#I feel like I keep skipping significant moments in their growth bc I’m so used to how they’re /supposed/ to be

[dahldahlbills]

nano day 20-25

20- 1952

21- 771

22- 643

23&24- 0 (don’t look at meeee I didn’t have time lol)

25- 2233

Total word count: 32149, 25885 towards main wip (!!!)

I didn’t realize how many days had gone by without updating lol but it’s fine bc it’s not like anyone’s really keeping track

anyway it’s v apparent I’m not hitting the 50k BUT IT’S OKAY! I’ve made peace with it. It was p dumb of me to start the month going “I just wanna write as much as I can” bc obv I was setting myself up for disappointment. So if I’m able to reach just 30k on my main wip, I’ll be happy.

Also patting myself on the back for reaching +25k, I think the 30k will be v feasible with the remaining 5 days. That’s <1k a day!

Also finished the 12th scene! We’re over a third of the way through the project :D (which admittedly is around where I hit my typical story middle slump, but I’m hoping I can remain consistent after November)

[pdalicedraws]

I have both ‘significant time skip’ and ‘character redesigns’ on my bingo sheet, and realized that with the new ep coming out on Saturday it’s my last chance to take my own swing at what those designs could be! So here’s a shot at the gang, six months later, and some headcanons. 

(Yes, I know there’s a trailer and promo images out, and this might all already have been jossed, but don’t tell me so. I’m a liveblogger so I’ve been avoiding spoilers like the plague; I did briefly see the poster but all I saw was “spooky graveyard vibes and Luz is wearing a beanie”.)

Gus is not coping well and is trying to hide it. He knows about Grimwalkers and hasn’t told Hunter he knows— he’s not even sure Hunter knows— so he’s been holding that in, he’s the youngest, and he misses his dad, plus he feels guilty about everything from ‘I always wanted to go to the human realm so it’s somehow my fault we’re stuck here’ to ‘I cast the illusion that let Luz sneak out to the Head’. He’s had another growth spurt and become an absolute beanpole, and he also has a bunch of patchy facial hair starting to come in but he hides it with an illusion because he does not want to learn to shave from anyone but his dad. 

Hunter also had a massive growth spurt, but instead of regular Witch Puberty it’s just because he can actually digest the food here. He shot up and filled out and dyed a red streak into his hair with Amity’s semi-grudging help. He still cuts the underside short but has let the top grow out a bit, and wears it in a little topknot; he won’t admit why but everybody knows. He insisted on getting a part-time job, but he can’t have Flapjack with him on the clock so he wears one of their shed feathers. He likes wearing tight clothes, which is mostly genuine and because the pressure helps keep his scars from aching, but there’s also a little bit of the fact that he and Gus both had growth spurts and Camila doesn’t have a ton of money for new clothes. On the outside, it seems like he’s coping the best out of the group, but it’s pretty much just because his big brother instinct and guard training kicked in at the same time and he’s suppressing his own emotions for the sake of looking after everybody else. Eventually he’s going to crash. 

Luz is… a disaster. Girl already blames herself for everything, and at this point? Hell. She feels like she’s failing the only friends she has because they’re having trouble acclimating to the human realm, she’s terrified that Eda and King might be dead, that the whole isles might be destroyed, and because she’s her she’s pretty sure it’s all her fault. Her glyphs don’t work here, she’s remembering just how out of place she was at home, she’s watching her basilisk baby sister get along with humans better than she ever did, and it’s… rough. She’s putting all her energy into trying to find a way home. Well, the one other constructive thing she’s doing is that she’s picked up the clarinet again, which she used to play in sixth grade— she’s determined to be able to play something for Raine when they meet again. Which they definitely will. Eventually.  She’s the only one of the group who hasn’t let her hair grow out longer, which wasn’t planned, I just gave everyone else longer hair bc I’m salty about the omnipresence of ‘cut off a characters hair to show she’s Matured’

Amity is handling it. She’s okay. Well, she’s okay as could be expected, which isn’t really okay. She’s worried about Luz, she’s trying to make a good impression on Camila (she’s not really aware that she made a fantastic impression on the first day— not with her careful, heels-together, carefully rehearsed introduction in Spanish, though that was adorable, but with the moment she doesn’t know Camila saw when she was sitting with Luz, holding her hands in hers, whispering to her that she did everything right and they’d make it in the end). She’s studying up on all the human realm trivia she can find— they recognize her at the library— helping Camila with the house, being there for Luz, trying to be helpful in every way she possibly can. She’s been carefully maintaining her lilac hair with her natural brown underlayer, and she’s been helping Hunter and Willow with their streaks too. It makes her feel like she’s succeeding at something. 

Willow is being crushed on by every wlw in the greater Gravesfield area who doesn’t already have a partner, and she has no idea. That’s not relevant, though. She’s trying to be the strategizer and team leader, she’s trying to be mom friend, she’s trying to grow enough produce out behind the house to relieve Camila’s grocery bill, she’s trying to let Gus stop pretending he’s fine, she’s trying to keep it together. Hunter still calls her Captain, and it’s wonderful because it’s a sign of how much faith he has in her but it’s also a lot of pressure. She quickly learnt how to play human soccer and drags the others out for a kickabout every weekend in order to keep them all active, and because she remembers something Viney said once about endorphins. She’s been keeping a meticulous journal for the sake of telling her dads everything that’s happened, when she eventually sees them again. 

Vee is conflicted and feels bad about being conflicted. She genuinely adores Luz, she knows she’s such a good person, she’s so grateful for all her help, but she also fears that her return means that her space in the world is disappearing again. She’s changed her human appearance up a little— made her skin a touch darker, closer to Camila’s, given herself her spots back, made her hair the same blue as her ear frills in her true form. She’s also getting steadily femme-r as she differentiates herself from Luz, and has been watching a lot of 90s horror and getting style cues from the final girls. She spun a convoluted yarn to her friends about having been Parent Trapped as a wee child, raised by her and Luz’s crazy great-uncle, and taking her place at camp when she ran away to hang out with a friend out of state; they don’t believe a word of it but they don’t suspect the truth either, and if it turns out their friend is actually named Valentina, not Luz? They’re cool with that. Her sister’s fun too, but Vee is cooler. 

[byulsgrease]

Is it cool if I make a request? :D

Something with Byulyi & F!Reader (being really close friends for a long time w/ mutual feelings towards eachother) having their first kiss in the rain? Just fluffy stuff 😄

ahh beloved anon you read my mind bc I was recently thinking about kissing in the rain! probably cuz there's another heat wave incoming and I'm here wishing it would snow in the middle of august

the panoramic almost makes me miss pining/flirting, but I would 100% simp for any of my mutuals tbh 🤔

so yes, this req is very cool with me. helps break up the smut 😳 hope you enjoy :D

love's like a movie

(moonbyul x gender neutral reader, ~1.2k words)

cw: food mention, but what's new? pure fluff otherwise

a/n: been listening to movie by btob a little too much lately

Byulyi had always been a charmer with a heart of gold. Every girl she managed to befriend pined after her swagger, straight or not. People frequently wondered if they wanted to be with her, or just be her. Her greasiness never failed to garner an eyeroll from you at this point, wondering how people in her life were so taken by her silly girl-crush facade. Of course you found it hypnotizing and kinda hot just like everyone else, but it would inflate her ego a little too much for your liking if you ever let on.

Using each other's thighs as pillows to nap on. Buying each other coffee during busy weeks, having memorized each other's order. Being down to spend time together at any time, regardless of how mundane the occasion - everything from walking her dogs to running errands. Big bear hugs and pecks on the cheek during big triumphs, meaningful embraces and a listening ear during the hard times. Everything that comes with any long-term relationship, having known her now for longer than you could remember.

The confession, if you could even call it one, was more like a shared understanding. The first "I love you" exchange happened long ago in causal conversation. The intent behind it grew and changed alongside your growth as people, but the core significance of the phrase always remained. As the years rolled on it just became obvious that no one loved you like she did, and vice versa.

Of course the unspoken nature of the relationship sometimes begged more questions than answers. Your cryptic attempts at trying to figure out where her head was at were mostly countered with a wink and a non-answer, but you were pretty sure she was on the same page. But the tiniest doubt always seemed to creep in at the most opportune moments - and there was that constant nagging in your mind of whether you could stand to create an awkward situation, let alone lose her. But all the wondering and worrying occupied far too much of your brain space over time, so you finally resolved to put it to the test.

~~~

"I'm hungry but I don't wanna get up," she complains, body sprawled out on the couch, absentmindedly spinning her glasses in her hand. Glancing out the window, it's one of those weird days where the weather can't make up its mind. That type of partly cloudy that gives way to dark gray and showers, and then 15 minutes later it's sunny again, like the rain never happened. "I'd walk to the convenience store but don't wanna get caught in the rain. Murphy's law, right?"

"Yeah, but if you wanna go you should go now, the rain just let up." A garbled noise emanates from the couch, but she knows you're right. She suddenly raises her head to look at you, expression noticeably brighter.

"You'll come with, right? Let's go! You've been inside all day anyway."

"Fine, fine." How could you say no to her? a snack? You reach a hand out to her and she takes it to pull herself off the couch. Even a simple handhold makes your heart skip a beat after all this time. Your head subtly shakes, kicking yourself and wishing you could just keep cool like her rings touching your skin. Her hand stays in yours as you lead her to the door, just an excuse to hang on a little longer. It drops only for you to hand her a windbreaker hanging off a hook on the wall and putting your arms through the sleeves of your own, arms swishing against the smoothness of the waterproof fabric.

You're not outside for more than 5 minutes when the sky goes dark again. Byul marches on, determined to get her snack fix. She already left the house, no point in turning around now.

The surprisingly aggressive rain begins as you both scramble to get your hoods up, droplets pattering down onto your thinly covered heads. Should've brought an umbrella, but the store's not too much farther. Somehow the casual stroll silently transitions into a power-walk, shoes splashing puddle water that dots the cuffs of your jeans.

Completely unannounced, clouds suddenly part and the suggestion of sun rays peek through the sky. You stop in your tracks and stare at each other, incredulous at the sheer unpredictability of the weather. Shrugs are exchanged and you're absolutely soaked, socks squishing in your sneakers. But there's no one you'd rather be on this wild walk with. May as well finish what you started— or well, take your chances— on the weather and her.

She stares up at the sky with wonder through her dewy droplet-covered glasses. Can she see? It’s probably better if she can’t in case I embarrass myself. She chuckles, finally speaking. "Why do I feel like I'm in a mov—" Her comment abruptly ends when you find the courage to link both your hands behind her neck, your lips clumsily crashing into hers. She hums against you, surprised, before she processes what's happening and relaxes into you.

You pull back a little, noses just brushing. "Oops, sorry. Was supposed to be more graceful than that," you whisper meekly, eyes not daring to meet hers. Honestly, it came and went too quickly, your racing heart and mind forgot to enjoy the moment. Her hands find the small of your back to pull you in closer, a floaty feeling moving through you while resting your arms on her shoulders. Whether her touch calms you down or makes you want to set yourself on fire, you have no clue.

She grins and inquires, "Mm, like this?" The pads of her fingers on your back press in, tenderly bringing her lips back to meet yours. The softness and warmth from being pressed together has you absolutely melting into her, completely forgetting about getting drenched by the rain. How like her to show you up. But could you really complain about finally kissing the girl you had loved for so long?

Again, the moment feels fleeting when she pulls away, heat in your faces shared by your touching foreheads. It's silly, standing wrapped in each other's arms smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk. But you couldn't care less.

"I was saying, why do I feel l like I'm in a movie? At least, before you interrupted me," she chides sarcastically.

"You can't tell me it wasn't a welcome interruption." Her face scrunches, acknowledging your point but not wanting to concede.

"Certainly an unexpected one."

"So it is like a movie."

"I was talking about the weather," Your smile falls into a glower, pulling back to stare at her dead-on. She can't help but laugh at the corner she's talked you into, beaming proudly.

"I can't with you," giving her the biggest eyeroll and shaking your head incredulously, but that can't cover up the fluttery feeling that eventually grows into a dumb-founded grin. "Can we go get our snacks now?"

"Yeah, let's go before it starts raining again," giving a cautious glance to the sky. You swear you can hear her repeatedly humming "love's like a movie~" as you walk hand in hand towards the convenience store.

[ohsuperpup]

Interview with Samantha Landa of Dead Asylum By: Powell Boyer Death By Metal STL For the last four years I have been lucky enough to be able to attend 70,000 Tons of Metal. Many of you may know what it is, but for those of you who don’t it’s basically a heavy metal festival on a cruise ship. Every year we join 60 bands and thousands of metal heads and cruise. One of the many things that are great about 70,000 Tons is meeting so many people from all around the world. (I’ll share more about 70,000 Tons for you guys at a later time.) I met Samantha on my first cruise and I am very happy to have been able to catch up with her, and introduce the readers of Death By Metal STL to her band Dead Asylum. Dead Asylum was formed in 2011 and hails from Vancouver, Canada. They are a four-member group with Samantha Landa – Drums, Mike Lister - Rhythm guitar/Vox, Eric Morrison - Lead guitar and Roge Mowat - Bass/Vox. Having met Samantha, and spoken to her; I was really interested to hear her bands latest album “Death Always Wins.” I always try to go into it with an open mind, especially if I am friendly with the band on a personal level. I want to have my thoughts and opinions reflect that of a random listener, and not that of someone who is biased based on their personal relationships. At times it can be harder than others, so with that in mind I listened to it all the way through. After I listened to it, I started it over again from the beginning, then I watched the videos on their YouTube, then I searched through their Facebook and Website, and then finally I listened to their first album “General Carnage.” So suffice to say that I really enjoyed it and wanted to learn more about them, which tells me that this is a band that I could maintain being a fan of over time. I wanted to learn more about them and follow them closer; make an effort to see them when they came to town, learn their names, etc. For me, it wouldn’t be one of those bands that I would only enjoy once and that be the end of that. I could clearly see the growth between their junior and their sophomore albums, and they were significant enough for me to look forward to hearing the next. I think that if you are into Melodic Death and Thrash Metal then you should for sure give Dead Asylum a listen, or try to catch them on tour starting August 23rd. I’ll attach a link to their Tour dates below. They will be also be coming to my town September 12th, and I’ll have the opportunity to do an audio interview with Samantha, so look for that as well. As always I will post all of the bands information below. Please do yourselves a favor and give them a listen. Also, if there is something that you would like to know send me an email at Powelldeathbymetalstl@gmail.com and I will be happy to ask the band when they come through Southern California. Give their page a like, and keep up to date with their tour, videos and new music. I hope you enjoy this interview with Samantha Landa drummer for Dead Asylum. How did Dead Asylum become Dead Asylum? Mike (vox/rhythm guitar) and I knew each other from the scene and we started jamming and writing back in 2011. We put up an ad on Craigslist and found two other guys who were working on their own songs. We jammed a few times, had some beers, and realized that it was what we all needed at the time. So far what has been the response to your current album? People seem to love it, which is awesome! We really wanted this album to reach as many ears as possible. We’ve come a long way in the last few years, and ‘Death Always Wins’ best represents where we are right now. We’ve had a lot of reviewers say they liked it so much they had it on repeat and couldn’t get the riffs out of their heads. On the flip side, one guy in Germany hated it, and said he’d rather listen to the construction noise outside his window than Dead Asylum. But in our minds, a passionate hatred is better than a ‘meh What got you started playing the drums? When did you start, and who were your personal influences? I started drumming when I was 11 in elementary school concert band. I don’t really have a cool ‘origin’ story. I was more influenced by bands than by specific drummers. But I was inspired by Mercedes Lander (Kittie) because most of the bands I liked at the time were all dudes, and Mercedes was the one ‘girl drummer’ who was playing heavy stuff and kicking ass. Later on I was heavily influenced by Mike Portnoy. Can you tell me about what the metal scene is like in Vancouver? Relatively small (in terms of who comes out to the local gigs) but passionate. We don’t have many good metal venues and we’ve lost a few in the last couple of years, so we have to try really hard to make it happen. We have some great promoters and talented bands, as well as fans who provide awesome support (including some people who will go to most shows, regardless of who’s playing--now that’s dedication). But overall, we have so many incredible artists across most subgenres. Some are getting more much-deserved international recognition lately (UnUnleash the Archers, Archspire) and some stay underground. There’s a big doom/sludge scene here and lots of good thrash and death. What have you learned from your first album “General Carnage”, and how have you used those lessons in the production of your newest album “Death Always Wins”? On ‘General Carnage’, we decided to open the album with a slow intro/instrumental because we wanted to set the mood before launching into the songs. We realized this wasn’t a good idea. It didn’t represent the vibe of the rest of the album, and it wasn’t a strategic move for an unknown band’s first recording. People may have skipped the rest of our album after previewing the first track. You have to hit hard in the first 30 seconds, otherwise you’ll get ignored. With ‘Death Always Wins’, we chose our opening and closing tracks very carefully. We picked Defiance as the opener because it smashes you in the face from the get-go, it represents our style, it showcases all four musicians including the dual vocals, and so on. We decided to close with Inmate 666 because it has a different sound from our usual music (it’s straight up thrash) and it’s also a loud, fast, crazy track. It’s a short album...around 30 minutes...so why not start fast and crazy, and end fast and crazy? Maybe it’ll entice people to give it another spin. We write music we like, but we also try to write for the audience. What kind of riffs make people want to headbang harder? How can we get them to chant with us? It’s nothing new in metal, but we tried to plan carefully after ‘General Carnage’. If I were to turn on your car what band would I hear first? If I had a car, it’d probably be Mors Principium Est...I’m really digging them at the moment. When writing a new album is it a joint effort? I call the whole songwriting process a collaborative effort, although Mike brought forward most of the riffs for this album. A few of the tracks were also written partly by our former lead guitarist. I was on tour with another band for a few months, and during that time Mike was doing a lot of writing. He’d send the riffs to the rest of us and we’d listen a few times and send back our feedback. We got together to jam on the songs, which had a rough structure, and we’d finesse the whole thing in person. Some of the lyrical theme’s that you are explored in the vocals are: “revolution and political uprising, the apocalypse and twisted facets of the human psyche”. Could you elaborate on those themes a bit for me? They’re all themes of being trapped or confined, whether it’s in your own mind or by an authoritarian figure. Some songs address that feeling, while others address a feeling of freedom when you’ve overcome your personal demons or overthrown a dangerous regime. Either way, the lyrics mostly play off the idea of ‘Dead Asylum And occasionally there’s catharsis, such as in Forgotten Sacrifice. If you take it literally, it’s from the point of view of someone on a battlefield who’s about to be killed. And it talks about how that person can laugh in the face of death because they’ve done everything they can up to this point, and they’ll be free at last...that the one who’s wielding the blade has actually lost, because they’re about to be subject to further suffering and inhumanity. What’s your favorite song on the album? Defiance. It’s also the oldest song on the album (we’ve been playing it for four years!). But I love playing Between Me And The Grave because it’s groovy, and I live for good grooves. When your singing about revolution and political uprising for example, do you mean that literally as it applies to today’s current political environment or do you mean that abstractly? Maybe a little of both. I can’t comment in depth about that because Mike writes most of the lyrics, but there’s a very abstract element to it that most people can relate to in one way or another. The lyrics aren’t usually referring to specific policies, world leaders, or events. Many of the songs conjure visuals of late 19th century insane asylums or late 18th century revolutions. But in some ways, you could apply the lyrics to today’s political environment in many countries. The feeling of being trapped and people not having a say in decisions that affect them, I think that’s a theme that transcends borders and time periods. Your tour starts on August 23rd, where have been some of your favorite places to play? We love playing in our hometown of Vancouver, and we always have a good time when we play Armstrong Metalfest (also in BC). We were well-received in southern California and especially had a great time at the Riff Haus in Fullerton! It’s hard to pick a favorite. Tell us something about you guys as a band that no one really knows? Sometimes we make up dumb songs together. We all have a pretty dark sense of humor. What do you do to blow off steam while you’re on tour? We’ve played some equally dumb ‘road games’ while on tour to kill time and energy during the long drives. Sometimes it’s making up bad pickup lines, coming up with inappropriate rhymes. To literally blow off steam though, we once went for a sketchy massage in Chinatown the last time we were in San Francisco. No happy endings, though. What can people expect when they come to a Dead Asylum show? Tons of energy. We give it our all. It’s loud and fun. Mike’s great at pumping up the crowd. At our album release show this summer, we had such an insane circle pit that the fans broke a railing (oops). I am excited for you to come to Long Beach in September! What is it that you would like for people to take away from your live show? We’re stoked! Hopefully people will leave tired and happy--that’d be great. Get out some energy, and go home humming the riffs. We do this because we love it, and we live for live shows. If it ends and everyone is wishing it didn’t have to (including us), we’ve done our job. Here’s where you can stalk them at: Facebook: DEAD ASYLUM Email: deadasylumbooking@gmail.com Website: www.thedeadasylum.com