#instruments of hilariously extreme violence

[yellowocaballero]

HEY!! Your trigun swap au is so very good!! I've always loved roleswap aus as a concept, and yours is the perfect example of why. it's all about the balancing act of twisting the (swapped) character's background/mentalities for maximum domino effect while not actually *destroying* the character ya know? you still gotta recognize them, it's half of the fun. just some little nudges here... and there... with the delightful result of a changed plot/world that you can discover anew

Also I surprisingly vibe with Dr Knives. a lot. what can I say I guess it's the fucked up superiority-inferiority/guilt complex with a dash of imposter syndrome. also the transgenderism. he's just like me fr fr (minus the speciesism and bloodlust) 1/3

SPEAKING OF! I'm literally a week late for that but chapter 4 may be my favorite so far. it's got it all: Ww's bloodlust coming through and being given a GUN, M&M being #JustNormalGunsmokeKidsThings about it, Knives being incredibly tired and enthusiastically murderous in turns, TRANS PEOPLE!! Funky morally dubious trans men ! Intersex nonbinary Knives (in humans terms) !! small internal rants about ecosystems!

I particularly like that one bc I too found myself twitching whenever I see (in fics or fandom at large) Gunsmoke being shown as a ~hostile, barren~ planet when, like.... *waves agitedly at the Tomases* *waves frantically at the WORMS, in all their INCREDIBLY DIVERSIFIED sizes and shapes* tell me there isn't an entire ecosystem supporting and including these bad boys. And god do I wanna know about it. Terraforming this terraforming that. Enough. I want bio-worldbuilding fics that are just as weird and unhinged as the rest of trigun (2/3)

To go back to Nicholas : I loved his discussion with Knives about fate and predestination and stuff (esp since -I may be reading too much into it, but it’s interesting that Knives says he doesn’t believe in predestination anymore, and just a bit later goes about how his personality is Like That bc he’s Biologically Programmed for it), and his last words in it are especially ominous. WHAT were you gonna say about Vash. How does it concern Nicholas. This is gonna bite them in the ass later isn’t it.

Also ur last asks/answers REALLY doesn’t reassure me about woowoo’s fate. Is he gonna die. Is he gonna end up going thru the same things than his canon counterpart (concentrate of medical-and-general unethicality). Idk what those flags are for but boy They Are There.

Aallll that to say I absolutely love that fic and can't wait to see what you do next with it, thank you so much !! (3/3)

This is so nice thank you so much :D :D :D To comment in order:

Roleswaps are no fun if you can't recognize the character. You're absolutely right - the funnest part is to make the smallest changes possible, and see how they cause the biggest differences. That's true of every AU, honestly - you guys know those 600k shonen manga aus where something major is different but every story beat is identical to canon? Or they're identical to every other au? They're addictive but without substance. Also sounds boring to write.

It's so funny that you (and others) vibe with Dr. Knives! From my end, he has my own very wry deadpan and self-esteem problems. Characters who have both a ridiculously inflated ego for comedy purposes and some real self-esteem problems for drama purposes work great.

I was surprised that so many people enjoyed the trans thing so much! I didn't expect it to make people so happy. Of course it's a nice surprise. I don't remember why I made the BDN decision (funny, probably) or the 'Knives invented gender reassignment surgery' thing (funny definitely), but a very active decision and something that made Knives above every other character fun to write is that he is not a human being and does not think of himself as such. The way his body experiences emotion is different, his body itself is different in a way that probably includes genitalia, and there's no reason for him to experience gender the same way. As I'm about to talk about in the upcoming chapter, he casually refers to himself as a thing and with it/its and it doesn't affect his superiority complex whatsoever.

I...would not have said that this is trans by myself, if that makes sense, because I wouldn't have wanted to say "in order to really hammer in how this character is INHUMAN then I'm gonna make him not male or female and prefer neopronouns!". It's just the shape of the character, to me. BUT LIKE IF Y'ALL LIKE IT! NO PROBLEM! I was just worried I might be saying the wrong thing, so I didn't want to say it, if that makes sense. Y'all can say it though.

Trigun worldbuilding is nonsensical and hideously vague and as a writer if you stop and think too hard about silly questions like "where does the wood come from" or "why is Vash eating salmon sandwiches" then you go insane. But...yeah, Gunsmoke's like any other ecosystem, and its worms and thomases seem to be doing great! It's not Gunsmoke's fault it is almost completely uninhabitable to humans. It sucks for us, but...does Knives care about that??? Lmfao???

There is a shitton to say about Knives' relationship with predestination and inevitability, because it's why he made the worst decision of his life. I think of it as...reasonable, in a lot of ways. If all you knew about humanity was what you read in history textbooks, and human history ended with the destruction of Earth and themselves, how would you feel? Everything humans have done, they do again. And if they dissected your sister, in an act of cruelty that they had done to even themselves...of course you'd worry. Of course. If you're young and scared and you can hear the screams of the dead in your ears, of course you feel like it's going to be you or them. And if you're.........Millions Knives.......and reverse!Vash.....then eliminating the threat is just good business sense.

And you aren't reading too much into it - Trigun in so many ways is about choices, and the impact of your choices. Your decisions are you own, and you must take responsibility for them. Decisions have weight in Trigun. I think what ppl miss sometimes about Vash is that he also wants to fuckin' murder people sometimes. He wants to be violent, he wants to hurt. He just chooses not to. Sometimes choosing pacifism is a hard fucking choice, and I think wiping that away does a disservice to the character. So if Knives would say, "Well, it's just who I am, I had no choice, I had no control, I just go nuts and murder it's not on me..." - what does that mean, in Trigun? It's??? Like??? A pussy thing to say???

But, the way I thought about it - what Knives is fighting is his internal sense that he is predestined for cruelty. He knows "who he really is" and any attempt at goodness is futile, because he's secretly bad and will always be bad. And he fucks up sometimes and starts exploding worms. But Knives chooses goodness, and I don't think he's really cottoned on that his choice to do good is more important than his internal desires to do bad and his history of badness. Because he hates himself.

I think what Knives knows now as an adult is that our lives have paved a path for us to tread. Sometimes that path is innocent, and sometimes your life paves a very nasty path. But it's our choice if we walk it or not. Knives knows what his path is, and it gives him extreme shame - but he chose which one he walked, and that's what I judge him on. Still funny how much he loves murder though.

#i did tag as trans knives so the ppl who are purposefully seeking out genderweird characters can find it #the chapter im about to post talks about this a lot so stay tuned i suppose #it's also worth noting that Knives views a lot of his instincts as a good thing or at least neutral #he hates that he packbonds but. he secretly doesn't mind THAT much ya know. #and i think for him the fact that he views his knives as being meant not just as #instruments of hilariously extreme violence #but as meant to protect the people important to him #is an important part of his self-image and i dont think its a bad one #i mean its a bad one for canon knives because he's insane but. #my writing #my asks

[wufflesvetinari]

ok FINE, some things about my half-orc cleric tav whom i love so very much

Lash grew up with her trying-his-best dad in Baldur's Gate (mom stayed with her orc clan). she had no lucrative skills and no exceptional cunning--between this and the default perspective of her as barbaric, she internalized a bunch of stuff, joined up somewhere, Saw Some Action, got good at killing people. like, really good. "her services were instrumental in leveling several towns including civilians and she got a commendation for it" good.

this did not feel good, and mid-personal-crisis about murdering strangers on someone else's orders, she deserts and saves one goddamn monk and ilmater calls her to his service. she regards this as a baffling mistake on his part.

illmater is a god of compassion, gentleness, self-sacrifice. his clerics are basically non-combatants, known to only use violence as last resort. goblins etc. see a cleric of illmater on the battlefield and avoid hurting them, because they know they are willing to heal both sides if they can.

lash is not like this. lash starts as a blunt instrument who is only good at violence. but she wants to do good in the world, finally, and if ilmater wants to throw away his famed gentleness to compromise on someone like her, who is she to argue?

she spends her first years training in a temple, but she doesn't have the head for scripture. neither does she have the conviction or creativity for complete non-violence, instead developing a world-weary acceptance of it as a tool to reduce suffering.

she's sent on dangerous pilgrimages repeatedly instead of being assigned to minister to ilmater’s followers, confirming to herself that her calling is a compromise on ilmater’s part: he needs a blunt instrument so that others can carry on the work of being gentle.

what she doesn't realize in this time period is that she is slowly becoming gentle. moreover, becoming wise. clergy and laypersons approach her for advice on a world they are sheltered from. she has a way of speaking that cuts to the heart of things, and she's a comfort in quiet moments. she is rarely misled by self-serving justifications and moralizing. her kind of wisdom is drawn from her knowledge of the world and its flaws instead of from scripture.

she still kills. she's still blunt, and quietly sarcastic, and not entirely at ease with her god. but gods, she wants to be kind.

i think that astarion seriously considered seducing someone else for his plan in act 1 (wyll or something lmao) because, based on a "clerics with wooden stakes" comment he makes at camp at some point, he thought letting a good-aligned cleric guess his nature would be extremely dangerous for him. he especially has a bunch of anger towards the god of compassion, because he "prayed to every god" and nobody saved him.

but it's hard for him to see lash as a cleric? i mean, yes, she has a way of staring at you that makes you squirm and feel Too Known, and she's stupidly self-sacrificing, and she's hilariously incapable of trickery.

but she's funny, in her own reserved way. she's a world-weary soldier, good with a story, disgustingly rustic, a good cook, with the habit of cussing out her own god without getting in trouble for it somehow. and she mostly says the right type of kind thing, not the type of kind thing that make him want to curl up somewhere and grow spikes. and...maybe it's not terrible, feeling like someone Gets your deal instinctively? someone quiet but self-assured, who doesn't push for more?

(and, like, she's hot? she's strong and a little distant. devious plan aside, he finds that hot)

i am only in act one. i think, in her "worst" (but also kind of sexiest) moments, she thinks of herself as a mechanism, and even frames it as such out loud: if someone has committed unspeakable cruelty, she's here to end them for it. action and reaction. no hesitation, no mercy, because her being brutal allows everyone else to be kind. a necessary evil.

but she's in the midst of a years-long process of learning to see herself in a...kinder light. and as their relationship develops i think astarion will prod her a lot about how she makes more complicated ("and fun!") choices than that all the time, you idiot. why else would she be traveling with such a bunch of assholes?? why else would she be good to him?

#CLERICS!!! #i ADORE the potential for cleric-specific dynamics in the Astarion romance (especially a cleric who surprises him personality-wise) #and i have nowhere else to put these thoughts #bg3 #astarion #I know very little about dnd deep lore keep mind. I got my info on ilmater from a wiki #lash the half-orc cleric

[daisychainsandbowties]

bruh what. lilith ac au??

yes so one of the neat things about assassin’s creed is that the lore contains certain magical objects called Pieces of Eden - profoundly ancient tech designed by ‘the ones who came before’, objects of immense power. SO powerful, in fact, that they were instrumental in the formation of the Catholic Church.

it’s hilarious, actually; one piece of Eden was kept underneath the Vatican, locked away where it could not tempt various religious leaders to wield it as a means of literal mind-control. sounds familiar...

the Pieces of Eden are the basis of an ancient war between two groups - the Templars, who want to secure these objects to bring order (derogatory) and civilization (aka control) to the world; and the Order of Assassins (aka the Assassin Brotherhood... or, i suppose Sisterhood), who believe that mankind should be free, and that the pieces of Eden are too powerful to rest in the hands of any human being.

the Templars, as the current state of the world abundantly suggests, are winning.

the pieces of eden also look like this

looks a lot like a little ring of metal we know and loathe?

picture this. the halo is a Piece of Eden. now, there are many different pieces of Eden (most notably there is an Apple, a Staff, a Spear, and a Sword) are one thing: POWERFUL.

they also have different kinds of powers (though, in general, every piece of Eden will follow the halo-like habit of making its bearer extremely powerful and VERY difficult to kill.)

assassin’s creed basically operates on the premise that there is a machine, called an Animus, which allows individuals to relive the genetic memories of their ancestors.

but what if the halo, specifically, allowed the its bearer to relive ANY period of history? and, as with the canon halo, extend that power somewhat to nearby people, allowing them to carry others there with them, folding an entire team seamlessly into other bodies and other lives, making the ‘treasure hunt through time’ that typifies each entry in the assassin’s creed series infinitely more efficient.

picture Lilith, in line to recieve the halo. destined for it, trained for it, genetically predisposed to it. Lilith and Beatrice following a tip-off they received from their inside agent, Dr Jillian Salvius, suggesting that the Templars have moved the halo to their base of operations in Rome.

breaking in, silent and deadly with all the ruthless grace of the Sisterhood of Assassins. quick blades darting in dark corridors, guards dropping before them, moving as one body through the corridors of Abstergo - the mega-corporation serving as the modern cover for the Templars. each door giving way before them at the distant, phantom touch of Camila.

Lilith, raised with the ridiculous skill-set of an Assassin - able to climb anything, kill anyone. an expert in swords and daggers and the archetypal Assassin weapon - the hidden blade. Lilith who has, with the aid of the Animus, relived the lives of her ancestors, dozens and dozens of Assassins - women scattered across time and the world, beautiful and terrible and steeped in blood.

Beatrice trailing second in line to her, eternally limned in her shadow, a quickstep to Lilith’s unmatched aggression. catching bodies as they fall and guarding Lilith’s back, anywhere her gaze is too direct to reach. the pair of them of course of course tangled in more ways that violence. blood on their hands and hands on each other.

Mary, who is AWOL after the Templars captured Shannon, dragging her to their base in London. Mary who, even as the opening scene unfolds, is driving cross country following the cold trail of the halo, and Shannon, towards Rome.

Ava, an orphan, plucked out of her near-death by Abstergo agents in need of a body to use without oversight. her death certificate filed away, an empty coffin put in the ground and Ava shipped from Spain to Rome. Ava whose ancestors are more auspicious than anyone had guessed, a mess of mixed Assassin and Templar lineage, of doomed love stories and crossed stars. Ava, given over to the halo, which has a tendency to burn right through people, sapping them of strength and will and sanity.

Ava who is called Subject 17, folded into the Animus with a magic circle in her back, tingling in her long-silent nerves and the tips of her fingers, not expected to survive long enough for the halo to heal her. Ava who hears whispers, as she is plunged into lives and deaths and disparate times again and again and again, waterboarded through history in a futile attempt to locate more pieces of Eden by throwing darts at a board the size of history. Ava, almost torn apart by the chaos of it, dying in every way a person can die, plunged from body to body, tragedy to tragedy. Ava with her mind held together by a presence. a ghost in the machine called Subject 16 - the previous sacrifice to the halo.

whispers in her head and they have a name. Shannon.

Beatrice and Lilith cutting through the building expecting to find an ancient treasure and unearthing, instead, a girl.

#this is kind of what i've been thinking #i mean damn the ac lore is literally tailor-made to fit as a warrior nun au #and the sexist of all time at that #wn assassin's creed au #might tap out a sample of it soon since i'm playing the games again #casper writes

[ylojgtr]

so everyone knows facebook marketplace is wild, right? when you hear its name you probably think of random ass garbage people are trying to scalp you on, right? im here to tell you, you have no idea how fucking ludicrous this site gets until you search for harmonicas on it

this is a super anti climactic post for anyone not intimately interested in harmonicas, but im only partially being sarcastic. like harmonicas are getting expensive, ok? one of the leading brands, hohner, just knocked their prices up by like 35% on some of their models. so ive been getting most of my harps used (and cleaning them of course), primarily locally so i save on shipping. but people have no fucking clue how to price harmonicas. the amount of marine bands from 30 years ago listed as "vintage" with an $80+ asking price is ludicrous (context for non-harmonica nerds below, but buying new they're usually about $60 in the us, $70 in canada). harmonicas are, like, THE most disposable instrument in history, and the build quality of hohner instruments from like the mid 70s to the 90s are NOTORIOUSLY BAD. no one was taking care of harmonicas back then, they were so cheap and easily replaceable. so don't try and sell me a worse all-around product for more than i can get a new one for with literally less effort.

on the flip side, however, many people also price them very low...which is good for me and, the way i see it, no skin off their back if they just want to get rid of it. like just look up how much a harmonica costs, there are buying and selling guides online!

sometimes these two extremes collide in hilarious ways though, like once i saw 2 hohner koch harmonicas literally side by side, both the same condition judging by descriptions and photos, one selling for $40, the other for $300. WHAT?! maybe i spend too much time staring at harmonicas but that is really funny to me

context (cw lip violence): the marine band is the most popular model of harmonica. there are actually 3 or 4 different types of marine bands in production today, but when someone says just "marine band" its usually a "marine band 1896", which is like the og harmonica. it features a design mostly unchanged since 1896 (which means we have definitely progressed in harmonica technology lol), with a wooden comb (com. being the middle part that the holes are in) that expands when your spit gets in it which then cuts your lips, and assembled with nails (as opposed to screws) which makes it difficult to disassemble and clean/modify

needless to say im not a fan of marine bands but if you replace the comb with a quality 3rd party one and change the nails out for screws, it's a pretty decent instrument you can often get pretty affordablely

#harmonica #super niche rant #but i had to get this out somewhere it's so funny to me #facebook #facebook marketplace

[medusinestories]

Today is Two For One because these two eps pretty much follow onto each other in terms of storylines and themes etc.

Black Sails V and VI (s1 eps 05-06)

- A big plot point in these two episodes is Billy mistrusting and investigating Flint. It starts with Flint approaching Billy and claiming he wants an “honest” conversation with him (note that he’s had time to think about what he’ll say to Billy, coming back to my previous comment about how Flint does better at persuasion when he has time to script things). Flint explains that you can’t ever be entirely truthful to a crew because if you explain any risk of failure they’ll be demoralised. He also talks very briefly about Miranda, portraying her as a “nice Puritan woman” who likes books. When Billy asks if this is really true, Flint just gives him That Wink. Billy spends the episode wavering between trying to support both Flint and protect the crew, clearly conflicted. This feeling intensifies when Logan asks whether Flint will give up trying to get the guns even if the situation becomes extremely dangerous, and Billy can see that Flint is risking the lives of men to get at the guns and knows what he did on the Maria Aleyne. The last straw is the discovery of Miranda’s letter and the realisation that she didn’t prevent Guthrie from betraying them like she was supposed to. Gates dismisses Billy’s doubts and refuses to get into it, mostly in a stategic move, knowing that Flint is the only one who can get them through this battle, and that they all need to obey him in this moment.

- Speaking of battles, this is the first prolonged sea battle we get to see, and the first time that Flint is given a really worthy opponent in the character of Bryson. Bryson is extremely clever and uses both sailing and defense/siege/booby-trap strategies that make taking the Andromache practically impossible to take. Flint shows a lot of resourcefulness in response: he seems to know exactly how much his ship can take and how to handle it (in spite of DeGroot’s warnings, which end up being unfounded for once) and hammers out a good (if dangerous) strategy to board the ship. However, this isn’t enough to outwit Bryson, who’s extremely well prepared for a siege if he gets boarded and has the Scarborough already heading their way. In fact if the slaves in the hold hadn’t helped the pirates, I doubt Flint would have had to leave without the guns. Even when he’s dying, Bryson still attempts to blow his ship up. In fact, his explosive booby trap has a real impact on what happens in the end of episode 6.

- It’s interesting to watch Dufresne in his first battle. He’s clearly meant for us to identify with, as the “nerd” on the ship who’s never seen battle. Following him allows us to see the faces of a lot of crew members, to feel the tension and fear before boarding the other ship, the desperation of the battle, and... okay I’m not sure just anyone would go feral like Dufresne does and rip someone’s throat out. This is definitely a turning point in Dufresne’s character.

- Something new in Billy’s character that he is shown lying to Dufresne to reassure him before the battle, using exactly the technique Flint mentioned earlier. First he tried telling Dufresne that guns only go off half the time - not at all reassuring. Then he tells Dufresne that sailors on their crew never die in their first battle. Only after the battle, does Dufresne realise that what Billy told him isn’t true - and tells Billy that he appreciates the lie. Does this change Billy’s point of view on lying? Is lying all right, for a good cause?

- In the meantime, Eleanor is saddled with Silver. I absolutely love this plot line and wish these two had worked together some more, because they’re hilarious. Silver knows that Eleanor’s angry with him and finally gets to find out that it’s because he involved Max in his scheme, but he flatly refuses taking any responsibility for that, saying it was Max’s choice (which it was). Later, when the angry pirates are turning into a mob, Silver is clearly getting anxious and Eleanor pretending not to be, he says: "if you're pretending to remain unconcerned for my peace of mind, please don't", a line mirrored in S2, where Flint openly admits to Silver that he’s “appearing unconcerned” as a strategy (and thus establishing the Flint/Eleanor parallel). Finally, Silver confronts Eleanor about the danger of not appeasing the mob by letting Vane operate out of Nassau again; she asks him to convince her why she should - and he actually does. It takes two hours, but he actually gets through to her. In this conversation, he utters the classic line “guilt is natural; it also goes away, if you let it”. Clearly he’s had to make some nasty choices for his survival, and likely he has quite a personal experience of mobs, too.

- Richard Guthrie continues to be one of the biggest assholes of the show. In these two episodes he 1) betrayed Mr Scott by telling Bryson to kidnap him and sell him as a slave, 2) announcing that he’s liquidating his holdings in Nassau without warning Eleanor and saddling her with the angry mob, 3) shamelessly revealing to Eleanor how he betrayed her and why, disregarding the fact that she’s made Nassau what it is over the last few years, 4) is worming his way into Mr Underhill’s good books and got himself a cosy and very safe place to live while all hell breaks loose in Nassau.

- Speaking of Mr Scott, he ends up amongst the slaves in Bryson’s ship and appears somewhat disdainful towards them, mostly because he doesn’t want to knows the realities of what would happen to them if they joined the pirates (some would still be sold as slaves). Eme believes that they should still seize their chance for freedom, but Mr Scott won’t help the pirates get these weapons, which “are dangerous to someone I love". This of course is understood as being Eleanor, but it also easily be interpreted as the Maroon Queen/Madi in light of S3. In fact, it makes much more sense that he is resisting the Urca plan to protect them/his community than because he’s worried that Eleanor will be killed. Eme counters that he’ll never see this person again, which still isn’t quite enough to break his resolve. Finally, once Mr Scott has changed his mind and helped free the slaves and ended up helping Flint, he has a conversation with him. Flint decides not to tell the crew of Mr Scott's betrayal, because he’d rather prove Mr Scott wrong re: making Nassau into more than it currently is.

- Anne’s inability to bear the violence done to Max comes to a head in these episodes. First she dismisses Mrs Mapleton who’s not being all too gentle while “tending” to Max, and the brief talk between Max and Anne seems to reinforce Anne’s resolve to stop Hamund (looked him up) (but did they really need to bond while Anne pushes a phallic instrument into Max’s cervix after lubing it up? there’s clear sexual innuendo in the way it’s filmed and it’s pretty inappropriate). It’s only when Rackham sees Anne defending the entrance to Max’s tent and can’t believe that Anne would put herself in danger over “a fucking whore”, that it finally dawns on him that Anne is horrified with this situation (something he could have guessed considering the circumstances in which he met Anne). Once Max is freed and thanks Anne, Anne tells her that she didn’t do it for Max. Which is probably not completely true, but again what we know of Anne’s past also means that she didn’t want to see any woman treated that way.

- The theme of men siding together and not listening to women comes up several times in these two episodes. Guthrie says that he persuaded Mr Scott to betray Eleanor because “we talked like men and he saw reason”. The “like men” suggests that men support each other’s decisions, especially to resist a woman’s folly. The Consortium refuses to listen to Eleanor unless a respected captain, in this case Hornigold, also backs it. But of course Hornigold won’t back it unless Eleanor allows Vane to become a captain again; he considers how Vane’s men are treating the “thieving whore” to be of absolutely no relevance. Rackham opposes Anne’s attempt at stopping Hamund from visiting Max to protect her from Hamund, who he fears would harm Anne. And finally, Pastor Lambrick doesn’t believe Miranda when she tells him that doesn’t need to fear Flint’s anger.

- An answer to this is unlikely collaboration between women people in ep 6, aka, Eleanor  and Anne who deeply despises her. Both of them share a sense of responsibility for what happened to Max, and believe that they’ll only feel better when Max is free and Hamund is dead. John “guilt will go away if you let it” Silver is roped into the plot, when Eleanor, reminds him that he’s a “loose end” to Flint, who will likely want to get rid of him, and promises to tell Flint not to kill Silver after he’s served his purpose if Silver helps them. Which he does, begrudgingly, and at the risk of getting murdered by Hamund at any moment. This puts Eleanor and Anne’s plan to kill Vane’s remaining crew into place, and ruffles Rackham’s feathers: he’s forced to help kill even the men who aren’t disgusting rapists like Hamund. He asks "do I not deserve  say", to which Anne answers "you had your say, now I have mine". GOOD FOR HER.

- When the dust settles, we get a really interesting moment where Silver accurately analyses Eleanor, pointing out that she can’t stand to be wrong, feel weak or let anyone get away with fucking with her - which makes her in his opinion possibly more dangerous than Flint. Does this mean that Silver still thinks he had a genuine chance of winning Flint over and surviving him even without Eleanor’s help? (he’d be right, considering how his relationship with Flint evolves later on the show; perhaps the difference between Flint and Eleanor is that because she’s a woman, she can’t *afford* to show any weakness at all)

- Lambrick has his big moment in episode 6 when he rides chivalrously to Miranda in the middle of the night, hoping to save her from Flint’s retribution. Instead of really reassuring him, Miranda chooses to talk about Thomas instead. This is where we hear the most about Thomas in S1, and the way Miranda speaks about him is clearly loving and admiring. She compares Thomas to Lambrick, saying that he was also a sort of shepherd (the comparison stops here imo). Then she imagines how Thomas would have played devil’s advocate, left all of Lambrick’s beliefs in tatters, all for his own good, to free him from the yoke of shame. I can’t help but think, from her teasing tone and the way she smiles, that she believes that Thomas would have somehow debauched Lambrick. The fact that she decides to have sex with him moments later certainly supports that idea. The ghost of Thomas looms on this scene, and it could be that she briefly imagines being with him, which could explain her smile and the way she holds him afterwards. But Miranda had another reason for sleeping with him: it was a very good way to make him stop asking questions about Flint.

- And in the meantime, Flint knows that Billy has been asking questions about Miranda and overheard him talking angrily with Gates about the letter. It just so happens that Billy has to go cut off a piece of the Andromache’s sail that’s slowing the Walrus down, which puts him in a secluded and dangerous spot. The conversation between Flint and Billy is very brief: Flint asks about the letter Billy found, and Billy answers “I think you know what was in it”. Actually, no, Flint has NO CLUE what was in it. Whatever else passes between them is a mystery, and the next thing we know is Flint announcing that Billy went overboard. We see him hovering behind Gates, watching him intently, until Gates decides that they can’t turn back for Billy. The camera pans a lot on Flint’s face, and his expression is quite unreadable. At first I wasn’t convinced that he’d pushed Billy, but on this watch I’m not so sure, because of the way Flint’s face is filmed. There’s also a sort of clue where we see Flint throw Billy’s sword into the sea during the burial at sea ritual. Of course as Captain he was meant to do that... but the gesture is suggestive of him throwing Billy himself. It’s certainly true that Billy had become a thorn in his side for two reasons: 1) he was one of the rare crew members who could influence Gates and get him on his side; 2) he was much too interested in who Mrs Barlow was and what her motivations were - if Billy had alerted the crew of what she’d done, Miranda may have been in danger (a mob quickly turns against a witch who works against the crew).

- To finish on Flint and Miranda: season 1 has painted them as a unit, an inseparable pair, working as a team (in supernatural ways, sometimes). And to some extent they are. Even at this time where they are truly at odds, where Miranda has tried to take control of Flint’s fate behind his back, they are still protecting each other. Flint doesn’t reveal anything about Miranda and possibly attempts to kill Billy to protect her, while Miranda seduces Pastor Lambrick as a way to distract him from his questions about Flint. She can’t convince him to believe her, but she herself is clearly convinced that Flint is a good, decent person (as she tells the Boston judge in her letter) and she trusts that he knows that she only tried to stop him get the Urca because she wanted to save him - something he will come to accept by the end of S2 (unfortunately for them).

#black sails #flint #silver #eleanor #max #maxanor #maxanne #anne #miranda #flintmiranda #gates #billy #billy & gates #dufresne #rackham #rackhanne #hornigold #richard guthrie #mr scott #mr scott & eleanor #long post cw #black sails rewatch #meta

[dustedmagazine]

Lingua Ignota — Sinner Get Ready (Sargent House)

Photo by Lisa Birds

SINNER GET READY by LINGUA IGNOTA

There’s a truism you hear about Pennsylvania that some people find hilariously pithy: “Philadelphia on one end, Pittsburgh on the other and Kentucky in the middle.” Like many truisms, it has circulated far and wide because its cleverness communicates a small measure of accuracy, as a side-effect of its desire to score cheap points. But it sure as hell isn’t funny. Spend some time in rural Pennsylvania — you’ll see. The intensities of fiery religious fervor and of old-growth-forest darkness run deep in those hills and valleys. Combine them with the struggle and immiseration created by the American economy’s shift away from manufactory production and coal mining, and the ongoing punishments sustained by the independent family farm, and the energies you feel, if you tune into them, are potent and thick, often infernal. Kristen Hayter, who records and performs as Lingua Ignota, spent some serious time in the Pennsylvania countryside during the pandemic. She tuned in. The consequences of her experiences are in part represented on her new record, Sinner Get Ready. It is intense, infernal and spiritually alive, in ways that are both ecstatic and frightening. It’s terrific.

Much of Hayter’s work over the past several years has been perceived and categorized as metal, or at least metal-adjacent. Early support from label Profound Lore and from the Body (with whom Hayter has collaborated, on that band’s records and side projects) has underscored the perception, and her previous LP Caligula (2019), which featured sounds from the Body’s Lee Buford, Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker and Uniform’s Mike Berdan, seemed to solidify her relation to the genre. It’s also the case that her music’s themes share metal’s prevailing interests in violence, extremity and religions’ conceptions of evil. Thematically Sinner Get Ready continues and sharpens her explorations of that dangerous terrain, and comes close to literalizing it. “Perpetual Flame of Centralia” references the Pennsylvania mining town, now almost entirely abandoned due to the coal-seam fire that has been blazing beneath it since 1962 (if not for considerably longer). Hayter sings, “I am covered in the blood of Jesus… / I rest my head in a holy kingdom / Mine is the venom of the snake of Eden.” Seemingly a straightforward deployment of Christian symbols, it’s complex stuff: “mine” has at least two potential semantic and syntactic functions. In a material sense, the coal mine, its products and their climatological effects have wreaked havoc on human habitations, both local (Centralia, which as of 2017 had only five remaining citizens) and global. Venomous, indeed. 

At the record’s close, Hayter refers to another, smaller and less notorious Pennsylvania town. “The Solitary Brethren of Ephrata” locates the listener in Lancaster County’s Amish country, and it also gestures back to “Perpetual Flame of Centralia.” A CNN soundclip captures people in argument, likely over COVID-period considerations: a man asks, “Aren’t you concerned you could infect other people, if you get sick inside?” A woman responds, “No, I’m covered in Jesus’s blood.” When the man protests further, she asserts that she’s “in Walmart” and “Home Depot” every day, but she’s not afraid of the virus because she’s “covered in his blood.” The other people she encounters? She seems less concerned for their welfare. And a sinner like me? She’d probably be quite content to consign me to illness and death. Throughout Sinner Get Ready, Hayter inhabits the cruel, harshly judgmental ethos of Christian fundamentalism. On “Repent Now Confess Now,” she sings in a chorus of multitracked voices, “No pleasure in this year / No wound as sharp as the will of God… / O he will knock the breath from you / He will ram your eyes with glass.” It’s fierce, harrowing.

Of course, inhabiting and performing that ethos is different from endorsing or celebrating it. Hayter has a long, intimate relationship with Christianity, but she doesn’t proselytize. As she situates her lyrics in Pennsylvania, she similarly situates her lyric speakers and her songs in that place and its volatile ideological and cultural environments. Musically the environment is registered in the instrumentation and the compositions, which gesture toward folk traditions, gospel and chorale. The industrial and metallic dissonance of Caligula has been supplanted by the wooden feel of fiddles and pews, of ploughs and churchyards and forest. But it’s still a Lingua Ignota record, and those resources often create feral, livid noises, complementing the power of Hayter’s resonant voice. Even at its most spare, Sinner Get Ready feels mighty. On “Many Hands,” she plucks and bows what sounds like a cello, layering the drones and zings, and sings, “Upon your pale, pale body I will put many hands / And rough, rough fingers for every hole you have.” 

In much contemporary Christian rhetoric, being filled with transcendent glory is represented by the term “joy.” In the couplet from “Many Hands,” Hayter figures the feeling of being filled (all those “fingers” and all those “holes”) with metaphors that conjure a related and more densely complicated idea: jouissance. That is a state ultimately beyond language, so we can only gesture toward it. Elevation and subjection, unifying and shattering, searingly pleasurable and obliterating — jouissance is those things and more, and all at the same time. The Pennsylvania she sings about is similarly complex, simultaneously post-industrial and verdant, desolate and vibrant. Hayter’s voice admirably performs that complexity on Sinner Get Ready; it’s a beautiful instrument that will fill you with terrible woe, and then terrible wonder. 

Jonathan Shaw

#lingua ignota #sinner get ready #sargent house #jonathan shaw #albumreview #dusted magazine #kristen hayter #metal #extreme music #christianity #pennsylvania

[purplesurveys]

1149

A

What is your age? 22, but there’s less than a month to go before I turn 23.

What annoys you? Literally every single person who still supports the government at this point. For context, we are back to square one and we’re under the exact same quarantine imposed in March 2020 because of the surge in cases. Nothing has changed and nothing has been done in the last 365 days while people are getting hungrier and poorer. I’m done feeling hopeful for this country and I cannot wait to abandon it forever.

Do you have any allergies? Apparently, grass. Can’t be exposed to it for too long otherwise the skin on my thighs turn red and occasionally even get rashes.

B

Do you know anyone named Billy? Kind of, but they’re girls with their name spelled as Billie.

When is your birthday? April 21st and spending it in quarantine once again this year...

Who is your best friend(s)? Angela and Andi.

C

What's your favorite candy? I like gummy bears and worms. As for sweets, I really like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger, Twix, and the Hershey’s Cookies and Creme bar.

When was the last time you cried? Maybe a day or two ago while watching a snippet from Caught in Providence.

Have you been out of the country? Yes.

D

Do you daydream? Not so much these days. I’ve been better at keeping my focus at work.

What's your favorite kind of dog? I love alllllll dogs, but I’d usually be wary of smaller dogs because 87% of the times I’ve met some, they’re aggressive or a bit moody. I don’t like stereotyping dogs as much as possible but because I’ve had direct experiences to back it up anyway, *shrug*

What day of the week is it? It’s a Sunday.

E

How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, poached, or an omelette with lots of fillings. Balut is also great.

Have you ever been in the emergency room? Only when I was born, I’m guessing.

What's the easiest thing ever to do? Idk, what comes easy to me might not be the same for others. But my answer would be to smile, regardless if it were genuine or otherwise.

F

Have you ever flown in a plane? Yeah, many times. The child-like excitement I get whenever I get on one will probably never go away, either.

Do you use fly swatters? No, my mom usually uses old shoebox covers or rolled-up scratch papers we have lying around to swat them.

Have you ever used a foghorn?: Only in video games lol, never in real life.

G

Have you pet a goat? I don’t think I have. I’ve pet lots of animals before but I don’t think a goat has been one of them yet.

Are you a giver or a taker? Giver, but I’ve been allowing myself to take more these days.

Do you like gummy candies? Love them.

H

How are you? We’ve entered summer weather now, so I feel hot and miserable. It’s also Sunday and I am stuck at home, which doesn’t make me the happiest camper.

What's your height? 5′1″ or a tiny tiny tiny bit taller than that.

What color is your hair? It’s black but on extremely rare occasions I’ll catch a single light brown strand when I play with my hair.

I

What's your favorite ice cream? Cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie dough. My friend Leigh actually started her own ice cream shop recently and I bought her coffee crumble ice cream, and it is sooooooooo fuckinggggggggg good??????? It’s so rare to find coffee ice cream where I live period, so I’m fucking stoked to have a close friend who makes literally the best one and in generous servings too.

Have you ever ice skated? Many times as a kid. I was never formally trained, but it was something I wanted to try from watching other kids play in mall ice skating rinks; and when I did give it a shot, I ended up enjoying it. Luckily my mom was encouraging and actually frequently dropped me off at a rink so I can practice gliding and all for a few hours while she ran errands.

Have you cheated the IRS? That’s like an American tax thingy, right? We don’t have that here and my employer handles my TIN.

J

What's your favorite jelly bean? Not a big fan but if I had to have Jelly Belly, I obviously would want to get the pleasant-tasting ones.

Do you tell jokes? Yes.

Do you wear nice jewelry? Only on special occasions.

K

Do you want to kill anybody? I don’t want to kill anybody but I certainly wish a good number of public officials would finally die.

Do you want to have kids? Yes. I really wish I could still have a future with them. Thanks for the trauma, my real asshole of an ex.

Where did you have kindergarten? Somewhere.

L

Are you laidback? I doubt my friends would use this to describe me. I for sure lean more towards the uptight side of the spectrum.

Do you lie? Eh, occasionally.

When is the last time you sent a hand-written letter? I have no idea. Christmas 2019 maybe?

M

Ever talked in a microphone? Sure. Many times.

Do you still watch Disney Movies? I very rarely get in the mood for them if I’m by myself, but yes, I’d gladly sit down and watch should an opportunity come.

Do you like mangoes? No.

N

Do you have a nickname? 99% of people call me Robyn while my family calls me Byn, but there are a select few friends who’ve stayed long enough with me to catch other names I’ve gotten over the years, which have since become inside jokes/nicknames. There’s Reben and Rolayn, and literally just yesterday ‘Roby’ happened when I ordered food for lunch so that will probably catch on as well.

What’s your favorite number? 4.

Do you prefer night over day? Absolutely.

O

Are you an only child? No, I’m two siblings away from that status.

Do you wish this was over? I haven’t felt that way, no.

What is the closet orange object near you? An orange tumbler my Kuya gave me as a Christmas gift in 2019. There is also orange tape wrapped around the charger adaptor of my company laptop.

P

What one fear are you most paranoid about? Waking up in the middle of surgery and being unable to speak nor move.

Do you play any instruments? Nope.

Do you think you are pretty? Some days.

Q

Are you quick to judge people? No, unless they are already blatantly showing their character like being rude towards service staff, tossing their trash to the ground, or cutting in queues. Whenever those things happen I give myself the space and freedom to guiltlessly judge.

What do you keep quiet about? How dysfunctional my family really is, and the things I really want to say about Gabie.

Do you have any quirks? Food-wise, I like peeling off the breading from fried chicken and placing them on the side of my plate so I can eat them last, because they’re my favorite part.

R

What’s a good reason to cry? Frustration. Crying can be really helpful in lessening stress.

Do you think you're always right? No.

Do you watch reality TV? Not religiously, but I love watching snippets of reality shows on Facebook because they’re all so embarrassing and it’s hilarious to watch hahahahah. Literally last night I was watching clips of Big Ed on 90 Day Fiance.

S

Are you a social person? More so now than I was years ago.

What states have you lived in? I lived in Manila briefly but it didn’t take long till we transferred to another city for a more peaceful life in the suburbs.

What is your favorite season? I wanna say winter because of what I’ve seen from it in movies and shows, but I’ve never actually experienced it before.

T

When did you last sleep in a tent? Sometime in March or April last year.

Do you like tomatoes? Mostly in diced form. Tomato sauce is fine but I don’t really like it in my pasta. Bloody Mary also tastes rather awful.

What time did you wake up? 8:30 AM.

U

Do you have an umbrella in your car? I think so, yeah. I finally placed one in there lmao.

Do listen to Usher? Eh, not really. 2000s R&B isn’t my thing, save for Beyoncé.

Describe the underwear your wearing? It’s light blue.

V

What’s the worst veggie? I never learned to like pechay. I’d still eat it, but only because I like cleaning up my entire plate.

Do you like movies with violence? Some. Like I hate action movies but I enjoyed A Clockwork Orange and Scream lol.

Where do you want to go on vacation? I recently bookmarked an Airbnb in Zambales and the accommodation is basically this super cute line of tipi-styled huts by the beach. I'd love to have a solo trip push through once this Covid mess subsides.

W

Ever been on a wave runner? No.

Where do you work? I work in a PR company.

Do you wish on stars? Just sometimes.

X

Have you ever had an x-ray? Only for mandatory medical exams.

Do you own a xylophone? I think I had a toy one as a kid, but it’s not with me anymore.

Have you watched the x-games? No, not interested.

Y

What did you do yesterday? I stayed at home; ordered food for Angela as a surprise; debated if I should buy a pair of Air Maxes – and ultimately decided I’ve already spent too much this month to deserve a new pair of shows lol; and just settled to buy a new night lamp for my bedroom. I also watched the newest episode of 2 Days 1 Night and ate more of Leigh’s ice cream while doing work.

Do you like the color yellow? Only in mustard yellow. I also like the song Yellow, heh.

What year were you born?: 1998.

Z

Do you believe in the zodiac? No.

Has your bank account been at zero? No. I remember when I was first opening my own account at the bank and the clerk told me to make sure I don’t go below P2,000, and my intensely by-the-book ass has been following the rule ever since, even though my dad has told me it’s absolutely fine to go below it so long as I have P2,000 back in the account after a month hahaha.

Ever been to the zoo? A few.

#survey #surveys

[kinetic-elaboration]

January 27: 2x04 Mirror Mirror

Had some technical difficulties but finally managed to watch Mirror Mirror. (Now I’m very tired.)

I see these aliens are more intense pacifists than Spock.

When Kirk says “But we won’t [force you], consider that,” right over his shoulder and into camera, it looks like he’s posing for a commercial.

Ah ha, the Classic Transporter Accident. (Aka how that became a classic trope lol.)

I love that they zero in on Spock’s beard first thing, like that’s the weirdest part of this universe.

Oh no, the agonizer!

So my big question is: do all the ISS Captains wear that gold vest or is it a Kirk thing? I just find it very funny that the men in the mirrorverse wear about the same amount of clothing as in the regular universe, and the ladies wear a lot less...and then there’s Kirk, conspicuously showing off his arms. Vests are NOT regulation!

When does he get a chance to record his log? And wouldn’t it be... recorded in the mirrorverse?

Kirk’s salute is hilarious. Uh, yeah, salute and wave, I guess??

He’s really focused on Spock. “Another ship. Another Spock.”

Kirk’s patented reassuring upper arm grab.

Uhura on the bridge! You can’t tell she’s nervous because she’s brave and strong.

This episode, and to a lesser extent The Naked Time, are why I think Sulu has a thing for her. I know it’s a different universe, but I still think it’s true.

Kirk’s salute is getting better. More confident.

He just doesn’t know how to be evil. He’s too good, too pure.

Hmmm, Security Chief Sulu? He really does have a lot of interests.

I wonder what Vulcan is like in this universe. They are still clearly post-Reform. But more ruthless. Scarier. Probably meat eaters.

Damn little Chekov. Just waiting for his chance to mutiny.

Security Chief, like the Gestapo. Did not know that was what the reference was supposed to be.

Hmm, male computer voice. This MUST be an evil universe.

“I’m a doctor, not an engineer.”

Evil Kirk strikes again! Honestly, this scene of the ISS crew on the regular Enterprise might be my favorite in the whole ep. Yet again obsessed with Spock’s facial hair. And Spock is obviously just loving it. “I find it extremely interesting.”

I think Kirk and Spock BOTH know what would buy Spock.

“I should regret your death.” I mean that’s basically a love confession. I love how they depict the K and S relationship in the mirrorverse. The subtle ways in which they’re still a team.

Spock would absolutely have killed Chekov for trying to kill Kirk.

I find evil!Spock the most convincing of all of this universe. I think he simultaneously feels true to the original character, and is also obviously of this universe, and that’s a pretty impressive feat.

“Terror must be maintained or the Empire is doomed.” Print that on a t-shirt.

“Conquest is easy. Control is not.” A lot of the mirror verse is over the top cartoony villainy but this is a very good point, and this scene in general is super interesting and subtle.

Kirk is so tunred on by that conversation with Spock. Like even in these circumstances, he still looks at Spock like he’s in love.

Hmmm, I like Marlena.

Of course evil!Kirk has an on-ship girlfriend, which good!Kirk would never do.

Evil!Spock is still very loyal, so much for all that “I would be a formidable enemy” stuff lol. “You’ll never find another man like him.” Too true.

Of course there’s some plundered alien tech plot device. I actually think that’s an interesting twist in a way... of course the ISS wouldn’t care about stealing, and so some...interesting artifacts might find their way onto starships.

Spock is upset he wasn’t included in this landing party meeting.

Hmmm, Sulu already wants to be Captain.

WHAT? SPOCK HAS OPERATIVES? VULCAN OPERATIVES? WHO ARE THEY? I MUST KNOW MORE. (Is one of them T’Pring?)

Marlena’s Starfleet uniform was hotter than this...paisley nightgown thing.

She’s so dramatic. Kirk is busy one time and she’s like well! I guess we’re over! Transfer me to another ship!

Another Captain Kirk arm grab moment.

I love how literally no one was surprised by that Uhura and Sulu moment on the bridge. “I’ve changed my mind again whoops.”

I can’t believe getting kicked once and then knocked on the head would almost kill Spock lol--seems like probably he might just have a concussion?--but I do like the concept of McCoy risking being left behind to help him. (And Kirk signing off on it because duh.) McCoy is just so good hearted.

Captain Sulu strikes again. Everyone has their own agenda lol. So many obstacles when everyone’s just out for himself.

Haha well that solved that. Zap zap zap and they’re gone.

As suspected, Spock recovered pretty fast. And he goes straight for the mind meld, obviously. That does seem pretty evil of him.

And another obstacle lol. I like that Kirk says Marlena can’t come with them because they can only bring 4 people because of the Calculations, even though... like surely he should already be able to guess there’s another Marlena in his universe and she can’t exactly replace a person who already exists? That would be bad.

Damn Uhura, saving the day again and looking damn fine doing it.

“I must have my Captain back.” Not even subtle about it. He MUST.

The Empire is illogical because it cannot endure.

Is Kirk literally asking this Spock to overthrow his other self and become Captain?

Also...is Marlena going to attach herself to the new Captain?? What does she think of all this?

This is probably one of the best end-of-episode bridge banter scenes in the series. “If I read my Spocks correctly.” Spock is a bit of a pirate. (I think Sarek would agree.) Spock loving the evil humans. Being jealous of Marlena. Kirk probably wondering how Mirror!Kirk and his Spock got along.

I think this is a really great episode, obviously, and I liked all of the intrigue. I thought the double, triple, quadruple crossing was really well plotted. Marlena is one of the better Love Interests and I thought she was really compelling. I LOVED Mirror Spock, and the general characterization of and subtleties to both Spocks. Mirror Sulu was interesting (what does he say about real Sulu I wonder?) and of course we got great Uhura moments and a good Bones moment too. I thought Kirk was interesting in this ep also, not quite confronting his evil side like in The Enemy Within, but...well I do think that was a part of him, the inferred characterization of mirror!Kirk, ambitious, single-minded--”inflexible, disciplined once you’ve made up your mind”--isn’t so outrageous or hard to understand.

I think the weakness of the ep is in the Mirror verse itself. It’s always struck me as a bit too cartoon-villain-y, painted in too broad strokes. Everyone wants to use violence to gain power. If deaths are so common, how has anyone survived this long lol? They allude to this sometimes--Spock not wanting command because it makes him a target, Kirk telling Spock the Empire is wasteful and ultimately unsustainable and thus illogical--but that just invites scrutiny under which the premise doesn’t hold. Imo, an organization like the Empire could never have lasted as long as or become as powerful as the Federation. As Kirk says, control is harder than conquest. I’m not even sure that all of the planets of the Federation could have come together in an Empire, and any allegiance would be very unstable. In other words, I don’t think “the Federation but make it evil” is even a sustainable premise.

Also, while people surely do crave power for the sake of power, I... tend to need a little more in my villainous characterization. Like, when I see that kind of villain, I always think of Price in Mr. Robot: “Every room I’m in, I ask myself ‘am I the most powerful person here?’ and I don’t stop until the answer is always yes.” That really is the core of him--and yet he’s still a subtle villain. That’s kind of the standard for me, I think. To put it another way, maybe the core of all villainy is just lust for power (and/or money) and maybe the best way to get power is brute strength, but the manifestations of evil are usually more subtle: some people who just want power, some people who have more narrow goals and can’t see the whole, many people who have been manipulated, and then just human ills like laziness, ineptitude, selfishness, short-sightedness. Only the most blunt of those traits and instruments really made it into the Mirror verse.

I would have liked to see the mirrorverse be more like... the mob.

...But it is only a 50 minute episode lmao.

Anyway, I find it very interesting that mirror!Spock has Vulcan operatives. His personal security guard is Vulcan, and taking these facts together, I think it’s safe to say that there are more Vulcan officers and enlisted on the ISS Enterprise than USS Enterprise. I’m not sure what to do with that but I find it very interesting. Is he more powerful on Vulcan? Is he more attuned to his Vulcan side? Are Vulcans more impressed with or deferential to him?

Anyway I am exhausted rn and I still have two more days this week so... off to bed. Next week’s ep is The Classic, The Apple.

#the year 2021 #2021: fandom thoughts #2021: star trek #star trek tos

[dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt]

I’ve been thinking about Dante a lot recently so here’s some random Dante things (under the cut because it’s p long. don’t worry, they’re all SFW!!)

He has a nice singing voice. It’s one of those voices that is perfect in its imperfections, mostly only heard at night between friends, without any instruments to accompany it. He has sung both his boyfriends to sleep on numerous occasions (though Vrox will never admit it.)

He doesn’t mind drinking, but he’s very careful about how much. He only ever gets tipsy.

He has a routine and he gets edgy if it’s disrupted, even if he tries to hide how it affects him.

His hair is curly and soft when he lets it grow out (part of the reason he keeps it cropped is because it genuinely does make him look less intimidating and that’s bad in his line of work.)

He is very practical.

He can hellgate (it’s very hard for humanborn demons to learn), but it takes a lot out of him. In general he doesn’t enjoy hellgating.

He had a Hmong dog as a child, named Hoàng. They did everything together.

Sometimes when Vrox is trapped in his hound form and Dante has a spare moment, Dante will go down to his cage and sit with him and read to him. Since Vrox can’t tell the difference like that anyway, he mostly reads Vietnamese stories to him. Jesse is still better at calming Vrox down (and hound-Vrox only associates Dante with Dante yeeting him bodily into a cage) but it does help a little, and it makes Dante feel better about the whole thing.

One of his closest friends is a hound called Amelia. She was close with Dante’s late partner Fain, and the two mourned together and grew very close. He trusts her enough to help him run the pack, since it’s impossible for him to do everything by himself (even tho he hates that he can’t.)

He’s extremely fluent in English but he misses Vietnam and his mother tongue so much occasionally he’ll hellgate back to his home country on his days off, just to be surrounded by it all again.

His skin is a dark olive tone.

He is a great listener and a reassuring presence. He also gives surprisingly good advice.

He typically sleeps on his back.

He’s a bit of a boomer when it comes to memes but he does his best and supports whatever crazy shit Jesse texts to him on the regular.

On top of his usual work load, he also teaches self defence classes on earth.

His biggest scar is the one across his left shoulder. He got it on one of his first days as the pack’s enforcer, he didn’t get an out of control hound into a cage fast enough and it mauled the shit out of his shoulder/collarbone/chest. It’s healed and faded now but it’s still noticeable.

Have I ever mentioned that his ears stick out a bit and it’s adorable???? yes??? what do you mean I’ve said it 500 times???

His favourite colours are green and pink, but his signature colour is dark grey.

When anything bad or stressful happens he stays very firm, calm and in control, but everybody how knows him knows to check on him afterwards, because he will not take a moment to think of himself otherwise. A lot of the time he doesn’t properly process what happened and that leads to trouble down the line.

In general he always puts others before himself.

He has thought about having kids before, but he knows it’s unrealistic, given how dangerous his life is and the fact that demons are infertile. He considers the pack his family instead.

He was 28 years old when he died, but he always looked mature for his age.

He’s 5′10. Vrox will not let him forget that he’s a few inches shorter than him, even if he’s still tall.

He cHUGS HIS RESPECTING WOMEN JUICE

He is very protective but knows his boundaries and is always happy to play a role of simple support to somebody instead of barging in and trying to fix their problems. He just always lets people know he’s there if they need him and to never hesitate to ask for help.

He knows every member of the pack by name, also every member’s history, temperament, struggles and growth.

He tries to be very mentally stable and kind but underneath that person he wants to be is a man who loves violence and doesn’t know how to live without it.

He only stopped participating in each and every war that rolled around because he was almost killed, June dragged him out of danger and had to risk their own life to save him, and gave their first real command as his superior to knock it the fuck off. So he threw himself into his work instead.

Despite being earthborn, he is extremely proficient with his hound form, able to change to it and back in under a second, which makes him devastating in combat. He is also far more in control of that side of himself than others, since he’s had a lot of practice keeping his more vicious side contained.

He has severe PTSD but over the decades he’s gotten very good at hiding it, and the signs of it are far more subtle than most people would know to look for. He does go to therapy on and off when things get particularly bad, more to stop himself from hurting or damaging his relationships with his loved ones than for his own health and safety.

He always tries to get both sides of a story and is a pretty good mediator, until he decides one side if definitely in the wrong.

Like other hellhounds/most demons, his eyes glow in the dark. It can be very unsettling.

His voice is deep, quiet, and even, and can be very expressive. When he gives a command, people don’t tend to ask questions, he has a kind of innate total confidant authority that he has absolutely earned. 

((He’s kinda thicc like a bowl of oatmeal))

One time he literally threw somebody who wouldn’t stop misgendering Jesse out a window. Unfortunately it was on the first storey so the dude lived.

((Seriously he could throw you across a football field it’s gREAT))

He has violently and quickly murdered a few people. Just a few. A light smattering. A handful. A thimble’s worth of murder.

Yeah okay, he should probably be in prison at this point.

He has 4 of the exact same outfit and he rarely wears anything else. Just black tank tops for summer, a few grey shirts in the winter, and cargo pants. That’s it. Well, the pack did buy him a pink shirt for his birthday and he wears that a lot too.

He has a bomber jacket but he rarely gets to wear it because his boyfriends and Amelia shamelessly steal it all the time.

June also steals his shirts (half because it’s an act of dominance, half because his scent is comforting to them because they associate him with safety but they would rather die than admit that)

His real, full name is Giang Văn Diệu, Dante was a joking nickname given to him by Fain when he first came to Hell that just stuck.

People try to get him to react differently by calling him by his real name but he never reacts the way they expect him to and that has disappointed a lot of hounds over the years.

He sees through bullshit pretty well.

He can be absolutely hilarious when he tries to be.

On another one of his birthdays the pack collectively got him this mug:

and it’s his favourite material possession in the world.

He hates formal suits, so of course June crams him into one gleefully at every given opportunity.

He plays the guitar but he’s self-taught with only a few lessons from Fain, so he does everything wrong, but all in all it sounds okay.

He would die for any member of his pack without hesitation.

He’s an early bird and he doesn’t really know how to sleep in, but he still enjoys it when he can, even if it feels weird. (Yes he lowkey judges and doesn’t understand both his night owl boyfriends.)

He has almost died more times than he can count.

He is colourblind (I haven’t figured out which type yet tho) and he will laugh very, very drily at any dog jokes you throw at him for that.

He will never turn away a person in need (unless that person doesn’t deserve any help.)

He is surprisingly good at video games.

Yes he has carefully moved any new hellhounds that fell asleep from exhaustion into more comfortable positions and covered them over with blankets and gave them a gentle pat on their hair/shoulders.

He just likes taking care of people (in both ways those words entail lmao)

#I.................... love him #I could keep going for hours ughhhhhh #Dante #my OCs #:')

[manticxre]

💌 POKEMON: MY PARTNER

Add a gif of what your muse’s partner Pokemon would be and add their description below. Repost, don’t reblog.

(I love Pokemon so screw it, all my muses get it) 

Daeyoung: 

Gengar! 

Gengar has the ability to hide perfectly in the shadow of any object, granting it exceptional stealth. However, Gengar's body acts as a heat sink. Its presence cools the temperature of the surrounding area by nearly 10°F (5°C), because it absorbs the warmth. Gengar is very mischievous, and at times, malicious. It enjoys playing practical jokes and casting curses, such as pretending to be one's shadow, then behaving erratically. When the quarry notices, the Gengar takes delight in its victim's terror. However, Gengar has been known to be loyal to a Trainer who treats it well. Being the result of an evolution via trading, Gengar is rarely found in the wild, though they can be found in caves and dark places where shadows form. It is especially fond of urban areas such as cities and back alleys, but only during the night.

Found his Gengar as a Gastly and named him Mister Purple because baby Daeyoung was very original. Even in his regular verse, Daeyoung adores Gengar, has almost all the Gengar merchandise available and even transforms into one with his magic. 

Proxy: 

Silvally!

Once it finds a partner it trusts, Type: Null destroys its own control mask to become Silvally. It reverts to its natural, wild temperament, but it is nonetheless loyal to its Trainer, and will even risk its own life in its partner's defense. The destruction of its mask re-activates its RKS System, allowing it to change its type according to the memory attached to it; its eyes, spikes, drives, and fin membrane all change color to match its current type.

As an amalgamation of “science” himself, Proxy definitely got assigned a Type:Null with his involvement in Manticore Industries. A manticore and his pet chimera also seems very on the nose.

Minho: 

Gumshoos! 

Gumshoos hunts by patiently waiting along its prey's known travel routes and pouncing when the unsuspecting prey comes along. Due to its tenacious personality and ability to withstand intense hunger, it is able to wait for its prey for long periods without eating. Its favorite prey are Rattata and Raticate, but since Gumshoos is diurnal, it rarely encounters them. Once the sun sets, this Pokémon's stamina is depleted and it will fall asleep where it stands. It is not originally from Alola, and was brought over to take care of Rattata outbreaks.

A weasel touting a weasel is hilarious. It was the easiest and weakest thing on a starter route to tack onto a forgotten younger child who would then develop a crippling fear of sharp fangs amongst other things...rip 

Dongyoon: 

Azumarill! 

Azumarill has highly developed hearing that allows it to hear distances, even when it is underwater. By keeping still and listening closely, it can identity prey even in wild, fast-moving rivers. If Azumarill spots a drowning Pokémon, it will make a balloon out of air that helps them breathe. It lives in rivers and lakes, and can live in the water all day long.

He can literally turn into this in his regular verse... Needing to help everyone is also a huge trait of his ;w; 

Deuleol: 

Liepard!

Liepard has well-developed muscles that allows it to run silently and strike opponents from behind. It has also been known to vanish and reappear without warning. It is known to be rather moody and vicious. 

Not only is it a big cat, something Deuleol would immediately fall in love with, they’re also sneaky little creatures that can be vicious at the drop of a hat? Big love for somewhat evil ex-talk show hosts. 

Inwoo: 

Tapu Bulu! 

This guardian of Ula'ula Island is able to command vegetation to grow and change shape to its will. Despite its fearsome power, it is largely inactive, leading some to consider it a lazy Pokémon. It has a peaceful disposition and does not like to cause unnecessary violence, so it rings the bell on its tail to alert others of its presence. However, it is merciless to those who offend it and it is said to have once repelled thieves from its ruins by swinging trees like clubs. The ruined Tapu Village stands as another example of the guardian's wrath.

Canonically the avatar of this Pokemon, and “merciless to those who offend it” is so on the nose. Became inexplicably linked to this guardian’s fate due to it seeking out his mother first. 

Kwanwoo: 

Toxtricity!

Amped Form Toxtricity are known to be short-tempered and extremely confident. This form aggressively attacks anything that makes eye contact with it. It slowly absorbs stagnant water for the toxin it contains. It then breaks down the poison in order for Amped Form Toxtricity to generate electricity. By clawing at its protrusion located on its chest, both forms of Toxtricity can generate electricity. The sound it makes resembles that of an electric string instrument; a standard guitar for Amped Form, and a bass guitar for Low Key Form.

Aggressively smug and confident lizards that are also hugely poisonous? It’s too on the nose for me not to choose this for Kwanwoo :P 

Tagged by: nobody, stolen from @petallines​ Tagging: @thosewhowearmasks​ (because relevant), @ofpearlsxgods​, @shimmerseas​

#awake | facts #stray glitch | facts #the weasel | facts #empathetic rodent | facts #the liar | facts #the watchman | facts #the hunter | facts

[jayne-hecate-writer]

Super Hamlet 64, a theatre piece

If I am honest, I was uncertain about attending this show this evening for two very good reasons. 

Firstly, I was lucky enough to see a fabulous Royal Shakespeare Company Production of Hamlet a few years ago and secondly, I absolute adore the Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. I did not want those fond memories damaged by a short and silly play. However, my fears quickly proved unfounded and this play actually increased my enjoyment of Shakespeare’s longest play.

Super Hamlet 64 is a retelling of the tale of the Dane, through the medium of computer game analogies, similes and songs, performed by the artist Edward Day. The first introduction of Edward the performer was when they entered the stage, looking vaguely uncomfortable, if a little shy and then engaged with the front row of the audience in Clevedon’s wonderful Theatre Shop with the graceful poise of a seasoned performer. Edward’s performance has a sincere fragility to it, a soft humour and then almost from nowhere came sudden barbed threats of extreme violence! All of which was entirely enjoyable and it made us feel a kinship with the artist, who stood, spiritually exposed and barefoot on the dark stage.

Slipping into the world of Edwood was remarkably comfortable, even for a jaded old has-been gamer like me. In truth, the last game I played was a Linux clone of Lemmings, called Pingus and before that it was the zombie holocaust horror game,  Resident Evil, back when it was released at the end of the nineties for the original Playstation. However, even as out of date as I was, I was still able to identify many of the games used in this evenings narrative.

Edwood’s performance is an earnest  mixed bag of emotions, starting from the innocent vulnerability of their first steps on the stage, then slipping into the role of the wistful minstrel playing the ukulele, before suddenly dropping into the raging monster seeking vengeance for the death of their father. Each aspect of the character was entirely believable and richly played, even on such a sparse stage.

The stage is a character in itself, what at first appears to be a simply lit empty space, before rapidly turning into another world with a projector showing rapidly evolving graphics, interspersed with pre-recorded music videos. It is here that Edward shows themselves to be an accomplished multi instrumentalist, playing almost all of the instruments seen in the footage. For some people this might have been a little unusual, because Edward also played many of the characters in the band, even those who appeared strongly male or strongly female. This is not a throwback to the androgyny of the seventies that was made popular by the likes of David Bowie, but rather a strong statement of a modern gender fluid dynamic and Edward played each role with conviction. It is for this reason that I am not using the usual male or female pronouns, so you can imagine my disappointment when the lighting director/stage manager who spoke to the audience during the intermission and was unable to refer to Edward as anything other than in a male role. Maybe my own gender variance made this more of an issue for me, but to my mind it did seem a little disrespectful.

The play sticks fairly strictly to the story of Hamlet, with King Hamlet depicted as Super Mario and Claudius the dead King’s brother as Luigi, Mario’s Brother. This simple change was wonderfully played and again raised a laugh from the audience. Later in the story, my two favourite characters (when given life in Stoppard’s play), Rosencrantz & Guildenstern came split as four equally compelling computer game characters, which to my mind was inspired. This was quickly followed by a complicated and clever use of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (ASHPD) from the game Portal, which dispatched them with great, if rather painful  velocity! Even though this is a joke that I have seen used else where a few times now, such as on the TV show Rick and Morty, I was very impressed to see it used so effectively live on stage, even with such hilarious violence!

One aspect I really did enjoy was Edward taking Ophelia, more usually depicted as the tragic weeping maiden and turning her into a super heroine, wielding the BFG from Doom (For those of you who do not know this reference, the BFG is a big err… gun.) to slay the Mecha form of Luigi, who had set out to kill everyone in the whole world!

This retelling of Hamlet using the simple if shorter terminology used in computer games is an engaging way of breaking into a more profound and complex world. For the purist Shakespeare fan, I suspect that this was an intolerable bastardisation of a beloved script. But for the more open minded theatre goer, or the casually interested and well read gamer, this was outstanding and would likely see them take the first steps of a long journey into the Shakespearean world. Be warned though the original play is a dark and often depressing tragedy and lacks the jokes, the songs and most of all the BFG of this production!

I was not alone in enjoying the evening, everyone else around me also seemed to really enjoy the show too and those lucky enough to interact with Edward were given the chance to perform a few tiny if short lived roles too. This play which before seeing appears frivolous or even a little silly, is at heart still a complex piece of theatre, it retains much of the darkness of the original and it is propelled beautifully by the fragile and powerfully athletic Edward. The truth is that Edward is a complicated and intriguing performer and I would love to see more of their work. With only one night of Super Hamlet 64 left, I do believe that they are worthy of seeing again in the other shows that they are touring with. The next show, Too Pretty to Punch, looks to be a powerful piece of social commentary and I truly hope that it comes to the Theatre shop in Clevedon.

One small tip to those who visit the theatre shop, take a cushion with you. The seats are uncomfortably hard after the first half of a performance and it takes a really good show to block out the pain for the second half!

#shakespeare #hamlet #Edwood Day #Theatre shop #Clevedon #LGBT

[noctevigent]

Prompt 001. Foundations

"Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."  — Terry Pratchett

tw: death, murder

GENERAL FACTS

Full Name : Fenrir Ingmar Greyback

Nickname(s) : None.

Pronouns : He, him, his

Height : 6′0″

Left or Right Handed : Left handed

Place of birth : London, England

Occupation : Unemployed

Hogwarts House : Slytherin

Affiliation : Death Eater Ally

Patronus : Unable to cast one. If he was, it would be a Eurasian Brown Bear (much to his surprise)

Pet(s) : None.

APPEARANCE

Long hair or short hair? : Long. Fenrir’s not had a haircut in the last five years.

Hair color, and is it natural or dyed? : Natural dark brown.

Eye color : A cold blue

Plain clothes or colorful clothes : Plain clothes.

Tattoos? : He has plenty, they litter his chest and back, trail up and down his arms, even a few more visibly on his neck. He got them all at different times, the first was GREYBACK across his shoulders. There’s an eye on the right side of his neck, a full moon in the hollow of his throat. There’s various runes down his left arm. On his right ribs, there’s a larger tattoo “revealing” about four of his ribs, the bones scarred and chipped. There’s a pinup on his right arm of a mermaid (correctly tattooed of course, he did see the mermaids in Hogwart’s lake). A rope wraps around his right forearm and there’s the face of a wolf biting through an arrow on his left forearm. There’s a matchbook on his left side. Under his name on his back, there are three skulls, one with vines over where the eyes would be, one with vines over the mouth, and one covering where the ears would be.

Are their ears pierced? : Yes. Fenrir has his left ear pierced four times (three on the lobe, once along the top), the right is pierced three times on the lobe.

Any other piercings? : His left nipple is pierced.

Jewelry that they wear regularly : Barbell in the nipple piercing, studs on his lobes, but on his left ear, he has a chain from the top of his ear to the lowest lobe piercing.

What sort of clothes do they wear in public : Hiking boots, bootcut jeans, windbreaker, and a t-shirt. Occasionally no t-shirt and just the windbreaker, or just a vest.

What sort of clothes do they wear at home : The same that he wears in public.

Favorite outfit : His birthday suit.

Do they paint their nails? : Not anymore. He did go through a phase where he painted them black.

Do they need glasses? : No.

FAMILY

Parents : Sylvia Greyback (mother), Svante Rasmussen (father)

Siblings : None

Children : None that he knows of.

Are they close to their family? : Not at all. He never met his father and he killed his mother.

Which family member are they closest to? : By default, his mother. She was the only blood family member he knew.

Rank their immediate family from favorite to least favorite : They’re all least favorites.

HAVE YOU EVERS

Driven a car? : Yes. Illegally. When he was 12. He drives rarely now.

Seen a movie? : Yes. Again illegally. He’s snuck into several.

Been to a concert? : No.

Met someone famous? : No.

Stolen something? : Yes. Often.

Broken the law? : At least once a day. Sometimes more than four times a day.

Killed someone? : Yes, multiple people. He’s not a great guy.

Been in a relationship? : Yes.

Cheated on someone? : Yes.

Fallen in love? : No.

Had sex? : Yes.

Failed an exam? : Yes.

Been to a funeral? : No.

RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS

Relationship status : It’s complicated.

People they admire : Alastor Moody. The Dark Lord. 

Someone they’ll talk to about anything : Agnes Parkin, mostly. He’s still an extremely secretive man.

Someone they couldn’t live without : Fenrir tells himself he could live without everyone. He’s likely one of the few people who means it.

Do they want to get married? : No.

Do they want kids? : No.

Someone they wish things had turned out differently with : Katherine Allard.

Someone that makes them laugh : Penrose does a decent job. Agnes too. Tilden Toots is surprisingly funny.

MAGICAL AND MUGGLE

Can they fly a broom? : Yes.

Can they cast a patronus? : No.

Have they ever used a telephone? : Yes.

Preferred method of communication : Howling in the woods.

Favorite spell : Sea Urchin Jinx. He finds it hilarious.

Magic they wish they were better at : Protective and hiding magic. It’s not his strong suit and instead has someone else cast it over the cabin.

HABITS AND PREFERENCES

Smoking? : Yes.

Drinking? : Always.

Exercise regularly? : More frequently than not.

Messy or organized? : He doesn’t have enough stuff to be messy, but he doesn’t care about cleaning up, so he can still get there.

Do they use bookmarks? : That would assume he reads. He doesn’t.

Cooking or takeaway? : Takeaway.

Night out or night in? : Night out in the middle of the woods, preferably on the full moon, but he’ll take any night.

Relationships or flings or neither? : Flings.

Do they have any collections of things? : A collection of werewolves. His pack is certainly a curated bunch.

FAVORITES

Favorite subject in school : Care of Magic Creatures

Favorite magical candy : Chocolate Frogs

Favorite band : He’s not really into music.

Favorite book : Also not really into reading but Beedle the Bards’ tales were pretty good he supposed.

Favorite food : Steak.

Favorite animal : Wolves, but that’s fairly obvious isn’t it.

LITTLE SECRETS

Biggest regret : Not turning himself sooner. He should have forced the werewolf’s hand the first summer he met them.

Someone they fear : No one right now. He’s full of himself. If there’s anyone who can take him down or cause him pain, then they will make it onto this list, but so far he’s the only one causing pain and fear.

Someone they could kill : There’s plenty, but to just start off the list: Lyall Lupin. Walden Macnair, Antonin Dolohov, and Damocles Belby.

Someone they miss : Friends he had in school, before they dropped him. Fenrir would never admit it.

Someone they resent : Same list as someone he could kill. Fenrir has strong feelings or none at all.

Is there a secret they want to share with someone? Who and what? : No. He lives his life right on his sleeve. If there’s something he wants people to know, then they know right away.

Something they’re embarrassed about liking : He thinks it’s pretty embarrassing to like living with the pack. He’s always a loner, so he wouldn’t admit that he enjoys all their company.

What did they want to be when they were younger? : He wanted to be strong. There was a small period of time that he wanted to be a cowboy.

Secret they consider to be their “big secret” : Again, that he likes living with the pack.

Amortentia :  Fresh cut bark and wood, summer rain on warm soil, wildflowers.

ALL ABOUT YOU

Character’s favorite feature : His everything. He’s surprisingly vain. Fenrir really likes his face, but also his abs.

Character’s least favorite feature : His teeth. Fenrir likes his werewolf teeth better.

One thing they’re really good at : Revenge and violence.

One thing they’re really bad at : Remaining calm.

One thing they wish they were good at : Keeping the pack together like Agnes is. He’s not as good or as personable.

Do they collect chocolate frog cards? : No.

Can they play an instrument? : Nope.

Best subject in school : Care of Magical Creatures

Worst subject in school : Potions

Can they cook? : Not particularly well.

Nervous ticks? : If Fenrir is really nervous, his body tenses up. His jaw goes tight, and his eyes narrow. He looks for places to escape. For him it’s either fight or flight, and typically the answer is fight. Fenrir will fight his way out of nerves.

Allergies? : None.

Most valuable possession : The cabin.

What animal would they turn into if they were an animagi? : A wolverine.

O.W.L. scores / subjects : Charms: P, Defense Against the Dark Arts: E, Potions: A, Care of Magical Creatures: O, Herbology: D, Transfiguration: A, History of Magic: D, 

N.E.W.T. scores / subjects : Fenrir left Hogwarts after his sixth year and so he didn’t end up taking any N.E.W.T.S.

Can they speak any foreign languages? : None.

Can they wiggle their ears? : He’s never tried, but if he cared to, he’d be able to move them just a bit.

#;; fenrir #;; foundations #tw: death mention #tw: violence mention #;; edit #veritas: promps #veritas: foundations #;; prompt

[misspandalily]

incredibly late and extremely close

Tagged by the gorgeous @asiantwinkies! Many apologies for being late :) @tabine give this a go?

name/nickname: anne - nicknames vary depending on the person’s creativity (the go-to is anchovy, strangely)

star sign: taurus

height: I think 160cm?

hogwarts house: hufflepuff (+horned serpent)

favourite animal: um, dragon.

hours of sleep: typically, 6 hours

dogs or cats: dogs 

number of blankets: one? are there meant to be more? none?

dream trip: definitely a world tour of all of the harry potter lands, filming locations, and also the lotr filming + tourist locations

dream job: currently studying to be a dentist, so dentist if uni goes well

time: 2am

birthday: may <3

favourite bands: queen, among many many others

favourite solo artists: beyonceeeeeeee - queen of the world, my lord and saviour, empress of the universe, executor of my will, and lana del rey because she is fabulous <3 

song stuck in my head: sound of silence, because of the HISHE ‘Sound of Violence’ batman video (highly recommend)

last movie i watched: JUSTICE LEEEEEAGGGGUEEEE

last show i watched: Currently making my way through ‘Don’t Trust the B-- in Apartment 23′ for the third time now - the title is confronting but the show is so hilarious

when did i create my blog: around 2016ish

what do i post/reblog: whatever i find amusing or important on my dashboard - so, naruto, harry potter, humour, (as of 2016) some politics, and others

last thing i googled: how to deport someone (don’t ask)

other blogs: purely for organisation: @misspandalily-works

do i get asks: i get a lot of spam, that’s for sure

why i chose my url: it’s my (very old) pen name from FFN

following: JK Rowling’s inspirational words

followers: are blessed

lucky number: 3

favorite instrument: the cello

what am i wearing: shorts and a t-shirt

favorite foods: instant noodles - SO cheap

nationality: vietnamese-australian

favorite song: i really adore ‘Tomorrow Never Came’ by Lana Del Rey (feat Sean Ono Lennon) - the vocals are superb

last book i read: Rivers of London

top three fictional universes that i want to join: Harry Potter (if it wasn’t obvious), Lord of the Rings (because I love that Hobbit lifestyle) and Marvel (specifically, as a mutant)

#tagged #asiantwinkies #post about myself

[gigsoupmusic]

One Headlight High premiere new single ‘Catch Onto Us’ with Halloween themed video on GIGsoup

American Pop-Punk band ‘One Headlight High’ are releasing their new single ‘Catch Onto Us’ worldwide today (Friday 25th October) here on GIGsoup. One Headlight High have toured extensively throughout the US supporting the likes of Jefferson Starship,  The Charlie Daniels Band and Smile Empty Soul along with playing at the Kansas City stop of global shoe brand  Vans Warped Tour in 2015.   Known for their driving energetic guitar riffs and consciously thought out lyrics, ‘Catch Onto Us’’ is no exception.  The video, released just in time for Halloween is a black and white comedy-horror set in an old farmhouse. The video quickly takes a turn for the worst, as lead singer Kiefer wages murder on his fellow bandmates via a number of ketchup coated killing scenes. With subtle references to classic horror movies like The Shining, along with comedic interludes, the video showcases the band's animated personalities and builds on the band’s infectious sense of mischief and fun. We caught up with the American Pop-Punk band to talk about their premiere and Halloween themed video for ‘Catch Onto Us’. The Midwest band have released a trippy video full of dark humor and slapstick. One thing’s for sure. this band rock out and do it well. Check out their brand new video and interview! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRawPTPEDYY Hi guys welcome to GIGsoup, How have you been?  Thank you, GIGsoup! We've been well. Very busy practicing, writing and trying to get this music video and single hyped up and out there.  Can you talk to us about your latest single ‘Catch Onto Us’   Catch Onto Us is kind of the perfect example of how our sound and style has progressed over the years with these new songs. If you listen to our old stuff, nothing really quite sounds like it. It's all us for sure but it's evolved over the years.  What inspired you to write the song?  Generally, with our writing process, it all starts out with a guitar riff or drum beat. This one Danny played the intro riff and we took it from there to transform it into what it is today. That's how most of our material gets made and is more or less our process. One guy will come to practice with an idea and we will all mess around with it and put our own touch and personalities to it until we come up with something we like and are proud of.  The video is great fun, and extremely tongue and cheek, what was it like filming it?  It was an absolute blast filming the video for Catch Onto Us. We were able to use Ethan's childhood home, which may as well have been Duston's too, where we used to make so many other films when we were little ones. But bringing in AJ Cruz to direct/film and Zach Bailey to film added a whole new level of excitement to everything. We have to give a ton of credit to them. He was able to take this ridiculous idea and put it into a story. Not only did he do that, he was also able to keep us on task throughout the filming process. I think we were all having too much fun squirting each other with fake blood and coming up with dumb ideas on the spot than actually accomplishing anything. During filming we actually joked around and decided we don't even want to write music anymore, just make videos. We'd 100% do it again, and maybe we already have plans to...? I’ve noticed that the video references from classic horror films, can you run us through them for any we might have missed?  The original idea started just as a 1920s murder mystery type video. The shower scene from Psycho was kind of how we wanted all of the violence to come across. And AJs ideas for the cut scenes work out hilariously great.  I’ve got to ask, how many bottles of ketchup were sacrificed in the making of the video?  There were zero bottles of ketchup sacrificed in the making of this film. No animals were harmed, no diseases spread, all government agencies are happy. We really probably only used maybe a gallon of fake blood. The only thing that may have been sacrificed was, Bri's, our makeup artist, the entire day. But did you see how good we look? A million thanks to Bri Wallace!  What are your main influences as a band and how have they impacted your writing style?  I think our main influence in the band is just having a release from the "real world" so to speak. We all have jobs or are going to school and that's all fine but when the five of us get together and start playing music none of that other stuff really matters. We get to let go of that and do something that clears our heads and makes us happy. We live in a small community and it's kind of amazing that we're all from this rural area and found each other and have common thoughts and goals and the drive to do something and get better. As far as how it's impacted our writing style we love to bring high energy instrumentation, it's just what we do. We all grew up listening to rock music, pop/punk, emo, metal and I think it shows in our writing. I wanna say that most of our lyrics at least for these last 5 songs we just recorded are about growth and self-realization, about living in the moment, using every opportunity as a learning situation, but also not taking yourself too seriously.  Does the new single mean we can expect more new material - how's that coming along?  Absolutely you can expect more new material! When we went into the studio to record 'Catch Onto Us' we also recorded 4 other songs that we plan to release. We're not sure exactly when yet but I'd say in the near future be looking out for maybe another single and did I mention maybe another music video? Maybe? We are also always writing new material. We got back from recording these 5 songs and immediately wrote another one we wish we would've been able to record during the same session. But there's always time. So yes, more to come and hopefully much more.  ( what is the release date and title?  The release date for the rest is currently under investigation ;) Are you guys planning on hitting the road in the near future?  We don't currently have any plans to tour at the moment. We have a few shows setup around the Midwest. We plan on booking more shows to support the release of this single and the tracks to follow.  What’s next for One Headlight High?  We're hoping to get this single and music video out and start playing more shows in Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City and surrounding areas. Our short term hopes are to open for bigger national touring acts that are coming through the Midwest. Our longer-term goals are to be involved in some festival circuits and hopefully if all goes well, we could maybe squeeze in a tour or two.  Thank you so much for your time and for having us around for an interview! 

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#CatchOntoUs #OneHeadlightHigh #US

[renquise]

So @blotthis​ tagged me in the jams meme!! Yessss, ty, I always love having an excuse to shove songs in people’s faces and babble incoherently about them. \o/

1. Super Power -- Shinhwa

SO, this is at once ridiculous and great. First of all, there’s whistling, which is my always weakness. And then the chorus is full of these sustained, dramatic disco-style strings, and then. Then the after-chorus hits. It has whistling, punchy hey!’s, and most crucially, hilarious hissing that sounds like it comes straight from Drop It Like It’s Hot. It should be obnoxious, but instead it’s kind of charming and a little hilarious and very, very catchy.

2. No Matter What -- BoA ft. Beenzino

Renquise, you say, aren’t you sick of the tropical house genre because it’s absolutely everywhere these days? Me, jamming this into my ears: sorry i can’t hear you over the bouncy joyfulness of this.

3. Memory -- Brave Girls

Okay, Rollin’ is also GREAT. But I think this is my favourite off their latest album. I love the way this feels like it’s made to sing along to in the car with a group of people, with enthusiastic gesturing and water bottles used as mikes. Like, listen to that ”I don’t think you’re ready for this shit!” line and tell me that it wasn’t made to be shouted by a bunch of people trying their best to groove while confined by seatbelts.

4. X -- Code Kunst ft. Lee Hi

So, this whole song is absolutely great, but I especially love that first part, with Lee Hi leaning and dragging into the creaky edges of her voice, and the delicately spare pulse of the instrumental. Flower petals falling into a pond and sending ripples across the surface. I got nothin. Absolutely lovely.

5. Eraser -- Taeyeon

Man, I could have chosen about all of Taeyeon’s album, or just written another few reams about how much I love I Got Love. But okay: this hits all of my weaknesses, namely: Handclaps! Weird echoing bloops! Horns! Taeyeon! I love it all. It’s like, Taeyeon channeling the joyful, vengeful stompiness of These Boots Are Made For Walking, and it’s great.

6. Plz don’t be sad -- Highlight

I’m such a sucker for pop songs that manage to capture this kind of melancholy, hopeful cheerfulness. I can’t tell what it is that manages to keep this line of melancholy through the song--maybe the simple guitar that anchors the rest of the bouncy, helplessly delightful drive of the rest of the song? Either way, it totally manages to capture this sincere feeling of “hey, I know things aren’t great for you right now, but I hope that they’ll get better,” and I’m totally charmed by it.

7. Panique -- Juniore

Oh man, I was sold from the first two seconds of this song, which is basically a 60s surfer rock riff sped up to breakneck overdrive, combined with the singer’s languid Francoise Hardy voice. It’s a cheesy horror B-movie where all the monsters are in go-go boots and have a certain French nonchalance, and it’s a little unsettling but also extremely rockin.

8. Cut Me Down - Moji and the Midnight Sons

I’m usually not interested in songs that are trying to revive classic 70s rock, honestly. But apparently, give me a frontwoman with an incredible, powerful voice, and a song with a determined, ominous thump and grind, and classic 70s rock becomes completely arresting.

9. La Malinche -- Feu! Chatterton

So, this chorus is the most danceable thing I have heard in ages, and I absolutely love the singer’s voice, which hits all of my weaknesses for Jacques-Brel-style Franco-Belgian dramatics. But the lyrics are interesting, too--at first, it’s a pretty standard song about someone yearning for a woman, albeit a hyper-articulate one. But there’s an interesting turn in the last verse, where the song seems to take a critical twist on the genre of songs written by men yearning for “exotic” women by focusing on the woman’s understandable distrust of foreign men and calling on the way that women have particularly been subject to the violence of colonization. But also: SO danceable?? That intro alone, with those descending toms and the grind of the synth! Dang. Also, I’m linking a live version, because holy shit, the breakdown is absolutely banging.

10. Virtute at Rest -- John K. Sampson

Okay, I feel like this one needs some context. So, this is the third and last installment in a series of songs spread over three albums from 2003 to now, all from the point of view of a cat whose owner is struggling with depression. The first one is Plea From a Cat Named Virtute, followed by Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure, and now this one. So, this might be coloured by the fact that Plea From a Cat Named Virtute was so, so important to me in late high school, but. There I am, innocently listening to this new album, and this song comes on, and: “so let us rest here / like we used to / in a line of late afternoon sun / let it rest / all you can't change / let it rest and be done.” okay fuck u John K. Sampson and your beautifully vulnerable hopeful lyrics i’m crying and crying and having emotions about cats.

+1 Candy -- Meng Jia

This is like, ten different songs cheekily mashed into one, and I kind of love it. Apparently LE collaborated on the production of this song, which yessss, get that $$$, LE. 

Tagging, if you so desire, with no pressure whatsoever: @blindmouse, @oyveyzmir, @fluffsik, @hexachordon, @popliar, @wonsik-chic ?? Tell me about what you’ve been listening to so that I can jam it into my ears with the utmost enthusiasm! \o/

#music #jams talk

[to-a-merrier-world]

Webcomic recs!

These are some of my absolute favorite webcomics that I’m reading right now (all are in-progress). They aren’t ranked in any order, since I don’t think I could choose a favorite. Also, all of these have queer themes of some variety, since that’s just how I like my entertainment. Anyways, here we go!

1) Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu   (read here)

Description: Eric Bittle—former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier—is starting his freshman year playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. And it’s basically nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South. For one? There’s checking. It’s a story about hockey and friendship and bros and trying to find yourself during the best 4 years of your life. 

My notes: This is one of the more popular webcomics around right now, at least from what I’ve seen, and that popularity is well-deserved. The characters are well-written, unique, and very fun; the story has a good pacing and keeps you engaged; and the art is really nice. I’m personally very fond of this comic because I, too, am a queer Southern guy person, so I can really relate to Bitty and all his struggles and idiosyncrasies. Plus, it’s cute, sweet, has relatable angst, and is already promised to have a happy ending, so what more could I ask for? Also, pie. And hockey butts. And no need for any knowledge on actual hockey. Need I say more?

2) No End by  Erli & Kromi (read here)

Description: No End is a romantic soap opera webcomic about a group of people trying to survive and make lives for themselves in a cold, post-apocalyptic world ravaged by hordes of undead. Heavy on LGBTQ+ themes, content warning for occasional blood, gore, violence and strong language. 

My notes: This comic guys. THIS. COMIC. It’s so good, okay; so good. I’m not even all that into zombies (I’ve only liked In the Flesh and Warm Bodies, as far as zombie stuff goes, if that tells you anything), and I love this comic. I literally read all of it (that was out at the time) last year in one sitting. That good, y’all. The characters are great and surprise you at different turns, the relationships are engaging and realistic, and the art is drop-dead (ha) gorgeous. 

3) Sunshine-Boy (Leftovers) by Moosopp (read here)

Description: Sunshine Boy is about a boy named Kelly, moving to a new environment and struggling to fit in. Growing up in a loving house hold and having supporting parents. He has to learn that the world isn't as nice as he thought it would be. 

My notes: Y’aaaall, this artist is quite possibly my favorite artist, ever. I don’t even know, their style just makes me feel things, ok. Also, this is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s still going, and there are future content warnings for violence/bullying/drug use/sexual content, so it may not stay so lighthearted and cute, but I love it, so. I also just recommend this artist/writer in general, cause all their works are wonderful and gorgeous. Besides my obvious hard on for their art, though, the story has a nice flow and the characters are all really unique and interesting--you can really tell that there’s more to them than what we’ve seen, and I’m personally very excited to see where all these characters go.

4) Les Normaux by KnightJJ (read here)

Description: Les Normaux follows the lives of a bunch of supernatural beings living in Paris after a human wizard named Sebastien moved to the city. 

My notes: Honestly, what’s better than queer characters, Paris, and modern mythical/supernatural creatures in a slice-of-life style comic? Not much. This is a really cool comic that changes which character they highlight in each episode. The character designs are unique; everyone has different problems, solutions, and happy moments, but they’re all connected in one way or another, which is super cool; and I really dig the art style (ok, I know I say this about everything, but I just really love art, ok? All of these people are wonderfully talented and hardworking).

5) George and Johnny by Savi (read here)

Description: Comics about two unlikely friends, George and Johnny. Stayed tuned for bad jokes, high school, sleepovers, bands, romance, burgers, and tiramisu. ((not necessarily in that order)) 

My notes: A comic that has a sweet, chubby, nerdy guy as one of the main characters? Sign me the fuck up. This is an extremely sweet and wholesome comic about two boys becoming close friends (and possibly something else? yet to see...). It’s very much a slice-of-life kind of comic, concentrating on characters and their relationships, and I honestly love it so much. The art style is also really pretty, especially the coloring, which is typically bright and kinda pastel, which I really dig. 

6) Sharp Zero by robotsharks (read here)

Description: Delivering takeout normally doesn't end with lethal exposure to superscience, but Elliot's habit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time lands him in a shitshow that ends up with being brought back from the dead with the help of Danny, the cute intern who he died hitting on. His new form of undead life gives him new powers and recognition from a high ranking superhero organization. While running with the heroes he used to worship, Elliot learns what it really means to be alive. 

My notes: Y’all. Do words even exist to describe my love for this comic? I don’t think they do. The art? Gorgeous. The writing? Interesting, well-paced, and hilarious. The characters? Unique, beautiful, and deliciously diverse. There’s superheroes. There’s the supernatural. There’s aliens. This comic has got it all and it’s amazing. I’ve never seen something so specifically my kind of thing, but this is hitting everything I love, plus its got gorgeous art. Need I really say more?

7) Long Exposure by mars (read here)

Description: Long Exposure is an ongoing webcomic about a nerd and a bully who are forced to work on a class project together. The story revolves around them developing super powers after an incident at a strange research center, and finding themselves followed by a mysterious car, overcoming personal challenges, and (most importantly) discovering how gay they are for each other. 

My notes: I was actually kinda unsure about this comic before I read it, since the whole enemies to lovers trope isn’t often my thing (only if it’s done really well). But after reading what’s been posted? I love it. These characters are imperfect people who the author treats as imperfect people, and they do it really well. Also, their art style is sooo cool and unique, I dig it a lot. Also, I’m really digging where the story is going and how they’re handling it, thus far, so I’m super excited to keep reading it.

8) Heavy Horns by Joane Kwan (read more)

Description: Guy meets guy, but it isn't love at first sight. Just how will Andreas ever get along with the enthusiastic Beau remains to be seen. An unromantic romance. Warning: Can be nsfw, also, these two swear a lot. 

My notes: Okay, so admittedly the first thing that caught my eye with this comic was that one of the main characters literally has horns. Like. Legit horns. Growing out of his head. It works for him, though. Anyways, this is a cool fic and I really like where it’s going, cause it’s really highlighting some of the struggles that queer people face, especially relationship wise. The art is also really gorgeous, with unique character designs that I dig a lot (no, it’s not just because of the guy with the bull horns... I actually like Beau’s characters design the most...).

9) Griefer Belt by Kales (read here)

Description: Griefer Belt is a slice of life series about queer criminals in the black market! Light-hearted dark humor ensues! Contains violence, gore, foul language and sexual references.

My notes: This is a fun one. All the characters have very... grey morality, considering they’re all in the business of black market organs selling (and no, I don’t mean the instrument). But! The characters are fun, the writing is funny, and the art is great. And, honestly, who doesn’t love a little dark humor every once in a while?

Special Mentions:

Memory Born by theroyalglasses (read here) -- there hasn’t been much written for this one yet, but the art is rad and I dig the concept.

Improvise by robotsharks (read here) -- very new, and very fun; same author as Sharp Zero, only this one is about lady assassins. Nice.

A Turn for Change by Kace (read here) -- not a lot has happened yet in this comic, but I dig the characters, and the art style is pretty rad.

Same Shit Different Day by Moosopp (read here) -- by the same author as Sunshine Boy, this is kinda just a mini comic about the artist’s life. I’m still in love with the art, and we also, apparently, have similar senses of humor, so I genuinely find this comic hilarious

And that’s it! I hope you can find something you love, too, out of this list. And if you end up getting into any of these, come chat with me! I’m always up for chatting about these comics! 

#webcomics #webcomic #rec list #mine #long post