#Shakin' Off The Rust

[audiophiliacfan]

Bang my head against the wall Try to find my stride, but I trip and I fall Losing my attention again Yeah, I hit the bottom, but I'm on the mend

(I get up!) Take another step, push it to the edge (I get up!) Just a little more, I can see the end (I get up!) Yeah you're finished, yeah you're mine always win in due time

(You think too much!) It's in my head So I'm shaking off the rust and (You've got no trust!) It's in my head So I'm shaking off the rust I think I broke just a little bit Walked through the fire, made it back again Lord knows I tried everything I can Now I'm shakin' off the rust

(Now I'm shakin' off the rust)

Bang my head against the wall Try to hold a smile, but I'm sick of it all Everyone with something to say Better hold my tongue, or I'll make a mistake (I get up!) Show 'em what I do, show 'em how it's done (I get up!) Never turn it down, never gonna run (I've learned)

(You think too much!) It's in my head So I'm shaking off the rust and (You've got no trust!) It's in my head So I'm shaking off the rust I think I broke just a little bit Walked through the fire, made it back again Lord knows I tried everything I can Now I'm shakin' off the rust

(Now I'm shakin' off the rust) (Now I'm shakin' off the rust)

You think too much! It's in my head So I'm shaking off the rust and You've got no trust! It's in my head Now I'm shaking off the rust I think I broke just a little bit Walked through the fire, made it back again Lord knows, I've tried everything I can And I'm shakin' off the rust Yeah, I'm shakin' off the rust!

[candycatstuffs]

drew @sstorminghearts' ice amy design bcuz i am. obsessed

[dragonsongmakhali]

<YO! SAY! SUMMER 💗 LOVE!>

Prompt: A2

you can't even tell she has heart-shaped sunglasses on :( I guess that just means I'll have to make more summer time poses ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[draggysden]

Growly Kassie (ft. Sara way back there)

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

pacing is my favorite stim which is unfortunate because my legs are just fucked up enough that if i do it for slightly too long i end up in pain. stimming always wins though, so i do it anyway

[madeimpact]

❝ You need only remain as you are, Madoka Kaname. My only concern is that you are happy. To that end, please...do not concern yourself with any of what you just witnessed. ❞

@memuria || Winging it based on one (1) trailer

[juhnkit]

Motivational Music in the Morning ... #TheBlueStones, #ShakinOffTheRust ... from the Album #HiddenGems [Official Lyric Video] (2022) #MMitM1

[conscience-killer]

2, 6, 7, 11… and 31 LOL ENJOY

I hope you're happy I've had to turn my music down to concentrate.

2. If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? If you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil?

Abso-fuckin-lutely not. My wrist already sounds like a fucking cement mixer. I can't even stand signing my name. (Fun fact, I hate writing by hand so much that when I was a kid and figuring out my handwriting, I created a style that requires the least amount of pen to paper. Basically one stroke for each letter, if the letter permits. Except I cross my Z's. I have no idea why.) Also my writing looks like that of a toddler with a pen stuck in its arse. Thusly:

6. What is your darkest fear about writing?

I worry sometimes that I'll get brain fog and it'll never go away. Or I'll forget how shit works (not that I ever technically knew in the first place). I was relieved when I shook off the rust for Shakin' Off the Rust (see wut I did thar), because it came out pretty well, especially considering it'd been three years. Maybe it was just the catharsis of it? Idk I'm rambling. Brain hornets.

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

I mean it's probably obvious to anyone who's ever read any of my stories that I love love LOVE taking really fucking unpleasant scenarios and somehow making them palatable. The "Oh shit that really should not have been hot" market has always been my jam.

Also, I'm always gonna be a slut for shoehorning in references that maybe five people will pick up on. If they do they immediately fall into the Good People category.

Also, getting Matthew "Rickety Cricket" Mara laid.

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve?

I don't kill them I simply let them fester while I side-eye them. Then I figure out a way to work them in because goddammit, they're darlings for a reason. You can bet your ass I'm gonna fit in that 50th Buffy reference somewhere.

31. Write a short love letter to your readers.

Listen, I love everyone that's taken the time to read, kudos and especially comment on my fics. Even the G*tham stuff for fuck's sake. Moreso anyone who enjoys my Cricket stories because they will always and forevermore be the most fun I've had writing, and they're pretty special to me for that reason. They're the nichest of niche markets and I adore anyone who gives them the time of day. Fun fact: they got an unreasonable amount of love in mid 2020; I'm guessing people were running out of other Sunny ships to read lmao.

[melchinafan]

Massive kudos to the South of Midnight team for the attention to detail in environmental storytelling and character design! I know there's still a ton of stuff I can't even begin to guess at, but I've been able to glean a good amount just from the trailers, and it's all got me itching for more.

Some things I've been able to spot, just from these two screenshots:

I'd already kinda gotten the impression from Hazel's tattoo choker necklace and Lisa Frank-esque dolphin-rainbow tank top...but after seeing Lacey's half of a "best friends" heart necklace and jean jacket? I'd be shocked if this doesn't take place in or around the 90s. (Which is a solid choice, since it's a good way to limit having to worry about the question of cell phones.) Plus, if you take a look at their fridge, you can see magnets of the primary mythical creatures we'll run across! I listed most of them in the alt text if you can't tell what they are, but if I had to guess at the mystery cut-off one in the second screenshot...I'd say it's the Altamaha-ha from the announcement trailer. (Which I think is also maybe the purple-pink aquatic creature you can see for a split second near the end of the story trailer.) And...well, it's not visible in these screenshots, but in this scene Hazel also accidentally knocks a handmade mug off the counter. That mug has a bottle tree design on it, as featured in the game's logo and as important in-game magical elements!

Also fun is some of the detailing for Shakin' Bones:

His guitar has a Prospero license plate near the bottom (also seen on a half-sunk taxi that Catfish swims past in the gameplay trailer), which says CROS RDS (or "crossroads"). Below his arm you can see his name "Bones" carved into the face of the guitar, flanked by a couple Fleur-de-lis, and in a couple spots there's decorative blue paint (haint blue, I'd bet). Plus some short bits of bone (femur, at a guess), for both the bottom strap button and the tuning knobs. There's also a broken, rusted sawblade for a pickguard...which curiously has an elegant leafy design carved onto it. There's a similar leafy design carved along the top side of the guitar, too. Bones himself has a lot of different flora growing on him...at least two different kinds of leafy plants (small round leaves on his shoes, larger pointy leaves on his arms and neck), and some small brown mushrooms. And while I don't know enough about plants to recognize what those three might be, I'm pretty sure the flowers on his neck and side are swamp lilies. (The flower on his side is visible near the start of the announcement trailer, when you see him from behind. I'm also pretty sure I spotted some swamp lilies growing around Rhubarb's house in the story trailer, in their standard cluster form vs. Bones' unique singular flowers. Fun fact: for folks who play Secret World and remember a particular painting of some import in the Franklin Mansion, you may be amused to note that one of that flower's colloquial names is "seven sisters.")

There's also...well...these are a bit more spoiler-y, so I'll put them under a cut and try to keep it vague. But there's visual clues hinting at some secrets a few folks seem to have...

Less overtly secret, but still some story spoilers:

The most obvious thing at first glance in the first screenshot is the presence of Huggin' Molly's red yarn inside the broken wall. At second glance, and double-checking the start of the trailer to confirm the yellow paint and window style matches, this appears to be Hazel's house. But looking more carefully, one might notice that the exposed inner boards of the wall seem to have a little faded blue paint...suggesting that the house was protected with a hidden layer of haint blue (possibly in addition to the indoor wall paint that also appears to be blue), which wards off nasty critters. And with that ward literally broken, and Huggin' Molly being known in her real-world mythology to go after folks late at night, well... (Bonus fun fact: Secret Worlders may also be amused that the time on the clock in the first screenshot of this post is 10:10, as with Kingsmouth's clocks. Probably specifically 10:10 pm, not a storm-dark morning.)

And finally, a particular someone who seems to have deeper secrets:

(I linked the story trailer earlier, but the second screenshot is from the half-hour-long documentary.) The subtitles tell us this man is Laurent, and I'm curious about how significant his ear and nose piercings might be, given that he otherwise seems to be giving off airs of "responsible adult" (which typically does not permit such things). I have no idea who he is, exactly...yet his clothing choice and sense of decor are reminiscent of another design, which has shown up in the trailers and some promo/concept art that's been shared by the devs... But I'll let you dig up that connection on your own, if you're inclined to hunt down a bigger story spoiler.

[thatsgonnaleaveamark]

a Wayne whump compilation that i started forever ago and then forgot about

(song is "Shakin' Off The Rust" by The Blue Stones)

[lvnestudy]

September 5th, 2024

Day 5/30 days of productivity

I need to pull myself out of the holiday mood before the next semester begins, so I did some reading, took notes, and moved said notes to Obsidian before brainstorming ideas for my thesis. Then I read "The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell in this collection of short stories and made breakfast and dinner. 10/10 pretty productive day.

Work as usual

Continue reading article

Continue note-taking

Review past notes

Cook meals

Chores

Q: Do you usually like art for its beauty or its meaning? Or both? — Both. There are pieces that leave a deep impression on me for its beauty alone, some for its meaning, or both at once.

🎧 Shakin' Off The Rust - The Blue Stones

[bubble-popping]

day 6? i think? roleswap au again yeah there's a lot of it

He couldn't stop shaking. Several minutes had passed. His breathing was still ragged. The stench of rust and slaughter still burned his nostrils. Blood still matted his fur. (He didn't even want to think about who's.) He felt so disgusting; he couldn't bear to look at himself.

He kept rereading the main channel on his communicator just to be occupied. His grasp on the device tightened and loosened, assuring him it was all real, that this wasn't some twisted nightmare.

That he'd just massacred so many innocent people--including his best friend. And worst of all, he still felt the overwhelming urge to do it again scratching at the back of his brain.

Dream squeezed his eyes shut, willing the bile to stay down.

"Some festival, huh?"

The enderian jolted, his entire body puffing up and a strangled enderman noise leaving his throat. He looked to the source of the voice, and all the panic-driven adrenaline that'd filled his veins crashed to a halt.

"Technoblade, what the hell! Don't sneak up on me like that!" His communicator creaked under his crushing grip.

Techno raised his arms in surrender. "Woah, sorry. Didn't realize ya were tryna have a moment there. I can go if-"

"No, no," Dream interrupted, maybe a little too quickly. "It's fine. You can stay. Just, surprised me is all." He relaxed against the oak tree at his back, letting his device de-materialize so his hands were limp in his lap. He hated the empty feeling, but the constant reminder of his crimes was worse.

The masked man approached to join him under the shade. He sat with a low sigh, knees bent and arms resting on top.

Something about Techno's presence was very comforting--in the way that an old trusty axe or a well-worn shield was. Of course, Dream would never admit this, much less to Technoblade himself.

"Ya wanna talk about it?" Techno asked, startling Dream from his thoughts.

Dream snorted. "Since when do you care about my mental health, Techno?"

"Since I found ya shakin' like a leaf under a tree covered in blood n' guts."

"Oh yeah, cuz I totally believe you just happened to be walking by. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just mindin' my business walkin' down the Member Road when my comms exploded, no pun intended, so I was like 'Dream's goin' off? Oh, this I gotta see' and now I'm here."

Dream blinked at him blankly. Then he scoffed, and then he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Without even realizing, he gradually relaxed more and more until he was slouched against the trunk.

"So, you followed me out here to, what? Make fun of me? Brag about how you would've killed more?"

"Nah, I told ya, Dream. I came to see if yer okay."

"And I told you I don't buy that."

"Can I not care about my favorite rival?"

"Techno, I'm your only rival."

"Wow, Dream, that's kinda narcissistic of ya. Possessive too."

"Do you have any other rivals?"

"None on yer level, but I'd say I have a few. If I had known ya wanted to be exclusive then I would've told 'em-"

"Oh my god, shut up! You're so stupid! That's not what I'm saying!" Dream exclaimed while giving a playful shove. Techno promptly dissolved into hiccuping laughter. The enderman pretended his face wasn't heating up, crossing his arms like a petulant child, despite how he joined in the giggles.

Yet, he knew he needed this. Even if just for a moment, he could imagine everything was okay. That he was safe here, tucked away from the rest of the server with the admin harmlessly bullying him while an undeniable fondness grew in his heart.

A comfortable silence blanketed them once they'd calmed down. Dream could feel a certain exhaustion start to weigh on his eyelids, and inevitably his hands itched to grab something.

[mattmcguigan]

Had our first art request stream in a long time today! Shakin' off some rust, and we had a good time! Not sure how I wanna post these in future, but this little art-card-style presentation felt cute for now!

[astronautbeans]

for the ask game: 25, 29 (for The Moth and The Flame :D), 39 and/or 50?

yooooo 4 whole things to answer!!!!

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write? probably fanfiction.net?? I have/need to look up a lot for fics like tidal waves or htkag so the pacific rim and empires smp wikis are visited a lot xD

29. What songs would be (or are) on a playlist for [insert fic]? Explain your choices if you want! I'm so bad with fic playlists you have no idea- but two songs that I associate with the fic are Shakin' Off The Rust by The Blue Stones for vibes (and it was going to be the title at first), and Empire & the Sun by The Moth & The Flame which doesn't really fit the vibe of the fic but that's the only song I know from them, and it's where I got my title from

39. Is any aspect of your writing process inspired by other writers or people? If so, who? one thing that's definitely helped me with my writing process is the Sprinto bot (love you Sprinto bot <3) which was introduced to me by @/artielotl over a year ago! :D

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about anything you want to talk about! I'll take this moment to talk about Etho (wow how original, who would've thought?) but I just??? can't settle on headcanons???? like I enjoy this guy so much but my head will pingpong between wither!Etho and glitch!Etho and phantom!Etho (beloved, honestly) and immortal/herobrine!Etho and fox!Etho and I could just keep going,,, but that said feel free to drop more Etho headcanons I would love to add them to my collection hear more!

thx so much for the ask!! :D