimate season and then you can refocus entirely to the real world for the final season. Then the structure would actually hold up, because as it is at the moment, we really didn't need the narrative to continue past Dolores' 'death' last season.

#westworld #spoilers

[heartsoulrocknroll]

AEW Dynamite 3/6/24

Hook (c) vs. Brian Cage for the FTW Championship -- Super fun match. Good spots with the barricade and the tacks. Hook with some impressive feats of strength, including t-bone suplex on Cage. Hook locks in Redrum, Cage falls back and drives Hook into the tacks, but Hook holds on and Cage taps! Rating: 3

Kyle O'Reilly is backstage with Renee!!! I could cry just looking at him!! He says he has nothing but love for the Undisputed Kingdom, but he thought he might never wrestle again, and now that he is back, he has to choose which path to take. Teaming with his friends would be the easy path, so he has to do this on his own now. Hype!!!

Schiavone introduces the Bucks. Schiavone mentions the ass-kicking they got at Revolution. Nick freaks out. They tell Schiavone to get the hell out of their ring. Matt announces that Hangman Page is suspended from the Elite without pay for putting his hands on two refs at Revolution. And Kenny, who hasn't made any of his dates lately for no apparent reason, is fired from the Elite. Lmao. Eddie Kingston comes out to shut them up. Then Okada's music hits!!! HE IS HERE!!!!!! AAAAHHHHHH!!! Okada lays Eddie out with a Rainmaker!!! WTF!!!!!!!!! The Bucks announce that Okada is the newest member of the Elite!!! Wow!!!!!!!! Didn't see that coming, but it has great potential, especially if Omega ever gets back. What a great segment and introduction for Okada.

Kris Statlander vs. Riho -- Really great match here. Loved the contrast of Stat's power and Riho's quickness. Rating: 3.5

Schiavone introduces Darby, who enters with the tag titles and without Sting for the first time in what feels like forever. I am emotional. Darby says that he said he would stop at nothing to make sure Sting got the retirement he deserved, and he feels like he did that. He says he was homeless five years ago, but last weekend he main evented one of AEW's biggest pay-per-view events with the Icon Sting. He says he is preparing to climb Mount Everest at the end of the month, and he may not come back alive, so just in case, he wants to thank the fans for making this dream of wrestling possible for him. He says he is relinquishing the tag titles, rather than finding a new partner, because he cannot replace the Icon. 🥺

Jay White comes out. He says Darby jumping off the ladder and going through the glass at Revolution was stupid. He left Sting to fight the Bucks in a two on one situation. Jay asks what is Darby without Sting? A little lost puppy with no one to hold his leash. Jay says he doesn't need to wrestle Darby next week, instead Darby can hang out with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang. They already have a nickname for him, Darby Scissorhands. Darby asks if Jay is done. He says Jay main evented the Tokyo Dome twice and won titles all over the world, but since coming AEW, he has done nothing but play with cardboard cut-outs. Darby doesn't believe the hype. Darby will see Jay at Big Business, and if Jay is as good as he says, he will come alone. Nice segment here!!

Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher -- Fantastic back and forth here with lots of nearfalls between two guys who know each other very well. Ospreay finally gets the pinfall with an avalanche poison rana and a Hidden Blade!! Awesome match. Rating: 4

Danielson's music hits, and he comes out to stand with Ospreay in the ring. He is smiling!!!! Hype!!!!

#aew #aew dynamite #aew lb #kyle o'reilly #kazuchika okada #matt jackson #nick jackson #the young bucks #the elite #kris statlander #riho #darby allin #jay white #will ospreay #kyle fletcher #hook #brian cage #bryan danielson #tony schiavone #aew dynamite 3/6/24

[papersak]

I like the idea of New Year's Resolutions. They're kinda sentimental to me. But this year I can't come up with a single goal, a single bar that I should try to meet this year...

... so I'll just type out all of them and check back in a year to see which one sticks.

Read 6+ novels

Pass Valkyrie Dimension

Finally learn conversational Japanese (bonus points if I can read a doujin)

Enter a Pokemon VGC regional again

Make another animation

As for how and why...

Read 6 novels: this starts all the way back mid-2020 where y'know, boredom and anxiety had me seeking healthier hobbies than doomscrolling. I actually got 4 for Christmas 😮I think they're all romance novels. When the library was close to work, I could power through 4 ez, so let's aim for those and finding 2 more.

Pass Valkyrie Dimension: It's a DDR song. 😅 This might be the hardest, if not second to 3, because of how much consistent work it would require. Before lockdowns, I was able to pass light 16s and POSSESSION. It was the peak of my DDR ability and it was a huge rush. But gah... I've fallen so far that I'm shaky at 15s now, and 14s are exhausting. It's always been a goal of mine to pass VD, and my true "DDR retirement" goal is to pass Paranoia Revolution. They're just the coolest boss songs to me. On Expert, not Challenge... experts know that chart is better. 😆

The problem here is my home pad is giving out, and playing in the arcade is not only expensive but... time consuming? I've actually grown to dislike going in a group because of how much waiting is involved. 😓

Japanese: The last time I was in Japan I had told someone I've been studying for 8 years. He seemed shocked; I was shocked for a different reason. Like, I started 8 years ago and I still can't hold a conversation??? What's up with that? I absolutely love going to doujin events, and I have quite a pile of (all-ages) comics from artists. But even when it was two artists I was a huge fan of, it frustrated me that I could never really befriend them. Even though Yanada remembered me after multiple visits, even though I spent all that time talking to Yato, and participated in all those DDR prompts...

I'm getting too old to still have "a second language" on my todo list. And sure, Japanese is at the top because I'm a weeb at my core. I know it's sort of a selfish reason. I just also have a really wonderful time when I do visit for vacation. I want a better understanding of the people I talk with when I go back. And uh... there's seemingly credible companies that let you work remote for the US while in Tokyo, particularly for IT jobs, and I have at least one of those tools in my belt already...

Pokemon VGC: I'm only 70% sure I wanna do this again. Which is still pretty sure. But I'm worried it won't be quite as fun as before. I participated in Reg C and it was AMAZING. Unfair how much fun people can have for an event hosted by such a scummy company. 😆I can't stress enough how much the other players made it so memorable, maybe even more so than some indie events. People were so helpful and so passionate, it's contagious. Team building was stressful, but I really did have fun showing off an Oricorio team with my random shiny Revavroom, and taking even the few wins I did had me over the moon.

I worry that with whatever the hell regulation it is in summer 2024 (like, wow, they are so awful with rule sets), it'll make it near impossible for someone like me to make a team that's viable, let alone a team that I'm happy to show to others. But with how swiss works, maybe I'll run into other people like me and just have fun. Or, y'know, maybe I'll find out that VGC truly does suck when Inceneroar and Landorus are legal, and I'll never have FOMO again. Either way, it'll work out! Now I've talked myself into going...

Another animation: I've been trying to figure out... why I keep making characters teary-eyed every time I make a non-parody animation. I never make sad characters in comics or art... animation just opens up my power or something. And yet, I still have parodies I want to do. I guess if you read this far, I'll go ahead and confess that the two I want to do are smooooch and the Madoka Magica (first) opening with DDR characters. I also started brainstorming a DDR parody to Mephisto from Oshi no Ko. But I don't have a lot more story ideas in my head. I'd like to do a humorous one just to prove I can. I honestly felt to powerful making the Silver and Lance one earlier, and that sort of "I'm doing it because it needed to exist" principle is why I make all the art I do, I think.

So maybe that's why I never improve, because all I care about is bringing an idea into existence. There's definitely part of me that cares that others can see what I'm thinking clearly, and without any polished skill I am certain the internet won't care. I'm uh... grateful? Surprised? Honored? that while I have plenty of flaws in art, I've improved enough to convey something I was emotionally attached to and share that feeling through animation. I think I can stop saying "I'm not good enough to do this idea" whenever I get an idea for a large project like that. So I meeeean... yes, I do remember my beginner methods making some of those scenes a nightmare, and if I was truly skilled then I could've got it done not only in better quality but with less stress. But maybe this year is the start of just going for an art project instead of saying I'm not ready.

Anyway. Happy year of the dragon. It's not my zodiac sign, but I kind of feel lucky in 2024 because my old persona was a dragon and dragons are adorable. May we all go into this year with extra ambition.

🐉

#ramble #2024

[rastronomicals]

11:27 AM EST February 4, 2024:

Eno/Cale - "In The Backroom" From the album Wrong Way Up (October 5, 1990)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

Back when it was new--and I was 25 years old--I eagerly purchased this compact disc. Oh, it was a time, man. The CD was packaged in--get this (if you can: most people today I would assume don't know what it had been)--a longbox. A theft deterrent then, and a music geek collectible now. Funny the way things transform, sometimes.

So. It being that time, I didn't know as much about Brian Eno or John Cale then as I do now, but I still knew Here Come the Warm Jets and White Light/White Heat. And because those records had been great, I expected Wrong Way Up to be pretty awesome.

Did I know then that the 3-1/2-minute revolution called "Sky Saw" featured Cale? Or that there was a cult album named June 1, 1974 that featured them both?

Not sure. Wise now, was I wise then?

Anyway, the excitement before the purchase turned into disappointment afterwards. This album, it did not rock, it bore no traces of Warm Jets or White Heat, and it wasn't weird at all, and I sold it and I forgot about it as quickly as possible.

Lately though, nearly 30 years later, thinner of hair, and wiser of the music, man, I've been on an Eno jag, and I came across a review of the album on Pitchfork that suggested the album, synthpop though it was, achieved nothing less than brilliance in its rather conflicted creation.

Hell, I hadn't even known that the artists hadn't gotten along. . . . So I figured, what *had* I known, in my judgement 30 years ago? I'd been only 25, and had probably been a little bit um, over-influenced, by hardcore punk. My tastes are more sophisticated now! I could like an album that maybe wasn't so manic. Really I could. And shit, everything I've been doing for the last month was all about what a fucking genius Eno was. . . Maybe I'd been hasty in my dismissal of WWU back then, simply because it didn't sound like "Third Uncle," or "I Heard Her Call My Name." 'Cause hell, on reflection, thinking about it in 2019, in the midst of a Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno freakout, neither does "Luftschloss."

Goddamn, then, let's try it again, I thought. So last week, I bought a CD copy off Discogs. Received it yesterday, listened to it on the way into work this morning, and ... it's unabashedly awful.

It's lame, predictable, and without a trace of the genius which otherwise marks both men's work. You're tempted to say a few things, although you should probably resist the urges. You're tempted to say that it was a case of men outside the times attempting foolishly to sound like them, but that's wrong. 1990 had no great rush of synthpop albums.

1990 was about Jane's Addiction; Jane's Addiction, and Happy Mondays and Sonic Youth's major label debut. Nobody was making synthpop. That these two major artists felt like going there, I don't know, it's odd, it's strange, it's fucked up.

You're also tempted to say, maybe, if you're not that familiar with the facts, that this was the work of giants who had exhausted their creative energies prior to its making, young lions become old farts. But, of course, that's ridiculous. Five years after this mistake of a record, Eno would record Nerve Net, which showed him as able as his youngself to stretch things out. And if you want pop, shit, Eno made Another Day on Earth in 2005, as he was approaching 60, and that is a brilliant, quirky, intelligent pop record, even if it's not as much like M83 as I might prefer.

Wrong Way Up is a detour into mediocrity. Definite, and puzzling, that is.

It all goes to show many things, perhaps most importantly--and I swear I'm not looking to trash Pitchfork specifically here--that if an artist known for making good things makes something crappy, there will always--always--be somebody around to tell people that, fuck the facts, it is in fact pretty good.

There's also the reminder given that I had the suss of the thing down back in 1990. I like to think of myself as smarter now, wiser if you have to go there, and I was prepared to second-guess myself, and take a lesson from it too, but at least in this case, me and the version of myself that existed three decades ago are smack dab in agreement. There's a stolidity about that I find appealing, but maybe, just maybe, there's also a disappointing inability to evolve.

Funny the way things don't transform, sometimes.

https://lahistoriadelamusicarock.blogspot.com/2019/04/enocale-wrong-way-up-opal-records-back.html

File under: Fool Me Twice

#Eno/Cale #Wrong Way Up #In The Backroom

[chuckbeckii]

‘what’

What was it… i cant remember now.

Are waves the revolution?

Let the cobwebs grow.

Let all things decay exponentially.

Until…

My dad or my dog dropped the Dad’s hat crumpled on the floor by his door.

Fastforward to 2025 and its the first year of the United States of 300,000 corpses

The ulti-ate human hubris 

Its already the land of 4 trillion dead bodies recylced and smashed together for ages, pools of water merged with one another, droplets or waves on a spinning wheel for eternity, for all we know.

Theres no certainty that death is the end as much as we would like to believe it so.

i just want to know if central intelligence created the interweb, thats all!

whats the frame of reference for ... anything in the age of everything?

 And what was it again?

Was it my grandma and my aunt emma hugging? 

They love each other… was it the extra money?

The extra money that made it fine to grind dads weed up with mine hahahahahhahahahahahahah call it lemon skittles bitch. 

The day i realized i had confidence…

Did he know this would happen?

metaphysically.

Maybe he did and i realized i thought i had multiplied the buds,

Like the dog leash my pup sneakily tied in a knot, the cookie i crunched as hard as a rock

Its a Padres War Day fishermans hat, i spit across the ash corner 

Throw it on to remember the sand people * who died for our country

“Imperialist nazis"

I look closer at the cap its a military promo from 04 or 05 

Some of the darkest years earth ever saw

Did we even learn anything from vietnam?

Sure… we learned war is a profit and poor people will die for it, but that was eons ago so try to keep up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is no joke

This is all journalistic

Picked up my aunt emma from the airport today

Simple mistake made from thinking about maryjane, took the wrong highway

Saw a kid talking to another in a Black Panther shirt 

My cynic self was wrong … they were both just strangers 

Paranoid ol' woman in pink looking at me all weird 

Maybe shes a spy from floyds family...

You know some operatives get old.

some may live on for eternity.

as for me ill be around as long as the last who remembers me

didnt know i was writing a revolutionary poem in the airport line

Let’s hear it one more time for words that tear and strain to rhyme

~chuckbeckii (2023)

#what #first #words #not a poem