#But DAMN if there isn't some wild shit that goes on here

[shanie]

So, a quick internet search will tell you about the evils of capitalism and landlords and how renting is a necessary evil because of said landlords and rent and all that.

What they don't tell you is that, when you rent, you have the potential to get the absolute WORST of used housing.

Like, sometimes, the previous tenants were good people who kept it clean and neat and took care of the place.

But sometimes, you're the fourth tenant in there in three years and the previous three tenants were all absolute HOGS who got evicted because they refused to clean ever (note: they were able, they chose not to) and you find yourself saddled with a bug problem immediately upon move in that GOD HIMSELF CANNOT FIX

And, othertimes, you move in and come to find that the previous tenant had a fatal heart attack and laid in the apartment for TWO WEEKS before the neighbors smelled him and no, you will never get that funk out of the place, just burn the whole building down and try again. I've never had the first.

I'm living in the second.

And Christ ALIVE I pity the person who gets the third one when they move into the building behind me.

[krakensdottir]

One other really WILD take I've been seeing here lately is an idea that Mensah is going to go off on Gurathin or has 'finally had it' with what he's doing. I don't want to blame it on Mensah being a female character and therefore obligated to babysit everyone, but I think that might play a part. Either way, I don't think so, fam.

For one thing, Ayda Mensah has WAY too much common sense to get in the middle of whatever the fuck is happening with those two. If she goes off, it'll be at both of them, because they're both being shitheads. But I think it's way more likely that she'll stay out of it. They don't need lectures on morality. She's not their mother. They need to figure their own shit out.

(Also, Gurathin has rejection-sensitive dysphoria and is halfway to feeling replaced already. The last thing you want to do to someone in that situation and that state of mind is yell at them.)

But the biggest point, and one I think we need to face here, is that Gurathin is doing exactly what Mensah wants him to do.

Look at them. They've been friends for six years. Mensah agreed to him coming on the mission, and says she's glad he's here, and you know what, I believe her. David has described their relationship as codependent in interviews. Codependence means you're both using each other for something, even if it's not malicious, right? Gurathin uses Mensah for comfort, and as a moral compass. We already know this. What does Mensah use Gurathin for?

Well, what's the one thing Mensah isn't great at doing? Being an asshole. Being harsh and uncompromising. Being suspicious of other people's goodwill.

Gurathin, in all his paranoia and belligerence, is doing his job. Going too far in some cases, and she almost certainly wishes he'd chill out a bit, for his own sake as well as Murderbot's. But there is a reason she listens to him, and it's not because she feels sorry for him or has no backbone (she's told people off when she needed to, a few times now) or he's some kind of Wormtongue influencing her thoughts. Honey, no. She listens to him because he might be right and because she knows her own weaknesses. She's too trusting, sometimes straying into naive. And he is there to balance that out. There's the bunch of hippies, and Gurathin. The designated bastard. The ruthless sonofabitch who will make damn sure they don't get killed by their own kindness.

And despite stress and jealousy and spite sometimes compromising his judgment, he's still right more often than he's wrong, and some of the things he's wrong about haven't been proven yet. So his usefulness continues. Of course it does. He's from the Company, usefulness is all he thinks he has to offer. She knows he'll continue to be useful until his last breath if needed. She can count on that, in a way that she can't count on Murderbot (yet).

Mensah, god help her, wants Gurathin exactly the way he is. Otherwise she'd have done something about it by now. It'd be easy to write him off as a blind spot in her judgment, but no. She knows he's Like That, and that's the whole point.

[thankssaragorn]

hi! i was wondering if you had any stucky fic recs during 2012 era, where steve has just lost bucky and has to adjust to a new century without him, and slowly bonds with the avengers (maybe they learn what bucky and steve were to each other) idk if this is worded well at all i’m running on an hour of sleep but yea thank you

hello friend! this is my dream i hope you know 2012 steve is my favorite era of steve. if i understand this correctly, you're looking for stucky fic set in 2012 where steve is kind of a mess but he makes friends in spite of the horrors. here's what i've got:

moving like a river of trouble crossing by romcommie i always rec because it's lovely and terrible, and honestly doesn't quite fit the prompt but it's my free bingo space where i'm like hey read this hey it's soooo good.

The S. Rogers Memorial (it’s NOT a shrine) to J. B. Barnes by SkyisGray is so wholesome and lovely and just a great avengers team fic.

life is a history of absences (and unprepared returns) by magdaliny is an exploration of birthdays and friendships and <3

he's alive! i'm alive! we're all alive! (oh, this case just got busted wide open) by rustykitchenscissors starts post-defrost and goes into post-catws and its pretty depressing but shockingly funny!

20th Century Limited by Speranza starts during the war but goes pretty far into the catws era and it's genuinely so phenomenal and unexpected and well crafted.

love you like rlb by orphan_account is short and sweet and i consider it a stucky classic so if you haven't read it then you gotta it's a lot of fun.

you know I dreamed about you by napricot is beeeyooootiful and really all napricot fics are gorgeous they're fantastic. this has some funky sciencey magic stuff going on.

Make Way For Ducklings by hetrez and like this one isn't really prompt relevant but its so cute like steve adopting a buncha shield trainees after the avengers what more can you ask for!! it's a nice one that's lighter in the face of some of the depressing shit post-defrost steve has.

Not a Perfect Soldier by TooManyBattles is a bit of a divergence from canon but damn is it a good read. wild and crazy stuff happening here.

thats all i got! i hope there's something here that vibes with you. if you click on my tag #thankssaragorn fic rec on this post there's a buncha stuff like rec lists and things other people have posted there's all kinds of things there. have a fab day !!

[evilbihan]

I'm not going to acknowledge that person by name because I have no wish to interact further with her, nor to have others find her and give her any attention. But with Noob Saibot being brought back, I remembered this rancid take they had, quote: "Bi-Han is a man who has time and time again become Noob Saibot, a man whose endings have shown the Netherrealm is where he wanted to be" which is wild af to say.

Because Bi-Han doesn't just 'become" Noob, he is literally made into Noob. Quan Chi resurrected him as a wraith that turned him into Noob Saibot and now Titan Havik tortures him and uses some insane magic even Liu Kang doesn't know, to turn him into Noob. It's not like some magical girl transformation. We're talking awful evil stuff being done to Bi-Han against his will, to warp him into this being known as Noob Saobot, who is stripped of his humanity and almost everything that made Bi-Han who he was.

And Bi-Han never wanted to end up in the Neatherrealm. In the previous timelines he literally had no choice. He was forced into the role of assassin. He was molded into one practically from birth. In Mythologies when he goes into the Neatherrealm he's informed that his soul is already tainted with evil, which is why he can exist there. That's not because he simply woke up one day and decided to kill some Gods for shits and gigs. He had to do what he was ordered to do or be a traitor to the clan and marked for death anyway. It was a lose lose situation. If anything this shows that Bi-Han was never where he wanted to be. His strings were always being pulled by someone else. History is repeating itself now. And leaks even say that Liu Kang doesn't fault him for his desires, but only the ways he goes about achieving his ends. Which further proves Bi-Han doesn't have some nefarious plots in mind with the deliberate intention of landing himself in the Neatherrealm.

She said she doesn't hate Bi-Han, but then this reads as a deep missunderstanding of his character. And at that point, if you can misinterpret his character to that degree, you probably don't like him much either.

Another day, another take so stupid it makes me want to never interact with anything MK related ever again.

Oh, who am I kidding? The trailer already achieved that.

Needless to say, you're 100% correct and this person, whoever they are, is obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed. People who think Bi-Han wanted any of this are either being ignorant on purpose and want to misunderstand his character because they hate him or they're so blatantly stupid they don't understand the very simple fact that Bi-Han being turned into Noob Saibot always happened against his will in every damn timeline.

Does it look like Bi-Han tied himself to that damn wheel we see in the trailer? Does this person have the attention span of a goldfish and just missed the part where he looks terrified out of his mind when those drills/needles approach him?

For goodness' sake, I didn't want to talk about the trailer because watching it made me want to gauge my own eyeballs out. I never felt this sick looking at something in my life (that's coming from someone who plays horror and fighting games on the regular) and yet here we are and I'm talking about it regardless now. I hate it here.

But anyway, you're right. What more can I say? Anyone with even an ounce of common sense would know that. Anyone who has ever played any of the Mortal Kombat games should know that Bi-Han was forcefully turned into Noob Saibot. He was never evil. He was always a neutral character and he's still a neutral character in the New Era.

What more confirmation do you need outside of Liu Kang himself admitting that there's nothing wrong with Bi-Han's ambitions, only with his methods of achieving them? Ashrah says Bi-Han can be redeemed, Bi-Han said only people who don't understand him would mistake him for evil, the Lin Kuei all stand behind Bi-Han and support him... He isn't evil and he never was.

He literally saves Liu Kang's entire stupid trainwreck of a timeline single-handedly in this DLC and people still have the audacity to say he's evil?

I wish he was.

I wish Bi-Han would just sit back and watch Havik destroy Liu Kang's timeline along with all the pitiful hypocrites in it. I wish he'd let all of the fandom's pathetic favorites get torn to shreds and laugh.

But he won't. Because Bi-Han is a good and honorable man deep down.

Disagree and be wrong. It's as simple as that.

PS: Wasn't MK:Mythologies Sub-Zero all about Bi-Han trying to avoid ending up in the Netherrealm? He reacted with shock and concern to being told his soul is tainted with evil by Raiden and he was trying to turn his life around. There's even an ending in one of the older games where he kills Shang Tsung and leaves the Lin Kuei with the prize money from the tournament. Bi-Han never wanted to end up in the Netherrealm. Claiming anything else would be ignoring canon lore.

[john-does-middle-finger]

Part 52 Live Finger Reaction

except i have patreon so i've listened to most of this already (y'all are NOT ready for the interlude) and also i forgot to start typing until several minutes in lol

SPOILERS FOR PART 52 BELOW

i'm so proud of arthur for catching on so quickly. side note---i love the moments in malevolent when arthur knows more about what's going on than john does despite john having their sight. just a neat flip when you look back on the earlier seasons

"why am i here??" me every day fr john

need me a woman who'll put maggots in me

that's right john open your third eye

thank you harlan for our monthly arthur whimpering podcast

OUGH I FORGOT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS MOMENT WAS. THEM BOTH SEEING THE STARS. I BETTER SEE SO MUCH FUCKING FANART OF THIS.

okay john maybe making trains is hard...

okay hamilton

which one of you was the damn fool that shot him then mr. "i thought you were my purpose"

arthur in hell for homosexuality (too many hoes in New York)

oh there he goes falling again. all men are the same.

it was difficult to put the nightmare together

BUT IM ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!!!

oh arthur...you weren't there for that poll buddy...

i love how gentle john is with arthur sometimes

fr? ong? just like that? we're awake?

arthur...snookums...dont...

it's not a rock. it's a stone!

harlan thank you for your footstep sound effects and also more of arthur laughing

oh lilith...

quick headcanon that arthur can generally feel where john is and every now and then he'll lean against him for a moment of rest. anyway. pick up that toenail or whatever

go on arthur. that's a fragment of a god! you can change her! make her a new person! give her a new name! name it spike or some shit.

maybe it was on purpose?? considering...idk. likely not though unless lilith really is that good at acting

go on arthur collect your freaky fingers.

nuh uh john that was a great idea and an excellent vote

sopping wet cat antoine

damn arthur you really do doomed yaoi with every guy you meet. except the yaoi is minimal and the doom is maximal.

arthur...i love you for caring so much

"was i kind?" HARLAN WHEN I GET YOU.

"a friend's love can carry you through the worst of life's trials and tribulations" I KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ARTHUR LESTER. side note can we get this man a middle name i want to use his full legal name for science purposes and also to yell at him

JOHN we just had an IMPORTANT and LOVING character death DO NOT EVEN BRING THIS UP.

SEE JOHN. EARNED IT. IF ONLY...well...y'know...it lasted...no rest for the wicked or whatnot.

THIS REVEAL GOT ME SO FUCKING BAD BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN "maybe the blackstone was the friends we made along the way" WAS RIGHT.

YORICK. OH, YORICK...yorick i'm so fucking sorry

hello arthur, apologies for the deception. kayne here, vsauce stone! idk man

watching the wager (song) get released after the full episode dropped on patreon was so fucking wild

^watching people say "i hope we see kayne again soon!" after knowing the ending of this episode. my pookies...my blorbos...my yoricks...

"oh lose the get up honey" bro fr said "you're not going out in that."

footstep sounds x 2

yorick you never did anything wrong and i forgive you for everything except there isn't even anything to forgive! YORICK MY MOST DEARLY BELOVED

fruit of my loins. buddy you are the fruit

i believe you yorick

LEAVE THAT LITTLE GUY ALONE

YORICK. MY SHAYLA. MY SHAYLA. IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO RECOVER FROM THAT THE FIRST TIME. AND NOW AGAIN...oh my god...

listening to this on 2.5x speed is so funny. specifically because of kayne

me when im in a disguising my desperation competition and my opponent is kayne (im losing so bad)

arthur dont you ever fucking say that shit again.

KAYNE'S LAUGH IN 2.5x.

i was losing it at the description of the blackstone so fucking much

NOEL!!! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL! NOEL MY FUCKING GOAT RAHHHHH

this poll. this fucking poll. had me stressing so fucking hard.

oh the fanfics are going to go SO fucking hard with this new arthur lore.

kayne i love your painfully obvious ploy at emotional manipulation because you have no actual power

i am so happy the poll ended up with lilith. choosing hope and all that yknow, as much as i love kayne

benevolent canon

arthur. arthur no. arthur you know these promises won't be enough. arthur please. ARTHUR.

was? am? john, my most dearly beloved

kayne please don't make life with soaking wet bloody dogs

MY SHAYLA

but kayne what is joy if you know nothing else? ugh

god i remember tweaking out so fucking hard during this ending. my shaylas. my pookies. everything.

"i forgive you" arthur i love you. john i love you. kayne i love you but i will never forgive you. still love your zest for...not really life but yknow.

MY SHAYLA x3

i was so worried john was going to make another deal here and i'm so glad he didn't.

anyways

the interlude is so fun harlan i'm begging you to release it soon (preferably tomorrow) (as a post finals treat) (for me specifically) (please) (please) (i need to yap about it)

[creetchure]

maybe kind of a hot take but like. you guys have GOT to become normal about addicts right now. both in real life and in fiction by the way.

if you can read about the effects of kidnapping/dehumanisation/medical abuse/what have you for your whump fic, you can damn right read some first person accounts of addicts talking about their shit online and do the bare minimum of research into the topic. you guys are way too comfortable going around slinging words and using this shit for angst points, in a way that i really don't see much with any other topic. i don't know, maybe i don't read the right kind of fic in the right kind of fandom, but it really feels like you guys take withdrawal, maybe a little bit of the original hurt, and that's it. if you're gonna mention it off handedly once in what you're writing, fine. but you can't make it the center of your fic without a modicum of research, and a modicum of respect for the real people going through it.

contrary to what seems to be popular belief, most addicts don't just do drugs for shits and giggles and there's a difference between recreational drug use and addiction. a wild fucking difference. smoking a couple of joints of popping a couple of party pills for fun is not the same. you guys know that right?

anyway, if you're gonna write about addiction. at least. at least bother looking at the most common side effects of an addiction, yeah? just for you, i'll write some down here (disclaimer, this is written in one go, is not in the least comprehensive, and doesn't account for the variety of the human experience) (this isn't a guide):

financial jeaopardy: drugs are expensive. sometimes you'll pick drugs over food. sometimes youll pick drugs over shelter.

your social life might take a blow, even if people don't notice you have an addiction. you might blow off plans to get high, might isolate yourself either out of shame or out of annoyance.

your physical health takes a toll regardless of the drugs effect on the body. chances are your sleeping and eating habits will take a blow

this one seems obvious, but there's a real dependence. not just physically either, but an emotional one as well. especially when taken from a place of mental unrest, drugs become an emotional crutch. getting sober is dealing with more than physical symptoms i can't stress this enough

there's also financial stress. will you be able to pay for your next dose? how about the one that comes after that? what will you even do if you can't pay? etcetc. this comes with financial jeopardy, but it's not the same, there's a very real fear that can lead people to do many things in order to assage it.

this is not necessarily something that goes away as soon as you get sober either btw. you might carry that fear, even subconsiouly, in the "what if i need a dose some day" folder of your brain for a long while

a lot of people don't quit cold turkey, or don't quit entirely. often just going off the stuff isn't an option, whether that be because physical symptoms are too bad and dangerous or because it would do too much psychological harm. going from hard drugs to smoking a pack a day is a huge win.

even when sober some shit might trigger you. shoutout to people who've gotten sober once and never relapsed but that's not everyone. depending on why you got addicted in the first place, it'll happen more or less often, and people will be able to cope with trigger better or worse, but a relapse is not the end of the line. at all.

there's a lot of other shit i can't think of at the top of my head. there's some stuff about how friends and families might react that i don't feel like talking about. there's shit about the recovery process that you can look at yourself. but please for the love of god. go look at it.

one last thing. you can't treat all substances the same. the effects on the body and mind aren't the same. you have to figure out what your character's substance of choice is and stick with it. figure out how expensive it is, figure out how safe it is, etc etc. you can't make someone who does acid be the same as someone who takes laughing gaz. not the same substance. and also don't forget that there are MANY things one might take for a high that don't even register in your mind (paint. glue. certain brands of cough syrup. etc.)

[namluvili]

twisted love (2)

Shit can always get complicated when you come face to face with a vampire, but you don't expect for things to take a wild turn with him.

f!reader x vampire!namjoon

this is part 2 of this story, read part one here

Word count: 739; sorry its short, I've been drinking :p

i made a playlist for this story, it helped me set the mood and write it.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6oZbET8eNOt0kkRdpPTkNC?si=d804f3ee68394597

warning(s): slight k!ssing, Joon is stalkerish? little intimate moments, Joon is a vampire, so expect for him to want to have bl00d (no there isn't any blood play, that's disgusting.) Joon is whipped, tad bit of smut.

You woke up the next day, not even remembering what happened. You felt very sick, looking pale and your lips felt heavy and numb. Luckily, today was Saturday, so you didn't have to work at all. you got changed into more comfortable clothes and got some food out of the fridge. As you pulled out the food, a sticky note fell off from your admirer. You picked it up and it said, "I'm sure you don't feel well princess, the other stuff i put in here should help you feel better." You slowly opened the container, and their was soup on the side, with a little bit of vegetables.

You heated up what he had in store for you and slowly put your spoon to pick up the soup and tasted it, and oh my god, it tasted like straight hell. it was disgusting. this dude could not cook to save his life. You don't even remember who this guy was, let alone when he came over. That's the thing about vampires, you don't remember them at all.

You kept eating the food, because damn he was right. it helped you feel 100x better. Once you were up and ready again, you forgot you had to run to the store today. You put your shoes on, and headed out the door.

At the store, you had to grab eggs, bread, and chips. nothing else. Making your way down the chips isle, you feel as if something else is watching you. you look behind you, and there he is. Kim fucking Namjoon. you look at him in the eyes and he licks his lips coming up to you. "Well, i see someone is feeling better." he says quietly.

Why aren't you running? why aren't you scared? you should be dashing your way out and getting help. Did he really have this much of impact on you? Hes a fucking vampire, not a human. But, when you do walk away, he grabs you by the arm and twirls you around so your in his arms. "Where do you think your going Y/N? I told you this wasn't over, based on the way you were acting last night."

You want to kiss him. You want to give your whole body and soul to this man. By the way he just looks at you with his dimple smile and fangs shining. But wait? Aren't vampires not supposed to be in the sunlight? Something was weird about him.

"come on, follow me. i have something to show you. don't worry about the food, ill make sure you still get what you need". "Namjoon, i cant do this. I'm supposed to be running and screaming, why cant i? what the fuck have you done to me?"

he looks at you with this look on his face, and it doesn't look good, its full of hunger and lust. He guides you to the bathroom and tuns you to face him. "Don't, worry about what i did, you'll see in a few days love." He quickly says before he dives in to kiss you.

You cant even fight back, as soon as you saw this, thing. You wanted nothing more but to have yourself underneath him.

He makes his way up your shirt, noticing your not wearing a bra. "Oh really baby? Not wearing a bra? its like you were begging for me to just see you." he pressed his body against you, you can feel his length pushing against your leg. Hes so desperate for you that you can almost laugh. He goes towards your neck, just kissing it, making you squirm underneath him.

He slowly takes your pants off seeing your underwear and having the urge to rip them off of your body. He spreads your legs open slowly and sees the little damp part on your underwear, "hmm.. looks like someone was more then ready to see me." he says as he dives into between your legs.

As he's licking and eating away, you don't feel his fangs, its weird because he's a vampire right? but maybe falling in love with you was the best thing that's ever happened to him.

right before you finish, he peaks his head up because you have a look on your face that says something other then happiness.

you look down at him into his eyes and you say,

"J-joon, I cant do this, your not human."

[mystra-midnight]

Hello again miss Ash!!!

I DID have a different idea, but the 'Lamington' looks like too much fun 😂 so I guess here's an incredibly flattering self description, if it's not too muc trouble of course!!!! And again, I'll never stop saying how good your stuff is!!!! 😘

Let's see...🤔

I'd say I'm incredibly stubborn with a bit of an aggressive personality diametrically opposed to my emotional reservedness and shyness when first met, I have a dark sense of humor and I'm very petty. I can be a touch arrogant but deep down I care about others. I'm very giving and protective of my friends. I can be a bit prickly and have been referred to as moody 😅 [hope that's thorough 😂]

As for fandoms, I like both Supernatural, The Witcher and the X-Men, with no particular preference. I genuinely look forward to what your beautiful mind decides!!!

Vicky, my love, my life, my soul, thank you so so much for your support! And thank you for joining in the celebration; I cannot express to you how much it means to me. <3 <3 <3

I hope you enjoy this sweet treat! Also, tagging your new blog <3 @melpomenes-garden

I ship you with . . . Logan Howlett!

Logan is a man who isn't black and white but shades of grey, yet there can be no mistaking him. He doesn't speak for small talk but to get to the point.

Some people think he's aggressive, and maybe he is, but he doesn't really give a shit. He is who he is --- you know how that saying goes, old dog, new tricks.

He isn't afraid to butt heads with you --- in fact, he'd absolutely give you a run for your money when it comes to stubbornness and aggression. The man is a menace.

"Again," you snapped, chest heaving with heavy pants as you glared at him. Logan was smiling at you, no, not smiling — fucking grinning. God, you wanted to smack that smug expression off his perfect face.

"What's the matter, bub? You tired already?" He taunted, his voice a low rumble, casual like you were sitting at a bar flirting instead of in the Danger Room with sweat dripping from your brow. You clenched your fists, knuckles bruised and aching from the number of times you'd hit him. He'd shrugged off every hit as if it was nothing. You knew he was holding back — you could see it in how he moved. He'd dodge your blows just a little too slow, making it look like you were getting closer when, in actuality, nothing you did made a difference.

"I said again," you barked, feet shifting as you squared off, pulse thrumming in your ears. Every nerve and fibre of your being screamed for a break, but you refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you quit. Not now. Not when he was pushing every single one of your damn buttons. Logan let out a chuckle, low and lazy. He rolled his shoulders as if sparring with you wasn't anything more than a warm-up.

"You keep glaring at me like that, and I might start thinkin' you don't like me."

You lunged at him, throwing a wild punch, and he quickly sidestepped. His claws were restricted, and his arms were relaxed. Fucking prick. He could have ended the fight in seconds, which was the worst part. Logan was toying with you, pushing you to your limits without breaking a sweat because he enjoyed seeing you flustered. "Logan!" You growled, spinning on your heel to face him again.

His blue eyes narrowed, his grin softening for just a moment before his hand shot out as quick as a flash. He grabbed your wrist mid-punch and twisted you around effortlessly so that your back was pressed against his chest. His grip was firm but not painful.

"You're fightin' angry," he murmured in your ear, his breath warm against your skin. You couldn't fight the shiver that coiled down your spine. That's how you lose."

Despite his gruff exterior and his acting like a surly old man 90% of the time, the dude cares — like a lot.

So if you’re feeling a little shy, he’ll tease you just for the fun of it, just so he can watch the way you get flustered and blush. He finds the difference between the shy you and the extroverted you incredible.

But is someone else teases you, and you don’t like it? If someone else makes you uncomfortable? You can bet your bottom dollar that his scary dog energy is going all the way to eleven. He’s all bite, no bark when it comes to you.

You pressed yourself against the bar, desperate to put some distance between yourself and the stench of liquor on his breath. He doesn't seem to notice. You don't know him, but his presence is suffocating, the heat of his body too close for comfort. His words slurred together as he leaned in, mumbling something about how pretty you looked in your little red dress, and you felt a chill crawl up your spine. The room suddenly felt too small, the crowd a blur of faces too absorbed in their own worlds to notice what was happening.

Instinctively, you curled your fingers around the counter's edge, gripping it tightly as if to ground yourself. His eyes, glazed and unfocused, flickered over you. It was as though you could feel the weight of his stare, the way he was undressing you with his eyes. Your heartbeat quickened, each thump somehow louder than the hum of music, and a familiar sense of panic began to settle it until —

"Hey," a voice cut across, pulling your attention from him and his from you. You could cry at the sight that greeted you — Logan Howlett in his leather jacket and cowboy jeans. He looked angry, fuming, but it didn't worry you. His presence was like a lifeline, his gaze sharp, locked on the man who dared to get too close to you. He flexed his knuckles. "Get lost, bub," he growled, his voice low, rumbling with an unmistakable danger and an unmissable possession.

The stranger flinched but stood his ground, his alcohol-fuel bravado pushing him to challenge someone he didn’t fully understand. Logan could break him oh so easily. “What’s it to you, man?” he asked, words slurred, eyes bleary, and swaying where he stood. You saw Logan’s jaw tightening, a muscle jumping near his temple. He didn’t repeat himself — he didn’t need to. The atmosphere around him screamed danger.

“Last chance,” he warned, and you knew there wouldn’t be another one. The air seemed to crackle with tension. Logan flexed his fingers, claws threatening to unsheathe at any second. His entire body was coiled, every muscle taut, waiting for an excuse. The stranger’s bravado finally cracked. You didn’t need to see his face to know that a flicker of fear spread over his features. He mumbled something before stumbling away, disappearing into the crown with a soured and defeated mood.

As soon as he was gone, Logan shifted his attention to you. His anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface of his skin like wildfires, but it wasn’t directed at you. “You alright, darlin’?” He asked, his voice gruff but with a gentleness reserved only for those he cares about. It makes your heart ache to know you’re among those people.

The weight in your chest lightened at that moment, but your hands continued to tremble—the adrenaline still pumping. You nod, releasing a shaking breath you hadn’t realised you were holding. Logan stepped closer, brushing his hand against your arm. He was familiar — the smell of his cologne, the leather he wore — his mere presence pushing away the fear.

“You don’t gotta worry,” he murmured, his eyes searching yours. “Ain’t nobody gonna hurt you while I’m around.”

And let's say you're feeling extra bratty. Maybe a little mouthy. Or perhaps you've had a bad day, and you're taking it out on him because, let's be honest, Logan can take anything you throw at him. You can rest assured he'd be the one to fuck the attitude out of you.

Logan might be arrogant and cocky, sometimes overbearing and unbearable, but rest assured, he doesn't just talk the talk; he walks the walk. His confidence comes from years of experience, battles fought and won, lovers lost, and a lifetime of experiences.

So when he finally musters up the courage or rather lets go of his hesitations, and he gets you in bed, you can bet your bottom dollar that he's going to keep you there all. night. long.

His hands were warm, one holding both your wrists above your head, pinning them to the mattress. Logan held you there, keeping you spread out like a pagan sacrifice, his actions sacrilegious as he ravages you. All you can do is take him, keening loudly beneath him as his rigid length spears through your still-fluttering walls.

His grip tightened, the rough pads of his finger pressing into your skin as he leaned down, brushing his lips against yours, swallowing your moans. Each ragged breath he takes reverberates through you, matching the rhythm of his hips. You gasped, back arching off the bed as his thrust deepened, his body demanding your submission, pushing you to the brink of delirium.

You felt it building — that familiar pressure between your hips. Your legs shook, thighs trembling, toes curling, spreading wider at his silent command. Logan roamed his free hand possessively over your body as if committing the feel of you to his memory. He traced the swell of your breasts and the curve of your thigh before pulling you closer.

Logan moved with purpose, like a predator savouring its latest kill. The bed creaked beneath the force of him, a testament to his lust.

“Again,” he demanded, and the sound you made in response was lost to the storm brewing outside — rain pelting the windows, thunder rumbling in the distance. He was taunting you, using your words from the sparring match against you. His name escaped your lips in a desperate, breathless plea for mercy, but he only chuckled in response, his lips ghosting over your throat as his teeth grazed your racing pulse.

There was something dangerous in his touch, a wild hunger that threatened to consume you both. And still, you offered yourself to him, mind and body unravelling under his unrelenting control. You felt yourself letting go, a third, no, wait, a fourth orgasm ripping through you, punching the air from your lungs as you came undone beneath him. 

Logan was unrelenting, more beast than man, wild and untamed. But you didn’t mind, not at all. You were content to float in the clouds as he loved you.

—interested in joining? check out the menu and send in your order!

[emotionallyattachednerd]

Speed of Light | TP Smokescreen x f!human reader | NSFW 18+

Word count: 2200+

Warnings: Smut ( car sex and robot holoform on human ) and mentions about sexuality. NSFW 18+.

Notes: Greetings! First story for Smokescreen. Love the rookie! Sorry for the delay but hope you're all enjoy, and thanks @seasonschange32 for sending in the request. 🥰

☕ Coffee

Racing is like an addiction for you, the speed and the vibrations always made your head spin, in the most delightful way possible. Sometimes you do get carried away but you lived through what you loved doing, and you always were more than happy to let your friends tag along to find something to race against. You owned a Chevrolet corvette thanks to your parents high cash earning jobs. You could have anything and never worry about money. It's nice.

It was late in the evening as you drove around, no doubt running a red light or two, but it truly got your heart beating. You and your friends laugh, enjoying yourselves on that evening together.

You're forced to stop at the next set of lights and you were very glad you did, because right beside you was the most beautiful nissan fairlady race car that takes your breath away, even your friends hover over through gazing eyes. That wasn't all though, the guy driving was fucking cute!

"Hey hot stuff!" You suddenly yell making your friends react through giggles and squeals. The guy looks at you surprised, cute blue eyes darting between you and your friends with his beach blonde hair you just want to run your hands through.

"Um...hi?" What a charming baby voice he has! You bit your lips through a lusty smile.

"Wanna race?" You ask through a silky purr before revving up your car.

Smokescreen was out enjoying a drive, exploring more of this planet's cities and understanding the humans behaviour better. These females seem riled up for some reason, he isn't sure, but he knows that lusty stare you're giving him all too well.

"Sure." He answers through a smile. "Two laps around the city right back here."

"And the prize?" One of your friends asks from the passenger seats. "There has to be a prize! Winner takes all!" You smirk and look back at the guy.

"Well...young man, if you win, you can have all of me." She suddenly moves her hand under her skirt and tugs her panties off, hanging them on her finger as she hangs it out the window. Your friends are going wild! The guy seems quite stunned before you flick it into his open window for him to have.

"And if you win?" Smokescreen really wasn't sure what to expect, but not this, though he can't help but wonder just where this might go. After all, he was out and about learning about human behaviour.

"Same thing." You finish, right before the light goes green and you hit the gas, speeding off through the race with him already catching up behind you.

This is going to be so much fun!

You're already a skilled driver so you weren't afraid as you sped through the city and swerved in and out between other drivers, the sound of their echoing horns only made you grin before you make it out of the outskirts of the city onto the long strip road and pushing forward with speed.

"Shit! He's catching up!" One of your friends yelps through her own buzz of adrenaline. Not that it matters much to you, as you were just as excited to get some action from the guy, but you did want to impress him with your driving skills first. It's a win win.

Looking in your mirror you see he is indeed right on your tail, though it looks like he's holding back, almost like he's admiring your rear which makes you smirk. He's teasing you.

Suddenly, he pulls up beside your car, matching your speed, looking over at you casually and gives you a wink before getting ahead of you. On the second lap you attempt to overtake, but the guy was just too damn good. Cute and skilled. You feel you've hit the jackpot!

As good as the race was, he's declared the winner before you both pull up on another. You and your friends were emotionally going wild. What a night this is turning out to be.

"Good race, but it seems I won. So, does that mean I get to have you?" The way he tilts his head is fucking gorgouse.

It's decided. You let your friend drive as you trust her with your car. You'll see them all tomorrow anyway. They make suggestive comments and erupt in giggles as you get out of your car and slide around to the passenger side, gently gliding your hand across the polished hood. You feel the car vibrate under your touches, as if responding to your actions.

Settling yourself in his car you can't help but let out a quiet purr as the new car smell hits your senses, along with the cleaness and the silence within as he drives off with you. Not bad at all.

"You got a name?" He asks you through a polite tone.

"Y/N. How about you stud?"

"Just ah...call me Smoke."

"Interesting nickname, Smoke." Not his real name, you think to yourself, least this is what you're convinced. "So, wanna get this party started?" Your hands move over your skirt and tuck up the hem over your upper thighs. Your panties you had tossed in before lay on his dashboard, and you're madly eager for a good orgasm.

"Sure! I know somewhere private."

Smokescreen keeps it together. Not the kind of evening he had planned but he was all charged up because of you. He keeps his holoform in a stronghold, using his solid-light projector to the max without limitation. Sure, I uses more energy, but nothing he couldn't handle. He wants to feel you through his holoform, to experience what it's like to interface with a human and enjoy himself, while giving you the kind of party you crave.

Once in a good spot, Smokescreen's holoform adjusts his seat to allow more room, and you understand the meaning before climbing across to setting yourself in his lap.

"Hey stud." You hum softly, feeling his shoulders under your hands and letting them linger as you take in everything.

"Hi." He says through a nervous smile with a handsome baby face.

"You don't do this often, do you?" You sort of picked this up already.

Smokescreen gives a small innocent shrug. "Am I that obvious?"

"A little, but it's fine. I'll take good care of you." With that said, you lean forward and kiss him, feeling him stiffen slightly before relaxing back down quickly. Good, at least he's relaxing under your touches.

You coil your tongue with his, tasting a new sweetness that makes you deepen the kiss between you two, savouring the tasty treat. He leans into the kiss more slowly, feeling his hands slowly roam up against your waist and over your hips, fingers gently dragging into the thin fabric of your dress.

Skillfully, you slide your hand down between your both and towards the zipper of his jeans, feeling around for only a few moments before you manage to drag the zipper down, gently digging under the waistband of his boxers and moving out his semi-hard cock.

For a young looking man, he was quite a remarkable size you think to yourself. Smiling smugly at him you then proceed to stroke his cock and get him more hard for you.

Your pussy is throbbing to be filled. All the adrenaline still bubbles in your from the racing, and you're eager to ride the stud into an oblivion.

While stroking his cock under your warm hand you can't help but watch his face, studying his reactions. He's liking it, you know this, but something was off, so you decided to ask. "Are you a virgin?"

"No!" His answer was quick, almost offended, but this quickly disappears from his face. "I-I mean...well, sort of?" He's never been with a human before, so does that count?

"Sort of?" You're a bit confused. "Well, it's a yes or no question?"

Smokescreen needed a way out from the awkward talk and hopefully still goes along with this. "I mean I've done it before, just not..."

Your brows are furrowed before you raise them a little. "Wait, are you gay?"

He's not familiar with this term, so he does a quick search on the world wide web. He finds it without trouble. Oh.... "Um, yeah." It seems the only thing to get her to understand.

"Oh, so you've never been with a woman." You declare, which you do find interesting, "Do you just want to feel like a woman?" You can't help yourself, since you've never fucked someone who was gay, or confused by whatever they were feeling.

"Yeah, that's it." Smokescreen feels himself grow even more warm and holds back a moan. "I just want to feel you."

The fact he says 'you' and not just anyone got you feeling warm and bubbly inside, or maybe you are just horny and desperate to fuck. Whatever it was, you liked it, and you craved more from him.

Once hardened more under your pumping hand you then position yourself over, teasing yourself against his throbbing tip before sinking down on him. His cock stretches you like nothing else before, so thick and pulsing, sending electric pulses against your channel and through your body.

"Holy fuck." You whisper between soft heated pants against his gaping lips.

Smokescreen has never felt something so tight before wrapped around him. Sure, different with the tangible holoform, but he feels it all, the arousal and pleasure building rapidly through him, and you all the same.

"Primus." He says through a whisper that catches in your ears.

"Primus?" You question, confused by what he said.

"Oh...nothing. It's fine, this is good, really good." He tries to brush it off.

"You're a strange one." You can't help but smirk softly through a light moan. "But lucky for you, I like strange things."

Before he could say something back, you start to ride him, making him let out a stuttered moan and feel his hands gripping into your hips, your own resting against his shoulders for support.

You slowly move yourself, grinding down into his lap with skillful movements, slowly swaying your hips on him as you let out gentle moans against his neck, tongue darting out to slide it against his skin. There was no musky man smell or sweat much to your surprise, guess he's just a very clean guy, with an impressive thick cock.

"I've got to say stud, you're an interesting man." You make small talk while riding him, clenching around him as you purposely grind your pussy down hard, stimulating your clit.

"Oh...thank you." Smokescreen smirks through his moans before the car lets out a loud rev. "Sorry! Foot on pedal..." A lie. He just slipped a little and reacted without his holoform.

"It's alright, I liked it. Do it again." You pant through a lascivious smile. The vibrations of the car feels nice rocking through your body.

He seems to like hearing this due to his childish smile. "You've got it."

With your rocking motions and the vibrations of the car, both your arousals continue to boil and grow. Your heart is hammering wildly, head spinning, both the speed of racing and sex all froths through you completely erupting louder mewls from your plump lips.

Smokescreen can feel this won't be a lasting moment as he can already feel himself about to overload. His focus is on you, but also on himself, not wanting to slip up again and freak you out even further.

"Oh fuck, fuck!" You curse out through the pleasurable joy, clit stimulated and clenching harder on him, feeling every pulse and twitch through your soaked depths. "Come on stud, cum with me, let us ride this orgasm together."

It's like he is given the command, or permission, because he suddenly grabs hold of you tightly, burying his face against your collarbone and lets out a startled groan as he erupts his hot seed in you.

It's oddly hot, but damn it feels good. You don't hold back as you suddenly fall apart as goosebumps erupt through you, right before cumming on him, hips slowing down to a stop and keep yourself embedded on him, savouring every moment of it.

Smokescreen vents heavily as you collapse onto his chest while still embedded on his cock as you both let yourselves cool off for a moment. You move your hands up to wrap around his neck, curling your fingers into his blonde hair and leaning closer to give him a heated kiss.

"Wild stud indeed. Would you mind giving this lady a ride home?"

"Only if you promise me more races in the future." He wants to see more of you and you can't help but giggle through your diminishing arousal.

"Racing with the wild stud? Definitely."

He smiles like an excited kid. "Awesome. Want your panties back?"

"You keep them, as a reminder of the first woman to fuck you."

Smokescreen is going to remember you indeed, as the first human he had lots of fun with. Perhaps there is plenty of fun on earth with the humans, though he does find you quite a lot of fun all for himself. He looks forward to your next race.

[psy--conic]

Reading the Iliad, Book 15 thoughts

This is my first time ever reading it and I know next to nothing abt greek mythology so if I interpret anything wrong by all means pls correct me

Im reading the Robert Fagles translation

Zeus wakes up and sees Poseidon leading the Achaean charge, and Hector still trying not to die from the rock Ajax (greater) threw at him and Zeus is PISSED

I feel really bad for Hera bc Zeus is shitty to her and there is nothing she or anyone when he decides to get physical in his anger

He's so angry that the first part of a large ass paragraph is just him reminding her of that one time he strung her up in the air by an unbreakable golden chain and tied anvils to her feet while no one could help her

Like wtf

Hera swears that the Poseidon thing was not her doing

Homer goes thru the whole Patroclus dying and then Hector dying thing again but I'm sure none of that will be important in the next book

But until then Zeus says he must keep his deal with Thetis.

"Nor will I permit a single immortal god to save the Argive forces, not till Achilles' prayer has been fulfilled." This name really jumps out to me because Achilles' prayer cannot truly be completed until Patroclus dies. He prayed for the death of Patroclus in a way.

Ig no one told Ares that his son fucking died until Hera just blurts it out and not even in a convo with Ares himself. 😭

Ares stands up to go enact his wrath on the Argives or something but Athena snatches the spear from his hand while she yells at him. He sits down again

Zeus sends Iris to tell Poseidon that he said to knock that shit off

Poseidon says no

Super bold of him but okay

Iris “Bro are you sure you want me to tell Zeus u said that?” Poseidon says yes

But then he leaves anyway

Apollo is charged with making sure Hector is alright so that he and the Trojans can push the Greeks back

Hector thinks he’s dying because that rock had some power behind it ig

Apollo heals him and boom Hector is in the game again

“I thought we killed you??” - The Greek army

The Greeks are getting slaughtered and they’re getting super fucking scared and start running

The Trojans start bounding toward the Greek ships

Lmao and the Argives decide that now is the time to pray

Nestor screams his prayer at Zeus who hears him and sends down a clap of thunder? Letting them know they aren’t COMPLETELY ass out

Cut to Patroclus who is still sitting with the man whose leg he healed

Reminding me that the last 3 damn books have all taken place on the same day💀

Patroclus hears the commotion and runs off to try and convince Achilles to fight

By this time the Trojans physically make it onto the ships

Anyway, the Trojans manage to get onto the ships which I imagine is not ideal for the Greeks

Tuecer shoots an arrow at Hector but it does fuck all to him. Ajax (greater) tells him to put down his shitty little arrows and pick up a fucking spear if the bow isn't doing anything💀

Antilochus sees Hector going wild and just turns tail and runs lmao

Nestor starts stressing tf out and he's like guys "Please remember why we're here", he even drops to his knees

Both armies clash again

Ajax (greater) hangs back protecting the ships

[sirpuddingcup]

Before I get into it

SPOILERS FOR THE END AND THE DEATH VOLUME 3

Holy shit this book is great! It genuinely is everything I wanted and more. Volume 3 ties everything up so well that even though I knew the plot outline already just from lore it had me gripped from cover to cover. An emotional and bloody ending to the to the galaxy spanning series.

First off I really enjoyed getting the little updates on what some of the other players are doing while it all goes down. Bobby G and his endless strategy meetings as he tries to figure out how to get to Terra. Lorgar pulling a jonestown as he arrogantly misinterprets prophecies. Perturabo wallowing in self pity as he destroys his room like an angry teenager (the image of him pouting in his broken chair as the room lies devastated around him gives me life). Finally Eldrad and the others arguing over shoulda woulda coulda as they realize this is way worse than they thought. It was nice to check in with everyone before we dive into the trauma of it all.

Speaking of trauma let's talk about the black rage! We see sanguineous's mangled corpse in the lupercal court as the psychic shock sends the entire ninth legion (minus Zephon) into a berserk rage. I really can't think of a better word for it than traumatic. After all they've been through together during the siege to have the blood angels turn into actual monsters against their will is just twisting the knife for the loyalists. From Rans desperate fight for survival against a man he idolizes to Amit waking up dazed and confused at the end of a trail of corpses ("why do the bodys end here?" "That's as far as you got" kills me), it's safe to say nobody is having a good time.

Scratch that you know who is having a pretty good time? Rogal Dorn. Fresh out of the desert of endless boredom Rogal finally gets to let loose a little as he fights his way to Valdor. I love their dynamic and I wish we got more of them hanging out("damn you!"(frustrated) "damn you too."(affectionate)).

We check in with Fo and the genocide crew which ends predictably. I saw him completing the Terminus sanction then getting killed trying to escape a mile away. I did not see him making a fucking clone body and replace Xanthus! I love me a devious old scientist causing problems on purpose! I really hope he comes back in a big way.

The library crew didn't do a whole lot other than Ariman being a creepy magic man. It is buck wild that the archivist turned out to be Lilean Chase at the beginning of her career she goes on to found the fucking Cognitae so get it girl I guess.

The did my boy Loken so dirty in the end but fuck me was it good. They planted seeds earlier on talking about how a demon is made, a reaction in the warp to a traumatic event in real space, how in the warp effect can come before cause. But fuck me I wasn't expecting this. After the dust settles and Loken almost convinces Abaddon to give reconciliation a chance Erebus (fuck Erebus) stabs him in the back dooming the galaxy to endless civil war. And why did he do this? Because Samus is the man beside you, Samus right behind you, Samus is the guy she told you not to worry about, look out it's fucking Samus! The abrupt murder of Loken gives birth to the Demon Samus kicking all of this shit into motion. It truly is all Erebus's fault.

I saved the best for last. The showdown on the vengeful spirit. This is where Horus really gets tho shine. I haven't loved his character like this since the first couple of books. He's a fucking mess and I love it this is the man who's daddy issues burned the galaxy to the ground, and as someone who has a difficult relationship with my father fuck me I get it. Dan Abnet is so good at making fights feel intimate, Horus isn't a one dimensional avatar of evil hes a son confronting his abusive father. Horus doesn't want to kill his father he wants to be better than him, and not just stronger but a better person. He needs the Emperor to acknowledge that he had hurt Horus. Horus loved his father and wanted to reach out him on an emotional level so badly, but the Emperor was simply no longer able to do that. When the Emperor purged himself of the infant god the dark king his kindness and empathy went with it ( going on to create the star child). This emperor is nothing but power and cold fury. He enters the room having already written Horus off as dead. It's such a tragedy from top to bottom because we know from Malcador in his all knowing position on the golden throne, that there is a version of this confrontation where they both walk out alive. That does not happen.

The actual physical fight is nothing to write home about besides the fact that different people see it happening in different ways Dusk sees it as a clumsy slugfest between two lumbering giants while LE2 saw it as the greatest display of skill he had ever seen. In truth it was both. The psychic battle had them tossing each other across time and space and fighting through the sites of each other's greatest sins. They use the settings to try and undermine each other emotionally holy shit. Then the do the next logical step AND HAVE A FUCKING TAROT DECK YU-GI-OH DUEL! I need an imperial tarot card game right now GW take my fucking money. It ends with the cards predicting the fall of cadia (the despoiler unlocking the silver door) and the emperor loses. It has become obvious by this point that the Emperor can't beat Horus. Horus outclasses him in every way but Horus doesn't want to kill his father he wants acknowledgement. So what we get is several desperate attempts by the emperor and several others to fight back as Horus beats his father bloody. But nothing works until Oll and John show up having magically teleported much closer than they ment to. They stand right in front of Horus. Horus is bemused at best giving John just enough time to use the word he learned from the tower of Babel directly in Horus's smug face. The resulting blast nearly kills everyone in the room, but it's the first thing so far to actually damage Horus. While her recovers John makes a run for it but Oll goes to the Emperor gives him the athame (stone knife used to commit the first murder) and tries to wake him up. Only for Horus to wake up first and turn poor Oll to a fine red mist.

Finally Horus stands there triumphant and who is there but his own favorite son Loken. Loken is the only one who tries to reason with Horus to make him see the the chaos gods are using and manipulating him. It was a great touch to frame Horus pov in 2nd person as if someone is telling Horus his thoughts. Loken convinces Horus that he's not really in control anymore and the only way Horus can take back control is to give up the power that the gods gave him. The moment he does back on Terra Keeler uses the power of millions of praying souls to relight the astronomicon and and give the Emperor a font of power to tap into. The emperor rises as if from the dead. Horus at first tries to pull the power back but the gods hold onto it as punishment for spurning them. Then Horus looks at the Emperor empowered as an avatar of humanities faith and he finally understands. The gods panic and try to force their power back into him and Horus begs his father to kill him now while he can resist. Then it happens a father murders his son. The emperor tells Horus "I forgive you and I'll wait for you". Excuse me Dan Abnet what exactly does that mean? Horus returned? Ghost Horus? Reincarnated? What the fuck? From there it's mostly just wrapping up they teleport home and we get the last gasp of Malcador as they place the Emperor on the golden throne.

If you read this thank you this was mostly for me because I needed an outlet for my feelings and I don't want to bother my friends to much with Warhammer. It's been a wild ride and I can't wait to see where it goes from here (especially the third Bequin book).

[kob131]

Lily Orchard and Pokemon: Gen 2

Gen 1

"How did GF manage to fit all of this into a Gameboy? Simple, they had Satoru Iwata do it!"

False.

Satoru Iwata's contributions were him writing a formula to help cut fractions of a second off the numerous load times in the game, like with trainer battles, wild Pokemon and probably stuff like loading in cities. The real reason why Kanto made it was because, quite simply- they had double the space.

Kind of goes to show how much of a basic Pokemon fan Lily is, considering people slightly more informed like me found this out. A limited view that goes onto explaining some of her questionable points, like the Psychic type not being that busted.

But hey, at least it's not offensive terri-

"The games start becoming more directed and firm in their pacing!"

... Really? Now of all times you bring up that idea?

That doesn't even work here. Gold and Silver's tutorial opening may take a few minutes more due to having to go farther and slightly more text but that's likely because GSC has an actual plot and characters to set up. You know, stuff that someone who cares more about the main gameplay rather than features would probably like as it engages the brain more?

I get that Lily doesn't like Pokemon's stories but this stuff isn't very much and it helps make the game more memorable and engaging.

... You know, I honestly thought the follow up would have been worse.

"Silver is an uninteresting rival! He's just edgy and a punk bitch who slags everyone off while getting beat up! He's just an ignorant loser, like Hop!"

Like that. So much worse like that.

A- Silver isn't just an edgy and arrogant kid. He starts this way but becomes better over time, developing from being beaten by Lance and the player so much. Compare his line in his second fight in Azalea Town-

"I hate the weak. Pokémon, Trainers. It doesn't matter who or what. I hate to see them hanging around. That goes for Team Rocket, too. They think they are big and tough as long as they are in a group. But get them alone, and they're weak. I hate them all. You stay out of my way. You won't be an exception if you get in my way."

To his final line.

"…Oh, no… I still can't win after all that training… I…I have to believe more in my Pokémon… …No big deal. Sorry to have got in the way. Don't forget to rest your Pokémon before you challenge the Champion!"

In fact, Silver is the FIRST rival to actually react properly to being constantly beaten by the player, much like Hop.

B- Does Lily's complaints sound...familiar to anyone? As if these complaints do in fact fit a Pokemon Rival...but not Silver?

It should- This applies to BLUE, not Silver. Since, by necessity, Blue WILL lose more to the player than win. And yet he will always brush off his losses and act superior even as the game.

In fact, take his loss line in Oak's Lab-

"WHAT? Unbelievable! I picked the wrong Pokémon!"

To his loss line at the Pokemon League as Champion.

"NO! That can't be! You beat my best! After all that work to become League champ? My reign is over already? It's not fair!"

Lily's point about Blue before and why she liked him kind of contradicts her slagging off Silver...for the same shit Blue pulls but without the context that he's SUPPOSED to be wrong.

"Falkner's gym was kind of a pushover. yeah I nearly fainted but I didn't lose-"

You almost lost. ...To Falknier Lily.

Falkner...regarded as being one of the top 10 easiest Gym Leaders in Pokemon. ... How did you look at that and not go 'Damn, maybe I should change my strats.'

Like, this WILL undercut any points about Pokemon's gameplay and difficulty because it's coming from someone who nearly lost to FALKNER. A guy I beat at age 7.

"Team Rocket's so pathetic in Gen 2. In Gen 1, they were a legit criminal orgnazation and fun but now they're just pathetic."

And here's the problem that's likely gonna rear its ugly head in any Gen with half a story: Lily's not paying attention. Team Rocket is MEANT to be pathetic and lost without Giovanni. Because they are clinging to the past and refusing to move on with their lives even as the world does so. This gets hammered home pretty hard given the changes to the world introduced in Gen 2, like Lance becoming the Champion or through characters like Silver letting his daddy issues define him.

That's the point Lily. Complaining that they're boring because they've changed from before in order to fit a new story isn't analysis, it's just you mouthing off.

"Hey, isn't it funny that I tried using Mud-Slap twice in a row even though it didn't fucking work the first time and almost got wiped by Bugsy? I'm such a bimbo!"

Funny yes but more in a 'public humiliation' way. Joking about almost being beaten by a children's game does not make it better: you're still claiming to analyze these games.

"SILVER WORST RIVAL EVAR! BLUE GOOD BECAUSE FRIENDLY AND DYNAMIC! SILVER BAD BECAUSE ANNOTING! HE NO CHANGE UNLESS YOU LOOK! YOU LIKE EMOS!"

That or Silver is well liked because he was the first rival to have an actual arc in the games. It isn't optional either, Silver starts to realize he was wrong in his Victory Road fight, which is mandatory. And it's a logical progress from losing to the player and Lance, reinforced by the sage from Sprout Tower. As much as you bitch about the games' stories being invasive, Silver is an example of the game showcasing a natural progression in character without using a thousand words.

Meanwhile, Blue is the one slagging you off after every fight even as you have to beat him and then proceeding to throw a fit when he loses.

You don't pay attention Lily.

"Silber and Hop are fundamentally the same character!"

So...your point is that Silver is fundamentally the same...as one of the best rivals in the series?

Not the own you think it is.

I mean, she's correct since what Hop does in SWSH is just a more detailed, expressive and in depth version of what Silver does just more on the softer end. But Lily's too blinded to see it.

"Imma go ahead and ignore all the daily events in Goldenrod because WoW!"

Again, Lily telling on herself on how badly she's handling this video. The past 30 minutes could have been compressed down to 8 and nothing of value would be lost. Hell, cutting out Lily's reasonings and leaving people to insert their own explanations would actually make the video better.

Not a good sign.

"Johto's level curve isn't a problem! You can just go rematch trainers, it's intended! These games weren't meant for internet reviewers focused on progress, they're focused on kids!"

Yeah, Lily?

That bit about kids PROVES the issue with Johto, not debunk it. Because a kid might explore the rematches- it's far more likely that the kid is gonna want to keep moving forward and see new things and not back track for the sake of refighting the same guys with lowsy teams and just as little EXP as the wild Pokemon.

A kid is also gonna wanna catch new Pokemon and try them out-And the new Pokemon just got KO'd because it was so underleveled it's general stats aren't enough to face the trainers ahead. Now the kid is probably just gonna stick to the starter, one or two Route 1 Pokemon, the Red Gyrados (which is at least somewhat appropriately leveled) and the legendary. Oops.

I could also talk about how a good level curve in Pokemon aids in the feeling of growing stronger while providing something stimulating to the player to engage them in story, making each victory feel like a logical progression due to previous one but I doubt Lily would even understand what I'm talking about.

"Why do all the gyms in this game have some kind of side-quest?!"

Story and worldbuilding to make the core gameplay more interesting and engaging. It shows that the Gym Leaders are people who interact with their community. It's something to supplement the core gameplay you're supposedly focusing on.

"Oh shit! Chuck's Gym requires the Strength HM!"

Hey Lily, remember when you were complaining about people bitching on about HMs? You think maybe shit like this, creating unnecessary roadblocks that require restricting a player's self-expression and choice, might just factor into their complaints.

*Lily uses a Butterfree's Psychic on a Primeape, knocks off only 40% of the Pokemon's HP*

You know, Lily. If you made a habit of questioning yourself and your opinions- now would be the time where you would think back to the statement about 'Butterfree not being considered good because no STAB is stupid because coverage!' and admit there might be a point. You can still use Butterfree while admitting it's something of a handicap.

If you're observant, you will also notice that Lily's team is slightly below Chuck's in Level and that she wins her fight using battle items instead of, I dunno- engaging in those rematches she said negated the criticisms of Johto's level curve to train up her Pokemon.

"Ugh! The level curve in Johto is so awfu-"

Wait.

Lily. Didn't you DEFEND the level curve in Johto or at least try debunking this idea behind the game not having enough EXP earlier by talking about the rematches, talking about kids just rematching as they go back to explore unlike Youtubers? Which you are now admitting is 'extremely inelegant and forces you to wait' which...debunks your own view?

... This is a DIRECT contradiction of your stance from before. This is why you question yourself: you find contradictions in that self reflection.

"Johto's distribution of Pokemon suck! You can't even catch Houndour, Misdreavus and Larvitar until the post game! It's shitty because if you like these Pokemon, you can't catch them! It doesn't make them more valuable- just less fun!"

God damn it.

1-Lily, gating Pokemon out is not inherently a bad idea. Locking say...the pseudo-legendary into near the end of the game isn't a bad idea. That way you can't just power level one Pokemon into one of the strongest possible.

2-I do agree with Lily on this instance though. Johto locking away three of their new families of Pokemon behind KANTO is fucking insane. But issue here is that Lily just says they're locked behind the post game and just ends there, without giving context to why this is a problem. So- I'll do her job FOR her.

Let's start with the weakest one- Houndour. You catch this Pokemon at Route 7 (between Celadon and Saffron) in Kanto at Night. Seems like a good placement, since Houndour's type (Fire/Dark) counters the two nearby Gyms (Erika and Sabrina). Problem.

Houndour is caught at a max level of 18. Sabrina and Erika's teams average Level 48 and 44 respectively. There's no Trainers on this route either. Same with Murkrow btw.

Larvitar you catch at MT. SILVER (aka WHERE RED IS) at Level 20...at a 9% catch rate...right before Red. And Larvitar is a pseudo-legendary btw, so it levels up SLOWER than normal. Similar to Misdreavus, except it CAN'T evolve to get better.

And it's not like there aren't better options. Umbreon can be gotten as early as Level 21 by the fourth Gym Badge to cover Dark. Growlithe and Vulpix at Level 13 on ROute 36 as soon as Whitney to cover Fire. Geodude as early as ROCK CAVE for Rock. And Ghastly as soon as Sprout Tower. And many of these Pokemon are or become better than their counterparts so you have NO incentive to switch out Pokemon in your likely finalized team for newer, likely weaker Pokemon that you need to train up.

This summarizes the issue with Johto- the Pokemon MADE for Johto don't get to shine and the level curve makes adding new Pokemon pretty fucking shitty.

"Only pathetic shits think Shinies have any value!"

Lily, you are comparing locking off new Pokemon to a post game where they can't be effective to...an aesthetic change.

Move on. Also we get it with the capitalist dig- You want a social system that would have killed you off long ago.

"It's wrong to lock off Pokemon! See, this difficulty ROM Hack has so many!"

Yeah, DIFFICULTY ROM HACK Lily. As in, a hack of an already finished game that ends up tweaking certain aspects to increase difficulty likely for experience, adult Pokemon players. But for the ACTUAL Pokemon games- they have to be built for the new, casual or more relaxed fans as well.

Shoving a bunch of Pokemon into a single route, dropping multiple encounter rates down as low as 5% just to cram in as many Pokemon as possible is just gonna tire those poeple out as they search for every Pokemon possible. Even I, someone who likes Pokemon fan games, don't really like it when they try cramming 15 Pokemon into one Route just to accommodate them all because it feels like a slog trying to get one specific Pokemon I like that likely isn't even good enough to justify this. I would like all Pokemon catchable in a game (hence why I like the DLCs- they let you catch everything they add) but it would require so much effort to actually do that it's not feasible for Pokemon's release schedule.

Also all those Pokemon are available because it's balance out the difficulty with variety and the ability to EV train early. Most people still don't know how EVs, IVs and Natures work Lily. Most people wouldn't like this level of difficulty. Case and point: SMT has far less complexity and thus can be understood more easily yet it's difficulty, despite being easier to adjust to, is a turn off by itself.

"Pokemon games should give you all this variety so you can make unique and varied teams each game!"

Really Lily? You think having a bunch of Pokemon available at the start will allow you to use varied teams every game?

Because in practice, due to players valuing efficency- They will likely centralize around six extremely good Pokemon that synergize together to steam roll through the game. Limiting Pokemon helps CREATE variety by gate keeping strong Pokemon until the challenge matches up with them while you use weaker Pokemon as they were given a chance. It's probably why you like Butterfree so much: You used Butterfree as a kid and blowed through the early game with it and got attached. This likely wouldn't have happened if you had access to, say, Scyther instead.

Also, kind of funny you go off about making varied and unique teams when A. You started this rant talking about the cruelty of gatekeeping Pokemon so people who love them can't use them (thus forcing them to use different Pokemon) and B. we already know from your earlier Butterfree rant that you're gonna be using the EXACT SAME TEAM in each game.

Practice what you preach.

"People talk up the newer villains like Cyrus and N and the bigger plots but they suck!"

Lily. You couldn't even get Blue right.

Your opinion on the story means nothing.

"Mahagony Gym makes you take the path that faces you against the most Gym Trainers and that's bad! But the Gym is like an endurance test and that's good!"

So the gym making you fight trainers rapidly before facing the boss is bad...while also being good because it's an endurance test?

Proofread your scripts.

"Ice Cave is great because there's barely any trainers and there's little to no random encounters!"

Look I get that random encounters are annoying when you can't control them and Trainers can be tedious if you wish to get to your destination but...come on Lily. Battling is the main gameplay loop.

"I beat Silver and he doubles down-"

"…I couldn't win… I gave it everything I had… What you possess, and what I lack… I'm beginning to understand what that dragon master said to me…"

He doesn't.

And that ends Lily's view of Johto. Yes, she doesn't tackle Kanto or Red. Pretty sure she hates playing post games. Probably why she bashes Gen 5 so much.

Now for Gen 3. Which she calls the one with 'her favorite characters, best story and most beautiful locales in the series.'

... And I really hate Gen 3. Yay...

[freebooter4ever]

Okay i found this ancient article on geno:

And since he's temporarily injured (get better soon!!!) I'm just gonna spend a minute to gush about how somehow the more i find out about this boy the more endearing he is...

First of all, the title alone - like i love how geno's got this 'tall dark and handsome man of mystery' archetype Down. And i dont think it's cultivated. Which honestly makes it even better. He's just Like That. Shy but confident. Mysteriously sexy. Ugh geno, i want to put you in a movie.

The dude who wrote this article very Very obviously thinks geno belongs in a movie too because it is just gushing. Like "there’s something intrinsic and effortless about the way he moves that separates him from the nine other men on the ice" i have not been watching long enough to fully appreciate geno's skills but holy shit.

The anecdote of his shot being so fast and hard that despite the goalie catching it, the force of geno's shot pushes the glove into the net is so wild. And then when that shot ends up being overturned anyway, geno goes and scores again???? This is the stuff Narratives are made of.

"Heads turn looking for Malkin, for any reaction from the big Russian. But his locker stall lies bare; Malkin has left the building." - and then he pulls some batman diseappearing act. Hot. Always leave them wanting more.

"The star-strapped NHL would surely love to have a reigning MVP to promote, someone they could put in front of the cameras, plaster on billboards and help grow the game in the United States. But they won’t find that guy in Malkin; he has the talent to convert newbies to diehards, but not the desire to do so. He’s content—no, determined—to let his play do all the talking. Add it all up, the shy demeanour, the guarded public profile, the terse answers in limited interviews, and there’s a tendency to accept what’s presented. It’s easy to think that Malkin is a supremely talented hockey player and not much else. But that would be a mistake. Because, believe it or not, he does have the personality to bring the game to the masses, the work ethic to inspire a generation of young players, and a sense of humour. He’s not an empty locker."

Its embarrassing how much i am into this omg. Like if there was a big neon sign saying 'WARNING: EXACTLY YOUR TYPE' it would be flashing. And also too late, I'm already in deep.

But more seriously - I think this is exactly why geno gets snubbed in those lists and shit. He isn't willing to play the PR game. Sid does, and sid does it really really well probably because sid doesn't seem to care much about his own persona being percieved. He's all about being a hockey ambassador. Geno, mr man of mystery, seems to care A Lot. He's rather senstivie underneath the hockey machine exterior. But he gives himself to the public in quieter ways - like the geno hat. Or all the signings he does. Or the charities. Geno really isn't about the glamour and i very much respect him for it.

“On the first day he was here, he didn’t say a word,” recalls Letang

And

"Malkin trailing Gonchar like a puppy waiting for supper during those early years."

Ok but Shy Baby Geno would have been the death of younger me like total kryptonite direct hit oh my god. 22 yr old boots you had no idea the crush you were missing out on here. Sometimes i read old fan blogs from that era and i keep kicking myself because younger me would have had so much fun. He was So Damn Cute.

This quote: "on the road, Malkin seldom went out, instead Skyping with friends and family back home, watching movies in Russian—mostly comedies—or, more commonly, studying English using Rosetta Stone." makes me go 🥺

Cause like it must have been so hard on geno, i cant imagine. I didnt have the language barrier and moving within the same country but just from WA to pittsburgh all alone was hard enough. i was definitely the shy weirdo who the first friday night i was alone at college spent the evening knitting and watching singing in the rain instead of attending the freshman cruise.

"childhood friend–turned–longtime training partner–turned current roommate Max Ivanov, who runs a hockey camp in Pittsburgh"

so thats who max is??!? an old friend from his hometown who followed him to pittsburgh???? 🥹 that is soooooo fucking sweet. i do get the feeling that if geno cares about anyone, he will probably care about them for life - loyalty and devotion and all that.

"think he plays it off with the media that he doesn’t speak as well as he does just so he can avoid interviews" this will never fail to crack me up and 100% do not blame him.

"He’s still reserved and will usually opt to go home after a game to break down that night’s action with Ivanov. Malkin received a massive chess set for his birthday last year and you’ll often find him huddled over the board across from Ivanov"

geno is just....so not what i would ever have imagined some big sports star to be????? or maybe im just clueless and too judgemental of most of the jocks i knew in high school and such.

like if 2012 geno and i actually had met and sat down and talked in some hypothetical language barrier free universe, i dont know if i even would have clocked him as a sports guy??? the more i find out the more curious i get, like why is he so reserved? but also definitely wants to be seen as being in the ranks of the famous stars? its something i can sympathize with, not that my career is anywhere close to being as storied but while ambitious ive always mostly wanted to be good enough to work with my heroes than become them. my favorite art stuff is the backend. let someone else be the big name creative directors and concept artists.

ugh geno, man of mystery, you are fascinating

[virnuileva-peto]

Hello! I wrote a Käärijä fanfic.

Content warning for self-doubt, swearing and sad thoughts that can ruin your memories of Kaivohuone gig. Don't like = don't read!

-

One last time

Summary: Käärijä misses the way his gigs looked before he became famous and after a bunch of sad thoughts decides to perform Cha Cha Cha in the crowd at Kaivohuone.

First person POV, 713 words, choppy style. Very sad! Proceed only if you like sad writing!!! Mostly inner monologue but there is some plot there too, I swear!

-

Shivers.

This crowd goes crazy. Excitement, joy, satisfaction, all these kinds of feelings pouring out of them. And rightfully so - this was one of the best gigs this summer, if not the best one.

The crew did a fantastic job. The vibe landed just right. The audience, welcoming and magnifying everything they received, giving it back to further power up the performance.

Both sides of the barrier resonating until it all started vibrating, shaking, quaking, inevitably leading to a disaster.

Break it down and be free.

The fans are having the time of their lives. They got everything they wished for and more. Surely they will remember this night forever. Sweat, spit, tears, screams. Photos, livestreams, gifts, memories. The whole club is completely filled with cheering and ecstatic shouts. And yet, even in this tightly packed atmosphere of celebration and fulfillment, something is jarringly missing.

Weirdly enough, it used to feel so much more complete and satisfying before this craze started. Back when there was only the front row at the gigs. Back when it was still possible to jump into the crowd and go wild, constantly in direct contact with the audience, almost tangibly feeling the energy flowing into the people and returning back in a feast of show and applause, performance and appreciation.

This was the norm before. Then this whole circus started, filling every waking second with duties, forcing the awareness to lag a few months behind. Only now it becomes obvious that this is all long gone. Now there is only security and bodyguards and barricades and limits.

The feel of longing to bring this back invites a thought to come to the surface. An oddly familiar thought, whose shadow for weeks has accompanied my every attempt at guessing the exact distance between the fence and the stage, but never bold enough to make me actually think it.

This will only get worse. I can no longer deny it. And the thought soon spawns another one: this will never come back.

I did not expect that in order to live my dream and conquer the biggest stages I will have to sacrifice what now might turn out to be my very soul. So damn cruel and wrong that I cannot have both. It's either sold-out venues filled with crowd partying like they never had before, or the ability to experience it alongside them. Impossible to decide, and once I choose one of them, the other is gone. This is bullshit.

Stop. Wait.

Who said I cannot have both?

There is one song left for tonight. Last chance to try and combine the best sides of my current and past life. Right here, right now. Let's do it as it's supposed to be done.

Insane.

Is it selfish? Is it the alcohol? Is it safe? Isn't it my own show after all, damn it?!

I'm doing it. Into the crowd, further, hotter, right in the middle. This is where everything will be fixed. This is where I return to life.

Not even Jesse's frightened face can stop me now. Shit, I hope nothing happens to me. If I die here, he will kill me.

And everything he and the whole crew will tell me afterwards will be absolutely true. This is ridiculous, risky, stupid, outrageous, and I know, and I agree! They will never allow it to happen again, and I will never try to do it again.

Fuck, this really is my last chance. This will never return. Just this one gig and I will have to part with my soul. Only the outer shell will continue into the future, selling music as a product, making money, never feeling complete again.

And if this thing right now doesn't work out, I won't even have anything to remember. Forced to live in the spotlight, smiling and accepting compliments, praised as successfull and fulfilled despite never really reaching the dream.

Is it so?

No, stop, wait, come on!

Stop.

What am I doing? Mourning things that did not happen?

Not a chance. Fuck it, we ball.

The audience is ready to have their minds blown. This is already the best gig of their whole lives.

I can make this the best gig of my own life as well.

Let's go.

-

[gubbles-owo]

y'all it is hyperfocus scream time

Alright so sporadic Arknights posting is cool and all, but tumble here is THE website for info dumping your weird fascinations unto the world. I worry enough about being annoying or overbearing all the damn time, so fuck it, it's time to scream about something I love. I've always loved music, and I'm fascinated by splitting it apart and studying it, figuring out what makes things tick. One of my favorite ways to do this is via stems-- that is, when a fully mastered track is broken down into audio files for separate instruments or parts: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, synths, all that. This way you get to hear all the lil intricacies you might've otherwise missed! Unfortunately most music out there doesn't have stems just lying around, but sometimes we're graced with the next best thing: instrumentals. There's a lot to it but TL;DR, we can pull some fancy phase shenanigans between a full and instrumental version of a track to isolate the vocals! It's not perfect, there'll be bits of the full mix poking through, but it's enough to catch some cool things you might not have otherwise heard. Buckle up bitches, cause I'm gonna take you for a ride. Today I'm gonna take you through some of the intricacies of one stellar vocal performance: Suisei's TEMPLATE.

Let's get started!

In fear of the boundless wrath of the copyright gods, I don't wanna post any bits of the og or instrumental raw, so I'll reference parts in the original with timestamps like this (0:00)! I highly recommend you first listen to the song in full, then reference the noted segments in the og as we go through the audio examples. I really want you to appreciate how cool this all is xD To give you an idea of what our instrumental phase cancelling sounds like, here's a short bit from verse one (0:15 - 0:25)

Neat, huh? Already we're hearing the slightest touch of reverb that mostly gets buried in the full mix. It's subtle, but it gives a sense of depth and space that'd be noticeable if missing. As far as performance goes, I love the tension of power in this, the swell of intensity followed by reeling it back in. It's subtle at first but it really evolves as the song progresses. Let's dive a bit further. Here's the vocals for the first chorus (0:34 - 0:59)

Alright now we've got some interesting stuff going on. I wanna stress here that Suisei is a phenomenal vocalist, and the sense of careful control over power and projection she's got starts to show here. Specific syllables are thrown out like a gut punch, and just as quickly retract in this delicate weaving of intensity, and it is so goddamn cool. We also get to hear some harmonies that accompany the lead vocals, but they're still a bit buried under that lead. What if I told you there's a way we could further isolate those? Another technical TL;DR but in addition to left and right, we can also split stereo audio into mid and sides. Most modern mixed music will have lead vocals straight up the center, while backing harmonies are either doubled or effected to trickle out to the sides, to give that lead room to breathe. So what does this same chorus sound like if we listen to just the sides?

Okay so right off the bat we hear this harmony that has a graceful snap upwards to its last note. To my extremely limited jp knowledge it's something like: Boku wa zutto kurushi kattan da That kattan da harmony is beautiful in its own right, and it's not something you get to hear on its own. (also if u know better than me plz correct me if i'm wrong on that jp for the love of god) And after that? It turns out the whole chorus has a layer underneath that's sung an octave below the lead. Like. Holy shit. To my limited knowledge I don't know if we ever get to hear Suisei sing this low in isolation, so this is wild to hear on its own. Her tone and inflection is way different here. Notice the power and projection isn't really there, how it's a bit more lowkey? It doesn't get in the way of the powerful lead, and helps round out the bottom end into a wall of sound when combined. You don't notice it much in the full track, but you'd definitely notice its absence. See, often with music I do this hyperfixation thing where I latch onto the tiniest details imaginable and listen to them over and over again, just to appreciate how enormously fucking cool they are. This low octave chorus is no exception. I heard it when first listening to the full track, but it was awesome to finally hear it in (relative) isolation. ...when excitedly showing this all to some friends, one of them said "gubs you are so fucking down bad." And you know what? She was goddamned right.

Moving onto something a lil smaller, there's an additional higher octave for a moment in verse two (1:11 - 1:15)

And the same thing with the sides isolated:

Simple things like this really help add texture and dynamics to a performance. A harmony that persists for an entire song is often more boring than having it weave in and out! It's especially effective in helping to emphasize certain lyrical bits. The 2nd chorus has different lyrics, but from an arrangement standpoint it's mostly the same as the first. Let's fast forward to the start of the bridge (1:42 - 2:01):

This part isn't particularly buried underneath the mix, but I thought it was worth isolating anyway. I really want to point out how beautiful the additional higher melody is in the second half.

Alright, it's time for one of my favorite parts of this track. Let's take a listen to the latter part of the bridge (2:10 - 2:20):

...do you hear that? Do you fucking hear that?? There is something incredible in here. Let's isolate it.

That last line, with the lead taken out of the mix, has not only a harmony sung an octave above, but also an octave below. Holy fuck. Okay. I need you to understand. Being able to sing the same line in 3!! THREE!!! Different octaves! IS FUCKING WILD. For fuck's sake the melody line itself nearly spans an octave in range!? God. My fucking god. I'm sorry for losing my shit over this (not sorry at all) but this demonstrates an incredibly flexible range, and that is not something you'll hear flexed quite as hard as it is here. I've only heard a handful of examples of this sort of thing before. I adore this shit so much. I am such a gay fucking loser oh my g od *ahem* alright let's wrap this up by listening to this fantastic outro segment (2:42 - 3:01):

Personally I tend to dislike when a slowed, half-tempo chorus is replaced by/followed with a full-speed section in an effort to ramp up intensity. Speed doesn't equate to power, and if anything, I feel that a slower feel is often more methodical and powerful. But here? The chorus to this song is sublime, and it feels like all three have been building up this boiling tension that finally explodes in this segment. It's so fucking good. And while she still demonstrates a more than competent grasp on how to project and emphasize, Suisei gets to let lose and go all out here. And for funsies, here's the backing harmony behind that whole segment:

I love shit like this. I cannot sing to save my life (god i wish i could) but over the years I've picked up a lot on how different vocalists construct their backing harmonies. It's not something most people think about, but carefully crafted layered vocals can really enhance, emphasize, and expand on a performance. They add so so much color and personality to an artist's style. Fuck y'all this shit is so cool.

_____________________________ Welp, that wraps it up for this one!! I hope you got to hear and learn something new, maybe pique or cultivate an appreciation for the intricacies that often bury themselves in the mixes you listen to. Or maybe you just thought it was neat, that's fine too xD I'd love to scream more and do similar breakdowns of other songs and vocalists, so I dunno, I may or may not already be plotting another one of these :3c

[demented-tours]

ADHD/Autism/Neuro-spicy/Exec Function Issues/Burnout Life Hack

So listen, as the owner and sometime operator of a brain with medium to hot neurospicy wiring, I occasionally struggle with... well. Everything. But particularly making myself do Small Tasks That Require One More Spoon Than I Ever Have Thanks To Having to Exist in this Dumpster Fire World AND Never Being Taught Anything Useful About Myself Much Less How to ACTUALLY Recharge or Regulate My Nervous System Which Only Has an "Actively Being Mauled By a Bear" Setting. (TM)

It's been a long few decades.

Anyway, as such, I have tried so many little ways to motivate myself, and some of them are decent, but I also have days where just... nothing seems to work.

Except this one thing. Now, it's only working NOW, but it seems to be working semi consistently, so I'm hopeful. Ish. As hopeful as I get anyway.

And it's low cost, requires no bullshit medical professionals or meds and it appeals to my competitive spirit and inner gamer nerd.

I figured I'd share here, though it's likely a terribly unoriginal idea, but hell, sometimes it's just reframing crap that you knew to be true once but forgot about it in the current depression-inspired stew.

We're gonna call this one Warmie Magic.

Step 1: Acquire/make a warmie. Those are the things you heat up and apply to body parts for relaxation/pain relief. They come in all shapes, sizes, stuffed animals forms. Let your sensory needs go wild. I like THIS ONE because it can be used on hot or cold settings and it comes unscented. It's also made for neck/shoulders, which basically always hurt. But they make them cheaper and in whatever shape you like. It just matters that you can heat it up in the microwave.

Step 2: Figure out your temperature setting timing for your warmie. For me, that warmie thing takes 4 minutes in my microwave to acquire that perfect near-scalding-yet-still-soothing temperature. Bonus if it's over 2 minutes of time, but really, whatever works, here.

Step 3: Fixate on some mundane, small task that you Need To Do: dishes. Laundry. List making. Toilet cleaning. Whatever. Put the warmie in the microwave, set the timer... Then get ready... get set... PUSHBUTTONANDGO! Try not to let your lack of body sense knock you into too many objects on your trajectory to the Task at Hand.

Step 4: Do the tasks for the duration of the short timer. You would be AMAZED at what you can do in 4 freakin minutes. Single load of laundry in machine. Or most of one load folded. Or at least a few pans washed. One toilet insides scrubbed. Dishwasher loaded/unloaded. Whatever--do it until the timer goes off.

Step 5: Stop the task, retrieve the warmie, and enjoy the sensory snuggle reward. Fuck about for a while.

Step 6: When the warmie is less warm, get up and repeat the process. OPTIONAL: Set another timer without the warmie and do it again while enjoying the sensory snuggle reward.

What I like about this is that I can trick my brain shit with the, "Well, hell, it's JUST four minutes" line. Or the, "We have to wait for the damn thing to warm up anyway, and it'll take fucking forever if we just stand here." Usually some combo, there, works. And it gives you a positive reinforcement reward that the body feels that isn't food oriented or what have you.

Obviously, your mileage will vary. All neurospicy settings are unique. I'm just going to enjoy this method while it manages to be effective. This is how I've made myself do my stretching routine, laundry, and dishes for the past few weeks, so...

This could also work for all sorts of things in all sorts of applications. I also used to write like this, sometimes. I'd set a timer for 30 minutes and just GO. Whatever happened in 30 minutes was golden. Six words or six thousand.

I've also done something like this with a snack pack of fruit snacks and I get one per tiny item completed because, yeah, my brain sometimes operates with a psychotic toddler's reward system setting. But it got the damn Wal Mart delivery unpacked.

Oh, and one last thing that's helped me... Do your breathing exercises to slow yea olde burnt out nervous system right after you pee. I can do a solid round of box breathing (5 seconds breathe in, 5 seconds hold, 5 seconds out, 5 seconds pause, rinse and repeat) while washing my hands. And sooner or later you have to pee so might as well use that as a functional reminder. Not that I remember to do this more than one time out of seventy, but in THEORY, it'd be great.

And now let's get back to our usual soft-porn-funny-shit-pretty-shinies programming around here.

<3Dee