#also i fricking LOVE reading what you got from a piece since my brain has seen it and critiqued it so much that i miss some things

[dove-da-birb]

First impression of you: Right from the start, I thought you were super sweet, and very clever, with a good sense of humour, and a very perceptive nature. I also thought you were incredibly creative, and a FANTASTIC writer

Now: Much of the same sentiments still hold true! I also feel even more than before just how supportive and caring you are. Plus, I'm consistently surprised about how many things we have in common :)

First off; thank you SO MUCH for deciding to pop into my ask box on my writing blog (since that is how we first really met).

I try my best to be supportive, but not overstep any boundaries!

Yeahhhh, we keep on doing the spider-man meme very often... which I am not complaining about

[binniesthighs]

hi hi cuties and thigh enthusiasts!! just about a day ago my lil blog full of hornies and changbin thirst reached 1,500 and i am just jaflkjasd :’) since then haha 

ah ah this post is already so cheesy hehe but i wanted to say thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for following me along with my journey with this blog! after having the hobby of writing for the greater part of my life, i’m so immensely thankful that i started this blog and hopefully took ya all on some of the crazy adventures i keep locked up in my head hehe 

having this blog has been such a wonderful experience, from learning about myself as a writer, exploring the many, many hornies that i’ve got, and most of all, meeting all of the freakin’ fantastic individuals in this community! ~thank you to each and every one of you for being the sweetest, loveliest, most hilarious and welcoming people i could ever wish to meet and have the honor of getting to know and write for!~ 

to celebrate, i wanted to make a lil list n’ love letter to my lovely pals for ya to check out! there is fkn CRAZY talent on this list and i highly recommend that ya check out everyone and their masterlists! 

to my moots~ GAH I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH my whole experience here on smutblr has been made absolutely amazing by you all! GOSH hehe i am full of so much love for you all your brains are seggsy as hell and i’m always rooting for you!! thank you so much for being my friends <3 

to my readers~ my loves, thank you, as a writer, to bee seen and heard fulfills every word i write and every lil idea i scribble down. wherever ya are in the world, thank you for taking the time to read my pieces and for sending me love. you are my reason!! 

to my anons~ thank you my darlings for all of your kindness, screams in my inbox, every song rec, hard thought and word of encouragement. my lil anon family i love you and appreciate you all so much! thank you for reaching out to me and makin’ a lil home on my account! it means the world to me! <3 

to my bunch of (ro)ses~ thank you so much for hyping me with each of my updates, for showing up in my notifs and being overall frickin’ angels! thank you so much for reading as always and i hope that ya like what’s to come! 

~hehe i wanted to write ya all lil messages too! while they just scratch the surface, please know that i love ya all to the moon and back!! 🥰~ 

🌹Writers🌹

@aliceu ~ alice, hehe here’s to all the times that we would ramble about fantasy aus and bounce ideas off eachother, thank you so much for being my go-to and my muse at times! your works are literally magical my love! 

@bearseungmin ~ hehe dawn i think that you might be one of my oldest moots on this list! ever since i started out here in this lil corner on the internet, you have been the most supportive, sweet individual there is to me and I can’t say thank you enough! i’m also like, highkey obsessed with everything you write hehehe 

@binniesbrat ~ oh my gosh té , hehe lol i will bring this up over and over again bc i’m just so ah ah it makes me melt but fun fact hehe back when i was babybinniesthighs, té reached out to me, and made me felt like i belonged--i literally lysm! your hornies are fantastic my dear, we are so lucky to have you here! 

@bruh-changbin ~ dear sky, while we’ve only talked a little in asks, i wanted to express how very dear you are to me! hehe when i update and you hype me up it literally makes my whole frickin’ day! you keep me going! not to mention that your writing is *chef’s kiss* teehee 

@bubblelixie ~ ah! kc! we’ve also been moots for a good while, i think back when i was babybinniesthighs too! hehe your overwhelming love and support of me makes my heart frickin’ swell and seeing you in my notifs and my asks with hornies makes me feel so dang fuzzy! you are quite literally one of the most adorable cuties on here! your writing also just *knocks me out* OOF 

@chaangbin ~ ours is quite the story dear hazel bean...meaning....i was like, the biggest, nerdiest fangirl of your work for quite some time and very very shy to tell you that it was me ahhhhh haha well here i am ooP your writing is so beautiful and human and immersive in so many ways! i’m crazy lucky to be moots and friends with ya! omg if i say more i will literally embarrass the heck out of myself hahahhaha

@decembermoonskz ~ beautiful izzy, you are such, and i mean such an inspiration to me. the way that you write is so gorgeous and i feel as if i’m in every scene. the way that you create worlds and place your readers in them is frickin’ insane! hehe i love obsessing with ya over chan any day and night! keep goin’! 

@dom--minnie ~ len, when i think of comfort, i really think of you. the way that i feel so safe with ya is like, insane. even when we first started chattin’ i just knew that we had an amazin’ thing coming hehe. from horny rambles to literally just talkin’ bout life, i am absurdly lucky to have met you here! you literally deserve everything wonderful in life and i love ya so much! 

@etherealeeknow ~ gah gen, my dear, the way that you checked up with me over my lil break just huhuhu thank you so much for being such a lovely and caring person towards me and everyone else whom you meet! you are so precious and i hope ya never forget that! 

@fight-me-m8 ~ darling and sweet rosetta, FRICK literally when i think of you oh my gosh i get the fuzzies, i’m so happy that we met and that i was able to witness the beginnings of your account! you have so so much love to give and i will fight you and give you more love back. bb i’m so happy to have you as a moot! 

@film-in-my-soul ~ alex! hehe while our friendship is still in the bb stages, i wanted to throw some love your way too!! i’m so hyped to write with you in the future and talk even more! i love how fast we clicked when we started talking about BLs AHA darlin’ you are so sweet and i can’t wait to get to know ya more! 

@formidxble ~ kim oh my god, you are a frickin’ force. when you entered this community a lil bit ago, and then made it your own, sharing with us your beautiful brain and lovely kindness, i swear the world must’ve taken a breath or something LOL you always astonish me with your works and i’m literally so excited for what the future holds for you! 

@hanflix ~ i think that i speak for so many of us here that rue, you are truly an inspiration. back when i was starting out and even now, reading your works feels like such a treat and i try to savor them all up! as a writer, i look up to you so much and as a wonderful, humble and hardworking person i look up to you as well!! thank you so much for welcoming me when i was babybinniesthighs ilsym! 

@hongnanglen-arina ~ arina my fuckin’ love oh my god if i could fly to where you are i frickin’ would!! i really think that the universe did a lil somethin’ somethin’ allowing us to meet. i feel so comfortable with you talkin’ about anything and everything especially hornies they are fkn’ unbridled. i can’t count how many times you’ve made me topple with laugher at like 3am. i’m so happy to have you in my life! 

@hyunsluvv ~ kathy istg you are one of the sweetest people i have had the pleasure of meeting on this lil corner of the internet! the care and love that you give to each of your anons, moots and in your work is truly astounding. i remember when you were just starting out i knew that big things were in store for you, and they still are! hehe

@imagineinnie ~ el, you are literally an angel if i have ever met one. it means the whole world to me when i see your dms, and the way that you check up on me and so many others goes to show the utter kindness and selflessness that you exhibit. cutie, thank you so much for always cheering me on and being such a light in this community!!

@instachans ~  kenny, although we’ve just met, i’m already so excited for our friendship to come! you are such an angel and have so much love to give, i’m so thankful that you slide into my asks hehe the future holds such amazing things for you!  

@itsapapisongo ~ javi, my dear, there’s just somethin’ about us that flows like frickin’ water. i feel like there’s the people that you meet in life that you kind of just click with, and i’m immensely grateful that i’ve met you. your love, support, hornies and lethal timing with gifs keeps me smiling. you are an astonishing writer and i feel so lucky to be here with you! 

@jisungsplatforms ~ sweet ina hehe i’m so glad that ya slid into my asks the day that you did! your vibes are so sweet and peaceful and i feel as if you and your account are such a safe place! i love, love sharing hornies with you over our boys! there is so much ahead for you my dear and i can’t wait!!! 

@mochinnie ~ omg i’ve totally said this before so many times, but i am so, so wowed by your work isa and they stick with me for like days after i read your pieces! i am so utterly inspired by you! i love your blog’s aesthetic and how you are always truthfully yourself i admire this so much! when i was starting out your works kept me goin’! thank you so much for this hehe 

@mzmezzler ~ ryan you literally deserve the whole world! not to mention that you are doing god’s work writing sub!skz! sweets, each of your pieces are so wonderful and imaginative and your lil memes and thoughts are so cute! please always keep doing you!! 

@ohmysparkle ~ sparkle: oh my gosh where can i start??? you are one fkn’ badass sparklin’ cat and my freakin’ role model. every day i am so astonished over how well spoken, wise, and reasonable you are while also being off the walls unapologetically yourself. my dear plz always shout with me about sub!hyunjin teehee 

@seungmoomin ~ nia big sexy brain!! holy shit the fkn talent in this bus? astronomical! nia i am absoluately WEAK over your writings and highkey you as a person over all! i swear, your blog is a gold mine and your personality is so wonderful i can’t put it into words LOL there’s no one quite like you and i can’t even count how many times you’ve got me dying laughing here ily!!

@yourdaddychan ~ LUNA my queen of capitalization and screaming in dms, you add a spice to my life that i didn’t know was missing. talking to you in every  format is fkn fantastic and lights up my day no matter how gloomy its been. i really feel like this is your world and i’m just livin’ in it LOL I LOVE YEW

🌹Readers🌹

@introjoonie ~ mai, this account would literally not be in existence if not for you, and it’s provided me with such happiness over these few months! thank you so much for encouraging me to let my hornies to the wind, and for listening to all my rambles about it since. thank you so much for being a lovely best friend, cheerleader and person. i’ll be seeing you soon!

@jeonglixie, @lechanters, @inlovewithasa, @pixxie-lixxie ~ my loves there is something so, so beautiful about each and every one of you, i cannot thank you enough for reading my works and for being so overwhelmingly supportive and kind with your feedback time and again. i’m so blessed to have such wonderful readers such as you! my time here on tumblr has been made by you and so many others of my unbelievably sweet readers!

@lovesfaith ~ ahh tumblr is being rude not letting me tag ya but sweets i just wanted to thank you so much for your kindness too! i adore talking with ya about astrology n’ just life and the way that you read me like a book is CRAZY haha thank you for being you Bambi! 

@meow-minho  ~ marine, every time that i see you on tumblr i am so thankful for your grace, and just lovely welcoming vibes. i am so thankful to have such a lovely person as you in my life and i can’t express how much me (and i’m sure so many other writers on here) appreciate your feedback. thank you so much!

@synnocence ~ wonderful cee, since first meeting you i feel like i’ve had the pleasure of getting to know such a wonderful human and equally amazin’ fellow bin stan! i can’t thank you enough for how much you’ve helped me grow my bin collection! dm-ing with you is always such a joy and you deserve the frickin’ world my friend!!

once again, thank you so much for poppin by and giving me a read, an ask, a dm or simply just sending bin pics my way hehe 

i hope to write much more in the future and to lash out with all the hornies that i’ve got! i can’t wait to share more with you all! thank you so much for being my motivation, as well as seggsy ass cuties who i am so lucky to share this space with!! 

have you thought about changbin’s thighs today yet? well...now you have 😉

[kitkatopinions]

It's hard NOT to speak up when something you used to love and had so much potential gradually turns to shit. I know some former fans just dropped the show and discourse (mostly as a result of V6 and V8) but there are those of us who have to step up and point out WHY this happens!

Not gonna lie, it's hard for me because I hyperfixate, and it's really hard to stop talking and thinking about things that I hyperfixate on. Before I made this blog partially as a way to vent, I felt like I was annoying and driving away my sisters because I kept talking about RWBY - even though that wasn't the case, since both of them also had major problems with RWBY and we've all always enjoyed dissecting and bashing media. Still, that's how I felt, and when I'd make myself not talk about it, I'd just sit there thinking through everything I would say over and over again in my brain.

I don't think RWBY simps really understand how hard it is for some people to just drop things. Ever since I was a kid, I've latched onto things and made them part of my personality and have felt unable to detach myself from them, and have struggled to not talk about it frequently. My siblings would pick fun at me for having randomly latched onto and become 'obsessed' with C-3PO. I became so wrapped up in the Superhero world my siblings and friends and I invented at the age of eight or nine that the characters I invented for it still live rent free in my head now in my mid twenties. I was so obsessed with the book The Thief Lord that I checked it out of the library so much over the course of two years that the copy was basically mine and barely touched the library shelves. I got so invested in Harry Potter and specifically the character of Snape (I can't control who I latch onto, don't @ me) that I read through almost every non-romance driven Snape-centered fic that had existed on fanfiction.net during my fifteen year old days. Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spider-Man, Loki, the fricking Office... Seriously my siblings once invented a song about the things I wouldn't stfu about when we were all very young that included McDonalds and Linus from the Peanuts. (This was all in good humor, don't worry.)

Once I started hyperfixating on RWBY, it became really hard for me to just not talk about it, not think about it, not pay attention to what's going on with it. On top of that, I'm a stubborn bastard, and the single fastest way to get me to dig my heels in on something is to give me an order or tell me I can't do something (of course, unless that thing is literally immoral.) So yeah, I was never going to stop doing something that helps me vent about the hyperfixations I can't just stop myself from having (believe me, I've tried) just because some people don't want to filter tags.

Even more than that, I fully believe that there's no such thing as perfect media or media that's above criticism and bashing. Even my absolute favorite movies and TV shows and video games that I love and adore get dragged, because it's fun. But, of course it's harder to watch something you love become something terrible, even if it was always deeply flawed. It's frustrating and it's tiring and it's a little confusing. And on top of that, if a series has harmful messages or racist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-Semitic, or sexist jokes, narratives, or choices, of course no one should have to stop talking about that! Whether or not it was intentional by the writers or not, no one should feel obligated to not talk about the ways that a piece of media hurt or angered them with their portrayals or messages, and the members of the groups affected should be listened to with sympathy and understanding.

The idea that if someone has a problem with this piece of media that the writers are trying to sell to us, that they just need to A. never watch the show again, and B. shut up and never talk about it just in case someone gets the show 'ruined' for them by seeing criticism or bashing... That's just... So highkey ridiculous.

[acourtofdreamyreads]

House Of Earth And Blood Review

I'm speechless. I'm torn. I'm ecstatic. I'm crying and on the verge of dying. This book broke me into pieces. WHAT I LIKED (LOVED) I loved every aspect in this book. Every page, Every paragraph, Every sentence, Every word, I loved. This book was truly and utterly amazing. I loved the characters in this book, BRYCE, HUNT, DANIKA, RUHN, CONNER, LEHABAH, SYRINX, HYPAXIA, FURY, AND ETC. I loved the character development in this book as well as the emotive language that pulls you into this book and tears you into pieces. The beginning was hard to take as there was a lot of information to take in but after about 100 pages everything was just as I had imagined. I flew through this book so quick that I did not even realise the hours passing by. I loved the plot in this book as it left you curious and hungry to find out how all of this would end. The cliffhangers and the shocking info that has been given to you at the end of every chapter made me love this book even more because it just created a spark of something inside of me that forced me to read on no matter the shock or pain that the chapters have left you in. I also loved the friendships, romances, the family bonds and everything in this book. WHAT I DID NOT LIKE (HATED) I hated/disliked a little things in this book and it has got nothing to do with Sarah's writing but some of the characters that just made me so angry that I was fuming. THE AUTUMN KING: He treated Bryce as if she was shit (but the part were he saw that Bryce was more powerful than him made me laugh). SABINE: I don't hate her, I just don't like her. This is because she blamed Bryce for Danika's death just because she was a "whore" and a party girl. Like WTF. Sabine hated her daughter, I just don't understand. Like get your shit together. MICAH: I hated this guy. Pure hatred ran through me even just hearing his name. First of all he nearly killed Bryce, Number 2 he fricking killed Danika, Number 3 he just simply was an asshole to me, like I was so glad when Bryce killed him. I felt no sorrow as the devil himself deserved the pain and that gruesome death Bryce released on him. SANDRIEL: How dare she try to capture/kill Bryce. I hated her just as much as Micah because she put so much pain into Hunt's life and she was just horrible. BRYCE I loved Bryce. She has got to be one of my favourite characters that Sarah. J. Maas has created. I loved her bad-ass character as well as the sweet, innocent girl you come to know later into the book. I read/watched her grew up from a person who does not give a damn about life in general to a matured (a little) grown women who does not fear life and anything that comes in her way. She grows stronger and more independent throughout the book. She is willing to save the one's she loves and she is willing to give them a happy ending. She always thinks for others instead of her which made me love Bryce so much. When we found out that she has the Starborn gift I was so shocked as well as happy as she used the gift to save basically the whole word from sinister devils that leaped from the pit of Hel. I loved how she never gave on Hunt or anyone who was close to her. HUNT Hunt was a bae in this book. I loved him so much. I loved how he had not a single bit of love in his heart but later on as he spends his time with Bryce he realises the love he has and how beautiful is feels. I loved his snarky comments that were humorous as it just lightened up my mood. I loved how he sacrificed his life for Bryce. Like when he covered Bryce from the missile so that she could live it broke my heart that he was literally shredded into pieces. But thank god he lived. And also when he lied about all those thing to Bryce it broke me and I was just like why, don't you dare do this to me Hunt. SYRINX AND LEHABAH I loved them two so much, loved Syrinx's smart brain and attitude as well as it's cute appearance in this book. When he lived after he drowned I was literal crying because... you know why if you read the book. Lehabah was on a whole new level for me. I loved how shy she got when she saw hot males around or when she was praised and when people gave her kind comments. But when she sacrificed her life for Bryce, Danika and everyone she cared about, when she died I literally died. My heart broke. I will never forget her as she played a big role in this book and placed a special place in my heart. DANIKA Loved Danika as a whole. Loved how she protected Bryce through all dangers and loved how she appeared at the end for Bryce's anchor. Loved everything about her and was so upset and heartbroken when she dies as she was so special to me. Loved how she motivated Bryce to live for those who care and love for her. RUHN Loved how he cared and treasured Bryce since the day he met her. Loved how he was possessive and protective over Bryce. Loved their sibling relationship as they were so connected and protected each other no matter how dangerous the cause was. BRYCE AND HUNT Loved their relationship since the beginning. How they were enemies (kind of), friends, best friends then lovers. Loved how their relationship bloomed into something phenomenal and beautiful. I loved how they were there for each other no matter what was in their way. I also love the slow-burn romance they had as it was just hot and sexy. It made the book all the more fun. I also loved the part when Bryce washed and clothed Hunt when he was in a bad state, she didn't care about the people he had murdered she just cared about his mental state. BRYCE AND DANIKA I loved the relationship they had. Loved the sisterly bond they had as it was so passionate. I loved how both of them were always there for each other even if Danika was dead. I was so sad when Danika died and Bryce was about to commit suicide but luckily Juniper came as quick as possible. Loved how they both motivated each other and how they looked out for each other. Overall this book was absolutely amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, mystery, horror (a little) and more. Sarah. J. Maas is so talented and I am so grateful that she has written this book as it has stopped the reading slump I was in. This book has a special place in my heart that I am very grateful for. I love how this book ended and cannot wait for the next book in the CRESCENT CITY series.

[tiny-smallest]

choices

Rating: T Characters: Bendy, Alice, mention of various characters Warnings: there’s some light body horror with Alice’s ‘halo’ and the reference of lots of abuse and also murder Description: Bendy decides to invite Alice over for a talk. Predictably, it doesn't go well.

Also on AO3!

So I’ve fallen in love with @the-vampire-inside-me‘s Inkborne AU. I’m not very sure what a lot of the backstory is in it yet-- for example, whether or not Joey was abusive, whether or not he made Boris, Bendy, or Alice, or how quickly the Ink made the place decay, or... a timeline in general. But my brain sure wanted to find out, and it had the idea that this Bendy and Alice have a very strained relationship, and so this thing happened that assumes a looooooot of things about... everything I just mentioned. And explores why that relationship is strained. Trigger warning for talk about torture because boy howdy. Joey was. Yeah, he was a special kind of dick.

So anyway, have this drabble, otherwise titled “I write angst to deeply unfitting music.”

He sat under the tree high up on the manor grounds, staring out over the decaying city. Seemed like just a short time ago that the Ink took over. But his view of the passage of time had always been weird. Maybe it had something to do with being a demon. Yeah, that was probably it, right?

Man, it was a good thing Joey’s ancestor had decided that a regular plot of land wouldn’t do; he had to build the manor on an area built up on top of a cliff overlooking the town like a show-offy jackass. Whatever mess was going on below wouldn’t actually reach here, if ever, and thank god.

Now if only his grandstanding ancestor had built the manor on the taller mesa instead of the smaller one. So much would have been avoided if escape had been possible from this miserable town, but the sheer cliff of the taller mesa back beyond the manor grounds meant that there was no other way out. Why was this entire stupid town in what was basically a fucking bowl of land?

Ugh, this was not the mood he wanted to be in for this meeting. It was already going to suck enough without moping and fuming. Closing his eyes, he breathed in and out for a few minutes, but the sound of wings quickly drew them open.

Alice was here.

She landed several feet away from him, the delicate magic, threads of white sprouting from her back into some overly decorative wing design, slowly folding back up into her back from whence it came. She nodded a curt, polite greeting.

Bendy, however, was not much for politeness. “Surprised you came.”

Her mouth puckered into a frown as she lifted the veil covering her face. “You asked. I saw no problem with answering your request.”

“Why? Did they run out of praise for ya?” He didn’t even bother trying to hide the sullenness from his voice. So much for trying to start this off on neutral grounds.

“If you just drew me out here to insult me, I’ll leave.” She was having none of his shit today. When had she ever? Even back when what he’d had to say had been logical and reasonable, she hadn’t been interested in listening to him, oh no. He huffed, standing up and stretching the soreness from his muscles. Yeesh. He needed to stop falling asleep sitting up.

“Well? Why did you want to meet me?”

Yeah, being abrasive was seriously the wrong choice, but he’d made it. Whoops. “… I need yer help.”

“You have a funny way of asking for it.”

“Look, it’s been a rough-” Day? Week? Year? More like lifetime. Yeah, ‘lifetime’ sounded about right, but ‘week’ would be accurate, too. The dead horse he’d hauled back in chunks to the manor was all eaten now. He was back to eating squirrels. “-week.”

Deep breaths, Bendy. Because they worked so well last time. Augh.

“I wanna get outta this shithole. You can’t fly far but you got power; maybe you could help-”

“Absolutely not.”

Despite his preperations to hear that answer, a rock dropped into his stomach anyway. “Why the fuck not!? You’re strong! I’m strong!” Inexperienced despite his best attempts at not sucking, but strong! That counted for something, right? “The two of us together could ditch this place so fast our heads would spin! I don’ know what the world is like out there but god Alice, it’s gotta be better’n here!” Anywhere would be. Anywhere.

Her face softened. Shit, he must look more pathetic than he’d meant to look. “… I’d help. I really would. But it’s dangerous, significantly so. And I can’t risk my life when there are others depending on that life, much less actually leave the city with you.”

His face twisted into a scowl. This trash again? “They don’ own you, Al. You don’ owe them jack.”

“I can protect them. If I can do it, I should, and I can, so I choose to.” Her words, calm and deliberate, held a match to a boiling pit of gas in his belly.

“I don’ understand! Why are ya doing this!?” he exploded, gesturing furiously to the hellscape below, covered in ink and blood and dead things and nightmares, and in the center, the tower of a chapel, the only place untainted by the evil of the Ink… but very much tainted with the evil called humanity. “Why is this so important to ya!? Don’ you realize yer literally playin’ right into Joey’s hands, here!?”

Her eyes widened with something he couldn’t entirely place, but he guessed might be fear. The hand that rose halfway to her mouth didn’t help her case if she wanted to pretend that accusation didn’t freak her out. “What… what do you mean?”

“He did this to ya, Al! He did-” he gestured at the thing that could possibly be considered a halo nailed into Alice’s head “-that! God, Al, he tortured you same as either’a us! And yer gonna just- go along with yer ‘purpose’ after all that!? He made ya to clean up his mess, he fuckin’- nailed a thing into yer head so you could actually be equipped to clean up that mess, cause you ain’t a person, yer a tool to him! You know what he did to me! To Boris! You too! And yet yer jus’- gonna do what he wanted ya to do like a good little girl!? Like a goddamn chess piece!? He ain’t even here anymore! God knows where he fuckin’ slipped off to but there ain’t any ‘father’ to appease, Al!”

Her eyes, glazed during his tirade, cleared, and she didn’t so much fold her arms as she did hug herself, though her eyes remained on his. “Don’t misunderstand my intentions, Bendy. I don’t do what I do out of any love for Joey Drew. Or for his plans. This isn’t a seal of approval on anything he did to any of us, and I’m no puzzle piece of his, whatever he might think of all of this, if he’s even still alive somewhere.” Her eyes narrowed as she let go of herself, back straightening. “I do what I do because I want to. These people need protection, guidance, and healing. The city is overrun, has been for a long time now, and they’re scared. They need me and whether I like how I got these powers or not, I have them. I may as well use them.”

“Why you wanna do what they want any more than what Joey wants!?” The demon waved his hands in the air, as if he could swat away the ridiculousness of this like a fly. Or maybe he was just so full of emotion he needed to move. Probably some combination of the two. “Don’ you know that if they realized yer from the same origin point me and Boris are, they’d turn on ya!? Humans are fricking awful; I’d’ve thought you’d’ve figured that out when they tortured and murdered Boris! Jus’ leave ‘em to rot; they’d’a done the same to us in our shoes! Who cares what their issues are!? Who cares if they all die off!?”

Something inside the angel hardened a touch and she leveled a stare at him. Bendy, undeterred as per usual, put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot. “Just because our father never loved us,” Alice said, eyes like daggers, “doesn’t mean we can’t love the world.”

“Why should I!? It ain’t ever loved me!” The little demon returned her glare, hoping it drilled holes in her stupid head. “I know I ain’t owed the world, but I was owed more than what I got, Al, and you fuckin’ know it.” Tears were smudging her into a black and white blur, but there was no stopping this train now that they were on it. “I didn’ deserve the shit Joey did ta me, I didn’ deserve bein’ locked up in that tiny closet full’a crosses an’ left to puke my guts out, or any of the lashings, or the chains to hold me down durin’ those rituals ta ‘increase my power,’ or whatever bullshit that was, or ta have this plague pinned on me, or any of the rest of the shit I might be forgettin’ that Joey did ta me! And! They murdered Boris! Lemme repeat that again since you didn’ seem ta hear it, but they murdered Boris! He didn’ like fightin’, he never wanted ta hurt a soul and I don’ even think he was capable of it; all he did was leave the manor grounds, and when the same goddamn people you now protect in yer stupid church found out, they hunted him down like- like an animal and tortured him and murdered him! They put his body on fuckin’ display! I can see, jus’ barely but I can, his fuckin’ corpse from a few places in the manor, all cause a bunch of humans decided he didn’ deserve to live and the bullshit magic that brought us to life doesn’t allow bodies to decay or somethin’!”

“It hurt,” she whispered, rubbing at an eye. “It hurt finding out that he died. And like that. He didn’t deserve it, not ever. But I refuse to condemn an entire town full of people for the actions of some who I can’t even identify. I don’t know who killed him; I wouldn’t shelter them if I did know. I just know I didn’t kill him, and that if I could, I’d bring his murderers to justice. His death isn’t my fault.”

“You abandoned us!” Bendy shrieked, tears streaming openly now, hands in fists. “Boris is dead, Al! He’s fuckin’- he’s dead! He didn’t deserve none’a that! But it happened anyway, and if you’d been there maybe he woulda survived!” With each word, her features grew calmer and calmer, harder and harder to read, and the more they did, the hotter he felt inside, ready to slug her. “You abandoned us and he died!”

“… You might be projecting a little, there,” Alice said, her voice a smooth sort of cool that didn’t sit well in the demon’s stomach. “Maybe if I’d been there, maybe, he would be fine. But you were there. And you knew he was antsy, you knew he was tired of being cooped up in the manor, you knew all of that… but I know you, and I know you wouldn’t stop talking about how much you wanted to get out, either. I wasn’t there, but you were, and you didn’t keep a closer eye on him, or reel in your fantasy talk, or any other number of things to preempt the situation. At the end of the day, it’s ultimately the fault of the people who murdered him, but if either of us are to blame at all, Bendy, it’s you.”

The world felt frozen. The sun was still out, but everything was so cold. His stomach felt hollow, and not just because of his squirrel diet.

“I think you better leave,” he rasped.

“I think I should,” came the icy reply. Without another word, she drew her veil up and spread her magic wings, leaving the tiny demon staring at nothing in the wake of the gust of wind her wings created from takeoff.

His legs gave out and he collapsed into sobs hard enough to wrack his whole tiny, thin body.

So basically the idea regarding the background information for this is that Joey made all three of them, was a horrific piece of shit to them, but vanished one day after the Ink outbreak. Bendy’s mention of ‘father’ was a reference to an old conversation in once Joey mused aloud that technically speaking, as he made them, he could be considered their father. Running off the idea that crosses don’t kill Bendy in this, but direct contact will burn and being surrounded by them will leave him with severe headaches and stomachaches. They make him literally sick. Idea about the room of crosses being a punishment inflicted whenever Bendy misbehaved comes from this comic.

Bendy, unable to escape the city alone, continued his residence in the very same Drew Manor that he’s lived in his whole life and has wanted nothing more than to escape from, only because it’s the safest place in town due to its location. Headcanon is that he needs to eat but can eat stuff humans wouldn’t be able to, so he lives off of whatever he can catch in the manor grounds and, occasionally, the dead horses of travelers to the town that he takes apart and brings back to the manor.

Being trapped in the same place of years and years of abuse because it’s ironically become the only safe place in a living hell is a kind of hell in it of itself; starving on top of that makes it suck even more.

Alice, meanwhile, escaped the manor at an odd period of time where the Ink was starting to make its way into town but hadn’t become a full blown plague yet. Though she escaped Joey, her heartstrings were tugged by the frightened people and she took up residence in the chapel, which became a safe haven when the real outbreak hit. She became a leader to the remains of the town’s population, keeping the Ink at bay with her powers and healing those who needed it. Boris died shortly after Alice left and I think it’s pretty clear how and why.

[beatsfortheillperth]

Words with Somanyfeels Part 2

Shot by @samuel_thecanadian⁣⁣

Julian aka Somanyfeels abilities with self-directed piecing of artistic trinkets is something we here at beatsfortheill admire about the various artists we get the opportunity to explore future readings and words with, and the big moves Julian is making under his accomplice is beyond the appreciation we are able to give via our blog, but this globetrotter isn't far of more global recognition.

As with writers' block on the mind for myself and then to suddenly, with true suave, have Julian, display his skills toying with human mood after my rough couple of weeks with a mix that truly helped me explore the various healing avenues that music can relate to us as individuals, going through everyday struggles.

So without further delay, let us take a moment to re-explore words with Julian a good friend and previous words with, and found out more about what his mix segment- "Endeavour v1" means to him and let us also dabble in his future endeavors and dreams, so with appreciate enjoy the following words with Somanyfeels.

Let us start with a few random generals to get the conversation flowing, a bit like a repeat from the last time we shared words, so let us see if things have changed up since then?

Favorite Food: A plate full of Al Pastor Tacos with a lot of lime and some horchata.

Favorite Beverage: Matcha tea

Favorite thing to do when you get downtime by yourself:  Take a Nap

Best place to enjoy a wine and view in Las Vegas: Highly recommend any desert area outside of Las Vegas. I love taking pictures and being outdoors with friends. There are some amazing views of the sunset at this place I go right by my house. My friends and I head down to the wash area by this singular tiny mountain and we just talk about life as the golden hour begins and ends.

Favorite piece of clothing and, why you hold a special bond with it: My favorite piece of clothing is actually jewelry. I have this blue-painted silver medallion that I received as a gift while exploring the medina in Fez, Morocco. It reminds me there is more going on in this world than what you see before you, and to try travel as much as you can.

Best song to break it down to at the moment: I would like to mention two tracks for this topic… KALI YUGA - GHOSTMANE & CLAMS CASINO & ANYMORE - FLAUNT EDWARDS

Best song to chill to on a hectic day: THUNDERSTORM - PRODUCERBOIBRAD

Favorite song to listen to at the moment: EARL (INSTRUMENTAL) - EARL SWEATSHIRT

Best Genre of music to listen to when craving emotional connection with one's self: Ambient music heals the soul.

Views on politics: American politicians should be prioritizing the environment over all other political issues. I also believe Americans bought into the illusion that we are in control of what our government does for the countries best interests. I’m not entirely sure about the rest of the world though, so I doubt my opinion has much weight with how things are going nationally and internationally. I think we need to just keep ourselves informed with the use of reliable news resources and we should also put more focus on keeping our planet as clean as we can.

Views on drinking milk throughout the day: Almond milk in a coffee, of course, but if it’s hot often where you are, like it is in Vegas, I would suggest sticking to water. I also think about that scene in Anchorman when Ron loses Baxter!

The Rabbit Hole - Shot By Rosemary Fajardo 

Thanks for answering those little rants, so let us get onto your music. 

You have been guest hosting on radio, sharing tunes with the world,

and also making some of the best blends and mixes I have ever had the privilege of listening to, much love.

What keeps you moving forward with your goals within the music scene? 

Also what have been some of the best tools you have had at hand reach when it comes to creating and delivering quality sets and blends? 

Thank you so much for the kind words about this particular craft of mine <3 I definitely feel that my friends who also make music in my circle, are the people who keep me closest to my love of mixing music and playing shows. 

Witnessing their work ethic grow with wisdom is some type of magic.

I certainly was not expecting to reach this magnitude within the Las Vegas music culture and I was at one time hosting my own radio show but decided to pursue a different route and become more intimate and technical with my musical presentations. 

Hosting your own radio show takes A LOT of time, which at the time was stressing me out. I felt like the quality of work I was putting out on a weekly became biweekly then seldom the basis was in decline. 

To people out there looking to pick up radio, it is extremely fun and teaches you a lot about communication and self-reliance. 

I also think it's totally fine to hit the reset button to keep your spirit up. You can always revisit your past projects and continue to pursue your love for the craft.

Mixing live in front of crowds while on stage is what I love doing now.

When mixing, I can use all Traktor controllers but am also familiar with Pioneer CDJ’s and controllers. 

Traktor is my main resource for feeling comfortable, well most comfortable on stage. 

I stick to using remix decks, 2-4 channels depending on the routine, with effects from both my controller and the house mixer.

Do you always have to schedule in time or does it just fall into a routine, creating I mean?

It is at random for mixes I create at home. When I feel it, I'll just go for it, but for shows, it does take a sort of scheduling presence and sorting of skills to make sure I feel prepared for the upcoming event. 

Keep in mind, not all shows are the same, so you have to really organize and then re-organize your playlists depending on the crowds you will be playing for and the vibe the event promoter will be expecting. 

In the end, as a DJ I believe firmly that it is your job to be the glue between artists before and after you.

You have to learn to look up at the faces in front of you too, sort of read how people are reacting to your song selection and with that, you have to try and adapt on the fly as much as possible.

I’m still trying to perfect this lol.

It has to be mentioned, you are quite a gifted photographer.

I had a scroll with a good friend through your shoots and you def know your angles, much love.

How far do you feel you've come from first experimenting with a camera to what I believe you are now, a self-proclaimed skill shooter down the lens?

Also, what is your favorite style of shoot to portray a scene via the lens?

Also, what's your preference time to shoot: Night or Day?

You are always learning and adapting with a cam.

I absolutely love it. 

I don’t think that I am that profound just yet since there is so much more I need to understand, but if you enjoy light painting images, then I would reference my work to you :) I am a night-time shooter mostly so I'd say night time with the exception of a good golden hour or blue hour shoot. Night shots feel like you and your subject are the only ones on the planet, and the ability to light up the night with a light source is pure sorcery! 

It reminds me a lot of Magic: The Gathering. a lot of the graphics from those cards inspire me to utilize an experimental light source.

Let's bring it back to the reason I am asking to have words with you again, and that reason is your creation, with essence -a new mix, titled "Endeavor v1".

It has to be one of my favorites, of many great mixes by yourself, and I am privileged to be featuring "Endeavor v1" on our SoundCloud alongside this interview, link to the mix is here.

Honestly, thank you!, you actually got me onto a few new artists that I had never heard of thanks to the beauty.

People like marrow with Kafia, Otrapic, and Carlo Frick; all artists that are truly pushing diverse waves and instilling moods all over, that I was yet to hear before Endeavor thank you! While we are on the topic, what are your personal views on these artists in the making? 

These artists are great and I highly recommend that you listen to them!

Otrapic’s sound resonates with me so much. As much as I love that hard gritty and ground splitting bass sound from artists in my library, the storytelling element that Otrapic has just levels me out and makes me want to tell my emotions to someone close.

 Carlo Frick makes your brain swivel in place. I’ve opened many sets with his music at the forefront of the tracklist- in fact - I think any hard set I play will include a sound from his discography. 

Kafia has that haunting element of like a siren’s presence underwater in her musical style. 

Keep in mind, these artists you’ve mentioned from Endeavor v1s tracklist are particularly underrated. 

Kafia shows that you have to really let loose upon yourself when digging deep into Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Spotify etc. 

Trust the flow of the search for music and you will find those gem artists turn-by-turn.

On the subject, again, what bought you to your mix concept for "Endeavors"? What type of day/night was it, and what had been playing in your head before you even thought to put the playlist together? 

It was super late. I came home after a night out in The Arts District of Las Vegas, and I just felt really sad. Anyone get that way after drinking too much and you’re like super on the edge of blacking out but have loads of energy that has been held so close for too long? 

I had to let it out and went into my little corner area in my house where all my plants and records are and just turned on the controller and played what I thought would express my feelings inside. I woke up the next morning and played it back and thought "oh shit this went fairly well", lol. Sometimes sadness can drive you to make some really interesting projects. It's okay to feel these feelings.

Will, there be follow on concepts for Endeavor? Like how you dabbled in your previous works "HUNT//GATHER which came in a 5 volume mix of ambient allure, much love again for that. I loved what HUNT//GATHER represented. I remember you saying "It is intended to put the listener out of their element and into something wild and untamed" talking about the five-volume.

Truly a unique artist you are my friend, much gratitude. 

If you do plan the volume for Endeavour, what would your goals and visions be for the project? Also what journey are you hoping to take your listeners on with works to come?

I appreciate the kind words on my previous mix series <3 <3 <3

and I think I would love to do something like that series again!!

Sure why not ;) This sound could work, I have loads more of this sound just sitting there looking for a home.

I think that could be the theme too!

“Searching for home, all the while achieving the tasks you set before you to prepare for your arrival”.

Something like that?

 A goal of mine would be to make it a journey for the listener to enjoy.

With Endeavor, if you could give one descriptive paragraph for all it embodies from your point of view what would you state?

It’s your interaction with the elements in our world.

It's packed with all beats airy, wavy and blissful to help tell the story of…whatever it is you see after hearing the track order, to be honest! Find someplace relaxing to you, maybe a productive place and play this out. 

I think it’ll bring you into some sort of meditative state :)

Any up and coming artists, music and beyond you could recommend and give us links to? 

INDESCRIBABLE INDY

https://indescribable.bandcamp.com/

WEIRDDOUGH

https://weirddough.bandcamp.com/

ONEONTHEBEAT

https://1blaps.bandcamp.com/

MATT NISH

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IcGFKFypLHBm9fUCbhl1u

OUMUAMUA

https://soundcloud.com/oumuamua

LO THE DINO

https://soundcloud.com/lothedino

One of my favorite questions to ask, any musical recommendations?

Albums, songs, or a blessed mix like your own for example? 

I would personally recommend an artist by the name of Terekke.

His "Improvisational Loops" Album is filled with some of the most amazing ambient music I’ve heard.

https://www.musicfrommemory.com/release/6031/terekke/improvisational-loops

How have your previous experiences with doing live sets been going? 

I can only imagine the mood you would set. What has been your favorite experience as of late?

Well.. to be clear, I haven’t really done a full live set just yet.

With remix decks on traktor, switching over to those can be a kinetic experience with the audience. 

My real joy is to present sounds as a vibe selection - something that tells a story with energy exchange.

My challenge lately is looking at the crowd and reading their movements and my most favorite experience playing live is just glancing up after a transition and seeing a guy (pristinely dress) spilling his beer all over the floor while getting down.

I just really loved seeing that reaction to music. He didn’t care one bit and was just wayyyy into the song that was playing.

An old memory would have to be from a Halloween show years back at this venue called Velveteen Rabbit in the Arts District of LV.

I specifically remember just dancing harder than I’ve ever danced while dj’ing. Right in front of the small fold up table with my gear with all my friends just throwing their hands at me.

It felt like I was inside of a fireball.

I will forever cherish that night. connection to the crowd, close friends or newly met ones, that will always fuel me to play music.

Any up and coming shows or gigs you'd like to brief us on that you feel readers would be intrigued with checking out?

I just finished 2 sets for the end of October.

My birthday is Halloween, so I just want to spend time with friends and take photos throughout November.

I have a couple of collaborations in the works rn with some friends who need some photos; just have to see how they turn out.

As for music, I’m taking a month off from shows but I would like to play one for NYE. ;)

Any Last Words?

Please bear in mind that life is fragile.

We are on a rock that is highly susceptible to an array of destruction from uncontrollable forces we can’t even see coming from beyond the known cosmos.

Your milliseconds here are precious. what can you do to make the best of those moments?

Support Somanyfeels Here:

Somanyfeels Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/somanyfeelsmusic

Somanyfeels Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_somanyfeels_/?hl=en

Somanyfeels Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/somanyfeelsphoto/

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #43: The End (For Now, My Dudes) (7/2/17)

Nothing really ends.

This Week’s TØPics:

Schott Recap

Rock Sound 50 Interview

BLIND SPECULATION About the Next Era

And More (Tears, Mostly)

Major News and Announcements:

Only one piece of major news this week: they’re done. After over two years, well over two hundred shows, a butt-ton of awards, and countless moments of fun and joy, Twenty One Pilots has finished the album cycle that began in April 2015 with the announcement of an album called Blurryface. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun worked their butts off for us. We’ll get into the nitty-gritty of how the era wrapped in the recap section and look to the future in BLIND SPECULATION, but first, let’s just appreciate the fact that they did it. 

With this album and the years of work that led up to it, Tyler and Josh became some of the biggest figures in music, generated no less than three smash singles, and took off their pants on national television. Most importantly, their increased visibility has introduced their music about anxiety, depression, and emotional honesty to a lot of people, some of whom have seen their lives changed for the better by the comfort and community that music brings. They’ve changed the world, without question.

Performances, Interviews, and Other Shenanigans:

It’s hard to believe that it’s been barely a week since the last show of the Blurryface Era. It feels like it was both years and mere hours ago. Highlights from the last show at the Schott:

Before the show even started, Mark and Brad were causing drama in the Clique. Mark created a very official-looking fake setlist that included an assortment of fan favorites melded very seamlessly into the existing line-up and slipped it into the background of several of the pair’s pre-show Snapchats. I think they both learned their lesson about the risks of waving Taxi Cab under the Clique’s nose.

Though the fake setlist didn’t make it to the stage, there were a few nifty alterations. My favorite: for the first time since Belsonic Fest way back in August 2015, the band performed “No Woman, No Cry” for the lead-in to “Ride”, this time with the assistance of MisterWives’ horn section.

Tyler’s (possibly final) WDBWOTV Speech was full of awkward pauses meant to keep the show going as long as possible and a shout out to his sister Madison, whose birthday landed on the date. Tyler called Maddie “the only woman he ever loved besides my mom and my wife... and my mother-in-law... and Josh.” Curse that boy.

Tyler’s final Trees Speech of the era was suitably great (even if it was regularly interrupted by screaming from the crowd, which you can forgive, I’d be hyped/sad as frick, too). Tyler made sure to emphasize how their story shows that people should never put a ceiling on their dreams. He also, with trademark humility, repeatedly pointed out that neither he nor Josh could have done this without each other and their fans. The part that hit me the most was when Tyler got transparent and admitted that he doesn’t really know what comes after this moment for them, and that he even thought while donning the Blurryface makeup for the last time that this might be it for the band. However, he pledged not to quit, asking only that the audience give them time to not just work on their material but to grow as people before coming back with new music.

Nothing in the whole show shook me more to the core than Tyler singing “Goodbye” in “Trees”. I’m still not over it.

Actually, this hug shook me even more.

Beyond the show, there was one more piece of content that came out this week that I feel has really been overlooked: the Rock Sound 50 interview. Tyler and Josh were voted the most influential figures in rock music by the mag’s readers, and they gave one of the most honest and in-depth interviews on that topic that I’ve seen from them in quite some time (largely because they haven’t really given a ton of interviews lately). Highlights from that interview:

When asked about what they think of being influential, Josh gives the most unexpected answer possible, but one that is also quintessentially Josh: he talks about watching Dean Martin Westerns with his dad. If you think that’s random, Josh’s explanation makes a ton of sense. He states that he felt like he got to know Dean Martin through how he portrayed himself across all the various films he was involved in over the years, and that he now understands how people can look at how he presents himself on stage and other media over time and connect with the person who has crafted all of those performances.

Tyler’s answer to the question of influence is also expectedly on point: “I don’t look at celebrities or people of a certain status and aspire to be them... I’m influenced by my family, by individuals who have endured struggle and who have bettered themselves or overcome tremendous odds.”

The interviewer states that the connection between the fans and the band is genuinely unbelievable. Tyler says that he thinks his music really resonates with people because it talked honestly about what he was thinking. There’s one point that I wish I could pick his brain about. Tyler says that he’s not fulfilled by writing about personal scenes, words, and things that don’t make sense to anybody else, and that he wants to make art and live outwardly in order to connect with people. This is confusing: after all, so much of his discography is cryptic, and he famously wrote a song about his personal “Kitchen Sink”. That said, the core feelings of those songs are pretty evident and obviously connect with tons of people. I dunno. Again, would like to see if that populism is something that Tyler wants to incorporate more into his music and has been thinking about as his art has evolved.

The band talks about the responsibility of being influencers, specifically pointing to the lessons they’ve learned by being older siblings. Josh talks about the accountability that comes with being expected to be a role model. Tyler conversely says that he “feels like knowing when to step back is part of being responsible.” Tyler goes further and points out that they really have a much lower public profile than many in their occupation and level of fame, and that that’s very much an intentional choice to not go on every TV show or take every photo. It’s important for him to have time to just stay huddled in a room and not risk giving a potentially bad example on his bad days. Furthermore, he says, “I don’t crave any more attention than I have already.

Tyler appears to get actually upset and even angry when the question of authenticity comes up, openly bashing the “mainstream, pop culture” idea that they were a constructed product or that their songs don’t come from a genuine place. Tyler is very proud that he’s able to say that he has never had someone co-write one of his songs, let alone had them made by another person. “Sometimes I want to scream that so hard. It’s like, ‘Don’t you get it? Don’t you get that this isn’t some formula? This is real, and people are drawn to it because it’s real.’”

When asked if people would be surprised that they’re influenced by fans more than the other way around, Tyler fully agrees. Josh says that fans don’t just inspire him with their creativity and talent, but also force him to be a better person even on days that he doesn’t much want to be. Tyler explains that, while he makes his songs to better and “mend” parts of himself (*sobs*), he truly feels alive when those emotions bounce back from fans who have taken them and applied them to themselves.

Tyler says that the music they’ve making now has weird, structurally unsound pauses meant specifically to encourage audience reflection and participation.

On the sole light-hearted note in the interview, Tyler jokes about how he can never find the right pants, and that “pants” would probably be in the name of his theoretical solo project (don’t even joke about that, fam).

Josh interestingly talks at length about his maturation in the last years, specifically in his newfound desire to be clear and considerate in his speech in order to make people feel love and accepted, even down to wanting to draw back from too many inside jokes with Tyler. I... don’t know how I feel about that. Is that just a social media criticism thing? Or is that genuine maturity, wanting to make yourself palatable to everyone? Or is it a fame thing? I don’t know. I’m immature as heck.

When discussing self-improvement, Josh states that, in addition to learning new sports, he is also continually interested in learning new instruments and more about composition. Tyler, on the other hand, says that he’s cautious about how to evolve. Specifically, he says that he never wants to be unhappy with where he’s currently at or to look at his past work and not be proud of it. We hope you never do either, boss.

BLIND SPECULATION OF THE WEEK:

Now, the big question: What’s next? I’ve brought this up before in speculation segments, but recent events have caused me to alter my predictions somewhat. Last time, I said that I thought we wouldn’t get an album until next year, but that we almost definitely would get at least a promo track by December. Now I think I might have been overzealous.

It seems pretty clear that Twenty One Pilots has not been in the studio in their relative down-time over the last few months- any days that they weren’t vacationing or moving into new houses were probably spent rehearsing for festivals and TDC. That doesn’t negate the fact that Tyler and Josh have said that they’ve been already been working on new music a number of times over the last few months, but it does greatly lower the likelihood that they’re only a few months out from completing a project. Furthermore, just from reading the vibe of recent interviews and speeches, I think Tyler especially really needs to take at least a few months to himself. Tyler’s an extremely introverted and family-focused individual, and fame (not to mention the heavy workload of arena/festival touring) seems to have taken a bit of a toll. He clearly loves what he does, but he also clearly loves his wife, his friends, and his home, and he deserves a chance to reconnect with them, not just for his health and happiness (which is most important), but also to make sure that his creative voice remains grounded to reality. Plus... I mean, Tyler’s getting older, he’s barely a year out from thirty, guy’s been on the road the first two years of his marriage... that’s all I’m saying about that. Also, I’m sure Josh wants to go bowling, visit Universal a few more times, hang out with certain individuals, see the pyramids, and generally live an idle life for a bit.

Because of that, not only do I not think Tyler and Josh will have another album ready to go by the end of the year, I also think that they won’t even be in the studio by then. A six month vacation would give them both time to pursue other interests, invest in the people around them, and consider where they want to take the next project. Granted, label contracts, creative itches, and their work ethic might mean that they’ll be back well before that. And that would be great; no one would be happier than me to get music sooner rather than later. But my main priority is that Tyler and Josh are healthy and happy.

There’s a ton of other questions about upcoming projects, which I shall attempt to answer succinctly (too late) below to the best of my ability: 

How will the concerts and setlists change when they make a bunch of new music? Most of the deep cuts from past projects will probably start to go- I doubt we’ll have room for full performances for Polarize, Message Man, WDBWOTV, Hometown, *unsteady sobbing gasp* The Run and Go, The Judge, Migraine... Beyond that, I would be thrilled if the band made use of some of their newly-acquired capital to hire a touring band. The backing tracks were a great tool for the guys when they were broke college kids, but I do think that a lot of music critics who have scorned our band have a valid point that the greatest weakness to their performances is the lack of genuine live music. I honestly don’t know if this will happen, but the Mutemath collaboration leaves me optimistic that Tyler and Josh might see the value in searching out some talented folks to flesh out their sound.

Will they release any more one-off singles for films or other media in the vein of “Heathens” between now and another album? I dunno. Hard to imagine that they haven’t been approached after the runaway success of “Heathens”, but I feel like Tyler will want to devote his time to their next major project. 

Will they get bored in their off-time and go back to making Quality Comedy Content? I mean, Vine’s dead. But I don’t see why not. Go crazy, Jishwa, skate down the pyramids with your fidget spinners. Run another election, Lord knows we need one.

How will their rise to fame be reflected in their new content? I mean, there’s really no way it won’t in some implicit way. The pressures, judgement, and surreal-ness that come with that almost definitely will be on Tyler’s mind during the writing process. Honestly, though? I hope it doesn’t. Blurryface was already an album largely about dealing with insecurities and pressures involved in making music and art and, I’ll be honest, that’s what didn’t work about that album for me. Like Tyler said in the Rock Sound 50 interview, those parts spoke more to the band’s very unique experience, and I couldn’t relate to them as strongly as the paradoxically even more personal and emotional stuff in their prior projects. That’s right: on the final week of the Blurryface Cycle, I admit that I wasn’t actually completely sold every aspect of the album. I know, I’m a fake fan. However, Blurryface was still a great project made by immensely talented people, and I am so excited to see what they take away from it in making their future art

That’s all folks. I’ll be stepping away from writing regular installments of the blog for the foreseeable future, with maybe the odd one-off here and there if we get a good morsel of news (*cough*last Sleepers video*cough*) or maybe if I just miss my dudes. Hopefully I’m still in a place when the next era begins that I’ll be able to jump right back on the horse, but we’ll see where life takes me- and all of us, really. But I’m optimistic, and I know that, whatever happens I will always- always- love this band, which has given so many people hope and comfort when they needed it most.

Power to the local dreamer.

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