#I don’t think there has been a jam mechanics song I haven’t enjoyed at least a little bit

[s-ccaam-era-crepe]

todays jam mechanics episode was so good

[peak-dumbass]

Thoughts on Sons of Garmadon cuz redesigns :]

Also instead of watching all of the season and then adding my thoughts later I instead took notes while watch the season so that’s why this post is incredibly long, sorry about that :/

Anyway enjoy :>

Sorry for the accidental posting and I don’t want to rewrite everything so here’s from the original post

Lloyd reading the title of the episode also caught me off guard the first time I watched this

Basically Lloyd caught me off guard entirely the first time I watched this

Also his eyebrows are now THICC

“Still thirsty?”

...

I can see why people like Nya a lot (._.’)

Nya’s badass and f—king love her

Also the water bubbles she makes look really nice

Jay mimicking Cole is adorable

The first time we see them after a year and the first thing we see them do is argue and disturb a group of people that took a vow of silence 

I love them

“Did I call you at a bad time?” They’re in the middle of a fight with the mechanic, what do think?

Also Pixal calling Lloyd “Master Lloyd” :’/

“Whoever said fight fire with fire clearly didn’t know what they were talking about.” “Hey, you’re stealing my lines!” I love you Kai

“Who likes ice cream? I do! How was that line Kai?” I love you Zane

Them teasing Lloyd for his deeper voice and them just genuinely having family fun bonding time just fills me with such happiness that I can’t describe with words :’’’’’’’’>

Misako abandons Lloyd yet again, and she was just starting to act like a good mother in Hands of Time >:/

Jay is not understanding a single thing being said to him, but at least he’s trying 👌

Their excuse for not mentioning the royal family throughout the series is “they like their privacy”? Really? Like really? Are they expecting us to believe this bullish-t? 

Lloyd seeing Harumi for the first time: Can You Feel The Love Tonight🎶

Now Cole’s the only one who hasn’t had a crush in the series he is so gay and the writers can’t convince me otherwise

Can I just say the lighting for the inside of the place is beautiful? Cuz it is.

Also I just realized Cole’s the only ninja that isn’t wearing sleeves on his ninja suit, that’s cool👌

Since Harumi’s natural hair color is white, does that mean she’s albino?

“The maskes must never be reunited” Says the person who reunited the mask >:/ I know she’s acting good here but still

“No thank you, I actually gave up sweets. My body is a temple.” The moment I heard that for the first time I was like “WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO MY BOI?! WHO HAS HURT HIM?!”

Lloyd, stop stalking the princess, that’s illegal >:|

“Don’t worry, we’re ninja, we’re experts at this kind of thing” They proceed to loose the mask, let their main villain onto their ship, and Lloyd gets a crush on her :/

Grade A ninja-ing right there 👌👌👌

I’m on episode 2 and seeing Harumi acting nice and sweet and connecting with Lloyd and knowing that she’s faking all of it, I just feel so so so so bad for Lloyd :’<

Cole, don’t try to give Lloyd advice about girls when you aren’t even attracted to them

Ok so I procrastinated a bunch on doing this for some reason so Yee, let’s continue

I’ve only seen Mystake for 1 scene and if anything ever happens to her I’ll kill everyone in this room and myself

Oof I’m now sad and realize why everyone likes her

Ok so we all agree the tea Mystake gave Jay and Lloyd to see the drawings move is weed right? Or had weed in it?

Why is Cole hiding in a garbage bin when Zane is using a perfectly good newspaper? Also oh boy can’t wait to see Rocky DangerBuff and Snake Jaguar in action :3

The way Snake walked into the bar Jesus

and I’m trying to watch this without skipping it cuz to me the whole thing is very awkward and I can’t stand awkward stuff like this but I also heard there was glacier so I’m gonna try to watch this without yeeting my phone and burying my face in my pillow

Chloe: Snake is gorgeous and we stan

Me: I know he’s beautiful look at him, he’s amazing

He’s bad boi and baby boi at the same time and I love him

Just added Cole into a scene with the ninja when he’s actually still kidnapped by UV so noice job Ninjago HQ 👏👏👏

Zane looks so weird in the flash of Wu finding him dear god

Stop bothering him Cole, let Zane Rp as Snake for a little bit longer

DAD COLE DAD COLE DAD COLE DAD COLE DAD COLE DAD COLE

Cad is what Cole would have named the baby if it didn’t turn out to be Wu cuz Cole + Dad

Ali: "Why cad?" "Its cooler than Chad cause you take out the h for hoe"

Ali/clumsy you’re a genius

”you didn’t think it would that easy, did you?”

Guys is weird to think that UV is 100 times hotter after saying that line?

Mommy UV vs Dad Cole, Mommy UV is fighting Dad Cole for the baby

Oof I remember what’s gonna happen to Zane y’all and I’m not happy plz Mr.E stahp plz

Mr.E to the SOG after he kicks Zane’s ass: Guess who just got murdered!

“Not all men-“

Me: You’re right, Zane Ninjago would never do this

Mr.E: I’m on my way, I’m on my way, I’m on my way to kick Zane’s ass :D!

Cole is Pearl from SU confirmed, he was staring at baby Wu sleeping

Harumi: Maybe we can use this blanket at a Parachute?

Lloyd: What do this is a cartoon?!

Lloyd proceeds to do the exact thing he said wouldn’t work

Also Harumi is the best actor I’ve ever seen like seriously 10/10 👌 actor, playing with Lloyd’s heart strings like she’s been doing it for years

“How to be a heartbreaker” is Harumi’s jam and theme song

SO I WAS ADDING MY THOUGHTS ON HERE AND TUMBLR JUST DECIDED TO BE A LITTLE B-TCH AND CLOSE ON ME BEFORE I SAVED MY THOUGHTS AND NOW MY THOUGHTS ON HALF EPISODE 5 AND 6 ARE GONE OOF SO I’M JUST GONNA SAY THAT PIXAL IS HAVING SELF ESTEEM ISSUES OR SOMETHING SIMILAR AND SHE’S AMAZING AND IT’S MAKING ME SAD THAT ALL SHE SEES HERSELF AS ASSISTANCE AND NOTHING MORE

Also Lloyd falls onto a few branches and gets a hurt arm that requires a blanket while Nya was at the front of the ship with 0 protecction and was basically yeeted to the main deck while it crashed into the jungle and she doesn’t even get a break?!

I know Nya is stronger than Lloyd but GOSH DIDDLY DARN I didn’t know she was that STRONK!

Baby Wu: “Ninja never quit hehehehehe”

The ninja:

Lloyd: Confused Green Bean Noises

Harumi: kisses him on the cheek

Lloyd: •////• completely forgets what he was confused about

Harumi saved by lovestruck Lloyd and boners

Cole to Baby Wu: You took care of us, it’s only fair that we take care of you.

Me:

GOD I LOVE COLE HE’S AMAZING

Harumi and Lloyd during that one waterfall scene in Episode 6:

Also Harumi’s backstory for why she likes Garmadon and hates the ninja including Lloyd, it completely makes sense cuz she was a child that over heard that the ninja didn’t do sh-t and Garmadon saved the city so it makes sense why she hates the ninja and believes Garmadon should be Ninjago’s leader, and since it happened when she was young she didn’t think things through, she didn’t think about it from the ninja perspective and especially didn’t think about it from Lloyd’s perspective cuz she was a child, kids don’t tend to think about the other person’s perspective on things, so I think it makes sense and it’s really good 👌 also this is Ninjago’s first main female villain, all the other ones were either second in command or were in a crew that worked for a bigger villain so yeah that’s cool

“Don’t you guys have any idea what she’s doing? She’s resurrecting Garmadon! Lord Garmadon!” Yeah no sh-t Kai, the name of their gang is “Sons of Garmadon”, of course they know and of course they’re ok with it why do think they’re helping her?

“Then it’s a good thing the Quiet One isn’t a bad guy but a bad girl” It doesn’t matter that Pythor, Chen, Morro, and Garmadon had dicc, what matters is that the greater evil didn’t listen to them dipsh-t.

Harumi screams a lot, like Princess Peach/Damsel-in-distress amount of high pitch screaming and I’m surprised Lloyd or the other ninja haven’t told her to shut up at one point.

a slightly dark room suddenly turns a little bit darker

Harumi:

Lloyd: Jesus even when I was a kid I had tougher skin then you, I know this is a little hypocritical for my to say, but grow the f—k up god

Ok woah woah woah, how did Lloyd go from “I didn’t tell you about the fact that I’m part Oni, Mystake only told me and Jay” to “You’re the Quiet One” like he isn’t wrong but how did he put it together in such little amount of time?

Ok this is how the Lloyd vs Harumi fight should have gone down:

Lloyd: Give me a good reason not do destroy it right now.

Harumi: I’ll give you 2. You want to see your father again and you love me.

Lloyd: HAH! While you busy being a heterosexual b-tch I studied the blade!

Lloyd kicks Harumi’s ass and the day is saved

Am I wrong? Lloyd only met Harumi a couple of days ago, it’s like Anna from Frozen but LEGOs

“Love is an open door” is Llorumi shippers theme song

“I WANT YOU TO FEEL THE EMPTINESS THAT I FEEL”

B-TCH HAVE YOU NOT SEEN HIS F—KING CHILDHOOD HE HAS MORE TRAUMA THEN YOU WILL EVER GET YOUR F—KING LIFE TIME!!!

I KNOW SHE IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER AND THAT SHE HASN’T SEEN HIS LIFE LIKE WE HAVE BUT DAMN IF IT ISN’T ACTIVATING MY PROTECC-LLOYD-AT-ALL-COSTS-AND-THAT-THIS-IS-TOTAL-BULLSH-T INSTINCTS

“Or we’ll have to get all ninja on you!” “What does that even mean?” “I don’t know I was improvising” Tbh that’s a mood Kai, at least to me

Lloyd: Guys, Rumi is the Quiet One!

The ninja who are currently surrounded by the SOG including Harumi: Oh really, ya don’t say?

Lloyd just got yeeted out of a waterfall so it sorta makes sense why he didn’t notice

Lloyd said I won’t let you get away with this and Harumi said YEET

They have Lloyd they have the masks and we have trouble

Baby Wu: Puppy!

that ain’t a puppy Sensei it’s a giant underwater scorpion monster

I forgot they tamed the giant underwater scorpion monster and named it Crabby, and Jay hugged one of Crabby’s claws, Jay’s favorite pet the ninja have ever had is Crabby confirmed

“So this is your true face without the mask, no wonder you covered it” Damn Lloyd is salty, LET LLOYD SAY F—K 2020

Chloe: Lloyd said "bitch u ugly" poetically

Me: Yeah, he got the saltiness from Kai and the poetic speech from Zane

“There was never anything between us”

One episode earlier

“You want your father back, and you love me”

One episode earlier

Harumi kisses Lloyd on cheek and proteccs him from the corrupted Samurai X suit

Me:

Harumi gets close to Lloyd

Me: KICK HER IN THE NONEXISTENT BALLS

Yay the most useful and totally not child abandoning character, Misako, is here and giving Lloyd information that he already knew and is being incredibly useful buy not only abandoning Lloyd for a second time in his life but also finding Baby Wu for the SOG Hooray

“Stop Rumi, this isn’t you!” B-tch you’ve only known her for a couple of days, and she has played with your heart, in dangered your friends, and tried to kill you and your friends on multiple occasions, and she nearly succeeded on killing Zane (though tbh Zane gets nearly killed every season so that isn’t a surprise)

“You were right, this isn’t me” YOU SERIOUSLY BELIEVED HE’LL FALL FOR THAT BULLSH-T AGAIN? AFTER YOU TRIED TO DROWN HIM AND HIS MOM WHILE SUMMONING HIS EVIL DAD FROM THE DEAD? HAH, B-TCH YOU THOUGHT!

“Stop. Save it for someone who cares” Yesssssss I love youuuuuuu by baby boiiiiii

Sees the arm coming out of the anvil-thing

Me: Terminator Garmadon? Also this is what happens when we complain too much, we also gotta be more specific people! We can’t ask for just Garmadon, we need to ask for Good/Sensei Garmadon or else we’ll get bullsh-t like this!

THE SCENE OF THE NINJA SINGING WEEKEND WHIP JUST PLAYED AND THE HAPPY WHOLESOME VIBES AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Also there’s no way harumi gets the resurrection spell right on the first try, like no way, impossible, like she even gets interrupted by Lloyd and the ninja at the end and then Garmadon appears after that? Like I’m not a witch/wizard myself but I’m pretty sure that’s not how spells work? You don’t just start a spell, stop before the spell is finished, and the spell still works :/

Also how the hecc did Garmadon know where to find Harumi? It was never explained, he just like punched his way into the police station and was like “Yo b-tch what’s up?”

“I can turn him once, I can turn him again” ends up getting his ass handed to him and nearly dieing for the millionth time in his life

“That sounds like a really bad idea” “And Kai knows bad ideas, he’s full of them” Oof Kai just got roasted

“Lloyd, what are you doing?” “I’m sorry, Nya. I have to confront him” OOF HE REALLY DID JUST PULL A KAI DIDN’T HE

I’m not gonna quote everything Lloyd says here cuz there’s too much but DAMN HE’S REALLY PISSED OFF AND IS REALLY DOING A KAI JESUS

I know we all wanted Sensei Garmadon back but I’m ngl this Garmadon looks really cool and gives really good evil speeches to unmotivate his opponent

OOF Y’ALL REALLY HAD TO ADD LLOYD HOLDING OUT THE PHOTO OF HIM AND GARMADON WITH LLOYD STRUGGLING SAYING “FATHER” AND THE PHOTO GOING INTO THE WIND DIDN’T Y’ALL MY HEART CAN’T TAKE THAT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AND I STILL HAVE TO MAKE IT THROUGH EPISODE 10 WHERE I KNOW LLOYD’S HEART IS GONNA BE RIPED OUT OF HIS CHEST AND STOMPED ON WITH A SPIKED SHOE

F—K HARUMI F—K NINJAGO HQ F—K EMPEROR GARMADON F—K THE SOG JUST LEAVE MY POOR BABY ALONE

Y’all I don’t think I can make it through the next episode f—k man

Holy f—k I forgot Emperor Garmadon reads the title card in episode 10 oof

“Not so fast!” “‘No so fast”?! You used that ages ago!” True, it sucked then and it sucks now

“My brother is coming” “How do you know?” “I know” Dang even baby Wu doesn’t tell people sh-t

“You sure you’re up for this?” “I was married to him once, I’m up for anything” Ok so you’re saying that as if you were the one that was treated badly in that relationship and not the other way around like it should be but whatever floats your boat pal

“Careful!” “Are you actually doubting my ability to closely approximate the true value of our surroundings? I’m a nindroid.” Damn Zane is pissed

COLE LITERALLY JUMPED OFF THE BOUNTY TO CATCH BABY WU NOT KNOWING JAY WAS GONNA CATCH HIM AKA HE WOULD HAVE DIED FOR BABY WU I’M SCREAMING GOD I LOVE COLE

Ok so Lloyd you are excellent at fabulous/eat-a-dicc-b-tch exits like wow 👏👏👏👏👏

Also the scene with the 4 OG ninja and Baby Wu traveling to the first realm looks really really nice ngl

All in all I really really like this season, it’s great 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[gqazngaming]

Wasted in the Wasteland: Why 76 is worth a second chance

Fallout 76 is a post-apocalyptic open-world RPG by Bethesda Softworks. It is the most recent installment in the Fallout series. It's Wastelanders expansion was released April 20, 2020.

My first introduction to Fallout was back when Fallout 3 was released in 2008. “If you love your RPGs like you do, you're going to love this!” I only dabbled in it at the time (Halo was my main jam), but it was definitely something I enjoyed when I did. I mean, an atompunk world satirizing the 50s/60s nuclear obsession?! Yes please, haha! Fallout 3: New Vegas is what sealed the deal for me. That is the game that just swallowed me into the Fallout series. Then came the announcement for 76 and I knew my free time was over.

Fallout 76 hasn't deviated much mechanically from it's predecessors. And if you've played Skyrim or other Fallouts then the controls will be similar, if not identical. You can toggle between first and third person camera view and use V.A.T.S. (Vault-tech Assisted Targeting System) to detect enemies and target them for better damage or instant KO. You can upgrade your character using the perk system called SPECIAL and continue to acquire new perks or move perk points around after level 50. I love how the perk card system allows you to swap out perks as needed per situation (crafting, building, battle, etc.). You can also have a team of up to 4 members and share beneficial perks depending on your Charisma. And much like Fallout 4, you can build using your CAMP which carves out a little territory for you. Your party members can also build in your camp as well, which I can say from experience is awesome. Your camp can be moved for a fee, but be aware! If your friends have placed something in your home you don't have the plans for, you'll lose it. Cosmetic items for CAMP and character can be purchased through the Atom Shop (located in the menu) and you can earn Atoms in game while completing tasks.

76 over all is a very pretty game. The graphics aren't Final Fantasy XV mind blowing, but with recent quality of life updates (circa 2019) the environments are even more enjoyable than before. Character creator follows in Fallout 4 fashion and lets you truly make your character yours. Yes, you too can recreate Waluigi once more. Fallout has always been environment driven and 76 is no exception. From the radiated wastes of the Toxic Valley to the eerie vibe of the Mire, Bethesda gave us a truly amazing environment for us to explore. And if the recreated Mothman Museum at Point Pleasant in game doesn't sell it, I can't help you haha.

Fallout 76 begins with you waking up after sleeping in on Reclamation Day. Who misses a huge party?! Well you did, so now you're the last one out. But that means you get to grab everyone's left behind stuff. Finders keepers right? And thus begins your hoarder adventure. Wait, no, that's my game MO, haha. You actually get your bearings, follow some helpful tutorials, and head down that old country road right into the big wide Appalachia circa 2102 just 25 years after the Great War. Here you'll now find signs directing you to the Wayward where an NPC named Duchess has set up her humble bar to welcome the new arrivals entering the Appalachia region. And you'll encounter some newcomers to the Wastelands on your road there as well.

“But ChaosDicei! Fallout 76 doesn't have NPCS!” Yes, it didn't, not before. Before your quests were gathered from robots, holotapes, and notes randomly out in the wild. This was designed to give you your own narrative to an environment mostly devoid of human life. With the introduction of Wastelanders you now have NPCs to encounter and talk to. Why is this important? This is the selling point for 76 now. If you've heard the reviews of 76 prior to the drop of Wastelanders, you'll know it wasn't well received. With Wastelanders you can now tackle a myriad of quests out in the wastes, gain allies for your CAMP, and even decide if you'll side with the new Raiders or Settlers both striving to get a foothold in Appalachia. Wastelanders was the best update to come to 76 thus far and has really given the game new purpose and life.

And what Wasteland wandering is complete without Fallout Radio? Aptly named Appalachia Radio, you can punch Deathclaws and slap Super Mutants to the tunes of Lily Wilde, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole to name a few. And of course “Country Roads” the unofficial theme song for 76. If you're not into the radio, Bethesda doesn't skimp on the ambient background music. Some is even reminisce of Skyrim in tone.

The overall feel of Fallout 76 is very much what you'd think: gritty, hazardous, and intriguing. Locations have to be discovered to be land marked, but there are many that are environmental and fun to come across. Like it's predecessors, it still retains very much a desolate, sometimes isolated feel of being one of the few left alive in the world.

If I haven't piqued your interest yet, I promise Fallout 76 is worth a revisit. It's free to play on Xbox with GamePass (sadly, not free on PS4) and the newest content is a 100% free downloadable update. And Bethesda has announced future plans for the game that look very promising. They have already released the first of their Fallout Seasons that progress much like Destiny's season pass model. I've had more fun in the last several months with their bug fixes and additions than I did when it was released. So if you want to launch a nuke with your friends, take back a town from Scorched, help the Overseer, or just enjoy the updated world, GO FOR IT. I encourage it! It's such a richer world than when it first started.

As someone who stepped away from Fallout 76 just a few weeks after it released, it's worth a revisit. If you haven't played 76 because of the reviews, I implore you to at least give it a try. Who knows? You just may find yourself a new favourite game.

Hope to see you out in the Wastes!

-TheChaosDice is a Destiny a hyper nerd with a penchant for arts and crafts. I’m pretty sure she’s half rodent half witch.

If you found this review helpful or entertaining and you’d like to support GQAzndood Gaming, please click on the affiliate link below if you’d like to purchase a copy of Fallout 76. Click here.

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[doomedandstoned]

An Interview with S.C. Atmospheric Doomers Oakskin

~By Shawn Gibson~

Photo by Savannah Juliet Bockus

Continuing our series of interviews of bands in the southern sludge scene, we're now in Columbia, South Carolina visiting with unconventional three-piece OAKSKIN. As they come ever closer to finishing their debut LP, we take a look at the band's origins, inspirations, and aspirations in this one-on-one at last year's Starkfest.

Prey by Oakskin

We are at the Sparrow in North Charleston. You guys played with Mode Low and Midmourner tonight. Damn good show!

Bianca:

Midmourner they just like melt your brain because of how heavy they are!

Yeah, for sure!

Phillip: I'm digging Mode Low, too!

Bianca: Yeah, yeah.

Austin: Kinda krautrock, kinda noisey. I dig it.

Yeah, Paisley Adams the bass player just left, she is in Tripping The Mechanism.

Phillip: Tripping The Mechanism, right. I produced a couple of records of theirs.

Austin: They were supposed to play tonight, but there was something with scheduling.

Yeah, I thought the original flyer said "Tripping The Mechanism." Then it changed and said "to be determined."

Bianca: That was because they had work or something.

The other two guys in the band were here later on in the show.

Phillip: They're a great band, really cool.

The first time I interviewed you guys were at the Radio Room in Greenville, South Carolina, at Starkfest in July. I'd imagine you guys have played a few shows in the span of time since.

Bianca: Only one!

Phillip: Yeah this is our third show.

Wow, third show. Your first show was at Starkfest 2018. Now you have some shirts!

Phillip: Yeah, we're moving up!(laughs)

You got some merch!

Bianca: We've got stickers now!(laughs)

So explain your Oakskin t-shirt.

Bianca: The way our name started was because me and Phil, all three of us were on the porch mulling over what our name would be. We had no fucking idea! It was so difficult. Phil saw an oak tree in my yard and said, "Oak something." I said Oakflesh, because I am a Skyrim nerd. He said that's too brutal because our music isn't that brutal. (laughs) We're not a fucking death metal band! (laughs) Phil said Oakskin. I said, "Fuck yeah!" Later, we found out it was a spell in Dungeons and Dragons. We just winged it with the shirt design. Twenty-sided die on the shirt.

As soon as I saw it, I recognized it was a twenty-sided die.

Phillip: Who didn't play D&D at least once?

Bianca: Or at least knows about it.

Or any role playing game requiring multiple sided dice.

Bianca: D&D is the only game using twenty sided die.

Phillip: I've never seen a shirt with a die on it.

Bianca: The funny thing coming up with the shirt was like, "Let's put people under a spell. Well, why don't we incorporate the whole D&D concept?" It progressed from there.

Austin: It was the easiest decision we've had yet.

Brood by Oakskin

I believe you guys released a song recently. I got the notification from Bandcamp 'cause I'm following you guys and shared it on Facebook.

Phillip: Thank you!

Tell me about this song.

Bianca: The song is called "Brood." The name spawned from my love for cicadas, cause we're from the South. Not to say cicadas aren't from all over the world, really. In the South, in particular, you get used to hearing them. That noise that taunts you!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH!!! (laughs)

Bianca: You know it!

Phillip: We open the song with that. That's us sitting on the porch. That song is part of a bunch of songs we are recording for an album. We are taking our time with it. We are not in a rush. We don't have a label or anything.

That's probably the best with no time limits and taking your time.

Phillip: Yeah, no deadlines, so we are going to release it when we are 100% happy.

Organic and letting it flow naturally.

Phillip: We haven't released anything since February because we had these shows. I had that song close to done, mixing it. We decided to put these songs out for these shows. Honestly, what we posted when we first played, they were kind of surprised. They weren't expecting us to be so heavy. So we were like, "Let's put a heavier song out."

Bianca: I love the surprise of us being heavy. (laughs) I do love that, but I think it gives people an idea of where we are going or what we're trying to do.

Phillip: The band has gotten heavier and darker as we've gone along.

I noticed tonight it seemed a little different. There was something like a blast beat in there -- whoa!

Bianca: We all love black metal. We all love death metal. We love different kinds of music. I think over time as we progress, we will incorporate all of our interests in all we do. We all love different kinds of music.

Austin: When we started it was in our kitchen.

Phillip: I don't know if I talked about this last time, but I wrote a keyboard line just for fun. I was thinking about a solo project. Bianca came in and asked, "Do you mind if I sing on this?" Austin came in and said, "Do you mind if I jam to this?" We were all in other bands. I was working on another project.

Bianca: I was in two bands.

Phillip: All of us were working on other projects, but we were like, "This is kind of cool!" The first song we recorded in our kitchen.

Bianca: It literally was recorded in our kitchen.

Austin: I got off work and pulled up to the house and heard the drum machine going. "Damn, someone's partying, someone's jamming! That's some cool shit!" I walked in and it got louder. It's Phillip and Bianca jamming on some stuff.

Bianca: Me and Austin have worked together before in a couple of different projects that really didn't go anywhere, but I knew I wanted to be in a band with him because I love him pretty much.

Phillip: So after that kitchen jam and recording I was like, "That was pretty cool. We'll come out with a name and release it and see if anybody is interested." People were and we are going to jump on this! Now this is her and mine main band. Austin has put 100% in! Since then, we have been writing as a band and it's just naturally gotten heavier and darker. It's just where it's gone we haven't tried to control it.

Bianca: It's darker, but light in some weird way.

Phillip: (laughs)

Bianca: Hear me out!

Phillip: Yeah, I'm going to hear you out on this!

Bianca: The lyrics, if we get them out there, they're not necessarily dark. The lyrical concepts are light and dark, but the music is so fucking heavy!

It is!

Bianca: It's like pushing the concept forward.

Austin: It all sounds like noise to me. (laughs)

Phillip: We haven't focused on a concept. We have focused on writing.

Bianca: Each song has its own entity. When we hear people's input on it, we create its own entity within the song. It makes it unified, to me. We aren't stressed out about it, where it's going. We do what we want to do.

Yellow Light by Oakskin

I think you'll have better songs and a better album when you don't have the pressure or deadlines.

Phillip: I have had to live by deadlines for years, so it's nice to be in a situation where nobody's breathing down my neck about it, you know?

Bianca: Right.

Phillip: It's nice to get it done as it gets done.

Austin: It was two days after Starkfest we had six songs tracked now. We went straight in on the first session and knocked them out -- pow, pow, pow!

Phillip: We have been practicing for months. I was like it's kind of harsh to do that to them, but I was like, "We've been practicing these songs for months, let's go record them after the show! Who knows what work schedules will get in the way? We're tight so let's go knock these out while we're tight." We went in and knocked the songs out. When we get some more, we'll knock those out.

Bianca: We have already started on some other songs, too. I love the direction y'all are going in! I come in after they finalize it, oh it's so good! I fucking love it so much! It's so weird and great. I really love it! I was like, "Can I come in now?" (laughs)

Phillip: (laughs) She was trying to sing over it and we didn't have it done yet!

Bianca: Let me sing on it! (laughs) I get really excited. We all get excited in a really weird way. Mostly we all vibe off each other.

Phillip: I think that most bands get excited about what they're doing or they wouldn't be doing it.

Bianca: Some bands don't get excited, because they get big or whatever reason.

Phillip: I understand that whole second guessing thing. I've been there: "I don't know if anyone else will like this or not?"

Bianca: I feel like bigger bands don't have the time to spend on songs anymore, because they're pushed to put something out. They don't get to enjoy it like they used to.

Austin: Well, if your doing two tours a year...

Bianca: Right.

Phillip: You're touring non-stop. It's hard to even find time to write. Try to write a little bit when you're home. That shit gets really hard! Starting a new band makes it a lot easier.

Bianca: Especially with your connections, it makes it easier for us, genuinely.

Phillip: To a certain degree. In all fairness, we are starting right at the bottom like most bands do. Nobody's been like, "Here ya go!" Play small shows...

...hit the road. Get some merch. Get some gigs.

Phillip: We're starting out like I've started every other band I've started. (laughs) I just love playing music ya know? I love playing at any level. There's certain things like yeah it would be nice to have a budget!(laughs) There are other times it is nice to start fresh and not have any expectations.

Austin: What is interesting to me about this band is Bianca. Oakskin has been together for about a year now.

Phillip: Yeah, about a year.

Austin: Before that, like she said we were rehearsing with some other projects. Until Oakskin she hadn't been in a band. Not trying to...

Bianca: ...no, it's fine. The other two bands I was in didn't play shows. It was just us trying to put music together.

Austin: So we have Bianca who is very new to it.

Bianca: This is my third show ever! Playing live, ever. (laughs)

Austin: I have been doing this fifteen years or so now. Phillip's experienced, he's been doing it for thirty years!

Phillip: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shushed you. I wanted to see where he was going with this. (laughs)

Austin: Well, for me seeing where you [Bianca] have come from and seeing where you [Phillip] have come from. You [Bianca] are still enthusiastic. Phillip and I get down and shit (laughs), because we are grumpy and run down. You [Bianca] are like, "No, we can do this!"

Phillip: That is true.

Bianca: (laughs)

Phillip: I think one of the funny things is yeah, she is starting fresh and I'm kind of old and grizzled. It's like I see everything ahead of me that's going to go wrong. This is going to wrong! This is going to go wrong! This is going to go wrong!

(laughs)

Bianca: I have bright eyes about everything. Everything is great, ya know? (laughs)

Phillip: It's been fun, I will say that.

Bianca: I love doing music with y'all, for real!

Phillip: It's being done for the right reasons. It's really nice.

Down the road, you guys will release a full-length proper, right?

Phillip: We were going to do an EP and then we were like, "Let's just keep going and make an album."

Bianca: We have at least three more songs to write and we'll have an album.

Nice. Can't wait!

Bianca: It will come out whenever we feel like it!(laughs)

Austin: It will be four gatefold 12" LP's!

It's going to be a double live album! (laughs)

Bianca: (laughs)

Phillip: In reality, it will be a Bandcamp download! (laughs)

It was good catching up with you guys and seeing you live again.

Bianca: Thank you for coming to see us. Genuinely, thank you!

Is there anything that you guys would like to plug or push?

Well it depends on when this comes out!

Bianca: (laughs)

Right on! Fair enough! I still need to put the Starkfest interview out there. Guilty as charged!

Phillip: That was not a dig.

It's fine. I really want to get that one out there.

Austin: We have a show in Atlanta in two days.

Bianca: Yeah we are playing SlaughterQUE.

Hell, yeah. I saw the post for that on Facebook. It's two days right?

Bianca: If you would have liked, commented, and shared you could have won two free tickets!

What? Goddamnit!

Bianca: Only fifteen people did that.

I think I shared it. I saw it.

Phillip: You forgot to like it. (laughs)

Bianca: We had very strict rules about it.

Yeah I was smoking in the boys room when you were talking about the rules! I'll share it, but I'm not going to "like" it. I like those guys and everything! (laughs)

Bianca: (laughs)

Phillip: We have a couple shows coming up.

Austin: Next month.

Bianca: Our video was adorable, because we had a lot of cats. Our cats are very cute, too!

Phillip: If anything it was a statement: "We don't give a fuck!" (laughs)

Bianca: And also we love cats.

Phillip: Love cats, yeah.

Bianca: We love Halloween and cats.

Phillip: That is a true statement. Our house has a ridiculous amount of cats right now.

Oh no!

Bianca: We don't have like thirty or anything. We have four.

If you get over fifteen cats, you have to get the crazy cat lady action figure. (laughs) I'm not sure, I will check the handbook.

Phillip: One of our cats got stuck in a tree.

Bianca: To be fair, this cat's name is Siren. He never shuts up. He is constantly meowing.

Phillip: So Siren gets stuck in a tree. We couldn't find him.

Bianca: The way we found him was because he is so loud, the neighbors behind us heard him.

Phillip: Here's the funny story. The tree the cat got stuck in was at a cat person's house. They had over thirty cats!

Austin: They were rescue cats.

Phillip: Lucky for that cat he was way up there.

Bianca: 25 feet up in the tree!

Phillip: We were calling people to get him out and none of us could afford that.

Bianca: That guy had a tree climbing friend.

Wow!

Bianca: That cat is so lucky! We're so broke. You have to pay the fire department two hundred and fifty dollars to get a cat out of a tree.

Jesus Christ!

Phillip: I had no idea our neighbor had that many cats!

Bianca: That cat does not want to go outside anymore! So anyways we love cats. (laughs)

Well, that will make a great shirt, some Oakskin stickers maybe. Huh?

Phillip: The next shirt will be a cat stuck in an oak tree.

Austin: That's wilder than a cat going up a tree.

Bianca: Austin knows all these southern sayings. Phillip and I are from the south and we don't know what he's saying.

Austin: No one has ever heard all the sayings I know.

I am from the south, as well. I had a book of old southern laws and some of it was ridiculous, some very bizarre. Thanks a lot guys! I appreciate it!

Phillip: Thank you so much!

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[grimelords]

My September playlist is here, 37 songs from opera to bossa nova to a song about marrying Tom Collins to thank him for the sips. I’m hopeful there’ll be at least one thing in here you’ll enjoy

Been Drinkin’ Water Out Of Hollow Log - Mississippi Fred McDowell: I love this song because every other version I’ve ever heard sings it as ‘I’ve been drinking muddy water, sleeping in a hollow log’, but straight up drinking out of the log sounds so much better. Also I just found out that this version I’ve loved for years was the original Alan Lomax recording and not a later one like I’d assumed, which is nice!

Tom Collins - The Sloppy Boys: I have not been able to get this song out of my head since I heard it. “I sent an edible arrangement to my travel agent because they had free booze on the carnival cruise” is a masterpiece of rhyme and the way he screams “hold him in my grips!” is just perfect.

What Means Of Witchery - Gospel: This is a perfect song. I think it’s criminal that Gospel aren’t more widely known and I think I’ve decided to make it my life mission to spread the word. The gospel of Gospel if you will. You don’t have to. I had a long daydream a little while ago about transcribing the drums in this song, which feels like an unresolved brain problem but exemplifies just how much I love it.

A Saint Among Madmen - Helen Of Troy: This is the band the drummer from Gospel was in before Gospel and they’re really really good. This sort of spoken word song is hard to pull off without sounding totally corny and I think him being so low in the mix really helps. It reminds me of some early At The Drive-In instrumental wise. The way it finally kicks off, and the sort of yelping desperate tone to the screams in the second half is just so satisfying.

shimripl casual - Autechre: Another cut I enjoyed from Autechre’s immense new album as I work on comprehending it. I like this song because it sounds like a field recording of a prototype mechanical swamp.

New Rules - Dua Lipa: This song feels like it deserves a marching band. There's just so much going on rhythmically, the dancehall rhythm at the centre of it is constantly augmented by all sorts of other percussion, the great snare work throughout, the perfectly formed tiny fill that introduces the chorus, it's just an absolute feast. I only found out the other day that the guy who produced this, Ian Kirkpatrick, also did Bad Liar - what a year for Ian!

My Girls - Tears For Fears: Hey Tears For Fears did a cover of My Girls by Animal Collective and this might be controversial but I think it's better than the original. It tightens up the structure and differentiates the sections a bit, so that it changes from a slow building jam into an odd pop song. They also draw out the harmonies more so that you really notice how funny it is to sing 'my father's graaave' over and over in a big bass under everything.

Crosses - Zero 7 and Jose Gonzales: Sia's career from before she was world-famous Sia is so interesting because she had like a full 15 years of being notable around the world in a bunch of different ways before it all coalesced into Big Sia. She was a backing vocalist in Jamiraquai's band for god's sake. She also was the de facto vocalist of this downtempo band Zero 7 for three albums, but she's not on this song but Jose Gonzales also sang on about half the songs on this album is! This is a remix/cover of his solo song Crosses but this version really shows the song in a whole different light to the original.

Napoleon Solo - At The Drive-In: Years ago in high school one of about 5 videos I had on my iPod was this version of Napoleon Solo from 2001 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nlfmqsx1r0 and I would watch it over and over and over. It's also a good example of why Cedric's lyrics are like they are. He just talks like that. He says things like 'they had the acme weight dropped on them' to describe his friends who died in a car crash and you just have to go along with it.

Act Three: No. 27 - A Real Slow Drag - Scott Joplin: Did you know Scott Joplin, the man behind everyone's favourite song The Entertainer, wrote TWO operas?? Because I didn't. One of them is unfairly lost to history but the other, Treemonisha, was written in 1911 but not properly performed until the Joplin renaissance in 1972. This is the big finale and it's partly because of the performance but partly because of the way he wrote it but it feels a lot more modern than any other operas I've heard from the era. Even though it is mostly a march, it feels like melodically and structurally he's drawing on pre-blues and gospel music in a way that presages rock and roll and the influence it's had on all music since - it feels more like a musical than an opera.

Celia - Cults: Cults have a new EP and it's an entirely different sound for them. Pounding, dark, Ochestral Manouveurs In The Dark type synths under their best lyrics in a long time.

Sharp Dressed Man - Xiu Xiu: Xiu Xiu did this ZZ Top cover for The AV club and I absolutely love it. It sounds like Queens Of The Stone Age if Josh Homme’s charisma stat overflowed and reset back to 0. This recording they did later is is great but the original video is even better https://youtu.be/0SG6yDSbtxULazy 

Nina - Greg Phillinganes: This was a recommendation from my friend and yours @megapope and thank god he did because I've had it stuck in my head all month. Written by Donald Fagen from Steely Dan for Michael Jackson's keyboard player's solo album, a true behind-the-scenes hit.

Gobbledigook - Sigur Ros: I was thinking about how after Takk Sigur Ros got so big and famous and rich off advertising money for their beautiful music and then made the best move possible and pivoted abruptly away from ethereal graceful floating melodies hung from the moon by a gossamer string to good old fashioned stompers made of wood. This is another in my very short playlist of songs like this and The Dodos first album where the driving rhythm plus acoustic guitars are the centre of it all. A little genre that I think has a lot left in it to explore.

Betty Dreams Of Green Men - Guerilla Toss: This feels like the energy drink version of Aqua by Eurythmics from last month's playlist. This sounds like BATS to me and I'm excited because there's not enough music like this around. Extremely energetic power music about some kind of 1950s alien invasion.

#NeverUseTheInternetAgain - Homeboy Sandman and Edan: I love this song. It starts out with a sentiment everyone can agree on (facebook sucks, the internet is bad) and quickly veers into 50 year old man gripes (GPS has ruined everyone's sense of direction? you should order pizza over the phone? match.com??) but it's got such conviction in the hook that I'm sold anyway and have pledged to #neverusetheinternetagain.

Vanishing Hour - Helen Of Troy: This is another Helen Of Troy song but it basically sounds like an unheard Gospel song, which is incredible new for me; the guy who will never stop tracking down every cassette and live recording they ever did. I don't know how the membership of Helen Of Troy went beyond sharing a drummer but the vocalist of Gospel is unmistakably in the mix here and it sounds fantastic.

Canon x Love S.O.S. - Justice: Another great cut from Justice's new sort of live album. This whole album has really made me appreciate Love S.O.S. a lot more. It comes back two or three times and I'm grateful every time. It's a perfect glam rock sentiment. Sending a love ambulance because there's a love emergency happening.

Mariners Apartment Complex - Lana Del Rey: I feel like we don't deserve new Lana yet. I'm so grateful but I'm still getting over Lust For Life and she's going to do this to me? Amazing.

I Got Cash - Brooklyn Funk Essentials: Another @megapope find. Perhaps the most powerful song I've ever heard, in the sense that I feel like I'm being personally admonished throughout. The power structures at play here are towering and the beat.. it's funky.

Pray - Jungle: Jungle flat out released five (5) singles before their album came out and they were all so amazing that I was worried they wouldn't have anything left for the actual album but guess what: the whole thing is absolutely gold, and especially this last song Pray. The feeling I get from the hook into the big drop feels like being dropped bodily into a big tub of honey, if there was a way that that could feel good instead of terrifying. It’s just luscious.

Sad Rude Future Dude - Ball Park Music: I googled “haven’t had a friend in years” trying to remember what this song was called and became instantly suicidal at the sheer amount of reddit threads that phrase returned. Which is I suppose exactly what this song’s about: posting on reddit about how the internet has ruined my relationships and brain, but in a very upbeat, singalong way. This song is a good example of how a dynamic drummer can completely elevate a song to another level.

Knuck If You Buck - Crime Mobb: Knuckle up if you're buck wild it's Crime Mobb. The best named crew since Ruff Sqwad. The two women in this (Princess and Diamond) absolutely carry the whole song. Everyone else has got such a mopey boring flow but they both come in so lively and so aggressive you cannot get away from it. Is there a more powerful opener than "I come in the club, shaking my dreads, throwing these bows and busting these heads"? Is there a better line in general than "Crime Mob, it ain't no stopping, it be like Saddam Hussein, Hitler and Osama Bin Laden"?

Deixa - Toquinho: I'm quickly becoming one of these 'the end is near' sandwich board guys grabbing people on the street and yelling at them except about bossa nova. It is criminal how much this whole genre has been reduced to funny elevator music or The Girl From Ipanema as ironic intermission music when it has stuff like this to offer us. I really recommend this whole album, I've been obsessed with it over the last couple weeks and it's just breathtaking start to finish.

The Way - Friends: This band's spotify page is good because it's full of absolutely no-name recordings of Blank And Friends that have fucked up their tagging. Anyway I have never heard a song like this, and I didn't think it was possible to use big 80s pinch harmonic guitars like this but they pulled it off in an absolutely beautiful way.

Mass Grave - Health and Soccer Mommy: Corrin Roddick of Purity Ring produced this new Health song which brings the degrees of separation between Health and Katy Perry down to a thrilling 1 since Purity Ring did two songs on her new album. This really does sound like Health covering a Purity Ring song and that's excellent news in my book. I don't know much about Soccer Mommy but this song has definitely inspired me to check her out so I'll undoubtedly report back on that next month.

(two circles) - Boredoms: I only just made the connection that Yamantaka Eye from Boredoms is the same Eye from from Hanatarash who famously drove a bulldozer through the back wall of a venue as part of a performance. Which I mention only because it really exemplifies just how much of a change of direction Vision Creation Newsun is from all that, just ten years later he's in a totally different direction of building something beautiful instead of tearing music (and buildings) apart at the seams. Nobody knows how to describe this album, it's space rock it's post rock it's experimental but it has something that a lot of that music doesn't - positivity. This whole album is a sun-worshipping positive fever without ever feeling lost or meandering.

Centreline - Ava Luna: I'm mad at this song. At about 1:15 they do an extremely satisfying thing sing the 'line' in 'centre line' in a deep bass and it sounds great. Then every other time that section comes around they either don't sing it or there's something else going on that obscures it and it blueballs you for the whole rest of the song. Other than that it's good, but i'm at war with this song.

Venice Bitch - Lana Del Rey: I am so excited that Lana Del Rey is finally embracing the most often ignored part of americana and facilitating a jam band. This is the last thing I would expect from Jack Antonoff but he did amazingly. It sounds closer to Ultraviolence era than anything else she's done and I'm just plain excited to see what the album is going to be like if this is any indication.

Act 1 Scene 4: This Is Monstrous, Wozzeck! - Alban Berg: I found an english version of Wozzeck and it's one of the best opera recordings I've ever heard. It's just plain mixed and recorded well, which is a rarity when a lot of opera recordings seem like they just hung a single mic somewhere at the back of the theatre and pressed the button. Anyway here's the good bit from Wozzeck where Wozzeck goes to the doctor and the doctor yells at him for "Pissing! Pissing there on the pavement!" See, opera’s fun!

Pop Roll Flow - Clypso: I heard this song on Unearthed when they had Nick Littlemore from Pnau guest programming and I love it. It feels brand new and very familiar at the same time, every sound in it is in absolute hypercolour, and the verse vocal sounds like a cool insect is singing at me. What's not to love!

I Might Survive - Architecture In Helsinki: I always feel like Arcitechture In Helsinki are poised to make like Portugal The Man and have an international superhit off their seventh album. They have been consistently reinventing their brain of weirdo-pop every single album for 15 years now and it feels like they've still got so much more to give. This song especially deserved to be a hit in my opinion, it's pop perfection and I've come around from hating to completely loving the little 'than alive baby!' adlib near the end.

Angels - The xx: My two best friends got married to each other this month and it was beautiful. What's more, she picked the perfect song to walk down the aisle to. I'm so happy to see two of the people I love the most in love with each other, and also when I drove them to their suite after the reception my phone accidentally started playing Merzbow's new album which was good.

Jesus Was A Cross Maker - Judee Sill: I'm so glad I found out about this album. Judee Sill had a crazy life, and her wiki page is a ride but unlike a lot of musicians with a back story her music stand alone - unique, rich and beautiful. Tightly structured and thoughtfully composed for such hippy-dippy christian mythology themes, and melodically beautiful even when her voice isn't quite up to the task. It really does feel like the spirit was moving through her. This song in particular is amazing I have been straight up listening to it on repeat. The phrasing is insane, the self-harmonised vocals sound like they're phasing in a very cool way, the violins break into a Bach figure halfway through - it's just amazing. I cannot stop listening. I've also started a playlist of this, Jesus Is A Dying Bedmaker by John Fahey and Jesus Came To My Brithday Party by The Middle East so I'm absolutely 'on one' as the kids say.

Rappers Convention - Harlem World Crew: another thanks to @megapope for bringing this incredible moment to my attention. A very early rap song that was recorded in the middle of the Iranian hostage crisis and helpfully gives a complete breakdown of the situation in the opening verse before getting back to basics and detailing how much they love partying for the remaining 5 minutes. Music is truly incredible. 

I Need A Lover - John Mellencamp: I'm learning a lot about John Mellencamp this week. Apparently this song was originally on the album 'A Biography' in 78 that didn't get a release in the US because his first album did so badly, but I Need A Lover was a top ten hit here in Australia and was thusly included on his next album a year later and blew up in the US. The other surprising thing is the album version, this version, has a fully two minute long intro before it gets to the song.

High (feat. Elton John) - Young Thug: The Lil' Nutsack song that makes Dewey Cox famous again in Walk Hard is real now and it's good as fuck.​

listen here

[miamaroo]

Northern Migration- Chapter 26 (Notes + Preview)

I hope you’re having a good holiday season, because I am currently lost in the sauce and I don’t know how to get back up. Either way, we’re going to be updating this a little bit sooner than I really should because I need the validation or something like that. Huh. Remember that this right here is brimming with a whole heck of a lot of spoilers, so beware!

Spoilers!

I am in the very unique position of being the only TAZ writer who has no idea how to write Angus. I definitely have his speech patterns pretty incorrect, like I’m certain he does not sound half as formal as I’m writing him to be. I think the problem is that since Stevie is the immature, pseudo-realistic 10 year old character, putting a cartoony genius character of the same age in the same story feels off. Now the solution to that would be to adjust Angus’s character so that he’s also more childlike, but I guess I’m just in too deep now to change anything.

I could probably get away with claiming that his formalness is a defense mechanism for being in a situation where he doesn’t feel safe. Whether I go with that reasoning or not has yet to be determined.

Shoving in a mention of Brian as someone who tried uncovering information about the Grand Relics was probably the least smooth I’ve ever been with these kinds of things.

I think in another like, Stevie would like Angus as a human being and would probably enjoy having him as a friend. As it stands now, she’s a bit too wound up by everything to not be on the defensive at all times.

Also shoutout to everyone who thought Stevie was swearing out Taako. Nope, it’s another ten year old!

And if I haven’t already butchered Angus enough, I will also concede that him realizing that they aren’t evil enough to agree to team up with them was also done really poorly. I will probably find some chapter in the future where that switch in perspective is explored more deeply.

Bane’s still relevant. Just in case you forgot.

So after 26 chapters, I’m finally giving Killian some love and attention. The upcoming arc is going to deal a lot with her past and how she came upon her mission to get rid of the Grand Relics, so I’m super excited for what’s to come. I still wish I had enough sense to squeeze more about her in sooner, but to tell the truth, there have been a few times where she’s vaguely mentioned a key part of her backstory that I don’t think anyone has really caught onto yet. I think it’s going to be fun to learn the complete tale and just be like “huh. that’s why she brought that up.”

As before mentioned in an earlier chapter, Killian forgot Brian so the person in her past she’s struggling to pin a name to is him.

Carey’s here and still relevant! I would not be a good TAZ writer if I didn’t let these two girls get together. Considering how much of this story I have left and hundred other plot threads I’m tackling, I’m probably not going to get them to the marriage level by the end, but goddamnit am I going to try to get them as far along as I can!

I’m also really bad at flirting in general, so who even knows if Killian and Carey’s flirting is as cute and awkward as I think it is.

Barry is not capable of growing a beard, but he can swing a mustache. The problem is that it always looks like a pornstache and everyone hates it.

That is Ren’s canonical last name, according to the Mysterious Package Company’s Taako’s School bundle.

Everything about the moon is a case study of how not to be subtle about worldbuilding, but I’ll be damned if I was just gonna dump like 500 words down the drain.

And I need to stop writing song lyrics. This is not a musical and I’m not good at them.

I think Barry is this weird combination of being calculating because he can perceive a lot about others but also awkward because he’s not really aware of how much more perceptive he is than the average person. He’s a smart dude and kinda forgets that not everyone is on his level.

I have big plans for Johann for the future of this fic, so I’m trying to start pushing him and his emotional journey to the forefront, meaning that I can now start addressing questions like how does Johann feel about being rescued in part by someone he cognitively knows is one of the bad guys.

A lot of people have rightly been asking me why Julia and Davenport haven’t tried to undo the damage Wonderland caused via the Oculus. I am willing to admit that I initially figured that my reasoning with the broken bonds was obvious, but naturally I realized that I was wrong. I was super duper wrong. So here’s your in universe explanation.

For those who wants an explanation not through the lense of Merle: the Animus Bells breaks bonds, and since the Oculus can’t repair those bonds (especially with how thoroughly Edward and Lydia approached these things), any attempts of recreating missing limbs will ultimately not work. So for Davenport’s hand, the bond that allows Davenport to have a right hand is broken, so no hand can be added to his right side. Technically, can he give himself a gun for a hand? Yes, but let’s not. 

This chapter is a little weird because it has Davenport using texts to convey his thoughts, as a general note, I am having a fun time trying to figure out what body language I can give him that conveys what dialogue would normally do. In a way, it’s a fun writing exercise.

Davenport’s emotional recovery is going to be an up and down battle, but at least he’s starting it.

I came up with Merle’s speech at the end there all the way back before I even had that scene with a possessed Taako taunting Julia in the bar. And I’ve been hanging onto it for so long, just waiting for the moment I could write it down here and get it out of my system. And I’m just happy that it exists on paper now and I can stop worrying that I’m going to forget parts of it. 

Hopefully, I’ll be ready to update again either before the New Years or just in time for the one year anniversary of this fic. I honestly can’t believe that I’ve really been working on this for so long, and I hope that this thing will be finished before we see birthday number 2.

Here’s the preview of the next chapter:

Chin balanced on hand, Taako leans into the table and watches the scene before him break down—Angus, trying to heave a stack of books to the chalkboard Lucretia had set up in the kitchen while Stevie blocks his path. Both of them are tiny little twerps, but Stevie rocks onto the tips of her toes, holding the flat of her hand to the tip of her head as she tries to measure herself to Angus. “C’mon,” she whines. “I just wanna check!”

“Please— I have very important work I need to be doing right this moment,” Angus says, trying to look over the topmost book on the stack. His glasses threaten to fall off his nose.

Stevie jams her hand on top of his head, trying to keep him pinned in place. “Stop moving!”

Angus leans over, giving the nearest adult a pleading look. Considering that Lucretia went with Davenport to look for a few documents in his office, that meant Taako. “Um, please sir? A little hand?”

“Yeah!” Stevie crosses her arms over her chest, puffing out her chest in a huff. “You judge. Who’s taller?”

Rolling his eyes, Taako slinks to his feet. “Alright. If it gets you two to shut up already. Get back to back…” Angus puts his books down, making sure to stand with his back as straight as possible as Stevie practically bounces in her places. Taako circles them like a shark, finger on chin as he hums. “Hmm, this is a tough one.” They’re fairly close in height, but Taako knows which answer he should give if he wants the max amount of entertainment for the next few days. But when he places his hand on their heads, he realizes he doesn’t even need to lie.

He hides his grin, trying to look pensive as he steeples his fingers over his mouth. “I see.”

Stevie is all but buzz, trying to get her own hand in a position that shows the height difference that she can also see. “Spill it! Who’s taller?”

“There’s no easy way of saying this, but it looks like Angelo here just the tinniest, uh, slimmest bit taller.”

“It’s Angus, sir,” Angus chimes.

Stevie freezes. “Huh? No way!” She twists between him and Angus, frustration building on her face. “But—but—but I’ve always been the tallest in my class!”

[...]

Angus stares at her for a long moment, blinking as he puzzles through his situation. Taako can practically see the math around his head melt away the moment the lightbulb goes off. “Oh, I get it!” Angus grins, pointing a finger up like a real nerd. “You’re jealous I get to help while you’re still grounded.”

Stevie stares.

“Don’t worry,” Angus rambles, reaching for his stacks of books once more. “I’m sure you’ll get the opportunity to help in due time, though I’m not sure where since, while I don’t know you well, I get the sense that you don’t have any particular skills that could aid us—”

Stevie jumps onto him, tackling Angus into his stack of books. 

[loveiscosmicsin]

Hey if it's alright Ignoct and the letter V. Have a nice day and happy belated New Years.

Send me character(s) and a letter and I’ll write you a minific!

For @deepwolfwolf: IgNoct, letter V. An Abandoned or empty place. Happy Belated New Year’s to you, too! I hope you enjoy my writing and thank you for your patience! Anything you request isn’t a bother to me at all. Also, please, anyone, give me song recommendations for IgNoct. I’ve been making a playlist on YouTube. I really like “Dernière Danse” (Last Dance) by Indila for this couple.http://lyricstranslate.com/en/dernière-danse-last-dance.html

Art that inspired me, please don’t click on them until after you finish reading!: https://mobile.twitter.com/FFikaika_/status/816753648260681729

@ruebird’s http://ruebird.tumblr.com/post/157210311094/stars-are-their-thing

@ravitae’s http://ravitae.tumblr.com/post/157747269898/ignoct-may-i-ask-for-one-last-dance

@letshareapapou then drew this after reading the fic https://twitter.com/Letshareapapou/status/855947679796404224

This is also posted on my Ao3 as Look How The Stars Shine For Us if you prefer reading fics off there.

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Your shoulder blades
Your eyes ablaze
The way you throw your head back
When you’re losing faith
But finding hope
It lights your face
That helps me cope
Through all of this without a kiss
And I get through all of this without a kiss

From the atlas
Take me far
Leave me reckless
Off the map
Turn the paper
Don’t bring me back- “Atlas” by Shannon Saunders

-

V. An abandoned or empty place

-

“Sure ya wanna head out all on your lonesome?” Cidney asked as she pulled the service truck to a stop.

“Yes. It’s nearly time.” Ignis answered before turning to face the head mechanic. “Will you be all right waiting?”

“Now don’t ya worry about lil’ ol’ me.” The plucky blonde’s cheerfulness was nearly palpable and a paper bag crinkled as she stroked it. “If you don’t need me, I’m finally gonna chow down on these purdy sweets an’ listen to some tunes ‘til you get back.”

“I see,” the strategist smiled, pleased that she had been anticipating his renowned memory lane pastries far more than she alluded. He knew now that bribery was unnecessary. “You have my thanks.”

“Ain’t no trouble. It’s nice to be away from the garage for a spell.” The sound of rubbing leather was soft as the woman adjusted her seat. “Sure is gorgeous out here.” Cidney whistled sharply. “Not a single cloud in the sky and the wind won’t be picking up. Perfect weather for stargazing.”

Ignis had his hand on the door handle, but made no move to turn it. “Indeed.” He agreed, distant. He had requested for the mechanic’s assistance, there was no turning back now or he would surely regret it.

Cidney’s hand was on his shoulder, giving it a firm, but playful shove. “Well, best get movin’. Give my regards to His Majesty.”

At the mechanic’s encouragement and behest, Ignis’ feet landed flatly on solid earth and the door shut behind him. The strategist had his doubts but entrusting Cidney, an unlikely confidant, was a wise choice. She understood how important his date was and needed little persuasion to take him there.

Sediment crunched under his shoes and loose rocks evaded him as he walked towards his destination, a cliff overhanging Duscae. It was a brief journey that required moderate exertion on Ignis’ part but worth it when he was blessed with the sight of a young man seated on a blanket. The older man intended on surprising him, but a snap of a twig betrayed him.

“You finally showed,” the raven-haired man said over his shoulder, his eyes seemed to encapsulate Ignis on the spot. “Thought I’ve been stood up.”

Ignis pursed his lips. “And since have I ever done that, Noct?”

“Got me there.” Noctis chuckled softly before noticing something was off. “What’s that look for? Forgot something?”

“I, ah, no,” Ignis patted his pockets, an obvious lie. “It’s nothing.” He couldn’t believe he had forgotten it.

“Okay,” Noctis snorted, darting glances from the strategist’s face and his pants as the brunet sat down. “Have it your way.”

Ignis sighed, holding up a paper bag and thermos he had been carrying. “I believe these would keep your interest more effectively.”

Noctis studied his face for a moment longer before claiming the bag. “Knew I smelled something tasty.” He grinned, tossing the sweet in the air and catching it. “Haven’t had these in a while. They’re really for me?”

Noctis moaned into the first bite, his dark eyebrows raised as he savored the pastry. He dove back into the confection with a vengeance and quickly devoured it. Sugar and Ulwaat jam coated the bow and corners of his lips and he wiped at them with a sleeve.

Ignis sighed as he took Noctis by the wrist and folded back a cuff. “Do mind your manners, Noct. I brought napkins for a reason.” Something metallic glittered in the moonlight. “You’re wearing it…”

“This? Saw you fiddling with it and thought it’s meant for me. You didn’t have to get me anything, Iggy.”

“I had to get you something. It’s a charming accessory that would meet your refined tastes at the very least.” Etro knew Ignis tried in vain countless times in persuading Noctis to wear a watch.

“I think we both know that I’ve worn too many of those to last a life time.” Noctis replied with a snort. “One family ring’s enough. But… I’ll keep this bracelet. Kinda forgot it was on me anyway.”

Ignis was unwilling to not let this go until Noctis admitted he liked it. “And because it suits your fancy?”

Noctis threw his arms behind his head, a light blush dusted his cheeks. “Yeah, that too.” He flipped the lid on the thermos open and took a sip. His eyes lit up before downing a gulp, exhaling sharply. “Whoa, it’s Ebony and it’s exactly how I take it.”

“If you can call it that. If you ask a connoisseur, they would say your taste buds are forever ruined to appreciate a perfectly good cuppa.”

“Well, you’re the one who prepared it, Iggy.” Noctis pointedly jabbed a pastry in the strategist’s direction. “Broke your own rules there.”

A float of sweet cream accompanied by several dollops of sugar was how Noctis took his coffee. Far too sweet for human consumption. He hated the way coffee tasted, but drank it because of the sophistication appeal, proclaiming it was a step up from the Purple Phoenix and trendy energy drinks. Diluting the bold flavor of Ebony coffee went against Ignis’ incorrigible creed. Having his coffee black was the only acceptable way in Ignis’ world. But despite all that, Ignis would vehemently prepare a cup that Noctis would approve of and drink it whenever he thought of him. It would’ve been a waste to dump it down the drain otherwise.

After Ignis nibbled on his first pastry and Noctis wolfed down on second, the younger man rose to his feet and dusted crumbs off his clothes before offering a hand. “Can I have this dance?”

“Without music? This is rather daring of you.”

“We’ll improvise.” The king paused before cursing, “Dammit. Forgot my phone. We’ll just go without it. Are you going to take my hand or not?”

Ignis took the hand and let the younger man guide him away from the blanket.

“I don’t trust myself after last time,” Noctis rested his palms on Ignis’ waiting hands. “You lead.”

When he was the Crown Prince, Noctis was required to excel at all forms of dance and despite having mastered agility in combat, he was utterly helpless in the ballroom. Ignis must’ve made a poor teacher because Noctis never quite improved, but he was relaxed and there were least cases of foot injuries under his guidance. It had been years since they had last danced together.

Ignis secured Noctis’ right hand and placed his other hand on his upper back. “Don’t look at your feet. Focus on counting your steps and you’ll do fine.”

Noctis gave him a sheepish grin, his stance spoke volumes of his uneasiness. “As if I can keep my eyes off you, Ignis.” He put a hand on the strategist’s shoulder.

Their starlit waltz was a simple one though in the beginning, they were like stiff figurines going through steps that they had done numerous times. Ignis was educated in both lead and follow designations and could alternate on cue. He could read immediately on Noctis’ face that he regretted suggesting this activity. Worrying on his next step was throwing him off rhythm, he wasn’t trusting his partner. Ignis decided to switch it up, no longer their postures were restrained, they were in a more loose position.

Noctis’ eyes widened at this. They were deviating from the strict protocol, but Ignis wasn’t done there. Side to side, backwards and forwards, they maintained a synchronized rhythm that suited the both of them. The strategist lifted a hand, signaling the king to turn, circling a halo around his head. Noctis laughed as he turned, returning to Ignis afterwards.

As the two danced, Ignis felt all the years they had together weigh heavily upon his shoulders. The strength of their unspoken bond became more profound in their movement. Their gazes had a million words to illustrate just how they revered each other in the highest regard.

Ignis brought Noctis close after a tighter and swifter turn. He smiled as he leaned in close. “I’ve underestimated you. Your footwork has—”

“Improved?” Noctis asked, hopeful.

“Worsened.” Ignis informed with a smirk. “Though you rightfully earned a gold star for effort.”

“Yeesh.” The king groaned, throwing a betrayed look. “And here I thought that I could impress you for once.”

So that’s why Noctis took the initiative. It must’ve been difficult for him to ask.

“Oh, but you have in so many ways. Be it in a room full of people or simply the two of us, I’d always pick you in a heartbeat.” Ignis swayed his hips and concluded the dance. “You’re my partner of choice.”

“Well, likewise,” Noctis bowed to demonstrate his appreciation. “You make me look good.”

“And just that?” Ignis asked, studying the exhilaration and delight in his king’s features. They both knew that it wasn’t the only reason.

Noctis smirked, but offered no reply as he swept his bangs back. “What I wouldn’t give for another moment with you.”

“I’m curious. What would you give?”

“I…” Noctis began before a red light streaked across the sky. “It’s starting.”

It was a meteor shower, an vast array of light shot out from all directions. For once, they were in perfect clarity because the two men were far away from the city lights and the moon couldn’t drown them out.

“Whoa, that’s gonna be a night to remember.” Noctis said lying on his back, he was in awe of the universe.

Ignis made an amused sound. “You say that every year.”

“Anticipation makes the wait feel longer.” Noctis argued as he marveled at heavens above. “Besides, can’t you agree with me for once?”

But Ignis was directing his attention to the man at his side. “The night sky pales in comparison to your radiance, my king.”

Sitting up, Noctis’ gaze met Ignis’, a slight quirk in his eyebrow. “Are we still looking at the same ‘night sky’ here, Specs?” He articulated with a smirk and a nudged the brunet’s arm with his shoulder.

Warmth from Noctis’ body permeated to Ignis and the brunet drummed his fingers anxiously on whether to curl them around Noctis’ stationed hand or keep them to himself.

Noctis rested his cheek on Ignis’ shoulder. “Promise that we can do this again soon?”

“Of course,” Ignis choked out, his heart thundered against his rib cage. “but I thought routine would bore you a tad.”

“Routine’s not that bad.” The king replied as he glanced at Ignis. “Gladio wakes me at the crack of dawn for training and would surprise me with fishing right after that. When Prompto says we’re going on an adventure, he really means the rooftop of our old high school for movie night. And us…” He pointed out to stars, drawing lines with his finger, connecting the dots. “Stars are our thing. Look, they’re shining for us right now.”

Noctis’ grin was the last thing Ignis saw.

Darkness crept in the advisor’s vision, ending a pleasant, but short-lived reprieve. The brunet inhaled deeply as he removed his visor. He tilted his head toward the heavens, determined to force his ruined eyes to see what needed to be seen.

Noctis is Ignis’ other half that he had longed for.

And now Ignis was alone because where Noctis had gone was where the living couldn’t follow.

“That’s right,” Ignis voiced, moving constellations in his mind just so they formed a familiar visage. “If nothing else, you and I… We still have the stars.”

There was sorrow in Ignis’ heart that he only saw stars in his dreams. But when the inevitable dawn arrived, his memories became fleeting as the wisps of smoke from a extinguished camp fire. Ignis had seen the wonders of the universe, but the warmth of Noctis’ gaze was a spectacular wonder found no where else.

Conversations had played repeatedly in his head: one prior to leaving the Crown City for the first time, the pilgrimage to the Disc of Cauthess, the ultimatum on blind loyalties, and the final night before Eos was to be liberated from its plague. For ten years, light was consumed by the Starscourge and ashes rained, smothering crops and contaminating bodies of water. Stars were fondly recanted as phenomena of legend, children born during that time never would’ve known their glory. Humanity had to create their own flickering lanterns in the darkness to survive.

The four warriors of the tragedy, in their youthful naïvety, never knew that it took just one man to herald the Light.

All that time, Ignis thought his sworn duty was to guide a young king to his fullest potential. It should’ve been obvious when King Regis never pressed the issue of leadership and he chose to simply place Noctis in his chamberlain’s care. Ignis was a fool. Noctis never became the ruler he was meant to be and Ignis never quite expressed the truth within his heart. Duty had outweighed emotion and irrationality, above everything. If only they had more time together.

Ignis loved Noctis.

In his heart, Ignis was bound to meet Noctis many times just as they would have to part ways afterwards. Time was endless and infinite. It had to be.

Perhaps in another universe things could’ve gone differently. Somewhere, Ignis was together with Noctis again. In that imagined world, there was a Ignis Scientia and a Noctis Lucis Caelum who were able to marvel at the same sky, find themselves in the same constellation, and share visceral sentiments of peace and melancholy that was beyond comprehension. Their world. They would discuss their reality of lost possibilities and endless adventures, maybe go as far to planning trips to space one day. The nightly conversations, entertaining and far-fetched as they were, remained dreams.

Noctis wasn’t a dream. He existed. He lived. Ignis could see him and if he reached out to touch him, it would be the closest he would ever get. Noctis was Ignis’ home. Ignis would never let Noctis go unforgotten, true love never diminishes in remembrance. There had to be some way to commemorate him.

Remembering wasn’t difficult when Noctis had his own constellation in the sky. It was named after him, its appearance more evident after a meteor shower.

Galaxies were ever-changing, steadily drifting in course but the patterns remained the same should the strategist pinpoint the stars’ coordinates. Wherever he was, Ignis hoped that Noctis could look down and see the world he saved.

Maybe in a not-so-distant future and in another life, they could celebrate such a victory.

“Thank you, Noct, for bringing the stars back and… Happy Birthday. Shall we witness our first sunrise when the time comes?”