#Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[smiteworks]

🍂Level up your gaming!

The Autumn Sale on Fantasy Grounds VTT.

Grab your chance to enhance your tabletop adventures at a discount.

[legionofmyth]

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition

🔥⚔️ Dive into endless adventures with Savage Worlds Adventure Edition by Pinnacle Entertainment Group! 🌟 Experience fast-paced action, versatile gameplay, and boundless storytelling possibilities. Perfect for any RPG enthusiast! 🎲🌍 👉 Check out the full overview now and unleash your imagination! #SavageWorlds #RPG #TabletopGaming #PinnacleEntertainment #RolePlayingGames #RPGCommunity #FastPacedAction #AdventureAwaits #GamingLife

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition by Pinnacle Entertainment Group What is it? Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE), published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group, is a versatile tabletop role-playing game system designed to handle a wide range of genres and settings, from fantasy and sci-fi to horror and pulp adventure. SWADE emphasizes fast, fun, and furious…

[trillscienceofficer]

from Sci-Fi Universe magazine, October 1996

COLOR TELEVISION: DEEP SPACE NINE's colorblind perspective deserves credit for not being simply black and white entertainment

by Eric Wallace

Here's a story that may or may not be apocryphal: In 1967, Nichelle Nichols decided to leave Star Trek at the conclusion of the fledging show's first season. Soon after making this decision, Nichols met Dr. Martin Luther King while attending an NAACP fund-raiser. Upon learning of ner decision, Dr. King proclaimed, "You cannot leave. You're opening a door that simply must not be allowed to close." Dr. King went on to explain how Nichols' portrayal of Uhura demonstrated to Americans each week that blacks could live, work and prosper in racially-mixed situations. Consequently, Nichols changed her mind, and the rest is history.

Fast forward to 1996, twenty-eight years after Dr. King's assassination. I'd love to say that Nichols' decision resulted in a multitude of positive black roles on television. But I would be lying. Television reflects the society from which it springs and the fact is that blacks continue to be under-represented in positive, let alone leading, roles on American television.

Thank God for Deep Space Nine. Here is a show that not only features blacks in prominent supporting roles—Jake, Cassidy [sic] Yates, Worf—but has a black male star—Captain Benjamin Sisko. This is cause enough for celebration among black television viewers searching for positive portrayals of their own. But DS9's importance to the black community goes further.

From Good Times' JJ to Martin Lawrence on Martin, it is no secret that "the clown" is the most common image for blacks on television. "The gangsta" and "dope addict" run a close second. Limiting the entire black populace to these three images is not only offensive, but just plain false. This is not to say that black people aren't funny or that we aren't burdened by troublesome individuals. We are. But we're also much more: we are novelists, millionaires and world leaders like Alice Walker, Quincy Jones and Nelson Mandela. So where are these images in American programming? Not in most networks' prime-time line-ups. Perusing the latest copy of TV Guide will confirm this.

Instead of offering up more destructive stereotypes, DS9 boasts strong black characters who behave like genuine, complex, unique individuals. Charismatic, sympathetic and intelligent, these black characters function in ways that mere stereotypes never could by both expanding the sometimes constricted perception of non-black viewers towards racial minorities (thus facilitating communication and a better understanding between racial groups) and helping to inspire the previously-stated traits among their own viewers, thereby providing minority youths, specifically those living in impoverished or hostile environments, with positive role models. In regards to this last element, Sisko, a dynamic leader and caring parent, personifies this ideal.

The relationship between Sisko and his son, Jake, is one of the most satisfying aspects of DS9. Loving, emotionally mature, and far from perfect, their relationship reflects the tragedies and joys which constitute family life.

The pinnacle of the Sisko/Jake relationship (so far) is, without a doubt, The Visitor, a tour de force episode brimming with passion and melancholy. Watching this episode left me proud of the intensity of the love shown between this black father and son, and in tears at the eloquence with which the show handled the poignant and universal themes of disillusionment, obsession, aging, loyalty, love and loss.

Aside from The Visitor, DS9 regularly boasts touching moments of natural interaction between black father and son, all of which make the show a privilege to watch. Just some of these moments include Sisko's overt show of affection for his son, Jake's wisdom in helping his father deal with romantic troubles and the manner in which father and son nave helped each other cope with the death of Sisko's wife.

Some readers may not understand why am I making such a big deal about DS9. After all, science fiction has featured blacks in prominent roles for years. Let me be blunt. There is a word for programs which strategically place one minority character in their ensemble. It's called tokenism. Yes, tokenism fulfills the "visibility" quotient for black characters. However, it fails at the larger task of presenting black characters who possess emotional depth and resonance. Black characters without such traits are cyphers, hollow representations which belittle the true intellectual and emotional capabilities of blacks.

Program creators and viewers who point to token blacks as examples of racial progress inadvertently court cultural hypocrisy. Because token black characters are the norm to which non-black viewers are exposed, they are harmful and destructive road-blocks on the march towards racial equality.

DS9, in contrast, allows its black characters to deal with issues usually reserved for white characters in white-dominated prestige dramas like ER. These issues include: the sacrifice of putting duty before love (For The Cause), the pressures of command (To The Death), the joys of parenthood (Explorers) and even conquering the Earth (Our Man Bashir). White characters that clearly dominate the television landscape have been allowed to cope with these issues for years. For black viewers, seeing themselves portrayed as real flesh-and-blood characters who cope with and ultimately solve life's great challenges is a rarely enjoyed breath of fresh air.

In addition to presenting well-rounded black characters, DS9 presents blacks interacting and succeeding in a multi-racial world. Most black shows, especially black sitcoms, feature an all-black line-up. The characters find success and stature, but only among other blacks. The insidious implication which arises, intentionally or not, is that blacks can succeed among their peers, but not in the real world where it counts, DS9 shatters this antiquated notion by presenting black characters who successfully interact with people of all races, colors and creeds.

Considering its positive impact, it is all the more tragic that DS9, one of the best shows on television, is currently one of the least watched. For those in the 'cultural majority' who have yet to latch on to the DS9 phenomena, I invite you to sample what this well-made, thought-provoking science fiction program has to offer. To black viewers who crave quality television, I urge you to give this remarkable program a try. You might be surprised at what you find: a little piece of yourself.

ERIC WALLACE is a former Army brat and a freelance screenwriter living in Los Angeles. Since his escape from the rural South, he has become a much friendlier person.

[ohthethingswedoforlove]

Yandere!Matsuno brothers headcanons

My favorite group of insufferable bastards! This part one of two posts, with this one's being about Osomatsu, Choromatsu and Karamatsu.

Warnings: yandere characters; descriptions of violence; stalking; vague mention of self-harm on Karamatsu's side;

Osomatsu

❤️ In the beginning, it might seem hard to imagine Osomatsu having a genuine interest in someone. Or to take it way too seriously. Or even just seriously at all, really.

❤️ He seems to be mostly interested in the superficial parts, as most who know him would tell you.

❤️ But if there's something about Oso that seems to be often overlooked is that, when he gets attached, this guy gets attached.

❤️ He already has a tendency to become dependent on others, after all.

❤️ But your relationship with him doesn't start as anything special. Or worrying.

❤️ With the both of you probably meeting at a bar, or maybe even at Chibita's oden stand, and ending up striking a casual, and likely drunk on his side, conversation.

❤️ And you might think that's where it ended. Just a rather amusing and random acquaintanceship.

❤️ But inevitably, there's going to be a day where his brothers are busy or not in the mood to deal with him, he has no more borrowed money to entertain himself with, and he's bored out of his mind.

❤️ And when that day comes, he might just remember that he knows you and that pestering you might just be a fun enough of a time waster.

❤️ And before you know it, a habit is born.

❤️ Well, even if you try to not let it become a habit, he's still going to annoy and insist until you cave in and let him tag along in whatever you're doing.

❤️ But hey, if nothing else, Osomatsu is a very entertaining friend. Just be prepared to get the both of you out of all the trouble he manages to get into. 

❤️ After a while, he's gonna start feeling more like your partner in crime, someone who you can just do dumb things with who also has a talent for making you forget about the consequences.

❤️ He's already the pinnacle of rock bottom, buddy! So that means there's no way to go but up, right?

❤️ He does grow to appreciate your company though, and he likes to let you know that, even if he does it in some... Interesting ways.

❤️ But who says that bringing your friend along to waste all of you guys' money at pachinko isn't a great bonding experience?

❤️ Osomatsu is pretty straightforward about his feelings, once he realises that he likes you, he'll simply tell you.

❤️ Though nor you or him really feel the weight of his words. Considering the amount of time where playfully and dramatically "professed his love for you", only to be shit-faced drunk or high in a moment of confidence, you've never taken him seriously.

❤️ And it's only after your disinterest starts to sound harsh in tone that he suddenly realises that he... Was kind of expecting more than that.

❤️ He'll find himself strangely disheartened.

❤️ At first he doesn't understand why your half-hearted reactions hurt him so much, even though he tried his damn best to ignore and distract himself from it.

❤️Well, he's been rejected before. Many times. Countless times, actually.

❤️ And sure, it stings, but it's different.

❤️ It felt you weren't just rejecting his stupid advances, you were rejecting him as a whole. And he doesn't like that, not even one bit.

❤️ He... Never really realised how much he liked you.

❤️ Well, sure, he thought of you as pretty fun since practically day one, and he can admit that you both have become basically attached by the hip as of late, mostly because he started seeking you out almost everyday, but actually like you, as in enough to be love?

❤️ Actually, that makes lots of sense.

❤️ He loves you. Yeah.

❤️ If that stupid grin on his face is a telltale sign of anything, it’s that he realised he loves you.

❤️ You just... Probably don't think he's serious. Who could blame you? Most don't. But he can fix that. And besides, you have been hanging out with him so much by now, you two are practically already together!

❤️ And as soon as he reaches that conclusion, all hell breaks loose.

❤️ If Osomatsu was already a bit clingy beforehand, then get ready for him to become overbearing.

❤️ It's going to freak you out almost instantly. Because, trust me, it's going to be noticeable that something's not right anymore.

❤️ You're going to start wishing he would go back to jokingly flirt with you, because at least then you could laugh it off.

❤️ But you can't find humor in his actions anymore.

❤️ He gets so strangely quiet. Staring at you in a weirdly intense way, a smile never leaving the corners of his mouth.

❤️ Constantly insisting that he's serious, that he loves you, and that you love him too, right? 

❤️ Why else would you even stick around this long when no one else does?

❤️ He never admits it, but he's actually terrified you're going to leave.

❤️ Everyone thinks of him as a failure and a nuisance. And sure, he can admit it, he's annoying as hell! He's a neet, he's a shit older brother, and you can do so much better.

❤️ But he doesn't want you to do better.

❤️ And at the end of the day, Osomatsu is very selfish.

❤️ You never thought of him being capable of violence, but that's just because you've never saw him do it.

❤️ Oh, not towards you! Why would he, c'mon! You say the damnest things.

❤️ But that doesn't spare literally everyone else from his constant need to pick a fight. He's a sore loser who feels threatened pretty easily, especially if it involves you in some way. 

❤️ Though, funnily enough, direct insults are the thing the rile him up the least. Probably because he's used to it.

❤️ He just acts like you two have been officially together for ages, constantly bragging about it to anyone who's around to hear, specially his brothers. Much to their annoyance and dismay.

❤️ He also doesn't care about you constantly trying to disprove it, he just laughs it off with that shit eating grin of his and tells you that have such a hurtful sense of humor! But it's ok, he still loves you a lot!

❤️ No matter what you try to do, he's persistent and willing to drag everything across the floor just to keep his place as your "favorite". It's sometimes surprising how low he'll happily go.

❤️ After all, you're stuck with him! And he absolutely adores to remind you of that.

Choromatsu

💚 Choromatsu... Is a bit of a tricky one.

💚 He might also be the one who’s most likely to not know a whole lot about you before he starts obsessing over you.

💚 He's used to admiring from afar, after all. It's what his main hobby consists of, when you think about it.

💚 Maybe he met you at a convention or idol concert and you share similar interests with him, maybe he caught some glimpses of you in a more regular setting, or hell, maybe he only really got to take a good look at you once.

💚 But one thing's for certain: he's infatuated.

💚 Choro is the type to like the idea of you more than the actual, well, you.

💚 Mostly because he barely even knows you as a person and instead spends way more time than it's healthy fantasising about who you could be.

💚 He's a stalker, no doubt about it.

💚 The more time he spends thinking about you and how you two would just be oh so perfect together, the more inclined to follow you around he gets.

💚 And he will follow you around like he's your shadow.

💚 You can also bet that a few of your belongings are going to start disappearing. He tries to make sure he never takes anything you'll immediately notice or miss, but it's inevitable that you'll start to feel like something's wrong.

💚 He likes to think of himself as rational, but he really isn't.

💚 He also tries to be subtle and secretive about all of this, but he fails miserably at it.

💚 He's obsessed, stupid and most likely daydreaming about you at this very moment.

💚 In the case that you two have yet to actually talk until this point, your first interaction with him is probably going to happen once he inevitably gets more reckless than usual and you two end up bumping into each other while he's following you around.

💚 This could go two ways: it either comes off as a random encounter that you end up not really minding (or understanding the implications of), or you do get suspicious and weirded out and you just ditch him as soon as you can.

💚 If it doesn't go too well... He's going to be devastated. And also surprisingly angry. At himself, at his bad luck, and eventually even at you for not giving him a chance. He's going to go home to sulk in his own misery, while trying to not sock one of his brothers straight in the face as they nag him about what he's mopping about.

💚 But if the encounter actually goes better than expected, he'll be on cloud nine. It's only going to solidify all those delusions about you and how you two are just meant to be, even though he was nervous and sweating during the entire conversation.

💚 Either way, you basically only have a set amount of times to reject his affection before things start to go south. Well, more than they already have, anyway.

💚 Don't get too buddy-buddy with anyone else. And don't ignore him for too long; yes, even when you two barely even talk to each other. But above all else, do not even dare to imply you already like someone more than him.

💚 Choromatsu can actually be dangerous. 

💚 Mostly because he has anger issues, a chip on his shoulder and not enough reasons to restrain himself from caving in someone's skull just for looking at you longer than he'd like.

💚 His anger and jealousy will continue to eat away at him over the time you don't acknowledge him, and it's going to reach a boiling point.

💚 And when that point finally arrives, be prepared for him to just snap at any given moment.

💚 Don't be surprised to be unexpectedly confronted with him beating the absolute hell out of a poor soul who happened to be spending time with you.

💚 Or for him to one day just abruptly corner and threaten you somewhere in a moment of blind obsessiveness.

💚 But no matter exactly how you witness him lose his marbles, he's going to end up snapping out of it once the realisation of what he just did hits him.

💚 Both of you are shocked. You're speechless and shaking and he's stuttering his way through excuses, panicked apologies and made on the spot reassurances.

💚 But the damage is done. There's no turning back now.

💚 And once that clicks for him... Something changes.

💚 He gains a new level of courage he never thought he had. Nor does he knows how long it's going to last.

💚 But he doesn't care about that now.

💚 You're scared of him, so he might as well use that to his advantage.

💚 He'll... He'll Make you love him. Yeah.

💚 He will.

💚 And you won't have a choice.

💚 He's so sorry.

Karamatsu

💙 Ah, Karamatsu. The poor guy.

💙 He's definitely the most harmless out of the bunch.

💙 Well, "harmless" might be a bit of a stretch. He's just the most pacifistic when compared to the others.

💙 But that doesn't mean that damage won't happen at all, because it will.

💙 Because this guy doesn't really have a lot of self-esteem or stability to go around. And the name of the game when it comes to Karamatsu is "guilt tripping".

💙 What's the worst part? The absolute constant pity party or the fact that most of the time he doesn't even do it on purpose?

💙 Your first meeting... Was kinda awkward, to be honest. Well, it's Karamatsu who we're talking about here.

💙 He's a sweetheart, really, but he's definitely not as charismatic as he plays himself up to be.

💙 And your first interaction was not, in fact, as romantic and fairytale-like as he tried to make it as soon as he set eyes on you.

💙 But you kind of took pity on him. He didn't seem like a bad guy, just... A bit eccentric.

💙 And you actually found his antics funny too, after the initial shock of his dramatisation. In a way, he was so over the top and silly that it wrapped all the way around to you finding him endearing.

💙 And that's... A new one for him. He's normally used to being laughed at, not for someone to laugh alongside him. Or to compliment him.

💙 And he's so excited about this! He'll try to play it cool, of course, like he was expecting you to immediately fall for his "charm" from the beginning. But he's barely holding back the happiness and... Relief at meeting you.

💙 Surely, this must be meant to be, right?

💙 Surely, this is fate. It has to be.

💙 And with that, you just unknowingly sealed your fate.

💙 Because from now on, he's going to become a constant presence in your life, whether you like it or not.

💙 He'll start to constantly try to meet up with you and bring you places. He might get lucky the first few times, but it starts to get overwhelming when he's basically asking to go out with you every single day.

💙 The phone calls are frequent too; way, way too many of them. Mostly innocuous and sweet messages sure, but once again, he overdoes it.

💙 And the gifts! Oh, boy, the gifts.

💙 Most of the time it's roses, of course it is, and all of those classic romantic gifts you can think of off the top of your head. All left by your doorstep or delivered to you in person by him. But you do worry about him wasting all his money, considering he can't keep a job for the life of him.

💙 While his brothers tend to be unnecessarily cruel towards him, they aren't lying when they say he's "too much". Because no matter how genuine he is, there reaches a point where it feels like he can't live without you.

💙 Actually, he will tell you that to your face.

💙 When he's not trying to act like a smooth Casanova and gentleman, showering you with praise and basically putting you on a pedestal; he's busy beating himself up for not being good enough as soon as he senses even just a little bit of rejection.

💙 He tends to bounce right back into false confidence as soon as you confirm that no, you don't hate him. Which does leave you wondering when he's being serious and when he's playing it up. Sometimes, not even he can tell, to be honest. He's just used to not feeling great about himself.

💙 But hey, as long as you're not rejecting him and even reassuring his fears, things with him can feel pretty normal. Or appear to, at least.

💙 But it will get bad if you start to show aversion towards him, just like most people.

💙 But at this point it's too late.

💙 He's way too deep into his delusions about you, and will absolutely refuse to accept you dislike him. He'll do his best to play it off as you being in a bad mood and that he needs to cheer you up.

💙 That or he'll go into a depressive episode while desperately trying to convince you (and himself) that you'd never actually hate him, right?

💙 To the point where he'll start to believe you're being influenced by other people. That they're trying to drive you two apart. Especially if his brothers are somehow involved. It wouldn't be the first time they've ruined something for him, after all.

💙 And at this point he might start getting angry.

💙 But Karamatsu is not really one for violence, at least not until he gets pushed too much in that direction.

💙 It doesn't stop him from threatening harm upon himself though. Mostly as a desperate attempt to get "proof" that you love him. You wouldn't let this happen to him, right? 

💙 You're not like them, you care about him! You wouldn't leave him like this. He knows you wouldn't.

💙 But if that doesn't work, well...

💙 Then at this point he might have just been pushed enough in that previously mentioned direction.

💙 Don't worry, if he does reach this point, you'll never see it. He'd never want you to be exposed to anything that would scare or upset you. Though, it's funny how he doesn't realise (or doesn't let himself realise) that he was already doing that.

💙 But you will be left wondering where that friend of yours went, or why his brothers seem so weirdly wary of you now.

[haveyouplayedthisttrpg]

Have you played DEADLANDS ?

By Pinnacle Entertainment Group

The year’s 1884. Folks from all over the world journey to the American frontier in search of opportunity, freedom, and wide-open spaces. But danger awaits. Some say there are more than just wild creatures on those lonely trails. Some say there are monsters, creatures born of the darkest fears given life by some insidious and overwhelming evil. Out here night seems a little darker, the distance between towns a little farther, and something changes the very landscape itself.

Such tough times also create great heroes, rising across the West to fight Evil’s cold grip with a trusty six-gun, sacred tomahawk, holy miracle, or arcane hex.

[theoutcastrogue]

The ORC Alliance Grows

meanwhile, at Paizo Blog (published January 19, 2023) :

Over the course of the last week, more than 1,500 tabletop RPG publishers, from household names going back to the dawn of the hobby to single proprietors just starting out with their first digital release, have joined together to pledge their support for the development of a universal system-neutral open license that provides a legal “safe harbor” for sharing rules mechanics and encourages innovation and collaboration in the tabletop gaming space.

The alliance is gathered. Work has begun.

It would take too long to list all the companies behind the ORC license effort, but we thought you might be interested to see a few of the organizations already pledged toward this common goal. We are honored to be allied with them, as well as with the equally important participating publishers too numerous to list here. Each is crucial to the effort’s success. The list below is but a representative sample of participating publishers from a huge variety of market segments with a huge variety of perspectives. But we all agree on one thing.

We are all in this together.  

Alchemy RPG

Arcane Minis

Atlas Games

Autarch

Azora Law

Black Book Editions

Bombshell Miniatures

BRW Games

Chaosium

Cze & Peku

Demiplane

DMDave

The DM Lair

Elderbrain

EN Publishing

Epic Miniatures

Evil Genius Games

Expeditious Retreat Press

Fantasy Grounds

Fat Dragon Games

Forgotten Adventures

Foundry VTT

Free RPG Day

Frog God Games

Gale Force 9

Game On Tabletop

Giochi Uniti

Goodman Games

Green Ronin

The Griffon’s Saddlebag

Iron GM Games

Know Direction

Kobold Press

Lazy Wolf Studios

Legendary Games

Lone Wolf Development

Loot Tavern

Louis Porter Jr. Designs

Mad Cartographer

Minotaur Games

Mongoose Publishing

MonkeyDM

Monte Cook Games

MT Black

Necromancer Games

Nord Games

Open Gaming, Inc.

Paizo Inc.

Paradigm Concepts

Pelgrane Press

Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Raging Swan Press

Rogue Games

Rogue Genius Games

Roll 20

Roll for Combat

Sly Flourish

Tom Cartos

Troll Lord Games

Ulisses Spiele

You will be hearing a lot more from us in the days to come.

[source]

[tonguetyd]

hi drift 😇 question. who are your favorite band boys who are Baby™️???? the world (me) wants to know

YOU WANT ME TO RAMBLE ABOUT BAND MEN THAT I THINK ARE NEAT?!?!

OKAY!!!!

Where do I even begin, I guess we’ll go to the OGs first which would be my favorite humans alive, a band called The Maine

Who admittedly are Grown Ass Men™️ with wives and children but like. I have grown up alongside these guys and they will always be the goofy band that owns my whole heart. (Left by nickalausstafford, right by ashleyosborn)

(Also like. I still find them utterly adorable even after 16 years) (Like look at John with his dorky lil 🤙🏻 and tell me I’m wrong)

Next we have the current baby baby, Friday Pilots Club, who are the epitome of “we need to bring back bands that all look like absolute LOSERS” (this is a direct video they themselves made btw)

Who are just. A lil group of guys. Look at them. They’re really just. Yeah. And I may or may not give a little giggle when I see their cute lil faces on my phone. And also Caleb (singer, the one all the way in the right in the first photo/white shirt fella) is a pinnacle example of “wow your voice does NOT match your face” but both are quite lovely ngl (Both by kate.liddy)

They also remind me of what I imagine Baby ST was like so like might as well throw those guys in here because idk how a masked band can be Baby™️ but.

Here they are. I guess.

Which for the record I did not babygirl that man. He did that all himself.

(Both photos by adamrosssi) (Hi iv.)

God there’s so many others too like OBVIOUSLY Pete Wentz is the ORIGINAL BLUEPRINT for babygirl band guys. All of Fall Out Boy.

20 years on, still just a lil group of dudes from Chicago. (elliotxingham took the last one I couldn’t tell you who shot the original TTTYG or SRAR covers)

Burying this down far below where it’ll hide the text so I don’t continue to embarrass myself in front of Megs (MEGS I AM SO SORRY TO ALL THAT YOU WITNESS) but John Nolan and Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday are also great examples of Grown Ass Men™️ babygirls.

Adam is also the single greatest frontman I have ever watched, he is so much fun and peak “CHAOTIC MAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING” energy. (Both by salmabustos)

And then I guess to end it we’ll throw it to the ultimate baby, the babiest babygirl, and the only actual babygirl on this list (and also the reason I found out I was bi)

None other than our Queen herself.

MISS WILLIAMS IF YA NASTAAAAAAY

Hope this was entertaining and if you would like elaborations I can absolutely give more 😇

[rahuratna]

Helloooo, Rahu!!

I hope that life is becoming more calm again, as it’s super busy right now. I had a what-if scenario come to mind.

What if Nanami and Gojo had a student who is similar to Geto. This hypothetical student sorcerer has not consciously thought of defecting or leaving, but they are tired. Perhaps they have not witnessed the loss of their colleague’s life yet, but like Geto, they are beginning to question the point of being a sorcerer.

A combination of spite against the system, the burden of constant fighting, the intangible (if-existent) end goal.

I’m entertaining the thought of what would Nanami and Gojo do to step in because I have no doubt they would. But how would they approach this situation now that they are the adults who could help those they care about instead of when they were just students who witnessed the defection of their friend? 👀 👀

Hopefully this hypothetical is interesting! And i hope you have the time to relax with your favorite teas and snacks 💗💜💛💜💗

Hey @courtneedsleep !! Time is treading slowly towards my holiday, and I can't wait!

Do you know, when I read your ask, I immediately thought "This could have been a possibility if Junpei survived." I feel like he fits perfectly in this scenario of a student, around the same age as the main trio, who has a very different outlook on life. As much as Yuuji, Megumi and Nobara experienced their fair share of darkness in early life (to differing extents), Junpei's situation was unique with regard to both his experiences and his personality.

He was bullied. He was the underdog. He felt real rage and hatred towards others, representing a far less idealized version of the teenage demographic on the show. He was manipulated by Mahito, someone he wrongfully placed his trust in. The one light in his life, the single person who gave him unconditional love and support, was horrifically and traumatically murdered, leaving him with nothing.

If he'd survived that battle and entered Jujutsu Tech, mentors like Gojo and Nanami would have had a lot to work with in order to ensure that he didn't follow the wrong path, or give in to his hatred again. Junpei would definitely, like Geto, have an inclination towards this, having a very low opinion of humanity, and, like you mentioned, feeling like the battle they were fighting was a losing one.

There is one fundamental difference between Geto and 'hypothetical' Junpei in this scenario, though. Geto started off without hatred, but the psychological make-up for this to become a reality later. What really started Geto's downward spiral was the isolation he felt. His friends had ideas and pathways of their own to follow. Quite frankly, even though the Jujutsu world is a harsh one that defies many social norms, Geto's state of mind was NOT Gojo's or Shoko's responsibility. It should have been the adults who identified this deterioration of his mental state and taken the necessary steps to help him.

This is where adult Gojo and Nanami would have stepped in for Junpei. Maybe these two sorcerers aren't the best role models for healthy choices (LOL), but they would have taken on responsibility for such a student and done everything in their power to assist them in making sense of the world.

Furthermore, I think there is one (very powerful) aspect that trumps the influence of both Gojo and Nanami: the presence of Yuuji.

Yuuji proves himself to be the ultimate representation of boy-next-door with a spirit so full of light, life and determination, that he would be a living example to anyone in his own age group. Furthermore, Yuuji never underestimates the importance of a true support network, openly admitting that he would have never reached the pinnacle of his own power and achievement without the help of those around him.

I think that both Nanami and Gojo would see the value of having such a student work alongside Yuuji, allowing them to befriend each other and allowing them to experience the very real pull of Yuuji's kindness, magnanimity and his tenacity when it comes to helping others.

With a little push here and there from them, I think such a student would thrive in the right company, learn the true meaning of love and form bonds that would last a lifetime. Most importantly, I think characters like Yuuji, Nobara and Megumi would teach them how to find hope in a world filled with darkness and cruelty.

Thank you for another lovely ask. This one was honestly an eye opener and made me think a little more about those bitter-sweet 'what if' scenarios with Junpei.

[utilitycaster]

Why do you think Imogen/Laudna is not comparable to Caleb/Veth? At the start of C3, I thought they were similar and thought it was a strange how much Imogen/Laudna was being held up as the pinnacle of relationships in comparison to the hate/minimization that Caleb/Veth got. But I rewatched C2E27 and remembered how honestly they talked through their disagreement, which was way different from Imogen/Laudna's C3E27 reconciliation after the gnarlrock drama. What are your thoughts about it?

(got another anon on this as well as I was writing this up, so other anon, this is also for you!)

That's exactly the same moment I was thinking of! Veth and Caleb are able to disagree with each other in a way Imogen and Laudna aren't. Honestly, even from earlier, they're able to ask things of each other - Caleb outright asks Nott if she'll run away with him, alone, away from the group, if his reveal to Beau goes badly. Nott, even when half the party is missing, in the wake of Molly's death, when all she has is Beau (who she's known for a month and a half) and two allies she's known for a couple of days at most, is able to say "Wrong." to Caleb about something as important, but also as unnecessary as admitting that he cares about the other party members as friends, not just useful alliances. And that's the other thing - Nott is actively encouraging Caleb to make other connections and embracing her own new friendships, and she's willing to risk Caleb being mad with her - which for her, means risking her chance to get back her own body and life - to do it. And this is after less than a year of knowing him.

Laudna can't even say "will you promise not to side with the person who murdered me," let alone point out that Otohan also murdered Fearne, Orym, Eshteross, and Orym's husband and father-in law or that Ludinus casually destroyed Kadija's mind. She can't say this to someone she's lived and traveled with for two years, when the other five party members would all agree with her and stand by her. There's no trust. You know the phrase "if you love someone, let them go?" Laudna's too terrified to let go, and Veth isn't.

(I should note - I like Caleb and Veth's dynamic a lot but I never shipped them; but I also will defend them against anyone who denies that there were feelings, or who tries to pretend that Veth's statement that Caleb was like a son to her overrides her later statements about having a crush, or, you know, the fact that they aren't actually related so who the fuck cares. I mean, Vex and Keyleth canonically tell each other they consider each other sisters and that never stopped anyone. So this does come from a place of not shipping either of these pairs.)

So this is why "Imogen and Laudna were never given choices" statement is so hollow and meaningless. Because they're rendering themselves powerless and stripping themselves of all choices. They can't draw boundaries. (For what it's worth, Campaign 1's codependent pair, the twins, are able to draw boundaries without issue; Vax tells Vex to lay off Keyleth quite explicitly despite having only recently agonized over being separated from her for a few days). They can't choose themselves. They can't challenge each other or encourage each other's growth or ask something so important and yet so small as being honest with one's self. They're just so stuck in this holding pattern, even after they've grown in power and seen the possibility of losing each other, whereas Caleb and Veth's relationship constantly changes as they support and challenge each other and ask things of each other. You know what Veth does in episode 48 of that campaign? She screams at Caleb in anger because people connected to him hurt her family, even though Caleb has long since left those people and was a victim himself. Laudna can't even stand up for herself to Imogen (and we know Laudna can stand up for herself; that's what she's doing in the scene with Ashton) against her own murderer, even as Imogen outright entertains the possibility of allying with the Vanguard.

Caleb and Veth trust each other and themselves to still love and care for each other if they disagree. Laudna and Imogen do not.

[p-receh]

Oh i never saw that post about the elemental personality, i kinda don't agree on the Hali one. Hes more serius than angery (which can be taken as anger when around someone who is unserious *cough Taufan)

Solar being bijaksana lucu amet, because so far we have not been shown that at all. Hes more confident (tapi sayangnya confidence dia tampak arrogance)

Oh oh you're right anon!

No wonder why he's the frontman of the group. Always ready whenever Boboiboy need to use him. He's that serious to not giving up!

He's Fast!

and... Furious!

.

.

.

Ehem.

.

Even though, he upgraded from Petir to Halilintar through anger due to The balloon Incident(Having Globophobia is no joke when you born with sensitive ears like me. Except Helium Balloons. I still tolerate that one :')

So I think he is serious that slowly become furious. Different than Blaze who instantly becomes wild whenever he's attack.

He and Taufan early season is the pinnacle of what Blaze and Ice's civil war be. (I really miss their banter so much with Gempa you have no idea anon this is just like I rant about them in other post :'( )

If Solar was a real character instead of an Elemental, Boboiboy will got a double headache of how much both Solar and Fang will bully his exam results at school lol X'D

Solar, for me, is an embodiment of Boboiboy's inner intelligence that he wants to show he actually "learning and sharing" knowledge to other. Be the only problem solver guy in group so he may think people depend on him. I can see why he's got a sassy arrogant nerd. Totally different from what I thought at first. Not a good move but hey, It's honestly entertaining tbf! Monsta knew how to write this trait right! 😅

Also.

Is this yours too, anon? If so, you're not alone. I too already inject my rants & heavy thoughts about elementals in my draft. Just you wait I finished it up sooner...later.

[smiteworks]

🤠 New on Fantasy Grounds VTT, Deadlands with Hell on the High Plains Archetypes Set 4 and Blood Drive Archetypes Set 3!

Unleash the Weird West adventures today!

[valeriefauxnom]

I think there's an interesting slight shift in Leonidas' attitude between chapters 8 and 12, and one that kinda makes a bit more complete narrative between the more obvious 12-16 jump.

First, in a niche Dragalia trivia, Leonidas (and Chelle) in his technical ch.7 debut says this:

"And so Aurelius's brilliant star falls as a new and dark star rises—as well as another dim light at the periphery. But the flames of battle will not reach Valkaheim. Should any fool approach, it is they who will be reduced to ash."

While there's a lot to say with later context in these lines despite their initial ambiguity of his character, note here of the 'dim light' refers to Euden. He's starting to cause a fuss in the world after ch.6's shakeup in the official rebellion and new kingdom-starting he's engaging in, but to Leo, this is all mostly meaningless compared to the true power players.

Ch.8 Leo, though, comes out swinging with his general attitude regarding the world and his family:

There's something funny that he's aware enough of Euden starting his own kingdom, but still seeing him and going 'nope, I care not a whit about you, grain of dust' is amusing. Maybe after Valyx, Leonidas just got tired of having baby siblings?

Regardless, Leonidas mostly spends this chapter leaving them to presumably die bad deaths, having deemed them too weak and unimportant to even bother attending to personally.

But even within chapter 8, as Euden and co refuse to die and keep up their dogged pursuit, Leonidas starts to acknowledge Euden as a brother. Not enough to stop him from trying to leave him to get torn apart by beasts, of course, but, y'know, baby steps for someone who was denying kinship not a day ago.

He also continues his star metaphor.

For Leonidas, who viewed himself as the absolute pinnacle of the family, it was surprising anyone could survive him, however narrowly. He's being forced to consider that perhaps those beneath him in the family aren't quite as useless as perceived. Heck, Euden's 'reputation' overall in the family before canon seemed to be largely one of weakness, -even Valyx outright claims he thought him feeble, and Emile's earlier fondness of him stemmed from being 'better' than Euden. That's how Euden framed himself, to appear non-threatening to attempt to maintain harmonious relations so his elders didn't see an upstart threatening their power, as I've went over a long long time ago.

Now he's being forced to consider and wonder how high, how powerful Euden's dim star can rise before it will be crushed by someone or something greater in his 'one star' viewpoint.

Enter chapter 12. One of the things that makes Leonidas so dangerous, I've also said, is his adaptability. He learns and changes behavior.

And in this chapter, he takes a much more personally involved attack, sending in his 'big guns' (before he acquired a real one) in much quicker. He now views Euden as a threat enough to warrant the measures, even if he doesn't believe in his capacity to win.

Moreover, he's starting to oddly (at least, to me?) stress a quick death for Euden and his group, whereas before, it was of absolutely no concern to him whether they died slowly and agonizingly from Mars' burns to getting torn apart by fiends. It comes across to me as a sort of recognition of Euden's ability and/or bravery, a sort of respect for him as a warrior enough to not prolong his death or otherwise make it painful.

He's also starting to actually communicate on some level what his true goals are and why, whereas ch.8 Leo largely seems to think even that level of communication would be wasted on such 'insects'. And while he doesn't entertain Euden's counterarguments for long, it might indicate a sort of acknowledgement of Euden as a opponent to lock ideals with instead of a simple obstacle to hurdle mindlessly?

All in all, it reads to me as if he's made the shift of viewing Euden as an insect to an opponent, a weaker opponent, of course, but one nonetheless. Able enough to be acknowledged as being kin, even as he's seems like he's trying to distance himself when preparing to kill him.

This trend continues immediately after the tables are turned. Leonidas acknowledges Euden as brother and king, and is more upset at the notion that Euden doesn't want to kill him since he likely thinks that now Euden sees him as the 'able to be safely ignored weakling' as well as wanting to die of shame.

Continuing into ch.13, Leonidas immediately then protects Euden from Phares, even incorporating a new word into his vocabulary in the process!

Then, of course, is his and Chelle's conversation to further bridge the gap, in which he starts establishing Euden has earned a more complete respect as kin now despite not actually sharing a true lineage, and respect enough to ask another sibling to protect him.

So yeah. Even if ideally I do think some more dialogue would help to bridge the gap between before-16-Leonidas and after-16-Leonidas, I do think that they overall tried to make a cohesive progression even in the 8-12 shift from 'insect' to 'opponent I can somewhat respect' to 14-16's more complete respect. Alas, since the writing team only had so many story sections they could have and a lot of characters and plotlines to juggle, they could only spend a bit of time re. Leonidas, but for what it's worth they did a decent job with what they had.

Extra aside: I find it funny Leonidas was the first to 'exit' the main campaign. He features in 8, 12, and 16, with smaller appearances in 7, 10, etc, but after 16 he's effectively poofed even if he's still influential in the plot. Even Valyx lasted longer for on screen chapters since he was tagging along with Nedrick and Zethia, before he and most all siblings exited at ch.23 to then die in ch.25 (this is why leaving the protagonist's party isn't a good idea Chelle-)

[guriyuri]

School Zone/「スクールゾーン」

🌸9/10🌸 (HIATUS)

A quirky yuri comedy about the chaotic daily life of high school girls! Yokoe and Sugiura have been together forever, and they've mastered the art of making trouble when life's a bore. High school might be a drag, but these girls in love know just how to inject a little chaos and comedy into their sloppy school life.

(Seven Seas Entertainment)

*occasionally listed as ‘School Zone Girls’

I fuckin LOVED school zone, man. There isn't a single character in it that isn't eeping out of their minds at all times. It throws almost all normal shonen/male-targeted troupes off of their kilter and is incredibly refreshing to read. One of its best qualities is its ability to maintain its identity outside of being a queer story- providing commentary on a wide range of topics relevant to high school, youth, etc. I can't really describe the effect of finally being able to read girls just being fucking stupid- other than saying its like running your brain under cold tap water, if your brain was a lesbian yuri enthusiast with a perpetual craving for full-cream milk. As silly as it may be, I actually genuinely enjoy its approach to w/w and adolescent relationship. 2 out of the 3 arguable 'main' three couples have one partner that is gender nonconforming/visibly queer, a rarity for contemporary yuri as a lot of works- to no fault of their own- fall into pitfalls of exclusively drawing hyper-feminine women to try present itself more believably or because it has no other way of proving to you that the characters are girls. The negative of this being that ostracises an entire group of people within the real-life lesbian community and disregards the instrumental role of butch lesbians in queer history by refusing them representation in a genre for them. Despite how I phrase this, though, I'm not exactly trying to present School Zone as a Magnum Opus or the pinnacle of political-correctness and singlehandedly defeating lesbophobia worldwide (which it did); I just cannot stress how badly we need diverse gender representation in yuri.

The main two girls are both fucking hilarious and strangely adorable in their own way (aside from being every gay couple to ever™). Their dynamic mostly consists of Yokoe being a combination of stupid, evil, and helplessly down bad and Kei being a single thread away from pulling a glock on her. If that can’t convince you to give szg a shot you’re a lost cause + I’m unplugging your life support. Anyways, they’re only one of the 3(ish) main pairings in the manga; but that’s where we get to the difficult part to talk about. Touched on some-what briefly, but too often to be able to ignore (iirc they have a handful of dedicated chapters), is Tsubaki’s incestuous crush on her sister Hiiragi. It’s kind of unfortunate this is in here and it sucks for me to have to mention but In this specific case I do think it’s worth overlooking for *so* many reasons. At its’ core their relationship is mostly focused on teenage adolescence and navigating complex familial relationships whilst still trying to grow up and find yourself. In isolation both Tsubaki and Hiiragi are very well written characters; on par with the rest of the cast and really are both very likeable. It’s when their relationship with eachother gets played up for fanservice is when they start to shit on your salad. Still, though, the author pretty clearly has no intention of actually writing them ending up together/Hiiragi reciprocating. So it’s highly likely Tsubaki’s character arc will lead her to move on, especially considering how she’s developed thus far. Last Couple worth discussing seriously is Fuji and Kishiya-san. While I was reading I was under the impression that Fuji + rest were high-school aged and Kishiya was in her first year at uni, but the only source I can find that lists their age says that Kishiya is a first-year high school student; which must make everybody else be in secondary school. Either way though, the age gap between them remains roughly the same and doesn’t really change my hot take on these two. Out of the entire cast Fuji is definitely the truest depiction of the experience of growing up sapphic, unknowingly. She is also my favourite :-). It was also refreshing to read about a girl who hasn’t figured it all out and is just kind of weird and off putting instead of elegant and tragic like the atmosphere of traditional yuri + made me feel weirdly heard? Call me biased, or a victim of grooming ALL you want but looking up to someone maturer, more in control, someone who feels above it all is someone you tend to gravitate towards when you’ve felt helpless and inept at understanding yourself your entire life. Much like Tsubaki and Hiiragi, Kishiya-san has yet to show any indication of reciprocating or even knowing of Fuji’s feelings and is what I think a genuinely positive influence on her. I can also imagine Kishiya-san fighting on the mental FRONTLINES to stay as patient and kind to Fuji as she is, aswell as taking the time to talk to her and treating her like a friend. Everyone please take a moment to acknowledge her service in the troubled youth industry.

There’s also Yatsude and Kaname but they’re pretty interesting so I’ll let you develop your thoughts independently on those two. They also have ZERO buisness being the most beautiful fucking women alive. The things I’d let Kaname do to me are to be repented for.

[running2reanimation]

AvA Fandom - Get to Know You Meme Thing

Favourite character: My fave character is King; dad-shaped former villains are my jam.

Favourite relationship (platonic or romantic)?: Chodarking, I feel like King balances out Chosen and Dark and makes a good middle ground for them.

Favourite episode: The King. No surprises here, I’m sure. I really do think this episode is the pinnacle of Alan and his team’s work so far and it will be very difficult to top.

Favourite actual short: I said it was “Cherry Blossoms” but now I’m not so sure it’s not “Corn Dog Guy”.

Something you’d like to see in the series: King again. Lol, aside from that I am both hoping for and dreading more world building and exploration as to how the world works.

Any interesting headcanons: I am absolutely a believer that fighting is natural to most stick figures and fighting tournaments are a pretty regular form of entertainment.

Any OCs (Original Characters): Mint and Royal, two kids designed by Dark, both generally considered failures: neither exhibited the powers Dark designed for them, though it turned out that Royal was a late bloomer who came into his powers after Dark abandoned him and Mint had one power - they are unkillable.

Aqua, a childhood friend of Gold’s, a normal stick with a normal life. Works in a convenience store. Very kind and the voice of reason in her friend group - most of the time anyway. May or may not have been dating Gold before he died.

Any AUs (Alternate Universes): Gosh, so many. Not gonna list ‘em all, but here is the first one that came to mind: Hermit!King, in which Gold is the equivalent of a Minecraft YouTuber whose world gets corrupted on stream with King present and playing with him. Gold disappears, King is damaged and goes into Minecraft to find his son.

Something I forgot that you might want to talk about: I forgor…

And the blank template!

Favourite character:

Favourite relationship (platonic or romantic):

Favourite episode:

Favourite actual short:

Something you’d like to see in the series:

Any interesting headcanons:

Any OCs:

Any AUs:

Something I forgot that you might want to talk about:

[ausetkmt]

With a soulful sound and a signature look ingrained in our communal grown-folks culture, Frankie Beverly is definitively linked with summer—then, now and forever. The music of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly is the soundtrack of warm dusks spent cruising local side streets, with the windows down and the speakers turned on high. Beverly’s voice conjures memories of late afternoons seated in a sunny corner of the extended family’s spacious backyard, eavesdropping on “grown-folks business” being discussed at the cooler while the aroma of an active grill fills the air. The group’s songs trigger ­muscle memory of the electric slide on freshly cut grass, Soul Train lines in the living room, and slow dances under the stars.

So it’s no surprise that the legendary performer is returning to the pinnacle of summer, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, for our 30th anniversary. He will be receiving his flowers as a legacy entertainer and, for one last time, commanding the very stage he helped build from its inception.

“I haven’t been on the ESSENCE stage in a little while, but it feels good to be asked to come back,” Beverly says ahead of his final performance at our festival. The crooner and his iconic band closed out Sunday night during our inaugural music festival in 1995—and yearly for the next 14 years. Now, they will be honored on that same stage for all they’ve contributed to the culture. “When ESSENCE contacted us and wanted to honor me, I really couldn’t say no,” Beverly states. “We have a long and rich history. The ESSENCE Festival is a big part of my career.”

With a soulful sound and a signature look ingrained in our communal grown-folks culture, Frankie Beverly is definitively linked with summer—then, now and forever. The music of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly is the soundtrack of warm dusks spent cruising local side streets, with the windows down and the speakers turned on high. Beverly’s voice conjures memories of late afternoons seated in a sunny corner of the extended family’s spacious backyard, eavesdropping on “grown-folks business” being discussed at the cooler while the aroma of an active grill fills the air. The group’s songs trigger ­muscle memory of the electric slide on freshly cut grass, Soul Train lines in the living room, and slow dances under the stars.

So it’s no surprise that the legendary performer is returning to the pinnacle of summer, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, for our 30th anniversary. He will be receiving his flowers as a legacy entertainer and, for one last time, commanding the very stage he helped build from its inception.

“I haven’t been on the ESSENCE stage in a little while, but it feels good to be asked to come back,” Beverly says ahead of his final performance at our festival. The crooner and his iconic band closed out Sunday night during our inaugural music festival in 1995—and yearly for the next 14 years. Now, they will be honored on that same stage for all they’ve contributed to the culture. “When ESSENCE contacted us and wanted to honor me, I really couldn’t say no,” Beverly states. “We have a long and rich history. The ESSENCE Festival is a big part of my career.”

That illustrious career, punctuated by nine Certified Gold albums and multiple entries on the R&B charts, has taken place on stages across the world. Frankie Beverly, front and center in his all-white linen, accompanied by the legendary Maze, has dazzled audiences on dozens of tours for more than five decades. Since 1970, Beverly has bared his “Raw Soul” onstage, with his distinct soulful vocals always accompanied by the live band. Their sound has shaped the very concept of soul, for the millennial generation and beyond. But Beverly’s journey as a performer began long before that.

“I grew up in church, and even as a child, I loved singing,” he says of his upbringing in Philadelphia. “My grandparents loved to hear me sing. It took hold, and I found myself wanting to sing all the time.” That desire led him to form his own doo-wop group, the Blenders, in his teenage years. He later pivoted to team with a band instead, the Butlers. A move to California, a rebrand to the name Raw Soul and a chance encounter led to the band opening for Marvin Gaye on tour. The group eventually altered its name to Maze, at Gaye’s astute suggestion.

There’s no way Frankie Beverly and Maze could have predicted, that first time he and his bandmates hit the stage, the decades of memorable moments they would create together. But Beverly always knew he was home when he was singing.

Since his earliest days as a recording artist, Beverly has created anthems that resonate. From 1977’s “Happy Feelin’s” to 1980’s “Joy and Pain” to perhaps his most enduring hit, 1981’s “Before I Let Go,” ­Beverly’s music has always captured the elation, disappointment and mixed emotions of love found and lost. Just as powerful now as it was in the ’70s, his music has remained a staple, and tickets to his shows have been coveted over the decades. “I think my music has maintained a consistency across generations because God blessed me to write my music from the heart and not what the latest trend was,” the singer reflects. “It stays current, no matter what generation.”

Funnily enough, there’s a phenomenon of people who, while they’ve been familiar with “Before I Let Go” as a certified cookout classic for their entire lives, have never really paused to listen to its lyrics. As crowds shuffle along through predetermined steps of line dance and raise their voices in unison with Beverly’s smooth baritone at key points, many have missed that it is actually an anthem about relationship closure; told from the perspective of a man wishing bittersweet goodbye to a woman he loves, mourning the relationship he still isn’t quite certain why they couldn’t make work. But if so few truly realize what the song is about, why do we all love it so much? 

“Because it’s real life!” Beverly answers. “Sometimes you’re just too young to get the lyrics, but the music [still] gets you on your feet to dance.”

Indeed, the sound of Frankie Beverly & Maze gets everyone on their feet—from the toddlers who just discovered their balance in recent months, to the elders whose legs have carried them across many a dance floor over decades of celebration.

“As I said before, I don’t waiver with my music,” Beverly says. “I can’t say so much why it appeals to all generations, but I believe God made a path for my music to reach each generation.”

Beverly’s music has weathered the emergence of new genres, the disappearance of hard-copy media and the move to streaming services, and it will surely endure through whatever the next phase of musical innovation proves to be. But the singer, now 77, has chosen 2024 as the year he bids farewell to live performing.

His exit from center stage marks the end of an era defined by our aunties, uncles and peers filing into stadiums and amphitheaters, decked in all-white linen to emulate Frankie Beverly and Maze’s signature performance look. They were ready to sip wine, link arms and belt out classics along with the titan of soul—and to, as his silken vocals command, “feel that happy feelin’.”

But, as Beverly assures us, this goodbye isn’t forever. Though he’ll no longer tour, the group will rebrand as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly—and he says he may pop in from time to time, to stay connected to his bandmates and to the loyal fan base that he feels has faithfully showered him with love and blessings for 50-plus years.

“Music is who I am,” he explains. “I’ve never done anything else. Music is the love of my life. You don’t exit from love.”