#1 page down like 89 to go

[findafight]

Okay I kept thinking about this post and Steve being a BNF of Corroded Coffin message board of the internet of yore.

Alright so way back in the nineties Suzie hooks everyone up with the internet, yes? Yes. Eddie and Steve got together in '92 after some mutual pining and a few disastrous relationships that couldn't handle 1) Steve and Robin's general QPR clinginess 2) Eddie's intensity 3) the secrecy required if having multiple years of monster fighting and subsequent NDAs and the trauma associated therein. They're older and more settled and ready for an Adult Relationship.

Corroded Coffin is gaining traction and doing really well and the internet is still a brave new frontier, so Steve says to Eddie something like "I'm going to see if there's some message boards about you 🥰" and find them he sure does. So he makes accounts and posts under the username EddiesOnlyGroupie because he's hilarious and also the mods banned him from using EddieMunsonsHusband (he figured it was fine on the internet because nobody actually knew who he was but APPARENTLY NOT homophobia lives on in the digital age). He gets pretty well known in the Corroded Coffin fandom, most assuming he's a woman because he will go off on how hot Eddie looked at a gig. Like. Saying unhinged internet shit because 1) true and 2) he and Eddie think it's so funny. Everyone kinda believes the groupie thing too because of all the performance pics he's able to post and how he'll sometimes offer tidbits if knowledge about the band.

When they transition from chatrooms to livejournal etc he follows, with the same username. He's kind of a legend by the mid aughts. EOG is the acronym people use when discussing theories on his identity, and he's like "guys I'm literally his only groupie it's self explanatory. Guys why don't you believe me Eddie hasn't slept with anyone but me since 1992. We're basically married". He goes "it's not a mystery we literally are in love and Jeff and I go to Cubs games and cry when they inevitably lose together. Gareth is Godfather to my cats" (Eddie is still offended that he was not named Sassafras and Moonshine's godfather when Steve and Robin adopted them in '89). No one believes him.

Possibly because he still thirsts after Eddie and whenever someone posts a new Eddie pic those in the know wait for him to pop up with comments like "I want to bite his neck omg" "he has no ass but nobody is perfect I'll settle between his thighs anyway" and "literally a crime I am not married to him right now what the fuck" As twitter grows he swoops in to grab his handle, and follows a bunch of other CC fan accounts (some of them old friends, some of them new to the scene)(EOG 100% has his own fanlore page, which also has speculation on who he is and how he gets all the bts pics. It also doesn't believe when he says what it says on the tin. He's Eddie's only groupie.)

tumblr and tiktok come round and Steve is like. Openly horny on main. He's seen some shit go down on the internet but he's still commenting on Eddie fan edits that are title shit like "why am I attracted to this middle-aged white man" and "retro cc fancam" with things like "I'd let him lick the inside of my ear and only bring it up to tease him on special occasions" "his FINGERS" "back in '89 Jeff and Howie and Claire staged a mutany over this song because they were 'sick of Eddie only writing about biting bats' lmao" and "Jeff is my favourite member of cc"(just to stir the pot)

Eddie comes out in the 2010's and he's like "yeah I've been in a long term relationship with someone who is usually mostly a man kinda (gender is fucky) for the past twenty years, lol. His name's Steve. I love him a lot even if he mocks me online." and of course EOG comments "the mods of that old message board should have let me keep my original handle of EddieMunsonsHusband. When're you gonna make it reality, Munson? smh" and everyone is like Huh?? EOG is a MAN? And he's like yeah? Sometimes?? Not always?

(He 100% thinks this is him telling people he's Eddie's Steve. They don't get the message)

Anyways life goes on Steve continues to thirst under pictures of Eddie, he has his pronouns and name in his bio on twitter (Steve, he/him, she/her, Eddie Munson's first and only groupie 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ) and continues to post behind the scenes photos that shockingly few people question (she always says "because I'm his groupie" though. He and Eddie think this is VERY funny and also true. Robin groans. They've been making the same joke for two decades.) and people believe it because Eddie has interacted EOG sometimes, liking photos or videos, commenting sometimes. (Steve has a more professional realname account that he rarely uses but Eddie usually tags Steve there)

And THEN Internet user EddiesOnlyGroupie says he's taking a few weeks off for her honeymoon because "I'm finally marrying the man of my dreams!" And people are happy for him but also bummed because Eddie is also taking a two week hiatus but EOG promises wedding and honeymoon photos. (Face reveal! Sorta!)((he doesn't get why people are excited because he's pretty sure he's been in a lot of Eddie's recent pictures, but whatever)

Imagine the Internet's surprise when Eddie Munson posts a collection of pictures spanning '86 to his 2016 wedding of him and Steve, including one of Steve looking seriously at an old desktop computer, captioned "Steve starting his internet career" and tags EOG.

Steve qrt with "I told yall. I'm his only groupie, and they should've let me keep EddieMunsonsHusband even if they WERE homophobic. Because now it's TRUE"

Niche internet community drama chaos ensues.

[eyneyke]

Felix's realisation pt.2

Pairing: Max Verstappen x PewDiePie!sibling Summary: What if Felix had a genius brother who works as a RedBull's engineer and is also secretly dating Max part 9 of A Calm to my Storm Masterlist

Felix was still reeling from the Reddit threads as he tried to regain some composure on the live stream. Jack, on the other hand, was having the time of his life, grinning as he scrolled through more comments about Sam. The chat, of course, was absolutely relentless.

Fan 77: “Felix, you really didn’t know the Max Sam was talking about was world champion Max?! 😂”

Fan 78: “Jack’s a secret F1 nerd, and Felix didn’t even know it!”

Fan 79: “Felix, you need to bring Sam on stream to address the people thirsting for him. We demand it.”

---

Felix leaned in, squinting at the chat. "Okay, okay, slow down! You guys really want Sam to come on stream? Why? He's just my little brother... who apparently has ridiculously popular arms?" He glanced at Jack, bewildered.

Jack threw his hands up, barely able to contain his laughter. “Felix, the internet thirsts for anyone remotely attractive, and Sam happens to be a good-looking dude who's also a genius with cars. And apparently, Max Verstappen's personal favourite. You should see the stuff people are saying!”

Felix groaned, rubbing his face. “Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?”

Jack laughed harder. “Because you definitely will!”

---

Fan 80: "We demand Sam live reaction! Felix, do it! Bring Sam back on the stream!"

Fan 81: "Jack being an F1 nerd is actually the best reveal of the year!"

Fan 82: "Felix: Sam is just my little brother, Internet: obsesses"

---

Jack kept reading the comments aloud, trying to get Felix more hyped about the situation. “Look at this one: Sam Kjellberg is the most humble, under-the-radar engineer with the best arms in motorsport. Discuss.”

Felix laughed and threw his hands up. “Why are you guys like this?! He’s just doing his job! Now people are making it sound like Sam’s a model or something.”

---

Fan 83: “Low-key Sam is giving model vibes though, let’s be real.”

Fan 84: “This is the thirst trap of the century and Felix has no idea.”

Fan 85: “Pewds, you better tell Sam to check out Reddit—there’s a shrine to his arms now.”

---

Felix was caught off guard, practically choking on his laughter. “A shrine to his arms? Are you guys for real?!”

Jack was grinning from ear to ear. “Felix, Reddit is a wild place. They’ll create fan pages for anything. Sam just happens to be their latest obsession. Oh, and Max egging them on? That’s like adding fuel to the fire!”

Felix leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “You guys, this is insane. Sam is probably going to kill me if he finds out how deep this obsession runs.”

---

Fan 86: “Max Verstappen, F1 champion and Sam Kjellberg’s #1 fan.”

Fan 87: “Felix, do you even realise how many photos of Sam are floating around now? He’s the F1 fandom’s new crush.”

Fan 88: “Jack should host an F1 watch party with Felix, that’s the content we need now!”

---

Felix laughed again, reading the chat. "Jack, I’m not even into F1, but apparently, you're a huge fan?"

Jack shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "Guilty as charged. I've been watching F1 for years, man. Red Bull’s my team. I even bought merch—don’t judge me!”

The chat erupted with excitement.

---

Fan 89: “Jack as a Red Bull Racing stan is the best plot twist.”

Fan 90: “Jack doing F1 watch parties confirmed!”

Fan 91: “Jack, are you a Max fan? Admit it!”

---

Felix pointed at Jack, laughing even harder. “See? Now they’re dragging you into it! You’ve exposed yourself!”

Jack shook his head, laughing. “Yeah, yeah. I love Max and the Red Bull team, but this obsession with Sam is something else. Honestly, I didn’t even know it was unknown that he was PewDiePie's brother until now! That’s just insane to me.”

Felix shrugged, grinning at the camera. “I guess we didn't really give people anything to go with about Sam.”

The chat was on fire, throwing more questions at the duo, but Felix was now fully into it, rolling with the punches.

---

Fan 92: “Sam needs to tell Max about this live stream!”

Fan 93: “Jack is geeking out over Max. This is amazing.”

Fan 94: “Can you IMAGINE Felix, Jack, and Max all in the same room talking about Sam?!”

---

Felix leaned forward, scrolling through the chat. "Alright, alright. So, let me get this straight—you want me to bring Sam on stream just to watch him react to people thirsting over him?"

The chat flooded with "YES!" comments, and Jack burst into laughter again. “I mean, yeah, Felix. This is what the people want.”

Felix shook his head, half-amused, half-incredulous. “I’ll try, but no promises, he is a busy guy! And you guys better behave if he agrees to come on next time!”

---

Fan 95: “We make no promises, Felix.”

Fan 96: “Felix bringing Sam to a thirst trap live is all we want in 2024.”

Fan 97: “This is what peak internet content looks like. Jack, Felix, and Sam in the same stream.”

---

Felix sighed dramatically, throwing his arms up. “Fine, fine. I’ll let him know. But seriously, you guys are wild. Poor Sam has no idea what’s waiting for him on the internet.”

Jack grinned mischievously. “You know, Felix, we could invite Max too. Make it a whole thing. F1 world meets PewDiePie world.”

Felix gave Jack a look. “Don’t you dare put me in the middle of that.”

But the chat was already losing it at the thought of Max and Sam both appearing in the same live stream, and Jack was clearly enjoying the chaos.

---

Fan 98: “Max and Sam in the same live? Let’s manifest this.”

Fan 99: “Jack, please! Make this happen!”

Fan 100: “Felix, Jack, Sam, and Max. The internet wouldn’t survive.”

---

Felix groaned but couldn’t hide his grin. “Okay, this has gone too far. You guys are insane. I’m ending this stream before you rope me into some F1 live stream with Max and Sam.”

Jack laughed, but before Felix could click off, the chat lit up again, and Felix couldn’t help but laugh as he read the comments pouring in.

---

Fan 101: “Felix, you can’t escape now! You’re in too deep.”

Fan 102: “Felix, bring back Sam and give us what we want!”

---

Felix shook his head, finally closing the stream with a grin. “Alright, alright. See you next time, you crazy people. Maybe Sam will join… maybe.”

And with that, the live ended, leaving the internet buzzing with anticipation for the possibility of Sam Kjellberg’s next appearance.

[homestuckreplay]

🏡 Nine Best Homestuck Moments of 2009 🏡

It’s the end of 2009, and Homestuck is currently sitting at 1088 pages – pretty huge for something that hasn’t even been going for a full year. So as we close out the year and enter what’s sure to be the Homestuck Decade, I thought I’d count down my favorite Homestuck moments of 2009. I’ve loved it all, so it was really hard to narrow down, but when I reflect on this first year of the comic’s existence, this is what sticks in my mind.

9. Rambunctious Crow. (p.350-356)

This is my favorite Dave moment because it’s his irony in action, turned against him by the narrative now that things are getting real. Already knowing that Dave’s losing the betas is a ‘stupid’ and ‘embarrassing’ story (p.294), it still comes as a surprise just how stupid, embarrassing and out of nowhere the reality is. I’m on the crow’s side – it saw something cool and colorful in a grabbable position, and it went for it. It had no idea it was going to get accidentally sylladex-murdered, and I can’t wait to see its new life in Dave’s kernelsprite.

8. Peregrine Mendicant Delivers Justice. (p.844; 892-897; 921-925)

This one is cheating because it’s really ‘everything about PM’. I will give my heart to a paladin character with a big sword and strong ideals, any day – she will kill without a moment’s hesitation if it helps her fulfil her oath to the mail, but she’ll also reward a loyal follower who helps her cause, and this applies to robotic worms as much as it does to other people. She’s a minor character who’s out here behaving like a protagonist and one of her packages could be the thing that saves all the kids.

7. John’s Clever Disguise. (p.45-89)

I wish he was still wearing it. I really do. John acknowledges on page 46 that it’s a really shitty disguise and continues to wear it for several dozen pages. He adds the pipe, switches out the hat, considers a second pipe, and overall tries to perfect it. And he does it all the time too, because Rose calls him out on it! Whether he likes it or not, the spirit of the clown is within John, and I love this section as both a funny surface level gag and when thinking about the deeper meanings of a kid disguising himself in his own home.

6. Rose-Jade Flashback. (p.441-442)

This is my favorite Pesterlog in the comic so far, and sets up a really cool dynamic between Rose and Jade. They’re both talking circles around each other, Rose because she has to sound smart, detached, and in control, and Jade because she has to sound sunny, cryptic, and also in control. But Rose clearly has a lot of respect for Jade, and Jade clearly has a deep understanding of Rose, and those things are surprising – I expected Rose to be more skeptical of Jade’s powers, but instead they’re like light and dark counterparts with similar values of understanding the world around them.

5. Zazzerpan the Learned. (p.358-359)

This might be the one thing that holds Rose back from being my favorite character. How can she possibly ‘find this grisly abomination utterly detestable’. It’s a 20 foot tall statue of a mighty wizard and if you don’t think that’s the sickest shit in the entire world then WHAT is even the point. And the glimpses on page 715 and 757 showing the broken, future Zazzerpan indicate that something is going to happen to him; probably Rose with a giant bludgeoning weapon. Unless I cause a time paradox by appearifying him and putting him in MY house. (He would not fit).

4. Act 1&2 Title Cards. (p.82; 307)

The jokes are excellent, but to me Homestuck is at its best when it lets itself be serious, and page 82 is our first real glimpse of this. These pages let us sit with John and Rose’s mental states for a moment, and they let Hussie stretch their writing skills and play with words. My hope is that these pages will age really well and have a lot of foreshadowing in hindsight, but even if not, they create atmosphere better than any other moments in the comic so far, and they read like prose poetry.

His riddle is Absence itself. It is a mystery dispersing altogether, like the moon's faint reflection, with even one pebble of inquiry dropped in its black well.

Somewhere a zealous god threads these strings between the clouds and the earth, preparing for a symphony it fears impossible to play. And so it threads on, and on, delaying the raise of the conductor's baton.

3. FreshJamz and the Beta Kid Band. (p.77; 222; 337; 822; 830)

All four kids being musically gifted in a comic that incorporates sound is a great move, and the reveal that John can play piano beautifully after he’s spent 76 pages messing up his sylladex and house as he struggles to pick things up was a huge surprise at first. The four kids sharing an interest in video games would have been too obvious, but all of them loving music pokes at the fourth wall and gives them a way to connect on a deeper emotional level even while they are all hiding parts of themselves. It’s a big act of trust to share creative work with people, and seeing all the collaborations on Jade’s FreshJamz page is the best evidence of how close they all are.

2. Rose Adopts Vodka Mutini. (p.926; 1002)

Alright, I love cats. And I know that introducing a cute animal character is a cheap move for getting an audience to fall in love, but cmon, THIS kitten has FOUR EYES that BLINK SEQUENTIALLY and was made in a SLIME CHAMBER as a failed PARADOX CLONE. They CURL UP AND SNOOZE on Rose’s desk and become a TINY VOID CREATURE. I can’t be cynical about this. I am not immune to a tiny sweet face blinking up at me from an anachronistic teapot. I am screaming and crying with how badly I want this cat to curl up with me.

1. [S] WV: Ascend and [S] Jade: Pester John. (p.757; 1073)

I know I’m not alone in loving ‘WV: Ascend’; I’ve read several forum threads where people wax as rhapsodically about it as I do, and I was sad not to see as much love for ‘Jade: Pester John’ (maybe because it does similar work, so isn’t as unexpected). Both these pages are an expansion of what webcomics can do, they perfectly tie up existing plotlines, they’re really well scripted to the music, and it’s both rewarding and enjoyable to watch them several times in a row. ‘Explore’ is one of my favorite Homestuck tracks so far, and Skaia/Prospit during the eclipse is my favorite location visually. I know there’s a lot of skill and technique that goes into creating animations like this and making them feel emotional and satisfying to watch, but sometimes I don’t want to analyze them, I just want to sit and watch and let the Flash Magic roll over me.

Honorable Mentions. A few that were on the shortlist but didn’t quite make the cut because I made myself keep it to nine: the very first page (p.1), Rose putting the bunny back in the box (p.146-147), [S] John: Take bite of apple (p.246), Rose exploring her grimoire (p.301-305), John figuring out alchemy and successfully creating the pogo hammer (p.630-635), Rose attempting to send John the Sburb server CD (p.645-647), WV becoming the Mayor of Can Town (p.685), WV drawing the Skaian cosmology on the bunker walls (p.702-704), and the Midnight Crew’s Homestuck intermission (p.831-832). Yeah, I notice the blatant favoritism towards Rose and John in this post.

If anyone has a favorite moment so far that I’ve missed, send them in!!

[komatsudaya]

RKRN Komatsuda Yuusaku Appearances (w/summaries and translations)

The older Komatsuda brother has appeared sporadically throughout Nintama Rantarou over the years. Unfortunately, he was excised from several of the anime adaptations of manga chapters he appeared in, so people who haven't read the manga aren't getting all the Yuusaku content that they deserve. That's a problem which needs fixing!

Like my previous Rikichi+Komatsuda RKRN guide, I put together a little something showing all the times Yuusaku appears in the manga, with summaries and translations.

Quick list:

Vol 32, pages 31-32, 34, 36-37, 39, 42 Vol 33, page 188 Vol 35, pages 43-49 (voice appears on page 52) Vol 38, page 240 Vol 41, pages 30, 146-147, 154, 161 Vol 47, pages 126, 180 Vol 65, pages 11-15, 63-65, 67-70, 72, 82, 86, 89-90, 102, 107, 109, 119, 127, 148, 221-223, 235

Summaries and translations

Vol 32

Pages 31-32, 34, 36-37, 39, 42

Yuusaku's first appearance - and he didn't even make it into the anime adaptations of these chapters (episodes 11-22~24, 11-76~78)!

Komatsuda comes across a leaflet advertising ninja work and, still hoping to be a professional ninja, goes to find if he can get a job. He brings his brother with and runs into Rantarou, who came with his mother.

They meet up with everyone else looking to find work and are given their task: they must sneak into a certain castle’s outpost and retrieve some hidden documents. Rantarou spots Dokutake ninja among the job-seekers, raising his suspicions. Dokutake ninja would never go looking for other ninja work, he says; according to what Yuusaku has heard, Dokutake castle pays well. Perhaps that's something Yuusaku learned when Komatsuda went to take Dokutake's employment exam?

Yuusaku gets one more line, asking if Rantarou knows one of the ninja they meet. After that, Rikichi disguises himself as Yuusaku and takes the man's place without anybody else knowing. Where did Yuusaku go? Home, most likely. I like to imagine Rikichi pulled Yuusaku aside, explained the situation, and told Yuusaku he'd take care of it. Yuusaku would probably say that sounded fine and to take care of his brother. Maybe Yuusaku knew about Rikichi because his brother had written about him in one of his letters?

Let's take a moment to appreciate all the cool and fun expressions we get to see "Yuusaku" make when Rikichi is disguised as him.

Vol 33

Page 188

Yuusaku was cut from the anime adaptation (episode 12-67) of this chapter as well.

Some of the students of 1-Ha have noticed that Komatsuda has been unusually competent compared to usual. When the students ask Yoshino and Doi, both of them say Komatsuda's been the same as always; Komatsuda even lost the key to the explosives warehouse. Class 1-Ha goes to search for the key and ends up falling down a hole and getting hit by sleeping gas. Isuke, the last to fall asleep, finds Komatsuda kidnapping Shouzaemon.

When Isuke runs into Komatsuda after the incident, Komatsuda claims that he doesn't know anything about Shouzaemon being kidnapped. Luckily, Isuke remembers something that clues him in to the fact that the Komatsuda he saw in the hole was actually a fake. The Komatsuda he saw was wearing a uniform that had the "Clerk" tag sewn into the shirt. But during the last summer break, his family's dye shop got a request from a certain someone.

Yuusaku requested that the tag be directly dyed onto Komatsuda's uniform so the boy wouldn't have to worry about dropping and losing it. "What a sweet big brother," Isuke's mother comments - I agree.

Vol 35

Pages 43-49 (voice appears on page 52)

The anime adaptation of this chapter (episode 13-05) marks the first time Yuusaku appears in the anime - hooray!

It's summer break, and while Rantarou is in town to sell his family's rice harvest, he comes across Yoshino. Yoshino had mentioned conducting a house visit before everyone left for the break, and all the students figured the only person he could have been talking about visiting was Komatsuda. Rantarou asks if Yoshino is still going to Komatsuda's house, but Yoshino says that he's of two minds about the whole thing. Is it okay to tell Komatsuda's family that the boy isn't cut out for clerical work? Rantarou is worried that this means Komatsuda is going to be fired, so he decides to tag along with Yoshino to Komatsudaya.

Yuusaku stays at the store, and Yoshino tells Komatsuda to get ready to head back to the school because there's plenty of preparations to take care of for the next semester. Komatsuda packs a knapsack as big as himself and is crushed under its weight. "Ah, Shuusaku," Yuusaku calls from inside, "are you okay out there?" Komatsuda, still stuck under his belongings, squeaks out, "Oniicha~n."

Vol 38

Page 240

Yuusaku is the star of this volume's 4koma.

Much like how Doi learned to parse what the kids of 1-Ha say, Yuusaku can decipher what his brother means because he had plenty of practice while growing up with the boy. It takes a Komatsuda to understand a Komatsuda.

Vol 41

Pages 30, 146-147, 154, 161

Kirimaru slept through the announcement that the school's autumn break would be starting, so he didn't line up any part-time work. "Why not come work at our place for a bit?" Komatsuda offers. "If you ask my brother, I'm sure he'll hire you on for a little while." True to Komatsuda's word, Kirimaru is hired as a part-time worker for the day.

Kirimaru returns to Doi's house the next day. He mentions that the store received a strange order. To make fans, you fold the paper into a pattern that creates holes that you can then insert the bamboo frame in. However, a customer wanted a large order of separate paper and frames. Concerned, Doi asks if the store took the order.

(Yuusaku appears in this chapter's anime adaptation, episode 16-02)

Doi suspects the customer was someone who plans to use the fans to perform the Kasumiougi no Jutsu, where ninja place poison inside a fan then blow the poison at their enemies. The group manages to track down the customer, a Suppontake ninja, and find out what he's scheming. It turns out the Suppontake are targeting the lord of Chamidareamitake castle. The lord goes to view the autumn leaves every year, and the place he chose to view them is in a valley whose geography would make it easy for the Suppontake to overwhelm him with poison using the Kasumiougi no Jutsu. With this information, Doi devises a plan. Why not fight fans with fans?

While Yuusaku is helping to sell their sightseer disguises, Komatsuda is carrying the "ultimate anti-Kasumiougi no Jutsu weapons," as Niino calls them. The brothers go with everyone to prepare for the counterattack.

The Suppontake begin their attack, though it turns out that Niino has replaced the poison in their fans with laughing gas and eye irritants. As the fumes begin to approach the valley, our heroes pull out the "ultimate weapons" that Komatsudaya made - gigantic fans that they use to blow the fumes back toward the Suppontake.

(Unfortunately, Yuusaku doesn't appear in this chapter's anime adaptations, episodes 16-23~24. He isn't even the one to make the "ultimate weapons" - Niino shows up with giant uchiwa instead. What a waste, to not have Komatsudaya's proprietor in a fan-centric series of episodes!)

The Suppontake's plans are thwarted and the day is saved! Everyone starts heading home.

(Doi is crying out "Ah!" because he just remembered that the autumn break is ending.)

Vol 47

Pages 126, 180

Yuusaku makes two short but sweet contributions to this volume, and appears in the anime adaptations (episodes 19-28 and 19-31).

Ninjutsu Academy's cultural festival is approaching. However, when it comes time to send out invitations, Komatsuda makes a mess of all of Ninjutsu Academy's documents and ends up sending invitations to both friends and foes. But one thing is very strange, the students muse - how did Komatsuda manage to get the invitations sent out so quickly if everything was such a mess?

Two of the festival attendees are the assassins Masukarasu and Dosukarasu. They appear at the festival crossdressing and with fans in hand. The students worry that the assassins could have put poison inside the fans to perform the Kasumiougi no Jutsu. Saburou, however, says there's no need to worry about that. That's because…

There's that entrepreneurial spirit!

Vol 65

Pages 11-15, 63-65, 67-70, 72, 82, 86, 89-90, 102, 107, 109, 119, 127, 148, 221-223, 235

(As of this writing, this volume has not been adapted for the anime.)

School is starting up again after the autumn break, and some of the 1-Ha students have met up on the road to school - where they find Yuusaku tagging along with Kirimaru and Doi. Rantarou asks what Yuusaku is doing there.

Everyone finally gets to school while carrying Shinbei, who gained too much weight on the break and had gotten too exhausted to walk anymore.

While Yuusaku waits in the staff room, the students find out what's been going on with Komatsuda. Komatsuda has become obsessed with getting people to sign in and out of the school, all day and all night, to the point where he won't even take a bath because he doesn't want to be in the tub when an intruder shows up. Even when the teachers volunteer to make the rounds, he refuses to rest and is running himself ragged.

Rantarou finally manages to get Komatsuda to go to the infirmary, where Niino gives him medicine to get him to sleep. The students and teachers will take care of any intruders that appear while Komatsuda is incapacitated.

The ninja looking to scout Komatsuda is Komochi Wakana, who first appeared in volume 15. He technically already met both Komatsuda brothers, as he was one of the job-seekers in volume 32, but neither Komochi nor Yuusaku remember each other. Fushikizou says they should head to the infirmary to see Komatsuda, but Yuusaku says that going there right now is a bad idea.

Shenanigans ensue as Sonnamon shows up to challenge Doi to a battle. Yuusaku gets to learn about ninja tools firsthand when Doi uses a urine-soaked cloth diaper to defeat Sonnamon. The main Tasogaredoki crew, who came to pick Sonnamon up, leave, but not without one last word.

Knowing that his target is elsewhere, Komochi dashes off to find Komatsuda and complete his mission. Shinbei saves the day by using his snot to catch Komochi by the leg.

Komatsuda shows up again, having overcome the medicine he was given. Even worse, a ninja from Hidahatake castle (who'd previously judged Komatsuda's Hidahatake castle employment exam in volume 38) shows up to scout Komatsuda as well.

Just when Komatsuda starts to go with the Hidahatake ninja, Rantarou pulls off Komochi's hood and reveals his lusciously lipsticked mouth. Komatsuda is so surprised by the sight that he snaps out of his trance. Crisis averted!

Yuusaku continues to learn about the world of ninja, as well as why it was good that he got a name in his first appearance.

There's some hubub as other intruders are spotted, but Yuusaku and Komatsuda are busy getting ready to return to Komatsudaya.

"Hey," Shinbei says after the brothers leave, "doesn't something about what Komatsuda's brother just said bother you?" If a ninja hears about someone ordering a large number of fans, of course they'll be concerned about the Kasumiougi no Jutsu. Convinced that Komatsudaya's customer is a ninja squad, everyone heads over to the store.

As the students stand by with bated breath, somebody approaches the store - and promptly falls into a hole that Ayabe had dug in the street. When the mysterious person is pulled out, it's none other than Shinbei's father.

And so ends Yuusaku's appearances - as well as Rakudai Ninja Rantarou as a whole. How lucky, getting to be one of the characters to appear on the manga's last page!

I feel like I have more to personally say about Yuusaku that would make this longer than need be, so I'll probably eventually make another post. In the meantime, I hope everyone who read this enjoyed seeing more of the Komatsuda brothers.

[some-loozzr]

SECTOR FYI...?

[CW/TW: Disturbing Imagery]

(2/2)

The Team had enough, Plantazia decided to go all out this time. Building a machine that scans the person's brainwaves to know their mood, status, and how they're seeing. After running a few psychological tests and simulations the results were...concerning... Full Name: Carol Carlson Codename: 1/6 Age: 11 Gender: Non-Binary Height: 5'0 Anxiety: 89% Sleep: 34% Percentage for Dreams: 0.3% Percentage for Nightmares: 99% Percentage for Hallucinations (Visual, Auditory..): 100% After speaking to Carol about the data and asking on what hallucinations and/or nightmares she had this week, and asking for how and what her dreams looked like...Well....

THE WILTED

(Chatter amongst the Operatives): Plantazia: "Is this how you're hallucinations see me?" Carol: "..." Plantazia: "Carol, I'm not mad, really! I'm just...not used to seeing things like this...Has this......"version" of me done anything, good or bad, to you in your dreams?" Carol: "You-...She-....It chased me down the halls of this treehouse..It tried to tear my arm off, but...I got away." Plantazia: "Did anything happen after that?" Carol: "Yeah, flowers, and moss started growing near me..It tried to rip my head off...but I woke up." Plantazia: "...." Carol: "..Is something wrong?" Plantazia: "No shit, if this's been happening to you for a long time, then we need to know what's going on with you. This can't go long any longer!" Carol: "..." Plantazia: "Look...it may look like all hope's gone, but We can help ya. It'll take a bit long depending on data, but We're always here for ya." Carol: *smiles*

INERTIA

(Chatter amongst the Operatives..): Carol: (giving the paper to Irk) "...H-Here." Irk: "1'M N0T L00K1NG 4T TH4T." Carol: "..." Carol: "...I-....I know this isn't what you're used to seeing on...yourself, but I swear, this is only in my dreams and-" Irk: "1T'S F1N3, OR..WH4T3V3R..." Carol: "N-No Irk, it's not-" Irk: "QU13T, B3 GR4T3FUL I B0TH3R3D 3V3N T4LK1NG T0 Y0U 1N TH3 F1RST PL4C3."

"ADELLE"

((Chatter amongst the Operatives)): Adelle: "Aw Carol, is this for me? That's so sweet! Your art looks great!" Carol: "..." Adelle: "Hey, it's not ugly, in fact, I look great in your artstyle! You can keep practicing and you'll improve in no ti-" Carol: "T-Turn the page around...." Adelle: "Oh? Another drawing? Cool-" PRETENDER // TRUE FORM

Adelle: "...Oh." Adelle: "Soooo....the "me" in the Nightmare world is just a faker?" Carol: "Y-Yeah...I thought it was really you, but...I guess I should really be making sure that every...."normal" person I see in my dreams are actually normal of not..." Adelle: "It's fine, I have weird dreams too!" Carol: "N-..Not those dreams! It's....worse." Adelle: "...." Adelle: "I-I'm so sorry Carol, I didn't mean to-" Carol: "N-no Adelle, it's fine.."

AU by @kandykatz Adelle belongs to @catchingrockd

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 128. brb x oc

a/n: aaaaa yeah I'm a bit nervous??? posting this??? idk why lol .my anxiety is a bit all over the place... reblogs and comments are super encouraged <3333

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none.

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/70/71/72/73/74/75/76/77/78/79/80/81/82/83/84/85/86/87/88

/89/90/91/92/93/94/95/96/97/98/99/100/101/102/103/104/105

/106/107/108/109/110/111/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/120/121

/122/123/124/125/126/127

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @kulicny @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @dhwanishah09 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva

-

Christmas Eve.

It should be a relaxing time to enjoy the celebrations with your family, but Beatrice was extremely nervous. She made a list of food she knew her mother would usually make and the ones she couldn’t eat, she was staring at it now, flicking her gaze back and forth as she tried to make a connection if it was safe or not.

So far…everything was good. So far.

Beatrice was with Nicole, her little daughter lying on her stomach and playing with one of the many brain stimulating toys she got. They were for eight months and up but ever since she saw Nicole playing in Evelyn’s house, Beatrice thought it’d be a good idea to do that to her and she was right.

Because Nicole was really good with the pegboard puzzles already, barely needing much direction from her parents when she did so. Beatrice leans against the headboard, chewing the end of her pen as she hears Rooster’s feet coming up the stairs, her husband stops by the threshold and leans his shoulder on it, ‘Watcha doin’?” he asks, tilting his head ‘You look focused.”

“I’m signing what I can and cannot eat when we go to my parents.” she explains, “And what I can eat without rising suspicion.”

Rooster hummed, pushing himself off the threshold to smile at Nicole, who grinned up at him before chewing the silicon star happily, “And you are keeping mommy company,huh?” he asks sweetly, kissing her forehead and sitting down next to Beatrice, Nicole was surrounded by her parents’ legs almost like they were walls, “And how is it going,so far?”

“It’s…going okay?”

He peeks over at the paper, smiling when he notices she drew tiny christmas themed pictures all over the paper, alongside tiny cannolis that had extra ‘ok’ around them, “Your mom always does something new every Christmas. You told me she did that uhh…pasta pie once.”

“‘Ncasciata.” she says, “It was pretty good too…kinda heavy. Too much work too, amazingly my mother thinks that sometimes.” she taps the paper, “I can’t have…too much fish- no I can but only certain types. Swordfish is a no no, thankfully she’s not making that this year.”

“That fish was really good.” he recalls, “It’s probably one of my favorite things I had for christmas.”

‘She’s making a huge chicken this year, no turkey. One of my father’s friends has an organic farm away from San Diego and he has these huge chickens so they got that…what else,” she flips the page, “Oh, there’s also roasted garlic potatoes,which I can eat as long it’s not too much.”

“Okay.”

“...and the dessert, from all the options,” she taps the tip on each word, “I think it’ll be either chocolate lava cake or hazelnut chocolate tart, which I can eat. It adds to the babies’ diet.” she frowns,however, “....oh god I have to think about the things my aunt is going to bring.”

“Or,” he cuts her gently, “You can stay within your mom’s cooking and don’t worry about it too much.”

“...I guess.”

He smiles,kissing the curve of her shoulder and chuckling when she squeaked and bunched up to prevent the tickling from his mustache against her skin, which of course only made Rooster kiss her even harder, nuzzling the soft skin of her neck and then propping his chin on the curve of her neck, “You are worrying too much, babe.”

“...I know, it’s not–I don’t know Roos.” she whispered, “I want everything to go well, Nicole’s was fine.” Their little daughter was now sitting up, placing shapes in their respective holes with a gentle giggle, back to them, “And I want the twins’ to be fine. And we need to be careful…and…yeah.”

Bradley hummed, his voice vibrating against her skin as he kissed her neck one more time, this time wrapping his arms around her waist as carefully as he could, bringing her closer to his side, his lips moving up to rest against her temple,”It’ll be okay.” she made a little noise that he always found adorable even if it meant she was upset. His thumb drew random shapes on the fabric of her sweater, feeling the braided wool rubbing against his finger, “You’ll see….we just gotta be careful, that’s all.”

“I know…”

“But you are also worried because of your family.”

“And Mav. And Penny.” she whispers, “And Amelia, you know I did really good at the bar. Penny didn’t notice anything and neither did Shells.” she explains, “But…what if I slip up and do something? I just want the babies to be safe… and I don’t want anyone to think I’m being a bitch or anything, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

Rooster loved how caring she was, it didn’t matter what or to whom,Beatrice has proven time and time again that she’s the sweetest human he had the privilege of knowing and of course, marrying and loving so much.He tries to cover his smile in her hair, sniffing the lavender shampoo that held onto the brown tresses, “You are so cute.” he whispers, kissing her scalp, “Cutest human being in this whole wide universe. I can’t handle you sometimes.”

She looked up at him with the perfect personification of the ‘:(‘ emoji and his heart clenched, “Baby….aw,honey.” he cups her close to his chest, letting her hug his middle and bury her face in his shirt, “My gorgeous girl, you are too sweet, you are too nice. You’d never hurt anyone.”

“Hrmmm…”

“I’m serious, you are just too kind.”

Beatrice only smiled up at him in thanks, then nuzzled his chest, “I try to…sometimes I think I am too kind.”

“You aren’t stupid if that’s what you are suggesting.”

Beatrice smiles more,hugging his middle and sighing quietly,enjoying the noises coming from Nicole’s constant trying to fit the shapes in its’ holes and the dogs walking downstairs, but her favorite sound had to be Rooster’s heartbeat, “Thank you,Roos.” she whispers, ‘...You know, it’s crazy that the first time you met my family was three years ago.”

“Hah.” his chest bounces with the sudden chuckle,”I had so much fun. It was the best Christmas I had in a while,gorgeous.” he says, twirling the ends of her hair with his finger as the two watch Nicole discover her brain by herself, babbling happily in front of them, “And now,I have a ring on my finger that you put it there and I put one on yours.” she giggles a bit, hugging him tighter, “We’ll be okay,Bea…I know you are still nervous,I can feel it in you.”

‘Hrm.”

“Your shoulders tense up like crazy.” he explains, running the tip of his index finger on her shoulder, following until he touched her shoulder blade, “And you clench your jaw. Not often, but enough notice.”

“Yeah…you are right.” she relaxes a bit, “I should let it go for now, if I worry too much people will…notice.I’m just not a good liar Roos,you know that.I can’t hide a lot from people.”

“I mean, you did lie sometimes.” he pinches his fingers, leaving a small space between them, “Just a little white lie. Nothing bad.”

She laughs,sighing again, “...anyway, let’s change the subject for a bit because I feel like I’ll get worse: are you excited for Virginia? We’ll go at the end of this week.”

His chest expanded over the mention of his home state, his eyes softening, “Yeah,I am.” he smiles, “I miss that place a lot sometimes.”

“...would you ever live there again?”

He purses his lips, shaking his head briefly, “Probably not. I love it there but…it brings a lot of bad,bad memories. I’d rather stay wherever you stay.” he smirks, dropping a soft kiss to her forehead, “It’s much better.”

“What if I want to go to the North Pole?”

“You hate the cold.” he says with his lips still glued to her forehead, “You’d never go to the North Pole, you’d stay somewhere warm and tropical…like Brazil.”

“Brazil,huh?”

“I had a Brazilian classmate, he was really fun.”

“And you’d go with me.”

“Of course,” he smirks, “You’d wear those tiny bikinis too,I’d be all for it.”

Beatrice swats his chest playfully and her husband laughs, holding his arms up in defense. Nicole looks back to stare at her parents, immediately forgetting about whatever she was doing to smile at them. She crawls over, squeezing herself between her parents and trying her best to push herself up only to fall back on her bottom on top of the mattress, “Birdie, you can’t stand up yet.” Rooster  coos, cupping Nicole under the armpits and raising her to his lips,kissing those chubby cheeks over and over, “But with how things are going I wouldn’t put it behind you, baby girl, you are one smart little cookie.”

Beatrice just grins, watching the conversation between her husband and daughter, only looking away when her phone started to ring. Considering it was Christmas Eve, she assumed it’d be her distant relatives wishing her Merry Christmas or her siblings asking what time she was coming.

She was right about one thing.

It was her aunt Martha calling. She unlocks the phone to take the call, “Buon Natale,zia Martha.”

Her aunt’s laughter was heard by Rooster,”Preziosa, è ancora la vigilia di Natale. Christmas is tomorrow.” she says, “But, yes, buon natale. I was calling to ask if you all are coming at the scheduled time tonight?”

“Um…yeah, why?”

“No reason, I was simply curious. How is the little principessa?”

“She is,” Beatrice turns, smiling when she sees that Rooster just allowed Nicole to climb on his face and practically use him as her personal pillow, “Amazing, She’s great.”

“Good, good, she’s a healthy little baby. You two will have strong and healthy children.”

Beatrice blinked over her aunt’s words, “...thank you,auntie.”

“So don’t worry too much.”

Beatrice almost threw the phone out of her grasp, but instead chose to widen her eyes and inhale so sharply that Rooster heard her, lifting Nicole enough to look at his wife with his brows furrowed, “Thank you,zia.”

“Oh, do not thank me. I just want you all to be okay.” she put a lot of emphasis on the all “I have a special gift for you,by the way, well,all of you.”

“Oh,zia, thank you.” she says softly, “You didn’t have to.”

“Nonsense. I want to help you and your family, you know I adore all of you so much.” she could hear Martha was smiling through the phone. “Even those who aren’t here yet.”

Beatrice’s aunt was weird, she was a hippie witch that could undoubtedly control the weather and probably curse your entire generation with a snap of fingers. She figured out Nicole was to be born, was she really surprised about the sudden cryptic messages thrown her way? “...thank you,zia.”

“You are so welcome! Now, I must go, your mother needs my help with some things. I’ll see you all soon!”

“See you,zia.”

Rooster watches as Beatrice’s stare turns distant and the hand holding the phone drops to her lap, her lips in a tight line, “Bea?” he asks, flicking his gaze from the phone to her, “What’s wrong?”

“She knows.”

“Who knows?”

“My aunt.”

The dots were connected quickly, he didn’t have to think much and figure out what she was talking about. Martha knew Beatrice was pregnant,again, and mentioned it in her very own…specific way. Bradley lowers Nicole, his daughter fascinated by his mustache still and kept on brushing her tiny fingers over it, “...okay.” he inhales, arching his brows, “We should’ve expected that.”

“Roos…why is my family the cryptic Sicilian family that no one really knows how they do things?” she sounds genuinely confused mentioning that, “...I’m sorry you had to join such a crazy bunch.”

He stares at her as if she grew three heads, “Are you kidding? Have you met my friends? Have you met Mav? Who are you calling a crazy bunch?” she only smiles thankfully at him, sighing one last time and letting her back touch the headboard, “Will she say something?”

She shakes her head negatively, “No, she’s not the one who announces it to people, she didn’t announce Nicole’s. She…probably wants to talk to me about it, give me some tips since she had twins and such…I mean, that’s what I’m hoping.”

“Then it’s all good.”

“I guess.” she murmurs, “The one thing I don’t need is my mother appearing like a pirate’s parrot on my shoulder when that happens. Then we’ll be really f-ed up.” she murmured, tossing the phone to her side and interlacing her hands on top of her navel, looking over at Nicole and her wandering little hands all over Rooster’s face, “You okay over there?”

He gives her a thumb up and the side of his mouth quirks up in a smile, “Great. She’s just exploring.”

“Aa!”

“Yeah, you are.” he picks Nicole from his face and blows a raspberry under her chin,earning a high pitched giggle that only made their hearts fill up with joy. He pulls back to smile at Nikki, holding her just a few inches above his head, ‘Can you imagine hearing something so sweet three times?” he asks, playfully swaying their daughter as if she was bobbing in the ocean very gently, “The house is going to be so full of life.”

Beatrice smiled back, leaning her temple against the headboard, “Yeah…it will be.”

“You are still nervous.” he says without taking his eyes off Nikki, “Because of your aunt.”

“I mean,yeah.”

“You said she wouldn’t mention it.”

“She won’t but,” she sighs, “I don’t know, I’ll have to talk to her about it, if she says something. I kinda want my parents to know about it too? And Mav…ugh,this is stressful. I hate it.”

“Stress isn’t good for the baby.”

“I know.” she says, “...at least you’ll be there with me.”

“Always,gorgeous.” he says as if it’s obvious, smirking at her. He sees that her brows are still furrowed so he gently brushes his thumb over the small crease, then drags it to the tip of her nose and then over her lips, letting her kiss the pad of his thumb, “We’ll be okay.” 

Beatrice doesn’t say anything, but nods with an appreciative smile before she drags herself to the edge of the bed, “I’m going to take a shower.” she says,running her hands through her hair, “Set our outfits ready and…then get the dogs?”

“I can do that.” he says, scooting to the edge himself, “The gifts are at your parents’ so that’s one thing less to worry about.”

“Yeah…right.”

“Bea,” she looks up when he calls, his eyes soft and smile gentle, “Baby, we’ll be fine. I promise you.”

Beatrice only gives him one weak smile then turns on her heel to the bathroom,disappearing from his view. Rooster stares at the space she once stood, then looks down at Nicole, holding her up like the precious doll she was, “Baby girl,we are going to give mommy a nice Christmas.”

“Aa!”

“Hell yeah we are.” he adjusts her on his grasp,”She deserves it.”

[sometimesraven]

20 Questions for AO3 Writers

I was tagged in this FOREVER ago by @the-frankenman-writes I'm sorry it took me so long to get to!

1. How many works do you have on A03?

89

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

84,067 (my fics are usually pretty short haha)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Quantum Leap (TV 2022) (18)

Dragon Age (Video Games) (17)

Detroit: Become Human (Video Game) (11)

Original Work (10)

Dead by Daylight (Video Game) (10)

The Witcher (TV) (6)

The Sandman (TV 2022) (5)

Doctor Who (5)

Elder Scrolls Online (2)

Critical Role (Web Series) (1)

Torchwood (1)

F.E.A.R. (Video Games) (1)

Mass Effect Trilogy (1)

The Champions (TV 1968) (1)

Baldur's Gate (Video Games) (1)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

The Cold and Dark (Detroit: Become Human)

Holy, Holy, Holy (Original)

Her Sweet Kiss (The Witcher)

Just A Scratch (The Witcher)

Less Than Stellar Judgement (The Witcher)

(,,, people really like my Geraltskier whump fics huh XD)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I respond to basically every comment I get, even if all I can usually manage is some variation of "sfkgjhsfkgj thank you!!" because I have no idea how to take praise but I want the commenter to know they mean the world to me

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angiest ending?

Ooooooooof uhhhhh probably the little Detroit: Become Human ficlet I did called I Will Go Down. TW for suicide XD But there are a lot of angsty fics on there so who knows lmao

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics end pretty bittersweet but I think Hope (Doctor Who) is one of my happiest endings <3

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, surprisingly! My fics don't usually have much reach tbf. The only time I got anything close to "hate" was an ableist saying my disabled Dragon Age Inquisition OC is unrealistic to the setting and would likely be "with their clan or dead".

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Sometimes! Usually it's abstract (a la Holy, Holy, Holy) or porn with feelings (a la A Tale of Yearning) but I've been known to indulge in a lil PWP on occasion

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Just one! I have an ongoing Torchwood x Quantum Leap crossover 'verse thanks to @chaos-of-the-endless 😂 I also wrote a Baldur's Gate x Dead by Daylight AU recently!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't believe so (please tell me if you ever do!)

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

no but some of my fics were inspired by other people or based on RP I've done in the past

14. What is your all time favorite ship?

Oh don't even XD uhhhhh right now it's Jenn&Ian from Quantum Leap and Geralt/Yennefer/Jaskier from the Witcher but my shipping loves go so far back I could never name an all time favourite

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Family Reunion :( I've been trying to write it for,,,, basically as long as I've been writing but I can never finish it and then years pass and I hate it and think it's cringe and want to start it from scratch, rinse and repeat)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Taking an impulsive headcanon and running with it. I have so many ficlets just because I thought of a headcanon and NEEDED to put it to the page. I also enjoy angst and hurt/comfort, things that expand on already existing angst and make it WORSE :3

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

In fic writing it's definitely description. I tend to get carried away in dialogue and forget to Say Other Stuff but I think I have a good handle on it now. That and smut, I enjoy writing it but I have to be either In The Mood or shut off my brain so I don't cringe so hard I delete it all bc I struggle with explicit content and get embarassed when things I'm writing are at all Kinky bc I have a crippling fear of judgement

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language for a fic?

As a reader I enjoy it! As a writer, just be careful, stick to one or two words rather than full dialogue if you don't have the time or energy to deep-google that shit

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Doctor Who <3

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

this changes daily but at the moment I'm loving Something More and the rest of my Sandman fics revolving around the dream OC I made for it. I'm in love with them and I enjoy writing their dynamic with the Endless siblings too <3

Tagging: anyone who wants to do this <3

[kefalion]

My AO3 2023 Wrapped

The post with the questions is here

Follow me below the cut to see my answers

Not all questions are relevant to my AO3 year, so some will be skipped

Fic you clicked on the most times this year (shows in History)

I went throguh 40 pages of history, so I'm not only sharing my top 1 clicked. You're getting a top 4 because the gap between nr 4 and nr 5 was huge. All top 4 have one thing in common. They're massive multichapter stories (or collections) that I began reading pre 2023. They're also all Star Wars

Number 4: edge of providence by adiduck (book_people), whimsicalimages. Visited 86 times

Status: Complete Words: 328,498 Chapters: 38/38

Anakin and Obi-Wan discover Kaminoo a few years earlier. It changes the course of the Galaxy. The main relationships is Obi-Wan & Anakin as well as Obi-Wan/Jango.

My favourite things about this story is seeing Obi-Wan be an excellent mentor to Anakin, the Sith plot unravel, and that the romantic relationship happens slowly, which to me makes it plausible

Number 3: The protégé by @spell-cleaver Visited 89 times

Status: Complete Words: 224,549 Chapters: 39/39

Sets up an alternative universe where Padmé joins Anakin when he turns on the Order and the Republic, Palpatine dies soon after, and Padmé becomes Empress Amidala. Follows Luke's journy in finding his family and finding himself.

What I like best about this story is that it's sprawling. The world feels huge and lived in. Naboo culture is explored beautifully. The relationships in the Skywalker family is another strong point. It's messy and real, but the love is always apperant.

Number 2: all the echoes fade by @reedroad Visited 93 times

Status: In progress. Words: 453,728 Chapters: 43/?

What if while searching for answers post the fall of the Empire, Luke fell into a parallel dimension where he and his sisters were raised by their Father? What if all the major characters from the films and animated shows were given room to shine? That's what this story does.

I love how big this story is and how at the same times, there is room for intimacy in how the relationships are shown. For example, the way Vader and Padmé's relationship is shown awed me time and again.

Numer 1: Prompted | Obikin by @intermundia. Visited 103 times

Status: "Complete" Words: 127,374 Chapters: 24/24

This is a compilation of short stories. Various AUs. From Modern. To various movie AUs. To Sith!Obi-Wan. All of them about Obi-Wan/Anakin. Maybe it's complete. Maybe more will be added.

To say why I like this is a bit tricker than the others. There are so many different things to be had here. All of it captures the essence of the relationship it is about, however, and to do it in so many packages is amazing.

2. First fic you clicked on this year

According to the History, I started the year with more of @spell-cleaver Fixing Your (Relation)Ship Since 5 AFE by SpellCleaver

3. First fic you Bookmarked this year

The Face of Antiquity by Lemon (lemon_sprinkles) for Cam_Watson

I have it marked as TBR. I've apparently not read it all year. Maybe this is how I should start my 2024

4. First fic you posted this year

A Roll of Destiny 

Status: Complete Words: 21,803  Chapters: 19/19

This is an RPG sheet story. I rolled out prompts and built a story about Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Set after the Kenobi series. It was a very different writing expereince. Not knowing what was going to happen next made it more akin to reading. I could only plan out short chapters at a time.

5. Your most read Fandom this year

Star Wars. Hands down. I barely read anything else.

6. Your most written for Fandom this year

Same. Hard same. Star Wars.

7. Your most read pairing this year

Obi-Wan/Anakin

8. Your most written for pairing this year

Obi-Wan/Anakin

9. Most popular fic by hits you read this year

Oh dear. I need to go through all 40 pages again. Let me quickly see how many more questions are about my reading History. Oh. Read. I just checked if it was in my history. I'm not going through all those pages again. Most hits in my history of 2023 goes to

Bring Him to His Knees by Musyc Hits: 1,726,530

Going by the fics that were grouped with it, I was checking what was popular. I have not read this.

10. Most popular fic by hits you posted this year

Visualising Our Fantasies [Explicit Obikin Art] by Kefalion, SageGarnish Hits: 43,352 This is a landslide victory. My post with the second most hits has just over 2000. I guess people are starved for explicit art.

11. Most popular fic by kudos you posted this year

Same. But by a smaller margin. 1st place 410. 2nd place 200

12. Most popular fic by comment threads you posted this year

Same again. 29 for Visualising Our Fantasies [Explicit Obikin Art] and 10 for the second highest number of comment threads

13. Your personal favorite fic you read this year

Difficult. I've read a lot of good fic. One series that stands out to me is

Star Wars: Aberration by SiegeGunn

The main character is Cal Kesits, and it explores how things could go of it was converted to the dark side and became an Inquisitor.

By being a series, it explores widely varying povs and characters, though the larger stories in the series focus on Cal. Really cool.

14. Your personal favorite fic you posted this year

Another very difficult question. Let's go with this

Complete Your Training by Kefalion

While watching the Ahsoka Series, and before it too, I had theories. And right before the way they decided to take the story was revealed, I wrote this in a frenzy. It came together over a long time and was written down in hours. Really cool experience. And I think the story turned out great too. It's also the first time I've posted a podfic

15. Most recent fic you clicked on

Aside from the ones I've clicked on to answer these questions, it's

Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Too Polite to Tell You About His Huge Penis by kingdomvel The title alone is art

16. Most recent fic you Bookmarked

Forget Me Not by AFishNamedSushi

Summary: 5 years into Obi-Wan’s exile on Tatooine, a man calling himself Anakin Skywalker comes to call upon the old Lars homestead. This man certainly looks like Obi-Wan’s old Padawan, but he has no memory of the Clone Wars, his life with the Jedi, or Obi-Wan.

Status: Complete Words: 48,050  Chapters: 12/12

17. Most recent fic you posted

I added a chapter to the explicit art collection. Prior to that it's Complete your training from question 14

18. Highest word count fic you read this year

skip

19. Highest word count fic you posted this year

A Roll of Destiny  That's the RPG fic I mentioned in question 4. A bit over 20k words.

20. Your total word count posted this year (shows in Statistics)

34,662

21. Your total hits this year (shows in Statistics)

51,654

22. Your total kudos this year (shows in Statistics)

915

23. Your total comment threads this year (shows in Statistics)

54

24. Least popular fic by hits you read this year

thy fearful symmetry @ossidae-passeridae Only 144 hits atm! Go give it some love! But mind the tags! Dae doesn't write for the faint of heart. It's star wars. It's a reaction to the Mandalorian season 3. It's just over 2k words. And it's clever and unsettling.

25. Least popular fic by hits you posted this year

Complete Your Training makes another apperance. Hits: 1,074

26. Least popular fic by kudos you posted this year

Complete Your Training again. Kudos: 71

27. Least popular fic by comment threads you posted this year

Not a tripple whammy for Complete your training. Story with the least comment threads goes to Take Care of Yourself, I Wish I Could 

It's the first story I've written with explicit sexual content, and it's more of that than plot. I see why people hold off commenting. But that trend was more obvious than I expected at the time of posting.

Status: complete Words: 7,095  Chapters: 1/1 Star Wars - Obi-Wan/Anakin

28. Number of fics you clicked on this year (20 per page)

I've gone on and on about my fourty pages. 39x20 + 11 makes it 791 fics I've clicked from January to the start of December

29. Number of Bookmarks you made this year (20 per page)

222 - What a nice number!

30 - 45 skip

It's mainly about popular fandoms and ships. I've already answered that. It's Star Wars and Obi-Wan/Anakin

46. A playlist of all the songs you used lyrics from to title fics this year

I've not used any songs for titles. I have so many WIPs of this variety though. Next year maybe!

47. Shout out an incomplete fic you read this year

See you around, Jedi by PaperCraneCastles

Let's go with this. It's Cal Kestis/Boba Fett.

This is what I wrote when I bookmarked it: delightful. The characterisations are so fun. Boba is more than hot. He wears his competency well.

Words: 7,602 Chapters: 3/4

48. Oldest fic you read this year

Every so often I visit my old fandoms. This is from such a time. Updated Okt 2012 we have a Mass Effect fic THE STEPS AND THE SHORE by spicyshimmy

But holy wow did I almost only read fics from 2023 and 2022. Seeing 201x was frighteningly rare. I think it's because I've read so much Star Wars fic over three years. Only new things are new to me.

49. Your most posted Additional Tag this year

eh... There's no most. Got a lot of 2s

Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics (2)

POV Third Person Limited (2)

Scenting (2)

Animated GIFs (2)

POV Anakin Skywalker (2)

50. Your favorite comment you left or received this year

How do I pick one???

This one was fun.

I’m crying? WHY AM I CRYING???

To get people to experience emotions is always the goal

[superman86to99]

Superman #89 (May 1994)

Superman's in space again... again! This time, because he's getting so big that pretty soon he won't even fit on Earth. Last issue, we left the increasingly grotesque Super-Superman strapped to a giant rocket that was taking him to a space station where Dr. Anthony "Big Words" Rodriguez of Project Cadmus is supposed to cure the condition that's turning him into The Hulk But With More Clothes. In this issue we find out that Superman has improbably gotten even bigger. The only thing of his that has shrunk seems to be his vocabulary.

Dr. Rodriguez' idea is to ask Superman to shoot his heat vision into a somewhat “Weapon X”-looking helmet that will safely channel his excess energy into space. Seven hours later, Superman's heat vision is still going, but he STILL looks like a caveman doing Superman cosplay. Eventually, the helmet gives out and Superman's ultra-potent heat vision destroys the entire space station. (Why, it's so potent, it even seems to be coming out of his mouth and chin!)

Superman has to figure out how to save Dr. Rodriguez from the vacuum of space despite the fact that 1) he can't see (he had to wrap some metal around his eyes like a bandana to stop the heat vision), 2) they can’t hear each other, and 3) Superman can't even touch the guy without crushing every bone in his body. Eventually, Big Words manages to grab onto Superman's cape and hop on top of him like a big space horsey. Then, Superman has to manage to fly back into Earth's atmosphere without turning Dr. Rodriguez into a flaming skeleton. I'd say that Superman was able to do this by extending his special "aura" so it protected Big Words too, but we all know the real explanation for this scene is "it’s comics, shut up."

Once the two have safely landed on Metropolis' bay, there's the small matter of the big, burning space station tumbling down towards Metropolis. That's where Superman's ultra-potent eye lasers finally come in handy, since they allow him to pulverize the whole station with one blast. Hooray! The only problem is that he's still huge and clumsy, and this storyline didn't really progress beyond making him a little bit huge-er. CONTINUED!

Plotline-Watch:

We get a brief update on Lex Luthor Jr.'s health, and it just hit me (almost 30 years after first reading these issues) that his storyline is the complete opposite of Superman's: while Supes gets bigger and stronger, Lex is basically shrinking down and looks like he’ll probably disappear into his Professor X hover chair any second now. I like that, despite the deadly clone virus ravaging his body and the fact that he's at war with a powerful government organization, none of that worries him as much as a pesky reporter snooping into his business...

Speaking of which, we find out that Lex has used his hacking abilities to plant ANOTHER wacky headline into the Daily Planet under Lois Lane's byline, although this one is a little more believable than the alien lovechild one: "LEX LUTHOR II IS REALLY ELVIS PRESLEY". On top of that, he also framed her for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Planet. As a result, publisher Franklin "Frankenstern" Stern forces Perry White to fire Lois. This is a bit of a "You shouldn't have signed it" moment for Lois, as she realizes Lex MUST be behind her misfortunes and she has to "get him" before he gets her.

Regarding this storyline, Don Sparrow says: “Jurgens is generally the most frequent user of the Daily Planet’s articles as a story element, and the results are usually mixed (I remember Perry’s editorial about generosity at Christmastime way back in Adventures #462 being a particularly unrealistically maudlin piece of journalism—though nowhere near as awful as the “articles” in the Joe Kelly/Joe Casey era—the last page of Action #780 being perhaps the very worst it got) but the idea that a newspaper would go to print with obviously fake, wacky headlines twice really strains credulity, even in a comic book about a solar powered god in a cape. One time, mayyyyyybe, but after that, you can guarantee that the editors and publishers would be all over the printing process for the next issue. I quibble, I know, but it sticks out (as does the idea that Lois Lane would somehow suddenly have access or ability to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars). Also, if Lois really had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars, it would be a matter for the police, not merely HR.” I agree that having TWO wacky headlines slip in is completely unrealistic... but they’re pretty funny, so I’ll give them a pass.

Perry seems to be taking Lois' firing even harder than her. He points out that he's known her since she was a girl, which is true, as we found out during the World of Metropolis miniseries. In fact, he's so distraught over having to fire someone who's "like a daughter" to him that he doesn't even seem to notice the space station blowing up right behind him! Then again, this is Metropolis; they probably see a giant explosion go off in the middle of the city about two or three times a day.

Patreon-Watch:

Fun fact: This post was started on a stolen computer! (As in, one that has since been stolen from me, not one I stole myself.) The main reason I’m getting off my butt and retyping/finishing it now is because we promised monthly posts to our awesome patrons, Aaron, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, Bheki Latha, Mark Syp, Ryan Bush, Raphael Fischer, Kit, Sam, and Bol, who read half of this at the end of May over at https://www.patreon.com/superman86to99. If it wasn’t for our patrons we’d probably still be at “Reign of the Supermen,” so shout out to them!

And now: more from the also awesome Don Sparrow, after the jump:

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow​):

Another caveman Superman cover, enhanced by some nice rim lighting.  It’s interesting that the generally wavy/curly Superman/Fabio hair has become limp and straight for the more Neanderthal Superman.  The brush spatter stars here are well done, but the space junk looks a little rushed to me.  Kudos for the off-centre UPC, which adds to the chaotic feel of this upside-down cover.

Inside we get another look at the dying clone body of Lex Luthor II, notably completely hairless, which is quite a switch for this lion of a man. This scene gives way to a two page spread of our hulking Superman, which is a transformation, even over the last issue.

Super-Caveman’s eyes are completely white for much of the story, adding to the inhuman feeling established by the oversized body, and pea-sized head.  I do have some logistical questions about how Superman’s belt and belt-buckle appear to be stretching proportionately with his body, but—it’s comics—so I shouldn’t probe too deeply.  The tiny fingernails are a nice touch, that help indicate this massive growth was sudden.

A little later into the story, Franklin Stern is well-drawn, though I miss the days when artists would hand-draw headlines—this computer text has some perspective issues.  The conflict on Perry’s face as Stern demands Lois be terminated is well drawn (even if it would be glaringly obvious to an old journo like Perry that Lois is being framed, but more on that later).

The double page spread as Superman’s heat vision overwhelms the Newsboy Legion’s collection gadget is appropriately explosive.  I particularly like the use of grease pencil on the outline of Superman’s heat vision. Though perhaps the dialogue on that page sends something of a mixed message.

Lastly, the bleak, blank expression on Perry as he fires Lois is well-done, though I perhaps might have expected a little more emotion on her face in reaction to the news.  

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

The super-team is dangerously close to risking the ire of the notoriously litigious Disney corporation on the credits page, where three overlapping planets create a distinctive silhouette.  

I feel like the Elvis Presley connection of the headline is something of a nod to the King-obsessed Perry White on the then-currently-airing Lois and Clark TV show. [Max: I’ve always felt like it was a callback to that issue they did with all the Elvis-like sightings for the recently “dead” Lex Luthor Sr., Action #668, but it could be both things.]

I absolutely love the character consistency that when a space station suddenly explodes, and he is thrust into the vacuum of space instantaneously, Big Words still takes the time to say “An irreparable breech in the hull?  I am at a loss for words.” Classic. It must be both fun and challenging for the writer to come up with improbably tangled ways of saying simple things throughout the story.

[plothooksinc]

👋 fanfic writer ask game: 3, 4, 15?

Yosh o/

3. What’s a fic idea that you have but haven’t written yet?

A couple, but they're both ROTTMNT because everything else is already in the process of being written. One being relatively short and like a palate cleanser for NRFTW I guess (and because Hueso's entire presence in that fic was trying to get Leo to pick up his phone because there are humans in his restaurant whyyy):

Hueso takes his trash out at the end of the night and finds Leo sprawled in his dumpster for unknown reasons, but he's slightly bruised and exceedingly high and this is a very large test of Hueso's patience (and he doesn't feel any concern, of course he doesn't)

Okay, so upgrading Bishop from annoying third-wheel thorn in everyone's side to the outright antagonist as the man tries to adjust his world view after the events of NRFTW and makes a few calls, some of them surprisingly decent but several of them Not Decent At All, on the background of the turtles dealing with weird spots of corruption in mechanical objects found across the city (think Rise comedy crossed with creepy horrorville as a vending machine tries to pack itself with victims off the street, or an ATM literally having an existential crisis, and then there's all those Albearto bears)-- luckily Donnie seems to know where to find all this weird corruption and it reacts to him in a variety of ways from positive to outright yandere. His brothers would really like to know how and why and if he's doing okay? Please? Yes, this is a direct follow on from NRFTW, though several months down the track so Leo can get out of bed already. (The poor guy.)

I did have a third idea but literally 24 hours after I thought of it I saw the plot go past in a summary on AO3 so I went WELP /tosses it out the window, lmao

4. Do you prefer writing multi-chapter or oneshot fanfictions?

Much of a muchness! Like 1. above is a one shot and 2. most definitely isn't, I'm happy to write either depending on the story I try to write. I've written more one shots than multi-lengths, I think, but sometimes you can tell stories in the space of a few pages. (And sometimes you think you can and you're crying 89 pages later going why.)

15. Are there words, phrases, mannerisms or scenes you tend to use a lot?

Oh gosh, yes. People blink and breathe a lot in my fics, lmao. I MEAN WE ALL DO but I use them as shorthand for //processing// a lot, or breathing to steel yourself for what you're about to do next, etc etc. As said much earlier, I have a habit of saying such things like "He slept" but I've been good about this lately! (She says knowing full well she uses it in the chapter she's currently writing, shh.)

I tend to quirk a lot of small grins, have lopsided grins, and You Would Not Believe How Many Characters Are Capable Of Raising A Solitary Eyebrow (Or Eye Ridge As The Case May Be) and I have a fondness for writing scenes where characters wake up after several days out but that's just the comfort side of my hurt/comfort head space. Also I apparently kidnap people a lot ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ALSO LIKE MANY I SUFFER FROM SAID-BOOKISM (i.e. way too many adverbs, I literally comb through afterward and try to remove some they're just everywhere like my italics) so. I definitely have my tells as an author, but hopefully nobody grinds their teeth over them, lmao.

Thank you!

Fanfic Writer Ask Game Here

[morfinwen]

1, 13, 19, 40, 64, 65, 89, and 99 for the fanfic writers ask, please?

This dates back to uh January. But i just finished it!

1. do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

I think it’s the middles that usually throw me, so it’s like i’ve got a destination, but it leads through figurative wilderness through which i can only hope to find a road, or at least a reasonably hikeable deer path.

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

This story basically died at chapter 5. I had no idea how to handle the current section or where it would go after that, so it just sat there. For months -- years, i think -- i made no progress on it. Then out of nowhere, i knew how to proceed. And i finished it without any further struggles. To this day, i have no idea why, but i’m very happy about it.

19. what are some books or authors that influenced your style the most?

If it seems like i’ve been particularly influenced by someone, let me know! Because i certainly don’t have a clue.

40. best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I’ve probably talked about the actual best feedback i’ve ever gotten already, but recently a blog i like reblogged one of my fics and tagged it “oooh i like this”, which was encouraging.

64. what is your favorite title for a fic you’ve read? 

I don’t really notice names, and i don’t have the patience to comb through all 20 pages of bookmarked fic on AO3 to find The Best Ones, so i’m going with one of the first ones i found. That said, Nothing Says “Feel Better Soon” Like Grand Larceny is a good title.

65. what is your favorite title for a fic you’ve written? 

Names are hard and most of them are not superb, but my most recent posted work, “of fire lilies and boys with golden eyes” is perhaps my favorite. That, or “Mirror Zombies”.

89. sarcastic narrators: entertaining or overdone?

I don’t think they’re overdone, it’s just a matter of doing it well. 

99. was being a writer a dream of yours when you were little? or did it spring up when your older? or is it just a hobby? 

My first memories of using a computer are using it to write stories, and at one point i found an old notebook in which my mom had written down stories i had come up with but wasn’t able to write for myself. So yeah, it’s a very old hobby of mine.

Thanks for asking!

[myraelvira]

A Conversation with Sammy Duet

On December 21st, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sammy Duet on Zoom. Sammy has been in a plethora of bands, such as Crowbar, Ritual Killer, Goatwhore, and of course, Acid Bath. Acid Bath was the main reason I had hoped to chat with him, as earlier that year I made a 2 hour video about the band, and managed to write somewhere around 89 pages on their history. And yet, after it all, I still had questions left unanswered even after listening to the hours of his archived live streams, and the various newspaper clippings that I came across online. I watched what I am pretty sure was every Goatwhore/Sammy Duet interview at the time. And while there were some really good interviews out there, none were able to answer those final Acid Bath questions I had.

For some reason, I sent him a message on Instagram asking if he’d be interested in ‘totally not an interview because I’m not a journalist 🤮’ at 2 am one night. Surprisingly, a few hours later, he said yes. After a while, it finally happened.

December 21st was that special day, and when I messaged him asking we were still on, he replied telling me “Yes!”. Once I read that, I went into panic mode. It was happening. It was really happening. I was so incredibly nervous, I could not stop trembling. I had to take extra anxiety pills to calm the fuck down. They barely worked. My stupid ass was a few minutes late trying to finish my makeup and he was already in the Zoom room, waiting for me. I could have just shit myself right there. But I hadn’t even eaten yet that day. [Also, it’s not like I wasn’t totally crushing on him or anything.]

I quickly set up my camera and tried to point it at me. I couldn’t really tell if it was a good angle or not. I didn’t have my glasses on, because I wanted him to think I was cute.

We talked for about 10 minutes before I realized that I wasn’t recording anything. Things didn’t go as planned, and the audio got jacked up. But it was a fun experience either way. Below is a majority of the conversation, transcribed by myself. The conversation as a whole went longer than I think either of us planned. My recorded audio is about 1 hour and 38 minutes long. I hope that if you read this, you get to learn something new today. (●'◡'●)

The actual beginning of the recording starts off with Sammy talking about some of the religious experiences he had as a child. This is only partial audio, but we briefly discussed the oddity of Pentecostal women having to be fully clothed, and how, at least where he lived growing up, that there were people of this denomination that would snake handle. The act of handling snakes, knowing that they’re dangerous, but having the faith in God that things would be okay. As Sammy said,

“This snake isn’t going to bite me and kill me, because God loves me so much. And I guess that’s why my religious beliefs are so [different] you know? It's that kind of thing, it’s completely polar opposite.”

Me: You know, it’s funny you say that, where I live, now in just in the middle of nowhere in rural Texas, you have the Mexican Catholics, and the cultish looking Pentecostals. Like for example, if I go to the grocery store, I’ll see the women-I don’t know how it is over there-

Sammy: They’ve got a lot of clothes!

Me: Yeah, it’s the long, long, skirts

Sammy: Long skirts, long sleeved shirts, and their hair is made up, I feel very sorry for those women. But anyway!

[We talked a little bit more about religion, but unfortunately I can’t make out the audio fully. I had mentioned how even to this day, I’m trying to undo behaviors that are deeply rooted in religion, I didn’t even realize it. Sammy seemed to understand, and ended his commentary with, “Don’t even get me started on that”. ]

Me: There is some things that I found pretty interesting while I was doing my research for the Acid Bath shit, and some coincidences that made me think, “Oh that’s so freakin’ weird!”. When I had read online, I had found the newspaper article online, saying that you guys were really big in South Dakota…for some god awful reason.

Sammy: Uh, what happened with that was, nobody cared. [We] were playing maximum for [small groups of people]. So basically, when we were together, playing and touring, there wasn’t a whole lot of…attention! So like, when we would go on tour, we’d play 4 shows, max as Acid Bath, and nobody cared.

Something happened in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where there was the guy that ran this radio show out there, and everybody from the college would hear, and he would constantly play Acid Bath. And for some reason…I guess it caught on in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The first time we played there, it was like-insane. When we’d tour the United States, like I said, we would have played like to 5 people a night. I mean, that’s a massive jump to play one show, and then one where there’s a crowd there.

It surprised us! Ya know? So that’s why that place was such a special place for Acid Bath, because the first time we played there, it was insane! So that’s why Sioux Falls, South Dakota [was significant for us]. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, imagine that. I did not see that coming.

Me: No, I couldn’t either. I was really surprised…I mean, I can tell you why you guys were so popular there, it’s because nothing else ever comes up there; and I say that because I lived up in South Dakota for about 6 years, but I lived on the western side of the state from Box Elder, Rapid City, to Spearfish. Granted, those sides of the states are so different of course, but still similar at the same time. I mean, South Dakota is not the type of place that people go to play shows at. It was like 2008 or 2009 on Type O Negative’s last tour that they decided to come to Rapid City, and I was shocked.

- -

Me: I noticed that there were a lot of videos from around the 2015 time period, where people would say, “Hey Sammy, you haven’t seen Goblin yet?”. I mean now, have you?

Sammy: The band Goblin?

Me: Yes.

Sammy: No, I haven’t seen them yet. I always wanted to. Sucks. And recently they played at a place in New Orleans, earlier last March. [I can’t make out the audio, but he talked about the place that they played at, a chill place where people like to hang out. “But once again, I didn’t see them”, as he was touring.]

Me: There was this video from 2013 where Goatwhore played at Housecore Horror in Austin, Texas, in 2013. Then 2 years later, Housecore Horror was in San Antonio, and I went to that one and I’ll never forget, that they had Goblin there, playing the soundtrack to ‘Dawn of The Dead’ as the movie played. [The 1978 version that is] And I was like, “Oh my god! If only Goatwhore played at the 2015 Housecore Horror!”. Was this the same time period where King Diamond said that you guys were too heavy for him?

Sammy: No, that was around the Abigail tour. I think it was around the anniversary tour? One of those. But uh, yeah, it was the Abigail anniversary tour or whatever. [He was still thinking about it, but couldn’t seem to place it exactly]

Me: I just thought that was interesting, like man, if you guys came to the 2015 one, you guys could have watched it. You could have been there. (┬┬﹏┬┬)

Well, I’ve got to ask, with “Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven”, is it supposed to be the Ten of Swords [tarot card]?

Sammy: Yes. It is the Ten of Swords. It’s supposed to represent something very bad happening.

[I had asked him if it was meant to be reversed, though he didn’t tell me yes or no. I honestly don’t think it was supposed to be, based off what he told me.]

Me: Yes, yes…believe me. I was really curious about the back, at least, the back of vinyl, I bought mine through Bandcamp so I don’t know if you guys have it totally different in other ones, but the back kind of reminds me of the Page of Swords. Is that intentional? Or is it just a skeleton dude?

Sammy: I don’t-I wanna say for sure. Like, our singer Ben Falgoust and the artist, Jordan Barlow are on the same wavelength when they came up with ideas. It might be.

Me: Yeah, I wasn’t sure, because the sword was pointing down. I’m sure you already know, but the regular card has the sword pointing up. Why the Ten of Swords though?

Sammy: I mean, like I said, usually when you see the Ten of Swords in the cards it is not something good. I usually like to leave the interpretation [out in the open].

Me: Does it have anything to do with “Weight of a Soulless Heart” or Perdition [And I Was Delivered From The Wound of Perdition]?

Sammy: There’s no real connection to any song, it’s kind of…it’s not connected to any song.

Me: Mhm…even “Invocation 3”?

Sammy: Yes…yes.

Me: When are we gonna get “Invocation 4”?

Sammy: Probably on the next record. We might skip 4 and go with 7.

Me: Why?

Sammy: Why not?

Me: Well then it’s gonna be like Microsoft going from Windows 8 to 10!

Sammy: Exactly! Or you never know, it could be like “Invocation 3.1”.

Me: Enough about technology! Anyway, the reason I even bring up the Ten of Swords, is because some of the interviews I watched, some people called it the 9 of swords. And I was like, “Do I need a new pair of glasses?” because I kept counting 10.

But it was really interesting to me, because I saw the artwork and thought, “That’s some spooky shit” because early this year, in January [2022], I had a tarot reading and I was lucky enough to get the Ten of Swords reversed! Could you believe that? And a couple of other things, like the Page of Swords, The Devil, so obviously I had a really great year.

But, I saw that and I was like, “Man I don’t know why it’s exactly connected together” but, for whatever reason, ‘Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven’ came at a point in my life where things were not exactly great.

- -

Me: So here’s the Acid Bath stuff. Honestly, who came up with the name?

Sammy: It was our drummer [Jimmy Kyle]. This was back when the band was still called Golgatha. There were all these changes happening, so we decided to change the name and couldn’t really think of a really good name because all the really cool names were taken at the time. And, during that point and time, the five of us were taking a lot LSD. Like. A lot. And, somebody, I believe it was Jimmy, brought up the name because we were so fond of this LSD we were taking, that we were like “Why don’t we change the name to Acid Bath?”. Let’s roll with that, and if anything better comes up, a better idea, we could change to that. But it just kind of stuck. That’s basically where the name came from.

Me: So was the connection to the Acid Bath Killer unintentional?

Sammy: Yes. We were not aware of that at the time.

Me: I had wondered about that, and I know that people have asked you about that before. I kind of like the idea of being so…so fucking high that you’re stuck in an “acid bath”.

Sammy: Yeah…it kind of happens you know.

Me: I had read about the Angel’s Trumpet, and I had seen the one video that Josh had posted, of you talking about your experience with it. And I was like, “Fuck that!” [Laughs] I could never do that!

Sammy: Yeah that was no fun. It wouldn’t stop, it lasted for days. That was uh, the first and last time I took Angel’s Trumpets.

Me: Yeah, it sounds kind of like the Methamphetamine version of hallucinogens. I’ve heard of people being high for days on meth.

Sammy: Yeah…it’s not really what I’m into.

Me: What, Angel Trumpets or Meth?

Sammy: Either!

Me: I’m personally not really big into drugs. The most I’ve ever done was just get really fucking high on weed. But, I have issues. I’m the type of person now that, I guess I just smoked so much that I instantly have a panic attack. It happened to me earlier this fuckin’ year.

Sammy: You’re not the only one that feels that way, trust me.

- -

Me: I wanted to apologize for my actions on Instagram. I know that it wasn’t professional.

Sammy: You have nothing to apologize for. The thing you have to realize, is that I like to fuck with people. So if I give you a smart ass answer….

- -

Me: You know, I was really curious if you or any of the other guys were into true crime, and stuff like that?

Sammy: I know Dax was heavily into it, he was really into that stuff. But you know, I dabble.

Me: Wow that actually answers a lot for me. I notice that with “Kite String”, it was released right before the 25th anniversary of Tate-LaBianca.

Sammy: That was completely unintentional.

Me: I once had seen that somebody has asked you what you thought of Charles Manson’s music. Do you actually like it?

Sammy: I had one record, but it had some really good songs on it. In one recording, he stops, and he starts yelling at this person. A guy comes in and asks for a cigarette, and Charlie loses his mind.

Me: That sounds like how he was, from everything I read.

---

Me: I forgot to ask you, how are you doing today?

Sammy: Good. Just practicing. A lot. Getting ready for the tour. [This was a little over a month before they went on tour in Europe at the beginning of 2023].

Me: Are you nervous?

Sammy: Oh no.

Me: Did you by chance ever see the Acid Bath video I made?

Sammy: No, I haven’t yet.

Me: It’s alright, I mean, it’s 2 hours long. [When I said this he looked shocked]. I guess I did find quite a bit of information.

What ever happened to Kelly [Audie’s brother]?

Sammy: Kelly, the last I heard, was in the military. I know I was hanging out with him a lot for a long time, then he just kind of…disappeared.

Me: I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Metal Archives, but it had said that you and Kelly had been in a band together, what, like a 2-piece?

Sammy: It was a 3-piece band, it was like, a Doom band. Myself and Kelly, and the drummer. It never really went anywhere

Me: So it just lasted all in the same year that it started?

Sammy: Yeah. You know, we never really took it seriously.

Me: Let’s go back to having hopefully more of a good time. Or at least, I hope you’re having a good time, it’s okay if you’re not.

Sammy: [Laughs]

[ I then asked him if he still had his natural teeth, as years ago, Sammy had to have his jaw wired shut after getting into a bar fight. If you don’t know, this is pretty much the reason how and why Ben Falgoust became the singer for Goatwhore. Since Sammy’s jaw was wired shut! ]

Me: Did you ever go to jail for all the bar fights?

Sammy: Luckily, no. I managed to avoid the police!

Me: It’s funny, I remember this interview that Josh posted on the archive [Acid Bath Archive on youtube] where they called you Bart Simpson. Do you feel like, growing up, you were a lot like Bart?

Sammy: [Pause] No.

Me: Really?

Sammy: No. I was a lot more, how can I say it, I was a lot more intellectual. I was always aware of the repercussions of my actions. I was always…”How could I not get caught?”. How to get away with doing this fucked up shit.

Me: Well, what was the shit you were doin’? Were you throwing roaches at people?

Sammy: Kid shit! You get bored, and do dumb shit. Trying to not get caught. A lot of kids would do it, and not worry about the repercussions I was always aware of “How can I do this and not get caught?”.

Me: I found this newspaper clipping about that stabbing, I think you guys were on tour with Incantation. Do you remember that?

Sammy: Yes, I remember that. We were on tour, I want to say it was either Brooklyn or Manhattan, something like that. And Incantation and Immolation played a show at this place called ‘The Voodoo Lounge’. And it was downstairs in this basement, and it was like, the show was just-insanity. You couldn’t move in the place, it was crazy. And apparently, the other guy there was very short tempered. Something happened, where the singer at the time, Mike, that was singing for Incantation, was walking through the crowd to get to the backstage. And then this place was so fucking packed you had to kind of squeeze your way through. And apparently Mike and another guy act like he’s trying to get through the crowd and the guy pulled out a knife. Like, slashed Mike’s forearm. And this other guy jumped in to stop it and then that guy gets his face slashed. So they wrestled the guy to get the knife, and he gets out of the hold that our friends got him in and runs upstairs outside. So they catch him, and they proceed to beat the living shit out of him. The cops show up and they’re like, “Yeah, alright, we’re taking this guy to jail.”. Seeing the guy outside, his head was just wrapped up with gauze. They beat this guy up bad. But the funny thing was, the cops came, it was a big fiasco and there was blood everywhere. But the cops just arrested the one guy that did the stabbing and just let everybody else go. Mike had been slashed on his arm, on his bicep, and the guy who was slashed in the face was basically holding his face together.

Me: Would you consider writing a book about your life?

Sammy: Possibly, you know? If the situation was right. Yeah probably you know? I’ve been definitely approached about it a couple of times.

Me: What would be the right situation?

Sammy: Just having someone that actually gives a fuck about reading. Someone that would honestly be into it, and into the details. I’d actually want to do it the right way, and actually kind of engage the reader rather than “Oh ya know, this happened….” And getting to the point instead of, “I had a pet horse when I was 8.”.

Me: Did you have a pet horse when you were 8?

Sammy: Actually, yes!

Me: [Laughs]

Sammy: I had a horse and other phantom pets.

Me: I heard that you spent a little bit of your childhood in Scotland. Right? Or no?

Sammy: Yes. I can’t really remember a whole lot about it. I was so young when it happened. But my father, at the time, was a tugboat captain. Something happened where he had some job out there, for like, a couple of years. So me, my mom, and my sister moved out there.

Me: That’s really interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anybody living in Scotland. I didn’t even know that people actually lived there. [Laughs]

Sammy: Yes! Lots of people live out there!

Me: I don’t know what my segue was from there, but what would you say is your earliest memory in life?

Sammy: I can’t answer that.

Me: Well what is it today? It’s okay if it’s the horses at 8, I can accept that.

Sammy: I can’t, I can’t answer that question. [Laughs] Like, I’d have to sit here and really think…I can’t answer that question. I don’t know. My earliest memory…I can’t answer that. I don’t know.

Me: Do you feel like the older you get, age is a luxury?

Sammy: Uh, to an extent yes. You start to realize a lot of things that [don’t matter].

Me: What were the things that concerned you when you were younger?

Sammy: Oh just things in life, nothing in particular. Ya know? The things you worry about, that you won’t worry about in ten years. It’s now irrelevant. It’s like the older you get, the less fucks you give.

Me: Is it true that you actually grew up speaking Cajun French first?

Sammy: Yes.

Me: If you were to hear bits and pieces today, would you be able to say, “Oh I know that word!”?

Sammy: Oh yeah. I mean, I kind of lost it, I haven’t spoken it in so long, but [if I hear someone speak it] it’ll come back to me.

Me: Are you lost during the times that you go to France?

Sammy: No, Cajun French is very similar. I’ll hear things and think, “I know what they’re talking about”. I’m not gonna get into the conversation. The way I was taught how to speak French, they’d probably look at me like I was fucking crazy.

Me: That’s actually pretty funny, that was actually like a coincidence. Back in school I took five years of French and not because I genuinely wanted [at first]. It was really weird where my last name was at the end of the alphabet, so for whatever reason, they [my school] had it set up where if your last name was A-M, they could go to Spanish class; And everyone else gets French. And I was everyone else. I still even remember some of it, ya know?

I was confused when you called Boris [one of his cats] a ‘cochon’, because I thought it was ‘cornichon’. And I was like, “Why did you call him a pickle?” [Laughs]

Sammy: Cochon means pig. (‾◡◝)

Me: So what do you guys do on tour for food?

Sammy: Unfortunately, we have to eat a lot of fast food. Sometimes it’s a gamble, because you never know if it’s going to be really good or terrible. So it’s just kind of like, ya know, eating a lot of fast food wishing the best; and then we carry a lot of stuff in the van that won’t go bad. Stuff that’s sustainable.

Me: Well, if I didn’t know better, it sounds like you’re living through the apocalypse.

Sammy: Almost…it’s kind of a preparation.

Me: [Laughs] Are you a doomsday prepper?

Sammy: No.

Me: Why not? [Laughs] 15 gallon buckets of corn! Delicious.

Sammy: If I die, I’ll die. When it’s my time, it’s okay.

Me: How would you want to be remembered?

Sammy: Huh? I don’t know. That’s a good question. I’d like to be remembered as anyone would like to remember me. That’s how I’d like to be remembered. Cause I won’t have any say in the situation after it happens.

Me: Were you one of these people during the Pandemic taking all the toilet paper?

Sammy: No, I was not.

Me: Would you admit it if you were?

Sammy: Yes, I would.

Me: [Laughs] What do you use? 1-ply, 2-ply, 3-ply? I’ve read somewhere that there’s 4.

Sammy: Whatever is cheapest. It’s just my butt.

Me: Why not?

Sammy: Ya know, it’s a butt! It’ll be fine!

Me: So, how Southern would you rate yourself? Do you deep fry everything and drink sweet tea?

Sammy: To an extent yes, I’d say about a 6 or a 7.

Me: [Laughs] Well, what would make a 10?

Sammy: What would make a 10? If all you drank was sweet tea, and deep fried…EVERYTHING! That would make a 10, yes.

Me: [Laughs] So do you go fishing when you’re at home?

Sammy: No unfortunately, I would love to but uh, I haven’t had the opportunity in a few years.

Me: Would you fish for fun, or catch something and eat it?

Sammy: If we caught something that was tasty, we’d keep it and fucking eat it. Yeah, hell yeah!

Me: Are you allergic to anything?

Sammy: Nothing. I’m impenetrable.

Me: Do you guys like Arby’s, or do you avoid it?

Sammy: We try to avoid Arby’s at all costs. It’s definitely not high on the list. We try to eat relatively healthy.

Me: Would you consider becoming a vegan like Rob Zombie?

Sammy: Um, no. I like seafood too much.

Me: Are you a cook, or do you like to cook?

Sammy: I…I have my moments. Yeah.

Me: [Laughs] I’m just asking! You seem to take offense to that.

Sammy: No! I’m not offended. I can cook simple things, ya know?

Me: What like frying eggs or?

Sammy: [Pauses] I can definitely fry an egg.

Me: [Laughs]

Sammy: I can cook all kinds of stuff. Ya know, raised in southern Louisiana, that’s all there was to do, cook. My mom was cooking something, my dad was cooking something, grandmothers. I kind of learned a lot of stuff from that.

Me: Have you ever eaten rattlesnake?

Sammy: No, I have not eaten rattlesnake, ever. But I’m willing to try it, yes.

Me: We had some a few years ago, a friend came back from his farm with I think, a diamondback rattle snake. You know, one of those ‘fucking kill you’ ones, and we skinned it. Basically, to me, it tasted like pork. More like a pork chop, than people will say chicken. I would recommend it, just try not to get yourself killed while doing it.

Personally, I like to cook. That’s my main thing. I always say, if I end up on like, my 600 pound life, at least I ate really good food. Not that I want to be like that.

Sammy: Alright, I have to get going. So, it was very nice talking to you.

Me: Mhm

Sammy: [Teases me for saying ‘mhm’, because I was doing it the whole conversation]

Me: What?!

Sammy: It’s alright. I gotta go do some errands I have to go buy some fish.

Me: Oh…oh my god it is. Sorry about that.

Sammy: That’s alright. So uh, it was nice talking to you.

Me: I really enjoyed this, I did. I appreciate this. (❁´◡`❁)

---

Once again, I have to say thank you to Sammy for agreeing to do this with me. It was a real pleasure talking to you. I really hope in the future that we can do this again!

If you're interested in following his social media, he is most commonly found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammypierreduet/

[todays-just-a-daydream]

lesson no. 1 in ticketmaster: just say no

looking at tickets for a local show to gauge the fees that ticketmaster might add on the oasis general sale tickets tomorrow.

this show i’m using as an example is a week from now. it probably will not sell out as it’s a new artist in a venue that’s outdoors and typically doesn’t sell out completely.

i click on general admissions for 2 tickets. they are listed at $35 each. so $70 face value and i’m curious what service fees will be added to $70.

but once i go check out, ticketmaster gives me an alert that the price of the ticket i selected has changed. say what?

my $35 per ticket price has changed to $49 each. but i looked at the venue map. i know what i clicked on. the $49 ones are in front of the section i want.

so i say no. i close out my checkout and go back to the venue page and click on the same tickets again.

then i go to checkout again. this time i get no message about any price change. the $35 price holds and it calculates the total with fees added. viola!

let’s be real, this is a scam. they tried to tell me the price had change to get me to buy a more expensive ticket. but the price hadn’t changed! obviously here, the difference is only $30. but you can see how much worse it would be if the ticket prices are double or even triple that price.

now obviously when you’ve been waiting in a queue for ages the last thing you want to do is close out. but in fact i saw multiple people name this as a method in the first uk round of tickets for getting the price they wanted. it did not impact your line in the queue. you can drop a ticket and add a ticket without a problem.

think of it as asking a grocery store clerk to help you get an item from the top shelf. you tell them what you want and they return with something different. what would you say? of course you’d say no i don’t want that one i want this one. same here.

lesson 2: service fees are killer.

the service fee comes out to less than $10 per ticket. that looks smaller and more acceptable cause the ticket is cheaper. but do some simple math. $8.90 out of $35? that’s 25% of the ticket price. so if the ticket is $350, is the ticketmaster service fee now $89 per ticket or $178 for 2 tickets ? cause that’s gonna bump a $200 ticket to $300 and a $300 ticket to $400.

keep this in mind when writing down your preferred price and ceiling price. if it goes beyond your ceiling price, don’t pay.

lesson 4: don’t forget to add insurance.

this is oasis. oasis in america. after a decade long feud. look they’ll most likely be fine. but let’s be real their track record is not so good. it’s a year out. no one really knows the real state of the gallaghers relationship. too many unknowns here. i’d never do it normally. but here, it qualifies. fork out for the insurance.

some links i found helpful:

reddit presale thread / metlife map with prices / metlife seat views / reddit ticket guide

have some tips for surviving ticketmaster? share them below.

see you on the queue at noon. (or you know in 30 minutes for the waiting room cause ticketmaster wants to eat my whole day.)

[st4rguy]

1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 23, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 48, 68, 88, 89, 92, 93, 98 for the homestuck thing ^^ feel free to skip anything if u want lol

@sleepy-kitty-boy lets gooooo sorry this took so long answers under the cut

original post -> st4rguy.tumblr.com/post/743052789002977280

1: When did you first get into Homestuck? around mid-October last year, I think I had started reading previously but got like. 20 pages in.

4: Ever made your own chumhandle? yeah, I have, it's cosmopoieticQuestant. idk if it's a good one and I don't use it for anything but l like big fancy words and its abbreviation would be CQ and because I'm a fucking nerd that makes me happy. uhh cosmopoietic is a word I really like it means universe-creating so yeahg 👍

10: Ever drank Faygo? No, I have not ever :P

11: Favorite Alpha kid? mmm that's a tough choice but probably Jane?? I find her fascinating like I could write an essay about her.

12: Favorite Alpha troll? Meenah. she's funny, spunky and fun to draw. I like to give her an anglerfish antenna just because why not. Her and (Vriska)'s relationship is. fascinating. Her Aranea are adorable tho.

17: Favorite Beta kid? Egbert probably? I love them equallyyyy

18: Favorite Beta troll? uahgh. thats difficult. honestly, I don't know.

19: Favorite Beta character overall? I simply could not pick.

23: Favorite guardian? MOM. ROXY. ok like. y'ever think about like. how she likely knew she was going to die. And she basically raised Joey and Jude from when she was a teenager. and we don't know how their story ends yet. I think about her quite a bit.

29: Favorite Friendsim character? HAVE MY LIST: CIRAVA, BRONYA, SKYLA, POLYPA, KONYYL, TYZIAS, AZDAJA, TIRONA, MARSTI, CHARUN, WANSHI, DARAYA AAAAND LANQUE. <- troll call order btw. I loooove them

33: Favorite pale ship? I'll have to go with the classic and say meowrails. you can't beat them.

34: Favorite pitch ship? JANEVRIS. rarepair blast attack!

35: Favorite flushed ship? scratch n sniff perhaps. idk sure I like em.

36: Favorite ashen ship? good question i love the Ashen quadrant I do not know

37: Favourite vacillating ship? KONYYL AND AZDAJA. I know no one cares but I love them. idk if they "vacillate" per se if you ask me they have like. whatever the signless and the disciple had going on. KONYYL LITERALLY SHARES HER THEME WITH THE DISCIPLE.

48: Zodiac troll? Are you happy with them?: I'm born on the cancer-leo cusp so Karkat or Nepeta I love those guys

68: Classpect you identify with currently? uhhh page of space probably. I'm bad at classpects but it fascinates me nonetheless.

88: Favorite Homestuck fics? Early June by RoseGardenofEden, Detective Pony by sonnetstuck and Pilot Light, Pale Rapture by purplebard (series) to name a few

89: Favorite Homestuck fanartists? missbehaviourOuO, conceptofjoy, tgcg, dammarchy211, teethcritter, serfuzzypushover, and like a bunch more

92: Favorite typing quirk? MEENAH FEFERI OR NEPETA. I LOVE PUNS. THEY INFECTED ME WITH THEIR STUPID PUNS. and they are also just cool 👍

93: Favorite MSPFA? burning down the house! idk if it counts really it's not hosted on mspfa but that's probably the most apt description and I think it's really cool and would highly recommend it

98: What characters do you relate most to? Aradia maybe? I tend to go through spells where I feel really detached and apathetic. yk. depression. but uh that's kinda heavy! I also am fascinated by dead things, as well as diseases and fungus and bugs and shit like that but they kinda scare me.

[theghostpinesmusic]

If 12/28 was the show that delivered a sledgehammer to the kneecaps of my belief that post-'21 Phish wasn't worth dedicating much of my time or attention to, 12/29 was the show that brought that sledgehammer crashing down on that belief's head, silencing it for all time in an ORGY OF HEROIC VIOLENCE

Okay, okay, sorry...I've been listening to a bunch of episodes of Behind The Bastards and it's clearly affecting me...in a good way?

Speaking of oblivion, "Oblivion" may not have been the highlight of 12/29 (I'd humbly suggest the "Chalkdust Torture" that precedes it to open set two), but it's a new Phish song, and there's a nice, crispy video of it on the official channel, so we're doing it.

Before I dive in to how awesome this jam is, one moment of snark: I appreciate the balls it takes to play "Oblivion" and "Sand" in the same set since they are basically the same song. Fight me in the commeeeeeeeeeeeeeents!

So, "Oblivion." There isn't much to say about it in a historical sense, since it was first played in July '23 and has been played a whole seven more times since. For reference, "Bathtub Gin," which I wrote about last time, debuted in '89 and has been played 304 times over 1,751 shows.

So...yeah.

I do know that "Oblivion" and a bunch of other new Trey songs were debuted during the short run that he and the Trey Anastasio Band (TAB) played in June of '23, then a few of those songs, "Oblivion" included, were picked up by Phish and adapted. I haven't sat down and listened through those TAB shows yet (blame Goose), but what I've heard translated to the Phish oeuvre ("Oblivion," "Ether Edge") I've liked so far. In particular, I find "Oblivion" really catchy in a somewhat dark way and appreciate that as the band keeps on keeping on they seem to be coming up with more songs that are good songs and good jam vehicles instead of just one or the other.

For what it's worth, and in case you're immediately wondering what you've stumbled upon, the first bit of this video is the ending of the "Chalkdust" that I lauded above: "Oblivion" proper starts around the 0:45 mark. There's a nice little organ solo from Page and a great call-and-response vocal outro to the song (which are both typical, from what I can tell, but I like them), and then Trey leads into the jam with some soloing starting at 5:05.

This jazzy, dare-I-say "Sand"-like soloing goes on for a bit. Mike is a monster here, too, but he gets sort of overshadowed in the mix when Trey starts ripping.

What even are these stage lights?! Fantastic.

Page's jazz-chording starts to cut through a bit more just after the 7:00 mark, and it sounds like this pushes Trey to move his soloing to something a bit more...reserved? My lack of music theory knowledge is showing itself again, here, but this section feels different.

By 7:45, Mike and Trey are both laying down fuzzy walls of noise for Page to solo over. As usual, whatever Fishman is playing here is beyond normal human comprehension.

There's a pause for breath at 8:30, and then things get even weirder as everyone (it seems) decides to actually play off of whatever the hell Fishman is doing. At this point in the jam during my view of the show, I was laughing out loud watching these four guys do one of my favorite Phish things, which is playing a jam that is 1) impossible for me to keep time to, 2) is utter sonic chaos, and 3) is somehow still fun more than anything else.

I'm not going to attempt to describe this section further. It lasts until 11:15, and it is awesome. Then, Trey starts chording a bit more, which causes Fishman to switch over to a beat that non-alien, human drummers can play. It's not that this next section isn't also weird, but at least it's recognizable as sounds from the planet Earth. In particular, the combination between Trey's high-pitched soloing and all the weird effects that Page (and Trey's looper) are throwing down starting at 12:20 is pretty amazing.

If your brain has been casting desperately around for something it can recognize as music for the last five to six minutes, at 13:05 Trey hits upon a repeating riff that feels like a lifeboat in the midst of the chaos...and this last until about 13:25 when somebody (Mike? Page?) hits on a particularly grungy tone and we become untethered from reality again. At least this is a bit more recognizable as rock and roll.

There's an enormous guitar peak shortly after if, you know, you're into that sort of thing.

I feel like they really embrace the "Let's make as much noise as possible" mentality around 16:00, as Trey starts looping peaks over peaks and everyone else helps drive the thing up and over the mountain. At 16:40, there's a (mostly) smooth transition back into the song's vocal refrain and we've landed from our journey through...oblivion? I mean, it feels a little on-the-nose, but also appropriate.

Next time, I'm going to write about how Trey wrote the best Beatles song of 2023 and then Phish jammed it out for thirteen minutes.

Then, I'll wrap up this mini Phish adventure with a (relatively) short blurb about how unreal the Gamehendge set from 12/31 was.

[poussacha]

found this on my old facebook page and i'm supposed to be working so naturally i'm doing this instead

1. Real name → spreadsheet or talls 2. Nickname(s) → talls, tally, headshrimp, doe, ss 3. Status → alive 4. Zodiac sign → leo 5. Male or female → lmao. naw. 6. Elementary School → too many 7. Middle School → too many 8. High School → graduate  10. Hair color → black 11. Long or short → long 12. Loud or Quiet → yes 13. Sweats or Jeans → currently wearing slacks 14. Phone or Camera → phone 15. Health freak → does helth count 17. Do you have a crush on someone? → not really, no 18. Eat or Drink → drink 19. Piercings → ears 21. Water or Fire → listen to me. i have this very interesting idea about a water bender that can heat water. NOT a fire bender. a water bender, but i haven't done any research on what happens to water molecules when they heat up and how a bender of ONLY water could do that, but like i figure if water benders can make ice they can probably ALSO heat water? food for thought 22. Love of your life or 4 Billion Dollars → i'm gonna take the money because with 4 billion dollars my ass can save LIVES. i don't care about falling in love with someone romantically, i just want to help people. FIRSTS:  23. First fear → abandonment 24. First best friend → mindy 25. First award → most improved in science or something 26. First crush → some guy named scott 27. First pet → sherikhan 28. First big vacation → not sure i've ever done one of those 30. First big birthday → fifth? ninth? who can remember their childhood. not this bitch. CURRENTLY:  49. Eating → fruity pebbles 50. Drinking → pinot noir 52. I'm about to → finish this thing i'm working on 53. Listening to → starstruck - christopher wilde 54. Plans for today → the days over bestie it's like midnight 55. Waiting for → me to get my head out of my ass and finish this stupid newsletter for my fucking job so i can go to bed. YOUR FUTURE:  58. Want kids?→ who has money for that  59. Want to get married? no lol 60. What careers do you have in mind? considering i'm 10 years deep in a marketing and communications career, i obviously want to leave all of that behind to own a bookstore in a sleepy sea side town in ireland WHICH IS BETTER WITH GUYS/WOMEN?  68. Lips or eyes → eyes 70. Shorter or taller? → idk man 72. Romantic or spontaneous → no thanks 73. Nice Legs or belly?→ i'm telling on myself, but belly. when bellies are just delicately round i'm like ohhhh noooo. 74. Sensitive or loud → sensitive 75. Hook-up or relationship → seeing my old answers knowing i'm aroace is a whole fuckin thing 77. Drama or Super Shy → i did used to go by the nickname drama HAVE YOU EVER:  80. Lost glasses/contacts → yea 81. Ran away from home → yea but it was like down the street for a few hours nothing major 82. Hold a gun/knife for self defense → i'm femme presenting. OBVIOUSLY i have. 83. Killed somebody → i'm too nice for th at 84. Been Heartbroken → oh a bunch 85. Been arrested → unfortunately 87. Cried when someone died → yeah DO YOU BELIEVE IN:  89. Yourself → not really 90. Miracles → i'mma need one to find a new job 91. Love at first sight → no 92. Heaven → yes, but also no? 93. Santa Claus → i believe in an arch elf named bernard tbh 94. Sex on the first date → this is such a weird question because i'm aroace but i've done this before. but i also thought the only way to receive love was through sex. so i doubt i would do this now. i just don't really care about sex. 95. Kiss on the first date → barf. ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:  97. Is there one person you want to be with right now more than others → i can't really think of anyone i wanna be with. maybe nelly? i miss her. but tbh i'm perfectly content being home with my cats 98. Are you seriously happy with where you are in life → yes and no 99. Do you believe in God → i don't know how to answer this