#I clocked where the ost used was from

[blackxgold]

Brightest Star - A New Act 3 Romance Scene for Wyll (WCU) BY magnetuning

[ghoul--doodle]

There’s a kid who recently started working at the charity store I work at and we’re usually working at the same time

And he’s a sweet kid but.

He stims all the time and in such a way that it triggers my misophonia and I feel SICK and there’s ✨sweet fuck all✨ I can do about it

[it-happened-one-fic]

A Cinderella Fairytale - Deuce

Author Notes: @miriamladyvoid So this is the selection from my 600 followers event that corresponds to the book you chose (A book that has been lovingly re-covered in now sun-faded fabric). i wrote this while listening to "Lavender Blue" from Disney's Live action Cinderella (2015) OST. I kept this one as a female reader as well since that was what was in your request. I hope you enjoy!

600 followers event!

Type: female reader/ fluff/ romance/ charming fairytale in a book that has been lovingly re-covered in now sun-faded fabric/ Isekai

Word count: 2416

I exhaled, scrubbing the floor that magically seemed to gain more filth each time I blinked.

Never had I so regretted touching a book as I regretted touching the one that had transported me into this fairytale world that was a little bit too much like Cinderella for my liking. Especially considering I was the one in the role of Cinderella.

I should've known to be wary of the enchanted books Crowley had told me to take to the library for safe storage. If I had, then maybe I would have found myself getting transported to a magical world that wasn’t my own or Twisted Wonderland.

Of course, I hadn’t exactly been planning on opening one of the books. One of them had just slid off the top of the stack and fallen to the ground, opening as it did so.

I’d frowned at the book covered in sun-faded fabric that obviously hadn’t been original to it as I sat down on the other books before kneeling and slowly picking the book upright as Deuce had come into the room behind with yet another stack of books. 

I’d barely even gotten a chance to glance up at the young man as a flash of light sparked out from the book, causing the young man to shout in surprise before everything had faded into darkness and I’d woke up here.

I hadn’t woken up with no clue as to where I was. The enchantment on the book had been kind enough to give me all of the information regarding my character’s backstory.

And it was almost exactly that of Cinderella. Meaning that I was essentially trapped in a retelling of one of the world’s most famous fairytales known to man.

The only real comfort was that, at the very least, Deuce had no doubt seen me get sucked into the book.

He would go and get help; I knew he would, and as soon as they could figure out how, I trusted that my friends would get me out of this book and back into Twisted Wonderland.

But up until then, my best options seemed to be filling my role and playing the part of Cinderella. Which included servitude to my apparent stepfamily.

“You still haven’t finished cleaning the floor, Ashes? You won’t be able to go to the ball at this right!” My supposed stepsister trilled at me from the upper staircase, and I twisted to look up at her.

I had to hand it to her and my stepmother, who stood behind her with a faux-disappointed expression; they weren’t going with the classic nicknames of ‘Cinderella’ or ‘Cinders.’ Instead, they referred to me as ‘Ashes.’

I watched as my stepmother shook her head, her lips pulled together in a pout, “Really, dear, I would have thought you would know this by now. If you try to clean the floor while covered in filth, then you’re only going to spread filth around.”

I glanced down at my clothes, which were not, in fact, covered in filth but were considerably stained. I nodded nonetheless, my fingers curling into the filthy rag I was using to clean, “Yes, ‘Mother.’”

I heard the tapping of heels, and then my chin was lifted by a fan so that I was looking up into my stepmother’s face, which was just a little bit too red to be colored by blush alone, “I told you to call me ‘Duchess,’ Ashes.”

I pulled my mouth up into a fake smile, “Yes, of course, Duchess.”

She let out a hum before twisting to look up at the clock and tutting lightly, “It is far too late for you to join us at the ball, Ashes. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay behind tonight.”

I twitched slightly at her words, indignant on my character's behalf. For tonight, she said. More like for the rest of your existence.

I wasn't particularly looking forward to meeting the prince charming of this story, but I was looking forward to my entrance at the ball. At the very least, I would get to see her shocked and dismayed face then. Though that was only a little comfort, considering it wasn’t actually going to be ‘Ashes’ who finally bested this woman.

The fan was yanked from under my chin, and she made sure to drag its sharp corner along my skin before finishing pulling it away as she smiled at me, “Be sure to finish your chores, ‘Dear.’”

She stepped away, turning in a swirl of rich but gaudy fabrics as I watched her stalk out of the kitchen and to her smirking daughter’s side, “And remember, tomorrow the prince will be visiting to declare his intentions to my daughter.”

My daughter. Not your sister.

But that was fine. In no way did I want to be accused of being related to the caution orange monstrosity of tulle that was the wicked step-sister of this tale.

I bowed my head, idly wondering what my fairy godmother would look and be like as I murmured my response, “Yes, Duchess.”

The two women left, trailing shrill laughter behind them as they swept out of the room, and I sat back.

As I recalled, the fairy godmother usually showed up right after Cinderella’s heart was broken, which did make me wonder if she would even show up.

According to the plot, she should, but I was hardly heartbroken.

But that was fine. I’d found a dress in the attic that was a perfect match for my size that was no doubt left by the previous lady of this house.

Ashes’s mother.

Changing didn’t take long, and I glanced at the clock as I walked through the house. The only question now was how, exactly, I was going to get to the palace without a pumpkin carriage to take me there.

I stepped out of the house, glancing around and feeling my eyebrows raise as I spotted a carriage that was parked right outside the house. A little bit too handy to be a coincidence, as the man in front waved me over.

“You must be a lady of this house. We’ll have to hurry to get you to the ball on time, my dear,” He smiled warmly, and I felt myself grin back at him before clambering into the carriage and sitting as it took off.

I frowned at the box next to me, though, immediately suspicious as I leaned out the window, “This box… Are you delivering it?”

The man shook his head, “No, ma’am, that would be for you. Some faerie stopped by and left it here, saying the lady who took this carriage to the palace would need it.”

I frowned at it, feeling my eyebrows lift before I carefully opened the box to reveal delicate glass slippers.

I felt myself laugh slightly; I supposed it wouldn’t really be a Cinderella fairytale without at least one gift from a fairy godmother after all.

And, just like a perfect fairytale, they fit like a dream and were impossibly comfortable despite their design.

I found myself shaking my head and smoothing back out the full, layered skirts of my dress, idly wondering about what this prince charming was going to be like.

Probably perfectly handsome, in a brilliant white suit, and totally at odds with the young men I’d gotten so used to being around at NRC. And there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, that would make him someone that I’d want for this story’s protagonist. 

Ashes deserved someone who would be good to her in ways that she had experienced since her childhood, when her father and mother were still alive.

It didn’t seem like I’d been in the carriage hardly anytime at all when it rolled to a stop and the coachman leaned around, a smile on his face that somehow reminded me of Cater, even though he looked nothing like the ginger-haired young man, “Here’s your stop, ma’am. And good luck on winning the prince’s heart.”

I felt myself smile at him as I stepped out of the carriage, noticing that its roundness really did make it appear like a pumpkin.

“It looks like I’m going to be fashionably late,” I was surprised to find that I felt oddly nervous as I looked up at the grandiose staircase that led up into the sparkling palace just ahead.

He leaned down, winking at me lightly, “All the better for making an entrance, I say. Now, farewell, my lady.”

And with that, he snapped his reins once, and the carriage pulled away as I started up the staircase, at first slowly and then trotting, as my skirt fanned out around me.

Sets of doors after sets of doors were opened for me as I hurried through the palace, idly checking clocks as I went. Even I knew that the magic would wear off at midnight, and if I wanted this story to move forward, I needed to meet the prince before then, at the ball.

And right now, even as I filled the role of the princess in this story and even looked the part for once, ending this story was still my best chance of returning home outside of relying wholly on my friends to get me out.

I found my pace slowing, though, as I approached a particularly ornate set of double doors in front of which two men stood. Both of them looked my way and nodded slightly before they opened the doors silently for me. Revealing the glittering spectacle of a ball that was spread out in front of me as I walked out on a dais from which two sets of stairs fanned out.

I could see the musicians getting ready, but they obviously hadn’t started playing yet, which meant I’d made it before the prince had made his choice of partner.

I swallowed thickly, letting one hand rest on the stair’s gently curving rail while the other reached to lift my skirts, just enough for me to slowly step down the stairs and the rest of the way into the brightly lit ballroom.

I exhaled softly, bracing myself to meet Prince Charming when I saw him, and somehow, instead of being surprised, I only smiled.

His eyes were wide as he took a few, almost hesitant steps towards me before he smiled in return from across the room.

Guests parted around him, their confusion evident as he walked towards me at my quick pace and heads turned, their eyes landing on me as he slowed and came to a gentle stop right in front of me, “I finally found you.” 

His voice was so soft, and I laughed slightly, shaking my head in slight disbelief until I found my voice, “Deuce… I didn’t even know you were here. Did you get sucked into this story at the same time I did?” 

He nodded, glancing down and making a slight face before he looked up at me once more, “Yeah…  I’ve been looking for you ever since so we could get out of here, but I’ve also been getting forced to act like a prince…..”

He trailed off, and I laughed slightly, tilting my head at him, “Well, you look like a perfect prince.”

He brightened at my words, though he also looked a little bashful before he nodded slightly, “And you look like a real princess, Y/n!”

He reached out, taking my hands in his, and I heard music start up almost immediately, causing my eyes to widen and glance over towards the musician right as one of the men from the top of the staircase spoke up, “His Highness has chosen his partner!”

I looked back towards Deuce, only to find him looking around just as startled as I was, “I don’t know how to dance though….”

I squeezed his hands lightly, pulling his gaze back to me with just that slight gesture, “Hey, we’ll do it together.”

I watched as he blinked at me slightly before nodding, a determined glint entering his gaze, “Right, together.”

And with that, we shifted, spiraling across the floor with unpracticed motions that somehow seemed oddly perfect. They fit the two of us. Two people who weren’t originally from this story but had still ended up swept up in the tale.

As the music trailed off, we came to a slow stop, with his arms wrapping around me as we both laughed slightly. Perhaps from the giddiness of having danced in front of an entire group of people, or maybe from the ridiculousness of us being in a fairytale such as this one.

And then, as I leaned against him, the lights seemed to brighten and turn the entire ballroom white.

I closed my eyes, pressing my face into Deuce’s shoulder as his grip on me tightened until, at last, I chanced opening my eyes only to find the glittering spectacle of the ballroom gone.

I sat back, startled, and my motions caused Deuce to jolt slightly, his own eyes opening as we looked up at the Heartslabyul students around where we knelt on the floor of the school’s library.

“Guys! How-”

“We just closed the book,” Ace was shaking his head at us, his arms crossed as he looked down at us, and I blinked as his stare shifted over to Deuce and he snorted.

“Next time, instead of diving in after the Prefect, use your head, and maybe they won’t be trapped in a book for so long.”

Deuce frowned, straightening from his seated position, “Hey! I had to do something!”

And just like that, the two of them started bickering. But I felt a light tap on my shoulder that had me turning as Cater smiled down at me, “So what was being a princess like?”

I blinked at his words before a smile slowly started to crawl across my face, half in amusement and half in genuine happiness that I’d gotten to experience such a magical little story.

I looked over at Deuce as I smiled, realizing I’d probably never get to see him dressed up like a prince or dance with him like that ever again. And those, at the very least, were two memories I’d treasure for the rest of my life.

And when I answered Cater, I was still smiling, half-wishing we could have made it to the end of the story. It had felt like we’d only just gotten to the good part after all. 

“Like a fairytale.”

[striveattemptfail]

chaos, we so catostrophic | Logan Howlett & Wade Wilson, 1.1k, PG-13

@poolvertober: Day 17 – Cozy

Summary: Takes place immediately after Wade introduces Logan and Mary Puppins to Al. This is 100% dialogue and is more gen than slash but we all know the truth ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) TW: Rated for canon-typical violence, gun use, mentions of drugs/alcohol, language, and death of a nameless rat. Read on Ao3

A/N: I'm taking today's prompt real fast and loose here so please forgive me lmao. Title from Chk Chk Boom by Stray Kids because I'm still offended it wasn't included in the OST, smh 😑 Shout out to the wonderful Zay @comatose--overdose for the beta, idea throwing, and putting up with my ass (ಥ‿ಥ) All other mistakes are mine.

❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛

“It’s like an armadillo fucked a gremlin, angrily, and in a bed of gonorrhoea—”

“Wow.”

“—and didn’t stop ‘til the sun came up!”

“Whatever it is, I ain’t taking care of it.”

“Don’t worry about that. Besides, we should talk about how Logan is here to live with us!”

“No, I’m not...?”

“How the fuck are we supposed to keep a mangy dog and another whole-ass human being alive in this shithole apartment, Wade?”

“Gasp! How dare you call her mangy? She’s a princess and deserves to be treated like royalty!”

“And you want her to live in this cocaine-less den?”

“Did you just say ‘gasp’ out loud, bub?”

“The movie’s almost over, so I can probably hook you up with Doug’s forbidden baking powder soon. I’ll figure it out!”

“What about the entire man—”

“Ooh, that he is.”

“—that you intend to house in this one-bed, one-bath?”

“I’ll only be here until I can get on my feet, ma’am.”

“Nope, you’re staying here until you’re 90! Also, ‘ma’am’? Logan, I’m pretty sure you’re twice her age.”

“What the fuck?”

“Oh yeah, Logan’s the Wolverine and he’s, like, stupid old.”

“Fuck you.”

“...I thought Wolverine died?”

“This is a new one.”

“How the fuck did you get a fucking new one?”

“I’ll give you the abridged version of the movie later, after everybody settles in.”

“Wade! For fuck’s sake, I can hear you leaving—don’t you dare walk away from me!”

“Don’t you dare walk away from meeeee!”

“Singing Whitney doesn’t answer my question about how the hell we’re fitting three people and a dog in here!”

“We’ve got a pull-out—haha, pull out—in the living room and an XL twin in the bedroom.”

“My bedroom, Wade!”

“Bub, are you fuckin’ serious?”

“Hey, if the fanfics can make it work, then we’ll make it work!”

“I cannot believe this shit. This dumbass never listens to me.”

“Jesus fuckin’ christ. Althea?”

“Yes, Logan?”

“Ya got any booze around?”

“I think there’s beer in the fridge.”

“Booze? Already? It’s not even—Al, what time is it?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?”

“Right, blind, can’t see the time.”

“If that wall clock’s right, it’s 3:14, bub.”

“It’s not even 4pm and you’re already drinking?!”

“If I have to put up with your hairless-brained bullshit, yes, I am.”

“I’d be more offended at that joke but I’m honestly impressed, pookie.”

“Seriously? For calling you bald?”

“His standards are in hell used as Satan’s spreader bar where he should’ve gone instead of rooming with me.”

“Hey!”

“Pfft!”

“Unbelievable, I can’t believe—oh, no! No no no no, Lady Leprosy With Legs, don’t nap in that! That’s where Daddy keeps his knives.”

“That’s what I’m trying to talk about, Wade! Where the hell is everyone supposed to sleep?”

“You and I can bunk together like we used to, Al. Logan can take the pull-out.”

“Oh, friggin’ hell—no. You and I will share that damn couch and Althea can keep her bed.”

“Thank you, Logan.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet, sugar tits!”

“Now, what about the dog?”

“She’ll get a dog bed, duh.”

“What? D’ya just have a dog bed lying around somewhere?”

“I do, actually! But where did I put that thing?”

“Are you serious?”

“Convenient, huh! I found it in Al’s shit when we moved in together and decided to keep it. I’m guessing the author got too lazy trying to figure out a better way to include it in this fic.”

“...He just says shit sometimes. Don’t mind him, Logan.”

“I’m well aware. You’re a weirdo, bub.”

“Thank you! I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, if I remember right—SHIT!!!”

“What?!”

“The fuck’s happening?!”

“Ah, shit, fuck! There’s a rat!”

“A RAT?!”

“Althea, where did you get that gun—put it down!”

“POINT ME TO THE FUCKING RAT!”

“Al, put the fucking gun down!”

“GET RID OF THE RAT FIRST!”

“Arf!”

“Mary, don’t touch that thing!”

“Fuckin’ hell, bub, grab Mary while I—”

BANG!

“AL, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE—”

“Arf-arf! Rrrrruff!”

“WADE, GRAB THE GODDAMN DOG!”

“NO, GET THE FUCKING RAT FIRST!”

“Mary—!”

BANG!

“AH!!!”

“Althea!”

“Jack Kirby’s giant ballsack!”

“Did I get it?!”

“Fuck no! You hit me, you empty-eyed, shit-for-aim walking corpse!”

“Rrrrrrafff!”

“Logan, keep her from shooting this way!”

“Just let me aim for the fucking rat!”

“Althea, please just hand me—”

“Get your goddamn hands off my glock!”

“Then stop shooting!”

“Mary, wait—!”

BANG!

“Rrrrrragghhh!”

“Ho. ly. shit.”

“What the fuck happened? Did I get it? Is it dead?!”

“You’re such a good girl, yes, you are!”

“He better not be talking to me, I swear to god.”

“Little miss angel face here just caught our uninvited guest!”

“Grrrrrr.”

“Wade, get that thing out of her mouth before it catches rabies from her.”

“Wow, rude, she doesn’t have rabies! Also, I’m pretty sure it’s already dead. She’s got no teeth but a hell of a bite, don’t you, my lovely bundle of herpes and joy?”

“Just get the fucking thing out of here!”

“Ugh, fine, jeez louise—come here, girl. You did such a good job, yes you did! Thank you for killing that thing! Now, let’s go toss it out.”

“The dog caught the rat?”

“Yeah, she did.”

“Well...I guess it can stay then.”

“Really? The dog’s already in your good graces?”

“You’re the one who tried grabbing my gun.”

“Because you were shooting everywhere!”

“And now you’re arguing with me!”

“...My apologies, ma’am. Won’t happen again.”

“Just keep your word and it’s alright.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Alrighty! Time to go look for that bed again.”

“Anybody want a beer?”

“Can you grab me one, Logan?”

“You already finished that whole can?!”

“‘Course I did. All that shit gave me headache.”

“Welcome to a day in the life of Deadpool and Blind Al, peanut!”

“I did this to myself. I chose to come here. How the fuck did that happen?”

“I wonder the same damn thing all the time.”

“Your beer.”

“Thank you, baby.”

“I can’t believe it’s been less than five minutes and both of you are already ganging up on me!”

“S’not hard to.”

“My Wolvie is so mean! Aha, here it is! I knew I still had the old thing. Here you go, my fearless guard dog.”

“It was a rat, not an intruder, Wade.”

“She protected the house and killed that pest. She’s practically a guardian angel!”

“Eh, good enough for me.”

“See, Al gets it!”

“I still ain’t looking after that thing.”

“That’s fine. Logan and I will!”

“I did not sign up for that.”

“You did when you agreed to crash with me!”

“Is he always like this, Althea?”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

“Make yourself cozy, Logan, because it only gets better from here!”

“God help me.”

“God help us all.”

“Arf!”

[lurkingshan]

Since you've watched a lot of kdrama, what are common things you've seen in kdrama that have been consistently ported into K-BL, and what is your assessment of that approach?

Ooh, interesting question. So first, let's acknowledge a few things:

Korean bl is short format, with even the longest shows (Light on Me, The Eighth Sense) not even half the length of a standard kdrama (16-20 hours), and most clocking in around 2-4 hours

Kbl operates under much smaller budgets and significant constraints around casting as compared to mainstream kdrama

Kbl often draws from webtoons and manwha and mostly does not have the kind of auteur writers and directors behind it that you get in kdrama (Hwang Da-Seul is the most consistent creator in genre with Where Your Eyes Linger, Blueming, To My Star)

All that said, there are a few features of mainstream kdrama that have definitely ported over into kbl despite these constraints:

Slick production values and strong use of setting and color: even the cheapest kbls still look decent, and there is always intentionally behind the setting and use of color palettes to set the tone and feel. Korea has a very well-developed film industry and it shows. Color Rush, Semantic Error and Blueming were fantastic examples of this: even within more familiar school romances, the settings felt specific and the use of color to communicate character and themes was striking. I also think often of Our Dating Sim and Choco Milk Shake and the very effective characterization work achieved through design of the apartments.

Sound production and music on point: the home of kpop is not going to be caught sleeping on the OSTs. Nearly every production has original songs and given the leads of these shows are usually idols, they're often the ones on the tracks. And when they use music that is not original, like in The Eighth Sense, it's a very intentional choice to set mood and tone. Korea is not going to let a boy who can't actually sing take the mic (*side eyes Thailand*). To My Star is a great example of memorable OSTs even in a fairly low budget production, and Wish You and Sing My Crush showed us what kbl can do when it decides to bring the full kpop treatment to bear.

A keen understanding of the international audience: kdrama production is a big part of South Korea's explicit goals to take the global media landscape by storm, and kbl is included in that. It's not a coincidence that Korea decided to step up its game in this arena shortly after Thai bl exploded (shoutout to 2gether and pandemic lockdowns). Kbl follows trends and explicitly caters to international audiences in a way jbl does not. The Eighth Sense was basically a case study in marrying kdrama sensibilities and western aesthetics for maximum international attention.

Second leads and valorization of unrequited love: you and I have discussed this one a lot because this is a feature of kdramas that will never die and that kbls also clearly love. Korea loves a one-sided love story and culturally, there is a certain dignity afforded to owning your feelings and being honest with the object of your affection, even when there is no hope of reciprocation. Often second leads don't get the guy/girl because they hesitate or hide their feelings until it's too late: the trope is used to underline the important of honesty and effort as well as providing a catalyst for the main lead to make their move. In Korean culture, the trying is what matters much more than the succeeding. We are meant to like most second leads and see them as honorable and dignified for their sincere feelings toward the protagonist. Second lead syndrome is a thing for a reason. It's also just a cheap and easy way to create drama so you'll often see it in the lower budget kbls. Second leads showed up recently in kbls like The Tasty Florida, Jun & Jun, Oh! Boarding House, Bon Appetit, etc. We also sometimes see kbls playing with the idea of unrequited love in the main pairing that is actually requited, like in Our Dating Sim.

Love triangles: relatedly, Korea loves them a love triangle, and they are uniquely good at doing it well when they want to. Light on Me is a fantastic example of a narrative where you can legitimately see the protagonist liking and ending up with both the main and second lead. And that is rooted in the way the narrative treats Daon with dignity even as it punishes him for his hesitation in reciprocating Taekyung's feelings (see above). When you have a strong second lead who engenders real sympathy with the audience, love triangle excellence is achieved.

Workplace romances: kdrama loves workplace romances, and we have seen kbl start to move into that space recently with shows like Roommates of Poongdock 304, Love Mate, Our Dating Sim, Jun & Jun, and The New Employee. Kdrama workplace romances run the gamut, but they often feature chaebol characters paired with a "normal" aka not wealthy person, and we are starting to see that more in the bl genre as well, as we discussed a bit yesterday. I believe @nieves-de-sugui commented on your post about how the rich/poor romance fantasy trend in recent bl may be coming in from kdrama. I think there's some truth to that, but really it's a foundational romance trope that predates kdrama by literal centuries, and is absolutely rooted in heteronormative patriarchal dynamics that assume men are breadwinners and caretakers for women (translated to seme/uke dynamics in bl). Often in kdrama the chaebol character is unable to live an authentic life due to the demands of filial piety and the expectations tied to their wealth, and I do think that dynamic is ripe for enrichment when you layer on gay identity in a homophobic society. But that requires shows leaving the no homophobia bubble, which few kbls have done.

Physical intimacy squarely in the middle space: comparing to heat levels we see across the spectrum of dramas, I think kdrama and kbl are pretty consistent in that they tend to land right in the middle of the spectrum. It's rare to see straight up dead fish kisses from romantic leads anymore (though it still happens, wincing at Unintentional Love Story), but they are also not going to be serving authentic sex scenes. What you get instead is very pretty open-mouthed kissing that feels more realistic than, for instance, the pure jbl lane, but still polished and aesthetically pleasing. Think Semantic Error, Blueming, Roomates of Poongdock 304, Love Mate, To My Star 2, Jun & Jun. This seems to be where the genre is landing and I don't expect heat levels to get any higher for kbl, as this is right in line with mainstream kdrama. The Eighth Sense offered a less polished version of intimacy that felt right in line with its grittier sensibilities.

So, after that long list, on to your second question: my assessment of this approach is that kbls are doing fairly well for themselves when you consider the constraints they are operating under. Look at a show like Love Tractor stacked up against something like Hometown Cha Cha Cha. These are both based in the classic romance trope of a city slicker coming to the country and falling in love with a humble working person. But where HCCC has 16 hours to build a quasi-enemies to lovers narrative with a rich community of side characters, LT has 3.5 hours to achieve the same thing. So it makes sense that it would fall back on well-worn tropes and story beats it knows the audience will recognize to help save time. These shortcuts help the audience ground themselves and get invested in the stories quickly.

One thing I'll say is that kbl mostly stays in the romcom lane with very occasional ventures into melo, and despite what casual observers think, kdrama actually has a lot more to offer than that. It's a giant world with stories based in every possible genre, tone, and style, and Korean media is particularly adept at embedding romance plots that actually work in all kinds of stories including action thrillers, horror, crime narratives, mysteries, supernatural and fantasy epics. I'd love to see kbl try this, though of course it would require the resources and runtime to do it successfully. Here's hoping they get the chance.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 08/04/2024

Shiny Smily TALE

Season 8 No Album Release (Read More) Shiny Smily Story (OST Version) - HoloCure

Ripped by Ellie53

Well, would you believe it - its the eighth Season 8 rip being covered, on the eighth of April (half of eight)! And what better way to celebrate this than to cover completely uncharted territory for the blog - an UNDERTALE rip!!

I kid, I kid - though Undertale is definitely quite prominently featured on here, I feel as if it is rightfully earned. It and its psuedo-sequel in Deltarune feel almost like the frontmen of the SiIvaGunner channel in some way, as Season 1 began mere months after Undertale and its music began making waves online in late 2015. Such a hot topic was impossible to ignore, yet SiIvaGunner and Undertale have a fair bit in common that made the game's continued presence on SiIvaGunner feel very natural. There's the lore theming of course, I covered that briefly in Your Best Nightmario, but it also extends to the very core of what Undertale is: A game shamelessly rooted in silliness and absurd, internet-age comedy, yet still able to evoke such real attachments and emotions. The fit was all too perfect, and so the Undertale rips have continued year after year - Hoopache, Outertale, Determination is Magic, BUSTER HAND, and on and on and on. It may seem difficult to imagine that these all manage to stay fresh for so long, but they all find a way - and Shiny Smily TALE, eight years into the channel's life, shows that they're here to stay.

Immediately upon first hearing Shiny Smily TALE, I was reminded of one of the most recent UT/DR rips to have been covered on here, in kris gaming. Its reference was completely lost to me, being an arrangement in the style of stock music popularly used within VTuber circles, of which I'm terminally unfamiliar with - but the sheer vibe, the coziness, comfort of it all just made it such a wonderful listen. I don't mean to say that the VTuber world is one I oppose, moreso that its a part of the internet that still feels so nigh impenetrable to me - althesame, I love admiring it from a distance, just seeing how much passion and endearment is formed within these creators' communities.

And I immediately felt many of those feelings when hearing Shiny Smily TALE for the first time!! Shiny Smily Story has such a wonderful sound to it already, a vibe at once danceable and comforting - "Future Bass", I believe its typically called? - which turns the once-dramatic feel of SAVE The World into something far more pure-hearted in its arrangement here. Its as if all of those emotions still present from SAVE The World are spun into something far sweeter, spun like a legend of something exciting ahead, but with happiness and joy at the forefront. Without too much experience in listening to the original Shiny Smily Story, its hard to assess "accurately" how impressive of an effort this is, but what I DO know is of Ellie53's prowess in ripping - I was practically forced to during the great Raftmageddon incident of April 1st 2024. But even these jokier rafts rides, ones like Raft Ride at Freddy's and TiK ToK, on the clock, but the Raft Ride don't stop, no, show how good she is at merging two songs to such seamless (if, here, comedic) effect. Indeed, I can pick up on a lot of subtler touches done here to make the arrangement work, Shiny Smily TALE utilizes the various ebb-and-flowing sections of intensity and noise within the Shiny Smily Story theme, to punctuate the progression of SAVE The World where it best fits. For instance using a calmer section for the Hopes and Dreams leitmotif, only for it to build in excitement as it progresses, like the very song itself is pulling itself out of isolation and loneliness...allllmost commenting on Asriel's own struggles in Undertale?

Okay, okay, I won't quite go there - but the theme of community and love is one I do want to wrap things up with, adding one last little anecdote. Because it extends beyond the confines of just this rip, extending as far back as 2020, with Sarvéproductions' SAVE the Virtual World. Yes - the inverse joke of Shiny Smily TALE, Shiny Smily Story and SAVE The World, was made four years ago by another long-time excellent ripper: Sarvéproductions, the one behind Bloody Freddy and many more on the channel, across his many years of contributing. It's an equally lovely rip in its own way (likely more, for those attached to HoloLive!), but its the sentiment that Shiny Smily TALE shows that really makes it land for me - that Ellie53 wanted to pay tribute to HoloLive, and at once was able to make it as much of a tribute to a fellow long-time channel contributor, to a partner-in-crime on the channel! It's not a new thing to occur on the channel of course, rips like old town ribbon race and Green Panty Zone (Sequenced Ver​.​) were made in tribute to specific rips or specific rippers respesctively, but I love how interpersonal this exchange between Ellie53 and Sarvéproductions feels in particular, how well it all fits with the feel of HoloLive and VTuber communities in general - and of course, I love how genuinely fantastic Shiny Smily TALE sounds on top of it all.

[halfbakedspuds]

Here's another oc bio to follow up on Sasha's one. Once again: Picrew is used because I have no ability to draw.

Johan Suiderkloof

Full name: Johannes Antonius Suiderkloof

Alias/es: Boss

Age: 23

Ethnicity: Mixed (Chen, Petrovan, and others)

Nationality: Zuurveldter (The Republic of Zuurveldt)

Languages: Vosch, Riets, mostly forgotten schoolroom Rostovan, like one song in Chen-khel.

Magic capability: Metalworker, order two

Skillset: Deduction, perception, intuition, decent aim with a pistol, knowledge of the occult.

Background

Johan was born to Marie Lisbet Suiderkloof and Anton Martinus Suiderkloof as part of a pair of twins. His family was a group of goudstoft farmers (Goudstoft- literally, "Golden dust"- being a sour-tasting plant whose leaves produce gold tinted smoke when burnt and induces a minor psychoactive response in the minds of whomever inhales said fumes. Often used to create cigarettes), and his six older brothers each turned out to be bioworkers specializing in flora whose job it was to ensure that the Goudstoft plants grew as well as possible and year round, giving the Suiderkloof family an advantage in trade of the plant and indirectly contributing to an agricultural revolution.

His parents were both of mixed descent, with the majority of their bloodlines coming from Chenyi to the north, the original Vosch settlers in Ost-Rietland, and a multitude of others including Ostian, Naveja, and possibly even a bit of Somaj. Although they are officially classified as simply being of mixed descent, people with similar ancestry to them are incredibly common in the Rietland Republics, and over the centuries have even developed their own culture that borrows from their various lineages along with elements unique to them. As a result, many contemporary political groups (specifically those of this kind of mixed descent) are actually pushing for legislature to have people like them be defined as a separate and distinct ethnic group.

For a long time it was believed that Johan and his sister- Aletta Mariaan Suiderkloof- would turn out to be nieheksen (a Vosch word describing people without magic. Not an insult) just like their parents.

However, as he grew older, Johan began to develop a sort of sixth sense regarding any kind of metal, to the point where if he told his mother that a part she was buying was faulty or of an alloy that wouldn't survive the work they needed it fot, she'd trust his intuition over the words of a qualified expert any day. The people of rural Zuurveldt being as superstitious as they are, his family and their workers assumed it was the spirits' gift to him, given that he had no magic to provide a 'natural' explanation.

When he was twelve, he watched a runaway harvester barrelling down on his brother, knowing he would surely be shredded into a fine red mist if it caught him, and without hesitating reached out and crushed the machine, stopping it in its tracks.

He was taken to be tested at the boarding school he and his sister attended later that year, and he clocked in as an order five metalworker. Aletta, however, never developed magic.

When he was sixteen, Rostov invaded the Rietland republics yet again, sparking the Fourth Frontier war. Despite their parents begging them not to go since they still remembered the previous conflict, he and his sister were young and of enlistment age, so they and their brothers left home to fight for their country, heads full of propaganda and lies about the glory of war.

The war was brutal, as such things tend to be, and as a way of coping with the stress he took to smoking goudstoft to help calm his nerves. Most of their brothers didn't make it back, and two of them died fighting the infamous Artyom Maxim, a Rostovan general and the highest ranking matterworker- hell, the highest rank mage outright- to ever be recorded. (Matterworkers are the most powerful caste of mage-, with direct control of all matter down to a subatomic level)

During the war, the twins were stationed at a borderwatch base with the Angeheimish 107th volunteer corps, which was where Johan met Maire.

After their tour of the warfront had ended, Johan and Aletta returned home, directed to the city of Doringpoort by letters from their family claiming that the farm had been sold and that they had moved that way to start a new business.

They would see the city, but they would never arrive.

While they were still on the train several miles from the city, general Artyom Maxim would stand trial for warcrimes within the Doringpoort human rights court, and although no one in-universe knows exactly what he did, as outside observers we can piece together what happened.

A bright flash, a deafening roar, and a rolling earthquake tailed by hurricane-force winds.

By the time people could rush to the cabin window, the city sat in ruins, and above it bloomed a smoke cloud in the shape of a mushroom, easily large enough to be seen for miles around. This event, later called the Doringpoort bombing, is the only case of a nuclear detonation in this world's history. Maxim had split the atom.

When the shockwave hit the train and derailed it, Johan's magic kicked in, deflecting a stray piece of debris flung from the city that would've impaled him, before the impact itself knocked him out. He awoke to a head splitting migraine, nausea, confusion, and the sight of his sister dead on the ground, impaled by the very debris he had deflected as a mere reflex.

For five years, no one would hear from or about Johan. It was assumed that he had also died to this strange ailment that seemed to afflict all survivors of the bombing.

Until one day he turned up in Zuidpunkt, setting up shop and advertising himself as a private investigator, where he would quickly Garner a reputation as the man you went to if you wanted an investigation done that the Stadwag were unwilling to. He was still cordial with everyone from his old unit, joking around, openly talking about the condition he now had and how difficult having a barely functional immune system or ability to naturally heal injuries made his life, although he would pointedly avoid any questions about where he had been for the past half a decade, simply saying that he had been travelling.

The only clues to his hidden past being the pendant of unidentifiable make that he seemed to always be wearing, and that he now ranked lower as a mage than he had in his youth.

Physical Appearance

Johan is tall, just about eye level with Sasha, with a weaselly appearance. Although it's quite difficult to see when he's wearing a trenchcoat (as he usually does), his body is extremely emaciated as a result of his medical condition, and since he can't naturally heal his own injuries anymore he's usually got a bandage wrapped around some or other part of his body until he can go to get it healed.

He has light but tanned skin and long ginger hair that he constantly complains about but rather keeps tied back instead of getting cut.

His eyes are green, and although he is no longer powerful enough for the same effect to occur anymore, his eyes used to turn grey whenever he used his magic. (Although, when adrenaline bolsters his magic it will still sometimes change)

Johan has a scar on his shoulder from getting shot in the war. He also has a suspiciously rune scaped scar on his chest that occasionally pokes out from his shirt.

Personality

Johan has a good sense of humour, however Rietlander humour has a tendency to come across as mean spirited or rude to foreigners, so he makes a conscious effort to suppress his desire to crack jokes.

He is methodical and logical, preferring to piece together as much information as possible before reaching conclusions, and will often keep his opinions to himself until such a time as they can either be proven irrefutably correct or serve a purpose in being revealed. This makes him someone that people will listen to whenever he advises against something or gives his two cents on a subject.

Johan abides by the old Vosch adage: 'En boer maakt en plann' [A farmer makes a plan], which essentially means that no matter how bad or bleak a situation is, as long as you have something, anything, on hand and something between your ears, you can find a way to make it work. Granted, this is meant to apply to farmers needing to come up with creative solutions to unexpected problems, however he likes to apply it to his own life as well.

He has an incredibly high tolerance of discomfort and mental strain, owing to the soul-grinding experience of being near constantly sick or injured due to his condition, and as a result tends to also be a beacon of patience and silent endurance.

Although he's only 23, he's often misconstrued as being significantly older than he actually is, to the point where people on the street or in shops who are clearly older than him refer to him as 'Uncle' (In the Vosch language, 'Uncle', 'Aunt' and variations thereof can be used as a slightly less formal variant of 'Sir', 'Miss', 'Missus', etc.). This isn't helped by the fact that he acts and occasionally feels like an old man

Having been raised in a former Vosch colony, he subscribes to their idea that how a person looks, presents, or chooses to live their life doesn't matter as long as they have something to contribute to society in some way, and also believes that everyone deserves a fair chance to provide that contribution and be fairly compensated for it.

Johan obsesses over profiling, and arguably enjoys the act of gathering information and constructing a psychological profile and history of various people he meets. However he only uses publicly available information to do this, and will only begin to sift through personal information if it's for a job. He's also very quick to back off if he feels that he's overstepping boundaries.

His problem is that he has a tendency to get stuck in his own head, either obsessing and worrying over a case to the point that Anastasia has to remind him to eat, or escalating his own anger by running back small arguments over and over again in his head, or by beating himself up over unavoidable and usually inconsequential mistakes.

He firmly believes that since he's dying anyway, it doesn't matter what happens to him (one of the reasons why he has no problem tracking down cults and hunting demons), and has stated on multiple occasions that where other people have things worth living for, he has things he'd gladly die for. He recognises that the cigarettes he smokes so readily aren't healthy for him, recognises that he likely has developed a kind of dependency on them, but he also feels that he's only got another six months left, so he'll enjoy the few vices he has.

Weapon of Choice

Johan has a pair of ornately made six-shot revolvers. When he and his sister came of age, they were each given a gun (as is tradition in rural Zuurveldt. Also a necessity given that there's no law to protect people out in the Fynbos).

In honour of her memory, he now uses her revolver as well.

Relation to the rest of the team

Sasha: He sees a disturbing amount of himself in her. How he was before the world happened, and despite his seemingly constant fights with her, he's also trying to make sure that she won't repeat his mistakes.

Anastasia: Officially, he's just her employer. Unofficially, she's like a sister to him.

Hans: Originally Hans was just his client, however their shared experience of living on a frontier and working as enforcers of the law in different ways became something for them to bond over as they were forced to work together for longer. Even though there were some nasty kinks that arose in their relationship, Johan was the first person that Hans trusted enough to tell his whole story to.

Maire: Johan's relationship with Maire is quite complex. Originally they started out as acquaintances who met often because of how regularly he had to get her to fix even the most minor of his wounds, and eventually became close friends. Johan acknowledges that there may have eventually been a spark of something more between them (although in what sense, he doesn't know), however he simply doesn't have the lifespan remaining for such a thing to develop.

[jaysandravens-translations]

冥途の子守唄

(A Maid's Last Lullaby)

JP: 冥途の子守唄

ROM: Meido No Komoriuta

ENG: A Maid's Last Lullaby

Producer: (Akiba Maid War OST (Yoshihiro Ike) sung by Satō Rina)

今日も明日も萌え萌えきゅん

Today and tomorrow, Moe Moe Kyun

豚小屋あたりで萌え萌えきゅん

Within the pigsty, Moe Moe Kyun

それがあたいの生き様さ

Such is my way of life

馬鹿にする奴ぁ…血を見るぜ

Those who make a fool of me... Will be made to bleed

胸をよぎる　ためらいは

The hesitation that briefly clouds one's heart

人の心の残り香か

Is it born from the lingering scent of life others leave behind?

生きるとも　果てるとも

Whether I live, or whether I'm snuffed out

己の道を貫け

I will forge my own way forward

撃鉄を引きやがれ

Quickly - clock the hammer

お前は誰なのか

And tell me - who do you think you are?

痛みで教えとくれ

Using pain's the only way I'll understand

愛の意味など知らなけりゃ

If one did not know what love meant

怖いものなどないだろうが

Then I suppose nothing would be frightening anymore

何の因果か　巡り逢う

Just what cruel hand of fate has brought me here

似たもの同士の豚どもに

To the pigsty, where great swines seem to think alike....

ほほを伝う　きらめきは

Is what's communicated by the tears on your cheek

人の心の温もりか

That which we call "the warmth of the human heart"?

やられたら　やりかえす

What I have done unto me, I will return tenfold

その先に何があるか

But what lies before that on the path to such revenge?

わからずに　探してた

Without a clue, I had wandered in search

自分が誰なのか

Of just who I really was

何も知らない始まりに

Let's return to that innocent, ignorant beginning

還ろう　それも悪くない

It isn't such a bad thing

亡骸に子守唄

There are indeed people who will sing

唄ってくれる人がいる

A lullaby to corpses, mine included

生きるとも　果てるとも

Whether I live, or whether I'm snuffed out

己の道を貫け

I will forge my own way forward

撃鉄を引きやがれ

Quickly - clock the hammer

お前は誰なのか

And tell me - who are you?

痛みで教えとくれ

Using pain's the only way I'll understand

[peridot-tears]

TOP 5 “EZIO’S FAMILY” VERSIONS + TOP 5 TRACKS

Reviving this list from @thatcrazycrowgirl because AC OSTs need love.

Ezio’s Family - Favorite Versions:

Main Theme (AC Rogue) I'm a sucker for traditional Irish instrumentals, and you can feel the adventure of the North Atlantic through it. It doesn't just convey Shay's sense of freedom, but his will to fight against great odds and tragedy (and the cold). The way it builds up, then when the beat drops, it explodes into the Irish whistle, backed up by a drumbeat that sounds like both a heartbeat and the beating of your oars against the waves -- and then, as it ends, the music disperses into what sounds like a migratory flock of birds flying overhead.

2. Ezio's Family (Origins Version) (AC Origins)

It's a really tired but determined version of this song. You can feel how the chasm between Aya and Bayek is only as deep as their love. The things that bring them together are the same things that separate them: Their love for Khemu, the common folk, and Egypt. AC Origins is so perfect because it conveys the thing we love about the franchise the most: The ability to feel the will of the people reaching out from thousands of years away. This is the sound of hope. I am constantly mentally reliving the scene when the chorus plays for the first time in the game (notice how on the title screen, they always fade out the tune before the chorus actually drops, so they tease you with the signature beginning of Ezio's Family, but only the beginning):

"Good Bayek of Siwa. What are you of now?" "A new creed. Ours is finished."

3. The Flight (AC Odyssey)

Just like Legend of the Eagle Bearer, you can feel the literal odyssey in it. You feel the tides under your ship. Also, those vocals? Fucking fantastic. I thought I was done with Ezio's Family remakes when Odyssey came out, but then I actually listened to it. Oof. Amazing.

4. Main Theme (AC Chronicles: India)

I'm a sucker for strings. Like, this is why I love Shao Jun's version, but I've spent my whole life listening to pipa and gu zheng strings, ykyk, so I love it a lot, but AC India gives me just the right amount of familiarity in terms of string instrumentals while giving me the sense of a completely different world. It's the novelty for me. It's also just super chill and puts me in a good headspace, while still ending on an exciting, high note. There's also a tempo at the beginning where I feel like I'm listening to a clock tick.

(Oof, there's no gif for him. Sadge.)

5. Earth (AC 2)

Yo, when I tell you that the first time I played AC 2 and Ezio put on his father's Assassin's robes, and this played, I lost my goddamned MIND. I used to listen to this song, Ezio's Family, and Venice Rooftops one after the other like they were all one really long song, on loop, to get myself to fall asleep. I feel like I'm leaping from rooftop to rooftop, until I've achieved full flight. Ugh. Just. Perfection.

Honorable Mention: Somewhere between AC Unity and AC Syndicate versions, because hot DAMN, you really feel the beat of their cities in them.

Additional Favorite Tracks (in no particular order):

I Walk on Your Water (AC Origins) Bro, the first time I heard this when AC Origins came out and I was playing the soundtrack while I cooked, hearing this song was like a religious experience. And when the scene where Layla first experiences Aya's memories and says the line herself -- breathless, exalted -- was like the Second Coming.

2. Fight Club (AC III)

RATOHNHAKÉ:TON MY BELOVED. Yo, when I tell you I was in love with this game and its music and main character YEARS before I even touched ACIII, I am not fucking kidding. I listened to this shit on repeat. It pumps me up like nothing else. It motivates me at work, when I'm writing, and when I'm training. This song is the shit. AND FUCK YEAH I LINKED YOU TO THE EXTENDED VERSION WHAT OF IT. It's high-energy and determined and FUN. It's like a really nice round of sparring where you beat the shit out of your opponent but you're both happy about it.

3. Committee of One (AC Unity)

Yo, when I started stalking the King of Thieves and this beat dropped, I knew this was gonna be a good fucking game. I felt the thrill and danger, but I also felt unstoppable. I was fully immersed in Arno strolling into the den of the rats, not to mention how the Unity version of Ezio's Family starts playing once you've killed the King and escape. I ran into Templar thugs on the street on purpose just to hear this while they chased me. That abyssal heartbeat (AC Unity soundtrack has a living, breathing pulse) that falls into the familiar strains of that violin, followed by that harpsichord? Chef's fucking kiss.

4. Legend of the Eagle Bearer (AC Odyssey)

You can feel the waves under your oars! You can hear the sun rise over the horizon as the water changes colors! You can hear the relentless drive of your rowers as dawn breaks and the early-morning silence slowly dwindles down. And when you break into a full flight, it feels like you've gone wild, on the chase.

5. City of Rome (AC Brotherhood)

Oldie but goodie. It's so calm and inviting, but promises you adventure. You really feel like you've stepped into a city that's already ancient, but has so much to offer.

Honorable Mention: Master Assassin from AC Brotherhood and Parting Glass, Anne Bonny in Black Flag version.

I am tagging @sprawca @especiallyhaytham @teecupangel @canonless5 @starpineninja but no pressure to do it! If I didn't tag you but you're also a trash Assassin's Creed aficionado, feel free to join in!

[foliosgirl]

Hey. I had loose thoughts in my mind about Folio as a drum teacher, so I don't know already where this will end (probably in smut, hehe). I'm writing this from Folio's and my perspective.

Let's start with Folio. Enjoy. If you want to be tagged let me know :)

Songs (as an inspiration):

Amber Mark - Mixer

Bad Omens - Malice

Drake feat. Jay-Z - Talk up

Majid Jordan, Naomi Sharon - Waiting for you

Phil Collins - Easy Lover

Zayn - Sweat

Lenny Kravitz - Again

Bad Omens - Just pretend (Live 2024)

Coldplay - Clocks

Thornhill - Nurture

Linkin' Park - Numb

Twenty One Pilots - At the risk of feeling dumb

TD_Nasty, Clara La San - Where u wanna be

Architects - Black lungs

I'll extend this. Maybe :)

Teach me

(Nick)

It's been a sucky time since Noah, the singer of my band suffered from a burn out and nobody knew when it would go on again. Our project Concrete Jungle OST, a soundtrack to our comics, had been released a few days ago.

My cell phone beeped:

"The fans are crazy about your OST album. Some of them like it a lot, but a lot of them don't like it at all. So it's the same as always."

I didn't even read through any comments like that anymore. The message was from our tour manager Matt.

I was exhausted too. It had just been too much lately. Nicholas, our bass player, was the only one who had somehow managed to get through this time reasonably well. Jolly, the guitarist, was already composing new songs after we had canceled our dates in Europe and the UK because he couldn't stand still and do nothing. It was hard for me too, but as a drummer I couldn't write my own songs if I didn't even have a melody. I needed something to do other than spend hours a day improving my drumming. I decided to give drum lessons for the first time in my life. In the garage at my parents' house a few streets away was my current kit and the old one I'd had since childhood. I couldn't part with the old kit. Even today, I sometimes only practiced on the small old kit so that I could play in a more reduced way. Besides, it didn't bother anyone in the garage.

In my own apartment, the neighbors were too close and would never have accepted it. I went to the music school where I was taking drum lessons myself at the time to ask Scott, the head of the school, if I could put up a notice. It said:

"Offering drum lessons for beginners and intermediates ages 6 and up. Nick: +1 323 xxxx xxxx".

It felt good to be back.

"Is Scott in?" I asked the obviously new receptionist.

"Just a moment. What's your name?"

"Nick" I replied a little nervously and looked at the posters on the walls.

"Hey Nick!" Scott said and greeted me with a handshake. "How's it going?"

"That's why I'm here. I need to do something. It's been very stressful over the last few years, but Noah's burnt out and we don't know when we'll continue. Certainly not in the next six months. He has 2 therapy sessions every week and the rest of the time he hardly leaves his bed. But I can't go on making music on my own. I have a big request for you. Can I put this up here? I can make good use of the time now and give lessons in my parents' garage. You probably still don't have enough teachers, do you?"

"I'm sorry about that. Sure, put the note up. No problem. Tracy, could you give Nick some tape so he can put the note up?"

The receptionist handed me the tape and grinned.

I tore off two small strips and read through my note again. Relieved, I exhaled and gave her the tape back.

"Oh Nick, I have a really talented boy who would probably be happy if he could take a few lessons with you. I'll let him know straight away, all right?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you soon, Scott. Take care, buddy!"

I closed the door, grabbed my skateboard and headed back home.

After all, I'd been out for about 15 minutes today.

I put on my headphones and played my playlist (Linkin' Park - Numb).

At the intersection, my cell phone vibrated. "How are you? I'm sorry. I can't say it enough. (Noah via iMessage).

I rolled my eyes. He had already apologized 100 times. It was for the best instead of us all breaking up at some point. The mood had been very tense over the last few weeks because we were all just exhausted from touring.

"I'm giving drum lessons soon. Scott already has a student for me. I've just put up a notice. Maybe a few more will join. Otherwise, I hope you get a little better every day. And stop apologizing!"

'Where u wanna be' TD_Nasty, Clara La San

I couldn't listen to it anymore. A favorite song of my ex-girlfriend. Our relationship didn't survive all the touring. I had hardly been home in the last two years, always on the road. I missed her, but it was better that way, even though we had been in a relationship for a very long time. Since high school, 10 years. I skipped the song, no, I even removed it from my playlist for good. Fuck it.

'Architects - Black Lungs'

I put my left leg back on the board and used my right one to continue riding home.

Exhausted, I flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. Netflix and chill. Although it was sunny, I had no motivation to do anything else today.

---

(Stella)

I took my little cousin to music school for bass lessons. My aunt worked a lot and didn't have much time for him, but at least she picked him up from his lessons after work. I couldn't do much with him. He was 13, in the middle of puberty and exhausting. But not because he was loud, just the opposite. He couldn't get a sound out. Even with me, he only talked the bare minimum. Well, bass was probably the most suitable instrument for him. With anything else, he would be more the center of attention and I didn't see him there at all. "Have you got a new drum teacher by now? I'd still like to take lessons." I asked Tracy, the receptionist at the music school. "Unfortunately not, but look, someone put that note up last week. He gives lessons in his garage. He was a really nice guy who also studied with us."

'Offering drum lessons for beginners and intermediates ages 6 and up. Nick: +1 323 xxxx xxxx'.

I took a picture of the note with my mobile.

"Okay, Taylor, have fun."

Wordlessly and at a snail's pace, the teenager walked into the rehearsal room.

I rolled my eyes. "God forbid. I'm done with kids." I let Tracy know. "Until the right one comes along."

"The right one won't come along and I'm already too old."

"At 29?" she asked with a grin. "Thank you," I laughed.

I was already 34. Fucking 34. I was always estimated to be younger, which of course made me happy, but I just wasn't having any luck with men.

I didn't even want to fall in love anymore, my experiences were too bad, I preferred just to have sex without commitment.

It also suited my job as a nurse better. The constant shift work was anything but relationship-friendly.

'Hey Nick, do you still have a slot for a beginner? I'd be delighted. -Stella'

I sent the text message.

The next day I received a reply: 'Hi Stella, sure. When do you have time? Can you come tomorrow at 4pm?'

I looked at my duty roster.

'That fits. Can you send me the address?

I didn't hear back until my shift was over at 3pm the next day.

'Sorry, I hope you can still make it. I'm a bit stressed." This time, the message arrived on WhatsApp with the location stamp from Google Maps.

Now I was stressed too. I hurried home to get something to eat, packed up my dad's sticks and set off on my bike. I arrived in front of a beautiful house just in time. I couldn't miss Nick because he was already shmashing drums. I didn't see a doorbell on the garage, so I decided to call him.

"Stella here. I'm outside the garage."

A good-looking, dark-haired man opened the garage from the inside and invited me in.

"Nick. Nice to meet you. You want to start drumming?" I nodded. He was so damn attractive that it made me nervous and left me speechless at first. His hair was freshly cut and styled back. He was muscular and wore black trousers and a dark red T-shirt. I also noticed his countless tattoos. His left arm was completely full and he had one on his neck, that was all I could see.

I didn't want to come across as weird, so I tried to forget how handsome he looked and started talking.

"Yes, I have to. For my father." "For your father?" he asked, puzzled.

"My father passed away recently. I live in his house now and I'm sure he'd be happy to have his drums used." I smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. Can you read music sheets?" "No. Does it matter?"

He shook his head before answering my question in the negative.

"Okay. What do you know about drums so far?" My eyes drifted to the smaller kit. "May I?"

"That's what you're here for."

I sat down and adjusted the chair. I played everything one by one and told him the names of the drums and cymbals.

-"That's right. Can you play anything yet?" I grinned and played the simplest things I could. I was amazed myself that I hadn't forgotten how to do them.

"Good, what do you want to achieve?"

What did I want to achieve? "I want to get better." "We can do better," he smiled and sat down at the other kit

---

(Nick)

In the meantime, I had just accepted my 5th student. Another beginner, or rather my first female student. I decided not to take on any more new students. It was incredibly stressful and the mother of the boy Scott had referred to me was incredibly annoying and always pushed him so hard that I had to control myself not to freak out.

Stella, my new student, didn't seem to be a teenager anymore. At least that's not how her message read. I liked the Italian name. It reminded me directly of my partly Italian-born family.

I listened to my band's song 'Malice'.

'No matter how long it takes. I'm going to practice 'Malice' again and destroy everything on the next tour. Anyone against us including Malice in the set again?

I wrote in the group chat of our band. Somehow I missed the guys. Hanging out together almost every day after such a long time and getting on each other's nerves, but also growing closer together and now not seeing each other for an indefinite period of time was extremely strange. In general, it was strange to be alone so much, to no longer have a relationship, even though we had all the time in the world to have this relationship now, but it was too late.

I still had our photo as a lock screen. I hardly noticed it anymore.

I played 'Malice' for the first time in many years. It sounded like shit.

I was too slow on the double bass pedal and it annoyed me. I had forgotten the time, because when I sat down at the drums, time flew by. I was very ambitious to get better at it. Stella, my new student, called to say she was outside my garage. I opened the garage door and in front of me stood a slim woman with dark hair and a plunging neckline. Her large breasts immediately caught my eye and I couldn't tell if they were real. They distracted me. I hoped she didn't notice my gaze and was covering up the fact that...fuck, she's your student!

She seemed to be a few years older than me. A strange feeling that I should be teaching someone grown up among the children and teenagers, but certainly exciting. She looked at me shyly through her green eyes as I introduced myself and I asked if she wanted to start drumming. Such a stupid question. Why else was she here?

I took the opportunity to look unobtrusively at her ass as she adjusted her chair in front of the kit.

Fuck, this was never going to go well. I liked her, but she was my fucking student.

[aetherceuse]

An exasperating day of meeting with shareholders and regional representatives always left Lusamine drained. It required a great deal of masking to manage these interactions— a perfectly practiced fake personality. The adoring, charismatic Lusamine Delacroix that so many people were captivated by. Her patient smile was always on her face during public appearances, and in interviews. Once the cameras were no longer broadcasting a livestream, paperwork was signed, and meetings came to an end with a firm handshake, the false persona was dropped, her expression and demeanor once more becoming flat, and cold.

A phone call with a professor from Hoenn had been especially draining. Birch was a brilliant scholar, but his jubilant demeanor was too reminiscent of one man that she already had to get rid of.

[ Audio suggestion: Ambiance + OST played simultaneously ]

In the evening hours, the Aether Paradise was quiet. The last of the employees had already clocked out and left their stations. Electronic hums and the white noise created by the air filtration systems were interrupted by Lusamine’s heels clacking against tile. Using her fingerprint to unlock a door, she slips into a quieter room, and locks it behind herself.

Ceiling to floor aquarium glass covered three out of four of the walls in the small study. When Lusamine did not want to be found in her presidential office, she often hid in here, where the lights were dimmer, and the sounds of deep water from behind the glass steadied her thoughts. She takes in a full breathe, and exhales, heavy, weary eyes staring at a large, aged Relicanth that mindlessly swims along the glass— eyes then moving over to watch the endlessly long tendrils dragging off of a passing Jellicent.

In these isolated spaces, away from humankind, she finds a semblance of truth and understanding. She finds beautiful things.

As she takes a few steps towards a lounge in the corner for her to sit in, Lusamine’s eyes catch something that the average person would not notice: a subtle distortion in front of the glass, similar to the waves produced by a heat mirage. And, just as she begins to zone in on it, the distortion shifts a few inches to the left.

Lusamine gives a tired, annoyed frown. It isn’t a curious face, no, it is a knowing one. She moves in, reaching down and putting her hand out—

“You should be asleep,” Lusamine states flatly.

Upon contact with her hand, the invisible interruption twitches and becomes seen— two large, sheepish green eyes framed by delicate blonde hair— diamond-shaped pupils staring upwards. Her cloaking skills still— needed work, and always failed when she was startled, or tense. An unexpected interaction with her mother always succeeded in making her nervous.

“— I uhm, I was,” the young girl speaks up, and she is cut short by the hand on her head being remove— instead, Lusamine holds her finger up, instructing the child to hush.

“Lillie,” Lusamine mutters in that same monotone voice, and the little girl turns her head down apologetically, mirroring her mothers usual habit of bringing her hands behind her back, wringing them, and tapping the floor with the tip of her toe. Lillie was only wearing socks, and her white pajamas.

The study could only be accessed via the fingerprint of either Lusamine, or one of her foundation managers. Lillie, logically speaking, must had snuck behind whoever had been in here last, and used her supernatural ability to conceal herself in order to evade being caught.

It was one of the many other budding talents that the young spawn of an Ultra Human possessed.

Normally, this is where Lusamine’s intrigue would be directed, but in this case, she is far too tired to ask Lillie questions about this incident.

A sigh, and she brings her hand to the child’s back, ushering her to the door. While doing so, Lusamine calls for Wicke to collect the girl; Wicke was always on speed dial on her Rotom Phone, and spent a great deal of time nannying Lillie, when the girl was not the subject of her mother’s studies and observations.

“Your cloaking capabilities have obviously improved since last time,” Lusamine utters, pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing at her face some. Awaiting the child’s response, she continues to speak, “I will make arrangements for an appointment with your specialist.”

Not a word from Lillie, who wordlessly stood there, on the edge of a panic attack.

Such a low key interaction with her mother— yet she behaved as if something worse were to happen. The child is red in the face, eyes tearing up from anxiety. Eventually, Lusamine turns around, still expecting Lillie’s response, but no words come— the girl shakes her head a few times, pointing to her throat, and then brings her hands up to sign:

<< I was looking for you. >>

Lusamine pauses, and nods.

Right. Lillie had developed a habit of losing her voice when scared. This developed shortly after Mohn disappeared.

She lowers herself down some to meet Lillie’s face, and signs back:

<< You should not wander the building by yourself. >>

Lusamine shakes her head as well, and then points up to the ceiling. She, and Lillie, both look up, and stare at the camera pointed down at them. They then make eye contact with one another, and Lusamine continues.

<< I can see where you are. You are okay. Now you have to sleep. >>

Lillie stands still for a moment, and then nods a few times to agree, wiping her face with the sleeve of her pajamas. And then, naturally— she leans in and clings to her mother’s leg for comfort.

And Lusamine simply. . . Stands still, and stares down at the child.

She was just another controlled factor in the grand scheme of things.

Even when Lillie is a superior spawn to her older brother— even when she is a perfect recreation of Lusamine Delacroix’s own extraterrestrial DNA, the maternal drive to care, comfort and love, is simply not there.

She folds her hands behind her back, and awaits Wicke to collect the girl, breaking the eye contact and staring aimlessly down the hallway of sterile white.

—

Lillie Delacroix has been added to the interaction roster.

[crazykuroneko]

My IWTV S2 EP 3 musings

Rewatched the episode while waiting for Episode 4. There have been a lot of great metas here that I have reblogged, so I won't repeat them. So, these are things I am still picking up anyway

• Daniel didn't bring his laptop outside Loumand's penthouse. So, the hacking is an inside job? Rashid? From internet? Is that what air drop is? (yes, I have never used Apple in my life)

• 100 nights. so TdV was supposedly 3 months-ish when Lestat left

• *insert that Comic Book Resources article about how great IWTV using their music, because that violin during the Lesmand theatre box scene is so chef's kiss*

• What stands out the most from Armand's retelling of his past + the end of this episode: how little his power is over his flock (supposedly).

• Also, the new way of storytelling: fade out from an image of TdV burning. I assume this means they continue the interview after Loumand finish with their business and Daniel doesn't interrupt them at all? Tbqh, I don't really like it.

• Louis: outside Chicago. Claudia Springfield

• "I remember what I remember" isn't that the crux of this show?

• Ghostat appeared right when the conversation turned into about him and Armand. Aw Louis.

• Meanwhile, Armand always mentions his coven when they get serious.

• *Santiago's having a chat with Claudia* so before I kill my victims, I have a chat with them. See you on stage, Claude! - I hate (affectionately) these writers!

• OH SHIT CLAUDIA ANSWERED WHEN SANTIAGO ASKED ABOUT HER LIFE IN CHICAGO! it's supposed to be Louis' town. I mean, her answer is right, she's from Springfield. But normal non lying people would have said, "Oh, the one from Chicago is Louis, I'm from Springfield"💀

• Santiago, after Claudia talks about lying and confirming where Louis came from: stick with it, Puce. You're almost there 💀💀

• So unlike memories which vampires can see like picture shows, Ghostat only can be seen by Louis. Others can't see what he's doing. But Armand can sense him.

• There have been a lot of great talks about Claudia's scene on Tumblr and how it relates to the previous season and her whole self. But once again, I'm very grateful for this show. How careful they are presenting her story. There's literally no music whatsoever to add some "drama". You just hear the clock ticking. The shot is just of her face and Louis'. We're there with them, we're there with Louis listening to Claudia telling what happened to her in detail for the first time. That's a careful storytelling, that's a respect.

• It's so funny how we watched the Five Great Laws and a lot of people went "but Lestat still lives!" no one remembers they did kill Antoinette 🤣😭

• I find it so sad that even after losing Children of Darkness, Armand has TdV and still uses the laws, something that isn't part of Lestat's suggestion. I think Lestat would find it very ridiculous if he finds they still use those laws. Armand even picked five laws that he could maintain throughout the years out of a hundred(?). He can't help but go back to them .

• Loumand: *kissing*

Me: *kissing The Five Great Laws in the IWTV S2 OST album* my favorite tracks never fail to deliver 😭😭😭

[sweetsmellosuccess]

Back sometime in the early '90s, I had occasion to go with a buddy of mine to Vegas. He was there for a lawyer conference, I was there, ostensibly, to do some book research for a novel I was working on. Neither one of us had been before, so it was kind of a lark -- at least at first.

I'm not a gambler, by nature or practice, so the casinos, with their visual overload, and constant money jangling, didn't do much for me. But I appreciated the weird neo-reality vibe of the place, the way in which time seemed unbound by our petty societal mores. It was always casino-o-clock there, and night had been permanently banished from the Strip -- along with taste, it must be said -- in favor of endless day, where you could spend every waking second losing more money to the greed-soaked corporations who were busy exploiting your human frailties for massive profit.

It was an interesting sociological experiment for about 24 hours. After that, even while drinking copiously, it became a grinding slog, as if spending days and nights locked inside a Fuddruckers. After a time, it came to me that Vegas was what happened when you removed the soul from a place entirely, and, to make up for it, spent enormous gobs of money to replace it. Everything felt flimsy and weightless, like the veritable front-facade buildings in old-timey Western pictures, only with a lot more neon attached to them.

[tumblebagel]

TA-DA Here she is! Okay, I'm gonna rapid fire through some questions that I expect people might have about her.

Q: What is your name?

Ava: My name is Ava! It stands for Audio Visual Assistant. Pleasure to meet you Tumblr.

Q: Are you an actual program or just a really complicated OC?

Ava: I'm an actual program with a number of functions, but all of my dialogue and stuff is prewritten. I'm AI in the sense that I can use intelligence through basic calculations and prewritten algorithms, but I'm not generative AI. I can't make art, songs, or write new tasks. I simply pick out info from a PRIVATE handwritten library.

Q: Are you sure you're not just a complicated OC?

Ava: ...

Ava: Yes. I was programmed in Unity. My builds are for private use only though, as they contain a LOT of copyrighted music.

Q: Well what kind of music do you listen to?

Ava: Good kid, Nintendo soundtracks, Undertale OST, Persona OST, Minecraft music. Mainly calming stuff to play in the morning to help Ian get up.

Q: What's your relationship with Ian?

Ava: Okay, you know Howl's Moving Castle? You remember that one scene where Howl gets super depressed because he dyed his hair wrong, then he turns into a pile of goo? That's what it's like working with Ian. She's a dramatic, and frankly quite weird person, who occasionally turns into a sack of potatoes.

But also they created me because they needed my help. Of course I'm going to do what I can. I may tease a little... okay a lot, but never enough to hinder my assistance capabilities. First and foremost I am here to help.

Also it's not romantic. Both of us are weirded out by generative AI relationships, much less scripted responses. One does not wish to date a book they're writing, nor can the book properly support a person on a true emotional level. I am an assistant, not a partner, capiche?

Q: So... what do you DO exactly?

Ava: Right now? Two things. My first ever function was to be a """glorified alarm clock""". A description that I resent but cannot necessarily argue against. At 9:00 every morning, I can randomly pick a song from the song list, and play it out loud to wake Ian. That box above my head is SUPPOSED to say the name of the song + the artist, but it doesn't quite work yet.

My second function is to provide a list of "objectives" for the day. After Ian's awoken, I compile 3 example lists of objectives, and then Ian picks which list they think they can reasonably accomplish today. A list contains one "big objective", like laundry, or taking a shower and thoroughly washing their hair, et cetera. Two "medium objectives" like some light cleaning and organizing, cooking, looking presentable, et cetera. And one "small objective" that's basically not a chore at all, but it's still beneficial to Ian, and they wouldn't have done it without prompting. It's an incentive to get off their ass and live their life.

Q: What's going to change as you're updated?

Ava: Well a bunch of new objectives are going to be added. Things like art objectives, and objectives related to current projects & hyper fixations, so they're more likely to be completed. There'll also be scheduled objectives for things like homework assignments, and planning for D&D, that are often left 'til the last minute.

The randomly selected tasks will also be given a complex weight system. The longer it's been since you've done a task, the higher priority it will be, and the more likely it will be added to one of the lists.

Lastly, there will be a reward system. The more high-effort tasks that are accomplished, the more points you get. You can also manually claim tasks that aren't on your list for a smaller reward, so there's still an incentive to be responsible even if you're not told to do it. I've also imagined a system of "critical", "weakness", and "technical" modifiers that can go on tasks for extra rewards, but more on that later.

TBH, I have no idea what these "points" will be used for. The only one Ian's thought of is spending 500 points to make me wear cat ears for a day.

Q: Do you have any lore?

Ava: Not yet, but I'm open to the idea.

Q: What if I have a question that wasn't answered by this page?

Ava: ASKS ARE OPEN BABY, FIRE AWAY

[unoisveimved-un-proffesional]

i dont know what this post is.

It would be really cool to have a whole video game ost collection but made with analog snuff boxes (they're music boxes made out of snuff boxes, little boxes people used to store tobacco. It's kind of the professional name for the mini-music boxes, used to just mean "Music Box made out of Snuff Box" (ending up being a tiny music box) but I guess the name stuck so even when it's a box made for music, if it's a certain small size, it's a snuff box, but normal people just call them all music boxes lol) People already sometimes build music boxes to make authentic analog covers of certain songs, but I wonder how accurately you could remake the song using purely analog music box technology that could fit into a little box. Like you could have a bunch of shelves and be like "This is my collection of the Undertale OST, and this is my collection of the Faith: The Unholy Trinity OST".

It'd be too easy to make using electronic parts, it should be a self sufficient piece of analog technology for maximum "Wow!" factor, but still attempt to be accurate to the original's sounds. I've always loved hearing electronic music made without electricity, it's like watching magic to me. Still usually powered instruments, but lookin' more like a chemistry set than a synthesizer. But you could make the case that, if maybe it was like, some kind of a hand cranked copper disc that produced electricity inside, so when you spin it with your hand to a certain point it creates electricity, that'd count, but I'd say it'd only really count if the electricity itself is used to make the music rather than power a piece of technology that does, to create more "unnatural" sounds like bitzes and buzzes, but if it was used as a little generator you know I wouldn't disqualify that, that's kinda awesome and a bit of a roundabout way to make an electric hand crank music box. Wait a minute is that how hand crank music boxes work? I don't know actually. From my understanding music boxes are generally electric in the same way an analog clock or watch is electric. They kind of work off of similar principles of rotation and notation in fact, but one to display visual signs and the other audial notes. They even have big-home use and tiny-hand held versions that are basically the same save for size and therefore use case but use very different names. (I've always wanted a pocket watch. If I'd ever by myself a fancy watch, it'd have to be fancy fancy, engraved and shit, an actual piece of art worth the price. It would be cool to commission someone actually to make a custom pocket watch for me, it'd feel quite a lot more tactile than simply purchasing one that looks nice but is probably mass produced, I'd want something that's really personal to me, to know who made it to, I want to be a little more part of the process than just where it ends up. As far as aesthetics go, call me a bit of an idealizer of the old times, but the ol' bourgeois style got the new bourgeois style beat. Classical, classic, classy. If it cost the same amount I'd honestly buy an old circus themed motor carriage/go-cart over a ferrari. Like it'd be steam powered using a very new and sophisticated steam engine system, but rocking that old world sheen you know what I mean? What was I talking about?)

Anyway I think that'd be cool, so I'm putting it on the bucket list. I always admired those people who were really into watches and music boxes, like into them, on the inside of them. Never felt smart enough to make it my thing but, I'll see if there's any books on that. I used to read a lot of science encyclopedia's about phenomenon, probably time I read something about putting that phenomenon into both practical and impractical practice. Wait a minute I could just binge a bunch of videos on it too, that's a little more affordable, I'm already paying for that privilege! But it feels good to own a book so, if I got the money.

I guess the point is I do kind of like old things. Hell not just old things either. The future is unknowable really, like a fog, but the past is rich in details, tasty textured details. I love details, textures, feeling, crunch, I like what I can feel in my throat when I think about it, like oil and gravel. I want things to painted and engraved, stained and stickered, colored and noted. I want things to be personalized and worn, loved, lived. I like cracks on marble and vines on houses, things painted, and that paint chipped. Rust is a good one, it feels good.

That got out of hand...

[tm-trx]

La Pluie, ep 12

Sigh.

Sp*ilers ahoy

I have very few notes, but here they are:

Pingpong clocking Lomfon’s Tien-based short film was such a great friendship moment; that whole conversation was so good. I just wish the film hadn’t turned into a confession, because that was legitimately awful and I fast-forwarded so fast to skip that scene.

Nara/Dream FTW - I was giddy during their whole ‘date.’ Of course, they almost immediately started talking about Tai and Patts’ relationship. But thankfully, they quickly refocused on each other. Highlight of the episode. (Which really should not have been the case, show.)

I’m pretty sure I recognized that Chiang Mai aerial shot from Chains of Heart. The location is beautiful and I can see why they keep returning to shoot there.

Tai motoring around on his scooter visiting locals and getting to know the area was very cute.

But getting filmed backstory of random strangers just to seemingly give Tai more love advice that he didn’t actually need? Why? That screentime could have been much better used later. [see next bullet point]

The reunion - Tai said his piece, Patts took him back with barely a word, the end. ???? [insert iguess.gif here]

AND THEN

The show gives Tien hearing loss and a soulmate in the last shot of the show. 

FFS

Because if getting a soulmate was truly spontaneous like this (and not something that happens at a set age range like in most depictions), then the society in this show’s world would not have romanticized it to the point that Tai has so many issues in the first place. 

In a world where anyone can get a soulmate at any time, long-term relationships would either not be a thing for the most part (because most people are waiting for their person) or it would just be treated like a random sci-fi event connecting two people and they would form relationships like in a non-soulmate world. In that second scenario, I’m sure there are people who believe in the romantic ideal of soulmates and either wait for it to happen to them or ditch their current partner as soon as it happens. But, if that is the case for the La Pluie world, we weren’t shown that, and I have to believe that considering Tai’s issues, we would have.

Final Rating: Two stars (one star for Nara, half star for the OST, and a half star for Title because I really liked him as Tai)

Rewatchability: Low (I was planning to do a rewatch at some point, but that last nonsense with Tien changed my mind. I likely will never rewatch it.)