#The Ballad of the Fallen

[jt1674]

[jazzdailyblog]

Charlie Haden: The Melodic Backbone of Jazz

Introduction: Charlie Haden, a name synonymous with the depth, soul, and beauty of jazz bass playing, stands out as one of the most influential musicians in the genre’s history. His career, spanning over five decades, not only showcased his virtuosity as a bassist but also his profound musicality and unwavering commitment to social justice. This blog post delves into the life, career, and legacy…

[fictionadventurer]

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reviews I've seen fixate on the story's discussion of whether humans are inherently good or inherently evil as if one side or the other is the correct answer. Meanwhile the story itself is showing that individual choice in every action--choosing to act out of either love or self-interest--is what truly matters in shaping society. A free and stable society requires that people be taught to make selfless choices rather than act out of fear. Instead of oppressing people into fearful order, citizens need to have the freedom to choose the good, and be educated with the values that teach them what good is.

[average-if-enjoyer]

Children of Cain: The Ballad of the Young Gods as a Netflix series by @childrenofcain-if

Had a lot of fun making this. I always enjoyed seeing these sort of things pop up for IFs so to make my own was an interesting experience.

Credits and musings under the cut. It's a wall of text so don't worry about it.

Who's Watching template belongs to @bitchronan link to the post itself.

Overview, Show Preview and Episode Playing templates belong to @seungnm link to the post itself.

The picture of Yale in the Show Preview template belongs to @poems4proserpine saw it pop up and knew it was exactly what I needed.

Dialogue used for the subtitles is from this post from one of the many C snippets the author has written on their blog.

I really enjoyed portraying the show and episode summaries as if it was the MC's dad narrating them. In a way it's him keeping an eye on them which felt appropriate. Especially if he is indeed Hades from the beginning...

I created this with MC and C in mind, and who doesn't want to watch 24 episodes of a growing romance with a banger of a pay-off in the second season's finale? And there's still another to go!

(Don't worry, they definitely confess and kiss by the end of the first season. Or do they...)

But I should stop typing. I might try to make some social media templates to show a glimpse into my MCs, even if I think they would hardly use social media, if at all.

I swear if there's any spelling/edit mistakes I may cry. And no, the British spelling 'realise' does not count before any of you decide to be funny.

I'm watching you, and so is M.

[dendrofiles]

tribute profile: sydney

this is a part of the dol hunger games au!

district: 1

build: tall and lean, though a bit more slight than whitney. 5’9” with long strawberry blond hair and soft amber eyes.

weapon of choice: sword

strengths: career tribute, son of a victor, well-trained for the games, focused

weaknesses: secretly terrified of the games despite preparing for them his whole life. his worst fear is dying and hurting sirris

public opinion: the capitol is RAVENOUS over him. they need him to win. what’s better than a pair of father-son victors? the districts are expecting him to win, but they’re kind of sick of seeing him and sirris on their tvs. the people back in 1 are cheering him on.

gamemaker score: 10

lore below!

happy hunger games, dear tribute. you’ve come so far already, and the games haven’t even started. you’re learning a lot, aren’t you? there’s so much to unravel in this corrupt, cursed country’s history. well, let me tell you, you’ve barely scraped the surface.

don’t worry, though, because i happen to be one of the kinder ones among the ghosts that haunt this capitol. let me tell you one more tale before you head into the arena. and yes, this is about that boy from 1 you’ve been eyeing.

oh, don’t try to deny it. i know you’ve been eyeing him. it doesn’t matter. just listen closely.

once upon a time, between the glorious old mansions lining the cobbled streets of district 1, a boy and a girl fell in love. they were children of the great families. a match made in heaven, as the girl would say. her faith was unshakeable, even in a nation like panem, where faith in anything but the capitol was almost heretical. the boy loved her all the more for it.

there was always a dark cloud hanging over their love, though. the boy was meant to go into the hunger games when he was 18. he trained for his entire childhood, and the girl watched him grow stronger, smarter, deadlier. she clutched her cross necklace, rubbing the cool metal between her fingers. she hated the games, though she couldn’t say it, and she couldn’t help but fear for her lover.

still, she knew he would win. the boy was the the perfect career tribute, with no shortage of beauty and brawn, but his scientific brain gave him an edge over his competitors. the night before the reaping, the training institute hosted a banquet in his honor (and the honor of his district partner, of course, but let’s be honest, she never stood a chance anyway). after the banquet, the girl grabbed the boy's hand and the two disappeared into the streets. they ran through the town until they reached the courthouse.

the boy looked at the girl under the ornate streetlights. "what's this, pallas?"

the girl turned to him, a smile on her rose-quartz lips. "do you wanna get married?"

the boy's eyes widened. "married? like, now?"

"yes, now."

"why?"

the girl had dozens of reasons. because she loved him. because she wanted to spend forever with him. because she knew they were soulmates, that god had designed them to be together, that their love was transcendent of everything else.

but also, because if, against all odds, the boy died in the arena, the girl wanted to marry him first. it was selfish, she knew, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life in regret.

she didn't say any of this, though. instead, she went with “won’t sponsors be more likely to support you if they know you have a wife at home?”

he peered into her eyes, his topaz-tinted gaze piercing through her cover. he always saw through her. but he didn’t press it. instead, he squeezed her hand, and the two went inside. they signed the papers before running to the meadows on the outskirts of town. they fell into the tall, soft grass.

the girl rolled the boy onto his back. she climbed on top of him, pressing their foreheads together. “win for me, sirris,” she whispered.

“i will,” sirris promised.

the next day, sirris was reaped. a month later, he was home, a victor and a golden boy. all of district 1 celebrated, but there was no greater celebration than for pallas, as she had just found out she was pregnant. nine months later, a boy was born, a boy with sirris’ silky hair and bright eyes, but pallas’ unforgettable smile. they called the boy sydney.

you all know how the story goes from here. most of panem does, even if they don’t talk about it. nobody in 1 does. it’s their greatest shame. of course, they’re all far more inclined to blame the whole affair on the couple from 3 rather than the gamemakers, but that’s to be expected.

while sydney and kylar were playing in the backyard, blowing dandelions and chasing butterflies, the four adults were inside debating the gamemakers’ plot in hushed whispers. sirris and pallas tried in vain to keep kylar’s parents away from harper and remy, pallas anxiously rubbing her pendant the whole time. but they failed. sydney watched as the scientists from 3 took his best friend by either hand and led him away. he still remembers the worried look in kylar’s green eyes as he cast one last look over his shoulder. then, he was gone.

a few months later, kylar’s parents disappeared. the capitol called it an “unforeseen tragedy.” sirris and pallas knew better. particularly, something broke inside pallas then. she had been watching this broken nation collapse for decades now. it was time that someone made a change.

on a cool, dark morning, pallas kissed her sleeping son on the head, wrote her husband a letter, and snuck out into the dawn. nobody really knows the details, but somehow, she made it to the capitol, to the gamemaker’s lab. what happened next is hard to say. the security cameras were running, but few have seen the footage.

i bet you can guess, though. remy and harper do love their mutts.

she was gone. sirris’ grief was immense, but he kept it in check to raise sydney. on a subconscious level, he knew his wife’s disappearance was the capitol’s fault, but it wasn’t like he could do anything about it. sirris was a victor. the capitol had given him everything he had. he couldn't turn against them. not then, at least.

sydney, though, saw his pallas' disappearance as a wake-up call. it must be a sign, he thought. his faith was even stronger than his mother's, and it brought him right to the training institute. perhaps, if he got to the capitol, he could find his mother. and we all know there's no better way to get to the inner circles of the capitol than by winning the hunger games.

from the ages of 12-18, sydney trained at district 1's training center, just like his father did. he told sirris that he was training to join a government position in 1, and sirris, still gently pulling the wool over his own eyes, believed him.

then, on the day of the reaping, sydney's name was called. all the breath left sirris' lungs, but sydney didn't seem shocked at all. he walked calmly up to the stage. shook his district partner's hand. smiled out at the cheering crowd.

that was what did it for sirris. he had been too complacent. he had let the capitol take too much from him, justifying it all with the materialistic, shiny presents they gave him back. sirris had the same realization that pallas did when the couple from 3 disappeared. it was time for a change.

lucky for sirris, there was another victor in on it, too. wren. younger victor from about a decade ago. also had family in the games. in a rare moment of district unity, the victor from 1 and the victor from 8 shook hands and committed to breaking the capitol rather than letting their loved ones die. all they had to do was get robin and sydney in on the plan.

an unforeseen challenge arises, though. sirris finds that it's getting harder and harder to convince sydney. why, you ask? silly tribute, it's you. the boy is in love with you. his shame from his faith won't let him show it, but he loves you more than he's loved anything else in the world. his father wants him to bring down the capitol, but his love for you is overwhelming. sydney wants to end the capitol as much as the next tribute, but what good is a future that he can't carry you into?

you might be the catalyst, dear tribute. whispers of rebellion are hanging in the air this year, lying in wait. soon, they'll rise to screams.

it's your choice, kid. you'd be a good victor, yes. but you'd be a better rebel leader. just... follow that love of yours. that, if anything, shouldn't lead you astray.

okay. long one. 1.3k words. jesus christ, i'm a yapper.

yes i’m giving syd’s mom a name! if you want more context for this story on district 3’s side, you should read kylar’s intro. its shorter, i promise.

anyways, i hope this one isn’t terribly cringe!! but now that all the tribute intros are done, i’m going to work on pc intros, redo the character guide, and write some fics about the older characters!! thank you to everyone for supporting the au so far :)

[farosdaughter]

“Coryo only cared about Lucy Gray’s survival for his own selfish reasons”

Coryo thinking about Lucy Gray’s survival:

Before any thought of his own well-being or the incumbent threat of his family’s imminent homelessness, comes Coryo’s desire to help Lucy Gray survive the Games. Those worries don’t negate the sincerity of his intentions towards Lucy Gray, just like Katniss cared both about the survival of her family and keeping Peeta alive. Personal, ‘selfish’ needs can and do coexist with altruistic ones in most people. Not to mention that Snow being willing to do anything to ensure his and his family’s survival doesn’t scream villainous mastermind. He’s an underdog whose only concern is staving off hunger and doing a good enough job to achieve some sense of security.

His determination to keep Lucy Gray alive is born out of gratitude, honor as well as selfless love. Coryo’s motivation here is entirely altruistic: he risks everything he has at stake (his reputation, his chance to save his family from ignominy and hunger, his entire future) to give Lucy Gray a bigger chance at survival.

If it had only been a matter of getting the Plinth money, he would’ve focused all his efforts on endearing himself to the Plinths (as he ends up doing at the end of the story). On the contrary, violating the Academy rules and basically challenging the purpose of the Hunger Games could only result in Coryo’s fall from grace.

It’s not the cheating itself, but the circumstance that he did so for the love of one of the tributes that lands Coryo in exile. If he’d cheated simply to show off or for any other selfish reason, you can bet his punishment wouldn’t have been as extreme. Dr Gaul sees how having a soft spot for Lucy Gray will eventually compromise his allegiance to the Capitol: it’s one mistake that cannot be tolerated in the future elite of Panem.

[witchw0lf]

Started rewatching Bebop with @taytaythefemboy and it has to be one of the best shows ever made. Jupiter Jazz II and Ballad of Fallen Angels have me in the weirdest feelings still.

[spikelovesjulia]

credit: fsx.design

[the-avaricious-meddler]

[kassgender]

SUNTHERIANTHROPY

PT: Suntherianthropy. END PT Suntherianthropy is defined as an identity where one's therian identity is integrated into their baseline personality -- so you never feel fully "human" or fully "animal" and don't have clear-cut shifts, but might experience it more fluidly and always somewhere in the middle.

Made for myself as I didn't see any suntherian flags floating around!

[decretum565]

Ballad of Fallen Angels is one of the most beloved episodes of Cowboy Bebop, and for good reason. It has impeccable art direction, sound design, plot development and excellent character writing for Spike and Jet.

But can we talk about how excellent Faye’s writing is, too?

At the start of the episode, when Jet and Spike are arguing over the bounty, Faye walks in during a moment of tense silence. When she asks about what’s going on, Jet tells her to “mind her own business” and stay out of the situation.

Does she listen to him? Hell no. She laughs him off and keeps pushing anyways.

When she’s lashed out at again a few minutes later, she absolutely rolls with the punches, scoffing that “Men are too sensitive.” While some of this behavior stems from her own hidden sensitivity, Faye isn’t willing to stand by and let the team be stifled by their insecurities.

Faye makes the decision to go after Mao Yenrai not out of recklessness, but because not a single person on the ship is bothering to explain what’s going on. She jumps at the chance track him down at the opera house, because she’s a bounty hunter and if there’s money involved, then why should she hesitate?

And, god, the scene at the opera house with Vicious? The tension is overflowing. Up until this point, the show makes it clear that Faye has a problem with keeping her mouth shut. Her restraint is initially nonexistent, but it’s not until this scene that we actually see it in action.

Faye is terrified during this moment, and why wouldn’t she be? She’s stuck in an opera box with a corpse and syndicate members who will not hesitate to shoot her. One wrong move, and she’ll join Mao Yenrai. Her eyes are clenched in terror, the sweat’s falling down her face, and we finally see Faye Valentine struck down by silence.

Faye and Spike may share many reckless behaviors, but Faye possesses something that he lacks, and that’s self-preservation. She may be loud, and passionate, and ‘obnoxious’ (Jet’s words, not mine), but she’s a survivor through and through. She struggles with her traumas, just as the others do, but she shoves it down and rolls with whatever comes her way.

Because she’s Faye Valentine, and that’s just what she does.

[loveneverfades]

[peligin-eyed]

Guy who just moved to London this year:

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday

Tagging @inafieldofdaisies @voidika @icecutioner @socially-awkward-skeleton @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @direwombat @strangefable @rhettsabbott @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @imogenkol @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @raresvtm @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @shellibisshe @deputy-morgan-malone @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @sleepyconfusedpotato @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries @nightwingshero and @noodlecupcakes

Songs for An Old Ballad Of Chance And Ember Hearts Trilogy, A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore and one specifically called "Dinosaur Escape" for the Jurassic World WIPs in The UnTitledverse, though the Jurassic World: Into The Eye Of The Storm WIP fits this one. You can listen to them below the cut:

The Trilogy of An Old Ballad Of Chance And Ember Hearts are a trio of original works about the first pair of human explorers of the Multiverse as they traverse through numerous and wonderful worlds that exist within it. It explores the beauty and darkness of the mesmerizing nature of life. "Dream Your Dream" I believe encapsulates the fantastical and ethereal tone, especially with its balance between the whimsical dream and a dreadful nightmare, which is emphasized through the lullaby-aesthetic of the song, as this trilogy is written as historical accounts of these two explorers' journeys from a time that has long since passed.

"The ticking clock breaks the spell with every beat Illusion or not, you are safe for now So dream, so dream your dream So dream your dream

So dream, dream, dream your dream 'Cause when you're awake your nightmare awaits So dream, dream, dream your dream 'Cause when you're awake the nightmare awaits It's a fantasy, they'll be seeing you soon Nowhere left to go, terrors keep breaking through So dream, dream, dream your dream 'Cause when you're awake The nightmare will become the truth."

Throughout all six of the fics I have for my Fallout series, A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore, I think the most grim and game-changing one would have to be the Fallout: New Vegas fic, The House On Top, not that this series isn't already written to be grimmer and darker than the games. Anywho, the song I believe sets the tone going forward during and post-FONV's fic would have to be "Game Of Survival".

"Who's in the shadows? Who's ready to play? Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

There's no surrender And there's no escape Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

This is a wild game of survival."

Of course "Dinosaur Escape" can just be for all my Jurassic World fics, however I think it's closest to my Jurassic World: Into The Eye Of The Storm WIP as that takes place during Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, especially with references to the Isla Nublar eruption and the Indoraptor himself. This specific fic focuses on Joaquin Cobalt, Edward Carmine and Indo (+ Diego & Phone) as they try to get off the island before they're consumed by molten ash of death. It's also the fic where Maisie gets introduced, and she plays an important part throughout The UnTitledverse entire series. The song's also a kind of Spoiler-ish free recap for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom if anyone wants to listen.

"On Isla Nublar So many dinosaurs are running wild Too many to count But Claire has got a list of names compiled I feel a rumble on the island and I start to think... We have to save the dinosaurs before they're all extinct

Start with the herbivores!

The Stegosaurus last was seen by the Cretaceous Cruise Triceratops was in the Gentle Giants petting zoo Pachycephalosaurus used to fight in Pachy Arena Ankylosaurus were around the Gyrospheres beside the forest

Oh! I feel a rumble coming from a volcano I see a stormy cloud I see a dark red glow So grab the gyrosphere and step on the gas We've got to go It's gonna blow 'Cause it's an eruption Eruption

Chaos is all around While Claire's embarking with a crew And Owen Grady joined the team to help them look for Blue Isla Nublar's falling and the population's on the brink They've got to save the dinosaurs before they're all extinct

Onto the carnivores!

Carnotaurus has two horns protruding from her head Ferocious Allosaurus broke from holoscape and fled Last remaining Tyrannosaurus Rex escaped her kingdom Baryonyx almost ate the crew inside the lava chamber

Oh! I feel a rumble coming from a volcano I see a stormy cloud I see a dark red glow So grab the gyrosphere and step on the gas We've got to go It's gonna blow 'Cause it's an eruption Eruption

The Indoraptor was created by Dr. Wu A hybrid dinosaur 2,000 pounds designed for war Half Velociraptor, half Indominus Rex And it's up to Blue to defeat him now

I feel a rumble, I feel a rumble I feel a rumble coming from a volcano I feel a rumble, I hear the sound We've got to go before Jurassic World comes falling down Yeah!

Eruption!"

[dendrofiles]

tribute profile: kylar

this is a part of the dol hunger games au!

district: 3

build: slight, skinny, and malnourished. about 5’0” with messy black hair and bright green eyes. a real challenge for the prep teams to clean up.

weapon of choice: knife

strengths: lithe and fast, skilled with his knife, technological prowess

weaknesses: tiny, no physical strength to speak of, not good at attracting sponsors

public opinion: the capitol are torn between whether he’s the worst of the district filth, or whether he’s a compelling insane little boy that could be a dark horse in the games. the districts don’t care much about him. the folks in 3 are somewhat repulsed by him, but also empathetic to his situation- it’s not like most of them are faring much better.

gamemaker score: 5

lore below!

everyone in district 3 knows about what happened to kylar's parents. damn shame, really. but they can't say they didn't see it coming. they should have known better. there was no good to be had from getting close to sirris, that victor from 1. sirris and his wife might have been nice people, but still. they were from 1. they were careers. they were loyalists, turncoats, scum. even if nobody in 3 would say this out loud for fear of retribution from the capitol, they all knew it.

but oh, what a group the four of them were! all of them were smart people of a scientific mind. they were young and beautiful and unstoppable. and then they had those kids! kylar would have been a disaster all on his own, but underneath the light that seemed to radiate naturally from sydney, he, too, was brilliant.

kylar's parents should have known better. they really, really should have known better. why did they accept the demands of the two gamemakers who randomly approached them? were they too blinded by the pursuit of scientific knowledge to recall that remy and harper should not, could not be trusted under any circumstances?

they had it all, and it all disappeared in an instant. sirris' wife, who was becoming known in the capitol for her ancient faith and rebel sympathies, suddenly disappeared. kylar's parents did too. they got off easy. at least they were only turned into wraiths, granting them the freedom to roam panem, haunting whichever district they please. sirris' wife wasn't so lucky.

kylar lost everything. he became an orphan. he spent long hours bent over monitors in control rooms, tinkering and muttering nonsense. his bright green eyes were perpetually red at the rims. his darkhair was matted, his skin always slick with grime. there were plenty of orphans in 3, all of them in a state of filth and distress, but none of them quite as disturbed as kylar. there was something wrong with that boy on such an intrinsic level that not even an industrial hose could wash it away. so the people of 3 breathed a sigh of relief when kylar was reaped, although they felt guilty for it.

when kylar arrives at the capitol before the games, he's stunned to see sydney there. being confronted with his old friend after years of radio silence brings a litany of painful memories and repressed feelings to the surface. but, that's not the only thing kylar has to deal with.

kylar meets you. you, a tribute from another district, a crowd favorite, a rare person willing to stand up to his tormentors. kylar is consumed by his love for you, swallowed up by his force. as a consequence, his insanity multiplies by a thousandfold. the more possessive he grows of you, the more his focus is scattered. a lethal error. but it’s anyone’s guess of whether kylar’s survival instincts or his obsession will win out. the last place that love matters is in the arena.

[thedeafprophet]

After the events of The Ballad of Johnny Croak, Alex tends to keep an eye out on the kid. This has some unintended side effects however, when wherever the kid goes, so do the frogs....