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ponett · 1 year ago

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Bobby's 2023 Media Wrap-Up

So! Like I said before, this past year I kept a running list of everything I watched, every game I finished, every new album I listened to, etc., and wrote one-paragraph blurbs with my thoughts on every single one. Please enjoy this journey through everything I liked, or didn't like, in 2023, with my favorites of the year listed at the bottom.

(Yes! This is long!!)

Some notes:

I mainly only included things I finished. Exceptions are marked with an asterisk.

I included some YouTube stuff as "TV shows" - mostly particularly long, high effort video essays and documentaries.

I was a bit less adventurous than I'd like to have been this year. Part of this was just that I felt like I was constantly playing catch-up with Big Releases I felt obligated to check out, and part of this was just executive dysfunction from burnout. Wait until you see how long it took me to beat Mario Wonder lmao

Yes, I need to read more books. I don't read a lot of books these days. I need to get back to Discworld.

COLOR KEY

Video Games • TV / Web Video • Movies • Comics • Music

January

1/15: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (MSQ) - Very slow at times, the Primal shit is generally extremely lame to me outside of the boss fights themselves, but god if the quality of life improvements over WoW, the JRPG energy, and the fact that it Actually Has A Story carry it pretty hard.

1/18: Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island miniseries - One of the most creative and compelling uses of the Sonic IP… ever? Fantastic little self-contained arc about the struggles of Eggman’s abandoned creations that gracefully weaves between heartfelt optimism and moody horror with some of the best art ever seen in a Sonic comic.

1/18: Mega Man X4 - Glad I finally actually beat this after never even beating any of the Mavericks as a kid! I can see why it’s a lot of peoples’ favorites. The gameplay has very little of that X series bloat and is just fun, especially after getting X’s armor upgrades. (But the story really is a long series of missed opportunities.)

February

2/2: Donks - Felix Colgrave continues to be an exceptional artist. The sound design on this is fantastic and really sells this short as something unique. Had to go back and watch his older stuff again after this.

2/4: Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (3.0 - 3.3 MSQ) - I get it now. I get why people say this is just a proper mainline Final Fantasy game built into the framework of an MMO. That shit ruled. Not even walking back the drama in Ul’Dah from the end of ARR can sour me on it because the main storyline was so strong.

2/8: Disneyland's Forgotten Sci-Fi Rock Band - Live From the Space Stage - A nice and honest tribute to a group of artists who could have easily been forgotten. In hindsight this feels like a precursor to Kevin’s Disney Channel jingle video, a tribute to the unsung artists pouring their hearts into “lesser” art for a megacorporation, art that was designed to be transient but sticks with people nonetheless.

2/9: Metroid Prime Remastered* - Not gonna finish because I just played through the Wii version in 2021, but still. Very, very pretty remaster.

2/16: Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - It’s more Theatrhythm. What more could I want

2/17: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (anime) - Probably the best part of the anime so far (assuming they continue on to SBR). A near perfect mix of the more structured plot of part 5 with the goofiness of parts 3 and 4 that crescendos into a fantastic, bombastic, emotional, bittersweet ending. The use of footage from the original opening and the new ending set to Roundabout in the finale were perfect, and made me intensely nostalgic for the early days of my JoJo fandom between seasons 1 and 2 of the anime.

2/22: Aggretsuko Season 5 - I don’t really know what to make of this one. Once you get past the agonizing initial arc all about Haida where Retsuko has to be his overbearing mommy GF who flips out and starts spying on him when she’s left on read and chides him when he misbehaves, it feels like an improvement over the previous seasons. But I don’t know how much of that is due to the extremely low bar set by season 4. And then the ending is extremely rushed and anticlimactic. They got legally married and the only acknowledgement was a shot of them signing the paperwork in a montage partway through the final episode?????????

2/24: Double Fine PsychOdyssey - God, what a journey the making of this game was. I already loved 2 Player’s past efforts at documenting Double Fine’s process, but this takes it to a whole new level. This feels culturally significant. The depth and honesty with which they depict not just the nitty gritty of making a game, but also the inherent struggles of working on a collaborative creative work for years at a time, is astounding. Not to mention that they were there to capture the shift from office life to remote work as COVID hit. So much of this would have been nightmarishly stressful to watch if I didn’t already know how successful the game was, but that’s just because they really didn’t sugarcoat it. And yet even after all that, it leaves me feeling optimistic about video games as an art form in a way that the constant headlines about cynical live service games don’t. There are still people out there pouring their hearts into making real art, and this is their story. Everyone who plays video games should watch this.

2/25: Cracker Island (Gorillaz) - New Gorillaz albums feel like less of an event these days, but after Humanz it feels like they’re just more chill with the project and their ambitions with it. Every couple years we get some more laid back jams from Damon along with some fun new collabs. Hard to complain. Favorite track: New Gold

2/25: Pool Kids (Pool Kids) - I discovered this band because Derek knows them and was excited when they got a song added to Fortnite through the Bandcamp collab. Always down to find more cool indie rock bands I can vibe with. The mix of dreamy vocals and energetic riffs on some of the tracks here almost fill the Crying-shaped hole in my heart. Almost… Favorite track: Conscious Uncoupling

2/25: Insane in the Rain (insaneintherainmusic) - I thought it was really funny timing when Carlos announced that his first original project would be a jazz fusion album inspired by acts like T-Square and Casiopea right as I was getting into those two specific bands. The final product does not disappoint. Favorite track: Insane in the Rain

2/26: Get Up Sequences Part Two (The Go! Team) - I’ve never been one to believe that a band’s sound has to remain exactly the same forever, but it really does hit you hard that the first two tracks here sound like classic The Go! Team. Their more recent cleaner sound is still here too, though, for a nice mix of old and new. Favorite track: Divebomb

2/28: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (Season 1) - Oh my god. Oh my god. I got distracted around the time I was finishing SLARPG, but finally catching up now, wow. My assumption that the seemingly lighter tone of the series compared to the prologue was there to lull us into a false sense of security before twisting the knife when war finally breaks out was spot on. This is peak Gundam.

March

3/4: Pizza Tower - One of the best platformers I’ve played in a long time. It transcends its blatant Wario Land inspirations with the sheer speed at which Peppino can move and the way things like the level design, his wall running, and even the hidden ability to do a second lap around the level reward getting into a flow state where you’re just constantly moving. This is the type of game that wants to turn you into a speedrunner. My only real complaint is a few iffy enemy designs that I wish would get patched.

3/6: Bloons TD 6 * - I bought this before bed one night on a nostalgic whim and then the next morning woke up and saw the Steam receipt email on my phone in one of the most “what did I do last night” moments of my life. I like when the monkeys pop the balloons.

3/7: The Book of Boba Fett - I put off finishing this show for a very long time but finally caved upon the release of The Mandalorian season 3. This show spends four episodes failing to make me give a shit about Boba Fett trying to be “the daimyo” and drive the drug trade off of Tatooine, then just gives up and becomes season 2.5 of Mando, which in turn feels like it undercuts the main series. It fails as both its own story and as a spinoff. I know that finishing this after Andor did it no favors, but WHOOF.

3/12: Obi-Wan Kenobi - Some interesting ideas in the first half hinting at a more introspective show, but it’s mostly swept aside in the back half so it can become a generic Star Wars adventure remixing things from A New Hope and Rebels (and apparently Jedi: Fallen Order). Action scenes have zero stakes because you know nothing can happen to any of the returning characters and none of the new ones are particularly interesting. Why there’s a second climax hinging on a Luke Skywalker death fakeout eludes me. Obi-Wan throwing the rocks at Vader is one of the funniest things in Star Wars history. But it was still better than Book of Boba Fett, I guess.

3/19: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar - Wow, cool robot indeed… GaoGaiGar isn’t going to blow anyone away with its writing, but sometimes you just need a really fun monster of the week mecha show with great action and lovably goofy characters. This is a show where like 20% of every episode consists of recycled transformation, combination, and signature attack sequences and I ate it up every time because they look fucking cool as hell. I don’t care. I’d watch Final Fusion another 49 times.

3/21: The Last of Us (HBO) * - Watched the first two episodes out of curiosity, but I’m not sure if I’ll continue because I don’t give a shit about The Last of Us. It’s definitely a well done adaptation, though, even if I know it’s inevitably going to devolve into miserable torture porn with questionable politics if they adapt Part II faithfully. The ending of episode 2 also lines up perfectly with where I stopped in the game in 2013 lmao

3/27: The Future is a Dead Mall - Decentraland and the Metaverse (Folding Ideas) - Another banger from Dan Olson. This time the premise inherently gives him more time to just show off a bunch of stupid ugly bullshit made by crypto guys, which is fun. My main complaint was that I wished he would’ve brought up Second Life more as a point of comparison (a thing I basically always want out of discussion of “the metaverse”), but he at least did touch on it in the last section.

3/31: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog - I can’t believe after years of begging for the supporting cast to get more and better material in a Sonic game I got my wish in the form of a freeware murder mystery VN released for April Fools. This kicked ass.

April

4/7: Berserk - Completed Miura’s run and caught up on the chapters that have been released posthumously. It’s hard to say anything that hasn’t been said about Berserk, universally agreed upon as one of the greats of manga and fantasy fiction as a whole. What begins in its first few volumes as a nihilistic and edgy action comic built to facilitate as much sex and gore as possible quickly evolves into something deeply human and vulnerable and beautiful, both figuratively and in terms of its lavish art. The world sucks and is immeasurably cruel, and you will see that cruelty illustrated in graphic, sickening detail repeatedly throughout the series. (Perhaps a little too often throughout the Golden Age, where it feels like Miura never misses an opportunity to threaten Casca with sexual assault mid-battle.) But the point isn’t to wallow in that misery. It’s the story of a victim of horrific abuse learning to slowly open up to others, having those people he cares about torn away from him in the worst night of his life, hardening himself into a cold killing machine, and then slowly learning to open back up again, even if it means leaving himself vulnerable to more hurt. Anyone who says that the series peaked with the eclipse and went downhill in the “Guts’ JRPG Party” era is missing the point. Guts needed to find new people in his life to care about, to begin to find happiness again. Because no matter what unspeakable things Guts has gone through, it’s still possible for him to heal and to be loved. It takes time, but eventually you stop and realize that life has moved on.

4/8: Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe - Skipped it upon release because I didn’t particularly care for the minigame in Triple Deluxe, and I didn’t miss much. It’s fine as a little distraction, but not as a standalone rhythm game with only seven songs. If you don’t bother with the hard modes or chase after high scores this game is 15 minutes long. Oh how I yearn for Kirby to get the Theatrhythm treatment.

4/10: The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar FINAL - Eh… It was okay. Lots of cool robot fights, but said fights are stitched together with a mediocre plot that tries too hard to be more “mature” than its unabashedly schlocky kids’ show predecessor. Not crazy about the ending, either, which tries to be a bittersweet farewell closing off the series once and for all while also teasing that maybe there’ll be ANOTHER sequel after the OVA series they literally called “FINAL.” Ah well.

4/11: The Owl House - Sad to see this one go, but it’s hard to imagine them doing a better finale than this, even if they had gotten the six seasons they deserved. I’m not as obsessed with The Owl House as I probably would’ve been had it come out when I was, like, 20, but it’s a really fantastic show for all the reasons people always say. Great characters, great world, great story. I love that this starry-eyed fantasy story about a teenager finding love and a place where she belongs is also set on the rotting corpse of a titan with Hieronymous Bosch-inspired scenery and freaky monsters everywhere. What a great mix. If anything, I just wish I would’ve watched the first season as it aired so I could’ve had more time with it.

4/29: Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue Version - FINALLY beat this via the new collection, 20 years after playing it as my first Mega Man game. (Technically my first was White, not Blue, but whatever.) There are more annoyances than I remember - lots of really really bad forced backtracking sections where you have to revisit every previous part of the internet, low chip drop rates, some really aggravating bosses like BubbleMan and KingMan, etc. But it’s still a great time overall. It’s Battle Network. In the back half the story gets surprisingly emotional, too. I was always under the assumption that the Hub stuff never came back up much in the story after 1, so I was pleasantly surprised with how relevant it was to the emotional arc of 3.

4/30: Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun * - Yeah I’m not playing through the whole thing lmao. I just wanted to play the first couple hours for nostalgia’s sake, and as a baseline for how much better the rest are. Even before getting deep in the game and having to deal with all the shit gated between doing two new game+ playthroughs, it’s immediately obvious how much of a downgrade this one is. Tons of glaring errors and typos all over the script, blander music, a way more boring aesthetic for the internet, and a premise that mostly just recycles the tournament idea from 3.

May

5/14: The Venture Bros. - Glad I finally sat down and watched all of this with Anthony after having seen one (1) episode as a teenager and a bunch of random clips in the years since. Great show. Some jokes in the early seasons haven’t aged gracefully, but what the show grows into over time... man. Hank and Dean go from being the butt of the joke to being characters you actually sympathize with - while still also being funny little goofballs. And the journey Henchman 21 goes on throughout the show. Man. Amazing that a comedy like this could run for 20 years and maintain its level of quality. Can’t wait for the movie.

5/18: Future Me Hates Me (The Beths) - Okay yeah I’m now just discovering bands through Fortnite lmao. I can’t complain really, they pick some really great indie artists for the in-game radio stations. Anyway: It’s very easy to win me over with a combination of energetic power pop, catchy guitar riffs, and earnest lyrics like this. One of those albums where three or four tracks in I know I have to buy it. Favorite track: Not Running

5/18: Jump Rope Gazers (The Beths) - Ditto. Favorite track: Dying to Believe

5/18: Expert In A Dying Field (The Beths) - Another good album. (I’m listening to these in release order.) I’ve been a bit slower to warm up to this one, initially thinking it was a little too mellow overall, but it might be my favorite after a few listens. Some real high highs. Interestingly, the lead singer’s New Zealand accent is also coming out more in her singing? Favorite track: Your Side (or maybe Head in the Clouds)

5/19: The Super Mario Bros. Movie - As a Mario fan, I think I enjoyed it? As a movie, less so? It was decent, in spite of feeling like they came up with a list of fun action setpieces first and then wrote the absolute bare minimum possible for the story scenes tying it all together. Full thoughts here. (This is the first movie I’ve seen this year, huh? I really don’t watch a lot of movies.)

5/23: Don't Know What You're In Until You're Out (Gladie) - I feel like I don’t like Gladie as much as I should. Their style of noisy indie rock is very much in my wheelhouse, and I do enjoy listening to them, but I dunno. Maybe it’s that the particular style of vocals makes it more monotonous to me. A good album nonetheless, if not 100% my thing. Favorite track: Nothing

5/24: City Slicker (Ginger Root) - Yes I am still making my way through Bandcamp artists I heard on Fortnite don’t @ me. Any excuse to get me to listen to some cool city pop-inspired funk like this is a good excuse. Favorite track: Loretta

5/24: Rikki (Ginger Root) - Favorite track: Why Try

5/25: Spotlight People (Ginger Root) - Favorite track: The Classic

5/29: Succession - A good dramedy series that increasingly focuses more on the drama than the comedy as it progresses, but it’s hard to complain about that since the drama is so compellingly produced. I enjoyed it. That being said, I kind of rankle at the claims that it’s The Greatest TV Show Of All Time. It’s great, don’t get me wrong. Amazing performances all around. But the show LOVES to spin its wheels, to repeat itself, and to let most of its interesting dramatic developments fizzle out before anything really comes of them, almost as if the show is constantly getting bored with its own ideas. To some extent this is intentional - Logan Roy is the untouchable billionaire, his kids fail at everything (but will nonetheless remain billionaires), and in the long run none of them really give a shit about anything other than their own status. But it’s not like things tend to visibly impact anyone else, either, be they supporting characters or the world at large. Even the Big Scary Election, where the Roy siblings are directly responsible for plunging the nation into chaos, ultimately has zero impact on the finale a mere two episodes later. Certain Other Things do have an impact in the last season, though, allowing things to meaningfully change for the cast and for the show to sit with the ensuing drama, which has stopped me from souring on Succession more. There was finally a payoff for something. But it does still kind of feel like a show that goes in circles until it’s ready to call it quits, even if those circles did contain a lot of great acting and music along the way.

5/29: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts - I’d watched the first 12 episodes when they originally released, but I guess the Netflix binge release and the fact that all three “seasons” came out in one year led to me waiting until it finished… and then I just never got around to finishing it. Glad I fixed that! Really fun and stylish cartoon with an art style reminiscent of Teen Titans, a hip hop-filled soundtrack, dynamic fight scenes, and a colorful post-apocalyptic world filled with mutant (mostly anthropomorphic) animals. I’ll admit that at times I do kinda roll my eyes at Kipo’s unshakeable belief that everyone can be friends in a way that I don’t necessarily with similar shows like Steven Universe, and not every joke lands, but I dunno. It’s a kids’ show. That’s to be expected. It doesn’t detract from the overall package for me.

June

6/1: Craig of the Creek (Season 4) - It’s been years and I’m still processing the fact that kids can turn on Cartoon Network and hear Jeff Rosenstock. Anyway! Craig continues to be one of the best cartoons on TV, consistently funny and creative and way more engaging than a show about a bunch of kids LARPing in the woods has any right to be. This season turned into One Piece with the gang effectively hunting down the Poneglyphs in search of a legendary treasure. The kids think it’ll be magic. It isn't. An increasing number of cartoon logic gags aside, this show is firmly set in the real world. Does that make it any less interesting? Hell no. Season 3 turned a game of capture the flag into an all-out five episode war between the heroes and villains, filled with dramatic turnabouts and a climactic guest appearance from Del the Funky Homosapien. I’m sure however they wrap things up in the (sadly shortened) final season, it’ll be great. (Also? I would watch a whole show based on that “what if” episode that jumped forward to everyone’s 20s.)

6/6: Barry - Holy shit, what a show. I ended up binging it in less than a week in a cycle of “okay, just one more episode.” The way this show is able to swing between tones and genres while still feeling like a cohesive whole is truly masterful. It’s a layered character drama, a tragic crime thriller, a farcical comedy, an understated action series, a surrealist morality play, and a scathing satire of Hollywood, all in one. Even within the criminal underworld subplots the show ranges in tone from Breaking Bad to Paddington 2. And it works! While the show naturally gets bleaker over time as it confronts the repercussions of Barry’s murders, it never completely loses sight of its comedic roots. My favorite episode was easily season 2’s “ronny/lily,” a mostly self-contained episode that somehow manages to keep throwing the perfect curveballs to escalate its dark comedy.

6/12: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition) - Y’all heard of this movie? Pretty good, it turns out. (I’d seen the theatrical cut before, but this was my first time watching the extended edition. I’ve also only seen parts of the other two movies, so it’s time I finally watch all the extended cuts. The Gollum game pushed me to this.)

6/13: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) - give it to us RAW and WRIGGLING

6/17: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Extended Edition) - I’m not crying YOU’RE crying

6/22: Clone High (Season 2) - While the first episode being about “cancel culture” (or, more accurately, a teenager from 2003 being transported to 2023 and putting his foot in his mouth a lot) put a lot of people off, I ended up enjoying the new season of Clone High. The new clones grew on me as the season went on and their roles in the web of teen romance melodrama crystalized, and it made me laugh a lot, and Cleo/Frida is galaxy brained. Also they played one of my favorite Antarctigo Vespucci songs like a minute into the first episode. I don’t think I could really ask for much more.

6/28: The Mandalorian (Season 3) - I'd been watching this weekly but put off the last episode for no real reason. Responses to this season have been all over the place, but my blistering hot take is… it was fine. Is it as good as the first season? Probably not. But Mando no longer needs to carry the whole franchise on its shoulders and set the bar for how good the live action Disney Star Wars shows can be, because Andor exists, and it’s never gonna top Andor. The Mandalorian is free to just be a pulpy space adventure show where Giancarlo Esposito plays a scenery-chewing cartoon villain and a little puppet does wire stunts. These are things Andor cannot and should not do, but that’s Star Wars, baby. It’s delightful. I could watch Grogu get underhand tossed like a sack of flour all day.

July

7/2: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Season 2) - LOVE WINS. (More nuanced take from way later: It definitely feels like a lot of the more messy political conflicts in this show got swept aside by the big final battle where some more easily resolved family conflicts take center stage. I’m not sure the ending is the most satisfying. But also this show only got half the episode count that damn near every other Gundam show ever made got, so that might be a factor here. Idk. Still one of my favorite Gundams.)

7/4: Final Fantasy XVI (watched Anthony play) - I had to write my longest Medium article ever about this one because I was so frustrated

7/10: Home Movies - “Things I like that I’ve never seen in full” has certainly been a recurring theme this year. Home Movies remains an all-time classic of animated comedy that went out on a high note before things got stale or the characters became parodies of themselves. While it’s mostly known for its funny improvised banter, throughout the last season you can really see the arc where Brendon no longer enjoys making movies, yet he feels obligated to keep using them to escape from the real world. In that light, the ending where the nature of their dysfunctional makeshift family is cemented, Brendon’s camera suddenly breaks, and life moves on really does feel like the perfect note to end on. Truly one of the best to ever do it.

7/15: The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom - Wow. Just… wow. I had serious doubts about TotK in the months leading up to release due to how close Nintendo was playing their cards to their chest. I didn’t want this to be a Saints Row IV, where the game is fun enough but the recycled map makes it feel like a rehash. Instead, I found a game that made me look at BotW’s map in a whole new light, brimming with so many more things to do and people to meet. Add on a better, more versatile set of tools, more varied dungeons and bosses, and a story that I felt was told somewhat better and we’ve got a real contender for my new favorite Zelda game. It was hard to tear myself away, but as this list shows, it’s been basically the only game I’ve played since it came out.

7/16: Sonic Prime (Season 2) - I liked the parts with Shadow and Chaos Sonic, but I’ve come to the sad conclusion that most of this show is just mediocre. More thoughts here.

7/18: We ♥ Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie - “I’m a dog, but I love Katamari Damacy.” Truer words have never been spoken.

7/19: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - Pretty good! It didn’t blow me away, but after how bad the Bay movies got I’m just thankful to have a decently cohesive Transformers movie where the human story is okay and I like the bots (although half of them needed more screen time), even if it is just another Hollywood blockbuster about two sides fighting over a macguffin that devolves into a big CGI battle against an army of nameless monsters in the third act. This is basically a mid-tier MCU movie but with Transformers, which won’t do much for most people, but again: the bar was underground.

7/22: The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart - God DAMN. A phenomenal ending for the series. While I would have loved to see a full final season to get some more one-off episodes in there, this doesn’t feel creatively compromised in any way–either due to the time constraints, or due to a desire to make it more marketable as a movie. It really does feel like they just took their outlines for the canceled final season and gently massaged them into the shape of an 84-minute movie, and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s completely on par with the previous seasons. A hilarious and fitting sendoff for one of the greats of adult animation.

7/23: Beautiful Katamari - This was one of my first Xbox 360 games, but a frustrating temperature-based level made me put it down for 16 years. “Maybe it won’t be as bad now that I’ve beaten the first two games and am better at Katamari,” I thought. Nope! Still an absolutely dogshit level. But also, turns out the whole game is only like two hours long lmao. It’s still Katamari, so it’s still fun - the final level in particular, which seamlessly takes you from ground level all the way to space, feels like a logical endpoint for the series - but beyond that it just doesn't have the same soul without Keita Takahashi's input.

August

8/4: Doom Singer (Chris Farren) - I’ve been waiting so long for Chris and Jeff to do another Antarctigo Vespucci album, but god damn. This is the best of Chris’s solo work, and a contender for his best record, period. Every track’s a banger, with more energy than some of his previous solo work but also a good deal of variety. Favorite tracks: First Place, Cosmic Leash

8/4: Transformers Earthspark (Season 1) - This show had a bit of an uneven start, unsure if it wanted to have the emotional maturity of a more serious action cartoon or a preschool cartoon where the characters have little kid mood swings and outbursts and learn basic lessons. It also felt like it was speedrunning its Wholesome Found Family Dynamic with characters who just met, which didn’t feel earned. While these problems never completely go away (see: the cheap and corny way the otherwise very dark season finale suddenly resolves), the show improves quickly, and the positives outweigh the negatives. It’s so great to have a Transformers cartoon that feels fresh, giving us a post-war setting with a bunch of new characters and new dynamics between the Cybertronians and the humans. The returning characters are also uniformly great as the old veterans overseeing the new generation. (Reformed Megatron! Danny Pudi as Bumblebee! Steve Blum returning as Starscream! Keith David as Grimlock!!!) And those super dynamic action scenes! I can nitpick, but Earthspark’s a ton of fun, and easily the best new Transformers cartoon since Prime and Animated.

8/5: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (remaster) - Everyone who told me this game was a masterpiece was right. I had played the first chapter when it dropped as the demo for the iOS version years ago, but never went further than that until now. What a game. Absolutely incredible through and through. Great story, great twists, great characters, great puzzles, great art direction. Everything comes together so perfectly to form a totally unique, unforgettable package, a top tier video game murder mystery. Everyone should play this, preferably going in as blind as possible.

8/15: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 16) - Wow! Recent seasons of Sunny have been kind of up and down, with some interesting experiments (Mac Finds His Pride, the Ireland arc, etc.) paired with some comedic duds. Most of this latest season is standard fare for the series with fewer big creative swings, but it’s just hit after hit in terms of comedy. Not a single dud, whether we’re seeing Mac and Dennis try to start a rental business for inflatable furniture or watching the gang meet Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, believing the entire time that the latter is Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle. Even the attempts at topical comedy landed better. Easily the funniest season in years.

8/16: One Piece Film Gold - It’s easy to see why this one has kind of been forgotten in the wake of Stampede and Film Red, which revolve around established fan favorite characters, but this was still pretty fun. Perhaps a little too long, but it’s fun to see the Straw Hats fool around in a giant casino and do a heist. They definitely cranked the fanservice up even more than usual in this one, though, as I probably should have expected for a movie made alongside the anime’s adaptation of Dressrosa.

8/17: One Piece: Stampede - This one goes for a different kind of fanservice. While most One Piece movies are isolated from the ongoing plot and its expanded cast of characters, Stampede instead asks “What if we just put damn near every active character on the same island and had them fight?” The answer: a fun time! It would get old if all of the movies were like this, but after a bunch of movies that are just like “the Straw Hats are gonna land on another new island and fight some more weird guys” it’s fun to see characters like Law and Buggy and Smoker get in on the fun. It’s also nice to get a movie with the Wano era art style, and Usopp surprisingly gets some really good character moments in here.

8/18: One Piece Film Red - This really is the best of the One Piece movies, huh? (Baron Omatsuri is a close second.) It really feels like a change of pace after the last four with the most interesting and emotionally engaging story out of any of them. And even if the events of these movies are never canon, it still feels significant in my understanding of Shanks as a character as we move into the final phase of the manga.

8/21: Pikmin 4 - The opening hour of the game made me really question if they’d changed too much, with all the focus on your new dog unit over your Pikmin and the extremely dull, drawn out dialogue scenes with your new companions back at the base. But once I got into the swing of things I had a blast. This is probably my new favorite Pikmin game. There’s a great mix of activities here to keep things fresh. I also really ended up liking Oatchi’s role as basically your second captain who can also serve as your tank or a rideable mount. The Dandori stuff and nighttime missions in particular show off how useful Oatchi is for your multitasking without necessarily overshadowing the Pikmin.

8/22: Never Get Tired: The Bomb the Music Industry! Story - I literally backed this on Kickstarter eight years ago (my name is in the credits!) and then never got around to watching it for no reason. It’s on YouTube now, and Jeff’s got a new album out next week, so now feels like the perfect time to watch it. And man… what a great documentary. Obviously I’m just a fan of the band, but this also really spoke to me as an artist. Jeff wanting to stick to his principles and give out his music for free and play cheap all ages shows, his discomfort over the idea of selling merch, and the struggles that come with not playing the game like that… It's hard. They readily admit that Jeff is an idealist, that people fight him on this stuff, that he’s missed out on some big opportunities because of these stances, and that he’s had to compromise a bit on some of these things over time. But that incredible climax with their final show, including a full opening performance of the slowly building “Campaign for a Better Next Weekend” and the closing performance of “Future 86” where the whole audience is singing along as the members of the band are hugging and crying… it’s beautiful. This may have been a band where the members had to go back to their shitty day jobs after every tour because they weren’t selling out arenas, but their art meant something to people, and that makes it all worth it.

8/25: Nimona - I haven’t read the original comic (yet), so I can’t compare them too much, but it’s nonetheless pretty apparent that some things were softened and easy kids’ movie jokes were added by the studio to squeeze this graphic novel for teens into a PG animated movie. Regardless, the emotional throughline hits REALLY hard, particularly the very blatant trans allegory and the climax. (It’s no wonder Disney was afraid of this movie seeing the light of day lmao.) The animation is also very squishy and fun to watch throughout. Great movie.

8/26: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Spider-Verse really has done so much for animation, huh? This one was as good as everyone said. Beautiful use of stylized color and lighting throughout, and every time this movie very conspicuously shifted to different framerates for a flashy fight scene it owned. Very cute and heartwarming story, too, which thankfully gave its second act plenty of time to explore the cast and let them go on their journey, unlike a certain plumber movie that came out a few months later. Also I would let Death [redacted]

8/28: Holocure: Save the Fans! - This isn't really something I can beat, but I've been addicted to Holocure lately. I don't even watch VTubers aside from maybe seeing a funny Korone animation every now and then, this is just a really, really good freeware Vampire Survivors clone with a huge roster of varied characters to pick from.

8/31: HELLMODE (Jeff Rosenstock) - A new album from Jeff is always a major event for me. If there were any worries that he was starting to go soft at 40 (because one of the three singles off this album was a gentle acoustic piece), the frantic opening of this album put those worries to rest. The first two tracks are Jeff screaming out for help as he’s pulled in a million directions by the chaotic state of the world, a theme that becomes the thesis of the album. I’d say it lags slightly in the middle, but overall this is another extremely well-rounded record full of bangers that’s unapologetically Jeff, with possibly my favorite closing track he’s ever done. Favorite tracks: I WANNA BE WRONG, 3 SUMMERS

September

9/3: One Piece (live action, Season 1) - They did it. I can’t believe it, but they did it. While I have my nitpicks (Usopp and Sanji don’t get enough big moments to shine), this is an extremely solid and faithful adaptation of the first few arcs of One Piece with a great cast. For the most part the changes feel smart and logical, and the big emotional beats of the story are all there and executed very well. I doubted it a little in episodes 2-4, where the Orange Town and Syrup Village arcs saw some major changes to shift the action indoors, and the increased focus on the drama in favor of repeating every gag and battle from the manga 1:1 took a bit of getting used to, but by the end I was having a blast. It’s a different take on One Piece, but it still feels like One Piece. Genuinely very excited for season 2.

9/4: Pseudoregalia - A great little N64-style 3D Metroidvania focused on platforming and very satisfying movement. I always love entries in the genre that are less prescriptive in what order you have to tackle areas in, a la Symphony of the Night or Hollow Knight, and this one’s great in that regard. While there are a number of new moves to find, most of the map is open to you very early in the game, and smart use of your moveset can allow you to “sequence break” without even realizing it. (You would not believe how long I went without getting the wall run.) I do wish it had a map, but that’s already being patched in.

9/6: Bomb Rush Cyberfunk * - Not a bad game at all, but I quickly remembered how bad I am at skating games, so like… eh? Not sure I have much desire to play past chapter 2. Also the soundtrack is sadly kinda hit or miss for me outside of the obvious Naganuma tunes.

9/9: The History of the Minnesota Vikings (Dorktown) - Jon Bois never misses. Even as someone who doesn’t actively follow sports, Jon Bois is a master storyteller, using graphs and statistics and funny anecdotes to explore these deeply human stories. He can convey why people care so much about these teams, these people, and sports in general, and how our popular sports reflect on American culture. He could tell the story of just about any team or player in any sport and I just know I’ll come out the other side a misty-eyed fan. And what a fascinating cast of characters we have this time, with origin stories for everything from the Hail Mary pass to a Minnesota state supreme court judge to the Griddy. Nine hours well spent.

9/10: Timespinner - A fun and highly polished Metroidvania that maybe doesn’t quite have enough of its own identity in its quest to replicate Symphony of the Night…but also, like, this was pitched as a Symphony throwback on KickStarter in a pre-Bloodstained, pre-Hollow Knight world, so I can’t really blame ‘em! Stopping time to avoid boss attacks is fun, the pixel art is gorgeous, and I liked the dark science fantasy story about warring empires and meddling with time a lot more than I thought I would - lore journal text dumps and all.

9/14: The Decay of Sam & Cat (Quinton Reviews) - All the stuff at the end with Matt Bennett (the actor who played Robbie on Victorious and Sam & Cat) in this was really good and sweet. It’s that kind of thing that makes these videos feel like they’re still worthwhile on some level. But the padding and the things Quinton chooses to spend the colossal runtime on does drive me more and more insane with each passing Nick sitcom video. I don’t know how much longer he can keep this schtick up. I hope he’s able to move on to other things before too terribly long instead of continuing to extend this “miniseries.”

9/19: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales - AKA Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 1.5. It’s fun for the same reasons Peter’s first game was fun. I had a good time swinging around New York again in preparation for the sequel, and there’s a lot of cute stuff with Miles becoming Harlem’s neighborhood hero, but WOW did the Underground v. Roxxon conflict fall flat for me.

9/20: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson - I understand so many posts now.

9/25: Spider-Man (2002) (rewatch) - It’s you who’s out, Gobby! OUT OF YOUR MIND!

9/25: Futurama (Season 8) - I was ready to be a hater, recalling the fact that Futurama has already had three “perfect endings” with the show getting a little weaker with every revival. Then I watched the first new episode on a whim and thought it wasn’t bad, so I was like, eh, sure, I’ll watch the rest. Overall Hulurama is hit or miss. There are chuckles to be had, and it sure as hell beats modern Simpsons, but almost every episode is either a belated take on an overplayed Topical Issue (the pandemic, Amazon, cancel culture, etc.) or a direct sequel to an old episode people liked. Or both! It’s also really noticeable that certain voice actors sound way older - Billy West is struggling with the Fry voice in particular, and it hurts his comedic timing. But just when all hope seemed lost after the nigh-incomprehensible toy-themed anthology episode, possibly the worst episode of the entire series… the last episode, where the Planet Express crew explores whether or not the universe could be a simulation, was really, really solid. Great note to end on to make me not regret my time with this season as a whole.

9/26: Spider-Man 2 (2004) (rewatch) - Once the GOAT, always the GOAT.

9/27: Spider-Man 3 (rewatch) - Revisiting this movie for the first time since I saw it in theaters… it’s not bad. It’s fine! It continues to have the heart and sincerity that make the first two movies work. It’s just not as concise with three villains vying for the spotlight, but I also wouldn’t cut any of them, necessarily. I guess Eddie/Venom would be the easiest, but Peter getting the black suit and giving in to his resentment feels too central to cut. (Yes, even with Emo Peter becoming a meme.)

9/28: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake - I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one, especially since I was never really a fan of the genderbend episodes in the original show. (At the time they mostly just felt like an excuse to crank up the teen romance stuff to 11.) But MAN. This was a fantastic coda to the original series. It made me care about Fionna and Cake and their friends as their own characters separate from their original counterparts, it gave the Simon/Betty arc a much more satisfying (if no less bittersweet) resolution than the original finale had time to do, and it even managed to be a multiverse story that didn’t make me roll my eyes in 2023. A+ all around. Makes me wanna rewatch the original show again. [spoiler: I did]

9/29: Meanwhile (aivi & surasshu) - It’s been a whole decade–they were busy with, you know, all the music in Steven Universe, among other things–but we finally have a new aivi & surasshu album! Their chiptune/piano fusion style is familiar, but they’ve definitely grown as composers in subtle ways. Favorite track: Time Travel

October

10/1: This is Financial Advice (Folding Ideas) - A lot of the nitty gritty finance law stuff turned into white noise for me, but still, great video. I had no idea that the GameStop stock craze devolved into this bizarre cult that thinks they’re going to crash the global economy and rise from the ashes as the new kings with the value of their GME stocks. Glad this video exists to try and balance out the narrative.

10/5: Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon DLC - Good ideas, absurdly frustrating and tedious execution. Full thoughts here.

10/10: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (rewatch) - I didn’t plan this, but very fitting that I would end up rewatching this on 10/10.

10/12: Half-Life Alyx but the Gnome is Self-Aware (wayneradiotv) - ha he! (Seriously though, that finale was a fucking masterpiece. The RTVS crew has an incredible knack for using the framing device of video game livestreams to blur the lines between comedy and horror, or ironic anti-humor and complete sincerity. I’ve never seen anything else like this.)

10/15: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Not sure how much I can say that hasn’t already been said. The most visually creative movie I’ve ever seen, grounded by some really excellent storytelling about Miles (and now Gwen) that’s probably better than his actual comics. But it also does feel like it’s about to end and then the movie just keeps going like ten times over lmao. Can’t wait to watch this a second time on a better TV.

10/20: Sonic Superstars - A mostly really solid and fun 2D Sonic game that’s unfortunately dragged down by an extremely hodgepodge soundtrack and some overly drawn out boss fights. I spent HOURS trying to beat the final boss of the bonus scenario (which is required for the true ending in this one) before giving up. Really a shame that that’s the note I’m leaving the game on, because I otherwise enjoyed it, but ah well. More thoughts here.

10/27: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 - Another good Spider-Man game from Insomniac. Liked the story more than the one in Miles Morales, but maybe not as much as the first game. Extensive thoughts here.

10/28: Venom - Was in the mood for more Venom after the game. As expected this was not a very good movie, but the dynamic between Eddie and Venom made it a fun watch. Tom Hardy is constantly about to shit his pants in this movie. It’s great.

10/28: Venom: Let There Be Carnage - I had a way better time with this one. Is this a good movie? No. But it cranks the insanity of the first movie up to 11. Goofy as fuck in an extremely watchable way.

November

11/5: Pluto - An absolutely masterful series that anyone interested in sci-fi needs to watch. The anime adaptation was great, and I immediately understand why people who’ve read the manga speak so highly of it. Really makes me want to get into Astro Boy more, and also read some of Urasawa’s other works.

11/18: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off - Wow, just wow. When news of a Scott Pilgrim anime broke I was cautiously curious to see if we’d get a more direct adaptation of the comics, and instead it veered off in the exact opposite direction in the best way possible. This is almost entirely a different story, one that’s in conversation with the previous versions (sometimes in very meta ways), and I think it’s really valuable to see O’Malley revisiting these characters with new things to say about them. The major story divergence gives us a chance to examine the characters from a new angle - particularly Ramona, who’s the real protagonist of this version, and the evil exes, who completely steal the show. This was a great reminder of why I fell in love with this series as a teenager. I now genuinely hope we get more Scott Pilgrim.

11/22: Void Rivals (Issues #1 - #6) - The first arc of the new Robert Kirkman series that kicked off Skybound’s new “Energon Universe” is now complete, and I’m left thinking Void Rivals is… okay? I thought the first issue was a decent (if not particularly original) sci-fi comic with an appealing art style, which just so happens to also briefly have a Transformer in it so there can be a Big Surprise. And the series still hasn’t quite shaken that feeling to me. It’s an okay sci-fi series that arbitrarily dedicates a couple of pages of every issue to something from Transformers, but I’m not really sure what the shared universe stuff adds to Void Rivals, or what Void Rivals adds to Transformers and GI Joe. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

11/22: Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History (Defunctland) - Yeah, gotta be honest, I only got halfway through this one. It seems like Kevin just 1) really wanted to push himself creatively and 2) make a love letter to Epcot, and while I respect that, I think it suffers as a historical documentary. It’s Fantasia but for the creation of Epcot. That might be very impressive on a technical level, but it feels more like a piece of Disney propaganda than prior Defunctland videos due to a lack of context and nuance.

11/24: Aperture Desk Job - A short, sweet, and funny little tech demo for my new Steam Deck set in the Portal universe. More effort was definitely put into this than was strictly necessary.

11/26: ESCHATOS - I am not good at bullet hell games, but I enjoy them from time to time and I really love this one’s FM synth soundtrack, so I picked it up on a whim in the Steam sale. I only beat it on Easy, but still, I had a lot of fun with it! It’s straightforward but very flashy, with the camera dynamically zooming around from set piece to set piece at ridiculous speeds and each level segueing directly into the next. The lack of a powerup system on the main mode in favor of just needing to know when to use your different shot types makes it feel very approachable.

11/27: Lunistice - A great little 3D platformer with a good soundtrack that I had fun hunting down all the secrets in. This is an easy recommendation for fans of games like Kirby or Klonoa - whimsical games set in colorful dream worlds where the underlying story can get a bit more somber. (Although the story in this one is mostly told through mildly cryptic lore dumps, so your mileage there may vary.)

11/28: Spark the Electric Jester 2 - The leap from 2D to 3D here is impressive, but this is very clearly a rough draft for Spark 3. Very, very fun Sonic-style 3D platforming, but the combat is lacking and the storytelling is just kinda bad. More extensive thoughts on this and the above two games here.

December

12/2: Fortnite (Chapter 4) - This was my first full chapter of Fortnite, after having been roped into the game by the siren songs of Zero Build mode and Goku during Chapter 3. This means it’s harder for me to compare this chapter to previous ones, but still, Fortnite remains a genuinely very well made Battle Royale shooter that’s a blast with friends. If I have any complaint about this Chapter, it’s that they would regularly introduce zany ideas and then slowly reel them back in, whether it was the Augment system or the increasingly mundane movement items. It also felt like it was a little too easy to get the perfect loadout in every match, meaning the final showdown would almost always be against players with Slurp Juice and gold shotguns. And I missed the smaller mid-season map updates of Chapter 3. But overall I still had a really good time, and look forward to playing more for the foreseeable future.

12/4: Plagiarism and You(Tube) (HBomberguy) - This will get written off by many as “YouTuber drama,” but this really is an excellent video essay that feels like the kick in the pants that YouTube needs. If video essayists are gonna be a major source of information for so many, then they gotta have standards. I also think it does a good job of highlighting the people that have been plagiarized and trying to drive more attention their way in an attempt to right those wrongs.

12/6: Transformers (Skybound comic) - We only got the first three issues of this in 2023, but I just HAVE to say something about how incredible this series is here. Daniel Warren Johnson is knocking it out of the park. This is the new bar for Transformers. The hand-inked art is extremely dynamic and full of character, and the story is using the familiar beats of G1 Transformers but doing very new things with them. You can tell this from the very first page, but the emotional scene of Optimus accidentally crushing a deer in the forest and realizing how fragile life is on Earth sealed the deal for me. And yet in the very same comics Optimus can do suplexes and clotheslines and lord knows how many other wrestling moves on Decepticons, and it doesn’t feel like tonal whiplash? These comics just fucking rule, and anyone with even the slightest interest in Transformers should be reading them.

12/8: What We Do in the Shadows (Season 5) - [spoilers] WWDITS has very much settled into being a status quo show. Every season has its own little arc where one or two things change to keep things interesting, but then everything returns to normal by the end. Guillermo finally becoming a vampire, only to become a human again in the end, might just be the most egregious example of this yet. But also… the show’s still really funny? And I continue to be happy that Kristen Schaal has stuck around as a series regular as the Guide. So it’s hard to complain. I could see the show running out of steam over the next few seasons, but it’s still hitting for me right now.

12/12: Pony Island - Finally got around to this since the trailer for the sequel dropped. I feel like playing this years later in a post-Inscryption world where Pony Island is a known quantity kind of lessens its impact, but still, it’s a fun and funny puzzle game where you try to hack your way out of a possessed arcade machine. I’m not sure I found it particularly scary, but I’m not sure it’s supposed to be? The way the game messes with you during the Asmodeus “boss fight” was probably the highlight for me. I also like being able to say things like “The part where you have to not kill Jesus was so hard. I kept getting terrible butterfly patterns.”

12/16: Breaking Bad VR but the AI is Self-Aware (wayneradiotv) - As always, Wayne and co.’s commitment to the bit is unrivaled. This kind of got interpreted as just a way to troll HLVRAI fans, but so many moments in this genuinely made me laugh out loud.

12/18: Soul of Sovereignty Prelude - As someone who would list Cucumber Quest as a big creative influence, I was naturally very excited for this first chapter of GGDG’s new visual novel. Their mentality of both scaling things back in terms of labor while also going more shamelessly self-indulgent in terms of storytelling after burning out on making webcomics has really spoken to me, and WOW, the end result of that new process of theirs is shaping up to be something really special. The art and music are sparse but extremely evocative, giving you the rough sketch of the world and letting your mind fill in the rest. The story blends literary high fantasy vibes with the style of fantasy seen in ‘90s JRPGs (you can definitely tell this came from an idea for an RPG), but rather than constantly winking at the audience and making self-aware video game references it plays these storytelling ideas extremely sincerely, giving them real dramatic weight while still indulging in fun tropes to their fullest extent. While it’s a far cry from their most famous work with much more mature content, GGDG always excels at creating characters and worlds that immediately grab me. I can’t wait for the rest.

12/18: Barbie - I’m only… what, five months late for the whole Barbenheimer thing? Perfect timing. Anyway! On the one hand, I get the critiques saying that this movie is just a major corporation funding a self-aware feminist critique of their own product as a marketing ploy. And I kinda agree with that. And the movie is a little too long, and I don’t really know what to think of the way the Barbie/Ken conflict plays out. Anthony asked me to summarize what the story ended up being about, and I had no idea what to even say. But also… I did still like the movie? We don’t get a lot of cartoonish, absurdist, fourth wall breaking comedies like this anymore, and this is a good one of those. Also the whole cast is great, the set design is kind of stunning, and the cinematography is consistently appealing. I wouldn’t say it’s a revolutionary work of feminist filmmaking by any stretch, but it’s a good comedy movie.

12/21: Dr. Stone: New World - Man, Dr. Stone is great. I’ve said this many times, but I just love that this series uses all the trappings of shounen that would normally be used to hype up the protagonist learning a new move to instead hype up things like the protagonist building a loom or a hot air balloon. It’s shounen Bill Nye. I didn’t completely love everything about the Treasure Island arc this season, but it all built towards a really fun climax with a lot of satisfying turnabouts where the heroes use their ingenuity to just barely win.

12/23: The History of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out World Records (Summoning Salt) - Truly one of my favorite Summoning Salt videos ever, even with how repetitive Punch-Out can get to watch. It’s just so hard to beat “and that runner… was me.”

12/24: Super Mario Bros. Wonder - What more can be said that hasn’t already been said? It’s the best and most creative 2D Mario game since the ‘90s. The only real flaws are that it’s a little easy, the Search Party stages are annoying in singleplayer, and I wish that every boss prior to the final boss wasn’t just some form of Bowser Jr. fight. But those aren’t nearly enough to drag the whole experience down. It was a blast.

12/24: Do a Powerbomb! - Got this from Anthony as a birthday present. This is the previous series by the creative team currently doing the new Transformers comics I was gushing about a few entries ago. Even with the high bar set by those comics, Do a Powerbomb! exceeded my expectations. Holy shit. An absolutely entrancing fantasy wrestling miniseries full of dynamic, energetic action and tons of heart. These comics where a guy wrestles a giant talking orangutan almost made me cry. Twice. An instant favorite.

12/25: Adventure Time (rewatch) - We ended up finishing our rewatch of Adventure Time (the main series, anyway) on my 30th birthday, which feels appropriate. I already kinda knew this, but this rewatch has truly confirmed that Adventure Time is my favorite TV series of all time. The entire show is even better on a full series rewatch. In hindsight, even parts that annoyed me when they aired end up being important parts of the beautiful tapestry that is this series. The many low points of Finn’s adolescent love life are important stepping stones in his growth as a person, which leaves him in an extremely satisfying place by the end. Jake having kids didn’t get to be a huge status quo change because they grew up instantly, but then they did a bunch of fun episodes about Jake’s relationships with his adult children that deepened him as a character. And most of the big lore questions they kept teasing over the years (“Where’d the humans go?” “Who are Finn’s parents?” “When’s Finn gonna get a robot arm?” etc.) ended up getting satisfying and creative answers, because the show left itself the room to figure those things out later. This is a truly special, one-of-a-kind series, one that lasted nearly 300 episodes and yet still seems like it was over too soon. And yes, I did in fact cry during the final montage, like I knew I would. I will always cherish this show with all of my heart.

12/25: Olive the Other Reindeer (rewatch) - Haven’t seen this one since I was a kid! It was a favorite of mine back then, and while it might not be quite as funny as I remember it’s still very cute, with a 2D/3D hybrid art style that remains very unique and appealing. As an adult I can also appreciate the cast they got for this, with like half the cast of Futurama bolstered by guests like Michael Stipe from REM and The Sopranos’ Joe Pantoliano.

12/26: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio - Anthony and I capped off our Christmas with the most jolly and festive stop motion movie of all! Jokes aside, man, what a beautiful movie. The animation is immaculate, and we really just don’t get children’s animated films like this anymore. Ones that overtly feature real world politics and religion and so many other dark themes in a way that doesn’t talk down to kids or sugarcoat things. This one hits hard. We need more movies like this.

12/31: Oppenheimer - This was an interesting one. Despite being three hours, the way that first hour jumps around in time makes it feel like Oppenheimer is constantly being propelled forward through life at a breakneck pace, swept up by the rising tide of nationalism in spite of his personal left wing politics, never really reflecting on what he’s doing until it’s too late. Then when he’s no longer useful to the empire, he’s chewed up and spat out, only to eventually be honored as a national hero as a symbolic gesture. It’s a compelling story. However, I’m a little torn on how certain aspects of history were framed. Does the abstraction of the bombings detract from the true weight of those events, in favor of sympathizing with the man who built the bomb? Or is it clever a way to show how the realities of the war were compartmentalized away by people who were complicit in its most heinous acts of violence? One minute a bunch of physicists are talking theory, thousands of miles away from the theaters of war, and the next they’ve killed 200,000 people. So which is it? Eh, probably somewhere in the middle, I guess. But I liked it overall.

12/31: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe - I’ve been really surprised by how good this rerelease is. It kind of flew under the radar for me. I liked the original game, but at the time it also almost felt like the New Super Mario Bros. of Kirby. It was a straightforward throwback game where you went through a grass world, then a desert world, then a water world, etc., and also they added four player co-op. But returning to this one after the kinda mid Star Allies has made me appreciate just how solid RtDL is as a Kirby game. I really like the updated graphics, too - yes, even the new cel shaded outlines around the characters - even though I didn’t think it looked that great in screenshots. Also the two new copy abilities (Sand and Mecha) are fun, the minigame collection is shockingly fleshed out to the point that they could’ve sold it as a standalone eShop game, the collectible character masks are fun, and the new epilogue mode where you play as Magolor is one of the coolest bonus modes they’ve ever done. This is a top tier Kirby remake any fan of the series should check out.

Ongoing things I followed in 2023 that don't have a blurb:

Halo Infinite multiplayer

IDW Sonic the Hedgehog (main series + specials)

One Piece

Chainsaw Man

My Hero Academia (not caught up)

The JOJOlands (not caught up)

Things I started in 2023 that I still need to finish:

Freedom Planet 2

Hi-Fi Rush

Live A Live

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Picross 3D Round 2

Rhythm Heaven MegaMix

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team ProtoMan

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Spark the Electric Jester 3

Sonic Dream Team

One Piece (Wano arc, anime)

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 (I’ve already read the Shibuya arc already in the manga, though)

Astro Boy (2003 anime)

Futurama (original run rewatch)

One Piece (manga reread)

The Amazing Spider-Man (Lee/Ditko era)

Scott Pilgrim series (reread)

And finally... my favorites of 2023!!!

Overall favorite game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Favorite indie game: Pseudoregalia

Games remastered in 2023 that are now among my all-time faves: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, We Love Katamari

Most pleasant surprise in gaming: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Favorite film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Favorite live action show: Barry

Favorite anime: Pluto

Favorite anime written by a Canadian guy and an American guy based on the Canadian guy's old graphic novel series: Scott PIlgrim Takes Off

Favorite live action adaptation of an anime that I still can't believe they didn't fuck up: One Piece

Favorite Western cartoon: Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake

Favorite older cartoon I only got around to watching in its entirety this year: The Venture Bros.

Favorite documentary: Double Fine PsychOdyssey

Favorite semi-improvised semi-scripted absurdist comedy/horror/tragedy Twitch livestream performance art thing: Half-Life Alyx but the Gnome is Self-Aware finale (wayneradiotv)

Favorite manga: Chainsaw Man

Favorite older manga that I only read this year: Berserk

Favorite Western comic book: Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers

Favorite album: HELLMODE (Jeff Rosenstock)

And that's a wrap!!!!! Happy new year, everyone! Here's to me maybe actually reading a goddamn book this year

#bobby writes #i don't have a writing tag so i'm making one now to save this and other things

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timetravellibrarian · 8 months ago

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Zoro x reader

Zoro x femreader

Soulmate AU

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Summary: A man seeks to follow his dreams, following only the path his swords carve for him and wherever his crew goes. Little does he know that the missing piece in his life, his soulmate whom he doesn't admit that he tries to seek would end up in a love-hate relationship. Wherein a princess and pirate cross paths.

No use of Y/n in this chapter . Trying my hand at writing a story with chapters for Zoro

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Chapter One

Zoro felt the cool breeze caress his skin and sighed with contentment. It's been almost two months since he had left Shimotsuki Village. He had managed to get some Berry when he had taken out a weak band of pirates, the money in his pocket as he entered a small restaurant and slid onto a stool.

Before he could order anything the sound of a little girl calling his name caught his attention. Rika had run to him with a bowl of chocolate covered onigiri.

"Oh hey,"

The store owner had smiled at the smile in her daughter's face as she gave Zoro the bowl of food."Thank you for helping out, the pirates are gone, Mr Zoro."

A haughty man with a double chin had appeared with two marines beside him. He had swaggered his way through the small crowd. He had taken a bite of Rika's food and threw it to the ground in disdain. The plate shattering along with the poor girls hard work in preparing the dish.

"That tastes disgusting, little girl. That's not how you prepare food, much less serve it to others." The blonde man said harshly. Before Zoro knew it he had tried to stand up for the said girl but due to the bounty he had accumulated over the past few weeks he was to stay in the confines of the detainment yard. Tied up and unfed, left to wake up to the blinding light of the sun and the cold chills of the night air.

That was where he had met a strawhatted boy who seemed no older than himself. One with dreams as large as his. Maybe it was God's will. Maybe it was the Fates orchestrating all of this. Zoro wouldn't know. He didn't believe anything many believed. He'd tie everything to luck being in his favour.

He looked down at his bandaged wrist as he and Monkey D. Luffy , his new captain, sailed away from the island after having said goodbye to the few friends they happened to make

As much as he had kept himself in denial about the initials written on his wrist,bandaged and far from anyone's curious eyes a deep curiosity within him wondered about who his supposed soulmate could be.

____________________________________

A young woman sat atop a large rock surrounded by crashing waves. Her eyes were closed, lips parted,as she breathed in the sea breeze.

"Mi'lady?" Her handmaiden, Lyra, tried to get her attention,' We shouldn't be here too long."

The young woman stood up from her spot, her regal dress that was once bunched up had went back to being in its formal position, reaching past her ankles. She lifted up her dress to try and avoid getting it wet and hopped across onto the other rocks that had created a path that lead to the wooden dock. Her feet had contact with the wooden structure.

Lyra swiftly pulled out a towel and a pair of shoes and got to work on removing any dirt from her lady's feet and putting on the shoes. Alas her friend tried to move away and make her stand up.

"I could do it myself."

"Then what job would I have? Besides, that dress won't let you reach your feet."

Her handmaiden countered. The woman sighed. Once both feet had shoes on the two travelled back through a secret pathway. Left, right, under the merchant bridge and through the gardens. Eventually they found themselves back to the palace.

"I have something to tell you, Mi'lady." Lyra said softly as they walked through the palace halls."Something I heard ."

"What is it?"

Once the two had gotten to an isolated hallway, Lyra turned to the princess and held both if her hands gently.

"Your mother wishes to arrange a political marriage." The princess's eyes widened in surprise.

"But she knows I have a soulmate?"

Lyra nodded, her had absent mindedly going to trace the initials of her mistress as well as friend's wrist. "She knows, but she figures you might never find him. It is rare to find people with the initials R.Z "

"But not impossible."

"This is your mother, the queen, that we're talking about. She wants you wedded before you reach 20." Lyra gave her a look.

"She's gonna ship me off to some random nobleman, and when he finds his soulmate I will be cast aside like an old fashion trend."

"I'm sorry Mi'lady." Lyra pulled the princess into a comforting hug,and the young woman melted against her.

"It will be alright."

____________________________________

#one piece #x reader #zoro #soulmate au #zoro roronoa x reader #roronoa zoro #zoro x reader #one piece x reader

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zeroeightzeroone · 1 year ago

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if you don't know - bang chan

genre: angst

pairings: idol!bang chan x fem. reader

warnings: none

notes: if this looks familiar, it was originally posted to my secondary blog @zerothreetwentyfive so i'm republishing everything here on my main blog.

wc ~1.7k | moodboard

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ｡｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:

"go ahead rip my heart out, show me what love's all about,

go ahead rip my heart out, that's what love's all about.

i want you to want me this way, and i need you to need me to stay. "

'if you don't know' - 5 seconds of summer

you remember the day chan proposed.

he came home with bags of takeout after a long day of dance practice. the two of you chatting and exchanging stories that happened over the past few weeks but hadn't had the opportunity to be shared until that night. you remember how chan reached over to tuck a stray hair behind your ear so it wouldn't get into your food.

after, the two of you split up the cleaning tasks. you washed and dried the dishes. meanwhile, chan took out the trash, swept the floor and wiped down the table. he finished his tasks faster than he normally would and he opted to stand next to you. chan danced around, bumping hips as he sang whatever came to mind, giggles leaving your lips as you continued to scrub the dishes. he leaned down, placing a kiss on your cheek before letting you know he'd go wash up quickly, whilst you let him know you'd meet him in bed once you were done.

when you opened the door to your bedroom you didn't expect there to be rose petals scattered on the comforter. in shock, your eyes moved to the front of the bed where chan knelt on one knee, a black velvet box in his hands as he smiled up at you.

"y/n," chan opened the box to reveal a gold diamond ring inside.

the moment chan began speaking you remember feeling like you were dreaming. floating on cloud nine as he professed his undying love for you and his will to spend forever with you. you don't remember at what point in his speech your tears began to stream down uncontrollably or when you decided to cover your mouth that hung open at the sight of the man in front of you. all you remembered was the way he stared up at you.

his smile reached ear to ear, his eyes smiling at you in crescent moon shapes as his eyes sparkled, glistening over with tears. the moment you dropped to your knees, nodding and trying your best to utter the word "yes!" through your sobs, chan's tears also began to fall. you threw yourself into his chest and he rocked you both back and forth, repeatedly whispering in your ear how much he loved you, his excitement to spend the rest of his life with you.

it's been a year since chan proposed. the night replayed in your mind almost daily, subconsciously you feared that that moment would fade from your memory. you never wanted to forget how happy and in love you felt that night, how secure you felt in chan's arms.

now here you are.

your fingers fiddling with your ring as chan stands across from you, on the other end of the kitchen island. the both of you looking in each other's direction as your chests heaved slowly, your faces red with heavy breaths leaving both your lips. his body moves to slump over the kitchen island as his hands fold in front of him to support his body weight. chan's dark brown eyes scan over your face but avoids your gaze, his eyes looking more tired than they did almost two hours ago.

you clench your jaw as you pinch your eyes closed, leaning your head towards the floor, taking a moment to collect yourself and calm your frantic emotions. his eyes slowly move down to look at your hands which have turned white from how hard you're gripping at the edge of the kitchen island, scanning the gold band around your ring finger. you take another deep breath before looking in his direction once again. scanning over your face, chan notices the way your cheeks are damp with tear stains.

"what happened chan?" you wonder, your voice coming out whiny and broken, "we haven't gone on a proper date in months. when you get home we barely even speak and i can't remember the last time you told me you loved me these past couple of weeks. its like i barely even know you anymore!"

you watch as chan catches his bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling at the skin instead of responding to you. you move from your spot standing behind the counter and to the dining table, taking a seat on one of the chairs before your knees go out from how rapidly your heart is pounding.

"what am i here for still chan? just to do your laundry, cook your meals and clean the apartment?" you gesture to the dining table next to you.

you cooked dinner in hopes that you would be able to have a freshly cooked meal together only for chan to text you that he would be back later than usual and not to wait up. ending up with you eating a warm meal three hours before he came home to eat the leftovers sitting on the table in a tupperware.

"i'm your girlfriend, not your maid or a house sitter. fuck, i'm not even your girlfriend, i'm your fiance chan!"

your fingers go to the gold band around your ring finger, as if the more you touch the ring the better the end of this conversation would go.

"say something, please!" you plead, crying out to the man who's still leaning against the kitchen island, his eyes focused in your direction but avoiding looking directly into your eyes.

"i'm sorry," he mumbles, "i-i don't know what else to say other than i'm sorry."

"do you still want me? do you still want us?" you ask him in a hushed tone, your voice breaking at the end of your sentence. you're scared for his answer. you've never once felt scared or nervous about asking chan about his feelings toward you until this very moment. your heart pounds in your chest as you see the way his eyes change.

"of course i still want you! i love you, i want to build a family and be with you forever! you're my forever y/n!"

you want him to say that. you wait for him to say those words but he doesn't.

he doesn't even utter anything along those lines, let alone any words at all. his lip is still between his teeth as he stares in your direction, his eyes emotionless. even as he watches the tears fall faster he stares emotionlessly.

"chan."

"i'm sorry but i don't know," he drops his head into his hands, "i don't know what i want anymore."

you feel your heart skip a beat as you choke up a sob. the weight on your chest suffocates you as your heart drops, shattering into millions of pieces. your fingers stop their fidgeting at the band on your ring finger, falling away and onto your lap.

it feels like the world has stopped.

the room stills, the only sounds are your sobs and whimpers. neither of you moving an inch from where you are currently as the situation slowly sinks in. chan's head is still in his hands as he listens to your cries, he questions himself on why he doesn't feel anything; why he feels nothing listening to the gut-wrenching cries of his lover, the person he once believed he would spend the rest of his life with, the person he couldn't see a future without, why does the thought of losing you not phase him.

he hears the sound of the chair scraping against the floor, slowly he looks up from his hands and he finds you standing in front of him. your eyes red and heavy avoiding his gaze, cheeks flushed and damp with tears. your small hand moves to wrap around his wrist, your left hand curled into a fist coming up and resting on his palm. chan's gaze moves from your hands before he focuses on your face again.

"convince me to stay," you whisper, almost inaudibly, "please."

chan can hear you, loud and clear. he gulps and releases a shaky breath, "i'm sorry."

you hear a part of your brain telling you to fight, fight for chan and your relationship.

but you're tired, exhausted. your heart is pleading with your brain to stop, telling it that it hurts too much to hold on. telling it that you're too tired to be the only one who wants this, to be the only one fighting. that small urge to fight for chan fades as your heart gets progressively heavier in your chest.

you pinch your eyes closed again as you nod slowly. painfully trying to acknowledge the situation laid out in front of you, trying to accept it as if your whole world isn't crumbling at your feet. your breath hiccupping as your eyes meet his for the first time since this conversation began two hours ago. maybe even the first time in the past couple of weeks that the two of you have looked into each other's eyes.

the longer chan looks into your eyes, the more he notices just how much has changed.

chan remembers the way your eyes sparkled on your first date. the way you would tear up when you laughed really hard, your eyes glistening as you laughed out loud. he remembers the way your eyes softened and lit up when he told you he loved you for the first time. whenever he came home from a bad day, looking into your eyes would wash him over with a sense of relaxation, comfort and stability; chan had always felt like everything would be okay the moment he looked into your eyes.

but now the once bright, sparkling orbs full of life that he fell in love with were now devoid of life, dull and dark. he can see the pent up exasperation in your sunken-in, tired eyes. your eyes stare into his; almost like you were searching for something that he wasn't saying. searching for the slightest hint of love, of longing for you, of heartbreak, a reason to stay.

slowly, you open your hand that's laid on top of his. your nails gently scraping the surface of his palm before chan feels something drop into his grasp.

your engagement ring.

you take a step back, your eyes never leaving chan's as you take one last good look at the man in front of you.

"goodbye, chan."

part two | main masterlist

#stray kids imagines #stray kids oneshot #stray kids imagine #stray kids one shots #stray kids angst #skz angst #bang chan angst #bang chan imagine #bang chan one shot #skz bang chan angst #skz bang chan imagine #skz bang chan one shot

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thechanelmuse · 5 months ago

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My Top Albums/EPS of 2025

It's that time again where I give y'all my end-of-the-year music list and take over your dashboard. Hopefully some of these projects or artists will be new to you.

I would love for y'all to tell me your faves this year.

Here's my list:

JAZZ

Charles McPherson - Reverence

Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer - But Who's Gonna Play the Melody

Christian Sands - Embracing Dawn

Immanuel Wilkins - Blues Blood

Jazzmeia Horn - Messages

Jeremy Pelt - Tomorrow's Another Day

Joel Ross - nublues

Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement

Keyon Harrold - Foreverland

Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix Reimagined (Live)

Miles Davis - Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings

Miles Davis Quintet - Miles In France 1963 and 1964 - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8

New Brass Band featuring Trombone Shorty - Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Nubya Garcia - Odyssey

Samara Joy - Portrait

SOUL/BLUES (ROCK)

Baby Rose with BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow Burn (EP)

Brittany Howard - What Now

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram - Live in London (Expanded Edition)

Jerron Paxton - Things Done Changed

Jovin Webb - Drifter

Lizz Wright - Shadow

GOSPEL

Cory Henry - Church

Karen Clark Sheard - Still Karen

Ricky Dillard - Choirmaster II (Live)

Tamela Mann - Live Breathe Fight

COUNTRY/AMERICANA

Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter

Brittney Spencer - My Stupid Life

Caitlyn Smith - I Think of You (The Heartache Collection)

Elles Bailey - Beneath the Neon Glow

Gabby Barrett - Chapter and Verse

Lainey Wilson - Whirlwind

Luke Combs - Fathers & Sons

Mickey Guyton - House On Fire

Rvshvd - It's Rashad

Tanner Adell - Buckle Bunny (Deluxe) — 2023 album

FOLK

Bessie Jones, John Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers - The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert

Jessica Pratt - Here In the Pitch

Yasmin Williams - Acadia

ROCK

The Black Keys - Ohio Players (Trophy Edition)

Lenny Kravitz - Blue Electric Light

Linkin Park - From Zero

Olivia Rodrigo - Guts (spilled)

Sum 41 – Heaven :x: Hell

BLENDED GENRES

Amythyst Kiah - Still and Bright

Boney James - Slow Burn

Charlotte Day Wilson - Cyan Blue

Eva Cassidy - Walkin' After Midnight

Gallant - Zinc

Judith Hill - Letters From a Black Widow

Madison Ryann Ward - Purified Love

Marsha Ambrosiuos - CASABLANCO

Matthew Whittaker - On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute

Tank and The Bangas - The Heart, The Mind, The Soul

Victoria Monét - Jaguar II: Deluxe

Willow Smith - empathogen

R&B

Andra Day - CASSANDRA (cherith)

Avery*Sunshine - So Glad to Know You

BJ The Chicago Kid - Gravy (Deluxe)

Derand Benarr - En Route

Kenyon Dixon - The R&B You Love: For the '99 and the 2000s

Kyle Dion - If My Jeans Could Talk

Lalah Hathaway - VANTABLACK

Ledisi - Good Life

Lucky Daye - Algorithm

Muni Long - Revenge

NxWorries - Why Lawd?

Ravyn Lenae - Bird's Eye

SiR - HEAVY

Usher - Coming Home

RAP

Big Sean - Better Me Than You

Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium Vol. 1

Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal

Kendrick Lamar - GNX

LL Cool J - The Force

MC Lyte - 1 of 1

Rapsody - Please Don't Cry

ScHoolboy Q - BLUE LIPS

POP

Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine

Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You: Everasking Edition

Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Christina Aguilera - The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera

Gavin DeGraw - Chariot 20

James Bay - Changes All the Time

Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet

Teddy Swims - I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1.5)

Tori Kelly - TORI.

HOUSE/ELECTRONIC

Durand Bernarr & Charlie Vettuno - Charlie Vettuno Presents… Where in the World is Carmen Randiego?

KAYTRANADA - TIMELESS

HOLIDAY

Boney James - Soulful Holiday Sax

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Ella & Louis Wish You a Swinging Holiday

Jennifer Hudson - The Gift of Love

Kelly Clarkson - When Christmas Comes Around...Again

#thechanelmuse #thechanelmuse music list #music of 2024 #music recommendation

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flowersandskeletons526 · 5 months ago

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"The Girl at the End of the Bar" - Warriors Concept Album Fanfic

How Fox came to meet the Warriors! I tried writing something happy and it took way longer than expected. Angst flows so much better through my fingers. Anyway, this is a bunch more headcanons as I flesh out the backstories more in my mind (I'm a bisexual-Cochise truther). I also just wanted to write the girls having fun and being in love for once. Enjoy!

---------------

Rembrandt stood in front of the bathroom mirror to put in her earrings. She put on a bit of eyeliner and mascara but no other makeup, which was still more than she ever wore in day to day life. Her outfit was a sleek black cocktail dress, on the simpler side compared to other going-out clothes she owned, but it was a casual night. Just her, Ajax, Cochise, and Cowgirl at one of the local lounges to decompress after a long week. They tried to convince Swan and Cleon to come to no avail. Buzzkills.

Ajax appeared in the mirror behind her. She leaned on the doorframe and gave a low whistle. “Damn, you should wear that more often,” she flirted.

Rembrandt smiled and rolled her eyes. “And try to tag a four story building in a dress? No thanks.”

“I didn’t mean when you’re tagging.” Ajax wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing the curve of her shoulder. “You look good. I like this on you.”

“Thank Cowgirl.”

“I will. Ready to go?”

Rembrandt turned in her arms. She undid a button on Ajax’s shirt and adjusted the rolled up sleeves so they looked intentional, because Ajax thought pushing them up like a cartoon tough guy actually worked. Hooking a finger through Ajax’s silver chain, she pulled her into a quick kiss. “Ready.”

“You’re gonna make me not want to leave the house,” Ajax said with a playful grin.

Rembrandt giggled and kissed her again. “Come on. You know Cochise hates when we’re late.”

“Alright, alright, let’s go.”

They passed Cleon and Swan sitting on the couch as they headed for the door. “Be safe, you two!” Cleon called.

“We will!” said Ajax. She grabbed her spiked leather jacket and held the door open for Rembrandt. Rembrandt waved to Cleon and Swan as the couple left.

Ajax held Rembrandt’s hand as they walked down the front steps like she was leading a princess, putting on a silly show of being a gentleman just to see her laugh. They walked with their arms linked through the streets of Coney Island, grinning at each other and laughing like lovesick teenagers, Rembrandt resting her head on Ajax’s shoulder as the enforcer went on about a new band she’d been wanting to see in concert.

It was nice to have a break from business. It was nice to have Ajax smiling and having fun and being generally happy by her side without being prepared to stop a potential fight. Rembrandt loved being part of the Warriors, loved tagging, but fuck if some days didn’t spike her blood pressure higher than the damn Wonder Wheel. When Ajax scooped her up in her arms to carry her over the world’s smallest puddle in the name of being a good girlfriend, it was nice to just enjoy love and enjoy life.

Cochise and Cowgirl were waiting outside their apartment for Rembrandt and Ajax to join them. Cochise wore simple torn up jeans and a dress vest with nothing but binding tape under it, and Cowgirl wore her hat as always and what was probably the most revealing dress Rembrandt had ever seen.

Cowgirl hollered at them as they approached. “Girl, I told you that dress was the way to go!” she said as she hugged Rembrandt.

“I wasn’t doubting it,” Rembrandt said.

“You totally were.”

“Are you guys ready to go?”

“We’ve been ready,” said Cochise. “We were waiting on you.”

“Then let’s go!”

Rembrandt could hear the music from the club a whole block away. The bouncer threw out a few friendly hellos as he let them in, flirting back and forth with Cowgirl before Cochise pulled her away. The club was already packed to probably well past the building’s safe capacity. A live band played on the elevated stage, hard rock and metal covers of pop songs, the lead singer a heavily tattooed woman with long braids and decked out entirely in leather and metal. Dancers weaved through the smoke around the band. People danced and laughed and pressed towards the front, men and women alike trying to get the frontwoman’s attention.

It wasn’t technically a queer club, but it was well known as a safe space for the community. Rembrandt had seen more than a few people be thrown out for saying certain words they shouldn’t.

The crowd parted for them as they went to sit in a corner booth near the stage. They weren’t wearing their colors but most people knew their faces well enough. Ajax and Cochise went to get drinks, leaving Cowgirl and Rembrandt sitting together. Cowgirl sidled up beside her and reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“What did Ajax think of the dress?” she asked coyly.

“She said I should wear it more often.”

“Told you she’d like it. She’s so down bad for you.”

Rembrandt chuckled. “You’re just realizing?”

“I figured it out before you did!” She tilted her head, smiling and waggling her fingers at someone in the crowd. “Just like I’m figuring out this pretty boy right now.”

Rembrandt followed her eyes and scoffed. “Him? Really?”

“Don’t give me that. What do you know about boys, anyway?”

“Me liking girls does not negate the fact that he’s wearing a sweater vest.”

“I like a sensitive guy. Not all of us fall for brawlers like Ajax. It’s the muscles, isn’t it?” she teased.

Rembrandt blushed as said brawler slid into the booth beside her. “Whatcha girls talking about?”

“Rembrandt’s taste in women,” Cowgirl said before Rembrandt could respond.

“Yeah?” Ajax said, raising her eyebrows as she passed Rembrandt her drink. “And what exactly is your taste in women?”

“You, you dumbass.”

Ajax cackled, pulling Rembrandt tight against her side and kissing her neck as she laughed. Cowgirl made an exaggerated gagging noise.

“You two are so in love it’s gross. I’m gonna go talk to this guy.”

“And we lost her,” Cochise said, watching Cowgirl pull the pretty boy onto the dance floor. “Took, what, ten minutes?”

“Fifteen, I think,” said Rembrandt.

“Damn. Personal record.”

“Girl knows what she wants.”

A scruffy looking man walked by their booth. He stopped, did a double take, and came back to lean on the table. He smiled drunkenly, already plastered and definitely high on something as he eyed Rembrandt. “Good evening, ladies,” he began.

Ajax didn’t even have to move to make her point. “Keep it moving, man.”

“Understood.”

The Warriors waited until he disappeared into the throng of people before they burst out laughing. Rembrandt relaxed against Ajax, not joining in the conversation much but listening along, sipping her drink and holding Ajax’s hand where it rested on her shoulder. Ajax leaned down every now and then to kiss her cheek or tell her how beautiful she looked. Cochise watched them flirt with an easy smile. She’d always been happiest when the others were happy, too, Rembrandt had learned. She was a lot like Cleon in that way.

Someone approached their table. Rembrandt nudged Ajax as a tall, handsome person with an undercut and a lot of piercings smiled at Cochise. “Hey,” they said. “Sorry to interrupt y’all. I saw you across the room and-”

“Really liked my vibe?” Cochise finished sarcastically, but Rembrandt caught the way she looked the person up and down as she leaned in. “Isn’t that pickup line a little tired?”

“I like to think of it as tried and true,” the person said coolly. “Mind if I sit?”

“No she does not,” Rembrandt said as she stood, smiling at Cochise. “Ajax, come dance with me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Rembrandt tossed a little smirk over her shoulder as she and Ajax headed to the dance floor. Cochise was already too engrossed in conversation to notice.

Rembrandt did actually want to dance, it just also happened to be a good excuse to set Cochise up. She settled against Ajax amidst the crowd, holding the enforcer’s hands where they rested on her hips, feeling their bodies move together as a heavy bassline pulsed through the club like a heartbeat. The singer’s raspy vocals floated above them. The band performed at the club before, and it was one of Rembrandt’s favorite songs that they covered. She let herself drift, focusing on the music and the warmth of Ajax’s touch through her dress and the electric thrum of energy through the club.

Ajax was a great dancer, something that, for whatever reason, surprised Rembrandt the first time they went out together. Ajax was only a little offended when Rembrandt told her that. She said it was the same reason she was such a good fighter; she just knew how to move her body right.

As the music blasted, Ajax kissed the back of Rembrandt’s neck and spoke quietly in her ear. “Look at you playing matchmaker.”

“Cochise hasn’t even flirted with anyone since you had to beat up the last dipshit she dated. I just gave her a little push.”

Ajax chuckled. “Have I told you how gorgeous you are yet?”

“About ten times in the past thirty minutes.”

“Damn, I’m slackin’, then.”

With a grin, she spun Rembrandt and dropped her into a low dip, strong arms looped around her waist. Rembrandt let out a little yelp that turned into uncontrollable laughing. She clung to Ajax to keep herself up. “Ajax, you’re gonna drop me!”

“Aw, you’ve got no faith in me.” Ajax pulled her upright and kissed her. Rembrandt cupped Ajax’s face as a slower song came on, pressing their foreheads together, swaying gently in each other’s embrace. Ajax sighed as Rembrandt brushed her thumb over her cheek. “I needed this.”

“I did, too.”

“Want another drink?”

“Yes, please.”

Ajax kept an arm around Rembrandt’s waist as they walked to the bar. She leaned back against the counter while Ajax talked to the bartender, scanning over the crowd, keeping an eye out for any trouble that might start. Old habits die hard. Looking over to the other end of the bar, she took notice of a girl sitting on a bar stool, her hair done up in space buns, smiling shyly at some guy trying to talk to her. She held a beer bottle in both hands like a coffee mug, like she’d never drank before in her life.

Wait.

“Ajax,” Rembrandt said, never taking her eyes off the girl. “Look at the girl at the end of the bar.”

“You’re checking out other girls?” Ajax joked.

Rembrandt lightly smacked her on the chest. “I’m serious. Look at her.”

Ajax looked. Her brow furrowed. “Oh, there is no fucking way she’s over twenty-one.”

“Follow my lead.”

Rembrandt pushed herself off the bar and weaved through the crowd to the other end where the girl sat. She came up alongside her, grabbing her arm, plastering a big grin across her face. The girl jumped just a little. The guy talking to her glared at Rembrandt.

“Oh my god, hey!” Rembrandt exclaimed. “Girl, you’re late, we’ve been waiting for you at the booth!” She shot the guy a dark look, still smiling. “Who’s this?”

The girl faltered. “Uh-”

Ajax leaned over Rembrandt’s shoulder, stepping up to the man just a little too close for comfort. “You don’t mind if we steal her, do you? It’s a girls night.”

He backed up, clearing his throat. “Uh, n-no, no, I don’t mind. Nice meeting you,” he stammered, and hurried off with his tail between his legs.

The Warriors stood over the girl, Ajax hanging back a bit so as to not completely terrify her as Rembrandt crossed her arms. The girl clutched her beer and laughed nervously as the pair stared her down.

“Um, hey,” she said, “I appreciate you being a girl’s girl, but I was fine.”

“How old are you?” Rembrandt asked bluntly.

The girl faltered. She opened and closed her mouth, tilting her chin up and trying to put on a tough look that was almost laughable. “Old enough to be in here.”

“And by that, you mean pretty enough that the bouncer didn’t look too closely at your fake ID,” Ajax said.

“What does it matter to you guys? What, are you the owners or something?”

Rembrandt raised her eyebrows. “What’s your name?”

“They call me Fox. Who are you?”

She nodded slowly. “Fox. It’s nice to meet you. That’s Ajax, and I’m Rembrandt.”

The girl’s eyes widened. Rembrandt could see the wheels turning in her head. “W-Wait, Rembrandt like, like the graffiti artist who runs with…?”

“Yeah. That Rembrandt.”

“Ah, shit. Listen, I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble, I just-”

“Kid, we’re not here to jam you up,” Ajax reassured. “But this is one of our favorite bars and you’re gonna get it raided so why don’t you step outside with us?”

Fox followed reluctantly. The three of them stepped around the corner, away from the entrance to the lounge. Ajax took off her leather jacket and put it around Rembrandt’s shoulders, leaning down to say, “I’m gonna go have a word with the bouncer.”

“No fighting,” Rembrandt said.

“No promises.”

Rembrandt rolled her eyes as Ajax disappeared around the corner. She lit a cigarette. She began to pull a second one from the pack, but hesitated as she looked Fox up and down. “For real, how old are you?”

Fox sighed, defeated. “I’m seventeen.”

Close enough. Rembrandt gave her the cigarette. “What are you doing here? There are eighteen and up clubs that would be a lot less likely to catch you if you just wanted a night out.”

“I don’t have a legit ID,” Fox admitted quietly. Fuck, she was shy. Almost as shy as Rembrandt was at the start. “When I got a fake one, I figured I might as well go for twenty-one ’cause I like hanging out in the clubs, anyway.”

“Why do you need a fake one? Just go to the DMV. Don’t you have documents?” Rembrandt asked. Fox shook her head. A realization dawned on Rembrandt. “Where are you staying?”

The girl hesitated. “I was at the youth shelter in Sheepshead Bay.”

“Was?”

“I… I sleep where I can in Kaiser Park.”

Rembrandt threw her hands in the air. “Fuckin’ hell, kid! It’s October!”

“You’re out here without a jacket!”

“I’m going to a club, not sleeping outside!”

“I didn’t have a choice. The shelter didn’t have space for me anymore. They said they needed the beds for younger kids but the adult shelter they sent me to was… I-I, I couldn’t-”

Rembrandt held up a hand. “I get it,” she said gently. “I’ve met a lot of people coming out of those shelters. I’m assuming you’re not affiliated?”

“Huh?”

“With a gang. You’re not in any gang?”

“No.”

“Do you have anything in Kaiser Park? Like a tent, clothes, any personal belongings?”

“My backpack is hidden by the dumpster out back. I have all my comic books in there so I try to hide it where it won’t get wet.”

“Oh my god, this is an actual fucking child,” Rembrandt muttered to herself. “You know who we are, right? The Warriors?”

“I know you run Coney Island.”

“That’s right. Do you have an actual place to sleep tonight? Not a park bench.”

“Rembrandt!” Ajax came around the corner with Cochise and Cowgirl behind her. Cochise looked only mildly annoyed but Cowgirl threw her arms in the air in exasperation.

“Rem, this was supposed to be a chill night out and you’re running gang business!” she whined. “I had to leave sweater vest boy hanging on the dance floor!”

“Not a loss!” Rembrandt said. She turned back to Fox. “Go get your backpack.”

“What?” Fox asked.

“What?” the other Warriors asked in unison.

“You’re staying with us tonight. I’m not letting you sleep on a fucking park bench.”

Fox didn’t move, struggling to fathom what Rembrandt had just said. As the realization sank in that the Warrior was actually being serious, she nodded hurriedly and booked it around the back of the building. Cochise and Cowgirl stared at Rembrandt in confusion. Ajax laid a hand on her back.

“You know what you’re doing?” she asked quietly.

“She’s seventeen and sleeping in Kaiser Park. She got kicked out of a shelter. Her backpack is full of comic books.”

“You better call ahead to Cleon. When I brought you in, she was expecting it. Don’t want to surprise her.”

“I’m gonna. There’s a payphone at the end of the block.”

“You gonna be okay?”

“Ajax, you can see the payphone from here.”

“Alright,” Ajax said, raising her hands. “There’s dimes in my inside pocket.”

“I know, I put them there.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Pulling Ajax’s jacket tight around her, Rembrandt jogged to the end of the block where there was a busted up, graffiti covered payphone. She put in a coin and dialed the number for the apartment. It rang. And rang. And rang. And Rembrandt was afraid for a moment that Swan and Cleon had possibly gone to bed already. She had no idea how late it was and she worried she might either wake up a grumpy Cleon by phone or come home with a stranger in tow and make it worse.

Someone finally picked up. “Speak,” Swan said gruffly.

“Swan, it’s Rembrandt.”

“Fuck, is Ajax in jail again?”

“What? No! And I’m telling her you said that. Listen, is Cleon still awake? Can you put her on the phone?”

“Yeah, sure. Cleon!”

There were muffled voices on the other end of the line. Rembrandt leaned against the side of the phone box, waiting for Cleon to pick up. When she finally did, the first words out of her mouth were, “Please tell me you’re not calling from outside a police station.”

“For the love of - Ajax isn’t in jail! Cleon, we don’t have anyone that was supposed to stay on the couch tonight, right?”

“...Why?”

Rembrandt recounted the conversation to her, from seeing Fox at the other end of the bar to learning she was kicked out of the shelter. Cleon listened silently aside from a “mm-hm” here and there so Rembrandt knew she was still on the line. When she finally finished, there was a long pause. She put in more coins to make sure she hadn’t been cut off.

Cleon sighed. “Does this girl want to be in a gang?” she asked.

“I didn’t ask,” Rembrandt admitted.

“Rem-”

“I’m not recruiting her, Cleon. Not this second. She just… needs a warm place to sleep for the night. I’m not leaving her on a park bench in October!”

“Is she gonna rob us?”

“She said she hides her backpack where her comic books won’t get wet. This is a literal teenager we’re talking about.” Rembrandt took a deep breath as she carefully formulated her next words. It was still painful to say this out loud. “When Ajax brought me in and she told you… what was happening to me… how did she convince you? What did she say to get you to take me in that night?”

“She said you needed to be with us.”

“This girl needs to be with us.” Her heart ached. “She reminds me of how I used to be before I met Ajax, before I met all of you. She needs someone.”

Another long pause. “Is she with you right now?”

Rembrandt looked over her shoulder. Fox had returned and stood with the other Warriors, talking indistinctly with Ajax. She didn’t look entirely terrified, which was a good sign. Rembrandt said, “She’s with us.”

“Alright. Bring her along. She can stay on the couch.”

“Really?”

“I trust your judgement, Rembrandt. You’ve never let me down before. I will want to talk to her but I’m not gonna tell you no. Be safe getting home.”

Rembrandt grinned. “Okay! Great! We’ll be there soon.” She hung up and went back to where Fox and the Warriors were standing, smiling as she stepped up to Fox. “You’ve got the couch for tonight.”

Fox’s eyes lit up. “Wait, what?”

“Cleon’s going to want to talk to you. She’s intimidating at first but I promise she’s nice. You comin’?”

“I, uh, y-yeah! Yeah, thank you!”

Ajax and Rembrandt lead the party back towards the apartment. It took a minute, but behind them, Rembrandt eventually heard Cowgirl begin to ask Fox about what comic books she had. Cochise complimented her hair and asked if she did it herself. Rembrandt smiled to herself as Ajax slung an arm around her shoulders. She leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

“Been over a year and you’re just now recruiting someone,” she teased. “But why her?”

“She reminds me of someone you and I used to know.”

----

Rembrandt screamed as she watched Fox wrestle with the captain on the platform. She punched the window until she couldn’t feel her hand. She failed to force the doors open. Tears streamed from her eyes as Fox got on top of the cop, desperately trying to keep him down. She couldn’t hear anything but her own shouts, begging Fox to run, telling her to get away from him, don’t try to win and just try to survive, please just survive!

Their train started pulling away.

Another sped into the station on the parallel track.

And Fox was gone.

----------------------

Thought I was going to let you completely get away from the angst, did you? Think again. I haven't changed that much

#writing #fanfic #warriors concept album #warriors musical #rembrandt warriors #ajax warriors #cleon warriors #cochise warriors #swan warriors #cowgirl warriors #fox warriors #tw mild implied abuse #homelessness #ajax x rembrandt #cochise is bi

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mellowcherryblossomblaze · 1 year ago

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Trolls: Band Together TV Series (Idea) Part 3

NOTE: NOTHING HERE IS OFFICIAL, JUST SPECULATION, FEEL FREE TO WRITE ANY OF THESE IDEAS AS FAN-FICTION IF YOU WISH TO DO SO.

Trolls: Family Harmony: Season 3

Back To The Beginning: In a special 30-minute flashback episode, we get a glimpse into BroZone’s earlier days before Branch was born, and how they first came together to perform as a band. Meanwhile, a young Princess Viva worries she’s too weird to make friends with other Trolls, but eventually finds reassurance after crossing paths with Clay for the first time.

Cloud-Guy Support Group: After Viva becomes the latest victim of Cloud Guy’s annoying antics, Branch introduces her to the United Council Against Cloud Guy. They encourage her to vent her frustrations, but Viva still has trouble being open about her feelings and tries to avoid getting angry over it.

The Hard-Rock Life: Tired of getting ‘The Pity Treatment’ from every new Troll he meets, Floyd decides to take part in the Hard Rock Tribe’s annual Shred-Cathlon, hoping it will overshadow his experience in Mount Rageous and prove he’s not just a sensitive Pop Troll.

Not-Too-Sad Book Club: At a Sad Book Club meeting, one of Clay’s members suggests that they read a book from a fantasy scrapbook series, but Clay turns it down because it’s ‘not sad enough.’ But after taking a look at it while recovering from a cold, he becomes hooked and desperately tries to hide his new hyper-fixation from his friends.

Turning Tiny: Tiny Diamond is still insisting that he’s a grown-up and begins acting out at home, leaving Guy at a loss of what to do. He accompanies Poppy and Branch to Vacay Island, hoping it will be a good chance for them to reconnect, but is dismayed when Tiny prefers to hang out with Bruce and his kids.

It’s Snow Day Again?!: Both Branch and Poppy’s families have all come together to celebrate Snow Day, with John Dory and Viva especially hoping to make up for all the ones they missed while they were gone. When things don’t go the way they planned, they find themselves repeating Snow Day over and over again, trying to make a perfect Snow Day for their siblings.

Happy Mom-urday!: Once a year, Trolls have a special day to spend time with their mother’s called Mom-urday, but Viva gradually becomes annoyed by the festivities, preferring not to think about her late mom at all.

A Little Less Space: Floyd discovers he has developed claustrophobia after spending two months in a diamond bottle with no way out. Annoyed by this revelation, he tries to conquer this fear before word gets out, enlisting help from Synth and Laguna.

When Clay Met Viva (Again): Clay and Viva explain to a curious Poppy and Branch about how they met, retelling the story of how a young Clay stumbled upon Putt-Putt Village and met a young but traumatized Princess Viva for (unknown to them) the second time.

Someone’s In The Kitchen With Bruce: Brandy injures her hands and is unable to cook, so Branch offers to help Bruce keep up with orders in his restaurant by helping out in the kitchen. Bruce is surprised by how skilled his brother has become with cooking, and the brothers get a chance to bond as Branch begins to recall fond memories of helping Bruce cook as a child.

What’s Today?: Branch wakes up after a long day of working around Trollstopia, and is surprised to find all of his brothers in the bunker for breakfast. Afterwards, he quickly darts out once he realizes he never finished his checklist from yesterday. He becomes deeply confused, however, when most of them seem to have been taken care of already and his brothers keep popping up to do other activities with him. Branch wonders if he forgot about a holiday occurring that day, and eventually learns that he passed out from over-exhaustion the previous night and his brothers have just been trying to help him relax and remind him that he’s not alone anymore.

#trolls band together #trolls #trolls 3 #trolls fandom #queen poppy #branch #brozone #john dory #bruce #clay #floyd #viva #tiny diamond #guy diamond #synth #laguna tidepool #brandy

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whencyclopedia · 1 year ago

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Sioux Warrior Rain-in-the-Face (Eastman's Biography)

Rain-in-the-Face (Ite Omagazu, l. c. 1835-1905) was a Lakota Sioux warrior and war chief during Red Cloud's War (1866-1868) and at the Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876), after which he became famous as the man who killed Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, his brother Capt. Thomas Custer, or both of them.

How Rain-in-the-Face first became identified as Custer's killer is unclear, but the claim was popularized by the poem The Revenge of Rain-in-the-Face by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – the bestselling American poet of his age – published in Keramos and Other Poems (1878). Although modern-day writers cite the poem as claiming Rain-in-the-Face killed Thomas Custer, it seems clear "White Chief with yellow hair" (line 9 of the poem) alludes to George Custer, and it is George's heart, not Thomas's, that Rain-in-the-Face rides off with at the end of the piece.

Rain-in-the-Face is best known today from two accounts of his life and the part he played at the Battle of the Little Bighorn – the 1894 report given by American journalist W. Kent Thomas based on an "interview" given at Coney Island, and the 1905 biography by the Sioux author and physician Charles A. Eastman (also known as Ohiyesa, l. 1858-1939) – which contradict each other.

In the Thomas interview, Rain-in-the-Face claims he killed Thomas Custer, cut out his heart, and spat part of it in his face at Little Bighorn as revenge for being unjustly arrested by Capt. Custer in 1874. In Eastman's account, he denies killing either of the brothers and, further, describes the Battle of Little Bighorn as so chaotic no one could have known who they had killed for certain.

As the W. Kent Thomas interview was given after the journalist got Rain-in-the-Face drunk, for the express purpose of getting the "real story" on Custer's death, while Eastman's account is a respectful transcript of the old warrior's life story, the latter is usually understood as more historically accurate.

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The following is taken from Eastman's Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains (1916), the 1939 edition, republished in 2016. It has been edited in the interests of space, but the full account will be found below in the External Links section.

The noted Sioux warrior, Rain-in-the-Face, whose name once carried terror to every part of the frontier, died at his home on the Standing Rock reserve in North Dakota on September 14, 1905. About two months before his death, I went to see him for the last time, where he lay upon the bed of sickness from which he never rose again, and drew from him his life-history.

It had been my experience that you cannot induce an Indian to tell a story, or even his own name, by asking him directly.

"Friend," I said, "even if a man is on a hot trail, he stops for a smoke! In the good old days, before the charge there was a smoke. At home, by the fireside, when the old men were asked to tell their brave deeds, again the pipe was passed. So come, let us smoke now to the memory of the old days!"

He took of my tobacco and filled his long pipe, and we smoked. Then I told an old mirthful story to get him in the humor of relating his own history.

The old man lay upon an iron bedstead, covered by a red blanket, in a corner of the little log cabin. He was all alone that day; only an old dog lay silent and watchful at his master's feet.

Finally, he looked up and said with a pleasant smile:

"True, friend; it is the old custom to retrace one's trail before leaving it forever! I know that I am at the door of the spirit home.

"I was born near the forks of the Cheyenne River, about seventy years ago…When I was a boy, I loved to fight," he continued. "In all our boyish games I had the name of being hard to handle, and I took much pride in the fact.

"I was about ten years old when we encountered a band of Cheyenne. They were on friendly terms with us, but we boys always indulged in sham fights on such occasions, and this time I got in an honest fight with a Cheyenne boy older than I. I got the best of the boy, but he hit me hard in the face several times, and my face was all spattered with blood and streaked where the paint had been washed away. The Sioux boys whooped and yelled:

"‘His enemy is down, and his face is spattered as if with rain! Rain-in-the-Face! His name shall be Rain-in-the-Face!'

"Afterwards, when I was a young man, we went on a warpath against the Gros Ventres. We stole some of their horses but were overtaken and had to abandon the horses and fight for our lives. I had wished my face to represent the sun when partly covered with darkness, so I painted it half black, half red. We fought all day in the rain, and my face was partly washed and streaked with red and black: so again, I was christened Rain-in-the-Face. We considered it an honorable name.

"I had been on many warpaths, but was not especially successful until about the time the Sioux began to fight with the white man…

"Some , Crow King, and others.

"This was the plan decided upon after many councils. The main war party lay in ambush, and a few of the bravest young men were appointed to attack the woodchoppers who were cutting logs to complete the building of the fort. We were told not to kill these men, but to chase them into the fort and retreat slowly, defying the white men; and if the soldiers should follow, we were to lead them into the ambush. They took our bait exactly as we had hoped! It was a matter of a very few minutes, for every soldier lay dead in a shorter time than it takes to annihilate a small herd of buffalo.

"This attack was hastened because most of the Sioux on the Missouri River and eastward had begun to talk of suing for peace. But even this did not stop the peace movement. The very next year a treaty was signed at Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, by nearly all the Sioux chiefs, in which it was agreed on the part of the Great Father in Washington that all the country north of the Republican River in Nebraska, including the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountains, was to be always Sioux country, and no white man should intrude upon it without our permission. Even with this agreement Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were not satisfied, and they would not sign…

"It was when the white men found the yellow metal in our country, and came in great numbers, driving away our game, that we took up arms against them for the last time. I must say here that the chiefs who were loudest for war were among the first to submit and accept reservation life. Spotted Tail was a great warrior, yet he was one of the first to yield, because he was promised by the Chief Soldiers that they would make him chief of all the Sioux. Ugh! He would have stayed with Sitting Bull to the last had it not been for his ambition.

"About this time, we young warriors began to watch the trails of the white men into the Black Hills, and when we saw a wagon coming, we would hide at the crossing and kill them all without much trouble. We did this to discourage the whites from coming into our country without our permission…

"There were a few Indians who were liars, and never on the warpath, playing ‘good Indian' with the Indian agents and the war chiefs at the forts. Some of this faithless set betrayed me and told more than I ever did. I was seized and taken to the fort near Bismarck, North Dakota of the Long-Haired War Chief and imprisoned there. These same lying Indians, who were selling their services as scouts to the white man, told me that I was to be shot to death, or else hanged upon a tree. I answered that I was not afraid to die.

"However, there was an old soldier who used to bring my food and stand guard over me—he was a white man, it is true, but he had an Indian heart! He came to me one day and unfastened the iron chain and ball with which they had locked my leg, saying by signs and what little Sioux he could muster:

"‘Go, friend! Take the chain and ball with you. I shall shoot, but the voice of the gun will lie.'

"When he had made me understand, you may guess that I ran my best! I was almost over the bank when he fired his piece at me several times, but I had already gained cover and was safe. I have never told this before, and would not, lest it should do him an injury, but he was an old man then, and I am sure he must be dead long since. That old soldier taught me that some of the white people have hearts," he added, quite seriously.

"I went back to Standing Rock in the night, and I had to hide for several days in the woods, where food was brought to me by my relatives…

"In the spring the hostile Sioux got together again upon the Tongue River. It was one of the greatest camps of the Sioux that I ever saw…We had decided to fight the white soldiers until no warrior should be left."

At this point Rain-in-the-Face took up his tobacco pouch and began again to fill his pipe…

"There was excitement among the people, and a great council was held. Many spoke. I was asked the condition of those Indians who had gone upon the reservation, and I told them truly that they were nothing more than prisoners. It was decided to go out and meet Three Stars at a safe distance from our camp.

"We met him on the Little Rosebud. I believe that if we had waited and allowed him to make the attack, he would have fared no better than Custer. He was too strongly fortified where he was, and I think, too, that he was saved partly by his Indian allies, for the scouts discovered us first and fought us first, thus giving him time to make his preparations. I think he was more wise than brave! After we had left that neighborhood, he might have pushed on and connected with the Long-Haired Chief. That would have saved Custer and perhaps won the day.

"When we crossed from Tongue River to the Little Big Horn, on account of the scarcity of game, we did not anticipate any more trouble. Our runners had discovered that Crook had retraced his trail to Goose Creek, and we did not suppose that the white men would care to follow us farther into the rough country.

"Suddenly the Long-Haired Chief appeared with his men! It was a surprise."

"What part of the camp were you in when the soldiers attacked the lower end?" I asked.

"I had been invited to a feast at one of the young men's lodges . There was a certain warrior who was making preparations to go against the Crows, and I had decided to go also," he said.

"While I was eating my meat, we heard the war cry! We all rushed out and saw a warrior riding at top speed from the lower camp, giving the warning as he came. Then we heard the reports of the soldiers' guns, which sounded differently from the guns fired by our people in battle.

"I ran to my teepee and seized my gun, a bow, and a quiver full of arrows. I already had my stone war club, for you know we usually carry those by way of ornament. Just as I was about to set out to meet Reno, a body of soldiers appeared nearly opposite us, at the edge of a long line of cliffs across the river.

"All of us who were mounted and ready immediately started down the stream toward the ford. There were Ogallala, Miniconjou, Cheyenne, and some Hunkpapa, and those around me seemed to be nearly all very young men.

"‘Behold, there is among us a young woman!' I shouted. ‘Let no young man hide behind her garment!' I knew that would make those young men brave.

"The woman was Tashenamani, or Moving Robe, whose brother had just been killed in the fight with Three Stars. Holding her brother's war staff over her head, and leaning forward upon her charger, she looked as pretty as a bird. Always when there is a woman in the charge, it causes the warriors to vie with one another in displaying their valor," he added.

"The foremost warriors had almost surrounded the white men, and more were continually crossing the stream. The soldiers had dismounted and were firing into the camp from the top of the cliff."

"My friend, was Sitting Bull in this fight?" I inquired.

"I did not see him there, but I learned afterward that he was among those who met Reno, and that was three or four of the white man's miles from Custer's position. Later he joined the attack upon Custer but was not among the foremost.

"When the troops were surrounded on two sides, with the river on the third, the order came to charge! There were many very young men, some of whom had only a war staff or a stone war club in hand, who plunged into the column, knocking the men over and stampeding their horses.

"The soldiers had mounted and started back, but when the onset came, they dismounted again and separated into several divisions, facing different ways. They fired as fast as they could load their guns, while we used chiefly arrows and war clubs. There seemed to be two distinct movements among the Indians. One body moved continually in a circle, while the other rode directly into and through the troops.

"Presently some of the soldiers remounted and fled along the ridge toward Reno's position; but they were followed by our warriors, like hundreds of blackbirds after a hawk. A larger body remained together at the upper end of a little ravine and fought bravely until they were cut to pieces. I had always thought that white men were cowards, but I had a great respect for them after this day.

"It is generally said that a young man with nothing but a war staff in his hand broke through the column and knocked down the leader very early in the fight. We supposed him to be the leader, because he stood up in full view, swinging his big knife .

"After the first rush was over, coups were counted as usual on the bodies of the slain. You know, four coups is entitled to the ‘first feather.'

"There was an Indian here called Appearing Elk, who died a short time ago. He was slightly wounded in the charge. He had some of the weapons of the Long-Haired Chief, and the Indians used to say jokingly after we came upon the reservation that Appearing Elk must have killed the Chief, because he had his sword! However, the scramble for plunder did not begin until all were dead. I do not think he killed Custer, and if he had, the time to claim the honor was immediately after the fight.

"Many lies have been told of me. Some say that I killed the Chief, and others that I cut out the heart of his brother , because he had caused me to be imprisoned. Why, in that fight the excitement was so great that we scarcely recognized our nearest friends! Everything was done like lightning. After the battle, we young men were chasing horses all over the prairie, while the old men and women plundered the bodies; and if any mutilating was done, it was by the old men.

"I have lived peaceably ever since we came upon the reservation. No one can say that Rain-in-the-Face has broken the rules of the Great Father. I fought for my people and my country. When we were conquered, I remained silent, as a warrior should. Rain-in-the-Face was killed when he put down his weapons before the Great Father. His spirit was gone then; only his poor body lived on, but now it is almost ready to lie down for the last time. Ho, hechetu! "

#History #Sioux #RedCloud'sWar #Rain-in-the-Face

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k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9 · 8 months ago

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Blue Öyster Cult - Sinful Love

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haru-kuneko · 2 months ago

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Growing Up With Gorillaz (STORYTIME + ANALYSIS)

If you grew up with Gorillaz, you'd be able to feel a sense of sadness and euphoria at the same time. They are one of those avant-garde bands that can pump out a variety of songs ranging from hip-hop, rock to jazz. There is something timeless about the Gorillaz and that is because they never try hard to fit into current trends. This is why when I hear a certain type of song, I go "Wait, this sounds like Gorillaz!". They have this distinct flavour to it.

Even in college 'til adulthood, I still listen to Gorillaz (maybe it's because they were able to release new songs). It is like that one friend who still gets to hang out with you after so many years. From "Clint Eastwood" to "Feel Good," it reminded me of how much fun and colourful the world was in the past compared to now. Maybe because I was still little when they came out.

When I first heard their song "El Mañana," it reminded me of death and impermanence. Nothing lasts forever. The title translates to "tomorrow" in Spanish. What is even sadder is the music video where one of the members, Noodle, finds herself stuck on a floating island as helicopters start firing at her.

No, actually, it was part of an elaborate scheme to kill some guy name Jimmy Manson who tried to murder her after being rejected by the band. I just decided to put it out there for context (and also it's important to know there's a lot of lore in Gorillaz).

I think their best song yet was called "Humility" which featured Black Jack. It was a feel-good hit. This somehow stuck with me given the time it came out so let's just say I was about to finish my last semester in college and able to find tons of opportunities back then. Life seems to be looking up for me. Nah, the music video was kind of funny because 2-D was just rollerskating and vibin' until Russell trips him over.

Was this guy possessed all this time? His eyes went from blank white to black again.

Oh, let's not forget Ace from the Powerpuff Girls was in it as a guest replacement while their band leader Murdoc's stuck in jail.

Their latest song called "Silent Running" totally struck a chord. Also, hooray! Murdoc's back and this time the band's involved in some cult!

It helped me reflect on those years of my life which there were times I wished I was able to find the time to do the things I never got the chance to. Some of them were a case of "What if?". It's been a year since the pandemic has ended. It was rather comforting especially when I was going through a rough patch during that time.

It encouraged me to make most out of my life. Wherever life takes you, everything is going to be ok. You may not be able to get what you want but just know there's something even better waiting for you! I decided to write this after relistening to Gorillaz last night. It has been so long since I've listened to their songs.

Now, before anyone comes at me and says, "Oh no! You're oversharing and getting weepy over a cartoon band," you have to understand how much of an impact Gorillaz has on people like me and shouldn't be angry if someone expresses their passion towards something. If not for the Gorillaz, I wouldn't be here! They're not just a cartoon band but a global treasure in the industry.

#gorillaz #nostalgia

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get-lost-in-fanfiction · 11 months ago

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Ghost - Oneshot

Paring: lil bit of Sawyer x Reader

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: Okay, so this isn't any of the things I have promised in the past couple of days, but I am working on them!! I just needed a small break and made this :) I hope you can forgive me. Expect L-AS soon!

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It’s hard to be liked. Something about it made your skin crawl whenever someone looked at you in a friendly way. You didn’t feel like you deserved it very much, especially by people who knew you the most. So when you crashed on a remote island with a whole plane full of strangers, it made you happy. Not the crashing part, and certainly not the stranded part where there was no hope to be rescued. That part gave you anxiety attacks nearly every night since the first when the whole group of you heard something that sounded very dangerous in the jungle.

Word got around that there was this crazy French chick living somewhere in the jungle that hadn’t been rescued for something like 16 years. That part made you feel even more uneasy about the people around you. Would you actually have to get to know them? How long until you were rescued, and then would have to go back to all the people who used to know you? Then you’d be in the spotlight, with people who know you and those who don’t. Surely, the world knew about your missing plane by now. It had been several weeks with no rescue or word of anyone anywhere knowing where you were.

So, you grit your teeth and try your best to converse with those who attempt to approach you. Which wasn't a lot of people, by the way. A few did, the doctor who was named Jack and the supposed leader of your little band of survivors. His “girlfriend,” Kate, who never seemed to want to stay on the beach for any extended amount of time. Well, really, she didn't want to be anywhere for very long. Which was pretty stupid, you thought, since you were all stranded here. She might as well make the most of it. This big guy named Hurley, who you actually thought was pretty okay and spent some time with him when you were off brooding alone on some far off portion of the beach. Lastly, the one person who didn’t seem to mind that you weren’t much for conversion was the self-named outcast of the Island, Sawyer.

You didn’t know very much about Sawyer, and you quite liked it that way. You did know that he was a hoarder and had a particular habit of calling everyone by various nicknames based on the way they looked, the things they did, or their ethnic background. The man was an enigma, wrapped in a southern drawl and a bad attitude. He had a knack for getting under everyone's skin, but somehow, he didn't bother you as much. Maybe it was because he didn't seem to expect anything from you. His nickname for you was Ghost, but you didn’t really care about that. However, it made a lot of sense. You moved through the group like a shadow, present but not really there, detached from the bonds forming among the other survivors.

You often “haunted” a spot on the beach that was a little rockier than where the rest of the camp was. It was closer to the jungle, too, so it was a good spot to not be bothered since most of the scaredy cats of the beach didn’t want to go anywhere near it. Those who remained on the beach after Jack took a group to the caves, anyway. The jungle seemed quieter today. The usual noise of birds and rustling leaves had died down to a gentle hum. You could almost convince yourself that it was peaceful if you didn't know better. Peaceful was the last thing this island was. At least you could deal with the background noise.

You sat on the edge of a rock overlooking the ocean. The waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, and you let yourself get lost in their repetitive motion for a moment. It was easier than thinking about the reality of your situation. Easier than acknowledging the gnawing fear in the pit of your stomach that you might never leave this place. The fear was always there, lurking just beneath the surface, but you had gotten good at pushing it down, focusing instead on the mundane tasks of survival. The panic attacks had subsided for the most part, and when they got bad, you had Jack to give you something for it. Even if it meant hauling yourself all the way to the caves in the middle of the night for a scolding and a pill.

As you sat there, lost in thought, you heard footsteps approaching. You didn't turn to look, already knowing who it was by the sound of his stride. Sawyer had a way of moving that was both lazy and deliberate as if he had all the time in the world but knew exactly where he was going.

"Hey, Ghost," he drawled, plopping down beside you on the rock. "You plannin' on hauntin' this spot all day, or you got somethin' better to do?"

You gave him a sidelong glance, not bothering to respond. He didn't seem to mind your silence. In fact, he seemed to prefer it. There was a mutual understanding between you two, a shared recognition that sometimes, words were unnecessary. But lately, your stomach did a little flip that made you actually want to say something, even if you really didn’t know what.

"Word's gettin' around about the French chick," he said after a moment, eyes scanning the horizon. "Sixteen years is a hell of a long time to be stuck here. Makes you wonder what she's been doin' all this time. How she's survived."

You nodded, the thought making your stomach twist. Sixteen years. Could you last that long? Would you want to? Hell, you were just beginning to forget that whole thing. At least until you heard chattering about Sayid all over again and what he heard out in the jungle with her. You really didn’t want to keep thinking about it, but it was continually thrown into your mind without your consent.

"Maybe she's got it figured out," Sawyer continued. "Maybe she's just as screwed up as the rest of us. Who knows?"

You turned to look at him then, seeing the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. It was rare to see him vulnerable, and it struck you that beneath all his pretension, he was just as scared as everyone else. Maybe more. It only made your affection for him make any sort of sense.

"Guess we'll find out eventually," you said, surprising yourself with the sound of your own voice. It was rough, unused to speaking. Sawyer glanced at you, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. He seemed to read your thoughts, and that idea made you sick.

"Guess we will, Ghost. Guess we will." Sawyer's presence was oddly comforting. The man was like a storm, loud and turbulent, but you’d learned that storms could also be strangely soothing in their predictability.

He always had something to say, some snarky comment or observation that cut through the oppressive silence of the island. The conversation dwindled, replaced by a comfortable silence. The waves continued their relentless assault on the shore, a reminder of nature's indifference. You let your eyes wander over the horizon, the vast expanse of water that both imprisoned and sustained you. Each wave felt like a promise and a threat, a dual reminder of hope and despair. A sudden rustling in the nearby jungle snapped you back to reality. Your heart rate spiked, your body tensing instinctively. Sensing your shift, Sawyer turned his head slightly but didn't rise from his spot.

"Relax," he said, his voice calm. "It's probably just a boar or somethin'."

You forced yourself to breathe, trying to quell the surge of panic. It was just the jungle, just another part of this bizarre and hostile environment. Nothing to be afraid of, at least not right now. The rustling ceased, and you willed your muscles to relax. Sawyer stretched out his legs, leaning back on his elbows, his casual demeanor a stark contrast to your unease.

"You ever think about what you'll do if we get off this rock?" he asked suddenly, his tone light but his eyes serious. The question caught you off guard. You hadn't allowed yourself to think that far ahead. The present was difficult enough without contemplating a future that seemed increasingly unlikely. Still, you pondered his question, letting it roll around in your mind.

"Not really," you admitted. "I guess I’d just go back to… whatever I was doing before."

Sawyer chuckled, a dry, humorless sound, "Yeah, that’s the trick, ain’t it? Going back. As if we could just pick up where we left off. Truth is, I don’t think any of us can go back to the way things were."

You considered his words. He was right, of course. The experience of being stranded on this island had changed you all in ways you couldn't fully understand yet. There was no going back, only forward, whatever that might mean. So you decided to respond, "And you?" you asked, more out of curiosity than politeness. "What would you do?"

He shrugged a nonchalant gesture that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Guess I'd do what I do best. Find trouble, cause trouble, get out of trouble."

There was a glimmer of something in his expression—sadness, maybe, or resignation. It was hard to tell with Sawyer. He hid behind so many layers of sarcasm and whatever else seemed to always permeate his mood that it was difficult to see the real person underneath. You returned your gaze to the ocean, the waves continuing their ceaseless dance. The conversation, as brief and superficial as it had been, left you feeling a little more grounded. Maybe that was Sawyer's gift. He cut through the pretense and forced you to confront things you’d rather avoid.

"Thanks," you said quietly, not entirely sure what you were thanking him for. Sawyer glanced at you, a puzzled look crossing his face before he smirked.

"Don’t mention it, Ghost,” was all he said. The two of you sat in companionable silence, the sounds of the island filling the space between you.

It felt almost like you were back in the real world for a moment, just two people passing time together. It was a small comfort, but small comforts meant everything in a place like this. The two of you sat there for a while, watching the waves and listening to the distant calls of the jungle. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, a rare and precious thing. With Sawyer, you didn’t feel pressured to fill the void with meaningless chatter. He didn’t push you to talk, and you didn’t feel the need to pretend.

Eventually, he stood up and stretched, the sun casting long shadows on the sand. "Well, Ghost, I guess I’ll be headin' back to camp. See if I can stir up some trouble."

You nodded, remaining seated on the rock. "See you around, Sawyer."

He gave you a mock salute and sauntered off, leaving you alone with your thoughts once more. The peace he brought lingered even after he left, a small buffer against the overwhelming uncertainty of your situation. As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, you took a deep breath and tried to hold onto the calm. The island was unpredictable, and peace was fleeting. But for now, you had a moment of quiet, a rare gift in this place of chaos and fear. The darkness encroached slowly, and you knew you’d have to head back to the camp eventually. The nights were the hardest when the sounds of the jungle grew louder and more menacing. But you felt a little stronger now, a little more capable of facing whatever the island threw at you next.

You stood up and made your way back, the path familiar under your feet. The camp was buzzing with activity, survivors preparing for the night. Jack was tending to someone near the fire. You thought it was interesting since his patients usually saw him in his cave office, not here on the beach. His brow furrowed in concentration. Kate was nearby, her restless energy evident even in her stillness. Hurley was talking animatedly with someone who you think is called Charlie and Sayid, of course. You knew him. Hurley’s laughter was a bright spot in the dimming light. All of their eyes reflected firelight as they watched Hurley tell what seemed to be a very entertaining story. As you approached, Hurley looked up and waved. You managed a small smile and waved back. Maybe, just maybe, you were starting to find your place here among these strangers who were becoming something like friends.

"Hey!" Hurley called out along with your name. It made you cringe slightly to hear anyone say your name with such affection. "You wanna join us for dinner? We managed to catch some fish."

You hesitated for a moment, the familiar discomfort rising. But then you remembered the peace of the afternoon, the sense of connection you’d felt with Sawyer. Maybe it was time to take a small step forward. "Sure," you said, walking over to join them. "Sounds good."

The night passed with stories and laughter, the fire casting warm light on the faces around you. For the first time since the crash, you felt a glimmer of hope, a sense that maybe, just maybe, you could belong here. The island was still a place of danger and uncertainty, but you were beginning to see that it was also a place where you could find strength and maybe even a sense of belonging. As you settled into your makeshift bed that night, you found that the anxiety that usually clawed at your mind was a little quieter. You closed your eyes and let the sound of the waves lull you to sleep, a small smile on your lips. The island had taken so much, but it had also given you something unexpected: a chance to rediscover yourself and find connections in the most unlikely places. And for now, that was enough.

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Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged for oneshots!

#james “sawyer” ford x reader #james ford x reader #saywer ford x reader #oneshots #reader oneshots

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hairupintheair · 1 year ago

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Trolls Band Together Commentary Notes Part 2/4

- Commentary quote: "Mount Rageous - What is it? It's very expensive, that's what." - The Mount Rageous club where we first see V&V perform is shaped like a boom box so it seems like they're performing from inside one. - The scene where JD finds Floyd in the perfume bottle backstage was going to be the opening of the movie, and JD's design was a lot more Branch-like so the audience was going to think it was Branch at first. - One of the inspirations for the Mount Rageons' designs was Betty Boop. - Any time Crimp has accessories, they're office supplies -- a reference to her secretary/assistant role. Her ukelele is technically a shaped eraser. - "It was an era!" <- improv line from Justin Timberlake - The jungle around Vacay Island is designed with pool floaties, pool noodles and inflatable leaves, all things kids will instantly recognize as belonging to a pool or beach setting. They describe the Trolls world as a "DIY environment" (meaning the crafts and fabrics that are often used to make up the settings). - At one point the jungle was going to be all rope and macrame because that seemed like a texture you would associate with vines and rain forests, but the idea evolved into the vacation one instead. - There was a lot more of Poppy, Branch and JD trying to get through the jungle to get to the island resort which was cut because it was too long and dragging the scene. - At one point they were going to have Branch surprised by the sudden appearance of the head of the first Vacaytioner (the one on the rock climbing wall). He pulls out a slingshot to defend them but the rock bounces back and knocks out his tooth, after which he has a whistle when he breathes. - The animation team got to fill a kiddy pool behind the studio with water beads and threw in Trolls toys to see how they moved through it. (They also tried putting their faces in and as it turns out, you really can't breathe if you're under water beads, so Branch was right to be annoyed about Rhonda not being waterproof.) - The pools around the Vacay Island bar were designed because originally when the camera was focused on the Trolls, all you would see in the background were Vacaytioner feet walking by, which was boring. The pools allow us to see their faces and it was more interesting to see them swimming and lounging around. - During one of the early test screens, when Branch breaks out in "You're all I ever wanted" during the song, the test audience burst out into cheers, completely delighting the team. - Poppy's "I can't believe this is really happening!" scream during the dance was an Anna Kendrick improv line. - The cookies Bruce tosses to his kids are supposed to look like the foam circles you tie on your keys when you're driving a boat. - Commentary quote: "And the nachos are hard plastic. Don't eat them."

#trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls band together #trolls 3 #trolls movie #trolls movie commentary

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get-back-homeward · 1 year ago

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Q: Aug. 26 will be your first time in Asbury Park in 15 years. How are you feeling about getting back to the city, and do you have any particularly fond memories of playing the city in the past?

A: Are you kidding me? I can’t wait to get back there! Those were great times for me. You know I came back east in '74 and really needed to make music. People may not know it, but I never wanted to leave rock 'n' roll.

Let me tell you (a) little story of how I got to Asbury Park in the first place. I am walking down the street in New York City, mid-'70s and I hear this voice yell out, “Hey Ronnie, Ronnie Ronette,” so I turn around and it’s John Lennon. I actually met John the first night we landed in the U.K. in January '64. Anyway, John asked me how am I doing, and I tell him, "Not good, I need to make music." John said he was busy being a house husband taking care of his son, but introduced me to his engineer, Jimmy Iovine (Walls and Bridges).

That night, Jimmy invited me down to the Record Plant where he was working with a band from Jersey. When I walked into the studio, I met Little Steven (Van Zandt), who was producing Southside Johnny. And (Bruce) Springsteen was there, too, and right on spot Bruce re-wrote a song for me and Johnny to sing as a duet, “You Mean So Much to Me Baby.” They were all excited when I showed up, and more excited when I started to sing. I was surprised they knew me.

After that I started hanging out in Asbury Park with the guys, doing shows at the Stone Pony and all over the place. The second part of my career really started in Asbury Park. Those guys treated me like a sister and really helped me get back to what I loved doing, rock 'n' roll. They always looked out for me, and would never let me get into any trouble!

Q: Forty years ago, you partnered with the E Street Band for “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.” What are your memories of working with the band on that classic single?

A: I was going back and forth to L.A., so the times in the studio with Bruce and the boys were great. The times in L.A. were very difficult for me. Everyone was working hard to find the right song for us to record. And of course Billy Joel, who wrote "Hollywood," used to open up for the Ronettes on Long Island in the '60s when he was in the Hassles.

I also loved the ‘B’ side which Little Steven wrote for me. Those guys were like big brothers to me. It’s the only record outside of their work with Bruce where they are credited as the E Street Band. I look back and really appreciate those days. Not one memory, lots and lots of them, so much fun and a sense of freedom for me which I desperately needed. The guys were great and exactly what I needed at that moment in my life.

From Ronnie Spector's Interview in Asbury Park Press (August 22, 2017)

From Billboard Magazine (July 16, 1977)

youtube

Ronnie Spector sings Say Goodbye To Hollywood live on the David Essex show (September 13, 1977)

#when john ran into ronnie and gave her the assist she needed to get back in the game #ronnie spector #john lennon #e street band #jimmy iovine #steven van zandt #john stories #timeline puts it after walls and bridges (1974) and born to run (1975) so after his break with phil spector #bruce springsteen #the ronettes #1976 #the dakota years #mine #her book says it was 1976 and that sounds about right #she escapes phil spector in 1972 divorces in 1974 #do you believe she only got 25000 off the guy and he kept up withholding royalties into the 00s #photos: ronettes with george (1964); ronnie with john in LA (1974?); ronnie with the e street band (1977)#in conclusion always help make connections between friends #you never know how many careers you may save

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dabantam · 6 months ago

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Kalandero: my own original fantasy setting

This is going to come as a shock to everyone reading this, but I’m not really the biggest fan of fantasy settings. I’m not sure why, though. Maybe it’s because I prefer the overall familiarity of urban fantasy and the usual reimagining of the usual fantasy tropes in a modern setting. Even the two fantasy settings I’ve already created (the Aetherverse and Paracht from “Star Fighter Kafka”) are subversions of the usual fantasy tropes (the Aetherverse being a “post-post apocalyptic” urban fantasy setting, and Paracht as a whole is a take that towards the isekai genre). In any case, I decided to take a crack at making my own fantasy setting, though with a thoroughly original flair (no elves, no dwarves, no dragons, everything from scratch).

The Setting

Starting things off, we need an actual setting, let’s call it “Kalandero”. Kalandero is a vast and sprawling country, split into several different kingdoms. Up north, in the region of Cornicopium (the most bountiful region), there are the kingdoms of the humans and the droks. However, even further north is the Frigid Wastes, a frozen tundra that is mostly populated by small bands of snow kunabas. Towards the east is the region of Quagmus (a region of swamplands), home to the kingdom of the gamlits. Towards the center of Kalandero and down south is the Blazing Wastes, a relentless desert that’s home to the kingdom of the kunabas. Far in the west is the region of the Tokata Jungle, home to the kingdom of the jalps. The region is also home to Mt. Scovilla, an active volcano that is often used as a stronghold for the jaguar folk. Along the western coast is the Sirena Shore, which is home to several fishing villages. Off the coast is the island of Mobula, which, fittingly enough, serves as the neutral ground between the land dwellers and the aquatic mobulans. High above the country are the Sky Prairies, floating islands in the sky that serve as the territory of the ogons. However, deep underground resides the Rot Cavern, originally a gargantuan creature whose corpse has long since become a massive, festering cavern home fetid rivers, forests of bioluminescent mushrooms, and worst of all, the blowt.

Species

As mentioned above, this setting isn’t going to have any of the usual fantasy races (I’m definitely not calling them that, and good on Wizards of the Coast for finally realizing that “species” is a better term than “race”), but instead, is going to have wholly original species (some of which, you’ve already seen mentioned in some of my other works).

Humans: Humanity… they’re pretty much what you expect. Humans are fairly common throughout Kalandero, spread out throughout most of the country, with their kingdom being located in Cornicopium.

Droks: A species that I’ve used throughout my work, droks are another fairly common species throughout Kalandero. Combining both feline and reptilian features, they possess sleek, scaly skin like a snake that comes in a variety of colors (from reddish purple to dark blue), pointed cat ears, a feline esque face, a long, thin tail, black or red hair, and three fingered hands tipped with claws. They mostly live in woodlands throughout Kalandero, building log cabin villages, with their kingdom being located in Cornicopium alongside the humans. They actually come in a variety of forms depending on where they live, including: woodland droks (basically what I described above), snowy droks (shorter, stockier, and sporting white hair while living in the tundra), beach droks (seaside dwelling droks with reddish skin and webbed hands and feet), and jungle droks (tall, muscular jungle dwellers with mottled skin).

Kunabas: Large, stout bodied humanoids, Kunabas are natural born survivors, as well as the tallest of the races, standing at an average of eight feet tall. Possessing thick, leathery skin, rock hard muscles, and cast iron stomachs that can digest even the most rotten meat, they travel through the harshest areas in wandering camps, often trading goods with other travelers and living by a strict code of honor. There are two variants of Kunabas: the common kunaba (residents of the Blazing Wastes, with bald males and short haired females, as well as being the only variant that established a permanent kingdom), and snow kunaba (residents of the Frigid Wastes, possessing thick, shaggy heads of white hair).

Gamlits: Strange little creatures resembling a mix of mammal and bird (almost like a rat forced into the shape of a velociraptor), Gamlits are the engineers of Kalandero. Living in a corporatocracy, they care about nothing but making a profit, even going as far as to enslave other creatures such as jalps and crigglaks to work in their forges. They have even been known to backstab each other, entrapping each other in their people’s laws and forcing them to become their debt slaves (either that or face execution). The gamlits are also the most technologically capable race in Kalandero, cobbling together impressive machines of war and transport infused with magic, allowing them to establish settlements far beyond their kingdom in Quagmus, even venturing forth into the Sky Prairies, putting them at odds with the Ogons.

Jalps: A race of amphibians, Jalps fill the roles of halflings and similar “cute races”. Resembling a cross between a tree frog and an axolotl, they’re often found in damp or humid regions such as Quagmus and the Tokata Jungle, forming little tribes and practicing shamanism. While the jalps of the jungle are generally friendly and have even formed a kingdom, those of Quagmus are lot more hostile, living in small war camps and filling their territories with a variety of boobytraps (though, it’s understandable, considering they’re often under threat of being captured and enslaved by the gamlits).

Jaguar folk: A race of humanoid jaguars, the jaguar folk are the proud warrior race of Kalandero. Making their strongholds around Mt. Scovilla, they venture forth into the Tokata Jungle in hunting parties. Using fangs and claws alongside spears, they value martial might above all things, showing respect to those that can best them in battle.

Mobulans: A bizarre race of manta ray-like creatures, mobulans are the merfolk of Kalandero. Living throughout the ocean surrounding the country, though they often congregate around the island of Mobula and around the Sirena Shores, they are collectors of strange and unusual artifacts (usually items found in shipwrecks). While they can walk on land (albeit, in an awkward waddle), they are incredible swimmers, practically flying through the water on wing-like fins. They also possess two sets of eyes, one set on their faces and the other set on top of their heads (this pair is mainly used when they’re swimming). They also have a tenuous relationship with land dwellers, as while they’re willing to do business with them, there has been a history of mobulans being caught by fishermen and sold to aristocracy as oddities.

Ogons: A strange, mysterious race of beings, the Ogons are the residents of the Sky Prairies. Constantly covered in all concealing robes, no one is entirely certain what exactly they actually look like besides being humanoid in shape (and some even question if they’re even that). Ogons are among the few creatures naturally capable of using magic, spending their time in their cities studying magic and its various applications. While they don’t interact with ground dwellers that often, they do have a low opinion of them, usually mocking them for their lack of magic but willing to assist them in dealing with the Gracious.

Blowts: Natives of the Rot Cavern, blowts are among the most reviled creatures in Kalandero. While they resemble humanoid flies at first glance, they’re actually sentient swarms of flies that have the ability to merge together into their humanoid forms. Living in cities built in the Rot Cavern, they have one of the most disturbing means of reproduction of any creature. Capturing other humanoids and bringing them back to their cities, the Blowts proceed to inject their captives with egg capsules, which proceed to hatch into an entire swarm’s worth of flies that consume their host and form a new blowt. With all this in mind, it would be easy to see them as an evil race, similar to the Mindflayers. However, in reality, they aren’t any more evil than any other race. In fact, they don’t even find joy in the act of implanting eggs. It’s just that the brood needs a humanoid host as a template for their new body (any other host, like an animal, will simply result in an animal-like creature). While there are groups of blowt that simply view hosts as nothing but prey, the majority of them are regretful about it but simply accept it as a necessary evil to continue their existence (though some of them choose to be celibate).

Monsters

Of course, every fantasy setting has to have its own variety of monsters and creatures. Kalandero is no different.

Squamps: A species of small, egg shaped monsters, squamps are among the most common monsters found in Kalandero. Similar to slimes in other fantasy settings, they’re usually the first threat young adventurers will encounter when first setting out. Resembling beady eyed eggs waddling around on nubby little legs, they possess large, wide mouths along their lower halves big enough to swallow small animals (or even a small child) whole. They can be found all over the country, coming in a variety of different forms including: common squamps (the kind often found throughout forests and woods), snow squamps (hairy squamps found in the Frigid Wastes, capable of spitting out globs of spit at prey, freezing them solid), thorny squamps (squamps living in the Blazing Wastes and around Mt. Scovilla covered in thorns to deter predators), rancid squamps (wart covered squamps that can spit toxic slime at prey), and flying squamps (squamps who live in the Sky Prairies that possess two small wings in place of legs).

Crigglaks: Eerie stone creatures resembling a cross between a goblin and a gargoyle, crigglaks are a frequent pest in the wilds of Kalandero. Being more of a threat than squamps due to their organizational skills, they form small bands to stalk the highways of the country. Believed to have been the result of an experiment from ancient times, crigglaks are crafted from stones and magic rather than being born naturally, starting off craggy and rough in appearance when young, but gradually more smooth and polished as they grow older. While they often ambush caravans to rob them of jewels and gold to decorate themselves with, they are often captured by gamlits to work in their factories.

Grinders: The obligatory lumbering brute, grinders are insatiable gluttons. Possessing large bodies and enormous hooked beaks that can crack through solid bone like it was nothing, they are ruled by their perpetual hunger and often attack farms and villages for food. While they’re feared for their strength and their willingness to eat anything they can catch, they’re also rather stupid and can be easily distracted by food.

Plutchicks: Monsters born from and attracted to high amounts of emotions, plutchicks are an unusual breed to come across. Born into the world when groups of people experience the same emotion around strong sources of magic, they come in a variety of forms depending on the emotion they form from. While they start off as simple wisps, they slowly gain a physical form as they absorb more emotional energy from people, becoming stronger in the process. The different varieties of plutchick include: the joyous (rotund creatures who feed off happiness), the irate (devilish creatures who feed off anger), the morose (hunched over creatures that feed off sadness), the frightful (skeletal beings who feed off fear), and the adoring (furry, adorable beings that feed off love). All these variations will do everything they can to promote their respective emotions to further empower themselves… usually to the detriment of those they target.

Scaldere: A race of mushroom monsters, scaldere are some of the more unsettling creatures of Kalandero. While they mostly resemble squat little mushroom men that live in dark, dank places deep in the forests and rainforests, there is a special form that they can take on during certain times of the year: the scaldere queen (sometimes called the mushroom maiden). The scaldere queens are a much different from their lesser counterparts, easily passing for normal women of any species (though with fleshy frills around their joints and a large, hat-like mushroom cap on their heads). Whenever new queens form, they wander about looking for suitable targets, usually lonely individuals in remote areas. Whenever they find a target, they then proceed to change their appearance to make themselves more appealing to their prey, afterwards, they present themselves to the unsuspecting victim, acting as if they were lost in the woods. Should the victim fall for this ruse, the queen scaldere will proceed to embrace them, sprouting roots from their bodies that penetrate their catch and anchoring them both to the ground. Using the victim as a source of nutrients, the queen scaldere will begin producing spores, creating a new colony of scaldere.

Gumon: The “dragons” of the setting, gumon are among the most dangerous creatures in Kalandero. While most people claim they are giant spiders, nothing could be further from the truth (in fact, a gumon looks about as much like a spider as a dragon looks like a lizard). Possessing eight long legs ending in human-like hands, a wide toothy maw that stretches the full length of their heads, and eight bulging eyes all attached to a round, hairy body, they can easily overpower most prey, even being able to swallow human sized prey whole. Like spiders, they also have the ability to produce silk and possess venom, however, they mostly use their silk to make traps for prey and their venom comes in the form of noxious breath that slowly paralyzes those who breathe it in. Gumon are dangerously smart creatures, as well as collectors of various treasures, creating vast treasure troves in their nests within caves and old castles. Despite presenting themselves as civil towards those who enter their lairs and are willing to make a trade (for the right price, of course), any encounter with a gumon should be treated with the utmost caution, as they’ve been known to turn savage at the drop of a hat (an experience very few survive).

Observers: Of course, every fantasy setting should have a creature reminiscent of D&D’s beholder, and Kalandero is no different. Observers are one of the most enigmatic creatures in the setting, with no one even knowing what they actually look like, only seeing a shadowy portal with two bright lights peering out that may or may not be their eyes. While they normally just float about various parts of Kalandero and, as their name suggests, observe things (filling people who see them with a nameless dread), they have a tendency to actually reach out from their portals, grab anything or anyone that catches their interest, and drag them back into their world (even with their limbs out, no one can tell what they actually look like, each limb completely different from each other). No one really knows what lies on the other side of the portal, as very few ever return, and even those that do come back are rendered catatonic from the experience.

Wild Ones: Frightening monsters that live in the wilderness, the wild ones are the werewolves and lycanthropes of Kalandero. Originally just normal humans (though there have been reports of other beings being turned), they were cursed into their current state by the Gracious, usually for breaking some unwritten rule or if they’re caught harming an area where the Gracious considers home. Initially resembling a naked, hairy humanoid, upon closer inspection, it’s revealed that they possess sharp talons, overgrown and sharpened teeth, and wild eyes that resemble those of a wildcat or a wolf. Completely feral and savage, they often attack anything that moves with tooth and claw, feasting on the flesh of whatever they kill.

Magic, the Elements, and the Gracious

Magic is a bit unusual in Kalandero. While most creatures aren’t naturally capable of using magic on their own (with the exception of Ogons), all beings are capable of functioning as natural conduits for magic, channeling it through their bodies from a source and casting spells that way. Throughout the country are natural wellsprings of mana that people can gather magic from, collecting it in special carved talismans that can be used to perform magic. While anyone can use these talismans to cast spells, some people are capable of channeling this magic more efficiently than others, allowing them to perform more magic while using less of the mana. These individuals usually go on to be wizards and mages, serving high ranking royals and dignitaries, opening their own magic shops, forming their own schools for other magically inclined individuals, and even becoming explorers, venturing out to gather more mana. Magic itself can be separated into six different groups or “elements”. These elements are:

Fire: Magic usually associated with fire and things related to fire, such as cooking, smithing, and glass blowing.

Water: Magic associated with water, as well as ice and other liquids.

Earth: Magic associated with rocks, dirt, and plant life.

Air: Magic associated with the wind, as well as lightning.

Light: Magic associated with light, as well as illusions, and luck.

Shadow: Magic associated with darkness, as well dreams, and void.

However, wherever there’s a mana wellspring, this usually means that the area is populated by the Gracious. Basically the fair folk and elementals of Kalandero, the Gracious (so called because everyone is too afraid to call them anything else) are capricious nature spirits that embody each of the six elements. Dangerous and unpredictable, they are both feared and sought after, as they often have something everyone wants, but it usually comes at a steep price… oftentimes fatal. The Gracious are:

Ignits: The Gracious of Fire, ignits are the most vindictive of the Gracious. Having features similar to ants, they are hard working and diligent craftsmen, creating a variety of weapons and glassware of incredible quality. Many people actually desire these ignit made products and will actually track them down and trap these Gracious, promising to release them in exchange for a sword or a vase. While an ignit will be willing to go along with this, they will add one stipulation to their offering: never get it wet. Of course, after receiving their prize, the trapper will eventually forget about this stipulation, either using water to clean their weapon or filling the vase with water to put a bouquet of flowers, after which, it will end up dissolving into nothing, with the laughter of the ignit echoing through their home.

Laguna: The Gracious of Water, laguna are natural born romantics. Having features similar to fish and turtles, they often fall in love with mortals, shape shifting into more appealing forms to seduce them. They’ve even been known to marry these partners and start families with them. However, a laguna’s love is fleeting, as they will often leave their families behind should they find someone more appealing to them (it’d be more appropriate to say that they’re in love with love more than anything else). Unsurprisingly, many famous naval captains and winemakers in Kalandero claim to have some laguna blood flowing through their veins from a distant ancestor.

Lithos: The Gracious of Earth, lithos are considered the greediest of their kind. Having features similar to moles and beetles, they hoard large piles of rare jewels and metals in their territory, often adorning themselves with uncut gems. They are often victims of robbers, either being trapped or tricked into drinking themselves into a drunken stupor, duped into giving their captors their jewelry or the location of one of their hoards in exchange for their freedom. However, the thief will soon discover that this jewelry will have turned into dirt when they return home, and the area where the stash was located is littered with hundreds of markers, rendering impossible to find the treasure trove.

Zephreans: The Gracious of Air, zephreans are the most actively malicious of the Gracious. Having features of various birds, they often attack lone travelers on stormy nights, either knocking them down with gusts of wind or blasting them with lightning. However, after the deed is done, the zephrean will splash their target with a healing ointment, healing them of any wounds and leaving them clueless as to what had happened.

Shimrals: The Gracious of Light, shimrals are master manipulators. Often resembling living marble statues, they take a malicious glee in tormenting their victims through illusions and tricks. They often disguise themselves as wealthy nobles to enter the houses of lords, simply so they can sow the seeds of discord among themselves and their families. However, this only ever happens to noble families who abuse their power and their people, so in a twisted kind of way, the shimral is exacting a sort of punishment on them.

Nyx: The Gracious of Shadow, nyx are the most mysterious of the Gracious. Often appearing as living shadows, they are the guardians of secrets and things that were never meant to be known. It’s said that those who delve into forbidden secrets will be haunted by a nyx, their very presence filling them with an overwhelming sense of dread.

The Undead

Of course, in any fantasy setting, there has to be undead creatures. Kalandero has its own legions of undead ghouls.

Livid Bones: A reimagining of the classic living skeleton, the livid bones are the zombies of this setting. The result of arcane rituals, they are created by taking dried bones and carving magic runes into them, imbuing them with life. With each individual bone imbued with life, they’re capable of disassembling themselves and recombining to form larger bodies. While one or two are hardly a problem, enough of them are capable of overwhelming their prey, stripping it of flesh and harvesting the bones to create more livid bones.

The Consumed: While normal ghosts exist in Kalandero, there are also the unsettling spirits known as the Consumed. Taking the form of spectral humanoid barn animals, these spirits are associated with a particularly disturbing legend. Long ago, there was once a powerful lord who possessed a monstrous appetite. Everyday, he would eat increasingly large meals, easily depleting his livestock and the livestock of everyone living on his land, even so far as to eat the horses. It wasn’t until he ate the last horse on his land, an old warhorse, that he finally felt satisfied. However, as he slept off his last meal, the lord was confronted by the monstrous ghosts of all the animals he ate, led by the terrifying ghost of the warhorse. Towering over the terrified lord, the warhorse explained that it was only natural for them to be eaten (all things either eat or be eaten), but there was nothing natural about the lord’s appetite. Furious at the sniveling man, the warhorse laid out his demands: they want it all back, their flesh, their blood, their bones, their viscera, everything! When the lord explained that he couldn’t give any of it back, the ghostly animals decided to make due. The next morning, the servants of the household came to wake up the lord, only to be horrified when they discovered that his bedroom was an absolute disaster, drenched from wall to wall with blood, all that remained of their lord. This is the fate of all who consume without restraint or feed on animals that shouldn’t be eaten.

Gresnik: Filling the role of the usual vampires as high ranking undead, we have the Gresnik. Said to be born from particularly sinful people, they rise from their graves with nothing but malice in their hearts. Possessing pale skin, sharp teeth and claws, and a nose and ears that have long since rotted away, they thrive on acts of cruelty and hatred, often sneaking into cities to kidnap victims to torture. They are often prone to eating their victims, with special preference to the brain, as they are capable of absorbing the memories of their victims by eating their brains. Over time, they begin to accumulate a vast amount of memories that they can use to their advantage, either by breaking into hidden treasure troves or by blackmailing people into submission, eventually forming their own criminal organizations and amassing a large following of underlings to do their work for them. As a gresnik grows older, they develop a thick layer of waxy build up, usually on their head and shoulders in the form of horn-like mounds, making them seem more demonic with age. This wax is actually the gresnik’s malice in physical form, and they can actually break it off and feed it to their most loyal servants, not only making them stronger, but also ensuring that they rise as a new gresnik when they die. However, it’s said that they can be warded off with special charms made from sunflower seeds soaked in holy water, and that they can be killed by being stabbed through the heart with a stake carved from one of the boards of their old coffin.

Custodians: The final undead we’ll be covering are the custodians, sort of a mix of golems and the lore of mummy curses. Long ago, there was an ancient civilization that lived on Kalandero who had mastered all sorts of advanced sciences and magic, creating a plethora of magic artifacts that can be found throughout the country. The most infamous of these are the large, statue-like figures known only as the custodians. Created through a long forgotten ritual, they were the result of a person (usually a criminal) having their soul removed and transferred into a stone body, after which, it’s put to work, cleaning, chopping wood, and other various tasks, as well as guarding households. However, while this ancient civilization has long since passed on into myth, the custodians remain, keeping watch over the ruins of their former masters and hunting down anyone who dares to rob them.

Gods

Finally, we have to talk about the gods of Kalandero, which are… a bit odd to say the least. While there are technically four gods (each one representing one of the four seasons), each one is made up of two aspects, the Lord and Lady. The prominence of each god changes with the seasons, with the season of that year ruled by one aspect or the other (for example, during Spring, most people will worship either the Spring Lord or the Spring Lady). Along with the typical responsibilities of the church seen in other fantasy settings, members of the church are responsible for divining which aspect of that season’s god will be in charge that year, ensuring that proper rituals are performed in their honor. These gods are also the ones that seem to be in charge of the Gracious, with tales of the Gracious actually backing down after receiving a sign from the gods, and even serving as their messengers. These gods are:

The Spring Lord (god of nature and animals)

The Spring Lady (goddess of birth and children)

The Summer Lord (god of rivers, lakes, and the sea)

The Summer Lady (goddess of war and the forge)

The Autumn Lord (god of wine and celebrations)

The Autumn Lady (goddess of harvest and fortune)

The Winter Lord (god of death and hunters)

The Winter Lady (goddess of hearth and home)

#worldbuilding #fantasy #deities #undead #monsters #original species #fantasy world #original setting #fantasy race #elementals #fae folk

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